STORRS University of Connecticut students living at an apartment building off campus are being told to quarantine for at least 14 days amid a spike in COVID-19 cases there. The building, The Oaks on the Square apartments on Royce Circle, houses more than 700 students who will be affected by the quarantine, according to UConn spokeswoman Stephanie Reitz. As of Friday, student residents of The Oaks accounted for a notable number of the positive COVID-19 tests conducted on off-campus students, the UConn, the Town of Mansfield and Eastern Highland Health District said in a joint statement. Those cases generally comprise roommate groups in which one person contracted the virus and passed it to other close contacts. 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 Non-student residents of the building are not being asked to quarantine. Reitz said those residents apartments are not separated from those rented by students. Public health data suggests that students have been the primary group at risk of contracting and spreading the virus, the joint statement said. On Friday, the university reported 13 new cases of COVID-19 among off-campus students. Four other new cases were also found among campus resident students three of whom were found through surveillance testing, and a fourth who began feeling symptoms, the school said. I would like to thank the University for their cooperation in this matter, and to reassure members of the Mansfield community that transmission of the virus does not appear to be expanding into the greater Mansfield community, Mansfield Mayor Toni Moran said in a prepared statement. UConn students living at The Oaks will be allowed to leave the building for solitary activity, such as buying groceries or picking up takeout, a letter sent to the student residents said. Students will be taking classes remotely and will need to wear a mask anytime they are outside of their quarantine space. The school took a similar step last month, quarantining the Garrigus Suites on the Storrs campus amid and outbreak there. We believe these cases resulted from close contacts, less than 6 feet, with or without a mask, the letter to students said, in an apparant admonishment of student gatherings. As you know, close contacts can occur both within a household and when spending time with others. While we understand the deeply seated need for human connection and the excitement of spending time with friends, during a pandemic those interactions come with significant risk, the letter said. UConn is reporting 32 active cases of COVID-19 among students living on the Storrs campus, including those suspected of having the virus. There have been 85 cases reported among off-campus students. The school has seen no change in the number of cases reported at its other campuses. UConns Stamford campus has four cases among commuter students. The schools Hartford campus has reported one case from a commuter student. Three UConn employees have also tested positive. Several other colleges and universities have reported new cases. Sacred Heart University in Fairfield said seven students have tested positive since Wednesday, all residents of Bridgeports North End neighborhood. Some of these cases have already been linked to previous cases, and two individuals were already quarantining as a result of previous contact tracing, the school said in a statement Friday. Nearby, Fairfield University said seven students are isolated on campus after contact tracing, and 15 other students are under surveillance. Friday marked the first day the school began releasing the results of its weekly COVID-19 testing, none of which came back positive, the school data shows. Trinity College in Hartford reported one new case among students on Friday, according to the schools dashboard. There are currently four cases among students and one case among employees. Yale University in New Haven reported one new case on Wednesday, the most recent testing data available. The school has reported three new cases in the last week. During these trying times it is easy to become discouraged. A recent break-in at the Cathedral of St. Catherine of Alexandria has contributed to this attitude. A group of individuals stole the tabernacle which is the place where the Blessed Sacrament (Body of Christ) is reserved outside of mass. Why would this theft be so shocking for Catholics? The answer can be found in the following scripture passage. In the Gospel of John, Jesus says some things that many in the crowd found controversial. In fact, after hearing him, many decided to no longer be his followers. Here is the statement: I am the bread of life Very truly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day; for my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink. (John 6:35; 53-55) My Roman Catholic faith tradition has always taught that these words are to be taken literally and not simply symbolically. We believe Jesus means what he says, for my flesh is true food and my blood true drink. This is what we call the real presence of Christ in the eucharist. In the teachings of Vatican II we find the various ways in which Christ is present in the Sacred Liturgy. He is present in the person of the minister, in the community gathered in worship, in the Sacred Scriptures, and is most fully present under the appearances of bread and wine. During the celebration of mass, at the consecration, the bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Jesus. Even though their taste and appearance remain the same, they have been substantially transformed and are no longer merely bread and wine. For some, this teaching is just as difficult to accept today as it was at the time of Jesus. One reason may be that we have nothing in our natural order to use as a reference point. What is happening is supernatural. This is a mystery that must be experienced rather than understood. This happens when we focus on our relationship with Christ. The why becomes more important than the how. Jesus loves us so much that he feeds us with himself. He wants us to be spiritually strong and have a full life. With all other food, what we eat becomes part of us. With the holy eucharist, we become part of what we eat. Jesus wants to be united to us in holy communion. I offer all of this background in order to explain why the recent break-in and theft at the Cathedral of St. Catherine of Alexandria is considered such a tragedy for Catholics. Like Mary Magdalene on the morning of the Resurrection, we echoed her words of anguish, They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him. (John 20:13) We were very fortunate that the day after the robbery, the tabernacle was found half submerged in the old Welland Canal near Centennial Park in St. Catharines. Sadly, the Blessed Sacrament was not found. It is my hope and prayer that the Hosts have dissolved in the water. I am grateful to all those individuals who responded with prayers and acts of kindness. I especially thank the Cathedral parishioner who organized the search that eventually found the tabernacle. We will always find good people in times of difficulty and that is what helps us to overcome our discouragement. NEW DELHI: The National Testing Agency (NTA) is likely to announce the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Mains 2020 results on Friday (September 11). The results will be released on the official website of the board, which is, jeemain.nta.nic.in. Once released, candidates who took the examination, held from September 1-6, 2020, can check and download their result from the website. The National Testing Agency (NTA) conducted JEE Main entrance tests in two slots, between 9 am and 12 noon, and 3 pm and 6 pm from September 1-6. Follow these steps to check your JEE Main result 2020: Step 1: Visit the official website - jeemain.nta.nic.in Step 2: Click on 'download result' for JEE Main result Step 3: Enter login credentials Step 4: Download the JEE Main result and take a printout for future reference On September 8, the NTA had released the JEE Main 2020 exam answer key on its official website and had invited objections till Septmber 10, 2020 on the payment of Rs 200 for each objection. The top 2,50,000 rank holders in JEE Main 2020 will qualify to appear for JEE Advanced 2020. The exam was conducted from September 1 to 6 across 600 centres. Candidates who meet the required JEE Main 2020 cutoff marks will be eligible to apply for admission to various engineering institutions such as-Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIITs), National Institutes of Technology (NITs) and Government Funded Technical Institutes (GFTIs). Earlier, Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal had announced that the candidates qualifying the JEE Main 2020 will now not require the mandatory 75 per cent marks in Class 12 this year for admission to the National Institutes of Technology (NITs) and other Centrally Funded Technical Institutions (CFTIs). The move comes amidst the coronavirus COVID-19 crisis. The Union Minister had said that the qualifying candidates will only need to obtain a passing certificate in Class 12 examination irrespective of the marks obtained. The JEE Advanced 2020 or ITT JEE registration process is expected to begin on September 12 on the official website, jeeadv.ac.in. The JEE Advanced exam is scheduled to be conducted on September 27. JEE Advanced is an entrance exam conducted for admissions to the prestigious 23 IIT colleges across India. michael barbaro From The New York Times, Im Michael Barbaro. This is The Daily. [music] Today wildfires are ravaging the West with California, Oregon, Washington, and Colorado all facing record fire seasons. My colleague, Chris Flavelle, on the cycle of building and rebuilding that is making the annual fires so destructive. Its Friday, September 11. [BEEPING] archived recording You guys need any help? Huh? [INAUDIBLE] On the inside? [INAUDIBLE]. Hey! Lets go! Come on, lady! The fire is here! chris flavelle The fires this year really got bad starting in mid-August with a series of lightning strikes archived recording Nearly 11,000 lightning strikes. chris flavelle setting off hundreds of fires. You had already dry conditions, so those fires just spread. archived recording These fires stretched the length of the state. chris flavelle They quickly became out of control. archived recording The governor of California declaring a state of emergency today. Trapped. Theres fire on all sides all around us. All the roads are burnt. chris flavelle Right now, theres more than 2 and a half million acres that have burned in California alone. archived recording It was like the entire wall of the forest was just coming at us down the road. I looked up and the back of my house was on fire. chris flavelle And its spread beyond California right now. Weve got big fires in Oregon and Washington. archived recording Burn injuries, two victims en route. More than 14,000 firefighters are fighting these blazes. More than 560 homes destroyed here. And its threatening 5,000 more. At least five fatalities. Seven people killed One-year-old boy killed while fleeing with his family from a fire in Washington state. The governor there saying this could be the worst loss of life and property in state history. Do you see what California looks like right now? chris flavelle When I talked to people in California who were dealing with this, they always describe the color. archived recording You can see the red hue, the red-orange glow in the sky. Its apocalyptic. Ominous. Ominous and bleak. chris flavelle There is a strong note of fear and also awe in their voice. archived recording Its raining ash. Its really raining ash, bro. I mean, we cant even breathe, bro. chris flavelle And the thing to remember is we are not yet in the peak of wildfire season. I talked to a County Fire chief yesterday. And he said he is looking at months more of this until the rains come. archived recording Look at this! Look! Let the world know whats going on in California, man. Cause we burning down. [music] michael barbaro Chris, the scenes youre describing sound horrific. And what feels particularly awful is that every year seems to bring another set of devastating wildfires. And they keep getting worse and worse. And I think the question everyone has at this point is, why, if we know that these fires are coming, do we see such extreme destruction year after year, fire season after fire season? chris flavelle So theres a few things. Certainly, the main theme here is climate change, right? Climate change is making the conditions worse. Its drier. There are more dead trees. The temperatures are higher. Theres no getting away from the role of climate change. But its important to note its not just climate change. The other big change is the number of homes being built in this area, this exposed, vulnerable part of the state. Experts have a term for it. They call it the Wildland Urban Interface, or the WUI. And what that means is simply the place where development meets wild vegetation. It can be forests, it can be grassland, areas where youre going to have wildfires. And that housing development keeps on increasing in those areas. So you get more fires. But you also have more homes that are burning in those fires because theres more homes to begin with in those areas. michael barbaro So when we think of this WUI youre describing, where it feels like nature and man kind of meet chris flavelle Yeah. michael barbaro its extremely likely to catch fire over and over again. So why are people moving to such land? chris flavelle Yeah. Its a few reasons. And they all are happening together. If we go back a few decades, California has always grown at a fast rate. But whats really accelerated is housing pressure in urban areas. The cost of a home in San Francisco or Los Angeles keeps on going up. The tech boom, in particular in the Bay Area, accelerated that further. And theres more to it than that, right? The states getting involved. The state is saying, understandably, weve got a huge homelessness problem, a massive affordability problem. Theyre looking increasingly aggressively to find new ways to deal with that. And one thing to doing is putting more pressure on local governments out in the regions to say, we want you to increase your housing stock. And theres economic incentives. If local governments dont build enough housing, they can lose state funding. So all the incentives line up towards more and more housing. And that pressure is increasing over time as the housing crisis gets worse. michael barbaro So the state government in places like California is actually going to punish a town in the WUI, in a place thats highly flammable, if theyre not expanding the amount of housing for all the reasons you just explained, which is that California needs more housing, more affordable housing? chris flavelle Yeah. And when you talk to local officials, theyll cite that. Theyll say, look, we might know what the risk is. But were getting pressure from the state. We cant stop doing this. Weve got to build houses somewhere. And the easiest place to build houses is out here in open land thats never been developed. So thats where the pressure winds up. michael barbaro So because of all these forces, people, and it sounds like lot of people, are suddenly living right in the middle of where the fires are going to be burning? chris flavelle Exactly. And its now dovetailing with this second overarching trend of climate change. So just as you got people flooding these areas, you also have increasingly severe fires. And theyre overlapping and theyre both getting worse. A great example of this is Sonoma County, which some people call wine country. Its just a little bit north and inland from the Bay Area, beautiful countryside. But its populating quickly. If you go back to 1964, there was a big fire called the Hanley fire in Sonoma County, destroyed fewer than 100 homes, so not a massive impact. Why that fire matters is because, in 2017, the Tubbs fire hit roughly the same area as the Hanley fire. But this time, it destroyed more than 5,000 homes. michael barbaro Wow. chris flavelle What was different, of course, wasnt the fire. The fire was basically the same landscape burning. What was different, of course, was the massive wave of development between those two fires. michael barbaro Right. chris flavelle And this is important. Because after the Tubbs fire, Sonoma county had a moment to sit back and say, what should we do differently? We know these fires will keep on hitting. Should we rebuild differently? Should we change our standards? Should we not rebuild? And when I spoke with officials in 2018. They had a very clear position, which was, yes, we know this will burn again. Theres no question. No one disputes that. What they said, though, was its not our place to tell people not to rebuild. Because number one, its not fair. Number two, where does that go? If we dont rebuild, well lose our tax base. Well lose our population. So they rebuilt, and theyre still rebuilding. michael barbaro I mean, that is a real head scratcher. Because I would imagine the moment after a big fire, and definitely after two major fires, would be exactly the time to re-evaluate everything, to either not rebuild at all or rebuild in a very specific, precautionary way. chris flavelle My sense from reporting this for several years is that this is the moment right after a fire where you see officials saying, maybe we should try something different. But then a very predictable cycle starts. And thats when officials realize that the economic incentives all point towards rebuilding. Remember these towns, these counties, so much of their budget and their revenue comes from property taxes. If you dont rebuild your houses, you dont get their revenue back. You cant pay for your schools, your garbage collection, your police, your fire departments. All that stuff depends on a healthy, growing, and repaired housing market. So right away, all the money incentives say build back. michael barbaro But why not build back better and smarter? chris flavelle Well, then you get the second part. The second part is the emotion, right? The emotion of this is so raw, especially primarily for the homeowners who lose their houses in these fires. All of a sudden theyre living with relatives. Theyre in a motel somewhere. Theyre maybe in an R.V. that they parked in front of their burned out house. And theyre saying to there elected officials get me back into my house as quickly and as cheaply as possible. Dont put new requirements on me. Dont make me change the way my roof is built, or the way my road is structured. Just let me do this the way it was and right now. And that kind of pressure is really hard for politicians. Both politically, because its a tough on your career if youre the guy who said no to a family that just got burned out, but even as a human, right? If you got this family standing in front of you and theyve lost everything, you want to make their life as easy as possible. So it turns out that this moment after a fire is actually the worst moment to really rethink how and where we build. And you see that on the ground over and over again. These rebuilding efforts start pretty fast. And they tend to produce homes that look a whole lot like the homes that burned down before. michael barbaro And so all the reasons not to rebuild, which seem manifold, get swamped by these financial forces and these emotional forces. And I guess on some level this kind of deeply American spirit of rebuild, you must rebuild. I mean, you can think of every natural disaster over the last half century and there is a mayor or a governor or a president who swoops in and says our first priority is to rebuild. Its this profoundly deep-seated instinct. chris flavelle Thats exactly right. Its almost muscle memory. Right? Theres been so many horrible events in this country. Pick your period of time. Theres almost a script to follow. And that script says we will rebuild because not rebuilding would mean surrendering and giving up on our community and on voters and our families. And no one wants to be the person who does that. michael barbaro And this, it sounds like, is what happens in Sonoma after that 2017 fire, the Tubbs fire. chris flavelle Thats right. And for all these reasons, Sonoma County keeps burning. In 2019, the county got hit again by the Kincade fire, which burned 77,000 acres. It was the biggest fire in California that year. And then last month, the Walbridge fire, part of the giant LNU Lightning Complex fire, again, hit Sonoma County, burning 55,000 acres. Its just recently been brought under control. No one thinks that the problem is over, though. Because its only early September. And theres probably more fires to come. michael barbaro Well be right back. [music] Chris, it feels like eventually something has to give here, that some pillar of this self-perpetuating, very dangerous cycle of the WUI being built on and catching fire as it is basically designed to do, that this has to come to an end. And I wonder what you expect that it will be that will break this cycle. chris flavelle Yeah. And whats interesting here is it doesnt look like it will be the governments. And it doesnt even look like its going to be individual homeowners. It looks like, if anything, itll be the insurance industry. And heres why. The people who pay the cost most immediately when these fires hit is first homeowners, but then insurance companies. And in the massive fires of 2017 and 2018, they paid out so much money that it wiped out what was said to be a quarter century worth of profits. And insurers responded by saying, weve got to figure out what we can do differently. We dont want to have these massive claims, these huge losses again. We cant afford it. What can we do? And what they did was they started dropping customers. They started sending homeowners letters at the end of their one year contract, saying, youre in a wildfire zone. We are not going to renew your contract. So people in the WUI started saying, I cant get insurance. And the fear that that sparked was immense. And they went to the state. And they said, what can you do? And so last year California acted. The state imposed a one year ban on insurance companies dropping homeowners in these areas hit by wildfires. And it was sort of the nuclear option. Theyd never done it before. It was a big a bit of a Hail Mary. michael barbaro So just so I understand this, last year the state of California said that insurance companies dropping coverage for houses in the WUI that were likely to keep burning would be such a catastrophe that theyre going to stop insurance companies from dropping homeowners policies. Theyre going to basically block them from doing it. chris flavelle Exactly. And it was meant to be a bit of a Band-Aid. What they didnt do is really say what happens next. And so were now going into the end of this year, which will be really uncharted territory. No one knows if insurers will en masse pull out of these areas at the end of this one year ban. And when I talked to insurance groups, they say what theyve been looking at to figure out what theyll do next is the fires. Theyre trying to get a handle on what kinds of losses theyre facing from this years fires. And if its another big year of losses, like 17 and 18, thats going to be one more really compelling reason for them to keep on fleeing these areas. michael barbaro So what would it look like if, in three months, four months, six months, people dont have insurance in California in these wildfire zones and their houses burn down? chris flavelle So for now, if you cant get private insurance, you can get insurance through a high risk pool that the state runs. Its very expensive. Its not very good coverage. It doesnt cover many things. The real nightmare scenario down the road is that eventually you cant get insurance anywhere. And the problem with that is a few things. Number one if your home burns, you cant rebuild it unless youre wealthy. Most folks cant pay out of pocket to rebuild their home from scratch. But probably even more concerning, you probably cant sell that home. A home that is effectively uninsurable, no ones going to buy. And so the housing market collapses. Your home value collapses. And these entire communities in these WUI areas, they become undesirable, unprofitable, and they ultimately die. And the whole conversation now is how do we avoid that kind of economic death for these communities? And whats a fair way of getting there? michael barbaro Chris, are there people who think, and I know this may sound a little bit heartless and I dont mean for it to be, but are there people who think that as horrible as this sounds, insurance companies basically pulling out the rug from underneath people, that its the kind of shock to the system that really would break this cycle? chris flavelle There are people who see it that way. They tend not to be people who live in California. The vibe I get from my sources in California is they dont want this to be the solution because its so heartless. Its so harsh. Its so unbending to people who already live in these areas. So I think everyone agrees that you want to find a way to protect people. And the goal is to not have the insurance industry be the bad guy, but to have some sort of public policy goal or outcome that isnt as harsh. michael barbaro Right. Because if Im a homeowner in California, I would be absolutely furious to hear that insurance companies are dropping me. And the government is letting that happen. Because as you explained earlier, the government allowed me to build this home in the WUI. In fact, in some cases encouraged it because of the housing crunch in California. And now the government is standing by as I lose my ability to insure my house. And if theres a fire, I will almost assuredly not be able to afford to rebuild it without that insurance. I may go bankrupt. But if the government does step in, and I guess backstops the insurance companies or requires them to insure, then theyre perpetuating this cycle all over again. And so this is like the definition of a pick your poison, messy situation. chris flavelle Thats exactly the dilemma. There is nothing governments can do. That seems like a good idea right now. They can bend to pressure to protect homeowners and make sure insurance is still available and affordable even if that means you keep on encouraging home construction in these areas. Or they could, in theory, let the market take its course and let this risk that is growing price out more people so they cant afford to live in these areas. But theres no political appetite to do that. Its too harsh. And the result is the problem continues. You have more building. You have more fires. You have more damage. You have more deaths. And no one can articulate a good way out of it. michael barbaro I wonder if, Chris, what youre describing is going to more or less be the story, not just of California and of wildfires, but for homeowners across the country where climate change, in all its forms, makes life unlivable. Right? So flooding in Florida, or stronger tornadoes in the Midwest, and ultimately, its insurance companies who get fed up and pull out and make people leave places that we now think of as almost uninhabitable because of the changes in our climate. chris flavelle And thats exactly the shift that youre seeing among experts. Experts are saying we cant keep rebuilding. Weve got to shift towards moving people away from these areas. But it is just a gargantuan shift in mindset that youre describing. And the opposition to that idea is so great that were only beginning to talk about it and only beginning to have some pilot programs where a few communities start to look at moving. But that is much smaller than the growth in these areas, wildfires, flooding, hurricane. So for now, its more of an idea and just the beginning of a movement. But I think youre right. As the damage from climate change increases, the only real alternative to endlessly subsidizing insurance and rebuilding is you say people have to move. And were not there yet. But it seems like were gradually creeping in that direction. michael barbaro Chris, thank you very much. We appreciate it. chris flavelle Thank you so much. [music] michael barbaro Heres what else you need to know today. archived recording (mitch mcconnell) Congress has spent months talking, talking about whether to give the American people more relief as they continue grappling with this pandemic. Today were going to vote. Today were going to vote. michael barbaro On Thursday, Senate Republicans failed to pass a limited economic relief bill amid opposition from Democrats, who called the measure inadequate. archived recording The truth is this emaciated bill is not a serious attempt at legislation or solving the real problems in our country. Its a shame. michael barbaro Many of the financial benefits approved by Congress in March with the passage of the CARES Act have now run out. But The Times reports that theres little chance that Congress will enact a new round of relief before the November election. And after two decades of bloody war, the Afghan government and the Taliban will undertake historic face-to-face peace talks starting tomorrow in Doha. Previous peace talks had involved the Taliban and the US but had left out the Afghan government. The negotiations will seek to bridge vast differences on questions of power sharing, the role of religion in government, and the civil liberties of women and minorities, which have been severely limited under the Taliban. [music] Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks during a news conference at the State Department in Washington, on Sept. 2, 2020. (Nicholas Kamm/Pool via Reuters) Pompeo Welcomes Historic Intra-Afghan Peace Talks in Qatar Reduction of the American Military Presence in Afghanistan Is Expected For the first time since in almost two decades, the Afghan government and the Taliban will hold peace talks, said U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo who will attend the opening ceremony of intra-Afghan negotiations on Sept. 12 in Doha, Qatar. Its really historic, Pompeo said. The aim of these contentious discussions will be to reduce violence and deliver what the Afghan people are demanding: a reconciled Afghanistan with a government that reflects the country, that isnt at war, Pompeo said to press traveling with him to Doha. That will give the American people the opportunity to reduce the risks to our young men and women who have been there almost 20 years now to help the Afghan people to take down al-Qaida in Afghanistan, Pompeo said calling the American mission in Afghanistan a tremendous success. There are still less than a couple of hundred al-Qaida left in Afghanistan. The vast majority of their senior leadership is no longer on the battlefield, Pompeo said. The intra-Afghan negotiations will be very difficult for Afghans, but its theirs for the taking. Its their country to figure out how to move forward and make a better life for all Afghan people, Pompeo added. President Donald Trumps announced on Thursday at a press briefing the reduction of American troops Afghanistan to about 4,000 troops in in a very short period of time. I got a report this morning that theres been nobody killed in Afghanistan since early February, Trump said. U.S. soldiers walk at the site of a Taliban suicide attack in Kandahar in a file photo. (Javed Tanveer/AFP/Getty Images) Marine Gen. Frank McKenzie the commander of U.S. Central Command said troop levels in Afghanistan would drop to 4,500 by November. He made the statement in a telephone call with a small group of reporters, according to officials at his Central Command office. He said the path to 4,500 would be determined in part by the militarys ability to get equipment out of the country. There is still a significant number of international forces on in Afghanistan who carried out the mission there along with U.S. soldiers who have sacrificed as well in this fight for the last 19-plus years, and the United States wants its international allies to reduce the risk to their forces and bring them back home, Pompeo said. On February 29, the United States signed a peace agreement (pdf) with Taliban militants aimed at bringing an end to 18 years of bloodshed in Afghanistan and allowing U.S. troops to return home from Americas longest war. As part of the deal, the United States would withdraw troops within 14 months. In exchange, the Taliban committed to preventing terrorists from using Afghanistan as a staging ground for attacks. Pompeo said that Trumps goal is to reduce the American presence in Afghanistan to as close to zero and as quickly as possible but the reduction cant sacrifice security for the homeland. The reduction of the American forces is conditioned however on the Talibans adherence to their obligations under the agreement, in particular the violence levels have to come down to acceptable levels. Theres jihadists in the world still. Theres still counterterrorism work to do, Pompeo said. The U.S. will evaluate the fulfillment of the conditions the Taliban committed to in the agreement to determine risks that al-Qaida has places to grow and the external attacks take place in Afghanistan, to make the next set of decisions regarding troop withdrawal. Taliban has every incentive to comply with the agreement but if it puts Americans at risk it will face consequences, Pompeo said adding that the United States will have a sufficient posture there to protect Americans. The United States may even resort to sending its troops back even a few years from now if there is a risk to American security, Pompeo said citing Trump. Well execute the mission in a way that will protect and preserve American security, Pompeo said. The United States invaded Afghanistan in response to the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Within months, U.S. troops defeated the Taliban and forced the al-Qaeda terrorist group to flee to Pakistan. But the war continued as the United States sought to stabilize the country before withdrawing its forces. Ivan Pentchoukov and The Associated Press contributed to this report. In addition to the exhibition, which covered some 30,000 square meters, the event also included 12 forums and sessions on topics including the development of the high-end energy and chemical sector, the development of energy and chemical equipment manufacturing, intelligent innovation of coal mines, and smart energy. During the event, a total of 98 projects were signed off, attracting investment of CNY 89.38 billion and generating sales of more than CNY 5 billion. Additionally, transactions for a range of large-scale mining machinery and intelligent manufacturing equipment amounted to CNY 670 million. Yulin City is located in the northernmost part of Shaanxi Province, China. It is rich in energy and mineral resources. In Yulin is located the Shenfu Coalfield, one of the seven largest coalfields in the world, and also the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Gas Field, the largest verified integrated gas field onshore in China. In the 1990s, Yulin began its construction as an energy and chemical industry base and gradually put together a system centered on electric power and chemical industries bolstered by the exploitation of coal, oil, gas and salts. In recent years, Yulin City has been pursuing its development goal of building a world-class high-end energy and chemical base, and striving to promote high-quality development through transformation and upgrading. To date, the investment of completed energy and chemical projects is around CNY 500 billion, which puts Yulin amongst the four national modern coal chemical demonstration zones. It is estimated that by the end of 2025, the proportion of high-end products in the Yulin chemical industry will have reached 25% and the refinement rate will exceed 40%. The full industry chain covering core raw materials, chemical materials, and coal-based high-end refined products such as nylon, polyester, fiber, and textiles will be aligned. Image Attachments Links: Link: http://asianetnews.net/view-attachment?attach-id=371225 Caption: Visitors to the exhibition watching a heading machine from an exhibitor at the Coal Expo on September 8. SOURCE The People's Government of Yulin City PLANTATION, Fla., Sept. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Debbie's Dream Foundation: Curing Stomach Cancer (DDF) acknowledges its industry partners who contributed more than $600,000 in sponsorship funds for its mission-driven initiatives in 2020. These programs include its Patient Resource Education Program (PREP), Nutrition Program, and Stomach Cancer Educational Symposia and Webinars. This year's support has allowed DDF to continue to serve the stomach cancer community at a time when many non-profit organizations have postponed, canceled, or reconfigured their regularly scheduled programs due to the COVID-19 global pandemic. DDF's PREP provides critical support for patients, caregivers, and families in the form of Monthly Stomach Cancer Support Groups in partnership with Catholic Hospice, a mentorship matching program, informational pamphlets and care packages, and free DDF protective face masks. Supporters of this year's PREP include Bronze Sponsors Daiichi Sankyo and Taiho Oncology and Supporting Sponsors Genentech and Lilly Oncology. Through PREP, the Foundation also launched the Dream Makers Miracle Fund, a new initiative designed to help make wishes come true for patients and caregivers. Industry partner BeiGene supports the fund as a Copper Sponsor. "So far, DDF has been extremely fortunate to be able to continue our mission amid this pandemic," said Chief Executive Officer Andrea Eidelman. "We've even surpassed what was previously done with our programs despite not being able to host our in-person fundraising events throughout the year. None of our accomplishments would be possible without the continued support of our generous sponsors, leadership, the DDF team, and our wonderful supporters and volunteers." The Foundation's 2020 Nutrition Program featured an educational webinar and a live cooking demo with downloadable recipes presented by gastric cancer survivor and celebrity chef Hans Rueffert. Funding for the Nutrition Program is provided by Silver Sponsor Merck, Bronze Sponsors Bristol-Myers Squibb and Daiichi Sankyo, and Supporting Sponsor Lilly Oncology. Recipes and video replays are available for instant access at www.DebbiesDream.org/nutrition. By the end of 2020, DDF will have hosted a total of six Stomach Cancer Educational Webinars and three Symposia, bringing patients up-to-date information on topics such as immunotherapy, clinical trials, biomarkers, surgical and non-surgical treatment options, and more. The webinars are made possible by Title Sponsor Daiichi Sankyo, Platinum Sponsor Bristol-Myers Squibb, Gold Sponsors Astellas and Merck, Silver Sponsor Lilly Oncology, and Bronze Sponsor Genentech. The Foundation's in-person symposia have transformed into virtual events as a result of the pandemic. Sponsors include National Platinum Sponsor Daiichi Sankyo, National Gold Sponsor Merck, National Silver Sponsors Bristol-Myers Squibb and Taiho Oncology, National Bronze Sponsor Lilly Oncology, and National Copper Sponsor Genentech. Bristol-Myers Squibb will support language translations for 2019 webinars and symposia as a Gold Sponsor. All symposia and webinars are available for viewing at http://debbiesdream.org/lecture-library/. For more information about DDF, visit www.DebbiesDream.org. About Debbie's Dream Foundation: Curing Stomach Cancer DDF is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to raising awareness about gastric cancer, advancing funding for research, and providing education and support internationally to patients, families, and caregivers. DDF seeks as its ultimate goal to make the cure for stomach cancer a reality. DDF was founded in 2009 by Debbie Zelman after she was diagnosed with stage IV incurable gastric cancer in 2008 and given only weeks to live. Debbie is considered a pioneer by many for bringing awareness to the plight of stomach cancer patients worldwide, as well as to the lack of federal funding for stomach cancer research. She did all of this while receiving hundreds of rounds of chemo, in addition to daily oral treatments. Debbie passed away on December 23, 2017, at the age of 50, almost a decade later. As a result of her leadership, DDF now has a Scientific and Medical Advisory Board of world-renowned doctors and chapters throughout the United States and in Canada and Germany. DDF strives to continue Debbie's mission and to make her dream a reality. To learn more about DDF, please visit us at www.DebbiesDream.org. Media Contact: Brittnay Starks Communications Coordinator Debbie's Dream Foundation: Curing Stomach Cancer (954) 475-1200 [email protected] www.DebbiesDream.org SOURCE Debbie's Dream Foundation: Curing Stomach Cancer Related Links http://www.DebbiesDream.org Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-12 00:03:21|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Chairman of the High Council for National Reconciliation Abdullah Abdullah (L, front) talks with the press before embarking the plane for Doha at Kabul International Airport in Kabul, capital of Afghanistan, Sept. 11, 2020. The Afghan government negotiation team traveling to Qatar's capital Doha on Friday to hold direct talks with the Taliban outfit has raised the ray of hope among Afghans towards peace in their country. (Afghanistan Peace Council for National Reconciliation/Handout via Xinhua) KABUL, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- The Afghan government negotiation team traveling to Qatar's capital Doha on Friday to hold direct talks with the Taliban outfit has raised the ray of hope among Afghans towards peace in their country. "I am very happy today to see government peace delegation going to Doha for talks with Taliban to end the war in the country," 41-year-old Kabul resident Karimullah Khan told Xinhua. Khan lamented that the prolonged war and militancy had destroyed his life and claimed the lives of his family members and relatives. The much-awaited intra-Afghan dialogue is scheduled to open in Doha at a ceremony to be attended by senior officials from different countries including U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and senior officials from the host country Qatar. The 21-member negotiated team headed by Afghan former spy chief Mohammed Masoom Stanekzai left Kabul for Doha on Friday afternoon to hold talks with the Taliban group to find a negotiated solution to Afghanistan's protracted war. "This is a historic day. I am hopeful that the talks could lead to ending the war and restoring lasting peace in Afghanistan," Chairman of the High Council for National Reconciliation Abdullah Abdullah said before embarking the plane for Doha. The continued militancy and conflicts almost claim the lives of Afghans including civilians everyday. At least four dozens, mostly militants have been killed in the country over the past 24 hours, according to security officials. A deadly bomb attack targeting the motorcade of Afghan First Vice-President Amrullah Saleh on Wednesday slightly injured the vice president but claimed more than a dozen lives and injured score of others. Enditem A sibling's death was caused by an argument over a tablet as a teen boy killed his sister with a hammer while she she was asleep. She died from a broken skull caused by hammer blows. According to reports, the incident happened in Taraz in Kazakhstan's northern side where the siblings had a disagreement that led to an unlikely death. The older brother, Aleksey, aged-15, admitted to slaying his sister with a hammer while sleeping. Sources inform that the exact date of the kin slaying is unknown, reported Meaww. Reports say that the ten-year-old victim, Luda, was slain by Aleksey at their residence. When the paramedics were called, they were too late to save her. Her injuries included a broken skull that was the cause of her death. Neighbors say that the siblings had a fight over a tablet in their backyard, that was witnessed by others. One of their close neighbors, Shynar Myrzakhmetova, said that both were arguing over a tablet, but she noticed that the older boy have a hammer on his hand, confirmed by The Daily Mail. The suspect according to sources liked to play games, and Luda wanted to use the tablet for studying. Aleksey did not want to give it to his sister and argued with her. Later at night, the older brother killed his sibling with a hammer, striking her skull several times. He tried to conceal the murder when he was done. The corpse was thrown close to a neighbor's fence. He later changed clothes and told his parents that his sister was missing. Also read: Mentally Incapable 16-Year Old Girl Assaulted in Party by Eight Men As Seen in Facebook Video Local media in Taraz say that the parents acted on Aleksey's information about his sister's disappearance to start looking for her. Even though he knows that she was dead, the boy still helped them during the search. He pointed to where the girl's corpse was before authorities were called in. When the corpse was found, the parents saw the crush cranium. When paramedics got the body, part of the dead girl's skull fell. This was mentioned by Kristina Gosteva, a neighbor nearby who witnessed the events when they found the girl's corpse. The boy's admission to killing his sister over a tablet started a case against him by local police. One remark by authorities is that the accused will get 15-years imprisonment if found guilty. Evidence was found by the police that tied the accused to the murder. In the possession of the police was the hammer used to crush the girl's skull. Another is the T-shirt worn with his shoes that got splattered with his sister's blood. Ardak Madimarov of the Criminal Investigations Department said he killed the girl for a tablet, noted The Sun. Another officer, Zhandos Mametkulov, the Head Deputy of a Local Police Department added to the records that the girl died of massive injuries and could not be saved. After the confession, the boy is in custody with 15 years sentence, cited Leadership. In another news, an 18-year old boy in Georgia strangled his sister because of a WIFI password. Kevon Watkins got a life sentence for his crime, he killed Alexus Breanna Watkins, 20, in Macon on February 2, 2018. Related article: Boxer Woman Kills Two Men: Rapes One With Shovel Handle , Kicks Another to Death @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Hmm I know in one of the posts last week Britney apparently alluded~ to wanting some of her stuff to be public. I still don't trust other celebs speaking for her. Reply Thread Link Yeah. Shes allegedly wanting everything unsealed and I dont blame her. This involves HER. If the one thing she has control over during this is keeping all info about her public as she wishes to hopefully lessen the reigns of this thing then I dont find that so unreasonable tbh. Reply Parent Thread Link She's formally objected to Jamie's request to seal a particular aspect of the hearings (basically about who her next permanent conservator is, if I understand it right), but I don't know if that means she wants *everything* unsealed the way the rumour mill is suggesting? The reasoning on the actual filing boiled down to "we disagree that any of her or her kids' private health info needs to be discussed for this" so I wondered if they're going to go for a more kind of tactically transparent approach, if that makes sense. Like maybe they'll still keep her actual medical stuff under wraps but they want the bigger discussions about the overall set up to be public. Which, as much as you can judge this from the outside that makes a lot of sense to me. Reply Parent Thread Link I can't believe Paris is almost 40. Reply Thread Link I cant believe Paris is still in her 30s! Im about to be 33 and Ive been hearing about her my entire life, feels like she should be 55 by now lmao Reply Parent Thread Link omg I legit had this conversation a few days ago. We were watching the Paris cooking show and I was like "she looks great for being in her 40s" and my friend was like "lol no she's not." I'm 35, and same... I've been hearing about her since I was a teen, so I figured she was around 44 lol. Reply Parent Thread Link honestly Reply Parent Thread Link a racist has-been at that Reply Parent Thread Link rats are cute, hes just a trash bag full of dirt and hairballs Reply Parent Thread Link Seriously, it's just not spectacle. And I know where I'm saying this but a substantial enough portion of ONTD understands this and <3 Britney. I want Britney to have a situation that respects both her needs and gives her peace and some control and more time with her kids if she wants it, but also that things are respectful of her privacy. Which includes people like Andy not being obnoxious dicks like they're asking about some casual nonsense. Reply Parent Thread Link Hes just mad he could never get her on Reply Parent Thread Link only time ill agree with paris Reply Thread Link I don't trust her in anyway Reply Thread Link When a multimillionaire cant choose their own legal representation there is a problem. Dennis Wilson is proof this can happen Reply Thread Link Honestly when anyone who is deemed mental ill or disabled cant pick their own legal representation it is a huge problem. Reply Parent Thread Link It was Brian. My brain went Dennis. Idk why. Especially as I've been listen to his book this week, I Am Brian Wilson, on audible. Him coming up before in Brit posts made me want to track it down. I saw the Cusack movie but don't remember much. But yeah, correction. Thank you. Reply Parent Thread Link i was browsing britney's instagram the other day and it's....something Reply Thread Link Yeah its just a lot of arm dancing videos most of the time which idk she seems like she enjoys dancing for IG and it makes her happy Reply Parent Thread Link She looked sad and dead-eyed in one of them, though. Not sure if it was the medication that made her look a little checked out or what. I hope she's okay, and that dancing still makes her happy. I try to not buy into the conspiracy theories about her, but a few of those vids made me wonder. (I don't think we're watching a clone, lol.) Reply Parent Thread Link Yall need to get the fuck over her insta, I'm tired of seeing these annoying comments. Reply Parent Thread Link yeah, its genuinely unsettling Reply Parent Thread Link LOLOL OMG THAT PIC OF PARIS! Wonk eye is aggressive in that shot. Reply Thread Link Yeah, but still she looks 10 years younger than Britney here. Reply Parent Thread Link Britney has been working her ass of since she was a kid. Not having control over the money SHE made is stupid. If she wants to buy a million bags of Cheetos then thats on her. Thats none of no ones business as long as her kids are getting taken care of. Reply Thread Link NFL players with their CTEs and TBIs blow through their millions too. Where are their conservatorships? Reply Parent Thread Expand Link A lot of people dont understand how serious mental illness works. Sucks that its still this way Reply Parent Thread Link And she actually created a trust in 2004 so the majority of her money it's locked Reply Parent Thread Link I doubt that the money is the problem. Britney hit rock buttom and was severly mentally ill. Now she is stable and safe. So having someone making decisions for her seems to work really good. I do agree that it shouldn't be her father, though. And noone should be able to make her work when she does not want to. Reply Parent Thread Link Shes looking entra wonky there Reply Thread Link Paris stfu. You used drugs and drank with Britney when she was not well. You didnt give a shit about her. You only cared about being seen with Britney Spears. Reply Thread Link yeah, we haven't forgotten her telling rs her nickname for britney was "the animal" Reply Parent Thread Link Don't forget she was out with her all night, night after night, instead of saying no and encouraging her to stay home with her babies. She totally helped lead to her downfall. She was toxic to Britney. Reply Parent Thread Link I feel like Paris definitely helped boost along her breakdown with all of the drugs and partying. It's super sad that Paris and Nicole escaped relatively unscathed (and had really good work done) and Lindsey and Britney ... did not. Reply Parent Thread Link I actually making a point of that a few years ago regarding Lindsay. Regardless of their partying ways I remember thinking Lindsay had everything to lose (career and reputation) compared to Britney and Paris. Paris always had her name and wealth to fall back on no matter how many times she screwed up. Britney already had her legacy long established so that wasn't in danger but Lindsay didn't have much footing in Hollywood so that all papz business and partying reputation was detrimental to her career. Now while Britney's career didn't totally suffer having those toxic people around clearly wasn't great. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link Have you seen Nicole lately? She did not leave unscathed. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link I hate this narrative. Britney was grown and wanted to party and do drugs, nobody forced her. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link Paris Hilton is such a toxic human being and her current redemption tour is offensive. No one cares about a rich, racist asshole doing a comeback, never mind during a global pandemic/recession/rights uprising. Reply Parent Thread Link Paris Hilton is a complete hanger on and, just like then, she's taking advantage of Britney for her own gain. She uses her to get headlines. She's a 40 year old woman with a baby voice who says the n-word on tape like it's her job, and goes on semi-annual promo tours to be mean to a random d-list actress she did coke with over 10 years ago. Stop acting like she's some sort of saviour because she read about what her supposed "close friend" is going through online but didn't think to ask her when they met up (if that's even true). She needs to lay the fuck off and worry about booking an appointment to sort out her 5-sizes-too-big chompers. Edited at 2020-09-11 03:26 am (UTC) Reply Thread Link as if she truly genuinely cared about britney Reply Thread Link mte. i just remember the p*ssy pics when they came out. paps are the worst but she enabled britney during a really rough time. Reply Parent Thread Link and when Britney shaved her head in 2007 she dropped off the face of the earth, and Paris' publicist told anyone interviewing her that they weren't allowed to talk about Britney. She had moved on to other things Reply Parent Thread Link I'm still mad to this day about the shitty victim-blamey narrative around paparazzi pointing their cameras up Britney's skirt. It wasn't just Britney either, they dropped to their knees to get a lot of upskirt shots and it was always the female celebs who got blamed Reply Parent Thread Link Learn more about LiveJournal Ratings in Hello! Your entry got to top-25 of the most popular entries in LiveJournal!Learn more about LiveJournal Ratings in FAQ Reply Thread Link Country United States of America US Virgin Islands United States Minor Outlying Islands Canada Mexico, United Mexican States Bahamas, Commonwealth of the Cuba, Republic of Dominican Republic Haiti, Republic of Jamaica Afghanistan Albania, People's Socialist Republic of Algeria, People's Democratic Republic of American Samoa Andorra, Principality of Angola, Republic of Anguilla Antarctica (the territory South of 60 deg S) Antigua and Barbuda Argentina, Argentine Republic Armenia Aruba Australia, Commonwealth of Austria, Republic of Azerbaijan, Republic of Bahrain, Kingdom of Bangladesh, People's Republic of Barbados Belarus Belgium, Kingdom of Belize Benin, People's Republic of Bermuda Bhutan, Kingdom of Bolivia, Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana, Republic of Bouvet Island (Bouvetoya) Brazil, Federative Republic of British Indian Ocean Territory (Chagos Archipelago) British Virgin Islands Brunei Darussalam Bulgaria, People's Republic of Burkina Faso Burundi, Republic of Cambodia, Kingdom of Cameroon, United Republic of Cape Verde, Republic of Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad, Republic of Chile, Republic of China, People's Republic of Christmas Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Colombia, Republic of Comoros, Union of the Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, People's Republic of Cook Islands Costa Rica, Republic of Cote D'Ivoire, Ivory Coast, Republic of the Cyprus, Republic of Czech Republic Denmark, Kingdom of Djibouti, Republic of Dominica, Commonwealth of Ecuador, Republic of Egypt, Arab Republic of El Salvador, Republic of Equatorial Guinea, Republic of Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Faeroe Islands Falkland Islands (Malvinas) Fiji, Republic of the Fiji Islands Finland, Republic of France, French Republic French Guiana French Polynesia French Southern Territories Gabon, Gabonese Republic Gambia, Republic of the Georgia Germany Ghana, Republic of Gibraltar Greece, Hellenic Republic Greenland Grenada Guadaloupe Guam Guatemala, Republic of Guinea, Revolutionary People's Rep'c of Guinea-Bissau, Republic of Guyana, Republic of Heard and McDonald Islands Holy See (Vatican City State) Honduras, Republic of Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region of China Hrvatska (Croatia) Hungary, Hungarian People's Republic Iceland, Republic of India, Republic of Indonesia, Republic of Iran, Islamic Republic of Iraq, Republic of Ireland Israel, State of Italy, Italian Republic Japan Jordan, Hashemite Kingdom of Kazakhstan, Republic of Kenya, Republic of Kiribati, Republic of Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Republic of Kuwait, State of Kyrgyz Republic Lao People's Democratic Republic Latvia Lebanon, Lebanese Republic Lesotho, Kingdom of Liberia, Republic of Libyan Arab Jamahiriya Liechtenstein, Principality of Lithuania Luxembourg, Grand Duchy of Macao, Special Administrative Region of China Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Madagascar, Republic of Malawi, Republic of Malaysia Maldives, Republic of Mali, Republic of Malta, Republic of Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania, Islamic Republic of Mauritius Mayotte Micronesia, Federated States of Moldova, Republic of Monaco, Principality of Mongolia, Mongolian People's Republic Montserrat Morocco, Kingdom of Mozambique, People's Republic of Myanmar Namibia Nauru, Republic of Nepal, Kingdom of Netherlands Antilles Netherlands, Kingdom of the New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua, Republic of Niger, Republic of the Nigeria, Federal Republic of Niue, Republic of Norfolk Island Northern Mariana Islands Norway, Kingdom of Oman, Sultanate of Pakistan, Islamic Republic of Palau Palestinian Territory, Occupied Panama, Republic of Papua New Guinea Paraguay, Republic of Peru, Republic of Philippines, Republic of the Pitcairn Island Poland, Polish People's Republic Portugal, Portuguese Republic Puerto Rico Qatar, State of Reunion Romania, Socialist Republic of Russian Federation Rwanda, Rwandese Republic Samoa, Independent State of San Marino, Republic of Sao Tome and Principe, Democratic Republic of Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of Senegal, Republic of Serbia and Montenegro Seychelles, Republic of Sierra Leone, Republic of Singapore, Republic of Slovakia (Slovak Republic) Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia, Somali Republic South Africa, Republic of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Spain, Spanish State Sri Lanka, Democratic Socialist Republic of St. Helena St. Kitts and Nevis St. Lucia St. Pierre and Miquelon St. Vincent and the Grenadines Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Suriname, Republic of Svalbard & Jan Mayen Islands Swaziland, Kingdom of Sweden, Kingdom of Switzerland, Swiss Confederation Syrian Arab Republic Taiwan, Province of China Tajikistan Tanzania, United Republic of Thailand, Kingdom of Timor-Leste, Democratic Republic of Togo, Togolese Republic Tokelau (Tokelau Islands) Tonga, Kingdom of Trinidad and Tobago, Republic of Tunisia, Republic of Turkey, Republic of Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu Uganda, Republic of Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom of Great Britain & N. Ireland Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe The number of Oregonians told to evacuate because of unprecedented wildfires is more than 40,000 not the 500,000 residents initially and erroneously announced by Oregons Office of Emergency Management, Gov. Kate Brown acknowledged Friday following publication of an analysis by The Oregonian/OregonLive showing the true number of evacuations to be far lower. The state in a news release Thursday night said an estimated 500,000 Oregonians have been evacuated and that number continues to grow. That would be an astounding number, exceeding 10% of the states 4.2 million population. Its so large, in fact, that it would be the equivalent of every single person living in Gresham, Hillsboro, Beaverton, Tigard, Lake Oswego, Oregon City, Tualatin and West Linn. But a newsroom analysis found far fewer people actually live in the Level 3 evacuation zones identified in state mapping for mandatory evacuations. The newsroom estimated only about 95,000 people live in zones where residents are supposed to evacuate. Even under the most conservative estimates, the number appeared to be no higher than 200,000. State officials on Friday initially defended their estimates, saying they were based on Level 3 areas. Its certainly not under 100,000, said Lauren Wirtis, a spokeswoman for the states Joint Information Center. Five-hundred-thousand is the estimate we have based on the population density we have in those areas. Wirtis said she could not immediately provide more details about the states methodology used to calculate the estimate, adding that 'population density' is the most specific I can be right now. Wirtis said the state would consider a request from the newsroom to provide the underlying calculations. This is an incredibly tragic situation and I dont want us to get so lost in the detail of the exact number that we forget that these are people who dont have homes anymore, Wirtis said. But Oregons governor on Friday afternoon clarified that only about 40,000 Oregonians had been evacuated, with 500,000 total under some sort of notice to evacuate or to prepare for evacuation. More than 40,000 Oregonians have been evacuated," Brown said during a news conference. "And approximately 500,000 Oregonians are currently in evacuation zones that means 500,000 people are either at a Level 1, 2 or 3 evacuation alert. Andrew Phelps, director of Oregons Office of Management, seemed to acknowledge the glaring mistake Friday. I also understand how important these numbers are to the public," he said during a news conference. "Weve got a lot of numbers associated with this disaster, and were committed to getting these numbers right. And were going to be working to ensure that every time we release numbers, those numbers are factual and confirmed. The states erroneous evacuation estimate had been plastered across national media Friday morning. An online headline in the Washington Post declared: Half a million Oregonians, more than 10 percent of the states population, have evacuated from wildfires. The headline topping The New York Times website read: Oregon Orders 500,000 to Evacuate as Fires Near Portland Suburbs. The New York Times relied on information from the state of Oregon about how many people are under wildfire evacuation orders. But that number was quickly debunked by The Oregonian/OregonLive. To calculate estimated evacuees, the newsrooms analysis overlapped Oregons evacuation mapping as of Thursday night with Census block group data from the most recent American Community Survey, with five-year figures from 2014-2018. The newsrooms analysis assumed an even distribution of population across each block group an unlikely scenario but one that nonetheless was applied because a more precise measure was not available. The newsroom found only about 95,000 people live in Level 3 evacuation zones identified in state mapping, where residents are instructed to Go. Level 3 is the only zone under a mandatory evacuation order. Among those were an estimated 50,162 residents in Clackamas County; 19,340 residents in Jackson County; 8,311 residents in Lane County; 5,743 residents in Marion County; 4,802 residents in Linn County; 3,760 residents in Lincoln County; 1,021 residents in Josephine County; 645 residents in Douglas County; 249 residents in Klamath County; 239 residents in Yamhill County; 196 residents in Washington County; 31 residents in Jefferson County; and 1 resident in Wasco County. Meanwhile, the newsroom estimated some 160,000 Oregonians live in identified Level 2 areas, where residents are instructed to Be Set to evacuate. An additional 290,000 Oregonians reside in identified Level 1 areas, where people are told to Be Ready to evacuate. To be conservative, The Oregonian/OregonLive added up the total population of every block group thats even partly in Level 3, no matter how small a slice. It still only totaled 192,000 people. Wirtis said the state is working with the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency and local counties to update its evacuation estimates. The numbers are constantly in flux, she said. At one point Thursday, officials told Oregons governor that evacuation numbers stood in the 30,000 to 40,000 range, Wirtis said. But by the time Brown tweeted a figure at 3:22 p.m., the governor said, More than 80,000 Oregonians have evacuated so far, with evacuations ongoing. More than 80,000 Oregonians have evacuated so far, with evacuations ongoing. If youre advised to evacuate, do so immediately. You may not get a second chance. Please visit https://t.co/iBY95WPQwV for the latest updates in your community. Governor Kate Brown (@OregonGovBrown) September 10, 2020 Those numbers, they will change, Wirtis said. Truly the moment you say them, theyre no longer accurate. The states news release suggesting an estimated 500,000 Oregonians have been evacuated was sent out less than two hours later, at 5:06 p.m. Thursday. Wirtis emphasized Friday the state wants to ensure it provides accurate information but is focused on protecting residents from what was estimated as 900,000 acres of wildfire across the state. Counting people, she said, is less important than making sure they stay alive. -- Brad Schmidt and Mark Friesen; bschmidt@oregonian.com; 503-294-7628; @_brad_schmidt President Moon Jae-in and Jeong Eun-kyeong, the first head of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), bow to each other after the former presented the latter with a certificate of appointment during a ceremony at the emergency situation room of the agency in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province, Friday. The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) has been upgraded to the KDCA and Jeong, who was the chief of the KCDC, was appointed to lead the new body. Yonhap President Moon Jae-in attended a rare ceremony outside Cheong Wa Dae to appoint Jeong Eun-kyeong, South Korea's disease control czar, as head of a new agency to operate autonomously with more authority and workforce. Jeong, director of the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC), has been tapped to lead the upgraded state body, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), which will be launched Saturday to replace the KCDC. Moon made a visit to the KCDC headquarters in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province, some 130 kilometers south of Seoul, to present her with a certificate of appointment in person. The move apparently reflects the public recognition of her dedicated service in the country's fight against COVID-19 and expectation for her role in the promoted position. In South Korea, the prime minister usually bestows a letter of appointment on a vice ministerial official. It is also highly unusual for the president to hold such an appointment ceremony outside Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul. "For me, I think, it's the first time to hold a ceremony outside Cheong Wa Dae to confer a letter of appointment on a high-ranking government official," Moon said. He said he had considered Jeong's current situation in which she can't leave her work even for a moment. Jeong's colleagues were present at the brief event instead of her family members. Moon expressed hope that the new agency will play a bigger role, with its status enhanced. He took note of public trust in the KCDC under Jeong's leadership. Jeong pointed out that the new agency is being born in "this grave situation." She said she is regarding its creation as reflecting the people's expectation for a "specialized, systemic and preemptive" response to novel infectious diseases that threaten their health and endanger society's safety. She pledged that the KDCA will do its best as the "control tower" of the national campaign to overcome COVID-19 and prevent disease transmissions. Speaking in a closed-door meeting with the president right after the official ceremony, Jeong presented a short-term outlook that coronavirus cases will likely decrease, albeit not sharply, if social distancing is maintained, as the basic reproduction number has fallen below one. The number represents the expected number of cases directly generated by a single patient. But she voiced worries about lingering cluster infection risks from the highly contagious virus, as seen in recent cases linked with church events and door-to-door sales activities, according to Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Kang Min-seok. "We are keeping a close eye (on the situation)," she was quoted as saying. Moon then visited the Central Disaster Management Headquarters on the coronavirus response, which is located in the nearby administrative town of Sejong, home to a government office complex. He expressed appreciation for its officials' service and encouraged them to keep up their work. (Yonhap) A federal judge ordered former Theranos Inc Chief Executive Elizabeth Holmes to be examined by U.S. government experts, after lawyers defending her against criminal fraud charges said they may offer evidence she suffered from a mental disease or defect. In a decision late Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Edward Davila in San Jose, California overruled defense objections to letting a psychologist and psychiatrist chosen by the government examine the 36-year-old Holmes for 14 hours over two days, and having the examinations recorded on video. Davila authorized the examinations after Holmes lawyers said they intended to introduce expert evidence from a clinical psychologist relating to a mental disease or defect or any other mental condition of the defendant bearing on the issue of guilt. The defense expert, Mindy Mechanic, is a California State University at Fullerton professor specializing in psychosocial consequences of violence, trauma and victimization, including violence against women, and often testifies in cases involving interpersonal violence, according to her university biography. Lawyers for Holmes did not immediately respond on Thursday to requests for comment. The professor did not immediately respond to a similar request. Wednesdays decision was partially redacted. Holmes mental state had been previously discussed in sealed court documents and a closed July 8 hearing. Holmes and former Theranos President Ramesh Sunny Balwani have pleaded not guilty to charges they defrauded investors, doctors and patients by falsely claiming Theranos could revolutionize medical lab testing with technology that could enable a wide array of tests with a few drops of blood. Before its unraveling, Theranos had been valued at $9 billion and made Holmes, a Stanford University dropout who founded the company in 2003 at age 19, a Silicon Valley star. REUTERS In this article IBM LONDON Humans aren't the only ones to have had their travel plans ruined by the coronavirus. A robot-powered boat that was due to cross the Atlantic this month has been forced to delay its voyage until next April after the virus caused complications in its development. The autonomous 15-meter trimaran has been built to push the boundaries of autonomous shipping while gathering scientific data on the ocean. The Mayflower Autonomous Research Ship (MAS for short) is being led by marine research organization ProMare, while IBM is the main technology partner. The solar-powered vessel is set to start trials off the south coast of England in the coming weeks and it will be officially unveiled on Sep. 16, the 400th anniversary of the Mayflower departure in 1620. After that, it will go on several voyages and missions over the next six months ahead of a transatlantic voyage in April 2021. During that transatlantic crossing, the ultramodern ship will broadly retrace the Mayflower's original route from Plymouth to Cape Cod's Provincetown. A computer-generated image of the new Mayflower vessel. University of Birmingham's Human Interface Technologies Team (HIT) Andy Stanford-Clark, chief technology officer for IBM U.K. and Ireland, who's leading the science on the ship, told CNBC that the vessel relies on an onboard AI Captain which uses computer vision, automation software and Watson technology IBM's most notable AI platform. The ship's operators tell the Mayflower where they want it to go and then it will figure out how to get there itself, considering the weather, ocean currents, collision regulations and other variables. The Mayflower can also react to ocean traffic in real time using a combination of radar, cameras, and the Automated Identification System (AIS), which transmits information such as the Mayflower's latitude and longitude to other boats. While AI does not control every aspect of the Mayflower, it does play a significant role in the ship's operations. Onboard experiments Inside the boat, instead of there being crew, living quarters, a bathroom, a galley, beds and so on, there are science experiments. Various organizations have pitched experiments that they'd like the Mayflower to carry out while at sea. One of them is a water analysis experiment that samples the seawater every few hours and stores it in roughly 100 bottles that are capped and kept in a crate onboard ready for human inspection back on land. "Because we'll know exactly where in the ocean we took the sample, we can say at this point, the salinity was this, the algal bloom quantity was this, the pH was this, and the oxygen levels were this," said Stanford-Clark. The ship's main hull being transported to a wharf in Plymouth for final assembly. IBM Scientists at the U.K.'s Plymouth University will analyze the same samples to determine microplastic levels at various points in the ocean. IBM claims it has also developed a system that can identify whales and the pod they're from based on their song, which is picked up by an onboard hydrophone. "We're training an AI to listen for whale songs," said Stanford-Clark. The same hydrophone is used to listen out for faults on the Mayflower. There's another project that will involve analyzing the shape of the Earth. "We're going to use very accurate GPS to measure exactly the level of the ocean, and then subtract the tides and the weather and the wind and use that to get a unified model," said Stanford-Clark. Journey time The original 30-meter Mayflower took 66 days to carry pilgrims from the U.K. to what is now the U.S. But the new one will take two to three weeks, depending on weather. Director of the Mayflower project, Brett Phaneuf, told CNBC that the new Mayflower is packed full of technology the original pilgrims wouldn't have been able to comprehend. But it's important not to get carried away. "It's not a Terminator," he said. "It's not going to take over the world and it's not going to chase all our ships off the ocean. It's a democratizing technology that will help us collect vast amounts of unfamiliar data about the ocean." "The interesting thing about Mayflower is there's nobody to get tired or bored or lonely or injured," said Phaneuf, pointing out that the vessel can go as fast or as slow as it likes for as long as it wants. "If something is interesting, or new, it can be diverted for next to no money." There's every chance that the ship will encounter problems on the transatlantic trip but Phaneuf believes it's robust enough to make it. He said it will take something idiotic and mundane to stop it, such as the rudder getting jammed by a log. Covid-19 disruptions on manned research vessels The new Mayflower could signify a change in the way ocean research is carried out in the future. Coronavirus disruptions on manned research vessels are leading to a reduction in data about the weather and climate change, according to UNESCO's Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission. Reduced air travel means there's a dearth of weather data from the skies as well. All these disruptions could result in less accurate weather forecasts and climate models, the Commission has said. The future of autonomous shipping AS an Oshawa shooting victim recovers from her injuries and mourns the loss of her husband and three of their children, her community has rallied to raise more than $157,000. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 11/9/2020 (497 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. AS an Oshawa shooting victim recovers from her injuries and mourns the loss of her husband and three of their children, her community has rallied to raise more than $157,000. In their first public statement since the mass shooting, Loretta Traynor and her son Sam, said they are "both devastated" by the loss of Chris Traynor, 50, the couples 20-year-old son Bradley, 15-year-old daughter Adelaide, and 11-year-old son Joseph. Mitchell Lapa, 48, drove from Winnipeg and opened fire in his sisters Ontario family home, before turning the gun on himself Sept. 4, police say. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Released through the Durham Region Police Service, the familys statement thanked first responders, medical staff and a local school board. They also asked for privacy. "Loretta is recovering from her injuries, with Sam remaining closely by her side. Both are devastated over the tragic loss of Chris, Bradley, Adelaide and Joey, but the support provided by the staff and students at the familys schools, the Durham Catholic District School Board, and the entire Oshawa community have been of great comfort to the entire family," the statement reads, in part. "We would like to extend our thanks to the Durham Regional Police Service for all of their assistance, as well as to the first responders that attended at the house on the morning of Sept. 4 and the medical staff that continues to provide excellent care to Loretta. "We are also very grateful to all those who have contributed to the Go Fund Me (website) campaign. The family will put together a committee to advise on the disbursement of the funds to support and appropriately memorialize the entire family." The crowd-funding campaign for the victims family had raised more than $157,000, as of Thursday evening. It described the Traynor family as "beloved and active members of the Oshawa community. Their acts of kindness, love and generosity are unmatched." Lapa worked as a building maintenance technician and lived in an apartment in Fort Richmond. His rental agreement listed his sister Loretta as his emergency contact. The charges were traced to a phone call during which Morales allegedly encouraged violent protests. Terrorism charges against former Bolivian President Evo Morales over violence that erupted in the country after he fled the country last year, appear to be politically motivated, a rights group has said in a report. The charges were traced to a single phone call with his former lawyer and chief of staff, during which Morales allegedly encouraged protests and road blockades, amid nationwide unrest over the disputed results of the presidential elections that gave him a narrow fourth term victory. We looked at the whole case file, Cesar Munoz, Americas senior researcher at Human Rights Watch (HRW) and author of the report, said on Friday. We found that the evidence that he [Evo Morales] committed terrorism acts is zero, there is no evidence, Munoz told Al Jazeera. We believe that the case against him is not based on an interest in upholding the law, but appears to be politically motivated, he said. HRW also found that the 20-year prison term sought for Moraless alleged offence is wholly disproportionate. A witch doctor participating in a Movement to Socialism party campaign rally for the MAS ahead of the general elections scheduled for October 18, in El Alto, on the outskirts of La Paz, Bolivia [David Mercado/Reuters] Morales, Bolivias first Indigenous president, was pressured to resign in November last year amid allegations that he committed election fraud, charges that have since been disputed. The rights group said it had found evidence that Morales, the longest-serving president of the Andean nation and founder of the popular left-wing Movement of Socialism party (MAS), had used the justice system against his opponents during his 13-year mandate. Jeanine Anez, a right-wing leader who took over as interim president in a power vacuum last year, promising swift new elections, had a chance to break with the past and strengthen judicial independence. Instead, it turned the justice system into a weapon to be used against their political rivals, and we have seen a wave of criminal investigations and prosecutions of people who are connected to Evo Morales, and Evo Morales himself, he said. HRW, in its 47-page report, said researchers interviewed Interior Minister Arturo Murillo and Ombudsman Nadia Cruz along with justice officials during its inquiry, and had access to thousands of pages of documents and case files. The group was also given access to court documents and police reports relating to 21 cases of more than 100 former Morales administration members or supporters, accused of crimes including terrorism, sedition, belonging to a criminal organisation and dereliction of duty. The Human Rights Watch report comes as no surprise, given the administrations very public hardline approach to Morales, said Filipe Carvalho, Bolivia analyst with the Eurasia Group. It is a sign of the massive polarisation in the country which will continue in the post-electoral outlook, Carvalho said. The report comes amid simmering tensions as Bolivia heads towards presidential elections which have been delayed several times due to the coronavirus pandemic. They are scheduled to take place on October 18. Bolivias interim President Jeanine Anez holding the document that enacted a law that called for elections on October 18, at the government palace in La Paz, Bolivia [File: Juan Karita/AP Photo] Anez has sustained heavy criticism for her handling of the coronavirus pandemic, which has killed more than 7,000 people in the country. She has also been accused of seeking to delay the vote to consolidate her grip on power. Earlier this week, Anezs government referred opposition supporters who led protests and road blockades against election delays to the International Criminal Court, saying that cutting civilians off from medical help constituted crimes against humanity. On Monday, a Bolivian court rejected Moraless appeal against a ruling that banned him for running for a senate seat, on the grounds he does not qualify, as he is no longer a Bolivian resident. Morales currently lives in exile in Argentina, where he continues to exert influence and command loyalty among his supporters, especially among the countrys Indigenous groups. MUMBAI: Max Group founder Analjit Singh on Friday sold 4.6% stake in Max Healthcare to buyers including American investment firm Capital Group and a unit of Hong Kong based hedge fund manager Ward Ferry for around 515 crore, two people aware of the development said. Singh will use the sale proceeds to pay off his personal debt, the people said on condition of anonymity. Singh had close to 7% stake in Max Healthcare. Of this, he has sold around 416 million shares or 4.6% stake. At Fridays price of the stock, the value of the transaction could be close to 515 crore," said the first person cited above. Mint was the first to report on 22 June that Singh and his family entities were looking to sell their entire 7% in Max Healthcare for 800 crore, as part of raising 2,300 crore by stake sales in the groups financial and healthcare businesses. The sale was expected to be a block deal or bulk deal on the stock exchange, the report had said. Singh is also trying to sell some more overseas real estate and hospitality assets. In March, he sold a prime plot at Londons Mayfair for 800 crore. Radiant Life Care Pvt. Ltd became the majority owner of Max Healthcare in a complex transaction beginning 2018, bringing the Singh familys stake down to 7%. Max is now Indias second largest hospital chain by revenue, operating more than 3,200 beds through 16 hospitals across India and is the fourth-largest by capacity. The stake sale was planned after the control of Max Healthcare was transferred to Radiant Life Care. After that deal, Singh is no longer the owner of Max Healthcare and this particular stake sale was strategically aimed to reduce the debts of the family that were availed in their personal capacity," said the first person. With the stake sales, the Singh family aims to pay off all its debt, which stood at 3,400 crore in December 2019. We are fully committed to reduce the debt considerably within the current year. We have been working towards it in a structured manner. Our divestment of some private real estate in the UK recently allowed us to trim the debt to quite an extent. We plan to take some significant actions in the near future to become almost debt-free," a spokesperson for the family said in June. The Singh family is now looking to sell 10-15% of their 28.31% stake in Max Financial Services for around 1,500 crore. Shares of Max Healthcare closed 16.64% higher at 131 on the BSE on Friday, with the market viewing the investment by a large global player as a vote of confidence in the companys prospects. The investment comes at a time when pharma stocks have outperformed the market in the wake of the covid-19 pandemic. BSEs benchmark Sensex index closed unchanged. Radiant, which is backed by private equity firm KKR and Co., took control of the hospital chain in a five-step transaction. The merged entity of Radiant and Max operates the second largest hospital network in North India. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Never miss a story! Stay connected and informed with Mint. Download our App Now!! Topics UN Chief Says $35 Billion Needed for WHO Coronavirus Program By VOA News September 10, 2020 U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres Thursday called for $35 billion in additional funding for the World Health Organization's Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator program, designed to develop and equitably distribute COVID-19 vaccines and treatments worldwide. The funding includes $15 billion in the next three months. Guterres spoke Thursday at a virtual inaugural meeting of the ACT Facilitation Council, an international collaboration of leaders looking to use the program as a mechanism to speed the development of COVID vaccines and treatments. In his remarks, the U.N. chief told the group the nearly $3 billion that has been contributed so far is "seed funding" and is less than 10% of what WHO wants for the program. "We now need $35 billion more to go from startup to scale up and impact," he said. In his remarks, WHO General Director Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said bilateral vaccine deals and what he calls "vaccine nationalism" the hoarding of treatments and vaccines by individual nations could "compromise equitable access and hold up progress for all countries." Financial support for the ACT program has lagged behind its goals, as nations or governments, including the European Union, Britain, Japan and the United States, reach bilateral deals for vaccines. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen pledged the commissions backing. In August, the commission pledged $474 million to WHO's cooperative vaccine access program COVAX, which is part of the ACT program. Tedros renewed calls for scaling up COVID-19 clinical trials. AstraZeneca this week suspended late-stage trials on its potential vaccine after an illness in a participant in Britain. AstraZeneca CEO Pascal Soriot said Thursday if safety reviewers allow a restart, the company should still know by year's end if its vaccine works. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address OKLAHOMA CITY, Sept. 10, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Ascent Resources Utica Holdings, LLC ("Ascent", the "Company" or "our") today announced it, with its wholly-owned subsidiary, ARU Finance Corporation ("Finco"), has commenced an offer to each Eligible Holder (as defined below) of their 10.0% Senior Notes due 2022 (the "Old Notes") to exchange their Old Notes (the "Exchange Offer") pursuant to the options set forth below, in each case upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the confidential offering memorandum and consent solicitation statement dated September 10, 2020 (the "Offering Documents"). Option 1: Offer to Eligible Lenders (as defined below) to exchange any and all of their Old Notes for a combination of new Second Lien Term Loans with a maturity date of November 1, 2025 (the "New Term Loans") and new 9.00% Senior Notes due 2027 (the "New Notes" and, together with the New Term Loans, the "New Debt"). Only Eligible Holders that are either banks or other institutional lenders that engage in making bank loans or similar extensions of credit in the ordinary course of business ("Eligible Lenders") may elect Option 1. Option 2: Offer to Eligible Holders to exchange any and all of their Old Notes for New Notes. The following table sets forth the consideration to be offered to Eligible Holders of the Old Notes in the Exchange Offer: Principal Amount of New Debt for Each $1,000 Principal Amount of Old Notes Tendered and Accepted for Exchange(1) Title of Series of Old Notes CUSIP No. / ISIN Aggregate Outstanding Principal Amount (in millions) Early Exchange Consideration, if tendered and not withdrawn prior to the Early Tender Date Late Exchange Consideration, if tendered after the Early Tender Date and prior to the Expiration Date 10.0% Senior Notes due 2022 04364VAA1 / U04354AA1 / US04364VAA17 $924.7 $1,000 $950 _____________________ (1) Total principal amount of New Term Loans an Eligible Lender that elects Option 1 will receive is subject to the Maximum Term Loan Exchange Amount and related proration as described in the Offering Documents. The maximum aggregate principal amount of New Term Loans to be issued to all Eligible Lenders that elect Option 1 will not exceed $538 million aggregate principal amount (the "Maximum Term Loan Exchange Amount"). The New Term Loans will be made pursuant to a term loan credit agreement, which is expected to be entered into on the Settlement Date (as defined below), by and among Ascent, as borrower, the guarantors party thereto, Wilmington Trust, National Association, as administrative agent and collateral agent, and the lenders party thereto (the "Term Loan Credit Agreement"). The New Notes will be issued pursuant to an indenture, by and among Ascent, Finco, the guarantors party thereto and Wilmington Trust, National Association, as trustee. All New Term Loans will be issued before any New Notes are issued to Eligible Holders. In the event that the aggregate amount of New Term Loans to be issued in respect of Old Notes validly tendered (and not validly withdrawn) under Option 1 would exceed the Maximum Term Loan Exchange Amount, the amount of New Term Loans issued to each such tendering Eligible Lender will be equal to (a) the amount of New Debt entitled to be received by such Eligible Lender, based on the Early Exchange Consideration or Late Exchange Consideration (each as defined below), as applicable, in respect of Old Notes validly tendered (and not validly withdrawn) by such Eligible Lender pursuant to Option 1, multiplied by (b) the quotient of (1) the Maximum Term Loan Exchange Amount divided by (2) the aggregate principal amount of tendered Old Notes accepted by the Company pursuant to Option 1. If we accept Old Notes in exchange for New Term Loans on a prorated basis pursuant to Option 1, each applicable Eligible Lender's validly tendered Old Notes accepted for exchange for New Term Loans will be determined by multiplying each Eligible Lender's tender by the applicable proration factor, and rounding the product down to the nearest $1,000 principal amount. The portion of Old Notes tendered by each tendering Eligible Lender and accepted by the Company pursuant to Option 1 that are not exchanged for New Term Loans as a result of such proration will be exchanged for New Notes. In conjunction with the Exchange Offer, the Company is soliciting consents (the "Consent Solicitation") from Eligible Holders (the "Consents") to certain proposed amendments to the indenture governing the Old Notes (the "Old Notes Indenture") to eliminate substantially all of the restrictive covenants and certain of the default provisions contained in the Old Notes Indenture (the "Proposed Amendments"). The Company must receive Consents by Eligible Holders representing a majority of the outstanding principal amount of Old Notes to adopt the Proposed Amendments (the "Requisite Consents"). Each Eligible Holder that tenders Old Notes into the Exchange Offer will be deemed to have given its Consent to the Proposed Amendments. Eligible Holders may not tender Old Notes without delivering the related Consents, and Eligible Holders may not deliver Consents without tendering the related Old Notes. Old Notes may not be withdrawn from the Exchange Offer and the Consents related to tendered Old Notes may not be revoked after the Withdrawal Deadline (as defined below), subject to applicable law. The Company has entered into a Support and Investment Agreement dated September 10, 2020 with certain holders of Old Notes (the "Supporting Holders") that hold in aggregate approximately 60.6% of the outstanding principal amount thereof and certain existing direct and indirect equity investors, whereby all Old Notes held by Supporting Holders will be tendered in the Exchange Offer and Consent Solicitation. The Consents of the Supporting Holders will constitute the Requisite Consents. Completion of the Exchange Offer is subject to the conditions set forth in the Offering Documents, including the condition that holders representing 85% of the outstanding principal amount of the Old Notes validly tender (and do not validly withdraw) such Old Notes on or prior to the Expiration Date (as defined below). The Company will not accept any tender of Old Notes that would result in the issuance of less than $2,000 principal amount of New Notes. If, under the terms of the Exchange Offer, a tendering Eligible Holder is entitled to receive New Notes in a principal amount that is not an integral multiple of $1,000, the Company will round downward such principal amount of New Notes to the nearest integral multiple of $1,000. This rounded amount will be the principal amount of New Notes that Eligible Holders will receive, and no additional cash will be paid in lieu of any principal amount of New Notes not received as a result of rounding down. The Exchange Offer and Consent Solicitation will expire at 11:59 p.m., New York City time, on October 7, 2020 unless extended by the Company (such time and date, as the same may be extended, the "Expiration Date"). Subject to the conditions and the tender acceptance procedures set forth in the Offering Documents, (i) for each $1,000 principal amount of Old Notes validly tendered (and not validly withdrawn) at or prior to 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on September 23, 2020, unless extended (such time and date as it may be extended, the "Early Tender Date"), and accepted for exchange, Eligible Holders of Old Notes will be eligible to receive $1,000 principal amount of New Debt (the "Early Exchange Consideration"); and (ii) for each $1,000 principal amount of Old Notes validly tendered after the Early Tender Date and accepted for exchange, Eligible Holders of Old Notes will be eligible to receive $950 principal amount of New Debt (the "Late Exchange Consideration"); provided in each case that the New Debt issued to Eligible Holders that validly tender (and do not validly withdraw) Old Notes pursuant to Option 2 will not include any New Term Loans. Tenders of Old Notes pursuant to the Exchange Offer and Consents pursuant to the Consent Solicitation may be validly withdrawn at any time prior to 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on September 23, 2020 unless extended by the Company (such time and date, as the same may be extended, the "Withdrawal Deadline"), except as otherwise described in the Offering Documents. Subject to the terms and conditions of the Exchange Offer and Consent Solicitation, the settlement date for the Exchange Offer will occur promptly after the Expiration Date (the "Settlement Date") and is expected to occur on October 13, 2020. The New Notes and the Exchange Offer have not been and will not be registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission under the Securities Act, or any state or foreign securities laws. The New Notes may not be offered or sold in the United States or for the account or benefit of any U.S. persons except pursuant to an exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the registration requirements of the Securities Act. The Exchange Offer and Consent Solicitation are not being made to Eligible Holders of Old Notes in any jurisdiction in which the making or acceptance thereof would not be in compliance with the securities, blue sky or other laws of such jurisdiction. This press release is for informational purposes only and is not an offer to purchase or a solicitation of an offer to purchase or sell any securities, nor shall there be any sale of any securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. The Exchange Offer and the Consent Solicitation will only be made, and the New Notes and New Term Loans are only being made available to holders of Old Notes that are either (a) "qualified institutional buyers" as defined in Rule 144A under the Securities Act, (b) persons that are not "U.S. persons" as defined in Rule 902 under the Securities Act and are acquiring the New Notes and New Term Loans in offshore transactions in compliance with Regulation S under the Securities Act ("Regulation S") or (c) institutions where permitted in certain jurisdictions that can provide certifications and other documentation satisfactory to the Company that they are "accredited investors" as defined in subparagraphs (a)(1), (2), (3) or (7) of Rule 501 under the Securities Act (such holders, the "Eligible Holders"). Each holder that participates in the Exchange Offer and Consent Solicitation will be required to represent that it is an Eligible Holder, and each holder that elects to receive New Term Loans pursuant to Option 1 will be required to represent that it is an Eligible Lender. Eligible Holders and Eligible Lenders who desire to obtain and complete an eligibility letter should contact the information agent, D.F. King & Co., Inc., at (877) 732-3614 (toll-free) or (212) 269-5550 (for banks and brokers) or email [email protected] or access the website at www.dfking.com/ascentr. Eligible Holders and Eligible Lenders are urged to carefully read the Offering Documents before making any decision with respect to the Exchange Offer and Consent Solicitation. None of the Company, the trustee with respect to the Old Notes, the arranger of the New Term Loans, the administrative agent with respect to the Term Loan Credit Agreement, the information agent or any affiliate of any of them makes any recommendation as to whether Eligible Holders and Eligible Lenders should tender their Old Notes in response to the Exchange Offer, and no one has been authorized by any of them to make such a recommendation. Eligible Holders and Eligible Lenders must make their own decision as to whether to participate in the tender of their Old Notes in response to the Exchange Offer and, if so, the principal amount of Old Notes for which an Eligible Holder or Eligible Lender would like to tender. About Ascent Resources: Ascent is the eighth largest producer of natural gas in the United States in terms of daily production and is focused on acquiring, developing, producing, and operating natural gas and oil properties located in the Utica Shale in Southeast Ohio. With a continued focus on good corporate citizenship, Ascent is committed to mitigating its environmental impact, while delivering low-cost, clean-burning, energy to our country and the world. For more information, visit www.ascentresources.com. This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of U.S. federal securities laws. Forward-looking statements in this press release include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the anticipated pricing and terms of the New Term Loans and New Notes, as well as, the anticipated settlement date of the Exchange Offer. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Actual results may vary materially from those expressed or implied in this press release. These statements are made as of the date of this press release and Ascent undertakes no duty or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Contact: James Short Investor Relations [email protected] SOURCE Ascent Resources, LLC Related Links http://www.ascentresources.com "Don't ever, ever underestimate the potential of the pandemic. And don't try and look at the rosy side of things." So says Dr. Anthony Fauci. Fauci made the comment on Thursday during a panel discussion with doctors from Harvard Medical School. Fauci, a White House advisor and director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, warned Americans that they need to prepare for a second wave of Covid-19 infections as flu season approaches. "We need to hunker down and get through this fall and winter because it's not going to be easy," Fauci told Harvard Medical School. Fauci noted that while new Covid-19 cases have decreased to less than 40,000 cases per day in the U.S. (a 16% decrease from two weeks ago, according to a New York Times database), that number is still "an unacceptably baseline," he said. "We've got to get it down, I'd like to see it 10,000 or less, hopefully less," he added. As of Friday morning, more than 6.4 million people have been inflected with Covid-19 in the U.S. and at least 187,000 have died, according to Johns Hopkins. Despite the gloomy outlook, Fauci said Covid-19 vaccine trials are "progressing very well" and he is hopefully that one will be available by the end of the year or by early 2021. Fauci's comments come days after audio tapes were released by journalist Bob Woodward of President Donald Trump admitting that he downplayed the Covid-19 threat because he didn't want "to create a panic." Check out: Americans spend over $5,000 a year on groceriessave hundreds at supermarkets with these cards Don't miss: White House advisor Dr. Fauci works 20-hour days and his wife reminds him to eat, sleep and drink water Trained dogs were able to sniff out Covid-19 infections with 94% accuracy: study Beginning of Rockaway Beach: N. Oregon Coast History Includes a Science Mystery Published 09/10/20 at 6:41 AM PDT By Oregon Coast Beach Connection staff (Rockaway Beach, Oregon) Like superheroes, Oregon coast towns have their origin stories, too. Yet not every one of them includes a much sought-after science mystery of sound. Rockaway Beach apparently officially became a town in 1909, but it was still quite overshadowed by a half dozen little resorts in and around it, including what is now teeny, tiny Brighton. In fact, that whole stretch from Nehalem Bay to beyond Rockaway Beach was called Garibaldi Beach. From just before 1900 through at least another decade or two it had that name. At that time, the tourism industry was a rough and tumble world of pure adventurers, where you actually required some amount of bravery to venture out here. Numerous land claims had been made along this part of the Oregon coast, and there was a growing feeling theyd be useless. The beach was the only thing resembling a road, which was used by horse n buggies, so the place remained isolated because there was essentially no decent route from the valley. 1912 map from a travel article There was a growing lumber industry here, however, and Brighton was a major shipping port for that at the time. A door was opened wide for this part of the Tillamook Coast in 1906 (a moniker that actually goes back to before 1910 it wasnt just invented by the marketing group that currently oversees the county). It was that year that the Lytle company began work on a railroad operation from Hillsboro to the north Oregon coast, with the first stop created at Tillamook in 1911. Meanwhile, all those land claims became valuable. In 1909, that business exploded, and the May 2 edition of the Oregon Daily Journal shows an ad promoting lots for sale at a mere $20 (something like $260 in todays money the price of many peoples monthly streaming and cable bills). On those lots you could set up your own cabins as they were called, but they were essentially tents. $5 down and $5 a month got you a nifty plot at the beach. All were sold by Elmer Lytle of the railroad company. Yes, someone had cornered the markets. Finally, in 1912 the first railroad car stopped in Rockaway Beach, and thus began the towns version of the Daddy Train: where fathers would join the families every weekend, as kids and Momma played on the beaches and stayed all summer long. These rail lines were critical, and by 1912 a scenic railway company called Harriman was also running tourists over to Garibaldi beaches. One writer called the routes to the coast impenetrable otherwise, and he, like many others at the time, praised the scenery along that long and tedious route, which was usually dusty, hot and 11 hours or so. In some ways, Rockaway Beach has some interesting aspects in common with Lincoln City. Both were eventually comprised of various tiny communities, and both tout seven miles of beaches. In Rockaway Beach, the little resorts that became communities were Manhattan Beach, Moroney Town, Lake Lytle, Beals Addition to Lake Lytle, Seaview Park, Elmore Park, Tillamook Beach (also known as Saltair), Rockaway Beach, Midway Beach, Twin Rocks, and Ocean Lake Park. Those are within city limits now. There are also historic mentions of little resorts called Rose City Beach and Bar View. Hotel Lytle Interestingly enough, Twin Rocks was being referred to as Profile Rocks and sometimes Double-Headed Rocks. Its unclear when that name solidified. About 1912, Brighton was the biggie, already with docks, a saloon and other businesses. By around 1920, Rockaway Beach was growing ever more so, now including the Rockaway Beach Dance Pavilion, the New Princess Theater and of course a natatorium. Perhaps, the most fascinating forgotten item of history is some discussion of the singing sands phenomenon, where sand will make long, sustained musical tones. Parts of Cannon Beach had been known for it, and there is indeed a weird squeaking noise those sands can make under the right conditions. Parts of Florences National Dune Recreation Area have been documented as creating the more musical version, which was in turn looked into by an Australian scientist in the 90s. In 1912, Joeseph H. Johnston, a writer from the Oregon Daily Journal wrote this: The beach itself is noted for its singing sands, although they are not in evidence all over the entire strip. Although the sand is extremely fine, the beach is so hard that wagon traffic does not mar it, no more than to reflect the traffic a little. It was thought that shoe leather alone caused the peculiar musical sounds to issue from the sands. This belief, however, can be shattered by the simple experiment of running the open fingers over the sands when the same musical strains may be heard at a considerable distance. This, if true, is a bit of an Oregon coast revelation. Not many spots on Earth have this unique noise. Its possible the writer was working with a lot of hyperbole and possibly marketing in mind. However, it's clearly disappeared in this modern world.. Whatever the case, the glimpses of Rockaway Beach in its infancy are a fun little trip down coastal history. Its easy to see what pioneer tourists saw back then. Hotels in Rockaway Beach - Where to eat - Rockaway Beach Maps and Virtual Tours MORE PHOTOS BELOW More About Oregon Coast hotels, lodging..... More About Oregon Coast Restaurants, Dining..... Coastal Spotlight LATEST Related Oregon Coast Articles Back to Oregon Coast Contact Advertise on BeachConnection.net All Content, unless otherwise attributed, copyright BeachConnection.net Unauthorized use or publication is not permitted Ukraine recorded only isolated cases in the spring while Europe was facing collapse because of the growing number of cases. Ukraine's Deputy Health Minister, Chief Medical Officer Viktor Liashko has said many lives were saved thanks to the quarantine introduced in Ukraine. "I will never be ashamed in my life that we introduced quarantine restrictions in March. We have saved the lives of hundreds, tens, perhaps, thousands of people," he told Ukraine 24 TV channel. "Today, the healthcare system is not at all the same as it was in March. It is ready to provide medical assistance to everyone who requires it," the official said. Read alsoHealth minister rejects new lockdown in UkraineLiashko reiterated Ukraine recorded only isolated COVID-19 cases in the spring while Europe was facing collapse because of the growing number of cases. "March, April we see isolated cases all over the country, we see Western Europe's healthcare system collapsing. Their healthcare systems have nowhere to bring and hospitalize people, the virus is new, it is not known how it will behave, all countries are taking unprecedented measures," he added. Quarantine in Ukraine: Background Prior to her appointment as U.S. Education Secretary, Betsy DeVos, who has no professional experience or credentials in education, engaged in a decades-long crusade to privatize public education in Michigan, to the detriment of Michigans most vulnerable students. She has since used her powerful position to continue this crusade, even exploiting the pandemic to divert desperately needed public funds away from our most underserved public school students toward private schools. However, earlier this month, in a lawsuit brought by parents, school districts, including Stamford, and the NAACP, a federal judge, appointed by President Donald Trump, thwarted one of her schemes to funnel emergency relief funds away from public schools. In March, Congress passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act). The law made available billions of dollars in emergency aid for elementary and secondary schools. Two of the funds providing this relief are the Governors Emergency Education Relief Fund (GEER) and the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund (ESSER). Congress intended for the CARES Act to help the nations most vulnerable students, funding, in ESSER, activities that address the unique needs of low-income children. In the Act, Congress required that any school district receiving GEER and ESSER funds provide equitable services in the same manner as provided under section 1117 of the ESEA of 1965 (Title I) to students and teachers in non-public schools. Title I is a federal law that provides additional funds to schools and districts with 40 percent or more low-income students. Equitable services are services provided to private school students who are not yet at grade level. Title I mandates that school districts set aside a certain amount of their Title I funding to provide equitable services. That amount is based on the number of low-income children who attend private schools. In direct contravention of the law, Secretary DeVos sped through an Interim Final Rule, avoiding the normal regulatory process, directing that districts calculate the equitable services set-aside based on the total number of private school students, rather than the number of low-income students. This change cost needy public school districts across the country to hundreds of millions of dollars in emergency funds at a time when school district budgets have been slashed, and schools are in desperate need of resources to ensure the safe reopening of school buildings and/or access for all students to remote learning. The rule further provided that school districts could choose to calculate the set-aside based on low-income students only. However, if they chose this option, they would face severe restrictions, including being prohibited from using their CARES Act funding in any non-Title I schools. This restriction prevented districts from providing much-needed resources, such as personal protective equipment, district-wide, and from using CARES funding to serve their needy students who attend non-Title I schools. This brazen attempt to divert funds intended for Americas most underserved students to private schools prompted several lawsuits. A handful of states and school districts sued in federal court in Washington and California. The judges there issued preliminary injunctions temporarily blocking the rule. Another advocacy group sued in federal court in Maryland. Parents, school districts and the NAACP brought their lawsuit, NAACP v. DeVos, in federal court in the District of Columbia. (The plaintiffs were represented by the law firm, Munger Tolles & Olson, Education Law Center and Southern Poverty Law Center. I was co-counsel in the case). Judge Dabney L. Friedrich ruled that DeVos Rule was contrary to the unambiguous mandate of the CARES Act. She noted that Congress expressed a clear and unambiguous preference for apportioning funding to private schools based on the number of children from low-income families. She further wrote that contrary to the Rule, the Cares Act cannot mean the opposite of what it says. Judge Friedrich struck down the law nationwide. The U.S. Education Department has since an update acknowledging that the rule is no longer in effect because of her decision. Connecticut received $111 million in ESSER funds and $27.8 in GEER funding. The GEER funds have not been distributed to school districts yet. To obtain ESSER funds, Connecticut school districts were required to submit applications to the State Department of Education, based on the erroneous calculations in DeVos illegal rule. The State Department of Education should now guide districts on how to recoup this illegally diverted money. Time is of the essence as school districts struggle to provide vital services to public school students during this ongoing crisis. Wendy Lecker is a columnist for the Hearst Connecticut Media Group and is senior attorney at the Education Law Center. Israeli Attorney General orders to investigate police allegations of spyware Blinken: Any Russian invasion of Ukraine will be met with swift response Candidate: Ombudsmans institution is one of few established institutions in Armenia Lavrov summarizes the results of talks with Blinken UN agrees on definition of Holocaust denial Lavrov and Blinken talks kick off in Geneva Australian FM says issue of sending direct military aid to Ukraine is not considered Armenia PM receives EU delegation, need for full operation of Karabakh peace process is stressed Armenia National Assembly debating on new ombudspersons candidacy Katherine Tai: The world can't go back to the 2019 trading system Dollar gains value in Armenia Armenia legislature told hold secret ballot to elect TV and radio commission new members NATO intends to hold largest military exercises beyond Arctic Circle in early March 7 new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh 'Zangezur corridor' will unite Turkic world, says Azerbaijan presidential office official Armenia FM highlights need for full resumption of Karabakh peace talks Armenia ex-defense minister: In our time it was shame to immediately turn to CSTO in case of Azerbaijan provocations UN General Assembly head calls for peace during Beijing Olympics Armenia Tourism Committee has new chairperson Russian MFA: Priority today is to start Azerbaijan-Armenia border delimitation, demarcation process Parliament passes, in first reading, bill restricting gambling advertising in Armenia UK considering sending hundreds of additional troops to Ukraine's neighbors Warships of Russia, Iran and China work out counteraction to maritime piracy Armenia first deputy minister of justice dismissed Israeli defense minister tests positive for COVID-19 Karabakh conflict resumption likelihood is moderate, its impact on US interests is low, report says Antonio Guterres thinks Russia will not invade Ukraine Azerbaijan ambassador to Russia hastens to sweeten the sediment of statement by US embassy in Baku IS fighters attack army barracks in mountainous area north of Baghdad, killing 11 soldiers Thomas de Waal: Will Armenia and Turkey be able to normalize relations after 3rd attempt? Armenia Security Council secretary, visiting EU delegation discuss situation on border with Azerbaijan Foreign ministers of Israel and Turkey have talk for 1st time in 13 years Fly Arna shareholders appoint companys Board of Directors 628 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia CSTO chief: Necessary to work on Armenia-Azerbaijan border delimitation, demarcation FBI search congressman's home in connection with Azerbaijan probe Newspaper: Armenia PM again goes way of black and white Newspaper: Scenario devised after war to be implemented in Artsakh EU Special Representative for South Caucasus arrives in Armenia 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 A mother has been charged with murdering her five-year-old daughter after police were called to a 'bloodbath' in a London home. Sutha Sivanantham, 35, will appear at Wimbledon Magistrates' Court on Friday by video-link following Sayagi Sivanantham's death in Mitcham. The child was found 'lifeless' by devastated neighbours at her home on June 30 with Sutha. They had rushed to the flat when they heard screaming and said they found a 'big bread knife' at the scene. Locals spoke of their shock after the pair were flown to hospital following the incident in Monarch Parade. The child was pronounced dead shortly after arriving while the woman was in a critical condition after undergoing a five-hour operation. Sutha Sivanantham, 35, was charged with murdering Sayagi Sivanantham in south London Met Police launched a murder investigation into the incident after the child was found 'lifeless' Forensic teams and uniformed officers were seen outside the property in Mitcham on June 30 Floral tributes in memory of the five-year-old girl, were left tied to railings outside the flat Detective Chief Inspector Justin Howick said at the time: 'This is a tragic incident and we are working very hard to fully understand what has happened. 'Whilst I know the effects of this incident will, understandably, shock and sadden the local community, please be reassured that we are not seeking anyone else in connection with Sayagi's death and there is no cause for the community to be fearful or alarmed. 'I would like to hear from anyone who feels they may have information that could assist our investigation.' NHS worker and neighbour Elsa Gonzales, 47, described hearing screaming and crying coming from the property, where the family from Sri Lanka lived. When she arrived with her sister - Riza Marfilla, 55 - she discovered the woman wearing only her underwear. She said: 'I went next door and saw the lady on the floor covered in blood. She had what looked like a knife wound in her stomach.' Sayagi Karunanantham (left and right) was pronounced dead and described by neighbours as 'such a good girl' A police cordon was in force at the scene of the incident, which left a child dead and a woman in a critical condition NHS worker and neighbour Elsa Gonzales (pictured), 47, described hearing screaming and crying coming from the flat in Monarch Parade 'I was on the phone to 999 and I tried to see if the young girl was likely to survive but she looked lifeless there was so much blood everywhere.' Sayagi was attending a local Tamil class to learn her parent's language, sources close to the family told MailOnline. Her father, Sivanantham Karunanantham, known as Suganthan, works in a local Sainsbury's and received a call while on shift informing him of the tragedy. Sources close to him said his wife had undergone an operation lasting five hours for a knife wound to her stomach and faced further surgery. Paying tribute to the young girl, Ms Gonzales said: 'She's so smart and so tough. She was always fighting with the boys when she played. 'She's always smiling at me. She was such a good girl. My heart breaks for her.' A pool of blood could be seen outside the property in Monarch Parade, where the girl and woman were found Blood was seen on the doorstep of the property in Mitcham, as police launched their investigation Wahe Guna, 27, who works at the Kwik Mart shop below the flat in Monarch Parade (pictured) said the family were regular customers Another neighbour Riza Marfilla, 55, said: 'It's so sad. She likes Bruno - my dog. Whenever she would see him, she would be shouting ''Bruno! Bruno!''. 'She is such a sweet child.' A forensics team were seen entering the flat on the day of the incident while a uniformed police officer stood guard outside the first floor property. Wahe Guna, 27, who works at the Kwik Mart shop below the flat in Monarch Parade, said the family were regular customers. He said: 'He comes everyday in the shop. In the last two or three days I didn't see him. His daughter is good character. I'm so sad to think she is gone. 'They're a good family. Everyday he comes in to spend a few pounds. Some days I give them chocolates. 'Yesterday I didn't see them. I didn't see them on Monday or Tuesday. At around 4pm yesterday, there was a helicopter and police blocked the road. An air ambulance and a police car is pictured at the scene of the tragedy in June 'Last Monday he was all smiles. She talked and said, how are you? I don't know what could have happened.' The road outside the property, which is on a parade of shops near Mitcham Library, was closed for several hours after the tragedy. Witnesses filmed the police response and the helicopter taking the two victims to hospital. Siobhain McDonagh, the Labour MP for Mitcham and Morden, tweeted: 'Truly tragic events in Mitcham over the last 2 days. My sincere condolences to family & friends. 'My thoughts are also with neighbours & residents who have witnessed such tragedy.' Mumbai: Union Minister Ramdas Athawale on Friday met Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshiyari and sought justice for Bollywood actress Kangana Ranaut, who suffered huge losses after the civic body BMC demolished the unauthorised and illegal construction at her office in Mumbai. The RPI chief also demanded adequate compensation from the BMC for the losses suffered by the actress due to its unmindful actions. I met Maharashtra Governor today over the issue of demolition of Kangana Ranaut's property in Mumbai and demanded that she should get compensation for the loss. The way BMC carried out demolition at her property is wrong. She must get justice, Union Minister Ramdas Athawale said. Athawale told reporters that Kangana Ranaut has stated she is not interested in politics but in ensuring unity in society. "Kangana Ranaut said she is not interested in politics but is interested in ensuring unity in society. She said that in her upcoming film she is playing the role of a Dalit and that caste system should be abolished," Athawale said after meeting the actor. I have told her that she doesn`t need to be scared in Mumbai. Mumbai belongs to all kinds of people and everyone has the right to live here. She said that she has been insulted as her office has been demolished by BMC as her walls, furniture, etc have also been damaged. She is seeking compensation from BMC and she will move to the court," he added. The Union Minister further stated that he will talk to BMC officials and Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray regarding this matter. Meanwhile, Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshiyari had summoned Ajoy Mehta, the Special Advisor to the Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday evening and expressed his displeasure over the demolition drive by BMC at Kangana Ranaut`s Pali Hill office. Earlier, the Bombay High Court stayed the demolition drive being undertaken by the BMC at the property of Bollywood actor Kangana Ranaut. A bench of the High Court also asked the BMC to file a reply to her petition in the matter. Ranaut, through her lawyer Rizwan Siddiqui, had moved the High Court against the demolition of what the BMC termed as "illegal alterations" at her office. The Panga actress has already been provided with the Y-plus category security cover by the Union Home Ministry in the wake of the row over her remarks, in which she compared Mumbai with Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK) and also criticised Mumbai police. Credit: Shutterstock From internet-connected televisions, toys, fridges, ovens, security cameras, door locks, fitness trackers and lights, the so-called "Internet of Things" (IoT) promises to revolutionize our homes. But it also threatens to increase our vulnerability to malicious acts. Security flaws in IoT devices are common. Hackers can exploit those vulnerabilities to take control of devices, steal or change data, and spy on us. In recognition of these risks, the Australian government has introduced a new code of practice to encourage manufacturers to make IoT devices more secure. The code provides guidance on secure passwords, the need for security patches, the protection and deletion of consumers' personal data and the reporting of vulnerabilities, among other things. The problem is the code is voluntary. Experiences elsewhere, such as the United Kingdom, suggest a voluntary code will be insufficient to deliver the protections consumers need. Indeed it might even increase risks, by lulling consumers into a false sense of security about the safety of the devices they buy. Many IoT devices are insecure IoT devices designed for consumers are generally less secure than conventional computers. In 2017 the Australian Communications Consumer Action Network commissioned researchers from the University of New South Wales to test the security of 20 household appliances capable of being connected and controlled via wi-fi. These included a smart TV, portable speaker, voice assistant, printer, sleep monitor, digital photo frame, bathroom scales, light bulb, power switch, smoke alarm and Hello Barbie talking doll. While some devices (including the Barbie) were found to be relatively secure in terms of confidentiality, all had some form of security flaw. Many "allowed potentially serious safety and security breaches." What this could potentially mean is that someone could, for example, hack into a household's wi-fi network and collect data from IoT devices. It might be as simple as knowing when lights are switched on to determine when a home can be burgled. Someone with more malicious intent could turn on your oven while shutting down smoke alarms and other sensors. Risks to consumers, and society Factors leading to poor security in IoT devices include manufacturers' desires to minimize componentry and keep costs down. Many makers of consumer goods also have little experience with cyber-security issues. Allied with the fact many consumers aren't technologically savvy enough to appreciate the risks and protect themselves, this creates the prospect of IoT devices being exploited. On a personal level, you could be spied on and harassed. Personal pictures or information could be exposed to the world, or used to extort you. On a societal level, IoT devices can be hijacked and used collectively to shut down services and networks. Even compromising one device may enable connected infrastructure to be hacked. This is a rising concern as more people connect to workplace networks from home. Voluntary codes of practice In recognition of these threats, IoT security "good practice" guidelines have been proposed by standards bodies such as the US National Institute of Standards and Technology, the European Telecommunications Standards Institute and the Internet Engineering Task Force. But these guidelines are based on voluntary action by manufacturers. The UK government has already concluded the voluntary code of conduct it established in 2018 isn't working. Britain's Minister for Digital Infrastructure, Matt Warman, said in July: "Despite widespread adoption of the guidelines in the Code of Practice for Consumer Internet of Things Security, both in the UK and overseas, change has not been swift enough, with poor security still commonplace." The UK is now moving to impose a mandatory code, with laws requiring manufacturers to deliver reasonable security features in any device that can connect to the internet. A case for co-regulation There is little reason to believe Australia's voluntary code of practice will prove any more effective than in the UK. A better option would have been a "co-regulatory" approach. Co-regulation mixes aspects of industry self-regulation with both government regulation and strong community input. It includes laws that create incentives for compliance (and disincentives against non-compliance) and regulatory oversight by an independent (and well-resourced) watchdog. The Australia government has, at least, described its new code of practice as "a first step" to improving the security of IoT devices. Let's hope so. If the UK experience is anything to go by, its next steps will include dumping a voluntary code for something with a greater chance of delivering the safety and security consumersand societyneed. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. BUCHAREST -- The U.S. ambassador to Bucharest has accused Huawei and the Chinese Embassy of continuing to try to mislead the people of Romania while accusing some Romanian press outlets of publishing Chinese propaganda. The U.S. administration is pressing its allies to block Huawei from wireless, high-speed networks, saying the companys equipment could be used by China for spying purposes. The allegation has been denied by Huawei and Beijing. We can build a secure Clean Network 5G infrastructure today to shape tomorrows digital world. However, Huawei and the Communist Chinese want to make Romania the surveillance state of 30 years ago -- just like it is in Communist China, U.S. Ambassador Adrian Zuckerman said in an opinion piece published on September 10. Last year, Romania and the U.S. signed a joint statement in Washington that suggested Huawei could be excluded from Romanias future 5G network. The document, which does not mention Huawei by name, says the two countries "seek to avoid the security risks that accompany Chinese investment in 5G telecommunications networks." Huawei, which has been present in the Romanian market since 2003, has said that it meets all the requirements listed in the draft regulations for the participation of technology companies in developing the 5G infrastructure in Romania. This week marks six months of COVID-19 lockdowns. Americans, especially parents and women, are feeling its impact at a time when kids are returning to school unlike any year in our history, according to new research from Finn Partners. The research, conducted by Civis Analytics, looked at the emotional, behavioral, and relationship impact since COVID-19 was declared a global pandemic on March 11, 2020. What emotions have increased the most? Half of all Americans (50%) say anxiety, a third (32%) report more sadness, and one out of four say theyre experiencing more fear (27%) and anger (25%), according to the report. The emotional burden appears to be greatest for women, who report experiencing higher levels of anxiety compared to men (56% to 43%), sadness (36% to 27%), and fear (29% to 24%). And its parents who report the greatest impact on their relationships and their behaviours. Parents Impacted And What Theyve Been Doing About It Parents with kids at home appear to be bearing the brunt of the stress. The proportion of parents with children under 18 who say that their relationships with family are improving are roughly the same as those who say that these relationships are worsening. However, their relationships with nearly everyone else are worsening: friends (21% worsening compared to 16% improving); neighbours (17% vs 14%); co-workers (nearly 20% worsening compared to less than 10% improving). Theyre also reporting some positive behaviours during the pandemic. Overall, 38% of Americans say theyre spending more time outdoors with family and friends. The difference is more pronounced for parents living with children at home (50%) compared to adults without children at home (32%). And parents with kids 18 and under in the house report feeling more connected to their social networks (44% compared to 28% of non-parents). And finally, 45% of adults with children at home are exercising more compared to 28% of adults without. Its important to recognize the uncertainty Americans have been living with this year, and how anxiety stemming from COVID-19 can color all our usual emotions, says Dr. Catherine Belling, associate professor at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. Still, it does appear from these results that parents in particular may be forced into finding positive ways of adapting, perhaps leading to healthier long-term changes. Parents arent the only ones exercising more. Two out of five (40%) of respondents under 35 years old report they are exercising more and feeling more fit. They also feel equally more connected to their social networks (40%). Age Plays a Role in Emotional Drivers The survey also delved into factors that may negatively impact emotions over the coming three months. Nearly two in 10 Americans (18%) reported that concerns about their own health and the government response to the pandemic could be the top factors to negatively impact their emotions over the next three months. After that, it was ongoing wearing of masks, concerns about job loss and continued social distancing (12% each), schools being online this fall (10%), and continued working from home (5%). Age plays a significant role in responses, with seniors 65+ more likely to cite health (27%) and the government reaction (22%), compared to adults 18-34 (14% and 13%) and adults 35-49 (16% for each). And of course, remote schooling was cited as a major concern for 14% of Americans between 18 and 34 and for 12% between 35 and 49, which would impact many in this group as both parents and students. Interestingly, working from home is the least concerning issue with only 5% percent of respondents reporting this as having the greatest negative impact on their emotions from a list of 10 possible options. (This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.) Follow more stories on Facebook and Twitter Berlins Justice Ministry has approved a request from Moscow for legal assistance in the investigation of the poisoning of opposition leader Alexei Navalny, and has tasked state prosecutors with working with Russian authorities, officials said Friday. Berlin state prosecutors said in a tweet that their office had been commissioned to provide legal assistance to Russia and information on Navalnys state of health, subject to his consent. The office said it would provide no further information on the request at this time. Navalny, the most visible opponent of Russian President Vladimir Putin, was flown to Germany two days after falling ill on Aug. 20 on a domestic flight in Russia. German chemical weapons experts have determined that the 44-year-old was poisoned with a Soviet-era nerve agent, prompting Berlin to demand that Russia investigate the case. He was kept in an induced coma for more than a week as he was treated with an antidote, before hospital officials said Monday his condition had improved enough for him to be brought out of it. The hospital had no comment Friday on his condition, but doctors have not ruled out long-term effects of the poisoning. The Kremlin has bristled at calls from Chancellor Angela Merkel and other world leaders for Russia has to answer questions in the case, denying any official involvement and accusing the West of trying to smear Moscow. Russian authorities have prodded Germany to share the evidence that led them to conclude without doubt that Navalny was poisoned with a military nerve agent from the Novichok group, the same class of Soviet-era agent that British authorities said was used on former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter in Salisbury, England, in 2018. Its in the best interests of our German colleagues to protect their reputations after all and to provide all necessary information that could shed at least some light on their accusations, which have been absolutely unsubstantiated so far, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Friday. Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Russian investigators have launched a preliminary inquest into the Navalny case, but insisted that its essential for Russia to see the proof of Navalnys poisoning to launch a full-fledged criminal inquiry. From the viewpoint of law, we cant describe those checks as a criminal case on the basis of analyses of a German laboratory, particularly a military one, Peskov said in a conference call with reporters. Just as its impossible for Germany to open a criminal case on the basis of analyses taken in our military hospital. Its legal nonsense. Germanys Defence Ministry has said the data about Navalny has already been provided to the Hague-based Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, of which Russia is a member. Merkels spokesman, Steffen Seibert, said Friday the agency was best equipped to handle an issue that was not a bilateral German-Russian problem. This is about a crime that took place in Russia with a chemical nerve agent that is internationally prohibited the OPCW is the logical point of contact, he told reporters. On Wednesday, the Russian Foreign Ministry invited German Ambassador Geza Andreas von Geyr to reaffirm Moscows demand for Germany to provide Russian authorities with the medical data, including biological materials, the results of samples and tests to allow Russian experts to study and check them. Russian doctors previously said they had found no sign of Navalnys poisoning. The move to task Berlin prosecutors to work with Russian investigators came a week after Russias request for assistance was received by the Berlin state Justice Ministry. Separately, Seibert denied reports that Germany had received a Russian request for permission to send investigators to interview Navalny. German weekly Der Spiegel reported Friday that the poison used on Navalny appeared to be a previously unknown compound from the Novichok group. It reported that Bruno Kahl, the head of Germanys foreign intelligence agency, told a confidential meeting of officials that the substance was stronger than previously known forms of Novichok. Lawmakers from all parties except the far-right Alternative for Germany, which has close ties to Moscow, on Friday condemned the attack on Navalny during an urgent parliamentary debate on the case. Juergen Hardt, a senior lawmaker and foreign policy spokesman for Merkels party, called it the regrettable pinnacle of a series of about 20 important opposition politicians or journalists who were slain, shot or poisoned in Putins Russia. Theres been no sufficient investigation in any of the cases, he said. On the contrary, in the great majority of cases we have clear evidence that the murders took place at least in connection with state authorities. And we are sure about this in the Navalny case when it comes to the use of Novichok. _____ Frank Jordans in Berlin, and Vladimir Isachenkov, in Moscow contributed to this story. Read more about: ByteDance, the Chinese owner of the popular short-form video-sharing app TikTok, is reportedly planning to establish a data center in Singapore. The Beijing-based company is willing to invest several billion dollars in order to make the city-state its beachhead, Bloomberg reports. According to people familiar with the matter, ByteDance has applied for a license to operate a digital bank in Singapore. The company plans to add hundreds of jobs in the city-state over the next three years. It already has more than 200 job openings for the region. Open positions span across industries including payments, e-commerce, and data privacy. ByteDance currently employs over 400 employees in the region, working across technology, sales, and marketing. Along with TikTok, the company also operates an enterprise software business called Lark in Singapore. Advertisement Its other businesses include Toutiao, a news aggregation app, and Douyin, the Chinese variant of TikTok. These two services, however, are limited to the companys home country China. Collectively, ByteDance has more than 1.5 billion monthly active users across its products globally. It reportedly generated more than $17 billion in revenue in 2019, with $3 billion in net profit. Singapore is rapidly emerging as a hub for several Western and Chinese companies. ByteDance is now seemingly trying to grab a strong foothold there, as it tries to find a permanent solution to the kinds of troubles its facing in India, the US, and the UK. Singapore is highly attractive to tech firms looking for a hub to address the Southeast Asian markets due to geographic proximity, said Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Vey-Sern Ling. The workforce is highly educated, tech-savvy, and multilingual. Advertisement TikTok may not be able to work out a way for survival in the US The reports of ByteDances multi-billion investment in Singapore comes at a time when its facing a life-threatening situation in the US. The Trump administration has threatened to ban TikTok in the nation on security grounds unless its Chinese parent divests the apps US operations to an American company. While several tech biggies have shown interest in the app, no deals have been finalized yet. And ByteDance is unlikely to reach any deal before the deadline of September 15. President Trump on Thursday said that he wont extend the deadline any further, although there were suggestions of ByteDance getting time until mid-November. Recent reports suggested that TikTok is offering alternate arrangements to the US government to keep its operations alive. However, those arrangements seemingly didnt satisfy President Trump. Advertisement TikTok is among the 150+ Chinese consumer apps the Indian government has banned recently. The hugely popular social media app is facing a similar fate in the UK as well. NEP 2020: Students should be taught in mother tongue till class 5, says PM Modi India oi-Ajay Joseph Raj P New Delhi, Sep 11: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said that language is just a mode of study and not a study in itself. Addressing the conclave, PM Modi said, "We need to see that most of the energy of students should not be spent on learning the language rather than the subject. A child should understand what they are taught." The Prime Minister further went on to say that in a lot of countries, elementary education is imparted in their mother tongue. "It is a known fact that students learn better in the language they speak at home." In rural areas, parents are not associated with a child's learning because of the mode of teaching at school. At least till class 5, students should be taught in the mother tongue. Vivekananda, Bhave have a lot to teach humanity: PM Modi Sushant Death Case: Rhea Chakraborty denied bail by a Mumbai court, will stay in jail|Oneindia News "Along with the mother tongue, students will be taught international languages including English but Indian languages will also be promoted," said PM. PM Modi also said that one of the major reasons behind the drop-out ratio is that students, who do not have the freedom of choosing their own subject. "Now, students will not have to be limited to the watertight boundaries of commerce, science, and humanities and will chose any subjects they want to choose," PM Modi said. Global partnership is key achievement, Shinzo Abe tells PM Modi It can be seen that NEP brings several changes to the school education including universalisation of Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) for children up to the age 8, 10+2 structure of school curricular is to be replaced by a 5+3+3+4 curricular structure, integrating curriculum to 21st-century skills, mathematical thinking and scientific temper, development of new comprehensive National Curricular Framework for School Education and vocational integration from class six onwards. Space News space history and artifacts articles Messages space history discussion forums Sightings worldwide astronaut appearances Resources selected space history documents advertisements Shuttle-used rockets roll into California to stand up Endeavour exhibit September 11, 2020 Two rocket boosters made from parts that launched on more than 80 space shuttle missions are now parked outside of Los Angeles, having moved a step closer to standing up the display of a retired NASA orbiter. The twin solid rocket motors, which Northrop Grumman pledged to donate for the California Science Center's exhibit of the space shuttle Endeavour in 2017, were delivered over the past couple of weeks to the Mojave Air and Space Port, where they are being temporarily held in outdoor storage. The inert motor cases, which Northrop Grumman described as being "structurally representative" of the solid rocket boosters used during NASA's space shuttle program, were trucked in from the company's Promontory, Utah test facility after being prepared for their exhibit. "We are excited to share a piece of our more than 30-year legacy with future generations to help inspire a new era of explorers," Charlie Precourt, Northrop Grumman's vice president for propulsion systems and a former space shuttle commander, said in a statement. Since debuting Endeavour on horizontal display in 2012, the California Science Center has planned to exhibit the winged spacecraft vertically, as if it was back on the launch pad, stacked with a fuel tank and solid rocket boosters. Towards that goal, the science center originally obtained a pair of boosters assembled from a mix of flight-worthy, test and mock parts that had been on display at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida. But after obtaining NASA's final flight-worthy external tank, ET-94, in 2016, and conducting a review of the display plans, it was decided that a set of flight-worthy boosters were also needed to meet seismic and structural standards. Dennis Jenkins, a veteran shuttle engineer and director of the science center's project to display Endeavour, made the request to Northrop Grumman (at the time, Orbital ATK, which Northrop Grumman acquired in 2018), which led to the donation. "As for the non-motor parts of the booster, we sourced a set of flight-representative aft skirts and frustums from NASA surplus and a set of forward skirts that were used for tests for NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) program that are currently in Utah," said Jenkins. "Northrop Grumman and NASA are providing most of the smaller parts, like booster separation motors, from surplus." When the boosters' donation was first announced, the California Science Center was targeting 2019 for the opening of Endeavour's vertical display in the planned Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center. Although it now has all of the components for the space shuttle, the science center is still waiting to break ground on the new building. "Honestly, we're still working on the fundraising. We've made good progress, but we are not quite there yet to start," Jeff Rudolph, president and CEO of the California Science Center, told collectSPACE. "We are optimistic that we will be able to start construction in the next year." Once the project is funded and the Oschin Air and Space Center is ready for Endeavour, the two solid rocket motors that are now in Mojave will be brought to the science center with the same pomp and circumstance that the orbiter and external tank previously received. "These are big, but they're a lot easier to move. It will still be a pretty cool thing to watch them come through the streets," said Rudolph. The 149-foot (45 meter) solid rocket boosters produced most of the thrust needed for the space shuttle's first two minutes of flight. After expending their propellant, the twin boosters separated from the vehicle and descended under parachute to a splashdown for their recovery and reuse. Northrop Grumman is using most of its leftover shuttle-era solid rocket motor hardware to support NASA's SLS, which is being built to launch astronauts to the moon. On Sept. 2, the day after the second of the two motors for Endeavour's exhibit arrived in Mojave, the company conducted a ground test with an SLS flight support booster in Utah, using parts previously flown on 43 shuttle launches. Endeavour's well-used boosters include components that were part of 32 static ground tests and 81 space shuttle missions. The oldest cases, located at the top of each assembled solid rocket motor, helped launch STS-5, the fifth flight of the orbiter Columbia, in 1982. The most recent use was for STS-123, the 21st launch of Endeavour, in 2008. In the interim 25 years, the cases were used on the maiden liftoffs of Challenger, Discovery, Atlantis and Endeavour (STS-6 in 1983, STS-41D in 1984, STS-51J in 1985 and STS-49 in 1992, respectively), as well as the mission that deployed the Hubble Space Telescope (STS-31 in 1990), the first and last Shuttle-Mir dockings (STS-71 in 1995 and STS-91 in 1998), the return of John Glenn to orbit (STS-95 in 1998), the ill-fated final mission of Columbia (STS-107 in 2003) and 22 missions to assemble the International Space Station. Of Endeavour's 25 missions, 16 were flown using segments from its exhibit's two solid rocket motors. The donation of the boosters builds upon a more than decade-long partnership between Northrop Grumman and the California Science Center. The company has sponsored the California State Science and Engineering Fair and several of its employees volunteer each year to advance STEM education by supporting various events. Northrop Grumman has also supported the center's annual Discovery Ball. Endeavour will be the only vertical display and second full stack exhibit of a space shuttle, the latter after the Pathfinder fit-check orbiter mockup at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Alabama. One of two solid rocket motors for the California Science Center's planned vertical display of space shuttle Endeavour is offloaded at Mojave Air and Space Port after being delivered from Northrop Grumman's test facility in Utah. The boosters will remain in Mojave until the science center's new Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center is ready. (California Science Center/Perry Roth Johnson) A solid rocket motor comprised of parts that previously launched on numerous space shuttle missions is prepared for delivery from Northrop Grumman's Promontory, Utah test facility to Mojave Air and Space Port, to be stored until the California Science Center is ready to exhibit it with the orbiter Endeavour. (Northrop Grumman) Artist's rendering of the vertical space shuttle Endeavour exhibit in the Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center at the California Science Center in Los Angeles. (California Science Center/Ron McPherson) Case use history for the two Northrop Grumman solid rocket motors that will go on vertical display with the space shuttle Endeavour at the California Science Center in Los Angeles. (Northrop Grumman) A "structurally representative" space shuttle solid rocket motor is seen before departing Northrop Grumman's test facility in Promontory, Utah for the Mojave Air and Space Port, where it will held in storage for the California Science Center's space shuttle Endeavour exhibit. (Northrop Grumman) A large crane offloads a Northrop Grumman solid rocket motor for storage at the Mojave Air and Space Port until it is needed for the California Science Center's vertical display of the space shuttle Endeavour. (California Science Center/Perry Roth Johnson) (California Science Center/Perry Roth Johnson) (California Science Center/Perry Roth Johnson) (California Science Center/Perry Roth Johnson) (California Science Center/Perry Roth Johnson) The retired space shuttle Endeavour debuted on horizontal display in the Samuel Oschin Pavilion at the California Science Center in Los Angeles on Oct. 30, 2012. (collectSPACE) NASA's last flight-worthy space shuttle external tank, ET-94, arrived at the California Science Center in Los Angeles for display with the retired orbiter Endeavour on May 21, 2016. (collectSPACE) Artist's rendering of the vertical space shuttle Endeavour exhibit in the Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center at the California Science Center in Los Angeles. (California Science Center/Ron McPherson) (California Science Center/Ron McPherson) 2022 collectSPACE.com All rights reserved. A number of users who own the Google Pixel 3 and Pixel 4 series of phones are still complaining about the swollen battery issues with their phones. Users are saying that the battery packs in their Pixel phones swell up over time, thereby leading to physical damage on the phone as the rear panel is pushed out and, in some cases, even lifts off partially or completely. Incidentally, the first complaints on the matter had been registered on the Google Pixel Phone Help Community forums as far back as May this year. We had also reported the issue earlier this summer, specifically for Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL phones that were seeing glass backs peel off because of the swollen battery packs. Users are not impressed, needless to say. Whats to say? one more to the pile. Glad I was around to take it off the charger and not catch fire. 7 months in service - lets see how Google responds. Expectations are pretty low. They have a dangerous product they are now well aware of and doing very little about, says METS on the Google support forum. I was upgrading my Pixel 3 XL today to Android 11, as I pick it up to restart the phone the battery has swollen up and popped up the back of the phone, writes Scott Wyckoff. I went through 3 NEW Pixel 3s (Not refurbished) 1 from the google store and the other 2 from verizon and they all had battery swelling issues all within less than a year, writes CottonSlushii on the Reddit forums. Have You Also Read? Google Pixel 4 Users Are Perplexed The Glass Back Is Peeling Off; Is It Due To A Swollen Battery? Google hasnt released an official statement yet, but some users are reporting that Google support is issuing replacements for some complaints, in some cases refurbished units. Yup, got in touch with support via chat, and theyve got a refurbished replacement on the way to me now, hopefully it will be here by Tuesday. Really easy to work with, they swapped it out even though the warranty was technically expired, says a user Dan Brown 1382 on the support forums. After providing a description of what was occurring and photos of my device from different angles, they approved a replacement even though I was out of warranty. It shipped really fast! Im hopeful that this problem doesnt occur again. Maybe it was a glitch with the handset batch that we all received? says another user Jena C. Not everyone has been as lucky though. My pixel 3 purchased in November 2018 has alsl developed a battery bulge. Im waiting for support to approve a replacement, says Cpixel3. The fact that this issue still continues to be reported on support forums must be a matter of concern for Google, which has the Google Pixel 4A and the Google Pixel 5 series of phones in the coming weeks. Read all the Latest News, Breaking News and Coronavirus News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Telegram. Some people are upset about the border closures and so they press Australian history into their service. Borders, they say, have never been important in this great country. One problem: what they say is not entirely true. The borders between the Australian states have often been a big deal. The reason could be anything from the visit of a British socialist to the ownership of a pet rabbit. First, the visiting English socialist. His name was Tom Mann and theres still a small theatre named after him in Surry Hills. In 1908, he was banned from speaking publicly in NSW due to his ability to inflame the workers. The miners of Broken Hill, however, were desperate to hear his message. The solution: Mann travelled to the South Australian border town of Cockburn, and 3000 unionists followed him, using a specially hired train to make the short journey from Broken Hill. As long as Mann stood on the South Australian side of the border, he was legally able to speak. A pneumococcal vaccine was effective at protecting children in Laos against the most severe type of pneumonia, a new study has found. The research led by the Murdoch Children's Research Institute (MCRI) and published in The Lancet Regional Health - Western Pacific, found the PCV13-vaccine reduced hypoxic pneumonia and pneumonia requiring oxygen support by 37 per cent. MCRI Dr Cattram Nguyen said although pneumococcal vaccines were known to reduce severe cases of childhood pneumonia, no studies from Asia had measured their effectiveness until now. The study involved 826 children, aged up to five years, admitted to hospital with pneumonia. PCV13 reduced hypoxic pneumonia and pneumonia requiring extra oxygen by 37 per cent. Dr Nguyen said because pneumonia was a leading cause of childhood deaths in Laos, the PCV13 vaccine had great potential to alleviate this burden of disease on the most vulnerable. Pneumonia that requires oxygen therapy is one of the severest manifestations of pneumonia. Universal health care did not exist in Laos until recently, and supplementary oxygen treatment was prohibitively expensive for families." Dr. Cattram Nguyen, MCRI In October 2013, Laos introduced the PCV13 vaccine into its national childhood vaccination program, supported by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. But the Ministry of Health requested evidence of the health benefits of the vaccine to support its ongoing use. MCRI Professor Fiona Russell said Asian countries have been very slow to introduce PCV13 into their national immunisation programs. "These results provide a compelling argument to continue childhood PCV13 vaccination in Laos and for its introduction into similar countries with high death rates from pneumonia," she said. Professor Russell said the study also described a simple, low-cost single hospital-based method to assess vaccine effectiveness that was feasible for other low and middle-income countries to adopt. Measuring the success of this vaccine would usually require thousands of cases collected over many years of surveillance, and often involving many hospitals, she said "In this study, we enrolled children hospitalized with hypoxic and non-hypoxic pneumonia in a single hospital and compared pneumococcal vaccination rates between the two groups to determine vaccine effectiveness over about four years," she said. Globally, lower respiratory infections, including pneumonia, are a leading cause of death in children under five years old, causing 800,000 deaths annually, predominantly in low- and middle-income countries. Streptococcus pneumoniae (the pneumococcus) is estimated to cause over half of all pneumonia-related deaths in children under five years old. Kentucky congressman against mandates says he has COVID Viviana Maggioni, Assistant Professor, Civil, Environmental and Infrastructure Engineering, received $62,278 from NASA for a project examining hydroclimatic risk in high mountain Asia (HMA). Maggioni and her collaborators are working to gain a holistic understanding of changes in precipitation and their impact on hydroclimatic hazards at scale that are relevant to the dominant hydrological processes involved and to associated decision-making. They expect that their work will generate new knowledge on the changes in precipitation in the HMA region and provide evidence on the expected hydrologic response of those changes. Mason researchers will assist the team with the scientific analysis, be responsible for the downscaled products of past re-analysis data, and lead the case study in Nepal. Funding for this project began in August 2020 and will end in late July 2021. ### Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-12 00:03:31|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, chairs a symposium attended by scientists in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 11, 2020. (Xinhua/Wang Ye) BEIJING, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday stressed continuing to advance the development of science and technology to a deeper and broader level. Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the comments at a symposium attended by scientists in Beijing. Xi said the scientific and technological development must target the global science frontiers, serve the main economic battlefield, strive to fulfill the significant needs of the country and benefit people's lives and health. Xi chaired the symposium to solicit opinions on China's scientific and technological development for the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025). Highlighting innovation as the "primary driving force," Xi said China needs scientific and technological solutions, more than ever, to boost economic and social development as well as improve people's living standards. He said Chinese scientists and scientific professionals have the confidence, determination and capability to scale the heights of science. Xi exchanged ideas with each of the scientists who spoke at the symposium. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, China has made historic achievements and transformations in science and technology, Xi said, adding that China has seen major innovations emerge in large numbers and the country is now leading or co-leading the world in some frontier areas. China's scientific professionals have made major contributions to the fight against COVID-19 with their research in treating patients, developing vaccines, containing the epidemic, and other important areas, Xi said. Noting that China boasts a great number of scientific professionals and hefty R&D spending, Xi stressed improving the ecosystem for sci-tech innovation and building platforms for scientists and scientific professionals to put their talent to good use, so as to make sci-tech innovations mushroom in a steady flow. Stressing leveraging the strength of China's socialist system to mobilize resources for major undertakings, Xi called for building national laboratories, forming China's laboratory system and giving full play to the role of universities to advance research on core technologies in important areas. Xi called for persistence in strengthening basic research by providing more resources and policies to create a favorable atmosphere for basic research. More efforts were also urged to improve education in basic subjects such as mathematics, physics, chemistry and biology, and cultivate students' innovation spirit and capability. Xi spoke of the need to energize sci-tech innovation through reform and unleash the great potential of innovation by deepening the reform of the sci-tech system. He also called for strengthened international sci-tech cooperation and pledged more efforts to integrate into the global innovation network and to enhance China's sci-tech innovation capability through open cooperation. Xi called on scientists to integrate their scientific pursuits into the great cause of building a modern socialist China. He challenged scientists to propose new theories, open up new fields and explore new paths, as well as to produce more high-level and original achievements. Xi also said interest in science should be guided and nurtured from a young age. Party committees, governments and officials at all levels should respect knowledge, talent and creation, follow the law of scientific development, and push for sci-tech innovations and their transformation into productive forces, Xi said. Officials should study new scientific knowledge and pay attention to global sci-tech trends, he added. Wang Huning, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and a member of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee, and Vice Premier Han Zheng, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, attended the symposium. It is the first time that Hong Kong connects directly with Mexico. The flight traveled more than 14 thousand kilometers with an Aeromexico Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft. Mexico City, Sept. 11, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Aeromexico registered a new record with the longest-range flight in the history of Mexican aviation. This is the first direct operation of the company between Hong Kong International Airport and Mexico City, with a distance of 14,170 kilometers, 55 more than its recent flight between Shenzhen, China, and the countrys capital. One of the 19 airline's Boeing 787 aircraft was used as a private charter operation to transport cargo even in the passenger cabin. This airplane is one of the most modern, efficient, and least polluting in the world. It produces 57% less noise pollution on takeoff and landing, and 20% less carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, compared to other aircraft. The plane took off from Mexico City International Airport on September 9 to Seoul, South Korea, where it made a technical stopover to land on September 10 in Hong Kong. Later, it departed to Mexico City and landed this morning after more than 15 hours of flight. I remain convinced that challenges represent new opportunities. Thanks to our customers, the Hong Kong Government, and the airport authorities, today, we reach a new goal in our 86-year history. Hong Kong becomes the sixth destination we have operated in the Asian continent, and the longest flight we have served. I thank the Aeromexico family for continuing to take the name of Mexico to the top, said Andres Conesa, CEO Aeromexico. Stephen Phillips, Director-General of Investment Promotion at Invest Hong Kong, said: It is very exciting to see Aeromexicos new direct freight route between Hong Kong and Mexico come into operation today. This is a testament to Hong Kong's status as the premium international aviation hub in Asia. With its strategic location and unrivalled proximity to Mainland China and many important markets in Asia, Hong Kong offers the best connectivity to airliners that want to have a solid foothold in this part of the world. I wish Aeromexico business every success in Hong Kong and beyond." Aeromexico Cargo operates in more than 40 airports in Mexico and multiple international destinations in the US, Canada, Central, and South America, Asia, and Europe. The most common cargo is perishable products, live animals, high-value goods, technology, medicines and medical supplies, among others. oo0oo Additional Information: Aeromexico Cargo Health and Sanitization Management System was created by Aeromexico with the highest standards worldwide to protect the health of its clients and internal teams during all stages of its operations. About Grupo Aeromexico Grupo Aeromexico, S.A.B. de C.V. is a holding company whose subsidiaries are engaged in commercial aviation in Mexico and the promotion of passenger loyalty programs. Aeromexico, Mexicos global airline has its main hub at Terminal 2 at the Mexico City International Airport. Its destinations network features the United States, Canada, Central America, South America, Asia and Europe. The Group's operating fleet is comprised of Boeing 787 and 737 jet airliners and Embraer 190 models. Aeromexico is a founding member of the SkyTeam airline alliance, which celebrated its 20th anniversary, and serves in 170 countries by the 19 SkyTeam airline partners. Aeromexico created and implemented a Health and Sanitization Management System (HSMS) to protect its customers and employees at all steps of its operations. Media Contact Aeromexicos Corporate Communications amcomunicacioncorporativa@aeromexico.com Attachments The Democratic Party has shifted so far to the left that to be a moderate within that apparatus doesnt mean what it did 10 or 15 years ago, Freitas said. When you say that youre a moderate, I think most people have this expectation that youre going to do more to work across the aisle and stand up to your own party in a substantive way, and I dont think most people have really seen that [from Spanberger]. Poll workers are seen during curbside voting in Madison, Wis., on April 7, 2020. (Andy Manis/Getty Images) Wisconsin Supreme Court Orders Halt to Mailing of Absentee Ballots The Wisconsin Supreme Court on Thursday ordered a stoppage to the mailing of absentee ballots amid lawsuits by rap mogul Kanye West and Green Party presidential candidate Howie Hawkins, who are both seeking to get on the ballot, with the high court decision sparking concern among election officials as it comes a week ahead of the state deadline to mail absentee ballots to anyone who requested one. The state Supreme Court, by a 4-3 split decision, said no ballots can be sent until it issues an approval or makes a future ruling about who should be on the ballot. The ruling came in a lawsuit by Hawkins, who asked the state Supreme Court to take up his challenge of a Wisconsin Elections Commission decision keeping him off the ballot. West, who was also denied a spot on Wisconsins ballot, filed a lawsuit in Brown County asking the local court to put him and running mate Michelle Tidwell on the ballot in November. A Brown County judge said he hoped to rule within days on Wests lawsuit, which could cause further delays in the mailing of ballots. These are legal issues here. Its not going to sway the court knowing that its going to cost a lot of money to print ballots or re-reprint ballots, Judge John Zakowski said in court Wednesday, Fox11 reported. Local election clerks, who face a Sept. 17 deadline to mail absentee ballots to anyone who had requested one, have sounded the alarm about what a delay in the process of sending out ballots would mean. This is potentially a huge disaster, said Dane County Clerk Scott McDonell, in remarks to The Associated Press. Just the delay of a decision is deeply irresponsible and jeopardizes the integrity of our election. While Sept. 17 is the deadline for clerks to mail absentee ballots to those who already have a request on file, anyone who makes a request later will still be mailed a ballot. Oct. 29 is the deadline for most voters to request a ballot by mail. Returned ballots must be received by the time polls close at 8 p.m. on Election Day. As of Thursday, nearly 1 million absentee ballots had been requested in Wisconsin. Polls show a tight race in Wisconsin between President Donald Trump and Democrat presidential nominee Joe Biden. UW-Madison Election Research Center Director Barry Burden told Fox11 that Hawkins and West could sway the election. Four years ago, the election in Wisconsin was decided by less than a percentage point. Only 22,000 votes. There were enough votes for minor party candidates the Greens, the Libertarians, and others that it added up to about 6 [percent] of the total, Burden said. State elections officials have estimated that more than 2 million of the states roughly 3 million eligible voters will cast absentee ballots, largely due to concerns about the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) virus pandemic. The Associated Press contributed to this report. The Riverside fire ravaging Clackamas County has displaced thousands of people -- and many of those residents' animals, too. County officials were scrambling Friday to potentially move nearly 1,000 farm animals now in emergency quarter at the Clackamas County Fairgrounds in Canby, which is under an evacuation warning. Officials said Thursday that they had identified sites in Columbia, Yamhill, Hood River and Marion counties that could take animals. They had also identified space as far away as Clatsop County, nearly 100 miles distant. Our residents of Clackamas County have a lot of livestock and pets, Sheriff Craig Roberts said. Part of my concern is trying to make sure theres places for those folks. Clackamas County, on Portlands eastern and southern edges, spans suburban housing developments, rural farms and dense forestland. People from every type of community are fleeing the fire and bringing their animals along. The fairgrounds began accepting livestock - including emus, donkeys, llamas, pigs, goats and horses - early in the week as fires began to spread throughout the county of 418,000. By Wednesday, the fairgrounds were at capacity. But as fires rapidly spread Thursday, Canby was itself under a Level 2 evacuation warning instructing residents to be ready to flee at a moments notice. The same warning hung over Oregon City and Sandy. That forced county officials to relocate at least 100 people staying in a campus building at Clackamas Community College in Oregon City and to begin to make plans to move the livestock out of Canby. "We have been talking to fire (officials) and others to see if we need to move them and, if so, how quickly we can get them moved, said Nancy Bush, the countys disaster management director. Maddison Mitchell, who was forced to evacuate from Molalla, loaded chickens into her friends car at the fairgrounds Thursday. Her friend had agreed to care for some of the birds, but Mitchell said her family still had another 180 chickens at the fairgrounds. Stephanie Jones, 39, and her father, Bill Kimball, sat outside the fairgrounds Thursday afternoon. Their four dogs ran around in a pen while their guinea pigs and rabbits remained in their truck. Inside the fairgrounds, they had managed to find space for their llamas, pigs and goats. Just getting the animals to the fairgrounds had been an ordeal. Now, they were preparing to relocate them again. Moving them was a pain, Jones said. It was awful. A friend of ours helped us load all the large animals into the trailer and we hauled them over Tuesday. Then Wednesday morning, we packed up the rest of the animals and brought them over. The Oregon Convention Center in Portland is serving as an emergency shelter and accepts pets. Dogs, chickens and other animals had arrived with their owners Friday. Clackamas County officials said Friday that livestock was being accepted at the Clatsop County Fairgrounds, Columbia County Fairgrounds, Hood River County Fairgrounds, Oregon State Fair and Expo Center, St. Paul Rodeo and Yamhill County Fairgrounds. It was unclear how much space remained available at each site. Weather conditions improved markedly Friday and Riverside fire spokeswoman Holly Krake said that firefighters believed they had the resources to keep up with new fire growth. As of Friday morning, Krake said officials werent anticipating any changes to evacuation levels, making it unlikely that Canby will face a Level 3 -- Go Now -- evacuation order. Krake cautioned that the situation remained fluid and conditions could change. Still, county officials werent waiting for a Level 3 notice to start identifying sites that could potentially take in the animals at the Clackamas County Fairgrounds in Canby. As of Friday afternoon, Bush didnt know if the animals would need to be moved. Kim Mosiman is executive director at Sound Equine Options, a horse rescue that had been working to help evacuees move their large animals since the fires in Clackamas County began Sunday. She said people shouldnt wait for a Level 3 evacuation order to relocate their animals. As soon as its Level 2, they should evacuate their large animals because after that we may not be able to get all of them, Mosiman said. Earlier this week, staff working for Sound Equine Options managed to get back into a Level 3 evacuation zone in Estacada to rescue a cow that had been left behind. But Mosiman said the group was forced to turn around due to fire conditions after going into a Level 3 evacuation zone in Colton to try to save an older horse. Mosiman said Thursday morning that she had heard of at least 1,500 large animals that had been relocated and expected that number to grow considerably as other farming communities faced Level 3 evacuation orders. She encouraged anyone outside of Clackamas County with safe facilities for large animals to contact Sound Equine Options. Part of the problem is just going to be all the care of all these horses, even after these immediate evacuations are over, Mosiman said. Some of these animals arent going to have somewhere to go back to for a while. On Wednesday, 44 condors were relocated from the Jonsson Center for Wildlife Conservation in Oregon City, the site of the Oregon Zoos condor recovery program, to the Oregon Zoo. The zoo also took in three goats that had been in the area of the wildlife conservation center. Twenty-six of the condors were being transported to the Peregrine Fund in Boise, Idaho Friday. By the time we made the decision to start removing the birds, it was pretty smoky, said Travis Koons, curator of birds at the Oregon Zoo. It was ominous. We had visibility enough to catch the birds, but it was getting bad. Samantha Swindler of The Oregonian/OregonLive contributed to this report. -- Jamie Goldberg | jgoldberg@oregonian.com | @jamiebgoldberg NEW YORK - In a year when the coronavirus pandemic has reshaped countless American rituals, even the commemoration of 9-11 could not escape unchanged. The 19th anniversary of the terror attacks will be marked by dueling ceremonies at the Sept. 11 memorial plaza and a corner near the World Trade Center, reflecting a divide over the memorials decision to suspend a cherished tradition of relatives reading victims names in person. Vice-President Mike Pence is expected at both those remembrances in New York, and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden at the observance on the memorial plaza. President Donald Trump and Biden both plan to go to the Flight 93 National Memorial in Pennsylvania at different times. Trump is speaking at a morning ceremony, with Biden paying respects in the afternoon. In New York, the double beams of light that evoke the fallen twin towers were nearly cancelled in the name of virus safety, until an uproar restored the tribute. The Fire Department has cited the virus in urging members to skip observances of the 2001 attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people, among them almost 350 firefighters. Some victims relatives say they understand the ground zero observance had to change in a year when so much else has. Others fear the pandemic is making plain what they have feared was happening unspoken: that the commitment to Never Forget is fading. Its another smack in the face, says Jim Riches, who lost his son Jimmy, a firefighter. The father is staying home on the anniversary for the first time this year because he doesnt want to take chances with the coronavirus after a prior illness. But he feels others should have the option of reciting the names of the dead on the memorial plaza, instead of listening to a recording. Memorial leaders said they wanted to avoid close contact among readers, who are usually paired at the podium. But to Riches, a retired fire battalion chief and frequent critic of the memorial organization, the decision sounds like an excuse for sidelining the families role in commemorating 9-11. I wish they wouldnt forget, but theyre trying to, he says. But Anthoula Katsimatides sees the differences this year as an effort to ensure victims relatives feel comfortable attending including her mother, who hasnt left home since March because health issues make her especially worried about the virus. But she is determined to go in honour of her son John, a bond trader, her daughter said. While many events have been called off this year, this wasnt cancelled. Its just been changed in such a way where we still get to pay tribute to our loved ones in a respectful and safe way, said Katsimatides, whos on the memorial board. She says the change wasnt motivated by anything except a public health emergency. Who expected COVID-19? ... It was completely unforeseen. As was 9-11, she said. This years plans have been a balancing act at the sites where hijacked planes piloted by al-Qaida terrorists crashed on Sept. 11, 2001: New York, the Pentagon and a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania. The Flight 93 memorial near Shanksville is trimming its usual 90-minute ceremony, partly by eliminating musical interludes. Memorial spokeswoman Katherine Cordek said victims names would be read, but by one person instead of multiple family members. Military leaders will conduct the Pentagons ceremony without victims families in attendance, and their loved ones names will be recited by a recording, rather than readers on-site. Victims relatives can visit the Pentagons memorial in small groups later Friday. In New York where the nations deadliest coronavirus spike happened early this spring but has since been fairly well contained leaders of the National Sept. 11 Memorial & Museum said their plan for a no-reading ceremony would honour both virus precautions and 9-11 families attachment to being at ground zero on the anniversary. But another 9-11-related organization, the Stephen Stiller Tunnel to Towers Foundation, quickly arranged its own simultaneous ceremony a few blocks away, saying victims relatives could recite names while keeping a safe distance. We need to keep letting America know what happened 19 years ago. And they need to see that emotion of the day, not a recording, says chairman Frank Siller. He says he may attend both observances to honour the brother he lost, firefighter Stephen. Meanwhile, Fire Commissioner Daniel Nigro told current firefighters in a memo last month that the department strongly recommends members not participate in 9-11 observances. The department did hold a limited-attendance ceremony Wednesday to add names to a memorial wall recognizing members who died after exposure to toxins unleashed in the wreckage. Tensions over anniversary plans flared anew when the memorial announced last month it was nixing the Tribute in Light, twin blue beams that shine into the night sky over lower Manhattan. While theres no official gathering to view the lights, the memorial cited virus risks to the installation crew. The cancellation outraged some victims relatives, police and fire unions and politicians, who noted that construction sites around the city were deemed safe to reopen months ago. After the Tunnel to Towers foundation said it would organize the display on its own, Gov. Andrew Cuomo and former Mayor Mike Bloomberg, the memorials billionaire chairman, stepped in to keep the memorial-sponsored lights on. (Tunnel to Towers is now stationing lights at the Flight 93 memorial and the Pentagon.) Memorial President Alice Greenwald later said the organization should have approached this issue differently. Still, the memorials moves fanned mistrust among some 9-11 victims relatives who wonder how long the name-reading and other observances will continue. Katismatides, the board member, foresees the ceremony returning to normal next year. Debra Epps has been to the ground zero ceremony every year. She said it means a lot to her to read names and add a few words in tribute to her brother Christopher, an accountant. Still, she thinks the memorial was right to forgo the live name-reading this year. The virus has her concerned enough that shes not planning to attend. It really is a hard decision to make, but I know that were still in this pandemic, said Epps, who works in health care. I will remember my brother, no matter what, she said. You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close LONDON, Sept. 11, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Snopix experienced a lot of things in his adventures many years ago. He thought that his story is worth telling and sharing with others. It is for this reason that he writes a novella titled I'll Be Damned: Goa (published by Xlibris UK). He had an adventure of a lifetime going to places like Athens, Greece, only to return to Amsterdam, or as he likes to call it, the Dam, where he spent most of the summer of 1976. He got back to Bournemouth for a few days in July that year, to visit family and friends. Then, in late August, he headed to Switzerland to take a break, only to get himself arrested and spend the next four weeks fighting for his freedom which he did managed to achieve. After gaining his liberty from the Swiss, Snopix was now determined to make the most of his adventure by travelling farther than he had ever gone before: India and to be specific, in a state called Goa, situated about halfway down the west coast of the country. First, he traveled to Turkey, then Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan, His journey took him through some of the most barren, inhospitable landscapes he had ever seen. It is the story of when, where and how he made the decision to try to express himself through the creative medium. It is a tale of sex drugs and adventure and not to be missed by anyone who enjoys the darker side and pleasures of life. And all of this has lead him on to the adventure of his lifetime, his creativity. The most positive thing that really did change my life forever was the original artwork I started to create when I was in the Dam, which has led me on to creating some amazing and beautiful pictures, Snopix says. I never would have had the courage to try before I went on this journey; Im still creating those pictures today and plan to keep doing it until Im incapable of lifting a brush, pen, mouse, or whatever way Im working by then. l can only think that even if it did end in an inglorious way, after such a tumultuous journey, which took me to places I never imagined travelling to, and meet people that still remain fond in my memory. I will always be rich in the memories captured in these words. They will always define my life in every way, Snopix concludes. For more details about the book, please visit https://www.amazon.com/Ill-Be-Damned-Goa-SNOPIX/dp/1664112278. I'll Be Damned: Goa By Snopix Softcover | 6 x 9in | 112 pages | ISBN 9781664112278 E-Book | 112 pages | ISBN 9781664112261 Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble About the Author London based creator Snopix started his creative journey when he was living in Amsterdam, Holland during the baking hot summer of 1976. Which has now turned into an over 40 year creative adventure leaving him rich in wonderful works of art. Through drawing, painting, photography, digital art and most recently his first venture into the written word with the novella "I'LL BE DAMMED," which is the story of that roller-coaster ride and life changing summer in 1976, when he first had the idea to try to express himself through the creative medium. It is a tale of such enormity for him it would explode his life forever, and is a must read for anyone who enjoys the darker side and pleasures of life! He also has three books of his digital art "DIGITALEYES", "SNOPADELIA" and "DESTINED" and "DIGITALEYE" a book of his digital photos. Xlibris Publishing UK, an Author Solutions, LLC imprint, is a self-publishing services provider dedicated to serving authors throughout the United Kingdom. By focusing on the needs of creative writers and artists and adopting the latest print-on-demand publishing technology and strategies, we provide expert publishing services with direct and personal access to quality publication in hardcover, trade paperback, custom leather-bound and full-color formats. To date, Xlibris has helped to publish more than 60,000 titles. For more information, visit xlibrispublishing.co.uk or call 0-800-014-8620 to receive a free publishing guide. Attachment Victorian health officials went back to class in Sydney on Friday to learn how to contact trace as Premier Daniel Andrews prepares to relax coronavirus restrictions. The New South Wales contact-tracing system has been hailed as the 'gold standard' and been credited with allowing the state to open its economy while keeping the virus at bay. Teams of Victorian and federal health officials were treated to PowerPoint presentations and lectures by NSW officials at the state emergency operations centre at Olympic Park. Victorian health officials went back to class in Sydney on Friday to learn how to contact trace as the state prepares to relax coronavirus restrictions. The board reads 'case follow-up and contact tracing' Victorian Liberal MP James Newbury said photos of the event made Victoria look like a national laughing stock. 'Victorian is a national joke today, with government contract tracers travelling to New South Wales classrooms to learn how to contact trace,' he told Daily Mail Australia. 'Every Australian knows that the third-world grade contact-tracing system in Victoria led to the prolific spread of the virus in this state.' Contact tracing involves tracking down the close contacts of confirmed coronavirus patients and asking them to self-isolate to prevent the disease spreading. Victoria failed to stop coronavirus cases exploding from single digits in mid June to more than 100 in early July and the tracing system has been overwhelmed since. There were reports of close contacts not being called for days or even weeks after someone they knew caught the virus. Large numbers of police continue to patrol Melbourne streets looking for anyone breaking the stay at home rules By contrast, New South Wales has managed to keep new case numbers below 20 almost every day since mid April. Melbourne has been in lockdown since July 8 after coronavirus escaped from hotel quarantine and rapidly spread around the city. Premier Andrews does not plan to lift city restrictions, including a strict 9pm curfew, until daily cases drop below five, a number many expects have said is too low. But regional Victorians may get their stage three restrictions relaxed next week because case numbers in rural areas are already below five per day. Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt said this week Melbourne's outbreak could have been prevented if the contact tracing system was better. 'My belief is that it could largely have been avoided,' he said. 'The difference between Victoria and New South Wales is both had outbreaks. New South Wales was able to contain.' NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard said: 'It is a privilege to work with our Victorian colleagues and share intel and experiences aimed at keeping our states safe.' Woodmere Stealdeal has been unstoppable all season and he will look to put another notch in his belt Saturday afternoon (Sept. 12) on the first half of a special P.E.I. Colt Stakes doubleheader at Red Shores Racetrack and Casino at the Charlottetown Driving Park. The afternoon card has 12 dashes on tap with a special 12:30 p.m. first race post time. Woodmere Stealdeal is heavily favoured in his P.E.I. Colt Stakes split for two-year-old pacing colts, carrying a $7,500 purse in the eighth race. The two-year-old son of Steelhead Hanover has tasted nothing but perfection so far this season, winning all seven of his starts and banking $32,463 for trainer Danny Romo and owners Kevin Dorey of Middle Sackville and Robert Sumarah of Halifax, N.S. A product of Woodmere Farms in Marshfield, P.E.I., Woodmere Stealdeal has set four tracks records so far in his career. Clare MacDonald will get the catch-driving call this week, as regular pilot Marc Campbell is committed to his own trainee, Woodmere Beachline. The other $7,500 P.E.I. Colt Stakes splits for rookie colts line up in Races 2, 5 and 11. A pair of the top two-year-old fillies on the East Coast will tangle in the opening dash of the day in a $7,000 P.E.I. Colt Stakes split. Rookie pacer JJ Talisa has been exceptional all season, never missing the top three from seven outings. The daughter of first-crop sire Hilarious Halo hails from Jamie MacKinleys Double J Farms of Cornwall. Robert and Maria MacLeod of South West Margaree, N.S., own the three-time winner and entrust the driving to Redmond Doucet from post four. Her main competition will be the lightly-raced Aspoonfulofsugar, who has seen the winners circle three times in her career from just four starts. The Joe Baxter trainee will have Dale Spence sit in the driver's seat from post six. The rookie fillies will also line up in $7,000 P.E.I. Colt Stakes divisions in Races 4, 7 and 10. The final dash of the afternoon will see the richest Maritime-bred of all-time return to the Eastern Seaboard as The Rev joins the Gilles Barrieau stable and will compete in the afternoon's $3,000 Preferred 2 Pace. The 10-year-old son of Western Paradise boasts 39 lifetime wins and a record $611,032 in prize money for owner Jeffrey Skinner of Hammonds Plains, N.S. Gold Cup And Saucer Reunion In Saturday Night Feature Time To Dances road to four straight victories will not be easy from the far outside against an outstanding group of pacers in the $3,200 Preferred Pace on the second half of a Saturday doubleheader. The evening portion of P.E.I. Colt Stakes Saturday has a 14-dash card set for a special 6:30 P.M. start time with the preferred pacers lining up in Race 13. The Guardian Gold Cup & Saucer champion Time To Dance rides a three-race win streak into the event for trainer-driver Marc Campbell and owners Brent Campbell of Charlottetown and Matt McDonald of Edwards, Ont. His Saturday competition will be fierce as Gold Cup & Saucer consolation winner Avatar J has the inside with Brodie MacPhee at the lines and the Gilles Barrieau-trained and driven Rose Run Quest has post two. Also in the field are Gold Cup & Saucer finalists Woodmere Ideal Art (David Dowling), Screen Test (Corey MacPherson), Simple Kinda Man (Jason Hughes) and Lisburn (Kenny Arsenault). The card also features eight divisions of the P.E.I Colt Stakes for three-year-old pacers. Divisional leader Woodmere Skyroller is the favourite in her $8,400 P.E.I. Colt Stakes three-year-old pacing filly split, carded as the seventh race. MacPhee will drive the Atlantic Sires Stakes champion for owner Reg MacPherson of Stratford and trainer Kevin MacLean. Red Dirt Star has rail control in the class for trainer-driver Barrieau after drawing clear of Woodmere Skyroller in all but one start this season. A winner of five races and $32,097 in her own right, Red Dirt Star was raised by Lowell Balderston of North Wiltshire. The fillies also line up in P.E.I. Colt Stakes action in Races 1, 4 and 10. Freshly minted Truro Raceway three-year-old pacing colt track record holder Mr Kelly has rail control in an $8,400 sophomore colt split in the fifth race. Adam Merner drives the Ron Gass trainee for owners Marsha Knox and Wade and Kyla MacDonald of Stanhope. The Rollwithitharry pacer set a new standard for three-year-olds of 1:54.1 last week at the Bible Hill, N.S., oval in the MacKenzie Memorial stake. The other P.E.I. Colt Stakes three-year-old colt divisions are in Races 2, 8 and 11. Races 6 and 9 on the program feature $3,620 Atlantic Aged Pacing Mares divisions sponsored by Standardbred Canada. Go to Redshores.ca for race programs and more and wager online at HPIBet.com. To view the entries for Saturday's cards, click the following link: Saturday Entries - Charlottetown Driving Park. (Red Shores) Local artist Wiley Robertson has murals all over Houston. Now he has added another project, by creating a mural at the Joe and Lee Jamail Skatepark, which is located in Elanor Tensley Park. A local artist: Artist responds to plea from his Heights elementary Robertson was commissioned by the Jamail Family Foundation for the project, which consists of painting the 23 structures that surround the skate park. Robertsons design is the longest continuous lighted mural display inside a skate park in the country. The former skate boarder used bright colors and the word LOVE is featured prominently in his work. He wants to spread positive messages, he said. He plans to finish the project around Sept. 14. Robertson was given creative freedom for the project, so he wanted to infuse his own style into it. To avoid the intensity of the early September heat, he has been waking up at 5 a.m. every day and painting from around 6-9 a.m. Rebuilding after Hurricane Harvey: Skaters rejoice as Jamail park opens after renovations Public art is a lot of fun. Its way more fun than painting alone in your studio by yourself, Robertson said. You can reach everybody. It doesnt just hang in a rich guys closet where only a couple people will get to see it. Though he acknowledged that he feels pressure due to that public aspect in wanting to give people something nice to look at. elliott.lapin@hearst.com JERUSALEM (dpa-AFX) - What's moving these stocks in the pre-market hours today? In the Green 1. Genetic Technologies Limited (GENE) is up over 28% at $4.43 in pre-market trading Friday, following the commencement of initial sales of its 'GeneType for Breast Cancer Risk Assessment' in the United States via an online health platform. The GeneType for Breast Cancer is a disease risk prediction test that provides results to inform individuals if they are at low-, average- or high-risk of developing breast cancer. 2. Galapagos NV (GLPG) is up 8% at $136.20 in pre-market hours today, following positive topline results from its phase IIa clinical trial of Ziritaxestat in patients with diffuse cutaneous systemic sclerosis. In the phase IIa study, dubbed NOVESA, Ziritaxestat achieved statistically significant improvements in modified Rodnan Skin Score in diffuse cutaneous systemic sclerosis, the primary endpoint of the trial. 3. Nano-X Imaging Ltd. (NNOX) is up more than 7% at $51 in pre-market trading Friday. As recently as September 9, the company signed a seven-year agreement with SPI Medical for the deployment of 630 Nanox Systems to provide medical imaging services in Mexico. 4. Novavax Inc. (NVAX) is up nearly 2% at $94.50 in pre-market hours today. The company is scheduled to participate in the H.C. Wainwright 22nd Annual Global Investment Conference on September 14 and will discuss its COVID-19 vaccine candidate, NVX-CoV2373. The vaccine candidate advanced to the phase II portion of its phase I/II trial in the United States and Australia last month. A Phase 2b clinical trial of the vaccine candidate also began in South Africa in August. In the Red 1. Quotient Limited (QTNT) is down more than 8% at $4.40 in pre-market trading Friday, adding to yesterday's loss of nearly 5%. The company has upsized and priced a $75 million underwritten public offering - in which 17.65 million shares will be offered for sale to the public at a price of $4.25 each. The offering was upsized from the previously announced offering of $60 million. 2. Satsuma Pharmaceuticals Inc. (STSA) is down over 4% at $5.39 in pre-market hours today, adding to yesterday's loss of more than 75%. The stock crashed yesterday, following news that the company's phase III efficacy trial of STS101 powder in the acute treatment for migraine did not show statistically significant differences in the co-primary endpoints when compared to placebo. 3. Evofem Biosciences Inc. (EVFM) is down nearly 3% at $2.64 in pre-market hours. The company launched Phexxi, the first and only non-hormonal, on-demand prescription contraceptive vaginal Gel, as recently as September 8. The product was approved by the FDA in May of this year. 4. ADMA Biologics Inc. (ADMA) is down over 3% at $2.22 in pre-market hours. Earlier this month, the company announced the launch of COVID-19 ImmunoRank Neutralization MICRO-ELISA, a proprietary, fully-validated ELISA assay for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies in plasma. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de Primoz Roglic extended his lead in the Tour de France on Friday as Daniel Martinez scored a first stage win for US team Education First by triumphing in a titanic mountain battle. Defending champion Egan Bernal dropped a further 37 seconds on his two key rivals, the Slovenian pair of Roglic and Tadej Pogacar, over the final kilometre of the 191.5-kilometre 13th stage raced across the Cantal volcano chain. Martinez came under extreme pressure for the stage win from fellow breakaway riders Maximilian Schachmann and Lennard Kamna as the Bora pair broke for the winning line at 1,589 metres of altitude. Gritting his teeth and pouring with sweat, the Colombian however dug deep for a final kick that carried him to a last-gasp win. "I managed to hold on and win with a late sprint," said Martinez, who formed a heart with his fingers on the finish line. Martinez won the key Tour de France warm-up, the Criterium du Dauphine, in August and also a stage on Paris-Nice. "I did well on those races, but winning a stage on the Tour is on another level," said the 24-year-old. Further down the hill as the race hit a nine-percent incline on the day's sixth and final climb, Roglic and Pogacar managed to shake off an elite clique of riders in contention to win this Tour. - Slovenia v Colombia - Roglic now enjoys a 44sec lead over 21-year-old Pogacar, who climbed to second, while Bernal dropped to third, 59sec off the yellow jersey. "It was a Slovenian day, there's two of us ahead of a few Colombians," Roglic said. "There are great professionals in Slovenia in all kinds of sports, it's a tough nation and we are all pushing each other. "Looking at it from distance this Tour is not finished and (Bernal) is not finished, but I don't want to bother myself worrying about other people," Roglic said. "When i saw that final climb I thought 'pfffft, this is going to hurt'. So I'm happy it all went my way." Story continues Defending champion Bernal now looks under severe pressure from Roglic, who has a powerful climb team around him. The director of Bernal's Ineos team, Benjamin Rasch, said the 23-year-old was improving each day from a bad back and that Friday's stage did not suit his leader. "We will do better on the really tough stages," Rasch said. "Of course he wants to win the tour," Rasch said "He's a good leader and a good lad." Pogacar, two years younger than Bernal, also reclaimed the best under-25s white jersey thanks to his Puy Mary climb. "I gained time on everyone except Roglic on the last hill and yes we are both Slovenians but we were not friends over those final kilometres," said Pogacar, of the UAE team. - Concussion forces Bardet out - The Puy Mary proved to be something of a Tour de France femme fatale for two of the host nation's top hopes. Romain Bardet started the day in fourth just 30 seconds off the lead in a region where his grandmother lives, but his luck ran out with a heavy fall that subsequently forced him to quit this year's Tour with concussion. Bardet, who was King of the Mountains last year and has twice finished on the podium at the Tour, ended Friday's stage 11th overall and three minutes off the pace after crashing alongside Bauke Mollema, who also retired but with a fractured wrist. "The fall was violent, downhill, and I struggled all day," said Bardet, who was France's best hope of an overall winner after Thibaut Pinot's dramatic stage eight meltdown. "The medical examinations confirmed what I was expecting and I am unable to continue the race." The other remaining home hope, Guillaume Martin, faded on the penultimate climb after starting the day third, he ended the day just below Bardet at 3min 14sec. With no cars allowed on the Puy Mary climb thousands of fans hiked to the summit to greet the riders on another day of blockbuster crowds. The holder of the green jersey, Irishman Sam Bennett, and the vastly experienced Peter Sagan will likely renew their struggle for sprint points on Saturday's 194-kilometre run over five small hills between Clermont-Ferrand and Lyon. dmc/gj/td/bsp Consumers still use cash for more than one-quarter of all payments, according to Federal Reserve data from October, its latest comprehensive study of payment behavior. Cash was used for almost half of the payments under $10. In a narrower Fed survey in April and May, aimed at spotting payment changes during the pandemic, 70 percent of participants said they were not avoiding cash because of concern about the virus. Cash remains important to consumers despite a menu of competing payment options. Many consumers value and prefer to use cash for everyday purchases, while others use cash as a backup, or for the convenience of small value payments, Mark Gould, chief operating officer of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, said in a statement last month that accompanied the narrowed Fed survey. Shelle Santana, a visiting scholar at Harvard Business School who has studied payment trends, said it was unclear how aggressive the enforcement of the cash requirements had been during the pandemic. She said she foresaw a less cash society, rather than a truly cashless one, in the near term, since many people continue to rely on hard currency. Some businesses that stopped accepting cash have reversed their policies voluntarily, Ms. Santana noted, after realizing they were excluding some customers. No one, she said, wants to turn away business. Here are some questions and answers about paying with cash: Is it legal to refuse to accept cash? There is no federal requirement that businesses accept cash or coins as payment, according to the Federal Reserve Board. Private businesses are free to develop their own policies on whether or not to accept cash unless state law says otherwise, the board explains on its website. Businesses like movie theaters, convenience stores and gas stations may refuse to accept bills over $20, and bus lines may ban payment of fares in pennies, the Treasury Department says. How will New York City enforce its cash requirement? The citys Department of Consumer Affairs is responsible for enforcing the new rule, which was enacted this year. The department said that enforcement would be based on complaints and that it would issue instructions for filing a complaint before the rule took effect. Businesses that fail to comply may face fines of up to $1,000 for the first violation and $1,500 for subsequent violations. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has decided to hand over the investigation of the blaze of Antarvedi chariot incident to CBI in tune with the policy of transparency in governance. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has decided to hand over the investigation of the blaze of Antarvedi chariot incident to CBI in tune with the policy of transparency in governance. The fire mishap at Antavedi Sri Lakshinarasimha Swamy temple, in East Godavari district, where the temple chariot has caught fire will now be investigated by the Central Investigating agency. Some political parties have demanded for a CBI probe and the Chief Minister in order to manifest transparency has instructed the DGP to hand over the case to the premier investigation agency. The DGP office has written a letter to this effect to Union Home Ministry seeking CBI probe into the Antarvedi incident. A GO to this effect will be issued. The Chief Minister has taken the matter of arson at the temple seriously and when the State police have been trying their best, there was criticism from political and other groups casting aspersions on the State government in mainline and social media spreading falsehood. Also read: Serum Institute pauses Covid-19 vaccine trials after show-cause notice by DCGI Also read: With highest single-day spike of over 96,000 cases, Indias Covid-19 tally crosses 45L mark The State would spare no one and would take stringent action against those, irrespective of their position, was the government stand. Also read: Sushant Singh Rajput death case LIVE news updates: Court rejects bail pleas of Rhea Chakraborty and others accused BARCELONA: Catalan separatists used an annual festival in their region on Friday to urge the Spanish government to agree to a referendum on independence and an amnesty for jailed and self-exiled leaders. Protesters vandalised Catalonias rail network ahead of a series of pro-independence rallies planned across the wealthy northeastern region later in the day, forcing multiple train cancellations before traffic was resumed. In Catalonia, Sept. 11 marks La Diada", the anniversary of the fall of Barcelona to Spanish forces in 1714, and has been marked in recent years by major separatist rallies. We need a political response to what is a political conflict," Catalan government spokeswoman Meritxell Budo told reporters, calling for an amnesty for nine leaders jailed for their role in a failed 2017 independence bid and for others who fled Spain then. The government of Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has ruled out any amnesty or referendum but has backed talks with Barcelona. We will keep working to achieve reconciliation in Catalonia from a dialogue within the constitution," Sanchez said in a Tweet on Friday. Opinion polls show people in Catalonia are split on the issue of independence. The latest survey shows more respondents in favour of their region remaining part of Spain. HEALTH WARNING Early on Friday protesters set fires in seven or eight places along Catalonias rail network, forcing widespread cancellations, a rail operator spokesman said. A conventional train line around Girona and the high-speed line between Barcelona and Figueres, which connects to Frances TGV network, were interrupted for around four hours, rail operator ADIF tweeted. Despite appeals from health officials to avoid gatherings due to the COVID-19 pandemic, grassroots organizer Assemblea Nacional Catalana said last week it wanted to hold Europes largest coronavirus-adapted protest. It has planned for later on Friday over 100 gatherings in 82 locations around Catalonia, in which people would need to keep a distance, wear a mask and have previously registered to attend. The regions public health secretary and the head of a doctors association discouraged such gatherings. Spain has recorded 554,143 cases since the onset of the pandemic, more than any other western European nation. It reported 13 deaths on Thursday, taking the overall toll to 29,699. While Catalonias separatism drive has dominated Spanish politics for years, it has largely taken a back seat over the past months, both because of the coronavirus crisis and divisions among separatists. 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 group representing some of the largest US and international apparel companies has called on Washington to convince other countries to pressure China to end forced labour in its Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region. An official of the American Apparel and Footwear Association - which represents The Gap, Versace, Jimmy Choo and other brands - said on Thursday that more countries must join diplomatic efforts to halt forced labour in the region. "The United States has done nothing to bring Europe along, Australia, Canada, Japan, Korea," Nate Herman, the association's senior vice-president of policy, said on Thursday in an online discussion hosted by the US-China Business Council. Get the latest insights and analysis from our Global Impact newsletter on the big stories originating in China. Herman added that the US needed to "try and bring those other countries, bringing the UN, bringing other international institutions, into this discussion". Some of the association's members, such as PVH Corp - owner of the Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger brands - have faced criticism that their products may have involved forced labour from Xinjiang. PVH announced last year that it added the area as a jurisdiction subject to its "restricted country policy", meaning that "we do not, and prohibit our licensees from, producing finished goods in Xinjiang". "As part of our ongoing, long-term supply chain strategy, we have been communicating for the last six years that we are reducing our manufacturing, textile and cotton footprint in China and increasing our verticality in other manufacturing locations," PVH said. Leading export sectors from China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region. Image: Centre for Strategic and International Studies alt=Leading export sectors from China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region. Image: Centre for Strategic and International Studies As US-China relations have deteriorated in recent years, China's treatment of the Uygurs, an ethnic Muslim minority based mostly in the region, has become one of the most contentious issues. Story continues The United Nations, among other institutions, has accused the Chinese government of holding some 1 million Uygurs and other ethnic Muslims in detention camps in the area. Earlier this summer, the US Treasury Department sanctioned senior Chinese officials and Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps (XPCC), a quasi-government conglomerate controlled by Beijing, for their "connection to serious human rights abuse" in Xinjiang. The complexity of the supply chain from cotton, fabric or other inputs to finished product makes it difficult for companies to determine whether products they make in China involve forced labour in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region (XUAR). Many manufacturers on China's east coast or elsewhere in the country have production facilities in the region. China is the world's largest producer of cotton yarn, and most of the product "likely predominantly uses cotton from the XUAR, but may also contain imported yarn to achieve the desired quality", according to a July report by Amy Lehr, director and senior fellow at the Human Rights Initiative at the Washington-based think tank Centre for Strategic and International Studies. China has repeatedly denied any mistreatment of Uygurs in what it calls vocational training centres, which it says have been successful in combating extremism and violence. The Xinjiang sanctions and ban on imports of goods produced with forced labour, taken together, gives the US the strongest stance on the issue. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo went so far as to call China's treatment of Uygurs "the stain of the century". However, analysts including Lehr agree that more needs to be done in concert with US allies. The US "hasn't been consistent and it hasn't made our traditional allies feel secure and coming out as well, which they know is going to be really high risk if they do it," Lehr said in the online discussion on Thursday. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has hit back at allegations of Uygur mistreatment, characterising internment camps in Xinjiang as efforts to fight separatism and terrorism, rather than a matter of human rights or religion. "It is obviously a very challenging issue for any government to engage on because China is very important and this is a priority for China," Lehr said. "And so, when governments do say something, they tend to face consequences." 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. Angela Stanton-King "Change only happens when we do something different. I believe I am that change. Im walking proof that second chances work. I want to help others get the same opportunities Ive been given." Katrina Pierson, senior advisor (Black Voices for Trump) visited Atlanta, GA on Thursday, September 10th for a Make America Great Again! Meet & Greet. While thanking Trump supporters for their hard work and consistent support of the campaign, she recognized congressional candidate for Georgias fifth district, Angela Stanton-King(R). Angela Stanton-King is the definition of courageous and strong. She is the recipient of a pardon by President Trump, and now running for congress. Thank you for being such a leader and being so outspoken. I always say, there is such a vacuum of leadership in the community and now we have someone who is out there a beneficiary of our policies, making a whole new life for herself for her and others, Pierson proudly shared. Stanton-King has spoken candidly about her past non-violent felony that resulted in her giving birth in prison, chained to a bed. Stanton-King was mentored by Alveda King (niece of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.) and became a community advocate and entrepreneur. Years after being released from prison, Stanton-King worked with the President Trumps team to pass the First Step Act which prohibits female inmates from being shackled to a hospital bed while giving birth. As the Republican candidate for Georgias fifth district, Stanton-King says her testimony is what makes her the right candidate for the district. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over without getting a different result. This district has voted democrat faithfully for years with very little change. Change only happens when we do something different. I believe I am that change. Im walking proof that second chances work. I want to help others get the same opportunities Ive been given. For more information on Angela Stanton-King visit: http://www.stantonkingforcongress.com About Angela Stanton-King Angela Stanton-King is the republican congressional candidate for Georgias fifth district. She is the Founder of American King Foundation whose mission is to reunite American families separated by mass incarceration with a pathway to justice, economic stability, and relational wellness. She serves as the community outreach coordinator for The Alive Center a place of help, hope, and healing for hurting people. Angela is an active board member for Beacon Leadership Academy and an advisor for Cando Clemency and Alveda King Ministries. She is also the Georgia Regional State Coordinator for Coalition of Leaders United. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Sept. 11 Trend: Unity of Azerbaijan and Turkey will allow us to build the future together, Speaker of Azerbaijans Parliament Sahiba Gafarova said, Trend reports citing the parliament. Gafarova made the remark at a meeting with the Ministry of Trade of Turkey Ruhsar Pekcan. Welcoming the Azerbaijani delegation led by the parliaments speaker, the Turkish minister noted that the trade turnover between the two countries made up $4.4 billion, but this figure doesnt reflect the true potential of the two countries, and the goal is to increase trade turnover. Pekcan noted that Turkey aims to sign Agreement on a free trade with Azerbaijan. Due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, Turkey has faced difficulties in cargo transportation to Central Asia through Iran. Therefore, the Georgia-Azerbaijan-Caspian direction has become even more important, she added. Touching upon the development of women's entrepreneurship, the minister spoke about the ongoing relevant work in Turkey. For this purpose, a new program is being implemented, and projects are continuing to increase the level of participation of women in business life. The Turkish minister stressed that "a strong woman is a strong family, a strong economy." Speaking about relations with Nakhchivan, Pekcan brought to attention that Turkey attaches special importance to the development of trade relations with Nakhchivan. She stressed that Turkey is satisfied with the level of cooperation with Azerbaijan, and expressed confidence in the further increase in trade between the two countries. Expressing gratitude for the warm welcome, Speaker Sahiba Gafarova said that this is her first official visit. Turkey is a native country for Azerbaijan. Therefore, high-ranking officials of Azerbaijan make their first official visit to Turkey. Turkish officials do the same. We are "one nation, two states". These are the words of the great leader Heydar Aliyev. These words fully reflect the truth, because we have common language, common religion, culture, history. The unity of our language and culture allows us to build the future together, Gafarova stressed. Touching upon the economic relations between the two countries, the speaker added that Azerbaijan and Turkey are doing very great work for the region, and an example of this are the projects Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan, Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum, and Baku-Tbilisi-Kars. Our economic relations are at a high level. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the value of trade turnover between the countries surpassed $2 billion, Gafarova said. The speaker of the Azerbaijani parliament spoke about the work being carried out both in Azerbaijan and Turkey to support the active participation of women in the life of their countries, stressing that societies in which women are free and have the opportunity to get a good education will develop. During the conversation, the parties exchanged views on various issues of mutual interest. The parliamentary delegation included Head of the Working Group on inter-parliamentary relations with Turkey Ahliman Amiraslanov, Chairman of the Parliaments committee on defense, security and anti-corruption Ziyafat Asgarov, MPs Sevil Mikayilova, Fazil Mustafa, Elshan Musayev, Tural Ganjaliyev, Head of the Parliaments staff Safa Mirzoyev and other officials. The Parliaments delegation included Head of the Working Group on interparliamentary relations with Turkey Ahliman Amiraslanov, Deputy The visit of the parliamentary delegation of Azerbaijan to Turkey will end on 12 September. Invariably, when grave injustice is exposed in American society, people ask, Wheres the church? Maybe theres something flattering about the question. Its an acknowledgement of the extraordinary life and words of Jesus Christ and the otherworldly principles of the Christian faith articulated in commands such as Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you (Matt. 5:44). However, the question is more likely intended to shame Christians into action by revealing the stark contrast between our beliefs and practices. Sadly, the question has become mostly rhetorical because there seems to be little to no expectation that churches will do whats necessary to lead the country toward a more just society on racial issues. Chance the Rapper, a Grammy Awardwinning hip-hop artist, repeated this query in light of recent deaths from racialized violence. Some contend that the question unfairly ignores the tireless work some churches are doing in the community. For example, Christians in Chicago have been feeding low-income residents since the COVID-19 crisis began as well as hosting and participating in demonstrations in response to racialized violence. But in another way, its the right question when you consider the American church as a whole, especially those parts of the church who wield the most power in society. At best, many white evangelicals treat racial justice like an extracurricular activity. At worst, racial justice is framed as a distraction to proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ. When mentions of race and justice surface, too many evangelical leaders roll out distorted and extreme examples to make the case against Christian participation in justice efforts. Theyve resigned themselves to being skeptical commentators, experts at finding fault in the efforts of others and unwilling to find inspiration or courage to attack the problem more biblically. When black people ask, Are you seeing this? Do you see us? it gets lost in an echo chamber of bad theology, excuses, and bad faith deflections. However, the Bible tells a much different story, and its principles lead us to a much different conclusion. I dont contend with the assertion that our primary purpose is to proclaim the gospel, but I do disagree with the conclusion some draw from that assertion. The primacy of the Great Commission doesnt diminish our obligation to act justly (Mic. 6:8). The Bible clearly establishes that God expects well do his bidding and be self-sacrificial in our efforts to uphold justice and moral order. The prophet Isaiah lived at a time when injustice and immorality were pervasive. Isaiah 59:1516 says, Truth is nowhere to be found, and whoever shuns evil becomes a prey. The Lord looked and was displeased that there was no justice. He saw that there was no one, he was appalled that there was no one to intervene. God was disturbed by the fact that his people were not doing the work of justice. He had set a standard and, obviously, intended his people to be purveyors of justice. Instead, his people had grown accustomed to the iniquity in their midst, at peace with injustice and immorality. God grew deeply distressed. Our duty is more than not perpetuating injustice. We have an affirmative obligation to proactively assert Gods will through acts of justice. To contend otherwise hedges on biblical illiteracy since God continually repeats this requirement (Isa. 59:1516; Mic. 6:8; Amos 5:2324; Luke 4:18; 10:2537). Justice isnt a lack of injustice. Its an active affirmative with form and substance of its own. Racism is indeed a sin and heart issue, but its deadly effects cant be taken lightly and can be brought to heel by Christian advocacy. Slavery was also a sin issue, but Christian abolitionists decided it was their duty to advocate for the freedom of their brothers and sisters instead of waiting for everyones heart to change. The pray and let God take care of it cop-out concerning racism is problematic from a biblical perspective. When your child cuts her knee and is bleeding profusely, you dont just pray and wait. You urgently clean and bandage the wound because God has given you the means to address it. Accordingly, why would one only pray and wait when our brothers and sisters are being terrorized by racial injustice? God uses his servants to do his work, and majority Christians have the social and political capital to dismantle racism in all its forms. In the past, believers like Fannie Lou Hamer and Medgar Evers fought to end segregation and champion the right to vote. More recently, Christian leaders like Dr. CJ Rhodes and Dr. Ligon Duncan advocated for changing the Mississippi state flag. Article continues below First John 3:1718 says, If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth. In the context of racial injustice, it is unfaithful to say we love our brothers and sisters and not act on their behalf when we have the capacity to do so. We must uphold the imperative of prayer, but we cant use prayer as a cover for not fixing the problems God has placed in our spheres of influence. If we want to show society that justice isnt just about an exchange of power or tearing down important institutions, then we must demonstrate it on the ground and provide a hopeful vision. Christians taking the lead on fixing racial justice would give us the opportunity to counter the distorted versions of justice we often lament. If we want to show society that justice isnt just about an exchange of power or tearing down important institutions, then we must demonstrate it on the ground. Providing a hopeful vision of justice is much better than avoiding justice due to the misconceptions. Christians need to bring the same tenacity that we demonstrate when advocating for pro-life and religious liberty to the policy debate about racialized violence. I truly believe that our failure to do so has impeded our ability to create a more diverse coalition around the aforementioned and other issues confronting our world. The failure to uphold Christian values when it comes to race and justice seriously compromises the credibility of Christian conservatives. Tenaciously attacking racial injustice uplifts and endears marginalized groups who, historically, have little reason to trust that majority Christians have their best interest in mind. Doing justice would enable majority Christians to advocate for other issues from higher ground and with better footing. Most importantly, the failure to do justice damages the American churchs ability to evangelize. And if evangelism is to be our first priority, wed best begin battling injustice, if for no other reason than to prove our faith isnt dead. Justin E. Giboney is an attorney, political strategist, president of the AND Campaign, and coauthor of Compassion (&) Conviction: The AND Campaigns Guide to Faithful Civic Engagement. Follow him on Twitter @JustinEGiboney. Dear Reader, Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance. We, however, have a request. As we battle the economic impact of the pandemic, we need your support even more, so that we can continue to offer you more quality content. Our subscription model has seen an encouraging response from many of you, who have subscribed to our online content. More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed. Support quality journalism and subscribe to Business Standard. Digital Editor PINEY FLATS, Tenn. A critter from the land down under was on the loose Thursday but returned home after hopping around a wooded area near Piney Flats. Daniel Sochalski and his family own a small farm in the Watauga Flats area of Piney Flats that they share with a host of animals, including emus, alpacas, pigs, goats and their pet wallaby, Wally. On Wednesday night, Sochalski said he noticed that the 4-year-old had escaped when he did not come out for food. The family searched the area around the home but couldnt find him. By Thursday afternoon, Sochalski was asking for the publics help. But he cautioned that anyone who may have spotted Wally should not approach and possibly startle the marsupial. He asked that people call him instead. About dusk Thursday, while returning to the farm after searching the neighborhood, Sochalski said the wallaby was spotted at the back of the property. He likely returned for water, he added. GENEVA, Sept. 10 (Xinhua) -- The "Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator" (ACT-Accelerator), a global collaboration led by the World Health Organization (WHO) to accelerate the development, production and equitable deployment of COVID-19 diagnostics, therapeutics and vaccines, still faces a funding gap of 35 billion U.S. dollars, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said here on Thursday. At a press briefing, Tedros said that to date the ACT-Accelerator has received 2.7 billion dollars, which -- though "generous and has enabled the robust start-up phase" -- is still only less than 10 percent of the overall needs. "The ACT-Accelerator will not be able to deliver on its goals without a significant increase in funding," he said, calling for the rapid scaling up of the clinical trials as well as the manufacturing, licensing and regulation capacity. The ACT-Accelerator supports research into promising vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics. To date, the WHO has registered around 180 vaccines that are in development, including 35 in human trials. At a virtual briefing on Aug. 6, Michael Ryan, executive director of the World Health Organization's Health Emergencies Program, said that six COVID-19 vaccine candidates had entered phase-3 trials. Of the six vaccine candidates, three are from China -- made by Sinovac, Wuhan Institute of Biological Products/Sinopharm, and Beijing Institute of Biological Products/Sinopharm, said Ryan, adding the other three are made by the University of Oxford/AstraZeneca, Moderna/NIAID, and BioNTech/Fosun Pharma/Pfizer. "Between now and the end of the year, we have a limited window of opportunity to scale up the ACT-Accelerator and fully enable the equitable allocation framework," Tedros said, adding that "the world's ambition to develop these tools as fast as possible must be matched by its ambition to ensure that as many people as possible have access to them." Also on Thursday, the Facilitation Council of the ACT Accelerator met for the first time to provide political leadership and advocacy and to mobilize additional resources. The leaders of Rwanda, Norway, South Africa, the European Union as well as the secretary general of the United Nations have expressed their support at the meeting. NEW YORK : When Jane Fraser takes the helm of Citigroup Inc in February, she will have some big tasks ahead of her. Citigroup, the third-largest U.S. lender, has struggled for years to convince Wall Street that management's vision of a global bank with a hodgepodge of profitable, if unrelated, businesses will work. Profit targets set years ago by CEO Mike Corbat proved hard to reach even after revisions and major cost cuts. And although Citigroup is a much different bank than the one that required a $45 billion bailout to survive the 2007-2009 financial crisis, it still carries a stigma from failures that led it there. Citigroup's legal battles with hedge funds after mistakenly sending them $900 million of its own funds suggests that it has ongoing technology issues, analysts, investors and insiders said. Those problems have been a sticking point with regulators, which have pushed Citi to fix them in order to pass annual stress tests. Although Fraser's promotion was celebrated on Thursday as a sign that women can get ahead on Wall Street, analysts and investors said the halo will last only as long as she can deliver results. "The job of this woman is to get new business, solve the problem with the government on the technology - and get new business," said Dick Bove, a longtime bank analyst with Odeon Capital Group. "That's her job, and I think if anybody can do it, she can." Bove and others put Fraser's challenges into three buckets: growing revenue, addressing costly operational issues and truly repairing Citi's brand, which has been tarnished for over a decade. Fraser, 53, has a reputation as a "fix-it" executive, and many expressed faith in her abilities. A former Goldman Sachs investment banker and McKinsey consultant, Fraser cleaned up Citigroup's toxic mortgage book after the financial crisis, then its Latin America business after scandals erupted in Mexico, and has been leading its global consumer bank - which Citi is trying to grow - since October. Although Fraser had been seen as a front-runner to succeed Corbat for awhile, many analysts found the change to be abrupt. Most expected a longer-term transition that might take a year or two, with some questioning why Citigroup made the announcement on a seemingly random Thursday in September. Some investors had hoped Citigroup would appoint an outsider with a fresh perspective as its next CEO, KBW analyst Brian Kleinhanzl said in a note predicting an underwhelming share reaction to the news. Citigroup shares fell 0.9% on Thursday, compared with a 1.8% decline in the S&P 500 index. The 43% total return shareholders have gotten since the beginning of Corbat's tenure in 2012 through Wednesday's close pales in comparison to the 137% return for JPMorgan Chase & Co shares and 169% for Bank of America Corp shares during the same time frame, according to Refinitiv data. Out of the top six U.S. Wall Street banks, Citigroup's total return is higher only than that of Wells Fargo & Co, which has been plagued by various scandals since 2016. A Citigroup executive who spoke to Reuters said staffers were happy with Fraser's appointment. The person, who was not authorized to speak to the press, said she is seen as someone who understands Citigroup's key businesses and can repair ties with investors and the government. The person noted Fraser's success with regulators who scrutinized Citigroup's woes in Mexico, which ranged from bad underwriting in mortgages to oil loans that were later found to be fraudulent. One major investor said Fraser may be the CEO who can turn Citigroup around. The person described her as someone who has shown she can cut costs and invest in businesses appropriately, and comes across as truly caring about Citigroup's welfare. But it will not be a cakewalk for Fraser to get the bank to perform in line with peers again. "She will start in 'prove-it' mode," the person said, "and there is a lot to prove." This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Never miss a story! Stay connected and informed with Mint. Download our App Now!! Topics You are here: World Flash Chinese Premier Li Keqiang will attend the World Economic Forum (WEF) Special Virtual Dialogue with Global Business Leaders on Sept. 15, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian announced Friday. According to Zhao, Premier Li will deliver an address and have discussions with the business leaders attending the meeting. Obsessively jealous and fiercely loyal, this is the woman who called herself Jeffery Epsteins girlfriend and was the last person to speak with the monstrous pedophile before his prison death last August. Seen here exclusively and for the first time since her identity was revealed in March, Karyna Shuliak, 31, was with Epstein on his private jet when he was arrested last July as the FBI swooped on him when he landed from Paris back at Teterboro, New Jersey. Shuliak, from Belarus, was known as the inspector for her obsessive snooping on Epstein during their relationship that lasted up to a decade. Now, DailyMail.com has these exclusive pictures that offer the first glimpse of Shuliak's furtive existence since then. Dressed casually in white shorts and a lilac polo shirt, with her long brown hair pulled back into a loose ponytail, nothing about Shuliaks lowkey appearance suggests the world of wealth and depravity in which she once moved. Shuliak spent close to an hour inside a nutritional health store on New Yorks Upper East Side before browsing the aisles of a nearby pharmacy and purchasing toiletries, including hair care products, photos taken last week show. Obsessively jealous and fiercely loyal, this is Karyna Shuliak, 31, the woman who called herself Jeffery Epsteins girlfriend and was the last person to speak with the monstrous pedophile before his prison death last August Shuliak was with Epstein (pictured together in 2014) on his private jet when he was arrested last July as the FBI swooped on him when he landed from Paris back at Teterboro, New Jersey The 31-year-old dressed casually in white shorts and a lilac polo shirt, with her long brown hair pulled back into a loose ponytail Shuliak spent close to an hour inside a nutritional health store on New Yorks Upper East Side before browsing the aisles of a nearby pharmacy and purchasing toiletries, including hair care products She was spotted just a few blocks away from Epsteins imposing Beaux Arts mansion near Central Park She was spotted just a few blocks away from Epsteins imposing Beaux Arts mansion near Central Park. Epstein is now known to have committed countless crimes and entertained some of the richest and most powerful people in the world, including Prince Andrew, in that Upper East Side property. It is now on the market at an asking price of $88 million. Shuliak herself was pictured coming and going from the home on numerous occasions, including exclusive pictures obtained by DailyMail.com back in December 2015 and again in June 2016. But her relationship with the disgraced financier stretched back much further than that. Even his closest friends. No one stayed with him except Karyna who was there until the very last moment. Shuliak arrived in the US in 2009 and the then 20-year-old is understood to have come to Epsteins attention soon afterwards. The depth of her significance and loyalty to the late 66-year-old financier came to light only recently with the testimony of a source in their circle. The source told DailyMail.com that, while many friends and associates dropped Epstein following his sex crime conviction in Florida in August 2010, Shuliak remained loyal. Back then Epstein served 18 months much of it on day release for a single count of procuring a girl below the age of 18 for prostitution. The leniency of the charges and the sentencing has long been the subject of public outrage. But according to the source: Everyone turned their back on him after prison and denounced him as an anti-Christ. Even his closest friends. No one stayed with him except Karyna who was there until the very last moment. The depth of Shuliak's significance and loyalty to the late 66-year-old financier came to light only recently with the testimony of a source in their circle. The source told DailyMail.com that, while many friends and associates dropped Epstein following his sex crime conviction in Florida in August 2010, Shuliak remained loyal Shuliak herself was pictured coming and going from the home on numerous occasions, including exclusive pictures obtained by DailyMail.com back in December 2015 (pictured) and again in June 2016 Shuliak arrived in the US in 2009 and the then 20-year-old is understood to have come to Epsteins attention soon afterwards. Pictured: Epstein walks along New York's Madison Avenue with Shuliak and another unidentified female in December 2015 Shuliak took part in a same-sex marriage to Jennifer Kalin (left), another of Epsteins associates, in October 2013 and divorced her last July following the pedophiles arrest. The Daily News reported this as a sham marriage designed to keep Shuliak in the US Shuliak, from Belarus, was known as the inspector for her obsessive snooping on Epstein during their relationship that lasted up to a decade. Pictured: Shuliak (right) with a friend in August of 2014 Epstein paid for Shuliak's mother's expensive medical treatment, and may have helped fund the upscale home where her parents live in Minsk, the largely rundown capital of Belarus (pictured) Unlike Epsteins high-profile ex-girlfriend and alleged madam, Ghislaine Maxwell, Shuliak has had no public dealings with the FBI. And it has been previously reported that she had no exposure to the pedophiles sex-trafficking activity. But the closeness and duration of their relationship and Shuliaks jealousy over the man she believed to have loved her may raise some questions as to just what she knew. The same source told DailyMail.com: Karyna was nicknamed, the inspector, because she was madly jealous over Epstein and was always investigating who he was in contact with. Certainly, her own relationship with Epstein was one that saw her indebted to the late billionaire in more ways than one. Epstein paid for expensive medical treatment required by her mother and reportedly may have helped fund the upscale home in which her parents now live in the Belarus capital, Minsk. For her part, Shuliak attended Columbia University, an education that appears likely to have been funded by Epstein. In a bizarre twist, she is a registered dentist in the states of Florida and California and is listed as having her own practice in the Virgin Islands at an address linked to Epstein. DailyMail.com has previously revealed that a dentists chair was among the items that Epstein had shipped to his private island in the Caribbean while photographs also show that he had a dentist chair at his Florida mansion. It is understood that he used to fix up the teeth of women close to him a duty that, with her training, Shuliak could have easily performed. Public records show that Shuliak was registered as living at Epsteins Palm Beach home between 2015 and 2018. She is also registered as living on his private island from 2013 to the present day. Shuliak attended Columbia University, an education that appears likely to have been funded by Epstein. In a bizarre twist, she is a registered dentist in the states of Florida and California and is listed as having her own practice in the Virgin Islands at an address linked to Epstein Public records show that Shuliak was registered as living at Epsteins Palm Beach home between 2015 and 2018. She is also registered as living on his private island from 2013 to the present day Shuliak is said to have been devastated and blindsided by his death. He was found hanging in cell in New Yorks Metropolitan Correctional Center while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges last August. There was, apparently, nothing in his last communications to suggest that he was a, despairing, despondent, suicidal person' There was, apparently, nothing in his last communications to suggest that he was a, despairing, despondent, suicidal person' But while Epstein may have funded much of her life in the States it was at considerable cost to Shuliak, whose virginity he reportedly took. And while she viewed herself as his girlfriend, she might be equally considered a victim by others. Shuliak took part in a same-sex marriage to Jennifer Kalin, another of Epsteins associates, in October 2013 and divorced her last July following the pedophiles arrest. The Daily News reported this as a sham marriage designed to keep Shuliak in the US. Speaking in general terms about arranged marriages, Epsteins victims lawyer Sigrid McCawley said this was a known instrument of the billionaires international sex-trafficking scheme. According to McCawley: Jeffery Epsteins international sex trafficking ring harmed an incomprehensible number of girls and these sham same-sex marriages served a basic and important purpose for Epsteins trafficking operation because they enabled Epstein to get citizenship for girls he wanted to keep in this country without facing a high level of scrutiny in the citizenship process. But whatever the true nature and complexity of her relationship with the depraved predator, Shuliak is said to have been devastated and blindsided by his death. He was found hanging in cell in New Yorks Metropolitan Correctional Center while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges last August. There was, apparently, nothing in his last communications to suggest that he was a, despairing, despondent, suicidal person. DailyMail.com has reached out to Shuliak for comment. Oil prices edged higher on Friday as equities markets firmed, but crude remained on track for a second weekly drop as investors expected a global glut to persist if demand weakens further with rising Covid-19 cases in some countries. Brent rose 16 cents, or 0.4%, to $40.22 a barrel by 12:12 p.m. ET (1612 GMT). US crude was up 35 cents, or 1%, at $37.65 a barrel. Both benchmarks were down more than 5% for the week. Infections are growing faster in India than anywhere else, and the health ministry reported another record daily jump of 96,551 new cases on Friday, taking the official total to 4.5 million. US stock markets rose, after a pullback in the previous session. Still, the three main US stock indexes were also headed for a second straight weekly decline as recent economic indicators suggested a long and difficult recovery from the pandemic. The financial markets are continuing to set the tone, including on the oil market ... fears about an oversupply have added to the general feeling of uncertainty, Commerzbank analysts said in a note. Also dampening the market mood, the US Senate killed a Republican bill that would have provided around $300 billion in new coronavirus aid. In the United States, crude stockpiles rose last week, against expectations, as refineries slowly returned to operations after production sites were shut down due to storms in the Gulf of Mexico and the wider region. US crude inventories rose 2 million barrels, compared with forecasts for a 1.3 million-barrel decrease in a Reuters poll. US drillers also have started to slowly add oil and gas rigs after the rig count, an early indicator of future output, hit a record low of 244 in the week to Aug. 14. This weeks data from Baker Hughes is due at 1 p.m. In a further bearish sign, traders were starting to book tankers again to store crude oil and diesel, amid a stalled economic recovery as the Covid-19 pandemic continues. Increasing stockpiles are likely to be a subject at a meeting on Sept. 17 of the market monitoring panel of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and allies including Russia. The group known as OPEC+ has been withholding supply to reduce stockpiles, but analysts say the meeting is likely to focus on compliance among members, rather than deeper cuts. Following Saudi Arabia, Kuwait also lowered its official selling price to Asia for October, to counter slower demand. The decline is triggered by a series of unfortunate events: a surge in Covid-19 cases worldwide, the end of the peak summer driving season, the slowdown of the Chinese crude importing machine, and major producers trimming the OSPs to Asia as refinery margins worsen, Rystad Energys senior oil markets analyst Paola Rodriguez-Masiu said. Many groups in mid and north Cork have received support through the Heritage Councils Community Grant Scheme over the years, such as Buttevant Heritage Group in North Cork, pictured outside the local Barrys Castle The Heritage Council's Community Heritage Grant Scheme is now open for applications - part of the rescue package recently announced by the Minister for State for Heritage and Electoral Reform, Malcolm Noonan. 550,000 has been allocated for the scheme in 2020 to undertake capital works that will apply good heritage practice in managing and improving access to sites, collections, objects etc. The aim of this scheme is to support capital projects that improve access and inclusion to heritage sites; that apply good heritage practice to the management of places, collections or objects (including buildings) and to also support the purchase of essential equipment. The scheme is intended to enable communities and heritage non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to continue their work in this area or to start new initiatives. For the scheme the Heritage Council has produced a very useful grant scheme booklet, which contains all the information one should need in determining what project to apply for. The closing date for applications is Tuesday 15th September at 5pm, to be made online at www.heritagecouncil.ie. Cork County Council's Heritage Office is at hand to provide advice and information to groups in County Cork seeking to apply - email cork.heritage@corkcoco.ie or phone 021 4285905. Library and Arts Service Plan 2020 - 2025 The sharing of information and advice is a two-way street and recently numerous people and groups throughout the county made submissions and suggestions for the upcoming new County Cork Development Plan. Another plan being undertaken by Cork County Council at the moment is the Library and Arts Service Plan 2020 - 2025. Cork County Council Library and Arts Service is currently preparing a Development Plan for the years 2020-2025. Library Services nationwide and worldwide, have over the past number of years changed and adapted in response to external factors from economic to social, and from technological to, in recent times, global public health factors. The County Cork Library and Arts Service wishes to establish how it may best serve its community in the coming years and is inviting input from one and all. Mayor of the County of Cork, Cllr Mary Linehan Foley, encouraged Library users to have their say; "For everyone who enjoys the library and all the many services it offers this is a great opportunity to help shape the future of the service. The local library is an asset to every community, they are often important social outlets, provide easy access to information, books, publications and music, opening up a world of imagination for children. "There will always be a place for libraries even as we move into an increasingly technological age and this is a great chance to look forward and imagine the possibilities as to how our libraries can grow into the future." Deputy Chief Executive of Cork County Council, James Fogarty, added; "Cork County Council's Library & Arts Service came into its own during the Covid19 response and the value of our libraries was highlighted more than ever. The Library Service has been to the forefront of improving accessibility to services, developing disability, Age Friendly and neurodiverse friendly policies and ensuring as many people as possible can comfortably avail of services. Our libraries provide a vital community service. "This is an opportunity to help us to shape the development of your library service over the coming years." The public is invited to make comments and observations regarding the plan, which can be done online at www.yourcouncil.ie or by emailing corkcountylibrary@corkcoco.ie. The closing date for submissions is Friday 25th September 2020 at 5pm. Fulbright Irish Awards Another deadline on the horizon, but not until the 2nd of November 2020, is the 2021 - 2022 Fulbright Irish Awards. These Awards will provide opportunities for passionate Irish and EU students, scholars and professionals to undertake programmes and collaborate with experts at a U.S. institution or organisation of their choice, from August 2021-August 2022. The Fulbright Commission in Ireland's mission is to fortify Irish and American collaboration through exchanges of talent, knowledge and scholarship. Global Fulbright Alumni have achieved distinction in many fields, and include 60 Nobel Prize recipients, 88 Pulitzer Prize winners, and 37 who have served as a head of state or government. With an emphasis on cultural immersion and building long-term academic and professional connections, the Fulbright programme selects excellent candidates from all over Ireland to work with top U.S. Institutions. The Awards are open to all disciplines and backgrounds. The Fulbright Commission in Ireland partners with local and international agencies to offer additional funding in the areas of Culture and Heritage, Health, Geoscience, Agriculture, Environmental Protection, Business Innovation, Law, Cybersecurity and Irish language. Successful candidates receive a monetary stipend, travel costs, accident and emergency insurance, visa administration, cultural and professional programming, and introduction to a vast international professional and academic network. Speaking of the Awards, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Simon Coveney T.D. noted: "Over the past 60 years, the Fulbright Programme has given thousands of individuals the opportunity to pursue educational exchanges between Ireland and the United States, deepening the links across the Atlantic. Fulbrighters have shared their ideas and culture, embarked on research and contributed to finding solutions to important international problems. "Ireland is proud to support such an excellent programme, and I look forward to seeing the collaboration and connections which develop as a result of the 2021-2022 awards". The application deadline is 4pm, 2 November 2020. To learn more about the Fulbright Awards visit www.fulbright.ie or see the many webinars available to watch on Fulbright Ireland's YouTube channel. This year marks the 19th anniversary of the 9/11 terror attack in which nearly 3,000 people were killed when hijackers flew commercial airplanes into New York's World Trade Centre, the Pentagon and a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania. The September 11 attacks had shaken the United States and had a huge impact globally as it was one of the most dreadful attacks ever made by the terrorist group al-Qaeda. On its 19th anniversary, the 9/11 Memorial & Museum said on Twitter, "Nineteen years ago, under clear blue skies, 102 minutes changed our lives forever. On Fri., Sept. 11, we lead the nation and the world in observing the 19th anniversary of the 2001 attacks and ask you to join us in commemorating." In the incident, nearly nineteen al-Qaeda terrorists hijacked four US passenger planes and used two of the planes for crashing into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center complex in Manhattan. The third plane crashed into the Pentagon, the building that houses the headquarters of the US Department of Defense, in Virginia and the fourth plane crashed into a field in Pennsylvania after passengers tried to fight back Within a span of two hours, the two 110-storey towers at the World Trade Centre collapsed. All the nineteen hijackers died in the attack, later claimed by Osama bin Laden and al Qaeda, which led directly to the US war in Afghanistan and indirectly to the invasion of Iraq. Several memorials have been built to remember the victims of the September 11 attacks. These include the National September 11 Memorial and Museum in New York City, the Flight 93 National Memorial in a field in Stonycreek Township in Pennsylvania and the Pentagon Memorial in Arlington County in Virginia. Meanwhile, New York city will hold its annual ceremony remembering the people who lost their life in the 9/11 attack today amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Air Force One is seen as President Donald Trump speaks during a campaign event at MBS International Airport, in Freeland, Michigan, on Sept. 10, 2020. (Jonathan Ernst/Reuters) Trump Says Surprise Medical Billing Ends on Jan. 1 President Donald Trump at a rally in Freeland, Michigan on Thursday, said that surprise medical billing will end by Jan. 1. We will end surprise medical billing, require the biggest thing that nobody even knows about and its all signed and it goes into effect on January 1, the president said on the stage at a large hangar at MBS International Airport, standing in front of the presidential aircraft Air Force One before a packed crowd. You better make sure I win. Can you imagine? This is going to be the biggest thing and nobody understands what it is. Youll figure it outPrice transparency. Did they fight me on that one. January 1st. And further reduce health insurance premiums and the cost of prescription drugs at a level like youve never seen before. Ive already signed it. Favored nations. The drug companies are not happy, I will tell you, Trump continued. President Donald Trump applauds as he arrives at a campaign event at MBS International Airport, in Freeland, Michigan, on Sept. 10, 2020. (Jonathan Ernst/Reuters) All you have to do is take a look at all the ads theyre running against me. Favored nations, where we pay whatever the lowest is in the world, we pay that number. We will protect Medicare and social security, and we will always protect our patients. We will always protect our people. We will protect your preexisting conditions, as I said. Trump recently spoke about the Jan. 1, 2021 development on ending surprise medical billing at a recent packed rally in Pennsylvania. Youll be able to negotiate, youll be able to do things youre not even able to do now with hospitals it could be bigger than healthcare, he said on Sept. 3 in Latrobe. Youre going to see some unbelievable price reductions and that includes on drugs. We Love You During Trumps speech in Michigan, the thousands gathered were heard at one point chanting we love you. President Donald Trump speaks to supporters at a rally with Air Force One in the background in Freeland, Michigan, on Sept. 10, 2020. (Scott Olson/Getty Images) In response, the president paused, looked away from the crowd for a moment before he turned back and smiled. Dont say that, Ill start to cry, and that wouldnt be good for my image, he said, to laughter from the crowd. You dont want to see me cry. Ill start to cry. Earlier in the rally, Trump observed, This is not the crowd of a person who comes in second place. The Republican president had just arrived on the stage and opened his speech, where he expressed confidence that he and his supporters will win in Michigan and secure four more years in the White House. This is the most important election in the history of our country, Trump said, telling Americans that his rival, Democratic presidential candidate, former Vice President Joe Biden devoted his career to offshoring Michigans jobs, outsourcing Michigans factories, throwing open your borders, dragging us into endless foreign wars and surrendering our childrens future to China and other far away lands. Biden supported every disastrous globalist sellout for over a half a century, including NAFTA, China, and DPP, the president continued. Joe Biden surrendered your jobs to China and now he wants to surrender our country to the violent left-wing mob and youre seeing that every night. If Biden wins, China wins. If Biden wins, the mob wins. If Biden wins, the rioters, anarchist, arsonist and flag burners win, Trump said. President Donald Trump addresses supporters during a campaign rally at MBS International Airport in Freeland, Michigan on Sept. 10, 2020. (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images) Im running for reelection to keep jobs in Michigan, Trump continued. He turned to acknowledge the devastation caused by the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, also known as the novel coronavirus, hinting that Michigan was doing well economically in 2019 before the China plague came in, we have the China plague. Thank you China very much. Should have never let that happen. Michigans unemployment rate spiked at 24 percent in April, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. It has since recovered to 8.7 percent. Referring to China, Trump said, They should have never, ever let it happen. They stopped it from going into China, but they didnt stop it from coming out here and coming into the U.S., in Europe and the rest of the world, 188 countries. He added later, We had in Michigan and in the country, the greatest economy in the history of the world, there has never been an economy. He said that his administration and Americans are now rebuilding the economy such that, in his words, its turning out to be a super V. No more V. Now its starting out to be a super V. President Donald Trump speaks to supporters during a rally in Freeland, Michigan, on Sept. 10, 2020. (Scott Olson/Getty Images) To put violent criminals behind bars and to ensure the future belongs to America, not to China. If we win, America wins and thats what its about, Trump said. Trump won Michigan in 2016 by a thin margin of just 10,704 votes0.3 percentover his then-rival Hillary Clinton. In Michigan on Thursday, Trump expressed hopes for a larger victory in the battleground state in the upcoming November election and told the crowd they face a clear choice as he highlighted the drastic differences between his and Bidens policy stances on various issues. At no time before has there been a clearer choice between two parties, two visions, two philosophies, and two agendas for the future. Theres never been a vision like this, Trump said. Correction: The previous version of this article incorrectly stated that Trumps action on price transparency would only take place if he is re-elected. This article has been updated. The Epoch Times regrets the error. The Minister of Education and a dean at the University of Damascus have clashed over whether children should return to school, in light of the coronavirus reports Hashtag Syria. Amid the great controversy surrounding the decision to reopen schools, the Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Damascus, Dr. Naboug al-Awa, warned of a new wave of coronavirus coinciding with the return of students to school. Awa said that students can transmit the virus at a high rate, and since primary school students are not enrolled in diploma-granting curricula, unlike middle and high school students, their school year can be postponed for 15 days. Awa, in a call with Hashtag Syria, confirmed that the Ministry of Education rejected his proposal this morning, saying that classes will resume on Sept. 13, 2020, as planned. Awa confirmed that his suggestion does not impede the progress of the educational process, especially for young students, who are more likely to pass on the virus, sometimes without even showing any symptoms. He added, We are concerned for the families of students, and the professors. We have lost many lives so far, and we do not wish to return to that stage. Awa indicated that the efforts of the Ministry of Health have been focused on flattening the curve, a milestone that has been reached. However, there are concerns that the curve would start climbing again if schools reopen, for the virus today has become more fierce, according to Awa. Education Minister, Dr. Darem Tabaa, commented on Awas request in a press conference today, saying, We respect the Dean of the Faculty of Medicines views regarding reopening schools later than usual, but why hasnt he closed the hospitals or the university he supervises? Awa expressed his surprise following the ministers statement, stressing that he did not attack the minister, but rather gave a suggestion based on medical facts. Awa said to Sham FM radio that, closing hospitals is not equivalent to delaying schools. If hospitals were to close, how would we admit and treat patients? He added, The suggestion that I made was to delay the return of primary school students for a period of 15 days and to start the school year for preparatory and secondary students as scheduled. Awa indicated that the purpose of the suggestion was to monitor the curve for 15 days, especially since children aged 4 to 12 are those who are most likely to transmit the coronavirus while remaining asymptomatic. He stressed that some schools might not be sterilizing and using soap and water properly, and therefore health protection for students cannot be guaranteed. In a statement to Tishreen newspaper, Tabaa said that he did not mean to respond to Awa in his statement, which was misunderstood. He explained that what he said was that, we are obligated to perform our duties despite the circumstances, and despite the spread of the coronavirus and that neither university hospitals nor the Faculty of Medicine have closed. The new school year is scheduled to start next Monday, despite calls by parents to push back the date due to the climbing numbers of coronavirus cases over the past few weeks. This coincided with the announcement by the Ministry of Health in the Assad government that 62 cases of coronavirus had been recorded, bringing the total number of infections in regime-controlled regions to 3,351 cases, 143 of whom died and 780 recovered. 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. YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 11, ARMENPRESS. On September 11, at the initiative of the Armenian side, a phone conversation was held between the Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Iran Zohrab Mnatsakanyan and Mohammad Javad Zarif. During the conversation a number of issues of bilateral agenda were discussed. Both sides highlighted the promotion of the dialogue based on traditional friendship and mutual trust, as well as the steps towards expanding the cooperation. The interlocutors also touched upon the issues of peace and security in the South Caucasus and Middle East, as well as current challenges and the international cooperation aimed at addressing them, the foreign ministry said in a readout. Family members of the couple who remarkably escaped from a wildfire in rural Washington State but tragically lost their one-year-old son have described their ordeal as a miracle with a tragic ending. Jake and Jamie Hyland and their infant son Uriel were evacuating their property in a remote stretch of Okanogan at around midnight on Sunday when they got trapped by the Cold Springs Fire that began raging hours before. The couple, who are expecting their second child, were unable to reach family members or the emergency services because power lines were down. After hours of no contact, Jakes cousin Jim Mabry decided to head down to the Hylands remote property on Tuesday. By this time, the wildfire had turned surrounding pastures of four-foot-high sage into complete ash. Mabry soon discovered Jakes truck in a ravine around a quarter of a mile away from their home. The vehicle, which had burst through a barbed wire fence, was severely charred. Its windshield had melted, and the steering wheel and dashboard were completely destroyed. When I first saw the truck, I didnt want to search, Mabry told The Daily Beast. I was so convinced I was coming across remains. Because I didnt see any chance of them making it. Jake and Jamie Hyland and their infant son Uriel were evacuating their property in a remote stretch of Okanogan at around midnight on Sunday when they got trapped by the Cold Springs Fire Mabry soon discovered Jakes truck in a ravine around a quarter of a mile away from their home. The vehicle, which had burst through a barbed wire fence, was severely charred. Its windshield had melted, and the steering wheel and dashboard were completely destroyed Incredibly Jake and Jamie did manage to escape the pick-up truck with Uri. They headed towards the Columbia River where they were miraculously found by rescuers along a bank on Wednesday. Both Jamie and Jake were alive but gravely injured. Tragically, baby Uri was already dead, bringing the death toll from fires raging up and down the West Coast to seven. Its a miracle with a sad ending, Mabry said. They survived, but lost a child. They loved their son, he added. He was their ray of hope. Mabry is pictured above with his wife Tammy. He described Jake and Jamie's story of survival as 'a miracle with a tragic end' The parents were transported to Three Rivers Hospital in Brewster before being airlifted to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. Jamie, 26, who is pregnant, suffered burns covering 40 to 50 percent of her body, mostly covering her arms, hands and face. She underwent surgery on her arms this week and is currently in stable, but critical condition, a relative wrote in the GoFundMe page. She has multiple infections (I dont know where). But she is responding well to antibiotics, Dawn Marie, Jamies sister, wrote. They believe she will be intubated for the foreseeable future (could be a day or many more they just dont know yet). They pulled some fluid that concerned them from her lungs. They will be doing a scope of some sort to see how badly her lungs are damaged from the smoke. Jake, 31, meanwhile, was burned on 25 percent of his body and was preparing for surgery on his arms as well. He also suffered a collapsed lung and had to be intubated but is now able to breathe on his own, the post said. Family members say hes likely to remain in intensive care for the next two weeks, and will undergo anywhere between four and eight more surgeries in that time. The fundraiser has so far amassed more than $160,000 in donations for the couple, to help pay their medical bills. The page includes a number of photos of the couple and little Uriel smiling on their remote property just weeks ago. Mabry described the property as deeply isolated, with no cell phone service, electricity or running water, and the closest town is a 45 minute drive away. Incredibly Jake and Jamie did manage to escape the pick-up truck. They headed towards the Columbia River where they were miraculously found by rescuers gravely injured along a bank on Wednesday. Tragically, baby Uri was already dead, bringing the death toll from fires raging up and down the West Coast to seven The Cold Springs Fire is just one of a number of blazes currently decimating parts of the Pacific Northwest and California in recent days The Hyland family, who live outside Portland in Renton, had been visiting their house in Okanogan for the Labor Day weekend. According to Mabry, the couple had stopped at the property to drop off supplies on their way home from a wedding on Sunday. The Cold Springs Fire began at around 9:45pm that evening and reached the property within just a few hours. People have been making rude comments, about how dumb they are that they didnt get the evacuation notice, Mabrys wife Tammy revealed to The Daily Beast. It is off grid. I dont think people understand that. Mabry said the couple decided to leave their truck when it hit some rocks and became stuck. They fled on foot in the darkness early Monday morning, carrying only their young son and a jug of water. Authorities slated a search for Wednesday at 10am. Remarkably, they were discovered hours before by a boat from the Colville Tribes fish and wildlife agency thanks to a family member posting about the Hylands on a local fire watch page. Relatives said they were both shocked and thankful that Jamie and Jake were found alive. When you look at the scene, we were like we dont know how they could have survived. The truck is like something you couldnt believe, Tammy said. Being a mom was her dream, Tammie said of Jamie. She was made to be a mom. Mabry described his own overwhelming feelings when Jake and Jamie were found to Fox13. Though he and his cousin are 15-years apart in age, he said they both share a close bond. We had a common hero, Mabry told the network of Cloyd Paxton, their grandfather, who served in the Marines on the Pacific Front during World War II. Before his death, Mabry said he asked his grandfather what the hardest thing he had to face in life was. Paxtons reply had nothing to do about the war, instead it was burying his daughter, Mabry said. Now, Mabry said his younger cousin is facing the same tragic fate. For Jake, if Grandpa can do it you can do it. He didnt let that loss stop his heart for people, and I hope the same for you. In all the pain and all the hurt that you will overcome, like grandpa, he said. A GoFundME has so far amassed more than $160,000 in donations for the couple, to help pay their medical bills. The page includes a number of photos of the couple and little Uriel smiling on their remote property just weeks ago Ninety major fires in 13 states have torched more than 3.4 million acres over the past week - decimating entire towns in Washington, Oregon and California (Cold Springs Fire shown above) The Cold Springs Fire is just one of a number of blazes currently decimating parts of the Pacific Northwest and California in recent days. Ninety major fires in 13 states have torched more than 3.4 million acres over the past week - decimating entire towns in Washington, Oregon and California. In Oregon, a twelve-year-old boy named Wyatt Tofte and his grandmother Peggy Mosso were killed in a wildfire in the Santiam Valley. The fire also was suspected of causing at least one death outside of Ashland, Oregon, while another three were feared dead in the California Bear Fire that swept through Butte County on Tuesday night. The cause of the fire in Okanogan has not yet been determined, but County Sheriff Tony Hawley said Uri's death will be labeled a homicide if it turns out to be an arson. 'It would be treated as a homicide, if it were to be determined to be a human-caused, criminal fire,' the sheriff said. 'That's the way we're investigating this at this point, because if we don't collect everything at this point, we can't go back and do that.' Hawley said Uri's was one of the most tragic wildfire-related deaths he's seen in his 25 years with the sheriff's department. 'The death of a one-year-old doesn't even compare to when we reach our adulthood and we have choices to be places,' he said. 'To even be talking about the death of a one-year-old is just devastating.' Watch: Prince Harry to sue Mail on Sunday publisher over libellous news article Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have changed much about their dealings with the press since stepping back as senior members of the Royal Family in March. Other members of the Royal Family are no strangers to taking legal action, but for royals to take on so many cases at once is rare. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have shown they are willing to act when they feel they are facing a breach of privacy. They also do their utmost to protect their son Archie. Yahoo UK looks at each case the royals are fighting, both in the UK and the US. Duke of Sussex vs Mail on Sunday The duke launched legal action against the Mail on Sundays publishers, Associated Newspapers Ltd, for libel according to papers filed in the UK High Court at the end of November 2020. The Daily Telegraph reported the case related to a story in the Mail on Sunday which claimed the duke had not been in touch with the Royal Marines since stepping back from his senior royal position. No more information was available, and the Mail on Sunday has not commented. Duchess of Sussex vs Splash News and Pictures Meghan is suing the news agency Splash News and Pictures over images taken of her walking her dogs, with baby Archie, through the woods in Canada in January 2020. She is suing in her own right, but the action is also brought by Harry and Meghan on behalf of Archie. Harry and Meghan, here in South Africa in September 2019, are involved in multiple court battles. (PA Images) Meghan was out for a walk on 20 January when she was papped, her lawyers say, by a photographer who works for the US branch of Splash. The couple say the photographs are a misuse of Meghan and Archies private information and are in breach of the Data Protection Act. Their lawyer said in High Court that the photographer was casing the home they were staying in on Vancouver Island the day before the images were taken. The pictures were sold and used widely by Associated Newspapers and News Group, who publish papers like the Daily Mail and The Sun. Story continues Harry and Meghan have brought action against Splash in the UK, at the High Court, but sought permission to serve the claim against the US arm of the agency, which they were granted. Its not the first time they have gone to battle against Splash. In 2019, they accepted damages after Splash used a drone to take images above the home in the Cotswolds, which gave a view of their bedroom. Duchess of Sussex vs Associated Newspapers Ltd Perhaps the best known court case of the couples battles is the duchesss case against Associated Newspapers Ltd (ANL), over articles which appeared in the Mail On Sunday and on the MailOnline. The duchess is suing after parts of a letter she wrote to her father, which she says were private, were reprinted in the paper and then online. Read more: Why is Meghan Markle suing the Mail on Sunday? Harry and Meghan both announced legal action at the end of their tour of South Africa, pictured here. (Getty Images) Meghan, 39, is suing for damages citing alleged misuse of private information, copyright infringement and breach of the Data Protection Act. She sent her father, Thomas Markle, the letter in August 2018, and it was referenced by her friends in an article for People magazine about six months later, in February 2019. Claiming he needed to defend himself, Markle then spoke to the Mail On Sunday, and showed them the letter, parts of which were then printed in the paper and online. Meghan says she did not know her friends would be speaking to People magazine, and that her father was manipulated. The article was headlined: Revealed: The handwritten letter showing true tragedy of Meghan's rift with father she says has 'broken her heart into a million pieces' - and why he feels forced to make the 'devastating' missive public. The case has already had two big court dates - one won by Meghan and the other by ANL. ANL won their bid to have parts of the duchesss case struck out, but Meghan won the right to keep the names of her five friends secret for now. ANL denies the allegations, particularly Meghans claim the letter was edited in any way. It says it will hotly contest the case. The case is expected to go to full trial next year. Read more: Eight times the Royal Family has sued the media Meghan and Harry sued over pictures taken when they were staying in this part of Los Angeles, in a home believed to be owned by Tyler Perry. (AFP) Duke and Duchess of Sussex vs Unknown Paparazzi Harry and Meghan filed legal action against unknown photographers at the end of July, as they accused paparazzi of having an insatiable appetite for harassing and intruding on their private lives. The couple claimed in court papers that photographers were using drones and long lenses to get pictures of their son in the home they had been living in in LA, believed to belong to Hollywood producer Tyler Perry. Harry and Meghan have moved since then, to a new home which they have bought and are understood to have a mortgage on. The couple does not know who has taken the images of them, and so the legal action was filed against multiple unnamed photographers. The action is intended to put prospective buyers of the photographs on notice that they are illegal images, and hope to uncover who took them in order to have the pictures handed over. They also suggest they will take any other appropriate action against the photographer. The papers add: In particular, the couple recently learned that someone is shopping photographs of their 14-month-old son, Archie, falsely claiming to have taken them on a recent public outing in Malibu. But Archie has not been in public, let alone in Malibu, since the family arrived here. Duke of Sussex vs The Sun and The Mirror Prince Harry confirmed in October 2019 that he was taking action against the owners of The Sun, The Mirror and the defunct News of the World, for alleged phone hacking. Buckingham Palace said papers were filed for the prince at the High Court, about alleged interception of phone messages, and News Group, which owns The Sun and used to own News of the World, confirmed a claim was issued. Read more: The 360: What has been the reaction to Harry and Meghan's huge deal with Netflix? Harry, during one of his last royal engagements, in March 2020, is suing over phone hacking. (AFP) Court filings reported by Byline Investigates appear to show two separate cases, made in the princes name, one against Rupert Murdochs News Group, and the other against Reach Plcs group MGN. Reach is the publisher for The Mirror. The BBC reported some of the claims were understood to predate 2010, and Jonny Dymond, the organisations royal correspondent, said the action goes back to the phone hacking scandal of the 2000s. Phone hacking was a major scandal from 2007 and Princes William, Harry and then Kate Middleton were all named in the trial. More than 500m has been paid out to victims of phone hacking over the years in settlements and legals costs. Update: The missing wallaby was located safe Thursday evening near the Watauga Flats farm, according to the owner. PINEY FLATS, Tenn. - The owners of a small farm in the Watauga Flats area of Piney Flats area are asking for assistance find their missing wallaby. Daniel Sochalski, said they noticed last night that Wally, their 4-year-old wallaby, had escaped from their small family farm when he did not come out for food. They searched in the area around their home but were unable to find him. He said he believes the wallaby is still within a two mile area of his home. Sochalski added that while they are looking for assistance finding it, he also advised anyone who spots the wallaby to call him rather than approach and possibly startle it. He asked that people call him instead and a tip that helps them recover the animal may result in a reward. Wallabies are smaller relatives of kangaroos and are endemic to Australia and New Guinea. Matthew Cameron, a wildlife information specialist with the Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency, said a permit is not required to possess a wallaby in Tennessee and the agency is not involved with the search. Cameron added that wallabies may be potentially dangerous to humans, especially if they are cornered or feel threatened. Sochalski said the wallaby originally came from a petting zoo and is generally friendly, but could become scared if anyone tries to grab him or pick him up. "He's friendly, but he's like any other wild animal, he needs to be treated with respect," Sochalski said. However, he said if people want to keep the Wallaby in one spot, they can leave out dog food, cat food or fresh fruit. Sochalski said they will come get the wallaby. "The worst thing to do would be to push him away," Sochalski said. Sightings of the wallaby can be reported to Sochalski's phone number at (423) 895-3865. Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-12 01:35:49|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BRUSSELS, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- Members of the European Parliament's environment committee on Friday voted for tougher emissions reductions, calling for an ambitious 60 percent reduction by 2030. The MEPs supported the European Commission's overall aim to enshrine the climate neutrality goal by 2050 in European Union (EU) legislation but at the same time demanded a more ambitious 2030 target, the committee said in a statement. They called for emissions to be reduced by 60 percent by 2030 compared to 1990, instead of "at least 50 percent towards 55 percent" proposed by the Commission. The Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety adopted the report on the EU climate law with 46 votes for, 18 against and 17 abstentions. The MEPs also demanded that an interim target for 2040 is to be proposed by the Commission following an impact assessment, to ensure the EU is on track to reach carbon neutrality in 2050. Contrary to the Commission's proposal, the committee also wanted both the EU and all member states individually to become climate neutral by 2050 and they called for sufficient EU and member state financing. Fossil fuel subsidies should be phased out by Dec.31, 2025 at the latest, they underlined. The European Parliament will vote on its first reading during the October plenary session, after which it is ready to start negotiations with member states. Enditem Were having a virtual festival on those days and when people have had their fill of binge watching and everything else, we will be providing content with celebrities and well as information about beer and food pairings and interviews with some of the founders of the beer movement, Obenchain said. Lest we forget, one day before the 9/11 attacks [as well as on the morning of 9/11, the dad of the sitting President of the United States of America, George Herbert Walker Bush was meeting none other than Shafiq bin Laden, the brother of the alleged terror mastermind Osama bin Laden. It was a routine business meeting on September 10-11, no conflict of interest, no relationship to the 9/11 attacks which allegedly were carried out on the orders of Shafiqs brother Osama, no FBI investigation into the links between the Bush and bin Laden families. What is presented below is a factual account. Confirmed by the Washington Post, fellow investors of the Carlyle Group including Osamas brother Shafiq bin Laden and Dubyas dad former President George H. W. Bush met in the plush surroundings of New Yorks Ritz-Carlton Hotel on September 10-11, 2001. Their business encounter under the auspices of the Carlyle Group was unfortunately interrupted on September 11 by the 9/11 attacks. It didnt help that as the World Trade Center burned on Sept. 11, 2001, the news interrupted a Carlyle business conference at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel here attended by a brother of Osama bin Laden [Shafiq bin Laden]. Former president Bush [senior], a fellow investor, had been with him at the conference the previous day. (Greg Schneider, Pairing the Powerful With the Rich, Washington Post, March 16, 2003) screenshot Washington Post, March 16, 2003 A timely business meeting on September 10-11 at the Ritz Carlton with Osamas brother disrupted by the 9/11 attacks: pure coincidence, totally unrelated to the 9/11 attacks. What was GWBs Dad Poppy doing with Osamas brother Shafiq on September 10? Media coverup: the WP report came out 18 months later in March 2003. There was no media coverage of the Shafiq bin Laden G. Herbert W. Bush meeting in September 2001. The event was known, yet mainstream media editors decided not to provide coverage of this timely 9/11 encounter at the Ritz Carleton. A day later, on the evening of September 11, 2001, president George W. Bush pronounced a historic speech in which he defined the relationship between terrorists and state sponsors of terrorism: The search is underway for those who are behind these evil acts. Ive directed the full resources of our intelligence and law enforcement communities to find those responsible and to bring them to justice. We will make no distinction between the terrorists who committed these acts and those who harbor them. (emphasis added) Lets be clear as to what happened: the dad of the sitting president of the US was harboring (to use GWBs expression) the brother of the alleged terror mastermind of the 9/11 attacks. Should the president have not instructed the law enforcement communities to at least question his dad? Click to order Michel Chossudovskys International Best Seller directly from Global Research Why was Poppy Bushs meeting with Osama bin Ladens brother Shafiq not subject to the normal rules of police investigation. What were you doing with Osamas brother. Why was this not the object of investigative media reporting or US Congressional enquiry? Also in attendance at the Ritz Carlton meetings were former secretary of defense Frank Carlucci, former secretary of state James Baker III, and other unnamed members of the bin Laden family. The bin Laden Bush Carlyle Group meeting was also confirmed by The Economist in a June 2003 article entitled C- for Capitalism (see screenshot below): ON the day Osama bin Ladens men attacked America, Shafiq bin Laden, described as an estranged brother of the terrorist, was at an investment conference in Washington, DC, along with two people who are close to President George Bush: his father, the first President Bush, and James Baker, the former secretary of state who masterminded the legal campaign that secured Dubyas move to the White House. The conference was hosted by the Carlyle Group, a private equity firm that manages billions of dollars, including, at the time, some bin Laden family wealth. It also employs Messrs Bush and Baker. In the immediate aftermath of the attacks, when no one was being allowed in or out of the United States, many members of the bin Laden family in America were spirited home to Saudi Arabia. The revival of defence spending that followed greatly increased the value of the Carlyle Groups investments in defence companies. The Carlyle Group is embroiled with the defense and intelligence establishment. It is widely regarded as an extension of the US government, or at least the National Security Agency, the CIA, and the Pentagon. (The Economist June 26, 2003) screenshot of Economist report Double standards in anti-terrorism legislation? Double standards in police and law enforcement? Double standards in media coverage. No questions asked. No police investigation or interrogation of Osamas brother Shafiq. Normally, under established rules of police investigation, both Shafig bin Laden and the presidents dad George Herbert Walker Bush would have been remanded in custody for police questioning and in all likelihood, Shafiq bin Laden would have been arrested as a potential suspect. But that did not happen. In 2003, the CBC brought out a carefully investigated report which focusses on the bin Laden-Bush family connections: No Travel Ban for the Bin Ladens The presence of members of the bin Laden family meeting up with the father of the president of the United States was hushed up and 13 members of the bin Ladens including Shafig were flown out of the US on September 19, 2001 in a plane chartered by the White House. Meanwhile, suspected Muslims are arrested on a mere suspicion, e.g. that they have an old school friend, whos cousins 86 year old grandmother is an alleged sympathizer of the jihad. The Global War on Terrorism is Born On the day following the departure of the bin Ladens, President Bush delivered an address to a joint session of the House and the Senate (September 20, 2001), in which he stated unequivocally his administrations intent to pursue nations that provide aid or safe haven to terrorism, with no exceptions (e.g. Saudi Arabia and Pakistan) We will starve terrorists of funding, turn them one against another, drive them from place to place, until there is no refuge or no rest. And we will pursue nations that provide aid or safe haven to terrorism. Every nation, in every region, now has a decision to make. Either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists. (Applause.) From this day forward, any nation that continues to harbor or support terrorism will be regarded by the United States as a hostile regime [state sponsor of terrorism]. President George W. Bush, 20 September 2001 (emphasis added) The Bushes and the bin Ladens, theyre with us and with the terrorists. Acne can affect nearly 50 million Americans yearly. People of all skin types and complexions are affected by it. Acne is often followed by dark spots or patches called hyperpigmentation, for people with skin of color. Luckily, dermatologists from the American Academy of Dermatology state there are lots of things people with skin of color can try at home to help clear their acne, as well as the dark spots that remain afterward. "Acne is the most prevalent condition of the skin in the U.S., and it can be especially frustrating for people with skin of color as discoloration and scarring that can occur after pimples heal," reports board-certified dermatologist Crystal Aguh, MD, FAAD. On September 10, 2020, the U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut entered a final consent judgment against the former Vice President of a telecommunications expense management company for his role in fraudulent accounting practices that artificially boosted company revenues between 2013 and 2015. As alleged in the complaint filed on September 4, 2018, Donald J. Farias was the Senior Vice President of Expense Management Operations for Connecticut-based Tangoe Inc., which improperly recognized approximately $40 million of revenue out of a total of $566 million reported between 2013 and 2015. In some instances, Tangoe allegedly reported revenue prematurely for work that had not been performed and for transactions that did not produce any revenue at all. In other instances, the complaint alleges that Tangoe improperly recognized revenue that was unlikely to ever be collected. According to the complaint, Farias, who headed the operations group where many problematic transactions originated, provided false information to Tangoe's finance department. The complaint also alleges that Farias falsified business records, some of which were provided to Tangoe's external auditors to support revenue recognition decisions. At the time of the filing of the complaint, Tangoe, its former CEO, former CFO, and former Vice President of Finance, agreed to settle the SEC's charges and to pay civil penalties, leaving Farias as the only remaining defendant. Farias consented to the entry of a final judgment that permanently enjoins him from violations of the antifraud provisions of Sections 17(a)(1) and 17(a)(3) of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rules 10b-5(a) and 10b-5(c) thereunder; the record-keeping and internal controls provisions of Section 13(b)(5) of the Exchange Act and Rules 13b2-1 and 13b2-2 thereunder; and aiding and abetting violations of Sections 13(a), 13(b)(2)(A), 13(b)(2)(B) of the Exchange Act and Rules 12b-20, 13a-1, 13a-11, and 13a-13 thereunder. The final judgment also bars Farias from serving as an officer or director of a public company for five years, and orders him to pay a $40,000 civil penalty. The SEC's case was handled by Xinyue Angela Lin, Deena R. Bernstein, Eric Forni, Trevor Donelan, and Paul G. Block of the Boston Regional Office. Lupita Nyongo says Chadwick Bosemans power lives on Lupita Nyongo has written a stirring tribute to her late Black Panther co-star Chadwick Boseman, calling him a man whose power will reverberate for generations. I write these words from a place of hopelessness, to honor a man who had great hope, the actress writes in the message posted to her social media accounts Tuesday, 11 days after Bosemans death from colon cancer at age 43. The news of his passing is a punch to my gut every morning. Nyongo, who played Nakia opposite Bosemans TChalla in the blockbuster 2018 film, says she was struck by his quiet, powerful presence and an energy that seemed immortal which manifested itself through his carefully chosen words. ADVERTISEMENT He used his mouth to build, to edify, never to break, she writes. And he used is to tell some regrettably lame dad jokes. She says Boseman cared so much about humanity, about Black people, about his people and that his power lives on and will reverberate for generations to come. Nyongos words follow similar tributes in recent days from Black Panther director Ryan Coogler and co-star Michael B. Jordan. He made great art. Day after day, year after year, Coogler said in a statement. That was who he was. He was an epic firework display. Jordan wrote directly to Boseman, saying, Everything youve given the world the legends and heroes that youve shown us we are will live on forever. But the thing that hurts the most is that I now understand how much of a legend and hero YOU are. Ethiopias government is aiming to sell two new mobile network operator licences by February 2021. The move is part of a government push towards liberalising the countrys telecoms sector which will also involve selling a minority stake in state-owned incumbent Ethio Telecom, which has long been the sole player in the market. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmeds government intended to hold auctions this year, but the process was stalled by multiple factors including the Covid-19 pandemic, issues around regulation, and a delayed national election, reports Bloomberg. Eyob Tekalign, the state minister of finance, said: We have a February, January timeline for both processes. The reform is fully on track. In mid-2018, Abiy promised that the telecoms sector would be at the heart of a push towards privatisation in a bid to boost the economy via improved connectivity. Candidates for the licence include Orange, MTN and Vodafone. The French firm is considered a forerunner according to Bloombergs report, and an Orange spokesperson said that the group was readying its proposal. In a statement, MTN said: The Ethiopian authorities have said that 12 directives will be issued that will enable us to put together a business case and an investment caseThis is still work in progress and we have not yet made any decision on the opportunity. Meanwhile, arranging the sale of a 40% holding in Ethio Telecom is proving harder than anticipated for the countrys government partly due to the size of the stake. Ethiopia has a population of over 100 million and many companies view it as one of the last major markets yet to be liberalised. Tekalign noted that the value of the spectrum had been finalised, and that there is very, very strong interest across the world -- companies from Asia, Europe, Africa. IDAHO FALLS, Idaho An Idaho Falls woman has been charged with involuntary manslaughter in connection to the death of Bonneville County Sheriffs Office deputy Wyatt Maser on May 18. Maser, who grew up in Casper, was responding to a single-vehicle crash involving Jenna Nichole Holm, 35, when he was hit by a fellow deputy responding to the scene near the intersection of Bone Road and Lincoln Road. According to the probable cause affidavit by an Idaho State Police detective Michael Cox, Holm ignored orders from Deputy Benjamin Bottcher attempting to assist her, and at one point threatened Maser with a machete as he exited his patrol vehicle. The affidavit states Bottcher recognized Holm from when he had worked in the Bonneville County Jail. Holm reportedly backed away from Maser after he drew his gun. After Maser informed Bonneville County Dispatch that he had Holm at gunpoint, Holm began walking north and ignored the deputies commands. Bottcher and Maser told her to drop the machete, that she was at risk of being hit while walking in the road, and that they wanted to help her. Bottcher drew his Taser. Holm reportedly ran toward a truck owned by a bystander who had reported the crash to law enforcement and began hitting something in the truck bed with the machete. The affidavit states there was a dog in the bed of the truck, though its unclear whether the dog was what Holm was attempting to hit. Bottcher used the Taser on Holm, and she fell to the ground. The affidavit states that as Maser crossed the road, he was focused on Holm due to the threat she had posed to the deputies, the dog and the truck owner. As Maser crossed the road to apprehend Holm, Sgt. Randy Flegel was arriving on scene and reportedly hit Maser with his vehicle. Maser succumbed to his injuries after deputies and emergency medical services attempted to revive him. Hundreds attended the funeral for Maser, who was born in Thermopolis and graduated Kelly Walsh High School in 2014. Flegel was placed on paid administrative leave after the incident. Sheriffs Office Public Information Officer Sgt. Bryan Lovell said Flegel has since returned to work in an administrative role, but is not acting as a law enforcement officer, pending the results of an internal investigation. Though Holm is not accused of directly killing Maser, the affidavit states she should be held partially responsible because her reported crimes caused Maser to be distracted, leading to his death. There is legal precedent for charging a suspect for the death of an officer they did not directly cause. In 2019, two men in New York were charged with second-degree murder after an officer was killed by friendly fire. Police were responding to a robbery the men were accused of committing. Holm is charged with involuntary manslaughter, punishable with up to 10 years in prison, and aggravated assault, punishable with up to five years in prison. Her bond was set at $100,000. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Sept. 23 at the Bonneville County Courthouse. Love 3 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 4 Angry 10 Town plan: Newmarket Square in the Liberties, where the apartments will be built Carrey Issuer, a firm understood to be backed by Bain Capital, has been given the go-ahead to build more than 400 build-to-rent apartments in Dublin's Liberties. The site at Newmarket Square on which the apartments will be built had previously secured permission for a 239-bedroom hotel, 92 apartments and office space. The site was sold for more than 30m and had been previously owned by Blenders, the sauce company controlled by the Simpson family. Carrey Issuer revamped plans for the site, cutting the size of the proposed hotel to 151 bedrooms and eliminating the planned office space. It teamed up with a firm connected to Premier Inns to submit an application for the revised hotel plan. Carrey Issuer has just secured permission from An Bord Pleanala to build 413 apartments on the site. They include 203 studios, 136 one-bedroom apartments, 72 two-bedroom units and two three-bedroom properties. There will also be facilities including a gym and cinema room. "The board considered that the proposed development would constitute an acceptable residential density in this suburban location, would not seriously injure the residential or visual amenities of the area, would be acceptable in terms of urban design, height and quantum of development and would be acceptable in terms of pedestrian and traffic safety," said the planning watchdog. Separately, An Bord Pleanala has granted permission for the construction of 324 apartments on a site at Santry in north Dublin. The application was made by the owner of the Omni Park Shopping Centre, which the development site adjoins. Omni is owned by building firm MKN and private clients of Goodbody. The local council had recommended that plans for the project be rejected. There were 56 submissions made from third parties in relation to the plans, which were submitted for appraisal under the fast-tack Strategic Housing Development initiative. An Bord Pleanala noted that submissions included assertions that the SHD process is flawed and that the proposed density was excessive. The scheme will range in height from five to 12 storeys. Dublin City Council said it did not consider that sufficient change could be brought about by planning conditions which would require amendments to the proposed development and as such, recommended refusal of the application. "I agree with the applicant's submission that the site offers a unique opportunity to accommodate height without undue detriment to neighbouring property," noted an An Bord Pleanala inspector. "The increased building height has been strategically positioned to the northwest corner and north of the site, as no overshadowing of existing residents can occur in this area," the inspector added. The plans also include the development of an 81-bedroom aparthotel. Submissions also raised concerns about this element of the plan. Bahrain and Israel have agreed to establish diplomatic relations, President Donald Trump announced Friday, with the Persian Gulf nation following neighbor the United Arab Emirates in forging formal ties with the Jewish state. Trump and the leaders of Bahrain and Israel spoke Friday, and issued a joint statement that Trump tweeted shortly after he returned from a ceremony in Shanksville, Pa., commemorating the Sept. 11 terror attacks. "This is a historic breakthrough to further peace in the Middle East," the joint statement read. "Opening direct dialogue and ties between these two dynamic societies and advanced economies will continue the positive transformation of the Middle East and increase stability, security and prosperity in the region." Trump first announced the news on Twitter and then addressed it in an Oval Office appearance. "Even great warriors get tired of fighting, and they're tired of fighting," Trump said. Israel and Bahrain are not at war, although like other Arab states, Bahrain backs Palestinian claims to land and rights. Egypt and Jordan were the only Arab states to have made formal peace with Israel before the UAE agreement last month. Bahrain is not fully normalizing relations, as UAE has done, and considers Friday's announcement a first step, a person close to the Bahraini royal family said. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to address the matter on the record. Bahrain is sending its foreign minister to the White House next week to attend a signing ceremony between Israel and UAE, the person said. Bahrain is among at least two smaller Persian Gulf states expected to follow the UAE's lead. Trump spoke to the leader of the other, Oman, earlier this week. Bahrain was the site last year of the Trump administration's rollout of an economic plan for peace between Israel and the Palestinians. The more sensitive political plan was released in January, including a map of a provisional Palestinian state in the West Bank. Palestinian leaders rejected the plan without holding negotiations, and since then Trump administration efforts have focused on establishing direct ties between Israel and its other neighbors in a bid both to give Israel greater security and to apply pressure on Palestinian leaders to open talks. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a video celebrating the news. "We have invested in peace for many years and now peace will invest in us," Netanyahu said. "It will lead to very large investments in the Israeli economy," he said. _____ The Washington Posts Steve Hendrix contributed from Jerusalem. (Alliance News) - Aviva PLC on Friday said it has agreed to sell a majority stake in its Singapore unit in a deal which the insurer explained will bolster its finances and aid in its bid to reduce debt. Last month, new Chief Executive Officer Amanda Blanc stamped her authority on the insurer by announcing the company would reduce its focus on Asia and Europe in a strategy shift, to instead focus on the UK, Ireland and Canada. Aviva said it will net SGD2.7 billion, about GBP1.6 billion from the consortium of buyers, led by Singapore Life Ltd. The deal will create one of Singapore's "leading insurance companies". "The combination brings together Aviva Singapore's scale and leading franchise with Singlife's innovative and digitally focused capabilities. In Singapore, the new business will be initially branded as Aviva Singlife," Aviva explained. The consideration is comprised of SGD2.0 billion in cash and marketable securities, SGD250 million worth of vendor finance notes and 25% stake in the new group. Aviva noted the deal would have strengthened its June 30 net asset value by GBP700 million, its Solvency II capital surplus by GBP500 million and "group solvency ratio on a shareholder basis by approximately 4 percentage points". "The proceeds will be used to further strengthen Aviva's central liquidity and will be considered as part of Aviva's broader capital management and debt reduction objectives," Aviva noted. The company expects the deal to close by January 2021. Blanc said: "The sale of Aviva Singapore is a significant first step in our new strategy to bring greater focus to Aviva's portfolio. We have achieved excellent upfront value for shareholders but have also retained an investment in a leading Singapore life business with attractive long term growth potential. The proceeds from the sale will further strengthen our financial position and enhance our ability to meet our strategic objectives." Aviva shares were 3.2% higher at 298.00 pence each in London on Friday afternoon. By Eric Cunha; ericcunha@alliancenews.com Copyright 2020 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. Welcome Guest! You Are Here: Will schools in Maharashtra reopen next week amid rising Omicron cases? Proposal sent to CM Schools in Mumbai to reopen with rest of Maharashtra on Monday Ex-Navy officer beaten for forwarding cartoon on Maharashtra CM India oi-Deepika S Mumbai, Sep 11: The Mumbai Police late on Friday night arrested four workers of the Shiv Sena for assaulting a retired Indian Navy officer. Madan Sharma, 65, was allegedly thrashed by Sena workers for forwarding on WhatsApp a cartoon featuring Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray. One of those arrested has been identified as Kamlesh Kadam, a Sena shakhapramukh, along with three party workers while two others are on the run. The incident took place around 11.30 am in Lokhandwala Complex area in suburban Kandivali, an official said. "Retired Navy officer Madan Sharma had forwarded a cartoon on Thackeray on a WhatsApp group. Some Sena workers went to his house and beat him up. Sharma sustained an eye injury and is being treated at hospital," he said. A case under IPC section 325 (causing grievous hurt) and provisions related to rioting was registered against six persons though no arrest has been made so far, the official informed. "8-10 persons attacked & beat me up today, after I received threatening calls for a message that I had forwarded. I have worked for the nation my entire life. A government like this should not exist," said Madan Sharma, retired Navy officer who was attacked today in Mumbai. "He received threats for forwarding a message. A number of people from Shiv Sena attacked him. Later, the police came to our residence and insisted on taking my father with them. We've registered an FIR, said Dr Sheela Sharma, daughter of former Navy officer who was attacked today in Mumbai. Former Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis slammed the Thackeray government over reports of the assault. "Extremely sad and shocking incident. Retired Naval Officer got beaten up by goons because of just a WhatsApp forward. Please stop this GundaRaj Hon Uddhav Thackeray ji. We demand strong action and punishment to these goons," he said on Twitter. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Sept.11 By Asif Mehman - Trend: The damage caused to Azerbaijan as a result of the Armenian occupation along with destroying invaluable monuments of history and culture is estimated at more than $23 trillion, Trend reports. Armenia has not only occupied 20 percent of the territory of Azerbaijan, but also destroyed national cultural monuments in these territories. As a result of Armenian vandalism, the Azykh and Taghlar caves, being the first human settlements, were destroyed, while areas of ancient Garakopaktapa and Uzarliktapa settlements are currently used for military purposes. Cemeteries, tombs, mosques, monuments of ancient Caucasian Albania in the territories of Shusha district in Nagorno-Karabakh region, and surrounding Lachin, Kalbajar, Zangilan and Fuzuli districts, as well as national and cultural values testifying to the existence of Azerbaijanis in these lands, were vandalized. Armenians painted names on the Azykh Cave walls (Khojavend district, Nagorno-Karabakh region) Azerbaijani MP Zhale Aliyeva noted that one example can be given: all the literary pieces created in Azerbaijani poet Ashig Shamshirs homeland (Kelbajar district), written by Miskin Abdal, Ashig Gurban and Ashig Shamshir, were burned by Armenians. The monuments to Khan Shushinsky, Uzeyir Hajibayli and Khurshudbanu Natavan were desecrated. Livestock kept by Armenians in mosques in the occupied territories. It should be noted that the actions of Armenians in the occupied territories, including deliberate destruction of the local historical and cultural monuments contradict the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the event of Armed Conflict, the 1992 European and the 1972 UNESCO Conventions. The destruction of Azerbaijani monuments by Armenians in the occupied territories still continues. They carry out non-professional excavations in the occupied territories, and take the findings to Armenia. In total, 13 world, 292 national and 330 local monuments of history and culture are located in the occupied territories, 22 museums with more than 40,000 exhibits, 927 libraries with 4.6 million books, 808 clubs, 4 theaters and 2 concert halls, 8 parks of culture and recreation, 4 art galleries, 85 music schools. All these important facilities are still being destroyed by Armenian occupiers. 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. They may not have been spies, but ASIO believes they could have been acting on behalf of spies. Loading The raids on Moselmane and the journalists were the first connected to Australia's foreign interference laws legislated by the Turnbull government in 2018, which criminalise "covert, deceptive and threatening actions" by individuals acting on behalf of a foreign government. This week, some commentators have been linking what the journalists and academics said publicly or wrote in articles with foreign interference. This is slightly missing the point. Under Australian law, you can say pretty much anything you want - even if it perfectly aligns with the talking points of the Chinese Communist Party. You can say that Beijing's actions in the South China Sea are a great urban renewal project. You can say that Chinese President Xi Jinping deserves a Nobel Peace Prize for his treatment of Uighurs in Xinjiang. You only break the law when you are saying these things secretly at the direction of a foreign government to influence local politics. It should also be pointed out that all Chinese-state linked media operating in Australia are an extension of the CCP's overseas propaganda arm, the United Front Work Department. Australian authorities are not questioning every Chinese journalist in the country. They held a particular concern about the activities of these four journalists. Did the government consider the consequences? Of course it did. It would be gross negligence not to. Members of the national security committee of cabinet, which includes Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Foreign Minister Marise Payne, were briefed on the raids. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade was also kept in the loop. At the time, the government was aware of the risk to Australian journalists in China. But it also maintained that the activities of Australian correspondents in China should not be compared with what the four Chinese journalists had been up to in Australia. When Australian-Chinese television news anchor Cheng Lei was detained last month, DFAT became more concerned for the safety of Smith and Birtles and then advised their employers to get them out of the country. The government has not ruled out the possibility that the treatment of Smith and Birtles was retribution for the ASIO raids. With all that in mind, any Australian government would be reticent to tell ASIO or the AFP not to execute a search warrant because of the policy implications. To intervene, the consequences for going ahead with the operation would have to be huge. In almost every case, security agencies should be left to do their job without political interference. It should also be pointed out that the ASIO questioning was nothing like the treatment of Smith and Birtles. There was no midnight door knock, no travel ban and the Chinese journalists left the country on their own accord. Loading But are the consequences worth it? If the treatment of Smith and Birtles was payback for the ASIO questioning, that's a big price to pay. Australia now has no accredited journalists in China for the first time since 1973. If the detention of Cheng was also retribution, that's even more concerning. Welcoming the Launch of Afghanistan Peace Negotiations Press Statement Michael R. Pompeo, Secretary of State September 10, 2020 The United States welcomes the announcement that Afghanistan peace negotiations will begin on September 12th. The start of these talks marks a historic opportunity for Afghanistan to bring an end to four decades of war and bloodshed. The people of Afghanistan have carried the burden of war for too long. They yearn for peace. Only through an Afghan-owned, Afghan-led political process one that respects the views of all Afghan communities, including women and ethnic and religious minorities can the parties achieve a durable peace. This opportunity must not be squandered. Immense sacrifice and investment by the United States, our partners, and the people of Afghanistan have made this moment of hope possible. I urge the negotiators to demonstrate the pragmatism, restraint, and flexibility this process will require to succeed. The people of Afghanistan and the international community will be watching closely. The United States is prepared to support as requested. The United States recalls the commitment by the Afghan government and the Taliban that terrorists can never again use Afghan soil to threaten the United States or its allies. Now is the time for peace for Afghanistan. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address 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 Martha Kalifatidis has won fans with her bathroom hack, which she posted on Instagram Stories recently. The 31-year-old former Married At First Sight star shared her clever idea for updating the shelf in her shower. Filming the old shelf, Martha admitted it had seen better days and was in desperate need of an upgrade. Clever idea: Martha Kalifatidis has won fans with her bathroom hack, which she posted on Instagram Stories recently 'This is my current shelf in the shower. No matter how many times I Jif it or clean it these marks don't come off and it's all peeling off,' she said. She then revealed she'd sourced a company on Instagram that made marble trays, asking them to create one to the measurements of her existing shelf. The former reality star then secured the tray on top of her existing shelf, essentially creating a brand new shower shelf. Getting an update: Filming her old shower shelf, Martha admitted it had seen better days and was in desperate need of an upgrade No renovation needed: The 31-year-old former Married At First Sight star shared her clever idea for updating the shelf in her shower 'How much cuter is the marble shelf? Oh my God, so much better. Love that! Might get a few more now, just for everything else,' she added. In an interview with Daily Mail Australia back in March, Martha admitted that it had been an adjustment moving in with her boyfriend of almost two years, Michael Brunelli, after they relocated to Sydney from Melbourne. 'We've got a lot to learn about living together, but that's part of being in a relationship, and we're getting there,' she said at the time. Shacking up: In an interview with Daily Mail Australia back in March, Martha admitted that it had been an adjustment moving in with her boyfriend of almost two years, Michael Brunelli She then listed things the 29-year-old does which annoy her, including his tendency to only rinse dishes and standing in front of the fridge with the door open. 'Another thing he does that annoys me is he runs the shower water when he's not in the shower,' she added. 'I just feel like it's so wasteful! That is something that breaks my heart. Don't run the water if you're not in there!' Numerous wildfires burning in Oregon's forested valleys and along the coast have destroyed hundreds of homes and caused mass evacuations. Farther north, flames devoured buildings and huge tracts of land in Washington state. Officials said the number of simultaneous fires and the damage caused was unprecedented. Several deaths were reported, including a one-year-old boy in Washington state. Oregon governor Kate Brown said communities have been "substantially destroyed" and warned there could be numerous fatalities. Ms Brown said Oregon could see the greatest loss of life and property from wildfires in state history. The small towns of Phoenix and Talent in southern Oregon were heavily damaged. Another fire levelled most of the small farming town of Malden in eastern Washington - burning down the fire station, post office, city hall and library. In Washington state, a fire burned almost 2,000 square kilometres of forest, brush and shrubland, Washington governor Jay Inslee said after a 30-minute tour of the fire area in Sumner, east of Tacoma. Mr Inslee said low humidity, high temperatures and winds combined to make the blaze one of "the most catastrophic fires we've had in the history of the state". Lloyd Dean Holland, a Vietnam veteran, barely escaped his home in Estacada on Tuesday night. Mr Holland said Oregon State Police had warned him to leave earlier in the day, but the fire seemed far away and he decided to stay. Around 10pm, he said, his landlord came pounding on the door screaming at him to go. He left his rental house as flames exploded in cedar trees around him. He found his dog, Gus, waiting in his truck. He said his sole remaining possessions - rifles, dentures and some clothing - were also in the truck. "I've been through hell and high water but nothing like this. I've been shot down and shot at but this - last night, I'm still not over it," Mr Holland said. Fires were also causing chaos in California, where thousands of homes where threatened after winds whipped up a blaze that incinerated houses in a small mountain community and killed at least three people. Several other people have been critically burned and hundreds of homes and other buildings are believed to have been damaged or destroyed by the fire northeast of San Francisco, authorities said. Experts say California's fires are growing bigger and moving faster than they ever have before. On his first visit to Bihar after assuming charge as the BJP election in-charge in Bihar, former Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday said late Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajputs death is not a poll issue, but his party would not rest till Rajput gets justice. The way Sushants case was going on, no one thought of justice. This is not an election issue, this is a common mans issue. The BJP will not remain silent till justice is done, he said. Fadnavis said there was no difference in the NDA over seat adjustment for the forthcoming assembly elections. LJP is with the NDA and all three allies will contest elections together, he said. Also read: Rhea Chakraborty being kept in jail cell without bed, pillow or fan: Report Earlier in the day, Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) patron Ram Vilas Paswan had said he will stand firmly with whatever decision his son and LJP chief Chirag Paswan takes on the partys ties. BJP sources said Chirag was scheduled to meet Union home minister Amit Shah to discuss the issue. Fadnavis said, Every party in alliance has its own requirement. This doesnt mean that a party is parting ways. Later in the evening, BJP national president JP Nadda arrived on a two-day visit to the state and held a meeting of the partys election coordination committee which was attended by BJPs Bihar in-charge Bhupendra Yadav, Devendra Fadnavis, deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi, state BJP president Dr Sanjay Jaiswal, union minister Nityanand Rai and others. On Saturday, Nadda will be visiting Darbhanga and Muzaffarpur. He is also scheduled to hold BJPs core committee meeting. SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspected reconstruction work in a flood-hit area, state media KCNA reported on Saturday, following a series of typhoons and the wettest monsoon that battered several parts of the country. Kim said the North Korean economy "has faced trouble and distress at the great damage caused by the recent series of heavy rain and typhoons," according to KCNA. Kim expressed satisfaction on the progress of the reconstruction in Taechong-ri, a village in North Hwanghae province, the report said. After surveying typhoon damage earlier this week in his impoverished country, Kim told Workers' Party loyalists they would have to rethink plans for an economy already hobbled by sanctions and more recently restrictions designed to contain the novel coronavirus. (Reporting by Joori Roh; editing by Grant McCool) A former top official in Chechnya's separatist government, Akhmed Zakayev, who resides in London, says his relatives have been detained in Chechnya after a video statement he posted online condemning the humiliation of a teenage activist. Zakayev told RFE/RL on September 10 that his two brothers and two sisters, as well as their children residing in Chechnya, had been detained and taken away by men belonging to unknown organizations. Zakayev linked the detainments with his September 8 online video statement condemning the torture and humiliation of a 19-year-old Chechen activist, who criticized Chechen police and the region's authoritarian leader, Ramzan Kadyrov, on the opposition 1ADAT Telegram channel. Zakayev in the statement called himself a moderator of the 1ADAT Telegram channel and condemned Chechen authorities for recording the teenagers humiliation and placing the video on the Internet, calling the ordeal a gross shame. On September 9, Chechen parliament speaker Magomed Daudov publicly said that Zakayev will be "held responsible" for his involvement in the activities of the 1ADAT Telegram channel. Zakayev, 61, served as culture minister, deputy prime minister, prime minister, and foreign minister for the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria. He and his immediate family members have been residing in exile in London since 2002. He is wanted in Russia for alleged terrorism, which he and his supporters deny. A former Chechen militant who fought against Russian forces in the first Chechen war, Kadyrov has been accused by Russian and international rights activists of numerous human rights violations, including torture, kidnapping, disappearances, extrajudicial executions, and the assassination of personal and political enemies both in Russia and abroad. Kremlin critics say Putin has turned a blind eye to the alleged abuses and violations of the country's constitution by Kadyrov because he relies on the former rebel commander to control separatist sentiment and violence in Chechnya, the site of two devastating post-Soviet wars and an Islamist insurgency that spread to other mostly Muslim regions in the North Caucasus. OTTAWA - Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the federal government began preparing for a possible pandemic as soon as it received the first alert about a mysterious cluster of pneumonia cases in China on New Year's Eve. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 11/9/2020 (496 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau wear his mask as he takes part in a ground breaking event at the Iamgold Cote Gold mining site in Gogama, Ont., on Friday, September 11, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette OTTAWA - Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the federal government began preparing for a possible pandemic as soon as it received the first alert about a mysterious cluster of pneumonia cases in China on New Year's Eve. Trudeau is defending his government against accusations it didn't act fast enough to warn Canadians about the danger COVID-19 posed to their health and the economy. This comes as U.S. President Donald Trump is accused of downplaying the danger of the novel coronavirus while privately telling journalist Bob Woodward in early February, during an interview for his book, he knew it was much worse than the flu. "Every step of the way, we were informed by our experts as to how to keep Canadians safe what needed to be done, what measures would be helpful in continuing to support Canadians as we were aware of this potential," Trudeau said Friday during a news conference in Gogama, Ont. "But as people know, we were very much learning on the way as we responded." A briefing note prepared in May for federal Health Minister Patty Hajdu says Canada got its first warning of a potential new virus on Dec. 31, 2019. That was when the Global Public Health Intelligence Network alerted the Public Health Agency of Canada of a mystifying cluster of pneumonia cases in Wuhan, China that appeared to be linked to a new virus. Dr. Theresa Tam, the chief public health officer, met with her provincial counterparts two days later to update them and begin forming a Canadian response plan. Canada's first case a man who had been in Wuhan came Jan. 25. On Jan. 30, Canada warned against travel to China. Travellers coming from China were asked to isolate for two weeks after arriving. Similar warnings were added for Iran and Italy in early March as the pandemic surged in those countries. But Hajdu and Tam continued to tell Canadians the risk of getting COVID-19 in Canada was low until at least March 10. The border remained open until March 16, when all non-essential travellers except Americans were barred entry. The Canada-U.S. border restrictions were added March 21. Until March 24, the majority of new COVID-19 cases in Canada were in people who had travelled outside the country. Conservative health critic Michelle Rempel Garner said Friday that Hajdu should be fired for not doing more earlier. As of Friday, Canada has had 134,924 positive COVID-19 cases and 9,163 deaths. "If action had been taken three months earlier, would things be different," said Rempel Garner. "Minister Hajdu has demonstrated dangerous incompetence. So why is she still in charge of Canadians' health and safety?" Tam said the decisions were made as the information warranted. On March 10, when the message to Canadians was that the virus was not spreading in Canadian communities yet, about 80 people had tested positive, almost all of them people who had travelled. Six provinces had yet to confirm a single case. Two weeks later, the number of domestic cases exceeded travel cases and every province had started to see them. Tam said the information about the virus was changing rapidly, but the work in Canada was constant. "Ever since we got information about the cluster of pneumonia in Wuhan, domestic preparedness already began to escalate," she said. Lab testing was one of the first priorities, to ensure Canadian labs could actually test people for COVID-19. In February, she said, provinces and territories were warned "the window for preparedness was closing," Tam said. But she said within Canada, the risk of local transmission was still very low and that was why that advice continued to be given until mid-March. Ready, Pet, Go! Leesa Dahl looks at everything to do with our furry, fuzzy, feathered, fishy (and more!) pet friends. Arrives in your inbox each Monday. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. "As we've seen with this pandemic things change very rapidly, so very soon after (March 10) lots of public health measures evolved and escalated at every level of public health in Canada," she said. On travel advice, Tam said the initial warnings pertained to countries with significant outbreaks but noted when the worldwide travel ban came March 16, it was the first time it had ever been done and before many nations had any cases. "That was quite a significant move," she said. "We were not waiting for a country that hasn't announced any cases to provide that advice." Tam and Trudeau also warned this week that it's up to Canadians whether there is a significant second wave of the virus, after cases continued to creep up. The daily average case number over the previous week is now 618, up from 545 on Monday, and 435 on Aug. 31. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 11, 2020. Balukh was assaulted in Kyiv on September 8. Former Russian political prisoner Volodymyr Balukh has been put in a medically induced coma after recent assault. "Law enforcers have not yet had the opportunity to interview Balukh, the doctors put him in a medically induced coma," the Ukrayinska Pravda online newspaper reported, citing sources in law enforcement agencies. Assault on Balukh: Background Former Russian political prisoner Oleh Sentsov said Volodymyr Balukh had been assaulted in Kyiv overnight Tuesday, September 8. Meanwhile, September 7 marked a year since his successful return to Ukraine after he was released from a Russian prison. Sentsov said Balukh was found in the morning, with his arm and collarbone fractured. Balukh underwent surgery, having suffered a severe head injury. He has since remained in grave but stable condition. Read also Police classify assault on Balukh as robbery Who is Volodymyr Balukh Nearly 500 students and staff and more than 100 professors at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) have signed an open letter calling on the university to cancel in-person classes, limit campus housing to those with no other viable options and cancel layoffs and furloughs. The letter, published three weeks in advance of the fall quarter, opposes the universitys Return to Learn plan, under which 12 percent of courses would take place at least partially in person. The university has announced that at least 47 students, 21 staff and 184 health care workers have so far tested positive for COVID-19, even before the fall quarter begins on September 28. Thousands of students have continued to live on campus over the summer. UC San Diego Campus (Credit: Wikipedia) As the letter notes, some 14,000 students would be brought back to campus under the plan, including about 7,500 undergraduates who would stay in dormitories. The university has attempted to justify the return-to-campus plan by proposing a series of half measures, including mandatory face coverings, daily screenings and testing every 16 days. Class sizes would be limited to fewer than 50 students and no more than 25 percent of classroom capacity, and students living in dormitories would be assigned to residential pods. The details of the plans testing program have not been made public, and no plans are in place to make information about outbreaks in dormitories publicly available. The open letter correctly states that these measures are completely insufficient to prevent a devastating spread of the virus and references the recent outbreaks at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the University of Alabama and the University of Notre Dame, where thousands of students were infected after those campuses were reopened under similar policies. At the University of North Carolina, dorms were held at 60 percent capacity and classroom seats at 30 percent, but within a week of reopening, the universitys testing positivity rate had jumped by over 10 percent and as many as 48 new infections were reported in a single day. Nationwide, 51,000 positive cases have been documented on college campuses, with 35,000 cases in the last three weeks. As the open letter notes, To imagine that UCSD will be an exception to this rule is both arrogant and negligent. Danny Heinz, a doctoral student who co-authored the letter, told the San Diego Union-Tribune, I am concerned that there will be an outbreak that could spread beyond campus to the community and that it could sacrifice the education of children, shut down business and affect the publics health. The International Youth and Students for Social Equality commends the brave stand taken by the letter signatories in opposing the universitys reckless reopening plan. Students and workers are responding to a very real situation, and rightly stress that the community spread which will result from the premature reopening of the campus threatens to do irreparable harm both to the UCSD community and to the San Diego community at large. The same dangers face students and educators at schools and universities reopening throughout the country. Even as the national death toll approaches 200,000with more than 1 in 50 people in the country infectedteachers and students are being marshaled into primary school classrooms in order to pressure parents to return to work. In California, the Democratic Party administration is granting waivers to school districts that permit elementary schools to reopen once case rates fall under 200 per 100,000 people, twenty times more than what the CDC defines as a low incidence. Colleges and universities have been even more unwilling to move to remote instruction, and to the extent that they have done so, it has largely been in response to state mandates. According to the College Crisis Initiative at Davidson College, less than 7 percent of the four-year colleges and universities surveyed nationwide plan to have their Fall 2020 semesters fully online. The nearly universal institution of partial re-openings and hybrid classes is partly driven by the need to resume the collection of tuition and housing money, and provide a justification for maintaining student fees at their pre-COVID levels. At UCSD, student fees for the 20202021 school year total $17,355 for California residents and $34,457 for non-residents, up from last year despite the drastically reduced services. Under conditions in which the state government has cut $300 million (8.1 percent) in funding for the University of California, as part of a $54 billion budget cut for the 20202021 fiscal year, the states public universities are under enormous pressure to remain financially solvent. The open letter notes that the universitys actions indicate that it is being run as a business rather than as a community and references the moves by the UC system to increase undergraduate enrollment without adequately covering the costs of education or hiring enough new faculty. UCSD has also dramatically increased the number and compensation of administrators. According to a faculty report on UCSD finances, expenditures on annual salaries for the Chancellors and Vice-Chancellors offices more than doubled between 2012 and 2018. Nevertheless, the university has temporarily laid off 200 workers during the summer, cut $24 million from its hospital budget, and is instituting wage cuts, layoffs and furloughs for housing and dining workers. In opposition to the administrations cynical justification that the Return to Learn plan is necessary to provide campus employment, the letters statement that workers should not have to choose between employment and health is highly significant. As the letter states, The universitys decision to pursue Return to Learn at all costs shows how the needs of the institution are being given more weight than the needs of its stakeholders. More fundamentally, it is the needs of the financial oligarchy, which seeks to offload trillions of dollars in education costs onto working people, which are paramount. Enormous opposition exists among students, educators and workers to the unsafe opening of schools and universities. In August, students and faculty at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the University of Georgia staged die-in protests in opposition to unsafe reopening plans, and at least 700 students at the University of Iowa participated in a sick-out protest in early September. Students and faculty at Texas A&M, Pennsylvania State University, Kutztown University, Northwestern University, Boston University and numerous other colleges have written their own open letters and garnered support from hundreds of students. Starting Tuesday, over 1,000 graduate student instructors went on strike at the University of Michigan, after the Graduate Employee Organization (GEO) voted overwhelmingly to stage a walkout. Prior to the strike, over 1,800 graduate students signed an open letter outlining the GEOs demands, which include completely online instruction, robust testing and contact tracing, a universal right to work remotely without documentation, rent freezes, emergency funds for students and the demilitarization of the campus. Students voted to strike after administrators rejected the demands as not financially feasible. The strike immediately gathered strong support from students, staff and facultyand typically thuggish threats of retaliation from the university administration. Yesterday, students voted to reject a sellout contract which met none of the demands in the open letter, but was nonetheless pushed by the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), with which the GEO is associated. The situation at the University of Michigan reveals some of the challenges students face at universities across the country. The genuine opposition expressed by those who signed the open letter is at risk of being suppressed if it stays within the framework of the unions. AFSCME, the UCs largest employee union, and the UAW, which represents student employees, have thoroughly exposed themselves as arms of management which will never fight for the interests of student workers. AFSCME has routinely negotiated poverty wages for its UC workers, kept workers on the job without a contract, allowed jobs to be subcontracted to outside companies to drive down wages and shut down strikes over the votes of its membership. This spring, when graduate students at the UC Santa Cruz waged a nearly fourth-month wildcat strike demanding a cost of living adjustment (COLA), the UAW refused to come to the defense of fired graduate student workers, continued to enforce an anti-democratic no-strike clause and billed an Unfair Labor Practices (ULP) suit while biding time to shut down the strike. Seizing on the opportunity provided by the pandemic, the UAW bargaining team voted in June against even taking a vote on the ULP, in a cynical and contemptuous disregard for the democratic rights of the thousands who went on strike. Students and workers must learn the lessons of these betrayals and take the fight against unsafe reopenings into their own hands. This mean, above all, building organizations which are answerable only to students, teachers and staff and capable of advancing their demands on the basis of genuine, independent scientific knowledge. A struggle for life or death will be lost by conciliatory appeals to the administrators and unions that answer to their masters in Sacramento and Washington D.C. Working people must resist any pressure to adapt themselves to the racialist politics of the Democratic Party and its academic hangers-on. The UCSD open letter notes the hugely disproportionate toll on people of color, migrants, and the incarcerated, but casts these issues in academic, racialist terms, and makes no reference to the fundamental cause of these conditions, which is the oppression and exploitation of the working class under capitalism. The struggle against school reopenings must not be isolated. The issues faced by students in San Diego are the same as those faced by their counterparts around the world. Workers and young people must link up with struggles at other universities, schools and workplaces, and direct the reopening of schools on a safe, scientific and genuinely democratic basis through the formation of independent rank-and-file safety committees. Tamron Hall interviews Gillum, the former Tallahassee mayor and rising Democratic star on Mondays second-season premiere of The Tamron Hall Show. Veteran journalist Tamron Hall is calling her exclusive interview with former Florida gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum one of the most difficult of her career. In the interview, for which Gillum sat with his wife, R. Jai, he told Hall that he didnt recognize himself in a photo that circulated on social media showing the man literally lying in my own vomit. Gillum was photographed naked on a bathroom floor with a pillow and sheets soiled with body fluids. Tamron Hall (right) interviews former Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum and his wife, R. Jai, on the second season premiere of The Tamron Hall Show, airing Monday. The photo was taken in the spring of this year, when the former gubernatorial candidate was allegedly present during an incident in Miami in which police responded to a drug-related distress call at Mondrian South Beach. Responders treated a man identified as Travis Dyson, who Gillum described as a friend. Gillum himself was extremely inebriated. Officers later performed a second welfare check on the hotel to scrutinize him, and he was found in stable condition. Read More: Florida man reportedly used $2 million in virus aid to buy boat In 2018, Gillum was a rising star in the Democratic Party. The former mayor of Tallahassee was a strong candidate for governor of Florida in a tight battle with Trump acolyte Ron DeSantis. The high-profile race garnered prime time television coverage for its debates, and Gillum even earned an endorsement from former president Barack Obama. Still, Gillum lost the race by just over 30,000 votes. In a July Instagram post, Gillum candidly detailed his battle with depression and alcoholism, conditions that were exacerbated by his loss to DeSantis. I went away to rehab to focus on my issues with alcoholism, having grown up in a household where my father battled an addiction to alcohol and later died from that addiction, he said. I knew well the toll it took on my fathers dreams and ambitions. Story continues In his sit-down with Hall, Gillum said that he has cried every day since the incident. Read More: Court blocks Trump order to exclude undocumented immigrants from census count Hall recently told People, in an preview of their talk, that she asked Gillum if he thinks that he can and will return to politics. We know that on both sides of the aisle, politicians have returned from scandals that people were certain would end it all for them, Hall said, I think with Andrew, hes first focused on his children, his wife, and his career is very important to him. The Hall-Gillum interview will air as the second season premiere of The Tamron Hall Show on Monday. Have you subscribed to theGrios Dear Culture podcast? Download our newest episodes now! The post Andrew Gillum recalls infamous night in hotel: I was lying in my own vomit appeared first on TheGrio. Oregon has suffered worst of the fire damage (AFP via Getty Images) At least eight people have been killed and thousands forced to evacuate from wildfires that swept through dozens of communities on the US West Coast - with experts saying their intensity had been heightened by climate change. From eastern Washington to the California coast, firefighters battled flames that ignited amid bone-dry conditions. There have been a number of reports of people starting fires intentionally In the last two days, four people have lost their lives in California, three in Oregon, and a one-year-old boy in Washington state. Thousands faced evacuation orders across the Pacific Northwest. It was the state of Oregon that carried the lions share of the problems, as emergency crews worked to take on 100 major fires in the three states. Blazes tore through at least five communities in Oregon's Cascade mountain range, as well as areas of coastal rainforest normally spared from wildfires. In eastern Washington state a fire destroyed most of the farming town of Malden, reports said. This is an unprecedented and heartbreaking event, Washington governor Jay Inslee said earlier this week. The governor, who had challenged for the Democratic presidential nomination on a platform to make tackling the climate crisis the nations priority, said events were forcing people to rethink many things. Were living in a new world this is not the old Washington, he said. A fire that you might've seen that was going to be OK, over time is not OK any more because the conditions are so dry and are so hot because the climate has changed. This is a new world in forest and grassland fires that we have to be willing to recognise. In the Oregon community of Phoenix, 280 south of Portland, residents returned having evacuated to discover large numbers of their homes and belongings had been destroyed. One resident, Jerry Walker, told the Associated Press, he fled in his pajamas and only had time to grab some money. He did not know if his apartment complex survived. Story continues Ive never seen devastation like this ever in my life, he said. I don't know how we're going on to recover. While wildfires an annual occurrence in parts of the American West, experts say their intensity has grown because of climate change. This week, cities such as Seattle and Portland has to confront smoky air conditions as a result of fires in the hinterland. Daniel Swain, a climate scientist at UCLA and the National Centre for Atmospheric Research, told CNN that California wildfires had grown in a scale of eight since the 1970s. Climate change has not just made the extreme heat waves that coincided with the fires worse. The bigger effect is the more subtle, long-term warming, he said. That couple of degrees of average warming over decades....you don't notice it as much, but it's still there lurking in the background, sucking extra moisture out of the vegetation and the soil. Oregon Governor Kate Brown said up to 40,000 people had evacuated across the state where 900,000 acres had burned, dwarfing Oregon's average 500,000 acre full-year total. We have never seen this amount of uncontained fire across the state, she said on Thursday. We are feeling the acute impacts of climate change. Police in Douglas County and Medford counties cautioned against rumors left-wing anti-fascists and right-wing Proud Boy arsonists were starting the fires. Additional reporting by agencies file photo: The logo of Wirecard is seen in this illustration. (Photo by Alexander Pohl/NurPhoto via Getty Images) By Siegfrid Alegado and Claire Jiao The Philippines anti-money laundering authority has identified 57 persons of interest, including foreigners and local bank officers and government officials, whose links to Wirecard AG are being scrutinized. Authorities are analyzing the transactions of these people who are not necessarily the accused or respondents in a criminal case, Mel Georgie Racela, executive director of the Anti-Money Laundering Council, said in a virtual briefing in Manila. Other Comments Agencys probe wont extend to the banks where officers worked as possible lapses in internal controls will be tackled by Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas. Authorities are building cases against domestic violators of the Anti-Money Laundering Act and are waiting for evidence from German authorities so it can pursue charges against key people including former Wirecard COO Jan Marsalek. Authorities are also looking at companies possibly related to former Wirecard executive Christopher Bauer, who died in July in a Philippine hospital. Unit Wirecard e-Money Philippines Inc. appears to have no connection to the alleged fraudulent activities, said Racela, adding that theres no need to press the panic button as the company is willing to cooperate with the investigation. 2020 Bloomberg L.P. Geneva, Sep 11 : The "Access to Covid-19 Tools Accelerator" (ACT-Accelerator), a global collaboration led by the World Health Organization (WHO) to fasten the development, production and equitable deployment of coronavirus diagnostics, therapeutics and vaccines, still faces a funding gap of $35 billion, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said. At a press briefing here on Thursday, Tedros said that to date the ACT-Accelerator has received $2.7 billion, which, though "generous and has enabled the robust start-up phase", is still only less than 10 per cent of the overall needs, reports Xinhua news agency. "The ACT-Accelerator will not be able to deliver on its goals without a significant increase in funding," he said, calling for the rapid scaling up of the clinical trials as well as the manufacturing, licensing and regulation capacity. The ACT-Accelerator supports research into promising vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics. So far, the WHO has registered around 180 vaccines that are in development, including 35 in human trials. "Between now and the end of the year, we have a limited window of opportunity to scale up the ACT-Accelerator and fully enable the equitable allocation framework," Tedros said. "The world's ambition to develop these tools as fast as possible must be matched by its ambition to ensure that as many people as possible have access to them," he added. Also on Thursday, the Facilitation Council of the ACT Accelerator met for the first time to provide political leadership and advocacy and to mobilize additional resources. The leaders of Rwanda, Norway, South Africa, the European Union as well as the secretary general of the United Nations have expressed their support at the meeting. Last month, Michael Ryan, Executive Director of the WHO's Health Emergencies Program, said that six Covid-19 vaccine candidates had entered phase-3 trials. Of the six, three are from China -- made by Sinovac, Wuhan Institute of Biological Products/Sinopharm, and Beijing Institute of Biological Products/Sinopharm, Ryan said, adding the other three are made by the University of Oxford/AstraZeneca, Moderna/NIAID, and BioNTech/Fosun Pharma/Pfizer. -- Except for the title, this story has not been edited by Prokerala team and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed New Delhi, Sep 11 : Since the month of March after Covid-19 was declared as a global pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO), the group leading from the front as well as experts in the field began to acknowledge the use of masks as a first line of defence against the virus. With the pandemic ensued lockdown, a number of do's and don'ts were facilitated. It is likely that the use of masks will remain a constant part of our lives in the near future; wearing a mask at work, while running errands or just walking around to keep you safe. Since masks persistently rub against your skin you may experience breakouts; let's understand how to handle these breakouts better. Time spent wearing reusable masks may result in a rash or an acne breakout now cited as 'Maskne'. Using face masks may cause skin irritation and breakouts for many reasons - type of fabric and tightness over the face are a few examples; the material may cause excessive friction to the skin. Many are sensitive to fabrics and when paired with makeup, dirt and sweat, it is a recipe for acne. Irritation caused by wearing masks is likely to be a result of 'contact dermatitis' - an allergic reaction to cloth materials; the bacteria formed from not cleaning the mask well enough or re-usage of disposable masks. The use of a mask may lead to abrasions on the bridge of your nose, chin, cheeks, or also behind the ears. Here are a few tips, shared by Dr Kiran Godse, consultant dermatologist in Hiranandani Hospital Vashi, to prevent or treat breakouts while safely using masks. It includes: MASK HYGIENE: First and foremost, mask cleanliness must be the topmost priority, it should be washed (if re-usable) or be swapped for a new one after every use If you experience skin irritation, use antiseptic soap with warm water to clean your mask. Rinse it thoroughly and ensure it is completely dry before use; you may choose to dry steam your mask in the washing machine SKINCARE: Makeup may clog your pores and wearing makeup under a mask could increase the acne or breakouts; take a break from using any cosmetics for a while, or at least till you get it treated Cleanse your skin regularly by washing your face every morning and in the night with a mild facewash that will help unclog pores; it is best to then use an oil free moisturiser in place of water-based moisturiser afterwards Do not squeeze or break your pimples; this will further lead to inflammation and may also infect the area Exfoliation is also important as it helps the skin cells turnover. Salicylic or Glycolic Acids present in exfoliates will help prevent acne. These are also available in the form of serums Avoid using products with Petrolatum, an ingredient used in cream and ointments (petroleum jelly) Before using and after removing your face mask, cleanse and then moisturize your face CHOOSE THE RIGHT FABRIC:c Know your skin type. The last problem you'd want to deal with is an itchy skin and face. Fabric sensitivity varies from person to person and different fabrics come with different textures. Look for a soft and breathable material that is able to absorb moisture Do not let go of the basic hygiene practices, washing your hands thoroughly before going, before wearing your mask, out as well as immediately after returning home. If issues persist, and there is an infection scare, you must consult your doctor immediately Remember, we are living in a time where safety and precaution are paramount in defeating an unforeseeable adversary! (Puja Gupta can be contacted at puja.g@ians.in) -- Syndicated from IANS Cory Gearhart, executive director of information technology, said that one of the things that came out of the districts town halls and meetings with stakeholders is that almost everyone wants to see the COVID-19 data and what it means for them, their students and their families. As a result, he said, the district recently created a dashboard that displays this information including data from the CDHD on the number of positive COVID-19 cases among GIPS students and staff, along with quarantined individuals in the district. The weekly data will be tracked from Friday through Thursday. As of Thursday, the dashboard shows 42 GIPS students are quarantined and two have tested positive. Seven staff members are quarantined and four have tested positive. We are taking into consideration all of the privacy issues that surround things with health care information, Gearhart said. We reached out to the health department and said, We want to be as transparent as possible with our staff and families, so what information can we give and deliver on a weekly basis to show our families and stakeholders? Board member Dan Brosz asked Dexter how long it takes for students to receive their results once they are tested. She said it takes between five and seven days. Besides the Centre and some of its ministries, it has arrayed all states, UTs, the National Crime Records Bureau and the Animal Welfare Board of India as party. AP Photo Is your dog equal to you? Chief Justice of India Sharad Arvind Bobde on Wednesday posed this existential question before a petitioner. Allahabad-based Peoples Charioteer Organisation has sought juridical personhood for all members of the animal kingdom. Its plea cites legal entity status accorded to animals in two recent verdicts rendered by the Punjab and Haryana and Uttarakhand high courts. Besides the Centre and some of its ministries, it has arrayed all states, UTs, the National Crime Records Bureau and the Animal Welfare Board of India as party. George Orwell famously wrote in Animal Farm all animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others. This literally holds true in nature, where might is right for the sustenance of food chains and ecosystems, and in economies to which agriculture, fisheries, food processing, leather and dairy are intrinsic. The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Regulation of Livestock Markets) Rules, 2017, notified by the NDA 2.0 government, for instance, became unsustainable in law for this very reason, and the ban on the sale of cattle for slaughter that breached the peoples fundamental right to livelihood was since revoked. While the Supreme Court considers this prayer of animal righters, if sceptically, as Justice Bobde himself clarified, it is important, therefore, to bear in mind that progressive, and innocuous, though this reform appears, it may end up wasting the judiciarys time. For sure there are international precedents leftist Ecuador was the first to amend its constitution in 2008 to apply this definition to nature, while New Zealand accorded it to the Te Urewara national park in 2014 and the river Whanganui, ancestor of the Maoris, in 2017. But to officially hold animals as not property but equals yet have them governed by manmade laws is openly fallacious. The petition urges all citizens of India be declared persons in loco parentis for animals. However, treating wildlife as a person requires the establishment of guardians to represent its legal interests. This doctrine of trust is already in place; so, perhaps, the rights approach to this case is redundant, after all. Shanghai (Gasgoo)- China's automobile industry was mired in a deep downturn in the first half of 2020, pressured by the coronavirus-induced weak demands. Under the stagnant market climate, many automakers faced evident decrease in their first-half revenue and net profit, but some bright spots are still worth mentioning. Among the Chinese public automakers hereby listed by Gasgoo, SAIC Motor was still the most profitable one, even though it posted two-digit decrease in both revenue and net profit. BYD saw its first-half net profit jump 14.29% year on year. Thanks to the strong impetus from CV business, Dongfeng Motor recorded a 4.39% increase in revenue. Changan Auto was the one only that chalked up growth in both revenue and net profit. Let's review what other highlights for those companies' semi-annual financial performance. SAIC Motor boasts robust growth in second-quarter net profit For the first half of 2020, SAIC Motor's gross revenue fall 24.6% over a year ago to 283.74 billion yuan ($41.453 billion), and its net profit attributable to shareholders tumbled 39.01% to 8.394 billion yuan ($1.226 billion). Based on both the first-half and first-quarter financial reports, we can learn that the China's largest automaker gained roughly 177.794 billion yuan ($25.975 billion) and 7.273 billion yuan ($1.063 billion) in the second-quarter gross revenue and net profit, achieving robust surge of 67.81% and 548.92% over a quarter ago respectively. (Roewe RX5 PLUS, photo source: Roewe) For the Jan.-Jun. period, the net cash flows from operating activities stood at 29.358 billion yuan ($4.289 billion), a marvelous hike from 129.092 million yuan ($18.86 million) recorded in the year-ago period. SAIC Motor said the cash flow provided great supports for the companys handling over such uncertainties as the continuous market adjustments and the COVID-19 pandemic. SAIC Motor's R&D expenses for the first six months amounted to 5.843 billion yuan ($853.591 million), accounting for 2.13% of the semi-annual revenue and sliding 2.6% over the prior-year period. Disturbed by the COVID-19 pandemic, SAIC Motor is piling on pressure in the sale and other operations. Its first-half complete vehicle sales volume slumped 30.2% from a year earlier to 2.049 million units. BAIC Motor's first-half net profit halved over a year ago BAIC Motor Corporation Limited (BAIC Motor) said its first-half revenue reached roughly 77.854 billion yuan ($11.374 billion), sliding 11.29% from the previous year. During the same period, the company saw its profit attributable to shareholders was nearly halved over a year ago to 1.047 billion yuan ($152.961 million). Besides, the profit belonging to the non-controlling interests amounted to 4.764 billion yuan ($695.993 million). The company said the revenue and profit downturn was mainly due to the impact of the COVID-19, which resulted in a significant decrease in sales volume of whole vehicles, especially in the first quarter. (BEIJING X7, photo source: BAIC Motor) For the first six months, the sales volume of Beijing Brand reached 35,000 units. The brand has fully resumed work and production despite the outbreak of COVID-19 and launched two key vehicle models (i.e. Beijing-X7 and Beijing-X7PHEV) as planned, said BAIC Motor. In the first half of 2020, Beijing Benz achieved sales of 27,000 units, representing a year-on-year decrease of 4.2%. In terms of specific products, the brand saw the average monthly sales volumes of three major models, namely, E-Class sedan, C-Class sedan and GLC SUV, all exceed 10,000 units. Beijing Hyundai reported the retail sales volume of 235,000 units for the Jan.-Jun. period, which largely mitigates the operation pressure of dealers and lays a good foundation for greater achievement in subsequent. Besides, the vehicle sales volume of Fujian Benz climbed 6.9% to 14,000 units. BYD logs 14.29% year-on-year jump in first-half net profit BYD Company Limited (BYD) announced that its 2020's first-half revenue slid 2.7% from a year ago to 60.503 billion yuan ($8.839 billion), while the net profit attributable to shareholders jumped 14.29% year on year to roughly 1.662 billion yuan ($242.871 million). Compared to the first quarter (Q1), BYD's second-quarter (Q2) revenue and net profit skyrocketed 107.46% and 1275.93% respectively to 40.824 billion yuan ($5.964 billion) and 1.55 billion yuan ($226.446 million), according to both Q1 and H1 financial results. (BYD Han EV, photo source: BYD) For the first half of 2020, BYD's automobile sales totaled 158,628 units, plunging 30.45% from the previous year. Nevertheless, the company's auto arm gained gradual sales rebound after March as the COVID-19 pandemic was abating in China. According to BYD's sales report, its Q2 sales reached 97,355 units, 59% more than that of the quarter ago period. The contracted proceed from the automobile business should be blamed for BYD's H1 revenue decrease. The company's auto business earned around 32.072 billion yuan ($4.686 billion) worth of revenue from January to June, falling 5.62% over the year-ago period. Nonetheless, the downturn in automobile arm was somewhat offset by the 0.24% and 7.59% increase in the revenues of the handset components and assembly arm and the rechargeable battery and photovoltaic business. Dongfeng Motor's Jan.-Jun. revenue climbs 4.39% year on year Dongfeng Motor Group Company Limited (Dongfeng Motor) said its revenue for the first half of 2020 reached 50.576 billion yuan ($7.382 billion), up by 4.39% from a year ago. Nevertheless, the first-half net profit attributable to the companys equity holders tumbled 64.49% year on year to 3.018 billion yuan ($440.5 million). For the Jan.-Jun. period, the basic and diluted earnings per share stood at 35.03 cents, dropping from 98.64 cents for the year-ago period. The Board of Directors declared an interim dividend of RMB0.10 per share, amounting to 862 million yuan ($125.933 million). The dividend will be distributed on October 28, 2020. (Civic, photo source: Dongfeng Honda) According to Dongfeng Motor's semi-annual results, the sales revenue of passenger vehicles (PVs) for the reporting period decreased by 43.9% from a year earlier to roughly 7.606 billion yuan ($1.111 billion). The decline in the revenue was mainly from the PV business of Dongfeng Peugeot Citroen Automobile Sales Co.,Ltd. and Dongfeng Liuzhou Motor Co.,Ltd.. Besides, the group's first-half commercial vehicle (CV) sales revenue jumped 21.5% year over year to 39.314 billion yuan ($5.744 billion). The growth primarily stemmed from the sales growth of Dongfeng Commercial Vehicles Co.,Ltd. and the CV business of Dongfeng Liuzhou Motor Co.,Ltd. Dongfeng Motor sold roughly 1,144,500 new vehicles in the first half of the year, representing a year-on-year decline of 16.7%, which was better than the industry by 0.2 percentage points. According to the statistics published by the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM), Dongfeng Motor had a market share of around 11.2% in terms of sales volume of the domestically-produced PVs and CVs in the first half of 2020. Geely Auto posts 43% year-on-year slump in first-half net profit Geely Automobile Holdings Limited ("Geely Auto" or the Company) announced that it gained 36,819,775,000 yuan ($5.386 billion) in revenue for the first-half of 2020, posting a year-on-year decrease of 23% mainly due to the lower sales volume and the production disruption caused by the partial lockdown in most areas of China in early 2020. During the same period, the profit attributable to the equity holders slumped 43% from a year ago to 2,296,753,000 yuan ($335.984 million). The basic earnings per share for the first six months stood at 0.2473 yuan, versus 0.4439 yuan for the year-ago period. Diluted earnings per share (EPS) were down 44% to 0.247 yuan. (Geometry C, photo source: Geometry) Geely Auto and its subsidiaries (called the Group collectively) sold a total of 530,446 new vehicles (including the sales volume of Lynk & Co vehicles) in the first six months, representing a 19% year-on-year decline. Of those, 510,873 units (-17%) were sold in domestic market and 19,573 units (-49%) were exported to overseas markets. Because the sales recovery has so far been slower than expected and near-term uncertainties remain in the global macro environment, the Group therefore decided to trim down its 2020 full-year sales target by around 6% from 1.41 million units to 1.32 million units. Great Wall Motor's Jan.-Jun. net profit falls 24.46% over a year earlier For the first half of 2020, Great Wall Motor Company Limited (GWM) saw its gross revenue dip 13.17% from a year ago to roughly 35.929 billion yuan ($5.256 billion), according to its semi-annual financial results. During the first two quarters, its net profit attributable to shareholders dwindled 24.46% year on year to 1.146 billion yuan ($167.665 million). Excluding the impact of certain non-recurring gains and losses, like the subsidies received from the government, GWM's first-half net profit slumped 35.34% to 802.452 million yuan ($117.388 million). The company said the governmental subsidies included into the Jan.-Jun. profits and losses were worth 331.064 million yuan ($48.43 million). (Haval F5, photo source: Haval) The profit downturn mainly stemmed from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the sales decrease and the rise in R&D investment, the automaker said. For the first two quarters, GWM saw its sales dip 19.95% over a year ago to 395,097 units. The company also noted that its R&D expense for the same period leapt 32.97% over the previous year to 1.22 billion yuan ($178.478 million) as the company stepped up its investment in R&D businesses during the reporting period. Changan Auto turns losses into profits during first half of 2020 Chongqing Changan Automobile Company Limited (Changan) procured roughly 32.782 billion yuan ($4.796 billion) 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 ($380.662 million), recording an impressive surge from the year-ago loss of 2.24 billion yuan ($327.688 million). However, after deducting non-recurring profit and loss, the company still suffered a net loss of 2.617 billion yuan ($382.815 million), versus the loss of 2.912 billion yuan ($425.952 million) for the prior-year period. (CS55, photo source: Changan Auto) 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 ($31.595 million). According to the financial preview Changan released in mid-July, three non-recurring items contributed to the net profit worth 5.275 billion yuan ($771.661 million) 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 ($307.202 million) 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 ($204.801 million) and 1.775 billion yuan ($259.659 million). GAC Group records 52.87% slump in first-half net profit GAC Group announced that its operating revenue of the first half of 2020 shrank 9.54% from a year ago to 25.439 billion yuan ($3.721 billion) and the semi-annual net profit attributable to shareholders plunged 52.87% year on year to roughly 2.318 billion yuan ($339.109 million). Besides, the basic earnings per share stood at 0.23 yuan, versus 0.48 yuan for the year-ago period. Given the company's profitability and the demands for future development, GAC Group's board of directors recommended payment of an interim dividend of 0.3 yuan per 10 shares (including tax) to all shareholders. (Trumpchi GS4, photo source: GAC Motor) According to GAC Group's sales reports, the automaker sold 824,579 units during the first two quarters, of which 518,482 units were sold in the second quarter, a robust increase of 69.38% compared to the first quarter. Besides, it acquired 10.47% share in China's PV market for the first half of the year, 0.62 percentage points higher than the prior-year level. Two major Sino-Japanese joint ventures featured rising impetus during the second quarter. As of June, GAC Toyota had gained double-digit growth for the third month in a row, while GAC Honda also attained year-on-year sales growth in April and June. JAC Motors' first-half revenue drop 7.63% YoY, but profit plunges 217.84% Anhui Jianghuai Automobile Group Corp.,Ltd. (JAC Motors)'s first-half revenue shrank 7.63% from the previous year to 24.941 yuan ($3.64 billion). During the same period, the Hefei-based automaker suffered a net loss of 147.436 million yuan ($21.519 million), slumping from the net profit of 125.114 million yuan ($18.261 million) for the prior-year period. Excluding the impact of certain non-recurring gains and losses, JAC Motor was hit by a net loss of 653.397 million yuan ($95.368 million) during the first half of the year, nosediving 1,125.13% from the year-ago profit of 63.738 million yuan ($9.303 million). (JAC Refine S5, photo source: JAC Motors) In the first half 2020, the governmental subsidies included into the current profits and losses were 480.562 million yuan ($70.142 million), which largely resulted in the gap between net loss and the non-recurring loss. According to the company's semi-annual and first-quarter financial results, JAC Motors' second-quarter revenue jumped 27.93% year on year to 15.821 billion yuan ($2.309 billion). Despite the net loss it faced for the first half of the year, the net profit attributable to shareholders shot up 244.77% from a year earlier to 208.514 million yuan ($30.434 million) in the second quarter. The company said its first-half vehicle sales dwindled 10.97% from a year earlier to 209,400 units. The CV unit outperformed the PV arm in terms of both sales volume and year-on-year change. To be specific, CV sales edged up 1.86% year on year to 142,587 units, including 102,494 light-duty trucks, 5,701 medium-duty trucks and 27,114 heavy-duty trucks, while PV sales tumbled 29.81% to only 66,792 units. The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Tanko Muhammad, on Thursday, warned judges who will adjudicate on election petition tribunals of Edo and Ondo States governorship polls and other by-elections against the abuse of power and public trust. During the swearing of the 85 tribunal judges at the Supreme Court in Abuja, Mr Muhammad said their task is a strategic national assignment. He said their job was important as they would be deciding the fate of those who would be contesting the highest political offices in Edo and Ondo States respectively and some other political offices in other states by the virtue of the forthcoming elections. He added that justice dispensation should be done with the fear of God and in line with the oath of office and the law. This should not be taken as one of those ceremonies merely required to fulfill set procedures. It is a solemn pledge between you and your creator. You are expected to conduct your affairs within the ambit of the law and the oath that has just been administered on you as anything short of that will place you on the wrong side of history and God will ask you the questions that you may not be confident enough to answer, he said. Mr Muhammad, however, warned that he would not condone any conduct of indiscipline or abuse of public trust. As the Chief Justice of Nigeria, I will not condone any act of recklessness, abuse of power and public trust. This is a rare opportunity and you must give a good account of yourselves, he said. The CJN urged the judges to be guided by the law and not be swayed by sentiments that might set in during their adjudication in the tribunal. There is no doubt that temptations, tribulations, intimidations and even sheer blackmail may be unleashed on you but as thoroughbred judicial officers, you must guide your loins to rise above all and do what will earn you accolades in the court of public opinions. All eyes are on you and always remember that your conduct will be publicly dissected and thoroughly scrutinised. Do what is right in our law books and you will have your names etched in gold. Do what is at variance with your conscience and you will get a scar that will terminally dent your ascension to higher height in life. Be guided by good conscience and enjoy the best that the Nigerian Judiciary can offer you, the CJN said. WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump announced Friday a peace deal between Israel and Bahrain, which becomes the second Arab country to settle with its former foe over the last month, reinforcing an ambitious White House push to redraw the conflicts of the Middle East. Calling it a "truly historic day", Trump said Israel and Bahrain were establishing full diplomatic and commercial relations. "They will exchange embassies and ambassadors, begin direct flights between their countries and launch cooperation initiatives across a broad range of sectors, including health, business, technology, education, security and agriculture," he told reporters in the White House. Bahrain said in a joint statement it had agreed to formalize the deal with Israel at a ceremony next Tuesday in the White House, where the United Arab Emirates will also sign off on its own thaw with Israel announced in mid-August. According to the statement, Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Trump talked earlier Friday before announcing the new breakthrough. Bahrain said that during the phone call, the king "stressed the need to reach a just and comprehensive peace as a strategic option, in accordance with the two-state solution and relevant resolutions of international legitimacy." A senior official in Manama, the capital of Bahrain, said the deal would boost regional "security, stability, prosperity." Until now, Israel has been able to strike only two similar peace accords with Arab countries -- Egypt in 1979 and Jordan in 1994 -- and Trump is hoping that the diplomatic successes will give him badly needed momentum going into the November 3 presidential election. At the White House, Trump celebrated, calling the progress "very, very important for not only the Middle East, but for the world." He said it was "so interesting" that he was able to make the announcement on the anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks against the United States. "When I took office the Middle East was in a state of absolute chaos," Trump said. In Jerusalem, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailed the agreement. "Citizens of Israel, I am moved to be able to tell you that this evening, we are reaching another peace agreement with another Arab country, Bahrain. This agreement adds to the historic peace with the United Arab Emirates," Netanyahu said in a Hebrew-language statement. In the UAE, Hend Al Otaiba, director of strategic communications at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, sent congratulations to Bahrain and Israel. "Today marks another significant and historic achievement which will contribute enormously to the stability and prosperity of the region," she said. Trump redraws the lines Trump said more Arab nations could also open their doors to Israel. "I am very hopeful that there will be more to follow. I can tell you there's tremendous enthusiasm on behalf of other countries to also join," Trump said. The Republican businessman has styled himself as the most pro-Israeli US president in history. He has taken a string of decisions highly beneficial to Israel, from recognizing disputed Jerusalem as the country's capital to tearing up an international accord meant to end Iran's isolation in return for verified controls to prevent militarization of its nuclear industry. At the same time, Trump has pushed to wind down the United States' own military footprint after decades of bloody entanglements in Iraq and elsewhere. His earlier success in getting an Israel-UAE normalization prompted a right-wing Norwegian member of parliament to nominate him for the Nobel Peace Prize. The UAE's announcement broke with years of Arab League policy on the Middle East conflict, prompting angry pushback from the Palestinians and Iran, who both termed the deal a betrayal. The Palestinians, who see Arab support as crucial to their limited power in resisting Israeli occupation, quickly condemned the Israel-Bahrain deal as well. The agreement was "a stab in the back of the Palestinian cause and the Palestinian people," Ahmad Majdalani, social affairs minister in the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority, told AFP. Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, said it was an "aggression" that dealt "serious prejudice" to the Palestinian cause. Trump, who has made crushing sanctions and diplomatic pressure on Israel's arch foe Iran a priority of his administration, predicted however that there would be a "very positive" development in the standoff with Tehran. "I can see a lot of good things happening with respect to the Palestinians," he added, arguing that the Palestinians would end their conflict with Israel once enough Arab countries had taken the initiative. "As more countries normalize relations with Israel, which will happen quite quickly we believe, the region will become more and more stable, secure and prosperous," he said. "In the meantime, we're pulling our soldiers out, so we're doing it the opposite way. They were doing it with nothing but fighting and blood all over the place," Trump said. "The sand was loaded up with blood. And now we can see that a lot of that sand is going to be loaded up with peace." Maharashtra government on Friday asked the Mumbai police to probe drug use allegations against Kangana Ranaut, while the Bollywood actor turned her attention to Congress president Sonia Gandhi to say she must intervene and stop the harassment of women. IMAGE: Bollywood actor Kangana Ranaut inspects her office, where the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation conducted a demolition drive, at Pali Hill in Mumbai,. Photograph: PTI Photo The city police received a communication from the state home department to probe claims that Kangana used banned substances and narcotics drugs, a senior police official said. The crime branch will look into the matter, he added. Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh had said on Tuesday that the Mumbai police will probe allegations by actor Adhyayan Suman that Ranaut took drugs. Adhyayan, the son of actor Shekhar Suman, was once in a relationship with Ranaut and had made the allegation in an interview, Deshmukh had said. Shiv Sena MLA Pratap Sarnaik had submitted a letter to the home separtment referring to the allegation in Adhyayan's interview. Taking cognisance of the letter, the department asked the police to conduct an inquiry, the official said. Ranaut is locked in a public spat with the Shiv Sena, which heads the ruling coalition in the state, after her statement comparing Mumbai to "Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir" irked the ruling party in the state. Dragging Gandhi into the episode, Ranaut said history would judge the Congress leader's "silence and indifference". The Congress is an alliance partner in the Maha Vikas Aghadi government in Maharashtra, along with the Sena and the Nationalist Congress Party. "Dear respected honourable@INCIndiapresident Sonia Gandhi ji being a woman arn't you anguished by the treatment I am given by your government in Maharashtra? Can you not request your Government to uphold the principles of the Constitution given to us by Dr. Ambedkar?" the actor tweeted. Ranaut, often in the news for her provocative statements, said Gandhi had grown up in the west and lived in India and must be aware of the struggles of women. "History will judge your silence and indifference when your own Government is harassing women and ensuring a total mockery of law and order. I hope you will intervene@INCIndia," she added in another tweet. Ranaut's office in Mumbai faced action for "illegal" alterations by Shiv Sena-led Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation on Wednesday. The 33-year-old actor has been aggressively criticising the Maharashtra government on Twitter since she returned to the city from her home state Himachal Pradesh on Wednesday, soon after the civic authorities demolished portions of her office. On Thursday, Ranaut took on the Maharashtra government by castigating chief minister Uddhav Thackeray for misusing power and declaring that her voice won't be suppressed. The Queen actor, who has been given Y-plus category security, posted a series of tweets comparing the BMC to goons, terming the state government a milavat sarkar and recalling Marathi culture and pride. Later in the day, Union Minister Ramdas Athawale met Ranaut at her residence in Khar and alleged that the demolition drive at her bungalow in Bandra was carried out in a sentiment of revenge and the Maharashtra government, too, had a role to play. Athawale on Friday met Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari, seeking "justice" and compensation for Ranaut. Athawale said he told the governor that Ranaut was served notice and the Sena-controlled Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation demolished the premises within 24 hours. Alleging that the BMC also broke furniture in Ranaut's office during the demolition drive, he accused the civic body of misusing its powers. Former Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said the Kangana issue was blown out of proportion by Shiv Sena. "She is not a political leader. You don't go to demolish the home of Dawood (Ibrahim) but you demolished her premises," he said. Britain Prime Minister Boris Johnson's government tabled a new visa route in its parliament on Thursday to encourage more overseas students, including Indians to study in the UK. The new visa route is known as "Student Route" which is a point-based system in which a student requires a total of 70 points to study in a UK university, according to a statement from the British High Commission in New Delhi. Students will achieve the required points if they can demonstrate that they have an offer from an approved educational institution, speak English and are able to support themselves during their studies in the UK. For the new visa routes, students can apply from October 5, 2020. With this new "Students Route", international students will now be able to make a visa application up to 6 months before their course starts (up from 3 months previously). Moreover, students will not be required to resubmit proof of academic qualifications with their visa application. How "Student Route" visa route will benefit Indians According to Barbara Wickham, Director of the British Council, the new visa route will offer greater flexibility and ease of immigration for Indian applicants. British Council highlighted that the change would have a further positive impact on the number of Indian students choosing the UK as a higher education destination. Jan Thompson, Acting High Commissioner said that India is one of the UK's largest sources of international students. She added that in FY20, nearly 50,000 Indian nationals were granted a study visa. "Now that we have left the EU, we can introduce this streamlined visa route and the Graduate Route in summer 2021, to ensure the brightest and the best students continue to pick the UK," she said. The decision has come as several international students are choosing to defer their entry onto courses in the UK until the Spring semester of early next year due to the COVID-19 outbreak. As a result, the UK government chose to introduce the new route so that students would be able to benefit from the new streamlined process. The new visa system route is also aimed at increasing the total number of international students choosing to study in the UK higher education system each year to 600,000 by 2030 as set out in the International Education Strategy published in March last year. Earlier, India urged the UK government to have a relook at its student visa policies which had disallowed Indian students from working in the UK after finishing their courses. The UK had the post-study work visa scheme till 2012 after which former Britain PM Theresa May scrapped it. Besides the Student Route, the Child Student Route for younger international students will also open from October 5. Alos read: Economic Freedom 2020 report: India slips 26 spots to 105th position, China ranked 124th Also read: Auto sales decline 3.09% YoY in August; PV sales rise 14.16% over festive demand Kimberly Klacik talks dismantling Planned Parenthood, lauds Trump for helping to empower minorities Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Kimberly Klacik, a rising star in the Republican Party, will be a political anomaly if she's elected in November. Klacik, a 37-year-old conservative black woman, is running for the 7th Congressional District in Baltimore, Maryland, a seat that was held for more than two decades by the late Democratic Rep. Elijah Cummings. The district, where voters are registered as 68% Democrat and 16% Republican, according to The Baltimore Sun, has never elected a Republican. Klacik, however, believes that after years of high crime and decades of blighted neighborhoods left unresolved by Democratic representation, voters are ready for a change. Klacik told The Christian Post that despite the aberration, GOP representation is stirring in Baltimore, and noted that four black Republicans are running for city council and all are Trump-supporters. Minorities are running as Republicans across the country, not just in Baltimore, because they feel the president has extended an olive branch to them, Klacik said. If you look around the country, we have 21 minorities running for Congress as Republicans and that is because I think that with President Trumps presidency, he has extended an olive branch to minorities across the country just by what he said: What do you have to lose, she told CP at the "Get Louder" Faith Summit at the Falkirk Center for Faith and Liberty in Lynchburg, Virginia, on Thursday. Congressional candidate Kimberly Klacik talks abortion and how she plans to make change in the Baltimore area. Live at the Falkirk Center! Posted by The Christian Post on Thursday, September 10, 2020 The quote Klacik cited was made by Trump during a 2016 presidential campaign rally in Dimondale, Michigan, where he called on every single African American citizen to vote for him that November. What do you have to lose by trying something new, like Trump? Trump asked. Youre living in poverty, your schools are no good, you have no jobs, 58% of your youth is unemployed, what the hell do you have to lose? Klacik told CP that Trumps prompt resonated with many minorities who now have the courage to make an impact. In August, Klaciks initial campaign ad went viral across multiple conservative social media platforms and even received a retweet by the president who wrote: Kimberly will work with the Trump Administration and we will bring Baltimore back, and fast. Dont blow it Baltimore, the Democrats have destroyed your city! Kimberly will work with the Trump Administration and we will bring Baltimore back, and fast. Dont blow it Baltimore, the Democrats have destroyed your city! https://t.co/PDdjgxbIHu Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 19, 2020 On the topic of abortion, CP asked Klacik how she would proactively combat abortion in a district where the predominate race demographic is disproportionately affected by abortion. My platform, were all about family planning. We talk about the fact that 35 other countries already have birth control over the counter available, and this is oral contraceptives. This is before conception. This is a woman taking responsibility before any of those things happen. I know its not ideal. I know we should talk about abstaining from sex, but right now we have to be realistic with things. So I believe if we stop regulating oral contraceptives through the government, allow them to be over the counter, it would lead to less abortions. Klacik's argument is that deregulating oral contraceptives through the government could be a way to defund Planned Parenthood. I tell people that want to defund Planned Parenthood, this is a great way to do that. Their need and the way they stay open, the data shows, they get funding because of the people that need the contraceptives. We take that out of their hands, we might take Planned Parenthood out. Klacik also spoke at the Republican National Convention in August where she delivered a scathing analysis of Democrat leadership in the Baltimore area over the years: The Democrats have controlled my city, Charm City, for over 50 years and they have run this beautiful place into the ground. Abandoned buildings, liquor stores on every corner, drug addicts and guns on the street that is now the norm in many neighborhoods. Youd think Maryland taxpayers would be getting a whole lot since our taxes are out of control; instead, we are paying for decades of incompetence and corruption. After an unsuccessful special election run for the seat in April, Klacik said her campaign has now raised over $5 million, which, according to her, is the most ever raised by a candidate in her district. Marylands 7th Congressional District is currently being represented by Democratic Rep. Kweise Mfume. Mfume was elected on May 5 in a special election to fill the vacancy left by Cummings, who held the seat from 1996 until his passing in October 2019. Truly*Adventurous has a wonderful new long-form investigation into the Capital Area Paranormal Society, an after-school high school club in Springfield, Illinois where students can explore haunted locales in search of paranormal phenomenon. Writer Patrick Glendon McCullough approaches the group and the piece in general with a perfect blend of skepticism, curiosity, and empathy. He's much less interested in the ghosts and ectoplasm than he is in the students themselves, and it's that focus on character that truly carries the article over some 5,000 words or so. Take Caroline, for instance. It seems strange that Caroline, the president of her high school's paranormal club, would have no clearer ideas about the beyond. But frankly, it seems strange that she is president. Though not shy exactly, she's certainly the most reserved member of the group. [] She plays flute in the school band, had the lead in the school musical before they had to cancel it for lack of support, and plans to go to college for music therapy. Her default expression is a smile, though it seems tired. Unsurprising since on top of school and the litany of extra curriculars, she works at a bookstore. Whatever a typical member of a high school paranormal club might be, Caroline probably isn't it. Which isn't to say I have a handle on a typical member. Though I'd searched for every one I could find online, I wound up with a list of fewer than ten high school paranormal clubs in the whole country. Or Damian: The next kid to arrive after Caroline has tufts of adolescent hair like shadows on his cheeks and upper lip. Twitchy eyes, headphones around his neck, and a bright orange paranormal club hoodie, the same that Dave is wearing. [] Like Caroline, he's had personal encounters, and most that he describes seem to have taken place in his bedroom, "playing games or watching YouTube." Though when he mentions gaming he sheepishly adds "I'm trying my best to cut back on them." Or Dave, a social studies teacher, and the club's sponsor: Dave pokes his head out from the classroom and smiles at me, motions me in. He's only a couple of years from retirement, but has the buoyancy of a much younger man. Half the things he says seem like a joke he's letting you in on and you almost expect a nudge in the ribs to accompany each one. As his students work on a lesson on school-provided MacBooks, he cracks open a small case and begins laying out his paranormal detection equipment. There is a "Mel Meter" that detects ElectroMagnetic Fields and temperature, then displays the result on a small digital screen. It was invented by a man who designed the device to communicate with his daughter, Mel, after her passing. I wonder for the first time whether anyone develops an interest in the paranormal for reasons other than an inability to move on. Beside the Mel Meter on his desk, Dave places two additional ElectroMagnetic Field detectors, one which uses a needle to display the level, another with a series of LEDs, going from green to red. Next, there is an Instrumental Trans-communication box, which scans the air for specific frequencies and will, under certain stimulation, return a random word from its internal dictionary that on occasion has eerie relevance. An infrared floodlight allows for better photographs. There are others, with so many subtle variations on what they do it becomes difficult to keep them straight. Some cost the better part of a thousand dollars, all of which has come out of Dave's pocket. He keeps a shelf in the classroom stocked with Cheetos and Gatorade which he sells to students to support the club. It doesn't go far in offsetting the costs. After we meet the "cast," most of their adventure takes place the "famously" haunted Virgil Hickox House, with a journalist tagging along for all the spooky thrills. The whole article feels like one of those critically acclaimed Netflix documentary miniseries about some other inane group of people that ends up offering a fascinating look at the human condition. Only this time, there's just a little more of a Scooby-Doo vibe the ghosts are just the gimmick to get you into the story, where you discover something more about the real world. Paranormal Club [Patrick Glendon McCullough / Truly*Adventurous] Image: U.S. Air Force photo by Scott Prater Lance Georgeson of Mammoth Lakes paddle boards on Tenaya Lake as smoke shrouds the surrounding forest on Sunday, Sept. 13, 2020 in Yosemite National Park. (Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times) Even before the peak of fire season, a record 3 million acres have burned across California this year, with so many blazes simultaneously whipping through dry wilderness that many have converged into massive complexes, the scope of which the state has never seen. On Thursday, the August Complex the product of 37 fires in and around Tehama County became the largest ever recorded in California at 471,000 acres. But its remoteness made it less a priority than several other major fires edging closer to mountain towns and foothill suburbs. One of those, the North Complex blaze near Oroville, mushroomed this week into an inferno that was blamed for 10 deaths as of Thursday evening, with 16 people missing. It has scorched more than 252,000 acres and forced some 20,000 residents in Plumas, Butte and Yuba counties from their homes. The smoke layer was so thick midweek that officials were just getting a grasp of the devastation Thursday as the winds died down. A fox pauses amid burned brush in the forest in the aftermath of the Bear fire in Berry Creek. (Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times) Lake Oroville still lay shrouded in a dense layer of smoke. In the city, shell-shocked evacuees drove with headlights all day, wearing masks as much for the coronavirus as to filter ash wafting like snow. They searched for scarce hotel rooms, hot meals and friendly places to park cars packed with their chosen possessions. Up on the mountain, where the fire still burned, a small number of people remained behind the evacuation lines with power cut off and wells not working bone-tired from this fire and the many before it. Kendall Hill, 15, sat in a camp chair in a parking lot with his dad, helping friends give out free hot dogs and chips to exhausted first-responders. Hill fled his home in Berry Creek on Tuesday night, leaving before flames arrived. Fortunately, his home survived, but some of his family in the area lost theirs. "It's sad," he said, exhaustion in his eyes. "Emotional." Little was left but chimneys, washing machines and the smoking remains of cars and trucks in tiny Berry Creek. Story continues In a community many described as "family," Butte County Animal Control officer Lynette Brennan waited by the side of the road for firefighters to deliver two injured dogs they recovered. Inside a trailer, she had two horses, one burned, waiting to be taken down the hill. She has worked this job for eight years and been through multiple fires. "It's daunting," she said. "You see everything destroyed." Brennan said one of the hardest parts is personally knowing so many people who lost homes, and that many will not be able to rebuild. "You know they lost everything, and there is no recouping that," she said. The many fires of the North Complex had calmed down enough Thursday for some to start taking stock of their losses. But in the last month, when one blaze slowed, another inevitably exploded. Flames consume dry brush around City of Santa Barbara firefighters Eric Cole, left, and Mark Kramer as the crew sets a backfire along Oro Quincy Hwy. in the aftermath of the Bear fire on Thursday in Oroville, Calif. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) In the far north, the Slater fire took off Wednesday night, growing from 30,000 acres to more than 120,000 by 7 a.m. Thursday. It crossed the border into Oregon, a state already besieged by its own fires, with half a million people under evacuation orders. Two bodies have been recovered in the footprint of the blaze. With that fires expansion, Gov. Gavin Newsom added Siskiyou County to its list of 17 other counties in a state of emergency. Cal Fire spokesman Daniel Berlant said dangerously dry conditions led to explosive fires that have really just skyrocketed us past the 3-million mark for the first time in our recorded history. Unfortunately, with several more months of fire season to go, this number could continue to increase, he said Thursday. The sheer number of wildfires across California and the parched West has left fire crews stretched like never before. The U.S. Forest Service reported that just 1,117 personnel were on the August Complex. A horse stands motionless in a field along Bald Rock Rd. in the aftermath of the Bear fire on Thursday, Sept. 10, 2020 in Berry Creek, CA. (Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times) By comparison, nearly 4,000 personnel battled the 2018 Mendocino Complex that had been the state's largest until it was surpassed by the August Complex. The 2017 Thomas Fire had nearly 9,000 people on the scene at one point. The complex fires burning now date back to a freak mid-August siege of dry lightning across Northern California, sparking four of the 10 largest fires on record in California. Both the August and North Complex fires were ignited in that storm, continued burning in the back country, then exploded with this weeks heatwave and high winds. Two others the SCU Lightning Complex in the hills east of San Jose and the LNU Lightning Complex in the North Bay and wine country are still burning but almost entirely contained. They account for the third and fourth largest since California began keeping records in 1932. The Dolan fire, which ignited Aug. 18 north of Limekiln State Park in Monterey County, has also seen extreme growth this week, tripling in size to 110,000 acres. A second salvo of new fire ignitions worsened the dire situation, with the Bobcat fire in the San Gabriel Mountains, the Valley Fire southeast San Diego County, the El Dorado fire near Yucaipa, the Creek fire roaring out of the Sierra National Forest. At the Creek fire, lighter winds cleared the air long enough beginning Wednesday afternoon to finally give aircraft an opportunity to line the forest with retardant, as crews on the fires southern portion worked to harden the defenses around areas such as Meadow Lakes and Tollhouse. Were really trying to start gaining containment on this fire, said Chris Vestal, a spokesman for the Creek fire response. A lot of what we want to do is make sure everything that is standing stays standing. Above Monrovia, the Bobcat fire was updated to a Type 1 incident Thursday by forest service officials, reflecting a need for more personnel and equipment. Evacuees Frank Martinez, left, and friend Rick Wolfe sit in Martinez's Dodge van with their nine dogs in the aftermath of the Bear fire in Oroville. (Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times) Potential size and potential complexity were both factors in the reclassification, according to Forest Service representative Micah Bell. Ive actually seen Type 1 teams handle fires that were barely 2,000 acres, but it was the complexity of managing it that requires a bigger team, Bell said. Though the fire has swelled significantly nearly doubling in size Wednesday much of the growth was in its northeastern portion, Bell said, away from threatened foothill communities. Six areas remain under an evacuation warning: Duarte, Bradbury, Monrovia, Sierra Madre, Pasadena and Altadena. The hope is that weather conditions will improve across the state today, with most areas experiencing seasonal temperatures and dry conditions, according to Cal Fire. Boats are shrouded in smoke and ash at Loafer Point on Lake Oroville in the aftermath of the Bear fire on Thursday, Sept. 10, 2020 in Oroville. (Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times) Northern California should expect average temperatures through the weekend, with a possible cooling trend next week, officials wrote Thursday. In Southern California, temperatures will be at or slightly above normal. Chabria reported from Oroville, St. John from Chico, Money and Mozingo from Los Angeles. Times staff writers Joseph Serna, Hayley Smith, Tony Barboza and Alejandra Reyes-Velarde contributed to this report. Bazaar Corporate Radar | Feb 22, 2021, 12:00 AM IST Bazaar Corporate Radar Bazaar Corporate Radar is your window into the minds of top CEOs, Boardrooms, global economists, fund managers and sector analysts. If it?s making news, you?ll find it on Bazaar Corporate Radar. Burma Three Myanmar Soldiers Court-Martialed for Raping Rakhine Woman The rape victim. / Min Aung Khine / The Irrawaddy SITTWE, RakhineMyanmars military will punish three soldiers after they confessed to raping a Rakhine woman in Rathedaung Township in late June, said military spokesman Major General Zaw Min Tun. The 37-year-old woman from Uga Village in Rathedaung Township filed a complaint with Sittwe police on July 10, reporting she was raped by three soldiers at gunpoint. The police accepted the complaint and opened cases for rape, abduction with the intent to rape and aiding and abetting rape. Uga villagers said troops arrived in their village at around 6pm on June 29 and stayed overnight. When the soldiers arrived, male villagers fled, fearing that they might be arrested on suspicion of having ties to the Arakan Army, an ethnic armed group fighting the military in northern Rakhine. The victim hid in her house together with five other women and three children. Three soldiers were staying the night at her neighbors house. They summoned her for interrogation and then raped her at gunpoint, she said. A military statement on July 2 denied the accusations of rape, however, conducted an internal investigation into the allegation after the case came under the spotlight. First we conducted an internal investigation into those soldiers. They denied the allegations. But then we got other evidence that prompted further investigation. In the second investigation, one of the soldiers confessed. So we have formed a court-martial and are taking action, Maj-Gen Zaw Min Tun told The Irrawaddy. The perpetrators will not be transferred for a civilian criminal trial but the court-martial will hand down the punishment under the 1959 Defence Services Act and laws for civilians, he said. Rakhine Womens Network chairwoman Daw Nyo Aye doubts the three perpetrators will receive a fitting punishment at the court-martial. The network is working together with Rakhine civil society organizations (CSOs) to demand truth and justice for the victim. According to our experience, the decisions made by courts-martial have never been acceptable to us. So we will demand that the case be transferred to a civilian court. As they are rapists and criminals, the military has to dismiss them. If they are dismissed, they have to be transferred to a civilian court, she told The Irrawaddy. Over 120 CSOs in Rakhine State issued a joint statement on July 27, denouncing rape and sexual violence against women during armed conflict and asking the authorities to prevent sexual violence. Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko You may also like these stories: Myanmar Military Questions Authenticity of Soldiers Confessions on Rakhine Atrocities Myanmar Military to Investigate Soldiers for Rape of Rakhine Woman Myanmar Military Arrests Soldiers for Killing Unarmed Karen Woman Union members of KB Financial Group hold a press conference in front of the group's building in Seoul, Thursday. Yonhap By Lee Kyung-min Unions at state-run and commercial financial organizations are rushing to recommend outside directors to company boards, a move to gain a greater say in corporate management backed by the labor-friendly Moon Jae-in administration, according to industry sources Friday. Union members say a rise in representation is needed to promote "public good." But experts say corporate efficiency will be undermined due to the deeper intervention of unions whose growing collective rights are increasingly used to protect the vested interests of those with the highest salaries and job security. Also fanning concern of a management-labor standoff is the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) leadership being filled recently with figures with extensive labor movement backgrounds. One employee of a stock ownership association comprised of a small group of unions under KB Financial Group said recently that it has recommended two figures with expertise in environmental, social and governance (ESG) to be appointed as outside directors for the Nov. 20 provisional shareholders' meeting. They are Seoul National University Graduate School of Environmental Studies Yun Sun-jin and Ryu Young-jae, the CEO of Sustinvest, an ESG advisory. The recommendation has been interpreted as a stepping stone to the appointment of a labor director, defined by the requirement of labor participation in corporate management, a presidential election pledge recently losing steam amid fast-souring public sentiment over the administration's series of failed drives, notably real estate policies. The association says the two are needed for effective operation of an ESG committee set up under the company board in March, and the association-backed figure will expand influence in corporate management. Unlike three failed previous attempts between 2017 and 2019, the push is expected to gain ground bolstered by DPK lawmaker Park Hong-bae, who joined the party's Supreme Council on Sept. 1, a first for a former Korean Financial Industry Union (KFIU) head to join the ruling party's key leadership. Park was elected KFIU head last year after pledging for greater union representation via implementation of union-recommended outside directors. Also helping was his known hardline stance as head of KB Financial's union through orchestrating KB Kookmin Bank's first strike in 19 years in January 2019. "The board needs ESG experts to bolster transparency and objectivity," Park said, not giving any mention of thorny union rights issues including wage hikes and extending the retirement age, a strategic move to buy time until after the appointments are finalized. Backing the remarks was DPK lawmaker Min Byung-duk sitting on the National Assembly's National Policy Committee. "The issue will be a key area subject to legislative oversight," he said. The growing union power is a major headache not only to KB Financial Group Chairman Yoon Jong-kyoo whose bid for a third term could be frustrated by labor conflicts, but also state lenders and financial organizations. Unions at Industrial Bank of Korea (IBK), Export-Import Bank of Korea (Eximbank) and Korea Asset Management Corp. (KAMCO) will seek to come up with a list of figures to replace outside directors, some of whose terms will expire early next year. IBK CEO Yoon Jong-won, whose appointment was fiercely opposed by the bank's union in January, promised to let the union recommend a director in return for halting its strike demanding his resignation. Dankook University economist Kim Tai-gi said the unions seeking to gain ground in the name of public good is nothing short of a political tactic to exert more influence. "The highest-paid group of white-collar workers with great job security wants to solidify their standing in the political area in the name of a green initiative. It remains to be seen whether the issues of wage hikes and other employee benefits will be put on the negotiating table in the months to come." A day after tapes were released proving that President Trump knew more about the dangers of the coronavirus than he publicly let on, Chris Cuomo called out Republicans who identify as pro-life for not alerting the public. In the tapes, in which Trump spoke to Bob Woodward for his latest book, Rage, Trump talks about the virus being more deadly than the flu, but that he wanted to publicly downplay it. In a recording from Feb. 7, Trump can be heard saying, It goes, it goes through air, Bob. Thats always tougher than the touch. You know, the touch, you dont have to touch things, right? But the air, you just breathe the air and thats how its passed. And so thats a very tricky one. Thats a very delicate one. Its also more deadly than your, you know, your, even your strenuous flus. This is more deadly. This is 5 per-, you know, this is 5 percent versus 1 percent and less than 1 percent. You know, so, this is deadly stuff. In a recording from March 19, Trump tells Woodward, I wanted to always play it down. I still like playing it down because I dont want to create a panic. As the U.S. nears 200,000 COVID-related deaths, Cuomo questioned how Republicans who call themselves pro-life could have sat idly by as Trump misled the American public for so many months. Where is everybody else? Where are the voices out there who call themselves pro-life? Cuomo asked. Gotta protect it. Thats what my faith teaches us. The ones elected to keep checks and balances on the president. Country first, party second. Cuomo even called some of them out by name for their response to the Woodward tapes. Many GOP senators, conservative, moderate, (Susan) Collins, (Joni) Ernst, they wont answer questions. They wont answer any questions about the Woodward tapes, Cuomo said. (John) Cornyn said he wouldnt comment since he didnt have any confidence in the reporting. It is a tape, brother. The president doesnt deny the tape. Its the medias fault? Sens. (David) Perdue and (Thom) Tillis, they defended Trump, along with the big kahuna himself, Mitch McConnell. Story continues Cuomo also pointed out that pro-life Republicans knew the real dangers of the coronavirus early on. This was evidenced by the actions of a couple Republican senators following a coronavirus briefing in late January. North Carolina Sen. Richard Burr sold stocks soon after the briefing and warned donors of the dangers. He stepped down as chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee after his actions were exposed. Georgia Sen. Kelly Loeffler also sold stocks after the briefing, but insider trading charges against her were dropped by the Justice Department. As Trump continually misled the American public, like saying on multiple occasions that the coronavirus would magically disappear, Republicans refused to contradict him. They knew. They knew what he knew. These werent top secret briefings. They knew what he knew and they knew when he knew it, Cuomo said. And now you know what the president knew and when he knew it. And you know all of them didnt tell you the damn truth and made people sick and it allowed people to die. Cuomo Prime Time airs weeknights at 9 p.m. on CNN. Watch Trump claim nobody had any idea the coronavirus was so deadly despite saying otherwise in the Woodward recording: For the latest coronavirus news and updates, follow along at https://news.yahoo.com/coronavirus. According to experts, people over 60 and those who are immunocompromised continue to be the most at risk. If you have questions, please reference the CDCs and WHOs resource guides. Read more from Yahoo Entertainment: Tell us what you think! Hit us up on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram. And check out our host, Kylie Mar, on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram. BAY CITY, MI Shortly before police allege she caused the deaths of her mother and another woman on U.S. 10, a Unionville woman called 911 to report her mom was assaulting her. According to police reports contained in court files, 34-year-old Ashley N. Katshor on Sept. 2 was riding as a passenger in a Chevrolet Equinox driven by her 52-year-old mother, Lisa E. Archibald. About 4:35 p.m., Bay County Central Dispatch received a call from Katshor saying she had been assaulted by her mother. During the call, dispatchers could hear Archibald in the background. The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) has said the National Communications Authority (NCA) is deceiving the public on the details of a request it has made to the regulator. According to the MFWA, a media rights advocate, the NCA has been deceptive in public discourse on its request for some information on FM stations. The MFWA wrote to the NCA in July requesting information under Article 12 (1) (f) of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana and section 18 of the Right to Information Act 2019 (Act 989). The letter, signed by the Executive Director of the MFWA and dated Wednesday, 22 July 2020, requested the full list of all authorised FM stations as of the second quarter of 2020, indicating the dates of first authorisation, dates of last authorisation renewals, locations, and operational status (on-air or off-air). The MFWA also requested the full list of all authorised television stations as of the second quarter of 2020, indicating dates of first authorisation, dates of last authorisation renewals, locations and operational status. In response to the request, the NCA asked MFWA to pay GH2000 to have access to information the Foundation requested. In a letter written back to the MFWA dated, 20 August 2020, the NCA explained that the payment satisfies a requirement per Section 82 (1) (b) of the Electronic Communication Act 2008, Act 775 to facilitate the generation of the search report. Responding to the NCA's letter, the Executive Director of MFWA, Mr Sulemana Braimah, took to Facebook on Wednesday, 26 August 2020 to say: "NCA paaa! You shut down radio stations. We write to ask you under RTI for the full list of the stations you shut down and you say we should pay GH2,000 for you to do a search to get us the list? A search for what? The list? OK, we hear." In part one of a write up titled Public Access to Information: Exposing the Deception of Ghanas National Communications Authority Part 1 MFWA alleges that the NCAs lawyer, Dr Poku Adusei was untruthful in his Facebook post about the nature of the information MFWA requested for. In the write-up, MFWA said they will continue to pursue their request even if it means going to the law courts. Below is a full write up by the MFWA Public Access to Information: Exposing the Deception by Ghanas National Communications Authority Part 1 On July 22, 2020, the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) filed an Access to Information request to the National Communications Authority (NCA), the regulator of Ghanas frequency spectrum. We did so in exercise of our right under Article 21(1)(f) of Ghanas 1992 Constitution and under Ghanas Right to Information Act 2019, Act 989. Our request sought for four main pieces of information, which ordinarily should have been proactively publicised by the NCA. For purposes of clarity and understanding by the public, below is the set of information we requested: 1. The full list of all FM radio stations (indicating name of company, name of radio station, location and frequency number) that were shut down by the NCA following the Authoritys 2017 FM spectrum audit and in line with the 2018 decision of the Electronic Communications Tribunal. 2. The full list of all authorised FM stations as of the second quarter of 2020, indicating the dates of first authorisation, dates of last authorisation renewals, locations and operational status; that is whether they are on air or off air. 3. An explanation for the sudden replacement of its published 2020 second quarter report titled: List of Authorised VHF-FM Radio Stations in Ghana as at Second Quarter 2020 which contained columns for date of first authorisation and date for last authorisation renewals, with one that now excludes the dates of first authorisation and dates of last authorisation renewals. 4. The full list of all authorised television stations as of the second quarter of 2020, indicating dates of first authorisation, dates of last authorisation renewals, locations and operational status. In our request letter, we indicated we would like the requested information compiled in PDF format and delivered to us through email we should be invited to pick up hard copies or any other format. We also added that Pursuant to the provisions of Act 989, we would be grateful to receive the requested information within Fourteen (14) days on the receipt of the letter. The NCA acknowledged receipt of our letter on July 22. It, however, ignored our request as the 14 days passed and there was no word from the Authority. Keen on asserting our rights under the Law, we followed up on our request with another letter on August 18. On the same day of our follow-up letter, the NCA responded with two different letters via email. The first, signed by the Director-General, Mr. Joe Anokye, basically said the Authority was not going to provide the explanations requested in point (3) above and that in respect of the other requests, the Authority was in the process of assessing the requests for further action. The second letter, which was signed for the Director General by the Acting Director (Legal), Dr. Poku Adusei, requested that we pay a whopping amount of GHC 2,000 as per Section 82 (1) (b) of the Electronic Communications Act, 2008, Act 775, to enable us generate the Search Report. We found the demand for, as high as, GHC 2,000 very exorbitant, unaffordable and quite contrary to the provisions on fees in the Law under which we had made the request, the Right to Information Act, 2019, Act 989. Besides, we found the amount to be exorbitant because the information requested is or should already be in the custody of the Authority and we had indicated our preference for soft copies to be sent to us through an indicated email address. Subsequently, however, the NCAs Acting Legal Director, told the public via social media publications that the Authority was even lenient to have charged GHC 2,000 for the requested information. According to him, this was because, per MFWAs request, we were seeking to turn the NCA into its research unit, because as he put it, what we were seeking was a search report from the NCA it to answer questions on company names, location, operational status etc. He ended by indicating that producing what we had requested involves research and sweat. Contrary to the assertions by the Acting Legal Director of the NCA, the Authority has on its website the full list of authorised FM stations as of the second quarter of 2020. That data contains the names and address of companies, their locations, frequencies and operational status of all the authorised FM stations in the country. Below is a screenshot of just a page of the data containing the list of all Authorised FM stations in the country as of second quarter 2020, as published on the website of the NCA. In the case of the list of television stations, the NCA has its website a similar data and in the same format as the table below. Note that the data as published by the NCA in the format below does not provide information on dates of first authorisation and dates of last authorisation renewal, which is the only additional information we sought in our request in relation to the list of authorised FM and TV stations. So, if the NCA has this data published on its website, why will their Director of Legal, Dr. Poku Adusei, be telling the public that providing the information the MFWA requested will involve research and sweat? If the data, as shown above, contains the names and address of companies, location, frequencies and status, why will the NCA have to engage in research that will make them sweat before they produce the same information? The only additional thing we asked for, was the inclusion of the dates of first authorisation and dates of last renewal authorisation, which is critical for the purpose of our request. Is it the case that the information that the NCA has published on its website containing the names and addresses of companies of all authorised FM and TV stations, their frequencies, locations, etc, is not authentic and they will need to do research and sweat to find the correct information? If that were to be the case, then we are in trouble with regard to the management of our spectrum. Or is it that the NCA cannot find the dates on which the stations were first authorised and the dates on which they renewed their authorisation? If that were to be the case, then again, we are in trouble. But if none of the above is the case, then why should it cost us a whopping GHC 2,000 under an RTI Law, to receive the information requested via email? Or is it the cost of data for sending the email? The other piece of information we requested for was the full list of radio stations that the NCA had shut down following its 2017 FM spectrum audit and in line with the 2018 decision of the Electronic Communications Tribunal. Producing this list will require research and sweat on the part of the NCA? Does it mean does not have a record of radio stations it had shut down? If this were to be the case then, once again, we are in trouble with how Ghanas frequencies are being managed. And we ask again, if the NCA has the list, why should it cost us a whopping GHC 2,000 under Ghanas RTI Law, to receive the list via email? Or is it the cost of data for sending the email? Lets remember that we made the request under Ghanas RTI Law. Yes, the Law makes provision for the payment of fees. But even so, as observed by the RTI Coalition in a recent statement: Exercising a fundamental human right such as the Right to Information should not be costly; otherwise it is no more a right. It is important for Public Institutions to bear in mind that, public information is already paid for by taxpayers and therefore charging requesters to search for public information is tantamount to double charging. The Coalition further pointed out poignantly that: This is why section 23(3)(d) of the RTI Act provides that Where the Information Officer decides to give access; the notice shall state the prescribed fee for the REPRODUCTION of information. The Act goes ahead to provide under section 75(2)(c) that Despite subsection (1), a fee or charge shall not be payable for the REPRODUCTION of information which is in the public interest. In defence of our right to access public information and in the interest of the public to assert same, we will continue to struggle to access the information requested even if it will mean going to the Court of law to assert this right. Money should not be a barrier to public access to information. The RTI law must be respected. In part two, we will tell more of the deception and more reasons why what we requested for should not cost us a whopping GHC 2000 to have access. Source: GNA Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Gildas Le Roux and Fiachra Gibbons (Agence France-Presse) Venice, Italy Fri, September 11, 2020 17:03 497 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c444a6a6 2 Entertainment Philippe-Lacote,Venice-Film-Festival Free A modern "Arabian Nights" set in one of Africas most notorious prisons has become one of the breakout hits of the Venice film festival, snapped up by distributors in the US and Europe. "Night of the Kings" by the Ivory Coast-born director Philippe Lacote is about a young gang member who has to tell a story that will last till dawn if he is to survive his first night in Abidjan's teeming La MACA jail. As he recounts the story of a young outlaw, into which he weaves traditional griot legends his mother taught him, rival groups of inmates battle to control the prison. Variety called the throbbing drama, which plays out under a blood-red moon, an "awards contender", while the Hollywood Reporter hailed its narrator as a "modern-day Scheherazade". "This captivating hybrid of a movie mixes fairytale and storytelling with a vividly-drawn backdrop of heightened realism," its critic Boyd van Hoejj wrote. The frightening reality of the prison -- which the film claims is the "only one in the world run by its inmates" -- is something Lacote knows well. Mother was locked up "My mother was locked up in La MACA for political reasons when I was a kid," he told AFP in Venice. Surrounded by thick jungle in a former national park, the concrete hellhole "has been part of my imagination for a long time," said the director, whose last film "Run" was shown at Cannes in 2014. "A lot of the friends I grew up with in my neighborhood ended up there and some of them died there," Lacote added. The tale that the movies young hero chooses to tell is of Zama King, the real-life leader of one of the bands of armed street crooks Ivorians call "Les Microbes" (The Germs). "Zama was lynched after he committed numerous crimes," said the journalist and documentary maker, whose strife-torn west African homeland is often the backdrop of his work. "Les Microbes are kids aged from eight to 18 who are behind a lot of the violence in poor neighborhoods in Abidjan, often attacking people with knives and machetes," Lacote said. Indeed, the director was set upon himself last December in the city, sustaining wounds to his head, leg and hands. "It was a serious attack," he told reporters, though nothing to do with his film or his work -- just a case of "fiction becoming reality in my life", he said ruefully. The gangs also "used by those in power in the Ivory Coast as militias to scare their opponents," Lacote told AFP. The wars going on between the prisoners in the film are for him a mirror of the once relatively prosperous countrys strife-torn recent past. Read also: 'Trump will win' says US star at Venice film festival 'Power-hungry leaders' "We have lots of leaders who crave power," said Lacote, whose 2008 film "Chronicles of War in the Ivory Coast", cast a sharp eye on the first of the two civil wars it has suffered since the turn of the century. He said "young people have been bound in a knot" of competing parties and factions. The Ivory Coast has become "over-politicized since independence" from France, he insisted, with "never-ending power struggles like those going on in La MACA." With the country going to the polls in a presidential election on Oct. 31, he fears a new generation is being used "to fight out this conflict". CALGARY, AB, Sept. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ - ATCO Ltd. (TSX: ACO.X) (TSX: ACO.Y) / Canadian Utilities Limited (TSX: CU) (TSX: CU.X) ATCO is pleased to announce it has been awarded the 2020 International Edison Award for its work on the Fort McMurray West 500-kV Transmission Project, completed by Alberta PowerLine (APL), a partnership between ATCO subsidiary Canadian Utilities Limited and Quanta Services. APL is recognized for creating a new model for energy infrastructure that provides lasting social and economic benefits for our customers, communities, partners, and Indigenous Peoples. The Edison Award is presented annually by the Edison Electric Institute and has long been the electricity industry's most prestigious award. In 2014, APL was selected by the Alberta Electric System Operator (AESO) to develop, design, build, finance, own, operate and maintain the Fort McMurray West 500-kV Transmission Project. Stretching 508 kilometres from Wabamun to Fort McMurray, Alta., the transmission project was energized in March 2019, three months ahead of schedule, on-budget, and with an outstanding safety record. "Alberta PowerLine and the Fort McMurray West 500-kV Transmission Project represent much more than critical energy infrastructure," said Siegfried Kiefer, President & Chief Executive Officer, Canadian Utilities. "It is a success story of industry and Indigenous Peoples working together to develop world-class energy infrastructure that benefits customers and communities alike. We are very proud of everything that our partnerships with local communities have accomplished and are humbled on behalf of all involved to be selected for the prestigious Edison Award." Throughout each stage of the project, APL worked in close partnership with the Indigenous communities along the route, engaging with 27 Indigenous communities with traditional land use in proximity to the transmission line. Indigenous communities were further engaged as active participants through significant contracts totaling $85 million, providing an opportunity for jobs, skills training and local economic development. ATCO will continue these relationships through operational contracts as part of the 35-year contract for the operation and maintenance of APL. "ATCO did a tremendous job engaging with local communities and landowners as it worked to develop this new transmission line, which has enhanced reliability for all of ATCO's customers," said Edison Electric Institute President Tom Kuhn. In December 2019, seven Indigenous communities in Alberta purchased a combined 40 per cent equity ownership in APL: Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation, Bigstone Cree Nation, Gunn Metis Local 55, Mikisew Cree First Nation, by way of its business arm, the Mikisew Group of Companies, Paul First Nation, Sawridge First Nation and Sucker Creek First Nation. Through their investment in APL these communities have become active partners in energy development that is occurring in their backyards, and can use the resources from the project to invest in their communities. The Fort McMurray West 500-kV Transmission Project is the longest 500-kV AC transmission line in Canada and was ranked among the top 50 infrastructure projects in Canada. The project was financed in part through the largest public-private partnership bond in Canadian history and has been recognized for creating a new standard of excellence in public-private partnership projects. This is the second time that ATCO has been recognized with the Edison Award, following a win in 2005 for the Dover to Whitefish Transmission Line. With approximately 6,500 employees and assets of $22 billion, ATCO is a diversified global corporation with investments in the essential services of Structures & Logistics (workforce and residential housing, innovative modular facilities, construction, site support services, workforce lodging services, facility operations and maintenance, defence operations services, and disaster and emergency management services); Utilities (electricity and natural gas transmission and distribution and international electricity operations); Energy Infrastructure (electricity generation, energy storage and industrial water solutions); Retail Energy (electricity and natural gas retail sales); Transportation (ports and transportation logistics); and Commercial Real Estate. More information can be found at www.ATCO.com. Investor & Analyst Inquiries: Myles Dougan Director, Investor Relations & External Disclosure T: 403-292-7879 C: 403-828-2908 Media Inquiries: Kurt Kadatz Senior Manager, Corporate Communications C: 587-228-4571 'Forward-Looking Information: Certain statements contained in this news release may constitute forward-looking information. Forward-looking information is often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as "anticipate", "plan", "estimate", "expect", "may", "will", "intend", "should", and similar expressions. Forward-looking information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking information. The Company's actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in this forward-looking information as a result of regulatory decisions, competitive factors in the industries in which the Company operates, prevailing economic conditions, and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of the Company. The Company believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking information are reasonable, but no assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct and such forward-looking information should not be unduly relied upon. Any forward-looking information contained in this news release represents the Company's expectations as of the date hereof and is subject to change after such date. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities legislation. SOURCE ATCO Ltd. Related Links www.canadian-utilities.com President Donald Trump has made domestic oil and gas production a centerpiece of his administration, moving the United States closer to energy independence. His position means the country is much less at the mercy of other oil-rich regimes but has attracted criticism for not focusing more on renewables. Joe Biden, the former vice president who seeks to replace Trump in the White House, has a very different view on fossil fuels, pushing a version of the Green New Deal in a world grappling with climate change. Although Biden recently has stressed he would not support a ban on fracking no doubt irritating some in his progressive base but making him more palatable to energy-producing states his current position is to end new oil and gas drilling leases on federal land. The economic impact of that policy on New Mexico, according to a report by the American Petroleum Institute and New Mexico Oil and Gas Association, would be devastating. Federal lands account for more than half of New Mexicos oil production. The number for natural gas which is cleaner than coal as an energy source but still emits significant amounts of CO2 is even higher according to the report, coming in at 67%. How do those numbers translate to people? The reports conclusion is that more than 62,000 jobs could be lost under the Biden policy and that the state could face a revenue loss of up to $1.1 billion. Oil and gas, prior to the big hit by the pandemic-induced recession, accounted for around 20% of the states budget. It may take awhile, but the price of oil will rebound as the global economy recovers. And it will continue to play a big role in the worlds energy needs. If its not oil and natural gas produced in the U.S., it will be from Russia, Saudi Arabia, Iran and others. That will be true for years to come even as we push harder to expand renewables such as wind and solar as we should. City dwellers in Albuquerque might not think a federal leasing ban would affect them. After all, this isnt the oil patch. Think again. The money generated for the states coffers by oil and gas pays a big chunk of the tab for things like K-12 public schools and higher education. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, a fellow Democrat, is an ardent Biden supporter and frequently was listed as a possible vice presidential running mate. Unless she moves to a Cabinet position in a Biden administration if he wins she will still be chief executive in a poor state that is at the bottom of way too many rankings. And the math for addressing those problems gets a lot worse under this proposed policy. So is the governor in favor of this? If it happens does she have a plan? You wont get much guidance on either question from her response to the report: If we are fortunate enough to have a President Biden, the governor knows that will require a close working relationship to both protect our environment and rebuild our states economy, a spokeswoman for the governor told Journal reporter Dan Boyd. We look forward to those discussions and that work. Meaning what, exactly? Is the governor on board with Bidens proposed ban? If so, how do we back-fill that billion-dollar hole in the budget? These are also fair questions for candidates for Congress and the state Legislature. None of this is to say environmental issues dont have to be considered. They do. But New Mexicans deserve answers to these questions. Especially as they get ready to cast their votes for candidates up and down the ballot. 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. Yes Bank rose 3.45% to Rs 14.40 after the bank said it fully repaid the entire Rs 50,000 crore of special liquidity facility it had availed from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). Yes Bank held its sixteenth annual general meeting (AGM) of Yes Bank on Thursday, 10 September 2020. The bank's chairman, Sunil Mehta, informed that the bank has fully repaid Rs 50,000 crore towards the Special Liquidity Facility (SLF) extended by RBI, well before the due date. He further said that Moody's upgraded the bank's rating to B3 with stable outlook. Addressing investor queries on whether the bank was going to be merged with State Bank of India (SBI) eventually, Mehta said that no such plans were afoot. He added that neither the bank nor any authority had discussed such a proposal as far as he knew. "The new board and the management remains firm in its resolve to build an institution which has highest standards of governance, strong risk processes, financially strong, technologically powered to deliver best value to our customers," the chairman added. Yes Bank is a full service commercial bank' providing a complete range of products, services and technology driven digital offerings, catering to corporate, MSME & retail customers. The bank's net profit tumbled 60.1% to Rs 45 crore in Q1 FY21 from Rs 114 crore in Q1 FY20. However, the bank has returned to profitability after reporting loss in the past three quarters. It had reported a net loss of Rs 3,668 crore in Q4 FY20. Total income of the bank fell 32.8% on a year-on-year (YoY) basis to Rs 6,106.74 crore in the June 2020 quarter. Net Interest Margin (NIM) stood at 3% in Q1 FY21 as against 2.8% in Q1 FY20. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Selfless teachers in Chinese village schools By:Zheng Qian | From:english.eastday.com | 2020-09-10 17:43 To contribute to the Chinese rural education, a batch of teachers are making great efforts. Wang Jiaoqin teaches in her hometown in Longling county of Yunnan province, a key county for poverty alleviation work. Several years ago, Wang gave up a teaching opportunity in a key high school and returned here to teach.[Photo/ ICphoto] Sun Yuguang, in his 60s, is the only teacher in Xiahudong Village Primary School in Gongba Town of Hunans Yongzhou City. Due to the isolated position, the school failed to recruit young teachers and Sun was rehired after he had retired.[Photo by He Hongfu] Haiga Primary School in Dawan Town of Guizhous Liupanshui City is known as a school on cloud due to its 2400-meter altitude. Gu Ya, who had experience in a band, formed two rock bands at the school and teaches students music theory in his spare time. In Gus words, music has not only illuminated childrens inner world, but also become the link with the outside world.[Photo by Qu Honglun] Wang Kaikuan, the only teacher in Hebeis Ziran Village, gives classes to three students. The 1.1-square-kilometer village is on an island surrounded by a river where people travel only by boat.[Photo by Han Suyuan] Zha Dongping, in her mid-twenties, with her three students in Zhoujiashan Village Primary School in Wuyuan County of Jiangxi province. Zha, the schools only teacher, gives Chinese, Maths, Music and Physical education classes, and has been working here since she graduated in 2013.[Photo by Liu Zhankun] Lai Zhenyuan, the only substitute teacher in a mountain primary school in Bashan Grand Canyon of Sichuans Dazhou County, gives class to the only student Wang Longze. Wangs mother died not long after he was born and his father is disabled and sickly. Since this school is the only one Wang can afford, Lai made his decision to remain here as his teacher. [Photo by Zhon Xin] A blazing fire swept through a welding shop at Agric Kokode, near Kumasi, burning 12 vehicles, on the evening of Wednesday. The incident was said to have been triggered off after a fire from a nearby mechanic shop extended to the shop where the cars were being worked on. Among the vehicles destroyed by the fire were, Range Rover, Toyota Tundra, two Jeeps and three Toyota Highlanders. According to the owner of the shop, Seidu Abdulai, the fire could have been stopped, if personnel of the Ghana Fire Service at Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) and Komfo Anokye had responded on time. Estimating the cost of damage, the cars including his working equipment, to about GH?1 million, he called on the government to come to his aid in order to rebuild the shop. The Assemblyman for the area, Wilson Sackey, urged the workers to desist from burning refuse which they have dumped close to the shop, where the fire started from. He said he had, on many occasions, asked the workers to stop dumping refuse and burning them to avoid any disaster, but they would not heed to. He was convinced the fire might have spread from the refuse dump. Source: The Ghanaian Times Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video A 49-unit project for homeless and disabled veterans is under construction this month in Lake View Terrace. (Los Angeles Times) To the editor: An audit by Los Angeles City Controller Ron Galperin identified two homeless housing projects whose costs soared to nearly $750,000 per unit. One project's costs increased because the developer had to make significant changes in response to lawsuits filed to stop construction. The other project's costs were inflated because it was built on a steep hillside. The projects are considered to be "outliers" because of the circumstances surrounding them. Why in the world were these projects built? Who should have been responsible for reviewing the cost estimates before construction began and deciding the projects just didn't make sense? I hope voters remember these projects when we are next asked to approve tax increases for "affordable" housing. Gerry Swider, Sherman Oaks .. To the editor: Voters in the city of Los Angeles approved Proposition HHH in 2016, giving the city $1.2 billion to help build housing for homeless people. In the resulting four years, only three projects have opened. One project parceled out at $750,000 per unit. This project, appropriately known by locals as "The Cliffs," has fallen off a financial cliff. It required extensive renovation of the site to grade it for development. Possibly this wasn't the best site to build on, if that is the case. The thing is, these units should not cost so much. We will never get anywhere on housing Los Angeles' homeless people with this kind of leadership. I say put Galperin in charge of the city. He seems to be the only one watching out for us financially. Mindy Taylor-Ross, Venice A student who knew he had tested positive for coronavirus decided to throw a house party while he was supposed to be quarantining. Police body camera footage broadcast on local TV channel WOIO 19, shows the moment officers confronted the hosts of the house party in Oxford, Ohio, at 4pm on Saturday. Lieutenant Lara Fening, from the Oxford Police Department, said: "This particular case is egregious, but I think for the most part, by and large, the students have been very well behaved." Footage shows a young man confess to the officers that he tested positive for Covid-19. "Are you supposed to be quarantining?" the officer asks. The Miami University student responds: "Yeah. That's why I'm at my house." The officer then says: "So you have other people here, and you're positive for Covid? You see the problem? How many other people have Covid?" The officer asks the student "how many other people have Covid? to which the student responds "they all do" before later backtracking. He said eight people lived at the house and others had just stopped by. Around 20 people reportedly attended the party. Police said six people were given citations, five of whom live in the house. The civil penalty caries a $500 (389) fine. According to Cincinnatis Local 12 more than 1,000 students from the University of Miami have tested positive for coronavirus. Lt Fening added: Some residents came over from across the street that were reportedly Covid-positive as well." She suggested that anyone who attended the party should get tested. We do not know if anybody else at that party was aware of the Covid-positive residents because some of them left while the officer was there," she added. SAN FRANCISCO Jennifer Krasners 4-year-old daughter had been coughing for days. Ms. Krasner and her family live 20 minutes north of San Francisco, in Mill Valley, Calif., not close to any fire but wreathed in smoke nonetheless, with her house and car dusted with ash. I had to get her tested for Covid because shes been coughing so much, she said Thursday, but it turned out her lungs were just irritated from all the smoke. Across San Francisco Bay to the southeast, in Alameda, Monica Chellams daughter, also 4, asked Wednesday why it was so dark. I told her the sun was blocked by smoke, Ms. Chellam said. She turned to me and asked, Is this how the dinosaurs died? Children arent the only ones coughing. And theyre not the only ones with questions about the smoke that is spreading misery around the West. Here are some key facts and tips on what you can do. Here are todays top news, analysis and opinion. Know all about the latest news and other updates from Hindustan Times. Virtual courts can aid in distributive justice by ensuring accessibility and affordability: Bhupender Yadav A department-related standing committee on Personnel, Public Grievances, Law and Justice headed by Bhupender Yadav, a member of the Rajya Sabha (RS) and the national general secretary of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), on Friday suggested that virtual court proceedings should be allowed to continue beyond the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic as well. Read more India, China troop disengagement in Ladakh is first step before de-escalation Indian and Chinese military commanders will meet in the next few days to discuss comprehensive disengagement from all friction points in Ladakh as the first step towards de-escalation. Read more Rahul Gandhi again questions government on Chinese aggression in Ladakh Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who has been repeatedly questioning the Centre on the issue of Chinese aggression across the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh, on Friday took to Twitter to once again take a jibe at the government. Read more IPL 2020: The likes of Hardik Pandya and Kieron Pollard will struggle at this years IPL Former Pakistan captain Ramiz Raja feels that despite their ability to bat well against spin, the likes of Hardik Pandya and Kieron Pollard both of whom play for the four-time IPL champions Mumbai Indians will struggle on the surfaces of the UAE. Read more Shibani Dandekars Wikipedia page vandalised after her criticism of Ankita Lokhande VJ Shibani Dandekars Wikipedia page was vandalised after she attacked actor Ankita Lokhande over latters criticism of Sushant Singh Rajputs girlfriend Rhea Chakraborty. The information on her page was distorted and replaced with derogatory statements. Read more Subsidy scheme under Delhi Electric Vehicle policy to roll out next week Launching the policy last month, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had said it aimed at registration of around five lakh electric vehicles in the city in the next five years. Read more Greta Thunberg calls for immediate focus of news on wildfires raging across the US West Swedens teen climate activist, Greta Thunberg, drew social media users attention on the US West wildfires as they doubled in size between Wednesday and Thursday as per the Oregon officials. Read more Couple hosts gender reveal on Burj Khalifa, video goes viral The Internet is filled with videos of such gender reveals which are extravagant and unusual. This influencer couple in Dubai, named Anas and Asala Marwah, however, took that to a whole new level and a video of the event has now gone crazy viral. Worlds tallest tower, Burj Khalifa, lit up to reveal the gender of their second baby. Read more New Delhi: The Border Security Force (BSF) shot dead two Pakistani drug peddlers who were trying to cross the international border in the Anupgarh Sector in Rajasthan on Wednesday. They were shot dead by 91 Battalion of the BSF around 12.30 pm on that day in the Anupgarh Sector in Rajasthan. One of the two dead drug peddlers was identified as Shahbaz Ali from the Identity Card recovered from him. Meanwhile, Pakistan Rangers despite being informed of the two bodies has disowned them. Following this, the BSF personnel performed the last rites and buried the bodies in the area. According to reports, the two slain Pakistani nationals had thrown five packets across the fence and were trying to cross the international border when they were intercepted by the alert BSF personnel. Live TV On being challenged by the BSF officials, they tried to flee back when they were shot dead. At least eight kgs of heroin, two pistols and one night vision enabled binoculars were recovered from the slain Pakistani smugglers. In the past also, multiple attempts to smuggle have been foiled by the Border Security Forces. Chubb Limited announced that Diego Sosa has been named regional president, Far East. Currently, chief operating officer for Chubb in Brazil, Sosa in his new role will have overall responsibility for the management and business results of Chubbs general insurance operations in Japan. Sosa succeeds Brad Bennett who, as previously announced, has been named chief operating officer of Chubb Life. Sosa will relocate to Tokyo and report to Juan Luis Ortega, executive vice president, Chubb Group, and president, Overseas General Insurance. The appointment is effective October 1, subject to regulatory approval in Japan. Sosa has more than 25 years of experience in insurance and finance, including 13 years at Chubb. As chief operating officer for Chubb in Brazil, his responsibilities included oversight of all product lines, agency and broker distribution as well as claims, operations and information technology. Prior to joining Chubb, he was at QBE, where he held country president roles in Mexico and Ecuador. Source: Chubb Topics Chubb Several sources have reported that the major mill had scheduled a two-week maintenance for its 2-million-tonnes-per-year hot-rolling mill in October. They estimated that this would reduce its hot-rolled coil output by 70,000-80,000 tonnes.We double-booked tonnages from Severstal because of its maintenance in October, a source in Russia said.The reduction of supply from Severstal may support prices for hot-rolled sheet in Russias domestic market, which typically experiences a seasonal softening in September.Fastmarkets average weekly price assessment for steel hot-rolled sheet, domestic, cpt Moscow, Russia was 41,000-43,000 roubles ($540-567) per tonne including 20% VAT on September 7, widening downward by 1,000 roubles per tonne from 42,000-43,000 roubles per tonne a week earlier. Severstal is also planning to continue the modernization of its Mill-2000, a 6-million-tpy hot-rolling line. The mill finalized the first stage of the process in early September, and is... Blog Archive Apr 2010 (22) May 2010 (25) Jun 2010 (8) Jul 2010 (12) Aug 2010 (18) Sep 2010 (19) Oct 2010 (29) Nov 2010 (30) Dec 2010 (18) Jan 2011 (13) Feb 2011 (21) Mar 2011 (23) Apr 2011 (19) May 2011 (31) Jun 2011 (36) Jul 2011 (46) Aug 2011 (26) Sep 2011 (12) Oct 2011 (15) Nov 2011 (17) Dec 2011 (7) Jan 2012 (18) Feb 2012 (4) Mar 2012 (12) Apr 2012 (18) May 2012 (10) Jun 2012 (21) Jul 2012 (8) Aug 2012 (15) Sep 2012 (7) Oct 2012 (17) Nov 2012 (20) Dec 2012 (10) Jan 2013 (58) Feb 2013 (59) Mar 2013 (60) Apr 2013 (98) May 2013 (135) Jun 2013 (204) Jul 2013 (293) Aug 2013 (351) Sep 2013 (363) Oct 2013 (348) Nov 2013 (374) Dec 2013 (442) Jan 2014 (547) Feb 2014 (476) Mar 2014 (526) Apr 2014 (527) May 2014 (469) Jun 2014 (408) Jul 2014 (472) Aug 2014 (522) Sep 2014 (443) Oct 2014 (472) Nov 2014 (497) Dec 2014 (536) Jan 2015 (539) Feb 2015 (520) Mar 2015 (582) Apr 2015 (658) May 2015 (679) Jun 2015 (673) Jul 2015 (728) Aug 2015 (803) Sep 2015 (923) Oct 2015 (924) Nov 2015 (802) Dec 2015 (791) Jan 2016 (782) Feb 2016 (835) Mar 2016 (929) Apr 2016 (866) May 2016 (947) Jun 2016 (1044) Jul 2016 (882) Aug 2016 (1035) Sep 2016 (967) Oct 2016 (918) Nov 2016 (854) Dec 2016 (885) Jan 2017 (879) Feb 2017 (777) Mar 2017 (896) Apr 2017 (872) May 2017 (850) Jun 2017 (851) Jul 2017 (971) Aug 2017 (1040) Sep 2017 (998) Oct 2017 (1144) Nov 2017 (1046) Dec 2017 (838) Jan 2018 (873) Feb 2018 (769) Mar 2018 (885) Apr 2018 (809) May 2018 (827) Jun 2018 (820) Jul 2018 (840) Aug 2018 (854) Sep 2018 (844) Oct 2018 (851) Nov 2018 (870) Dec 2018 (912) Jan 2019 (919) Feb 2019 (827) Mar 2019 (957) Apr 2019 (913) May 2019 (1007) Jun 2019 (935) Jul 2019 (950) Aug 2019 (936) Sep 2019 (910) Oct 2019 (920) Nov 2019 (874) Dec 2019 (908) Jan 2020 (941) Feb 2020 (849) Mar 2020 (898) Apr 2020 (848) May 2020 (822) Jun 2020 (789) Jul 2020 (819) Aug 2020 (858) Sep 2020 (841) Oct 2020 (873) Nov 2020 (812) Dec 2020 (780) Jan 2021 (765) Feb 2021 (716) Mar 2021 (819) Apr 2021 (805) May 2021 (815) Jun 2021 (824) Jul 2021 (830) Aug 2021 (832) Sep 2021 (791) Oct 2021 (754) Nov 2021 (683) Dec 2021 (693) Jan 2022 (470) In one instance, the prosecutors said, Mr. Chauvin had been arresting a juvenile when he used a neck restraint and pinned him to the floor. Another time, prosecutors said, he restrained a woman by putting his knee on her neck while she lay on the ground. And last year, the prosecutors said, he kicked an intoxicated man, then used a neck restraint until the man went unconscious. Eric J. Nelson, Mr. Chauvins lawyer, declined to comment on the use of restraints, but he had made it clear in recent days that Mr. Chauvin intended to point blame away from himself in the death of Mr. Floyd and toward two rookie officers who were on the scene and whom he had helped train. If the other officers, who were the first to interact with Mr. Floyd on the evening he died, had behaved differently, everything might have changed, Mr. Nelson wrote in a motion seeking separate trials for four former police officers who are charged with crimes in the case. Lawyers for Mr. Chauvin, who was fired from the Police Department, and the other defendants, are seeking to move the trial away from Minneapolis, as well as to split what has been expected to be a single trial into four. The three other officers on the scene were also fired and charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder, which can carry as serious a punishment as the charge against Mr. Chauvin. From the time charges were announced against the four officers, there had been indications that they would not present a united defense, with the men faulting one another for the death. Some of those tensions were on display in the courtroom on Friday. By Yingzhi Yang and Brenda Goh BEIJING (Reuters) - President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he does not plan to extend a deadline for ByteDance to sell TikTok's U.S. business, with the process still mired in uncertainty. Trump has repeatedly said the deadline for the sale of the short video app is Sept. 15, although that was not the date stipulated in either of the two executive orders his administration issued in August. The first order, banning U.S. companies from transacting with the Chinese company or its subsidiaries, gave a Sept. 20 deadline. The second, with a deadline of Nov. 12, demands that Bytedance sell TikTok due to national security concerns. Microsoft Corp and Oracle Corp are among the suitors for TikTok's U.S. assets. Operations in Canada, New Zealand and Australia are also part of the deal. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow told Reuters the administration is not picking winners and losers in the TikTok deal and that it is waiting for new developments to unfold, without offering more details. Kudlow did not offer more clarity on the confusion over the deadline. "I would take him at his word," Kudlow said, referring to Trump. MOVING DEADLINE Trump first told reporters on July 31 that he planned to ban TikTok in the United States within 24 hours. But on Aug. 3, after Microsoft revealed it was in talks to buy parts of TikTok, Trump said he would give ByteDance 45 days to sell to a U.S. buyer. Then, on Aug. 6, Trump issued the executive order banning transactions with ByteDance and its affiliates in 45 days, effectively a Sept. 20 deadline. WHO HAS TO APPROVE A DEAL? ByteDance and the potential TikTok buyers have to come up with a deal acceptable to the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), an inter-agency group. The Trump administration does not want ByteDance to have any continued interest in TikTok, and expects a tech company to be the lead investor in the short video app. Story continues China's commerce ministry joined the party on Aug. 28 with a revised tech export control list that experts said would give it regulatory oversight over any TikTok deal. This means Beijing's sign-off is likely to be needed, too, something many observers doubt will happen immediately. The rules say that it can take up to 30 days to obtain preliminary approval to export the technology. Last week, when asked about how the rules could impact the TikTok deal, the Chinese commerce ministry said the regulatory changes are not targeted at specific companies, but reaffirmed their right to enforce the rules. IF NO DEAL BY SEPT. 20? If the deadline is not extended, then transactions with TikTok would be banned, although exactly which ones has not been specified. Reuters has reported the executive order could make advertising on the platform illegal and TikTok has been preparing advertisers for such an outcome. The U.S. is likely to ban TikTok from being downloaded from app stores, Reuters has also reported. However, it is unclear whether there are transactions that can be prohibited that would prevent users who have already downloaded TikTok from using it. When confronted with a ban in India, TikTok chose to shut down voluntarily. DOES TIKTOK HAVE ANY OTHER OPTIONS? TikTok and ByteDance filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles federal court on Aug. 24 against Trump's executive order, calling it a pretext to fuel anti-China rhetoric. TRUMP'S SECOND ORDER On Aug. 14, the Trump administration issued another executive order that required ByteDance to divest its interest in video-sharing app TikTok's operations in the United States within 90 days. This suggests a deadline of Nov. 12. The second order did not say what might happen if ByteDance failed to comply. (Reporting by Yingzhi Yang in Beijing and Brenda Goh in Shanghai; Additional reporting by Nandita Bose in Washington; Editing by Alexander Smith and Leslie Adler) The New South Wales government has been accused of creating a Hunger Games atmosphere among 84 arts organisations over its $50m Covid-19 [Rescue and Restart program], which remains shrouded in secrecy. There are misgivings among small-to-medium companies that the NSW government has elected to watch them drown, while the major flagship companies a few with healthy reserves to ride out the rough seas are thrown multimillion-dollar lifelines. The Guardian Todays Headlines The most important news stories of the day, curated by Post editors and delivered every morning. Email address By signing up you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy ExitMaximizer of San Francisco Bay, CA launches a new guide and service that teaches Managed Service Providers (MSP's) how to effectively grow their business, with the end goal of priming their company for a lucrative acquisition. LIVERMORE, CA / ACCESSWIRE / September 11, 2020 / ExitMaximizer, a business consultancy based in San Francisco Bay, CA, announces the launch of a new guide called An MSP Business Owner's Guide to Increasing Growth & Business Value. Written by company principal Rocco Musumeche, this resource teaches managed service providers (MSP) how to sustainably grow their business, with the end goal of priming their company for a lucrative acquisition, while also enabling them to reap the benefits of a stress-free growing business in the meantime. More information about ExitMaximer and how to download the free guide is available at http://exitmaximizer.com. The MSP industry has experienced rapid growth in the past decades, with research indicating revenues of $193 billion in 2019 alone. That said, many MSP owners struggle with customer retention and service delivery quality, especially in high demand times. An MSP Owner's Guide to Increasing Growth & Business Value serves as a manual that lays the foundation for setting one's business up as a revenue generating machine that delivers excellent service consistently, thereby retaining customers, until the owner is ready to exit to a potential strategic buyer. It offers actionable advice on how to increase EBITDA and deliver world-class performance, thereby making their IT managed service provider an ideal acquisition target. The guide is free to download by any MSP operator. They need only to provide their name and email address in the sign up form, and the material will be delivered straight to their inbox. The guide covers key topics that are vital in growing an MSP business. This includes a section on customer retention, as well as tactics for procuring new customers. Story continues Another key section is cost management in the cost of goods sold (COGS), which ensures cost-efficient operations without sacrificing customer satisfaction. The guide also provides a framework to help entrepreneurs plan the implementation of the strategies explained in detail in the guide. A section on governance models gives MSPs an overview of different ways to strategize and manage their business. Lastly, the guide reiterates the core values of a service provider and how these should be fulfilled in order to truly help clients' businesses. Rocco Musumeche explains that these key topics set up an MSP for a successful business ready for a strategic sale at any time. He says: "By implementing these steps, MSP owners not only derive a high exit payday someday in the future, they will also be able to start enjoying the fruits of their business now, with far less stress." More information about ExitMaximizer and its services is available through the URL above. Contact Info: Name: Rocco Musumeche Email: Send Email Organization: ExitMaximizer Address: 3034 Danielle Ln, Livermore, California 94550, United States Website: http://exitmaximizer.com SOURCE: ExitMaximizer View source version on accesswire.com: https://www.accesswire.com/605726/San-Francisco-Bay-CA-IT-MSP-Strategic-Business-Sale-Exit-Guide-Launched Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 1 anno fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili. The global hemodynamic monitoring devices market is anticipated to reach over USD 1523.65 Million by 2025 according to a new research published by Polaris Market Research. The hemodynamic monitoring devices are majorly used for the medical analysis of cardiac health, quality, and durability of life of individuals suffering and recovering from cardiovascular surgery. These parameters are measured using photometric, electrical, pressure transducing equipment and invasive and noninvasive devices. The hemodynamic monitoring system also involves a use of various intravascular catheters. Complete Summary with TOC Available @ https://www.polarismarketresearch.com/industry-analysis/global-hemodynamic-monitoring-devices-market The global hemodynamic monitoring devices market is majorly driven by growing demand for the analysis of critical congenital heart disease (CCHD), growing occurrence of respiratory disease, increasing incidence of lifestyle-related diseases, rising private as well as government sector initiatives to decrease healthcare costs and growing geriatric patient population. Advancement in technology in noninvasive or minimally invasive methods used for hemodynamic monitoring are another factors driving the global hemodynamic monitoring devices market growth. In addition, continuous R&D efforts by market key players to comprehend life-threatening diseases leading to the development of effective treatment products are anticipated to mark a significant growth during the forecast period. The global hemodynamic monitoring devices market is segmented on the basis of product, type, end use, and geography. On the basis of product, the global hemodynamic monitoring devices market is segmented into Monitoring systems and disposals. On the basis of monitoring systems, the global hemodynamic market is further segmented into Cardiac output monitors, Pulmonary artery catheters, and others. On the other hand, the disposables are further segmented into Probes, Airflow Sensors, and Circuits. Get sample copy of this report @ https://www.polarismarketresearch.com/industry-analysis/global-hemodynamic-monitoring-devices-market/request-for-sample On the basis of type, the global hemodynamic monitoring devices market is segmented into Non-invasive Hemodynamic Monitoring System, Minimally Invasive Hemodynamic Monitoring System, and Invasive Hemodynamic Monitoring System. Non-invasive devices are expected to display the fastest growth during the forecast period majorly due to the growing product expansion and increasing demand for proper care by people for such technology. On the basis of end use the global hemodynamic monitoring devices market is segmented into hospitals and catheterization laboratories. In 2017, the hospital segment is estimated to dominate the market by end-use segment. On the basis of region, the global hemodynamic monitoring devices market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa. North America was estimated to dominate the global hemodynamic monitoring devices market. The dominance is majorly attributed to the high growth of sales in the U.S. for these devices. Moreover, growing assurance of specialists in the forthcoming non-invasive technologies is expected to aid in supporting this dominance during the forecast period. However, Asia Pacific is expected to dominate the global hemodynamic monitoring devices market during the forecast. The rising governmental focus on quality healthcare, increasing occurrences of cardiovascular ailments and growing geriatric population are the factors anticipated to significantly boost the hemodynamic monitoring devices market in the Asia Pacific. Competitive Landscape Some major key players in global hemodynamic monitoring devices market include includes Deltex Medical, Edward Lifesciences, Philips Medical, GE Healthcare, Hemo Sapiens, Inc., OsypkaCardiotek GmbH, LiDCO, and Drager Medical GmbH among others. Check for discount: https://www.polarismarketresearch.com/industry-analysis/global-hemodynamic-monitoring-devices-market/request-for-discount-pricing Hemodynamic Monitoring Devices Market Size and Forecast by Type Non-invasive Hemodynamic Monitoring System Minimally Invasive Hemodynamic Monitoring System Invasive Hemodynamic Monitoring System Hemodynamic Monitoring Devices Market Size and Forecast by End Use Hospitals Catheterization Laboratories Hemodynamic Monitoring Devices Market Size and Forecast by Regions North America U.S. Canada Europe Germany UK France Italy Asia Pacific China India Japan Australia Latin America Brazil Mexico Middle East & Africa Make Inquiry about this report @ https://www.polarismarketresearch.com/industry-analysis/global-hemodynamic-monitoring-devices-market/inquire-before-buying About Polaris Market Research Polaris Market Research is a global market research and consulting company. We provide unmatched quality of offerings to our clients present globally. The company specializes in providing exceptional market intelligence and in-depth business research services for our clientele spread across different enterprises. We at Polaris are obliged to serve our diverse customer base present across the industries of healthcare, technology, semi-conductors and chemicals among various other industries present around the world. Contact us- Polaris Market Research Phone: 1-646-568-9980 Email: sales@polarismarketresearch.com Web: www.polarismarketresearch.com Since the coronavirus outbreak began in January it has spread around the globe with Boris Johnson placing the UK on lockdown on 23 March. While restrictions have eased over the last few months, the prime minister recently announced new legislation banning people from meeting socially in groups larger than six. So what can people do to keep safe? Are there practical steps you can take to reduce the risk of contracting the illness like wearing a face mask or latex gloves? A shop in Brighton, which became a hot-spot for the early spread of the virus in the UK after one resident became a super-spreader, said all customers must wear face masks and plastic gloves in order to browse the store. And shares in Top Glove (a Malaysian company that makes more than 70bn pairs of surgical gloves a year) have climbed 14 per cent indicating the heightened interest. But do gloves actually protect you? Should I wear gloves to protect myself? An NHS doctor went viral after sharing a video on TikTok saying that people could be doing more harm than good by wearing gloves in public. Dr Karan Raj said that wearing gloves could be contributing to further spread of the virus. The NHS says that items like face masks and gloves play a very important role in a clinical setting but there is little widespread evidence that they are useful for members of the public. Public Health England (PHE) and the World Health Organisation has also not recommended people wear gloves or face masks to protect themselves. A spokesperson for PHE tells The Independent: PHE is not recommending the use of gloves as a protective measure against COVID-19 for the general public. People concerned about the transmission of infectious diseases should prioritise good personal, respiratory and hand hygiene. [Updated government advice also says people should stay at home and practice social distancing]. A virologist at Imperial College London also told The Independent that they worry items like gloves give a false sense of security and washing hands is a far better precautionary measure. What is the best way to prevent spread? Public Health England says: The best way to protect yourself and others is: wash your hands with soap and water, or use a sanitiser gel, regularly throughout the day. [And] catch your cough or sneeze in a tissue, bin it, and wash your hands. [Updated government advice also says people should stay at home and practice social distancing]. Coronavirus: Streets around world left empty Show all 10 1 /10 Coronavirus: Streets around world left empty Coronavirus: Streets around world left empty A man wearing a face mask crosses a road in Wuhan, the epicentre of the novel coronavirus outbreak. Reuters Coronavirus: Streets around world left empty A view of the empty entrance to the UniversitA Cattolica (Catholic University) in Milan, northern Italy, on 24 February, 2020. EPA Coronavirus: Streets around world left empty Empty streets in Daegu, South Korea, on 23 February, 2020. EPA Coronavirus: Streets around world left empty Empty streets in Daegu, South Korea, on 23 February 2020. EPA Coronavirus: Streets around world left empty A lone sanitation worker sits near the closed Hankou Railway Station in Wuhan, Hubei province, China, on February 24, 2020. Reuters Coronavirus: Streets around world left empty A view of a deserted street in Codogno, northern Italy, on February 23, 2020. EPA Coronavirus: Streets around world left empty Italian police officers set a road block in Codogno, Northern Italy, on Monday, Feb. 24, 2020. AP Coronavirus: Streets around world left empty A supermarket closed in Codogno, one the northern Italian towns placed under lockdown, on February 23, 2020. EPA Coronavirus: Streets around world left empty A lone cyclist wearing sanitary masks pedals in the center of Codogno, Northern Italy. LaPresse via AP Coronavirus: Streets around world left empty An empty road at the entrance of the small Italian town of Codogno on February 23, 2020. AFP via Getty WHO also advises the best way to prevent the spread of coronavirus is to wash your hands frequently, either with an alcohol-based hand rub or soap and water. You also need to avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth with your hands, as this is how the virus can enter your body. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (Agence France-Presse) Paris Fri, September 11, 2020 11:06 497 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c4436c5b 2 Art & Culture Museum,Women,Quay-dOrsay Free The Quai d'Orsay art museum in Paris has apologized to a woman after agents refused to let her in until she covered up a low-cut dress. The incident prompted an outpouring of indignation on social media. In a Twitter post on Wednesday, the woman, identified as "To" with the handle @jeavnne, recounted how two female agents confronted her to say she would be denied entry unless she put on her jacket, despite the summer heat. "I asked them clearly, 'Why is the fact that I have a low neckline a problem?'... They didn't answer, they just insisted that rules are rules," she wrote in a letter, next to a picture of her in the dress. She also noted the irony of being shamed over her breasts at a museum that features a plethora of nude sculptures and paintings, including masterpieces by Edouard Manet and Gustave Courbet. After accepting to put on her jacket and being allowed inside, she saw that plenty of women were wearing halter tops and other clothing that could be considered just as revealing, "but they were all skinny, with very small breasts." "I wonder if I would have been allowed in if I were wearing the outfits some of these women were wearing," she wrote. Read also: Chinese university slammed for telling female students to spurn 'overly revealing' dress Lettre ouverte @MuseeOrsay Ci-joint la robe de la discorde (photo prise quatre heures plus tot) pic.twitter.com/FTIXQKsdRZ To (@jeavnne) September 9, 2020 The account soon went viral and drew scorn from thousands of commenters. "We deeply regret this and present our sincere excuses to the person involved, whom we are trying to contact," the Quai d'Orsay said in a statement on Twitter. It was the latest incident in recent weeks suggesting that France does not always live up to its reputation as a bastion of personal liberty, in particular when it concerns a woman's body. Last month, Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin rebuked officers in the Mediterranean beach town of Sainte-Marie-la-Mer after they asked a group of topless sunbathers to cover up following complaints from a family. And the Casino supermarket chain apologized last month after media reports recounted how a young woman trying to buy diapers in Six-Fours-les-Plages, near Marseille, was refused entry by a security guard who said her top showed too much skin. "This attitude is unacceptable and we do not share these values," Casino said on Twitter, adding that it condemned "all types of discrimination." Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-11 19:47:47|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close TEHRAN, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- The Iranian navy on Friday fired indigenous coast-to-sea Qader cruise missiles at the ongoing military exercises in the country's southeastern waters. The missiles, launched from the onshore sites, detonated the naval targets at a distance of 200 km, Rear Admiral Shahram Irani, the spokesperson for the Zolfaqar-99 wargame, was quoted as saying by Tasnim news agency. The Iranian navy's cruise missiles have effective warheads with great explosive power and can be used for electronic warfare, said Irani, adding that the navy's coast-to-sea missile systems have been deployed all along the southern coasts of the country. Iran's army started large-scale drills in the eastern part of the country's southern waters in an area of 2 million square km near the Strait of Hormuz, Makran coasts, Sea of Oman, and north of the Indian Ocean, on Thursday. Naval forces as well as air defense, air forces, and ground forces of the army have contributed to the three-day exercises. Both surface and submarine vessels, aerial units of the army's naval and air forces, as well as radar and missile systems of the Khatam al-Anbia Air Defense Base, ground forces and fighter jets have participated in the drills, according to official IRNA news agency. Enditem Kochi, Sep 11 : Minutes after news surfaced that the Enforcement Directorate (ED)interrogated Kerala's Higher Education Minister K.T. Jaleel in connection with gold smuggling case on Friday, cries for his resignation came from the Congress-led Opposition and the BJP. Jaleel can write himself into record books by becoming the first Kerala Minister being questioned by the ED and this was in the air for a while, but everything was kept under wraps. The whole exercise was a tight lipped one, contrary to the manner in which the ED behaved, when the former Secretary to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan- M.Sivasankar or when Bineesh Kodiyeri, the son of the powerful secretary of the CPI-M in Kerala- Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, were questioned. Though the ED officials remained out of touch, it was only from the higher ups of ED from Delhi, the news came out that Jaleel was before the ED officials, here. According to reports he was with the ED officials for under 3 hours and left around noon. Leader of Opposition Ramesh Chennithala said in the history of the state such a questioning of any Minister has happened. "He is being protected by Vijayan all through when Jaleel ran into trouble for a few reasons. We wish to know, if Vijayan will continue to shield Jaleel, even in what has happened when Jaleel had to appear before the ED. It's shameful," said Chennithala. Reacting to the development, State BJP president K.Surendran said it's a shame for Kerala as such a thing has happened. " If Jaleel has any shame he should quit immediately as this is a very grave thing that has happened," said Surendran. Congress Lok Sabha member and the Congress led UDF convenor Benny Behanan said Kerala's stock is going down day by day, under Vijayan. "What was Jaleel saying all this while and see, he is getting linked to scandals by a central agency. These people have no shame left , if they had, they would have quit and gone," said Behanan. "What's happening in Kerala is a blot to the culture of our state. Ever since the scandalous gold smuggling case surfaced, we for long have been saying that this is shameful for our state. This issue surfaced after the Minister has gone on record to say that he interacted with Swapna Suresh , one of the prime accused in the gold smuggling case with regards to accepting sponsorship from the UAE Consulate, here worth Rs 5 lakh and also receipt of the Holy Quaran, both of which come under violation of protocols. He claimed this was for distribution of Ramadan kits in Malappuram district, from where he hails. According to code of conduct for State Minister's they cannot accept gifts which are valued more than Rs 5,000 besides rules are very clear that all such things should be routed only through the Ministry of External Affairs and not directly to either state or Union Minister's. The Holy Quaran was taken possession by a department Aunder Jaleel and a few allegations on its veracity had surfaced. WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Responding to claims made about the company by an activist short-seller, Nikola Corp. (NKLA) stated that it was a hit job for short sale profit driven by greed. Nikola plans to bring the actions of the activist short-seller, together with evidence and documentation, to the attention of the SEC. 'Yesterday, an activist short-seller whose motivation is to manipulate the market and profit from a manufactured decline in our stock price published a so-called 'report' replete with misleading information and salacious accusations directed at our founder and executive chairman. To be clear, this was not a research report and it is not accurate,' Nikola stated. 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. Flash Chinese Vice Premier Liu He on Thursday called on China and the European Union (EU) to pool wisdom and gain consensus in the digital area so as to jointly address challenges and promote the construction of a community with a shared future for humanity. Liu made the remarks during a China-EU high-level dialogue in the digital area, co-chaired via video link by Liu and European Commission Executive Vice President Margrethe Vestager. The two sides had substantial and constructive discussion on issues including standards of communications technology, AI and the safety of non-food products, and made preparations for the China-Germany-EU leaders' meeting scheduled next Monday. The digital technology and the digital economy have had a profound impact on the economic and social development, modes of production and life, as well as global governance, and played an important role in the global fight against COVID-19, both sides said. It is of great importance that China and the EU further enhance communication and exchanges in the digital area against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic and the severely-hit global economy, they agreed. The two sides called on China and the EU to grasp the opportunities and seek common ground while reserving differences so as to promote the practical cooperation in the digital area. It is China's basic state policies to deepen reform and expand opening up, said Liu, who is also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee. China will continue to create a favorable market competition environment, enhance the protection of property and intellectual property rights, and intensify international cooperation on scientific innovation in the digital area, Liu said. Hailing that the EU and China are playing key roles in the digital area, Vestager said it is in line with both sides' interests to strengthen digital cooperation. The civil suit, filed earlier this year under the pseudonym Jane Doe, contains allegations that are substantially similar to those in the criminal indictment against Maxwell - AFP Federal prosecutors pursuing child sex trafficking charges against Ghislaine Maxwell say their case would be jeopardised if a separate civil lawsuit against the heiress was allowed to continue, in an extraordinary appeal to the judge. Prosecutors from the Southern District of New York (SDNY) have argued that there is a "factual overlap between the civil and criminal cases" and there was "significant risk" that proceeding with the civil suit jeopardises the criminal prosecution against Ms Maxwell. The civil suit, filed earlier this year under the pseudonym Jane Doe, contains allegations that are substantially similar to those in the criminal indictment against Ms Maxwell, who allegedly groomed three minor girls to be abused by Epstein in the mid-1990s. Ms Maxwell, 58, who is being detained in a federal prison in Brooklyn until her trial next year, has pleaded not guilty to the charges and has denied the allegations in the civil suit. Ghislaine Maxwell appears via video link during her arraignment hearing in Manhattan Federal Court in New York - Reuters The woman, now 40, alleges that she was first approached at age 13 by Epstein and Ms Maxwell in 1994 at a summer camp in Michigan and that a months-long grooming process by the pair continued after she returned home to Florida. She claims she was then subjected to years of sexual abuse. "Witnesses may be forced to testify about any efforts to assist the criminal investigation and prosecution, and may thereby expose facts about the investigation ... and could potentially expose witnesses and/or their families to harassment," states the SDNYs letter filed on Thursday. "Moreover, permitting any discovery to proceed in this lawsuit would enable Maxwell to seek a preview of trial testimony in the criminal case, and would afford her with a broader array of discovery than she is entitled to in the criminal case." By advocating for a stay in the civil case, the government finds itself, in this instance, aligned with Ms Maxwell and the co-executors of Epstein's estate, who have been arguing that the case should be placed on hold while criminal investigation remains open. Story continues Virginia Giuffre, an alleged victim of Jeffrey Epstein, centre, exits from federal court in New York - Bloomberg The disgraced late financier left behind an estate worth an estimated $577(450m) million after he was found dead in his prison cell five weeks after his arrest on July 6, 2019 on multiple sex-trafficking charges. A number of his victims are suing the estate, arguing they should be compensated for the abuse they suffered. Robert Glassman, a lawyer representing Jane Doe, wrote in a letter to the court that his client is best served by pressing forward with her claims not waiting even longer for justice. A stay of the civil proceedings would provide what defendant Maxwell has sought for years - concealing her heinous acts from public view, he said. A court in Manhattan is also due to hear oral arguments on September 22 in the civil defamation case filed against Ms Maxwell by Virginia Roberts Giuffre, a victim of Epsteins, in the decision over whether to unseal sensitive evidence. 'The EU will end up leaving the UK completely isolated and only because it has no choice as it has a duty to protect the integrity of the EU.' (stock photo) The UK is heading towards a cliff-edge Brexit at a frightening speed. Never in the UKs history will so much economic damage be done to so many by so few. Around 65,000 small to medium firms in the UK export goods to the EU, all of these firms will face customs and regulatory checks together with high tariffs as the UK will become a third country on January 1 next year. British goods will become more expensive, leading to loss of markets, which in turn will lead to massive job losses in the UK. The UK will become the very first country in the world to have enforced economic sanctions on itself by its careless Britannia rules the waves policy. The British sovereignty issue is only a myth all EU countries are individually sovereign and these countries have a pooled sovereignty via their membership of the EU which is the most successful trading block in the world and has a comprehensive free trading agreement with 70 countries, including Canada, Japan, Singapore and South Africa. The EU will end up leaving the UK completely isolated and only because it has no choice as it has a duty to protect the integrity of the EU. All UK citizens need to brace themselves for the biggest crash landing in the UKs economic history. Kieran ORegan Santry, Dublin UK game of Russian roulette is dangerous and foolish I was aghast at the audacity of the British governments willingness to openly admit it would break international agreements as a way forward from the impasse with the EU over the divorce bill that was agreed last year. That Brandon Lewis, the Northern Ireland secretary, was able to stand up in the House of Commons and state that it does break international law in a very specific and limited way will have not only the EU negotiators on tenterhooks but the rest of the world that the UK wants to trade with under WTO terms on tenterhooks. The American Congress will not allow the British government to endanger the Good Friday Agreement, which would allow for the possibility of a hard Border once again on the island of Ireland. The Tories Internal Market Bill, which is the root cause of this disquiet, will enable the UK government to regulate trade within the UK, including Northern Ireland. This unilateral decision gives a guarantee to Northern Irish businesses of unfettered access to trade from Northern Ireland to Britain even though the British government signed up to the Northern Ireland protocol. Rowing back on its international obligations will make the UK an outlier when it comes to trade and other matters going forward. Playing Russian roulette with ones economy is as dangerous as it is foolish. Christy Galligan Letterkenny, Co Donegal World needs different tests to outdated Leaving Cert While warmly congratulating the Leaving Certificate class of 2020 and wishing them every success in their future endeavours, I am concerned that 50 years after I took this examination in June 1970 we are still using this very blunt assessment instrument. I am happy for the class of 2020 that they were spared that seemingly interminable June period enduring sweaty school halls, boiling sunshine, sore fingers, grey invigilators, frayed nerves, butterflies in the stomach, avoidance of debriefings, putting on a brave face, and so on. They will, however, face other challenges. Since 1970 there are relatively few aspects of life that have not changed, but not the eye-of-the-needle process of Leaving Certificate assessment, aided and abetted by eye-of-the-needle university entrance procedures. Students are being assessed in the same way now as I was, in an era before recent decades of exponential developments in technology and the emergence of the digital age. Can this assessment process really be fit for purpose anymore? It rewards, over almost everything else, the ability of students to recall and their ability to write under pressure. Much more will be required of these students as this asynchronous century unfolds. It is becoming ever more likely, for instance, that the knowledge, skills and aptitudes developed through the traditional senior cycle curriculum and continued to an extent in universities will need significant refocus, realignment or recalibration when todays students reach the world of (very different) work in this decade and beyond. Different assessment paradigms for a new age are urgently required. Perhaps the recent emergence of non-school-based learning systems and procedures, albeit Covid-related in this instance, has let the genie out of the bottle? Martin Donnellan Prague 5, Czech Republic Advertisement Dame Diana Rigg's daughter has paid tribute to her 'beautiful and brilliant' mother with a moving photo after the star of Game of Thrones and The Avengers died from cancer aged 82. Tributes poured for the acclaimed actress after she died, following a short battle with cancer, on Thursday morning. Last night her daughter, actress Rachael Stirling shared a moving tribute to her mother. Sharing a picture of the mother and daughter in their younger years, Ms Stirling, 43, wrote: 'My Beloved Beautiful Brave and Brilliant Mama. Missing you already. X' The picture showed Rigg smiling on a beach as she cupped her daughter's face in her hands. The actors worked together on 2014 series The Detectorists, playing a mother and daughter in the BBC comedy. Followers offered their condolences, as one wrote: 'Please accept my heartfelt condolences at this most difficult hour (Diana forever).' Another added: 'You two beautiful, inspirational, amazing women. Masses of love and strength to you and your family dear Rachael' Rachael is only child Diana Rigg and Archibald Stirling, a theatrical producer and former officer in the Scots Guards. Rigg and Mr Stirling married in 1982 but were divorced in 1990 after his affair with actress Joely Richardson. Actress Rachael Stirling, 43, shared a moving picture of her and her mother Diana Rigg, paying tribute to her 'Beloved Beautiful Brave and Brilliant Mama' Diana Rigg as the cutthroat matriarch Oleanna Tyrell in HBO's worldwide hit series, Game of Thrones, a show she admitted in 2019 that she had never watched Rachael is Rigg's only child, her father is Archibal Stirling (pictured together with Rigg in 1984), a theatrical producer and former officer in the Scots Guards. Their marriage ended in 1990 after Stirling had an affair with actress Joely Richardson Tributes from acting world have poured in for Rigg, who made her name in the cult 1961 TV series The Avengers, before going on to star as the cutthroat matriarch Lady Olenna Tyrell in HBO's Game of Thrones, a show she later admitted she had never watched. Confirming her death, her agent said that Rigg had died 'peacefully' on Thursday morning, adding that she had been 'at home with her family who have asked for privacy at this difficult time'. Starting out as a classically trained actress in the Royal Shakespeare Company, Dame Diana's engrossing stage performances were said to come from her 'funny and feisty' personality. Rigg became the second Bond girl to marry 007 when she starred in James Bond 's On Her Majesty's Secret Service in 1969 Rigg starring alongside co-star Patrick Mcnee in the original TV hit series, The Avengers in 1966. Rigg played Emma Peel, who was later played by Uma Thurman in a 1998 film adaptation Jonathan Kent, who directed Rigg in a production of Medea said that her 'combination of force of personality, beauty, courage and sheer emotional power, made her a great classical actress - one of an astonishing generation of British stage performers'. More recently, Rigg appeared as Queen Victoria's Mistress of the Robes - The Duchess of Buccleuch - in ITV's Victoria alongside Jenna Coleman, and as the eccentric Mrs Pumphrey in the adaptation of All Creatures Great and Small - which aired last night on Channel 5. The star, who won Bafta, Emmy and Tony awards, also earned worldwide acclaim for her turn as a Bond girl Tracy di Vicenzo in On Her Majesty's Secret Service in 1969, where she became only the second Bond girl to marry 007. Rigg at the 72nd Annual Tony Awards in New York in June 2018 (left) and receiving the Icon Award at the Cannes International Series Festival in 2019 Her daughter, Tipping the Velvet actress Rachael Stirling (pictured together in 2014), said she died of cancer that had been diagnosed in March this year In a heartfelt Instagram tribute, her co star George Lazenby wrote: 'I'm so sad to hear of the death of Diana Rigg. She undoubtedly raised my acting game. The generous tribute comes despite long-held rumours that the pair feuded on set, including over a fake report that Rigg deliberately ate garlic before filming their love scenes in order to throw him off. While Lazenby slapped down the claim a decade after filming, it is believed he might have actually fuelled the rumours in the first place, with Rigg condemning stories he had spread about her in the Daily Sketch in 1970. The Yorkshire lass who went on to become a star of the silver screen and James Bond's first wife Dame Diana shot to fame as Emma Peel in Sixties TV series The Avengers and then as a Bond girl. But she also notched up many Shakespearean roles and enjoyed a long career, appearing recently as powerful matriarch Olenna Tyrell in Game Of Thrones. Enid Diana Elizabeth Rigg was born in Doncaster on July 20, 1938. She trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and joined the Royal Shakespeare Company at Stratford-upon-Avon in 1959. The actress quickly made her mark there with important roles in productions of The Taming Of The Shrew, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Macbeth and King Lear. After that, she was hugely successful in her role as Emma Peel, the secret service agent in The Avengers, co-starring Patrick Macnee. But Dame Diana was unhappy about the intrusion into privacy that came with being on TV, and she was also critical of the way she was treated by TV bosses. She also discovered that she was being paid less than a cameraman. 'It was very, very intrusive in those days, because I was instantly recognisable,' the actress later told Variety. 'I was grateful to be a success, but there was a price to pay.' In 1969, she played Bond girl Tracy in On Her Majesty's Secret Service, opposite Bond actor George Lazenby, with whom she had a difficult relationship. It was in the 1970s that she joined the National Theatre, where she played major roles in Tom Stoppard's Jumpers, The Misanthrope, Pygmalion, Antony And Cleopatra and Stephen Sondheim's Follies. In a nude scene she played in Abelard And Heloise, she was described by one critic as being 'built like a brick mausoleum with insufficient flying buttresses'. As a result, she produced a book of the worst-ever theatrical reviews, entitled No Turn Unstoned. It was a best-seller. Advertisement 'Im tired of reading those paranoid statements to the press wherein you were solely surrounded by hostile people,' she wrote. 'I agree that by the end of the film most of the crew were hostile, but only because of your extreme behaviour. 'No, George, I did not eat garlic on purpose. No, George, I was not, as you said, guzzling champagne in some warm bar when we had the row.' Last year, Rigg, who was made a dame in 1994 for services to drama, revealed that she 'suffered a Me Too moment' early in her career at the hands of a 'powerful' film director. Speaking on Newsnight last year, the actress said she welcomed the rise of the #MeToo movement following her own experience as a young actress and revealed she felt like a 'lone voice' after she discovered she was being paid less than her male co-stars. Dame Diana, who had a long career both in film and on stage, died peacefully at home with her family, her agent confirmed. Her former co stars have flooded social media with tributes to the 'Flinty, fearless, fabulous force of nature', who had a 'dazzling wit and inimitable voice.' 'The death of Contessa Teresa di Vincenzo Draco created a memorable cinema moment over 50 years ago. As my new bride, Tracy Bond, I wept for her loss. Now, upon hearing of Dame Diana's death, I weep again.' Enid Diana Elizabeth Rigg was born in Doncaster on July 20, 1938. She trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and joined the Royal Shakespeare Company at Stratford-upon-Avon in 1959. She has been remembered as an actress who 'swept all before her'. Bond producers Michael G Wilson and Barbara Broccoli remembered Dame Diana for playing the only woman to have married 007. They said: 'We are very sad to hear of the passing of Dame Diana Rigg, the legendary stage and screen actress who was much beloved by Bond fans for her memorable performance as Tracy di Vicenzo in On Her Majesty's Secret Service, the only woman to have married James Bond. 'Our love and thoughts are with her family and friends at this sad time.' Game Of Thrones also paid tribute to on the show's official Twitter account after her death. It said: 'Be a dragon. The realm will always remember Diana Rigg.' The actress's agent Simon Beresford said: 'It is with tremendous sadness that we announce that Dame Diana Rigg died peacefully early this morning. 'She was at home with her family who have asked for privacy at this difficult time. Dame Diana was an icon of theatre, film, and television. 'She was the recipient of Bafta, Emmy, Tony and Evening Standard Awards for her work on stage and screen. 'Dame Diana was a much loved and admired member of her profession, a force of nature who loved her work and her fellow actors. She will be greatly missed.' Dame Diana was married to the Israeli painter Menachem Gueffen from 1973 to 1976, and was later married to Archibald Stirling, a theatrical producer and former officer in the Scots Guards. Dame Diana Rigg as Mrs Pumphrey, with Tricki Woo in the recent adaptation of All Creatures Great and Small, from James Herriot's collection of stories about life as a Yorkshire vet After eight years living with married director Philip Saville, Dame Diana wed the Israeli painter Menachem Gueffen in 1973, but the couple divorced in 1976 She had a daughter by Stirling, the actress Rachael Stirling who shot to fame in Tipping the Velvet. Rigg and Mr Stirling divorced in 1990 after his affair with actress Joely Richardson. She also played the Duchess of Buccleuch in ITV royal drama Victoria, the young queen's mistress of the robes, who is 'renowned for speaking her mind'. In 2015, Dame Diana told Radio Times: 'A black Bond would be lovely. I wouldn't like to see a female Bond, because we wouldn't want to lose the Bond girls. But we could have a lesbian Bond, why not?' In 2015, George Lazenby addressed the rumour that Rigg, 'would eat garlic before their love scenes', after she wrote an open letter to the Daily Sketch in 1970 about working with him. Rigg and her co star George Lazenby in the 1969 James Bond movie, On Her Majesty's Secret Service. Paying tribute, Lazenby wrote: 'As my new bride, Tracy Bond, I wept for her loss. Now, upon hearing of Dame Diana's death, I weep again' As Mrs Peel in 'A Touch of Brimstone', the 21st episode of the fourth series of the 1960s cult British spy-fi television series The Avengers, Rigg donned a risque 'Queen of Sin' costume - which she designed herself He said in an interview with the Daily Mail: 'Not true. We were in the canteen once before a love scene and she stood up and said out loud, 'I've ordered something with garlic in it - I hope you have too!' just as a joke, but it got made into something bigger.' Writing on Instagram today, Lazenby wrote: 'I'm so sad to hear of the death of Diana Rigg. She undoubtedly raised my acting game when we made On Her Majesty's Secret Service together in 1968-9. 'I remember the press conference at the Dorchester in London, knowing she was going to play my wife. We had fun together on the set of the movie in Switzerland and Portugal. 'Her depth of experience really helped me. We were good friends on set. 'I was sorry to have lost my wife in the film at the end. The death of Contessa Teresa di Vincenzo Draco created a memorable cinema moment over 50 years ago. As my new bride, Tracy Bond, I wept for her loss. Now, upon hearing of Dame Diana's death, I weep again. My deepest condolences for her family. Love George xx' Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-12 02:54:47|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close PARIS, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- Amid growing concern over rising COVID-19 infections, French Prime Minister Jean Castex on Friday announced new measures to better control the virus circulation "without being trapped again in a logic of nationwide confinement." The fresh rules include, among others, the quarantine time will be reduced from 14 to 7 days, the control of self-isolation conditions will be reinforced and 2,000 people will be recruited to ensure fast-tracked COVID-19 testing. "Faced with this epidemic our strategy does not change: combat the virus without putting on hold our social, cultural and economic life, education and our ability to live normally," Castex said. "The virus is here for several more months and we must manage to live with," he added in a televised address following a defense council on the epidemic. Castex said local authorities would have the power to tighten rules on social gatherings, make bars and restaurants cut opening hours, or impose lockdown if the sanitary situation implies. He added that 42 departments, including Paris, were classified as red zones for virus spread. "The simplest and least restrictive solution is to scrupulously apply barrier gestures. It mainly depends on us," the prime minister said. "I solemnly appeal today to the sense of responsibility of each one of you. The only way we will succeed in stopping this epidemic is if all of us are vigilant and stick together," he added. On Friday, COVID-19 cases in France rose by 9,406, bringing the total to 363,350. The overall deaths linked to the virus went up by 40 to 30,893. Enditem Loading This is not a status quo plan, he told The New York Times in July. It is comprehensive. This is not some sort of, Let me just throw a bone to those who care about climate change'. At the heart of Bidens climate change package is a determination to decarbonise the nations electricity system by 2035 before reaching net-zero carbon emissions for the entire economy by 2050. To achieve this Biden would spend US$2 trillion on research for new green technology, new clean infrastructure and retrofitting existing buildings across the nation for energy efficiency. He would direct all government procurement towards green technology, including electronic vehicles, and fund a Civilian Climate Corp similar to the Works Progress Administration established as part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's "New Deal", established to help the nation lift itself out of the Great Depression. By comparison, after the 2008 financial crisis the Obama administration secured $90 billion for renewable energy in what is so far the largest single piece of climate change legislation passed in the US. And Bidens ambitions go beyond US borders. The plan would see him integrate climate policy into US foreign trade and national security strategies. According to policy documents, the US under a Biden presidency would lead an effort to to get every major country to ramp up the ambition of their domestic climate targets. So significant is the potential for the plan that the global energy research consultancy Wood Mackenzie recently published a paper saying that a Biden loss would end any chance the US has of decarbonising its economy by 2050. According to its analysis the plan would see capital investments in renewable energy and energy storage assets top US$2.2 trillion through 2035. Utility-scale solar demand will soar to over 100 GW/yr, while battery storage capacity will surpass 400 GW - nearly 40 per cent of the total installed power generating capacity of the US in 2020. Coal-fired generation will exit the market in its entirety. Wood Mackenzie research director Dan Shreve believes the plan is so ambitious that it teeters between achievable and aspirational but the backing of energy sector giants could tip the balance and once again establish the US as a leader in the fight against climate change. Either way, its scope would upend the US energy sector, and players wishing to thrive in it would need to plan for possible partnerships with - and acquisitions of - upstart storage providers, renewable energy developers and green hydrogen technology suppliers, says the Wood Mackenzie paper. The international implications of the plan are equally significant says Matto Mildenberger, a University of California professor of political science who specialises in climate policy. He notes that on their own either China, the European Union or the US has the power to drive down technology costs and shift markets through their sheer market size and force. Operating in concert that process accelerates. So will it happen? Loading Mildenberger notes that Biden would not only have to win the White House, but Democrats would need to take the Senate, and then Biden would need to make climate change action central to his first-term agenda. Mildenberger believes that the will within the administration might be there, as the climate change package is as much an economic stimulus policy as it is an environmental one. The echoes of Roosevelt's 'New Deal' are no mistake, and much of the plan has been repurposed from the Green New Deal proposed by left-wing congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Indeed one of that plans chief architects, Julian Brave NoiseCat, is one of many on the left now backing Biden as a result. It appears clear that Biden is seeking to use his climate policy as a vehicle to unite his party before the election and tackle compounding social, environmental and economic crises after it. When Donald Trump thinks about climate change, the only word he can muster is hoax', Biden said in a speech last month. When I think about climate change, the word I think of is jobs'. Mildenberger, who has written at length about global and Australian climate politics, believes that a Biden presidency would immediately change the tone of climate diplomacy because Trumps lack of action has given cover to interest groups and politicians seeking to derail climate policy around the world. Thousands gather in Sydney's CBD to demand action on climate change after the Black Summer fires. Credit:Cole Bennetts He says Trump has given the Morrison government "cover" to this end just as the Howard government "hid behind" George W. Bush. This international reset could prove to be critical as the world prepares for next years delayed United Nations climate meeting in Glasgow, known as COP26 (the 26th meeting of the UN Conference of Parties). At that meeting nations are expected to reveal more ambitious emissions reduction goals in keeping with scientific advice on the volume of reductions required to keep global warming to under 2 degrees Celsius. Australia's former top climate diplomat, Howard Bamsey, who led negotiations at a number of COPs, says that Australia would already have been under pressure from the UK, which is determined to host a successful meeting. That pressure will only be increased by a climate activist White House. But he notes that Australia has proved willing to pay a diplomatic price for its recalcitrance on the issue in the past. Bamsey, now a professor with the Australian National Universitys Climate Change Institute, says he does not believe that the world would change suddenly for Scott Morrison should Biden win in November, but that pressure for increased Australian ambition would slowly mount over the year leading up to the Glasgow meeting. Australia would not only feel pressure to increase its ambition from a Biden White House, should he win, says Bamsey, but from the UK which would be determined to host a successful COP meeting. Perhaps even more significantly, Mildenberger says that should Biden win there is a chance that China and the US could resume co-operation over the issue, a partnership that was crucial to the success of the Paris agreement. (Bamsey is sceptical on this point.) (Natural News) In the nearly four years that President Donald Trump has been in office, Left-wing big tech censorship of his supporters, as well as conservatives in general, has been a thing. In fact, the censorship has really gotten bad this year, as tech gods like Twitters Jack Dorsey and Facebooks Mark Zuckerberg instruct their minions to double down on efforts to control narratives, hide legitimate and factual information from users, and obscure the truth all in an effort to promote the viewpoints and opinions of people and movements whose objective is to destroy America as founded. With some notable exceptions, up to now the Republican Party in Congress has been virtually silent about big techs assault on conservatives and the founding principles of our country (like, ironically, the First Amendments freedom of speech and expression provisions). But that appears to be changing, though its too late now to do anything about the Left-wing tech gods interference in the current election cycle. Newsbusters reports: Several prominent Republican senators have introduced legislation designed to turn up the pressure on Big Tech. Sens. Roger Wicker (R-MS), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC) introduced The Online Freedom and Viewpoint Diversity Act, on September 8. The Act aims to amend Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act (CDA) and provide more accountability for Big Tech companies. Big Tech companies have stretched their liability shield past its limits, and the national discourse now suffers because of it, Blackburn noted in a tweet announcing the legislation. Big Tech companies have stretched their liability shield past its limits, and the national discourse now suffers because of it. @SenatorWicker @LindseyGrahamSC https://t.co/5mfURf4rhe Sen. Marsha Blackburn (@MarshaBlackburn) September 8, 2020 Todays internet is a different online product from what was available in 1996; the polished megaplatforms we associate with online research and debate exert unprecedented influence over how Americans discover new information, and what information is available for discovery, she added. The bill still allows big tech platforms to censor content like vaccine-related content they disagreed with, for instance, arguing against mass inoculation but they would have to have an objectively reasonable belief that it was necessary for them to remove said content. Whats more, rather than allow companies to simply deep-six otherwise objectionable material, the bill limits censorship to material that is promoting self-harm, promoting terrorism, or unlawful. It also spells out under what circumstances content could be censored. The new legislation comes amid a coarsening, deepening debate over Section 230, which currently provides protections for tech companies that censor materials. Last month, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced a public comment period regarding President Trumps May executive order on Preventing Online Censorship. The following month, Sens. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), Kelly Loeffler (R-Ga.), and Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) sent a letter to the FCC asking the agency to take a fresh looked at Section 230, and to interpret the vague standard of good faith with specific guidelines and direction. For too long, social media platforms have hidden behind Section 230 protections to censor content that deviates from their beliefs, Wicker wrote on Twitter, ironically. For too long, social media platforms have hidden behind Section 230 protections to censor content that deviates from their beliefs. These practices should not receive special protections in our society where freedom of speech is at the core of our nations values. https://t.co/ZgZVa6ggyZ Senator Roger Wicker (@SenatorWicker) September 8, 2020 These practices should not receive special protections in our society where freedom of speech is at the core of our nations values. Some have argued that the social media giants are private corporations and therefore have the right to censor whatever content they want. They say the government should not have any role in that. But the problem there is that the social media companies have become so powerful that, according to experts, they have the power to influence election outcomes. They have become that pervasive in our society. There is more good news. Private companies are indeed developing alternatives such as video platform Brighteon.com and the Twitter-like Brighteon.Social. Follow JD Heyes on Brighteon Social @jdheyes. Sources include: NaturalNews.com NewsBusters.org Apocalypse Now: Final Cut, The Handmaiden, and Le Mans 66 are all new to UK streaming this week. Yahoo Entertainment is committed to finding you the best products at the best prices. We may receive a share from purchases made via links on this page. Pricing and availability are subject to change. Following what might have been this years biggest week for streaming releases, with Mulan and the new Charlie Kaufman film Im Thinking of Ending Things alongside other oddities, this week is comparatively quieter. But, theres still plenty of noise to be made, not least of all from the roaring engines and brash personalities of James Mangolds Le Mans 66. Alongside it are masterpieces from years past, from Chan-wook Parks lurid thriller The Handmaiden, to Francis Ford Coppolas latest cut of his magnum opus Apocalypse Now. While new releases are fairly thin on the ground thats fairly understandable, now that this years virtual version of film festival season is underway with Venice and TIFF happening simultaneously. Still, theres plenty of great work to sink your teeth into or to let wash over you - though perhaps leaning a little towards the horrific. Please note that a subscription will be required to watch. The Handmaiden - Netflix A con man plans to steal an heiress's heart, as well as her fortune. The handmaiden he hires as part of his schemes falls in love with their mark. Things are already complicated by the end of the first act of Korean director Chan-wook Parks The Handmaiden, an adaptation of Sarah Waterss Fingersmith now relocated to the pre-WWII Japanese occupation of Korea. But, as evidenced by Oldboy and the other films of his Vengeance Trilogy, Park likes to keep his audience guessing, and The Handmaiden might be the most bravura example of this. The second act flies in the face of everything we knew about the first, the third act does this yet again. The numerous twists are anchored by mighty and hypnotic performances from all involved in this perverse theatre of the upper class, as power turns into boredom, which turns into perversion, which turns into violence. But theres also tenderness at its heart, even as the sincerity of the romantic (and very explicit) relationship between the Handmaiden and her mistress is repeatedly thrown into question. In each moments the intimacy and emotion feels real, the defiance of rigid patriarchal practices feels empowering. It might be the most brisk three hour film of the last decade, and certainly stands among its best. Story continues Also new on Netflix this week: Cuties (Migonnes) Le Mans 66 - Now TV with a Sky Cinema pass Christian Bale and Matt Damon star in motor racing biopic 'Le Mans 66'. (Credit: Fox) Following recent studio fare for Marvel via the (now deceased) Fox X-Men franchise, James Mangolds latest film Le Mans 66 (also known as Ford v Ferrari) is the definition of a simple pleasure. There is a little bit more under the hood than simple high-speed thrills its overall narrative essentially serving as a parable of artists (the drivers and mechanics) fighting back against the stiflement and creative bankruptcy of the studios (Ford, Ferrari). Watch Christian Bale in a clip from Le Mans 66 below... But, more than any of that, this is about cool guys wearing Oakley shades boasting about how much faster their car is. Bale and Damon are fine choices for figures of macho bravado and vulnerability, and purveyors of one-liners that will likely entertain your vehicle or sports-loving dad at the very least. Mangold isnt reinventing the wheel here, but he definitely captures the in-the-moment excitement of the life-and-death stakes of the Le Mans races. Also new on NOW TV this week: The Good Liar, Zombieland: Double Tap Apocalypse Now: Final Cut - MUBI Francis Ford Coppolas several-times recut opus is renowned not just for its relocation of Conrads Heart of Darkness to the Vietnam War, but also for its infamously troubled production (to paraphrase Community ever seen Hearts of Darkness?). Captain Willard (Martin Sheen) takes a journey upriver on orders to assassinate Colonel Kurtz, a once-promising officer who has gone completely mad. In the company of a Navy patrol boat filled with street-smart kids, an Air Cavalry officer, and a freelance photographer, Willard ventures into enemy territory. MUBI is hosting what is now called the Final Cut of the film, a 4K restoration released in cinemas late last year that incorporates elements from the 2001 Redux cut and other materials left on the cutting room floor. In any one of these many versions however, Apocalypse Now is undeniably a classic, a visceral descent into madness tracing back to the follies of a criminal and imperialist war, the long and sometimes hallucinatory journey through the country culminating in a wild and unforgettable appearance by Marlon Brando. Also new on MUBI this week: Seven Years in May, Space Dogs, In My Room Koko-Di Koko-Da - BFI Player Twisted, tense and refreshingly smart, Koko-Di Koko-Da is a unique and darkly comic new film from Swedish director Johannes Nyholm. When a married couple retreats to a remote area of forest as part of a reconciliatory camping trip, they encounter otherworldly presences which steadily turn their trip into a nightmare. With its mixture of differing folkloric terrors and entrapped characters Koko-di Koko-da imagines grief as a purgatory unto itself, symbolically translating the process to the screen as its characters relive their trauma via phantasmagorical horror. Also new on BFI Player this week: The Painted Bird His eventful eight-decade-long life journey came to an end on Friday at a Delhi hospital after battling multi-organ failure. He died at 6.30 PM, said a statement by the Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences. New Delhi, Sep 11 (IANS) A celebrated campaigner against bonded labour, a bridge between the government and Maoist leadership, part of Anna Hazare's anti-corruption crusade, Arya Samaj leader and a reality TV participant -- Swami Agnivesh wore many hats in his life. Of all his avatars, Agnivesh was best-known for his concerted battle against bonded labour. His organisation Bandhua Mukti Morcha (BMM) was formed in 1981 to rid India of what his website calls "scourge of bonded and child labour". The website also claims that till date the BMM has been instrumental in the release and rehabilitation of 1,78,000 bonded laborers, including 26,000 bonded child labourers. His long-time associate and Nobel Laureate Kailash Satyarthi -- both of whom have worked in the same field -- said in a statement: "My deep condolences on the passing away of veteran Arya Samaj leader, crusader against bonded labour and my old friend Swami Agnivesh ji. May the departed soul rest in peace." Though it is not very well-known, he was also a firebrand politician. In 1977, he was elected to the Haryana Assembly and even was made education minister after a while. However, the rebel he was, he resigned from the post soon enough. Always found to be wearing a saffron robe, he used to call saffron the colour of sacrifice, commitment and purity. "It matters little if you call me "Swami Agnivesh or simply "Agnivesh". All that matters is the fire inside me, the presence of the divine in the inner temple of my being, should continue to blaze till the end," he had once said. A popular leader of the Arya Samaj, he was elected President of the World Council of Arya Samaj (Sarvadeshik Arya Pratinidhi Sabha) in 2004. Agnivesh was known to help resolve conflicts, whether it was in militancy-ridden erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir or the Maoism-dominated hinterland. It is this trait that made the then Congress government ask him to open a dialogue with the Maoists back in 2010. Agnivesh had a penchant for constantly reinventing himself. He was seen espousing the anti-corruption cause as the nation rallied behind Anna Hazare, amid a slew of corruption allegations against the then UPA government. However, his stay there too, was short-lived due to a leaked video in which he was seen with Congress leaders, against whom the movement was started, to begin with. One of the visually disturbing images of him that stayed in public memory was him being attacked by nationalist groups, alleged to be BJYM members, during a visit to Jharkhand. However, an unexpected move that surprised and amused his admirers at the same time was Agnivesh participating in the reality show 'Bigg Boss'. The social activist was admitted at Delhi's Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences on Tuesday. He was critically ill and suffered from liver cirrhosis and was on ventilator support since Tuesday owing to multi-organ failure. His condition deteriorated on Friday and he suffered a cardiac arrest at 6 pm. As he breathed his last this evening, the nation paid tributes to a man who lived many lives in one, often evoking strong sentiments. From the gutsy fight against bonded labour to the glamorous house of 'Bigg Boss' -- Swami Agnivesh had been there and done it all. -- IANS abn/ash The Philippines will have quick access to a Chinese coronavirus vaccine. Latin American and Caribbean nations will receive $1 billion in loans to buy the medicine. Bangladesh will get over 100,000 free doses from a Chinese company. Never mind that China is still most likely months away from mass producing a vaccine that is safe for public use. The country is using the prospect of the drugs discovery in a charm offensive aimed at repairing damaged ties and bringing friends closer in regions China deems vital to its interests. Take, for example, Indonesia, which has long been wary of Beijing. Chinas leader, Xi Jinping, assured the nations president, Joko Widodo, in a call last week: China takes seriously Indonesias concerns and needs in vaccine cooperation. Mr. Xi hailed the two countries cooperation on developing a vaccine as a new bright spot in relations, according to a statement from Chinas Foreign Ministry. Together, China and Indonesia will continue to stand in solidarity against Covid-19, he promised. Tech multinational IBM has handed back $12million to its Australian employees after underpaying them for eight years. As of February, 1,647 workers across Australia had been back-paid a total of $12.3million for underpayments going back to 2012, the Fair Work Ombudsman says. More underpayments are still being identified and IBM must repay all employees by October 16 as part of an enforceable undertaking signed with the ombudsman. Tech multinational IBM has handed back $12million to its Australian employees after underpaying them for eight years The company failed to apply more than 15 award entitlements and conditions. These included vehicle allowances, superannuation entitlements and annual leave loading. A significant number of casuals at IBM's Ballarat contact centre were also paid the national minimum wage, instead of higher rates under the relevant award. IBM Australia Ltd and IBM Global Financing Australia Limited reported the underpayments to the ombudsman last year. Individual back payments range from less than $1 to more than $145,000. End of restraint: The 9/11 attacks led to the loss of 288,000 lives in Iraq alone Joe Biden was on an Amtrak train on Sept. 11, 2001, when his wife called to tell him about the attacks on the World Trade Center, and when he reached Washington, he grew frustrated that he couldn't get to the Senate floor for a speech because the U.S. Capitol had been evacuated. Biden nonetheless found ways to make his point - that institutions like Congress and NATO are bulwarks against such assaults on democracy. "I refuse to be part of letting these bastards win," Biden said that day. Hundreds of miles to the north - and four miles from Ground Zero - Donald Trump was sitting in a tower bearing his name, watching CNBC and preparing to call a local TV station to offer his own commentary, including a lament that the stock market was forced to close. Nineteen years later, Trump and Biden are their respective party's presidential candidates, and both will visit Shanksville, Pa., on Friday, the place where United Airlines Flight 93 crashed into a field. It will bring the two candidates to the same place on the same day, a rare occurrence, and it comes less than three weeks before they face off in their first debate. Expand Close President Donald Trump (Evan Vucci/AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp President Donald Trump (Evan Vucci/AP) The Sept. 11 attacks targeted the cities that molded the two men, Washington and New York, reinforcing the clashing worldviews they now offer the American electorate: Biden's embrace of U.S. institutions and global alliances, Trump's distrust of foreigners and insistence that America must go it alone. "Their responses fundamentally demonstrated the one perpetual, personal and political divide between them," said Aaron David Miller, who served in the State Department under both Democrats and Republicans, citing this contrast between collective action and unilateralism. That divide is playing out amid another great national trauma, one Americans are handling in a very different way. If 9/11 prompted a rare moment of national unity - with Republican and Democratic leaders embracing on the Senate floor - the current pandemic is yielding bitter partisan debates over everything from death rates to who's at fault. The events, of course, are very different, one a massacre by terrorists bent on humiliating America and the other a global pandemic that recognizes neither borders nor ideology. Nearly 3,000 people died in the 2001 attacks, and close to 190,000 Americans have lost their lives so far to Covid-19, the disease caused by the novel virus. On Friday, Biden and Trump will appear on a field that memorializes the bravery and toughness of ordinary Americans, epitomized by the cry of "Let's roll" as passengers attempted to retake the cockpit. Trump is scheduled to attend a 9:45 a.m. ceremony, which is closed to the public but will be streamed online. Biden's campaign announced Thursday evening that he would be in New York on Friday morning for a ceremony at the 9/11 Memorial & Museum, before travelling to Shanksville in the afternoon. Expand Close Joe Biden (AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Joe Biden (AP) But if that moment in 2001 was about unity, it contained the seeds of this era of division, at least when it comes to the two men facing off on Nov. 3. Biden and Trump have only hardened their divergent approaches in the years since. For Trump, the attacks have fueled his skepticism of foreigners, led to Islamaphobic reactions, and cemented a distrust of traditional alliances, from NATO to the World Health Organization. For Biden, it enhanced his faith in the importance of the Western alliance and triggered calls for bipartisan unity that he still voices. On Sept. 11, 2001, Biden's daughter, then a college student, called him, begging him to leave Washington. The senator instead marched to the Capitol, reaching the steps before a police officer stopped him and told him a fourth plane - the one that would eventually crash in Shanksville - was heading toward Washington and, some thought, the Capitol. "Damn it, I want to go in," Biden recalled telling the officer. Instead, the senator, who then chaired the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, was forced to angrily sit on a park bench and make calls on his cellphone. Everyone was bemoaning life was changed forever - that was not Biden's attitude Biden pushed back against pleas that members of Congress relocate to a bunker in West Virginia. He spoke by phone with President George W. Bush that evening, urging him to come back to Washington. "Everyone was bemoaning life was changed forever - that was not Biden's attitude," said Brian McKeon, a longtime aide who was with him that day. "This was not going to inalterably change the American way of life. He's talking NATO and alliances - that was part of his instinct. America shouldn't ever undertake a significant action like responding to al-Qaida attack on our own." That night, Biden and his brother, Jimmy, hitched a ride home with Rep. Robert Brady, D-Pa., who was heading to Philadelphia. Unlike most lawmakers, Biden still returned to his home every night in Delaware. Biden watched on television as congressional leaders - the ones he urged earlier in the day to come together in a visible way and hold their proceedings as scheduled - sang "God Bless America" outside the Capitol. "I sort of felt bad that I was sitting in Wilmington, watching them sing 'God Bless America' on the steps of the Capitol building and promising to be back in session the next day," Biden wrote in his 2007 book "Promises to Keep." As with Trump, the attacks did not so much transform Biden's worldview as solidify it. "What I saw was a Biden who was not particularly spectacular or innovative in his thinking," said Michael O'Hanlon, a foreign affairs specialist at the Brookings Institution. "But also someone very solid in how he wanted to proceed, knowing that overthrowing governments is a messy proposition and the instability it would create." The most volatile foreign policy question after 9/11 was whether to launch a war in Iraq, and both Biden and Trump appear to have exaggerated their initial opposition to it in the years since. Trump is a bellicose personality, but he doesn't actually seem to like war Still, Biden was consistently sceptical of Bush's conduct of the war and warned the challenges could be greater than expected. "He tends to be pretty wary about the use of force," O'Hanlon said. "And - maybe the other piece of this 77-year-old man's worldview - he is old enough to remember Vietnam." He added: "Biden is a bit slower to the trigger. To be fair, so is Trump. Trump is a bellicose personality, but he doesn't actually seem to like war." On the day of the attack, Trump was watching CNBC as it prepared to interview former General Electric CEO Jack Welch, when the network cut away to a scene of the first tower on fire. One of his first reactions when the planes hit was to call a television show to offer commentary. He later visited Ground Zero, and he cited the attacks to challenge immigration policies, religious tolerance and the need for the very global alliances that Biden has spent years embracing. Trump claimed that he saw the plane strike the second tower, and that from his window he observed the tragedy of people jumping from the buildings - claims that fact-checkers have questioned. Trump also later said he watched as thousands of Muslims cheered in Jersey City, N.J., when the building came down, an assertion that has been debunked. What is clear about Trump's reaction is that he called into WWOR in New Jersey to offer his commentary. "I was so disappointed when they closed the stock exchange, but of course at some point you had no choice," Trump said. "You want to just say the hell with it, you're going forward, nothing is going to change. But the fact is something has changed, very dramatically." He also remarked that a building he owned had been the second-tallest in Manhattan but, now that the Trade Towers had fallen, would become the tallest. (That was inaccurate - a different building actually held that title). When the World Trade Center came down, I saw something that no place on Earth could have handled more beautifully, more humanely, than New York, Trump said Trump was asked what he would do if he were president. "Well, I'd be taking a very, very tough line," Trump said. "This just can't be tolerated. And it's got to be very, very stern. This was . . . probably worse than Pearl Harbor." But while the terrorists struck just miles from where he lived, Trump has rarely spoken with passion or emotion about Sept. 11, 2001. An exception came during a 2016 Republican primary debate when Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, criticized him for "New York values." "When the World Trade Centre came down, I saw something that no place on Earth could have handled more beautifully, more humanely, than New York," Trump said. "You had two 110-story buildings come crashing down. I saw them come down. And we saw more death, and even the smell of death, nobody understood it. And it was with us for months, the smell, the air. And we rebuilt downtown Manhattan." But more often, Trump is dispassionate. "From various comments he made that day and the period after, there is nothing that really indicates this is fundamentally changing his outlook on the world," said Thomas Wright, a scholar at the Brookings Institution who has written about Trump's foreign policy. The formative period in Trump's foreign policy occurred in the 1980s, and in many ways stemmed from his businessman outlook. In that decade, he started publishing ads and making statements saying, for example, that the United States had become a laughingstock on trade. The 9/11 attacks only seemed to play into his philosophy that the United States must go it alone and look after its own interests. "He has this sort of isolationist and militaristic view of whacking terrorist organizations from afar and then retreating behind this fortress," Wright said. "That's how it seems he think of it." The hospital is working with an agency on contingency staffing plans, spokeswoman Jacqueline Carey said in an email. It has put its emergency department on ambulance bypass and is not accepting patients from other hospitals. It will transfer patients to other hospitals if needed, she said. The Trump administration has charged a Russian national in a sweeping plot to sow distrust in the American political process and imposed sanctions against a Russia-linked Ukrainian lawmaker accused of interfering in the US presidential election. Those actions on Thursday, combined with a Microsoft announcement on hacking attempts targeting US political campaigns, parties and consultants, underscore the extent to which the same cyber-intrusions and foreign influence operations that defined the 2016 White House race remain a persistent concern today. They also reflect a dichotomy in the administration, with officials taking aim at Russian interference in the political process even as President Donald Trump expresses doubt about Russian meddling. In the case of the sanctions, officials denounced audio recordings that had been released by the Ukrainian parliamentarian and promoted by Trump on Twitter. The criminal charges accuse Artem Mikhaylovich Lifshits of serving as a translation manager in a Russian effort that since at least 2014 has tried to disrupt the political system in the United States and other countries and spread distrust about candidates. Members of the initiative, known as Project Lakhta, travelled to the US to collect intelligence and operated bogus social media accounts that could pump out messaging to millions of Americans on divisive social issues. The group operated through entities including the Internet Research Agency, the Russian troll farm charged by special counsel Robert Mueller with stirring up discord before the 2016 election, according to a criminal complaint charging Lifshits with using stolen identities to open fake accounts at banks and digital currency exchanges. Supporters of US President Donald Trump attend a campaign event in Saginaw, Michigan [File: Seth Herald/Reuters] The goal of the department where Lifshits worked was to sow discord, incite civil unrest and polarise Americans with social media posts that touched on hot-button topics including gun rights, immigration, the Confederate flag and race relations, prosecutors say. Project Lakhta members did not exclusively adopt one ideological viewpoint; rather, they wrote on topics from varied and sometimes opposing perspectives, a Secret Service agent wrote in an affidavit supporting the complaint. Project Lakhta members also developed strategies and guidance to target audiences with conservative and liberal viewpoints, as well as particular social groups. The Justice Department complaint does not accuse Lifshits or other Project Lakhta members of promoting a particular presidential candidate in the 2020 race. Many of the social media posts that are referenced were early in Trumps first term, well before Democrat Joe Biden had emerged as his partys presidential nominee. Those include a March 2018 tweet, written by a Project Lakhta member using a bogus account, that said, Just a friendly reminder to get involved in the 2018 Midterms. They are motivated They hate you They hate your morals They hate your 1A and 2A rights They hate the Police They hate the Military They hate YOUR President. But the complaint makes clear that the influence operations have persisted and even seized on contentious current issues like race relations. Lifshits was one of the four people cited on Thursday by the Treasury Department, including Andrii Derkach, a Ukrainian lawmaker who was characterised by the US government as an active Russian agent for more than 10 years. Officials say he has interfered in the 2020 election by releasing edited audio recordings designed to denigrate Biden. The Treasury Department action is the second time in as many months that the administration has called out Derkach by name. US intelligence officials said in a statement last month that Derkachs disclosure of the recordings, which capture conversations between Biden and Ukraines then-president, was part of a broader Russian effort to disparage Biden before the November 3 election. Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden walks next to US Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and New York Governor Andrew Cuomo wearing face masks, on the 19th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center at the 9/11 Memorial & Museum in the Manhattan borough of New York City [Leah Millis/Reuters] The administrations move was especially notable because the statement announcing it said Derkachs recordings advance anti-Biden claims that rely on false and unsubstantiated narratives. Trump has promoted those recordings by retweeting posts that include or reference them. Derkach almost certainly targeted the US voting populace, prominent US persons, and members of the US government, based on his reliance on US platforms, English-language documents and videos, and pro-Russian lobbyists in the United States used to propagate his claims, the Treasury Department said in designating Derkach and three other Russia-linked individuals under an executive order designed to target election interference. Derkach is a graduate of a Russian spy academy who, the Treasury Department says, maintains close ties to Russian intelligence services. Andrii Derkach and other Russian agents employ manipulation and deceit to attempt to influence elections in the United States and elsewhere around the world, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in a statement. The United States will continue to use all the tools at its disposal to counter these Russian disinformation campaigns and uphold the integrity of our election system. People in the neighbourhood try to catch a glimpse of the Democratic US presidential nominee and former Vice President, Joe Biden, as he a meets steelworkers at a back yard during his visit to Detroit, Michigan [File: Leah Millis/Reuters] In May, Derkach released audio recordings of purported conversations between Biden, while vice president, and Ukraines former President Petro Poroshenko. The release was intended to promote a baseless narrative that Biden had demanded the firing of Ukraines top prosecutor because he was investigating a gas company in Ukraine where Bidens son Hunter held a board seat. Biden was representing the official position of the Obama administration and many Western allies in seeking the removal of the prosecutor who was perceived as soft on corruption. The other three people who were sanctioned are connected to the IRA. Also on Thursday, Microsoft said the same Russian military intelligence outfit that hacked the Democrats in 2016 has attempted similar intrusions into the computer systems of more than 200 organisations, including political parties and consultants. Most of the infiltration attempts by Russian, Chinese and Iranian agents were halted by Microsoft security software and the targets notified. Jude Law celebrated his son Rudy's 18th birthday on Thursday with a raucous party alongside wife Phillipa Coan, ex Sadie Frost, and their family. The actor, 47, appeared to be in great spirits as he threw his head back and laughed in delight before dancing in the street at the Locanda Locatelli Michelin starred restaurant in London. Clearly having a great time, Jude was joined by Sadie's beau Darren Stroeger, Jude's parents Peter and Maggie Law, his and Sadie's other children Rafferty and Iris law, her beau Jyrrel Roberts, Sadie's son Finlay Kemp, and her mum Mary Davidson. PICTURE EXCLUSIVE: Jude Law was VERY animated during family bash with wife Phillipa and ex Sadie Frost to celebrate son Rudy's 18th birthday on Thursday The Alfie star put on a casual display in a grey floral print top over a white t-shirt, and he completed the look with a pair of black trousers. Jude's brunet locks were slicked back over his head and he sported a close-cropped beard that gave him a ruggedly handsome look. Putting on a cheery display, Jude busted out some moves while chatting outside with his loved ones, much to their amusement. Enjoying himself: Putting on a cheery display, Jude busted out some moves while chatting outside with his loved ones, much to their amusement Stylish: Phillipa put on an effortlessly chic display in a black lace dress, months after the behavioural psychologist was pictured looking heavily pregnant Glamorous: Sadie looked stylish for the outing as she wore silver trousers and a dark grey top that she paired with a simple black blazer Friendly: Jude and Sadie proved they were amicable exes as they said goodbye to his mother and father, as she gave Peter a kiss on the cheek while Jude hugged his mother Showing off his moves: Jude appeared to be in embarrassing dad mode as he danced in front of Rudy and Rafferty when they left the restaurant Phillipa put on an effortlessly chic display in a black lace dress, months after the behavioural psychologist was pictured looking heavily pregnant. Jude and Sadie proved they were amicable exes as they said goodbye to his mother and father, as she gave Peter a kiss on the cheek while Jude hugged his mother. Sadie looked stylish for the outing as she wore silver trousers and a dark grey top that she paired with a simple black blazer. Doting son: Jude spent some quality time with his mother Maggie and father Peter, and he gave his mum a kiss on the cheek Having a laugh: Jude jumped around and danced while waiting for the rest of the party to leave the restaurant after their night out Cheery: Jude couldn't help but laugh as he spent quality time with his loved ones Seeing double: Rafferty was the picture of his father's younger self as they stood side-by-side Stylish duo: Jude's daughter Iris and her beau Jyrrel Roberts stepped out together after the party had ended Sadie and Jude used to lead the Primrose Hill Set, a name given to the all-star group of edgy residents of the leafy neighbourhood, who were known in their heyday for their wild ways with stories of their antics becoming the stuff of legend. In the nineties they would spend their nights partying with the likes of Kate Moss, Davinia Taylor and Gavin Rossdale. But things were not made to last, with Jude and Sadie getting a divorce in 2003, after six years of marriage. Helping hand: Jude helped his father step carefully down the stairs out of the restaurant Teasing: Jude seemed to enjoy poking fun at son Rudy as he was on the phone Hilarious: Jude laughed loudly about something Rafferty appeared to have said to him Joining the party: Sadie's son Finlay, who she shares with ex Martin Kemp, was also seen at the party in a white logo t-shirt and jeans In her autobiography Crazy Days, Sadie blamed depression that 'weaved a dance of destruction' through her adult life on the breakdown of their marriage. Jude is now married to psychologist Phillipa, 32, who he was first spotted with at the Hay literary festival in 2015. The couple got married at Old Marylebone Town Hall in London last year before partying in Mayfair three months after the actor announced their engagement. The actor also has an ten-year-old daughter Sophia with model Samantha Burke and Ada, five, with musician Catherine Harding. Dressing up: Rudy donned a black coat over a red striped shirt and grey trousers Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-11 11:08:07|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BUENOS AIRES, Sept. 10 (Xinhua) -- The China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) offers an ideal opportunity for Argentina to boost its exports of value-added goods and get closer to Chinese consumers, President of Argentina's National Industrial Technology Institute (INTI) Ruben Geneyro said. INTI, one of the numerous companies participating in the fair that was held in Beijing on Sept. 4-9, views the Chinese market as an opportunity to spur Argentina's development. It is very important for INTI to learn about what the Chinese market demands today, Geneyro told Xinhua. Through the fair, INTI is showcasing its high quality technological services to the world, especially China, and "we offer such services as technical assistance, analytical services, tests, knowledge transfer and training," Geneyro said. The institute has previously cooperated with several entities from China, including the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Geneyro added. INTI is interested in intensifying its cooperation with China, "with special emphasis on the development of agrifood, biotechnology, nanotechnology, industry with a high educational level, sustainable production and energy," said the expert. Currently, INTI is leading research to contain COVID-19 and treat COVID-19 patients. China, he noted, has often expressed its willingness to cooperate with different countries, including Argentina, to combat the pandemic. "We are particularly interested in working on services which have been applied to the prevention and control of the coronavirus," said the INTI head. The institute has nearly 50 branches across Argentina, with over 2,000 professionals and technicians and 150 ongoing research and development projects. Enditem Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size You don't need to call forensics to understand Jimi Hendrix. But it's not a bad start. "This is gonna sound nerdy," chuckles Phil Bywater, a music lecturer at the Australian College of the Arts, when asked about the essence of the late rock maestro's legacy. "It's the dominant seventh sharp ninth chord." Don't panic. Hendrix didnt know music theory either. He didn't invent the fistful of rude notes that now commonly bears his name, he just showed us how to shake it. You know the one: Purple Haze shoves it in your face and wriggles. Foxy Lady spanks that nasty thing like she doesn't give a goddam what your mama says. "That sound," the academic muses. "It combines his concept of harmony, his concept of timbre, his desire to shock they're all connected in that chord." This microcosm only hints at the universe of inspiration James Marshall Hendrix bequeathed when he left this planet at age of 27, on September 18, 1970. Psychedelic explorer, mystical philosopher, snappy dresser, ultimate cool and sexy dude and, for half a century now, winner of just about every 'Greatest Guitarist' poll ever published. "His riffs were a pre-metal funk bulldozer and his lead lines were an electric LSD trip down to the crossroads where he pimp-slapped the devil," Tom Morello reflected for one such listicle in Rolling Stone. "It was as though he had discovered a new instrument in a new world of musical impressionism," Pete Townshend marvelled in his memoir. Still. Fifty years after the six-string trailblazer from Seattle pimp-slapped his last chord, its worth wondering what this all means. Today, rock has been thoroughly rolled by hip-hop. Digital tools long ago eclipsed the guitar at the frontier of music creation. Atomised attention spans have no time for flamboyant flights of virtuoso musicianship. Advertisement Not much time, anyway. Melbourne guitar hero Tash Sultana has stormed the world with a face-melting neo-psychedelic solo spectacle that tends to draw Hendrix comparisons, however superficial, at every stop. From this 25-year-old creator's perspective, Hendrix's influence is not so much a lifeline as just the water were all swimming in. "My parents are from that baby boomer generation where everyone loves Floyd and Led Zeppelin and Jimi falls under that generational umbrella he's just got that overdriven tone that many people have been trying to match their entire lives," the prodigious multi-instrumentalist says with a hint of disdain for those content to dwell in the past. Jimi would probably approve of the young explorer's mission statement: "I'm just on a big sonic adventure. More than having specific inspirations or having an idol, I just like soundscapes." Jimi Hendrix performs live on stage playing a black Fender Stratocaster guitar with The Jimi Hendrix Experience at the Royal Albert Hall in London in February 1969. Credit:David Redfern/Redferns/Getty Darren Hart, aka Harts, is another prolific young multi-instrumentalist who draws more literally on Hendrix's look, sound and energy. Again, Hendrix didnt invent playing the guitar behind his head, bent over backwards or on his knees, but when Harts brings his paisley prints, crushed velvet jackets and big hair to all that, the homage is hard to ignore. "I remember when I was learning guitar as a teen, the feeling of joy finally nailing some of those iconic riffs and licks was so motivational," he says. "Its also really rewarding to see some of my fans discovering his work for the first time." It was the fans, he says, who suggested Harts Plays Hendrix, the tribute show that returns to the road next January (plague permitting). "I wanted to do it," he says, "to try to open up his music and shine a light on his legacy to a new or younger generation that may not have heard or be that familiar with who he was and what he meant." Advertisement And what was that, exactly? The word "freedom" features heavily in Hart's appreciation. The revolutionary way Hendrix used his instrument more like a piece of electronic equipment than a loud acoustic guitar, as Brian Eno once observed was an ongoing act of rebellion against its physical limitations and, by extension, the laws of the musical universe. From left: Tash Sultana's "sonic adventure" has drawn comparisons with Hendrix; Darren Hart on stage in February. Credit:Darrian Traynor, Wolter Peeters "The music I might hear, I can't get it on guitar," Hendrix said at the peak of his fame. "I'd like to get something together, like with Handel and Bach and Muddy Waters and flamenco If I could get that sound, I'd be happy." It might be glib to suggest that Sultana or Harts could dial up that exact combo in their virtual home studios in a heartbeat. But it is fair to say that the cross-genre mash-up aesthetics of hip-hop, meshed with the infinite possibilities of digital recording, have largely replaced the struggle for new sounds with the agony of unlimited choices. He's almost like a Jedi, or a mystical figure. There's so much freedom and creativity and sense of exploration in his art. Music producer Pat Marks (aka Pataphysics) "It's easy to get lost in technology," music producer Pat Marks agrees. As Pataphysics, he describes his influences as "probably 70 per cent hip-hop" but lately avant garde jazz and R&B. For him, Hendrix's legacy is "about tech being balanced and centred and connected to your art, on a personal, emotional and spiritual level". Here's the nub of it, of course. After all the guitar pedals have been drooled over and packed away like grandad's precious pipe collection, it's the visionary dimension that keeps artists like Pataphysics returning to Hendrix recordings as portals to future possibility. Advertisement "That's definitely something that hip-hop and electronic music still takes from Hendrix," he says. "When I'm working with an artist and we talk about getting some Hendrix vibe, we're not necessarily talking about the guitar. We're talking about a mood, or an energy. "He's almost like a Jedi, or a mystical figure. There's so much freedom and creativity and sense of exploration in his art, regardless of the genre, that is a huge inspiration for you to look at your own artistic practice and say, 'Why am I within this box? What can I do to go deeper?'" Jimi Hendrix in his iconic Hussar jacket with band members Mitch Mitchell and Noel Redding. Credit:Photoshot/Getty He's kind of joking about the Jedi thing. But Obi Wan Kenobi's famous last words spring to mind here: "If you strike me down, I'll become more powerful than you can imagine." Tash Sultana volunteers the macabre truth that Hendrix's early departure, so ripe with promise, is one key to what makes him so compelling. "There'll always be a mystique about anybody who passes away early. There's a level of mystique about the pre-Internet era artists [anyway], because it's all hearsay and rumour "There's not really any mystique to artists anymore. It's just maximum exposure. I like the mystique. It's cool. You're always gonna have endless questions when someone hasn't given it all away. You're gonna keep generations inspired because no one knows the answers." What would Jimi Hendrix do? The question does have the ring of eternal inspiration, even if the answer could be deflating when he was still with us. "He could have a very sloppy attitude on stage and it could turn into a shambles," recalls Stuart Penney, a Sheffield-born music writer who saw him perform four times back in the day, including his last UK appearance at the Isle of Wight two weeks before his death. Advertisement Jimi Hendrix photographed not long before his death in 1970. Credit:Michael Ochs Archives/Getty These days writing an eyewitness blog about rock's golden age and players, Penney tells a slightly heartbreaking story from London's Saville Theatre, when he was close enough to see Hendrix's roadie substitute a cheap Fender Mustang just before he smashed his trademark Stratocaster. "He must have had a quiet week financially," he observes. Hendrix's scraps of memoir record similar indignities. One Atlanta show in '68 "was a drag", he writes. "Who wants to sit in a plane eight days a week and come down and see peoples' faces saying, 'Are you going to burn your guitar tonight?' Whats that shit about?'" That shit is showbiz and Hendrix tasted the very best and worst of it. In his four-year ascent as a musical force, it's hard to think of many aspects of the rock star cliche that he didnt embrace and ultimately, of course, trip over. "But I don't remember ever being disappointed," Penney says. "He just looked fantastic." 'The frills, the velvet, the flares, the floral boho shirts ... the fashion industry in general is constantly referencing him.' Fashion stylist Monique Moynihan Still does. Sydney stylist Monique Moynihan sees him in plenty of bands she works with, and tons more from afar. "Jaden Smith and Harry Styles are at the forefront of that eclectic and often flamboyant fashion style that Jimi Hendrix left behind, but with a Gen Z twist," she says. "The frills, the velvet, the flares, the floral boho shirts. Troye Sivan, Alex Cameron, Kirin J Callinan, although not directly referencing his style, have definitely been inspired by his more flamboyant looks. Harry Styles, laced up, at the Met Gala in 2019. Credit:Charles Sykes/AP Advertisement Teachers should teach in mother tongue of children till class 5: PM Modi Till class 5, students should be taught in their mother tongue. It is important that students spend more time on learning the subject rather than a language. Students will also be taught international languages, including English, but Indian languages will also be promoted, said Modi. Schools will adapt to new curriculum framework under NEP by 2022: PM Modi The new curriculum framework developed under National Education Policy will reduce the school syllabus and make learning a fun-based and complete experience for school students. By 2022, our students will have the new curriculum, says PM Modi. Need to develop critical thinking and creativity among students: PM Modi Teachers should develop critical thinking, creativity, and communication abilities amongst students. In 21st century students should have these qualities, says PM Modi. Do not limit classrooms to the walls: PM Modi It is our responsibility to ensure that education is not just limited to the classroom walls, but education should also be linked to the outside world so that students can explore and learn, says PM Modi. NEP 2020 to focus on foundation literacy: PM Modi During the conclave, PM Modi said that to take the journey of learn-to- read to read-to-learn, we are taking steps to strengthen the foundation literacy. We should aim to achieve that a class 3 student is able to read 30-40 words a minute. NEP 2020 to develop scientific and mathematical temperament among students: PM Modi The NEP 2020 lays down the importance to develop scientific and mathematical thinking among children, says Modi NEP 2020 to give direction to 21st-century India: PM Modi The National Education Policy 2020 is the foundation of the future of India. The education policy will give a direction to 21st century India, says PM Modi. NEP 2020 has been made after putting in 4-5 years of effort: PM Modi The National Education Policy 2020 took 4 to 5 years of efforts to be formulated, says PM Narendra Modi Ayodhya, Sep 11 : The saints of Ayodhya and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) have announced that Maharashtra Chief Minister and Shiv Sena chief, Uddhav Thackeray, "is no more welcome in Ayodhya", following the Kangana Ranaut episode. Mahant Raju Das, priest of the Hanuman Garhi temple, questioned the BMC's demolition of Ranaut's office and said, "Uddhav Thackeray and Shiv Sena are no more welcome in Ayodhya. Now, the Maharashtra Chief Minister will face stiff opposition from seers of Ayodhya if he comes here." He further explained, "The Maharashtra government acted without wasting any time against the actress. But the same government is yet to take action against the killers of two seers in Palghar." Sharad Sharma, regional spokesperson of VHP, said, "It is very clear that the Shiv Sena is deliberately targeting the actress because she is supporting nationalist forces and has raised her voice against drug mafia of Mumbai." He said that the Maharashtra government was acting with malafide intention against Kangana Ranaut. Mahant Kanhaiya Das, head of the Ayodhya Sant Samaj, also accused the Maharashtra government of shielding those who are involved in anti-social activities and warned the Maharashtra Chief Minister against coming to Ayodhya. "Now, Uddhav Thackeray is no more welcome in Ayodhya. Why is the Shiv Sena is attacking Ranaut? Everyone can understand. It is not a mystery. The Shiv Sena is not the same what it used to be under Balasaheb Thackeray," said Mahant Kanhaiya Das. Uddhav had visited Ayodhya on November 24, 2018, then on June 16 last year and again in March this year after becoming the Chief Minister of Maharashtra. Large investors that forced Rio Tinto to remove its chief executive have warned the miner that they expect the shake-up to lead to it forging stronger ties with Australia and its Indigenous communities. Ian Silk, head of the $180 billion superannuation fund AustralianSuper, said he understood that no action by Rio Tinto could undo the destruction of the "profoundly cultural significant sites" in Juukan Gorge, which had evidence of continual human occupation dating as far back 46,000 years. However, he said he was pleased by the action taken by the board. "In this context, AustralianSuper is satisfied that appropriate responsibility has now been taken by executives at Rio Tinto," he said. Poland's Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, right, is greeting his counterpart from Hungary, Viktor Orban, left, at the start of the Visegrad Group premiers' meeting in Lublin, Poland, Friday, Sept. 11, 2020. In preparation for European Union summit this month, the meeting is to discuss situation in Belarus, ties with Russia and fighting COVID-19. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski) The number of new confirmed coronavirus cases spiked Friday in parts of eastern Europe, with Hungary and the Czech Republic registering all-time daily highs. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said his government was drafting a "war plan" to defend against the second wave of the pandemic. The plan's aim was "not for everyone to stay at home and bring the country to a halt ... but to defend Hungary's functionality," Orban said. The prime minister said measures meant to protect the economy and spur growth would be introduced in the coming weeks. In the second quarter of the year, Hungary's gross domestic product fell 13.6%, the worst drop in the region. Orban reiterated the need to protect the elderly, one of the group's most at-risk during the pandemic, and authorities have banned most visits to retirement homes and hospitals to stem the spread of the virus. Wearing masks or other face coverings is mandatory on public transportation, in stores and in many public institutions. In Budapest, Hungary's capital city, people not wearing a mask on public transit or wearing one can be fined 8,000 forints ($26.50). While Hungary closed its borders to foreigners on Sept. 1, it has since announced several exemptions, including for people arriving from Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia, the three other members of Europe's Visegrad Group, or V4. Two women hold hands and carry face masks in downtown Prague, Czech Republic, Thursday, Sept. 10, 2020. The Czech Republic is returning to mandatory mask wearing in interior spaces amid a steep rise in new coronavirus cases. Starting Thursday, people across the country need to cover their face in all public places, including stores, shopping malls, post offices and others but also in private companies where employees cannot keep a distance of 2 meters from one another. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek) "I believe that in the cross-European troubles, we can create a safe Central European island, within which and applying particular rules, movement and the possibility of a common life with the Slovaks, Czechs and Poles can survive," Orban said. Hungary reported 718 virus cases on Friday, 142 more than the country's previous 24-hour record. The Czech Republic reported 1,382 cases, which was over 200 more than its previous daily high and led to the return of face masks being mandatory in enclosed public spaces. Poland also registered an increase in new confirmed cases, with 594 reported Friday. While that was well below the record 903 cases the country recorded Aug. 21, it was higher than the 400-500 new cases of the previous days. One possible reason for Poland's overall decline in reported cases since last month is that the government has implemented a new strategy which focuses primarily on testing symptomatic patients. People quarantined after contact with an infected person, however, will no longer need to be tested. Montenegro, which in June the first European country to declare itself coronavirus-free, was also registering a spike in new cases, explained by the summer tourist season which saw little distancing at the beaches, restaurants and nightclubs. On Thursday, the small Adriatic state had 128 new cases, with nearly every fifth person tested found to be positive. A man wearing a face mask leaves the St. Nicholas church in Prague, Czech Republic, Thursday, Sept. 10, 2020. The Czech Republic is returning to mandatory mask wearing in interior spaces amid a steep rise in new coronavirus cases. Starting Thursday, people across the country need to cover their face in all public places, including stores, shopping malls, post offices and others but also in private companies where employees cannot keep a distance of 2 meters from one another. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek) AUSTRIA In neighboring Austria, the government announced that it would reimpose stricter measures to curb a rise in new infections, particularly in the capital, Vienna. "Starting Monday face-masks will be mandatory again - in those areas where they are already mandatory right now like in public transport, supermarketsbut additionally also in shops, services, in government buildings, in schools outside the classroom and in all forms of customer contact," Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said in Vienna. "If you want to hear a prognosis, I don't expect the situation to improve in the coming weeks," Kurz said. "We can't promise that other measures won't become necessary too. The goal is to prevent a lockdown." Austria reported 520 new cases on Thursday and 686 on Wednesday, considerably more than daily figures of less than 200 a month ago and a few dozen per day in May and June. A woman wearing a face mask walks up a gangway disembarking from a ferry arriving in Lisbon from across the Tagus river at sunset, Thursday, Sept. 10, 2020. The Portuguese government is imposing new curbs in the sale and consumption of alcohol and limits on socialization amid a recent increase of coronavirus infections. (AP Photo/Armando Franca) SPAIN In Spain, the top coronavirus expert saw the country's rate of new infections easing and "possibly" reaching a plateau after weeks of sharp increases that brought restrictions across the country. On Friday, Spain's Health Ministry reported 4,137 new infections in 24 hours, taking the total tally in the pandemic to over 550,000, the highest in Europe. The country's official death toll reached 26,699 on Thursday. A man wearing a face mask visit the St. Nicholas church in Prague, Czech Republic, Thursday, Sept. 10, 2020. The Czech Republic is returning to mandatory mask wearing in interior spaces amid a steep rise in new coronavirus cases. Starting Thursday, people across the country need to cover their face in all public places, including stores, shopping malls, post offices and others but also in private companies where employees cannot keep a distance of 2 meters from one another. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek) "In recent days, there is a slowdown in this increase and we are possibly seeing a stabilization," Dr. Fernando Simon, who heads Spain's health emergency coordination center, said. "We are starting to ease the rhythm (of the increase)." For his part, Spain's health minister reacted to President Donald Trump's comments Thursday at the White House claiming that the United States had "done much, much better than the European Union" regarding the pandemic. "No one is in a position to give lessons, and with all due respect to the American nation, less so its current president," Salvador Illa told Spanish public broadcaster TVE on Friday. "You have to be very careful when making international comparisons. Each country has its specificities when it comes to providing the data." A woman, wearing a protective face mask as a precaution against the coronavirus, rides her bicycle front of a mural representing late film director Agnes Varda, in Paris, Friday, Sept. 11, 2020. French health authorities have reported on Thursday 9,843 infections from the coronavirus in 24 hours, the highest daily tally since the end of France's lockdown in April. France has seen a sharp uptick in new cases in recent weeks and hospitalizations have started to increase steadily, reaching now over 5,000 including 615 people in ICU. (AP Photo/Francois Mori) FRANCE France also reported a large jump in new cases on Thursday, attributed in part to massive testing. The number of people in intensive care with the virus was at its highest level since June, but at 615 people nationwide, was still a fraction of the more than 7,000 ICU virus patients in the spring. French President Emmanuel Macron promised to unveil new virus restrictions Friday, but warned against "ceding to panic." "The virus is circulating widely," he acknowledged, but added that the new measures would be aimed at allowing the French to "live with the virus"including keeping children in school. A woman, wearing a protective face mask as a precaution against the coronavirus, walks in Paris, Friday, Sept. 11, 2020. French health authorities have reported on Thursday 9,843 infections from the coronavirus in 24 hours, the highest daily tally since the end of France's lockdown in April. France has seen a sharp uptick in new cases in recent weeks and hospitalizations have started to increase steadily, reaching now over 5,000 including 615 people in ICU. (AP Photo/Francois Mori) PORTUGAL Like Hungary, Portugal has been put back on Britain's quarantine list, meaning that starting Saturday people traveling from the southern European country's mainland to Britain must remain quarantined for 14 days after their arrival. The Portuguese president criticized the rule, saying it punished his country's tourism-dependent regions. "We have a certain feeling of unfairness because we don't close our doors to entries," Portuguese public broadcaster RTP reported President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa saying late Thursday. "There are other countries that have much more difficult and complicated situations." 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. Baidu launched its Apollo Go robotaxi service in the Chinese cities of Changsha and Cangzhou back in August, shortly after announcing that its autonomous driving computer is ready for use on the streets. Now, Apollo Go has also made its way to Beijing, making it the first autonomous car service operating in the nations capital. Apollo Gos service area in Beijing encompasses 435 miles of road with 100 pick-up and drop-off stations across several residential and business areas. Baidu says it has the longest road network for a manned autonomous driving test in China. The tech giant will start operations with 40 autonomous vehicles in the capital. Theyll still have human drivers behind the wheel, though of course the ultimate goal is providing a truly driverless taxi experience. Passengers will be able to hail one of the services robotaxis by signing up on Baidu Maps or on the Apollo website. While the company didnt mention it this time around, it noted that Apollo Go rides were free when they launched in Cangzhou. Baidu started testing its driverless cars in Beijing in December 2019. Its Apollo fleet completed road tests in the capital totaling 322,500 miles over the past eight months, earning Baidu permission to open Apollo Gos services to the general public. Zac Efron has been enjoying a new romance with Australian waitress Vanessa Valladares for the last two months. And while things appear to be going well between the two so far, there may be some issues brewing around Zac's upcoming work commitments in America. According to an onlooker, the couple were overheard at a cafe having a serious conversation about their future together. EXCLUSIVE: Zac Efron and his new girlfriend Vanessa Valladares are concerned about their future together due to COVID-19 restrictions and Zac's work commitments in Hollywood. Pictured together in Lennox Head, NSW, on September 5 The Hollywood hunk, 32, will need to return to the States soon to begin filming his next project, and Vanessa may not be able to go with him due to the current coronavirus travel restrictions. 'They were first talking about how they enjoyed their trip to Thredbo,' the onlooker told Daily Mail Australia. 'Zac then mentioned having to travel back to America eventually for work commitments, although he wasn't sure when he would have to go back,' they added. 'It sounded like there was a little bit of stress and tension between them over the fact that his girlfriend may not be able to go with him due to the strict border rules.' Tough times: The actor, 32, will need to return to the States soon to begin filming his next project, and Vanessa may not be able to go with him due to coronavirus travel restrictions Talk: 'It sounded like there was a little bit of stress and tension between them over the fact that his girlfriend may not be able to go with him due to the strict border rules' a source said Zac currently has two movies in pre-production, including a remake of the classic comedy Three Men and a Baby for Disney+. 'They mentioned that once Zac leaves he won't be allowed back into Australia because he's not a citizen, but his girlfriend also isn't allowed to travel to America so they'd effectively be separated until COVID-19 restrictions are eased,' the onlooker said. 'They also seemed to be a little bit worried by the number of COVID cases in America compared to Australia.' Who magazine reported earlier this week that Zac was introduced to Byron Bay local Vanessa, 25, through her boss at the cafe where she worked as a waitress. Fate: Who magazine reported earlier this week that Zac was introduced to Byron Bay local Vanessa, 25, through her boss at the cafe where she worked as a waitress Vanessa was working at the Byron Bay General Store cafe and the Light Years restaurant when she met the High School Musical star in July. 'They were introduced by her boss,' a source told the publication. 'Lucky girl!' Meanwhile, another source told People that the couple 'are having fun' at the moment, but they're not ruling out the possibility of a serious relationship. 'Zac met Ness earlier in the summer,' the insider said. 'You can tell that they are having fun. She spends a lot of time at this house.' While the pair have been spending most of their time in Byron Bay, they recently enjoyed a few days at the Thredbo ski resort in the NSW Snowy Mountains. WASHINGTON - A senior prosecutor working with Connecticut U.S. Attorney John Durham on his investigation into how U.S. intelligence agencies pursued allegations of Russian interference in the 2016 election has resigned. The departure of Nora Dannehy, a well-respected former federal prosecutor in Connecticut who rejoined the government in early 2019 to help Durham with the investigation, is likely to raise fresh questions among Democrats about whether Attorney General William Barr is pushing the case toward a public announcement to benefit President Trump ahead of November's election. They have long accused Barr of having political motives in his decision-making surrounding the Durham probe. Internal tensions over the pace of Durham's work have grown in recent months, as his investigators have pursued a wide variety of theories, hampered at times by operational limitations due to the coronavirus pandemic, according to a person familiar with the effort. The attorney general and some of those around him have pressed for at least partial results, while Durham's pending workload seemed to stretch for months more, the person said. Such tensions are not altogether surprising; throughout his career, Durham has been viewed by colleagues as a thorough investigator, but one who sometimes took significantly longer than originally expected to finish a case. With the 2020 election less than two months away, partisan speculation about what Durham will or won't do - and what Barr might say about his work - has intensified. Republicans are hopeful the prosecutor will bring cases against higher-level Justice Department or FBI officials who worked during the Obama administration, which could validate their critiques of the Russia probe. Democrats, though, fear Barr might orchestrate a late-hour revelation of his findings and alter the presidential race. Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, tweeted that Barr has been using the Justice Department "as a shield to protect Trump" and go after his enemies. "The Durham investigation was political from the start and issuing 'findings' before the election would violate DOJ policy," Schiff said. Barr has said the impending election would not delay his releasing Durham's findings, though in a recent interview with NBC News, he declined to say whether there would be any pre-election findings or whether he would issue an interim report. Barr says he won't wait until after election to reveal Durham's findings. Democrats fear a campaign-altering surprise. A spokesman for the Connecticut U.S. attorney's office confirmed Dannehy's departure, but declined to comment further. A spokeswoman for Barr referred all questions to the U.S. attorney's office. Efforts to reach Dannehy were not immediately successful. The development was first reported Friday by the Hartford Courant, which said she had been considering resignation for weeks. The paper, citing unidentified colleagues of Dannehy's, said she resigned partly out of concern that the top of the Justice Department was pressuring Durham's team to produce results before the election. Nick Shapiro, the former deputy chief of staff for ex-CIA Director John Brennan, said Dannehy was "very professional" during Durham's interview with Brennan last month, "and she had been throughout the process." Durham informed Brennan that he was "not a subject or a target of a criminal investigation" but rather "a witness to events that are under review," Shapiro said at the time. A prosecutor best known for corruption cases, Dannehy has handled politically fraught investigations before. In 2008, then-attorney general Michael Mukasey appointed her to oversee an investigation into the Bush administration's firing of nine U.S. attorneys in 2006. She continued that work into the next, Democratic administration, ultimately concluding that no criminal charges were merited. In recent years Dannehy has worked for a major defense contractor. Barr selected Durham in early 2019 to lead an investigation into how U.S. intelligence agencies pursued the Russia-related allegations. Durham, a veteran prosecutor, has taken on similarly sensitive investigations for the Justice Department in the past. Dannehy rejoined him at the Justice Department soon after his appointment. Last month, a former FBI lawyer pleaded guilty to altering an email that one of his colleagues relied on as he sought court approval to surveil a former Trump campaign adviser during the bureau's investigation of Russia's election interference. The guilty plea marked the first criminal charge to arise out of Durham's work. As part of his plea, Kevin Clinesmith, who worked in the FBI general counsel's office starting in 2015, told a federal judge he thought at the time he was inserting truthful information, though he conceded he doctored the message. The allegations against Clinesmith emerged last year, when Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz made reference to them in a report detailing failures in how the bureau applied under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act to monitor former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page as a suspected foreign agent. Page has never been charged with any wrongdoing. Trump has expressed hope that Durham's work will vindicate his attacks on the Russia probe, and after news of Clinesmith's expected plea became public, the president suggested more allegations may come soon. "That's just the beginning, I would imagine, because what happened should never happen again," Trump said. Durham also interviewed Brennan last month, though he has yet to talk to some key, high-level FBI officials involved in the case. It is unclear what, precisely, Durham is focused on more broadly or whether his findings will implicate more-senior officials. Durham has publicly made known his skepticism of the bureau's cause for opening the Russia investigation, and in questioning witnesses he has shown particular interest in why the bureau pressed ahead with surveilling Page even as authorities found problems with some of the allegations against him. Durham's investigators have asked in particular about how the bureau handled the case after it came to have doubts about the credibility of Christopher Steele, a former British intelligence officer whose work the FBI relied on in part to obtain the secret court order to surveil Page, people familiar with the matter have said. Barr has said Durham's first priority is to investigate and charge criminal cases, and the attorney general has said he will not delay the probe's findings because of the looming election. Justice Department policies call for prosecutors to not take actions for the purpose of affecting an election, and by tradition they generally avoid taking steps that could have that appearance. - - - The Washington Post's Shane Harris contributed to this report. (Natural News) Scientists have known for a long time that pesticides are harmful to human health. Previous research links pesticide exposure to cancer, respiratory problems and birth defects. A recent study is one of the latest to probe the toxic effects of pesticide exposure. Researchers from the University of Hawai?i at M?noa looked at middle-aged men of Japanese descent who were exposed on the job to pesticides. They found that exposure to high levels of pesticide increases the risk of heart disease and stroke. The study has important implications for patient assessment and worker safety, especially in contexts that expose employees to chemicals. This study emphasizes the importance of using personal protective equipment during exposure to pesticides on the job and the importance of documenting occupational exposure to pesticides in medical records, said co-author Beatriz Rodriguez. The findings of the study are published in the Journal of the American Heart Association. Pesticides linked to heart disease The data for the study was derived from the Kuakini Honolulu Heart Program, which has been studying the incidence of coronary heart disease and stroke in about 8,000 Japanese-American men living in Oahu. The men were aged between 45 to 68 years and self-reported their occupation. They have gone through multiple tests since the programs inception in 1965. The researchers used the data on heart disease and stroke incidence, which was taken from 1965 to 1999. They used the first 10 years of follow-up after finding out that the maximum effect of pesticide exposure was during the first decade. Pesticides have a long half-life, which means health effects may occur years after exposure. They estimated the pesticide exposure of the participants using a scale designed by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. The scale assesses the intensity and length of occupation exposure for each job. Results showed that men exposed to high levels of pesticide at work had a 45-percent higher risk of developing heart disease or stroke compared to men unexposed to pesticide at work. When age is controlled for, the risk is 46 percent higher; when other risk factors for heart disease are included, the risk is 42 percent higher. The team did not record a significant link between low and moderate pesticide exposure and the risk of heart disease and stroke. However, the researchers noted that the link between occupational exposure to pesticides is no longer significant after 34 years of follow-up. They suspected that other risk factors that emerge at a certain age may have masked the effects pesticide exposure. This was probably because other factors tied to aging became more important, masking the possible relation of pesticides and cardiovascular disease later in life, explained Rodriguez. The team noted that their findings may not easily apply to other races or sexes as their study focused only on men of Japanese descent. For one, hormones may influence the effects of pesticide exposure on cardiovascular health. Therefore, men and women may respond differently to different classes of pesticides. Further research on the effects of pesticide on heart disease risk Another study, published in the journal Heart, examined the health impact of occupational exposure to pesticides among the Hispanic and Latino populations. Researchers looked at more than 7,400 Hispanics and Latinos who are between 18 and 74 years old. Five to nine percent of participants reported being exposed to solvents, metals, and pesticides at work. Those exposed to pesticides are five times more likely to have atrial fibrillation (irregular and rapid heart rate) and two times more likely to have coronary heart disease than those unexposed to pesticides. Meanwhile, those exposed to metals are four times more likely to have atrial fibrillation. (Related: Farmers at higher risk of developing various cancers caused by pesticide exposure.) Scientists are still working to fully understand why pesticides are harmful to heart health. One theory suggests that pesticides trigger inflammation and oxidative stress, which are known risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Certain chemicals can also be directly toxic to the heart muscle, impairing heart contraction and the hearts electrical system. Learn more about the harmful effects of pesticides at Chemicals.news. Sources include: ScienceDaily.com Healthline.com Donald Trump has claimed that the headless body of Kim Jong Un's executed uncle was displayed to senior North Korean officials. The US President told the author of an upcoming book on the US president that the dictator confided that he had his uncle's head displayed after ordering his execution in 2013. Jang Song Thaek, the North Korean leader's uncle by marriage and a hugely powerful figure within the regime, was purged for treason and corruption in 2013, in what was widely seen as Kim mercilessly asserting his authority. Kim 'tells me everything. Told me everything,' Trump told the Washington Post investigative journalist Bob Woodward, according to his forthcoming book 'Rage'. 'He killed his uncle and he put the body right in the steps,' Trump said, in an apparent reference to a building used by senior officials. 'And the head was cut, sitting on the chest,' he added in excerpts from the book seen by the AFP news agency. Donald Trump (left) told author and journalist Bob Woodward that the North Korean leader 'tells me everything', including that Kim Jong Un (right) had his uncles decapitated head displayed to officials after ordering his execution in 2013 The North has never officially stated how Jang was executed, although multiple reports say an anti-aircraft gun was used. Jang's death followed the execution of his two most trusted advisers - Ri Ryong-ha and Jang Su-gil - who were also reportedly killed by anti-aircraft machine guns. Before his execution in 2013, Jang was seen as the second most powerful person in North Korea after his nephew, but wanted to reform the country. In 2016, the New York Times wrote that with his death went the last hopes of a more open North Korea. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un walks past his uncle Jang Song Thaek, left, during the 70th birthday of the late Kim Jong Il in Pyongyang, 2012. A year later, Kim Jong Un ordered for his uncle to be executed during a purge of those he believed to be treasonous and corrupt Trump's account - apparently intended as a demonstration of the closeness of his relationship with Kim - is the first from any senior official to mention decapitation. Nuclear negotiations between Pyongyang and Washington have been at a standstill since the collapse of the Hanoi summit last year over sanctions relief and what the North would be willing to give up in return. Pyongyang officials said they had offered to 'dismantle all the nuclear production facilities in the Yongbyon area', but analysts say the North has several other nuclear sites. According to the book Trump demanded five sites be given up. 'Listen, one doesn't help and two doesn't help and three doesn't help and four doesn't help. Five does help,' he said. Yongbyon was the North's biggest site, Kim countered according to excerpts from the book seen by AFP. 'It's also your oldest,' Trump told the author he retorted. Kim, though, would not offer further concessions, and Trump told him: 'You're not ready to make a deal.' 'I've got to leave,' he added, to Kim's shock. President Donald Trump, left, meets with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at the North Korean side of the border at the village of Panmunjom in Demilitarized Zone in June 2019 The collapse of the summit came despite high expectations on both sides beforehand. But according to the book Trump continued to insist on full denuclearisation even after the pair's surprise meeting several months later in the Demilitarized Zone that divides the peninsula. Bob Woodward's new book 'Rage' claims Trump told the reporter - famous for breaking the Watergate story and for his books on US presidents - that 'Kim tells me everything' 'It was an honour to cross into your country,' Trump wrote in a letter to Kim two days after the encounter, when he became the first sitting US president to set foot in the North. He urged Kim to strike a 'big deal' that 'sheds you of your nuclear burden'. 'Rage', scheduled to hit the book stands next week, unveils 25 letters the pair exchanged, in which Kim repeatedly flatters Trump. The DMZ meeting was supposed to restart the talks process but the US and South Korea held military exercises a few weeks later. Kim subsequently wrote to Trump: 'I am clearly offended and I do not want to hide this feeling from you. I am really, very offended.' Negotiations between Pyongyang and Washington have remained at a standstill ever since, and ties between the North and South have plummeted, but Trump insisted that he still had a good relationship with Kim. 'He likes me. I like him. We get along,' he said. Yes, shame on us, the greater the level of academic achievement and the related status and societal recognition; on those heads and shoulders rest the greater portion of the responsibility for that shame. After almost fifty years of our being responsible for the management of our own welfare, the evidence of decadence is overwhelming, irrefutable testimony that our leadership has been indifferent to the areas of responsibility which are elemental to the welfare of the people they are undertaken to serve. Look at the condition of our roads and drains throughout the state. Right in our capital Kingstown, the grass in the drains from Sharpe Street to the cemetery, tells the story of neglect. Even the perennially well-respected business institutions seem to have become so indifferent, that their attractively clad ladies must negotiate choked drains at the entrances to their workplaces when there is a shower of rain. But people are not complaining, so those conditions become the norm, and the authorities seemingly not driven by the commitment towards the improved well-being of the populace, are quite comfortable in the malaise. But those persons in the society who have been parented, taught, trained at whatever level, to recognize the value of the adherence of certain basic principles, aimed at the development of a healthy and peaceable society, must commit themselves to speaking and acting, when there is evidence of any violation of these principles. Some days ago, I met one of our distinguished citizens in Kingstown and I was keen to show him some photos which had been taken just a few days before, of the area at the back of the St. Vincent Grammar School and the Girls High School, exhibiting the obvious neglect. He was enthusiastic; he said people had been "talking a lot about those matters and also about the condition inside the buildings themselves. If that is so, responsible, mature citizens ought to speak and act until the unhealthy situation is remedied. There is more to the exhibition and demonstration of national pride than the exposure of our leaders on the UN Security Council for two years! As a matter of fact, it hints of hypocrisy and even recklessness with the use of resources, when such basic needs cannot be addressed over so long a period, as is evidenced in the road at the back of the GIRLS HIGH SCHOOL and the ST.VINCENT GRAMAMR SCHOOL. A significant number of our citizens who had launched their careers between the 1950s and 1980s, are beginning to leave their ethereal abode; it is pitiable that they are not leaving for the next wave of citizens a platform which will be strong enough to cope with the debts we are leaving them to repay. In those times, the documentation that we were the smallest nation to ever serve on the Security Council of the United Nations, will hardly be able to stir our national pride! LONDON, Sept. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Valaris plc (OTC: VALPQ) ("Valaris" or the "Company") today announced that holders of over 70% in aggregate principal amount of its senior notes (the "Consenting Noteholders") have now executed the Restructuring Support Agreement (the "RSA") and Backstop Commitment Agreement (the "BCA"). The Company originally entered into the RSA and BCA on August 18, 2020, with holders of approximately 50% in aggregate principal amount of its senior notes. The RSA and the BCA contemplate, among other items, the full equitization of the Company's pre-petition revolving credit facility and unsecured notes, a fully backstopped rights offering to noteholders for $500 million of new secured notes, the effective cancellation of existing equity interests in the Company in exchange for, in certain circumstances, warrants for post-emergence equity and payment of trade claims in full in cash. The RSA provides that, from the date thereof until September 10, 2020 (the "Joinder Period"), qualified noteholders, including the Consenting Noteholders, shall be eligible to become backstop parties under the BCA. On September 10, 2020, the Company agreed with the requisite Consenting Noteholders to extend the expiration of the Joinder Period to September 14, 2020, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time. The Company looks forward to working with its other creditors and stakeholders who have not signed the RSA to advance the Company's efforts to restructure its balance sheet. Kirkland & Ellis LLP and Slaughter and May are serving as legal advisors to Valaris in connection with the restructuring. Lazard Ltd. is serving as Valaris' investment banker and Alvarez & Marsal North America LLC as its restructuring advisor. Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel LLP and Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP are serving as legal advisors to the Consenting Noteholders, and Houlihan Lokey Inc. is serving as financial advisor. Court filings and other information related to the Court-supervised proceedings are available at a website administered by the Company's claims agent, Stretto, http://cases.stretto.com/Valaris. Questions should be directed to our dedicated restructuring hotline 855-348-2032 (Toll-Free) or +1 949-266-6309 (International). About Valaris plc Valaris plc (OTC: VALPQ) is the industry leader in offshore drilling services across all water depths and geographies. Operating a high-quality rig fleet of ultra-deepwater drillships, versatile semisubmersibles and modern shallow-water jackups, Valaris has experience operating in nearly every major offshore basin. With an unwavering commitment to safety and operational excellence, and a focus on technology and innovation, Valaris was rated first in total customer satisfaction in the latest independent survey by EnergyPoint Research - the ninth consecutive year that the Company has earned this distinction. Valaris plc is an English limited company (England No. 7023598) with its corporate headquarters located at 110 Cannon Street, London EC4N 6EU. To learn more, visit our website at www.valaris.com. Cautionary Statements Statements contained in this press release that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Forward-looking statements include words or phrases such as "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "plan," "project," "could," "may," "might," "should," "will" and similar words. Such statements are subject to numerous risks, uncertainties and assumptions that may cause actual results to vary materially from those indicated, including the Company's ability to obtain Bankruptcy Court approval with respect to motions or other requests made to the Bankruptcy Court, the ability of the Company to negotiate, develop, confirm and consummate a plan of reorganization, the effects of the Chapter 11 Cases on the Company's liquidity or results of operations or business prospects; the effects of the Chapter 11 Cases on the Company's business and the interests of various constituents, the length of time that the Company will operate under Chapter 11 protection, risks associated with third-party motions in the Chapter 11 Cases, potential outcome of the Company's evaluation of strategic alternatives and the Company's debt levels, liquidity and ability to access financing sources, debt restrictions that may limit our liquidity and flexibility, the COVID-19 outbreak and global pandemic, the related public health measures implemented by governments worldwide, which may, among other things, impact our ability to staff rigs and rotate crews, the decline in oil prices during 2020 caused in part by the COVID-19 pandemic and the decisions by certain oil producers to reduce export prices and increase oil production, cancellation, suspension, renegotiation or termination of drilling contracts and programs. In particular, the unprecedented nature of the current economic downturn, pandemic, and industry decline may make it particularly difficult to identify risks or predict the degree to which identified risks will impact the Company's business and financial condition. In addition to the numerous factors described above, you should also carefully read and consider "Item 1A. Risk Factors" in Part I and "Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" in Part II of our most recent annual report on Form 10-K, as updated in our subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, which are available on the Securities and Exchange Commission's website at www.sec.gov or on the Investor Relations section of our website at www.valaris.com. Each forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date of the particular statement and we undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, except as required by law. Media Contact Dana Gorman / Sydney Isaacs Abernathy MacGregor +1 212-371-5999 Investor Contact Darin Gibbins Vice President Investor Relations and Treasurer +1 713-979-4623 SOURCE Valaris plc Related Links http://www.valaris.com The parents of a young Co Down girl whose life was saved by a heart transplant have urged people to join the organ donor register. Evie Keown was fighting for survival this time last year when her family backed Organ Donation Week. A year on and the two-year-old is again the focus of a heartfelt plea to mark this year's appeal, which runs this week - only this time it is an altogether more uplifting message. Kelly-Anne Keown (32) and husband Gareth (33) from Castlewellan have come through a traumatic journey with the youngest of their three girls, who spent the first 14 months of her life in hospital. When they agreed to support the Children's Heartbeat Trust appeal for Organ Donation Week in 2019, their baby's life hung by a thread. A year on and Evie has just celebrated her second birthday with her older sisters Muireann (8) and Meave (3), and has astonished everyone by her progress since coming through a heart transplant last November. Kelly-Anne said: "She literally is a miracle. She was so ill this time last year that she spent seven months in ICU and quite a few times we nearly lost her. "At one point we even planned her funeral after being called into a side room to say goodbye to her. Expand Close Battler: Evie on her second birthday with parents Kelly-Anne and Gareth / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Battler: Evie on her second birthday with parents Kelly-Anne and Gareth "We really didn't think she'd get a transplant and we were very realistic about the chances of a baby her age and her size getting a suitable donor organ. "She had deteriorated so much that we didn't even know if she would be fit to travel to the hospital in Newcastle upon Tyne where the surgery was to be carried out." Kelly-Anne told how they were left overjoyed when they got a call to say a donor organ had been found for little Evie on November 15 last year. Within two hours they were in Birmingham and their daughter came through the surgery later that night. Evie was born with a condition that meant only half of her heart was functioning and went through the first of three major surgeries when she was just two days old. She faced another operation at four months old and afterwards remained so critically ill that she was unable to leave hospital. When her parents appealed for people to support Organ Donation Week in 2019, Kelly-Anne admitted that they did not think their own daughter would benefit. She added: "Before I was in this situation I would never have thought of the importance of kids being on the register. It is only when it happens to you that you realise how important it is and this year after seeing what a transplant has done for us - it literally saved us as well as Evie - we felt it was more important than ever to back the campaign." Seeing her daughter come through the surgery and be able to join her sisters at home for the first time two days before Christmas last year was a joy Kelly-Anne feared she would never experience. She added: "It is like she has always been at home and it's great for her sisters to have her home and for our family to be complete." "It is such a hard process. No one likes to think about losing a child but another child has not just saved Evie but multiple people." TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / September 11, 2020 / Perimeter Medical Imaging AI, Inc. (TSXV:PINK; FSE:4PC), a medical technology company driven to transform cancer surgery with ultra-high-resolution, real-time, advanced imaging tools to address areas of high unmet medical need, announced today that Jeremy Sobotta, Perimeter's President and CFO will present a company overview at the H.C. Wainwright & Co. 22nd Annual Global Investment (Virtual) Conference on Wednesday, September 16, 2020 at 2:30 p.m. EDT. The live presentation will be webcast and may be accessed on Perimeter's website under the "Investors" section at https://ir.perimetermed.com/. A replay of the presentation will be available on the website and archived for approximately three months following the event. About Perimeter Medical Imaging AI, Inc. Perimeter Medical Imaging AI (TSXV:PINK; FSE:4PC) is a Toronto-based company with U.S. headquarters in Dallas, Texas that is developing, with plans to commercialize, advanced imaging tools that allow surgeons, radiologists, and pathologists to visualize microscopic tissue structures during a clinical procedure. Perimeter's OTIS platform is a point-of-care imaging system that provides clinicians with real-time, ultra-high-resolution, sub-surface image volumes of the margin (1-2 mm below the surface) of an excised tissue specimen. The ability to visualize microscopic tissue structures during a clinical procedure in addition to standard of care tissue assessment for decision making during the procedure has the potential to result in better long-term outcomes for patients and lower costs to the healthcare system. Perimeter's OTIS platform is cleared by FDA as an imaging tool in the evaluation of excised human tissue microstructure by providing two-dimensional, cross-sectional, real-time depth visualization, with image review manipulation software for identifying and annotating regions of interest. In addition, Perimeter is developing advanced artificial intelligence/machine learning image assessment tools intended to increase the efficiency of review. Perimeter's ticker symbol "PINK" is a reference to the pink ribbons used during Breast Cancer Awareness Month by the Canadian Cancer Society and the American Cancer Society, driving home the company's dedication to helping surgeons, radiologists and pathologists use Perimeter's imaging technology and AI (Artificial Intelligence) in the fight against breast cancer, which is estimated to account for 30% of all female cancer diagnoses this year. CONTACT: Jodi Regts Corporate Communications / Investor Relations Perimeter Medical Imaging AI, Inc. +1 778-999-5634 media@perimetermed.com Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulations 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: Perimeter Medical Imaging AI, Inc. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/605719/Perimeter-Medical-Imaging-AI-to-Present-at-the-HC-Wainwright-Co-22nd-Annual-Global-Investment-Conference To say the federal governments nationwide COVID-19 tracing app has been disappointing is an understatement. Its been a flop. Back on July 31, Justin Trudeau announced COVID Alert was up and running and could prove a game-changer in Canadas fight against the novel coronavirus. If enough Canadians joined him in downloading the app, the prime minister said, theyd have a better idea than ever before if theyd come near someone with the illness. Not only would COVID Alert protect the people using it, the app could prevent future outbreaks of COVID-19. Fine words, those were. Yet six weeks later, the high hopes Trudeau raised have evaporated. Precious few Canadians are using COVID Alert and the number of new COVID-19 cases is again edging upwards. The app has been useless in the fight against Canadas most serious health crisis in a century. It shouldnt have happened this way. COVID Alert, in theory at least, is a wonderful idea. It works by informing people who have downloaded it if theyve been within three metres of someone whos also using the app and later volunteers that theyve tested positive for the coronavirus. But the app is only effective if 65 to 80 per cent of Canadians are using it. We need that critical mass of participants. Yet thats not happening because most Canadians still cant access the app. As of today, Ontario and Newfoundland and Labrador are the only two provinces using COVID Alert. Quebec has no plans to join the initiative. British Columbia, Saskatchewan and Manitoba seem receptive but have been unable to translate good intentions into action. Alberta says its ready to hop on board but blames the federal Liberals for delays preventing it from doing so. Geography isnt the only barrier to the app, either. COVID Alert doesnt work on older iPhones and Android devices. As a result, a lot of people in groups that have been hit hardest by the pandemic including Black, Indigenous, low-income and elderly Canadians simply cant download it. Its wrong that people who cant afford the latest technology cant be protected by the app. That shouldnt be happening in Canada. And its infuriating this limitation was known long before COVID Alert was first available; but nothing was done to correct it. So there should be no surprise that as of Sept. 1, more than a month after COVID Alert was introduced, only 2.2 million Canadians out of a country with 37.6 million people had downloaded the app. Nor should anyone wonder why, in a month in which thousands of new COVID-19 cases developed in this country only 90 of those new infections were reported by people using the app. Its anyones guess if COVID Alert helped prevent a single new outbreak. The federal Liberals dont deserve all the blame for this sad state of affairs. But they were supposed to be the lead hands in rolling out this venture. To put it bluntly, they failed to get the job done. Now, with the coronavirus making a comeback, Trudeau and his colleagues need to persuade the hold-out provinces to sign on to COVID Alert. A high-profile public education campaign could convince the public at large to join in, too. This is a nationwide emergency. We need a nationwide response. Theres so much we cant do when it comes to stopping COVID-19. When theres an effective weapon at hand, we should pick it up. A nationwide COVID-19 tracing app is one of those weapons. An online petition to remove from Netflix a movie that shows an 11-year-old girl and her friends dancing suggestively and making overtly sexual gestures has garnered nearly 400,000 signatures. Cuties is a movie that centres around Aminata, 11, a Senegalese Muslim immigrant in Paris, France, who starts to rebel against her conservative familys tradition and tries to overcome oppression, societal pressure, and patriarchy. The petition on change.org describes the film as disgusting as it sexualises an 11-year-old girl for the viewing pleasure of paedophiles and also negatively influences our children. There is no need for this kind of content in that age group, especially when sex trafficking and paedophilia are so rampant. There is no excuse, this is dangerous content. As of 11.45 a.m. Friday, 360,863 have signed the petition. The movie, which began streaming on September 9, is a translated version of the movie by French filmmaker Maimouna Doucoure titled Mignonnes. It got the Jury Award for directing at the Sundance Film Festival. #CancelNetflix trended worldwide on Thursday sending Netflixs stock crashing by about 20 per cent. Lauren Southern@Lauren_Southern wrote Saying #Cuties isnt paedophilic content because theres a plot around the most shocking scene is like telling your partner you werent watching porn because it was actually just a cinematic tale of love and passion between the pizza man a step son and his mother in law. Robby Starbuck@robbystarbuck said The 11 year old girls who were sexually exploited filming Cuties shot those scenes in front of a director, a DP, a gaffer, their parents, a choreographer, a MUA, a hair person, a camera assistant, a wardrobe person, extras and more. Not one adult protected them. #CancelNetflix. Netflix had earlier issued a statement defending the movie, saying it is a social commentary against the sexualisation of young children. Its an award-winning film and the powerful story about the pressure young girls face on social media and from society more generally growing up and wed encourage anyone who cares about these important issues to watch the movie, a Netflix spokesperson told the Daily Caller News Foundation on Thursday. HilesFiles@MichaelHiles wrote About to end a decade long relationship with @netflix As a dad of an 11 y.o. daughter, this is so unacceptable. Their stubborn defence of it is whats costing them another customer. No amount of paedophilia is acceptable. #CancelNetflix. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Junko Fujita (Reuters) Osaka, Japan Fri, September 11, 2020 10:04 497 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c4432cf9 2 Art & Culture Bunraku,Japan,Puppet,coronavirus,COVID-19 Free Stuck at home for weeks while Japan was under a state of emergency due to the coronavirus, renowned Japanese Bunraku puppet master Kanjuro Kiritake, all his performances cancelled for months, was stricken with deep anxiety. His art, a traditional, male-only Japanese puppet theater, was born in Osaka in the late 1600s, but in 2020 felt existentially threatened, he said. "Many things crossed my mind: when would the pandemic end, when would performances resume, if my 87-year-old master could ever perform again," Kanjuro, 67, said in his home, which has a room dedicated to puppetry. The solution was to spend his time at home making puppets for children. It is a rare pursuit for a Bunraku puppeteer. To him, it tied into decades of efforts he's made to keep the centuries-old art of Bunraku alive. He has been teaching Bunraku at Kozu elementary school in Osaka for 17 years. Nearly 30 sixth graders took part in recent classes, with children practicing their puppetry in a gymnasium amid scorching heat, as a T-shirt-clad Kanjuro instructed them. In Bunraku, each puppet is operated by three people - the head puppeteer, and two others dressed in black, their faces covered. The head puppeteer manipulates the head and right hand, while one person manipulates the left hand and another both feet. Performances are accompanied by narrators, or tayu, and traditional instruments. The five puppets Kanjuro made had comical faces framed by yarn hair. They also wore socks in neon-bright colors he had purchased online. Read also: In Syria, puppets show displaced children how to deal with coronavirus From the feet up Following his father's path, Kanjuro started his career as a puppeteer at 14, becoming a disciple of Minosuke Yoshida, who at age 87 is now the oldest living puppeteer. Like everyone else, he started with the puppets' feet, then moved on to the left hand. It can take more than 30 years until a puppeteer is allowed to manipulate the head. "It is an invisible and tough role. Audiences do not know who you are and the applause goes to the main puppeteer," he said, referring to operating the limbs. Understanding how to manipulate the feet is crucial; the performer doing that touches the waist of the lead puppeteer, feeling how he moves. It was a lesson Kanjuro learned from his late father, who even after illness left him thin used his whole body to animate the puppet as head puppeteer. "I learned from him that you would have to use your entire body - from your toes to fingertips - to make the puppet come to life," Kanjuro recalls. "And how a small and thin puppeteer could manipulate a big puppet by doing that." Kanjuro is one of Japan's best-known Bunraku performers, but he still worries about securing young talent. The National Bunraku Theatre in Osaka provides a free, two-year training course that more than half the 83 current performers have graduated from. But the art's popularity was waning even before the pandemic, and only two students are in training as of September. Perhaps, Kanjuro muses, people hired to open curtains or handout stage properties might fall in love with Bunraku and want to study it. Performances in Tokyo resumed on Sept. 5. "Like Sumo and Rakugo where foreigners are active, one day we may have foreign performers," Kanjuro said. "And it could only be a matter of time before women take part as well." Press Release 11 September 2020 IHG Hotels & Resorts (IHG), one of the world's leading hotel companies, today announced further updates in its efforts to advance equality for all, through key partnerships and programs with the National Urban League, National Center for Civil and Human Rights, and Jobs for America's Graduates. Advertisements Elie Maalouf, Chief Executive Officer, Americas, IHG, said: "The hospitality that we offer to our guests, colleagues and communities is fundamentally underpinned by a culture of respect and inclusion for all people. We recognize and embrace the role that we can play in standing for justice and opportunity, and are honored to support the important work of these organizations. Through these efforts, we will extend the culture we have created at IHG - one where everyone can feel welcome, included and safe - into our communities." For nearly thirty years, IHG's Americas headquarters has been based in Atlanta, a city with a profound legacy of civil rights. In the spirit of this heritage, and building on existing initiatives, in June, IHG announced a series of commitments in the Americas to drive more meaningful progress - both within the company and the communities in which it operates. IHG's partnerships and programs with these three organizations will focus on driving action in education, employability and empowerment efforts across the U.S. Supporting Career Pathways for Young Adults Photo: IHG IHG is helping to support the expansion of the National Urban League's Urban Apprenticeship Jobs Program (UAJP), which creates pathways to careers through social support services, pre-apprenticeship and registered apprenticeship programs. IHG's contributions will be directed toward expansion of the UAJP program in two specific markets - Atlanta and Chicago - and will support young adults. In addition to the sponsorship support of these efforts, IHG colleagues will support National Urban League affiliates though volunteer activities such as mock interviews and resume review. Marc Morial, President and Chief Executive Officer, National Urban League, said: "Since its launch, the Urban Apprenticeship Jobs Program has helped to create hundreds of employment opportunities for historically underemployed and underutilized communities, across a number of different industries. This important work is helping to create a pipeline of employable people of color across America, advancing financial security and growth, and we are pleased to have the support of leading organizations such as IHG who are likewise committed to advancing workforce development efforts in our communities across the country." Raising Awareness in the Cradle of the Civil Rights Movement Photo: IHG Following the re-opening of the Atlanta-based National Center for Civil and Human Rights over the Labor Day Weekend, IHG is sponsoring several free admission days to The Center beginning in September. In addition to providing access to The Center's powerful exhibits free of charge to IHG colleagues, their families and the general public, IHG's sponsorship will help support the costs associated with making the museum safe for staff and visitors, including personal protective equipment (PPE) and health technology such as temperature scanners and automated admission kiosks. Current exhibits include "Rolls Down Like Water" which presents the history of the American Civil Rights Movement, and "The Spark of Convention" which explores the modern global struggle for human rights. Jill Savitt, President and CEO, National Center for Civil and Human Rights, said: "The history we present connects with today's movements for equity and justice for Black lives, and allows people to understand how they can tap their own power to change the world. We are very grateful for IHG's support as we work to safely reopen our building." Empowering Students to Make a Community Impact Photo: IHG IHG and Jobs for America's Graduates (JAG) are partnering to launch The LOVE "Lifting Our Voices for Equity" Project, an initiative to encourage conversations around diversity, equity, and inclusion within the organization's 1,450 programs nationwide. Launching in the 2020/2021 school year, this initiative will support JAG students as they explore social justice issues, identify challenges in their communities, and work collectively to make positive change through civic awareness and engagement, cornerstone components of the JAG model. Micro-grants, funded by IHG, will be awarded to select JAG students to help put their LOVE Project ideas into action in their local communities. IHG's large network of hotels will support the student projects and help share the messages around local students' positive work. Ken Smith, President and CEO, Jobs for America's Graduates, said: "Jobs for America's Graduates was founded 40 years ago to address the inequalities too many of America's youth experience, which limits opportunities and prevents them from reaching their full potential. In the last four decades, JAG has helped over 1.4 million vulnerable youth overcome significant economic, emotional, social, and academic challenges. Throughout this time, JAG participants have proven that a well-executed model can help those historically held back by discrimination, poverty, and other barriers so they can achieve equal or greater success in high school graduation, employment, and post-secondary education. We are honored to work with IHG on such an important initiative to generate conversations around diversity, equity and inclusion, and to help inspire JAG students to drive positive change in their communities." Building on a Culture of Diversity and Inclusion With hotels and offices in more than 100 countries around the world, IHG colleagues represent multiple nationalities, cultures, religions, races, sexualities, backgrounds and beliefs - helping to promote a diverse and inclusive culture that supports the company's purpose to provide True Hospitality for everyone. These latest partnerships and programs build on a foundation of diversity & inclusion-focused efforts that IHG has taken in recent years, which include the establishment of global and local D&I Boards to drive important work, a focus on leadership training, and support for organizations promoting racial and economic equity. To further support the important efforts of these partners, IHG Rewards Club members will be offered an opportunity to donate their points toward each of these organizations. For a full listing of IHG's diversity and inclusion commitments in the Americas, and for resources to learn more about opportunities to be a part of the change, visit ihg.com/standtogether. About Jobs for America's Graduates Jobs for America's Graduates (JAG) is a national nonprofit that has been reaching our nation's most underserved youth for 40 years. JAG is a unique, valuable, and necessary program providing youth with mentoring, employability skills instruction, and leadership development activities. The JAG National Network has a footprint in 39 states, across 1,450 communities, impacting more than 76,000 youth annually who consistently achieve outstanding results, including a 95% graduation rate. JAG graduates are 230% more likely to be employed full-time compared to their peers, and twice as likely to go to college. About The National Center for Civil and Human Rights The National Center for Civil and Human Rights is a vibrant museum and cultural institution in Atlanta. Our immersive and powerful exhibitions connect US civil rights history to the global struggle for human rights around the world today. We are one of the only institutions in the world where the papers and artifacts of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. are on permanent display. Our engaging events and conversations, education, and advocacy training bring together leading thinkers on advancing rights. For more information, visit civilandhumanrights.org. Join the conversation on civil and human rights on @ctr4chr (Twitter) and @ctr4chr (Facebook). About The National Urban League The National Urban League is a historic civil rights organization dedicated to economic empowerment in order to elevate the standard of living in historically underserved urban communities. The National Urban League spearheads the efforts of its 90 local affiliates through the development of programs, public policy research and advocacy, providing direct services that impact and improve the lives of more than 2 million people annually nationwide. Visit www.nul.org and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram: @NatUrbanLeague. PHOENIX, Sept. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Garage Door Repair Pros Phoenix recently announced a 20-minute arrival policy to gain a competitive edge in the Phoenix garage door repair market. The owners of the locally owned business told the press that there has been a constant demand for faster repair services in Phoenix, which is why they have adopted the 20-minute arrival policy. They also added that they have invested in new mobile vans and equipment to reach their clients faster than usual. The recent decision to cut down its arrival time is being considered to be a game-changing step. On asking what makes the overhead garage door repair local business stand out among its competitors, Brian Miller, the sales head of the entity stated, "We have always considered Phoenix as our home and all the lovely people here as the members of our family. We have gone that extra distance to see a smile on their face." "When we kick-started our journey, our main mission was to deliver top-quality service to our clients and ensure that they remember us whenever they face any issue regarding their garage doors. One aspect we have always focused on is to maintain a well-trained team of professionals who have the requisite skills to deliver perfect garage door services in Phoenix, well within the stipulated time. We realize the necessity and utility of a garage door and how essential it is for the security it imparts to a commercial as a residential property," he relayed. Brian also added, "We also have our mobile teams in place so that whenever our customer care receives an emergency call from our customers, they can reach their doorstep as soon as possible. Garage Door Repair Pros Phoenix has always been known for its minimum waiting time. However, the management still believes that there is always room for improvement. Therefore, we have decided that we would cut down our expected arrival to 20 minutes. This way, we can take our clients out of the crisis in the shortest time possible." To know more, visit: https://phoenixaz-garagedoorrepair.com Full Address: 8359 N 7th St, Phoenix, AZ, 85020 Phone: (480) 725-1961 SOURCE Garage Door Repair Pros Phoenix WASHINGTON (Sept. 11, 2020)--A team of Israeli and American researchers funded by grants from the National Geographic Society and the Israel Science Foundation has uncovered new evidence that an earthquake may have caused the destruction and abandonment of a flourishing Canaanite palatial site about 3,700 years ago. The group made the discovery at the 75-acre site of Tel Kabri in Israel, which contains the ruins of a Canaanite palace and city that dates back to approximately 1900-1700 B.C. The excavations, located on land belonging to Kibbutz Kabri in the western Galilee region, are co-directed by Assaf Yasur-Landau, a professor of Mediterranean archaeology at the University of Haifa, and Eric Cline, a professor of classics and anthropology at the George Washington University. "We wondered for several years what had caused the sudden destruction and abandonment of the palace and the site, after centuries of flourishing occupation," Yasur-Landau said. "A few seasons ago, we began to uncover a trench which runs through part of the palace, but initial indications suggested that it was modern, perhaps dug within the past few decades or a century or two at most. But then, in 2019, we opened up a new area and found that the trench continued for at least 30 meters, with an entire section of a wall that had fallen into it in antiquity, and with other walls and floors tipping into it on either side." According to Michael Lazar, the lead author of the study, recognizing past earthquakes can be extremely challenging in the archaeological record, especially at sites where there isn't much stone masonry and where degradable construction materials like sun-dried mud bricks and wattle-and-daub were used instead. At Tel Kabri, however, the team found both stone foundations for the bottom part of the walls and mud-brick superstructures above. "Our studies show the importance of combining macro- and micro-archaeological methods for the identification of ancient earthquakes," he said. "We also needed to evaluate alternative scenarios, including climatic, environmental and economic collapse, as well as warfare, before we were confident in proposing a seismic event scenario." The researchers could see areas where the plaster floors appeared warped, walls had tilted or been displaced, and mud bricks from the walls and ceilings had collapsed into the rooms, in some cases rapidly burying dozens of large jars. "It really looks like the earth simply opened up and everything on either side of it fell in," Cline said. "It's unlikely that the destruction was caused by violent human activity because there are no visible signs of fire, no weapons such as arrows that would indicate a battle, nor any unburied bodies related to combat. We could also see some unexpected things in other rooms of the palace, including in and around the wine cellar that we excavated a few years ago." In 2013, the team discovered 40 jars within a single storage room of the palace during an expedition also supported by a National Geographic Society grant. An organic residue analysis conducted on the jars indicated that they held wine; it was described at the time as the oldest and largest wine cellar yet discovered in the Near East. Since then, the team has found four more such storage rooms and at least 70 more jars, all buried by the collapse of the building. "The floor deposits imply a rapid collapse rather than a slow accumulation of degraded mud bricks from standing walls or ceilings of an abandoned structure," Ruth Shahack-Gross, a professor of geoarchaeology at the University of Haifa and a co-author on the study, said. "The rapid collapse, and the quick burial, combined with the geological setting of Tel Kabri, raises the possibility that one or more earthquakes could have destroyed the walls and the roof of the palace without setting it on fire." The investigators are hopeful that their methodological approach can be applied at other archaeological sites, where it can serve to test or strengthen cases of possible earthquake damage and destruction. ### Roey Nickelsberg, a graduate student at the University of Haifa, also contributed to the research and final study. The findings were published today in the journal PLOS ONE. The National Geographic Society, the Israel Science Foundation, GW, the University of Haifa and private donations funded the research. MULTIMEDIA Relevant images are available here. Captions are available upon request. A man has been sentenced to death for raping and killing a nine-year-old girl in Florida. Granville Ritchie, 41, received the death penalty on Friday, nearly a year after a jury reached a unanimous guilty verdict. Ritchie was convicted in September 2019, of first-degree murder, sexual battery and aggravated child abuse. His lawyer, Bjorn Brunvand, had argued that Ritchie's abusive and violent childhood and lack of prior criminal history should prevent him from being put to death. Ritchie, 41, was dating 9-year-old Felecia Williams' neighbour, Eboni Wiley, in May 2014, prosecutors said. Ritchie and Wiley were babysitting Felicia one day and took her to his mother's apartment. Ritchie sexually assaulted and strangled her while Wiley went to buy marijuana, prosecutors said. Ritchie then hid the girl's body in a suitcase which he later threw into Tampa Bay harbour. Wiley testified that Ritchie told her he had given Felecia money to buy sweets at a nearby shop, but she never returned. She initially told police that the girl ran away but changed her story after Felecia's body was found, officials said. Wiley was charged with lying during a missing person investigation and is scheduled to face trial next month. Alastair Campbell has said he blames himself for his son's alcoholism as he tells of his agony at shutting his drunk 21-year-old child out of the family home. Tony Blair's former spin doctor says turning his son Calum, the middle of three children he has with partner Fiona, away was the hardest decision of his life. Calum, now 31, had gradually descended into alcoholism but had spurned his family's repeated pleas to curb his excessive drinking. Mr Campbell said: 'It was a very, very horrible thing to have to do. If anything had happened to him I would never have forgiven myself. 'After Calum staggered off into the night, I slid down the door and put my head in my hands, rocking like a child, weeping. 'We spent the whole night not knowing where he was, if he'd got into trouble, fallen into the canal... and the worry that this had created a thing between us. 'That was very, very painful. I felt helpless.' Alastair Campbell has revealed that he blames himself for his son's alcoholism as he tells of the time he shut his drunk 21-year-old out of the family home Tony Blair's former spin doctor says turning his son Calum (pictured), the middle of three children he has with partner Fiona, away was the hardest decision of his life The ex-No10 communications chief said Calum's drinking started while he worked for Mr Blair and escalated after he left Downing Street in 2007. He fears that his own battle with depression, which took a drastic turn after he quit frontline politics, contributed to his son's alcoholism. 'I worried I was possibly contributing to it or making it worse, that who I am and what I do made Calum drink,' Mr Campbell told The Mirror. 'I was around much less for Calum than my other two... He became a teen while I was working with Tony Blair. Fiona would say that I wasn't always there when I should have been and even when I was there I wasn't really there. 'I hadn't even been aware that he had been drinking as much as he was. 'I'd also had a problem with alcohol in my 20s, and I felt I ought to have been able to do more to help him, but I didn't handle it well at all. 'I saw myself making the same mistakes as people made with me back then, just getting angry and telling him to stop, which doesn't help. Calum, now 31, had gradually descended into alcoholism but had spurned his family's repeated pleas to curb his excessive drinking Calum (right) insists that his own alcoholism had nothing to do with his father's intense work ethic as Tony Blair's right-hand man or his mood swings 'My own depression was getting worse, and worrying about him didn't help. 'There were nights we lay worrying the next knock on the door would be the police telling us he was dead.' Calum insists that his own alcoholism had nothing to do with his father's intense work ethic as Tony Blair's right-hand man or his mood swings. But he recalls: 'I didn't have a normal childhood. I would be hanging around on street corners at 4pm and in Downing St at 6pm. 'You couldn't really get much of my dad's attention much of the time, back then he was constantly paging, not tweeting. I remember the mood swings'. The ex-No10 communications chief (pictured: in 2005) said Calum's drinking started while he worked for Mr Blair and escalated after he left Downing Street in 2007 In his new book Living Better: How I Learned To Survive Depression, Mr Campbell opens up about his own struggle with alcoholism and depression. Speaking to The Mirror, he said he tried to help former Lib Dem leader Charles Kennedy, who died in 2015 of a haemorrhage linked to alcoholism, and booked him in to Castle Craig rehab clinic in Scotland, where Calum finally beat his addiction. The former spin doctor also revealed he has been secretly helping others in politics suffering, adding: 'Westminster is like a laboratory for mental health problems. 'A lot of MPs could do with having proper psychological help, but very few of them do. I totally get why they don't want to be open, but I don't think it helps anyone. 'One thing about me coming out about my depression is that I get a lot of MPs coming to be asking for help. 'More people in politics would benefit from being honest.' New Delhi: The foreign ministers of India and China have agreed that troops of the two countries must quickly disengage from a border stand-off, they said in a joint statement issued on Friday. Foreign Ministers S Jaishankar and Wang Yi met in Moscow on Thursday on the sidelines of a conference to try and end the months-long dispute on the un-demarcated border, the most serious in decades. An Indian army convoy moves on the Srinagar-Ladakh highway at Gagangeer, north-east of Srinagar, Indian-controlled Kashmir on September 1. Credit:AP "The two Foreign Ministers agreed that the current situation in the border areas is not in the interest of either side. They agreed therefore that the border troops of both sides should continue their dialogue, quickly disengage, maintain proper distance and ease tensions," they said in the statement. The consensus, struck on the sidelines of a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation meeting, came after a clash in the border area in the western Himalayas earlier this week. Trump Warns Against 700 Percent Rise in Refugees President Donald Trump warned the crowd in Michigan against a heavy increase in refugees that would flood the state. His opponent Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden is aiming to increase the yearly number of refugees by 700 percent. Heres the latest on the 2020 U.S. presidential election coverage. The Minister of Women Affairs, Pauline Tallen, has advocated death penalty for rape and related offences. Mrs Tallen said this during the flag-off of the National Cooking Gas and Tree Planting project held in Girei town, headquarter of Girei Local Government Area of Adamawa State on Friday. The minister also advocated stiff penalties for child labour offences and other dehumanising treatment against children. For the first time in the history of Nigeria, we have a President who has brought the issues of gender-based violence to the national focus. Nigerian women and children are very grateful to Mr President for spotlighting their issues as crucial to national development. I, therefore, advocate for both death sentence for rapists and stiff penalty for child labour offences and other dehumanising treatment against children, Mrs Tallen said. The call came days after the Kaduna House of Assembly approved a law to castrate rapists. The minister said the project was inspired by President Muhammadu Buhari in providing dividends of democracy to Nigerian indigent rural women and girls. Deadly emissions Mrs Tallen said that according to the World Health Organisation (WHO), emission from cookstoves killed about 4.3 million people annually through air pollution. The minister said the event was to create awareness and sensitise the public, particularly women, on the effects of using firewood for cooking. In line with this, the President directed that each of Nigerias 774 LGAs be supplied 1,000 cooking gas cylinders each. Adamawa State has been supplied with 21,000 Gas Cylinders at 1000 for each of the 21 Local Government Areas (LGAs). The development is Presidential gesture to be distributed to women in the rural communities, wards and down to the remotest villages, she said. She said President Muhammadu Buhari during the 2019 session of the United Nations General Assembly pledged to plant 25 million trees within one year. Mrs Tallen noted that the planting of economic trees in the state was to stimulate green environment, stem climate change and the effect of deforestation in the communities. In his remarks, Governor Ahmadu Fintiri, thanked President Buhari for kicking off the cooking gas and tree planting project in Adamawa. Mr Fintiri, represented by his Secretary to the State Government, Bashir Ahmed, said that Adamawa government would work closely with the federal government to achieve the goals of conserving and protection of the environment. He appealed to all beneficiaries to jealously guard the gas cylinders and not to sell them off for any amount. (NAN) By Express News Service MADURAI: The District Mahila Court on Friday awarded a life sentence to a Mexican man, one Martin Mantric (48), for murdering his former live-in partner in a dispute over the custody of their daughter in Madurai in 2012. The deceased was 36-year-old Cecile Denise Acosta from Mexico. She reportedly met Mantric in Mexico in 2003 and was in a live-in relationship with him. The couple had a daughter named Adele. After they broke up, they fought a long legal battle before a Mexican family court for custody of the child. Finally, in May 2011, they entered into an agreement based on which each parent would have custody for the child for 14 months at a time. Shortly after that, Mantric brought Adele to Virudhunagar and joined a deemed university there to do post-doctoral research in Mathematics. Acosta also came to India in 2011 and joined a university in Kerala to learn Mohiniyattam. She visited her daughter in Virudhunagar every few weeks. On April 9, 2012, when Acosta came to Mantrics house to meet Adele, the couple became embroiled in a heated argument over their daughters custody. In the course of the argument, an enraged Mantric struck Acosta, causing her death. To cover up the murder, he severed Acostas limbs and stuffed her body into a suitcase. He set the suitcase on fire and dumped the remains near Nilaiyur tank at Austinpatti in Madurai. He then filed a missing persons complaint with Virudhunagar police. However, a few days later, Austinpatti police discovered the half-burnt body of Acosta, and from an automobile spare parts and vehicle imprints found on the spot, zeroed in on Mantric who later confessed to the crime. After Mantrics arrest, Adele was taken to Mexico by her maternal grandmother. On Friday, Additional District and Sessions Judge G Ilangovan pronounced Mantric guilty of murdering Acosta and sentenced him to life in prison with a fine of Rs 5,000. Sources said that Mantric would be shifted to the Madurai Central Prison. The National Hurricane Center on Friday continued to track a new tropical depression, two tropical storms and three tropical waves. The newest addition is Tropical Depression 19, which was just east of South Florida and is expected to move into the Gulf of Mexico on Saturday. The hurricane center is forecasting it to become a tropical storm and make landfall on the northern Gulf Coast on Tuesday. Its too early to say exactly where. The system will pass near or over parts of South Florida first, and a tropical storm watch has been issued for southeastern Florida. A tropical storm watch was added for part of the Florida Panhandle late Friday as well. As of 10 p.m. CDT Friday, Tropical Depression 19 was located 25 miles east-southeast of Miami and was moving west-northwest at 8 mph. Tropical Depression 19 is expected to cross over South Florida and head northwestward in the Gulf of Mexico. It could make landfall anywhere from southeastern Louisiana to the Florida Panhandle. The depression had winds of 35 mph. The hurricane center said it could become a tropical storm (possibly Tropical Storm Sally) before moving across South Florida overnight. But otherwise it could become a tropical storm this weekend and gradually strengthen through Monday. A tropical storm watch is in effect from south of Jupiter Inlet to north of Ocean Reef on Floridas Atlantic coast. Another watch was added late Friday for the Florida Panhandle from the Ochlockonee River to the Okaloosa/Walton county line. Forecasters cautioned that areas from Louisiana to the Florida Panhandle could end up in the path of the new storm: The uncertainty in the track forecast is much larger than normal after 48 hours, as small changes in the forecast steering flow could result in this system moving over the northern Gulf Coast faster and to the northeast of what is shown here, forecasters said Friday. As a result, the risk of seeing direct impacts from this system extends well outside the cone of uncertainty, even more so than usual in this case. There was another tropical wave in the north-central Gulf as of Friday. The hurricane center said it, too, could slowly develop over the weekend and into early next week as it moves to the west or southwest. Its development chances rose from 20 percent to 30 percent over the next five days. Forecasters are also keeping a keen eye to the east, where two tropical waves moving off the coast of Africa continue to develop. The first has made it into the eastern Atlantic and was a few hundred miles south-southwest of the Cabo Verde Islands on Friday evening. It could become a tropical depression in the next few days as it heads westward across the eastern Atlantic. The second wave will move off Africas west coast this weekend and it could also become a depression early next week as it too heads westward. By the way, the next four names on the storm list are Sally, Teddy, Vicky and Wilfred. The storm name list ends with Wilfred, and forecasters might be forced to go to the Greek alphabet for storm names. There are two named storms already as of Friday, and one is headed in the direction of Bermuda. The hurricane center said Tropical Storm Paulette will become a hurricane this weekend and move uncomfortably close to or over Bermuda. As of 10 p.m. CDT Friday, Paulette was located about 750 miles southeast of Bermuda and was moving northwest at 16 mph. Tropical Storm Paulette could take aim at Bermuda as a hurricane on Monday. Paulettes winds climbed to 70 mph late Friday. Hurricane-force winds begin at 74 mph. A tropical storm watch was issued for Bermuda late Friday. Forecasters think Paulette will become a hurricane Saturday or Saturday night and move near Bermuda on Sunday night into Monday. Waves churned up from Paulette will affect the northern Leeward Islands tonight and then spread westward over the weekend to the Greater Antilles, the Bahamas, Bermuda and the southeast U.S. Atlantic coast. They could cause deadly rip currents, the hurricane center said. Then theres Tropical Storm Rene, which was weaker as of Friday and wont affect land. As of 10 p.m. CDT Friday, Tropical Storm Rene was located about 1,260 miles west-northwest of the Cabo Verde Islands and was moving west-northwest at 14 mph. Tropical Storm Rene had 40 mph winds on Friday and is no longer expected to become a hurricane, although it could get stronger. Rene had top winds of 40 mph. Rene is no longer expected to become a hurricane, but it could get stronger over the next few days before weakening again on Sunday, forecasters said. Adam Gault | Getty Images BEIJING The coronavirus pandemic is proving to be the accelerator that China's health care technology start-ups needed. In a country of 1.4 billion, many people who used to travel and wait for hours to see doctors are turning more to online products, companies say. The government is rolling out needed policy support for internet-based health care. And investors are pouring in money. Before the coronavirus outbreak, much of the health-tech investment in China was focused on scientific research for medical treatments, said Kitty Lee, Singapore-based partner and head of the Asia Pacific health and life sciences practice at Oliver Wyman. Going forward, she expects the portion of investment focused on consumer health care and infrastructure will grow more rapidly than biotech. In the second quarter, global health-care funding to private companies reached a quarterly record of $18.1 billion, according to CB Insights. Health-care funding in Asia nearly doubled from the prior quarter to $5 billion, and deals to China-based start-ups recovered to pre-coronavirus levels, the analysis found. "The entire Chinese health industry has really only begun to be cultivated after the passing of the (coronavirus) epidemic," JD Health CEO Xin Lijun said in an interview last week, according to a CNBC translation of his Mandarin-language remarks. The company is a subsidiary of Chinese e-commerce giant JD.com and is set to receive an investment of more than $830 million this quarter from Hillhouse Capital. During the worst of the outbreak in China, JD Health offered free online consultations, drawing roughly 150,000 patients or more a day, who then realized they didn't necessarily have to go to a physical hospital, Xin said. He now claims that in less than three years, his health tech company has the highest income among its peers in China. Covid-19 first emerged late last year in the Chinese city of Wuhan. The disease began to spread within the country in January and February, before hitting the rest of the world in a global pandemic that has infected more than 27.6 million people and killed more than 900,000 people. In an effort to curb the outbreak, authorities have restricted social gatherings, forcing people to turn more to online platforms. In the first six months of the year, visits to health care institutions in China dropped 21.6% from a year ago, according to data released Aug. 21 by the National Health Commission. Visits were still down 9.7% year-on-year in June to 630 million, the commission said. On the other hand, Tencent-backed WeDoctor said that during the coronavirus outbreak, customer orders for online consultations increased 3.6 times from a year ago. More than 50,000 doctors joined the platform for a total of about 250,000 physicians, according to WeDoctor. More high-level support ARLINGTON, Virginia, Sept. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Venture Global LNG, Inc. announces that Brian Cothran has joined the company as Chief Operating Officer. Mr. Cothran is an accomplished business leader with over two decades of operational and strategic experience in the Oil & Gas and Power Generation industries. Prior to joining Venture Global, Mr. Cothran served more than 20 years with General Electric and Baker Hughes, after its merger with GE Oil & Gas. During that time, he held a number of executive and general management roles both in the United States and abroad, which included leading GE's Energy Services business in Eastern Europe and Russia, Vice President of Global Sales for Baker Hughes and President of GE Oil & Gas North America. Most recently, Mr. Cothran served as Chief Executive Officer of The Flexitallic Group, a global market leader in the manufacture and supply of static sealing solutions. Venture Global LNG Co-Chief Executive Officers Mike Sabel and Bob Pender jointly stated, "We are pleased to have Brian join the Venture Global team. We have known and worked with Brian for many years as part of our important relationship with GE Oil & Gas and Baker Hughes. Brian is a proven leader with strong operating skills, business vision and the ability to bring teams together. We are confident he will hit the ground running and be an important addition to our team as we continue to grow our low-cost LNG business." Brian Cothran added, "Venture Global's strategy, next generation design and highly experienced team are re-shaping the LNG industry. I am excited to be joining the company at such an important time in the industry and look forward to contributing to the market leading impact Venture Global is achieving." About Venture Global LNG Venture Global LNG is a long-term, low-cost provider of LNG to be supplied from resource rich North American natural gas basins and is currently constructing or developing 50 MTPA of production capacity in Louisiana. The 10 MTPA Venture Global Calcasieu Pass facility is under construction at the intersection of the Calcasieu Ship Channel and the Gulf of Mexico. The 20 MTPA Venture Global Plaquemines LNG facility is expected to commence construction this year and is located south of New Orleans on the Mississippi River. Venture Global LNG is also developing the 20 MTPA Venture Global Delta LNG facility, adjacent to Plaquemines. More can be found at www.venturegloballng.com. Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/825434/VENTURE_GLOBAL_LNG_INC___Logo.jpg The Czech units of Vodafone and T-Mobile have filed legal complaints against the countrys regulator over its planned 5G spectrum auction. In August, the Czech Telecommunications Office (CTU) began the tender process for spectrum in the 700MHz and 3400MHz3600MHz bands, with interested parties able to submit their applications to bid before 30th September 2020. According to CommsUpdate, the auction is intended to increase competition by introducing a new player to the market, as well as reduce data rates in the country. The high cost of mobile services has long been a complaint of both politicians and subscribers. However, the incumbent operators have hit back against the regulators plan, with Vodafone stating: Given the mistakes and problems in the conditions, it can be expected that the auction will result in clashes at courts and also the European Commission. T-Mobile has also expressed doubts over whether all aspects of the plan have been considered. News agency CTK noted that in July, the countrys third operator O2 Czech Republic complained to the European Commission regarding the proposed terms of the auction. The operators have objected to details relating to national roaming, as well as the low holding allowance for 3400MHz3600MHz spectrum as they argue that this will prevent them from offering gigabit speeds. Its unfortunate to have to do this as early as the very first sentence but just so you know, the forthcoming column is nominally a work of satire. It is my job to make fun of politicians, to point out the hypocrisy and absurdity of what theyre up to. But oh my goodness and not for the first time there is almost nothing to distinguish the following from other straightforward news reports to be found elsewhere on this website. And so we begin. The prime minister, having called a general election to secure the backing of his party and his country for his oven-ready deal with the EU, having purged the Tory party of almost all its moderate voices, and having won an 80-seat majority for doing it, now faces four separate rebellions over the deal, one of which is his own. We ran out of hyperbole years ago. Those of us who write about Brexit for a living should arguably have held something back for now. Suddenly its clear that weve all been shouting along to Livin On A Prayer for four and a half years and now the final chorus is coming up, the key change has kicked in and we cant get anywhere near it. British politics now exists in a realm where only dogs can hear it. Recommended Boris Johnson to urge Tory MPs to back changes to Brexit deal amid fears of rebellion To go through these four rebellions one by one: First, you have Boris Johnson rebelling against his own deal on the grounds that it never made sense and so is legislating to undermine it in the House of Commons, via a piece of legislation called the Internal Market Bill, which his government has breezily admitted breaks international law. In his defence, he seeks to claim that the EU is trying to obstruct the free movement of food and other goods between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK, and so action must be taken. The truth or otherwise of this is fiendishly complex, but it will do merely to say that it was for precisely this reason that Theresa May rejected the deal Johnson agreed and is now rejecting, on the grounds that no British prime minister could ever agree to it. In Mays defence, she said these words before that list included Johnson, who did agree to it, and is now very publicly disagreeing with himself, in the style of Alan Partridges one-man argument in his car with an imaginary Chris Rea, and is expecting other people to take the blame. Second, led by the softly spoken Sir Bob Neill, you have whats left of the Tory moderates, who arguably should have stood down instead of supporting the withdrawal agreement, now reduced to a state of semi horror and having to try and force through an agreement they loathe anyway. Third, you have Michael Howard, now Lord Howard, who you may recall is so keen on Brexit that he was happy to accidentally declare war on Spain over it from the comfort of his sofa one Sunday morning, and other Conservative members of the House of Lords who will be doing all they can to ensure the legislation does not pass. And then last and absolutely always least, you have the European Research Group, known as the ERG. Indeed it is to the ERGs great good fortune that it is known as the ERG. If it were more ordinarily referred to by its full title, more people might spot that it contains both the words European and research, and yet over the last five days, several of its members have appeared on television and in the newspapers to explain that in the two months at the end of last year, when they fought a general election on the basis of the withdrawal agreement, won it by miles and then voted it through, it was in fact, unforeseen (Iain Duncan Smith) that it was not Brexit after all. There have always been doubts about whether the members of the European Research Group were ever really in it for the research. Until now, to illustrate the quality of research to be found within the European Research Group, I have occasionally liked to point out that Nadine Dorries is one of its members, and a week after the referendum in 2016, she explained how the Norway model has always been my preference. Which is to say, until then her preference had always been to stay in the single market, to keep free movement of people and to keep making huge payments into the EU budget. She changed her mind on that shortly after she found what it actually meant, and would more recently come to describe Norway model supporters in her own party as traitors. But thats well within the audible range of Brexit lunacy these days. If taking a year to realise what the most important bit of European legislation in half a century actually meant is a ten on the research scale, has anything else scored above a one? Where we go next is hard to say. Will any of us even be able to see or hear it? For those of us whove been screaming our throats hoarse at the madness of it all for four and a half long years, weve been psychologically in the cab home from the Brexit House of Horrors for some time. Let them do their worst, the catastrati orchestra of agreeable dunces and lunatics. Let no one say that they havent been warned. Apparently disturbed by the drumbeats of war echoing ahead of the Edo guber polls on September 19, the apex electoral body, the Independent ... Apparently disturbed by the drumbeats of war echoing ahead of the Edo guber polls on September 19, the apex electoral body, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC has insisted that Governor Godwin Obaseki and his rival, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu must sign a peace accord next week Tuesday. The apex body on Electoral matters made this declaration in a press briefing in Abuja ahead the guber polls. Chairman of INEC, Mahmoud Yakubu said the candidates participating in the September 19 governorship election in Edo State will sign a peace accord on Tuesday. Mahmood also said about 17,000 ad hoc staff would be recruited for the election, noting that the PTF guidelines and safety measured would be strictly obeyed as the commission was going to operate a no-facemask, no voting policy at the poll. Before now, the reverred Oba of Bini too had summoned both Obaseki and Ize-Iyamu to the palace where he cautioned both leaders and their followers to shun violence and embrace peace before and after the guber polls. Tension and fears of bloodshed had gripped Edolites who believe that the election may lead to turmoil if not quickly nipped in the bud. A tropical depression could form this weekend or early next week in the Gulf of Mexico, the National Hurricane Center said Friday morning. It's one of six disturbances forecasters were tracking in the Gulf and in the Atlantic. The Gulf system has the potential to bring heavy rain to the Gulf Coast early next week, regardless of further development, the National Weather Service in Slidell said Friday. The shaded area on the graphic is where a storm could develop and is not a track. The National Hurricane Center releases a track when a system develops or is about to develop into a tropical depression. Here's what to know about the tropics as of 7 a.m. Friday from the National Hurricane Center. Tropical development chances increase in Gulf Development chances are increasing for a disturbance expected to head into the Gulf of Mexico this weekend. There's now a 60% chance of a tropical depression forming within five days. As of Friday morning, the system - a surface trough of low pressure - was over the northwestern Bahamas and was producing a large area of disorganized showers and thunderstorms that extend from the Bahamas east a few hundred miles over the western Atlantic. It's moving west at 10 mph. Forecasters expect it to cross the Bahamas and Florida Friday and move into the Gulf of Mexico on Saturday. A tropical depression could form while this system moves slowly northwest over the Gulf of Mexico this weekend and early next week, forecasters said. Regardless of development, this system is expected to produce locally heavy rainfall over portions of the Bahamas, South Florida and the Florida Keys during the next couple of days. Disturbance in the Gulf of Mexico Get hurricane updates in your inbox Sign up for updates on storm forecasts, tracks and more. e-mail address * Sign Up Forecasters on Friday also were tracking a trough of low pressure over the Gulf of Mexico. Some slow development of this system is possible while it moves west and then southwest over the northern and western Gulf of Mexico through early next week, forecasters said. It has a 30% chance (low) of developing into at least a tropical depression within five days. Read the full advisory. Why are the tropics are so busy? Thursday was the climatological peak of hurricane season. Plus, there are favorable atmospheric conditions due to La Nina, forecasters said. Typical La Nina influence, according to the National Weather Service, means more hurricanes in the Caribbean and Atlantic due to less atmospheric stability and weaker vertical shear and trade winds. Read more about La Nina from the National Weather Service. Running out of names There are only four names left this hurricane season: Sally, Teddy, Vicky and Wilfred. Subsequent storms would be named after letters of the Greek alphabet. Systems are named once they strengthen into a tropical storm. The Atlantic hurricane season ends Nov. 30. Don't miss a storm update this hurricane season. Sign up for breaking newsletters. Follow our Hurricane Center Facebook page. Dr Usha R. Balakrishnan, a preeminent historian of Indian jewellery based in Mumbai, is Chief Curator of the World Diamond Museum. Being the author and co-author of several volumes of Diamonds Across Time, a new book and an important venture launched by the World Diamond Museum, she was the curator of the accompanying exhibitions: Dance of the Peacock: Jewellery Traditions of India (1999), Jewels of the Nizams (2001), Icons in Gold: Jewellery of India from the Collection of the Musee Barbier-Mueller (2005), India: Jewels that Enchanted the World (2014), Alamkara: The Beauty of Ornament (2015), Enduring Splendor: Jewellery of Indias Thar Desert (2017), and Treasures of the Deccan: Jewels of the Nizams (2018). In her interview given to Rough&Polished, Dr Usha R. Balakrishnan shares her views and experience from being immersed in this work in the course of several years. Judging by the foreword, this book, Diamonds Across Time, brought together the efforts of more than one hundred people, and that, by itself, makes it outstanding. Looks like all of them were extracting diamonds anew from the depths of human history. Could you say a few words about how this work went on? There is a saying that, It takes a village to raise a child and the same goes for making a great book. Diamonds Across Time involved people from all over the worldall of us united by a love for diamonds. We invited 10 writers from across the worldfrom Asia, Europe and Americaeach one an acclaimed and respected historian to reveal a facet of the story of diamonds. I myself am from India, the original land of diamonds, the land that has given the term Golconda to describe diamonds that are the most pure, flawless, limpid and luminous. Every diamond has a story to tell and this book really goes to show that diamonds are one of the few things that have held human fascination in every nook and cranny of the world across time. The effort was unlike anything done before and was made possible by technology, communication and passion. The World Diamond Museum founder Alex Popov conceived this project and brought the immense goodwill that he commands in the gem and jewellery industry to bear fruit; and, as chief curator of the World Diamond Museum and the editor of the book, I synchronised its realization. Pages from Diamonds Across Time: The Shah diamond, India, Golconda, late 16th century, 88.7 carats Many of the diamonds featured in this edition are famous gems, which, however, being mostly kept in the vaults, appear to be little known by general public. Do you think this book will be an eye opener in this regard? The book reveals, for the first time, the hidden stories of some of mankinds known gems and introduces for the first time, historic gems that have heretofore been known only through references in ancient books and documents. As I have said in my introduction to the book, the biography of a diamond lies embedded in its luminous depths, revealed in scenes from the earths creation until this very moment. And only earth-mined diamonds carry these tales. For example, the Nizam diamond, was until recently only known to historians as a mysterious great gem that reposed in the treasury of the Nizam of Hyderabad, at one time the worlds richest individual; it was mentioned in travelogues, chronicles and court documents, and whispered about in the corridors of the Nizams palace in Hyderabad. The gem, in all its glory and beauty, is revealed for the first time in my opening essay, The Nizam Diamond: Bala Koh-i-Noor, in the Sacred Trust of the Nizam of Hyderabad. In this way, every essay reveals a facet of the history of great diamonds, historic jewellery collections and the men and women to whom this magical stone represented power, prestige and privilege. Thus, with this book, we have attempted to show literally and metaphorically every facet of the diamond and refused to restrict ourselves, as publications have often have to do, to a time period, place, or peoples. Diamonds being atop the gem hierarchy, combine beauty and value. The latter quality is often based on a gems story. Which of the diamond stories contained in this book struck you most? Are there any that add new aspects to the diamond stories already told? Each writer has tried to bring forth something that hasnt been told before. Diamonds Across Time is unique because it tells stories from different perspectives. With Francois Farges, we travel into the magnificent court of the kings of France, while Derek J. Content presents the little-known history of Borneo diamonds; Hugo Miguel Crespo draws upon unpublished Portuguese records and inventories to unravel the fascinating trade in diamonds between Portugal and India, and Jack Ogden chronicles the unexplored turbulent journeys of two historic diamonds, the Pigot and the Nassak; with Stefano Papi, we get a glimpse of the magnificent and opulent treasures that constituted the imperial jewels of the tsars of Russia, and Diana Scarisbricks essay traces the acquisitions of magnificent diamonds and diamond-studded jewels of the Londonderry family; jewellery historian Rene Brus reveals for the first time, the royal regalia of the Yogyakarta dynasty in Indonesia, Ruth Peltason presents the exquisite jewels created by the great jewellery houses for a group of twentieth-century women, who celebrated these jewels, and finally, the book closes with an essay by John M. King who explores the magical world of coloured diamonds. I dont want to give too much awayyou have to read the book to discover the many facets of diamonds across time. Pages from Diamonds Across Time: The Graff Lesedi La Rona, rough (1,109 carats) and polished (32.37 carats) The book is rich in marvelous photographs of diamonds. What are the sources of these photographs? The old adage a picture is worth a thousand words holds true for a coffee-table book, more so than any other book I have done. Diamonds Across Time has more than three hundred images. It was not an easy effort sourcing all the marvelous photographs that illustrate the ten essays. In fact, this process actually took the longest time, as I researched each essay in great depth, I wanted every facet of the story being told to be illustrated with an image, this way the gems and jewels are shown in the context of their life history and the stories that made them great. This is never the case with most coffee-table books of this kind. But, I felt that if we are speaking about great diamonds, magnificent jewels, kings, queens and emperors, palaces and geographical regions, how can the story really come alive without images. In fact, each essay unfolds like a cinematic montage. We worked closely with the authors, foundations, museums, photographers, jewellers and jewellery houses, manufacturers and libraries to put together the most compelling collection of images. Alex Popovs reach and contacts gave us access to collections around the world. The World Diamond Museums photographers were granted access to some incredible collections. Under the guidance of the award-winning designer Misha Anikst they made new pictures of important diamonds and diamond jewellery, like, for example, The Shah Diamond or Patiala Necklace that prominently feature in the Introduction chapter. The diamonds featured in the World Diamond Museum are known for their high value, which is more often than not coming very close to that of most treasured pieces of art and currently many diamantaires advocate to attribute diamonds to the realm of art. What is your take on this? Fyodor Dostoevsky famously pronounced, beauty will save the world. I think anything that is truly beautiful, is art and being an art and jewellery historianof all the beautiful things I have seendiamonds are most certainly the most beautiful. While the famous 4cscarat, cut, colour and clarity might contribute to a diamonds high value, it is these factors together with the stories that lie in their depths that place them in the realm of art. Similarly, jewels are set with fabulous gems but they combine design, craftsmanship, intricacy and human stories that elevate them to beautiful works of art. Ultimately, you have to look at the stone and the jewel, and then look into the stone and the jewel to discover the mysterious that lie within. It is all this that sets diamonds apart from all other gemstones. Pages from Diamonds Across Time: The Nizam diamond (120.80 carats) In your view, what will be the educational impact of this publication? To what extent will it help to attract younger generations to the world of diamonds? Every earth-mined diamond is embedded with thousands of years of storieswhich they reveal when we explore their depths. Nothing in the world can be compared with that. We hope that more and more of younger generation will realise and appreciate this. In future publications, we plan to present many more such stories, and link the past, the present and the future in a crystallographic structure akin to the diamond. So that, diamonds are forever, they are eternal and mankind continues to be obsessed with this magical gem. It is our endeavour that this and future books in the Facets of Mankind Series will serve as a repository of knowledge about this magical gem that will help us understand diamonds, revel in their beauty, and see exquisite pieces of jewellery celebrating them. I am currently working on my book on Golconda and Golconda diamondsdocumenting and telling the story of the beginning of mankinds love affair with diamonds and the magical, hypnotic beauty of Indian diamonds. Another book in the pipeline of the Facets of Mankind is an extraordinary monography depicting the life and work of late Munnu Kasliwal, one of the most important jewellers of the 20th century. In what way is the World Diamond Museum going to develop its further activities? The World Diamond Museum has been conceived as a virtual museum accessible to people across the world. Diamonds Across Time is the first venture of the World Diamond Museum but by no means the last. There are plans to make such publications the centre of diamond knowledge. Since its interception the World Diamond Museum has been involved in research, advising and getting advise from renowned experts and preparing ourselves to spread worldwide by adding more titles, by establishing the virtual museum, and by organising exhibitions, conferences, and lectures. Vladimir Malakhov, Rough&Polished As part of our coverage of the 2020 elections, YEN.com.gh, on Tuesday, September 8, 2020, interviewed the founder and national chairman of the United Progressive Party (UPP), Akwasi Addai Odike. King Amoah, our correspondent in Kumasi, interviewed Odike, on the challenges confronting political parties ahead of the December elections. Our manifesto: This is what YEN.com.gh believes in. Akwasi Addai Odike, UPP founder. Image Credit: Dennis Stevenson. Facebook.com/Travis055 Source: Facebook READ ALSO: Kennedy Agyapong humbles himself; apologises to judges A key highlight from the discussion was Odike's call on the government to financially support all political parties, using part of the Covid-19 fund. This, the politician said, would ensure a fair and balanced election campaign in the country. Below is the full discussion between the UPP founder and our correspondent: YEN: Good afternoon, Mr. Odike. I am King Amoah, a correspondent for YEN.com.gh. Odike: Thank you and welcome for accepting my invitation. YEN: Mr Odike, what message do you have for Ghanaians and, for that matter, the government regarding the upcoming December 2020 elections? Odike: Thank you for your question, but before I can utter a word, let me, first of all, extend my warmest greetings to the numerous readers of Yen.com.gh and Ghanaians in general. Gentleman, my brief message is on the lack of effective campaigning by political parties that are financially handicapped and cannot disseminate their campaign messages effectively across the country. YEN: How do you mean? Odike: Ok, delving into issues critically on the political landscape, one can conclude that the Covid-19 restrictions have virtually forced many political parties to remain indoors, and unable to embark on rigorous campaigning across the country in order for the citizenry to form their own judgement on which political party deserves their votes in the upcoming polls. Besides the restrictions, financial issues are also part of the challenges confronting many parties in their campaign ambitions. YEN: So what is the alternative measures can political parties adopt in order to deliver their campaign messages without hindrances? Odike: You see, I think the best thing we can do to advance our political campaign is to engage the media, both print and electronic platforms, to disseminate our message; but, mind you, the cost involved is also a matter of concern. READ ALSO: Governance is not about face painting - Ghanaians blast Samira Bawumia YEN: So what is the way forward? Are you saying that you and other political parties are ready to go out to solicit campaign grants to ensure that your dreams come true? Odike: Absolutely no. YEN: If your answer is no, why dont you relax and manage your little resources for your campaign ambition instead of making comments? Odike: I have an urgent message I want YEN to forward to the government and, especially, the president for serious attention so far as the election campaigns are concerned. That is what compelled me to invite you here. YEN: Please go ahead. Odike: Alright, my problem now is that in order to ensure balanced, effective and competitive political campaigning in the country, I wish that the government could sponsor all the political parties campaigns with part of the Covid-19 funds, including the $1 billion IMF grant to Ghana. You see, many political parties have good policies and manifestoes that people want to know about in order to make informed choices during the elections. However, financial challenges are preventing some political parties from making this information available to Ghanaians. Akwasi Odike Adai and Nana Akufo-Addo. Image source: Facebook.com/Dennis Stevenson, Facebook.com/Nana Akufo-Addo. Modified by author. Source: Facebook YEN: Sir, as a political party leader, cant you find other avenues to seek financial support for your campaign like the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) are doing? Why have you set your sights exclusively on the Covid-19 funds? Again, are you suggesting that other parties that are currently campaigning in the media and across the country have been sponsored secretly by the government or you suspect foul play somewhere? Odike: Your question seems somewhat dicey to answer, but in my opinion, as an experienced politician, I have my constitutional right to voice out my grievances for government attention to clarify any issues that beat my imagination in the country. May I also ask you a question on whether parties are ready for loans elsewhere for their campaign ambitions. Look at this crucial stage where the Covid-19 pandemic has virtually crippled every business in the country and even abroad; where should the political parties go and seek financial support? I also wish to set the record straight that I dont mean the government is using state funds to sponsor some political parties as your question suggested. READ ALSO: Ayariga makes big promise to Ghanaians ahead of 2020 polls YEN: Are you sure that there are enough COVID-19 funds to satisfy your demand, taking into consideration the huge expenses government makes daily on the pandemic. Also, what will you do if your request is rejected by the government? Odike: My brother, I can say for sure that the government can meet the demand to financially help the political parties to disseminate their campaign messages in the media if the act of sycophancy is avoided. Look, during the lockdown periods in Tema, Accra, and Kumasi, see how the government lavishly spent huge sums of money to feed the people, yet many people never benefited from the package. So why cannot the government sponsor this all-important national exercise that could aid the efforts to select a genuine leader to steer the affairs of the country? By the way, I will not take any action against the government if it considers my demand as not necessary. However, the good people of Ghana will judge the issue and form their own judgment. YEN: Do you have any advice or suggestion for Ghanaians ahead of the elections? Odike: Yes, my brief advice to the good people of Ghana is that they should be wide awake and judge the bad conduct of politicians who use unrefined languages to attack political opponents as well as politicians who engage in bribery to entice people to vote for them. Ghanaians should also treat such politicians with contempt and vote them out of the contest in advance since they will not implement good policies when the mandate is given them. At the same time, Ghanaians should stay resolute and protect the peace and unity the country is enjoying because any disturbance to the peace of the country would affect the citizenry for a very long time to come. YEN: Thanks so much for your time. Odike: It's my pleasure. From King Amoah in Kumasi. Install our latest app for Android and read the best news about Ghana. John Mahama's emotional moment on stage at the NDC's manifesto launch | #Yencomgh Want to be featured on YEN.com.gh? Send us a message on our Facebook page or on Instagram with your stories, photos or videos Source: YEN.com.gh This includes investment in the communities most affected by gun violence and in community-based programs that help interrupt cycles of violence and conflict. In statements to WAMU in March, D.C. Council member Charles Allen (D-Ward 6) pointed to why this approach is necessary, stating, Almost every case [of gun violence] is between individuals where there is some type of conflict. And so if we can find who the individual is, who is in conflict, identify the relationship that is in conflict and work to try to remove them from that situation, as well as remove the firearm for that situation. ROME - The leaders of seven European countries overlooking the Mediterranean have declared that they are ready to support EU sanctions against Turkey if Ankara is not be available to discuss an escalating maritime dispute. ''We believe that, in the absence of progress in Turkey's willingness to dialogue and unless it does not end unilateral activities, the EU is ready to draft a list of further restrictive measures'', which should be discussed at the European Council on September 24-25. ''If Turkey does not make progress on the path to dialogue and does not end its unilateral activities, the EU is ready to elaborate a list of supplementary restrictive measures that could be proposed during the European Council on September 24-25'', according to the final statement of the Ajaccio summit of southern European countries. ''We support mediation efforts'' of the European Commission and Germany ''which aim to allow a resumption of dialogue'' with Turkey. ''We are sorry that Turkey has not responded to the repeated appeals of the EU to end its unilateral and illegal actions in the eastern Mediterranean and the Aegean'', it said. ''We reaffirm the determination to use all adequate means of response of the EU to these aggressive actions''. Peruvian President Martin Vizcarra visited the Research Centre of the Cayetano Heredia University on Friday to see the work carried out by Peruvian and Chinese scientists in advanced clinical trials of a potential vaccine against COVID- 19. President Vizcarra praised the joint work of the scientists sent by the Chinese pharmaceutical company Sinopharm and the staff of the Cayetano Heredia University. The current trials, phase 3 of vaccine testing, involves the vaccination of volunteers who will then be studied to see if the inoculation works and what side effects it may cause. The trial that started earlier this week in Peru will include a total of 6,000 people between the ages of 18 and 75. About 2,000 will receive a Wuhan strain, 2,000 a Beijing strain, and the remainder a saline water placebo. Last Wednesday, 20 volunteers were vaccinated, including doctors, veterinarians, lawyers, risk managers from local banks, psychologists and diplomats. Vizcarra described the clinical trials in Peru as important and one that would be closely monitored. "With the result of this last phase 3 we can begin with the next (phase), which is delivering the vaccine to all the population," Vizcarra said. Worldwide, Sinopharm has already applied 30,000 doses to volunteers and another 10,000 participants have received double doses. The Peruvian government is in talks with six laboratories while deciding its strategy to purchase vaccines for its population of 32 million. Peru is one of the hardest-hit countries by the virus since its appearance in March, reporting Friday 710,067 COVID-19 cases and 30,344 deaths. (Representative Image) The governing party in Ethiopias northern Tigray region has won all contested seats in elections that have further affected an already hostile relationship with the federal government. The total seats for all the regional constituencies were won by the TPLF, regional election commissioner Muluwork Kidanemariam said on Friday, referring to the Tigray Peoples Liberation Front. The official turnout was 97 or 98 percent from more than 2.6 million registered voters, Muluwork told AFP news agency. The regional parliament comprises 190 seats 152 of which were up for grabs in polls that took place on Wednesday. The remaining 38 seats will be allocated after negotiations among the five political parties who participated in the vote, meaning there is still a chance for some opposition representation, Muluwork said. The elections mark a low point in a bitter dispute between the government of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Tigray, which dominated Ethiopian politics for nearly 30 years before anti-government protests swept Abiy to power in 2018. Ethiopia was supposed to hold national elections in August, but the national poll body announced in March they would need to be postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic. However, Tigrayan leaders rejected the extension of mandates which would have expired in October contending that if national elections did not happen, Abiys government would become illegitimate. Voters are seen at a polling station during Tigrays regional elections in the city of Mekele, Ethiopia [Eduardo Soteras/AFP] The decision to hold their own elections this week has rankled federal officials, who have said they have no legal basis and are null and void. In an interview with state media this week, Abiy dismissed the Tigray polls as a shanty election. Tigray Vice President Abraham Tekeste told AFP on Friday that the takeaway from this weeks polls is that people really wanted to have an election not just in Tigray but across the country. COVID-19 cannot be a reason to postpone, he said. TPLF faced off this week against four other parties, one of which the Tigray Independence Party (TIP) is calling for Tigray to form its own country. Opposition leaders said the TPLFs long history as the governing party gave it an effectively insurmountable advantage. The problem in Tigray is the culture of democratisation. There is no demarcation between the ruling party and the government, the state, said Kidane Amene, head of the opposition party Baytona Tigray. Opposition leaders have so far offered muted criticism of the process, citing scattered reports of ballot irregularities and lack of access to polling stations for observers. On Friday, Hayalu Godefay, chairman of the Salsay Woyane Tigray opposition party, raised the possibility of fraud but said he was still gathering information on how the voting went. There are complaints coming from our members in some areas that there is election fraud and that the TPLF have stolen our votes, but as I have told you we are still trying to have full evidence of these issues, he said. September 11 : Actress Sobhita Dhulipala took to her social media profile to share a little sneak-peek into her forthcoming digital release Sitara. The film is helmed by Vandana Kataria and bankrolled by RSVP Movies, starring Sobhita Dhulipala and Rajeev Siddhartha in the lead. Sobhita announced the film sharing a cute picture together, which will resume shooting in the month of November. The film had completed its brief schedule in Mumbai before the lockdown. She captioned it, A little snippet from the world of Sitara - a story about love, acceptance, and forgiveness, told with a lot of heart and humour! #Sitara is back on floors in November. #FridaysWithRSVP #VandanaKataria @sobhitad @rajeevsiddhartha @rsvpmovies #RonnieScrewvala @soniyeah22 @soniabahl.ink @hussain.dalal @abbasdalal @hasanainhooda @absolute_productions In the picture Sobhita and Rajeev are seen sharing a drink and the former is kissing the actor. Rajeev Siddhartha also shared the same. He captioned it, This is a special special one. A story about love, acceptance, and forgiveness, told with a lot of heart and humor! Our next Digital Film #Sitara is back on floors in November. #FridaysWithRSVP Actor Rajeev Siddhartha was previously seen in series like Hundred, Four More Shots Please and also in a few films. Dhulipala recently worked in Red Chillies The Body and Zoya Akhtars series Made In Heaven. NAIROBI: Unidentified attackers shot and killed six people in northern Burundi, an official said on Friday, weeks after a similar attack was reported in a southern province. The group launched the attack in Kayanza province on Thursday night from the Kibira forest, the regional governor said, and fled to the same area after the attack. They arrived at a small centre killed six people including two kids studying in primary school II and V," Remy Cishahayo, army colonel and governor of Kayanza province, said on state-owned National Radio Television of Burundi. The forest in the past has served as cover for the ruling CNDDFDD - The National Council for the Defence of Democracy, Forces for the Defence of Democracy party - during its rebellion. Two people were wounded and were receiving treatment, while the attackers kidnapped one person, Cishahayo said. The centre attacked on Thursday is near the forest. People should stay calm and united ensuring security together " Cishahayo said, adding the situation has returned to normalcy. In late August, gunmen attacked the district of Bugarama in the southern province of Rumonge, where at least 16 people died in shooting with security forces. Red Tabara, a rebel group fighting Burundis government and based in the Democratic Republic of Congo, claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it killed police officers and the ruling party youth wing members, known as Imbonerakure. The East African nation of 11 million people is one of the worlds poorest countries. It became an international pariah after then President Pierre Nkurunziza crushed protests triggered by his decision to run for a third term in 2015. Evariste Ndayishimiye took over in June following the sudden death of his predecessor. (Writing by George Obulutsa; Editing by Chris Reese) 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 service applies to you if your subscription has not yet expired on our old site. You will have continued access until your subscription expires; then you will need to purchase an ongoing subscription through our new system. Please contact The Chanute Tribune office at 620-431-4100 if you have any questions But this tearing up at any given moment by people from all walks of life is the new normal, says Dr Karen Spielman. Ive definitely seen more people more distressed, 100 per cent, says Dr Spielman, a general practitioner in Paddington, in inner-city Sydney. I have seen more people crying I think everybodys feelings are closer to the surface. "Its so much healthier to be able to share difficult emotions and our way out of this difficult time is connection. And we connect through tears, and genuine emotion and sharing. Dr Karen Spielman But far from this mass shedding of tears being a sign that we are falling apart, and ceasing to function, it is largely a positive cultural change, says Dr Spielman. Crying is therapeutic, she says. Being vulnerable, and connecting through emotions is really therapeutic. Because you feel heard, and you feel listened to, and you feel held. And you feel, its such a relief, isnt it? She sees the behaviour of her patients, now, as an improvement on how many of them felt about crying, before the pandemic. I have so many patients saying, over the years, when they come in, Ive told myself, Im not going to cry, because every time I come and see you, I sit down and I cry, and Im not going to do it. Theres this kind of societal [feeling], I dont want to feel like I need to cry, and I want to feel that Im not going to and that Im OK. [But] when people have to cover things up and pretend, its so unhealthy. Its so much healthier to be able to share difficult emotions, and our way out of this difficult time is connection. And we connect through tears, and genuine emotion and sharing. This is something Caroline* has experienced during COVID-19, even as she has struggled with intense bouts of grief. I dont feel like Ive basically stopped crying in six months, says the Sydney mother of three children, aged 16, 11 and nine. It comes in waves; every time you kind of settle it in your head, So this is the thing [I have to deal with], you have a new wave, like, another emotional hurdle you have to get over. A Sydney mother of three children, aged 16, 11 and 9, she has suffered anxiety about whether the consultancy business she and her husband founded, 12 years ago, would collapse. Homeschooling her youngest son, who needed her every second of the day during lockdown, left her feeling broken. And then theres her sadness over when shell see family members, in other parts of Australia, again. Her and her youngest son (a little toughie whos taken to sleeping in her and her husbands bed), have both sought counselling, for anxiety. Caroline compares her current roller coaster of grief to how she felt, many years ago, when she suffered multiple miscarriages. And, yet, when she became teary last month, while telling her friends at a small party for her 50th birthday how much they mean to her, she reaped some unexpected benefits. Loading What was so interesting, was how that makes people lean in, she says. You show your vulnerability and suddenly theyre given permission to show their vulnerability, and [we share that] This is a little bit shit, and were all struggling here, and we dont all have to be super tough. Afterwards everyone came and spoke to me and talked about their situation. And quite a few of the men came and sat down and just had a conversation with me, about, Hasnt it been tough?. Because, I dont think they talk about it. They talk about it to their wives, but dont talk about it with their friends. I was really surprised about that. Carolyn MacCann isnt. An expert in emotional intelligence at The University of Sydney, the associate professor says that the human species developed crying because of its evolutionary function: to help us survive. Emotions have a communication function, so when youre showing what you feel, youre just more likely to elicit help and sympathy from other people, she says. This is why we evolved to have emotions and to cry, to show to other people that...If youre crying, its apparent that theres a problem. Sadness [also] has an action tendency, where basically you retreat [physically]. In these really anxiety provoking times, with germs and threat everywhere, retreating does have an evolutionary value, retreating from ordinary life [Weve] evolved to have that behaviour because it keeps either you or your offspring alive. Emotions have a communication function, so when youre showing what you feel, youre just more likely to elicit help and sympathy from other people, Carolyn MacCann, expert in emotional intelligence at The University of Sydney There are limits to the benefits of crying, though, says MacCann, if its non-stop. If people are, I guess, wallowing in it [their sadness] to the point where its become more like rumination, theyre just, like, thinking of all the things that would make them cry and dwelling on all of the negative, then that usually intensifies the feelings, and its generally not helpful. But while crying now may not be helping to relieve all of us from the immense distress were feeling, And experts say our uptick in tears could help bring about other, far-reaching social gains, like helping to de-stigmatise the taboo attached to boys and men who cry, says Dr Leah Sharman, a research fellow in the psychology department at The University of Queensland who has studied the functions of crying. If you have strong male representation who are willing to show publicly that theyre happy to cry and that its a fine thing to show emotion, I imagine that [it could], she says. But it wouldnt be one [public male figure crying], itd have to be multiple people. If you have strong male representation who are willing to show publicly that theyre happy to cry and that its a fine thing to show emotion, I imagine that [it could]." Dr Leah Sharman on destigmatising the taboo around males crying American president Donald Trump has yet to shed any tears, in public, during the pandemic. But Many other high-profile male politicians have shed tears, in public, during the pandemic. Aside from Mr Morrison, here, there is in the United States Mr Trumps chief of staff, Mark Meadows, who has cried a number of times in meetings with White House staff, and New York governor Andrew M. Cuomo, who has teared up during a number of daily televised Coronavirus briefings. Mr Trumps chief of staff, Mark Meadows, has cried a number of times during the pandemic, in meetings with White House staff. Credit:AP Overwhelmingly, theyve been applauded. Overseas, The New York Times said theyre changing the old rules of who is allowed to cry in public. Here, Mr Hadley leapt in to sympathise with Mr Morrison, saying, My dad died 45 years ago, mate, and I know your dad passed more recently, its still in my mind, mate. Now, its unusual to not see a male politician cry almost, says Dr Sharman, adding that this is in stark contrast to the 1980s and early 1990s, when former Prime Minister Bob Hawke was the odd one out, when crying in public (over matters like his own infidelity, and his daughters drug addiction). It is almost strange [now], when you see a male politician who is out, especially at a disaster that has happened, for them to not sort of express significant emotional display, whether thats crying, or really obviously choking up. It is becoming rare, now, for a male politician to not display emotion, during crisis. When former Prime Minister Bob Hawke did it, in the 1980s and 1990s, he was the odd one out. Credit: In stark contrast, female politicians are generally disdained for shedding tears, and perceived as either manipulative, or weak, when they cry. Was outburst just a political ploy? ran a 2011 headline about former Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard, representing the tone of many others during her leadership (and beyond). In the United States, former Colorado congresswoman Patricia Schroeder is reportedly still receiving hate mail for breaking into tears in 1987, while bowing out from a presidential bid. Its no wonder that, for the most part, female politicians like New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern, praised for her stoic handling of COVID-19 have not shed public tears, during the pandemic. Julia Gillard, pictured in Federal Parliament in 2011, was routinely criticised for crying, while in power. Credit:Andrew Meares So, could all these tears help rid the taboo of female politicians crying? I doubt that, very much, says Dr Sharman, noting that people are working hard to change the stigma [around men crying] as with the ABCs 2016 documentary TV series about male suicide, Man Up, which was advertised with the tagline, It takes balls to cry but the stigma around powerful women crying hasnt been budging, adding that this stigma has shown no signs of budging. Theres always the question of a womans credibility, a woman in power is always questioned, is [she] too emotional to handle any big topics, says Dr Sharman. So if someone is shown crying, well, shes obviously too emotional, and she cant handle this. Perhaps the next person who questions a womans strength, because of her weeping, should speak to Natalie Wieland. New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Arden has been praised for her stoic handling of COVID-19. Credit:Getty Images "I feel its abandonment, at 50 can you be abandoned? says Wieland, referring to her isolation, not just as a Victorian, from the rest of Australia, but from her mother and sisters, who have been quarantining by the beach in Queensland, since June. I really cant cope with that at all. And yet, she has been. The other week, Wieland, who has a start-up an online learning platform created 21 teaching modules for an aged care facility, which her and her team launched, on the mobile phones of 3,000 staff members, within the span of three days. Thats really helping me, thats very rewarding, says Wieland. ALMOST six months after she last left the bench at Newcastle West Courthouse, Judge Mary Larkin emerged from her chambers to a much changed and far quieter courtroom. In the intervening time, the world as we know it has changed and phrases such as physical distancing, cocooning and PPE have become part of the daily conversation as we try to live with Covid-19. While courts have continued to sit throughout the pandemic no sittings have taken place in Newcastle West or Kilmallock until this week. In advance of the first sitting of Newcastle West Court ahead of the new legal term, the Courts Service of Ireland issued guidance and confirmed the number of people allowed in the courtroom at any one time would be limited to 12 (including the judge and registrar). Criminal business will be scheduled in order to ensure a throughput of people before the court at a rate that respects public safety guidance and the capacity limits of the courtroom, it stated. When this reporter arrived, he was directed to one of the assigned seats in the centre of a bench at the back row of what was previously the public gallery. Please sit here prevent the spread of Covid-19 read the sticker marking the seat. The two rows in front were off-limits as was the rest of the bench. Over the summer, yellow signage has been erected on walls throughout the historic building advising people where they can and cannot sit and arrows on the floor alert those present to the one-way system which has been introduced. The doors and windows remained open throughout the hearing, the hum of traffic in the bustling town acted as a soundtrack to the proceedings. Wearing blue gloves and a facemask, Just Larkin emerged from her chambers shortly after 10am and took her seat behind a recently installed Perspex screen. I hope you like the cold, she said telling the handful or people present they will need to wear wooly socks and thermal vests during the winter months. As two solicitors leaned towards each other, the judge reminded them of the rules around social distancing. Dont make me act like your mother, she said. While there was a large number of cases listed before the court, most defendants were not required to attend in accordance with the the latest guidelines. A new PA system has been installed enabling the registrar to alert those waiting outside when their case is called. One by one defendants entered via the main door before exiting via the side door as soon as their case was dealt with. Given the limit on numbers in the courtroom, mask-wearing solicitors, were only present in the courtroom when they were required. So far so good but there is a long winter ahead. Over 600 slots at three major airports - Heathrow, Dubai and New Yorks JFK International - could be at stake. SpiceJet and Vistara recently started flights to London after bagging slots at Heathrow airport, dubbed by Virgin Atlantic founder Richard Branson as the worlds most expensive piece of concrete that can be owned for 90 seconds. Many questions came to mind about Indias private airlines international plans. Business Standards examination shows that over 600 slots at three major airports - Heathrow, Dubai and New Yorks JFK International - could be at stake if nine airlines go out of business. Most of these slots are at Heathrow and owned by Virgin Atlantic and Flybe, the defunct British domestic carrier. The government should ask private airlines to connect cities like Hyderabad, Bengaluru and other non-Delhi non-Mumbai routes with non-stop flights to the US and the UK, said Jitender Bhargava, former executive director of Air India. This crisis is a golden opportunity for Indias airlines to start long-haul operations. "More airport slots are available. Aircraft leases will get cheaper as many airlines have simply parked their planes in deserts anticipating low demand for the next three years, he said. The coronavirus pandemic has created an aversion for one-stop flights, so private airlines could be eyeing long haul non-stop flying: a role that has been the sole domain of Air India. The industry reckons the mayhem from the coronavirus will continue till 2023, but airlines that survive will be like vultures circling over prey. Their target would be airport slots vacated by airlines that fail to survive the $84 billion losses global aviation is expected to suffer in 2020. Virgin Atlantic has filed for Chapter 15 bankruptcy protection in the US even as it seeks to raise $1.5 billion from European investors to avoid going out of business. It has sold its Australian arm to Bain Capital, which in turn has suspended the airlines domestic operations of its regional subsidiary Tiger Air. According to Airlines for America, a Washington DC-based trade group of North American Airlines, at least 17 other international and domestic airlines have had either to restructure their ownership to ensure survival or cease operations. The worlds busiest airports have coordinated slots during which airlines can land and depart. Slots are needed because an airports infrastructure isnt sufficient to handle the demand for airlines to operate from that airport. Countries usually give lucrative daily slots to their domestic airlines. Heathrow is a rare airport to allow airlines to trade slots. A British Parliament report estimates that Heathrows slots can fetch anywhere between 5 to 15 million GBP depending on time. Airlines can pay for a lucrative morning slot, or lease it out. The morning slots are usually the coveted ones and fetch huge premiums. In March, Air India leased six evening and late night slots at Heathrow from Indonesias Garuda Air for an undisclosed amount. British Airways bagged most of Flybes slots. A handful of late evening slots were transferred to Virgin Atlantic. If an airline fails to use 80 per cent of its slots, it must return them. This use it or lose it rule has been suspended till October for the Covid-19 crisis. Vistara, SpiceJet and Indigo applied but none has slots at Heathrow yet, though Vistara and SpiceJet have announced non-stop flights soon to the airport under Indias travel bubble arrangement with the UK. ACLs reports and trading data dont show SpiceJet either being allotted a slot or having purchased or leased one, but the airline told Indias stock exchanges that it had bagged a slot at Heathrow from September. Photograph: Reuters Finally, join the all-new Brighteon.social site to share videos, chats, MP3 files and more. Its the new free speech alternative to Twitter. Join now at Brighteon.social Or try this censorship-resistant link on Facebook or Twitter, both of which ban Brighteon.com links: Brlghteon.com/fb17e921-cb26-47e9-8a64-9d666ca5c2eb Watch my interview with him here. This is a very high-IQ conversation, so if you enjoy intellectual stimulation about critical topics, youll love this video: And his primary website is IceAgeFarmer.com where he hosts exclusive videos and other important content. Food scarcity is about to get a whole lot worse, too, he explains in this important Brighteon Conversations video interview (below). He has come to the conclusion that food scarcity is being engineered across our world to starve human beings into submission under global authoritarianism. ( Natural News ) Christian Westbrook is known as the Ice Age Farmer, and hes a sharp analyst who has been monitoring and investigating the food supply and its relationship with natural ecological cycles (including solar cycles). About the author: Mike Adams (aka the Health Ranger) is a best selling author (#1 best selling science book on Amazon.com called Food Forensics), an environmental scientist, a patent holder for a cesium radioactive isotope elimination invention, a multiple award winner for outstanding journalism, a science news publisher and influential commentator on topics ranging from science and medicine to culture and politics. Follow his videos, podcasts, websites and science projects at the links below. Mike Adams serves as the founding editor of NaturalNews.com and the lab science director of an internationally accredited (ISO 17025) analytical laboratory known as CWC Labs. There, he was awarded a Certificate of Excellence for achieving extremely high accuracy in the analysis of toxic elements in unknown water samples using ICP-MS instrumentation. Adams is also highly proficient in running liquid chromatography, ion chromatography and mass spectrometry time-of-flight analytical instrumentation. He has also achieved numerous laboratory breakthroughs in the programming of automated liquid handling robots for sample preparation and external standards prep. The U.S. patent office has awarded Mike Adams patent NO. US 9526751 B2 for the invention of Cesium Eliminator, a lifesaving invention that removes up to 95% of radioactive cesium from the human digestive tract. Adams has pledged to donate full patent licensing rights to any state or national government that needs to manufacture the product to save human lives in the aftermath of a nuclear accident, disaster, act of war or act of terrorism. He has also stockpiled 10,000 kg of raw material to manufacture Cesium Eliminator in a Texas warehouse, and plans to donate the finished product to help save lives in Texas when the next nuclear event occurs. No independent scientist in the world has done more research on the removal of radioactive elements from the human digestive tract. Adams is a person of color whose ancestors include Africans and American Indians. He is of Native American heritage, which he credits as inspiring his Health Ranger passion for protecting life and nature against the destruction caused by chemicals, heavy metals and other forms of pollution. Adams is the author of the worlds first book that published ICP-MS heavy metals analysis results for foods, dietary supplements, pet food, spices and fast food. The book is entitled Food Forensics and is published by BenBella Books. In his laboratory research, Adams has made numerous food safety breakthroughs such as revealing rice protein products imported from Asia to be contaminated with toxic heavy metals like lead, cadmium and tungsten. Adams was the first food science researcher to document high levels of tungsten in superfoods. He also discovered over 11 ppm lead in imported mangosteen powder, and led an industry-wide voluntary agreement to limit heavy metals in rice protein products. In addition to his lab work, Adams is also the (non-paid) executive director of the non-profit Consumer Wellness Center (CWC), an organization that redirects 100% of its donations receipts to grant programs that teach children and women how to grow their own food or vastly improve their nutrition. Through the non-profit CWC, Adams also launched Nutrition Rescue, a program that donates essential vitamins to people in need. Click here to see some of the CWC success stories. With a background in science and software technology, Adams is the original founder of the email newsletter technology company known as Arial Software. Using his technical experience combined with his love for natural health, Adams developed and deployed the content management system currently driving NaturalNews.com. He also engineered the high-level statistical algorithms that power SCIENCE.naturalnews.com, a massive research resource featuring over 10 million scientific studies. Adams is well known for his incredibly popular consumer activism video blowing the lid on fake blueberries used throughout the food supply. He has also exposed strange fibers found in Chicken McNuggets, fake academic credentials of so-called health gurus, dangerous detox products imported as battery acid and sold for oral consumption, fake acai berry scams, the California raw milk raids, the vaccine research fraud revealed by industry whistleblowers and many other topics. Adams has also helped defend the rights of home gardeners and protect the medical freedom rights of parents. Adams is widely recognized to have made a remarkable global impact on issues like GMOs, vaccines, nutrition therapies, human consciousness. In addition to his activism, Adams is an accomplished musician who has released over fifteen popular songs covering a variety of activism topics. Click here to read a more detailed bio on Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, at HealthRanger.com. Find more science, news, commentary and inventions from the Health Ranger at: Brighteon.com: Brighteon.com/channel/hrreport Diaspora: (uncensored social network) Share.NaturalNews.com GAB: GAB.com/healthranger Podcasts: HealthRangerReport.com Online store: HealthRangerStore.com #1 Bestselling Science Book Food Forensics: FoodForensics.com iTunes: itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-health-ranger-report/id1063165791 SoundCloud: Soundcloud.com/healthranger Health Rangers science lab CWClabs.com Health Ranger bio HealthRanger.com TruthWiki.org Search engine: Webseed.com Iraq is debating whether to ask to be exempted from the oil production cuts OPEC+ agreed on this April. Initially set at 9.7 million bpd, the cuts have now been eased to 7.7 million bpd but as the second-largest producer in OPEC, Iraq is shouldering quite a large chunk of the total burden and is not happy about it. Iraq always believed they were not properly treated in December 2016 when they were not exempted. As the economy continues to reel from low prices this issue keeps resurfacing, a source from OPEC told Reuters. Just a week ago, Iraqs oil minister Ihsan Abdul Jabbar denied a report in the Iraqi state news agency, INA, saying he had sought an exemption from the agreement. 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, the INA report said. Soon after Reuters carried the story, the oil ministry came out with statement saying, The Ministry of Oil would like to categorically deny this baseless statement, and affirm that, to the contrary, Iraq remains fully committed to the April OPEC+ Declaration of Cooperation, and the compensation mechanism agreed in June. Even if it is officially trying to keep its end of the bargain, Iraq could certainly use some relief of the sort Iran and Libya are getting from OPEC, in the form of an exemption from the cut. Yet while those two have suffered major slumps in production which makes them involuntary collaborators with the cuts, Iraq has been producing more than it should, compromising the compliance of the whole group. However, the country needs every oil dollar. It is still dealing with the aftermath of the Islamic State insurgence as well as will longer-standing problems with public services and corruption that last year sparked protests. OPEC is unlikely to grant Iraq an exemption from the agreementthat would devastate prices. It remains to be seen if Iraq is desperate enough to refuse to comply. That would also devastate prices, unfortunately. By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Gettyimagesbank A South Korean vigilante website that published personal details of people it accused of sex crimes suddenly went dark this week after a public backlash sparked by the death of one of its targets, as police hunt for its operators. Calls have grown for tougher punishment for those guilty of sex crimes after a South Korean man convicted of running one of the world's largest online child pornography operations was released this year from 18 months in jail. The "Digital Prison" website had listed, among others, 170 people it accused of roles in a network that blackmailed at least 74 women and underage girls into what authorities called "virtual enslavement" by sending them increasingly degrading and violent sexual imagery of themselves. "Digital Prison is explicitly an illegal website," said Son Jae-woo, chief of a cyber investigation team of police seeking to track down its operators. The website put up personal details of those it said were criminals, ranging from photographs, names and ages to telephone numbers and employment data, Son told Reuters. Regulator the Korea Communications Standards Commission said it had been processing an Aug. 14 takedown request from police before the site went offline on Tuesday. Every September, friendly conversations turn to a serious note: Do you remember what you were doing the morning that the World Trade Center was hit? That morning nineteen years ago started as usual all across America. Parents were getting their kids off to school; teachers were preparing for the days classes. Restaurants and cafes were serving meals and customers chatted over coffee, tea and politics. Business owners were opening up shops and mailrooms were sorting mail. Barbers and stylists groomed and gossiped. Farmers were harvesting crops; ranchers were gathering cattle for shipping, and President George W. Bush was driving to visit an elementary school. And streaking across a bright blue sky toward Washington, hijackers on four different planes were murdering the flight crews and turning the airliners east. At 8:45 a.m., just as he sat down with a class of excited second-graders, the president was briefly advised that a plane loaded with 20,000 gallons of jet fuel had just crashed into the north tower of the World Trade Center. A catastrophic pilot error? Deeply concerned, the president began reading to the students, but minutes later, at 9:03 a.m., the presidents chief-of-staff stepped into the classroom. A second plane had sliced into the second tower. It immediately became clear: America was under attack. As millions watched the horrific events unfolding in New York, a third plane circled over Washington D.C., turning a passenger jet into a guided missile, and crashed into the Pentagon. A fourth plane, redirected to the capital, spiraled down and exploded in a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania after passengers bravely attempted to overpower the hijackers. The world was suddenly changed forever. Its of monumental proportions to consider the intricate details involved in upholding the safety of the nations security and that of its leaders, while at the same time weighing in on the devastating and incomprehensible destruction of human lives that occurred that day in 2001. Here in Wyoming, far removed from the immediate terror and chaos, we stood stunned and horrified in front of televisions and watched as the biggest act of terrorism ever on American soil unraveled before us. Hearts ached for the loss of lives that would have a devastating ripple effect on the world. Our Wyoming hearts and heads couldnt wrap themselves around the enormity of the carnage and perplexity the events presented. As patriots, we felt the anguish and fear, while realizing how infinitely fortunate we were to be cradled in the safe, distant borders of Wyoming. As always, Wyoming rose to the occasion. Across the state, emergency and rescue personnel volunteered; counselors, medical professionals, first responders, troops and monetary support headed to NYC and Washington D.C. Donors lined up at blood banks, American flags appeared in windows and on porches, vigils were held and prayers were lifted. And, as President Bush asked, we tried to become calm and resolute, even in the face of a continuing threat. Wyoming did her part as she inevitably does, and her residents responded to the challenges of protecting, supporting and rebuilding in the compassionate, selfless manner they are known for. We value our freedom, and we know what sacrifices need to be made to protect it. Thats what Wyoming does. Wyoming might be the least populated state in the country, but in my way of thinking, it allows that much more room for Wyoming hearts to beat bigger with patriotism and pride. Being Americas second-most patriotic state in the nation is testimony that Wyomings people know to do the right thing, and to be generous about it. As I sit on my deck enjoying my coffee, I remember. I am undeniably grateful for the clear skies, fresh air and the early morning quiet offered by this vigorous, enduring state. We can be thankful to be physically distanced from the unthinkable events of something as tragic as the terrorist attack of 9/11, and know that Wyoming possesses incredible proficiency and is deeply invested in the complicated politics and complex business of todays world. Wyomings voices are widely heard and greatly respected. In December of 2001, Congress approved September 11 as Patriot Day to commemorate the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. Display your flag and remember those lost and those who bravely ran into the face of danger instead of from it. Then take a deep breath of full-bodied Wyoming air. That, my friend, is the scent of freedom. Love 2 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Please allow ads as they help fund our trusted local news content. Kindly add us to your ad blocker whitelist. If you want further access to Ireland's best local journalism, consider contributing and/or subscribing to our free daily Newsletter . Support our mission and join our community now. The United States told the UN Security Council on Thursday it would work with allies to hold accountable those responsible for poisoning Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny, including through restricting funds for malign activities. Russia has used chemical nerve agents from the Novichok group in the past. The Russian people have a right to express their views without fear of retribution of any kind, the deputy US ambassador to the United Nations, Cherith Norman-Chalet, told a council meeting on chemical weapons in Syria. The Kremlin critic is being treated in Berlins Charite hospital after falling ill on a Russian domestic flight last month. Germany says he was poisoned with a Soviet-style Novichok nerve agent. Moscow has said it has seen no evidence that Navalny, 44, was poisoned. We urge Russia to cooperate fully with the international communitys investigation, Norman-Chalet told the council. Wherever the evidence leads, we will work with allies and the international community to hold perpetrators accountable, including through restricting funds for malign activities. Russian UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said Russia wanted to know what happened to Navalny but that Russian authorities did not have any grounds to open an investigation as they did not have any evidence. Our doctors who, by the way, saved Alexey Navalny did not find any chemical weapon substances in his analyses. The German laboratory claims it did, he told the Security Council. But we received no evidence from Germany that would allow us to make a conclusion that it was a crime by attempted poisoning and thus start an investigation, he added. Germanys UN ambassador, Christoph Heusgen, said Berlin was working with the global chemical weapons watchdog - the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) - on the issue and urged Moscow to do the same. Its not a bilateral issue its an issue of international concern (when) chemical agents are used, and therefore, the OPCW will have all the evidence and it would be very good if Russia would work with OPCW, Heusgen told the council. Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 Taking advantage of the coronavirus pandemic, two men who have been luring innocent job seekers and charging money for jobs in renowned brands. Unsplash Representational Image Mumbai police has arrested two persons from Delhi for allegedly running a call centre and duping hundreds of job seekers, an official said. Arif Abdul Rashid (24) and Sujahud Suhelhud (25), both residents of the national capital, were arrested on Wednesday by Matunga police from the city, he said. In February, the Matunga police had registered an offence of cheating after a woman complained that online fraudsters duped her of Rs 40,000 on the pretext of offering her a job. Investigation At The Call Centre Revealed During the probe, police raided a call centre in Subhash Nagar in Delhi from where calls were placed to gullible job-seekers. The accused offered high-paying jobs but demanded money for sending offer letter and other formalities. After spending thousands of rupees, job seekers would realize that they were being cheated, said Vijaysingh Ghatge, senior inspector of Matunga police station. While city police had received 30 such complaints, the accused are also likely to have duped many from Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Odisha and Gujarat, said police. Both the accused were sent in police custody (PC) till September 17, the official said. Agencies Cheating Innocent Job Seekers In a similar incident, a 52-year-old woman had allegedly cheated many people after saying she would help them get jobs and managed to get as much as Rs 50 lakh from the unsuspecting victims. Police in Chennai arrested her. The accused's name is D Janunadevi, who hails from Akkarai near Neelankarai. A victim identified as S Saravanan approached police saying the woman cheated him of Rs 12 lakh by promising a job for his wife in a state government department. In India, the employment rate has been settling low and the job seekers are getting duped day and night as the situation is getting worse. The current per cent of unemployment is 7.8% according to CMIE. This implies that 40 % of the population that is over 14 years of age is employed whereas the global average employment rate stood at 57.4% in 2019 as per the World Bank's database. BOGOTA: Colombias defense minister apologized on Friday on behalf of the police for the death of a man in custody that has sparked two nights of protests in capital Bogota and satellite city Soacha, leaving 13 dead and hundreds injured. Demonstrators have taken to the streets for consecutive nights to protest the death on Wednesday of Javier Ordonez, 46. A widely-shared video filmed by Ordonezs friend showed the father of two being repeatedly shocked with a stun gun by police. He died later in a hospital. The national police apologize for any violation of the law or ignorance of regulations by any members of the institution," Defense Minister Carlos Holmes Trujillo said in a video message. Colombias police force are overseen by the defense ministry. The video of Ordonez shows him pinned to the ground by police officers and subjected to successive electric shocks early on Wednesday as he begs, please, no more." Police said Ordonez was found drinking alcohol in the street with friends in violation of coronavirus distancing rules. He was taken to a police station in western Bogota which has become a focal point of protests, and later died in hospital. Two police officers implicated in Ordonezs death face charges of abusing authority and homicide. They have already been suspended and will be fired from the force. A further five officers have been suspended in connection with Ordonezs death, Trujillo said. Seven people aged between 17 and 27 years old died after being shot in Bogota during protests on Wednesday, according to the mayors office, while the national government says three were killed the same night in Soacha. Family members of some of the Bogota victims told local media their loved ones had not been participating in the protests. Three further people died in connection with the protests on Thursday night, including a woman who was hit by a stolen public bus, officials said. Hundreds of civilians have been injured during clashes between protesters and the police, with 73 wounded by gunshots in Bogota, according to local authorities. Just under 200 police officers have also been injured, according to the national government. Bogota Mayor Claudia Lopez will meet with President Ivan Duque and the inspector general - charged with investigating public officials - later on Friday, she said in a Twitter post. At least 60 police stations have been affected by vandalism, the government said, as well as dozens of public transport vehicles. Vandalism and attacks on infrastructure were due to direct and systematic" actions with clear objectives, Trujillo said. Ordonezs death has fueled renewed outrage against the police, who were widely criticized last year after a teenage protester was fatally injured by a riot squad projectile. 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 Also, enjoy all these other posts that broke me This was the first #Supernatural scene we shot. Today will be the last. I'm grateful & love you all beyond words. But it's only over when you say it is, #SPNFamily. In the words of Kim Manners (RIP): Kick It In The Ass. #SPN @jarpad @JensenAckles @mishacollins pic.twitter.com/GXLqBkanPu Eric Kripke (@therealKripke) September 10, 2020 https://instagram.com/p/CE-BwCtgZDd https://instagram.com/p/CE94ZLiAd-Q #ThankYouSupernatural. You've changed my life in so many ways and you changed the world for the better. Fight on. https://t.co/w5jluwRaVL Misha Collins (@mishacollins) September 10, 2020 Fuck, I've been a mess all week and definitely broke today. It's time for the show to end but I've literally been watching since the pilot and this is surreal.Also, enjoy all these other posts that broke me Reply Thread Link lol @ Supernatural changing to world - like how?! Reply Parent Thread Link the conventions have brought a lot of people together and 'saved' a bunch of lives. also misha's charity work has been pretty great. probably one of the most hands on of any celebrity Reply Parent Thread Expand Link It was a fun show for a few seasons but I had to give it up. Reply Thread Link sammmmeeeee....once it got into the whole Angels and God nonsense I hadto give up on the show. Reply Parent Thread Link I havent watched this show in at least 6 years. Is it worth catching up? Reply Thread Link Ehh. Just rewatch the first five seasons, they're the best. Reply Parent Thread Link It's like the Walking Dead. Each season there is a new Big Bad Creature that is totally the #1 strongest species in the world... Until it gets defeated and another one appears the following season lol Also Castiel remains useless and the writers don't know what to do with him but can't kill him because the fans will go crazy. Reply Parent Thread Link There's really nothing of value at all in the Dabb ero imo, so not really. Reply Parent Thread Link There is 0 chance the answer to that question is yes. Reply Parent Thread Link There's been signs for a while now - they spent Edited at 2020-09-10 11:34 pm (UTC) Also, I absolutely love that these two are definitely a thing (he reposted her Insta Story with a heart)There's been signs for a while now - they spent New Year's in Scotland, went to Oscar parties together, and have been posting pictures of each other throughout the pandemic - he took these shots of Ruth modeling Gen's collection (which I also adore)! Reply Thread Link LOL God and The Queen of Hell! That's really awesome for them though. :) Reply Parent Thread Link Isnt he married? Reply Parent Thread Link He's been divorced for well over a year now. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link Can confirm. Reply Parent Thread Link lol I should watch it in full one of these days. Reply Thread Link My mom will be happy lol. Reply Thread Link i went from loving the show to hating dean so much i quit the whole damn thing. now this beat horse is ready to be laid to rest. rip girl you weren't always a pos. also those syndication checks are about to be Uplifting. Reply Thread Link Dang, what did Dean do? Reply Parent Thread Link turn into a self-righteous, judgmental hypocrite of an underdeveloped asshole character who's never questioned by other characters or held accountable for his actions because the show refuses to call him out for his shitty behavior. don't get me started girl. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link Honestly thought this show ended at season 6. I only learned that it was still on was on here and through TNT repeats, so seeing that this is the finale is torn because it makes me happy because I know that the actors had to give up roles because of SPN but sad at the same time. Reply Thread Link mannnn i was obsessed w this show from like 2006 to 2012 couldnt keep up after s6 though which is saying something since i was like. VERY OBSESSED. for those few years. can't believe it lasted this long..... i stand by the like 1.2 things from that show that were high quality the rest should've gone a long time ago Reply Thread Link Same???!! My obsession with this show in like 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 was so high?! It really had strong things going for it. I loved it SO MUCH. But as the quality went down and the plots because repetitive the casting so, so insular... i couldn't do it anymore. It had just become this product that the CW was churning out to be deliberately the same thing over and over. I can't believe I went to conventions for SPN. It's like another lifetime. Reply Parent Thread Link the evil is defeated! i wish jensen an ounce of luck on the boys. nothing to the other one Reply Thread Link I was obsessed with this show from S1 to S4. Tried to watch S5 but just couldn't really get into it. It played a very big role in my mid-late teen years and brought a couple of friendships closer. I even got to be an extra in an episode (s2e2). I remember posting homemade WATCH SUPERNATURAL posters up all over my highschool when it was looking like it might get cancelled after season 2. l m f a o. You are all welcome for the little that I contributed to a 15 fucking season run. Jensen Ackles is a huge babe and I hope he has a decent career post-SPN. I hope JPad grows the fuck up and stops acting like a shithead. Edited at 2020-09-10 11:43 pm (UTC) Reply Thread Link I'm sad this show is ending. I know it's a racist show and I'm a mess for still liking as a WOC but... The heart wants what it wants. Imma need another show about supernatural creatures without the racism to fill the void. Reply Thread Link Watch Lovecraft Country! There's actually tons of racism depicted, but it's shown to be the real horror instead of the vampires/ghosts/etc. Reply Parent Thread Link Two western Sydney residents have been arrested after a joint Australian Federal Police and Australian Border Force team seized about 600 litres of liquid methamphetamine concealed in cans of coconut milk. In August, Australian Border Force members examined airfreight cargo containing 86 boxes of coconut milk cans after arrival in Sydney from Thailand. Australian Federal Police conducted a controlled delivery of the cans to a warehouse in Girraween, Sydney, on Wednesday, September 9, where a 29-year-old woman and 20-year-old man were arrested after taking the shipment. The pair were each charged with one count of attempting to possess a commercial quantity of an unlawfully imported controlled drug. The maximum penalty for the offence is life imprisonment. The Australian Federal Police said further arrests had not been ruled out. Credit: Australian Federal Police/Australian Border Force via Storyful A manhunt has been launched for a gunman who shot an 11-year-old girl in the face in suburban Pennsylvania. Police do not believe the child was the intended target nor do they think it was a random attack. The girl opened the door after hearing a knock at the home on Fairland Avenue, Bethlehem, a short time before midnight on Wednesday. She is expected to make a full recovery but was still undergoing surgery on Thursday night for severe facial trauma. The girl opened the door after hearing a knock at the home on Fairland Avenue, Bethlehem, (pictured) a short time before midnight on Wednesday Marcie Lightwood told The Morning Call her husband called 911 at 11.35pm after hearing a burst of five gunshots. She said that by the time they went outside to investigate the block was filled with police cars. Lightwood later went to drop flowers at the home, describing the victims of the attack as 'very nice people.' 'I'm just heartbroken for them,' Lightwood told Morning Call. 'It's just really, really sad.' 'I don't know how you can live with yourself,' she added. 'Disfiguring a young girl and terrorizing a neighborhood. Please turn yourself in.' Another neighbour said that they overheard an argument the night before and were surprised that the attacker had even knocked. Police believe the shooter may have been wearing a face mask and are urging anyone with information to contact them. They've asked the residents of Bethlehem to remain 'extra vigilant' and to report 'any suspicious sightings.' Speyside spirit maker Eight Lands launches vodka in Canada Scottish spirits brand Eight Lands has launched its Organic Speyside Vodka in Canada. The award-winning spirit was recently launched in SAQ stores across Quebec, as part of an ongoing push by head of distilling and operations Meeghan Murdoch to increase the brand's Canadian connections. Montreal-born Meeghan oversaw the creation of the Organic Speyside Vodka, which is distilled and bottled at the Glenrinnes Distillery in the heart of Scotch whisky country. Eight Lands, named for the eight different countries visible from the top of Ben Rinnes, launched its two products, a vodka and a gin, in June 2019. Meeghan joined the company in 2018, bringing 25 years' international experience across brewing, winemaking and distilling. Of the announcement, Meegham said: "I am delighted to see Eight Lands Organic Speyside Vodka launching with SAQ accross Quebec. As a Canadian, now living and working in the spirits industry in Scotland, I have big ambitions for the brand in Canada. As the demand for high-quality and organic spirits continues to grow, I am keen to see Eight Lands recognised as one of the leading organic spirits in the market." Eight Lands appointed a brand development manager earlier this year in a bid to increase its national and international profile. 11 September 2020 - Bethany Whymark The guest house is the couples mountain utopia. (Photo provided to People's Daily Online) Surrounded by lush mountains and limpid creeks, a small guesthouse glows under the setting sun. Through its glass windows, the sky is flushed in vivid crimson, from which verdant forests roll away in varying tones of emerald. It is August, and the air is warm and fresh, while woodsmoke and lavender exquisitely mingle with the subtle odors of delicate food. The Hanshe Huitang guesthouse is always crowded in the evenings. Its hard to find a spot where you can escape the eyes of those within, while the owner of the house and his family extend their arms of hospitality to the influx of visitors. Guests here can escape the hustle and bustle of city life, and feel their lungs fill with the lush scenery. I have always wanted to build a utopia in my hometown, and now my dream has come true, said Huang Jing, owner of the guesthouse. In 2018, after living in Italy for most of their lives, Huang and his wife Liu Yan decided to come back to Wencheng county in Wenzhou city, east Chinas Zhejiang Province, in the hope of establishing their career at home. In line with the local authorities development strategies for promoting ecotourism, the couple set up the Hanshe Huitang guesthouse. Its name literally means return to my humble home. More and more overseas Chinese, especially young people like us, are deciding to come back home and start their careers here. Ive never regretted my decision to come back, and what I have now is what I have always been looking for, said Huang. A path back home The couple came back to Wenzhou in 2018, leaving their business and life in Italy behind. (Peoples Daily Online/Zhao Chen) For decades, Wenzhou has been famous for its people going overseas to seek prosperity. An old saying explains the reason: Wenzhou is 7/10 mountains, 1/10 water, and 2/10 farmland. Due to its cultural and geographical remoteness and its lack of natural resources, locals have always been driven to find new opportunities far beyond the sea. There are almost 690,000 Wenzhou people scattered around 130 countries, and many have never returned. The situation began to change decades ago when Chinas swift economic development caught the worlds attention. Wenzhou businessmen abroad are now leaving their overseas fortunes behind, and coming back home to find new opportunities. Huang is one of them. Living in Rome for decades, I could hardly feel any changes, partly because the city is a historical heritage, but mainly because Italy now lacks momentum for development. China, on the other hand, is changing day by day. My hometown is totally different from what it was four years ago when I first came back, and this is unbelievable, said Huang. Liu has a slightly different reason for coming back home. Unlike her husband, who went to Italy as an adult, Liu and her family moved to Italy when she was still a student. Years of living overseas has enabled her to speak fluent Italian, but she never felt any sense of belonging in a foreign land. The first years when I was in Italy, the locals were generally friendly and nice to foreigners. The culture shock and the language barrier werent the most difficult things to deal with. It was the feeling of not belonging anywhere, said Liu. With Italy suffering an economic downturn in recent years, life for Chinese-Italians became even harder. Lius younger sister was bullied by her Italian classmates simply because she could not speak perfect Italian, while Liu and her family also faced discrimination when doing business with the locals. There was one time I went to a market in Rome to rent a stall, but the owners rejected my application, saying that they wouldnt rent anything to a Chinese like me, even if I had been living here for most of my life, said Liu. The guest house has now become a calling card for local ecotourism. (Photo provided to People's Daily Online) Homesickness and an urge to find new business opportunities prompted the couple to visit their hometown in 2016, when Huang realised that his ancestral house could be transformed into a boutique guesthouse, in line with the local development strategy of promoting ecotourism. Zhu Chen, an official from the local publicity department, noted that local authorities have been rolling out favorable policies to attract overseas Chinese like Huang to come home and contribute to local economic development, holding forums to introduce business opportunities to overseas Chinese, as well as launching summer camps and hometown museums for their children to learn the local dialect and culture. Ever since I came back, the local authorities have provided us with as much assistance as they could. They have even held study groups for overseas Chinese like us so that we can get familiar with investment policies, and also promote our brands to the public, said Huang. Ecotourism has now become a pillar of the local economy, attracting many overseas Chinese to come back for business opportunities. (Photo provided to People's Daily Online) Due to the favorable policies and government support, since 2015, over 120 guesthouses have been established in Wencheng, many owned by overseas Chinese. Wenzhous tourism revenue reached 133.4 billion yuan in 2019, with an annual growth rate of 18.8 percent, receiving over 119 million visitors from around the world. My friends took an unfavourable view of my decision to come back. But now, all my family members have returned from Rome to Wenzhou, and Ive sold off our business in Italy, while those who mocked my decision are now also coming back, said Huang. Once the hometown of the largest number of overseas Chinese, Wenzhou is now attracting talents to come back and start their lives and careers at home, he added. Modern version of the Wenzhou spirit The bar at the guesthouse is made out of discarded materials from Huangs ancestral house. (Photo provided to People's Daily Online) Members of the old generation of Wenzhou businessmen are famous for their independence, hardworking spirit, self-reliance and business-oriented character, but young Wenzhounese like Huang have brought new features to this spirit. Creativity and innovation are the couples secrets to success. The guesthouses decorative wooden walls are made from over 2,000 panels from the demolished ancestral house, while the stone jars used to make pickles have been converted into pot plants. Huang has designed a number of creative products, such as puzzles depicting the guesthouses beautiful views, hiring bands to perform beside the swimming pool, and throwing themed parties catering to the guests needs. Liu has made full use of her skills as a cook, designing dishes and beverages combining Chinese and European flavors, such as plum and kiwi wine, Chinese yam cappuccino and Chinese mocha tiramisu. Creative products like guesthouse puzzles have become a hit with visitors. (Photo provided to People's Daily Online) For modern Wenzhou businessmen, courage and hard work are not enough to realize your business dream. You need to be creative, adding new ideas to your business blueprint. There are several guesthouses around mine, but I never worry about competition, because our unique and creative features help us go even further, said Huang. The couple have also started cooperating with local farmers, selling their products through their customers. According to Huang, he has helped famers from nearby villages sell 2,500 kilograms of yam and stick rice, giving them an opportunity to increase their incomes. In the modern era, cooperation and mutual understanding are also important for business. I think thats what the modern Wenzhou spirit is all about, he added. Gabrielle Union has a message for young girls, especially young Black girls, who may be struggling with accepting themselves. In an exclusive clip from the second season premiere of Steve Harvey's Facebook Watch show "Steve on Watch," the 47-year-old actor and media personality had the opportunity to surprise a super fan. During their conversation, she shared a powerful mantra of self-love for all girls out there who may be watching. "I wanna say, and I wanna be so clear, that you are so perfect, exactly as you are," Union told Kaylin, a 10-year-old who went viral earlier this year for embracing her natural hair. "You are worthy. You are valuable and you are valued and you are so worthy of protection and celebration and love exactly as you are. I am just blown away by your confidence and you can tell some good parenting was going on and that village we all rely on." Watch TODAY All Day! Get the best news, information and inspiration from TODAY, all day long. Kaylin when viral earlier this summer when her aunt tweeted a video of her celebrating her curls. So my niece FaceTimed me yesterday excited bc she is starting to do her own hair. Twist outs, wash n gos, all things Black Girl Magic! I was laughing so hard someone else HAD to see it, so I told her to do a tutorial capturing her response. This is what she sent me pic.twitter.com/geB2IC171G Styyy (@Stymetra) July 6, 2020 "So my niece FaceTimed me yesterday excited bc she is starting to do her own hair," @Stymetra tweeted. "Twist outs, wash n gos, all things Black Girl Magic! I was laughing so hard someone else HAD to see it, so I told her to do a tutorial capturing her response. This is what she sent me." In the video, Kaylin can be seen sharing her excitement over how good her hair looks after she has done it herself. At one point, she gushes, "You want y'all's curls to be popping like this?" Story continues The video has since amassed more than 1.6 million views. "Yessss I'm so happy she is excited ab her hair!!" Kaylin's aunt added. "Most girls want their hair straight around a certain age but she is really loving her curls!" In her message, Union also recognizes that despite Kaylin having a great example at home, some kids don't have such model behavior to look to, so they may need this message even more. Lanvin : Photocall - Paris Fashion Week - Menswear F/W 2020-2021 (Dominique Charriau / WireImage) "Sometimes we all don't have people in our lives that affirm us, and affirm our Blackness and affirm how we look and how we present in the world," she said. "You already have that, but for girls who may not have that, I just want to be so clear and so direct when I say that you are loved. You are perfect. You are amazing exactly as you exist and we just celebrate and love you." This isn't the first time Union has surprised a fan who has embraced their own hair. Earlier this year, Union invited DeAndre Arnold, a Texas high school senior who was suspended and told he wouldn't be allowed to walk at his graduation ceremony unless he cut his dreadlocks to meet his school district's dress code. Union, a former judge on "America's Got Talent," has been a vocal supporter of natural hair. After her exit from the show came to light in November 2019, Variety reported that she raised allegations of sexist and racially insensitive behavior on set that included among other things, her being repeatedly told that her hairstyles were "too black." The second season of Steve on Watch premieres Monday, Sept. 14 on Facebook Watch. Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. EWW This file documents the GNU Emacs Web Wowser (EWW) package. Copyright 20142021 Free Software Foundation, Inc. Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.3 or any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no Invariant Sections, with the Front-Cover Texts being A GNU Manual, and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below. A copy of the license is included in the section entitled GNU Free Documentation License. (a) The FSFs Back-Cover Text is: You have the freedom to copy and modify this GNU manual. 1 Overview EWW, the Emacs Web Wowser, is a web browser for GNU Emacs. It can load, parse, and display various web pages using shr.el. However a GNU Emacs with libxml2 support is required. 2 Basic Usage You can open a URL or search the web with the command M-x eww . If the input doesnt look like a URL or domain name the web will be searched via eww-search-prefix . The default search engine is DuckDuckGo. If you want to open a file either prefix the file name with file:// or use the command M-x eww-open-file . If you invoke eww with a prefix argument, as in C-u M-x eww , it will create a new EWW buffer instead of reusing the default one, which is normally called *eww* . If loading the URL was successful the buffer *eww* is opened and the web page is rendered in it. You can leave EWW by pressing q or exit the browser by calling eww-quit . To reload the web page hit g ( eww-reload ). Pressing w when point is on a link will call shr-maybe-probe-and-copy-url , which copies this links URL to the kill ring. If point is not on a link, pressing w calls eww-copy-page-url , which will copy the current pages URL to the kill ring instead. The M-RET command ( eww-open-in-new-buffer ) opens the URL at point in a new EWW buffer, akin to opening a link in a new tab in other browsers. When global-tab-line-mode is enabled, this buffer is displayed in the tab on the window tab line. When tab-bar-mode is enabled, a new tab is created on the frame tab bar. The R command ( eww-readable ) will attempt to determine which part of the document contains the readable text, and will only display this part. This usually gets rid of menus and the like. The F command ( eww-toggle-fonts ) toggles whether to use variable-pitch fonts or not. This sets the shr-use-fonts variable. The M-C command ( eww-toggle-colors ) toggles whether to use HTML-specified colors or not. This sets the shr-use-colors variable. A URL can be downloaded with d ( eww-download ). This will download the link under point if there is one, or else the URL of the current page. The file will be written to the directory specified in eww-download-directory (default: ~/Downloads/ ). EWW remembers the URLs you have visited to allow you to go back and forth between them. By pressing l ( eww-back-url ) you go to the previous URL. You can go forward again with r ( eww-forward-url ). If you want an overview of your browsing history press H ( eww-list-histories ) to open the history buffer *eww history* . The history is lost when EWW is quit. If you want to remember websites you can use bookmarks. Along with the URLs visited, EWW also remembers both the rendered page (as it appears in the buffer) and its source. This can take a considerable amount of memory, so EWW discards the history entries to keep their number within a set limit, as specified by eww-history-limit ; the default being 50. This variable could also be set to nil to allow for the history list to grow indefinitely. PDFs are viewed inline, by default, with doc-view-mode , but this can be customized by using the mailcap (see mailcap in Emacs MIME Manual ) mechanism, in particular mailcap-mime-data . EWW allows you to bookmark URLs. Simply hit b ( eww-add-bookmark ) to store a bookmark for the current website. You can view stored bookmarks with B ( eww-list-bookmarks ). This will open the bookmark buffer *eww bookmarks* . To get summary of currently opened EWW buffers, press S ( eww-list-buffers ). The *eww buffers* buffer allows you to quickly kill, flip through and switch to specific EWW buffer. To switch EWW buffers through a minibuffer prompt, press s ( eww-switch-to-buffer ). Although EWW and shr.el do their best to render webpages in GNU Emacs some websites use features which can not be properly represented or are not implemented (E.g., JavaScript). If you have trouble viewing a website with EWW then hit & ( eww-browse-with-external-browser ) inside the EWW buffer to open the website in the external browser specified by browse-url-secondary-browser-function . Some content types, such as video or audio content, do not make sense to display in GNU Emacs at all. You can tell EWW to open specific content automatically in an external browser by customizing eww-use-external-browser-for-content-type . 3 Advanced You can view the source of a website with v ( eww-view-source ). This will open a new buffer *eww-source* and insert the source. The buffer will be set to html-mode if available. EWW handles cookies through the (url)url package package. You can list existing cookies with C ( url-cookie-list ). For details about the Cookie handling See (url)Cookies. Many HTML pages have images embedded in them, and EWW will download most of these by default. When fetching images, cookies can be sent and received, and these can be used to track users. To control when to send cookies when retrieving these images, the shr-cookie-policy variable can be used. The default value, same-origin , means that EWW will only send cookies when fetching images that originate from the same source as the HTML page. nil means never send cookies when retrieving these images and t means always send cookies when retrieving these images. The header line of the EWW buffer can be changed by customizing eww-header-line-format . The format replaces %t with the title of the website and %u with the URL. The D command ( eww-toggle-paragraph-direction ) toggles the paragraphs direction between left-to-right and right-to-left text. This can be useful on web pages that display right-to-left test (like Arabic and Hebrew), but where the web pages dont explicitly state the directionality. Loading random images from the web can be problematic due to their size or content. By customizing shr-max-image-proportion you can set the maximal image proportion in relation to the window they are displayed in. E.g., 0.7 means an image is allowed to take up 70% of the width and height. If Emacs supports image scaling (ImageMagick support required) then larger images are scaled down. You can block specific images completely by customizing shr-blocked-images . EWW (or rather its HTML renderer shr ) uses the colors declared in the HTML page, but adjusts them if needed to keep a certain minimum contrast. If that is still too low for you, you can customize the variables shr-color-visible-distance-min and shr-color-visible-luminance-min to get a better contrast. The HTML attribute aria-hidden is meant to tell screen readers to ignore a tags contents. You can customize the variable shr-discard-aria-hidden to tell shr to ignore such tags. This can be useful when using a screen reader on the output of shr (e.g., on EWW buffer text). It can be useful even when not using a screen reader, since web authors often put this attribute on non-essential decorative elements. In addition to maintaining the history at run-time, EWW will also save the partial state of its buffers (the URIs and the titles of the pages visited) in the desktop file if one is used. See Saving Emacs Sessions in The GNU Emacs Manual . EWW history may sensibly contain multiple entries for the same page URI. At run-time, these entries may still have different associated point positions or the actual Web page contents. The latter, however, tend to be overly large to preserve in the desktop file, so they get omitted, thus rendering the respective entries entirely equivalent. By default, such duplicate entries are not saved. Setting eww-desktop-remove-duplicates to nil will force EWW to save them anyway. Restoring EWW buffers contents may prove to take too long to finish. When the eww-restore-desktop variable is set to nil (the default), EWW will not try to reload the last visited Web page when the buffer is restored from the desktop file, thus allowing for faster Emacs start-up times. When set to t , restoring the buffers will also initiate the reloading of such pages. The EWW buffer restored from the desktop file but not yet reloaded will contain a prompt, as specified by the eww-restore-reload-prompt variable. The value of this variable will be passed through substitute-command-keys upon each use, thus allowing for the use of the usual substitutions, such as \[eww-reload] for the current key binding of the eww-reload command. Appendix A History and Acknowledgments EWW was originally written by Lars Ingebrigtsen, known for his work on Gnus. He started writing an Emacs HTML rendering library, shr.el , to read blogs in Gnus. He eventually added a web browser front end and HTML form support. Which resulted in EWW, the Emacs Web Wowser. EWW was announced on 16 June 2013: https://lars.ingebrigtsen.no/2013/06/16/eww/. EWW was then moved from the Gnus repository to GNU Emacs and several developers started contributing to it as well. B GNU Free Documentation License Version 1.3, 3 November 2008 Copyright 2000, 2001, 2002, 2007, 2008 Free Software Foundation, Inc. https://fsf.org/ Everyone is permitted to copy and distribute verbatim copies of this license document, but changing it is not allowed. PREAMBLE The purpose of this License is to make a manual, textbook, or other functional and useful document free in the sense of freedom: to assure everyone the effective freedom to copy and redistribute it, with or without modifying it, either commercially or noncommercially. Secondarily, this License preserves for the author and publisher a way to get credit for their work, while not being considered responsible for modifications made by others. This License is a kind of copyleft, which means that derivative works of the document must themselves be free in the same sense. It complements the GNU General Public License, which is a copyleft license designed for free software. We have designed this License in order to use it for manuals for free software, because free software needs free documentation: a free program should come with manuals providing the same freedoms that the software does. But this License is not limited to software manuals; it can be used for any textual work, regardless of subject matter or whether it is published as a printed book. We recommend this License principally for works whose purpose is instruction or reference. APPLICABILITY AND DEFINITIONS This License applies to any manual or other work, in any medium, that contains a notice placed by the copyright holder saying it can be distributed under the terms of this License. Such a notice grants a world-wide, royalty-free license, unlimited in duration, to use that work under the conditions stated herein. The Document, below, refers to any such manual or work. Any member of the public is a licensee, and is addressed as you. You accept the license if you copy, modify or distribute the work in a way requiring permission under copyright law. A Modified Version of the Document means any work containing the Document or a portion of it, either copied verbatim, or with modifications and/or translated into another language. A Secondary Section is a named appendix or a front-matter section of the Document that deals exclusively with the relationship of the publishers or authors of the Document to the Documents overall subject (or to related matters) and contains nothing that could fall directly within that overall subject. (Thus, if the Document is in part a textbook of mathematics, a Secondary Section may not explain any mathematics.) The relationship could be a matter of historical connection with the subject or with related matters, or of legal, commercial, philosophical, ethical or political position regarding them. The Invariant Sections are certain Secondary Sections whose titles are designated, as being those of Invariant Sections, in the notice that says that the Document is released under this License. If a section does not fit the above definition of Secondary then it is not allowed to be designated as Invariant. The Document may contain zero Invariant Sections. If the Document does not identify any Invariant Sections then there are none. The Cover Texts are certain short passages of text that are listed, as Front-Cover Texts or Back-Cover Texts, in the notice that says that the Document is released under this License. A Front-Cover Text may be at most 5 words, and a Back-Cover Text may be at most 25 words. A Transparent copy of the Document means a machine-readable copy, represented in a format whose specification is available to the general public, that is suitable for revising the document straightforwardly with generic text editors or (for images composed of pixels) generic paint programs or (for drawings) some widely available drawing editor, and that is suitable for input to text formatters or for automatic translation to a variety of formats suitable for input to text formatters. A copy made in an otherwise Transparent file format whose markup, or absence of markup, has been arranged to thwart or discourage subsequent modification by readers is not Transparent. An image format is not Transparent if used for any substantial amount of text. A copy that is not Transparent is called Opaque. Examples of suitable formats for Transparent copies include plain ASCII without markup, Texinfo input format, LaTeX input format, SGML or XML using a publicly available DTD, and standard-conforming simple HTML, PostScript or PDF designed for human modification. Examples of transparent image formats include PNG, XCF and JPG. Opaque formats include proprietary formats that can be read and edited only by proprietary word processors, SGML or XML for which the DTD and/or processing tools are not generally available, and the machine-generated HTML, PostScript or PDF produced by some word processors for output purposes only. The Title Page means, for a printed book, the title page itself, plus such following pages as are needed to hold, legibly, the material this License requires to appear in the title page. For works in formats which do not have any title page as such, Title Page means the text near the most prominent appearance of the works title, preceding the beginning of the body of the text. The publisher means any person or entity that distributes copies of the Document to the public. A section Entitled XYZ means a named subunit of the Document whose title either is precisely XYZ or contains XYZ in parentheses following text that translates XYZ in another language. (Here XYZ stands for a specific section name mentioned below, such as Acknowledgements, Dedications, Endorsements, or History.) To Preserve the Title of such a section when you modify the Document means that it remains a section Entitled XYZ according to this definition. The Document may include Warranty Disclaimers next to the notice which states that this License applies to the Document. These Warranty Disclaimers are considered to be included by reference in this License, but only as regards disclaiming warranties: any other implication that these Warranty Disclaimers may have is void and has no effect on the meaning of this License. VERBATIM COPYING You may copy and distribute the Document in any medium, either commercially or noncommercially, provided that this License, the copyright notices, and the license notice saying this License applies to the Document are reproduced in all copies, and that you add no other conditions whatsoever to those of this License. You may not use technical measures to obstruct or control the reading or further copying of the copies you make or distribute. However, you may accept compensation in exchange for copies. If you distribute a large enough number of copies you must also follow the conditions in section 3. You may also lend copies, under the same conditions stated above, and you may publicly display copies. COPYING IN QUANTITY If you publish printed copies (or copies in media that commonly have printed covers) of the Document, numbering more than 100, and the Documents license notice requires Cover Texts, you must enclose the copies in covers that carry, clearly and legibly, all these Cover Texts: Front-Cover Texts on the front cover, and Back-Cover Texts on the back cover. Both covers must also clearly and legibly identify you as the publisher of these copies. The front cover must present the full title with all words of the title equally prominent and visible. You may add other material on the covers in addition. Copying with changes limited to the covers, as long as they preserve the title of the Document and satisfy these conditions, can be treated as verbatim copying in other respects. If the required texts for either cover are too voluminous to fit legibly, you should put the first ones listed (as many as fit reasonably) on the actual cover, and continue the rest onto adjacent pages. If you publish or distribute Opaque copies of the Document numbering more than 100, you must either include a machine-readable Transparent copy along with each Opaque copy, or state in or with each Opaque copy a computer-network location from which the general network-using public has access to download using public-standard network protocols a complete Transparent copy of the Document, free of added material. If you use the latter option, you must take reasonably prudent steps, when you begin distribution of Opaque copies in quantity, to ensure that this Transparent copy will remain thus accessible at the stated location until at least one year after the last time you distribute an Opaque copy (directly or through your agents or retailers) of that edition to the public. It is requested, but not required, that you contact the authors of the Document well before redistributing any large number of copies, to give them a chance to provide you with an updated version of the Document. MODIFICATIONS You may copy and distribute a Modified Version of the Document under the conditions of sections 2 and 3 above, provided that you release the Modified Version under precisely this License, with the Modified Version filling the role of the Document, thus licensing distribution and modification of the Modified Version to whoever possesses a copy of it. In addition, you must do these things in the Modified Version: Use in the Title Page (and on the covers, if any) a title distinct from that of the Document, and from those of previous versions (which should, if there were any, be listed in the History section of the Document). You may use the same title as a previous version if the original publisher of that version gives permission. List on the Title Page, as authors, one or more persons or entities responsible for authorship of the modifications in the Modified Version, together with at least five of the principal authors of the Document (all of its principal authors, if it has fewer than five), unless they release you from this requirement. State on the Title page the name of the publisher of the Modified Version, as the publisher. Preserve all the copyright notices of the Document. Add an appropriate copyright notice for your modifications adjacent to the other copyright notices. Include, immediately after the copyright notices, a license notice giving the public permission to use the Modified Version under the terms of this License, in the form shown in the Addendum below. Preserve in that license notice the full lists of Invariant Sections and required Cover Texts given in the Documents license notice. Include an unaltered copy of this License. Preserve the section Entitled History, Preserve its Title, and add to it an item stating at least the title, year, new authors, and publisher of the Modified Version as given on the Title Page. If there is no section Entitled History in the Document, create one stating the title, year, authors, and publisher of the Document as given on its Title Page, then add an item describing the Modified Version as stated in the previous sentence. Preserve the network location, if any, given in the Document for public access to a Transparent copy of the Document, and likewise the network locations given in the Document for previous versions it was based on. These may be placed in the History section. You may omit a network location for a work that was published at least four years before the Document itself, or if the original publisher of the version it refers to gives permission. For any section Entitled Acknowledgements or Dedications, Preserve the Title of the section, and preserve in the section all the substance and tone of each of the contributor acknowledgements and/or dedications given therein. Preserve all the Invariant Sections of the Document, unaltered in their text and in their titles. Section numbers or the equivalent are not considered part of the section titles. Delete any section Entitled Endorsements. Such a section may not be included in the Modified Version. Do not retitle any existing section to be Entitled Endorsements or to conflict in title with any Invariant Section. Preserve any Warranty Disclaimers. If the Modified Version includes new front-matter sections or appendices that qualify as Secondary Sections and contain no material copied from the Document, you may at your option designate some or all of these sections as invariant. To do this, add their titles to the list of Invariant Sections in the Modified Versions license notice. These titles must be distinct from any other section titles. You may add a section Entitled Endorsements, provided it contains nothing but endorsements of your Modified Version by various partiesfor example, statements of peer review or that the text has been approved by an organization as the authoritative definition of a standard. You may add a passage of up to five words as a Front-Cover Text, and a passage of up to 25 words as a Back-Cover Text, to the end of the list of Cover Texts in the Modified Version. Only one passage of Front-Cover Text and one of Back-Cover Text may be added by (or through arrangements made by) any one entity. If the Document already includes a cover text for the same cover, previously added by you or by arrangement made by the same entity you are acting on behalf of, you may not add another; but you may replace the old one, on explicit permission from the previous publisher that added the old one. The author(s) and publisher(s) of the Document do not by this License give permission to use their names for publicity for or to assert or imply endorsement of any Modified Version. COMBINING DOCUMENTS You may combine the Document with other documents released under this License, under the terms defined in section 4 above for modified versions, provided that you include in the combination all of the Invariant Sections of all of the original documents, unmodified, and list them all as Invariant Sections of your combined work in its license notice, and that you preserve all their Warranty Disclaimers. The combined work need only contain one copy of this License, and multiple identical Invariant Sections may be replaced with a single copy. If there are multiple Invariant Sections with the same name but different contents, make the title of each such section unique by adding at the end of it, in parentheses, the name of the original author or publisher of that section if known, or else a unique number. Make the same adjustment to the section titles in the list of Invariant Sections in the license notice of the combined work. In the combination, you must combine any sections Entitled History in the various original documents, forming one section Entitled History; likewise combine any sections Entitled Acknowledgements, and any sections Entitled Dedications. You must delete all sections Entitled Endorsements. COLLECTIONS OF DOCUMENTS You may make a collection consisting of the Document and other documents released under this License, and replace the individual copies of this License in the various documents with a single copy that is included in the collection, provided that you follow the rules of this License for verbatim copying of each of the documents in all other respects. You may extract a single document from such a collection, and distribute it individually under this License, provided you insert a copy of this License into the extracted document, and follow this License in all other respects regarding verbatim copying of that document. AGGREGATION WITH INDEPENDENT WORKS A compilation of the Document or its derivatives with other separate and independent documents or works, in or on a volume of a storage or distribution medium, is called an aggregate if the copyright resulting from the compilation is not used to limit the legal rights of the compilations users beyond what the individual works permit. When the Document is included in an aggregate, this License does not apply to the other works in the aggregate which are not themselves derivative works of the Document. If the Cover Text requirement of section 3 is applicable to these copies of the Document, then if the Document is less than one half of the entire aggregate, the Documents Cover Texts may be placed on covers that bracket the Document within the aggregate, or the electronic equivalent of covers if the Document is in electronic form. Otherwise they must appear on printed covers that bracket the whole aggregate. TRANSLATION Translation is considered a kind of modification, so you may distribute translations of the Document under the terms of section 4. Replacing Invariant Sections with translations requires special permission from their copyright holders, but you may include translations of some or all Invariant Sections in addition to the original versions of these Invariant Sections. You may include a translation of this License, and all the license notices in the Document, and any Warranty Disclaimers, provided that you also include the original English version of this License and the original versions of those notices and disclaimers. In case of a disagreement between the translation and the original version of this License or a notice or disclaimer, the original version will prevail. If a section in the Document is Entitled Acknowledgements, Dedications, or History, the requirement (section 4) to Preserve its Title (section 1) will typically require changing the actual title. TERMINATION You may not copy, modify, sublicense, or distribute the Document except as expressly provided under this License. Any attempt otherwise to copy, modify, sublicense, or distribute it is void, and will automatically terminate your rights under this License. However, if you cease all violation of this License, then your license from a particular copyright holder is reinstated (a) provisionally, unless and until the copyright holder explicitly and finally terminates your license, and (b) permanently, if the copyright holder fails to notify you of the violation by some reasonable means prior to 60 days after the cessation. Moreover, your license from a particular copyright holder is reinstated permanently if the copyright holder notifies you of the violation by some reasonable means, this is the first time you have received notice of violation of this License (for any work) from that copyright holder, and you cure the violation prior to 30 days after your receipt of the notice. Termination of your rights under this section does not terminate the licenses of parties who have received copies or rights from you under this License. If your rights have been terminated and not permanently reinstated, receipt of a copy of some or all of the same material does not give you any rights to use it. FUTURE REVISIONS OF THIS LICENSE The Free Software Foundation may publish new, revised versions of the GNU Free Documentation License from time to time. Such new versions will be similar in spirit to the present version, but may differ in detail to address new problems or concerns. See https://www.gnu.org/licenses/. Each version of the License is given a distinguishing version number. If the Document specifies that a particular numbered version of this License or any later version applies to it, you have the option of following the terms and conditions either of that specified version or of any later version that has been published (not as a draft) by the Free Software Foundation. If the Document does not specify a version number of this License, you may choose any version ever published (not as a draft) by the Free Software Foundation. If the Document specifies that a proxy can decide which future versions of this License can be used, that proxys public statement of acceptance of a version permanently authorizes you to choose that version for the Document. RELICENSING Massive Multiauthor Collaboration Site (or MMC Site) means any World Wide Web server that publishes copyrightable works and also provides prominent facilities for anybody to edit those works. A public wiki that anybody can edit is an example of such a server. A Massive Multiauthor Collaboration (or MMC) contained in the site means any set of copyrightable works thus published on the MMC site. CC-BY-SA means the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 license published by Creative Commons Corporation, a not-for-profit corporation with a principal place of business in San Francisco, California, as well as future copyleft versions of that license published by that same organization. Incorporate means to publish or republish a Document, in whole or in part, as part of another Document. An MMC is eligible for relicensing if it is licensed under this License, and if all works that were first published under this License somewhere other than this MMC, and subsequently incorporated in whole or in part into the MMC, (1) had no cover texts or invariant sections, and (2) were thus incorporated prior to November 1, 2008. The operator of an MMC Site may republish an MMC contained in the site under CC-BY-SA on the same site at any time before August 1, 2009, provided the MMC is eligible for relicensing. ADDENDUM: How to use this License for your documents To use this License in a document you have written, include a copy of the License in the document and put the following copyright and license notices just after the title page: Copyright (C) year your name . Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.3 or any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no Invariant Sections, no Front-Cover Texts, and no Back-Cover Texts. A copy of the license is included in the section entitled ``GNU Free Documentation License''. If you have Invariant Sections, Front-Cover Texts and Back-Cover Texts, replace the withTexts. line with this: with the Invariant Sections being list their titles , with the Front-Cover Texts being list , and with the Back-Cover Texts being list . If you have Invariant Sections without Cover Texts, or some other combination of the three, merge those two alternatives to suit the situation. If your document contains nontrivial examples of program code, we recommend releasing these examples in parallel under your choice of free software license, such as the GNU General Public License, to permit their use in free software. Key Index Index Entry Section & & : Basics B b : Basics B : Basics C C : Advanced D d : Basics F F : Basics F : Basics G g : Basics H H : Basics L l : Basics M M-RET : Basics Q q : Basics R R : Basics r : Basics S s : Basics S : Basics V v : Advanced W w : Basics Variable Index After eww has rendered the data in the buffer, eww-after-render-hook is called. It can be used to alter the contents, for instance. Jump to: B E S Jump to: B E S Function Index Jump to: E S U Jump to: E S U Concept Index Jump to: A B C D E H I M P S V W Danny Hill, 50, a retired staff sergeant who served 23 years in the U.S. Army. (Jenny Jarvie / Los Angeles Times) Theron Martin, a U.S. Army private at Ft. Benning, was immediately skeptical when he first came across a link to a magazine story alleging that President Trump called soldiers killed in action suckers and losers. Reading the report in the Atlantic, which led with a claim that Trump skipped a visit to a cemetery in France for fallen Americans because he worried that rain would mess up his hair, the 24-year-old from Montana was put off that the story was based on anonymous sources. He decided the allegations, that Trump repeatedly disparaged U.S. service members, were not to be trusted. I dont believe it, Martin said. I think people are trying to throw dirt on him. Its an election year. In November, Martin said, he will vote for the president. He may have said stupid things; he often does, said Martin, who serves in the 1st squadron of the 16th Cavalry Regiment. If he did say that, it is absolutely disrespectful. Shame on him. But hes still doing a good job as president. Hes taking care of the economy and the military. He upped our pay. Martin shrugged as he contemplated that the commander in chief might have disrespected soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country. "What are you going to do?" he said. "It doesnt affect my life. Theron Martin, a private in the U.S. Army at Ft. Benning, Ga., plans to vote for President Trump in November. He doesn't believe the president called those who died in military service "losers." (Jenny Jarvie / Los Angeles Times) From the moment the Atlantic story was published online Sept. 3, citing firsthand accounts of Trump associates who declined to be identified, military service members and veterans across the globe have been caught between dueling political responses. Trump and administration officials have scrambled to deny the claims as a hoax, while Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden has condemned the president, slammed his alleged remarks as disgusting" and urged him to humbly apologize. Many veterans have vocally taken sides. But active-duty service members have been more reticent, reflecting the military's traditional avoidance of politics. Some are willing to weigh in, however. Story continues Around Ft. Benning, one of the nations largest military installations, some active-duty soldiers see the story as confirmation of Trumps disdain for those who serve, previously reflected by his boasts of avoiding Vietnam and his mockery of veterans who criticize him. But a significant number of soldiers here in Georgia, an emerging battleground state, echoed Martin in dismissing the report as the latest narrative of a liberal media intent on sinking the president. I think that in this era of 'gotcha' journalism, this is clearly a move to try to discredit the president, said a captain who gave only his last name, Smith, because he said he was not allowed to talk about politics while in uniform. The captain, who described himself as politically independent, said that after reading the magazine story, he read rebuttals from other officials, including Trump's former national security advisor John Bolton. Now a critic of the president, Bolton nonetheless said it was "simply false" that Trump skipped the cemetery visit to protect his hair. Smith said he figured the claims were likely taken out of context. I'm skeptical of almost everything that I read in the papers, he added.There seems to be no due process anymore. Accusations are as good as evidence in the court of public opinion. Few military service members who spoke on the record seemed to believe the allegations and those who did said they were not shocked. 2nd Lt. Jacoby Evans of the 316th Cavalry believes Trump did disparage fallen troops. Evans voted for Hillary Clinton in 2016 and plans to vote for Joe Biden in November. (Jennie Jarvie / Los Angeles Times) I can believe it came out of his mouth, said 2nd Lt. Jacoby Evans of the 316th Cavalry. Its pretty ignorant, what he said, but hes always made ignorant comments. Its nothing new to me. Still, Evans said it was weird to think he serves under a president who allegedly asked, Why should I go to that cemetery? Its filled with losers. I joined to protect the United States values, Evans said. We have a commander in chief, the face of the United States, who sets a bad example. Evans, who voted for Hillary Clinton in 2016, plans to vote for Biden in November. Over the last four years, Trumps standing among active-duty service members has eroded, according to polling by the Military Times. In 2016, a survey indicated they preferred Trump to Clinton by more than a 2-to-1 margin. But in polling this summer, even before the Atlantic story, almost 50% reported holding an unfavorable view of Trump. Biden held a lead of 4 points, 41% to 37%. Trump has the lowest polling of military service members of any Republican nominee for president since President George W. Bush, said Peter Feaver, a political science professor at Duke University who specializes in civil-military relations. A former White House advisor to Bush, Feaver is an anti-Trump Republican. He acknowledged that the annual Military Times survey tends to be more reflective of attitudes among career officers than of rank-and-file troops. In 2016, Feaver said, Trump had broad backing in the military because he promised to raise defense spending and allow more permissive rules of engagement. Once Trump was in office, however, many military leaders soon complained about chaos and lack of purpose. The latest controversy could potentially hurt Trump in closely contested states such as North Carolina and even Georgia that have large populations of active-duty troops and veterans. This is a toxic story for Trump, Feaver said. It gets to the heart of the reelection image that hes trying to present that hes a tough guy, hes pro-military, he loves the flag, he loves America, and it's the lefties in the Biden camp who are dishonoring America. VoteVets.org, an anti-Trump organization that says it represents 700,000 veterans and their families, last week released a campaign video featuring parents of U.S. soldiers who died on duty. "Donald Trump called our fallen troops 'suckers' and 'losers,' a caption read. They can't speak for themselves, but these 6 Gold Star families speak for our fallen. Still, even some Ft. Benning soldiers who are not gung-ho about Trump remain dubious. Im very highly critical of Trump, said an officer who declined to give his name. He says a lot of dumb things, but I would never believe such accusations without evidence. Many soldiers in Columbus credited Trump with reducing overseas deployments, increasing the military budget and ushering in a 3.1% pay increase, their largest in a decade. "I'm judging Trump by what he does rather than what somebody says he says," said Eric Dooling, 46, a retired infantryman who has served in Afghanistan and Somalia. (Jenny Jarvie / Los Angeles Times) I'm judging Trump by what he does rather than what somebody says he says, said Eric Dooling, 46, a retired infantryman who served in countries including Afghanistan and Somalia. When he gets off Air Force Once, he salutes the honor guard, he shakes hands. If he said something about veterans that died during World War I, so be it, Dooling said. You know, there's a lot of us that are in the military that would say those poor saps for the trench warfare that they had to go through. Trump's alleged comments in the magazine article referred to soldiers in wars throughout history, to the present. Danny Hill, 50, a retired staff sergeant who served in the Army for 23 years, gave Trump credit for pulling U.S. troops out of countries including Afghanistan and Iraq. Hill was blown out of a vehicle in Iraq in 2007, in an incident that killed two soldiers. Hill said he doesn't believe Trump made the comments, but he would support the president if he had, on freedom of speech grounds. Hes almost just like an American soldier, Hill said. We always speak what's on our mind. We don't bite our tongues. We stand firm to what we believe in and we stand our ground if we say something. He's a strong American. Brexit talks between Britain and the EU are on the brink of collapse because of London's intransigence over the Internal Market Bill. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's government has rejected a demand from the European Union that Britain not go forward with legislation that will "disapply" the Northern Ireland Protocol, a key part of the Withdrawal Agreement negotiated nearly a year ago. Meanwhile, the EU is threatening legal action to block the British move - with additional pressure on the Tories from Democrats in the US. It has imposed a deadline for withdrawal of the Internal Markets Bill by the end of the month, calling the matter "extremely serious". There has been no public comment from EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier, but the talks on Britain's future relationship with the EU have effectively cooled. Taoiseach Micheal Martin repeated yesterday that he was not optimistic a UK-EU trade deal would be reached - raising the prospect of high tariffs on exports to our nearest neighbour. EC vice president Maros Sefcovic flew to London for emergency talks yesterday and demanded the UK withdraw its internal market legislation, which it has openly admitted breaches international law. "I explained to vice president Sefcovic that we could not and would not do that," said Britain's chief Brexit minister Michael Gove. He added: "We've been absolutely serious about the implementation of the protocol. "But we have to make sure that it is implemented in a way that respects the fact that Northern Ireland is an integral part of the United Kingdom, part of our customs territory, and it is British ministers in Westminster who are responsible for the good governance of Northern Ireland." But Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald said: "The British government has breached an international commitment and they need to get back in line. "I hear commentary coming from London from some who are looking to break international law, and at the same time say that they're concerned to protect peace on the island of Ireland and to me that's absolutely absurd. "It's also dangerous," she said. "We need to ratchet up pressure now on Boris Johnson and his administration, and make it very clear to him that obeying international law is the only way forward. If he insists on breaking the law and his word, then there would be consequences." US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi was incredulous, asking how the UK could walk away from an international agreement. "How do you do that?" she asked. "Their self-determination is up to them. Our trade relations are up to us." Mr Sefcovic warned in London that the bill would be a "serious violation of the Withdrawal Agreement". "By putting forward this bill, the UK has seriously damaged trust. "It is now up to the UK government to re-establish that trust," the troubleshooter said in a statement. He said Brussels was prepared to take legal action if necessary, with Ireland liaising with EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. "The Withdrawal Agreement contains a number of mechanisms and legal remedies to address violations of the legal obligations - which the European Union will not be shy in using," Mr Sefcovic said. Sources in Dublin said the Government was making representations in Brussels and was allowing the EU to bring its weight to bear. But with 1bn in weekly exports to Britain, there are now fears the UK may be determined to crash out without a deal which will put sales and thousands of jobs here at risk from the start of next year. Officials say they are satisfied with the EU response, making it clear that if Britain persists with its bill it would demolish any goodwill to reach a trade agreement. Persistence by the prime minister "would fundamentally undermine the Withdrawal Agreement and seriously damage trust we have in our British partners", said Danuta Hubner, the EU parliament's chief official overseeing the implementation of the EU-UK deal. The Internal Markets Bill is, meanwhile, to be introduced on the floor of the House of Commons and will be watched closely, with the Irish Government monitoring levels of unease within the Conservative Party at the proposed action. Shares is the leading weekly publication for retail investors. It is packed with investment ideas, news and educational material to help build and run portfolios and get more from your money. Shares puts on free Investor Events throughout the year across the country. They provide an opportunity for investors to learn more about companies on the stock market and hear from a range of investment experts including fund managers and Shares journalists. Kiev, Sep 11 : Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky discussed the conflict resolution in the eastern part of the country with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. The two leaders spoke on the phone on Thursday, Xinhua news agency quoted Zelensky's press service as saying. Zelensky thanked Germany for its continued support for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine. In turn, Merkel said that Germany would continue to assist in conflict resolution progress. She underlined the importance of implementing the agreements reached in Paris in December 2019 by the Normandy Four leaders. The two countries' leaders expressed hope that the meeting of advisers to the Normandy Four leaders on Friday will bring clear results. The ongoing conflict in East Ukraine, which has claimed the lives of some 13,000 people and left as many as 30,000 wounded, started in April 2014. Wreckage of a Nazi Germany warship from World War II-era has been found off the coast of Norway by engineers while doing an inspection. The light cruiser named Karlsruhe was sunk after two torpedoes fired from the British submarine HMS Truant hit the ship and shut off the engines and electricity generators. The wreck was discovered during a sonar survey in 2017, however, it was only in September this year that it was identified after an investigation was carried out by a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) and multi-beam echo sounders. Read: Spanish Explorers Discovered St Augustine On This Day In 1565, All About Oldest City In US 'Most exciting find' The ship was sunk in 1940 and the wreckage was lying upright on the seafloor at a depth of about 490 metres near off the Norwegian coast. The wreckage of the ship was discovered by engineers of Statnett, a Norwegian state-owned power company. The engineers were out in the sea inspecting stem grid cables at the seabed when they discovered the wreckage but couldn't inspect it then because of lack of time. The company this year sent an expedition team with the survey vessel Olympic Taurus and confirmed that the wreck was Karlsruhe. One of the engineers involved in the mission said that they have found many historical remains in the past but this was easily the most exciting find. Read: US: 'Most Sophisticated' Cross-border Tunnel Discovered Between Mexico And Arizona "You can find Karlsruhe's fate in history books, but no one has known exactly where the ship sunk. Moreover, it was the only large German warship that was lost during the attack on Norway with an unknown position. After all these years we finally know where the graveyard to this important warship is," said Frode Kval, archaeologist and researcher at the Norwegian Maritime Museum. Read: Livestock Ship Carrying 42 Crew Missing Off Southern Japan With a length of 174 meters (571 ft) and equipped with steam turbines and nine cannons, Karlsruhe led the German attack on Kristiansand during Operation Weserubung April 9, 1940. But the very same afternoon the British submarine Truant attacked Karlsruhe and hit the cruiser with a torpedo, leaving it significantly damaged. It was then sunk by order from the German Captain, who after taking his crew off the ship asked them to fire two more torpedoes to make sure it sank. Read: Wreck Of Titanic Was Found On This Day In 1985; Read More About The Great Ship (Image Credit: Statnett/Website) Hooghly: Claiming "Corona has gone", Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Dilip Ghosh alleged that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has continued to impose lockdown in the State to stop BJP from organising rallies. Addressing a public rally in Hoogly district, the Member of Parliament from Medinipur constituency, claimed that once BJP comes in the State after the Assembly elections, it would take the state on the path of the progress. "Corona has gone. Mamata Banerjee is acting and imposing lockdown so that BJP can`t organise meetings and rallies in the State. No one can stop us," Ghosh said.Observing that the people of the State believe in BJP he said, "Masses of the State believe in BJP, that`s why they are protesting against the present government." "The TMC had claimed that BJP would be finished in the State in 2019. At the time, I had said that they would see what BJP is made of. They are seeing it now. Mamata Banerjee wanted to become Prime Minister, but she continued to remain Chief Minister," he said. Pointing out that people of the State believe in the BJP, because of the party`s hard work. "We will take the State on the path of progress if we come to power in 2021. Just wait for a few months. The fortune of West Bengal will change to the better. We will fulfil the dream of Syama Prasad Mookerjee regarding the transformation of this State to Sonar Bangla (Golden Bengal), with your support," he said. "We will not allow them to loot your money and make properties for themselves. Today, when passing through Singhur, we wonder where is the industry," he added. NASA on Thursday launched an effort to pay companies to mine resources on the moon, announcing it would buy from them rocks, dirt and other lunar materials as the US space agency seeks to spur private extraction of coveted off-world resources for its use. NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine wrote in a blog post accompanying the announcement that the plans would not violate a 1967 treaty that holds that celestial bodies and space are exempt from national claims of ownership. The initiative, targeting companies that plan to send robots to mine lunar resources, is part of NASAs goal of setting what Bridenstine called norms of behavior in space and allowing private mining on the moon in ways that could help sustain future astronaut missions. NASA said it views the mined resources as the property of the company, and the materials would become the sole property of NASA after purchase. Under NASAs Artemis program, President Donald Trumps administration envisions a return of American astronauts to the moon by 2024. NASA has cast such as mission as a precursor to a future first human voyage to Mars. The bottom line is we are going to buy some lunar soil for the purpose of it demonstrating that it can be done, Bridenstine said during an event hosted by the Secure World Foundation, a space policy organization. Bridenstine said NASA eventually would buy more types of resources such as ice and other materials that may be discovered on the moon. NASA in May set the stage for a global debate over the basic principles governing how people will live and work on the moon, releasing the main tenets of what it hopes will become an international pact for moon exploration called the Artemis Accords. This would permit companies to own the lunar resources they mine, a crucial element in allowing NASA contractors to convert the moons water ice for rocket fuel or mine lunar minerals to construct landing pads. Under the initiative disclosed on Thursday, NASA offered to purchase limited amounts of lunar resources and asked companies to offer proposals. Under contracts whose terms would vary, a company mining on the moon would collect lunar rocks or dirt to sell to NASA without having to bring the resources back to Earth. This is one small step for space resources, but a giant leap for policy and precedent, Mike Gold, NASAs chief of international relations, told Reuters. They are paying the company to sell them a rock that the company owns. Thats the product, Joanne Gabrynowicz, former editor-in-chief of the Journal of Space Law, said in an interview. A company has to decide for itself if its worth taking the financial and technological risk to do this to sell a rock. During his years as a reality television star, Trump was known for saying, Youre fired. A more accurate tag line would have echoed a cough syrup ad from the 1980s: Im not a successful businessman, but I play one on TV. But hes a billionaire! For that he can thank his daddy. In fact, Trump would be far wealthier today if he had invested his inherited fortune in an index fund and walked away, instead of tossing it down ratholes of his own making. According to the latest estimate from Forbes, the vaunted Trump economy has cost Trump roughly a third of his net worth, leaving him a billion dollars poorer than he was last winter. The head of global mining giant Rio Tinto and two other executives have resigned after an investor revolt over the destruction of the Juukan Gorge in Western Australia. Jean-Sebastien Jacques will stay on as chief executive until a successor is found or until March next year, whichever comes first. Iron ore boss Chris Salisbury and corporate relations manager Simone Niven will also leave the company. Their resignations come after months of pressure over the destruction of Aboriginal sacred sites dating back 46,000 years. Jean-Sebastien Jacques (pictured) will stay on as chief executive until a successor is found or until March next year, whichever comes first Juukan Gorge in Western Australia is one of the earliest known sites occupied by Aboriginals in Australia. Pictures taken on June 2, 2013 (top) and how it was on May 15, 2020 (bottom) 'What happened at Juukan was wrong,' Rio Tinto chairman Simon Thompson said in a statement on Friday. 'We are determined to ensure the destruction of a heritage site of such exceptional archaeological and cultural significance never occurs again at a Rio Tinto operation.' Mr Thompson acknowledged a lack of individual accountability had undermined the company's ability to rebuild trust and move forward. Environment and shareholder activist groups were quick to welcome the resignations. James Fitzgerald from the Australasian Centre for Corporate Responsibility said the removals were just the first step. Iron ore boss Chris Salisbury (right) and corporate relations manager Simone Niven (left) will also leave the company 'Investors have stepped up in this instance and demonstrated they will not accept corporate misinformation and the absolute disrespect to cultural sites that has become Rio's modus operandi,' he said. 'This is just the first step on a long path towards restoring Rio Tinto's good practice and reputation in its relationships with Indigenous people.' The traditional owners of the ancient cultural sites, the Puutu Kunti Kurrama and Pinikura people, have wanted a more prominent public platform to present their views on the disaster since it took place in May. They are calling on federal politicians investigating the blast to visit the site and see the full impact of the destruction. Rio had approval for the Juukan blast but did not tell traditional owners the company had examined multiple options for expanding its mine that did not involve damaging the rock shelters. In 2018, the company received an expert report that assigned the caves the highest archaeological significance in Australia. A Rio board review released last month determined no single root cause or error was behind the incident. Until Friday, the three executives held on to their jobs but had their bonuses cut. Industry super funds said the company's response did not go far enough. Rio has committed to helping establish a 'keeping place' on PKKP country for artefacts and other items salvaged from the rock shelters, some of which are being stored in a shipping container. Should convicted politicians be barred for life from contesting polls asks SC India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Sep 11: The Supreme Court has sought to know if convicted politicians be banned for life from contesting elections. The court was hearing a case to ensure speedy trials in 4,442 criminal cases pending against former and sitting MPs and MLAs across states. The court asked the centre to respond to a new prayer seeking a life ban on politicians convicted of heinous offences from contesting elections. The petitioner Ashwini Upadhyay said that there was a long list of serious crimes in which conviction of a public servant led to his disqualification from holding a government job for his lifetime. Why can't the same yardstick be applied to politicians who are under the Representation of People's Act. Why should they get away lightly by getting debarred from contesting elections for a period of six years after serving the jail term, the petitioner represented by advocates Vikas Singh argued. Sushant Death Case: Rhea Chakraborty denied bail by a Mumbai court, will stay in jail|Oneindia News The court then directed the high courts to provide information about the pending cases and their stages. The court also sought a response from the centre in six weeks time on the matter. Many Americans will always remember where they were on Sept. 11, 2001. We raced to our TVs and turned up the volume on the radio. The images we saw were horrific and America vowed to never forget. The headline across the front page of The Patriot-News said: SEPTEMBER 11, 2001: UNTHINKABLE // In a day of mind-numbing horror, America watched as the World Trade Center was destroyed, the Pentagon was attacked, planes crashed and thousands were killed as terrorists shook our nation to its core. On that day the extremist group al-Qaida attacked the United States by hijacking four airliners and crashing them, killing almost 3,000 innocent people. Businesses closed. Events were canceled. Everyone was jittery. The first airplane, American Airlines Flight 11, hit the north tower of the World Trade Center in New York City at 8:46 a.m. Flight 11 was a Boeing 767 with 92 people on board. It left Logan International Airport in Boston bound for Los Angeles. At 9:03 a.m. United Airlines Flight 175 hit the south tower of the World Trade Center. Flight 175, also a Boeing 767, had 65 people on board. The flight also took off from Boston and was headed to Los Angeles. At 9:37 a.m. American Airlines Flight 77 slammed into the west side of the Pentagon. Flight 77 was a Boeing 757 headed from Dulles International Airport to Los Angeles. There were 64 people on board. A helicopter flies over the burning Pentagon Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2001. The Washington Monument can be seen at right, through the smoke. The White House roof is visible in the trees of Washington at left. (AP Photo/Tom Horan)AP At 9:59 a.m. the south tower of the World Trade Center collapsed. At 10:03 a.m. United Airlines Flight 93 crashed into the ground in Somerset County, Pa. Flight 93 was a Boeing 757 with 44 people on board. It had taken off from Newark International Airport and was headed to San Francisco. It is believed that passengers wrested control of the plane from the hijackers, preventing it from hitting the Capitol in Washington, D.C. Crews searched the area where Flight 93 crashed in Somerset County, Pa., on Sept. 11, 2001.AP At 10:28 a.m. the north tower collapsed. At 10:50 a.m. five stories of part of the Pentagon collapsed. At 11 a.m. Mayor Rudolph Giuliani ordered the evacuation of Lower Manhattan south of Canal Street. At 5:20 p.m. Seven World Trade Center collapsed. The building had already been evacuated. At 8:30 p.m. President George Bush addressed the nation. Today, our fellow citizens, our way of life, our very freedom came under attack in a series of deliberate and deadly terrorist acts. The victims were in airplanes, or in their offices; secretaries, businessmen and women, military and federal workers; moms and dads, friends and neighbors. Thousands of lives were suddenly ended by evil, despicable acts of terror. The pictures of airplanes flying into buildings, fires burning, huge structures collapsing, have filled us with disbelief, terrible sadness, and a quiet, unyielding anger. These acts of mass murder were intended to frighten our nation into chaos and retreat. But they have failed; our country is strong. A great people has been moved to defend a great nation. Terrorist attacks can shake the foundations of our biggest buildings, but they cannot touch the foundation of America. These acts shattered steel, but they cannot dent the steel of American resolve. America was targeted for attack because were the brightest beacon for freedom and opportunity in the world. And no one will keep that light from shining. Today, our nation saw evil, the very worst of human nature. And we responded with the best of America -- with the daring of our rescue workers, with the caring for strangers and neighbors who came to give blood and help in any way they could. In the end, 2,996 people were dead and 6,000 were injured. The founder of al-Qaida, Osama bin Laden, was killed by U.S. soldiers in Pakistan in May 2011. The Flight 93 National Memorial was dedicated in 2011. On Sept. 9, 2018, the Tower of Voices at the memorial, a 93-foot-tall musical instrument that contains 40 wind chimes representing the 40 passengers and crew, was dedicated. The Memorial Plaza and Walkway marks the northern edge of the larger crash site and debris field - which is off limits. The Wall of Names is inscribed with the names of the 40 Flight 93 passengers and crew members in white marble panels. The black granite walkway marks a portion of the flight path. At the wooden Ceremonial Gate, visitors can look down the flight path to the impact site. The memorial opened a visitors' center in September 2015. The visitors center includes stories and pictures of the Flight 93 passengers and crew. It also includes a timeline. In 2018, the remaining wreckage was buried at the memorial in four shipping containers. The Pentagon Memorial features cantilevered benches, 85 crepe myrtle trees and an Age Wall that grows one inch in height a year relative the ages of the victims. The benches each have a victims age and location at the time of the attack. The benches, according to the memorials website, are arranged along an age line, according to the year each victim was born. The positioning differentiates between those aboard Flight 77 and those inside the Pentagon. Each bench also contains a reflecting pool of water. On Sept. 11, 2011, the national September 11 Memorial and Museum in New York City was dedicated and opened to the public the next day. The museum opened May 21, 2014. The memorial features two reflecting pools with the footprints of where the Twin Towers once stood. The names of every person who died in the 2001 at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and in Shanksville, Pa., and the 1993 World Trade Center attacks are inscribed in bronze panels around the pools. Last year, a judge set a trial date in 2021 for five men being held at the Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, prison charged with planning and aiding the terrorist attacks. They are charged with terrorism, hijacking and almost 3,000 counts of murder. In July of this year, however, NPR reported that a defense attorney in the case says he needs more time more than 2 years to prepare for the trial. READ MORE REDMOND (dpa-AFX) - U.S. President Donald Trump, who has ordered a ban of Chinese video-sharing app TikTok unless it is bought by a domestic company, said he will not extend the deadline given for its parent ByteDance Ltd. to sell TikTok's U.S. assets. Trump, before leaving for a campaign trip to Michigan, said, 'We'll either close up TikTok in this country for security reasons, or it will be sold. There will be no extension of the TikTok deadline.' It was on August 6 that Trump signed the Executive Order to ban TikTok, along with another Chinese firm WeChat, citing a threat to national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States. Trump earlier said he wanted a deal by September 15, while the executive order gives a 45-day time till September 20. Meanwhile, the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States or CFIUS requires sale of TikTok assets by mid-November. Meanwhile, Bloomberg reported, citing people familiar with the matter, that ByteDance is most likely to miss the deadline for a sale, following new Chinese regulations. Chinese officials reportedly requires any proposal to be submitted for approval with detailed information about technical and financial issues, and the review is expected to take time. Tech major Microsoft Corp. in a partnership with Walmart Inc. has submitted a proposal for TikTok's U.S. operations. Oracle also has submitted a bid, while final negotiations are yet to be known. The U.S. companies continue to express interest in TikTok despite the new Chinese requirement, Bloomberg added. TikTok has already filed a lawsuit in federal court challenging the Administration's ban order, taking strong exception to the allegation that the company is a national security threat. Amid these developments, TikTok's Kevin Mayer, who took charge as Chief Executive Officer on June 1, resigned, replaced by TikTok, General Manager Vanessa Pappas. TikTok is already banned by India citing threat to national security, while the company earlier decided to exit Hong Kong market after China established a new national security law for the semi-autonomous city. 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. Shriners Hospital for Children in Houston announced on Thursday that it has welcomed its first facility dog. Declan, a 2-year-old Labrador Retriever, will help patients cope with hospitalization and recovery. Attention candidates! The National Testing Agency (NTA) will declare the JEE Mains Result today. The NTA will announce the results for JEE Mains Exams 2020 on both of its official websites- jeemain.nta.nic.in and nta.nic.in. As per the Joint Seat Allocation Authority's schedule, the JEE Main ranks shall be released on September 11. In order to stay updated about the results, candidates are suggested to keep checking the official websites. Here's how to check the JEE Mains Result 2020 Step 1: Visit any of the official websites mentioned above Step 2: Click on the link reading 'JEE Main Result 2020' on the homepage Step 3: You will be redirected to a new page Step 4: Key in the required credentials and the provided security pin number Step 5: Click on the submit option Step 6: Your 'JEE Mains 2020 Result' will appear on the screen Step 7: Download and take a printout for future use The NTA conducted JEE Mains examination 2020 for over 8 lakh students from September 1 to September 6 across 660 centres all over India. Earlier this week, the Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank had also confirmed that the process of JEE Mains results compilation has begun and the results will be announced soon. The Education Minister tweeted, "My heartfelt thanks to all students and parents for reposing trust in the government and participating in #JEEMain exam. Process for result declaration has begun and results will be announced soon." My heartfelt thanks to all students and parents for reposing trust in the government and participating in #JEEMain exam. Process for result declaration has begun and results will be announced soon. @PIB_India@MIB_India@EduMinOfIndia@DDNewslive a Dr. Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank (@DrRPNishank) September 9, 2020 Also read: JEE Main 2020: Over 27% examinees drop out in first three days Also read: CBSE to hold Class 10, 12 compartment exams from September 22-29 By Imani Moise and Svea Herbst-Bayliss NEW YORK, Sept 11 (Reuters) - When Jane Fraser takes the helm of Citigroup Inc in February, she will have some big tasks ahead of her. Citigroup, the third-largest U.S. lender, has struggled for years to convince Wall Street that management's vision of a global bank with a hodgepodge of profitable, if unrelated, businesses will work. Profit targets set years ago by CEO Mike Corbat proved hard to reach even after revisions and major cost cuts. And although Citigroup is a much different bank than the one that required a $45 billion bailout to survive the 2007-2009 financial crisis, it still carries a stigma from failures that led it there. Citigroup's legal battles with hedge funds after mistakenly sending them $900 million of its own funds suggests that it has ongoing technology issues, analysts, investors and insiders said. Those problems have been a sticking point with regulators, which have pushed Citi to fix them in order to pass annual stress tests. Although Fraser's promotion was celebrated on Thursday as a sign that women can get ahead on Wall Street, analysts and investors said the halo will last only as long as she can deliver results. "The job of this woman is to get new business, solve the problem with the government on the technology - and get new business," said Dick Bove, a longtime bank analyst with Odeon Capital Group. "That's her job, and I think if anybody can do it, she can." Bove and others put Fraser's challenges into three buckets: growing revenue, addressing costly operational issues and truly repairing Citi's brand, which has been tarnished for over a decade. Fraser, 53, has a reputation as a "fix-it" executive, and many expressed faith in her abilities. A former Goldman Sachs investment banker and McKinsey consultant, Fraser cleaned up Citigroup's toxic mortgage book after the financial crisis, then its Latin America business after scandals erupted in Mexico, and has been leading its global consumer bank - which Citi is trying to grow - since October. Although Fraser had been seen as a front-runner to succeed Corbat for awhile, many analysts found the change to be abrupt. Most expected a longer-term transition that might take a year or two, with some questioning why Citigroup made the announcement on a seemingly random Thursday in September. Story continues Some investors had hoped Citigroup would appoint an outsider with a fresh perspective as its next CEO, KBW analyst Brian Kleinhanzl said in a note predicting an underwhelming share reaction to the news. Citigroup shares fell 0.9% on Thursday, compared with a 1.8% decline in the S&P 500 index. The 43% total return shareholders have gotten since the beginning of Corbat's tenure in 2012 through Wednesday's close pales in comparison to the 137% return for JPMorgan Chase & Co shares and 169% for Bank of America Corp shares during the same time frame, according to Refinitiv data. Out of the top six U.S. Wall Street banks, Citigroup's total return is higher only than that of Wells Fargo & Co, which has been plagued by various scandals since 2016. A Citigroup executive who spoke to Reuters said staffers were happy with Fraser's appointment. The person, who was not authorized to speak to the press, said she is seen as someone who understands Citigroup's key businesses and can repair ties with investors and the government. The person noted Fraser's success with regulators who scrutinized Citigroup's woes in Mexico, which ranged from bad underwriting in mortgages to oil loans that were later found to be fraudulent. One major investor said Fraser may be the CEO who can turn Citigroup around. The person described her as someone who has shown she can cut costs and invest in businesses appropriately, and comes across as truly caring about Citigroup's welfare. But it will not be a cakewalk for Fraser to get the bank to perform in line with peers again. "She will start in 'prove-it' mode," the person said, "and there is a lot to prove." (Reporting by Imani Moise in New York and Svea Herbst-Bayliss in Boston Additional reporting by Greg Roumeliotis and Jessica DiNapoli in New York Writing by Lauren Tara LaCapra Editing by Leslie Adler) - Akufo-Addo promises Ghanaians peaceful and free elections - He has given the assurance that his government would supervise and uphold the democracy Ghana is noted for - President Akufo-Addo is touring the Bono Region - Our manifesto: This is what YEN.com.gh believes in The flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Akufo-Addo, has assured Ghanaians of peaceful and free elections on December 7, 2020. The President of the Republic reiterated his commitment to the Bono Region House of Chiefs on Thursday, September 10, 2020. He wholeheartedly said his government will ensure absolute peace and stability before, during, and after the 2020 elections. READ ALSO: Ghanaians express mixed reactions over NPP, NDC, manifestos Ghana has rightly earned a reputation as the pacesetter in democratic governance on the continent, a reputation I am determined to uphold, and, indeed, enhance prior to, during and after the 7th December elections, he said. President Akufo-Addo also prayed that chiefs would play their part in solidifying the democracy and peace of the country. According to him chiefs and the traditional authority have always played a big part in the countrys development and democracy. Additionally, President Akufo-Addo indicated the commitment of the government to move speedily on finishing work on the codification of the traditional norms and rules that have guided our communities throughout the ages. President Nana Addo is on a working visit to the Bono and Ahafo regions. On Wednesday, September 9, 2020, he cut the sod for the commencement of the construction of 5.5km Tuobodom town roads. READ ALSO: 28 Ghana police officers sent home over 'akpeteshie party' and other offences The NPP presidential candidate for the 2020 election also inaugurated the Bono East Regional House of Chiefs in Techiman. When Akufo-Addo arrived in Techiman he was met by a mammoth crowd. YEN.com.gh earlier reported that Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has been touring the Savannah region as part of this visit to his working tour to Northern Ghana. On day four of his tour, Dr. Bawumia stormed the hometown of former President John Dramani Mahama. In a post on his Facebook wall, the vice president revealed how he was welcomed by a mammoth crowd when he visited the National Democratic Congress (NDC) flag bearers hometown, Bole. "Akufo-Addo deserves more than 8 years" - Ghanaian woman commends | #Yencomgh Have national and human interest issues to discuss? Know someone who is extremely talented and needs recognition? Your stories and photos are always welcome. Get interactive via our Facebook page. Source: YEN.com.gh YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 11, ARMENPRESS. The Urgent Support for Lebanese-Armenians fundraiser launched by the Hayastan All-Armenian Fund after the August 4 Beirut blast raised 412,000 dollars, of which 100,000$ was donated by the Tashir Charitable Foundation. The 310,000$ will be proportionally distributed to pay the 2020-2021 academic years Q1 salaries of teachers in Lebanons educational institutions, while the remaining 100,000$ will be provided for implementing educational projects and supporting the Ararat, Zartonk, Aztag, Vana Dzayn and Radio Sevan news media, the fund said in a news release. Hayastan All-Armenian Fund Executive Director Haykak Arshamyan is personally in Beirut to hand over the donation. Hes also met with Catholicos Aram I of the Great House of Cilicia, who praised the funds activities. The Hayastan Funds support to the Lebanese-Armenian educational and media organizations started back in 2019 when the economic crisis worsened in Lebanon. Overall during the past 9 months the fund provided more than 600,000 dollars in assistance. The fund also extended gratitude to all donors who helped raise the funds. Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan Dr Medland's research project, titled 'Working for five a day: risk and resilience in the changing food system, a multi-sited ethnography of the labour that feeds one city', explores food security and who bears the costs and risks to our food system as the UK moves towards exiting the European Union. The British Academy announced 36 new Postdoctoral Fellowships to outstanding early career researchers in the United Kingdom, supporting new research in the humanities and social sciences. Funded by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, the Postdoctoral Fellowships Scheme is the British Academys flagship programme of awards for early career academics based at universities throughout the UK. The three-year awards enable outstanding early career scholars to strengthen their experience of research and teaching in a university environment. The primary emphasis is on completing a significant piece of publishable research, giving award holders a base on which to build a successful academic career. This years round of awards supports research projects in areas ranging from the transition to farming in the Mesolithic period to adolescence in Medieval Europe and from the impact of violent conflict on youth in Sudan to law and regulation in the emerging femtech industry. Hetan Shah, Chief Executive of the British Academy, said: I congratulate each of our new postdoctoral fellows for their hard-earned success in this competitive scheme. The British Academy champions the humanities and social sciences and supporting the next generation of academics is crucial to ensuring these disciplines future health and vitality. These awards provide talented scholars with the independence to pursue new areas of research and the confidence and skills to advance their careers on solid foundations. (Natural News) In an exclusive interview with Breitbart News, conservative radio legend Michael Savage offered his insights on President Donald Trumps standing in the 2020 presidential election, the ongoing Chinese coronavirus pandemic, and what he described as the Black Lives Matter movements goal of ushering in a communist revolution in the United States. Savage also dove deep into the genesis of his forthcoming book Our Fight for America: The War Continues and revealed what he believes is the most pressing issue which President Trump should address if he wins re-election in November. (Article by Joshua Caplan republished from Breitbart.com) JOSH CAPLAN: Were less than 60 days away from the election. Both Biden and Trump completed their conventions. It remains unclear where we are with regards to polling. Some show Biden is leading nationwide, others show Trump is gaining ground on him. How do you feel about the presidents changes of winning re-election? MICHAEL SAVAGE: Conservatives dont answer polls. We have no idea where they really stand. In terms of Trump moving up, I think the out of control violence in America, which is clearly a communist revolution, Trump is running as a law & order candidate. Ive been complaining on my show that if you want to do something about it, stop telling us youre going to do it and just do it now. These communist revolutionaries are not idiots, they are well funded. But he did, he deputized the Oregon State Police and they shot one of the murderers, which was a step towards controlling them. I think the non-stop riots and mayhem from the fraudulent group, Black Lives Matter, a Marxist, antisemitic organization, anti-capitalist, these riots are working in Trumps favor. Biden, the hologram in the basement, so far has said nothing, except as a Johnny-come-lately that it will be quieter if he becomes president. How? Theyre suddenly going to go home, get a haircut, and get a job at Starbucks after they burn the store to the ground? I think the race is moving toward Trump and I do think that hes under-polled. JOSH CAPLAN: I want to follow up with you on the idea the riots can only help Trump. Although that appears to be the consensus in political circles and parts of everyday America, can too much rioting end up hurting the president? Is there a suprise X factor regarding the violence you would warn about? Could this actually backfire? MICHAEL SAVAGE: Its a tricky situation. I think the Republicans have made a calculation to keep the riots going because they know its working in their favor. I know how cynical that sounds, but we know what politicians are. In some ways, there are no white hats. Could it backfire? At some point, it must stop and if Trump cracks down too hard, hell fall right into the sandtrap that theyve laid for him, and call him a facist and say, See, we told you hes a Nazi. He cant go full military, even though its been done since Eisenhowers time. This is not just one night. Its been 100 days of riots in Portland. They chased the mayor out of his condo. He thought he could keep feeding the beast and that the beast would say thank you. I dont believe in sacred cows, whether they are animals or human. JOSH CAPLAN: I want to shift gears to the coronavirus pandemic. Once again, you found yourself in a Paul Revere situation, where you were sounding the alarm about something that others were not, even telling the president things that were quite different from what your viewpoint was. Why do you think you understood the threat the coronavirus posed and was there an exact moment where you recall you began to take things very seriously? MICHAEL SAVAGE: Let me start with now. The CDC data, which has been buried, says 180,000 havent died from coronavirus, only 8,000 have died from COVID-19, all the other deaths were due to related illnesses and underlying conditions. But does that diminish the lethality of this virus? The answer is no. Its still a very lethal virus. Now you have this terrible situation of hospitals reassigning deaths to COVID-19 because they collect more money from insurance of the federal government. Theres been a complete distortion of virus deaths. I took it very seriously because I saw apparently health, young guys in their 20s who were dying. Then you had others getting really, really sick. Then the world panicked and we got into lockdown because the politicians made a mistake. This was based on Dr. Fauci who I call Dr. Fraudy hes like a zombie bad guy. He is a power-mad career bureaucrat, who survived over 40 years in the NIH. What does that tell us about him? Hes a politician, hes not a scientist at all. Moreover, I saw this coming because Im a trained epidemiologist. I also keep referring to a scientific paper that Ive carried with me since the 1970s called Sorcery, Illness, and Social Control in a Philippine Municipality. Its all about how witch doctors used illness to control the populations in villages through fear. People like Fauci and Dr. Birx are sorcerers, theyre not scientists. They use sorcery. JOSH CAPLAN: Your next book Our Fight for America: The War Continues is set for release September 15th. Its an overarching analysis of the past four years, from the Trump administrations triumphs to the the crises the country faces. Whats the most important message you tried to get across to readers with this book? MICHAEL SAVAGE: I really feel it will be my last political book for a number of reasons. I think my radio career is coming to an end. I think the nation weve come to know is coming to an end. The first chapter is called the twin plagues Covidism and Communism. The Covidism has brought in pure socialism and its leading, with the riots, to communism if we dont stop this. Its my last-ditch effort to sway the election toward Trump. Hes all we got between us and the deluge. Biden is the Manchurian candidate. Hes a frontman. Look at who he picked. Kamala Harris is the most corrupt of all of them. Its not about Biden, its about who will be president in three to six months. The real candidate is Kamala Harris, who is a product of the most corrupted political system in the entire country, which is the Getty-Pelosi complex which has destroyed the state of California. Chapter 2 of my book is called The Virus Profiteers. Fortunes are being made on the public health disaster. The book ends with the chapter about staring into the abyss, which is where we are right now. In our hearts, we think this is all going to work out, because as humans we have to think that way. The last chapter is about the French Revolution to the American Leftist Revolution, from climate hysteria to racial hysteria. We are staring into a self-made oblivion. Everything that has previously defined the greatest nation in human history is erased. Rather than fighting with our breathe to avoid it, we are running head-long into the chasm like lemmings stampeding over a cliff. As Dostoevsky wrote, When I fall into the abyss, I go straight into it, head down and heels up, and Im even pleased that Im falling in just such a humiliating position, and for me I find it beautiful. I dont find it beautiful not at all. When no one stopped the radicals from knocking down Confederate war statues, you said nothing because you werent a Southerner, then when they came for George Washingtons statue, you said nothing because its only a statue, but when they beat up your grandmother in the street in New York, there was no one left to help her. Were living through an outright communist revolution. JOSH CAPLAN: Lets circle back to the first question I asked the topic of 2020 if President Trump wins re-election what is the most pressing issue that you believe he must address first on day one of his second term beside the violent unrest? MICHAEL SAVAGE: The economy. The country is fundamentally bankrupt. This administration is drunk on irresponsibility. Ive never seen anything like it. It reminds me of King Ludwig II of Bavaria. That didnt end well for Bavaria or King Ludwig II. He bankrupted the Treasury through his vast spending, including building palaces for himself. This bail out stuff, the PPP money, and the billions that were taken by the cronies have to stop. Fiscal irresponsibility must stop day one if Trump wins. Did Trump have to do it? You can to keep the economy going and preventing people from going into the gutter and breadlines, yes, he had to do it. But there comes a point where you cant do it anymore. The above interview transcript has been slightly edited for clarity. Read more at: Breitbart.com India is planning to raise surveillance of copper and aluminium imports while developing policies to curb shipments from China and other Asian nations to protect domestic producers, said two government sources and an industry official. Officials in New Delhi are expected to soon ask importers to register with authorities as a first step towards tighter controls that would require permits for individual shipments of the two metals, government sources said. The sources declined to be identified due to the sensitive nature of the discussions. The move for greater screening is aimed at pushing economic self-reliance, the federal mines ministry said in a letter to the commerce ministry late last month. The letter reviewed by Reuters refers to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's push to reduce imports and increase exports of value-added products. Also read: BT Buzz -- 'We ain't leaving India': Chinese firms on 'Boycott China' call "The purpose of (the) system is to have adequate information ... so that an appropriate policy intervention could be devised," the mines ministry said in the letter. Government sources said the aim of the tighter surveillance would be to move copper and aluminium imports onto a restricted items list, which would require importers to get a government-issued license for every shipment. India's federal mines and commerce ministries did not respond to requests for comment. "The screening will help us devise policies like adding one or both the metals to the restricted list of goods as we will have enough data to see what is being dumped into the country," one government official said. Also read: India's electronic exports can rise 16 fold to $180 billion by 2025 China, Japan, Malaysia, Vietnam and Thailand are among the major exporters of copper, accounting for 45% of India's $5 billion in copper imports for 2019/20, government data showed. India plans a similar mechanism for aluminium imports, which mainly come from China, the sources said. "China is a huge threat for India's aluminium industry," B.K. Bhatia, joint secretary general at Federation of Indian Mineral Industries (FIMI), the country's biggest mining lobby, told Reuters. Since April, about 58% of India's aluminium demand has been met by scrap imports, at prices 22% cheaper than domestic primary aluminium, according to industry data. Also read: US to block cotton, tomato imports from China's Xinjiang region over forced labour India imported around $4.4 billion worth of aluminium in 2019/20, government data showed. China was the biggest supplier, shipping aluminium worth just over $1 billion. India has increased its trade and investment barriers against Chinese firms after a deadly clash in June along the disputed Himalayan border. Photo: The Canadian Press Bridgeport Police Chief Armando Perez leaves the federal courthouse in Bridgeport, Conn., Thursday, Sept. 10. 2020. Perez and the city's acting personnel director, David Dunn, were both arraigned on Thursday on federal charges. Mayor Joe Ganim said that Chief Perez resigned and that he named Assistant Chief Rebeca Garcia as acting chief after federal prosecutors in New York and FBI officials in Connecticut announced the arrests of Perez and Dunn. (Ned Gerard/Hearst Connecticut Media via AP) The police chief of Connecticut's largest city resigned Thursday hours after being arrested on federal charges that he teamed with Bridgeport's personnel director to rig the hiring process to ensure he got the job two years ago. Mayor Joe Ganim said that Chief Armando A.J. Perez resigned and that he named Assistant Chief Rebeca Garcia as acting chief after federal prosecutors in New York and FBI officials in Connecticut announced the arrests of Perez and David Dunn, the citys acting personnel director. Perez, 64, of Trumbull, Connecticut, and Dunn, 72, of Stratford, Connecticut, were each charged with wire fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud and with making false statements to investigators. Both appeared via video before a federal judge in Bridgeport and were allowed to remain free on $150,000 bail. They did not enter pleas. Messages seeking comment were left with Perez and his lawyer, Robert Frost Jr. Dunns lawyer, Frederick Paoletti, declined to comment. Their next court date is Sept. 24. A criminal complaint alleged Perez and Dunn defrauded the city of 144,000 people by rigging the 2018 police chief examination to put Perez in position to secure the post as head of a police department with an annual budget of over $100 million and more than 400 officers. The previous police chief had resigned in March 2016. Acting U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss in New York City said the men corrupted what was supposed to be an impartial and objective search for a permanent police chief and then repeatedly lied to federal agents in order to conceal their conduct. According to a criminal complaint in Connecticut, Dunn gave confidential examination materials in advance to Perez, including the grading criteria and oral examination questions, and tailored the scoring criteria in Perez's favour. Perez, investigators said, also had two police officers secretly take the written exam for him. Dunn also instructed officials to eliminate a scoring penalty imposed if the candidates did not have a bachelor's degree, the complaint said. Perez was the only applicant without one, authorities said. The manoeuvrs were designed to ensure that Perez, who had been with the police department nearly four decades, was ranked among the top three candidates and could thus qualify to be awarded a five-year contract as chief, the complaint said. The terms of his contract included a $300,000 payout for accrued leave and an annual salary of about $145,000, the complaint said. Perez and Dunn both were voluntarily interviewed during the FBI's investigation, but they lied to agents to conceal what they did to corrupt the examination process, the complaint said. Dunn, according to investigators, falsely denied that he told a member of the panel ranking the chief candidates that the mayor wanted Perez to be among the top three candidates. The panelist, who was not identified in the complaint, told investigators that Dunn's comment about the mayor was totally inappropriate and did not influence the rankings. Ganim's chief of staff told Dunn that the mayor had said the police chief testing must be conducted professionally, fairly and timely, as required by the city charter. The complaint did not allege any involvement in the scheme by Ganim, who returned to office in 2015 after serving prison time for corruption. Ganim did not directly respond to the allegations in the complaint. Certainly there's a grappling for some of the answers as to what has happened, disappointment, uncertainty, Ganim said in a Facebook video. But I can tell you this, that the members of this administration remain committed to you as residents of this city ... to public safety as a top priority." Ganim, a close friend of Perezs, served nearly seven years in prison himself after he was convicted of corruption for steering city contracts in exchange for private gifts during his first tenure of Bridgeport mayor, which ran from 1991 until his resignation in 2003. He was released from prison in 2010 and elected mayor again in 2015, after apologizing and asking residents for a second chance. The Head of Corporate Affairs of the Ghana Exim Bank, Richard Osei Anane, has confirmed the existence of one-year brand ambassador contracts between the bank and showbiz personalities Agya Koo and Shatta Wale. However, Mr Anane says the figures (GH2million for Shatta Wale and GH250,000 for Agya Koo) - which have been widely reported as the value of the respective contracts are not accurate. He also disclosed that the company has already paid 15% of the actual worth of the respective contracts to the personalities. In a statement, the bank said the pair were contracted as influencers for a campaign to promote the production of local products and services to enhance export revenue generation. The campaign dubbed 'Made-In-Ghana 4P' was launched on Sunday, August 30, 2020. He, however, assured that the contract had "passed through procurement procedures" and has "not yet started". Background The existence of the contracts first came to light at the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament on Wednesday when Kumbungu MP Ras Mubarak raised concerns over a GH2million payment to Shatta Wale (known privately as Charles Nii Armah Mensah). He said it was not prudent for Exim Bank to pay such an amount to an artiste to promote products made in Ghana. I mentioned GHS2 million that went to Shatta Wale but the Deputy CEO says they wouldnt know who the vendor selected. And this is not to say that we have a problem with Shatta Wale getting some amount of money to do whatever work. But the Ghanaian public deserves to know how much went out and who got it because their answers were not satisfying. But in response to the query, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the bank, Kwame Adu-Darkwa, said the bank had contracted a media consultancy outfit to deal with the matter. About Exim Bank The Ghana Export-Import Bank Act 2016 Act 911 established the Ghana Exim Bank to bolster the government of Ghanas quest for a feasible and sustainable export-led economy. The object of the Bank is to support and develop directly or indirectly trade between Ghana and other countries and build Ghanas capacity and competitiveness in the international market place. Below is the statement from the Ghana Exim Bank: Dear News Editor; The Management of GHANA EXPORT-IMPORT BANKs attention has been drawn to varied reportage in the news media about payment to the tune of GHS 2 million to Brand Ambassadors. We wish to state categorically that no amounts of such magnitude have been paid to any Ambassador or Influencer. We further wish to state that, the Bank was invited by the Public Accounts Committee of Parliament to appear before them on Wednesday, 9th September, 2020, to answers certain questions pertaining to the operations of the Bank between 2015 to 2017. The issues raised by the Auditor-Generals Report within the stated period did not feature any item on the Banks intended campaign to promote Made-In-Ghana products. However, as a forward looking development and policy bank, we seek to invest in our people and businesses while projecting our very essence as a brand that facilitates international trade for and on behalf of Ghana. Our strategic interventions in Ghanas economy can be ascertained in the number of Projects and initiatives that have been funded since 2017. We would like to state that, part of GEXIMs mandate is to assist in the promotion of locally-produced goods and services to enhance export revenue generation, help reduce import, add value to raw materials for export, and create employment in the country. In view of this national call, the Bank on Sunday, August 30, 2020, launched a campaign dubbed: Made-in-Ghana 4P. The 4P stands for encouraging Ghanaians to Produce, Promote and Purchase Made-in-Ghana products and services so we can Prosper as a people and nation. To give this campaign a higher scale and in consonance with promoting Made-In-Ghana products and services, the Bank while following the requisite laid down procurement procedures, have contracted renowned Ghanaian Artistes as Brand Ambassadors and Influencers. These Artistes are Mr. Kofi Adu (Agya Koo) and Nii Armah Mensah (Shatta Wale). They are known for their exemplary Award-winning exploits within our local Creative Arts Industry and have earned international acclaim for their craft. Their role, simply put, is to give support, credibility and belief in the Made-in-Ghana agenda which is a personal passion point for them individually as well. These renowned Brand Ambassadors will be using their scale, brand equity, leverages and the pool of their fan bases to garner the needed acceptance, adoption and participation by Ghanaians in the Made-in-Ghana 4P campaign so that the products of the entities that we are lending moneys can be patronized for them to pay back and also energize the whole culture of buying and using Made-in-Ghana products in the country. The Bank has not doled out GHS2M to Shatta Wale. This allegation is factually incorrect and misleading. Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-VT) will host a virtual Michigan town hall Saturday to discuss the challenges facing Michiganders ahead of the November election and the need for urgent Congressional action on the many crises facing the nation. The Fighting for Justice virtual town hall will be streamed live beginning at 1 p.m. You can view the town hall by visiting: www.live.berniesanders.com. It will also be streamed on Sanders social media pages. The former Democratic presidential candidate will join with U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Detroit); Michigan Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist II; David Hecker, President of AFT Michigan and an American Federation of Teachers Vice President; Branden Snyder, Executive Director of Detroit Action; Ken Whittaker, Director of Movement Politics, Michigan Peoples Campaign; Bob King, former UAW President; and Betsy Coffia, Grand Traverse County Commissioner and Rural Organizer with We The People Michigan. The town hall follows Sanders events in Kentucky, West Virginia, Iowa, Wisconsin, Colorado, Texas, and Pennsylvania. During the town hall, Sanders will call on voters to hold Republican leaders accountable for their inaction, according to an Sanders office spokesperson. Sanders will be joined by Rep. Rashida Tlaib; Michigan Lt. Governor Garlin Gilchrist II; David Hecker, President of AFT Michigan and an American Federation of Teachers Vice President; Branden Snyder, Executive Director of Detroit Action; Ken Whittaker, Director of Movement Politics, Michigan Peoples Campaign; Bob King, former UAW President; and Betsy Coffia, Grand Traverse County Commissioner and Rural Organizer with We The People Michigan. Sanders last visited Michigan in early March ahead of the states presidential primary. On April 13, Sanders formally endorsed former vice president Joe Biden for president. Lead, South Dakota, Sept. 10, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Dakota Territory Resource Corp (OTCQB: DTRC) ("Dakota Territory" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that Mark Merchen of M3 Strategies has agreed to join our executive team as Director of Government and Public Affairs. Mark has deep roots in the Black Hills and his experiences in major regional economic development endeavors in South Dakota makes him a perfect fit for our team as we look ahead said Co-Founder, President and CEO Jerry Aberle. Building a world class company around high caliber gold exploration and mining properties -- for the benefit of our shareholders, the Black Hills area and the State of South Dakota is at the core of our corporate vision. We are committed to doing things right and are building a management team to achieve that goal within our community. We are very proud to have Mark as a representative of our company as we seek to build strong business relationships here in South Dakota. Born in the Black Hills, Mark Merchen served as Vice Chair and then Chairman of "Black Hills Vision" when that regional economic development organization worked with then Governor Mike Rounds and regional leaders to secure the former Homestake Gold Mine as the National Science Foundations preferred site for what is now the Sanford Underground Research Facility. As Chairman of Black Hills Vision Mark interacted with Scientists, the regions Business Leaders, Mayors, County Commissioners, Legislators, Governor and South Dakotas Congressional Delegation to help advance that important endeavor for the State and region. Mark later played a central role -- again working with then Governor Rounds and Lt. Governor Daugaard, as well as other South Dakota community and legislative leaders, to form the South Dakota Ellsworth Development Authority. Another collaborative, public private initiative, dedicated to making sure South Dakota is always a great place for the United States Department of Defense to conduct its essential national defense mission at Ellsworth Air Force Base. Mark has held a Series 7, Series 3, Series 63 and Series 65 securities licenses, lobbied in Pierre and Washington DC, worked extensively in corporate finance and has been active in multiple non-profit organizational development endeavors; as well as corporate development in the manufacturing, energy and agriculture sectors during his lifelong career in the region. Mr. Merchen will report directly to President and CEO, Jerry Aberle. About Dakota Territory Resource Corp Dakota Territory Resource Corp is a Nevada Corporation with offices located at Lead, South Dakota. Dakota Territory is committed to creating shareholder value through the acquisition and responsible exploration and development of high caliber gold properties in the Black Hills of South Dakota. Dakota Territory maintains 100% ownership of five gold properties covering approximately 11,398 acres in the heart of the Northern Black Hills of South Dakota, including the Blind Gold, City Creek, West Corridor, Homestake Paleoplacer and Tinton Properties. Dakota Territory is uniquely positioned to leverage Managements extensive exploration and mining experience in the District with Homestake Mining Company. For more information on Dakota Territory, please visit the Company's website at http://DakotaTRC.com/ . Investor Relations Investor Relations Contact: For more information, please contact Dakota Territory Resource Corp (605) 717-2540 Cautionary Note to U.S. Investors The United States has gone global with melted-and-poured language that previously applied mostly to regional trade agreements and domestic public works projects. The vehicle for doing so is the US Commerce Departments Steel Import Monitoring and Analysis (SIMA) system. Commerce plans to revamp how the US records steel imports to require that the data specify not only where finished steel product - such as coated flat-rolled steel or oil country tubular goods (OCTG) - come from but also where the substrate used to make the products originates. These significant improvements to SIMA will enable Commerce and the public to more readily identify transshipment and circumvention involving steel imports, US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said in a statement on Friday September 11. The new rules go into effect on October 13, according to a Federal Register entry also dated Friday. Melted-and-poured goes global In practice, the revamped SIMA system will require those seeking a license to import steel into the US to fill in a new field for the country of melt and pour, according to the Federal Register. Commerces SIMA system had previously only required that the origin of the finished steel product be disclosed. The rules are aimed at better identifying trade patterns and spotlighting surges of steel flowing into the US, in addition to highlighting instances of potential evasion or circumvention of anti-dumping or countervailing duty orders, Commerce said. Some products - cold-rolled and coated flat-rolled steel, for example - are produced using hot-rolled coil melted and poured in one nation and then shipped to another nation for downstream processing. The issue became a flash point in a series of duty-circumvention cases. The initial ones were filed in October 2016 and targeted flat-rolled steel that was melted and poured in China but cold-rolled or coated in Vietnam. Under existing SIMA rules, such cold-rolled or coated product would have been listed as originating in Vietnam even though the substrate was made in China, a nation already subject to prohibitively high anti-dumping and countervailing duty orders. The US also pushed for melted-and-poured rules in the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), the replacement to the North American Free Trade Agreement (Nafta). USMCA requires 70% of a vehicles steel and aluminium to originate in North America, meaning the material must be melted and poured on the continent. Melted-and-poured language championed by the US steel industry has long been in place in government-backed infrastructure work due to Buy America laws. The scope and timeline The new rules will also harmonize the scope of steel products subject to the new SIMA licensing requirements to match those subject to Section 232 tariffs and quotas, Commerce said. Section 232 - introduced in 2018 - means steel imported from most nations is subject to a 25% US tariff. Some nations, such as Brazil and South Korea, agreed to a quota in lieu of the tariff. The novel regulations will also extend the SIMA system indefinitely by getting rid of certain regulatory provisions concerning its duration, according the Federal Register. The program, in existence in its current form since 2005, provides statistical data on steel imports five weeks earlier than it otherwise would be available from the US Census Bureau. In 2017, its duration was extended through March 2022. The system has not been significantly updated since 2005, Commerce said. All import licenses must meet the requirements of the new SIMA system when it is operational on October 13. Licenses requested until October 9 should instead meet the requirements of the existing system, according to the Federal Register. The SIMA system will be offline from October 10-12 while the legacy system is discontinued and the new system started up. Commerce said it plans to hold education webinars on the new system on a first-come, first serve basis. Advertisement The Almeda fire in Oregon that has so far killed two is now under investigation as a potential arson attack after a body was discovered near the start of the blaze. Ashland Police Chief Tighe O'Meara announced Thursday a criminal investigation has been opened into the cause of the fire saying he believes the circumstances around the fire are 'suspicious'. Investigators are looking into the possible connection between the blaze and the death of an unidentified individual, whose body was found near the origin of the fire. This comes as the National Weather Service (NWS) revealed a staggering 87 percent of all wildfires that have ravaged America this year were caused by humans. The Almeda fire in Oregon that has so far killed two is now under investigation as a potential arson attack after a body was discovered near the start of the blaze. Residents survey the remains of their home in Talent, Oregon, from the blaze Ashland Police Chief Tighe O'Meara announced Thursday a criminal investigation has been A displaced couple in Phoenix, Oregon, after the blaze tore through homes. A criminal investigation has been opened into the cause of the 'suspicious' fire Resident Desiree Pierce cries as she visits her home destroyed by the Almeda Fire Friday in Talent, Oregon Two people have so far been killed by the blaze, although authorities warned the true death toll is likely to be higher A man walks through a neighborhood destroyed by the Almeda Fire in Talent Friday Homes are reduced to rubble from the fire which investigators said is 'suspicious' 'We have good reason to believe that there was a human element to it,' O'Meara said of the Almeda fire Thursday. 'We're going to pursue it as a criminal investigation until we have reason to believe that it was otherwise.' O'Meara did not elaborate on the suspicions of authorities but said police are working alongside the Jackson County Sheriff's Office on the investigation 'including the resulting death that occurred nearby along the Greenway.' Sheriff Nathan Sickler confirmed Wednesday that a body had been discovered around a mile from the origin point of the fire along the Bear Creek Greenway in north Ashland. Two people have so far been killed by the blaze, although authorities warned the true death toll is likely to be higher. The identities of the victims and the circumstances around their deaths are not yet clear. The fire started in Ashland Tuesday before spreading across more than 3,000 acres and destroying 600 homes in surrounding communities. Reports that the cause of the fire could be human related come as the NWS revealed that almost nine in 10 wildfires across the US in 2020 were caused by humans. A haze from wildfire smoke lingers over the gutted Medford Estates neighborhood in the aftermath of the Almeda fire in Medford, Oregon Investigators are looking into the possible connection between the blaze and the death of an unidentified individual, whose body was found near the origin of the fire A charred car sits in the driveway of a neighborhood devastated by the Almeda fire in Phoenix Homes are reduced to rubble in Talent after the fire ripped through neighborhoods. Oregon officials denied reports spreading on social media that fires have been deliberately started by far-left group Antifa and far-right group Proud Boys Stark data showed that 36,383 of the 41,599 fires that have ripped through the nation in the first nine months of the year were started by humans, burning a total of 2,510,743 acres. California has been hardest-hit by human-caused fires, with a total of 7,072 as of September 10. Texas was second with 4,170, followed by North Carolina with 1,889, Florida with 1,779 and Arizona with 1,552. Despite the prevalence of human-caused fires, authorities in Oregon have waded in on rumors that wildfires in the state have been deliberately started by extremist political groups. Unsubstantiated reports have been surfacing on social media that the fires have been started by far-left group Antifa and far-right group Proud Boys This comes as the National Weather Service (NWS) revealed a staggering 87 percent of all wildfires that have ravaged America this year were caused by humans Officials denied the reports and told residents to dismiss the rumors spread by unofficial sources. 'Remember when we said to follow official sources only,' the Douglas County Sheriff's Office in Oregon posted on social media. 'Remember when we said rumors make this already difficult incident even harder? Rumors spread just like wildfire and now our 9-1-1 dispatchers and professional staff are being overrun with requests for information and inquiries on an UNTRUE rumor that 6 Antifa members have been arrested for setting fires in DOUGLAS COUNTY, OREGON.' Medford Police Department also wrote in a Facebook post that officers had not arrested anyone connected to the Proud Boys or Antifa for arson and warned of a fake post using the department's logo claiming five Proud Boys had been arrested for arson in 2018. The quashing of rumors comes as the state is being ravaged by the wildfires that have so far killed four as well as widespread unrest as protests mount calling for an end to systemic racism and police brutality across America. Fire retardant covers vehicles and roads in pink while buildings are reduced to rubble in Talent, Oregon Residents comfort each other in the aftermath of the Almeda Fire which authorities are investigating as possible arson Desiree Pierce wipes away tears as she stands among the rubble where her home once stood Pictured the remains of homes in Talent, Oregon. This comes as the National Weather Service (NWS) revealed a staggering 87 percent of all wildfires that have ravaged America this year were caused by humans An American flag is almost all that remains standing after the Almeda fire ripped through Phoenix Travel to Mongolia when the coronavirus (COVID-19) is over. Because Mongolia has been overshadowed for many years by its powerful neighbors, China and Russia. Despite the exceptional growth in international tourism, the country has escaped the trampling boots of thousands of travelers. Mongolia isnt a place where you go to enjoy a typical vacation- it is a destination where you can discover a world that is completely different from the The National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL) plans to prepare a Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the construction of a high speed 753 km railway corridor that is expected to cut the travel time between Mumbai and Nagpur by half from over 11 hours currently to just six, officials aware of the matter said. The fastest Duronto Express between the two cities departs from Mumbais Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus at 8.15 pm and reaches Nagpur the next day at 7.30 am. The speed of [bullet] trains between Mumbai and Ahmedabad will be 320 km per hour [along an under-construction high-speed corridor]. ...the exact speed and time [trains will take along the Mumbai-Nagpur corridor] will be determined after the DPR is prepared but we expect to reduce the travel time by up to 50%. said an NHSRCL official. NHSRCL on Tuesday floated a tender for a survey to identify overhead, overground and underground utilities that will be required for the proposed corridor. The survey will also include identification of power sourcing options for substations along the Mumbai-Nashik-Nagpur high-speed railway corridor. DPR will be prepared on the basis of the details we get from the survey. It will be crucial as it will determine the area required, the pathway of the railway corridor, and other technicalities. Once data is received, we will begin preparing the DPR, said another NHSRCL official. Passenger associations have welcomed the move and said the proposed high-speed railway corridor will help Maharashtras economy. The capital of Maharashtra is Mumbai but Nagpur is a very important city. The reduction in travel time will not just help passengers but will also businesses, said Subash Gupta, president, Rail Yatri Parishad. Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's video calls are interrupted by their son Archie who 'climbs in front of the web camera and makes little impromptu cameos', their biographer has claimed. The Duke, 35, and Duchess of Sussex, 39, have continued to work with their favourite charities and initiatives throughout the global pandemic, regularly joining Zoom calls from their new $14million mansion in Santa Barbara. But the working parents' Zoom calls sometimes feature an unexpected guest appearance from their one-year-old son, Archie, according to Finding Freedom author Omid Scobie. Speaking on his podcast Heirpod, the royal commentator explained that Archie is 'no stranger' to creating the adorable interruptions. Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's video calls are often interrupted by their son Archie who 'climbs in front of the web camera and makes little impromptu cameos', their biographer has claimed. Pictured, the family in September 2019 'I loved discovering their daily Zoom calls with the various initiatives and people that they work with. And how Archie is no stranger to climbing in front of the web camera and making little impromptu cameos,' Omid said. Archie's cousin Prince Louis can relate, with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge admitting that their 2-year-old son can't resist ending his parents' calls. 'For some reason, he sees the red button and he always wants to press the red button', Prince William, 38, told the BBC in April. The Duke, 35, and Duchess of Sussex (pictured together recently), 39, have continued to work with their favourite charities and initiatives throughout the global pandemic, regularly joining Zoom calls from their new $14million mansion in Santa Barbara Archie's already experienced in front of a camera, with the youngster appearing on a video with his mother Meghan for his first birthday. In May, the duchess was captured reading one of her son's favourite books, Duck! Rabbit!, to him in support of Save The Children UK. It comes following claims from a royal expert that the monarchy has been 'left looking over its shoulder' at Prince Harry and Meghan following their Netflix megadeal. The couple have signed a new deal with the streaming service which could be worth as much as $150million, and say they want to provide 'hope and inspiration' with their upcoming projects. Prince Harry and Meghan failed to tell the Queen, 94, about their Netflix deal before announcing it to the world, with aides telling her about the couple's new venture - which involves a yet-to-be-named production company set on making documentaries, feature films and children's programming. Writing in Town and Country, royal expert Victoria Murphy said the monarchy had been left 'looking over its shoulder', saying: 'Family members will be hoping that Harry and Meghan stick to the pledge that they made to uphold the values of Her Majesty in everything they do.' BENI, Democratic Republic of Congo (Reuters) - Suspected Islamist militants killed at least 53 villagers in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo's Ituri province this week, a local official said on Thursday. The authorities blamed the attacks on Tuesday and Wednesday on the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a Ugandan armed group active in eastern Congo since the 1990s. The militia has killed more than 1,000 civilians since the start of 2019, according to U.N. figures, despite repeated military campaigns aimed at destroying it. On Tuesday night into Wednesday, ADF fighters attacked the villages of Tsabi and Tondoli, around 120 km (75 miles) south of the city of Bunia, officials said. Etienne Babawela, a local village chief, said 53 bodies had been discovered so far. "We don't know how many deaths there will be tomorrow," he said. "It's as if they had lots of time on Tuesday and Wednesday while they were killing people." The United Nations says violence attributed to the ADF has soared since the start of the year, following the launch of a large-scale army campaign. In response, the ADF abandoned its bases, split into smaller, more mobile groups, and took revenge on civilians. Several attacks attributed to the ADF have also been claimed by Islamic State, although researchers and analysts say there is a lack of hard evidence linking the two groups. Violence committed by a constellation of more than 100 armed groups has forced over half a million people in the east of the country to flee their homes since the start of the year. Millions of people died in eastern Congo, most from hunger and disease, during wars from 1996 to 2003 that sucked in more than half a dozen neighbouring countries. Congo's military and security forces have also committed grave violations, including killings and sexual violence, the United Nations has said. (Reporting by Erikas Mwisi Kambale; writing by Hereward Holland and Aaron Ross; Editing by Gareth Jones and Catherine Evans) Police forces around the nation have been using their social media presence to spread important health information. This post by the Delhi Police is no different and conveys an essential message in a witty way regarding how one can prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus. This image was shared from the Delhi Polices official Instagram and Twitter accounts on September 10. Dont leave your home unless absolutely necessary. Protect yourself from Covid-19, reads the text shared alongside the photograph. The illustration is designed to resemble a screenshot of a Google search page. How to fight coronavirus? reads the text written in the search bar. Below the icons, usually visible on the webpage, is a function many may be familiar with. It is Googles did you mean function, which suggests alternative keywords after scanning user queries for spelling and grammar errors. Meme makers often utilize this trend for comedic purposes by writing a funny alternative to the word or phrase written in the search bar next to the sentence: did you mean. In this scenario, Staying indoors, is written post the phrase and suggests that the best way to restrict the spread of Covid-19 is to stay indoors. The hashtag #StayHomeStaySafe is also visible in the snapshot. Check it out here: Since being shared on the Internet, this post has received a whole lot of love. It currently has over 300 likes on Instagram and over 112 likes on Twitter. What are your thoughts on this share? Also Read | People without masks remind Delhi Police of this Jolly LLB dialogue IS forgiveness really an antidote to anger and fear even after the murder of a loved one? Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 11/9/2020 (497 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. IS forgiveness really an antidote to anger and fear even after the murder of a loved one? For Wilma Derksen, whose daughter, Candace, 13, was killed in 1984 in Winnipeg, the answer is yes. Ruth Bonneville / Winnipeg Free Press Files Wilma Derksen holds a black-and-white photograph of her slain daughter Candace. "If not for forgiveness, I would have lived my life in despair, I would have succumbed to rage and fear," she said of her decision to pursue a different way of responding to the trauma. Through forgiveness, Derksen said she was able to dispel the clouds of anger and trauma that pursued her following Candaces death. "It was the only way to dispel them, to shrivel them up." Known across North America for her work addressing the needs of victims and offenders, and promoting the issue of restorative justice, Derksen details the journey of forgiveness in her new book, Dispelling the Clouds: a Desperate Social Experiment. The experiment was desperate, she said, because she didnt know if it would work. "I needed to see if forgiveness works or if it is just a flash in the pan, something that couldnt see me to the end," said Derksen, who works part-time as a therapist at Oakville Wellness Centre and is a co-pastor, with her son, Cyrus, at Maplecrest Church, a new non-denominational church located in the Park Theatre in South Osborne. It was also desperate because of the criticism she received. "People said I was too soft on criminals," she said. "I am very committed to personal accountability for actions, but not to revenge." She recalled a poll published in the Globe and Mail soon after she announced her decision to forgive her daughters killer: "Eighty per cent felt I was wrong." A self-described people-pleaser, Derksen was devastated by the reaction. Yet, she didnt regret publicly announcing her decision. "I would not have been able to be so forgiving if I didnt make it public," she stated. "It helped keep me accountable." Faith was also important. "I dont know how I could have done it without God," she said. "God was in my journey. God works in us through forgiveness and brings healing." Yet, she admits, it wasnt an easy journey. Ready, Pet, Go! Leesa Dahl looks at everything to do with our furry, fuzzy, feathered, fishy (and more!) pet friends. Arrives in your inbox each Monday. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. "Life isnt simple," she said. "I had to learn to embrace its complexity and not be afraid. Thats where the learning is." Although most people wont experience something as traumatic as the death of a child, Derksen said everyone will experience challenges. "Everyone is brought to their knees, at some point," she said, noting her book is also for those people. "Everyone has a trauma cloud to deal with and can benefit from a journey of forgiveness." Derksen is dispelling the clouds Sept. 14 with an all-day, come-and-go open house in the backyard of her home at 26 Grimston Rd. The open house book launch starts at 10 a.m., with the first reading from her book. The second reading is at 3 p.m.; the final at 7 p.m. The outdoor event will follow physical-distancing protocols and masks are recommended. faith@freepress.mb.ca A woman wearing only a white towel ran into a gas station in Utah very upset and visibly shaking, officers wrote in court documents. She asked the clerks for help, explaining that her boyfriend had just tried to kill her in a hotel room, according to a probable cause affidavit. The woman told police she escaped from the Days Inn across the street in St. George after she had an argument with her boyfriend at a bar on Sept. 7, according to police. Joseph Folland, 36, allegedly beat the woman with his fists when they got to the room, restrained her hands with duct-tape and taped her mouth shut after she cried out for help, Tiffany Atkin, a spokeswoman for the St. George Police Department, told McClatchy News. Folland pulled a knife on the woman and held it to her throat, saying he was going to kill her, court documents state. He allegedly threatened the victim to keep her from testifying against him in another criminal case in which Folland is potentially facing 20 years in prison for kidnapping and assault, according to the documents. At some point, the woman lost consciousness and when she came to, Folland was dragging her into the bathroom where he tried to drown her in the tub, Atkin said. The woman told him she needed to use the bathroom, at which point she escaped, according to police. Police observed contusions on her face, neck and left arm, including a discolored (reddish/bluish) and nearly swollen shut right eye, according to the probable cause affidavit. Folland fled the hotel room wearing only shorts and was found two days later after police posted information asking for the publics help in finding him, Gephardt Daily reported. He was booked into the Washington County Jail on charges of aggravated assault with the use of a weapon, witness tampering, giving false information to a police officer and possession of a weapon as a convicted felon, according to the jails website. St. George police arrested a Utah man after he bound a woman and attempted to drown her in a hotel bathtub for threatening to testify against him in a criminal case. St. George police arrested a Utah man after he bound a woman and attempted to drown her in a hotel bathtub for threatening to testify against him in a criminal case. Nigeria has become the worlds number one contributor to deaths of children under the age of five. Nigeria overtook India last year to secure the unenviable position, according to a report released Tuesday by UNICEF, the UN childrens agency. The development which comes two years earlier than estimated by the World Bank, paints a worrying picture for child mortality and survival in the country, further exposing a lack of plan and ambition in tackling diseases causing the deaths of children, which are usually curable. In 2018, the World Bank had said Nigeria would take over from India as the world capital for deaths of children under the age of five by 2021. According to World Bank figures, India recorded an estimated 989,000 under-five deaths in 2017 compared to 714,000 deaths by Nigeria in the same year. Nigerias population is about 200 million, while Indias is over 1 billion. In the latest report titled Levels and Trends in Child Mortality, UNICEF said Nigeria recorded an estimated average of 858,000 under-five deaths in 2019 against Indias 824,000 deaths out of 5.2 million under-five deaths globally. The numbers from both countries are almost a third of all deaths before age five globally. The data, which covered a period of three decades 1990 to 2019 showed that 49 per cent of all under-five deaths in 2019 occurred in just five countries: Nigeria, India, Pakistan, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Ethiopia. Nigeria and India alone account for almost a third, it said. The UN agency also warned that the COVID-19 incursion is capable of derailing decades of progress toward eliminating preventable child deaths. While the extent and severity of the mortality impact of COVID-19 on children and youth is still unknown, the potential of a mortality crisis in 2020 threatens years of remarkable improvement in child and adolescent survival from 1990 to 2019, the period covered in this report, the agency said. While current evidence indicates the direct impact of COVID-19 on child and youth mortality is limited, indirect effects stemming from strained and under-resourced health systems; limitations on care-seeking and preventative measures like vaccination and nutrition supplements; socioeconomic strain on parents and households resulting from job loss or economic downturns; and stress to children and parents associated with abrupt societal shifts maybe substantial and widespread, it read. Nigeria becomes worlds highest contributor to Under-5 deaths Moreover, many of these indirect effects may not be apparent for some time after the pandemic recedes and may reverberate for an extended period following the pandemic. Gloomy The UNICEF data lends urgency to the calls by health advocates on Nigeria to show commitment and prioritise management of certain diseases causing deaths of children under five. Health experts have continued to decry the neglect and poor funding of health interventions by successive governments that would have cut down the yearly losses of lives of children in the country. One of such is the poor funding of nutrition. Nutrition experts are lamenting the removal of about N800 million budgetary allocation for Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) from the 2020 budget. The ICIR reported how the government in 2019 cut funding for the nutritional programme designed to save thousands of lives among an estimated 2.5 million children suffering from severe acute malnutrition. Even before the cut, Nigeria was spending far less than needed to address its nutrition crisis. The World Bank estimates that Nigeria would have to spend N301 billion ($837 million) annually to combat malnutrition effectively. According to Beatrice Eluaka, the Executive Secretary of Civil Society Scaling-up Nutrition in Nigeria (CS-SUNN), Nigeria has the second-highest number of stunted children in the world with two million children battling with Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM). While most deaths resulting from Pneumonia occur in developing countries and about three-quarters takes place in just 15 countries, more than half of the worlds annual incident cases occur in Nigeria and four other countries. According to Save the Children, Nigeria has the highest number of pneumonia deaths globally, as the disease claimed the lives of 162,000 Nigerian children under the age of five in 2018. Advertisements This means, in every three minutes, a Nigerian child dies from the infectious disease. It also means the disease now snuffs lives out of under-five children in Nigeria more than other child killers like HIV/AIDS, Malaria, Measles, Tuberculosis put together. There are eight health indicators used to track health performance of countries infant and child health, infant mortality, nutrition, reproductive health, maternal mortality, life expectancy rate among others and Nigeria has not fared well in any. Worst still, Nigerias poor data collation culture makes it even more difficult to get a clear picture of the situation. Nigeria still remains one of the worst places in the world to raise a child, infant, or mother. Asides UNICEF data, a 2018 report by the World Health Organization (WHO) showed that one in eleven children who die in the world before their fifth birthday are Nigerians. The report The 54-page UNICEF report marshalled several key facts and figures involved in child survival across the world. It said despite dramatic reductions in child and youth mortality over the last 30 years under-five mortality has dropped by almost 60 per cent since 1990the global burden of child and youth deaths remains immense. The report found that in 2019 alone, about 7.4 million children, adolescents and youth died mostly of preventable or treatable causes. READ ALSO: Same year globally, 70 per cent of deaths among children and youth under 25 years of age occurred among children under 5 years of age, accounting for 5.2 million deaths. Among under-five deaths, 2.4 million (47 per cent) occurred in the first month of life, 1.5 million (28 per cent) at age 111 months, and 1.3 million (25 per cent) at age 14 years. An additional 2.2 million deaths occurred among children and young people aged 524 years in 2019, 43 per cent of which occurred during the adolescent period, ages 1019. If all countries reach the SDG (Sustainable Development Goals) child survival targets by 2030, 11 million lives under age 5 will be savedmore than half of them in sub-Saharan Africa, the report stated. Download the full report here. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA from Uttar Pradesh, Nand Kishore Gurjar, has written to home minister Amit Shah requesting him to upgrade actor Kangna Ranauts security to Z plus and to dismiss Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray-led coalition government for allegedly illegally demolishing Ranauts office in Mumbai. Ranaut was provided Y-plus category security cover by Centre on recommendation of Himachal Pradesh government after the actor, who is originally from Mandi in the Himalayan state, said she had been threatened by Shiv Sena of physical harm when she returned to Mumbai. Claiming there was a serious threat to actors life, the BJP MLA from Loni assembly segment of Ghaziabad district alleged that Ranauts office was demolished by Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on the instructions of mafia don Dawood Ibrahim. The MLA, however, did not substantiate his allegation. Also Watch l You dont demolish Dawoods house: Fadnavis slams Sena over Kangana case The BMC hasnt bothered to look into various illegal properties but has acted against Ranaut, he said in his missive, which also demands arrest of Maharashtra CM apart from dismissal of the coalition government led by Thackeray. I too have received threat calls from Pakistan and various Islamic countries ever since I raised my voice against streaming of a web series. There is a need to order a probe by NIA into the nexus Maharashtra government has with the underworld, Gurjar said in his letter, which also referred to Uddhav Thackeray as a dummy chief minister. Also Read: Kangana Ranaut kicks off her day with motivational post, childhood pic: Never let your mind dominate your feelings The theory of underworlds involvement in Kangana case gained ground following alleged threatening calls made to chief minister Uddhav Thackeray and state home minister Anil Deshmukh. Watch: Dont drag my name: Adhyayan Suman over Kangana Ranauts alleged drug links The BJP MLAs letter highlights the political divide over Kangana Ranauts public statements, including the one likening Mumbai to Pakistan Occupied Kashmir, which has pitched Uddhav Thackerays Shiv Sena and the Maharasthra Congress against her. The coalition partners in the states Maha Vikas Aghadi government have alleged that Kangana is being used as a proxy by the BJP to defame Mumbai police. The BMC had demolished Kangana Ranauts office in a posh Bandra locality alleging it violated the sanctioned plan. Ranaut has accused BMC of carrying out vendetta at the behest of the state government. Bombay high court is also hearing Ranauts plea against BMC in the matter. New Delhi: Harvest festivals Lohri and Bogi Pongal are being celebrated across the nation on Friday. While Lohri is primarily associated with Punjabi culture, Pongal is predominantly a Tamil festival, celebrated in Tamil Nadu and parts of South East Asia. Pongal is a four-day festival and first day is called Bogi Pongal. Lohri and Bogi Pongal will be followed by Makar Sakranti and Thai Pongal along with beginning of Bihu festival on Saturday. Lohri 2017: Significance and ritual Celebrated on January 13 every year, Lohri commemorates the passing of the winter solstice. The festival represents the longest night before the winter solstice as it was originally celebrated on the night before winter solstice followed by the shortest day of the year which is observed in Magh, in the Hindu lunar calendar. On this day, people lit a bonfire and distribute food made of Til (sesame seeds), peanuts and jiggery, including gazak, rewari, patti, puffed corns and rice, etc. In pics: Harvest festival Lohri marks end of winter Bogi Pongal 2017: Significance and ritual Pongal is a four days festival and the first day is known as Bogi Pandigai. On this day people clean their homes and light bonfire to discard unused items. The most important day of Pongal is known as Thai Pongal. Thai Pongal which is the second day of the four days festivity is also celebrated as Sankranti. Thai Pongal day is celebrated by boiling freshly harvested rice with fresh milk and jaggery in a new clay pot. While boiling the concoction, people let the milk spill over the pot as an auspicious sign of material abundance and prosperity. Later the concoction of rice, milk and jaggery, known as Pongal, is topped with brown sugar, Ghee, cashew nuts and raisins. Freshly cooked Pongal is first offered to the Sun God as a gratitude for good harvesting and later served on banana leaves to the people present in the home for the ceremony. Traditionally Pongal is cooked at sunrise at an open place. Thai Pongal is the first day of Thai month according to Tamil Solar Calendar. Thai is the tenth solar month in Tamil Calendar. Thai Masam is known as Makar in other Hindu calendars. Next day of Thai Pongal is known as Mattu Pongal. Cattles are decorated and worshipped on Mattu Pongal day. The last and final day of Pongal is known as Kaanum Pongal. It is time for family reunions in Tamil Nadu. Makar Sakranti 2017: Significance and ritual Makara Sankranti 2017 is one of the most celebrated festivals in India but astrologically, it is the day when Sun begins its movement away from the tropic of Capricorn and towards the northern hemisphere. Sun will start appearing to rise towards North-East for next 6 months. This year, Sun moves into Capricorn (Makara Rasi) at 05:15 IST on 14 January 2017.As Makara Sankranti in 2017 happens before sunrise on 14th January, all rituals should be done after Sunrise on same day and completed before noon. On this day, people take bath in holy water across nation and offer prayers to Sun God. The day is associated with auspicious beginning and donations. Bihu 2017: Significance and ritual Assam is set to celebrate Magh Bihu starting from Saturday January 14. The origin of the term Bihu came from the Sankrit word that means Vishu. It is the cheerful festival of Assam that is celebrated by the locals irrespective of caste, creed and beliefs. In a year Assamese celebrate three different kinds of Bihu festival that is Bohaag Bihu in the middle of April month, Maagh Bihu in the middle of January month and Kaati Bihu in the middle of October month. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. China is introducing countermeasures to urge the US to repeal its wrong decisions. Beijing will impose reciprocal restrictions on all American diplomats in China in response to earlier curbs on the activities of its embassy staff in the United States, Chinas Ministry of Foreign Affairs has said. The unspecified countermeasures will apply to all US embassy and consulate staff, as well as the consulate-general in Hong Kong, a ministry statement said on Friday. To urge the US to repeal its wrong decisions as soon as possible, the Chinese side has recently sent a diplomatic note announcing reciprocal restrictions on US embassy and consulates, the consulate-general in Hong Kong included, it added. The announcement comes days after China threatened to respond to a new raft of US restrictions on Chinese diplomats, such as a requirement to seek approval for university visits, holding cultural events with more than 50 people outside embassy grounds, or meetings with local officials. Last week, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said those measures were a response to long-established controls on American diplomats in China, drawing an angry rebuke from Beijing. It comes as part of a Trump administration campaign against alleged Chinese influence operations and espionage activity. The State Department had said it would also take action to help ensure all Chinese embassy and consular social media accounts were properly identified. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Friday Washingtons multiple rounds of restrictions on its diplomatic personnel had disrupted relations between the two countries. 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 was first reported in the Chinese city of Wuhan late last year. Despite Trumps previous affinity for Chinese President Xi Jinping, his administration has been ratcheting 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. CLP, Hong Kong's largest power utility and the first major local company to invest in Zhaoqing more than two decades ago, will continue to supply electricity in the Greater Bay Area city to support its future development, according to senior executives. The Huaiji Hydro Power Station in Zhaoqing, the largest bay area city geographically, was the first renewable energy project for CLP. It was established in 1997, the same year Hong Kong was handed back to China. CLP has increased its investment in Zhaoqing over the last two decades and has already invested 480 million yuan (US$70.18 million) in the power plant there. The Hong Kong electricity company has raised its shareholding in the Huaiji power plant from 41.5 per cent in 1997 to 84.9 per cent now. Get the latest insights and analysis from our Global Impact newsletter on the big stories originating in China. "The project provides a stable power supply needed for the social and economic development of Huaiji County in Zhaoqing. It also establishes a stable foundation for CLP to develop renewable energy business," said Chan Siu-hung, CLP's managing director for China, who joined the firm in 1981 and oversees the company's business in mainland China. "CLP will continue to explore opportunities in Zhaoqing and other GBA cities to provide clean and stable electricity in the region. We will focus on renewable energy projects such as wind, solar and hydro and smart energy." Smart energy refers to the use of artificial intelligence and other new technology to enable companies to reduce their energy use. The power plant has generated an average annual profit of around 65 million yuan over the last decade for CLP, while it provides an electricity sufficient for 120,000 households per year. "Huaiji Hydro Power Station has been a successful green energy project. The area has many waterfalls, which meant we did not need to do much construction - we just had to install the generators to use the water flow to generate electricity," Chan said. Story continues CLP, which will celebrate its 120th anniversary next year, is 19 per cent owned by chairman Michael Kardoorie and his family. It was his father Lawrence who decided to expand the company's business into mainland China in 1979, and it now has over 50 projects across the country. Chan recalled the project was signed into existence during a promotional event hosted by the Zhaoqing government to encourage investment from Hong Kong. Over the past four decades, Hong Kong companies' investments have been a major driving force behind the development of the GBA. Zhaoqing will have a greater demand for electricity as it expands under the bay area project. In February last year Beijing issued a blueprint detailing measures to promote capital and talent flow between Hong Kong, Macau, and nine mainland Chinese cities including Zhaoqing to create an economic powerhouse. Zhaoqing, because of its size, can provide cheap land for start-ups to expand, and a stable electricity supply will be vital. Chinese Tesla challenger Guangzhou Xiaopeng Motors Technology in May secured a production licence for a 10 billion yuan (HK$11.2 billion) factory in the city before its listing in the United States last month. Mainland developer Agile Property plans to build a residential "Hong Kong town" in Zhaoqing to attract Hongkongers to live and retire there. "The Zhaoqing government and the local community in Huaiji has always supported the CLP Power plant," said Dillon He, an associate director at CLP, who was based in Huaiji for three years until the end of 2019. The power plant provides jobs, with 95 per cent of the 260 staff hired locally, He said. As a Hongkonger living and working in Zhaoqing, he found life easy there because people speak Cantonese and there are a lot of good restaurants serving dim sum and other Guangdong food. "The opening of high-speed train services between Hong Kong and Zhaoqing in July last year has made my life easier travelling between the two places. It is now less than two hours to travel between Hong Kong and Zhaoqing, compared with four to five hours by bus previously. It allowed me to come back home every week," he said. 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. A new security layer can be added soon on Zoom users. The widely-used teleconferencing app now introduces two-factor authentication before logging-in. Here's how to enable this feature for yourself. Zoom now has 2FA security feature! Zoom has a new counter-action against 'Zoombombing' acts on the platform. By applying two-factor authentication, anyone who wants to join a call or log-in to their account will be required to provide additional identification before getting in. Tech Radar reported on Friday, Sept. 11, about the recent announcement of the popular teleconferencing app. As explained, the platform wants to make sure the security of each user when making or entering a call. So besides the standard password or pin number before logging-in, users have to provide either a smart card or mobile device or biometric information such as fingerprint or voice activation. Specifically, users can get to choose authentication apps that support Time-Based One-Time Password (TOTP) protocol (such as Google Authenticator, Microsoft Authenticator, and FreeOTP), or have Zoom send a code via SMS or phone call, as the second factor of the account authentication process. How to enable 2FA feature? Since the quarantine started-- wherein people are forced to stay-at-home, Zoom, and other video conferencing apps have been in-demand. But the fame also packs up with a lot of privacy breach claims from thousands of Zoom users. Therein starts the infamous popularity of 'Zoombombers.' These users guess or simply hijack a random call to prank or annoy important conferences during the calls. Impressively, Zoom has been cooperating and making improvements to its security features in order to avoid these incidents from rising again. And the 2FA feature is just one of the biggest changes of the platform. To enable this feature: Sign in to the Zoom Dashboard In the navigation menu, click Advanced, then Security. Make sure the Sign in with Two-Factor Authentication option is enabled. Select one of these options to enable 2FA for:0 All users in your account: Enable 2FA for all users in the account. Users with specific roles: Enable 2FA for roles with the specified roles. Click Select specified roles, choose the roles, then click OK. Users belong to specific groups: Enable 2FA for users that are in the specified groups. Click the pencil icon, choose the groups, then click OK. 5. Click 'Save' to confirm your 2FA settings. Texas man 'Zoombombs' class with real bomb joke One of the most recent examples of the 'Zoombombing' incident happened on Sept. 4. Police officers arrested a 19-year-old Houston resident named Ibraheem Ahmed Al Bayati over his alleged interruption of a virtual University of Houston lecture. To make it worse, he also reportedly made a bomb threat and claimed association with ISIS. He confessed to the investigators that it was only a 'joke.' However, authorities see otherwise. "Mr. Al Bayati claimed it was a joke, but also when we look through at least a cursory review of one of the phones, there was ISIS material on there," the prosecutor said in court on Tuesday, Sept. 8. ALSO READ: Zoom Hacking is on the Rise: Here's What You Need To Do To Be Secure This article is owned by Tech Times Written by Jamie Pancho 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Ontarios daily new cases of COVID-19 have hit their highest level in more than 10 weeks. There were 213 additional infections reported in Ontario on Friday, the most since June 29, when there were 257 cases. Until Thursday, July 21 was the most recent day Ontario topped the 200-case threshold that public health officials have said is key to keeping the virus at bay. There are 71 cases in Toronto, with 38 in Peel and 37 in Ottawa, Health Minister Christine Elliott said on Twitter, noting that 67 per cent of todays cases are in people under the age of 40. But Elliott emphasized that 26 of Ontarios 34 public health units reported five or fewer cases, with 18 reporting no new cases. Premier Doug Ford implored people to follow the three golden rules by wearing a face mask, washing their hands, and maintaining a safe physical distance. Were seeing an uptick (in) a couple of regions. Weve got to work together, Ford said during a joint appearance with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at the groundbreaking of the Cote Gold mining project in Gogama, south of Timmins. All Ive been asking is please try to avoid these big gatherings. Please try to avoid ... the weddings that I heard were 150, 170 people. Just follow the guidelines and everyone will be OK, he said. Queens Park says 2,813 people have died from the virus since the outbreak struck in March. Data reconciliation actually lowered the death toll by one from the day before. The Star has determined there have been at least 2,855 COVID-19 deaths in Ontario. That difference of 42 deaths is because were not included in official tallies early in the pandemic. There are 49 COVID-19 patients in Ontario hospitals, 18 of whom are in intensive-care units. Of those, nine are on ventilators. The province conducted 32,501 tests on Thursday, the most since Aug. 1. On Thursday, Ontario reported 170 new cases of COVID-19, up from 149 Wednesday, but down from 185 Tuesday and 190 on Monday. Even with the recent rise, the rate of infection remains well below the worst of the pandemic. At its height in April, Ontario was averaging nearly 600 cases daily. The highest was April 24 with 640 infections reported when just 12,295 tests were conducted. The vast majority of the provinces COVID-19 patients have since recovered, and the recent rise in cases has not yet resulted in a significant jump in hospitalizations or deaths. However, there are now 1,657 active cases of the virus, a number that has been rising in recent weeks and the most since July 9. 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. Also Friday, as first reported by the Star, the province finally launched its new tracking tool for coronavirus cases in schools and child-care centres. Education Minister Stephen Lecce and Treasury Board President Peter Bethlenfalvy said the web page would be updated every weekday with the most up-to-date COVID-19 information available, including a summary of cases in schools and licensed child care centres and agencies. If a COVID-19 case is confirmed at your school and where the numbers come from, the ministers said in a joint statement. Parents deserve to know what we know. However, as with the provinces daily overall COVID-19 case count there could be a lag of one day on some reporting. Tom Ridge, the former Pennsylvania governor and the first secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, in Erie in January. Read more Tom Ridge has been a member of the U.S. House, governor of Pennsylvania, and the first secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. He has also been a Republican much longer than President Donald Trump. Now co-chair of VoteSafe, Ridge flatly rejects Trumps false claims that mail ballots lead to widespread fraud. The massive fraud that people are talking about doesnt exist and wont exist, Ridge said this week, pointing to what attorney Ben Ginsberg wrote Wednesday in the Washington Post. Ginsberg, who served as national counsel for the Republican presidential nominees in 2000, 2004, and 2012, wrote that Trump lacked hard evidence when he claimed systemic fraud four years ago, and still doesnt have any to offer. The Republican Partys old guard is pushing back here against a president whose conspiracy theories, polls show, are already shaking the confidence of some voters. Ginsberg also knocked Trump for suggesting during a rally in Westmoreland County last week that people should vote by mail and then follow their ballot to the polling place on Election Day. The Trump campaign is fighting to ensure every valid ballot across America counts as we work to deliver the free and fair elections Americans deserve," Trump campaign spokesperson Thea McDonald told Clout this week. Ridge is a longtime Trump critic, calling the presidents rhetoric disgusting and contemptible in an interview with Reuters last week. We have the unprecedented situation of a man who took the oath of office to support the Constitution but is directly challenging the result of the election prior to the outcome, Ridge said. Ridge was one of 50 senior Republican national security officials who signed a letter before the 2016 election predicting Trump would be the most reckless president in American history. VoteSafe, a bipartisan group pushing for safe ballot options during the coronavirus pandemic, wants Republicans and Democrats in Harrisburg to strike a deal on early processing of mail ballots before Election Day to prevent the long delays in reporting results seen in Junes primary. The Green Partys presidential candidate can stay on the Pa. ballot, judge says, but his running mate gets the boot Green Party presidential candidate Howie Hawkins will remain on the Pennsylvania ballot, but his running mate, Angela Walker, must be removed, a state judge ruled late Wednesday. Commonwealth Court Judge J. Andrew Crompton delivered that split verdict in a legal challenge with close connections to the state Democratic Party. The challenge focused on problems with paperwork. The Green Party on Aug. 3 filed nominating petitions for two candidates from Pennsylvania Elizabeth Faye Scroggin for president and Neal Taylor Gale for vice president but swapped them out a week later for Hawkins, a retired Teamster from New York, and Walker, a labor activist who drives a dump truck in South Carolina. The party didnt file a candidate affidavit for Gale as required by state law. Scroggin faxed her affidavit to the Pennsylvania Department of State by the deadline, but there was a delay in printing it. READ MORE: 5 questions that will help decide the presidential race in Pennsylvania Larry Otter, an attorney for the Green Party, said the Democratic players in the legal case filed an appeal to the state Supreme Court on Thursday. Andrea Merida, a Hawkins campaign spokesperson, said its clear that the Democrats are not interested in stating their case to the voters; instead they engage in party suppression, which is voter suppression, to get an edge. The challenge was filed by Pittsburgh attorney Clifford Levine, who has done legal work for the Pennsylvania Democratic Party. Levines clients are Paul Stefano, chair of the Lawrence County Democratic Party, and Tony Thomas, who ran as a Democrat for City Council in Wilkes-Barre last year. Asked if the state Democratic Party was backing the challenge, Levine this week said, Theyre aware of it. The state Democratic Party did not respond to requests for comment. The challenge, filed last month, comes at a time when Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden are competing for a shrinking pool of undecided voters. The Green Party, with about 27,000 registered voters in the state, makes up 0.3% of the electorate. An average of polling compiled by Real Clear Politics gives Biden a 4.3% lead in Pennsylvania as of Wednesday, but that is within the margin of error for some polling. Jill Stein, the Green Partys 2016 presidential candidate, won almost 50,000 votes that year, or 0.8% of the ballots cast. Trump defeated Hillary Clinton in the state by about 44,000 votes, a margin of 0.7%. Coming to a billboard near you: Republican Voters Against Trump Disaffected Republicans will go public with their support of Biden on Friday with hundreds of billboards across Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and Arizona. The messages will appear on at least 130 billboards in Pennsylvania. Voters identify themselves as lifelong conservatives, Christian, anti-abortion, and veterans. Sarah Longwell, a conservative consultant who helped found Republican Voters Against Trump, said the effort grew from an early 2018 project to hold Trump accountable The group, with a mailing list of 300,000 voters, has already been active on television and in digital ads. Longwell said the billboards are targeted toward college-educated suburban voters, especially women. They know who Trump is and they dont like him, she said of the voters being targeted. But theyre also not Democrats. The debate is over around climate change. Just come to the state of California, observe it with your own eyes, he said, citing the hottest August in state history, 14,000 dry lightning strikes in three days, record-breaking temperatures, drought and millions of dead trees. SEYMOUR Supporters of President Donald Trump are taking to social media to organize weekend parades of boats and vehicles. A public Facebook event page titled Trump And Blue Lives Matter boat parade listed Stratford lighthouse, New Haven harbor, Charles Island and Devon Bridge between Stratford and Milford as way-points. Lets gather together and support our president and our police departments, the events details section reads. An organizer said the flotilla will leave the area of Wooster Island about 10:15 a.m. Saturday, reach Devon Bridge about 11 a.m., then the mouth of the river at noon, where the pledge of allegiance will be recited. Participants were also asked to be mindful of boating safety and etiquette. Please keep parade at a steady pace and DO NOT wake anyone out. According to the Associated Press, five boats sank at a boat parade in Texas last weekend where images of the event show the water of Lake Travis choppy with the wakes of dozens of boats flying American, Texas and Trump 2020 flags. The AP report said boaters began calling for help almost immediately after the procession for Trumps reelection got underway on a lake west of Austin on Saturday, according to Kristen Dark of the Travis County Sheriffs Office. Deputies ultimately responded to 15 distress calls and received three other reports of boats taking on water. No one was injured or killed. As of Thursday afternoon, 548 people marked themselves as going to Saturdays event, with another 1,800 interested. A separate public Facebook event page titled Trump Brigade! said that about 9 a.m. Saturday, Trump supporters will be gathering at Seymours Tri-Town Plaza before heading to Stratford to view the boat parade from the parking lot of The Dock shopping center off Ferry Boulevard. That page listed more than 165 people as going, with 634 more interested. Another watch party for the boat parade is being organized to gather in the Riverview Bistro parking lot. Blast air horns to signal your approval of the nautical patriots, an event page for that gathering says, in addition to Wave your flags and have fun and Expect some surprise visitors. US President has accused his Democratic challenger of being "weak" on China and that his family was "selling" the country directly to the Chinese military. Democratic Party's presumptive nominee Biden and his Indian-American running mate Kamala Harris are challenging President Trump and Vice President Mike Pence in the November 3 Presidential election. Speaking to reporters at the White House on Thursday, Trump said, "Biden is weak on China. Yesterday, it was revealed that a fund partly owned by Joe Biden's son, Hunter, facilitated the sale of a Michigan auto parts producer to a leading Chinese military defense contractor." Hunter Biden owns 10 per cent of Shanghai-based private-equity firm Bohai Harvest RST. The president charged reporters that they were not reporting on the Michigan transaction. "You don't want to write about that, do you? Biden spent his entire career selling Michigan jobs to China," he said. "Now the Biden family is selling out our country directly to the Chinese military. He didn't have a job. Now, all of a sudden, he's selling companies from Michigan to China," Trump said. He alleged the Chinese military got American manufacturing jobs, and the Biden family got paid in return. "I said 'If ever got elected, China will own America', they will own America," Trump said. The president also accused his Democratic challenger of undermining his efforts to bring out a coronavirus vaccine. "Joe's decision to publicly attack the China (flight) ban proved he lacks the character or intelligence or instinct to do what is right. Now, Biden has launched a public campaign against the vaccine, which is so bad, because we have some vaccines coming that are incredible," he said. "Biden is perfectly happy to endanger the lives of other people by doing something that he thinks is going to help him politically because his polls are getting very bad. They're getting very shaky," he said. "This was an election that was going to be very easy, very quick, and then the China virus (COVID-19) came in and I had to go back to work politically, unfortunately. I had to devote more time politically than to the other things we do, which are very important for our country. But I had to go back to work. It looks like we're going up (opinion polls) very rapidly. More rapidly than the media wants to admit," Trump said. He alleged that when Biden was vice president, his failed approach to the swine flu was disastrous. "His own chief of staff said that when Biden helped manage the swine flu in 2009, they, quote "did everything possible wrong." And 60 million Americans got H1N1 in that period of time," he said. In other words, Biden's record demonstrates that if he had been in charge of this very serious, highly, highly contagious epidemic or pandemic countless more Americans would have died," Trump said. The president predicted victory for himself in the key battleground state of Michigan, where he addressed thousands of enthusiastic supporters on Thursday. "This is not the crowd of a person who comes in second place. You do know that," Trump told his supporters at the rally in Freeland, Michigan, His comments were responded by euphoric chants of "Four More Years. Four More Years," which is Trump's campaign slogan. Trump drew parallels between the last time he campaigned in the state in 2016, saying the Democrats did a "lousy job" campaigning in the state the last time and this time would be the same. Trump said the people should vote for him as he revived the economy, stopping a number of car plant closures. "We brought you a lot of car plants, Michigan. We brought you a lot of car plants. You know that, right? Long time. It's been a long time since you had all these plants being built, but we brought you a lot over the last three-and-a-half-years and we're going to bring you a lot more," he said. After the COVID-19 outbreak, the American economy is now on revival mode, he said. "Now we're building it again and it's being built fast," he said. The president said Biden will fill the state with refugees, which will diminish jobs. "He's promised to flood your state with refugees, and you know that as well as I do and you see it all the time. From terrorist hotspots around the world, including Syria, Somalia, and Yemen, Biden's pledged to have a 700 per cent increase. He made this deal with crazy Bernie (Sanders). A 700 per cent increase in the flow of refugees. This is in their manifesto, Trump alleged. Meanwhile, Biden has criticised Trump for withdrawing from the Iran Nuclear Deal negotiated by the Barack Obama administration. Iran is closer to a weapon now (more) than we were when we left office in 2017, Biden said at a fund raiser. Biden said he would re-enter the deal if Iran "returns to compliance." However, he noted that restarting talks would not be easy, and would require support from America's allies in Europe as well as China and Russia. According to RealClearPolitics, Biden is leading in Michigan by 4.2 points and by 3.9 percentage points in the battleground states. Overall, Biden is leading in national polls by 7.5 percentage points. (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 judge on Friday rejected Texas Attorney General Ken Paxtons request to halt Harris Countys plan to send mail ballot applications to all 2.4 million registered voters. State District Judge R.K. Sandill denied Paxtons request for a temporary injunction, stating that nothing in the Texas Election Code bars Harris County Clerk Christopher Hollins from carrying out the plan. Sandill was unpersuaded by the states argument that sending applications to voters, accompanied by eligibility rules, would lead residents to apply for mail ballots for which they do not qualify. Texas Elections Director Keith Ingram warned that this would lead to voter fraud and potential felony prosecutions of residents. This Court firmly believes that Harris County voters are capable of reviewing and understanding the document Mr. Hollins proposes to send and exercising their voting rights in compliance with Texas law, Sandill wrote in his opinion. A Hollins spokeswoman said the clerks office would begin mailing applications Saturday, beginning with voters 65 and older. The is a win for every registered voter in Harris County, and indeed, every voter in Texas, Hollins said in a statement. We are still enduring a global pandemic ahead of the most consequential election of our lifetime, and voters are concerned about their health and the health of their loved ones. Paxton appealed Sandills decision Friday afternoon. He said election officials have a duty to reject mail ballot applications from residents who are ineligible and said many of Hollins mailers would reach residents who do not qualify for an absentee ballot. This action blatantly violates state law, will cause voter confusion, and undermines our election security, the attorney general said in a statement. Mail ballots have become the focus of fierce debate during the COVID-19 pandemic. Texas is one of only a handful of states where residents need a valid reason to vote by mail. They must be 65 or older, disabled, imprisoned or out of their home county during the voting period. The Texas Supreme Court ruled in May that fear of the virus alone cannot qualify as a disability, but that it could be one of several factors a voter may consider. Chief Justice Nathan Hecht told the Houston Chronicles editorial board that this leaves voters to decide for themselves whether they are disabled. Hollins has no duty under the Election Code to challenge mail ballot applications. A similar challenge by the Harris County Republican Party and conservative activist Dr. Steven Hotze remains before the Supreme Court. In a filing after Sandills ruling Friday, Republican Party lawyer Jared Woodfill asked the high court to order law enforcement to seize mailers before Hollins could send them. The court had yet to act on the request. Editors note: Story has been updated to reflect when the county clerk would begin sending ballots to votes 65 and older. zach.despart@chron.com Copyright 2020 Albuquerque Journal SANTA FE By a rate of nearly two-to-one, New Mexicos likely voters approve of the way Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham is handling the coronavirus pandemic, according to a new Journal Poll. Sixty percent of those who responded said they approve of her response while just 32% disapproved a spread fueled by broad support from voters who identify as liberal or moderate. The remainder had mixed feelings or wouldnt state an opinion. President Donald Trump, by contrast, was graded less favorably by New Mexicos likely voters. The Journal Poll found 36% of those who responded approve of his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and 55% disapproved. Lujan Grisham, a Democrat, has aggressively confronted the pandemic this year with business restrictions, a mask mandate and a travel quarantine, triggering court fights and opposition by Republican leaders. A former state health secretary, Lujan Grisham has pleaded repeatedly with New Mexicans to stay home as much as possible to limit the spread of the deadly disease, and in weekly news conferences, she has sometimes scolded people for failing to wear masks in public. Brian Sanderoff, president of Research & Polling Inc., which conducted the survey, said the results suggest voters take the public-health threat seriously. These restrictions have had tremendous consequences in New Mexico, especially on our small businesses and restaurants, he said in an interview. Despite all this, a majority of voters approve of her handling of the pandemic, which demonstrates that people are really concerned about their health and the safety of their families. Democratic and Republican voters had much different views of the governors response to the pandemic. The Journal Poll shows 84% of Democrats approved of her handling of the disease while 10% disapproved a 74-point spread. Republicans were more split, but they overwhelmingly disapproved of her response with just 28% in support and 63% opposed, a spread of 35 points. The opinions of independent voters more closely matched the electorate as whole, as 58% reported approval of the governors handling of the pandemic and 31% disapproved. Sanderoff said the broad overall approval may not reflect the intensity of peoples feelings. Only one-third of New Mexico likely voters disapprove of the governors handling of the pandemic, he said, but many of these people have very intense feelings about the governors restrictions. The survey shows significant differences by region. Most voters in the Albuquerque metropolitan area, Las Cruces and southwestern New Mexico, and the north-central part of the state approved of Lujan Grishams handling of the pandemic. But voters were split in northwestern New Mexico, with disapproval ahead by 1 percentage point. In eastern New Mexico, a majority of likely voters disapproved of the governors response. Conservatives back Trumps job Trumps handling of the pandemic sparked a much different response. The president a Republican who has sometimes downplayed the threat of the virus and highlighted optimism about the possibility of new treatments and vaccines wins strong approval among Republican, conservative and east side voters. And in the northwestern part of the state, more voters approve than disapprove of Trumps pandemic response. Conversely, his performance was rejected by liberals, moderates, Democrats and independents. Voters in the Albuquerque area and north-central New Mexico were mostly likely to disapprove of Trumps handling of the pandemic. The governor and the president have different overall philosophies on this matter, Sanderoff said, and theyve approached the handling of the pandemic in very different ways. Polling method The Journal Poll is based on a scientific, statewide sample of 457 likely general election voters who also voted in either the 2016 and 2018 general elections, or both. The poll was conducted from Aug. 26 through Sept. 2. The voter sample has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.6 percentage points. The margin of error grows for subsamples. All interviews were conducted live by professional interviewers, with multiple callbacks to households that did not initially answer the phone. Both cellphone numbers (74%) and landlines (26%) of likely general election voters were used. California Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks during a news conference. (Eric Risberg / Associated Press) Discrimination against LGBTQ people in sex crime convictions will be outlawed under a new law signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom late Friday evening. The measure, Senate Bill 145, will amend existing state law that allows judges to decide whether an adult convicted of having vaginal sexual intercourse with a minor should register as a sex offender in cases in which the minor is 14 years or older and the adult is not more than 10 years older than the minor. Currently, adults who are convicted of having oral or anal sex with a minor under those circumstances are automatically added to the state's sex offender registry. SB 145 will eliminate automatic sex offender registration in those cases and give judges discretion to make that decision. Newsom's decision to sign the legislation promises to have both a state and national political impact. Along with opposition from Republicans in the state Legislature, supporters of President Trump and far-right conspiracy theorists have seized on the bill in an attempt to use the measure as a political wedge issue and rallying cry, with some falsely claiming on social media that California is legalizing pedophilia. Assemblyman Chad Mayes, an independent from Yucca Valley, warned fellow lawmakers about the potential political consequences just moments before he voted in favor of SB 145 on Aug. 31, the final night of the state legislative session. "This is one of those bills you will take a political hit for," said Mayes, who left the Republican Party in 2019. "But we also know that it's righteous and just. This is the time to step up." The bill's author, state Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), said the disparity in current state law that SB 145 will address is a remnant of California's old anti-sodomy laws, many since repealed, that were intended to criminalize sex between gay men. The intent of SB 145, he said, is to address cases in which two people close in age an 18-year-old and 17-year-old dating in high school, for example are in a sexual relationship. The 18-year-old can still be convicted of a sex offense but should not automatically be registered as a sex offender, a lifelong designation that is an impediment to finding employment, a place to live and other necessities of life, Wiener said. Story continues Its appalling that in 2020, California continues to discriminate against LGBTQ people, by mandating that LGBTQ young people be placed on the sex offender registry in situations where straight people arent required to be placed on the registry, Wiener said in a statement Friday night. SB 145 simply ends that discrimination by treating LGBTQ young people the exact same way that straight young people have been treated since 1944. The vast majority of the criticism toward the bill was focused on a provision that has been in the state's sex offender registry law for decades the 10-year age gap between the minor and the adult. Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas recently accused California Democrats of believing "we need more adults having sex with children," and Donald Trump Jr. used the bill to attack his father's opponent in the presidential race, tweeting, "Why are Joe Biden Democrats working in California to pander to the wishes of pedophiles and child rapists?" Nathan Ballard, who worked as an aide to Newsom when he was mayor of San Francisco, had said Newsom may have been wise to veto the legislation and recommend that state lawmakers change the provision with the 10-year age gap, given how the Republicans were weaponizing the issue politically. Dana Williamson, a Democratic political strategist and Cabinet secretary to then-Gov. Jerry Brown, said sex offender registry laws discriminating against the LGBTQ community have been a long-standing problem in California, and she had urged Newsom to sign the bill into law despite the attacks. Williamson said Newsom will probably come under fire, but she doubted signing the bill would harm him politically given his history of support for LGBTQ rights. "It's the double-edged sword of leadership," she said. Newsom has been an outspoken champion of LGBTQ rights since he was mayor of San Francisco and directed the city to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples in 2004. That defiant act became a catalyst for a nationwide political battle over the issue that ended when the U.S. Supreme Court affirmed the right of LGBTQ people to marry in 2015. Newsom's history-making decision faced opposition from the right and in his own party. Republicans pounced on the issue, and some Democrats feared same-sex marriage would energize social conservatives during the 2004 election. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) said at the time that Newsom was partly to blame for John Kerry's presidential loss. Wiener said opponents have deliberately distorted what the legislation will do in order to exploit anti-LGBTQ sentiment for their own political gain. He noted that police chiefs and prosecutors supported the bill, something he said they would not do if it put children at risk. Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. Jackie Lacey helped draft the bill, which was supported by the California District Attorneys Assn., the California Police Chiefs Assn. and the California Coalition Against Sexual Assault. This bill allows judges and prosecutors to evaluate cases involving consensual sex acts between young people, regardless of their sexual orientation, on an individual basis. I drafted this bill because I believe the law must be applied equally to ensure justice for all Californians," Lacey said in a written statement before the bill was signed by Newsom. Among Wiener's legislative colleagues, it was a Democrat, Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez of San Diego, who delivered one of the most impassioned attacks on the bill. "I cannot, in my mind, as a mother, understand how sex between a 24-year-old and a 14-year-old could ever be consensual, how it could ever not be a registerable offense," Gonzalez said during debate on the bill on the Assembly floor Aug. 31. "I challenge everybody: Give me a situation where a 24-year-old had sex with a 14-year-old, any kind of sex, and it wasn't predatory." State Senate Republican Leader Shannon Grove of Bakersfield also castigated the bill, posting on Facebook after it passed that California Democrats had "placed protecting sexual predators over protecting our children." Wiener called those arguments grossly disingenuous. He noted that the 10-year age difference provision in California's sexual offender registry law has been on the books for decades and said that none of the lawmakers criticizing the bill have attempted to change the law to address judicial discretion in cases involving heterosexual sex with a minor. If its been a problem, people would have heard about it. You would have had district attorneys complaining about it," Wiener said. It didn't become a problem until the gay people came forward and said please treat us the same way." Grove said she objects to the bill's removing the provision in current state law mandating that adults convicted of having anal or oral sex with a minor who might be 10 years younger than the adult be added to the sex offender registry. "California shouldn't go down that path, regardless of what type of sex it was," Grove said. Wiener said that he's received hundreds of death threats because of his work on the legislation and that an adherent of QAnon, a fringe, pro-Trump conspiracy theory, published his home address in a social media post. Wiener and others who voted for the legislation said weathering such attacks was worth it in order to change a law that they argue discriminates against LGBTQ people. I ran for office to try to make positive change in the world, and that means sometimes you get attacked, and sometimes you get attacked viciously," said Wiener, who is chairman of the California Legislative LGBTQ Caucus. "The LGBTQ community deserves equality and we cant shy away from that. And the Democratic Party needs to stand for something." Kate Winslet isn't holding back when it comes to talking about Woody Allen and Roman Polanski and the regret she feels having worked with both controversial directors. (This article contains strong language.) Its like, what the f - - k was I doing working with Woody Allen and Roman Polanski? Winslet told Vanity Fair in a new interview. London Film Critics' Circle Awards - Inside Ceremony (David M. Benett / Getty Images) Its unbelievable to me now how those men were held in such high regard, so widely in the film industry and for as long as they were, she added. Its f - - king disgraceful. Winslet starred in Polanski's 2011 film "Carnage" and worked with Allen on the 2017 movie "Wonder Wheel." The Oscar winner said she now has to "take responsibility for the fact I worked with them both." I cant turn back the clock. Im grappling with those regrets but what do we have if we arent able to just be f - - king truthful about all of it? she said. Polanski was charged in 1977 with raping a 13-year-old girl and furnishing a controlled substance, but later accepted a plea bargain for unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor. He fled the United States in 1978 on the eve of his sentencing and has lived in Europe ever since. Allen has faced sexual abuse allegations over the years from his adopted daughter Dylan Farrow, allegations he has denied. Earlier this year, the publisher of Allens new memoir announced it would not release his book after widespread opposition. Winslet made the comments about both directors after she was asked a question about the #MeToo movement, which rattled Hollywood and ultimately led to the conviction of former studio boss Harvey Weinstein. Life is f - - king short and Id like to do my best when it comes to setting a decent example to younger women, the actress said. Were handing them a pretty f - - ked up world, so Id like to do my bit in having some proper integrity. New Delhi, Sep 11 : It all started when a writer friend familiar with her translation work suggested that she consider Prime Minister Narendra Modi's book in Gujarati for translation into English. "So I looked for a copy, and it took me a while to read and work on it. I sent across some sample chapters and one thing led to another," says translator, author and film critic Bhawna Somayya about "Letters to Mother" published by HarperCollins India. Adding that it is an unusual book, considering that the letters are diary pages of Narendra Modi's conversations with the 'Mother Goddess', Somayya says, "Written in 1986 and compiled as a coffee table book by Image Publisher in 2014, it is destiny that I decide to translate the writings in 2020. What is appealing about the content is his intensity, transparency of emotions, his commitment to his conviction and need for self-expression." In fact, Modi had earlier said about the book: "This is not an attempt at literary writing; the passages featured in this book are reflections of my observations and sometimes unprocessed thoughts, expressed without filter... "I am not a writer, most of us are not; but everybody seeks expression, and when the urge to unload becomes overpowering, there is no option but to take pen and paper, not necessarily to write but to introspect and unravel what is happening within the heart and the head and why." Despite the fact that it does not take long for the troll armies to 'label' a writer in present times, it does not really worry Somayya. "My identity is that of a film critic, columnist and author. I am also associated with books on Lord Krishna and with translation work, and 'Letters to Mother' is one more in that list," the author says, adding that she did her job to the best of her ability and how people react to it is really not in her control. Recipient of the Padma Shri in 2017, Somayya has written over 13 books on the history of Hindi cinema and biographies of Bollywood stars, including 'Salaam Bollywood', 'The Story So Far' and her trilogy, 'Amitabh Bachchan - The Legend', 'Bachchanalia - The Films And Memorabilia of Amitabh Bachchan' and 'Amitabh Lexicon'. She is now working on a nostalgic idea of movies in the 90s, besides penning her parents' love story when they migrated with six children from Karachi in 1947. "It is going to be a difficult write because I have to rely on my older siblings to tell me the story and most of them are no more. Still I have faith that I'll be able to do it... that some magic will happen," she says. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Balbir Sidhu Chandigarh: In order to ensure uninterrupted supply of medical oxygen in government and private hospitals across the state amidst Covid pandemic, the Health Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu today said that the state government has made elaborate arrangements for manufacturing and refilling of the Oxygen cylinders. Divulging more details, the Health Minister said that besides ensuring the supply of medical oxygen to hospitals in the Ludhiana district, the district administration has made adequate arrangements for ensuring oxygen supply to other districts as per requirement. Advertisement Balbir Singh Sidhu He said that with the concerted efforts of Deputy Commissioner, Ludhiana Varinder Kumar Sharma, all arrangements have been made for manufacturing of 800 oxygen cylinders per day in Ludhiana, besides filling of 3000 cylinders daily. Sidhu said that Ludhiana was the largest district and one of the worst Covid affected districts in the state. He said that Deputy Commissioner Varinder Kumar Sharma has impressed upon the industrialist of Ludhiana to immediately start the supply of medical oxygen for the hospitals. Advertisement Earlier, Weltek Equipments and Infrastructure Limited had a plant at Gyaspura village, which produces oxygen only for industries. Similarly, most of the oxygen suppliers had not license for medical oxygen supply. CoronavirusDeputy Commissioner, Ludhiana in coordination with Principal Secretary Health Department issued Medical Oxygen Repacking License to five Oxygen Suppliers (Harpreet Cryogenics, GDR Gases, Weltek Equipments, BOC Gases and Aparna Gases) in Ludhiana. A Manufacturing Unit of M/S Weltek Equipments and Infrastructure Ltd. was issued license to manufacture Medical Oxygen, the first such license in Ludhiana and resolved the lack of medical oxygen problem. Advertisement Balbir Singh SidhuOn the persuasion of district administration, the Weltek Equipments has started a free supply of oxygen cylinders for the needy persons under the banner of Sambhav Foundation. Persons in need can contact on mobile numbers; 97799-18899 and 98140-27317, to avail this free service. The Minister said that Deputy Commissioner, Ludhiana and Nodal Officer were in constant contact of the Deputy Commissioners of Solan (HP), Panipat (Haryana) and Dehradun (Uttrakhand) to ensure the supply of medical oxygen as the corona patients have not to face any difficulty. A person drops a letter into a USPS mailbox during Phase 4 of re-opening following restrictions imposed to slow the spread of coronavirus on September 7, 2020 in New York City. Noam Galai/Getty Images The US Postal Service has reportedly used outdated IT systems for years that could have opened up the agency to hackers and a "potential financial impact of over $1 billion," per a Motherboard report. A memo released by the agency in July detailed the discovery, including that of "significant vulnerabilities that increase the risk of disclosure of sensitive information and potential impact to business operations." A USPS spokesperson told Business Insider in an email that "the vulnerabilities identified in this report were found, scoped and addressed by the Postal Service. These applications are now addressed." The USPS has been thrust under the microscope recently over its handling of the upcoming 2020 presidential election. The service is expected to be tasked with processing an influx of mail-in ballots in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. The US Postal Service has reportedly used outdated IT systems for years that could have made the agency vulnerable to hackers as well as a "potential financial impact of over $1 billion," per a report from Motherboard. A memo sent on July 27 by the USPS Office of Inspector General outlined how an audit discovered "the Postal Service allowed applications to operate in the production environment with significant vulnerabilities that increase the risk of disclosure of sensitive information and potential impact to business operations." The USPS Corporate Information Security Office called the flaws in the system "catastrophic." Hackers have not penetrated the agency's systems, but the holes in the apps could have allowed them to access sensitive data. The audit called for the service to address and fix the vulnerabilities found in the apps it was using. A USPS spokesperson told Business Insider in an email that "the vulnerabilities identified in this report were found, scoped and addressed by the Postal Service. These applications are now addressed." Story continues The US Postal Service has been thrust into the spotlight recently as the upcoming 2020 presidential election approaches, an election that the service will likely play a large role in. The agency is expected to be tasked with processing an influx of mail-in ballots given the COVID-19 pandemic. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, a major donor to the Republic Party, announced operational changes to the agency, which had been struggling long before the pandemic. After much backlash, DeJoy said he would suspend those changes until after the election. President Donald Trump has also acknowledged that he intended to withhold funding from USPS to sabotage mail-in voting. Read the original article on Business Insider Hon Gifty Twum-Ampofo popularly known in political circles as Hajia Kande, Member of Parliament(MP) for Abuakwa North Constituency and also the deputy Minister of Education in charge of Technical And Vocational Education And Training (TVET), on Thursday 10th September, 2020 donated a total of one thousand, seven hundred and twenty four (1,724) pieces of mathematical sets to all the BECE candidates and their mathematics teachers in the constituency ahead of their examinations this year. Presenting the mathematical sets to the candidates, the Member of Parliament admonished the students to put their books first in all they do and study hard to pass their examinations so that they can benefit from the Nana Akufo-Addo led NPP government's flagship Free SHS policy. The honourable MP added that, candidates should take their time in selecting their preferred senior high schools to facilitate easy access. She explained that, the government through Ghana Education Service (GES) has modified the Computerized School Selection and Placement System to give candidates the opportunity to select their preferred senior high schools after they are done with the examinations. This change allows candidates to choose their schools according to their performance in the subjects areas. She therefore advised the candidates to laise with their teachers and parents during the school selection process to make the best choices. Some of the candidates expressed their profound gratitude to the member of parliament for such a wonderful gesture she has shown them and promised to come out with flying colours. Hon Gifty Twum-Ampofo finally held a prayer session to seek devine intervention for the candidates ahead of the examinations. The honourable member of parliament since her assumption to office in 2015 has maintained this donation of mathematical sets to BECE candidates. A gesture she refers to as "mandatory" in her political career. Source: Michael Akrofi, Eastern Regional Correspondent Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-11 10:07:39|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close GUANGZHOU, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- China has opened its first facility to prepare captive sea turtles for their returning to the wild, the Forestry Administration of Guangdong Province announced Thursday. The 2.33-hectare rewilding base, located in the Huidong Sea Turtle National Reserve in Guangdong, took delivery of 15 green sea turtles on Tuesday, marking its formal opening. The purpose of the base is to facilitate the safe release of turtles that have been bred in captivity in the national reserve. Prior to release, the turtles will be provided with training in how to forage in the ocean and generally fend for themselves. According to official statistics, there are more than 1,500 captive bred turtles in the coastal reserve, all of which will be sent to the base in batches for training and release. "The operation of the base is of great significance for improving our sea turtle protection capability and maintaining marine biodiversity and ecosystem balance," said Lin Rijin, who works at the base. Over the past 30 years, more than 60,000 sea turtles have been released from the reserve. However, this is the first time that turtles due for release have been provided with systematic preparation ahead of time. Enditem Since the pandemic began, weve talked frequently with bow-tied vaccine researcher Dr. Peter Hotez. In that time hes emerged as not just one of Houstons best explainers of COVID-19, but as one of the countrys best. Hotez is a professor and dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, and hes co-director of the Texas Childrens Hospital Center for Vaccine Development. As a frequent guest on cable news, he aimed to interpret scientific findings for as broad an audience as possible, and was one of the rare experts who appeared frequently on both Fox News and MSNBC. But recently, he abandoned his policy of not criticizing the White House. This week, we discussed why he did that, whether he thinks itll be safe to take a COVID-19 vaccine, and the value of using this strange pause to think about our lives. At a Labor Day press conference, President Trump hinted that a vaccine may arrive before the November election. And recently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention asked states to have a plan to distribute a COVID-19 vaccine as soon as late October. But top health officials including the head of the Trump administrations vaccine effort, Operation Warp Speed say its extremely unlikely that a vaccine could be ready by then. What do you think? Is it likely that well have a vaccine in October? Id say thats very unlikely. If youre talking about October 2021, not 2020, then Im very optimistic. I think well have several vaccines by October 2021, which is impressive. But by this October, I do not see a path by which well have vaccines released to the public. Why? In the U.S. theres a dozen vaccines in clinical trials, and four or five are moving into Phase Three testing, the large-scale tests. In our lab we have one thats just beginning clinical testing, and theres also one were scaling up in India. The three Operation Warp Speed vaccines are moving into Phase Three trials. Those Phase Three trials didnt really get underway until July or early August, and each of those trials requires enrolling around 30,000 volunteers. That takes time. Also, based on the Phase One trial data that was published a few weeks ago, each of those Operation Warp Speed vaccines will require two doses in order to produce an adequate immune response. So the trials are just getting through those two doses now. We probably wont finish immunizing all those people with the second dose until the end of September or early October. Then we have to get a readout on whether these vaccines actually work. Remember, we have absolutely zero evidence that any of these vaccines work. We think theres a high likelihood based on the high levels of virus-neutralizing antibody, but we dont know that for sure. And we dont know the safety profile. By November or December, we should have enough data to know whether any of those three Operation Warp Speed vaccines actually work and are safe. Then we can start rolling them out to the public by, at the earliest, the end of this year, or maybe the beginning of 2021. So the only way you would have a vaccine released to the public prior to the Nov. 3 election is if you tampered or meddled with the process and cut it short. I dont think the CEOs of the pharma companies are prepared to do that. In fact, they just released a pledge saying they wont do that. And I think the FDA and our regulatory bodies and the CDC will all hold the line. MORE FROM LISA GRAY: Older volunteers, a mainstay in hurricane rebuilding, are hard to find in a pandemic that puts them at risk The good news is, we will have multiple vaccines. The bad news is, its not going to happen tomorrow. I dont see a path by which vaccine will be released to the public before the election. There may be some White House spin that makes it sound like vaccines are being released to some piece of the population. But overall, the more realistic timeframe, if youre waiting to get a vaccine, is around the early or middle part of next year. What should we be watching for with the Phase Three trials? What are you watching for when youre deciding whether a product is safe, whether its something that youd recommend for your own own family? We have one of the most robust regulatory systems in the world for vaccines. A new vaccine goes through several review committees. Theres the FDA and the CDC. Theres the DSMB (Data and Safety Monitoring Board) for reviewing the data. And theres a firewall between these committees and the White House. And not only that, after vaccines are licensed, theres a very extensive system for monitoring them. The point is, any vaccine that goes through the full approval process by the FDA and CDC, I feel totally comfortable with taking myself or giving it to any family member or friend. The tricky part is, what if they release vaccines under whats called an emergency use authorization, which is short of a full standard review? We havent done that for vaccines before or at least not for reasons other than technicalities. We havent done it for vaccines that have reached large segments of the U.S. population. I dont even know what emergency use authorization really means. So thats when it would be a hard call: If the FDA releases a vaccine under EUA, its not really approval. Its a substandard, lesser review process. In that case, to draw conclusions, I would have to see the Phase Three data myself. I have no idea whether or not the companies will release that data to the public or people like myself. How long will the different vaccines last? From what weve seen so far, will they all require booster shots? We have no data, right? These vaccines are going into people for the first time, so we have no real idea of whats called the durability of protection, how long it will last. I think all of them will require two doses to fully immunize a person. Theres a lot of precedent for that. But then whether you need to be boosted the following year and every year after that, or whether you need to be just boosted once every five years, thats a total unknown. When we say the vaccine offers protection, does that mean protection that reduces severity of illness or disease, or is it protection against the actual infection, protection that could interrupt transmission and spread of the disease? All those things are unknown. Youve talked about the importance of vaccines in general. Several readers asked about the flu vaccine this year. They want to know, should they get it? Should they get that and get a coronavirus vaccine later? Should they worry about additives in the vaccine? What if theyve never caught the flu before? The flu vaccine can save your life. The Centers for Disease Control recommend that you get it in September or October. MORE FROM LISA GRAY: 'Corona is real': 25-year-old Clear Lake nurse recovering from COVID-induced coma Flu is still a killer disease. It may may not kill as many people as COVID-19. But up until COVID-19, this was the single largest regular killer of Americans. So you still want to get your flu vaccine. Last winter in China, we saw a number of individuals with simultaneous flu and COVID-19 infections so thats a possibility you also want to avoid. The flu vaccine will not protect you against COVID-19, but it will protect you against flu. We had several readers ask about the coronavirus mutating. We know there are different strains already. Will vaccines under development cover the mutations? At this point, the vaccines will cover them. Coronavirus is an RNA virus, and RNA viruses are pretty good at mutating. Those mutations create different lineages: Thats how we know the virus that caused all the destruction in New York City in March and April came from Europe; it was a European lineage. But theres no evidence that the mutations have accumulated to the point where theyll affect vaccines or even cause differences in clinical outcome. Theres been some speculation, but youve got enough worry about. Put that one down further down the list. Are you worried about a COVID resurgence this fall? Yi-Chin Lee, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer When we went into that shutdown mode in March and April, it greatly reduced transmission. Then we opened up too soon, and we had that massive resurgence and huge numbers of hospital admissions. That was terrible. The Texas Medical Center did an amazing job of handling that volume of patients, but it was really heartbreaking what happened in May, June and July. Now the numbers have come down and we dont have a lot of ICU and hospital admissions. But theyve only come down to about half the screaming level of transmission that we had at our peak. So theres a lot of transmission going on. Now well see what happened over Labor Day weekend. Thats an unknown. Im also worried that reopening schools in the middle of transmission is going to bring things back up. And people are still holding events. The Texans are playing in Kansas City, in Arrowhead Stadium. Theres a huge amount of transmission going on in Kansas and Missouri right now. All that stuff I think is going to bring us back up nationally. We were at a peak with around 70,000 new cases a day. We were the worst in the world. Now weve brought it down to just under 40,000 new cases a day, which by the way means that were still the worst in the world. Now I think, for all those reasons, its going to go back up to 70,000 again. And thats the first wave. Thats not even the second wave that some people talk about. A second wave would mean that a virus is being introduced again to a place where it had been eradicated. But its still here. On HoustonChronicle.com: Symphony, soccer and tailgates: Houston to allow limited events What else should we know about this virus? Our lives are going to get better, but the improvements are going to be incremental. We have some new drugs coming down the pike, like monoclonal antibodies. We are learning a lot about this virus. We will start having vaccines next year. So during this terrible period, take care of yourself and your family. Really look after your mental health. Its okay to feel enormous stress and uncertainty, and especially, to be upset if youre not seeing family members. My wife and I havent seen our two oldest kids since January. I have a daughter whos a research scientist at UCLA, and I have a son whos in Tucson, Ariz., and we havent seen either of them since January. My wife hasnt seen her mother in New Jersey since January. Its heartbreaking stuff. But this period will not go on forever. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. lisa.gray@chron.com, twitter.com/LisaGray_HouTX Emurua Dikirr MP Johanna Ngeno, who is facing two counts of hate speech and offensive conduct, was Thursday released on bail. The vocal lawmaker was charged that on September 6 at Junction area, Olgos Sofia Village in Transmara, he used abusive language likely to fan ethnic hatred On the second count of offensive conduct, Johanna Ngeno is accused of using abusive words against the Presidency at a public gathering at the home of the late Joseph Oitakei. Appearing before Nakuru Chief Magistrate Elizabeth Usui on Tuesday, the MP denied committing the crimes. In a bail ruling Thursday, the magistrate said the issues raised by the prosecution objecting to the MPs release on bond were not compelling enough. Usui said Ngeno was not a flight risk and the claim that he could interfere or influence witnesses was not valid since the witnesses were police officers and an official at the Communication Authority of Kenya. The court granted Ngeno Sh2 million bond with two sureties of a similar amount or an alternative cash bail of Sh1million. It also barred the MP from making any remarks that may breach peace pending the hearing and determination of the case. The case will be mentioned on October 12. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-12 00:50:04|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Cleaners work at a reopened shopping mall in Lalitpur, Nepal on Sept. 12, 2020. The Nepali government on Friday reported the record high single day spike in COVID-19 cases of 1,454 in the last 24 hours. Despite rising cases, the Nepali local administrations in the Kathmandu valley eased restrictions imposed on transport services and business activities starting from Thursday for a week. (Photo by Sulav Shrestha/Xinhua) KATHMANDU, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- The Nepali government on Friday reported the record high single day spike in COVID-19 cases of 1,454 in the last 24 hours. The last record high number of daily COVID-19 cases was observed on Sept. 4 with 1,354 new infections in a day. "With the new infections, total COVID-19 cases in Nepal reached 51,919," said Jageshwor Gautam, spokesperson at the Ministry of Health and Population at a press meet on Friday. The total coronavirus cases in Nepal surpassed 50,000 on Thursday. The cases started to resurge since the Nepali government officially ended the nearly four-month-long lockdown on July 22 allowing most of the economic activities to resume. The cases have nearly tripled from 17,994 reported on July 21. Nepali officials expected a continued rise in the cases in the upcoming days. "In the worst case scenario, we have expected the cases to surge upto 90,000," Sameer Kumar Adhikari, joint spokesperson at the health ministry told Xinhua recently. Despite rising cases, the Nepali local administrations in the Kathmandu valley eased restrictions imposed on transport services and business activities starting from Thursday for a week. Kathmandu valley has emerged as the major hotspot of coronavirus in the country recently with 696 out of the 1,454 new cases reported in the last 24 hours, according to the health ministry. While the total cases were largely confined initially among the Nepali migrant population who had returned home after the pandemic, it has now spread in the communities. According to Adhikari, more than 95 percent cases are locally transmitted in the recent days. Nepal also reported five new deaths on Friday, increasing the total fatality from the pandemic to 322. Meanwhile, Nepal's Tourism Minister Yogesh Bhattarai said on Thursday that the Nepali government has removed the limit on international air passengers coming to Nepal. Earlier, the Nepali government had restricted the number to maximum 800 per day. Nepali government allowed the resumption of scheduled international flights starting from Sept. 2. Enditem Imagine sitting down for a meal and not being able to serve fresh fruits and veggies to your family because they are limited in stock or not available at all. Enter Eva Longoria Baston. Most people don't know that the Texas native has had a long-time passion advocating for farm workers. Now, she's continuing to use her voice to amplify farmers' contributions to our society. She recently used social media to announce that she is teaming up with Tillamook and the American Farmland Trust to support the future of farming through a new campaign called "All For Farmers." For every Tillamook product purchase made in September, the company will give 10 percent of its sales - up to $1.6 million - towards grants to provide financial relief to farmers and their work. And that's not all. Basically, by using the hashtag #AllForFarmers, almost anyone with a social media account is eligible for a chance to win free ice cream for a year. Score. A way to get fresh farm products straight to our tables, support agriculture, and an excuse to pick up some cheese for your favorite enchiladas? Sounds like a win-win-win to me. "An average 2,000 acres of rich farmland is being lost each day to commercial development," said Beth C. Sauerhaft, Ph.D., vice president, programs, American Farmland Trust. "An important step in supporting farmers and preserving the farming way of life in America is to protect the land itself." Now, with COVID, everything has gotten worse. Throughout the pandemic, farmers have been hit hard with an estimated 580 filing for Chapter 12 bankruptcy protection. "While the COVID-19 pandemic has brought to light the fact that farmers and farmworkers are now 'essential,' they have always been essential to our food supply and they deserve our continued support and protection," Longoria said. (Alliance News) - Boris Johnson has appealed to Conservative MPs to support legislation that could breach international law in overriding parts of his Brexit deal amid concerns of a rebellion. The prime minister hosted a conference call with backbenchers on Friday evening to win backing for the Bill that caused Brussels to threaten legal action. Johnson told around 250 MPs that controversial clauses in the UK Internal Market Bill are "necessary to stop a foreign power from breaking up our country", and maintained there is still a good chance of getting a trade deal with the EU. With senior Conservatives planning to amend the legislation, he was also said to have warned them against going "back to the miserable, squabbling days of last autumn". But during the call in which there were connection issues and no questions taken by Johnson further fall-out emerged from the EU. Leaders in the European Parliament said they would "under no circumstances ratify" any trade deal reached if "UK authorities breach or threaten to breach" the Withdrawal Agreement. Johnson appeared not to have ended the disquiet within his party during the call, with senior backbencher Bob Neill saying he was not reassured by the speech. Neill, who chairs the Commons Justice Committee and is tabling an amendment to the Bill which he says would impose a "parliamentary lock" on any changes to the Withdrawal Agreement, said he still contends it contains "objectionable" elements. "I believe it is potentially a harmful act for this country, it would damage our reputation and I think it will make it harder to strike trade deals going forward," he told Channel 4 News. Downing Street insisted a post-Brexit free trade deal with the EU is still possible despite an increasingly bitter war of words with Brussels. The European Commission has given the UK until the end of the month to drop legislation enabling ministers to override provisions in the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement relating to Northern Ireland. Following a stormy meeting in London on Thursday, the commission warned the UK was putting trade talks at risk and said it would "not be shy" of taking legal action. The prime minister's official spokesman however reiterated the government's position that the provisions Bill remained "critical" to the preservation of the Northern Ireland peace process. He said the UK would continue to strive for an agreement and called on the EU side to show greater "realism". Amid the worsening atmosphere between London and Brussels, it emerged the EU had even raised the prospect that it could block exports of animal products from the UK once the current Brexit transition period comes to a close at the end of the year. In a statement following the latest round of talks on Thursday, the EU's chief negotiator Michel Barnier said there were "many uncertainties" about the UK's animal hygiene regime. He said "more clarity" was needed if Britain was to receive the "third-country listing" entitling it to export animal products to the EU. On the British side, there was surprise at the comments as the UK continues to apply EU standards, although it is understood the issue has been raised previously in the negotiations. A government spokesman said: "It would be very unusual for the EU to go down this route and deny the UK listing." Meanwhile, Gordon Brown joined fellow former prime ministers Theresa May and John Major in condemning the government's plan, describing it as "a huge act of self-harm". "You can't expect to have a decent negotiation with the EU if you start by breaking a treaty that you signed yourself and negotiated only a few weeks ago," he told ITV's Good Morning Britain. Ireland's Europe minister Thomas Byrne said that, far from protecting the Good Friday Agreement, the UK's actions posed a "serious risk" to the peace process. "It's a totally unacceptable way to do business. "This was a unilateral provocative act," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme. source: PA Copyright 2020 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. Nigerien President Issoufou Mahamadou and Mohamed Ibn Chambas, the special representative of the UN secretary general for West Africa and the Sahel, have discussed the upcoming general elections in the country and the security situation in the African region of Sahel, the presidency announced on Friday MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 11th September, 2020) Nigerien President Issoufou Mahamadou and Mohamed Ibn Chambas, the special representative of the UN secretary general for West Africa and the Sahel, have discussed the upcoming general elections in the country and the security situation in the African region of Sahel, the presidency announced on Friday. According to the presidency's statement, Mahamadou received the UN envoy earlier in the day. One of the topics of the talks was the general elections in Niger scheduled for December 27 to elect the new president and National Assembly. "They [the elections] will constitute the transfer of power from one elected president to another, for the first time in the history of the country," Chambas said, as quoted by the statement. The envoy also congratulated the Nigerien president on his work on the post of a chairman of the Western African ECOWAS regional bloc, on which he had served since summer 2019. He relinquished his post to Ghana's President Nana Akufo-Addo after the 57th ECOWAS summit earlier in September. The statement added that the officials also discussed the security and humanitarian situation in Niger, aggravated by an increased number of terrorist attacks and floods due to heavy rains. "On behalf of the United Nations and on my own behalf, I offered my condolences to the president of the Republic and reaffirmed the continued support and solidarity of the United Nations in Niger," Chambas said. The most recent terrorist attack that attracted attention of the international community took place in August in the Koure giraffe reserve not far from the Nigerien capital of Niamey. Suspected jihadists shot dead eight people, including aid workers, and burned down their vehicle. The authorities ruled the Tillabery region, where the reserve is located, to be under the state of emergency over the security situation. The city of Niamey has been struggling with the flooding caused by torrential rains, due to which the Niger river went out of its banks. Dozens of people became victims of the cataclysm, thousands were forced to displace as their houses were destroyed by the flooding. What can be done about Washington County's high SUIDs rate? Washington County has the highest rate of sudden, unexpected infant deaths in the state for 2015-2019. What can be done to prevent it? 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 Hyderabad, Sep 11 : Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao and his Andhra Pradesh counterpart Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy on Friday condoled the death of social activist Swami Agnivesh. Expressing his shock over the passing away of Agnivesh, Rao recalled how he had given his support to the Telangana statehood movement from the beginning. Rao also recalled that Agnivesh he had participated in the meetings, conferences and programmes of the separate Telangana statehood movement. The CM conveyed his condolences to the members of Agnivesh's family. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy also expressed grief over the demise of Agnivesh. In his condolence message, the Chief Minister said Agnivesh will be remembered for his crusade against bonded labour and for the unrelenting fight against social evils. Reddy said Agnivesh inspired many people to take up social work. A pair of shoebox sized nanosatellites built in the UK thanks to a 6million government grant will launch from a Russian Soyuz rocket later this month. The spacecraft will join a fleet of more than 100 objects in low Earth orbit that work together to track the whereabouts of ships and predict global ocean traffic. The two satellites are made by Spire Global UK and are part of a set of four equipped with a machine learning algorithm to estimate the times vessels will arrive in ports. The first pair will go up on a Soyuz rocket on September 24 and the other two are expected to launch on an Indian PSLV launcher on November 1. The British-made satellites are designed, built, tested, integrated and assembled by Spire Global staff at the firms headquarters in Glasgow. The spacecraft will join a fleet of more than 100 objects in low Earth orbit that work together to track the whereabouts of ships and predict global ocean traffic Despite being the size of a shoebox and weighing no more than standard cabin baggage, the nanosatellites have all the functionality of a conventional satellite. Graham Turnock, chief executive of the UK Space Agency, said nanosatellites are enormously powerful in what they can do. The four being launched by Spire Global have been described as 'supercomputers' in space - with more than a teraflop of processing power. It's hoped future nanosatellites could be launched from British soil - with the first expected to go up from Scotland as early as next year. 'These four Spire satellites are aimed at making trade hyper-accurate, with technology that makes business more cost effective and efficient,' said Turnock. 'Scotland's space sector is booming. Our membership of ESA is benefiting companies across the UK, and we are committed to supporting the space economy in every region.' Spire Global UK is a satellite-powered data company that provides predictive analysis of global shipping, aviation and weather forecasting. Peter Platzer, chief executive and co-founder of Spire Global said their goal was to help companies and organisations predict 'what's next' and make better decisions. The two satellites are made by Spire Global UK and are part of a set of four equipped with a machine learning algorithm to estimate the times vessels will arrive in ports 'This month we are moving this forward by launching a true super-computer into orbit 1-2 teraflops! so that we can analyse data right in orbit, using smart algorithms and machine learning,' Platzer said. 'This will allow us to get better, smarter and faster analytics to our customers for their business decisions.' The services have been developed under a European Space Agency (ESA) Pioneer programme, which is a partnership project co-funded by the UK Space Agency. Elodie Viau, Director of Telecommunications and Integrated Applications at ESA, said this was a prime example of the benefits of the Pioneer programme. Natural gas customers with Consumers Energy may notice a change on their bills this fall, as the Michigan Public Service Commission has given the energy company the green light to hike rates. A typical residential customer using 100 cubic feet of gas per month will see a $6.72 increase, as rates are increasing by 9.1%. The change goes into effect Oct. 1. In total, the rate increase will net Consumers an extra $144 million, per an MPSC news release. Public utilities in Michigan cannot raise rates without approval from the MPSC, the arm of the state that regulates utilities. Consumers asked for a $245 million increase, but the MPSC only granted roughly 60% of the ask on Thursday, Sept. 10. Consumers provides natural gas to 1.8 million homes and businesses across much of the Lower Peninsula. Even with the changes, the average households overall bill next year should be 21% less than a decade ago, Consumers spokesman Brian Wheeler said in a statement. "We also are helping customers in need by making a new $2 million contribution to Michigan nonprofit organizations. As part of the agreement, Consumers is contributing $2 million to The Heat and Warmth Fund which helps low-income households pay their energy bills. Consumers is also committed to spending $100 million in 2020 and $150 million on replacing aging pipes. DTE Energy is also giving $1 million to the fund. Consumers cant raise natural gas rates again until fall 2022, per the agreement. None of the increase will go toward costs or investments related to the Ray Compressor Station in Macomb County, which caught fire in January 2019 and led to a statewide natural gas emergency. Those costs will be wrapped into the next Consumers rate increase request once insurance details are worked out. Consumers was fined $10,000 in May for the incident. The parent company, CMS Energy, reported a net income of $680 million in 2019 and is off to a stronger start in 2020, netting $379 million through the first two quarters of the year. Its stock price is $60.80, as of Friday morning. RELATED STORIES Consumers Energy fined $10K for 2019 fire that spurred Michigan natural gas shortage Michiganders answered call, cut gas usage 10 percent after emergency plea Consumers Energy Super Bowl ad thanks Michiganders for turning down heat Despite polar vortex scare, Michigans energy supply reliable Amman, Jordan The coronavirus has crept into one of the biggest camps for Syrian refugees. One refugee and two Jordanian workers at the Zaatari camp have tested positive for COVID-19, the United Nations refugee agency UNHCR confirmed Thursday. The agency said the infected workers were not UNHCR staff. Both were workers at a clinic in the camp. "It was a surprise for us," UNHCR representative Mohammed Al-Taher told CBS News, given the great efforts exerted on the ground at the Jordanian camp to avoid infections, including temperature checks for anyone entering and vehicle sterilization. "We are worried about the refugees. We need just to keep the camp very clean, and clear of COVID-19." Standoff with teachers an extra challenge as Jordanian kids return to school amid pandemic His concern is warranted. Less than 10 miles from the Syrian border, the Zaatari camp is home to nearly 77,000 Syrian refugees who fled the grinding, nearly decade-long war in their country. The sprawling settlement of small white trailers in the desert has become an iconic symbol of the plight of Syria's displaced people. Trailers providing accommodation for some 77,000 Syrian refugees are seen at the Zaatari refugee camp in Jordan. / Credit: Adeline Guerra/Oxfam "We are talking about almost 77,000 refugees who live in an area of 5.3 square kilometers (2 square miles), which is really very dense, very crowded," said Al-Taher. Those conditions make it challenging for UNHCR to prevent the spread of the virus in the camp, but it has intensified its awareness campaign, urging refugees to take precautions. Knowing the risks at the camp, given the close quarters and challenges with sanitation in a tent city, the refugees and administrators at Zaatari have been on high alert since the pandemic started. "Most people have stopped going out unless it is absolutely necessary," refugee Ahmad Harb, 35, was quoted as saying in a UNHCR press release. "They are staying at home all day and night. Some have even put signs outside their doors that read 'visits not allowed.'" Story continues Dozens of local and international aid groups work inside the camp, employing hundreds of Jordanians and international staffers. According to al-Taher, the virus was brought into the camp by a Jordanian physiotherapist with the Arabian Medical Rescue organization, who worked at a clinic in Zaatari. The physiotherapist is believed to have infected both the other aid worker at the clinic and the refugee who has tested positive. Jordan has fought the spread of COVID-19 with relative success. Strict lockdown measures were imposed early on, helping to keep the number of infections low. New daily confirmed cases even fell to zero in July. However, a few lapses at border crossings and the easing of lockdown measures have seen the number of new cases spike in recent weeks, and the disease is once again spreading around the kingdom. To date, Jordan has confirmed almost 2,800 coronavirus cases, and 20 deaths. Many of those who work in the camp watched the resurgence of COVID-19 in Jordan, outside of Zaatari, with trepidation. "The camp, in a way, is not isolated from what's happening in the neighboring governorates and cities," said Qasim Adeeb Qasim, site manager for the international aid group Oxfam. To ensure the continuity of Oxfam's work, Qassim said that as of Sunday his 45-person team at Zaatari would divide into two groups, working on different days to help ensure social distancing and minimize contact risks. "All agencies working in Zaatari must be able to control the safety of their staff, and at the same time the safety of the people we serve," he told CBS News. Staff members of the Oxfam charity meet at the Zaatari refugee camp for displaced Syrians in Jordan. / Credit: Wissam Al-Riyabi/Oxfam UNHCR said its team at the camp was following the Jordanian Ministry of Health's established anti-virus protocols. The three confirmed cases have been isolated away from other camp residents and staff. The agency has also managed to trace, isolate, and test people known to have come into contact with the virus patients. COVID-19 test results were pending for those individuals, and UNHCR was closely monitoring the situation. The national Health Ministry is in charge of coronavirus testing at the camp, and it has been carrying out random tests of refugees there for weeks, in addition to the targeted testing of close contacts of known cases. "We are just praying, and we hope that all the cases on the random tests done in Zaatari camp will be negative and hopefully we will keep our refugees very clear and away from COVID-19," the UNHCR spokesman told CBS News. Trump admits to downplaying coronavirus threat in audio recordings Woodward tapes show Trump knew the dangers of COVID-19 but downplayed it Bob Woodward to discuss Trump book on "60 Minutes" A week ago, a TikTok account named @blurrblake posted a video of three men riding a Tesla car, with one on the front seat and two from the backseat. The car was running at 60 mph without anyone sitting in the driver's seat. It turns out, the Tesla car was in an 'autopilot' mode, while the three of them were drinking and singing to the tune of Justin Bieber's classic 'Baby.' Jesus take the wheel indeed! TMZ caught a story of a viral video on TikTok. The video shows three men, drinking and singing to Justin Bieber's 'Baby' inside a Tesla car. Throughout the video, it was observed that nobody was sitting in the driver's seat, suggesting that the car was in an 'autopilot' mode. Two of the TikTokers were sitting at the backseat, while the other one was sitting casually in the front passenger seat. All of them seemed drunk with alcoholic beverages-- White Claw, Truly, Four Loko, Natty Light Seltzer-- on their hands and all over the vehicle. Of course, since the video was posted online, these men seemed to be unaware of the dangerous and possibly 'deadly' thing they've done in the video. Here's the whole video to watch for yourself: Don't leave your autopilot unattended! Self-driving cars are one of the dreams of Tesla CEO Elon Musk for his brand of cars. In 2014, Elon first started to introduce the autopilot feature of the brand for its selected models of the car. According to the Tesla page, autopilot uses cameras, ultrasonic sensors, and radar to see and sense the car's environment. This robust sensor and camera suite provides drivers with an awareness of their surroundings that a driver alone would not otherwise have. Though it is considered 'auto-pilot,' Tesla does not welcome the idea of leaving your car without a driver during this mode. As explained, "Autopilot is a hands-on driver assistance system that is intended to be used only with a fully attentive driver. It does not turn a Tesla into a self-driving car, nor does it make a car autonomous. "Before enabling Autopilot, you must agree to "keep your hands on the steering wheel at all times" and to always "maintain control and responsibility for your car."' Guess, these TikTokers forget to read this part on the Tesla manual. ALSO READ: TikTok Bans Users Who Share Video of a "Man with a Beard" Who Took Suicide While on Facebook Live This article is owned by Tech Times Written by Jamie Pancho 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Featured stories State troopers says truck driver fabricated report of stabbing, robbery on I-76 in Medina (WEWS Channel 5) New Ohio health director backs out hours after Gov. Mike DeWine announces appointment (cleveland.com) Attorney General Barr expected to appear at slain Cleveland officers funeral, sources say (cleveland.com) Trumps campaign jumps into Ohio elections fight, opposing lawsuit over multiple drop boxes in counties (cleveland.com) Coronavirus in Ohio Summit County was classified Thursday as a "red" Level 3 county on Ohio's coronavirus alert system, indicating high exposure and spread of the virus in the county. Ohio has 1,121 new coronavirus cases, as Gov. Mike DeWine urges flu vaccines: Thursday update (cleveland.com) 2,797 Ohio nursing home patients have died with coronavirus; 65% of Ohios total COVID-19 deaths (cleveland.com) Gov. Mike DeWine sidesteps questions on Donald Trump downplaying coronavirus (cleveland.com) Pilot study stirs debate over whether Vitamin D analog can help coronavirus patients recover (cleveland.com) CVS Pharmacy expands coronavirus testing for children 12 and older; more than 120 new test sites set to open (cleveland.com) Crime 8-year-old girl shot in car in West Akron (cleveland.com) Man arrested in fatal shooting of girlfriend in Clevelands Broadway-Slavic Village neighborhood (cleveland.com) Two Baldwin Wallace students who were robbed Sept. 7 say suspects used handgun (cleveland.com) Elyria man gets fraudulent $11K credit card bill, U-Haul rental charge (Lorain Morning Journal) Cleveland / Cuyahoga County File photo Appeals court reinstates lawsuit against Cuyahoga County involving 5-year-old TaNaejah McClouds death (cleveland.com) 20 new COVID-19 coronavirus cases confirmed in Cleveland, no new deaths reported: Thursday update (cleveland.com) For bars and restaurants, Browns fans turnout remains uncertain in coronavirus times (cleveland.com) Coronavirus restrictions will force many Browns fans to change their game-day routines (cleveland.com) CHMA gets $8.2 million federal grant to help homeless during coronavirus pandemic (cleveland.com) Greater Cleveland RTA gets $15 million federal grant to buy new railcars (cleveland.com) Downtown Cleveland will come back from coronavirus, even if it takes time, booster says at forum (cleveland.com) Lane and ramp closings this weekend as I-480 traffic is switched to new Valley View Bridge (cleveland.com) Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court to hold some jury trials in Global Center for Health Innovation (cleveland.com) We created an oasis: Black churches evolve to offer support, reliable coronavirus information during pandemic (cleveland.com) Black Women Rising hosts virtual roundtable on racial disparities among Black women during COVID-19 (cleveland.com) Play it Forward Cleveland to seek instrument donations Friday for free music lessons for youth (cleveland.com) Local news East Orange council increases villages rates for emergency medical services (cleveland.com) Orange mayor wonders why Woodmere is not moving forward on project (cleveland.com) Cleveland Heights police officers save woman from burning house (WJW Channel 8) Local news West Crash with box truck kills Vermilion man (cleveland.com) Berea City Schools plans for possible switch to hybrid learning (cleveland.com) Lakewood City Council discusses 2021 budget priorities (cleveland.com) Akron / Canton area A vintage photo of the iconic rock at Kent State University. Someone has painted racist messages on the rock three times since mid-August. Summit back as a red county on latest coronavirus advisory map (cleveland.com) Black students protest Kent State Universitys response to repeated racist messages on rock (cleveland.com) ATV crash in Stark County kills 18-year-old driver (cleveland.com) Nine staff members at Coventry Elementary to quarantine after employee tests positive for COVID-19 (WKYC Channel 3) High demand for bus drivers and substitute teachers in Northeast Ohio (WEWS Channel 5) State Ohio House Bill 6 legislative opponents make case for repeal (cleveland.com) Ohio unemployment claims continued to fall last week (cleveland.com) Lt. Gov. Jon Husted pushes for Ohioans to complete their census forms (cleveland.com) Ohio Supreme Court rejects Kanye Wests request to make states presidential ballot (cleveland.com) Current Print Subscribers will be prompted to either login to their current site user account or to create a new one. A confirmation email will be sent when a new user account is created, which must be confirmed within three days in order to provide uninterrupted online access through your Print Subscription. Once the email address is confirmed please provide your Account Number to activate your Print Subscription Service. Resignation letters and their non-acceptance have become part of instantaneous communication, thanks to social media, in the run-up to the Bihar assembly polls, which are expected to be held on schedule in October-November, despite the raging coronavirus disease (Covid-19) outbreak. But the ruling Janata Dal (United), or JD (U), government in the state doesnt appreciate the growing trend, and more so, if these exchanges occur in violation of the jail manual. Neeraj Kumar, state minister for information and public relations (IPR) department and a spokesperson for the JD (U), tweeted on Friday morning, questioning the letter from Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav to his senior colleague Raghuvansh Prasad Singh, who is said to have quit the party the previous day. On Thursday, Singh had sent a letter to Prasad from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi, where he is undergoing treatment for Covid-19- related complications. As if holding durbar in the jail was not enough, now a mockery of the jail manual is being made. The manual clearly states that a prisoner cannot exchange letters for political purposes. How could the jail superintendent grant permission for it? This is a serious issue. But remember, the hands of the law are long, the minister tweeted, tagging Prasads letter. He cited section 999 of the jail manual that states no prisoner is allowed to exchange letters for political purposes. This is a clear violation of the manual and it is surprising how permission was granted, he added. Letters from Prasad and Singh are doing the rounds on social media since Thursday, evoking varied responses. A letter from Prasad has gone viral on social media. Received a letter allegedly written by you, which is circulating in the media. I cant believe it. At present, the entire RJD family and I pray for your speedy recovery and want to see in our midst, he wrote, which accompanied the seal of Ranchis Birsa Munda Central Jail, where Prasad is lodged after being convicted in several multi-crore fodder scam cases. Praasads letter further stated: In the last four decades we have discussed and resolved political, social and even family issues. You get well soon and then we will talk. You are not going anywhere. The minister had raised the matter last week about Prasads blatant violation of the jail manual during a meeting with JD (U) leaders. JD (U) has also been consistently attacking the Hemant Soren-led government in Jharkhand over Prasads indiscretions and searches were also carried out in his ward at Ranchis Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in the past. However, the matter flared up after Birsa Munda Central Jails inspector-general (I-G) Birendra Bhushan wrote to Chhavi Raanjan, deputy commissioner, Ranchi, regarding Prasad holding political meetings in the jail regularly with impunity. Prasad is likely to have the final say on the RJDs ticket distribution for the upcoming Bihar polls. . SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Not so long ago, things didnt look so great for the guitar, that global symbol of youthful freedom and rebellion for 70 years running. With hip-hop and Beyonce-style spectacle pop supposedly owning the hearts and wallets of millennials and Generation Z and so many 20th-century guitar deities either dead (Jimi Hendrix, Kurt Cobain) or soloing into their 70s (Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page) electric guitar sales had skidded by about one-third in the decade since 2007, according to Music Trades, a research organization that tracks industry data. Gibson guitars, whose celebrated Les Paul line had helped put the Led in Zeppelin, was sliding toward bankruptcy. All of this was enough for The Washington Post to declare the slow, secret death of the six-string electric in 2017. That same year, even Clapton himself, known simply as God to devotees more than half a century ago, sounded ready to spread the ashes. Maybe, he mused at a 2017 news conference for the documentary Eric Clapton: A Life in 12 Bars, the guitar is over. Hold the obituaries. A half-year into a pandemic that has threatened to sink entire industries, people are turning to the guitar as a quarantine companion and psychological salve, spurring a surge in sales for some of the most storied companies (Fender, Gibson, Martin, Taylor) that has shocked even industry veterans. I would never have predicted that we would be looking at having a record year, said Andy Mooney, chief executive of Fender Musical Instruments Corp., the Los Angeles-based guitar giant that has equipped Rock & Roll Hall of Famers since Buddy Holly strapped on a 1954 sunburst Fender Stratocaster back in the tail-fin 1950s. Weve broken so many records, Mooney said. It will be the biggest year of sales volume in Fender history, record days of double-digit growth, e-commerce sales and beginner gear sales. I never would have thought we would be where we are today if you asked me back in March. Its not just graying baby boomer men looking to live out one last Peter Frampton fantasy. Young adults and teenagers, many of them female, are helping to power this guitar revival, manufacturers and retailers said, putting their own generational stamp on the instrument that rocked their parents generation while also discovering the powers of six-string therapy. Playing away the blues It all started with a collective breaking point, according to Jensen Trani, a guitar instructor in Los Angeles whose thousands of instructional videos on YouTube, he estimated, have attracted some 75 million views over the past 14 years. There was this point with my students where I could tell that numbing out on Netflix and Instagram and Facebook was just not working anymore, Trani, 38, said. People could no longer go to their usual coping mechanisms. They were saying, How do I want to spend my day? For many, apparently, the answer was strumming. Shortly after stay-at-home orders were announced in the spring, Trani saw a surge of traffic for his videos, he said, and quickly tripled his number of private students taking lessons remotely. Popular instructional sites like JustinGuitar.com and GuitarTricks saw similar spikes during the spring. And most of the new students were not looking to rekindle memories of Foghat live in 1976. Most of them probably did not know who Foghat was, given that the majority of Tranis new students were, as he put it, female-presenting people in their late 20s or early 30s. The biggest names in the business of online guitar instruction were seeing a similar pattern. Fender said that its guitar-instruction app, Fender Play, which features Trani as an instructor, saw its user base shoot to 930,000 from 150,000 between late March and late June, with a considerable assist from a three-month promotional giveaway. Nearly 20 per cent of the newcomers were under 24, and 70 per cent were under 45, the company reported. Female users accounted for 45 per cent of the new wave, compared with 30 per cent before the pandemic. In a narrow sense, the surge made sense. Prospective players who had never quite found the time to take up an instrument suddenly had little excuse not to. As James Curleigh, chief executive of Gibson Brands, put it: In a world of digital acceleration, time is always your enemy. All of a sudden time became your friend. But there was more to it, Trani said. Many newcomers to the instrument seemed to be looking for an oasis of calm in a turbulent world. There is, he said, this sense of learning how to sit with yourself. That was the case for one of his new students, Kayla Lucido, 31, of San Jose, California, who decided to make good on her long-standing ambitions to learn guitar in March, despite a frenzied schedule juggling remote work as a project coordination manager at a technology company and parenting duties for her 17-month-old son. Its been quite healing for me, learning something new, and being able to drown everything else out, said Lucido, who has been plucking out songs like Beautiful Stranger by Halsey or Bluebird by Miranda Lambert, even for 10 minutes each day. You just really have to focus on your hand placement, the chords youre playing, then pairing that with the strumming, she added. If Im working out, my mind still wanders, but when Im playing guitar, I just get lost in it. Its like meditation. No wonder. Learning guitar, or piano, or oboe or bassoon, benefits the brain on profound levels, according to Daniel Levitin, a neuroscientist, musician and the author of the 2006 New York Times bestseller This Is Your Brain on Music. (Many psychological studies have shown the therapeutic benefits of playing an instrument, as well.) The process, Levitin wrote in an email, is neuroprotective in that it requires that you grow new neural pathways something you can do at literally any age. He added that using your brain for something that is challenging, but not impossible, tends to be rewarding, and hence comforting. Learning the guitar, he wrote, is also a forward-looking process, kindling hope and optimism, which helps regulate stable mood chemicals like serotonin and dopamine. And there is a very real sense of mastery and accomplishment, Levitin said. Im working on a Chopin piece on the piano right now the Prelude in E minor and I keep reminding myself Im putting my fingers in the same configurations that Chopin did. For a few minutes, I can be Chopin. The same, he added, holds true for Clapton when I play guitar. Every day is black Friday Ive been in the instrument retail business for 25-plus years and Ive never seen anything like it, Brendan Murphy, a senior salesman at Sweetwater, an online retailer of guitars and other instruments, wrote in an email in July. It feels like every day is black Friday. Other online retailers were reporting the same thing in the spring and into summer. Despite having to close 293 of its 296 giant retail showrooms in March and April because of the coronavirus, Guitar Center was soon seeing triple-digit sales growth for most top guitar brands on the website, according to Michael Doyle, the companys senior vice president of guitar merchandising. Guitars are hardly the only consumer item to experience a quarantine bounce, of course. Sales have spiked for many items since lockdowns began bicycles, baking yeast, board games, yoga mats, beans and even Everclear, the 190-proof spirit. But a guitar is not a bag of lentils. A new guitar usually requires an investment of several hundred dollars, if not several thousand, and new players and virtuosos alike often live with their trusty ax for years, bonding with it as a statement of personal taste and style. Its what economists would call a discretionary purchase, the sort of non-essential consumer item that is usually the last thing one might buy when the economy is plunging and unemployment is skyrocketing. Throw in months-long factory closures for manufacturers and a virtual disappearance of brick-and-mortar retailers, and the situation seemed nearly apocalyptic. I figured that this is one of those business-falls-off a-cliff situations, said Chris Martin, the chief executive of C.F. Martin & Co., the 187-year-old manufacturer of acoustic guitars that has supplied contemporary stars like John Mayer and Ed Sheeran, as well as legends like Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell and some guy named Elvis, over decades. Well pick up the pieces and put the company back together whenever. But after a terrible March, with revenues 40 per cent below normal, business roared back. Its crazy, said Martin, the sixth-generation Martin to run the company. Its unbelievable the demand there is right now for acoustic guitars. Ive been through guitar booms before, but this one caught me completely by surprise. Electric guitars may not have exactly the same plunk-through-a-few-Neil-Young-tunes-on-the-bed appeal, but sales have been strong on that front for electric-guitar giants Fender and Gibson, too (both companies also make acoustic guitars). The pandemic hit at a sensitive time for Gibson. The company had declared bankruptcy in 2018, after previous management had made an aggressive push to expand into home and commercial audio electronics, and attempted to jetpack this company founded in 1894 into the future with 21st-century reinterpretations of classic Gibson stadium shakers some featuring built-in electronic robot tuners. A new management team headed by Curleigh, the former president of Levis Brand, ditched the on-board robotics, rebooted the brands budget-priced Epiphone line and released new Original and Modern collections featuring fresh interpretations of classic Gibsons from the 1950s and 1960s that today fetch five- and six-figure prices on the vintage market. The company was earning rave reviews for its new product lines and improved quality control before factories closed in April. When we had no production, Curleigh said, we had no sales, lets face it. By late summer, however, we literally couldnt deliver enough, he said. Everything we were making, we could sell. To Curleigh, the guitar rebound was a signifier of deeper psychological currents circulating among a traumatized population. Its Maslows hierarchy of needs, he said, citing a theory of human motivation proposed by psychologist Abraham Maslow in the 1940s. Maslows five-tier pyramid of needs proposed that people first must satisfy fundamental requirements like sustenance and personal security before they can scale toward the higher goals of creative fulfilment. Thats what the world went through, Curleigh said. First we were figuring out the basic essentials where to buy toilet paper, making sure you were isolated in quarantine. Then the psychological reset hit. People said, Well, I can still self-actualize, I can still self-fulfill. Cotton Futures Down on Profit Taking Ahead of Weekend Barchart - 1 hour ago Cotton is 58 to 124 points lower early in the Friday session. On Thursday the board pulled back after setting new LOC highs through the week. At the bell yesterday, prices were 17 to 108 points in the... CTH22 : 122.36 (-0.42%) CTK22 : 119.23 (-0.37%) CTZ21 : 111.55s (+0.25%) UI Claims Torpedo Markets Market Tea Leaves - Fri Jan 21, 5:38AM CST Yesterday the markets faltered due to not too stellar economic news. What will happen today? K atie Price has made her red carpet debut in a wheelchair as she recovers from her horrific injuries. The 42-year-old was accompanied by new boyfriend Carl Woods as they were guests at Shaka Zulus 10th anniversary bash in Camden, North London, last night. Despite her double foot break, Price was in good spirits as she smiled for the cameras alongside Woods, 31, with the star planting a kiss on his cheek. Priceys night out comes after she took a short break from social media to recover from her injuries, which she sustained in a freak accident while at a theme park in Turkey back in July. Katie Price posed up a storm from her wheelchair / SplashNews.com She is now documenting the different stages of her recovery on her YouTube channel, with one of her most recent videos showing her screaming and wincing in pain as doctors removed the stitches from her feet. Despite the traumatic ordeal, Price then took to her Instagram stories to reveal her feet are finally on the mend. The pair looked loved-up on their night out / SplashNews.com Trying to wiggle my toes, my feet still swollen but I'm getting better, still no walking or standing allowed though, she said. Its a tough journey, but Im feeling stronger and determined to get through this with all the support of my family, friends, followers and my amazing man. Pricey has thanked Woods for sticking by her / SplashNews.com The injuries may stop the My Crazy Life star from walking properly for at least a year, and is expected to stay wheelchair-bound for at least six months. Doctors are saying she wont be able to walk for six months, or put any weight on her feet, an insider told The Sun. The recovery could take up to two years. She wont even be walking around until well into 2021. Shes really upset and cant believe its this bad. But in true Pricey-fashion, she will be getting around in style, having landed a hot pink mobility scooter. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-11 15:57:35|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi (R) meets with his Tajik counterpart Sirojiddin Muhriddin on the sidelines of a foreign ministers' meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Moscow, Russia, Sept. 10, 2020. (Xinhua/Bai Xueqi) Focusing on the post-pandemic era, the two countries should map out cooperation in key areas at an early date and steadily advance the smooth implementation of the joint construction of the Belt and Road projects, Wang said. MOSCOW, Sept. 10 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi met Thursday with his Tajik counterpart Sirojiddin Muhriddin over bilateral ties and cooperation on the sidelines of a foreign ministers' meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. Wang said that under the strategic guidance of Chinese President Xi Jinping and Tajik President Emomali Rahmon, bilateral relations have entered a new stage and have broad prospects for development. As a comprehensive strategic partner of Tajikistan, China strongly supports Tajikistan in following a development path that suits its national conditions, safeguarding its sovereignty and security, as well as developing and revitalizing its economy, and firmly opposes any interference in Tajikistan's internal affairs by external forces, Wang said, adding that on the international stage, the two countries should continue to support each other and safeguard their common interests. Chinese work team members arrive at Dushanbe International Airport, Tajikistan, May 24, 2020. (Chinese Embassy in Tajikistan/Handout via Xinhua) Wang stressed that after the COVID-19 pandemic broke out, China and Tajikistan have fought against the coronavirus pandemic with solidarity to overcome the difficulties together, and made significant achievements respectively. On the premise of ensuring epidemic prevention and control, the two sides should steadily advance the smooth implementation of the joint construction of the Belt and Road projects, he added. Focusing on the post-pandemic era, the two countries should map out cooperation in key areas at an early date, Wang said, urging the two sides to leverage the role of the joint prevention and control mechanism in the border areas, and enhance cargo handling capacity via border ports during the pandemic. A driver from Tajikistan gestures to a Chinese border policeman at the Karasu port in Tajik Autonomous County of Taxkorgan, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, on June 11, 2019. (Xinhua/Huang Huan) For his part, Muhriddin said the Tajik side speaks highly of the high level of mutual trust and mutually beneficial cooperation results between the two countries, thanks China for its anti-virus assistance to Tajikistan, and appreciates China's willingness to make COVID-19 vaccines a global public good. The Tajik side firmly supports the one-China principle and opposes any force's attacks and smears of China under the guise of human rights, Muhriddin said, adding his country will continue to stand firmly with China. Noting it is important that the foreign ministers' meeting mechanism between five Central Asian countries and China has been launched, he voiced Tajikistan's readiness to work with all parties to implement the outcomes of the first meeting, and push for the joint construction of the Belt and Road and cooperation in other fields. A white supremacist double murder suspect's tattoos may hold the key to proving he slit the throats and dumped his victims' bodies down a mine shaft. Investigator's have issued a warrant for updated photograph's of Jerrod Baum's inkings, believing pictures of headstones with initials on are documents of his murders. Baum, 41, allegedly murdered Riley Powell, 18, and his girlfriend Brelynne 'Breezy' Otteson, 17, in December 2017. The Utah County Attorney Bureau of Investigations has now served a search warrant to collect updated photographs of all of Baums tattoos. Investigator's have issued a warrant for updated photograph's of Jerrod Baum's (pictured in the 4th District Court Thursday, April 26, 2018, in Provo, Utah) tattoos, believing pictures of headstones with initials on are documents of his murders Baum, 41, allegedly killed Riley Powell, 18, and his girlfriend Brelynne 'Breezy' Otteson, 17, (pictured) in December 2017 An investigator wrote in the warrant: 'Just as Baums iron cross may have documented bravery in battle for his involvement in any number of acts, he may have documented his killing of Riley and Brelynne by way of tattoos as well. 'My training and experience and consultation with experts leads me to believe that there is a reasonable probability that he has done so. 'There is a strong likelihood Mr Baum may have recorded the deaths of Riley Powell and Brelynne Otteson in the form of another tattoo,' reported DeseretNews. Baum is accused of killing the young couple and throwing their bound bodies into the Tintic Standard Mine outside Eureka, Juab County. Defense attorney Mike Brown and Utah County Attorney David Leavitt both declined to comment on Thursday. Baum, who is charged with two counts of capital murder and will face the death penalty if convicted, is known to have more than two dozen tattoos. Investigators became interested in his body art after listening to interviews with Baum's ex-girlfriend Morgan Henderson, who was allegedly present at the killings. She referred to a swastika tattooed on Baum's face and spoke about his tattoos as 'records', referring specifically to 'headstones' on his body symbolising people he had killed. Henderson said she witnessed Baum first kill Powell, repeatedly stabbing him, before he slit Otteson's throat and dumped both of their bodies in the shaft In addition to the 'headstones and lettering' on Baum's arm and swastika on his face, his known tattoos include runes on his back stretching from his left shoulder to his right shoulder. There is also an 'unknown demon' in the center of his back, a Viking or Nordic scene with an iron cross on the lower left side of his back and a swastika in the center of his chest. Henderson said Baum practiced Odinism, a religion worshipping Norse gods, and would perform rituals on her drawing runes and symbols on her with her own blood. She said he told her he would perform the ritual again with someone else's blood if she left him, the warrant states. Powell and Otteson's bodies were discovered 100-feet down abandoned mine shaft known as Tintic Standard No 2 (pictured), near Eureka Investigators believe the ritual was performed to control Henderson through propaganda, fear and violence. Speaking in court in March last year, Henderson claimed the killings occurred after Baum told her she 'couldn't have guy friends' at their home in Mammoth, Utah. She said Baum found them smoking marijuana and later tied up Mr Powell and his girlfriend Miss Otteson in the back of their Jeep. Baum drove them all to the mineshaft where he made the couple kneel in an execution position, she said. Morgan Henderson, 35, took the stand on Wednesday (pictured) to testify against Baum, her ex-boyfriend. Henderson said she watched Baum kill the two teenagers She said he stabbed Mr Powell to death before slitting Miss Otteson's throat and hiding the weapon. Fearing that Baum would hurt her son if she confessed, Henderson said she decided to get high on psychedelic mushrooms and kill herself in the mountains. Several months later, authorities stopped her for speeding on the way and discovered an axe, a rifle, and knives in her car. She confessed and led police to the teen's bodies and Baum was arrested hours later. It would be months before Henderson told police what happened. She first concocted a plan to kill herself because she was consumed by guilt over what she had witnessed, she said He was charged with aggravated murder, aggravated kidnapping, desecration of a dead human body, witness tampering, and obstruction of justice. Henderson was also charged with felony obstruction of justice and testified against Baum as part of her plea deal. She will be released from jail after Baum's case is resolved. Baum has a hearing next week to argue the latest in a series of numerous motions filed in the case. MERIDEN One of the architects of the new police accountability law attended Wednesday's virtual meeting of the City Councils Public Safety Committee to address questions and concerns raised by the citys police department. State Rep. Steve Stafstrom, D-Bridgeport and co-chair of the Judiciary Committee, addressed a list of questions and concerns submitted by the police department through the public safety committee. The concerns raised by the police department, Stafstrom said, center on the three or four sections of the legislation that have received the most attention and pushback, including provisions concerning qualified immunity for officers, consent searches during motor vehicle stops, and use-of-force standards. Theres a lot of really good things in this bill, theres a lot of very non-controversial things. This is a 60-something page bill with 40-something sections and the vast majority of this bill has received little if any criticism or pushback, said Stafstrom. Really I think the criticism revolves around three or four sections or major pieces of this bill, which in many respects is unfortunate because that seems to be dominating the conversation as opposed to some really good things in this bill like encouraging minority recruitment Stafstrom was one of the bills chief architects, along with Sen. Gary Winfield, D-New Haven, also a co-chair of the legislatures Judiciary Committee. Stafstrom was joined at Wednesdays meeting by state Rep. Hilda Santiago, D-Meriden, who voted in favor of the bill. Stafstrom went through the areas of the law concerning police and explained the changes being made to provide clarity and assurance. Heres some of what he had to say. Use of force standards Stafstrom tried to debunk a misunderstanding that the legislation will require officers to attempt to de-escalate a situation in all cases prior to using force. In scenarios in which an officer or a third party is in imminent danger of harm, officers will still be able to use force to defend themselves or the third-party without first de-escalating. In all other cases, the law does add some additional requirements for officers to de-escalate situations or use alternative means before using force. What we have done is looked at those situations where an officer uses deadly force outside of a pure self-defense construct, Stafstrom said, where they either put themselves in a situation that requires the use of deadly force or a situation where someone is chasing a fleeing suspect or otherwise trying to effectuate an arrest. Stafstrom said the states prior use-of-force standards lagged behind federal law and standards set in other states. What we attempted to do in this most recent language is to bring Connecticut in line with federal law so that we were not an outlier, he said. The use of force provision is not set to take effect until April at the earliest, and Stafstrom said its highly likely that date will get pushed back to allow more time to get every officer in the state trained on the new standards. Consent searches The law will prohibit officers from asking motorists for consent to search their vehicle during traffic stops for motor vehicle violations but it will not prohibit officers from searching vehicles in other scenarios. The only thing that is barred under this provision is when an officer pulls someone over solely for a motor vehicle violation you were speeding, you rolled through the stop sign, whatever it is, Stafstrom said. Officers wont be allowed to ask for permission to search someones car, but they will still be able to with probable cause that another crime has been committed, Stafstrom explained. The only prohibition is just in the pure motor vehicle violation stops, he said. He said the change was made because statistics show people of color are subjected to consent searches for motor vehicle violations at an alarmingly higher rate than middle-aged white males are. This gets right to the racial justice issue of this bill If youre African American and driving through a predominantly white town in the state of Connecticut, the statistics show you are much more likely to be pulled over for a traffic violation and you are much more likely to be asked by an officer if they can search your car, Stafstrom said. And frankly, many folks end up not knowing they have the right to say no. As a result of this disparity, statistics show that consent searches performed on black males are less likely to produce contraband than searches of middle-aged white males because theyre performed at such a high rate against minority communities, Stafstrom said. Democratic councilor Michael Cardona, chairman of the public safety committee, said one of the major complaints hes heard from officers is that this change will hinder law enforcements ability to discover criminal activity through consent searches during traffic stops. Cardona asked Stafstrom if he has any statistics on crimes discovered from consent searches during motor vehicle stops. Stafstrom didnt have any statistics on hand at the meeting. Yes, were asking police to work a little bit harder to solve some of these crimes, and I certainly understand that, Stafstrom said. And Ill be honest, Ive had this conversation with my police department in Bridgeport, and this consent search piece is the single provision of the bill that they still have some reservations on or at least most have reservations on. We tried to walk a middle ground. If somebody volunteers to let you search their car, you can still do that. The officer just cant ask Rhode Island has gone a lot further than Connecticut has on this, and the Rhode Island law prohibits basically any search where theres not probable cause, and its not just limited to traffic stops. We have not gone that far in this bill. Qualified immunity Stafstrom said its a misconception that the bill will remove qualified immunity for officers, and explained that the only thing changing is the way in which we have defined what qualifies for qualified immunity. Qualified immunity is a legal principle that grants someone performing discretionary functions immunity from civil lawsuits if certain requirements are met. Law enforcement agencies across the state have criticized the bills qualified immunity provision because they say it will open officers up to frivolous lawsuits. Stafstrom, a commercial attorney by profession, explained that technically there is no such thing as qualified immunity under state law and that it comes from federal doctrine. The bill codifies qualified immunity for officers into state statute, but removes one of the tests used to determine eligibility for qualified immunity. Officers will still have qualified immunity in instances where they violated a persons civil rights as long as they had a good faith belief they were acting within their legal authority when they did it. The only thing that was changed is that federal law takes it a step further and says even if you didnt have a good faith belief that you were acting within your legal authority, as long as you didnt violate some clearly established legal principle, which literally means you didnt do the same thing that some officer has been held responsible for previously, then youre still entitled to qualified immunity. We did get rid of that last piece to this, but the first two prongs of the qualified immunity bar to sue still remain. Stafstrom lamented how much misinformation and confusion has been out there about the qualified immunity provision. He understands the police departments concern that the change could affect recruitment, but he pushed back saying that the detrimental effect is caused by misinformation about the legislation, not the legislation itself. Input from police In response to a question from Mayor Kevin Scarpati about how much feedback lawmakers received from law enforcement in crafting this bill, Stafstrom said while it was impossible to engage every local bargaining unit in the state, they tried to engage the states largest municipal police union groups in the discussion, along with the state police union. Lawmakers heard a couple of things early on from unions, according to Stafstrom dont blow up collective bargaining, like a lot of states are looking to do and dont take away our pensions. That stuff has never made it into the bill, Stafstrom said. The legislation, he added, was revised along the way based on feedback from police unions. The original use of force provision was watered down after unions argued it was too strong, Stafstrom said, adding the original version of the bill would have completely done away with qualified immunity before some qualified immunity was added back in. The chiefs take We the People Councilor Bob Williams asked Police Chief Roberto Rosado, who attended the public safety meeting, about his thoughts on the accountability bill. Rosado said he wasnt prepared to share a detailed opinion Wednesday, but told councilors he would share it at a later date. Theres some good things in it, obviously, Rosado said, adding theres some things that are a little concerning. mzabierek@record-journal.com203-317-2279Twitter: @MatthewZabierek As protests continue to erupt in the streets of Kenosha, Wisconsin, and across the world in outrage against the horrific shooting of Jacob Bla Read more Award winning actress Yvonne Okoro has been unveiled as the new brand ambassador for Kaiser German Kitchens & Appliances. Details of the deal is not made public yet but latest photos in circulation captured the Contract actress and producer endorsing Kaiser, a High-Quality German Kitchen Appliance and Kitchen Cabinet brand that provides all solutions, whether it be individual kitchens, wholesale distribution, or bulk orders. The company is a family owned business which started in central Berlin, Germany in 1995 producing and specialising in the highest quality and revolutionary designs of kitchens and appliances. Since then Kaiser has won several prestigious awards in Germany such as the Brand award winner for best innovation designs for the years of 2017- 2018. Kaiser was incorporated in Ghana in 2014 and has since grown into a market leader in distribution of high end appliances, Kitchen cabinets, Wardrobes and Walk-In Closets. In February 2016, Kaiser was launched in Ivory Coast and has since been expanding there successfully. Its major activities in Ghana including signing Yvonne Okoro, the four times Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards (AMVCAs) winner. She still remains one of the most celebrated actresses of her generation. Source: Eugene Osafo-Nkansah/Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video In his new book, Aesthetic Science, Alexander Wragge-Morley explores scientific representation in the early modern period and shows us how vital the role of subjective experience is to the communication of knowledge about nature. Its a fascinating, groundbreaking reconsideration of the role of aesthetic experience in the history of the empirical sciences, and we sent him a few questions about it. In Aesthetic Science, you explore the relationship between sensory experience and the production of knowledge. What drew you to the topic? What do you like about it? Id say that theres a lot to like when you think about the relationship between sensory experience and the production of knowledge. To start, the issue is obviously fundamentaland I like fundamental issues. I dont think you can give a good account of knowledge production unless you think hard about how the senseswith all the feelings they provokegive us access to the external world. Whats more, that fundamental question allows you to think about the history of science in new ways. By focusing on how the scientists of seventeenth-century England related to sensory experience, I was able to pull a wide range of disciplines togetherdisciplines that are usually studied separately. In Aesthetic Science, I ended up talking about art, literature, material culture, philosophy, and religion at the same time. For me, that work was immensely rewarding. The image on the book covera rendering of Stonehenge overlaying a snowflakewas your idea. Can you tell us more about the meaning behind the design? Its truethe front cover shows a map of Stonehenge by the English architect Inigo Jones (15731652) superimposed over a snowflake. The key to unlocking this mysterious image is revealed in Chapter 3, but Ill give away a few hints here. For scientists like Robert Hooke and Robert Boyle, the natural world was the work of a supremely talented designerGod. In Aesthetic Science, I show that they didnt just use this idea to defend themselves against suggestions of atheism. They actually practiced a form of science that depended on seeing the world as the product of a designer. Sometimes, they even rejected the evidence of their senses when it didnt have the beauty they expected from the work of a good designer. I chose the cover image because it reflects this key idea. When Inigo Jones encountered the ruins of Stonehenge, he decided that they must once have been far more perfect. He imposed his sense of design on what he saw. In Chapter 3, youll see that a famous scientist did the same thing with snowflakes. While you were working on the book, what did you learn that surprised you the most? Thats easy. I was absolutely blown away by Robert Hookes suggestion that one of the most beautiful thing he had seen in his entire life was his own urine, frozen and viewed through a microscope. For Hooke, it was in every particular so transcendent, that he judge[d] it almost impossible for humane art to imitate. Whats next for you? Are you working on any projects that youre particularly excited about? Right now Im working on a project about the role of feeling in eighteenth-century medicine. Im looking at medical practitioners and patients who believed that medical expertise depended on having felt exactly the same symptoms as the person now suffering them. Ive just turned up some really exciting letters between two women discussing their treatment at the hands of the same male physician. One of the women, at least, wasnt very convinced by the physicians attempts to claim that he knew exactly what she was feeling. On top of that, Ive been working on a project about a blind chemical lecturer called Henry Moyes, who toured both Britain and the United States in the late eighteenth century. Im fascinated by his attempts to show that he could feel pretty much the same sensations as the sighted people around him. Once again, Im fascinated by the way people related sensory experience to their capacity for knowledge and community with others. Best book youve read lately? My quarantine reading was Hilary Mantels The Mirror and the Light, the third in her series on Thomas Cromwell. Mantel is a serious writer in the tradition of George Eliot and Virginia Woolfimmensely learned but capable nevertheless of reducing difficult ideas to a simple, terse expression. I also think professional historians can learn a lot from the way she deftly relates fact to imagination. Alexander Wragge-Morley is a lecturer in the history of science and medicine at Lancaster University, UK. Aesthetic Science is available now on our website or from other booksellers. SHENZHEN, China, Sept. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Nam Tai Property Inc. ("Nam Tai" or the "Company") (NYSE Symbol: NTP) is pleased to announce the grand opening of Nam Tai Inno Park (the "Park") at its brand launching event as a part of the "Tech Empowerment Greater Bay Area" Technology and Industry Development Summit (the "Summit") held on September 10, 2020 at Guangming Community Sports Center. At the event, Nam Tai hosted a ceremony with corporate tenants and business partners. Guests included Taihang Automobiles, Mornsun Electronics, Yihong Technology, as well as Harbin Institute of Technology (Shenzhen), Bank of China and Cowin Capital, among others. To date, the Park has attracted around 30 corporate tenants in various tech fields under its pre-leasing program. The opening of the Park marks the first project launched to the market in Nam Tai's portfolio and highlights the progress the Company is making on its strategy to be a leading operator of technology parks. Nam Tai is committed to providing the safest, highest quality mixed-use technology and industrial spaces. The Company is also committed to differentiated development strategies, integrated industrial operation system, tech innovations and development opportunities that will create long-term value for its shareholders. Under the guidance of the Commerce Bureau and Science and Technology Innovation Bureau of Shenzhen Guangming District, Nam Tai co-organized the Summit with Shenzhen Industry-University-Research Cooperation Promotion Association and Shenzhen Big Data and Artificial Intelligence Industry Alliance. In attendance were officials from the district government, industry leaders, scholars and researchers, well-known industry experts, Nam Tai management, financial institutions and media. At the Summit, Jianguo Wei, former Vice Minister of Commerce of China and Vice Chairman of the Center for International Economic Exchanges, delivered a speech on the integration trend of science and technology and industrial economy in the context of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. In addition, Tianyou Chai, academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, and Jing Xiao, chief scientist of Ping An Insurance and special expert of national "Thousand Talents Program", discussed the development and future of automation science and technology, and the exploration and practice of "artificial intelligence+finance". Nam Tai Inno Park is located in the central area of Guangming District, Shenzhen, with a gross floor area of approximately 330,000 square meters, encompassing five industrial office buildings, two business service centers and three talent dormitories. The office buildings and dormitories are under renovation to be delivered in batches from the third quarter of 2020. The Park is building a "3+4+5" industrial service system to empower enterprises in aspects of technology, incubation, talent, finance, and intelligence. As part of the development project, Nam Tai and Harbin Institute of Technology (Shenzhen) established a "Big Data and Artificial Intelligence Public Service Center" to jointly provide an intelligent ecological environment for enterprises. The Park will continue to promote regional economic development and tech innovation by providing high-quality industrial spaces and service systems. About Nam Tai Property Inc. We are a real estate developer and operator, mainly conducting business in Mainland China. Our main land resources are located in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area ("Greater Bay Area") and Wuxi, China, of which the three plots in Shenzhen will be developed into Nam Tai Inno Park, Nam Tai Technology Center and Nam Tai Inno Valley. We plan to build these technology parks into landmark parks in the region and provide high-quality industrial offices, industrial service spaces and supporting dormitories to the tenants. Based on the experience of developing and operating technology parks and an industrial relationship network accumulated over the past 40 years, we have also exported the operation model of technology parks to other industrial properties. Through an asset-light model, we have leased industrial properties for repositioning and business invitation. We will also expand the commercial and residential property business in China as an auxiliary development strategy of the Company. As the growth prospects of China maintain, we shall seize development opportunities in the Greater Bay Area and other first- and second-tier cities in China, and continue to strengthen and expand the business of industrial real estate, and commercial and residential properties. Nam Tai Property Inc. is a corporation registered in the British Virgin Islands and listed on the New York Stock Exchange (Symbol: "NTP"). Please refer to our corporate website (www.namtai.com) or the SEC website (www.sec.gov) for our press releases and financial statements. Forward-looking Statement and Factors that Could Cause our Share Price to Decline Certain statements included in this press release, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements generally can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "may", "might", "can", "could", "will", "would", "anticipate", "believe", "continue", "estimate", "expect", "forecast", "intend", "plan", "seek", or "timetable". These forward-looking statements, which are subject to risks, uncertainties, and assumptions, may include projections of our future financial performance based on our growth strategies and anticipated trends in our business and the industry in which we operate. These statements are only predictions based on our current expectations about future events. There are several factors, many beyond our control, which could cause results to differ materially from our expectation. These risk factors are described in our Annual Report on Form 20-F and in our Current Reports filed on Form 6-K from time to time and are incorporated herein by reference. Any of these factors could, by itself, or together with one or more other factors, adversely affect our business, results of operations or financial condition. There may also be other factors currently unknown to us, or have not been described by us, that could cause our results to differ from our expectations. Although we believe the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, we cannot guarantee future results, levels of activity, performance, or achievements. You should not rely upon forward-looking statements as predictions of future events. These forward-looking statements apply only as of the date of this announcement; as such, they should not be unduly relied upon as circumstances change. Except as required by law, we are not obligated, and we undertake no obligation, to release publicly any revisions to these forward-looking statements that might reflect events or circumstance occurring after the date of this press release or those that might reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. SOURCE Nam Tai Property Inc. Related Links http://www.namtai.com Cookie Preferences Cookie List Cookie List A cookie is a small piece of data (text file) that a website when visited by a user asks your browser to store on your device in order to remember information about you, such as your language preference or login information. Those cookies are set by us and called first-party cookies. We also use third-party cookies which are cookies from a domain different than the domain of the website you are visiting for our advertising and marketing efforts. More specifically, we use cookies and other tracking technologies for the following purposes: Strictly Necessary Cookies We do not allow you to opt-out of our certain cookies, as they are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting our cookie banner and remembering your privacy choices) and/or to monitor site performance. These cookies are not used in a way that constitutes a sale of your data under the CCPA. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not work as intended if you do so. You can usually find these settings in the Options or Preferences menu of your browser. Visit www.allaboutcookies.org to learn more. Functional Cookies We do not allow you to opt-out of our certain cookies, as they are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting our cookie banner and remembering your privacy choices) and/or to monitor site performance. These cookies are not used in a way that constitutes a sale of your data under the CCPA. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not work as intended if you do so. You can usually find these settings in the Options or Preferences menu of your browser. Visit www.allaboutcookies.org to learn more. Performance Cookies We do not allow you to opt-out of our certain cookies, as they are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting our cookie banner and remembering your privacy choices) and/or to monitor site performance. These cookies are not used in a way that constitutes a sale of your data under the CCPA. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not work as intended if you do so. You can usually find these settings in the Options or Preferences menu of your browser. Visit www.allaboutcookies.org to learn more. Sale of Personal Data We also use cookies to personalize your experience on our websites, including by determining the most relevant content and advertisements to show you, and to monitor site traffic and performance, so that we may improve our websites and your experience. You may opt out of our use of such cookies (and the associated sale of your Personal Information) by using this toggle switch. You will still see some advertising, regardless of your selection. Because we do not track you across different devices, browsers and GEMG properties, your selection will take effect only on this browser, this device and this website. Social Media Cookies We also use cookies to personalize your experience on our websites, including by determining the most relevant content and advertisements to show you, and to monitor site traffic and performance, so that we may improve our websites and your experience. You may opt out of our use of such cookies (and the associated sale of your Personal Information) by using this toggle switch. You will still see some advertising, regardless of your selection. Because we do not track you across different devices, browsers and GEMG properties, your selection will take effect only on this browser, this device and this website. Targeting Cookies We also use cookies to personalize your experience on our websites, including by determining the most relevant content and advertisements to show you, and to monitor site traffic and performance, so that we may improve our websites and your experience. You may opt out of our use of such cookies (and the associated sale of your Personal Information) by using this toggle switch. You will still see some advertising, regardless of your selection. Because we do not track you across different devices, browsers and GEMG properties, your selection will take effect only on this browser, this device and this website. A rogue Afghan soldier who shot dead three Australians is being transferred to a detention centre in Qatar, suggesting he may be released in the coming weeks under a peace agreement with the Taliban. The move prompted Foreign Minister Marise Payne and Defence Minister Linda Reynolds to again urge the United States and Afghanistan not to release the prisoner, saying he should serve out his full sentence. Hekmatullah shot dead three Australian soldiers in Afghanistan. Senator Payne and Senator Reynolds said the former sergeant in the Afghan National Army, known as Hekmatullah, killed three off-duty Australian soldiers in 2012 "in a cold-blooded crime of betrayal". "We understand Hekmatullah will be held in detention in Qatar with five other highly sensitive prisoners," they said. Austin and Tabbatha Brisbane began the renovations on their old mobile home soon after they moved in 2018 to Blue River, a small community in the heart of Lane Countys McKenzie River Valley. The young couple hung dry wall and lay carpet on days off from work. They stayed up late at night to install new light fixtures. The last two years of our life was poured into that place, said Austin Brisbane. All of it was gone in a matter of moments Monday night. The Brisbanes' home was one of hundreds razed by the Holiday Farm fire, which decimated Blue River, where about 800 people live, and ravaged countless other buildings and dwellings along Oregon 126. The active fire grew to 145,000 acres Thursday, state officials said, one of at least 10 wildland blazes that continue to threaten communities across Oregon. Most of the damage to date remains unaccounted for. But the physical and emotional toll for some people is starting to sink in. Ive never been so terrified in my entire life, said Jennifer Zirkle, who grew up in Blue River and barely escaped the fire. She said it had been a perfect Labor Day in the area, long beloved by outdoor enthusiasts of all stripes. Zirkle took her niece horseback riding in the morning. She spent hours that afternoon with her family swimming at Blue River Reservoir, the cool clear water surrounded by towering evergreens. Smoke from a distant wildfire started rolling into town early that evening, Zirkle said. She and her husband had also learned of high winds forecast and possible power outages. Wildfire tracker: See all fires in Oregon and across the nation The two were watching television around 8:30 p.m. when the electricity died in their house, which didnt surprise them. A neighbor later stopped by to tell them that a fire had been reported several miles away, though the neighbor wasnt too concerned. Everything changed when the alerts suddenly popped up on their phones at 11:45 p.m., Zirkle said. They needed to evacuate immediately. I opened the door and it was suddenly 100 degrees outside, there was smoke like you wouldnt believe and ash was falling from the sky, she said. The wind was whipping. The whole ridge across the river was in flames. The Holiday Farm fire approaches the town of Blue River in Lane County, Oregon on Sept. 8, 2020. (Courtesy of Jennifer Zirkle) Zirkle said she only had time to grab her purse and two pictures off the wall while her husband took a few items from the nightstand and carried their dogs to the car. I would say 10 more minutes and we probably wouldnt have made it, she said. The fire eventually surrounded the town and just took it. Its gone. The couple joined others at McKenzie High School, which had been the designated evacuation point. Fire crews there told them they needed to head west all the way to the Eugene-Springfield area, about 50 miles away. From there, Zirkle and her husband continued north to Portland, where they also have a home. I kept the air conditioner on the entire time, she said. I felt like my face was sunburned from the heat. Zirkles brother-in-law, who works as a volunteer firefighter and remained in the area, later sent photos of what had once been her home. We lost everything, she said. Jennifer Zirkle and her husband lost their Blue River home during the Holiday Farm fire in Lane County, Oregon. (Courtesy of Jennifer Zirkle) So did the Brisbanes, who had been in Eugene the night the fire began. On Wednesday, they were able to return to Blue River by making a three-hour trek that took them out to Sisters and back west along Oregon 242 to Highway 126. They were speechless when they arrived at the Lazy Days Mobile Home and RV Park. Not a single one of the 50 homes remained, said Austin Brisbane. I figured thered maybe be one or two standing, he said. I didnt expect literally everything to be gone. The couple drove west along the highway for several more miles to survey the damage. A map of the Holiday Farm fire, which grew to 145,000 acres Thursday. (Oregon Department of Forestry) Scorched trees and blackened stumps dotted the once-lush forest. Nine out of 10 homes had been destroyed, Austin Brisbane said. It was all just a smoldering mess, he said. As of Thursday, at least 4,700 Lane County residents had been displaced by the fire, state and local officials said. Thousands more could be forced to evacuate in the coming days. I still havent even processed the loss, Zirkle said. Im crying because my Smokey The Bear blanket that my dad got me when I was five is gone. Austin Brisbane is also struggling to come to terms with what happened. Never in my life could I have imagined something like this. -- Shane Dixon Kavanaugh; 503-294-7632 Email at skavanaugh@oregonian.com Follow on Twitter @shanedkavanaugh Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. RTHK: Bahrain normalises relations with Israel Bahrain joined the United Arab Emirates in agreeing to normalise relations with Israel on Friday, a move forged partly through shared fears of Iran, but one that threatens to leave the Palestinians further isolated. US President Donald Trump tweeted the news after he spoke by phone to Bahrains King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the White House said. "This is truly a historic day," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office, saying that he believed other countries would follow suit. "Opening direct dialogue and ties between these two dynamic societies and advanced economies will continue the positive transformation of the Middle East and increase stability, security, and prosperity in the region," the United States, Bahrain and Israel said in a joint statement. The announcement comes one month after Bahrain's fellow Gulf Arab State, the United Arab Emirates, agreed to normalise ties with Israel under a US-brokered deal which is scheduled to be signed at a White House ceremony hosted by Trump on September 15. The Israel-UAE ceremony will be attended by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Emirati Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed al-Nahyan. The joint statement said Bahrain's Foreign Minister Abdullatif Al Zayani would join that ceremony and sign a "historic Declaration of Peace" with Netanyahu. On Friday, Netanyahu said Bahrain's decision marks a "new era of peace." "For many long years, we invested in peace, and now peace will invest in us, will bring about truly major investments in Israel's economy - and that is very important," Netanyahu said in a video statement. Emirates Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Hend al-Otaiba congratulated Bahrain and Israel, saying it marked "another significant and historic achievement which will contribute enormously to the stability and prosperity of the region." But Palestinians were dismayed, fearing the moves by the UAE and now Bahrain will weaken a long-standing pan-Arab position that calls for Israeli withdrawal from occupied territory and acceptance of Palestinian statehood in return for normal relations with Arab countries. "By normalising ties with the occupation, Bahrain is breaking all Arab resolutions. It is rejected, condemned and it represents a betrayal of the Palestinian cause," said Wassel Abu Youssef, a senior Palestine Liberation Organisation official in Ramallah, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. In Gaza, Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem said Bahrain's decision to normalise relations with Israel "represents a grave harm to the Palestinian cause, and it supports the occupation." The easing of relations with Israel comes amid a backdrop of shared fears about the threat of Iran to the region. The biggest question now is whether Saudi Arabia, one of the most influential countries in the Middle East and a close ally of the United States, will follow suit. The Trump administration has tried to coax other Sunni Arab countries, including Saudi Arabia, to engage with Israel. Riyadh has so far signalled it is not ready. The agreements come against the backdrop of the US election campaign between Trump, who is seeking a second term on November 3, and Democrat Joe Biden. Foreign policy has not figured prominently in the campaign, but Trump is eager to present himself as a peacemaker even as he rattles sabres against Iran. Trump's pro-Israel moves have been seen, in part, as an effort to bolster his appeal to evangelical Christian voters, an important segment of his political base. Zaha Hassan, a visiting fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, said Bahrain's move was "especially disturbing" to Palestinians. "This move could not happen without a Saudi green light," she said. " is under pressure to normalise, but cannot because of its position as the custodian of Islam's holy places and the unpopularity of it on the street level. "Bahrain was offered up as a consolation that will keep Saudi Arabia in Trump's good graces. At the Arab League on Wednesday, the Palestinians sought but did not obtain a condemnation of the UAE-Israel accord from their fellow members. However they did secure renewed Saudi support for their right to statehood. On Friday, the Saudi embassy in Washington did not respond to queries on whether its ambassador or another Saudi representative would attend Tuesday's signing ceremony. Bahrain, a small island state, is home to the US Navy's regional headquarters. Riyadh in 2011 sent troops to Bahrain to help quell an uprising and, alongside Kuwait and the UAE, in 2018 offered Bahrain a US$10 billion economic bailout. Friday's deal makes Bahrain the fourth Arab country to reach such an agreement with Israel since exchanging embassies with Egypt and Jordan decades ago. Last week, Bahrain said it would allow flights between Israel and the UAE to use its airspace. This followed a Saudi decision to allow an Israeli commercial airliner to fly over it on the way to the UAE. The United States, Israel and the UAE have urged Palestinian leaders to re-engage with Israel. Negotiations last broke down between Israelis and Palestinians in 2014, and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has refused to have political dealings with the Trump White House for more than two years, accusing it of pro-Israel bias. On Friday Trump's son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner told Reuters: "Everyone in the region is just down on the Palestinian leadership. The Palestinian leadership keeps making their case less and less relevant by acting the way are." (Reuters) This story has been published on: 2020-09-11. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. As evidence grew this spring that the drug remdesivir was helping COVID-19 patients, some Wall Street investors bet on analysts estimates that its maker, Gilead Sciences Inc., could charge up to $10,000 for the treatment. Then a small but increasingly influential drug-pricing research organization, the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER), said the treatment only justified a price between $2,800 and $5,000. Shortly after, Gilead announced it would charge about $3,100 for a five-day treatment and $5,700 for ten days in line with the ICER recommendation. The episode illustrates the growing power of the Boston-based nonprofit to hold down U.S. drug prices. Over the past five years, ICER has pressured drugmakers to lower the cost of nearly 100 drugs. It aims to play a similar role with emerging COVID-19 treatments and vaccines. Health insurers increasingly use ICERs fair-value analyzes to limit access to expensive drugs or to negotiate steeper discounts with drugmakers. (Click here for a graphic on drugs ICER has rated overpriced. The industry has moved aggressively to combat the threat to its profits in two ways: With open criticism of ICERs formula and with a stealthier campaign to undermine its credibility through proxies, including veterans groups and organizations that claim to advocate for patients but have ties to the pharmaceutical industry, Reuters found in a review of industry connections and funding among groups targeting ICER. ICERs assessment formula has long been used in the health systems of countries including England, Canada, the Netherlands and Sweden. The Veterans Administration started using ICER drug-value assessments in 2017 to negotiate lower prices with pharmaceutical firms. The largest U.S. health insurers, such as Cigna Corp. and CVS, use ICER findings to negotiate discounts. Two such groups the Partnership to Improve Patient Care (PIPC) and Value our Health are led by employees of Thorn Run Partners, a Washington-based lobbying and public relations firm that counts nearly a dozen drugmakers as clients. PIPC denied it is part of a larger industry-financed proxy campaign to undermine ICERs impact. Thorn Run declined to comment, and Value Our Health did not respond to inquiries. Remdesivir Campaign As remdesivir gained momentum, PIPC complained to ICER in a June letter that its methodology, which examines how a drug improves patient quality of life, was unfair for COVID-19 drugs. It also held a webinar for patients criticizing ICERs methods. The groups chairman, former U.S. Democratic Representative Tony Coelho, argued in the letter that ICERs methods yield a flawed value assessment for COVID-19 drugs that could lead insurers or government programs to limit coverage to the elderly and people with disabilities because ICERs formula attributes a lower value to their medicines than those for healthier patients. In a statement to Reuters, Coelho attacked ICERs formula as a flawed one-size-fits-all assessment. Gilead also pushed ICER for a higher price during its remdesivir review. The firm told Reuters that ICERs assessment failed to consider savings from shorter hospital stays and underestimated how much insurers or the government would be willing to pay. Remdesivir is the only COVID-19 treatment ICER has assessed so far. Steven Pearson, a Harvard academic who started ICER, said it will likely review more coronavirus treatments if they make it to market, including potentially those being developed by Regeneron and Eli Lilly and Co. that use antibodies to generate an immune response. The two companies declined to comment. ICERs assessments are not used to deny care to patients based on their health, Pearson said. Rather, the formula helps insurers or government programs choose the most cost-effective treatment for a specific condition, based on its price and benefit in providing a better quality of life. Pearson pointed out that the formula has long been used in the health systems of countries including England, Canada, the Netherlands and Sweden. We dont think of them as hotbeds of discrimination against sick people, he said, and neither are we. Phony Grassroots Campaign The industry has followed the same playbook before: soliciting criticism from outside groups some of which it finances or staffs to create the impression of a broad-based patient uprising against ICERs pricing assessments rather than an industry push to protect profits. Last year, ICER invited input as it revamped its assessment methods. Two of more than 50 comment letters came from six California veterans groups, who blasted an ICER contract with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), saying its formula denies veterans care and inherently discriminates against people with disabilities. The industry has followed the same playbook before: soliciting criticism from outside groups some of which it finances or staffs to create the impression of a broad-based patient uprising. But no one from the veterans groups wrote the complaints. Officials from the organizations told Reuters they lent their names to letters that were composed instead by Peter Conaty, the pharmaceutical industrys go-to lobbyist in California. A half dozen health policy specialists told Reuters that the veterans complaints look like part of an astroturf campaign a phony grassroots movement backed by corporate interests. Conaty did not respond to requests for comment. Such under-the-radar PR efforts underscore the industrys determination to protect its pricing power in an era when expensive new drug therapies are increasingly under fire for their role in soaring U.S. healthcare costs. The battle for influence over drug prices could have far-reaching effects on consumers, insurers, employers and the government, industry and policy experts said. Matt Eyles, president of insurance lobby Americas Health Insurance Plans, said ICER plays a key role in holding down out of control drug prices. Big Pharma is doing everything in its power including pushing other groups to levy false claims of analytical bias and discrimination to undermine ICERs long history of independence and its commitment to bringing value into drug pricing. The VA, which covers health care for more than 9 million people veterans and their family members started using ICER drug-value assessments in 2017 to negotiate lower prices with pharmaceutical firms. VA spokeswoman Ndidi Mojay said the agency uses ICERs research for those negotiations but not to limit treatments. The VA strives to provide veterans the best possible care and taxpayers the best value, Mojay said. ICER helps the department do just that, she said. Pricing Quality of Life ICER uses a decades-old formula called the quality-adjusted life year (QALY) the cost of one year of good health for one patient to estimate fair value. European nations have long used QALY to guide their drug coverage, and ICER defends it as the gold standard. The organization is filling a void left by the federal government, which does not negotiate drug prices for Medicare, the healthcare program for disabled and older Americans, and Medicaid, which serves the poor. Pharmaceutical industry representatives say they fear that ICER is slowly taking over that function for the government and insurers. Congress banned the Medicare program from using QALY to evaluate drug prices in the 2010 Affordable Care Act known as Obamacare after the industry lobbied for such a provision. The industrys largest U.S. trade group the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, or PhRMA has publicly criticized ICERs formula as undervaluing drugs, arguing it fails to consider certain patient benefits, such as the ability to return to work. Randy Burkholder, one of PhRMAs top lobbyists, called the method fundamentally and intractably flawed in an interview. The National Pharmaceutical Council, an industry-financed research group, has regularly criticized ICER in the media, arguing drugmakers will invest less in future treatments if ICERs recommendations limit prices. Groups including PIPC are parroting the industry arguments while claiming to represent patients without disclosing their industry ties, according to a Reuters review of the groups press releases, blogs, webcasts and letters. Value our Health which has been represented by Shea McCarthy, a Thorn Run public relations partner and lobbyist is one of a half dozen organizations that has regularly flooded health and policy journalists with emails lambasting ICER. PIPCs executive director blasted ICER as a payer-focused organization delivering skewed assessments that allow insurers to deny patients access to drugs. Is it any surprise patients would be concerned? she asked. Sara van Geertruyden, PIPCs executive director, is also a Thorn Run public relations partner. She said the group advocates for patients and denied that PIPC is a proxy for pharmaceutical-industry interests or that it has concealed its industry ties. She blasted ICER as a payer-focused organization delivering skewed assessments that allow insurers to deny patients access to drugs. Is it any surprise patients would be concerned? she asked. Nicole Longo, spokeswoman for the PhRMA trade group, did not answer detailed questions from Reuters about whether it was directing a campaign through proxies to undermine ICER. Longo provided PhRMAs comments to ICER on its remdesivir pricing assessment, which called its methodology biased and designed to devalue remdesivir and other COVID-19 treatments. The National Pharmaceutical Councils Interim Chief Executive Officer Robert DuBois said that it does not advocate or lobby for the drug industry. ICERs methodology is an inaccurate measure that does not fully account for how a drug helps patients or society, he said. In January, after ICER called new sickle cell treatments too pricey in a draft report, Value our Health, PIPC and sickle-cell patient groups pushed patients and caregivers to report disease-related costs to ICER to help ICER put a price tag on sickle-cell expenses. ICER postponed the review process due to COVID-19 and has not issued a final report. Last fall, Reuters reported that CVS Health Corp., one of the biggest U.S. pharmacy benefit managers, decided to scale back a new program for employers that would exclude coverage of drugs that ICER says are not cost effective. The move followed a pressure campaign by PIPC against CVS. At the time, CVS cited fierce criticism from patient groups as the reason for backtracking. CVS Chief Medical Officer Troy Brennan said, in a statement to Reuters, that CVS still uses ICERs analyzes in a drug-coverage plan for its own employees and a small number of other clients. The PhRMA Foundation the trade groups nonprofit public health advocacy arm has spent $3 million on research into alternative methods of determining a drugs value, according to foundation announcements. Foundation President Eileen Cannon said that the foundation consults with PhRMA, the industry group, but makes decisions on academic grants independently. ICER responds to industry accusations of discrimination by arguing that its review process is flexible and considers additional measures besides QALY when warranted. As an example, ICER points to its verdict on Luxturna, an $850,000-per-patient gene therapy from Spark Therapeutics Inc, now part of Roche Holding AG. Luxturna improves the sight of children who have a rare genetic disease causing blindness. Though the QALY numbers did not support that price, ICER determined that Luxturna was cost-effective because it reduced the burden on the childrens caregivers. PhRMA director of policy Lauren Neves the Luxturna example was an exception to ICERs typical practice. Driving Down Prices, Profits ICER started focusing on drug prices in 2015 and has since evaluated nearly 100 treatments, taking on those that insurers worry will raise overall health-care costs. ICER has considered only a handful of those therapies to be cost-effective at full list price, and only a third to be fairly priced after considering drugmaker discounts, according to data that ICER provided to Reuters. ICER is bankrolled mostly by Houston billionaire John Arnold, the former Enron energy trader and hedge fund owner. ICER also gets about 20% of its revenue from insurers and pharma. Big Pharma had its first big ICER problem in 2015 when the group recommended to health insurers that two new drugs to treat high cholesterol should cost about one-third of the manufacturers prices. The analysis prompted insurers to sharply limit use of the treatments and eventually forced drugmakers Amgen Inc., Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc. and Sanofi SA to slash prices. The companies declined to comment. Today, the largest U.S. health insurers, such as Cigna Corp. and CVS, use ICER findings to negotiate discounts. New Yorks Medicaid program has used ICER to push drug companies to lower prices, and other states are considering it. In July, the New York state Medicaid board voted to demand that Biogen Inc sell its spinal muscular atrophy drug to the state at the ICER-prescribed price of about $77,000 for a typical year of treatments an 80% discount off Biogens list price. Biogen spokeswoman Anna Robinson said that the firm disagreed with the steep discount and hoped to work with New York to ensure patients get the treatment. Pandemic Raises the Stakes With fewer than 30 employees and a budget of about $6 million in 2018, ICER is bankrolled mostly by Houston billionaire John Arnold, the former Enron energy trader and hedge fund owner who has taken on drug-pricing as one of many philanthropic efforts. ICER also takes money from companies on both sides of the drug-pricing debate insurers and pharma but says that they together provide only about 20% of its revenue. Arnold told Reuters in an interview that he finances ICER because past efforts to foster independent drug-price analysis have been co-opted by the pharmaceutical industry and tainted by its money. The status quo works very well in the industry, so it is important for them to label any proposed reform as something radical and something that wont work, he said. There is not much debate about whether the system we have to price pharmaceutical drugs is broken. ICERs Pearson said the coronavirus pandemic has raised the importance of the organizations work as the pricing of vaccines and treatments will impact millions of Americans amid a faltering economy. There is a heightened public awareness and sensitivity to the risk of high prices being unfair, he said. (Reporting by Caroline Humer Editing by Michele Gershberg and Brian Thevenot) Topics Carriers Legislation USA New York Drugs BOULDER, Colo. Enrollment at the University of Colorado Boulder for incoming freshmen is expected to drop by more than 12% this year, contributing to the additional $25 million budget shortfall amid the pandemic, officials said. Chancellor Phil DiStefano told the university systems Board of Regents on Thursday that overall enrollment is expected to decline by 2%, the Daily Camera reported. The decrease in enrollment was disappointing and is coming at a time when weve made significant investments in returning students to campus, but its within our range of budgeting for this year, DiStefano said. System Chief Financial Officer Todd Saliman said the data presented Thursday represented enrollment as of Sept. 4 and another official count is scheduled this week, although no significant differences are expected. Enrollment numbers are lower than what was predicted in June, but departments have already prepared for a 5% budget cut, which is likely to remain in that range. DiStefano said the cuts could mean layoffs, salary reductions and positions held vacant as well as cuts to operating, facilities, technology and library budgets. The 12% freshmen enrollment drop accounts for about $20 million of the $25 million revenue shortfall, university spokesperson Deborah Mendez Wilson said, adding that a smaller incoming class sets a lower tuition base for the university. Our revenue loss is outpacing our decrease in enrollment, Wilson said. This means we have less revenue to support the costs to instruct our students. Shaun Bailey, Conservative candidate for Mayor of London, delivers a speech on the third day of the Conservative Party Conference at Manchester Central in Manchester, England, on Oct. 1, 2019. London Mayoral Candidate Wants to End Beijing City Twinning, Welcome Hongkongers If He Wins The Conservative candidate running for Mayor of London has pledged to end Londons twinning with Beijing and welcome Hongkongers to the capital if he wins the mayoral election next May. Shaun Bailey, currently a member of the London Assembly, wrote an open letter to Hongkongers, which was published in The Times of Londons Red Box daily newsletter on Thursday. In the letter, Bailey said that if he wins his bid for mayor of London, Hongkongers would be welcomed with open arms, be provided with a free information service, assisted to find Cantonese-speaking lawyers, and given advice on housing and jobs. Bailey also said that if elected he would make human rights a key part of his mayoral agenda. Your rights are being taken away. Your freedoms are being curtailed. And your autonomy is under threat, he told Hongkongers. It is an attempt by the Chinese government to crush the spirit of Hong Kong. A Tough Decision Bailey empathized with British National Overseas (BNO) citizens in Hong Kong who might be thinking of leaving the city following the recent crackdown on freedoms due to Beijings new National Security Law. The law bypasses the local legislature and criminalizes behaviors deemed to be a threat to Chinas national securitybroadly categorized as secession, subversion, terrorism, or collusion with foreign forceswith offenses punishable by up to life in prison. People, sitting on the ground, are arrested by police officers at a downtown street in Hong Kong, on Sunday, Sept. 6, 2020. (Vincent Yu/AP Photo) I know that its a tough decision to face. Leaving the place you call home to live in a city nearly 6,000 miles away, he said. Bailey said his Jamaican grandparents had faced the same decision after fighting for Britain in World War II 70 years ago, but ultimately decided to move to London. But trust me, Im grateful they did, he added. Bailey told Hongkongers that, on coming to London, the human rights that the Chinese regime had taken away would be restored, and they would be able to speak their mind without fear of arrest, and live in a place where leaders are elected and where theres a predictable rule of law. De-twinning Opposition On Thursday, Baileys explicit call to end Londons twinning with Beijing met with some opposition in the London Assembly, which holds the London mayor to account and champions issues for Londoners. His motion to end the twinning over human rights and other abuses by the Chinese Communist Party, was narrowly defeated in the Assembly by just one vote, with Labour Assembly members voting against and the Green Party Assembly members abstaining. Though his own motion was defeated, Bailey supported a similar motion by Labour Assembly Member Onkar Sahota that also condemned Chinas human rights abuses and the persecution of Uyghurs, but called for a broader review of Londons city twinning arrangements to include other countries where there were human rights concerns. Sahotas motion also condemned the increase in Sinophobia and victimization of Chinese and British Chinese people in London following the outbreak of COVID-19. It asked Londons mayor to press the Home Secretary to bring in a Hate Crime Action Plan and a targeted campaign against anti-Chinese sentiment. The motion passed unanimously. Precious Chinese Community In supporting the motion, Bailey said, Of course you can rely on the support of the Conservatives for any motion that looks at combating xenophobia at home and abroad. But Bailey said that he wanted to draw a distinction between his own motion and Labours broader approach. He said his motion had resulted from talking to young Chinese people he had met who wanted London to send a clear message to the Chinese Communist Party by rescinding the twinning arrangement between London and Beijing. His motion would show what London will do to help what Bailey referred to as the very, very, precious Chinese community in London and beyond. Assembly Member Andrew Boff, who seconded Baileys motion, gave an impassioned speech, saying, This motion will enable us either to be an ally to the Chinese Communist Party or the Chinese people. You cant have both. Baileys call to end Londons twinning with Beijing comes at a time of widespread concern over political oppression in Hong Kong and human rights abuses of Uyghurs in Xinjiang. Over 130 British cross-party lawmakers signed a letter on Tuesday to the Chinese ambassador condemning an alleged systematic and calculated program of ethnic cleansing against the Uyghur people. Nathan Law, a former Hong Kong legislator and pro-democracy activist, wrote to British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab last month. Law, who is currently living in exile in London, urged Raab to impose Magnitsky-style sanctions on Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam and other Hong Kong and Chinese officials responsible for alleged human rights abuses in the former British colony. The London mayoral elections would have taken place in May but will now be held in May 2021 following a delay due to the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus. Alexander Zhang contributed to this report Film company Marvel Studios has some difficult decisions to make as it plans the sequel to Black Panther. The 2018 release was Hollywoods first major superhero film centered on Black characters. It was nominated for seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture. It won three Oscars. In the film, Chadwick Boseman starred as TChalla, who rules the imaginary African nation of Wakanda as the Black Panther with his superpowers. Critics praised the actor for his performance and he was expected to return to the part in the sequel. But sadly, Boseman died of cancer on August 28. He was 43 years old. Writers, professors and activists spoke to Reuters news agency about the cultural importance of the movie and Bosemans performance. Some said Marvel should honor Boseman by retiring the character of TChalla and choosing another character to name as Black Panther. Jamil Smith writes for Rolling Stone magazine. He says the moviemakers should follow the story of the comic book series on which it is based. In the series, TChalla is severely hurt by an enemy and the character Shuri, his sister, becomes Black Panther. The actor Letitia Wright played the character in the movie. Smith told Reuters news agency, Weve seen her in action. Weve seen her in the middle of these fights. Why would we not think shed have the courage and strength to become the next Black Panther? Another possibility suggested is for the sequel to become a prequel --- telling the story of Black Panther as a young boy. Does (his character) come back as little Black Panther? said Nicol Turner Lee. She is a public policy researcher at the Brookings Institution. Does Disney honor the imagination of young boys and girls who looked up to him? Disney and Marvel chose not to comment when Reuters asked about their plans. On August 30, Disney honored Boseman by broadcasting the movie on television followed by a special program about the actor. Wakanda forever Black Panther first appeared in Marvel Comics in 1966. The companys former writer and publisher, Stan Lee, created the character. The 2018 movie was hugely popular. It cost $200 million to make and earned $1.35 billion from movie goers. Marvel had planned to begin production of Black Panther 2 in March 2021 and release it the following year. But the company said it suspended plans following Bosemans death. The movie came after years of criticism about the lack of actors and filmmakers of color in Hollywood. Black Panther crushed the belief that Black films cannot be hugely successful, said Nicol Turner Lee. She said the film proves that being inclusive sells. Black Panther also hit movie theaters at a time of growing racial tension in the U.S. Alan Jenkins is a professor at Harvard Law School. One part of what made the film so important was the world of Wakanda and the idea of an African nation unchained by colonialism, slave trade, exploitation. It had dignity, brilliance and technology. Today Black Panther may be even more meaningful, as Black Americans suffer more from COVID-19 and police abuses than whites, cultural experts say. The idea of Wakanda provides safety from that suffering. The film certainly didnt cause the activism of today - that was from the tragic killing of George Floyd and others, said Jenkins. But, he said it helped people see new realities and imagine a world that is more just and equitable than the one in which we live. Im Alice Bryant. Reuters news agency reported this story. Alice Bryant adapted it for Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story sequel n. a book or movie that continues a story begun in another book or movie comic book n. a magazine that presents a story in the form of a comic strip, typically featuring the adventures of a superhero character n. a person who appears in a story, book, play, movie or television show exploitation n. the act of using someone in a way that helps you unfairly dignity n. a feeling or understanding that someone or something is important or serious and should be treated in an appropriate way brilliance n. exceptional talent or intelligence There was a lot of flash flooding around the eastern U.S., from Florida to Washington D.C. Thursday, where record rainfall fell. Some areas in Florida and Virginia got more than 5 inches of rain in the last 24 hours, which caused flash flooding. A record of almost 3 inches of rain fell in D.C., prompting water rescues in the city. The flooding rain is done in D.C., but more heavy tropical rainfall is expected in Florida and the eastern Gulf Coast, thats why there is a flood watch issued from the Tampa Bay area down to Fort Myers, Florida, for this weekend. A tropical wave in the Gulf of Mexico could bring from 2 to as much as 6 inches of rain over the weekend from Florida to southern Alabama, where flooding will be possible. PHOTO: A tropical wave in the Gulf of Mexico could bring from 2 to as much as 6 inches of rain over the weekend from Florida to southern Alabama (ABC News) Speaking of tropics, they are very active Friday. Two systems near the U.S. and in the Gulf could become tropical cyclones in the next few days. Four separate tropical systems are moving through the rest of the Atlantic Ocean. PHOTO: There are four separate tropical systems that are moving through the rest of the Atlantic Ocean. (ABC News) One of the systems is Tropical Storm Paulette, which is expected to become a hurricane and could slam into Bermuda early next week as a Category 2 hurricane with winds of 100 mph. Out west, the August Complex Fire is now the largest wildfire in Californias history and it continues to burn. It is now 746,607 acres and is just 25% contained. Hundreds of other wildfires are burning in the West from Washington down to Arizona. The good news, is that overall winds are forecast to be calmer Friday. The bad news, a lot of smoke is being ejected from these fires into the atmosphere, this is producing horrible air quality in Washington, Oregon and California. PHOTO: A lot of smoke is being ejected from these fires into the atmosphere, this is producing horrible air quality in Washington, Oregon and California. (ABC News) All of Oregon and Washington are under the air quality alerts. Tropical wave to bring flooding rain to Florida, Alabama originally appeared on abcnews.go.com Shenandoah, IA (51601) Today Sunny this morning then becoming cloudy during the afternoon. High near 25F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph.. Tonight Cloudy skies early, followed by partial clearing. Low near 20F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. WASHINGTON -- Former Vice President Joe Biden said Thursday that the greatest challenge for the Department of Veterans Affairs is filling tens of thousands of job vacancies and, if elected president, he would supercharge the VA's budget to boost wages to compete with the private sector. "We can't compete economically," Biden told Stars and Stripes in a telephone interview, saying it is difficult for the VA to recruit health care workers when they can earn more money elsewhere. "The VA shortage is the canary in the coal mine of the whole medical system." The VA's Office of Inspector General said the agency had "severe shortages" in staffing in a report last year and cited the two main reasons as low salaries and a lack of qualified applicants. Daniel Sitterly, a VA assistant secretary, told the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs last year in a hearing on the matter that the VA cannot compete when hiring. In San Francisco, for example, a highly specialized surgeon earns about $800,000 a year, while the VA can pay only about $400,000. "Right now, we're facing a staffing shortage of nearly 50,000 positions," Biden said Thursday. "Many are critical roles: nurses, psychiatrists and psychologists. We need to cut the red tape to be able to hire them, make wages competitive with the private sector. We haven't done that." Stars and Stripes has also requested an interview with President Donald Trump. Sitterly told lawmakers that the VA's workforce has grown between 2% to 5% annually during the past five years, and he said the agency is working on recruiting and retention efforts. Amid the coronavirus pandemic, the VA expedited the process for new hires -- shortening it from 94 days on average to 10-12 days. Steven Lieberman, the VA's acting principal deputy undersecretary for health, told the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee in July that the agency's summer hiring spree brought on more than 20,000 employees in record time. Of the federal agencies, the VA is second only to the Defense Department in terms of size and budget. In July, the Democrat-controlled House approved $241 billion for next year's VA budget, an increase of about 13% from the previous budget. The boosted budget continues a trend of rapid expansion to support a growing and aging veterans population. The VA was the only Cabinet department to have a double-digit percentage spending boost in Trump's 2021 budget plan. In 2001, the department's budget was about $45 billion. Biden said he would invest "literally a lot of money billions of dollars bringing the VA system up to snuff." "I've gotten in trouble in the past 30 years from some on the Left as well as others for saying that the government has only one sacred obligation," Biden said. "We have a lot of obligations, care for the elderly, the poor. But one sacred obligation, and that's to care and equip those who we send to war, and care for them and their families with first-class care when they come home. I don't think this president appreciates that, the way he talks about them." Some Democrats on Capitol Hill and liberal activists have raised concerns about more VA resources shifting to outside community care and civilian hospitals as opposed to investing in the VA health care system. Under the VA Mission Act passed in 2018, standards were dramatically loosened to allow veterans to seek mental health services, urgent care and primary care outside the federal system. Biden said some private care is needed, especially in rural areas where access to VA hospitals is not feasible for patients. However, he said investing in the VA system should take precedence because the agency is better equipped to tackle the care needs of the nine million veterans who it serves. Biden said this includes expanding telehealth services, especially in rural areas, and caregiver support. "I do not under any circumstance support moving to total privatization," Biden said. "There are unique problems the military encounters as a consequence of war and pressure. Everything from orthopedics to prostheses to mental health issues." Beyond VA health care, other resources are needed to boost the well-being of veterans. Jill Biden said Thursday that, if she becomes the first lady, working with military families will be a key initiative. In 2011, she and former first lady Michelle Obama launched Joining Forces, which aimed to support service members, veterans and their families with education, employment and other health resources. "On day one, I'll relaunch Joining Forces to listen to military families about what they need," Jill Biden said. "And I'm sure things will have changed because of the pandemic. There will be new needs that need to be answered to." University Apologizes for Hosting Apparent Racially Segregated Online Events The University of Michigan Dearborn issued an apology after its Center for Social Justice and Inclusion created segregated virtual events, one for white students and another for students of color. The apology came after the university on Tuesday afternoon held two virtual cafe-style seminars, with one non-POC Cafe for students who do not identify as persons of color to gather and discuss their experience as students on campus and as non-POC in the world. The non-POC cafe at University of Michigan Dearborn was meant to be a space for students that do not identify as persons of color to gather and to discuss their experience. (Facebook) The other BIPOC Cafe, which took place at the same time, was meant for students who identify as black, indigenous, or people of color. It was described as a space for marginalized racial/ethnic/cultural communities to gather and to relate with one another to discuss their experience as students on campus and in the world. The virtual cafes have led to a backlash on social media, as people across the political spectrum denounced the initiative for being divisive and making it sound like white students are so oppressed that they need a designated space to discuss their experiences on campus. Why would white people need a safe space to talk about being white at a predominantly white institution? a Twitter user commented. According to UMich-Dearborns website, students of color make up 28 percent of the student body. The term cafe also caused considerable confusion, as people thought the university was setting up two racially segregated physical spaces for students, reported the Detroit Free Press. The university has since apologized for the manner in which the events were described and promoted. In a statement Wednesday, the university wrote that it sincerely regrets the terms used to describe the cafe events and said the terms were not clear and not reflective of the universitys commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. It also said both events were open to all members of the campus community, although each cafe had a faculty or staff member as a moderator. In a Thursday statement, UMich-Dearborn Chancellor Domenico Grasso called the virtual cafes a significant misstep, saying they werent intended to be exclusive for students of a certain race. These virtual cafes were intended to provide members of our campus community with opportunities to reflect on their lived experiences. However, the framing and presentation of the purpose and intended outcomes of these events were poorly conceived and executed, Grasso wrote. As a result, our community is hurting. Our opportunity to create meaningful and consequential conversation was lost. NASA has announced it wants to buy Moon rocks from private companies in a bid to kick start lunar mining operations. The space agency is taking proposals from companies on how they will collect rock from the Moon, using robotic surface rovers. NASA then plans to purchase the samples in amounts of 50 to 500 grams for between $15,000 and $25,000. The collection of lunar rock and transfer of ownership to NASA is a proof of concept for conducting space commerce on the Moon, NASA said. In other words, the initiative will help to establish the early principles for how mining operations between 'space entrepreneurs' will work, which could help sustain future astronaut missions. NASA wants the retrieval and transfer of ownership before 2024, when it's planning to send humans back to the Moon. Scroll down for video NASA will buy rocks, dirt and other lunar materials from private companies, in a mission to spur private extraction of lunar resources Companies will have to collect Moon 'dirt' or rocks from any location on the lunar surface, although they won't have to return them to Earth. But each company will need to provide imagery to NASA of the collection, as well as data identifying the collection location. The sample will have to be between 50 to 500 grams and ready for collection by a future mission. NASA will determine collection methods at a later date. 'We are putting our policies into practice to fuel a new era of exploration and discovery that will benefit all of humanity,' said NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine in a blog post. 'Leveraging commercial involvement as part of Artemis will enhance our ability to safely return to the Moon in a sustainable, innovative, and affordable fashion.' Bridenstine said NASA's plans will not violate the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, which holds that celestial bodies and space are exempt from national claims of ownership. NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said it's time 'to establish the regulatory certainty to extract and trade space resources' The contract doesn't actually involve getting to the Moon rather, NASA wants to trigger a slew of proposals from companies around the world who have designed a robot that NASA can launch into space. To do business with NASA, a company would need to collect a small amount of lunar soil or rocks from any location on the lunar surface. It would need to conduct an 'in-place' transfer of ownership of the lunar rock or rocks to NASA after which, the collected material becomes the sole property of the space agency for its own uses. 'They are paying the company to sell them a rock that the company owns that's the product,' said Joanne Gabrynowicz, former editor-in-chief of the Journal of Space Law, said in an interview with Reuters. 'A company has to decide for itself if it's worth taking the financial and technological risk to do this to sell a rock.' Companies would be paid 20 per cent up front 10 per cent at award and 10 per cent upon launch with the remainder paid upon successful completion of the mission. The agency will determine retrieval methods for the transferred lunar samples at a later date 'The bottom line is we are going to buy some lunar soil for the purpose of it demonstrating that it can be done,' Bridenstine said during an event hosted by the Secure World Foundation, a space policy organisation, as quoted by Reuters. NASA will eventually buy more types of resources such as ice that may be discovered on the Moon, Bridenstine said. For example, ice excavated from the polar regions could provide a supply of drinking water or irrigation systems for future Moon bases. Breaking water down into separate molecules could also help make rocket fuel for an onward journey to Mars, which NASA hopes to achieve in the 2030s. Artist's impression of rock collection on the Moon. NASA now wants to pay companies to designs robots to collect dirt and have it ready for collection by a future mission NASA image from December 10, 1972 showing astronaut Harrison Schmitt collecting lunar rock samples at the Taurus-Littrow landing site on the Moon during the Apollo 17 mission 'The solicitation creates a full and open competition, not limited to US companies, and the agency may make one or more awards,' Bridenstine said. After returning humans to the Moon in 2024, NASA plans to send astronauts to the Moon once per year and establish lunar exploration by 2028. The programme will lay the groundwork in NASA's plans to send crewed missions to the Red Planet in the 2030s. 'The ability to conduct in-situ resources utilisation (ISRU) will be incredibly important on Mars, which is why we must proceed with alacrity to develop techniques and gain experience with ISRU on the surface of the Moon,' Bridenstine added. In May, NASA announced the creation of the Artemis Accords, a series of principles to govern the behaviour of countries participating in the 2024 Moon mission. The agreement includes 10 basic norms such as work transparency, properly disposing debris and providing assistance to astronauts in danger during a mission. WASHINGTON Arthur Avenue in the Bronx is one of New Yorks great culinary thoroughfares, long regarded as the citys true Little Italy, both tastier and more authentic than its heavily touristed counterpart in lower Manhattan. Like every other segment of New Yorks restaurant industry, Arthur Avenue was devastated by the coronavirus, which killed some 23,000 people in the city throughout the spring. The summer provided a lifeline, with eateries turning the street into Piazza di Belmont, an open-air arrangement whose name refers to the surrounding neighborhoods Italian heritage. (The artisans who lived here are responsible for the graceful masonry of the Bronx Zoo.) But that has barely proved sustaining, and now those restaurants are desperate to host diners indoors again, especially with cold weather looming. Piazza di Belmont on the Bronxs Arthur Avenue. (Belmont Business Improvement District) This is doable, Peter Madonia, head of the Belmont Business Improvement District, told Brian Lehrer, a WNYC radio talk show host. Madonia, who owns a bakery on Arthur Avenue, added that waiting for a coronavirus vaccine to resume indoor dining, as Mayor Bill de Blasio suggested last week, is tantamount to a death knell. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo does have a plan to allow New York City restaurants to begin seating customers indoors at 25 percent capacity. But even though that plan announced reportedly without de Blasios input, as the Democratic mayor and governor continue to feud is relatively modest, it still flies in the face of science, with a new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggesting that restaurants and bars are a significant source of viral transmission. That study found that people infected with the coronavirus were twice as likely to have been at a restaurant than those who had not. And they were three times more likely to have frequented a bar. I am concerned about indoor dining, even at 25 percent capacity, says Linsey Marr, a leading aerosol scientist at Virginia Tech who was not involved in the new CDC study. Restaurants are the worst of all situations, she says, because people dont wear face masks while eating and drinking. They also tend to talk loudly, which is associated with increased pathogenic spread. Story continues At the same time as New York City is opening restaurants for indoor seating, Florida is reopening bars to half capacity. Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, has consistently downplayed and misrepresented the threat of the coronavirus. A code enforcement officer walks out of a restaurant in Miami Beach, Fla., on July 15. (Johnny Louis/Getty Images) Marr calls Floridas move unwise. For her own part, she says she has not been inside a restaurant since March and wont eat at one until in accordance with de Blasios now-discarded view there is a vaccine. I feel for the restaurants, Marr says. Yet the evidence is clearly not on their side. The new CDC study, published on Thursday, surveyed 314 adults across the nation in July. They had all gone for coronavirus testing after experiencing symptoms of COVID-19, the respiratory illness caused by the coronavirus. One hundred and sixty of those people turned out not to have COVID-19, while 154 did test positive for the disease. Those who contracted COVID-19, the new CDC study says, were approximately twice as likely as were control participants to have reported dining at a restaurant in the 14 days before becoming ill. They were also more likely to have visited a bar or coffee shop. The studys principal author, CDC epidemiologist Dr. Kiva Fisher, told Yahoo News that her study did not focus on the specifics of those restaurant outings. We didnt differentiate between indoor and outdoor dining, she said, describing that as fertile ground for future study. A study by the Guangzhou Center for Disease Control and Prevention in China found that a person at a restaurant in Guangzhou infected nine other diners during lunchtime service indoors. Researchers attributed the spread to strong airflow from the air conditioner. Fisher lives in Atlanta, where the CDC is based. Although the states Republican governor, Brian Kemp, has allowed restaurants to offer indoor seating, Fisher said she has continued to support local eateries by resorting to lower-risk options such as ordering takeout or delivery. Those are good options to support local businesses, she said. Restaurateurs have argued that while delivery and outdoor dining have allowed them to survive the past several months, they desperately need to resume indoor seating in order to turn a meaningful profit. The lack of a new federal coronavirus relief package, which has fallen victim to partisan combat on Capitol Hill, only makes the situation more urgent. People dine outside Peter Luger Steakhouse in Brooklyn as the city continues phase four of reopening. (Noam Galai/Getty Images) As has been the case throughout the pandemic, the clash of economic needs and scientific realities has made for an untenable situation. Fishers study found that study subjects who did contract COVID-19, and who had gone to a restaurant before becoming sick, were less likely to report observing almost all patrons at the restaurant adhering to recommendations such as wearing a mask or social distancing. The reports primary limitation was the lack of specificity about whether people were indoors or out. By the time the study took place in July, most of the states in the survey among them Utah, Colorado and Massachusetts had begun to allow indoor dining to some degree. We need data that assess if this perceived risk is mostly associated with indoor dining, wrote former Food and Drug Administration head Scott Gottlieb on Twitter. Dining, especially indoors, presents unique challenges that, the study notes, are not associated with other activities, such as shopping. For one, eating and drinking with a mask is impossible. Even with social distancing mandates in place, restaurants could become coronavirus hot spots. That could prove especially true in New York City, where finding the hole in the wall that serves the best pizza or samosa has long been the object of the citys culinary enthusiasts. Direction, ventilation, and intensity of airflow might affect virus transmission, even if social distancing measures and mask use are implemented according to current guidance, Fisher and her co-authors write. Some restaurants have installed sophisticated air filters, but smaller eateries may not find that an affordable option. For indoor dining, ventilation is really key, said Dr. Eric Feigl-Ding, an epidemiologist who has risen to prominence with his tweets about the disease. There needs to be at least a very strong draft with completely open air if indoors, given the loud ambience of most restaurants. An outdoor learning demonstration in front of a public school in Brooklyn on Sept. 2. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images) As with school reopenings, the lack of a national plan appears to have only fostered greater confusion. The CDC does offer guidance to restaurants, but its relatively broad, urging practices like washing hands and disinfecting surfaces. New York Citys plan for indoor dining also lacks specificity, though it does call for temperature checks and prohibits seating at bars. Mayoral spokesperson Bill Neidhardt said it was untrue that de Blasio and Cuomo had clashed on how and when restaurants should reopen in the city. He said the two men, who have been political enemies for years, worked on the same plan. The plan says that if the positivity rate on coronavirus diagnostic tests rises above 2 percent, the city will immediately reassess. That positivity rate, however, will be reflective of who in New York City goes for a coronavirus test on any given day, as opposed to a measure of infection rates among people dining at restaurants. Feigl-Ding dismissed temperature checks as a largely cosmetic measure, since people can transmit the virus even without running a fever. And he was doubtful about the citys quarter-capacity mandate. Even if a restaurant is only 25 percent full, he told Yahoo News, people can still release lots of aerosols while shouting or talking for an hour. Cuomos office did not respond to a request for comment. As the CDC study suggests, the brutal reality of the pandemic may be that keeping away from other people, difficult as it may be, remains the easiest way to prevent the virus from spreading. A new study from researchers at Johns Hopkins University published in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases found that infection was significantly less common in those who reported strict social distancing indoors and outdoors. It also concluded that consistent indoor mask use was significantly associated with a lower likelihood of infection. A sign in Washington, D.C., on June 22. (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images) One of the studys authors, Sunil Solomon, said he was troubled as he drove past a crowded outdoor patio in Washington, D.C. There was clearly no social distancing, he said of the restaurant in question, Millies, a popular Nantucket-themed eatery. Though people were congregating on an open-air patio, Solomon said the scene was nevertheless concerning. People lose inhibition after a couple of drinks, moving closer and speaking louder, he said. At the same time, he understood the imperative to congregate at bars and restaurants, especially as autumn weather looms. All of us have been cooped up for months, and we are looking for some opportunity to go out, he told Yahoo News. We are getting to a point when people are fatigued. _____ Read more from Yahoo News: The Lao Peoples Army has launched a television station funded entirely by the countrys powerful northern neighbor China, Lao media sources say. The station, Lao Army Television Channel 7, began broadcasting content on Sept. 9 from its building in the capital Vientiane. The station will operate under the authority of the Defense Ministry, which will be responsible for all broadcasts and programs distributed online, a Ministry official told RFAs Lao Service on Sept. 10. Our new TV station is starting out with our own programs and under our own control, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. TV Channel 7 will broadcast via satellite and focus its reports on news about the Lao military and its activities, Defense Minister Chansamone Chanyalath told state media on Sept. 10, calling the stations four-storey, 11 billion kip (U.S. $1,204,428) facility Chinas special gift for the Lao Army, government, and the Lao people. Construction on the stations building began on March 1, 2018, and China provided and installed the necessary equipment for the television station while Chinese military experts and technicians trained Lao officials in its use, the state-run Vientiane Times said on Thursday. Most Lao citizens reached for comment by RFA voiced indifference to the new station, with many saying that state-controlled media in the one-party communist country rarely broadcast impartial and objective news stories to the public. I dont know about the new station. I dont watch local TV that much, actually, one resident in the capital Vientiane said, also speaking on condition his name not be used. Mostly, I watch Thai television shows. Suffering of the people Another resident said that he looks at Facebook for news, while a Lao worker in Thailand said the new station will only serve as the voice of the army, the government, and the [ruling] party. This new station will mostly publicize military or police activities, he said. It wont carry any stories about the suffering of the people. Laos has been ruled since 1975 by the communist Lao Peoples Revolutionary Party, which monopolizes political power and control of the media. A resident of the northeastern Lao province of Xieng Khouang meanwhile expressed support for Channel 7, saying he hadnt yet watched the channel. But the station will be good for many reasons. One of these is that the military will be able to talk about the [1960s-70s] war and the battles it fought, and about historical incidents. Growing Chinese influence Concern has been growing in Laos over Chinas growing influence as a result of its massive investment in hydropower dams, a major railway, and other infrastructure projects under Beijings $1.3 trillion Belt and Road Initiative. China is Laos largest foreign investor and aid provider, and its second-largest trade partner after Thailand. This week, Laos state-run electricity corporation entered into a power grid sharing agreement with a Chinese state-run firm, ceding majority control in a tie-up the government says was necessary to save the debt-ridden domestic firm, but that critics say cedes too much power to a foreign government concern. In an annual survey of press freedom released in April, Laos was ranked 172 out of 180 countries for 2019 by Paris-based Reporters Without Borders (RSF), which said the ruling LPRP exercises total control over the media. Phil Robertson, Deputy Asia Director at New York-based Human Rights Watch, told RFA last month that freedom of the press is nonexistent in Laos. The Lao government is authoritarian and has for a long time severely violated human rights. It has never honored democracy nor has it ever respected freedom of the press, including television, newspapers and radio, and it has never respected the opinions of its people, Robertson told RFA. Reported by RFAs Lao Service. Translated by Max Avary. Written in English by Richard Finney. The $300bn bill written by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Republican leaders was blocked by Democrats. The US Senate on Thursday killed a Republican bill that would have provided about $300bn in new coronavirus aid, as Democrats seeking far more funding prevented it from advancing. By a vote of 52-47, the Senate failed to get the 60 votes needed in the 100-member chamber to advance the partisan bill towards passage. Senator Rand Paul, who opposed the deficit spending in the bill, was the lone Republican to vote no. Democratic leaders in Congress have been pushing for a far more vigorous response approximately $3 trillion in new aid amid the coronavirus pandemic. They said they still held out hope for negotiations to produce a compromise, but some senators expressed doubts that would happen before the November 3 presidential and congressional elections. So far, the coronavirus has led to the deaths of nearly 191,000 people in the US and more than 900,000 globally. Congress is now expected to mainly focus on work on other pressing legislation so members can return to their home states in October to campaign for re-election. Earlier this year, Congress quickly passed four important bills providing about $3 trillion to respond to the COVID-19 crisis. The Democratic-controlled House of Representatives passed a bill in May that would provide another $3 trillion in aid, but gridlock has since prevailed. The Bureau of Land Management announced that it has closed much of the public land it oversees in northwest Oregon, officials said Friday. All BLM-administered land within the Northwest Oregon District east of (Interstate) 5 is closed to the public, the agency said in a statement. Members of the public may not enter closed areas, and all uses including hunting and dispersed camping are prohibited. The closures affect public lands in Lane, Linn, Marion, Clackamas and Multnomah counties east of Interstate 5, west of the Cascade range, north of Cottage Grove and south of the Columbia River. Public lands managed by the agency were also closed in Lincoln County with the exception of the Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area. The extreme fire danger and behavior have prompted the closure of these sites while fire suppression crews respond to the incidents, the agency said. As it becomes safe to do so, firefighters will begin to assess the fires and their impacts in alignment with sound risk management practices. -- Kale Williams; kwilliams@oregonian.com; 503-294-4048; @sfkale (Natural News) The 5G rollout in the town of Totnes, England, was brought to a halt after campaigners asked the government to take action in light of health concerns related to the technology. After more than 1,600 residents signed a petition, Totnes councilors agreed that no new towers will go up until there is more evidence of their safety. 5G, which is the newest generation of mobile data communication, is now rolling out across the world with promises of greater connectivity, instantaneous data transmission and far faster speeds than 4G. Some have claimed it will be as much as 1,000 times faster than 4G, allowing people to download a full-length HD film in mere seconds. However, the price humanity may pay for it could be very steep. Some of the health concerns associated with 5G include nervous system damage, cancer and reduced fertility, with some saying it will end up being the asbestos and tobacco of the 21st century. Its also putting birds and insect life at risk. The people of Totnes are not the only ones with concerns about 5G. Similar actions have been seen in Glastonbury and Frome. In America, officials in Portland have tried to block 5G rollouts, and a group of residents in Encinitas, California, protested 5G installations there. Brussels has also halted its own 5G rollout due to concerns about health risks, with regional Minister of the Government Celine Fremault saying, The people of Brussels are not guinea pigs whose health I can sell at a profit. Adding fuel to the fire, more than 240 scientists who have published peer-reviewed research into the health effects of EMF signed an International EMF Scientist Appeal calling from stronger exposure limits. The scientists also expressed concerns about cell and cordless phones, Wi-Fi, smart meters, broadcast antennas and baby monitors. They cited adverse effects such as DNA damage, cancer, changes in bacterial growth and neuropsychiatric effects. 5G poses higher risk than previous generations The higher-frequency radio waves used by 5G travel shorter distances and can be blocked more easily by buildings than past generations, so existing towers are being updated to a higher strength. Telecommunication companies also need to install more rooftop antennas, which means everyone will have one within reach of their homes which is bad news if they are as horrible for your health as they appear. Some estimates show that at least one antenna will be needed for every 10 to 12 homes in urban areas, so its possible there could be one right outside your living room or outside your childs bedroom. 5G also uses directed energy instead of spread energy. This means the microwave beams going from the transmitter to the receiver will be more highly focused, allowing greater doses of ionizing radiation to get into peoples bodies. Its especially risky for the brain as most people place their phones against their head during phone calls. Another highly concerning aspect of 5G is that its electromagnetic pulses actually replicate within the body to create tiny new internal 5G antennas. RF researcher Arthur Firstenberg explained: when extremely short electromagnetic pulses enter the body [5G], something else happens: the moving charges themselves become little antennas that re-radiate the electromagnetic field and send it deeper into the body. Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut raised concerns about 5G at a Senate hearing, in which he pointed out the lack of studies showing that the technology is safe. He said that were kind of flying blind here so far as health and safety are concerned. The idea that something so potentially dangerous is being rolled out on such a wide scale without any tests showing its safety is something that people in every town around the world should be concerned about. Sources for this article include: ITV.com NaturalNews.com DailyMail.co.uk GlobalResearch.ca Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-11 23:55:09|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close MOSCOW, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- China and Russia said Friday that they firmly oppose unilateralism and protectionism, oppose power politics and bullying, and oppose unilateral sanctions that have no basis in international law, as well as "long-arm jurisdiction." The position was affirmed in a joint statement issued by visiting Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. As this year marks the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II and the founding of the United Nations (UN), China and Russia as the permanent members of the UN Security Council reiterate their unwavering commitment to multilateralism, the statement said. The two countries call on the international community to jointly preserve the international system with the UN at its core and the international order underpinned by international law. China backs Russia's initiative to hold a summit of the leaders of the permanent members of the UN Security Council, and both countries will continue to defend the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, particularly the principles of sovereign equality and non-interference in internal affairs of other countries, the statement said. The two countries will work to maintain world peace and stability, uphold international fairness and justice, and advocate reforming and improving the global governance, the statement added. As the main battle fields against fascism and militarism during World War II, China and the Soviet Union made great sacrifice in fighting and eliminating invaders, the statement noted. China and Russia will never allow the tampering with the outcome of World War II, which has been enshrined in the UN Charter and other international documents, the statement said. China and Russia are deeply concerned about the fact that amid the COVID-19 pandemic, some countries spread fake information, which endangers people's health, undermines social order, and obstructs the mutual understanding of peoples around the world, according to the statement. The two countries reaffirm their support for the World Health Organization in coordinating global cooperation against the pandemic, and they also back closer international cooperation, including in the area of medicines and vaccines research and development, the statement said. They call for stopping politicizing the pandemic and urge solidarity to win the battle against the disease and other threats and challenges, the statement added. The global security is facing serious challenges, and the UN Security Council shoulders major responsibilities for maintaining global security, the statement said. Sticking to the Cold War mentality, inflating major countries competition, and seeking one's own security at the cost of others' security seriously undermine the norms of international relations and harm global and regional strategic stability and security, according to the statement. China and Russia stress that maintaining constructive coordination among major countries based on equality and mutual respect is of great significance to the settlement of global strategic issues, the statement said. The two sides will continue to cooperate in the development and protection of human rights, the statement said. They also oppose politicizing the international human rights agenda and interfering in the internal affairs of sovereign countries under the pretext of human rights. The two sides call on the international community to jointly combat terrorism and extremism in all forms, and oppose "double standards" on counter-terrorism, it said. The two sides call on the international community to work together to crack down on the use of information and communication technologies to engage in acts contrary to the maintenance of international and regional peace, security and stability, as well as in criminal and terrorist activities, the statement said. They also call for preventing any conflicts between countries caused by illegal use of information and communication technologies, while reiterating that the United Nations plays a key role in dealing with threats in the field of international information security, the statement said. Both sides recognize the digital economy's overall impact on the economic and social development of all countries as well as on the global governance system, saying that they believe data security is of vital importance to the national security, public interests and individual rights of all countries, the statement said. They call on all countries to reach global data security rules that reflect the wishes of all countries and respect the interests of all parties on the basis of universal participation. They are committed to safeguarding the World Trade Organization (WTO)'s position as the main channel in promoting trade liberalization and coordinating the formulation of global trade rules, and support the multilateral trading system with WTO as the core, the statement stressed. They speak highly of the coordination on flashpoints in such regions as Iran, Afghanistan, Syria and the Korean Peninsula, stressing that dialogue is the only effective way to solve the problems, and they are willing to continue to participate in multilateral consultations and dialogues on the basis of consensus among all parties and promote the political and diplomatic settlement process of relevant issues, according to the statement. China and Russia will continue to push forward the construction of the Belt and Road and the docking with the Eurasian Economic Union to promote regional connectivity and economic development in Eurasia, the statement said. China firmly supports Russia's work as chair of the BRICS countries and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and both sides will continue to strengthen communication and coordination within the framework of multilateral mechanisms such as the Group of 20 and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation and play a more constructive role, the statement added. Enditem Rajya Sabha MP on Thursday alleged that former Chief Minister of had cheated the public and it was necessary for such a corrupt government to go. "Whoever betrays my people or kills their rights, then it becomes my first responsibility to oust such a government from power. Former Chief Minister Cheated the public, it was necessary to oust such a corrupt government," Scindia, the former Congress leader who joined Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said during an event to mark the Bhumi Pujan of development works worth Rs 70.84 crore and the inauguration of works worth Rs 21.08 crore in Damani of Morena district. "After the Congress government came in power, did not even come to show his face in Dimani, whereas the Chief Minister of the people Shivraj Singh Chouhan came here to mark the Bhumi Pujan of development works worth Rs 70.84 crore and the inauguration of works worth Rs 21.08 crore in Damani of Morena district," he added. Scindia said that Chief Minister Chouhan had an official meeting 15 days ago in Gwalior. "Chouhan gave very strict orders to work towards stopping illegal sand mining in the state. Legal enterprises will be encouraged but illegal ones have to be completely stopped," he said. Union Minister for Agriculture, Panchayati Raj and Rural Development Narendra Singh Tomar and Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan were also present during the occasion. (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.) Euronext had said at the start of the year that it might be interested in Borsa Italiana Pan-European stock market operator Euronext and Germany's Deutsche Boerse on Friday announced rival offers to try to buy Milan's Borsa Italiana, setting the stage for a bidding war. Switzerland's SIX is also reportedly considering joining the race for the Milan stock exchange. Euronext was the first to show its hand, saying it was teaming up with Italian lender CDP to submit a joint bid for Milan's Borsa Italiana. Euronext -- which operates the exchanges of Amsterdam, Brussels, Dublin, Lisbon, Oslo and Paris -- said in a statement that it was "currently in discussions with Cassa Depositi e Prestiti to submit an offer to London Stock Exchange Group plc for the acquisition of the business and key operational assets of Borsa Italiana". "A further announcement will be made as and when appropriate," the Paris-based company said. According to Bloomberg, the joint bid values Borsa Italiana at 3.5-4.0 billion euros ($4.2-4.7 billion). And CDP would get around eight percent of Euronext under the terms of the deal, Bloomberg said. Later on Friday, German stock exchange operator Deutsche Boerse released a statement after markets closed stating that "Deutsche Boerse has submitted a bid for Borsa Italiana Group". The statement did not provide any financial details. "As a global player, we are offering a high value for the future growth and development of an autonomous Borsa Italiana Group, thereby strengthening its crucial role for the Italian economy and the European capital markets," the DAX 30 owner added. The London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG) said in July that it was prepared to sell its Borsa Italiana subsidiary in order to win approval by the EU Commission of its planned purchase of US financial data provider Refinitiv. - Shopping spree - Euronext chief Stephane Boujnah had said at the start of the year that his company could be interested if LSEG were willing to sell. Euronext has been on a shopping spree recently, buying the Danish Central Securities Depository, VP Securities, last month to expand its Nordic footprint. Story continues It also acquired the Scandinavian electricity exchange Nord Pool in January and the Oslo Stock Exchange in June 2019. By contrast, it decided not to buy the Madrid stock exchange, which was eventually snapped up Swiss operator SIX. In Italy, state-owned CDF confirmed it was "proceeding jointly with Euronext to submit a non-binding bid for Borsa Italiana". Italian news agency Radiocor, quoting sources familiar with the matter, said the deadline for bids had been set back until September 14. Rome has said all offers will be examined closely by the government and the regulatory authorities. Economy and finance minister Roberto Gualtieri said he hoped Borsa Italiana would "find its strategic place within the single market and the eurozone, with industrial and financial partners able to support and strengthen in the project for a single capital market at a European level". vac-cc-pan/mfp/cdw Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (Agence France-Presse) Barcelona, Spain Fri, September 11, 2020 10:38 497 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c4434af4 2 News Palma-de-Mallorca,travel,tourism,Spain Free Spain's Balearic Islands region said Thursday it will impose restrictions on over 20,000 people in tourism hotspot Palma de Mallorca due to high numbers of confirmed coronavirus infections. People living in four working class neighborhoods of Palma, located away from the city's historic center, will not be allowed out from 10 p.m. Friday except to go to work or school or seek medical care, the islands' regional government said in a statement. Gyms and parks in the areas must close, while the capacity at bars, cafes and restaurants will be capped at 50 percent and they must shut their doors at 10 p.m. Gatherings will be limited to a maximum of five people. While residents of the neighborhoods are not banned from leaving their homes, the regional government said it "discourages travel and non-essential activities". The four densely populated neighborhoods are home to nearly 23,000 of Palma's 416,000 residents. Read also: Germany alarmed at tourists partying in Mallorca Regional health minister Patricia Gomez said the lockdown measures were needed because the four neighborhoods have the highest community transmission of COVID-19 in the Balearic Islands, an archipelago in the Mediterranean off Spain's east coast that includes the party island of Ibiza. The neighborhoods recorded 496 coronavirus infections per 100,000 inhabitants in the seven days leading up to Sept. 5, nearly three times the level for the entire island of Mallorca of which Palma is the capital. The lockdown measures will last for a minimum of 15 days. Spain on Monday became the first European Union nation to record more than half a million cases of COVID-19 since the beginning of the pandemic. For the Ojibwe people of the Great Lakes region, wild rice is a sacred staplestill hand-harvested in canoes, the traditional way, every year You may see it in your specialty stores or on signs along the roadside throughout Minnesota and Wisconsin: wild rice. But while the long, dark-colored grains resemble rice, they technically arent. These hard seeds come from a type of aquatic grass of the genus Zizania, and three of its four species naturally occur in North America, growing in freshwater along lakes and rivers. Whats the difference? True rice does well in saturated soils, but does not need to grow submerged in water. Flooding is a practice done by rice farmers partly for the benefit of keeping the plant well watered in warm climates, but also to deter weeds and other pests. While northern wild rice, or Zizania palustris, is now also grown commercially, planted in flooded fields in Minnesota, California, and Canada, it has long managed on its own in northern lands, especially around the Great Lakes. The wild rice you see advertised on painted roadside signs in the upper Midwest is likely harvested in the wild by hand, unlike the farmed variety. The stuff in stores? Probably not. The Food That Grows on Water The indigenous Ojibwe people, also known as the Chippewa, have hand-harvested wild rice for centuries. For them, manoomin, the good berry, became not only a staple food, but a centerpiece of their spirituality and cultural history. Wild rice, or manoomin in the Ojibwe language. (Scot Martin via Flickr/CC BY 2.0) Originally, the tribe lived close to the east coast. But a prophecy in their oral tradition instructed them to move west to where the food grows on the water. Gradually, various bands of Ojibwe migrated throughout the Great Lakes area, resettling in areas where they found wild rice, as predicted. By the time French traders and explorers arrived in the 17th century, the Ojibwe had long been established. Today, these bands live on reservations in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan, surrounded by lands they ceded to the U.S. government in 19th-century treaties. One such band, located in northern Wisconsin, is the people of Waaswaaganing, Torch Lake, so named for the practice of fishing at night by torchlight. The French translation stuck, and they are known as the Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa. Tribal member Joe Graveen is the wild rice technician for the tribes Wild Rice Cultural Enhancement Program. The programs purpose is to do historical research, gather traditional stories, and help restore wild rice, which has long been on a decline for environmental reasons. Graveen grew up here. That rice was in our teachings. We brought back wild rice ceremonies, to honor its spirit. As they started that, the rice has been coming back, he said. Now the annual pow wow and harvest have expanded to include events open to the public. The Harvest Harvest time comes around the end of August or into early September, but it varies each year and depends on the weather, through winter, spring, and summer. Part of Graveens job includes traveling throughout tribal and ceded lands to monitor wild rice and determine harvest times. Its no small task: Reservation territory includes 260 lakes, 65 miles of rivers and streams, and 24,000 acres of wetlands. Setting out for the harvest. (Joe Graveen) This year is lagging behind a little, lots of rain, delaying it, he said. Warmer winters also hurt the yield. We see high water and seasons getting shorter, ice cover thinner, and all that plays into the role of good rice. If you dont have thick ice cover, you can still see green vegetation. Photosynthesis is still going on. It shouldnt be. Those other plants, showing green in winter, get a jump on the wild rice, Graveen said, robbing it of nutrients and growing to block sunlight when rice is just getting started in spring. The seeds grow on stems as tall as 10 feet, rising out of the water along the banks and in shallow areas. The tops are a collection of branchlets with stiff upright female parts at the top and drooping male flowering parts below. When the rice is ready, harvesters in canoes, typically working in pairs, slowly slip through the grasses. They use a couple of flails, rounded cedar sticks Graveen calls knockers. Both the canoe and flails are regulated in length, and may measure no more than 18 feet and 38 inches (just over three feet), respectively. In the canoe. (Joe Graveen) We get in the canoe, one knocking, the other guy paddling or poling through the rice stalks. He bends the stalks over the boat, gently to not break stalks or rice heads, and lets the seeds fall in the boat. Like kneading dough, youre folding it. Reaching out and pulling the stalks over the canoe. Tap on it. Ripe rice will fall easily from the stalk, and a careful harvester leaves the green seeds intact for the next harvester. A lot of it goes in the water, Graveen said with a laugh. Its kind of a 50-50 sort of thing. Tribal wisdom knows the rice that gets away becomes next years crop. In a single day, Graveen and a partner take in about 160 pounds, a typical amount for experienced harvesters, but one year they gathered 400 pounds off a single river. I havent seen rice that tall since I was a kid! To find more wild rice, tribe members may travel west, even into Minnesota. Ojibwe bands there may grant them permission; otherwise, theres a $30/day out-of-state license, issued by each states Department of Natural Resources. Nontribe members can also harvest wild rice on nontribal land; in Wisconsin, this requires a similar $8/day permit, but only Wisconsin residents can obtain it. After the wild rice is gathered, its sun-dried on tarps. Then it is parched in a repurposed 30-gallon drum over a gas fire, and threshed to take the hulls off. Sun-drying the harvested wild rice on tarps. (Joe Graveen) The older way, Graveen recalled, was to take wash tubs, burn a fire, pour the rice in, and stir it with a wooden paddle. Threshing often meant digging a hole, laying down canvas, and dancing on the rice. He remembers you needed moccasins to thresh. But the kind that go halfway up your calf. Rice is itchy! Most of the rice is for tribal consumption, though he may sell a pound or two. Other bands may sell more, but a large majority of it remains with their people. In the case of White Earth Indian Reservation in northern Minnesota, the lakes, streams, and wetlands are so abundant that the tribe harvests more than enough for themselves, allowing them to sell online and ship internationally. Eating Wild Rice A cup of wild rice has fewer calories than the equivalent amount of brown rice, and yet double the protein. It also provides more zinc, folic acid, and vitamin E, though brown rice has the advantage in vitamin B. But more importantly, it has a nice chewiness and a mild grassy flavor, or even smokiness, if processed the old-fashioned way. Wild rice is great either as a side dish or incorporated into soups, salads, and other dishes. It works well in stuffing a turkey. In regards to local uses, Graveen said, Sometimes well cook bacon and chop that and put it in as its cooking. A sweeter option is to cool it and add blueberries or raspberries. An old traditional favorite, however, is backbone soup made with deer spine, wild rice, and potatoes. They chop that backbone at the joints, and boil it until the marrow comes out. Thats the good stuff, the cartilage between the joints. Theyll clean that up like a chicken bone. As you might imagine, the commercial grown wild rice, often labeled cultivated, is not quite as good as the wild: harder to chew, longer to cook, and lacking a bit in flavor. The processing turns the seeds uniformly black and hard for better packaging and shipping. Check your labels: Some wild rice may be commercially packaged yet hand-harvested. The truly wild variety will often be labeled as manoomin. Cooking Wild Rice Mix 4 cups of waterbroths are an alternative herewith one cup of dry wild rice. Heat the mixture to a boil, then dial it back to a simmer. Expect about a 45-minute cooking time, though soaking the rice beforehand can shorten that. The grains will crack open to reveal the softer, lighter-colored center, chewy, but neither crunchy nor mushy. When its ready, drain it through a large sieve. One cup of uncooked wild rice becomes 3 to 4 cups cooked. Kevin Revolinski is an avid traveler and the author of 15 books, including The Yogurt Man Cometh: Tales of an American Teacher in Turkey, and several outdoor and brewery guidebooks. He is based in Madison, Wis., and his website is TheMadTraveler.com On the afternoon of April 25, 1964, the headline on the front page of the Chicago Daily News blared: 109 Arrested in Vice Den. The den in question was Louies Fun Lounge, a gay club on the desolate outskirts of OHare International Airport. Raids of gay bars werent uncommon, but the size of this oneand the fact that eight teachers and four municipal employees were among those rounded upmade it notable. The Daily News referred to Louies as a deviate hangout and included photos of panicked men shielding their faces from the camera. Attempts at anonymity were moot. The paper published the names, ages, addresses, and occupations of several of those arrested. As Timothy Stewart-Winter recounts in his book Queer Clout: Chicago and the Rise of Gay Politics, the gay Los Angeles magazine ONE decried the articles conviction by publicityin the years before Stonewall, such public outings were characteristic of how mainstream newspapers reported on homosexuality. The gay press, insofar as it existed, operated essentially underground, hampered by homophobic printers and Comstock laws that, until 1958, prohibited mailing obscene material. The major gay publications of the 1950s and early 60sONE, the Mattachine Review, and The Ladder, a lesbian journalcouldnt compete with the circulations and budgets of the big urban dailies. (At their peak, these three gay publications had between four and five thousand subscribers each, although copies were passed around like holy contraband.) That changed after Stonewall, when the gay press emerged as a vibrant and mobilizing counterweight to mainstream papers, in local influence if not in size. According to Gay Press, Gay Power: The Growth of LGBT Community Newspapers in America, edited by Tracy Baim, more than one hundred fifty gay publications operated throughout the United States by 1972. One of the most distinctive was Fag Rag, founded in Boston in 1971. It was the brainchild of Charles Shively, a history professor, poet, unconventional scholar of Walt Whitman, anarchist, and incendiary theorist of gay liberation. Although Fag Rag was produced by a revolving collective of volunteers, Shively was the publications ideological mainstay. His commitment to sexual freedom was inseparable from his commitments to political, economic, and cultural revolution. In a series of provocative essaysamong them, Indiscriminate Promiscuity as an Act of Revolution, Bestiality as an Act of Revolution, and Incest as an Act of RevolutionShively laid out an idiosyncratic and unabashed vision of queerness as an egalitarian, feminist, anti-capitalist, race-conscious, and defiantly countercultural force. His essays were confessional and adventurous, and drew examples from his own sex life to bolster his structural critiques. That sensibility was in line with the slogan of second-wave feminism, The personal is political, and it sustained Fag Rag for thirty issues between 1971 and 1987, years that spanned the ecstatic dawn of gay liberation through the depths of the aids crisis. At a time when gay liberation was still finding its political footing, and still honing the movements priorities and rhetoric, Fag Rag presented queerness as a repudiation of everything wrong with America. It all began in November of 1970, when the Boston chapter of the Gay Liberation Front activist group produced a newspaper titled Lavender Vision. After just two issues, most of the gay men on staff decamped to San Francisco, leaving the women to convert the paper into a lesbian-only outlet. The gay men still in Boston, led by Shively, launched their own periodical called Fag Rag. The new publication was part of a burgeoning wave of gay and lesbian magazines and newspapers that included Come Out! in New York; Gay Liberator in Detroit; Gay Sunshine in Berkeley/San Francisco; Dykes & Gorgons in Berkeley; Amazon Quarterly in Oakland; The Furies in Washington, DC; and many others. Although each had a unique style, nearly all of them shared a brisk brew of sexual liberation, anarchism, hippie love, drugs, peace, Maoism, Marxism, rock-and-roll, folk song, cultural separatism, feminism, effeminism, tofu/brown rice, communal living, urban junkie, rural purism, nudism, leather, high camp drag, gender fuck drag, poetry, essays, pictures, and much more, as Shively recalled in a later essay. Still, the sensibility of Fag Rag was unmistakable. It was irreverent, as its brash name and deliberately unpolished aesthetic attested. The cover of the first issue was a spoof on Grant Woods American Gothic, with two stodgy gay men posed in front of the farmhouse. The papers sympathies lay with those who were politically or economically oppressed. Many issues featured letters from incarcerated men, as well as articles by them, and free copies were distributed to prisons. Each issue was also erudite and literary, as was to be expected from a collective that included Shively, the poet John Wieners, and the writer John Mitzel, who at the time sold tickets at a gay porn theater. The papers editorial policy was to publish two poems from anyone who submitted, no matter the quality (nearly seventy poets submitted to each issue). Contributors and interviewees included figures now renowned in gay literature, including Gary Indiana, Dennis Cooper, Christopher Isherwood, Herbert Huncke, and Gore Vidal. Fag Rag reported on subjects few other publications then covered: gay soldiers in Vietnam, gay life in Cuba, gays and aging, gays and welfare, gays with disabilities, gay sex workers, interracial gay relationships. More controversially, the paper later supported what it characterized as adolescents right to sexual freedom, as well as consensual sex between adults and childrenstances that alienated some readers. Tom Reeves, who spearheaded such content, helped found the North American Man/Boy Love Association (nambla), ultimately one of the most reviled gay male advocacy groups in the country, although it had mainstream support by Allen Ginsberg and longtime activist Harry Hay, as well as some prominent feminists. namblas mission, worked out in the pages of Fag Rag, was partly a backlash against Anita Bryants Save the Children campaign of 1977, during which police raided a house in suburban Boston and arrested twenty-four men who reportedly operated a sex ring of underage boys. Shively laid out an idiosyncratic and unabashed vision of queerness as an egalitarian, feminist, anti-capitalist, race-conscious, and defiantly countercultural force. The papers volunteer staff met in the basement of Cambridges radical Red Book Store (named in homage to Mao). Editorial decisions were made collectively. As a note in the paper explained: Our general editorial policy is not to publish racist, sexist, ruling class, patriarchal, anti-feminist or other offensive material. (The FBI and CIA already own many outlets for such work.) Specifically we avoid writings which show reverence toward god, family, state or other oppressive institutions. And we avoid printing words used to belittle those in the struggle. The writer and later Harvard professor Michael Bronski, who began working on Fag Rag in 1972, remembers those committee meetings as fun and gossipy and campy and cruisya combination of work party and consciousness-raising group. Issues appeared off-schedule, despite the papers intention to be a quarterly. We are faggots with a lot else to do, explained a note in the third issue, from 1973. Making love, learning to love one another, our selves, our bodies, and making revolution. Once an issue was printed, Shively loaded his blue VW Bug with copies and distributed them by hand throughout New England. Other copies were mailed to gay and alternative bookstores across the country, sold singly at political rallies, gay pride events, and on the street in Harvard Square, or via $100 lifetime subscriptions. (Fag Rags cover price went from a dime in the early days to one dollar by the mid-seventies to $3.99 by the time the final issue rolled out.) Bronski estimates that early issues had a print run of two thousand copies, which cost around $500 to produce. Fag Rag didnt accept advertising (ads are bribery and ugly, a note in the paper proclaimed), so the publication was funded by sales, donations, and occasional government grants. Those first eight to ten issues were revelations to many readers, Bronski says. Judging by the letters to the editor, those readers ran the gamut from incarcerated people to farmers to barstool theorists of gay liberation, and occasionally included women. PREVIOUSLY: It wasnt easy to describe The Outline. Thats what made it great. At a time when gay liberation was still finding its political footing, and still honing the movements priorities and rhetoric, Fag Rag presented queerness as a repudiation of everything wrong with America (while still acknowledging the flaws of gay liberation). As an editorial from 1973 notes, Because the order of the world starts and ends in the family with Daddy, fascism comes not only from the nuclear family but from compulsive heterosexuality. For Shively and his cohort, queerness was as much a moral as a sexual orientation; it subverted the natural order on which capitalism depends, opening new possibilities for social and ideological communalism. In 1972, the collective codified its political objectives when Shively and a few associates drove to Miami to deliver a list of ten demands to the Democratic National Convention. Among their requests: An end to discrimination based on biology; no government agency should record age, skin color, or gender An end to discrimination based on sexual preference An end to the traditional family, which should be replaced by cooperative parenting A guaranteed annual income for all Americans; the wealth of straight white men should be redistributed The disbanding of all armed forces and uniformed police, including the FBI, CIA, IRS, and narcotics squads The legalization of sex between all consenting individuals Self-government and self-determination of all people Although the demands were too outre for the platform of any major political party in the early 1970s, they nonetheless demonstrate how prescient Fag Rag was in centering racial equity, anti-policing, and a universal basic income within a larger socialist framework. Shively further linked these ideas to sexual liberation. In his 1972 essay Cocksucking as an Act of Revolution, he argued that gay men internalize the bodily shame and squeamishness of their straight bourgeois counterparts. The male identification with the hierarchical and power tripping world destroys love itself; the sensual and pleasureful tends to be forgotten, he wrote. Sex, sensuality, our bodies, and their parts should all feel wonderful and beautiful. In a sidebar, he suggested practical ways to overcome entrenched self-hatred: home nudism, uninhibited masturbation, and open bathrooms. Not everyone was enamored of Fag Rags frankness. Several presses refused to print the paper. According to Shively, one printer told him it couldnt roll out Fag Rag on the same machine used to print Bibles. In Atlanta, a bookstore declined to carry the paper because it contained images of Black men. In 1973, Shively distributed Fag Rag at a play on the campus of the University of New Hampshire. He claimed that police spies delivered copies to the governor, the state attorney general, and local media. A firestorm ensued, in which Fag Rag earned the irresistible sobriquet of one of the most loathsome publications in the English language. By the 1980s, there were more than 700 gay publications in the United States. Contrast that with today, when fewer than 20 local gay newspapers exist. Fag Rag maintained its ragtag charm even as the staff changed from one issue to the next. Articles mixed personal essays with manifestos, humor with outrage. A brief index of subjects evokes the papers range: J. Edgar Hoover, rural queers, group sex, sadomasochism, Cabaret, the literary critic F.O. Matthiessen, West Germany, masturbation, W.H. Auden, the Kennedy assassination, the Russian filmmaker Sergei Parajanov, the Seabrook nuclear protests, etc. In 1974, early installments of Arthur Evanss Witchcraft and the Gay Counterculture appeared; these were collected and published as a book in 1978, under the imprimatur of Fag Rag Books. It may have inspired a letter to the editor that read: Each time I read the RAG I get the feelingand this is meant to be unmitigated criticism, in case you didnt think sothat the paper comes out of California. Witchcraft. Bestiality. Far out. Very in. Every issue also contained delicate erotic drawings to accompany the poetry. Black-and-white portraits of beautiful men and boys (sometimes naked) punctuated the text. The Fag Rag collective didnt believe in copyrights, so photos by Robert Mapplethorpe, for example, appeared along with the work of local amateurs, everything juxtaposed with the same nonhierarchical spirit that informed the papers editorial credo. Sardonic humor predominated, as in the satirical Lord Baby Jesus Christian Gift Catalogue, which appeared in the winter 1974 issue. Among the mock gifts listed was Crippling Christian Guilt: Long wearing, permanent press means just one gift of Lord Baby Jesus guilt can last a lifetime when administered properly. Much of that humor soured as hiv/aids ravaged the gay community in the early 1980s. A subset of the Fag Rag collective was critical of public health officials, policymakers, and some gay HIV activists who called for restrictive safe-sex measures and monogamy. From todays vantage, the tone feels out of sync with the tragic reality on the ground, but anything that threatened the hard-won prerogatives of gay liberation was verboten. In an issue from 1983, Shively asked readers: Are you willing to die for sexual liberation? He then touted a then-popular conspiracy theory that the CIA introduced the virus to the Western Hemisphere. Shively lost his audience by the time he wrote the aids piece, Bronski says. In 1994, Shively was diagnosed with HIV himself, although he told almost no onea rare instance of reticence from a man who made a career of self-disclosure. By the 1980s, there were more than seven hundred gay publications in the United States, everything from glossy newsmagazines such as The Advocate to local weeklies, bar guides, neighborhood newsletters, and zines. Contrast that with today, when fewer than twenty local gay newspapers exist and legacy publications such as Out and The Advocate have been downsized after losing their high-profile editors. Online LGBTQ publications havent fared much better. Into, the much-hyped digital magazine published by the social networking app Grindr, shut down in 2019 after a year and a half. Them, published by Conde Nast, still exists, albeit without its founding editors. More artsy gay publications such as Butt and Hello Mr. ceased publication as well. Pinko, a semiannual print journal of gay communism, debuted last year after a successful Kickstarter campaign, and is in some ways reminiscent of Fag Rags collective spirit. That Fag Rag survived almost two decades and multiple mastheads is a testament to Shivelys vision, but also to the conviction of its staff and the devotion of its readers. Bronski recalls that gay men across the country sent letters and artwork to the editors, often noting it wasnt safe for them to keep such material in their homes, where bigoted family members might find it. Shively saved all of this correspondenceplus subscriber records, essay drafts, invoices, and receipts, a whole clandestine archiveuntil he died, in 2017. Fag Rag wasnt an idealistic publication; it didnt suggest that a gay utopia was possible or even desirable. Instead, it pushed for a political revolution that wouldnt come at the expense of other marginalized groups. The papers provocative wit now seems like a precursor to the guerrilla actions of act up. As Shively wrote in 1978, What all peoples in struggle need is a picture more of resistance than of how wounded we are. Fag Rag kept true to its core vision of that original anarchist, in-your-face sensibility, Bronski says. It shook the cultural, social, and political senses without ever doing it solely for that reason. It didnt shock just to shock. It shocked for the sheer joy, the sheer rage, of it. Authors Note: Special thanks to Michael Bronski for his extraordinary generosity during the research and writing of this essay. ICYMI: San Quentin tells its own COVID story Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today Jeremy Lybarger is the features editor at the Poetry Foundation. His writing has appeared in The New Yorker, The Nation, Art in America, the New York Review of Books, and elsewhere. "Cautious optimism" for Syria deal if Trump wins Russian President Vladimir Putin has low expectations for US-Russia relations no matter who wins the US presidential election, according to Max Suchkov in a new Al-Monitor podcast. There is a view, however, that a second term for US President Donald Trump could change US-Russia diplomacy. In the Middle East, that could leave open the possibility of a deal on a "soft phased transition" to a successor to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad (not unlike the scenario we wrote about here in 2012). Putins not going to walk away from Assad for nothing, of course. Assad may be an "uneasy partner," as Suchkov explains, but Putin has shown he sticks by his allies, whatever the "reputational risk," as long as Russias interests are served. Nonetheless, Putin has proposed a big deal on Syria before, at the Helsinki summit with Trump in 2018, as Suchkov reported here, and as recounted in John Boltons book, "The Room Where It Happened," so the prospect of such a diplomatic shift cant be ruled out. The "cautious optimism" in Russia surrounding a Trump win is mixed with a "blunt skepticism" if former Vice President and Sen. Joe Biden wins in November, according to Suchkov. Biden is considered more hawkish on Russia and Syria, and less likely to attempt a reset with Putin. Suchkov also notes that Russias leverage with Iran is increasing because of US sanctions and the ending of the UN arms embargo next month. The United States failed to stave off the expiration of the embargo, whose expiration is outlined in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and UN Security Council Resolution 2231. Russia hopes to cash in by selling weapons to Iran, although there are reputational tradeoffs here too, as Anton Mardasov writes. As we explained in this column last week, a straightforward return to the JCPOA, or Iran nuclear deal, by a Biden administration may not be so easy. And Russia, a signatory to the JCPOA and member of the UN Security Council, will be instrumental in whether there is a new nuclear deal or not. Putin and Erdogan share "language of power" Another tricky relationship for both the United States and Russia is Turkey. Trumps personal connection with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan may be the relationships lifeline. Putin, too, has the personal touch with Erdogan; they speak the same "language of power," according to Suchkov. While the United States and Turkey may be NATO allies but not partners, given the divisions over the Kurds and Syria policy, Russia and Turkey are partners but not allies, according to Suchkov. If Putin and Erdogan are in a marriage of convenience, it also hinges "on the kids," Suchkov adds, referring to joint Russian-Turkish energy and military projects. Putin and Erdogan diverge at times in Syria, as we wrote here, but they also find value in a partnership that has so far, if uneasily, served both parties. Suchkov also notes that Putin may not have given up on his goal to eventually broker a "border agreement" between Erdogan and Assad an initiative that started in earnest in January, but flamed out as Syrian and Turkish troops clashed soon after in Idlib. Russias tribal strategy Sultan al-Kanj reports from Syria this week about recent killings of tribal leaders in eastern Syria, another sign that the region may be on the verge of boiling over, as we wrote here last month. Foreign actors have always sought the support of tribes throughout the history of Syria given their important role and weight, writes Kanj. Kirill Semenov wrote here last month, Russia's plans to consolidate its position in the northeast of Syria and create loyal formations there can be supported by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, which themselves are actively working with the Arab tribes of the region. The deployment of pro-Russian military structures in northeastern Syria could lead to the creation of a 'buffer zone' there, free from the Iranian presence, which also meets the interests of Abu Dhabi and Riyadh. This would serve as a guarantee that if American troops leave the region, their place would be taken not by pro-Iranian formations but rather ones created and controlled by Moscow. UAE, Bahrain peace deals and Palestinian identity Israel and Bahrain announced today they will normalize relations, forcing the Palestinian leadership to scramble regarding next steps, and Palestinians and Arab citizens in Israel to address the consequences of what may be the signs of a trend. With the announcement, the island kingdoms foreign minister, Abdullatif al-Zayani, will join his UAE counterpart Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for a White House signing ceremony on Sept. 15, which had been set for the Abraham Accord signed last month between the UAE and Israel. Earlier this week the Arab League rejected a Palestinian initiative to condemn the UAE-Israel deal. Palestinian leaders consider the UAE-Israel accord a betrayal, even though the Emirates conditioned the agreement on Israel postponing plans to annex some Jewish settlements in the West Bank. Bahrain becomes the fourth Arab country to make peace with Israel after the UAE, Jordan in 1994 and Egypt in 1979. There is speculation that Oman or Sudan could follow suit. US President Donald Trump has been nominated for the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize for brokering the Abraham Accord. The weakening of the Arab consensus in support of the Palestinian Authority (PA) may have the effect of compelling its leadership to rethink direct talks with Israel, perhaps in the context of a regional conference linked to the Trump peace plan. Saudi Arabia has reiterated its commitment to a two-state solution, and Bahrain and the UAE are not bailing on the Palestinians either. Agreeing to direct talks, or a regional conference, could be the best step to reestablish an Arab consensus. Afif Abu Much suggests that the peace agreements have also brought to light "conflicting identities among Israels Arab citizens. It is a conflict that originates with the dual identities that they have been living with for decades. On one hand, there are those who want to continue feeling Palestinian. They have a hard time imagining an agreement that does not include the establishment of a Palestinian state. On the other hand there are those who obviously support the creation of a Palestinian state but still prefer to see the glass as being half full. To them, this agreement affords them a chance to join the Arab world, which has denied them access until now, because of their complex identity and their Israeli citizenship. Introductions The easiest and best way to meet someone is for a mutual connection to give you a warm introduction and highlight what you have in common. If you do need to reach out to someone youve never met, Ms. Kalinowski recommends engaging that person through some content, like a blog post that he or she has written, to start a conversation, rather than showing up with a request. When you do ask for something, for example information about a persons job or industry, do some research on the topic and ask for the persons opinion on what youve learned, rather than asking him or her to explain it all to you. Dont make them do the heavy lift, Ms. Kalinowski said. And, of course, dont ask for information that is readily available on the internet. First (Online) Impressions Count The way you present yourself can make the difference between receiving a response and being ignored, Ms. Clark said, so when she reaches out to someone new, she sends along what she calls a brand narrative, a one-slide summary of who she is, her background, her personal attributes and her proudest achievements. Its a quicker and more holistic view than a resume that focuses mainly on career, she said. The goal is to share what you are proud of and inspire the person to want to meet with you and get to know you better, she said. Including more aspects of yourself makes it more likely you will find something in common. Think About What You Can Offer The power dynamic can feel awkward if a higher-up is providing advice or a connection what can you offer of value? Beyond a simple thank-you, circle back and say how the advice helped you, Ms. Waninger said. If the person recommended a book, say what you learned from it. If you had a terrific conversation with someone that person put you in touch with, let him or her know. Move beyond the transactional interaction to an ongoing dialogue, she added. Always include people whom you can be of help to in your network, Ms. Waninger said. You might connect two friends with a shared interest, or scan your companys job openings for positions you can recommend to people you know might be a good fit. Beyond One-on-One Interactions Mentors dont have to be people you meet with individually. You can choose your mentor across time and space through a book or a podcast, and adapt that persons advice and outlook to your own circumstances, Ms. Waninger said. Friday was the 19th anniversary of the terrorist attacks by al-Qaeda on the United States. And Kaia Gerber's new boyfriend Jacob Elordi seemed to give a nod to 9/11 as he wore a Peace Is Power sweatshirt after visiting a NYC gym. The 19-year-old Vogue supermodel and the 23-year-old Euphoria actor were holding hands again after putting on their first public display of affection on their way to dinner earlier this week. Never forget: Friday was the 19th anniversary of the terrorist attacks by al-Qaeda on the United States. And Kaia Gerber's new boyfriend Jacob Elordi seemed to give a nod to 9/11 as he wore a Peace Is Power sweatshirt after visiting a NYC gym Kaia looked at her tall boyfriend as they walked in step in the SoHo neighborhood of New York City. The Malibu native had on a light grey sweatshirt that read Notre Dame. It is not sure why she chose that sweatshirt as her father Rande Gerber attended University Of Arizona and her mother Cindy Crawford dropped out of Northwestern University to launch her modeling career. Kaia added black micro shorts by Alo and wore white New Balance sneakers with white socks. She added a face mask and blue NY cap while a brown purse rested on her shoulder. Her look: The Malibu native had on a light grey sweatshirt that read Notre Dame. It is not sure why she chose that sweatshirt as her father Rande Gerber attended University Of Arizona and her mother Cindy Crawford dropped out of Northwestern University Jacob of The Kissing Booth fame had on a bright blue Peace Is Power sweatshirt with Nike shorts and white socks and sneakers as he added bracelets, rings and a watch. He too had on a cap and face mask as he held two notebooks in his right hand. Elordi seemed protective of Gerber as he put his hand on her back while she entered a shop. Model attire: Kaia added black micro shorts by Alo and wore white New Balance sneakers with white socks. She added a face mask and blue NY cap while a brown purse rested on her shoulder He matched her: Jacob of The Kissing Booth fame had on a bright blue Peace Is Power sweatshirt with Nike shorts and white socks and sneakers as he added bracelets, rings and a watch. He too had on a cap and face mask as he held two notebooks in his right hand On Wednesday evening the duo proved they are indeed an item as they not only held hands but also put their arms around each other. The lovebirds were spotted on their way to a cozy al fresco dinner for two. The pair seemed to be very into each other as they could not keep far apart during the stroll through the city. They were in step as they held hands then at one point the Australian actor put his arms around the teen. Earlier in the day they were seen on another walk but there was no PDA. A gentleman: Elordi seemed protective of Gerber as he put his hand on her back while she entered a shop News of their romance spread like wildfire earlier this month. Celebrity Instagram account deuxmoi, which posts texts and DMs from followers about celebrity encounters, shared several stories about the rumored couple in New York City. The two were seen out in the city by various people, with one follower submitting a photo of the couple holding hands. The lookers were then seen hanging out Washington Square Park, followed by dinner at Bar Pitti. 'I just saw Jacob Elordi and Kaia Gerber on a date in nyc and the beauty those two hold' a fan tweeted. Jacob has been linked to his former Euphoria co-star Zendaya and Joey King, whom he starred with in The Kissing Booth. Solo outing: On Thursday the 2 Hearts actor was seen by himself walking in Manhattan Romantic past: Jacob has been linked to his former Euphoria co-star Zendaya (pictured in 2019) and Joey King (seen in 2018), whom he starred with in The Kissing Booth Jacob and Zendaya first landed at the center of dating rumors after they were spotted on a getaway to Greece back in August 2019. While the two never announced their relationship, a source confirmed the actors were indeed dating in an Us Weekly report in February 2020. Jacob's recent outings with Kaia have sparked speculation his relationship with Zendaya has ended. Kaia was previously in a relationship with SNL star Pete Davidson, but recently landed at the center dating rumors with fellow model Cara Delevingne when the duo were spotted affectionately embracing at a Black Lives Matter rally in July. Not only that, but the women also got matching 'Solemate' tattoos on their feet in August. Trump's 'Great American Comeback' campaign ad shows Ukraine stock footage (YouTube / Donald J Trump Campaign) Donald Trump is making Ukraine great again with a new campaign ad featuring foreign stock footage of the former Soviet bloc country. Titled Great American Comeback, the new television spot weaves in widely available footage of Ukrainian and Italian models, and a Ukraine warehouse, as representative of a United States in decline under Joe Biden, according to an ABC News report on Thursday. The video, running in battleground states, highlights the August jobs report before weaving in the European footage of supposed Americans and business lights going out as Joe Biden says "I would shut it down" in the background. "In the race for a vaccine, the finish line is approaching, safety protocols in place, and the greatest economy the world has ever seen coming back to life," the ad begins. "But Joe Biden wants to change that. Why would we ever let Biden kill countless American businesses, jobs, and our economic future, when president Trump's great American comeback is now under way." Quoting video production company PromZone Media Group, ABC News confirmed one of the buildings used in the footage, at about 20 seconds in, is a Ukrainian wallpaper warehouse. A woman at the 15-second mark looking concerned, meanwhile, was confirmed by the outlet as being a Ukrainian model from production studio Stockbusters. A man looking upset while using a computer (18 second mark) is credited on a stock footage website as being Italian. The Trump campaign declined to comment to ABC News over its the report, which quoted ad service firm CMAG saying the ad was running across North Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan with about half a million dollars in advertising budget behind it. FILE PHOTO: Logo of BP is seen at a petrol station in Kloten By Florence Tan and Roslan Khasawneh SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Oil major BP has provisionally chartered a supertanker to store crude oil off Malaysia at this year's lowest rate yet, according to industry sources and data on Refinitiv Eikon. The charter is the latest in a flurry of ship bookings made by oil majors and trading houses after tanker rates plunged. A resurgence in coronavirus cases, poor weather and the end of the northern hemisphere's summer driving season have slowed global oil trade and shipping demand. BP chartered very large crude carrier (VLCC) Gene at $20,500 per day for three months and has the option to extend another three months at $22,000 per day, one of the sources said. "It is the cheapest rate so far," he said. BP declined to comment. The sources declined to be named as they are not authorized to speak to media. The tanker is expected to arrive at Linggi port on the west coast of peninsular Malaysia later on Thursday, data on Refinitiv Eikon showed. The daily rate for chartering VLCCs for six months hit a high of $120,000-$130,000 in April as traders rushed to store oil for later sales after a collapse in oil prices and demand in the second quarter. More than 1 billion barrels of oil entered storage over the second and third quarter. The trading strategy, known as a contango play, relies on a wide spread between prompt and future months to cover storage costs. Such storage plays are starting to look "marginally open", a Singapore-based crude trader said. However, Citi analysts said: "Much of the recent temptation to lease vessels for storage reflects more the decline in freight rates than a return to super contango." Ashok Sharma, managing director of Singapore-based shipbroker BRS Baxi, said the leases are more like replacing "expensive tonnage chartered earlier in the year ... with cheaper tonnage." (Reporting by Florence Tan and Roslan Khasawneh; Additional reporting by Shu Zhang; Editing by Jacqueline Wong and Tom Hogue) A city court on Friday extended the police custody of noted Kannada actress Ragini Dwivedi, Sanjana Galrani and four other persons by three days. The Central Crime Branch, which is probing the multi-layered drugs supply case involving high-profile accused such as Dwivedi, had sought the extension of police custody on non-cooperation grounds besides citing the arrest of two alleged drug peddlers on Friday. Along with Ragini and Sanjana, police custody of four of their associates Ravi Shankar, Rahul Shetty, Niyaz and Loum Pepper Samba was also extended till September 14. The CCB officials claimed that they are yet to complete the investigation. The officials have gained access to chat records between two accused, Ravi Shankar (a close friend of Ragini Dwivedi) and Prashanth Ranka. Besides, they have also completed the search operation of high-profile event organiser Viren Khanna in Delhi. Earlier in the day, Dwivedi had moved her bail petition, which was adjourned by the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) special court here to next Monday (September 14). Dwivedi was taken into custody last week. Prior to her arrest, the police had searched her house on last Thursday over her alleged links with high-end party organiser Viren Khanna. Sanjana was arrested three days ago and has been in police custody since then. The order came on a day when footage emerged of the two actors throwing tantrums and refusing to give samples for a medical exam and dope test. The samples were ultimately taken and police will continue their questioning. In the video, Sanjjanaa is seen arguing why she should allow samples to be taken as they were against her fundamental rights. Ragini tells the police team, If we get caught again, we will have to go to jail. Our life is already ruined." Sanjjanaa is seen in the video telling the crime branch, I have lost trust in the police. I dont know why I have been arrested. I asked you with folded hands, you are not telling me the reason. Even if I give blood tests, I dont trust that the blood will be mine. My lawyers told me to say no. Its my fundamental right to say no. Nobody can force me to give blood samples. You people have tricked me into coming here. There is no evidence against me, I didnt do anything wrong. Just because we spoke to each other over the phone doesnt mean that I am involved in the crime." The police used this video to seek extension of their custodial interrogation on Friday evening. The actiors lawyers argued that they must be shifted to judicial custody as there were no drugs found in their possession and that their arrests were based entirely on hearsay evidence. Police sought five more days of custody for Ragini and seven more for Sanjjanaa, but the magistrate allowed extension till Monday for both. Two others accused in the drugs supply network were arrested between Thursday and Friday, and more bigwigs could be potentially arrested in the coming weeks. The enforcement directorate has also got into the investigation now, tracking the money trail after foreign currency was recovered from the home of a Delhi based event manager. Meanwhile, the crime branch sleuths have summoned a celebrity manager Prashant Sambargi for questioning after he claimed on social media that he knows of high profile names involved in the drug trade. The drug probe also took a political turn, with former CM Siddaramaiah accusing the government of making false allegations and defaming opposition MLAs and protecting their own. He tweeted, Linking politicians in a case based on a photo with the accused is an unhealthy trend. There is no way to know the history of everyone participating in random ceremonies. But inviting them to official meetings &party campaigns demand extra care to check their illegal acts." (With inputs from IANS) The family of an Australian woman jailed in Iran have praised her "fortitude and strength" ahead of the two-year anniversary of her imprisonment. University of Melbourne lecturer Kylie Moore-Gilbert was last month moved from Evin Prison in the capital, Tehran, to Qarchak women's prison in the middle of the desert. Kylie Moore-Gilbert has been particularly harshly treated, Human Rights Watch says. Credit: In a statement released through the Australian government, Dr Moore-Gilbert's family said this Sunday "marks two years of unimaginable pain for our family". "We love Kylie very much and we remain strong and far from losing hope. For those who also know and love Kylie, they will recognise her fortitude and strength. We know this strength remains with her throughout this ordeal," the family said. Dan Murphy's has unveiled its first-ever high-tech drive-thru bottle shop - promising a speedy service for customers who want to skip the queue. The booze retailer's first drive-thru opened at Manly Vale on Sydney's northern beaches this week, with the service expected to roll out to more outlets across Australia in the next 12 months. Australians can expect to be served in record time with the direct-to-boot service allowing drivers to be in and out in less than three minutes with their orders. The process is very simple - customers place their order online, then enter their registration number at point of order, and when they arrive at the drive-thru, digital cameras alert the team members, who then place the order in their car boot. Liquor chain Dan Murphy's has unveiled its first-ever high-tech 'drive-thru' that promises a speedy service for customers who want to skip the queue Australians can expect to be served in record time with the direct-to-boot service allowing drivers to be in and out in less than three minutes with their orders How the service works 1. Order online: Customer orders online and enters their licence plate number during check-out. An SMS and email sent to the customer, with instructions and ability to add/change plate number post-purchase. 2. Arrive at drive thru: As the customer arrives at the drive thru, cameras scan the number plate, match it with a pick-up order and alerts the team of the customers arrival. 3. Park: While the team identifies the order in the pick-up room, instructions and progress updates are communicated to customers in cars via digital screens mounted on the driver's side. 4. Responsible Service of Alcohol (RSA) check & order received: Customer stays in the car, while the team member does an RSA check and places the order in the car boot. Digital screens recap the order for customers to check while their order is loaded. Advertisement 'We are using technology to offer increasing convenience to customers, and the COVID-19 crisis has accelerated the demand for innovative e-commerce solutions,' Claire Smith, general manager of digital, said. Customers are already losing their minds on social media over the new feature, with many describing it as 'an absolute game changer', while others insisted: 'My life is complete'. 'There is a God,' one woman said, while another added: 'Dreams do come true.' Customers opting to use contactless pick-up saw an increase of 61 percent during FY20 according to stats from Endeavour Group, the parent company of Dan Murphy's and BWS. More than 170 Dan Murphy's and BWS stores have rolled out contactless direct-to-boot service since April - initially as a response to the coronavirus pandemic. Direct-to-boot means customers simply place their order online, send an SMS when they arrive at the store, and a team member then puts their order in the car boot. 'Direct-to-boot service started as an idea to help customers and team members socially distance, but customers have responded to the convenience of it,' Ms Smith explained. 'So we are not only keeping the service indefinitely, but expanding the offering and making it even more convenient - like in the Manly Vale Dan Murphy's store case.' The retailer's first drive-thru opened at the Manly Vale store in Sydney's northern beaches this week, with the service expected to roll out to more outlets across the country over 12 months The process is very simple - customers place their order online, then enter their registration number at point of order, and when they arrive at the drive-thru, digital cameras alert the team members, who then place the order in their car boot Direct-to-boot means customers simply place their order online, send an SMS when they arrive at the store, and a team member then puts their order in the car boot Endeavour Group's digital arm Endeavour X - which is led by Ms Smith - was launched in August 2019 to lead the digital transformation of customer and team experiences across the business, and it's safe to say it's been a busy first year. 'In the last six months, we have had to accelerate ecommerce capabilities for our retail brands including BWS and Dan Murphy's,' she said. 'COVID-19 has changed the ways our customers discover and shop not just in 2020, but for the foreseeable future, and as retailers, we have had to adapt and innovate to meet their needs. 'We changed the way we deliver due to Covid-19, and developed contactless delivery for our team and customers, with many customers opting for contactless delivery in order to maintain social distance.' MANISTEE Political signs are disappearing in Manistee and Benzie counties. Its a crime, and its an act against the First Amendment right to express political views that's prompted opposing political parties to join together to discourage vandalism and theft in the months before the November election. Weve had a number of people come in to say their signs have been taken, and its the same with Trump flags, Kathy Scarlata, chairperson of the Manistee County Republican Party said. Its just sad. Everyone has a right to free speech. People need to understand that just because you dont agree with someones opinion doesnt mean that you should steal their sign. The Benzie County Republican and Democratic parties have likewise joined forces to discourage sign-stealing and vandalism, which included a prominently placed Trump sign that was spray painted. While it may seem, to some people, a harmless act of mischief, said Democratic Party Chair Jim Dulzo and Benzie County Republican Party Chair Art Jeannot. It is actually costly, not only to the candidate involved who has spent money for that sign, but also to the property owner who has displayed it and then had their right of free expression undermined." Scarlata said that residents faced the same problem in the lead-up to the 2016 election and that it was worse then than it is now. It makes people fearful about putting a sign up, she added. People have come in to say theyre afraid of putting a Trump sign in their yard because theyre afraid someones going to take it or vandalize their house. Scarlata and the Manistee Democratic Party Chairperson Gary Madden released a joint statement Friday asking county residents to refrain from this kind of behavior. "It's unpatriotic and it's a violation of the spirit of fair play," Madden said, he added that this was the worst he'd seen in his four years as chairperson. Forty signs have been stolen so far this year, Manistee County Sheriff Ken Falks told the News Advocate. Weve received a few complaints about Biden signs being stolen lately, Falks said. He said that those complaints have increased in the past month. Sign theft is classified as a misdemeanor under Michigan law and carries a penalty of up to 93 days in jail in addition to or instead of a $500 fine, said Manistee County Prosecutor Jason Haag. Both the Manistee County Sheriffs Office and Manistee residents have placed cameras on some political signs throughout the county in an effort to deter theft. The Benzie County Republican and Democratic parties are each offering a $100 reward to anyone who provides evidence that leads to the successful prosecution of yard sign theft, according to a joint statement. This behavior does not win support for the perpetrators candidate of choice but undermines their own position, the parties said in the statement. Who wants to vote for a candidate whose supporters trample upon other peoples rights?" Dulzo told the News Advocate that he felt the joint statement was necessary because both parties are being affected by sign theft. Both of us prefer elections that feel right to the people, he said, adding that he thinks sign stealing adds to cynicism and the huge issues with political civility that are particularly bad this year. We jointly urge everyone passionate about the candidates of their own political party to respect the rights of all candidates and supporters to display yard signs on their own property, the Benzie County political chairs said. SAUGERTIES The 106th arrest in the last four years of a woman battling substance abuse and mental health issues was the breaking point. Police Chief Joseph Sinagra sent out an unusual press release on Sunday - not just as a boilerplate police blotter item, but criticizing the lack of systemic support for people suffering from similar problems and the fact that the burden in cases like these becomes the responsibility of police officers. There is a major gap in our dismantled mental health care system that is allowing individuals suffering from substance abuse to continually slip through, he wrote. This underscores the failure of NYS to provide adequate and equitable mental health care for those suffering from mental health issues. The woman was charged with obstructing governmental administration for repeatedly calling police emergency lines while intoxicated. She was also treated for acute alcohol poisoning, according to police. The Times Union is not identifying the woman because it typically does not write stories about low-level misdemeanor charges. Most of her arrests have been under the states mental hygiene law, which allows police to take people into custody if they appear likely to harm themselves or someone else. In an interview, Sinagra said calls to his department for people suffering from mental health issues or incapacitated due to substance abuse went up 98 percent between 2013 and 2019, from 81 to 161. The number of people who Saugerties police then transported to local hospitals went up 152 percent from 48 to 121 in Saugerties, a town of about 19,000 in Ulster County on the Hudson River. Im just at a point where, come on, someones got to wake up and do something about this, he said. Sinagra said the dismantling of mental health institutions under former Gov. Mario Cuomo, combined with the lack of funding to create structures to support those struggling with mental health illness, created a system that relies primarily on police officers to handle crises involving people with substance abuse or mental health issues. The biggest problem we have is its been thrown onto our laps with no additional funding for training police officers, he said. And people expect us to do our jobs. Sinagra pointed to the death of Daniel Prude, a Chicago man who died earlier this year after Rochester police found him naked in the street at 3 a.m. Prudes brother had called police because he had run out of his home. It was the second time that day police were called. In an earlier call, Prude was taken to a Rochester hospital and released after a few hours. When police found Prude the second time, he was naked, yelling about having the coronavirus and began spitting at officers. After officers put a spit hood over his head and forced him to the ground, Prude began vomiting. He died after severals days in the hospital and a medical examiners report said the cause of death was homicide due to asphyxia, with excited delirium and acute intoxication by phencyclidine as contributing factors. Prudes death, along with the deaths of other Black people after encounters with police officers, have spurred calls across the country for police reforms. Sinagra said it was clear that Prude was suffering from mental illness and questioned why the state was so focused on reinventing policing but wasnt looking at re-envisioning its mental health system or how hospitals deal with people arrested under the states mental hygiene law. He believes the officers who arrested Prude had followed their training and handled the situation correctly. We like to point and place blame but were not funding the institutions that can properly deal with individuals suffering from mental illness. And thats where my frustration is coming from, he said. During a state legislative hearing Tuesday on the topic of mental health, lawmakers raised concerns about the negative outcomes that can occur when police respond to mental health calls, at times citing Prudes case directly. State Office of Mental Health Commissioner Ann Marie Sullivan, who testified at the hearing, said her office provides crisis intervention training to law enforcement departments that focus primarily on de-escalation when responding to mental health calls. Sullivan said the trainings also cover restraint techniques but suggested that years of having learned how to restrain someone one way may make them difficult to recall in the heat of a moment. We hear that from the police officers. But we work with them very closely to try to use different restraint techniques," she told legislators. Sullivan said its also important for police officers to have connections and routine communication with mental health providers and resources within the community. They should know, for example, that if a mental health call comes in they can call on the countys mobile crisis team to accompany them to a scene. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. A number of counties, including Albany, use these teams, which are staffed by mental health professionals trained in de-escalation techniques. But Assemblyman Thomas Abinanti pointed out that not every county can afford a full-time mobile crisis team. Even in Westchester County we do not have a full-time response team, he said. They cant afford it. A team like that is one of two components that Sinagra believes could make a difference and end the countys reliance on police to handle mental health crises. Earlier this week he and several other chiefs had a conversation with the Greece Police Department, which is in suburban Rochester, to learn how their mobile crisis team works. The second half of the solution would be a stabilization center, where individuals could be taken to get a more in-depth examination and possible treatment Thats really the answer right there, he said. But since a 24-hour crisis team isn't available, he has insisted that every officer be trained in critical incident trauma training for when they need to de-escalate a situation, he said. Sullivan said she believes the launch of a new 988 number in 2022 will help reduce police interactions with these vulnerable populations. The number is designed to replace the National Suicide Prevention Lifelines current 10-digit number (800-273-8255) and serve as an alternative to 911 when someone experiences or encounters someone experiencing a mental health crisis. In the meantime, Sinagra and his officers are left with the tools and training they already have. The woman has been arrested twice more in the week since Sinagra sent out his statement, including one instance where she allegedly attacked a nurse in a Kingston hospital. Were being put in this position because of a lack of mental health professionals in our community to deal with these issues, he said. I fear that we could end up with a deadly physical force situation with her or someone like her. Reporter Bethany Bump contributed to this story Former Alabama House Speaker Mike Hubbard reported this afternoon to the Lee County sheriffs office in Opelika to begin his prison sentence. Hubbard turned himself in at 5:05 p.m., the online jail log shows. Lance Bell, an attorney for Hubbard, said Hubbard was taken to the Russell County jail in Phenix City, where he is being held. The Alabama Supreme Court denied Hubbards request for a rehearing two weeks ago, exhausting his state appeals. Hubbard, 58, was sentenced to four years in prison in 2016 for violating the state ethics law. He has been out on appeal since. Bell released a brief statement this evening. Mike Hubbard is a strong Christian man and has accepted the current situation but firmly believes in his innocence and looks forward to exploring other options to clear his name, Bell said. Joel Dillard, another lawyer for Hubbard, had said two weeks ago that the defense team would recommend that Hubbard file a federal appeal. When the state Supreme Court turned down Hubbards request for a rehearing on August 28, the attorney generals office said that left him with 15 days to report to jail to be turned over to the Department of Corrections. A Lee County jury convicted Hubbard of 12 ethics violations. The Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals upheld 11 of the 12. The Alabama Supreme Court affirmed six of the 11 and overturned five. Hubbard was one of Alabamas most powerful politicians until his conviction, which automatically removed him from office. Related: 6-year saga: Timeline of Mike Hubbards ethics case Prosecutors said Hubbard used his public office to enrich himself, partly through consulting contracts. Hubbard has maintained his innocence since his indictment in 2014 and said the transactions that led to the charges were normal business activities not related to his public office. He testified for three days during his 2016 trial. The six convictions involved consulting contracts with three companies that paid Hubbard a total of $525,000 while he was speaker, from 2012 to 2014. Lee County voters first elected Hubbard to the House of Representatives in 1998, a time when Democrats controlled the Legislature. They would elect him to four more four-year terms. Hubbard became state Republican Party chair and in 2010 helped orchestrate a campaign in which the GOP took control of the Legislature for the first time in 136 years. Hubbards House colleagues elected him speaker, a position he retained until his conviction in 2016. Shortly after the 2010 election, the new Republican-controlled Legislature met in a special session to put tighter restrictions in the state ethics law, fulfilling a campaign promise. Hubbard was convicted under the enhanced law that he helped pass. The former speaker has maintained his innocence since his indictment by a Lee County special grand jury in 2014, which led to his trial two years later. This story was updated at 3:03 p.m. on Sept. 12 to say that Hubbard is being held at the Russell County jail in Phenix City. SHANKSVILLE, Pa. - The divisive and combustible presidential campaign took a brief pause on Friday as President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden dropped their political antagonism to focus on the somber anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. In place of a fearful pandemic, an economic disruption and an epic political clash centering on both crises, the day became one of wreaths laid, prayers offered and families consoled. In an exchange rarely seen in today's political environment, Biden and Vice President Pence swapped pleasantries at a ceremony near the site where the World Trade Center towers once stood in New York, greeting one another by briefly bumping elbows. "We were united by our conviction that America was the world's most exceptional country, blessed with the most incredible heroes, and that this was a land worth defending with our very last breath," Trump said in Shanksville, Pa., during a ceremony at the site where United Airlines Flight 93 crashed that day after passengers and crew rebelled against hijackers aiming the craft toward Washington. At the same site a few hours later, Biden echoed Trump's remarks. "My mom used to say, 'Joey, bravery resides in every heart and someday it will be summoned. The question is, will you respond?' " said Biden, who flew to Pennsylvania after the ceremony in New York. "People responded. It is absolutely incredible. . . . This is a country that never, never, never, never, never gives up. Ever." 3 1 of 3 Washington Post photo by Jabin Botsford Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Washington Post photo by Demetrius Freeman Show More Show Less 3 of 3 While paying tribute to a day that 19 years ago shattered the country's sense of serenity, Friday played out with a feeling unfamiliar in the current campaign: normalcy. The candidates paused for reflection and rituals, visited firehousesand offered, however temporarily, messages of unity and patriotism. Shortly after he flew from Washington to Pennsylvania, Trump participated in a moment of silence on Air Force One at 8:46 a.m., the time the first hijacked plane hit the first Manhattan tower. Trump, first lady Melania Trump and staff gathered in a conference room on the plane. "God bless America," White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows said when the moment of silence concluded. "God bless America," Trump repeated. In Shanksville, he delivered a solemn tribute under cloudy skies, speaking directly to families who lost loved ones in the attacks. "Today every heartbeat in America is wedded to yours," Trump said. "The heroes of Flight 93 are an everlasting reminder that no matter the danger, no matter the threat, no matter the odds, America will always rise up, stand tall and fight back." Trump said the al-Qaida attacks were orchestrated and executed by "radical Islamic terrorists," and he recounted conquests during his administration in the war against Islamic terrorists, including the January killing of Qasem Soleimani and the 2019 death of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. Neither man was responsible for the 2001 terrorist attacks, however, and Trump made no mention of Osama bin Laden, the mastermind of the attacks who was captured and killed in 2011 during a raid overseen by former president Barack Obama. Trump paused his caustic campaign rhetoric to recall how the nation came together in the days following the attacks. "It was a unity based on love for our families, care for our neighbors, loyalty to our fellow citizens, pride in our flag, gratitude for our police and first responders, faith in God - and a refusal to bend our will to the depraved forces of violence, intimidation, oppression and evil," he said. About 12 hours earlier, during a rally in Michigan, Trump had alleged that Biden would open the country to terrorists, invite members of the loosely organized far-left group antifa to live in suburban neighborhoods, and that "no city, town or suburb will be safe." Biden, in an interview that aired Thursday on CNN, had said he was in better physical shape than Trump, questioned the president's intelligence and said, "Unrelated to my running, he should not be the commander in chief of the United States military." But on Friday, Biden's campaign pulled all of its advertising as a sign of respect for those lost - and the former vice president started the day remarking that he would avoid any political debate. "I'm not going to talk about anything other than 9/11," Biden said. "We took all our advertising down. It's a solemn day. That's how we're going to keep it." Biden traveled early Friday from his home in Wilmington, Del., to New York for the ceremony at the National September 11 Memorial and Museum in Lower Manhattan. "It takes a lot of courage for someone that lost someone to come back today," Biden told a reporter. "I know from experience - losing my wife, my daughter, my son - you relive it, the moment as if it's happening. It's hard. It's a wonderful memorial, but it's hard. It just brings you back to the moment it happened, no matter how long, how much time passes. So I admire the families who come." At one point, he moved close to comfort a woman in a wheelchair who said her son died on 9/11 at age 43. She held a picture in her lap. Biden picked it up and examined it, reflecting aloud on losing his son, Beau, to brain cancer in 2015. "It never goes away," Biden said. The woman repeated the phrase, while in the background the names of those who died on Sept. 11, 2001, wereread aloud. The woman, 90, and perhaps joking, told Biden she was entering her "last year," at which point her daughter suggested she knock it off. "You don't know that, Mom!" she said. "You're still kicking!" "You and I will be here next year," Biden assured the woman. Biden left that service early to travel to Shanksville, where he laid a white wreath at the foot of a marble column honoring First Officer LeRoy Homer Jr., one of the 40 victims of the plane crash. Biden and his wife, Jill, then stood for a moment of silence before greeting members of Homer's family. Biden also stopped by a fire station in Shanksville, delivering a cake that Jill Biden had baked and six packs of Bud Light and Iron City Beer that he had vowed to deliver on a previous visit. "I keep my promises!" Biden said. Pence, too, made a stop at a firehouse, one adjacent to the World Trade Center site that was the first to respond to the attack in 2001. "Like every other American, I watched," Pence said. "I watched as the towers burned. I watched as people rightly ran out and you ran in." Pence commended the firefighters for considering the lives of those in the towers "more important than your own" and offered condolences for those who died that day. "I know for many of you they weren't just other members of the department - they were family, they were friends," he said. Democratic vice-presidential nominee Sen. Kamala Harris spent the morning in Fairfax, Va., where she thanked a small group of first responders. Joined by her husband, Douglas Emhoff, and Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., Harris of California stood for a moment of silence and a bagpiper's rendition of "Amazing Grace" before offering brief remarks. Harris told the few dozen service members and an accumulation of onlookers from nearby buildings that she was at the gym, working out early on a California morning when she saw planes hit the World Trade Center 19 years ago. "Everyone stopped, got off their equipment and we all just watched in utter disbelief," Harris said. "Strangers were hugging each other. People who had never spoken to each other before were holding each other." Harris said that Americans' first instinct was "to hug and hold each other - perfect strangers - understanding at our core, without reflection, without thinking about it, that we're all in this together." "What our attackers failed to understand was that the darkness they hope would envelope us on 9/11 instead summoned our most radiant and defined human instincts - the instinct to care for one another, to transcend our divisions and see ourselves as fellow citizens," Harris said. "The instinct to unite." By late afternoon, Trump's instinct was, once again, to divide. He was back on Twitter, criticizing congressional Democrats and claiming they wanted money to help Democratic states. "Pelosi and Schumer want Trillions of Dollars of BAILOUT money for Blue States that are doing badly, both economically and in terms of high crime, as a condition to making a deal on stimulus - But the USA is coming back strong!" he tweeted. - - - The Washington Post's Chelsea Janes, Amy B Wang and John Wagner contributed to this report. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 11) Convicted US Marine Joseph Scott Pemberton is a step closer to leaving his detention facility and flying home after the Bureau of Corrections on Friday turned him over to the custody of the Bureau of Immigration. He will remain in the Joint US Military Assistance Group detention facility in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City while his documents are being finalized for his immediate deportation. The BuCor personnel assigned to guard him were recalled and replaced by Immigration officials from its intelligence division. BI acting spokesperson Melvin Mabulac said the transfer of Pemberton from BuCor to their agency means he has received clearance from the court that there are no pending cases against him. He added the camp of Pemberton has to finalize his flight schedule and travel documents so he can be deported back to the United States. "Kapag nakumpleto po natin ito, that would be the time na dadalhin siya sa airport para sa flight schedule na out of the country at we have to ensure na siya ay nakaalis," he told CNN Philippines. [Translation: Once we receive the complete documents, we will bring him to the airport. We will also ensure that he has left the country.] BI added Pemberton may be deported over the weekend. The American serviceman convicted of killing Filipino transgender woman Jennifer Laude in 2014 received absolute pardon from President Rodrigo Duterte earlier this week after serving nearly six years in detention for homicide. In October 2014, Laude was found dead in an Olongapo City motel room after a night out with then 19-year-old Pemberton, who confessed to killing her after finding out she was a transgender. The 26-year-old was found alone in the bathroom with her neck blackened with strangulation marks and head rammed into a toilet. A teenager has died two weeks after being repeatedly stabbed in broad daylight. Police say 18-year-old Daniel Bytyci was fatally wounded when he was attacked on a playing field in Pinner, north west London, on Wednesday August 26th. Daniel, who lived in nearby Harrow, was rushed to hospital following the incident on Montesole Playing Fields just after 6pm that day. Daniel Bytyci, 18, was fatally wounded when he was attacked while on Montesole Playing Fields in Pinner, north west London, on Wednesday August 26th. He died in hospital on Thursday Two 15-year-old boys, who cannot be named for legal reasons, are due to appear at the Old Bailey on Monday in connection with the fatal attack. Two men aged 22 and 24 have been released on bail having been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder But he lost his fight for life yesterday, 15 days after the savage attack. He is the eleventh teenager to be stabbed to death in London this year. Two 15-year-old boys, who can't be named for legal reasons, have been charged in connection with the attack. They are due to appear at the Old Bailey on Monday. Detective Inspector Claire Hine, who is leading the murder inquiry, said: 'I would appeal to anyone who was in Montesole Playing Fields that evening and saw this incident, or the events leading up to this incident, to contact police. 'While enquiries remain ongoing to establish the motive to Daniel's murder, there is nothing at this time to suggest it is gang related.' Chief Superintendent Roy Smith, Commander of the Met's North West Command Unit which covers Pinner, added: 'My officers responded immediately to this call and, along with our colleagues from the London Ambulance Service, they did all they could to save Daniel's life. 'My thoughts are with Daniel's family and friends at this tragic time. 'Two people have been charged in connection with this incident and the investigation into Daniel's murder remains ongoing. I would like to reiterate that my officers will use every tactic and every opportunity to bear down on violence and arrest those intent on engaging in criminality on our boroughs.' Two men, aged 22 and 24, who were also arrested on suspicion of attempted murder have been bailed until a date later this month. On the 19th anniversary of the 2001 terrorist attacks, President Donald Trump awarded Sgt. Maj. Thomas "Patrick" Payne the Medal of Honor, making him the first living member of the Army's elite Delta Force to receive the nation's highest award for valor. The White House ceremony, which was far less crowded because of COVID-19 restrictions, featured senior Pentagon and Army leaders, members of Congress and three past recipients of the Medal of Honor. Payne is credited with exposing himself to enemy fire multiple times to open a barricaded prison door during an October 2015 mission to rescue more than 70 Iraqi hostages from an Islamic State prison compound in the town of Hawija in northern Iraq. Read Next: Trump Says Troops Won't Have to Pay Back Deferred Payroll Taxes -- If He Wins "Today, it's my privilege to present the Congressional Medal of Honor to a warrior who has devoted the last two decades to fighting the forces of terror," Trump said. Dressed in the new World War II-style Army Green Service Uniform, Payne stood at attention as the president highlighted his impressive military career. Payne's wife, Alison, and their 6-year-old son sat watching nearby. "Exactly 19 years ago today on Sept. 11, 2001, news of the attack on our great country ... went through Pat's high school," Trump said. "In that moment, Pat was called to action. He knew that his country needed him." Ten short months later, at the age of 18, Payne was in Army basic training at Fort Benning, Georgia. He would soon join the 75th Ranger Regiment. Payne saw "heavy combat in multiple theaters, Trump said, describing how in 2010 Payne's leg was severely wounded by an enemy grenade in Afghanistan. "Less than two years after being wounded, Pat competed against some of America's toughest warriors and won the prestigious Best Ranger Competition, among the most grueling physical contests anywhere in the country," Trump said. In October 2015, Payne was on his 14th deployment, serving as an assistant team leader of a raid force from 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta that teamed up with Kurdish special forces to conduct a nighttime helicopter assault into the prison compound. "The team soon received horrifying intelligence that the terrorists were planning to massacre their captives and bury them in freshly dug graves," Trump said. "After midnight on Oct. 22, Pat boarded a helicopter and departed on a mission to free the hostages from two buildings guarded by dozens of ruthless and bloodthirsty ISIS terrorists." After landing, Payne and his team quickly liberated a group of hostages from their assigned building after meeting light resistance. About 30 yards away, American and Kurdish forces were fighting fiercely to enter the second building objective. "Pat turned to one of his fellow soldiers and said, 'Let's get into the fight right now,'" Trump said. Payne and his team quickly decided to maneuver to the top of that building but failed to gain entry. Flames and heavy smoke poured out of the building as enemy forces fought tenaciously to defend it. Despite being under heavy enemy fire, Payne was able to cut the locks off of the prison door so his team could begin freeing hostages. Multiple ISIS fighters detonated suicide vests, "ripping a portion of the building into pieces," Trump said, describing how the building began to collapse. "Pat ran back into the burning building [two more times] as it was collapsing," Trump said. "He saved multiple hostages, and he was the last man to leave. "It was one of the largest and most daring rescue missions in American history. Pat and his team rescued 75 captives and killed 20 ISIS terrorists." But the mission was not without a heavy cost, Trump said, describing how Master Sgt. Joshua Wheeler was killed as he led Kurdish forces out of a crossfire. Trump then asked Wheeler's wife, Ashley, to rise from her seat in the audience to be honored. "Our nation endures because of those fearless warriors like Josh, who are willing to lay down their lives for our freedom," he said. Trump then hung the Medal of Honor around Payne's neck, making sure it was straight. "Pat, you embody the righteous glory of American valor," Trump said. "We stand in awe of your heroic daring and gallant deeds." Army officials have identified Payne as a Ranger who was selected for assignment to the U.S. Army Special Operations Command at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, but they have not publicly confirmed his affiliation with the elite and highly secretive Delta Force. But two sources, who have served in Army special operations units and know Payne personally, confirmed to Military.com that Payne, like Wheeler, is a respected member of Delta Force. Delta Force was formed in 1977. Two other Delta members were posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor in 1994, for their heroism during the Oct. 3, 1993, Battle of Mogadishu in Somalia. Those Medals of Honor, for the mission that would become famous for its portrayal in the book and film "Black Hawk Down," were the first awarded in any conflict after the Vietnam War. Master Sgt. Gary Gordon and Sgt. 1st Class Randall Shughart posthumously received the medal for volunteering to enter the besieged city to protect the wounded pilot of a downed UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter. Payne recently told reporters at the Pentagon that he hopes he can be a suitable guardian of the prestigious honor. "The spirit of the Medal of Honor lives inside every American; for me, I don't consider myself a recipient. I consider myself a guardian,"he said. "I just want to be a man that wears it well." -- Matthew Cox can be reached at matthew.cox@military.com. Related: Sgt. Maj. Thomas Payne Will Be 1st Living Delta Force Member to Receive Medal of Honor Police capture 2 believed responsible for Cancun kidnapping Cancun, Q.R. After an intense search operation, two men alleged involved in the kidnapping of a man from his Cancun home have been arrested. Police have taken two men into custody who they believe were involved in the Tuesday kidnapping in SM 232. The pair, identified as 34-year-old Giovanni C.M. from Yucatan and 28-year-old Daniel S.C. of Cancun, were arrested early Thursday at the intersection of Chac Mool and Miguel Hidalgo Avenues. They were detained in the same red car believed used in the kidnapping. On their person, police located doses of cocaine, a ballistic vest, two ski masks and two cell phones. The car in which they were found driving had an outstanding theft report. For two Chinese village teachers, Chen Guo and Zhang Rong, their busy day starts when they wake up at 6 am everyday right up until they go to sleep at night. In addition to teaching, they also act as full time carers of their students. Sometimes when the students get sick, they have to stay up all night to take care of them. The two teachers work at Yuanding Elementary School, which is known for its "left-behind children. The school is located in Yuanding mountain in Nanjiang county, Bazhong city, southeast Chinas Sichuan province, at 1,400 meters above sea level. On top of teaching, they are also in charge of caring of left-behind children in both their studies and lives, even during weekends and holidays. The students call them "Dad Guo" and Mom Zhang". "In fact, our busiest time is on weekends. As well as getting up early in the morning to provide daily meals and help with homework, we also have to wash the clothes, carry out extracurricular practical activities, and help the children call their parents... Were busy late into the night," Zhang Rong said while washing clothes. "We thank all sectors of society for their attention and help. In fact, were just doing what we want to do. We wanted to create conditions for these poor children to go out of the mountains and become useful talents for the country," Chen Guo and Zhang Rong said, explaining their original intention for running the school. Thanks to their love and care, these children who grow up deep in the mountain no longer grow up lonely, but can now live in a warm family full of love. More than 60 students here have gone on to become students at key universities in China. "I was once offered a well-paid job, but I politely declined because these children cannot live without us and we cannot leave them by themselves," said Chen Guo. Although the couple's income is not as high as that of primary school teachers in Yuanding Village, they do not accept childcare fees. They have decided to take care of the students and live simple lives. Videos Sorry, there are no recent results for popular videos. Sabroom, 130 km from Agartala, will emerge as the gateway to South Asia and will be the northeast regions commerce capital, said Tripura chief minister Biplab Kumar Deb on Friday while laying the foundation stone for the states first special economic zone (SEZ). Nearly 5,000 jobs are expected to be created through the SEZ. The SEZ will help in export and import. Sabroom will become the gateway to South Asia and the commerce capital of the northeast region with the SEZ and a second Integrated Check Post soon, said Deb at the ceremony. Union Minister Piyush Goyal, through a video message, praised the initiative, saying that the Central government, ministry of railways and the Tripura government are working together to develop the state. The SEZ is being built at an estimated cost of 635 crore and would focus on food processing, rubber, bamboo and textile sectors. It would be would be set up at Sabrooms Paschim Jalefa village, which is close to Bangladeshs Chittagong Port. In the Animal Kingdom, the Astonishing Power of the Number Instinct MIT Press Reader Americans are observing nature during the pandemic, helping scientists with research National Geographic. Citizen science [pounds table]. Citizen science! To survive frigid nights, hummingbirds cool themselves to record-low temperatures Science Amazon Raised Prices on Essentials Amid Pandemic, Watchdog Says Bloomberg Dozens of Amazons own products have been reported as dangerous melting, exploding or even bursting into flames. Many are still on the market CNN. Wowsers, its hard to understand why Amazons leadership principles didnt prevent this. The Coming Age of Disorder Will Favor Commodities John Authers, Bloomberg West Coast Wlldfires The US National Hurricane Center is tracking seven systems in the Atlantic Yucatan Times (Re Silc). #COVID19 China? Sewage in Nepal serves as affordable COVID-19 warning tool Channel News Asia India Syraqistan How bitcoin met the real world in Africa Reuters Kenyans fear ecological disaster if two swollen lakes merge Reuters UK/EU New Cold War 9 dead in Colombia anti-police brutality demonstrations CBC Drug cartels in Mexico are now using drones to assassinate people KnowTechie Trump Transition OnPolitics: Things dont look good for coronavirus relief USA Today. Good job, political class. 2020 Majority of voters dont see either Trump, Biden as mentally fit to be president: poll The Hill. The poll surveyed voters in Arizona, Florida, Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, with 51 percent of respondents saying Trump is mentally unfit for the job and 52 percent saying the same of Biden. Bob Woodward on a Nightmare Presidency David Remnick, The New Yorker. I dont mind David Remnick having nightmares. Its what he does when he wakes up that I worry about. Scientists Are Learning to Readand ChangeYour Nightmares Time Health Care Guillotine Watch The Emperors New Rules The Baffler. On Netflixs Reed Hastings. Class Warfare How To Get Away with Murder History Today Marion Nestle knows its not easy to be a smart consumer of food, or of media. The only solution may be to get political. The Counter Antidote du jour (via): See yesterdays Links and Antidote du Jour here. While voicing some initial concerns, Nationals MPs say they agreed for the policy to be ticked off under the proviso their issues were addressed later in the process. By August, negotiations between Liberal Ministers and concerned Nationals had broken down and the policy squabble morphed into open warfare. It became city versus country. But this time, having already endured several bouts of Barilaro's political brinkmanship and emboldened by her much-lauded handling of the coronavirus pandemic, Gladys Berejiklian decided to push back. The Premier stared Barilaro down and refused to entertain his threats. "It is not possible to be the Deputy Premier or a Minister of the Crown and sit on the crossbench," Berejiklian said in a statement on Thursday afternoon. "They cannot do both. If required, I will attend Government House tomorrow and swear in a new ministry." It never came to that. On Friday morning, the Nationals backed down from their threats and the attention immediately turned to Barilaro's leadership future. At one point on Thursday Barilaro offered to resign, telling his party room that a new leader could be the "reset" the Nationals needed. His troops talked him down. Mental Health minister Bronnie Taylor, a Nationals MP in the upper house, says Barilaro's leadership has never been stronger. Nationals MP Barnaby Joyce says Barilaro should not have telegraphed his punches. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen "John Barilaro is not going anywhere and he has the absolute support of the National Party room and the absolute support of the state executive," Taylor says. "We are stronger than ever because we all believed in what we were fighting for. I am a proud Coalitionist but we have to stand up for what we believe in. "I have an enormous sense of pride that we were so united." Fellow Nationals maverick Barnaby Joyce also backed Barilaro's bold approach and says he should remain leader of the NSW Nationals. The former deputy Prime Minister says governments do not need friendships to function and Barilaro should be able to maintain a working relationship with Berejiklian. "Politics is not about liking people, otherwise you'd stay at home and cuddle your kids," Joyce says. "There were a lot of times that [Malcolm] Turnbull couldn't stand the sight of me but we still managed to get a lot done." Joyce says the NSW Nationals do not have a better option, despite rumours circulating that Agriculture Minister Adam Marshall and current deputy Paul Toole were being considered as replacements. Water Minister Melinda Pavey's name is also in the mix. "It's no good replacing him with someone that's worse," Joyce says. But Joyce says Barilaro should not have "telegraphed his punches" and allowed the spat to play out so publicly. Other senior Nationals outside parliament are not so forgiving of Barilaro's behaviour. 'What we have seen out of Gladys Berejiklian is dont bring a knife to a gun fight.' NSW Police Minister David Elliott One member says: "He made an idiot of himself because he was going to take on the Libs and then didn't. The minute it was farmers or the white car, he chose the white car." Another says: "I'm sorry to say this but he has to go. He's embarrassed himself and led every Nat MP to a cliff before hitting reverse to save his own arse. "If he had any sense of decency he would quit but from what we've seen, he doesn't have any. So now we have a lame duck leader and party room that knows that." On Friday, Liberal Police Minister David Elliott was scathing in his assessment of Barilaro. "I think what we have seen out of John Barilaro is the greatest act of political bastardry in quite some time," Elliott says. "I think the disloyalty that we have seen out of the Deputy Premier makes his position untenable, and I also believe what we have seen out of Gladys Berejiklian is don't bring a knife to a gun fight. "Those who want to take her on, need to be able to follow it through." Before Thursday's showing, Barilaro had a strong track record of making threats that have never eventuated. Fresh from an election win in 2019, Barilaro set the tone for his approach to negotiations with the Liberals at his party's state conference, warning he would not allow the regions to suffer to appease "city moderates and the crossbench". Having already threatened to quit as leader during a Coalition candidate dispute ahead of the Wagga Wagga by-election in 2018, Barilaro warned in June last year he was prepared to relinquish the Deputy Premier title because it suggested he was "subservient" to another party. A few months later he made the same threat, warning he would revisit the Nationals' relationship with the Liberals if the government did not intervene on planned regional job cuts at Essential Energy. The Liberals backed down to Barilaro in both instances, agreeing not to run a candidate in the 2018 by-election (which was ultimately won by an independent), and saving the electricity jobs. Barilaro's repeated threats - and Berejiklian's tendency to entertain them - has rankled Liberal MPs, who have long wanted the Premier to take him on. "How many times is he going to threaten this bullshit?" one MP said at the time, adding Barilaro risked being painted as "the boy who cried wolf". His brief foray into federal politics further cemented Barilaro's back-pedalling reputation after saying he would contest the seat of Eden-Monaro only to pull out. His exit from the by-election was followed by a bitter and public stoush with both Federal Nationals leader Michael McCormack and NSW Transport Minister Andrew Constance, who he called a c--- on the front page of The Daily Telegraph. Text messages between Barilaro and McCormack were also leaked to the media, with the Deputy Premier accusing his federal counterpart of failing his team and failing as a leader. Former long-term NSW Nationals leader and deputy premier Andrew Stoner says despite Barilaro's ongoing antics, this time he chose the right issue to attack. Andrew Stoner when he was NSW Deputy Premier. Credit:Dominic Lorrimer "It's emblematic of a city-country divide where heavy handed regulations are imposed on regional areas which do not apply to the same extent in the city," Stoner says. "Regional people pay the price for environmental outcomes sought by city people. It's the latest in a long line of such policies, some of which arguably have actually been detrimental to the environment, such as insufficient hazard reduction for bushfires. "That's why some of the Nats see this as a line in the sand issue." Stoner says the issue "has not been well managed by the Liberals, who have failed to understand the significance". Loading "Also, the Minister [Rob Stokes] has been seen as antagonistic by some Nats. The reality is the Nats want to protect their environment and koalas but don't want to kill local businesses to do so," Stoner says. Former education minister Adrian Piccoli, who was dumped from cabinet by Barilaro in early 2017 and left politics within the year, says Barilaro is right to fight for the bush. "The strategy is right, but the tactic was probably not," Piccoli says. "There are genuine anxieties in the bush about environmental issues because the only people paying for it are the farmers, landholders and primary industry. "The Liberals and Labor, and all the advocates of climate change, have to realise that the burden has to be shared, and seen to be shared, between metro and regional. "At the moment the regional communities just see that they are carrying the burden themselves. A toilet block in the local skate park is not good enough." Despite supporting his party's motive, Stoner warns that "public divisions are government killers". "The best approach would be for John and Gladys to have a long chat about this, with a view towards a compromise position which could be sold by the Nats as a win in their communities," Stoner says. "During my time, we had plenty of disagreements with the Libs, but we kept it behind closed doors. Disunity is death." Chief Christopher McCormack has a long history of allegedly committing sexual crimes that have been swept under the rug An NYC police officer is being accused of molesting over a dozen Black and Latino men. According to an investigative report by ProPublica, Assistant Chief Christopher McCormack has a reputation of inappropriately touching and strip-searching men while in police custody. Despite numerous complaints, the officer avoided punishment and has been promoted. Read More: NYPD union backs Trump for the next election McCormack who allegedly went by Red Rage due to his red hair and reputation for using excessive force, has been documented countless times throughout the years for problematic behavior. According to ProPublica, the city settled cases filed against the officer and many of the complaints sent to the Civilian Complaint Review Board were hidden from the publics view. (Photo: Adobe Stock) The story references a specific complaint by Unique Kennedy, a man who claims McCormack placed his hand inside his underwear in search of drugs to the point where he felt like he was being sexually abused. A federal government advisor on police accountability, Alex Vitale, told ProPublica the fact that the officers crimes were covered up exposes flaws in our criminal justice system. In any normally functioning system, this would be considered a huge red flag and something would have to be done about it, said Vitale. If there is a pattern of even unsubstantiated complaints, this should be considered a warning sign. But McCormack continues to move up the ladder. According to ProPublica, the officers relationships with other high-ranking officers, like former NYPD commissioner James ONeil is what prevents him from being reprimanded. Read More: NYPD issuing more outdoor drinking tickets to Black and brown New Yorkers Chris is a hard worker, but he has been accused of many things in his career, says an NYPD precinct commander who is not authorized to speak out on McCormacks criminal allegations. If he wasnt good friends with ONeill, he said, they would have held him back. Have you subscribed to theGrios podcast Dear Culture? Download our newest episodes now! The post NYPD cop promoted after allegations of inappropriate contact by multiple Black men appeared first on TheGrio. Medical students will be prioritised for face-to-face teaching amid local coronavirus outbreaks, the Government revealed yesterday. Universities should only retain in-person provision for 'priority courses' if there is an upsurge in the disease with online learning increased in other subjects. And students must not return to their family home if stricter measures become necessary to curb the spread of the virus. The updated guidance published yesterday comes as thousands prepare to return to campus for the start of term. Jo Grady, of the University and College Union, called the advice, which included using outdoor space during teaching, 'confusing, expensive and, at times, silly'. Universities minister Michelle Donelan said safety 'is our priority'. Currently, universities should identify an 'appropriate' mix of online and face-to-face teaching for each subject, reflecting what will maximise learning and mimimise transmission risks. Universities should only retain in-person provision for 'priority courses' if there is an upsurge in the disease with online learning increased in other subjects Vice chancellors should ensure 'good ventilation' in classes and 'increase the supply of fresh air, for example, by opening windows and doors'. The document also highlights 'utilising outdoor space', which could involve tutorials being held in the grounds of campuses. It says: 'You might consider whether some tuition in certain subjects can be conducted outside.' Universities should consider 'segmentation' of students, for example by course, year group and accommodation to help 'reduce the potential size of outbreaks'. 'Use of segments also mean that certain classes or student households could be quarantined instead of wider groups, minimising wider disruption,' the guidance says. Students should be kept two metres apart from people they do not live with, 'where possible'. When this is not possible, 'a minimum of 1 metre can be used but only if appropriate mitigation is in place'. Smaller teaching groups should be used, where it is not possible to maintain social distancing. This could involve 'reducing the size of casts in drama, the size of orchestras, or the number of students involved in movement sessions'. Where social distancing cannot be adhered to, the university could 'consider using booths, barriers or screens between individuals who are not part of a teaching group, between teaching groups and others, and between performers and any staff or students not participating at that moment'. Face masks should be worn 'where social distancing is difficult to maintain outside of teaching situations, such as in corridors and communal areas'. Universities minister Michelle Donelan said safety 'is our priority' They can be used in workshops, labs, offices, libraries and teaching rooms which suffer ventilation and social distancing challenges as long as they do not 'interfere with teaching and learning'. In addition, coverings are 'likely to be appropriate in many social settings, including any events hosted by student clubs and societies'. Staff and other students can watch performing arts rehearsals and shows but should 'avoid cheering or shouting'. Universities 'might consider mitigating actions, such as the use of screens to protect audience members where necessary or the use of face coverings'. Institutions should also consider changing timetables so arrivals and departures on campus are staggered and discourage students from using public transport. The advice adds that universities should base their plans for local outbreaks on a four-tier system of restrictions. Blended learning - a mix of face-to-face tuition and online lessons - has been recommended as the 'default position' when campuses reopen this month. Tier two - described as the 'fallback' position - advises that universities should move to an increased level of online learning where possible. Tier three - where stricter measures are needed - calls for institutions only to retain face-to-face provision for priority courses such as clinical and medical courses and 'in as limited number of situations as possible'. At this stage, it says students should not return to their family home to 'reduce the risk of transmitting the virus through travel'. The last resort would be for university buildings to close to everyone except key workers and for the majority of provision to shift online. It comes after Government scientific advisers warned that significant outbreaks of coronavirus linked to universities are 'highly likely' and they risk amplifying the transmission of the disease across the country. A paper by the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), published on Friday, warned such outbreaks could coincide with Christmas and pose 'a significant risk; to extended families. The running mate of the National Democratic Congress, Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyeman at their 2020 manifesto launch stated that they will amend the law to provide four months maternity leave in addition to existing legal maternity provisions and grant seven days paternity leave. She mentioned that as part of their policies they will establish day-care centres and nursery in formal work places like the ministrys complex and markets so that working mothers can also curb the stress of caring for their babies while working. Professor emphasised that poverty forces thousands of young girls in Ghana to miss as many as five days of school every month, simply because they cannot afford sanitary pads and therefore they will provide free sanitary pads for girls to ensure that a perfectly functional pads doesnt become a barrier for girls under 20 years. Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyeman assured women that, they will empower and make more women participate in nation building, which will make their politics and governance more inclusive, dynamic, vibrant and responsive. She added that affirmative action bill will be implemented or passed if not done yet. By PTI KOLKATA: West Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh has claimed that the COVID-19 pandemic is over but Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is imposing lockdown and other restrictions in West Bengal only to stop BJP from organising public meetings before the assembly polls due next year. Ghosh's comment was made at a time when the country and the state are witness to sharp spikes in COVID-19 cases daily of 95000 and 3000 respectively. The rally where Ghosh made his remark was held in Hooghly district on Wednesday which was attended by a large number of people disreagrding the social distancing norms of the contagion. The video of the meeting has gone viral. "Didi's (Mamata Banerjee) brothers (supporters) are feeling uneasy after seeing the gathering (at the meeting). It is not due to the fear of coronavirus, but due to fear of BJP! Corona is over, but Didi is unnecessarily imposing lockdown across the state to stop BJP from holding meetings and rallies," Ghosh said. CLICK HERE FOR COVID-19 LIVE UPDATES A complete lockdown is on in the state on Friday. The Trinamool Congress mocked Ghosh for his comments and asked him to visit a doctor. "Every day we are witnessing a spike of 3000 cases in Bengal and more than 95,000 cases in the country. And BJP state president Dilip Ghosh is making a hilarious statement that COVID-19 is gone ! I think he should visit a doctor for his treatment," TMC MP Kalyan Bandopadhyay said. The total number of COVID-19 cases in Bengal now stands at 1,93,175. More than 3700 people have died due to the contagion, including comorbidities. Hooghly district, where Ghosh was addressing the rally, has registered the fifth-highest number of cases in the state. ALSO WATCH: Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission (UPPSC) on Friday declared the results of Combined State/Upper Subordinate Services (General/Special Recruitment) Exam-2018, commonly known as PCS-2018. A total of 976 candidates have been declared successful against 988 posts. Candidates can check their results by visiting the Commissions official website at uppsc.up.nic.in, informed UPPSC controller of Exams Arvind Kumar Mishra. No suitable candidates were found against 12 posts of Information Officer and District Information Officer. These posts have been left vacant, Mishra said. As per the results, women candidates have bagged three of the top five positions with Anuj Nehra of Panipat, Haryana bagging the first rank, followed by Sangeeta Raghav of Gurgaon, Haryana, at second place and Jyoti Sharma of Mathura, Uttar Pradesh at third place. Vipin Kumar Shivhare of Jalaun, Uttar Pradesh and Karamveer Keshav of Patna, Bihar have bagged fourth and fifth ranks respectively. In terms of posts, PCS-2018 was one of the biggest recruitment exam of its kind held by the commission till date with 988 posts of 40 different kinds on offer including 119 posts of deputy collector and 94 posts of deputy SP. In past 10 PCS exams, the count of posts was lesser than this, officials said. Check UPPSC PCS 2018 Merit List: Out of the 988 posts, for four posts included in PCS-2018, no interviews were conducted, which included one post of Executive officer Class-1/Assistant City Commissioner and three posts of Accountant Urban Development. The final results of these four posts have also been declared along with the final results of PCS-2018. PCS (preliminary) Exam-2018 was held, alongwith the recruitment exam for Assistant Conservator of Forest/Range Forest Officer, on October 28, 2018. The exam was held at 1381 centres spread across 29 districts of the state. Out of the 6,35,844 applicants, 3,98,630 had appeared in the preliminary exam. The result of the preliminary exam was declared on March 30, 2019. In it a total of 19,096 candidates were declared successful and eligible for the mains to vie for 988 posts on offer. On the orders of the Allahabad High Court, the commission on October 5, 2019 had amended the results of the PCS (Preliminary)-2018 and declared 160 women candidates of outside UP also eligible to appear in the mains. The main exam was conducted between October 18 and 22, 2019 in Prayagraj and Lucknow. In it, 16,738 candidates had appeared and out of which 2,669 were declared successful for the Interview round. Interviews of qualified candidates were held from July 13, 2020 in two shifts till August 7. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ABOUT THE AUTHOR K Sandeep Kumar K Sandeep Kumar is a Special Correspondent of Hindustan Times heading the Allahabad Bureau. He has spent over 16 years reporting extensively in Uttar Pradesh, especially Allahabad and Lucknow. He covers politics, science and technology, higher education, medical and health and defence matters. He also writes on development issues. ...view detail There is much to be learned from entrepreneurs who have achieved success. Yet those second-time entrepreneurs could squander their advantages, such as easier access to capital and talent. Most of those second-time mistakes come from a loss of intellectual humility, which causes them to believe that their brilliance and dedication were solely responsible for their startup success. Here are the four second-time-entrepreneur mistakes to avoid, and what you should do instead. 1. Don't underestimate the role of luck in your company's success. Some successful entrepreneurs see themselves as warriors burning with a desire to prove their naysayers wrong. That view of the world leads them to take joy in recounting stories that feature them swooping in at the last minute to win a key customer or solve a technical problem to save a customer's business. This way of thinking also causes the successful entrepreneur to filter out the role of luck in a company's success. Luck often plays a crucial role. For example, when I started my consulting firm, I was fortunate to have published a book, Net Profit, about how to evaluate and invest in different internet business models. It came out in 1998--as the dot-com bubble was expanding. That lucky timing led to a flood of new business. If you delude yourself into thinking that you were solely responsible for a success, you will lose the intellectual humility that causes you to admit what you don't know and fill your team with people who can better perform some critical skills required for your startup's success. What you should do is remember that customer needs, upstart competitors, and technology are constantly changing, and unless you adapt your company to those changes, you will endanger its future. 2. Don't surround yourself with sycophants. Second-time founders have often built teams of people with whom they are comfortable working. There is a danger that second-time entrepreneurs will surround themselves with team members who bow down to their superior wisdom. Hiring such sycophants can mean that bad decisions are not challenged--thus sinking the company. Sometimes, the same teams can be successful in a series of entrepreneurial ventures. For example, Boston-based cloud storage service provider Wasabi Technologies' CEO, David Friend, has started and achieved success in several ventures with co-founder Jeff Flowers. Friend handles the business side while Flowers develops the technology. Since each co-founder excels in their area of expertise and they have worked together well in the data storage field for decades, bringing in the same people works for them. Friend is now on his seventh venture. The point? Figure out the skills you need to make your company successful and surround yourself with the most talented people in those key jobs. Encourage them to debate strategies and choose the best ones. 3. Don't set your business strategy while looking in the rearview mirror. Venture capitalists and entrepreneurs love to boast about "pattern recognition." This is their way of patting themselves on the back when they see that a current opportunity is like one they triumphantly seized in the past. This way of thinking can result in applying old solutions to new problems--resulting in wasted capital and time. Rather than mechanically apply solutions that worked in superficially similar situations, dig deeper to expose what is different about the new challenge or opportunity. Your prior mistakes could strengthen the intellectual humility you should use to identify and learn what you need to know to create a new solution to solve the new challenge. 4. Don't take more money than you need to meet your staging goals. One thing that certainly happens when you have been successful once is that your previous investors will want to throw money at you, hoping for an even bigger win on your second startup. Yet as NFX, a San Francisco early stage investor, points out, your initial success may have come from your ability to adapt your company to capital constraints. Taking too much capital before you need it can result in a loss of focus in achieving the critical outcomes required to make it through each of the four stages of scaling I wrote about in Scaling Your Startup. Having too much money can cause you to overlook the need to create what I call scaling levers--creating a culture, developing a growth trajectory, defining and staffing key jobs, and holding people accountable--that are essential to reaching success. "We're extremely excited to have earned a spot on 2020 CRN Fast Growth 150 List for the second time," said David Faye, CEO of Faye Business Systems Group. Faye Business Systems Group, a global technology company, is proud to announce that CRN, a brand of The Channel Company, has named FayeBSG to its 2020 Fast Growth 150 list. Each year, CRN recognizes the fastest-growing technology integrators, solution providers, and IT consultants across North America for the substantial growth and performance they've achieved over the previous two years. The elite group of companies named to this year's list have generated a combined total revenue of more than $37.8 billion between 2018 and 2019. With offices spanning five continents, FayeBSG is known for building strong CRM, ERP, and CX integrations and add-on products. Having over two decades of experience providing software and technology solutions to mid-market organizations, FayeBSG specializes in a wide array of CRM, ERP, CX, and marketing automation solutions. "We're extremely excited to have earned a spot on 2020 CRN Fast Growth 150 List for the second time," said David Faye, CEO of Faye Business Systems Group. "We are deeply committed to supporting our channel community. Our entire organization focuses on nurturing lasting channel relationships and being on the cutting edge of releasing innovative software solutions to enhance our channel offerings. Congratulations to all the organizations that have made this year's list." Today's solution providers vie for market share within the highly competitive, fast-paced IT channel, making sustained growth and profitability noteworthy achievements. Ranking within the top 150 requires companies to continuously evolve with the seismic shifts taking place within the marketplace. The 2020 Fast Growth 150 list recognizes these companies' extraordinary accomplishments and dedication to the IT channel. "Evolution within the IT ecosystem is occurring at breakneck speed. The CRN 2020 Fast Growth 150 list highlights the achievements of elite industry-leading companies in the IT channel and their ability to innovate in an ever-changing market," said Bob Skelley, CEO of The Channel Company. "The extraordinary group of companies on this year's list serve as an inspiration, setting an exemplary level of excellence for us to follow. We are excited to honor these industry leaders and wish them continued success in the years to come." A sampling of the 2020 Fast Growth 150 list will be featured in the August issue of CRN Magazine. You can view the complete list online at http://www.crn.com/fastgrowth150. About Faye Business Systems Group FayeBSG is a global technology company that helps companies grow by successfully deploying, customizing, building, and managing industry leading customer experience, CRM, and ERP software platforms to meet evolving business needs. As a SugarCRM Elite partner and awarded the 2020 SugarCRM Global Reseller of the Year, FayeBSG is also a leading partner with Sage, Zendesk, Salesforce, and Hubspot as well as an innovative provider of custom software solutions. FayeBSG is known for their SugarCRM integrations with Sage 100, QuickBooks, NetSuite, Acumatica, Intacct, Constant Contact, Authorize.Net, Hubspot, Ring Central, Box, Jira, Ytel, and more. Services include project management, software implementations, consulting, training, custom development, and support. Specializing in software implementations for a variety of industries, FayeBSG has customized successful CRM and ERP platforms for a variety of mid-market and enterprise businesses. For more information, please visit http://www.fayebsg.com. About The Channel Company The Channel Company enables breakthrough IT channel performance with our dominant media, engaging events, expert consulting and education, and innovative marketing services and platforms. As the channel catalyst, we connect and empower technology suppliers, solution providers, and end users. Backed by more than 30 years of unequaled channel experience, we draw from our deep knowledge to envision innovative new solutions for ever-evolving challenges in the technology marketplace. http://www.thechannelcompany.com Follow The Channel Company: Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook The Channel Company Contact: Natalie Demers The Channel Company ndemers@thechannelcompany.com Copyright 2020. CRN is a registered trademark of The Channel Company, LLC. All rights reserved. By PTI PANAJI: Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Friday said the COVID-19 outbreak in Delhi could be managed only after the Centre's intervention and the Aam Aadmi Party was projecting as if it was people's saviour. Referring to the AAP's anti-COVID-19 campaign, the chief minister said Goa does not need to follow any model to deal with the viral outbreak. "Some people are pretending that they are the saviours of COVID-19 patients in Goa. They are talking about Delhi model. But they should understand that it was the Union government that provided the facilities in Delhi to manage the outbreak," he said referring to AAP. Goa is the only state that is providing free treatment and other facilities, including food to COVID-19 patients, he claimed. He further said there was no shortage of beds at COVID-19 treatment facilities commissioned by the Goa government. CLICK HERE FOR COVID-19 LIVE UPDATES Sawant said majority of people, who have tested positive for coronavirus, have opted for home isolation and the Indian Medical Association and other agencies have been providing teleconsultation to such patients. The state government is also considering setting up clinics for people who have recovered from the infection, he added. Apart from this, the chief minister said the state government is working towards reopening schools from September 20 in a phased manner, starting from higher classes and in compliance with social distancing guidelines. Sawant, who has also tested positive for the infection, said that he would continue working in isolation for the next seven days from his official residence. ALSO WATCH: South Africa: Clicks commits to boost spending on SMMEs The Clicks Group, owners of Clicks stores and United Pharmaceutical Distributors (UPD), has committed to increase spending on small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs) and support local beauty, hair care brands and other products. Clicks Group Chief Executive Officer Vikesh Ramsunder made the undertaking during a meeting held with Small Business Development Minister Khumbudzo Ntshavheni and a senior delegation from the department. Representatives from the Small Enterprise Development Agency (SEDA) and Small Enterprise Finance Agency (SEFA) also attended Thursdays meeting. The meeting follows the publication of a racially offensive advert for a hair product by TRESemme on Clickss digital platforms. During the meeting, Ramsunder reiterated the Clicks Groups apology to the Minister, noting that the material was insensitive. I am humbled and encouraged by our interaction with the Honourable Minister, as I believe that we can jointly find a constructive solution to this regrettable incident, Ramsunder said. The hair product, which originated from the supplier Unilever, the makers of TRESemme, has since been removed from Clicks shelves. Clicks said it will now use the shelf space created by the removal of TRESemme to support more local brands. Clicks's preferential procurement spend currently stands at 50.2 % and in 2019, spending on suppliers stood at R26.7 billion. Clicks has also committed to involve their supplier base to mentor SMMEs across the companys value chain. Ntshavheni noted that this preferential procurement spend includes spending on large, established but not fully empowered companies and does not add to building an inclusive economy. The department will assist Clicks to focus on SMMEs which are owned by black women, the youth and people with disabilities. We want Clicks Group to contribute to the localisation drive of government by placing more South African products on their shelves, Ntshavheni said. The Minister also committed her department and agencies to assist SMMEs, with potential to supply the Clicks Group, with compliance to product quality, safety standards and regulatory requirements, including assistance to upscale their manufacturing capacity. The Department of Small Business Development and the Clicks Group have further put in place a working team to finalise the implementation plan and monitor the progress on specific focus areas. The focus areas include both short, medium and long-term measures. SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2020-09-11. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. One of the few films thats getting a theatrical release during the COVID-19 pandemic, Broken Hearts Gallery, which touts Selena Gomez as executive producer, may be the distraction you need from the anxieties of the virus. I really hope that its a tonic for whats been a pretty difficult 2020, Canadian-American writer/director Natalie Krinsky told Yahoo Canada. I think it will be a lovely piece of escapism in a time when were so jointly fatigued by the constant barrage of the things that are now realities in the world, Dacre Montgomery who plays Nick in the film said. Although the movie is getting a theatrical release, the films star Geraldine Viswanathan admits theres still some disappointment that it isnt getting the expected premiere. Its disappointing that we cant have a premiere and celebrate this movie in the way that we thought we would, because it was such a party making, she told Yahoo Canada. But in a way, its kind of more meaningful because its such a feel good movie and I think we all really want to feel good right now. Broken Hearts Gallery follows Lucy (Viswanathan) who has an embarrassing breakup with Max (Utkarsh Ambudkar) after a public incident at work. She retreats to her apartment with her friends/roommates Amanda and Nadine (Molly Gordon and Phillipa Soo), surrounded by keepsakes of her past romances. This is where we meet Nick who, in typical rom-com fashion, initially meets Lucy when she mistakes him for her Uber driver. Nick is struggling to open a hotel when Lucy comes up with the idea of displaying her heartbreak keepsakes in his space, but also displaying items from others in the city looking to take a step back from the past theyre still holding on to. Broken Hearts Gallery (Elevation Pictures) A modern Lucille Ball Viswanathans portrayal of Lucy is a key highlight of the film. She has an approachable bubbly-ness and intoxicating energy that instantly makes you wish you were one of her friends. Krinsky calls Viswanathan a modern Lucille Ball. Story continues Lucys balance between being funny and quirky, but having an emotional and sensitive side is something Krinsky and Viswanathan worked on in collaboration. Theres no comedy without pain, Krinsky said. Her voice is definitely unique and shes kind of got this really fun way and quirky way of looking at the world but its all rooted in real emotion. Its rooted in something that I think is painful for her to contend with and sometimes she masks that with a sense of humour or she masks that with a Im such a weird hoarder vibe. Viswanathan revealed shes personally quite sentimental, not dissimilar to Lucy. I hold on to all handwritten things, I have all my birthday cards and letters, and gifts from boyfriends and sweatshirts and all that jazz, she said. I also love looking through old photos...I have been doing that a lot, especially at the beginning of quarantine, I feel like I was doing a lot of reminiscing. Krinsky is originally from Hamilton, Ont., but moved to New York with her family in high school and said it was a pleasure to shoot the film in Toronto, being able to experience the city as an adult. Australian actor Montgomery revealed his mother is actually originally from Kitchener, Ont., and loved experiencing Torontos food scene, while fellow Australian Viswanathan liked to spend her weekends at Trinity Bellwoods Park. Nice to be here in the summer, Montgomery said. Im really not a cold guy. Krinsky said one of the most important messages in the film is that Lucy is a character that asks the world to love her, not despite the fact that she is weird but exactly because she is weird. Thats really important for young women to see, she said. We dont have to twist ourselves into something that were not, we get to be exactly who we are and thats I think where true love comes from, and maybe that idealistic but I think a little idealism isnt going to kill us these days. Acclaimed scholar and medical doctor, Privilege Mudiwa Munyikwa (57) who died in a tragic boat accident in the United States of America on July 26, 2020 was buried at the family farm in Masema, Dewure in Gutu on Tuesday morning. Munyikwa who drowned in a fishing mishap was buried in the absence of his wife Preachess nee Vella, also a medical doctor and two children who could not travel from the USA to attend the funeral because of Covid-19 global travel restrictions. There were about 200 mourners at the funeral which was marked by the absence of his siblings, many of his relatives, close friends, workmates, and former school mates due to the pandemic. Mourners who gave speeches described Munyikwa as a scholar of note, a respected, compassionate medical doctor and a humble family man. His academic prowess became pronounced beginning at Fletcher High School in Gweru where he was the most outstanding A level student in 1982 and won a scholarship to Cambridge University. He returned from Cambridge and pursued a medical degree at the University of Zimbabwe before returning overseas to specialise in various areas of his chosen profession. He settled in Delaware in the USA where he worked at Bebee Healthcare. Munyikwa was held in high esteem by former Fletcher students. Mthuli Ncube, the Minister of Finance and Economic Development who was in the same stream with him described Munyikwa as a gentleman and a brilliant scholar. Henry Maindidze, a Fletcher Old Students Association (FOSA) executive member who was instrumental in organising the return of the body back home said it was Munyikwas wish to be buried alongside his father, Eliah Chirango Munyikwa at the family farm hence the hustle to bring back the body under Covid-19. The father was once a school head at Gutu High. The death is the second in the family in five years following the passing on of Munyikwas younger brother Eliah (Junior), another brilliant academic who was also a medical doctor in the USA. Munyikwas uncle, Professor Rangarirai Zinyemba told mourners that the late died at the end of a fishing expedition along the coast of the Atlantic. He was using his boat in the company of his wife when near the shore his fishing line got entangled and Munyikwa decided to jump out of the boat and disentangle it. He underestimated the depth of the water and there was an undercurrent that swept him away. He was rescued by men in another boat but he had taken in too much water and the water was still too cold just at the end of winter, said Professor Zinyemba. Munyikwa was taken to Bebee Healthcare where he died. He is survived by his wife Preachess, his daughters Michelle and Zanele (Tanya) and his mother Eneah. Two days after the CPI(M) state secretarys son Bineesh Kodiyeri was cross-examined, the Enforce Directorate (ED) on Friday questioned Kerala Higher Education Minister KT Jaleel in the sensational gold smuggling case. The minister appeared before the ED in Kochi in a private vehicle and the questioning continued for about three hours. A top official said some of his statements were contradictory and he will be summoned again for more clarity. The opposition Congress and BJP have urged chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan to sack the minister immediately. It is a shame for the state. It seems the CM is waiting for his arrest. This is the first time such an incident is taking place, said opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala. The minister maintained that it was not a questioning and he will co-operate with the ongoing probe. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan is yet to react over this. Trouble began for Jaleel after phone call records of Swapna Suresh, main accused in the gold smuggling case, were leaked to the media. The ministers phone number figured prominently in the list. Soon after the list surfaced, the minister had called a press conference in Malappuram and said he called Suresh as a consular employee in connection with Ramadan kits offered by the UAE consulate. This clarification invited more trouble for him as he is not supposed to accept any funds or freebies without the consent of the ministry of external affairs, experts said, adding it was a clear violation of Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA). During the investigation, the customs found that a heavy consignment came on March 4 in 31 bags, weighing more than 4,000 kg and they were taken to Malappuram. The minister admitted he took these packets to his constituency but said they were religious books. The ED and customs officials said even if those were books, his action was a clear violation of the FCRA and there were many discrepancies in his claims also. Out of 31 packets that came only one packet was opened. Rest are lying in two religious institutions in my constituency. Let any agency probe, my hands are clean, the minister had said criticising the media trial. Former diplomats said no country usually exports religious books and special permission was needed for such imports, adding he can be booked for violating these norms. The customs had seized 30 kg gold from a consignment that came in the name of an official of the UAE consulate in Thiruvananthapuram on July 5. Later the case was handed over to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and at least four other central agencies are part of the probe now. The NIA has arrested 30 persons in connection with the case. The Enforcement Directorate had submitted a statement in a court in Kochi on Wednesday saying Bengaluru drug haul and gold smuggling cases were closely linked. Key accused in the drug case, Anoop Mohammad, had taken the name of Bineesh Kodiyeri during questioning and claimed he was his close business partner. Kodiyeri said he helped him in setting up a hotel and he was not aware of his drug dealings. There are also reports the Narcotics Control Bureau probing the Bengaluru haul will question Kodiyeri soon. The ED also reportedly found that the Communist leaders son owned properties worth crores of rupees and many firms as benami. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Tripoli, Sep 11 : The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said that 153 illegal Bangladeshi migrants were repatriated from Libya. "This week, IOM assisted 153 Bangladeshi migrants in eastern Libya in returning home through its Voluntary Humanitarian Return program," Xinhua news agency quoted the IOM as saying on Thursday. "The EU-supported charter was the first VHR flight to depart from Benghazi in more than one year. "According to the latest Displacement Tracking Matrix assessment, over 17,500 Bangladeshi migrants are estimated to live in Libya, with about a third of them in the East," the IOM added. The IOM runs the VHR program, which arranges the return of illegal immigrants stranded in Libya to their homeland. It resumed the program on August 20 after a five-month suspension due to the Covid-19 restrictions in Libya. The IOM estimates that there are more than 600,000 illegal migrants in Libya currently. 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 the country since the fall and death of its former leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. MANITOBANS responded generously to help victims of the Aug. 4 Beirut explosion, donating $231,000 to three relief agencies headquartered in Winnipeg. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 11/9/2020 (497 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. MANITOBANS responded generously to help victims of the Aug. 4 Beirut explosion, donating $231,000 to three relief agencies headquartered in Winnipeg. The money was donated during the Aug. 8-24 window for the federal governments $8-million Lebanon Matching Fund. Of that total, $143,000 was donated by people in the province to Canadian Foodgrains Bank, $77,000 was donated to Mennonite Central Committee and $11,000 was given to Canadian Lutheran World Relief. Altogether, the three agencies received $941,000 from people across Canada. With matching funds from the federal government, that will provide $1.8 million for their work in the devastated Mideast nation. "Were grateful for the generous response of Manitobans, all Canadians and the Canadian government," said Foodgrains Bank interim executive director Jim Cornelius. "When the explosion destroyed Lebanons main port where the country imported most of their food, as well as the grain silos estimated to hold 85 per cent of the countrys grain stocks, we were concerned about the number of families who would face hunger. Now, thanks to this generosity, our partners on the ground can ensure families have the food they need to survive and recover from this devastating explosion." Through its members, the Foodgrains Bank will use the funds to provide monthly food packages, including rice, beans, lentils and canned meat, for one year to 1,000 families, a total of 5,000 people. For Karin Achtelstetter, executive director of CLWR, the response shows Canadians are compassionate and generous, "even when were facing our own challenges" during the pandemic. "Thanks to the generosity of Canadians, life-saving support is already reaching those who need it most," she said, noting the agency is responding through local partners in Lebanon by providing urgently needed water, sanitation and hygiene assistance. The agency is also providing legal, medical and psychosocial support for women and children affected by the explosion. They are also helping families who lost their income sources due to the blast recover and re-establish their livelihoods. MCC Manitoba executive director Darryl Loewen said the organizations initial response is helping 300 families in Beirut. MCC plans to expand its aid to provide assistance to 1,000 households close to the site of the explosion. Ready, Pet, Go! Leesa Dahl looks at everything to do with our furry, fuzzy, feathered, fishy (and more!) pet friends. Arrives in your inbox each Monday. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. As well, two containers of relief supplies are already on their way to Lebanon, Loewen said, containing basic health and hygiene supplies. "We are grateful for the response of donors," he said, adding the response during the pandemic has been good. Altogether, Canadians donated $9.9 million to Beirut relief during the match period through the Humanitarian Coalition, which counts the Foodgrains Bank, MCC and CLWR among its 12 members. Together with the governments $8-million match, a total of $17.9 million is available for Beirut relief through the Coalition. "We are all overwhelmed by the generosity of Canadians," said Marg Buchanan, communications and marketing manager for the coalition. faith@freepress.mb.ca Data Point to Broken Pandemic-Affected Supply Chains, Rising Worker Confidence Commentary Lumber prices went up almost 11 percent in August. Meanwhile, raw milk prices are also going up, but the price of cheese fell 11 percent in just one month, reflecting how markets for different products are reacting to this pandemic-affected economy. Regarding lumber, it seems that buyers are anticipating a need for more new homes, since current homeowners arent selling their houses to make way for new families, nor are families moving from more urban areas. We have provided substantial evidence recently that the demand for homes isnt too far below normal. At the same time, the supply of homes normally available as current homeowners sell their homes is far below normal, which is causing a squeeze across the housing markets in Orange County and in the Inland Empire. Housing markets in San Diego and Los Angeles counties are also marked by people moving to less densely populated areas. Within the food transportation system, demand and supply are also quickly shifting. Many restaurants that normally use huge amounts of cheese arent operating. So, as an economist, I can safely assess that the very quickly falling price of cheese reflects that inventories are rising within the supply chain, and also that if cheese inventories are growing, cheese processors are buying less milk. Thats causing milk prices to slump. Cheese prices can be expected to be affected from both sides. From a producers perspective, turning milk to cheese is a way to extend the shelf life of the milk, since cheese spoilage is far less of a problem than for milk. So, cheese prices likely reflect both falling demand and also a supply shock from milk producers wanting to preserve as much value as possible, including some who make cheese from their milk supplies. Prices for slaughtered meat are also falling as fewer Americans are eating steak and other meat products that are most often eaten in restaurants. At the same time, meat processing plants have been affected by COVID-19 health safety measures, so they are not producing as much of the meat cuts most people are familiar with or that consumers want to buy. This has led to a negative supply shock even bigger than the negative demand shock from Americans not eating out. Generally, workers at meat processing facilities work in very close proximity to each other. Indeed, chicken processor Foster Farms recently had to close at 2,000-worker facility in central California because the local health department tracked a number of COVID-19 cases to the facility. (Earlier this week, health officials allowed the company to reopen the factory.) One of the easiest economic predictions to make currently (which means I have a very high probability of being correct) is that the price of chicken in California will go up in the next few weeks, as the Foster shutdown means that grocery stores will have to bid more to get chicken onto their shelves. I was able to perform the above analysis because the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) provided these details as part of its monthly Producer Price Index released the morning of Sept. 10. On Sept. 10, BLS also released its Jobs Openings and Labor Turnover Surveythe so-called JOLTS report. While people will discuss many things about that report, I want to draw your attention only to one aspect: the data relating to people who voluntarily chose to leave their jobs in July. These job-changers are called quits. According to the BLS: Quits are generally voluntary separations initiated by the employee. Therefore, the quits rate can serve as a measure of workers willingness or ability to leave jobs. The JOLTS report also says: In July, the number and rate of quits increased to 2.9 million (+344,000) and 2.1 percent, respectively. Quits increased in retail trade (+152,000), professional and business services (+98,000), and state and local government education (+35,000). Within these numbers, total quits within the wholesaling and retail sectors are actually already where they were a year ago. Within the retail sector, quits in July 2020 were 562,000 versus 542,000 in July 2019. And within warehousing, quits in July 2020 were 85,000 versus 88,000 in July 2019. Overall, quits are still about 660,000 below where they were a year ago (2.95 million in July 2020 versus 3.61 million in July 2019). But there is definitely a glimmer of hope within todays economic data. Tim Shaler is a professional investor and economist based in Southern California. He is a regular columnist for The Epoch Times, where he exclusively provides some of his original economic analysis. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. You might notice something different here. As we continue our evolution, our data and market news is now available through the Fastmarkets platform and a trial of this website is no longer available. Our new delivery solution allows you to access the prices and news that matters most to you in a way that delivers value, quality and a unique, fully customizable view for you. We are working hard to develop an experience that allows you to test drive building your view of our data and news on the new platform. In the meantime, learn more about us through any of the options below. PHOENIX - The coronavirus pandemic has taken a harsh toll on the mental health of young Americans, according to a new poll that finds adults under 35 especially likely to report negative feelings or experience physical or emotional symptoms associated with stress and anxiety. A majority of Americans ages 18 through 34 56% say they have at least sometimes felt isolated in the past month, compared with about 4 in 10 older Americans, according to the latest COVID Response Tracking Study conducted by NORC at the University of Chicago. Twenty-five per cent of young adults rate their mental health as fair or poor, compared with 13% of older adults, while 56% of older adults say their mental health is excellent or very good, compared with just 39% of young adults. In the midst of the pandemic, young adults are navigating life transitions such as starting college and finding jobs, all without being able to experience normal social activities that might be especially essential for people who are less likely to have already married and started their own families. Some young people are just beginning their adult lives amid a recession, and older members of the group are already experiencing their second. Christina Torres, 32, a middle school teacher in Honolulu, had to postpone her June wedding and was not able to travel to her grandmothers funeral in California because of the pandemic. She misses being able to deal with stress by going to the gym and getting together with friends. And so its hard to not feel really hopeless sometimes, especially because the numbers keep going up, she said. The study found that younger Americans also consistently show higher rates of psychosomatic symptoms, like having trouble sleeping, getting headaches or crying, compared to other age groups. The likelihood of experiencing such symptoms decreases with age. One possible explanation for the age gap could be that young adults have less experience dealing with a public health crisis, said Tom Smith, who has directed NORCs General Social Survey since 1980. Smith, 71, says he grew up being told not to play in the dirt because of the risk of contracting polio. This experience facing a pandemic is completely new for most younger adults, he said. Torres thought some of the hardship her generation is experiencing now could be attributed to their lack of historical context, compared with her parents generation. So it kind of feels like, oh my God, can this get any worse? When is it going to get better? she said. It doesnt feel like its going to get better. Young adults also face constant exposure to social media, which could make negative feelings about the virus even worse. The survey found that frequently watching, reading or talking about the virus is consistently linked with higher rates of negative mental health symptoms. Wayne Evans, 18, a freshman at North Carolina State University studying remotely after being sent home because of virus cases at the school, said social media provided daily reminders of COVID-19. In some ways social media has added to my stressors, yes. Just the information overload thats unavoidable on social media platforms can be distracting, he said. The survey found 67% of young adults, but just 50% of those older, say they have at least sometimes felt that they were unable to control the important things in life. And 55% of 18 to 34 year olds say they have felt difficulties piling up too high to overcome, compared with 33% of older adults. In Arizona, Desiree Eskridge, 17, decided to study remotely in California for her first year at Northern Arizona University partly because she did not want to risk spreading COVID-19 to her family, which is prone to sickness. She also worried she would get sick and have to pay back a student loan for a semester she could not finish on the campus. She did move into her grandparents house so she could still be more on her own. She relies on friends who are living on campus and taking the same classes to explain things she did not quite understand during lectures and has to schedule extra Zoom appointments with her professors for additional help. Its extremely stressful, but me being home makes it a little easier because I can do it all in my own time and my own space and I dont have to be in this new environment where I have to learn everything all over, she said. _____ Associated Press writer Colleen Slevin in Wheat Ridge, Colorado contributed to this report. Kelleher reported from Honolulu. ___ The survey of 2,007 adults was conducted July 22-August 10 with funding from the National Science Foundation. It uses a sample drawn from NORCs probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population. The margin of sampling error for all respondents is plus or minus 3.1 percentage points. HOLLYWOOD star Halle Berry says she was disappointed when Ruth Negga didn't win the Academy Award for 2016 movie Loving. The 54-year-old actress (inset), who played Storm in four X-Men Movies, said when she won an Academy Award herself for Monster's Ball she thought she had opened the door for other black actresses. Berry was the first black actress to win the Best Actress Oscar in 2002 and is still the only black woman to walk away with the prized statuette. Now the former Bond girl, whose first movie as a director, Bruised, premieres at the Toronto Film Festival this week, has said how disappointed she was that no other black woman has been honoured since she stood at the podium 18 years ago. "I thought Cynthia (Erivo, the star of Harriet) was going to do it last year," Berry told Variety. "I thought Ruth (Negga) had a really good shot at it too. "I thought there were women that rightfully, arguably, could have, should have. I hoped they would have, but why it hasn't gone that way, I don't have the answer." Limerick-raised actress Negga (38) garnered huge acclaim, as well as Oscar and Golden Globe nominations, for her role in Loving as a woman facing discrimination in an interracial marriage in 1950s America. She lost out at the Academy Awards to Emma Stone, who won for La La Land. She was also up against Meryl Streep for Florence Foster Jenkins and Natalie Portman for Jackie. Berry is still conflicted about what her Oscar win represents. Video of the Day "It's one of my biggest heartbreaks. The morning after, I thought, 'Wow, I was chosen to open a door,'" she said. IMPORTANT "Then, to have no one I question, 'Was that an important moment, or was it just an important moment for me?'" In retrospect, Berry says it was naive to think a statue would change anything. "Just because I won an award doesn't mean that, magically, the next day, there was a place for me," she said. "I was just continuing to forge a way out of no way." She added that when Russell Crowe read out her name she was totally unprepared and he had to whisper, "Breathe, mate, breathe". Through tears, Berry thanked the women who came before her - including Dorothy Dandridge and Diahann Carroll - and proclaimed that she had opened a door for "every nameless, faceless woman of colour" watching at home. Bengaluru, Sep 11 : Indias total online food delivery gross merchandise value (GMV) is expected to be $13 billion by 2024 by clocking 12 million daily orders on an average, said a new report on Friday. While online food delivery, which has scaled to more than 500 cities and towns in India and over 10x GMV over the past three years, will continue to be the core, a significant growth is expected in the other businesses such as ads and groceries, amongst others, according to Bengaluru-based consulting firm RedSeer. These businesses have the potential to contribute up to a quarter of the total GMV. "While food delivery in itself is likely to be $13 billion by 2024, as the players diversify with a keen eye on profitability, we expect further $4 billion+ growth in ads and loyalty programmes, Cloud kitchens, hyperlocal delivery and procurement offerings," Abhijit Routray, Senior Consultant at RedSeer, said in a statement. In June, RedSeer in its findings said that while due to the Covid-19 impact, the number of orders dropped, foodtech players evolved themselves into hyperlocal super apps. "While grocery delivery boosts fleet utilisation, it is challenging due to low shelf-life, thin margins, and the need for specialised infrastructure," said Routray. "Also, with large players entering the space with a focus on value, foodtech players will look to excel on delivery times, fill-rates, while differentiating on other aspects -- for instance, driving customer delight through curation." -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text First, an explanation of why this is the most likely situation. Several surveys have found that, because of the pandemic, in-person and mail-in ballots will show a huge partisan divide. In one poll, 87 percent of Trump voters said they preferred to vote in person, compared with 47 percent of Biden voters. In another, by the Democratic data firm Hawkfish, 69 percent of Biden voters said they planned to vote by mail, while only 19 percent of Trump voters said the same. The firm modeled various scenarios and found that, based on recent polling, if just 15 percent of mail-in ballots are counted on election night, Trump would appear to have 408 electoral votes compared with Bidens 130. But four days later, assuming 75 percent of the mail-in ballots are counted, the lead could flip to Biden, and after all ballots are counted, Biden would have 334 electoral votes to Trumps 204. ALBANY A 26-year-old Amsterdam man will spend the next five years in prison after admitted he stabbed a bouncer inside a Lark Street bar last year, prosecutors said. Eric Sumpter pleaded guilty Thursday to a charge of second-degree assault, admitting that on Nov. 30 he stabbed the security guard with a knife and threatened to stab others at Cafe Hollywood, the Albany County District Attorney's office said. Election workers at one of a few in-person voting places in Las Vegas during a nearly all-mail primary election earlier this year. Read more LAS VEGAS Attorneys for President Donald Trumps reelection campaign are urging a federal judge in Las Vegas to block a state law and prevent mail-in ballots from going to all active Nevada voters less than eight weeks before the Nov. 3 elections and amid the coronavirus pandemic. The campaign argues in documents filed Tuesday in a bid to keep its lawsuit alive that it is hurt by the state law passed in July by the Democrat-led Legislature because it forces Republicans to divert resources to educating Nevada voters on those changes and encouraging them to still vote. Thea McDonald, a spokeswoman for the Trump campaign, declined to comment Thursday about the lawsuit. Attorneys for the state did not immediately respond to messages. The Trump campaign argues that sending ballots to nearly 1.7 million active voters in Nevada will impede Republicans' ability to elect candidates because the law will confuse their voters and create incentive to stay away from the polls. Mail-in ballots are due to be sent out in the next few weeks. The 16-page U.S. District Court filing was an answer to Nevada Secretary of State Barbara Cegavskes motion last month to throw out the lawsuit filed by the Trump campaign, Republican National Committee and state Republicans. Cegavske, also a Republican, opposed the law as unaffordable before it passed. The lawsuit targeted her as the states top elections official. The office of state Attorney General Aaron Ford, a Democrat, is defending the law in court. Nevada argues that the Trump campaign and Republicans dont have legal standing to take the case to court and have failed to explain how theyd be harmed. The state also argues that Republicans do not support their nebulous argument that (the state law) increases the likelihood of voter fraud. The Democratic National Committee and state Democrats are seeking to join the lawsuit, and attorneys from around the country on both sides have applied to take part. Defenders of the vote-by-mail plan note that another federal judge in Nevada rejected a challenge against the use of mail-in ballots during Nevadas primary elections in June. They characterize the state law as a modest change to address the dangers of voting in-person during the COVID-19 pandemic. Trump, who has acknowledged voting absentee by mail himself in the past, has repeatedly attacked what he terms universal mail-in voting as unsafe and a soft target for fraud and interference. With Universal Mail-In Voting (not Absentee Voting, which is good), 2020 will be the most INACCURATE & FRAUDULENT Election in history, he tweeted July 30. U.S. Attorney General William Barr said in Phoenix on Thursday that universal mail-in voting eliminates the intent of a secret vote. Your name is associated with a particular ballot. The government and the people involved can find out and know how you voted. And it opens up the door to coercion, Barr said. Senior U.S. District Judge James Mahan has not scheduled hearings ahead of a decision on Democrats' requests to intervene, or Cegavskes request to dismiss the lawsuit. Mahan, a U.S. Navy veteran originally from El Paso, Texas, was appointed to the federal bench by President George W. Bush and confirmed by the Senate in 2002. Associated Press writer Bob Christie in Phoenix contributed to this report. Lifting the weight off quarantine facilities Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has agreed that the country will charge all arrivals into Vietnam a mandatory quarantine fee from September 1, regardless of whether they are foreigners or Vietnamese. Meanwhile, quarantine measures at chargeable accommodations are guided by the Ministry of Finance in coordination with the Ministry of Health. In addition, the Ministry of Public Security works together with local authorities, especially from the health sector, to closely supervise isolation and prevention measures. PM Phuc said that as there is still a risk of community transmission, people should not forget about basic prevention measures amid the new normal, such as wearing a mask, regular hand washing, limiting crowds of people outside the workplaces, schools, and hospitals, and social distancing efforts. Nevertheless, medical examination and treatment expenses will continue to be paid by the state budget according to Clause 2, Article 48 of the Law on Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases. While preventing new local outbreaks of the pandemic and coping with the economic aftermath, Vietnam still organises repatriation flights to bring overseas Vietnamese back home. Up to now, Vietnam has organised more than 80 flights to bring more than 21,000 Vietnamese citizens from 50 countries and territories around the world back to their homeland. Additionally, after initially stopping all commercial routes from April 1, the country now aims at creating favourable conditions for foreign experts to enter Vietnam. Such plans for priority locations have been discussed since the end of July, such as for Guangzhou, Seoul, Tokyo, Taiwan, Vientiane, and Phnom Penh. In the short term, commercial routes with South Korea and Japan will be considered to reopen at the request of the Prime Minister, starting with flights bringing Vietnamese workers to these two countries. Vietnam will also open for senior personnel of South Korean businesses to enter, who undertake short-term work, as well as for investors. If the plan to operate these six routes is implemented, it is expected that Vietnam will receive 2,500-3,000 passengers per week. However, all these experts and highly qualified foreign workers will have to conduct a 14-day quarantine following regulations. However from this week, the Ministry of Health released new regulations stating that foreign experts, managers and diplomats coming to Vietnam for less than 14 days no longer have to quarantine upon arrival. Previously, suggestions have been made that Vietnam should implement fee-based isolation procedures, working together with hotels and resorts to both reduce the burden and pressure on state-owned facilities and generate more revenue for accommodation businesses which suffered under the halted tourism. The isolation at hotels and resorts may also help those who enter Vietnam to feel more secure while limiting cross-contamination in quarantine areas, which are often overloaded. For several months now, quarantine fees have been applied in some localities such as Hanoi, Bac Giang, Ho Chi Minh City, and Binh Duong, with consensus from businesses in the area. Many industrial parks and businesses that welcomed foreign experts, managers, and technical workers often chose hotels to isolate these people and have been willing to pay all costs, while the localities have been supporting with personnel and equipment for transportation and inspections during the isolation. Nguyen Khac Hien, director of the Hanoi Department of Health, said that up until August 31, all centralised isolation fees (except those for foreigners who chose to isolate at hotels) were funded by the state budget, including meals for VND100,000 ($4.30) per day, living expenses, accommodation, and internet access. With the new rule, these free services will begin to become chargeable in some places. Currently, the departments of health and tourism and related agencies are reviewing the list of hotels participating in concentrated isolation services. Several quarantine facilities for foreigners in Hanoi will switch to these chargeable services. However, the services and prices for isolation procedures are not yet agreed on and may differ based on the location. The city is now waiting for the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Finance to agree on a common price for these measures. According to statistics by the Ministry of Health, at the end of August, there were over 1,100 isolated people at hospitals and more than 16,000 in other facilities. New Delhi, Sep 11 : Coming down heavily on Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray in actress Kangana Ranaut's office demolition issue, his predecessor Devendra Fadnavis has asked why was Mafia don Dawood Ibrahim's house spared, and Kangana's razed. Before leaving for Bihar on Friday, Fadnavis interacted with reporters in Delhi where he alleged that the Maharashtra government is not fighting corona instead fighting Kangana. "Kangana was not a big issue but you made it big. Who demolished her house (office)? It was you. Even after an order to demolish Dawood's house situated at Bhendi Bazaar, you submitted an affidavit that there is not enough manpower for this work," the former Chief Minister said. "You don't raze Dawood's house but you Kangana's house and office." Speaking about the CBI and NCB probes, he said that it will churn out the truth in the Sushant Singh Rajput case. The way drug racket has been exposed, there is an extreme need to dig deeper. Family members of George Floyd have been notified that multiple employees of a Minneapolis healthcare system have improperly accessed the mans medical records sometime in the last 30 days, an attorney for the family said. Attorney Antonio Romanucci told KARE 11 that family members received a letter from Hennepin Healthcare, notifying them of the breach. Romanucci said the letter says those involved no longer work at the organization. He said the letter provided few other details, including how many people were involved and what information was accessed. Romanucci said the family is considering suing Hennepin Healthcare. They feel its a continued assassination of George Floyd, his character, Romanucci said. Its a non-stop issue. And they were very upset, very disturbed, disappointed that even in death, that George Floyds character is being maligned by people that didnt have any business looking at his private medical record. Romanucci did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press. Hennepin Healthcare provided AP with a statement saying it does not comment on specific cases to maintain patient confidentiality. The healthcare system conducts privacy access audits, and when employees access medical records, the action is tracked and logged. Any breach of patient confidentiality is taken seriously and thoroughly investigated. If it is determined that a violation has occurred, disciplinary action up to and including termination can be used, Hennepin Healthcare said in an emailed statement. The healthcare system said it complies with federal regulations that require patients to be notified in the event of a confirmed breach of privacy. Floyd, a Black man who was in handcuffs, died May 25 after former white Minneapolis officer Derek Chauvin pressed his knee against Floyds neck as Floyd said he couldnt breathe and became motionless. Chauvin and three other former officers were charged. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Medical Professional Liability This past week it was announced that Jon Edens and John Meredith have both been selected by the Montgomery County Historical Commission for the William Harley Gandy Distinguished Service Award. This Distinguished Service Award is presented at the discretion of the Montgomery County Historical Commission to those special individuals, corporations or organizations who have exhibited distinguished leadership, initiative, and dedication in the preservation of the history of Montgomery County, according to Historical Commission Chairman Larry Foerster. The winner of the award has shown significant accomplishments in the field of historical preservation and research. Such achievements must be notable and have made an important contribution to the preservation and/or advancement of the history of Montgomery County. According to Foerster, for several years, these remarkable men Jon Edens and John Meredith, along with the other devoted volunteers of the nonprofit Conroe Community Cemetery Restoration Project, Inc (CCCRP) have tirelessly toiled in the research, preservation and restoration of the previously unknown Conroe Community Cemetery. When first discovered by Jon Edens nine years ago, this forgotten African American cemetery was totally obscured by heavy underbrush along 10th Street in East Conroe, adjacent to the Oakwood Cemetery. Since 2011, Jon Edens has methodically focused on researching the biographies of those men and women of color who rest on this property. He has discovered such noted individuals as Luther James Dorsey, the only Buffalo Soldier buried in Montgomery County; James C. Pitts, a leading 20th century Texas educator of African American children; Mittie J. Campbell Turner, the principal of the first Conroe public school for African American children Mittie Campbell High School; and former black slave Dora Griffin Armstrong. After commencing his genealogical research and locating the owners of the property, Jon Edens organized the Conroe Community Cemetery Restoration Project. The CCCRP is dedicated to seeing this forgotten piece of history restored and preserved so those who are interred there may once again be honored, and future generations can learn this lost history of Conroe. The efforts of the members of the CCCRP to honor those emancipated slaves, railroad workers, sawmill workers, educators and housewives in the Conroe Community Cemetery are inspiring. The organization is composed of numerous individuals of all races who volunteer their time in researching, locating, chronicling, and restoring the old tombstones in this once-forgotten cemetery. The CCCRPs detailed website can be found at https://cccrp.org/ . Edens is a retired 36-year paramedic with multiple agencies. He currently works in the field of forensic genealogy assisting law enforcement and medical examiners in identifying families of unclaimed deceased people, as well as using DNA to identify potential suspects for cold case murders and rapes. After learning more about the history of Montgomery County he became fascinated with not only the well-known historical facts, but with other less known history. He spends much of his time reading through old newspapers to dig up the little-known facts about this wonderful county. He also previously volunteered as a docent at the Heritage Museum of Montgomery County. Edens discovered the Conroe Community Cemetery by accident in 2011 and decided to form the Conroe Community Cemetery Restoration Project in order to clean, restore, and preserve the cemetery and preserve the history of those interred there. While it is difficult to single out only one member of the CCCRP, John Meredith has distinguished himself for his energetic commitment to the project. He has organized the weekend clean-up projects at the cemetery, has participated in extensive research of numerous individuals buried in the cemetery, recruited support, promoted the cemetery, and frequently can be found at the cemetery digging by himself around buried tombstones. John Merediths ancestor John Caruthers arrived in Montgomery County in 1830. He worked as a geologist for Kerr-McGee Oil & Gas Corp. for 26 years and Anadarko Petroleum Corp. for three years before retiring. Merediths background in archaeology and geology have been invaluable in this project which is much like an archaeology project, states the nominating document. Relationships (both spatial and temporal) and trends are keys to understanding in both archaeology and geology. African American burials involve both plants and grave objects which were important in the life of the deceased, so no object, gravestone or plant could be moved or removed without first seeing it as a possible clue to the location of burials. Meredith ran five cleanup events in fall 2019 and four in spring 2020 before the coronavirus forced restoration work to stop. The cemetery experienced a landmark day in May when a sign was installed at the entrance to the cemetery. While the coronavirus has slowed progress, Meredith tirelessly continues to visit the cemetery at least twice a week to maintain the progress that has been made, take out small trees, search for new graves and map in the large trees on the property, said Foerster. Our Montgomery County Historical Commission believes Jon Edens and John Meredith have contributed significantly to the preservation and advancement of the History of Montgomery County. It is for these reasons that we have enthusiastically selected both for the William Harley Gandy Distinguished Service Award, Foerster said. Previous recipients have been Kay Dawes, Sondra Hernandez, Jane Keppler and Jean Smoorenburg. Singapore, 11 August 2020 Pan Pacific Hotels Group today unveiled HERO (Healthcare Employees Recognition & Ovation) which sees a 25,000 room night contribution in complimentary stays to honour Singapores healthcare heroes for their dedication to the nation through the COVID-19 pandemic. As a tribute to their sacrifices in combating the virus, the Group invites them to take a well-deserved respite and enjoy time with loved ones at six of its hotels from 1 December 2020 to 31 March 2021 (TRAVPR.COM) SINGAPORE - September 11th, 2020 - The Singapore-headquartered Group has reached out to the various public healthcare groups and will be contributing these complimentary stays to SingHealth, National Healthcare Group (NHG) and National University Health System (NUHS). The healthcare workers will be well taken care of by the hotel teams as they recharge, recalibrate and spend time with their families during their stays. Each stay comes with a la carte buffet breakfast, no additional charge for children under 12 years of age staying together, 50% off dining at all hotel operated restaurants and 30% off spa services at St. Gregory. In addition, these healthcare workers will also enjoy a complimentary fast-track to the next elite tier of the Pan Pacific DISCOVERY loyalty programme, allowing them to enjoy privileges during future stays and dining at over its 50 properties across 29 cities. Singapore healthcare worker benefits during COVID-19 provided by Pan Pacific Hotels Group further extends to preferential room rates at six of the Groups properties in Singapore and 30% savings when dining at any of the Groups operated restaurants in Singapore from 1 December 2020 till 31 March 2021. Professor Yeoh Khay Guan, Chief Executive of the National University Health System (NUHS), said, On behalf of our colleagues at NUHS, I would like to thank the Pan Pacific Hotels Group for leading this effort to support our healthcare workers. Over the past few months, healthcare workers have received an outpouring of support from the community, and that has helped many of my colleagues at the frontline get through this difficult period. We want to take care of our staff as we continue the fight against COVID-19, and this respite package comes at the perfect time. We encourage them to take a break to spend quality time with their family and loved ones a simple joy which they have had little of in recent months. Mr. Choe Peng Sum, Chief Executive Officer, Pan Pacific Hotels Group, said: Looking after our guests, associates and the community has always been at the heart of what we do. We recognise and appreciate the sacrifice of these healthcare workers as they serve the community at the frontline in combating the virus. Our contribution of complimentary stays worth $6.5million is our way of honouring them for their exceptional spirit and service to the nation and community through this crisis. Earlier in the year, in partnership with Ministry of Culture, Community, and Youth (MCCY), the Group also contributed 3,500 lunches to healthcare workers at Alexandra Hospital, Ng Teng Fong General Hospital and KK Womens and Children's Hospital, as an appreciation for their dedication and hard work. During the circuit breaker, the Group has also provided over 20,000 meals to low-income families with children whose access to free or subsidised meals in schools were disrupted during this period. Properties participating in this initiative include the newly renovated PARKROYAL COLLECTION Marina Bay, PARKROYAL COLLECTION Pickering, PARKROYAL on Beach Road, PARKROYAL on Kitchener Road, Pan Pacific Singapore and Pan Pacific Serviced Suites Beach Road. The complimentary stays will be subject to the prevailing regulations and guidelines as stipulated by the local government authorities during the period of stays. Safety and well-being remains as the utmost priority for Pan Pacific Hotels Group. Launched in June, Pan Pacific Cares redefines guests stay experience with strict protocols and elevated cleaning measures which are aligned with guidelines by World Health Organisation (WHO) and the respective local authorities. In collaboration with Diversey, a leader in hygiene and infection prevention solutions, our properties use best-in-class cleaning and infection prevention solutions, such as Oxivir and Virex II 256, which are healthcare grade disinfectants that are certified and approved by US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to be effective against SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19). The hotels have also re-engineered processes and implemented requirements including safe distancing measures, thermal temperature scanning and safe entry for all guests and patrons as well as travel and health declaration for all staying guests. All eligible properties have also obtained SG Clean certification. For more information, visit www.panpacific.com/panpacificcares. ### Jump in suicide cases linked to COVID-19 stress BANGKOK: A rise in the suicide rate has set alarming bells ringing among health officials as they were certain that the increase was related to the outbreak of the coronavirus that makes lives stressful. Friday 11 September 2020, 04:02PM Pedestrians wearing face masks to prevent spreading COVID-19 walk on an overpass near the Victory Monument in Bangkok. The coronavirus outbreak makes people stressful, leading to suicide. Photo: Nutthawat Wicheanbut / Bangkok Post Figures of the Mental Health Department released on Thursday (Sept 10) showed 2,551 people had killed themselves in the first half of this year, up 22% from the same period of last year, when 2,092 cases were reported. Personal problems, depression, economic pressure and alcohol were the reasons leading people to take their own lives, according to the department, reported the Bangkok Post. The release of the data came on the World Suicide Prevention Day on Thursday. The increasing suicidal rate this year has reminded public health officials of the financial meltdown in 1997 as it followed the same pattern. The rates of people committing suicide after the 1997 financial crisis leaped by between 20% and 30%, it added. Department Director-General Kiattiphum Wongrajit linked the increase in the suicide cases this year to the outbreak of the deadly virus and described the trend as worrisome. His assessment was in line with various studies in Thailand and abroad. A study by Chiang Mai University in March showed 38 suicide attempts were linked to stress associated with the lockdown and 28 of them ended up in deaths. The research was conducted weeks after the government implemented the lockdown to prevent the spread of the virus, which subsequently led factories and companies to temporarily close or permanently shut down. Oxford University released a study on the impact of the pandemic on suicide rates in the International Journal of Medicine in June and found stress from COVID-19 played a part in the issue. It warned that the problem could linger after the outbreak ends. The Covid-19 crisis may increase suicide rates during and after the pandemic, the study said. Mental health consequences of the COVID-19 crisis including suicidal behaviours are likely to be present for a long time and peak later than the actual pandemic, it added. In an effort to prevent more suicides, the department has sought help from the Crime Suppression Division (CSD) in monitoring social media for distress signs or cry for help as more people turn to social media when they do so. The trend could be seen in Noppaklao Noivijit, who asked a fisherman to film a video clip of him jumping off a bridge in Kabin Buri district of Prachin Buri on Aug 24 to take his own life. The fisherman then grabbed him and talked him into giving up the attempt. CSD chief Pol Maj Gen commander Jirabhop Bhuridej said the police agency would closely coordinate with the department and social media administrators to find people planning to take their lives if they post messages on Facebook and other social media platforms. The CSD can alert nearest police to intervene until public health officials arrive, he added. Wildfires have taken over Brazil's Encontro das Aguas state park in the Pantanal, located at the border of Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul states. The park known for its jaguar population and firefighters, environmentalists and ranchers in the worlds largest tropical wetlands are struggling to save the animals and their homeland. As per reports, for some time the rivers helped in keeping the fire under control but as the wind took over, the wildfires have spread across the park and have been burning for over a week now. Wildfires sweep into Brazil state park As the blaze rages on, the worst seems yet to come. Mato Grosso firefighters spokeswoman Lt. Col. Sheila Sebalhos said, The forecast isnt good. High speeds of those winds that change direction many times throughout the day are favoring the rapid spread (of fire). According to an international wild cat conservation organization Panthera, about 200 jaguars have been affected due to the wildfires; many have been heavily injured or displaced and some have even died. Pantanal houses thousands of plant and animal species, including 159 mammals, and while it is located majorly in Brazil and the wetlands stretch into Bolivia and Paraguay. As per reports, the fires here are mostly unintentional, unlike Amazon where ranchers often use fire to clear brush. Read: Brazil: Amid COVID Crisis, Hundreds Flout Social Distancing Norms On Independence Day According to Brazil defence ministry, 173 members of the armed forces have been dispatched to Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul states. About 139 firefighters are also reported to have been sent to tame the blaze. In a live broadcast on Facebook, President Jair Bolsonaro said, I started to suffer criticism because the Pantanal is on fire. You can imagine the difficulty of fighting the fire in that area. Read: Brazil Hits 4 Million COVID-19 Cases, Authorities See Signs Of Pandemic Slow Down On the other hand in the United States, California wildfires have been burning for more than three weeks now. As per reports, more wildfires have also taken other parts of the US as far as Washington. In a ray of hope, the fires has now smoothened in Colorado and Montana due to a dramatic intrusion of polar air. Earlier, United States National Weather Service said, The significantly colder air mass is helping reduce critical fire conditions across the West, however most of West coastline and adjacent counties have Red Flag warnings in effect" (WIth AP Inputs) Read: Brazil Strips Off Maduro Officials' Diplomatic Status In A Show Of Support For Guaido Also Read: Brazil Records 46,934 New Coronavirus Cases, Tally Approaches 4 Million Mark Zealously fulfilling the promise of delivering unique content, ABP Network has been pioneering the most striking and inspirational stories of the nation. These special stories have also been touched upon by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi in his discussions on social media or otherwise. On the webinar of Pradhanmantri Matsya Sampada Yojana launch and #AtmaNirbharBharat conducted on 10th September, Thursday, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi recognized ABP Asmitas story on the Crorepati Mahila of Banaskantha, Gujarat. Emphasizing on the principles of Atmanirbhar (self-reliance), Shri Narendra Modi applauded the hard-work of these women. On 02nd September 2020, ABP Asmita had telecast an exclusive show Asmita Vishesh, about the 'Crorepati Mahila' of Banaskantha. The story of their hard-work, zeal, and passion was highlighted on the show. These women have been managing their own animal husbandry and supplying milk to local dairies in the Banaskantha district of Gujarat. Over the years, these self-reliant micro-dairy owners have established a business of crores and exist as an epitome of women empowerment. This story was also carried by ABP News on their highly-acclaimed Morning Show, Namaste Bharat which has time and again, differentiated itself by transcending regular news narratives and commentaries on news channels. In fact, another heartening tale of a farmer, Jigyasu Singh was revealed on the show earlier this week. Whats more is that, this story was also alluded by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his Twitter, wherein he tweeted ABP News story clip on how Jigyasu Singh left his job to do farming. Lauding the efforts of Jigyasu Singh, he wrote, "Efforts made by Jigyasu Singh from Bihar's Sitamarhi were praiseworthy and would energise India with positive vibes. Congratulations to him. I hope youngsters learn from it." Lately, as television news has been making giant leaps from one conspiracy theory to another, ABP Network has been ardently chasing its mission to empower, inspire, and serve as the voice of the people. They have been persistently showcasing a compendium of stories that need to be heard by the people of the nation. Both the regional and national channels of the network have been proficiently undertaking issues of local and national importance via cutting-edge reportage. On this approach, Mr. Avinash Pandey, CEO, ABP Network said, We have been fervently pursuing our vision of delivering impactful, ethical and people-centric journalism. Im extremely proud to see our efforts being recognized by the Hon'ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Ji. His acknowledgement is a huge source of motivation for us to continue doing what we do best and keep our viewers apprised about the inspiring stories of the nation. WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - As the U.S. presidential election is barely two months away, Microsoft has warned that hackers operating from Russia, China and Iran are attempting to pry on people and organizations involved in the process. The tech giant said in a report published Thursday that in recent weeks, it has detected cyberattacks targeting people associated with the campaigns of both President Donald Trump and his Democratic rival Joe Biden. 'The activity we are announcing today makes clear that foreign activity groups have stepped up their efforts targeting the 2020 election as had been anticipated, and is consistent with what the U.S. government and others have reported', Microsoft said. Microsoft urged state and local election authorities in the U.S. to harden their operations and prepare for potential attacks. The report names Strontium, an activity group operating from Russia; Zirconium, from China; and Phosphorus, linked to Iran, as the main actors. While Phosphorus continued to attack the personal accounts of people associated with the Trump campaign, Zirconium targeted high-profile individuals associated with the election, including Joe Biden's Presidential campaign team and prominent leaders in the international community. Strontium has reportedly attacked more than 200 organizations including political campaigns, advocacy groups, parties and political consultants. Microsoft claims to have detected and stopped majority of these attacks using its security tools. Strontium was identified in the Mueller report that investigated Russian interference in the 2016 Presidential Election, as the organization mainly responsible for the attacks on Hillary Clinton's Democratic presidential campaign. Microsoft's Threat Intelligence Center (MSTIC) has observed a series of attacks conducted by Strontium since September 2019. These targets include U.S.-based consultants serving Republicans and Democrats; Think tanks such as The German Marshall Fund of the United States and advocacy organizations; National and state party organizations in the U.S.; and The European People's Party and political parties in the UK. Tom Burt - Corporate Vice President, Customer Security & Trust, said in a statement: 'Similar to what we observed in 2016, Strontium is launching campaigns to harvest people's log-in credentials or compromise their accounts, presumably to aid in intelligence gathering or disruption operations.' The Washington-based company said it detected thousands of attacks from Zirconium between March and September this year. Some of these attacks have targeted the Biden campaign through non-campaign email accounts belonging to people affiliated with it. The group has also targeted at least one prominent individual formerly associated with the Trump Administration. The Atlantic Council and the Stimson Center are among some international organizations targeted. Phosphorus has spied a wide variety of organizations traditionally tied to geopolitical, economic or human rights interests in the Middle East. Last month, taking advantage of a permission granted by a federal court in Washington D.C., Microsoft took control of 155 Phosphorus domains. Between May and June, Phosphorus unsuccessfully attempted to log into the accounts of Trump administration officials and the President's campaign staff. Noting that the latest hacks are consistent with previous attack patterns, Microsoft recommends the concerned people and organizations to install its free and low-cost security tools. It also stressed the need for more federal funding in the U.S. so that states can better protect their election infrastructure. The report comes a day after a whistleblower at the Department of Homeland Security alleged he was forced to downplay the threat of Russian interference in the upcoming election as it 'made the president look bad'. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de The first case of COVID-19 has been reported in Cotton Center along with 57 others reported around Hale County last week. Health officials began monitoring COVID-19 activity in Hale County back in March. Since then, there have been a total count of 1,702 cases reported across every community within the county. The latest longform report from the Plainview/Hale County Health Department was released Wednesday and details where last weeks cases were reported. Besides the case in Cotton Center, there were 51 cases reported in Plainview, four in Hale Center and one each in Petersburg and Abernathy. Total case counts, as of Sept. 8, are as follows: Plainview: 1,537 cases Hale Center: 73 cases Petersburg: 33 cases Abernathy: 54 cases Edmonson: 4 cases Cotton Center: 1 case From Sept. 1 to 5 p.m. Tuesday (Sept. 8), the county had six new reported deaths. Theyre all reflected in Plainviews counts. Hale Countys total death count is up to 51 and Plainviews is up to 44. There have been five reported in Hale Center and two in Petersburg. The latest deaths include three women 61 years old or older (one listed as isolated in a medical facility), a man and a woman who are between 41 and 60 years old who were both listed as isolated in a medical facility and one woman between 21 to 40 years old. Several of these individuals had previously been listed as recovered on the list of cases updated each week and made available on the citys website. A total of 61 new recoveries were also reported in the county last week bringing the overall recovery total to 1,575. There were 52 recoveries listed in Plainview, seven in Abernathy and two in Hale Center. Total recovery counts as of Tuesday are listed as follows: Plainview: 1,426 recoveries Hale Center: 63 recoveries Petersburg: 30 recoveries Abernathy: 52 recoveries Edmonson: 4 recoveries The report also shows eight individuals recovering in dorms. Those individuals include two females and three males 20 years old or younger and one woman and two men between the ages of 21 and 40. A total of 12,242 tests for COVID-19 have been conducted within Hale County and 10,229 have returned negative results. As of 5 p.m. Tuesday, there were 14 still pending. Many of the positive confirmed cases have been results of local transmissions (1,647). There have been 54 reported out-of-county transmissions and one listed as indeterminate. Of the confirmed cases, 910 of them have been among males and 792 of them among females. The breakdown by age is as follows: ages 21-40 have had 695 confirmed cases; between ages 41 to 60, there have been 443 cases; 292 cases among those show are 61 years old or older; and 271 cases among those 20 years or younger. The latest stats show there are 76 active cases of COVID-19 in Hale County. Of those cases, 73 individuals are recovering at home and three are in a medical facility. Technology stocks have been on a helter-skelter ride this week, causing investors to ask: do these tumbling share prices point to a repeat of the dot.com bust of 2002? Or is this the moment to buy? The centre of attention was Tesla considered a tech stock thanks to its software. The electric car maker's shares suffered a 21 per cent drop on Tuesday alone, following the decision not to allow the company to join the S&P 500 index the stock market's version of the cold shoulder. Tesla shares, which were $86 in January, now stand at $368, having reached $498 on August 31. Meanwhile, Alphabet owner of Google Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Microsoft were also caught up in the turmoil, losing about $950billion of their combined value. Later in the week, these shares bounced back to some extent, but their image of invincibility has been dented. However, this pause in their ascent is not a signal to panic. Observers do not view the week's events as a replay of the dot.com slump of 2002 when ill-conceived online shopping startups failed, leaving shareholders with huge losses. Jason Hollands of Bestinvest, comments: 'Most of the companies that went under at that time weren't proper businesses. You can't make an analogy with Amazon, Apple and the rest which generate real cash flow.' Yet a sense of unease remains, deepened by the revelation that some of the surge in prices had been driven by speculative derivatives trading. Softbank, the Japanese conglomerate, is reported to have gambled 30billion on tech stocks through call options. These give the right to buy a share at a fixed price in the future. Private investors in the US have also been using such derivatives to bet on tech stocks using hugely popular trading apps such as Robinhood that make investing seem like video gaming. The price falls have turned the focus on Baillie Gifford, the most prominent UK backer of the tech titans. Fortunately, before the sell-off, the managers reduced the group's Tesla stake from 7 per cent to 5 per cent scoring a profit of $17billion. Tesla was the largest holding at Baillie Gifford's Scottish Mortgage investment trust, which slipped to a 4.5 per cent discount (its share price is below its net asset value) although this has already narrowed to 2.5 per cent. Tom Slater, co-manager of Scottish Mortgage, says the decision to sell was driven by portfolio concentration rules. He told CNBC: 'I think that Tesla addresses such a large opportunity. It is only just getting started.' This upbeat assessment by Slater is based on the application of Tesla's battery technology to electricity generation. Investors in Scottish Mortgage like me will be interested to learn that Slater and his co-manager James Anderson will not be shunning Tesla, which has been in the portfolio since 2013. In fact they plan to acquire more shares. This strategy of taking profits and waiting in case further volatility presents a buying opportunity is reasonable given the rises in tech share prices this year. Apple shares are $113, against $56 in March, which puts the week's gyrations into context. This tactic has already been employed by David Coombs, head of multi-asset investment at Rathbone. He took profits on Alphabet and Amazon in August when the shares were still climbing. He says: 'It was embarrassing for a bit, but we were concerned that derivatives were pushing up prices.' He will be looking to rebuild his positions when these effects start to lessen, hoping to repeat his successful foray into the market after the March rout. He bought Microsoft at $135. Now they are $212. The key reason to buy tech shares is the belief that changes in habits forced on us by lockdown and working from home could become permanent. But the tech giants' progress may yet be impeded. Hollands warns: 'Both Trump and Biden may be minded to clip the wings of Big Tech.' This political dimension is a reminder of the need for diversification. The tech sector has been boosted by the fashion for buying expensive shares. This is not the moment to start embracing cheap shares (they may be cheap for a reason). Yet it may be worth checking sectors left behind in the love affair with tech. Hollands points to oil stocks and banks. The events this week have highlighted the risk of investing and the need to spread your risks, as too many learnt to their cost at the time of dot.com debacle. GREENWICH, Ohio A Vermilion man was killed Thursday morning when his car was struck from behind by a box truck while waiting for a traffic light, according to the State Highway Patrol. Jeffrey Lunsford, 58, was pronounced dead at the scene at the intersection of Ohio 13 and U.S. 224 in Greenwich Township in Huron County, the patrol says. The driver of the truck, a 32-year-old Bedford man, was not injured. Troopers say Lunsford had stopped his 2007 Toyota Corolla for a red light at the intersection at about 5 a.m. The 2018 Freightliner box truck, which was traveling south on Ohio 13, crashed into the Corolla from behind. Lunsford was not wearing a seatbelt, according to the patrol. The driver of the truck was using a seatbelt. The crash remains under investigation. More content on cleveland.com: 8-year-old girl shot in car in West Akron Attorney General Barr expected to appear at slain Cleveland officers funeral, sources say Two Baldwin Wallace students who were robbed Sept. 7 say suspects used handgun Man arrested in fatal shooting of girlfriend in Clevelands Broadway-Slavic Village neighborhood The Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs is preparing an additional request to German authorities regarding the case of opposition politician Alexei Navalny, TASS news agency reported on Friday. Also Read: US could restrict funds for 'malign activities' over Alexei Navalny poisoning It includes a request for the presence of Russian investigators when German experts carry out investigative actions with Navalny, including when obtaining explanations, TASS cited the ministry's statement as saying. Jaffer Bhai Mansuri (83), fondly known as the Biryani King of Mumbai passed away at Breach Candy Hospital on Thursday. He was being treated for Covid-19. He was taken to Breach Candy last week. But his oxygen saturation decreased and he was shifted to a ventilator on Sept 2. He died yesterday due to a heart attack, confirmed a source from Breach Candy hospital. Mansuri had not been feeling well for the past month, according to his family members and was put on a ventilator last week. The founder of Delhi Darbar and Jaffer Bhais Delhi Darbar chain, Mansooris death is being mourned by the hotel industry at large. Mansuri founded the Delhi Darbar restaurant in 1973 in Grant Road, Mumbai. In 2006, he set up a chain of restaurants called Jaffer Bhais Delhi Darbar after branching out from the family business. Known for its tasty kebabs and mouth watering biryani, the Delhi Darbar chain owns several restaurants in the city from Grant Road to Jogeshwari. The chain also has several restaurants in the UAE. Also Read: Covid-19 respite for Mumbai unlikely till New Year says BMC, it has a logic Shivanand Shetty, president of the Association of Hotel & Restaurant (AHAR) said that Jaffer Bhai was a pioneer in the hotel industry who had many firsts to his name. Delhi Darbar was one of the earliest attempts of brand building in the city. At the time, even when people owned multiple eateries, they did not have the same name. Jaffer Bhai built Delhi Darbar into a big, credible brand. His kebabs and biryani are known across the globe. He also introduced the idea of a central kitchen, wherein the main ingredients are sent from a single place to ensure the same taste across multiple branches, he added. Jaffer Bhai was one of the founder-members of AHAR when the association was formed in 1979. From a single restaurant in Grant Road, Jaffer Bhai managed to build an empire of restaurants and food delivery joints across the city all the way to Navi Mumbai, said culinary anthropologist and food historian Kurush Dalal. Known for being ahead of his times, what with starting paperless food orders in his restaurants and introducing the Afghani biryani to those who preferred their biryani less spicy, he was the man at the forefront of all new ideas. He loved cooking and up until very recently, he would be fiddling in the kitchen and making magic happen. I wish the family all the luck in taking his legacy to greater heights, added Dalal. Coronavirus LIVE Updates: The Serum Institute of India (SII) on Saturday said, 'Once DCGI (Drugs Controller General of India) gives us permission to restart the trials in India, we will resume the trials.' Auto refresh feeds Urging people to wear masks and maintain social distancing norms, he said contact-tracing exercises have been activated. "310 new positive cases of COVID-19 have been detected, out of 922 samples tested 176 in Dimapur, 127 in Kohima, 3 in Zunheboto and one each in Wokha, Peren, Mon and Mokokchung districts," the minister said in a tweet. Nagaland on Friday reported 310 COVID-19 cases for first time in single day, taking the overall count to 4,946, said health minister S Pangnyu Phom. "With the resumption of service on the Airport Express Line, all lines of the Delhi Metro network are now open! Remember to follow the guidelines when travelling. #MetroBackOnTrack," the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) tweeted. Delhi Metro resumed its full services on Saturday with the Airport Express Line reopening after a hiatus of over 170 days due to the COVID-19 pandemic. All corridors of the Metro network are now in operation and the timing of services will follow the pre-COVID-19 schedule of 6 am to 11 pm. There are 23,461 active cases in the state at present. So far, 1,69,043 people have recovered from the disease. The state also reported 57 more deaths, following which the toll rose to 3,828. In the past 24 hours, 3,016 patients recovered from the disease, taking the discharge rate to 86.10 percent, it added. West Bengal on Friday reported 3,157 new COVID-19 cases, taking the overall count to 1,96,332, according to a bulletin issued by the state Health Department. The move places further restrictions on the trials, which have already been put on hold by Serum on Thursday after the DCGI had asked the vaccine maker for details on the suspension of trials overseas. VG Somani, the drugs controller general of India, has also asked for increased safety monitoring of those already vaccinated with the experimental vaccine, ANI reported, citing an order issued by the regulator. The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) has asked Serum Institute of India to suspend recruitment in its clinical trials of AstraZeneca Plc's AZN.L potential COVID-19 vaccine in the country until further orders, reported ANI on Friday. Of the total 1,379 confirmed coronavirus cases in Mizoram, there are 589 active cases while 790 patients have been discharged, said the state health department on Saturday. On 12 August, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said that it will review the data from the studies before giving its stamp of approval for human use of the vaccine. Recently, 32 researchers that took part in the clinical trials published findings from early, human trials to test its safety. On 11 August, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that his country was the first to approve a vaccine offering "sustainable immunity" against the new coronavirus, leaving experts clamouring for results from trials of the vaccine. While the bulk of the reservations from health experts came from the US and the UK, there were voices of distrust from within Russia. The Russian vaccine against COVID-19, Sputnik V , produced antibodies in volunteers injected with it, without prompting any adverse effects. The findings of the vaccines Phase 1 and 2 human trials were published in the journal The Lancet on 4 September. The UN General Assembly has approved a resolution on tackling the coronavirus pandemic over objections from the United States and Israel, which protested a successful last-minute Cuban amendment that strongly urges countries to oppose unilateral economic, financial or trade sanctions. The conference was attended by the principal secretaries, health secretaries, and other representatives from Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Tripura, and Sikkim. The Centre has asked the north eastern states to focus on early identification of COVID-19 cases by ramping up testing along with effective monitoring of patients under home isolation and early hospitalization in case of disease progression to keep the mortality rate to one percent or less. The eight north eastern states account for less than five percent of the total active COVID-19 cases in the country, the Union Health Ministry said on Friday. As many as 14,308 patients were discharged on Friday taking the total recoveries to 7,15,023 so far. Of thee total, ther are 2,71,566 active cases while, the toll reached 28,724. In the past 24 hours, 393 new fatalities were added to the toll. Maharashtra's total COVID-19 cases crossed 10 lakh on Friday after reporting its highest single-day jump of 24,886 infections. The overall count now stands at 10,15,681. With over 1,200 deaths being reported in the past 24 hours, the COVID-19 toll has risen to 77,472. India registered 97,570 fresh coronavirus infections, taking the overall count over 46 lakh on Saturday, according to the latest data released by the Union health ministry. With 36,24,197 COVID-19 patients being cured so far, India's recovery rate has reached 77.77 percent on Saturday. While, the mortality rate dropped to 1.66 percent after 77,472 fatalities were registered. The step is necessary in view of the rapid increase in positive cases in the city, the order said. In view of the rising coronavirus positive cases, those not wearing face masks in Thane city of Maharashtra will be fined Rs 500. Thane Municipal Commissioner Vipin Sharma issued an order to this effect on Friday night. Over 5.51 COVID-19 samples have been tested so far, said the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), adding that 10,91,251 samples were tested on Friday alone. The cumulative recovered cases stood at 1.21 lakh while 32,005 are under treatment. Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) accounted for the most number of cases with 331, followed by Rangareddy 184, Medchal Malkajgiri 150 and Nalgonda 126 districts, a government bulletin said on Saturday, providing data as of 8 pm on 11 September. Telangana registered 2,278 fresh COVID-19 cases and 10 related fatalities, taking the total number of infections to 1.54 lakh in the state. Of the 1,201 new COVID-19 deaths, 442 were reported from Maharashtra, 130 from Karnataka, 77 each from Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, 76 from Uttar Pradesh, 63 from Punjab, 57 from West Bengal, 30 from Madhya Pradesh, 26 from Chhattisgarh, 25 from Haryana, 21 from Delhi, 16 each from Assam and Gujarat, 15 each from Jharkhand and Rajasthan and 14 each from Kerala and Odisha. Of the total 77,472 COVID-19 deaths, Maharashtra has reported the highest at 28,724 followed by 8,231 in Tamil Nadu, 7,067 in Karnataka, 4,779 in Andhra Pradesh, 4,687 in Delhi, 4,282 in Uttar Pradesh, 3,828 in West Bengal, 3,180 in Gujarat and 2,212 in Punjab. Covaxin, developed by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and Bharat Biotech, is being tested at 12 institutes across India. "Bharat Biotech proudly announces the animal study results of COVAXIN - These results demonstrate the protective efficacy in a live viral challenge model," tweeted the Hyderabad-based firm. Vaccine maker Bharat Biotech on Friday announced that the animal trials of its COVID-19 vaccine candidate Covaxin have been successful and the results showed the shots "remarkable immunogenicity and protective efficacy" in the Phase I clinical trials in India. "The woman was working at the Ramakrishna Mission Hospital here and admitted to a COVID Health Centre at Midpu after she had tested positive for the disease on 6 September. She was suffering from respiratory distress syndrome," he said. The toll rose to 10 in the northeastern state after a 38-year-old woman succumbed to the infection, State Surveillance Officer Dr L Jampa said. Arunachal Pradesh's COVID-19 total mounted to 5,825 as 154 more people, including three security personnel and two health workers, have tested positive for the disease, an official said on Saturday. The Congress has accused the Modi government of not handling the COVID-19 pandemic effectively. Taking a dig at the government, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday said its "well planned fight" against coronavirus has put India in an "abyss" of GDP reduction of 24 percent, 12 crore job losses, 15.5 lakh crore additional stressed loans and globally highest daily COVID-19 cases and deaths. India's COVID-19 case fatality rate has further dropped to 1.66 percent while the recovery rate has risen to 77.77 per cent, according to the Union Health Ministry. With a record 81,533 people recuperating from COVID-19 in a day, India's total recoveries on Saturday surged to 36,24,196 of which 60 percent of the cases are from five states, including Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. Of the seven fatalities, Jaipur reported 2 while Ajmer, Bikaner,Churu, Pratapgarh and Udaipur reported one death each. Rajasthan reported 739 fresh COVID-19 cases and seven deaths on Saturday. The cumulative figure of positive cases in the state has risen to 99,775 while the toll increased to 1,214, officials said. Modi gave this slogan while addressing the virtual housewarming ceremony of 1.75 lakh houses built in rural parts of Madhya Pradesh under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY). Cautioning people against lowering their guard till an effective anti-coronavirus medicine is developed, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday came up with a slogan in Hindi to drive home his point. Based on the study, accepted for publication in the British Journal of Anaesthesia, the scientists said this type of injury has been missed because critically ill people are expected to wake up with some generalised weakness when they have been bedridden. According to the researchers, including those from Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in the US, the nerve damage is a result of reduced blood flow and inflammation, which other non-COVID-19 patients on ventilators in this position rarely experience. While a prone position may ease breathing in severely ill COVID-19 patients on ventilators, scientists say this life-saving, face-down posture can also cause permanent nerve damage in these vulnerable individuals. Three deaths were reported in Cuttack, two in Khurda, and one each in Bolangir, Jajpur, Kandhamal, Keonjhar, Nayagarh and Rayagada, he said. Odisha's COVID-19 total mounted to 1,46,894 on Saturday with 3,777 more people testing positive for the disease, while 11 fresh fatalities pushed the state's toll to 616, a health department official said. Thirty six people were discharged from hospitals since Friday, taking the number of recoveries to 3,157, the official said. The Union Territory currently has 286 active cases, while 51 people have succumbed to the infection. At least 29 more people tested positive for the novel coronavirus in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, raising the overall count in the Union Territory to 3,494, a senior official said on Saturday. Maharashtra is the worst affected state with 28,724 COVID-19 fatalities. Nowhere has been the virus more deadly than in Maharashtra, where it has killed 2.8% of those with confirmed infections, well above the national mortality rate of nearly 1.7%. Maharashtra became the first state to cross 10 lakh COVID-19 cases after more than 24,000 additional cases were reported on Saturday. Kolkata Metro Rail Authority to resume services from 14 September in compliance with standard operating procedures (SOPs) in wake of coronavirus pandemic. With 1,421 fresh coronavirus infections in Bihar, the total number of confirmed cases in the state climbed to 16,610 on Saturday, said the state health department. Reports on Friday said that Union AYUSH minister and Goa Lok Sabha MP Shripad Naik has been discharged from the hospital after recovering from COVID-19. Both the deaths were reported from Leh district on Friday, the officials said. The deceased, aged 98 and 82, had tested positive for COVID-19 a few days back, they said. The officials said the two were also suffering from other ailments and age-related issues. Two more coronavirus positive elderly persons succumbed to the infection in Ladakh, bringing the number of deaths linked to the disease to 38 in the Union Territory, officials said on Saturday. "In a letter to Union Health minister Harsh Vardhan, Baghel also sought to increase the capacity of ICU beds at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Raipur, the official from the public relations department," News18 reported. Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel on Saturday asked the Centre to sanction funds worth Rs 736.74 crore for COVID-19 hospitals and care centres in the state. At least 2,885 new COVID-19 cases were reported in Kerala on Satuday. The active cases in the state are now at 28,802, while 75,848 patients have recovered so far. Delhi airport on Saturday started its on-arrival COVID-19 testing facility wherein an international passenger can pay Rs 5,000 to avail a RT-PCR test and also use the waiting lounge, said senior officials of its operator DIAL. The Civil Aviation Ministry had on September 2 said that international passengers, who have to take connecting domestic flights after landing in India, will have the option of getting themselves tested for COVID-19 at the entry airports. "Clinical trials for the AstraZeneca Oxford coronavirus vaccine, AZD1222, have resumed in the UK following confirmation by the Medicines Health Regulatory Authority (MHRA) that it was safe to do so," the company said in a statement. A statement by AstraZeneca was quoted by The Times of India as saying that the British drugmaking company was going to resume clinical trials of the COVID-19 vaccine it is developing in partnership with the Oxford University. Delhi on Saturday reported 4,321 new COVID-19 cases, which is the highest single-day spike so far. The total number of cases rose to over 2.14 lakh, while the toll rose to 4,715. Its British partner in developing a COVID-19 vaccine, AstraZeneca, on Friday said it had restarted its trials. The Serum Institute of India (SII) on Saturday said, "Once DCGI (Drugs Controller General of India) gives us permission to restart the trials in India, we will resume the trials." "At least 6,846 new COVID-19 cases were reported in UP in last 24 hrs and 6,085 people were discharged. Currently, there are 67,955 active cases, while 2,33,527 people have been discharged. The total death toll so far is 4,349. The recovery rate in the state is at 76.35% and the case fatality rate stands at 1.42%, which is less than the national average," says UP Principal Health Secretary. The Uttar Pradesh government on Saturday said that 6,846 new COVID-19 cases have been reported in the state. Reports on Friday said that Union AYUSH minister and Goa Lok Sabha MP Shripad Naik has been discharged from the hospital after recovering from COVID-19. Both the deaths were reported from Leh district on Friday, the officials said. The deceased, aged 98 and 82, had tested positive for COVID-19 a few days back, they said. The officials said the two were also suffering from other ailments and age-related issues. Two more coronavirus positive elderly persons succumbed to the infection in Ladakh, bringing the number of deaths linked to the disease to 38 in the Union Territory, officials said on Saturday. "In a letter to Union Health minister Harsh Vardhan, Baghel also sought to increase the capacity of ICU beds at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Raipur, the official from the public relations department," News18 reported. Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel on Saturday asked the Centre to sanction funds worth Rs 736.74 crore for COVID-19 hospitals and care centres in the state. At least 2,885 new COVID-19 cases were reported in Kerala on Satuday. The active cases in the state are now at 28,802, while 75,848 patients have recovered so far. Delhi airport on Saturday started its on-arrival COVID-19 testing facility wherein an international passenger can pay Rs 5,000 to avail a RT-PCR test and also use the waiting lounge, said senior officials of its operator DIAL. The Civil Aviation Ministry had on September 2 said that international passengers, who have to take connecting domestic flights after landing in India, will have the option of getting themselves tested for COVID-19 at the entry airports. "Clinical trials for the AstraZeneca Oxford coronavirus vaccine, AZD1222, have resumed in the UK following confirmation by the Medicines Health Regulatory Authority (MHRA) that it was safe to do so," the company said in a statement. A statement by AstraZeneca was quoted by The Times of India as saying that the British drugmaking company was going to resume clinical trials of the COVID-19 vaccine it is developing in partnership with the Oxford University. Delhi on Saturday reported 4,321 new COVID-19 cases, which is the highest single-day spike so far. The total number of cases rose to over 2.14 lakh, while the toll rose to 4,715. Delighted that AstraZeneca has resumed trials. Suspension of trials clearly showed fallacy of the approach, when entire countries exclusively rely on novel & untested platforms when choosing a vaccine for widespread use: Kirill Dmitriev, CEO, Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) Its British partner in developing a COVID-19 vaccine, AstraZeneca, on Friday said it had restarted its trials. The Serum Institute of India (SII) on Saturday said, "Once DCGI (Drugs Controller General of India) gives us permission to restart the trials in India, we will resume the trials." Coronavirus LATEST Updates: The Serum Institute of India (SII) on Saturday said, "Once DCGI (Drugs Controller General of India) gives us permission to restart the trials in India, we will resume the trials." Its British partner in developing a COVID-19 vaccine, AstraZeneca, on Friday said it had restarted its trials. A statement by AstraZeneca was quoted by reports as saying that the British drugmaking company was going to resume clinical trials of the COVID-19 vaccine it is developing in partnership with the Oxford University. "Clinical trials for the AstraZeneca Oxford coronavirus vaccine, AZD1222, have resumed in the UK following confirmation by the Medicines Health Regulatory Authority (MHRA) that it was safe to do so," the company said in a statement. Delhi on Saturday reported 4,321 new COVID-19 cases, which is the highest single-day spike so far. The total number of cases rose to over 2.14 lakh, while the toll rose to 4,715. The COVID-19 fatality rate in Maharashtra is 2.8 percent, nearly one percent above the national mortality rate of nearly 1.7 percent. Sixty percent of the total recovered cases are reported from five states - Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh, the health ministry said on Saturday. Bharat Biotech said that the results showed "remarkable immunogenicity and protective efficacy" in the Phase I clinical trials in India. DCGI Dr V G Somani on Friday also directed Serum Institute of India to increase the safety monitoring of the subjects already vaccinated as part of the trial, and submit the plan and report. Of the 1,201 new COVID-19 deaths, 442 were reported from Maharashtra, 130 from Karnataka, 77 each from Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, and 76 in Uttar Pradesh. With 36,24,197 COVID-19 patients being cured so far, India's recovery rate has reached 77.77 percent on Saturday. While, the mortality rate dropped to 1.66 percent after 77,472 fatalities were registered. With over 1,200 deaths being reported in the past 24 hours, the COVID-19 toll has risen to 77,472, said the health ministry on Saturday. After a hiatus of close to six months, Delhi Metro on Saturday became fully operational after the resumption of Airport Express Line. The entire Metro rail network is now available from 6 am to 11 pm, confirmed the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC). India witnessed another record spike in its tally of coronavirus cases, with 96,551 new cases being reported on Friday, according to the Union health ministry's data. The total number of cases rose to 45,62,415, the ministry said, adding that 1,299 new deaths were also reported. The total caseload includes 9,43,480 active cases, 35,42,664 cured, discharged, and migrated patients, and a toll of 76,271. Maharashtra, which has consistently been the worst-affected state by the pandemic, crossed a grim milestone in its count of COVID-19 cases on Friday. The tally crossed 10 lakh-mark with 24,886 new cases on Friday, while 393 new deaths were reported. The total number of cases in the state includes 7,15,023 discharged, 2,71,566 active cases and 28,724 deaths, the state health department said. ICMR sero-survey shows 6.4 mn people were infected in May The first nationwide sero-survey conducted by the ICMR indicates that 0.73 percent adults in India were exposed to SARS-CoV-2, amounting to a total of 6.4 million infections by early May The survey was conducted from 11 May to 4 June and covered 28,000 individuals whose blood samples were tested for IgG antibodies using COVID Kavach ELISA kit. Also, seropositivity was the highest in the age group of 18-45 years (43.3 percent), followed by those between 46-60 years (39.5 percent) and it was the lowest among those aged above 60 (17.2 percent). It is estimated that there were a total of 64,68,388 infections in India by early May, the survey report said. This is in stark contrast to Indias cumulative case load on 7 May of 52,592. "The findings of our survey indicated that the overall seroprevalence in India was low, with less than one percent of the adult population exposed to SARS-CoV-2 by mid-May 2020. "The low prevalence observed in most districts indicates that India is in early phase of the epidemic and the majority of the Indian population is still susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection," the survey report stressed. It highlighted the need to continue to implement context-specific containment measures, including testing of all symptomatics, isolating positive cases, and tracing high-risk contacts to slow down transmission and prevent overburdening of the health system. Delhi govt directs mohalla clinics to begin COVID-19 tests Mohalla clinics in Delhi have been instructed to start COVID-19 testing with immediate effect as part of the Delhi government's strategy to ramp up testing amid a surge in coronavirus cases in the National Capital, PTI reported. According to an order issued on 10 September by Dr Shalley Kamra, state nodal officer of the Aam Aadmi Mohalla Clinic (AAMC), tests will be conducted on all working days between 2 pm and 5 pm. There are nearly 450 mohalla clinics in Delhi. "In order to augment the COVID testing drive, it has been decided to initiate COVID testing at all AAMCs from 2 pm to 5 pm on all working days with immediate effect. All CDMO-cum-mission directors are requested to ensure that AAMC-empanelled staff is trained for the testing procedure," the order said. It said testing will happen as per the Delhi government's protocol, and the guidelines shall be shared by the chief district medical officers (CDMOs) with the AAMC staff. All tests done shall be updated on the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) portal, it added. The order also said the required logistic support for conducting the tests shall be provided by the CDMO-cum-Mission Directors, including PPEs, testing kits and management support. It requested that AAMCs conducting COVID-19 tests be sanitised at the end of each day. Maharashtra govt releases SOPs for hotels to resume operations The Maharashtra government on Friday released a standard operating procedure and guidelines for hotels, lodges and resorts, which have been permitted to resume operations at 100 percent capacity amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Hotels, resorts, homestays, farm stays etc in all areas except containment zones will be allowed to operate. As per the guidelines, which have been circulated to all stakeholders, all travellers will be screened at entry points of the establishment using thermal guns to record their body temperature and will be checked for symptoms of cough and cold. Only asymptomatic tourists will be permitted to stay, it was stated. Mandatory practises like wearing masks, social distancing and use of hand sanitisers must be followed at all times. Punjab govt cancels Sunday curfew in view of NEET exam Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh on Friday announced that there will be no curfew in the state this Sunday to facilitate free movement of students appearing for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET). However, shops selling non-essential items will remain closed, he clarified. All cities and towns in the state are under a curfew on Sundays. Students will have no problem reaching their examination centres, the chief minister said. Suresh Angadi, Odisha, Maharashtra ministers test positive Several ministers in the state and Centre tested positive for COVID-19 on Friday. Minister of State for Railways Suresh Angadi, who said he has tested positive for COVID-19, was admitted at the AIIMS Trauma Centre. The 65-year-old member of Lok Sabha from Belagavi constituency in Karnataka was admitted to the AIIMS Trauma Centre, which is a dedicated COVID-19 facility, around 6.30 pm. Earlier, Angadi had tweeted, "I have tested COVID-19 positive today. I am doing fine. Taking the advice of doctors. Requesting all those who have come in close contact with me in the last few days to monitor their health and get tested in case of any symptoms." Meanwhile, Maharashtra minister Vishwajeet Kadam became the tenth minister in the state government to test positive for COVID-19 on Friday. Odisha minister Tukuni Sahu also said she had tested positive for COVID-19. Sahu became the fifth minister in the state to be infected by coronavirus. Kerala minister EP Jayarajan and his wife also tested positive for coronavirus on Friday. He is the second member of the Pinarayi Vijayan government to test positive. "Jayarajan and his wife, who has also contracted the disease, was admitted to the Pariyaram Medical college hospital in Kannur, government sources said," The Indian Express reported. With inputs from agencies Santwana Bhattacharya By What does Bob Woodward have to do with Bihar? Nothing much, on the surface, except that both coincidentally relate to two impending electionsand thus figure in a larger story about democracy. Especially about one aspect that has come to supervene on everything else that passed before it: something that can only be defined in negation, a seed of anti-democracy operating now in the heart of the process. Bihar? The accumulated force of stereotypes is such that most readers will have no problem readily granting their assent to its inclusion in such a narrative. But Bob Woodward? Hes one of the two star reporters of Watergate, the very acme of investigative journalism! Could there have been a higher instance of speaking truth to power than one which, ultimately, brought down an American president? So why him? Well, as you read this, the American media landscape is roiled by debate on an acute ethical question. Woodward has just outed with a book titled Rage, based on conversations with US president Donald Trump, which contains an extraordinary revelation. Not very extraordinary if you always assume the worst about Trump, which is a common enough reflex, but still a shocker. So it turns out that Trump had confided in Woodward back in February itself that he knew exactly how deadly the Covid-19 virus was and what devastation it could wreak. Recall that this was a time when, instead of shoring up his countrys battle-readiness for a pandemic, Trump was making light of the threat in the most cavalier manneran attitude that most agree directly led to thousands and thousands of preventable deaths. (America is the worlds worst-hit country, with over 1.93 lakh fatalities.) One could of course question Trumps ethics; one could perhaps, with equal profit, interrogate the virus itself. An amoral cipher will stare back at us. So thats not it. Point is, why did Woodward wait seven months before making this revelation in a book released just before elections? Was it not part of his bounden duty to inform the American public that their President was taking them for a spin on a rollercoaster to helland save lives when he could? Woodwards defencethat he didnt know then Trump was not lying (!), didnt know the Presidents sources till May, wished to offer context and not just information, and wanted to hold him accountable before electionwear a bit thin. Now lets leave the election thats being watched keenly by the international community, and come to the one unfolding in the Indian backyard. What are the narratives driving it? Few other states would have been pushed so wholesale into human distress by Covid season: for a good proportion of the penniless migrants you saw walking hundreds of miles in the Indian summer just to get back home, Bihar would have been home. Not that it would have brought succour: its deprivation that impelled them outward in the first place. On top of that, there were devastating floods. Unlike Bombay or Gurgaon, floods in Bihar arent sexy, in newsroom parlance. So you wouldnt know any of this if you followed this robust democracys robust media. Whats playing there is something that need not be repeated. A jungle of hashtags and screams on TV. Sushant Singh Rajput and Rhea Chakraborty are not people in themselvesdead or alive, though bleeding in either case. They are voodoo dolls into which the media can stick pins so as to produce an effect elsewhere. The coming Bihar election, even in the less than ideal world we had, could have become an occasion to state a political choice: for solid political reasons. Those who prefer the Nitish Kumar administration, or even a solo run by its major coalition partner, the BJP, could have been given the choice to do so on positive groundsif they deemed that such grounds exist. Instead, we have the spectacle of an election that is sought to be swayed on an issue that has only the thinnest symbolic connection to the life and economy of Bihar. Or to its complex politics and the way in which it seeks to articulate the very real needs of the people of Biharor fails to do so. The lifeblood of a democracy is informed consent, and the unimpeded flow of good, valuable, credible and relevant information is a prerequisite for that. To take on the onus of offering that to the people is the medias sole jobthat is why its seen as the very circulatory system in which oxygenated blood flows to all parts of the body politic. The tragic farce that we see these days, in its essence, is built on an inversion of that function. How not to disseminate newsor how to divert attention to trivialities or extraneous thrillsis the medias real function today. This may have once been called a distortion, but has by now hardened to become a template in itself. Voting behaviour is a complex phenomenon, unduly impacted by issues of identity, social kinships and political affiliationsthe final act is one that defies predictions. And yet, a vote is not an end in itself. Its only a means to secure the widest possible well-being. If Woodwards error lay in delay of vital information, our media short-circuits democracy in advance. Santwana Bhattacharya Resident Editor, Karnataka, The New Indian Express (santwana@newindianexpress.com) Actor Angelina Jolie is yet again winning hearts with her surprise donation to two British children running a lemonade stand to raise money for providing assistance to those suffering from the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Yemen. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the actor had sent an undisclosed amount of money to the six-year-old Londoners Ayaan Moose and Mikaeel Ishaa who have been running the lemonade stand since July for war-torn Yemen. The two kids took to the online photo-sharing platform Instagram to thank the Mr & Mrs Smith actor. "Hi Angelina, I'm Ayaan. And I'm Mikaeel. And we're the LemonAid boys. We just wanted to say thank you for donating to our cause. It's really helped us raise more money and awareness for Yemen," the two wrote on Instagram. The boys also invited Jolie to get a fresh glass of lemonade from them if she ever happens to be in London. Speaking to CNN, Ayaan Moose's father Shakil Moose said Jolie had contacted the family in August and had offered a donation. Also read: Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitts custody battle turns messy again after she suspects something untoward happening "She's been so amazing. It's surreal -- she's not just a random star, you're talking about one of the top names on the planet so it's a bit overwhelming. She's phenomenal," CNN quoted him as saying. The two boys have till date reportedly raised more than $90,000 and aim to hit the target of $190,000. Follow @htshowbiz for more By Express News Service HYDERABAD: The strike by Osmania General Hospital junior doctors who are seeking better infrastructure for surgeries, entered the second day on Thursday. The doctors put up a skit to narrate their ordeals in the ill-equipped operation theatres. They showcased how often they end up using phone torches for light, plastic bottles for medicines, archaic instruments for incisions etc. The doctors displayed how even for saline drips they have to use sticks, and about the long waiting time for basic injections. The skit spoke about how saline bottles run empty at times inside the OT and for intubating patients, doctors make do with stop-gap arrangements. The situation in the operation theatre is such that the moment patients enter the casualty, the lack of facilities ensures that they land in the mortuary. We are being blamed for inconveniencing patients. But it is the administration which stopped elective services two months ago and we are demanding that they be reinstated, added Dr P Rothih, JUDA president from OGH. He further said that the government must renovate the GHMC shelter home to convert it into an OT building. Your browser does not support the video tag. GRAND RAPIDS, MI Spectrum Health has launched a curbside vaccination program. Patients can now visit one of more than 40 locations across West Michigan to receive flu shots, childhood vaccinations, immunizations, injections, tests and blood pressure checks. We wanted to meet patients where they are most comfortable, and for many thats right in their vehicle, Rima Shah, vice president and department chief for Primary Health at Spectrum Health, said in a statement. There are several benefits to curbside, including no time spent in waiting rooms. We continually remind our patients that whether they choose to see us virtually or in-person, were here for you and were ready for you. Appointments can be scheduled online. Patients using the service are asked to park in designated spaces. Patients are then asked to call a phone number listed on a sign placed at the parking spot. Registration is done over the phone, and clinical staff then meet the patient at their vehicle. Staff will perform the necessary medical service through the car window. Spectrum, which has been offering curbside services since early July, says most appointments take less than 10 minutes. To find out more about the curbside program, click here. Read more: Is it safe for athletes to wear masks while exercising? Friday, Sept. 11, coronavirus data by Michigan county: 12 counties now in the green zone Consumers Energy to raise gas rates by 9.1%, totaling $144 million More of this, please. A Danish collective of jazz musicians have perfected their far-right counter-protest strategy. "Free Jazz Against Paludan" follows the far-right politician Rasmus Paludan around the country and plays jazz very loudly and very badly at his events, in a bid to drown out his voice. Paludan, founder of the political party Stram Kurs (Hard Line), is notorious for organising "demonstrations" in neighbourhoods with large immigrant populations, where he burns, throws, and stomps on Qurans behind walls of police officers. A self-proclaimed "guardian of freedom" and "light of the Danes", Paludan considers immigrants and Islam enemies of the Danish people, as well as the country's values, traditions and general way of life. Since May, jazz musicians countrywide have crashed his demonstrations armed with trumpets, bongo drums and saxophones. When allowed in close proximity, they play right in his face, to his visible annoyance. If they can't reach Paludan who received a suspended sentence in 2019 for a string of offences, including racism they simply play loudly enough to drown out his voice or draw attention away from him. Perus disastrous performance might appear perplexing, given President Martin Vizcarras initially decisive response: an early and strict lockdown that put the economy into deep freeze. Restrictions including a national 10 p.m. curfew remain in force. Yet poverty, decades of underinvestment in health care and what critics say are strategic errors by the government repressive policies enforced by the police and military, a complete lack of contact tracing, the failure to use targeted lockdowns for local outbreaks, and the lack of a communication strategy have undermined the response. Daniel Cummings, MP for West Kingstown, literally beseeched the Prime Minister to release the Poverty Assessment Report before the next election. "Make the Report public I dare you Ralph Gonsalves make the Poverty Assessment Report public. So beckoned Daniel Cummings Parliamentary Representative for West Kingstown, during this weeks edition of the opposition New Democratic Partys (NDP) programme Monday Night Live, streamed on Facebook. "There are angels who deliver good information, so I say to you Prime Minister and the Minister of Finance, in Parliament you ... and do not want to release information that you are ashamed of, Cummings said accusingly. "It is damningtell the people what the Poverty Assessment Report says before I Daniel Cummings do, he continued. According to the parliamentarian, he has been asking the government for some time now, to indicate when the most recent Poverty Assessment Report would be released to the public. The last such Report as released in 2008. Cummings fingered the government for being fearful of releasing the Report this close to the upcoming General Elections. Background Cummings, in fact, had raised the issue in the November 26, 2019 Meeting of the House of Assembly, when he asked Minister of Finance Camillo Gonsalves to explain why the Report, which was expected to be published in March 2019, still not available. In his response then, Gonsalves indicated that the overall status of the Report was that data collection and processing were not complete in all sections, and there were one or two outstanding communities for the participatory poverty assessment. He added that the analysis and production of the full report as well as the processing of all components were expected to be completed within a three-month period, following some outstanding fieldwork which was likely to extend beyond the first quarter of 2020. Back where we began According to Cummings, the last Poverty Assessment conducted by the NDP in 1998 suggested that the poverty level was 36 percent. It went down to 30 percent in 2008, he explained but based on information Cummings said he currently had at his disposal, the level was back up to 36 percent. "And that was before this period of the COVISD-19 pandemic, he quipped. "So, if you know what good for you Ralph, release the Poverty Assessment Report which was paid for by the people of this country, he implored. He said that he was giving the government a chance to do it on their own, as they would not like if he were to do it. "I want to be fair. I asked twiceshow the people the report, Cummings beckoned. The race to find a vaccine to coronavirus continues but it has been a mixed week so far in that pursuit. AstraZeneca had to pause their vaccine trials as a woman developed severe neurological symptoms, the drugmaker told news agencies on Thursday. The Drug Controller General of India asked Serum Institute of India to cite reasons on why they had failed to inform of the casualty analysis of the reported serious adverse events. The latter said that the trials were ongoing and they were adhering to the DCGIs safety concerns. Coronavirus has affected more than 28 million people worldwide. More than 900,000 people have died. India has reported more than 90,000 cases and currently is close to reporting at least 100,000 cases per day. Here are the latest developments on the coronavirus vaccine: The US Food and Drug Administrations office has said on Thursday that the emergency authorization of a Covid-19 vaccine will have to meet a higher standard of efficacy than what would normally be required for such clearance. The Bolsonaro-led Brazil government is yet to decide whether to join the COVAX Facility - the worldwide vaccine allocation plan led by the World Health Organisation (WHO). COVAX aims to procure and deliver 2 million doses of coronavirus vaccines by the end of 2021. The deadline for Brazil to join the WHO-led initiative ends on September 18. WHO has called the recent halting of the coronavirus vaccine tests of Astrazeneca a wake-up call. World Health Organizations chief scientist Dr. Soumya Swaminathan said that the global community needs to realize that there are ups and downs in research. Turkeys health minister Fahrettin Koca said that the nations health ministry will decide next week whether to conduct the Phase III testing of Russias coronavirus vaccine Sputnik V. Our vaccine science team will have made its evaluation on the issue in the coming days. We may probably allow Phase III work for the vaccine in Russia next week, he said while speaking to Reuters. The Brazilian state of Bahia has signed a confidentiality agreement on Tuesday to undertake the trials of the Russias Sputnik V vaccine and shall receive 500 doses as soon as Anvisa, Brazils health regulator, approves the testing protocols. Governor Rui Costa told Reuters that Brazil will also buy 50 million doses of the vaccine and plans to commit to that decision within Friday. Chelsea Hernandez makes films to inspire change. Oftentimes, the subject matter changes Hernandez. Case in point, her documentary, Building the American Dream, gave the filmmaker new perspective on the abuse of immigrant workers in the construction industry in Texas. Growing up in Texas, I never knew this was happening, she says. The purpose of this film was to open some eyes. The film will air at 9 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 15, on New Mexico PBS, Channel 5.1. It repeats on Sept. 17 and 19. It is part of the Voces series. The documentary takes viewers to Texas, the site of a massive construction boom heralded as the Texas Miracle. But it has a dirty secret the abuse of immigrant workers. The film captures the rise of a workers movement, fighting widespread construction industry injustices from nonpayment of wages to deadly work conditions. One of the stories in the film is that of the Granillo family, whose son died of heat-related causes on a construction site. The Granillo family campaigns for a much-needed safety law that would allow workers 10-minute breaks for every four hours of labor. Then theres Claudia and Alex, a Salvadoran couple, skilled electricians owed thousands in back pay who fight for their childrens future. And Christian, a bereaved son, hopes to protect others from his familys preventable tragedy. Hernandez says that through their stories of courage, resilience and community, the film reveals eye-opening truths about the hardworking immigrants who build our American dream. I first met Christian, and he told me his story of losing his dad in a roofing accident, Hernandez says. As I kept meeting people and going to various meetings, there were stories that just gutted you. It was difficult to choose the handful of stories that we followed. Hernandez says she worked with the Workers Defense Project. A lot of the times, it was a matter of being in the moment, she says. Theres one scene with Claudia and Alex that we were able to capture. It was at an intense moment where Claudia had to go check in with ICE. When she did that, she never knew if she was coming back. Thats an example of us just rolling camera. Building the American Dream is a production of Panda Bear Films in association with Latino Public Broadcasting. Were proud to present this timely documentary about Latino essential workers who are advocating for more equitable working conditions, says Sandie Viquez Pedlow, executive director of LPB and executive producer of VOCES. As we hear about the Latino workers whose jobs are considered essential and are bearing a disproportionate burden during this pandemic, this film is a stark reminder of all the Latinos who work in dangerous conditions to keep our nation running during good times and bad. On TV Building the American Dream will air at 9 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 15, on New Mexico PBS, Channel 5.1. President Donald Trump (R) shakes hands with Bahrain's Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa during a meeting in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington on Sept. 16, 2019. (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images) Now Bahrain? Trump Really Does Deserve the Nobel Peace Prize! Commentary You dont have to channel Simon & Garfunkels classic The Sound of Silence to conjure up mainstream media response to what is becoming one of the more amazing events, if not the most amazing, of our time: Donald Trump (with significant help from Jared Kushner and Mike Pompeo) seems to be doing what few thought possible after decades of Oslo Accords failurebringing peace to the Middle East. Only the other day, to the consternation of the usual suspects, the president was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize for helping engineer the new peace agreement between the United Arab Emirates and Israel. Now we have Bahrain added to the mix, apparently also making a deal with the Jewish state. Cementing those ties, Bahrain Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa will be arriving in Washington Monday to attend the Tuesday ceremony where Israel and the UAE will formalize their ties, according to the Jerusalem Post. Saudi Arabiathat is known to have been sharing intelligence with Israel for some time and is now allowing overflights of its territory by El Alseems poised for a similar recognition. How could this have happened? It could not be more obvious it all began to reach fruition when Trump withdrew from the Iran Dealthe awkwardly-named Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JPCOA). Some action! Why Barack Obama wanted to enter into such a bizarre and ineffectual semi-agreement (it was never really formalized) with the biggest state sponsor of terrorism remains one of the mysteries of our era. Theories exist, but suffice it to say the net result was billions in the mullahs coffers with which they were able to finance their murderous proxies (Hezbollah, Houthis, Hamas, et. al.), build missiles and other advanced weaponry and extend the Syrian civil war with another quarter of a million corpses not to mention millions more refugees. That Joe Biden wishes to return to this insanity is reason enough to ban him from all public offices in perpetuity. The Palestinian leadership is of course outraged by what has happened and is already complaining they have been betrayed by their fellow Arabs, but as former Israeli foreign minister Abba Eban told us decades ago, the Pals never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity. And there is a genuine opportunity here that might even allow them to save their beloved Savile Row pin-striped suits into the bargain. One of the enduring stumbling blocks to any Israeli-Palestinian agreement has always been the refusal by Fatah & Co. to have Jewish settlers living among them on the land of a putative Palestinian state. This is true despite nearly 2 million Arabs living, working, and studying in Israel proper and despite many millions more Jews having been living in Arab countries before they were expelled. This is nothing more than tribalism that dates back, as the phrase goes, to time immemorial. If the Palestinians were to abandon it even for a little bit and acknowledge, if not welcome, the Jewswho would be a minority anyway in their midstthey could take the human rights high ground and negotiate the borders of their state from a position of newfound power and, no doubt, with the firm support of the Gulf States they now see as enemies. So far they havent, not even close. And unfortunately, such a decision has been made more difficult in the present zeitgeist where tribalism is becoming the new religion, group being set against group. This is true obviously in our own country and just about everywhere else. Nevertheless, the Gulf States seem to be breaking with this noxious global trend, proving a lot of people wrong, including numerous so-called Middle East experts. Wouldnt it be wonderful if the Palestinians were able to break free of it as well? Stranger things have happened, though not a lot. Meanwhile, one thing is clear. Trump, unlike so many before him, really does deserve that Nobel Peace Prize. He is earning it for actual achievements on the ground. His predecessor, Barack Obama, won one before he did anything at all, just for being cool. They should have given that, posthumously, to Miles Davis. Trump may soon have more Nobel Peace Prizes than Roger Federer has tennis trophies. Roger L. Simon is an award-winning author, Oscar-nominated screenwriter and co-founder of PJ Media. He is now a columnist for The Epoch Times. Find him on Parler and Twitter @rogerlsimon. Buy his books on Amazon. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. The public statements that you have made about Deon and the evidence you decided to disclose so far has largely emphasized why the shooting was justified, and not whether it was avoidable, Sulton said to Newsham. Youve been focusing on whether it was legal and not whether it was right. Youve been focusing on whether it was necessary in the moment instead of whether it was necessary at all. Today Sun and clouds mixed. High 44F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph. Tonight Mostly cloudy skies this evening will become partly cloudy after midnight. Low near 30F. Winds light and variable. Tomorrow A few clouds early, otherwise mostly sunny. High 42F. Winds light and variable. The National Chief Imam, Sheikh Osmanu Nuhu Sharubutu, has reiterated the call to end harmful practices such as forced and early marriages which prevent girls from realising their potential. According to him, such practices were not only immoral but also harmful to the development of young people, particularly girls. He said girls, and for that matter women, had a critical part to play in the development of any nation and, therefore, forcing them to marry at tender ages was backward and an affront to the rights of young girls. Sheikh Sharubutu said this when the leadership of Plan International Ghana paid a courtesy call on him at his residence in Accra. GAA project The organisation is implementing a girls advocacy alliance (GAA) project, with the objectives of reducing child marriages, sexual violence and abuse, commercial sexual exploitation of girls, as well as the creation of advocacy to ensure that girls have access to technical and vocational education. The five-year programme is being implemented in the Ashanti, Eastern, Greater Accra, Northern, Savannah, North East, Upper East and Upper West regions. Globally, about 12 million girls are forced into early marriages annually, with many of them dying during pregnancy and childbirth. Significance Sheikh Sharubutu said every child deserved the right to self-development, and for that matter society had a responsibility to ensure that girls were given the needed support to develop their potential. According to him, Islam, as a religion, prioritised the welfare and rights of women and, therefore, abusing such rights was not Islamic. He said ending forced and child marriages would enable young girls to acquire higher education and employable skills that would enable them to become economically independent to contribute to national development. He advised Muslim youth to strive for knowledge, which he said formed part of the central theme of Islam, and not allow themselves to become instruments of violence in the hands of people, especially politicians, during elections. Sheikh Sharubutu commended Plan International Ghana for working towards eliminating forced and early marriages from the country. Efforts The Country Director of Plan International Ghana, Mr. Solomon Tesfamariam, said under the GAA project, more than 262 girls had been saved from forced and early marriages in the country. He said it was worrying that young girls were married off at tender ages, without considering the impact such marriages could have on them physically, emotionally, economically, and on their health. He said his outfit had been engaging stakeholders to make vital inputs to tackle the root causes of violations against girls and their development. He further said ending forced and child marriages and all forms of abuse against the girl child and children in general was a shared responsibility. Mr. Tesfamariam expressed appreciation to the Chief Imam for his resolve to join the fight against forced and child marriages. Communique In a communique, youth advocates of the GAA and Defence for Children International said: Child marriage destroys the education of girls in Ghana. Over 90 per cent of married girls are out of school, compared to 18 per cent of their unmarried peers. Ms. Issah Rahama, who read the communique, added that these girls are not only out of school but exposed to severe health complications such as fistula and anaemia. This further worsens the empowerment of girls and young women, which deepens the cycle of poverty. Source: graphiconline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video 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 commissioners have decided to spend $150,000 in stipends to recovered COVID-19 patients who donate their plasma to help others fight the disease. Donated plasma from recovered patients includes antibodies to the virus and has been approved as a treatment for the disease. It isnt a cure. Even though more than 40,000 San Antonians have recovered from the coronavirus, County Commissioner Justin Rodriguez said less than 5 percent of them have donated plasma. The Metropolitan Health District reported 69 new cases of COVID-19 Thursday, a significant drop from Wednesdays 151 cases, continuing a trend that has seen a decline in cases for several weeks. With fewer cases and hospitalizations, Metro Health this week dropped the local risk level to the green safe zone, a far cry from the severe risk to the city in July. The improving fortunes are due to several factors, including a two-week decline in cases, a robust testing capacity, the doubling time of cases that now is at 65 days, and a moderate rate of positive cases. Rodriguez thanked residents for their perseverance and for taking precautions to stem the pandemic, such as wearing masks and not gathering in large groups. The total number of cases since March has edged up to 47,956. Metro Health also verified nine deaths Thursday that occurred since the start of September, bringing the citys death toll to 990. The health department is investigating almost 200 more deaths found on death certificates recorded by the state but have not yet been verified by Metro Health. There also are 284 coronavirus patients in San Antonio hospitals 14 fewer than Wednesday with 33 of those being new admissions. A large number of the patients 128 are being treated in intensive care units, with 80 of them on ventilators. San Antonio got another state-funded coronavirus testing facility Thursday at Las Palmas Library at 515 Castroville Road. The testing site will be open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. seven days a week and no appointment is required. More of these testing sites are coming soon to the city, Mayor Ron Nirenberg said. With the November election approaching, Bexar County is also sending vote-by-mail applications to residents over age 65. To make in-person voting safer, the county is planning on using larger centers and providing more locations for early voting with extended hours of operation. Of course were doing everything we can to make sure that these sites are safe and as accessible and convenient as possible, Rodriguez said. Nirenberg also reiterated that schools are not required to post infections data on their websites but are required to report COVID-19 positive staff and students to Metro Health within 24 hours, as well as weekly data to the Texas Education Agency. Parents can view districts COVID-19 statistics on the Texas Education Agency website. On ExpressNews.com: San Antonio COVID-19 progress continues as schools reopen According to Bob Woodwards new book, Rage, and various audio recordings released from his interviews, President Donald Trump downplayed the danger of the coronavirus to the nation earlier this year, while telling Woodward he knew the virus was deadly. Asked to respond, Nirenberg said: The only thing were concerned about is to make sure people have the facts. We have not sugarcoated the situation that were in and I believe that its that kind of transparency and data and access to information thats helped protect our community and kept us one of the lowest rates of infection of any big city in the state. Area report The city of Laredo on Thursday confirmed one new death, a woman in her 70s, bringing its death toll to 261. Laredo also has reported 12,464 coronavirus infections, with 813 of those still active. More than 90 percent of the citys COVID-19 patients have recovered. Officials in Laredo also reported 115 hospitalizations, with 55 people in intensive care. Comal County reported 12 new cases of coronavirus Thursday, bringing the county total to 3,128. The county also had one deatha man in his 70sbringing its death toll to 114. More than 85 percent of the patients in Comal County have recovered from the disease, but it still has 308 active cases. There are six COVID-19 patients in Comal County hospitals, with two in intensive care and one on a ventilator. 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 (Bloomberg) -- ByteDance Ltd., the Chinese owner of video-sharing app TikTok, is planning to make Singapore its beachhead for the rest of Asia as part of its global expansion, according to people familiar with the matter. The Beijing-based company is looking to spend several billion dollars and add hundreds of jobs over the next three years in the city-state, where it has applied for a license to operate a digital bank, said the people, who asked not to be identified because of confidentiality. The investment would come at a crucial time as the technology firm is forced to sell TikTok operations in the U.S. under pressure by the Trump administration. ByteDance, the worlds most richly valued startup, is plowing ahead with plans to take its social media services deeper into Asia after setbacks in India and the U.K. as well as the U.S. The internet phenomenon controlled by billionaire Zhang Yiming has long eyed Southeast Asias 650 million increasingly smartphone-savvy population, a region where Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. and Tencent Holdings Ltd. are also making inroads. Read how TikTok becomes part of U.S.-China flashpoints The plans for Singapore include establishment of a data center, the people said. Its operations there include TikTok and Lark, an enterprise software business. ByteDance currently has more than 200 job openings in Singapore, for positions in everything from payments to e-commerce and data privacy, according to its job referral site. The company already has 400 employees working on technology, sales and marketing in the city-state, one of the people said. A ByteDance representative offered no comment. Southeast Asia is rapidly evolving into a critical location for Chinas largest tech corporations from Alibaba to Tencent in the face of growing hostility from the U.S. and other major developed markets. Singapore is becoming a regional base for both Western and Chinese companies because of its developed financial and legal system, and as Beijing tightens its grip on Hong Kong. Story continues Singapore is highly attractive to tech firms looking for a hub to address the Southeast Asian markets due to geographic proximity, said Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Vey-Sern Ling. The workforce is highly educated, tech savvy and multilingual. In China, ByteDance also runs news aggregation app Toutiao, and TikToks Chinese twin Douyin. Collectively its stable of products have more than 1.5 billion monthly active users. ByteDance is said to have generated more than $3 billion of net profit on more than $17 billion of revenue in 2019. U.S. Deadline Asia is a growth area for the company, especially when it is increasingly likely to miss the U.S. governments deadline for the sale of its TikTok U.S. operations. President Donald Trump said Thursday he wont extend his Sept. 15 deadline for the deal. In India, TikTok is among more than a hundred Chinese-made consumer apps that are banned by the government on concerns about security. SoftBank Group Corp. is exploring gathering a group of bidders for TikToks India assets. The U.K. government will likely ban TikTok from moving local user data out of the country, Bloomberg News has reported. Gateway Singapore, in particular, offers ByteDance the opportunity to explore an area its had relatively little exposure to. The company is leading a consortium that has applied for a digital-bank license from the Monetary Authority of Singapore. Other members of that group includes a private investment firm owned by a member of the Lee family that founded Oversea-Chinese Banking Corp. The regulator will award as many as five such permits to non-banks by December. Ant Group and Tencent-backed Sea Ltd. have also applied. The city-state offers a potential gateway to the rest of Southeast Asia, where the digital lending market may reach $110 billion by 2025, according to a report by Bain & Co., Google and Temasek Holdings Pte. (Updates with details from penultimate paragraph) For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com Subscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source. 2020 Bloomberg L.P. PIGGS PEAK A march to Nsangwini umphakatsi aimed at assisting a woman whose husband married a second wife took another twist. On Saturday, about 10 women headed to Nsangwini umphakatsi in protest against the man they accused of abandoning his wife and marrying another woman. The women were bitter that despite the couple being married for many years, they did not have a marriage certificate as proof of their union. The women belong to an organisation known as the Swaziland Rural Women Assembly (SRWA). They were led by Simangele Dlamini, who is also a resident of Nginamadolo. She is the chairperson of the Nginamadolo branch of SRWA, which is an organisation affiliated to Women and Law in Southern Africa (WLSA). Dlamini said they approached the Nsangwini umphakatsi to assist in a matter in which one of their residents had been allegedly neglected by her husband who went on to marry another woman. She said the protest aimed to make sure that *Lolo managed to obtain a marriage certificate. Dlamini said the women wondered why the couple did not have a marriage certificate despite that they had been married for at least seven years. How can he marry another woman and leave her without any document? wondered Dlamini. Council Speaking while at the umphakatsi, Dlamini said their march sought to seek the assistance of the inner council to assist Lolo to acquire a marriage certificate. Lolos mother was also present at the umphakatsi. When asked about the marriage certificate, she confirmed that her daughter did not have one. However, she said the family had resolved the issue. Noteworthy is that though SRWA had been protesting in favour of Lolo, she did not attend the march. Bonginkosi Mdluli, who is the secretary of the inner council at Nsangwini umphakatsi, said they were ready to assist Lolo if she needed a marriage certificate. Mdluli said under normal circumstances, they encourage that a couple should obtain a marriage certificate within three months of being married. Lolo is said to have been traditionally married to her husband and this was also confirmed by Mdluli. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin -- (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, September 11, 2020 14:37 497 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c444195e 1 Business WareSix,logistics,technology-companies,fundraising,softbank Free Logistics technology company Waresix closed its series-B funding round, raising almost US$100 million over the last year to fund its business development. The funding came from existing investors EV Growth and Jungle Ventures, as well as new investors including SoftBank Ventures Asia, Indonesian tech and media firm EMTEK Group, private equity fund Pavilion Capital and Redbadge Pacific. The capital will be invested to develop the most robust logistics technology infrastructure in Southeast Asia and further build out our world-class team to help us seize a large market opportunity, Waresix CEO Andree Susanto said in a statement on Thursday. In January, the company announced that it had received $11 million from EV Growth and Jungle Ventures in its extended series-A round. Despite disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the company saw rapid growth in its first mile and mid-mile trucking services, which made up the majority of the firms business, Andree added. Waresix also claims it has been profitable on a net income basis since June 2019, two years after its establishment in 2017. Waresix, which has 40,000 trucks and 375 warehouses in more than 100 cities across Indonesia, serves more than 250 corporate clients such as fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) giant Unilever, food manufacturing giant Indofood and e-commerce platform JD.ID. We believe that logistics, being a major bottleneck in the fast-growing Indonesian economy, provides ample opportunity for innovation within the e-trucking sector, Andree said. Indonesias logistics market, estimated to be worth $240 billion, is an attractive yet challenging sector due to the countrys geography of more than 17,000 islands. (eyc) (L-R): Treasure Secretary Steven Mnuchin, Vice President Mike Pence, President Donald Trump, and Advisor Jared Kushner, speak in the Oval Office to announce that Bahrain will establish diplomatic relations with Israel, at the White House in Washington, on Sept. 11, 2020. (Anna Moneymaker-Pool/Getty Images) Israel and Bahrain to Establish Full Diplomatic Relations, Trump Says President Donald Trump on Friday announced a deal between Israel and Bahrain to normalize relations in a bid for peace in the Middle East. The second Arab country to make peace with Israel in 30 days, he wrote on Twitter. Last month, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) agreed to normalize relations between it and Israel. Another historic breakthrough today! Trump wrote, adding: Our two GREAT friends Israel and the Kingdom of Bahrain agree to a Peace Deal. The move represents another diplomatic victory for Trump, who has branded himself a peacemaker and has sought to end U.S. involvement in foreign warscoming two months before the November election. For decades, a number of Arab nations have boycotted Israel, saying they would establish ties if its Palestinian dispute were settled. Trump announced the agreement on Friday, following a three-way phone call he had with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Bahrains King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa. The three leaders also issued a brief six-paragraph joint statement, attesting to the deal. Theres no more powerful response to the hatred that spawned 9/11 than this agreement, Trump told reporters at the White House. This is a historic breakthrough to further peace in the Middle East, Trump, Netanyahu, and Bahrains King Hamad said in the statement. Opening direct dialogue and ties between these two dynamic societies and advanced economies will continue the positive transformation of the Middle East and increase stability, security, and prosperity in the region. Of the Palestinians, their statement said the parties will continue to achieve a just, comprehensive, and enduring resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to enable the Palestinian people to realize their full potential. The deal will normalize commercial, security, and diplomatic relations between Israel and Bahrain. This is very fast, White House adviser Jared Kushner told The Associated Press. The region is responding very favorably to the UAE deal and hopefully its a sign that even more will come. The other Arab countries to have normalized relations with Israel are Egypt and Jordan. Officials said that Bahrain will join a Sept. 14 signing ceremony along with Israel and the UAE at the White House. The agreement deals a major blow to Palestinian leader and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, who criticized the Israel-UAE deal when it was signed last month. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailed the deal. Citizens of Israel, I am excited to inform you that tonight we will reach another peace agreement with another Arab country, Bahrain, Netanyahu said, according to the Times of Israel. This follows the historic peace agreement with the UAE. It took us 26 years to get from the second peace agreement with an Arab state to the third peace agreement, and it took us not 26 years but 29 days to reach the peace agreement between the third Arab state and the fourth Arab state, and there will be more. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Disney's blockbuster 'Mulan' has received a torrent of negative reviews from fans in China as it opened in local theatres on Friday. Critics have accused the $200million (153million) production of 'uglifying Chinese people', failing to understand the original story and carrying 'malicious' messages against the nation. The news comes after international activists called for a boycott against the film because Disney included 'special thanks' to officials in Xinjiang - where ethnic Muslims face widespread abuse. Disney's blockbuster 'Mulan' has received a torrent of negative reviews from fans in China The retelling of the legendary female Chinese warrior tale 'Mulan' drew a backlash even before its official release. But now Chinese critics are slamming the film after it opened in the country The live-action epic sold around 41million yuan ($5.99million, 4.68million) worth of tickets by the afternoon, according to ticketing platform Maoyan. But the movie, which many have seen online, was instantly slammed by angry Chinese audience and has a 4.7 out of 10 rating on popular user review site Douban. One review, posted six days before its Chinese premiere, condemned the film for 'uglifying Chinese people'. It claimed that the film embodied Western people's stereotype that the East must be 'backward, autocratic, savage and ignorant'. The author also blasted the styling of Mulan as 'grandiose and laughable'. 'From its the script to the design of characters, the film seems to have misunderstood the Chinese culture. [It] is filled with Westerners' conjectures and stereotypes towards ancient China and spares no effort to uglify Chinese people,' the post read. The lavish $200million (153million) film about a legendary female Chinese warrior was already tangled in political controversy after leading actress Liu Yifei (pictured) last year voiced support for Hong Kong's police who cracked down on pro-democracy protesters Chinese authorities told major media outlets not to cover Disney's release of 'Mulan' after controversy over its ties to Xinjiang erupted, four people familiar with matter told Reuters Another Douban commenter who gave the film one star out of five claimed that the film carried 'malicious' messages and warned parents not to take their children to watch it. One viewer vented her frustrations today and said that the film was 'the worst version of Mulan' they had seen. Some disliked its deviation from the original tale and new storyline, while others blasted the action scenes. 'In my mind, Mulan was originally ladylike and not a martial artist as a child,' one user wrote. Another reviewer added: 'The storyline is very poor and Mulan's hero complex was highlighted without logic. The martial arts sequences were also weak.' Others questioned why there were not more Chinese staff working on the film. It stars big-name Chinese actors, including Jet Li, Gong Li, Donnie Yen and Liu Yifei (pictured) Pilloried internationally and grilled by Chinese cinemagoers, Mulan has at least one ardent fan -- China's firebrand foreign ministry. The retelling of the legendary female Chinese warrior tale drew a backlash even before its official release when star Liu Yifei voiced her support for Hong Kong's police as they cracked down on democracy protests last year. This week it faced boycott calls globally for filming in Xinjiang -- where rights abuses against the region's Muslim population have been widely documented -- and for thanking authorities from the north-western region in the end credits. Disney's 'Mulan' remake has faced boycott calls after it emerged that some of the blockbuster's scenes were filmed in China's Xinjiang. The above picture purports to show ethnic detainees sitting inside a 're-education' camp in the western Chinese province This photo taken on May 31, 2019 shows watchtowers on a high-security facility near what is believed to be a re-education camp where mostly Muslim ethnic minorities are detained But Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian on Friday dismissed the controversy, saying it was 'very normal' to thank the Xinjiang government for their help and shrugging off criticism by 'some so-called human rights organisations.' He went onto applaud Chinese-American star Liu as 'the contemporary Mulan' and 'a true child of China'. Amid the furore, the hashtag 'Mulan' appeared to have been disabled on China's Twitter-like platform Weibo, with the tag turning up no search results on Friday. AFP understands that some state media have also been told to avoid covering the movie. Last year, Ms Liu (left, pictured on March 8) shared a picture from the state's official paper, the People's Daily, that read 'I support Hong Kong's police, you can beat me up now' (right) At cinemas in Beijing, however, several moviegoers were oblivious to the international outcry. 'Mulan is a household name. Different people may have different ways of understanding this story,' said Hu Xia, 46, who saw the movie with her son. 'This time, I think they were successful.' Another moviegoer, 30-year-old Alvin Ye, praised the movie for its portrayal of an extraordinary woman. Nationalistic tabloid Global Times offered another defence against overseas critics, in typically unvarnished language, describing attacks on the film as 'depravity'. For Subscribers Farmers concerned about chemical costs, supply issues heading into 2022 Higher fertilizer and chemical costs are on the minds of farm groups as they look toward spring planting. Erik Loomis, a history professor at the University of Rhode Island, has defended the killing of Patriot Prayer supporter Aaron Danielson A professor from the University of Rhode Island has come under fire after he suggested the shooting of a far-right Patriot Prayer supporter was morally justified. Erik Loomis who teaches history made the comments in a blog post entitled 'Why Was Michael Reinoehl Killed?' The posting asked whether police deliberately 'murdered' 48-year-old Michael Reinoehl. 'Michael Reinoehl is the guy who killed the fascist in Portland last week,' Loomis wrote in his blog post from last week. 'He admitted it and said he was scared the cops would kill him. Well, now the cops have killed him.' In the blog post, Loomis also included a tweet from historian Manisha Sinha who wrote Reinoehl's killing 'seems like a hit job, an extra judicial killing ordered by Trumpsters.' Medics attend to Danielson after he was shot in downtown Portland last month on August 29th In the blog post, Loomis also included a tweet from historian Manisha Sinha who wrote Reinoehl's killing 'seems like a hit job, an extra judicial killing ordered by Trumpsters.' But it was in the comments where controversy erupted after a reader reminded Loomis that a man had lost his life at the hands of another. Reinoehl had fatally shot Aaron 'Jay' Danielson, 39, on August 29, when Trump supporters ended up clashing with Black Lives Matter supporters in Portland. 'Erik, he shot and killed a guy,' the online user wrote. 'Reinoehl killed a fascist. I see nothing wrong with it, at least from a moral perspective,' Loomis wrote back. 'I am extremely anti-conspiracy theory. But it's not a conspiracy theory at this point in time to wonder if the cops simply murdered him,' Loomis wrote. 'The police is shot through with fascists from stem to stern. They were openly working with the fascists in Portland, as they were in Kenosha which led to dead protestors.' Reinoehl appeared to confess to Danielson's death in a video interview with Vice News just hours before his own death Self-declared anti-fascist activist Michael Reinoehl, who was shot and killed by police in Washington State on September 3, 2020, takes part in protests against police violence and racial inequality in Portland, Oregon, U.S. in this photo taken July 18, 2020 Reinoehl is seen taking part in protests against police violence and racial inequality in Portland One reader then asked, 'What's so great about assassinating a rando fascist? And in the absence of a sound affirmative justification, it should be easy to envision the drawbacks.' Loomis was quick to reply with, 'What's so great about assassinating random slaveholders, said liberals to John Brown.' In a separate comment, Loomis wrote, 'the problem with violence is that it usually, though not always, is a bad idea. That I agree with.' Michael Forest Reinoehl, 48, was shot multiple times and killed by US Marshals outside an apartment block in Washington state on September 3rd Loomis appears to be using the term 'facists' in the piece to describe Trump supporters and members of Patriot Prayer, a far-right group based in the city. The Southern Poverty Law Center has described them as a far-right hate group, The group has organized rallies in support of Donald Trump and far-right protests in predominantly liberal areas, which have been met with large numbers of counter-protesters. On Wednesday, Loomis wrote another blog post where he stated how he wouldn't be intimidated by so-called 'fascists' trying to 'cancel him.' Last week, police officers investigating Danielson's death ended up fatally shooting Reinoehl after finding him in Lacey, Washington, south of Seattle. Portland police had secured a second-degree murder warrant for Reinoehl in connection with Daniel's death according to Fox News. Reinoehl was shot multiple times and killed by US Marshals outside an apartment block in Washington state. The officers swooped in on the self-proclaimed anti-fascist to arrest him after he was charged with the murder of right-wing activist Danielson. Thurston County Coroner Gary Warnock said it is still not clear how many times Reinoehl (letf) was shot by officers but all the bullets recovered from his body have been sent to a lab for analysis. Pictured right Aaron 'Jay' Danielson who Reinoehl is said to have murdered At least four officers, including two Pierce County Sheriff's deputies, a Lakewood police officer and a state Department of Corrections officer, fired multiple rounds at the suspect during the incident. Nate Dinguss, an eyewitness of the police shootout, told The Washington Post Wednesday Reinoehl did not pull a weapon and was eating candy when the officers opened fire without warning. Dinguss, 39, said he saw Reinoehl holding a cellphone and eating a gummy worm while strolling to his car outside the Tanglewilde Terrace Townhomes apartment complex about 7 p.m. that evening. The witness claimed the cops didn't identify themselves or try to arrest Reinoehl before opening fire. Controversial views of Rhode Island history professor Erik Loomis regularly tweets on various topics allowing his controversial points of view to be shared. Earlier this week he wrote: 'Once Republicans figured out COVID was going to affect people of color and the poor disproportionately, they stopped caring about doing anything about it.' In May 2018 he targeted Republicans once again in a post titles 'Republicans: The party of ethnic cleansing in multiple nations.'' 'Republicans aren't just happy with ethnic cleansing in the United States. The Israeli apartheid state is right up their alley too,' he wrote. In 2016 he argued that people should not think of Fidel Castro 'in terms of simplistic moral judgments.' Loomis claimed the Cuban strongman 'an inspiration for billions of people around the world seeking freedom from colonial overlords' and was 'a tremendously complex person who attempted to rebuild a society around ideas of justice.' In August 2015, Loomis called Israel 'the 21st century version of the white colonialist settler state,' and said Israel 'continues committing horrifying violence against the indigenous people in its way.' In 2012, Loomis said 'f**k the NRA' demanding NRA executive Wayne LaPierre's 'head on a stick' in the wake of the Sandy Hook massacre. Advertisement He said Reinoehl hid behind his car when the shooting started and did not try to get inside. The car was blocked in by two unmarked police vehicles, Dinguss said. The witness said the cops unleashed a hail of gunfire on Reinoehl before pausing when one shouted 'stop' then opening fire once again. If the suspect did not pull a gun or reach for a weapon, the officers would have been required to warn him before shooting. Reinoehl appeared to confess to Danielson's death in a video interview with Vice News just hours before his own death. In the video, Reinoehl said he had acted in self-defense and said his actions were 'totally justified'. 'I had no choice. I mean, I, I had a choice. I could have sat there and watched them kill a friend of mine of color. But I wasn't going to do that,' he said. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-11 21:21:09|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close NAIROBI, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- Kenya's economic growth is expected to drop to 2.6 percent in 2020, down from the previous year's 5.4 percent, mainly due to COVID-19, a senior government official said on Friday. Ukur Yatani, cabinet secretary of National Treasury and Planning, said the economy remained resilient in the first quarter of 2020, rising 4.9 percent, compared to a growth of 5.5 percent in the same quarter in 2019. "Prior to the outbreak, Kenya's economy was strong and resilient despite the challenging global environment," Yatani said during the virtual launch of the 2021/22 financial year and the medium-term budget preparation process. According to the National Treasury, the east African nation's economy is expected to expand by 5.3 percent in 2021 and 5.0 percent in 2022, an election year. The COVID-19 pandemic is likely to cause one of the greatest major economic shocks and underperformance of the country since independence, Yatani said. "We will continuously monitor developments on the global front with a view to developing the Post-COVID-19 Economic Recovery Strategy that focuses on making the economy more resilient so as to cushion vulnerable citizens and set the stage for sustainable growth," he said. Julius Muia, principal secretary of National Treasury, said the COVID-19 pandemic and the containment measures have not only disrupted livelihoods, but to a greater extent led to a reduction in government revenue. Muia said the agricultural sector is expected to support growth in 2020 and 2021 as a result of the prevailing favorable weather conditions while the services sectors such as hospitality will be the hardest hit. Enditem When it is completed by around 2036, Freshkills Park will be New Yorks largest greenspacetriple the size of an already massive Central Park. But this new natural amenity wasnt originally designed as such. It used to be the principal landfill for the city and once held 150 million tons of trash. Though the rolling hills of green grass and tranquil waterways might hide the fact, Megan Moriarity, a program associate for the park project, reminded Curbed, Were standing on top of 50 years of NYCs garbage. The Manhattan skyline is seen in the background of tall grass at what will be New Yorks new parkland at Fresh Kills landfill in Staten Island, New York, Oct. 25, 2006. (TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP via Getty Images) The landfill began in 1948 as a temporary site on Staten Island for the trash of New York residents but quickly became the preeminent spot for the metropoliss refuse. As New Yorks last landfill, it was finally closed in 2001, with plans for repurposing it as greenspace emerging not long after. The first order of business was securing the garbage underground so that the space above it could be used for other purposes. When you close a landfill there are two parts to it, Robin Geller of the New York Department of Sanitation explained to CBS. One is that you stop taking the waste but the other is that you have to install a whole system of final cover construction. The compacted garbage was covered with a plastic liner and truckloads of fresh soil were trucked in from New Jersey. Of course, there was a problem with all the gases generated by decades of decaying waste. The team in charge of transforming Fresh Kills (Kills being the Dutch word meaning waterway) into an urban park found a creative solution for this, capturing the methane produced by the trash and reusing it. Ted Nabavi, director of waste engineering at the NY Sanitation Department, told Curbed that the gas has become an asset. Theres no landfill anywhere that has such high-quality methane, he told Curbed. Were probably the only facility in the United States where the gas is purified and goes directly to consumers, he added. That gas will provide for heating needs to residents across Staten Island. Some of the last trash the landfill took in came from the rubble left by the 9/11 terrorist attacks that destroyed the Twin Towers and damaged much of Lower Manhattan. But despite all the trash lying under the site, it didnt take long for nature to reclaim it. Already, by 2006, just five years after the site closed as a dump, the parks planners were optimistic about its recovery. They stated: Its vast scale, beautiful winding creeks and extensive wetlands, along with the surreal presence of large engineered mounds (mostly now covered in grasses and clumps of woody material) create an unusually beautiful landscape. The final barge full of New York City trash arrives at the Fresh Kills Landfill in Staten Island, New York, March 22, 2001, on the final day of the landfills operation. (MATT CAMPBELL/AFP via Getty Images) A member of the press gets a tour of what will be New Yorks new parkland at Fresh Kills landfill in Staten Island New York, Oct. 25, 2006. (TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP via Getty Images) The steps that Fresh Kills have taken to keep trash safely underground while harvesting gases and replanting on top have become a model for other locations seeking to transform human trash into natural treasure. Fresh Kills administrator Eloise Hirsh is optimistic about its future and what this unique space could offer to New Yorkers. This place ishas an appeal for kind of an urban adventure, she told CBS. This is a place where you can imagine yourself to hike as you would in a state park, ride a bike, someday you could fish. We have kayaking, actually, on the weekends. Despite the happy ending for Fresh Kills, its creators and managers hope the park will create awareness about the problem of waste. This is whats in your kitchen and your garage, if you have one, said administrator Eloise Hirsh. Its your responsibility to be mindful about what you throw away and to think about it. Be conscious. We would love to hear your stories! You can share them with us at emg.inspired@epochtimes.nyc The CDC have said that below 5% is something everybody should strive for, but with regard to what level at which we would just send every kid back to school, I dont know what that number should be, but were a long way from it, Pritzker said this week. Well be looking at what number we ought to be looking at, but theres no region thats even close, though, to where New York is. Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) has directed Serum Institute of India to suspend till further orders new recruitment in phase 2 and 3 clinical trials of the Oxford COVID-19 vaccine candidate in the backdrop of pharma giant AstraZeneca pausing the trials in other countries. In an order, a copy of which has been accessed by PTI,DCGI Dr V G Somani onFriday also directed Serum Institute of India (SII) to increase the safety monitoring of the subjects already vaccinated as part of the trial, and submit the plan and report. Somani also asked the firm to submit clearance from Data and Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB) in the UK as well as in India to obtain clearance from his office (DCGI) prior to resumption of future recruitment in the trial. The central drug regulator DCGI had issued a show-cause notice to SII on September 9 for not informing it about AstraZeneca pausing clinical trials of the vaccine candidate in other countries and also for not submitting casualty analysis of the "reported serious adverse events". Following which the Pune-based firm,which has partnered withthe British-Swedish biopharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca for manufacturing the Oxford vaccine candidate,on Thursday said it is pausing the clinical trials in India. Earlier this week, AstraZeneca said it had paused the trials because of 'an unexplained illness' in a participant in the study. "We are reviewing the situation and pausing India trials till AstraZeneca restarts the trials," SII said in a statement on Thursday. According to the DCGI's order issued on Friday, the SII in its reply stated that DSMB has noted no safety concerns from the Indian study (part 1-phase-2 study) with the first dose and seven days post vaccination safety data. In its reply, SII also stated that DSMB further recommended "to pause further enrolment into the study until ongoing investigations of SAE reported in the UK study is completed and the sponsor and the UK DSMB are satisfied that it doesn't pose any safety concerns". "In the view of the above, I Dr V G Somani, Drugs Controller General of India, Central Licensing Authority, after careful examination of your reply and the recommendations of the DSMB in India, in exercise of the powers vested under Rule 30 of the New Drugs and Clinical Trials Rules, 2019, direct to you suspend any new recruitment in the phase 2 and 3 clinical trial till further orders," the order read. "Increase the safety monitoring of the subjects already vaccinated with the vaccine under trial and submit the plan and report," the order further stated. On August 2, the DCGI had granted permission to the Pune-based SII to conduct Phase 2 and 3 human clinical trials of the coronavirus vaccine candidate. AstraZeneca, the biopharmaceutical giant in a tie-up with the Oxford University to produce the vaccine, described the pause of trials as a "routine" one following what was "an unexplained illness". . Canadian comedian Katherine Ryan worked hard to give her daughter a lavish British lifestyle a home in London, a pony and admission to a posh girls school that would set her up for success. But what does the tween want? To move back to Ryans hometown of Sarnia, a small city by the Ontario-Michigan border, so she can take part in the Canadian traditions her mother routinely skewers in her standup sets. Ive just married my high school sweetheart and he is from Sarnia. And so annoyingly, my daughter loves his family, Ryan, 37, said in a recent Zoom interview. She loves the idea of Sarnia, and she wants to walk to Tim Hortons. And I am livid. Ryans close if at times contentious relationship with her daughter inspired the love story at the centre of her new semi-autobiographical sitcom, The Duchess. The Netflix series stars Ryan as a shamelessly self-assured single mother, who out of devotion to her daughter, Olive, decides to try to give her a sibling. However, her mission to get pregnant may come at the expense of her romantic prospects, or even force her to overcome her revulsion towards Olives layabout father. While the show has its fair share of raunchy humour, Ryan said there was never a doubt in her mind that the mother-daughter bond would serve as the emotional crux of the story, because its true to her own. My daughter, from the time she was an infant, always treated me like a human being, and vice versa, said Ryan. Shes able to separate my creative life from my life as her mother, and shes always understood so many things. We just have a very naturally lucid feminism about our relationship. Ryans feminist sensibilities course through The Duchess in what she sees as a rebuttal to traditional rom-com gender roles. Too often onscreen, women are reduced to lovesick damsels pining after men who give nothing back but abuse, said Ryan. In The Duchess, she wanted to invert that dynamic. The protagonists love interest, Evan, is a clingy casualty of a commitment-phobic woman. Another male character is deprived of lines because it would defeat his purpose as decoration. Ryan appreciates that her portrayal of women as autonomous beings may be unsettling to some. She just doesnt care. I think the patriarchy are very easily threatened in general. And they should be, because deep down I think they know they are living off borrowed, antiquated time, she said. I think its very sad actually that there is a certain type of man who feels that if we dont legally need him, then we wouldnt want him around. Ryan said shes raising her daughter to be her own person. But like her fictional counterpart, Ryan admitted shes having some trouble letting her little girl grow up and away from her. I am suffering big time from empty nest syndrome, she said. Its really hurtful for me that my daughters going to high school and that she doesnt want to hang out with me as much as she used to. And thats hard. I miss our relationship. The Duchess starts streaming on Netflix on Friday. Read more about: Two years after releasing the Galaxy S9 Tactical (military grade) Edition phone, Samsung followed up with the faster, larger Galaxy S20 Tactical. Samsung has been producing tactical (ruggedized military) versions of its phones since 2012. The S20 costs about 40 percent more than the S9 but provides more battery life, a larger and sharper screen, more RAM and storage and a faster processor. Many of the custom military Android apps are a lot more effective with the more powerful S20. Most military users are content with the S9 but the app developers often have some software that performs much better (or at all) with more speed and memory. Since 2012 the U.S. Army has been seeking out and purchasing cell phones rugged enough and with features that make it suitable for military use in a combat zone. These combat smart phones (CSPs) have many other names (like Tactical Edition) but all must be as flexible and up-to-date as their civilian counterparts. To that end, the army sought CSP designs that are rugged, cheap, and provide critical special features like encryption via software, not custom hardware. Since even the smart phone hardware is rapidly evolving, CSPs should cost the army less than $300 each and be built to get replaced every two years or less. This price is about what 2012 cell phones sold (wholesale, to dealers). There would be a similar, but slower, replacement schedule for the battlefield cell towers, routers, and other infrastructure. Not surprisingly, the army is allowing several different families of smart phones and supporting gear to be developed and tested. The military now spends more on CSPs because capabilities are much enhanced. In 2012 the main Samsung phone was the S3. It was then the most popular cell phone, outselling the iPhone 5 and very competitive in terms of capabilities. For their militarized S3 Samsung added an additional layer of security they called Knox and the made the Samsung CSPs the most popular. Back in 2012 the army noted that there was already a civilian market for a similar cell phone. This was the construction and remote facilities (oil fields, mines, lumbering) market, plus the rather large number of people who hike, go camping and climb mountains. There are over a dozen of these ruggedized cell phones out there and that made it easy for the army to find the hardware. Your typical ruggedized cell phone is waterproof, resistant to shock (being dropped) easy to read in the sunlight and has lots of battery life. These models all use the Android OS (operating system), the most widely used OS on the planet. One problem the military has encountered is the cost of obtaining certain special hardware features. The most important of these is the ability to use mesh networks. This means CSPs automatically setting themselves up as nodes of a digital radio network. Mesh networks are discouraged for commercial cell phones because there is no advantage to the cell phone companies. But for the military, all their users are one customer who often operate in areas where there are no cell phone towers. Because of that, mesh makes a lot of sense. Fortunately, some commercial manufacturers began adding mesh capability to their wi-fi hardware that is now standard on all phones. This came after noting that software that tweaked the wi-fi to enable cell phones to establish a mesh network were popular. So now the mess networking hardware is available in many phones. Testing ruggedized versions of commercial smart phones for combat use has been going on for since 2009. There have also been efforts to establish standards that ensure these phones address crucial military needs. For example, in 2011 NSA (the U.S. National Security Agency) created a version of the cell phone/tablet Android operating system suitable for combat use. SE (Security Enhanced) Android is based on a SE Linux that NSA began working on in the late 1990s. NSA has been active for decades in "hardening" PC operating systems. Since Android is based on Linux, NSA had a head start in creating SE Android. SE Android was the last key element the U.S. Army needed to move commercial smart phones and tablets onto the battlefield. The troops have been clamoring for a combat smart phone, and in 2011 the army began field testing the Atrix smart phone and Galaxy tablet. Both used Android and were designated as NWEUD (Nett Warrior End-User Device) by the military. The army has since gone on to test several more types of Android smart phone and tablet designs. Troops test this hardware in training and SOCOM (Special Operations Command) operators began using this stuff in combat. SE Android provides the security (from enemy eavesdropping, hacking, and such) needed and which commercial cell phones and tablets could not provide. SE Android worked pretty well, especially when worn on the forearm and usable with one hand. The emergence of a large market for mass produced ruggedized (water and drop resistant) consumer designs has produced a lot of interest from manufacturers in producing militarized models. Sales of several hundred thousand CSPs a year to one customer is an attractive piece of business. There is also the bonus of having an edge civilian market ruggedized smart phones by being able to say some of your ruggedized cell phone models were combat proven. Earlier attempts to create smart phone capabilities for combat troops produced a 2.3 kg (5 pound) wearable (and networked) computer with an eyepiece for the display and a handheld (or worn on the arm) input device (keyboard). This integrated radio, GPS, and 16 GB of storage for maps, pictures, or whatever. Troops found the system too heavy and not as easy to use as a smart phone or tablet. The army found these custom systems far more expensive than a militarized smartphone. Soldiers and marines knew that most smart phones can do the same job and by 2010 the army agreed but had to decide which commercial designs should be used for combat testing. The older NWEUD prototypes underwent combat testing and failed. But the CSP prototypes received a much more enthusiastic response in troop tests. Combat experienced troops were eager to try this stuff out on the battlefield, especially if the new CSP systems were a bit more reliable than current radios. This reliability issue is something most civilians dont appreciate. Since radios got their first wide-scale workout during World War II (1939-45) traditional radio gear, despite decades of improvements, has always suffered reliability problems (hardware, atmospheric, geographical). This rarely gets featured in movies, as it slows things down. But in the real world of combat, screwed up comms is a regular fact-of-life. Cell phone tech is not perfect but it is a step up from traditional battlefield communications gear. Over half a century of studies have discovered what an infantryman needs to be more effective. They need to know where they are, quickly. Having a poor idea of where you are has long been one of the main shortcomings of armored vehicles. Armored vehicle crews tend to be cut off from this while inside their vehicle where they are even more easily disoriented. When the shooting starts even the vehicle commander, instead of standing up with his head outside the turret, often ducks back inside to stay alive. Infantry aren't much better off. Although they can see their surroundings they are often crouching behind something. When getting shot at, standing up to look around is not much of an option. CSPs give Team Leaders and Squad Leaders (and eventually each infantryman) a smart phone and the smart phone/tablet touch screen to control the thing. GPS puts the soldier's location on the map and the soldier knows where he is. Earlier in Iraq, infantry officers and NCOs, equipped with map equipped GPS receivers (at first, then smart phones), found the map/GPS combo a tremendous aid to getting around and getting the job done. CSP also provides a wireless networking capability, so troops not only saw where they were but could receive new maps and other information. Another goal is to use a vidcam to transmit images to headquarters, their immediate commander, or simply to the other guys in their squad. Perhaps most importantly the CSP gear provides the same capability as the 2003 "Blue Force Tracker" and shows Team Leaders and Squad Leaders where all the other guys in his unit are. When fighting inside a building this can be a life saver. CSP type capabilities were soon changing the way troops fight. Everyone is now able to move around more quickly, confidently, and effectively. This has already been demonstrated with the Stryker units equipped with CSP type gear. Captured enemy gunmen often complained of how the Strykers came out of nowhere and skillfully maneuvered to surround and destroy their targets. This was often done at night, with no lights (using night vision gear). When you have infantry using CSPs to do the same thing on foot you demoralize the enemy. Troops in combat have some unique problems keeping smart phones operational. For one thing, theres the problem of providing a reliable signal via the digital military radios. But thats long been a problem with all forms of military wireless communications and there are always new solutions that will work with a smart phone. Then theres the need for encryption. Again, thats another problem handled by SE Android. If the smart phone manufacturers and the NSA (SE Android) deliver, the troops will use it. They most certainly want it. Samsung took advantage of its market dominance to ship its CSPs with Knox, an additional layer of security approved by NSA. There are CSPs from many other manufacturers but Samsung hustled and maintained its lead in market share. Worldwide Samsung has been overtaken by Chinese cell phone makers, who also make ruggedized editions. So far the Chinese CSPs are not really competitive with Western models, especially those from Samsung. Based on past experience the Chinese CSPs will catch up, and possibly surpass South Korean and other Western models. Lawyers representing 29 villagers on trial for their role in a deadly land-rights clash in January at a commune near Hanoi were followed by strangers after leaving court on Thursday, shortly after police had seized one lawyers USB drive holding notes on the days proceedings, sources said. The 29 face charges of murder and obstruction for what prosecutors say was their role in the clash over a bitter, decades-old land dispute that left three police officers and a protest leader dead in January at the Dong Tam commune near the capital. On Thursday, the fourth day of a trial for which a ruling is expected on Sept. 14, unidentified men began to trail the lawyers as soon as they left the courthouse gate, Ngo Anh Tuan, one of the defense attorneys told RFAs Vietnamese Service. We tried to lose them three or four times, but they managed to follow us even still, Ngo said. Ngo told RFA that he and other defense attorneys were now sheltering safely at his office, adding, At the time, we were worried only that we would be stopped and attacked, so that they could take our laptop computers away from us. Security officers present in the court on Thursday had earlier seized a USB drive from one of the lawyers representing the defendants, Nguyen H Luan, another defense attorney, wrote in an account published on his Facebook page. Enforcement officials took the USB drive away by force and wouldnt let any of us copy it. One plainclothes officer also shoved lawyers Dang Dinh Manh and Nguyen Van Mieng, Nguyen wrote. Dong Tam village elder Le Dinh Kinh, 84, was shot and killed by police during the early-morning Jan. 9 raid on the village by 3,000 security officers intervening in a long-running dispute over a military airport construction site about 25 miles south of the capital. Tortured by police The trial opened Monday, with defense lawyers protesting irregularities in court procedure, objecting to a film they described as film shown in court, and telling the judge presiding in the case they are being denied the right to meet with their clients. In testimony reported on Wednesday by RFA, but not covered in Vietnams state-controlled media, 19 in the group of 29 testified on Tuesday that they had been tortured by police during interrogations following their arrest over the Dong Tam clash, with one saying he had been beaten with a rubber club for ten consecutive days. On Wednesday, the third day of the trial, the Peoples Procuracy of Hanoi called for two death sentences in the case, one for defendant Le Dinh Cong and one for defendant Le Dinh Chuc, both accused of murder in the deaths of three police officers killed in the Jan. 9 clash. All three were killed in the assault when they were attacked by petrol bombs and fell into a concrete shaft when they ran between two houses, according to state media reports. 'Unnecessary suffering' On Thursday, a state lawyer serving in the trial objected to requests by defense attorneys Dang Dinh Manh, Nguyen Ha Luan, and Le Van Luan to recreate the scene of the officers deaths, saying this would cause unnecessary suffering to the mens surviving family members. Defense attorney Le said however that it would be necessary to re-stage the details in the case in order to establish the truth of what had really occurred. We dont want to reawaken any pain, but to avoid another kind of painthe pain of injustice and of wrongful convictions taking place, Le said. Unjust trial outcomes have often resulted from mistakes and errors committed during the interrogation process and during the experimental recreation of crime scenes, added defense attorney Ngo. Therefore, if we want to really arrive at the objective truth in this case, we must carefully recreate the crime scene. Final sentencing in the Dong Tam trial is expected on Sept. 14, sources familiar with the trial said. While all land in Vietnam is ultimately held by the state, land confiscations have become a flashpoint as residents accuse the government of pushing small landholders aside in favor of lucrative real estate projects, and of paying too little in compensation to farming families displaced by development. Reported by RFAs Vietnamese Service. Translated by Huy Le. Written in English by Richard Finney. Six of the 20 largest wildfires in California history started in August and September 2020 and with average high temperatures continuing to set records, calls are increasing to address the connection between extreme weather events and climate change. Leaders in western states have said it's impossible to deny the impacts of climate change after witnessing the devastation from recent fires. MORE: At least 7 dead as nearly 200 wildfires burn across West "California, Oregon and Washington -- we are all in the soup of cataclysmic fire, and the reason we are in the same soup is because the grass is so dry, the temperature is so hot and the winds are so heavy," Washington Gov. Jay Inslee said after touring wildfire damage this week. "And these are conditions that are exacerbated by the changing climate that we are suffering." PHOTO: A firefighter douses flames as they push towards homes during the Creek fire in the Cascadel Woods area of unincorporated Madera County, Calif., Sept. 7, 2020. (Josh Edelson/AFP via Getty Images) California Gov. Gavin Newsom also said it's urgent to address climate change. Newsom has sparred with President Donald Trump over differing views on the state's wildfires after Trump criticized the state's approach to managing forests and threatened to withhold federal funding. "I quite literally have no patience for climate change deniers. You may not believe it intellectually, but your own eyes tell a different story, particularly here in the state of California. Never have I felt more of a sense of obligation and purpose to maintain California's status in terms of addressing climate change head on," he said this week. MORE: 'Undeniable link to climate change' in California's fire season, expert says There is strong evidence wildfires have become larger and more destructive due to climate change. Warmer temperatures and heat waves have caused droughts and other conditions like bark beetles that kill millions of trees, creating more dry fuel for a fire to spread. Expanding development has also put buildings and neighborhoods closer to forests and areas prone to wildfires, making fires more destructive and putting more people in harm's way. Story continues "A recent UC Merced study compared fire seasons from the 1970s to today and on average our fire seasons are about 75 days longer than they were back then. We have a longer period of temperatures able to dry the conditions out even further," Cal Fire Assistant Deputy Director Daniel Berlant said in a recent video. "So it's not that we're seeing more fire, it's that the fires are able to burn at a larger size with more destruction; that's why we've seen so many destructive fires as well." PHOTO: A community of forest homes lies in ruins along Auberry Road in the Meadow Lakes area after the Creek Fire swept through, Sept. 8, 2020, near Shaver Lake, Calif. (David Mcnew/Getty Images) The current wildfires have capped off a summer of extreme weather, including the derecho that knocked out power for millions of people in the Midwest and Hurricane Laura that hit the coast of Louisiana. The impact of climate change on events like tropical storms is more challenging to measure. The way meteorologists and climatologists study them has changed over the years and identifying a trend depends how far back researchers look. The U.N. panel on climate change has looked at thousands of studies from around the world and found that while the warming climate impacts the variables that affect extreme weather, because the events are already outside the norm there's still uncertainty around those impacts and what they will look like going forward. But most climate scientists agree that extremes are happening closer together and for longer periods of time, and experts say the country should be better prepared for them to get worse. "We are in fact not seeing an increase in the total number of tropical storms. But what we are seeing is an increase in the strongest one, so Category 3, 4 and 5," said Jennifer Francis, senior scientist at the Woodwell Climate Research Center. "We're also seeing a tendency for storms to intensify more rapidly, which is exactly what we saw happen with Laura, and Michael and Florence and Harvey, and we've got so many examples just in the last few years where storms have intensified extremely rapidly and this is one of the clear signals associated with climate change," she added. PHOTO: People survey the damage to their homes left in the wake of Hurricane Laura, Aug. 27, 2020, in Holly Beach, La. (Eric Gay/AP) Francis researches how climate change impacts the jet stream and how warming in the Arctic could be influencing extreme weather all over the world. She said her area of research is new and complicated, but is starting to show patterns that suggest warming temperatures could be impacting the very physics in the atmosphere that create extreme weather. Francis' theory is that a warmer Arctic is lessening the push and pull on the jet stream, which is created by the contrast between cold temperatures at the poles and heat at the equator. She said her data shows that the smaller contrast makes the jet stream weaker and more likely to get stuck in place, extending weather patterns like drought that contribute to fire conditions. "There are many many factors that affect the jet stream. It's a very noisy sort of creature that exists in the atmosphere; it has a lot of north-south waves and a lot of changes in speed. And if you look at a map any given day of the jet stream it looks like just a swirly mess often, so it's very difficult to extract a very clear signal of how the jet stream is changing over time," she said. MORE: Why climate change is also a public health problem "But the evidence is starting to pile up, suggesting that what we expect to see happen is in fact happening and what we expect to see happen is that the westerly west, east winds of the jet stream, which is the predominant wind direction, are starting to slow down," Francis added. Other climate experts, like Roger Pielke Jr., an environmental studies professor at the University of Colorado, Boulder, are more skeptical of the theory and say that while the connection between climate change and events like tropical storms makes sense, there isn't enough data to prove it yet. "Let me just say from the outset humans are affecting the climate -- there's no doubt about it. And that impact can be profound and significant, but it also means that we don't, we shouldn't just jump to associate every weather event that we see with some sort of an increasing trend," he said, adding that climate change is looked at over many decades so even observations over several years don't indicate a trend. "Anyone who thinks they can look at a single storm, Florence or Laura, or Katrina or whatever, and say, 'I see the impact of climate change on this storm,' it's probably fairly out of step with where the science is today," Piekle said. "It's just climate change is observed over many decades, not individual storms, and I know there's a literature now that uses models and tries to tease that out. But that's not quite ready for prime time." PHOTO: A downed power line leans over a street in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Aug. 16, 2020. A rare Derecho storm battered large sections of Cedar Rapids leaving people homeless and without power. (KC McGinnis/For The Washington Post via Getty Images) Even if scientists don't fully understand the connection between climate change and different types of extreme weather, emergency management experts say we'll still have storms and the country should take steps to prepare for them to get worse. "These disasters that are unfolding around us all over the country are not inevitable. There are things that we can do to prevent them or at least significantly minimize their impact," said Samantha Montano, assistant professor of emergency management at Massachusetts Maritime Academy. While we can't control extreme weather events, they say we can control how it impacts the people it hits -- the part we call the disaster -- by changing policies and using more resources to prepare. "I talk a lot about kind of getting communities that are getting trapped in kind of a cycle of recovery, so in parts of Texas and parts of Louisiana, North and South Carolina, we're seeing that. It's flooding so regularly that people aren't able to get out to get themselves recovered and back on kind of stable footing before the next slide comes and so we're seeing kind of this compounding of vulnerabilities in communities across the country," said Montano. MORE: The Earth is warming. Here are the top warning signs, according to experts Former Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Brock Long, who left last year, said there needs to be big changes in how the federal government deals with storms, but also that individual choices like having insurance, emergency savings and choosing where to live and build a home can limit how much people are impacted by extreme events. "I'm not the type of person that wants to dictate where Americans can live in this country. But I also think that if you want to live on some of these mountains they're vulnerable to wildfires and oversee the the Pacific Ocean or you want to live down in some of these most vulnerable areas to storm surge, you know along the coast, you can do that, but don't expect the federal government to come bail you out," he told ABC News Live. PHOTO: A Disaster Medical Assistance Team sets up tents at Lake Charles Memorial Hospital to provide support in response to Hurricane Laura, Lake Charles, La., Aug. 29, 2020. (Dominick Del Vecchio/FEMA) Long said most people don't realize how busy FEMA is, but that the agency can't keep up with constantly responding to every emergency, saying the country needs FEMA to be more focused on disaster resilience than being 911. "Right now, because of the way the system is set up, FEMA can't concentrate every day on blue sky, day mitigation planning because they're constantly having to respond," he said. And Pielke said climate scientists don't need to know everything about how much climate change is impacting extreme weather to agree the country can be better prepared and that climate change should be addressed by reducing greenhouse gas emissions. "There is some randomness to the process, but that doesn't take away the fact that we know San Francisco gets earthquakes. Louisiana gets hurricanes. The Midwest gets tornadoes. The West gets fires. And to be better prepared. That's about all you need to know," he said. Devastating wildfires, extreme weather raise concerns about lack of preparedness for climate change originally appeared on abcnews.go.com Airline workers such as flight attendants and pilots rallied on the Capitol Hill this week, asking lawmakers for $25 billion in additional federal aid to prevent further layoffs next month. More than half of Congress is set to support the request by airlines and their unions. President Donald Trump said he wanted to help an industry that has been widely affected by the coronavirus pandemic. However, the Washington's chance of giving airlines more money still depends on Congress and the White House approving a comprehensive coronavirus-relief package. If it does not push through, there won't be any plan that only helps airlines. The prospects for a deal had already suffered a blow on Thursday when Senate blocked the GOP-backed second stimulus bill. A sharp decline in travel has left the airlines with tens of thousands more workers than they need to operate due to the decreased number of flights. The airlines started receiving $25 billion in federal grants and loans during this spring to keep workers on their payrolls for six months. The three biggest U.S. carriers are expected to furlough or lay off about 40,000 workers on Oct. 1 with the federal grant funding set to end on Sept. 30. Some Republican senators claimed that the airlines had been helped enough by taxpayers. Senator Rick Scott of Florida told airline companies and union members that he opposed bailing out airlines and other large corporations. "It's unfortunate that any airline would furlough thousands of employees after accepting billions in taxpayer dollars," Scott said in a report. Senator Pat Toomey (R-Pa) shared Scott's view. Toomey played a role in creating the airline related provisions of the first coronavirus relief package in March. Toomey said that it is a tough situation, and there is no question that the airlines are facing unprecedented challenges. "But there is a real serious policy question we have to ask ourselves, which is for how long are the taxpayers supposed to prop up firms in an industry that clearly has massive overcapacity at this moment?" Toomey noted. United Airlines and its pilots had an agreement in principle this week to avoid furloughs. The agreement, which is still needing final approval, would save nearly 3,000 aviators. Southwest Airlines, JetBlue Airways, and Spirit Airlines have also reached the same deals. Toomey said that if labor and management can come together and reach an agreement whereby furloughs would be avoided and "that's very encouraging." Veronique de Rugy, a research fellow at George Mason University and columnist for a libertarian magazine, said the relationship between employees and airlines should be the problem of airlines, not of taxpayers. "Certainly the coronavirus has put airlines in a really difficult position, but that's not the only industry that has suffered dramatically," de Rugy said in a report. Meanwhile, flight attendants, mechanics, baggage handlers, and other airline workers have not been able to copy the pilots' success in negotiating no-furlough bargains. Pilots have more leverage with their training and certification requirements that make it harder and slower for airlines to recall pilots when the travel industry recovers. Check these out: Los Cabos: Mexico's Tourism Jewel Amid COVID-19 Mexican Caribbean Regarded as a Safe Travel Destination by the WTTC Is Coronavirus the Greatest Tourism Threat Since World War II? U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo visits Bahrain to meet the Crown Prince, right Israel and Bahrain have struck a historic peace deal brokered by Donald Trump, following a similar accord with the United Arab Emirates, as the US president brings together former foes in the Middle East. "Another HISTORIC breakthrough today! Our two GREAT friends Israel and the Kingdom of Bahrain agree to a Peace Deal the second Arab country to make peace with Israel in 30 days!" the President announced on Twitter on Friday night. Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, hailed a "new era of peace" and said "there will be more [peace deals with Arab states]." Bahrain is the second Gulf state to embrace Israel, after the UAE announced on 13 August that it would establish a full diplomatic relationship with the Jewish state and strike a series of trade deals. A small, oil-rich nation in the Persian Gulf, Bahrain is a close ally of Saudi Arabia and the UAE, and is also broadly supportive of President Trumps tough stance on Iran. Next Tuesday Mr Netanyahu and his Emirati counterpart, Mohammed bin Zayed, are due to attend a signing ceremony in Washington to finalise the details of their accord. It has been speculated that Bahrains Crown Prince, Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, may attend the same ceremony to confirm the new relationship. Under the terms of the UAE-Israel deal, Israel agreed to suspend its controversial plans to annex up to 30 per cent of the West Bank, which the Palestinians claim as their own land. Emirati officials say it was the threat of annexation that brought them to the negotiating table. Both the UAE and Bahrain share some common ground on security issues with Israel and the United States, as they are all concerned about the growing influence of the Iranian regime in the Middle East. Analysts say President Trump is seeking to style himself as the world's peacemaker ahead of elections in November, having also secured an economic partnership between Serbia and Kosovo last week that may thaw relations between the former Balkan enemies. Story continues Mr Trump had hinted during a press conference on Thursday that a second Arab nation was due to follow the UAE's lead, prompting speculation that it would either be Bahrain or Oman. Tel Aviv City Hall is lit up with the flags of the United Arab Emirates and Israel as the countries announced they would be establishing full diplomatic ties, - AP Youll be hearing other countries coming in over a relatively short period of time. And you could have peace in the Middle East, he said at the time. Jordan already has a peace agreement with Israel, which was signed in 1994, while Egypt struck a peace deal with Israel in 1979. But other Muslim-majority countries have reacted with frustration and concern about the new alliance which is beginning to emerge in the Middle East. Iran branded the UAE-Israel accord an act of "strategic stupidity," while Turkey threatened to sever diplomatic ties with the UAE over the move. Saudi Arabia issued a more lukewarm statement about the agreement and said the Israeli-Palestinian conflict needed to be resolved before the Kingdom would normalise relations. Palestinian leaders have also strongly rejected President Trumps deals in the Middle East, insisting that Arab nations should only embrace Israel after the creation of a Palestinian state. By Akbar Mammadov The process to illegaly settle Lebanese-Armenian in Azerbaijans occupied Nagorno-Karabakh region has started. On September 11, the head of the so-called regime set up in Nagorno-Karabakh shared a video post on his Facebook page about settlement of Lebanese Armenians in Azerbaijan's internationally-recognized territory after the deadly explosion in Beirut last month. The leader of the separatists said the first Lebanese-Armenian families are already being approved in Nagorno-Karabakh and reaffirmed that the so-called regime is interested in preserving the Lebanese-Armenian colony. The separatist leader had voiced his readiness to receive Armenians, during the phone conversation with the Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia Aram I who is based in Lebanons capital-Beirut after the explosion in that city. He offered the settling of 150 Lebanese-Armenian families in Nagorno-Karabakh. The Armenian military-political leadership seizes every opportunity to illegally settle Armenians in Azerbaijans occupied territories in a bid to artificially change the demographics of the region and saw the recent deadly blast in Beirut as another opportunity to illegally settle Armenians in occupied Nagorno-Karabakh and the adjacent seven regions. The illegal settlement of Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh is part of Armenias annexation policy under the guise of repatriation and humanitarian assistance. It should be noted that on August 15, Azerbaijans Foreign Ministry shared a satellite image of a new illegal settlement in Azerbaijans occupied Kalbajar region. In a press release issued jointly with Azerbaijans satellite operator Azercosmos, the ministry said that the monitoring carried out via the Azersky satellite has revealed that a residential complex, which began to be built in Kalbajar in late 2019, now consists of 15 houses. The speed and the continuation of construction work make clear that this settlement will be further expanded. Thus, if in January 2020, 6 houses were completed, in March - 10 houses, in April - 14 houses, and in August this figure reached 15, the ministry said. The ministry said that the settlement was part of an artificial settlement policy of Armenia, adding that new settlements were constructed in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan, including the residential complex "Aracamux" in Jabrayil and "Ariavan" in Lachin region, as well as in Zangilan and Khanlig village of Gubadli region. This illegal activity is aimed at continuing and strengthening the occupation of the occupied Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding regions of Azerbaijan, the annexation of our territories and the prevention of the return of Azerbaijani IDPs to their homes and properties, the statement reads. It should be noted that Armenia had earlier moved thousands of Syrian Armenians to the occupied Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan since the start of the Syrian war. According to UNHCR figures, at least 15,000 Syrians have found refuge in Armenia since the start of the crisis. Before the conflict, the estimated number of ethnic Armenians in Syria was about 100,000. More than 60,000 of them settled in Aleppo. In 2013, the number of Syrian Armenians fleeing reached 11,000 and by August 2015, over 15,000 Armenians had been reported to be seeking asylum in Armenia. Many who have not made it to Armenian cities have now settled in the disputed Armenian enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh in Azerbaijan, according to BBC report. According to the source of the Armenian Government as of January 1, 2020, about 15,000 Armenians have been received from Syria. In 2012, twelve Armenian families were moved from Syria to the occupied Lachin region of Azerbaijan. Azerbaijans former Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov also touched upon the resettlement of Armenian refugees from Syria by Armenia in the illegally occupied territories of Azerbaijan in 2008. Attempts to pursue a settlement policy and purposefully change the demographic composition of the occupied territories are a gross violation of international humanitarian law, Mammadyarov had said. 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 A dengue prevention Care Kit by the #C19iMozzieRepeller charity initiative. (PHOTO: Character and Leadership Academy) SINGAPORE With Singapore grappling with a record number of dengue cases amid its battle with COVID-19 this year, a youth development charity organisation has launched an initiative with seven Members of Parliament (MPs) to help vulnerable families tackle the dengue threat. The Character and Leadership Academy (CLA) announced in a media release on Friday (11 September) that the #C19iMozzieRepeller initiative will see 30 volunteers reach out to 10,000 rental households, 5,000 migrant workers and 20,000 vulnerable individuals to offer them anti-dengue Care Kits and raise awareness on dengue prevention. The organisation has identified several estates where there is a high number of dengue clusters as well as high density of elderly people. These include Boon Lay, Brickland, Canberra, Fengshan, Henderson-Dawson, Hougang, MacPherson, Pek Kio and Sembawang. There are plans to distribute the Care Kits to Pulau Ubin residents as well. Seven MPs Lim Wee Kiak (Sembawang GRC), Cheryl Chan (East Coast GRC), Joan Pereira (Tanjong Pagar GRC), Dennis Tan (Hougang SMC), Tin Pei Ling (MacPherson SMC), Alvin Tan (Tanjong Pagar GRC) and Melvin Yong (Radin Mas SMC) have pledged their support for the initiative. The well-being of our residents is our utmost concern as we tackle the double-pronged challenge of COVID-19 and dengue, said Chan. CLAs #C19iMozzieRepeller project will provide a timely intervention to stem the rise of dengue cases among the most vulnerable estates. Care Kits, repellent wristbands, pest control service Among the items in each Care Kit are an ultrasonic pest reject device, a bottle of insect repellent, informational flyer on how to prevent dengue, repellent wristbands, fresh fruits and snacks all packed into a reusable dry bag. The initiative also aims to distribute repellent wristbands to 10,000 Singaporeans and migrant workers. Each individual will receive two wristbands that lasts up to 300 hours. It will also be reaching out to 200 households to provide a one-time pest control service against mosquitos, bed bugs and other pests. These households largely consist the elderly staying in rental homes or two-room HDB flats and below. Story continues CLA has also created a portal where frontline workers and the underprivileged can sign up and request for the Care Kits. The public can also use the portal to request a Care Kit gift to those in need. While the nation is understandably focused on battling COVID-19, the perennial threat of dengue must not be neglected, said CLAs executive director Delane Lim. By providing this dengue Care Kit and spreading the word on dengue prevention, we hope we can reduce the transmission among the vulnerable, who are still reeling from the challenges of COVID-19. Record number of dengue cases Singapores tally of dengue cases this year reached 22,403 on 5 August, the highest in a single year. With four months to go before the end of the year, the number of dengue cases has already surpassed the 22,170 cases recorded in 2013, which was the previous largest dengue outbreak in Singapore. The country has also reported more than 1,000 dengue cases a week for eight consecutive weeks. The National Environment Agency reported more than 390 active dengue clusters on the island, with more than 600,000 households located in those areas. Stay in the know on-the-go: Join Yahoo Singapore's Telegram channel at http://t.me/YahooSingapore Other Singapore stories: Singapore Airlines Group lays off 2,400 staff; 4,300 jobs cuts Liew Mun Leong steps down from CAG, Temasek, after acquittal of ex-maid Parti Liyani CAG appoints Tan Gee Paw as acting chairman, thanks founding chair Liew Mun Leong Hotpot restaurant Yaleju-Tong Bei Huo Guo added to COVID-19 list of visited venues Allentown, PA (18103) Today Partly to mostly sunny, brisk, and very cold. Below zero wind chills in the morning. . Tonight Partly cloudy and very cold. Near or below zero wind chills again late at night towards sunrise. No restriction should be imposed on inter-state movement of medical oxygen, the Union said on Friday, while strongly reinforcing that it is the responsibility of every state and Union Territory to ensure hospitalised COVID-19 patients receive The ministry said it has come to its knowledge that a few states are trying to curb free inter-state movement of supplies by exercising provisions under various Acts and also mandating manufacturers or suppliers in their jurisdiction to restrict supplies to only hospitals of the state. In view of this, the has reiterated the critical importance of oxygen in hospitals for management of critical COVID-19 patients, it said. In a letter to states and union territories (UTs), Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan has emphasised that availability of adequate and uninterrupted supply of medical oxygen is an important pre-requisite for managing moderate and severe cases of COVID-19, the ministry said in a statement. Bhushan has urged states and UTs to ensure that no restriction is imposed on the movement of medical oxygen between them, it said. It has been strongly reinforced that it is every state's responsibility to ensure that every hospitalised COVID-19 patient receives oxygen, the ministry said. "It has been again brought to their notice that medical oxygen constitutes an essential public health commodity and any impediment in the supplies of medical oxygen in the country may critically impact the management of patients suffering from COVID-19 disease in other parts of the country," it said. "Moreover, some of the major oxygen manufacturers/suppliers already have existing supply agreements with hospitals in various states with a legal obligation to fulfil such agreements," it said. The ministry said that adequate supply of oxygen throughout the country has enabled effective clinical care of hospitalised moderate and severe cases, in conjunction with other measures. The adopted host of strategies have actively resulted in rising recovery rate and steadily declining case fatality rate (1.67 per cent currently), the ministry underlined. It said as on date, less than 3.7 per cent of active patients are on oxygen support. The Centre-led COVID management strategy is based on standard of care treatment guidelines. These guidelines have ensured uniform and standardised quality of medical care in all COVID facilities, including hospitals, the statement said. For moderate and severe cases, adequate oxygen support, appropriate and timely administration of anti-coagulants and widely available and inexpensive corticosteroids, in accordance with protocol, can be considered to be the mainstay of COVID-19 therapy, it said. India's COVID-19 caseload mounted to 45,62,414 and the death toll climbed to76,271 with a record96,551 infections and 1,209 fatalities being reported in a day, while the recoveries havesurged to 35,42,663, ministry data updated at 8 am showed. (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.) Taiwans response to the COVID-19 pandemic has been among the worlds best. With a population almost the size of Australias, the island nation has reported only 496 confirmed cases of the disease and no locally acquired infections for months. The unlikely heroes of Taiwans success are civic tech hacktivists: coders and activists who the countrys celebrity digital minister Audrey Tang describes as the nobodies who hack democracy. What began with the hackers of the open source, open government movement g0v and student protesters has grown into an experiment in radical democracy that is yielding astonishing results. Fast, fair and fun While the notion of digital democracy is as old as the internet, few countries have really tried to find out how to practice democracy in digital spheres. In Taiwan, however, there is a strong collective narrative of digital democracy, and government and civil society work together in online spaces to build public trust. The growth of civic hacking in Taiwan has its roots in the so-called Sunflower Movement, a stream of protests in 2014 against a trade agreement with China. The pillars of Taiwans approach to digital democracy are fast, fair and fun. Taiwan was among the first countries in the world to detect and respond to the virus, thanks to crowd-sourced, collective intelligence through online bulletin boards. Warnings of the virus were first noted in December 31, 2019, when a senior health official spotted a heavily up-voted post on the PTT bulletin board. Before long, civic tech hackers were working on open data projects for citizens to interact with live maps, distributed ledger technology and chat bots to find the nearest pharmacy to claim free masks, with stock levels updated in real time to stop panic buying. Audrey Tang dubbed this rapid, iterative, bottom-up process as opposed to a top-down government-led distribution system reverse procurement. A humour over rumour strategy has also been very successful to combat misinformation, fake news and disinformation. Taiwan is engineering memes to spread public awareness of positive behaviours through the virality of social media algorithms. Government departments are responsible for addressing disinformation by providing a memetic response according to the 2-2-2: a response in 20 minutes, in 200 words or less, with 2 images. Alongside dog memes and pink face masks, one of the most successful is a rapid response to halt runs on toilet paper. This featured a cartoon video of Taiwan Premier Su Tseng-chang shaking his backside with a caption saying We only have one pair of buttocks. How hacktivists reached the halls of power How has the mindset and culture of hacktivism been cultivated to motivate civic hackers to participate in Taiwans digital democracy? First, a figurehead and a manifesto. Audrey Tang is the figurehead, and her manifesto On Utopia for Public Action espouses post-party politics, free speech and deliberation, all enabled through thoughtful and experimental application of digital infrastructure. Second, a suite of smart digital tools enable discussion, surveys and online telepresence. These include the vTaiwan and the Join platforms for public policy participation. Third, inviting participation, listening to community voices, and taking action as a result. Taiwans culture of civic participation follows the model of open source software communities. This means working from the bottom up, sharing information, improving on the work of others, mutual benefit and participatory collective action. Underlying these initiatives and digital infrastructures is two-way trust. In the words of Yun Chen, a member of the decentralized civic tech community g0v: The first key is trust it was the trust that made government officers take open data as performance instead of troubles, which led government to initiate open data and be willing to accept tech assistance from civic tech communities. Despite low overall trust in government and leadership in Taiwan, recent polling suggests 91% of citizens are satisfied with the Central Epidemic Command Centre. Tang has said the government needs to fully trust the citizens, and this trust is reciprocated. A small experiment With all of this enthusiasm, I wanted to try participating in digital democracy myself. I had heard Tang quote some statistics on increased public trust in several interviews, but I couldnt find the source. At the suggestion of my Taiwanese compatriot Chih Cheng Liang, I simply asked Tang for the source on Twitter. Tangs response was extremely impressive: in less than 5 minutes, she replied with a link to the relevant Taiwanese poll. A radical experiment In many countries, policy makers dont fully understand the technical and governance dynamics of the digital realm. In Taiwan, we are seeing what can happen when they do: bringing hacker tools and methods into the institutions of government to increase public participation in democracy. Its a vast change. Digital infrastructures are inherently political, or spheres for political engagement. They emerge out of the interaction between technology and society, and are influenced and constrained by human agents. Radical democracy is essentially radical. Tang also sits on the board of American economist Glen Weyls Radical Xchange initiative, which aims at uprooting capitalism and democracy for a just society. There is now talk of trying out the collective decision making system known as quadratic voting, and other experimental crowd-sourcing mechanisms that have surfaced from the Ethereum blockchain community. Other countries are free to pick up both lessons and digital innovations from Taiwans innovations. Many tools and models have been made available on an open-source basis at Taiwancanhelp.us. This article was first posted on The Conversation. Representatives of the largest law enforcement organizations in Virginia on Thursday vented over some of the legislation pending in the Virginia General Assembly and the current state of their professions public image. But representatives of the Virginia Association of Chiefs of Police, the Virginia Sheriffs Association, the Virginia State Police Association and the Virginia Fraternal Order of police, also acknowledged during a news conference that there are problems that need correcting and welcomed some of the measures proposed by lawmakers. The officials said they opposed proposals that include: ending qualified immunity that protects officers from some civil liability; ending felony punishment for assaulting a law enforcement officer; eliminating school resource officers; and establishing citizen review boards. Some of the proposals, they contend, would endanger police, suspects and the public and could actually increase the risk of police shootings. Many of the numerous bills now before the Virginia legislature and styled as police reform, were introduced in the wake of highly publicized police killings such as that of George Floyd in Minneapolis and the use of force against Black Lives Matter and other protesters in Richmond and other cities across the state and the U.S. Some proponents of the measures argue there is institutional racial bias in many police departments and that major funding and structural changes are required. Other legislation, intended to make police more accountable, sought to end qualified immunity. (A Senate committee on Thursday afternoon voted to set aside legislation from Del. Jeff Bourne, D-Richmond, to end qualified immunity. The panel will set up a subcommittee to further investigate the issue.) Speaking along with the others at Thursdays news conference, Wayne Huggins, executive director of the Virginia State Police Association and former superintendent of the state police, noted that he began working in public safety more than 50 years ago. During my career in law enforcement, I have never witnessed lower morale than there is today throughout Virginias law enforcement community, said Huggins. He said police and deputy sheriffs in Virginia have millions of contacts with members of the public each year. Well over 99% of the time, these interactions are professional and occur without incident, he said. However, to listen to the uninformed rhetoric that we hear today, one would think that were completely out of control and unprofessional and do not care about the safety and security of those we are sworn to serve and protect. Nothing could be further from the truth, said Huggins. He added, however, This is not to say that we are perfect. Indeed, we are not. Like all professions, we have our occasional bad apple. But let me be clear, we do not want bad cops carrying a badge. We want them gone from our profession. Period. To that end, we support we support an enhanced decertification process and standards of conduct that allows us to not only rid our agencies of these bad cops, but also prevents them from jumping from agency to agency, he said. He said police also support the establishment of a database that can track bad officers who have left one department, to avoid having other departments hire them. Huggins said his association also supports the use of body cameras. We know what the recordings will reveal that over 99% of the time it will show what we have to put up with and what we have to endure as police officers, he said. He said the Virginia Senate asked law enforcement for its input in proposed legislation and included some of it in pending bills. A sweeping package of police and criminal justice reforms introduced by Sen. Mamie Locke, D-Hampton, which passed the Senate in a narrow, party-line vote Thursday, is one example, he said. We can live with that particular bill, said Huggins. On the other hand, the House of Delegates has largely ignored our thoughts and considerations and they passed several pieces of legislation that in reality, in reality, will only hurt and indeed impede law enforcement and in the end not only will law enforcement suffer; it is our citizens who are going to suffer, said Huggins. He said, They can expect to see crime rates increase in all types of crimes, they will see an increase in highway fatalities, injuries and property damage. Huggins said he disagrees with those who assert that ending qualified immunity would not result in an influx of lawsuits. He noted that a fiscal impact statement prepared by the Virginia Department of Planning and Budget says that ending qualified immunity could substantially impact the resources of the office of the attorney general as well as law enforcement agencies. Qualified immunity protects government officials performing discretionary tasks from civil suits unless it can be shown that the official violated clearly established constitutional rights or a law that a reasonable official would have known. Police say it protects them against frivolous lawsuits, but not from lawsuits involving legitimate claims of egregious misconduct. Maggie DeBoard, the chief of police for the Town of Herndon in Fairfax County, said, the greatest threat to our profession is the proposed elimination of qualified immunity. There is a myth being perpetuated that qualified immunity protects bad cops. It does not and it has not protected any of the bad cops that I have been a part of firing or separating over my 34 years in the job. It has never protected bad cops from engaging in criminal behavior or significant misconduct, she said. DeBoard said, We know how to get rid of bad cops. She said police need qualified immunity. We are the only ones covered in the statute who have to make quick, split-second decisions, under stress, sometimes in the face of extreme violence and are expected to not to make a mistake and by the way we are constantly filmed while we are doing it, said DeBoard. Police need to continue to act without fear of lawsuits, she said. The passage of a bill ending qualified immunity would cause good officers to leave at a time when they are needed the most, argued DeBoard. DeBoard said public opinion of police and other first responders was high 19 years ago after the events of 9/11. She said if anything the profession is even better today. Whats changed is that many in power in politics in the media and various groups throughout our community they have pitted our communities against us due to the misconduct of a very, very small number of bad cops and they are spreading false information and rhetoric about our profession and its working, she said. She welcomed the chance to speak with senators and delegates on both sides of the aisle to make some of the bills better. However, DeBoard complained that some of what is being touted as police reform does more harm than good. Tim Carter, the sheriff of Shenandoah County and president of the Virginia Sheriffs Association, said that, particularly in the case of sheriffs, there is no need for public review boards. Sheriffs are elected the ultimate citizen review, he said. COLUMBUS, Ohio, Sept. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Ohio Contractors Association (OCA) is joining state, national and global construction groups in recognizing and participating in the 2020 Construction Safety Week, September 14-18, as well as making work zones and project sites across Ohio safer for workers and the traveling public. The construction industry is one of the nation's most dangerous to work in. According to the U.S. Department of Labor and the Occupational Health & Safety Administration (OSHA), the construction industry has a fatal injury rate higher than the national average for all industries. Statistics show that of every 5,000 worker fatalities, one in five occur in the construction industry. In an effort to promote safety, the National Construction Safety Week was organized in 2014 as a five-day event urging the industry's more than 11.2 million workers to be better safety leaders through collaboration and sharing of best practices. OCA, a statewide trades association of nearly 500 contracting and supply companies involved in Ohio's heavy, highway and utility construction industry, is using the week's national safety observance to highlight what Ohio is doing to bring awareness and to help prevent two of the industry's "focus four" worksite occurrences electrocutions and struck-by accidents. According to OCA Labor & Safety Affairs Director Mark Potnick, common hazards on the construction worksite are when dump trucks fail to lower their beds. "There are two hazards involved in that work," he said. "One is striking overhead electric lines, which can cause injury and death to the ground people; and the second is truck beds striking overhead structures, like bridge decks, which then causes falling chunks of concrete or objects that can strike ground employees." The most-recent U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) show annually that electrocution and struck-by incidences in industry resulted in 6,340 work-related injuries and 438 fatalities nationally. To alleviate the risk of electrocution and struck-by accidents, OCA's Safety Committee set out to develop an overhead warning device that would be consistent to all industry members in the state as well as compliant with the Federal Highway Administration, Ohio Department of Transportation and OSHA. "Since it is such a positive issue and a safety-related issue, we thought we would coordinate our distribution of the devices to our membership in an event during National Construction Safety Week," Potnick said. The OCA event, set for September 17 at its Columbus headquarters at 1313 Dublin Road, will further educate its members on electrocution and struck-by occurrences and distribute 500 overhead warning signs to heavy, highway and utility construction contractors throughout the state. The initial 500 signs are being funded through the Ohio Laborers Employers Cooperation & Education Trust (Ohio LECET). The 2020 National Safety Construction Week was originally set for May, but was rescheduled in order to plan and provide proper COVID-19 protocol. The focus of this year's national event will be thanking workers who support safety and recognize efforts to be injury free; increase awareness of the importance of being committed to safety every day; encourage the sharing of best practices and working to strengthen the construction industry's safety culture; and conduct onsite activities to support safety education. CONTACT: Ohio Contractors Association Mark Potnick, Director, Labor Relations & Safety Affairs (614) 488-0726, [email protected] SOURCE Ohio Contractors Association Press Release September 11, 2020 Bong Go expresses support for the passage of new version of coco levy bill to benefit less fortunate coconut farmers Senator Christopher "Bong" Go expressed his support for the latest version of the coco levy bill being tackled in the Senate plenary. This measure aims to provide for the utilization of the Coco Levy Fund to benefit the country's coconut farmers after an earlier version approved during the 17th Congress was vetoed by President Rodrigo Duterte. During the Senate regular session on Tuesday, September 8, Go reiterated his support and requested to become a co-author of the new version of the measure. "I would like to reiterate my support for the passage of this measure for the benefit and interest of our less fortunate coconut farmers. I would like also to request that I will be a co-author of this measure," Go said. In his interpellation with Senator Cynthia Villar who sponsored the measure, Go asked his fellow senator how many coconut farmers are set to benefit from the Coco Levy Fund. "How will we ensure that the benefits of coco levy fund will redound to our less fortunate farmers? Importante masiguro natin na ang mga naghihirap na magsasaka ang makikinabang," added Go. Villar responded, saying that the latest figure in 2017 is 2.4 million. She added that the intended beneficiaries came from 67 coconut producing provinces, five cities and 1,346 towns in the Philippines. "There are only 1,550 towns in the Philippines, they come from 1,346 towns in the Philippines. And 67 provinces, there are only 81 provinces and they come from 67 provinces. And 65% of them are coming from Mindanao, and 35 (%) is divided between Visayas and Luzon," Villar said. Go then asked Villar if the initial funding in the current measure is enough to be able to uplift less fortunate coconut farmers. Villar replied, saying that the initial funding was limited to P5 billion to prove that the Philippine Coconut Authority can "manage to implement the program." "When we allotted P10 billion, it is one reason for the (earlier) veto. Because they said that P10 billion, the PCA will not be able to implement a P10-billion program so we limit it right now in the beginning at P5 billion," Villar explained. "Sinabi ko nga na hindi naman natin sinabing P5 billion. Minimum of P5 billion just to show that after one year we can prove that we can really manage to implement the program and maybe bring it up in the coming years. And 'yung P5 billion na 'yun nakalista so that they will not say that PCA will not be able to do it, 'yung iba na kaya namang gawin ng ibang department, we will give to other departments," she added. Duterte vetoed an earlier version of the bill, citing the lack of "vital safeguards" in a letter addressed to Congress. In the same letter, it explained that establishing an "effectively perpetual" trust fund would violate Article IV Section 29(3) of the 1987 Constitution. According to the section, money collected from tax levied for a special purpose shall be treated as a special fund and paid out for such purpose only. In the new bill, the management and disbursement of the Coconut Farmers and Industry Trust Fund will be implemented by the PCA based on the Coconut Farmers and Industry Development Plan and as approved by the President of the Philippines. The said plan will also lay out the rehabilitation of the industry in the next 99 years, the suggested lifespan of the Trust Fund. The Trust Fund seeks to establish facilities for the coconut industry and empower coconut farmers' cooperatives and organizations. It will also be utilized for farm improvement, scholarship grants, and health and medical programs for members of the industry. A registered gun dealer today denied murdering his corporate lawyer wife who was shot twice in a bedroom of their farmhouse home. But Peter Hartshorne-Jones, 51, admitted the manslaughter by diminished responsibility of his wife Silke Hartshorne-Jones, 41, as he has a 'mental health condition'. He made his pleas by a video link at Ipswich Crown Court in a short hearing on Friday after a psychiatrist acting for him diagnosed him as suffering from a mental health condition. Silke Hartshorne-Jones, 41, was shot twice at her family's 600,000 farmhouse where she lived with her gun dealer husband Peter Hartshorne-Jones in Barham, Suffolk Lawyer Silke Hartshorne-Jones was shot at her family's 17th century Grade II-listed Chestnut Farm in Barham, near Ipswich, Suffolk on May 3, where she lived with her husband Peter Hartshorne-Jones. Prosecutor Peter Gair said that the prosecution intended to get their own psychiatrist to examine him and draw up a report. The hearing was adjourned until October 15 to allow a decision to be made on whether to hold a murder trial Hartshorne-Jones allegedly called police at 4.45am on May 3 to report that he had shot his German-born wife. Her husband, Peter Hartshorne-Jones, 51, admitted to manslaughter by diminished responsibility but NOT murder of his wife as he has a 'mental health condition'. Pictured, Police were called to the farmhouse in Barham at around 4.45am on May 3 Police found her in a critical condition with two shotgun wounds in a bedroom. She was taken by ambulance to Ipswich Hospital where she was pronounced dead at 6.40am the same day. Hartshorne-Jones allegedly told police: 'I am sorry, I don't know what came over me'. He was said to have stated later: 'I didn't mean to kill her'. At the time of his wife's death, he sold vintage shotguns for game shooting and ran a recruitment agency hiring staff for the catering industry. Lawyer Silke Hartshorne-Jones lived with her husband at her family's 17th century Grade II-listed Chestnut Farm in Barham, near Ipswich, Suffolk His website called Hartshorne Fine English Shotguns said he sold 'the finest sporting English and Scottish shotguns.' Mrs Hartshorne-Jones worked as a lawyer for technology company K2 Partnering Solutions. Her Linked In profile described her job as being in charge of the company's 'legal and compliance function' across Europe. Neighbours said that she used to commute to work, leaving her 600,000 home at 5.30am every weekday and not returning until the evening, but she had been at home since lockdown started. Mr Martin said the public want expert information and reassurances during the pandemic. Photo: Julien Behal Photography/PA Wire Taoiseach Micheal Martin has hit back at criticism of his leadership by outspoken Fianna Fail TD Marc MacSharry. The Taoiseach said Mr MacSharry has made clear he is dissatisfied with how the party is run since Mr Martin excluded him from his ministerial appointments. The Fianna Fail leader said his focus is on the substance of politics such as tackling Brexit and Covid-19. Read More However, Mr Martin was critical of the Sligo-Leitrim TDs comments about Acting Chief Medical Officer Ronan Glynn who he said should not give regular televised briefings on Covid-19 because he is scarring the bejaysus out of the public. One point I would like to make where I would seriously disagree with Marc is his comments in relation to the chief medical officer and that we should take him off our screens or somehow disappear him from public view, the Taoiseach said. I think that was something I couldnt quite comprehend because the Irish people want to hear from the Chief Medical Officer. They value and respect Chief Medical Officer Ronan Glynn and indeed his predecessor Tony Holohan, he added. Mr Martin said the public want expert information and reassurances during the pandemic. Those who try to relegate the views of public health experts or disappear them or take them off the screens have not done as well in terms of mortality or in terms overall dealing with the issue of Covid 19, he said. At a Fianna Fail parliamentary party meeting on Thursday, Mr MacSharry said Fianna Fail has no leadership and not even management at present. He said there is a teacher pupil relationship between Mr Martin and his TDs where the parliamentary party are expected to be empty vessels eager to learn from the master. Mr MacSharry also said the Taoiseach should stop doing joint press conferences with Mr Varadkar. Hes running rings around you, he said. Expand Close Fianna Fail's Marc MacSharry wants Department of Education secretary general Sean O Foghlu to appear before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Fianna Fail's Marc MacSharry wants Department of Education secretary general Sean O Foghlu to appear before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) Higher Education Minister Simon Harris also defended Dr Glynn in the wake of Mr MacSharry's remarks. He said: "The Acting CMO has saved lives. The acting CMO is someone that we're indebted to as a country." Mr Harris said Mr Glynn entered the job in difficult circumstances and added: "I know during my time for the minister for health how incredibly hard he's worked. I can only imagine how exhausted he must feel." Asked about the disquiet at Fianna Fail's parliamentary party meeting Mr Harris said: "Of all the things that concenr me the content of internal party wrangling not one of the things I'd lose sleep over. I've lost sleep about a lot of issue this year...That hasn't been one of them. He said: "Fianna Fail, Fine Gael and the Green Party are working together in a partnership government. "We have Brexit to deal with, we've got Covid to deal wit, the reopening of schools, the whole process of getting people, the National Recovery PLan, the Budget Im'm sure no one in Fianna Fail would appreciate me commenting on their meetings." He insisted the Government is "bedding in well". "I think we're beginning to get out teeth stuck into the big important meaty issues that people want to see us tackle and that I know will be the priority for all of us serving in Cabinet." SHANGHAI For Valentina Li, a single yet well-placed Instagram direct message made all the difference. The freelance makeup artist, who had been working steadily in China for the past four years, had already created something of a name for herself here. She had notched a number of prestigious jobs under her belt like working on a YSL film directed by Wong Kar Wai last year and was a regular with high-profile magazines like Vogue China. But she was yearning for the next big challenge that would help her grow creatively. So just before Paris Fashion Week last September, she penned a message to Maybellines global makeup artist, Erin Parsons, telling her how much she admired her and asked if Parsons could use an extra pair of hands. It was a long shot, but it worked. A day later, Parsons, who typically receives hundreds of Instagram messages a day, replied and invited Li to Paris to work on runway shows with her. Li packed her bags, booked her own flight and hotels, and traveled to France, where she was thrown into the deep end. It was amazing, Li said, nearly a year later after that experience while sitting at a cafe in Shanghai. I consider it such a precious working experience. We did Jean Paul Gaultier with 120 models. It was Schiaparelli with water drop makeup. The haute couture shows had six makeup rooms and the biggest models Karlie Kloss, Gigi and Bella Hadid. We just could not stop, it was [she waves her hand as if shes holding a brush] for six hours straight. Li and Parsons hit it off immediately. She really liked me and let me do major work, Li said. You usually need to be in her assistant group for a long time to do test makeup, but she let me do it the first time I assisted her. Story continues Li is part of a young group changing the perception of makeup in China, a category that is growing in the nation despite being challenged elsewhere. According to data from the NPD Group, online makeup sales were up 58 percent in June, driven by the eye and lip categories as people head back to work. Her chutzpah and trajectory is even more impressive once you consider her humble beginnings. She comes from a very small and poor village in Guangxi, an area of southwest China that borders Vietnam. I wanted to study art, Li said. But my mom said we dont have any background and we have no museums here. I never studied painting. Art class during her grade school years mostly consisted of the teacher handing students all the same painting and asking them to copy it, so she taught herself, with a sketchbook and set of paint brushes her mom had bought her. Middle school onward, she moved to the city of Baise, also in Guangxi province, which was a step up but with a population of 3.8 million, still a tiny dot on the map by Chinese standards. By her university years, shed landed in the city of Taiyuan, eager to experience the different lifestyle offered in northern China. It was during her sophomore year that she decided to become a makeup artist and headed to Beijing to study makeup at Tony Studio, the chain of schools set up by Tony Li, known as the godfather of Chinese color cosmetics. In 2013, she moved to Paris to study at the Make Up For Ever Academy, before returning to China two years later, this time to Shanghai. Over the last couple of years, shes honed her highly conceptual signature style, fueled in part because of her initial love of cosplay. Im really into dark or sci-fi movies like Mars Attacks and The Cell,' she said. Theres also something cinematic in her approach, and she embraces the fantastical. For me, its more satisfying to create a whole character, she said. People think that makeup artists do beautiful makeup for celebrities or every day. From the start, I wanted to be a runway makeup artist, since you can talk to the designer. Its more creative. Its not doing the same thing every day. That kind of kills me. Four years ago, China was less accepting of that kind of expression, but she said it has evolved a lot. When I came back in 2015, people asked for natural nude makeup, she said. I kind of felt, why am I even here? But now, people are opening up, and especially this year we see a lot of Instagram filters and Y2K-type stuff. Very futuristic, really wild and people are more accepting. Were expressing what we really want to become. Before it was very closed and basic, she added. Basic is safe because you cannot make mistakes but now and I dont think its because of COVID-19 but because people are using all sorts of social media that people are connecting to each other. Parsons isnt the only industry figure that Li had caught the eye of. The photographer Mert Alas messaged Li in April to take part in his The Quarantine Days Renaissance project, in which he crowdsourced and highlighted the work of young artists globally. For that, Li riffed on an old Renaissance portrait, drawing cracked lines all over the face of her friend Huang Jiaqi, who was also a frequent subject of the late photographer, Ren Hang. Maybe for other artists, they will really try to create a white mask on the model and make it look crunchy but I really enjoyed keeping the skin soft, Li said. This year, Li had plans to go the U.S. in hopes of working more with Parsons and to study special effects makeup, but the pandemic has put those plans on hold. But shes not feeling deterred, instead taking inspiration from her role model, Japanese designer Yohji Yamamoto, with whom she had a small, but meaningful encounter with a few years ago. He speaks slowly and he knows what he wants, Li said. He did what he liked for his whole life. I just want to do makeup and do what I like for my entire life. I want to be an artisan. Sign up for WWD's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Sean Og O Duinnin read some meditations on the readings and Gospel during the recent service without a priest Bishop William Crean believes that the Diocese of Cloyne has a healthy cohort of priests at present but not all dioceses are as lucky The Bishop of Cloyne, Dr. William Crean, has told The Corkman that the Diocese has a 'healthy cohort' of priests and a number, albeit a small number, of students for the Priesthood. Dr. Crean did admit, however, that while the Diocese was well served for the foreseeable future, it may not be possible 'to have a mass in every church every Sunday beyond the medium term'. He was speaking to this newspaper following an enquiry about what church going congregations in the Cloyne Diocese should expect in time to come, when priests might not be available due to the worldwide decline in vocations, a trend which is being felt acutely in Ireland. This time last year, as Dr. Crean reassigned priests through the Diocese, the parish of Mourneabbey near Mallow was left without a resident priest. It would be served instead by a priest who would be based in the Church's presbytery in Mallow. Mourneabbey became the fourth parish in the diocese to be left without a resident priest. Other parishes who have to rely on priests from nearby larger towns to celebrate mass include Cill na Martra and Aghinagh who are being served by Macroo0m while Castlemagnier is relying on a priest to come from Kanturk. At present there are approximately 80 priests in a diocese of 46 parishes with a population of 149,264 Catholics. With three priest candidates studying for the priesthood in Maynooth. Contained in this year's list of clerical appointments are two retirements. These are countered by transfers back to the Diocese from overseas of two other clerics to take up different positions here. According to the Bishop, the situation in Cloyne isn't necessarily the same in other dioceses where there may not be the same quantity of priests. Priests are retiring, some are becoming ill and incapacitated and others pass away as the years go by and there simply aren't, at present, the students preparing to be ordained to replenish the cohort of priests. While the cohort of priests may continue to shrink due to the process of 'natural wastage'. Bishop Crean stressed: "We have no intention of closing churches but where a parish community is without a resident priest the parish pastoral council will need to take on more responsibility for the parish." The COVID-19 crisis has led to challenges and opportunities for the Church. Churches had to be closed at the outset of the lockdown restrictions to protect against the spread of the illness in the congregation. Services were streamed online from a number of churches in the diocese. These would be done in the most part with just a priest present - there would be no-one in the congregation. Seipeal Chuil Aodha in the Muscrai Gaeltach is one of the churches from which services have been streamed every Sunday and feast day since lockdown restrictions were imposed. These masses, celebrated by local Parish Priest, an tAthair Donal O Briain, with musical accompaniment by Cor Chuil Aodha directed by Peadar O Riada have garnered a growing congregation with people tuning in to the weekly broadcast on Facebook from all around Ireland and the world. This has been done with the consent of the local Garda Superintendent and with a local doctor in attendance to ensure adherence to guidelines to prevent the spread of the virus. Bishop Crean praised the efforts in Cuil Aodha and pointed out that the online service from the Gaeltacht Mhuscrai church had gathered a substantial congregation, from Ireland and throughout the world. On a recent Sunday, due to the unavoidable absence of an tAthair O Briain who was celebrating a Mass in the parish church in Baile Mhuirne which was being broadcast on RTE 1, the decision was taken to continue with a service to be broadcast online from Cuil Aodha so as not to disappoint the many followers online, be they local, national or global. It wasn't described as a Mass but as a service or 'Liturgy of the Word' and there were readings, a Gospel and meditations on the readings during the short service. The service was in accordance with Chruch guidelines. All guidelines regarding prevention of the spread of the virus were adhered to strictly during the service. "This was an exceptional situation," said Peadar O Riada, Cor Chuil Aodha's director. "We didn't want to disappoint anybody as there are lots of people locally and from around the world who are tuning in regularly. Regarding Church services on Sunday , where no priest is present, Bishop Crean admitted there was an absence of clear guidelines from the Church in Ireland as of yet. "That service which is a Liturgy of the Word would be what might be used for a weekday Mass but not necessarily for a Sunday gathering," he commented "The Church in Ireland hasn't landed yet on what a service on a Sunday where a priest might not be present might look like." According to Peadar O Riada, it was important to have the discussion about what the future held in store. "On a more general point, however, we do recognise here in Cuil Aodha that as a community we must come together and support each other and that means supporting our physical and spiritual health and well being as a community. "Last year when our local health service was under threat because the nurse retired and we were being directed towards Macroom, we came together to make our case and make sure that our local service was protected. "We as a community have to look after and protect our religion as well as it is important for our spiritual well-being. "We have to be more self reliant and realise that there's no benevolent benefactor out there looking out for us, we have to be looking to the future where there's more uncertainty with the rapid pace of climate change and, lately, the outbreak of COVID-19. "Things will not stay the same unless we are vigilant and there's no point in closing the door after the horse has bolted." Well over three thousand tune in every Sunday to the Mass which is broadcast from Cor Cuil Aodha's Facebook page and it has had audiences of up to 13,000 or 14,000 on Easter Sunday and other major Church holidays. As COVID-19 seems to continue unabated, the online Mass broadcasts from Cuil Aodha and elsewhere are likely to continue and probably they will continue even after the virus has receded. There are other issues which may be among those being considered by Ireland's Catholic Church hierarchy and wider community as an increasingly uncertain future continues to unfold. The Catholic Church no longer has a monopoly even in areas like North and Mid Cork where it has had a firm grip for generations. Representatives of other church communities are travelling the byroads of the Diocese in search of followers. This and other factors may increase the urgency with which the Church has to face the challenges inherent in declining vocations and an aging clergy. In times of adversity in Irish history, the Church has proven to be resilient. It may have to rely on that resilience again. An estimated 500,000 Oregon residents are facing evacuation because of the wildfires that have burned hundreds of thousands of acres, according to the Oregon Office of Emergency Management. The nearly 70 active wildfires raging along the West Coast have produced the worst air quality on the planet. Portland, Seattle and San Francisco were the top-three worst, according to IQ Air, as of Friday night. Los Angeles ranked seventh. At least 26 people have been killed this year in the fires, including 19 just this week. Amid the devastating blazes, Oregon Gov. Kate Brown issued an executive order to combat price gouging. This is in response, she said, to reports that some essential consumer goods and services, especially lodging, saw outsized price increases. MORE: Devastating wildfires, extreme weather raise concerns about lack of preparedness for climate change "During a statewide emergency, it is absolutely unacceptable to price-gouge Oregonians who have already been hard hit and are facing devastating loss," Brown said in a statement Thursday. As of Saturday morning, there were 37 active fires burning more than 1 million acres, or 1,500 square miles, in Oregon. The largest, the Beachie Creek Fire, has burned at least 186,000 acres and was 0% contained. The fire has killed at least two people and injured at least four others. PHOTO: TOPSHOT - A charred swing set and car are seen after the passage of the Santiam Fire in Gates, Oregon, on September 10, 2020. (Kathryn Elsesser/AFP via Getty Images) The Holiday Farm Fire has burned more than 156,000 acres and was 0% contained. One person was found dead Friday in a home within the perimeter of the fire, the Lane County Sheriffs Office said. The Lionshead Fire, which has burned more than 136,000 acres and injured at least four people, was 5% contained. The Riverside Fire, at 130,000 acres and 0% containment, and the Archie Creek Fire, at more than 107,000 acres and 0% containment, were still raging, authorities said. "Thousands of evacuated Oregonians are sleeping in motels, on cots in shelters, or with friends/family," Brown tweeted. "Please know that we are doing everything in our power to fight these fires." Story continues MORE: Man charged with arson in connection with Almeda Fire in southern Oregon As state and local emergency responders continue their heroic work, they'll now be getting some additional federal help. A day after a delegation of Oregon lawmakers sent a letter to President Donald Trump asking for disaster assistance, he approved the state's emergency declaration. PHOTO: Damaged homes and cars are seen in a mobile home park destroyed by fire, Sept. 10, 2020, in Phoenix, Ore. (David Ryder/Getty Images) "The President's action authorizes the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), to coordinate all disaster relief efforts which have the purpose of alleviating the hardship and suffering caused by the emergency on the local population, and to provide appropriate assistance for required emergency measures ... to save lives and to protect property and public health and safety, and to lessen or avert the threat of a catastrophe," a statement from the White House said. PHOTO: MONROVIA, CA - SEPTEMBER 10: The Bobcat Fire burns downed trees in the Angeles National Forest on September 10, 2020 north of Monrovia, California. (David Mcnew/Getty Images) In California, at least 14,000 firefighters were one the front lines Friday battling 28 major active wildfires. Many firefighters there have braved the grueling conditions for almost a month straight. Since the beginning of the year, wildfires have scorched a combined 3.1 million acres -- an area larger than Connecticut. MORE: 'Undeniable link to climate change' in California's fire season, expert says The North Complex Fire, formerly known as the Bear Fire, has burned more than 252,500 acres, was 23% contained and has resulted in at least 10 deaths. It also destroyed at least 2,000 structures. California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency Thursday for Siskiyou County, where the Slater Fire was at 140,000 acres and 0% contained. Six of the top 20 largest wildfires in California history have occurred this year. PHOTO: MONROVIA, CA - SEPTEMBER 10: Mormon Lake Hotshots firefighter Sara Sweeney uses a drip torch to set a backfire to protect mountain communities from the Bobcat Fire in the Angeles National Forest on September 10, 2020 north of Monrovia, California. (David Mcnew/Getty Images) The August Complex Fire had covered at least 491,600 acres and was 25% contained, while the El Dorado Fire near San Bernardino reached 13,000 acres and was 31% contained. In Washington, the Cold Springs Fire in Okanogan County reached 187,000 acres and was 25% contained. A young child was killed in that fire earlier this week, with both parents suffering critical burn injuries. 19 dead as West Coast wildfires rage and cause world's worst air quality originally appeared on abcnews.go.com Chennai: The political discourse in Tamil Nadu is swaying inexorably towards an oft-trodden ground: language politics. In the wake of the unveiling of the National Education policy a reform to the countrys education framework after several decades the political temperature has begun rising again. The DMK, the original handler of the language imposition is hegemony tool in Tamil Nadu, is at it again. Led by MK Stalin, and flanked by son Udhayanidhi Stalin and stepsister Kanimozhi, the DMK is hitting out at many instances of imposition of Hindi, and, in some places, Sanskrit. The most recent one being Udhayanidhi highlighting the plight of a senior officer posted in the Hindi cell of the states GST commissionerate, who does not know the language. In another instance, DMK MP Tiruchi Siva had tweeted about the removal of regional languages from nationalised banks, and got a quick denial from finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on social media. Clearly, language is a political nerve centre in Tamil Nadu. The DMK is going by a tried-and-tested playbook that it put to action just ahead of the 2019 general elections. It had a sustained campaign that dubbed the ruling AIADMK government as a docile follower of the BJP at the Centre, bringing out multiple instances of erosion of cooperative federalism, abdication of state rights, and the enabler of saffronisation of what was essentially a Dravidian land. For example, the multiple hydrocarbon-extraction projects in the Cauvery Delta region, the subject of medical entrance test NEET (which is still a burning issue), the delay in the setting up of the Cauvery Water Management Board (both national parties were caught between conflicting political interests of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu over the river sharing), the shooting of 13 people protesting against the Vedanta Sterlite factory in southern Tamil Nadu, and several local issues that seemed to put the BJP government and its ally, AIADMK, on the defensive. The DMK had significant social media campaign machines that kept turning small drives into national trends in no time. It is this playbook that the DMK is trying to replicate ahead of the 2021 assembly elections, and it appears as though the Edappadi K Palaniswami government is trying to neutralise the salvos from the opposition camp. For example, Palaniswami is looking assertive now. Firstly, he did not bow to saffron pressure to allow Ganesh Chaturthi processions and stationary displays in the state. Even after state BJP president L Murugan had led a delegation and tried to make peace with the chief minister, there were few signs of relenting. Secondly, the Palaniswami government issued a very strong statement, refusing to implement the three-language formula in Tamil Nadu. The DMK had been going after both governments over various contentious provisions in the National Education Policy. Palaniswami, however, is hindered by internal factionalism in the AIADMK that threatens to break out, every now and then. The episode of AIADMK ministers going from one leaders house to another brings out how divided a house the party is. Comparatively, the friction caused by the clout enjoyed by the son of MK Stalin, Udhayanidhi Stalin, is not significant. To its credit, the DMK doesnt let its electoral campaign issues slide by the wayside after the elections are over. In fact, the draft of the National Education Policy was released after the parliamentary elections of 2019 but the party actively took up contentious issues provisioned in the policy. For example, the draft had contained Hindi as an optional third language in non-Hindi speaking states, something the DMK opposed strongly and the Centre had to put out a revised draft. In the politically benumbed scenario dominated by the novel coronavirus, the DMK is actively leveraging social media to spread its message. All Kanimozhi had to do after her dont-you-know-Hindi experience at the Chennai airport was to just tweet about it. It was a new lease of life to DMKs anti-Hindi imposition campaign. Over the weekend, the party had t-shirts printed with the words Dont know Hindi, get lost and distributed wildly to aid its social media campaigns. Compared to the DMKs strides on the social media, the AIADMK is clearly a weak force; in fact, followers of actor Rajinikanth and the BJPs IT wing in the state give a tough fight to the DMKs rampaging trends. Palaniswamis recent refusal to allow the three-language formula needs to be viewed in the context of this high-stakes political crossfire between the AIADMK and the DMK. Out of power for nearly a decade now, the DMK is rummaging its quiver for its sharpest arrow. As of now, language policy, NEET, the OBC reservation controversy have come to hand. The AIADMK is trying its best to blunt the edges of all of these arrows. The BJP, with no MLAs in the assembly, is trying hard to open its account. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been belting out couplets from ancient works of Tamil philosophers for a while now, even as the state unit goes about bad-mouthing Dravidian movement leaders such as Periyar E V Ramasamy; in effect, it has turned itself into a source of uneasiness for its larger ally AIADMK, which would prefer a true-blue Dravidian battle at the hustings than one between the unfamiliar terrain of united Hindu believers and everyone else. Police are working with farmers and landowners to deal with the growing problem of cannabis fly-tipping in North Yorkshire. Police have increased patrols and urged farmers and landowners who have been victims of the fly-tipping incidents to come forward. It is part of an operation to clamp down on the illegal dumping of waste associated with cannabis production in the county. Criminals have been abandoning the remains of cannabis farms in rural locations, leaving farmers and landowners to foot the bill and clear up. The rubbish can include lamps, wiring, air filters, tubs of fertiliser and dead plants. Earlier this year, police surveyed more than 75 farmers and landowners in North Yorkshire about fly-tipping ten of whom reported having cannabis waste dumped on their land within the last 12 months. One respondent said the remains of cannabis farms were being fly-tipped on their land every couple of months. In response, North Yorkshire Police are increasing patrols, particularly in remote rural areas. Tactics include stopping and checking suspicious vehicles, as well as using CCTV and ANPR technology to identify offenders. Warning signs are available to farmers to deter fly-tippers from targeting their land, and Rural Watch groups who use WhatsApp to share information are being given information on what to look out for. PC Gemma Mumby, of North Yorkshire Police, said fly-tipping caused disruption to farmers and rural businesses, and was hazardous to wildlife and public health. Criminals involved in cannabis production see fly-tipping as an easy way to dump their waste, so its only by working together that we can stop them," she said. Its important that all incidents of fly-tipping are reported. We work closely with councils, and forensic opportunities in cannabis waste could give us the chance to identify both fly-tippers and drug dealers. There has been a number of high profile fly-tipping incidents which have affected farmers and landowners so far this year. Last month, a Lanarkshire farmer had no choice but to pay 2,000 to clean up two tonnes of raw meat waste which was dumped on his land. Meanwhile, a Merseyside farmer took revenge on a fly-tipper who dumped hundreds of tyres on his farm. A viral clip shows the tyres being tipped back onto the pavement outside the culprit's house. Farmers and landowners across the UK are urged to report any fly-tipping incidents to their local council. As Farewell slowly rode away from the station, with the woman walking alongside, Beasley followed, police said. The two stopped, and Farewell approached the vehicle before getting back on his bicycle and riding off, police said. It is unclear if the two exchanged words. Mizzou Students Complained of COVID-19 Mess on Campus. So Chancellor Blocked Them on Twitter. As Missouri University reportedly approaches nearly 4,000 positive cases of the coronavirus, Chancellor and President Mun Choi has blocked students from viewing his Twitter account after they voiced concerns about the school's handling of the outbreak. It ultimately took a lawsuit threat from one student for Choi to unblock them. Here's a worthwhile story and a better read than dead-tree newsies attempting to take credit for college student journalism . . . Check more harsh times for an embattled campus that's a microcosm of the nation . . . Read more: Design of the planned P-ONE neutrino telescope in the Pacific Ocean (left). The telescope will have a modular structure and consists of seven identical detector segments (right), the first of which will be installed in 2023/24. CREDIT Elisa Resconi / TUM The "IceCube" neutrino observatory deep in the ice of the South Pole has already brought spectacular new insights into cosmic incidents of extremely high energies. In order to investigate the cosmic origins of elementary particles with even higher energies, Prof. Elisa Resconi from the Technical University of Munich (TUM) has now started an international initiative to build a neutrino telescope several cubic kilometers in size in the northeastern Pacific. Astronomers observe the light that comes to us from distant celestial objects to explore the Universe. However, light does not tell us much about the highest energy events beyond our Galaxy, such as the jets of active galactic nuclei, gamma-ray bursts or supernovae, because photons in the upper gamma-ray range lose their extreme energies on their long way through the Universe through interaction with other particles. Just like light, neutrinos traverse space at the speed of light (almost) but interact extremely rarely with other particles. They maintain their energy and direction, which makes them unique messengers of the highest energy universe. Messenger of distant cosmic events Since 2013, when the IceCube Neutrino Observatory detected extragalactic neutrinos for the first time, astrophysicists have been striving to understand from which cosmic sources they come and which physical mechanism has accelerated them to such extreme energies. However, to solve the puzzle, more detectors with even larger volumes than that of the cubic-kilometre sized IceCube Observatory are required. Because neutrinos cannot be observed directly, only through Cherenkov radiation, the detectors must be located in ice or in water. Initiative for a new neutrino telescope in the Pacific Prof. Elisa Resconi, spokesperson of the Collaborative Research Center 1258 and Liesel-Beckmann Chair for Experimental Physics with Cosmic Particles at TUM, has now started an international initiative for a new neutrino telescope located in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Canada: the Pacific Ocean Neutrino Experiment (P-ONE). For that purpose, Resconi has partnered with a facility of the University of Victoria, Ocean Networks Canada (ONC), one of the world's largest and most advanced cabled ocean observatories. Ideal conditions for a neutrino observatory The ONC network node in the Cascadia basin at a depth of 2660 meters was selected for P-ONE. The extensive abyssal plain offers ideal conditions for a neutrino observatory spanning several cubic kilometres. In summer 2018, ONC anchored a first pathfinder experiment in the Cascadia basin: the STRAW (Strings for Absorption length in water) experiment, two 140-meter-long strings equipped with light emitters and sensors to determine the attenuation of light in the ocean water, a parameter crucial for the design of P-ONE. In September 2020, STRAW-b will be installed, a 500 m steel cable with additional detectors. Both experiments were developed and built by Resconi's research group at the TUM Physics Department. Next steps in 2023/24 The first segment of P-ONE, the Pacific Ocean Neutrino Explorer, a ring with seven 1000-meter-long strings with 20 detectors each, is planned to be installed in ONC's marine operation season in 2023/24 in collaboration with various Canadian universities. "Astrophysical neutrinos have unlocked new potential for significantly advancing our knowledge of the extreme universe," says Darren Grant, professor at the Michigan State University (USA), and spokesperson of the IceCube collaboration. "P-ONE represents a unique opportunity to demonstrate large-scale neutrino detector deployment in the deep ocean, a critical step towards reaching the goal of a globally connected neutrino observatory that would provide peak all-sky sensitivity to these ideal cosmic messengers." Elisa Resconi anticipates P-ONE with its seven segments to be completed by the end of the decade. "The experiment will then be perfectly equipped to uncover the provenance of the extragalactic neutrinos," says Resconi, "but what's more, high-energy neutrinos also hold the potential to reveal the nature of dark matter." The P-ONE project includes the Technical University of Munich (Germany), University of Victoria and Ocean Networks Canada, University of Alberta, Queen's University, Simon Fraser University (all Canada), Michigan State University (USA), European Southern Observatory, Goethe University Frankfurt, GSI Helmholtzzentrum fur Schwerionenforschung, Darmstadt, and Max Planck Institute for Physics (all Germany). The project receives support from Ocean Networks Canada, an initiative of the University of Victoria funded in part by the Canada Foundation for Innovation. This work is funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG) through grant SFB 1258 "Neutrinos and Dark Matter in Astro- and Particle Physics" and the cluster of excellence "Origin and Structure of the Universe". A special feature of the modules: They contain works of art by young international artists who create a connection between the earth and the deep sea and thus turn the pathfinder experiment into a unique underwater exhibition. ### Publication: M. Agostini et al.: The Pacific Ocean Neutrino Experiment Nature Astronomy, Sept. 8, 2020 - DOI: 10.1038/s41550-020-1182-4 Please follow SpaceRef on Twitter and Like us on Facebook. When The Military Times released new survey results last week showing President Donald Trumps falling support among service members, it seemed like that would be Trumps worst military news of the week. Then came last Thursday. Senior administration officials shared with The Atlantic a slew of incendiary and derogatory comments Trump has made in the last three years against U.S. service members, past and present. The comments are, predictably, bad. The first took place on Memorial Day 2017 in Section 60 of Arlington National Cemetery where veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan are buried. Trump arrived with then-Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly and others. Kellys son Robert, also a Marine, is buried in Section 60. He was killed in Afghanistan in 2010. While visiting the younger Kellys gravesite, Trump reportedly turned to his future chief of staff and said, I dont get it. What was in it for them? As bizarre and hurtful as that comment presumably was, The Atlantic says Trump saved special vitriol for the late Sen. John McCain. McCain, of course, is widely regarded as an American hero for enduring torture for five years in a North Vietnamese prison. When McCain died in 2018, Trump told his close circle, Were not going to support that losers funeral. When he saw flags lowered to half-staff, Trump demanded to know what the (expletive) are we doing that for? Guy was a (expletive) loser. I never agreed with McCain on anything policy-related, but this boggles the mind. Of course, it didnt end there. In 2018, Trump was scheduled to visit the Aisne-Marne American Cemetery near Paris. That was until he reportedly asked senior officials that morning, Why should I go to that cemetery? Its filled with losers. He apparently made the same remark about former President George H.W. Bush, calling him a loser for being shot down by the Japanese in World War II. When Trump speaks of American military dead, Republicans and Democrats alike, its always about losers. But thats not the only word he uses. On the same trip, according to The Atlantic, he referred to the more than 1,800 marines killed at Belleau Wood as suckers. And because there is no bottom, it gets worse. In 2018, as Trump was planning a military parade at the White House, he asked senior staff not to include wounded veteran amputees because people would feel uncomfortable around them. Nobody wants to see that, he reportedly said. All this invective aimed at the military was confirmed by The Associated Press. The Washington Post also confirmed Trumps statements, adding an absolute doozy that would end any other presidential administration. Of course Trump and administration officials vehemently dispute the claims. Losers, losers, losers, losers, suckers. They deserved what they got. If youre in the military, thats what Trump thinks of you. These are his words, not mine. If you have a family member in the military a child, a parent or a sibling then this is what Trump thinks of them. Unfortunately, none of this is surprising; the scandalous private comments are only versions of what weve all heard him say in public. Trump has disparaged the military time and again, from when he said, I like people who werent captured to his denigration of the Khan family, whose son was killed in Iraq. His actions are even worse. He deeply offended the U.S. Army by abandoning our Kurdish allies in Syria and Iraq. He said nothing to Vladimir Putin when it was reported that the Russian government had paid bounties for the deaths of U.S. troops in Afghanistan. I was standing in Section 60 at Arlington when Trumps motorcade arrived with Kelly that Memorial Day in 2017. As soon as he stepped out of the limo, my friends and I began walking toward the exit. Unlike most veterans at the time, we knew he would defile the moment and the sacred ground on which we stood. We didnt want to stick around for it. Trump still had the support of most of the military on that day. Even earlier last week, he couldve counted on the 37% of service members who said they were going to vote for him. But most of that has to disappear now. And he has no one but himself, in all his broken sullenness, to blame. The thing about Trumps disdain for the military is that it goes both ways. Brandon Friedman is an entrepreneur and former Obama administration official. Love 109 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 54 DEHRADUN: The Dehradun Police have booked BJP MLA from Dwarahat Mahesh Negi for rape weeks after a woman accused him of the crime in a police complaint. A police investigation has been launched into the matter. Arun Mohan, senior superintendent of police (SSP), Dehradun, said that anyone can file a re-statement in the case. He said that police will conduct polygraphy if there is a contradiction in the statement. Meanwhile, an audio clip of the victim and an Investigation Officer (IO) in the case. The victim had written to SSP Dehradun Arun Mohan alleging that Sub-Inspector Neema Rawat had forced her to settle the matter with the MLA. According to ANI, the she requested that the case be investigated by some other officer. An FIR was registered against the legislator at the Nehru Colony police station in Dehradun on Saturday under sections 376 (rape) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code in compliance with the orders of a local court. The legislators wife Rita Negi has also been booked for criminal intimidation. On the other hand, Mahesh Negi's wife Rita lodged an FIR against the victim at Nehru Colony police station in Dehradun accusing her of blackmailing her husband, demanding Rs 5 crore and threatening to implicate him in a false rape case. Later, the victim shared a video clip on social media where she accused the legislator of sexual abuse and also fathering a child. She also demanded that a DNA test be conducted if the law enforcing agencies doubted the veracity of her charge. On September 4, the Nainital High Court stayed the arrest of the victim, on the FIR registered by Rita. The victim had filed a petition in the High Court seeking to quash the FIR lodged against and to stay her arrest based on the MLA's wife complaint. Gardai are appealing for witnesses in relation to a suspect device, which was discovered in Crumlin, Dublin 12, yestereday. At approximately 9.20am, yesterday morning, Gardai responded to a report of a suspect device at the entrance to Rafters Avenue in Crumlin, Dublin 12. On arrival at the scene, Gardai observed what they believed to be an improvised explosive device and secured the scene. Local housing was evacuated and traffic diversions were implemented. The Army Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) attended the scene and conducted a controlled explosion. The device and its contents are now subject to a technical examination. Gardai are appealing to anyone who may have information in relation to this incident. Anyone who was in the vicinity of Rafters Avenue between the hours of 9pm, Wednesday, September 9, and 9am, Thursday, September 10, who may have noticed any unusual activity is asked to come forward. Similarly, any motorists who were driving in the area between 9pm yesterday evening and 9am this morning, who may have camera (dash-cam) footage is asked to make contact. Anyone with any information should call Crumlin Garda Station on 01 666 6200 or the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111. In this Emmys 2020 prediction, Enstarz is firmly convinced that Mark Ruffalo will win the Lead Actor award in a TV Movie or Limited Series. He's playing against some heavy names this year. In fact, we had a hard time trying to decide among the five nominees. However, it's tough playing two people or twins in the first place -- Dominick and Thomas Birdsey. But Ruffalo did it so marvelously in the book adaptation "I Know This Much Is True." He was able to execute the two roles as if they are two completely different people with their own storylines. Playing two people is hard enough, but to alternate between one character without disability and one with a disability was likely to be exhausting. The other twin does not just have any disability. Ruffalo had to play a paranoid-schizophrenic twin, which makes it all the more challenging. Ruffalo deserve the title not just because the role's was hard, though. All the actors nominated played some challenging roles, too. However, Ruffalo portrayed both his characters with heart as if he truly went beyond what the role called for and just became Thomas and Dominick. It must be because he understood his role completely, like inside out. He said so as much in an interview with the Los Angeles Times. "He's on a journey of forced self-discovery," Ruffalo said. "Most journeys of self-discovery are forced on us. It's usually something that makes us very uncomfortable, so we don't go until we're forced - whether through suffering, loss of a person we love, hitting some sort of bottom ... we probably learn the most about ourselves there." Playing two roles is not the hardest part of his role. Embodying the characters physically is. Given that the twins do not look exactly alike because the other one has a disability, Ruffalo had to exert extra effort to look at his parts, too. First, he had to lose 20 pounds to portray Dominick, but then, he had to gain 35 pounds to be Thomas. That does pose a serious health risk, doesn't it? This shows the kind of commitment Ruffalo has for his craft. Moreover, Dominick was hyper-masculine, while Thomas was a bit effeminate. Going back and forth between the two personalities is likely to have taken a toll on the actor, but viewers of the series can hardly feel that! Yet again, the actor is able to play two polar opposite individuals because he gets them. In fact, he can see why Thomas, even with his disability, is the luckier one. Regular viewers would not be able to catch that. "In a lot of ways [Thomas is] more free because he's not bound by the toxic masculinity we all learn to survive," Ruffalo shared about Thomas. The show was truly something. That can be attributed not to just Ruffalo, but everyone from HBO to the showrunners. HBO essentially gave them the freedom to make the series as they wished and see fit, so creative solutions ensure dRuffalo can play two roles without tacky methods being used. Ruffalo said so himself, saying director Derek Cianfrance is the true genius behind it all. And then this is why our Emmys 2020 prediction is that Ruffalo will win. Ruffalo just deserves the award: he's not conceited and he knows where to give credit where it is due! READ MORE: Laugh Again! SNL Drops Major Announcement Amid COVID-19 Pandemic After exiting the Rashtriya Janata Dal on Thursday, former Union minister Raghuvansh Prasad Singh wrote to Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar seeking extension of MGNREGA benefits to the farm sector, a step being seen as an attempt by the veteran socialist leader to cosy up to the ruling Janata Dal-United. IMAGE: Former RJD vice president Raghuvansh Prasad Singh. Photograph: PTI Photo In a letter to Kumar, Singh, one of his most vitriolic critics while in the RJD, said the MGNREGA law needed to be amended and its benefits extended to the farm sector. Since its launch in 2006, the rural employment guarantee scheme has aimed to provide livelihood security in rural areas by guaranteeing at least 100 days of minimum wage employment, mostly in the construction of durable assets such as roads, canals and ponds. Several chief ministers have often sought extension of the benefits of the scheme to the farm sector. In his letter posted on Facebook, the former Union minister also asked Kumar to facilitate the return of the begging bowl of Lord Buddha from Kabul. He also demanded that the chief minister unfurl the national tricolour at Vaishali every Republic Day. Vaishali, the parliamentary constituency Singh represented for five successive terms before his defeat in 2014, is considered the first republic in the world. Singh had resigned from the RJD, the main opposition party in Bihar, on Thursday, triggering speculation about his joining the ruling JD-U. However, RJD supremo Lalu Prasad, serving time in jail in four fodder scam cases in Ranchi, had rejected his resignation. "For four decades, we have together discussed political, social and even family matters. You get well soon and we will discuss again. You are not going anywhere, you understand," Prasad had written to Singh on Thursday, after the latter made it clear that he was quitting the party. Singh, who is admitted to the AIIMS, New Delhi, because of post COVID-19 complications, has still not made it clear whether he will stay in the RJD or shift to the JD-U. The departure of Singh from the RJD is being seen as a major "psychological setback" for the party as a sizeable section of his Rajput castemen still backs the opposition party while all other upper castes plump for the Bharatiya Janata Party or the Congress. Singh, who as the Union rural development minister piloted the NREGA Bill, urged Kumar to bring an ordinance to amend the relevant law to extend its benefits to the farm sector. He insisted that the ordinance be brought before the model code of conduct for election kicks in. Assembly elections are likely in Bihar in October-November, and once the model code comes into force, no policy decision can be made. The JD-U, which has already made it clear that its doors are open for the veteran socialist leader, indicated it was amenable to accepting his suggestions. "The issues he has raised in his letter to the chief minister are undoubtedly worth consideration," JD-U spokesman Rajiv Ranjan Prasad said. "One thing is clear that Raghuvansh Babu was humiliated and insulted in the RJD and he swallowed it during his long stint in the party he nursed with his blood and sweat", Prasad said. He said Singh's decision to quit the RJD had left a "big hole in the party's sinking boat". Before Singh, seven MLAs and five MLCs, including those belonging to the Yadav caste and Muslims, the bedrock of the RJD's support base, had resigned and joined the JD-U. Singh had recently quit from the post of RJD vice president in protest against efforts to induct mafia don and former Lok Janshakti Party MP from Vaishali Rama Singh into the party. Rama Singh had defeated the RJD leader in the 2014 Lok Sabha election, breaking his winning streak since he was first elected from there in 1996. He was also not happy with the style of functioning of Prasad's heir apparent and leader of the opposition in the Bihar assembly Tejashwi Yadav, party sources said. A 74-year-old business from Tamil Nadus Madurai has installed a life-size statue of his late wife at his home to not miss the feeling of her constant presence. C Sethuraman from Mela Ponnagaram lost his 67-year-old wife S Pichaimani to heart-attack on August 10, reports The Hindu. Since then, Sethuraman had a difficult time struggling to fill the void of his wife. A month after her demise, the septuagenarian unveiled the life-size statue of his wife sitting on a chair clad a green saree. It took 25 days for the sculpture to be created. Speaking to ANI, he said, I lost my wife recently. But when I look at this statue I can connect with her. Fibre, rubber & special colours were used to make it." Tamil Nadu: Sethuraman, a businessman from Madurai unveiled a statue of his wife,Pitchaimaniammal,at his home after 30 days of her demise. He says,"I lost my wife recently but when I look at this statue I can connect with her.Fibre,rubber & special colours were used to make it" pic.twitter.com/l5iykI8UCw ANI (@ANI) September 11, 2020 The sculptor was made by a Villupuram-based sculptor, Prasanna, who agreed to create and deliver the statue in less a month. Another local painter gave the finishing touch to it to make it more real, reports The Indian Express. Sethuraman, who owns three big marriage halls in Madurai, said that in his 48-year-long marriage, there wasnt a single day where he would be away from his wife. I quit my government job as a health inspector to venture into the real estate business. Through the years, I had faced financial losses several times. But she was always there with me. She was more like my best friend," he said. Sethuraman drew his inspiration from a Karnataka-based businessman had installed a life-size statue of his late wife during a housewarming ceremony. ALSO READ: Saw That Viral Life-Like Statue of Karnataka Mans Late Wife? These Sculptors Made it Decked in a pink saree and gold jewellery, Madhavi sat atop a sofa, with a smile on her face. Her smile, however, never wore off and the guests in attendance were left speechless upon seeing her ANN ARBOR, MI Anticipating a possible evacuation of University of Michigan campus housing at some point due to coronavirus outbreaks, Ann Arbor City Council members will discuss a resolution to initiate planning with UM for emergency shelter. Council Member Elizabeth Nelson, 4th Ward Democrat, said she is bringing the resolution forward at the councils next regular meeting on Sept. 21. If approved, the city administrator would coordinate meetings with UM leadership to discuss local housing needs, specifically the use of university housing for non-student residents in need of shelter this winter, Nelson said. Nelsons resolution states there is a high likelihood that thousands of UM students could be evacuated from campus in the near future due to an outbreak of COVID-19. I think its realistic to anticipate this as a possible outcome for the UM campus at Ann Arbor," Nelson said. We know that outbreaks are happening on campuses elsewhere, theres no reason to think it couldnt or wouldnt happen here. If even a small portion of university-owned housing was made available to the community, we could offer safety and shelter to many in our community. The resolution specifically mentions other colleges that have experienced COVID-19 outbreaks after students returned, including University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Notre Dame, Temple University and San Diego State University. Those schools went back to remote learning. Other colleges like Sonoma State University in San Francisco and Suffolk University in Boston have coordinated with local governments to provide housing to non-students in their communities, Nelson said. The city of Ann Arbor anticipates an increased need for safe, uncrowded emergency shelter for the upcoming winter, Nelsons resolution states, and UM has previously allowed the city to use university-owned property in both ongoing and temporary arrangements. City Council has spent an additional $250,000 in the last six months to supplement county sheltering resources, Nelson said. When local partners were forced to reduce their commitments to the Coordinated Funding program for human services, the city maintained its full $1.2-million commitment, she said. But there are limits to what the city can do on its own," Nelson said. "We have a lot of conversations about what more we could do if we partnered with the university, but these conversations dont typically happen in public. More than once, Ive heard, The university would never help us with that. I would like this particular conversation to happen in public. I think its important. City Council has been concerned about students returning to campus and gathering in large groups, leading it to enact an emergency ordinance to make clear the citys rules and expectations regarding face masks and restrictions on social gatherings amid the pandemic. Citing concerns about UM student gatherings, Ann Arbor enacts emergency ordinance If the resolution passes, the city administrator would meet with the city council and the UM Board of Regents before Nov. 1 to discuss both temporary and long-term housing needs, as well as meetings with local entities that would provide services for and coordinate the use of university housing units for emergency shelter this winter, the resolution states. READ MORE: Ann Arbor bans dedicated Airbnb short-term rental properties Ann Arbor canoe livery closes for second time due to COVID exposure Ann Arbor City Council members question University of Michigans effort to prevent spread of coronavirus LONDON The British government has opted to press on with a controversial bill that could ultimately undermine a Brexit divorce deal it signed last year, despite an ultimatum and the threat of legal action from the EU. The stakes are getting higher between both sides after the U.K. government published plans that, if legislated, could alter legally-binding Brexit agreements with Brussels. The U.K.'s Internal Market Bill would grant the British government powers to not consult the EU in state aid cases involving the trade of goods between Northern Ireland and the rest of the EU. The U.K. had agreed to do the opposite when signing its divorce deal with the EU in January. The bill would also potentially change requirements that Northern Irish firms complete export summary declarations when shipping goods to the mainland. The shock move from Westminster could break international law and jeopardize not only a trade deal with the EU, but also with the U.S. In an emergency meeting Thursday in London, European officials told the U.K. government to amend its plans "in the shortest time possible and in any case by the end of the month." "By putting forward this Bill, the U.K. has seriously damaged trust between the EU and the U.K. It is now up to the U.K. government to re-establish that trust," the EU said in a statement after the meeting. It is a precondition for the EU that the U.K. respects previously legislated deals before concluding any trade agreement with the U.K. Michael Gove, who represented the U.K. government in that meeting, said the British Cabinet "would not be withdrawing" the new legislation plans. He added that the Internal Markel Bill does not override previous commitments. The EU disagrees and said it "will not be shy in using" all the available legal means if the U.K. goes ahead with the bill in its current form. A Scottish engineer is facing up to 30 years in a US jail after pleading guilty to trying to smuggle 400,000 worth of power generating equipment to Iran. Colin Fisher, 45, was arrested as he flew from his home in Dubai to Florida to seal the deal to illegally transport the engine. The US has a trade embargo imposed on Iran to prevent the sale of technology to the 'rogue state'. The father-of-three, who is originally from Dundee, was arrested by FBI agents in August as he flew into Pensacola, Florida. Colin Fisher (pictured), 45, was arrested as he flew from his home in Dubai to Florida to seal the deal to illegally transport the engine He has now admitted working for the past three years to set up a deal to transport a gas turbine engine which would have been used in an Iranian oil field in contravention of an embargo aimed at preventing terrorism. Fisher faces up to 20 years imprisonment for violating the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and up to 10 years imprisonment for attempted smuggling. Court documents revealed that Fisher, who serviced and maintained gas turbine engines while based in Dubai, had used code words to talk about the deal with his co-conspirators. He had also produced false invoices to disguise the transportation of the turbine engine. The father-of-three (pictured), who is originally from Dundee, was arrested by FBI agents in August as he flew into Pensacola, Florida Fisher (pictured) made several trips to Florida to set up the export of the engine and was arrested as he arrived to help in loading it into a container for export Federal agents were able to seize the engine before it was transported to a company in Dubai who were known to supply parts used in oil fields in Iran. Fisher made several trips to Florida to set up the export of the engine and was arrested as he arrived to help in loading it into a container for export. Fisher faces up to 20 years imprisonment for violating the International Emergency Economic Powers Act US Attorney Lawerence Keefe said: 'Exporting technology to Iran is prohibited for a very good reason, yet this defendant chose to put his own self-interest above global and national security. 'This case should send a clear signal that the United States cannot and will not look the other way when persons endanger the safety of our nation and its people. We will enforce these laws, which are vital to our national security, against those both within the United States and abroad. Fisher was charged was violating the International Economic Powers Act which is aimed at preventing Iran from developing weapons that could be used in terrorism. He pleaded guilty last week. His wife Nichola runs a children's party business in Dubai where she lives with their three children. Fisher (pictured) was charged was violating the International Economic Powers Act which is aimed at preventing Iran from developing weapons that could be used in terrorism His wife Nichola runs a children's party business in Dubai where she lives with their three children. Fisher will be sentenced in November While taking part in the smuggling plan he had been admitted to hospital in Dubai for an emergency operation and underwent keyhole surgery at the Rashid Hospital in Dubai When contacted by MailOnline she said: 'Colin is no longer my husband. We have been separated two and half years'. Friends in the UAE said Fisher had been working as a freelance contractor servicing turbine engines. While taking part in the smuggling plan he had been admitted to hospital in Dubai for an emergency operation and underwent keyhole surgery at the Rashid Hospital in Dubai. Fisher will be sentenced in November. Vice Foreign Minister Choi Jong-kun, right, with U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun during their meeting in Washington, D.C., Thursday / Courtesy of Ministry of Foreign Affairs By Kang Seung-woo South Korea and the United States will establish a dialogue channel between working-level personnel to discuss a wide range of diplomatic issues, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Friday. The agreement was made at the first meeting between Vice Foreign Minister Choi Jong-kun and U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun in Washington, D.C., Thursday. Choi took office last month after serving at Cheong Wa Dae's national security office from March 2019 to August 2020. The face-to-face meeting took place less than 10 days after they held a phone conversation, Sept. 2, during which they agreed to meet as early as possible and discuss the overall bilateral relations and regional affairs. "They concurred on launching an alliance dialogue, a working-level consultation body, in which director-level officials from the two countries' foreign ministries will discuss an array of pending issues on a constant basis," the foreign ministry said in a press statement. After the meeting, the vice minister told reporters that the new dialogue was part of efforts to boost the allies' cooperation. Later in the day, the foreign ministry said the new channel would be different from the existing Korea-U.S. working group, a forum to coordinate North Korea-related issues. "The working group is about coordinating sanctions on North Korea, while the new dialogue channel will deal with various matters beyond the North Korean sanctions such as defense cost-sharing and others," a ministry official said at a briefing. "There would be no overlap in terms of their roles." South Korea and the U.S. have yet to strike a defense cost-sharing deal despite multiple rounds of negotiations dating back to last September, with Seoul refusing to accept Washington's demand for a hefty increase in the former's share for the U.S. Forces Korea under the Special Measures Agreement (SMA). U.S. President Donald Trump wanted $1.3 billion (1.55 trillion won) for 2020 a nearly 50 percent increase from last year while the South Korean government is maintaining its proposal of a 13 percent increase from the previous cost-sharing accord of $860 million. During the talks, Choi and Biegun also exchanged their views on the issue, according to the ministry. "Regarding the SMA talks, the two agreed to have close communication between them so the negotiations can make significant progress," it said. Jeong Eun-bo and Donna Welton are now the top negotiators of each side. Both allies agreed to cooperate on advancing nuclear talks between South and North Korea and between the U.S. and the North, both of which have been stalled since the collapse of the Hanoi summit in February between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and President Trump. "They agreed to work together to diplomatically support the establishment of permanent peace on the Korean Peninsula," the ministry said, adding that Biegun also expressed support for the Moon Jae-in administration's efforts to improve inter-Korean ties. Sales tax compliance in Colorado can push an out-of-state seller right over the edge. Fortunately, both the Colorado Department of Revenue (DOR) and the Colorado Municipal League (CML) are taking steps to simplify it. All businesses with a physical presence in Colorado are required to register then collect and remit sales and use tax. Businesses with no physical presence in the state whose sales into the state during the previous year exceeded $100,000 must also register then collect and remit sales tax under the states economic nexus law. The DOR serves as the single collection point for state sales tax and local tax collected from all state-administered jurisdictions. Retailers with nexus in Colorado either a physical presence in the state or economic nexus are required to collect and remit state and local sales tax for sales delivered into a state-collected jurisdiction. This is more complicated than it sounds because Colorados returns filing system needs a location code for each unique combination of local tax. There are more than 600 codes, and each requires separate reporting of sales made, so a retailer could have to file hundreds of locations every month. And thats just for the state-collected jurisdictions. More than 70 home-rule jurisdictions administer local sales tax themselves, including some of the most populous cities in the state (e.g., Aurora, Boulder, and Denver). These self-collecting jurisdictions determine their own sales tax codes, administer their own sales tax, and perform their own audits. Remote retailers need to contact the local tax authority to determine whether they have an obligation to collect and to learn which transactions are exempt, which are taxable, and at what rate. Those required to collect must file a separate return with each self-collecting jurisdiction. Its the stuff of nightmares. Understanding this, the Colorado Legislature established the Sales and Use Tax Simplification Task Force in 2017. Its purpose is to study Colorados complex sales tax system and figure out a way to make compliance less burdensome for businesses. Two solutions have emerged: A new statewide Sales & Use Tax System A model ordinance for self-collecting cities Colorados new Sales & Use Tax System The DOR began developing a tool to help taxpayers comply with sales and use tax requirements in the spring of 2019. An early version of the Sales & Use Tax System (SUTS) launched in May 2020. Its a centralized online filing portal a single point of remittance for the following: All state-collected state and local sales and use taxes Local sales and use taxes for participating self-collecting municipalities Once fully realized, the SUTS will offer: A single point of registration A single point of remittance with a unified remittance form Address and rate verification Taxability and exemption matrices Tax rate calculation services This is a huge improvement over the former system. It should drastically simplify compliance for sales into state-administered cities and counties, as well as self-collecting jurisdictions that decide to join (participation is optional). Self-collecting jurisdictions wishing to participate can accept returns via the portal only after theyve been fully onboarded. As of August 31, 2020: 38% signed the agreement and are onboarding 28% started the process of securing signatures for the agreement 32% are reviewing and evaluating the system 1% delayed reviewing the system Though the SUTS is open to any business with a valid sales tax license, taxpayers arent obligated to use it and the portal isnt automatically linked to their Colorado Department of Revenue accounts. However, return information submitted via SUTS does end up in the DOR system. Model ordinance for self-collecting cities Meanwhile, the Colorado Municipal League has been trying to build cohesion among the fiercely independent self-collecting jurisdictions. It worked with home-rule municipal tax professionals, businesses, and the DOR to create a Model Ordinance on Economic Nexus and Marketplace Facilitators and is encouraging all self-collecting jurisdictions to adopt it. Under CMLs model ordinance, a remote retailer or marketplace facilitator cannot be required to collect and remit local sales tax in a self-collecting jurisdiction unless it has economic nexus with the state. Like many other states, Colorado requires marketplace facilitators to collect and remit sales tax on behalf of their third-party sellers (marketplace sellers). Self-collecting cities that join the SUTS are encouraged to adopt the full model ordinance. However, CML doesnt want municipalities to adopt it if they arent joining the SUTS. It explains: For those municipalities who are not going to be joining the state single point of remittance portal (SUTS), we ask that you not adopt the language on economic nexus and continue to move forward with voluntary compliance. The risk of a lawsuit under the United States Commerce Clause if you were to enforce economic nexus without the single point of remittance is high. CML further explains, Our goal with a model ordinance and encouraging the use of the state single point of remittance is to lessen the risk of a constitutional challenge as much as possible. Everyone adopting the same language should lessen the burden on businesses, along with using the state portal. Other state efforts to streamline remote sales tax compliance Colorado isnt the first state to develop a model code for self-collecting localities and a single point of remittance for remote sellers. Although the Last Frontier doesnt have a state sales tax, roughly 100 cities or boroughs in Alaska have a local sales tax. More than 30 of them have adopted a uniform remote sellers sales tax code. Businesses that meet the statewide economic nexus threshold ($100,000 or more in statewide gross sales or 200 or more separate transactions in the state in the previous calendar year) register and remit through the centralized Alaska Remote Sales Tax Information Portal. Additional details are provided here. The home-rule state of Louisiana also developed a single point of registration and remittance. As of July 1, 2020, remote sellers whose sales into the state exceed the economic nexus threshold ($100,000 in sales or 200 transactions) must register with the Louisiana Sales and Use Tax Commission for Remote Sellers and collect the tax rate in effect at the location of the sale. Prior to July 1, retailers with an obligation to collect needed to register with and remit to local tax authorities. The 24 members of the Streamlined Sales and Use Tax Agreement (SST) have taken even more steps to streamline sales tax compliance for remote sellers. SST states have a central electronic registration system, simplified administration of exemptions, simplified state and local tax rates, simplified remittances and returns, uniform sourcing rules and tax base, and more. Furthermore, businesses that qualify as a volunteer seller and use an SST Certified Service Provider (CSP) like Avalara to handle sales tax compliance may obtain free monthly return preparation and filing services: SST states compensate the CSP for their services. Pennsylvania, which is neither a home-rule state nor a member of SST, has developed its own CSP program. The non-SST states of Connecticut, Illinois, and New Mexico have done or are in the process of doing the same. Automating sales tax compliance is key The Ministry Of Finance noted yesterday that various concerns have been raised during the proceedings of the ongoing hearing in Hon'ble Supreme Court of India, in the matter of Gajendra Sharma Vs. UoI and Others, of the matter regarding the relief sought in terms of waiver of interest and waiver of interest on interest and other related issues. Government has accordingly constituted an Expert Committee for making an overall assessment so that its decisions in this regard are better informed.The terms of reference of the committee shall be as under: (i) Measuring the impact on the national economy and financial stability of waiving of interest and waiving of interest on interest on the COVID-19 related moratorium (ii) Suggestions to mitigate financial constraints of various sections of society in this respect and measures to be adopted in this regard (iii) Any other suggestions/observations that may be necessary given the current situation. The committee will submit its report within one week. State Bank of India will provide secretarial support to the committee. The Committee may consult banks or other stakeholders, as deemed necessary, for the purpose. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-11 09:39:54|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close QUITO, Sept. 10 (Xinhua) -- Ecuador has managed to reduce the transmission of COVID-19 in almost the entire country, Vice Health Minister Xavier Solorzano said Thursday. Solorzano told reporters that this is because the virus's basic reproduction number, which measures the ability of a disease to spread in a population, "is not very high" in Ecuador. "So that has allowed us to reduce the transmission speed, which means fewer infections, fewer deaths, but we are in the middle of an epidemic and in epidemics people get sick and die," he said, emphasizing that the problem is not yet over. "That is why I want to be very clear: you can't trust yourself or lower your guard. Every day, you have to practice preventive measures," Solorzano warned. Ecuador has reported 113,206 cases and 10,749 deaths from the virus so far, according to the daily report from the Ministry of Health. The capital city of Quito, the current epicenter of the virus in the country, has registered 23,583 cases so far. Solorzano noted that the increase in infections in Quito is due to the fact that in the last two weeks, medical brigades intensified screenings in the city in order to identify high-level areas of contagion and devise strategies to slow the transmission of the virus. The official said that Quito is currently "on the edge," but the demand for hospital beds for COVID-19 patients has decreased. Quito, like the rest of the country, began to gradually reopen in June in order to reactivate the economy after three months of quarantine. Enditem The Toronto International Film Festival gets going with digital screenings and virtual red carpets A still from Tove, a Swedish-language film about an illustrator's life of tumult in the years after WWII. The annual Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), which serves as a diving board for big Hollywood and European films eyeing the Oscars, opened Wednesday on thousands of laptops across the world. This 45th edition is already a first of its kind, a hybrid in the times of corona. The festival which rolls out the red carpet to about 400 films every September has about 50 this year, split between some physical screenings in cinemas in Toronto, and 'outdoor screenings' at two drive-in venues and an open-air cinema. Film journalists from across the world are attending virtually, with digital screenings, virtual red carpets, press conferences. We began planning for the 45th festival much like our previous editions, said TIFF's artistic director Cameron Bailey in a statement posted on the festival website, but along the way we had to rethink just about everything. This years lineup reflects that tumult. The menu this year The screenings began Thursday with Spike Lees filmed version of David Byrnes Broadway special American Utopia. And the closing film--or serial if you will--will be a taste of Mira Nairs A Suitable Boy, an adaptation of Vikram Seths 1993 novel. TIFF is the most middle brow of the Big 4 international film festivals (in brow order, Cannes, Venice and Berlin), and is also the most inclusive and democratic. Of all the films to be shown this year, 43 per cent are directed, co-directed or created by women, and 49 per cent by Black, Indigenous, or POCs (people of colour). There is Regina Kings film about a young Muhammad Ali, Halle Berrys directorial debut Bruised, Ricky Staubs Concrete Cowboy starring Idris Elba, and Francis Lees Ammonite, starring Kate Winslet. And there's of course a special presentation of the Marathi film The Disciple. Director Chaitanya Tamhane, whose 2014 Court was Indias Oscar entry, has now made a film about lives devoted to the art of Indian classical music which premiered at the Venice film festival and received rave reviews. Embracing tumult If there is a god of film festivals, it is serendipity. Because thats what can explain why my very first film at TIFF was the delightful Tove. A Finnish film written and directed by two women, Eeva Putro and Zaida Bergroth, respectively, Tove tells the story of the Helsinki-based author and illustrator Tove Jansson (played with peppy verve and affecting vulnerability by Alma Poysti). The Swedish-language film is focused on the years 1944-1956 a period of devastation, loss and chaos because of World War II, but also of emotional, creative tumult in the young Janssons life. The broke visual artist, who believes that life is a wonderful adventure and we must experience all its twists and turns, seduces a married, left-wing intellectual and politician Atos (Shanti Roney), only to fall in love with the mayors daughter. Vivica Bandler (Krista Kosonen), a Swedish-Finnish theatre director who is credited for popularising avant garde Finnish theatre, is married, but she constantly cheats on Tove with other women. So Tove returns to Atos, only to discover that she cant love a man and returns to what she called the spook side, a code for homosexuality. Tove Jansson, who was called brave for once drawing a cartoon showing Adolf Hitler as a crying baby in diapers, went on to become the creator of the wildly popular comic strip Moomintroll. Tumult, perhaps, is what gives birth to something new. Embracing it, then, is the only choice. In films, and in life. As anticipated, the gross domestic product (GDP) numbers for the June quarter (Q1 FY21) showed a major contraction in the Indian economy. It posed a grim picture with the Indian economy contracting by 23.9 percent in the first quarter, the most drastic contraction witnessed over decades. The worrisome GDP numbers for India have been corroborated by Gita Gopinath, chief economist, International Monetary Fund (IMF), who stated that as per the IMF estimates, India's internationally comparable quarter-on-quarter GDP shrank the highest amongst G20 countries at 25.6 percent. The data by the National Statistics Organisation (NSO) showed that other than the agricultural sector, all other sectors had witnessed a contraction. Construction sector saw a sharp decline of 50.3 percent, manufacturing slipped by 39.3 percent, electricity, gas and other utility services contracted by 7 percent. The worst-hit was trade, hotels, transport and communication which contracted by 47 percent. The silver lining on the wall was the performance of the agricultural sector, which was kept outside the ambit of the lockdown. Due to a better than normal monsoon, essential services such as farming activities and transportation of foodgrains, etc, being permitted, the agricultural sector witnessed a growth of 3.4 percent in the June quarter. What is adding to the worry is that these GDP numbers do not take into account the impact felt by the country's vast informal workforce. The informal sector once accounted for in the revised estimates could manifest into a deeper contraction for the economy. However, keeping in mind the lockdown, we are sure that these numbers come as no surprise to anyone. Looking ahead, data for economic indicators in August 2020 does bring some cheer and a ray of hope for the Indian economy. Economists are deliberating in terms of the country witnessing a V-shaped recovery as the economy slowly and steadily unlocks and regulations are eased. The Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) for manufacturing for August 2020 rose to a six-month high of 52, pointing towards a turnaround in industrial activity (a figure above 50 is reflective of expansion). According to the Nomura India Business Resumption Index (NIBRI), there appears to have been an uptick in business normalisation in August 2020 with other economic indicators showing a recovery. Power and fuel demand, railway freight and mobility indices showed a marginal improvement whilst the passenger car segment has bounced back with a vigour. The Google Mobility Index, which analyses visits to retail shops, workplaces, parks, etc, showed a 2 percent increase in visits to supermarkets, warehouses, farmers' markets, specialty food shops in August 2020. However, overall unemployment rate in August jumping to 8.35 percent -urban and rural unemployment rising to 9.83 percent and 7.65 percent, respectively - from 7.43 percent in July 2020 has marred the bright picture being painted on the canvas. According to the IHS Markit, the PMI index indicated an expansion in August 2020 due to output and new orders expanding at its fastest pace since February 2020. An uptick in demand from domestic markets has given the push to production and input purchase. However, one cannot forget the fact that with coronavirus creating a fear in the minds of people of not really being sure of what the future holds, consumers are holding onto cash and not willing to indulge in discretionary spending behaviour. For the economic recovery to gather pace and give the requisite boost to demand, it is imperative that marketers take notice of the absence of impulse buying behaviour of consumers and strategise accordingly. The COVDI-19 pandemic has put a pause on consumers urge to splurge and adversely impacted impulse purchase due to the fear of uncertainty lurking in their minds. McKinsey in July indicated that consumer sentiments were at a low and reflective of the uncertainty created by the virus. There has been a shift to mindful shopping including some trading down of value. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in its Consumer Confidence Survey report published on August 6 stated that consumer confidence had plummeted in July 2020 with the Current Situation Index (CSI) showing an all-time low. The positive from the survey was that Future Expectations Index (FEI) is charting its way back into the positive territory. Source: Reserve Bank of India Thus, the novel coronavirus has led to a behavioural change in consumers and changed consumer preferences. With new hygiene and contagiousness concerns, people are unwilling to venture into shopping malls and marketplaces. Though the Google Mobility index did show a rise of 2 percent in August, retailers should be visionary enough and help consumers navigate seamlessly between an offline and online experience and invest in an omni-channel world. With consumers hesitant to step out of their homes to shop, there has been an absence of the demonstration effect of consumers. Demonstration effect denotes the consumption habits of individuals to imitate consumption trends adopted by others. Keeping up with the Joneses is a thought far away from the minds of consumers today. Thus, the unprecedented situation created by the virus requires organisations to go back to the drawing board and restrategise. With the festival season coming up and keeping in mind that consumer behaviour is influenced deeply by cultural factors, brands and companies could explore utilising the 'Nudge theory' in wooing back customers. Nudges are physical cues which influence individuals to behave in a certain way, without categorically promoting of any behaviour. Nudge principles have been actively utilised in commercial marketing earlier too. While the anticipation is that consumers would only be willing to step out of home once the vaccine has been launched, marketers should rebuild, re-strategise and rethink for the festive season. With localised lockdowns and the virus surfacing back, Q2, 2020 could be reflective of a slight uptick but all hopes are pinned on Q3, 2020. The festive season slated in Q3 this year is expected to bring cheer and respite from the pandemic-linked slumber. Brands are pinning a lot of hopes on the festive season and advertisement campaigns reflecting empathy and positive sentiments of the world being able to win over the virus can help win back customer trust and reshape consumer sentiments. Festive season beginning from August 2020 and extending until January 2021 is the time for brands to give the much needed nudge to discretionary spending and drive back GDP numbers for the Indian economy. Agreeably, rising unemployment numbers are a cause of worry and indicate that the formal sector has restrained from hiring, while jobs in rural areas have remained stagnant. At this point of time, it is important to reflect on the negative impact that reverse migration has brought about on production activities. Sectors such as construction and manufacturing which have shown a contraction of 50.3 percent and 39.3 percent, respectively, have also been hit drastically by labour shortage. One-third of the labour that had migrated back in April has still not returned to the cities and industrial areas. Yes, some corporate leaders did come up with out of box measures to bring back labour and employees by paying for their return flight and train journeys, offering housing facilities etc, but the pandemic does force us to rethink on this account. The pandemic has reinforced the importance of unskilled and semi-skilled labour, and labour shortage will only drive up the minimum wages. Isn't it only fair that corporate houses and the government should look at providing the basic necessity of food, clothing, housing and a minimum basic income to this section of society too? Like they say, an unprecedented situation requires out of line strategies and out of box thinking. While the government is already working on providing stimulus measures to improve ease of doing business for producers and ease of living especially for the lesser strata of society, it is high time that corporate stalwarts in all fairness improve working and living conditions for its labour force. This will help bring back migrant workers, fuel up production and act as a booster on the supply side. Fingers crossed, festival season and the nudge theory in conjunction will help bring back positive consumer sentiments and thus propel the demand side of the economy. Thus, in a way with both demand and supply getting the requisite shot in the arm, Q3 and Q4, 2020, will witness the Indian economy in the orbit of economic growth and moving fast on the track of a V-shaped recovery path. (Dr Jagadish Shettigar is Professor, Economics, Birla Institute of Management Technology, Greater Noida, and Dr Pooja Misra is Associate Professor, Economics, Birla Institute of Management Technology, Greater Noida) Follow our coverage of the coronavirus crisis Continue Reading Below Advertisement What he didn't realize was that his new friend Skinner had actually become a government informant following a weed bust 10 years earlier, and had since provided information in "five or six" drug cases. In Pickard's case, it's unclear if Skinner was an informant from the beginning or simply panicked when the cops started sniffing around, but before long their conversations were being recorded for the DEA. In November 2000, Pickard drove out to the silo to find Skinner in a strangely bombastic mood, yelling "I'm not afraid of the Mafia or the government! I'm more powerful than you realize!" Pickard then tried to enter the silo, unaware that DEA agents were already inside, holding the door shut. As Skinner slipped away, Pickard loaded his Buick with LSD precursor chemicals and drove off, only to jump out and sprint into the trees when sirens erupted all around him. Continue Reading Below Advertisement A massive manhunt through the woods ensued, which ended when a local farmer discovered Pickard hiding in the back of his truck. At his bail hearing, he produced supporting letters from a variety of prominent backers, including San Francisco DA Terence Hallinan and a British aristocrat who once ran for parliament on a platform of drilling a hole in your skull to boost creativity. Sadly, the judge had only the holes nature gave him and he wound up with two life sentences. Himalayan Academy Publications Which really sucks if you believe in reincarnation. Continue Reading Below Advertisement For his part, Pickard denies producing any LSD in the bunker, saying he was set up by Skinner from the beginning. The DEA, on the other hand, claim that it was one of their most important busts ever, insisting that the LSD supply in America dropped by 90% after Pickard was arrested and never recovered to anywhere near its former levels. Acid use did indeed drop dramatically in the early 2000s, although that may have been more closely related to changing social trends than the DEA storming a silo. It was increasingly seen as an old-fashioned drug, the stuff of dippy hippies dreaming of changing the world. Even the LSD available was increasingly a pale impression of the triple-set "99%" pure acid made by the Brotherhood's dedicated chemists. Despite their dreams, LSD didn't change the world. Instead, as Tim Scully put it, acid simply became "a party drug -- and I'm not saying that parties should be illegal or that it's a bad thing ... but I wouldn't have chosen to go to prison for a long time so more people could have a party." Top image: Tiko_Photographer/Shutterstock Fire damaged housing for refugees and asylum seekers at Moria camp, Lesvos, Greece. UNHCR/UNHCR UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is shocked and saddened at events on Lesvos island this week where a series of fires have destroyed nearly all of Moria asylum center, leaving thousands of men, women and children, without a shelter. With the initial fire which broke out on the evening of Tuesday 8 September causing extensive damage to thousands of asylum seekers shelters and common areas, more fires were reported on the evening of 9 September and yesterday 10 September. The latest fires have affected the adjacent fields next to Moria Reception and Identification Center (RIC), in what is known as Olive Grove, destroying what remaining accommodation was still available. While no casualties have been reported to date, the fires have now left 11,500 asylum seekers, among them 2,200 women and 4,000 children, without adequate shelter, sleeping out in the open over the past few nights in the streets, field and beaches. Among them are vulnerable people, very young children, pregnant women, elderly people and people with disabilities. UNHCR has been offering support to Greek authorities to help protect and assist asylum seekers affected by the fires, mobilizing resources and aid. UNHCR is providing emergency assistance to ensure people dont sleep in the open. The coronavirus pandemic is also adding to an already desperate situation. People tested positive for COVID-19 need to be provided the soonest possible with special care, isolation and treatment arrangements and medical support. UNHCR has advised all those previously staying in the RIC to restrict their movements until temporary solutions are found. Amid a very challenging and fluid situation, we urge all to exercise restraint and refrain from actions or rhetoric that could heighten tensions. While authorities are working to find immediate shelter arrangements, UNHCR urges that long-term solutions need to be identified for refugees and asylum seekers in Moria and other sites on the Greek islands. UNHCR has long been highlighting the need to address the situation and conditions for asylum seekers on the Aegean Islands. The incidents at Moria demonstrate the long-standing need to take action to improve living conditions, alleviate overcrowding, improve security, infrastructure and access to services in all five reception centres on the Greek islands. To respond to pressing protection needs of asylum seekers in Greece, UNHCR continues to advocate for more support including from European countries and EU institutions, such as through expedited relocations of unaccompanied children and other vulnerable people. UNHCR welcomes recent announcements made by European countries to take in unaccompanied minors and families with children from Greece. For more information on this topic, please contact: New COVID-19 Cases in the US Drop by Nearly 13 Percent in the Past Week The number of new CCP Virus cases in the United States has dropped almost 13 percent in the past week, according to the COVID Tracking Project. From Sept. 1 through to Sept. 9, there was a decrease from 41,773 new cases to 36,603 cases, and overall, on average, the number of new cases decreased by 12.4 percent. This came as the number of new cases was plateauing in the weeks before. Currently, on average, 37,000 new cases occur every day in the United States, a report from Axios indicated. The states Washington, Indiana, Nevada, California, New Mexico, Texas, South Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa, Mississippi, Alabama, Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, District of Columbia, Connecticut, and Massachusetts have all seen a drop in their new cases. The drops ranged anywhere from 10.5 percent in Kentucky to 42.3 percent in Alabama. Furthermore, some of the states that saw a drop in new cases were also states with some of the biggest increases in the weeks prior, Axios noted. However, there have been increases of cases in several states as well, and according to the data, Alaska, Arizona, Utah, Wisconsin, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, and New Hampshire have all seen increases in cases anywhere from 12.1 percent in Utah to 34.9 percent in Delaware. This comes after the labor day weekend, as some authorities warned the public about activities that might trigger an increase in the number of CCP (Chinese Communist Party) Virus cases. President Donald Trump cautioned Americans to be more vigilant about the Labor Day weekend during a press briefing on Sept. 5, as he cited some of the warnings given by health care officials previously. At a White House briefing, he said, We need everybody to be careful, to apply common sense, and do all of the things that weve told you to do as quicklyas much as you cansocial distancing, wearing a mask whenever the distancing is not possible. Axios also indicated that there was also a three percent drop in the number of tests administered, averaging at around 710,000 tests in the time period between Sept.1 and Sept. 8. This means that compared to the number of new cases, the decrease in the number of tests administered is smaller. This could very well mean that the number of new cases is decreasing as opposed to it being attributed to a large decrease in testing. Vice President Mike Pence have mentioned this previously, indicating that a large portion of these new positive cases is attributed to the massive increase in testing. Our team has been working with governors over the past week. Were carefully analyzing those new cases, and we really believe that the vast majority of new cases is a reflection, as you said, of a dramatic increase in testing, Pence said. The Shikoku Shimbun - Sep 11, 2020 - 13:01 | All, Japan A student of a technology institute in Kagawa Prefecture, western Japan, has started a venture company to develop an inspection system for overhead power lines using artificial intelligence. MitoyoAI Development Co. was launched on Aug. 19 with the support of University of Tokyo professor Yutaka Matsuo, a leading figure in AI research in Japan, and MAiZM, a satellite research laboratory of the professor and the base of AI research in Kagawas Mitoyo. The company, headquartered within MAiZM, was founded by Taiga Takechi, a first-year advanced course student at the National Institute of Technology, Kagawa College's Takuma campus. The inspection system developed by Takechi uses AI to analyze the external appearance of power lines in videos taken by a robot, allowing users to promptly detect any damage missed by the human eye. Takechi aims to offer the system, after carrying out demonstration tests over the course of a year, to electric power supply and power line construction companies both in Japan and overseas. "I want to try my hand at solving various issues faced by regional areas through AI. I hope to be an example for other students from my school aspiring to start their own company," he said. During an online press conference, Matsuo praised the ambitious student. "(Takechi) is a strong-willed student with high technical ability. I hope he finds success soon, and there is a good chance of that. I intend to continue assisting him moving forward," he said. Akishi Yamashita, mayor of Mitoyo and representative director of MAiZM, also offered his support, saying, "The role of MAiZM is to produce talent in the field of AI. I am glad to see a startup from Mitoyo." MitoyoAI Development marks the second venture company to come out of the institute. Last December, another student launched Panda Co. to develop a system to detect aggressive driving using AI. The Shikoku Shimbun More Shikoku Shimbun stories: Kagawa taxi company takes udon lovers on virtual taste tour during pandemic A female murderer with two distinctive tattoos on her face is on the run in New Zealand after escaping custody. Katrina Epiha, 22, was due to return to prison when she escaped from Middlemore Hospital in Auckland at 12.30am on Thursday night. Police are warning the public not to approach her as she is considered dangerous. She was last seen wearing a black long-sleeved top with a white shirt underneath, grey track pants and light pink running shoes. Katrina Epiha, 22, (pictured) escaped from custody after being convicted over murdering another woman in 2017 The 22-year-old escaped towards Gray Avenue, in Mangere after fleeing from corrections staff. Epiha killed mother Alicia Maree Nathan, 32, after an argument about music at a house party in Avonhead, Christchurch in August 2017. She was only 18 when she stabbed the 32-year-old several times with a kitchen knife in an alcohol-fuelled rage. She also threatened to kill another woman before fleeing the party after telling others not to call for help, reported Stuff. The 22-year-old escaped towards Gray Avenue, in Mangere after fleeing from corrections staff She fled on foot from Middlemore Hospital (pictured) before she could be transferred back to the Auckland Women's Corrections Facility The murder was described as a 'senseless impulsive act of extreme violence' by Crown Prosecutor Mitch McClenaghan during her trial. While Justice Gerald Nation acknowledged her troubled upbringing among gangs with repeated violence and neglect had led to a pattern of violent behaviour. Epiha was sentenced to at least ten years in prison in May 2019, as part of a life sentence over the murder charge. The 22-year-old is facing another five year charge for escaping custody - on top of her existing prison sentence. Epiha killed mother Alicia Maree Nathan, 32, (pictured) after an argument about music at a house party in Avonhead, Christchurch in August 2017 She fled on foot before she could be transferred back to the Auckland Women's Corrections Facility. Corrections' northern regional commissioner, Lynette Cave said they are conducting a review into the circumstances surrounding her escape. 'As the review is ongoing, we are limited in the amount of information that we are able to provide,' Ms Cave told Stuff. When contacted by Daily Mail Australia on Friday night an operator at Manukau Police advised she had not been returned to custody. A retired police officer in Texas has called deputies' behavior unprofessional after they broke down the door to his home on a warrant for someone who did not live there. Louis Rodriguez and his son began filming at their home in Houston on September 1 when Harris County deputies demanded entry and said they had a warrant for the arrest of Curtis Rogers. 'The officers are looking for a Curtis Rogers in this house and there is no Curtis Rogers that lives in this house,' said Louis Rodriguez's son in the video. Rodriguez said that at first he was wasn't certain whether the people outside were real police officers, and refused to open the door and asked to see a warrant, according to KTRK-TV. Louis Rodriguez and his son began filming at their home in Houston on September 1 when Harris County deputies broke down his door looking for someone who doesn't live there Soon after they began filming, the deputies broke down the door with a battering ram. 'They went that quickly to bust my front door down and come to my home,' said Rodriguez, a retired police officer. 'Out of control yelling, demanding, threatening they wanted to come in. I wasn't sure they were police officers at the time,' he said. Rodriguez told the deputies he was a retired officer and asked to see their warrant, but instead they detained him and his son and took them outside. '(They) manhandled myself and my son and brought us outside. (Then) they finally realized the mistake they made,' he said. Soon after they began filming, the deputies broke down the door with a battering ram The mistaken raid occurred in this suburban neighborhood of Houston A captain on the scene apologized when the deputies realized their mistake, but Rodriguez said the apology was not sufficient. In a statement, the Harris County Sheriff's Department said: 'Deputies attempting to execute an arrest warrant on September 1 mistakenly approached the wrong home in the 21100 block of Royal Villa Drive and damaged the front door.' 'Deputies subsequently realized they made a mistake and the sheriff's office arranged to have the door replaced. The sheriff's office regrets the mistake and the incident is under review,' the statement continued. Although nobody was injured in the incident, Rodriguez said he is disappointed in what happened and plans to file a complaint with the sheriff's office. 'I'd hate for this to happen to any family in Harris County,' he told the local ABC affiliate. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-11 19:04:04|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close TEHRAN, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- Iranian Foreign Ministry dismissed as "heinous" the recent anti-Iran statement of the Arab League (AL) ministerial meeting, Press TV reported on Friday. The Foreign Ministry Spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said on Thursday that the statement issued at the end of a recent virtual meeting of the AL's ministerial committee "not only steered clear of condemning the United Arab Emirates over a recent deal that normalizes its relations with Israel, but also blamed the Islamic republic for some regional woes." Khatibzadeh said that some Arab states are stuck in "the vicious circle of Iranophobia and legitimizing the illegitimate Zionist regime" of Israel. He stressed that Israel is the "real source of threat to the region." The AL ministerial committee called Wednesday on the international community to take a firm stand against what it called the Iranian activities that "shake the regional countries' stability." Enditem World Health Organization-recommended campaigns to circumcise millions of African boys and men to reduce HIV transmission are based more on systemic racism and 'neocolonialism' than sound scientific research, according to a critical appraisal published in Developing World Bioethics. More than 25 million men and boys have already been circumcised as a result of voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC) campaigns in eastern and southern Africa, implemented by the United States government and Western non-governmental organizations (NGOs). The critical appraisal examined the history and politics of these circumcision campaigns in the context of race and colonialism, and found that they had been started in haste and without sufficient contextual research. The paper concluded that the campaigns have been carried out in a manner that implies troubling assumptions about culture, health and sexuality in Africa. Africans were underrepresented in the decision making process, and needed a greater voice in the planning of such an intimate health intervention. Max Fish, lead author and founder of the VMMC Experience Project, a grassroots effort to elevate African voices about the effects of the campaigns on their lives, said: "There has been a global spotlight on systemic racism--and racist institutions--following the death of George Floyd, an African American man, at the hands of a White police officer in May. However, unethical human experimentation on Africans and African Americans remains a pervasive problem in Western medicine that has received relatively little attention." "Africa was targeted, and it is still being targeted," said Cleophas Matete, a Kenyan bishop interviewed by the VMMC Experience Project, who is quoted in the study. "It is used as a continent to experiment. Should they introduce anything that is [morally questionable], they want to experiment in Africa. So I believe that the entire process of trying to test it in Africa was wrong from the beginning, and I say no to it." We believe the decision to implement the circumcision campaign in southern and eastern Africa was not based on robust scientific evidence, but instead assumed that the results from clinical trials would safely 'scale' to the real world without thinking through the cultural implications. We argue that as a surgically corrective measure, the present circumcision campaigns hinge on racist, homogenizing assumptions about the sexuality of those who are targeted, as well as a belief that HIV risk behaviors can be appraised independently of poverty and systemic factors." Dr Arianne Shahvisi, Senior Lecturer in Ethics at Brighton and Sussex Medical School and Second Author There has been a long history of unethical medical research conducted on Africans and African Americans, including the infamous "Tuskegee Study of Untreated Syphilis in the Negro Male," in which African American syphilis patients living in rural poverty were observed but not treated, leading to suffering, the spread of infection and widespread death, and subsequent concerns about medical exploitation among these communities. The decision to implement the circumcision policies in Africa was based on three clinical trials conducted in South Africa, Uganda, and Kenya, which showed that circumcision reduced men's HIV risk by 50-60% over two years. However, critics have alleged that the trials had serious limitations: they could not be placebo-controlled, and participants were explicitly informed of the study's aim to establish a lower HIV incidence following circumcision. In addition, HIV prevalence at the start of the campaign was higher in circumcised than uncircumcised men in 10 out of 18 countries where such data was available, including five countries that were targeted for mass circumcision. A fourth trial seeking to establish an HIV risk reduction for women allowed HIV-positive Ugandan men to infect unknowing partners--one of Tuskegee's ethical violations. This trial was stopped early for "futility" after partners of newly circumcised men became infected at a 55% higher rate, although this has received much less attention from the global public health community. The critical appraisal was conducted by ethicists, legal and medical experts from the UK, US, Cameroon, Zimbabwe and South Africa. File image: Rhea Chakraborty (left) A special court in Mumbai on September 11 rejected the bail pleas of Rhea Chakraborty and her brother Showik, arrested in connection with a drug case linked to her boyfriend and actor Sushant Singh Rajput's death. Their bail applications were rejected by judge GB Gurao of the special court hearing cases filed under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. The court also rejected the bail pleas of four other accused in the case -- Abdul Basit, Zaid Vilatra, Dipesh Sawant and Samuel Miranda. Rhea, who was arrested by the Narcotics Control Bureau(NCB) on September 8, after three days of questioning, is currently in judicial custody. Also read | Rhea Chakraborty arrested for drug abuse: What do Indias laws say about the use of ganja and charas? Showik and Rajput's house manager Samuel Miranda were arrested by the agency last week. The NCB is probing the drug angle in this case under criminal sections of the NDPS Act after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) shared with it a report following the cloning of two mobile phones of Rhea. Various angles surrounding the death of the Sushant Singh Rajput are being probed by three federal agencies- the NCB, the ED and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Rajput was found dead at his Bandra flat on June 14. At the court (Photo: VNA) Hanoi - Le Dinh Cong, one of six defendants charged with murder over the killing of three police officers in Dong Tam commune in Hanois My Duc district, asked on September 10 that his charge be changed to resisting on-duty officers. During the trial in the Hanoi Peoples Court, Cong showed remorse and begged for clemency. He continued to insist that he did not discuss the incident early on the morning of January 9 with anyone. Cong said he had not been fully aware of the death of the policemen, but after learning about it he felt deeply remorse. Le Dinh Chuc, who faces the same charge, extended an apology to the families of the deceased and asked for forgiveness. Le Dinh Doanh, another defendant charged with murder, also displayed remorse and sought clemency. The other defendants charged with murder are Bui Viet Hieu, Nguyen Quoc Tien, and Nguyen Van Tuyen. The Procuracy said the six had demonstrated a clear motive and intent to kill on-duty officers. According to the Procuracy, the six were the masterminds of the crime and also led and directly committed criminal acts. They closely colluded with others who were key members of a so-called group of consensus led by Le Dinh Kinh - father of Cong and Chuc. Kinh was shot dead while holding a grenade and calling on the others to resist those on-duty. The trial of the 29 defendants in the case began on September 7 and the jury is scheduled to issue a verdict on September 14. Alex Mann wasnt even born in 1975. The 37-year-old investigative journalist for ABC Radio Nationals Background Briefing admits that he had a loose understanding of the politics that were put into play when Governor-General John Kerr dismissed Gough Whitlams government on November 11 that year. His main impression was the famous footage of the Prime Minister on the steps of Parliament House uttering the immortal words, Well may we say God save the Queen, because nothing will save the Governor-General. He ended up learning a whole lot more about that day and the lead-up to it by spending an intense six months delving into the dismissal for the ABC podcast The Eleventh. Gough Whitlam on the day of the dismissal, November 11 1975 Credit:Fairfax Media By this point in time, the story of Australias greatest political and constitutional crisis is what many would consider in journalistic parlance as scorched earth. In 1983 there was a TV miniseries and a door-stopper of a book by political journalist Paul Kelly, and in 2017 Whitlam biographer Jenny Hocking published The Dismissal Dossier, sub-titled Everything You Were Never Meant to Know About November 1975. Why did Mann think there was more to be told in a podcast? On one level I thought this might be the last opportunity to interview the people who lived through this, says Mann. Forty-five years is a long time and if you were a player at that time youre now in your senior years. A joint statement said they had agreed on "establishment of full diplomatic relations between Israel and the Kingdom of Bahrain" Bahrain has joined the United Arab Emirates in striking an agreement to normalize relations with Israel, President Donald Trump said on Friday, a dramatic move aimed at easing tensions in the Middle East. Trump tweeted out the news after he spoke by phone to both Bahrains King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the White House said. A joint statement issued by the three leaders said they had agreed on "establishment of full diplomatic relations between Israel and the Kingdom of Bahrain." "This is a historic breakthrough to further peace in the Middle East. Opening direct dialogue and ties between these two dynamic societies and advanced economies will continue the positive transformation of the Middle East and increase stability, security, and prosperity in the region," the joint statement said. The Israel-UAE accord, announced Aug. 13, is to be signed on Tuesday at the White House. The statement said Bahrain accepted Trump's invitation to join Israel and the UAE at the signing ceremony. It said Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Abdullatif Al Zayani of Bahrain will be signing a "historic Declaration of Peace" at the event. The parties "will continue their efforts in this regard to achieve a just, comprehensive, and enduring resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to enable the Palestinian people to realize their full potential," the joint statement said. Search Keywords: Short link: Togolese nationals in Nigeria have protested against President Faure Gnassingbes bid to run for a fourth term in office. The protest held at the Embassies of France and Togo in Lagos today. The protest started from the Embassy of France in Lagos, through the residence of the All Progressives Congress national leader, Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu, and ended at the Togo Embassys Liaison office. Gnassingbe, who was re-elected this year for a fourth term, has led the country of eight million people since taking over in 2005 after the death of his father Gnassingbe Eyadema, who ruled with an iron fist for 38 years. Faure, came to power in 2005 on the platform of Rassemblement du Peuple Togolais (RPT), his fathers party. Midway through his two terms in office, Faure dissolved the party to pave the way for a new one, Union pour la Republique (UNIR), in 2010. A constitutional amendment in 2002 allows for two terms of 10 years, the president returned to power on the ticket of the new party for a third term. Despite a massive protest that trailed the election, Faure had his way. According to official results, the incumbent Faure Gnassingbe won a fourth term with nearly 71 percent of the vote while Kodjo, 65, won just under 20 percent, an outcome that Kodjo says was rigged. But Togolese in the diaspora have called on global leaders to intervene in the affairs of the West African country. Teko Kuevi, a Togolese human rights activist resident in Lagos said the entire citizens have had enough of one family ruling a nation for over four decades. Faure should step aside and let other well-meaning leaders set up a transition body to organise a credible and transparent election in Togo. Our protest at the France and Togo Embassies today was to alert the world that there is chaos in Togo. Faure government is hunting down political leaders, oppositions, and human rights activities in the country. We need global presidents like Emmanuel Macron, Donald Trump, and Muhammad Buhari, to come to our aid by ensuring that Faure respects our constitution, he said. The activist disclosed that a letter of the protest had been sent to the office of the President of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari , who during the last ECOWAS meeting urged other African leaders to resist the temptation of staying in power beyond constitutional provisions. Follow Us on Facebook @LadunLiadi; Instagram @LadunLiadi; Twitter @LadunLiadi; Youtube @LadunLiadiTV for updates Growing up in Chattanooga I was acquainted with children of affluent families. I knew some personally, others by reputation. A few might have been described as hellions. Its likely some benefited from their parents money and influence, but many grew up and became responsible adults. But whats happening now in America is not what happened with those local kids. We actually do have a problem today with wealth and privilege but its not the line we are being fed by the progressives. Children of privilege are becoming wannabe revolutionaries joining in violent and destructive riots in our big cities. In NYC in May, two Upper Eastside attorneys and another person were caught on video as one threw a Molotov cocktail into a NYPD police car (NBC Channel 4, NYC). The fire bomber eventually admitted to the crime. The third person was found to have traveled around the country participating in other acts of violence. This week eight persons were arrested in NYC for a three hour rampage of destruction going over two miles through the city. Not all were from NYC but all were from the wealthy privileged set. One is a student at an elite private university while another is from an exclusive neighborhood in Florida. Another was from Portland, Or. (New York Post, September, 2020). Imagine that, Portland, Or., site of over 100 nights of almost peaceful protests. So why is the NY Times, Washington Post or CNN not reporting about this crowds violence or their identity? They certainly were obsessed attacking Nick Sandmann, a high school student whose only fault was wearing a MAGA cap and smiling while an old man got in his face chanting and beating a Tom Tom. Since they still slam and revile Sandmann today, I suppose they couldnt spare the space to identify these NYC anarchists. The truth is, if this bunch of angry radicals were living in the kind of country they want to change America into and they were arrested for what they did this week, they would just disappear. Hong Kong is experiencing that problem right now (Asias Disappearing Activists, The Diplomat, Aug. 30, 2019). So are these privileged ones just unruly hellions or are they revolutionaries bent on changing this nation into a socialist oligarchy? Ralph Miller When a police officer pulled up to a house near the Miami University campus in Oxford, Ohio, last weekend, he found seven young men hanging around on the front porch, unmasked, drinking beer and listening to Southern rock music. According to the police officer's body-camera footage, which was published by WOIO, he warned them that they were violating pandemic rules, ran one student's license, and learned he recently tested positive for covid-19. Then, that student told him that many of those at the party also had the coronavirus. "This is what we're trying to prevent. We want to keep this town open," the officer said. Six Miami University students who live in the house received citations, a civil penalty, which includes a $500 fine each but no criminal charges. Colleges and universities nationwide have struggled to crack down on large parties, despite strict rules and harsh consequences as schools try to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus. Last week, Northeastern University in Boston dismissed 11 students after they gathered in a room together - and the school won't refund their $36,500 tuition, the Boston Globe reported. Ohio State University recently issued 228 interim suspensions to students who attended parties, according to the Columbus Dispatch. The confrontation with the Miami University students occurred on Saturday around 4 p.m. In addition to the students on the lawn, more than 10 others were inside the house, one of the residents can be heard telling the officer. In the body-camera footage, the officer instructed the visitors to clear out while he ran one of the students' IDs in the police system. "I've never seen this before," the officer said, waving the student over. "There's an input on the computer that you tested positive for covid?" "Yes," the student said. "This was, um, a week ago." The officer asked whether he was supposed to be quarantining, to which the student replied that he was at his house and that everyone who lives in the house also tested positive for covid-19. "But you have other people here, and you're positive for covid? You see the problem?" the officer said. The student said that some of the visitors had also tested positive. The officer sighed. "You're not quarantining if you're mixing with other people," he said. Citing federal privacy laws, a spokeswoman for Miami University told The Washington Post in a statement that the school cannot comment on individual cases. But added that "any Miami University student who violates a quarantine or isolation order or hosts a large gathering that violates the City of Oxford mass gathering ordinance will face disciplinary action under our Code of Student Conduct." "We take these matters most seriously, and students can face suspension or dismissal for these types of violations," the spokeswoman said. On Tuesday, the school announced it would resume in-person classes beginning Sept. 21 and that all students moving to on-campus housing, which will begin through a phased-in process during the week of Sept. 14, are required to take a covid-19 test. Over Labor Day weekend, the university reported 159 new student cases of the coronavirus, bringing the total number of active cases to 1,037, WCPO reported, at a school with almost 20,000 students. So far, the state of Ohio has had more than 134,000 cases of covid-19 and there have been more than 4,300 deaths, according to The Washington Post's coronavirus tracker. "Upperclassmen moved back," Miami University President Gregory Crawford told WCPO. "Those early weekends in August we saw an uptick in parties and gatherings." Other large universities, which have had students on campus for weeks now, have had a difficult time preventing students from holding large gatherings. The University of Alabama, which has had more than 2,000 positive cases, issued 639 individual sanctions to students as of Thursday, and 33 students have been suspended, the Associated Press reported. There have been more than 135,000 cases in the state, according to The Post's tracker. Despite having a comprehensive plan that included testing students twice a week and an app to track them, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign hasn't been able to stop students - including those who tested positive - from partying, the New York Times reported. Since the first day of classes in late August, the school has recorded more than 400 new cases, according to a news release from the university earlier this month. "If you know you are positive and you go to a party, that's not just a bad act," Ahmed Elbanna, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at the university, told the Times. "That's very, very dangerous." MILWAUKEE - A Wisconsin man who was shot during a protest against police brutality in Kenosha last month says he still remembers the screams that night and hes in constant pain. Prosecutors say 17-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse of Antioch, Illinois, shot and killed two men during a chaotic protest Aug. 25. Theyve also accused Rittenhouse of shooting 26-year-old Gaige Grosskreutz, of West Allis, in the arm. Grosskreutz and his attorney, Kimberly Motley, told CNN for a story posted online Friday that he relives the shooting in his head every day. He said he still hears the gunshots and screams. I play it back in my head, I think about it all the time, Grosskreutz said, his right arm still in a sling. I think about everything all the time. The Associated Press has asked Motley to arrange an interview with him but she said she would have to speak to Grosskreutz. The protests began after a white police officer shot Jacob Blake, who is Black, in the back seven times as Blake walked away from officers Aug. 23. The shooting sparked days of protests in Kenosha, a city of about 100,000 halfway between Milwaukee and Chicago. Some of the demonstrations turned violent. More than 20 businesses were set on fire. Grosskreutz told CNN that he travelled to the protest because video of the Blake shooting disturbed him. He said he worked as a paramedic before going back to college in Wisconsin and he packed medical supplies in a small backpack in case he needed to treat people at the protests. He also brought his pistol with him, saying he has a permit to carry a concealed weapon. He said he was worried after seeing a call to arms from a group called the Kenosha Guard on Facebook. Rittenhouse has been charged with multiple felonies, including two counts of homicide in the deaths of 36-year-old Joseph Rosenbaum, of Kenosha, and 26-year-old Anthony Huber, of Silver Lake. Rittenhouse is awaiting extradition to Wisconsin. According to court documents, Rosenbaum chased Rittenhouse through a parking lot and threw a plastic bag at him before trying to wrestle his rifle away. Rittenhouse shot him during the struggle and then ran away. Video shows Rittenhouse tripped in the street. As he was on the ground Huber hit him with a skateboard and tried to take his rifle away. Rittenhouse opened fire on him. Grosskreutz then approaches Rittenhouse with his pistol in his right hand. Rittenhouse shot him in the arm and Grosskreutz ran away screaming for a medic. Video from earlier that night shows police giving Rittenhouse and other armed men water bottles and telling them that they appreciated them. Video shows Rittenhouse walking right by police with his rifle over his shoulder after the shootings even as people yelled that he had just shot people. He was arrested the next day in Illinois. Asked why officers let Rittenhouse leave the scene Kenosha County Sheriff David Beth said sometimes police get tunnel vision. Grosskreutz stressed to CNN that he has a legal right to carry a weapon. Everybody was there exercising their right to protest, he said. And there were some people who were exercising their right to bear arms, including myself. I never fired my gun. I was there to help people, not hurt people. He said he used his own medic bag to apply a tourniquet to his arm before police drove him to the hospital. That was a grievous wound. Had I not had my training and proper equipment . . . to treat a gunshot wound, I might not be here doing this interview, he said. Hes still being treated by doctors in the same hospital where Blake is convalescing from his wounds. Im missing 90% of my bicep, Grosskreutz said. Im in constant pain, like, excruciating pain, pain that doesnt go away, he said. Rittenhouse isnt old enough to legally possess a weapon in Wisconsin but his attorneys have argued he acted in self-defence. President Donald Trump has defended Rittenhouses actions. Grosskreutz said he and his family, including his 65-year-old grandmother, have been getting death threats online from Rittenhouse supporters. Nobody should have been hurt or died that night, he said. Were Americans. Were human beings. Were better than that. A day after the Wisconsin Supreme Court abruptly halted the delivery of absentee ballots across the state, local clerks in charge of elections are biding their time and hoping the court-imposed delay doesnt last long enough to prevent them from delivering nearly 1 million ballots on time. On Thursday, the states highest court temporarily suspended the mailing of absentee ballots as the court weighs whether to order the Green Party presidential ticket be added to the ballot. The court wanted to gather more information before it decides what to do next. The order from the courts conservative-backed majority came just a week before the state-imposed Sept. 17 deadline to send out requested absentee ballots to registered voters, in a case brought by Green Party presidential candidate Howie Hawkins. Federal law requires ballots be mailed to overseas and military voters by Sept. 19. Hawkins wants the court to place him on the ballot after his request was rejected by the Wisconsin Elections Commission on a 3-3 party-line vote. He and running mate Angela Walker were kept off the ballot due to a complaint alleging Walker listed an incorrect address on thousands of her nominating signatures, bringing her number of valid signatures below the required threshold to secure a spot on the ballot. The Green Party said Walker had moved while the signatures were being collected. Democrats on the commission said they could not accept hearsay evidence showing Walker had moved during the nomination process, but Republicans defended the Green Party ticket, saying it was fair to give them ballot access and clear Walker had moved during the nomination process. Rapper Kanye Wests pursuit of a place on the presidential ballot in a separate lawsuit was rejected Friday by a Brown County judge. West was denied ballot access because he turned in his nominating signatures moments too late. Circuit Judge John Zakowskis ruling is likely to be quickly appealed to the state Supreme Court. Court-ordered pause The court, in a 4-3 decision on Thursday with all liberal-backed justices dissenting, said clerks should hold off on sending out any absentee ballots until it issues a further order in the case. Clerks, who this week were in the midst of preparing hundreds of thousands of ballots to send out, are now barred from the final step in the process: placing ballots in envelopes, sealing them and sending them on their way. The Supreme Court could eventually rule to allow them to proceed with sending the original ballots, or it could order new ballots to be printed to accommodate new presidential tickets. Some clerks, particularly those in large municipalities, already say theyll have difficulty meeting state and federally imposed deadlines to send out ballots with the current court-imposed delay in place. If a reprinting of ballots is ordered, however, some clerks say meeting that deadline will be virtually impossible. Municipal clerks have so far reported that as many as 378,482 ballots may have already been sent. Several clerks interviewed for this story who reported sending ballots, however, havent actually mailed any yet. Rather, many of the ballots reported as sent have been given a label and an anticipated mailing date for next week. Filings from the Elections Commission based on information provided by some municipal and county clerks show at least 2.3 million ballots have already been printed by local elections officials across the state. Boots on the ground City of Madison Clerk Maribeth Witzel-Behl, who is in charge of sending out upwards of 77,000 absentee ballots next week, hasnt mailed out any ballots yet, but said that poll workers have been working 12-hour shifts to prepare labels for ballots. Witzel-Behl said she had originally planned to begin mailing out ballots Friday, but has put that on hold due to the Supreme Court order. Witzel-Behl is already questioning whether Madison will be able to send out ballots by next Thursdays state-imposed deadline. As is stands right now, it looks like its not going to be necessarily possible to get everything in the mail by Thursday, Witzel-Behl said. Does that push some of the mail into Friday? Does it push some of the mail into the following week? Witzel-Behl said the problem stems from the fact the machine that handles sealing envelopes and affixing postage can only handle 15,000 to 20,000 pieces of mail per day, an issue since Madison is dealing with nearly 80,000 absentee ballots to send. She said she is also concerned about voter confusion, because she no longer knows what to tell voters who ask when ballots will arrive. Milwaukee County is still printing its nearly 900,000 ballots and has already printed 331,015 of them. Milwaukee County elections director Julietta Henry said the county hasnt stopped printing the ballots; otherwise its municipalities wouldnt be able to meet deadlines for sending them out. Claire Woodall-Vogg, director of the city of Milwaukees Elections Commission, said the citys process hasnt so far been majorly affected by Thursdays court order, except that emailing ballots to military voters has been delayed. She said the court would need to order clerks to proceed by Wednesday in order for the city to mail out ballots on time. If a reprinting is ordered, she said it would be impossible to meet the state and federally imposed deadlines. Clerks in smaller jurisdictions also say things are still business as usual for the most part. The city of Kenosha wasnt planning to mail out its 15,000-some ballots until Wednesday at the earliest. City of Janesville Clerk-Treasurer David Godek said his office is continuing to prepare envelopes for sending out ballots but hasnt mailed any out yet. Godek was originally planning to stuff ballots into envelopes on Tuesday in order to mail them out. He said that if the court allows clerks to proceed by Monday, things should go smoothly. If a reprinting is required, however, Godek said all bets are off. Im not super worried about it, Godek said. We can only control our piece of it, and so were focused on just being in the best position to get ballots out to our voters as soon as were allowed to. BERLIN - The U.S. Air Force flew three B-1 heavy bombers over the East Siberian Sea, north of Russias far east, as part of a series of recent manoeuvrs that the military said Friday are meant to demonstrate American capabilities and ability to support allies, but which a top Russian commander blasted as hostile and provocative. The flight of the three Texas-based U.S. Air Force Reserve B-1 Lancer bombers on Thursday followed a similar mission a week ago in which three B-52 bombers temporarily based in Britain were flown over Ukrainian airspace, near Russias southwestern flank. U.S. European Command said that following the flight from Texas to the East Siberian Sea, the Lancers landed at a nearby American air base in Alaska. Stuttgart-based EUCOM said in a statement that the flight, and the deployment of the B-52s to England showcased how U.S.-based assets can be employed to achieve an operational objective on USEUCOMs eastern and western flanks. The three Lancers ... demonstrated how U.S. strategic bombers are able to support any mission, anywhere around the globe, at a moments notice, Stuttgart-based EUCOM said in a statement. EUCOM said the strategic bomber missions clearly illustrated the U.S. Air Forces ability to continually execute flying missions and sustain readiness in support of our Allies and partners. The U.S. regularly conducts aerial, naval and ground-force manoeuvrs in and around Europe, but a top Russian military officer said Friday that the number of U.S. and NATO flights near Russias borders have increased markedly this year. Col.-Gen. Sergei Surovikin, who heads Russias air force, told reporters Friday that in August alone Russian fighter jets were scrambled on 27 occasions to intercept American and other NATO warplanes over the Baltic, Barents and the Black and Okhotsk Seas. He said B-52s in late August and early September flew close to Russian borders near Crimea and the Russian Baltic exclave of Kaliningrad, and accused them of practicing for offensive operations. The strategic bombers crews practiced launching cruise missiles at facilities in Russia from airspace over the central part of the Black Sea and the territory of Estonia, Surovikin said. During the Sept. 4 flight, three B-52s flew over the Sea of Azov to come as close as 30 kilometres to Crimea, he said. We see the combat training of strategic aircrews in close proximity to the Russian border as hostile and provocative, Surovikin said. Russia-West relations have sunk to post-Cold War lows after Russias 2014 annexation of Ukraines Crimea. Moscow has bristled at the deployment of NATO forces in the Baltics in recent years, and Russia and the alliance have regularly traded accusations over military flights. Read more about: A total of 3,000 school children have benefitted from the 2020 Readcamp program organized by the Mother of All Nations Foundation with support from Mobraz Farms. The Readcamp program is one of many projects undertaken by the Mother of All Nations Foundation aimed at transforming the lives of young people in vulnerable communities. Started in 2015, the Readcamp program has continued this year even in the midst of the Coronavirus pandemic. With school children staying at home, the non-governmental organization with the help of volunteers reached out to kids in their various homes to assist in improving their reading skills, writing skills, and internet surfing skills as well. On the closing day of the program which started on August 18, and ended on Thursday, September 10, 2020, as many as 3,000 vulnerable school children have benefited. A total of 2,000 of the children are based in the Greater Accra Region from Madina Zongo, Madina Central, Pantang village, and from Danfa. The remaining 1,000 children who had the opportunity of receiving learning materials and being assisted to improve their literacy from this years program are from Kumasi in the Ashanti Region. Speaking to Modernghana News on the sidelines of the climaxing of Readcamp 2020 at Mount Moriah Church Danfa, Abdul Hakeem Nuhu who is the Communications Director for Mother of All Nations Foundation explained how they pulled off this years program in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic. We redefined the Readcamp because of the Coronavirus pandemic. Initially what we do is we have a meeting point in each target community where we gather these children and then our volunteer facilitators engage with these children. But because of the Coronavirus pandemic we re-strategized and now the volunteers meet up with these young learners in their various households in order to mitigate the spread of the Covid-19, Hakeem Buhu noted. Addressing some of the school children who have been part of this years Readcamp, Rev Daniel Aryee who is the head pastor at Mount Moriah Church Danfa encouraged them to love reading and stay away from unproductive activities to ensure they become successful in life. Reading gives us knowledge. When we read we acquire knowledge and we do say that knowledge is power. So you have knowledge in the sense that you will be able to achieve whatever you want to achieve in life. But it comes from reading so children and those who are here this morning if you want to be at the top the most important tool that you need to acquire is the act of reading, the clergy advised For Mr. Abdulai Salia who represented Mobraz, it has been a delight for his outfit to sponsor this years program and they are elated it has successfully impacted the lives of thousands of vulnerable people. He further revealed that Mobraz farms remain committed to playing a part in future projects and will not shy away from Corporate Social responsibilities that help childrens education. Other dignitaries that graced the closing ceremony of this years Readcamp include the Mantse of Danfa, Nii Dzane Tsure Brempong IV, as well as the Chief Imam of Madina West Central Mosque. They encouraged the school children to continue learning while also commending the Mother of all nations for the initiative. Through interactions with some of the school children and volunteers of the program, it was obvious the COVID edition of Readcamp has immensely helped the kids with studies. Stellan Skarsgard has revealed the challenges of making a film in the Covid-19 era, saying it is complicated because of the number of restrictions. The Mamma Mia star can currently be seen in the gruelling war film The Painted Bird, shot before the pandemic, about a lone Jewish boy wandering through a cruel obstacle course of survival and abuse in Eastern Europe at the end of the Second World War. His next movie is the eagerly-awaited sci-fi epic Dune, in which he plays the villainous Baron Vladimir Harkonnen. He told the PA news agency: We will see how it will be received but I really wanted to do it for the joy of working with Denis Villeneuve (the director) who is such a wonderful man and also such a great filmmaker. I had one job, be horrifying, and I think I can do it. But its also fun because I had to look like I had a body of about 400lb or so, there is a lot of prosthetics, I think I spent far more time in make-up than I spent in front of the camera. Five or six hours a day in make-up and its pretty hard on you, but I didnt film more than eight or ten days or something like that. Skarsgards native Sweden did not lock down during the pandemic, but he has only recently been able to start work. He said: The first thing I did was two weeks ago, when we did an additional scene for Dune in Hungary, and it is complicated because there are a lot of tests you have to go through. Video of the Day On the set they test you every second day, and they take your temperature every day and there are a lot of restrictions. I cant wait to get back to work and I think the next thing I will do is the Star Wars TV series (an untitled show about Cassian Andor, due to film in the UK). That was supposed to go in June and now they are saying November, but of course it depends on if Britain has more lockdowns. Skarsgard said he was keen to take on his role as a German soldier in The Painted Bird to help the gruelling movie get made. Expand Close Skarsgard in The Painted Bird (Eureka Entertainment) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Skarsgard in The Painted Bird (Eureka Entertainment) He added: I was contacted by the director 11 years ago when, after years of struggling, he finally go the rights to the book that I had read before, and I knew this was a film that was absolutely impossible to finance because who would invest in a film like that? Nobody who wants his money back, right? And its truly a dark story about a poor child during the Second World War in Europe, in black and white with almost no dialogue, there is no sugar on this cake so its the kind of film that rarely gets made any more. It resembles more Eastern European films from the 60s or early 70s than anything that is made for today, but I really want those kind of films to be made, they are very cinematic, it really shouldnt be watched on your iPhone. The Painted Bird is available digitally and in selected cinemas in the UK and Ireland now. Judges Scientific plc (LON:JDG), might not be a large cap stock, but it received a lot of attention from a substantial price movement on the AIM over the last few months, increasing to UK55.60 at one point, and dropping to the lows of UK46.90. Some share price movements can give investors a better opportunity to enter into the stock, and potentially buy at a lower price. A question to answer is whether Judges Scientific's current trading price of UK48.00 reflective of the actual value of the small-cap? Or is it currently undervalued, providing us with the opportunity to buy? Lets take a look at Judges Scientifics outlook and value based on the most recent financial data to see if there are any catalysts for a price change. View our latest analysis for Judges Scientific Is Judges Scientific still cheap? According to my price multiple model, which makes a comparison between the company's price-to-earnings ratio and the industry average, the stock price seems to be justfied. Ive used the price-to-earnings ratio in this instance because theres not enough visibility to forecast its cash flows. The stocks ratio of 26.21x is currently trading slightly above its industry peers ratio of 22.35x, which means if you buy Judges Scientific today, youd be paying a relatively sensible price for it. And if you believe that Judges Scientific should be trading at this level in the long run, then there should only be a fairly immaterial downside vs other industry peers. Is there another opportunity to buy low in the future? Since Judges Scientifics share price is quite volatile, we could potentially see it sink lower (or rise higher) in the future, giving us another chance to buy. This is based on its high beta, which is a good indicator for how much the stock moves relative to the rest of the market. What does the future of Judges Scientific look like? Investors looking for growth in their portfolio may want to consider the prospects of a company before buying its shares. Although value investors would argue that its the intrinsic value relative to the price that matter the most, a more compelling investment thesis would be high growth potential at a cheap price. With profit expected to grow by a double-digit 15% over the next couple of years, the outlook is positive for Judges Scientific. It looks like higher cash flow is on the cards for the stock, which should feed into a higher share valuation. Story continues What this means for you: Are you a shareholder? It seems like the market has already priced in JDGs positive outlook, with shares trading around industry price multiples. However, there are also other important factors which we havent considered today, such as the track record of its management team. Have these factors changed since the last time you looked at JDG? Will you have enough conviction to buy should the price fluctuate below the industry PE ratio? Are you a potential investor? If youve been keeping tabs on JDG, now may not be the most optimal time to buy, given it is trading around industry price multiples. However, the positive outlook is encouraging for JDG, which means its worth diving deeper into other factors such as the strength of its balance sheet, in order to take advantage of the next price drop. If you want to dive deeper into Judges Scientific, you'd also look into what risks it is currently facing. For example - Judges Scientific has 1 warning sign we think you should be aware of. If you are no longer interested in Judges Scientific, you can use our free platform to see our list of over 50 other stocks with a high growth potential. 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. Indias factory output, as measured by the Index of Industrial Production (IIP) contracted by 10.4% on an annual basis in July, according to data released by the ministry of statistics and programme implementation. This is the fifth consecutive month of contraction in IIP. While the contraction is in keeping with a Reuters forecast, it is better than the projected figure (11.5%). On the brighter side, the data does show a sequential recovery in industrial activity over the previous months. Experts believe a sequential recovery will continue in the months of August and September, but that the lack of fiscal stimulus and dissipation of pent-up demand could generate headwinds to this process. Also read: Moodys projects Indian economy to contract 11.5% this fiscal Industrial activity in the month of July this year was lower than its last year levels in all categories. IIP is classified into two kinds of categories. Economic activity-based categories include mining and quarrying, manufacturing, and electricity. Usage-based categories include primary goods, intermediate goods, capital goods, infrastructure goods and consumer goods. The last category has a sub-classification of consumer durables and non-durables. A look at the usage-based categories suggests that both consumption and investment, the two crucial drivers of growth, continue to present a grim picture. While all sub-sectors continue to show a sequential improvementthis months numbers are better than previous monthsthe contraction in capital goods and consumer durables is still more than 20% on an annual basis. Indias industrial output suffered a contraction of 38% on an annual basis in the first quarter (April-June) of the current fiscal year. The overall GDP contracted by 23.9%. The government has said that the first quarters performance was because of the exogenous shock of the lockdown and the economy is in the process of staging a V-shaped recovery. A V-shape implies that economic activity will quickly come back to its normal levels after suffering a sharp fall. Also read: Govt considering series of measures to boost economy High frequency indicators which are available for the post-July period, such as the Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) for August and Nomura India Business Resumption Index (NIBRI) until last week, do support claims of a continuing sequential recovery. PMI manufacturing breached the threshold of 50 a PMI value greater than 50 signifies expansion in economic activityin August for the first time since April. NIBRI climbed to 77.4 in the week ending September 6, the highest since the lockdown was imposed on March 25. But other indicators such as consumption of petroleum products paint a different picture. According to data released by the petroleum ministry, consumption of petroleum products in the month of August was the lowest since April. The fall was driven by diesel consumption, suggesting a fall in goods transport. The July IIP numbers suggest that the ongoing sequential recovery might be losing momentum as the curve is straying from a V-shaped pattern. Experts attribute this to continuing local lockdowns. The data also shows that the sharp recovery witnessed in the month of May and June is now becoming somewhat flattish. Part of the reason is local/partial/ weekend lockdown imposed in many parts of the country, often without much advance intimation, said a note by Sunil Kumar Sinha, principal economist at India ratings and research. The recovery could be further jeopardised as number of cases continue to rise. A research note by Nomura warned that the pick-up in resumption of economic activity was being driven by a lockdown fatigue. Madan Sabnavis, chief economist at CARE Ratings, expects the to improve further in August and come close to zero in the month of September. The critical sectors to be tracked would be auto in particular in the coming months which have shown some signs of a turnaroundbased on pent up demand to an extent, he added. Passenger vehicle sales improved by 14.1% on an annual basis in August, according to the Society for Automobile Manufacturers (Siam). SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ABOUT THE AUTHOR Roshan Kishore Roshan Kishore is a journalist with Hindustan Times in New Delhi. He focuses on political economy issues with a data-driven approach. ...view detail Contributed photo WWII veterans and Elim Park in Cheshire residents, Dick Shank and Louis Forsell recently reflected on their military service, on the anniversary of the end of the war. In July 1945, Shank was a naval officer serving on a destroyer in the Pacific and Forsell, a Navy sailor, was working a signal tower in the Philippines. Both were preparing for Operation Downfall, the code name for the invasion of mainland Japan. On July 16, as Shank and American forces were preparing to invade Okinawa, President Harry S. Truman was told of the successful test in New Mexico of the worlds first atomic bomb. When Japan failed to respond to the July 26 ultimatum of the Potsdam Declaration to surrender or face total destruction, Truman authorized its use. Aug. 6, an American B-29 bomber dropped the first bomb on Hiroshima, Japan. Three days later, a second bomb was dropped on Nagasaki. Japan surrendered Aug. 15. Forsell would go home to attend Ohio State University where he was part of Naval ROTC. He became a successful homebuilder for 55 years after the war. He is now 93. Shank, now 95, would graduate from Yale in 1948 with a degree in electrical engineering and eventually become a Yale professor. He retired from the university in 1985, after a long career on the New Haven campus. Both men share a common lesson from World War II. It taught them to appreciate life one day at a time, they said. DALTON, Ga. A Georgia deputy who was wounded in a shooting that touched off a massive manhunt is recovering and expected to return to work next week, state law officers Thursday. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation provided the update on Whitfield County sheriffs deputy Darrell Hackney in a description of how Texas fugitive Dalton Potter was apprehended. Potter is accused of opening fire on Hackney during a traffic stop in Dalton, Georgia, around midnight early Monday. Potter fled into the woods, but was captured Wednesday night near Resaca, Georgia. We probably have over 100 officers, weve set up a strong perimeter, we still have the (Georgia State Patrol) helicopter in the air, weve got K-9s on the ground tracking in the woods, Whitfield County Sheriff Scott Chitwood told reporters Wednesday evening, shortly before Potter was captured. Potter, 29, is also accused of shooting a local resident during the search near Resaca. That man is hospitalized in stable condition and is expected to recover, the GBI said Thursday. Noah Cloer identified his father, Eddie Cloer, as the victim. He was feeding animals in his yard when Potter attacked, shooting him in the arm and grazing his head, Noah Cloer told WTVC. Eddie Cloer was able to fire back and Potter fled, his son said. Resaca is about 75 miles (120 kilometers) northwest of Atlanta, and about 16 miles (26 kilometers) from the city of Dalton, where the deputy was shot. Hackney, the deputy who was shot, was saved by his ballistic vest, the GBI said. Hackney and another deputy returned fire, but Potter drove away south on Interstate 75. He wrecked the truck and escaped into the woods on foot, the GBI said. Potter was hauling explosives in a stolen trailer that was found along the southbound lanes of I-75, near the Whitfield-Gordon county line, authorities have said. He faces numerous charges in Texas and Georgia, including possession of an explosive by a convicted felon and multiple counts of aggravated assault and aggravated battery. A second Texas man, Jonathan Hosmer, 47, was arrested Tuesday after surveillance video recorded him leaving the truck crash. Also wanted in Texas on larceny and theft charges, hes charged in Georgia with possession of methamphetamine, bringing stolen property into the state, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony. COPENHAGEN: A group of 27 migrants who had been stuck onboard the Maersk Etienne tanker for more than a month have been transferred safely to a ship operated by the NGO Mediterranea, Maersk Tankers said on Friday. The tankers crew rescued the migrants, including a pregnant woman, on Aug. 4 near Malta from a wooden dinghy that had been at sea for days and sank immediately after the rescue operation. Neither the Maltese, Italian nor Libyan authorities had let them come ashore, according to Maersk Tankers, the operator of Maersk Etienne. The migrants had been sleeping on mattresses and blankets, some on the deck protected from the sun by makeshift shades. Their physical and mental health had worsened in recent days, resulting in three of them jumping overboard on Sunday only to be rescued by the crew, Maersk said. Maersk Tankers had requested help from Mediterranea to conduct a health assessment of the migrants using the medical team onboard the Mare Jonio vessel. The transfer to the ship occurred following their assessment that the rescued persons condition called for immediate care in suitable medical facilities," Maersk Tankers said in a statement. 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 Fauquier 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. The Wagner Noel Performing Arts Center will open its doors again for events next week. Since mid-March, the performing arts center has postponed events due to the coronavirus pandemic. WNPAC General Manager Stephanie Rivas said the venue has three events scheduled for the month of September. Then, of course, we will continue to have events each month following, she said. Things will look a little bit different, as they already do, but slow and steady, we will all get where we need to be. Patrons 10 years old and older will be required to wear a face mask at all times. Masks may only be removed while eating and drinking at designated seats. Patrons will be asked to stay 6 feet apart at security checkpoints, restrooms, merchandise and concession stands. Use of the iconic reusable Wagner Noel cups will be temporarily suspended. Zoono, a company which specializes in antimicrobial protection, spent Thursday sanitizing the venue and academic spaces at the Wagner Noel Performing Arts Center. The areas were sprayed with a 30-day germ-fighting shield on all hard and soft surfaces, Rivas said. The WNPAC staff will continue to maintain the shield throughout the year. Michael Hatfield, a Zoono partner, is originally from Odessa but is based out of San Antonio now. The compound is Zoono Z71, which is a microbial protectant, he said. How we spray is through electric static. The liquid being sprayed has a positive charge, and it wraps around anything negative, so wood -- and basically everything -- is a negative charge. It takes about 10 minutes to completely dry, and its going to last for 30 days. Hatfield said the compound is completely safe. He also administers swabs on surfaces to show the customer that everything has been coated and there are no viruses or bacteria. His company employs veterans, and they help veterans get PTSD service dogs through Operation Battle Buddy. University of Texas Permian Basin President Sandra Woodley said the university is excited to have facilities open for students that are back on campus. We know that this is a gift to the community and music students that study out here, she said. Were really happy to have it coming back on. We are excited for the venue to get started and appreciate the thoughtfulness and care that has gone into planning for making sure our community is safe. By Express News Service NEW DELHI: Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Thursday warned private schools in Delhi against hiking, charging or demanding anything other than tuition fees in the pandemic, saying strict action will be taken against those flouting the order. The AAP government revoked the permission granted to a private school for hiking fees to a top private school, said Sisodia, who is also the education minister. Private schools are not allowed to increase the fees and action will be taken against all such schools found doing it, he said, after receiving a large number of complaints from parents. The government will not bow down to any pressure. We are taking this decision based on some serious complaints received from the parents of the Sanskriti School. Calls to the school management by this newspaper went unattended. It was found that as per the 2017-19 account of the school, it had enough surplus money to pay the salaries of teachers in line with the recommendations of the Seventh Pay Commission, Sisodia said. But it, he added, pressured the parents to pay the hiked fees. We directed the school to pay teachers from the surplus amount and not to put this burden on the students. But the school did not comply with this order. The school is not allowed to increase the fees. Also, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, no school is allowed to collect any amount other than the tuition fee, he added. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has confirmed that at least 5,141 card readers were burnt as fire gutted the commissions head office in Akure, Ondo State capital. PREMIUM TIMES reported that the fire which broke out at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, gutted the container housing smart card readers for the October 10 governorship election. The incident occurred exactly one month to the governorship poll in the state. Immediately the fire broke out, Festus Okoye, INEC spokesperson who is in Ondo State alongside other staff, arrived the scene as the fire service tried to quench the fire. PREMIUM TIMES gathered from sources that the fire was caused by an electrical surge, and the office of the fire service close to the INEC headquarters could not help due to lack of water to put out the inferno early enough. Speaking with PREMIUM TIMES Friday in a telephone interview, Mr Okoye said that no fewer than 5,141 card readers were burnt in the inferno. He also explained that the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) section of the commission was affected. Mr Okoye further said the commission would investigate the cause of the incident. He did not explain whether it will affect the upcoming election or not. This is at least the third time that an INEC office would be engulfed in fire in 2020. Fire gutted an INEC office in Orlu, Imo State, due to indiscriminate bush burning in February. Also, in the same month, the INEC office in Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra State was gutted by fire. In April, the Abuja office of INEC was engulfed in fire which affected the office of INECs Director of Voter Registry, Emmanuel Akem. Aftab Shivdasani took to social media to announce that he has tested positive for Coronavirus. Actor Aftab Shivdasani penned a letter to his fans today informing them that he has contracted Coronavirus. The actor tweeted that he got himself tested for COVID-19 after he started showing minor symptoms of a dry cough and a mild fever. Medical professionals have advised him to stay under home quarantine, the Grand Masti actor said. He has also asked the people who may have come in contact with him to get tested and take care of their health. The news comes just days after actor Arjun Kapoor announced that he had tested positive for the disease. Hello everyone, hope you all are fit and fine and are taking care of yourselves. Recently I started showing minor symptoms of a dry cough and a mild fever and I got myself tested for COVID-19. Unfortunately the results came out positive and under the medical supervision of doctors and the authorities, I have been advised home quarantine, he wrote. Aftab also emphasised on the need to be socially distant, along with using masks and sanitisers as much as possible. We will win this together read the actors resounding ending words. According to a report by DNA, the actor had recently come to India from London to shoot for his upcoming webshow Poison 2. It is not known whether his family (wife Nin Dusanj and daughter who was born last month) are in Mumbai with him currently. He has assured his fan following that he has been under medical supervision of doctors and the authorities. Poison 2 is the second installment of the Zee 5 show and it also stars Sakshi Pradhan, Raai Laxmi, Pooja Chopra and Rahul Dev in pivotal roles, according to Bollywood Life. Americans commemorated 9/11 on Friday as a new national crisis the coronavirus pandemic reconfigured anniversary ceremonies and a presidential campaign carved a path through the observances. In New York, victims' relatives gathered Friday morning for split-screen remembrances, one at the Sept. 11 memorial plaza at the World Trade Center and another on a nearby corner, set up by a separate organization. The Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation objected to the memorial's decision to forgo a longstanding tradition of having relatives read the names of the dead, often adding poignant tributes. Memorial leaders said they made the change as a coronavirus-safety precaution on the 19th anniversary of the deadliest terror attack on U.S. soil. Kathy Swift arrived early at the alternative ceremony a few blocks away, wearing a T-shirt honoring her slain brother, Thomas Swift, who worked in finance. We still have to remember," said Swift, 61. The whole countrys going downhill. Its one thing after another, and now with the COVID. Im glad theyre still having this, though. President Donald Trump addressed a ceremony at the Flight 93 National Memorial near Shanksville, Pennsylvania. "The heroes of Flight 93 are an everlasting reminder that no matter the danger, no matter the threat, no matter the odds, America will always rise up, stand tall, and fight back, the Republican president said, recalling how the plane's crew and passengers tried to storm the cockpit as the hijackers as headed for Washington. Biden paid respects at the election battleground state's Flight 93 memorial in the afternoon. Earlier, he attended the observance at the 9/11 memorial in New York, exchanging an elbow bump with Vice President Mike Pence before the ceremony began with the usual tolling of a bell. Biden offered condolences to a woman he spotted crying in the crowd of hundreds, Amanda Barreto, who lost her aunt and godmother in the attacks. Barreto, 27, said Biden wanted to let me know to keep the faith and wanted me to say strong, telling her he understood what it meant to lose a loved one. His first wife and their daughter died in a 1972 car crash, and his son Beau died of brain cancer in 2015. Biden didn't speak at the ceremony, which has a longstanding custom of not allowing politicians to make remarks. Pence went on to the Tunnel to Towers Foundation ceremony, where he read the Bible's 23rd Psalm, and his wife, Karen, read a passage from the Book of Ecclesiastes. For the families of the lost and friends they left behind, I pray these ancient words will comfort your heart and others, said the vice president, drawing applause from the crowd of hundreds. In short, the anniversary of 9/11 is a complicated occasion in a maelstrom of a year, as the U.S. grapples with a health crisis, searches its soul over racial injustice and prepares to choose a leader to chart a path forward. Still, families say it's important for the nation to pause and remember the hijacked-plane attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people at the trade center, at the Pentagon in Washington and near Shanksville on Sept. 11, 2001 shaping American policy, perceptions of safety and daily life in places from airports to office buildings. Around the country, some communities canceled 9/11 commemorations because of the pandemic, while others went ahead, sometimes with modifications. The Pentagon's observance was so restricted that not even victims families could attend, though small groups can visit the memorial there later in the day. At the New York memorial, thousands were still invited. But they heard a recording of the names issued from speakers spread around the vast plaza, a plan that memorial leaders felt would avoid close contact at a stage but still allow families to remember their loved ones at the place where they died. But some felt the change robbed the observance of its emotional impact. The Tunnel to Towers Foundation arranged its own, simultaneous ceremony a few blocks away, saying there was no reason that people couldn't recite names while keeping a safe distance. Reverence for the dead requires that we read these names out loud, in person, every year, said foundation chair Frank Siller, whose brother Stephen was a firefighter. The readers stood at podiums that were wiped down between each person. The two organizations also tussled over the Tribute in Light, a pair of powerful beams that shine into the night sky near the trade center, evoking its fallen twin towers. The 9/11 memorial initially canceled the display, citing virus-safety concerns for the installation crew. After the Tunnel to Towers Foundation vowed to put up the lights instead, the memorial changed course with help from its chair, former Mayor Mike Bloomberg, and Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Tunnel to Towers, meanwhile, arranged to display single beams for the first time at the Shanksville memorial and the Pentagon. Over the years, the anniversary also has become a day for volunteering. Because of the pandemic, the 9/11 National Day of Service and Remembrance organization is encouraging people this year to make donations or take other actions from home. ___ Associated Press journalists Alexandra Jaffe and Ted Shaffrey in New York and Darlene Superville in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, and Mark Scolforo in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, contributed to this report. With their large galleries and strict pandemic safety protocols, several Houston museums provided the citys only live, indoor arts experiences this summer. More are easing back into operation in September, pointing toward a semi-normal fall gazing season for social distancers. In need of a road trip? Museums in Dallas, Fort Worth, Austin and San Antonio are open, too. Most are requiring timed tickets for entry, and dates are subject to change. These shows are a good place to start. Specters of Noon The Puerto Rican duo Jennifer Allora and Guillermo Calzadillas highly anticipated takeover of the Menil Collections east wing was delayed five months. Better late than never. The artists plumbed the museums vaults and archives to build a dreamlike environment of seven works that explore the relationship between Surrealism and the Caribbean. Involving light projections, a sea of thousands of cast yellow flowers, a reclaimed (from Hurricane Maria) power transformer with a hum composed by David Lang, bat guano, ship engines and coal, the show is inspired by early-20th-century texts that probe the pre-Christian mythology of noon, when shadows disappear and delirious visions momentarily reign. (Sounds kind of like every day now, doesnt it?) Sept. 26-June 20; Menil Collection, 1533 Sul Ross; free; menil.org Carmen Herrera At 105, this Cuban-American artist who expanded the hard-edged boundaries of geometric abstraction is having a long-overdue Houston moment. The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston will show 30 hanging works including paintings, drawings, prints, wall sculptures and objects in Structuring Surfaces, and Buffalo Bayou Partnership presents the first full look at her large-scale sculpture with Estructuras Monumentales, a major public art installation outdoors at Buffalo Bayou Park. Structuring Surfaces, Oct. 21-Jan. 18; Museum of Fine Arts, Houston; 5601 Main; $12-$19, children younger than 12 free; mfah.org . Estructuras Monumentales, Oct. 22-mid-spring, Buffalo Bayou Park, Shepherd to Sabine between Allen Parkway and Memorial; free; buffalobayou.org States of Mind The Moody Center jumps into the election-year fray with a big group show subtitled Art and American Democracy. Featuring works by 30 artists, the exhibition puts Texans such as Adriana Corral and Margarita Cabrera in dialogue with the likes of Jenny Holzer and Catherine Opie (who appears in a Zoom conversation Oct. 22). Some of the works examine the status of the United States founding principles of freedom and equality. Others address voting access, gun control and immigration policies. The idea is to encourage discourse. Remember that? Sept. 28-Dec. 19; Moody Center for the Arts, Rice University, 6100 Main; free; moody.rice.edu For a Dreamer of Houses Refuge or cage? Because we will never think of home the same way again after COVID-19, this Dallas Museum of Art exhibition looks more prescient now than it might have if it had opened as planned last spring. Its inspired by Gaston Bachelards 1958 book The Poetics of Space, about the psychological power of domestic objects and structures. Several spectacular walk-in installations form the bones, but the shows 50 works cover a wide variety of mediums. All are from the museums collection, including major recent acquisitions. Through July 4; 1717 N. Harwood, Dallas; $9, children 11 and younger free; dma.org Wild Life The monumental, fractured paintings of the late Elizabeth Murray and the eccentric and garish sculptural assemblages of Jessi Reaves look born to converse. They also look the way a lot of us feel after months at home, wild to the point of cartoonishness and bursting at the seams. Their pairing at the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston brings Murray back into the spotlight in Texas for the first time since the 1980s and suggests the depth of her influence on contemporary artists such as Reaves. Oct. 23-March 7; Contemporary Arts Museum Houston, 5216 Montrose; free; camh.org Hope House British-Japanese provocateur Simon Fujiwaras uncanny wax figure of Anne Frank, made even more life-like with video cameras, explores the phenomenon and legacy of the young Holocaust victim as a celebrity and cultural icon. The Blaffer Art Museums installation of a show created in Austria reflects on the current social fabric and happiness economics. Opening mid-October; Blaffer Art Museum, University of Houston; free; 4173 Elgin; blafferartmuseum.org A Legacy of Love Everyone knows Robert Indianas iconic Love sculpture from the 1960s, but the Pop master continued his exploration of saturated color, text and symbols until his death in 2018. The McNay Art Museum puts Indianas works in dialogue with those of contemporaries that range from Roy Lichtenstein and Andy Warhol to a diverse group of successors who include Glenn Ligon, Deborah Kass and Alejandro Diaz. Oct. 15-Jan. 24; McNay Art Museum, 101 Emporia Blvd., San Antonio; $10-$20, children 12 and younger free; 210-824-5368, mcnayart.org Northern Irelands biggest supermarket reiterated its commitment to continuing serving customers here. It comes as an industry expert warned some supermarkets could leave if Brexit trade talks fail. There are concerns some will initiate plans to withdraw from NI as early as next month if meaningful clarity does not emerge regarding the border. Trade magazine The Grocer reported the concerns of Clive Black, a retail analyst at investment group Shore Capital, that if a deal is not agreed we could have a crisis in the food industry in NI. Read More While he believed supermarkets would tough it out if they thought there was the prospect of a suitable agreement, he said if new frictions were seen as permanent then businesses would not sit around and pontificate. He explained: There has been chatter about at least two supermarkets withdrawing from NI. If they did then I dont think theyre going to hang around if it looks like the prevailing situation will last. Michael Bell, executive director of the Northern Ireland Food and Drink Association (NIFDA), told The Grocer that businesses in Northern Ireland would respond very rapidly and very logically to economic signals in the coming weeks. But he warned that if the supermarket chains did make the call to pull out it would have a knock-on effect for other companies across the province and could undermine trade networks. He said: People tend to think of NI-GB trade as somehow completely separate to GB-NI trade. They are two sides of the same coin and they affect each other. Asked for a comment, a Tesco spokesperson said: We remain committed to serving our customers in Northern Ireland and will continue to ensure that we can operate effectively for our customers, colleagues and suppliers. Talks over a trade deal with the EU remain in the balance amid a stand-off over the UKs plans to override part of the Brexit withdrawal agreement. Informal trade talks between the two sides are due to resume on Monday while the next official round of talks the ninth since March will begin in Brussels on September 28. Prime Minister Boris Johnsons proposed Internal Market Bill, which will be formally debated by MPs in the House of Commons for the first time on Monday, addresses the Northern Ireland Protocol an element of the Brexit withdrawal agreement designed to prevent a hard border returning to the island of Ireland. The new law would give UK ministers powers to modify or disapply rules relating to the movement of goods that will come into force from January 1, if the UK and EU are unable to strike a trade deal. The PMs spokesman said it would also ensure the government can always deliver on its commitments to the people of NI. Mr Johnson has previously said he would walk away from the negotiating table if an agreement with the EU is not reached by October 15. A senior industry source told The Grocer that supermarkets have argued they cannot operate under the existing protocol without a special deal. Weve watched the supermarkets trying to negotiate this for the past three months, said the source, though they warned what you cant have is a situation where the government gives the supermarkets privileged access. They suggested that this could result in disadvantaged parties such as foodservice and convenience stores launching an appeal to the Competition & Markets Authority. Aodhan Connolly, director at the Northern Ireland Retail Consortium, added: If this is a negotiating tactic then unfortunately it just adds to the uncertainty of Northern Irish supermarkets. The Northern Ireland protocol is not perfect, but it averts some of the worst consequences of a chaotic non-negotiated outcome. Somrita Ghosh By Express News Service NEW DELHI: From personally meeting every patient admitted at Rajiv Gandhi Super Specialty Hospital to following up about their health after getting discharged, over the past six months, Dr Ajeet Jain has left no stone unturned to ensure that more than 1,900 patients infected by coronavirus admitted at the facility get the best treatment thats available. Every patient has my phone number, they call me anytime and I never turn them away. I call all of them to check on their health. After being discharged patients started complaining of post-Covid complexities, it was then that we decided to go for post-Covid care, said 54-year old Dr Jain, the nodal officer for Covid-19 ward and Post Covid Care OPD at RGSSH. The initial days were tough, recalled Dr Jain. It was so bad and scary that parents would hesitate to meet their children and would isolate them completely. The children would feel guilt, suffer from mental trauma and then the fear of societal stigma; what if the locality doesnt accept them anymore. Even we at times used to get nervous, he added. So for Dr Jain, a cardiothoracic and vascular surgeon, the priority was to create a homely environment for the patients This, he believes played a role in the patients battle the psychological trauma. We had to gain their confidence. People had never experienced isolation earlier, staying away for months from families, that shattered them. Then I started meeting each patient individually. I would ask them if their tea was hot or whether the meal was sufficient, whether the bathroom clean we always try to cater to their demands. I wanted them to be able to open up to us. A lot of this disease has to do with the mental part. Once you are confident, half of the battle is won, Dr Jain said. Dr Jain also added that unlike what others claim, he didnt have faced any problem with the patients who contracted the virus from the Tablighi Jamaat congregation.There were around 130 from the Markaz and they were so grateful about us treating them. I would spend hours and never faced trouble. I guess they were wrongly portrayed, he said. Talking about mental health was not an easy subject for the doctor either. Despite staying in the same city, Dr Jain who was honoured with At-Home Ceremony by Ram Nath Kovind earlier this year, only connected with his wife and three children virtually for the pat six months. Last week, he finally returned to his house in Kamla Nagar. The pandemic brought about such difficult times for families. The tragedies I saw, the pain I witnessed... I pray no one ever gets to see it again. Families couldnt even meet their loved ones before being cremated... People are there on social media with no friends in real life. Theyve adopted a pattern of living alone. Soon, we all may be stay and survive alone, he said. When Ryan Garcia was a small child, he loved reading biographies of American presidents and imagining that kind of political glory for himself. Later, as an adolescent, he became an avid viewer of The West Wing, and started to see the art of governing in a new way. I realized that theres a whole slew of people that are behind the scenes, that in a sense do the leg work, Garcia said. Over the past eight years, Garcia, 31, has done plenty of leg work, establishing himself as one of the most powerful behind-the-scenes forces on the San Antonio political scene. Think of a dramatic, hotly contested local election victory during that period and youll probably find Garcias fingerprints. He helped Phil Cortez and Diego Bernal make the jump from the City Council to the Legislature. He helped Javier Salazar unseat an incumbent sheriff in 2016 and first-time candidate Ana Sandoval dislodge a three-term council member in 2017. When Trey Martinez Fischer made a 2018 bid to reclaim the Texas House seat he had relinquished two years earlier, Garcia steered the campaign to a hard-fought Democratic primary win. When Justin Rodriguez faced a tough primary challenge this year for county commissioner, Garcia worked to get him over the top. Then theres last years epic mayoral battle. Garcia, a son of the South Side raised by a mother who emigrated from Mexico at age 8, is too self-effacing to grab credit for himself. But its a common view among local politicos that his grassroots field work during the monthlong runoff campaign saved Mayor Ron Nirenberg from a possible defeat at the hands of then-Councilman Greg Brockhouse. Garcia said he sought to push the mayors campaign to break away from what he calls the robotic type of interaction, in which a block walker immediately starts doing a practiced sales pitch on the voter. The lesson was not lost on Nirenberg, who recently tapped Garcia to serve as deputy campaign manager for Build SA, the ballot-proposition campaign on behalf of the mayors four-year, $154-million workforce development program. Ryan is measured and has definitely mastered a level of political maturity, Martinez Fischer said. This is not a guy youre going to find on headlines. Hes not a guy whos going to be screaming for the quote. Ryans success is what you see on election night. In any election where the race is going to be close, its going to come down to whether you won that race in the field. And thats his specialty. Garcia honed his field-organizing skills by working with one of the masters of the craft, the late Choco Meza, on Cortezs 2012 Texas House race. He credits both Meza and former interim Councilwoman Leticia Cantu with helping him understand the need to communicate with voters in an authentic way. For Garcia, that means perpetually carrying in his mind the needs and concerns of an imaginary voter he refers to as Miss Martinez. Choco was very much a grassroots West Side activist. Its not a top-down way to run a campaign with Choco, Garcia said. I will say How is this campaign going to talk to Miss Martinez? And thats something that I got from Leticia and from Choco. Robert Vargas, who managed Salazars 2016 campaign for sheriff, enlisted Garcia to run data for Salazar. Its a critical component of any campaign because it enables you to identify and connect with your potential voters. Vargas views Garcia as the gold standard when it comes to voter data. Ryan is a brilliant data strategist, Vargas said. I trust his data, I trust his numbers. There is no one in Bexar County that has the ability to home in on where voters are, those pockets of voters that you need to win an election. A key component of Garcias success is his passion for policy. Unlike some political operatives, who tend to operate in a mercenary fashion, he comes at the political process from the perspective of an activist who grew up observing the economic segregation of the South Side the product of politicians who only showed their faces at election time. As a result, he knows how to speak to people who have grown justifiably jaded with politics. Garcia worked as a legislative aide during the 2011 and 2013 sessions for former El Paso state Rep. Naomi Gonzalez. In 2013, he joined his mentor, Meza, on the council staff of Shirley Gonzales, handling policy and constituent services. Bernal describes Garcia as a natural listener and a great conversationalist who could very easily be your favorite bartender at your neighborhood watering hole. I was always really impressed, and grateful, for how he put a premium on listening to people, Bernal added. I think a lot of campaign work, unfortunately, can be approaching people and then immediately going into a sales pitch or some sort of persuasive posture. He did it in a way that I respect and learn from. 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 Whistle-Blower Says He Was Told To Downplay Russian 2020 Election Interference By RFE/RL September 10, 2020 A Department of Homeland Security (DHS) intelligence analyst says in a whistle-blower complaint that the head of the department told him to stop reporting on Russian election interference and focus instead on interference by China and Iran. The official, Brian Murphy, said the acting secretary of DHS, Chad Wolf, told him twice within the last four months to withhold reporting on potential Russian threats to the U.S. election because it "made President [Donald] Trump look bad." He was told to emphasize potential threats from China and Iran instead. Murphy said he objected because "it was improper to hold a vetted intelligence product for reasons for political embarrassment." Wolf then took steps to exclude Murphy from meetings on the subject, according to the complaint. Murphy filed his whistle-blower complaint on September 8 with the inspector-general of DHS and it was made public by the House Intelligence Committee on September 9. Murphy ran the Office of Intelligence and Analysis at DHS until the end of July, when he was demoted. In his complaint he said Wolf told him the order to stifle reports on Russia originated from White House national-security adviser Robert O'Brien. The White House denied the allegations, saying O'Brien "has never sought to dictate the intelligence community's focus on threats to the integrity of our elections or on any other topic." DHS spokesman Alexei Woltornist said in response, "We flatly deny that there is any truth to the merits of Mr. Murphy's claim." Democrats say the accusations are the latest sign that the Trump administration is attempting to downplay Russian attempts to interfere in the November 3 election. Representative Adam Schiff (Democrat-California) said the House Intelligence Committee had requested Murphy testify before it on September 21. Schiff said Murphy's complaint "outlines grave and disturbing allegations" that senior White House and DHS officials improperly sought to politicize, manipulate, and censor intelligence in order to benefit Trump politically. There have been growing concerns in the United States about foreign attempts to interfere in the November 3 election. In a statement on election interference on August 7, the director of the National Counterintelligence Security Center said many "foreign actors" had a preference in the U.S. election, but it was focusing its attention on the potential activity of Russia, China, and Iran. The statement said China views Trump as "unpredictable" and does not want to see him win reelection. Russia is also interfering against Trump's opponent, Joe Biden, and an anti-Russia "establishment," while Tehran is looking to undermine democratic institutions, the statement said. Following the 2016 election, U.S. intelligence and law enforcement officials determined that Russia interfered by mounting a computer-hacking and social-media manipulation campaign with the goal of boosting Trump over Democrat Hillary Clinton. U.S. officials have also said there were multiple foreign hacker efforts to penetrate voting systems in the 2018 congressional elections in what appeared to be a test run for 2020. With reporting by AFP and Reuters Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/whistle-bblower- says-he-was-told-to-downplay-russian-2020- election-interference/30830477.html Copyright (c) 2020. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Sushmitha Ramakrishnan By Express News Service CHENNAI: As the State is dabbling with a plan to partially reopen schools, especially for higher classes, schools are mulling over scheduling classes on a rotation basis to ensure social distancing. According to this plan, schools may have to segregate classes into batches of 10-15 students into different rooms. We have no other option but to conduct classes on rotation basis. The nature of the pandemic is such that social distancing is the only way to prevent infection spread, said the headmistress of a matriculation school in Pallikaranai. She added that while each class in her school has two sections, the teachers have to now again divide each section into two groups and plan their classes. Tamil Nadu Nursery, Primary, and Matriculation Schools Association vice-president GR Srithar said that a rotation-based model is the best option the schools have now. If classes resume for students of all standards, then the staff might struggle to implement social distancing, he said. A chemistry teacher from Chennai told Express that initially, schools considered conducting only doubt clearing classes in person instead of the rotation-based classes. But that may not be possible. We might soon start live classes for students of class 9 and above. We cannot schedule both live and doubt clearing classes as the timetable would clash often, she said. Many schools prefer sending recorded video lectures for younger students and the parents can also help their kids with the lectures in free time. When the government lays out some guidelines, most schools will be ready to comply with them, Tamil Nadu Matriculation, Higher Secondary and CBSE Schools Association president KR Nandhakumar said. We can install thermal scanners at the gate, sanitising materials near high contact surfaces, and provide masks. Classes can also be conducted at halls and auditoriums in the school, he said. Leader of the TN Government Teachers Association PK Ilamaran opined that reopening schools now is a welcome move as the students have already lost touch with education for over five months. Teaching in person is particularly crucial for government school students. Many children hail from economically weak backgrounds and they may not have educated parents. So, the school is their only access to education, he added. Meanwhile the State government has not responded to the Centres proposal to partially reopen schools. Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, School Education Minister KA Sengottaiyan said that any decision on reopening schools shall be taken only after the State witnesses some relief in the pandemic situation. The Gateway PC brand (and its cow-spotted boxes) pretty much faded into obscurity after Acer snapped it up for $710 million way back in 2007. Now, Gateway is back with a new line of laptops, 2-in-1 devices and tablets at multiple price points that can be exclusively purchased from Walmart. The new devices run on Windows 10 Home and are powered by Intel processors and AMD Ryzen Mobile Processors with Radeon Graphics, depending on the model. They come in different sizes, with some models being available in bright purple, green, pink and blue, as shown in their promotional photo above featuring a cow field in psychedelic colors. Acers head of global strategic alliances, Jade Zhou, said in a statement: "The Gateway PC brand and its renowned cow-spotted boxes have been well-loved in the United States since 1985. Acer is thrilled that Walmart is becoming the exclusive provider of Gateway-branded notebooks and tablets. We are pleased that customers in the United States and Puerto Rico will have the opportunity to enjoy the beloved Gateway brand again through one of the world's top retailers." Gateway has released 11 new devices in all. The six Ultra Slim laptops consist of one 11.6-inch device thatll set you back $200, four 14.1-inch PCs with prices ranging from $240 to $600 and one 15.6inch option that costs $500. Meanwhile, the brands 2-in-1 hybrid is priced at $300 and comes with a one year subscription of Microsoft 365 Personal. Gateway has also launched two new laptops designed for gaming and creative projects under the Creators series. As youd expect, both 15.6inch Creators laptops are a bit pricier than the Ultra Slims, with the AMD-powered variant priced at $800 and the Intel variant priced at $1,200. Finally, the Acer-owned brand has also released an 8-inch ($70) and a 10-inch ($80) low-cost Android 10 tablet. Gateway plans to launch even more laptops this fall and to expand its offerings with additional products in the coming months. Democratic presidential candidate and former Vice President Joe Biden walks between Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), right, and New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, at the National September 11 Memorial in New York, Sept. 11, 2020. (Patrick Semansky/AP Photo) Biden: 9/11 a Day for Remembering All My Friends That I Lost The anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks is a day for remembering people that lost their lives, Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden said. It means I remember all my friends that I lost, Biden told a reporter at the 9/11 Memorial and Museum in New York City, where he and his wife attended a ceremony to honor the victims of the attacks, after being asked what the day means to him. It takes a lot of courage for someone that lost someone to come back today, Biden added. I know from experience, losing my wife, my daughter, my son, you relive it, the moment as if its happening. Its hard. Its a wonderful memorial, but its hard. It just brings you back to the moment it happened, no matter how long, how much time passes. So I admire the families who come. Biden spent time at the memorial speaking to relatives of the deceased and also spoke with New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo. The men were close together, ignoring social distancing guidelines imposed by the governor due to the COVID-19 pandemic, as did other officials, including Vice President Mike Pence. At one point, Biden spoke to an elderly woman in a wheelchair who held a picture of her son who she said died at age 43. Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden meets with an attendee at a 9/11 memorial service at the National September 11 Memorial and Museum in New York, Sept. 11, 2020. (Amir Alfiky/Pool/Getty Images) Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden meets with an attendee at a 9/11 memorial service at the National September 11 Memorial and Museum in New York, Sept. 11, 2020. (Amir Alfiky/Pool/Getty Images) Biden took the picture, looked at it, and told the woman: It never goes away. She and Biden then made small talk. Biden briefly spoke to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), and Pence. He later went to the Flight 93 National Memorial in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, where a plane plunged on 9/11 after crew members and passengers disrupted a plan to ram it into the U.S. Capitol in Washington. Biden laid a wreath of white flowers on the memorial and spoke with several families away from reporters. President Donald Trump went to the memorial earlier in the day, promising that the United States will never relent in pursuing terrorists that threaten our people. The president then returned to Washington to award the Medal of Honor to a member of the military who was injured during a raid in Iraq. President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump stand during the Pledge of Allegiance at a 19th-anniversary observance of the Sept. 11 terror attacks, at the Flight 93 National Memorial in Shanksville, Pa., on Sept. 11, 2020. (Alex Brandon/AP Photo) Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden visits with members of the Shanksville Volunteer Fire Companys Station 627 after he visited the Flight 93 National Memorial in Shanksville, Pa., on Sept. 11, 2020. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) In a separate statement sent out by Bidens campaign, the former vice president called the terror attacks an unspeakable act of cowardice and hate. Describing the horror that family members felt with the loss of loved ones, Biden said he and others wondered together whether life in America had been permanently thrown off of its axis. But as so often happens in moments of crisis, the tragedy of 9/11 revealed the character of Americans. First responders and ordinary citizens who ran courageously into the cloak of ash and fire to save the lives of those theyd never met, he said. A new generation who answered the call to serve their country in uniform. Our leaders, who put differences aside for a time to form a united front of empathy, comfort, and resolve for a nation in mourning. And our people, who came together to summon from our shared grief the hope and common purpose we needed to get up and go on. The spirit of Americans recovered as it always does, he added. Biden compared what happened in 2001 to the COVID-19 pandemic, calling it another crisis that compels us to summon the best of the American people in the face of unconscionable and praising frontline workers like nurses and grocery clerks as heroes. Its no secret that the tech industry is historically white, straight and male. Despite promises to examine and reform hiring practices so that tech companies big and small better reflect the world we all live in, diversity reports chart a different path: Black, brown, female and LGBTQIA+ folks arent getting their representative seats at the table. And now, in the wake of a national response to the killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Tony McDade by police that has seen millions engage in protests and a seemingly sudden awareness of just how racist the world is, the tech industry has found itself dealing with a crisis of conscience. Leadership in companies everywhere have held meetings -- sometimes putting folks of color in the hot seat -- to discuss ways to improve awareness around race and devise plans to implement those initiatives (disclosure: I attended one hosted by TechCrunchs parent company Verizon). HR departments are checking in with staff to somehow ascertain how to improve their modes of operation. It is in this climate that TechCrunch is reporting our 2019 events and staff diversity numbers - the fourth such report since we started tracking - which you can see below. To collect this data, we distributed anonymous, volunteer surveys to the panelists, judges and Battlefield competitors at all of our events. We also distributed a form to staff, which was also volunteer and anonymous. TechCrunch Events In 2019, we produced six events in three countries in 2019: Disrupt in San Francisco and Berlin; Sessions Robotics, Mobility and Enterprise were held in the Bay Area; and a regional Battlefield in Shenzhen. Our events draw folks from every corner of the startup world. Whether a founder, an investor onstage or an attendee interested in technology, our events have long served as a place where people could come together to get advice, network, watch the best startups compete on our Battlefield stage and hear from the biggest names in tech. Story continues Our priority at our events is to amplify the voices that have been silenced by the majority. While we continue to see an increase in the number of people of color and white women at our events, we acknowledge that we are still not where we want to be. Below are the demographic data on panelists, judges and Battlefield competitors from our 2019 events. Disrupt For almost 10 years, TechCrunch Disrupt has provided a space for startup founders and investors to exchange ideas, make connections, examine the tech industry and compete on the Battlefield stage. Hundreds of startups across a variety of categories tell their stories to the 10,000 attendees from all around the world. For the first time, in 2019, we hosted Disrupt SF at a bigger venue, Moscone West. Of the 128 speakers and Startup Battlefield judges who self-reported, 54 identified as women (42%) and 52 identified as people of color (40%). On the Battlefield stage at Disrupt SF, 18 companies competed for the Disrupt Cup. There were six self-identified female founders (33%) and 10 (56%) founders who self-identified as a person of color. At Disrupt Berlin, of the 84 speakers and Startup Battlefield judges who self-reported, 32 (38%) identified as women and nine (10%) identified as people of color. Of the 13 companies that competed in Startup Battlefield, four (31%) founders identified as a person of color and five founders (38%) identified as female. In 2019, we hosted our Hardware Battlefield competition in Shenzhen, which saw 11 companies take the stage and pitch to a panel of judges. Three (27%) of the 11 founders identified as female and seven (64%) identified as a person of color. To complement the pitch competition and highlight the issues faced by those in the Chinese ecosystem, we invited top speakers from the startup world in China and beyond to grace our stage. Of the 39 speakers and judges who self-reported, four (10%) identified as women and 26 (66%) identified as a person of color. Sessions Our Sessions events are daylong programs dedicated to the popular topics that bring founders, engineers, investors and academics to one place. TechCrunch Sessions: Robotics continues to be a popular event no matter where we host it. In 2019, Robotics returned to Zellerbach Hall on the campus of UC Berkeley. Of the 32 speakers who self-reported, eight (25%) identified as female and 11 (34%) identified as a person of color. In 2019, we launched TechCrunch Sessions: Mobility in San Jose. Of the 38 speakers who self-reported, 10 (26%) identified as female and 8 (21%) identified as a person of color. We also launched TechCrunch Sessions: Enterprise in 2019. Of the 40 speakers who self-reported, 12 (30%) identified as female and 12 (30%) identified as a person of color. TechCrunch Include 3.0 TechCrunch Include aims to promote diversity by applying resources uniquely available to TechCrunch, including our editorial and events platforms, and by exemplifying the diversity mission in TechCrunchs own staffing and culture. In 2014, we launched the Include program as a donation vehicle. It evolved from that into version 2.0, during which we realized the fulfillment of our plan to be transparent and remain proactive about our diversity and inclusion efforts at our events, on our staff, and in our editorial. Now, Include 3.0, which launches at Disrupt 2020, we will continue to pursue a collaborative and open relationship with the broader community through partnerships with founder and support organizations, and investor groups. Founder organizations will have the opportunity to nominate early-stage founders to participate in the program as well as serve as advisers to TechCrunch Include. Investor groups commit to establishing lasting relationships with founders in the program and to uphold accountability for representation within their organizations and their investment portfolios. And support organizations provide educational resources and mentorships to strengthen and advise the program including all who participate. TechCrunch Staff Everyone should have access to the immense possibilities that the tech industry provides, but for the actual numbers to reflect this requires actively addressing the very unconscious biases that have contributed to rampant inequality. At TechCrunch, our own diversity does not yet reflect this. In 2019, we surveyed our staff, and the results tell us that we have fallen well short of the goal we set. Of 71 editorial, events, business and sales staff, 44 completed the voluntary survey: 70% of the respondents identified as white, 36% identified as women, and 18% identified as LGBTQ+. We understand that diversity is vital to the pursuit of equality, and while we can look at the last few years and see slight improvement, it is just that: slight. We need to focus our efforts so that our stages and our staff represent more accurately the world in which we live. We are not there yet. Already in 2020 we have produced two events: Sessions: Robotics in at UC Berkeley -- just before California Gov. Gavin Newsom ordered the state to shelter-in-place -- and Early Stage, which we produced virtually. We are on track to improve our diversity numbers not only in events but also on staff and we will report them in January 2021. As Black Lives Matter protests in response to police brutality continue amid a worsening global pandemic, TechCrunch will continue to produce events that showcase the diverse talent in the startup community. And at the foundation will be a small but mighty team focused on the present so we can bring you the future. Grocery stores like Kroger and Busch's are trying to convince shoppers to keep their distance to keep everyone safe. Johnny Ali, restaurant supervisor at Busch's Fresh Food Market in Canton stocks the frozen goods section, Friday, April 3, 2020. DETROIT About 625,000 essential workers in Michigan, who worked during the height of the COVID-19 lockdown and don't have a college degree, are eligible for free college under a plan detailed Thursday by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. Futures for Frontliners, inspired by the G.I. Bill that provided college education to those serving their country in WWII, was initially announced by Whitmer in April. The governor provided more detail Thursday. The free college is currently limited to community colleges. The plan isn't limited to those in medical fields. It also covers people who worked in places such as manufacturing, nursing homes, grocery stores, sanitation, delivery, retail and more. The state estimates about 625,000 residents are eligible. This initiative is Michigans way of expressing gratitude to essential workers for protecting public health and keeping our state running, Whitmer said in a statement prior to a news conference. Whether it was stocking shelves, delivering supplies, picking up trash, manufacturing PPE or providing medical care, you were there for us. Now this is your chance to pursue the degree or training youve been dreaming about to help you and your own family succeed. To be eligible for the program, an applicant must: Be a Michigan resident Have worked in an essential industry at least part-time for 11 of the 13 weeks between April 1 June 30 Have been required to work outside the home at least some of the time between April 1 June 30 Not have previously earned an associate or bachelors degree Not be in default on a federal student loan Complete a Futures for Frontliners scholarship application by 11:59 p.m. Dec. 31 The program is a $24 million investment funded by Governors Education Emergency Relief Fund part of the federal CARES Act. The vast majority of good-paying jobs continue to require at least some education beyond high school, said Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity Director Jeff Donofrio. Story continues Futures for Frontliners gives those who helped save lives and kept our communities operating during the height of COVID an opportunity to increase their skills and income and helps us close the states skills gap. For Michigans economy to recover and grow, it's critical we continue to provide expanded opportunities to all. Several industries said the program is a welcome boost. Michigan manufacturers have been on the front lines in defense against the COVID-19 threat, creating essential products necessary for daily life; from food and pharmaceuticals, to transportation and even toilet paper, said John Walsh, president and CEO of the Michigan Manufacturers Association, in a statement. The Futures for Frontliners program will recognize these truly deserving heroes, investing in their personal future as well as the economic future of our state. Walsh said Michigan faces a shortage of skilled workers and this program will help counter that shortage. Colleges also welcomed the program. We believe this program represents a unique, first-of-its-kind opportunity for people who have earned a college education. They put themselves at risk to serve Michigan residents during a pandemic. We will put their futures at the forefront now," said Russ Kavalhuna, Henry Ford College president, in a statement. 'Astonishingly risky': COVID-19 cases at colleges are fueling the nation's hottest outbreaks An online class by any other name?: College students pay rent, enroll then find courses aren't in-person Whitmer has been working to increase the percentage of Michigan adults who have some sort of post-high school credential or degree, from 45% to 60%, by 2030. Follow David Jesse on Twitter: @reporterdavidj. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan gives free college to 625K essential workers amid COVID-19 Galleria Mall hosts COVID testing site Testing is one of the commonwealths most important tools in the fight against COVID-19, Acting Secretary of Health Keara Klinepeter said. The agreement will likely be seen as a further setback to the Palestinians who tried unsuccessfully to have the Arab League condemn normalization with Israel until they have secured an independent state. That was one of the few cards still held by Palestinians in negotiations as peace talks remain stalled. Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain Leiden astronomers have published two articles on more sustainable astronomy in a special section of the journal Nature Astronomy. Among other things, they calculate that their online conference EAS 2020 contributed 3,000 times less carbon dioxide than the face-to-face edition a year earlier. They also show that the programming language Python, which is often used by astronomers, demands excessive electricity. The idea for a special section on sustainability and climate arose during the virtual conference of the European Astronomical Society. This conference was supposed to take place in Leiden last June but was held online due to the corona crisis. Conferences The article on more sustainable conferences compares the carbon footprint of the 2019 European Astronomy Conference, held offline in Lyon, with that of the 2020 online conference in Leiden. It shows that an online conference emits three thousand times less carbon dioxide than a face-to-face meeting. Leo Burtscher (Leiden Observatory), one of the organizers of the online conference in 2020 and first author of the article: "Of course we expected that online would emit less CO 2 . But the fact that the difference was so huge came as a surprise." Burtscher and his co-authors suggest that a combination of online lectures with regional offline meetings could be a good alternative. These face-to-face meetings provide the interaction astronomers want and could, for example, take place simultaneously at various locations throughout Europe. Computers The article on more economical use of computers was written by Professor of Computational astrophysics Simon Portegies Zwart. He sums up five points of improvement: "Do your daily work, such as emailing and writing texts, on a simple laptop. If you use a supercomputer, don't go to its full capacity. If you perform calculations on a fast workstation, don't overclock that computer. For your calculations and simulations, use special computers with hardware based on graphics cards. And, very important: do not use Python if you want to do large calculations." Many astronomers won't like the plea for less Python, thinks Portegies Zwart. That programming language is user-friendly and there are many collections of free code pieces that astronomers copy into their programs. Portegies Zwart calls for programming lectures for students to focus less on Python and more on programming languages that are much more efficient with the computer's processor. Explore further Astronomers discover potential near earth objects More information: Simon Portegies Zwart. The ecological impact of high-performance computing in astrophysics, Nature Astronomy (2020). Simon Portegies Zwart. The ecological impact of high-performance computing in astrophysics,(2020). DOI: 10.1038/s41550-020-1208-y Leonard Burtscher et al. The carbon footprint of large astronomy meetings, Nature Astronomy (2020). DOI: 10.1038/s41550-020-1207-z Journal information: Nature Astronomy Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh addresses the 10th East Asia Summit Foreign Ministers' Meeting. (Photo: VNA) Hanoi The 10th East Asia Summit Foreign Ministers Meeting was held online on September 9 within the framework of the ongoing 53rd ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting (AMM-53) and related meetings hosted by Vietnam. Chaired by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh, the video conference was attended by ASEAN Secretary General Lim Jock Hoi, ASEAN foreign ministers, and representatives from EAS partners, namely Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, the Republic of Korea, Russia, and the US. Acknowledging progress in implementing the Manila Action Plan 2018-2022, the EAS countries agreed to continue boosting cooperation in priority areas, including environment, energy, education, finance, health, disaster management, connectivity, economics, trade, food security, and marine cooperation. Foreign ministers said amid the COVID-19 and its complicated developments, EAS countries need to enhance practical cooperation, raise their capacity to respond to and minimise negative impact of the pandemic while promoting sustainable regional recovery. The EAS partners spoke highly of Vietnam's role as the 2020 ASEAN Chair for actively coordinating the COVID-19 response efforts of ASEAN and partners, and supported ASEAN initiatives such as the COVID-19 Response Fund and the Regional Reserve of Medical Supplies. ASEAN recommended the EAS partners, with their strengths, support ASEAN to improve its capacity for preventive medicine, coordinate information sharing and exchange of experience in treatment, research and production of vaccines, and minimise socio-economic impact while promoting sustainable economic recovery and growth. Participants welcomed Vietnam's proposal to host an EAS inter-sectoral expert conference on COVID-19 to strengthen response and recovery efforts in the region, slated for October 2020. Fifteen years after its establishment, the EAS is now facing both new opportunities and challenges in the context of unprecedentedly rapid and complex changes in the region. The countries need to coordinate closely to strengthen the group in the new phase, contributing positively to dialogue and cooperation, maintaining peace, security and prosperity, and effectively responding to emerging challenges in the region. The countries agreed to support the 15th East Asia Summit (EAS-15) to adopt an announcement marking the EAS 15th founding anniversary and cooperation documents on sustainable marine cooperation, promoting stable regional economic growth, capacity building in response to epidemics, and enhancing the role of women in ensuring peace and security. Participants exchanged views on regional and international situations of mutual interest, including the situation on the Korean Peninsula, the East Sea, Myanmars Rakhine state, and Hong Kong (China). Regarding the situation in the East Sea, they emphasised the importance of peace, stability, security, safety and freedom of navigation and aviation in the East Sea, which is a common interest of all countries. They also expressed concerns about recent developments in the waters that cause harms to peace, security and the rule of the law in the region, especially amid the COVID-19 outbreak. The countries stressed the need to push up dialogues and intensify the building of trust; and to refrain from the acts that worsen tension and complicate the situation, from militarisation, and from the use of or threat to use force. The disputes must be settled by peaceful measures on the basis of international law, including the 1982 UNCLOS. The meeting called on ASEAN and China to fully and effectively implement the Declaration of the Conduct of the Parties in the East Sea (DOC), and work to soon complete the building of an effective Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC), consistent with international law and recognised by the international community. Addressing the conference, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister Pham Binh Minh affirmed the strategic role and important contributions of the EAS in the past 15 years. He emphasised the EAS chair's coordination role in EAS cooperation activities, and in enhancing the EAS role in responding promptly and effectively to emerging challenges in the region. Participants expressed their support for Vietnam's proposal on issuing a Hanoi Declaration marking the 15th anniversary of the EAS. Regarding the East Sea situation, Minh reaffirmed ASEAN's principled position stated at the 36th ASEAN Summit and the 53rd ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting. He suggested related parties uphold the law, refrain from the acts that further complicate the situation and from militarisation, settle disputes through peaceful measures, continue to fully and effectively implement the DOC and soon complete the effective and efficient COC in accordance with international law, especially the 1982 UNCLOS, contributing to maintaining peace, security and stability in the East Sea and in the region. According to the agenda for September 10, the ASEAN Foreign Ministers will attend the ASEAN-US, ASEAN-Canada, ASEAN-Australia, and ASEAN-New Zealand Foreign Ministers meetings, the dialogue between ASEAN Foreign Ministers and representatives of the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR), and the ASEAN ministerial dialogue on strengthening womens role for sustainable peace and security. Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden told CNN's Jake Tapper on Thursday that he was stunned when he learned that President Trump disclosed to journalist Bob Woodward that the United States has a secret new nuclear weapons system. "You wonder why people in the intelligence community wondered from the very beginning whether you could share data with him, 'cause they don't trust him," Biden said. "They don't trust what he'll say or do. He seems to have no conception of what constitutes national security, no conception of anything other than, what can he do to promote himself?" Woodward interviewed Trump 18 times for his new book, Rage, and writes that the president shared with him, "I have built a nuclear a weapons system that nobody's ever had in this country before. We have stuff that you haven't even seen or heard about." More stories from theweek.com The true Election Day nightmare scenario The epistemic crisis of political polling Are the troops turning on Trump? London: Malala Yousafzai, Pakistani Nobel Laureate and education activist who aspires to become Prime Minister one day, has given an admission interview at the prestigious Oxford University for studying politics, philosophy and economics, media reports said on Friday. The 19-year-old Pakistani teenager, who survived a near-fatal attack by the Taliban, said her interview was not easy and like any other student she was anxiously waiting for the result, Geo News reported. The youngest Nobel Peace prize winner, who has documented her experiences growing up in Pakistans Swat Valley under Taliban rule in the book I am Malala co-written with Sunday Times journalist Christina Lamb, is aspiring to study Philosophy, Politics and Economics, the report said. These three majors are usually the degrees chosen by prominent British politicians, civil society activists and media representatives. Malala, her father Ziauddin Yousafzai and her mother Toor Pekai are now based in Birmingham where Malala attended Edgbaston High School for Girls. She has expressed her desire to become Prime Minister of Pakistan in many interviews. In one of her speeches this year at an event in Sharjah, she said, Before I thought women could only be teachers or housewives. But when I saw women role models they broadened my vision. (former prime minister) Benazir Bhutto who led my country, artists, astronauts, entrepreneurs, athletes. She said it was then when she realised that she could become anything she wanted in her life, from becoming a doctor to becoming the prime minister of Pakistan and fixing all the issues. Malala shot to international fame after emerging defiant from the assassination attempt on a school bus in Swat valley in October 2012. While living under the Taliban rule, she wrote a blog under a pseudonym which featured her thoughts on girls education. At least 1.8 million copies of her autobiography, published in October 2013 has been sold worldwide. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Decades of experience departed Network 10 buildings around the country yesterday with on-air farewells for talent in front of, and behind, the camera. Sadly in the case of Tim Bailey and Natarsha Belling, they were not on screen to be thanked in person, but their contribution was acknowledged by many on social media. There were tears, highlights packages, flowers and families across the day, from Studio 10 to news bulletins in Perth, Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney. ViacomCBS Australia & New Zealand chief content officer and EVP, Beverley McGarvey, also sent a staff note yesterday saying, Among those leaving us are some well-known and much loved faces and I would like to acknowledge their enormous contribution and the unavoidable impacts of the public nature of our changes on them. Their special connection with audiences and our teams makes periods like these particularly challenging. There are many others who have played a key role with the network, who equally deserve our praise and appreciation for their professionalism. Whether you have been on our screens, behind the scenes or integral to how we engage with our audiences in other ways, know that each and every one of you goes with our deepest admiration. On behalf of the network, and in particular, Ross, Frank, and Jason, I would like to thank those who are leaving us today for their service, commitment and contribution to the company. Youll continue to have our warmest wishes and support into the future. .@dailybailey10 has been part of the Network 10 family for almost 30 years, and as @Sandra_Sully said, we simply couldn't say goodbye tonight with seeing some of your finest moments. The business of the brolly may be a little different now, but we wish you clear skies ahead. pic.twitter.com/dAJE3E879R 10 News First Sydney (@10NewsFirstSyd) September 11, 2020 5.55pm. I miss you all. Tim Bailey (@dailybaileylive) September 11, 2020 Farewell to Network 10 weatherman and friend, @MikeLarkan. From working with schools to helping dogs find a home every Friday, you've shown us Melbourne like no one else can. Thank you for the past 25 years and good luck for what's ahead! pic.twitter.com/OVnnW1c8EG 10 News First Melbourne (@10NewsFirstMelb) September 11, 2020 I just want to thank everyone who has allowed me into their lounge rooms for the past 25 yrs @10newsfirst.melb it has been my honour to be a small part of you day. Good bye, until next time Mike. https://t.co/zh791Wmdym Mike Larkan (@MikeLarkan) September 11, 2020 Tonight a special bulletin. The last for @TimGossage, @M_Schultz_10, Mon and more incredible people who work tirelessly behind the scenes. From everyone at 10, and all our viewers, thank you for the honest, warm and irreplaceable role you played every day. pic.twitter.com/d3aJ6jYJzp 10 News First Perth (@10NewsFirstPER) September 11, 2020 Heres to new beginnings and cant wait for the new chapter. See you all very soon! For some Friday fun and some laughs Natarsha Belling (@NatarshaBelling) September 11, 2020 Tonight is a special bulletin for 10 News First Queensland, the last for Georgie, and for many more incredible people who work behind the scenes. Thank you for the irreplaceable role you played every night pic.twitter.com/HGW5vYPyRT 10 News First Queensland (@10NewsFirstQLD) September 11, 2020 An Australian has been arrested in Bali after allegedly being found with drugs in his plush villa. Davy Shane Cristian, 46, was allegedly found in possession of 0.19g of marijuana, 0.42g of purple powder, believed to be ecstasy, and a bong. Cristian, from Perth, was arrested after Indonesian police raided his accommodation in the exclusive district of Tabanan before allegedly seizing illegal substances. Davy Shane Cristian, 46, was arrested in Bali after police allegedly found him in possession of illegal drugs (stock) Deputy of Narcotic directorate Puti Yuni Setiawan explained that the authorities were awaiting results of Cristian's urine test before making him a suspect. 'Police found a plastic clip containing purple powder suspected as being ecstasy and in a wardrobe police found a paper rolled with leaves and seed that is suspected of containing marijuana,' he told The West Australian. 'There was also equipment that can be used as a bong for inhaling smoke from marijuana and to inhale meth.' Cristian will face 12 years in jail if he is found guilty of drug possession. Cristian was found with a purple substance which Indonesian police believe to be ecstasy (stock) On Tuesday, Aaron Wayne Coyle, 44, who is also from Perth, was arrested after police allegedly found 11.8g of methamphetamine and 15 ecstasy pills. Coyle faces a maximum 20 years behind bars if he is found guilty. Indonesian officers allege Coyle was working for 32-year-old British man Collum Park. Indonesia has very strict drug laws and convicted traffickers are often executed by a firing squad. More than 150 people are on death row, mostly for drug crimes, and about a third of them are foreigners. Union Minister on Friday said the government is working on creating a database of migrant labourers so that they get direct benefit of various welfare schemes. Speaking at an event after inauguration of a new building of the Labour Bureau Bhawan here, the Minister of State (Independent charge) for Labour and Employment said an accurate database is crucial for formulation of any policy. "We always talk about estimated figures about them (labourers). But today the need is to create such a database about migrant labourers so that they can get direct benefit of various welfare schemes," Gangwar said. "Their skill mapping has to be done, we are concerned about this, we want that they should get jobs as per their skills, he said. But we are working in this direction now we are making maximum use of IT (information technology) to come out with concrete data, he added. Stressing on the importance of accurate database for formulation of any policy, the minister said there was a need to have concrete and accurate data of labourers engaged in the unorganised sector. They are an important and strong workforce of our country. They constitute a big chunk of workforce. If we do not have any concrete data about them, it will be felt that something is amiss," he said. When we say we have nearly 10 crore labourers in the organised sector and 40 crore working in the unorganised sector, people ask do we have any database, he said, adding that the Labour Bureau can do the task of organising this data. He also highlighted the problems faced by migrant labourers, a large number of whom had returned to their native states amid the COVID-19 pandemic. He said that migrant labourers who return from their native states are not able to get work as per their skills. He hailed the work done over the years by the Labour Bureau, which is the apex organisation in the field of labour statistics, saying this organisation is making its contribution in the country's progress. During the pandemic, Gangwar appreciated efforts put in by various states to support labourers and extend monetary and other help to them. Punjab's Health and Labour Minister, Balbir Singh Sidhu touched upon various welfare steps which the Congress government in the state has been taking for welfare of labourers and workers' class. He also said that under Pradhan Mantri Shram-Yogi Maandhan' (PMSYM) for the unorganised sector workers, states contribute half of the money they get from the Centre. He demanded that beneficiary cards issued under the scheme should also carry the photos of the chief ministers of various states along with that of the prime minister. He also said that the Centre should extend help to the states during the current difficult situation triggered by pandemic so that they are able to continue support to the labour class and other weaker sections hit hard by it. The Labour Bureau in its earlier avatar the Directorate of Cost of Living, was established in Shimla 1941 and in 1946 the directorate was rechristened as Labour Bureau. The bureau is known for its price indices, administrative statistics and labour related surveys data. It is also recognised for unique surveys like the occupational wage survey which make it the lone organisation in India which has occupation wise wage data across wide ranging sectors. The bureau is also a repository of vital administrative statistics collected under the various Labour Acts. (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.) YANGON: Myanmar reported 115 new coronavirus cases on Friday, a day after imposing sweeping new lockdown measures in its battle on a second wave of infections. The tally stands at 2,265 cases and 14 deaths after infections quadrupled over the last month, since the virus resurfaced in the western state of Rakhine, following weeks without a domestic case. The health ministry announced 115 new cases in a Facebook post on Friday, following 142 reported on Thursday evening. In the wake of the new outbreak, opposition parties have called for general elections set for November to be postponed. On Thursday the government ordered people not to travel, except in emergencies. Domestic airlines announced that services have been suspended until the end of September and health authorities widened a stay-at-home order to nearly half of the townships in greater Yangon, the biggest city. (Interactive graphic tracking global spread of coronavirus: open https://tmsnrt.rs/3aIRuz7 in an external browser.) (Editing by Clarence Fernandez) 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 Charlize Theron The year was 2005, Charlize Therons JAdore Dior ad played during every commercial break on TV and TIFF was growing into the splashy fest we know it as now (it premiered more than 100 films and screened more than 300). The fashion was also starting to become flashier and more performative, as displayed by this glittery number worn by the actress to the premiere of North Country. Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt At the height of Brangelina madness, the couple touched down in Toronto in 2007 for Pitts film The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford. The subtle matching grey was a nice touch (Jolies dress was by Costume National) and their chemistry was so mesmerizing, we can almost forgive the brown Louboutin pumps. Blake Lively Enjoying her turn as a bona fide Hollywood fashion darling, Lively donned this oxblood red Chanel for the premiere of The Town in 2010, skipping New York Fashion Week to attend the festival. As TIFF continued to mix industry events with red carpet pageantry, memorable cocktail dresses like this continued to wow onlookers. Eva Mendes Attending the premiere of The Place Beyond the Pines in 2012 with Ryan Gosling, Mendes provided us with one of the most memorable red-carpet hair accessory moments to date. Keira Knightley Its fair to say that no one remembers Knightleys 2014 flick Laggies. Still, the Michael van der Ham dress, and the pros handling of the high winds that night, remain a fond memory. Priyanka Chopra Prior to becoming a TIFF Ambassador in 2020, the actress premiered her film Mary Kom in 2014, dressed in a black-and-white dress by Indian design duo Gauri and Nainika. Julianne Moore and Kate Bosworth The Still Alice premiere in 2014 brought us Julianne Moore in angelic Chanel and Kate Bosworth in fiery Hugo Boss exactly the kind of stylish star power weve come to expect from the festival. Lupita Nyongo The Queen of Katwe stars Carolina Herrera gown and head scarf from 2016 remain one the festivals all-time best looks. Timothee Chalamet Gen-Zs answer to Leo DiCaprios preference for unexpected style choices (patterned and futuristic suits, combat boots and that hair) was already on full display in 2018 at the premiere of Beautiful Boy. Lady Gaga We remember the 2018 A Star Is Born premiere like it was yesterday. In this perfect red-carpet fashion moment, Gagas signature theatricality (she had Bradley Cooper take down her veil) mixed with true old-Hollywood charm was a sight to behold. Keke Palmer The 2019 Hustlers premiere gave us Met Gala levels of style, putting TIFF on the same fashion level as Cannes. Keke Palmers Roberto Cavalli was the perfect mix of glamour and restraint. Dakota Johnson Dakota Johnson walking across the streetcar tracks on her way to the premiere of The Friend while dressed in a dramatic Dior corset dress is just one of those magical TIFF sightings weve come to treasure. Brie Larson By 2019, no A-list actress would dare to show up to a TIFF premiere in a simple cocktail dress, as evidenced by Brie Larsons dramatic Giambattista Valli Haute Couture gown. Helping out: Members of the Defence Forces assist at the drive-in Covid-19 testing centre at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin. Photo: Stephen Collins/Collins Photos Dublin Patient safety watchdog, Hiqa stopped doing nursing home inspections in March on the same day the first confirmed case of Covid-19 was confirmed in one of these facilities, it was claimed yesterday. It was among a series of criticisms levelled at Hiqa when its officials appeared before the Oireachtas Special Committee on Covid-19 Response yesterday. People Before Profit TD Brid Smith TD asked why Hiqa halted its inspections on March 13, the same day as the first confirmed case of Covid-19 in a nursing home. She said the rise in nursing home deaths in the following months was "very graphic and it spiked out of control". "Why did you take such a rapid decision on the first day you heard of a death?" In response, Hiqa chief executive Phelim Quinn said the decision was made on public health advice. The watchdog was also tackled on its handling of the responses sought by the families of 23 residents who died in Dealgan House nursing home in Co Louth. Fine Gael TD Fergus O'Dowd said families were still struggling for answers but had received inadequate and redacted documents after they submitted a Freedom of Information request to Hiqa. He said the lack of information was deeply hurtful to families. Hiqa should be upfront with the documents and also meet the families. Its submission to the committee yesterday was "self-serving" and the organisation lacked staff, inspections and accountability. "People are dead and there are people grieving - they are not getting closure," he added. Mr Quinn said the release of information to families was being addressed and the request to meet with families would be considered in the context of ongoing legal action. Social Democrat TD Roisin Shortall also questioned why there was no statutory staffing levels in nursing homes and asked whether this had been raised by Hiqa. Hiqa chief inspector Mary Dunnion said it had been highlighted with the Department of Health and the "regulations about care and welfare need to be reviewed as a matter of priority." Earlier, Mr Quinn told the committee that a "key element of our inspections is listening to the views of people who live in nursing homes". "On more recent inspections, residents who spoke to our inspectors expressed a range of emotions - some feared contracting the virus and worried about their family and friends, while others felt a deep sense of isolation and loneliness as a result of the visiting restrictions. Without exception, residents were deeply grateful to staff in nursing homes for the care they provided in extremely challenging circumstances." He said it had brought into sharp focus the need to immediately review and enhance the current regulatory framework. In the long term, a reform of established models of care for older people in Ireland is required. He stressed Hiqa needed extra powers to implement and oversee the recommendations of the report of the Government-appointed expert panel that looked at nursing homes during the worst of the pandemic. A business case has now been made to the Department of Health and work is under way to ensure Hiqa has adequate resources to progress the recommendations. Few days ago, it was revealed that an American commercial cargo spacecraft which is bound for the International space station has been named after our pride NASA astronaut Kalpana Chawla, the first India-born woman who entered space. Wikipedia This is done to honour the late astronaut and it signifies her contribution to the world of space. However, there is not much written about the spacecraft, so here are some of the fine details about the spacecraft which is named after our space hero Kalpana Chawla. About The Spacecraft - Kalpana Chawla collectspace.com The Cygnus NG-14 spacecraft will help in delivering the approximately more than 3000 KG of cargo to the space station. This would be the third launch Cygnus under the contract CRS-2. Cygnus NG-14 which was previously known as CRS OA-14. Breakthrough spacecraft Cygnus comprises two components one is Pressurized Cargo Module and the other one is the Service Module according to the Northrop Grumman company. It's the companys tradition to name each spacecraft after an important figure in the aerospace industry. This time they have named the spacecraft after our own space hero Kalpana Chawla. The S.S Kalpana Chawla spacecraft will be launched into orbit by using an Antares rocket from Virginia Spaces Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS) Pad 0A on Wallops Island, Virginia on September 29. Today we honor Kalpana Chawla, who made history at @NASA as the first female astronaut of Indian descent. Her contributions to human spaceflight have had a lasting impact. Meet our next #Cygnus vehicle, the S.S. Kalpana Chawla. Learn more: https://t.co/LBjGbl2Tbv pic.twitter.com/5pVAxaujRb Northrop Grumman (@northropgrumman) September 8, 2020 "Today we honour Kalpana Chawla, who made history at @NASA as the first female astronaut of Indian descent. Her contributions to human spaceflight have had a lasting impact," the company tweeted on Wednesday. Advertisement We are a seafaring country, but we haven't been able to spend much time on the water of late. Ocean cruises have been 'paused' on government advice and there's not a lot of river cruising going on in Europe. However, here in the UK, the loosening of restrictions for tourist craft means boating firms can squeeze in late-season departures along Britain's coast and inland waterways. So why not book yourself on a small boat trip as far afield as Scotland's rugged Hebrides, or delve into the nooks and crannies of the West Country coastline? Alternatively, you can pootle along rivers and canals through the countryside. To comply with regulations permitting only two households on overnight stays in England and the new 'rule of six' charters are aimed at family groups making up one household, with the boat crew counting as the other. Here is a selection of ways you can take to Britain's waters this autumn... West Country wanderings The Bessie Ellen - one of Britain's last wooden coasting ketches, which departs from Fowey and under normal circumstances takes up to eight passengers On the Bessie Ellen, pictured, you can explore deserted coves and beaches along the coast of Devon and Cornwall Discover the hidden face of the West Country on a 'Boat Bubble Holiday'. Climb aboard classic and heritage sailing craft and explore deserted coves and beaches along the coast of Devon and Cornwall. Choose from the 100ft Bessie Ellen, one of Britain's last wooden coasting ketches which departs from Fowey and under normal circumstances takes up to eight passengers; Agnes, a 46 ft wooden pilot cutter accommodating up to six, based in Falmouth; and Lynher, a classic Tamar barge that sails from Plymouth and takes up to six people. Each craft comes with its own crew who take care of the sailing (though guests are welcome to lend a hand) and rustle up three meals a day plus drinks. Explore fishing villages and beauty spots, some only accessible by water, with swimming stops and beach barbecues along the way. STEP ABOARD: VentureSail Holidays (venturesailholidays.com) offers sailings of between three and six nights with prices from 130 pp per night, including meals, soft drinks and use of onboard water 'toys', such as kayaks and dinghies. Autumn in the Hebrides Guests on a cruise of the Hebrides with Scottish boutique cruise firm Majestic Line can take in the mountainous landscapes of the Isle of Skye, pictured, and its sea lochs Scottish boutique cruise firm Majestic Line (themajesticline.co.uk) restarted sailings two weeks ago, with cruises showcasing the autumnal beauty of the Hebrides. Two vessels, Glen Etive and Glen Shiel, usually each take ten people on six-night cruises from Oban. Guests can choose from the mountainous landscapes of the Isle of Skye and its sea lochs, and the waters around Mull and its offshore islands, which offer an ideal chance to spot nesting seabirds, minke whales and porpoises. Each day, the boats anchor off new locations where there is a chance to go ashore. Meals are freshly produced using locally sourced, seasonal produce and may include lobsters caught in the creels kept aboard. STEP ABOARD: Prices start from 2,260 pp, with availability on October 3, 10 and 17. Potter by the Thames On a Thames river cruise aboard the Magna Carta, guests can sail between Hampton Court Palace and Henley-on-Thames, pictured Sail through centuries of English history on a Thames river cruise between Hampton Court Palace and Henley-on-Thames aboard luxury hotel barge Magna Carta. Family groups of up to six can charter this 1930s 'floating country hotel', which is lavishly fitted with period furniture. Passengers are looked after by a crew that includes a master chef and barge hosts, who arrange private escorted tours on the Magna Carta's own minibus. Stops include Windsor, where guests can visit the State Apartments at Windsor Castle; Cliveden, former home of the Astor family; and the hamlet of Hurley. Admire river views from the on-deck hot tub and explore on cycle rides and walks along the Thames Path. STEP ABOARD: European Waterways (europeanwaterways.com) offers six-night private charters from 23,600. Price includes dining, drinks and private excursions. Cosy Cotswolds Sailors can collect a narrowboat in Bradford-on-Avon, pictured, and explore the chocolate-box villages of the Cotswolds along the Kennet and Avon Canal Take the helm of your own narrowboat to explore the chocolate-box villages and gentle hills of the Cotswolds along the Kennet and Avon Canal. Collect your boat in Bradford-on-Avon, Wiltshire, then head west to Bath and Bristol or east into the Cotswolds. STEP ABOARD: Hoseasons (hoseasons.co.uk) has narrowboats sleeping from two people from 884 for a week's self-catering in October. Suffolk sailaways An overnight 'sleepover' sailing, exploring Suffolk's heritage coastline, takes in the picturesque towns of Aldeburgh and Southwold, pictured Not sure if a yachting break is for you? Then try an overnight 'sleepover' sailing, exploring Suffolk's heritage coastline aboard a 42ft yacht that comes with its own skipper. These mini-sailaways take in the picturesque towns of Aldeburgh and Southwold and the nature reserve at Orford Ness, which was once a secret testing-ground for the Ministry of Defence. STEP ABOARD: Suffolk Coast Sailing (suffolkcoastsailing.co.uk) offers crewed charters for families of up to five. Sleepover sailings cost 450 including breakfast and lunch; longer durations are 450 per day. Scottish splendours St Hilda Sea Adventures offers sailings of Scotland's west coast. On trips ashore, guests can explore Tobermory, pictured, on the Isle of Mull If you're looking for a family adventure, head into Scotland's rugged Highlands and islands with St Hilda Sea Adventures (sthildaseaadventures.co.uk). Families of four can charter wooden ketch St Hilda, which has its own skipper and chef, to explore Scotland's west coast. Besides spotting wildlife, including basking sharks, golden eagles and killer whales, guests can use the onboard sea kayak and even go fishing for their evening meal. Trips ashore take in castles, nature reserves and Tobermory on the Isle of Mull. STEP ABOARD: St Hilda Sea Adventures has a five-night charter cruise through the Inner Hebrides near Oban, departing on October 9, from 6,450. Alternatively, the company is using its three vessels as floating holiday homes and offering self-catering stays while they are moored at a marina just north of Oban. Minimum stays are three nights, with the smallest vessel, St Hilda, costing from 204 per night. Gloucester glories On a cruise of Gloucestershire's tranquil Severn Vale, there are stops at Tewkesbury, pictured, Worcester and Gloucester docks Cruises recently restarted aboard the homely Hotel Boat Edward Elgar through Gloucestershire's tranquil Severn Vale. Sailings follow the River Severn and Gloucester & Sharpness Canal, with six itineraries where stops include Tewkesbury, Worcester and Gloucester docks. Some sailings visit the Purton Ships' Graveyard, where the remains of around 80 barges, deliberately beached beside the River Severn during the last century to halt erosion of the river banks, can be seen. Steam train fans can take trips on the Severn Valley Railway. STEP ABOARD: English Holiday Cruises (englishholidaycruises.co.uk) offers departures in September and October, from two-night weekenders starting at 315 pp to a six-night Severn Wonders Cruise from 1,595pp. YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 11, ARMENPRESS. All airlines, which received a permission in the past for operating regular flights to Armenia, can resume their flights from September 12, Acting head of the air transportation regulation department at the Civil Aviation Committee Stepan Payasyan told Armenpress, commenting on the question about the resumption of regular flights after the end of the state of emergency. Armenia lifted the coronavirus-related state of emergency on September 11, from 17:00, which means that the country is lifting the adopted restrictions and will restore the permissions granted to the airlines. From September 12 all airlines, which have a permit to fly to Armenia, can start operating regular flights without submitting any application. In late March we have granted a permission to all airlines which were operating regular flights to Armenia. They have that permission until October 24. Those airlines are Air France, Aeroflot, Fly Dubai, Qatar Airways, Air Arabia and several others, Payasyan said, adding that later from October 25 up to March 2021, the airlines need to submit application for the permit of regular flights. Due to the novel coronavirus these permissions were suspended, but the Civil Aviation Committee sent inquiries to these companies asking whether after the opening of borders they are ready to operate regular flights, and the response was positive. He said that nearly 20 airlines said they are ready to resume the regular flights to Armenia. We are waiting to all and every airline which has a permission can come to Armenia, and those which do not have a permit can apply to the Civil Aviation Committee and we will try to assist them in receiving the permit within a short period of time, Stepan Payasyan said. Reporting by Lilit Demuryan; Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan San Francisco, Sep 11 : Apple has reportedly ordered a batch of foldable displays from Samsung, suggesting that it is working on a foldable iPhone. Apple is in the process of engineering an iPhone with a folding display similar to the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold, reports Apple Insider, citing the leaker known as Ice Universe. "The large number of foldable displays will be samples for use in mobile phone devices, and Samsung will apparently supply the units to Apple for the duration of one year". Going by the claim from Ice Universe, it looks like Apple tested out those sample units, and ordered a fresh batch of foldable display samples from Samsung. Samsung has historically been a key supplier to Apple, providing the OLED screens for iPhones. Considering the fact that Samsung is a pioneer in this field and that both the brands have good business relations, it makes sense for Apple to rely on Samsung for supplying foldable displays, the report said. Samsing is considering a move to step up production of foldable screens to 10 million units a year depending on demand. In addition, the Cupertino-based tech giant is known to be working on foldable display technology for some time, filing multiple patents regarding the technology. A molecule created by researchers can restore lost connections in the spinal cord and brain of mice with neurological disorders including cerebellar ataxia, Alzheimer's disease and spinal cord injury. The research, involving scientists in the Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology (MRC LMB), in Cambridge, and collaborators from Japan and Germany, describes how the molecule repaired function in cells and in mouse models of diseases and injury. Inspired by the way brain cells usually connect, the researchers created a synthetic "molecular bridge" that allows novel interactions and opens the way to numerous applications in neuronal circuit repair and remodeling. The design, reported in Science this week, can be extended to connect other cell types or could be used to remove connections in other disorders such as epilepsy. Cerebellin-1 is a molecule that links neuronal cells that send signals with those that receive them, transmitters and receivers, at special points of contact called synapses. This is why cerebellin-1 and related proteins, known as "synaptic organisers", are essential to help establish the vast communication network that underlies all nervous system functions. The team wondered if they could cut and paste structural elements from different organizer molecules to generate new ones with different binding properties. One of these, called CPTX was produced and found to have an excellent ability to organise neuronal connections in cell cultures. Radu Aricescu, of the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, says: "Damage in the brain or spinal cord often involves loss of neuronal connections in the first instance, which eventually leads to the death of neuronal cells. Prior to neuronal death, there is a window of opportunity when this process could be reversed in principle. We created a molecule that we believed would help repair or replace neuronal connections in a simple and efficient way. We were very much encouraged by how well it worked in cells and we started to look at mouse models of disease or injury where we see a loss of synapses and neuronal degeneration." Following the successful cell culture experiments, the team tested their molecule's effect in mice with cerebellar ataxia. Cerebellar ataxia can result from many diseases and patients have problems with balance, gait and eye movements. Injecting their molecule into the brains of these mice, the team observed the neuronal tissue repair, as well as improved motor performance. Further encouraged by these results, they explored whether similar effects could be observed in other mouse models of neuronal loss and degeneration, such as Alzheimer's disease and spinal cord injury. The results were striking in all the animal models, with restored neuronal connections and improvements in memory, coordination and movement tests. They saw the greatest impact in spinal cord injury where motor function was restored for at least seven to eight weeks following a single injection into the site of injury. In the brain, the positive impact of injections was observed for a shorter time, down to only about one week in the ataxia model. As a result, new and more stable versions of CPTX are currently being developed. The team caution that a lot more work is needed to find out if these findings in mice are applicable in humans. The scientists are excited that these results prove the concept that damaged connections can be recreated and the principles described in their research could be used to investigate other disorders associated with reduced neuronal connectivity. Radu Aricescu adds: "There are many unknowns as to how synaptic organisers work in the brain and spinal cord, so we were very pleased with the results we saw. We demonstrate that we can restore neural connections that send and receive messages, but the same principle could be used to remove connections. The work opens the way to many applications in neuronal repair and remodelling: it is only imagination that limits the potential for these tools." ### September 10, 2020 News By Jim Garamone , DOD News Defense.gov Artificial Intelligence Community Growing, Transitioning The Defense Department's artificial intelligence community has moved from being "AI pioneers to being AI practitioners," Nand Mulchandani, the acting director of the Pentagon's Joint Artificial Intelligence Center, said. Mulchandani spoke today to Pentagon reporters about the changes artificial intelligence will mean to DOD. ... I can clearly tell you that what we're seeing here is the building of a community that is mobilizing to get things done." Nand Mulchandani, acting director, Pentagon's Joint Artificial Intelligence Center U.S. officials call artificial intelligence a game-changer for the military. Russia and China are also investing in AI to tap into the great power competition that dominates the AI strategic landscape. The JAIC director noted that China is using AI to facilitate facial recognition for population control and erecting the "great firewall" to censor the internet. "Our focus is on partnership with American industry," he said. The JAIC wants to get AI-enabled capabilities into the hands of service members at the tactical edge as soon as possible. To that end is the development of an AI community. A community is a great precursor to the adoption of any technology that seeps into general use, Mulchandani said. "And I can clearly tell you that what we're seeing here is the building of a community that is mobilizing to get things done." On the technology front, JAIC is developing the joint common foundation. This will make it easier for AI developers to work with DOD. The office is also developing solutions for joint warfighting operations. The office is less than two years old, but still many JAIC products are now in prototype, in testing, or in production. One JAIC product helps U.S. Special Operations Command predict engine failures. Another is helping fire officials fight the catastrophic blazes in California. U.S. Northern Command is using JAIC products to predict supply chain and logistics issues. "We're also making great progress in AI governance, and in implementing AI ethical principles from acquisition, development, testing and evaluation," Mulchandani said. AI is "just tech," he said. "We need to get good at acquiring, deploying and operating software at scale for us to be successful. The JAIC is executing across a broad front of AI from products to policy work; ethics and international relations; acquisition to training and education to our engagement with customers across the DOD." The DOD is sponsoring a defense forum for AI partnership next week. Allies and partner nations from more than 10 nations will participate. "This initiative embodies American leadership in AI and demonstrates the importance that the department places in shaping our defense cooperation for this new era," Mulchandani said. All of the initiatives are aimed at delivering AI-enabled capabilities to warfighters at the tactical edge, he said. "We want to do this with confidence that the systems will work, and will follow ethical and policy guidelines," the director said. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address The South African alcohol industry is assisting the government's efforts to combat the Covid-19 pandemic by donating personal protective equipment (PPE) worth almost R20m over two months. EVG Culture via 123RF This contribution is a joint initiative, with all members of the alcohol industry including retailers, manufacturers, National Liquor Traders Council, South African Liquor Brandowners Association (SALBA), the Beer Association of South Africa (BASA), Vinpro and the National Liquor Traders Council contributing towards the project.Spokesperson for the alcohol industry Sibani Mngadi said, The industry made a commitment to the government to support the country in dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic. We proposed a new social compact that included an investment of R150m into direct harm reduction interventions and programmes over the coming year and embraced economic recovery strategies, and commercial commitments, such as this supply of much-needed PPE, including M95 respirators.Following consultations with government departments, including the Department of Health (DOH), critical PPE was identified as the support most urgently required. Jointly, they identified 24 key hospitals in Covid-19 hot spots that urgently needed PPE - six in Gauteng, five in Western Cape, six in KwaZulu-Natal and seven in Eastern Cape.Mngadi confirmed that all the PPE items would be medical grade, and would include masks (N95 and disposable), gloves, face shields, and coveralls/jumpsuits.SALBA CEO Kurt Moore commented, The total planned investment of this PPE project (procurement and distribution end-to-end) is R20m. We are following very strict governance protocols and vetting procedures and are working closely with both national and provincial DOH to ensure the PPE is distributed to the correct hospitals.Mngadi added, We are still in the midst of a pandemic and we cant let our guard down. All the stakeholders must work together in establishing the collaborative, social compact that will contribute to ensuring the safety of our frontline healthcare workers as well as preserving the life and the livelihoods of the countrys citizens." MADRID (Reuters) - Swedish global investment firm EQT said on Thursday it had agreed to buy Southern European online real estate ads platform Idealista for 1.3 billion euros (1.20 billion pounds), as corporate dealmaking in Spain heats up. EQT expects the purchase of Madrid-based Idealista, which is controlled by funds advised by private equity firm Apax Partners, to close in December, pending regulatory approvals. Spain's mergers and acquisitions market has been ignited by a series of deals within banking and telecoms, such as the tie-up between Bankia and Caixabank and the recent purchase of MasMovil by a group of funds. Investment bankers are expecting more deals to surface in Spain in both the short and medium term. Spain's real estate market has hit a difficult period, with stagnating prices in cities because of the coronavirus crisis and rising demand in rural areas as many Spaniards seek to avoid another urban lockdown. Despite this, Idealista has experienced record growth in the months since the pandemic began, saying that its traffic is up to unprecedented levels, while noting buyer enthusiasm is tempered by a tougher financing climate. Idealista, which supports around 40,000 real estate agents and receives an average 38 million unique monthly visitors, has launched a mobile app and tripled its revenue since it was bought by Apax in 2015. "The business... is now a clear market leader in Spain and Portugal, and a strong player in Italy," Tom Hall, a partner at Apax, said. (Reporting by Clara-Laeila Laudette and Joan Faus; Editing by Inti Landauro and Alexander Smith) Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-11 10:45:07|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BRUSSELS, Sept. 10 (Xinhua) -- Chinese companies operating in the European Union (EU) have expressed their concerns and called for a better business environment via a report published by their chamber on Thursday. Brussels-based China Chamber of Commerce to the EU (CCCEU), which covers about 1,000 Chinese companies, published its annual recommendation report titled Acting for Common Future: Chinese Enterprises in the EU Striving for Growth amid Slowdown and Regulatory Hurdles. The report concluded, based on a joint survey conducted by global strategy consulting firm Roland Berger, that Chinese companies in the EU currently have a less favorable view on the ease of doing business in the bloc, but are willing to increase investment if the environment gets better. The CCCEU attributes the situation to, among others, the trend of market protection, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the trend of a spillover and politicized approach to cyber security issues as well as investment screening, which could dampen the expectation of some Chinese companies and investors. In the report, the companies expressed their key concerns: the COVID-19 outbreak and its fallout, digital transformation and 5G security, barriers to enter Europe's green market, the EU's overlapping review system, and a better understanding of the EU market policies. They also appealed to the EU to raise mutual trust with China, work to revive the global economy, prevent the health crisis from causing prolonged socioeconomic damage, and help prevent politicization of cyber security issues. They called for dialogue and understanding with China to reduce overregulation, excessive screening, and all forms of trade and investment protectionism. "It is our sincere hope that the EU work closely with China to conclude negotiations on the EU-China Comprehensive Agreement on Investment (CAI) by the end of this year," said the report. The CCCEU also recommended the establishment of a China-EU young business leaders dialogue mechanism, which will be an innovative platform for communication and mutual understanding. "We propose eight recommendations for EU institutions with a view to encouraging dialogue and discussions and helping provide more Chinese companies with opportunities to access the EU market in a more balanced and reciprocal basis, which would eventually benefit the EU itself," the chamber said in the report. Enditem ABC Special Thursday: Shark Attack - The Robin Roberts Special How do you survive the terror of being caught in the teeth of a shark? Now, meet the amazing teen who lived to tell, and her father who fought the shark off to save her! Watch SHARK ATTACK The Robin Roberts Event Special Thursday at 10|9c on ABC. Posted by ABC 20/20 on Thursday, September 3, 2020 Meet a teen girl who survived a real-life Jaws nightmare in an hour-long special with Good Morning America co-anchor Robin Roberts, tonight at 10 p.m. ET/PT on ABC. You can also watch Shark Attack: The Paige Winter Story With Robin Roberts on FuboTV. Paige Winter was 17 when she went swimming in shallow water with her family at Fort Macon Beach off the coast of North Carolina in 2019. She suddenly felt herself being yanked underwater by a shark. While her horrified younger brother and a friend looked on, Winters quick-thinking father, a paramedic and firefighter, ran to her aid and punched the shark repeatedly until it let go. He managed to save his daughters life, but she lost her left leg and two fingers in the attack. Moved by the teens spirit and courage, Roberts and her crew filmed Winter over the course of a year, documenting her road to recovery and the many challenges along the way, from grueling physical therapy to the onset of the pandemic. What channel is ABC on? You can find which channel ABC 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 Shark Attack if I dont have cable? Fans 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. In a 20 page bail application, Rhea stated that she was innocent and has not committed any crime whatsoever. The applicant has been falsely implicated in the present case The application also stated that since no drugs or psychotropic substances have been seized from the Rhea, the allegations, if any, would pertain strictly to small quantities, thus the offence is bailable in nature. However, the Mumbai Sessions' Court rejected the application after NCB claimed that she was an "active member" of a drugs syndicate and procured drugs for late Sushant Singh Rajput, her boyfriend. After the hearing, Rhea's lawyer Satish Maneshinde revealed that they would approach the Bombay High Court next week for bail. A special court session was held earlier today for the bail application of Rhea Chakraborty and brother Showik Chakraborty.Rhea and Showik were recently arrested by the Narcotics Control Bureau, after they were accused of dealing in drugs in the case relating to actor Sushant Singh Rajputs demise. It was announced that theyll remain in judicial custody till September 22. Newcastle as new figures show the UK economy continued to rebound in July, but at a slower pace. Photo: PA Britains economy continued to rebound from the deepest recession on record in July, but the pace of recovery slowed more than expected. Official figures published on Friday showed gross domestic product (GDP) the total value of goods and services produced in Britain grew by 6.6% in July, the most recent month data was available. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) data showed the third month in a row of expansion, but momentum appears to have slowed even as firms gradually emerged from national lockdown. Julys figure was slightly lower than the 6.7% expected by analysts, and significantly lower than the 8.7% growth seen in June. Total output remains 11.7% below levels seen in February prior to the onset of the pandemic. While it has continued steadily on the path towards recovery, the UK economy still has to make up nearly half of the GDP lost since the start of the pandemic, said the ONS director of economic statistics Darren Morgan. The decline over the past three months dwarfs the collapse in output during the global financial crisis. Chart: ONS GDP fell by 20.4% between April and June. It was the steepest quarterly decline since records began in 1955. Rolling three-month data shows a much less steep 7.6% decline between May and July, though it is still more than three times the 2.1% decline seen during the worst point of the global financial crisis. READ MORE: Millions of households face 1,000 cliff edge next year Chancellor Rishi Sunak said Fridays GDP figure was welcome but added: I know that many people are rightly worried about the coming months or have already had their job or incomes affected. Thats why supporting jobs is our first priority and why weve outlined a comprehensive Plan for Jobs to ensure nobody is left without hope or opportunity. Watch: Yahoo UK Finance Reporter Edmund Heaphy explain what a V-shaped economic recovery? Samuel Tombs, chief UK economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics, said: The economic recovery still does not look V-shaped, even though virtually all restrictions on economic activity had been lifted by July. Story continues The recovery remains especially weak in consumer-facing parts of the services sector. Output in the arts and recreation sector was 31% below its pre-Covid level in July, while output in the accommodation and food services sector was down 60%. Growth in services, which makes up around four-fifths of the economy, came in at 6.1%, lower than the 7% expected by analysts in a Reuters poll. Tombs said he expects the UK economy to still be 5% below its peak by the end of the year and said it was likely both the Bank of England and the Treasury would have to take additional measures to stimulate growth. Our latest estimates show GDP was up by 6.6% in July compared with June, with all sectors up on the month https://t.co/wrGXDBG7C2 pic.twitter.com/Gd3mHAFWBA Office for National Statistics (ONS) (@ONS) September 11, 2020 While the service sector disappointed, other parts of the economy saw rapid expansion in July. Construction output rose 17.6% and manufacturing output rose by a better-than-expected 5.2%. READ MORE: What is a V-shaped recovery? Education grew strongly as some children returned to school, while pubs, campsites and hairdressers all saw notable improvements the ONS Morgan said. Car sales exceeded pre-crisis levels for the first time with showrooms having a particularly busy time. All areas of manufacturing, particularly distillers and car makers, saw improvements, while housebuilding also continued to recover. However, both production and construction remain well below previous levels. Additional reporting by Oscar Williams-Grut. We do suspect that a big part of the unusual recent rise in P.U.A. claims is linked to fraud, said Loree Levy, a spokeswoman for the California Employment Development Department. She said the state was investigating unscrupulous attacks exploiting identity theft and vulnerabilities in the system. Pandemic Unemployment Assistance is meant to provide benefits to the self-employed, independent contractors, gig workers, part-timers and others ordinarily ineligible for state unemployment insurance. Set up to last through the end of the year, it was a major element of the CARES Act, which economists widely agree has kept the country from a far greater economic calamity. According to the Labor Department, $47 billion in pandemic unemployment benefits have been paid so far. Fraud is not uncommon in hastily assembled disaster programs, including the Paycheck Protection Program, the component of the CARES Act that provided forgivable loans to small businesses to help weather the pandemic without layoffs. But signs of trouble with the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program have surfaced for months as people who did not file claims including the governor of Arkansas found benefits issued in their names. A growing number of states have signaled that the problems with the program go beyond the routine. California has warned that it is cutting off recipients when it detects irregularities, like mailings stacking up at a given address. These situations are believed to be fraud, and scammers will often try to intercept, redirect, or gather mail associated with these claims, the states employment agency wrote. Colorado said Thursday that in a six-week stretch this summer, 77 percent of new claims under the program were not legitimate. Nationally, its just presented an opportunity for criminals to take advantage of a program that doesnt have a lot of safety measures in place, said Cher Haavind, deputy executive director of the Colorado Department of Labor. Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar said he has no connection with actor Kangana Ranaut's property, which was demolished by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). Ranaut, according to reports, had said the building, which was demolished belonged to the NCP chief. Ranaut has been making headlines with her statements and revelations about the Hindi film industry after actor Sushant Singh Rajput was found dead in his Mumbai residence in June. Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar said he has no connection with actor Kangana Ranauts property, which was demolished by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). I have no connection with the building, which was demolished by BMC. Her allegations against me are totally false, Pawar told reporters on Thursday. Ranaut, according to reports, had said the building, which was demolished belonged to the NCP chief. Ranaut has been making headlines with her statements and revelations about the Hindi film industry after actor Sushant Singh Rajput was found dead in his Mumbai residence in June. Also Read: Maharashtra govt believes fight isnt with Corona but Kangana: Devendra Fadnavis She had been provided with Y-plus category security cover by the Union Home Ministry in the wake of the row over her remarks, in which she compared Mumbai with Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and also targeted the Mumbai police. Recently, the actor had also moved the Bombay High Court against the demolition drive by BMC at her property in Mumbai here. The NCP chief had called a meeting of Congress and his own party leaders over the Bhima Koregaon issue. There are arrests happening under the pretext of calling people Naxals. We discussed these issues today. We are taking the opinions of leaders on the issue. Though the matter is being investigated by the NIA, the state government, too, has some rights, he said. (ANI) Also Read: Delhi metro to start operations on all sections at 6 am from Sept 13: DMRC Loading "The government here is working towards something called COVID-normal', which is life while COVID-19 is around, and I think we're getting pretty close to that," a senior government source said this week. "But arbitrary numbers, thresholds - you're very unlikely to see them in NSW." A NSW health spokesperson told the Herald "every state has its own circumstances and must be able to move at its own pace. NSW will consider other changes when it is safe to do so". However some experts believe there's an argument for having a clearer road map out of the remaining COVID-restrictions in this state, too. Stephen Duckett, a former head of the federal health department and now Grattan Institute analyst, argued in the Herald this week that "NSW, like Victoria, should explicitly sign up to the zero cases' goal and it should release a detailed plan on how to get there". In limbo: psychologist Elisabeth Shaw says people feel like they are marking time. Credit:Peter Rae Professor Julie Leask, a leading social scientist in Sydney University's nursing school, also believes there is merit in having "transparent criteria" to give more predictability to COVID-related decision-making. "The government should communicate the triggers for either relaxing or intensifying restrictions," she says. "We need that. We should have it. And it's also good for managing expectations." Shaw believes some sort of cold comfort lies in having black and white rules to follow. "In a curious way, in Melbourne, while they are railing against it there will probably be more people who will say well at least I know where I stand," she says. She's no fan of the mixed messaging on mask wearing from the NSW government. "People are encouraged [to do it] and that's well-meaning, but it does not give clear guidance. It would be worth considering more of a mandate. If we want it done, let's just get it done." The hospitality industry is growing increasingly restive about how long it will have to live with COVID-19 distancing rules and patron caps. Wes Lambert, chief executive of the Restaurant and Catering association, is unsure of the merits of a clearly delineated road map out of lockdown for this state. "As we have learned in Victoria, be careful of what you wish for," he says. "But we are going to be continuing to lobby the [Berejiklian] government for functions and events to continue to ease, and for the numbers to move to at least a 300 cap for weddings and business events [the current cap is 150]. And we also want to be moving relatively quickly from the one person per 4 square metre rule to a 2 square metre scenario as case numbers settle into single digits." The association also wants councils to allow more "activation" of outdoor areas as the weather warms up. "Many businesses say they could double the size of their venue by having outdoor laneways, and adjacent parks and unused parking lots activated", Lambert says. In the regions, pressure has been building to allow country areas more COVID-leeway than in the cities. Before the koala crisis blew up, Nationals leader John Barilaro was already leading the charge against a one-size-fits-all approach. Regional communities were being "penalised" because of "small pockets of COVID in the city" he argued, calling for caps and restrictions in the country to be eased. Thus far though the premier hasn't been for turning. "I'll always leave the door open, but at this point in time we are still on high alert in NSW," she said on Wednesday. "Once the school holidays and the summer months are here, people will be moving around in their literally hundreds of thousands across the state and that will increase the number of incidents of cases popping up in areas where currently there might not be any cases." Marylouise McLaws, professor of epidemiology and infection control at UNSW and a member of a WHO expert committee on COVID-19 response, says Berejiklian is right to characterise the state as being on "high alert". But far from loosening restrictions, McLaws believes NSW should be tamping down further, even on the current low figures. Prior to the second wave, she estimated that the "safe" or "green" zone for community transmission is a rolling figure of five cases or less a day over a 14-day period, or a cumulative total of less than 100 cases over a fortnight. Far from loosening restrictions, Professor Marylouise McLaws believes NSW should be tamping down further. Credit:Dominic Lorrimer In Victoria, she says, the count went from an accumulated 102 cases over 14 days on June 18, to 575 a fortnight later, and a fortnight after that to nearly 2900 before peaking at a 14-day total of 6543. In this state, she says, the figure over a fortnight reached 112 on Thursday and hovered over the ''alert'' 100 mark for the preceding six days. On this basis she would prefer to see NSW mandating the wearing of masks in public for two weeks, restricting gyms to outdoors only, and reducing numbers inside venues. "This exponential ability, [aided by] human behaviour to enhance its transmission, makes this period very dangerous," she warns. "If you ignore it, it's like a wilful child ... it will just get out of control. My advice and experience is don't wait - don't wait until it gets so bad that you have to implement stringent public health measures. Outbreak management is best done pre-emptively." McLaws says it would be better to have the ring-fenced "hot spot" model she's been advocating, akin to what the commonwealth put before the national cabinet recently, rather than parts of the country shutting down or opening up on a state-wide basis. "Nationally we need to do something where all states and territories agree and then they do it according to region," she says. "I'm disappointed that I'm hearing so much politicising control measures." She's conscious that many see far worse depredations being wrought by the virus in Europe, the US, Indonesia and elsewhere in the third world and therefore think governments here are too cautious. That attidude, she argues, overlooks the ominous shadow of "long COVID-19" the syndrome where some suffer illness long after the initial infection has supposedly cleared. She says, "my question to people who think, we're better off than other countries so why are we being precious about the numbers' is this: would you like your 20 to 29 year-old to go into middle age with chronic disease and we don't know how long they will have chronic disease for? That can include breathing difficulties, exhaustion, fatigue and heart problems. Do we want to saddle them with all of these unknown potential problems?" Julie Leask says "a vaccine is our hope but we have to be cautious, not least because of the length of time it might take to roll it out to all target populations. We are really going to have to figure out how we live with this for quite a while". She would like to see government decision-making informed by two-way, not just top-down communication through mechanisms such as community reference groups. "If you have a good sense of how restrictions are affecting key groups who are more at risk from the social and economic implications of those restrictions, they are the ones you want to prioritise talking with," Leask argues. COVID-19 testing at a drive-through clinic in Bondi. Credit:Jessica Hromas One vital set of figures authorities will be nervously awaiting are the results of serological studies, due to be unveiled before the end of the month. The studies, which seek out signs of the virus in pathology specimens collected from blood donors, pregnant women and patients presenting for other conditions, will track the pathogen's cumulative impact on the Australian population. Some 5000 samples were collected in Sydney during May and June, and another 10,000 from around the country in July and August. Xtalks Life Science Webinars Timely and unrestricted support is crucial for the safe progress of CGT. During the last five years, the number of cell and gene therapies (CGT) have exponentially increased, stimulated by their efficacy and potential for cure. However, CGT can expose the patients to significant toxicities such as cytokine release syndrome (CRS) and neurotoxicities (ICANS), requiring specialised and accurate management associated with precise data capture and analysis. Timely and unrestricted support is crucial for the safe progress of CGT. In addition, dealing with these living therapies represents whats been called the most complex supply chain in the history of medicine. This webinar will present and discuss the challenges involved in supporting CGT-related clinical trials. Attendees will gain first-hand learning from members of a multidisciplinary team that was developed at ICON for the successful support of CGT clinical trials. The participants will learn the following during the presentation: A The medical landscape: Principles and summary of current CGT in oncology Medical monitoring in CGT clinical trials The impact of COVID-19 and the associated risks in CGT clinical trials Patient reported outcomes considerations B Operational management: Operational nuances in CGT versus traditional clinical trials Effectively coordinating key stakeholders Potential responses to operational complexities C Commercialisation and logistics Early phase consulting supporting regulatory and reimbursement goals Logistics orchestration Scaling for commercialisation Join Anne S. Renteria, MD, Medical Director, Medical Affairs, ICON plc, Brandon Fletcher, PhD, Principal, Clinical Project Management, ICON plc and Tamie Joeckel, Business Lead, Cell and Gene Therapy Center of Excellence, ICON plc in a live webinar on Thursday, September 24, 2020 at 10am EDT (3pm BST/UK). For more information or to register for this event, visit Achieving Quality Cell and Gene Therapies Outcomes Through Multidisciplinary Collaboration. ABOUT XTALKS Xtalks, powered by Honeycomb Worldwide Inc., is a leading provider of educational webinars to the global life science, food and medical device community. Every year thousands of industry practitioners (from life science, food and medical device companies, private & academic research institutions, healthcare centers, etc.) turn to Xtalks for access to quality content. Xtalks helps Life Science professionals stay current with industry developments, trends and regulations. Xtalks webinars also provide perspectives on key issues from top industry thought leaders and service providers. To learn more about Xtalks visit http://xtalks.com For information about hosting a webinar visit http://xtalks.com/why-host-a-webinar/ European leaders are becoming increasingly concerned about China's crackdown on press freedom after two Australian journalists were forced to leave Beijing, as global outrage over the case grows and business warns of an investment exodus. After a series of diplomatic discussions with Australia over the past week, European Union member-state leaders may raise the issue with Chinese President Xi Jinping in a meeting on Monday, sources with knowledge of the negotiations confirmed. Financial Review journalist Michael Smith with ABC journalist Bill Birtles as they prepared to leave China on Monday night. Credit: ABC reporter Bill Birtles and Australian Financial Review reporter Mike Smith were forced to leave China this week after being questioned by Chinese police over a national security case involving detained Chinese-Australian TV anchor Cheng Lei. The pair were the last two Australian accredited media representatives in China. The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age have been waiting for a visa to be approved since November. In July they were notified the visa would not be approved this year due to the coronavirus pandemic. US journalists from The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post were expelled in March. Media organisations from the EU are also experiencing difficulties getting correspondents back into China. Their reporters already in the country have been increasingly subject to surveillance. Taiwan RegTech Challenge 2020 proposes the challenge and seeks for solutions in three main areas In response to FSC's policy, financial technology development needs and pain points are consolidated and discussed by experts via workshop. These are categorized into three main topics with seven sub-topics as the following: Topic Sub-topic 1 eKYC 1.1 Primary and premium information process and collection for KYC purposes like electronic identification, strong authentication, etrust services (eIDAS), identity verification, etc. 2 Monitoring, Surveillance & Data Sharing 2.1 Dynamic and automatic real-time data sharing for supervisors and regulators for surveillance relating to operational risk, market risk, sanction risk, etc. 2.2 Timely incident related information collection and analysis 2.3 Data sharing in compliance 3 Financial Crime Compliance & Fraud Detection 3.1 Suspicious transactions, accounts and behavior detection for money laundering, financing of terrorism, employee misconduct, etc. 3.2 Fraud detection 3.3 Beneficial ownership identification To effectively promote application, TRC 2020 provides data partner/mentor and one-on-one evaluation mechanisms. Participating teams which are not familiar with financial industry in Taiwan may require relevant data or pairing up with an industry expert. During the Semi-final and the Final, TRC 2020 will provide regulations & compliance and information security/feasibility checkup to ensure information security and compliance. Furthermore, participating teams have the opportunity to obtain FSC regulatory clinic's counseling and Azure platform provided by Microsoft Taiwan as the development environment. 30 participating teams will be selected to enter the Semi-final. After matching and counseling, 15 will be selected to enter the Final competing for the TRC awards (final 3 and 2 runner-ups) and the PoC prize, awarded by the sponsoring organizations. The prizes include: TRC Awards PoC Prize FinTechSpace resources: Rent free for a hot desk in FinTechSpace for 12 (Final 3) / 6 months (runner-ups) (Final 3) / 6 months (runner-ups) FinTechSpace mentoring including information security check, regulatory clinic, free Baker McKenzie regulation checkup (1 hour), and free AWS cloud space (FinTechSpace AWS JIB)* 2021 FinTech Taipei: Free 2 standard booths for final 3 and 1 standard booth for 2 runner-ups One Demo session Business and venture capital matching eKYC Theme Award: TWCA will issue an EAPS report for the award-winning proposals. After residing at FinTechSpace, the winning team can launch its API on eKYC digital sandbox. AWS Bank SinoPac Cathy United Bank E. Sun Bank Far Eastern International Bank LINE Bank Mega International Commercial Bank Next Bank Taishin International Bank TDCC Yunta Securities For more information: https://www.fintechspace.com.tw/trc2020-en/ *AWS credits must be applied directly to AWS through FinTechSpace. The winner must not have received past credits more than the offered credits at this time and also meet the Terms and Conditions (see https://aws.amazon.com/awscredits) of FinTechSpace and FinTechSpace Powered by AWS. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1251823/Global_innovators_invited_participate_Taiwan_s_Inaugural_RegTech_Challenge_inaugural_international.jpg SOURCE FinTechSpace Digital transformation has become an essential part of the business agenda of many enterprises. Data centres, which play a major role in the process, are witnessing vast upgrades with increasing importance for the success of these organisations. However, with rapid growth in both the number and scale of data centres, IT leaders planning and managing the facilities, as well as working to reduce power consumption, face pressing challenges traditional operation and maintenance (O&M) can no longer solve these issues like before. Currently, large data centres are operated and maintained manually. While the process requires highly skilled personnel, it is usually not as efficient as needed to meet with fast-changing markets. According a Huawei survey, about 38% of data centres fail to recruit suitable engineers. The Uptime Institute Global Data Centre Survey 2020 also indicates that 75% of operators admit that they are at fault for most outages most of these outages could have been prevented with proper O&M. The figures show that efficient O&M and better human resources allocations, though challenging, can help ensure smooth and reliable data centre operations. New management model required for modern data centres For a long time, resources for data centres have not been well utilised. According to the statistics of Huawei's internal data centre in 2014, as much as half of the resource was lost for nothing in some individual data centres. At the same time, inventory count takes several weeks in huge data centres, while accuracy can rarely be guaranteed due to the lack of efficient let alone automated management systems. In a typical 15-year life cycle of data centre, about 60% of the total cost of ownership (TCO) goes to electricity costs three times that of capital expenditures (CapEx). Therefore, trimming the electricity bill is also at the top of the priority list. Business executives, meanwhile, want to convert data centres from cost centres into facilities that drive business value. Apparently, data centres can make significant impact on businesses by enabling them to swiftly respond to market changes and evolving demands. This is where Data Centre Infrastructure Management, or DCIM, kicks in. A good DCIM can efficiently monitor, measure, and manage data centres, covering both IT equipment and supporting infrastructure, including power and cooling systems. It can lead to maximum energy efficiency and minimise downtime due to equipment problems. Digital management with high visibility Leveraging its experience of more than two decades in managing data centres of scale, along with ground-breaking technology in artificial intelligence and big data, Huawei has developed DCIM solutions in NetEco 6000. The solution facilitates device visualization by providing a digital monitoring map to quickly search for and view the real-time running parameters of various basic devices and evaluate device health. The solution also supports full 3D visualization, building a full 3D digital model to help customers quickly identify potential risks. For instance, it identifies hotspots in equipment rooms through a temperature map. By making links visible, NetEco 6000 intelligently analyses the impact scope of device faults and locates the root cause based on the links of the power distribution and cooling system, greatly reducing troubleshooting time. With these capabilities, this DCIM system provides a digital management platform for customers with ultimate user experience and helps customers gain overall insights of data centre operation control. AI saves power for data centres Meanwhile, the iCooling@AI solution can reduce the PUE of data centres by 8 to 15%. With its industry-leading AI technologies, Huaweis management system is capable of analysing the energy efficiency of the power supply link, diagnosing the power consumption in real time, and providing optimal adjustment parameters based on AI analysis to reduce the overall power consumption. Data from a 1480-cabinet data centre shows that the PUE is down 0.116, saving about US$615,300 in electricity fees annually with this solution. Intelligent O&M frees employees from tedious daily work On the other hand, the E2E device maintenance tracing function can automatically generate inspection reports with the 90% automation level to greatly improve the inspection efficiency. O&M experts can customize proactive O&M plans and define device inspection items, periods, and routes in the system. Onsite O&M tasks are automatically delivered to the Operators mobile app to take preventive maintenance. In conclusion, the preceding measures can greatly simplify O&M and reduce the O&M labour cost of a single cabinet by 35%. Better use of resources With full asset lifecycle management, NetEco 6000 can intelligently plan the capacity of the computer room to better manage data centre resources, boosting their utilization by 20%. The Huawei management system is equipped with U-position electronic tags to realize the full life cycle management of assets. Through the analysis of the space, power, cooling, and network capacity, the best floor plan is recommended to maximise value capacity while avoiding stranding the data centre. NetEco 6000 is widely used in different industries. Among those is at the Dubai International Airport, where a complete set Huawei NetEco system now integrates and manages third-party devices. The digital management platform was built to avoid siloed management brought on by traditional management and reduce management costs. China Construction Bank (CCB), the second largest bank in China, is also implementing integrated O&M and centralised service management in its data centres in Beijing and Wuhan. Pressure has been building in the Wuhan CCB data centre, which has a maximum of 6000 racks. The NetEco 6000 solution has automated 90% of inspection work, supported with full tracking of O&M tasks. Electric car maker BYD (Build Your Dream) has deployed NetEco6000 to greatly simplify data centre O&M with a large-screen display interface, 3D monitoring, electronic inspection, and mobile app functions. The solution is well recognised in its own field, as Huawei NetEco 6000 recently won the Red Dot Award for Brands & Communication in 2020, which is one of the world's top industrial design awards. As digital transformation is inevitable, enterprises will need more solutions for these changes. In the fifth HUAWEI CONNECT scheduled from 23 to 26 September 2020 in Shanghai, global thought leaders, business elites, tech experts, pioneering enterprises, ecosystem partners, application service providers, and developers will share their insights into the evolution taking place in different industries. For more information, please visit here. Those efforts appear to be part of a broader increase in targeting of US political campaigns and related groups, the company said. What weve seen is consistent with previous attack patterns that not only target candidates and campaign staffers but also those who they consult on key issues, Tom Burt, a Microsoft vice president, said in a blog post. Most of the infiltration attempts by Russian, Chinese and Iranian agents were halted by Microsoft security software and the targets notified, he said. The company would not comment on who may have been successfully hacked or the impact. Microsoft did not assess which foreign adversary poses the greater threat to the integrity of the November presidential election. The consensus among cybersecurity experts is that Russian interference is the gravest. Senior Trump administration officials have disputed that, though without offering any evidence. Advertisement This is the actor from 2016, potentially conducting business as usual, said John Hultquist, director of intelligence analysis at the top cybersecurity firm FireEye. We believe that Russian military intelligence continues to pose the greatest threat to the democratic process. The Microsoft post shows that Russian military intelligence continues to pursue election-related targets undeterred by US indictments, sanctions and other countermeasures, Mr Hultquist said. It interfered in the 2016 campaign seeking to benefit the Trump campaign by hacking the Democratic National Committee and emails of John Podesta, the campaign manager of Hillary Clinton, and dumping embarrassing material online, congressional and FBI investigators have found. The same GRU military intelligence unit, known as Fancy Bear, that Microsoft identifies as being behind the current election-related activity also broke into voter registration databases in at least three states in 2016, though there is no evidence it tried to interfere with voting. Microsoft, which has visibility into these efforts because its software is both ubiquitous and highly rated for security, did not address whether US officials who manage elections or operate voting systems have been targeted by state-backed hackers this year. US intelligence officials say they have so far not seen no evidence of that. They said last month that the Russians favour President Donald Trump and the Chinese prefer former vice president Joe Biden, the Democratic challenger. But China is largely an espionage threat, while Russia steals data and weaponises it. Using data from the national register in Denmark, researchers studied how likely persons infected with the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) transmit it within their households. The study found additional household members tested positive in 17% of cases after one person in the household was infected. The research is published on the preprint server medRxiv* in September 2020. The world has been grappling with the coronavirus pandemic for nine months now. A critical component of responding to the pandemic and taking steps to control it is to understand how it is transmitted. There are several ways in which the virus is transmitted, such as by touching contaminated surfaces and via aerosolized droplets. However, it is believed that human-to-human transmission is one of the most common methods by which the COVID-19 disease spreads. To fully understand SARS-CoV-2 transmission during this pandemic, most authorities rely on contact tracing, or tracing and monitoring individuals who come in contact with an infected person. However, this is an extremely laborious process requiring a lot of resources. This technique worked well during the beginning of the pandemic when there were relatively low numbers of infected persons. With the number of cases touching tens of millions now, contact tracing becomes very difficult. This figure shows the proportion of positive tests originating from households, as defined by new cases that live in a household with another case that tested positive within the preceding 14 days. The figure shows a seven day moving average, while the shaded area shows the 95% confidence bands with standard errors clustered on the individual level. Modeling transmission using Danish registry data To get around contact tracing challenges, a team of researchers in Denmark took advantage of the Danish administrative register, which contains information about all residents of Denmark linked to their unique personal identification number. The Danish Civil Registry System has information about the age, sex, and home addresses of individuals, which they linked to the data about SARS-CoV-2 individual infection from the Danish Microbiology Database. Using these databases, the researchers first formed households by putting together individuals with the same address, limiting the household size to six or less. Their data covered about 98% of the Danish population. The first positive case from a household was considered a primary case. Any other positive cases within 14 days of the primary case were secondary cases. After the first case was reported in Denmark in late February, the country went into a near-total lockdown from March 12 to April 14. The next month, or the early reopening, saw the reopening of daycare and schools up to grade 5. After May 18, all schools and colleges were opened along with restaurants and small bars, which the authors call late reopening. Transmission within households Using this methodology, the team identified 6,783 primary cases from March 12 to July 24. Of the potential about 14,000 secondary cases, they found about 13% tested positive for the virus over the total period of the analysis. The number of positive secondary cases increased once the country started reopening, with the maximum being about 17% in the late reopening phase. About 76% of the secondary cases were detected three days after the primary case. This highlights the importance of fast contact tracing, as most secondary cases are found in the first couple of days after the primary case, write the authors. Since April 2020, household transmission contributed to between 20% and 45% of all the positive cases, suggesting that national guidelines take into account this mode of disease spread as well. The transmission depended on the ages of the people in the household. If the primary case was a child, less than 15 years old, the additional members of the household that tested positive did not change with the ages of the members. But, children less than 15 years also have a higher chance of transmitting the infection to others in the household, perhaps because of close contact with parents and other caregivers. In contrast, when the primary case was older than 25 years, the chance of transmission increased linearly with the age of the people in the house, suggesting susceptibility to the disease increases with age. The researchers found that once a primary case was detected in a house, the probability of at least one other case caused by the primary case was 23%. Surprisingly, this probability was the same irrespective of the number of people in the house. Implications The results of the study can be used in mathematical models that are used to understand and estimate how COVID-19 spreads. Most models assume that each contact has the same probability of transmitting the virus. However, that is not true, and the first step is to determine if the contact is infectious. Furthermore, there is a difference in transmission with the age of the primary and secondary cases, which should also be taken into account. However, even though transmission risk increased with age, children can also transmit the virus. The authors suggest that because a significant proportion of transmission was within households, strategies for preventing COVID-19 should also include in-house transmission. *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. There have been two incidents of theft and criminal damage at historic Meelick Weir on the Shannon in recent weeks. Waterways Ireland is currently carrying out a 2.8 million restoration project on the Weir and hopes to have the project completed by early next year. Eanna Rowe, Western Regional Manager Waterways Ireland, said the first criminal act happened four weeks ago, when ten of the new, steel, tilting, weir-boards were stolen and a number of the other steel boards were tampered. He said it doesn't require much effort to remove the weir-boards from their location. Two weeks ago criminal damage was caused to the concrete aprons beside the weir-boards. It's thought that a pick axe or a crow bar were used to cause damage to these concrete sections. Mr Rowe told the Tribune that there is some CCTV footage of the perpetrators carrying out the vandalism and theft, and this footage has been sent to the Gardai, who are investigating the two incidents. Meelick Weir was built in the 1790s as part of the Shannon Navigation. The weir is over 300 metres in length and has a 12-sluice barrage. It maintains and regulates the navigation level for the section of waterway between Athlone (Lough Ree) and Meelick (Lough Derg). A local farmer speaking to the Tribune said the vast majority of locals are very keen to see the completion of the weir's restoration works and the opening of the new walkway across the structure. "Most people are very disappointed and upset to see this vandalism and theft," he said. "We can't understand what could possibly motivate people to behave like this. It can't be the flooding problem on the Callows, because it's wrong to link the Weir to that." Eanna Rowe agreed. "The weir did not cause or exacerbate the bad flooding in the Callows region during July and August. In fact, the sluice gates were completely open throughout July and August to try and ease the flooding as much as possible." "I believe that Waterways Ireland," added the farmer, "which manages the Weir, is doing its best to manage the flooding problems, when they arise, as best as it can. The simple fact is that when there is an awful lot of rain then what you do at the Weir is immaterial; you are still going to have flooding. "We are really looking forward to have the walkway open again. We campaigned for it for ten years and were very happy when the restoration works finally began. It will once again link the two communities of Meelick and Lusmagh on both sides of the Shannon." Eanna Rowe said the restoration is a very important project for Waterways Ireland. "This is our largest project since we restored sections of the Royal Canal. Meelick Weir is an iconic, much-loved structure and we are doing the best restoration job that we can. If it hadn't been for the summer flooding we would have expected to have been able to officially open the new walkway in October. As it is, it should be open before the end of 2020. The new sluice gate system with the tilting weir-boards, should be operational by early next year." He said the walkway will form part of the new Beara-Breifne Way. Parts of the Beara-Breifne Way are already open, including the section from Portumna to Meelick, a section which is receiving considerable praise from walkers. The West Bengal government is enforcing the second complete state-wide lockdown in September, which is likely to be the last one, according to a top state government official. This is probably the last state-wide lockdown the state government is enforcing to control the pandemic. No decision has been taken on any further lockdown as of now. The lockdown scheduled on September 12 has been cancelled, said a senior official of the state government. The union government, in its Unlock 4 guidelines, had directed the state not to impose lockdown restrictions at the local level without consulting the centre. The Mamata Banerjee administration, which had declared three complete state-wide lockdowns on September 7, 11 and 12, cancelled the September 12 lockdown due to the national entrance cum eligibility test (NEET) scheduled to take place a day later on September 13. Also Read: NEET 2020: Bengal government cancels lockdown on September 12 Since Friday morning, the police have put up barricades on roads and set up checking points. People were being sent back home or were being arrested if they failed to provide valid reasons for violating the lockdown. Earlier in August, the state government had enforced a state-wide lockdown on six different days, in an attempt to break the chain of Covid-19 infections. Around 5,000 people were arrested for violating lockdown orders and around 2,500 people were booked for not wearing a mask on lockdown days. Situation is gradually improving even though there is no room for complacency. Even though the daily numbers of new cases have shot up, the positivity rate has dropped and the discharge rate has improved, said a senior health official. Also Read: Kolkata Metro to run special NEET trains on Sunday, services resume Monday Till September 10, the state has recorded 193,175 Covid-19 cases with around 3,000 cases added daily over the last few weeks. The discharge rate is nearly 86%. Till Friday, Kolkata had recorded 44,957 cases. The district of North 24 Parganas, the second most populous district in India, was close second with around 39,979 cases. A mericans have fallen silent to remember the 3,000 people who died in 9/11, as the world marks the 19th anniversary of the attacks. Donald Trump and Joe Biden are both scheduled to visit the Flight 93 National Memorial in Shanksville, Pennyslvania, where a hijacked plane crashed into a field after an intervention by passengers. The presidential rivals will not cross paths, with Mr Biden visiting in the afternoon after attending the 9/11 Memorial & Museums annual commemoration at Ground Zero in New York, along with Vice President Mike Pence. Pictures show Mr Trump and Mr Biden observing a moment of silence in separate locations at 8.46am, marking the time the first plane hit the World Trade Center 19 years ago. Trump and Melania observe a moment of silence / AFP via Getty Images Vowing to never forget the nearly 3,000 people who died during the terror attack, Mr Trump tweeted that the United States is honouring a commitment made in 2001 to always remember the innocent Americans who were senselessly killed. In New York, victims relatives began gathering for split-screen remembrances one at the September 11 memorial plaza at the World Trade Centre and another on a nearby corner, set up by a separate 9/11-related organisation. Joe Biden and his wife Jill / AFP via Getty Images The Stephen Siller Tunnels to Towers Foundation objected to the memorials decision to forgo a longstanding tradition of having relatives read the names of the dead, often adding poignant tributes. Almost two decades after the attacks on the World Trade Centre and the Pentagon, Americans are marking the disaster in the midst of another unfolding tragedy. Memorial leaders said the change for the 19th anniversary of the terror attacks was a coronavirus safety precaution. Mourners pause during a moment of silence / AP Kathy Swift arrived early at the alternative ceremony, wearing a T-shirt honouring her killed brother, Thomas Swift, who worked in finance. "We still have to remember, she said. "The whole countrys going downhill. Its one thing after another, and now with the Covid. Im glad theyre still having this, though." Leaders in the UK have also paid tribute to those who died on "America's darkest of days". "Today we remember all those who died, those who survived, and those who continue to grieve Americas darkest of days," Boris Johnson said. Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said: "The terrorist atrocities of 9/11 were an attack on our freedom and democracy, as well as one of our closest allies. "Today we remember all those who lost their lives and those affected by that dreadful day. We will always stand with you against extremism and hate." London mayor Sadiq Khan wrote on Twitter: "Today we stand united with our American friends in remembrance of the innocent people who lost their lives on 9/11, including British citizens and many victims with close ties to London. "My thoughts are with all who continue to suffer pain or loss from that atrocious attack." The tanks in Warrenpoint as seen from the southern shore of Carlingford Lough Residents along Omeath's Lower Shore are growing increasingly worried about developments at Warrenpoint Harbour. They feel that their concerns are not being taken on board because they live in a different jurisdiction, yet the liquid carbon dioxide (Co2) storage tanks which were erected by Nippon Gases last November are less than a few hundred metres from their homes. The residents living at Drumullagh and Lislea have not been able to make any input into the consultation process which took place before the erection of the large tanks by Japanese company Nippon Gases close to Narrow Water. The tanks form part of a 9.5million import and distribution plant which is due to be completed this autumn. Co Down environmental groups Love Your Lough and RARE (Rostrevor Action Respecting the Environment) have expressed their opposition to the development which they say will spoil the scenic beauty of the entrance to the Mournes. The large tanks will be used to store Co2 which is used in the food and drinks industry. However, Bernarde Kilgallon is one of the residents living in fourteen houses on the Lower Shore, points out that their homes are as close if not closer to the development as any of those on the northern side of the Lough. Planning permission for expansion of the port was granted in 2015 when residents expressed concerns about the impact which it would have on the environment. She says they knew nothing about this project until work started on the site in November. She is very annoyed that they weren't given the opportunity to air their views during the planning process and that they effectively have no voice, even though the development is taking place close to their homes. 'We don't have anyone to voice our concerns to as we are living in a different jurisdiction.' Now, they are worried about the noise levels which will result from Co2 being discharged from ships pulling into Warrenpoint Harbour through a pipeline running to the tanks facing their homes. She says they feel that their worries are falling on deaf ears and is particularly concerned as testing of the pipeline is due to start soon. 'We are worried that there will be significant noise levels as the pipeline is only 250 meters from our homes.' 'The tanks themselves, which will store 2,500 litres of Co2, are less than 300 meters from the nearest house on this side.' Bernarde says that the company have acknowledged that the visual impact of the development 'is significant' particularly for those living on the Lower Shore at Omeath.However, she says they are not happy with the proposals to screen the tanks as she says it won't be sufficient to block the development for those living on the southern shore. The Omeath residents have, she says, raised their concerns with politicians on both sides of the Border. As many as 40 school bus routes are expected to be cancelled for Monday because of a shortage of school bus drivers, Student Transportation Services of Central Ontario announced late Friday afternoon. The First Student Canada bus company informed the agency, which co-ordinates school busing for public and Catholic schools in the Peterborough area, that the operator will have to cancel 38 school bus routes for both morning and afternoon runs on Monday. Schools affected by the cancelled routes include Adam Scott Collegiate (Route 719), Norwood District High School (Routes 403, 404, 406 and 408), Norwood Intermediate School (Routes 403, 404, 406 and 408), Norwood Public School (Routes 403, 404, 406 and 408), St. Paul School Norwood (Routes 403, 404, 406 and 408), Havelock-Belmont Public School (Routes 412 and 417) and Campbellford District High School (Route 726). Most of the cancelled routes are for a number of schools across Clarington and Northumberland County. Monday is the first day of staggered starts at the Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Boards public elementary and high schools. A decision will be made Monday afternoon on whether the routes will be able to run on Tuesday. With Monday being the first day of the staggered return at Norwood District Intermediate and High School, the school advised Grade 7 and 9 students with cancelled bus routes not to worry. We are waiting until we can all be together to run special new student activities, the school announced. Some local bus companies continue to have difficulty hiring and retaining drivers during the COVID-19 pandemic, an issue that has been happening across the province, STSCO advise on Friday. As a result, STSCO warns that bus route cancellations and delays may be a daily occurrence in the weeks ahead and officials are advising families to have alternate arrangements in place. Any disruptions will be posted on a daily basis on the STSCO website to give parents and guardians as much advance notice as possible. The school bus driver shortage first became apparent on Thursday, the first day of staggered starts for students in the Peterborough Victoria Northumberland and Clarington Catholic District School Board, after First Student Canada had to cancel morning and afternoon runs in the Norwood area, affecting students at St. Pauls School in Norwood. Under the staggered start to the school year to allow students and staff to get used to the new COVID-19 precautions in the schools, full-time attendance is expected to start Wednesday in all local Catholic elementary and high schools and next Friday in all local public elementary and high schools. Sahaya Novinston Lobo By Express News Service CHENNAI: Feeling naughty... But, before you get intimate with your new online friend, think twice or you could pay a heavy price. Sextortion is one of the most popular online frauds in this age. It refers to the broad category of sexual exploitation in which abuse of power is the means of coercion. This includes threats to release sexual images or information. The T Nagar cyber crime police came to the aid of two men, who almost fell victim to sextortion. In the first incident, Suresh (name changed) made a Facebook friend from the Philippines. Since his wife and children had gone to their native place during the lockdown, Suresh and the woman used to make video calls. Sometime in August, they agreed to get naked on a video call. Suresh trusted the woman since she had promised to meet him in Chennai when flight services resumed and even shared personal details, said a police officer. A few days after the call, the woman sent an edited version of their video call. She cleverly edited her face out of it and demanded Suresh pay Rs 80,000 else she would forward the video to his wife and friends through Facebook. Since Suresh ignored her threat, the woman sent the video to his wife and a few colleagues, said the police. The woman tracked his photos on Facebook and sent the video to his friends, who were tagged in his photos. The man lodged a complaint with the T Nagar Cyber Crime police, who sent a request to Facebook and the account along with videos were deleted, said the police officer. In a similar incident, another man approached the cyber cell to help delete a video. Since the culprits are not from India we cannot arrest them. We delete the videos and the profile and also report the IP address to the concerned social media platform, said the police officer. Speaking to Express a senior police officer attached to Cyber Crime cell said, We have to be careful and do proper background checks to see if the person is legit. We are repeatedly saying not to share private pictures and videos, but people still go ahead and do it. In such cases, people need not come to the police station. They can lodge an online complaint and talk over phone. Their privacy will always be protected. A researcher prepares samples for testing. Credit: University of Missouri Viruses are like unwelcome housegueststhey require hosts to keep them fed and sheltered. In people, different types of viruses can cause diseases such as influenza, HIV, and now COIVD-19. Marc Johnson is a virologista scientist who studies how viruses, particularly HIV, interact with their hosts to replicate or spread between different hosts. While studying how viruses infect rainbow trout and other fish in graduate school, Johnson became more interested in studying the viruses than the fish. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, he was doubtful that raw sewage could allow scientists to track the spread of a virus within a community. But after analyzing dozens of samples of raw sewage from across Missouri for the presence of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, the one that causes COVID-19, Johnson quickly found out that this method can accurately predict the future spread of the COVID-19. His background and skills in molecular virology allowed him to determine how to best isolate and characterize the genetic markers of the SARS-CoV-2 virus found in raw sewage, or wastewater. For the project's state health partner, the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, this information has been useful to help track the spread of the outbreak in the state. At the beginning of the project, Johnson, a professor of molecular microbiology and immunology at the MU School of Medicine and investigator in the Christopher S. Bond Life Sciences Center, quickly discovered he could only conduct part of the analysis with the resources available to him in his lab. So, he found an expert who could complete the analysisone who happens to be on Mizzou's campus as well. Chung-Ho Lin is a research associate professor and lead scientist in the bioremediation program at the MU Center for Agroforestry in the MU College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources. Before this project, both researchers had never worked with each other before. After a couple weeks of analysis, Johnson recently shared some of his insight on the process. Why is this detection method beneficial for communities and states? The COVID-19 virus is present in human waste at very high levels because people begin shedding the virus before they develop symptoms. We can tell if the virus is present in a community by testing one sample of wastewater. To determine if a positive case is related to a new outbreak or is an isolated case, we continue monitoring the wastewater from week to week. Ultimately, we receive an unbiased, overview of the COVID-19 levels in a particular community. A sample from a wastewater site in Missouri is ready to be tested for the presence of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, the one that causes COVID-19. Credit: University of Missouri How do you describe the project? Everyone poops. When someone is infected with the COVID-19 virus, a little bit of the viral material is included in the poop. Once the waste reaches a wastewater treatment facility, we can measure that viral material to get an idea of how many possible cases there are in a community. Will you be able to tell if a specific residence hall has cases of the virus? If there is an outbreak on Mizzou's campus, we can go back to the original samples and determine which of the four residence hall clusters the signal is coming from. To narrow it down to an individual hall, we would need samples from individual residential halls, which is possible, but not something we currently have in place. Are there other viruses that can be tracked in a similar way? All viruses have a unique genetic sequence and could be tracked this way if their genetic material is found in the wastewater, but not all are typically present. How does the COVID-19 virus from inside someone's body end up in wastewater? Researchers can tell if the virus is present in a community by testing one sample of wastewater. Credit: University of Missouri We don't know for sure. We know it's shed into poop, but we aren't certain yet where the material originates. Most of the virus particles you are analyzing are not visible to the naked eye. How do you know the virus is present in a sample? We can detect its unique genetic, or RNA, sequence using a technique called quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, or RT-qPCR. This allows us to amplify the RNA sample to study it in greater detail. What is the coolest part about this project since it began? Realizing just how accurate the wastewater numbers are after we gathered enough data and plotted it against actual case data. We also have been testing wastewater samples for the city of Boise, Idaho, and were able to tie a rise in the presence of COVID-19 in the wastewater with a spike of positive cases occurring in the community. What happens to the wastewater once you are finished analyzing it? It is thoroughly decontaminated and discarded. Explore further A dirty job: Tracking coronavirus using human waste Peterborough firefighters and city police officers observed a moment of silence on Friday morning at the main Peterborough fire hall on Sherbrooke Street to commemorate the victims of the 9/11 attacks on the 19th anniversary. Participants in this years ceremony maintained physical distancing to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus. ***** U.S. remembers 9-11 as pandemic changes tribute traditions Karen Matthews and Jennifer Peltz The Associated Press NEW YORK Americans commemorated 9-11 Friday as a new national crisis the coronavirus pandemic reconfigured and divided anniversary ceremonies and a presidential campaign carved a path through the observances. In New York, victims relatives gathered Friday morning for split-screen remembrances, one at the Sept. 11 memorial plaza at the World Trade Center and another on a nearby corner, set up by a separate 9-11-related organization. The Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation objected to the memorials decision to forgo a long-standing tradition of having relatives read the names of the dead, often adding poignant tributes. Memorial leaders said the change for the 19th anniversary of the attacks was a coronavirus-safety precaution. Kathy Swift arrived early at the alternative ceremony, wearing a T-shirt honouring her slain brother, Thomas Swift, who worked in finance. We still have to remember, said Swift, 61. The whole countrys going downhill. Its one thing after another, and now with the COVID. Im glad theyre still having this, though. President Donald Trump and Democratic challenger Joe Biden both planned to go at different times to the Flight 93 National Memorial near Shanksville, Pennsylvania. Trump is speaking at the morning ceremony, the White House said. Biden planned to pay respects there in the afternoon after attending the observance at the 9-11 memorial in New York, where he and Vice-President Mike Pence greeted each other at ground zero before the ceremony began with the usual tolling of a bell. Pence was due later at the Tunnel to Towers Foundation ceremony, where he and his wife, Karen, were to read Bible passages. In short, the anniversary of 9-11 is a complicated occasion in a maelstrom of a year, as the U.S. grapples with a health crisis, searches its soul over racial injustice and prepares to choose a leader to chart a path forward. Still, 9-11 families say its important for the nation to pause and remember the hijacked-plane attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people at the trade centre, at the Pentagon in Washington and near Shanksville on Sept. 11, 2001, shaping American policy, perceptions of safety and daily life in places from airports to office buildings. Friday will mark Trumps second time observing the 9-11 anniversary at the Flight 93 memorial, where he made remarks in 2018. Biden spoke at the memorials dedication in 2011, when he was vice-president. The ground zero ceremony in New York has a long-standing custom of not allowing politicians to speak, though they can attend. Biden did so as vice-president in 2010, and Trump as a candidate in 2016. Although the candidates will be focused on the commemorations, the political significance of their focus on Shanksville is hard to ignore: Pennsylvania is a must-win state for both. Trump won it by less than a percentage point in 2016. Around the country, some communities have cancelled9-11 commemorations because of the pandemic, while others are going ahead, sometimes with modifications. The Pentagons observance will be so restricted that not even victims families can attend, though small groups can visit the memorial there later in the day. At the New York memorial, thousands of family members are still invited. But theyll hear a recording of the names from speakers spread around the vast plaza, a plan that memorial leaders felt would avoid close contact at a stage but still allow families to remember their loved ones at the place where they died. But some victims relatives felt the change robbed the observance of its emotional impact. The Tunnel to Towers Foundation arranged its own, simultaneous ceremony a few blocks away, saying there was no reason that people couldnt recite names while keeping a safe distance. The readers stood alone at podiums that were wiped down between each person. The two organizations also tussled over the Tribute in Light, a pair of powerful beams that shine into the night sky near the trade centre and evoke its fallen twin towers. The 9-11 memorial initially cancelled the display, citing virus-safety concerns for the installation crew. After the Tunnel to Towers Foundation vowed to put up the lights instead, the memorial changed course with help from its chair, former Mayor Mike Bloomberg, and Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Tunnel to Towers, meanwhile, arranged to display single beams for the first time at the Shanksville memorial and the Pentagon. Over the years, the anniversary also has become a day for volunteering. Because of the pandemic, the 9-11 National Day of Service and Remembrance organization is encouraging people this year to make donations or take other actions that can be accomplished at home. D iversitys powerful Black Lives Matter-inspired performance on Britains Got Talent has become the second most-complained about TV moment of the decade. The moving routine saw the dance troupe, who won BGT in 2009, reference George Floyds death while the main track started with his final words: I cant breathe. The four-and-a-half-minute performance saw the group dance to Daxs track Black Lives Matter, which includes lyrics such as: Nobody's born racist, man, it's something you learn / Deep rooted in your brain from the day of your birth / I think it's time that we repair all of these bridges we've burned. Diversity received a standing ovation from the judges when their performance came to an end in Saturdays show and many fans took to Twitter to praise the troupe for their efforts. However in the six days that have followed, a total of 10,267 complaints have been made to Ofcom, according to MailOnline. The only TV moment to receive more complaints in the last 10 years is Celebrity Big Brothers 2018 punchgate, which saw Roxanne Pallett falsely accuse Ryan Thomas of hitting her and racked up 25,327 calls to the broadcasting watchdog. As is standard procedure, Ofcom is now assessing the complaints and deciding whether or not to investigate. Britain's Got Talent: Past Winners - In pictures 1 /17 Britain's Got Talent: Past Winners - In pictures 2007 Paul Potts Ken McKay/Rex 2008 George Sampson Ken McKay/Rex 2009 Diversity Ken McKay/Rex 2010 Spelbound Ken McKay/Thames/Rex 2011 Ant and Dec [Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly] with Jai McDowall Ken McKay/Thames/Rex 2012 Ashleigh and Pudsey Ken McKay/Thames/Rex 2013 Attraction Ken McKay/Thames/Rex 2014 Collabro Tom Dymond/Thames/Rex 2015 Jules O'Dwyer and Matisse Syco/Thames/Splash News 2016 Richard Jones Syco/Thames/Corbis/Dymond 2017 Tokio Myers Syco/Thames/Dymond 2018 Lost Voice Guy Dymond/Thames/Syco/REX 2019 Colin Thackery Dymond/Thames/Syco/Rex Features Diversitys Jordan Banjo addressed the events on Kiss Radio earlier this week, admitting his sadness at the negative reactions. Of course you get some critiques but normally it's focused on the dance. But this one was different, it was really important, it was special to us, he said. We are all about positivity and love and we got so much positivity and love back from this one. The dancer added that he mas been bombarded with messages, some of which claim Diversity [is] not diverse enough because there's only five white people in it. 'I can't speak for anyone else it's sad, it's sad, genuinely, he added, fighting back tears. I feel anxious and worried saying something like Black Lives Matter when that's all we want, love and positivity, no one is saying only Black Lives Matter. The LNP administration at Brisbane City Council has overseen a television advertisement spend increase from $47,000 to $1.2 million over the past four years. Figures released by the council after a question on notice by Labor councillors show the administration spent just $47,834 on television advertisements in 2016-17. A screenshot from Brisbane City Council's 'Brisbetter' campaign. By 2019-20 that spend had blown out to $1.2 million, covering an election year also hit by the coronavirus pandemic. A second question on notice from Labor on Tuesday showed more than 60 council newsletters, flyers and brochures included lord mayor Adrian Schrinner's photo, with one monthly newsletter costing about $110,000 each month. Glanbia and Lakeland Dairies today announced their milk price for August supplies. Glanbia will pay its Member milk suppliers 30.60 cent per litre (cpl) (including VAT) for August creamery milk supplies at 3.6% butterfat and 3.3% protein. This is a 0.5 cpl increase from the July milk price. Glanbia Ireland (GI) will pay a base milk price for August of 30.18 cpl (including VAT) for creamery milk at 3.6% fat and 3.3% protein. Farmer Members will also receive a 0.42 cpl (including VAT) payment from Glanbia Co-op on all milk supplied this month as their Share of GI Profit. Glanbia Chairman Martin Keane said: Dairy product prices across the EU have been reasonably stable in recent weeks despite an overall weaker macroeconomic outlook. We will continue to closely monitor the various factors influencing the dairy market including the ongoing challenges from Covid-19, global milk supply growth, exchange rate movements and Brexit developments. Lakeland Dairies will pay a base price of 31c/litre (including VAT) for milk supplied in August. The base price is unchanged from July. Commenting on the price, Lakeland Dairies said: There is a cautious stability in the market at present, however, there are a number of issues on the horizon that are of concern in the dairy markets. The dynamic between supply and demand is a serious concern with production in the main dairy regions growing supply year-on-year. This increase in production is being met by weaker demand from buyers. On the back of this supply-demand dynamic, volumes of dairy products currently in Private Storage will be coming back on to the market in the coming months. This has the potential to flood an already depressed market. Elsewhere, the serious uncertainty around what shape, if any, a Free Trade Agreement between the EU and the UK post-Brexit is a major concern to all exporting companies. Clarity is required in this space as the lack of progress between the EU and the UK is worrying. Lakeland Dairies will continue to monitor the market closely in the coming weeks. The death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput and the array of cases that followed involving various central and state agencies have opened Pandoras box that seems to get murkier with each passing day. While Rhea Chakraborty has been the prime target of parts of mainstream media, Twitter trolls and law enforcement agencies as well, many other celebrities are pitching in with their views on the matter. Yesterday, Bollywood actress Shibani Dandekar created a furore after she made a comment on Twitter accusing Sushants ex-girlfriend Ankita Lokhande for seeking 2 seconds of fame. This woman clearly wants her 2 seconds of fame and has capitalised on Rhea being targeted because she has had never dealt with her own relationship issues with Sushant.. she has been the driving force behind this and she needs to be called out! https://t.co/egM6iZRuHU shibani dandekar (@shibanidandekar) September 10, 2020 The latest entrant in the controversy is TV actress Chahatt Khanna, who retweeted a post of Shibani saying, Roses Are Red, Violets Are Blue, Lets Smash The Patriarchy, Me And You. This was bound to invite the wrath of trolls, who appear to be attacking anyone and everyone who sides with Rhea in this ongoing case. One user commented, People who are showing sympathy to rhea are just trying to make sure she doesnt name them, while another tweet read, Ohhho tmko v supply hota tha ky bohot justice chhiye. Q material nhi mil raha hai ky? (sic)." The vile comments were too much to take for Chahatt and she clarified, Dear followers I am not a drug addict, I was never into all this nor I am part of any core Bollywood group, for a reason. When I say #JusticeForRhea I mean she is suffering a lot, why didnt we take action on #jiahkhan case then (sic)? Dear followers iam not a drug addict, i was never into all this nor iam part of any core bollywood group, for a reason. when i say #JusticeForRhea i mean she is suffering a lot, why dint we take a action on #jiahkhan case then? Chahatt Khanna (@TheChahatt) September 10, 2020 Interestingly, soon after this tweet, Chahatt posted a tweet in support of Kangana, who in this whole episode, has been seen on the opposite side of the debate with her frequent attacks on Bollywood culture and the Maharashtra government. She tweeted, Dear @KanganaTeam, I am proud of you, and with you in this fight, until now I didnt believe in you till your house was attacked, Mumbai is nobodys property. As a Mumbaikar, I welcome you back to my city (sic). Dear @KanganaTeam iam proud of you, and with you in this fight, untill now i dint believe in you till your house was attacked ,Mumbai is nobodys property as a mumbaikar I welcome you back to my city #JaiHind Chahatt Khanna (@TheChahatt) September 10, 2020 Chahatt went on to hit out at the Mumbai police and BMC as well. Her latest tweet calls for shame to the municipal authority. #JusticeforSushantSingRajput We want the real truth not the crafted one ! I was so proud of @MumbaiPolice but feel sad now.. cant trust no one. Chahatt Khanna (@TheChahatt) September 10, 2020 Meanwhile, bail pleas filed by Bollywood actress Rhea Chakraborty and her brother Showik were denied by a magistrate court today. They were arrested in connection with the drugs case filed by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB). Letterbox area of public housing flats in Singapore. (Getty Images file photo) SINGAPORE SingPost is working with the police on an alleged case of vandalism in Choa Chu Kang, where letterbox master doors of six housing board flats were found to be forcibly pried opened on Friday morning (11 September). A SingPost spokesperson said that the incident was reported by a town council staff at about 5.30am and involved Blocks 706, 707 and 708 Choa Chu Kang Street 53 as well as Blocks 756, 757 and 758 Choa Chu Kang North 5. Two Inspectors of Post were immediately dispatched to the affected blocks, where the lock mechanisms of the master doors were found to have been tampered with and damaged, said the spokesperson. The affected locks were repaired and master doors were secured at 7am on Friday. A check on the letterboxes at all other blocks in the area were found to be unaffected. SingPost is currently working closely with the police on this possible case of vandalism, added the spokesperson. Residents of the affected blocks who suspect that their mail have been affected can contact Choa Chu Kang neighbourhood police centre at 1800 765 9999, said SingPost. It added that members of the public with information on this matter should contact the police. Stay in the know on-the-go: Join Yahoo Singapore's Telegram channel at http://t.me/YahooSingapore More Singapore stories: COVID-19: Singapore confirms 87 new cases, 33 from Avery Lodge dorm Singapore, Japan to set up green lane travel arrangement from 18 Sept Initiative to help vulnerable families tackle dengue threat gets support from 7 MPs Moderna Therapeutics that has emerged as the frontrunner in the race for a coronavirus vaccine is in talks with several countries for a possible rollout of the much-awaited jab, the US-based biotech company has told Moneycontrol. The company said it was committed to equitable access to its vaccine candidate but declined comment on a possible plan for a launch in India or a tie-up with Indian companies to distribute the vaccine. We are in ongoing conversations with a number of countries around the world for Modernas investigational vaccine mRNA 1273, Moderna spokesperson said in an email to queries about its plans for India. At this stage, we cannot disclose any further details, the statement added. 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 Spotlight is back on the company after the British drugmaker AstraZeneca earlier this week paused phase-3 clinical trials of its vaccine after suspected adverse reaction in a participant in the United Kingdom. On September 10, Serum Institute of India, too, put on hold trials of AstraZeneca's vaccine, developed with the University of Oxford, in the country. Drugmakers are racing to come out with a vaccine to contain the pandemic that has known to have sickened more than 28 million across the world and killed at least 904,000 people. India, too, is seeing a surge in cases, with daily infections hovering close to 100,000-mark. The country now has at least 4.5 million confirmed Covid-19 cases, including 76,271 deaths. We remain committed to making sure we have timely, affordable and equitable access for our candidate vaccine to ensure a global response to the pandemic, it said. COVID-19 Vaccine Watch: All you need to know about the vaccines manufacturing and pricing Since it was founded in 2010, Moderna had worked to build the industry's leading mRNA technology platform, the Massachusetts-based biotech company said. Moderna became one of the first companies to take a Covid-19 vaccine into a phase III clinical trial, which tests the safety and efficacy of a drug or a jab. The company, which was little known until it announced a successful phase-1 trial earlier this year, is in the process of enrolling 30,000 people for the Phase-3 trial, expected to be completed later this month. The results will be announced in October and if successful, a rollout by year-end. Moderna said earlier that smaller volumes of its experimental vaccine have been priced at $32-$37 (Rs 2, 354-2,722) per dose. Follow our LIVE blog for the latest updates of the novel coronavirus pandemic Silent on India Moderna remains tight-lipped on India, which has the second-highest number of Covid-19 cases in the world and is also one of the biggest vaccine-makers. Companies such as AstraZeneca, Novavax, Johnson & Johnson have announced partnerships with Indian companies such as Serum Institute of India and Biological E to manufacture and distribute vaccines in India. Modernas method of producing vaccine differs from conventional manufacturers and it may not require the expertise that Indian companies offer. The companys vaccine uses genetic material called messenger RNA to instruct bodys cells to make viral proteins that induce an immune response. The vaccines that are in the market now contain weakened or inactivated disease-causing viruses or proteins called antigens, which work by mimicking the infectious microbe. Once the vaccine is injected, it activates the bodys immune system and issues instructions to produce antibodies. Conventional vaccines are complex to produce. The organism or the protein of choice has to be cloned first, which is time-consuming and expensive. The advantage of mNRA method is that it helps to develop and produce vaccines rapidly at scale. These vaccines are safer as they don't use any live or inactivated viruses. Also read: Explained: Is Moderna's vaccine for COVID-19 worth the hype? Moderna earlier said it was on track to deliver around 500 million doses per year, and possibly up to 1 billion doses per year from 2021 because of the companys US manufacturing capabilities and strategic collaboration with Switzerland-based Lonza. Recently, the company also announced a tie-up with US-based Catalent for large-scale, commercial fill-finish manufacturing of mRNA-1273 for the US and with ROVI of Spain for other countries. Moderna, which has never brought a vaccine in the market, has received nearly $1 billion from the US government under its Operation Warp Speed programme that is funding several coronavirus vaccine candidates. Mouni Roy is all set to make her OTT debut with the upcoming film London Confidential, in which plays a RAW agent. In a recent interview, Mouni opened up about shooting for the flying to London to shoot the film amidst the COVID-19 pandemic and how they took extraordinary measures to keep everyone safe. She also spoke about what acts as a deciding factor for her to say yes to a project. In an interview with Hindustan Times, when Mouni was asked what drew her to OTT, she said, "The film that I shot for is called London Confidential. It will start streaming on Zee5 from September 18. It is a spy thriller. I'm playing Uma, a RAW agent who tries to unearth a Chinese conspiracy against India. It was a rather unique experience shooting for the film." She continued, "We flew to London amidst the on-going Covid-19 pandemic for the shoot. On the set, it was all about adhering to social distancing norms. I was a little worried and anxious initially. The entire set used to be sanitised every day. In fact, we used to sanitise our scripts before picking them up. But overall, it was a memorable one." Saying that it is the script that drives her to a film, Mouni continued, "In this case, I really loved the story. I thought it would be nice to play a character that I haven't played before. I've always been keen on becoming a part of a project with a meaty female part. It required me to take on a certain body language and that helped me challenge myself. I keep looking for parts that help me push the envelope and move out of my comfort zone." London Confidential will stream on ZEE5 from September 18. It has been directed by Kanwal Sethi and it also stars Purab Kohli, Jas Binag, Sagar Arya, Kiren Jogi, Diljohn Singh, Parvesh Rana and Kulraj Randhawa. ALSO READ: Mouni Roy On Being Stranded In UAE Amid COVID-19 Crisis: 'Didn't Imagine World Will Shut Down' ALSO READ: Mouni Roy Gushes Over Lovebirds Ranbir Kapoor And Alia Bhatt! City councillors just returned to in-person meetings at City Hall this week after months of virtual meetings, but theyre already thinking ahead to how they can easily revert to teleconferences if a second wave of COVID-19 requires it. Right now a municipal bylaw states council cannot switch back and forth between in-person and virtual meetings unless the city is in a declared state of emergency. Currently, thats the case: a state of emergency was declared by Mayor Diane Therrien on March 23 and still stands. But a new report from city clerk John Kennedy says theres a way for the mayor to lift the state of emergency without impinging on councils ability to return to meeting by teleconference if the pandemic worsens. Its possible to tweak the bylaw, states Kennedys report, since the provincial government passed new legislation in July allowing flexibility for members of council to meet electronically outside of a declared emergency. All council must do is amend its bylaw to reflect that new provincial legislation. Councillors could potentially give preliminary approval to a bylaw amendment at a committee meeting Monday, for ratification at a council meeting Sept. 28. They may want to consider it, since five councillors told The Examiner recently they want the state of emergency lifted immediately. Coun. Henry Clarke, Coun. Stephen Wright, Coun. Keith Riel, Coun. Dean Pappas and Coun. Lesley Parnell are concerned because the declaration authorizes Therrien and a group of city staff to make unilateral decisions in the pandemic, shutting them out of some areas of decision-making. Only Therrien can lift the declaration. Parnell wants her to do it now. It is time for all the elected people in this community to be making all the decisions, Parnell said at a committee meeting on Tuesday. At that same meeting on Tuesday the mayor said she would re-evaluate the declaration at the end of September and possibly lift it, after children have been back in school a few weeks. Therrien said she doesnt think its cautious to lift the state of emergency declaration any sooner because a second wave could still come. A resurgence of the virus would force her to lift and then reinstate the declaration, she said, and shes not prepared to do that. Roughly half of Ontarios municipalities have lifted their state of emergency declarations. The City of Kawartha Lakes and Cobourg were among Ontario municipalities to do so in late July after the province ended its state of emergency. Otonabee-South Monaghan Township lifted its declaration last month. In his latest revelation about mystery-shrouded Pyongang, US President Donald Trump has told Bob Woodwoard, who is writing a book on Trump, that Kim Jong Un had ordered the killing of his uncle, Jang Song Thaek, and the headless body of Jang was displayed to senior North Korean officials. The head was sitting on the chest, Trump is believed to have said to the writer. Jang Song Thaek, accused of treason, was executed in 2013. Five things to know about Jang Song Thaek: 1. Jang Song Thaek became part of North Koreas first family by marriage. He got married to one of the daughters of North Koreas founder kim Il Sung, Kim Kyong Hui. Both attended Kim Il Sung university. The duo got married in 1972. they had a daughter who reportedly killed herself in 2006. 2. When Kim Jong Un came to power in 2011, it is believed that Jang helped him cement his authorities. 3. He was believed to be a reformist who wanted to open the doors of North Korea. 4. Jang Song Thaeks execution was one of the major purges that Kim Jong Un undertook after he came to power. Pyongang accused Jang of plotting to overthrow the government. Jang was described as worse than a dog, and despicable human scum by North Koreas official news agency KCNA. 5. Several conspiracy theories floated about how Jang was killed. It was rumoured that he was stripped naked and fed to dogs. But the account was later attributed to a satirical post that appeared on a Chinese social media network. With the Government of India setting up an expert panel to assess the impact of interest waiver on moratorium loans, what began as a COVID-19 relief measure from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has become a central government subject. The finance ministry has appointed an expert committee chaired by Rajiv Mehrishi, former Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India. Ravindra H Dholakia, former member of the RBIs Monetary Policy Committee, and B Sriram, former managing director of the State Bank of India and IDBI Bank, are the other two members. The RBI, which is the banking regulator, is missing from the panel. This is a tad surprising since interest waiver and loan moratorium started as an RBI scheme and not a government scheme to provide relief to borrowers. In fact, the RBI had already given its estimate on the likely impact of interest waiver on the banking sector around Rs 2 lakh-crore. According to Macquarie Capital, if interest-on-interest during the moratorium period is waived off, the impact on the banking system could be about Rs 15,000-20,000 crore. This means, there are already some estimates available for the likely impact on interest waiver on the industry. In this backdrop, what exactly is the purpose of setting up a government panel on this issue excluding the RBI? Remember, this committee is being set up at a time when the case on interest waiver and the waiver of interest on interest waiver is already in the Supreme Court. The court is yet to give a final ruling on the matter, but the judiciary's observations so far suggest that it is of the opinion that interest on interest amounts to a penal action to moratorium customers. There are no second thoughts that this subject is highly crucial for the banking sector. If the interest amount is waived, banks will have to bear a significant cost. In the present scenario, their financials will weaken further if the government fails to provide adequate capital. Then there is a fundamental question how will banks pay depositors interest if they dont charge interest from borrowers. Also, if the interest amount is waived for moratorium borrowers, those borrowers who havent availed moratorium and continued with regular payment could raise a question on differential treatment. As mentioned earlier, the moratorium scheme was conceptualised and implemented as a crisis-response measure. It was clearly stated that the banks will be only deferring EMIs for the said period and not waive the loan amount or interest amount. So, the RBI and banks have a valid argument to state that it is within the rights of banks to charge interest on the deferred EMIs from the borrower. However, then the counter question comes: Being an emergency crisis-response measure, should the assistance be extended partly or fully? The very reason moratorium has been given is that borrowers are stressed. The economy is in a contraction mode. There is no business revival yet. Massive layoffs are no longer making news across industries. The pandemic has paralysed the economy, and an immediate recovery is out of question. How can the borrower take up the additional burden of deferred EMIs and compound interest after the cut-off date while their financial situation has not improved at all? Wont it add to their woes given that the loan after adjusting the moratorium deferral, will have a bigger EMI or extended loan repayment tenure? While hearing the interest waiver case, the court has also asked the banks not to tag loans that are standard as on August 31 as NPAs till further orders. Be it the NPA classification or interest waiver, ultimately, the banking sector will have to take the hit. The question is who will compensate these institutions that are already fighting an unprecedented crisis in the wake of an outbreak. Will the government, which has set up the panel, compensate the monetary loss to the banks? Both the government and the apex court should note that the loan moratorium and interest waiver is an RBI scheme. The regulator is the best judge to decide how the concerns should be addressed on the issue. The RBI's decision should be final on this issue in the best interest of the common depositor. At this stage, the RBI is only a mute spectator in the whole show. This is unfortunate and doesnt augur well for the banking sector. A 37-year-old mans body with some injury marks on throat and a beer bottle in his hand was found in his rented flat in East Delhis Yojna Vihar on Wednesday. The Delhi police registered a case of murder on Thursday and questioned at least three men but were yet to make arrests, investigators said on Friday. Deputy police commissioner (Shahdara) Amit Sharma said a person known to Sanjeev Kumar went to meet him and found the latter dead in his room while its air conditioner was on. Also read: 3 held for killing 20-yr-old for gold chain, dumping body in Vasai creek The main door was ajar. Kumar was lying on the bed. A beer bottle was there in his hand. There were no signs of any robbery as everything including his mobile phone was intact. Although, there were no signs of any struggle on the crime scene, we registered a case of murder after finding some marks on his throat, said Sharma. Kumar lived alone in the flat. He was unmarried and his parents died around five years ago. Police have learnt that Kumar sold his ancestral property in Jwala Nagar and had been living in rented accommodations. Prime facie, it appears that Kumar was murdered. But we are probing other possibilities in the case as well. We are trying to know about the source of his livelihood, friends and other antecedents, said Sharma. New moderate income housing program could be on the way to Long Beach Metropolitan Melbourne's crucial 14-day average for new coronavirus cases is on track to drop below 60 early next week, while in regional Victoria the 14-day average is at its lowest level since July 17. There were no new cases reported today in regional Victoria. Department of Health and Human Services data shows the 14-day average for new coronavirus cases in the metropolitan Melbourne region fell to 61.6 on Saturday. For regional Victoria the 14-day average is currently 4.3. Under the state's government roadmap, the Melbourne region will be able to move to its next step of reopening on September 28 if the 14-day average for new cases is between 30 and 50. On Saturday, new state government data was released tracking metropolitan Melbourne's 14-day average since the start of July, which shows how much this metric had improved over the past month after reaching a peak of 431 on August 8. Here's how metropolitan Melbourne's 14-day average has been tracking against that target: For Melbourne to reach step two, the blue line in this graph has to thread its way through the green zone between 30 and 50 by the time it reaches the dotted line placed at September 28. If this target is met, gatherings of up to five people would be permitted, prep-grade twos and VCE students would return to school and some professions would return to work. Some coronavirus restrictions will ease in regional Victoria from September 13, but for the area's lockdown to be loosened further it must drive its 14-day average down to fewer than five cases and there must not have been any new mystery cases, where the infection source cannot be traced, over the same period. Its 14-day average is currently 4.3, and has been below five since September 9, which means it meets the first criterion. But it hasnt quite met the second criterion, with Deputy Chief Health Officer Allen Cheng saying on Thursday there had been eight new mystery cases in regional Victoria over the previous fortnight. Here is how regional Victoria is tracking against the target of a 14-day average below five: State government data released on Saturday shows the 14-day average in regional Victoria is at its lowest level since July 17. Back then the area's 14-day average was at 3.7 and rising due to in part to the Australian Lamb Company outbreak in Colac, in the state's west. On Saturday, Premier Daniel Andrews said that if current trends continue, regional Victoria would be on track to meet its step three target by mid next week. If the target is met, movement restrictions for regional residents would be removed, hospitality venues would be able to resume outdoor dining and public gatherings of up to 10 people would be permitted. Home > Archives (2006 on) > 2020 > I danced in the streets after Allendes victory in Chile 50 years ago. Now I (...) by Ariel Dorfman September. 4, 2020 Fifty years ago today, on the night of Sept. 4, 1970, I was dancing, along with a multitude of others, in the streets of Santiago de Chile. We were celebrating the election of Salvador Allende, the first democratically elected socialist leader in the world. President Allendes victory had historical significance beyond Chile. Before then, political revolutions had been violent, imposed by force of arms. Allende and his left-wing coalition used peaceful means, proclaiming it unnecessary to repress ones adversaries to achieve social justice. Radical change could happen within the confines and promises of a democracy. It was a thrilling moment to be alive. Anything seemed possible. I remember the people workers who had built that country and been denied its riches, women from shantytowns with children in tow pouring into the city center, their rebellious presence portending a new social order. I have often fantasized about how different the world would be if Allende had not been overthrown, three years later, in a bloody coup. I wonder where humanity would be if his peaceful revolution had been allowed to run its course and become a template for other countries. Commemorating this anniversary should not be an exercise in personal nostalgia, however. Allendes victory still matters because it continues to speak to us in many ways, especially now, as the United States faces a momentous election of its own. Socialism is not on the ballot this November, despite President Trumps deranged efforts to portray his opponents as extremists. But voters will be deciding whether this country will embrace sweeping change or remain trapped in the past. If Joe Biden wins, American citizens, of which I am now one, will have to ask themselves major questions about how to implement much-needed reforms, as we did in Chile all those decades ago. Any process of systemic change will always run into difficulty. In the case of the U.S., critical transformations like police reform can either be accelerated to ensure there is no turning back or slowed to avoid a debilitating backlash. In some instances, negotiations will be crucial. In others climate change, COVID-19 demands must be doggedly non-negotiable. The Biden administration will also have to work constructively with throngs of inspiring activists who are eager to advance further and more quickly than the majority of the nation is willing to go. Even more crucial, the administration will have to isolate and outmaneuver the well-armed and well-financed fanatics who are virulently opposed to any limitation of their privileges and ready to resort to violence. If we had resolved similar challenges in Chile, we might have prevented Augusto Pinochets catastrophic dictatorship 17 years of executions, torture, persecution and exile, the effects of which we are still suffering today. There was another factor that contributed to our failure: The United States promoted the overthrow of Allende, then nurtured the tyrannical regime that ensued. Chile is far from the only country whose sovereignty the U.S. has flouted, of course. America has helped to overthrow democratically elected governments in Iran, Guatemala, Indonesia, and the Congo, among others. But the destabilization of Chile the squashing of the hope that flooded the streets of Santiago 50 years ago had particularly perverse consequences. Just as this country must confront the mistreatment and marginalization of many of its own people, so must it face up to its legacy of imposing suffering on other lands. The death of Chilean democracy and inauguration of a reign of terror symbolized by Allendes death at the Presidential Palace on Sept. 11, 1973 also turned the country into a ruthless laboratory for neoliberal economics, the same savage capitalism that is being vigorously contested in the United States today. It would be naive to suggest that the Allende government could have precluded that neoliberal paradigm from conquering the world. Plenty of other nations were primed for the experiment. But it is sobering to think that if Chiles revolution had not been thwarted, it may have provided a model for how the U.S. could emerge from its current crisis of inequality and division. I expect Americans will have cause to dance in the streets this November, as another electoral victory announces the dawn of a new era. And if so, I hope some among them might remember that they are not alone that, once upon a time, other men and women danced toward justice in a land that is not, after all, that far away. Ariel Dorfman is the author of Death and the Maiden. His most recent books are Cautivos, a novel about Cervantes, and The Rabbits Rebellion, a story for children and adults. He lives in Chile and in Durham, N.C., where he is a professor emeritus of literature at Duke University. Seven European nations have come together over their shared concerns for heightened tensions in the Meditteranean and urged Turkey to end its unilateral and illegal activities in the region. As Turkey seeks to expand its energy resources in the Mediterranean, France, Greece, Cyprus, Malta, Italy, Spain, and Portugal tried to gathered in Corsica for de-escalation talks on Thursday, September 10. Read: Erdogan Chides Greece, EU Over Mediterranean Spat EU countries urge Turkey to begin dialogue In their statement, the leaders also re-affirmed their support for Greece and Cyprus, who they claim have been facing Turkey's hostile actions. The statement further added that if Turkey continues with its aggressive activities in the Meditteranean and rejects attempts to open dialogue, then the EU is prepared to develop a comprehensive list of restrictive measures to be slapped on the Erdogan government. Amid heightened tensions, Turkish vessels reportedly continue to survey eastern Medittarean where Greece and Cyprus have claimed exclusive economic rights. France is also reported to have begun conducting military patrols in the region in an effort to show its support for Greece and Cyprus. In the event of no dialogues between Turkey, Greece, and Cyprus, the leaders at the summit have called on Germany to act as mediators while is also reported to have Russia offered to mediate in the conflict. Read: Turkey Begins Annual Military Drill In Cyprus As Tension Escalates In Mediterranean As per reports, French President Emmanuel Macron has termed Turkeys action in the region as unacceptable and inadmissible behaviour and further added that the country was no longer behaving like a partner in the region. In response, the Turkish Foreign Ministry retorted Macrons comments as "arrogant" and originating from an old colonial mindset. While Greece appealed to other European nations for assistance, Greek European Affairs Minister Miltiadis Varvitsiotis has said that the heightened tensions over energy resources are a cause for great concern as it threatens Europes security architecture. While citing Turkeys actions in Libya and Syria, he termed the country as a major destabilising factor. (Image/Input Credit AP) Read: Erdogan Raises Rhetoric In Greece Standoff In Mediterranean Read: Turkey Extends Exploration Work In Disputed Mediterranean Sea To September 12 The Manitoba government is not renewing orders to prevent COVID-19-strapped residential tenants from being evicted or having their rent increased. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 10/9/2020 (497 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. The Manitoba government is not renewing orders to prevent COVID-19-strapped residential tenants from being evicted or having their rent increased. The province announced Thursday it is extending nine Emergency Measures Act orders "to help individuals, business and government cope with the challenges presented by the pandemic and to help reduce the spread of COVID-19." However, effective Oct. 1, it is repealing provisions that suspended non-urgent evictions, the collection of late fees for non-payment of rent and frozen rent increases. "The changes allow landlords to begin proceedings for evictions against tenants for non-payment of rent and other non-urgent issues. They will also be able to begin charging late fees on rent that is not paid on time on that date or later, but cannot charge fees on rent that was overdue while the suspension was in place," a news release said. Increases cannot be applied or charged retroactively for the period the rent freeze was in place, it noted. A Manitoba Finance spokeswoman said Thursday they had been temporary amendments made to protect residential tenants impacted by COVID-19 following Manitobas declaration of a state of emergency in March. "It is important to balance the needs of landlords and tenants as part of our gradual and balanced economic recovery plan," Andrea Slobodian said in an email. "Lifting the suspension, which has been in place for over five months, aligns Manitoba with the recent decisions of Saskatchewan, British Columbia and Ontario to resume non-urgent terminations and eviction hearings." The provincial opposition was quick to slam the move. "Its disappointing the Pallister government would cut off all supports for renters, and lift a freeze on evictions, at the same time that they renew a state of emergency. Clearly, the COVID-19 pandemic is still present in Manitoba and, with thousands of families still feeling its effects, Mr. Pallister is making life even harder," said NDP MLA Mark Wasyliw. The decision to lift evictions is potentially "disastrous," said Liberal Leader Dougald Lamont. "There could be a wave of homelessness, with families and individuals put out on the street," he said. "I cant understand the thinking behind this, but it is an inhumane decision." Renters are not the only ones facing a potential shift in their financial landscape. The province also announced that effective Sept. 30 it is no longer suspending Manitoba Student Aid loan repayments. The renewal of the Emergency Measures Act orders includes extending the temporary suspension of the International Fuel Tax Agreement credential provision until Nov. 15. It waives credential requirements for Manitoba carriers traveling to IFTA jurisdictions helping them to bring food, medical supplies and other goods into and out of the province. Some of the orders are being renewed until the spring of 2021 include: Stay informed The latest updates on the novel coronavirus and COVID-19 delivered to your inbox every weeknight. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Manitoba Health, Seniors and Active Living: continue to reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19 by restricting staff from working in more than one personal care home. Manitoba Justice: continued use of video conferencing to witness the signing of documents under the Manitoba Evidence Act, the Powers of Attorney Act and the Wills Act. Manitoba Conservation and Climate: regulatory change will see the extension of certifications for operators of water and waste-water facilities. Manitoba Education: support the use of, and transition to, electronic meetings with the temporary suspension of the requirement for trustees to physically attend a school board meeting at least once every three months. Manitoba Finance: allow for the continued use of video conferencing to witness the signing of documents under subsections of the Homesteads Act and the Real Property Act. carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca Delhi BJP chief Adesh Gupta Friday gave an ultimatum to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led Delhi government to shift within 90 days the 48,000 families living in slums along railway tracks to the 52,000 vacant flats available with the state government. Gupta said if the Delhi government fails to do so, then the BJP will step in to shift the residents to these flats. The Supreme Court had ordered authorities to remove nearly 48,000 slum dwellings situated along railway tracks in Delhi within three months -- an order that has led to a fresh political slugfest between the BJP and the AAP. Also read: Kejriwal govt will give railway slum residents home if Centre doesnt: Raghav Chadha Targeting the AAP, the BJP said despite being in power for over five years, the ruling party has done little to rehabilitate slum dwellers. This is an ultimatum for the Delhi government -- if they do not shift the slum dwellers within the next 90 days into those 52,000 houses lying vacant, then we will start shifting the slum dwellers into those vacant houses, Gupta said. The BJP said the government has nearly 52,000 flats ready for slums dwellers in different parts of the city. Ramvir Singh Bidhuri, leader of the opposition in the Delhi Assembly, said, The central government bore 50% of the cost of constructing these flats. The Delhi government should relocate slum dwellers there. Addressing a press conference on Friday, AAP national spokesperson Raghav Chadha said the Delhi government has written to the Northern Railway, arguing that any demolition without rehabilitating residents would be unconstitutional and illegal. This affidavit proves that Kejriwal is not only the chief minister of Delhi, but also the elder son to the families of the slum dwellers. Kejriwal will take up every responsibility of the elder son and will not allow any eviction unless the BJP-ruled Centre comes up with a proper rehabilitation plan. The ongoing case in the apex court is not even about slum demolition, but the BJP filed the affidavit in a bid to get a court order so they can demolish the slums as they were unable to do so earlier because of the Arvind Kejriwal government, he said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON WESTPORT Nineteen years after the World Trade Center was leveled in terrorist attacks and took the lives of thousands, the memory of the day still evokes pain for many. On Thursday, elected officials, families and friends gathered at Sherwood Island State Park in masks to pay their respects to those who died on 9/11. The ceremony noticeably marked another tragedy the nation is going through as it grapples with the coronavirus pandemic. This is a year were never going to forget and 9/11 is a day well never forget, and should never forget, Gov. Ned Lamont said before the gathered audience. Lamont said one of his memories from the day was the extraordinary heroism he saw by first responders in rescuing and assisting many in the aftermath of the towers being struck. We had a different type of first responder during COVID and it involved essential workers, but they were heroes just the same, he said, highlighting doctors, food service providers and others who assisted throughout the pandemic. After the tragedy the nation was united in a way it had not been in several years, Lamont said, and a similar sense of unity could sprout from the pandemic. The impact of the day is emotional from those directly and indirectly impacted by the tragedy. Fred Haschak, a 72-year-old Bridgeport resident and 35-year veteran of Bridgeport Fire Departmet, said he plans to walk eight miles from his Black Rock residence to Sherwood Island State Park to honor the memory of those lost in the 9/11 attack. He said he carries a flag with all the names of the people who perished as he walks. I reflect all the way and it means a lot to me, he said. I feel its something I have to do for the 343 (New York City firefighters) and the people who died. Harris Falk, a Westport resident who lived in New York when the attacks occurred, said he stayed in his city to help however he could on 9/11. When something horrific happens everybody pulls together, he said. I know in New York everybody pulled together. ... Im hoping we do that with COVID. Bruce Taylor, a Weston resident, said in Fairfield County after 9/11 many families were brought together and got to know each other. We dont see each other often, he said. But at least once a year we see the people we met 19 years ago. Thats a nice part of this very sad occasion. Connie Taylor, a Weston resident whose son Bradley H. Vadas was one of many Connecticut residents who died, said its important to never forget the tragedy of 9/11. I think its important we dont forget out past and what has happened, she said. Im always very moved by this and glad I could make it one more time. dj.simmons@hearstmediact.com Government pilots involving 'lab in a van' tests by the companies Oxford Nanopore (LamPORE technology), Optigene and DNANudge are already underway, but others are being developed and tested all the time. These are some of the tests that could be involved in Operation Moonshot: HALO - 'Game-changing' saliva test HALO saliva test kit: Clients can take the test at home by spitting into a tube (top right, the tube, bottom right, the funnel), and sending the sample off for processing Sample type: Saliva Turnaround time: As little as seven hours Tests per day: 'Over 250,000 tests per week' Accuracy: 100% specificity ( claimed Price: Unknown, but thought to be lower than 25 per kit. The website says: 'The cost is around the same as average private health insurance, and less than half that of the cheapest swab-based test.' British biotech company Halo has unveiled a saliva test which it says provides results in under seven hours, delivered through a phone app. Clients can take the test at home by spitting into a tube, and sending the sample off for processing at the company's lab at Imperial College London. It is not yet clear how many tests could be processed a day at this lab alone or whether the test could be scaled up for mass use. But Halo's website says: 'Each testing module is capable of over 250,000 tests per week. Although we have short term limits imposed by equipment, consumables and space, we can rapidly scale up our number of labs to meet any demand.' Halo's test works similarly to a PCR test used globally for testing people for the coronavirus using a swab. It purifies the genetic material from saliva and uses polymerase chain reaction to detect the virus in a lab. The company claims it is '100 per cent specific' to SARS-CoV-2, meaning a person should never get a 'false positive' result if they don't have the virus. It is 'ten times more sensitive than the PCR test', The Telegraph reported. Internal tests correctly identified the virus in 100 per cent of tested samples when the viral load was 1,000 times lower than amounts typically found in patient saliva, the company claims, meaning it is able to spot the virus even when it is in low levels. Jonathan Biles, Halo's chief executive, said: 'Our tests are very, very sensitive. We think we've got something that's game-changing,' The Financial Times reported. 'Saliva is much less intrusive, has a lower impact on the environment and is less labour intensive than other tests.' Saliva test kits from HALO are sent out to people's homes in an envelope, arranged via an app. The group's first customer is Exeter University which has bought tens of thousands of tests to conduct on students who display symptoms in a bid to avoid major disruptions from potential Covid-19 outbreaks. Student's won't even need to leave their accomodation to get a test. They will be sent on through the post. University of Exeter said: 'Those participants who take tests in the morning will receive same day results, participants in the afternoon will receive results the next day. The test results will then be fed into the national Test and Trace system. HALO, a team led by Dr Craig Rochford, inventor of the life-saving Epipen, is supported by top medics such as Sir Walter Bodmer and Professor Karol Sikora. The firm is now in talks with a global airline, a medical research facility, City firms and other businesses, to see how the test can fit in. 'It is designed for large British organisations to test their people conveniently and painlessly and get them back to work safely and cost-effectively,' the company said. LamPORE saliva sample testing in 90 minutes Sample type: Saliva or nasal swab Turnaround time: 90 minutes Tests per day: 2,000 (small); 15,000 (large) Accuracy: 99% ( claimed Price: Unknown (UK has bought at least 450,000) Biotech company Oxford Nanopore has developed portable swab-recording devices which use the firm's LamPORE tests 1) Biotech company Oxford Nanopore has developed portable swab-recording devices which use the firm's LamPORE tests and can determine whether a user has Covid in the space of an hour-and-a-half. The machines take 90 minutes to give a result and can process up to 15,000 samples a day. It involves taking a sample of saliva, unlike existing methods which require invasive and difficult nose and throat swabs. The LamPORE device, which also comes in a desktop version which is about the size of a printer, uses electronic means to record and analyse the samples. Each test is given a barcode which is individually assessed before returning back with the result. This must be done in a laboratory but the labs can be mobile and put into vans or pop-up test sites. The portable version of the LamPORE device is the same size as a CD player. Ministers have ordered 450,000 of the tests, which are now being trialled in Salford and Southampton. Millions more are due to be rolled out later in the year if they prove to be effective. The Salford trial will invite people in the community to come for weekly tests using a new saliva Covid-19 test that produces results in under an hour and a half. The pilot will begin with a select number of participants and up to 250 tests a day, to be scaled to the whole area. Initially, the pilot will focus on specific high footfall locations in the city, which includes retail, public services, transport and faith spaces. Phase two of the no-swab saliva test pilot in Southampton will also start this week. The second phase of the pilot will trial the weekly testing model in educational settings, with participation from staff and students at the University of Southampton and four Southampton schools. Over 2,100 pupils and staff across four schools will be invited to have a test as part of the pilot, which is led by a partnership of the University of Southampton, Southampton City Council and the NHS. The makers of the test have not revealed how accurate it is, and the Government has refused to divulge that information, too. Mr Hancock said of the tests: 'Oxford Nanopore's new rapid LamPORE tests will benefit thousands of people with fast and accurate test results, removing uncertainty and breaking chains of transmission quickly and safely. 'I am hugely grateful for the fantastic work Oxford Nanopore have done to push forward this important innovation in coronavirus testing.' OptiGene swab results in 20 minutes Sussex-based biomedical company OptiGene has created a nasal and throat swab test that takes just 20 minutes to diagnose people Sample type: Nasal & throat swab, or saliva Turnaround time: 20 minutes Tests per day: 300 per hour Accuracy: 97% Price: Unknown Sussex-based biomedical company OptiGene has created a nasal and throat swab test that takes just 20 minutes to diagnose people. Once swabs have been collected from patients, the samples are loaded into the devices, known as the Genie HT, which look for tiny traces of the virus in their DNA. The machines amplify the DNA billions of times chemically so they can detect the virus with extreme sensitivity. They can also be used with saliva samples. The device has proven to be just as accurate as PCR swabs, which take days to give results, in clinical trials by Public Health England. In contrast to the widely used PCR tests, which need be processed at different temperatures, the Genie HT does not require a change in temperature to detect results. It is currently being trialled by the Government on thousands in A&E departments, GP coronavirus testing hubs and care homes across Hampshire, and will be rolled out in the new testing programmes in Salford and Southampton. Four thousand people of all ages have been involved in the Hampshire Hospitals NHS Trust trial. A study done during that trial Hampshire have found the test to be 97 per cent sensitive, meaning it can find 97 out of 100 positive cases, and 99 per cent specific, meaning only one in 100 people would get a false positive result. DNANudge 75 minutes to a result from a nostril swab One of the new test kits, made by London-based DNANudge, scours DNA in nose swabs and takes just 75 minute Sample type: Nostril Turnaround time: 75 minutes Tests per day: 15 Accuracy: 98% Price: 28 each on average (UK paid 161million for 5.8m tests including 5,000 machines) The DNANudge test can detect the virus from just a nostril sample - much less invasive than some throat swabs. Once a swab is taken, it's inserted into a handheld reader that provides results within just 75 minutes. The DnaNudge has a sensitivity of over 98 per cent - meaning it can pick up on mild and asymptomatic cases - and specificity of 100 per cent. The 100 per cent specificity means it can tell the difference between a person who doesn't have the disease at all and a sample which wasn't taken properly, meaning there aren't any false negatives. After successful trials on 500 patients in London hospitals, the 'lab in a cartridge' device was approved for clinical use by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) at the end of April. The Government has purchased at least 5,000 of the DNANudge machines, which can process up to 15 tests a day, to provide six million tests in the coming months. The test, developed by Imperial College London's Chris Toumazou, is based on the design of a DNA test and can give a result in just over an hour, significantly cutting down on the 48-hour wait for a laboratory diagnosis. Matt Hancock has previously said about the machines: 'By quickly detecting whether the virus is present in an individual, this new test is an important step forward in point of care testing which means that positive cases can be identified and contained quickly and safely. 'I am hugely grateful to DnaNudge and their incredible work to innovate coronavirus testing, which will mean we can test millions more people in the coming months.' PCR tests - set to be increased to 500,000 per day Sample type: Nose and throat swab Turnaround time: At least 24 hours Tests per day: Currently 65,000 Accuracy: 87-92% Price: Some 25 per test PCR tests are the now-infamous nose and throat swabs which currently make up all of the Government's diagnostic testing programme. Under 'Operation Moonshot', the Prime Minister said officials are 'working hard to increase our testing capacity to 500,000 tests a day by the end of October'. Currently, between 150,000 and 200,000 tests are processed each day, but this includes surveillance studies that use antibody tests. According to the most recent NHS Test and Trace data, 452,679 people were given a swab test under Pillar 1 (hospitals) and Pillar 2 (community) in the week August 20 to 26 - less than 65,000 people per day. PHE provides instructions for people who are sent home kits every day in the UK (pictured). The accuracy of viral RNA swabs depends almost entirely on the quality of sampling The swab test used worldwide is the so-called 'PCR test' that looks for active infection. It usually takes at least 24 hours to get a result back. The sample is then sent to a lab, where it will be tested to determine if the patient's cells, swabbed from their throat and nose, are infected with the virus. The coronavirus is a RNA virus, which means it uses ribonucleic acid as its genetic material. A process called reverse transcription is needed to transcribe the RNA into readable DNA. A swab sample doesn't collect much RNA in one go, therefore a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is used to rapidly make billions of copies so it can be analysed. The DNA is dyed a fluorescent colour, which glows if the coronavirus is present, confirming a diagnosis. It gives a yes or no answer, but not how much virus the person is infected with. There are some drawbacks to the PCR test, including that a swab taken from someone who has very recently been infected by the coronavirus will not yet contain any virus. The Hospital Consultants and Specialists Association (HCSA) says between two and three people who have Covid-19 may test negative. This is dangerous because it means the patients may go outside and spread the virus to others, under the belief they are free of the infection. The accuracy of viral RNA swabs depends almost entirely on the quality of sampling and when the sample is taken in the course of disease, which will vary greatly, experts say. Public Health England (PHE) has never disclosed how accurate its antigen testing is, despite publishing public papers on the accuracy of antibody tests. Meanwhile, it has recently come to light that the PCR test may be 'too sensitive'. Up to 90 per cent of Covid-19 patients in Massachusetts, New York and Nevada in July carried barely any traces of the virus. PCR tests analyse genetic matter from the virus in cycles and today's tests typically take 37 or 40 cycles, but experts say this is too high because it detects very small amounts of the virus that don't pose a risk. The test's threshold is so high it detects people with the live virus and those with few genetic fragments that are leftovers from infection and no longer pose risk, Dr Michael Mina, an epidemiologist at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, said. SAMBA II 30-a-go swab analyser is 99% accurate The SAMBA II was created by University of Cambridge spin-off company Diagnostics for the Real World Sample type: Nose and throat swab Turnaround time: 90 minutes Tests per day: 15 Accuracy: 99% Price: 30 per test The SAMBA II has shown to be almost 99 per cent accurate at analysing swabs and can give a result in just 90 minutes. The portable machine can diagnose Covid-19 in less than 90 minutes, but only has the capacity to process 15 tests a day. It was developed by University of Cambridge spin-off company Diagnostics for the Real World. It scours DNA in throat and nose swabs to detect the virus. Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge has been trialling the device since April. They have shown to be so effective that the hospital switched nearly all of its coronavirus testing from standard lab tests to the Samba machines in May. A Samba test, costing approximately 30 per sample, would outweigh the cost of each additional bed day at around 200 'many times over', the team said. The tests have been validated at the Public Health England, Cambridge in 102 patient samples and shown to have 98.7 per cent sensitivity and 100 per cent specificity. The machines are already used to diagnose other blood-borne diseases like HIV and hepatitis C. Virolens - a 20-second test used at Heathrow Sample type: Saliva Turnaround time: 20 seconds Tests per day: 'Hundreds' from one screening device Accuracy: 97%+ Price: Unknown Virolens is a screening device that uses a digital camera attached to a microscope to analyse saliva samples, giving results in 20 seconds Virolens is a screening device that uses a digital camera attached to a microscope to analyse saliva samples, giving results in 20 seconds. It's developed by British startup iAbra, with design and manufacturing expertise from TT Electronics and technology powered by Intel, and is about to embark on clinical trials which is necessary for it to be certified for medical use. Heathrow boss John Holland-Kaye is urging the Government to fast track the test following a successful three-week trial at Heathrow Airport as part of the Government's Condor programme. He said today: 'Testing for Covid-19 is the lifeline that the UK economy needs to get back on its feet. 'I have experienced iAbra's test myself, alongside the PCR test - it is quicker and cheaper, and potentially more accurate.' People swab saliva from their cheek and tongue before placing the sample in a cartridge that is analysed by the device, cutting the need for a laboratory. The Virolens system reportedly has a 99.8 per cent sensitivity, which means almost every single person who tests positive is truly infected, and there are no 'false negatives' - when someone is wrongly told they do not have the coronavirus. And the test has 96.7 per cent specificity, based on the results of a study at the University of Bristol, meaning just over three in every 100 people will get a 'false positive' result when people are incorrectly led to believe they have virus. The company said the test does not need to be carried out by a healthcare professional, making it useful for airports, stadium and music venues. Each screening device is capable of carrying out hundreds of tests per day. The Telegraph reports each unit can test some 1,650 people per day, and 15,000 units are in the pipeline for production. The Government is reportedly in talks with epigenetics company Chronomics about its saliva test for coronavirus (pictured) Chronomics - one-hour results from a spit test Sample type: Saliva Turnaround time: 1 hour Tests per day: Unknown Accuracy: 'Super accurate' ( claimed Price: Unknown London-based company Chronomics has developed an easy coronavirus spit test that has reportedly gained Government attention. In June, The Telegraph reported that the Government was in talks with the British firm, founded by scientists at Universities of Oxford, Cambridge and University College London. One expert involved with the project said the firm was aiming to produce test results within one hour of the samples arriving at labs. Philip Beales, a professor at the University College London Institute of Child Health, who has been helping to coordinate the efforts of smaller firms, said: 'Our guys are working on a one hour turnaround time from receipt of the sample in the lab, to getting the actual result back.' The kit, which requires someone to spit into a tube, is easier and less painful than swabs currently used at hospitals, drive-in test facilities and in home packs. The collection of the sample can be done anywhere - at home, work or in hospital - by the patient themselves, and the person does not need to have symptoms. It involves the individual spitting sputum - a mixture of saliva and phlegm - into a tube and then sending it to a lab, where technicians read it for RNA - the viruses genetic information. Professor Beale said: 'The saliva test has this inactivation buffer in the bottom, which inactivates the virus, preserves the RNA and then in thousands of [labs] in the country, you can just do a straightforward RNA extraction.' Chronomics says it has the ability to significantly increase how many tests are conducted and is the 'solution to mass scale testing'. And it claims the saliva test is 'super accurate'. The website says: 'Even small errors at high numbers can have dangerous consequences in the context of an infectious disease. 'Our test... is incredibly sensitive (in a controlled lab environment it can detect a single copy of the virus), it is highly specific to SARS-CoV-2 (and won't be confounded by other human viruses) and it will detect all strains of the virus that have evolved to date.' Randox portable swab tester saves on lab time Randox's portable antigen test, called the Vivalytic, can process five swabs an hour Sample type: Nose and throat swab Turnaround time: 12 minutes Tests per day: Five per hour Accuracy: Unknown Price: Unknown The Government partnered with Northern Irish firm Randox in April to ramp up testing in the nation. Randox's portable antigen test, called the Vivalytic, can process five swabs an hour. These are likely to be the same type of swabs currently used that go in the nose and mouth but processed at speed. It has been scaled up across multiple hospitals in Northern Ireland. The device is also used at the point of care and operated by a healthcare professional. Randox says its device works by 'identifying SARS-CoV-2 and differentiating it from nine other respiratory infections with similar symptoms, including influenza and all known coronaviruses'. The devices are still being trialled. In July, 750,000 swabs were recalled after they failed to meet the required safety standards. Randox said the issue was with one of its suppliers of its swabs. The machines which process the swabs have not been deemed unsafe. Pregnancy test-style kits home tests for 5 being checked by PHE Sir John Bell, an Oxford University scientist and key Government adviser, said cheap pregnancy-style tests devices were currently being assessed by scientists at Public Health England Rapid tests for Covid-19 which give a diagnosis in minutes could be approved within weeks, according to a leading scientist. Sir John Bell, an Oxford University scientist and key Government adviser, said the cheap devices were currently being assessed by scientists at Public Health England. He did not reveal which tests have been selected for inspection by officials, but mentioned a 'lovely test from the US' being brought in. He claimed they could be sold on Amazon or Boots for as little as 5 if they are proven to be over 90 per cent accurate. Professor Bell said the devices, that are 'no larger than a teacup', plug into a socket in the wall and process swabs within an hour. One from the US which is currently under review is able to process a sample in the time it would take for a person to have a shower or eat their breakfast, he claimed. Sir John said scientists at Porton Down - government run laboratories in Salisbury, Wiltshire, are currently assessing rapid antigen tests. Intelligent Fingerprinting experimental kit that uses sweat The rapid test scours sweat for the virus and takes just 10 minutes This sweat-testing kit is not a confirmed part of the UK Government's considerations but has potential as a simple alternative to swab testing. British diagnostics firm Intelligent Fingerprinting and Imperial College London joined forces to develop a rapid test that scours sweat for the virus. The test is said to take just 10 minutes to produce a diagnosis. It works by collecting fingerprint sweat onto a small test cartridge for analysis. The sample is then analysed by a portable DSR-Plus analysis unit. The machine uses sensitive lateral flow technology and fluorescence measurement methods. Its makes say the test is more hygienic and has less chance of being done wrong because it utilises sweat samples rather than a throat or mouth swab. It's unclear how accurate the test is or whether UK ministers are looking into it. Nonacus - a spit test in development backed by Government funding Birmingham-based Nonacus, who have developed a Covid-19 spit test, received the share of a 40million Government grant to speed up work. The test involves spitting sputum into a tube - couriered or sent to a person's own home - which is then sealed and sent to the laboratory. Nonacus said the samples obtained could be examined by a significantly higher and broader number of labs than those processing existing swabs, The Telegraph reported, because a solution in the bottom of the tube inactivates the coronavirus. Under government rules, live samples, like those on swabs, can only be examined by labs with highly specialised equipment to avoid contamination or spread of the coronavirus. In May, Nonacus revealed it was one of 800 companies that had been given a portion of 40million from Innovate UK, part of the 1.25billion coronavirus package first announced by the Chancellor Rishi Sunak to help UK businesses driving innovation and development during Covid-19. It will use this validate rapid surveillance testing for Covid-19 and other respiratory viruses. Chris Sale, CEO and co-founder of Nonacus, said: 'It will allow us to extend the technology to include SARS-CoV-2 as part of a comprehensive respiratory viral surveillance product so, if your cough is not due to COVID-19, we will be able to tell you what is causing it.' The website said: 'Nonacus expect the product to become commercially available later this year. 'In order to support the governments back-to-work strategy and avoid a second spike of cases, accurate, real-time monitoring of the coronavirus and its spread is critical. 'This requires advanced testing methods which can be rapidly deployed across many laboratories, globally, to allow for the surveillance and monitoring of the virus within and between populations by public health institutions.' Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, September 11, 2020 15:08 497 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c4445ed2 1 City PSBB,PSBB-Masa-Transisi,PSBB-transisi,Jakarta-psbb,anies-baswedan,South-Tangerang,tangerang-selatan,Depok,Bogor-mayor-Bima-Arya,Bekasi-City,Bekasi-mayor,COVID-19-Jakarta,COVID-19,coronavirus Free Leaders of Jakarta's satellite cities are still undecided on whether they should follow the capital city in reimposing stricter COVID-19 restrictions that will take effect on Monday. During a virtual meeting with Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan and other regional leaders, Bekasi Deputy Mayor Tri Adhianto said his administration would announce its decision on the matter on Monday. "We'll decide on Monday after a meeting with relevant agencies. [In the meantime], we'll continue to monitor the [COVID-19 outbreak] in the city," Tri said on Thursday. He acknowledged that Bekasi had seen an increase in COVID-19 cases over the past few weeks that had put a strain on the city's healthcare system. "We only have 180 [hospital] beds left, but we've prepared 55 additional beds in the Chandrabaga Stadium," Tri said as quoted by kompas.com, "If we continue to see 40 new cases a day, in the next week we'll have 280 more patients, our hospitals could only accommodate 180." Meanwhile, Bogor Mayor Bima Arya Sugianto said the city would continue to enforce the current micro and community-based social restrictions (PSBMK) for the next three days while awaiting coordination among the Jakarta administration and the central government about the upcoming large-scale social restrictions (PSBB) in the capital. "As of now, we are not able to decide whether to impose stricter PSBB. We'll discuss this with the Regional Leadership Communication Forum [Forkopimda] on Monday," Bima said after Thursday's meeting. Read also: Jakarta lockdown aimed at preventing collapse of healthcare system "Governor [Anies] said he still needed to work out more detailed and clearer measures for the PSBB policy with the central government, so we'll wait for that," he added. Anies announced on Wednesday that Jakarta would reimpose the full PSBB measures starting Monday after months of a gradual relaxation of curbs since early June that has been blamed for the city's soaring COVID-19 case number in the past few weeks. Under the reinstated PSBB -- which Anies dubbed the "emergency brake" -- Jakarta allows only 11 essential sectors to operate, while other businesses and offices will have to reimplement work-from-home policies. Public activities are generally banned. The isolation and intensive care unit (ICU) bed occupancy rates at the capital city reached 77 percent and 83 percent, respectively, on Wednesday. The city currently has 4,053 beds in isolation rooms and 528 beds in ICU rooms. The number of confirmed COVID-19 infections in Jakarta reached 51,287 as of Friday, with 11,696 active cases and 1,365 fatalities. Health and transportation experts, however, have noted that reimposing the PSBB in Jakarta would be pointless unless such restrictions were properly implemented also in other areas, given that mobility across regions remains high. According to official estimates, 200,000 Bogor residents travel to and from Jakarta daily using commuter lines. Meanwhile, more than 20,000 vehicles from Bogor pass through the Jagorawi toll road to go to the capital and home again every day. Around 700,000 residents of Tangerang municipality also commute to and from Jakarta every day, Meanwhile, South Tangerang Mayor Airin Rachmi Diany said the city would not follow in Jakarta's footsteps for the time being. Read also: What you need to know about large-scale social restrictions in Jakarta "We have no plan for imposing stricter PSBB so far. We're still following the Banten gubernatorial regulation on the Greater Tangerang PSBB [policy]," Airin said. She also claimed that the COVID-19 case number in Tangerang was still under control and that the city's health facilities could still accommodate patients. "We previously had a plan to impose stricter measures as bed occupancy rates kept increasing and [hospitals] were overloaded. We had discussed whether it was necessary to set up a curfew, but the case number declined a few days later," she said. Similarly, Depok COVID-19 task force spokesperson Dadang Wihana said the city would still follow the West Java gubernatorial regulation on proportional PSBB and Depok mayoral regulation until Sept. 29. "We'll impose policies in accordance with Depok Mayoral Regulation No 59/2020 by restricting residential and business activities," Dadang said. The city has recorded the highest number of COVID-19 patients in West Java with 2,613 confirmed cases and 723 active cases. Dadang went on to say that the Depok administration would await the result of further coordination between Anies and the central government on the mechanism of the full PSBB. "We'll wait and see," he said. (nal) MINNEAPOLIS - The four former Minneapolis police officers charged in George Floyd's killing appear to be turning on each other, with each offering significantly different versions of the infamous arrest that acknowledge Floyd should not have been allowed to die that day but also deflect the blame to others. The four men have said in court documents that they all thought someone else was in charge of the scene on May 25 - with rookie officers arguing they were deferring to a veteran, and the veteran saying he was simply assisting in an arrest that was in progress. All have said in court documents that the relationship between the veteran officer - Derek Chauvin - and the others is at the heart of the issue, as each officer perceived their role, and who was in charge, quite differently. Chauvin was the officer shown with his knee on Floyd's neck as he struggled to breathe in videos of the ill-fated arrest. "There are very likely going to be antagonistic defenses presented at the trial," Earl Gray, a lawyer for Thomas Lane, wrote in a legal motion filed here this week. "It is plausible that all officers have a different version of what happened and officers place blame on one another." Gray and lawyers for Chauvin, Alexander Kueng and Tou Thao have been arguing to separate the former officers' cases for purposes of trial, citing competing stories from their clients about the events that led to the 46-year-old Black man's death. The officers are scheduled to appear in court Friday as a judge takes up that question; prosecutors have been asking for a joint trial. Minneapolis authorities are locking down the area around the courthouse because of planned protests Friday. Windows on government buildings have been boarded up and law enforcement officials are setting up a perimeter to keep protesters at a distance. Floyd died May 25 while handcuffed and restrained facedown on a South Minneapolis street as police investigated a 911 call about a counterfeit $20 bill that had been passed at Cup Foods, a local convenience store. During a struggle with police, Floyd was placed on the ground, where Chauvin pressed his knee into the man's neck for almost eight minutes as Floyd repeatedly complained of struggling to breathe until he lost consciousness and no longer had a pulse. Floyd's death sparked a nationwide movement for social and racial justice, with protests emerging in cities from coast to coast along with a renewed and widespread push for police reform. Some of the protests have pitted social justice activists against those backing law enforcement officers. While police often stand in solidarity during use-of-force investigations, Floyd's case could be an unusual departure, with the officers who allegedly played a role in his killing arguing that other officers should be held to account instead. Eric Nelson, Chauvin's lawyer, said his client didn't know the full picture of what was happening when he arrived on the scene at 38th Street and Chicago Avenue and saw Kueng and Lane struggling to get Floyd into a squad car. Nelson, who has argued that Floyd died of a drug overdose and not from Chauvin's knee restraint, blamed the rookie officers in a motion filed this week, suggesting they had mishandled the scene and caused Floyd's death. He said the former officers delayed in requesting an ambulance when they suspected Floyd might be on drugs or was having a medical issue and that they did not do enough to try to calm Floyd down by "sitting him on the sidewalk" or "render aid instead of struggle." "If EMS had arrived just three minutes sooner, Mr. Floyd may have survived. If Kueng and Lane had chosen to de-escalate instead of struggle, Mr. Floyd may have survived," Nelson wrote. "If Kueng and Lane had recognized the apparent signs of an opioid overdose and rendered aid, such as administering naloxone, Mr. Floyd may have survived." Chauvin has been charged with second-degree murder and manslaughter, while Kueng, Lane and Thao have been charged with aiding and abetting murder. All four were fired by the Minneapolis police department and are defendants, along with the city of Minneapolis, in a federal wrongful-death civil suit filed by Floyd's family. Justice Department officials also are investigating and are said to be nearing a decision on possible federal charges in the case, according to sources familiar with the investigation, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly. Chauvin is slated to make his first in-person court appearance at Friday's hearing. Since his arrest May 29, he has attended all hearings remotely from a state prison where he is being held on a minimum $1 million bail. He is the only officer charged in the case who is still jailed. Lawyers for Kueng and Lane, rookies who had been on the force for less than a week at the time of Floyd's death, have argued that their clients were following orders from Chauvin, a 19-year-veteran of the department who had been Kueng's field training officer and informally advised Lane during his probation period. Lane, who was holding Floyd's legs, twice asked Chauvin whether they should reposition Floyd - requests that his lawyer says prove that he tried to intervene with a senior officer but was rebuffed. After Floyd appeared to have stopped moving, Lane told Chauvin he was worried about "excited delirium," citing a term used by medical examiners to describe the sudden in-custody death of people who might be under the influence of drugs or who are in an agitated state. "That's why we got the ambulance coming," Chauvin told him. "OK, I suppose," Lane replied. Lawyers for all four former officers have suggested in recent court filings that they plan to argue that Floyd's death was accelerated by drugs in his system - including what the Hennepin County medical examiner told prosecutors in June was a potentially lethal amount of fentanyl, according to recently disclosed interview notes filed as evidence in the case. Kueng's lawyer, Thomas Plunkett, wrote in a court filing this week that his client, who was restraining Floyd's back, was only on his third shift as a police officer that day and that he had spent approximately 420 of his 730 hours of field training "being taught and evaluated by Chauvin," whom he was required to call "sir." Plunkett suggested he plans to introduce evidence of how Chauvin trained Kueng - including "past opinions and directions" and "past statements he has made about how to handle a subject being detained," which he wrote would be "derogatory" to Chauvin's defense. "Kueng will shift blame onto Chauvin during trial," Plunkett wrote. Chauvin, who has largely been silent most of the summer, is trying to recast his role at scene in recent days, aiming to shift the blame back on Kueng and Lane. Chauvin and Thao, who were partners that day, have argued through their lawyers that they responded to provide backup to the other officers, who first encountered Floyd as he sat in a parked SUV. Lawyers for Chauvin and Thao have described their clients as supporting officers who were deferring to Kueng and Lane on how to handle Floyd and that seniority and rank didn't matter. Lawyers for Thao and Kueng have indicated they will introduce evidence of Chauvin's history as a Minneapolis police officer. Last month, Thao's lawyer, Robert Paule, filed a motion demanding the state disclose the "complete Minneapolis Police Department disciplinary files" for Chauvin - records the police department thus far has declined to release in detail, aside from records showing he was the subject of 18 complaints, 16 of which were dismissed. Thao has sought to have his charges dismissed, shifting blame to Chauvin, Kueng and Lane, who had more direct contact with Floyd. In a May interview with investigators with the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and the FBI, which was filed as evidence in the criminal case, Thao described his role at the scene as "a human traffic cone." He said he was focused on controlling a growing number of bystanders and was unaware of what was happening behind him. Thao told investigators that he and Chauvin had been called as backup to the scene, but they were canceled by dispatch. Thao said he decided that they should continue to Cup Foods anyway because Kueng and Lane were "so new" and the area was known to be hostile to police. Police body-camera footage shows that Thao advised the other officers to put Floyd on the street after they tried and failed to get him inside a squad car. "Just lay him on the ground," Thao tells the other three officers, who comply. Though Thao looks for a hobble - a leg restraint that would keep Floyd immobile and allow the officers to lift their bodies off his - he and the officers ultimately decide to skip the device and wait for the ambulance, believing the hobble would be more hassle than it was worth. But the ambulance, requested without lights or sirens, was delayed by several minutes. In his interview with investigators, Thao echoed Chauvin's argument, that he believed that Kueng and Lane were in charge of the scene because they were the first to arrive. "This is 320's call," Thao said, referring to the squad car number Kueng and Lane were driving that day. Prosecutors have filed an objection to Thao's motion to dismiss charges, arguing that all officers have a responsibility to stop another officer from committing a crime. They dispute his claim that he was unaware of what was happening around him, citing body-camera footage that shows him shoving and screaming at bystanders - including an off-duty Minneapolis firefighter - who urged officers to check Floyd for a pulse and that he ignored Floyd's "desperate cries." Judge Peter Cahill, who is presiding over the criminal case, has said he will hear arguments Friday on the issue of joint or separate trial, proceedings he has scheduled to begin in March. He also is slated to take up motions to dismiss and move the trial out of Hennepin County, where defense lawyers say it is impossible to impanel a fair jury. Northern Ireland-born author Maggie O'Farrell has won this year's Women's Prize for Fiction for her latest novel about the death of Shakespeare's young son Hamnet. Hamnet is the author's eighth novel - and her first historical fiction - which puts the spotlight on William Shakespeare's only son, who died from what some historians believe to have been the plague in 1596, aged 11. It tells the story of Shakespeare's wife Agnes Hathaway, his lost son, a marriage pushed to the brink by grief, the fragility of life and the power of creativity. It is believed that Shakespeare wrote Hamlet two years later in memory of his son. Hamnet was published earlier this year just as the world went on red alert for coronavirus. O'Farrell (48) beat Hilary Mantel, Bernardine Evaristo and three other authors to claim the 30,000 prize and the "Bessie", a limited-edition bronze figurine, in her home town of Edinburgh. O'Farrell was announced the winner by chair of judges Martha Lane Fox at a digital awards ceremony in London on Wednesday night, also marking the award's 25th anniversary. Lane Fox called the novel an "exceptional" winner, adding: "Hamnet, while set long ago, like all truly great novels expresses something profound about the human experience that seems both extraordinarily current and at the same time, enduring." O'Farrell told the Daily Telegraph: "I'm going to enjoy having won for two days and then I'm going to forget it ever happened. "Having judged literary prizes myself you know that every year it's down to luck. Every shortlist and longlist is a reflection of people's taste," she added. "As a writer, you can't approach book prizes with even a smidgen of entitlement." Born in Coleraine to Irish parents, O'Farrell grew up in Wales and Scotland, where she went to school in the seaside town of North Berwick, about 20 miles from Edinburgh, before reading English at Cambridge. After that O'Farrell worked first as an arts journalist and began writing her first novel in 1996, the year the Women's Prize was established. Since publishing her debut novel After You'd Gone the following year, she has carved out a rich and impressively solid career with a succession of popular novels including The Distance Between Us and The Hand that First Held Mine. O'Farrell, who has three children with the novelist William Sutcliffe, has written her first children's book Where Snow Angels Go, due out in November. It stems from stories she used to send her children in letters when she was off on book tours. "I don't think I could have written it (Hamnet) if I didn't have children," O'Farrell added. "I had to wait to write it until my son was safely past the age of 11 because I knew at some point I would have to write about a woman who sits alone beside her son's bed, her husband unable to get back in time, and is forced to watch him die. "These were the hardest scenes I have ever written and I couldn't write them in the house. I had to decamp to an old potting shed." The rules in your state When is the deadline to register to vote? You have 24 days left to register online, the deadline is Monday, Oct. 5. There are 53 days left until Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 3. See more information on registering to vote in Tennessee here. Deadlines for all ways to register in Tennessee Online, by mail and in person: Monday, Oct. 5 Can I register to vote and cast my ballot on the same day? Can I vote without a photo ID? Can I vote by mail without an excuse? No, you cant vote by mail without an excuse. But you can use COVID-19 as an excuse only if you have a medical condition that makes you vulnerable. See more information on mail ballots for Tennessee here. When is the deadline to request a mail-in ballot? Tuesday, Oct. 27 When do I need to mail my ballot by? Must be received by Tuesday, Nov. 3 (Election Day) Can I drop off my ballot in person? Can I vote without a notary or witness? Can I use COVID-19 as an excuse? After I vote by mail, can I track my ballot? (Check here) Can I vote in person before Election Day? Yes, but only early in-person voting. See more information on early in person voting for Tennessee here. When is the first day I can vote early in person? Wednesday, Oct. 14 When is the last day I can vote early in person? Thursday, Oct. 29 Am I eligible to vote absentee by-mail? You can vote absentee by-mail if you fall under one of the following categories: (http://elect.hamiltontn.gov/VoterInfo/AbsenteeVoting.aspx) You will be outside the county where you are registered during the early voting period and all day on Election Day. You or your spouse are a full-time student in an accredited college or university outside the county where you are registered. You are on the permanent absentee list (see question 4 below). You reside in a nursing home, assisted living facility or home for the aged outside your county of residence. You will be unable to vote in-person due to jury duty. You are sixty (60) years of age or older. You have a physical disability and an inaccessible polling place. You are hospitalized, ill or physically disabled You are the caretaker of a person who is hospitalized, ill, or disabled You are a candidate for office in the election. You serve as an Election Day official or as a member or employee of the election commission. You are observing a religious holiday that prevents you from voting in person during the early voting period and on Election Day. You or your spouse possess a valid commercial drivers license or Transportation Worker Identification Credential card and you will be working outside the state or county of registration during the open hours of early voting and Election Day and have no specific out-of-county or out-of-state address to which mail may be sent or received during such time. You are a member of the military or are an overseas citizen. read more ... For additional information regarding absentee ballot click here. https://sos.tn.gov/products/elections/absentee-voting Absentee Voting The last day to request an application for an Absentee Ballot is Oct. 27. Absentee Ballots will be mailed out in Hamilton County during Mid-September, following the Election Commissions approval of the November 2020 ballot. Absentee Ballots must be mailed back to the Election Commission prior in order to be counted. If you do not get your Absentee ballot back to the Election Commission prior to the November 2020 election day. You can go to your local voting precinct and vote a provisional Ballot meaning your Absentee vote didn't arrive before the dead line that your provisional ballot would be counted. After you have filled out the Application for the Absentee Ballot on the Hamilton County Tennessee Election Commission website, print, sign and submit to HCTEC by mail 700 River Terminal Rd. 37406, email or scan to Vote@HamiltonTN.gov or you can deliver in person to the Election Commission. HB8005 What does HB8005 actually do? HB8005 moved camping on State Capitol property without permission from a misdemeanor to a felony. HB8005 increases the penalties for certain protest related offenses---punishable by six years in prison. Imposes mandatory minimum penalties for committing protest related offenses. Works against criminal justice reforms put in place to improve the incarceration processes for non-violent offenses. This legislation was brought forth by the majority as a criminal justice reform bill. Protesters will receive jail time for camping on State Capitol grounds. A person arrested for domestic violence will be kept in jail for a minimum of twelve hours; and, this legislation imposes greater penalties on protesters that do not abide by HB8005. By receiving a felony through this legislation individuals will lose their voting rights. A 'rapid acceleration' in coronavirus cases could be linked to the hugely popular Eat Out to Help Out scheme, an Oxford University researcher has said. The scheme, which involved the government fronting 50 per cent of the bill up to 10 per head at participating restaurants from Monday to Wednesday, has been hailed as the hospitality industry's saviour. However, a new report from Oxford University public policy researcher Toby Phillips suggests the scheme may have contributed to a 'rapid acceleration' in reported infections in Britain and 'encouraged extravagant levels of eating out'. Today a Government-led study revealed that coronavirus infections are doubling every week and the reproduction 'R' rate could be as high as 1.7. According to Health Secretary Matt Hancock, this dramatic increase in cases warrants additional measures being rolled out, including the controversial strict new rule of six, which will legally prohibit gatherings of more than six people. People eating on restaurant tables placed outside on Old Compton St in Soho, London, as the government initiative Eat Out to Help Out comes to an end, 31 August, 2020 Britain's Chancellor Rishi Sunak talks as he attends a speed mentoring session for young people in Canary Wharf, London, 2 September, 2020 The seven-day average number of people testing positive for the coronavirus has spiked sharply, rising from 860 on August 10 to more than 2,000 this week The Oxford report, published in The Conversation, said the introduction of the scheme in early August caused restaurant attendance to soar to 'near 2019 levels'. 'By the start of August, restaurant attendance had already bounced back to near 2019 levels,' the report reads. 'People were basically going out as normal, so the half-price discount scheme didn't encourage a "return to normal"; it encouraged extravagant levels of eating out. According to data from OpenTable, restaurant bookings shot up to 216 per cent with over 100million cut-price meals claimed. However, after the scheme finished on 31 August, bookings shot back down. 'When the scheme ended, things went right back to where they would have been,' the report reads. 'At the start of September there were more outings than at the start of August, but no more than would have been expected based on the long-term trend of reopening. There seems to be virtually no lasting impact on people's consumption.' An 'uptick' in the number of coronavirus cases was recorded at exactly the same time the scheme was operating, the report says, adding that this rapid rise has overwhelmed testing capacity and caused some regional lockdowns. 'Admittedly, people were also coming back from summer holidays and spending more time with friends,' the report reads. 'Transmission rates were already creeping up in early August, before there could have been any effect from the Eat Out scheme. 'But the rapid acceleration in the proportion of detected positive cases at the start of September is consistent with cases where infection occurred in mid-August. 'It's certainly worth considering the effect of a 10 discount at the pub. And the effect of concentrating people's outings on just three days of the week.' The report then gives policymakers advice for the future. It advises them to avoid pushing for a 'big bang "back to normal"' and to 'settle in for the long haul' by establishing recommended behaviours that are safe and in line with the severity of the pandemic. The report suggests an extension of subsidised loans, debt support and payroll help to help troubled businesses in the long-term. 'If the goal is to get people out and spending on high streets, policies should also be designed to keep people spread out (for example, allowing people to spread consumption across the week, and including take-out).' Just outside MBS International Airport at the corner of Garfield and Sarle roads, a group of about 30 protesters gathered Thursday, just before President Trump's rally. Cynthia Haynes of Troy and several others were there, wanting to present the president with a letter on prison reform. "If he gets back into office, (we want to know) how can he help our loved ones and what can he do to reform prison reform," she said. Also there, Tristan Zamora had a message for President Trump and Trump supporters. "They think they got this election in bag, that everything they are doing in office as well as to everyday people (that) they're going to get away with it," Zamora said. "But I want to make sure they know there are still people out here who are willing to fight for what we believe is actual justice. We're here to fight for that and for equality." Emily Anderson talked of how the president endangered Americans lives by lying about the existence of COVID-19, which constitutes betrayal in her eyes. Honestly, I cant trust him myself. The way Ive seen Trump act for the past four years, it just screams inconsistency, blatant lies, Anderson said. Trump hasnt done anything good for any member of the working class. Hes just been raising taxes on people who dont need their taxes raised, said Sam Keeler. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has held a phone conversation with Polish President Andrzej Duda, the press service of the head of the Ukrainian state has reported. Zelensky briefed Duda on the current security situation in Donbas and Ukraine's efforts to ensure lasting peace. Zelensky thanked Warsaw and personally Duda for their firm support of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine. "You should know that there, in Donbas, live people who really want peace and who appreciate the efforts to achieve it. Advisers to the leaders of the Normandy Four countries are meeting in Berlin today. I hope that the meeting of the leaders of the Normandy Four countries will take place soon," Zelensky said. The two countries' presidents also discussed the inclusion of the grave of UPA soldiers on Mount Monastyr near the Polish village of Werchrata in the register of military burial sites. "The President of Ukraine raised the issue of historical memory, namely the inclusion in the register of military burial sites and the restoration of a legal Ukrainian grave on Mount Monastyr near the village of Werchrata. The President of Poland said he hoped that the issue would be removed from the agenda," the President's Office said. According to the report, both sides agreed on the importance of maintaining the traditionally high dynamics of the bilateral political dialogue. Duda gratefully accepted Zelensky's invitation to pay a visit to Ukraine in October this year, the report said. The heads of state also exchanged views on the development of the situation in Belarus. Zelensky said that Ukraine and the European Union had common approaches in assessing the domestic political crisis in the neighboring country. In addition, Zelensky and Duda discussed steps aimed at counteracting the spread of the coronavirus and minimizing the impact of the pandemic on citizens of Ukraine and Poland. In this context, Zelensky thanked Duda for the practical assistance provided by the Polish side. Earlier, Jan Hofmokl, Director at the Eastern Division of the Polish Foreign Ministry, said at the Economic Forum in Karpacz, Poland, that Duda would visit Ukraine on October 12-13. In January 2020, on Mount Monastyr, near the village of Werchrata in the Podkarpackie Voivodeship of Poland, near the border with Ukraine, vandals finally destroyed a memorial plaque on the grave of UPA soldiers, which was damaged in 2015. This is the burial site of 62 soldiers - residents of surrounding villages who died in the woods on March 2-3, 1945 in a battle with the NKVD. op When Olga Edwards complained to police about her estranged husband John turning up to her 6am yoga class, it was dismissed after a phone call to John, who said he had been going to the studio since before the couple separated. But the police officer who made the call has admitted to an inquest into the deaths of John and his children Jack and Jennifer, that if he had taken the step of calling the yoga studio, he would have found "major red flags" that would have taken his investigation on "a completely different course". John Edwards had an "odd energy" at the yoga studio, the inquest has heard. Olga had been a "very regular attendee" of the West Pennant Hills bikram yoga studio for more than five years when John began taking classes in January 2017. Oliver 'James' Campbell, co-owner and teacher at the studio, told the inquest on Friday that John had an "odd energy", was "mostly distracted", and kept doing "this weird thing" where he would "look around the room when people had their legs apart". (Newser) Mark Kelly, a retired astronaut and current Senate candidate in Arizona, said Thursday that he's sorry for a joke he made two years ago. The joke centered on the physiological changes in his twin brother, Scott, after he returned from a year in space, the Hill reports. Mark Kelly was asked about his brother in an appearance before the Boy Scouts of America, Northern New Jersey Council, in 2018. He said Scott's DNA was altered during his year on the space station. "I think the word hasnt gotten out how bad it is for him," Mark Kelly said. "You know, it's gotten so bad, that we recently had to release him back into the wild. Hes like halfway between an orangutan and a Howler Monkey. Weve even changed his name to Rodrigo. He lives in the woods." story continues below A former Republican candidate for mayor of Phoenix put a video of the appearance on Twitter. "He must think people named Rodrigo look like monkeys," Moses Sanchez posted. "Time to move past this type of racism & time for the media to scrutinize Mark Kelly more thoroughly like they would a Republican." When asked by reporters Thursday about the comment, per the Arizona Republic, Kelly said, "My brother's year in space was really hard on him and we tried to bring some light to his difficult ordeal, but this comment does not do that and I apologize and deeply regret it." Republican groups had circulated the video. Kelly, a Democrat, is trying to unseat Republican Sen. Martha McSally. Polls show him ahead. (Read more Mark Kelly stories.) Like many in his profession, Dr. George Richardson may at times have whisked through his signature in a barely legible fashion. The scrawl had long been sufficient to prescribe medication, but it didn't pass muster with election judges in Texas, and in 2018, unbeknownst to him, his absentee ballot was disqualified. That act, an election official eyeballing a signature and summarily rejecting a ballot because it doesn't appear to match one on file, has become a central point of dispute as political parties jockey in courts around the country for every possible election advantage. "The record in our case showed that in these election cycles, thousands of votes can be rejected because of perceived disconnects between signatures," said Richard Mancino, who was one of a team of lawyers representing Richardson in suing the Texas secretary of state for depriving him of his 2018 vote. "This can affect thousands of voters," Mancino said. "And in the current circumstances, with the volume of mail-in ballots set to increase substantially, the risk of voters being disenfranchised is substantial." PHOTO: In this Aug. 5, 2020, file photo, vote-by-mail ballots are shown in sorting trays at the King County Elections headquarters in Renton, Wash. (Ted S. Warren/AP, FILE) How election officials review signatures, and specific rules for potentially rejecting ballots, are questions being tested in dozens of cases around the country. With a global pandemic still spreading and voters more reluctant to stand in long lines or crowds, election officials are already bracing for 2020 to produce the largest number of absentee and mail-in ballots in U.S. history. And signature matching remains one of the most common techniques used to verify registered voters. In Jefferson County, Colorado, where elections have been conducted almost entirely through mail-in balloting for the last seven years, officials have developed a protocol for checking signatures that they believe protects both elections and voters' rights. "Signature verification is the cornerstone of our security for this model," said George Stern, Jefferson County's clerk and recorder. "It has made this one of the safest states in the country to cast a ballot." Story continues Under Colorado's rules, bipartisan election judges who have been trained by FBI handwriting experts are charged with reviewing ballot signatures. Stern said suspicious signatures are flagged and put through a second review. If questions remain, the voter is contacted and has a chance to verify their ballot up to eight days after the election. PHOTO: Each New Hampshire primary voter received a ballot and a pen for voting and for personal use afterwards, in Nashua, NH., Sept. 8, 2020. (Sue Dorfman/ZUMA Wire via Newscom) "Every election we have signatures that do not match," Stern said. But the number resulting in fraud is "exceedingly small." He said one study showed nine instances over seven years where someone other than the voter signed -- and that's out of 16 million votes cast. "It's important to get signature verification right in both directions," Stern said. "We don't want anyone who should not be voting to send in a ballot. And on the flip side, it's equally important that we not be rejecting a valid voter because their signature is not perfect." But in other parts of the country, the system for checking signatures is not as formalized. Vanita Gupta is president of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, which has been tracking the legal activity on the issue. She said when verification is "done according to best practice" it can be a valuable way to protect elections. "But to ensure that no voter is unfairly disenfranchised, it's equally important that voters have an opportunity to address, or cure, any issues with their ballot if officials are not able to verify their signature," Gupta added. MORE: Biden blasts Trump over reports he deliberately downplayed coronavirus threat: 'It's a disgrace' MORE: What President Trump said about the coronavirus versus what Bob Woodward recorded in interviews: Timeline That is what Mimi Marziani, president of the Texas Civil Rights Project, the organization that helped bring the case on behalf of Richardson and other plaintiffs, said was their concern in Texas. "We submitted voluminous evidence in this case showing the way the Texas process works now -- using non-trained folks to eyeball signatures and giving those people unfettered discretion to throw ballots in the trash," Marziani said. "That system is both unconstitutional and deeply arbitrary." This week, a federal judge on the case ruled in Richardson's favor, saying the decision to toss his ballot and some 3,700 others in 2018 based on a perceived signature mismatch "plainly violates certain voters' constitutional rights." The court said county election judges should either cancel the requirement entirely or make plans to contact voters about questionable signatures and provide them a "meaningful opportunity" to correct any issue before their votes are rejected. But state officials in Texas immediately moved to appeal. And cases being argued in other states have seen inconsistent outcomes. As Election Day nears, federal judges are rushing to establish clear rules to help avert partisan clashes should officials try to cancel votes because of questionable signatures. To the Trump campaign, which has been sounding alarms about the potential for people to use mail-in ballots to cast votes illegally, signature matching represents a prudent protection. PHOTO: In this May 27, 2020 file photo, a worker processes mail-in ballots at the Bucks County Board of Elections office prior to the primary election in Doylestown, Pa. (Matt Slocum/AP, FILE) "President Trump and his team are fighting for a free, fair, transparent election -- and that includes signature-matching requirements so that election officials actually know who is casting ballots," said Thea McDonald, a campaign spokeswoman. "Verifying a voter's identity shouldn't be a political issue, but the Democrats ... constantly make it one." Last week a federal judge in Tennessee agreed, ruling against a collection of civil rights groups that argued the signature matching requirement "creates a substantial risk that voters will be erroneously denied their fundamental right to vote." U.S. District Judge Eli Richardson said that while signature verification may present an obstacle, it "does not mean that Plaintiffs are excluded from voting." In Pennsylvania, Democrats are in court arguing that signature matching alone "is an inherently flawed means of determining whether a mail-in ballot is fraudulent or improperly cast." In a case still being litigated, they said no two signatures are ever alike -- a different pen or a different writing surface could change the end result. MORE: Trump ad touting 'great American comeback' features foreign stock footage They allege that a more serious concern is that the requirement to produce an identical signature is unreasonable and unfair to voters with disabilities, the elderly, those with less formal education, or those who more recently learned English. The legal complaint cites a study in Florida that found ballots were more than twice as likely to be rejected on signature discrepancies if the voter was black or Latino. They argue the practice should not alone be enough to disqualify a ballot. Attorneys for Trump, they "disagree" with any contention the Pennsylvania signature-matching rules are unconstitutional and are asking a federal judge to uphold them. In Texas, attorneys for Richardson and the other plaintiffs who sued over the state's signature-matching initiative said they still don't know what will happen on Election Day. Marziani said she hopes the recent order requiring more protections for voters will hold up on appeal and be viewed in the context of the national conversation about the importance of election integrity. "People come at that concept from lots of different viewpoints," Marziani said. "One common agreement is that we should be accurately counting every eligible ballot. And the state of Texas has unfortunately been trashing thousands of eligible ballots, which really undermines the integrity of our elections. That is something everyone should be concerned about." Could bad penmanship get your ballot tossed? Dems asking courts ahead of election. originally appeared on abcnews.go.com The U.N. human rights office is condemning what it calls growing repressive measures by the Cambodian government that stifles freedom of expression and assembly practiced by the country's human rights defenders. Since the end of July, the U.N. rights agency has documented the arrest of 25 human rights defenders, including a prominent trade unionist, Rong Chhun. It says 13 people have been released after reportedly signing an agreement under duress to stop their activities. Among the 12 remaining in prison, the agency says most face charges of incitement to commit a felony. U.N. human rights spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani says numerous human rights defenders have received threatening phone calls, including death threats, and many are in hiding for fear of being arrested. "We have also witnessed the unnecessary and excessive use of force by security forces against women demonstrators on at least five separate occasions in recent weeks," Shamdasani said. "We have also documented the intimidation of those participating in peaceful demonstrations including protesters calling for measures to alleviate the economic impact of COVID on livelihoods, as well as environmental activists, and those demanding the release of detained human rights defenders." Shamdasani says the current situation marks a deepening of the government's intolerance of dissent. The Cambodian government has not responded to the accusations related to the latest cases, the U.N. spokeswoman says. There recently has been a tightening of laws regarding the detention of human rights defenders, she adds. "In fact, there was a letter that was sent out by the Ministry of the Interior publicly stating that a lot of these activities carried out by very prominent human rights groups are conducive to activities and I quote 'to create provocation and incitement affecting the stability, security, public order and create chaos in society through the use of social media and other media networks,'" Shamdasani said. The U.N. rights office is calling on the Cambodian government to immediately and unconditionally release those detained, and for security forces to stop using excessive force against those engaged in peaceful protests. In an arrest affidavit, police said two officers saw Goodwin with a gun in his hand. The officers approached and yelled several times for him to drop the gun, the affidavit said. Police said Goodwin refused several times but eventually dropped the weapon. A Southern California sheriff's deputy accused of stealing items from an unoccupied home days after he responded to a report of a death there is facing a burglary charge, officials said Thursday. Steve Hortz, a 12-year veteran of the Orange County Sheriff's Department, was arrested Thursday and placed on administrative leave, sheriff's officials said in a statement. Hortz went to the home July 20 after a report about a man in his 70s who died of natural causes, officials said. They said he returned to the home three times in late July and mid-August, once in uniform to unlock a door and twice more to remove items. Security video from the home in the city of Yorba Linda, which has contracted for sheriff's service since 2013, captured the crimes, authorities said. "Deputy Hotrz returned to that residence in the early morning hours, gained entrance to the residence through the unlocked door, and was seen on recordings removing items from the residence," Sheriff Don Barnes said at a news conference Thursday. Hortz is accused of taking two safes, ceiling fans, a rifle case and other items "yet to be determined." Sheriff's officials said an attorney for the deceased man's estate contacted the department to report items missing and home security video of the deputy. The deputies' union, the Association of Orange County Deputy Sheriffs, did not immediately respond to a request for a response Thursday night. "The suspected criminal actions of this deputy are a violation of public trust, are inexcusable and intolerable," Barnes said in a statement, On Wednesday, the Office of the District Attorney in Orange County announced an unrelated case against Deputy Angelina Cortez, 41, who is accused of taking a credit card from a suspect and giving it to her son to use. She was charged with filing a false police report. The Association of Orange County Deputy Sheriffs did not immediately to respond to a request for comment in Cortez's case. An Auburn 18-year-old missing for nearly one week has been identified as a body found Thursday in Lee County. Lee County Coroner Bill Harris said they used dental records to officially identified the remains as Thomas A. Green. Caretakers of a property in the 9000 block of Lee Road 188 in Waverly discovered a body in the wood line of an access road Thursday morning and notified authorities. Lee County Sheriffs investigators responded to the scene where the found the males remains. Harris said the body appeared to have been there for several days and there was no identification with the body. The body was taken to the medical examiners office of the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences in Montgomery for identification and autopsy. Harris said Green suffered a fatal injury but did not elaborate. His death is being investigated as a homice. Also Friday, two people were named as suspects in Greens disappearance. Auburn police on Friday announced the arrests of Taharra Jaquay Brunson, 41, and Marcus Okeef Wigley, 35, both of Auburn. The two men were arrested Thursday by U.S. Marshals and Lee County sheriffs deputies in connection with the disappearance of Thomas A. Green. Green, was reported missing to Auburn police on Sunday, Sept. 6. He was last seen by a friend early Saturday, Sept. 5. Police on Thursday released video of Green trying to go into a convenience store in the 800 block of Martin Luther King Drive and then leaving after he realized the business was closed. Authorities did not say when the video was taken. Authorities Friday said Brunson and Wigley are accused of taking Green against his will. They are both charged with first-degree kidnapping. No additional information has been released. Anyone with information is asked to call the Auburn Police Division Detective Section at 334-501-3140, the anonymous tip line at 334-246-1391 or the 24-hour non-emergency number at 334-501-3100. Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday said the governments decision to allow the Golden Temple in Amritsar to receive foreign funds is a pathbreaking move and it will once again showcase the outstanding spirit of service of the Sikh community. On Wednesday, the Home Ministry approved registration of Sri Harmandir Sahib under the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010, allowing it to receive foreign funding. Golden temple in Amritsar is also known as Sri Harmandir Sahib. The decision on FCRA at the Sri Harmandir Sahib is a pathbreaking one which will once again showcase the outstanding spirit of service of our Sikh sisters and brothers, Shah tweeted. He said Prime Minister Narendra Mod is blessed that Wahe Guru ji has taken Seva from him. Sri Darbar Sahibs divinity gives strength to us. For decades, the Sangat worldwide was unable to serve there. Modi Governments decision to allow FCRA to the Sri Harmandir Sahib deepens the connect of Seva between the Sangat globally and the Sri Darbar Sahib. A blessed moment! he said. The FCRA registration has been given in the name of the Sachkhand Sri Harmandir Saheb Sri Darbar Saheb Punjab Association, a body set up in 1925. Union Food Processing Minister and Akali Dal leader Harsimrat Kaur Badal thanked Shah for granting the FCRA registration to the Golden temple. Happy to share that MHA has granted approval under FCRA to Sri Harmandir Sahib. This will enable the shrine to receive sewa from all over the world & go a long way in propagating Gurusahabs philosophy of sarbat da bhala. Im grateful to @AmitShah Ji for making this possible, she tweeted on Wednesday. The FCRA registration will be valid for a period of five years, sources said. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin A. Muh. Ibnu Aqil (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, September 11 2020 An ongoing report by environmental groups suggests that the banking and financial services sector should be liable for deforestation, as they continue to provide services to clients driving massive fires that raze swathes of land and tropical forest cover in countries like Indonesia. According to forestsandfinance.org, a website run by multiple civil society groups from around the world, nearly US$154 billion in credit lines and loans were granted between 2016 and April 2020 by banks to companies that are prone to driving deforestation and land degradation. Among the creditors named are three Indonesian state-owned banks Bank Mandiri, Bank Negara Indonesia (BNI) and Bank Rakyat Indonesia (BRI) which, together, provided more than $8 billion in loans and underwriting, according to Forests and Finance. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,000/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login In his letter to the editor, William Stenson was right about the Democratic Partys messaging response to race, use of force and professionalism problems with police in this country ("Self-defeating Democrats foolishly demonize the police," Sept. 5). Democrats responded to the defund the police movement by insisting that was not what they meant by police reform. But they didnt have a good message about what they did mean. "Smart-fund" the police would have been a much better message. But the letter writer was wrong when he said, without evidence, that most police officers are well-meaning and work hard to protect the public. We simply do not know that, for these reasons: There are 17,985 police agencies in the United States, and any generalized statement about all of them is necessarily overbroad and unprovable; police unions have convinced lawmakers that police departments should be immune from transparency. So we have no idea how many good, bad, mediocre or courageous officers there are. Recently, many jurisdictions have started waking up to the need to know who the bad cops are and making sure they can't get jobs in other departments. Then, and only then, will we know how many good cops and how many bad cops there are in each of our nations police departments. Stephen F. Hanlon St. Louis Tel Aviv, Sep 11 : Israir became the first Israeli airline to announce the first direct route to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) after the two countries reached a historic agreement last month to normalise relations. In a statement on Thursday, the company said that it will operate direct flights from the Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv to the Abu Dhabi International Airport, reports Xinhua news agency The flights will take about three and a half hours, with ticket prices starting from $299. Israir said it will also offer a package of flights and hotel stays in the UAE capital city. Last week, Saudi Arabia agreed to allow Israeli planes to fly over its territory, paving the way for the operation of the direct flights to the UAE. Because of low Covid-19 morbidity in the UAE, passengers returning to Israel will not be required to take a 14-day quarantine. Last week, Israeli flag carrier El Al announced it would operate weekly indirect cargo flights to Dubai via the Belgian city of Liege. El Al said the new route is expected to operate on a weekly basis, with a regular flight departing from Tel Aviv to Dubai on Wednesdays and returning on Fridays. On September 7, El Al operated the first-ever commercial flight between Israel and Abu Dhabi. Aboard the plane, Israeli and American delegations flew to Abu Dhabi in the wake of a US-brokered agreement between the UAE and Israel on August 13 to normalise relarions. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-11 12:59:00|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close LONDON, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- Indian start-ups, pressed by the impact of COVID-19 epidemic, are faced with uncertainties and difficulties as their government has been treating China, their main capital source, with hostility, local media reported Thursday. India has abused the concept of national security and taken discriminatory and restrictive measures against Chinese enterprises. It has banned at least 118 Chinese mobile apps and proscribed investment from China in highway projects and small and medium enterprises. However, many Indian start-ups, which have no way to obtain governmental support and Western funding, have been looking to Chinese investment. "Clearly one big source of capital has vanished," Haresh Chawla, partner at True North, a private equity firm, was quoted by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) as saying. Data from start-up research firm Tracxn shows that 35 Chinese corporations and 85 venture capital and private equity firms have invested over 4 billion U.S. dollars in major Indian start-ups since 2010. A total of 18 of India's 30 unicorns technology companies have Chinese investment with a valuation of over 1 billion dollars. "Given the large presence of the Chinese, it may be difficult for funds from other jurisdictions to immediately fill their shoes," said Atul Pandey, a partner at a law firm. Moreover, Indian start-ups hoped to learn from the mobile-first evolution of the Chinese market, but the current tensions have caught many off guard. Enditem The artificial pancreas, also known as closed-loop control, is an all-in-one diabetes management system that tracks blood glucose levels using a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) and automatically delivers the insulin when needed using an insulin pump. The system replaces reliance on testing by fingerstick or CGM with delivery of insulin by multiple daily injections or a pump controlled by the patient or caregiver.The study enrolled 101 children between ages 6 and 13 and assigned them to either the experimental group, which used the new artificial pancreas system or to the control group which used a standard CGM and separate insulin pump. Check-ins and data collection were conducted every other week for four months.Study participants were instructed to continue about their daily lives so that the researchers could best understand how the system works in the typical routines of the children.The study found that youth using the artificial pancreas system had 7% improvement in keeping blood glucose in range during the daytime, and a 26% improvement in nighttime control compared to the control group. Nighttime control is of particular importance for people with type 1 diabetes, as severe, unchecked hypoglycemia can lead to seizure, coma or even death. The overall time-in-range goal for the artificial pancreas reflected a nearly 11% improvement, which translated to 2.6 more hours per day in range.The improvement in blood glucose control in this study was impressive, especially during the overnight hours, letting parents and caregivers sleep better at night knowing their kids are safer, said protocol chair R. Paul Wadwa, M.D., professor of pediatrics at the Barbara Davis Center for Childhood Diabetes at the University of Colorado, Aurora (CU). Artificial pancreas technology can mean fewer times children and their families have to stop everything to take care of their diabetes. Instead, kids can focus on being kids.Sixteen adverse events, all classified as minor, occurred in the artificial pancreas group during the study, with most due to problems with the insulin pump equipment. Three events occurred in the control group. No cases of severe hypoglycemia or diabetic ketoacidosis occurred during the study.For decades, NIDDK has funded research and technology development to create a user-friendly automated device that could ease the constant burden of type 1 diabetes, from the finger sticks and insulin injections, to the insulin dose calculations and constant monitoring while improving diabetes control outcomes and preventing both short- and long-term complications of the disease, said Arreaza-Rubin. The artificial pancreas is a culmination of these years of effort, and its exciting to see how this technology may benefit children with type 1 diabetes and their families, and hopefully benefit everyone with diabetes in the future.The artificial pancreas technology used in this study, the Control-IQ system, has an insulin pump that is programmed with advanced control algorithms based on a mathematical model using the persons glucose monitoring information to automatically adjust the insulin dose. This technology was derived from a system originally developed at the University of Virginia (UVA), Charlottesville, with funding support from NIDDK.This four-month study was part of a series of trials conducted in the International Diabetes Closed-Loop (iDCL) Study. In addition to CU and UVA, study sites included Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, California; and Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut. Jaeb Center for Health Research served as the data coordinating center.Based on data from the iDCL trials, Tandem Diabetes Care has received clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for use of the Control-IQ system in children as young as age 6 years.As we continue to search for a cure for type 1 diabetes, making artificial pancreas technology that is safe and effective, such as the technology used in this study, available to children with type 1 diabetes is a major step in improving the quality of life and disease management in these youth, said NIDDK Director Dr. Griffin P. Rodgers.The iDCL Study is one of four major research efforts funded by NIDDK through the Special Statutory Funding Program for Type 1 Diabetes to test and refine advanced artificial pancreas systems. The studies, with additional results forthcoming, are looking at factors including safety, efficacy, user-friendliness, physical and emotional health of participants, and cost.This study was funded by NIDDK through grant UC4DK108483 and Tandem Diabetes Care, Inc. Tandem also provided the experimental closed-loop systems used in the trial, system-related supplies including the Dexcom CGM and Roche glucometer, and technical expertise.The NIDDK, part of the NIH, conducts and supports basic and clinical research and research training on some of the most common, severe, and disabling conditions affecting Americans. The Institutes research interests include diabetes and other endocrine and metabolic diseases; digestive diseases, nutrition, and obesity; and kidney, urologic, and hematologic diseases. For more information, visit https://www.niddk.nih.gov/ Contacts and sources: NEW YORK - Americans commemorated 9-11 on Friday as another national crisis, the coronavirus, reconfigured ceremonies and as a presidential campaign carved a path through the memorials. In New York, victims relatives gathered Friday morning for split-screen remembrances at the World Trade Centers Sept. 11 memorial plaza and on a nearby corner, set up by separate organizations that differed on balancing tradition with virus safety. Standing on the plaza, with its serene waterfall pools and groves of trees, Jin Hee Cho said she couldnt erase the memory of the death of her younger sister, Kyung, in the 2001 terrorist attack that destroyed the trade centres twin towers. Its just hard to delete that in my mind. I understand theres all this, and I understand now that we have even COVID, said Cho, 55. But I only feel the loss, the devastating loss of my flesh-and-blood sister. Around the country, some communities cancelled9-11 ceremonies, while others went ahead, sometimes with modifications. The Pentagons observance was so restricted that not even victims families could attend, though small groups could visit its memorial later in the day. On an anniversary that fell less than two months before the presidential election, President Donald Trump and Democratic challenger Joe Biden both headed for the Flight 93 National Memorial in the election battleground state of Pennsylvania at different times of day. Biden also attended the ceremony at ground zero in New York, exchanging a pandemic-conscious elbow bump with Vice-President Mike Pence before the observance began. In short, the 19th anniversary of the deadliest terror attack on U.S. soil was a complicated occasion in a maelstrom of a year, as the U.S. grapples with a pandemic, searches its soul over racial injustice and prepares to choose a leader to chart a path forward. Still, families say its important for the nation to pause and remember the hijacked-plane attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people at the trade centre, at the Pentagon outside Washington and in a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, on Sept. 11, 2001 shaping American policy, perceptions of safety, and daily life in places from airports to office buildings. People could say, Oh, 19 years. But Ill always be doing something this day. Its history, said Annemarie DEmic, who lost her brother Charles Heeran, a stock trader. She went to the alternative ceremony in New York, which kept up the longstanding tradition of in-person readers. Speaking at the Pennsylvania memorial, Trump recalled how the planes crew and passengers tried to storm the cockpit as the hijackers as headed for Washington. The heroes of Flight 93 are an everlasting reminder that no matter the danger, no matter the threat, no matter the odds, America will always rise up, stand tall, and fight back, the Republican president said. Biden visited the memorial later Friday, laid a wreath and greeted relatives of victims including First Officer LeRoy Homer. Biden expressed his respect for those aboard Flight 93, saying sacrifices like theirs mark the character of a country. This is a country that never, never, never, never, never, never gives up, he said. At the Sept. 11 memorial in New York hours earlier, Biden offered condolences to victims relatives including Amanda Barreto, 27, and 90-year-old Maria Fisher, empathizing with their loss of loved ones. Bidens first wife and their daughter died in a car crash, and his son Beau died of brain cancer. Biden didnt speak at that ceremony, which customarily doesnt let politicians make remarks. Pence went on to the separate ceremony, organized by the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation, where he read the Bibles 23rd Psalm. His wife, Karen, read a passage from the Book of Ecclesiastes. For the families of the lost and friends they left behind, I pray these ancient words will comfort your heart and others, said the vice-president, drawing applause from the audience of hundreds. Formed in honour of a firefighter killed on 9-11, the foundation felt in-person readers were crucial to the ceremonys emotional impact and could recite names while keeping a safe distance. By contrast, recorded names emanated from speakers placed around the memorial plaza. Leaders said they wanted to keep readers and listeners from clustering at a stage. As in past years on the plaza, many readers at the alternative ceremony added poignant tributes to their loved ones character and heroism, urged the nation not to forget the attacks and recounted missed family milestones: How I wish you could walk me down the aisle in just three weeks, Kaitlyn Strada said of her father, Thomas, a bond broker. One reader thanked essential workers for helping New York City endure the pandemic, which has killed at least 24,000 people in the city and over 190,000 nationwide. Another reader, Catherine Hernandez, said she became a police officer to honour her familys loss. Other victims relatives, however, werent bothered by the switch to a recording at the ground zero ceremony, which also drew hundreds. I think it should evolve. It cant just stay the same forever, said Frank Dominguez, who lost his brother, Police Officer Jerome Dominguez. The Sept. 11 memorial and the Tunnel to Towers foundation also tussled over the Tribute in Light, a pair of powerful beams that shine into the night sky near the trade centre, evoking the twin towers. The 9-11 memorial initially cancelled the display, citing virus safety concerns for the installation crew. After the foundation vowed to put up the lights instead, the memorial changed course with help from its chair, former Mayor Mike Bloomberg, and Gov. Andrew Cuomo. The lights again went on at dusk Friday. Tunnel to Towers, meanwhile, arranged to display single beams for the first time at the Shanksville memorial and the Pentagon. The anniversary has become a day for volunteering, with the 9-11 National Day of Service and Remembrance organization encouraging people this year to make donations or take other actions from home because of the pandemic. ___ Contributing to this report were Associated Press journalists Alexandra Jaffe and Ted Shaffrey in New York, Darlene Superville in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, and Mark Scolforo in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The country's war with election misinformation is blurring partisan lines, as state officials from both sides of the aisle are working in conjunction to fend off efforts to suppress votes -- particularly across key battlegrounds. "The three things we're focused on right now are voter registration, poll worker recruitment and then making sure that we get accurate information out there," Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose, a Republican, said in an interview with ABC News. Against the backdrop of President's Donald Trump's relentless attempts to disparage vote-by-mail this cycle -- without evidence supporting his claims -- election officials are hustling to tackle threats of false information, which could lead to greater voter confusion. At the same time, they're gearing up for a presidential election heavily relying on mail ballots due to the coronavirus pandemic. "We're living in consequential times with the pandemic, and with all the other things going on, and so this is why we need to be more alert than ever to that kind of disinformation that can be put out there," LaRose said. MORE: Here's what to know about mail-in voting for November Misinformation emerged as a central challenge in this year's election, after the 2016 presidential election saw the rampant spread of misleading and false information across social media platforms. This cycle, a key target of misinformation campaigns has become vote-by-mail, given its prominence in the election. LaRose recently debunked a Twitter video after a relative pointed it out to his wife and he asked his office to investigate the content further. In the video, which had been circulating in the state, a woman misleadingly alleges that absentee voting is not secure because the envelopes include voters' party affiliation. But Ohio never puts party affiliation on the outside of ballot envelopes in any election, LaRose explained, adding that the ballots the woman was speaking of were from a primary in Palm Beach County, Florida. Story continues "One of my most important responsibilities is getting accurate information out there," LaRose said. "This one was a very sort of simple, straightforward proposition that the information shared in that video was not accurate. It didn't apply; it certainly didn't apply to Ohio." PHOTO: Frank LaRose gives his victory speech after winning Ohio Secretary of State, Nov. 6, 2018, in Columbus, Ohio. (Justin Merriman/Getty Images, FILE ) Ohio is once again a battleground this cycle, after Trump carried the state over Hillary Clinton by eight points in 2016 -- a relatively sizable advantage in a contest when a number of states that tipped the election in his favor were won by roughly one percentage point. The Ohio secretary of state's office said it's looking for misinformation similar to the false information in the video, urban legends and rumors that spread on social media, as well as intentional disinformation campaigns. Ohioans can report misinformation they see around voting to the secretary of state's office. LaRose's office has also worked to train communities on how to recognize and report misinformation, particularly minority communities, which are often targets for misinformation. "You'll never be able to track down and debunk every myth or every rumor or every piece of disinformation," LaRose said. "It kind of could be compared to Whack-a-Mole, like there's always going to be another one popping up somewhere. But what's the better tactic is to help people be more inoculated against it, to be more skeptical of what they read." In addition to debunking misinformation on social media, LaRose has called out misleading messages even when they emerge from members of his own party. When asked about the president urging his supporters to vote "twice" to test the electoral system last week, LaRose responded at a press conference Tuesday, "that is not something Ohioans should do." MORE: North Carolina officials reject Trump's call for supporters to vote by mail and in person "Certainly public officials misspeak from time to time, or say something that needs to be corrected," he said, adding later, "certainly that doesn't fall in the disinformation protocol that our office has set up, but it does fall under the category of what I guess you would call misinformation, where something incorrect is said. And, it's my responsibility as secretary of state to make sure Ohioans know the facts." A similar fight against disinformation is unfolding in Michigan. The secretary of state and attorney general, both Democrats, are investigating a fallacious robocall targeting voters in Detroit, a Democratic bastion, which they said is using "racially-charged stereotypes to deter voting by mail." "This is an unconscionable, indefensible, blatant attempt to lie to citizens about their right to vote," said Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson in a statement late last month. "The call preys on voters' fear and mistrust of the criminal justice system -- at a moment of historic reckoning and confrontation of systemic racism and the generational trauma that results -- and twists it into a fabricated threat in order to discourage people from voting." The recording peddles false information about mail-in ballots in an effort to dissuade voters from using the alternative -- claiming vote-by-mail exposes their personal information to police to dig up "old warrants" and credit card companies to collect "outstanding debt." The woman on the robocall says it was made on behalf of Project 1599, which is an operation spearheaded by Jacob Wohl and Jack Burkman, both right-wing conspiracy theorists. "Don't be finessed into giving your private information to the man. Stay safe and beware of vote by mail," the recording says. PHOTO: Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson speaks at a news conference in Lansing, Mich., March 5, 2020. (David Eggert/AP, FILE) "Though the caller claims to be associated with Jack Burkman and Jacob Wohl -- two political operatives with a known reputation for spreading misinformation in an effort to gain notoriety -- the source of the call is still unknown," Benson and Attorney General Dana Nessel said in a joint statement. It is also not clear at this point how many Detroit residents received the robocall or if it is targeting any other cities in the state. The calls are not confined to Michigan, though, as they have been targeting voters in other states -- including some of this cycle's most crucial battlegrounds. Officials in Pennsylvania, Ohio, New York and Illinois made similar warnings to dispel any erroneous claims about vote-by-mail in the robocall, reiterating that the voting tactic is "safe and secure." They are now working together to counter any potential ramifications from the robocall. "These states have indicated to us that they have received similar robocall complaints from residents in their urban centers, though it's unclear how pervasive the calls have been," Ryan Jarvi, a spokesperson for Nessel's office, told ABC News in a statement. "We will continue to work with partners in other states and levels of government to evaluate and address these criminal offenses." As the investigation into the robocall continues, election administrators, Benson said, are focused on identifying "trusted sources" to deliver accurate information to voters who are being "inundated" by "a rising tide of political rhetoric that is directly designed to confuse voters." MORE: Millions of Americans are receiving absentee ballot applications from outside groups. Here's what you need to know. Benson, who is overseeing Michigan's election in the age of COVID-19, announced on Wednesday that her office is sending mailers to the state's 4.4 million active registered voters to accurately inform them how to apply to vote away from a polling site, and another 700,000 Michiganders will be mailed a letter detailing how to register to vote. But her endeavor to expand vote-by-mail in Michigan -- a state Trump carried by the narrowest of margins four years ago, when Clinton saw less-than-stellar turnout -- also landed her in the president's crosshairs after she announced a plan to mail absentee ballot applications to all 7.7 million registered voters in Michigan. Trump singled out Michigan for its expansion of vote-by-mail back in May, falsely claiming that the decision was made "illegally." A Michigan judge late last month affirmed the move, dismissing a lawsuit challenging Benson's authority and arguing that the secretary of state does have the power to mail applications to voters. Benson's clash with the White House comes two years after Michigan eased restrictions on voting practices, by allowing any voter to cast an absentee ballot without an excuse. More than 2.1 million voters in Michigan have already requested an absentee ballot for November's election -- a record in the battleground -- with still about eight weeks to go. The fight to combat election misinformation blurs partisan lines amid Trump's attack on mail-in voting originally appeared on abcnews.go.com Image by Geoffroy Van Der Hasselt /AFP One by one, the witnesses told a hushed court how their lives were brutally upended on a cold January morning in 2015, when two brothers wielding assault rifles burst onto a quiet Parisian street looking for the newsroom of Charlie Hebdo, the satirical weekly. Jeremy Ganz, a colleague of Frederic Boisseau a maintenance worker shot dead as the gunmen searched for the newspapers unmarked offices recalled how his hands were covered with so much blood that he couldnt unlock his phone to call for help. Corinne Rey, a Charlie Hebdo cartoonist, spoke tearfully of sheer terror and absolute distress when the assailants, Cherif and Said Kouachi, forced her at gunpoint to guide them to the office doors and punch in the entrance code, before walking in and starting to shoot. Sigolene Vinson, a lawyer and contributor to the weekly, recounted how the gunmen left behind a cloud of gunpowder and the strong smell of blood. Around her, shards of bullet-torn bones were like shining specks of glitter, she said, while the body of Stephane Charbonnier, the editorial director, was face down like a dislocated puppet. And Simon Fieschi, Charlie Hebdos webmaster, explained with clinical precision how his ribs and shoulder blade were shattered and how vertebrae in his spine were hit so badly that the attack left him almost 3 inches shorter, with severely impaired motor functions. I have no desire to offer up my pain to all of those who inflicted it upon me, he said. At the same time, I dont want to hide the consequences of these acts. Over five years after the January 2015 terrorist attacks, which killed 17 people in and around Paris, witnesses and survivors of the Charlie Hebdo massacre took center stage at a courthouse in northern Paris this week, days into a landmark trial expected to last until November. The testimonies offered a chilling reminder of the ruthlessness and military precision of the attack on Charlie Hebdo, which lasted only 1 minute and 49 seconds but killed 10 cartoonists, journalists and other staff members alongside Boisseau and a police officer, Ahmed Merabet and left indelible physical and psychological scars for its survivors. The faces of those testifying were obscured by masks worn as a prevention measure against the coronavirus, focusing attention on their eyes clouded by tears or lost in memories of the massacre. Living or dead, wounded or not, I think none of us escaped what happened, Fieschi said. His testimony ended in a heavy silence, punctuated only by the tap-tap of his crutch hitting the courtroom floor as he returned to his seat. Those directly responsible for the attacks are long dead. The Kouachi brothers, who said they were avenging the Prophet Muhammad for cartoons of him published in Charlie Hebdo, died in a shootout with security forces 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 police stormed the building. The 14 people on trial, three of them in absentia, are accused of providing varying degrees of logistical aid to the attackers; none are suspected of being present at the scenes of the crimes. But for the survivors, the testimony was about confronting their trauma, not the suspects. Its a bit cathartic, Patrick Pelloux, an emergency doctor who also freelanced for Charlie Hebdo, told the court. Our wounds are still not healed. Ive seen a lot, but scenes like that, never, said Pelloux, who had close friends at the satirical weekly and was one of the first to arrive on the scene. When you go into medical studies, its to save people, and of all people, these were ones I would have wanted to save, Pelloux said, choking up. And I was incapable of doing so. Disturbing pictures of the crime scene and silent video surveillance footage of the attack were shown in court. But most time was spent listening to stories of lives brutally cut short and of lasting consequences for those who survived: interrupted careers and personal turmoil, hypervigilance and insomnia. Some also expressed frustration that Charlie Hebdos brand of biting satire had been increasingly challenged with accusations of racism and anti-Muslim bias. I want it to be said that us, we were innocent, said Laurent Sourisseau, a cartoonist who was wounded in the attack and is now the weeklys editorial director. People were insufficiently combative in defending freedom of expression, he said. If you dont live freely, what is the point of living? Sourisseau asked. Witnesses described the Jan. 7 editorial meeting at Charlie Hebdo as a joyous affair, fueled by coffee and sweets, where they discussed the latest topics as 2015 got underway: a provocative new book, the growing number of young French jihadis leaving for Syria. Then the gunmen burst in. Survivors recalled how the assailants fired targeted, methodical bursts from their AK-47s. Laurent Leger, formerly an investigative reporter for Charlie Hebdo, described a kaleidoscope of images, sounds, memories, sensations that overwhelmed him. In a flash, I saw the bodies fall, Leger said. Listening to the others, plunging back into this nightmare, this carnage, its very trying. The testimonies of Rey and Vinson were particularly harrowing. Reys voice trembled when she recalled being grabbed by the brothers as she headed outside to smoke a cigarette. She remembered how prepared they were they knew her face and her nickname, Coco and their excitement as she typed in the entrance code. After the shooting, there was silence, said Rey. A deathly silence. For Vinson, who has a tattoo on her arm featuring the names of the 12 people killed, words tumbled out in long, vivid spurts, interrupted only when she stopped to steel herself. She explained how she hid behind a low wall in the newsroom, heard shots and felt the impact of a body Mustapha Ourrad, a proofreader falling against it on the other side, and how Cherif Kouachi leaned toward her, telling her they didnt kill women. (In fact, one of the people they had just shot dead was Elsa Cayat, a psychiatrist and psychoanalyst who wrote a column for Charlie Hebdo.) Peering at the gunmans eyes through his black mask, she remembered how soft his gaze seemed. I was surprised by how easy it was to give up on life, Vinson said. She moved to southern France and for months was plagued by nightmares of Hayat Boumeddiene Coulibalys partner at the time of the attacks, who fled to Syria and is still thought to be alive shooting her in the forehead with a crossbow. But the courtroom also gave some the opportunity to air grievances. Some Charlie Hebdo survivors accused the media of failing to support the weekly and lamented growing timorousness in France over freedom of expression. On the eve of the trial, Charlie Hebdo defiantly reprinted cartoons about the Prophet Muhammad and Islam. We are living under siege, in Paris, in 2020, said Fabrice Nicolino, a journalist who was wounded in the legs, angrily accusing reporters at the court of caring little that the paper now works under draconian security. What we are enduring, you arent interested in it. And those close to Boisseau, the maintenance worker who was killed, expressed frustration that the media had overwhelmingly focused on Charlie Hebdo. Ganz, Boisseaus colleague, recalled hiding in a cramped restroom and holding his friend as he died, blood pooling on the floor. He was the good father who got up in the morning to go to work, said Ganz, calling Boisseau a symbol of ordinary French people who was forgotten in the attacks. Catherine Gervasoni, Boisseaus partner, testified that she and the couples two teenage sons talked about Boisseau every day. But never about the 7th. By Aurelien Breeden c.2020 The New York Times Company Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, front, speaks as Ontario Premier Doug Ford listens after taking part in a ground breaking event at the Iamgold Cote Gold mining site in Gogama, Ont., on September 11, 2020. (The Canadian Press/Nathan Denette) Lobbying Commissioner, Language Czar Looking Into WE Charity as PM Insists No Conflict of Interest The federal Lobbying Commissioner has confirmed it is looking into WE Charity but will not yet say whether a full investigation has been opened, as the embattled organization announced this week it will close Canadian operations. Meanwhile, another federal watchdog is examining whether the charity would have been able to provide its services in both official languages as required by law. A spokesperson for the Lobbying Commissioners office told The Epoch Times it opened a preliminary assessment of the charity on Aug. 14, but could not confirm or deny whether that assessment will prompt an investigation. Given the possibility that these matters may become police investigations, the Office is unable to comment on whether an investigation has been initiated or is ongoing, said communications advisor Manon Dion in an email. WE Charity announced on Sept. 9 that it is closing its Canadian operations due to the fallout from the Canada Student Service Grant controversy as well as the financial impact of the pandemic. Co-founders Craig and Marc Kielburger are also stepping down from the organization. WE Charity is currently embroiled in existing investigations by the ethics commissioner and several parliamentary committees looking into how the organization got a sole-sourced contract to run a multi-million-dollar student service grant program, and the charitys ties to family members of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and former finance minister Bill Morneau. The RCMP has also said it is examining the matter. The NDP and Conservatives requested an investigation by the Lobbying Commission after testimonies in parliamentary committees looking into the WE charity deal and reports of contact between WE charity staff and government officials. The federal Lobbying Act requires an organization to register its communications with public office holders within two months of the point in time when its combined lobbying activities, over a one-month period, amount to at least 20 percent of the work of a single, full-time employee. In their testimony to the federal finance committee in July, the Kielburger brothers defended their organizations decision not to register lobbyists and insisted the efforts of the organization contacting the officials did not meet the legal definition of lobbying. In August, however, WE Charity registered retroactively as a lobbyist of the federal governmentregistering more than 60 communication reports for contacts with public office holders since early 2019. Testifying before the House of Commons finance committee on Aug.13, WE Charitys executive director Dalal Al-Waheidi defended the organizations choice not registering earlier, saying that in past years, WE Charitys engagement with the government was about one to three percent of our overall budget and engagement. We thought it was minimal. If I thought that registration was required, we would have done it, Al-Waheidi said. Amid WE Charitys woes, Trudeau was asked during a news briefing on Sept. 11 in Gogama, Ont., whether he takes any responsibility for the organizations troubles, including its recent closure in Canada. As Ive said, I regret not having recused myself in the beginning because of the perception involved. But there was no conflict of interest here, Trudeau responded. Trudeau says the government moved rapidly with a partner that it felt was able to deliver the student grant program. What we tried to do with the Canada student grant was encourage young people to volunteer in communities across this country as they were, and give them recognition for that, Trudeau said. And in order to do that we moved rapidly with a partner that we felt was able to actually deliver it. Also on Sept. 11, a spokesperson for the official languages commissioner said they would investigate whether WE Charity was able to provide its services in both official languages as the law requires. The federal Conservatives had asked official languages commissioner Raymond Theberge to investigate the governments choice of WE Charity, saying the move showed contempt toward francophones. Conservative MP Richard Martel alleged in a letter to Theberge earlier this month that the youth group did not have the ability to deliver the Canada Student Service Grant program in French as well as in English. Sonia Lamontagne, a spokeswoman for the commissioner, said that Martel was informed the office would investigate the complaint. She did not provide details, given that the investigation is ongoing. Trudeau announced the launch of the Canada Student Services Grant on June 25. But there was immediate controversy over his perceived conflict of interest and early the next month WE Charity pulled out of the agreement, which was to have paid the organization a potential $43.5 million. The sole-sourced contract with WE had stipulated the organization would not make money on the deal. With files from The Canadian Press Originari di Francofonte, sono stati ordinati lei nel 2008, ed e diventata suora di clausura, lui nel 2010 ed e l'attuale guida della comunita parrocchiale della basilica di SantAntonio Abate nella sua citta di nascita A new book by former navy and Shin Bet chief-turned-politician Ami Ayalon aims to decipher the collective DNA of Israel, Zionism and Judaism by Yossi Melman At some point between 1973 and 2002, we were victorious. The victory lay in the decision of all the Arab League states to recognize Israels existence based on the United Nations resolutions. That decision was the reason we fought, and we aspired to it from the day the state was established. Our enemies accepted the fact of our existence in this land, based on the conditions we had demanded for years. The continuation of the war, after we were victorious, makes it unjust and immoral; but beyond that, the continuation of the war after we were victorious will bring about the end of the Zionism that envisions a Jewish, democratic state in the spirit of Israels Declaration of Independence. About a week before his book Friendly Fire (in English) is set to be published, Ami Ayalon is sitting with me in his home in Moshav Kerem Maharal. The irony of the venue is not lost on either of us. At a certain stage in his life, Ayalon, the bold fighter and security hawk who killed no few soldiers and terrorists, underwent a transformation and became a fighter for peace. During his stint beginning in 1979 as commander of Shayetet 13, the naval commandos, he and his wife Biba, from Kibbutz Merhavia, bought a small house (38 square meters, or some 400 square feet) and a storeroom for chicken feed in the moshav. Kerem Maharal had been established by Holocaust survivors from Czechoslovakia on the ruins of Ijzim, the second-largest Palestinian village in the Haifa District, whose residents were expelled in 1948. Ami and Biba connected the small house and the storeroom and created the home in which they still live. Adjacent to it, they have an olive grove, a manufacturing plant and a store where they sell the olive oil they produce. I am aware of the complex reality of our existence here, he says in a tone that betrays the remnants of a gritty military style. I am not a post-Zionist. For me, the War of Independence is a formative event for Zionism, and for them [the Palestinians] its the Nakba. I sit here in this house and assert that until 1973 all the wars were just wars. We were attacked. But the subtitle of his new memoir How Israel Became Its Own Worst Enemy and the Hope for Its Future immediately indicates a different approach. In Ayalons view, Israels greatest enemy is neither Iran, Hamas nor Hezbollah. It is the policy direction that the state has taken since the second intifada, in 2000. If Zionism is indeed to come to an end, Ayalon maintains, the reason will not be a handful of Jewish terrorists or rabbis who believe in a messianic vision the cause will be government policy that kowtows to minority groups. Ami Ayalon was born in 1945 in Tiberias and grew up on Kibbutz Maagan, on the shores of Lake Kinneret. His parents had immigrated to Palestine seven years earlier from Romanian Transylvania. The formative experiences of his childhood and adolescence were marked by the feeling of the Syrians along the border, the shelling of the Jezreel Valley communities, being confined in bomb shelters, the Kinneret and the poems of Rachel [Bluwstein]. And there was also his military service, of course. To be frank, he writes in the book, we were motivated neither by Zionist-socialist New Man ideology nor the post-Holocaust ethos of Never Again. It all came down to the thrill of adventure and danger, the intoxicating adrenaline of the fight the desire to push our limits. Swimming faster, diving deeper, running farther, and shooting less out of careful deliberation than instinct and intuition constituted the formula for survival. That description is only one example of many of the books macho narratives, whose style manifests the considerable contribution of Ayalons co-author, Anthony David, who teaches English literature at the University of New England. This is not an autobiography in the usual sense of the word. Ayalons book is more of a personal, intellectual and philosophical journey into his lifes different realms, interspersed with encounters with people through whom he sets out to decipher the collective DNA of Israel, Zionism and Judaism. Its not by chance that he takes the books epigraph from Amos Ozs autobiographical novel A Tale of Love and Darkness: The only journey from which you dont always come back empty-handed is the journey inside yourself. On his journey, Ayalon meets, among others, with the writer Meir Shalev; the former physician of the Shayetet, Yehuda Melamed; Chaim Gans, a professor of law; Pinhas Wallerstein, a leading figure in the settlement movement; Rabbi Yitzhak Shapira, author of the racist book The Kings Torah, who advocates killing non-Jewish babies, if necessary; senior Fatah figure Jibril Rajoub; and Khalil Shikaki, a leading Palestinian pollster, whose brother Fathi Shikaki, the first secretary general of Islamic Jihad, was assassinated in Malta in a joint naval-Mossad operation, at a time when Ayalon was the commander of the Israel Navy. Drawing the lines In July 1969, at the height of the War of Attrition in Sinai, Ayalon, then a young officer, was sent with fellow naval commandos and fighters from the elite Sayeret Matkal special ops unit to raid Green Island, in the southern Suez Canal near Suez City. The British had fortified the small island during World War II in order to protect the canals shipping lanes. Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Haim Bar-Lev and Defense Minister Moshe Dayan ordered the operation in response to the crossing of the canal by Egyptian commandos and their raid on an Israeli outpost. Eight Israeli soldiers were killed, one was taken captive and several tanks were destroyed. Although it was not presented as such, the raid on Green Island was also a showcase operation. In Ayalons view, Israels greatest enemy is neither Iran, Hamas nor Hezbollah. It is the policy direction that the state has taken since the second intifada, in 2000. The resounding message would be that no matter how well fortified, no Egyptian position was beyond our reach, Ayalon writes. No enemy soldier, not even elite commandos hidden away in the Pyramids of Giza, could go to sleep or take a piss without the nagging fear that we could show up, guns ablaze. Ayalon and his comrades-in-arms were spotted as they advanced toward the fortifications, and a fierce battle ensued in which another six IDF soldiers were killed, among them three naval commandos. The Egyptians losses were far higher: an estimated 70 to 80 troops. Ayalon, who was seriously wounded, received the Medal of Valor for his excellence and bravery in the battle. He remembers a Dr. Slavin who treated him as he was being evacuated from the island on a Zodiac dinghy muttering two words, The bastards. Slavin was referring to the IDF High Command, which had dispatched them on their almost-suicidal mission. But for his part, says Ayalon, We didnt think then that the battle was unnecessary, and I dont think so today, either. In the 1970s, the Israel Navy ratcheted up its involvement in anti-terrorist operations, and Ayalon found himself plying the Mediterranean to carry out assassination missions in almost every Arab country, including the April 1988 killing of Abu Jihad, the deputy of PLO leader Yasser Arafat, in Tunisia. In another operation, after being promoted to commander of the Shayetet in 1979, Ayalon and his fighters set out to assassinate a PLO sector commander who was perpetrating terrorist attacks nonstop in Lebanon, whose plans included a sea-based raid on one of Israels beaches in order to kill civilians indiscriminately. Ayalons force planned to situate themselves on the breakwater in the Lebanese harbor of Tyre, pick out their man in a cafe on the jetty, and cut him down with sniper fire from afar. However, during the final operation briefing, when the boat was already on its way to the target, Ayalon got into a stormy argument with Chief of Staff Rafael Raful Eitan. Raful added a twist to the plan, Ayalon recalls in his book. After ensuring wed hit the target, he wanted us to mow down everyone else in the cafe with guns and machine guns and set explosive charges on the breakwater. Sir, I told him, thats not happening. Whats that supposed to mean? Its an order. Sir, this operation is about killing a terrorist, not families in a cafe or kids running around on the breakwater if we open up with massive fire, everyone in the entire region will know we are there. Ami Ayalon with President Ezer Weizman.Credit: Ofer Lefler Eitan continued to insist on an indiscriminate slaughter in order to secure the retreat. But Ayalon stood his ground: Sir, if you want everyone dead, you dont need us. Dispatch the air force. Theyll drop a one-ton bomb on the pier and itll all be over. Eitan was forced to back down and the operation proceeded as planned. Ive cited this example from the book as it shows the budding of Ayalons worldview, which would guide his path in the IDF, in the Shin Bet security service which he headed between 1995 and 2000 and in politics in the decades to come: a fearless war against terrorism, while maintaining humanity and morality. Out of the Dark Ages One of Ayalons important decisions as commander of the navy from 1992 to 1996 was to establish a fleet of modern submarines as a strategic arm. This was the period after the first Gulf War, when Israel received two submarines as a gift from Germany, as compensation, intertwined with post-Holocaust guilt feelings, for the fact that German firms had sold equipment and components to Iraq for its chemical and nuclear warfare plans. Ayalon aspired to enlarge the fleet, for which partial financing by Israel was required, and pushed for a decision on the issue, to the displeasure of Chief of Staff Ehud Barak and most of the IDF General Staff. However, he had the backing of Prime Minister and Defense Minister Yitzhak Rabin. Ayalon believes that his approach should still be adopted today, despite the indictments filed against former senior navy officers and the allegedly improper conduct of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the procurement of an additional four vessels from Germany and in giving an Israeli green light to the Germans sale of submarines to Egypt. As such, Ayalon did not hesitate to sign an affidavit appended to the petition submitted this summer to the High Court of Justice by former senior figures in the defense establishment, calling for Netanyahu to be investigated in the affair and for the establishment of a state commission of inquiry. Prime Minister Shimon Peres decision to appoint Ayalon head of the Shin Bet after the November 1995 assassination of Yitzhak Rabin and the resignation of the security services director, Carmi Gillon, was not a bolt from the blue. Ayalon reveals in his book that Rabin himself first broached the idea, about a year before he was murdered. Following a decisive meeting about the submarines, Rabin asked Barak to leave the room and then proceeded to astound the naval chief. Ayalon describes what happened next. Rabin: Ami, Id like you to take over the Shin Bet Listen, youve completed your stint as commander of the navy, and the issue of the submarines has been settled. I need you at the Shin Bet. Ayalon sat there too stunned to respond. It made no sense to ask someone like him to head up the Shin Bet, he felt. On the other hand, Ayalon writes, Rabin didnt need to explain why the Shin Bet needed fresh blood. In the year and a half since he had pumped Arafats hand during the signing ceremony for the Oslo Accords at the White House, a legion of demons had descended upon the Land of Israel, in the form of Hamas and Islamic Jihad on the Palestinian side, and Baruch Goldstein [who perpetrated a massacre of Palestinians] on ours. By the time Ayalon entered his office in Shin Bet headquarters, the gates of hell were already wide open. One suicide attack followed another in swift succession, and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat did very little to stop them. Ayalon found himself in a double bind: He had to eradicate Palestinian terrorism, which was out of control, by means of a hapless security service and at the same time fight Jewish terrorism, in light of the fact that Rabin had been assassinated by a Jewish law student with ties to the settlement movement and its radical rabbis. But here, once more, Ayalons distinctive personality came into play. At his first meeting with the heads of the services divisions and units, he writes, he told them in all sincerity, Gentlemen, I do not know this organization, dont know how to recruit agents, and I dont have a clue how to gather intelligence. But paradoxically, I am responsible for everything that happens here, and all of us will have to work together to bridge the gap between my lack of knowledge and experience and the degree of responsibility I have. If you think I am wrong about something, I want you to tell me. The chief need is not to understand the Palestinians anger, but the need to reformulate the Zionist narrative in order to ensure Israels future as a secure, Jewish and democratic state. At the same time, he added, But old strategies have failed. We were no longer fighting the PLO, I reminded them, stating the obvious: Our enemy was now Islamic terrorists. More specifically, to prevent Hamas from murdering Israeli civilians, we needed to infiltrate its military wing, the Qassam Brigades. Our failure until then was the consequence, I was convinced, of not having the right sensors. So well examine everything: the methods of intelligence collection, the methods of recruitment, the methods of prevention. Well question every single convention and axiom. What works, well keep; what doesnt, well ditch. The one thing Im not willing to hear, I went on, is, This is the way weve always done things. Shabak, the Hebrew acronym by which the Shin Bet is known, seemed to be stuck in the Dark Ages, he writes. To quote Yuval Diskin, the man I appointed to direct counterintelligence for the West Bank [and afterward Shin Bet director], Shabak had plenty of muscle and an underdeveloped brain. Indeed, by the time Ayalon concluded his tenure, the brain had developed and was operating the muscles effectively. The methods improved, the technological capabilities were upgraded, the database had undergone digitization, and above it all hovered a spirit of daring and refreshing, out-of-the-box thinking. To this must be added the good cooperation between the Shin Bet and Mohammed Dahlan, at that time the head of the Palestinian security forces in the Gaza Strip, and his counterpart in the West Bank, Jibril Rajoub. In the end, Jibril and his people arrested more Hamas terrorists than Israel did, Ayalon notes in the book. Question of credibility One of the Shin Bets major successes during the Ayalon period, which ended in 2000, was the killing of the brothers Adel and Imad Awadallah, in 1998. Adel was the commander of the Iz al-Din al-Qassam military wing of Hamas; Imad had escaped from a Palestinian Authority prison. They were both assassinated near Hebron by a force of the Yamam, the Israel Police antiterror unit, on the basis of intelligence supplied by the Shin Bet. Hamas was convinced that Rajoub had staged Imads prison break and had then passed on the information to the Shin Bet. Ayalon sheds light on this, relating that Rajoub and his colleagues wanted to apprehend the brothers, but that the critical intel was finally obtained by Diskin and his staff. Surprising opposition to the operation, which aimed to capture the brothers alive, came from Netanyahu. The prime minister was apprehensive that their arrest would spawn revenge attacks. Let Arafat deal with them, he demanded, and berated Ayalon for two hours over his stand on the issue. But Ayalon was insistent and eventually had the upper hand; Netanyahu accepted his argument. Ayalon writes that he found no little resemblance between Netanyahu and Arafat: They were both excellent actors and given to making theatrical gestures. In this connection, he provides an interesting anecdote. After the assassination operation, he informed the prime minister that he intended to issue a statement to the press about the events on the farm near Hebron. Netanyahu objected: Lets say it was another work accident i.e., that the Palestinians blew themselves up. Ayalon said he was not going to lie, adding This is a matter of credibility for the State of Israel and the Shin Bet. Credibility is not your department, said Bibi. You stick with security, besides which, he added, You do not understand the media. Ayalon observes that it was not only the Shin Bet that changed during this period so did he. In my first week as the agencys director, dozens were killed and hundreds wounded in terrorist attacks. Afterward, the graph began to fall, and in my final year as director, until Ariel Sharons visit to the Temple Mount [in September 2000], only one Israeli was killed. Those results speak for themselves. Along with this, my view of the Palestinians changed on the basis of my experience in the Shin Bet. I understood that there is a Palestinian people that sees us as occupiers and aspires to end the occupation on the way to the establishment of a state alongside the State of Israel. As commander of the Shin Bet, Ayalon grasped the power concentrated in his hands. Shabak, by the nature of its design, is an organization that is intended to protect democracy by means of systematically violating the most sacrosanct principles, privacy and due process of law. Reflections of this nature led Ayalon to formulate the Shin Bets code of ethics, which deals with the restraint of force and underscores a statesmanlike approach. Politics is not for me Gradually, particularly over the course of the second intifada, Ayalon came to realize that in order to foment change in Israel he had no choice but to engage in public and political activity. Thus, in 2002, he and his good Palestinian friend (to this day) Prof. Sari Nusseibeh, former president of Al-Quds University in Jerusalem, drew up a peace initiative containing very general principles for an agreement between Israel and the Palestinians. Its basic tenets remain today: the principle of two states for the two peoples, based on the 1967 borders and with territorial swaps; Jerusalem as the capital of both states; Palestinian forgoing of the right to return to Israel (Palestinians would be allowed to return to the Palestinian state only); and demilitarization of the Palestinian state. Concurrently, Ayalon and Nusseibeh established public movements to promote the initiative (The Peoples Voice and The Peoples Campaign for Peace and Democracy). By 2005, a quarter-of-a-million Israelis and 160,000 Palestinians had expressed their support for it. In 2006, Ayalon entered politics and was elected to the Knesset on the Labor Party ticket. He served as a minister in the government of Ehud Olmert and lost to Ehud Barak in the contest to lead Labor in 2007, after which he served in a ministerial position. Afterward, he left the political arena. Politics wasnt for me, he admits. In retrospect, I think that Rabin made a mistake by not giving Arafat an ultimatum to stop turning a blind eye to the terrorism. Netanyahu and Barak erred by failing to understand the pressure Arafat was under because of the continuation of the occupation and the expansion of the settlements, a situation which could not lead to the creation of a horizon. On the Palestinian issue, it is our duty and responsibility to take the first step. We have not yet done that. At the same time, he remarks, The chief need, as I see it, is not to understand the Palestinians anger, but the need to reformulate the Zionist narrative in order to ensure Israels future as a secure, Jewish and democratic state in the spirit of Israels Declaration of Independence. The intention of recasting the narrative is to continue to strive toward the goal as it was framed by the founding fathers. Its like setting out in a sailboat when the wind shifts. Sometimes you have to change course in order to reach the destination you set yourself. Finally, I asked Ayalon for his thoughts about current events in Israel, and in particular about Netanyahus comportment. Even though he has been unsparing in his criticism of Netanyahu (and Barak) in the past as well as in this book this time he declined to comment. However, he did consent to express his opinion about the recent agreement with the United Arab Emirates, which in his view has three aspects: 1. Every arrangement that creates a process toward peace and a transition from normalization to peace and that looks to be speedy at the moment is positive and will improve Israels economy and its standing in the Arab world. There is no doubt that this is an important diplomatic achievement, but we must also remember that the UAE is not Egypt and Jordan. We did not have a war with the emirates. Its certainly not comparable to Egypt and Jordan, and any such comparison is beside the point and looks to me like an effort to reap immediate political dividends. 2. The agreement strengthens those who think, as I do, that concessions on the Palestinian issue can bring us significant achievements. The emirates, and also the U.S. administration, are saying explicitly that the annexation [plan for the West Bank, advocated by Netanyahu] is no longer on the agenda, and no Israeli believes Netanyahu when he says that its on the table, certainly not the settlers, whom he betrayed. 3. We must understand and this is given expression in the book that even if we have a peace agreement with the whole Arab and Muslim world, if we do not reach a settlement with the Palestinians, Israel will not be a secure, democratic, Jewish state. Not democratic, because we will not be the majority in the land. Not Jewish, because neither Islam nor Judaism has passed the stage of separating between religion and state. And not secure, because the terrorism of the Palestinians as a people not of the terrorist organizations will accompany us in the future. The writer works for Haaretz, a daily newspaper in Israel where this piece first appeared. Fire crews have moved to the mopping up phase in their battle against the Chehalem Mountain/Bald Peak fire in Washington County. The fire is 70% contained, said Cassandra Ulven, spokeswoman for Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue, the lead agency fighting the blaze. Things have significantly improved. Between 500 and 1,000 people left their homes Tuesday and early Wednesday as fierce winds fueled the fire and pushed it south and west. Officials issued a Level 3 mandatory evacuation order early Tuesday evening and then, were forced to issue a second, expanded order as the fire grew. As the wind has stilled and temperatures dropped largely due to the thick layer of smoke the fires momentum also dropped. Firefighters will continue to work the fire, likely for days. Ulven said. But its mostly mopping up at this point, finding and extinguishing hot spots. Firefighters also continue to make progress in the PowerLine fire near Hagg Lake in western Washington County. Some residents have been allowed back into their homes after earlier being evacuated, said Sgt. Danny DiPietro, with the Washington County Sheriffs Department. Washington County has significantly stepped up patrols in the vicinity of the PowerLine fire out of concern that thieves could break into empty homes. There are lot of evacuated homes out there, DiPrieto said. Deputies came across men in the vicinity that apparently fueled concerns, DiPrieto said. Its unclear whether deputies suspect them of looting or whether they were taken into custody. There are also unconfirmed rumors of looting in the Chehalem-Bald Peak evacuation area. Ulven referred questions about looting to law enforcement officials. Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue had, at the peak, 170 firefighters working the Chehalem Mountain-Bald Peak blaze. As the fire has diminished, the agency has reassigned two crews 12 people and three engines to help in Clackamas County, which is fighting the 130,000 acre Riverside fire. No one has been reported hurt in the Chehalem Mountain/Bald Peak fire. No houses were damaged, though three barns were destroyed. The fire was first reported to law enforcement officials late Tuesday afternoon. Within minutes, officials were declaring level 3 evacuation orders advising hundreds of residents in the far reaches of southern Washington County to leave. DiPietro, the spokesman for the Washington County Sheriffs Office, said between 500 and 1,000 residents left their homes. The fire was first reported to have begun near Midway, a tiny, unincorporated area in the heart of the agricultural belt south of Beaverton and Hillsboro. Officials have since determined it started well to the south of Midway closer to the top of the ridge that separates Washington and Yamhill counties. Likewise, officials first estimated that the Chehalem Mountain-Bald Peak fire had scorched 2,000 acres. That number has since been adjusted downward to 875. Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue said Friday that it is investigating the cause of that fire, conducting interviews and examining evidence. Jeff Manning 971-263-5164 jmanning@oregonian.com Andrew Napolitano, the Fox News legal analyst and former judge, has been sued by a one-time criminal defendant for $10million who claims that he was forced to perform oral sex on him while he presided over his case in 1988. A lawsuit filed in Manhattan federal court on Friday alleges that Napolitano sexually assaulted Charles Corbishley after he lured him to his New Jersey home under false pretenses. Napolitano, who is being accused of sexual assault, battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress, has denied the allegations. These accusations are completely false, Napolitano said in a statement given to DailyMail.com by his attorney, Thomas Clare. Full stop. I have never done anything like what the accuser describes, at any time, to anyone, for any reason. Andrew Napolitano, the Fox News legal analyst and former New Jersey State Superior Court judge, has denied allegations he sexually assaulted a defendant in a case that he presided over in the late 1980s I have never had any personal relationship or inappropriate contact or communication of any kind with the man making this accusation. Each and every one of his claims against me are pure fiction. Period. Clare said the lawsuit was an outrageous abuse of our court system. He also alleged that Corbishley has made threats to harm Judge Napolitano. Given Corbishleys violent past and threats to harm Judge Napolitano, law enforcement is monitoring his movements and taking additional steps to ensure Judge Napolitanos safety, Clare said in a statement. We will defeat these false allegations in court and look forward to exposing this brazen attempt to smear a dedicated former public servant with an abusive court proceeding. Fox News released a statement to DailyMail.com saying: Judge Napolitano has assured us in the strongest possible terms that these allegations are false and he will fight them aggressively in court. According to the court filing, Napolitano was a judge in New Jersey State Superior Court in November 1987, when Corbishley was charged with arson. Corbishleys attorney, Robert Hollis, manages to get his clients case switched so that my friend Napolitano would be the presiding judge, the lawsuit alleges. At the time, Corbishley was not aware that Hollis was running a national prostitution ring as well as engaging in other acts that resulted in him being disbarred in New Jersey numerous times, according to the court filing. With Napolitano as the presiding judge, Hollis is said to have told Corbishley to plead guilty to all three counts in the indictment. According to the court filing, Hollis instructed Corbishley to meet Napolitano at a residence in a clandestine location in Hackensack, New Jersey, in or about December 1988. Corbishley alleges that Hollis told him to bring a snow shovel and a Christmas card for the judge. Corbishley did as he was told, according to the lawsuit. When he arrived, Napolitano instructed Corbishley to shovel snow from the driveway and the surrounding area adjacent to the house. Corbishley found this request to be peculiar, because the driveway already had been shoveled, and there did not appear to be any heavy snow around the house that needed shoveling, according to the court filing. Napolitano then went outside and invited Corbishley to come to the side of the house, the lawsuit alleges. After the two made small talk, Napolitano is alleged to have remarked to Corbishley: You know, you could be going away for a long time. According to the court filing, Napolitano was a judge in New Jersey State Superior Court in November 1987, when Corbishley was charged with arson Corbishleys attorney, Robert Hollis, manages to get his clients case switched so that my friend Napolitano would be the presiding judge, the lawsuit alleges At the time, Corbishley was not aware that Hollis was running a national prostitution ring as well as engaging in other acts that resulted in him being disbarred in New Jersey numerous times, according to the court filing With Napolitano as the presiding judge, Hollis is said to have told Corbishley to plead guilty to all three counts in the indictment According to the court filing, Hollis instructed Corbishley to meet Napolitano at a residence in a clandestine location in Hackensack, New Jersey, in or about December 1988 After the two made small talk, Napolitano is alleged to have remarked to Corbishley: You know, you could be going away for a long time At this point, Napolitano is alleged to have placed his hand on Corbishleys shoulder and forced him to his knees. The lawsuit alleges Napolitano pushed Corbishley down toward the ground and told him: Be a good boy. Napolitano appeared to be masturbating through his clothing, moving his hand back and forth over his penis, the lawsuit alleges. The judge is then alleged to have pulled his erect penis out. After the alleged assault, the judge handed down what Corbishleys lawyer says was a lenient sentence The court filing also stated: By comparison, Edward Weedo - Mr. Corbishleys co-defendant in the case, who was indicted on the exact same three criminal charges - was sentenced to several years in prison for committing the same crime. The lawsuit states that Corbishley 'has been tormented by recurring thoughts of committing suicide and hanging himself' since the alleged assault Corbishley 'has suffered severe, permanent and irreparable emotional and physical harm, and will continue to do so for the remainder of his life.' Napolitano, through his attorney, has vehemently denied the allegations Corbishley is seeking a total of $10million as compensation for sexual assault, battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress At this point, Napolitano is alleged to have placed his hand on Corbishleys shoulder and forced him to his knees. The lawsuit alleges Napolitano pushed Corbishley down toward the ground and told him: Be a good boy. Napolitano appeared to be masturbating through his clothing, moving his hand back and forth over his penis, the lawsuit alleges. The judge is then alleged to have pulled his erect penis out. Corbishley was then forced to perform fellatio on Napolitano, the lawsuit alleges. The court filing states that Corbishley desperately wanted to stop Napolitanos sexual assault but that he was terrified about what Judge Napolitano would do to him if he resisted or fought back. Based on the power disparity between Judge Napolitano and Corbishley, it was impossible for Corbishley to have consented to any sexual activities with Napolitano, the lawsuit states. The court filing further states that as Napolitano began to ejaculate into Corbishleys mouth, Corbishley took off crying and ran away. Corbishley was 20 years old at the time of the alleged incident. After the alleged assault, the judge handed down what Corbishleys lawyer says was a lenient sentence. The bottom two criminal charges were dismissed, and the top charge was amended, according to the lawsuit. Judge Napolitano then imposed a remarkably lenient sentence, allowing Mr. Corbishley to avoid any jail time whatsoever, and instead, imposing a sentence of five-years probation, with 150 hours of community service. This sentence was exceptionally light, given the serious nature of the underlying criminal charges: arson, burglary of a motor vehicle, and aggravated arson as well as Plaintiffs prior juvenile arson charge. The court filing also stated: By comparison, Edward Weedo - Mr. Corbishleys co-defendant in the case, who was indicted on the exact same three criminal charges - was sentenced to several years in prison for committing the same crime. Clare said that Corbishley, who acknowledges a lengthy criminal history though he now says he is rehabilitated, is a career criminal with a 25-year-long criminal record that includes arson, battery, unlawful weapons possession, credit card fraud, possession of stolen property, and drug distribution. It should be of grave concern to all judges and the other dedicated public officials who administer our criminal justice system that, decades after a routine criminal case, a former criminal defendant can, with no evidence, threaten to damage reputations and careers with these kinds of false and incendiary allegations. Judge Napolitano has had a long and distinguished career as a lawyer, jurist, television commentator and author. The court filing states: In 1998, Hollis pled guilty to federal money laundering charges for prostitution rings, and served an eighteen-month prison sentence. He was also suspended from the New Jersey bar on multiple occasions, from 1982 to 1985, from 1993 to 1996, and for all of 1998. According to Corbishleys lawsuit, Hollis intimated that he knew exactly what had happened between Judge Napolitano and Mr. Corbishley two days after the alleged assault. Hollis is alleged to have told Corbishley something to the effect that we both have him now and don't worry about anything, the filing states. WATERLOO REGION New data shows adults in their 20s are now most at risk of catching COVID-19, as students return to school and the disease surges. The story of the summer I think is one of a degree of complacency and overconfidence in some subgroups that believed they were not at risk, said John Hirdes, a public health professor at the University of Waterloo. The return to school is going to be a massive challenge. I think we will learn pretty quickly if its going to work. We are certainly in a better position than the U.S. but it could get out of hand quickly. Sherry Ezekiel, a personal support worker in the front lines of health care, worries about the health of her pregnant daughter, who is 28 and now belongs to the most threatened demographic: women in their 20s. Its almost like were starting our second wave, Ezekiel said, alarmed to see infections surge to a two-month high. A lot of people that are getting it right now are the people that are going out, and wanting to go out and socialize more, she said. I want to go to a patio too and have something to eat but I dont. Id love to go the movies but you wouldnt catch me in a movie theatre. Acting medical officer of health Dr. Hsiu-Li Wang is concerned to see younger people resume socializing against public health advice. Thats where we have to tighten our efforts, Wang said. Hirdes worries about long-term health effects that younger, infected people may experience even though the disease is not killing them. The risk of catching COVID depends partly on exposure, testing and behaviour. Assessing risk is complicated by the public health delay in collecting data on race and income that will shed more light on unequal impacts. This is not a simple virus. It seems to affect different people in different ways that I dont think we fully understand yet, Hirdes said. When the pandemic struck, older men and women suffered most as the virus rampaged through nursing and retirement homes. It infected 308 people in Waterloo Region who were older than 70, killing 104 of them. The next hardest hit in the initial lockdown were women in their 20s and 50s. They reported 208 infections and were infected two times more often than men of the same age, until May 18 when the lockdown eased. Women in their 30s and 40s were not spared during the initial lockdown, infected at rates almost one-third higher than men of the same age. My sense is it was because we have significantly more women that are working in the health-care sector, Wang said. Women are more often employed as nurses and personal support workers. This exposes them more to the disease. It also made them more likely to be tested when testing was targeted to health-care workers. Ezekiel, 55, has dodged infection so far and will soon be tested for the fifth time. Its very scary going into work every day, she said. But she also finds it rewarding, working in a hospice. I enjoy helping the families, she said. During the initial lockdown the disease seemed to spare people younger than 20. Expert Chris Bauch warns this may reflect limited testing among younger people who showed no or mild symptoms after catching COVID. The actual likelihood of infection in younger individuals is higher than these raw numbers suggest, said Bauch, a UW mathematician who studies the dynamics of infectious disease. Six months after the pandemic began, deaths and infections have plummeted as COVID infections skew younger. We are catching the cases that probably occurred in our younger generation before, but because by and large they were not eligible for testing back then, we probably missed them, Wang said. Ontario last relaxed pandemic restrictions in this region July 17. The most recent reopening phase (known as Stage 3) highlights the shift in age-related infections. Nobody in their 90s reported an infection between July 17 and Sept. 10. Women older than 40 are now less likely than the general population to report an infection. Whats unchanged since the pandemic began is that women in their 20s remain a prime COVID target. Since July 17, women in their 20s have been infected at more than twice the rate of the general population. They are currently showing the highest risk of any age and gender, based on 24 infections reported through Sept. 10. The next greatest infection risk is among men in their 20s. With 19 infections since July 17, they are at almost twice the rate of the general population. We all love to know what our celebrities are wearing; that's why most people pay more attention to the red carpet of any award ceremony or movie premiere more than the function itself. Our celebrities never disappoint either; they keep giving us stunning looks, and we can't help but wonder what fashion brand they love to wear. There are several fashion brands celebrities have taken a liking to, but one particular brand they can't stop loving is Nili Lotan - Fashion Brand; one might even say this fashion brand simply drives them crazy. What We Know Nili Lotan launched her line in 2003 and has been designing luxurious and chic dresses for ladies since then. Her personal style is simply timeless, and that's probably why both editors and the market have well-received her collections. Her pieces have been featured several times in top fashion magazines like Haper's Bazaar, Vogue, WSJ, and the likes. Publications are not the only ones drawn to this fashion brand; celebrities are simply going crazy over it. Since Nili Lotan debuted her brand, her pieces have been inspiring, and her loyal fans will always proclaim that her works are the stuff of legend. This designer believes confidence and sexiness can be found in comfort, and all her pieces are seemingly related. There are many military references in her style, like an army jacket, cropped military trousers, and the likes. Many celebrities have become die-hard fans of this fashion brand because it allows them to be comfy while remaining stylish at the same time. NL's pieces allow your personality to shine through the pieces instead of overpowering it, and it allows you to look real, which isn't common for A-list personalities to achieve. Amongst the top celebrities who have been spotted wearing Nili Lotan - Fashion brand pieces are Gigi Hadid; she is a dedicated follower of this brand and, over the years, has been spotted wearing this brand's French military pants. She paired it off with a crop top and looked as beautiful as ever. Over the years, she was seen wearing a Nili Lotan silk shirt, Luna pants, Camisole dress, a Nili Lotan Oversized Belted Wool Coat, Nili Lotan washed leather jacket and many more pieces of this unique fashion brand. Her sister, Bella Hadid, is not left out of the fashion craze as she was spotted wearing Nili Lotan Aria Jumpsuit and looks as hot and chic as a model could ever be. Reality TV star Kylie Jenner and her hot model sister are ardent lovers of Nili Lotan. They have been spotted several times wearing Nili Lotan leopard-print slip dress, Nili Lotan vintage ivory jade top, olive short cami dress, Nili Lotan dark green sandwashed velvet short cami dress, and many more stunning pieces. The Kardashian sisters, Khloe Kardashian and Kim Kardashian, are also big fans of the Nili Lotan - fashion brand. They have been spotted multiple times wearing Nili Lotan Snake print cami gown, Maya maxi skirt, Short cami dress, and other hot pieces at different times and locations. Nobody wears a dress like Rihanna; we know this top celebrity only goes for the best fashion brands, and it always looks great on her. She took a shine to Nili Lotan and has stuck to this brand over the years as she was spotted wearing Nili Lotan short cami dress, pewter cami gown, Nili Lotan midi cami velvet dress, and other timeless dresses. Several top celebrities like Karlie Kloss, Gwyneth Paltrow, Selena Gomez, Gal Gadot, Juliana Moore, Ashley Benson, Sofia Richie, Jennifer Lawrence, Morgan Stewart, Kelly Clarkson, and many others have been spotted wearing a Nili Lotan piece or another. The unique style of Nili Lotan makes it easy to see why her fashion brand continues to remain among the leading brands in the fashion industry and why celebrities are not staying off her pieces any time soon. India and Japan sign agreement on Reciprocal Provision of Supplies and Services between Forces of both countries India - Press Information Bureau Ministry of Defence Posted On: 10 SEP 2020 12:08PM by PIB Delhi India and Japan signed an Agreement between the two countries concerning Reciprocal Provision of Supplies and Services between the Armed Forces of India and The Self-Defense Forces of Japan. The agreement was signed here yesterday by Defence Secretary Dr Ajay Kumar and Ambassador of Japan Mr Suzuki Satoshi. This agreement establishes the enabling framework for closer cooperation between the Armed Forces of India and Japan in reciprocal provision of supplies and services while engaged in bilateral training activities, United Nations Peacekeeping Operations, Humanitarian International Relief and other mutually agreed activities. The agreement will also enhance the interoperability between the Armed Force of India and Japan thereby further increasing the bilateral defence engagements under the Special Strategic & Global Partnership between the two countries. ********* ABB/Nampi/KA/DK/Savvy/ADA (Release ID: 1652911) NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Close to half (48%) of students applying for honours degrees have missed out on their first preference course as the first round of college places are offered to students this afternoon. However, these figures are closely aligned to 2019 when 47% missed out on their first choice in this round. This year, 80% of students applying to study such degrees have received an offer of their first, second or third choice courses. The CAO has issued almost 79,000 round one offers to 53,815 CAO applicants this Friday, consisting of more than 47,000 Level 8 course offers, and almost 31,800 Level 7/6 course offers. Health courses across the board have seen a significant surge in demand. More than 24,500 CAO applicants this year have not yet received an offer of a third-level place, figures from the CAO show. The best of luck to all who are awaiting today's CAO first round offers.@UCC_PeerSupport will be taking over our Instagram stories from 1pm to 2pm today to share advice on navigating college life & talk you through the services and supports they offer.https://t.co/Vg5EZFMkS4 UCC Ireland (@UCC) September 11, 2020 When it comes to Level 7/6 degrees, 90% of students have received their first choice course this year. In response to demand for places through this years CAO, the number of places available to first-year students have increased to record level across most programs. An additional 2,225 places were created in recent weeks, with more than 60% of these allocated to university courses. These extra places are in addition to an extra 4,100 places that had already been planned for the year. Students are being asked to carefully consider any offers received this round, according to Eileen Keleghan, the CAO communications officer. One of the common queries that we receive at the offers stage is around order of preference. Applicants are reminded that if they receive a lower preference offer they can accept this offer and it will not prevent them from receiving an offer of a course higher up on their courses list in a later offer round if a place becomes available and they are deemed eligible. Those who have received an offer in this round should consider the current offer as being the only one they may receive. Offers must be accepted by 3:00 pm on Wednesday September 16, and it is important for students to notify the CAO immediately if they notice any errors or omissions. They must make sure to do this well in advance of the next offer round to allow any corrections to be considered in subsequent offer rounds. Students with queries over the weekend are asked to submit them to CAO or the relevant HEIs via the available online platforms. All queries will be reviewed and dealt with when HEIs and CAO re-open on Monday. The overall number of third level places has risen by an unprecedented 12% as compared with last year, according to the Irish Universities Association (IUA). Each of the seven universities represented by the IUA have all increased the number of places available to first-year students to a record level across all programs. At Trinity College Dublin (TCD) an additional 180 places have been created across high-demand courses, increasing capacity by 5%. We've extended operating hours for our @TCDAcadRegistry Service Desk this weekend (11th Sept to 13th Sept) to provide support for students and parents after the publication of this year's #CAO results. https://t.co/SQHMxnVgIh #TCDFreshers pic.twitter.com/ssPLZMaMcD Trinity College Dublin (@tcddublin) September 11, 2020 Weve never had to do something like this before but it is a necessary response to an unprecedented challenge, Professor Jurgen Barkhoff, Vice-Provost. We are now in the final stages of preparation and greatly look forward to welcoming our new and existing students to Trinity within the next few weeks. An additional 190 offers were made to students at NUIG. Courses in nursing, health sciences, medicine and psychology all saw significant increases at the college, indicating a surge of interest due to the ongoing pandemic. Arts programmes at NUIG also saw points increases, in particular for courses in music, film and digital media and drama and theatre courses. Good luck to everyone getting #CAO Offers today! The #NUIGalway First Year Helpline opens TODAY until Weds 14th Oct (Mon-Fri 9am-1pm & 2pm-5pm) Call them on 091 493 999 More first year advice is available here https://t.co/J8t2t1jPYM#GotNUIG #LeavingCert Comhaltas na Mac Leinn, OE Gaillimh (@NUIGSU) September 11, 2020 The university believes this may be linked to Galways appointment as European Capital of Culture for 2020. Professor Ciaran O hOgartaigh, president of NUI Galway, said the university looks forward to welcoming first year students. While we know it will be a year with a difference and an unusual start to our students university journey, it remains an exciting journey where we will endeavour to provide a safe, meaningful on-campus experience for our students with a corresponding reliance on online provision. Maynooth University saw strong demand for its new Biological and Geographical Sciences BSc, through which students study areas of climate change, ecosystems, landforms, and how human activity impacts our ecosystem locally and globally. Incoming First Years!@MaynoothUni has released a guide with the expected on-campus time for First Semester. Access it here: https://t.co/WD02G9u5Pf Maynooth Students' Union (MSU) (@maynoothsu) September 8, 2020 Professor Philip Nolan, president of Maynooth University, said: We are conscious that this has been an especially difficult year for Leaving Cert students, many of whom are now embarking on a new and exciting journey through third-level education. We have worked hard to provide students with an engaging and safe education this coming year, with a stimulating blend of on-campus and on-line learning. Image Bank / Getty Images En espanol | In the midst of a COVID-19-induced sales slump, Honda recently offered early retirement to some of its U.S. workers 55 and older. Those who accepted were given a choice: Either stay with the pension they'd earned meaning they'd receive monthly payments for the rest of their lives or walk away with a single, large payment calculated to be a fair approximation of such a pension. Many employees jumped at the prospect of taking a pile of cash, says Tom McCarthy, a financial adviser in Marysville, Ohio. We saw a flood of associates opting to retire." The pension-vs.-lump-sum decision, faced by many workers retiring this year for pandemic-related reasons, leaves retirees with a conundrum: Who should manage your pension money, your old employer or you? It's a potentially life-changing decision, says Ric Edelman, a Fairfax, Virginia, financial adviser and founder of Edelman Financial Engines. It's also one often made hastily, as employees are frequently not given much time to decide, and many don't have objective financial advice readily available. Once made, the decision is typically irrevocable. And the right choice may not be obvious. If you take a lump sum available to about a quarter of private-industry employees covered by a pension you run the risk of running out of money during retirement. But if you choose monthly payments and you die unexpectedly early, you and your heirs will have received far less than the lump-sum alternative. Two people in very similar situations may opt for different outcomes, Edelman says. Getting to yes or no Deciding whether a lump sum or a pension will turn out to be the better value for you personally is a complicated math problem with variables you can't predict chiefly, how long you'll live (and how long your spouse will live, if you're married), and the money you might earn by investing a lump sum. Your employer should explain how its offer was calculated. If you question the assumptions, an online calculator can estimate the investment returns you would need on your lump sum to match the value of the pension. (Try the free Pension vs. Lump Sum Payout Calculator at Dinkytown.net.) But such a calculator can't take into account an uncertainty like the devastating risk of a collapsing stock market soon after you retire. It doesn't make sense to plug in a couple of numbers and make a critical life decision on it, says Ron Guay, a financial adviser with Garrett Investment Advisors in Sunnyvale, California. Then there are the emotional and behavioral issues. That lump sum can seem like a lot of money but it carries risk that can shortchange retirees, says Karen Friedman, executive vice president of the Pension Rights Center, a nonprofit consumer advocacy group. Consider this: Of those who took the lump-sum option, 1 in 5 depleted that money within five and a half years, according to a study by MetLife. An additional 35 percent were concerned that the money would run out. As a free-flying, cube-shaped robot dubbed Astrobee zipped through the International Space Station today, the Expedition 63 trio aboard was occupied with upkeep and experiment maintenance tasks. Astrobee is autonomous, and therefore no additional burden to the busy schedule of Commander Chris Cassidy of NASA and Russian cosmonauts Anatoly Ivanishin and Ivan Vagner. Masterminded to assist the spare-faring crew with routine chores and give controllers on the ground an easy way to survey the station's interior, the robot is currently flying about to capture additional video and imagery for later study. Cassidy spent significant time in the Columbus laboratory module installing Fluidics hardware and setting it up for test runs. The experiment itself consists of three small transparent spheres with a centrifuge to move the liquids within. Data compiled from the investigation will one day improve applications in space, optimizing fuel systems, as well as on Earth, providing insight into how oceans work and the phenomenon of "rogue waves." In addition, Cassidy replaced components in the Waste and Hygiene Compartment and performed life-support maintenance. Vagner, meanwhile, helped with the life-support maintenance and serviced the Russian oxygen generator. With Ivanishin accompanying, they tackled cleaning air vents and dust filters to ensure the smooth running of the orbiting outpost. Smoke detectors within the Zarya module were also changed out during the housekeeping work. The Russian crewmates contributed to the space station's legacy as a microgravity testbed by furthering research objectives, with Ivanishin monitoring and identifying catastrophic events through the aid of Earth photography. Vagner added to the heart health study his counterpart had completed earlier in the week by setting up his own wearable monitor for a 24-hour electrocardiogram evaluation. At 4:32 p.m. EDT, a planned reboost will put the orbiting laboratory in the proper positioning for the anticipated Soyuz launch of Expedition 64 on Oct. 14, followed by the landing of the current crew on Oct. 21. On-Orbit Status Report ISS Reboost: Today the ISS performed a reboost using the SM Aft 75P R&D thrusters. This is the second of three planned reboosts to set up phasing conditions for 63S rendezvous on October 14 and 62S landing on October 21. Payloads Astrobee: The crew powered on the Astrobee units to allow for ground controlled operations in the JAXA module. Astrobee is made up of three free-flying, cube-shaped robots which are designed to help scientists and engineers develop and test technologies for use in microgravity to assist astronauts with routine chores, and give ground controllers additional eyes and ears on the space station. The autonomous robots, powered by fans and vision-based navigation, perform crew monitoring, sampling, logistics management, and accommodate up to three investigations. ISS HAM: The crew initiated an ISS HAM contact with College Raymond Sirot, in Gueux, France. ISS Ham Radio provides opportunities to engage and educate students, teachers, parents and other members of the community in science, technology, engineering and math by providing a means to communicate between astronauts and the ground HAM radio units. FLUIDICS (Fluid Dynamics in Space): The crew performed the FLUIDICS hardware installation and set the experiment into run start. The FLUIDICS investigation evaluates the Center of Mass (CoM) position regarding a temperature gradient on a representation of a fuel tank. The observation of capillary wave turbulence on the surface of a fluid layer in a low-gravity environment can provide insights into measuring the existing volume in a sphere. Systems Urine Process Assembly (UPA) Distillation Assembly (DA) Remove & Replace (R&R): The crew completed this R&R today. Several upgrades within the unit will address many issues and shortcomings identified over the course of UPA DA history. Condensation management, pretreat urine/brine leak paths and belt slips are among the most impactful issues addressed on this unit, achieved primarily by redesigns and material changes. Water Processor Assembly (WPA) Multifiltration (MF) Bed R&R: The crew performed this R&R today. The WPA has been successfully operating with only 1 MF bed since 7/3/19 when both the Catalytic Reactor and MF Beds were R&R'd. Since then the MF Bed experienced the first breakthrough of contaminants after ~8,700 lbm of throughput. This is in family with previous MF Beds placed in the first slot during dual-bed operations. This configuration is important for testing the viability of single bed operations for future exploration missions. Completed Task List Activities: None Today's Ground Activities: All activities are complete unless otherwise noted. UPA/WPA maintenance support Payloads operations support Look Ahead Plan Friday, 9/11 (GMT 255) Payloads: FLUIDICS Run 2,3 and closeout (ESA) CBEF CO2 sensor Replace (JAXA) Astrobee poweroff (NASA) Rodent Habitat-4 Stow (NASA) Food Physiology Brief (NASA) Systems: ACDU cable replace Urine Transfer System offload EDV Swap Saturday, 9/12 (GMT 256) Payloads: Off duty Systems: Off duty Sunday, 9/13 (GMT 257) Payloads: Off duty Systems: Off duty Today's Planned Activities: All activities are complete unless otherwise noted. On MCC Go Regeneration of Micropurification Unit () 1 Cartridge, start Astrobee Stowage Clear Astrobee On ISS HAM Columbus Pass Kenwood On MCC Go ISS repress using air from Progress 448 (SM Aft) Section 2 (until empty) - start (Universal Bioengineering Thermostat). Checking - No.07 thermostat temperature and verifying that area near - inlet/outlet vents is unobstructed (Report to MCC) Filling (degassing) of [] for Elektron or - Vacuum cleaning ventilation grilles on FGB interior panels (201, 301, 401) Vacuum Cleaning of dust collectors C1, 2 filter cartridges in FGB (panels 203, 403) MATRYOSHKA-R. Tritel hardware monitoring On MCC Go ISS repress using air from Progress 448 (SM Aft) Section 2 (until empty) - end 24-hour ECG Monitoring (start) Fluidics hardware installation Fluidics Run 1 execution On MCC Go Replacing -3 smoke detectors 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 in FGB with -3 (5 count) In Flight Maintenance (IFM) Regenerative ECLSS Combined Gather Preventive Maintenance of SM Ventilation Subsystem. Group C Remove the Stall in support of Node 3 WRS2 Rack Accessing for ECLSS Maintenance In-Flight Maintenance (IFM) Urine Processing Assembly (UPA) Distillation Assembly (DA) Remove and Replace Urine Processor Assembly (UPA) Separator Plumbing Assembly (SPA) Remove and Replace In Flight Maintenance (IFM) Multifiltration (MF) ORU #2 Remove and Replace SCENARIY. Observation and photography using Photo Equipment On MCC Go Vacuum cleaning 28-120 voltage converter for SM printer (behind panel 231). Visual inspection of GFCI cable and extension cable. Tagup with specialists Reinstall the Stall after Node 3 WRS2 Rack Accessing for ECLSS Maintenance Verifying shutter closure on windows 6, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14 prior to reboost. Note 9 In Flight Maintenance Regenerative ECLSS Combined Stow IMS delta file prep Synchronization of NIKON camera with station time Fluidics Power OFF Station Support Computer (SSC) Power On Joint Station Local Area Network (LAN) (JSL) Network Information for JSL Administration (NINJA) Print Laptop RSK1 battery checkout Please follow SpaceRef on Twitter and Like us on Facebook. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Carlos Carillo (Reuters) Zumpango, Mexico Fri, September 11, 2020 08:07 497 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c4427003 2 Environment Mexico,Airport,Ice-Age,mammoth,prehistoric-era,graveyard Free Amid busy construction crews racing to build an airport in Mexico, scientists are unearthing more and more mammoth skeletons in what has quickly become one of the world's biggest concentrations of the now-extinct relative of modern elephants. More than 100 mammoth skeletons have been identified spread across nearly 200 excavation sites, along with a mix of other Ice Age mammals, in the area destined to become the Mexican capital's new commercial airport. Lead archeologist Ruben Manzanilla explained on Tuesday that around 24,000 years ago mammoth herds reached this spot where sprawling grasslands and lakes would have enticed them to reside. "This place was like a paradise," he told Reuters, noting that as the last glaciers melted a wide range of mammals - including ancient species of camels, horses and buffalo - lived along what would have been an extremely muddy shoreline. "Then over many years the same story repeated itself: The animals ventured too far, got trapped and couldn't get their legs out of the muck," said Manzanilla. He speculates that most of the mammoths died this way, though he adds that there is some evidence that around 10,000 years ago early humans may have also hunted the 20-tonne beasts with flint arrows and spears, or dug rudimentary shallow water pits to snare them. Read also: Mammoth skeletons dug up at Mexico City airport construction site But the sheer amount of bones, including long, curling tusks - technically the animal's front two teeth - have come as a shock. "We had the idea that we'd find mammoth remains, but not this many," he said. Once the excavations are finished, Manzanilla said the site, located about 30 miles (50km) north of downtown Mexico City, could rival others in the United States and Siberia as the planet's biggest deposit of mammoth skeletons. He noted that a museum-style mammoth exhibit is being planned for the airport's main terminal. The series of inter-connected lakes that once covered the Valley of Mexico were deliberately drained by Spanish colonial masters beginning in the 1600s in an effort to tame annual flooding. Today, the mostly dry landscape is dominated by the working-class neighborhoods and highways that spill out from Mexico City. A Congolese national has emerged as the third suspect in the murder of the late car dealer, Kevin Omwenga. Mr Vatha Bahati Josue was arrested on Wednesday night and held at Capital Hill Police Station ahead of his arrangement on Thursday. The court heard that the suspects phone, a Samsung A10, was used to communicate with the deceased and suspects, Chris Obure and Robert Bodo Ouko, on the day of the shooting. According to the police, Mr Vatha was in constant communication with the suspects before and after the killing. The prosecution sought seven days to have the suspect detained as police complete investigations. Through his lawyer Samson Nyamberi, Mr Josue opposed his detention and asked to be released on bail. The suspect denied the charge and was ordered to deposit Sh100,000 cash bail. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-11 11:16:50|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close MEXICO CITY, Sept. 10 (Xinhua) -- The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) on Thursday condemned the grisly murder of journalist Julio Valdivia Rodriguez in Tezonapa, a town in the Gulf coast state of Veracruz in Mexico. The OHCHR's representative office in Mexico issued a statement calling on the authorities to "investigate the murder of Mr. Valdivia Rodriguez in accordance with the standards of due diligence, so that this crime does not remain unpunished." Investigators of the crime should "exhaust all possible lines of investigation," including the possible connection to Valdivia's journalistic activities, said the statement. Valdivia worked as a correspondent for the newspaper of El Mundo de Cordoba in Tezonapa. His colleagues noted his absence on Wednesday morning and his decapitated body was later found in a rural area, the UN agency said. Valdivia Rodriguez was at least the fourth journalist murdered in Mexico this year, according to the OHCHR's local office. Enditem Many expectations begin to abound as Ghanas President Professor Nana Akufo-Addo emerges the new chairman of the Economic Community of West African States. The baton of leadership he received as President at the 5th ECOWAS Summit in Niamey, capital of Niger, on Monday the 7th, basically says as much of his strong character. Characteristically, certain leaders would have shielded from such position, particularly those who are grappling with the coronavirus pandemic. Still, Akufo-Addo who has taken the bull by the horn, boldly and honourably, has emerged on the stage of competence and performance. Kudos to Kufo-Addo! First, Id like to talk about the essence of leadership. I do appreciate the principles of values-based leadership as outlined by Professor Harry Kraemer that is, SELF-REFLECTION, BALANCED PERSPECTIVE, SELF-CONFIDENCE, and GENUINE HUMILTY. Taken one after another, self-reflection is the ability to look inward, what will call introspection. It is a means of soul-searching our inner recesses essentially to determine how we can adjust or pattern our temperaments and sensibilities after the productivity and profitability of our nations. When a leader brings to bear a balanced perspective, it means his/her leadership styles are hinged on the sub-principles of empathy and inclusion. Empathy is the power to penetrate the minds of the people, discover the common denominator of their demands, and to proffer solutions to their perennial, existential problems. Inclusion itself is the comprehensive coverage of the sure-footed leader, who always ensures that those under him, irrespective of their age, background, religion and ethnicity, are carried along, so that there could some symmetric persuasion among all. Julius Caesar says Cowards die many times before their death. Only the brave taste of death but once. To be sure, Caesars statement is against the backdrop of self-confidence. To me, without self-confidence, one is self-crucified. You may notice Kraemers self-confidence is, ultimately, an alternative nomenclature for courage. Particularly, 21-st Century leaders oughtnt to display cowardly silence and stinking hypocrisy in their dealings with political matters. For this to happen, they have to ensure that their watchword is, as well, pivoted on the sub-principles of honesty and sincerity. Summarily, to be honest and sincere is to tell the whole truth from the heart. It is being truthful amid pressure to be cast into the furnace of fire. With genuine humility, the leader wins the heart of the people. This immediately reminds me of the present epidemic of masochism and mayhem ravaging Belarus, for example. Belarus is as yet witnessing some political turmoil over the August 9 disputed presidential election. The main opposition leader, Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, who claims gross imbalance in the election, accuses President Alexander Lukashenko of untold rigging of the votes. Even though Ms. Tikhanovskaya argues that she won the election, Mr. Lukashenko continues to debunk her bone of contention. Whats more, the burgeoning Belarus unrest has resulted in other opposition leaders, namely, Maria Kolesnikova, being surreptitiously bundled and driven away by masked, mean men in Minsk. Again, genuine humility is very key for fruitful, favourable firmament of governance. All these are what I believe new Chairman Prof. Akufo-Addo of ECOWAS has clad himself with. Putting on the whole armours of leadership is what could sustain the success of fraternal bodies of the body. The pressing, demanding, and dire political upheaval in Mali has apparently been frowned upon by well-meaning West African leaders. The precipitous ousting of President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita did demand such astute intervention, in fact. Incidentally, the well-studied intervention of Russia, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia in Belarus demonstrates, in actual fact, that the progress and problem of democracy and leadership is a pandemic but, unlike COVID-19, its got some vaccine. The vaccine is the people, because, according to Indias Prime Minister Narendra Modi, governance thats pro-people and pro-active tends to be corruption-free. Reportedly detaining President Keita for 10 days is misconstrued and misgiven by no fewer Malians. And the carriers of the coup explain their reason for such military and arbitrary intervention: in short that Mali under the Keita administration has defaulted in its raison detre. So, theres a call to action from the seeming well-intentioned, seasoned coupers. Above all, Akufo-Addo is expected to fortify the body with long-consequence features that would subvert the lacuna, mostly typified in West African countries as it were, especially between the leaders and the led. ECOWAS shouldnt let the Berlin Conference to egregiously misuse and manipulate its facility. The power and impact is traceable to the presidential address of Akufo-Addo as President; the speech is arguably fraught with tens of thousands of two ex-U.S. presidents expressions. This shows that we have so been brainwashed by the conference that we remain undetachable and unsurvivable from the undercurrent dire repercussions. The pro-colonial mentality of thinking the white as supremacists of the fountain of knowledge and ideas could crackdown on our pre-colonial mentalities to leadership and governance. I remember T.S. Eliot talking about historical sense. He says it is going to the past, learning from the past, and using those wells of wisdom to simultaneously address present and future issues. Yes, we had historical sense. Yes, Africa had historical sense. Yes, West Africa had historical sense. Yes, ECOWAS does have her historical sense with which she can independently operate without plagiarising any of the so-called world leaders. Think about whats presently happening in the U.S and U.K., for example. These are powerful countries with their unflinching delinquencies and deficiencies. Trumps America, in particular, has spawned hundreds of thousands of black lives to their untimely deformation, laceration, or grave. President Donald Trump seems to have turned deaf ears to the cries and movements of Black Lives Matter. Finally he says white people are more racialised and radicalised by the polices super-funded fire powers. In the meantime, however, presidential Democratic hopeful Joe Biden for the November 2020 Election has silently condemned Trump whose presence, he argues, is deadlier and more toxic than the coronavirus pandemic. Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who had much earlier been criticised by Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer of winging it and exit without strategy, is up until now imposing stricter restrictions on England. Each of these countries is facing epidemics of crises of consciousness, ranging from unemployment and economic whirligig. And yet these are some of the countries we pattern our modus operandi and modus vivendi after. Akufo-Addo is expected to prevent an inflection point of New ECOWAS, which will inevitably lead to the lost power of the union. This could be caused by Nigerias President Muhammadu Buharis epistemic exposure, through a statement made by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, at the same ECOWAS Summit. Mr. Buhari made it clear, in part, that it is important that as leaders of our individual-member states of ECOWAS, we need to adhere to the constitutional provisions of our countries, particularly on terms limit. This is one area that generates crisis and political tension in our sub-region. I urge us all to resist the temptation of seeking to perpetuate ourselves in power beyond the constitutional provisions. The phenomenology of the New NBA shouldnt be the experience of ECOWAS under Akufo-Addo. Segun ( [email protected] ) is a graduate of English, University of Lagos, Nigeria Actor Vishal who is known for being vocal and taking a stand on political issues has now become the talk of the town, after he expressed his support to Bollywood actress Kangana Ranaut. The actress who has currently locked horns with the ruling party in Maharashtra, was appreciated by the Irumbu Thirai actor through his social media handle. Comparing her to the legendary freedom fighter Bhagat Singh, Vishal tweeted, "Dear Kangana. Hats off to your guts, you have never thought twice to voice out what is right and what is wrong. It wasn't your personal issue, but even then facing the wrath of the government you stayed strong which makes it a very big example. It is something similar to what Bhagat Singh did in the 1920s." Vishal further added that her action will set an example for many, especially common man, to speak against the government if they are on the wrong side. He said, "This will set an example for people to speak against the government when something is not right and not necessarily being a celebrity but also as a common man. Kudos to you. I bow to you." The appreciation note ended with, "Freedom of Speech (Article 19)" written in boldface. The actor's response is receiving mixed responses on social media, with several supporting and others criticizing the Paayum Puli star. Well, let us tell you that this is not the first time Vishal has expressed his views on a serious issue. Earlier, he had spoken against the Jallikattu festival (annual bull-taming festival of Tamil Nadu). Coming back to Kangana Ranaut, recently, her office was demolished by Mumbai's civic body BMC (Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation) after a legal notice was issued, calling it an 'illegal alterations'. Soon after her visit to the state, the actress shared a video wherein she was seen hitting out at Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray. Talking about her work, Kangana will next be seen essaying one of the most celebrated Chief Ministers of Tamil Nadu, late Jayalalithaa in Thalaivi. She has also announced films on Ayodhya and Kashmir. Sanjay Raut On Kangana's Office Demolition: It Has No Connection With Shiv Sena Complaint Filed Against Kangana For Defaming Maha CM; HC Adjourns Demolition Case Until Sept 22 Abdulkareem Mustapha, an Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) witness, on Friday, told a Federal High Court in Abuja that the nine million dollars handed over to Aliyu Abubakar was from the sale of a property to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). Testifying, Mr Mustapha narrated how he collected the money and handed it over to Mr Abubakar, who is the second defendant in an ongoing money laundering case. Messrs Abubakar and Mohammed Adoke, a former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, are standing trial on a 14-count charge bordering on money laundering. The witness, who was led in evidence by Bala Sanga, the prosecution counsel, said that he acted as an agent of Mr Abubakar, who engaged in buying and selling of property. I prepare documents for the sale of the property during the transaction; I collected the money and handed it over to the second defendant, he said. He said he was invited by the EFCC to give details of what he knew about the transaction about three times over a period of two years. The second defendant (Abubakar) has been my client for over seven years and I also represent his company, Equal Asset. After the money was handed over, a receipt was issued by the defendant stating that he received the said amount. He added that the money was paid to the defendant at different times. Two million dollars, three million dollars, four million dollars and twenty four thousand dollars were given to Abubakar at different times and receipts were issued. On Tuesday, the 4th prosecution witness, Farouk Suleiman, a Bureau de Change (BDC) operator, gave details of how he received N2 billion from Abubakar and converted part of it to dollars. Mr Suleiman told the court that he was introduced to Mr Abubakar sometime in 2011, following which the second defendant approached him sometime in 2013 to help him convert N2 billion to dollars. He told the court that the cheques were drawn in the name of a firm, Equal Access, which he lodged in Farsman Holding Limiteds account with Heritage Bank Plc. China has announced that its coast guard and an anti-narcotics unit conducted a rare drug bust in the middle of the Spratly islands last month, seizing a ship and arresting six people in the latest show of Beijings claim to jurisdiction over disputed waters in the South China Sea. Chinas state media reported the bust on Wednesday but provided few details. The China Coast Guard (CCG), in conjunction with the anti-narcotics unit of Chinas Ministry of Public Security, ambushed the suspected drug smuggling ship on Aug. 13 northwest of Fiery Cross Reef, one of Chinas four largest military bases and artificial islands in the South China Sea. It wasnt immediately clear why it took nearly a month for the action to be made public. While the CCG is a member of Chinas Central Military Commission as a constituent part of the Peoples Armed Police, the Ministry of Public Security is a civilian law enforcement agency and has no prior record of performing any duties or operations in the South China Sea. China described it as the first-ever seizure of bulk illegal drugs in Nansha, Chinas term for the Spratlys, an archipelago of rocks and reefs in the southern part of the South China Sea where Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam also have claims. BenarNews could not independently confirm it was the first such drugs seizure in the Spratlys. Fiery Cross Reef is less than 260 nautical miles from Vietnams Cam Ranh Bay, which raised questions for Collin Koh, a research fellow at the Singapore-based S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies. When the piece mentioned waters northwest of Fiery Cross Reef, theres no exact location, which could mean that potentially the event could have taken place even in Vietnams [exclusive economic zone], given the proximity to Vietnams southern coast area, he said. A nations exclusive economic zone is comprised of the waters encompassed by a 200 nautical mile boundary off its coasts. A subsequent report by Chinas state media revealed that the Ministry of Public Security and CCG had been planning the night-time ambush for months. As early as May, the Ministry of Public Securitys Fujian office believed a Chinese drug trafficking gang was conspiring to use a container ship to send drugs into China through the port of Fuzhou, Fujian province. The suspected ship left port on July 2 and was on its way back to China when it was interdicted by CCG ships lying in wait at Fiery Cross Reef. Its unknown what flag the ship was sailing under, nor did the reports give the nationalities of the six arrested, including the captain of the ship. Koh said that under international law, the arrests would be under Beijings jurisdiction as long as the suspected ship was Chinese-flagged. However, he added that such an interdiction operation could reinforce the notion that Beijing is carrying out effective jurisdiction in the disputed area, which definitely feeds into its South China Sea claim. Thats a key political implication that arises from this event. Southeast Asia has long been a hotbed for organized drug smuggling. As much as 120 tons of methamphetamine were confiscated by law enforcement agencies in 2018 alone, according to a report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. China alone seizes about 30 tons a year of synthetic drugs, according to a release by the same agency. However, most drugs originate in the Golden Triangle, a mountainous region where the borders of Laos, Myanmar, and Thailand meet and pass over land borders. Neighboring Vietnam stopped a massive shipment of methamphetamine, ketamine, ecstasy and heroin passing through its border with Cambodia on Sept. 2, according to Tuoi Tre newspaper. China sometimes has been criticized for its failure to stop the transit of precursor chemicals needed for production of some illegal drugs in other countries. But it has cracked down on drug trafficking in recent years, launching a Two Strikes, Two Controls law enforcement campaign that has continued since 2018 and seen provincial Public Security bureaus escalate their arrests of suspected drug syndicates. Chinas President Xi Jinping gave a speech to the nations police force on Aug. 26, stressing iron-like discipline and conduct and capping off a months-long education and rectification campaign aimed at the countrys legal system and judicial bodies. Nonetheless, the U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo accused China of abetting narcotics trafficking in Southeast Asia on Friday, in a statement coinciding with high-level meetings of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and its key dialogue partners. We stand for transparency and respect in the Mekong region, where the CCP has abetted arms and narcotics trafficking, the statement said, without providing evidence to back up the allegations. It seems that Sam Frost's Home and Away character has a hunky new love interest. On Tuesday, the 31-year-old actress was spotted filming scenes for the hit show at Sydney's Palm Beach with new co-star Luke Arnold. Sam looked like the ultimate beach babe as she and Luke, 36, shared a steamy kiss on the sand. It's heating up in Summer Bay! Sam Frost shared a steamy kiss with co-star Luke Arnold as they filmed scenes for Home and Away on Tuesday The former Bachelorette star showed off her slender figure in a red printed playsuit, which was teamed with a white corduroy jacket and sneakers. Sam, who plays Jasmine Delaney on the long-running soap, wore her long blonde locks out and over her shoulders in messy curls. Her makeup was complete with thick foundation, layers of blush, lashings of mascara and a nude lip. Beach babe: The former Bachelorette star showed off her slender figure in a red printed playsuit, which was teamed with a white corduroy jacket and sneakers She's got that glow! Sam wore her long blonde locks out and over her shoulders in messy curls. Her makeup was complete with thick foundation, layers of blush, lashings of mascara and a nude lip Beach style: Newcomer Luke was also dressed casually in black jeans, a T-shirt and an open denim shirt Newcomer Luke was also dressed casually in black jeans, a T-shirt and an open denim shirt. The pair filmed scenes by the beach and shared a smooch near the water. Luke has just recently joined the soap. He previously played Michael Hutchence in Seven's INXS Never Tear Us Apart. Pucker up: The pair filmed scenes by the beach and shared a smooch near the water Newcomer: Luke has just joined the soap, while Sam plays Jasmine Delaney Familiar face: Luke previously played Michael Hutchence in Seven's INXS Never Tear Us Apart And action! The pair were also seen embracing in front of the camera Sam plays Jasmine Delaney on the long-running soap. She landed the role after appearing on breakfast radio and several reality TV programs. In July 2017, Channel Seven announced that Sam would be joining Home and Away as a permanent cast member. At the time, she was perhaps best known for her role on The Bachelorette in 2015. Budding actress: Sam plays Jasmine Delaney on the long-running soap. She landed the role after appearing on breakfast radio and several reality TV programs Series regular: In July 2017, Channel Seven announced that Sam would be joining Home and Away as a permanent cast member Remember that? At the time, she was perhaps best known for her role on The Bachelorette in 2015 Meanwhile, Sam is set to strip off for Seven's The All New Monty: Guys and Gals this Sunday night. In a recent trailer for the show, Sam choked back tears as she admitted that she struggles to feel comfortable in her own skin. 'It is really challenging,' she said, welling up. Brave: Sam is set to strip off for Seven's The All New Monty: Guys and Gals this Sunday night. Another scene: The pair were pictured later on filming more scenes for the soap and wearing different outfits Body struggles: In a recent trailer for The All New Monty, Sam choked back tears as she admitted that she struggles to feel comfortable in her own skin 'When I'm losing or gaining weight it's all over the news, but this is for a greater cause,' she says of the charity burlesque show. 'Might as well strip off on TV right? That'll fix it,' she joked. She recently admitted that she has battled with body image her entire life. 'I'd like to say I feel comfortable in my body, but the truth is body image is something that I've battled with my whole life,' she told The Daily Telegraph on Monday. 'I don't want to be like that. 'I'm trying to get more comfortable in my own skin, and I'm trying really hard to push away those insecurities,' she added. Steamy: The pair couldn't keep their hands off each other as they filmed scenes for the soap Hundreds of firefighters, aided by helicopters dropping fire retardant and water, battled two large wildfires that threatened to merge near the most populated part of the US state of Oregon, including the suburbs of Portland. The number of people ordered to evacuate statewide because of fires rose to an estimated 500,000, more than 10% of the states 4.2 million people, the Oregon Office of Emergency Management reported late on Thursday. The Oregon Convention Centre in Portland was among the buildings being transformed into shelters for evacuees. A change in the weather, with winds dropping and shifting direction and humidity rising, greatly helped firefighters struggling to prevent two fires, one burning southeast of Portland and the other east of Salem, the state capital, from advancing farther west into more-populated areas. 2. @clackamascounty is also updating a color-coded fire-evacuation map at https://t.co/nkx66IZIv4 You can enter your address to see the evacuation level in your area. Pictured is a snapshot of the map as of 10:15 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 11.#clackamaswildfires pic.twitter.com/TMWJmPB1fG Clackamas Sheriff (@ClackCoSheriff) September 11, 2020 The wind laid down quite a bit for us yesterday. There also wasnt that strong eastern wind that was pushing the fire more to the west, said Stefan Myers of the states fire information team. Winds coming from the Pacific Ocean also neutralised the fires advance and even pushed them back, Myers said. Almost 500 personnel were working on the fires, which were just a few miles apart, with rugged terrain between them that limits boots-on-the-ground efforts to keep them apart, Mr Myers said. If they merge, they could generate such heat that it causes embers to fly thousands of feet into the air, potentially igniting other areas, he added. Governor Kate Brown said that more than 1,400 square miles have burned in Oregon over the past three days, nearly double the land that burns in a typical year in the state and an area greater than the size of Rhode Island. Oregon officials havent released an exact death count for the wildfires, but at least four fatalities have been reported in the state. Italia Guterrez, 9, searches the rubble of her familys mobile home in Talent, Oregon (Gillian Flaccus/AP) One person was killed in wildfires in Washington. Hundreds of thousands of people were ordered to flee encroaching flames. The estimate of evacuees was calculated by determining how many people live in mandatory evacuation zones, Office of Emergency Management spokeswoman Bobbi Doan said. One fire approached Molalla, triggering a mandatory evacuation order for the community of about 9,000 located 30 miles south of Portland. A police car rolled through the streets with a loudspeaker blaring evacuate now. Oregon's first responders are working around the clock to save lives from these horrific wildfires. On the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, we remember the thousands of lives lost, the sacrifices first responders made then, and we appreciate the efforts of first responders today. Governor Kate Brown (@OregonGovBrown) September 11, 2020 With the two large fires, called the Beachie Fire and the Riverside Fire, threatening to merge, some firefighters in Clackamas County, which encompasses Molalla, were told to disengage temporarily on Thursday because of the danger. Officials tried to reassure residents who abandoned their homes and law enforcement officials said police patrols would be stepped up to prevent looting. The local fire department said on Twitter: To be clear, your firefighters are still working hard on the wildfires in Clackamas County. They are taking a tactical pause to allow firefighters to reposition, get accountability & evaluate extreme fire conditions. We havent abandoned you, the fire officials said. The change in weather also aided efforts to contain a fire near Lincoln City, on the Oregon Coast. Thank God, we got a wind shift. The wind started coming from the west, pushing the fire back towards the east, and thats what kept it within its footprint and kept it from growing, fire spokesperson Ashley Lertora said. A bomb went off in Kabul that targetted Afghanistan's first vice president's convoy. The explosion killed at least ten people and is the latest sign of potential threat to the U.S.-backed historic talks between Kabul and the Taliban group that aims to end nearly two decades of conflicts. Bombing ahead of peace talks The attackers placed the explosive inside a wheelbarrow which was detonated near Amrullah Saleh's convoy in the country's capital on Wednesday. Interior Ministry spokesman Tariq Arian said that Salleh incurred minor injuries while 15 other individuals were wounded including the vice president's bodyguards. According to the Wall Street Journal, Vice President Salleh appeared on video a few hours after the explosion and was seen with a bandage wrapped around his left hand. He stated their fight continues despite the bombing and that he serves the Afghan citizens. No one took responsibility for the bombing, and the Taliban group immediately denied any involvement. However, the Interior Ministry said the explosives used in the attack were similar to the devices that the Haqqani unit of the insurgent group used in previous attacks. Vice President Salleh, a former intelligence chief, has been an open critic of the Taliban and was previously at risk after being targetted by the group. In 2019, a suspected Taliban attack aimed to strike him during his campaign as President Ashraf Ghani's running mate. Salleh is also a prominent supporter of the peace process and has consistently said that the way to true peace is to have the Taliban commit to a cease-fire with the country. Also Read: US to Withdraw More Than 2,000 Troops from Iraq Before November Elections Ghani stated that when the Taliban group commit such crimes, both terrorists and their international supporters, they are only strengthening peace, democracy, and a positive future for Afghanistan. In February, the Taliban signed an agreement with the United States where American soldiers would withdraw from the country on the condition that the insurgent group stopped its bombing attacks on urban centers. Continuous terrorism However, Afghan officials said that the Taliban continued their terrorizing assaults while denying any involvement with the attacks, as reported by The New York Times. In July last year, an attack on Salleh's office killed nearly 20 of his closest aides including some of his family members a few hours after he announced his candidacy for vice president. A group of suicide bombers detonated a vehicle bomb outside and rushed through to the fourth floor of the building the official was in, mowing down many of the people inside. After several hours of fighting, Salleh barely made it out alive after climbing a ladder to a nearby building's roof. According to BBC, A European Union delegation in the country criticized the bombing saying it was an atrocious act that attempted to undermine the peace efforts of officials. In the next few days, Afghan officials will move forward with long-delayed historic talks with the insurgent group. The discussions aim to reach an agreement of peace and create a political reconciliation after years of conflicts. Mohammad Massom Stanekzai, the head of the Afghan government's negotiating team, called for a stop to the violence if the path to peace was to succeed as a response to the bombing. He said that there should be no excuses and that the killings must end. Related Article: Burning Ships, Nuclear Explosions Incite Doubts of Failing Iranian Government on Potential Sabotage @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Vaccines are said to have prevented at least 10 million deaths worldwide between 2010 and 2015 alone. (Getty Images) A global study into vaccine confidence has revealed some hesitancy hotspots. Scientists from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) analysed surveys and interviews from more than 284,000 adults across 149 countries between 2015 and 2019. Results published in the prestigious medical journal The Lancet revealed confidence in vaccine safety remains low but varies across Europe, with less than one in five (19%) Lithuanians strongly agreeing immunisation is safe compared to two thirds (66%) in Finland in 2019. In the UK, just 52% of Britons strongly agree vaccines are safe up from 47% in May 2018. The proportion who tend to agree with jab safety fell, however, from 43% to 34%. Read more: Multiple concerns over Russian coronavirus vaccine studies Confidence is faltering in other parts of the world, with nearly one in five (17%) in Azerbaijan strongly disagreeing vaccines are safe in 2019, compared to just 2% four years earlier mirroring trends in political instability and religious extremism. Amid the coronavirus pandemic, an effective jab has often been hailed a route back to life as we once knew it. The LSHTM scientists stressed identifying countries with declining confidence will help guide where we need to build trust to optimise uptake. Vaccines are rigorously tested for safety, with any complications being exceedingly rare. Scientists around the world are racing to develop a coronavirus vaccine. In the meantime, preventative measures like face coverings help ward off the infection. (Posed by a model, Getty Images) Rapid and global spread of misinformation The invention of vaccines as we know them took place in the 18th century. Edward Jenner, the father of immunology, noticed milkmaids who overcame the mild cowpox virus did not develop smallpox which killed around 30% of those infected. Jenner inserted pus from a cowpox pustule into an eight-year-old boys arm, leaving him immune to smallpox. Fast forward more than 200 years, vaccines prevented at least 10 million deaths worldwide between 2010 and 2015 alone. Despite the enormous success of immunisation, public mistrust is a growing issue, with the World Health Organization (WHO) declaring vaccine hesitancy one of the top 10 threats to global health in 2019. Story continues Refusals or even delays to vaccinations contribute to outbreaks of preventable diseases like measles, polio and meningitis, according to the WHO. Read more: Two in five with lung condition will shield until coronavirus vaccine One of the main threats to the resilience of vaccination programmes globally is the rapid and global spread of misinformation, said Professor Heidi Larson, co-lead author of the LSHTM study. When there is a large drop in vaccination coverage, it is often because there's an unproven vaccine safety scare seeding doubt and distrust. Sometimes there is a genuine small risk that gets rapidly spread and amplified to appear to be a much larger risk. There are also cases where vaccine debates have been purposefully polarised, exploiting the doubting public and system weaknesses for political purposes, while waning vaccine confidence in other places may be influenced by a general distrust in government and scientific elites. It is vital with new and emerging disease threats such as the COVID-19 [the disease caused by the coronavirus] pandemic, that we regularly monitor public attitudes to quickly identify countries and groups with declining confidence, so we can help guide where we need to build trust to optimise uptake of new life-saving vaccines. Dr Edward Jenner performs the first vaccination against smallpox on eight-year-old James Phipps on 14 May 1796; painting by Ernest Board. (Getty Images) Although immunisation coverage is reported across the world, data on vaccine confidence that could be compared between nations was not recently available. To plug this gap, the LSHTM scientists combined information from nearly 250,000 previously published surveys with an additional 50,000 interviews carried out in 2019. Models estimated trends in public attitudes to the safety and efficacy of vaccines, as well as the importance of immunising children. The results revealed confidence in vaccine safety remains low in Europe but appears to be increasing in several countries, including Finland, France, Italy, Ireland and the UK. In France, which has previously been linked to anti-vaxx sentiments, the number of adults strongly agreeing jabs are safe rose from 22% in November 2018 to 30% in December 2019. In the UK, this increased from 47% in May 2018 to 52% in November 2019. Read more: Infection of volunteers for coronavirus vaccine is 'ethical' Among the Polish, however, strong vaccine safety confidence dipped from 64% in November 2018 to 53% in December 2019, reflecting the growing impact of a highly organised local anti-vaccine movement, according to the scientists. Six countries in particular have experienced substantial increases in people strongly disagreeing vaccines are safe (i.e. not just being less convinced, but actively against vaccines), they wrote. As well as Azerbaijan, these were made up of Afghanistan, Indonesia, Nigeria, Pakistan and Serbia. This worrying trend mirrors political instability and religious extremism, according to the LSHTM scientists. Safety concerns may not block parents from having their children vaccinated, however. Nearly all the respondents in Iraq (95%), Liberia (93%) and Senegal (92%) agreed it is important for children to have jabs. Our findings suggest people do not necessarily dismiss the importance of vaccinating their children even if they have doubts about how safe vaccines are, said co-lead author Clarissa Simas. The public seem to generally understand the value of vaccines, but the scientific and public health community needs to do much better at building public trust in the safety of vaccination, particularly with the hope of a COVID-19 vaccine. With every crisis comes opportunity The overall confidence in vaccinestaking into account safety, effectiveness and importancefell in Indonesia, the Philippines, Pakistan and South Korea between November 2015 and December 2019, the results show. In the Philippines, risks around the dengue jab Dengvaxia caused one of the largest falls in vaccine confidence and subsequently affected uptake of routine vaccines. Dengvaxias manufacturer Sanofi announced in 2017 the jab posed a risk to individuals who had not been exposed to the dengue virus, prompting outrage and panic across the population where nearly 850,000 children had been given the new vaccine the previous year. Writing in a linked Lancet comment, Dr Daniel Salmon from Johns Hopkins University stressed situations such as Dengvaxia where a vaccine was linked to complications are exceedingly rare. Unlike this example, most vaccine safety scares are not supported by scientific evidence, he added. In South Korea, the LSHTM scientists partially pointed the finger at communities like ANAKI translates as raising children without medication. In Muslin nations like Indonesia, leaders have questioned the safety of the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine. They also issued a religious ruling called a fatwa that claimed the MMR jab was haram (forbidden) and contained ingredients derived from pigs. The scientists found an association between minority religious groups and lower vaccine uptake. A stronger link was found, however, between being male or less educated and not having jabs. Trusting a healthcare worker for medical advice over family or friends was associated with increased vaccine uptake. Dr Salmon added: Vaccines have a remarkable safety record, based on rigorous processes of phased randomised controlled trials and on licensure requirements, which have ensured that the benefits of vaccination outweigh the risks. He concluded global investment into vaccine safety and communication infrastructure is required. Without substantial global investment in active vaccine safety surveillance, continuous monitoring of public perceptions, and development of rapid and flexible communication strategies, there is a risk of [coronavirus] vaccines never reaching their potential due to a continued inability to quickly and effectively respond to public vaccine safety concerns, real or otherwise, wrote Dr Salmon. With every crisis comes opportunity; it should not be ignored. A new TV programme about life on and around Lough Foyle begins later this month. Lough Foyle features local presenter Joe Mahon looking at the history and ongoing importance of the lough. Joe has spent several months exploring the unique watery environment of Lough Foyle, and this ten part series will take the viewer on a fabulous journey on one of Ireland's great river systems. The Foyle takes in East Donegal, most of West Tyrone and the north west of Derry and includes 16 major tributary rivers. It straddles the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic. The lough also encompasses a large number of towns, villages and, of course, a major city, all of which derive much of their character, and some indeed which owe their very existence, to their proximity to the Foyle and its tributaries. Joe said: It would be almost impossible to deliver a comprehensive travelogue on everywhere connected to the Foyle, but the team and I rose to the challenge and while we had to be selective, I can promise the viewer an enlightening, engaging and visually arresting experience, with help from the wide range of native dwellers, story-tellers, scholars and experts that we have met along the way. Joe will also spend time with government bodies, agencies and charity groups whose main aim is to ensure the lough and surrounding areas, and its many natural inhabitants are all looked after. One of the great attractions of this series will be the stunning aerial photography which shows off the dramatic land and seascapes of the North West region as they have never been seen before. The series kicks off with Joe spending time with Loughs Agency workers as they conduct an electro-fishing survey of returning sea-trout on the Altinaghree Burn in the hills above the County Tyrone village of Dunnamanagh. Later, in the ancient graveyard at Ardstraw on the banks of the River Derg, historian William Roulston uses the headstones to trace the influence of Scottish settlers in the Foyle catchment over the centuries. The series has been part-funded by Northern Ireland Screens Ulster-Scots Broadcast Fund. Northern Ireland Screens CEO, Richard Williams said: We were very excited when Joe brought his Lough Foyle idea to us. Not only is Joes warm conversational style of presenting already incredibly popular with viewers, but throughout his career he has been a great champion of linguistic variation. Joe has always sought to reflect and preserve the natural voice of the people who feature in his programmes, promoting the particular characteristics of local populations that make each place unique. This fits perfectly with the aims of our Ulster-Scots Broadcast Fund and we are sure Lough Foyle will be a big hit with audiences while also making a strong contribution to the status and promotion of Ulster-Scots heritage and culture. UTVs Programmes Editor Tony Curry said: We are very excited about this new series. Joes programmes remain a firm favourite amongst UTV viewers who look forward to his easy, relaxed style, as he explores Northern Irelands rich heritage and the people and places along the way. The first episode of the new series is on UTV at 8pm on Monday, September 21. For a better experience on our website and avoid any trouble, we strongly recommand to activate Javascript ( click here ). Hello and welcome to Journal des Palaces You are a communication or the PR manager? Click here You are an applicant? Check out our questions and answers here ! Iraqi official says Iraq, U.S. agree to cut troops in September People's Daily Online (Xinhua) 09:36, September 10, 2020 BAGHDAD, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) -- Spokesman of the Iraqi Joint Operations Command (JOC) said on Wednesday that the U.S. decision to cut its troops in Iraq came within an agreed timetable between the Iraqi government and the United States. "The latest step to cut the number of U.S. troops came as a result of coordination and joint work between us and the U.S.-led international coalition forces," Tahseen al-Khafaji, the JOC spokesman, told the official Iraqi News Agency. Al-Khafaji's comment came after Kenneth McKenzie, the head of the U.S. military's Central Command, said that the Pentagon will draw down the level of U.S. troops in Iraq to 3,000 this month. "In consultation and coordination with the government of Iraq and our coalition partners, the United States has decided to reduce our troop presence in Iraq from about 5,200 to 3,000 troops during the month of September," McKenzie said in Iraq. On Aug. 20, U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed to Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi, who was on an official visit to the United States, that the U.S.-led coalition forces will rapidly withdraw from Iraq within three years. The withdrawal came as unidentified militant groups have frequently targeted Iraqi military bases housing U.S. troops across Iraq, as well as the U.S. embassy in the Green Zone, by mortar and rocket attacks. The troops' cut decision came as the Iraqi-U.S. relations have witnessed a tension since Jan. 3 when a U.S. drone struck a convoy at Baghdad airport, which killed Qassem Soleimani, former commander of the Quds Force of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps, and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, deputy chief of Iraq's paramilitary Hashd Shaabi forces. More than 5,000 U.S. troops have been deployed in Iraq to support the Iraqi forces in the battles against the Islamic State militants, mainly providing training and advising to the Iraqi forces. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Britain and the European Union will hold emergency talks on Thursday over Prime Minister Boris Johnson's plan to undercut parts of the Brexit divorce treaty, a step Brussels has warned could scupper any chance of a trade deal. After Britain explicitly stated that it would act outside international law by breaching the divorce treaty, EU negotiators are trying to gauge how to deal with London after four years of tumultuous Brexit talks. European Commission Vice President Maros Sefcovic will travel to London to meet British counterpart Michael Gove for the emergency talks alongside scheduled trade talks between chief negotiators Michel Barnier and David Frost. Also Read: UK's controversial new Brexit law explained "The EU seeks clarifications from the UK on the full and timely implementation of the Withdrawal Agreement," a European Commission spokesman said. After the hectic twists and turns of the Brexit crisis, Europe's leaders have been handed an ultimatum by Britain: accept the breach of the treaty or prepare for a messy divorce when Britain finally disentangles at the end of the year. Also Read: Brexit talks null and void if divorce deal not implemented: Irish PM Britain formally left the EU on Jan. 31 but talks on a new trade deal before the end of a status-quo transition arrangement in December have snagged on state aid rules and fishing. Without a clear trade agreement nearly $1 trillion in trade between the EU and Britain could be thrown into chaos at the beginning of the year, an economic hit neither side needs as they try to count the cost of the coronavirus crisis. European diplomats said Britain was playing a game of Brexit chicken by threatening to collapse the process and challenging Brussels to blink first. Some fear Johnson may view a no-deal exit as useful distraction from the coronavirus crisis. KAMPALA BAT Uganda has on Thursday September 10 celebrated its 20th anniversary of listing on the Uganda Securities Exchange through a bell-ringing ceremony hosted by the Uganda Securities Exchange (USE) and graced by the Capital Markets Authority (CMA). Following USEs commencement of trading in 1998, BAT was amongst the first companies to list, which it did through an IPO in the year 2000. During the ceremony, BAT Uganda also unveiled its new evolved strategy and purpose as well as a new corporate brand identity. BAT Uganda Managing Director, Kirunda Magoola said: Whilst BAT has been on the USE for 20 years, the Company has operated in Uganda for over 90 years. We take pride in this rich history and heritage, on the back of which we have continued to offer sustained and superior value to our shareholders. Over the years, our business has navigated significant changes and weathered many storms. I am however proud to say that through it all, we have come out stronger and even more resilient. This year, unfortunately, is a unique one for everyone. The world is navigating one of the worst health disasters ever experienced, which is adversely impacting all spheres of life, including businesses and the wider economy. As the fight against COVID-19 continues, we stand in solidarity with our fellow Ugandans and look forward to the dawn of a better tomorrow. As we mark our 20th USE anniversary and take stock of our achievements thus far, it is also an opportune time to touch on what tomorrow holds. This year, BAT unveiled an evolved corporate strategy and purpose to build A Better Tomorrow for our stakeholders. This is an ambition to reduce the health impacts of our business by providing adult consumers with a choice of innovative and viable products with reduced risk. Unfortunately, it is not all rosy in our industry. Despite our proven commitment to driving investment and business growth as well as contributing to Ugandas socio-economic development through sustained tax remittances to the exchequer, we are still grappling with a difficult trading environment. This is most significantly characterised by the illicit trade in cigarettes. It is estimated that the Uganda Government loses approximately UGX 30 Billion in annual tax revenue to the illegal tobacco market. We are concerned that, despite the enhanced border controls put in place to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, our trade teams continue to report an increased presence of illegal cigarettes in the Ugandan market. These are primarily tax-evaded cigarettes smuggled across the Kenyan and South Sudan borders. If this lost revenue was to be recouped, it would go a long way in supporting the economic recovery of the country in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. On an encouraging note, we are seeing media reports on seizures of large amounts of illicit cigarettes in Uganda, indicative of efforts by the authorities to fight this menace. This notwithstanding, we call for stringent enforcement measures to support the Uganda Revenue Authoritys Digital Tracking System already in place. These measures include identification of the source and supply routes of illegal cigarettes, prohibitive fines charged to the owners of products seized by the authorities as well as prosecution of those caught engaging in illicit trade. We also reiterate our call to the Government to ratify the World Health Organisation (WHOs) Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products (ITP). BAT Uganda Chairman, Dr Elly Karuhanga said the business has grown from strength to strength over the last 20 years. Recently, BAT registered a 7% revenue growth to Ushs 164.3 billion and a post-tax profit increase of 14 % to Ushs 15.7 billion in 2019 compared to 2018. Our superior performance on the USE is also testimony to this. In the last three years alone, we have seen continued growth in dividend pay-outs to our shareholders, with Ushs. 246 per share at the end of 2017, to Ushs. 280 per share and Ushs. 320 per share for end of 2018 and 2019 respectively. Despite this positive trajectory, 2020 continues to present significant challenges. Most significantly, an unpredictable tax regime is expected to present challenges to the sustainability of our cigarette business, amidst a host of other challenges such as the illicit trade in tobacco products. We however welcome the governments decision not to increase excise thus far. BAT remains positive and open to dialogue and consultation with the relevant government stakeholders to achieve a sustainable and balanced regulatory and fiscal environment. Going forward, we look forward to many more successful years in Uganda as we work to build a better to models for all our stakeholders. USE Chief Executive Officer Mr. Paul Bwiso noted that BAT Uganda was the second company to list on the USE following the divestiture of government in Uganda. The listing journey of BAT Uganda started on 28th June 2000 when its Initial Public Offer (IPO) opened. A total of 4.9 million shares were offered at Ugx 1,000 each. The IPO was oversubscribed by 5 percent and attracted various retail and institutional shareholders. The company was listed on The Exchange on 3rd October 2000. Over the past 20-years, the companys share price has grown from an IPO Price of Ugx 1,000 to Ugx 30,000 per share today with market capitalization of Ugx 1.5 Trillion. The counter has traded over Ugx 28 Billion in turnover over the past 20-years. Since listing, the company has consistently paid dividends which is one of the reasons for most of their shareholdings taking a buy to hold view on the stock. BAT Uganda has consistently met its listing obligations and is always among the first listed companies to publish its audited financial statements. The USE is committed to developing the platform where we connect seekers of capital to providers of capital and using IT innovation to offer convenient solutions to ensure increased market access to retail and institutional investors. Related SHANGHAI, Sept. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Luye Pharma Group recently signed two agreements with partners in Latin America, boosting further development of the central nervous system (CNS) drugs Seroquel (quetiapine fumarate, immediate release, IR) and Seroquel XR (extended release formulation) in the local markets. In the first of two agreements, Luye Pharma granted exclusive promotional rights to CAP ALTER PHARMA, INC (Alter-Pharma) for Seroquel products in 9 countries and regions including Costa Rica, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, Aruba, Curacao, Bahamas, Bermuda and The Cayman Islands. A second agreement was signed with Laboratorios Bago, strengthening the commercial relationship between both parties through long-term partnership covering packaging and the intention to phase in local manufacturing for Seroquel products in Argentina. Seroquel and Seroquel XR are atypical anti-psychotic (AAP) medicines with antidepressant properties. The main indications for Seroquel are the treatment of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Seroquel XR is also approved in some markets for major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder. Latin America is regarded as a high-potential emerging market in Luye Pharma's global strategy for CNS business development. Due to Alter-Pharma's extensive operational experience in Central America, the Caribbean and other regions, Luye Pharma believes this partnership will greatly enhance the depth and breadth of Seroquel's market coverage in the related countries and regions. Meanwhile, the packaging and manufacture partnership with Laboratorios Bago will bring benefits to Seroquel products through more competitive production costs, while improving drug accessibility for local patients. Luye Pharma is developing its strengths in key therapeutic areas, including CNS and oncology, continuously improving capability for global business operations, and exploring new growth potential. According to IQVIA, Latin America's pharmaceutical industry is projected to grow from $55 billion in 2018 to $76 billion in 2023, with a CAGR of 7%. Prior to these latest agreements, Luye Pharma had granted exclusive promotion rights in Brazil and Mexico, Latin Americas largest two economies, to Moksha8. Through active collaborations such as these, the company has significantly enhanced market penetration for Seroquel products in the majority of Latin America markets. Luye Pharma has achieved a number of milestones in the process of building a global business system for Seroquel, one of its key product in the central nervous system. The company has established a specialized team for CNS business in China, as well as in-house sales teams in Singapore and the Middle East. It has also entered into strategic agreements with local partners in various countries and regions in Asia Pacific, the Americas and Africa for the distribution and promotion of Seroquel. By leveraging powerful business networks and resources through local partners, Luye Pharma furthers global marketing for Seroquel products and lays the foundation for good market access and uptake of subsequent CNS drugs in these regions. About Luye Pharma Group Luye Pharma Group is an international pharmaceutical company dedicated to the R&D, manufacturing and sale of innovative medications. The company has established R&D centers in China, the U.S. and Europe, with a robust pipeline of over 30 drug candidates in China and more than 10 drug candidates in other international markets. Along with a number of new drugs and new formulations in the central nervous system and oncology therapeutic areas under study in the U.S. Europe and Japan, Luye Pharma has reached high-level international standards in novel drug delivery technologies including microspheres, liposomes, and transdermal drug delivery systems, as well as actively making strategic developments in the fields of biological antibodies, cell therapies and gene therapies, among others. Luye Pharma is developing a global supply chain of 8 manufacturing sites with over 30 production lines in total, establishing GMP quality management and international standard control systems. With more than 30 products covering the central nervous system, oncology, cardiovascular, metabolism and other therapeutic areas, business is conducted in over 80 countries and regions around the world, including the largest pharmaceutical markets - China, the U.S., Europe and Japan, as well as in fast growing emerging markets. About Alter-Pharma Alter-Pharma has 12 years of experience in Central America, the Caribbean and Mexico. The company's expertise offers large pharmaceutical companies flexible solutions for third party promotion, distribution and logistics. About Laboratorios Bago Laboratorios Bago is a prestigious Argentine company with an 86-year track-record, highly reputed in the market for its products, services and strict quality standards. It is present through pharmaceutical companies in 20 countries, and in over 50 markets with pharmaceuticals and bulk chemicals. It has 11 manufacturing plants worldwide, a portfolio comprising more than 480 products and 85 patents obtained in 15 countries under its own research and development. SOURCE Luye Pharma A man landed behind bars for allegedly shooting multiple times at a metal fence and a vehicle, according to the Webb County Sheriffs Office. Gustavo A. Rodriguez Jr., 60, wanted a background check on Tuesday at the Webb County Sheriffs Office. Instead, he was served with warrants charging him with deadly conduct by discharging a firearm and criminal mischief. The case dates back to July 23, when deputies responded to a shots fired report on Ranchettes Road, off Texas 359. A man stated that a person at the residence located east of his business was shooting in his business direction. The complainant added that he was fearful that a stray bullet might seriously hurt someone. Sheriffs Office investigators said they discovered 20 bullet impacts and holes in a section of a metal fence. A vehicle was also struck several times. The damages were estimated to be at about $800. Authorities presented their findings in the case to an assistant district attorney, who approved the issuance of two arrest warrants for Rodriguez. People dont understand the seriousness of shooting randomly. Its important to remind the public that a person commits a crime when they knowingly point or discharge a firearm at, or in the direction of another person, home, building, or vehicle, said Sheriff Martin Cuellar. People need to be responsible when discharging a firearm. Ive been getting a lot of calls from the rural areas about people discharging their firearms without due regard for others. People need to be careful because they might kill someone. Cuellar reminds the public to report illegal or suspicious activities at 415-BUST (2878). External Article 11 September 2020 We spoke to Ian Millar, who teaches at the prestigious Ecole Hoteliere de Lausanne as a Senior Lecturer in Hospitality Technology and manager of the Institute of Business Creativity (IBC). Ian specializes in hospitality technology and is expertly placed to engage with students about new developments and where the industry will develop. Here's what he had to say about the experience of teaching, adapting the content to reflect the changing landscape, and likely hospitality trends in the coming months and years. How did you find teaching remotely? "It actually went better than I thought it would. Having the right tools provided by EHL helped of course, and being very clear on the class rules was important. Even though it's now all online, having the students on time and engaging with questions is vital, which meant stopping every now and again to ensure the students can still hear okay and that the pace is okay." What were you teaching, and did you find the content had to change in order to reflect what's happening around the world? "The module was a hospitality IT course and yes, there was some course modification. This was to take into account COVID-19 but also to reinforce some aspects that had already been covered. For example, I had previously covered remote check in and mobile keys, something that wasn't hugely used in hospitality, and suddenly COVID-19 comes along and it's the hot topic. The same goes for using QR codes and contactless payments. So in a way - and this will sound horrible - but from the perspective of accelerating technology usage, COVID-19 has been helpful." Was it easy to make all these changes? "When this started it was an unknown for all of us. However, from our experience at EHL over the past months I think we can be very proud of what we have achieved, how we have done it and how we will move forward. To quote Ray Bradbury: "Jump off the cliff and build your wings on the way down." That was what moving from classroom to online teaching felt like. With all the benefits of digital education, there is a downside as a teacher: you miss your students. Yes they can drive you crazy at times but that human aspect so vital to our industry was missed." How well do you think this next generation of hoteliers are prepared to handle the changing landscape? "Very well. They are the digital natives; they get how to use technology. Okay they have no idea how it works but they know how to apply it, what is important, and they are used to using online collaborative tools. For me, the problem lies in antiquated tools and procedures from hotel companies, and hotels having to adhere to brand standards and star rating systems that hold them back. This is where we also need our industry as a whole to move. One more thing is that we will be frustrating future employees if we keep working this way. A procedure that requires ten excel sheets to be completed manually as opposed to RPA (Robotic process automation) is going to be a hard sell." Read the full interview (Natural News) The worlds first solar-powered railway line is in working order in the United Kingdom. Its innovators conducted a pilot test using Network Rails Wessex route and deemed the technology fully functional. The Wessex route was directly powered by solar energy supplied by a nearby solar farm near the town of Aldershot, Hampshire county. Solar power has been used before to power train. But the railway marks the first time power grids were completely bypassed. Riding Sunbeams, a group of innovators who developed the solar-powered railway, said that a renewable energy source will not only be environmentally friendly it also offers a more affordable alternative to fossil fuel. Helping to get the railways off fossil fuels in this way will cut running costs and benefit local communities at the same time as helping to tackle the climate crisis, said Leo Murray, director of Riding Sunbeams. By the end of 2020, the team plans to build and connect the worlds first full-scale community- and commuter-owned solar farm to U.K. railways. Making solar-powered railway possible The project is based on earlier research from the climate change charity group Possible, then-known as 10:10 Climate Action. The study was conducted by experts from the Imperial College London, Community Energy South and Turbo Power Systems, some of whom are part of Riding Sunbeams. They investigated whether a solar farm could directly power a railway to provide traction power to the trains. They found that solar photovoltaics installed near the railway line can be connected directly to the electrified track and completely bypass power grids. Solar photovoltaics are solar panels that are capable of directly converting light into electrical power. These are the solar panels that are typically built in a calculator. The solar-powered railway had its first test run in 2019. The team built a solar farm composed of 100 solar panels and connected it to the Wessex route. The railway operated on 30 kilowatts of energy; train signaling, lights and the track itself came alive with solar energy. The team recorded no system malfunction and deemed the pilot testing a success. They added that the technology has a huge potential in the U.K. and in many countries across the globe. In the U.K. alone, solar farms could power 20 percent of the Merseyrail network in Liverpool and 15 percent of commuter routes in Kent, Sussex and Wessex. Government subsidy will not be needed as the technology is inexpensive, said Riding Sunbeams. The solar farms could also be community- and commuter-owned, which means that profits from railway services will return to local community funds. Furthermore, a solar-powered railway represents a perfect synergy between solar power and railways. Matchmaking the UKs biggest electricity user, the railways, with the nations favorite energy source, solar power, looks like the start of the perfect relationship, said Murray. Riding Sunbeams is currently partnered with the Network Rail to hone solar power technology. Researchers from the University of Birmingham are also contributing to the project by looking into the feasibility of plugging much larger solar rigs to railway networks in the U.K. (Related: Scientists use caffeine to give solar cells a unique energy boost.) We have ambitions to roll this technology out further across the network should this demonstrator project prove successful so we can deliver a greener, better railway for our passengers and the wider public, said Stuart Kistruck, director of route asset management for Network Rails Wessex Route. Aside from solar-powered railways, hydrogen trains have also been developed in the U.K. recently. These trains do not emit any greenhouse gases, only water vapor. Researchers developed a hydrogen drive system that can be fitted to any old or new train. This could save a lot of resources as existing models do not have to be replaced with new ones to accommodate hydrogen equipment. Learn more about transportation innovations using solar power at SolarPanels.news. Sources include: Independent.co.uk RidingSunbeams.org DailyMail.co.uk Enemies of the State burrows so deep into the perspectives of its unreliable narrators that it often becomes one. Director Sonia Kennebecks documentary tracks the bizarre saga of Anonymous hacktivist Matt DeHart, who was convicted of child pornography charges that he and his family denied. At the age of 25, the former Air National Guard serviceman claimed he had uncovered government secrets so damning the FBI invented other crimes to take him down. Kennebecks haunting, enigmatic approach to revisiting these claims borrows executive producer Errol Morris labyrinthine style to play up the peculiar nature of DeHarts odyssey, only to find convincing evidence that hes probably full of it. The movie walks a jagged line between conflicting sources, and overplays some of the more outrageous claims to the detriment of the trenchant investigation at its core. However, Kennebeck still musters At first blush, the charges against DeHart are straightforward enough. In 2010, agents burst into the Indiana home he shared with his parents, Paul and Leann, arresting him for allegedly coaxing underage victims into sharing videos of themselves online. DeHart, whom documents claimed to have found victims through World of Warcraft, posed as the son of a crime boss. But DeHart and his parents claim those accusations were invented, that the FBI actually accused him of leaking information to the Russians, and the classified documents he discovered were so incriminating that agents actually injected him with a crude truth serum to get him to talk. According to the DeHarts, these traumatic events left them so rattled that when DeHart was released on bond 21 months later, they decided to flee to Canada. From there, Harts story became an international media sensation and Anonymous supporters used the #FreeMattDeHart campaign to turn him into a folk hero with mixed results. He went back to jail in 2015 and stayed there another four years. While he never sits down with the filmmakers, his voice is present throughout, alongside recollections from his colorful midwestern parents as they proclaim his innocence. A working familiarity with the language of the true crime drama would suggest that Enemies of the State believes their tale, but their version of events grows murkier as the movie goes on and eventually flies off the deep-end with a revelation halfway through. Story continues At one point, DeHarts animated lawyer Tor Ekeland says that explaining the circumstances behind DeHarts prosecution requires buying into ludicrous internet conspiracy theories a veteran corporate lawyer from Wall Street like himself couldnt possibly believe. Before that irony settles in, Enemies of the State reveals the contents of those classified documents, which revolve around a far-fetched post-9/11 conspiracy theory so inane it might make Edward Snowden balk. That theory, spoken aloud by Leann and then abandoned, seems so implausible that even acknowledging its existence risks giving it too much power. By revealing it and then moving on, the movie does a disservice to both ends of the equation. That issue overshadows some of the more probing, research-driven moments throughout. Enemies of the State is both intriguing and confused as it maps out the story of a sex criminal whose family used conspiracy theories to bury his crime, reaching its scariest moment when it seems willing to believe some of the lies at play. It isnt a referendum on the truth so much as a cinematic embodiment of the ambiguities that have swirled around this case and continue to fuel a complex internet-based drama. However, the filmmaker has done strong work where it counts, eventually managing to dispel DeHarts claims of innocence through hard evidence and to confront several of the people who believe him. Laced together with a hyperbolic score, Enemies of the State works through a familiar routine that has riveted audiences ever since The Thin Blue Line (and found new legs with The Jinx), even as it attempts to deconstruct that approach to turn the tables on the apparent victim. Kennebeck gets a little carried away with all the devices at hand, including courtroom reenactments that find actors lip-syncing to real audio (a discombobulated effect exploited to more refined ends in Clio Barnards The Arbor) and sometimes delivering stagey monologues that fail to convince. But its fascinating and fun to watch some of the subjects convinced of DeHarts innocence confront new information in real-time as the nature of their delusion settles in. These days, thats a familiar experience for many of us, and Enemies of the State works best when it investigates the nature of truth at a moment when its all too easy to obscure it. The movie falls short of exploring the roots of DeHarts connections to the so-called dark web, which Alex Winters 2015 documentary Deep Web laid out in more informative straightforward terms. Enemies of the State attempts a more circuitous route, with cinematic results worthy of scrutiny even if they dont always hold together. Kennebeck uses all the hallmarks of Morris storytelling approach, especially the awe-inspiring music and eccentric characters who are both unconvincing and in charge of the story. Yet it struggles to establish the bigger picture at hand. Time and again, were treated to inserts explaining everyone who declined to comment the Russian embassy, the Venezuelan embassy, the National Guard, and of course the FBI. Thats all well and good for the purposes of journalistic accountability, but the way theyre inserted into the drama, they serve as recurring reminders of the narrow resources at hand. With few dissenters available, Enemies of the State mostly turns on the parents blind rage. Enemies of the State makes for an arresting window into the way dueling stories can obscure fact-based analysis, but stumbles when it feels compelled to overemphasize this point. (Another lawyer basically explains all of this to the filmmakers in a blunt monologue during the closing minutes, just in case you missed the point somewhere along the way.) Kennebeck has done an extraordinary job of uncovering details pertaining to DeHarts case that many earlier reports failed to include. Its most searing observation comes from one investigator, who claims that supporters of DeHart have made life so much worse for his alleged victim. The creepiest aspect of Enemies of the State is that, no matter the intentions at hand, it may fall prey to the same ruse. Grade: B- Enemies of the State premiered at the 2020 Toronto International Film Festival. It is currently seeking distribution. More from IndieWire Best of IndieWire Sign up for Indiewire's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. The University of Michigan graduate students strike to demand the shutdown of in-person learning amidst the coronavirus pandemic is winning ever-wider support. On Wednesday, members of the Graduate Employees Organization (GEO) rejected an offer from the university that met none of their demands and voted to continue their strike in the face of threats of retaliation. Defying the administration, the third day of picketing Thursday was the largest yet. Hundreds of strikers, students and other workers joined the picket lines. The strike was to be only four days, ending Friday. However, there is a growing recognition among students that ending the strike abruptly will mean none of their demands will be met. One hundred Residential Advisors, who are not in a union, began a stoppage a day after the graduate student instructors. An RA tweeted, Its the end of the second day of our strike and two of our RAs are already in/preparing to go to quarantine housing awaiting test results. Were all scared well be next. This is why were striking. Our lives are on the line here, every day. University of Michigan dining hall workers announced they will join the strike on Friday evening. The dining hall workers are demanding widespread testing for all staffers and a clear and transparent sanitation plan which is consistently enforced by management. As the number of COVID-19 cases spreads on the campus, the dining hall workers are also demanding an end to penalties for missing work until the group decides it is safe to return to their jobs. The group is student-led and, like the RAs, not members of a union. Support from other students at other campuses facing similar situations has also started to pour in, including from Columbia University, where graduate students issued an open letter in support of the Michigan students. The WSWS spoke with a graduate student, D.B., who is a Ph.D. student in sociology. This reopening for work and school proves universities and society at large care more about profits than the health of students and the town residents. Our current economic and political system operates at the expense of countless lives, and COVID has only proven that further. We need a revolution. As for the vote last night, its clear the GEO members see the importance of protecting the most marginalized people in our community and will not give up the fight for justice! Another GEO striker, TJ, a fourth-year Ph.D. student in molecular, cellular, and developmental biology, said, Last night I voted to continue the strike. The offer from the university covered only a fraction of the pandemic demands, and our anti-policing demands were completely refused. Its clear that U of M underestimates its own students, staff and faculty. More and more of us are striking each day to show them their mistake. Ive talked with undergrads picketing who joined the strike because they agree with our demands and they care about grad students. As a grad student, I will absolutely support undergrad and worker strikes for as long as they last. Alexis, a senior engineering student said he supports the strike: Clearly, as we can see with graduate students, its the same exploitation thats been happening within education thats been occurring since forever in the US. So Im really happy, Im ecstatic, to see this level of collective action, not just from GEO but from everyone thats decided to strike or send messages or walk out of their jobs in solidarity. Students from other universities are also taking actions against the dangerous conditions on their campuses. At the University of San Diego, nearly 600 students, faculty and staff signed an open letter to demand the school drop plans to reopen. They urged the school to cancel in-person classes, limit housing to those with no other options, and cancel plans on layoffs and furloughs. Actor Kangana Ranaut has shared a motivational post about not letting ones mind be in-charge of ones feelings.The actor even shared a childhood picture with her post. Kangana took to Twitter on Friday morning to share the picture. It showed a young Kangana dressed in her school uniform, posing with a friend. Her trademark curls look cute as she struck a fierce pose. Mind is loud and clever, feelings are naive and subtle in nature, never let your mind dominate your feelings, hold on to that little feeling deep inside your heart buried and pushed away by your logic and fears,hold on to it no matter how stupid or absurd it is,let it guide you, she captioned her post. Mind is loud and clever, feelings are naive and subtle in nature, never let your mind dominate your feelings, hold on to that little feeling deep inside your heart buried and pushed away by your logic and fears,hold on to it no matter how stupid or absurd it is,let it guide you pic.twitter.com/YutaWvpzBU Kangana Ranaut (@KanganaTeam) September 11, 2020 On Wednesday, the day the actor returned to Mumbai from her home state Himachal Pradesh, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation demolished illegal alterations at her office. The Bombay High Court stayed the demolition process and sought to know why the BMC entered the property when the owner was not present. Kangana, whose comment likening Mumbai to Pakistan occupied Kashmir triggered a spat with the Shiv Sena, was told by party leaders not to return to Mumbai for disrespecting the city. She was granted Y-plus security by the home ministry for her arrival. On Thursday, the actor visited her office, accompanied by her aides and security guards. She was seen without a mask and inspected the rooms that were wrecked during the demolition process. In a tweet, the actor said she doesnt have money to renovate it but she will still ensure that it is up and running soon. Also read: Rashami Desai sides with Ankita Lokhande in spat with Shibani Dandekar: Peoples minds have become so small I had my office opening on 15th Jan, shortly after corona hit us, like most of us I havent worked ever since, dont have money to renovate it, I will work from those ruins keep that office ravaged as a symbol of a womans will that dared to rise in this world, she said, using the hashtag #KanganaVsUddhav. Follow @htshowbiz for more SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Microsoft has said it thwarted recent cyberattacks from China, Russia and Iran targeting both Republican and Democratic presidential campaigns, as technology giants scrambled to protect election security less than two months ahead of the US vote. Microsoft said on Thursday that attackers have been targeting staff from the campaigns of President Donald Trump and his Democratic rival, Joe Biden, as well as attempting to sow chaos. 'In recent weeks, Microsoft has detected cyberattacks targeting people and organizations involved in the upcoming presidential election,' said corporate vice president Tom Burt. It was clear that 'foreign activity groups have stepped up their efforts targeting the 2020 election as had been anticipated,' according to Burt. Microsoft said on Thursday that attackers have been targeting staff from the campaigns of President Donald Trump and his Democratic rival Chinese hackers have targeted people associated with Biden's campaign, Microsoft said The attackers have targeted political operatives, think tanks, consultants and political parties in Europe as well, Microsoft said. The company identified a Russia-based group called Strontium which Burt said 'has attacked more than 200 organizations,' and China-based Zirconium, which he said 'has attacked high-profile individuals associated with the election, including people associated with the Joe Biden for President campaign and prominent leaders in the international affairs community.' An Iran-based group dubbed Phosphorus has been targeting personal accounts of people associated with the Trump campaign, Microsoft said. The majority of those attacks were stopped by Microsoft security tools, and those targeted or compromised were alerted, according to Burt. Russia is trying to undermine voters' faith in the US electoral system and especially in voting by mail ahead of the November 3 election, according to a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) analysis. A statement in August from the National Counterintelligence and Security Center said Russia is actively working against Biden's candidacy, favoring Trump as it did in 2016. Microsoft's announcement affirms DHS warnings that 'China, Iran, and Russia are trying to undermine our democracy and influence our elections,' acting secretary Chad Wolf said in a prepared statement. 'The US presidential election is US' internal affair,' said Zhao Lijian (above), spokesman of the Chinese foreign ministry. 'We have no interest to interfere in it, and we never interfered in it' Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (above) also denied that his country was involved in cyberattacks targeting the election, calling the claims 'unsubstantiated' China denied the allegation, accusing Microsoft of 'fabrication' and 'creating trouble' by raising the accusation. 'The US presidential election is US' internal affair,' said Zhao Lijian, spokesman of the Chinese foreign ministry. 'We have no interest to interfere in it, and we never interfered in it.' Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov also denied that his country was involved in cyberattacks targeting the election, calling the claims 'unsubstantiated.' Lavrov said the United States itself promoted its own interests illegally. Microsoft's announcement came as Twitter said it would implement a policy next week to remove 'false or misleading information intended to undermine public confidence in an election,' including unverified claims of victory; and Google said it would take steps to ensure its 'autocomplete' search feature doesn't include such misguided suggestions. The Twitter policy taking effect September 17 bans 'false or misleading information' about voting as well as 'disputed claims that could undermine faith in the process itself,' such as allegations of election rigging, ballot tampering, vote tallying or certification of election results. The move comes amid rising concerns about when results will be verified for the presidential election, in view of an expected large volume of mail-in ballots -- the integrity of which Trump has spent months attacking. The policy prohibits 'misleading claims about the results' or interference with the electoral process such as 'claiming victory before election results have been certified, inciting unlawful conduct to prevent a peaceful transfer of power or orderly succession.' Some analysts have suggested that Trump may reject the election results or refuse to leave office if he loses, while Trump himself has spent months suggesting Democrats were attempting to 'rig' the election and refusing to say whether he will accept the results. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani is seen on Thursday. An Iran-based group dubbed Phosphorus has been targeting personal accounts of people associated with the Trump campaign, Microsoft said Both Twitter and Facebook have placed labels on Trump posts about on mail-in voting - sent out to his tens of millions of followers. 'We will not permit our service to be abused around civic processes, most importantly elections,' Twitter said. Google announced separately it would tighten controls for its 'autocomplete' search feature to guard against misinformation. 'We will remove predictions that could be interpreted as claims for or against any candidate or political party,' search vice president Pandu Nayak said. 'We will also remove predictions that could be interpreted as a claim about participation in the election -- like statements about voting methods, requirements, or the status of voting locations --or the integrity or legitimacy of electoral processes, such as the security of the election.' This will rule out predictions such as 'you can vote by phone,' Nayak said. Social media operators have been struggling with disinformation campaigns from Russia, China and other countries along with unverified claims by Trump on the vote process. Facebook said last month it was bracing for efforts by Trump or others to attack the integrity of the US election. With Prairie Mountain Health remaining under a Code Orange designation, the provinces state of emergency has been extended for another 30 days. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 11/9/2020 (497 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Advertisement Advertise With Us With Prairie Mountain Health remaining under a Code Orange designation, the provinces state of emergency has been extended for another 30 days. The Manitoba government reported 15 new cases of COVID-19 as of 9:30 a.m. Thursday. However, a case was removed after it was determined to be from out of province and a second case was removed due to duplication. This results in a net increase of 13 cases across the province. Of the initial 15 cases reported, two were in the Prairie Mountain Health region, two are in Interlake-Eastern, two are in Southern Health-Sante Sud and nine are in the Winnipeg health region. The government neglected to reflect the subtraction of two cases in their region breakdown numbers. Preliminary investigations into several of the new cases reported Thursday found they are related to close contact with known cases. Investigations are ongoing. Public health officials revealed on Wednesday evening that the first confirmed case of COVID-19 had been identified in the provinces public school system. A student who has tested positive for COVID-19 attended Churchill High School in Winnipeg for a brief period of time on Tuesday. The Grade 7 student was asymptomatic and had been tested prior to returning to school and was awaiting their test results. Manitoba chief public health officer Dr. Brent Roussin provided more information about the case Thursday afternoon during a joint press conference with Health Minister Cameron Friesen. Roussin said the student left the school midday after receiving their test results, no close contacts were identified between the student and others at the school and that safety measures were followed at all times, meaning that the risk of transmission was extremely low. "We know that in this case, the individual did everything they were supposed to do, and that resulted in no close contacts being identified in this area." No one else from the school is currently being asked to self-isolate, including the other students who were in the same cohort as the positive case. "We can be certain that this case wasnt acquired within the school, so we certainly havent seen a case that was acquired in the school with our protection," Roussin said. Roussin could not confirm when or why the student had gone for testing, only that the student did not go for testing because they were in contact with a known case. Asymptomatic people who have been tested for COVID-19 are not required to self-isolate while awaiting test results. When asked if he was recommending the quarantine period for positive cases be shortened from 14 days to 10 in line with current research Roussin revealed the change had already been implemented "many weeks ago." See Province Page A2 Roussin said the information was not widely shared because it only applied to those with active COVID-19 cases, who are already in direct contact with public health every day. As of Sept. 8, children ages nine and older are now required to wear a mask while attending child-care facilities, including home-based child care. Masks are also required for child-care providers. Roussin said that no new cases have been reported at any personal care homes in the province. The provincewide state of emergency extension runs 30 days beginning 4 p.m. Thursday and is the sixth time it has been extended since it was first declared on March 20. Along with extending the state of emergency, the government announced changes to a number of emergency measures. Notable changes include an end to provisions made earlier this year related to renters, including halting non-urgent evictions and freezing rent increases, effective Oct. 1. A suspension on Manitoba Student Aid loan repayments is also coming to an end as of Sept. 30. Nine other emergency measures have been renewed until spring 2021. Roussin could not provide a timeline for when Prairie Mountain Healths Code Orange status, put in place Aug. 24, might be changed, and that at least one incubation period of approximately two weeks was needed to see if the trend of lower case numbers continues. There are now 360 active cases in the province and 11 people are in hospital, with three in intensive care. The province performed 653 tests on Tuesday, bringing the total number of tests to 149,188 since early February. To date, Manitoba has had 1,378 positive COVID-19 cases. In all, 1,002 people have recovered. The number of deaths remains at 16. eklatt@brandonsun.com Twitter: @emdashklatt Ten European Union member states have agreed to take in a total of 400 unaccompanied minors left homeless after a fire laid waste to the biggest migrant camp in Greece. France and Germany are to take in the bulk, between 100 and 150 children each. The 400 unaccompanied youngsters have already been moved to mainland Greece in the wake of the fire earlier this week which destroyed the overpopulated camp, leaving at least 12,000 people without shelter. According to German Interior Minister Horst Seehofer, who made the announcement, the Moria disaster emphasises the urgent need for the EU bloc to reform migration policy. "We are talking to other EU countries," said Seehofer, explaining that discussions were on-going with a view to finding safe refuge for the rest of the children. The Netherlands have offered to accept 100 Moria migrants, half of them children. A sharp reminder of the need for change "Moria is a sharp reminder to all of us for what we need to change in Europe," said the EU Commission's Vice-President Margaritis Schinas, confirming that the European Commission will unveil proposals for a new pact on migration and asylum on 30 September. Plans for the new pact had been repeatedly stalled because of disagreements over the question of distributing asylum seekers across the bloc. Eastern Europe refuses migrant quotas Countries such as Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Slovakia have refused to accept compulsory intakes of refugees, something that has prevented Europe-wide reform. But Schinas said solidarity in shouldering the responsibility of offering refuge to asylum seekers cannot be limited to member states at the external borders of the bloc, nor to large players like Germany. "We need a true solidarity in our migration policy," he stressed. Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust in Ayodhya has been cheated of Rs 6 lakh through two fake cheques and the fraud was detected during the verification process of a third fake cheque, said police. Wikipedia According to the police, trust secretary Champat Rai filed an FIR with the Ayodhya police. Read more In A Welcome Move SC Asks States To Provide Ambulances For COVID Patients At Reasonable Rates The Supreme Court expressed its concern over the way ambulance providers charge an excessive amount of money to provide service to COVID-19 patients and directed states to fix a reasonable price for ambulance services. bccl A bench of the apex court, headed by Justice Ashok Bhushan, was hearing a petition seeking appropriate order and or directions to increase ambulance services to ensure proper service to COVID positive patient cases in the country. Read more As Unemployment Rises, People Are Duping Job Seekers As 2 Men Arrested For Running Call Centre Taking advantage of the coronavirus pandemic, two men who have been luring innocent job seekers and charging money for jobs in renowned brands. Unsplash Mumbai police has arrested two persons from Delhi for allegedly running a call centre and duping hundreds of job seekers, an official said. Read more Three Priests Allegedly Murdered Inside Karnataka Temple By Robbers Who Fled With Cash In a shocking crime, three priests were found brutally murdered in the courtyard of Sri Arakeshwara Temple in Karnataka's Mandya district on Friday. file image This incident took place in Guttalu village in Mandya, which is 100 km from Bengaluru city. Read more Law Finally Catches Up! Man Arrested 37 Years After He Stole A Motorcycle From Mathura Thirty-seven years after he committed a crime, Raghunath Singh, a resident of Uttar Pradesh's Aligarh, wanted in connection with a case of motorcycle loot in 1983, was finally arrested on Thursday. Unsplash He carried a reward of Rs 20,000 on his head. Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Gaurav Grover said that three persons were booked in the loot of a motorcycle from a bank manager in Managadhi in 1983. Read more PORTLAND, Ore. - The protest outside Portland's federal courthouse had died down by 3:40 a.m. on July 29, when a green laser shined down from a seventh-floor balcony used as a lookout by federal agents. The laser landed on John Hacker, an activist and citizen-journalist standing in a park about 170 feet away. It skittered across Hacker's feet, head and torso for more than 45 seconds. Suddenly, an unmarked van pulled in front of him. Doors slid open. Heavily armed men in camouflage tactical gear surrounded Hacker and took him into custody. Hacker, 36, is among nearly two dozen people arrested but not charged during the Trump administration's five-week response, from July through early August, to the demonstrations against police brutality in Portland. Before letting Hacker go, federal agents collected a DNA swab, photographed him and confiscated a phone that has not been returned, he said. The Washington Post conducted an in-depth examination of four instances when unsuspecting people were scooped up from the city's streets by federal agents in the middle of the night, based on information that turned out to be inaccurate or insufficient to charge them with a crime. The cases bring to light the tactics employed by border agents and immigration officers deployed to Portland for an operation President Donald Trump has touted as a success. Operation Diligent Valor has become a prominent issue in the presidential campaign. Trump has said his law-and-order approach is necessary to stop vandalism and property damage during protests in Portland and elsewhere. Activists and some Democrats have portrayed it as an unnecessary escalation. The shooting death of a man after confrontations on Aug. 29 in Portland between Trump supporters and Black Lives Matter protesters intensified the divide. The next day, Chad Wolf, acting secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, said the administration was open to sending federal officers back into Portland, over the opposition of local officials. From detention to release, the four people whose cases were examined by The Post described experiences they found harrowing and unnerving. Three are speaking for the first time. One was picked up and interrogated in an unmarked van, she said, and then dropped off in another location in the city. Two others, including Hacker, said they were held in jail cells before being let go without explanation or charges. Another, a U.S. citizen like the other three, was mistakenly identified as a foreigner and arrested on charges that were later dropped. Previously unpublished security camera footage and other videos obtained by The Post confirmed elements of each person's account. The examination also drew on videos from bystanders, interviews with witnesses and court records. The U.S. attorney's office in Oregon said 23 of 98 arrests by federal agents during the operation did not result in charges. The office would not name the 23 people, making it impossible to judge how complete the tally is. Kevin Sonoff, a spokesman, said the office considered someone arrested if they "were detained for any amount of time" and "weren't free to go for whatever reason." Under that definition, all the cases examined by The Post would qualify as arrests. Sonoff said that as part of their routine process, federal prosecutors reviewed evidence in each case to determine whether charges were warranted. "Our office works closely with law enforcement to review the facts surrounding each arrest," he wrote in an email. "Based upon that discussion and an assessment of potential federal charges, prosecutors accept or decline cases using their best professional judgment as to whether a case should proceed to court." A Department of Homeland Security spokesman, Harry Fones, said in a statement to The Post that "when federal law enforcement has probable cause that someone has committed a federal crime they are able to detain and investigate." In Hacker's case, the DHS spokesman acknowledged that Customs and Border Protection agents detained Hacker because they believed he matched the description of someone suspected of aiding a protester who threw a firecracker at a federal officer. "Upon further investigation and coordination with the U.S. Attorney's office, a decision was made not to pursue charges against Mr. Hacker," the spokesman said. Hacker, whose live-stream videos earlier in the night show him documenting the protests but not participating, denied the allegation and called the explanation "laughable." The U.S. attorney's office and DHS declined to comment on the other three cases. The other three people who shared their accounts with The Post also denied doing anything illegal. The death of George Floyd after a Minneapolis police officer put his knee on Floyd's neck in late May led to scattered protests across Portland, a city with a history of demonstrations for liberal causes. But the arrival of DHS agents in early July re-energized the protests, channeling ire toward federal authorities and turning the Mark O. Hatfield U.S. Courthouse into the epicenter of unrest. Each night, even as most of the city fell silent, longtime activists and new protesters gathered around the one-block building in a show of force. Federal agents emerged regularly to fire tear gas and clashed with people suspected of throwing projectiles, shining lasers at officers or shooting fireworks at the building. Evelyn Bassi, 30, a lifelong Portland resident, began attending nightly protests in early June. A bartender and chef who hasn't been able to work during the pandemic, Bassi said she came to the courthouse in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. On July 15, around 1:55 a.m., she and a friend, Ryan Ottomano, were standing at an empty intersection behind the courthouse, video shows. They were watching protesters chalk messages on the pavement, she said, and were preparing to go home. A dark gray Dodge Grand Caravan with tinted windows pulled up next to them, according to security camera footage of the intersection obtained by The Post from Multnomah County, which owns a nearby building. "That's when I was like, 'Oh, no. They're here for us,' " said Ottomano, 29. The van's front and side doors on the passenger side opened as it rolled to a stop, Bassi said. "I noticed that there were people in camo," she said. "I threw my hands up and said, 'We're leaving, we're leaving,' like, 'We're not causing any trouble.' " Fearful and unsure who the men were, Bassi and Ottomano said, they ran. The van followed them for half a block before making a U-turn to pursue Bassi, who had turned to run back toward the courthouse, video shows. After the van caught up, two officers in camouflage tactical gear with "POLICE" patches across their chests approached Bassi. She turned to face them with her hands up. "I haven't done anything at all," she repeated, according to video by a witness. The agents held Bassi's arms behind her back and escorted her to the van. She was ordered to sit cross-legged on the floor of the vehicle - its middle seats removed - with her hands on her helmet and her eyes down, she said. They began to drive through downtown. A pair of agents in the front and two more in the back were quiet, Bassi recalled. "They never said who they were," Bassi said. "I didn't know if I was going to be seen again. I didn't know what was going on. But I could tell that I was being arrested or detained or something." An officer asked whether Bassi, whose helmet covered her hair, was blond, she recalled. "No," she said. The van made frequent turns for five to 10 minutes, until the agents stopped at a quiet intersection seven blocks from where Bassi had been picked up, she said. Following officers' orders, she climbed out and put her hands on the van's roof, she said. An agent frisked her and asked her whether she had a laser pointer, she said. She told him she did not. "You're being detained because you match the description of somebody who committed a federal crime against an officer," the agent said, according to Bassi, who is transgender. As they removed her helmet and a cap underneath it, her brunette hair fell down. "That's not him," an officer said, according to Bassi. Another held up a grainy cellphone photo of the man they sought, Bassi recalled. It showed a person wearing a face covering and a gray bicycle helmet that bore little resemblance to her black helmet, she said. My anxiety is very rampant. . . . I have night terrors and nightmares every single night. An agent told Bassi she was free to go but left her with a warning, she said: "You know, bro, we have cameras everywhere." Blocks away and 30 minutes after Bassi's detention, Mark Pettibone was leaving the protest with a friend. Pettibone, a 30-year-old Arizona native who completed a master's degree at Portland's Reed College in 2018, had made a point to attend the protests two to three nights a week while juggling a full-time job at a grocery store, he said. That night, Pettibone had listened to Black Lives Matter speakers in the park across from the courthouse and tossed a Frisbee with friends, he said. But as Pettibone and his friend left, walking two blocks northwest of the courthouse on SW Main Street, a group of protesters warned that they had seen "unmarked vans kind of patrolling the perimeter," Pettibone said. At 2:33 a.m., security camera footage obtained by The Post shows Pettibone, wearing a beanie, glasses and a backpack, walking on SW Main Street toward SW 5th Avenue with his friend, Conner O'Shea. Soon after, a van pulled up, and "four or five military-fatigues-clad people jumped out," Pettibone said. Pettibone ran. "This is an unmarked van," he said. "No one knows who these people are. . . . And I feared for my life." Security camera footage shows Pettibone running around the corner at SW Main and SW Broadway around 2:35 a.m., with the van following seconds later. He said he was detained shortly after. He knelt on the sidewalk, his hands above his head, and repeatedly asked the officers, "Why?" he said. There was no answer, he said. Pettibone has previously shared his account with media outlets and members of Congress. But the security camera footage obtained by The Post is the first visual evidence showing the unmarked van pursuing him. It was provided by Portland'5 Centers for the Arts, which owns a theater across the street from where Pettibone was taken into custody. Like Bassi, Pettibone said he was told to sit on the van floor as he held his hands on his head. An agent pulled his beanie cap down over his eyes, he said. Video from Multnomah County shows a van similar to the one that pursued Pettibone arriving near the courthouse at 2:37 a.m., about four blocks from where Pettibone was detained. In the courthouse garage, Pettibone said, officers stood him against a wall and took photos from different angles. They escorted him to a holding area on an upper floor, he said, where an officer dumped out the contents of his bag without his consent. "This is a whole lot of nothing," Pettibone recalled the officer saying, as hand sanitizer and an inhaler spilled out. Pettibone said officers put him in a cell and asked whether he would waive his right to remain silent; he said no. He was given no explanation for his detention, he said. He remained there for two hours, he said, until an officer told him he could leave. Pettibone said the experience was "surreal." Word of federal agents' actions quickly spread, sparking outrage. The video of Bassi's detention circulated on social media, gaining nearly 13 million views, although she has not disclosed her identity until now. In response to the video at the time, U.S. Customs and Border Protection issued a statement acknowledging its officers had taken an unnamed person into custody because they "had information indicating the person in the video was suspected of assaults against federal agents or destruction of federal property." Bassi said she did not assault an agent and did nothing illegal. In Washington, Trump praised the federal response. "Portland was very rough, and they called us in, and we did a good job, to put it mildly," he said on July 15 at the White House, the day that Bassi and Pettibone had been taken into custody in the early morning. "Many people in jail right now." Officials in Oregon did not see it that way. The state's attorney general, Ellen Rosenblum, sued the Department of Homeland Security on July 17. "We are today asking the federal court to stop the federal police from secretly stopping and forcibly grabbing Oregonians off our streets," Rosenblum said at the time. The suit accused federal officers of violating protesters' rights and Oregon's sovereignty. It also sought an order restraining federal agents from making arrests without warrants and requiring them to identify themselves and the reason for any detention. A federal judge denied the request, ruling that the state didn't have a strong enough interest to sue on behalf of protesters. It seemed, at least from my personal experience, it seemed completely indiscriminate. It could've been anyone. Federal agents were waiting for Tawasi as he drove home early on the morning of July 24 after a night of attending the protests at the courthouse. Tawasi, a Portland resident whose name is Native American, does not have a surname. As Tawasi's car approached the building where he lives at 2:33 a.m., an SUV carrying federal agents idled at a nearby loading dock, according to a phone recording of security video from a business that owns the property. The SUV pulled in front of Tawasi's car, as other vehicles pulled in behind, lights flashing, video shows. Agents in plainclothes with guns drawn converged on Tawasi's car and removed him, he said. "We got you, Mr. Hickey," an agent who identified himself as part of Homeland Security Investigations said, according to Tawasi. "You definitely got me. But I am not Mr. Hickey. I have no idea who that is," Tawasi, 44, said he responded. Tawasi, a delivery driver who also works as a far-left video blogger, was at a loss. He had been attending protests two to three times a week, but he told The Post he is a pacifist. During Tawasi's arrest, agents informed him he was facing charges under a statute that prohibits releasing federal agents' personal information, such as a Social Security number or home address, in order to threaten, intimidate or incite violence against them, he said. Tawasi later learned the charge stemmed from his social media posts. He had published a photo on Twitter on July 12 of what he believed were two federal agents outside a Portland hotel. In subsequent posts, Tawasi called on protesters to make noise outside the hotel so that the "federal goons," as he called the agents, could not sleep, and he urged hotel workers to deny the agents service. "I wasn't encouraging people to throw grenades or shoot tear gas or bullets or hit with batons," Tawasi said in an interview. "I was encouraging people to, like, use air horns or sirens or just noise-making devices to, you know, just to disrupt the normal course of business." The protest Tawasi called for never materialized, but his posts prompted federal agents to monitor his social media accounts and eventually to surveil him at the protest on the night of his arrest, court records show. For unexplained reasons, investigators initially believed Tawasi was a Canadian national with a name of Hickey, court records show. A then-sealed warrant secured on the day of his arrest identified him as Tawasi, "a/k/a Ronald Bernard Hickey," according to court records. Tawasi, a U.S. citizen, told The Post he has never been to Canada and didn't know anyone with that name. Records show Tawasi has been registered to vote under his name in several states where he has lived over the past two decades. His Oregon driver's license lists his name as Tawasi, court records show. And his social media accounts all carry that name. The U.S. attorney's office in Oregon and DHS declined to comment on the case or why they identified him as Hickey. After his arrest, Tawasi was held in the courthouse jail for more than 12 hours, until his first court appearance the following afternoon. During that hearing, the judge said prosecutors intended to charge Tawasi with illegally entering the United States, in addition to the charge based on his tweets, according to a transcript. "Mr. Tawasi is alleged to be a citizen of Canada. He is also alleged to be here without permission, and he is also alleged to have a different name other than Tawasi; specifically, by the last name of Hickey," said Magistrate Judge John Acosta. A news release issued by the Department of Justice two days later also referred to Tawasi as a Canadian national with the alias. The federal government soon began to backpedal. The illegal-reentry charge did not materialize, court records show. The Justice Department's news release was corrected to say that Tawasi had been "incorrectly identified" as Hickey. And less than two weeks later, the charges of releasing agents' personal information were dropped at federal prosecutors' request "in the interest of justice," court filings state. Federal agents never returned Tawasi's phone, though, he said. He provided The Post with images of Google tracking data that he had enabled on his Samsung Galaxy S6 showing the phone's movements during the 32 hours after his arrest. Tawasi accessed the data by logging on to his Google account from a computer. It showed the phone was transported to several buildings in downtown Portland, including the federal courthouse and an Internal Revenue Service office before it was taken to a residential neighborhood in Lake Oswego, 10 miles south of Portland, the data shows. Then the tracking data stopped, indicating the phone was no longer on or its tracking function was disabled. Court records in Tawasi's criminal case do not show a search warrant. Spokesmen for DHS and the U.S. attorney's office declined to comment on the phone's movement or to elaborate on whether investigators had obtained a warrant for it. That feeling of being inside of a cell and not having any contact with anyone and not having a phone number to call for a lawyer. . . . That was probably my most terrified hour. Hacker's arrest on July 29 capped a month of unrest outside the courthouse. Hacker, who completed a master's degree in criminology and criminal justice from Portland State University this past spring, attended the protests most nights. A self-described citizen-journalist, he records videos of protests and rallies to expose what he views as excessive police force and information "that contradicts police statements," he said. He considers himself an anti-fascist but said he is not part of any group affiliated with antifa, the loosely knit far-left movement. Hacker is well-known among activists along the political spectrum in Portland. While recording a far-right rally in Portland in 2017, he was charged by a DHS officer with not obeying a lawful order to leave. Videos played at trial contradicted parts of an officer's testimony, according to media reports. A federal judge later acquitted Hacker, court records show. The conservative activist and journalist Andy Ngo sued Hacker and several other people earlier this year, alleging they harassed him over his unfavorable coverage of antifa. In the lawsuit, Ngo alleged Hacker grabbed his phone out of his hands during a confrontation at a gym last year. Hacker, who has not formally responded to the allegations in court, declined to comment, citing the ongoing litigation. In the hours before his arrest on July 29, Hacker streamed 77 minutes of video showing the protests and police response. He calmly narrated the night's events, describing the actions of protesters and federal agents, according to a review of the footage. Hacker was standing beside Jake Johnson, another citizen-journalist, in Lownsdale Square. The park was mostly quiet and empty, when both noticed the green laser coming from the balcony, they said. Hacker initially thought it was a prank intimidation tactic, he said. But Johnson quickly grew alarmed, video shows. "Is this a joke?" Johnson shouted on a video as the laser targeted Hacker at 3:41 a.m. "This is, uh . . . not great." Two unmarked vans arrived seconds later, videos show. "You have the wrong target," Johnson yelled. "You have the wrong target." A Border Patrol agent in fatigues stepped out of a white, unmarked van and took Hacker into custody, video shows. Hacker said he asked why he was being arrested, but the agent was silent. In a video from a bystander, the agent can be seen taking Hacker's phone and putting it atop the white van, as agents prepare to transport Hacker to the courthouse. Inside the building, Hacker said, officers took cellphone photos of him. An agent placed a sticker on his right back shoulder, before taking a photo from behind, Hacker said. Hacker said he could not see the sticker. Hacker was placed in a cell. He said agents asked to take his fingerprints, but he told them his fingers had been partially amputated, an injury suffered during a traffic accident years ago. Agents then asked to take a DNA swab from his cheek, and he allowed that, he said. Hacker asked two more times why he was under arrest, he said. "We're working on it," he said he was told. More than an hour passed before an agent opened the cell and escorted Hacker toward a building exit. "We've done an investigation, determined you've committed no crime," he said the agent told him. Security camera footage shows Hacker emerging from the courthouse at 5:09 a.m. Only after he was on the street, he said, did he realize his Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus cellphone - on which he had no tracking apps enabled - was missing. He said his cellphone still has not been returned. It definitely has impacted my ability to document in a way that really shows what's going on because there's that constant fear around keeping, you know, extra distance from what's going on. All four people said their experiences linger with them, causing anxiety, paranoia and fear. "I can't be alone," Bassi said. Pettibone, who sued Trump and DHS officials late last month, has stopped going to the protests as frequently. "It makes you more paranoid," he said. "Now, when I'm driving somewhere, I don't just take it for granted that I'm going to be able to get home," Tawasi said. Hacker continues to document protests but has become more skittish. "There's that constant fear around keeping, you know, extra distance from what's going on," he said. - - - The Washington Post's Alice Crites contributed to this report. And the living proof is what happens in Norway close to the Stryn municipality, with someone complaining on Googles forums that the navigation app keeps sending drivers on a super-steep tractor road where cars eventually get stuck and need help.This week alone (its now Thursday) we have rescued 3 cars, last week there was 5 and one of the cars almost rolled off a 3m drop, a message published on Googles forums reads.Poster Iiris Celine explains that the broken driving directions have already been reported to Google in July, but a change is yet to be made. The road is only built for tractors and horses, Celine emphasizes, and the property is damaged because most cars eventually get stuck while trying to reach a popular hike in the region.It costs us a lot of money and time as the road and property is being damaged, and we need to rescue cars very often, Celine says, adding that despite all their efforts to restrict the access to tractors, cars still end up using the route because this is the way that Google Maps suggests.We have put up signs, but as Google ONLY shows this route, people remove barriers (only temporary ones as we need to pass with our tractor and ATV) and signs to get to their destination and discover 5 meters later that they are unable to drive and need rescue, the post continues.While drivers do risk their lives using this road, a fully paved route is also available to reach the same destination, only that Google Maps allegedly suggests the tractor one because its faster.Most likely, its now just a matter of time until Google fixes the navigation directions and updates the road to indicate its not suitable for cars.In the meantime, if Google Maps is no longer your favorite cup of tea, you should know that Apple's making huge efforts to improve Apple Maps, and the company has recently turned to Minions for more accurate map data "In matters of art," wrote the erudite poet, Paul Valery, "erudition is a sort of defeat." The argument is that the freshness of first perceptions may be destroyed by specialised knowledge. Imagine, for example, an expert on ceramics standing in front of a great piece of pottery. There are questions about where and when the piece was made, comparisons with similar pots seen and studied. There are issues of provenance and authenticity. Koo Bohnchang's Light Shadow at the Korean Cultural Centre. By contrast, the interested amateur might simply say: "Wow!" Its that moment of shock and delight, when one encounters something really special, that keeps us coming back to galleries and museums. Confronted with some new, wondrous artefact, the brain fires off a shot of dopamine. Its a different experience to the experts comfortable feeling of familiarity. The trick is to remain open to the experience of aesthetic shock as one grows more knowledgeable. Its exactly what I felt on my first encounter with a moon jar from the Joseon dynasty (1392-1910) in the National Museum of Korea. Although Ive looked at thousands of pots in museums, I was unprepared for the powerful impression conveyed by this simple white porcelain vessel. The United States will reduce the number of its troops in Afghanistan to 4,000 in a very short period of time, President Donald Trump said Thursday as he announced withdrawal of forces from other countries as well. "A lot of progress is being made in Afghanistan. But we'll be down to 4,000 soldiers in a very short period of time," Trump told reporters at a news conference at the White House. Likewise, in Iraq, the US will be down to about 2,000 soldiers in a very short period of time. In Syria, US troops are only guarding oil. "I think a small number -- but they're guarding the oil. We're helping the Kurds, and we're making their lives much more pleasant because of the fact that we have the oil, said the president. Trump also announced that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will be departing this evening on a historic trip to Doha for the beginning of intra-Afghan peace negotiations. The start of these negotiations beginning September 12 follows intense diplomatic efforts, including the US-Taliban Agreement and the US-Afghanistan Joint Declaration, which were agreed to in February. Also read: President Donald Trump's Nobel Peace Prize nomination hard-earned, well-deserved: White House "We've been negotiating with them for quite some time, getting along with them, moved a lot of soldiers out, he said. Afghan negotiations, he said, are a result of a bold diplomatic effort on part of his administration in recent months and years. "The United States will play an important role in bringing the parties together to end the decades-long war; it's been going on for almost 20 years, long before I got involved, I can tell you that, he said. The parties are together right now, and we're negotiating, and we're really making tremendous progress, he added. In a separate statement, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo welcomed the announcement that Afghanistan peace negotiations will begin on September 12. The start of these talks marks a historic opportunity for Afghanistan to bring an end to four decades of war and bloodshed, he said. Noting that the people of Afghanistan have carried the burden of war for too long, he said that they yearn for peace. Only through an Afghan-owned, Afghan-led political process -- one that respects the views of all Afghan communities, including women and ethnic and religious minorities -- can the parties achieve a durable peace, he said. Also read: Cold war-era bombers, stealthy missiles; US sets wary eye on China Observing that this opportunity must not be squandered, Pompeo said that immense sacrifice and investment by the United States, its partners, and the people of Afghanistan have made this moment of hope possible. "I urge the negotiators to demonstrate the pragmatism, restraint, and flexibility this process will require to succeed. The people of Afghanistan and the international community will be watching closely. The United States is prepared to support as requested, Pompeo said. The United States recalls the commitment by the Afghan government and the Taliban that terrorists can never again use Afghan soil to threaten the United States or its allies. Now is the time for peace for Afghanistan, he said. Meanwhile, Trump nominated William Ruger as the next US Ambassador to Afghanistan. Stacker determined the most popular grocery stores in America by consulting consumer ratings from polling source YouGov, released in February 2020. YouGov ratings are based on national polling and weighted to equitably represent different demographics, such as age and gender. A previous Iranian naval exercise near the strategic Strait of Hormuz in July drew condemnation from Washington when missiles blasted a US aircraft carrier mock-up, seen here in a satellite image obtained courtesy of Maxar Technologies The Iranian navy began a three-day exercise in the Sea of Oman near the strategic Strait of Hormuz on Thursday, deploying an array of warships, drones and missiles. One of the exercise's objectives is to devise "tactical offensive and defensive strategies for safeguarding the country's territorial waters and shipping lanes," the military said on its website. The navy will test-fire surface-to-surface and shore-to-sea cruise missiles and torpedoes, and rocket-launching systems fitted on warships, submarines, aircraft and drones, it added. Dubbed "Zolfaghar 99", the exercise will be held over two million square kilometres (772,000 square miles) of sea stretching from the northern part of the Indian Ocean to the eastern end of the Strait of Hormuz, the sensitive shipping lane from the Gulf through which a fifth of world oil output passes. The exercise's spokesman, Commodore Shahram Irani, said that foreign aircraft, especially US drones, had been warned to steer clear of the area. "We saw focused activities by American UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) to gather information" on the exercise, he told the armed forces' website, adding that the US aircraft had since left the area. In July, Iran's ideological force, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, blasted a mock-up of a US aircraft carrier with missiles during an exercise near the Strait of Hormuz. The US Navy condemned those manoeuvres as "irresponsible and reckless", and an attempt "to intimidate and coerce". Tensions between Iran and the United States have soared since President Donald Trump withdrew from a landmark nuclear agreement with Tehran in 2018 and unilaterally reimposed crippling economic sanctions. Their animosity deepened after a US drone strike killed top Iranian general Qasem Soleimani outside Baghdad airport in January, prompting Iran to retaliate with missile strikes against bases used by the US military in neighbouring Iraq. amh/mj/kir Delegates from Libyas rival administrations have reached an agreement at talks in Morocco on criteria for appointments to their countrys key institutions. Dubbed the Libyan Dialogue, the discussions brought together five participants from the internationally recognised Government of National Accord (GNA), which controls the capital, Tripoli and the northwest, and five others from the House of Representatives (HoR), based in the eastern city of Tobruk. Following the meeting in Bouznika on Thursday, HoRs Idris Omran read out a joint statement to reporters saying the delegates had agreed the criteria, transparent mechanisms and objectives for key posts. He did not give further details but said the two sides would meet again during the last week of September to finalise mechanisms that would guarantee the implementation and activation of the agreement. The naming of the heads of Libyas central bank, its National Oil Corporation and the armed forces have been the main points of dispute, according to Libyan media. Parallel to the Morocco talks, consultations took place in Montreux, Switzerland this week between Libyan stakeholders and members of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL). Held between September 7-9 under the auspices of the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue, these meetings were a follow-up to a call made by the rival Libyan administrations on August 22 calling for an end to hostilities and nationwide elections. The Montreux talks provide a basis for all responsible Libyan stakeholders to forge the way forward, said Stephanie Williams, the UNs interim envoy to Libya. Williams also welcomed the meetings in Morocco and said UNSMIL would try to prepare the ground to resume broader Libyan political talks. We call upon the international community to shoulder its responsibilities to support this process and to unequivocally respect the Libyan peoples sovereign right to determine their future, she said. Libya has endured almost a decade of violent chaos since the 2011 NATO-backed uprising that toppled and killed longtime ruler Muammar Gaddafi. The oil-rich country has been split between governments in the east and west since disputed elections and an escalation in fighting in 2014. The crisis worsened last year when renegade military commander Khalifa Haftar, whose forces control eastern Libya and are supported by Egypt, the UAE and Russia, launched an offensive to seize Tripoli, the seat of the GNA, an administration brought in by a UN-brokered deal in December 2015 after talks in Morocco. Haftar was beaten back earlier this year by the Turkish-backed GNA forces and fighting has now stalled around the central city of Sirte, the gateway to Libyas eastern oil fields and export terminals. By Laman Ismayilova The Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum and the Perm Local Lore Museum have taken part in a virtual conference. Initiated by the Russian Information and Cultural Center in Baku, the online meeting discussed various issues, including the work during the quarantine. The Carpet Museum was represented at the conference by the workers of Children Department, senior researcher Tarana Aliyeva, leading researcher Rena Abdullayeva and chief specialist Nazrin Shirinova. The sides exchanged their experience and touched upon prospects for mutual cooperation. The museum experts provided insight into educational programs for children of different ages. Founded in 1967, the National Carpet Museum holds more than 14,000 exhibits of the finest Azerbaijani carpets. The museum, initiated by eminent carpet artist Latif Karimov, is beautiful inside and out. The museum's new building is designed in the form of a rolled carpet. The Carpet Museum opened its doors in 2014 at Baku Seaside Park. All carpets were transferred to the museum's new location. Now, the museum hosts multiple events, including international symposiums, conferences and various exhibitions. In 2019, the museum received the national status for its significant contribution in popularization and promotion of the Azerbaijani Carpet Weaving Art. The Perm Local Core museum is considered the city's one of the most visited art space. The museum stores a large number of exhibits. The Perm Local Core provides insight into rich historical and cultural heritage. -- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar has revealed that he drinks cow urine every day for ayurvedic reasons. The actor, who is currently shooting in Scotland for his upcoming film BellBottom" with Huma Qureshi and Lara Dutta Bhupathi, joined British adventurer and host Bear Grylls for an Instagram Live, to talk about going on a jungle adventure with him. When Huma asked Akshay how he convinced himself to drink elephant poop tea on the show, Akshay said: I wasnt worried. I was too excited to be worried. I have cow urine because of ayurvedic reasons every day, so that was okay." Soon after Akshay Kumar made the revelation, hundreds of his fans were Googling to see if cow urine actually had medicinal properties. Photo: Google trends For long, there has been a debate on whether cow urine can actually magically cure a number of diseases, like cancer or even coronavirus. In fact, several Indian politicians have recommended drinking cow urine if they want to ward of the novel coronavirus. Dont believe us? Heres a recent example. In July 2020, West Bengal BJP President and Lok Sabha MP, Dilip Ghosh, said that cow urine can cure coronavirus. If I talk about cows, people fall sick. I tell them a donkey will not understand the worth of cow. This is India, the land of Lord Krishna and here cows are God, we worship. We will have cow urine to stay healthy. Take ayurvedic medicine and dont worry," said Dilip Ghosh. Now we do not know if Akshay Kumar has been drinking cow urine to fight coronavirus, but for those wondering, heres what we know - cow urine cannot miraculously cure diseases, theres no scientific evidence to prove it does yet. Back in April this year when the coronavirus pandemic was in its initial phases, fake news and WhatsApp forwards also suggested something similar - that cow urine can strengthen immunity and fend off the virus. But a group of scientists on a warpath to fight the fake news infodemic, debunked all such claims. Not just coronavirus. There have also been claims that cow urine, or gaumutra, can cure cancer. Well, to put it clearly and simply, it does not. READ: Cow Urine Kills Coronavirus? These Indian Scientists Are Fighting Fake News in the Time of Pandemic READ: Can Cow Urine Really Cure Cancer? This is What Oncologists Told Us READ: Theres a Cow Urine Hand Sanitizer on Amazon, But it May Not Protect You from Coronavirus In 2018, Venkatraman Radhakrishnan, Associate Professor Medical and Pediatric Oncology, told News18 that he had seen many gullible patients fall in to the trap of consuming cow urine and then losing their lives. No, cow urine does not prevent or cure cancers. There is no scientific evidence available to prove this. My fellow oncologists and I are yet to see a patient who exclusively consumed cow urine to be cured of cancer," he had said back then. In February, various government agencies issued a call for research proposals on cowpathy" - that is, treatment using cow urine. It urged Indian scientists to come up with ideas on how cow urine can be used to treat diseases like diabetes or cancer, how it can be used to benefit agriculture or even in the form of hair shampoo and oil. According to Sciencemag, this led to an outrage in the science community in the country with over 500 Indian scientists writing an open letter to the government asking them to withdraw the call for proposals. The scientists said that this is purely unscientific and a waste of public money especially when other (and more significant) research in the country was facing a crunch. BlueVine, a Redwood City, CA-based provider of small business banking, secured a $75m revolving credit facility. Funds managed by Atalaya Capital Management, a private credit and special opportunities investment manager based in New York, provided the financing. BlueVine use the capital to expand its flexible Line of Credit lending solution. Led by Eyal Lifsthiz, CEO, BlueVine provides small- and medium-sized businesses with access to financial services. Its advanced online platform offers a solution for business banking and working capital needs. The company offers a suite of products including BlueVine Business Checking, Line of Credit, Term Loan, and Invoice Factoring. BlueVine has provided small and medium-sized businesses with access to more than $6.5 billion in financing. In addition, the company has provided more than 155,000 small business owners with $4.5 billion in Coronavirus pandemic financial relief loans through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). In addition to expanding its lending resources to support small business customers, BlueVine recently opened a Salt Lake City, Utah Office focused on customer service initiatives. The office will provide access to customer support representatives. FinSMEs 11/09/2020 The Ghana Tourism Authority, together with the Ministry of Tourism Arts and Culture and the Diaspora community in Ghana has honoured Black Panther star, Chadwick Boseman who passed away recently after battling with colon cancer. Holding a minute silence for fallen heroes at the unveiling of the seven pillars of the Beyond the Return in Accra Wednesday, September 9, 2020, Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Tourism Authority, Akwasi Agyeman said "May I respectfully request that we all rise for a minute silencefor our ancestors who went through the tortures journey of slavery, two, for our brothers and sisters who have fallen in recent times especially our brother Chadwick of Black Panther fame and yesterday in Cape Coast, Elolo Gabin for those of who have been in emancipation and panafest, you know Elolo is no more. Chadwick Boseman who was 43 died at home in Los Angeles with his wife and family by his side. "A true fighter, Chadwick persevered through it all, and brought you many of the films you have come to love so muchFrom Marshall to Da 5 Bloods, August Wilson's Ma Rainey's Black Bottom and several more- all were filmed during and between countless surgeries and chemotherapy. It was the honour of his career to bring King T'Challa to life in Black Panther, his family said in the statement. The decision to honour Chadwick at Wednesdays event forms part of Ghanas attempt to establish itself as the home for Africans in the diaspora. It will be recalled that in June this year, Ghana held a memorial burial for George Floyd who was murdered by a law enforcement officer in the United States. Source: ghanaweb.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video For a bright, young woman with a sharp business brain, lingerie boss Emily Bendell can be really rather daft. 'I never anticipated this level of interest,' she says For a bright, young woman with a sharp business brain, lingerie boss Emily Bendell can be really rather daft. 'I never anticipated this level of interest,' she says. She is referring to the wall-to-wall coverage of her threat of legal action against one of the oldest private members' clubs in London, the Garrick, over its 'gentlemen-only membership'. Emily, 39, has instructed lawyers to seek an injunction preventing the 189-year-old club from 'continuing to operate its discriminatory policy', which she claims breaks the law, as laid down in Harriet Harman's Equality Act 2010. She has also instructed a public relations manager, presumably, to manage the level of interest her action has generated. 'A stunt?' Emily shoots a look of pure horror when I express surprise that she didn't see the publicity coming. 'I don't see how this is going to help me sell more knickers, if I'm honest. This all started because I was looking round for a members' club to join,' she says. 'Our offices are quite far east [Shoreditch] and I needed a central London base. I began asking friends and seeing what there was. There were elements of the Garrick that were interesting to me the history, the beautiful building, those velvet red seats . . .' She cuts her reverie short and snorts theatrically. 'I had no idea there were still men-only clubs. I was shocked. 'How can it be the case?' I said to my husband. 'Did you know these clubs exist?' Extraordinary. And most of the people I've told are surprised. I think people who don't live in a world that joins private members' clubs don't expect there to be clubs that exclude women. Working men's clubs included women 13 years ago.' The Garrick was established in 1831 as a refuge for theatrical types deemed too disreputable for other establishments. Rules were widened to admit politicians, journalists, lawyers and the odd rock star. Members have included Charles Dickens, H.G. Wells and J. M. Barrie. Today, it is largely a fusty gentleman's club (the average age is 70); or, as one member put it, 'like a home for the elderly but with fine wine'. When Hugh Bonneville unsuccessfully proposed Joanna Lumley for membership in 2011, the whole club is said to have had palpitations: half from lust, half from rage. Meanwhile, a 2015 ballot on the issue of admitting women members fell short of the two-thirds in favour needed for change. Emily, who read philosophy, politics and economics at Oxford, is one of those urban, edgy types who advocates changing, well, just about everything. 'Look at how women are under- represented on boards and in Parliament,' she says. 'Look at how black people are overrepresented in prison. These are statistical numbers that show that the world they [anyone who is not a millennial] have built has not solved these issues. Emily, who read philosophy, politics and economics at Oxford, is one of those urban, edgy types who advocates changing, well, just about everything. 'Look at how women are under- represented on boards and in Parliament,' she says 'I believe everybody, regardless of race, gender, disability or sexuality, should have the same opportunity and be treated equally. I believe that passionately and wholly. If that makes me woke, fine.' Given that for many of the Garrick septuagenarians, 'woke' is the past tense of what they do after an agreeable afternoon nap, you can't help but feel Emily is as likely a fit with this iconic club as Rolling Stones wildman Keith Richards would be with the Women's Institute. 'Oh, I haven't visited the club,' she says airily. Hang on, Emily. You've started legal proceedings against one of the oldest and most famous private members' clubs on the planet, and you haven't even stepped inside? 'This is about the principle,' she says. 'The women I speak to who have no interest in joining the Garrick itself still believe these rules should change. People say: 'Why would you want to be a member of a club where 50 per cent of the people don't want you there based on your gender?' But that is not the point here.' Neither, it seems, are the club rules. The Garrick membership is made up of respected actors, politicians, journalists and lawyers. Even if she were a man, it's highly unlikely an entrepreneur who, as she puts it, 'sells knickers' would cut the mustard. 'The Garrick for me is more about professional connections and networking,' she says. But club rules state: 'No part of the clubhouse may be used for business purposes, which includes discussing business matters.' Emily shrugs. 'The Garrick has got people like Stephen Fry as a member people I'm really surprised would be a member of a club that excludes women,' she says. 'It's not as if I go to sleep every night desperate to be a member of the Garrick Club,' she adds. 'It's about the principle.' And like most wokesters ('I might actually be the oldest millennial,' muses Emily, who was born in 1981), she is not shy of broadcasting hers. Emily began her career as an entrepreneur selling Ann Summers sex toys and raunchy lingerie from her home in Nottingham after graduating from Oxford. Spotting a gap in the market, she set up Bluebella with the help of her father, a university lecturer-turned-business consultant who remains a director of the company, in 2005. She visited trade shows and scoured the internet to source boutique lingerie. She was rewarded with first-years sales of 98,000. The following year, she was named Small Business Of The Year at the Women Of Worth Awards but such was the nature of her Miss Neat 'n' Naughty collect ion that devout Catholic Ann Widdecombe refused to present the award. Emily rolls her eyes. 'I had a very liberal upbringing,' she says. 'My mother [who sadly died of cancer shortly after Emily graduated] was Danish. I was allowed to do more than most of my friends. Emily was 29 and had had 'a number of long-term relationships' with some gaps in between when she met her husband Reg, an environmental entrepreneur who, she says, is 'a genuine 50-50 partner'. He has supported her as her company has gone from strength to strength after she secured a licensing deal with sadomasochistic franchise Fifty Shades Of Grey to provide underwear, while her fellow shareholders from Lovehoney secured the lucrative sex-toy rights. The Garrick was established in 1831 as a refuge for theatrical types deemed too disreputable for other establishments They married five years ago and now have a two-year-old son and a one-year old daughter. 'Within my business, I feel there's some really important messages I can get out to young women around equality and diversity,' she says. 'We've used two trans women in our campaigns because we want to celebrate trans and non-trans women. We also posted a man wearing underwear on Instagram. He's called a burlesque boy and he likes wearing lingerie. He feels great in it. What Bluebella wants to do is celebrate everyone.' Perhaps over lunch at the Garrick if she's successful in her legal action? 'Why not? The red velvet seats look comfy,' she says. She now wants the club to give a full response within 28 days of receiving her Letter Before Action that it intends to change its policy. Emily began her career as an entrepreneur selling Ann Summers sex toys and raunchy lingerie from her home in Nottingham after graduating from Oxford. Spotting a gap in the market, she set up Bluebella with the help of her father, a university lecturer-turned-business consultant who remains a director of the company, in 2005 The letter states: 'Ms Bendell is the founder and CEO of Bluebella, a highly successful lingerie company. She is also a supporter and lover of the arts. In light of her successful career and affinity with the arts, she wishes to become a member of the Garrick Club . . . Women are only able to access the club's services as second-class citizens on the whim of a man who has to both invite and pay for them.' It points out that, in barring female members, it is acting in breach of the Equality Act 2010. Should the club decide to embrace women, all new candidates must be proposed by an existing member before election in a secret ballot. Emily says: 'In the past five years since the last vote, when just over half of Garrick members thought women should join the club, we've had a number of examples of the toxicity of male-dominated culture in Hollywood and Westminster. 'I would hope that it is even clearer now that women should be admitted. If there was another vote, things should change.' With her leading the charge to bag one of those comfy velvet seats? 'It's not really about whether I particularly want to be a member there,' she says. Which I guess is woke for 'no'. York Region police have charged a 55-year-old massage therapist after a woman reported a sexual assault in Newmarket. Police began their investigation on Aug. 22 after a woman came forward to report that she was sexually assaulted during a massage session at a spa on Main Street South on July 31. Police are investigating whether there are any other victims. Michel Sarkis, of Whitchurch Stouffville, was charged on Tuesday with one count of sexual assault. Anyone with information is asked to call police at 1-866-876-5423, ext. 7071. Heathrow has warned that the UK governments quarantine policy is costing jobs every day after recording an 82% decline in passenger numbers last month. The west London airport wants testing to be permitted as a way of reducing the 14-day coronavirus quarantine requirement for arriving travellers. Just 1.4 million people travelled through the airport in August, compared with 7.7 million during the same month in 2019. Mainland Portugal, Hungary, French Polynesia and Reunion were removed from the UK governments quarantine exemption list for England on Thursday. Travellers have until 4am on Saturday to return before the new rules are implemented. For holidaymakers scrambling to return from Portugals Algarve to London on Friday, British Airways had flights to Heathrow costing 494, while easyJet had a flight to Gatwick for 286. More than half of the passengers who used Heathrow in August were travelling to or from the European Union. Demand for North American routes was down 95% year on year. Heathrow said more than 30 airports around the world are already using coronavirus testing of travellers as a way of reducing quarantine requirements. One of those airports, Germanys Frankfurt, has overtaken Heathrow in terms of passenger numbers. Heathrow chief executive John Holland-Kaye said: Britains economic recovery is falling behind. Heathrows traffic figures for August demonstrate the extent to which quarantine is strangling the economy, cutting British businesses off from their international markets and blocking international students, tourists and investors from coming here to spend money. The government has announced it is looking at the options for reducing quarantine for passengers who test negative for Covid-19 but ministers urgently need to turn words into action. Every day of further government delay costs British jobs and livelihoods. is it safe to travel during coronavirus? Jenna Brillhart, HelloGiggles Back in March, you couldn't have paid me to leave my house to go to the grocery store (bless you, Instacart) let alone travel to a different city or state. But now, as coronavirus (COVID-19) cases have dropped in most states across the U.S. and social distancing restrictions remain in place, traveling feels more feasible, albeit still nerve-wracking. So this past month I swallowed my nerves, put on my big girl pants (paired with a face mask, of course), and flew home to New York City after spending five months with my family in Iowa. It turns out, the travel experience wasn't as daunting as I had cracked it up to be. In fact, I felt much safer flying than I did driving from Iowa to Minnesota back in July (more on that below). And after returning to the East Coast in mid-August, I stepped out of my comfort zone once again by taking a bus trip to the Jersey Shore over Labor Day weekend. You might be debating flying, taking a road trip, or hopping on a bus yourself but feeling skeptical of how safe the experience will be. Below, read my pros and cons of the three modes of travel I took this month: flying, driving, and riding a bus during the pandemic. And just remember, any form of traveling comes with a risk right now, so do what feels most comfortable to you. Most comfortable: flying flying during coronavirus Claire Harmeyer, HelloGiggles When the day came of my first air travel trip during the pandemic, nerves grumbled in my stomach. But the moment I arrived at the airport, the precautions that the airport put in place had put me at ease. Everyone insidesecurity, airline employees, waiters, and travelers like myselfwere wearing masks, and I've never seen a cleaner airport before in my life. Everything looked well-sanitized, and chairs by the gates were marked with stickers reading "Do not sit" so that travelers could distance themselves from each other. It felt strange to walk through the terminal and see most restaurants and snack shops closed plus hardly anyone waiting by the gatesbut this lack of congestion made me feel relaxed. Story continues When it was time to board the plane, a Delta employee called passengers up row by row, starting from the back of the plane, to limit interaction with each other. As I stepped onto the plane, a flight attendant offered me a sanitizing wipe while another held out a plastic bag with a mini water bottle, snacks, a napkin, and another sanitizing wipe. I accepted both of their offerings and made my way to my empty row. I quickly wiped down my seatbelt, armrests, and the tray table before sitting down. Luckily, I had the row to myself the entire flight, and no one sat in front of or behind me, either. Flight attendants told passengers to keep their masks on when not eating or drinking or they would "kindly remind you" throughout the flight. No beverages were served to limit extra touching. I used the airplane bathroom once, and it looked cleaner than normal. When it came to air quality, most airplanes nowadays are equipped with high-efficiency particle (HEPA) filters, which redirect air downward so that it never circulates over to your neighbors, which is helpful in slowing the spread of COVID-19. Note: The travel experience might differ depending on the airport and airline you choose. Although the thought of traveling via airplane might scare you (it scared me, too), I'm here to tell you: I would do it again tomorrow, no question. What to do if you fly: I recommend eating before you go and bringing your own snacks, because most airport restaurants and shops will likely be closed. Also, bring extra sanitizing wipes if you feel the need to wipe the chairs you'll sit on while waiting to board the plane. Pros Masks and social distancing policies are strictly enforced by airport and airline staff. You are seated away from strangers in the airport and on the plane. Airports and planes are extremely well sanitized by staff before getting on the plane and again by you (if you choose). Cons Most people arrive at the airport early in case of long lines, so you'll have to wait around in the airport before boardingtherefore being around more people than you would while driving. You're in an enclosed space with people who might take their mask off while eating, but I was six feet apart from people who did so. Somewhat comfortable: driving a car road trip coronavirus Getty Images In July, I took a seven-hour road trip with my mom and sister from Des Moines, Iowa, to our family's lake house in northern Minnesota. The length of the drive meant that we couldn't avoid stopping at gas stations to fill up our carand empty our own tanks, if you know what I mean. (If you can last seven hours without peeing, props to you.) Although I felt totally safe inside of our car, stepping inside gas stations was a different story. At the time in Minnesota, face masks weren't required indoors, and a surprising amount of people took this as an opportunity to go mask-free. I was shocked by how nonchalantly people seemed to be treating the whole situation (and I might have shot them a few disapproving looks, TBH). My mom handled filling up our car with gas: She wiped down the nozzle before grabbing it and thoroughly sanitized her hands afterward. Since most people around us weren't even wearing masks, we took a wild guess that the gas nozzles weren't being wiped down regularly and were likely riddled with germs. While I waited in line for the bathroom inside the gas station, multiple people walked by me without a mask, so I got in and out of there as fast as possible. We also stopped at a Jimmy John's for lunch and opted for the drive-through, which felt safe. The employee with whom we interacted at the window was wearing a mask and gloves. Overall, I would take another road trip, but I would limit stopping as much as my car and bladder would allow. If you take a road trip yourself, I would recommend you pack your own food so that you can refrain from stopping at a rest stop or drive-through to buy some. Pros You're separated from strangers for most of the trip. You don't need to wear a mask in your car. Cons No strict rules are implemented at some pit stops, depending on the state you're traveling in. Not all gas stations, drive-throughs, and rest stops are well sanitized, and there's no crowd control. Least comfortable: riding a bus traveling during coronavirus Getty Images For Labor Day weekend, I rented an Airbnb with five friends in Avalon, New Jersey, a cute beach town on the Jersey Shore. In order to get there from New York City, we had to take a two-and-a-half-hour bus ride. I'd ridden busses to other East Coast cities before, so I knew that they were typically close quarters. However, that was pre-COVID, when I didn't think twice about brushing shoulders with strangers for hours. Now, I think a lot more about who and what I'm coming into contact withso I saw this bus ride in a whole new light. My friends and I arrived at the Port Authority bus terminal about fifteen minutes before our departure time at 2:30 p.m. The nice thing about bus travel is that you can arrive right before your bus is scheduled to pull out of the station, eliminating the lengthy waiting-around-near-strangers aspect of airports. However, by the time we stepped onto the sold-out bus, there were no seats left together, so we were forced to sit next to strangersso close that it was impossible not to brush thighs with the man sitting next to me. As the bus pulled out of the station, the driver reminded everyone that we were required to wear masks during the whole ride. Luckily, my bus buddy was respectful, and he didn't take his mask off oncenot even to take a sip of water. My friends, on the other hand, weren't so lucky. Many of them were seated next to inconsiderate riders who slipped their masks on and off throughout the ride. Since the only employee on the bus was the driver, these passengers were able to take their masks off without him noticing, unlike the airplane, where flight attendants were on the prowl, making sure everyone kept their face coverings on tightly. Overall, I would not ride another bus right now due to the lack of personal space and the loose rules. However, if bus travel is your only option at this time, I recommend arriving in advance of your boarding time so that you can sit with whomever you're traveling with and bringing sanitizing wipes to clean your seat. Pros You hop right on and off the busno waiting around in the airport. Cons The media and other Democrats, including all the ones writing Joe Biden's talking points, know that Dr. Anthony Fauci, the CDC, the U.N.'s WHO, most of the media including Bob Woodward, Biden himself, Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel (a Biden adviser), Nancy Pelosi, Bill de Blasio, Andrew Cuomo, and the rest all downplayed the virus in January, February, and early March. Yet today, they are endlessly ripping President Trump for not scaring the public in early February. They also ripped Trump for his early travel ban on China, calling it unnecessary and xenophobic. With few infections and zero deaths in the U.S. at the time, they said he was trying to change the subject from their bogus impeachment. Here is what they were saying then: Top disease official: Risk of coronavirus in USA is 'minuscule'; skip mask and wash hands Short of that, Fauci says skip the masks unless you are contagious, don't worry about catching anything from Chinese products and certainly don't avoid Chinese people or restaurants. "Whenever you have the threat of a transmissible infection, there are varying degrees from understandable to outlandish extrapolations of fear," Fauci said. COVID-19: "No reason" not to go on cruise if you're young and healthy: Fauci Dr. Anthony Fauci, head of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, sought to assure Americans on Monday that it is safe to travel aboard a cruise ship "if you are young and healthy" but said he would advise the elderly and those with underlying medical conditions not to go on a cruise. I would think journalists would tire of this as they seek to elect the corrupt, incompetent Biden. How many books attacking Trump are going to be promoted by the sycophant media as they collude in this election? When will Woodward and Bernstein report on all the crimes of Obama/Biden and the other bureaucrats who used the fake dossier and massive government personnel and resources as they sought to destroy Trump and elect the criminal Hillary? That is the crime and corruption that dwarfs Watergate. Woodward now is going at it again. The fake story from The Atlantic, based on anonymous sources, is another piece of fiction that was regurgitated by Democrat campaign workers, posing as journalists, as if it were true in their unending effort to interfere in the election. The media, including social media, is much more dangerous to the integrity of the election than anything the Russians, Chinese, or Iranians are attempting to do. Adam Schiff, as he continually lied that he had evidence of Russian collusion when he didn't, is much more dangerous to the integrity of the election as he runs garbage witch hunt investigations. Maybe he could try to help the homeless in his home state of California as its economy collapses. Maybe Glenn Kessler of the Washington Post and PolitiFact should fact-check whoever is writing Biden's talking points. Because they are still lying about it. Photo illustration by Monica Showalter with use of Democratic Party logo, public domain, edited, and Pixabay public domain image. DUBAI: At least one person was killed and several injured in an explosion at a shop in an area near Iran`s capital Tehran, Iranian state TV reported on Friday, adding that at least 30 buildings were damaged by the blast. "An explosion on Tohid Street, south of Nasimshahr, took place in a battery shop. One person was killed and at least 10 people were injured. Ten cars and 30 buildings were badly damaged as well," state TV reported. It said the cause of the explosion was being investigated. A recent study by researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology, the Institut Pasteur and the Centre International de Recherche en Infectiologie (CIRI) suggests that the spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is influenced by influenza virus infection during the initial period of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in Europe. The study is currently available on the medRxiv* preprint server. Since its emergence in December 2019 in China, the highly transmissible SARS-CoV-2 has been successful in infecting more than 27.99 million people worldwide and claiming 906,122 lives. Because of the unavailability of appropriate therapeutic interventions or vaccines, several preventive measures have been taken to tackle the pandemic, such as nationwide lockdown in more than 100 countries. Regarding possible risk factors, several studies have shown that elderly people, male individuals, and people with comorbidities (cardiovascular and/or pulmonary diseases, diabetes, kidney disease, and cancer) are at higher risk of developing severe form of COVID-19, which is associated with high death rate. Potential drivers of SARS-CoV-2 transmission in Belgium, Italy, Norway, and Spain. A: time plot of the stringency index, a country-level aggregate measure of the number and of the strictness of non-pharmaceutical control measures implemented by governments. The vertical dashed line indicates the start of the nationwide lockdown. B: time plot of influenza incidence, calculated as the product of the incidence of influenza-like illnesses and of the fraction of samples positive to any influenza virus. The vertical dashed lines delimitate the period of overlap between SARS-CoV-2 and influenza, defined as the period between the assumed start date of SARS-CoV- 2 community transmission and 6 weeks after the epidemic peak of influenza. In each country, the time series displayed were incorporated as covariates, which modulated the transmission rate of SARS-CoV-2 in the model . In B, the y-axis values differ for each panel. Study hypothesis Regarding seasonal viral infections of the human respiratory tract, evidences are demonstrating that the interaction between co-circulating pathogens during a pandemic or epidemic situation can be advantageous or disadvantageous in terms of viral spread or disease severity. For example, influenza virus-induced infection has been shown to prevent respiratory syncytial virus-induced secondary infection in ferrets. In contrast, there is evidence showing that influenza infection in the respiratory tract can increase the expression of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), a receptor in the respiratory epithelium that interacts with the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and facilitate the viral entry into human cells. Given the previous significant experience on the impact of co-existing pathogens on the spread to a pandemic, the current study scientists hypothesized that co-circulating influenza virus might have influenced the spread of SARS-CoV-2 in Europe during the initial phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. Study design The scientists have developed a stochastic, population-based model of SARS-CoV-2 transmission and COVID-19 related deaths. By assuming that death occurred in 1% of all infections, the scientists incorporated a representative distribution of virus generation time and duration between symptom emergence and death in their model. They also incorporated the stringency index, which is a measure of the number of control measures (lockdown, workplace/school shutdown, travel restrictions, etc.) taken by governments during the pandemic and their strictness. They evaluated the impact of the stringency index on the viral spread. The impact of influenza infection on the spread of SARS-CoV-2 was evaluated by incorporating the time-series analysis of influenza incidence into the model. The information about influenza cases of four European countries, including Belgium, Italy, Norway, and Spain, was obtained from the World Health Organization. Syndromic ILI data (A) and virological influenza data (B) in Belgium, Italy, Norway, and Spain. In A, the red bars represent the numbers of samples positive to any influenza virus and the grey bars those negative. Important observations The scientists consistently observed that there was about 2 2.5-fold increase in SARS-CoV-2 transmission during the period when both influenza virus and SARS-CoV-2 co-existed. Regarding control measures, they found that strict implementation of control measures was associated with a reduction in viral transmission. Based on the descriptive statistical analysis of the model-data, scientists believe that their model effectively predicted SARS-CoV-2 related morbidity and mortality during the study period. Predictions made by the study model Based on the model-data, the scientists predicted that people who recently have influenza infection are at higher risk of developing SARS-CoV-2 infection. This prediction is justified by the previous study observations showing higher transmissibility or susceptibility in people co-infected with influenza virus and SARS-CoV-2. Studies investigating the frequency of polymerase chain reaction-based co-diagnosis of influenza and SARS-CoV-2 infections have shown significantly variable results. Based on the prediction made in the current study, such discrepancies in study findings may be because of differences in incubation times of the influenza virus (~ 1 day) and SARS-CoV-2 (~ 5.7 days). By the time SARS-CoV-2 reaches the detection level in the body, the influenza virus may no longer exist because of the shorter incubation time. Another prediction they made is that people who received influenza vaccination are at a lower risk of developing SARS-CoV-2 infection. This prediction is in line with previous study findings showing that influenza vaccination is associated with lower rates of SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 related mortality. Although the impact of influenza infection on SARS-CoV-2 transmission is clearly manifested, the current study was conducted without controlling a major confounding factor, age, which is known to impact both influenza and SARS-CoV-2 infections. According to the scientists, this can be a potential limitation of the study. The scientists also believe that besides the influenza virus, the impact of other respiratory viruses should also be tested to obtain more comprehensive observation. Regarding control measures, the scientists believe that the impact they observed may be specific to Europe, where both the number and intensity of control measures increased gradually during the pandemic. *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. UN denounces Kabul attack targeting Afghan Vice President 10 September 2020 -- The United Nations has strongly condemned the attack, on Wednesday, in Kabul, targeting the official convoy of Afghanistan's First Vice President Amrullah Saleh. The Vice President survived the attack but dozens of civilian casualties mostly bystanders were reported in the blast, which took place in a crowded part of the city. In a statement by his spokesperson, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres extended his deepest sympathy and condolences to the families of the victims and wished a speedy recovery to those injured. "The Secretary-General reiterates the urgency of achieving a peaceful settlement to the conflict in the country and reaffirms the United Nations commitment to supporting the people and Government of Afghanistan in this important endeavour," added the statement. In a separate message on her twitter account, Deborah Lyons, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Afghanistan, and the head of the UN Mission in the country (UNAMA) expressed "shock" at the initial high number of civilian casualties. "Perpetrators must face justice," she said. The latest attack comes as Afghanistan prepares for the launch of direct peace negotiations. Briefing the UN Security Council last week, Ms. Lyons described the intra-Afghan talks as a historic moment to end the brutal conflict in the country. The conflict, which has raged for four decades, has claimed thousands of lives and displaced millions over the years most of whom have no prospects of return. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address PHOENIX A Maricopa County sheriffs deputy has been arrested and accused of threatening and harassing two Tempe city employees, authorities said. Deputy Salvador Curvas was jailed in Pinal County after being arrested Thursday at a home in Maricopa by Tempe police and the U.S. Marshals Service on suspicion of domestic violence and stalking charges, officials said. Tempe officials said in a statement that an investigation began after a city employee reported receiving violent threats by Cuevas. Cuevas works on a Marshals Service task force, is estranged from his wife and she works for the Tempe Police Department, azfamly.com reported. Online court records didnt list an attorney for Cuevas who could comment on the allegations on his behalf. The Maricopa County Sheriffs Office said in a statement that it would provide all necessary support to ensure a thorough and transparent investigation with respect for due process. U.S. Marshal David Gonzales said deputy marshals and a SWAT team were used in the arrest because of the violent nature of the alleged threats and because Cuevas may have been heavily armed. He was taken into custody without incident. Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 1 anno fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili. Citrus Flavours Market: Global Industry Analysis & Opportunity Assessment, 2019 - 2025 The report on the Global Citrus flavours Market is intended to offer global industry assessment between 2019 and 2025. In this study, Future Market Insights (FMI) identifies chief factors impacting the demand and supply of citrus flavours. It includes a detailed review of growth drivers, challenges, opportunities, and prevailing trends in the market. It therefore presents crucial information intended to help readers get a comprehensive overview of the citrus flavours market. Citrus Flavours Market: Key Segments The report segments the global citrus flavours market in detail to present an executive-level blueprint to the reader Application Beverages Alcoholic beverages Coffee and tea Soft drinks Nutritional beverages Savoury Snacks Soups Sample of Research Report @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-814 Sauces Confectionery Sweets and candies Cereals Dairy Ingredients Natural Ingredients Orange Lemon Lime Grapefruit Artificial Ingredients Orange Lemon Others Region North America Latin America Western Europe Eastern Europe Asia Pacific Excluding Japan Japan MEA Report Chapters Chapter 01 Executive Summary The executive summary of the report covers country analysis, proprietary wheel of fortune, demand-side and supply-side trends, and opportunity assessment. Also, it offers recommendations to help companies establish a strong foothold in the global citrus flavours market. Chapter 02 Market Introduction Readers can find a detailed segmentation of the overall citrus flavours ingredients market share in this chapter. This section also highlights inclusions and exclusions to help readers understand the scope of the report. Chapter 03 Global Citrus Flavours Market: Overview Readers can find valuable information on the key segments within the market, besides relevant definitions in this chapter. Associated industry assessment is also carried out to study the citrus flavours market trends, prevailing dynamics, trade analysis, and supply and value chain. Consumers perception about citrus flavours is explained in consumer survey analysis and social media sentiment analysis included in this chapter. Chapter 04 - Global Citrus Flavours Market Value Chain Profit margins reported at each level of the citrus flavours market are analyzed in this chapter. Readers can find detailed information about top importers and exporters get a comprehensive overview of the value chain of market. Chapter 05 Market Dynamics This chapter discusses in detail the key factors impacting the market. Drivers enabling growth are studied in detailed and so are the factors restraining growth. Furthermore, the report identifies hidden opportunities and threats in the citrus flavours market. This is intended to help stakeholders get a birds eye view of the market. Chapter 06 Global Citrus Flavours Market Analysis 2019 - 2025 This chapter includes historical analysis of the citrus flavours market (2013-2018). It also includes opportunity analysis for the forecast period starting 2019 to 2025. Readers can find the absolute opportunity for the current year (2019 2020) and incremental opportunity for the forecast period (20192026). Chapter 07 Global Citrus Flavours Market 2019 - 2025 by Application In terms of application, the global citrus flavours market is segmented into beverages, savoury, confectionery and dairy. The report studies in detail growth exhibited by the market across these segments. Chapter 08 Global Citrus Flavours Market Analysis 2019 - 2025 by Ingredient On the basis of ingredient, the market covers natural ingredients and artificial ingredients. Chapter 09 Global Citrus Flavours Market Analysis 2019 - 2025, by Region This chapter provides details about the citrus flavours market on the basis of regions. In this category, the market is segmented into North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Africa, Asia Pacific Excluding Japan, and Japan. Chapter 10 North America Citrus Flavours Market Analysis 2019 - 2025 This chapter includes a detailed analysis of the growth exhibited by the market in North America. It also offers country-wise assessment of the market that covers growth exhibited in the U.S. and Canada. Readers can also find information on prevalent trends and regulations in the North America market for citrus flavours. Chapter 11 Latin America Citrus Flavours Market Analysis 2019 - 2025 Readers can find detailed information on prevailing trends that are impacting the growth of the Latin America citrus flavours market. Besides this, the chapter includes results of pricing analysis. It also examines the growth prospects of the citrus flavours market in LATAM countries such as Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, and the Rest of Latin America. Chapter 12 Western Europe Citrus Flavours Market 2019 - 2025 The chapter discusses various factors driving the market across Germany, France, U.K., Spain, Italy, NORDIC, BENELUX, Rest of Western Europe. Chapter 13 Eastern Europe Citrus Flavours Market 2019 - 2025 The chapter discusses various factors driving the market across CIS, Rest of Eastern Europe. Chapter 14 Asia Pacific Excluding Japan Citrus Flavours Market 2019 - 2025 This chapter includes a detailed analysis of the growth of the market in Asia Pacific, along with a country-wise assessment that covers China, India, Indonesia, Philippines, Australia & New Zealand, and the Rest of Asia Pacific. Readers can also find regional trends and regulations, affecting growth in countries across Asia Pacific. Chapter 15 Japan Citrus Flavours Market 2019 - 2025 This chapter includes a detailed assessment of factors driving the market in Japan. To Buy This Research Report @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/checkout/814 Chapter 16 Middle East and Africa Citrus Flavours Market 2019 - 2025 This chapter provides information about how the market is anticipated to grow in major countries in the MEA region such as GCC Countries, South Africa, Turkey, and the Rest of MEA, during the forecast period 2019 - 2025. Chapter 17 Competitive Assessment In this chapter, readers can find a detailed tier analysis and information on concentration of key players in the market along with their presence analysis by region and product portfolio. Readers can also find a comprehensive list of all leading stakeholders in the market, along with detailed information about each company, which includes the company overview, revenue shares, strategic overview, and recent company developments. Some of the leading companies operating in the market are Kerry Group Plc, Takasago International Corporation, Sensient Technologies Corporation, Symrise AG, Givaudan SA, Firmenich International SA, Frutarom Industries Ltd., Citromax Flavors, Inc., and International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. Chapter 18 Assumptions and Acronyms This chapter includes a list of acronyms and assumptions that provide a base to the information and statistics included in the market report. Chapter 19 Research Methodology This chapter is intended to help readers understand the research methodology followed to reach conclusions and derive important qualitative and quantitative information, about the market. ABOUT US: Future Market Insights is the premier provider of market intelligence and consulting services, serving clients in over 150 countries. FMI is headquartered in London, the global financial capital, and has delivery centers in the U.S. and India. FMIs research and consulting services help businesses around the globe navigate the challenges in a rapidly evolving marketplace with confidence and clarity. Our customized and syndicated market research reports deliver actionable insights that drive sustainable growth. We continuously track emerging trends and events in a broad range of end industries to ensure our clients prepare for the evolving needs of their consumers. CONTACT US: Future Market Insights U.S. Office 616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018, Valley Cottage, NY 10989, United States T: +1-347-918-3531 F: +1-845-579-5705 Web: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com Facebook is getting back to its roots with the launch of Campus, a new section only available to students. The product serves as a dedicated subsection of the Facebook app that allows students to create a Campus profile distinct from their main profile - all that's needed is a college email and graduation date. Your name, profile photo, cover photo and hometown will be imported from your Facebook profile, but you can make edits and add additional details like major, minor and class list. Once a Campus profile is set up, students can discover groups and events unique to their school, and connect with classmates with similar interests. Scroll down for video Users need a college email address and a graduation date to join. Your name, profile photo, cover photo and hometown will be imported from your main Facebook profile, but you can make edits and add additional details like major, minor and class list. Campus is intended both to reconnect Facebook with young users, who have drifted toward TikTok, Instagram and other platforms, and to create a virtual community for members who may be separated by the pandemic. 'This year, students across the country are facing new challenges as some campuses shift to partial or full-time remote learning,' wrote Facebook Campus product manager Charmaine Hung in a post announcing the launch, 'so it's more important than ever to find a way to stay connected to college life.' One way students can remain connected is through the campus directory, which allows them to find each other by class, major, year and other categories. Other key features include real-time chat rooms and a school-specific news feed, where students can get updates from classmates, groups and events. They can also create study groups, plan virtual concerts or ask for advice, Hung says. Facebook launched Campus at 30 US colleges, including Brown, Duke, Georgia State, Johns Hopkins, University of Pennsylvania, Vassar, and Wesleyan. Harvard, where Facebook began, is not among the first wave of schools to have the new feature. The company says students' privacy and security is a priority, and content shared on Campus - including profiles, events and groups - can only be seen by other Campus members at the same college. Facebook launched Campus at 30 US colleges, including Brown, Duke, Georgia State, Johns Hopkins, University of Pennsylvania and Vassar. Harvard, where Facebook started, was not one of the universities included in the initial rollout Campus includes a campus directory that allows students to find each other by class, major, year and other categories. If you block someone on Campus, though, they'll be blocked on Facebook, too Groups and events can either be open, which means anyone in your school's Campus can see them, or they can be private. If you block someone on Facebook, they'll be blocked on Campus, and vice versa. And anyone who violates Facebook's community standards won't be able to join Campus. There are college pages on Campus, presumably maintained by university staff. Facebook launched Campus, a new feature only available to college students College pages can join and participate in groups and events, and can see your profile if you belong to the same group or event. But according to Facebook, 'they do not have access to chats or the classmates directory.' Once a student graduates, Facebook will send a notification encouraging them to leave Campus because it won't be as relevant to them, The Verge reports. Facebook began in 2004 as 'TheFacebook,' a social networking service for Harvard students developed by Mark Zuckerberg and several classmates. After being expanded to students at Columbia, Stanford, NYU, Yale and MIT, it was eventually opened up to anyone who could verify they were at least 13 years old. Despite its origins, Facebook has struggled to keep up with younger demographics. Men and women aged 25 to 34 years are the biggest group of Facebook users in the United States, according to Statista, making up a little more than 13 percent of the user base. According to a report by Pew Research Center, 51 percent of teens said they used Facebook in 2018, down from 71 percent in 2013. Consider what happened in 2016 on Facebook, the platform that adults over 65 are most likely to use. Researchers from Princeton and New York University determined that sharing articles from fake news sources outlets that propagate false or misleading content masquerading as legitimate news was rare. But those who did engage with such outlets were far more likely to be older than 65. That cohort shared twice as many articles from phony sites as 45- to 65-year-olds and nearly seven times as many articles as the youngest group. A study of Twitter during the final month of the 2016 campaign similarly found that fake news purveyors amounted to a small share of all the political sources in an individuals feed about 1 percent. But older users were much more likely to engage with fake sources, and those over 50 were overrepresented among the supersharers responsible for disseminating 80 percent of fake content. Such findings stirred particular concern because older adults are far more likely to register and vote than younger cohorts. In the 2016 election, more than 70 percent of people over 65 cast ballots, compared with about 46 percent of those 18 to 29. They have an outsized effect on our democracy, Nadia Brashier, a psychologist and neuroscientist at Harvard University said of older adults. And that group is at highest risk for illness from the coronavirus, a subject also generating lots of online distortion and conspiracy theories. Dr. Brashier rejects the notion that older peoples participation in misinformation stems from age-related cognitive losses. Outside the social media environment, we often see that older adults are more discerning than younger ones, she said, pointing to studies showing that older people could more accurately distinguish false headlines and articles from true ones. Donald Trump is vowing to use federal force on US soil to turn back any insurrection on election night if Democrats or leftist groups green-light massive protests should voters hand him a second term. Well put them down very quickly if they do that. We have the right to do that, we have the power to do that if we want, the president told Fox News host Jeanine Pirro in a sit-down interview taped on Thursday. She asked him about the possibility of riots that night if he defeats Democratic nominee Joe Biden on 3 November. Look, its called insurrection. We just send in and we do it, very easy. I mean, its very easy, Mr Trump said. Those seem to be references to the 1807 Insurrection Act, a law that has been used seldomly but allows the commander in chief to deploy troops on US soil in times of crises. Mr Trump floated the idea he would use it to put American military troops in the path of protesters after the killing of George Floyd, a black man, while being choked by the knee of a white police officer. The president never invoked the centuries-old law amid howling from Democrats and tepidness from many Republican officials about the likelihood active-duty troopers would essentially be in an armed conflict with American citizens on American soil. Mr Trump used parts of a Thursday night campaign rally in key battleground Michigan to warn Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden, if elected, would allow anarchists and Antifa members to take over Americas suburbs. If Biden wins, the mob wins. If Biden wins, the rioters, anarchists, arsonists, and flag-burners win, he said. Biden and his party tried to lock law-abiding Americans into their homes while they encouraged rioters and vandals rampaging through all in all cases Democrat-run cities, he said, alluding to local shutdowns due to the coronavirus and Mr Bidens pledge to order another one if the virus again spreads like wildfire. (That comment, however, ignores Mr Trump himself calling on states to shut down their economies as the death toll was spiking in the spring.) You know, Republican-run cities are doing very well. I hope you know that, he told his loyalists at a large airport rally in Saginaw County, which he won narrowly in 2016. And I hope you know, like in Minneapolis we were asked to come in. We went in. We took care of that problem in about, what, 30 minutes? And yet in the weeks since PS began reporting on Walker's story media attention she told the court had caused her extended family undue harm she continued to live a seemingly carefree, enviable life, much of it brashly documented on social media. Annabel Walker had dined with friends at Balmoral Bather's Pavilion just days before her sentencing. Credit:Instagram Images of Walker swigging from a bottle of Veuve Clicquot on "glamping" trips in the Southern Highlands, and wining and dining at Balmoral's swanky Bathers' Pavilion when she was supposedly subject to strict bail conditions to remain in the Southern Highlands raised many eyebrows. Indeed, one of her former victims told PS following the sentencing: "But how many times has she promised to change? It is terribly sad, but I can not see how else she will reflect and learn from what she has done other than to spend time behind bars." PS was among the small group of reporters on Wednesday who watched as the well-dressed, courteous, composed and eloquent woman initially addressing the court was reduced to a trembling, teary heap when she was sentenced to 18 months' prison (with a minimum 12 months' non-parole period) after pleading guilty to a string of fraud convictions that had left her victims out of pocket to the tune of nearly $30,000 over a three-year period. "I am so sorry Mum, I love you!" she told her mother while removing her jewellery and handing over her designer handbag as Corrective Services officers handcuffed her. She also declared, in a loud but strained voice and for all of us to hear: "It's OK, I deserve this!". Annabel Walker "glamping" with friends in the Southern Highlands earlier this year. Credit:Instagram Her sentencing brought an end to years of deception and fraud, crimes which had clearly placed a heavy burden on Walker's now divorced parents, father Sandy Walker and mother Kate Hyles. And yet Walker had been getting away with it for years. PS previously revealed accounts of a long line of other victims, some stretching back to her school years at prestigious girls' school Frensham, ranging from employers to ex-boyfriends, all of whom claimed she had fleeced them of hundreds of thousands of dollars. None of them were able to have charges pressed against her, citing either embarrassment, a lack of police interest or their own sympathy for Walker, who had been loved "like a daughter" by some, despite being ensnared in the same "tangled web of deceit" Magistrate McIntyre described on Wednesday. A psychiatric report tendered to the court referred to Walker suffering from eating disorders as a teenager to suffering "chronic anxiety" and a "need to please" those around her as an adult. What makes an 'it girl'? After what can only be described as an increasingly toxic dispute, high-profile Sydney publicist Sally Burleigh's outstanding bills for "launching" Danish-Israeli model Lee Levi and her fiance, Israeli businessman Eitan Neishlos, onto the Sydney social scene have been settled. Lee Levi and her fiance Eitan Neishlos at their Sydney soiree last year. Credit:Chloe Paul Last Sunday PS's sister column Emerald City reported lawyers had been called in on behalf of Burleigh's PR firm AgencyB&Co to recover unpaid bills, although it was PS's report of the couple hiring a publicist to "launch" them in the first place that triggered the falling out. Back in January PS reported on being invited to a flashy cocktail soiree which turned out to be the couple's engagement party at the Sydney Opera House. I declined the invite, which seemed odd given I had never met (let alone heard of) the wannabe celebrity couple, despite being assured Levi was "big in Tel Aviv". Of course they are not the first people to attempt a social launch in Sydney. While many still question why the likes of fashion "influencer" Nadia Fairfax, "celebrity accountant" Anthony Bell, or indeed socialite Ortenzia Borre ever garnered such fawning attention in the social pages, they all benefited from strategic campaigns to be seen at the right parties and with the right people. Becoming an enduring Sydney "it girl" like the Francesca Packer Barhams and Kate Waterhouses of this town, or indeed the Roxy Jacenkos or Jesinta Franklins usually happens because there is some kind of back-story, context or social pedigree for journalists like me to explore, rather than simply possessing good genes and a well-stamped passport. Zimmermann's secret fashion show Its official, COVID-19 has killed off the fashion runway front row. Sinduja Jane By Express News Service CHENNAI: At least 15 doctors on Covid-19 duty at a private hospital in the city were allegedly issued termination notices, and a few others contract closure notices, after they protested a management decision to cancel their quarantine leave. A copy of the contract closure notice, accessed by The New Indian Express, mentions the doctors participation in open protest as one of the reasons for ending the contract. The hospital, however, stoutly refuted the allegations, stating that its quarantine leave policies are as stipulated by government guidelines. Quarantine leave refers to the break given to doctors to self-isolate and monitor for symptoms after a period on Covid duty. As per the Union Health Ministrys advisory on June 18, doctors on Covid duty have to observe an initial quarantine period of one week only, following which they are to be tested and monitored as per ICMR protocol. ALSO READ | Reinfection of government doctor from Chennai sparks concern According to reliable sources, on August 31, some doctors employed by the Vijaya Medical and Educational Trust (VMET), protested after the management informed them that quarantine leave would be cancelled due to a 'shortage' of manpower. Most of the protesting doctors had been posted in the Critical Care Unit and Casualty ward. Over the following week, it is alleged that at least 15 of these doctors received termination letters, with one months notice, while a few allegedly received contract closure notices. The text in one contract closure letter, accessed by The New Indian Express, reads as follows: Based on a detailed review of the incidents in VMET over the last week, following the decision to change the duty roster for doctors (along with staff groups) in clinical areas looking after COVID-19 patients, it has been brought to the notice of the VMET management that you had participated in an open protest along with a willful refusal to attend to your clinical duties in the Critical Care Unit for many hours, thereby jeopardizing the care of patients." ALSO READ | Close watch on construction sites, old age homes as Chennai unlocks after five months The letter goes on to say that the doctors unprofessional actions had left the management with no choice but to take a drastic decision of outsourcing critical care services to an external agency to continue safe service to our patients. The letter concludes stating that if the doctor were keen to continue working at VMET it could not be as an employee of VMET but rather only as a contract employee of the external agency. Elaborating on the open protest, a source said that the doctors did not abstain from duty, as alleged in the letter, but assembled together and questioned the management decision. According to the source, earlier CCU doctors were given three days of quarantine leave following three days on duty. Doctors posted in casualty and other Covid areas would be on duty for seven days followed by five days of quarantine leave. Recently, the hospital said that these doctors would have to work without quarantine leave and also do extra hours of duty. So, a section of doctors objected," the source said. "It is difficult for doctors to work without quarantine leave. Many doctors have tested positive and a few have even left the job. The hospital was falling short of hands and so management decided to cancel the leave," the source added. ALSO READ | Four divisions in Alandur are Chennais new hotspots Responding to the allegations, Vijayalakshmi, head of Human Resources at Vijaya Group of Hospitals, said that contract closure was a routine affair. Every month some doctors or nurses keep leaving and new people are recruited in their place. The allegations that the hospital terminated 15 doctors for asking for quarantine leave is totally baseless," she said in a telephonic conversation. Stating that the hospital was a responsible institution, she said it followed all guidelines on quarantine leave policies. We object to these false allegations made with an aim to malign the image of such an esteemed organisation None of the healthcare workers has been forced to work beyond their duty hours," she said in an email. Doctors are among the frontline workers engaged for six months now in treating Covid patients. According to the Tamil Nadu chapter of the Indian Medical Association, at least 33 doctors have died of Covid in the State. Ms. Krawczyk said that many of Oregons fires remained under investigation. Officials have said that one of the most devastating fires, the Santiam Canyon blaze east of Salem, was ignited by falling trees that knocked down power lines. The rumors about activist arsonists began to circulate on Wednesday evening after the Portland police tweet about fire risks. Since fire danger is very high right now due to high winds and the current dry climate, fire will spread quickly and could affect many lives, the police tweeted. We ask you to demonstrate peacefully and without the use of fire. Right-wing groups, politicians and social media personalities saw the tweet as evidence that antifa, which has been a regular presence in Portland, must be responsible for the fires up and down the West Coast. Portland police ask BLM-Antifa to please STOP setting fires, one tweet said, also referring to the Black Lives Matter movement. Oregon is burning. Think one has anything to do with the other? Soon, at least half a dozen Facebook pages and groups started sharing the rumor in a cut-and-paste campaign. A lot of these fires starting around Oregon are being purposely set by ANTIFA BLM, the identical messages said. The posts were shared nearly 700 times. The rumor surged when Paul J. Romero, a former Republican candidate for Senate, tweeted about unconfirmed reports of arson: Oregon is on fire! Pallet Company in Oregon City confirmed Antifa arsonist on camera. Douglas County Sheriff has 6 ANTIFA arsonists in custody. First round in February saw record-low turnout and resulted in Irans most conservative parliament. Polls have closed in Irans second round of parliamentary elections held in 10 constituencies, with the authorities mobilising about 100,000 people to ensure a smooth process. Fridays race for the remaining 10 parliamentary seats was being held in 3,100 voting stations after months of delay due to the coronavirus pandemic. The first round in February saw the lowest voter turnout in the 40-year history of the Islamic republic and resulted in its most conservative parliament. It doesnt look like the politics dynamic in the parliament is going to change, Al Jazeeras Assed Baig, reporting from Tehran, said on Friday. Two-thirds of those seats still belong to the conservatives and thats not good news for Rouhanis [reformist-aligned] government ahead of next years presidential election, he added. In July, conservative members of parliament heckled Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and denounced him as a liar during a speech to the 290-member body, or majlis. Online campaigning The issues dominating Iranian politics include the state of the economy, corruption and crippling sanctions reimposed by the United States in the wake of its 2018 unilateral withdrawal from a landmark nuclear deal signed between Iran and world powers in 2015. In Golestan province in northeast Iran, residents said they wanted to see action from their elected representatives. I hope my lawmaker cooperates with the people, said one voter. Politicians are encouraging more people to come out and vote but the pandemic complicates the situation, while candidates were barred from campaigning on the streets. As the health ministry has warned against any public gathering, we asked the candidates to take their campaigns online, Jamal Orf, the president of Irans election commission, said. During the opening session of the new parliament in May, Rouhani, who is in the final year of his second and final term, had called on MPs to place the national interest above special interests, party interests or constituency interests. The body, which was previously dominated by Rouhanis reformist-moderate camp, is now composed of a majority of 220 conservative politicians, including more than 50 who are close allies of former hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. There are also 38 independent legislators and 18 pro-reform and moderates, down from 136 in the previous House. The number of female MPs stands at 16, compared with 17 before. She debuted her new romance with athlete Matt Poole this week. And Instagram sensation Tammy Hembrow is pulling out all of the stops to impress the Ironman hunk. The 26-year-old social media star set Instagram alight on Friday when she posted two very revealing photos of herself clad in a tiny g-string bikini as the pair holidayed in the Whitsundays. Bottoms up! She debuted her new romance with athlete Matt Poole this week. And Instagram sensation Tammy Hembrow is pulling out all of the stops to impress him Tammy slipped her famous figure into a VERY tiny blue two-piece as she posed on the side of a boat, which she has chartered with Matt and some friends for an idyllic getaway. The mother-of-two matched her long light blue acrylic nails to her swimsuit and appeared to be makeup free for a swim. The blonde bombshell told her fans that she was extremely happy in an accompanying caption. Tammy debuted her new relationship with Matt this week. The couple, who previously kept their romance a well-guarded secret, were spotted packing on the PDA at Brisbane Airport on Thursday. After brief flings with a string of rappers, she cuddled up to Matt, 32, as they prepared to jet off to the Whitsundays. Blue crush! The 26-year-old social media star set Instagram alight on Friday when she posted two very revealing photos of herself in a tiny g-string bikini as the pair holidayed in the Whitsundays Her ex-fiance Reece Hawkins's recent baby announcement with London Goheen seemed like the last thing on Tammy's mind as she cosied up to her statuesque new lover. Triathlete Matt protectively slung his arm over the curvaceous blonde as they strolled together through the bustling terminal. The Queensland-based pair were travelling en route to Proserpine airport for their Whitsundays trip. Once they arrived at the idyllic island, Matt shared an Instagram video of Tammy and a group of friends cheering in excitement. The trip appears to be Tammy and Matt's first holiday as a couple. The pair have yet to confirm their romance on social media, but influencer Tammy made her first appearance on Matt's Instagram page in a group snap shared at the end of August. It's love! Tammy debuted her new relationship with Matt this week. The couple, who previously kept their romance a well-guarded secret, were spotted packing on the PDA at Brisbane Airport on Thursday Matt was previously in a relationship with Maddy King - the model ex of Kris Smith. Tammy's new man Matt is a firm departure from the long list of rappers she has been linked to in previous years. The bombshell had a brief relationship with American rapper Tyga in early 2019. Sources told Daily Mail Australia at the time that the Rack City star and Tammy had 'hooked up' at the Rolling Loud festival in Sydney. In March of this year, Canadian hip-hop star Jahkoy Palmer confirmed he had split from Tammy following their on/off romance which first began in June 2019. New man: Matt was previously in a relationship with Maddy King - the model ex of Kris Smith. Tammy's new man Matt is a firm departure from the long list of rappers she has been linked to in previous years It was then believed Tammy was in a relationship with New York-based rapper Erick Delgado during the early COVID-19 lockdown period. Their romance was never confirmed. Tammy's happy relationship news comes less than two weeks after her ex Reece revealed that he was expecting his first child with London Goheen. The announcement came just weeks after they got engaged. American model London, 22, made the announcement on Instagram, sharing a sweet image of herself kissing influencer Reece, 25. Tammy and Reece split in 2018 after five years of dating. They share custody of two children: son Wolf, five, and daughter Saskia, four. DALLAS, TX / ACCESSWIRE / September 11, 2020 / The Barber Shop Marketing, named by Dallas Business Journal as one of the Top Marketing and Advertising Agencies in Dallas/Fort Worth in 2020, developed the creative for the Town of Addison's two winning campaigns, as awarded at the Texas Association of Convention and Visitor Bureau's Virtual Annual Luncheon. As part of a three-way tie for first place in COVID-19 Messaging, was Addison's Salute to Heroes flyover, where the Town of Addison and Cavanaugh Flight Museum joined forces to present a flyover that recognized first responders, essential workers and veterans. The flyover consisted of a collection of the historic warplanes from Cavanaugh's extensive collection, including a B-25, P-40 and T-6 formation, as well as a rarely seen privately owned Beechcraft Starship (one of four in the world) and the T-37 Tweet owned by the Service Air Corps. The Barber Shop Marketing thoughtfully mapped the sequences with eye-catching and straightforward information and graphics to best prepare observers for the event. Recognized in third place for Local Awareness was Visit Addison's creative campaign supporting the restaurant industry that is a bonafide economic driver for the Town of Addison. The winning campaign was complete with social newsfeed, digital banner campaigns as well as physical banners and billboards promoting the more than 180 take-out and delivery options within the borders of Addison. "This year has presented its own unique challenge and uncertainty due to COVID-19. There's a delicate path we must consider, especially in regard to the tourism industry; this is our opportunity to envelop goodwill and togetherness. It's incredibly important we come together as one and support the champions that keep our cities and towns running. From bolstering local businesses to community-wide celebration of teams working tirelessly to keep us healthy and safe, we must endorse them," said Amy Hall Phyfer, President of The Barber Shop Marketing. "Our partners deserve thoughtful and creative direction that aligns with not just their goals, but the state of our collective new reality. We are honored that the recognition by esteemed organizations such as the Texas Association of Convention and Visitor Bureaus reaffirms that we deliver campaigns that drive results and create advocates for long-lasting support." With the competitive edge in destination marketing, the Texas Association of Convention and Visitor Bureaus empowers its members by providing premier destination organization education and resources. About The Barber Shop Marketing The Barber Shop Marketing is a full-service marketing and advertising agency in Dallas with category-leading clients including Baker Brothers Plumbing, Air & Electric, DFW Airport, City of Richardson, Smith Thompson Home Security, Southwest Kia, Town of Addison and Garages of Texas. Their specialization includes advertising, creative, media, digital, social media, public relations and search optimization. For more information about The Barber Shop Marketing, visit www.thebarbershopmarketing.com or phone 214-217-7177. Follow The Barber Shop Marketing on Facebook at www.facebook.com/thebarbershopmarketing or on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-barber-shop-marketing. Contact: Amy Hall Phyfer, amy@thebarbershopmarketing.com SOURCE: The Barber Shop Marketing View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/605747/The-Barber-Shop-Marketing-Wins-Big-for-Visit-Addison-CVB-Campaigns Staggered timings: proceedings in the Rajya Sabha will be held from 9 am till 1 pm while that of the Lok Sabha will be from 3 pm to 7 pm New Delhi: In a first of its kind of arrangement in the history of Indian Parliament, Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha will have turn-wise sittings keeping in mind the social distancing norms owing to the coronavirus pandemic during the forthcoming Monsoon Session between September 14 and October 1. On the first day of the Session on September 14, the lower House will meet from 9 am to 1 pm while sitting of the Upper House will be from 3 pm to 7 pm. The Zero Hour will be for 30 minutes. On subsequent days, proceedings in the Rajya Sabha will be held from 9 am till 1 pm while that of the Lok Sabha will be from 3 pm to 7 pm. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Thursday said that social distancing norms will be strictly followed in the Monsoon Session of Parliament in view of the pandemic, adding, "A total of 257 members will sit in the Lok Sabha chamber and 172 in the visitors gallery of the Lok Sabha. In the Rajya Sabha chamber, there are arrangements for 60 MPs whereas 51 can sit in the visitors gallery of the Rajya Sabha. Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha session will go on consecutively. Both houses will have screens for both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha proceedings. There are arrangements for having a virtual address in the Lok Sabha. The sound system has been integrated of both houses for all to participate in the session." The Speaker informed that all employees of Parliament too, will be tested for coronavirus and have to undergo RT-PCR test. Attendance of parliamentarians will be recorded through a mobile app. There will be fibre-glass sheets separating their seats and those in visitors gallery will need to go to the podium on their turn to speak. Lok Sabha MPs sitting in the Rajya Sabha will have the option to use the sound system as it has been integrated for both houses," he added. Birla said that parliamentarians and officials will try to limit the use of paper and go digital. The government had initially decided to do away with the Question Hour, however after protests by the Opposition parties led by the Congress, the Centre later informed that written questions would be allowed during the Session. Though the Session is being conducted amid escalating tension along the Line of Actual Control with Indian and Chinese troops engaged in violent clashes, including the Galwan confrontation where India had suffered heavy casualties, and the Centres measures to counter the raging pandemic, the possibility of the Opposition bringing the Centre on the mat over these issues, seem remote owing to restricted proceedings of Parliament. CALGARYParkland Fuel Corp. plans to expand its Canadian On the Run convenience store brand across the United States after acquiring the licence in most states. The Calgary-based company says creating a unified North American brand will harness the advantages of our scale. Ian White, Parkland senior vice-president strategic marketing and innovation, says the change comes as it proceeds with its growth strategy, which includes future acquisitions. Parkland says it has acquired the perpetual licence for the exclusive use of the On the Run trademark and the option to purchase the trademark altogether. Parkland acquired the On the Run brand and franchise network in Canada from Imperial Oil in 2016 and has 300 of them in 1,849 gas stations operating under various brands including Ultramar and Pioneer. Parkland currently has 58 convenience stores in the U.S. operating under the Harts, ConoMart Super Stores, and Superpumper, KB Express banners. The On the Run retail brand provides a solid platform for our continued U.S. growth, added Doug Haugh, president, Parkland USA. Building on our existing On the Run brand image, product assortments and private label goods in Canada, we look forward to meeting the convenience needs of our U.S. customers under the On the Run banner. Laguna Madre Laguna Madre is welcoming guests back in to its dining rooms after being closed for months due to the coronavirus pandemic. The restaurant announced this week that dine-in at all locations will be available at limited capacity starting Sept. 7. For students from poor families, education is the best way to help themselves and their families get out of their plight and lift their communities out of poverty. Ironically, after all the effort of studying in difficulty throughout 12 years from elementary to high school, these students even with high academic records to enter college are unable to live their dreams because of their familys financial situations. They simply cannot afford tuition fees and other expenses of higher education. The Give a Helping Hand to Needy New College Students scholarship program of Tuoi Tre Newspaper has made great strides in helping these poor students. This program gave the first scholarship in Quang Tri Province in 2003. It has gradually spread to other provinces and now it covers the whole country. Over 17 years, this scholarship program has helped more than 19,000 new college students who otherwise would not be able to afford higher education. Last year, there were more than 1,200 new college students from all over the country receiving scholarships. Each poor student is given a standard scholarship of VND10 million (US$430). Very poor students are granted special scholarships worth VND15 million (US$645) each. This year due to the adverse economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, there will be more poor new college students in need of help, although the donation could be less than last year. We would like to appeal for new and current donors to Give a Helping Hand to Needy New College Students so that at least 1,000 poor students around the country, among them 80 from Thua Thien-Hue Province, could receive scholarships this academic year. Please send your donation to Bao Tuoi Tre, bank account: 113000006100 (for VND) at VietinBank, Branch 3, HCM City; or bank account: 0071370195845 (for USD) or 0071140373054 (for EUR) at Vietcombank, HCM City Branch, Swift Code: BFTVVNVX007; for Give a Helping Hand to Needy New College Students Scholarship Program. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Mumbai, Sep 11 : Palash Bose, a resident of the south Kolkata locality of Tollygunge, was arrested by the Mumbai Police late on Thursday night on charges of allegedly threatening Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut over internet call, using the name of Bollywood actress Kangana Ranaut. Mumbai Police arrested Palash after tracking the IP address of the accused. "Right now we only have the information that this person was arrested for threatening Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut. What exactly is the reason for arresting him all of a sudden coming from Mumbai to Kolkata we don't know. We can comment only after seeing the remand," advocate Anirban Guhathakurta, representing the accused, told IANS. Earlier, Guhathakurta said in a statement: "Palash Bose, resident of Tollygunge, has been arrested yesterday night by Mumbai police allegedly for a threat call to MP Sanjay Routh of Shiv Sena.. It has been alleged that Palash is a supporter of Kangana, and so this threat call. He will be produced at Alipore Court for transit remand at 1pm today." The police are trying to investigate if Palash actually has any connection with Kangana, and what might have provoked him to allegedly call and threaten Raut using the actress's name. Mumbai Police will apply for transit remand at Kolkata's Alipore Court on Friday afternoon, so that the accused can be brought to Mumbai for further investigation. The arrest of the youth happens at a time when there is increasing tension between Kangana and the Shiv Sena over her recent insulting rant towards Mumbai, its police force and the Maharashtra state government, following which Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation initiated a demolition drive at her office building in Mumbai. Kangana has been allotted Y-plus security by the government of India following the spat. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text COVID-19 is about to put Ontario to the test. As the province braces for the second wave of the virus this fall and winter, using the lessons learned in the first six months of the pandemic could make all the difference in how hard COVID-19 hits. One of the take home messages is that we are able to control what happens, said Dr. Dominik Mertz, associate professor of infectious diseases at McMaster University. We are in control if we are doing it right, at the right time and with the right measures, so that should give us some reassurance moving forward. While a recent Canadian Mental Health Association poll found the majority of Ontarians fear a second wave, infectious disease experts say we have the tools to mount a better fight against the virus the second time around. We have the resource capacity and the knowledge from the first wave to deal with the second wave, said Dr. Zain Chagla, infectious disease physician at St. Josephs Healthcare. But will the province use that knowledge? Mertz believes expertise was too often trumped by politics in the first wave of the pandemic. Its still too much intermingled when youre looking at science and politics in terms of the decision-making process and lack of transparency about how those decisions are made, he said. The worth of public health is often underestimated in the lull between one crisis and the next. Toronto Star file photo Pandemic Politics a four-part series by The Standard and The Spectator provides 10 key lessons as the second wave of COVID-19 approaches. 1) Invest in public health services. The only thing we can and have to do at this point is increasing the budget to have enough resources for our local public health unit to continue to drive our response to COVID-19, said Mertz. From my perspective, the pandemic probably told us very well that public health is the wrong area to save money. The worth of public health is often underestimated in the lull between one crisis and the next. In the next few years, the investments in public health are going to be probably the most important in our response to COVID, said Chagla. From the community standpoint, I hope that people understand what they do is monumental for health and safety. 2) Create Canadian supply chains for PPE, treatments and vaccines In Canada, we have very serious supply chain issues, said Dr. Mark Loeb, infectious disease physician and professor at McMaster University. Its become apparent how we rely on resources that come from outside of the country that we have no control over. We have to develop our own supply chains. He called personal protective equipment (PPE) shortages one of the biggest barriers in the first wave of the pandemic and predicts the availability of vaccines will be the next major challenge. The United States is not going to be giving vaccines to Canada before theyve vaccinated their own country thats pretty clear, he said. Canada has to make its own arrangements to secure vaccine. "We have the resource capacity and the knowledge from the first wave to deal with the second wave," said Dr. Zain Chagla, infectious disease physician at St. Joseph's Healthcare. St. Joseph's Healthcare 3) Hire staff in long-term-care and retirement homes The capacity to provide care is worse than it was entering the first wave, Natalie Mehra, executive director of the Ontario Health Coalition, said about seniors homes. They dont have enough staff for regular times. What has been made very clear is that when you do have COVID-19 outbreaks, there is a need for more staff than the regular times. Despite promises from the federal and provincial governments to end long-standing problems that led to seniors homes becoming the epicentre of COVID-19, the Registered Nurses Association of Ontario says little has changed. It will be one tragedy on top of another tragedy, said CEO Doris Grinspun. I basically am afraid we will finish a whole generation of seniors in nursing homes if we dont do something fast. 4) Keep hospital beds open for COVID-19 patients We are chronically above 100 per cent (occupancy) just to do what we are supposed to do without being faced with a pandemic at the same time, said Mertz. Hospitals usually have more patients than funded beds, especially during flu season, so they have to put people in unconventional spaces such as hallways, family rooms and sunrooms something that has been coined hallway medicine. Every year Im screaming in the media about not enough beds, said Grinspun. Picture this year when you will have influenza plus COVID. 5) Ramp up community care to take on more of the load Unless we really prepare primary care, nursing homes and home care for October, November and December, we are toast in my opinion, said Grinspun. The entire system will crumble. Niagara Health, Hamilton Health Sciences and St. Josephs Healthcare are already struggling to catch up with a massive backlog of surgeries and other patient procedures that were cancelled in the first wave of the pandemic, while at the same time maintaining space for COVID-19 patients. "The capacity to provide care is worse than it was entering the first wave," Natalie Mehra, executive director of the Ontario Health Coalition, said about senior's homes. The Canadian Press file photo I think one of the biggest things that has to change is better integrating the response between hospital, home and community, and long-term-care and retirement homes, said Niagara Health president Lynn Guerriero. Hospitals cant keep patients ready to be discharged who are waiting for care in the community or be the backstop for seniors homes that need to be evacuated. As a hospital system, we cant really function if we have to always have the capacity to decant long-term care, she said. What that means for the hospital is all of a sudden we have to ramp down our procedures, she said. We dont want that to happen, so I think that the relationships weve built with congregate settings and public health need to be strengthened and kept in place so that we are absolutely ready for whatever happens in the fall. 6) Identify cases early and react fast The testing capacity is incredible in terms of 20,000 to 30,000 tests provincially (a day), said Chagla. I think we learned very quickly that you cant fight the enemy that you dont see. He said concern now is community spread and potential big transmission events. We have to keep up our guard in the future, said Loeb. As schools open, its critical to go forwards, but be cautious, to test, to have targeted surveillance and to be flexible enough to step back if we have to depending on whats happening. Mertz says sticking with a regional approach will be even more important during the second wave. I dont think there will be a need to shut down the entire province anymore as a whole, but there might be need for local or partial lockdowns. 7) Transparency around outbreaks and decision-making The Ontario Health Coalition fears the public wont know about the majority of outbreaks in the second wave. While public health departments report outbreaks in congregate living and hospitals, they ordinarily dont reveal cases at businesses. Dr. Dominick Mertz, associate professor of infectious diseases at McMaster University, believes expertise was too often trumped by politics in the first wave of the pandemic. Dr. Dominick Mertz Theres no reason to hide it, so it shouldnt be hidden, said Mehra. It is in the public interest for transparency. The same goes for identifying who is on the COVID-19 command table. What I would have liked to see was transparency to say who made decisions, based on the advice of which experts, under what assumptions and what are the overarching goals, said Mertz. That kind of messaging didnt happen. 8) A greater sense of urgency On key things we needed direction on immediately, it was just taking too long, Guerriero said about the first wave. There was a critical moment where I waited for provincial direction because thats the right thing to do. And provincial direction was supposed to be coming. We didnt get it until it was after the fact and everyone was just implementing what they thought was the best. The Registered Nurses Association fears the second wave will have the same problems of moving too slow and timidly. I have been asking and asking for the plan for wave two and the answer is always, Its coming, its coming, said Grinspun. A key message is to move faster, much faster, and with a more serious sense of urgency. 9) Better data Ontario has 34 public health units and each approached pandemic reporting differently. There were vast divides in how numbers were counted and what information was made public. For example, Hamilton and Niagara counted everyone who died while infected with COVID-19 as a pandemic death. In contrast, Haldimand and Norfolk required COVID-19 to be the cause of death before it was included in the toll. The Ontario Health Coalition fears the public won't know about the majority of outbreaks in the second wave. While public health departments report outbreaks in congregate living and hospitals, they ordinarily don't reveal cases at businesses. The New York Times file photo Halton reported cases by location from the beginning, while Hamilton didnt have a breakdown until three months into the pandemic. Its huge because you cannot really put the picture together of what is going on, said Grinspun. How costly is that when everything is different and why? What is the rationale for it? 10) Give people the tools to assess risk and make good decisions Every individual has to make their own risk assessment on how much they want to engage with society, said Chagla. Case numbers have been low during the summer, so in terms of safety he says, Weve gotten to the point that this is as good as its going to get. Now is the time to go back to some semblance of normalcy, as long as you practice good hand hygiene, physical distancing, stay home if sick and get tested if you have symptoms. I think we need to stop asking the question if doing X or Y is safe, said Mertz. We really should say how can I do X or Y as safely as possible. Going back to simple principles like the three Cs: Avoid close spaces; crowded places and close contact. Listen to Alex Boyd discuss the possibility of a COVID-19 vaccine Read more about: At 82 years old, Jane Fonda is not only a superstar who has managed to stay in the public eye for decades, but she also manages to still stir up strong reactions. Sometimes thats because of her art, sometimes its because of her activism, and sometimes its an enthusiastic response to her openness about sexuality. While some people might be uncomfortable with the way her fans voiced their support, a seasoned veteran like Fonda took it all in stride. Seven decades as a star https://www.instagram.com/p/BhxnH46Bd_t/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link RELATED: Jane Fonda Is Shunning Plastic Surgery According to Biography, Fonda went to Paris after college to study art. She then returned to the United States, where she spent some time modeling. Given that her father was the famous actor Henry Fonda, its not surprising that she made her way into acting too. In the 1960s she started to break into movies, and by the end of the decade, she was well known as a sex kitten in roles like the 1968 sci-fi film Barbarella. From there she moved into more serious roles, such as the critically acclaimed On Golden Pond, which she starred in alongside her father. Jane Fonda | Theo Wargo/Getty Images Fonda has always been an activist, and she drew criticism for her protests of US involvement in the Vietnam War, including a trip to the war-torn country that some felt was disrespectful to the American troops. She is still politically active today, especially in human rights and environmental issues. In the 80s, Fonda built a successful aerobic exercise video empire, and over the next decade, she slowly withdrew from acting. She returned to the silver screen in 2005, appearing in the movie Monster-in-Law with Jennifer Lopez. After a number of projects in both movies and television, Fonda joined her good friend Lily Tomlin in the television show Grace and Frankie. Grace and Frankie https://www.instagram.com/p/B56apxJApNi/ RELATED: Grace and Frankie Almost Had Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin Coupling Up on the Show As the Observer explains, this Netflix series tells the story of two women who have been friends for many years. Their lives are upended when their husbands reveal that they are gay and in love with each other. The women become roommates and start trying to put their lives back together. The show deals with issues such as feminism, sexuality, and aging. Seeing these things through the eyes of two older (and very funny) women has made the show a hit, loved by critics and viewers alike. One example of Grace and Frankies unflinching look at sexuality was a storyline that talked about vibrators. Fondas character Gracie invents a vibrator that is more ergonomic, so its more comfortable for older women with arthritis to use. This particular topic managed to take on a life of its own, with an unexpected response from fans. Fans cant stop gifting Jane Fonda sex toys https://www.instagram.com/p/B-7UCmrll_D/ Fonda discussed her characters involvement with vibrators and the fans reaction in an interview with the New York Times. She explained that she once appeared on the talk show Ellen, and they discussed Gracie and the vibrator she invented. She went on to tell about her and Frankie selling sex toys, including one that hangs from a necklace and looks like jewelry. Her fans seemed to love her frank approach to the subject, and they showed their appreciation by sending her vibrators in the mail. While some people might be taken aback by this sort of generous outpouring of sex toys, Fonda took it in stride. She says of the slew of gifts, Its amazing. But its probably not too surprising that Fonda can handle something like this. After all, shes been dealing with the public for decades, and she has learned a few things along the way. Kate Winslet regrets working with directors Woody Allen and Roman Polanski. (Photo: C Flanigan/Getty Images) Kate Winslet regrets a couple of the credits on her extensive acting resume: Wonder Wheel, the 2017 film directed by Woody Allen, and Carnage, Roman Polanskis 2011 dramedy. Its like, what the f** was I doing working with Woody Allen and Roman Polanski? Winslet said in an interview published Thursday in Vanity Fair. Its unbelievable to me now how those men were held in such high regard, so widely in the film industry and for as long as they were. Its f****** disgraceful. And I have to take responsibility for the fact that I worked with them both. I cant turn back the clock. Im grappling with those regrets but what do we have if we arent able to just be f****** truthful about all of it? Allen was first accused of sexually abusing his adopted daughter, Dylan Farrow, during his relationship with actress Mia Farrow in 1992. Hes always denied the allegation and said he avoids thinking about it. Rosemarys Baby director Polanski fled the country in February 1978, 11 months after having sex with a 13-year-old girl, who said that hed raped her after a photo shoot. He pleaded guilty to a charge of unlawful sex with a minor in August 1977 and had been awaiting sentencing. In Winslets interview, she said both the Me Too movement and her latest film, Ammonite, centered around the love story of two women, helped her come to that conclusion. Its while working on the film, in which she plays 19th century British paleontologist Mary Anning, that she began noticing things such as the difference in how same-sex couples are presented and the reaction. (She noted that, while promoting the film, shes repeatedly been asked what it was like to kiss co-star Saoirse Ronan.) And the way that, when a woman taking the lead in a movie is always feisty and taking control, rather than just someone who knows what she wants. Ammonite has made me really aware of being even more committed to honoring what women want to be saying for themselves in films and how we really want to be portrayed, regardless of sexual orientation, Winslet said. Because life is f****** short and Id like to do my best when it comes to setting a decent example to younger women. Were handing them a pretty f***** up world, so Id like to do my bit in having some proper integrity. Story continues In some ways, the experience angered her. It made me feel a little bit mad at myself that maybe I havent taken enough responsibility for how I might have allowed a character to be portrayed in heterosexual relationships onscreen in the past, Winslet said. I feel so fortunate to have been in a position for a good many years where I could hold my own, keep my head down and try and produce decent work but its easy to lose ones voice along the way and to lose sight of the responsibility that comes with that. And I dont want to f*** that up. I know that I can always do better. The Contagion star said that something else shes realized as of late is that she cant go back to living the Hollywood lifestyle after the pandemic. She vowed to repeat the dresses she wears on the red carpet and be more conscious of travel. Ive said to the people who help me with press, If any of the bans are lifted anytime soon, and the requests come in for me to fly places, can you apologize and say I wont be doing that because its a waste of air travel? Winslet said. Its appalling putting ourselves into the sky left, right and center. Theres only so much a person can stomach before your morals come into play. Read more from Yahoo Entertainment: WASHINGTON Emboldened by President Trumps campaign platform of law and order, militia groups have bolstered their strength before Election Day by attracting military veterans who bring weapons and tactical skills viewed as important to the organizations. The role of veterans in the newly proliferating militia groups which sometimes are steeped in racism and other times steeped simply in antigovernment zealotry has increased over the last decade, said a dozen experts on law enforcement, domestic terrorism and extremist groups. Although only a small fraction of the nations 20 million veterans joins militia groups, experts in domestic terrorism and law enforcement analysts estimate that veterans and active-duty members of the military may now make up at least 25 percent of militia rosters. These experts estimate that there are some 15,000 to 20,000 active militia members in around 300 groups. But gauging the size of these groups is difficult and imprecise, because much of their membership is limited to online participation. The estimates are based on samplings of militia member data gleaned from social media profiles, blogs, online forums, militia publications, interviews, assessments from watchdog groups and news reports. Database combines the rich collections of various European institutions, offering improved access to research material and sources on Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, as well as on ancient and non-European religions The EU-funded Research Infrastructure on Religious Studies (ReIReS) project has been bringing together various European institutions, including Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU), over the last two and a half years to establish an innovative infrastructure for religious research in Europe. The aim is to provide transnational and virtual access to significant tools and sources in the field of European religious research. The network now launched its web-based research database ReIReSearch, which offers a new search tool and improved access to research material and sources on Judaism, Christianity, and Islam as well as on ancient and non-European religions. Researchers in religious studies face various challenges as they study events that took place across different eras, contexts, and cultures. This requires a multitude of sources, data types, and research methods that are scattered around the world and some of which are not easy to trace. The variety of systems used by libraries and archives to disclose their collections and the frequent lack of online visibility make easy access even harder. Researchers are further limited in their search for new data because different library collections, once discovered, still require access to their own separate digital access points. Improved access and new technologies The new integrated research database ReIReSearch is built to help researchers search for data from a single location while also making less visible datasets available to a wider audience. The goal of ReIReSearch is to integrate as much data as possible and make it available via a single platform. The design of this platform is based on the needs of researchers. Further materials that are currently hosted only on local networks or computers will continuously be published in the database. Technological evolution enables researchers to find, access, and reuse large amounts of data. By bringing together the rich collections of institutions across Europe, researchers can improve the quality and efficiency of their research. The European research landscape will benefit from this improved access to information, bridging the gap between different research traditions and broadening perspectives. Growing database At the official launch of the database, ReIReSearch already contains a variety of contributions from the academic libraries of the Fondazione per le Scienze Religiose Giovanni XXIII in Italy, of Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz in Germany, of KU Leuven in Belgium, and Sofia University's St. Kliment Ohridski. At the moment, ReIReSearch includes, among other things, Hebrew manuscripts from 1700 to 1920 from the Jewish Community of Mainz, a digitized version of the sources of church councils, a selection of rare books and manuscripts from the Maurits Sabbe Library, and books related to the fields of Slavic studies and religion. ReIReSearch also returns search results from the Index Religiosus database provided by Brepols Publishers for users who have access to this subscription database. ReIReS plans to continue importing data from other libraries and research databases as often as possible, thus adding to the usefulness of the service. Mainz-based subproject in the EU network Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz is one of 12 European research institutions cooperating in the ReIReS project since February 2018 and coordinating the Mainz-based subproject including the JGU Faculty of Catholic Theology, the JGU Theological Library including the Jewish Library, the university's Hymnbook Archive as well as the Municipal Academic Library and the Martinus Library in Mainz. The Mainz-based sub-project thus consolidates the major historical treasures deposited in local academic, civic, and religious libraries with a view to increasing their visibility internationally and their accessibility on a transnational scale. One way this objective will be achieved is by awarding scholarships to European visiting scholars. ### About ReIReS ReIReS is a starting community of 12 European institutions that are building a unique and highly qualified infrastructure of European religious studies. The ReIReS initiative started in February 2018 and will continue for three years with funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 program. Related links: https://reires.eu/ - EU-funded Research Infrastucture on Religious Studies" (ReIReS) project ; https://reiresearch.eu/ - ReIReS database on European religious research Queen Letizia of Spain looked elegant in a white blouse as she dropped her teenage daughters off at school today. Letizia, 47, donned a face mask as she drove her daughters Leonor, 14, and Sofia, 13, to Madrid's Santa Maria de los Rosales' School. Classes restarted earlier this week and it was father King Felipe of Spain who was on hand for the school run. But today it was proud mother Letizia's turn and she appeared in good spirits as she joined other parents in their cars. Princess Sofia, left, and Princess Leonor of Spain wave to their mother Queen Letizia after she dropped them off at Madrid's Santa Maria de los Rosales' School this morning Queen Letizia of Spain looked elegant in a white blouse as she dropped her teenage daughters off at school today Princess Leonor, 13, the youngest of Felipe and Letizia's daughters, was in the passenger seat The girls, both wearing face masks, waved to cameras as they climbed the steps to the school before having their temperature checked by a member of staff Heir to the throne Leonor and younger sister Sofia, both wearing face masks, waved to cameras as they climbed the steps to the school before having their temperature checked by a member of staff. It comes days after Spain became the first country in Western Europe to register 500,000 coronavirus infections, with a second surge in cases that coincided with schools reopening. It is believed that Princess Leonor is starting of fourth year of secondary education, while her younger sister Princess Sofia is beginning her second year at the school. It has been a challenging summer for the Spanish royal family, after runaway former King Juan Carlos caused shockwaves around the country in August by announcing he was leaving his homeland. The Spanish princesses waved at their mother as she dropped them off at school today Sofia, left, and Leonor, right, are restarting school after a busy summer that saw them carry out official engagements alongside their parents Queen Letizia of Spain looked like any other mother as she watched her girls arrive at school Princess Leonor has now been deemed by some as a saviour of the monarchy, with The Times writing: 'Attention must turn to the future if the Bourbon monarchy is to survive. 'It is a responsibility that rests of the shoulders of Leonor, and the reigning king, Felipe VI, knows that, as he introduces her to the country while trying to modernise the monarchy.' The publication went on to say the young princesses are 'the future for a modernised monarchy.' 'Leonor is still very young, but modern, well-educated and a woman which is important as the feminist movement grows in Spain,' a palace source reportedly said. 'She is a great asset.' Leonor, left, and Sofia, right, both have trendy keyrings attached to their schoolbags, just like any other pupils The sisters had their temperature checked on their arrival at school this morning The sisters waited to have their temperatures checked as part of measures introduced to stop the spread of Covid-19 Leonor made her public-speaking debut at at awards ceremony in Barcelona last November, where she gave comments in Spanish, Catalan, English and Arabic. Meanwhile, she and Sofia read from Don Quixote on World Book Day in April, and addressed the nation in a video amid the coronaviurs pandemic. Her return to school comes as Spain struggles to control a recent spike in infections amid schools reopening across the country. Recent infections have been more common among younger people who often develop no symptoms thanks to their stronger immune systems, and the death rate remains far below the March-April peak when daily fatalities routinely exceeded 800. Brandee Rogers felt great walking out of the Jackson Planet Fitness for the first time in more than six months on Thursday, Sept. 10. Ill tell you tomorrow how Im feeling, Rogers joked. It has come to our attention that a fake Mayor Lightfoot email address has been created and emails have been sent out under this address, the email to the citys 50 aldermen said. Please be very careful when opening emails from external, non-city accounts. Economics ought to become the expression of a care and concern that does not exclude but seeks to include, that does not demean but seeks to uplift and give life, Pope Francis wrote in a message to participants in the Forum of the European House-Ambrosetti, held in Cernobbio, Italy on 4-5 September. Indeed it should be a care and concern that refuses to sacrifice human dignity to the idols of finance, that does not give rise to violence and inequality, and that uses financial resources not to dominate but to serve. The following is the English text of the Holy Fathers message. Ladies and Gentlemen, I offer a warm greeting to all those taking part in the Forum of The European House-Ambrosetti. Your discussions this year deal with significant issues involving society, the economy and innovation: issues that call for extraordinary efforts to meet the challenges created or aggravated by the present medical, economic and social emergency. The experience of the pandemic has taught us that none of us is saved alone. We have experienced at first hand the vulnerability of the human condition that is ours and that makes us one family. We have come to see more clearly that each of our personal choices affects the lives of our neighbours, those next door and those in distant parts of the world. The turn of events has forced us to recognize that we belong to one another, as brothers and sisters dwelling in a common home. Having failed to show solidarity in wealth and in the sharing of resources, we have learned to experience solidarity in suffering. Culturally, this time of trial has taught us a number of lessons. It has shown us the greatness of science, but also its limits. It has called into question the scale of values that sets money and power over all else. By forcing us to stay at home together, parents and children, young and old, it has once again made us aware of the joys and difficulties involved in our relationships. It has made us refrain from the superfluous and concentrate on the essential. It has toppled the shaky pillars that supported a certain model of development. In the face of a future that appears uncertain and full of challenges, especially on the social and economic level, we have been moved to spend this time discerning what is lasting from what is fleeting, what is necessary from what is not. In this situation, economics oeconomia in its deepest human meaning as the governance of our earthly home takes on even greater importance, due to its close connection with the concrete life situations of individual men and women. Economics ought to become the expression of a care and concern that does not exclude but seeks to include, that does not demean but seeks to uplift and give life. A care and concern that refuses to sacrifice human dignity to the idols of finance, that does not give rise to violence and inequality, and that uses financial resources not to dominate but to serve (cf. Evangelii Gaudium, 53-60). For genuine profit comes from treasures accessible to all. That which I truly own is what I can offer to others (cf. General Audience, 7 November 2018). In this tragedy, that humanity as a whole continues to experience, science and technology have, of themselves, proved insufficient. What has proved decisive instead is the outpouring of generosity and courage shown by so many persons. This should spur us to move beyond the technocratic paradigm, understood as a sole or dominant way to deal with problems. That paradigm, born of a mindset that sought mastery over the natural world, was based on the erroneous presupposition that an infinite quantity of energy and resources are available, that it is possible to renew them quickly, and that the negative effects of the exploitation of the natural order can be easily absorbed (Cf. Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, 463; cf. Laudato Si, 106). Where nature and, even more, persons are involved, another way of thinking is needed, one that can broaden our gaze and guide technology towards the service of a different model of development, more healthy, more human, more social and more integral. The present is a time for discernment in light of the principles of ethics and the common good, for the sake of the recovery desired by all. Saint Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Society of Jesus, frequently employs the term discernment in his writings, drawing from the great sapiential tradition of the Bible and, above all, the teaching of Jesus of Nazareth. Christ urged all who heard him, and ourselves today, not to stop at externals, but to discern sagely the signs of the times. To do so, two things are demanded, conversion and creativity. We need to experience an ecological conversion, in order to slow down our inhuman pace of consumption and production, and to learn once more how to understand and contemplate nature. To reconnect with the world around us. To work for an ecological retooling of our economy, without yielding to the pressures of time and of human and technological processes, but rather by returning to relationships that are experienced, not consumed. We are also called to be creative, like artisans, devising fresh new ways to pursue the common good. That creativity can only come from openness to the breath of the Spirit, who inspires us to attempt new, timely and indeed bold decisions, as men and women capable of shaping that integral human development to which we all aspire. The creativity of a love that can restore meaning to the present, in order to open it to a better future. This conversion and creativity necessarily imply training and encouraging the next generation of economists and entrepreneurs. For this reason, I have invited them to meet from 19 to 21 November next in Assisi, the town of the young Saint Francis, who stripped himself of everything in order to choose God as the compass of his life, becoming poor with the poor, a brother to all. His decision to embrace poverty also gave rise to a vision of economics that remains most timely (Letter for the Event Economy of Francesco, addressed to young economists and entrepreneurs worldwide, 1 May 2019). It is important to invest in the young people who will be the protagonists of tomorrows economy, to train men and women prepared to put themselves at the service of the community and the creation of a culture of encounter. Todays economy, and the young and the poor of our world, have need, above all, of your humanity and your respectful and humble fraternity, and only then of your money (cf. Laudato Si, 129; Address to Participants in the Meeting Economy of Communion, 4 February 2017). The work of your Forum also foresees the development of an agenda for Europe. Seventy years have passed since the Schuman Declaration of 9 May 1950, which paved the way for todays European Union. Now, more than ever, Europe is called to show leadership in a creative effort to emerge from the straits of the technocratic paradigm as applied to politics and the economy. This creative effort must be one of solidarity, the sole antidote to the virus of selfishness, a virus far more potent than Covid-19. Back then, the concern was for solidarity in production; today, solidarity must extend to a more precious good: the human person. The human person must take its rightful place at the heart of our educational, healthcare, social and economic policies. Persons must be welcomed, protected, accompanied and integrated when they come knocking on our doors, seeking a future of hope. Your reflections will also concentrate on the city of the future. It is not by chance that, in the Bible, the destiny of all humanity finds fulfillment in a City, the heavenly Jerusalem described by the Book of Revelation (Chapters 21-22). As its name indicates, it is a city of peace, whose gates are always open to all peoples; a city built for people, beautiful and resplendent: a city of abundant fountains and trees; a welcoming city where sickness and death are no more. This lofty vision can mobilize the best energies of mankind for the building of a better world. I ask you not to lower your gaze, but to pursue high ideals and great aspirations. It is my hope that these days of reflection and discussion will prove fruitful, that they will contribute to our common journey by providing guidance amid the din of so many voices and messages, and will be concerned that no one be lost along the way. I urge you to strive to develop new understandings of the economy and progress, to combat every form of marginalization, to propose new styles of life and to give a voice to those who have none. I conclude by offering you my prayerful good wishes in the words of the Psalmist: May the favour of the Lord our God be upon us, and prosper the work of our hands. Prosper the work of our hands! (Ps 90:17). Rome, Saint John Lateran, 27 August 2020 In a speech on 29 August President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi slammed illegal construction on state-owned and agricultural land, saying all state authorities have a duty to end building violations in line with the Reconciliation in Construction Violations Law passed by parliament on 24 December 2019. If required, he said, the army will be deployed across the country to demolish illegal buildings. On 4 September the cabinet issued a statement saying the government will continue to crack down on illegal buildings and is determined to meet the six month deadline, which ends on 30 September, it set itself to effect reconciliation in line with the law. The government will not extend the reconciliation period beyond 30 September, said the statement, and is determined to stem the tide of haphazard building and preserve agricultural lands. The reconciliation law, ratified by President Al-Sisi on 13 January 2020, is causing concern among many citizens who complain that the deadline is too short and the fines that they are required to pay to legaliae buildings are too high. Al-Ahram Weekly speaks to Ahmed Al-Sigini, head of parliaments Local Administration Committee, which reviewed the draft law before it was approved by the House of Representatives. What are the objectives of the reconciliation law? The government-drafted law took four years of preparation and was discussed in detail by the Local Administration Committee and thoroughly revised by the State Council. It addresses the situation of around three million families living in 700,000 buildings which have been constructed illegally since 2011. Some government circles say the law will also cover two million building offences committed between 2000 and 2017. What, in this context, do you mean by illegal? I mean buildings which were constructed on agricultural or state-owned land without the necessary permits being acquired, and multi-storey buildings constructed without proper licences or compliance with safety standards. The inhabitants of these illegal housing units often resort to stealing electricity and water supplies. Egypt saw a rise in illegal buildings during the security vacuum that followed the 2011 uprising. The law is designed to end construction offences and requires violators to reach a reconciliation agreement with the authorities by 30 September, the cut-off point for all construction offences to be settled. President Al-Sisi has warned that officials should either end illegal construction or leave their posts. He stressed that henceforth all building will be strictly supervised by the relevant authorities and no new construction permits be issued until all outstanding violations are settled. Many people argue that corruption in local councils has exacerbated the phenomenon of illegal construction and informal settlements across Egypt It is true that there have been a lot of complaints that corruption in local councils lies behind the proliferation of construction offences and the media has highlighted how local officials often turn a blind eye to building violations. But local councils are not solely to blame. The fact is former governments all too often lacked a long-term vision on construction, and there were times when citizens felt the government had given them a free hand to build wherever they liked. The result is the informal communities and clusters of illegal red-brick buildings that have sprouted everywhere in Egypt. During the discussions of the law in parliament it became clear to us that citizens resorted to illegal building for two main reasons, the complex bureaucracy and tangle of red tape that surrounds the acquisition of a building permit, and the lack of state-supervised and licensed land on which to build. Many people resorted to building illegally, mainly on agricultural land, simply because it was the easiest option. There are those, too, who argue that the state can be blamed for not building enough affordable housing. Instead, the door was opened wide to the private sector which focused on building top end housing units for the wealthy. This is the core of the housing crisis in Egypt. People have complained that the 30 September deadline is impractical and should be extended I think a lot of the problems in this respect are a result of the government not being clear enough in presenting the reconciliation law. A statement should have been produced in advance answering many of the questions people are now voicing about the law. There is even a problem with local council officials who are in charge of implementing the law yet have a limited understanding of its articles and the mechanisms for implementation. The law does not include any article indicating that failure to reconcile with the local authority will automatically lead to demolition. Indeed, the purpose of the law promote the public interest by ending construction offences and stemming the tide of building on agricultural land. I hope that the government will extend the deadline beyond 30 September. Officials need to be flexible and understand that a strict deadline will not solve the problem. People also complain that the fines they have to pay to settle construction offences are too high This is a significant problem. Officials, both local and national, in charge of implementing the law have to understand that the goal is not to collect as much money as possible or extort citizens. To do so will serve only to stoke social tensions. We were keen that the law included provisions for people to appeal the amount they are fined. The fines should be reasonable, ranging from LE50 to LE200 per square metre. Officials need to be cautious and avoid any steps that might be be provocative to citizens. They will have to take into account that the majority of the owners of illegal housing units are limited or average income citizens who cannot afford to pay hefty fines. And there needs to be a differentiation between construction offences in a poor village and say, a high-class district in Cairo. When we were discussing the law, we stressed that the government will have to take a host of social considerations into account. I would urge the government to review the fines levied on a governorate by governorate basis. Id also advise that after the 30 September deadline the government thoroughly examines the first phase of implementation and its results. Has it checked the number of offences? Has it actively encouraged the reconciliation process? The Local Administration Committee is already preparing a meeting in the first week of October to evaluate the governments performance in implementing the law. What do you think should happen next? Governors and local authorities should accept as many reconciliation requests as possible. They need to know that the objective is not to collect fines but to settle offences. If they impose hefty fines citizens will refrain from submitting reconciliation requests and this could fuel social tension. The higher the fines, the fewer the requests, so even in terms of collecting money it makes sense to set fines at a reasonable level and thereby encourage more people to legalise their buildings. In one governorate with a population of just one million and an estimated 30,000 construction offences, 28,000 violators, encouraged by low fines, submitted reconciliation requests. In another governorate with a population of seven million, but where the fines were higher, just 3000 reconciliation requests were received. My advice to local authorities and governors is to underline the fact that the law aims to promote social peace not to trigger social tensions. It is a law for reconciliation not for confrontation. Please differentiate between old offences committed during a time of chaos and deserving of reconciliation, and new offences which require firm confrontation. I also hope that there will be greater cooperation between the government and parliament in the post-30 September period in terms of assessing the impact of the implementation of the law. *A version of this article appears in print in the 10 September, 2020 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Search Keywords: Short link: A Darby Township commissioner drew sharp rebuke late last week when he shared a Facebook meme of two Black men pointing guns at a white officer, with the caption "Does it have to come to this to make them stop murdering and terrorizing us?" Read more A Darby Township commissioner who shared an incendiary meme about police on his personal Facebook page has been removed from his position as the elected official overseeing the municipalitys police department. Late last week, Commissioner Marvin Smith shared what appeared to be a staged photo depicting two Black men pointing guns at a white police officers head, framed by the caption: Does it Have to come to This to make them Stop Murdering and Terrorizing Us? The picture drew immediate and sharp rebuke from the Delaware County Council and District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer. It also brought heavy criticism from local police unions, including the Fraternal Order of Police. Joseph Fitzgerald, president of the FOPs Delaware County lodge, called for Smiths resignation, saying Smith is unfit" to serve the residents of Darby Township, a community on Philadelphias border where about 39% of the 9,200 residents are Black and 57% are white. This inflammatory post puts our police officers in grave danger and targets them for unnecessary violence and vitriol, Fitzgerald said. Smith, who is Black, in a statement apologized for sharing the photo and promised to view these and other political issues from a more educated perspective. Anyone that knows my character, my career in public service and my relationship with the law enforcement professionals that I work with on a daily basis knows that I not only support good policing of our communities, I welcome it and will continue to be a zealous ally of our friends in blue, said Smith, 49, a Democrat who won his first four-year term on the board last November. In an interview Friday, Smith said he saw the image on Facebook and shared it, and isnt sure where it originated. He said he is focused on moving past this, and is dedicated to working with people in the community. I love all people, said Smith, a charter-school teacher and musician. Im a worker, and I dont have time for political games. Township Manager Nicole Whitaker said Friday that in the past week, her office had been inundated with phone calls and emails from residents expressing their outrage and disgust. But she said the five-member board cannot vote to remove a commissioner from office. Still, the commissioners at their Wednesday night meeting stripped him of his duties as the commissioner designated to work with the police department on legislative and budget issues. It is unclear what the full scope of Smiths duties will be going forward, according to Whitaker. He is the elected representative of the townships First Ward, and is required to attend meetings twice a month. New Braunfels, TX (78130) Today Some clouds this morning will give way to generally sunny skies for the afternoon. High 52F. Winds NNE at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Clear skies. Low 27F. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph. SALEM, Mass. - Two Gold Star families criticized disparaging remarks President Donald Trump allegedly made about veterans and those serving in the military while recalling the memories of their sons Thursday. The families of Pfc. John Hart and Lance Cpl. Travis Desiato both Bedford natives who were killed serving in Iraq spoke out in front of the Hart-Desiato Bridge, which was dedicated in honour of the two in 2018. Trump has fought allegations he made offensive comments about fallen U.S. service-members, including calling World War I dead at an American military cemetery in France losers and suckers in 2018. The comments were first reported by The Atlantic and confirmed by The Associated Press. Joseph DeSiato, father of Travis, said his son and John were motivated to join the military following the 9-11 attacks. We, the Harts and the Desiatos, are outraged and offended but more deeply saddened that the president called them losers and suckers, DeSiato said. They could have gone off to college. They had plans. They had dreams. But they put those aside to fight for the values of our nation and to defend it from those who would take it down. He said Gold Star families should never have to read the president of the United States has ridiculed our sons and daughters decision to stand up and serve in the U.S. military. Alma Hart, Johns mother, said she was worried that Trumps alleged comments may discourage others from serving. Think of what his ugly words signal to the next generations, she said. How can we, the American citizens, be confident our military is being used for significant moral and constitutional ends if the commander in chief thinks of them as suckers. At a White House news conference on Monday, Trump called the story a hoax and said: Im not saying the militarys in love with me. The soldiers are. He added, The top people in the Pentagon probably arent because they want to do nothing but fight wars so all of those wonderful companies that make the bombs and make the planes and make everything else stay happy. Pakistani officials say a transgender man was shot dead by his brother in northwest Pakistan in the second deadly attack in the region this week to target the long-oppressed community. The incident took place on September 10 in Swabi, a district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, local police official Muhammad Fahim told RFE/RL. The official said that the victim, identified as Saad, was returning home after performing at a dance party in the city of Rawalpindi, south of Islamabad, when his 14-year-old brother opened fire on him. Police said they have detained the brother, Muhammad Hammad. Earlier this week, unidentified gunmen opened fire on a group of transgender women on the outskirts of Peshawar, the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, killing one of them and wounding another. Farzana, the provincial head of Pakistans Transgender Association, told RFE/RL that 73 members of the transgender community have been killed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa since 2015 while hundreds of others have been the victims of other forms of violent attacks. Transgender people, known officially as "third-gender" citizens in Pakistan -- a group that includes cross-dressers, transsexuals, eunuchs, hermaphrodites, and transvestites -- face widespread violence, intimidation, and abuse despite multiple laws passed to protect them. The community, estimated to number around 500,000, is known in the Urdu language as "hijras." Many describe themselves as "professional wedding dancers," but supporters say they are often forced to earn income through begging and prostitution. Following their official third-gender classification handed down by the Supreme Court in 2011, members of the community were granted the rights to vote and run for office. Rafale aircraft formally inducted into Indian Air Force in the presence of Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh and Ms Florence Parly, Ministere of Armed Forces of France; India - Press Information Bureau Ministry of Defence Raksha Mantri: The induction is a strong message for those who challenge India's sovereignty Posted On: 10 SEP 2020 4:55PM by PIB Delhi Rafale Fighter Air craft has been formally inducted into the Indian Air Force (IAF) today at a formal function at Air Force Station, Ambala. Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh and Ms Florence Parly, Minister of the Armed Forces of France graced the occasion. Speaking on the occasion, Raksha Mantri said the induction of Rafale was historic moment and a very important milestone in the history of the IAF. He said, the Rafale deal was a game changer for India's national security and its induction is a strong message for the world and especially for those who challenge India's sovereignty. Shri Rajnath Singh reiterated the resolve of not compromising India's sovereignty and territorial integrity under any circumstances and the country's determination to make all possible preparations for it. "The intentions of military are as strong as it can be" he said. Raksha Mantri also said "strengthening our defence is aimed at achieving international peace and stability and we do not want to take any step that can endanger international peace. We have the same expectation of our neighbours and other countries of the world." Talking about the priorities of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, Shri Singh said national security has been a major priority of the Prime Minister, and it is the result of his vision that we are seeing today despite many obstacles that came in the way. Terming that the Rafale induction reflected close India-France strategic relations, Raksha Mantri said "we have cooperated closely in a number of areas to enhance our defence cooperation. As part of the transfer of technology agreement, 6 Scorpene submarines are being built at the Mazagaon Docks. On the basis of this partnership, the first submarine, INS Kalvari was commissioned in 2017." He also highlighted the Indo-French cooperation in dealing with common challenges like maritime security and piracy in the Indo-Pacific region and IOR. Raksha Mantri also pitched for French investments in the Indian defence manufacturing sector. He said in response to the call for 'Self-reliant initiative' by Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, many policy reforms have been initiated such as manufacturing of defence equipment under the strategic-Partnership model, enhancing FDI up to 74% by automatic route, establishment of two defence corridors in Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu and reforms in Offsets. "I am confident that French defence Industries will take advantage of this and France will continue to be our partner in our journey of indigenization", he said. Raksha Mantri congratulated the IAF personnel for the swift and decisive action taken by them near LAC recently. He said the rapid deployment of IAF assets at forward bases created a trust that our Air Force was fully prepared to meet its operational obligations. Shri Singh also lauded the contribution of IAF to the country's efforts during Covid-19 pandemic. Ms Florence Parly Minister of the Armed Forces of France in her address said today's induction of Rafale into the IAF is a symbol of strong ties between the two countries which is rock solid and time tested. She said now, in military terms, India will acquire a world class capability that will give New Delhi an incredible sovereignty and in strategic terms it will give India an edge over the entire region to defend itself. She also assured timely delivery of the 31 remaining aircrafts. Ms Florence Parly also said France is fully committed to the Make in India initiative which has been a reality for French industry for several years particularly in defence sector like in submarines. Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat, Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria, Defence Secretary Dr Ajay Kumar, Secretary (Defence Production) Shri Raj Kumar, Secretary Department of Defence Research & Development and Chairman DRDO, Dr G Satheesh Reddy, along with other senior officers of Ministry of Defence and Armed Forces witnessed the event. The French delegation included Mr Emmanuel Lenain Ambassador of France to India, Air General Eric Autellet, Vice Chief of the Air Staff of the French Air Force and other senior officials. A large delegation of senior functionaries of French Defence Industries which included Mr. Eric Trappier Chairman and Chief Executive of Dassault Aviation and Mr. Eric Beranger, CEO, MBDA were present during the ceremony. The first five Rafale aircraft which arrived at Air Force Station, Ambala from France on 27th July 2020, would be part of 17 Squadron, the "Golden Arrows". Before the ceremonial unveiling of the Rafale, a traditional 'Sarva Dharma Puja' was performed. There was an Air Display by Rafale and Tejas aircraft as well as by 'Sarang Aerobatic Team, followed by a traditional water cannon salute to the Rafale aircraft. After the ceremonial events the Indian and French delegations also had a bilateral meeting. Earlier this morning, Ms Florence Parly, Minister of the Armed Forces of France was given a ceremonial Guard of Honour on arrival at Delhi. ********* ABB/Nampi/KA/DK/Savvy/ADA (Release ID: 1653024) NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address A man has died following a road crash in east London. Police were called to Gallows Corner, Romford, just after 9.30pm on Thursday, following reports of a collision involving a car and a motorbike. The motorcyclist, in his early 50s and from Essex, died at the scene, Scotland Yard said. His next of kin have been informed and are being supported by specialist officers. A 24-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving. He remains in custody. Detectives are now appealing to anyone who witnessed the crash, or the moments before. Anyone with information is asked to contact police on 101, quoting CAD 7670/10Sep. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Nezar Patria and Budi Sutrisno (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, September 11, 2020 20:05 497 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c444f937 1 National COVID-19-Jakarta,covid-19-Indonesia,COVID-19,anies-baswedan,PSBB,PSBB-Masa-Transisi,PSBB-transisi,Jakarta-administration,Greater-Jakarta,coronavirus,Jokowi,Jokowi-administration,Joko-Widodo Free President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo has called on the Jakarta administration to thoroughly assess its plan to reimpose a partial COVID-19 lockdown on the city as the nation struggles to balance the demands of public health and the economy. Jokowi said during a meeting with media figures on Thursday that the decision to enforce large-scale social restrictions (PSBB) which would limit public mobility and the operation of businesses should be "well and cautiously calculated". "We need to calculate how pulling the emergency brake will affect people's activities and other [concerns]. Jakarta is, after all, the country's capital," Jokowi said at Bogor Palace in West Java. Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan announced on Wednesday that the capital would "pull the emergency brake" on its transitional "new normal" period and reinstate full PSBB on Monday as the persistent rise of COVID-19 cases in the capital strained the citys healthcare system. With the return of PSBB, Jakarta is set to once again restrict access to public facilities and events and limit the operational hours and capacity of public transportation. The city will likely allow only 11 essential sectors to operate under limited capacity while other industries will likely be required to have employees work from home. The governor said low-income families and vulnerable residents would receive social aid. Some of Jokowi's ministers, however, have expressed concerns about reimposing PSBB in Jakarta, Indonesia's economic powerhouse, citing possible impediments to the country's economic recovery. Read also: Jakarta lockdown aimed at preventing collapse of healthcare system Trade Minister Agus Suparmanto warned about the risk of logistical disruptions if PSBB was reimposed. He feared the country's gross domestic product (GDP) would be affected if goods and services were not distributed properly. As Anies prepares a gubernatorial decree to outline Jakartas PSBB measures, health experts have urged other regions, especially those whose healthcare systems are overwhelmed, to follow the capitals example and enforce stricter restrictions. Jokowi said Jakarta should discuss the implementation of PSBB with its satellite cities, which collectively form the urban area known as Greater Jakarta. The President suggested that social restrictions should only be implemented in red zones, proposing that areas be assessed on a case-by-case basis. Why should we close [everything] if one part is red but a thousand parts are green? I think we should be able to implement micro-scale social restrictions. We would enforce strict restrictions in the red areas with the help of neighborhood officials," he said. As of Friday, the leaders of Jakarta's satellite cities to and from which hundreds of thousands of people commute daily had not decided whether to enforce stricter COVID-19 restrictions, despite high transmission rates. We have no plans to impose stricter PSBB yet. Were still following the Banten gubernatorial regulation on Greater Tangerang PSBB, South Tangerang Mayor Airin Rachmi Diany said. Read also: Govt should prioritize health response over economic recovery: Task force Governor [Anies] said he needed to work out more detailed and clearer measures for the PSBB policy with the central government, so well wait for that, Bogor Mayor Bima Arya Sugianto said. Jokowi acknowledged that balancing the economy and public health had not been an easy task. He recently reminded his aides to prioritize COVID-19 mitigation efforts, saying that public health was the key to economic recovery. The President claimed Indonesia had made significant progress on its journey to overcome the outbreak. For example, the recovery rate was very low in March, only 8 percent, but we improved in April, May and June. Previously, the mortality rate was 8 to 9 percent, but it went lower to around 4.1 percent in August, he said. Indonesia has seen its infection rate soar to new highs over the past few weeks. Authorities confirmed 3,861 new COVID-19 infections on Thursday a record increase followed by 3,737 new cases on Friday. Nationwide, the country has recorded 210,940 cases, including 150,217 recoveries and 8,544 fatalities. Jakarta accounts for about a quarter of the total cases, with 51,635 confirmed cases as of Friday, including 39,128 recoveries and 1,368 deaths. Iran says US-brokered deal makes Bahrain partner to Israel 'crimes' US President Donald Trump discusses the Israel-Bahrain deal in the Oval Office Iran on Saturday angrily accused Bahrain of stirring instability after US President Donald Trump announced Manama and Israel were opening ties in a landmark deal that reinforces America's push to redraw Middle East conflicts. Calling it a "truly historic day," Trump said on Friday that Israel and Bahrain were establishing full diplomatic and commercial relations. "They will exchange embassies and ambassadors, begin direct flights between their countries and launch cooperation initiatives across a broad range of sectors, including health, business, technology, education, security and agriculture," he said. Bahrain said in a joint statement it had agreed to formalise the deal with Israel at a ceremony Tuesday in the White House, where the United Arab Emirates will also sign off on its own thaw with Israel announced in mid-August. Shiite Iran, which has especially tense ties with Bahrain and is a sworn enemy of Washington, slammed its Gulf neighbour over the deal. "The rulers of Bahrain will from now on be partners to the crimes of the Zionist regime as a constant threat to the security of the region and the world of Islam," it said. Bahrainis opposed to the agreement vented their frustration on social media, using the hashtags "Bahrainis against normalisation" and "normalisation is betrayal". "A black day in the history of Bahrain," wrote former lawmaker Ali Alaswad. Iran's Lebanese ally Hezbollah said the deal was a "betrayal and a painful stab in the back of the Palestinian people". Turkey condemned it, saying it would "further embolden Israel to continue its illegal practices... and attempts to make the occupation of Palestinian territories permanent". Bahrain, a Sunni-ruled kingdom with a large Shiite population, relies heavily on the United States, which stations its Fifth Fleet in the tiny but strategic Gulf archipelago. - 'More to follow' - Story continues The joint statement said Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Trump had spoken hours before announcing the new breakthrough. During the phone call, the king "stressed the need to reach a just and comprehensive peace as a strategic option, in accordance with the two-state solution and relevant resolutions of international legitimacy". A senior official in Manama said the deal would boost regional "security, stability, prosperity". Trump called the development "very, very important for not only the Middle East, but for the world". Netanyahu hailed the agreement. "Citizens of Israel, I am moved to be able to tell you that this evening, we are reaching another peace agreement with another Arab country, Bahrain. This agreement adds to the historic peace with the United Arab Emirates," he said. Israel has previously struck just two peace accords with Arab countries -- Egypt in 1979 and Jordan in 1994. Israeli defence minister and alternate premier, Benny Gantz, congratulated Netanyahu and Al-Khalifa for the deal and thanked Trump and the US government for "their exceptional efforts to build a more stable Middle East". Israeli President Reuven Rivlin called on "other Arab and Muslim countries to make peace with Israel, peace between peoples, peace for peace". The UAE sent congratulations to Bahrain and Israel. "Today marks another significant and historic achievement which will contribute enormously to the stability and prosperity of the region," said Hend al-Otaiba, director of strategic communications at the foreign ministry. Trump, who is banking on the latest deals will give him momentum going into the November 3 presidential election, said more Arab nations could open their doors to Israel. "I am very hopeful that there will be more to follow." - Trump redraws lines - The Republican businessman has styled himself as the most pro-Israeli US president in history. He has taken a string of decisions highly beneficial to Israel, from recognising disputed Jerusalem as the country's capital to unilaterally withdrawing from an international accord meant to end Iran's isolation in return for verified controls to prevent militarisation of its nuclear industry. At the same time, Trump has pushed to wind down America's own military footprint after decades of bloody entanglements in Iraq and elsewhere. The UAE's announcement broke with years of policy on the Middle East conflict, prompting angry pushback from the Palestinians, who see Arab support as crucial to their limited power in resisting Israeli occupation. The agreement was "a stab in the back of the Palestinian cause and the Palestinian people," Ahmad Majdalani, social affairs minister in the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority, told AFP. Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, said it was an "aggression" that dealt "serious prejudice" to the Palestinian cause. Trump, who has made crushing sanctions and diplomatic pressure on Iran a priority of his administration, predicted however that there would be a "very positive" development in the standoff with Tehran. "I can see a lot of good things happening with respect to the Palestinians," he said, arguing they would end their conflict with Israel once enough Arab countries follow in the UAE and Bahrain's footsteps. "As more countries normalise relations with Israel, which will happen quite quickly we believe, the region will become more and more stable, secure and prosperous." sms/amh/burs/hkb/ Indian Army and Chinese Army held Brigade Commander level talks in Chushul, Ladakh on Friday, a day after the meeting between Foreign Ministers of the two countries. Leh (Ladakh) [India], September 11 (ANI): Indian Army and Chinese Army held Brigade Commander level talks in Chushul, Ladakh on Friday, a day after the meeting between Foreign Ministers of the two countries. Indian Army sources said the meeting started at 11am and ended around 3pm. External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar held a detailed discussion with the State Councillor and Foreign Minister of China Wang Yi in Moscow on Thursday on the current tensions in the India-China border areas. The meeting lasted two-and-a-half hours. According to government sources, Jaishankar said that as the recent incidents in eastern Ladakh have inevitably impacted the development of the bilateral relationship, an urgent resolution of the current situation was in the interest of both the nations. Also read: Pak must ensure its territory is not used for terror attacks: US & India Also read: India-China reach five-point consensus on LaC while tensions still simmer at LaC The sources said that during the meeting the Indian side clearly conveyed that it expected full adherence to all agreements on the management of border areas and would not countenance any attempt to change the status quo unilaterally. At the end of their discussions, the Ministers reached an agreement on five points that will guide their approach to the current situation, the sources added. India recently outflanked China by taking control of strategic heights near Pangong Lakes southern bank. It thwarted an attempt by the Chinese soldiers to transgress into Indian areas near the southern bank of Pangong Tso near Chushul in Ladakh. India and China have been engaged in a standoff since April-May over the transgressions by the Chinese Army in multiple areas including the Finger area, Galwan Valley, Hot springs and Kongrung Nala. The situation worsened after 20 Indian soldiers were killed in violent clashes with Chinese troops in Galwan Valley in June. Last Friday, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh told his Chinese counterpart General Wei Fenghe on the sidelines of the SCO dialogue in Moscow that attempts by Chinese troops to unilaterally alter the status quo along the LAC was in violation of the bilateral agreements, and Beijing should work with New Delhi for complete disengagement from all friction areas including Pangong Tso. (ANI) Also read: Pakistan dismisses Indias request for Indian lawyer to represent Kulbhushan Jadhavs case SHANGHAI (Reuters) - Tesla is planning to export Model 3 vehicles made in China to Asian and European markets, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters on Friday. The U.S. automaker, which started delivering Model 3 electric sedans from its Shanghai factory in December, also plans from next year to sell China-made Model 3 vehicles to Japan and Hong Kong, one of the sources said. Tesla did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The U.S. firm is expanding its manufacturing capacity in China to make Model Y sports-utility vehicles (SUVs) and adding lines to make more battery packs, electric motors and motor controllers. Tesla, which aims to build 150,000 Shanghai-made Model 3 vehicles this year, sold about 11,800 vehicles in China last month. The sources declined to be named as they are not allowed to speak to media. Bloomberg reported the plan earlier on Friday. (Reporting by Yilei Sun and Zoey Zhang in Beijing, Brenda Goh in Shanghai; Editing by Jacqueline Wong and David Clarke) CLEVELAND, Sept. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Being recognized among The Best Lawyers in America is no insignificant feat. Honorees must be nominated, evaluated, and voted on by fellow attorneys and judges who've seen their work in action, and who are best positioned to assess their achievements and abilities. For Cleveland Civil Trial Attorney Michael F. Becker, his latest selection to the list of Best Lawyers is yet another vote of confidence from colleagues who have continually voted him among the top attorneys in Personal Injury Litigation every year since 2001. Proven & Peer Reviewed Best Lawyers is the nation's oldest attorney rating system, and it has become a trusted resource for referring attorneys, corporate counsel, and prospective clients in need of objective insight when selecting legal representation for their particular matter. Based entirely on peer review, Best Lawyers compiles its annual list by soliciting nominations from the public and third-party evaluations from other top-rated attorneys whose votes determine which nominees earn a spot on the final publication. Given its carefully structured methodology, Best Lawyers recognizes not merely lawyers who've won significant verdicts and settlements or gained notoriety for handling complex or high-profile claims; it distinguishes attorneys who've truly forged legacies of success and earned widespread respect among their clients, communities, and legal peers. A Career of Proven Results Over the course of more than 40 years, Michael Becker has become known as a devoted advocate for victims and families who've suffered the most severe and egregious harms. He has successfully represented victims of serious injury and wrongful death in courtrooms across the country and has secured impressive victories on behalf of clients with complex claims involving birth trauma, brain damage, and medical negligence from Maine to Hawaii. A Certified Civil Trial Lawyer by The National Board of Trial Advocacy (NBTA), Becker is a specialist in litigating highly technical civil claims, and has been a member of the Inner Circle of Advocates a prestigious invite-only organization for the top 100 plaintiffs' trial lawyers in the nation since 2004. In addition to years of Best Lawyers selections, Becker has been honored with the Cleveland Academy of Trial Attorneys' President's Award, the Ohio Association for Justice's Craig Spangenberg Distinguished Advocate Award, and many other professional distinctions. Apart from peer recognition, Becker's career of proven results speak volumes about his talent as a trial attorney. As Founder and Managing Partner of The Becker Law Firm, Becker has led his team in the recovery of more than $500 million in compensation for clients. That includes numerous 8-figure settlements for birth injury plaintiffs, some of the largest medical malpractice judgments in Ohio state history, and hundreds of millions in obstetrical cases other attorneys turned down. Today, Becker continues to fight for families across Ohio and the U.S. in complex malpractice and birth injury claims. He lectures nationally on a range of medical negligence topics, and he is actively involved in giving back to the community. Earlier this year, he published a book, "Stop Bullying! Kids' Views on Bullying", a collaboration with Cleveland-area 3rd through 8th graders about their perspective on bullying. Michael F. Becker is Managing Partner at The Becker Law Firm, a Cleveland-based civil trial law firm that's earned national recognition for recovering over half a billion dollars on behalf of victims and families in cases involving medical negligence, birth injuries, serious personal injury, and wrongful death. To learn more, visit: www.beckerjustice.com. SOURCE The Becker Law Firm Related Links https://www.beckerjustice.com By Amanda Dominguez Last July, my husband and I became parents to a beautiful and healthy baby boy. Now, we are expecting our second child in March. It hasnt been easy raising an infant during a pandemic but I am lucky to have a spouse who is by my side through all of this. Our life requires more planning because my husband is undocumented. Due to my husbands status, he is excluded from COVID-19 relief and currently from applying for a standard drivers license in New Jersey. Last year, we celebrated not only the birth of our son but the signing of legislation to expand access to drivers licenses to all New Jerseyans regardless of immigration status. However, the Motor Vehicles Commission (MVC) has proposed regulations to implement this law that could limit access to more than half of the immigrants who the statute intends to benefit. Undocumented immigrants like my husband do not have a Social Security Number (SSN). However, the proposed MVC regulations ask an estimated 300,000 immigrants in New Jersey to show a letter of proof of ineligibility for an SSN from the Social Security Administration before they can apply for a standard drivers license at their local DMV. This requirement creates a barrier to access for residents without immigration status by putting the burden on the individual to go to a federal agency to prove they are undocumented. With national policies that continue to target immigrants with detention and deportation, undocumented residents will not feel safe sharing their personal information with a federal agency. In New Jersey, where driving is necessary, especially in the current public health emergency, the MVC should instead allow individuals to attest to their lack of SSN at their local DMV. From doctors visits to food runs to the local grocery store, people need to drive to go about their lives, and in an emergency, being able to drive can be life-saving. This is especially true for me as my current pregnancy is high risk and I often experience nausea and vomiting. Unfortunately, I am the only person in our family with a drivers license because my husband is not yet eligible. Therefore, I also run most of the errands that require driving or, at the least, drive my husband to stores so he can run them for me. During a time that should be less stressful, this is another stressor that my family has to negotiate continuously. My doctors have said I need to rest more since my pregnancy is high-risk but I do not want to lose my husband because we needed groceries. On top of all of this, I have several medical conditions and regularly need to go to the doctor. I suffer from preventricular contractions of the heart, as well as polycystic ovarian syndrome. I often need to have tests done at the doctors office and do not feel well enough to drive afterward. Still, I do so because my husband is unable to access a drivers license. Immigrants like my husband have helped move New Jersey toward recovery throughout the pandemic. Many undocumented immigrants in New Jersey work as warehouse, agriculture, construction and domestic workers, ensuring essential services are provided. However, families like mine could be excluded from the new drivers license expansion because the proposed regulations are out of touch with immigrant residents' lived experiences. As New Jersey moves forward with implementing this landmark law, I ask MVC Chief Sue Fulton to consider the impact of leaving out thousands of immigrant families like mine from safe access to roads and mobility. Other states like California and New York have successfully implemented the law without this stringent requirement by simply having individuals attest at their local DMVs that they are ineligible for an SSN. New Jersey can ensure the regulations allow access to those the statute intended to benefit without asking individuals to risk their safety by going to a federal agency. Amanda Dominguez is a community organizer with New Labor, an organization that educates, organizes, and fights for better work conditions and social justice in the workplace. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Heres how to submit an op-ed or Letter to the Editor. Bookmark NJ.com/Opinion. Follow us on Twitter @NJ_Opinion and on Facebook at NJ.com Opinion. Get the latest news updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. Huberman took to instagram with the news, saying: "There's a bun in the oven" alongside a picture of just that. However, the actor known for her sense of humour on social media, clarified in the post that she is expecting, adding that she is half was through the pregnancy. Huberman is known for her roles in The Clinic, The Stag and more recently Striking Out and Finding Joy. The couple are also parents to Sadie (7) and Billy (5). "It is only by working together as a community that we will be able to halt the spread of COVID-19, Pruitt-Adams said. We all look forward to the day when we are able to return to some level of in-person classes, and with cooperation of each and every one of you, the sooner we can make that happen. The North Tower falls after burning for 102 minutes. On the 11th anniversary of 9/11, with an Ambassador and 3 of his staff killed, and two U.S.A. embassies set ablaze, all in Muslim Countries: Was it wise for Candidate Obama's first official act to apologize to Muslims for Americans' exercising their 1st Amendment protected right of free speech? Yes, "unconditionally," he cares No, he just doesn't get it I don't pay attention 110 total vote(s) What's your Opinion? poll#10 Today, on the 12th anniversary of 9/11, we ask: Has Candidate Obama done as much to keep America as safe from terrorists as did President Bush? Yes No Who cares? 104 total vote(s) What's your Opinion? After the attack, the deaths, the tears, the war, the retribution, and the consideration of what is real, and the knowledge of what is lasting, it might be time some real hope and change. See the video below to see what we mean (hyper-linked on September 11, 2012): It was a clear beautiful, royal blue sky day on Wall Street. The S & P futures were up markedly, awaiting a positive open, as I turned to get my first cup of coffee, after completing my morning chores. I returned to CNBC to get the morning business news, when I noticed that the S & P futures were falling, and they were falling fast. Down 10 points, 15 points, 20 points:... I heard myself reflexively exclaim.My exclamation was unintended as prophetic, but little did I know thatwas soon to befall the victims of the South Tower, and then the North Tower of the World Trade Center.The World Trade Center's North Tower was struck at 8:46 am by American Airlines Flight 11, which was commandeered by 5 Al-Qaeda hijackers. At 9:03 am, the South Tower of the World Trade Center was struck by United Airlines Flight 175, also commandeered by a second set of 5 Al-Qaeda hijackers. American Airlines Flight 77 was flown into the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia at 9:37am by a third set of Al-Qaeda hijackers. A fourth airline, United Airlines Flight 93, impacted into a secluded field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania after passengers courageously foiled the fourth set of Al-Qaeda hijackers attempting to strike their intended target in Washington, D.C.The late Mark Haines, CNBC's venerable morning anchor of the popular morning business show, Squawk Box, was the first authoritative voice I heard concerning this cataclysmic event that would forever reshape Americans' view of the world, and conversely, how we are viewed by the rest of the world as well. Mark, David Faber, Joe Kernen and Maria Bartiromo, the hosts of this popular show, continued through the day, finding themselves in a most inauspicious position of guiding their viewers through the most terrible moment in America's relative recent collective memory. Most of us will never forget: where we were, what we felt, when we learned of the horrendous attack by Osama bin Laden's Al-Qaeda hijackers.It is a moment seared within the fabric of my soul. I pray it will be a moment seared within the collective consciousness of our American People. Lest we forget, our freedoms will be forever lost. Naravane said India had given a fitting response to the (Chinese) conspiracy of attempting to unilaterally change the status quo along the contested Line of Actual Control (LAC) where India and China have been locked in a standoff for over eight months. I want to assure the country that the sacrifice of the Galwan braves will not go in vain, he said. Thank you for reading! Please purchase a subscription to read our premium content. If you have a subscription, please log in or sign up for an account on our website to continue. Internal tensions over the pace of Durhams work have grown in recent months, as his investigators have pursued a wide variety of theories, hampered at times by operational limitations due to the coronavirus pandemic, according to a person familiar with the effort. The attorney general and some of those around him have pressed for at least partial results, while Durhams pending workload seemed to stretch for months more, the person said. Such tensions are not altogether surprising; throughout his career, Durham has been viewed by colleagues as a thorough investigator, but one who sometimes took significantly longer than originally expected to finish a case. Wisconsins supreme court has ordered a halt to the delivery of mail-in ballots just a week away from the deadline by which they must be sent to voters. The decision was split along partisan lines, with conservative justices ruling that the process should be halted while the court considered whether the Green Partys candidate should be added to the presidential ticket. The decision is likely to add another layer of uncertainty to the mail-in voting process in the battleground state of Wisconsin, which is already facing unprecedented challenges due to the coronavirus pandemic. The Wisconsin supreme court ruling centres around a dispute from Green Party presidential candidate Howie Hawkins. The states Elections Commission rejected the partys request to be placed on the ballot due to the listing of two different addresses on petitions for Mr Hawkins running mate which brought the pair below the threshold needed to be included. The outcome of this case, coupled with the disruption it may cause the mail-in voting process, could have a determining effect on the election result. Wisconsin has become a key focus for both presidential campaigns in recent weeks, following a spate of violent protests in the city of Kenosha. Both Donald Trump and his Democratic rival Joe Biden visited the city within days of each other. Mr Trump won the state by a margin of 22,748, or 0.77 percent, in 2016. The Green Partys 2016 nominee, Jill Stein, received more than 31,000 votes in Wisconsin greater than the margin of Mr Trumps victory. The effect of the ruling to delay the ballots being sent may also hamper the already challenging process of dealing with an unprecedented number of mail-in requests. The number of people choosing to vote by mail has risen dramatically in the state since the outbreak began, due to efforts to minimise the spread of the virus. In 2018, only 6 percent of voters cast their ballot by mail. In primary elections this April, during which stay-at-home orders were in place, that number rose to more than 60 percent. As he has trailed in the polls in recent weeks to Mr Biden, Mr Trump has attacked mail-in voting as unsafe and vulnerable to fraud, without providing any evidence. In tandem with those attacks, the Trump campaign and the Republican National Committee have sought to block the expansion of mail-in voting in the courts in crucial swing states. Gordon Hintz, the Democratic Leader of the Wisconsin State Assembly, accused the court of acting politically by attempting to slow down voting-by-mail. The current Wisconsin State Supreme Court majority is a national embarrassment, he said in reaction to the decision, which was passed in 4-3 vote partisan vote between conservative and liberal justices. As part of its ruling, the court asked the states election commission to provide the names and addresses of everyone who has been mailed a ballot, and the date it was sent. According to the Wisconsin State Journal, as many as 378,000 ballots may have already been sent out. Meagan Wolfe, the executive director of Wisconsins Elections Commission, said in a court filing this week that there is not enough time to reprint the ballots. It would be catastrophic to this election if ballots were to change after being sent to some or all electors, she said in an affidavit. Municipalities that have already begun sending ballots would have to send a second ballot, which could result in voters returning the wrong ballot or multiple ballots. This would create a chaotic situation for election officials in paring and counting returned ballots, she added. Wisconsin state law requires mail-in ballots to be sent to voters by a deadline of September 17. Whether that deadline can now be met is unclear. The discussion is based on this week's cover story, Race of his life: How Greg Hunt is helping set the pace during the greatest medical crisis since the Spanish flu. Written by Snow, the story addresses everything from Hunts carefully cultivated life plan, to his humiliating stumble in the 2018 Liberal leadership challenge, to his critical role in the federal government's response to the COVID-19 crisis. The podcast also looks at parallels and differences with the 1980s AIDS crisis, and the fact that it's Aged Care Minister Richard Colbeck, rather than Hunt as senior minister, who has copped most criticism in the aged care bungle. It its all about legacies and reputations, says Harris. All politicians are the same they like to claim victory for the things that are done well and they like to deflect the things that havent worked out the way they should. Loading The conversation also examines some of the unusual aspects of Hunts childhood, including his mothers mental illness and his own search for stability in adulthood. Greg Hunt is a very controlled person, says Snow. He really likes to get his information in a very organised way and give it out in a very organised way. He works incredibly hard. He structures his time very tightly. Hes always on mission. He is not as big a cultivator of allies in Canberra as some of his colleagues. A lot of politicians talk about how the true friends you have in life are often the ones you meet before you enter politics, says Harris, which is certainly true of Hunt. I think once youre in this building Parliament House friends can be expendable, depending on the situations you face." For the full feature story, see Saturday's Good Weekend, or visit The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and Brisbane Times. BEIJING, Sept. 10 -- The Chinese Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) will send personnel to participate in the strategic exercise Kavkaz-2020 to be held from September 21 to 26 in Russias Astrakhan Region. Participating troops from the PLAs Western Theater Command, as well as wheeled equipment and light weapons, are to be delivered by Chinas new-type military transport aircraft. They will participate in phased drills including mobile defense and annihilation, joint firepower striking, all-dimensional assaulting and surrounding, and battlefield situation stabilizing and controlling. Apart from China, multiple countries including Armenia, Belarus, Iran, Myanmar, Pakistan will also send troops to participate in the exercise. At this critical moment when countries around the world are joining hands to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, Chinas participation in the exercise aims to further develop the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of cooperation in a new era, deepen the pragmatic cooperation in military training between the two sides, and boost the capacities of military forces from different countries to jointly deal with security threats and safeguard regional peace and stability. The exercise is not targeted at any third party, nor does it have anything to do with the regional situation. Washington: US President Donald Trump has used a speech commemorating the victims of September 11 to highlight two of his military achievements: the deaths of Islamic State leader Abu Bakar al-Baghdadi and Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani. The election campaign took a more sombre tone on Friday (US time), as Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden crisscrossed the country to pay tribute to the victims of the terrorist attacks that shook the world 19 years ago. President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump pause for a moment of silence on Air Force One on his way to speak at the Flight 93 National Memorial in Shanksville Pennsylvania. Credit:AP Both men travelled separately to Shanksville, a tiny town in the battleground state of Pennsylvania, which came to international attention after United Airlines Flight 93 was hijacked by four al-Qaeda terrorists and later crashed into a field, killing everyone on board. Speaking at the Flight 93 memorial on Friday morning, Trump praised the passengers and crew who died that day after taking it upon themselves to fight the hijackers in a bid to reclaim the plane. Tourists were received with a water salute and roses, the civil aviation ministry said Kazakhstan-based SCAT Airlines on Friday operated its first flight to Sharm El-Sheikh since Egypt resumed international flights in July, a statement by the civil aviation ministry read. The flight arrived from Kazakhstan with 234 passengers on board, landing at Sharm El-Sheikh International Airport, the statement read. Tourists were received with a water salute and roses, the ministry said, and their airport exit procedures were facilitated. The ministry also said that precautionary measures, including social distancing, were maintained, to ensure the safety of visitors and employees. Egypt reopened its international airspace on July 1 after three months of closure in the wake of the coronavirus. The country has seen a decline in coronavirus cases since August. A total of 154 new cases and 13 deaths were reported on Thursday. Egypts flagship carrier EgyptAir announced in September it was resuming flights to Accra in Ghana and Abuja and Lagos in Nigeria. Earlier this month, the airline announced the resumption of flights between Cairo and Moscow starting in the middle of September, a few days after Russia announced the resumption of flights to several countries, including Egypt. Egypt requires travellers of all nationalities who arrive at its airports to present a negative PCR test result for the coronavirus. Visitors arriving at any of four airports in Red Sea and South Sinai governorates can take a coronavirus test upon arrival. Search Keywords: Short link: The way out of the deadlock is holding the Normandy Four summit, the head of Ukraine's delegation at TCG talks on Donbas believes. Minsk agreements on Donbas settlement will not be fulfilled due to the different positions that Ukraine and Russia stand on, says Leonid Kravchuk, head of the Ukrainian delegation to the Trilateral Contact Group. Kravchuk has blamed the incumbent government's predecessors for the ineffectiveness of the deal, the Novoye Vremya online outlet reports. "Those led by [the then-President Petro] Poroshenko laid down one thing, and now they demand something else. And those who laid this down and signed it remind us that international agreements must be fulfilled," Kravchuk said. Read alsoZelensky's Office comments on "joint inspection" with Russian proxies in Donbas (UPDATED)He suggests that the implementation of the Minsk agreements is now impossible. "We are now in a rather difficult situation: there are Minsk Agreements, but they can't be implemented given the obvious reasons. Also, it's because when they were being signed, it was already clear that they would not be fulfilled. But, according to international agreements, such accords cannot be repealed by one side only," the head of the Ukrainian delegation said. However, Kravchuk sees a way out in holding a Normandy Four Summit of the leaders of Ukraine, Germany, France, and Russia. "I think this issue should be resolved on appropriate conditions and at such meetings. Only at this level. I dont see any other [way out]," said Kravchuk. Meeting of advisors to Normandy Four leaders: background (ANSA) - ROME, SEP 11 - Three accountants linked to Matteo Salvini's League party have been put under house arrest in relation to a probe into alleged fraud. The case regards the acquisition of a property for the Lombardia Film Commission at an allegedly inflated price. A Milan preliminary investigations judge said in the arrest warrants that the suspects had high ranking roles in several companies and public bodies. Two of the accountants, Alberto Di Rubba and Andrea Manzoni, have respectively been the administrative director and the auditor for the League parliamentary party since 2018. Salvini said Friday that he was confident the case would eventually be shelved. "We are very relaxed," Salvini told RAI radio. "They have been looking for money (linked to the party) in Russia, Switzerland, San Marino, Luxembourg and Liechtenstein for years but there isn't any. "I know two of the three people. They are honest and correct persons so I doubt that they would have asked for something, or done something, wrong. "I have full confidence in the judiciary though. "I am confident it will all end in nothing". The League has been ordered to pay back 49 million euros in public money in a case regarding misuse of election expenses that dates back to before Salvini was party leader. (ANSA). Israel crossed a glaring red line this week as it continued to tumble in free fall toward one of the most severe political-constitutional crises in its history. For the first time since the police began investigating suspicions of corruption against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu almost four years ago, Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit held an internal consultation this week to consider whether Netanyahu should be declared incapacitated and forced to step aside. Israeli law allows for the temporary incapacity of top office holders for various reasons. The incapacity turns permanent following 100 days and the office holder is supposed to be replaced. The only precedent in Israeli history for such incapacity dates to January 2006, when Prime Minister Ariel Sharon suffered a stroke and fell into a coma. Then the reason was related to health. The issue is on the agenda now for an entirely different reason. When police launched investigations into suspected corruption by Sharons replacement, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, a demand came up for the Supreme Court to order then-Attorney General Meni Mazuz to declare Olmert incapacitated. It was argued that Olmert was unable to fulfill his duties due to the various investigations against him and was abusing his power to hamper the work of the police. The justices rejected the petition but their ruling laid the foundations for a declaration of incapacity should a prime minister abuse his power to undermine law enforcement authorities for personal reasons. Olmert did not cross that line and resigned in 2008, well before he was indicted. Netanyahu has been waging a holy war against law enforcement authorities for the past two years, even before his indictment on charges of corruption in January 2020. He has intensified his assault in recent days to such unprecedented levels that Mandelblit considered demanding his recusal. Chances of that happening are slim. Such a decision by Mandelblit could conceivably bring Israel to the brink of civil war between half the Israelis who worship Netanyahu and the other half who despise him. On the other hand, the very fact that such a step is even being contemplated and that quite a few Israelis are calling on Mandelblit to save Israel and declare Netanyahu incapacitated is unprecedented in the annals of the state. Netanyahus continuous attacks on law enforcement authorities have turned into a siege in recent weeks. A top law enforcement official told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity that his colleagues feel they are facing a powerful machine of destruction operated by the prime ministers residence, which will not ease up until it has completely destroyed our public credibility. Exploiting his bastions of power, including the Justice Ministry that he controlled until four months ago through Likud Justice Minister Amir Ohana Netanyahu has been gathering information on various missteps or mistakes by law enforcement authorities, and feeding it to his favorite journalists in order to undermine the legitimacy of the system, which he accuses of plotting to overthrow him. This week he exploited the January 2017 police shooting death of Yakud Abu al-Kiyan, an Israeli Bedouin teacher from the Negev village of Umm al-Hiran in order to prove that authorities made a habit of whitewashing mistakes, fabricating evidence and rigging criminal complaints. The Justice Ministry responded with a list of six lies that it accused Netanyahu of telling in one of his speeches on the issue this week. Such incredible events are now occurring on an almost daily basis. Former State Prosecutor Shai Nitzan, whom Netanyahu pointed to as the chief culprit in the Abu al-Kiyan affair, has given interviews in recent days accusing the prime minister of lying and incitement. Netanyahus people, on the other hand, kept up their barrage of invective on law enforcement authorities, and even blatantly threatened Mandelblit. Israel has not known such constitutional chaos of governance since its establishment 72 years ago. This is all happening as Israel battles the relentless spread of the coronavirus. The daily record-breaking number of cases reported here earlier this week has now crossed the 4,000 mark, placing Israel first in the world in terms of infections per capita, although the mortality rate is relatively low, for now. The governments failure to control the pandemic has resulted in a ministerial committee decision to impose a two-week nationwide lockdown from the end of next week. The Cabinet is expected to approve this measure on Sunday. The lockdown, the second such measure this year, will cover the period of the Jewish High Holidays starting with the Jewish New Year eve, on Sept. 18. The quarantine is expected to have a serious impact on the economy, still reeling from the effects of the previous lockdown with a deteriorating budget deficit and deep unemployment. Meanwhile, the public protests demanding Netanyahus ouster are gaining steam, and the divisions within Israeli society, exacerbated by Netanyahus conduct, are intensifying. Prospects of healing are nowhere in sight. The growing pressure is not making a dent in Netanyahus determination to keep up his fight. This prime minister does not intend to give up anything, ever, and as President Reuven Rivlin predicted several years ago, Netanyahu intends to burn down the club and all its members before he cedes power. This coming week, Netanyahu is heading to Washington for a White House signing ceremony Sept. 15 of the normalization agreement between Israel and the United Arab Emirates. Impervious to the protests against him and lacking any social sensitivity, Netanyahu and his wife Sara have decided to fly to Washington on a private plane that the government will lease from its wealthy Israeli owner, rather than on the plane carrying the official Israeli delegation to the event. His office explained that the decision stems from concern about coronavirus infection during the long flight. The explanation did not quell the public outrage that erupted over news of the private flight. Netanyahu was unfazed. Years of investigations, a criminal trial, public censure, mass protests and a deep economic and health crisis none of these are undermining his resolve nor dampening his spirits. It was only after hours of public criticism and pressure, that Netanyahus office announced he will be joining the official Israeli delegation flight. Netanyahu is used to mounting rearguard battles against all chances. He is not considering surrender, even for a moment. And as of now, he holds unchallenged sway over his Likud party and a significant number of Israeli voters. To be continued. Indian Air Force formally inducts 5 Rafale jets in fleet at Ambala airbase People's Daily Online (Xinhua) 17:12, September 10, 2020 NEW DELHI, Sept. 10 (Xinhua) -- Indian Air Force (IAF) on Thursday formally inducted the first batch of five Rafale fighter jets in its arsenal, officials said. The induction ceremony was held at Air Force Station in Ambala of Haryana state, adjacent to Indian capital Delhi. India's Defense Minister Rajnath Singh and his French counterpart Florence Parly attended the event and watched the aircraft flying at low-speed during an air display. "IAF has formally inducted the Rafale aircraft in 17 Squadron Golden Arrows today, at Air Force Station, Ambala. The ceremony also marks Rafale's full operational entry into IAF," said a brief statement issued by IAF. The first five Indian Air Force Rafale aircraft had arrived at the Ambala airbase from France on July 27 this year. Reports said the second batch of aircraft is expected to arrive in India by the end of November this year. The IAF would be acquiring a total of 36 Rafale jets from France and all the aircraft are expected to be inducted into IAF by the end of 2021. Officials said Rafale aircraft is India's first major acquisition of fighter aircraft for IAF after Sukhoi. India in 2016 signed a deal with France for purchase of 36 Rafale fighter jets in a bid to bolster the country's military image. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Nations and stakeholders in Israeli-Palestine conflict react to Bahrain and Israel normalising diplomatic relations. Bahrain has become the latest Arab nation to agree to normalise ties with Israel as part of a broader diplomatic push by US President Donald Trump and his administration. In a joint statement, the United States, Bahrain and Israel said the agreement was reached after Trump spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Bahrains King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa on Friday. Trump hailed the deal as a historic breakthrough. The agreement comes only a month after the United Arab Emirates became the first Gulf Arab country to reach a deal on normalising relations with Israel, capping years of discreet contacts between the two countries in commerce and technology. Bahrain is the fourth Arab nation to reach such a deal with Israel after Egypt, Jordan and the UAE. Here is how other nations and stakeholders in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict reacted to the Bahrain-Israel deal: Palestinian leadership The Palestinian Authority (PA) condemned the Bahrain-Israel normalisation deal as another betrayal by an Arab state. The agreement was a stab in the back of the Palestinian cause and the Palestinian people, like the UAE-Israel deal announced last month, Ahmad Majdalani, social affairs minister in the occupied West Bank-based PA, told AFP. Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, said the deal was an aggression that dealt serious prejudice to the Palestinian cause. United Arab Emirates The UAE welcomed the decision by Bahrain and Israel to establish relations, saying that it hoped it would have a positive effect on peace and cooperation in the region and around the world. The move represents a significant step towards an era of security and prosperity (and) would expand the scope of economic, cultural, scientific, and diplomatic avenues of cooperation, the UAE foreign ministry said in a statement. On September 15, the UAE will formally normalise ties with Israel, a move that was announced last month. Bahrain and Israel will sign a declaration on the same day. Iran Following the agreement, Iran said Bahrain was now partner to the crimes of Israel. The rulers of Bahrain will from now on be partners to the crimes of the Zionist regime as a constant threat to the security of the region and the world of Islam, the foreign ministry said in a statement on Saturday. Egypt Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi said he appreciated the important step Israel and Bahrain had taken in agreeing to establish diplomatic relations. The agreement would help establish stability and peace in the Middle East, in a way that achieves a just and permanent settlement of the Palestinian issue, el-Sisi said on Twitter. Turkey The Turkish Foreign Ministry strongly condemned Bahrains decision to establish diplomatic ties with Israel, adding it will deal a fresh blow to efforts to defend the Palestinian cause. It will further encourage Israel to continue illegitimate practices towards Palestine and its efforts to make the occupation of Palestinian lands permanent, the ministry statement said. Jordan Jordans foreign minister Ayman Safadi said in a statement that the necessary steps to achieve a fair and comprehensive peace in the region should come from Israel. Safadi added that Israel should stop all its procedures to undermine the two-state solution, and end the illegal occupation of the Palestinian lands. Oman Oman TV on Sunday said the country welcomes Bahrains decision to normalise relations with Israel. The Sultanate welcomes the initiative taken by the sisterly kingdom of Bahrain, the channel said on its Twitter account. Oman hopes this new strategic path taken by some Arab countries will contribute to bringing about a peace based on an end to the Israeli occupation of Palestinian lands and on establishing an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as capital, it added. Media companies in China say they received orders from the government not to cover the release amid human rights criticism. Reuters news agency is reporting that the Chinese government has banned the media from publicising the release of the new Disney movie, Mulan. The film has caused outrage because it was partly shot in the Xinjiang region, where China is accused of committing human rights abuses against Uighur Muslims. Al Jazeeras Victoria Gatenby reports. ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia - Ethiopians on Friday welcomed what many people around the world might like to see: the beginning of a new year. Following a calendar seven years behind the Gregorian one used by much of the world, Ethiopians marked the beginning of 2013. The 2012 Ethiopian calendar is a year where we went through a lot. There was a big punishment as a result of (Gods) wrath, said Emkulu Yiheyis, an Ethiopian Orthodox priest. But it was not as big as we thought it would be, because of Gods will it was easier, and we are here now. We were largely protected from going through the horror we saw elsewhere. Coronavirus cases only in recent weeks have begun to rise rapidly in Africas second most populous country. Ethiopia had more than 62,000 confirmed cases as of Friday, including nearly 1,000 deaths. The government let a state of emergency expire over the weekend, opening the way for more public gatherings. On Friday, people prayed and sang at Bole Medhane Alem Church in the capital, Addis Ababa. The coronavirus is a huge challenge not only to our less developed nation but also to all around the world, said one churchgoer, Girma Megenta. In order to protect ourselves, all of us need to work together. So that our country is out of this bad situation, we need to teach others to raise awareness and take care of ourselves. Church services were more subdued than usual, but in the busy open-air markets of the capital, many people were going about their lives as before. Some went without face masks. What we are seeing here is very puzzling, said one shopper, Yohannes Adane. I say this because the virus is spreading and its victims are piling up. But around this area, protections against the disease are low. I advise for people to be very careful and to keep their distance. But as you can see, people are acting as if there is no coronavirus. An SK Nexilis plant in Jeongeup, North Jeolla Province / Captured from SK Nexilis website By Nam Hyun-woo Copper foil makers SK Nexilis and ILJIN Materials are locking horns over attempts to expand their market shares for copper foil used in EV batteries, exchanging salvos over the SK Group unit's alleged plan to build a plant in Malaysia. According to industry officials, SK Nexilis has been considering countries including Malaysia and Europe for the site of its copper foil plants with plans to finalize the location by the end of this year. SK Nexilis was formerly KCF Technologies. It was acquired by SK Group's chemicals unit SKC in June last year for 1.2 trillion won and renamed SK Nexilis in April this year. "It is true that SK Nexilis is looking into locations in multiple countries with an aim to build new plants, but Malaysia is just one of the candidates and we have yet to settle on a certain country," an SKC official said. "Our hope is to wrap up the location selection process by the end of this year." Rival ILJIN Materials expressed its strong opposition to the plan, saying SK Nexilis was seeking a "free ride" on ILJIN's efforts to explore location matching for copper foil production and build infrastructure. "Copper foil is very sensitive to temperature and humidity, thus finding the right location for a plant and coming up with a matching manufacturing process is critical for a copper foil maker," an ILJIN Materials official said. ILJIN Materials began its investments in Kuching for copper foil production in 2017 and launched commercial operations there in January last year. Since July, the company has been building two more plants in the city through the investment of 300 billion won. "We believe SK Nexilis has already decided to build new plants in Kuching, in an apparent attempt to free ride on our efforts over the past four years," the ILJIN official said. "When conglomerates like SK build plants next to ours, worries are there would be employee poaching and subsequent technology leaks." SK Nexilis and ILJIN Materials have been in a neck-and-neck race as the world's top copper foil makers. The two companies have already experienced conflicts over the location of domestic plants and subsequent employee transfers. ILJIN Materials built its copper foil plants in Iksan, North Jeolla Province, in 1989, and then SK Nexilis, which was then LG Metal, set up its plant in nearby Jeongeup in 1996. Due to the proximity of the cities in the same province, the companies had conflicts in the late 1990s as more than 10 ILJIN employees moved to LG Metal. SK Nexilis said it had no comment about ILJIN's claim because it has yet to choose a location for any new plants. Apart from Malaysia, the two companies are expanding their manufacturing facilities aggressively. In June, SK Nexilis announced that it would invest 120 billion won to build its sixth plant in Jeongeup, just seven months after it decided to build its fifth plant in the city. ILJIN Materials said recently it had secured a plant site near Budapest, Hungary, and would invest 1.5 billion won to build copper foil plants. Battery makers Samsung SDI has plants in Hungary. CCP of Taiwan, Lingbao Wason of China, SK Nexilis and ILJIN Materials are the world's top copper foil makers. According to Macquarie Research, CCP's share in the copper foil market last year stood at 19 percent, followed by Lingbao Wason with 16 percent, SK Nexilis with 16 percent and ILJIN Materials with 14 percent. Macquarie anticipated SK Nexilis and ILJIN Materials would lead the pack by 2025 by increasing their copper foil supply to 128 kilotons and 126 kilotons respectively, outpacing Lingbao Wason's 110 kilotons and CCP's 95 kilotons. Rising Covid-19 cases are again striking more older age groups, after it emerged 27 of the people newly diagnosed with the virus yesterday were over 65. The virus has been slowly encroaching among vulnerable older age groups, and in the last two weeks, 89 of those infected with the virus were over 75 - a doubling of the number infected in the previous fortnight. The increasing impact on susceptible older people - who have been largely spared of the virus over the summer - comes as 196 new cases of the virus were diagnosed yesterday and HSE Covid-19 testing services came under pressure, forcing it to pause screening of workers in meat plants until next week. Infections It had led to the first walk-in testing centre in Limerick city where people can attend for a Covid-19 test without an appointment. Dublin remained the worst-hit yesterday with 107 new cases, followed by 12 in Waterford, 11 in Limerick, 8 in Wicklow, 7 in Meath, 7 in Kildare, 6 in Laois, 6 in Westmeath, and the remaining 32 new infections located in Cavan, Clare, Donegal, Galway, Kilkenny, Leitrim, Longford, Louth, Mayo, Monaghan, Offaly, Roscommon, Tipperary and Wexford. Acting chief medical officer Dr Ronan Glynn expressed concern about the number of infections in older people and also warned 37 of yesterday's new cases were due to community transmission where the source could not be found. "By limiting our contacts, we limit the opportunity Covid-19 has to spread through the community and ultimately we protect our families, our communities and those who are most vulnerable to the severest impacts of the disease," he said. Earlier, a row broke out over the HSE's decision to park until next week the surveillance testing of meat plant workers - the scene of major outbreaks in the Midlands - because of a surge in referrals of people referred for Covid-19 checks by GPs. However, HSE chief Paul Reid said it had to prioritise people with symptoms of Covid-19 and on Monday more than 13,000 were tested - more than double that of on a normal day. On Tuesday another 8,000 tests were carried out. They included children - with classes of over 30 in some cases - and people in north Dublin. Spread "We have to take the public health approach to prioritising our capacity on a daily basis towards testing symptomatic people," he insisted. The HSE currently has a capacity to test 100,000 people a week but this may have to be increased if the spread of infection deteriorates. Around 30 swabbing centres have now been opened across the country. Speaking in the Dail, Leo Varadkar said that the abrupt halt at meat plants was a temporary measure to address a surge in tests being sought by members of the general population. He said there were 13,000 test requests from members of the public last Monday, along with 3,000 from hospitals that day, for a total of 16,000. The national test capacity was 15,000, meaning the meat plant tests could not go ahead, he said. However, testing in meat plants was due to resume next week, he added. Pearse Doherty, of Sinn Fein, said the cancellations were "reckless, short-sighted and need to be rectified". Meat plants were hotspots for Covid-19 because of the "poor working conditions" and status of employees, he said, leading to increased transmission in communities. There were four existing meat and food plant outbreaks in the State, he added. Workers at one plant in Tipperary had received text messages saying testing was ceasing with "immediate effect". Capacity Mr Doherty said the Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly, had not mentioned the move, despite being specifically asked about meat plants in the Dail on Wednesday. But Mr Doherty said the highest rate of tests, 70,000 a week, had only been done last week although it was claimed there was a capacity for 100,000. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-12 03:20:36|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close ANKARA, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- Turkey's Defense Ministry announced on Friday that its forces have launched a search and rescue exercise off the coast of Libya. "Within the scope of the activities of the Turkish Naval Task Group, a search and rescue exercise at sea was carried out by TCG GEMLIK Frigate operating offshore Libya and the helicopter stationed on the ship," the ministry said in a tweet. Libya has been torn by a raging civil war between the Government of National Accord (GNA) based in the capital Tripoli and the Libyan National Army and its allies based in the east. Turkey supports the GNA both politically and militarily, deploying its troops in Libya to train and advise forces loyal to Fayez al-Serraj, head of the GNA. Enditem The sudden surge and collapse brought significant losses to many traders, including one elderly investor who lost over HK$1 million. Hong Kong police said they arrested 15 people on suspicion of manipulating the share price of Next Digital Ltd. over three days in August when the stock surged more than 1000% following the arrest of the companys owner and founder, Jimmy Lai. The 14 men and one woman were charged with conspiracy to defraud and money laundering related to possible stock manipulation, according to a police briefing (link in Chinese) on Thursday. The group colluded with each other over social media and made 13,200 transactions involving 1.69 billion shares from Aug. 10 to 12, accounting for 23.8% of the stocks turnover during that period, earning a combined profit of HK$38.7 million ($5 million), according to numbers provided by the police. By pushing up the trading volume, they led investors to believe that the stock was hot and the price would rise, which lured them into the market, Chung Wing-man, head of the narcotics bureau of the Hong Kong police department, told reporters. Next Digitals Hong Kong-listed shares started to jump on Aug. 10 when Lai was arrested for alleged violation of the citys national security law, which went into effect on the evening of June 30. Police raided the publications offices, and several executives from the company, which owns the local Apple Daily newspaper, were also arrested. In the two-day trading period from Aug. 10 to Aug. 11, the stock surged by 1095% to a peak of HK$1.1, but over the following two days sank by 65.5% to close at HK$0.38 on Aug. 13. The sudden surge and collapse brought significant losses to many traders, including one elderly investor who lost over HK$1 million, Chung said. Its unusual for the police to get involved in market manipulation cases, as they are by law regulated by Hong Kongs Securities and Futures Commission. But they are entitled to step in if there is fraud or money laundering involved. The buying and selling behavior of the 15 suspects was basically identical, implying some kind of link between them, Superintendent Chow Cheung-yau from the narcotics bureau said, adding that one of them had links with organized crime and six were unemployed. The age and working background of some of the 15 caused the police to doubt their sources of income, adding to suspicions they were involved in money laundering, Chung said. There was also reasonable suspicion that they had colluded, Chow said. Contact reporter Guo Yingzhe (yingzheguo@caixin.com) and editor Nerys Avery (nerysavery@caixin.com) Download our app to receive breaking news alerts and read the news on the go. By PTI ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Thursday said that it has conveyed the judicial orders to India for appointing a lawyer to represent death-row prisoner Kulbhushan Jadhav in the court but New Delhi had not responded yet. Foreign Office spokesman Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri said at the weekly briefing that Pakistan was committed to the implementation of International Court of Justice (ICJ)'s judgment in the case and would take all measures necessary to implement the judgment. "Yes, we have conveyed the decision of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) to India through diplomatic channels. We have not yet received a response from the Indian side," he said. Jadhav, the 50-year-old retired Indian Navy officer, was sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court on charges of "espionage and terrorism" in April 2017. On September 3, the IHC asked the authorities to once again approach India and Jadhav to appoint a lawyer. Chaudhri said that there was "absolutely no pressure on Pakistan from India" on accepting its demand to appoint a foreign lawyer in the case. "We continue reminding India that for an effective review and reconsideration of commander Jadhav's conviction and sentence, they will have to cooperate with the Pakistanis courts. "As per the ICJ's judgment, review and reconsideration in the case can be provided by the Pakistani courts," he said. He said that India's position in the matter was "unfortunately still evasive". "We believe that the consular access was unimpeded and uninterrupted; presence of security personnel does not and should not imply that the access was impeded or interrupted," he said. "Our offer of a third consular access is still on the table," he said, adding that as for India's insistence on getting a foreign lawyer appointed in the case, only those lawyers can appear in Pakistani courts who have a license to practice law in Pakistan. He said that cooperation was made available wherever in the investigation of Jadhav was required from Iran. On July 16, Pakistan provided consular access to Jadhav, but the Indian government said the access was "neither meaningful nor credible" and he appeared visibly under stress. The Ministry of External Affairs said Pakistan is not only in violation of the judgment of ICJ, but also of its own ordinance. Pakistan has introduced a special law to allow Jadhav to get his sentence reviewed as asked by the ICJ. India approached the ICJ against Pakistan for denial of consular access to Jadhav and challenging the death sentence. The Hague-based ICJ ruled in July last year that Pakistan must undertake an "effective review and reconsideration" of the conviction and sentence of Jadhav and also to grant consular access to India without further delay. Pakistan claims that its security forces arrested Jadhav from the restive Balochistan province on March 3, 2016 after he reportedly entered from Iran. India maintains that Jadhav was kidnapped from Iran where he had business interests after retiring from the Navy. Automaker Hyundai is promoting its hydrogen fuel cell technology with the Nexo sedan in Europe. The company said Thursday that it is launching the campaign this month, starting in Berlin, and it will go on for a year. Hyundai wants to promote "sustainable future mobility and the establishment of a hydrogen ecosystem via video and social media," according to a press release. Nigeria's Imo State University has set up a committee to investigate sex-for-grades claims after videos of lecturers allegedly having sex with students were shared online, according to Punch newspaper. One of the videos shows an alleged lecturer being arrested by police while he was half-naked. The other video shows a lecturer masturbating in an office after reportedly having sex with a student. Local media outlets have reported that the lecturers were recorded by the students with assistance from security officials. The university's public relations official Ralph Obinjoku has been quoted by the Punch newspaper as saying that the management would not spare anyone found guilty. He spoke about one of the videos where a lecturer was being arrested and said the committee formed had been asked to do a "thorough job". Last year, in a documentary about sex-for-grades allegations, BBC Africa Eye recorded incidents at the University of Ghana and the University of Lagos. 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 As prepared for delivery. Opening Dear Excellencies, Colleagues, This event offers us an opportunity to highlight the inherent power of South-South and triangular cooperation to help countries respond decisively to global challenges like COVID-19 -- and to advance sustainable development. The Added Value of South-South/Triangular cooperation demonstrated during the COVID-19 Pandemic In particular, we are seeing the clear added value of the UN Office for South-South Cooperation in serving as a springboard to drive forward this crucial collaboration. To take just one example -- over $5 million is now being fast-tracked from the UN Fund for South-South Cooperation to support developing countries collective efforts to respond to the pandemic -- this is made possible thanks to strong support by Member States including China and India and other partners such as the Islamic Development Bank. At the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) we are proud to be currently working with the support of the India-UN Development Partnership Fund on a total of 27 projects across the Global South. One project has fully rehabilitated Barbudas only hospital following the devastating Hurricane Irma -- it is now equipped to support the communitys needs during the pandemic. Moreover, it is a clear example of the UNs Build Forward Better principles as the hospital now has greater structural resilience and more inclusive access. It is also clear that for developing countries with much larger populations and fewer resources -- there is increased impetus to advance innovative approaches. In this respect, UNDP is working closely with the India, Brazil and South Africa Facility for Poverty and Hunger Alleviation on an inventive project in Viet Nam that leverages an e-learning platform to provide vital COVID-19 training courses for healthcare workers posted in remote locations. Or look to the fact that over 280,000 protective masks (as well as protective gowns and ventilators) -- have been mobilized and donated by UNOSSC and partners -- in part thanks to its groundbreaking "South-South Galaxy" knowledge sharing platform, which is powered by Artificial Intelligence. Closing In closing, UNDP is very proud to host the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation as the system-wide focal point on South-South cooperation. The COVID-19 pandemic clearly demonstrates how South-South and triangular cooperation is more important than ever to quickly mobilize critical assistance; to share solutions to respond to the socio-economic crisis and to find ways to help countries build back better from the pandemic while accelerating progress on the SDGs. Finally, in light of his upcoming retirement, I would like to take this opportunity to thank Jorge Chediek for his leadership, vision and dedication. I wish you all the best in your future endeavours. Huntsville police say a neighborhood showed its support for officers Thursday night with an unusual light display. Lt. Michael Johnson said the residents of a neighborhood off Holmes Avenue near UAH replaced their porch lights with blue bulbs in honor of police. The display came one day before the anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. The officers working the third shift in the departments west precinct saw the display. Someone simply called police to come through the neighborhood, Johnson said. Huntsville police shared photos of it on social media. Comments there largely showed support for the gesture and for local law enforcement. Okay, I straight up just about cried right now. What a beautiful thing to do for you all! read one comment, while another person wrote, Huntsville has a great PD and wonderful supportive community. An alley in Myeong-dong, a popular tourist district in central Seoul, is quiet as social distancing restrictions have been implemented following a second wave of COVID-19 infections. / Yonhap By Jun Ji-hye Government officials are agonizing over whether to extend tougher social distancing guidelines for Seoul and surrounding areas as the number of daily new COVID-19 cases remains in the triple digits, according to the officials Friday. It is not an easy decision for the government because difficulties in economic conditions have been worsening especially for the self-employed, small business owners and other low-income groups. The government aimed to reduce daily new cases to below 100 when raising its social distancing restrictions to Level 2.5 in the Seoul metropolitan area, Aug. 31. But the nation's daily count of new virus cases has been between 100 and 200 for more than a week after the figure hit its peak at 441 on July 26. According to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the country added 176 more COVID-19 cases, including 161 locally transmitted infections, for Thursday, raising the total caseload to 21,919. The government adopted a three-tier social distancing scheme on June 28, and raised the distancing guidelines from Level 1 to Level 2 for the country on Aug. 23, as the nation's daily new cases have been rising by triple digits every day since Aug. 13. The level was raised to the so-called Level 2.5 in the Seoul metropolitan area Aug. 31 amid fears of more outbreaks in the densely populated region. This level of measures is supposed to end this Sunday. Under the Level 2.5 guidelines, restaurants and bars can operate until 9 p.m., and only takeout and delivery is permitted after 9 p.m. For franchise coffee chains, bakeries and ice cream parlors, only takeout and delivery is permitted. The authorities attributed the number of daily infections that have been in triple digits to continued sporadic outbreaks traced to a variety of places including churches and hospitals. The spread may have been caused by people unaware of their infected status and yet to be diagnosed. The government said it would decide whether to extend or ease the Level 2.5 social distancing requirements in the Seoul metropolitan area on the weekend after watching the virus situation for one or two more days, according to Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun. "We want to ease the enhanced rules when thinking about those who have made sacrifices," Chung said during a government meeting on COVID-19 responses. "But at the same time we are worried over the possibility that the decision to ease the rules could lead to a resurgence of infections." Yoon Tae-ho, a senior health ministry official in charge of containment measures, said the government could "take a third road" other than extending the Level 2.5 or easing it. "We will listen to opinions from experts and local governments, and hold sufficient discussions before making a decision," he told a media briefing. Health experts warned against making a hasty decision to ease the enhanced rules. "If the government raises the level of social distancing, there would be a decrease in the number of new cases for a moment," said Kim Woo-joo, a professor for infectious diseases at Korea University. "Likewise, if the government eases the tougher social distancing requirements, the number of new cases would increase. The government should keenly monitor the degree of risk of infections before making a decision." The European Parliament will block any trade deal with the UK if Boris Johnson breaches his Brexit deal, MEPs said today. Leaders in Brussels said the Prime Minister's UK Internal Market Bill is a 'serious and unacceptable breach of international law' which puts the trade negotiations at risk. A statement added: 'Should the UK authorities breach - or threaten to breach - the Withdrawal Agreement, through the United Kingdom Internal Market Bill in its current form or in any other way, the European Parliament will under no circumstances ratify any agreement between the EU and the UK.' Tensions between Britain and Brussels have grown in recent days after Mr Johnson unveiled plans to tear up parts of the original Brexit divorce deal. The EU has given Mr Johnson until the end of the month to withdraw his proposals to override elements of the Withdrawal Agreement, with the bloc threatening legal action if he does not comply. Brussels has also made clear that the future of trade talks are at risk of collapse if Mr Johnson does not perform a U-turn - but Michael Gove has vowed the Government will not be changing course. It comes after the European Union hinted it could ban UK food exports to the bloc if the two sides fail to agree a trade deal by the end of the year. Michel Barnier said there were still 'many uncertainties' on the UK's post-Brexit standards regime and that 'more clarity is needed' in order for Brussels to agree to allow British exports of food and livestock to continue. Michel Barnier, pictured in London yesterday, has hinted the EU could ban UK food exports into the bloc if the two sides fail to strike a trade deal Tensions between the UK and the EU have increased in recent days after Boris Johnson said he intends to override parts of the Brexit divorce deal Trade talks between the UK and Brussels remain ongoing ahead of the end of the transition period in December. But Mr Johnson is facing a rebellion of up to 30 Tory MPs who want to give Parliament the ability to veto any attempt by the premier to depart from the divorce accord. The scale of the Tory backlash to his plans has prompted the PM to invite every Conservative MP to a mass private Zoom call this evening when he will answer questions in a bid to assuage rising levels of anger. Meanwhile, Gordon Brown today said Mr Johnson's plans represented a 'huge act of self harm'. The former prime minister argued the Government's strategy appears to be based on a belief that a 'desperate' EU will eventually back down but he said such a belief is 'wrong' and that the bloc is actually more likely to dig in. The row over the PM's Brexit plans came as International Trade Secretary Liz Truss announced a free trade agreement between the UK and Japan has been secured in principle. UK strikes first post-Brexit trade deal with Japan Ministers have been urged to 'redouble' their efforts to secure a post-Brexit free trade deal with the EU after the Government announced it had secured an agreement with Japan. International Trade Secretary Liz Truss said it was a 'historic moment' for the two countries which will bring 'new wins' for British businesses. But Labour said it was important to put the deal in 'perspective', stressing that even though the agreement was 'welcome', the net benefit would amount to just 0.07 per cent of UK GDP. The agreement comes as hopes of a trade deal between the UK and EU hang in the balance after Brussels demanded the UK abandons plans to override key elements of the Withdrawal Agreement. Shadow international trade secretary Emily Thornberry said: 'Trade with Japan represented 2.21 per cent of our global total last year, and under the best case scenario put forward by the Government, today's agreement will see that total increase by just 0.07 percentage points each year, simply maintaining the levels of growth seen since 2015, and preserving the forecast benefits of the current EU-Japan agreement. 'That all compares to the 47 per cent of our global trade that we currently have with the EU. 'So, necessary as this agreement is, the Government's overriding priority has to be securing the oven-ready deal that they promised us with Europe, which Japanese companies like Nissan have told us is crucial to the future of the investment and jobs they bring to Britain.' The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) said the deal was 'undoubtedly a cause for celebration' but that securing a free trade agreement with the EU 'remains critical to the future of businesses in the UK'. Advertisement Ms Truss said it is Britain's first major deal as an independent trading nation and it will increase commerce with Japan by an estimated 15.2 billion. In a statement issued by Mr Barnier following the conclusion of the latest round of Brexit talks yesterday, he said: 'There are also many uncertainties about Great Britain's sanitary and phyto-sanitary regime as from 1 January 2021. 'More clarity is needed for the EU to do the assessment for the third-country listing of the UK.' The so-called 'third-country listing' of the UK by the EU is necessary to allow the continued export of agricultural goods. It had been viewed as a formality that the UK would be given the listing even if no trade deal is agreed because the two sides currently have matching food standards regimes. Mr Barnier's suggestion that the listing could be withheld is seen by some in Whitehall as a move by the EU to put pressure on Mr Johnson to drop his plans to move away from parts of the Withdrawal Agreement. A Government spokesman said: 'The right to export is the absolute basis for a relationship between two countries that trade agricultural goods. 'It is a license to export and entirely separate from the issue of food standards. It would be very unusual for the EU to go down this route and deny the UK listing.' It came as Mr Brown today became the third former prime minister to criticise Mr Johnson's Brexit plans after Sir John Major and Theresa May also hit out at the current occupant of Number 10. The former Labour leader told the BBC's Radio 4 Today programme: 'This is a huge act of self harm. We knew there was a debate over fishing and over state aid but then to explode the argument into breaking an international treaty has been condemned by so many people. 'If I had done that when I was prime minister the Conservatives would have accused me of breaching the rule of law, they would have thrown everything at us and said 'you cannot ignore an international treaty that you signed only a few weeks ago and you negotiated'. 'But I think this is part of a strategy that I think is going wrong on the part of the Government. 'They think they will have a European Council on October 16 and that they can persuade Angela Merkel to step in instead of Barnier, they think they can tie up a deal because people will be desperate. 'I don't think it is going to work that way because I think myself that Angela Merkel will probably be even more adamant to stick to the rule of law.' Mr Brown said he feared the UK will end up with a 'minimalist' trade deal by the end of the transition period in December which the EU will axe if Britain fails to live up to its commitments. 'What I fear is actually we are going to get some sort of deal but it is a minimalist deal that will be no tariffs now but if you break the level playing field then we will intervene as a European Union,' he said. The latest row with the EU was sparked by the publication of the Government's UK Internal Market Bill. The legislation, which the Government is hoping to crash through the House of Commons in the next two weeks, will enable the UK to unilaterally make decisions about key issues, like customs arrangements between mainland Britain and Northern Ireland, contained within the Withdrawal Agreement. Brussels is adamant that the decisions must be made by a joint committee made up of people from both sides. The Government has admitted its proposals will break international law, prompting fury from Mr Johnson's political opponents but also from Tory backbenchers. Conservative MPs are now planning to try to amend the legislation in order to give Parliament a veto on any attempt by the PM to override the Withdrawal Agreement. Sir Bob Neill, the Tory chairman of the Justice Select Committee, is tabling the amendment and reports suggest he may have the backing of up to 30 of his Conservative colleagues. Sir Bob told Times Radio: 'We are not natural rebels. We've all served as ministers, we know that this is a serious job, and we do our best to take the job seriously. So we don't do anything like this lightly. 'So I hope it's at least an indication as a Government that really, you need to think very hard and carefully about going down this route. For heaven's sake, try and find some other way.' Rebelling against Mr Johnson's Government on Brexit has previously resulted in Tory MPs being stripped of the party whip. But a Government source told The Times that would not be the case if there is a rebellion on the UK Internal Market Bill. The source said 'we're not in the same place' as previously on Brexit matters. Even if the Bill makes it through the Commons there are major question marks over whether it will survive the House of Lords where peers are furious at the plans to knowingly break international law. Lord Lamont of Lerwick, a former Tory chancellor and a Brexiteer, said there was 'no way' peers will agree to the legislation. Advertising veteran Subhash Kamath intends to leverage technology to fasten the complaints processing mechanism at the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) as he settles in his new role as chairman of the regulatory body. With the implementation of the Consumer Protection Act 2019, ASCI's role becomes important as it liaises with the government to monitor false or misleading advertisements. The body will track digital platforms for misleading ads and discuss if branded content falls under ASCI's purview, said Kamath. Edited excerpts from an interview: What would be your immediate area of attention as ASCI chairman? I think there are two and three areas that I would focus on. There are already few good things which have been put in my place by my predecessor which should continue and new things will be added to it. Covid has changed the business and industry at large. Things are getting far more digital now in business, marketing and social context. So advertising messaging and engagement styles are also changing. Therefore, in terms of regulation our codes and guidelines have to also evolve especially with the changing digital ecosystem. I believe new concepts needs to be discussed and added to the existing guidelines. We will be creating future facing codes and collaborating with people from the digital world. Secondly, although ASCI processes are fairly robust but I would like to leverage technology to make the entire complaint redressal mechanism faster and responsive. I also want to ensure there is a higher level of interaction with consumer complaint council (CCC) and the ASCI board. Now that Consumer Protection Act is in place there will be an increased focus on how can we better collaborate with the government around misleading campaigns and consumer protection. Tell us more about ASCIs recent foray into monitoring digital ads. We have partnered with TAM to monitor 3, 000 digital platforms which includes search, video and display ads which covers about 80% of Indias digital spends. I believe it is a big step in monitoring the digital advertising space. Currently, we are looking at certain categories such as food & beverages, healthcare and education sectors because they accounted for 80 % of complaints with ASCI till last year. More categories will be added as we proceed further. Will ASCI look at including advertising led over the top (OTT) video streaming platforms under its purview? These are issues which are currently under conversation at ASCI. A lot has changed and evolved over the last few years and OTT platforms are a product of it. Cable TV Act clearly states ads which do not confirm to the ASCI codes will not be allowed to air on television. Similarly, we have to see if OTT comes into that context. The fundamental objective of ASCI codes is to protect consumer interest and guide our members towards more responsible advertising. I believe that doesn't change whether the platform is OTT or television. When I say we are working on future focused strategies these kinds of new platforms will be discussed and brought under our conversations. Do you currently have representation from digital and social media platforms in the ASCI board? Not immediately but we did have representation from Google and Yahoo on our board in the past. These are large digital and social media platforms and they too have the responsibility in terms of the content being run on their platforms. Our mandate is not on social media posts being done by users on these platforms rather we look at brands that advertise on these platforms. Content is merging with advertising on platforms like Instagram where influencers post sponsored content. How do you regulate that? Today, our mandate does not cover content and focuses on paid media. Having said that, there is a section that deals with celebrity-led advertising. We need to debate and discuss whether social media influencers come under celebrity act or not. At the end of the day, celebrities do have reach and influence they have to be responsible when they are promoting brands. What constitutes advertising is now an evolving debate therefore we are looking at whether content/branded content can be dubbed as advertising under ASCI's purview. Right now, the social media ads which are not being tracked because they are gated. But I can assure that it will come under ASCI's conversations. However, there might not be an immediate guideline for them. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Never miss a story! Stay connected and informed with Mint. Download our App Now!! Topics Synthesis and characterization of TEMPO-doped PDA. (A) Schematic illustration of the TEMPO-doped PDA with narrower bandgap and improved light absorption ability compared to conventional PDA. (B) Polymerization of dopamine and TEMPO, together with their molecular structures and powder photographs. (C) SEM image of PDA-3. (D) EELS mapping analysis of PDA-3 (Scale bars, 100 nm). (E) XPS survey spectra of PDA-i (i = 0 to 3). a.u., arbitrary units. (F) C 1s peaks, (G) N 1s peaks, and (H) O 1s peaks in XPS spectra of PDA-3. Credit: Science Advances, doi: 10.1126/sciadv.abb4696 Polydopamine (PDA) is an advanced functional material and its emergent light absorption properties make it crucial for applications in materials science. However, it is challenging to rationally design and regulate PDA absorption properties due to its complex architecture. In a new report, Yuan Zou and a team of researchers in polymer science, optoelectronic materials and physical chemistry in China proposed a simple method to regulate the light absorption behaviors of PDA. To accomplish this, they constructed donor-acceptor pairs in the microstructures via connections between specific chemical moieties. They then used detailed structural and spectral analysis as well as density functional theory (DFT) simulations to confirm the existence of such donor-acceptor molecular pairs. The molecular pairs could decrease the energy bandgap (or energy gap where no electrons exist) and increase electron delocalization to enhance light absorption across a broad spectrum. The rational design of PDA nanoparticles with tunable absorption properties allowed an improved photothermal effect, which the team demonstrated with excellent performances during solar desalination. The work is now published on Science Advances. Polydopamine Inspired by the bio-macromolecular pigments of melanin, polydopamine (PDA) has received increasing attention for applications in surface engineering, photothermal therapy and bioimaging. The strong adhesive and light absorption properties of PDA can also benefit interfacial engineering during water remediation. Scientists have proposed many synthetic methods to prepare PDA nanomaterials, although with limited attention to regulate its absorption spectrum. The dopamine polymerization process is composed of several complicated pathways and therefore not fully understood. As a result, Zou et al. assumed that the construction of highly conjugated structures relative to donor-acceptor pairs in the PDA nanostructures could regulate the absorption spectrum of the sample. To accomplish that in this work, they developed a one-pot synthesis strategy to synthesize PDA nanoparticles (NPs) with tunable light absorption properties. Synthesis and characterization During the synthetic process, they conducted direct copolymerization of 2,2,6,6-Tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl (TEMPO) a typical nitroxyl radical, onto dopamine in an aqueous solution. They doped the TEMPO moiety to the polydopamine microstructure by covalently connecting the molecule with 5,6-dihydroxyindole (DHI) and Indole-5,6-quinone (IQ) oligomers to narrow the energy band gaps of the material and improve light absorption behaviors of conventional polydopamine nanoparticles (PDA NPs). The scientists confirmed the outcomes by using electrochemical analysis, density functional theory simulations and spectral measurements. The work demonstrated an outstanding photothermal efficiency for the product that can be used in interfacial solar steam generation and seawater desalination. Proposed reaction pathways and intermediates formation during the polymerization of dopamine and TEMPO. (a) Proposed reaction pathways and mechanism during the polymerization of dopamine and TEMPO. (b) ESI-MS spectrum of the crude product solution after 5 min reaction; (c) Proposed intermediate molecular structures assigned to main peaks in (b). Credit: Science Advances, doi: 10.1126/sciadv.abb4696 The scientists developed three types of PDA NPs (classified between 1 to 3) with different doping contents and similar particle sizes by tuning the initial concentration of TEMPO. They synthesized conventional PDA NPs through self-polymerization of dopamine in the presence of ammonium using a well-established method. They observed the resulting PDA sample characteristics using scanning electron microscopy, dynamic light scattering and Fourier transform infrared spectra (FTIR). Using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), they confirmed the existence of carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen elements in all PDA samples highlighting the successful preparation of TEMPO-doped PDA NPs. Based on the results, Zou et al. hypothesized two possible pathways to form the cross-linked macromolecular structure. Enhanced light absorption and photothermal behavior of TEMPO-doped PDAs. The team examined the light absorption capacity and total photothermal effect of these TEMPO-doped PDA NPs, where the product strongly absorbed light by catching and converting solar energy to heat energy efficiently with wide-ranging applications. During further tests, they dispersed PDA-3 in water at several concentrations for irradiation under lasers. When compared to many other outstanding photothermal materials, the TEMPO-doped PDA NPs showed better photothermal behaviors. For instance, Zou et al. noted how gold nanoparticles could suffer substantial loss of light absorbance after long-term irradiation due to structural destruction via the accompanying heat of the experimental conditions. The team contrastingly demonstrated how TEMPO-doped PDA NPs maintained enhanced light absorption capabilities with improved photothermal behaviors compared to conventional photothermal nanomaterials. The resulting material can serve as new generation photothermal agents to complete a variety of applications. Enhanced light absorption and photothermal behavior of TEMPO-doped PDA. (A) Photographs of PDA aqueous solutions with concentration of 50 and 100 g ml1. Photo credit: Yuan Zou, Sichuan University. (B) L* values of different PDA aqueous solutions. (C) UV-vis-NIR spectra of PDA-i (i = 0 to 3) ranging from 300 to 1500 nm. (D) Temperature elevations of PDA-3 at different concentrations under 808-nm laser irradiation. (E) The photothermal response of PDA-i (i = 0 to 3) aqueous solutions (100 g ml1) for 600 s with 808-nm laser irradiation, and then the laser was shut off. (F) Temperature curves of PDA-3 (100 g ml1) under four on/off cycles and under 808-nm laser irradiation. The light intensity of 808-nm laser was 2.0 W cm2. (G) Molar extinction coefficient, T, and total photothermal efficiency of PDA-i (i = 0 to 3). Photo credit: Yuan Zou, Sichuan University. Credit: Science Advances, doi: 10.1126/sciadv.abb4696 The scientists noted the spontaneous formation of donor-acceptor microstructures in the TEMPO-based PDA system due to chemical conjugation between TEMPO and DHI, IQ and their oligomers during the polymerization process. This reaction contributed to the lower energy bandgap and enhanced light absorption of the product. To verify this, they calculated the optical bandgap value of different PDA samples in their aqueous solution forms alongside their electrochemical cyclic voltammetry (CV) to investigate energy bandgaps of all samples. They established the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) and lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) using the CV measurements and established the TEMPO unit as a donor fragment. As the doping concentration of TEMPO increased, the IQ moiety proportion also gradually increased, resulting in better delocalization of electrons for improved light absorption. The team hypothesized an increase in free radicals during PDA synthesis via TEMPO doping, which they tested and verified using electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) measurements. Since the exciton-induced absorption (EIA) spectra did not rely on the amount of TEMPO doped to form the compound, the team credited it broadly to the presence of excitons in its additional constituents (such as DHI, IQ). The light energy conversion process within PDA. (A) EPR spectra of PDA-i (i = 0 to 3) with the same mass in the solid states. (B) Transient absorption kinetics traces for PDA-i (i = 0 to 3). (C) Transient absorption spectra of PDA-3 at indicated delay times. (D) The EIA kinetic trace of PDA-3. mOD, mean optical density. Credit: Science Advances, doi: 10.1126/sciadv.abb4696 Applications of water desalination The excellent photothermal and light absorption properties of TEMPO-based PDA made the material well-suited for applications in water steam generation and seawater desalination. Of the variety of samples, Zu et al. selected PDA-3 as the most promising candidate to develop the evaporation device. To accomplish this, they deposited the PDA-3 aqueous solution onto a cellulose membrane as a hydrophilic light absorber and prevented direct contact with water by using a thermal insulation layer such as polystyrene. When Zou et al. exposed the experimental setup to solar irradiation, they purified water by collecting condensed water from the solar steam. The PDA-3-coated cellulose membrane showed improved light absorption compared to control samples. The construct absorbed a majority of solar energy in the UV and visible regions. To understand solar vapor generation and photothermal evaporation performance, they measured the weight loss of water during evaporation and considered the energy conversion efficiency as an important index. The results indicated the feasibility of the device for desalination alongside efficient and durable activity. Water desalination experiment. (A) A schematic diagram of the solar steam evaporation device based on PDA-3. (B) Photograph of the CM and PDA-3coated CM. (C) SEM cross-section image of the double-layered film structure. (D) UV-vis-NIR diffuse reflection spectra of the CM and PDA-3coated CM in the wavelength range of 250 to 2500 nm. (E) IR image of PDA-3based device under one sun for 15 min. (F) Time course of water evaporation performances of saline water, CM, and PDA-3coated CM under one sun irradiation. (G) Solar steam efficiency and evaporation rate of saline water, CM, and PDA-3coated CM. (H) Photograph of the water steam generated under solar illumination of four suns with the PDA-3coated CM. (I) The ion concentration of the saline water and seawater obtained from Bohai Bay before and after desalination. The dashed lines refer to the standard for drinkable water from the World Health Organization (WHO) and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), respectively. (J) Evaporation cycle performance of solar desalination devices over 30 cycles, with each cycle sustained more than 1 hour. The inset showed the photograph of absorber after 30 cycles. (K) Evaporation rate among different PDA-based evaporators under one-sun illumination. PVDF, polyvinylidene difluoride. Photos credit: Yuan Zou, Sichuan University. Credit: Science Advances, doi: 10.1126/sciadv.abb4696 In this way, Yuan Zou and colleagues proposed a simple method to regulate the absorption spectrum of polydopamine (PDA) in a one-pot polymerization process in the presence of dopamine and TEMPO. The resulting nanoparticles had improved light absorption ability and photothermal effects when compared to conventional PDA nanomaterials due to the donor-acceptor structures in the PDA system. When they coated the resulting TEMPO-based PDA on the cellulose film, the construct acted as a sunlight absorber suited for water evaporation with a high efficiency of solar conversion and excellent rate of evaporation. The work will offer new opportunities for structural and functional PDA nanomaterials suited for light-harvesting applications. Explore further Using a selective light absorber to build a photothermal catalysis system 2020 Science X Network SBI Group Inc., one of the biggest online brokerages in Japan, may be planning to leave Hong Kong due to uncertainty over the Chinese citys business environment in the long term, as well as a resource reallocation strategy. SBI may be the first Japanese firm to make such remarks to the media. Hong Kong has been rocked by social turmoil since June 2019, amid protests and violent clashes against a controversial extradition bill that was eventually withdrawn. In June, the Chinese central government enacted a National Security Law for Hong Kong, which some worry may impact the citys business environment. SBIs plan was first reported Wednesday by Japanese media outlet Jiji Press. An SBI spokesperson later confirmed the news to Caixin, saying the company has decided to either withdraw from Hong Kong or downsize its business there. The spokesperson said that the company had not finalized a specific plan and that the process is still in an early stage. SBI currently operates securities brokerage and pharmaceutical research businesses in Hong Kong, with fewer than 100 employees in the city. If it withdraws from Hong Kong or downsizes its business there, SPI will consider allocating more resources to the Chinese mainland, the spokesperson said. There are no changes in our commitment towards mainland China at the moment, the person said. Headquartered in Tokyo, SBI was part of Japanese investment bank SoftBank Group Corp. before spinning off from the latter in 2006. As of March, SBI had around 5.5 trillion yen ($52 billion) in total assets. In 2005, SBI set up a private equity fund focusing on the Chinese mainland. In 2012, it launched a subsidiary on the mainland, which runs investment, financial services and pharmaceutical businesses. Over the past year, Hong Kongs social unrest has impacted business sentiment. More than 80% of some 300 Japanese firms operating in the city were concerned about the effects of the security law, according to a July survey (link in Japanese) conducted by bodies including the Consulate-General of Japan in Hong Kong and the Japan External Trade Organizations Hong Kong office. More than 9% of the surveyed Japanese companies said they planned to downsize their Hong Kong operations, while about 1% said they planned to totally withdraw from the city. In July, Japanese securities firm Daiwa Securities Group Inc. said it may accelerate plans to shift some businesses in Hong Kong to the Chinese mainland, if tensions in the city worsen, Bloomberg reported. Nomura Securities Co. Ltd. also scaled back its operations in the city in the first half this year. Contact reporter Tang Ziyi (ziyitang@caixin.com) and editor Gavin Cross (gavincross@caixin.com) Download our app to receive breaking news alerts and read the news on the go. STUTTGART, Germany -- Germany is violating an international treaty when it asks U.S. military personnel to pay taxes in the country, the U.S. Embassy in Berlin said as it jumped into a long-running fiscal dispute that has affected hundreds of U.S. troops and civilians. The U.S. Embassy and military commands "are aware of this long-standing issue and working closely in concert to address what we believe to be a misinterpretation of the NATO Status of Forces Agreement," embassy spokesman Joseph Giordono-Scholz said in a statement this week. "The Department of Defense and Department of State are engaged to try and reach a resolution," Giordono-Scholz said, giving the first indication that the issue is being tackled at a higher level than military commands in Germany, which have been unable to resolve it after years of trying. State and Defense Department lawyers are hashing out the details of a plan that will be turned over to the embassy for action in the weeks ahead, a State Department official told Stars and Stripes this week. The involvement of senior U.S. officials comes after Stars and Stripes earlier this year spotlighted how Germany has threatened to impose hefty tax penalties -- some in six figures -- on troops and civilians who it says have special ties to the country. It's aimed at getting the German federal government to issue guidance that would stop regional tax offices from levying taxes on Americans living in the country with SOFA protections, military officials have said. The NATO Status of Forces Agreement is intended, among other things, to protect military personnel, who already pay taxes in the U.S., from having to also pay it in Germany on their military pay. But some local fiscal offices in Germany maintain they have a right to tax personnel who aren't in the country "solely" for their jobs. They have argued that a service member or Defense Department civilian who extends their tour, marries a local person or does anything else that suggests special ties to Germany could be liable for taxes on all military pay they've received while in Germany, including back pay. Benefits such as housing allowance have been factored into the tax bills, said tax experts and a German defense attorney who has taken on some military cases. To avoid being taxed, service members and civilians must prove to German authorities a "willingness to return" to the U.S. But there is no established legal standard that defines what constitutes a willingness to return and German tax offices decide on a case-by-case basis if they will waive or impose taxes on someone. The ultimate proof of intent to leave -- actually returning to the U.S. -- doesn't necessarily offer protection from German regional finance offices, which have sought taxes dating back 10 years and pursued U.S. personnel after they have returned home. U.S. Army Europe, which manages SOFA matters in Germany, has known about the severity of the problem since at least 2014, when an Army PowerPoint presentation about host-nation relations noted that around 100 civilians and active-duty troops were in financial difficulty after receiving tax bills from the Germans. Today, nearly 500 people with military ties are under investigation in the Landstuhl area, where thousands of Americans who are assigned to Ramstein Air Base and several Army bases live, the local tax office said in July. Military members in other regions, including Stuttgart and Wiesbaden, also have been targeted. In the 2014 document, USAREUR said the personal nature of the issue meant "the ability of the command to influence the outcome is limited." It also said that, as a "last resort," the U.S. Embassy in Berlin could be called in to organize "inter-governmental talks" on the issue. It's unclear if the growing number of Americans with SOFA status who are being threatened with tax bills was the trigger for that last-resort solution, but six years later, the high-level talks seem to be on the brink of happening. The Dauphin County Commissioners hosted a virtual community forum Thursday night to educate the community on child abuse and sex trafficking and how to prevent it from happening in the community. This forum comes after a 16-year-old boy was shot and killed in broad daylight by a registered sex offender almost two weeks ago, police said. Kyan Kings alleged shooter, Orlando Duarte, was charged with criminal homicide and unlawful firearm possession. In the weeks following his death, Kings death sparked community activism and outrage. County Commissioner George Hartwick said he wanted to bring together stakeholders and experts to make sure something like this doesnt happen again. This entire community is stunned and outraged by this horrific tragedy, Hartwick said. We are shining a light on this despicable crime, bringing it out of the darkness so that we may save lives. Nothing is more important than protecting our children. A group of panelists that included local advocacy groups, Harrisburg city council members, attorneys, psychologists and police officers provided resources and information to the 120 attendees that will be posted to the countys website in the coming days. Harrisburg City Councilwoman Ausha Green said forming community watch groups, educating the children in the community, and speaking up if residents see something are among the top ways members of the community can help. There are currently 26 neighborhood watch groups in Harrisburg. Those interested in joining or starting one from scratch can contact Blake Lynch, community policing coordinator, at Balynch@harrisburgpa.gov. Last year there were 1,180 reports of child abuse and 171 of those claims were substantiated, Marisa McClellan, an administrator at Dauphin County Social Services, said. Those are typical numbers," and of those claims, 112 were made by females and 59 were male. Boys are much less likely to report abuse than girls, McClellan said. Dr. Dawn Crosson, a clinical psychologist, said these stories in the community can cause vicarious trauma, which is the emotional residue of exposure that counselors have from working with people who have suffered trauma. She said its important to recognize symptoms of trauma like overwhelming anger or sadness, intrusive thoughts and constant worrying. African Americans and people of color we experience trauma at a disproportionate rate. Things like poverty, discrimination, systematic racism all can be considered traumatic, Crosson said. But sometimes we dont often know or recognize what trauma is. Hartwick said the community needs to support those seeking mental health resources and decrease that stigma. What I realize as I get older is those people that ask for help are the strongest individuals that Ive ever come across because theyre willing to accept and humble themselves and stop cycles of issues that might have happened, he said. According to data collected through Megans Law, Dauphin County has nearly 900 registered offenders a number much higher than neighboring counties and large for its population base. Jen Gettle, Dauphin County Chief Deputy District Attorney, said Megans Law cannot prevent sex offenders from living in a given area. Certain parole restrictions can keep sexually violent predators from living in the same household as children and keep them from daycare centers and schools. Local notification happens when a registered sex offender moves to a new residence, Gettle said. If you are new to an area, she said you need to check the Megans Law registry and keep an eye on your neighborhood. Angie Fox, who is Rep. Patty Kims legislative assistant, said community members with questions regarding sex offender parole and notification systems should send them to afox@pahouse.net Kim is meeting with the Deputy Secretary of Parole on Friday to find ways to change the law to better protect communities. Heres where you can report child abuse or sex trafficking anonymously: Promising talks between warring parties in Afghanistan are likely to generate a lot of controversies, but this is the only way for Afghans to achieve peace after decades of ongoing conflict, AP reported referring to the US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Its taken us longer than I wish that it had to get from February 29 to here but we expect Saturday morning, for the first time in almost two decades, to have the Afghans sitting at the table together prepared to have what will be contentious discussions about how to move their country forward to reduce violence and deliver what the Afghan people are demanding a reconciled Afghanistan with a government that reflects a country that isnt at war, Pompeo said on the plane taking him to Doha. On Saturday in Doha, talks will begin between the parties within the country to resolve the conflict in Afghanistan. Later, the parties will begin to develop a road map of Afghanistan. The US Secretary of State noted that it is the Afghans who must decide how to move forward and how to make life better for Afghans. Earlier, US President Donald Trump announced the reduction of the American military presence in Afghanistan in accordance with the promise made to him ahead of the 2016 presidential elections. Finland will ease tight restrictions on entry as it tries to attract back business travelers and tourists ahead of winter, allowing arrivals from countries with higher rates of coronavirus infection including its neighbor Sweden. Previously, Finland has barred arrivals from countries with more than 8-10 cases of coronavirus infection per 100,000 people, a threshold which excluded travelers from many European countries. The exclusion of Swedes was particularly disruptive, as the neighbors are close allies. From Sept 19, the threshold for countries to gain unrestricted entry will rise to 25 cases per 100,000. Travelers from countries where the rate is higher will also be allowed in if they present a negative test result. They must then remain under self-quarantine, either for two weeks or until they produce a second negative test. Finland's incidence over the past two weeks stood at 7.8 cases per 100,000 inhabitants on Thursday, among the lowest in Europe, data from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control showed. (Reuters) The introduction of the six-person limit on gatherings in England on Monday could lead to the pubs sector suffering a 'long and painful' winter, one publican told This is Money. Ed Anderson, 45, a publican with three pubs in Cheltenham and 25 years of experience in the industry, said: 'Unlike other businesses pub's rents are set with reference to previous turnover. 'This means that pubs cannot pay their rent when restrictions are in place. Sadly it's going to be a long and painful winter for pubs without further help, either forced on landlords or from Government.' The boss of UK Hospitality, Kate Nicholls, has also told This is Money she thinks the new social gathering laws place an even greater burden on all businesses across the hospitality sector, including pubs. In the trade: Publican Ed Anderson thinks pubs will face a 'long and painful winter' this year Ms Nicholls said: 'The Prime Minister's statement represents a further shift towards hospitality businesses to act to protect public health. 'This is a challenge that the sector has already grasped and will redouble efforts to achieve, in the interest of customers and staff, and to minimise the risk of further lockdowns.' In a speech on Wednesday evening, Prime Minister Boris Johnson confirmed that the maximum number of people who can gather together will be cut from thirty to six, although this will exclude single households and support bubbles consisting already of more than six people, and some exclusions. A group of six people can still enjoy a drink and some grub at a pub in England from Monday, but bookings for groups beyond this number will not be permitted. The Prime Minister also announced the mandatory use of test and trace by hospitality businesses like pubs. While pubs may have seen a spike in activity in the last few weeks, Emma McClarkin, chief executive of the British Beer & Pub Association, has warned that this surge in activity looks set to drop off over the next few months. Ms McClarkin said: 'It is important to understand that the changes to social gatherings announced today will have an immediate cooling effect on public confidence to go out and visit our pubs. 'And will have a direct impact on trade that will be felt hard across an industry that is already struggling to get back on its feet. 'At such a delicate point in our recovery after a steady start this summer, as we head into Autumn and Winter where we expect trade to already slow down, this is very concerning.' An extension on business rates relief, continuation of the VAT cut to food and soft drinks, a sector specific furlough extension and a significant beer duty cut are needed now, Ms McClarkin added. Eat Out to Help Out boost Chancellor Rishi Sunak's popular Eat Out to Help Out Scheme helped pubs serving food boost customer numbers in August. This week, pub chain Fuller, Smith and Turner said today that its sales had reached 80 per cent of last year's levels after trade was buoyed by August's discount scheme. Fuller's said the Eat Out to Help Out scheme had encouraged customers to return to the pub after lockdown, 'reinstating it in their routine.' With many flocking to green spaces and coastal resorts, stronger trading in suburban and countryside pubs has offset the impact of lower footfall in towns and city centres, the company said. Fuller's confirmed it had reopened over 90 per cent of its managed pubs since Government restrictions eased up on 4 July, and almost all of its tenanted pubs have also reopened. The group reintroduced commercial rent for Fuller's tenants on a tapered basis from August. Boost: Pub chain Fuller's said the Eat Out to Help Out scheme helped sales in August Fuller's chief executive Simon Emeny said: 'We are still at the start of a return to normality, but we are quietly confident with the way business is progressing. 'Fuller's has long extolled the virtue of a balanced estate, both in terms of style and geography, and that has been borne out in the current climate with stronger trading in suburban and countryside locations compensating for the initial lack of footfall in our town and city centres.' He added: 'It has been an incredibly challenging time. 'We have implemented a clear strategy with our phased reopening plan that included introducing a number of digital-led initiatives to improve the customer journey, taking every possible step to keep our teams and our customers safe, and keeping a tight focus on costs.' Fuller's boss was not available for comment today regarding what the new social gathering laws could mean for his business. Bengal BJP chief says 'Corona is over', TMC asks him to visit a doctor 4,266 cases in last 24 hrs push Delhis Covid-19 tally to over 209,000 29 Delhi MLAs get tested for Covid ahead of assembly's special session on Monday Over 2 million Covid-19 tests done in Delhi so far According to the Union health ministry's dashboard, India on Friday logged 96,551 cases and 1,029 deaths due to the novel coronavirus disease (Covid-19), which pushed the tally and death toll to 4,562,414 and 76,271 respectively. Maharashtra's Covid-19 on Friday tally crossed the one million-mark on Friday after 24,886 fresh cases and 393 related-fatalities were added. The total cases include 2,71566 active cases, over 715,000 recoveries and 28,724 deaths. Click here for full Covid-19 coverage India is considering Russias proposal for conducting the third phase of clinical trials and manufacturing of its vaccine Sputnik V by firms in the country, Niti Aayog member Vinod Paul said. Sputnik V is the worlds first Covid vaccine to be approved by a government, after it received regulatory clearance from Russia on August 11. Worldwide there are 28,312,894 coronavirus cases and 913,076 confirmed deaths, according to worldometer. Read highlights here: Kevin Van Ausdal, the Democratic candidate in Georgias 14th Congressional District, abruptly and mysteriously announced Friday afternoon that he was dropping out of the race for family and personal reasons. The next steps in my life, he said in a statement posted to Twitter, are taking me away from Georgia, so I will be disqualified from serving in Congress and will give the Party a chance to put forward a candidate that can carry this fight to the end. Advertisement A message from Kevin Van Ausdal pic.twitter.com/Y5LtVcpK2B Kevin Van Ausdal (D) (@KevinVanAusdal) September 11, 2020 Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He added in a separate statement that Although all the details will remain my familys alone, please understand this was not an easy decision. We are real people managing hard choices. Advertisement Advertisement Van Ausdals departure removes the last, albeit flimsy, barrier against the ascent of Republican nominee Marjorie Taylor Greenean extremist QAnon supporter who, just recently, posted an illustration of herself holding a gun next to progressive members of the Squadto the United States Congress. Though Greene has been repudiated by some individual House Republicans, GOP leadership has said they look forward to her election. The president, meanwhile, adores Greene, describing her as a future Republican Star and inviting her as a guest to his convention speech at the White House. Just to get in on the weirdness, Rep. Tom Graves, the retiring incumbent Republican whom Greene is seeking to replace, announced later Friday afternoon that he would leave Congress in October instead of January to avoid surprises and because it just doesnt seem right to kill time on the taxpayer dime. Advertisement The northwestern Georgia seat is about as red a seat as there islook, for example, at whom Republicans in the district nominatedand Van Ausdals chances of winning the seat were marginal. But at least Democrats had someone on the ticket competing against a genuinely threatening Republican nominee. While Van Ausdal said his team believes there is a way to replace him, Georgias deputy secretary of state told the Associated Press on Friday that the deadline for replacing Van Ausdal had already passed. A follow-up Twitter statement attributed to Van Ausdals campaign manager said, Our finances are intact, and Kevin is safe. Further details about why Van Ausdal is not just leaving the race against a radical conspiracy theorist with frightening followers but leaving the state of Georgia entirely, remain unknown at this time. Connecticut prosecutor Nora R. Dannehy gets into a cab as she leaves the Law offices of Patton & Boggs after interviewing Karl Rove May 15, 2009 in Washington, DC. Tom Carson, a spokesman for Durham's office in Connecticut, told CNBC in an email, "We're confirming that she has resigned from the Department of Justice and not commenting further." "They said she has been considering resignation for weeks, conflicted by loyalty to Durham and concern about politics," the Courant reported. But the newspaper also reported that "colleagues said Dannehy is not a supporter of President Donald J. Trump and has been concerned in recent weeks by what she believed was pressure from [Attorney General William] Barr who appointed Durham to produce results before the election." Dannehy's email to colleagues in Durham's office, in the District of Connecticut, "said nothing about political pressure," the Courant reported. The Hartford Courant on Friday reported that Nora Dannehy , the top aide to U.S. Attorney John Durham in his controversial probe, told colleagues on Thursday night that she had resigned. A top prosecutor in the probe into the origins of the investigation of President Donald Trump and Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election has quit, reportedly in part due to fears that political concerns were behind pressure to produce a report before the probe's work is completed. This 2018 portrait released by the U.S. Department of Justice shows Connecticut's U.S. Attorney John Durham. A spokesman for Barr, who heads the Justice Department, which in turn supervises the nation's United States attorneys and their offices, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The resignation comes two months before the presidential election, in which the Republican Trump faces Democratic nominee Joe Biden, the former vice president. Barr last month said he could reveal at least some of Durham's findings before the election, sparking concerns that such an announcement could help Trump politically. "We'll develop this case to the extent we can before the election, and we'll use our prudent judgment to decide what's appropriate before the election and what should wait until after the election," Barr said at the time. Dannehy, who had previously worked in the Connecticut U.S. Attorney's office, including serving as that office's acting chief, was lured out of the private sector last year to work for Durham in his special assignment of investigating the origins of the Trump-Russia probe by the Justice Department and the FBI. Durham was tapped to run that investigation in May 2019 by Barr. Critics of the Durham investigation have said it is a politically motivated effort by Barr and the Trump administration to smear the investigation by then-special counsel Robert Mueller, whose probe led to multiple successful criminal prosecutions of Trump associates. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn. last year tweeted that "Trump&AG Barr are politically weaponizing DOJ [Department of Justice] threatening a return to its darkest days." "Targeting law enforcers as enemiessimply because they have the spine to stand up to corrupt poweris deeply dangerous, indeed chilling. This line must not be crossed," said Blumenthal, who previously held Durham's job as U.S. Attorney for Connecticut. Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., during an appearance on MSNBC on Friday, said, "The whole point of this investigation is political." "It began for a political reason, it will end for a political reason and the whole push by Barr to get something out, the push by Trump to get this report, interim report out before the election, is so transparently political," said Schiff, the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee. "So if indeed this is why this career prosecutor retired or resigned from the case, it makes a lot of sense," he added, referring to Dannehy. Dannehy's email to colleagues announcing her resignation came hours after Trump declined to say whether he had confidence in Durham's probe, which so far has led to one criminal case. Last month, former FBI lawyer Kevin Clinesmith pleaded guilty to altering the text of an email. That email had been used by the FBI to seek court approval to eavesdrop on Carter Page, a former Trump campaign aide, in 2017. Clinesmith, in pleading guilty, told a judge that he thought he was putting in accurate information in the email. "I can't tell you that yet," Trump said during a White House press conference Thursday when asked about his confidence in Durham's investigation. "I have to see. I'm not involved in it," Trump continued. "I purposely stayed uninvolved. I'm, I guess, considered the chief law enforcement officer of the country. I could be involved if I wanted to. I thought it would be better if I wasn't. I think it's better if our great attorney general handles it. He has Durham, who is a very, very respected man, and we're going to see what it is." Asked if he wanted to see Durham prosecute more people in his investigation, Trump said, "I can tell you this: They they lied, they cheated, they leaked, they got caught. They spied on my campaign. Never in history has there been anything like this." "And I guarantee if the roles were reversed and I was on the Democrat side, people would have been in jail at the very highest level," the president said. "People would have been in jail for two years already. Nothing like this has ever happened. And the term would be for many, many years, because it's treason and other words can be used also." The NCP (Nationalist Congress Party) chief Sharad Pawar on Friday clarified that he has no connection with the building that houses Kangana Ranauts office in Mumbai that was partially demolished by the BMC recently after the actors controversial comments. Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) officials demolished portions of Ranauts property, alleging structural violations, a day after issuing her a notice. The actors recent comment where she compared Mumbai with Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and criticised the city police kick-started a controversial storm in the nation, with many coming out in support of Ranaut. As per reports, Ranaut had said the building that housed her office, belongs to the NCP chief. Pawar, however, denied the claim. Also Watch l You dont demolish Dawoods house: Fadnavis slams Sena over Kangana case I have no connection with the building, which was demolished by BMC. Her allegations against me are totally false, NCP chief said, as quoted by ANI. Ever since the demolition drive, Ranaut has been in a midst of a political drama with Maharashtra state government after the actor made remarks in Susant Singh Rajputs death case. The decision was taken by Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). State government had no role in it. BMC did it following its rules and regulations, Pawar added. Following the controversial row, the Union home ministry provided Ranaut Y-plus category security. New Delhi, Sep 11 : Military representatives of India and China meet on Friday to ease out tensions at the border where both countries troops are metres away, ready to take on each other. The military delegate talks have been happening continuously since September 7 when Chinese's People's Liberation Army (PLA) made a provocative move to occupy Indian territories at the Line of Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh and it was thwarted by Indian Army forces. India then carried out pre-emptive actions to occupy Rezang La, Rechen La, Blacktop, Goswami Hill, and other height features near Chushul to pre-empt the Chinese army activities going on there. The Chinese have made multiple attempts to dislodge Indian troops from mountain heights. The Brigade Commander level meeting is happening in Chushul and has remained inconclusive so far. A senior Indian Army officer said that the talks will eventually ease tensions and it is a tedious process. In Delhi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held a crucial meeting with Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) Bipin Rawat and NSA Ajit Doval along with the service chiefs over the ongoing situation. The meeting came a day after External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, held crucial talks in Moscow to resolve the prolonged border standoff. The Defence Minister's meeting with the service chiefs lasted for about two hours in which Foreign Minister Jaishankar's meeting with his counterpart and the mechanism to resolve the border tension was deliberated upon. On Thursday, the two countries had agreed on a five-point plan for resolving the prolonged border face-off in eastern Ladakh. The plan included abiding by all existing agreements and protocol on management of the frontier, maintaining peace and tranquility and avoiding any action that could escalate matters. India and China are engaged in a four-month-long standoff at the LAC in Eastern Ladakh. Despite several levels of dialogue, there has not been any breakthrough and the deadlock continues. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Bahrain has joined the United Arab Emirates in agreeing to normalise relations with Israel, in a US-brokered deal that Palestinian leaders denounced as another treacherous stab to the Palestinian cause. Donald Trump, the president of the United States, announced the deal on Twitter on Friday after he spoke by phone to Bahrains King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. This is truly a historic day, Trump told reporters in the Oval Office, saying he believed other countries would follow suit. Its unthinkable that this could happen and so fast. Joint Statement of the United States, the Kingdom of Bahrain, and the State of Israel pic.twitter.com/xMquRkGtpM Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 11, 2020 In a joint statement, the United States, Bahrain and Israel said opening direct dialogue and ties between these two dynamic societies and advanced economies will continue the positive transformation of the Middle East and increase stability, security, and prosperity in the region. A month ago, the UAE agreed to normalise ties with Israel under a US-brokered deal scheduled to be signed at a White House ceremony on Tuesday hosted by Trump, who is seeking re-election on November 3. The ceremony is due to be attended by Netanyahu and Emirati Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The joint statement said Bahrains Foreign Minister Abdullatif al-Zayani will join that ceremony and sign an historic Declaration of Peace with Netanyahu. Like the UAE agreement, Fridays Bahrain-Israel deal will normalise diplomatic, commercial, security and other relations between the two countries. Bahrain, along with Saudi Arabia, had already dropped a ban on Israeli flights using its airspace. Fridays joint statement only made passing mention of the Palestinians, who fear the moves by Bahrain and the UAE will weaken a longstanding pan-Arab position that calls for Israeli withdrawal from already illegally occupied territory and acceptance of Palestinian statehood in return for normal relations with Arab countries. The statement said Bahrain, Israel and the US will continue efforts to achieve a just, comprehensive, and enduring resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to enable the Palestinian people to realise their full potential. Grave harm Netanyahu welcomed the agreement and thanked Trump. It took us 26 years between the second peace agreement with an Arab country and the third, but only 29 days between the third and the fourth, and there will be more, he said, referring to the 1994 peace treaty with Jordan and the more recent agreements. For its part, Bahrain said it supports a fair and comprehensive peace in the Middle East, according to BNA state news agency. That peace should be based on a two-state solution to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the report said, quoting King Hamad. Jared Kushner, Trumps son-in-law and senior White House adviser, hailed the agreements as the culmination of four years of great work by the Trump administration. Speaking to reporters in a call from the White House soon after Fridays announcement, Kushner said the UAE and Bahrain agreements will help reduce tension in the Muslim world and allow people to separate the Palestinian issue from their own national interests and from their foreign policy, which should be focused on their domestic priorities. The Palestinian leadership, however, condemned the agreement as a betrayal of the Palestinian cause and recalled the Palestinian ambassador to Bahrain for consultations. Palestinians have protested against Arab states normalising ties with Israel [File: Raneen Sawafta/Reuters] In a statement, the Palestinian Authority said it rejects this step taken by the Kingdom of Bahrain and calls on it to immediately retreat from it due to the great harm it causes to the inalienable national rights of the Palestinian people and joint Arab action. The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), based in Ramallah, the occupied West Bank, called the normalisation another treacherous stab to the Palestinian cause. And in Gaza, Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem said Bahrains decision to normalise relations with Israel represents a grave harm to the Palestinian cause, and it supports the occupation. A purely Saudi decision Khalil Jahshan, executive director at the Arab Center of Washington, said Saudi acquiescence was key to Bahrains decision. It is a purely Saudi decision. In the absence of the ability, due to internal constraints, by the leadership in Saudi Arabia to respond positively to Trump, they gave him Bahrain on a silver platter. Bahrain, a small island state, is home to the US Navys regional headquarters. Saudi Arabia in 2011 sent troops to Bahrain to help quell an uprising and, alongside Kuwait and the UAE, in 2018 offered Bahrain a $10bn economic bailout. Al Jazeeras Nida Ibrahim, reporting from Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, agreed, saying Palestinian officials believe the Bahrain and the UAE deals would not have happened without regional backing. The fear among the Palestinians is that these deals are a green light for more Arab states to normalise with Israel, she said. And many Palestinians say that for years they saw the US as Israels lawyer or partner and now they see it as Israels agent. Thats because Trump is the one announcing these normalisation deals. Since taking office, the Trump administration has pursued staunchly pro-Israel policies, including moving the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, ordering the PLO to shutter its Washington, DC, office and recognising Israels occupation of the Syrian Golan Heights. The US president and his advisers have championed a so-called deal of the century proposal to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and they have courted Arab Gulf states to try to drum up support for that initiative. Bahrain, for example, hosted a US-led conference in June 2019 to unveil the economic side of the proposal, and Emirati and Saudi leaders voiced support at the time for any economic agreement that would benefit Palestinians. Palestinian leaders boycotted that summit, however, saying the Trump administration was not an honest broker in any future negotiations with Israel. Reporting from Washington, DC, Al Jazeeras Kimberly Halkett said while the deals between Israel, Bahrain and the UAE are not high on the list of priorities for most US voters, a large portion of Trumps supporters are Evangelical Christians who favour his pro-Israel positions. Halkett said Trump is trying to show them before the November 3 contest that he can get the deal of the century done in his second term. Hes acting as if this is a framework that will bring about that so-called deal of the century, Halkett said, despite the fact that the president and his administrations representatives are not even talking to the Palestinians right now. A piece of Canadas history will be on display in Winnipeg starting this fallthe Hudsons Bay Company plans to make the royal charter available for public viewing at the Manitoba Museum from Saturday until early 2021. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 10/9/2020 (497 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. A piece of Canadas history will be on display in Winnipeg starting this fallthe Hudsons Bay Company plans to make the royal charter available for public viewing at the Manitoba Museum from Saturday until early 2021. "Its an incredible document, and if you come down to see it the preservation is remarkable," said Amelia Fay, curator for the HBC Museum Collection. "It really is a foundational document for what we now call Canada." The charter established the original structure for the companys governance and provided exclusive rights to the Hudson Bay watershed, which was already home to several Indigenous peoples. (Mike Sudoma / Winnipeg Free Press) The charter, a 350-year-old relic of Canadas colonial history, is a "pivotal historical document" signed by King Charles II in 1670, launching the Hudsons Bay Company into existence, HBC said in a Thursday news release. Originally granted to the "Governor and Company of Adventurers Trading into Hudson Bay," the charter established the original structure for the companys governance and provided exclusive rights to the Hudson Bay watershed unceded land already home to several Indigenous peoples. The area was named Ruperts Land after the Kings cousin and the companys first governor, Prince Rupert, and comprises more than 40 per cent of modern-day Canada. The exhibition will join the Hudsons Bay Company Museum Collection at the Manitoba Museum, and will provide visitors with a chance to engage in complex conversations around the artifact and the nations history, said Fay, adding she hopes the document will ideally provide opportunities for visitors to think about the legacy of land claims in the context of Canadas relationship to Indigenous populations. "This document reflects that thinking from that time period, in that age of discovery," Fay said. The exhibition will join the Hudsons Bay Company Museum Collection at the Manitoba Museum until next year. (Mike Sudoma / Winnipeg Free Press) "I hope people start to think a little bit more about land rights and land claims, particularly settlers." Fay said she hopes the age of the document will point visitors to the realization that settler claims to land considered "vacant," simply because it was not inhabited by Christians, long-precedes Canadas Confederation. The document, shipped to Winnipeg from Toronto, will also provide "some depth" to the fur-trading history that stems out of the province, she said. The Hudson's Bay Company spearheaded the display of the document, citing an opportunity to consider and acknowledge its own role in shaping Canada's relationship with Indigenous people. The Hudson's Bay Company spearheaded the display, citing an opportunity to consider and acknowledge its own role in shaping Canada's relationship with Indigenous people. (Mike Sudoma / Winnipeg Free Press) "As we acknowledge our past and the role HBC played, specifically in the history of Indigenous Peoples, we are committed to encouraging discussion and learning, in part through access to artifacts and information such as the Royal Charter," wrote HBC governor and executive chairman Richard Baker in the release. "While we look back on the past 350 years, this acknowledgement and education is vital to ensuring we create an inclusive and just path forward." The charter will be available for viewing in the HBC Gallery with admission to the Manitoba Museum, Thursdays to Sundays between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. julia-simone.rutgers@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @jsrutgers Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. (Newser) A Southern California man's work uniform may have initially helped him pull off a crime, but not ultimately. Steve Hortz, a deputy who's been with the Orange County Sheriff's Department for 12 years, was arrested Thursday after being accused of breaking into a home he'd reported to earlier this summer. Sheriff's officials say a man in his 70s died of apparent natural causes at the Yorba Linda residence, and Hortz responded to a call about that death on July 20, per NBC News and KTLA. Then, on July 27, Hortz returned to the unoccupied home wearing his deputy garb and broke in through the back; it's not clear if he took anything during that visit, per a sheriff's office release. Officials say Hortz then made two more mid-August visits while dressed in street clothes and stole multiple items. story continues below He was busted after an attorney for the deceased man's estate showed up Wednesday at the sheriff's office, with a complaint of missing items from the home as well as security footage showing Hortz breaking in, officials say. Hortz is accused of taking ceiling fans, a rifle case, a couple of safes, and other unspecified items. In a statement, Sheriff Don Barnes calls Hortz's alleged actions "inexcusable and intolerable" and "a violation of public trust." Per CBS Los Angeles, Hortz has been booked into the Santa Ana Jail on suspicion of burglary, with a $20,000 bond. A spokeswoman for the sheriff's office says Hortz is currently on paid administrative leave, though the possibility of that shifting to unpaid leave is being examined. Officials say they're also looking into previous calls responded to by Hortz to see if anything similar happened in those cases. (Read more burglary stories.) Body of a Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist was recovered by security forces from Sukhnag stream in Central Kashmirs Budgam district on Friday, four days after he was injured in an encounter with the forces. On September 7, said a police spokesperson, acting on information about the presence of terrorists in Kawoosa area of Budgam, police and security forces launched a cordon and search operation in the area. During the search operation the terrorist fired upon the search party which was retaliated. However, after a brief gunfight, one terrorist who had received bullet injury escaped from the spot and jumped into Sukhnag Nala, said the spokesperson. The army and police have been searching the area since then. Even divers from the navy were arranged to look for the terrorists body inside the Sukhnag stream, said police. A senior police officer said that the dead body of a terrorist was recovered from the stream at Kawoosa Budgam. He (the terrorist) had been shot in the neck as he jumped into the stream. The officer identified the militant as Aqib Lone of Lashkar-e-Taiba (leT) from Aglar Shopian. Following his escape, a search operation was launched by Budgam Police, 2 RR and 44 CRPF in the said area. The services of Marine Commandos and river police were also pressed into service and the search operation continued for four days. The joint search team were successful in recovering the dead body of a terrorist during the intervening night of 10/11 September from Sukhnaag Nallah Kawoosa. One hand grenade, 1 Pistol, 1 AK magazine, AK rounds, 2 mobile phones, a knife and other materials were also recovered, said police spokesperson. A federal judge on Wednesday formally dismissed lawsuits brought by hundreds of residents and business owners whose properties downstream of the Addicks and Barker reservoirs were flooded when water was released from dams following Hurricane Harvey. Property owners upstream and downstream of the dams each sued the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on the grounds that it intentionally used their properties to store flood water after heavy rainfall in 2017. But while one federal judge last year found the Army Corps was liable for damage to thousands of properties from water that backed up above the dams, a separate judge sided with the government in the case brought by the downstream property owners. Senior Judge Loren A. Smith of the U.S. Court of Federal Claims ruled in February that the severe hurricane itself not the government was to blame for damage caused by floodwaters released from the dams west of Houston. This weeks ruling finalizes Smiths findings and allows litigants to begin the appeals process with the exception of newly filed cases and 11 original lawsuits that have objections pending. Jack McGeehee, an attorney for the downstream property owners, said the flood victims legal team anticipated the final order but not the judges decision to disband the legal team. No one expected the judge on his own to destroy the leadership structure, he said. Some of us will continue acting for the benefit of the entire group whether or not we are paid for our leadership activity, he added. Our advice to all the plaintiffs is to hang in there we will not quit! Officials at the Justice Department declined to comment on Smiths ruling. Smith wrote that downstream flood victims could not sue the government for extraordinary flooding the likes of which, he said, had not occurred since the life of Jesus! The government built the dams decades ago to protect the city of Houston from catastrophic flooding, but Smith wrote that property owners were not entitled to perfect flood control simply because government set up a flood control system. Smith said that downstream plaintiffs made a different argument than their upstream counterparts. The judge in the upstream case, Senior Judge Charles F. Lettow, ruled that intentional flooding happened to those properties as a result of the general operation of the Addicks and Barker dams and reservoirs. The judge ruled that the dams worked exactly as designed, holding back water in a flood pool that now contained homes and businesses built in the intervening years. The downstream deluge occurred for the vast majority when the floodgates were opened to release excess water. The judge found that Harvey, and not the government, was was the sole and proximate cause of the floodwaters. The government and the downstream plaintiffs did not dispute the details of what happened during the downstream flooding. They disagreed about whether the Army Corps was to blame for the damage. Lawyers have said about 8,500 homes and 1,000 businesses in Fleetwood, Thornwood, Westchester, Nottingham Forest and the Energy Corridor took on water from the controlled releases and at least one person died inside his home from the flooding. Attorney H.C. Chang estimated that 30,000 people suffered flood damage downstream mostly after the floodgates were opened. gabrielle.banks@chron.com The Securities and Exchange Commission yesterday filed insider trading charges against two former executives of PetMed Express Inc., a publicly-traded online pet pharmacy based in Florida. The SEC's complaint alleges that Richard M. Kirsch, PetMed's former Director of Information Systems, and Adam Terris, PetMed's former Director of Call Center and Pharmaceutical Operations, both Davie, Florida residents, profited from trading in the securities of PetMed on the basis of confidential information obtained in their senior roles with the company. As alleged in the SEC's complaint, from December 29, 2014 to January 18, 2018, Kirsch traded common stock and call options in advance of seven PetMed market-moving earnings announcements after learning information concerning the company's quarterly and year-end financial results, for realized profits and avoided losses of $164,966. According to the SEC's complaint, Kirsch also routinely purchased PetMed securities during blackout periods when PetMed's internal policies prohibited all trading in the company's securities. The SEC further alleges that in March 2017, Kirsch purchased PetMed call options using money Terris provided for trading while both were in possession of information concerning PetMed's quarterly and year-end financial results. As further alleged, Kirsch sold the call options days after the company's earnings announcement, and gave Terris all of the realized profits of $727,400. The SEC's complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, alleges that Kirsch and Davis violated the antifraud provisions of Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5 thereunder. Without admitting or denying the allegations, Kirsch and Terris consented to permanent injunctions prohibiting them from violating these provisions and to five-year officer-and-director bars. Kirsch agreed to pay a $1,057,392 penalty and Terris agreed to pay a $1,454,800 penalty. The SEC's investigation was conducted by Jordan A. Cortez and supervised by Jessica M. Weissman and Glenn S. Gordon, with the assistance of trial counsel Robert K. Levenson. The SEC thanks the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority for its assistance in this matter. The Federal Council Bern, 11.09.2020 - Switzerland is a candidate for a non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council for the 202324 period. At its meeting on 11 September 2020, the Federal Council took note of a report outlining ways for Parliament to be involved during Switzerland's Security Council membership. The proposed options take account of the constitutional division of powers and the Federal Council's ability to conduct foreign policy. The government report fulfils a postulate from the Council of States Foreign Affairs Committee. Ensuring credibility as a member of the UN Security Council places high demands on the elected member states. Preparations for Switzerland's planned membership in 202324 are under way and constitute one of the key objectives of the current legislative period and the 202023 foreign policy strategy. The Federal Council welcomes the interest of parliamentarians in this important undertaking and, with regard to the division of foreign policy powers, is ready to involve Parliament during Switzerland's term on the UN Security Council. Federal Council proposes regular reporting Among the options set out in the report, the Federal Council proposes to keep Parliament regularly informed about the Security Council's latest and upcoming business during its two-year term by providing oral or written reports to the parliamentary foreign affairs committees. In addition, the foreign affairs committees are to be briefed on Switzerland's basic positions on key dossiers in the Security Council in advance of its term and consulted on its priorities within the Security Council. Furthermore, the Federal Council proposes to immediately consult the presidents of the foreign affairs committees in the case of certain clearly defined, important and urgent circumstances (establishment of a new sanctions regime and authorisation of military enforcement measures). The Federal Council is also open to additional measures which fall within Parliament's remit (information visits to UN headquarters in New York, secondment of a member of staff of Parliamentary Services). The focus is on Switzerland's ability to conduct foreign policy, which must be upheld at all times during its term on the Security Council. No new legal basis required The UN Security Council addresses a vast amount of country-specific, regional and thematic issues of relevance to peace and security worldwide. Much of its business can be planned, although in some cases its mandate may call for rapid action. The options presented by the Federal Council would enable it to involve Parliament as appropriate while Switzerland serves on the Security Council. They would also allow Parliament to fully exercise its function and responsibilities within the existing division of powers. Moreover, these measures can be implemented within the existing legal framework. Candidacy for the Security Council has been running for past nine years The Federal Council decided in 2011 to register Switzerland as a candidate for a UN Security Council seat, following a parliamentary consultation process over a number of years. Since then, Switzerland's candidacy has been confirmed on numerous occasions by both the Federal Council and Parliament. Switzerland and Malta are still the only candidates for the two seats reserved for the Western European and Others Group. The election will be held in June 2022. Address for enquiries For further information: FDFA Communication Tel. +41 58 462 31 53 kommunikation@eda.admin.ch Publisher The Federal Council https://www.admin.ch/gov/en/start.html Federal Department of Foreign Affairs https://www.eda.admin.ch/eda/en/home.html Scott H. Conard is an avid writer who began his literary journey in high school, where his first story, We Are All Disabled, was published in Crossroads Magazine. In college, he was a finalist in an international amateur poetry contest, and now he pursues his craft while spreading the faith in his North Carolina community. He has published his new book The Adventures of Zeb and Fido: Zeb and Fido Journey to the Great Rushing Waterfall: the second installment in his series for children of all ages. The author writes, Zeb and Fido take on yet another adventure, their friendship shall remain strong on this journey for they will have to travel far to help someone they have never met. As they try to survive the trials ahead of them, will they make it? Will they be able to help? What will happen? What lessons can we learn from their journey? Read this book and find out in this caveman adventure series of The Adventures of Zeb and Fido. I hope all of you enjoy this second book in the series. Therefore, I thank each and every one of you! Published by Page Publishing, Scott H. Conards engrossing book is a delightful addition to any home-or school-based childrens library. Readers who wish to experience this engaging work can purchase The Adventures of Zeb and Fido: Zeb and Fido Journey to the Great Rushing Waterfall at bookstores everywhere, or online at the Apple iTunes store, Amazon, Google Play, or Barnes and Noble. For additional information or media inquiries, contact Page Publishing at 866-315-2708. About Page Publishing: Page Publishing is a traditional, full-service publishing house that handles all the intricacies involved in publishing its authors books, including distribution in the worlds largest retail outlets and royalty generation. Page Publishing knows that authors need to be free to create - not mired in logistics like eBook conversion, establishing wholesale accounts, insurance, shipping, taxes, and so on. Pages accomplished writers and publishing professionals allow authors to leave behind these complex and time-consuming issues to focus on their passion: writing and creating. Learn more at http://www.pagepublishing.com. In this file photo taken on Sept. 25, 2018, U.S. Army General Robert Abrams testifies during his nomination hearing to be commander of all U.S. forces in South Korea in Washington, DC. Abrams said on Sept. 10, 2020, that he does not expect to see any "lashing out" from North Korea during upcoming celebrations of the 75th anniversary of the founding of Kim Jong-un's ruling party. AFP North Korea is not showing any signs of provocation, such as rolling out a new strategic weapons system, the head of U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) said Thursday, while insisting the impoverished North may be too caught up in tackling the COVID-19 pandemic and the amplified effects of sanctions. "There's people suggesting that perhaps there'll be a rollout of a new weapons system. Ah, Maybe. But we're not seeing any indications right now, any sort of lashing out," USFK Commander Gen. Robert Abrams said in a webinar hosted by Washington-based Center for Strategic International Studies (CSIS). His remark comes amid widespread speculation that the North may unveil a new weapons system in the near future to mark the 75th anniversary of the founding of its ruling Workers' Party on Oct. 10. CSIS has reported what it claimed to be signs of a possible test of a submarine-launched ballistic missile at North Korea's main submarine shipyard in northeastern Sinpo. Abrams argued that the impoverished North, as well as its military, may be too caught up with keeping the country whole against international sanctions the intended effects of which may be coming to full force and amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic. The USFK chief noted North Korea's imports from China dropped by about 50 percent after the United States and the U.N. Security Council imposed a series of sanctions to punish it for its sixth and latest nuclear test in September 2017. He said imports from China plunged 85 percent after the North shut down its border with its neighbor in January. "So there is a cumulative effect, economically, of COVID with the sanctions," Abrams said. "So as a result, you know the regime right now, their military is focused principally on getting their country recovered and to help mitigate the risk of COVID-19," he told the virtual seminar. President Donald Trump has announced that Bahrain will establish full diplomatic relations with Israel, following the United Arab Emirates, in another sign of shifting Middle East dynamics that are bringing Arab nations closer to Israel, isolating the Palestinians and positioning Trump as a campaign-season peacemaker. Trump announced the news on Twitter on Friday, releasing a joint statement with Bahrain and Israel and calling the move "a historic breakthrough to further peace in the Middle East". Donald Trump and Jared Kushner, pictured in the Oval Office on Friday. Credit:AP The announcement follows one last month by Israel and the UAE that they would normalise relations with each other, on the condition that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel not follow through with plans to annex portions of the West Bank. Trump administration officials said that they hoped that agreement would encourage other Arab countries with historically hostile relations toward Israel to take similar steps. After the DCGI issued a show-cause notice to Serum Institute of India (SII) asking for an explanation as to why the ongoing clinical trial of Covishield vaccine candidate has not been suspended till doubts about patient safety are cleared, the institue has now paused the trials. Hours after the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) issued a show-cause notice Serum Institute of India (SII) asking for an explanation as to why the ongoing clinical trial of Covishield vaccine candidate has not been suspended till doubts about patient safety are cleared, the pharma company issued a statement that they will adhere to the instructions of top drug regulator. ANI had first reported that the DCGI had issued a show-cause notice to Serum Institute. The Serum Institute said in its statement that they were not instructed to pause trials. It said that they (Serum Institute of India), were going by DCGIs direction and were not instructed to pause the trials if DCGI had any safety concerns, they will adhere to their instructions and abide by the standard protocols. The drug regulators move came after AstraZeneca, which is developing the vaccine candidate against COVID-19 with researchers of Oxford University, paused its trial as a volunteer developed an unexplained illness. The clinical trial has been put on hold across countries where it was being conducted USA, UK, Brazil and South Africa. Also read: Sushant Singh Rajput death case LIVE news updates: Court reserves verdict on Rhea Chakrabortys bail plea Also read: Pakistan dismisses Indias request for Indian lawyer to represent Kulbhushan Jadhavs case The notice to the Serum Institute was issued by Drugs Controller General of India Dr VG Somani. In view of the above Drugs Controller General of India and Central Licensing Authority hereby give you an opportunity to show cause as provided under rule 30 of the New Drugs and Clinical Trials Rules 2019 why the permission granted to you on August 2 shall not be suspended till patient safety is established, said the notice, a copy of which is with ANI. It said that Serum Institute uptill has not informed the central licensing authority regarding pausing of clinical trial carried out by AstraZeneca in other countries and has also not submitted a casualty analysis of the reported serious adverse event with the investigational vaccine for the continuation of phase II/III clinical trial of the subject vaccine in the country in light of the safety concerns. Your reply shall reach undersign immediately, else it shall be construed that you have no explanation to offer and action deemed fit will be taken against you, it added. The countrys apex drugs regulator had on August 2 granted permission to SII to conduct a phase II/III clinical trial of ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 coronavirus vaccine (recombinant) at various clinical trial sites in the country to determine its safety and immunogenicity. The vaccine will be manufactured by Serum Institute in India under technical collaboration with Oxford University/AstraZeneca and is called as Covishield (SII-ChAdOx1 nCoV-19). Covishield vaccine contains replication-deficient simian adenovirus vector ChAdOx1 containing structural surface glycoprotein (spike protein) antigens of SARS-CoV-2. Also read: Indias strong message to China: Massing of PLA troops a huge concern, EAM tells Wang Yi A frantic Triple 0 call made as a bikie boss lay dying of gunshot wounds has been released, detailing his final moments as witnesses tried to desperately save him. Mahmoud 'Mick' Hawi was shot multiple times while sitting in his black Mercedes in broad daylight outside a Fitness First gym in Rockdale on February 15, 2018. The harrowing audio clip of gym receptionist Stephanie Nicolaou describing the scene was released by the NSW Supreme Court on Friday, the Daily Telegraph reported. A harrowing Triple Zero call made after ex-Comancheros bikie boss Mick Hawi (pictured) was shot outside of a Fitness First gym in south Sydney in February 2018 has been released Ms Nicolaou was working at the front desk when she saw a man dressed in a black hoodie walk towards the ex-Comancheros chief's car before bullets were fired. 'I need police and ambulance right away at Rockdale Fitness First. I just heard somebody come and shoot a person in the car,' Ms Nicolaou told the operator. 'There's glass everywhere... Somebody is giving CPR in the car right now,' she said. Ms Nicolaou began to cry and the emergency call operator tried to comfort her. 'Don't hang up on me okay? We've got police on the way and I'm getting an ambulance,' the operator said. The receptionist continued to frantically describe what had happened. 'I was at the reception, there was glass all around and I just ducked. Hawi was shot multiple times while sitting in his black Mercedes (pictured). The distressing call was made by receptionist Stephanie Nicolaou and detailed efforts to save him 'The person was shot in the car, the car is stationary right now, somebody is trying to perform CPR,' she told the operator. Ms Nicolaou also described what the gunman was wearing and said they had fled the scene on foot. 'They were on foot, they were wearing a black hoodie... they just went out of the carpark, so where the cars drive in and out of. 'It looked like a male... I have no idea,' she explained. The operator asked Ms Nicolaou to take 'a big deep breath' and directed her to approach the car and see if Hawi was responding to the CPR. Ms Nicolaou told the emergency line operator Hawi was unconscious and another witness was performing CPR (NSW Police at the scene of the shooting in Rockdale pictured) The receptionist could also be heard describing the shooter (CCTV of the shooting pictured) as wearing a black hoodie and fleeing the scene on foot 'Can you ask if the person is making any progress? The victim is unconscious?,' the operator asked. Ms Nicolaou confirmed that he was unconscious and the call ended with the operator assuring her emergency services were on the way. Hawi was rushed to hospital, where he later died. A NSW Supreme Court jury on Thursday found two men not guilty of Hawi's murder after five days of deliberation following a three-and-a-half week trial. Yusuf Guney Nazlioglu, 39, was accused of being the shooter while Jamal Eljaidi, 32, was said to be the getaway driver. The jury saw CCTV of the masked gunman, dressed in black from head to toe, leave the murder scene in a car driven by another man. Photos taken by police and tendered to the court during the trial showed Hawi's luxury 4WD riddled with bullet holes and shell casings. KYODO NEWS - Sep 12, 2020 - 04:20 | World, All, Coronavirus U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun and foreign ministers from five Southeast Asian countries along the Mekong River held their first meeting Friday, discussing ways to deepen their partnership amid their latest rivalry with China over the 4,350-kilometer river. During the group's inaugural meeting, Biegun claimed that the current drought suffered in the Mekong downstream area during the past two years has been caused by dams built by China in the upstream area. "We have to hold China accountable as the decision made in Beijing affects you all in the region," Biegun told the ministers of the downstream Mekong countries -- Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam. China's 11 dams in the river have "adversely affected food security, environment and livelihood of people in the Mekong," the U.S. official said. "Unlike China that is dictating its will on others, the U.S. effort is to empower local people, and help countries in the region to be sovereign, independent states," he added. Originating in China, the border-spanning Mekong has become the most important waterway in Southeast Asia, feeding more than 60 million people along its course. In the past few years, however, the river's water level has been at record lows, causing seasonal droughts and floods that have inundated houses, devastated plantations and resulted in declining fish stocks. A report published in April by the U.S.-based Eyes on Earth shows that China's upstream dams have been holding back 47 billion cubic meters of water. The report was commissioned by the U.N.-backed Sustainable Infrastructure Partnership and the Lower Mekong Initiative -- a decade-long partnership between the Mekong and the U.S. to promote sustainable economic growth in the region. Earlier this week, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian slammed the United States for trying to create a dispute between China and the Mekong countries. He was responding to a statement by David Stilwell, the assistant secretary of state for East Asia and the Pacific, who said during a recent webinar that China has been "manipulating the water flows along the Mekong for 25 years, with the greatest disruption in natural flows coinciding with major dam construction and operation." China, Stilwell said, has been engaging in this activity "for its own profit at great cost to downstream nations." The Friday meeting, according to a Thai official, was actually aimed at discussing ways "to deepen cooperation under Lower Mekong Initiative involving energy, connectivity, water management and natural resources and human resource development." "The impact of COVID-19 was high on agenda and the members eyed in advancing the cooperation to mitigate the effects of COVID-19 and recover the post-pandemic economy," the official said. Foreign ministers from nearly 30 countries, including Japan, South Korea, the United States and the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations, are expected to take part in the ASEAN Regional Forum, an annual gathering to be held online Saturday. The ARF comprises the 10 ASEAN states as well as Australia, Bangladesh, Canada, China, East Timor, India, Japan, Mongolia, New Zealand, North Korea, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Russia, South Korea, Sri Lanka and the United States, plus the European Union. ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. (Chanantorn Kamjan, Christine Tjandraningsih and Puy Kea contributed to this story from Bangkok, Jakarta and Phnom Penh) Deputies 'did everything right' in confrontation that ended tragically, sheriff says Hendersonville police officers listen to a speaker during a tribute to those lost on Sept. 11 and to Sheriff's Deputy Ryan Hendrix, who was killed in the line of duty early Thursday. The deputies who encountered an armed subject "did everything right" before the gunman in one movement grabbed a pistol and fired at a deputy, mortally wounding him, Sheriff Lowell Griffin said during a Sept. 11 memorial service that also served as a tribute to the fallen officer. Dozens of first responders and members of the public turned out Friday morning for the service, which turned more personal with the death early Thursday of Henderson County Deputy Ryan Hendrix, who succumbed to severe wounds 10 hours after the gunman, identified as Robert Ray Ross Jr., shot him in the face. Two other deputies returned fire, killing Ross. "I stand here today asking a special blessing on the family of Ryan Hendrix, who gave everything to assist innocent strangers, facing down the evil he found," he said. "Make no mistake about it, I have been through every aspect of the investigation. What I can tell you is that the officers there did everything right and we still suffered a tragic loss." "It is so sobering," he said to the uniformed law officers, paramedics and firefighters gathered at the Historic Courthouse plaza, "because I have been so fortunate to stand beside many of you as we moved forward to help others." All first responders, running toward danger, face the possibility of injury or death. "Ryan made that sacrifice yesterday," Griffin said. "And yet I found solace in knowing that Ryan had tremendous faith and God has a plan and his plan includes Ryan." County Emergency Service Director Jimmy Brissie and retired Army Lt. Col. Bruce Hatfield also paid tribute to Hendrix and to first responders who ran to danger on Sept. 11 and in their jobs every day. Union Government of India is planning to offer incentives worth of Rs 1.68 lakh crore to the foreign investors and companies setting up manufacturing units in India as the majority of the countries across the world plan to either slowly phase out from their manufacturing set up in China or reduce their dependence on the manufacturing unit based in China. According to reports, the government is planning to announce production-based incentives to automobile manufacturers, solar panel makers, and speciality steel to consumer appliance companies, textile units, food processing plants and specialized pharmaceutical product makers among other industrial and manufacturing sectors. According to reports, India's policy planning body which seemingly means the premier think tank NITI Aayog, is chalking out the plan on the similar lines of the earlier designed scheme to attract companies exiting China. Tech giants such as Samsung Electronics, Foxconn, and Wistron Corp among others have pledged USD 1.5 billion (over Rs 11,000 crore) of investment to set up massive manufacturing units in India due to the government's incentive-based scheme which was drawn earlier in the year. READ | China's Underhandedness Exposed: While FM Calls For Peace Talks, Mouthpiece Threatens War READ | China To Conduct Trials In November For First Nasal Spray Vaccine To Combat COVID-19 Countries mull exit China As the world is grappling with the COVID-19 pandemic which affected the economies of all the countries across the world besides causing a massive health crisis, majority of the countries having their manufacturing operations and supply chain through China have mulled on reducing their dependence on China. The major reason to do this is the COVID-19 pandemic compelled the world to rethink its decision of concentrating its manufacturing in one country, place or region, because the supply chain was drastically affected when the COVID-19 originated in China leading to a supply chain cut off. One of the leading examples to decentralise its manufacturing set up in China is Japan which has announced earlier this month, the incentives to its companies to disinvest from its operations in China and move its operation to the ASEAN countries adding that it will include India and Bangladesh in the list of countries for which subsidies will be offered by the Japanese government to its companies. READ | India & China Reach 5-point Consensus Amid LAC Tensions As Jaishankar Meets Wang Yi READ | UK, EU At Brexit Loggerheads Again; Legal Action Warned Against Johnson Govt's New Bill China's other extremities Besides the COVID-19 pandemic, China has also been criticised in the international community over its imposition of draconian national security law in Hong Kong, in turn threatening the autonomy of the trade city. Moreover, the ASEAN countries, Australia, India, Japan and the US have moved against China for its aggression in the South China Sea. China has also shown aggression towards India along the LAC twice this year. The earlier violent faceoff in June had led to the martyrdom of 20 Indian army soldiers including a commanding rank officer. The latest flare-up occurred in late August during which Indian Army foiled their attempt to unilaterally change status quo on the LAC. China has been known to strong-arming its way with weaker countries and exercising debt trap policy by luring the countries into offering capital and resources for development. Sri Lanka remains the prime example of China's debt-trap policy besides some of the African countries. (With ANI inputs) About 60 motorbikes have been seized by the Accra regional police from their riders for flouting various traffic regulations. The riders were also arrested for various offenses including riding without a riders license, uninsured motorbikes and unlicensed motorbikes. The Madina Divisional Police Command carried out the operation on Thursday, September 10, 2020, at about 0800 hours. Head of Public Affairs Unit of the Regional Command, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Effia Tenge, disclosed this to the Ghana News Agency. She said the exercise, meant to clampdown on recalcitrant motor riders, was carried out by the Motor Transport and Traffic Directorate of the Ghana Police Service. The team of personnel embarked on an operation to clamp down on recalcitrant motorbike riders who ride with impunity without regard to other road users, she said. She said all the sixty (60) motorbikes which were arrested had been impounded at the Divisional Headquarters. ----CitiNewsRoom Donald Trump uttered dire warning after dire warning about a Joe Biden presidency as he courted voters in the crucial swing state of Michigan on Thursday evening, calling the Democratic nominee a globalist sellout while distorting his own and his opponents records and plans during a raucous return to the campaign trail. He painted Mr Biden as a globalist sellout who, if elected, would surrender your jobs to China and now surrender to the violent, left-wing mob, adding: If Biden wins, the rioters, anarchists, rioters and flag-burners win but I wouldnt worry about it because hes not winning. Joe Bidens agenda is made in China. Mine is made in the USA, he said to a loud roar. Mr Trump told supporters he is running to keep jobs in Michigan. Yet, he has failed to bring about the manufacturing sector renaissance he promised in 2016. The unemployment rate there was around 5 per cent when he took office, and was at 8.7 per cent in July after surging to 24 per cent in April during the height of the coronavirus shutdown, according to the Labor Departments Bureau of Labor Statistics. He repeated a claim the independent organisation FactCheck.org has dubbed false, saying new automobile plants are opening in Michigan and other swing states. He praised Russian leader Vladimir Putin and North Koreas Kim Jong-un. He's a smart guy. Very smart guy. Smart. We get along, he said of the latter. And of the former: "He likes me. I like him, [hes] not so bad." Whats more, he peppered the event showered with four more years! and we love you! chants with fearful warnings. Does anybody want to have somebody from Antifa as a member and as as a resident of your suburb? he said of the group that his general election foe also has condemned. Say 'Darling, who moved in next door?' 'Oh, it's a resident of Antifa.' 'No thank you. Let's get the hell out of here, darling. Ahh, I wish Trump were president, he said of a fictional conversation he said suburb-dwelling couples would be forced to have if he loses in November. No city, town or suburb will be safe, he warned. In more dark rhetoric aimed at suburban mothers, a group he lost big in the 2018 midterm elections, Mr Trump said the super libs want to indoctrinate your children with poisonous anti-American lies. Theyre only getting more desperate by the day. The president, using Air Force One as a taxpayer-funded prop parked behind the stage at the airport rally, returned to the campaign trail for the second time in three days, making his fourth visit to the Great Lakes State in 2020 even with the coronavirus pandemic that froze his travel for several months. His campaign is stepping up his events, with Sunday rallies planned in Reno and Las Vegas as he tries to snatch that state from Democratic hands. Former secretary of state Hillary Clinton took Nevada by nearly 2.5 percentage points four years ago, securing its six electoral college votes. Mr Trump was back in Michigan as Mr Bidens lead there, like other battlegrounds, has narrowed a bit in recent weeks although several polls show the former vice president again leading nationally by double-digits with less than two months before election day. RealClearPolitics gives Mr Biden a 4.2 percentage-point lead there. The president won the state very narrowly last time, by three-hundredths of a point. He suggested on Thursday night that up to 62 per cent of all those who respond to political polls are lying and said he believes he is up big. He touted the size of energy within the Freeland crowd, saying: "This is not a crowd of a person who comes in second place." Analysts at the University of Virginias Center for Politics on Thursday released an updated version of their 2020 electoral college map projections. The centres Kyle Kondick tweeted a projection map that put Michigan in the leans Democratic column, along with a college projection that, based on its analyses, puts 269 Electoral votes in the former VPs hands, if the election was held today. It gives Mr Trump 204, well shy of the 270 needed to win. But with 65 up for grabs, states like Michigan loom large. Joe Biden is better positioned to win the presidency than Donald Trump, but it would be foolish to rule out another Trump upset, according to a new centre summary of the race. Trumps potential winning map would look a lot like 2016, with perhaps a few changes; Bidens potential winning map might feature Democratic advances in the Sun Belt and retreats in the midwest compared to past winning Democratic maps. Earlier on Thursday, Mr Trump denied lying to Americans about coronavirus by saying to journalist Bob Woodward in private in early February it was deadly stuff and transmitted through the air, but downplaying the virus and mask-wearing in public. Theres no lie here. What were doing is were leading, the president said in response to a question from ABC News correspondent Jonathan Karl, slamming the inquiry as a terrible question and calling the journalist a disgrace to his employer. If he thought that was a bad statement, he would have reported it, Mr Trump claimed. No one thought it was bad. Tragedy: schoolboy Noah Donohoe was missing for nearly a week before his body was found in a storm drain The north Belfast storm drain which schoolboy Noah Donohoe entered before he drowned had been inspected the week before he died - but an access hatch to the drain remained unlocked, it's been reported. BBC NI said a letter written by Infrastructure Minister Nichola Mallon revealed that an inspection of the drain had been carried out on June 18, but no padlock had been fitted. The St Malachy's College pupil's body was discovered in the drain in the north of the city on June 27 - almost a week after he went missing. Noah (14) had been travelling to Cave Hill country park to meet friends on the day he went missing. His disappearance prompted a massive search operation which saw hundreds of volunteers take to the streets in a desperate bid to find him. Ulster University safety engineer Dr Ciaran McAleenan told the BBC that the metal access grille to the storm drain should always have been locked. "They are designed to be locked, so clearly it could always have been locked," the academic told the broadcaster. "In my view it should always have been locked from the moment it was constructed and any safety inspection could have picked that up. The moment it was picked up on inspection, a lock should have been put on it. "The problem with this particular culvert is that it is open to the public from one end. "If you are looking at designing a structure of this nature, you should be able to close it completely." He said that normally, a palisade fence or something similar would totally surround the structure so that it cannot be accessed by the public. "What we have here is a palisade fence to one end of it - which is locked - but at the opposite end it is totally open," Dr McAleenan told the BBC. "I would have this fenced off completely immediately." In the weeks after Noah's death, there was intense speculation about what might have happened to him. But in a preliminary hearing two weeks ago into the death of the schoolboy, Coroner Joe McCrisken said that there was currently "no evidence" to suggest that any other person was involved in Noah's death. The Coroner said that he wanted to set out "fact against fiction" in order to "dispel the many baseless and inaccurate rumours which continue to circulate". Police believe Noah entered the drain in the Northwood Road area of north Belfast. He had cycled there from his home in south Belfast and, shortly before he went missing, was seen with no clothes on. Prior to that he was seen falling off his bike on the Shore Road. The coroner described the drain as running underground from Northwood Road to Shore Road to Seaview, under an access road at a Translink cleaning facility, and under the M2 motorway before discharging close to Duncrue Road. "Noah's body was found by specially trained police officers between two drain access points within a section of the tunnel running under the Translink access road," said Mr McCrisken. "The environment within the drain system can be described as challenging, with the drain system backfilling with water during intervals between low and high tides. "I consider that, based upon all of the evidence before me at this stage, and the evidence includes extensive CCTV footage and witness statements, that Noah acted alone when he travelled to Northwood Road and entered the drain system." At the hearing the Coroner said he had reassured Noah's family that further evidence will be assessed as it is received. "But that is my preliminary view based upon the evidence that is before me presently. "At present there is no evidence linking Noah's death to the death of any other individual or with an attack on any other individual or individuals in that area or in close proximity to Northwood Road. "There is no evidence at present to suggest that any other person was involved in Noah's disappearance and death." A further preliminary hearing is scheduled for November 2. A full inquest is due to be heard on January 18 next year. When author, playwright and screenwriter Paul Rudnick first began writing Coastal Elites, the world was a very different place than the one in which it is premiering. I started working on Coastal Elites over a year ago because everyone I knew on every side of the political divide had spent the last almost four years now enraged and passionate and heartbroken and so concerned about where the country was headed, he tells Variety. And people have become so addicted to information from every social media platform, from every newspaper, every television network, and it was fascinating because I had never seen that level of engagement [before]. That demanded to be written about. Rudnicks original idea, he continues, was to create a stage production with actors delivering monologues on the larger political themes in the world. When the coronavirus pandemic hit in early 2020, forcing stay-at-home orders and putting the kibosh on live events and productions, he admits he assumed it would have to be shelved. Instead, though, his production team wondered if they could film these monologues instead, under the most extreme safety precautions remotely, he says. And thus, with some rewriting (which Rudnick says he loves to do anyway), the five monologues were given to Bette Midler, Dan Levy, Issa Rae, Sarah Paulson and Kaitlyn Dever and became a special presentation premiering Sept. 12 on HBO. It became, strangely, the ideal format for these monologues, Rudnick says. The five monologues take place between January and June of this year and are not all told linearly, but the first one is the one set in January. Starting ahead of the pandemic allowed Rudnick to still keep a focus on the time when we were in an area of pure politics 100% of the time, he says. As the other monologues move forward in time, there is a clear marker of how the shifting world is affecting characters priorities, mental states and relationships. Story continues People are riding the wave of politics and engagement and protests and are recording not only their own feelings, but also those of those around them. Theres one character that isolated with her family in Wisconsin in a very conservative, small town, so theres a total range of points of view and what people are up against. Because one of the things that I think has happened with this administration is families are very divided and friendships have fallen. Theres a real litmus test of, OK who do I share my feelings with? I wanted to show what it means to live in a time of such radical disagreement and extreme passion. Characters such as Paulsons, who Rudnick references above, turns to her online community to vent in a moment of such total emotion [she] just had to share it, he notes. Other characters are speaking a bit more intimately: Levys is doing a virtual therapy session, while Raes is video chatting with a friend. Since the format of the show is to keep the characters in monologues, though, the people on the other end of those conversations are never seen, nor heard. I think the way you justify a monologue is its an emotion that cant be contained. Its kind of like a song in a musical: Its someone telling a story that is absolutely essential to who they are. And this format was ideal for that kind of intimacy, Rudnick says. The production itself was intimate, as well. Everyone was in a different home, Rudnick says of the cast and crew. Director Jay Roach and Rudnick communicated by Zoom and text messages, while the actors were in their own homes, communicating with crew through apps. Without the distraction of dozens of people wandering around, adjusting props or lighting or grabbing snacks, Rudnick says the experience of producing the project was very focused. We could really concentrate on every aspect of the performance, he explains. The shows title comes from the fact that every character is living on one coast or the other during the time of their recording (although notably Devers character is from Wyoming and only traveled to New York to help with healthcare efforts). Rudnick says the title also plays with perception because not all of the characters come from the privilege living in sometimes implies. Raes character does she went to boarding school with Ivanka Trump but Devers character is a nurse; Midlers character is a public school teacher; Levys character is an up-and-coming actor. These are five distinct and specific people living in an equally specific and unique moment, so Rudnick acknowledges there could be more monologues to deliver down the line, whether revisiting these characters or introducing new ones after the election or a vaccine or after we start to see, God willing, some systemic change in every possible power structure. However, he adds that he didnt want to wait for those things to deliver Coastal Elites because I think theres such a rising tide of anxiety and emotion and desperation approaching that election that that was a good end point. I didnt want to answer these questions; I wanted it to be about people living with these questions. More from Variety Best of Variety Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. With favorable weather conditions, firefighters are finally harnessing the fierce Creek Fire near Fresno and reached the milestone of 6% containment Thursday night. A thick blanket of smoke overhead prevented aircraft operations on Thursday, but the sooty conditions created an inversion layer that led to cooler temperatures and calmer winds and ultimately a less active blaze. "I think today was the first day that we've shifted from being primarily on the defense to now being on the offense," Sierra National Forest Service Supervisor Dean Gould said at a Thursday night briefing. "That means we're kind of taking the fight back to the fire." In its Friday morning update, Cal Fire said the fire remained at 6% containment overnight and the total acreage remained unchanged from Thursday morning at 175,893. A primary focus on Friday will be to establish containment lines on the fire's southern border, with bulldozers pushing along the ridge north of Burrough Valley Road to tie the fire line into Blue Canyon. "This operation is a key component in the effort to protect Shaver Lake," Cal Fire said in its Friday morning status report. "Blue Canyon contains a large amount of dead standing timber and if fire became established in the drainage it could run toward the community. Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times via Getty Imag The Creek Fire started near Big Creek above Shaver Lake on Sept. 4, and exploded in size over the Labor Day Weekend amid high winds, jumping the San Joaquin River and cutting off the only road into the Mammoth Pool Campground trapping some 200 people. The fire also cut off an exit route to Shaver Lake where a group at the boat ramp was escorted to safety. The blaze has forced 45,000 people to evacuate in Fresno and Madera counties. Damage inspection teams have started assessments in burn areas and as of Thursday night 365 structures have been destroyed and 12 damaged. With the weather cooperating, crews worked on extending containment line from the San Joaquin River to Castle Peak strengthened lines to keep the fire east of Mammoth Pools Road. A dozer line has been built around the Marina View Community and work continues north of Bayshore Road as well toward Central Camp. "Firefighters are taking advantage of these conditions, making good progress on developing containment lines and protecting structures," Cal Fire said in its status report. Similar weather conditions are expected Friday. MORE WILDFIRE COVERAGE: It's going to get worse: California wildfires have already scorched a record 2.2 million acres Will wildfire evacuations accelerate the spread of coronavirus in the Bay Area? 'It's just crazy': Yosemite's air quality forces massive cancellations 10 things to do if a wildfire is approaching your house How to keep your pets safe from wildfire smoke Amy Graff is the news editor for SFGATE. Email her: agraff@sfgate.com. (Natural News) Some of the most well-known black conservatives include people like Alan Keyes and Candace Owens, both of whom are dignified, highly articulate, and full of class. On the left, however, the best they apparently have is Cardi B, a filthy rapper who can barely speak English, yet continues to score key interviews with high-level leftist politicians like Bernie Sanders and Joe Biden. Back in August, for instance, Cardi B had a virtual conversation with Sleepy Joe as part of an exclusive Elle Magazine interview. Among other complaints, she expressed concerns about living as a black woman in America, even though her net worth is currently estimated to be about $24 million. Similar to multi-billionaire whiner Oprah, who back in the summer lamented the myth that black people are supposedly still being lynched all across America, Cardi B played the black victim card, and Biden indulged it. This interview caught the attention of Owens, who at the time called out Biden for pandering to black voters. She also chided Biden for using someone like Cardi B, whom she described as illiterate, to try to appeal to black people as if all of them are likewise ghetto in their language and demeanor. [Joe Biden], you are pandering, Owens said. You look at Cardi Bs Instagram, and you see she has millions of followers, and you think, okay, this is an illiterate person, and if I appeal to this illiterate person they think shes cool. Shes hip just by sitting here and taking this interview. Black people will vote for me. Owens did not beat around the bush in adding that by interviewing Cardi B, of all people, Biden basically told the world that he thinks black people are stupid, dumb and foolish. It is one of the biggest insults, Owens stated during an episode of the Ben Shapiro Show. If black Americans are not insulted by the fact that Joe Biden, who has been hiding in his basement, you know, for the entire year, made an appearance to come out because he was going to do an interview with Cardi B do we have nothing better to offer? She further added that it is demeaning, pandering and ridiculous to have Cardi B up there in business casual blabbering about how she wants lower taxes but universal health care for all. She had no idea what she was doing, and yet both Bernie Sanders and Joe Biden made the time to sit with her because they believe that black people are stupid. Leftists think all black lives are like Cardi B The fact that Biden and his leftist followers are worshiping black criminals like George Floyd and Jacob Blake only further shows that Owens is right. The left apparently thinks that all black people are illiterate criminals who speak Ebonics, when the reality is that many of them are like Owens. The sad truth is that black people like Owens are routinely mocked and called Uncle Tom or much worse by leftists when they conduct themselves like Owens does, and especially when they vote conservative. To the left, all black people need to live in a ghetto and rely on food stamps for sustenance, otherwise you aint black, to quote Biden. Cardi Bs fans are the type who wash their paper plates, wrote one commenter on a Mark Dice video contrasting Candace Owens with Cardi B. The people Cardi B inspires to go out and vote will probably end up voting for Kanye, wrote another. So win-win. Keep track of the latest election-related news at Trump.news. Sources for this article include: YouTu.be NaturalNews.com NaturalNews.com WEST CENTRAL MICHIGAN -- If nothing else, COVID-19 has taught us to expect the unexpected. Disasters and emergency situations can happen to anyone at any time, and they don't wait for us to feel prepared. It's important to ensure safety and protect your loved ones by preparing for disasters and emergencies throughout the year. September is National Preparedness Month, and District Health Department No. 10 encourages people to take the time to plan ahead for possible worst-case scenarios. "Everyone should have plans and supplies in place to care for their families for at least 72 hours, but preferably two weeks. As an example, many residents in Michigan could go without power for more than a week during winter weather," said Bret Haner, emergency preparedness coordinator for DHD No. 10. Ready.gov, the official website of the Department of Homeland Security, has put together a "Disasters Don't Wait, Make Your Plan Today" theme for Emergency Preparedness Month with suggestions for disaster and emergency related activities. Week 1: Make a Plan. Talk to your friends and family about how you will communicate before, during, and after a disaster. Make sure to update your Emergency Plan based on the Center for Disease Control (CDC) recommendations due to COVID-19. Week 2: Build a Kit. Gather supplies that will last for several days after a disaster for everyone living in your home. Don't forget to consider the unique needs of each person or pet. Update your kits and supplies based on CDC recommendations. Week 3: Prepare for Disasters. Limit the impacts that disasters have on you and your family. Know the risk of disasters in your area and check your insurance coverage. Learn how to make your home stronger in the face of storms and other common hazards and act fast if you receive a local warning or alert. Week 4: Teach Youth about Preparedness. Talk to your kids about preparing for emergencies and what to do in case you are separated. Reassure them by providing information about how they can get involved. For more information about National Preparedness Month and emergency preparedness visit ready.gov/september or dhd10.org/men-women/mw-emergency-preparedness. Human Rights Watch said Friday that the shadowy arrest of the hero of the "Hotel Rwanda" film amounted to an "enforced disappearance", demanding a full account of how he returned to the country. Paul Rusesabagina became famous after the movie depicted how the moderate Hutu sheltered hundreds of Tutsi at a luxury hotel during Rwanda's 1994 genocide that left some 800,000, mostly Tutsi, dead. He had been living in exile in the United States until he suddenly appeared under arrest in Rwanda 10 days ago, accused of murder, terrorism and financing rebels. His family believes he was kidnapped while on a trip to Dubai, arguing he would never return of his own accord to Rwanda. "Rwanda has an established track record of using unlawful, cloak-and-dagger methods to target those it perceives to be a threat to the ruling party," said Lewis Mudge, Central Africa director at Human Rights Watch, in a statement. "The fact that Rwanda did not pursue Rusesabagina through lawful extradition proceedings suggests the authorities do not believe their evidence or fair trial guarantees would stand up to scrutiny before an independent tribunal, and so opted to circumvent the rule of law." The rights group said the fact Rusesabagina was held for three days before his arrest was announced, means they had committed an "enforced disappearance", an international crime. President Paul Kagame denied he had been kidnapped, suggesting he had been deceived into returning. "He got here on the basis of what he believed he wanted to do and he found himself here. "It is like you are dialling somebody you want to talk to and find that you've called the wrong number. That is how it happened. It was actually flawless from what I heard ..." he said. In the years after the genocide, Rusesabagina -- a Hutu -- became increasingly critical of Kagame's government, accusing his ruling party of authoritarianism and anti-Hutu sentiment. Armed wing He started an opposition group, the Rwandan Movement for Democratic Change (MRCD), which is said to have an armed wing called the National Liberation Front (FLN). In multiple speeches, Rusesabagina has expressed support for the FLN -- which has carried out armed attacks and is described as a terrorist organisation by Rwanda -- but the extent of his involvement in its actions is unclear. "The gravity of the charges against Rusesabagina do not give Rwandan authorities free rein to resort to the crime of enforced disappearance and ignore due process and international fair trial standards," said Mudge. HRW called for Rwanda to immediately grant him access to lawyers of his own choosing and to "urgently provide a complete and corroborated account of how Rusesabagina was apprehended and transferred to Rwanda". Nairobi, September 10, 2020 Ethiopian authorities must stop abusing judicial processes to hold journalists and media workers in prolonged pre-trial detention without charge, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On September 8, seven plainclothes security personnel in Addis Ababa, the capital, arrested reporter Belay Menaye, news anchor Mulugeta Anberbir, and camera operator Misganaw Kefelgn, moments after they were ordered released on bail, according to their lawyer, Henok Aklilu, who spoke to CPJ via phone. Belay and Mulugeta were originally arrested on August 5, and Misganaw on August 6, for alleged incitement to violence, as CPJ documented at the time. The Federal First Instance Court issued a bail order on September 7, and the following day the Federal High Court rejected an appeal from police to keep the three in detention, according to Henok and a statement by their employer, the privately owned Amhara Satellite Radio and Television broadcaster. Yesterday, Belay, Mulugeta, and Misganaw appeared at the Federal First Instance Court, where police were granted seven days to investigate them for alleged incitement, according to a statement by the broadcaster. Separately, Chibsa Abdulkerim and Melese Direbssa, two employees of the Oromia Media Network broadcaster, have been detained without charge since July 2, according to Tuli Bayyisa, one of their lawyers, who spoke to CPJ via messaging application, and CPJ research. Ethiopian authorities pattern of maneuvering around bail orders to extend pre-trial detention is alarming and points to a disregard for the legal process as well as journalists and media workers well-being, considering the increased risk of contracting COVID-19 behind bars, said CPJs sub-Saharan Africa representative, Muthoki Mumo. Authorities had weeks to credibly charge the Amhara Satellite Radio and Television and Oromia Media Network journalists and media workers but did not. They should be released immediately. Security agents re-arrested Belay, Mulugeta, and Misganaw as they were leaving the Addis Ababa Police Commission, and said they wanted them for further questioning, according to Henok. Yonatan Mulugeta, a former employee of the broadcaster who had been held alongside the three, was allowed to go free, Henok said. In court yesterday, police claimed that they are investigating Belay, Mulugeta, and Misganaw for alleged incitement to violence following the June 29 killing of musician Hachalu Hundessa, which sparked unrest in Ethiopia, according to a statement by their employer. The three had previously been held on suspicion of committing incitement by producing reports showing the Amhara people, Ethiopias second-largest ethnic group, as oppressed and characterizing the Ethiopian government as incapable of protecting them, as CPJ documented at the time of their previous arrests. On August 11, Melese, who is a news director of the Oromia Media Network, and Chibsa, a driver for the station, were similarly re-arrested shortly after a court granted them bail, according to Tuli. As of today, no charges have been filed against them, their lawyer said. Melese and Chibsa were first arrested in July alongside two other Oromia Media Network journalists, Guyo Wariyo and Mohamed Siraj, as well as Kenyan freelancer Collins Juma Osemo, who goes by Yassin Juma, all of whom were under investigation in connection to the unrest following Hachalus killing, as CPJ documented at the time. Those three have all been released without charge, according to Tuli. In the wake of Hachalus killing, authorities investigated several media outlets, including the Oromia Media Network, for incitement to violence, but the attorney generals office told CPJ that Amhara Satellite Radio and Television was not under investigation in connection to the unrest, as the outlet was not broadcasting at the time. Teferi Admasu, the deputy chairperson of broadcasters board, told CPJ that it had been off-air between June 24 and July 18 due to financial constraints. Belay, Mulugeta, and Melese have said in court that they were concerned about the risks of contracting COVID-19 behind bars, according to the lawyers and media reports. In July and August, Ethiopias federal attorney general responded to requests for comment with detailed statements, as CPJ documented. CPJ emailed that office again for comment on developments in the cases and on Belay, Mulugeta, and Misganaws re-arrests, but did not receive any replies. Nepal's ruling Communist Party on September 11 resolved the protracted differences between Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli and his opponent Pushpa Kamal Dahal "Prachanda" by agreeing to a power-sharing deal, ending the months-long dispute in the party, according to a senior party official. The 13-member powerful Standing Committee meeting held at the Prime Minister's official residence in Baluwatar also decided to resolve the border issue between Nepal and India through political and diplomatic means, Communist Party of Nepal (CPN) spokesperson Narayan Kaji Shrestha said. During the meeting, the work division between Oli and Prachanda was settled. Prachanda will serve as executive chairman of the party with full power and handle the party's affairs, while Oli will focus on the government affairs, the official said. "The party will be run on the basis of its established guidelines. However, the government is required to hold consultation with the party while deciding on issues of national importance," said Shrestha, adding that the party leadership will not interfere in the day-to-day affairs of the government. It was decided to hold the Unity General Convention of the party in Kathmandu from April 7 to April 12 next year. A meeting of the party's Central Working Committee has been called for October 31. The meeting unanimously endorsed a 15-page proposal prepared by Oli and Prachanda aiming at resolving the intra-party feud in the CPN. The proposal for consensus was prepared by the duo on the basis of a report submitted to them by a party panel that was formed to resolve the internal dispute which had surfaced after the dissident group leaders, including Prachanda, demanded Oli's resignation. Prachanda and senior leader of the party Madhav Kumar Nepal had asked for Oli's resignation from both as the party's chairman and as Nepal's prime minister after he accused the dissident leaders of conspiring against him to topple his government. In June, Oli claimed that efforts are being made to oust him after his government redrew the country's political map by incorporating three strategically key Indian territories. India termed as "untenable" the "artificial enlargement" of the territorial claims by Nepal after its Parliament unanimously approved the new political map of the country featuring Lipulekh, Kalapani, and Limpiyadhura areas which India maintains belong to it. The meeting has also decided to resolve the border issue between Nepal and India through political and diplomatic means, Shrestha said. The CPN also decided to amend, and then endorse, the controversial Millennium Challenge Corporation deal signed between the governments of Nepal and the United States in 2017. The leaders of the CPN were divided on whether to approve or not the proposed USD 500 million grant that would be utilised to support the construction of 400 KV transmission lines in Nepal. Candidates will be called in for counselling and given seats in engineering colleges across Telangana on the basis of the TS ECET 2020 rank secured by them TS ECET 2020: The Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University (JNTU), Hyderabad has declared the TS ECET Result 2020 on Friday. For candidates who had given the examination and want to check their scores, the Telangana Engineering Common Entrance Test result 2020 is now available on the official website - ecet.tsche.ac.in. Students who appeared for the exam are advised to visit the official website of the TSCHE and check their result online and download their scorecard or rank card. According to a report in Jagran Josh, candidates need to secure a minimum of 25 percent marks in aggregate across four subjects (3 in case of BSc Math) in order to be awarded rank in the exam. The total number of marks for the exam is 200 of which candidates need to score a minimum of 50 marks in order to be ranked. Candidates will be called in for counselling and awarded seats to engineering colleges across the state on the basis of the TS ECET 2020 rank secured by them. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic situation as well as to ensure students get easy access to the result, it will be made available online. Here's how students can check their TS ECET Result 2020 online: Candidates need to first visit official website i.e. ecet.tsche.ac.in. Once there, they need to locate and click on the TS ECET Result 2020 Link. They need to enter their hall number and other details that are asked by the page. Candidates have to verify the details against their hall ticket and submit them. The S ECET Result 2020 Scorecard/Rank Card will be displayed. Candidates need to download the TS ECET Result 2020 Scorecard in PDF format. According to a report by NDTV, TS ECET 2020 is a a common entrance test conducted by JNT University Hyderabad on behalf of the Telangana State Council of Higher Education for admission into various professional courses offered in University/ Private Colleges in the state of Telangana for the academic year 2020-2021. The number of candidates who appeared for the test during the forenoon session on 10 September in Telangana was 13.874 out of 15,953 registered candidates. In Andhra Pradesh, 1,332 candidates appeared for the exam out of 1973 registered candidates. For the afternoon session, 13,611 candidates appeared in Telangana and 1346 studenst appeared in Andhra Pradesh. Boris Johnson could drop plans to tear up parts of the Brexit deal if the EU limits Irish Sea checks, government sources have claimed. They hinted the prime minister may stop trying to renege on parts of the Withdrawal Agreement if a new plan for Northern Ireland can be thrashed out. The claims come after he accused the EU of trying to destroy the 'territorial integrity' of the UK with a 'blockade' in the Irish Sea. The PM said Brussels could 'carve up our country' and 'seriously endanger peace and stability' in Northern Ireland if Tory MPs fail to help override parts of his Brexit deal. Mr Johnson is working to quell a plan to amend the bill from senior Tories - who are incensed it could break international law by flouting the Withdrawal Agreement. Yet it emerged last night the PM was after a potential olive branch, where he would suspend hostilities if a new deal on Northern Ireland is made in the next fortnight. Boris Johnson is accusing the EU of trying to destroy the 'territorial integrity' of the UK with a 'blockade' in the Irish Sea as he attempts to tear up his Brexit deal The Prime Minister said that Brussels could 'carve up our country' and 'seriously endanger peace and stability' in Northern Ireland if Tory MPs fail to back controversial legislation to override parts of his Brexit deal (pictured: Michel Barnier at St Pancras in London) A source told the Times the threat of reneging on the Withdrawal Agreement would not be needed if a satisfactory arrangement was found. They said: 'The expectation is that we will be able at the joint committee to resolve these questions. 'We hope against hope that we never need to go there. 'And if it is the case that an agreement was secured at the joint committee then we would not need to exercise those powers. We could drop them from the bill.' Mr Johnson hosted a conference call with backbenchers last night to win backing for the Bill that caused Brussels to threaten legal action. The PM reportedly warned senior Tories against going 'back to the miserable, squabbling days of last autumn'. PM TRIES TO DRUM UP SUPPORT FOR HIS CONTROVERSIAL BREXIT BILL AMID TORY DISQUIET Boris Johnson has appealed to Conservative MPs to support legislation that could breach international law in overriding parts of his Brexit deal amid concerns of a rebellion. The Prime Minister hosted a conference call with backbenchers on Friday evening to win backing for the Bill that caused Brussels to threaten legal action. Mr Johnson told around 250 MPs that controversial clauses in the UK Internal Market Bill are 'necessary to stop a foreign power from breaking up our country', and maintained there is still a good chance of getting a trade deal with the EU. With senior Conservatives planning to amend the legislation, he was also said to have warned them against going 'back to the miserable, squabbling days of last autumn'. But during the call in which there were connection issues and no questions taken by Mr Johnson further fall-out emerged from the EU. Leaders in the European Parliament said they would 'under no circumstances ratify' any trade deal reached if 'UK authorities breach or threaten to breach' the Withdrawal Agreement. Mr Johnson appeared not to have ended the disquiet within his party during the call, with senior backbencher Sir Bob Neill saying he was not reassured by the speech. Sir Bob, who chairs the Commons Justice Committee and is tabling an amendment to the Bill which he says would impose a 'parliamentary lock' on any changes to the Withdrawal Agreement, said he still contends it contains 'objectionable' elements. 'I believe it is potentially a harmful act for this country, it would damage our reputation and I think it will make it harder to strike trade deals going forward,' he told Channel 4 News. Downing Street insisted a post-Brexit free trade deal with the EU is still possible despite an increasingly bitter war of words with Brussels. The European Commission has given the UK until the end of the month to drop legislation enabling ministers to override provisions in the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement relating to Northern Ireland. Following a stormy meeting in London on Thursday, the commission warned the UK was putting trade talks at risk and said it would 'not be shy' of taking legal action. The Prime Minister's official spokesman however reiterated the Government's position that the provisions Bill remained 'critical' to the preservation of the Northern Ireland peace process. He said the UK would continue to strive for an agreement and called on the EU side to show greater 'realism'. Amid the worsening atmosphere between London and Brussels, it emerged the EU had even raised the prospect that it could block exports of animal products from the UK once the current Brexit transition period comes to a close at the end of the year. In a statement following the latest round of talks on Thursday, the EU's chief negotiator Michel Barnier said there were 'many uncertainties' about the UK's animal hygiene regime. He said 'more clarity' was needed if Britain was to receive the 'third-country listing' entitling it to export animal products to the EU. On the British side, there was surprise at the comments as the UK continues to apply EU standards, although it is understood the issue has been raised previously in the negotiations. A Government spokesman said: 'It would be very unusual for the EU to go down this route and deny the UK listing.' Meanwhile, Gordon Brown joined fellow former prime ministers Mrs May and Sir John Major in condemning the Government's plan, describing it as 'a huge act of self-harm'. 'You can't expect to have a decent negotiation with the European Union if you start by breaking a treaty that you signed yourself and negotiated only a few weeks ago,' he told ITV's Good Morning Britain. Ireland's Europe minister Thomas Byrne said that, far from protecting the Good Friday Agreement, the UK's actions posed a 'serious risk' to the peace process. 'It's a totally unacceptable way to do business. 'This was a unilateral provocative act,' he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme. Advertisement The EU called the move a serious breach of trust and has threatened to take legal action if Mr Johnson does not alter the UK Internal Market Bill by October. But he has doubled down and argued it is 'crucial for peace and for the Union itself' and said voting it down would reduce the chances of a trade deal with the EU. Writing in the Telegraph, Mr Johnson said: 'We are now hearing that unless we agree to the EU's terms, the EU will use an extreme interpretation of the Northern Ireland protocol to impose a full-scale trade border down the Irish sea. 'We are being told that the EU will not only impose tariffs on goods moving from Great Britain to Northern Ireland, but that they might actually stop the transport of food products from GB to NI. 'I have to say that we never seriously believed that the EU would be willing to use a Treaty, negotiated in good faith, to blockade one part of the UK, to cut it off; or that they would actually threaten to destroy the economic and territorial integrity of the UK.' Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove backed the PM's comments and warned the EU could put 'at threat the integrity' of the UK without the controversial new legislation. He told BBC Breakfast: 'We're doing our part - generously - to help protect the EU's own single market but we're clear that what we can't have even as we're doing all that is the EU disrupting and putting at threat the integrity of the United Kingdom. 'These steps are a safety net, they're a long-stop in the event, which I don't believe will come about but we do need to be ready for, that the EU follow through on what some have said they might do which is in effect to separate Northern Ireland from the rest of the United Kingdom.' The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster also rubbished claims that the dispute over Brexit this week had undermined the UK's reputation. He told Times Radio: 'I think people recognise that in a negotiation like the one that we're having as we leave the European Union, there are inevitably changes in the way in which we interact with our neighbours. 'But our adherence to the rule of law is clear and that's why the Attorney General issued a statement earlier this week outlining the way in which all our actions were entirely consistent with the rule of law.' He has insisted the Government is acting 'within the rule of law' despite the Northern Ireland Secretary admitting the Brexit Bill would breach international law. 'The legal position was made clear by the Attorney General: We are operating within the rule of law,' Mr Gove told Sky News. 'It is the case, however, that we do need to take insurance policies.' MEPs have warned that the European Parliament will block any trade deal with the UK if Boris Johnson breaches his Brexit deal. Leaders in Brussels said the Prime Minister's UK Internal Market Bill is a 'serious and unacceptable breach of international law' which puts the trade negotiations at risk. A statement added: 'Should the UK authorities breach - or threaten to breach - the Withdrawal Agreement, through the United Kingdom Internal Market Bill in its current form or in any other way, the European Parliament will under no circumstances ratify any agreement between the EU and the UK.' Tensions between Britain and Brussels have grown in recent days after Mr Johnson unveiled plans to tear up parts of the original Brexit divorce deal. The EU has given Mr Johnson until the end of the month to withdraw his proposals to override elements of the Withdrawal Agreement, with the bloc threatening legal action if he does not comply. Brussels has also made clear that the future of trade talks are at risk of collapse if Mr Johnson does not perform a U-turn - but Michael Gove has vowed the Government will not be changing course. Mr Johnson now says that 'in the last few weeks' he learned his negotiators had discovered there 'may be a serious misunderstanding about the terms' of the Withdrawal Agreement he signed in October. Mr Johnson argued it was agreed during 'torrid' days with the deadline for a deal fast approaching while 'negotiating with one hand tied behind our back' because Parliament blocked a no-deal. 'If we fail to pass this Bill, or if we weaken its protections, then we will in fact reduce the chances of getting that Canada-style deal,' he wrote, 'Let's remove this danger to the very fabric of the United Kingdom. 'Let's make the EU take their threats off the table. 'And let's get this Bill through, back up our negotiators, and protect our country.' But both Ireland and the EU have warned Mr Johnson's plans pose a serious risk to the peace process rather than protecting the Good Friday Agreement. The PM last night held a conference call with around 250 MPs to try and drum up support for the Bill, and warned them against a return to the 'miserable, squabbling days of last autumn'. But during the call in which there were connection issues and no questions taken by Mr Johnson further fall-out emerged from the EU. Leaders in the European Parliament said they would 'under no circumstances ratify' any trade deal reached if 'UK authorities breach or threaten to breach' the Withdrawal Agreement. Spanish MEP Luis Garicano warned negotiations should be halted if a controversial Brexit Bill is passed, adding Mr Johnson's allegation the Eu is trying to break up the UK is 'ridiculous'. He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'I think it's pretty ridiculous. I think Mr Johnson insists on having his cake and eating it.' He said Mr Johnson 'agreed to border checks in the Irish Sea' when signing the Withdrawal Agreement. The MEP added: 'Let's assume the Prime Minister is bluffing. I think if this Bill is passed then everything is off.' Mr Johnson appeared not to have ended the disquiet within his party during the call, with senior backbencher Sir Bob Neill saying he was not reassured by the speech. Sir Bob, who chairs the Commons Justice Committee and is tabling an amendment to the Bill which he says would impose a 'parliamentary lock' on any changes to the Withdrawal Agreement, said he still contends it contains 'objectionable' elements. 'I believe it is potentially a harmful act for this country, it would damage our reputation and I think it will make it harder to strike trade deals going forward,' he told Channel 4 News. Amid the worsening atmosphere between London and Brussels, it emerged the EU had even raised the prospect that it could block exports of animal products from the UK once the current Brexit transition period comes to a close at the end of the year. In a statement following the latest round of talks on Thursday, the EU's chief negotiator Michel Barnier said there were 'many uncertainties' about the UK's animal hygiene regime. He said 'more clarity' was needed if Britain was to receive the 'third-country listing' entitling it to export animal products to the EU. Meanwhile, Gordon Brown joined fellow former prime ministers Theresa May and Sir John Major in condemning the Government's plan, describing it as 'a huge act of self-harm'. It comes after the European Union hinted it could ban UK food exports to the bloc if the two sides fail to agree a trade deal by the end of the year. It comes after the European Union hinted it could ban UK food exports to the bloc if the two sides fail to agree a trade deal by the end of the year Michel Barnier said there were still 'many uncertainties' on the UK's post-Brexit standards regime and that 'more clarity is needed' in order for Brussels to agree to allow British exports of food and livestock to continue. Trade talks between the UK and Brussels remain ongoing ahead of the end of the transition period in December. But Mr Johnson is facing a rebellion of up to 30 Tory MPs who want to give Parliament the ability to veto any attempt by the premier to depart from the divorce accord. The scale of the Tory backlash to his plans has prompted the PM to invite every Conservative MP to a mass private Zoom call this evening when he will answer questions in a bid to assuage rising levels of anger. UK strikes first post-Brexit trade deal with Japan Ministers have been urged to 'redouble' their efforts to secure a post-Brexit free trade deal with the EU after the Government announced it had secured an agreement with Japan. International Trade Secretary Liz Truss said it was a 'historic moment' for the two countries which will bring 'new wins' for British businesses. But Labour said it was important to put the deal in 'perspective', stressing that even though the agreement was 'welcome', the net benefit would amount to just 0.07 per cent of UK GDP. The agreement comes as hopes of a trade deal between the UK and EU hang in the balance after Brussels demanded the UK abandons plans to override key elements of the Withdrawal Agreement. Shadow international trade secretary Emily Thornberry said: 'Trade with Japan represented 2.21 per cent of our global total last year, and under the best case scenario put forward by the Government, today's agreement will see that total increase by just 0.07 percentage points each year, simply maintaining the levels of growth seen since 2015, and preserving the forecast benefits of the current EU-Japan agreement. 'That all compares to the 47 per cent of our global trade that we currently have with the EU. 'So, necessary as this agreement is, the Government's overriding priority has to be securing the oven-ready deal that they promised us with Europe, which Japanese companies like Nissan have told us is crucial to the future of the investment and jobs they bring to Britain.' The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) said the deal was 'undoubtedly a cause for celebration' but that securing a free trade agreement with the EU 'remains critical to the future of businesses in the UK'. Advertisement Former prime minister Mr Brown today said Mr Johnson's plans represented a 'huge act of self harm'. He argued the Government's strategy appears to be based on a belief that a 'desperate' EU will eventually back down but he said such a belief is 'wrong' and that the bloc is actually more likely to dig in. The row over the PM's Brexit plans came as International Trade Secretary Liz Truss announced a free trade agreement between the UK and Japan has been secured in principle. Ms Truss said it is Britain's first major deal as an independent trading nation and it will increase commerce with Japan by an estimated 15.2 billion. In a statement issued by Mr Barnier following the conclusion of the latest round of Brexit talks yesterday, he said: 'There are also many uncertainties about Great Britain's sanitary and phyto-sanitary regime as from 1 January 2021. 'More clarity is needed for the EU to do the assessment for the third-country listing of the UK.' The so-called 'third-country listing' of the UK by the EU is necessary to allow the continued export of agricultural goods. It had been viewed as a formality that the UK would be given the listing even if no trade deal is agreed because the two sides currently have matching food standards regimes. Mr Barnier's suggestion that the listing could be withheld is seen by some in Whitehall as a move by the EU to put pressure on Mr Johnson to drop his plans to move away from parts of the Withdrawal Agreement. A Government spokesman said: 'The right to export is the absolute basis for a relationship between two countries that trade agricultural goods. 'It is a license to export and entirely separate from the issue of food standards. It would be very unusual for the EU to go down this route and deny the UK listing.' It came as Mr Brown today became the third former prime minister to criticise Mr Johnson's Brexit plans after Sir John Major and Theresa May also hit out at the current occupant of Number 10. The former Labour leader told the BBC's Radio 4 Today programme: 'This is a huge act of self harm. We knew there was a debate over fishing and over state aid but then to explode the argument into breaking an international treaty has been condemned by so many people. 'If I had done that when I was prime minister the Conservatives would have accused me of breaching the rule of law, they would have thrown everything at us and said 'you cannot ignore an international treaty that you signed only a few weeks ago and you negotiated'. 'But I think this is part of a strategy that I think is going wrong on the part of the Government. 'They think they will have a European Council on October 16 and that they can persuade Angela Merkel to step in instead of Barnier, they think they can tie up a deal because people will be desperate. 'I don't think it is going to work that way because I think myself that Angela Merkel will probably be even more adamant to stick to the rule of law.' Michel Barnier, pictured in London, has hinted the EU could ban UK food exports into the bloc if the two sides fail to strike a trade deal Mr Brown said he feared the UK will end up with a 'minimalist' trade deal by the end of the transition period in December which the EU will axe if Britain fails to live up to its commitments. 'What I fear is actually we are going to get some sort of deal but it is a minimalist deal that will be no tariffs now but if you break the level playing field then we will intervene as a European Union,' he said. The latest row with the EU was sparked by the publication of the Government's UK Internal Market Bill. The legislation, which the Government is hoping to crash through the House of Commons in the next two weeks, will enable the UK to unilaterally make decisions about key issues, like customs arrangements between mainland Britain and Northern Ireland, contained within the Withdrawal Agreement. Brussels is adamant that the decisions must be made by a joint committee made up of people from both sides. The Government has admitted its proposals will break international law, prompting fury from Mr Johnson's political opponents but also from Tory backbenchers. Conservative MPs are now planning to try to amend the legislation in order to give Parliament a veto on any attempt by the PM to override the Withdrawal Agreement. Sir Bob Neill, the Tory chairman of the Justice Select Committee, is tabling the amendment and reports suggest he may have the backing of up to 30 of his Conservative colleagues. Sir Bob told Times Radio: 'We are not natural rebels. We've all served as ministers, we know that this is a serious job, and we do our best to take the job seriously. So we don't do anything like this lightly. 'So I hope it's at least an indication as a Government that really, you need to think very hard and carefully about going down this route. For heaven's sake, try and find some other way.' Rebelling against Mr Johnson's Government on Brexit has previously resulted in Tory MPs being stripped of the party whip. But a Government source told the Times that would not be the case if there is a rebellion on the UK Internal Market Bill. The source said 'we're not in the same place' as previously on Brexit matters. Even if the Bill makes it through the Commons there are major question marks over whether it will survive the House of Lords where peers are furious at the plans to knowingly break international law. Lord Lamont of Lerwick, a former Tory chancellor and a Brexiteer, said there was 'no way' peers will agree to the legislation. RTHK: Johnson tries to soothe Tory rebels over lawbreaking Prime Minister Boris Johnson appealed to lawmakers in his Conservative Party on Friday to back a trade bill his government has admitted would break international law, saying it was needed to protect Britain. Johnson's decision to proceed with his planned Internal Markets Bill has plunged trade talks with the EU into crisis and has prompted concern among some Conservatives, who fear that Britain's reputation would be damaged if it is seen to break the Brexit divorce treaty signed in January. In a video conference with his lawmakers, Johnson explained the reason for the bill which he said would protect Britain's economic and political integrity, according to two of those who were on the call. Johnson asked the lawmakers to back him, saying "Let's not go back to those miserable squabbling days of last autumn", a reference to last year's bitter divisions over the Brexit divorce deal which saw some Conservatives quit the party and others thrown out because of their opposition. One of the lawmakers, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Johnson's message had been well received. Earlier, Johnson's spokesman said the prime minister would reiterate Britain's commitment to implementing the Northern Ireland protocol of the divorce deal but also explain the internal markets bill to protect the British province. "He will also be setting out that as a responsible government we must provide a safety net which removes any ambiguity and ensures that the government can always deliver on its commitments to the people of Northern Ireland," the spokesman said. Some senior Conservatives, including former prime ministers Theresa May and John Major, along with figures who have been strong supporters of Brexit, have denounced the plan to override part of the divorce deal, saying it could damage Britain's international standing. (Reuters) This story has been published on: 2020-09-11. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Ukraine should continue to implement ambitious reforms, fight corruption and vested interests. This was said in a joint statement by Canadas Minister of Foreign Affairs, Francois-Philippe Champagne, and the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell. "We continue to encourage Ukraine to implement robust and inclusive reforms. We need to remain vigilant in the fight against corruption and vested interests in Ukraine," the statement reads. The two diplomats recalled that the duration of economic sanctions of the EU and Canada against the Russian Federation is entirely linked to Russias complete implementation of its commitments under the Minsk agreements. "Canada and the EU remain unwavering in their support for Ukraines independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders and condemn the illegal annexation of the Crimean Peninsula, which is a violation of international law," the statement says. Borrell and Champagne underlined "the value of our good cooperation on the rule of law as exemplified by our support for the reform of Ukraines security sector and by Canadas contribution to the EU Advisory Mission (EUAM) in Ukraine." ish STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- A military flyover scheduled to take place on the 19th anniversary of Sept. 11 has been cancelled following criticism that it was tasteless and inappropriate." On Thursday, the New York City Emergency Managements Notify NYC message indicated that an F-18 jet was scheduled to conduct a flyover on the Hudson River headed toward the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge at 3:30 p.m. Friday. "I know Department of Defenses heart was in the right place, and thank them for hearing the concerns of New Yorkers, Rep. Max Rose (D-Staten Island/Brooklyn) said Thursday. The congressman had previously slammed the idea. Are you out of your mind? Cancel this immediately, Rose wrote on Twitter on Thursday. Are you out of your mind? Cancel this immediately. https://t.co/SgwNQEHduN Max Rose (@MaxRose4NY) September 10, 2020 The mayor wasnt aware of the flyover, and frankly its inappropriate," a spokesman for the office of Mayor Bill de Blasio said Thursday. A spokesperson for New York City Emergency Management said Friday that the flyover had been cancelled and referred all other questions to the Navy press office. The U.S. Navy can confirm there are no flights planned over the Hudson River scheduled for today," a Navy spokesperson wrote via email Friday. "A training flight was cancelled by the squadron and rescheduled for a later date. That flight had been previously approved in accordance with all Federal Aviation Administration rules and regulations, and was unrelated to any 9-11 memorial commemorations. City Hall had formally asked Department of Defense not to proceed with this, and were glad to hear it isnt happening, the mayors office said. Experts say that whether the presidential elections result in Donald Trump or Joe Biden taking the seat, the United States government will not shift its policies regarding relations with China and will continue to be strict. U.S.-China relationship The past four years marked President Trump's efforts that have resulted in the breaking of policies that were in place for decades between the U.S. and China. The Republican leader has seen the Asian giant as a growing and untrustworthy international competitor. According to the Wall Street Journal, in recent months, the U.S. government has implemented tariffs on two-thirds of imports from China, restrained Chinese investments in the country, and urged international allies to deny access to Chinese technology. Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden's advisers said they support Trump's administration's view of China being a disruptive international competitor. The comments suggest that whether Trump or Biden becomes president, the relationship between the U.S. and China will continue to be rugged. Continued high tensions between two superpowers of the world would result in potential shifts for businesses worldwide. Companies will begin to monitor supply chains and technological systems in an increasingly divided trade world. The situation would also force allies into choosing between the two sides. Top Asia official from the Obama State Department, Kurt Campbell, who is now a senior adviser to Biden's campaign, said most Democrats saw accurate accounts from Trump's views of China's aggressive stance. Biden aides also said they would move to expand the campaign to compete in strategic high-tech sensors, including artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and the next-generation 5G wireless network. The new policies aim to reduce China's economic capability and influence, along with reducing America's interdependence with the Asian country. Also Read: Russian, Chinese, and Iranian Hackers Target Presidential Election Candidates, Microsoft Observes Responses to China During the presidential race, Biden has continued to criticize Trump on his responses to China. At the same time, Democrat's advisers downplayed the possibility of a "new Cold War" due to the relationship between the two countries, as reported by Fortune. Experts say it is likely that if Biden wins the elections, his administration will move to improve cooperation with China, especially amid the threat of the coronavirus pandemic and climate change. However, Biden's recent move towards a skeptical view of the Asian giant marks a massive shift from the Democratic candidate's previous stance on the U.S.-China relations, including international trade deals and the Obama administration's efforts to foster closer ties with the nation. According to Foreign Policy, during the Democratic National Convention, Biden detailed four priorities of his administration, including one where it would fight against coronavirus and tackle racial justice in the country. The list did not include how to manage China, which is a crucial point of discussion among Asian foreign policy elites. The omission garnered attention in Tokyo, where foreign policy experts criticized Trump's policies as imperfect. While the two presidential candidates share similar perspectives on U.S.-China relations, they have widely varying tactics and messaging. Biden advisers criticized Trump's method of responding to China while Campbell called the Republican's actions a chaotic mess. Related Article: China Threatens Australian Journalists With Detention Amid Deteriorating Relationship @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Democratic candidate Kevin Van Ausdal, who was running against Republican QAnon supporter Marjorie Taylor Greene, has announced he will be dropping out of the Georgia congressional race due to personal reasons. I am resigning from my race against Marjorie Taylor Greene, Mr Van Ausdal said in a statement on Friday. I am deeply saddened by the personal and family reasons that prevent me from continuing on as a candidate for Georgias 14th Congressional District. Mr Van Ausdal was running in a deep-red district, so his chances of winning the congressional election remained low. But him dropping out has put Ms Taylor Greene one step closer to being the first open QAnon supporter in Congress. QAnon is a baseless far-right conspiracy theory that alleges Satan-worshipping paedophiles run a global child sex-trafficking ring. Believers think members of the ring are out to get President Donald Trump. They also believe celebrities and Democrat-leaning politicians are key members. Mr Van Ausdal did not state what the personal reasons were for why he was dropping out of the race less than two months before 3 November. Although all the details remain my familys alone, please understand this was not an easy decision, he said. We are real people managing hard choices. The politician then urged the Democratic Party to select a new candidate to run against Ms Taylor Greene ahead of the election, saying the extremism and divisiveness of the QAnon supporter should not go unchallenged. Georgias state Democratic Party could select another candidate to run against Ms Taylor Greene on the ballot, but ballots are set to be mailed out to voters as early as next Tuesday. Ms Taylor Greene, whose been cited for making Islamaphobic and antisemitic remarks, has already experienced controversy while running in the congressional race. Facebook took down a post she made last week that went against The Squad, four left-wing freshman members of the House Democrats. In the post, it showed Ms Taylor Greene holding a rifle next to images of Representative Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and Representative Rashida Tlaib of Michigan. The picture was labelled SQUADS WORST NIGHTMARE. Facebook said it took the post down because it incited or facilitated serious violence, but Ms Taylor Greene said people needed to relax because it was just a meme. Twitter also suspended the politician for 12 hours this week after she shared a tweet that said children should not wear masks because it hindered their psychological, emotional, and educational growth. She added boys especially should not wear masks because it emasculated them. Top-ranking Republican lawmakers like House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy have previously called some of Ms Taylor Greenes comments appalling, but many national Republican lawmakers have remained silent about her position in the congressional race. This comes at a time when the Republican Party successfully ousted Representative Steven King in Iowas primary election after years of racist comments. Mr Trump recently called Ms Taylor Greene a future Republican Star, further solidifying her anticipated position within Congress following the November election. YEREVAN, 11 SEPTEMBER, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs Armenpress that today, 11 September, USD exchange rate down by 0.66 drams to 487.67 drams. EUR exchange rate up by 0.92 drams to 579.01 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate up by 0.03 drams to 6.51 drams. GBP exchange rate down by 12.32 drams to 623.63 drams. The Central Bank has set the following prices for precious metals. Gold price up by 257.36 drams to 30828.74 drams. Silver price up by 8.38 drams to 424.98 drams. Platinum price up by 200.07 drams to 14581.43 drams. - Kiunjuri took issues with hateful statements made by politicians allied to President Uhuru and his Deputy William Ruto - The former Laikipia legislator said Kenya was heading in a wrong direction given the level of disrespect among leaders - Kiunjuri called on politicians to show leadership at this time so that Kenyans will respect and remember them as statesmen PAY ATTENTION: Click 'See First' under 'Follow' Tab to see Tuko.co.ke news on your FB feed Former Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mwangi Kiunjuri has lashed out President Uhuru Kenyatta and his Deputy William Ruto over the heightened political temperatures. Kiunjuri who took issues with hateful statements made by politicians allied to the two, did not spare ODM leader Raila Odinga in calling for apology to Kenyans. READ ALSO: Karen Hospital goes to court seeking permission to discharge patient abandoned by family Former CS Mwangi Kiunjuri lashed out at Uhuru, Ruto and Raila over recent hateful remarks made by their allies. Photo: Mwangi Kiunjuri. Source: Facebook READ ALSO: Ethiopians colourfully usher in New Year 2013 based on country's unique calendar Speaking at a burial ceremony of a relative at Kieni in Nyeri county on Friday, September 11, the politician said Kenya was heading in a wrong direction given the level of disrespect among leaders. "If you look at Uhuru's side, there are people waking up every day to only abuse the DP as if they are on a payroll to spew insults. If you look at DPs corner, there are people, whom youd think are on a payroll, with their job description to abuse Uhuru Kenyatta. They have gone to extent of abusing Mama Ngina," he said. READ ALSO: Coronavirus update: 190 people test positive, 4 succumb to disease Kapseret MP Oscar Sudi recently bashed the Kenyatta family. He however maintained he did not insult former first lady Ngina. Photo: Oscar Kipchumba Sudi. Source: Facebook READ ALSO: William Ruto asks Kenyans to forgive Raila for questioning his source of wealth: "Hajui mambo ya hustlers" Kiunjuri called on the three leaders to show leadership at this time adding only then will Kenyans respect and remember them as statesmen once they exit political stage. "If you want this nonsense to stop, Uhuru, Raila and Ruto, you must apologise to the nation. You started it all. You are fanning the flames of verbal abuse. Respect Kenyans, and we shall respect you, he added. The former Laikipia legislator was reacting to MPs Oscar Sudi and Johanna Ng'eno who recently bashed the Uhuru and his family for the manner in which he runs the country. Emurua Dikiir MP Ng'eno was arrested and charged for incitement after spending three nights in a police cell. Photo: Johanna Ng'eno. Source: Facebook Ng'eno was arrested and charged for incitement after spending three nights in a police cell. He denied any wrongdoing before Chief Magistrate Elizabeth Usui who released him on a KSh 2 million bond or KSh 1 million cash bail as there was no substantial grounds to justify bail denial. On his part, Sudi maintained his remarks were taken out of context. "I need to make a clarification here, I didn't insult anybody's mother. I just reiterated the fact that my mother, Mama Ngina and all other mothers are equal and they all deserve respect. However, my colleague Johanna Ng'eno was arrested because of mentioning Mama Ngina's name. No one's mother is more special than the other," he wrote on Facebook. Do you have a hot story or scandal you would like us to publish, please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690 and Telegram: Tuko news. He cut off the umbilical cord using a kitchen Knife - Benedicter Mwende | Tuko TV. Source: TUKO.co.ke Ukraine launches antidumping investigation into cement imports 11 September 2020 Ukraines Interdepartmental Commission on International Trade has launched an antidumping investigation into the import of cement from Turkey, according to Business World. The commission reportedly received a complaint from Dyckerhoff Cement Ukraine, Kryvyi Rih Cement, Mykolaivcement, Podilsky Cement, and Cement LLC with the support of Ivano-Frankivskcement. According to the applicant, during the observation period (2017-19), the import of cement in absolute terms increased by 809 per cent and by 837 per cent in terms of consumption. A forecast also shows that by the end of 2020 imports will have increased by 1815 per cent and 2547 per cent, respectively. The prices for imported cement were also lower than the prices of the applicant, but the growing volumes of imports forced it to reduce prices, despite an increase in costs. Published under Thats a question best directed to someone who can explain why that was the policy. It was the policy, Ms Williams said. Very few people in quarantine had coronavirus, with 1 per cent of the more than 20,000 who went through the program testing positive. Each person, once they tested COVID-postive was dealt with according to their individual circumstances, she said. People who were positive when they left quarantine were directed to isolate and could have been fined $20,000 for failing to comply. Pam Williams was a commander for Operation Soteria, the taskforce that ran the hotel quarantine program. Ms Williams described most people who went through the hotel quarantine program as compliant. Detaining international arrivals in their homes, rather than hotels, was considered by the department, the inquiry heard. Ms Williams colleague and department deputy secretary Melissa Skilbeck said on Thursday she wasnt confident that returned travellers would comply with the order to stay home, despite the risk of a $20,000 fine. It was at a point which meant the public health risk was considered unacceptable, she said. Ms Williams said Victorian authorities weren't bound by national cabinet decisions on hotel quarantine and the state had a much tighter approach than other states with some aspects of the program. She told the inquiry on Friday that in NSW unaccompanied minors were never detained. "In Victoria, we did not have that as an immediate outcome. Occasionally we'd have that as an outcome, but it was not an immediate outcome," Ms Williams said. The inquiry was shown notes from a meeting of Operation Soteria, the taskforce that ran hotel quarantine in Melbourne, on April 10. "Commonwealth makes broader decisions, Victoria makes its own decisions around detention," the meeting minutes read. "In some cases we have aligned with decisions made at the national level but in other cases, we have varied and it has been accepted at the national level that the states and authorities aren't bound." Other states, Ms Williams told the inquiry, were "less inclined" to let people leave their rooms, but Victoria's response had to be balanced against the state's charter of human rights. She said program decision-makers were "put under pressure" to accommodate fresh air breaks from the guests. "We were balancing a public health risk ... to contain the virus with the pressure to provide people with fresh air, to enable people to have compassionate leave. Ms Williams also told the inquiry that people could have been let out of hotel quarantine earlier, with only 1 per cent of the people in the program 200 returned travellers testing positive to coronavirus. Transmission between positive cases in quarantine and workers in the hotel spread into the community and, the inquiry heard, caused 99 per cent of current COVID-19 cases. Ms Williams said the outbreaks were traced back to seven people in three rooms. So in fact, 96.8 per cent of the people in quarantine did not go on to spread the virus, Ms Williams said. The department introduced testing of detainees on day three and day 11 of their two-week quarantine in the hotels. Im not saying we would have just let people out, Ms Williams said. The major risk of identifying people occurred in that first week ... so it may have been possible to detain people for a shorter period and then self-isolate. But in the first wave of cases, a large number of people who came from overseas werent self-isolating and passed the virus on, Ms Williams said. 'Would you work there?' Public health experts have said there was a "high risk" of surface transmission inside the hotel following the outbreaks in late May with problems with the cleaning regime and use of personal protective equipment, particularly by the security guards contracted to work there. "If you knew those things, is that a place you would be prepared to work?"Mr Ihle asked Ms Williams. Ms Williams paused, then said: "I was, I did go down to those hotels. I did observe that staff who practiced the processes that we proposed, social distancing, proper use of PPE and hand washing, did not become positive and a range of things were in place at that hotel." Mr Ihle asked her if it was a safe place to work. "There were a number of things that were done to ensure staff were as safe as they could possibly be," Ms Williams replied. "Is it possible with COVID in the environment to be 100 per cent safe? No, and our experience in the hospital system at the moment indicates that." Guests were 'by and large compliant' More than 20,000 people went through the quarantine program from the end of March until it was suspended in June due to the outbreaks within the program. Ms Williams said she had a lot of respect for those who were detained in hotel quarantine. It was boring, it was hard to deal with if you had a family ... They were doing that because they understood what the risks were, she said. Ms Williams said the guests were "by and large very compliant" but it became very difficult to manage the health and wellbeing of some of them. "There were many issues that guests had. Initially there was quite a focus on food, so people were often unhappy with the choice and the nature of the food provided," she said. Some also had mental health problems and were heavy smokers, in distress being in rooms without windows that opened. Cleaners in the dark on 'hot' hotel The inquiry was earlier told that cleaners werent told they were being sent to a "hot" hotel after a COVID-19 outbreak. The cleaners, from Ikon Services Australia, had been contracted by the Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions to perform deep cleans of hotel rooms in the program. They were contracted to clean rooms at the Rydges on Swanston, a "hot" hotel that housed returned travellers with COVID-19. But cleaners werent told the hotel was a designated COVID hotel, the inquiry heard. The Rydges on Swanston became the site of major outbreaks between workers at the hotel, which health experts say is responsible for 90 per cent of current cases in Victoria. Were you told Rydges was designated a COVID hotel? Mr Ihle, asked. No we werent. We werent informed, Ikon Services general manager Michael Girgis replied. This is significant as the process the cleaners would go through to put on and take off their personal protective equipment may have changed if they had have known. Their process was donning and doffing full PPE inside the hotel in a designated room, rather than outside of it, before they entered the rooms. Ikon was called in to clean common areas on May 28 after a staff member at the hotel tested positive to COVID-19 on May 26. A discarded glove Mr de Kretser found on the floor of his dirty hotel room. But Mr Girgis said he only found out why they had been asked to clean common areas when they contacted the hotel. That was the only way we found, just by chance that morning, by asking the question, Mr Girgis said. Loading Ikon was called back to clean the hotel on June 3 and 4. By that time, the hotel had been shut down to new arrivals after more workers tested positive. Not that Mr Girgis was told, he said. No we werent made aware of that as well, he said. Health department medical advisors ordered a deep clean of common areas after the first positive test on May 26, which Ikon was contracted to do. But, the inquiry heard previously, the deep clean was inadequate with a wrong disinfectant used. Mr Girgis said he was never told their cleaning wasnt up to scratch. Mr Girgis was also shown photos taken by prominent human rights lawyer Hugh De Kretser, who was quarantined in the Rydges in late June when it was reopened to new arrivals after it was shut down from early June after the outbreaks. The photos showed used face masks and plastic gloves under the bed, food crumbs on the floor and stains on the doonas. Rubbish left in Hugh de Kretser's room at the Rydges hotel. The room had not been used since it was cleaned in early June. This is not indicative of the work we produce, Mr Girgis said, at a loss to explain why the room was in such a state. Jewish group demands Amazon stop using SPLC as source on hate groups Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Some 100 Orthodox Jewish rabbis have signed onto a letter to Amazon President and CEO Jeff Bezos urging him to quit using the Southern Poverty Law Centers hate map to determine which groups are eligible to participate in its charitable gift program. Amazon relies on the SPLC a controversial group that frequently labels Christian and conservative organizations as "hate" groups to determine which groups can be part of the AmazonSmile charity program. As a result, some conservative Christian organizations have been banned from participating in the program. In a letter sent earlier this month, the rabbis explained that while the SPLC doesn't denigrate the Bible or other religious texts directly, it nevertheless vilifies groups based upon nothing more than their advocacy for biblically based beliefs about sexual and family ethics that were uncontroversial a generation or two ago. Notably, groups which falsely paint others as homophobic, transphobic, and bigoted simply for retaining traditional beliefs are not categorized as hateful by the SPLC, the Rabbis asserted. The rabbis also accused the SPLC of being hypocritical in its designations of hate groups, saying the liberal organization specifically avoids identifying radical Islamic groups as the leading source of modern-day anti-Semitic violence. Far from fighting hate, the SPLC has descended into hateful conduct itself. Indeed, the hate map has already been employed by a domestic terrorist to identify innocents to murder, continued the letter, alluding to the 2012 shooting at the Family Research Council where gunman Floyd Lee Corkins shot a security guard and planned to murder others based off what he read on materials distributed by the SPLC. On behalf of the Jewish community and all who share concern for our lives and safety, we urge you to immediately terminate any association between AmazonSmile and the SPLC. The letter was written and signed by members of the Coalition for Jewish Values, a conservative Jewish advocacy organization based in Baltimore, Maryland. CJV President Rabbi Pesach Lerner said in a statement released Thursday that when funding is denied to organizations that fight hate against Jews, but is provided to organizations that foment that hatred, this is certainly Antisemitic in effect, even if not in intent. Placing groups which are objectively opposed to hate onto this list only harms the fight against its real and dangerous manifestations, he added. Recently, Amazon has faced increasing scrutiny for its reliance on the SPLCs hate map to determine what nonprofits are eligible for its AmazonSmile program. Many, especially conservative organizations and indiivduals, have been critical of how the SPLC, a far-left civil rights group based in Montgomery, Alabama, designates hate groups. Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., urged Bezos at a hearing in July to sever ties with the SPLC, arguing that they traffic in hate. Im just wondering why you would place your confidence in a group that seems to be so out-of-step and seems to take mainstream Christian doctrine and label it as hate, Gaetz asked Bezos. In response, Bezos said Amazon needs to have some source of data to use to weed out actual extremist groups, adding, I would like a better source if we could get it. We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form Palmer Township officials on Friday blocked the Northampton County Republican Committee from staging a rally next week on township property. The GOP committee announced this week the Sept. 17 event in Fairview Park would feature Mark and Patricia McCloskey, the St. Louis couple who garnered widespread attention for brandishing firearms as Black Lives Matter demonstrators walked through their neighborhood June 28. The township said it is denying permission to hold the rally over concerns about crowding amid the continuing coronavirus pandemic. Upon review of this request, based on the recent promotional efforts for the event from the applicant, and the generated publicity in the news and social media, it is anticipated that the planned event will result in a gathering of more than 250 persons, which would violate state prohibitions on gatherings that large, the township said in a post on its website and Facebook page. The reported political gathering in Fairview Park scheduled for Thursday, September 17, 2020, is not approved by Palmer... Posted by Palmer Township, Northampton County, Pennsylvania - Government Page on Friday, September 11, 2020 Coronavirus concerns aside, the GOP committee chairwoman, Gloria Lee Snover, accused the township of violating the groups First Amendment right to assembly and said organizers will move forward with a Plan B location that she declined to immediately identify. The committee on its Facebook page this week claimed, Powerful Democrats are trying to keep this event from happening, and touted the McCloskeys' story of Individual Liberty. The feigned excuse that our gathering might exceed 250 people is a thin veil to what is really happening here," Snover wrote in a message to lehighvalleylive.com. We never expected our open air gathering to exceed the arbitrary 250-person limit that the governors edict pronounced. A call for comment to the chairman of the townships board of supervisors was referred to the township manager, who did not immediately return a call for comment. In images that went viral, Mark McCloskey clutched a military-style rifle as his wife held a handgun with her finger on the trigger as protesters marched past their house en route to the St. Louis mayors house. Armed homeowners Mark and Patricia McCloskey, standing in front of their house along Portland Place, confront protesters marching June 28, 2020, to St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson's house in the Central West End of St. Louis. St. Louis top prosecutor told The Associated Press on Monday, July 20, 2020, that she is charging the husband and wife with felony unlawful use of a weapon for displaying guns during a racial injustice protest outside their mansion. (Laurie Skrivan/St. Louis Post-Dispatch via AP File)AP The McCloskeys, both attorneys who were charged with felony weapons offenses in the confrontation, would go on to speak in prime time at the Republican National Convention. Their Lehigh Valley appearance was scheduled as the region plays a critical role in the battle for Pennsylvanias Electoral College votes between President Donald Trumps re-election campaign and Democratic challenger Joe Biden. Trumps son Donald Trump Jr. visited the region this summer and taped an episode of Business Matters, the WFMZ-TV 69 talk show slated to feature Biden himself on Monday. The Lehigh Valley was split four years ago, with Trump winning Northampton County with 49.62% of the vote, nearly four percentage points more than Hillary Clinton, and Clinton taking Lehigh County with 50.51% of the vote, just under five points ahead of Trump. The latest realclearpolitics.com average of polling shows Biden leading Trump in Pennsylvania by 4.3 percentage points. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to lehighvalleylive.com. Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com. (Natural News) In what is clearly a preemptive strike against Americans who will try to exercise their right not to be infected with an experimental coronavirus vaccine, the head of big pharma Pfizer, which is in the competition to develop a COVID-19 shot first so the company can rake in billions, is already blaming anti-vaxxers in case it fails. Albert Bourla warned Sept. 8 that anyone who doesnt get a coronavirus vaccine will become a weak link and will allegedly become responsible for the virus continued spread (speaking of which, how have those lockdowns and business closures worked out to keep the bug from spreading?). So much for allowing some herd immunity to take effect. CNBC provided more details: Bourla, whose company is in late-stage testing for a potential inoculation, said he understands the publics concerns about vaccines, which are being developed in record time. He said Pfizer will only request authorization from the Food and Drug Administration after data shows that its vaccine is safe and effective. But he also said people who decide against taking the vaccine once available will not only affect their lives. So, in order to be a Big Pharma CEO these days, you also have to become the lead salesperson too, apparently. In an interview with corporate-owned NBC, Bourla said people who dont get his companys vaccine will affect the lives of others because if they dont vaccinate, they will become the weak link that will allow this virus to replicate. Earth to Bourla: Weve had a flu vaccine for decades and we have to make a new strain every year because (wait for it) influenza replicates, adapts and changes. Its a virus. Thats what they do; they survive. And if we keep everyone on perpetual lockdown without giving the novel coronavirus the chance to burn itself out, then it will stay around a lot longer. CNBC had to get into the anti-vaxxer bashing as well. Vaccine hesitancy was already a problem in the United States. But fear due to the pandemic and confusing communication from the Trump administration on vaccine development has exacerbated opposition to a vaccine and could jeopardize a Covid-19 vaccines impact, infectious disease experts and scientists say, the network reported. First and foremost, the Trump administrations communications havent been any more confusing than any other regime would have been. After all, when the swine flu hit, the god king Barack Obama didnt have all of the answers right out of the gate, either. But also, this vaccine is risky, to say the least, because its being rushed. And while no one should ever believe that President Trump wants to kill or injure anyone with it, the chances are better than average there will be many ill-effects from a coronavirus vaccine that hasnt been fully tested. And that said, why does Bourla believe that we all have to get his vaccine? So far anyway, there is no national vaccine mandate for the annual flu shot; what makes COVID-19 so much different? And dont say the death toll because the death toll is a fabrication; thinking, rational people have known that for months due to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention directives calling for anyone who has died from other causes but tests positive for the virus to be counted as a coronavirus death. Its ridiculous. Then there is always the very legitimate concern that the vaccine could be a political prop for the presidents reelection. While Trump has certainly earned a second term, we should never want a vaccine politicized. On that note, there has already been some serious side effects from other coronavirus vaccines, including the one being developed by AstraZeneca. Apparently, a woman from the UK developed significant neurological symptoms consistent with a rare spinal inflammatory disorder called transverse myelitis. Shes reportedly improving, but what happens if a vaccine does something like this on a mass scale? According to Bourla, we shouldnt be worried about such things because wed be weak links. Follow JD Heyes on Brighteon Social @jdheyes. Sources include: NaturalNews.com CNBC.com Today.com The days of crowded lecture halls and Messy Mondays in the student bar are over for now. As students process the first round of CAO offers, heres nine ways college life will change in the Covid era. 1. More flexible and available accommodation Some universities are offering students flexible on-campus accommodation for the coming year. As students will be spending far less time physically in college, they will be able to rent rooms on a nightly, weekly or monthly basis. Read More Its a big undertaking, but the fact is you cant expect or ask people to pay for a semesters worth of accommodation when they may be on campus very little. Were trying to make it as straightforward as possible given the extraordinary circumstances, said DCUs communications officer Thomas Kelly. The scramble for off-campus accommodation has always been a major challenge due to Irelands housing crisis. But with fewer tourists coming to Ireland and people moving back to rural areas, cities have seen more short-term accommodation become available. Rental website Daft.ie reported there was almost 50pc more available rentals in Dublin between the start of May and the end of July, compared with the same time last year. However, rents remain high. Students are being asked to pay up to four months rent in advance to secure accommodation in some cases, according to a new survey carried out by housing charity Threshold this week. 2. No more house parties Pre-drinks and house parties have always been a staple part of the college social scene. But thanks to Covid, not any more. On-campus accommodation is just going to be somewhere you sleep and stay now, you wont be able to have loads of people over, according to DCUs Thomas Kelly. University College Dublin (UCD) will be prohibiting students from having guests sleep over. Student house parties will also be banned on campus. Some colleges, like National University of Ireland, Galway (NUIG) are asking students to sign up to a pledge to be responsible in their behaviour. Meanwhile, residents near University College Cork (UCC) have been campaigning for landlords and letting agents to include a stipulation in contracts that house parties are not allowed due to public health concerns. 3. More students may decide to defer in the hope that a vaccine is found Speculation has been rife that more students may want to delay starting college in the hope that the pandemic will subside next year. Some may want to avoid physically attending for health reasons, while others dont want to start university at a time where they will not get the true college experience. Im only 17 and I just feel like I dont want to start college at a time when you wont be on campus much, you cant go out and it will be harder to make friends, said Wexford student Roisin Murphy. Aoife Walsh, guidance counsellor at Malahide Community School, said based on the experience of CAO Round A and Round Zero, which precede Round 1, the level of requests is on a par, or a little less in some cases with previous years. Covid concerns have been mentioned as a factor in some of the deferral applications arising from those two rounds of offers, she said. On the flip side, students who were considering taking a year out to travel or work before the pandemic hit may now decide otherwise. 4. Harder to make friends Students leaving behind secondary school have to start all over again when it comes to making friends in college. But how do you do that when everything is online and you have to keep your distance from people at events? Ian Power, who runs the youth welfare website Spunout.ie, said its going to be a challenge. Potentially you may have friends moving from the same school but inevitably your friend-network will expand and often those friends can be made in the first few weeks of college. That will be difficult and different this year. I know lots of societies are gearing up for socially distant and online events but it wont be the same level of interaction. You wont be going to nightclubs, you wont be going to house parties. Getting out there and meeting new people will be a challenge. 5. The future is online The Irish University Association said colleges will adopt a hybrid approach. This means that lectures will primarily be delivered online and students will attend campus for face-to-face laboratory classes, practical sessions and small group interactions, where possible. Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT) was the first university to confirm it would be holding all classes and tutorials online. Some activities such as labs and workshops will be held on campus with social distancing measures in place, but the majority of the academic year will be online. The University of Limerick (UL) said students will only be on campus for one week in every month. Experts believe this will lead to the acceleration of innovation in education technology, with colleges looking to introduce more virtual experiences that feel like a real classroom. 6. Less shifting, more sexting Since Covid hit, the Health Service Executive (HSE) urged people to limit their sexual activity to prevent further spread of the virus. It issued a leaflet earlier this month advising people to masturbate and to watch pornography to protect themselves. With nightclubs set to remain shut, wet pubs subject to strict regulations and sleep overs banned from on-campus accommodation, the simple days of going out and getting the shift will be no more. 7. A drop in international students Between 20pc and 30pc of the student population in Ireland is made up of international students. Due to travel restrictions and colleges moving largely online, it is expected there will be a fall in the number of foreign students travelling to Ireland this year - which will result in a huge drop in revenue for universities here. UCD welcomes around 6,000 students from overseas each year. A spokesperson for the college said there has been a decrease in the numbers applying, but is hopeful things will turn around next year. Meanwhile, the numbers of students coming to English language schools in Ireland could drop by 120,000 this year as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, according to school association Marketing English in Ireland. 8. More students may decide to commute Considering most of the coming college year will be online, theres plenty of anecdotal evidence to suggest that students will opt to commute to college. Ian Power of Spunout.ie says it makes perfect sense with so much uncertainty still out there. Were still waiting for a lot of colleges to give us updates on what things are going to look like for students when they return, he said. Ive heard of lots of young people who are being pressured to put down deposits on accommodation, and normally when the CAO results come out there is a scramble for accommodation, whereas this year I dont know if thats going to be the case. 9. Government considering reducing college fees Students have been calling for reduced registration fees given that many will now be learning from home for most of the year. Higher Education Minister Simon Harris admitted that the current standard fee of 3,000 is too high and said he is committed to potentially lowering this in the Governments lifetime. The objective is ensuring access to and continued participation in higher education by students from disadvantaged backgrounds and from families who have been disproportionately impacted by Covid, a spokesperson for the Department of Education said. New Delhi, Sep 11 : The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Friday said that it arrested an Assistant Director of the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) posted in Jammu and Kashmir in a graft case. The arrested officer has been identified as Umesh Kumar Verma, Assistant Director of the BCAS in Jammu and Kashmir for demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs 5,000 from the complainant. A CBI official said that a case was registered against Verma on the allegations of demanding a bribe of Rs 10,000 for granting entry passes to the employees of the complainant who were engaged in providing manpower services at the Jammu Airport. "The accused was allegedly pressurising and harassing the complainant to pay the bribe and when the complainant refused to do so, his application was rejected," the CBI FIR alleged. Following the complaint, the CBI laid a trap and caught the accused red-handed while accepting a bribe of Rs 5,000 from the complainant. After the arrest of Verma, the CBI sleuths carried out searches at the residential and official premises of the accused in Srinagar (J&K) and Shahjahanpur in Uttar Pradesh. Verma will be produced before the court in Jammu later in the day. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-11 16:18:59|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Staff members board the MT New Diamond oil tanker to conduct investigations on the sea off Sri Lanka's eastern coast, Sept. 10, 2020. The Sri Lanka Navy said on Friday that a three-member team had boarded the MT New Diamond oil tanker which caught fire in Sri Lanka's eastern waters last Thursday to carry out an investigation after the fire had been completely doused. The three-member team was from the salvor and they boarded the oil tanker after a six-member team from overseas also got aboard for inspection. The navy said preliminary investigations into the distressed ship had already been completed. The MT New Diamond is carrying 270,000 metric tonnes of crude oil and was heading to the Paradip Port in India from Kuwait when a fire broke out in its engine room last Thursday, threatening to cause a massive oil spill in the Indian Ocean while being in Sri Lanka's eastern waters. (Sri Lanka Navy Media/Handout via Xinhua) COLOMBO, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- The Sri Lanka Navy said on Friday that a three-member team had boarded the MT New Diamond oil tanker which caught fire in Sri Lanka's eastern waters last Thursday to carry out an investigation after the fire had been completely doused. The three-member team was from the salvor and they boarded the oil tanker after a six-member team from overseas also got aboard for inspection. The navy said preliminary investigations into the distressed ship had already been completed. The MT New Diamond is carrying 270,000 metric tonnes of crude oil and was heading to the Paradip Port in India from Kuwait when a fire broke out in its engine room last Thursday, threatening to cause a massive oil spill in the Indian Ocean while being in Sri Lanka's eastern waters. The navy said that a fuel patch spotted in the sea where the ship was located had been caused by leaks from the ship's fuel tanks and not the crude oil tanks. The ship is presently 50 nautical miles away from the eastern coast. The navy said that nine ships from Sri Lanka Navy, Indian Coast Guard, and Indian Navy together with two Sri Lanka Coast Guard Ships and three Fast Attack Craft and six tugs deployed by other stakeholders were actively engaged in the operation. Apart from that, aircraft of the Sri Lanka Air Force and a Dornier aircraft of the Indian Coast Guard are doing aerial reconnaissance intermittently. Further, efforts are being made to remove toxic gases and other vapors, caused by fire, from the engine room and other compartments of the ship, the navy said. Enditem Egypts heavy industries are demanding further cuts in energy prices in order to improve their competitiveness Egypts Chemical and Fertilisers Export Council filed a request in late August to the Ministry of Trade and Industry asking for a reduction of gas prices to $3.5 per million British thermal units (MBTU). The cost of gas makes up about 40 per cent of the price of the industrys products, said Khaled Abul-Makarem, chair of the council. While gas prices vary for different industries, Egypts heavy industries suffer from a high price of gas, reaching $4.5 MBTU, when the average international price is $2.5 MBTU. Abul-Makarem wants to see Egyptian industrialists pay the international price for gas. The government cut gas prices for industry in March as part of a stimulus package to support the industrial sector to $4.5 MBTU, down from $6 MBTU. The current price in Egypt is more than double the international price that foreign competitors pay, said OCI NV, a gas production and distribution company, in July. It said that Egypts high gas prices could drive it out of the market, reducing production and possibly having to close its fertiliser plants in the country. Over the past six months, international gas prices have fluctuated, registering $1.38 MBTU in June and $2.66 MBTU in August before stabilising at $2.52 MBTU. The governments energy pricing committee could cut gas prices by 50 to 80 cents per MBTU this month, media reports have indicated. In October, Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouli ordered that a committee be formed to review energy prices every six months. The committees next meeting is scheduled for September. Parliaments Industry Committee headed by MP Farag Amer has requested the government to lower energy prices for factories, saying that this would help Egyptian products to compete with those on international markets. High gas prices have already affected chemical exports and resulted in the loss of key markets such as the European Union, though directing chemical exports to African markets has helped to cushion the reduction in exports by three to 10 per cent, Abul-Makarem said. Reducing gas prices will increase the competitive edge of Egyptian products in international markets, such as Europe, Turkey, India, China, and a number of Arab countries. Egypts chemical and fertiliser exports fell by 16.2 per cent during the first half of the current fiscal year, recording around $2.4 billion, down from around $2.9 billion, according to the General Organisation for Export and Import Control. Mohamed Al-Marakbi, the owner of a steel factory in Egypt, believes it is only fair that Egyptian producers pay the international price for gas, as had been the case earlier. He said that gas represented 40 per cent of the cost of the first phase of steelmaking, and was then lowered to three per cent in subsequent phases. In Turkey, for example, the cost of transforming iron ore to pellets is much lower than in Egypt, he said, adding that Egyptian steel factories have halted their exports over the past two years. Gas is a main input for Egyptian steelmaking since the country does not produce iron ore. Al-Marakbi said that electricity and gas prices should be lowered in order to raise the competitive edge of Egyptian products. Electricity prices were exorbitant for Egyptian producers, he said, adding that they were set at 2.5 cents (45 piastres) in the European Union and LE1.1 in Egypt. *A version of this article appears in print in the 10 September, 2020 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Search Keywords: Short link: Kolkata, Sep 11 : A West Bengal woman police officer, her driver, and security guard were killed when the official vehicle they were travelling in rammed a stationary truck loaded with sand on the National Highway-2 on Friday morning. Armed Battalion Commandant Deboshree Chatterjee, her bodyguard Tapas Burman, and driver Manoj Saha were killed on the spot on the Durgapur Expressway near the Dadpur police station area in Hooghly district. The trio was taken to Imambara Hospital in Chinsura, where they were declared brought dead. According to eyewitnesses, the official vehicle's driver was allegedly speeding when it hit the truck. Officials of Hooghly district police said the driver may have lost control after dozing off on the wheel. Chatterjee was returning to Kolkata from Siliguri by road. She started her return journey on Thursday night after visiting an armed battalion unit there. She was a resident Parnashree area in Kolkata's Behala. Police said Hooghly Superintendent of Police Tathagata Basu visited the Imambara Hospital at Chinsura after hearing about the accident. Chatterjee, who joined the West Bengal Police as a Sub-Inspector, served in various positions of the Kolkata Police, including in women's grievance cell, cybercrime, immoral trafficking wing etc during her 32-year-long service. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Flash A senior Botswana official has expressed sincere gratitude on behalf of the Botswana government to China for its anti-pandemic assistance. Kabo Morwaeng, Botswana's minister for presidential affairs, governance and public administration, when hosting the Chinese Ambassador to Botswana Zhao Yanbo, who paid him a courtesy call at his office in Gaborone earlier this month, said during the COVID-19 pandemic, China was the first country to extend a helping hand to Botswana with batches of medical supplies, which has met the latter's urgent need. Since Botswana reported its first confirmed COVID-19 case at the end of March, the southern African country has successively received several batches of anti-epidemic materials from the Chinese government and the private sector, including masks, protective clothing, gloves, infrared thermometers, testing kits, and medical equipment. These materials have played an important role in the prevention and control of the virus in the country. "Since the establishment of diplomatic relations, China has supported Botswana's economic and social development in various ways," said Morwaeng, adding that China has taken good care of Botswana citizens and students in China, which reflects the close partnership between the two countries. Morwaeng further assured China of the Botswana government's commitment to strengthening and maintaining the sound relations for many more decades to come. "Botswana is willing to further strengthen exchanges and cooperation with China and learn China's experience in rapid development so as to achieve common prosperity of both countries," he said. Zhao briefed Morwaeng on China's anti-pandemic cooperation with the international community and assistance to Botswana in fighting against COVID-19. "As a major global public health crisis, the pandemic has had a huge impact on all countries, including China and Botswana. China thanks Botswana for its support in the early stage of the outbreak, and will continue to strengthen practical cooperation with Botswana in the areas of public health, infrastructure, tourism, agriculture, and digital economy to help Botswana overcome the negative impact of the pandemic and achieve economic recovery as soon as possible." Zhao said. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-11 15:47:28|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close ISTANBUL, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- Turkish authorities on Friday launched a series of operations across the country to detain at least 130 suspects over their alleged links to a network believed to be behind a coup attempt in 2016. Following the orders of the Chief Public Prosecutor's Offices in Istanbul, Ankara, Balikesir, and Konya, police launched simultaneous operations in 45 provinces, the Hurriyet daily said. The suspects, including military personnel, lawyers, and police officers, allegedly contacted the network headed by the U.S.-based Turkish cleric Fethullah Gulen via various means, according to Hurriyet. Since the beginning of August, Turkish prosecutors had ordered the detention of at least 373 suspects, including soldiers on active duty. The Turkish government blames Gulen and his network for masterminding the coup bid in July 2016, in which 250 people were killed, and has been pushing for his extradition. Enditem BANGALORE, India, Sept. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The global medical simulation market size was valued at USD 1,421.1 Million in 2019 and is projected to reach USD 3,190.2 Million by 2027, growing at a CAGR of 14.6% from 2020 to 2027. Major factors driving the Medical Simulation Market size's growth are increased use of simulation in healthcare, a rise in deaths due to medical errors, and the need for improved outcomes for patient safety. The report provides an in-depth analysis of the global medical simulation market size and the current trends and future estimations to elucidate the imminent investment pockets. View Full Report: https://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/ALLI-Manu-3C5/medical-simulation TRENDS INFLUENCING THE MEDICAL SIMULATION MARKET SIZE Over the past few years, the requirement for medical simulation has been established in minimally invasive surgery. The minimally invasive techniques are becoming a standard for a number of surgical procedures. These MIS procedures involve smaller incisions that lead to faster recovery. This feature drives the growth of the medical simulation market size. The increase in various technological advances in medical simulation increases healthcare applications for the training of healthcare professionals. This increasing use for training purposes is expected to increase the growth of the medical simulation market size. Other factors that can fuel the growth of medical simulation market size include healthcare personnel shortages, growing awareness of simulation education in emerging countries, and technological advances. On the other hand, budgetary constraints, high simulator costs, and operational challenges could hinder the medical simulation market. MEDICAL SIMULATION MARKET SHARE ANALYSIS The low-fidelity segment held the largest medical simulation market share based on fidelity, with a revenue of $671.29 million in 2019. On the other hand, the high-fidelity segment is expected to witness the highest growth CAGR of 15.3% during the forecast period. in 2019. On the other hand, the high-fidelity segment is expected to witness the highest growth CAGR of 15.3% during the forecast period. Based on end-users, the hospital segment dominated the market in 2019 at $761.41 million . The factors responsible for hospital segment dominance are the gradual shift of focus away from traditional learning, the advent of advanced simulation-based technologies, full use of simulation models in medical surgery, increased focus on minimizing errors, and cost-effectiveness of medical practitioners' procedural training. . The factors responsible for hospital segment dominance are the gradual shift of focus away from traditional learning, the advent of advanced simulation-based technologies, full use of simulation models in medical surgery, increased focus on minimizing errors, and cost-effectiveness of medical practitioners' procedural training. Based on the region, Asia-Pacific is expected to witness the highest growth during the forecast period. This rapid growth is attributed to the presence of a large patient population, increasing investment in R&D, increasing focus on medical education, training, research, and patient safety, and rising healthcare spending. Inquire For Sample with Covid Impact Factors: https://reports.valuates.com/request/sample/ALLI-Manu-3C5/medical_simulation_market TOP COMPANIES IN THE MEDICAL SIMULATION MARKET The medical simulation market is highly fragmented, with major players dominating the market. The top companies in the medical simulation market include Laerdal Medical AS, CAE, Inc., 3D Systems, Inc., Simulab Corporation, Simulaids, Inc., Limbs and Things, Ltd., Kyoto Kagaku Co. Ltd., Mentice AB, Surgical Science Sweden AB, and Gaumard Scientific Company, Inc. Inquire For Regional Reports: https://reports.valuates.com/request/regional/ALLI-Manu-3C5/medical_simulation_market MEDICAL SIMULATION KEY MARKET SEGMENTS: By Product & Service Model-based Simulation Patient Simulation Task Trainer Simulation Manikin-based Simulation Standardized Patient Simulation Surgical Simulation Laparoscopic Surgical Simulators Arthroscopic Surgical Simulators Cardiovascular Simulators Gynecology Simulators Others Ultrasound Simulation Web-based Simulation Simulation Software Performance Recording Software Virtual Tutors Simulation Training Services Vendor-based Training Custom Consulting Services Educational Societies By Fidelity Low-fidelity Medium-fidelity High-fidelity By End User Academic Institutions & Research Centers Hospitals & Clinics Military Organizations By Region North America U.S. Canada Mexico Europe Germany France UK Italy Spain Rest of Europe Asia-Pacific Japan China India Australia Rest of Asia-Pacific LAMEA Brazil Saudi Arabia South Africa Rest of LAMEA Buy Now for Single User: https://reports.valuates.com/api/directpaytoken?rcode=ALLI-Manu-3C5&lic=single-user Buy Now for Enterprise Licence: https://reports.valuates.com/api/directpaytoken?rcode=ALLI-Manu-3C5&lic=enterprise-license SIMILAR REPORTS Simulation Software Market Report The global simulation software market was valued at USD 5,135 Million in 2017 and is projected to reach USD 10,029 Million by 2025, growing at a CAGR of 8.90% from 2018 to 2025. Increasing demand for an environmentally friendly work environment, testing different designs before building one in hardware, increasing the use of simulation software in the automotive and healthcare industries, and significant simulation adoption among aerospace & defense are some of the major factors driving the growth of the global simulation software market size. View Full Report: https://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/ALLI-Auto-4O301/simulation-software Healthcare and Medical Simulation Market Report The global Healthcare and Medical Simulation market size are projected to reach USD 2526 Million by 2026, from USD 1144.8 Million in 2020, at a CAGR of 14.1% during 2021-2026. The most proportion of Healthcare and Medical Simulation is used in medical college, and the consumption proportion was about 48% in 2017. View Full Report: https://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/QYRE-Auto-9K887/global-healthcare-and-medical-simulation Robotics Surgical Simulation Systems Market Report The global Robotics Surgical Simulation Systems market size is projected to reach USD 589.2 Million by 2026, from USD 266.7 Million in 2020, at a CAGR of 14.1% during 2021-2026. View Full Report: https://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/QYRE-Auto-4S3024/covid-19-impact-on-global-robotics-surgical-simulation-systems Medical Simulation for Education Market Report View Full Report: https://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/QYRE-Auto-23H2535/covid-19-impact-on-global-medical-simulation-for-education Medical Simulation System Market Report View Full Report: https://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/QYRE-Auto-37Z2519/covid-19-impact-on-global-medical-simulation-system Medical Simulation Software Market Report View Full Report: https://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/QYRE-Othe-4S305/medical-simulation-software ABOUT US: Valuates offers in-depth market insights into various industries. Our extensive report repository is constantly updated to meet your changing industry analysis needs. Our team of market analysts can help you select the best report covering your industry. We understand your niche region-specific requirements and that's why we offer customization of reports. With our customization in place, you can request for any particular information from a report that meets your market analysis needs. To achieve a consistent view of the market, data is gathered from various primary and secondary sources, at each step, data triangulation methodologies are applied to reduce deviance and find a consistent view of the market. Each sample we share contains a detailed research methodology employed to generate the report. Please also reach our sales team to get the complete list of our data sources. CONTACT US: Valuates Reports [email protected] For U.S. Toll-Free Call: 1-(315)-215-3225 For IST Call: +91-8040957137 WhatsApp : +91-9945648335 Website: https://reports.valuates.com Twitter - https://twitter.com/valuatesreports Linkedin - https://in.linkedin.com/company/valuatesreports Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/valuatesreports SOURCE Valuates Reports (Natural News) The true culprit behind the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) plandemic is not communist China or general poor health among industrialized populations. According to Anthony Fauci, extreme backlashes from nature, of course due to human existence, are to blame. A paper he co-authored that was published in the journal Cell contends that the only way to beat the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) is for everyone who lives on planet Earth to basically reinvent the way they live in order to be in creative harmony with nature. Eerily similar to the doctrines of climate change and Agenda 21, Faucis manifesto explains that radical changes to human behavior that may take decades to achieve are the only way to save the planet from the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19). Fauci uses rebuilding the infrastructures of human existence as one example of a Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) cure. Another, he says, would be to change everything from our cities to our homes to our workplaces, and even our recreational and gatherings venues, to better mesh with nature. In a human-dominated world, Fauci writes, in which our human activities represent aggressive, damaging, and unbalanced interactions with nature, we will increasingly provoke new disease emergence. In other words, according to Fauci, humans simply need to go in order for disease threats like the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) to be fully vanquished from the planet. Bill Gates adheres to a similar philosophy, as he, too, wants to depopulate the planet, including through the use of vaccines, in order to save it from being destroyed by viruses and other associated threats. COVID-19 is all about eliminating individual sovereignty and forcing the herd into the New World Order Fauci, a 36-year establishment hack, has basically now outed himself as a deep state eugenicist and globalist who has clearly been pushing plandemic propaganda on the masses for the sole purpose of ushering the masses into a new world paradigm where nature is elevated as the highest priority. In keeping with the globalist plot to subdue the entire world under a new global government, Faucis recommendations for how to cure the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) read like an instruction manual for how to eliminate all individual sovereignty and replace it with hive-mind obedience to the new religion of living in harmony with nature. As for the coronavirus, it is merely the crowning ritual for tearing down the old system and replacing it with the new. This has obviously been the plan from the beginning, and it is now being confessed by Fauci as the true motivation behind all the fear-mongering and authoritarianism this world has faced since March. If Fauci gets his way, ordinary people like you and I will forever be enslaved under total lockdown, all to keep us safe from the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) and other threats. In the process, Fauci and his cronies will proceed to eliminate our homes, schools, churches and other old world infrastructure and replace it with something new that will better appease the gods of nature. He claims it is necessary for the collective good, but the reality is that Faucis vision for the new world involves far fewer of us living in it. Freedom will be gone, and the government will control everything, supposedly for our benefit. But it is all a grand deception. Fauci and his crew seem to believe that we are living in a permanent pandemic era, which is the fault of human progress, and one that requires immense, but untold, regressive action to combat, reports Climate Depot. Simply put, they are now blatantly attempting to leverage the pandemic to permanently change the way we live. The latest plandemic-related news can be found at Pandemic.news. Sources for this article include: ClimateDepot.com NaturalNews.com Padma Lakshmi urged her followers to obtain absentee ballots ahead of the upcoming election on November 3. The 50-year-old said 'the time to get your absentee ballot is now' as she modeled a black-and-white VOTE face mask. The Top Chef star then posted a screen-grab of her own tweet calling US President Donald Trump 'criminally negligent' for his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. 'The time to get your absentee ballot is now': Padma Lakshmi urged her followers to obtain absentee ballots ahead of the upcoming election on November 3 Absentee ballots are different from mail-in ballots, which have been the center of a controversy involving fears of voter fraud. 'Criminally negligent manslaughter occurs when death results from a high degree of negligence or recklessness,' she wrote in the tweet she screen-grabbed for Instagram. 'This administration knowingly downplayed the pandemic, continued to hold maskless rallies, completely lacked a unified federal response & now 200k loved ones are dead,' Padma continued. In a follow-up tweet the partner of Adam Dell did not post to Instagram she also wrote: 'A government's first priority is to protect the lives of its citizens and this administration failed to do that on a massive scale.' Making her voice heard: She then posted a screen-grab of her own tweet calling U.S. President Donald Trump 'criminally negligent' for his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic She added: 'This is not a partisan issue- this is a human rights issue where 200,000 Americans were killed because of extreme negligence & lack of leadership.' So far 192K people have died in the US from COVID-19 and there are 6.42M cases. This week the president admitted to downplaying the severity of the pandemic earlier in the year in order to avoid sowing panic. 'We don't want to instill panic. We don't want to jump up and down and start shouting that we have a problem that is a tremendous problem, scare everybody,' he told White House reporters. The confession came after Bob Woodward released a February tape of Trump calling the coronavirus 'deadly stuff' and 'more deadly even than your strenuous flu.' 'We don't want to instill panic': This week the president admitted to downplaying the severity of the pandemic earlier in the year in order to avoid sowing panic; seen on Wednesday Woodward conducted 18 interviews with Trump for the new book, which the president consented to despite slamming the reporter in the past. November's election pits Trump against Joe Biden, the former U.S. Senator who served as Vice President to Barack Obama. Biden's running mate is U.S. Senator Kamala Harris of California while Trump is retaining his current Vice President Mike Pence. A mining rigger has lost his job after he was deported from Western Australia back to New South Wales, despite clearing his travel with authorities ahead of time. Paul Davies, 42, moved from his hometown of Perth to Newcastle, on the NSW Central Coast, to be closer to his girlfriend Emma in May. The mining worker scheduled his shifts with ample time to return to Western Australia and even double checked his paperwork with officials. But when Mr Davies returned to Perth in July he was denied entry into the state and sent on a $1,000 return journey back to NSW. 'I applied, got accepted and then got knocked back at the door,' Mr Davies told Daily Mail Australia. Mining rigger Paul Davies (pictured right with girlfriend Emma Thomson), from Perth, lost his job after being denied entry to Western Australia despite possessing prior approval Mr Davies (pictured left) moved to Newcastle, in New South Wales, to live with Ms Thomson (right) in May during coronavirus lockdown. He attempted to fly to his home state on July 23 The FIFO rigger had worked on Shell's Prelude floating liquefied natural gas facility, off the coast of Broome in northwest WA, since 2017. 'When COVID kicked off we de-manned for a bit on Prelude and that went on for about three months. In that time I moved to Newcastle and waited it out here with my partner. Then I was due to fly back to Perth and things changed,' Mr Davies explained. He became increasingly concerned when WA premier Mark McGowan continued to tighten the state's border restrictions and eventually banned travellers from Victoria and NSW. The state's closed borders mean Australians can only enter WA if they gain approval as an exempt traveller. Exempt travellers include emergency service workers, politicians and truck drivers delivering goods to WA. 'I contacted the WA COVID hotline to confirm whether or not I would be granted entry if I were to fly to Perth on July 23. 'The lady giving the information basically said if you apply for a G2G Pass and state your case it's up to them to decide whether you come in or not. 'I applied for the pass and was accepted, so I booked my ticket and flew into Perth at 10pm on July 23,' Mr Davies said. Mr Davies (pictured left with Ms Thomson right) claimed WA Police denied his application to enter the state at the border after learning he was a Fifo mining worker But as soon as he landed he was met by WA Police officers and taken to an interview room. 'I thought it would just be a quick scan of the pass but it became apparent straight away that they weren't going to let me in. 'She said "No you can't come in, you're a Fifo''.' 'And I said "I do reside here too, I grew up in Perth" but she didn't want to hear a bar of it once she knew I was going to be working in the state.' CORONAVIRUS RESTRICTIONS IN WA Western Australia has gone over 150 days without a case of community transmitted coronavirus Any international arrivals into the state must undergo mandatory quarantine in a hotel for 14 days Western Australia has a harsh border restriction in place The state's border has been closed and other Australians must have special approval to gain access Exempt travellers eligible to enter Western Australia include politicians and emergency service workers Australians who have been in New South Wales and Victoria are currently unable to enter Western Australia Advertisement Mr Davies was escorted to a quarantine hotel for one night and ordered to book a return flight within 24 hours or risk being fined. 'The most frustrating part of that was that I had gone through the right channels,' he said. 'I'd been in contact with them and been advised what to do, had got the pass, flew there and got denied on entry. 'That was my job gone,' Mr Davies said. The 42-year-old hoped he could return to his old position in WA but said he felt 'kicked out' of his home. 'It's all just standby for the moment until things hopefully clear up or I probably have to start looking for something different over here in Newcastle. 'I've still got a room and my bed in Perth. It's just so different now. 'A year ago you could live wherever you want and sort of float around and now it's 'No you don't live in WA anymore.' He called on the WA government to remove their 'harsh' restrictions. 'I think what they're doing is pretty extreme, if you're isolating anyway for two weeks and COVID testing people I think that's pretty sound. 'If you're just abiding by that there should be no problem,' Mr Davies said. Western Australian State Emergency Coordinator and Police Commissioner Chris Dawson said officers could deny approved applications at the border. 'It is a complex set of directions that have changed quite frequently. So where people were initially approved we had a lot of complaints,' he told reporters. 'People said "You once approved me, now I've been told I can't come in" and we say 'That's correct, it's changed".' Daily Mail Australia has contacted WA Police for comment. ARLINGTON, Va., Sept. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Venture Global LNG, Inc. announces that Brian Cothran has joined the company as Chief Operating Officer. Mr. Cothran is an accomplished business leader with over two decades of operational and strategic experience in the Oil & Gas and Power Generation industries. Prior to joining Venture Global, Mr. Cothran served more than 20 years with General Electric and Baker Hughes, after its merger with GE Oil & Gas. During that time, he held a number of executive and general management roles both in the United States and abroad, which included leading GE's Energy Services business in Eastern Europe and Russia, Vice President of Global Sales for Baker Hughes and President of GE Oil & Gas North America. Most recently, Mr. Cothran served as Chief Executive Officer of The Flexitallic Group, a global market leader in the manufacture and supply of static sealing solutions. Venture Global LNG Co-Chief Executive Officers Mike Sabel and Bob Pender jointly stated, "We are pleased to have Brian join the Venture Global team. We have known and worked with Brian for many years as part of our important relationship with GE Oil & Gas and Baker Hughes. Brian is a proven leader with strong operating skills, business vision and the ability to bring teams together. We are confident he will hit the ground running and be an important addition to our team as we continue to grow our low-cost LNG business." Brian Cothran added, "Venture Global's strategy, next generation design and highly experienced team are re-shaping the LNG industry. I am excited to be joining the company at such an important time in the industry and look forward to contributing to the market leading impact Venture Global is achieving." About Venture Global LNG Venture Global LNG is a long-term, low-cost provider of LNG to be supplied from resource rich North American natural gas basins and is currently constructing or developing 50 MTPA of production capacity in Louisiana. The 10 MTPA Venture Global Calcasieu Pass facility is under construction at the intersection of the Calcasieu Ship Channel and the Gulf of Mexico. The 20 MTPA Venture Global Plaquemines LNG facility is expected to commence construction this year and is located south of New Orleans on the Mississippi River. Venture Global LNG is also developing the 20 MTPA Venture Global Delta LNG facility, adjacent to Plaquemines. More can be found at www.venturegloballng.com. SOURCE Venture Global LNG, Inc. ALTON Free COVID-19 testing is planned 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 12 at Monroe Memorial Church, 1901 Belle St., Alton, and Sunday, Sept. 13 at Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville, 74 Circle Drive, Edwardsville. State Sen. Rachelle Crowe, D-Glen Carbon, is encouraging residents to take advantage of the two mobile testing opportunities. Courtesy Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation CommissionBY: BILL HUTCHINSON and BENJAMIN STEIN, ABC News (FORT MYERS, Fla.) -- Simultaneous hunts were launched for a tiger spotted by a deputy sheriff roaming around an industrial park in Knoxville, Tennesee, Wednesday night and an alligator that attacked a woman on Thursday in Fort Myers, Florida, officials said. The back-to-back unrelated wildlife all-points bulletins were issued within 14 hours of each other sending shockwaves through both communities that are nearly 800 miles apart. And on Thursday afternoon, the director of the Tennessee Humane Society of the United States said a pet wallaby had escaped and was running amuck in Washington County, Tennessee. In Fort Myers, authorities said they captured what they suspect is the alligator that attacked a 27-year-old woman on Thursday morning as she was working near a lake. The woman, whose name was not released, was bitten in both her legs and was taken to Lee Memorial Hospital in Fort Myers, where she was in stable condition Thursday afternoon. The gator attacked the woman as she was trimming trees near the edge of a lake around 9:15 a.m., according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission which led the search for the alligator. A nuisance alligator trapper was dispatched to the scene of the attack and helped capture the animal Thursday afternoon, officials said. "Serious injuries caused by alligators are rare in Florida," FWC officials said in a statement. The attack comes less than four months after a 14-year-old boy walking near a pond in Charlotte County, Florida, was attacked and injured by a 10-foot alligator. The last fatal alligator attack in Florida occurred in 2018 when a 47-year-old woman was killed by a 12-foot alligator in Davie while she was walking her two dogs near her home in the Silver Lakes Rotary Nature Park, officials said. Meanwhile in Knoxville, a search was continuing for a tiger that was spotted by a Knox County Sheriff's Deputy around 8:30 p.m. Wednesday at the River Industrial Park in East Knoxville, authorities told ABC News on Thursday. The Sheriff's department said it remains unclear where the tiger came from. The Knoxville Zoo reported that all its tigers were accounted for. The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency organized a search party of 15 to 20 people and were scouring the area of the industrial park for the big cat, officials said. A sheriff's deputy reported that he saw the animal emerge from the French Broad River near the industrial park and scamper off into a wooded area, officials said. The deputy estimated the tiger weighed between 150 to 200 pounds, officials said. "After a brief moment of shock, he realized it really was a tiger," Kimberly Glenn, a Knox County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman, told the Knoxville News Sentinel. Matthew Cameron, a spokesman for the Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency, told ABC News in an email that a second sighting of the tiger was reported Thursday afternoon a couple of miles from where sheriff's deputy saw the animal. "A wildlife officer is patrolling the area looking for the animal," Cameron said. "We would ask that area residents check their surveillance footage to see if it might contain any images and for the public to be on the lookout. If the animal is observed, do not approach it but document it and report it to the Knox County Sheriffs office." Staff members from Tiger Haven, a big cat sanctuary in Kingston, Tennessee, about 35 miles west of Knoxville, were assisting in the search for the animal, Glenn said. "If anyone has any information on a missing Tiger or locates the Tiger, please contact the Knox County Sheriffs Office," the agency said in a statement. In addition to the tiger, a pet wallaby was reported running wild in Washington County, Tennesee, on Thursday, according to Eric Swafford, the Tennessee senior state director at the Humane Society of the United States. Swafford added that the two incidents indicate that Tennessee has a serious, dangerous exotic pet problem." He said the escaped wallaby, which is similar to a kangaroo but smaller, is at risk of being hit by a vehicle or attacked by dogs or other animals. Swafford said that since 1992, there have been at least two dozen episodes in Tennessee of dangerous exotic animals escaping from their owners. "Locals have encountered and been attacked by pet monkeys; a teenager was hospitalized with an illness from a kinkajou bite; and deadly constrictor snakes have escaped," Swafford said in a statement. "Most people lack the knowledge and resources required to securely and humanely contain and provide proper care to wild animals who suffer greatly in the exotic pet trade. We urge officials to strengthen the states captive wild animal laws and help put an end to the exotic pet trade. ABC News' Rachel Katz and Matthew Stone contributed to this report. Copyright 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved. i love the original aunt viv and one my fav episode is when she take the dancing class and killed the audition. Reply Thread Link YESSSSS Absolutely iconic Reply Parent Thread Link her body was the fucking truth! Reply Parent Thread Link that snap tho Reply Parent Thread Link I smile every time lol. This better be in the top 50 iconic moments in television history, if that's a thing. Reply Parent Thread Link what I love is how she is absolutely out-dancing all the hired dancers in the background. Like, look at that ending pose. She's the only one who hit it without having to support her hips with her hands. She is wonderful and amazing. Reply Parent Thread Link RIP Uncle Phil Reply Thread Link I'm genuinely stunned! Reply Thread Link excuse me WHAT Reply Thread Link Hasn't Janet said for years that she would never be in the same room with Will again? What sorcery accomplished this?? Reply Thread Link i'm sure part of it is money, but with the way the Black community has been fucked up this year, I'm sure there is part of her that's open to a conversation. esp since this is her most prominent artistic legacy Reply Parent Thread Link She blamed him for son dying. Reply Parent Thread Link Oh wow, Ive never heard this, why did she blame him? Reply Parent Thread Expand Link I was just about to ask which kid will had to sacrifice to make this happen. Reply Parent Thread Link paycheck probably. or maybe just will acknowledging her. it seems like he never engaged with her accusations and that probably fueled her rage. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link She said that but then at the same time she would rail every time she was excluded - which isn't logical, when you've repeatedly stated you won't turn up to be surprised that nobody bothers to invite you. Think it was more of a lashing out in response, like a "well I didn't want to come anyway" Reply Parent Thread Link The superior Aunt Viv Reply Thread Link Jesus OP, way to make us feel old! :D Reply Thread Link Janet Hubert, never thought i'd see the day Reply Thread Link I wonder if light skin aunt Viv feels any type of way abt being seen universally as the inferior Aunt Viv. The audacity to cast someone that not only doesnt resemble her, but is lite brite af. The fucking audacity. I wonder who made the final call to hire her. Reply Thread Link They did the same thing on Family Matters (it took me about two episodes to realize this lightskinned woman was now Harriet) but no one really cares about family matters lbr. Reply Parent Thread Link they replaced Harriet???????????? Reply Parent Thread Expand Link I dont think she cares much, tbh. She and Tim Reid seem to have a good life together. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link Either they cast a light skinned replacement as a fuck you to Janet OR they didn't want the unfair comparison that would have happened with another dark skinned actor as a replacement. OR she was the best that auditioned. Reply Parent Thread Link losing it over will and real aunt viv. she's said some NASTY shit about him over the years, can't wait to see how this goes down Reply Thread Link LMFAO someone posted this at LSA about these pics: Reply Thread Link Lol Reply Parent Thread Link LSA makes me laugh at least once a day. Reply Parent Thread Link I was watching fresh prince today and honestly I think it holds up so well in comparison to other 90s sitcoms Reply Thread Link What?!?!?!?! Ok I really want to know what the fuck got them to be in the same room. Reply Thread Link Did they film them separately and green screen them into the same room? Reply Thread Link Shainu Mohan By Express News Service THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Sources say the state may soon issue a work order to doctors and nurses in the non-Covid setting to join duty if the situation escalates. Efforts are also on to scrutinise the list of professionals registered in the Covid Brigade for deployment at Covid hosps Efforts to scale up the public health system by district authorities to keep the Covid-19 mortality rate in check is facing major challenges with the hospitals grappling with an acute staff crunch. As per current estimates, Kerala is expected to hit the peak by the first week of October; the state is expecting cases between 5,000 and 8,000. A shortage of experienced staff nurses and doctors are plaguing containment efforts in the state capital. General Hospital (GH), the second-line treatment centre, has been upgraded into a dedicated Covid Care Hospital. However, the authorities are unable to ramp up the emergency infrastructure for treating Covid-19 patients because of inadequate staff. According to sources, the state is thinking of pulling doctors and nurses from the non-Covid setting to tide over the human resource crisis. As of Wednesday, around 3,495 patients are under treatment at various hospitals in the district. Currently, category C patients with comorbidities are being treated at the General Hospital and when symptoms worsen, they are referred to the Medical College Hospital (MCH). Emergency infrastructure requires ICU-trained staff nurses and doctors. At present, the caseload is manageable and we have around 150 ICU beds at MCH which is adequate to meet the current demand. If the caseload surges continuously, we may require emergency infrastructure at second-line treatment centres too, said an official with GH. The official added that the district medical office (DMO) has to provide staff. Currently, around 75 doctors are managing 300 beds at GH. We need more doctors, staff nurses and cleaning staff. If we ramp up emergency infrastructure, we need well-trained human resources with multi-speciality expertise to manage. A minimum of 36 staff nurses will be required to cover all shifts a day, said the official of General Hospital. There is a severe shortage of cleaning staff and a minimum of 30 people need to be recruited immediately at the General Hospital, the official added. Recruitment from Covid Brigade The state may issue a work order to doctors and nurses in the non-Covid setting to join duty if a situation arises, said a source. Also, efforts are on to scrutinise the list of doctors and other professionals registered in the Covid Brigade for deployment at Covid hospitals. We will soon begin the procedure to recruit from the brigade pool, an official said. According to authorities, though thousands of people have registered to join Covid Brigade, many are not ready to join immediately. We are giving ICU training to 300 to 500 doctors and staff nurses from the Covid Brigade. But the situation didnt escalate as we anticipated. We expected a minimum of three per cent occupancy in ICUs daily but now the requirement is less than one per cent. Currently, recruitment drives are going on for CFLTCs in the state. If the situation demands, ICU training will be provided to more people, an official said. More second-line treatment centres An official of the DMO said that efforts are on to add more second-line treatment centres in the district. The home care programme is slowly catching up and this will reduce the number of people at hospitals. We will be taking over CSI MCH and SUT MCH for increasing the second-line treatment infrastructure, said the official The Uttar Pradesh government has allowed on-demand testing for certain category of persons who can now get themselves tested without having to produce any medical prescription. It also puts the onus on laboratories to ensure details of those tested are accurate. The categories of patients cleared for on-demand testing include those who wish to travel to any such place where authorities require a Covid negative report; those who came in contact with a Covid-19 patient; those who have symptoms like cough, fever or breathlessness, among others linked to influenza-like illness or severe acute respiratory illness, and those who need to be admitted to a hospital or require surgery. The state order issued by UP additional chief secretary (health) Amit Mohan Prasad does not expand the testing fully considering the Indian Council of Medical Researchs (ICMRs) new guidelines issued earlier this week allowed for testing of all, without categories, on demand. The ICMR, however, is an advisory body and state health authorities are allowed to prepare their own testing rules. The state now requires laboratories to keep copies of the testing subjects particulars. At times, people provide incorrect phone numbers. The government order mentions that it will now be the responsibility of the laboratories to verify the phone numbers. They should keep a photocopy of the identification (Aadhar, voter id etc) from the person getting tested. Further, those who are getting tested will also have to act responsibly else they may face action. If a person is getting himself/herself tested at one or more laboratory, they will have to produce the same mobile number and same identification document at all locations. This will help authorities in identifying contacts, he said. The order also specified the modalities for people who need to be tested as part of routine surveillance in containment and non-containment zones besides those in hospital settings, as per the new ICMR guidelines. Ghaziabad health department said it will soon implement the directions. We have about 20 government testing locations. There have been instances where people provided wrong addresses and mobile numbers. In such cases, we provided details to police to trace them. Our staff at the testing centres are also verifying the mobile numbers (by calling the given number) on the spot, said Dr. NK Gupta, chief medical officer (CMO), Ghaziabad. Health ministers visit On Friday, UP health minister Jai Pratap Singh visited Gautam Budh Nagar and reviewed the situation in the district and Ghaziabad, and stressed on contact tracing. Ive asked the health officials of GB Nagar district, to increase the testing and contact tracing to the maximum limit. They have also been asked to keep a constant watch on spread of the virus and make the containment zones accordingly, he said. Gautam Budh Nagar CMO Dr. Deepak Ohri, who was also present in the meeting, said that the minister analysed daily sampling data. He also took the details of patients presently admitted in different Covid-dedicated hospitals. He also asked for the details of patients under home quarantine, he said. The minister stressed on contact tracing in order to control spread of infection and also asked officials to keep in check the fresh rise in number of Covid cases, Dr Gupta said. Officials added that about 90% of testing in Ghaziabad is done at government facilities while the rest at private laboratories. Till September 10, the district completed 231192 samples of which test reports of 228232 were received. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON EAST ST. LOUIS The Illinois Department of Transportation announced daytime lane restrictions on the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Bridge. While there will be no overnight or weekend lane restrictions, and all lanes will be open to traffic during peak travel periods, there will be lane restrictions are needed to perform bridge inspections in accordance with Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) requirements. Weather permitting, lane restrictions will occur as follows: On Monday and Tuesday, the bridge will be closed westbound from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The eastbound lanes will remain open to traffic on these dates. On Wednesday and Thursday, the bridge will be closed eastbound from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. The westbound lane will remain open to traffic on these dates. From Sept. 21-24, the eastbound right lane on MLK Bridge will be closed daily from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. The eastbound left lane and the westbound lane will remain open to traffic on these dates. Motorists can expect delays and should allow extra time for trips through this area. To avoid the work area, when feasible, use of alternate routes should be considered. Drivers are urged to pay close attention to changed conditions and signs in the work zones, obey the posted speed limits, refrain from using mobile devices and be alert for workers and equipment. For IDOT District 8 updates, follow us on Twitter at @IDOTDistrict8 or view area construction details on IDOTs traveler information map on GettingAroundIllinois.com. Two other executives will also leave after the mining giant destroyed Indigenous Australian heritage sites. Rio Tinto is parting ways with its CEO and two senior executives, bowing to mounting shareholder criticism of the destruction of two significant Aboriginal rock shelters and the global miners limited initial response. Chief executive Jean-Sebastien Jacques, who has led Rio since 2016, will step down by March 31 next year, the company said on Friday, after shareholders expressed concerns about executive accountability. The head of iron ore, Chris Salisbury, and Simone Niven, head of corporate relations, the unit responsible for dealing with Indigenous communities, will also depart. The move came after activists and investors said Rio had not done enough in an earlier board-led review into how the miner legally detonated rock shelters showing 46,000 years of human habitation at Juukan Gorge in Western Australia against the wishes of traditional owners. The review had cut short-term bonuses for some executives. Despite a drawn-out process, we feel the Board has listened to investors and other stakeholders and taken appropriate steps to ensure executive accountability for the systemic failures that led to the disaster at Juukan Gorge, The Australian Council of Superannuation Investors said in a statement. Brynn OBrien, executive director of activist investor the Australasian Centre for Corporate Responsibility said the decision should be a wake-up call for the Australian iron ore sector and mining companies worldwide on their relationships with First Nations people. Jacques last month apologised at an Australian Senate inquiry into the destruction that was against the wishes of Aboriginal traditional owners, the Puutu Kunti, Kurrama and Pinikura people, saying there was no doubt the company could have made better decisions. International condemnation The cave blasts, which enabled Rio to access $135m of high-grade iron ore, drew international condemnation and damaged Rios reputation for dealing with Indigenous groups in its worldwide operations. What happened at Juukan was wrong and we are determined to ensure that the destruction of a heritage site of such exceptional archaeological and cultural significance never occurs again at a Rio Tinto operation, Rio chairman Simon Thompson said on Friday. The National Native Title Council, representing Traditional Owners, welcomed the decision after calling on the company for large-scale cultural change, but warned that the executive changes were only a crucial first step. Australias Senate has yet to complete its inquiry, which is looking at how the site came to be destroyed, the processes that failed to protect it, the effects on Traditional Owners, and the legislative changes required to prevent such incidents from recurring. Western Australian state laws that approved the destruction are also being revised. President Trump and first lady Melania Trump traveled to Shanksville, Pa., on Friday to participate in a solemn ceremony honoring the 40 passengers and crew of Flight 93, which crashed into a field there on Sept. 11, 2001. Trump spoke after their names were read. Two bells tolled after the reading of each name. Nineteen years ago, on this day, at this hour, on this field, 40 brave men and women triumphed over terror and gave their lives in defense of our nation, Trump said. The heroes of Flight 93 are an everlasting reminder that no matter the danger, no matter the threat, no matter the odds, America will always rise up, stand tall and fight back. Trump, who reportedly once called fallen U.S. soldiers suckers and losers, made a point to honor those whose lives have been lost since 9/11. We express our undying loyalty to the nearly 6 million young men and women who have enlisted in the United States armed forces since Sept. 11, 2001, he said. More than 7,000 military heroes have laid down their lives since 9/11 to preserve our freedom. No words can express the summit of their glory or the infinite depth of our gratitude. But we will strive every single day to repay our immeasurable debt and prove worthy of their supreme sacrifice. It was Trumps second visit to the Shanksville memorial as president. He previously visited the site on Sept. 11, 2018. En route to Shanksville aboard Air Force One, the president and first lady observed a moment of silence at 8:46 a.m. ET, the moment the first hijacked plane struck one of the two World Trade Center towers. First lady Melania Trump and President Trump observe a moment of silence on Air Force One in honor of 9/11 victims on Friday. (Via White House press pool) In New York City, both Vice President Mike Pence and former Vice President Joe Biden attended a ceremony at the World Trade Center memorial site in lower Manhattan. Pence and Biden, who were both wearing masks due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, spoke to each other briefly and touched elbows. That ceremony also included a moment of silence at 8:46 a.m., followed by a prerecorded reading of the names of the nearly 3,000 victims inscribed in bronze at the memorial. Story continues Organizers opted for the recording rather than a traditional live reading of names out of concern over the spread of the coronavirus, which has killed more than 190,000 Americans. Biden, who traveled to Shanksville on Friday afternoon, did not speak publicly at either ceremony. Im not gonna make any news today, he told reporters in Wilmington, Del., before departing for New York. Im not gonna talk about anything other than 9/11. We took all our advertising down. Its a solemn day, and thats how were going to keep it. Asked by a reporter at the New York City memorial what 9/11 means to him, Biden replied: It means I remember all my friends that I lost. It takes a lot of courage for someone that lost someone to come back today, he explained. I know from experience, losing my wife, my daughter, my son, you relive it, the moment, as if its happening. Its hard. Its a wonderful memorial, but its hard. It just brings you back to the moment it happened, no matter how long, how much time passes. So I admire the families who come. Former Vice President Joe Biden greets Vice President Mike Pence at the National September 11 Memorial & Museum in New York on Friday. (Amr Alfiky/The New York Times via AP, Pool) Pence attended a second event in New York honoring Stephen Siller, a firefighter off duty that morning who ran through the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel to reach the towers and was killed in the collapse. The vice president delivered brief remarks that included a biblical verse. Pence also made a stop at a firehouse near Ground Zero that was the first to respond to the attack. He spoke there too. Its an honor for us to be here today, Pence said. Like every other American, I watched. I watched as the towers burned. I watched as people rightly ran out and you ran in. Pences remarks came amid a New York Daily News report that the Trump administration has siphoned nearly $4 million away from a program that tracks and treats FDNY firefighters and medics suffering from 9/11 related illnesses. Sen. Kamala Harris, the Democratic vice presidential nominee, was in Fairfax, Va., where she spoke at an event honoring 9/11 victims and first responders. The senator recalled where she was on the morning of Sept. 11, 2001. I was actually at the gym, Harris said. And then the images started to come in on the TVs. And everyone stopped and got off their equipment, and we all stood around in utter disbelief. In utter disbelief. Strangers were hugging each other. People who had never spoken to each other before were holding each other and crying. Harris said the anniversary is a moment to remember the lives lost on 9/11 as well as to remember who we are we stand together. As we honor them, lets remember that, she added, about who we are as a nation. For the candidates, the 19th anniversary was less eventful than the 15th. That year, in 2016, both Trump and Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton attended the Ground Zero memorial in lower Manhattan. Clinton abruptly left the ceremony, complaining she was overheated, and was captured on video struggling to step into a van. It was later revealed that she had been diagnosed with pneumonia. ___ Read more from Yahoo News: Former Jon & Kate Plus 8 reality star Jon Gosselin has strongly denied reports that he harmed his teenage son, and has also denied that there is any ongoing investigation into such an incident. According to a magazine report, Collin Gosselin, 16, had supposedly claimed in a now-deleted Instagram post, that his father Jon, 43, kicked and punched him during an altercation that is said to have taken place earlier this month. However, a rep for Jon Gosselin told DailyMail.com: 'Jon has never abused Collin. No charges have been filed against him and there's no ongoing CYS investigation. Claims: Kate Gosselin's son Collin has accused his dad Jon Gosselin of physical abuse, prompting an investigation by the County of Berks, Pennsylvania Child & Youth Services 'Collin has endured severe trauma. Jon is a loving father who has worked hard to ensure that his son gets the support and help he needs,' the statement added. It appears his ex-wife Kate Gosselin took the alleged story to PEOPLE magazine, where they claimed the County of Berks, Pennsylvania Child & Youth Services (CYS) notified Collin's mother, Kate, 45, that they had launched an open investigation. On Friday, Kate tried to counter Jon's denial in yet another statement to PEOPLE telling them: 'Until I receive the letter in the mail from CYS about whether they've deemed the allegations founded or not, it is ongoing. My point of contact at CYS has not told me otherwise, so I have every reason to believe it is still ongoing.' However, Berks County District Attorney John Adams has already stated this week that no charges or citations have been filed. The former couple have previously fought over their son, as Jon once lambasted Kate for sending Collin away to a special needs institution when he didn't suffer from anything more serious than common ADHD. In an interview with DailyMailTV from September 2019, Jon claimed that his ex-wife Kate mentally tortured Collin and his sister Hannah. Jon claimed that while Collin was 'caged' for three years at the institution, his mother only visited him three times for less than two hours total, all while refusing to tell Jon where Collin was being kept. 'Enough is enough': Kate Gosselin provided a full statement to a magazine about the alleged incident However, PEOPLE claims that a report from the CYS, describes an allegation of 'causing bodily injury to a child through recent act/failure to act: hitting/punching.' While Jon is not specifically named in the report, the details are consistent with the claims made by Collin on his Instagram last week. Last week, in a now-deleted Instagram post, Collin accused his father Jon of physically beating him. The alleged altercation is said to have taken place when Collin was upset in the car with Jon. Close: Collin posted this sweet birthday message for his father Jon on his Instagram account Feeling good: Collin Gosselin, 16, updated his followers earlier this month with a selfie of his new haircut and said he was 'better than ever' According to PEOPLE, Collin's deleted post read: 'Yesterday he beat me up and thought nothing of it, he punched me in the face and gave me a swollen nose and I started bleeding. He then continued to kick me in the ribs after I was on the floor. He is a liar.' Meanwhile, in a statement to PEOPLE, his mother Kate said: 'You do not punch and kick your children. You do not kick a child. I don't want to hear any excuses from anyone, not from his father, not from local law enforcement, not from court personnel whose job is supposedly to ensure the best interests of my children.' 'There is a child abuse law, PA 23, section 8i states that doing any of the following, regardless of whether it causes injury, is child abuse, and first on that list is kicking. Period.' Family time: Jon Gosselin, 43, enjoyed a quick vacation to Florida last month with his girlfriend Colleen Conrad and two of his eight kids, Collin and Hannah She added that she no longer wants Jon to be near her children, saying: 'I don't want my children around him. Enough is enough.' However, Berks County District Attorney John Adams told PEOPLE that Jon may not face any legal ramifications, as there were 'no charges or citations filed.' Kate added to the publication that this response made her 'sick to her stomach' and said, 'I do not want this buried, swept under the rug or minimized.' Interestingly, earlier this month Collin posted a positive message on his Instagram account saying he was doing 'better than ever' adding, 'Life is too great to not enjoy! #livelikeitsyourlastday.' Jon was recently seen last month with Collin on a family getaway with his girlfriend Colleen in Florida. In happier times: Jon and Kate divorced in 2009 after 10 years of marriage, and found huge fame thanks to their reality series Jon & Kate Plus 8 Collin - who spent some time away from his family in a special needs school - has been living with his father full-time since February 2018, along with his sister Hannah. The other four sextuplets: Alexis, Aaden, Joel and Leah, and twins Mady and Cara, 19, live with their mother, Kate. Jon and Kate divorced in 2009 after 10 years of marriage, and found huge fame thanks to their reality series Jon & Kate Plus 8. The former couple first welcomed their twins in 2001; the sextuplets followed in 2004. Most recently Kate starred in the reality dating series, Kate Plus Date, in 2019. Kate added to PEOPLE in her scathing attack of Jon: 'I have always parented with my children's best interests in mind. He parents to make himself look good. It is so sick it makes my blood boil.' She added: 'I am horrified that this man is the father of my children. I don't want my children to be associated with someone who loses his mind because his car got dented.' Click here to read the full article on SPIN. Like most of Charlie Kaufmans films, Im Thinking of Ending Things, the surrealist new feature from the enigmatic director (Synecdoche, New York) and screenwriter (Being John Malkovich), is concerned with nothing less than the inner workings and warpings of the human mind. At first glance, the film (which premiered on Netflix last week) appears to be a relationship drama about an ambivalent woman who accompanies her new boyfriend on a road trip to meet his parents on their isolated farm. But nothing is quite what it appears to be, and as the film burrows deeper into boyfriend Jakes (Jesse Plemons) unsettled mind, perceived onscreen realities start to crumble. This particular head trip is full of musical excursions: an extended dream ballet sequence that occurs within a characters mind, a musical homage to Oklahoma!, even a 1950s-style jingle for a fictitious ice cream stand. In reality, this musical universe was built by Jay Wadley, a New York-based composer and music producer with a background in academic classical composition. Wadley has also scored film and TV projects such as Netflixs The Innocence Files and the recent Sundance hit I Carry You With Me, but it seems fair to say that Im Thinking of Ending Things has been his strangest assignment. We spoke with Wadley about how he approached setting the films creepy, unraveling dreamscape to music and about revisiting his home states unofficial musical, Oklahoma! (Be warned: this interview contains numerous spoilers regarding the ending of Im Thinking of Ending Things.) SPIN: Were you a fan of Charlie Kaufmans previous movies before this? Jay Wadley: Pretty much anything he had made. One of my favorites was Synecdoche, New York. That film was so intensely moving; I guess I identify with a lot of those themes and fears of existence and death. Sort of the same things Charlie plays with in all of his movies. Its just like, the human condition and terror of existence. Story continues What was your reaction when you learned that Charlie Kaufman wanted you to create music for this film? I feel like I blacked out [Laughs]. When I got the initial call to probe me if I was available and interestedfrom Anthony Bregman, one of the producersI jumped for joy. It was like five different emotions, all simultaneously, of, like, extreme excitement, disbelief, terror, and then ultimately the weight of having to live up to what a Charlie Kaufman score requires. Obviously, we had to have an initial discussion to see if we were on the same page about the approach. What was that initial meeting like? It was a great initial conversation that was largely about conceptual elements. At this point, we werent sure how much actual post-scoring there was going to be, if any at all. There was definitely going to be this jingle. There was going to be the pastiche rom-com. They were licensing the Oklahoma! tunes. It wouldnt have worked to use the ballet from Oklahoma! because we would have had to rearrange all the themes and redo the whole thing. So we decided to do it all [as an] original score, the concept being that it needs to be a part of this fabric, and what does the memory of music sound like? Or the misremembering of music? [We were] playing with some of those concepts in the ballet by making it a piece that sounds like it could be from Debussy, or from Ravel or Stravinsky. But definitely feels like it could be something Jake would have heard at some point in his life, so that when hes imagining this entire romantic ballet sequence thats sort of representing this life unlived, what music is he imagining accompanying this thing? Its all fabricated in his head and part of his imagination. What was your first impression of Charlie Kaufman? Hes a bit quiet, as you would expect. But super generous and interesting to bounce ideas off of. And he wasnt overly prescriptive and trying to tell me how to do my job. He was very clear that he did not want this to be a horror score and that were not making a horror film, to steer clear of anything that places us too squarely within those genres. He was very open with how we approached that as long as we were not dipping into the horror stuff too much. Whats your interpretation of whats happening at the end? Are we realizing that the girl only existed in Jakes mind and hes an old man now? Yeah, my interpretation is that its all the story of the janitor reflecting back on his life trajectory and a life unlived and a relationship that didnt really happen, but something that he imagines. What that could be like if he had a relationship such as this with this woman he once met in a bar at trivia. Later in life, as a lonely older man working as a janitor, hes imagining a different outcome for himself, is the way I think of it. [Hes] imagining a scenario where he brings his girlfriend to dinner, but she actually just experiences his childhood and his entire upbringing with his family in one dinner setting. He kind of chooses to end his life. So that whole section, leading from the ballet, where he literally kills the younger version of himself, hes starting to imagine all of these different outcomes. What that ultimately leads to is this fever dream of memory and hopes and dreams that were unrealized. So that trajectory from there to the end is sort of all those things misfiring and synthesizing together into this alternate perception of his life coming to an end. How do you approach creating music when the music is meant to be imaginary? Its just thinking about the perspective of that individual and what is realistic for them to have heard. If we had done something where the ballet was extremely modern, and sort of now and experimental, it would not have been really plausible that he would be all that interested [in that]. Its more plausible that he would have heard some of the classics, like Stravinsky. How did you approach writing the jingle for the ice cream shop? Charlie sent me a couple of different references of old, animated jingles for ice cream parlors and other things. Theyre just super creepy, but that one came quick. I wrote it in one night and sent it back to him. Theres sort of this blissful 1950s sunny persona, paired with some strange black-and-white visuals. It just has this effect to it that is rather unnerving. Rose-colored glasses on music without acknowledging what, in retrospect, looks kind of terrifying. At some point in time, they thought maybe it would be playing on a TV or somewhere else diegetically in the film. But I think as a hallucination, its that much more effective and unnerving. During that part of the film, we also get some fragments of the score that are being played in reverse. Can you talk about that? That whole concept at the end, in that fever dream sequence, is supposed to be all these memories rushing back to him. We get flashbacks of interactions with his parents. Drives down snowy roads. As hes starting to shiver and what we perceive to be him ultimately freezing to deaththat kind of sets us off. Theres a bunch of ballet elements in there that are run backward, run through a tape, slowed down, reverbed out, with some other textural score elements on top of it. There are also elements from the musical Oklahoma! Why Oklahoma!? Well, those were Charlies decisions. For him, theres a lot of thematic material in Oklahoma!, and specifically the character Jud, that in ways parallel [this story]. That song, Lonely Roomits a very dark moment for Juds character. Its a dark moment for Jake, in the film. Its the unrequited love and relationship that didnt come to be. And then, very literally, in the dream ballet sequence in Oklahoma!, Jud falls on his own knife. And in our dream version, Jake stabs himself. But its actually the older version of Jake killing the younger version of Jake that still has some potential to have a better life. Also, as theyre driving, Jake talks about how the school performs Oklahoma! every several years. That resonates with me, because growing up in Oklahoma, we always performed that musical it feels like every single year of my life. Youre from Oklahoma yourself? I am. It was kind of a crazy, serendipitous part of it. Is that really Jesse Plemons singing? It is! He has a pretty good voice. He does! I brought him into the studio. It was awesome, watching him perform. Because thats a difficult scene at a really heavy, pinnacle point in the film. And he was just as much in character in our vocal recording session as he appears onstage. Jay Wadley Credit: Courtesy of Jay Wadley The film is obviously released on Netflix, but its also being released in the middle of a pandemic. Do you think something is being lost when people are seeing this film at home instead of in a theater? I do think so. Because this film really requires a fair amount of attention to detail to comprehend all the references and whats going on. Part of the beauty of Kaufmans filmmaking, I think, is that its so multilayered, but its not something you can watch on your phone. Its not something you can watch on your laptop and maybe be texting or thinking about something else. It really requires you to engage with it in order to appreciate it. I hope at some point theres some love for it and maybe theres a possibility for it to have some type of retrospective release. To see our running list of the top 100 greatest guitarists of all time, click here. TikTok creates new employment ecosystem By:Zheng Qian | From:english.eastday.com | 2020-09-10 17:48 As an increasing number of people are making short video creation into a career, TikTok, Chinas largest video-sharing and live streaming platform, has created an employment ecosystem connecting hundreds of millions of users, creators and businesses, said a report on TikToks employment boosting efforts released on September 9. Conducted by the National Institute of Development within Renmin University, the report is the first of its kind in China to study a short video-sharing and live-streaming platform. It is said that more than 20 new roles have been created including live streaming operator, live broadcast assistant, product selector and scene designer as the platform gains more and more popularity. As of August 2020, it has brought about more than 36 million jobs. Zhang Junjie, in his 20s, was a fire fighter before he was discharged from the army and returned to his hometown. By sharing videos of local food and scenery on his TikTok account, he has reaped 2.5 million followers and successfully sold local specialties like honey, dried bamboo shoots, dried sweet potatoes and dried persimmons across the country. In 2019, while realizing a sales volume of 15 million yuan, Zhang also developed the employment and income of his whole village. In addition to individual creators, the platform has also stimulated the entrepreneurial vitality of enterprises. As of July 2020, more than 4 million companies, among which 77% are SMEs with less than 20 employees, have opened corporate accounts on TikTok, extending advertising and sales channels. Historic talks to end Afghanistans long-running conflict kick off in Doha with opening remarks from both sides. Doha, Qatar After nearly two decades of war that has killed tens of thousands, peace talks between the Afghanistan government and the Taliban have opened in Qatars capital. Key speakers at Saturdays opening ceremony at a hotel in Doha included Abdullah Abdullah, chairperson of Afghanistans High Council for National Reconciliation, Taliban deputy leader Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. The negotiations, where the two warring sides will sit face-to-face for the first time, will start on Monday. For his part, Abdullah spoke about seeking a dignified and lasting peace. I believe that if we give hands to each other and honestly work for peace, the current ongoing misery in the country will end, Abdullah said, calling for a humanitarian ceasefire. Alia Chughtai/Al Jazeera Baradar, meanwhile, repeated his groups demand for the country to adopt an Islamic system. We want Afghanistan to be an independent, developed country, and it should have a form of Islamic system, where all its citizens see themselves reflected. Abdullah Abdullah called for a humanitarian ceasefire [Sorin Furcoi/Al Jazeera] Pompeo, for his part, told the Afghan sides that the choice of your future political system is, of course, yours to make as he urged them to seize the opportunity to secure peace. Each of you, I hope you will look inside your hearts; each of you carry a great responsibility, but know that youre not alone. The entire world wants you to succeed and is counting on you to succeed, he said. Kicking off proceedings earlier on Saturday, Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said both parties must rise above all form of division by reaching an agreement on the basis of no victor and no vanquished. Delayed talks The intra-Afghan talks were set to take place in March but have repeatedly been delayed over a prisoner exchange agreement made as part of the United States-Taliban deal signed in February. In the agreement, the Taliban had agreed to release 1,000 Afghan troops, while the government said it would release 5,000 Taliban prisoners. Formal negotiations are due to begin on Monday [Sorin Furcoi/Al Jazeera] France and Australia objected to freeing six of the Taliban prisoners who were involved in the killing of their nationals. Taliban and Afghan government sources told Al Jazeera a compromise was reached by sending the six prisoners to Qatar. The prisoners arrived in Doha on Friday and will remain in custody there. US Special Representative for Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad said although the talks raise hopes of the war ending in the country, many challenges remain. This is a new phase in diplomacy for peace in Afghanistan, Khalilzad told reporters in a telephone briefing on Friday. These negotiations are an important achievement, but there are significant challenges on the way to reaching an agreement. The talks were set to take place in March but were delayed over a prisoner exchange agreement [Sorin Furcoi/Al Jazeera] It took almost six months to get the Taliban and the government to the negotiating table, and analysts said the challenging part is to get both sides to reach an agreement. The various delays since the first designated start of the talks in early March show how much mistrust the two parties need to overcome, Thomas Ruttig, co-founder of the Afghanistan Analysts Network, told Al Jazeera. 200910172323910 It shows how difficult the talks will be in general, given the many issues they would have to solve, with the most difficult one being Afghanistans future political system. The Afghan negotiating team includes five female representatives who will carry the responsibility of defending and protecting womens rights during the talks. While there is no other realistic option currently to find a negotiated end to the Afghan war, it is far from clear whether any peace deal will address major concerns of the Afghan population such as a preservation of the rights and freedoms that have been constitutionally guaranteed to them, Ruttig said. The Afghan government backs the current democratic political system, while the Taliban wants to reimpose its version of Islamic law as the countrys system of governance. The armed group has, however, given vague comments on adopting a less strict stance towards women and social equality than during their 1996-2001 rule, during which women were banned from attending school, working, taking part in politics or even leaving their homes without a male family member. The Afghan governments agenda for the talks is to secure a permanent ceasefire, but analysts said that will be difficult to achieve as the Talibans only bargaining chip has been their military strength on the ground. The Taliban should see these talks as a good political opportunity. If they continue to fight on the ground to exert pressure, there are less chances of the talks being successful, Abdul Satar Saadat, a former adviser to President Ashraf Ghani, told Al Jazeera. Peace demands compromises from all sides and that means sacrifices should be made to acquire a political solution to end this war, added Saadat. In the first six months of 2020, almost 1,300 civilians, including hundreds of children, have been killed in Afghanistan, according to the United Nations. In July, President Ghani said about 3,560 Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF) were killed and 6,780 more wounded in Taliban attacks between February 29 and July 21 this year. The suffering of the Afghan people has gone on for far too long, UN envoy Deborah Lyons said on Friday. An inclusive peace process, involving the meaningful participation of women, youth and victims, upholding the human rights of every Afghan is the only path to peace. "Trump has delivered destruction beyond their wildest hopes but the tragedy for them is that they worship a narcissistic property tycoon who is incapable of building anything." Across the Pacific, in China, "a malign alternative" is ready, rising to replace the diminished world power. Columnist Chris Uhlmann says there is mounting evidence China is a "scary place" under Xi Jinping. Credit:AP "The oppression of this autocracy is now radiating outwards, as Beijing steals the land and sea from its neighbours and punishes its critics," Uhlmann wrote. The column appeared to tap into a deep despondency among readers who, while facing numerous challenges at home, are keenly aware of the approaching US poll and recent developments in China. Many readers praised Uhlmann's "no holds barred" approach. Loading PeteBrighton: "Brilliant piece Chris, frightening but brilliant. I hope you're wrong on this and the black vote carries the Democrats through." John: "This is one of the most incisive articles I have read in a long time. Brutally incisive and brutally disturbing." Impatiens: "'man with the instincts of a demagogue'. The most horrifying description of Trump ever. And the several paragraphs after this quote would and should strike terror into the heart of every caring world citizen. Well said, Chris Uhlmann!" Aanasi: "Brilliant article, win or lose, it's going to be fascinating 4 years and a fascinating decade to ride out as most fascist regimes will start to collapse like dominoes ie. the '80s/'90s in Germany [and] Russia and the '10s with North Africa ie. Arab Spring." Wasimbari2429: "A good article, Chris. What scares me the most is the thought there could be another civil war in the US. I had never thought about it but suspect it could be on the cards." For Uhlmann it was clear why readers responded as they did: "Donald Trump frightens them, as he frightens me. "His disdain for his own institutions and the world architecture that America built and underwrote has real consequences for Australia and readers get it," he said. "More of the same will be disastrous." As for the developing situation in China, the journalist says Australia is walking in a minefield, "caught between a pathological narcissist despot wannabe and a true despot". "If you wanted evidence that China under Xi Jinping is a scary place then add the flight of two Australian journalists this week to the militarisation of the South China Sea, the oppression of the Uighurs, the jailing of dissidents, interference in our democracy, economic coercion, industrial-scale cyber theft, wolf-warrior diplomacy etc." While many readers applauded the article, several objected to Uhlmann's conclusion that "while politicians are maligned worldwide", Australians have more reason to be 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," he wrote. Reader TrevorN wrote: "We can snot our noses at the American voters' complacency and willingness to be led by the vain and irresponsible so-called leadership class, but the fact is that when it comes down to it we are no better than our opposites across the Pacific." Steve Carey: "And not a word about how ScottyfromMarketing is an emulator of Trump and never condemns him or even scolds him. Yuk!" Billnix: "The great outsourcing of Australia was backed by the Labor and LNP parties, so both became the enemy. One Nation Party was the outsider who challenged this bipartisan agreement in 1998. No surprise the big parties 'put them last, even until today'. The globalists are powerful and have the support of the MSM, but one day Australia will get its version of Trump. On that day we will see what happens. Politically speaking, Australia runs about 10 years behind America, so that day is closing in on us. So far no signs of who our National 'messiah' might be, but then nobody thought about Trump in 2015. Could it be Clive Palmer?" However cate replied: "Could it be Clive Palmer? No ... We don't have a history like the Yanks do. We don't have a social structure like the Yanks do. Bottom line is - we are not Yanks." bratman added: "The comparison between Palmer and Trump is reasonable. Self-obsessed billionaires playing up to jingoistic nationalism and prejudice, with no idea of how to run a country. The difference is that the Australian electorate, for all its faults, is smarter than that in the US and our electoral system is somewhat fairer, so such people will continue to be consigned to the fringes, as has One Nation. And globalism is inevitable; it's a question of how to manage it for the benefit of the majority." There was vigorous debate among readers on whether Trump would win in November. Leh, Ladakh In the Himalayan city of Leh the capital of Indias newly created union territory Ladakh, located 11,500 feet (3,505 metres) above sea level people have been worried at the prospect of war. The months-long border standoff between India and China, coupled with coronavirus restrictions, has already affected the busy tourist season, wiping out the much-needed income in the region. Thousands of troops from the Asian giants have been locked in an eyeball-to-eyeball confrontation, particularly in Ladakh region since minor skirmishes were reported in late April. However, in a big relief for the people here, the shadow of war seems to have ended for now after foreign ministers of nuclear-armed rivals late on Friday announced their troops must disengage and take steps to restore peace and tranquillity at the disputed border. The two Foreign Ministers agreed that the current situation in the border areas is not in the interest of either side. They agreed therefore that the border troops of both sides should continue their dialogue, quickly disengage, maintain proper distance and ease tensions, a joint statement by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his Indian counterpart Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said. Lessening of tensions is a good thing, Chering Dorjay Lakrook, a former leader from the governing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), told Al Jazeera. But Lakrook is still cautiously optimistic because he says China cannot be trusted. An aerial view of Leh town [Bilal Kuchay/Al Jazeera] They [Chinese] are buying time to fortify their position. This deal is a mere eyewash until the Chinese go back to the April 2020 positions, he said referring to the alleged Chinese transgression into Indian territory that began in early May. There is no mention of the status quo ante and if things go like this and the Chinese are not going back to their original positions then what is this point of such a deal. The Indian defence analysts Al Jazeera spoke to echoed similar concerns pointing to previous agreements reached during military-level talks that failed to de-escalate the most serious border tensions in nearly 50 years. The two countries have resorted to an enormous troops build-up along their de facto border, known as Line of Actual Control (LAC), since June 15 when 20 Indian soldiers were killed in Ladakhs Galwan Valley in hand-to-hand fighting involving clubs and rocks. China is also reported to have suffered an unspecified number of casualties, but it did not make it public. The deadly June clashes the worst since the 1962 war caused a backlash in India, forcing the government to ban dozens of Chinese apps, including wildly popular TikTok, and put a curb on investment from China. The heightened tensions may affect the bilateral annual trade that stands at $92bn. Several rounds of military and diplomatic talks achieved little success in ending the renewed tensions, with the two nations accusing each other of military confrontations in the past couple of weeks. The recent tensions erupted on August 29, when the Indian Army said it thwarted a provocative action by the Chinese soldiers to change the status quo at the southern bank of Pangong Tso Lake. Two days later, the Chinese government accused the Indian side of crossing the LAC. On September 7, the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) accused the Indian Army of firing warning shots a charge denied by the Indian side. A desolate look of otherwise busy Leh market [Bilal Kuchay/Al Jazeera] New Delhi had demanded the restoration of status quo ante, but the five-point deal agreed at the high-level diplomatic meeting in Moscow on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting on Friday, experts and opposition party in India say, failed to mention it. Pravin Sawhney, a veteran defence analyst, welcomed the Moscow agreement, adding that this will lead to major easing of tension between the two sides. But he said the issue of Chinese transgression into the territory was not mentioned in the agreement. Chinese have already got what they wanted. They are already sitting inside the Indian territory and they will not leave the occupied territory. Which means the status quo ante of April 2020 that India was talking about will not happen, he told Al Jazeera. The only thing that will happen is disengagement to avoid war, Sawhney, the editor of Force magazine, told Al Jazeera. Opposition Congress party leader Rahul Gandhi attacked the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeting, The Chinese have taken our land. When exactly is GOI [Government of India] planning to get it back? Einar Tangen, a Chinese expert based in Beijing, also welcomed the diplomatic breakthrough, saying this is a beginning, but the devil is in the details. Given the trust deficit, it was time that this matter was handled by diplomats, who think of the larger picture, rather than generals who think about strategic advantage, Tangen told Al Jazeera. At this point, rather than trying to point fingers and assign blame it is time both countries concentrated on the serious health and economic issues in front of them. Experts believe a combination of factors may have contributed to the long and tense situation between the Asian giants across their 3,500km-long (2,175 miles) contested border, which stretches from Ladakh to the eastern state of Arunachal Pradesh. Nationalistic governments in both countries, an increasingly muscular and aggressive Chinese foreign policy, and an Indian move in Kashmir strongly opposed by Beijing are some of the factors responsible for the recent flare-up, said Michael Kugelman, deputy director and senior associate at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. Beijing had condemned New Delhis decision in August 2019 to strip Indian-administered Kashmirs limited autonomy and breaking the region into two federally administered territories Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh the site of the border confrontation. In effect, there are unique factors at play that make this a crisis about a lot more than simple border provocations. Former General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Indian Armys Northern Command Deependra Singh Hooda told Al Jazeera that the border standoff is not a localised incident but approved at the highest levels in the Chinese government. They [China] are doing it everywhere and this is not only India. Be it South China Sea, Australia, European Union, Hong Kong, Taiwan. I think the Chinese are trying to show they are a strong power to reckon with. However, Beijing-based political commentator and analyst Tangen disagrees. The Chinese see an increasingly nationalistic India, whose actions Kashmir, hostile statements by Indian government ministers, intensified military infrastructure on the border, participation in the Quad, trade blacklists etc as hostile, he told Al Jazeera. The Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, also known as Quad, is a security grouping consisting of the United States, Australia, Japan and India. Tangen blames the US for pitting the two Asian giants against each other. The conflict has taken on the veneer of a colonial, where the US, fearing a growing Asian Century, is seeking to put Asias two most populist countries against each other. Sawhney, the defence analyst, believes the confrontation was a result of Indias Kashmir decision and showing Chinese-controlled territory of Aksai Chin, which India claims as its own, in its maps. Al Jazeera reached out to BJP spokesman Nalin Kohli, who refused to comment on the issue. The two most populous countries have had a long-standing border dispute. They went to war in 1962 over Arunachal Pradesh state in the northeast, where China claims about 90,000 square kilometres (34,750 square miles). China calls it South Tibet. In 2017, they came face-to-face in Doklam area a long-pending border tussle between China and Bhutan, after the Indian Army sent troops to stop China from constructing a road there. Back in Ladakh, a region home to 274,000 people, normal life has been disrupted due to the military standoff. Konchock Stanzin, executive councillor for the Chushul constituency in the Leh Autonomous Hill Development Council and a BJP leader, told Al Jazeera: We hope the situation gets sorted soon otherwise it will have a huge impact on our lives people wont be able to take their cattle for grazing to the upper reaches; our economy which is dependent on tourism will be hit very hard. The Nguyen Du Lao-Vietnamese bilingual school launched its 2020-2021 school year at a ceremony in the Lao capital of Vientiane on September 11. At the event (Photo: VNA) Acting Rector of the school Sivanheuang Phengkhammay said it has 39 classrooms from the kindergarten to high school level, with 75 teachers educating 1,056 students. Envoy of the Vietnamese Embassy in Laos, Trinh Thi Tam, congratulated the schools staff on fulfilling their tasks and contributing to creating a prestigious facility. She asked the school to continue improving teaching and study quality and pay due regard to infrastructure as well as food safety and hygiene amid COVID-19. She also presented certificates of merit and gifts to students winning academic excellence awards at the municipal level./.VNA 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. Afghan gun battle kills 5 militants in southern Helmand province People's Daily Online (Xinhua) 16:16, September 10, 2020 LASHKAR GAH, Afghanistan, Sept. 10 (Xinhua) -- Five militants were confirmed dead and nine others injured as clashes flared up in Gereshk district of the southern Helmand province on Thursday, a statement from the national army here said. The clashes broke out after a group of Taliban militants attacked security checkpoints early Thursday and the troops retaliated, forcing the insurgents to flee after leaving five bodies behind and nine more injured, the statement said. The Afghan forces also discovered 14 mines planted by the insurgents in the area and defused them on the spot. Taliban militants who are active in parts of the troubled Helmand province with Lashkar Gah as its capital haven't commented. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address A resurgence in IPOs is underway following the dearth of new listings seen during the coronavirus crisis. Coppa Club and Tavolino owner Various Eateries this week announced plans to float on the junior market, hoping to raise up to 25million to capitalise on the crisis in the hospitality industry. The founder is restaurant superstar Hugh Osmond, who grew Pizza Express from a small chain of 12 restaurants to a 367-strong estate at the turn of the millennium. London has seen many fundraisings this year from listed companies as early pandemic rescue issues to strengthen balance sheets turned into opportunistic fundraisers during the summer Meanwhile, Blue Star Capital's investee Guild eSports, the esports team co-owned by David Beckham, is seeking a listing on the main market to fund recruitment of professional video gamers. London has seen plenty of fundraisings this year from listed companies as early pandemic rescue issues to strengthen balance sheets turned into opportunistic fundraisers during the summer, particularly as the life sciences sector needed support for COVID-19 projects. But after consultancy Elixirr launched the first 'lockdown IPO' in July, the market has made a decisive move to traditional growth capital according to finnCap. The broker adds we should expect more flotations this winter, as companies are attracted by a functional regulatory framework allowing them to raise capital with relative ease. 'The equity capital markets have shown themselves to be a good place to be,' said Christopher Raggett, co-head of corporate finance at the broker. 'IPOs are looking more attractive.' Looking at this week's performance, the AIM All-Share rose 0.9 per cent to 955, under-performing the FTSE 100 index's 3.8 per cent jump to 6,022. Among the risers, project portfolio and performance management software firm i-nexus Global soared 75 per cent to 5p after boasting its sales pipeline was rebuilt to pre-coronavirus levels. Elsewhere, recruiter Hydrogen Group climbed 43 per cent after revealing plans to go private and buy out shareholders at 40p a share. Blue Star Capital's investee Guild eSports, the esports team co-owned by David Beckham, is seeking a listing on the main market to fund recruitment of professional video gamers Meanwhile, Wameja surged 36 per cent to 7p after agreeing a takeover by US payment colossus Mastercard for 96million. The pair are joint venture partners in the HomeSend global payment hub. Amryt Pharma rose 34 per cent to 208p after posting strong results from studies of its gel for rare skin condition epidermolysis bullosa (EB) and it is now applying for speedy regulatory approval in both the US and EU. Remaining in the biotech space, Redx Pharma jumped 18 per cent to 65p after unveiling a new collaboration with US company Jazz Pharmaceuticals to discover and develop two targeted cancer therapies. Moving on, driver monitoring technology firm Seeing Machines shot up 28 per cent to 4p after signing an initial deal with a global semiconductor company to license its Occula Neural Processing Unit. Turning to the fallers, Phimedix slumped 78 per cent to 0.9p after announcing it has until September 14 to instigate a reverse takeover, otherwise shares will be suspended. The cash shell also saw serial pharma and biotech entrepreneur Ali Mortazavi cut his stake to 10.72 per cent from 13.5 per cent. Shares in Amryt Pharma and Redx Pharma experienced major jumps in value this week In the oil sector, Hurricane Energy tumbled 37 per cent to 3p after admitting its offshore UK Lancaster field is more complex than previously thought and needs more work to assess reservoir performance. Explorer Baron Oil shed 24 per cent to 0.08p after interim losses widened. Peer Upland Resources slipped 14 per cent to 0.7p after chief executive Chris Pitman relinquished his role so the firm can now focus on sourcing and developing new business opportunities. Commercial energy and sustainability advisor Inspired Energy shed 10 per cent to 14p after profits for the half-year dropped 41 per cent to 1.42million due to coronavirus restrictions hitting its corporate energy consumption. Finally, maritime communications specialist SRT Marine Systems sank 7 per cent to 38p after swinging to a 6.9million loss in the year to March mostly due to a 3.9million write-down of an existing contract in the Middle East. Kangana Ranaut on Friday asked Congress interim President Sonia Gandhi to take note of the "treatment" being meted out to her by the Maharashtra Government, in which her party is a coalition member, and sought her intervention. Actor Kangana Ranaut on Friday asked Congress interim President Sonia Gandhi to take note of the treatment being meted out to her by the Maharashtra Government, in which her party is a coalition member, and sought her intervention. The actor said that the Congress interim chiefs silence on her partys government harassing women would be judged by history and further urged her to direct the Maharashtra government to uphold the principles of the Indian Constitution. Kanganas tweet read, Dear respected honourable Congress president Sonia Gandhi ji being a woman arent you anguished by the treatment I am given by your government in Maharashtra? Can you not request your Government to uphold the principles of the Constitution given to us by Dr. Ambedkar? Also read: Serum Institute pauses Covid-19 vaccine trials after show-cause notice by DCGI Dear respected honourable @INCIndia president Sonia Gandhi ji being a woman arnt you anguished by the treatment I am given by your government in Maharashtra? Can you not request your Government to uphold the principles of the Constitution given to us by Dr. Ambedkar? Kangana Ranaut (@KanganaTeam) September 11, 2020 Also read: With highest single-day spike of over 96,000 cases, Indias Covid-19 tally crosses 45L mark In a subsequent tweet, she added, You have grown up in the west and lived here in India. You may be aware of the struggles of women. History will judge your silence and indifference when your own Government is harassing women and ensuring a total mockery of law and order. I hope you will intervene. Ranaut has been making headlines with her statements and revelations about the Hindi film industry after actor Sushant Singh Rajput was found dead in his Mumbai residence in June. She had been provided with Y-plus category security cover by the Union Home Ministry in the wake of the row over her remarks, in which she compared Mumbai with Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and also targeted the Mumbai police. Recently, the actor had also moved the Bombay High Court against the demolition drive by Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) at her property in Mumbai here. The Shiv Sena-led state government these days looks more focused on fighting actor Kangana Ranaut than the ongoing coronavirus crisis in Maharashtra, said BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis on Friday. Fadnavis told reporters that Maharashtra government believes its fight was not with Corona but Kangana, the maximum number of COVID-19 cases were in Maharashtra, every day 25-30 thousand new cases were coming up. He added that 40 percent of COVID deaths were from Maharashtra, but the government does not want to fight it. The former chief minister also said that Shiv Sena blew the issue surrounding Ranaut out of proportion by issuing threats to her followed by her propertys demolition. He said that Kangana Ranaut was no political figure, the matter should not have been escalated by Shiv Sena. He said that Kanganas issue was blown out of proportion by you (Shiv Sena). He said that Shiv Sena didnt go to demolish Dawoods home but they demolished Kanganas place. Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar said he has no connection with actor Kangana Ranauts property, which was demolished by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). Pawar told reporters on Thursday that he had no connection with the building, which was demolished by BMC. He said that Kanganas allegations against him were totally false. Ranaut, according to reports, had said the building, which was demolished belonged to the NCP chief. Also read: Sushant Singh Rajput death case LIVE news updates: Court rejects bail pleas of Rhea Chakraborty and others accused World News: World misses 2020 biodiversity goals: UN draft report says by Chloe Farand September 11,2020 | Source: Climate Change News Over the last decade, governments have failed to meet any of the internationally agreed 2020 goals to halt plant and wildlife loss, according to a leaked UN draft report. A draft version of the fifth edition of the Global Biodiversity Outlook, seen by Climate Home News, reported that none of the 20 Aichi biodiversity targets set in Japan in 2010 have been fully met. It identified failure to account for the role of women as a significant barrier to progress, along with funding shortfalls and harmful subsidies. Prepared by the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the report provides a summary of the state of nature and biodiversity worldwide. The final report is due to be released next Tuesday after being reviewed by negotiators, with reflections on the way forward and how Covid-19 recovery packages could help achieve biodiversity goals. It comes as governments are preparing to adopt a new set of biodiversity targets beyond 2020 in Kunming, China. The summit was due to take place in October 2020 but has been provisionally rescheduled to May 2021 because of Covid-19. A proposal to protect at least 30% of the worlds land and seas has formed the basis of the negotiations. Observers to preparatory talks expressed concerns little progress has been made on mobilising finance to meet the new goals, and fear a repeat of the Aichi failure if more resources are not pledged. The draft report assessed progress towards meeting each element of the Aichi targets. Among the 44 sub-targets assessed, 20 are ranked as poor, 19 as moderate and only five as good. It found that biodiversity is not yet being brought into mainstream decision-making, harmful subsidies have not been removed on a meaningful scale and biodiversity continues to decline in places used to produce food and timber. The loss and degradation of habitats remains worryingly high, it said, including in primary forests and wetlands. Last year, a major scientific report by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (Ipbes) warned species extinction was accelerating, with ecosystems deteriorating at rates unprecedented in human history. Although most countries have adopted national targets in line with the Aichi goals, the collective ambition of national targets does not add up to the global ambition and data gaps remain in biodiversity-rich developing countries, the draft added. For example, a study of 106 small-scale fisheries worldwide found the harvesting of clams and other invertebrates by women had been largely ignored, leading to underestimation of the total catch and of the species targeted by fishers. The essential role of women in underpinning actions for conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity have been consistently undervalued, the report concluded. Conversely, a programme in Niger to improve agricultural productivity and rehabilitate land that targeted women as well as men was highlighted for showing good results. The region saw the gradual return of wildlife such as rodents, birds, reptiles and mammals. Unless gender issues better inform future policy decisions, it could undermine long-term efforts to halt the decline and extinction of species and allow ecosystems to recover by 2050, the report said. Meanwhile, financial resources for implementing the Aichi goals have increased but remain inadequate and funds are especially lacking in those countries richest in biodiversity and in threatened species. The CBD warned that failure to meet the Aichi goals threatened the achievement of the 2030 sustainable development goals and could undermine efforts to curb greenhouse gas emissions. Nearly a third of emissions cuts required to meet the Paris Agreement goal of limiting global warming well below 2C could come from nature-based solutions, it said. It is not too late to reverse the trend if conservation efforts are scaled up and protected areas expanded, the draft said. However, it will require a reinvention of the ways in which we collectively produce, consume and live. This, it added, should include maintaining and improving food security without converting large-scale forests and ecosystems into agricultural land, encouraging moderate meat consumption, greening urban areas, better protecting freshwater ecosystems and addressing climate change. Sorry! This content is not available in your region Just one in nine conmen who trick their way into their victims' homes to commit burglaries end up being prosecuted. The criminals pose as officials such as utility workers or council staff to sneak their way into the homes of vulnerable people. Out of 2,352 such crimes reported to police last year, just 269 ended up being caught and charged, Home Office figures revealed last night. In 1,697 cases nearly three quarters of the total police admitted they never even managed to track down the criminal. In another 346 it was decided by the police or the Crown Prosecution Service that there were problems with the evidence which meant the cases were not worth taking to court. Just one in nine conmen who trick their way into their victims' homes to commit burglaries end up being prosecuted (stock image) David Spencer, research director at the Centre for Crime Prevention campaign group, said: 'These figures are damning. 'Confidence tricksters are among the most despicable of criminals who prey on the elderly and vulnerable and should be facing the full force of the law and long prison sentences. 'These are difficult crimes to solve, but that is no excuse for the police not to be conducting a thorough and detailed investigation into every case. 'They also have a responsibility to ensure that vulnerable people are aware of the risk of falling victim to this type of crime and have the tools and the knowledge to protect themselves.' Crime prevention experts say elderly people should fit a door chain to their home and only let in callers they are expecting. The detection rate is low because criminals often pick on people who are so vulnerable they are not able to remember the exact details of how they were scammed or what the crooks looked like. The detection rate is low because criminals often pick on people who are so vulnerable they are not able to remember the exact details of how they were scammed or what the crooks looked like (stock image) The police areas with the most distraction burglaries last year were London (691), West Midlands (260), Thames Valley (100), West Yorkshire (92) and Essex (84). Some of those caught and sentenced recently include Cornelius Connors, 49, of Solihull, who committed a string of raids on homes in the West Midlands, West Mercia and Nottinghamshire, often by posing as a water company official. He would run the taps and while 'checking the meter' would ransack homes for valuables. He was caught after stealing a video camera that was filming him and police were able to view the footage from a central database. He was jailed for eight years. Christopher Henry, 54, of South Croydon, was jailed for six years for a distraction burglary at the home of an 86-year-old woman in St Albans. He claimed to be a plumber investigating a leak at a neighbour's home, and while the homeowner was distracted in the kitchen he stole gold jewellery and a 20 note from her bedroom. In 2017, Taj Ramzan, then 37, conned his way into a pensioner's home by smearing ketchup on his face and pretending he was bleeding profusely and needed help. The 86-year- old homeowner caught the thief searching through his bedroom in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, and frogmarched him out. Ramzan, of Studley, Warwickshire, was jailed for 27 months. AUSTIN Former Assistant Attorney General Nick Moutos whose employment with the state agency ended abruptly last week after a news report highlighted his bigoted and violent tweets was fired, records obtained by Hearst Newspapers confirm. In dozens of tweets, Moutos had supported unproven QAnon conspiracy theories; made racist, sexist and transphobic remarks; downplayed the danger of coronavirus; and threatened violence against Black Lives Matter protesters and Democrats. The tweets were first reported by Media Matters for America, a left-leaning nonprofit. Moutos, who did not respond to requests for comment, had been working in the office since 2017 and was paid $100,652 annually at the time he was let go. The personnel records obtained by Hearst show the tweets werent the first time that Moutos had received some kind of disciplinary action. In January, Moutos, who lost in the March Republican primary for the Congressional District 35 seat, had received a formal reprimand and warning for working on his political campaign during work hours. FOR BACKGROUND: Texas Assistant AG who sent bigoted, QAnon-promoting tweets loses job The reprimand stemmed from a report by two co-workers that they overheard him talking about a congressional candidate forum while in his office with the door closed. Other division employees said they'd heard him do this all the time, the report stated. In an email exchange in July 2017, Moutos also was given a slap on the wrist by superiors for political posts on his LinkedIn that might have violated the agencys social media policy. A online complainant who identified himself as a former assistant prosecutor in Ohio took issue with Moutos calling a Hawaii federal judge an idiot for blocking President Donald Trumps travel ban on some Muslim-majority countries and saying he was looking forward to that judge and the other left coast morons being neutered by SCOTUS, the records show. I fully understand that you have First Amendment rights, and I and this agency have no intent to tread on those, Associate Deputy Attorney General Lisa Tanner wrote in an email to Moutos. However, you really need to take care in balancing your free speech rights with the interests of this office. When you so prominent display your status as an AAG on your LinkedIn profile, you risk your personal opinions being attributed to this office even when you put a disclaimer on there, as you did. Tanner added that the complainants observation that other posts of a similar distasteful and unprofessional manner appear to have taken place during working hours also could be an issue. Moutos responded that the social media platform would not cause a problem again and that hed removed any reference to his employment and made his profile private. He promised not to post anything else, according to the records. Texas Take: Get political headlines from across the state sent directly to your inboxs But three years later, on Sept. 3, Moutos social media use caught up with him again. An employment separation request filed by Tanner that day shows that the agency received external complaints about Moutos social media use, which it then investigated and found an egregious violation of the Political Activities policy and Use of Agency Resources policy. His offenses included that he used the account during work hours; retained a sense of political involvement in his handle, which is still @VoteNickMoutos even after his March loss; and the political nature of the tweets, according to the request. Although the policy permits incidental use, AAG Moutos continuous tweeting is not incidental, is disruptive, and involves political activities, Tanner wrote. She added that he also violated the Unacceptable Conduct policy, which bans any actions outside the workplace that could discredit the agency. The involuntary separation form did not mention any of the racism or threats of violence in Moutos tweets. South Africa: Sisulu, banking association review housing partnership Human Settlements, Water and Sanitation Minister Lindiwe Sisulu has acknowledged the significant role the banking sector has played in financing mega and catalytic projects including Cosmo City and Fleurhof in Gauteng Province. We have travelled a long journey with the banking sector; together we have restored the dignity of our people through the provision of decent shelter. Private sector involvement and funding have an important contribution to make in housing South Africa and supporting asset ownership, Sisulu said on Thursday. Sisulu held a working meeting with the Banking Association of South Africa (BASA) to review the partnership that started in 2005 while identifying further areas of partnerships over the next few years. The meeting focussed mainly on how banking institutions can assist government to achieve its mandate of providing affordable housing by unlocking access to housing finance for low-to-medium income earners and first-time buyers through the Financed Linked Individual Subsidy Programme (FLISP). The meeting also discussed consumer education campaign aimed at empowering homeowners to look after and improve their properties, and support for those who are facing challenges in servicing their bonds and contractors who are currently unable to repay their loans. I am calling on all those who are facing difficulties to service their mortgages and construction companies which are struggling to service their loans to make arrangements with their banking institutions. BASA has on behalf of banking institutions committed to do everything they can to assist those in financial distress, said Sisulu. The Minister and BASA also agreed that they will soon convene a lekgotla to finalise a programme of action. SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2020-09-11. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. In 2014, Northwestern Memorial announced an affiliation with Cadence Health that added two hospitals, Central DuPage in Winfield and Delnor in Geneva. Since then, Northwestern has merged with other systems to bring hospitals in DeKalb, Sandwich, Huntley, McHenry, Woodstock and Wheaton into the fold. New Delhi, Sep 11 : The Centre on Friday named Gujarat as the best performing state in terms of implementing policies for uplifting the startup ecosystem. Besides, Andaman & Nicobar Islands was adjudged as the best performer amongst Union Territory and North Eastern states. The 'Startup Ranking' framework 2019 judged states and Union Territories on seven broad reform area, consisting of 30 action points. "To establish uniformity and ensure standardisation in the ranking process, 'States and UTs' have been divided into two groups," the Ministry of Commerce and Industry said in a statement. "While UTs except Delhi and all States in North East India except Assam are placed in Category 'Y'. All other States and UT of Delhi are in Category 'X'." While releasing the result of the second edition of 'Ranking of States on Support to Startup Ecosystems' through a virtual felicitation ceremony, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal called upon the high networth individuals, venture capitalists to finance 'Startups'. The Minister recommended that 'Startups' should come up with imaginative, relevant and innovative products, undertake reengineering and reform of processes, and orient their ideas to be people-centric. He said that Covid pandemic should not be seen as a problem or challenge but as an opportunity to reimagine and reinvigorate India. Head of the President's Office of Ukraine Andriy Yermak said that during the talks between the advisers of the leaders of the Normandy Four countries in Berlin, the Ukrainian side intends to involve all participants of the Normandy Format in the process of maintaining the ceasefire in Donbas. "Surely, we will raise a very important issue of the ceasefire regime, which lasted six weeks, and we will do everything necessary to support it and not let it be frustrated. Today it is very important for us to involve all participants of the Normandy Format in this process," he said journalists in Berlin on Friday. Yermak said that the Ukrainian delegation will undoubtedly raise the very important issue of the mutual release of the detainees, and hopes that it will be possible to ensure that the process of mutual release is resumed at the next meeting of the Minsk Trilateral Contact Group (TCG). "This remains one of the priority tasks for us. The Ukrainian side has done its homework assignment, and we will talk about it today," he said. The head of the President's Office also said that in Berlin they would discuss the process around agreeing on new points of disengagement of the sides' forces in Donbas, clearing the territory, opening new entry-exit checkpoints on the contact line, which continues within the TCG. Democrats have begun running up a lopsided advantage in early voting as well as absentee ballot requests, in an election what has seen an unprecedented split on voting strategy and furious attacks by the president on mail-voting. The advantage is pronounced in the battleground states that will decide the election, and that are attracting candidate visits and a TV air war. The differential in absentee ballot requests has hit three-to-one in Pennsylvania and North Carolina, two states that President Donald Trump won in 2016 that Joe Biden is hoping to strip back. The advantage in the Keystone state has extended to ballot requests by people who didn't vote in 2016. A total of 175,000 Democrats who skipped 2016 have asked for ballots, more than double the number of Republicans, Politico reported. The Democratic lead in ballot requests in Florida a state Trump carried where Biden is making a run and holding a slight lead in the polls is 700,000. A similar dynamic is playing out in Ohio, a state Trump carried that lies just outside the 'blue wall' of Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania that Democrats are focused on. Democrats are running up a big advantage in mail ballot requests and early voting in battleground states Democrats are running up lopsided leads in numbers of absentee ballot requests and early voting HOW THE STATES LINE UP PENNSYLVANIA Trump margin of victory: 44,000 Democratic lead in ballot requests from 2016 non-voters: Nearly 100,000 MICHIGAN Margin of victory: 10,704 Democratic lead: 20,000 WISCONSIN Margin of victory: 22,000 Democratic lead: 10,000 FLORIDA Margin of victory: 112,911 Democratic lead in mail-in ballot requests: 700,000 GEORGIA Margin of victory: 211,142 Republican lead in mail-in ballot requests: 211,141 Advertisement The Democratic advantage has carried over to key counties in Ohio, Statehouse News reported. In strongly Republican Warren County, Republicans and Democrats are running about even in ballot requests. But Republicans accounted for three times as many requests four years ago. The notable splits come during an election season when President Trump has repeatedly attacked mail-in voting as 'rife with fraud.' His campaign is in court seeking to stop mail ballots from going to all Nevada voters. Trump has said mail voters 'cheat,' although evidence of actual mail fraud is rare. He also has attacked the postal service, which is charged with delivering mail-in ballots by election deadlines. Democrats have been pushing mail voting while also seeking funding for the practice in coronavirus relief legislation. Trump has cast it as a power-play, while party leaders point to the risk of large gatherings with long wait times during a pandemic. A new Emerson poll in Wisconsin, which gives Biden a seven-point edge, reveals the stark differences in planned voting. Those planning to vote in person back Trump 61 to 32 per cent. But of the third of voters who plan to vote by mail, Biden leads nearly four-to-one, or 78 per cent to 20 per cent. The most recent battleground states poll showed Biden is holding leads in six states over President Trump in a new survey taken after party conventions that failed to move the political needle. The CNBC/Change Research polling released Wednesday shows the Democrat holding a 49 to 45 lead over the president in the six battlegrounds. The poll surveyed Arizona, Florida, Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin constitute the 'blue wall' that Trump managed to pry from Hillary Clinton in 2016. North Carolina, Arizona, and Florida are states that Biden hopes to snatch from Trump's winning electoral college map. Biden's Pennsylvania lead is four points, 50 to 46, in a state where his edge has been tightening since July. In Florida, Biden holds a narrow three-point lead, 49 to 46, where an eight point lead in July is now less than a percentage point in the Real Clear Politics average. Only in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin did Biden hit 50 percent. Both candidates campaigned in Kenosha last week following violence and protests there, but other surveys have showed Trump's 'law and order' message is not prevailing in the state. The swing state poll comes as the Trump camp has also shifted its focus to Minnesota, a state he narrowly lost that Democrats have carried since 1972. Under electoral college scenarios Trump could score an electoral college win with Minnesota even while giving up Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania. The push comes amid Trump's push for suburban voters amid social unrest. A new NBC / Maris poll had Biden leading 53 to 44 in Pennsylvania, the state where Biden was born and held events during an otherwise sparse summer travel schedule. It seems like the clash between actress Kangana Ranaut and the Maharashtra government is not going to end anytime soon as the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government has asked the Mumbai police to probe her alleged drug links. The Mumbai Police has received an official letter from the Maharashtra government to inquire into the allegations of Ranaut using banned substances and narcotics drugs. The Mumbai Police is examining the letter and are yet to act on it. If a probe is launched into these allegations, summons can be sent to Adhyayan Suman as well as Kangana Ranaut for further investigation into these allegations. State Home Minister Anil Deshmukh had raised this issue in the Vidhan Sabha, citing a 2016 interview of actor Adhyayan Suman. In this interview, Suman said Kangana consumed cocaine and forced him to do the same. Deshmukh added, "The Mumbai police will investigate this matter." This action comes on the back of the massive showdown between the Bollywood actor and the Shiv Sena over the BMC's demolition drive at her Bandra property. The Shiv Sena has faced criticism from the BJP leader and former Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis over their action against Kangana Ranaut. Fadnavis said, "The Maharashtra government feels the fight is not against coronavirus, but against Kangana Ranaut. I want to tell the government if you apply 50% of your strength in solving the coronavirus crisis, it will be better." Also read: Kangana Ranaut to make this 'symbolic' gesture in fight with CM Uddhav Thackeray Also read: Sushant Singh Rajput case: Bail pleas of Rhea Chakraborty, her brother, 4 others rejected again An independent committee has been created to review the studys safety data will let them know when it is safe to continue with the trials. On Tuesday, 8 September AstraZeneca announced that it has pressed pause on their COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials due to one of their volunteers developing some unexplainable symptoms. At that time, they did not reveal the actual reasons that lead to the stopping of the trials. On Thursday, the company's spokesperson Matthew Kent said that woman who was receiving the experimental coronavirus vaccine developed severe neurological symptoms consistent with transverse myelitis, a rare inflammation of the spinal cord. We dont know if it is (transverse myelitis), Kent said. More tests are being done now as part of the follow-up. Despite the randomised clinical trial being delayed, AstraZeneca said that the vaccine could still be available by as early as the year-end. "We could still have a vaccine by the end of this year, early next year," said Pascal Soriot, AstraZeneca's chief executive in a press conference reported AFP. An independent committee has been created to review the studys safety data but the company says that that is just "routine action" that is designed to maintain the integrity of the trials. The committee will also tell them when it is safe to continue with the trials. "We will be guided by this committee as to when the trials could restart so that we can continue our work at the earliest opportunity," Soriot said in a statement. This is not the first time that the study has been stopped. Previously, the study had been paused in July for several days after a participant who got the vaccine developed some neurological symptoms which turned out to be an undiagnosed case of multiple sclerosis that was unrelated to the vaccine. Britain's health minister Matt Hancock said "It's a standard process in clinical trials. There was a pause earlier in the summer and that was resolved without a problem." However, according to a report by The New York Times, Dr Serena Spudich, a neurologist at Yale University said if the most recent adverse event is eventually confirmed as another neurological syndrome (which they did), the researchers should "go back and understand the first case better. Although the first participants multiple sclerosis diagnosis was deemed unrelated to the vaccine, the data could be worth re-evaluating, she said. There is a possibility, for instance, that a mild, undiagnosed case of multiple sclerosis may have been unmasked or exacerbated by the vaccine. However, it remains unclear whether that first volunteer received a vaccine or placebo, and how AstraZeneca would proceed with participants who have so far received the first dose but not the second. What did the WHO/experts say? Speaking during a virtual press conference at the WHO's Geneva headquarters, Chief Scientist Dr Soumya Swaminathan said there is no need to be "overly discouraged" by the pause in the Oxford and AstraZeneca vaccine trial as "these things happen." She also described it as a wake-up call to the world that there are ups and downs of medical research. Theres a protocol for what you do when something happens, Swaminathan added. If its a mild side effect, there are things to be done. If its major as it was in this case it was a severe side event and therefore the trial was halted. And again this is normal procedure. This is good clinical practice because safety is of the utmost, highest priority in any clinical trial. While the WHO hopes the vaccines trials will resume soon, it must wait for more information provided by a data and safety monitoring board, which will determine how to proceed with the trials. Swaminathan said, We hope that things will be able to move on but again it depends. It depends on a lot, and we have to wait to see the details of what actually happened. AFP reported Jeremy Farrar, the director the Wellcome Trust telling the BBC radio in an interview that there were often pauses in vaccine trials. He said that it demonstrated the importance of conducting vaccine trials properly, with independent oversight and the involvement of the regulator. "In the end, the public must have absolute trust that these vaccines are safe and of course effective, and in the end will hopefully bring the pandemic to a close," he added. Patrick Vallance, Britain's chief scientific adviser said similar events should be expected but progress on vaccines and therapeutics was positive overall. "Some will read out this year in terms of efficacy and safety," he told a Downing Street news conference. "And I think there's a reasonable chance that... we can think about the possibility of vaccination next year sometime at larger levels." According to a report by The New York Times, Dr Phyllis Tien, an infectious disease physician at the University of California said: This is the whole point of doing these Phase 2, Phase 3 trials. We need to assess safety, and we wont know the efficacy part until much later. I think halting the trial until the safety board can figure out whether or not this was directly related to the vaccine is a good idea. Dr Francis Collins, director of US National Institutes of Health told CNBC, "This ought to be reassuring... When we say we are going to focus first on safety and make no compromises, here is Exhibit A of how that is happening in practice." Angela Rasmussen, a virologist at Columbia University in New York, tweeted that the illness may be unrelated to the vaccine, "but the important part is that this is why we do trials before rolling out a vaccine to the general public". KISSIMMEE, Fla. - Rose Jusino was waking up after working the graveyard shift at Taco Bell when a friend knocked on her door at the Star Motel. The electric company trucks were back. The workers were about to shut off the power again. The 17-year-old slammed her door and cranked the air conditioning as high as it would go, hoping that a final blast of cold air might make the 95-degree day more bearable. She then headed outside to the motel's overgrown courtyard, a route that took her past piles of maggot-infested food that had been handed out by do-gooders and tossed aside by the motel's residents. Several dozen of them were gathered by a swimming pool full of fetid brown water, trying to figure out their next move. The motel's owner had abandoned the property to its residents back in December, and now the fallout from the coronavirus pandemic was turning an already desperate strip of America - just down the road from Disney World - into something ever more dystopian. The motel's residents needed to pay the power company $1,500. "This is the third time they're back here!" one man fumed as the power company workers, protected by sheriff's deputies, pulled the meters from the electrical boxes. "The third!" "We a bunch of sorry ass men!" shouted a former felon who had served prison time on cocaine and battery convictions. "If our kids go without light, it's because of our sorry asses." He castigated his neighbors for spending their stimulus checks on drugs and alcohol, and then peeled a $20 from a three-inch stack of cash. "Who else? Who else?" he called out as he dropped the bill on the sidewalk. "We need money!" Soon the pile was growing, and the Star residents who gave were angrily accusing those who hadn't of freeloading. "Nobody trusts nobody," yelled a woman in a tank top and red pajama pants who tossed a $50 bill onto the sidewalk. "I paid my rent," shouted someone, who tossed in a $10 bill. An elderly woman covered in bedbug bites threw $1.88 into the pot. "It's all I got," she said. They were still $525.12 short. Rose hung on the edge of the crowd, thinking about the $40 she had stashed in her bedside table. The motel she called "hell on earth" and "this malnourished place" had been her home for the past nine months. She worried about her 65-year-old grandmother, who had chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and needed power for her daily oxygen treatments. She worried about her mother, who suffered from bipolar disorder and was forgoing her medicine to save money. She worried about her neighbors, whose tempers were already frayed by the stress of the pandemic, joblessness and boredom. Gunshots at the motel were becoming a regular occurrence. The power company had cut off the motel two times earlier in the summer. Rose knew that no electricity made everything worse. She walked back to her room for the $40, threw it on the pile and headed to another shift at Taco Bell. When she returned home in the evening, the power was back on, but she knew it wouldn't last long. The next bill, which included unpaid charges going back to March, was for $9,000 and it was due in five days. The aging motels along Florida's Highway 192 have long been barometers of a fragile economy. In good times they drew budget-conscious tourists from China, South America and elsewhere, whose dollars helped to pay the salaries of legions of low-wage service workers; the people who made one of the world's largest tourism destinations - "the most magical place on earth" - run. In tough times, the motels degenerated into shelters of last resort in a city where low-income housing shortages were among the most severe in the nation and the social safety net was collapsing. Now they were fast becoming places where it was possible to glimpse what a complete social and economic collapse might look like in America. The pandemic had heaped crisis on top of crisis. The 2008 housing collapse and recession had caused the tourist market to tank at the exact moment the foreclosure crisis was forcing thousands of homeowners and overburdened renters from their homes. Struggling motel owners began renting rooms to the only customers they could find, those who had no place else to go. In the decade that followed, the tourists returned to Orlando by the millions. Executive salaries at companies such as Disney and Universal soared. So did local real estate prices, buoyed by a booming market for gated, luxury vacation homes. But almost nothing was done to address the reality that many service workers had emerged from the recession saddled with stagnant wages, bad credit or eviction records that made it nearly impossible for them to rent an apartment and return to a normal life. Many spent much of the past decade stuck in motels with restful names - the Paradise, the Palm, the Shining Light, the Star, the Magic Castle - that belied an increasingly grim reality for both the owners and tenants who found themselves trapped together. At the Palm, scars of the past recession and the current collapse were evident in the motel's cramped lobby, which was full of broken air-conditioning units and mattresses stacked to the ceiling. A dozen loaves of donated, day-old bread sat on a table by the front door. Next door at the Paradise, a leak in the roof had caused black mold to bloom across the walls of one of the rooms. Cockroaches scurried across the floors of others. At the motel's front desk, a sign warned guests that "due to shortages" there was a charge for toilet paper: $1 a roll. "We can't afford to fix anything right now," the clerk confided. The owner, who had emigrated from Bangladesh, complained that more than three-quarters of his 40 guests were weeks or months behind on their room bills. Many had jobs or were collecting unemployment insurance, he said, but were refusing to pay because they were protected by the state's eviction moratorium. "This kind of business never brings good people," the owner said, "only bad people." Up and down the highway, motel owners told the same story of mounting bills, customers who couldn't or wouldn't pay for their rooms and buildings that were slowly falling apart because there was no money to fix them. - - - The worst of them all was the Star. A six-foot-high wall of trash bisected the parking lot, and children rode their bicycles through big puddles of raw sewage that spilled from a broken pipe. When Rose's family landed at the motel earlier this year, after a few years in a house followed by a string of increasingly dilapidated motels, she felt as if she had hit "rock bottom." The hot water didn't work, and the toilet was clogged with hypodermic needles and crack pipes, she said. Rose's grandmother and her 12-year-old brother, J.J., shared one bed. Her mother and stepfather took a second bed. Rose had a mattress to herself. Rose's grades suffered, she got into a fight at school and was suspended from her high school's JROTC program, which had been a source of stability and pride in her life. In April she started a gofundme account, hoping it might help her escape the Star. "Moving from hotel to hotel just want to be stable with my family," she wrote in her pitch. But it drew no donations. A few weeks later, she moved into an abandoned room near the front of the property that cost her $100 a week. Her brother, who had grown weary of sharing a bed with his grandmother, upgraded to a mattress of his own. Rose cleaned the dog feces off the room's floor and scrubbed her new room's soiled mattress with bleach and Pine-Sol. Then she bombed the place with bug spray to get rid of the roaches and tracked down a working air conditioner from another room. By early August, it was clear that it was just a matter of time before the motel was permanently shuttered. The power company had its demands, and the water company wanted $57,000 by January. Some residents bought gas-powered generators. Some searched nearby trailer parks for a place that might take them. Others tried to blot out their anxiety with drugs and liquor. Rose waited and tried not to worry. "Just gotta survive," she said. For much of the past year she had watched a gated community, consisting of 1,000 vacation homes, take shape just across the six-lane highway from the Star. All the while, her family sank deeper into poverty. The lesson for Rose was inescapable. "The economy just keeps going up, up, up, and the minimum wage is staying the same. So how do they expect people to be able to pay their rent and pay for their car? That's why more people are ending up in these hotels. There's not enough resources out there to help us be able to help ourselves." A few miles west of the Star Motel on Highway 192, the Rev. Mary Lee Downey was reaching the same conclusion. The pandemic, she worried, was pushing the Orlando area to the brink of a collapse far more serious than the 2008 recession. That recession had led her to start the Community Hope Center, which had helped hundreds of families escape the motels. Still, the total number of motel families never really shrank despite the decade long run of economic growth. What was happening at the Star drove home the problem. Many families had filled out forms seeking help from a program administered by Downey's organization that would pay two months rent and their security deposit if they could find an apartment they could afford. "Trying to find rental or anything to get us out of here," wrote Maykayla Harper, who was 20, pregnant and earning about $9 an hour at Burger King. Rose's family had filled out the same form. The problem: There were almost no apartments for people earning less than $25 an hour. To Downey it often seemed as if everyone - local government officials, residents at the Star, congregants at her church - expected her 19-person charity to fix a problem that had festered for more than a decade. - - - Before the pandemic, Downey had planned to build a 200-unit apartment complex on 5.5 acres that the Methodist Church gave her in 2018. All of the apartments would be reserved for the area's lowest wage earners. Downey estimated that she would need to raise about $15 million to make it work. But this summer, just as the economy was sinking, a consulting company that she had hired to study the feasibility of a fundraising effort told her that she wouldn't be able to pull in more than $3.5 million. "Maybe we should consider buying the Star," one of her board members suggested. Downey quickly concluded it would cost far too much to buy and renovate the decrepit motel. Instead she suggested they consider buying the Magic Castle, a shabby, purple 107-room motel where Rose's family had stayed off and on over the years. The owners, who purchased it in 2005, were asking $4.7 million, more than Downey could afford. But she thought that if they were willing to be flexible on the price, she might be able to buy the motel, rehab the rooms and use them as temporary bridge housing. As word spread that Downey might buy the Magic Castle, some motel owners questioned whether she was tough enough to kick out drug abusers and other problem tenants. "Mary has a heart of gold. She's tireless," said one motel owner who has worked with Downey. "But it isn't the 99% nice that runs a hotel. It's the 1% nasty." Downey had different reservations. If the recession persisted, wages stagnated and the unemployment rate stayed high, the families she took in might be stuck in rooms for years on end. She had started her charity to get families out of motel rooms. Buying a motel felt a bit like surrender. Five days after the residents raised the $1,500 to turn the power back on at the Star, it went off for good. No one from the state or county government showed up to help the motel residents, some of whom were too old and infirm to survive the blistering August heat for more than a day or two. The list of people and agencies that had abandoned the Star as it descended into near-anarchy and filth was long and growing. The owner had disappeared in January. Osceola County Public School employees stopped visits to the motel around the same time. It was too dangerous, a school official said. The county's Human Services Department said there was little it could do to help the people stuck there. The county didn't have any homeless shelters, and local officials weren't going to spend money to help people find refuge in safer motels. "We want them out of the hotels," said Celestia McCloud, the county's director of human services. Even law enforcement officials seemed to avoid the Star. Sheriff's deputies provided security for power company officials when they turned off the electricity. But a few days earlier, when an enraged resident fired a gun at one of his neighbors, it took deputies more than 45 minutes to arrive at the motel. On the day the lights went out for good, one of the few people who came to the Star to help was Barbie Austria, who runs a small homeless ministry out of a black Dodge pickup truck. While Downey's Community Hope Center worked on the larger issues that trapped families in the motels, Austria's focus was narrower. On the day the power went out, her priority was making sure no one died. Austria, 58, wore her long black hair in a single braid and carried a loaded pistol and extra magazine in her fanny pack. When she felt she was being watched at the Star, she would quietly place her hand on its grip. Her first stop was Room 129, where Richard Sheldon, 82, lived with his bedridden partner, Allyson Jones. She knew that Sheldon and Jones couldn't survive more than a day or two in the heat. Sheldon's journey to the Star had begun six years earlier with his wife's death from lung cancer. In the months that followed, his discount ticket business went belly up, and the bank foreclosed on his three-bedroom house. Since then, home had been a series of increasingly run-down motels, ending with the Star. Most mornings Sheldon made his way across the motel's parking lot, his aluminum walker scraping the blacktop, to the bus stop where he caught a ride to Walmart. There he usually bought two tins of dog food for his Chihuahuas and a 12-ounce bottle of Caliber vodka for Jones, who downed the booze to dull the pain of several recent strokes. "It's been hard on me taking care of her," Sheldon said. "But it'd be harder on her if I didn't do it." Sheldon and Jones brought in only about $1,500 a month in Social Security and disability payments, which meant that most motels were beyond their budget. Austria found a $1,000-a-month motel that would take them and promised that she would help Sheldon and Jones with the bill until she could find them a cheaper option. A dozen residents gathered to help Sheldon load his possessions into Austria's truck and tell him goodbye. An elderly woman from Room 127 hugged him, tears streaming down her face, her eye blackened from a fight earlier that day. "You got to go where it's okay," she cried. "We'll miss you, Mister Richard," said a mother who was raising two young boys in a room on the second floor and spent many evenings stumbling around the parking lot in a drug-induced haze. "I imagine I'm gone for good," Sheldon told her. "He'll be back," another neighbor muttered under her breath. Austria maxed out her credit card helping a few Star residents move into safer motels: a single mom from Puerto Rico and her 3-year-old daughter; an elderly man who served time in prison decades earlier and spent his evenings sweeping the sidewalk in front of his room; the young pregnant woman who worked at Burger King and had filled out the form for the Community Hope Center's housing program. Each day Austria visited the Star, new people pleaded with her to get them out. She turned down a 61-year-old woman whose room was thick with swarming flies. Her husband had died in the motel room earlier in the year. "This is not me. I'm a neat freak," the woman pleaded as her 5-year-old granddaughter watched. "I just get depressed." Austria decided that the woman's problems were too severe to dump on a struggling motel owner. The toll of it all was wearing on her. She had been working in the motels on Highway 192 for more than a decade but had never seen a situation as desperate as the Star. "I feel lost," she said. Later that evening, a county commissioner called her for help hauling away the growing hill of rotting garbage in the Star parking lot. Austria had organized a similar effort a few weeks earlier, handing out shovels, marshaling volunteers and finding a company to haul away the trash. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. This time she told the county commissioner she wouldn't help. "We don't need another trash pickup," Austria said. "We need to abandon ship." After the power went out at the Star, Rose's family spent the last of their savings on a week's stay at the Magic Castle, where the rooms were going for $39 a night. The plan was to buy time until they could come up with a plan. Her stepfather had applied for a dishwashing job at Chili's but didn't get it. Rose was temporarily out of work, too. One of the employees on her shift at Taco Bell had tested positive for the novel coronavirus, and she couldn't go back to work until she proved she was virus free. "Everything has got a waiting list or costs too much money," she texted her manager. Her boss replied with an address of a testing site that was 11 miles away. But neither Rose nor her parents had a car. So, it wasn't an option. Now she was sitting alone on the Magic Castle's third-floor landing, a quiet perch that overlooked the motel's empty parking lot and swimming pool. Another steamy Florida morning was turning into another scorching day. She had moved to the Orlando area with her parents when she was just a toddler. Her family's house outside Providence, R.I., was purchased to make way for an airport expansion. "I'd love to go back to my hometown," her mother had said earlier that morning. "Our hometown," Rose corrected. "But they don't have nothing," her mom continued. For a few years, when Rose's grandmother was working as a manager at the Rodeway Inn, they all lived in a small house in nearby Poinciana, Fla. Her neighbors owned a trampoline and took her out on a water scooter. Rose had a friend who lived in a house so big that it seemed like "a mansion." "I thought we'd be there forever," she said. But her grandmother suffered a heart attack and the family income shrank to about $2,000 a month, the sum total of her mother's and grandmother's disability checks. Home became a series of motel rooms. Rose celebrated her 15th birthday at the Duo Boutique Hotel. Her parents couldn't afford a present that year so her stepfather, an amateur tattoo artist, offered his services as a gift. "Don't get anything stupid, and don't get it where anyone can see it," Rose's mother warned. Rose pulled the Gideon Bible from the nightstand and flipped through it for inspiration before landing on Jeremiah 29:13. "You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." The verse grabbed her like the lyric to a great pop song. "It was so clear," she said. "It made perfect sense." Her stepfather inked it across her back. Her plan was to finish her senior year of high school and enlist in the Air Force. The previous summer she had visited Robins Air Force Base in Georgia with her high school's JROTC program and thought "it was like heaven." The gyms where the troops lifted weights and played basketball were bigger than any she had seen. The meals were cheap and plentiful. "I got a plate and figured that it was going to be at least $13," she said, "but it was only $2." Her squadron won an award for being the best on the base. The military offered her something that had eluded her for most of her life. "It's a home wherever you're at, and I've always wanted that," Rose said. "That's what the military gives you - stability, hope, more than a lot of things can offer." Her family had four days left at the Magic Castle. Rose's mom was thinking about sending Rose, her brother and grandmother to live with Rose's 21-year-old sister in Orlando. For now, though, home was still the Star, where residents were fighting over generators and gunshots rang out nightly. Rose needed to pick up some clean clothes from her room, so she and her brother headed off to the motel, which was about a half-mile down the highway. They passed a woman begging for change at a traffic light, stores hawking discount Disney T-shirts, an Asian massage parlor and a recently shuttered Quality Inn, where they had briefly stayed in January. "This is the crackhead area," Rose said. "Up there is more the prostitute's spot." She pushed open the door to Room 236 and was greeted by a blast of hot air that smelled of cat urine, cockroaches and mold. She didn't flinch. Inside, Rose had tacked a Puerto Rican flag to one of the walls. A broken television sat atop her dresser along with a plastic trophy from Taco Bell that praised her "hard work and dedication." "Only five or six people out of 30 got one," Rose said of the trophy. Her brother eyed the room's silent air conditioner. "That thing used to blow," he said. "When it came on it felt good in here." For Rose, the hardest part of living at the Star was the feeling of isolation. Rose's co-workers across the street at the Taco Bell wouldn't go near the motel. Nor would her ex-girlfriend, who had broken up with her right before the pandemic hit. Some days Rose blamed her life at the motel and her inability to afford "nice things" for the failed relationship. "People come and people go," Rose said. "Money comes and money goes. Nothing is forever." "Family is forever," her brother replied. "No," Rose said. "Not even family." She stared out her window at the piles of rotting trash, roving pit bulls and the long-abandoned swimming pool. Her brother dashed outside to meet a church bus that was giving away free lunches in the motel's circular driveway. The heat was stifling. Rose mopped her face with her T-shirt. "Damn," she said. "We're stuck." As summer wore on, trash piles at the Star continued to grow. The raw sewage from a broken pipe spread farther across the parking lot. Someone ransacked Rose's room and stole her clothes. Finally, in early September, Rose's parents found a way out, at least for now. A Kissimmee-based real estate agent, who provides aid to motel families and had helped them in the past, paid $3,000 in deposits and application fees for an extended-stay suite in a run-down resort community. Their new landlord agreed to overlook the fact that Rose's parents had poor credit and had just started new $9-an-hour fast food jobs. The rent for the new place was $1,350 a month. For it to last, Rose's stepfather, who was starting at Burger King and Boston Market, would need to work 50 to 60 hours a week. Rose's mother, who can only work part time because she collects disability, needed 20 hours a week. Neither of her parents could afford many sick days. Nor could they absorb any unexpected expenses. Rose wanted to go back to work, too, just in case they needed the money. But her mother pressed her to focus on her grades. "This is your senior year, the big year," she told her. "Don't do that to yourself." For the first time in months, Rose had a clean, safe place to sleep. She didn't have to worry about gunshots or the electricity going out. For the moment, she wasn't totally stuck. - - - The Washington Post's Julie Tate contributed to this story. Congress has mandated that the date of the signing of the Constitution, Sept. 17, 1787, be commemorated. Prior to COVID-19, schools, colleges, and communities would have public gatherings to celebrate Constitution Day. Similar celebrations are impossible this year, because COVID-19 has forced so many of our public institutions to operate under severe constraints. However, despite these difficult times, we should not entirely forego the celebration of Constitution Day, as we have much to celebrate about the Constitution and our democracy. Thomas Jefferson often wrote about the importance of an informed citizenry to the proper functioning of our democracy. He wrote that self-government, as envisioned in the Constitution, would not be possible unless the people were sufficiently educated to exercise proper oversight of the government. Learning about the Constitution is essential to becoming equipped to exercise that oversight. The wisdom of the Framers of the Constitution paves the way as we work through the adjustments our society has had to make in the wake of COVID-19. The President, the governors of the various states, Congress and state legislatures, and other federal and state government officials have claimed emergency powers to close businesses, churches, and schools; issue stay at-home orders; limit travel; mandate the wearing of face masks; close government offices; and cease government services to limit the spread of the disease and to protect the public. Many of these emergency orders have led concerned citizens to mount challenges on grounds that the government entity overstepped or abused its authority. For the most part, these challenges have been peacefully resolved through the dispute-resolution system envisioned by the framersthat is, the federal judiciary. And when a court decides such a dispute, both the governments and the people follow the courts decision, even when the decision goes against them. One of the true strengths of our democracy is the publics confidence in the American judiciary. Along with the pandemic, the country is experiencing other crisesa great economic crisis, social unrest in many cities, and natural disasters. But the design of the Constitution paves the way to peaceful resolution. Lets examine some of the ways the Constitution and the courts provide a framework through which to address issues of pressing concern to citizens. First Amendment: Free exercise of religion. Congregants and religious organizations have brought cases based on forced closures or limitations on the number of attendees. Freedom of speech. Citizens have brought cases over the right to public speech and to address legislatures regarding emergency orders and police brutality. Freedom of the press. Members of the press have claimed the right to stay in areas of unrest after authorities have declared riots or disorders. Freedom to peaceably assemble and to petition the government for redress of grievances. Citizens have exercised the right to assemble on streets and in other public places. They have brought petitions on such issues as face mask mandates, gun rights, and police brutality, and further exercised their petition rights by demanding resignations of public officials. Second Amendment: The right to keep and bear arms. Courts have heard cases over orders to close gun stores. Fifth Amendment: The right to due process of law by the federal government. Citizens have challenged some of the restrictions imposed by the federal government, such as those limiting travel across state and national borders, as violating the Due Process Clause. Sixth and Seventh Amendments: The right to speedy and public trial in criminal cases, and the right to a jury trial in civil cases. The virus forced the federal judiciary to severely limit its operations and postpone trials for some criminal defendants and civil litigants. These two Amendments, however, provide rights that must ultimately be honored and a framework through which to seek relief. Eighth Amendment: The right not to have excessive bail. One of the complaints of those protesting police brutality and the criminal justice system is that people are unnecessarily being held in jail solely because of their inability to post bond. Fourteenth Amendment: The right to due process and equal protection from state governments. This amendment plays a large role in many of the disputes with state and local governments from restrictions on churches, face mask mandates, claims of disparate treatment by the criminal law system, to business closures. We are living in difficult times. Despite thator even because of itwe should celebrate how, no matter the circumstances, the Constitution gives us self-government and provides a pathway to resolving disputes, whether between citizens or between citizens and our governments. So, on this Constitution Day, let us celebrate the democracy established in the Constitution and the enduring pathways its Framers paved for us. Curtis L. Collier United States District Judge Chair, Eastern District of Tennessee Civics and Outreach Committee Carrie Brown Stefaniak Law Clerk to the Honorable Curtis L. Collier President, Chattanooga Chapter of the Federal Bar Association Eliza L. Taylor Law Clerk to the Honorable Curtis L. Collier South Korea's foreign ministry on Friday called for its peacekeeping troops to continue their presence in Lebanon and South Sudan for its contribution to the global peace and other factors. Whether to extend the mandate of Dongmyung Unit in Lebanon and Hanbit Unit in South Sudan was discussed during a meeting of related government agencies, including the defense and the public administration ministries. "(The government) confirmed the need to extend their missions in consideration of relatively stable circumstances in the host nations and the high praise that our troops have received from the U.N. and the local governments," the ministry said in a statement. Despite the global COVID-19 pandemic, thorough quarantine and prevention measures have been in place among the dispatched troops, which keeps potential risk to minimum levels, it added. The 280-strong Dongmyung Unit has been operating as part of the U.N. force in the conflict-ridden country since 2007. Hanbit Unit has stationed in the war-torn African country on peacekeeping missions. The extension of the deployment is subject to parliamentary consent on a yearly basis. During the meeting, the government also checked preparations for the U.N. Peacekeeping Ministerial Conference slated to take place in South Korea next year, the ministry said. Seoul plans to invite some 1,300 people from about 150 countries across the world to explore ways to strengthen technological and medical capabilities to enhance U.N. peace operations, according to the ministry. (Yonhap) Veteran Washington Post journalist Bob Woodward's new book, Rage, is shining more light on the unlikely relationship between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. The book won't be released until next week, but several U.S. media outlets on Wednesday published excerpts, including portions of personal letters that Trump and Kim exchanged over the past two years. In the letters, the young North Korean leader showers Trump with extravagant praise, repeatedly addressing him as "Your Excellency" and hailing their "deep and special friendship," even as the wider U.S.-North Korea nuclear talks were breaking down. "Even now I cannot forget that moment of history when I firmly held Your Excellency's hand at the beautiful and sacred location as the whole world watched," Kim told Trump after their first meeting in Singapore in June 2018. It was one of two Kim letters published by the U.S.-based cable news network CNN. Following their second summit in Vietnam, Kim told Trump "every minute we shared 103 days ago in Hanoi was also a moment of glory that remains a precious memory," according to CNN, which says it obtained transcripts of the two letters. Trump often returned the praise. After their Singapore meeting, Trump described Kim as "far beyond smart," according to the Post. The paper said Trump boasted to Woodward that Kim "tells me everything," including a graphic description of how he killed his uncle, Jang Song Thaek. The powerful Jang was executed in late 2013 for treason. Those comments mirror an interview Trump gave to VOA immediately after his Singapore summit, when Trump said Kim was "smart, loves his people, [and] he loves his country." Excessive Praise?For the book, Woodward says he obtained access to 25 Trump-Kim letters, although it's not clear how much of the correspondence will be included. So far, the excerpts contained no huge surprises about the Trump-Kim relationship, parts of which Trump has already made public. However, analysts say the correspondence reveals important insights about each man's personality and negotiating style."It's interesting to see how you can see Kim's personality refracted through these letters," said Jung Pak, a former CIA analyst who now works at the Washington-based Brookings Institution. "Surrounded by sycophants his entire life and as an observer and student of excessive displays of admiration that enveloped his father and grandfather, Kim Jong-un almost certainly understands how to weaponize praise and prey on one's insecurities and desire for greatness," said Pak, who recently wrote the book Becoming Kim Jong-un." Unlikely FriendshipTrump and Kim didn't always get along. In 2017, the two regularly exchanged insults, with Trump calling Kim "Little Rocket Man" and Kim slamming Trump as a "mentally deranged U.S. dotard." At one point, Trump threatened to "totally destroy" North Korea.The tensions dissipated after Trump, a former real estate developer and reality television host who often claims an unmatched deal-making ability, became the first sitting U.S. president to meet a North Korean leader. Trump later claimed the two "fell in love." The relationship has held firm, even after North Korea last year resumed short-range ballistic missile tests and walked away from nuclear negotiations. If he wins reelection in November, Trump has said he will reach a deal "very quickly" with Kim. Trump's opponent, former Vice President Joe Biden, has said he will not continue Trump's personal outreach to Kim, signaling a return to a more traditional U.S. posture. Impact on Future Talks Some now fear the publication of the private Trump-Kim letters risks offending North Korean sensitivities and upsetting future talks. "That's privileged diplomatic communication," said Mark P. Barry, a veteran Korea observer and associate editor of the International Journal on World Peace. The matter is also tricky, Barry said, because Kim's words are typically treated with the utmost respect in authoritarian North Korea. "The worst that could happen is that internally Kim could appear to be a supplicant to Trump," he says. North Korea has not responded to the release of the correspondence, but Pyongyang may not be too surprised, since Trump previously tweeted out one of Kim's letters in July 2018. "It won't affect Kim Jong-un's attitude that much," Lee Sang-sin of the Korean Institute for National Unification, said. "Kim understood the possibility of leaking," he said. Kathryn Botto, a research analyst in the Asia Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, said she wouldn't be surprised if Kim cited the release of the letters as a reason for refusing to hold talks. "More evidence of disrespect from the U.S. or something like that," she said of a possible North Korean response. "But in reality [Kim's] willingness to hold future talks is based on the potential of securing sanctions relief or other changes in the U.S. negotiating position, and of course this doesn't change that." Cracks Emerge? North Korea has for months boycotted the talks, which began to break down after the February 2019 summit in Hanoi ended without a deal. Trump and Kim met once more in June 2019 at the demilitarized zone separating the two Koreas, briefly raising hopes the negotiations could be revived. A month after the DMZ meeting, though, Kim wrote to Trump "with a new tone," apparently upset that the U.S.-South Korea joint military exercises had not been fully stopped, CNN reports. "I am clearly offended and I do not want to hide this feeling from you," Kim told Trump. "I am really, very offended." In recent months, North Korean officials have repeatedly said that while the Trump-Kim relationship remains strong and has likely prevented tensions from spiraling out of control, it is not enough to ensure progress in the nuclear talks. The Office of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine (NSDC) has signed a memorandum of cooperation with the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES), the press service of the NSDC reported. "Deputy Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine Serhiy Demedyuk and Senior Country Director of the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) Peter Erben signed a Memorandum of Cooperation between the NSDC Staff and IFES," the message reads. The document is aimed at organizing cooperation in cybersecurity and critical infrastructure protection, in particular the development of a system of training and retraining in the fields of critical infrastructure protection and cyber protection of critical infrastructure. Demedyuk acquainted Erben with the work of the National Coordination Center for Cybersecurity (NCCC) under the NSDC of Ukraine and noted that the Center is becoming increasingly vital for the state, as it combines at the highest level "efforts and resources to counter threats in cyberspace, information space, as well as threats to critical infrastructure." "If we speak about cybersecurity, today it covers the security of everyday life of people and the country in all areas," he added. The Deputy NSDC Secretary expressed his gratitude to the partner countries and relevant organizations, in particular IFES, for their comprehensive support in building up a national cybersecurity system. "We express our sincere gratitude to our international partners for their assistance, - for the initiative, examples, expert support," he said adding that Ukraine is ready to share its own practical experience in combating cyber threats. The Deputy NSDC Secretary expressed confidence that the Memorandum with IFES will contribute to the involvement of world best practices to strengthen the national education and training system in critical infrastructure protection and cyber protection of critical infrastructure. "In the future, this will contribute to the development of effective strategies for owners and managers of critical infrastructure, will make their assets safer and more viable," Demedyuk noticed. In his turn, Erben expressed conviction that cyber threats are "among the major threats to democracy around the world,"which requires deepening cooperation between partner countries in effectively countering these threats. He stressed the importance of the NCCC's work and expressed readiness to further deepen cooperation, in particular in sharing experiences in the use of global technologies, online voting, and training of adults in cybersecurity and cyberdefense. The Louisiana Department of Health reported 844 more coronavirus cases, 41 more deaths and 39 fewer hospitalizations in its daily noon update Friday. There have now been more than 5,000 confirmed coronavirus-related deaths in Louisiana. The state will move to Phase 3 of coronavirus reopening restrictions on Friday, Gov. John Bel Edwards announced Thursday. Edwards is scheduled to details on those restrictions at a 2 p.m. press conference. Click here to watch it and follow it live. Watch live: John Bel Edwards to detail Phase 3 Louisiana coronavirus restrictions; 2 p.m. Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards will have a news conference at 2 p.m. Friday to detail the state's Phase 3 coronavirus restrictions. The governor repeatedly urged residents on Thursday to not think that Phase 3 means the pandemic is over. He said the new phase would not be a lifting of all restrictions. Still, he said the data has been "positive enough" to enter the new phase. "We have done better of late," Edwards told reporters Thursday. "That is what the data represents. That is why we are making the decision we made. Louisiana isn't 'lifting all restrictions' in move to Phase 3, but here's what could change Calling it his toughest decision during the coronavirus pandemic, Gov. John Bel Edwards said Thursday the state will move to Phase 3 for the r Vaccine news in your inbox Once a week we'll update you on the progress of COVID-19 vaccinations. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up There were 27,234 additional coronavirus tests reported Friday. Here are a few key statewide statistics as of Friday: Total cases: 156,174 Total deaths: 5,032 Currently hospitalized: 723 Currently on ventilators: 117 Presumed recovered: 140,440 as of Sept. 7 (updated weekly) These parishes saw the biggest number of new cases: East Baton Rouge: 86 Caddo: 81 Orleans: 62 St. Tammany: 57 Jefferson: 54 Lafayette: 26 You can view more graphs and charts breaking down the data by clicking here. Louisiana began reopening for Phase 1 on May 15-16 then moved to Phase 2 on June 5. Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards announced Aug. 4 that the state, seeing an alarming increase in cases and hospitalizations, will remain in Phase 2 until Aug. 28. On Aug. 26, Edwards extended Phase 2 for two more weeks. This is a developing story. More details and analysis to come. Uganda will resume international flights from October 1, about six months after the government closed airports in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, an aviation spokesperson said here on Wednesday. Vianney Luggya, the communications officer of Uganda Civil Aviation Authority, told Xinhua that the authority has released the tentative schedule for the resumption of international passenger flights to Entebbe International airport, about 40 km south of the capital, Kampala. Ayub Sooma, the aviation authoritys director for airports and aviation security, on Tuesday, sent the schedule for phase one of passenger flights to Entebbe International airport to various international airlines. Also Watch: The schedule is effective October 1 and will be in operation for the next three months. This is a tentative schedule for planning purposes. It is part of an ongoing internal discussion between the airport authority and air operators," said Luggya. President Yoweri Museveni last week instructed the national taskforce team on Covid-19 to review the possibility of a phased reopening of the countrys international airport, schools and places of worship as the country eases lockdown restrictions. Topless activists from campaign group Extinction Rebellion chained themselves to the gates of Britains parliament Thursday to highlight the bare truth" about climate change, the final action in 10 days of protests. The women wore 4 degrees C" face masks and warned against the near-term consequences of such a global temperature rise with the words starvation", displacement" and violence" printed on their bare chests. Cant bare the truth?" they asked on a banner directed at lawmakers walking past on Parliament Square. Police officers later removed the D-locks which attached the womens necks to the railings and took them away. Extinction Rebellion has conducted 10 days of protests, notably blocking a printing works and delaying deliveries of newspapers including Rupert Murdochs The Times and The Sun. Bare-chested women locked themselves to the railings outside Britains Houses of Parliament in an #ExtinctionRebellion protest to demand action against climate change https://t.co/UKUKvsRscH pic.twitter.com/4pdkrdxHOK Reuters (@Reuters) September 10, 2020 In a message to Prime Minister Boris Johnson, topless protester Sarah Mintram said: Why is Boris, his government and Murdochs press empire ignoring the gravity of the greatest threat life has ever faced? This is the truth laid bare. Why dont they care?" (With inputs from AFP) UPDATED: 7.40pm A suspicious device discovered in Dublin this morning has been made safe. At approximately 9.20 am, Gardai responded to a report of a suspect device at the entrance to Rafters Avenue in Crumlin, Dublin 12. On arrival at the scene, Gardai observed what they believed to be an improvised explosive device and secured the scene, before local housing was evacuated and traffic diversions were implemented. The Army Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) attended the scene and conducted a controlled explosion. The device and its contents are now subject to a technical examination. Gardai are appealing to anyone who may have information in relation to this incident or who may have been in the vicinity of Rafters Avenue between the hours of 9pm on Wednesday and 9am this morning, who may have noticed any unusual activity, to come forward. Advertisement Similarly, any motorists who were driving in the area during those hours, who may have dash-cam footage is asked to contact Crumlin Garda Station on 01 666 6200 or the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111. Police are searching for Brice Greg Watkins who allegedly sexually assaulted a 6-month-old baby, recorded it and then posted it on social media. An Oklahoma man who allegedly sexually assaulted an infant and later posted a recording of the act on social media was captured by the U.S. Marshals Service in Texas on Thursday, authorities said. Brice Gage Watkins, 22, had eluded Oklahoma police since being charged Aug. 14 with one felony count of distribution of child pornography, prompting U.S. Marshals to join the search this week. Watkins was later charged with additional counts of manufacturing child pornography and three counts of lewd acts with a child under 12, according to police. Watkins was taken into custody by members of the Lone Star Fugitive Task Force at a "known associate's residence" in San Marcos, Texas, the U.S. Marshals said in a press release. We just learned that fugitive Brice Watkins was taken into custody in San Marcos, Texas. Great work by the US Marshals and all involved investigators! pic.twitter.com/u4CjTl0IBo Oklahoma City Police (@OKCPD) September 10, 2020 The child victim, who turned 1 in June, authorities said, was about 6 months old at the time of Watkins' alleged abuse. The Oklahoma City Police Department thanked the U.S. Marshals and "all involved investigators" in a Twitter post announcing Watkins' arrest. The Enid Police Department, via Facebook, also thanked "numerous members of the public who submitted tips" during the nearly month-long search for Watkins. A spokesman for Enid police described Watkins' alleged acts as "despicable" in a statement to USA TODAY earlier this week and said he needed to be "taken into custody immediately." Related: Guice accused of sexual assault at LSU, wasnt investigated Contributing: Jessica Flores, USA TODAY This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Oklahoma man accused of sexually assaulting baby caught by US Marshals There is something to celebrate in this tacit admission that clean water and decent pay are widely popular, even in that alternate universe of alternative facts where Trump supporters are said to reside. Maybe we arent so different after all. But those two facts dont really reflect the administrations record on those issues. Its true that Mr. Trump signed a landmark conservation bill. But he has also stripped protections from more land and water than he has preserved, notably the Bears Ears National Monument in Utah. And its true that workers are enjoying higher minimum wages. But thats because activists have fought for state laws that raised the minimum wage, not because Mr. Trump did it. The federal minimum wage hasnt budged in over a decade. Facts are vital. But they are insufficient. A bit of context is usually required to produce the truth. For instance, Item No. 44 More than seven million jobs created since the election. Its true that the country had seven million more jobs in January of 2020 than existed in 2017, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data. But anyone who credits Mr. Trump for creating seven million jobs ought to credit President Barack Obama with the eight million jobs created during the last three years of his administration. A large swath of items on the list credit Mr. Trump for the booming economy, which is no longer booming, because of the coronavirus pandemic. Items No. 88 through No. 93 all relate to lowest-ever unemployment numbers a stark illustration of just how much of the case for a Trump second term rested on cheerful economic figures that are no longer valid. About a quarter of the items on the list relate to Mr. Trump signing bills that Congress passed, many of which he had nothing to do with. For instance, item No. 5 praises him for signing a law that legalized hemp. Thats true, but it was one small provision in a giant farm bill. How much credit does the president really deserve for that? Item No. 1 lauds the president for giving federal recognition to the Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians in Montana, a designation they have sought for more than a century. But when I called up Gerald Gray, chairman of the Little Shell Tribe, he told me that the credit goes to the two Montana senators, Jon Tester, a Democrat, and Steve Daines, a Republican, who managed to tuck the tribal designation provision into a massive military spending bill. Item No. 15 lauds the administrations efforts to make it possible for states to import cheaper medicine from Canada. Mr. Trump does deserve credit for using the bully pulpit of the presidency to highlight the unacceptably high cost of lifesaving medicine that Americans are forced to pay, compared to people in other countries. But what ever happened to his bold promise in 2016 to use the power of the federal government to negotiate lower drug prices for Medicare patients? That was a great idea, which would have saved the federal government hundreds of billions of dollars. But he simply hasnt done it. Despite tough tweets against drug companies, Mr. Trump hasnt really taken them on. If he were serious about it, he would push Republicans in the Senate to support the Elijah E. Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act, which Democrats in the House passed last year. T wo people have been arrested over a suspected 70,000 Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme fraud, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has said. HMRC officers arrested a 43-year-old accountant and a 51-year-old company director after attending two homes in Romford and Walthamstow on Thursday, the agency added. Earlier this week, the Government threatened to take criminal action against anyone who has made a fraudulent or dishonest claim under its furlough scheme. Downing Street has pledged to do everything possible to claw back taxpayers money which has been wrongly handed out, Boris Johnsons official spokesman said. HMRC is currently looking into 27,000 high-risk claims, with a number of criminal investigations into suspected fraud now under way, he told a Westminster briefing on Tuesday. It follows the disclosure that up to 3.5 billion may have been erroneously paid out under the national job retention scheme. Jim Harra, chief executive of HMRC, said his staff believe between five and 10 per cent of furlough cash might have been sent to ineligible claimants. The Government has so far paid out 35.4 billion in furlough cash, according to the latest figures. On Monday, the permanent secretary told MPs on the Public Accounts Committee that wrongful claims ranged from "deliberate fraud through to error". It was the first time HMRC has spoken publicly about the level of potential fraud that could have been committed as part of the job retention scheme, which has covered up to 80 per cent of an employees salary while they were on furlough. The Prime Minister's spokesman said: "Where genuine mistakes have happened HMRC will work with employers to correct claims but if any claim is suspected of fraud or is based on dishonest and inaccurate information payments may be withheld or need to be repaid. "HMRC wont hesitate to take criminal action in the most serious cases." The first arrest for suspected fraud was made in July. Loading.... HMRC said it arrested a man from Solihull, West Midlands, amid allegations of a 495,000 fraud involving the furlough scheme. Irish Water has confirmed that work is due to get underway next week to replace an ageing water mains at St Nessan's Road in Dooradoyle. Once complete, the works will ensure a more secure and reliable water supply for local businesses and residents who have been affected by a number of recent breakages. The work, which are part of Irish Waters National Leakage Reduction Programme, will involve the replacement of approximately 1.4 kilometres of problematic water mains with high density polyethylene (plastic) pipes. There have been frequent bursts on this section of water main due to its age and poor condition, leading to regular supply disruption and road works, said a spokesperson for the utility. The works will take place between the Dooradoyle Roundabout and the junction of St. Nessans Road and Ballycummin Road. Its expected they will take around 12 weeks to complete. In addition to replacing the existing water mains, the works will also involve the laying new water service connections from the public water main in the road to customers property boundaries and connecting it to the customers water supply. Where the existing service connections on the public side are lead these will be replaced as part of this improvement works. A full road surface overlay will be carried out by Limerick City and County Council when the project in completed later in the year. Speaking ahead of the commencement of the works, Gerry O'Donnell of Irish Water, said: "These essential works will help reduce the instances of bursts and water outages and ensure a reliable supply to local residents and businesses. The removal of old cast iron mains will also improve water quality. "Minimising disruption while carrying out this work safely are our top priorities. The works will be undertaken in short sections, primarily in the inbound bus lane. These sections of bus lane will be closed until works at each section are completed. These sections will be re-opened as work progresses through the overall site of the project, he added. The project is being carried out by Shareridge Ltd in partnership with Limerick City and County Council on behalf of Irish Water. Householders and businesses in the area are being advised the work may involve some short-term water shut-offs. The project team will ensure that customers are given a minimum of 48 hours notice prior to any planned water shut-offs. Motorists and road users are being advised that traffic management may be in place at certain times during the works. Local and emergency access will be maintained at all times. In its heyday, the WE Charity probably prodded countless young people to pursue lives in global activism. Thanks to recent events, WE Charity has probably done the opposite for politics. No matter who ultimately gets the blame for the demise of WE Charitys Canadian operations, announced sorrowfully this week, there is nothing in the whole saga that will inspire youthful idealists toward politics. The founders of the WE Charity, Marc and Craig Kielburger, have paid a steep price for flying too close to political power. Justin Trudeau, the prime minister who saw himself as the champion for young people in politics, has acquired some major brand damage on that score. Young do-gooders like the Kielburgers used to tell people to think globally, act locally. The WE Charity controversy has effectively lopped off the last part of that slogan. Think globally and steer well clear of the domestic stuff, especially politics. WE Charitys downfall is actually two stories in one, neatly summed up in the third paragraph of the charitys statement on Wednesday. COVID-19 disrupted every aspect of our work. The fallout from the Canada Student Service Grant has placed us, as a charity, in the middle of political battles and misinformation that we are ill-equipped to fight. That, in a nutshell, sums up how WE Charity is a dual casualty of 2020: globally and locally damaged. Global citizenship has taken a huge hit during this pandemic. Borders are closed, travel is ill-advised and charity truly begins at home, where this virus is robbing people of their livelihoods, their social lives and local businesses. In that context alone, WE Charity was vulnerable it is an organization that relies on people feeling comfortable enough at home to think of others in greater need, farther away. A pandemic, unfortunately, tends to turn everyone into isolationists. So WE Charitys entire raison detre was in peril even before it got entangled in the domestic pandemic-relief program, enlisted by the government to administer aid to students affected by the economic lockdown. What happened afterward gives a whole new meaning to the warning: dont try this at home. From the moment that WE Charity was designated as a most-favoured charity for COVID relief, the organization learned the fundamental lesson of modern politics: its not your enemies who get you into trouble; its your friends. Or in Trudeaus case, his family. The charitys cosy relationship with the Trudeau family speaking circuit the prime ministers mother, brother and wife was a fatal liability for the WE Charity organization and the Trudeau government. WE Charitys statement cast the charity as a victim of political battles and misinformation: the controversy as a collision between the idealism of global philanthropy and the cynicism of domestic politics. The victims, of course, are all those students who never did get the jobs and pandemic relief that WE Charity was supposed to administer and all the employees of WE Charity who will soon be looking for other work in the midst of a massive economic downturn. Several years ago, I was interviewing an MP who got into partisan politics when she was a student, then spent many years after university in the field of international aid. She said she had noticed how students nowadays are more likely to skip that whole step of political clubs in university and choose specific causes, often global ones, as an outlet for their idealism. Trudeau, campaigning for the Liberal leadership, went to colleges and universities all over Canada too, telling young people that it was his mission to reconnect youthful activism to the cause of politics. When he first came to power, he retained responsibility for youth issues in his cabinet, though he eventually handed it off. (It now belongs to Bardish Chagger, Minister of Diversity, Youth and Inclusion, and one of the cabinet members at the heart of the WE Charity investigation.) Up until the WE Charity controversy blew onto the scene this year, COVID-19 had been proving to be an unexpected ally in the cause of reconnecting people young and old to politics and government. Suddenly, government mattered in peoples lives; political games were being set aside. The uproar over WE Charity revived politics as usual, though, and re-toxified the conversation on social media. Any young person looking to get involved in Canadian politics, scrolling through the posts on Twitter or watching the partisan back-and-forth in traditional media, will quickly learn that enemies are everywhere and friends are just trouble the opposite of optimism. The WE Charity hasnt totally given up on its causes; its Wednesday statement closed with reassurances of its ongoing commitment to global citizens and shameless idealists. It didnt urge any of its fans and followers to go into politics. Mayor Sylvester Turner on Friday pulled the city out of the joint Houston-Harris County task force on housing stability that memorably recommended an eviction grace period ordinance, which the mayor rebuffed. The mayor, through his communications staff, referred all specific questions to Marvin Odum, the citys recovery czar and co-chair of the task force. In a statement, Turner said the groups work was instrumental and led to more cash assistance for the citys renters, but that it was time for the citys housing committee to continue this work for the City of Houston. Odum said the task force began with a few clear goals: guide how to direct federal relief funds to help vulnerable residents; create alignment between the city and county; and collect ideas and thoughts about how to move forward. They have accomplished those goals, he said. All of the citys relief funds are spoken for, which means the city can get back to its normal governing process. That means going through councils Housing and Community Affairs Committee. That money is fully allocated at this point. Theres no more CRF (crisis relief funds) money, Odum said. That is the main link back to: There is a normal governance process at work here We didnt want to blur the lines between what we were asking the task force to help us with versus the normal governance process of the city. State Rep. Armando Walle, D-Houston, the countys recovery czar and co-chair of the task force, said Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo and he want the task force to continue its work with the county. He said he planned to call members this weekend and emphasize that position. We respect the mayors decision, Walle said, adding later: Our position is that we want to continue the work. Odum and Walle first convened the task force in June, as the economic impact of COVID-19 was leaving the regions most vulnerable residents in danger of eviction and homelessness. Walle said the task force would be important in forging a path forward when both federal relief dollars and the eviction moratorium imposed by the Centers for Disease Control cease at the end of the year. Thats exactly why we want to continue the work. Were in uncharted territory here. People are hurting, theyre hurting now. People are getting evicted as we speak, he said. The task force has a lot of work to do. Task force members were caught off guard Friday morning when they received word during a meeting that the city was pulling out. Jay Malone, political director for the Texas Gulf Coast Area Labor Federation and a member of the task force, said while Turner informed task force leadership of his decision, other members did not learn about it until the mayors office issued a press release. The news went out at 9:59 a.m., one minute before the groups biweekly meeting. Officials scheduled the meeting months ago, Malone said, adding that Turner could have easily told us earlier. Malone said he would continue to serve on the task force now that it is consolidated under county leadership. The groups push for further tenant protections, including an eviction grace period ordinance, remains critical, he said. Were going to try to continue the conversation with the mayor and the city of Houston, Malone said. We still strongly believe that the grace period is essential to keep people housed during this pandemic. The CDC order says that the eviction crisis is a public health crisis, and I wish that the city of Houston would recognize it as such and do everything they can to keep people housed. Odum said the group had a good call this morning and he wanted to deliver the news to the members personally, which he said he did. In July, the task force had recommended an eviction grace period ordinance, which Turner refused to put on the City Council agenda. Members sharply criticized him over this. Task force member Chrishelle Palay said she thinks Turner pulled out of the task force because members demonstrated they would challenge him on policy disagreements. This task force is more balanced in representation and demonstrated as a body, rubber stamp recommendations would not be made, she said. The recommendation of the eviction grace period reinforced this. Turners office said it was not aware of that criticism and he was grateful for the task forces work. Odum said he did not think backlash from the mayors rejection of a grace period ordinance played a role in the decision to pull out of the group. I think we have benefited from the task force, Odum said. Because of what I described about established government process, that element has run its course. Odum also said he did not view the citys decision not to pursue a grace period ordinance as controversial. I dont have an expectation, and I dont think anyone should, that every recommendation made is to be accepted. I think it went through the normal consideration process, Odum said. The city clearly decided to go a different route... While that recommendation from the task force wasnt accepted per se, it was a step in continuing to shine a bright light on the need out there and accelerating the rent relief. Turner and Odum credited the task forces work for the citys second round of rent relief, which in August added $20 million to the $15 million fund first launched in May. Harris County has devoted to $25 million toward that cause, which gives tenants cash to catch up on late or missed rent. Task force member and Texas Housers Southeast Texas Co-Director Zoe Middleton said the citys decision to leave would blunt the groups influence. The major cost here is not being able to have a unified voice and were not going to provide recommendations that have a buy-in from a wide variety of factors, she said. The task force included landlords as well as advocates. We had a level of public accountability and scrutiny that we no longer have at the city level. dylan.mcguinness@chron.com sarah.smith@chron.com jasper.scherer@chron.com Many AmazonBasics products have had reports of being dangerous but the company has decided not to recall them. As reported by CNN, many items have had reports of melting, exploding or bursting into flames. This is the last thing Amazon needs after reports of unused Alexa hacks surfacing back in August. The company would much rather shift focus onto its new FAA-approved drone delivery program. The most worrying element of this story is that Amazon, thus far, has not decided to recall the products. Some of these incidents go back to 2017 making this an even more concerning piece of news. Advertisement AmazonBasics products reported as dangerous Back in 2017, a housefire in Wethersfield, Connecticut was put down to a USB charging cord produced by Amazon. It was part of the AmazonBasics range which first launched in 2009 and now offers more than 5,000 products. The aim of the AmazonBasics is to source and produce products at a similar or higher quality and lower price point compared to competitors. The range itself has been extremely successful. Many of its items have become bestsellers almost overnight due to their low prices. During the pandemic, this success has soared further as more and more people have stayed at home. Advertisement However, over recent years many reviews have expressed concerns about the safety of these products. Since 2016, at least 1,500 reviews, covering more than 70 items, have described products exploding, catching on fire, smoking, melting, causing electrical malfunctions. These reviews do only represent a small fraction of the overall purchases of the products. Fires related to consumer electrics are also not unique to Amazon products as well. However, this is a big worry for the company. Amazon slow to recall any dangerous products Engineers interviewed on the topic said that products such as these should rarely pose any sort of danger. Of the products complained about, 30 had three or more reviews of this type and remain on sale today. Advertisement Just 11 of the products concerned are no longer for sale at the time of publication. This number is expected to increase as this story gains more traction. Amazons communication of this issue has also come in for criticism. As complaints and reviews of this nature mounted the company provided little or no information to consumers about how it handled the issues. A number of horror stories have been found with regards to AmazonBasics products. These include USB cords resting into flames with a toddler in the vicinity and surge protector turned into a blowtorch. Advertisement AmazonBasics products tested As part of the investigation, a series of dangerous products were tested. They found that a USB cord was too burned to determine what had gone wrong. However, testing the microwave revealed some issues. Engineers found that the design of the panel covering the heating device inside the microwave could result in the machine catching on fire. Michael Pecht, an engineering professor, concluded that theres a risk in using this machine for sure. Amazon has not commented on whether the microwave has had any improvement made to it. Although the retailer did say that safety was a top priority. Advertisement Amazon has come under scrutiny in the past for allowing third-party sellers to distribute dangerous products. However, having this pressure piled onto themselves brings with it bigger concerns. The investigation found that you could explain some of these reports through user error or other external factors. However, the number of reports suggests there were some fundamental flaws in the products themselves. In theory, reviews using words like fire and hazard should automatically prompt the retailer to take action. The company, however, declined to provide specific details of thresholds for a review to take place. Advertisement By law, Amazon must immediately report potentially hazardous items to the federal Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). This is so the agency can determine whether an official recall is necessary. Amazon losing consumers trust Issues such as this may have the result of losing their customers trust. Especially if Amazon continues to sell potentially dangerous products. These reviews tend to only represent about 1 or 2 per cent of all reviews on the products. However, the overall numbers still hold quite of a lot of concerns for Amazon and many feel they should have taken more action. Advertisement Amazon has declined to comment as to why certain products have been removed from the website after investigation and which ones have not. This lack of communication and notification to customers is what worries them the most. How this effects Amazon going forward will be interesting. After this news has surfaced the company will likely have to respond publicly in order to maintain public trust. Just how they go about this will be worth taking note of. President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump attend a 9/11 anniversary ceremony in Shanksville, Pa., on Friday (Associated Press) The tiny Persian Gulf nation of Bahrain has agreed to begin efforts to normalize ties with Israel, the Trump administration announced Friday. The three countries released a joint six-paragraph statement saying Bahrain agreed to establish full diplomatic relations. Bahrain joined the United Arab Emirates as the first Gulf countries expressing willingness to end their long-standing refusal to recognize Israel. Only Egypt and Jordan currently have diplomatic ties with Israel, with the rest of the Arab world demanding the Israeli government must first come to a peace agreement with the Palestinians before normalization. Bringing the UAE and Bahrain into the fold is part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to drive a wedge between the Palestinians and their Arab supporters, to isolate the Palestinians and further erode their standing. Trump has been pushing a plan to settle the conflict between Israelis and the Palestinians that is widely seen as overly favorable to Israelis and has been rejected by the Palestinian leadership. It was not clear how far the Bahrain agreement goes. President Trump exaggerated the reach of the UAE deal when he announced it earlier this month, with UAE officials saying it only bound them to finding a road map toward normalization with Israel as opposed to the immediate opening of full diplomatic relations. Trump portrayed the arrangements with Bahrain and the UAE as historic peace deals, although neither country was at war with Israel. He said it was significant to announce the agreement on the 19th anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks, which were carried out primarily by Saudi militants. Trump announced Fridays agreement, he said, after a three-way phone conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Bahrains King Hamad bin Isal Khalifa. A Bahrain representative will join Trump, Netanyahu and the foreign minister of the UAE for a signing ceremony Tuesday at the White House. The crown prince of the UAE, Mohammed bin Zayad, de facto ruler of the emirates, declined to attend. Story continues Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law and point man on the Middle East, said he believed the developments with Bahrain and the UAE would "reduce tensions" in the region and allow Arab states to "separate" their national interests from those of Palestinians. He said he was confident there was a momentum in the direction of broader recognition of Israel. However, the Bahraini foreign minister, Abdullatif bin Rashid Zayani, later interjected a note of caution. He said the deal with Israel "will help strengthen regional security and stability including achieving the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people." The UAE agreed to work toward ties with Israel based on two major concessions. Washington agreed to sell an undisclosed number of F-35 stealth fighter jets to the Emiratis and Israel agreed to halt the annexation of large parts of the West Bank claimed by Palestinians. (Netanyahu later said the halt was only temporary and voiced opposition to the sale of the fighter jets more signs of the distance that remains between the signed agreements and facts on the ground.) Kushner would not say what concessions had been made to Bahrain, a country of 1.5 million people which has a less robust military partnership with Washington but nevertheless hopes to buy weapons. The U.S. Congress has opposed such sales to Bahrain because of its abysmal human rights record. Kushner and Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo made separate trips to the region in recent weeks attempting to persuade other Arab countries to follow the UAE. Most refused. Only Bahrain agreed, acting with the consent of Saudi Arabia, experts said, because Riyadh, as custodian of the most holy sites in Islam, is loath to join in. Arab countries with sizable populations of people who would protest the perceived betrayal of Palestinians would find it politically untenable to recognize Israel without progress toward a viable and sovereign Palestinian state. By contrast, both the UAE and Bahrain are monarchies that can more easily repress any domestic opposition. "This one is totally expected. Bahrain could very easily have gone before UAE," Jonathan Schanzer, head of research at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, said on Twitter. "The next one (assuming more are coming) will be more of a wild card." Thomas Warrick, a Middle East expert at the Atlantic Council, a Washington think tank, said the actions in detente by the UAE and Bahrain are "as much due to their well-founded concerns about their Iranian neighbor to the north as to their recognition of the strategic relationship that both have with the United States." The Palestinian Authority, as it did with the UAE agreement, reacted with anger. The Bahrain deal is a "betrayal" of Jerusalem and "the Palestinian cause," as well as a "step that supports the legalization of Israel's ugly crimes against the Palestinian people." The Trump administration has also worked to build common cause among several Sunni-dominated Persian Gulf and Arab states, plus Israel, in opposition to predominantly Shiite Iran, a longtime rival accused by the U.S. and others of supporting militant groups throughout the region. Paris, Sep 11 : French heath authorities said almost 10,000 more people have tested positive for Covid-19 in one day, making a record since the epidemic outbreak. In the past 24 hours, 9,843 new cases were confirmed, bringing the country's total number of Covid-19 cases to 353,944, data released by the country's Health Ministry showed on Thursday, Xinhua reported. As of Thursday, the number of hospitalised Covid-19 patients rose by 352 to 5,096, of whom 615 needed intensive care, up by 54 from Wednesday. The country also registered 19 additional coronavirus-related fatalities in a 24-hour period, bringing the death toll to 30,813. Early on Thursday, French President Emmanuel Macron said he would announce new measures at a defense council on Friday to contain the epidemic resurgence while allowing people to live as normal as possible. French scientists had expected a second wave of the coronavirus could hit the country in autumn or winter as a result of social mixing and absence of distancing and barrier measures during the summer holidays. They asked authorities to anticipate all the possible scenarios and prepare a prevention plan for the country's most populated metropolitan areas, and to consider local lockdown according to the epidemic situation. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden (L) greets U.S. Vice President Mike Pence as they attend a ceremony at the 9/11 Memorial in New York to commemorate the 19th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, on Sept. 11, 2020. (Angela Weiss / AFP) Pence and Biden Greet Each Other at Sept. 11 Memorial Vice President Mike Pence and former Vice President Joe Biden greeted one another at a Sept. 11, 2001, memorial in New York City. A photo captured the two bumping elbows and greeting one another in a rare face-to-face meeting. They both arrived in Manhattan at the World Trade Center memorial site on Friday to mark the 19th anniversary of the terrorist attacks that left nearly 3,000 people dead and toppled the Twin Towers. The two appeared to speak to one another, but its not clear what they said, according to video footage of the encounter. Aside from Pence and Biden, former three-term New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) were in attendance. Biden is scheduled to visit the Flight 93 memorial in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, later in the day. President Donald Trump visited the Pennsylvania memorial on Friday morning. Hijacked Flight 93 crashed into a field, killing everyone on board. Trump and Biden are not scheduled to meet. Biden told reporters Friday that he wont talk about politics on the day. Im not gonna make any news today. Im not gonna talk about anything other than 9/11, he told reporters. We took all our advertising down, its a solemn day, and thats how were going to keep it, OK? Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden (L) and U.S. Vice President Mike Pence (R) attend a 9/11 memorial service at the National September 11 Memorial and Museum on Sept. 11, 2020 in New York City. (Amr Alfiky Pool/Getty Images) Democratic Presidential Candidate Joe Biden (L) greets U.S. Vice President Mike Pence as they attend a ceremony at the 9/11 Memorial in New York to commemorate the 19th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, on Sept. 11, 2020. (Amr Alfiky Pool/Getty Images) The Pence-Biden meeting is a rare show of respect in what has been a contentious election season. Pence, during last months Republican National Convention, described Biden as a Trojan Horse for radical leftist officials to enter the White House if he is elected. Meanwhile, the majority of Bidens criticism has been focused on Trump, alleging that he lied to the American people during the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus pandemic. At around the same time, President Trump and first lady Melania Trump, before stepping off their plane, observed a moment of silence at 8:46 a.m., when the first plane hit the World Trade Center 19 years prior. 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. At least 2,977 people died in the attacks, and it sparked the War on Terror that led to the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq under the Bush administration. The Associated Press contributed to this report. The scientists concluded that expired N95 respirators and sterilised old N95 respirators can be used in the absence of new N95 respirators. With the continuous increase in the number of active COVID-19 cases in many countries, the inflow of patients in hospitals has been rising. Doctors and the healthcare staff are not only struggling to provide treatment to each and every patient but are also coping with the shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) and N95 respirators. Once a PPE kit is removed, it cannot be used again, which leaves healthcare professionals with no choice but to wear the PPE kit for eight or more hours. Amid the shortages in PPE and N95 masks, some healthcare systems have started adopting non-standard practices such as using expired N95 masks or decontaminating the masks to prolong their use. Testing the effectiveness PPE and N95 respirators are known to filter around 95% of the particles which are tinier than 0.3 micrometres. To test the quality of the masks, scientists from the University of North Carolina Health Care conducted a study between April and June 2020, where they tested the fitted filtration efficiencies (FFEs) of 29 different fitted face masks worn by a male and female candidates in a custom-built chamber with an aerosol generator in it. FFE refers to the efficiency with which the masks filter aerosol particles. The study was published in the journal JAMA Network on 11th August 2020. The temperature of the chamber during testing ranged from 23 degrees Celsius to 29.5 degrees Celcius and the relative humidity was 10 percent to 50 percent. The scientists used different masks such as Controlled Air Purifying Respirator system (MAXAIR), N95 masks (both expired and non-expired), surgical masks and other masks approved by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The expired masks were treated with three respirator sterilisation methods: ethylene oxide, steam (at 121 C temperature for 15 minutes) and vaporized hydrogen peroxide. During the study, the candidates were asked to repeatedly move their torso, head, and facial muscles to recreate the typical occupational activities of the mask wearer. Results of the evaluation The result of the study showed that MAXAIR along with a face shield prevented more than 99 percent of particles from entering the candidates breathing space, while the N95 masks were able to reduce the entry of particles by more than 97 percent. The expired N95 respirators (up to 11 years past their expiration date) which had intact elastic straps and were sterilised with ethylene oxide and hydrogen peroxide showed more than 95 percent FFEs. However, this ability reduced to 90 percent to 95 percent when the person was given a wrong sized N95 respirator. The researchers further found that after steam sterilization, 3M 1860 N95 respirators (a type of N95 mask) got distorted and could not be used again, while 3M 1870+ Aura face masks were able able to retain more than 95 percent FFE. Moreover, none of the imported respirators approved by the CDC achieved 95 percent FFE. The scientists concluded that expired N95 respirators and sterilised old N95 respirators can be used in the absence of new N95 respirators. However, the use of other alternatives such as surgical masks and other respirators may not be able to provide equivalent protection from the aerosols. For more information, read our article on How useful are masks against COVID-19 and how to use them. 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. 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. Women and parents are feeling the greatest emotional strain after six months of COVID-19 lockdowns, according to new research from Finn Partners. The research, conducted by Civis Analytics, showed that women reported higher levels of anxiety (56 percent vs. 43 percent for men), sadness (36 percent vs. 27 percent for men) and fear (29 percent vs. 24 percent for men). Parents with children under 18 are about evenly split between those who say that their family relationships are improving and those who say these relationships are worsening. However, their relationships with nearly everyone else arent doing as well, with 21 percent saying that their friendships are suffering, as opposed to 16 percent who say they are getting better. When it comes to relationships with co-workers, about 20 percent of those parents are seeing a decline, while less than 10 percent say they have noticed any improvement. Overall, half (50 percent) of respondents say that their level of anxiety has increased, while 32 percent report more sadness, about one out of four (27 percent) are experiencing more fear and 25 percent say they are feeling more anger. But the changes brought about by the pandemic arent all negative. Almost four out of ten respondents (38 percent) say theyre spending more time outdoors with family and friends, and 44 percent of parents with kids 18 and under in the house report feeling more connected to their social networks. Many respondents are also turning to exercise to help them cope with COVID-19 related stress. While 45 percent of adults with children at home are exercising more (compared to 28 percent of adults without kids at home), exercise is also up with 40 percent of those under 35. The effects of working from home dont loom nearly as large as one might think. Only five percent of respondents chose it from a list of 10 options as the one having the greatest negative impact on their emotions, coming in behind concern about their health and the government response to the pandemic (18 percent); ongoing wearing of masks, concerns about job loss and continued social distancing (12 percent each); and schools being online this fall (10 percent). Its important to recognize the uncertainty Americans have been living with this year, and how anxiety stemming from COVID-19 can color all our usual emotions, says Dr. Catherine Belling, associate professor at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. Still, it does appear from these results that parents, in particular, may be forced into finding positive ways of adapting, perhaps leading to healthier long-term changes. The "COVID's Toll on America's Mental Health" report surveyed 3,552 respondents online between Aug. 14 and Aug. 17. People on ventilator support in Delhi saw only 2-fold rise from Jan 1-14: Data 3-kg bomb at Delhi flower market: Police yet to zero in on any suspect Till Kejriwal is alive, no family in slums will lose their home: AAP India oi-Briti Roy Barman New Delhi, Sep 11: AAP MLA Raghav Chadha said the party-led government in Delhi will not accept any action against city's slum dwellers. This comes after Supreme Court last week ordered demolition of 48,000 slums along city's railway lines. "I'm tearing these notices and reminding BJP that till CM Arvind Kejriwal is alive, no family living in slums will lose their home," Chadha added. To ensure compliance of its order, the top court stopped any other court from passing a stay order on their removal. Kejriwal called a meeting on Thursday to discuss the court's order and explore possible ways to rehabilitate the displaced people, a senior official in the chief minister's office said. "He had a discussion with the public works department (PWD) and the Delhi urban shelter improvement board (DUSIB). While DUSIB suggested its vacant flats for economically weaker sections could be used, the PWD expressed concern over the scale of the potential project as it involves more than 48,000 families," the official said. At the same time, the ruling AAP is also exploring legal options to stall the eviction of the slum-dwellers. Chadha, the party's national spokesperson and Delhi Jal Board (DJB) vice-chairperson, said the government was committed to protecting the people who live in these dwellings. Sushant Death Case: Rhea Chakraborty denied bail by a Mumbai court, will stay in jail|Oneindia News "The chief minister is making a policy to ensure security to every slum dweller. I want to tell the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) that they should immediately stop such illegal acts," he said, brandishing eviction notices sent to several people living in these houses by Indian Railways. Chadha further claimed that the BJP is issuing notices which are threatening the slum dwellers that their houses will be demolished within this month. "The BJP is issuing notices across the national Capital, threatening the slum dwellers that their houses will be demolished within this month. These notices are against the basic principles of the Constitution, which allows every citizen to have a life with dignity. I urge the BJP not to harass these slum dwellers," he said. However, Delhi BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor hit back at Chadha and said nothing can be more false and condemnable than Chadha's diatribe on demolition of 'jhuggis' around railway land as ordered by the Supreme Court of India. "Delhi government never fought for the 48,000 'jhuggi' dwellers in court and even now when they can help them by giving alternative accommodation in the form of over 50,000 Rajiv Ratan Housing Scheme lying vacant, we find AAP leaders like Raghav Chad... Kapoor further said the AAP leaders should stop playing dirty politics on this issue related to the Supreme Court's order. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Friday, September 11, 2020, 16:13 [IST] remaining of Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. WASHINGTON - Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia sued the Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday, saying it neglected to enforce a decade-old agreement aimed at cutting pollution in the Chesapeake Bay. The lawsuit follows months of back-and-forth between the region's attorneys general and the EPA after New York and Pennsylvania were predicted to not meet pollution-reduction goals, which were outlined in 2010 and codified under the Chesapeake Watershed Agreement in 2014. As part of the agreement, which was signed by six states in the bay watershed, the EPA pledged to take federal action if states did not demonstrate that they would meet the 2025 deadline. According to the recent lawsuit, the EPA took "no further action" after identifying in August 2019 that New York and Pennsylvania were each on track to fall short of their 2025 targets by at least 25%. "EPA has walked away from its responsibility to regulate and manage the efforts of the Bay states," Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh, a Democrat, said in a statement. "Today, we are asking the court to force EPA to do its job." Representatives of the EPA responded to Thursday's lawsuit by highlighting the agency's financial and technical investments in watershed restoration activities. In May, just as D.C., Maryland and Virginia notified the agency of their intent to sue, the EPA announced a $6 million pledge to reduce agricultural runoff in the bay states. "We have taken and will continue to take appropriate actions under our Clean Water Act authorities to improve Chesapeake Bay water quality," EPA spokesman Roy Seneca said in a statement. "EPA's focus is on continuing to make unprecedented progress to restore the Chesapeake Bay and local waters." Ever since the 2010 agreement, the bay's water quality has gradually improved, even stimulating a resurgence of the natural reproduction of oysters in Virginia. But for its progress to continue, regional leaders and environmentalists say, all states must meet the goals outlined in their pollution-reduction plans. "The bay is healthier than it has been in decades. But we cannot let the progress stagnate or worse, backslide," Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring, a Democrat, said Thursday during a video news conference. Will Baker, president of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, expressed concern over growing algal blooms in Virginia's waters, which tend to degrade water quality as they decompose. "We saw the state of the bay begin to slip and that is what gives us such concern," he said at the news conference. According to the recent lawsuit, Pennsylvania has expected to achieve 64% of its nitrogen-reduction target. New York is expected to hit no more than 61% of its same goal. A spokesperson for New York's attorney general declined to comment. The office of the attorney general in Pennsylvania did not immediately respond to a request for comment. "We filed this lawsuit to force the EPA to do its job, protect decades of environmental work and billions of dollars invested, and ensure all the watershed states work together meet pollution reduction goals," D.C. Attorney General Karl Racine, a Democrat, said in a statement. The levels of pollution in New York and Pennsylvania are particularly frustrating to leaders in the Washington region, who have allocated millions of dollars in cleaning up the bay. Without full cooperation from the states upstream, the bay's water quality will remain substandard, the lawsuit asserts. Over time, they said, that could further damage the environmental and financial health of the region, which depends on the bay for tourism, real estate, fishing and recreational revenue. "Years ago, the EPA, the states in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, and the District of Columbia agreed to a common strategy to restore America's most beautiful estuary," said Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam, a Democrat who chairs the Chesapeake Executive Council and commended the attorneys general for filing the suit. "But not all states are living up to that commitment, and the EPA is just standing by." On Saturday morning, Lightfoot tweeted about the Eric Trump messages and said they were "a very different tune from the barrage of attacks from the White House. Its no secret that Im no fan of Donald Trump. But part of my job is to protect residents, regardless of who their landlord is and whether or not I agree with their politics. President Donald Trump bragged to first lady Melania Trump that Bob Woodward was writing a book about him and was still calling the legendary author less than a month ago to try and get additional information in the tome. In his 392-page book, 'Rage,' Woodward recounts how, during their June 22 phone interview, the president put the first lady on the phone. 'Honey, I'm talking to Bob Woodward,' Trump said. President Donald Trump bragged to first lady Melania Trump that Bob Woodward was writing a book about him Trump was calling legendary author Bob Woodward up to less than a month ago to talk about what was going to be in the book 'Rage' Woodward wrote he mentioned to Melania the new book 'The Art of Her Deal' by his Washington Post colleague Mary Jordan. 'So they did a book on your and they're giving all kinds of credit to you for knowing how to live with this man,' he said he told her. Melania laughed. Trump then jumped in. 'I didn't know this. What book is this? I want to read this one.' The biography of the first lady had been published the week before. The president then told Melania that Woodward was writing a book on him. 'It'll probably be atrocious but that's okay,' he told her. Trump plowed ahead with the interviews for the book even as his aides tried to rein him in. In this White House photo from December 2019 provided by Bob Woodward, President Donald Trump is seen speaking to Woodward in the Oval Office, surrounded by some aides and advisers, as well as Vice President Mike Pence, then acting Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney, then-White House counselor Kellyanne Conway and then-deputy press secretary Hogan Gidley. On Trump's desk is a large picture of Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. During the president's first interview with Woodward in December, aides tried to end it at one point but Trump brushed them off. 'Go ahead,' he said told Woodward, The New York Times reported. 'I find it interesting. I love this guy. Even though he writes s*** about me.' Trump gave Woodward a number that the author could call in and leave a message for him without going through the normal White House red tape. The president would return his calls at night when aides presumably were not around. The two men talked 17 times as Woodward was writing the book and then an 18th time after the book was done but before it went to press. And Trump tried to get in one last victory for his administration. He called Woodward on Aug. 14, for a 19th conversation, wanting him to include the deal between Israel and the United Arab Emirates. But it was too late to update the book by that point. 'Rage' comes out on September 15. Trump said he gave the 18 on-the-record interviews to Woodward 'out of curiosity' and to see if he 'can write' good. In a press conference on Thursday to defend himself from his conversations with the author, which Woodward recorded, Trump said he had the conversations out of 'respect' for Woodward's reputation. 'I did it out of curiosity. I wonder whether or not somebody like that can write good. I don't think he can. Let's see what happens,' Trump said. 'Bob Woodward is somebody that I respect just from hearing the name for many, many years,' Trump said. 'Not knowing too much about his work, not caring about his work. I thought it would be interesting to talk to him for a period of calls. So we did that.' 'I don't know if the book is good or bad,' he added. President Donald Trump said he gave 18 on-the-record interviews to author Bob Woodward 'out of curiosity' Trump gave Woodward his personal contact information in a bid to win him over during late-night calls, but the president would sometimes 'unburden himself' while interviewing for the journalist's new book. Trump hasn't denied the comments he made to Woodward - he has previously called stories he doesn't like 'fake news' - as the author taped all 18 of his interviews with the president, which were conducted from December through July. Instead, Trump turned to point the finger at the author, the legendary reporter who brought down Richard Nixon's presidency with his report on the Watergate break-in and who has interviewed every president to hold the office since then. Bob Woodward's new book 'Rage' comes out September 15 'If Bob Woodward thought what I said was bad, then he should have immediately - right after I said it - gone out to the authorities,' he said on Thursday. 'He said he didn't think it was bad. He actually said he didn't think it was bad.' 'Bob Woodward is not the president,' The Washington Post's Phil Rucker, who had been questioning Trump, said in response. Trump told Woodward during their conversations to 'write a great book.' 'I hope you're truthful,' Trump told Woodward, according to a copy of the book obtained by DailyMail.com. 'If you're truthful, you're going to write a great book. And if you're not truthful, you're going to hit me.' The book draws from 18 conversations with Trump between December 2019 and July 2020, that took place in the Oval Office, at Mar-a-Lago and over the phone - occasionally at 9 or 10' o'clock at night. According to Woodward, sometimes he would get unexpected phone calls after 9 pm from the president who was reportedly trying to generate a favorable depiction in the book, unlike in Woodward's 2018 bestseller, Fear. Speaking to Fox News' Sean Hannity, who asked why he took part in the series of stunning interviews, Trump said with the famed Watergate reporter, Trump said he thought he'd 'give it a shot'. 'He called,' Trump explained in an interview on Wednesday night. 'I didn't participate in his last one, and he does hit jobs with everybody. He even did it on Obama... So, I figured you know let's just give it a little shot. I'll speak to him, wasn't a big deal.' The president said he was unlikely to read the book, insisting he'd be too busy. 'I don't know if the book is good or bad. I have no idea,' he said. 'Probably - almost definitely won't read it, because I don't have time to read it. But I gave it a little bit of a shot. Sounds like it's not going to be good.' The first defeat of a Kennedy in 74 years in Massachusetts on September 1 is less about the end of the United States most famous dynasty in the countrys electoral politics and more about looming class struggles after the November election of a new President and a new Congress. Joe Kennedy, grandson of assassinated United States Senator Robert F Kennedy, who is yet to turn 40, was roundly defeated in his bid to be the junior Senator from his home state by Ed Markey, the 74-year-old incumbent who campaigned on his origins as the son of a milkman fending off a challenge in his Democratic Party primary from a wealthy scion of the nearest in America to royalty. Kennedy has been a liberal member of the US House of Representatives from Massachusetts for the last seven years, but very significantly, he was not progressive enough for what US President Donald Trump repeatedly derides as the radical Left, which appears to be taking over the Democratic Party, especially in its strongholds in New England. Markey defeated a Kennedy not only because he is from the working class: he constantly reminded primary voters that his first job was driving an ice cream truck. He won despite having voted for the Iraq war in 2002 that continuing touchstone in US politics for standing up against the powerful military-industrial complex. Markey won because he was supported by the senior Senator from Massachusetts, Elizabeth Warren, who gave up her bid to be the 46th US President in favour of Joe Biden, but has vowed to push Biden to the Left if he wins in November. Most important of all, Markey won because he was supported by the fiery Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the freshman Congresswoman from New York, who is not afraid to flaunt her Socialist leanings, something that only Senators from the ultra-liberal state of Vermont could do hitherto. Vermonters like failed presidential aspirant Bernie Sanders could do so, secure in the knowledge that they would be re-elected anyway. Just a year before she became the youngest woman elected to Congress in 2018, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, popularly known as AOC, worked as a barmaid in a taqueria off Union Square in New York City. When she went to Washington to take her place on Capitol Hill, she caught national attention by revealing that she could not afford to rent a decent apartment in the capital. The median rent for a flat in downtown Washington is about $2,500 (Rs 1,83,000) per month. Trump made the most of the stinging defeat of a sitting legislator from the Kennedy family, which Americans from coast-to-coast sat up and noticed. See, even a Kennedy isnt safe in the new Radical Left Democrat Party, the President tweeted. His objective was to exacerbate divisions in American society so that he could continue to rule: in this case by stoking fears of a class war. What the Democrats are experiencing now is a process, which the Republican Party went through during the mid-term Congressional election season in 2010, two years after Barack Obamas historic election as President. The Tea Party movement by extreme conservatives inside the Republican Party, which threatened to unseat stalwart Senators such as John McCain at that time, drew its inspiration from what came to be known as the Boston Tea Party in 1773, which launched Americas war of independence from Britain. The Tea Party in the first half of Obamas first term had no leaders, but it swelled into a mass conservative movement representing a groundswell of anger among grassroots Republicans. The partys ground-level workers were opposed to decisions after the 2008 financial meltdown which, in reality, amounted to nationalisation of failing American enterprises. The Trump phenomenon four years ago has its roots in the ideas espoused by the Tea Party movement. It pushed Americas Grand Old Party irreversibly towards the Right and Trump has skilfully exploited the movements essence since he came into public life. The ongoing leftward lurch by the Democrats is an inevitable reaction to this and will pose a big challenge for Biden if he is victorious in November. Entrenched on Capitol Hill, Left-leaning legislative lobbies populated by the likes of AOC, Sanders and Warren will demand their pound of ideological flesh for having propelled Biden to the White House. Bidens platform (manifesto) already reflects major concessions to the Sanders-Warren faction among the Democrats. With a pre-COVID-19 figure of 40 million Americans living off food stamps for the hungry on the one hand, and the nations wealthiest one percent owning the bulk of Americas resources on the other, the stage is set for class wars, notwithstanding who wins in November. Race will add fuel to this fire. Kennedy's defeat by Markey is emblematic of what lies ahead. Key equity indices were trading near the flat line with a positive bias in morning trade. At 10:27 IST, the barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex, was up 21.38 points or 0.06% at 38,861.70. The Nifty 50 index added 9.70 points or 0.08% at 11,458.95. In the broader market, the S&P BSE Mid-Cap index gained 0.37% while the S&P BSE Small-Cap index rose 0.57%. The market breadth is positive. On the BSE, 1156 shares rose and 877 shares fell. A total of 146 shares were unchanged. The foreign ministers of India and China have reportedly agreed that troops of the two countries must quickly disengage from a border standoff, they said in a joint statement issued on Friday. The two foreign ministers agreed that the current situation in the border areas is not in the interest of either side. They agreed therefore that the border troops of both sides should continue their dialogue, quickly disengage, maintain proper distance and ease tensions. Earning Today: BHEL (up 1.21%), IRCTC (down 0.51%), MIDHANI (down 0.37%), Rail Vikas Nigam (up 0.48%), Puravankara (up 0.23%), Adani Green Energy (up 3.69%), Future Supply Chain (up 3.68%), Premier Explosives (up 4.27%) and Orissa Minerals Development Company (up 1.27%) are some of the companies that will announce their quarterly earnings today. Buzzing Index: The Nifty Realty index rose 2.47% to 217.50. The index has added 3.1% in two sessions. Indiabulls RE (up 4.26%), Prestige Estates (up 3.37%), Brigade Enterprises (up 3.36%), DLF (up 3.30%), Godrej Properties (up 2.98%), Oberoi Realty (up 1.78%), Omaxe (up 1.23%) and The Phoenix Mills (up 0.88%) advanced. Stocks in Spotlight: Yes Bank rose 2.95% to Rs 14.33. The bank's chairman, Sunil Mehta, at the AGM held on Thursday informed that the bank has fully repaid Rs 50,000 crore towards the Special Liquidity Facility (SLF) extended by RBI, well before the due date. Addressing investor queries on whether the bank was going to be merged with State Bank of India (SBI) eventually, Mehta said that no such plans were afoot. He added that neither the bank nor any authority had discussed such a proposal as far as he knew. Granules India gained 0.66% to Rs 373.50 after the pharmaceutical company announced that its US subsidiary has received marketing approval from the USFDA for Dexmethylphenidate HCI extended-release capsules. The drug is used for the treatment of of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) from the US Health Regulator (FDA). Granules' capsule product is bioequivalent to the reference listed drug (RLD), Focalin XR. Dexmethylphenidate HCI ER Capsules had US sales of approximately $556 million for the most recent twelve months ending in July 2020 (As per IQVIA MAT July 2020). National Fertilizers (NFL) added 2.98% to Rs 36.25 after the company's total fertilizer sales rose 16% to 23.81 lakh MT in April-August 2020 over 20.57 lakh MT in April-August 2019. The company produced 16.11 lakh MT urea in the first five months of 2020-21, recording 13% jump against 14.26 lakh MT produced during the same period in 2019-20. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Months later, from the former capital of the Confederacy, the Virginia Senate voted to abolish the Lee-Jackson holiday in favor of an Election Day holiday. By June, the swelling movement for racial justice had coalesced around removing statues of Lee, casting the former general as representative of the Confederates racist ideology. His statue was removed from the Virginia Capitol one night in July. Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasised the importance of students studying in mother tongue or local language at least till Class 5 even as he pointed out that the National Education Policy (NEP) placed no bar on learning any language. He also said students should be stepping towards a new future with a new curriculum designed under NEP when India completes 75 years of Independence in 2022. This curriculum will be forward-looking, future ready and scientific, he added, addressing a conclave on School Education in 21st Century under NEP 2020. After the NEP came, there has been much discussion on what will be the language of instruction... language is the medium of education, not entire education itself. People caught in too much of bookish knowledge often fail to grasp this distinction. Whatever language the child can learn easily should be the medium of instruction, Modi said. Some states, ruled by political rivals of the Centres ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), have criticised NEP-2020. Detractors have accused the BJP of working to promote Hindi, a charge it has vehemently rejected. I see many people are under the wrong impression on this count. There is no bar on teaching-learning any language, be it English or any global language that helps at the world stage, Modi added. Modi also said NEP will give a new direction to the country in the 21st century, sowing the seeds for a new era. The job is not finished yet. It (NEP) has to be implemented in an equally effective manner, and we have to do it together, he said, noting that a nationwide consultation process is going on over the policy. In July, the Union Cabinet passed Indias first NEP in at least 28 years, recommending primary education in local languages, facilitating the possible entry of foreign universities, creating a single higher-education regulator and easier board exams, among several other steps aimed at ushering in sweeping reforms. Since then, over 1.5 million suggestions have been received on the MyGov portal, Modi said in his speech. The Prime Minister said the world changed in the last three decades but Indias education policy remained the same. In the current system, marksheet has become pressure sheet for students and prestige sheet for families, Modi said, adding that the new policy aims to remove this pressure. When the country marks its 75th years of Independence, every student should be studying under guidelines formulated by NEP. This is our collective responsibility, he said, addressing teachers, parents, states and NGOs. NEP places a lot of thrust on childrens education, Modi said, adding that the young generation is vital to the nations development. NEP has been prepared in a way that the syllabus can be reduced and focus should be shifted to fundamentals, Modi added. He said one of the major reasons behind the drop-out ratio is that students do not have the freedom of choosing their own subjects, but NEP will give them the choice. Now, students will not have to be limited to the watertight boundaries of commerce, science and humanities, and will choose any subject they want to, he said. The playful education of pre-schools till now was restricted to urban centres alone. It will now reach the poor as well as the rural areas, Modi said. It is recognised world over thar early childhood, up to the age of 10, is the fastest learning period. Also the cognitive and analytical powers of a child are activated to the maximum if the medium of instruction is the mother tongue, or the dominant languages of the area... The emphasis of NEP on multi-disciplinarian [teaching] is excellent. The emphasis of the policy is to make youth future ready to meet the ever-changing contours of future exigencies, said Inder Mohan Kapahy, former member of the University Grants Commission. A Wisconsin man who was shot during a protest against police brutality in Kenosha last month says he still remembers the screams that night and hes in constant pain. Prosecutors say 17-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse of Antioch, Illinois, shot and killed two men during a chaotic protest Aug. 25. Theyve also accused Rittenhouse of shooting 26-year-old Gaige Grosskreutz, of West Allis, in the arm. Grosskreutz and his attorney, Kimberly Motley, told CNN for a story posted online Friday that he relives the shooting in his head every day. He said he still hears the gunshots and screams. I play it back in my head, I think about it all the time, Grosskreutz said, his right arm still in a sling. I think about everything all the time. The protests began after a white police officer shot Jacob Blake, who is Black, in the back seven times after Blake walked away from officers and leaned into his vehicle Aug. 23. The state Justice Department has said a knife was recovered from Blakes vehicle, but it has not said whether he was holding it when officers tried to arrest him. The shooting sparked days of protests in Kenosha, a city of about 100,000 halfway between Milwaukee and Chicago. Some of the demonstrations turned violent. More than 20 businesses were set on fire. Grosskreutz told CNN that he traveled to the protest because video of the Blake shooting disturbed him. He said he worked as a paramedic before going back to college in Wisconsin and he packed medical supplies in a small backpack in case he needed to treat people at the protests. He also brought his pistol with him, saying he has a permit to carry a concealed weapon. He said he was worried after seeing a call to arms from a group called the Kenosha Guard on Facebook. Rittenhouse has been charged with multiple felonies, including two counts of homicide in the deaths of 36-year-old Joseph Rosenbaum, of Kenosha, and 26-year-old Anthony Huber, of Silver Lake. Rittenhouse is awaiting extradition to Wisconsin. According to court documents, Rosenbaum chased Rittenhouse through a parking lot and threw a plastic bag at him before trying to wrestle his rifle away. Rittenhouse shot him during the struggle and then ran away. Video shows Rittenhouse tripped in the street. As he was on the ground Huber hit him with a skateboard and tried to take his rifle away. Rittenhouse shot him. Grosskreutz then approaches Rittenhouse with his pistol in his right hand. Rittenhouse shot him in the arm, and Grosskreutz ran away screaming for a medic. Video from earlier that night shows police giving Rittenhouse and other armed men water bottles and telling them that they appreciated them. Video shows Rittenhouse walking right by police with his rifle over his shoulder after the shootings even as people yelled that he had just shot people. He was arrested the next day in Illinois. Asked why officers let Rittenhouse leave the scene, Kenosha County Sheriff David Beth said sometimes police get tunnel vision and may not have heard the bystanders amid the commotion. Grosskreutz stressed to CNN that he has a legal right to carry a weapon. Everybody was there exercising their right to protest, he said. And there were some people who were exercising their right to bear arms, including myself. I never fired my gun. I was there to help people, not hurt people. He said he used his own medic bag to apply a tourniquet to his arm before police drove him to the hospital. That was a grievous wound. Had I not had my training and proper equipment to treat a gunshot wound, I might not be here doing this interview, he said. Hes still being treated by doctors in the same hospital where Blake is convalescing from his wounds. Im missing 90% of my bicep, Grosskreutz said. Im in constant pain, like, excruciating pain, pain that doesnt go away. Rittenhouse isnt old enough to legally possess a weapon in Wisconsin but his attorneys have argued he acted in self-defense. President Donald Trump has defended Rittenhouses actions. Grosskreutz said he and his family, including his 65-year-old grandmother, have been getting death threats online from Rittenhouse supporters. Nobody should have been hurt or died that night, he said. Were Americans. Were human beings. Were better than that. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 At only 23 years old,Tattep Ruangprapaikitseree is at the forefront of Thailand's protest movement, demanding change and challenging an establishment dominated by the army and the monarchy. As he took to the stage in Bangkok last month, 10,000 people gathered chanting against the government. The protesters have called for the Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha to step down since mid July. He was once the leader of a military coup and protesters say they've had enough and want new elections and a new constitution. Some protesters also want to curb the powers of the Thai king's royal palace. As Tattep took to the stage, he fed off the excitment of the crowd: "I'm getting goosebumps because today is the first time in six years that we have the most significant protest on Ratchadamnoen road at the Democracy Monument after the military came into power. It is beyond my expectations." Tattep is also an LGBT rights activist. He's known for taking center stage in Thai politics with a kiss, shocking conservatives when he embraced his boyfriend at parliament last December. It was a campaign for gay marriage rights and it set off a social media storm. The couple set up a forum on Facebook that then became the Free Youth Movement and later the Free People Movement. It has no overall leader and activists say they want to keep it that way. But on July 18th, Tattep's group drew in 2,500 people for a protest that built momentum for near-daily demonstrations. "No matter what happens, we have two stances: no coup and reject the establishment of the national unity government. And we are dreaming of a monarchical institution that is truly under the constitution." It hasn't been a smooth road. Sought by police for his part in organizing the July protest, Tattep and his partner Panumas Singprom were arrested on August 26. They are among 15 people charged with breaching internal security laws and defying an emergency decree to stop the spread of coronavirus and are now awaiting trial. Story continues Throughout the ups and downs his partner has stood by him: "We (students) have no choice, we can only come out. We don't want to grow up and have our kids ask us 'When the country was facing injustice what were you doing?'" As for the authorities, Prime Minister Prayuth, the main target of the protests, has warned protesters they are creating divisions in society. He has also condemned those who have demanded reforms to the monarchy, once a taboo subject. The Palace did not comment on the protests, but a government spokesperson talked to Reuters: "Youth can express their thoughts as long as it is within the boundaries of the law. I want them to avoid sensitive issues because it can create conflicts among the people." Despite enormous pressure, Tattep has vowed to continue his activism. The protests are in an increasing challenge to the government and Tattep sees no end in sight for the movement. Japanese operator of the sunk cargo ship that spilled tonnes of oil off the Mauritius coast endangering nearby marine life has pledged to contribute $9.4 million over several years to support measures such as restoration of the environment. Mitsui OSK Lines on September 11 announced to provide long-term contributions to the environment and the society of Mauritius with the support and cooperation of experts and organizations with specialized knowledge of environmental restoration and protection. Read: Mauritius Oil Spill: Captain Of Japanese Ship Charged With 'endangering Safe Navigation' The company said that it has sent a 13-member team of MOL employees along with other relief supplies to the site of the accident for the collection and recovery of leaked oil. The company said that it will work closely with the government of Japan to help Mauritius recover as soon as possible. MOL in cooperation with Japans Ministry of the Environment will implement several environmental projects over a period of time, which includes the Mangrove protection/nurturing project and the Coral reef recovery project. Read: India Sends Chetak Helicopter To Mauritius To Help Contain Oil Spill "MOL will make donations to several local NGOs and contribute to funds established by public agencies such as those related to the government of Mauritius and the United Nations (UN). It plans to contribute a total of about 100 million Japanese Yen. MOL plans to contribute a total fund of about 1 billion Japanese Yen over several years. MOL continually engages in efforts to resolve the situation in Mauritius and restore the environment in cooperation with authorities in Mauritius and Japan, other concerned parties around the world, and the shipowner," the company said in a statement on Friday. Read: Mauritius: 18 Whales Wash Up On Shore, Minister Dismisses Oil Spill Link Mauritius oil spill A ship operated by MOL named MV Wakashio rammed into a reef off the coast of Mauritius on July 25. The ship was carrying about 3,800 tons of very low sulfur fuel oil and 200 tons of diesel oil from China to Brazil when it ran into a reef in the Indian ocean. The ship had three oil tanks, one of which was already leaking before the vessel split into two pieces on August 15. Cleaning efforts are underway where the oil spill took place with many countries sending in resources for help. Mauritian Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth declared an environmental emergency as the spill was close to two protected marine ecosystems and the Blue Bay Marine Park reserve. Read: India Sends Chetak Helicopter To Mauritius To Help Contain Oil Spill Sushant Singh Rajput Death Anniversary: A Timeline of the of events that have transpired so far At least 6 members of Sushant Singh Rajputs family killed in road accident in Bihar Order on bail plea filed by Rhea Chakraborty expected today India oi-Vicky Nanjappa Mumbai, Sep 11: A special court in Mumbai is likely to deliver its verdict on the bail application filed by actor Rhea Chakraborty, who was held in a drug case linked to her boyfriend and actor Sushant Singh Rajput's death. The court which reserved its verdict on Thursday is also expected to deliver its judgment on whether Rhea's brother Showik will be granted bail. In her bail plea, she has alleged in her bail application that during her interrogation by the NCB, she was "coerced" into making "self-incriminating confessions". Will Rhea Chakraborty walk out on bail In the plea filed in a sessions court on Wednesday, Rhea also claimed that she has not committed any crime whatsoever and has been falsely implicated in the case. Sushant Death Case: Rhea Chakraborty denied bail by a Mumbai court, will stay in jail|Oneindia News The actor, who was arrested in Mumbai by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) on Tuesday, filed this plea after a magistrate court rejected her bail application. The plea, filed by her lawyer Satish Maneshinde said, "During her (NCB) custody, the applicant (Rhea) was coerced into making self-incriminating confessions. The actor has formally retracted all such incriminating confessions." In the plea, she also said that her arrest is "unwarranted and without any justification". "The actor's liberty has arbitrarily been curtailed," it added. The plea also said that no female officer was present during her interrogation. Rhea was arrested after three days of questioning by the NCB. She is currently in judicial custody. Besides Rhea's, the bail pleas of other accused, including that of her brother Showik, who was arrested by the NCB last week, will also be heard on Thursday. Besides Rhea and Showik, the NCB has also arrested Sushant's house manager Samuel Miranda and others on drug supply charges. The NCB had earlier said that Rhea, in her statement revealed about her involvement in the procurement of drugs and financial transactions and also her instructions to other accused, Samuel Miranda, Sushant's domestic help Dipesh Sawant and Showik in this regard. "Therefore, it is clear from her statement that Rhea is an active member of the drug syndicate connected with drug supplies," the agency said. The NCB had said that the actress has revealed that she used to procure drugs for Sushant for consumption purpose. She also used to manage finances for drug procurement along with the late actor, it added. The NCB is probing the drug angle in this case under criminal sections of the NDPS Act after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) shared with it a report following the cloning of two mobile phones of Rhea. Various angles surrounding the death of the Sushant Singh Rajput are being probed by three federal agencies- the NCB, the ED and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Sushant Singh Rajput (SSR) was found dead at his Bandra flat on June 14. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 11) Bacolod does not have enough health workers to cope with the spike in its COVID-19 cases, the citys mayor said Friday. Bacolod City Mayor Evelio Leonardia said their tally of cases is now at 2,221, with 1,054 recoveries. He cited the lack of healthcare workers to run hospitals as one of the major challenges they are facing. He did not say how many health personnel they have in the city. A number of our health workers are under quarantine and then a number have resigned, a number have (gone) AWOL, he said during the Laging Handa media briefing. Leonardia added that they are recruiting health workers but many are worried about infecting their families. Meanwhile, he thanked the military for sending 12 healthcare workers to Bacolod City to help out in private hospitals. Bacolod City was placed under a stricter modified enhanced community quarantine from September 8 to 30. By Sarah Young LONDON (Reuters) - British Airways owner IAG launched a heavily discounted rights issue on Thursday to raise 2.74 billion euros ($3.2 billion) to help strengthen its pandemic-hit finances, in a first test of faith in its new boss Luis Gallego. Airline group IAG, which also owns Iberia, said in a statement that its largest shareholder, Qatar Airways Group, which has a 25.1% holding, had undertaken to subscribe for its pro-rata entitlement in the fully underwritten capital increase. The funds will be used to reduce debt and help IAG withstand a prolonged downturn in travel, the group said, as it also warned that the outlook for the rest of the year and 2021 had worsened since the rights issue was announced in July. IAG expects its September to December capacity to be 60% lower than 2019's level, a cut from its previous estimate of a 46% drop, and said in 2021 capacity is expected to fall by 27%, worse than the 24% previously predicted. This underlines the scale of the challenge facing Gallego, the Spanish insider who took over from long-time boss Willie Walsh this week. Budget competitor Ryanair slashed its annual passenger target on Wednesday, as most airlines signal capacity cuts due to resurgent COVID-19 infections and as travel restrictions dent recovery hopes. JOB CUT PROGRESS Under the terms of the fundraising, which was announced in July and approved by shareholders on Tuesday, investors are being offered new shares at a 36% discount and can subscribe to three new shares for every two they own. IAG, which also owns Vueling and Aer Lingus, said that despite the downgrades it still expected to reach breakeven from operating activities in the last quarter of 2020, and progress was being made with job cuts at BA. Shares in IAG were flat at 200 pence at 0800 GMT after the group said the 2.97 billion new shares would be at a subscription price of 0.92 euros, a 36% discount to the theoretical ex-rights price based on the closing price on Wednesday. Story continues An IAG spokeswoman said a full prospectus, including a timetable, would be published later on Thursday. BA, which is aiming to shed 13,000 jobs as a result of the crisis, has already made over 8,000 redundancies, IAG said, adding that the airline has also reached agreement in principle with Unite, which represents cabin crew. A consultative ballot is expected shortly, which could end a bitter row with the union. IAG said that it expected to report restructuring charges of 330 million euros in 2020 due to redundancies. ($1 = 0.8453 euros) (Reporting by Sarah Young; additional reporting by Paul Sandle, Editing by Jason Neely, Jan Harvey and Alexander Smith) For the fourth consecutive day, the Capital breached its Covid-19 testing record, with more than 60,000 samples collected for the first time, as per the daily health bulletin released by the Delhi government on Friday. Of the 60,580 tests conducted on the day, 4,266 people tested positive for the infectious disease the second highest daily case spike ever in the city, after 4,308 new cases on Thursday. However, with the increased tests, the case positivity rate fell from the previous day from 7.38% on Thursday to 7.04% on Friday. This is a decline from 9.55% recorded on September 1. The seven-day average positivity rate in Delhi stands at 7.92%, a decline from 8.98% the week before. However, samples tested using the more reliable RT-PCR tests fell for the second straight day, with just 8,305, or 13.7%, tested using the gold standard diagnosis on Friday, as against 9,004 the previous day. Also read: Covid-19 respite for Mumbai unlikely till New Year says BMC, it has a logic The number of hospitalisations on Friday due to the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) in Delhi breached the 6,000-mark. The number of hospitalisations on Friday stood at 6,031, or 22.4% of total active cases. The last time it breached the 6,000-mark was on June 23 when 6,264 people were hospitalised in a single day. Additionally, in order to scale up testing further, the Delhi government has directed its mohalla clinics to start conducting tests from Friday after daily consultations are over at 2pm. The clinics will function as testing centres between 2pm and 5pm every day in addition to the 300 dispensaries and Delhi government hospitals that already conduct tests. HT was first to report on September 2 that the government plans to conduct tests at mohalla clinics to scale up testing to the 40,000 a day target. In order to augment Covid testing drive, it has been decided to initiate Covid testing at all AAMC (aam aadmi mohalla clinics) from 2 pm to 5 pm on all working days with immediate effect. All CDMOs cum mission directors are requested to ensure AAMC empanelled staff is trained for testing procedure, including training for doffing/ donning, read the communication by Dr Shelley Kamra, state nodal officer, Mohalla Clinic cell. There are 450 mohalla clinics in the city. Unlike government hospitals and dispensaries, where the staff are either government employees or hired as ad-hoc, mohalla clinics are run by private empanelled doctors and staff paid on a per patient basis. Also read: 6.4 million Covid-19 cases were estimated in India by early May, says first national serosurvey report Similar incentives will be given to the staff running the testing centres. According to the communication by Dr Kamra, a copy of which is with the HT, a doctor will be paid 30 per person tested and entered in the ICMR portal. An assistant will be paid 30, a pharmacists 15, a multi-task worker 15, and a data-entry operator will be paid 10 per patient. The CDMOs will be responsible for ensuring availability of PPE kits, support for disposal of bio-medical waste, and thorough sanitisation of each centre after testing to prevent the infection from spreading next day during consultations. When there is an increase in the number of Covid-19 cases, there could be two scenarios. One, we are detecting more cases because we are simply testing more and two, because the positivity rate is on the increase. Whatever be the scenario, we are getting more and more cases and the resources to treat them remain finite and that is a cause of concern. The government has been saying that we have enough beds, but I have heard of people who struggled to get one. The only encouraging thing is that the positivity rate is slowly going down, meaning we are likely to see fewer cases in the future, said Dr Lalit Kant, former head of the department of epidemiology and infectious diseases at the Indian Council of Medical Research. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON 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 Japan tourism minister Kazuyoshi Akaba said Friday that Tokyo will be added to the Go To Travel tourism promotion campaign from Oct. 1, after it was excluded from the program at launch due to the novel coronavirus pandemic. A decision will be formally announced early next week, following a subcommittee meeting on the coronavirus situation that was to be held on Friday. Top banks in India have reported a surge in suspicious transactions by companies in cash and overseas transfers since COVID-19. State Bank of India (SBI), Bank of Baroda, ICICI Bank, and HDFC Bank have started red-flagging such transactions that defy traditional company patterns. Banks are keeping an eye on companies that have recorded a spike in trading, dealing with unrelated goods and services, or theres a sudden outflow of money to other countries, said a report by The Economic Times. Since April some of the top banks have seen a jump of around 30 percent and in some cases even 50 percent where they have come across as suspicious patterns, a person familiar with the matter said. Moneycontrol could not independently verify the report. The Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) has been inspecting several transactions and even pulled up some of the large public sector banks for taking the mechanism of red flags casually, a senior bank official told ET. Regulations demand banks, non-banking finance companies and insurance companies to report suspicious transactions to FIU every month. The report suggests that there are around one million suspicious transactions reported to FIU annually. The FIU has now initiated investigations in several cases. Banks, too, are bringing in forensic investigators to help identify these red flags. Gaganpreet Singh Puri, leader, forensic services, at PwC India, said many companies and individuals that were using cash transactions or illegal ways to sidestep or circumvent regulations are now unable to do so" because of the pandemic and credit contraction. Therefore, we now see fraud issues simmering and getting called out increasingly, he said. The alternative universalistic approach views Jewish concerns as harmoniously aligned with the wellbeing of the broader population. Yet, as Gawenda acknowledges, Leibler is arguably a man of contradictions. He is a neoliberal advocate for small government and lower taxation for the wealthy, yet has chosen in later life (as have many other Jewish lawyers informed by historical experiences of racism) to contribute significantly to the movement for legal and political recognition of Indigenous rights. One is the particularist approach defending Jewish interests especially against manifestations of anti-Semitism, which is often colloquially characterised as Is it good for the Jews? Gawenda frames Leibler as epitomising this approach given his robust defence of Israeli government policies whether right or wrong. Mark Leibler is a religious Zionist and social and political conservative who has played a prominent if contentious role in Jewish community politics, pro-Israel lobby groups and taxation law. This unauthorised biography by Michael Gawenda, himself a notable progressive journalist of Jewish background, explores Leiblers life through the prism of two seemingly polarised policy frameworks. Gawenda provides a concise guide to the successful migration immediate pre-war and post-war of many Jews fleeing or surviving the Holocaust. Leiblers parents fortuitously arrived from Belgium in 1939, and were welcomed into a country with no tradition of political anti-Semitism. To be sure, there were some instances of social and economic discrimination including exclusion from establishment law firms and private clubs. But Leibler, who attended a Jewish day school and later won Melbourne Universitys top law prize in 1965, denies ever experiencing anti-Semitism. For Leibler, and indeed for many Jews, Australia has been a golden land and a multicultural success story. One overriding theme in this book is the association of some Jews with wealth and power as reflected in Leiblers firm, Arnold Bloch Leibler, and its group of affluent clients. Credit: This narrative may excite some conspiracy theorists on the far left and right who believe that Jews per se control finance, politics and the media. Indeed, Gawenda suggests that a sizeable donation was made by a group of Jewish businessman to Paul Keatings 1993 re-election campaign. But the author fails to interrogate whether the donors were motivated by specific Jewish agendas or more generic business concerns, and/or whether they also made similar donations to the Coalition. Another key theme is the strong identification of most Jews with the State of Israel. But there is arguably a vast distance between the mostly older generation of uncritical Zionists (for whom Leibler acts as a predominant spokesperson) who view Israel as faultless and reject any public criticism of Israeli governments, and conversely the growing number of critical Zionists within the younger generation who believe that Israel should adhere to broader universalistic ideals and negotiate a balanced two-state solution with the Palestinians sooner rather than later. An export fair was held in north China's Tianjin municipality from Sept. 8 to 10 to help exporters sell products domestically. The event was co-organized by the Ministry of Commerce and Tianjin municipal government. 110 foreign trade enterprises from Tianjin and Inner Mongolia autonomous region took part in the fair, displaying more than 1000 selected items, including foodstuffs, specialties, knitwear, medical products, time-honored brand products, and agricultural produce. Dozens of commercial circulation enterprises and well-known e-commerce platforms made purchases on the spot. Live streaming sites were used to exhibit and sell products, both online and offline. Jin Xiangjun, vice mayor of the municipality, and Ren Hongbin, assistant minister of commerce, delivered speeches at the opening ceremony of the event on the evening of Sept. 8 at Jinjie Street. Officials from the Ministry of Commerce, the State Administration for Market Regulation and state-level chambers of commerce, as well as representatives from the Tianjin authorities also attended the opening ceremony. The exposition, open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Sept. 9 and 10, injected energy into the night market. In the exhibition area, there were three delivery spots for purchased goods. Most exhibitors chose online marketing, which meant that visitors could buy a product by scanning its QR code. Moreover, many enterprises made full use of the latest technology, including online sales, live streaming and big screens, to advertise premium exports to customers beyond the fair. This exhibition was aimed at providing a show platform and sales channel for superior exports. Foreign trade enterprises were encouraged to sell export products in the domestic market, expand sales channels and promote the upgrading of domestic consumption. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced Thursday that the $300 weekly unemployment claims would be extended. President Donald Trump signed and issued an executive order last month that extended the weekly unemployment benefits through the unspent fund of FEMA. Qualified individuals were able to receive $300 while other states add $100 to make it $400. On Thursday, the same day that the Democrats rejected the Republican-led proposed targeted bill, FEMA announced that the $300 weekly unemployment benefits would be extended. Unemployed individuals will now receive their jobless aid for up to six weeks of benefits. This means that those who filed for unemployment claims will have another three weeks, doubling the first benefit. An unemployed individual could receive a total amount of $1,800 under Trump's Lost Wages Assistance plan rather than $900. Trump earlier said he wanted to give additional money to struggling Americans. The President seems to know that his administration's proposal for a new relief aid bill might be rejected for political purposes. If the Democratic party members approved the bill, it would bolster Trump's reelection bid. According to UnemploymentPUA.com, which tracks the jobless benefits, 17 states have already distributed the benefits. FEMA further noted that 48 states, as well as Guam and the District of Columbia, had been approved for the payments. South Dakota has declined to accept the funds, with its governor saying that most of the jobs lost during the pandemic have been recovered. Trump has said that the country's economy is slowly recovering. During an interview with FOX News, White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnanny said the country's economy outpaces other neighboring countries' economies. She also touted that millions of jobs were even created amid the pandemic. Meanwhile, FEMA said it has already distributed $30 billion under the Lost Wages Assistance plan. The agency still has $14 billion left, which will also be distributed to the states who are not yet applying for the benefits. On Thursday, FEMA also announced that Sept. 10 is the final day for states and territories to apply for Trump's weekly unemployment benefit. It is also important to note that there are states that have been approved, but they did not yet send out the unemployment claims. "Regardless of where the states and territories are in their process to receive and distribute the FEMA funding, FEMA will fund six weeks in $300 supplemental unemployment benefits to every state and territory that has applied for this assistance by Sept. 10," an agency spokesperson told a news outlet via en email. The Labor Department, on the other hand, said on Thursday that around 857,000 workers filed their first unemployment aid in the week ending Sept. 5. An increase of 20,000 workers from a week before. This means that more workers are applying for the benefits. The Democrats' rejection of the GOP's proposed targeted bill, reportedly due to political reasons, is designed to help millions of Americans until the end of the year. However, Senate Democrats still blocked the bill. The Trump administration is now planning for more executive actions to make sure that Americans have resources to meet their daily needs. Check these out! TV9 Network has hired Gaurav Mehra as Vice-President of its TV and Digital convergence specialist unit, TV9 Studio. He will be reporting to Raktim Das, who recently joined as the COO of this business unit. Before joining TV9 Network, Gaurav was National Vertical Head at ZEE Innovation Studio. An alumnus of Faculty of Management (FMS), Delhi University and comes with a diverse experience of almost 2 decades in FMCG, Telecom, Radio, & Broadcast. He has held multiple positions with groups like Network18 Group, Reliance Broadcast Network Limited (BIG FM & BIG MAGIC), Idea Cellular Limited (Spice), Vodafone India (Hutch). TV9 Studio has been set up as a specialist unit that will enable the convergence of traditional TV and digital. Besides developing content products, TV9 Studio will offer innovative business solutions to brands, design platform-agnostic content to weave brand stories and sustain meaningful conversations with consumers. As per latest BARC data, TV9 Network is Indias Undisputed No. 1 News Network. The network comprises four regional language leaders in TV9 Telugu, TV9 Kannada, TV9 Marathi and TV9 Gujarati, and the national Hindi news channel TV9 Bharatvarsh, which has earned a place for itself in the league of the Top 3. Highlights Realme has announced that it sold over 180,000 units of Realme 7. Realme 7 is a true value for money device that has a good mix of everything. It will go on sale again on September 17 on Flipkart and Realme store. Realme 7 moved more than 180,000 units out of the inventory in its first sale. The huge number indicates the appetite for smartphones has grown again and it took only a few months after the lockdown relaxations began. While announcing the same, Realme's Madhav Sheth emphasised on what a smartphone brand should focus. It could be a subtle jab at Redmi, Poco, and Samsung that are primarily its rivals. The Realme 7 will go on sale again on September 17 and it will be interesting to see how many units are sold then. It is a favourable indication of the market where Chinese smartphones (or any other goods) were being shunned, following the faceoff between China and India in the Galwan Valley. A huge chunk of consumers was not interested in buying products from brands such as Realme and Xiaomi anymore, but guess that sentiment last only a few days. Realme's accomplishment in selling more than 180,000 units in one go comes as celebratory for other Chinese brands in India. The strategy that Realme works on includes aggressive pricing of smartphones. Its smartphones bring those features to the table that undercut some pricier counterparts in the market. For example, Realme was the first brand to give a 90Hz display on a smartphone that cost under Rs 15,000. It was the Realme 6 and later that feature was also given on the Rs 13k Realme 6i. With Realme 7, that feature is being continued with new ones having been added. Realme 7 specifications include 6.5-inch LCD with 90Hz refresh rate, an octa-core MediaTek Helio G95 processor, a 5000mAh battery that charges at up to 30W, up to 8GB of RAM, a 16-megapixel front-facing camera. Its rear cameras include a 64-megapixel primary Sony IMX682 primary sensor, an 8-megapixel ultrawide sensor with 119-degree field-of-view, a 2-megapixel macro sensor, and a 2-megapixel black and white sensor. The Realme 7 runs Android 10 with the Realme UI skin on top. I reviewed the Realme 7 and found it bang for the buck. If you are looking for a smartphone that fits the bill and has features such as a 90Hz display, a capable processor, and good cameras, Realme 7 should be what you need to spend those Rs 14,990 on. The next sale is taking place on September 17 at noon on Flipkart and Realme online store, which is when you should try getting yourself one. United Nations, Sep 11 : The UN Security Council (UNSC) has voiced grave concern about the significant increase of attacks on schools in recent years and also the alarming number of children denied access to quality education as a result. In a presidential statement on Thursday, the UNSC reiterated its strong condemnation of attacks as well as threats of attacks against schools, children, teachers and other persons entitled to protection, reports Xinhua news agency. It urged all parties to armed conflict to immediately cease such attacks and threats and to refrain from actions that impede children's access to education. The Security Council expressed deep concern at the military use of schools, recognizing that such use may render schools legitimate targets of attack, thus endangering children's and teachers' safety as well as children's education. It expressed concern that girls and women may be the intended victims of attacks targeting schools. The UNSC condemned the lack of accountability for violations committed against children, teachers and other persons entitled to protection. It urged UN member states to develop effective measures to prevent and address attacks and threats of attacks against schools, and encouraged them to ensure that national strategic frameworks include comprehensive measures to prevent attacks against schools. The world body called on member states to ensure that their armed forces and security forces integrate or continue to integrate practical measures for the protection of schools, children, teachers and other persons entitled to protection. The UNSC also emphasized the need for member states to facilitate the continuation of education during armed conflict. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Will Dunham (Reuters) Washington, United States Fri, September 11, 2020 09:04 497 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c442da24 2 Science & Tech alien,galaxy,astronomy,space,radio-telescope,Australia,scientists,extraterrestrial Free Scientists have completed the broadest search to date for extraterrestrial civilizations by scanning roughly 10.3 million stars using a radio telescope in Australia, but have found nothing - not yet, at least. Seeking evidence of possible life beyond our solar system, the researchers are hunting for "technosignatures" such as communications signals that may originate from intelligent alien beings. Using the Murchison Widefield Array (MWA) telescope in the outback of Western Australia, they searched for low-frequency radio emissions - frequencies similar to FM radio - from stars in the constellation of Vela. The findings were published this week in Publications of the Astronomical Society of Australia. "It is not surprising that we didn't find something. There are still so many unknown variables," astrophysicist Chenoa Tremblay of the Astronomy and Space Science division of Australia's national science agency, the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), said on Wednesday. "The search for life outside of our solar system is a big challenge," Tremblay added. "We don't know when, how, where or what type of signal we may receive to get an indication that we are not alone in the galaxy." Read also: Alien enthusiasts descend on Nevada desert near secretive US base While the search was 100 times deeper and broader than ever before, according to astrophysicist Steven Tingay of Curtin University in Australia and the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research, it involved relatively few stars in cosmic terms. "Ten million stars does seem like a lot. However, our best evaluation is that there are around 100 billion stars (in the Milky Way galaxy). So we have only looked at about 0.001 percent of our galaxy," Tremblay said. "Pretend the oceans contained only 30 fish and we tried to look for them by testing an area the size of a backyard swimming pool. The chances of finding one of those fish would have been small." The MWA is a precursor to another instrument, the Square Kilometre Array (SKA), that in the near future promises to boost the search for technosignatures. "What is important is constantly improving the techniques and always going deeper and further," Tingay said. "There is always that chance that the next observation will be the one that turns up something, even if you expect nothing. Science can be surprising, so the important thing is to keep looking." The second recorded infestation of hemlock woolly adelgid in the Adirondack Park has spread far beyond a Lake George campsite where it was first discovered. The state Department of Environmental Conservation announced Thursday that surveyors found the invasive bug on nearly 250 acres along 1.5 miles of shoreline on the eastern side of the lake in the towns of Dresden and Fort Ann. DEC will treat the infected trees with an insecticide this fall, according to a press release. Mark Whitmore, a forest entomologist at Cornell University and the New York State Hemlock Initiative, is partnering with the state, the Lake George Land Conservancy and the Adirondack Park Invasive Plant Program on analyzing and treating the site. This is a wake-up call because hemlocks are huge in the Adirondacks, Whitmore said. It is the most common shoreline tree on Lake George, period. A camper first discovered and reported the infestation in August at the Glen Island Campground. Since then, DEC staff and partners have surveyed for more than 500 hours along about 16 miles of shoreline on Lake George. Whitmore said the adelgid was found in Paradise Bay, too, a popular cove on Lake George where boaters and swimmers often congregate. Birds may have spread the adelgid, according to the DEC. Whitmore said once an adelgid hatches and is ready to move, its size is less than a quarter of a millimeter. Its small enough to float on the wind or hitch a ride on an animal. Surveying will continue to see if more trees are impacted, according to a press release. Hemlock woolly adeglid is native to eastern Asia. The tiny bug feeds on hemlock twigs. It takes four to 10 years for them to kill a tree, which Whitmore said is both good and bad. It kills the buds first, so the tree might still have its needles, but it doesnt produce any new needles, so thats the insidious thing, Whitmore said. It looks green. It looks just fine to the untrained eye, until its too late. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. Some of the oldest trees in New York are hemlocks, the DEC said. They can live for more than 700 years. They are important for protecting water quality by preventing erosion along shorelines. Hemlocks are also instrumental in protecting native brook trout, by shading waters and keeping them cool. Whitmore said he was hopeful they could curtail the infestation. The DEC said it will use an insecticide at the base of the infected trees. The same insecticide was used the first time hemlock woolly adelgid was found in the Adirondack Park, in 2017 on Prospect Mountain in Lake George. Whitmore said that infestation was very different, however, as surveys showed only three infected trees. The DEC and its partners are also determining whether to introduce an insect that feeds on adelgids, something Whitmore has studied for years in his Cornell lab. See this story on the Adirondack Explorer's website With a mixture of conspiracy theory rhetoric and false claims about efforts to stem the tide of the COVID-19 pandemic, a small group of protesters spread misinformation about face masks, the news media and public health measures Thursday afternoon. Led by a man arrested for ripping directional stickers off the floor at a Niagara Falls Shoppers Drug Mart to liberate the people, the group called Hugs Over Masks claimed the news media was deliberately spreading fear, masks do not prevent the spread of COVID-19, and that infection control measures are part of an insidious takeover of democracy. On the groups Facebook page, members promoted unscientific claims that vitamins will treat COVID-19, incorrectly assert the regional mask-bylaw is illegal, falsely accuse the acting medical officer of health of being bought off to support masks and say the pandemic itself is fake. Here are how some of the claims by the anti-maskers fare against the facts. COVID-19 cases are on the rise, so masks dont work. The virus which has swept over the globe and killed more than 900,000 people, spread primarily through respiratory droplets expelled through the mouth and nose. A mask that is worn properly will drastically reduce the volume of those droplets being put into the air, and reduce virus spread, particularly when used in conjunction with physical distancing and handwashing, according to public health officials from Health Canada to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. This Hugs over Masks claim fails on two counts. Anti-maskers will sometimes claim the virus particles are so small, they just pass through a mask. However, the virus is primarily spread through respiratory droplets, which are caught by a face covering. If you look at health-care workers in hospitals, there they are in direct contact with COVID-19 patients and a mask is being used as their protection, and for the most part, those people are not contracting the virus, said Dr. Mustafa Hirji, Niagaras acting medical officer of health. That is pretty strong evidence of how effective masks are. Protesters also claimed masks fail because COVID-19 cases are rising. However, public health officials point to gatherings indoors and out where people are not physically distancing nor wearing masks as a key driver of new infections. In British Columbia, for example, night clubs, where close contact and a lack of masks contributed to the spread of the virus, have been closed as the province copes with a second wave of infections. Niagara saw its daily case count rise through most of July and August, but within weeks of the regional masking bylaw being passed, the case count fell to low levels again. Hirji says wearing masks was a contributing factor in reducing infections. Masking bylaws are just like the novel Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell. Orwells classic novel is about a country under the tyrannical rule of Big Brother and his Party. So repressive is the rule of Big Brother, modelled by Orwell after Stalinist Russia, that citizens are ordered to ignore evidence and only believe the ruling partys directives. Citizens are tortured and murdered for thought crime. Despite the claims by the anti-mask protesters, masking bylaws to reduce the spread of COVID-19 do not infringe upon a persons constitutional rights, nor are they enforced through violence. In the world of Nineteen Eighty-Four, protests like those of Hugs over Masks would result in the rendition of the protesters. The news media is rewarded for spreading fear. The groups organizer, Sandor Ligetfalvy (who was charged with criminal mischief after the drug store sticker incident), told The Standard that the press through its incentives ... will drum up as much fear as possible, to ensure the mask bylaws stay in effect. He does not identify what those incentives are supposed to be. Neither The Standard nor other media outlets, are being rewarded for spreading fear.. In the case of The Standard, and its sister papers in the Torstar chain, reporters have looked closely at the responses to COVID-19 by the local and provincial governments. This week a joint St. Catharines Standard/Hamilton Spectator investigation looked at how the Ontario government was unprepared for a pandemic, and its failure to be transparent about its COVID-19 decision-making processes. In this May 27, 2020 file photo, a worker at a daycare center in Tacoma, Wash., wears a mask as she cleans a tricycle following use by a class, a task that is repeated several times a day. Twelve kids who likely caught Covid-19 at three child care centers in Utah went on to spread the virus elsewhere and infected some parents and siblings, according to a new study published Friday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The authors of the study note that research had previously shown that kids 10 years and older could spread the virus in schools. The new study is evidence that even younger kids, including an 8-month-old baby, can still spread the virus, despite not getting severely sick from Covid-19, the researchers said. The study looked at outbreaks that occurred in three child care centers in Salt Lake City, between April and July. Using contact tracing data collected at the time of the outbreaks, the researchers used the data to "retrospectively construct transmission chains" to determine precisely how the virus spread. A total of 83 kids attended the three child care centers included in the study, the researchers said. Among the three outbreaks, the researchers said 12 kids were infected with Covid-19 at the child care centers, though three of them never developed symptoms and nine developed just mild symptoms. The study says those 12 kids came into contact with 46 people not associated with the child care facilities and appear to have infected 12, or more than a quarter, of them. Those infected by the kids include six mothers, one of whom was hospitalized, three siblings and three others, the study says. "Transmission was observed from two of three children with confirmed, asymptomatic COVID-19," the researchers wrote, providing more evidence that those who do not have Covid-19 symptoms can still spread the virus. "COVID-19 is less severe in children than it is in adults, but children can still play a role in transmission." The role that kids, especially asymptomatic children, play in spreading the virus has become a much-contested topic as the debate over whether and how to reopen schools for in-person learning continues. While the researchers focused specifically on child care settings and not necessarily schools, they recommended testing as a useful mitigation and research tool. "Two of three asymptomatic children likely transmitted SARS-CoV-2 to their parents and possibly to their teachers," they wrote. "Having SARS-CoV-2 testing available, timely results, and testing of contacts of patients in child care settings regardless of symptoms can help prevent transmission and provide a better understanding of the role played by children in transmission." The researchers noted a few limitations of their study. Between April 1 and July 10, Salt Lake County identified 17 child care centers with at least two confirmed Covid-19 cases within a 14-day period, but the study only includes data on three of those centers. The researchers added that guidance for contact tracing methodology changed during the pandemic and could have led to inconsistent data collection systems. Also, they said initial testing criteria was more restrictive and could have led to an undercount of infections. And finally, the researchers noted that at one of the centers, they could not find the source of the outbreak, so it's possible that cases at the center were brought in from another source. At the two other facilities, the researchers said they traced the source of infection to staff members who contracted Covid-19 through a family member. "Testing of contacts of laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 cases in child care settings, including children who might not have symptoms, could improve control of transmission from child care attendees to family members," the researchers concluded. The legislature should either ratify or revoke emergency orders. Moreover, the law that authorizes such emergency orders should be revised so that the most intrusive orders expire in a short period without General Assembly action. The legislature is the most democratic body in state government, and the most responsive to the will of the people. As such, it is the least likely to allow abuses of emergency power. If the legislature is not in session, the governor should be required to call it into session for emergency orders to continue. The Bombay high court (HC) on Thursday directed the Maharashtra government to take a decision on two representations of Cooperative Bank Employees Union, Mumbai, seeking permission for employees of cooperative banks in Mumbai and Thane to travel by suburban trains to reach their workplaces. The bench of justice KK Tated and justice NR Borkar directed the state government to decide on the representations of the union and communicate the decision to its members in three weeks. The union moved HC after its members were being stopped by police from boarding local trains. Advocate TJ Pandian, the counsel for the union, submitted that a vast majority of employees working in various cooperative banks in Mumbai reside at far off places. Before the lockdown, these employees used to travel to their respective workplaces on local trains. However, after the lockdown was imposed, they are not being allowed to travel by locals, despite the fact that employees in essential services are permitted to travel by trains. This is causing serious hardships to the bank employees in reporting to their places of work, Pandian said. He further submitted that the Union home ministry allowed employees of nationalised banks to travel by local trains, but the employees of cooperative banks are given discriminatory treatment. Additional government pleader Rupali Shinde said considering the present Covid-19 situation in Maharashtra, it is very difficult to allow the members of the union to travel by local trains. However, after the petitioners lawyer pointed out that their representations, dated June 15 and July 2, were not pending, HC issued the direction to the government to decide the representations. Workers coming to the Georgia coast to cut apart and remove a giant cargo ship that overturned a year ago will be sequestered at a nearby resort, which will close to the public for up to four months, in an effort to prevent coronavirus infections among the salvage team. Tuesday marked a year since the South Korean freighter Golden Ray capsized off St. Simons Island soon after leaving port on Sept. 8, 2019. Experts determined the ship was too badly damaged to be floated out intact, so they plan to slice it into eight massive pieces for removal by barge. Cutting on the ship had been scheduled to begin in late July, but was delayed after nine workers tested positive for COVID-19. The multi-agency command overseeing the salvage opted to delay until after August and September, typically the most active months of the Atlantic hurricane season. The salvage team still hopes to begin the cutting in early October, said Coast Guard Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael Himes, a spokesman for the command. Himes confirmed the command has booked the resort Epworth by the Sea to keep about 100 salvage workers housed in a bubble for a four-month period. The resort will be closed to the general public Sept. 22 through Jan. 21. Its website says it has lodging for 1,000 overnight guests. The Brunswick News first reported the plan, citing a letter by Epworth CEO Joel Willis. Once we start cutting, the ship gets more vulnerable and theres a lot of different factors that could impact the schedule, Himes said. The one we think we can have the best control over is COVID-19. First, all arriving crew members will be housed at a hotel for a 14-day quarantine period to ensure theyre not infectious before being transferred to the resort, Himes said. Even after that, they will be subjected to daily temperature checks and other safety protocols. Himes noted the resort booking, like the rest of the salvage operation, is being paid for by the ships owner and its insurer. Beached on its side, the Golden Ray measures 656 feet (200 meters) long and still has 4,200 automobiles inside its cargo decks. A towering, floating crane will straddle the shipwreck and saw it into pieces using massive anchor chains. It will leave the Georgia coast in eight chunks weighing up to 4,100 tons (3,720 metric tonnes) apiece. The automobiles inside will either be hauled off in a bundle with the huge ship pieces or fall into the water for retrieval later. The entire removal should take about eight weeks, Himes said, barring any further interruptions. Dangerous weather could force more delays. Hurricane season wont end until Dec. 1, and storms so far have been spawning in the Atlantic Ocean at a record-setting pace. On Monday, Tropical Storm Rene became the Atlantics earliest 17th named storm on record. Were still on track to begin in early October, but of course that is a fluid timeline, Himes said. Were monitoring the weather every day. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics COVID-19 Georgia Futures home retailing interests, including furniture and furnishings, are housed under Praxis Home Retail, which was created in FY18 when the group demerged the business from Future Retail. IMAGE: Kishore Biyani. Photograph: Francis Mascarenhas / Reuters. Future Group Founder Kishore Biyani has no plans to exit home retailing, the only retail business he is left with after selling his retail assets to Reliance Industries, say persons in the know. There are no plans to sell it. Home retailing will continue to run as an independent company owned by Biyani, says a source. Futures home retailing interests, including furniture and furnishings, are housed under Praxis Home Retail, which was created in FY18 when the group demerged the business from Future Retail. Both online and offline interests within home retailing were consolidated in Praxis, including HomeTown stores and online acquisition FabFurnish, bought in calendar year 2016 in an all-cash deal by the group. FabFurnish was subsequently merged with the e-platform of HomeTown in an attempt to push a single brand both online and offline. The move was also intended to seamlessly integrate e-commerce and bricks-and-mortar operations as part of a larger omni-channel play in home retailing. While Praxis reported an 80 per cent rise in revenue to Rs 684 crore a year after the demerger (FY19), top line rose just 2 per cent in FY20, pointing to the growing competition from online players, including Pepperfry, Livspace and HomeLane. Ankur Bisen, senior vice-president, Technopak, says that consumers, especially millennials and working professionals, are open to the idea of buying furniture online rather than depending on carpenters and neighbourhood furniture stores as their parents did. "However, the convergence of online and offline is high in home retailing, pointing to the need for touch and feel that still exists in home retailing, he says. Pepperfry, which started as a pure online marketplace in 2012, realises that consumers could not be categorised as solely online or offline consumers, and hence launched over 60 studios which today contribute to about 20 per cent of the company's revenue. Yet, some experts say that the pandemic has given a boost to online players, since travelling to stores has reduced considerably. The lockdown has also led to an unprecedented increase in demand for home-office furniture, they say. Pepperfrys home office furniture category, specifically study tables and ergonomic office chairs grew by 185 per cent and 175 per cent, respectively, in June 2020, in comparison to pre-lockdown levels, says Kashyap Vadapalli, chief marketing officer & business head, Pepperfry. According to Redseer, the Indian furniture market stands at $17 billion (or Rs 1.2 trillion) in size, with 15 per cent organised and the rest unorganised. The organised market is growing at a CAGR of 15-17 per cent, Redseer says, ahead of the unorganised segment. Global furniture giants such as IKEA, which entered the Indian market in 2018, have also galvanised the organised market, say experts, aiming to reach 200 million customers by 2021, using a combination of online and offline operations. Livspace, which has raised $90 million (Rs 660 crore) in a round led by Kharis Capital and Venturi Partners, says a majority of its design consultations and new bookings have moved online. In fact, 70 per cent of our bookings in this period (of the pandemic) have been done remotely. We accelerated feature launches on our platform in order to support a completely remote workflow for designers and a delightful remote experience for homeowners that included video consultations and online design sessions, says Anuj Srivastava, chief executive officer (CEO) and co-founder, Livspace. For home interior design player Design Cafe, customers are inclined towards completing 30-40 per cent of the process virtually after Covid-19. Though adopting the online first approach has been challenging, given the technical difficulties faced, it has created great time utility for both the customers and us. We have made 3D walkthroughs accessible to new customers which help in recreating the store experience, says Shezan Bhojani, CEO & co-founder of the company. Bollywood actor Kangana Ranaut, locked in a bitter faceoff with Shiv Sena in Maharashtra, has received support from the Akhil Bhartiya Akhada Parishad (ABAP)the apex decision-making body of the 13 recognised Hindu monastic orders of the country. Akhara Parishad president Mahant Narendra Giri has described Kangana Ranaut as a brave and courageous daughter of the nation who has busted the racket involving Bollywood personalities and the drug mafia. The fearless voice of the actor against nepotism and domination of a particular community in Bollywood, besides the nexus existing between the film industry and the drug mafia has caused ripples. The mafia and state government are both in fear and simply hitting out at her, said Giri. This is the reason why the Uddhav Thackeray government has demolished Kangana Ranauts office and acted in simple retaliation aimed at suppressing her voice, he added. Ranauts office was demolished by the Brihanmumbai municipal corporation (BMC) on Wednesday, alleging departure from the sanctioned plan. The demolition has been criticized by many including the leader of opposition in Maharashtra, Devendra Fadnavis, who alleged it was done in haste and was a case of selective targeting. Akhara Parishad president said that Kangana was being targeted by the high and mighty for revealing dirty secrets. However, the Maharashtra high court has given a huge relief to Kangana by granting a stay on the demolition operations. The bravery, with which she has faced drugs and Bollywood mafia in Sushant Singh murder case, has made many people angry and she is being targeted at their behest, Giri said. Also Read: Kangana Ranauts mother thanks Amit Shah for support, says family was Congress loyalist but will support BJP now The demolition case is being heard in Mumbai high court, which has set September 22 as the next day for hearing. Mahant Narendra Giri added that the law and order situation in Maharashtra was very bad. Even in the lynching case of two saints in Palghar, the Maharashtra government has not taken any action. The Akhada parishad has demanded a CBI inquiry in the Palghar case but the state government has failed to act, he added. Also Read: Babita Phogat supports Kangana Ranaut, asks why award wapsi gang of Bollywood is silent Three policemen were recently dismissed from service for dereliction of duty in the lynching case. The state CID is currently probing this matter and 150 people have been arrested so far for their alleged involvement in this case. Giri further said that in this battle of Kangana Ranaut, all saints and the countrymen were with her. He also thanked Himachal Pradesh and the central governments for giving security cover to Kangana. Also Read: BJP MLA writes to Amit Shah over Kangana Ranaut, alleges Dawood angle On Thursday, seers of Ayodhya and the Vishva Hindu Parishad accused the Maharashtra government of shielding those involved in anti-social activities and said that Uddhav Thackeray was no more welcome in the temple town of Ayodhya. A five-time lotto winner who was fined for public urination and drink driving has had his penalty reduced because he's been living on 'limited income'. Carlo Paul Massetti, 49, shot to stardom in 2018 when he won $2.5million in prize money from two Lotto tickets. The lucky punter scored another win on May 7, claiming the $1million division-one prize before landing another $1.47million five days later. He was in luck once more when he faced Southport Magistrates Court on Thursday after he was was caught urinating next to a vehicle on Clifford St, Surfers Paradise. Carlo Paul Massetti (pictured), 49, faced Southport Magistrates Court on Thursday after being caught urinating next to a vehicle idling and parked on Clifford St, Surfers Paradise, about 11.45pm on June 30 The former funeral director, who has not worked since his first Lotto win in 2012, blew a blood alcohol reading of 0.139 per cent on the night of the incident on June 30. The maximum fine for middle range drink driving is $2,277.90 but he was slapped with a $600. 'Noting that you have limited income I have reduced your fine to $600,' Magistrate Grace Kahlert. Mr Massetti had told the court he had not needed to work and had been living off his savings. The court heard Mr Massetti (pictured) donated $50,000 to the cardiac services at St Vincent's Hospital in June 2018 after his father and two of his grandparents suffered heart attacks 'I haven't been well enough,' he said. Mr Massetti told the court he was 'obviously very remorseful' about the incident. 'I realise it was the wrong thing to do,' he said, the Gold Coast Bulletin reported. The court heard he donated $50,000 to the cardiac services at St Vincent's Hospital in June 2018 after his father and two of his grandparents suffered heart attacks. Mr Massetti was also disqualified for driving for four months. Although the Permian Basin region that spans both Texas and New Mexico is home to only a small portion of those states population, it contributes significant portions of gross domestic product of both states. Its important for us to get out there and tell this story, Don Evans, chairman of the Permian Strategic Partnership, told the Reporter-Telegram in a telephone interview. He said the surge of Permian Basin crude and natural gas production has played a major role in not just the regions economic prosperity but that of Texas, the US and even global economies. That production growth let those economies grow at their maximum potential and lifted hundreds of thousands of people (if not more) out of poverty, he said. The PSP, a coalition of 20 oil and gas producers that have come together to address community needs, from infrastructure to health care and education to housing, just issued a report highlighting the economic opportunities offered by the Permians natural resources. That report will be discussed in detail in Sundays edition. In order for the region to realize that potential, Evans said good infrastructure specifically roads is needed. Ive always said the governments role is to create an environment for the private sector and public companies to do what they do so well, create wealth. Part of that environment is infrastructure so companies can effectively carry out their programs. Without good roads, its difficult to develop resources in a safe and effective way, said Evans, who served as Commerce secretary during President George W. Bushs first term. PSP, along with other organizations, from MOTRAN to the Permian Basin MPO, Midland and Odessa Development corporations, area chambers of commerce, area mayors and state and federal representatives have worked to secure additional funding for Permian Basin roads. The Texas Department of Transportation recently affirmed an additional $600 million for Permian Basin roads under its Unified Transportation Program. In addition, the US Department of Transportation has awarded $25 million under its Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) grant program to rebuild the interchange at Interstate 20 and Cotton Flat Road in Midland, to be dispersed by TxDOT. Evans expressed his appreciation that elected officials, from President Trump and Sens. John Cornyn and Ted Cruz and Rep. Mike Conaway at the federal level to Gov. Greg Abbott and state Reps. Tom Craddick and Brooks Landgraf at the state level appreciate the economic contributions of the Permian Basins energy industry and support the need to invest in the areas infrastructure. He also said he couldnt be prouder of the leadership shown by the 20 companies who helped form the PSP, an effort he said is unprecedented. They came together to support the citizens, the region and provide for education, safe roads, health care, affordable housing, Evans said. Theyre concerned about the citizens of the areas where they operate. Its the friendly nature of the Permian Basin, and theyre a big part of that. They want to protect the quality of life here, enhance it and make it better. Another Florida towing company is on the hook for illegally towing, selling and scrapping U.S. service members' vehicles while they were deployed. ASAP Towing and Storage agreed in a settlement reached with the U.S. government to reimburse what may be dozens of service members up to a total of $99,500 for auctioning their vehicles without a court order, the Justice Department said Thursday. The Jacksonville-based towing service also must pay a $20,000 civil penalty to the U.S. Treasury. Prosecutors alleged in court filings that the company illegally sold vehicles belonging to at least 33 service members since 2013. A federal law protects military personnel from having their property sold without a court order while they're in serving and for 90 days after leaving the service. The Department of Justice launched an investigation into ASAP after learning that Navy Lt. j.g. Zane Robert Berry had filed a complaint against the company, accusing it of towing and selling "his sole means of transportation" while he was deployed on a submarine, Eric Dreiband, a civil rights division assistant attorney general, said in a statement. Prior to deploying, Berry told management at his gated apartment complex in Jacksonville that his car would be parked outside his apartment while he served for seven months on the USS Florida. But two months after he left, one of the tires on the car went flat and the property managers called ASAP to tow it, court documents said. The vehicle was towed in April and auctioned off in June, along with several items Berry had left in it including tools, his driver's license, and music CDs, two of which had been made by Berry's deceased stepfather, according to court documents. Despite a company policy that ASAP employees "do a visual inspection" of impounded vehicles for any signs of a military owner, employees either failed to see or ignored the Navy parking decal on Berry's car and the gold folder with "welcome aboard" documents for the USS Florida on the Cruiser's passenger seat, prosecutors said. Berry's car was returned a year after it was towed, he told Jacksonville television station News4Jax on Thursday, the same day the settlement was reached and the lawsuit was filed. Under the settlement, ASAP agreed to pay each service member whose vehicle it had illegally towed the estimated trade-in value of his or her vehicle and an additional $500. The total amount is not to exceed $99,500, according to the settlement, which is subject to court approval. The settlement came a week after the city of San Antonio, Texas, agreed to pay $47,000 to two service members who complained that the city had unlawfully auctioned off their vehicles while they were in military service. and less than a month after the government sued Target Recovery Towing Inc. and Target Recovery & Transport Inc. for selling a former Marine's vehicle while she served in Okinawa, Japan. Defense firm Northrop Grumman has announced it has landed a major defense contract to lead in developing America's Ground Based Strategic Deterrent program. It won a whopping $13.3 billion Air Force contract to build the Pentagon's next-generation intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), crucial in nuclear deterrence. A Northrop Grumman press release said that a team nationwide that will include over 10,000 engineers, scientists and technicians will spend eight-and-a-half years building the new missile, with an expected operational goal of 2029. Via Getty Images In a Tuesday press conference announcing the contract, Defense Secretary Mark Esper affirmed the controversial plans to push forward America's nuclear arsenal, at a time fears grow of a 'new Cold War' arms race with Russia and China, also as the New START treaty hangs in the balance. Modernizing the nuclear strategic triad is a top priority of our military, Esper said. Its key to our nations defense. It provides that strategic nuclear deterrent that we depend on day after day that weve depended on decade after decade. The efforts are an outgrowth of a prior Obama administration plan for an overhaul and modernization of the US nuclear arsenal, which a 2017 CBO report estimated to cost $1.2 trillion over the next three decades. A Northrop Grumman building in El Segundo, California. Image via Yahoo News Both Congressional Democrats as well as arms control groups have remained fierce critics. Former Defense Secretary William Perry said in a statement in association with the nuclear nonproliferation group Ploughshares Fund, subsequently cited in The Hill, The highest probability of starting a nuclear war is a mistaken launch caused by a false alarm and a rushed decision to launch nuclear-armed ICBMs. He added, Instead of spending billions of dollars on new nuclear missiles we dont need, we must focus on preventing accidental nuclear war. European Council President Charles Michel has called for faster consideration of sanctions against officials in Belarus after the detention of multiple opposition leaders. "Political persecution in Belarus including detentions on political grounds and forced exile must stop," Michel tweeted Wednesday. "Belarusian authorities must free political prisoners and let citizens exercise their right to freedom of speech and assembly." Unidentified Belarusian authorities on Wednesday detained one of the two remaining free leaders of an opposition council amid continuing protests against longtime President Alexander Lukashenko following a disputed election. Attorney Maxim Znak was taken out of the Coordination Council's office by unknown people wearing ski masks, according to his associate, Gleb German. Znak's detention came as Lukashenko tried to end protests against him. German said Znak managed to text "masks" before his phone was seized. Svetlana Alexievich, winner of the 2015 Nobel Prize in literature, is now the only council executive to remain free in Belarus, even after unidentified people tried to enter her apartment on Wednesday. Several European Union diplomats and journalists arrived at her apartment in Minsk to prevent her detention. Alexievich told reporters she does not plan to leave Belarus. "What is happening is terror against the people," Alexievich said. "We have to unite and not give up our intentions. There is a danger we will lose the country." Thousands of people have taken part in five weeks of protests following the Aug. 9 election in which Lukashenko was declared the winner. Opposition parties, the United States and the European Union allege the election was rigged. President Muhammadu Buhari has directed the Minister of Labour and Productivity, Chris Ngige, to meet with the organised labour to hear their concerns with the recent hike in prices of petrol and electricity. The minister disclosed this to journalists on Friday after he met the president. Mr Ngige told journalists that the meeting was expected to hold on Saturday in Abuja. The President has approved for us to have a bigger government side meeting with the organized private labour; all the government institutions that have to do with the finances of government so that we meet with them and show them the books, he said. So, the invitation is going out to them this afternoon, the Nigeria Labour Congress, the trade union congress and their affiliates or supporters and friends in the Civil Society Organisations. The meeting is scheduled for tomorrow, so, I will relate more with the Chief of Staff to the President and the leadership of the unions today so that we do this meeting tomorrow. At the meeting, government finances, challenges and everything will be laid bare on the table. Their own fears and what they think is also good for the Nigerian people especially the workers, they will also table it so that we look at it, he said. Mr Ngige said the hike in electricity tariff was based on the difficulties confronting the sector. He said: The electricity tariff as you know, the Electricity Regulatory Commission approved the increase based on certain electricity band R1 and R2 and even in the R2 band, you have soft bands so that we can protect the rural poor and people who are in the suburbs. So, we are going to look at them holistically because we want a stable labour industrial union in the country so the President has been briefed and he is in tune and has given the support to talk to everybody we need to talk to. Commenting on the planned strike by the unions of universities, Mr Ngige said the government was aware of their plans and had already invited them to a meeting so as to address their concerns. The tripartite unions of university system including some colleges of education and some hospitals; Non-Academic Staff of Universities (NASU), Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT), we have invited them to a meeting, the leadership met with me last week and the major thrust of the challenges they have is on the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information (IPPIS) system. They claim and allege that the IPPIS system is over deducting some line items like taxes, the Pay As You Earn (PAYE) taxes they claim the IPPIS system is charging more than they suppose to debit. The also claim that some allowances that are peculiar to the university system like responsibility allowance, hazard allowance, field trip allowance and education of children allowance, that the IPPIS has stopped all of them. At the government level, we have discussed and we now want to do a special session with them, they come with their facts and the Accountant General will lead his team, the National Salaries and Incomes and Wages will also come and the Ministry of Labour will lead and then we discuss and find out who is treating the other unfairly, the minister said. President Donald Trump has said the US has some incredible nuclear weapon systems that nobody knows about but refuted allegations of leaking classified information about them to a renowned investigative journalist in his upcoming book. Penned by American journalist Bob Woodward, the book Rage to be launched on September 15 has stirred several controversies around Trumps presidency, weeks before the US election to be held on November 3. According to the excerpts of the book released by The Washington Post, Trump during an interview with Woodward said, I have built a nuclear -- a weapons system that nobodys ever had in this country before. We have stuff that you havent even seen or heard about. We have stuff that (Russian President Vladimir) Putin and (Chinese President) Xi Jinping have never heard about before. Theres nobody -- what we have is incredible. Woodward writes that anonymous people later confirmed that the US military had a secret new weapons system, but they would not provide details, and that the people were surprised Trump had disclosed it, The Washington Post said. Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Trump denied having talked about classified information about US nuclear weapons. We have great weaponry. No, Im not talking about classified (information). Im talking about what we build. Were building great weaponry, the president said when asked if he shared classified information about a nuclear weapons system with Woodward. What were you talking about when you talked about that? Trump was asked. Our military is stronger now than its ever been. We spent USD 2.5 trillion on our military over the last three-and-a-half years. We now have new rockets and missiles. And, frankly, our nuclear -- we have to hope to God we never have to use it -- but our nuclear now is in the best shape its been in decades, he asserted. Trump told reporters the US has some nuclear systems that nobody knows about. And, frankly, I think Im better off keeping it that way. We have some incredible systems, he said. James Acton, co-director of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peaces nuclear policy programme, tweeted that Trump might have been mentioning about a 2017 announcement of a plan to reduce the explosive power of some nuclear warheads on submarine-launched missiles. The timing was kept secret. My guess is that Trump told Woodward about the first deployment before it was made public. This weapon is usually called the low-yield D5 (because the missile is the Trident D5 sea-launched ballistic missiles). The warhead is the W76-2, he tweeted on Thursday. I dont believe that the US could build an actually new nuclear weapon in secret. Too much money for classified budgets. Too many people involved for it not to leak, Acton said in another tweet. Meanwhile, addressing a public rally in Michigan on Thursday, Trump asserted that he did not leak any information and asserted that he just wanted to inform the people that the US has the greatest weaponry in the world. I said, we have systems and missiles and rockets and military we have systems that youve never even seen before. (Chinese) President Xi (Jinping) has nothing like it. Russian President (Vladimir) Putin has nothing like it. They (the media) said he may be giving away classified information. These people are sick. Never speak well about our technology...I just want to let people know we have the greatest systems, the greatest equipment and the greatest people anywhere in the world. There is nobody like the US military, Trump told the crowd. US Jail Voting Chicago A Cook County jail inmate casts his ballot as he participates in early voting for the Illinois primary in Chicago on March 14, 2020. Credit - Charles Rex ArbogastAP Nigel Alexander Clay hadnt planned on voting. Hed been detained in Arlington, Va. for misdemeanor charges since late summer 2019, and didnt think voting from jail was possible. So when Chris DeRosa, the Arlington chapter leader of the advocacy group Spread The Vote came to the jail to ask if any detainees wanted to register to vote in Virginias 2019 elections, Clay jumped at the chance. Being in jail, its easy to think, Man I dont matter. The world is moving on without me, the 28-year-old tells TIME. Having my voice heard and having my vote counted just having that option is a beautiful thing. Clay researched the candidates running in Virginias 2019 elections, including the local commonwealth attorney, sheriff and county board members, filled out his mail-in ballot, returned it, then called his local registrars office to confirm itd been received. It just gave me some hope, Clay says. Even though [youre] going through some tough times dont forget you can still vote. This is a democracy. Spread the Vote has now partnered with more than 50 jails across the U.S. in a broad new initiative, Vote By Mail in Jail, which is organized in partnership with the nonprofit Vote.org. The advocacy group has more than 150 volunteers researching jails voting infrastructure, training jail program officers and counselors on how to facilitate vote by mail, and sending postcards to incarcerated people explaining how to cast their ballot in 18 states. The organization aims to reach 15,000 people in 300 jails across more than 25 states by the general election on November 3. Other groups are doing similar work across the country. In Wisconsin, the non-profit All Voting is Local and ACLU of Wisconsin analyzed vote from jail policies and presented recommendations to county sheriffs and clerks across the state. In Illinois, voting access advocacy organizations, including Chicago Votes, have successfully pushed for legislation that makes ballots more accessible in jails throughout the state. Story continues But advocates say theyre still in the early stages of a long battle. Across the country, theres little consistency, or oversight, of jail voting, and the roughly 750,000 people in U.S. jails represent one of the most often-overlooked and difficult-to-reach populations, especially in places where law enforcement is uncooperative or misinformed. The majority of those in jail have not been convicted of felonies, and are therefore eligible to vote, and many are behind bars simply because they cannot afford bail for minor offenses. Their access to the ballot is blocked not by legal issues, but logistical ones. Because a disproportionate makeup of jail populations are people of color, this disproportionately marginalizes them as voters in this context as well. This de facto disenfranchisement can affect more than these individuals lives. Especially in close contests, voters in jail can determine the outcome of local races for sheriffs and judges, who enforce and interpret policies that directly affect the lives of the incarcerated. Much of the national conversation around criminal justice reform and voting in recent years has focused on those with felony convictions. Its only recently that reform measures aimed at voters in jail, who are often serving time for misdemeanors, began gaining traction. As the community of reformers expanded, people kept searching for the ripple effects of mass incarceration, says Marc Mauer, senior adviser to The Sentencing Project, a criminal justice reform advocacy group. And increasingly theres heightened discussion about the jail voting issue along with that. It definitely will open your eyes Jen Dean, the co-deputy director of Chicago Votes, a voting-access advocacy group, remembers talking with a woman at Cook County Jail in March 2018 who was waiting to vote for the first time in her life. The woman told her that she never would have voted had she not been in jail, and that she couldnt wait to get out so she could register her whole family to vote, too, Dean recalls. Dean had registered the woman to vote and had been with her when she requested her absentee ballot. When Dean returned for subsequent voter registration drives, this same woman had been her divisions gatekeeperthe person who helps command the rooms attention. All right ladies, calm down, give her the floor, everybody be quiet. The gatekeeper is often instrumental in helping an advocate like Dean present the case for why voting is important. I will never forget her. She just validated everything that I do, fromvoter registration through actually submitting your ballot when you are in the worst environment in the world but you still give a shit for some reason, says Dean. That is everything. Chicago Votes has registered eligible voters in Cook County Jail, one of the largest jails in the U.S. with a daily jail population of more than 5,000 people, through its Unlock Civics initiative since 2017. According to Chicago Votes, roughly 100,000 people pass through the facility each year and more than 90% of them are eligible to vote. Over the years, the voting-access group has worked with jail administrators to increase access to voter education, registration, and ballot access; set up processes for registering and voting; and trained teams of volunteers on everything from cultural sensitivity, like what language they should use, to serving as poll watchers. But there were still gaps that needed to be addressed. Illinois switched to same-day voter registration in 2014, but incarcerated people at the jail werent offered that access, and if they were arrested after the absentee ballot deadline, they could be disenfranchised. To address those problems, Chicago Votesbacked by a coalition of voting access and criminal justice reform groupssucceeded in pushing the state legislature to pass a bill in 2019 requiring jails across the state to facilitate vote by mail and turning Cook County Jail into an official polling location. It was the first jail in the U.S. to do so. Sean Allen, 36, who was incarcerated at Cook County Jail pretrialand voted from there both in the 2018 midterms and the 2020 primarysaid the transformation has been meaningful. Jail [makes] you look at who is the states attorney, who is the sheriff of the county, and of course the different laws, Allen says. I wont say for everybody, but it definitely will open your eyes as far as who youre voting for and whats going on. Due to the COVID pandemic, jail administrators have limited visitors and internal programs in recent months. That includes voter registration, a matter of concern for Dean. I am definitely concerned about the fact that nobody has been inside that jail doing voter registration this whole summer, and we have an election coming up in November, she says. Inmates at the Cook County Jail Joshua Cavin, Sean Allen and Sirjerathan Wilson pose for a portrait outside cell pod "B" after participating in early voting for the Illinois primary in Chicago on March 12, 2020. Charles Rex ArbogastAP A cross-section of historically marginalized voters In 1974, the U.S. Supreme Court case OBrien v. Skinner ruled that eligible voters in jail cant be denied the right to vote because theyre incarcerated. But the Court largely left it up to states and municipalities to figure out how to ensure people in jail could vote. And since the 1970s, says Dana Paikowsky, a fellow at the nonprofit the Campaign Legal Center (CLC), that hasnt really happened. There have been very few instances of action being taken to affirmatively address jail-based disenfranchisement at a state level and even locally, she says. That is, in part, the problem that voting access advocates are facing in Wisconsin. A county jail analysis published by All Voting is Local and ACLU of Wisconsin found that more than half of Wisconsin counties that responded to their inquiries did not have written policies for how incarcerated people could register and vote, and only oneKenosha Countyhad systems in place to make that happen. None of the counties that responded to the advocacy groups requests for information said they had a way to track when people in jail asked to register to vote. Shauntay Nelson, the Wisconsin state director for All Voting is Local, says her group has been in talks with Wisconsin county jails to determine whether they would be able to get lawyers or election officials what the group calls a jail voting social worker to administer the voting process behind bars. The organization also offers a training program that enables volunteers to pursue voter registration at local jails. Counties failure to proactively offer people in jail access to registration and balloting has an inordinate impact on people of color and the poor. When youre talking about who is in American jails, youre also talking about a sort of cross-section of historically marginalized voters, says Paikowsky, who works on CLCs initiative to help facilitate voting in jails across the country. Jail populations are disproportionately Black, Latino and Native American, and disproportionately homeless and low income, she adds. The median bail for felonies is $10,000, or around eight months of income for the typical person detained in jail, according to a report from the criminal justice reform think tank the Prison Policy Initiative. Enfranchising people in jail is about more than just securing an individuals right, Nelson argues. When an eligible voter is denied the fundamental right to vote, not only is their voice silenced, but also the voices of their families and their communities, she says. It further alienates these communities from a political process thats supposed to work for them. The power of a few thousand voices Voting access organizations say they see both good news and bad news on the horizon. On the local level, there seems to be rising interest in the issue, as more volunteers look to get involved, says Jennifer Costa, the director of volunteer training at Spread the Vote. Some days, she says, she receives more than 100 calls from volunteers. On the national level, the challenges remain formidable. Garien Gatewood, the program director of the advocacy group the Illinois Justice Project, which backed the Illinois legislation to facilitate jail-based voting, says that much of their work is stymied by a lack of a national conversation around the issue. The work being done in Illinois could easily serve as a model for other states, he says, but theres no national coordination. There is a leadership vacuum in getting this ball rolling on the national perspective, he says. But the path forward is clear, advocates say: states should establish polling places in jails to allow Election Day voting (as Cook County Jail has done); mail voting should be made more widely available; consistent voter education and registration should become the norm; and states should implement oversight measures. Kat Calvin, the founder and executive director of Spread the Vote, says theres no good reason people in jail should not have the same access to the ballot as anyone else. Theyre being counted in the census. Theyre still citizens and theres no reason that they shouldnt be able to vote, she says. Their lives are being controlled by the system. They should be allowed to elect people in that system. And yet we have the exact opposite of that. Jail populations could also be deciding factors in many local elections. In a 2019 article published in the Harvard Civil Rights-Civil Liberties Law Review, Paikowsky of the Campaign Legal Center looked closely at La Plata County, Co., which has a population of around 51,000. She found that a 2014 Colorado House of Representatives race had been decided by just 168 votes and a 2016 Colorado State Board of Education primary had been decided by just 51 votes. The population of La Plata County Jail which included 142 eligible voters in August of 2016, according to The Durango Herald could have made a difference in that outcome. Yet Paikowsky found that only one voter had cast a ballot from the jail in the past 20 years. Wisconsin, an important swing state, is in a similar situation. Wisconsins jail population of about 12,500, most of whom are eligible to vote, could add up: As the All Voting is Local and ACLU of Wisconsin report notes, the state swung for Donald Trump over Hillary Clinton in 2016 by just over 22,500 votes. Clay, the 28-year-old who has since been released from the Arlington, Va., jail, says that for him, the act of voting is clarifying. While in jail, its easy to get depressed and lose sight of whats going on, he says. But casting a ballot, he says, [helped] zoom my perspective out for the bigger picture: that its very important, even if youre in jail, wherever you are, to vote. A federal court on Thursday rejected President Trumps order to exclude unauthorized immigrants from population counts that will be used next year to reallocate seats in the House of Representatives, ruling that it was so obviously illegal that a lawsuit challenging the order need not go to a trial. The court, a three-judge panel in Federal District Court in Manhattan, said Mr. Trumps proposal exceeded his authority under federal laws governing the census and reapportionment. The specially convened panel said there was no need to consider a second claim in the lawsuit that ... - Floods have caused havoc in the Upper East region of Ghana - The flood is as a result of the opening of the Bagre Dam in Burkina Faso - Ghana's Vice President Bawumia visited some communities in the region which have been affected by the floods - Our manifesto: This is what YEN.com.gh believes in The spillage of the Bagri Dam in Burkina Faso has resulted in massive flooding in the Upper East region. The dam spillage led to flooding, which has caused massive havoc in some communities in the region. Some of the affected communities include Somaaman, Sakapa, Bluima, Katigri, Pwalugu, and Bolga. Bawumia tours flooded communities in U/E region. Source: Facebook/Mahamudu Bawumia. Source: Facebook READ ALSO: List of NPP policies NDC is threatening to cancel in their manifesto This is not the first time the spillage of the Bagri Dam has destroyed properties and even taken lives. According to a statement from the office of Dr. Bawumia, the flood has led to the deaths of 10 persons. It has also destroyed large hectares of farmland and hundreds of livestock, and washed away parts of some major roads, cutting off some communities. Aerial view of the flooding in the Upper East region. Source: Facebook/Mahamudu Bawumia Source: Facebook Ghanas Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, who is touring the Upper East region, took time off his work visit some of the affected communities and families of the affected. Addressing the press during his tour, Dr. Bawumia said, the NPP government will end the perennial flooding of the Upper East region and North East region once the Pwalugu Dam is constructed. Bawumia tours flooded communities in U/E region. Source: Facebook/Mahamudu Bawumia. Source: Facebook We have basically understood that to deal with this problem fundamentally, we have to have a flood control in the context of the Pawlugu Dam, he said. Relief items for victims of the floods in the Upper East region. Source: Facebook/Mahamudu Bawumia. Source: Facebook READ ALSO: Kotoko CEO on his way out just one month after taking post He said that is why the NPP has moved to secure the Pawlugu Dam project, and this project is the biggest dam project we have in the northern region. Dr. Bawumia stated that the Pwalugu Dam will coast over $1billion. YEN.com.gh has photos showing the extent of the devastation caused by the flood. The floods have destroyed roads in the region as well. Source: Facebook/Mahamudu Bawumia Source: Facebook YEN.com.gh earlier reported that the flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Akufo-Addo has assured Ghanaians of peaceful and free elections on December 7, 2020. The President of the Republic reiterated his commitment to the Bono Region House of Chiefs on Thursday, September 10, 2020. He wholeheartedly said his government will ensure absolute peace and stability before, during, and after the 2020 elections. John Mahama's emotional moment on stage at the NDC's manifesto launch | #Yencomgh Have national and human interest issues to discuss? Know someone who is extremely talented and needs recognition? Your stories and photos are always welcome. Get interactive via our Facebook page. Source: YEN.com.gh Visitors wearing face masks to protect against the coronavirus stand at a booth for Chinese technology firm Huawei at the China International Fair for Trade in Services in Beijing, Saturday, Sept. 5, 2020. AP Samsung Electronics Co. is likely to benefit from U.S. sanctions on Chinese tech titan Huawei Technologies Co. in the long run, analysts here said Friday. The U.S. sanctions, which ban the supply of semiconductors made with American equipment or software to Huawei without prior approval from Washington, are set to take effect next Tuesday. As U.S. technologies are used in almost all sectors of chip production, Samsung, the world's top memory chipmaker, is expected to halt its semiconductor shipments to Huawei next week. Even if the company applies for a U.S. permit, experts said it is unlikely that Washington will approve Samsung's request. "Basically, the U.S. government's basic principle is to not issue licenses for Huawei-related chip products," Rhee Soo-mi, a lawyer at Arnold Porter who specializes in national security issues, said in a recent online conference. "Even if the companies apply for a license, it will take a long time because the process is complicated and various U.S. agencies will review the application. It could take more than a year to get the license." Huawei is one of Samsung's five largest customers. Eugene Investment Securities estimated that Huawei accounted for 7.3 trillion won, or 3.2 percent, of Samsung's sales last year. Analysts said Samsung will see the fallout of the U.S. ban on Huawei, but it will actually help the South Korean tech giant's businesses in the long term, especially its mobile business. "Samsung may suffer a decline in orders due to U.S. sanctions on Huawei and other Chinese semiconductor firms," said Kim Dong-won, an analyst at KB Securities. "But it will serve as an opportunity to expand its market share and secure new clients, so in the long term, there will be more benefits than losses." Kim added the Huawei ban could actually benefit the DRAM market, and Samsung will not have to worry about Chinese chip producers like CXMT and YMTC expanding their market share. "Ironically, the Huawei ban could push DRAM inventory depletion and help DRAM prices to bottom out early," Kim said. Analysts said Samsung will likely see the most benefits from the Huawei ban in its mobile business as the two are direct competitors. According to industry tracker International Data Corp. (IDC), Huawei overtook Samsung as the world's largest smartphone vendor in the second quarter of the year. The Chinese firm had a 20 percent market share, beating Samsung with a 19.5 percent share. But analysts expected that Huawei's position in the smartphone market will decline since the U.S. ban will undermine the company's efforts to secure smartphone components. "In the worst-case scenario, there is a possibility that Huawei may have to close its mobile business," said Lee Kyu-ha, an analyst at NH Investment Securities. "The global smartphone market will reshape into a two-horse race with Samsung and Apple in leading positions." Samsung's mobile business will particularly see benefits from the Huawei ban outside China, according to Park Hyung-wou, an analyst at Shinhan Financial Investment. Last year, 41 percent of Huawei's smartphone sales occurred outside its home turf. "Considering its product lineup and the portion of its smartphone sales by price band, Samsung will see the most benefits from the Huawei ban outside China," Park said. "Samsung could see a smartphone shipment increase of 31 million units." Analysts said Samsung can also expand its presence in the 5G network equipment market, which Huawei has been dominating. According to market researcher Dell'Oro Group, Huawei's market share was 35.7 percent in the first quarter of 2020, far above Samsung's 13.2 percent share for the fourth spot. But Samsung has been pushing to secure more orders while the U.S. pressures other countries to not use Huawei's equipment. Samsung earlier this week announced it has bagged an order worth 7.9 trillion won from U.S. telecom giant Verizon to supply 5G solutions for the next five years. "With demand shifts from the U.S. ban on Huawei and countries' push for 5G base station investment, Samsung's network equipment will post a good performance," said Doh Hyun-woo, an analyst at NH Investment Securities. (Yonhap) This year has been a year of uncertainty. Managing an organization is always challenging, but this year the challenges have become even more complex. For many organizations the complexity has been increased by the need for chasing money. For most for-profit organizations the concept of chasing money has been associated with marketing to customers and then chasing those who are slow payers. Welcome to the world of the nonprofit executive teams. Most nonprofit executive teams are well-versed in the work, frustrations, uncertainty and nail-biting associated with the pursuit of grants. This year, for-profit management teams large and small have been pursuing federal, state and local government assistance and any other source of money that could keep their businesses afloat: full-fledged bailouts, payroll protection, extensions of all types, continuations, tariff-relief protections, loans and more. From my past work with nonprofits, executive teams and their primary revenue source, grants, here a few suggestions. Your story is your story. By this I mean that your organizations history is important and needs to be documented. Your website tells part of the story, but you need to enhance the finer details that provide insight into your management style, culture and team. After you document this, share it with your team and keep it up to date. The additional part of your story is the financial story of your organization. Current taxes, balance sheets and profit-and-loss statements are the usual go-to documentation for banks and others who might be evaluating your organization. In the hustle and bustle of running an organization, if you do not have a designated person or department, this might be a tall order to produce in a short period of time. Keep in mind that most grants have a timeline and an end date for submission of your application. As we saw with a number of businesses that were not prepared for the first round of Payroll Protection Program funding, they were prepared for the second round. A grant application is a process. Like most processes, it can be improved. Reflect on what you were asked for in the various programs that you evaluated. There was probably consistent documentation with a few variations. Computer filing systems, which allow for group documentation and delegation of responsibilities, will make this process more streamlined next time. Researching grants is time-consuming and usually confusing. Reading through the various pages of requirements takes time. Again, a team approach might make this task a little less daunting. Delegate the work and have two people read the same announcement or requirements documentation. Another video meeting to determine the best grant to pursue might prove faster than in the past. Last, in this limited space, is the need to work with the granting organizations. For many of the programs, banks are the gatekeepers, for a fee. Introduce or reintroduce your organization to your banker and others who participated in processing programs. Help them to become familiar with your story and why your success matters. Lastly, next time you are in the presence of a nonprofit executive, give them a nod of appreciation. Cornell Wright is the author of 31 Coffee Breaks to a Better Organization, a trainer and consultant at The Parker Wright Group Inc. in Stratford. The firm strengthens clients team development in pursuit of customer service strategies and processes and is a Certified Partner of Predictive Index. He can be reached at 203-377-4226 or cornell@parkerwrightgroup.com. Berkshires Beat: Elizabeth Freeman Center's Walk a 'Virtual' Mile Continues Elizabeth Freeman Center's Walk a 'Virtual' Mile Continues The Elizabeth Freeman Center's 2020 digital Walk a 'Virtual' Mile fundraiser to Stop Rape, Sexual Assault, and Gender Violence continues through September. The following walks have been scheduled throughout the Berkshires. Bring a mask and remember to social distance. Wednesday, Sept. 9, at 5:30 p.m.: Join Jane Iredale and EFC staff at 294 Main St., Great Barrington. Thursday, Sept. 10, at 3:30 p.m.: Join District Attorney Andrea Harrington at the District Attorney's Office at 7 North St., Pittsfield Monday, Sept. 14, at 5:30 p.m.: Join North Adams Mayor Thomas Bernard, members of the City Council, and MICinc at MCLA Gallery 51 on 51 Main St., North Adams. Tuesday, Sept. 15, at 5:30 p.m.: Join state Sen. Adam Hinds and the Berkshire Delegation at Steven Valenti's at 157 North St., Pittsfield. Wednesday, Sept. 16, at noon: Join Chief Troy Bacon and the Adams Police Department at the Adams Police Station on 11 Summer St. in Adams. Thursday, Sept. 17, at 6 p.m.: Join local celebrity author Ty Allan Jackson at Dottie's Coffee Lounge at 444 North St., Pittsfield. Friday, Sept. 18, at 4 p.m.: End the week with Elizabeth Freeman Center staff and friends at Carr Hardware at 57 Park St., Lee. There are four Walk a Virtual Mile routes in Berkshire County, each with five storefronts with Walk a Virtual Mile "photo-booths." Stop in front of each storefront window and snap a photo or record a video of you or your group and share on social media with #WereHereWeWalk. Register or donate here. Victorian health officials told a commercial cleaning company that employees who shared a shift with an infected worker were not 'close contacts' and did not need to isolate. Victoria's Department of Health and Human Services read Melbourne company Demos Property Services, which specialises in COVID disinfection services, the riot act after it dared to ask what it believed to be close contacts of a COVID-infected worker to go home. In a series of documents seen by Daily Mail Australia, DHHS suggests the company could face legal repercussions after it sent the nine workers home. Firefighters planning to take food into Melbourne towers suspected of having COVID-19 took no chances in July Health workers prepare to enter a COVID-19 infected aged care facility in July The cleaners had all worked a shift with a colleague found to have tested positive to COVID 19. It is understood the worker's infection was linked to the outbreak within Victoria's COVID-plagued aged care sector. As part of the company's COVIDSafe plan, it sent the workers home and asked that they isolate for 14 days and be tested. But the company's managers were shocked at the response they received from DHHS officials upon learning of the company's seemingly responsible actions. In an email dated September 3, a team leader from DHHS' Novel Coronavirus Response Team stated it did not class the nine workers as close contacts. 'I recommend that you review (the company) COVIDplan; it is your prudence and prerogative to furlough the 9 staff who shared the same shift as the case, however please note that these staff members are not deemed close contacts by the DHHS and thus we will not be liable for your actions,' the team leader wrote. What Does DHHS Consider A Close Contact? Close contact = greater than 15 minutes face-to-face, cumulative, or the sharing of an indoor space for more than two hours, with a confirmed case during their infectious period. Period for contact tracing = Contact needs to have occurred during the period of 48 hours prior to onset of symptoms in the confirmed case until the confirmed case is no longer considered infectious to be deemed close contact. Advertisement 'Furthermore, I strongly urge you reconsider your stance that the confirmed case will not be permitted to return to work (even with DHHS clearance letter) if she does not return 2 x consecutive negative results' as this does not align with case and contact management guidelines set out by the DHHS.' Prime Minister Scott Morrison this week slammed the Victorian Government for its performance in contact tracing. Victoria's daily coronavirus case total dropped on Thursday to 51 new cases recorded overnight. But the state hit a grim new milestone after seven deaths were recorded, with 701 total deaths. 'New South Wales has a stronger capability when it comes to tracing,' Mr Morrison said on Monday. 'And we want to provide support as we already have to the Victorian government through the ADF.' The cleaning company had already endured a previous bad experience with the health department after it took three weeks to respond after another of its cleaners contracted the virus. Cleaners have contracted COVID-19 from the aged care sector, which has been plagued with the virus Cleaners have put themselves in the front line of COVID-19 infection risk 'The above is instructing us to 'water down' our requirements for allowing people to return to work post being tested positive for COVID-19,' a Demos manager returned fire to DHHS. 'How will we beat 'this terrible enemy' as our Premier refers to COVID by not being as cautious as we are? 'Our approach is one of caution and has been from the outset of this Pandemic. Our Covid-Safe Plans ensures the safety of all our staff, clients and community as a whole and will not be amended. 'Furthermore, the last case which we had of an employee (DHHS contact 3 weeks post event) tested positive for over a week post his clearance. The doctor retesting him confirmed that, as this is a 'new' virus, we cannot be 100% certain that it is not communicable post a definitive.' The company further lashed out at DHHS' tardy response to the positive infection, which it claims took more than two full days to contact the company after it was notified. 'We were contacted 52 hours post lodgement by Dept of Jobs, Precincts and Regions,' DHHS was told. 'Representatives from Jobs Precincts and Regions confirmed that due to no resourcing at DHHS and 'contact tracing problems' they had been seconded to 'assist you' with these calls and preliminary information collection.' The infected worker had also told DHHS contact tracers that she worked for Demos a day earlier when she received the positive result, but it was ignored. Cleaners are about the only people that remain on the streets of Melbourne apart from parking inspectors A Melbourne cleaning company was told by the health department not to send home staff it had deemed close contacts of an infected employee. Pictured: People prepare to enter a COVID plagued housing tower in July DHHS had attempted to blame the delay on the company and a lack of transparency between other government departments. Demos Property Services general manager Penelope Demos expressed dismay at the DHHS response and told Daily Mail Australia its CovidSafe Plan was where all business' should be at. 'It's just an ongoing comedy of errors by DHHS,' she said. Ms Demos said the company would not be adjusting its CovidSafe Plan to meet DHHS' 'lower requirements'. 'I'm not going to be taking a risk by putting our clients at any risk,' she said. Ms Demos said that under Premier Daniel Andrews' state of emergency powers, the usual workplace authority - WorkSafe - is not in control of workplace safety. 'They're no longer the highest authority. It's actually DHHS with their lower standards and WorkSafe are bound by them when they write their reports,' she said. A DHHS spokesperson said the DHHS provides public health advice on what companies should do with employees identified by DHHS as positive cases or close contacts, and provides general advice on how to ensure workplaces are COVID-safe. 'The case and contact management team does not provide legal advice in any circumstances - and certainly not about what companies should do with employees who are not identified as positive cases or close contacts.' A globetrotting car thief has been convicted by the non-jury Special Criminal Court of murdering the manager of the Sunset House pub in Dublin over four years ago. Liverpool native David Hunter (41), with an address at Du Cane Road, White City, London, had denied the Kinahan Cartel murder of 35-year-old Michael Barr at the Sunset House pub in Dublins north inner city on the night of April 25, 2016. Hunter is the second man to be found guilty of murdering Mr Barr, a dissident republican. In January 2018, Eamonn Cumberton (32) of Mountjoy Street, Dublin 7, was also convicted of murdering the Tyrone native. Delivering judgment, Mr Justice Alexander Owens, presiding, sitting with Judge Gerard Griffin and Judge David McHugh, said that the evidence had been heard in a compelling way that Hunter was one of the two gunmen who entered the Summerhill pub and murdered Mr Barr by shooting him. Hunters involvement in the murder had been fully proved and the three-judge court was sure of his guilt, remarked Mr Justice Owens. The judge noted that the murderers had failed to burn out the getaway car, which had been abandoned at Walsh Road in Drumcondra a few minutes after the killing and they had also dropped a burner phone at the getaway scene. He said the major part of a DNA profile taken from a ski-mask recovered from the car during the investigation into the shooting of Mr Barr matched and verified the profile of Hunter. The circumstantial evidence in the case pointed inextricably to Hunters guilt and the facts taken together had established the father-of-fives guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. No other rational explanation could be drawn, he indicated. Mr Justice Owens said the court rejected Hunters explanation for his whereabouts on the night and found it implausible with part of it being contradicted by other evidence. He also said the story of how Hunter came to lose his ski-mask did not have a ring of truth about it and there was no doubt that it was put into the getaway car to either use at the murder or in the getaway car. Whether he is an avid skier is neither here nor there, he added. In a voluntary statement to gardai, Hunter said the ski-mask was his but that he had dropped it in a car driven by another man when he visited Ireland two months before the murder on a car-stealing exercise. Hunter also claimed he had used the mask on various ski trips with his children to Norway, France, Spain, Scotland, Austria and Switzerland. A number of holiday photos of Mr Hunter in a ski mask were handed into court during the trial. The DNA material attributed to Hunter and the matching DNA profile itself established a strong probability that Hunter was one of the murderers in the car, said Mr Justice Owens. He described it as far-fetched and not a credible explanation that the ski-mask had been left behind by the defendant when he came to steal cars in Dublin in February 2016. The presiding judge said it struck the non-jury court that Dublin has no shortage of minor criminals and Hunter is from Liverpool so the idea that he came to the capital for a day or two to steal cars was improbable. In conclusion, the judge said that Hunter could not have been the driver of the getaway car as he was unlikely to be familiar with places like Walsh Road in Drumcondra. The evidence pointed to Hunter being in the rear passenger seat of the Audi and Cumberton being the driver, he continued. Mr Justice Owens said the court did not accept that the purpose of Hunters peculiar trip to Dublin was for one last fling before he checked himself into a rehabilitation centre in Spain. Hunter further claimed he had come to Ireland from Liverpool on the ferry two days earlier to see a UB40 concert, but it had already taken place. Hunter had received a phone call an hour after the murder from one of the four murder phones used on the night. The three-judge court found the defendants explanation that he had taken a call that night from a man looking to buy his red BMW car, which he brought to Ireland to sell as unbelievable and untrue. Mr Justice Owens said it was more likely that when the gang could not get Hunter on the burner phone that was dropped after the murder that night, they called him on his personal UK mobile. Mr Barr was shot seven times after two armed men wearing boiler suits and full rubber masks over their faces entered the Sunset House pub at around 9pm. He had been shot fives times in the head, once in the leg and once in the shoulder. Then-Deputy State Pathologist Dr Michael Curtis found that the cause of death was multiple gunshot wounds. During the five-week trial which ended in July, evidence was given that at around 9.20pm at Walsh Road in Drumcondra, a silver Audi A6 was seen to arrive and that three occupants got out and set the car alight. The three men then got into a possibly silver Ford Mondeo and left the scene but gardai already in the area arrived at 9.42pm and extinguished the fire. The burning Audi A6 vehicle was examined. Cocked and loaded weapons, ready for use, were discovered. Boiler suits, two ski masks and two rubber masks were also found in the rear seat. Gardai also found a burner phone, which had a number of missed calls, next to a bullet on the grass nearby. During the trial, Dr Edward Connolly of Forensic Science Ireland testified that mixed DNA profiles had been found on two masks - one rubber and one ski - taken from the Audi by gardai. The expert witness said that he found a mixed DNA profile on a ski-mask with four elements; one major, two minor and one trace. The major contributor of the ski-masks DNA profile formed 61% of the mixed profile, he said. DNA samples from an apple core and a cigarette butt discarded by Hunter in the course of his extradition from the UK and his processing in Ireland on October 16, 2019, were also cross-referenced by Dr Connolly. The witness testified that the odds on the profile created by the cigarette butt and the apple core being of an individual unrelated to the DNA on the ski-mask were a thousand-million to one. Closing the prosecution case in July, prosecuting counsel Dominic McGinn SC with Ronan Kennedy SC said Hunter would have to be an extremely unlucky man if he was not involved in the killing. He argued that there could be no reasonable doubt of Hunters involvement unless the court was to believe that he had been extremely unlucky with all of these coincidences that had been offered in his defence. Mr McGinn said that DNA evidence on a ski-mask, which had a mixed profile with one 61% contributor, matched the DNA profile taken from a cigarette butt and ear-plugs used and discarded by Hunter when in custody. Furthermore, Mr McGinn said that ballistics could match the guns used in the murder to those found in an Audi A6 on the Walsh Road in Drumcondra, Dublin 9, shortly after the shooting. Defence counsel Roisin Lacey SC said in her closing address that her client was no James Bond, or Ethan Hunt and was instead a two-bit car thief. Ms Lacey pointed out that Hunter, who claimed he came to Ireland to see a concert and said he was with two women in a Dublin hotel around the time of the shooting, could not logically have been the killer. The barrister stressed that her client was not in the Sunset House, not in the vehicles used on the night and that he did not shoot anyone. Ms Lacey indicated that the defendant was a habitual wearer of the mask in the past and this could explain the majority of the mixed profile coming from Hunter on the ski-mask which had been in close contact with the rubber mask. Mr Justice Owens will hand down the mandatory sentence of life imprisonment on November 2 and remanded Hunter in custody until that date. He adjourned sentencing after counsel for the defence, Ms Lacey, asked for time to read the victim impact statements which will be submitted to the court. Speaking outside the Criminal Courts of Justice, the father of Michael Barr said it was a good day for us as a family and the verdict gave them some satisfaction that Hunter was going behind bars. Colin Barr said Hunter had been found guilty for all his lies. He thought he could come from Liverpool and murder somebody and skip back to Spain. Michaels son is here, his heart is broken. These boys need to know there are consequences for taking someones life, that they will have to pay a price, he added. Mr Barr also said: We know whos behind this. Everyone knows who is paying these men and people are prepared to take money to take a human life, at the end of the day, thats what its all about, killing for money, its ridiculous. I have no fear of them, they can do what they want, he said. He said organised crime has got no place in Ireland and without the gardai these people would not be behind bars. Mr Barr also called for Hunter to serve his full sentence in Ireland. The problem is, when he serves his sentence hell probably be sent back to Liverpool to prison there, which is not right. He left England to come here to murder an Irish man, so why should he be sent home. He should definitely be made to serve his sentence here, he concluded. A first official visit to Israel by a United Arab Emirates delegation, provisionally planned for Sept 22, may be postponed or conducted under restrictions given a looming coronavirus lockdown, an Israeli cabinet minister said on Friday. The delegates are expected to come in reciprocation of last week's groundbreaking Abu Dhabi visit by top Israeli and U.S. envoys, a source familiar with the planning said.. Israeli officials have confirmed such a plan. The UAE has not. Struggling against a surge of coronavirus infections, Prime Minister Benjamin Netayahu's pandemic taskforce on Thursday approved a rolling national lockdown. The lockdown is expected to go into effect next week, following a cabinet vote on Sunday, and span major Jewish holidays that run from Sept 18 to Oct 10. "To all appearances, this (UAE delegation visit) will either be postponed or a special modality will be required," Israeli Science Minister Izhar Shay, one of whose top aides took part in the Aug 31 Abu Dhabi trip, told Tel Aviv radio station 102 FM. "I reckon that they will also appreciate the fact we are protecting the health of the citizenry, and, if we are forced to postpone the delegation, will accept this with understanding." Netanyahu and UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed al-Nahyan will sign the normalisation deal at the White House on Tuesday. As a health precaution, Netanyahu and his family will fly to Washington on an executive jet, separate from an airliner chartered for the rest of the Israeli delegation, aides said. Israel - population 9 million - has reported 146,542 coronavirus cases and 1,077 deaths. Search Keywords: Short link: Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-11 09:41:39|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close by Xinhua writer He Fei BEIJING, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- When McCarthyism rose to prominence in the 1950s in the United States, suspicion of broad Communist penetration in the U.S. reached a hysterical pitch, and many people of Chinese descent in the nation were targeted with unsubstantiated allegations. It appears that the anti-Communist hysteria is staging a vicious comeback. In its newest move, the U.S. administration said Wednesday it had revoked visas for more than 1,000 Chinese nationals since June, due to so-called security risks posed by Chinese graduate students and scholars. The excuses employed by some Washington China-bashers to obstruct normal China-U.S. people-to-people exchanges simply cannot stand. In their attempt to smear Chinese students or even travelers in the country, they are trying either to grab political gains or to contain China's development. One of the most notorious figures is U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who recently said the White House is weighing further restrictions on Chinese students in the country, and threatened to close out all Confucius Institutes on U.S. campuses under the pretext of ridding the country of Beijing's influence. Washington's growing hostility toward China and its drive to demonize China-U.S. cooperation have severely harmed bilateral cultural and people-to-people exchanges. Its xenophobia and isolationism will only lead to consequences too hard for the two peoples to bear. For decades, China-U.S. cultural and people-to-people exchanges have contributed greatly to fostering mutual understanding between the two peoples, and promoting bilateral ties. Chinese students have been sent to study in the United States for over 140 years now, with exchanges resuming in the late 1970s after a temporary halt due to Cold War tensions. China has been the largest source of international students in the United States for 10 consecutive years, with nearly 370,000 students in U.S. higher education programs in the 2018-2019 academic year -- more than one third of the total, according to the Institute of International Education. America as a melting pot also relies on immigrants to boost its development in various sectors. Take Artificial Intelligence (AI) for example: the United States has built its leading edge by attracting international talents to work at U.S. institutions, according to a report published in June by Macro Polo, an in-house think tank of the Paulson Institute in Chicago. And the country would lose 29 percent of its top-tier AI researchers if visas and immigration status were rescinded for researchers originated from China, it said. However, "the Land of the Free" that once embraced openness and diversity has been sliding into isolationism and megalomania. Amid the surge of anti-China sentiments in Washington, the rights of these Chinese people have been violated rather than protected in the nation that brands itself as a human rights defender. Many saw their visas revoked, personal life plans disrupted, financial costs increased, and some were even interrogated and arrested without reasonable cause, stoking fear and worry. The hyping up of decoupling with China and a scheme to politicize normal bilateral exchanges by those zero-summers in Washington have received firm domestic opposition. U.S. universities and scientific organizations, such as the University of Michigan, took a strong stance in opposition to Washington's "arbitrary restrictions" on students from China proclaimed in late May. In this increasingly interconnected world, building up walls will only keep one ever more isolated, while building bridges can facilitate communication and thus promote progress. China-hawks in Washington have the imperative to take to heart rational voices of others, and stop obstructing normal exchanges between Chinese and American people -- or else, it is the interests of America that will be harmed. Enditem Heathrow's boss has warned Covid quarantine restrictions are 'strangling the economy' as passenger numbers plunged more than 80 per cent last month. John Holland-Kaye accused the Government of playing 'quarantine roulette' and blamed the introduction of restrictions at short notice for wiping out this year's summer holidays. The hard-hitting intervention came as Britain's biggest airport revealed the dwindling numbers of passengers at what would normally be the height of the summer holiday season. Up in the air: Some 1.4m travelled via Heathrow last month, 6.3m fewer than in August last year Some 1.4m travelled via Heathrow last month, 6.3m fewer than in August last year. North American passenger numbers were down more than 95 per cent compared with last year, with the US remaining on Britain's travel 'red' list because of its high Covid infection rate. Heathrow the UK's biggest port also said the amount of cargo carried in and out dropped more than a third (34.2 per cent) to 88 tonnes. Holland-Kaye has been one of the most strident supporters of the Mail's Get Britain Flying Again campaign to introduce Covid testing at airports. The Government has said it is looking at options to reduce quarantine for those who test negative for Covid-19. But the Heathrow boss warned 'every day of further Government delay costs British jobs and livelihoods'. He said: 'Britain's economic recovery is falling behind. Heathrow's traffic figures for August demonstrate the extent to which quarantine is strangling the economy.' The decision to return Portugal to the quarantine list on Thursday left tens of thousands of holidaymakers scrambling to escape the country before restrictions were imposed at 4am today. Speaking to the Mail, HollandKaye said the summer holiday getaway that most airports and airlines rely on has been 'completely blown up by the quarantine roulette that has happened'. 'This really is a disaster for UK aviation,' he said. The joint statement and 5-point consensus reached by both Chinese and Indian foreign ministers in Moscow marked a substantial step in cooling down the current border situation, exceeding the expectations of most international observers, Chinese mouthpiece Global Times reported. The report said the meeting creating favourable conditions for a possible future meeting between the leaders of the two countries, Chinese experts told the Global Times on Friday. "The successful implementation of the joint statement, however, depends on whether the Indian side can truly keep its word. Given the country's history, it is possible that the joint statement will end up as merely "paper talk" they warned," the report said. In the five-point consensus, Wang and Jaishankar agreed that China and India should follow the guidance of the consensus reached between leaders of the two countries, including that divergence should not be escalated into conflicts. The current conflicts in border areas do not serve the interests of either side. The border troops of the two countries should continue their current dialogue, disengage as soon as possible, maintain necessary distances and ease the current tensions. Qian Feng, director of the research department of the National Strategy Institute at Tsinghua University in Beijing, told the Global Times on Friday that the joint statement showed that under the current situation, the highest levels of the two governments are unwilling to further escalate conflicts as the de-escalation of tensions will be conducive to the two countries' interests. Qian noted that the five-point consensus - the short and concise agreement by the two counties - plans the direction for the next phase of discussions. "The consensus involves maintaining communication through meetings by the Special Representatives of India and China and expediting the completion of new measures to build mutual trust, marking an important step since the conflicts first took place," he added. However, Chinese experts continue to allege that given India's past history of breaking consensuses reached at such meetings, and stressed that it's still too early to pin high hopes on its implementation, Global Times said. While the joint press release looks fine on paper, the actual addressing of future border tensions remains unclear as India has a long history of breaking its promises, Hu Zhiyong, a research fellow at the Institute of International Relations of the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Friday. "We should not only observe what India says, but also what it does. For a country like India, the most important thing is how it acts," Hu said. In 2005, then Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao held important talks with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh before signing a joint statement by the two governments, in which both sides declared the establishment of a strategic partnership to promote peace and prosperity. The two governments also signed the Agreement on the Political Guiding Principles for Resolving the Boundary Issue between China and India, in which they pledged to reduce armed forces and maintain peace. Chinese experts are blaming PM Modi for the standoff. "However, since odi assumed power, the Indian government has totally neglected this joint statement. China has kept its word, but the Indian side has provoked the recent border clashes," Hu told the Global Times, stressing that this time China remains on high alert. "Given the country's sluggish economy and poor epidemic control, the Modi government will continue to try and stir up border tensions in an attempt to deflect the public's attention. Sadly, these border tensions are used as chips to fool the public," he noted as per Global times Analysts said that the agreement reached this time is also largely due to strong support from the Chinese military. The logistics support could guarantee PLA soldiers an advantage in potential military conflicts when the winter comes, and analysts said that the advanced equipment shown by the Chinese military overshadows that held by its Indian counterparts. "Only a strong military can wake up a sleepy India, words are not enough," Hu said. Qian said that peacefully resolving the border conflicts is important for India, as it would mean the government can then focus on addressing the country's other problems, which would bring real benefits for the people. He noted that as nationalism prevails in India, it becomes a true test of Indian top politicians' wisdom to not be misdirected. The Indian government should have the ability to restrain and prevent radical military action, as per Global Times. Jennifer Beam Dowd wrote in an article for Slate on Friday that the study by IZA Institute of Labor Economics was not to be trusted An Oxford epidemiologist has backed up South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem in her skepticism of the widely disputed Sturgis study that claimed 266,000 people were infected with COVID-19 from the single motorcycle rally, saying it is full of assumptions that do not stand up. Jennifer Beam Dowd wrote in an article for Slate on Friday that the study by IZA Institute of Labor Economics was not to be trusted because it relies heavily on comparing the number of COVID cases in the hometowns of people who attended Sturgis, and towns where none of the residents attended, but doesn't take into consideration any other differentiating factors between them. It also offers no proof or suggested proof of how the disease spread so quickly from people who attended the rally to those who did not, nor does it address that people will have spent different amounts of time in Sturgis before leaving. Beam Dowd says there is not enough time for that many people to go to the rally, become infected, travel home, infect others and for the results to show up. Gov. Kristi Noem (pictured) claimed that infection stats showing a motorcycle rally could have caused 250,000 new Covid-19 cases are 'made up' The 10-day event took place between August 7 and August 14 in the town of Sturgis, which has a native population of just 7,000 people. If the study was accurate, it would have meant that 20 percent of the 1.4 million new cases of coronavirus reported between August 2 and September 2 came from the rally. THE MAJOR FLAWS WITH GERMAN STUDY, PER OXFORD EXPERT 1) It compares COVID-19 numbers between counties that sent people to the rally and counties that didn't, assuming that that is the only difference between them 2) It does not take into account that people will arrived and left the 10-day rally at different times and that they will have spent varying amounts of time there 3) It assumes that people who attended it went straight home to the counties where the COVID-19 numbers were counted when in fact, they may have traveled more and likely did if they were all motorcycle enthusiasts 4) It offers no proof or explanation of how transmission - ie how it spread so fast and quickly 5) There is simply not enough time since the rally ended and between the study's publication for all those people to have become infected, traveled home, passed it on and for all of these infections to have been reported in official numbers - which require tests Advertisement 'The Sturgis study essentially tries to re-create a randomized experiment by comparing the COVID-19 trends in counties that rally-goers traveled from with counties that apparently dont have as many motorcycle enthusiasts. 'While this approach may sound sensible, it relies on strong assumptions that rarely hold in the real world. For one thing, there are many other differences between counties full of bike rally fans versus those with none,' she said. There are more differences between counties, she wrote, than the fact that some sent people to the rally and some didn't, like geographic, social or economic factors. 'The assumption assumes that every county was on a similar trajectory and the only difference was the number of attendees sent to the Sturgis rally. 'When this assumption is violated, the resulting estimates are not just off by a littlethey can be completely wrong. This type of modeling is risky, and the burden of proof for the believability of the assumptions very high,' she wrote. It also says that the authors of the study assume that a high number of COVID-19 cases came as the result of people returning from the rally and spreading it without evidence. 'The paper doesnt provide a model of infectious disease transmissiona pretty major oversight. 'Basically, the authors dont outline what transmission on this scale would have to look like to reach 266,796 infections,' she said. They do not explain how their numbers work when many at the rally will have arrived at different times during the days it happened, or that they will have spent different amounts of time there. 'Given the staggered arrivals (traffic flow data show that about 50,000 showed up per day) and incubation period (roughly five days), it seems likely that those infected at arrival could only have infected on average one or two new generations of infections during the rally itself. Nearly 20 percent of all the new 1.4 million cases of coronavirus reported between August 2 and September 2 can be traced back to the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally held in South Dakota last month, economists say Photos from the rally showed scores of bikers packed into bars and restaurants without wearing face coverings or adhering to social distancing guidelines 'Even with a bleak assumption that 1 percent of attendees arrived already infectious (spread over 10 days) yet well enough to ride motorcycles to South Dakota, and of them were superspreaders, passing their infection along to another 10 people, back-of-the-envelope math makes it hard to get in the ballpark of this number of infections that could have happened at the rally,' Beam Dowd wrote. She also points out that many of the people who attended the rally would not necessarily have gone straight home, thus making it even less likely that they were the source of infections. 'Lets recall this was a motorcycle rally, so many attendees almost certainly didnt fly home as soon as possible. High numbers of people came from California, Nevada, and Florida, so we can assume the return trip home took at least a few days for those heading home directly. A diagram shows where Sturgis rally attendees came from prior to the event, according to cellphone data 'The lure of the open road in August after months of worldwide lockdown may have even induced many riders to take a meandering path home. 'In short, it is a stretch to believe that so many infected riders could have gotten home in the short time frame required to infect others, incubate, get tested, and have these infections show up in county statistics by Sept. 2, just two weeks after the conclusion of the rally,' she wrote. 'Since attendees hardly had time to attend the rally, get infected, and then bike home and infect others, the fact that rates in large sending counties are higher than those for non-sending countries strongly suggests that these differences in trends were in the works anyway due to local transmission dynamics, and not a direct result of the rally,' she went on. Gov. Kristi Noem, a Republican, dismissed the findings by the German think tank, saying they had 'made up some numbers and published them.' 'That's actually not factual whatsoever,' Noem, a Republican, said in a Fox News interview. Later, she tweeted: 'The report isn't science. It's fiction. Under the guise of academic research, it's nothing short of an attack on those who exercised their personal freedom to attend Sturgis.' IT'S a bad week for billionaires and their wives - not just thanks to the stock market, but Barbara Amiel's newly released Friends and Enemies, a scorching memoir exposing the cut-throat world of the elite 1pc. "Best not to get used to this," she writes of her new life embarking on glittering journeys from yacht to private jet and back again as the second wife of former publisher Conrad Black. Amiel hardly had the 30-carat diamond ring on her finger before she was expected to entertain heads of state. As a journalist she may have cultivated witty conversation but as a billionaire's wife, the expectations are far greater. If you don't know that "patio jewellery" means necklaces under $1m, do catch up Your home, your clothes, your face, your jewellery: everything is on show in the land of the super-rich, which I have also inhabited as the wife of an investment banker. Expand Close Former couple: Amazons Jeff Bezos and wife MacKenzie Bezos last year before they split up. MacKenzie gained millions of shares of Amazon worth an estimated $38 billion, as part of her divorce settlement from Bezos. Photo: Evan Agostini / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Former couple: Amazons Jeff Bezos and wife MacKenzie Bezos last year before they split up. MacKenzie gained millions of shares of Amazon worth an estimated $38 billion, as part of her divorce settlement from Bezos. Photo: Evan Agostini This group is so small that the suppliers of your jewels, flowers, art, handbags, houses, Botox and fillers are almost as rarefied - they make it fiendishly hard to get their business (being far snootier than their clients). All part of the act of course. If, as Amiel did, you wear the wrong oiled pave diamond earrings because you don't know any better, they will tell you. If you don't know that "patio jewellery" means necklaces under $1m, do catch up. Individuality is frowned upon: it suggests you think for yourself. It might be OK for a husband, but a billionaire's wife is a 1950s throwback. A few wrinkles, sun spots or cellulite on you makes him look bad. New York billionaire Charles Stevenson Jr (73), who recently divorced Alex Kuczynski (49), reportedly stipulated on marriage that his wife was not allowed to gain more than five pounds. They split regardless. My own front-row seat to the goings-on has necessitated a great deal of travel, much of which was to the most exclusive polo clubs in the world to which my husband belongs. Expand Close Mark Zuckerberg (R), founder and CEO of Facebook, and wife Priscilla Chan arrive on the red carpet during the 2nd annual Breakthrough Prize Award in Mountain View, California in this November 9, 2014 file photo. Facebook Inc Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan, are expecting a baby girl, he said on his Facebook page on July 31, 2015. REUTERS/Stephen Lam/Files / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Mark Zuckerberg (R), founder and CEO of Facebook, and wife Priscilla Chan arrive on the red carpet during the 2nd annual Breakthrough Prize Award in Mountain View, California in this November 9, 2014 file photo. Facebook Inc Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan, are expecting a baby girl, he said on his Facebook page on July 31, 2015. REUTERS/Stephen Lam/Files Video of the Day Admission is determined by your ranking on the Forbes rich list. I met more billionaires during my stays than I can count handbags. What's more, I met their wives, whose claws instantly came out behind expensive manicures. Like Amiel, I was threatening in two ways: I had a profession (which might make me interesting to the men), whereas 99pc of them didn't. Secondly, journalists are sniffer dogs. If all else fails, we can pen an expose. This is exactly what Amiel did after things went awry for Black, who was imprisoned and fined $125,000 after being found guilty of fraud, before last year being pardoned by Donald Trump. Dazzling The first thing I noticed among the wives was a quiet sense of desperation. Behind the veil of privilege and Loro Piana cashmere was the knowledge that their job description was permanently being revisited. Expand Close Rupert Murdoch (L) and his ex-wife Wendi Deng arriving on the red carpet during the opening ceremony of the Shanghai International Film Festival in 2011 / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Rupert Murdoch (L) and his ex-wife Wendi Deng arriving on the red carpet during the opening ceremony of the Shanghai International Film Festival in 2011 Where a wife might have landed the role because of her looks and talent in the bedroom (weirdly enough these billionaires had little interest in the women of their own set), she then was expected to morph into a dazzling hostess. Like Amiel, many of them were new to the job and desperately scared of showing it, so in came the great designers who pretended to decorate your house but were actually educating you. Trips to look at antiques, in reality, were training sessions in table manners and wine connoisseurship. Amiel brilliantly describes how her designer asked how she "saw" a particular corner - she didn't. Not knowing your thread count or cashmere ply predisposes you to large invoices that land after the multiple sheets ordered in custom sizes have arrived. A new bride might just about know her way around designer clothes, but when it comes to gilding a staircase or hand painting wallpaper, she's a sitting duck. "This is what things cost" is the designer's favourite put down - meaning you should know, idiot. Even when the new wife has managed to create a home that competes with her friends', she then has to pull off the business of entertaining. Hosting parties is the actual job. But what if Beyonce is busy, or someone else is throwing a bash the same day, or week? The upper classes can be relied on to honour an RSVP, but not this lot. One British billionaire couple we know have lavish parties, which everyone less rich than themselves politely attends - but other billionaires often don't show up. No apology comes, as no one dares tell a billionaire off. Top party planners don't get out of bed for less than a million, if that. A wealthy friend queried the listed sum for flowers (roughly enough to fill a five-storey house). She was told to try another firm. Parties are the perfect opportunities for billionaires to show off their wives, which is where things get tricky. An exclusive gathering of beautiful women is a cattle market for men. This is when - if you were thinking of a change - you get to view the goods; no matter how comfortable the women I met felt in their marriages, they were always looking over their shoulders. A beautiful 32-year-old mother in the set was found bawling her eyes out in the foyer of a top New York plastic surgery clinic. I remember attending a party of a Greek tycoon who served caviar out of enormous crystal drums, which we ate with soup spoons When asked what the problem was, she replied that her friends hated her for not doing Botox and having several ribs removed because "I give away their age". Men, she added, like bulging lips and ballooning buttocks and cleavage because it means lot of time, money and pain has been involved. Not all billionaires are the same, of course. I remember attending a party of a Greek tycoon who served caviar out of enormous crystal drums, which we ate with soup spoons. Though everyone gorged, they whispered nonetheless about how uncouth it all was. A Greek fortune was definitely better than a Russian one, but less good than a British one, which was pennies as far as an American one was concerned. Then, of course, came the hierarchy of how you got the billions, and whether they were "legal". Amiel describes what New York City designer Sandra Nunnerley calls the "old world". "Amiel's is a different generation," says Nunnerley, who works with young billionaires from America to Hong Kong. "In those days, people were concerned with status and looks. My billionaire wives are Ivy League-educated, philanthropic and understated. They are hands-on mothers. They hire me for 'quiet' design". The wives I met were not Princeton or Harvard grads like MacKenzie Bezos and Priscilla Zuckerberg, the ex and current wives of Amazon and Facebook's founders, respectively. Secure I suspect some of those I knew were former escort girls. My view is that the men spent their days fighting with sharks in the workplace - at home, they wanted a decorative addition to the Christian Liaigre furniture. The women, in turn, figured out that they had to have at least two babies in quick succession, as Wendi Deng, Rupert Murdoch's ex-wife, did, in order to secure a financial future in case they were traded in. A life of extreme privilege is amazingly easy to get accustomed to - and extremely difficult to get unaccustomed from In those days, divorce meant being banished from the group. Today, the wives still churn out two children quickly but ask for a divorce themselves; staying married is no longer part of the plan. In the end, I felt sorry for the wives that I slowly got to know. They were bored, permanently anxious and terrified of ageing. They didn't trust each other, let alone anyone else. As Amiel says, you don't want to get used to it, but you do. A life of extreme privilege is amazingly easy to get accustomed to - and extremely difficult to get unaccustomed from. COVID-19 is a nasty virus, damaging or killing the unfortunate few who caught it and became extremely ill. Preferring the elderly and those with preexisting medical conditions, many died or had their lives and families upended. Far more have been ravaged by the downstream effects of the Wuhan virus - socioeconomic destruction following the economic shutdown which persists to this day in many locales as well as delayed or deferred medical care from a several month-long ban on elective medical care. Deaths and hospital resource use peaked in mid-April nationally, with occasional local resurgences, generally mild and short-lived, yet in September many schools remain closed, large gatherings prohibited, businesses shuttered, and masks remain the fall seasons fashion accessory. There are only a few ways out of this quagmire. Herd immunity has been the traditional endpoint for past viral pandemics as it occurs relatively quickly. Sweden has likely achieved herd immunity without shutting down as did their neighbors. Israeli Professor Isaac Ben-Israel used statistical analysis demonstrating, The spread of COVID-19 peaks after about 40 days and declines to almost zero after 70 days no matter where it strikes, and no matter what measures governments impose to try to thwart it. Other options include therapeutics or a vaccine. Viruses are notoriously difficult to cure with medications. Vaccines provide varying degrees of protection against viruses but take many months or years to develop and earn FDA approval. Short term, therapeutics are the best option aside from waiting for the virus to burn itself out as in past pandemics. Two such medications have been in the news as potential treatments. Yet they have been treated far differently by the media and medical establishment. Hydroxychloroquine was first FDA-approved in 1955 to prevent malaria and subsequently to treat immune diseases such as lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. It is generally well tolerated, many patients taking it for years, unlike the week or two recommended for early outpatient COVID treatment. YouTube screen grab Cable news cranks like Foxs Neil Cavuto claim, It will kill you. Not that it might, but it will. Jumping off a tall building will kill you. Jumping off a low step might kill you if you land wrong and hit your head. Water might kill you if you drink too much. Many bad things might happen without Mr. Cavutos certainty of what will happen. The primary risk with hydroxy is for those with a particular EKG abnormality affecting 1 in 2,500 individuals, easily screened for. Those odds are lower than the risk of dying in a house fire or drowning. Yet because President Trump called hydroxy a potential game changer, big medicine and the media dug in their heels, constantly condemning the drug. Trump added, What do you have to lose? recommending the patient and their doctor make an informed choice about using it when faced with no other good options. There is far more evidence of the benefits of hydroxy, compared to say the benefits of Green New Deal measures altering the climate. According to a detailed review published in Real Clear Politics, There are now 53 studies that show positive results of hydroxychloroquine in COVID infections. There are 14 global studies that show neutral or negative results -- and 10 of them were of patients in very late stages of COVID-19, where no antiviral drug can be expected to have much effect. Of the remaining four studies, two come from the same University of Minnesota author. The other two are from the faulty Brazil paper, which should be retracted, and the fake Lancet paper, which was. Countries utilizing hydroxy had far lower COVID death rates compared to countries that relied on Fauci-care, not using, or outright banning hydroxy. Yet to this day in America, hydroxy is viewed as a weapon of mass destruction. Compare the reaction to another class of drug, corticosteroids. Oral prednisolone (commonly known as prednisone) was FDA-approved in 1955, the same year as hydroxy. The side effects are far more numerous than that of hydroxy, including susceptibility to infection, elevated blood pressure, electrolyte imbalances, gastrointestinal perforation, mood disturbances, diabetes, reduced bone density, cataracts, glaucoma and stunted growth in children. I would much rather take hydroxy than prednisone if told to take it for months or years, which is why an entire class of biologic immunosuppressive agents now exist to replace long term steroid therapy. In a meta-analysis recently published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, Administration of systemic corticosteroids, compared with usual care or placebo, was associated with lower 28-day all-cause mortality in critically ill patients with COVID-19. In these very sick patients, prednisones cousins were used dexamethasone, hydrocortisone, or methylprednisolone, and lives were saved. The media response was muted, reporting the benefits, but none of the hair-on-fire hysteria we saw with hydroxy. Why the difference? President Trump didnt talk about steroids. Here are two 65-year-old prescription medications taken by millions of individuals over the years, with known side effect profiles, one far safer for long term use, hydroxy. Both may have a therapeutic role in COVID, hydroxy earlier in the disease course, before the hospital, with steroids for critically ill patients already in the hospital or ICU. This is a double header, two readily available medicines to treat both early and late COVID. Rather than rejoicing, the media and medical establishment focuses their rage on only one medicine, the one Trump praised. Is it about helping sick individuals or influencing the upcoming election? A similar approach to vaccines confirms the answer. Trump also praised vaccines, hinting that one might be available in October. Right on cue, vaccines are now as bad as hydroxy. The Democrat undynamic duo of Harris and Biden are throwing water on a vaccine this year simply because Trump said it is possible. CNN confirms an anti-vaccine bias simply because Orange Man Bad. Just last month CNN lamented, As anti-vaxxers spread lies on social media about coronavirus vaccine. Less than a month later they claim Trump is delusional for suggesting a vaccine may be imminent. Those who criticize anti-vaxxers are now anti-vaxxers themselves, only to get on the opposite side of the issue as President Trump and virtue signal their resistance. This is exactly how they treat hydroxy compared to steroids on the therapeutic front. Its a sad tale of two potential treatments treated so differently simply to oppose President Trump. If he said breathing is beneficial, Democrats and the media would hold their breaths to prove him wrong. Has this ever been about the virus? Or only the election and defeating Trump? How many Americans have been denied potentially lifesaving treatment by the medical establishment just to hurt Trump and influence an election? This is a shameful crime against humanity, motivated purely by politics. Brian C. Joondeph, M.D., is a Denver-based physician and freelance writer whose pieces have appeared in American Thinker, Daily Caller, Rasmussen Reports, and other publications. Follow him on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Parler, and QuodVerum. Donald Trump President Donald Trump tours an area Tuesday that was damaged during demonstrations after a police officer shot Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wis., on Sept. 1, 2020. Credit - Evan VucciAP Rolando Morales is the kind of voter that President Donald Trump is desperate to win. A 41-year-old stay-at-home dad in Racine, Wis., Morales voted for Hillary Clinton in 2016, and his wife and her family are solid Democrats. But hes alarmed by the violence that erupted in nearby Kenosha after police shot Jacob Blake seven times in the back on Aug. 23. Before Kenosha, I would have said I would never vote for Trump, says Morales, gripping a sandwich outside a Jimmy Johns. Now, its like: Maybe. I saw the city get burned down. In the aftermath, Trump visited the city to pose in front of burned buildings, denouncing the anti-police and anti-American riots. But his true audience was not necessarily the people of Kenosha: it was the white suburban voters who could make or break his chances at re-election. A peaceful gathering early Tuesday near the site where Jacob Blake was shot by police in Kenosha, Wis., on Sept. 1, 2020. Patience Zalanga for TIME Trump won the presidency in large part due to his success in suburban battlegrounds. In 2012, Barack Obama and Mitt Romney fought to a near-draw across suburban areas; in 2016, Trump beat Hillary Clinton in the suburbs by 5 points. But since then, Trumps support among suburban voters has dipped. In the 2018 midterms, Democrats made huge inroads in the suburbs, winning districts in red states like Kansas and Oklahoma. According to a New York Times/Siena poll in June, Biden led Trump by 16 points in the suburbs, especially among voters with a four-year college degree. Whether or not the President gets a second term hinges on winning these voters back. This fall, its entirely possible that a surge in Democratic votes in suburban Wisconsin tips the state and the Electoral College, says Ben Wikler, chair of the Wisconsin Democratic Party. Which is why the Trump campaign is doing everything it can to scare suburban voters into sticking with him. In recent weeks the dominant theme of his campaign has been stoking fear of unrest and promising law & order to anxious white suburbanites. The Republican National Convention highlighted the story of a white St. Louis couple who pointed their guns at Black Lives Matter protesters passing by their home. In one tweet directed at the Suburban Housewives of America, Trump said Biden will destroy your neighborhood and your American dream; I will protect it! In case the message wasnt clear, his campaign sent out a text yesterday that read: ANTIFA THUGS WILL RUIN THE SUBURBS! Story continues Protestors clash outside a county courthouse after the President departs Kenosha, Wis., on Sept. 1, 2020. Patience Zalanga for TIME Kenosha County is a case study of whether this message can work. Its full of suburbs and exurbs surrounding the main city, Kenosha, that was blighted after Blakes shooting. Most of the windows downtown are boarded up and tagged with murals and graffiti, and the smell of smoke from burned buildings still hung in the air days after the violence subsided. The county went for Obama by 12 points in 2012 before Trump erased that deficit and barely eked out a win there in 2016; two years later, Democratic Governor Tony Evers won it by 4 points. So is Trumps strategy working? Polls paint a murky picture, and it varies by state. Take Pennsylvania: One Monmouth poll in early September showed the race tightening in Trumps favor in swing and suburban districts in Pennsylvania, while a recent NBC/Marist poll showed Biden leading Trump by nearly 20 points among suburban voters there. A recent ABC News/Ipsos poll found that 80% of Americans were very or somewhat concerned with the protests, but not in a way that benefited the President: 55% said that Trumps comments about the protests had made the situation worse, while 59% said Biden would do a better job handling the protests and 56% said Biden would do a better job keeping me and my family safe. And on the ground, Trumps bet on fear-mongering seems to have met limited success. In dozens of interviews in Kenosha and its surrounding suburbs in recent days, nearly every voter I spoke with agreed that the violent protests were unacceptable. Yet many suburban voters blamed Trump for inciting racial conflict. Boarded-up windows on businesses let patrons know they are still open in Kenosha, Wis., on Sept. 2, 2020. Patience Zalanga for TIME People here might be concerned about law and order, but they dont want a President whos stoking the fire; they dont want him to pour on kerosene, says Charlie Sykes, a longtime conservative radio host in Wisconsin and an anti-Trump Republican who is now editor-at-large of The Bulwark. These really crude race based-appeals just dont seem like theyre gonna resonate among suburban Wisconsin voters this year. Make sense of what matters in Washington. Sign up for the daily D.C. Brief newsletter. Meanwhile, Bidens denunciation of the violence and his refusal to adopt Black Lives Matters demands to defund the police have made it harder to paint him as soft on crime. Rioting is not protesting. Looting is not protesting. Setting fires is not protesting, he said in an August 31 speech in the aftermath of Blakes shooting, before adding: Do I look to you like a radical socialist with a soft spot for rioters? Really? (The Trump campaign has to get its story straight: before they were attacking Biden as soft on crime, they were attacking him as too tough on crime, slamming him as the architect of mass incarceration.) But like nearly everything in Trumps America, both Democrats and Republicans in Kenosha and the surrounding areas saw what they wanted to see in the shooting of Blake and the subsequent racial-justice protests. For Trump supporters, it reinforced the need for law and order; for Biden supporters, the need for new policing policy and national healing. Trump thought it would terrify white voters into coming back to his base; Biden thought it was inspire suburban voters to embrace his message of unity. It turned out to be just another Rorschach test for a tribal nation. A young boy gets his haircut at the community gathering hosted by Jacob Blakes family in Kenosha, Wis., on Sept. 1, 2020. Patience Zalanga for TIME Supporters of the President said they credited him with ending the violence and voiced skepticism of the Black Lives Matter movement. Why should Black lives matter any more than anybody elses? says JoAnn Clickner, 85, a Trump supporter in nearby Racine. Miss Black America and Black this and Black thatjust obey the law and do what youre supposed to do. Clickner says she supports the President because we need a leader, a ruler who can handle things. Mayhem and anarchy has been going on, says Rhonda Dutton, a 61-year old retired carpenter who supports the President. Its very upsetting to see our town be destroyed for something that could have been easily avoided if you had just obeyed commands. But dismay at the damage done by protesters doesnt necessarily translate into support for Trump. I cried when I walked through downtown. I think the President is inciting a lot of this racist talk, says Carole Mills, 75, a retired teacher, on her way out of a Dollar Tree in Kenosha. Theres a lot of people who dont like either one, but theyd prefer Biden over Trump. A street vendor selling T-shirts observes a crowd of protesters marching near the county courthouse in Kenosha, Wis., on Sept. 1, 2020. Patience Zalanga for TIME The destruction of our beautiful old buildings has been disheartening, adds Toni Detert, 63, a retired retail manager in Kenosha. Still, she says, Trumps visit was a political ploy, and she plans to vote for Biden. In fact, Rolando Morales appeared to be a rare specimen in these parts: the unlikely voter whose views may have been swayed by the events of the last few weeks. In more than 50 interviews, he was one of the only people who said he was considering changing his vote because of the events in Kenosha. The only thing about Trump thats positive is law and order. We need more of that, he says. Yet when pressed, it seemed like Morales was starting to make up his mind. Morales says he wants a President whos gonna pull humanity together. In the end, he says, Biden will probably get his vote. Deputy from the Servant of the People faction, a candidate from the party of the same name for the mayor of Kyiv, Iryna Vereshchuk, believes that the people of Kyiv deserve a debate between the main candidates for the post of mayor of the capital and called incumbent mayor Vitali Klitschko to debate. "I take this opportunity to invite Mr. Klitschko to the debate. It would be very important that all voters hear, and we can ask each other questions. And everyone would see whether he was an effective mayor or not. This is immediately obvious," Vereshchuk said in talk show on the Ukraine24 TV channel on Thursday evening. She also stated that now there are 28 criminal proceedings in which Klitschko is involved to one degree or another. "He is summoned as a witness, perhaps he will receive suspicion notice. But this is a question for law enforcement agencies, and they should deal with it. Most of the proceedings were opened in the last year. There is reason to believe that, for example, funds allocated for the Podilsko-Voskresensky bridge were stolen, and Mr. Klitschko was involved, who signed appropriate documents, etc. I, as an MP, made a deputy appeal addressed to Mr. [Interior Minister Arsen] Avakov," Vereshchuk noted. Stormont ministers are to resume debate on a contentious proposal to stall work on new Brexit port checkpoints following fractious exchanges on the issue. It is understood agriculture minister Edwin Poots is seeking to halt construction of the new Irish Sea infrastructure following the Governments legislative move to guarantee unfettered access throughout the UKs internal market. In the summer, the Government said enhanced regulatory checks would be required on animals and food products crossing the Irish Sea from Great Britain to Northern Ireland under the terms of the Brexit deal. The Executive assumed a legal responsibility to undertake the work for the Government to enable it to fulfil its international obligations under the Withdrawal Agreement. Agriculture minister Edwin Poots (Niall Carson/PA) Northern Irelands main ports have since been expanding their Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) checking facilities in work carried out in conjunction with Mr Poots department. Stormont ministers convened for a virtual Executive meeting on EU exit issues on Thursday night. When the port infrastructure issue was raised it prompted robust and heated exchanges, involving both rival politicians and a senior civil servant. One source described it as hot and heavy and another characterised it as a shouting match. A vote proposing the halting of the work was defeated but the issue is due to be revisited when ministers meet again. The meeting was adjourned around 9pm so legal advice could be sought. Attorney General Brenda King has been requested to provide ministers guidance on whether stopping the work would undermine the Executives legal obligation to carry out a Government instruction. Warrenpoint Port (Niall Carson/PA) The meeting is due to reconvene on Friday, if the advice is ready. The Government has faced intense criticism after it published its Internal Markets Bill earlier in the week legislative proposals that Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis admitted would break international law. Story continues Specifically, the Bill, if enacted, would undermine parts of the Northern Ireland Protocol contained within the EU Withdrawal Agreement struck by the EU and UK. Under the protocol, which will kick in if no wider trade deal materialises, Northern Ireland will continue to follow single market rules for goods and administer the EUs customs code at its ports. It was designed to avoid a hard border on the island of Ireland, but unionists have been vehemently opposed to it, insisting it instead creates an economic border between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK. Under the terms of the protocol, extra regulatory checks are required on goods entering Northern Ireland from GB. Goods crossing the Irish Sea will also be subject to customs processes to differentiate between products destined solely for Northern Ireland and those set for onward transport across the Irish border into the EU. The Bill gives the Government the ability to override a number of provisions with the protocol. Namely, ministers would be able to ditch the requirement for goods going from NI to GB to fill out export declaration forms. The Government would also not have to adhere to a requirement to follow EU rules on state aid on all goods related to Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis said the Internal Markets Bill would break international law in a limited way (Niall Carson/PA) Mr Poots would not be drawn into confirming whether he intended to halt work on the checking facilities when asked in the Assembly on Tuesday. He instead said: We will just have to wait and see how things are taken forward. But he made clear that he was not in favour of building the infrastructure, emphasising that it was a UK Government decision. They have agreed a protocol that I do not agree with, quite frankly, he said. That protocol has the potential to cost every home in Northern Ireland additional money as a consequence of adding checks, which will have a cost to business that will be passed to consumers. It is incredibly important that consumers are not impacted. The consequence of lorries that are bringing food from Britain to Northern Ireland, which we will consume, having to go through checks, has the potential to cost the people who you represent more money. He added: I am not one who wants to create any barriers, and I am not looking for barriers to be created between Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic either, for that matter. I am not looking for barriers to be put around Northern Ireland. I am looking for access to our markets to be as free as possible and for people who are bringing necessary goods to us to have access that is as free as possible. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-11 20:33:38|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close CANBERRA, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- Australia's Finance Minister has described the Queensland Government's recent handling of its border closure "just plain disgraceful". Mathias Cormann said on Friday that Australians needed to be careful that they do not "lose their humanity" during the coronavirus crisis. His comments came after the Queensland Government refused to grant 26-year-old Canberra woman Sarah Caisip an exemption to leave hotel quarantine under strict border restrictions so she could attend her father's funeral on Thursday. "What happened here is just plain disgraceful. I am sure that would be the overwhelming view of people all around Australia," he told Sky News Australia, accusing Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk of prioritizing her political interests ahead of the state election. "That is entirely driven by the fact that there is an election in Queensland in October." "All States should be practical, common-sensical and empathetic and proportionate to the risk that is actually there rather than just focusing on the political approach." Also on Friday, Palaszczuk said she had lost loved ones during the pandemic and understood what people were going through, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. "These are difficult decisions and they're heartbreaking," she said. "I'm human just like everyone else. These issues hurt me deeply. "They hurt me deeply because during this pandemic I have lost loved ones as well. I know exactly what people are going through." As of Friday afternoon there had been 26,565 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Australia, and the number of new cases in last 24 hours is 56. There were nine new deaths from COVID-19 reported since Thursday, all of which were in Victoria, the hardest-hit state by the COVID-19 pandemic in the country, taking Australia's death toll to 797. Of the new cases, Victoria confirmed 43 and New South Wales confirmed 10 cases. Enditem A Roaring Fork Transportation Authority bus approaches the Aspen roundabout recently. On Thursday, U.S. Sens. Michael Bennet and Cory Gardner announced approval of a $13 million federal grant for RFTAs regional transit center project in Glenwood Springs. The team of researchers from BITS Pilani, Hyderabad, has been engaged in forecasting the spread of COVID-19 in India using advanced statistical learning techniques Hyderabad: India may witness over seven million COVID-19 cases by the first week of October, surpassing the US and emerging as the country with highest number of infections, a team of researchers from BITS Pilani, Hyderabad said on Friday. The Union Health Ministry data on Friday said the number of coronavirus cases in India breached the 45 lakh mark while a data released by a national public health institute in the US said the number of infections in the North American country crossed six million as of 8 September. The team has been engaged in forecasting COVID-19 pandemic in India using advanced statistical learning techniques, lead researcher Dr TSL Radhika of the Department of Applied Mathematics, BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus said. The team has recently communicated its findings to the 'International Journal of Infectious Diseases' published by the well known publisher Elsevier. "Our results, obtained using a model based on statistical learning techniques applied to the existing data, indicate that India is likely to become the top COVID-19 country in the world, surpassing the United States by about the first week of October, that is in about a month's time. The total number of cases is also likely to cross the 70-lakh mark by this time. The figure however is contingent on the number of tests being carried out," Dr Radhika said in an email communication to PTI. The researchers are now working on refining their model based on advanced machine learning techniques to make predictions for the longer term, the researcher added. By Luis Jaime Acosta and Julia Symmes Cobb BOGOTA (Reuters) - Nine people have died in Colombian capital Bogota and satellite city Soacha following violent overnight protests against police brutality, as city authorities called on residents to stay indoors on Thursday evening. The demonstrators were protesting the death this week of law student and father-of-two, Javier Ordonez, 46, in police custody. A widely-shared video filmed by Ordonez's friend showed Ordonez being repeatedly shocked with a stun gun by police. Some 175 civilians and 147 police officers have been injured in the protests, according to authorities in Bogota, while dozens of stations and public vehicles were damaged or set alight, the national government said. Bogota's mayor Claudia Lopez said people should return to their homes by evening, to ease tensions. "Although there is no curfew in Bogota, we ask that by no later than seven o'clock, all those who can, please stay at home," Lopez said in a Facebook Live broadcast. Seven people aged between 17 and 27 years old were confirmed killed during the protests in Bogota, and another two in Soacha. The circumstances surrounding their deaths are being investigated, authorities said. Over 60 people suffered gun-related injuries, the mayor's office said. Lopez compared the unrest to the worst days of Colombia's armed conflict. The video of Ordonez shows him pinned to the ground by police officers and subjected to successive electric shocks as he begs, "please, no more." Police say Ordonez was found drinking alcohol in the street with friends, in violation of coronavirus distancing rules. He was taken to a police station in western Bogota where his family allege he suffered further abuse. He died later in hospital. The two officers involved have been suspended pending an investigation, the government has said. Ordonez's family called for justice and peaceful protest. "He was murdered by the police officers," his former sister-in-law, Eliana Marcela Garzon, told Reuters. "We don't want (deaths) in a country already full of conflict, we want justice." Story continues Police reform is needed, Garzon said, especially for the future of children like her now-fatherless nephews. "I don't want them to grow up feeling like there isn't justice in this country," she said. "I want them to grow up knowing laws are followed." Duque has said abuse of authority should not be tolerated, but the government called for Colombians not to "stigmatize" police officers and appealed for calm. "What we are facing here is a mass act of vandalism and violence," defense minister Carlos Holmes Trujillo told journalists earlier on Thursday. Bogota's police will be reinforced with 1,600 more officers, more than half of whom will come from other regions, and 300 soldiers, the defense ministry said. An effort by labor unions earlier this week to revive mass protests seen last year against Duque's economic and social policies garnered a tepid response amid ongoing coronavirus restrictions. But Ordonez's death could fuel renewed widespread outrage against the police, who were roundly criticized last year after a teenage protester was fatally injured by a riot squad projectile. (Reporting by Luis Jaime Acosta, Julia Symmes Cobb and Javier Andres Rojas, Additional reporting and writing by Oliver Griffin, Editing by Rosalba O'Brien) Medical school graduates and health workers have taken to the streets of Baghdad in protest over the lack of resources to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic. They are demanding oxygen for patients and personal protection equipment for staff, as well as jobs for health care graduates. At least 1,500 doctors have been infected and 44 doctors have died, a likely underestimate, while 3,000 doctors over 60 years of age were instructed to take early retirement. Health care workers are threatening a partial strike, exempting emergency wards and intensive care units, and later a nationwide strike. It comes as Iraq has recorded around 250,000 coronavirus cases and more than 7,730 deaths. The worst affected areas are Sulaymaniya and Erbil governorates in the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), the semi-autonomous region in northern Iraq. Iraq had initially contained the pandemic with lockdown measures, but cases and deaths have more than doubled since early July, when the government began the gradual lifting of restrictions, resumed international flights and opened Iraqs borders. Hospitals have been overwhelmed. Iraqs health care system, once the best in the Arab world, was gutted by the 1991 Gulf War, a decade of US sanctions, the 2003 US-led war and occupation of Iraq, and the wretched political sectarian system imposed by Washington. More than 20,000 doctors have fled the country in recent years because of insecurity, threats, and the assassination of hundreds of doctors in targeted killings. As a result, the health service now employs only 30,000 doctors, about 0.8 doctors per 1,000 people, which is one of the lowest numbers per capita in the world, with hospitals becoming a place to die as health care budgets were turned into a mechanism for doling out patronage. Today, 31,000 recent health care graduates have been unable to find jobs, leaving them at risk of losing their practicing certificates. In June, the incoming government of Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi caused outrage and derision when it called on the governorates to recruit volunteers from retired doctors or graduates provided that they do not shoulder any financial obligations. The health care system, like all of Iraqs decimated public services, have fallen victim to successive government-sanctioned looting operations and most recently the catastrophic fall in oil prices and the OPEC-agreed cuts in production. Oil revenues, which constitute 90 percent of government income, have been halved, plunging the economy into the abyss. The approval of the 2020 budget has been delayed by the unrest that started in October when mass protests against the appalling social conditions, government corruption and the entire political setup forced the resignation of Prime Minister Adil Abdul Mahdi. It was the first time since the 2003 US-led war that a government had been forced to resign due to popular pressure. Iraqs economy has already contracted by more than 9.7 percent, in contrast to 4.4 percent growth last year. The governments budget deficit, about $20 billion, is expected to soar, while its debt to foreign financial institutions has risen to more than $104 billion. The government is likely to need a further $40 billion of external financing that Washington will only green light if Baghdad implements free market reforms, privatisations and the slashing of the public wage bill, subsidies and benefits that will further impoverish the working class. Above all, the US is demanding that the government impose direct control over the mainly Shia Hashid Shaabi militias, which have long demanded Western forces depart the country entirely. Just 10 percent of Iraqi jobs provide regular employment, largely in the public sector and allocated on the basis of Iraqs sectarian political system. The remaining 90 percent are casual day work that require two such jobs to put food on the table. All this is in a country where 60 percent of the population is under 24 and most young people are without work. While the spread of the coronavirus and lockdown measures halted the mass rallies and ended the tent sit-ins in Baghdads Tahrir Square, fresh protests have started amid frequent and long electricity outages during a blistering summer when temperatures topped 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit). At the end of July, two anti-government protesters were killed and 21 were injured in renewed clashes with the security forces. Last month, protests broke out in Sulaymaniya and across the KRG over months of unpaid wages and growing hardship, with workers storming the headquarters of the ruling political parties. Scores of people have been injured in street clashes as the KRGs security forces carried out dozens of arrests. Doctors went on strike for a second time over unpaid wages. The KRG blamed the non-payment of wages on the federal government in Baghdad, which according to Iraqs budget law is required to pay the KRG about 12 percent of the federal budget in return for 250,000 barrels of crude oil per day. In April, Baghdad stopped making the $380 million monthly payments, claiming the KRG had not shared oil production with the federal government. Following the protests, and under pressure from the US with whom the KRG has close links, Baghdad agreed to restore most of the payments in the August-October period in return for 50 percent of the customs revenue from border crossings in areas under the KRGs control and to discuss other outstanding disagreements. In recent months, Iraq has seen a wave of assassinations, including the drive-by killing in Baghdad in July of Hisham al Hashimi, a prominent Iraqi security expert. His assassination has been widely attributed to forces allied to Iran as an indirect warning to Washington. Iraq has for decades been caught in the crosshairs of US imperialisms increasingly militaristic confrontation with Iran that is bound up with Washingtons build up for great power confrontation with China, attempting to use military force to establish a chokehold over the energy resources upon which the Chinese economy depends. Some Shia factions allied with Iran were unhappy at Kadhimis appointment as prime minister in May. Kadhimi, a former head of Iraqs National Intelligence Service, who spent 20 years in exile in the UK and US, is on good terms with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and is viewed as a US spy and puppet. But they gave him the nod in the belief that their parliamentary majority would be able to neuter him. Al-Kadhimi accepted a poisoned chalice. He is under huge popular pressure to bring the killers of peaceful protesters to justice. Around 560 protesters were killed and thousands injured since October, with the government taking no action to identify those in the security forces responsible. His government has pledged to investigate the killings and the imprisonment of hundreds of demonstrators, and to pay compensation of $8,380 to the families of those killed. Al-Kadhimi has announced the holding of new elections in June next year, another key demand of the protest movement. While the elections will be based upon legislation overturning Iraqs sectarian political system, voting procedures and constituency boundaries have not been finalised, neither has the role of the election commission in organising the polls, widely believed to be rigged. He has also ordered state institutions to stop classifying Iraqis by religious sect following a social media outcry. Last month, Kadhimi flew to Washington to try to reach a Strategic Pact with the Trump administration aimed at securing increased aid in a bid to reduce Iraqs dependency on Iran. The last months have seen increasing attacks on US facilities, following Washingtons assassination on January 3 of Irans General Qassem Suleimani and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandisa prominent member of the Iraqi government and Popular Mobilisation Units (PMU) leader. Parliament called for the immediate withdrawal of all US troops in the country, but the US refused to leavewith President Donald Trump threatening Baghdad with sanctions if it ordered American troops out. In March, Washington set up at least four new batteries of Patriot air defence systems in Iraq as a preparatory move for an attack on Iran. On Wednesday, Washington agreed to a face-saving reduction in US forces in Iraq, cutting its presence from 5,200 to 3,000 troops this month as part of a wider draw-down in the region. It leaves intact the far larger number of US private military contractors. After years of effort by volunteers and experts on both sides of the border, the Niagara River is a step closer to becoming the first trans-boundary Ramsar site on the continent. Niagaras planning and economic development committee voted Wednesday to add its endorsement to efforts to designate the river under the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance. Both sides of the river share a long industrial contamination legacy, said Jocelyn Baker, the Canadian co-chair of the Ramsar Designation Binational Steering Committee. She told committee members that endorsing the initiative is a chance not only to change that legacy, but the narrative for the river. I just think Niagara Falls is one of the most beautiful places, and not just the Canadian or American falls, but the two together it is one ecosystem and I think that from today moving forward we really need to look at it that way, Baker said. She said the declaration is non-regulatory. Its voluntary. It has been that way for 50 years and they dont see that changing anytime soon because its working very effectively. Baker said it will not have an effect on agricultural irrigation needs in Niagara-on-the-Lake or prevent economic development projects. I am telling you as a credentialed expert that it will not impact Thundering Waters, she said, referring to the controversial development planned for Niagara Falls. It will, however, promote conservation through international co-operation, increase community pride and eco-tourism opportunities, increase funding potential for tourism, economic development and resource management, increase marketing opportunities and allow the region to use globally recognized Ramsar logos in branding and advertising. It only brings community pride. Its an opportunity to bring additional tourism, she said. Theres great value in being part of that collaboration. Jajean Rose-Burney, the Ramsar Designation Steering Committees U.S. co-chair, said the river received its designation on the U.S side last October after about six years of effort. If Canadas nomination succeeds, he said we will be the first trans-boundary site in North America. The river is my home and whats there is special, he said. Niagara Falls is obviously world renown, but the rest of it is amazing Ramsar just says to us and the rest of the world that this place is special its one of the most special places. It puts Niagara, the Niagara River on a list with places like the Everglades and Galapagos. Lincoln Mayor Sandra Easton was opposed to the endorsement. I dont have any issue with the idea of preservation, conservation. However, I am having a lot of increasing difficulty with the layers and proliferation of decision making that inserts itself into the governance of both region and our municipalities, she said. It could very well be as you say that there will never be an occasion for that influence to be inserted, but that has not been my experience. St. Catharines Mayor Walter Sendzik, who also serves as vice-chair of the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Cities Initiative, said the work that went into the Ramsar designation started many years ago. Although he said he appreciates Eastons concerns, he said the support the initiative received in the United States provides a clear understanding that this wont impede the local governments ability to manage the lands within its boundaries. RELATED STORIES Niagara Region NOTL agricultural committee opposes protection of Niagara River It instead highlights the importance of the waterway in a global contexts. These kind of designations help to remind us about when we make decisions, what is the long-term impact. When you talk about the Love Canal and the things that have happened on major waterways like the Niagara River, they were done by corporations that could care less about the environment at the time, Sendzik said. Its important that we support this type of initiative and be cognizant that it doesnt have a local governing jurisdiction, but it will guide future decision makers for generations to come that this is an important binational waterway. Niagara Region Chair Jim Bradley, who previously served as Ontarios environment minister, said a designation is symbolic. We need not be afraid of it being intrusive Its a very modest request with few ramifications if any, he said. Canadians very often like to portray ourselves as more environmentally sensitive and aggressive than our American friends. In some cases, this might well be the case but not in all cases. Bengaluru, Sep 11 : The Indian Coast Guard rescued 24 fishermen stranded at sea off the Bhatkal port in Karnataka due to strong winds and swell on Friday. A press release by the Defence Public Relations Office here said that a fishing boat IFB Qamrul Bahar was found stranded at sea, 15 nautical miles off Bhatkal, and its inmates evacuated. The fishing boat had lost propulsion owing to engine failure. "In view of the rough weather conditions in the area, the boat owner had requested fisheries officials at Karwar for the rescue of the fishermen." ICG Ship Kasturba Gandhi on operational deployment on the Karnataka coast was diverted immediately for undertaking a search-and-rescue operation. "The ship arrived at 10 p.m. on September 10 and established communication with fishermen while reassuring them about their presence," it added. The rescue operation was completed around 10.30 a.m. on September 11. All rescued fishermen are in good health and shifted to the ICG ship which then proceeded to the Karwar port for handing them over to Fisheries Department officials. The release said that coastal surveillance networks were used to shepherd fishing boats in the area to safer locations and weather warning advisories were also transmitted regularly. Crude Oil Breaks Lower Sparking Fears Of Another Sub $30 Price Collapse RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS: Breakdown in Crude Oil sparks talk of sub $30 price targets. Initial support likely near $32 to $33. Predictive Modeling suggests deeper price lows may be reached before November 2020. Have you been paying attention to Crude Oil recently? Prices have collapsed over -15% from the recent highs near $43.78. You may remember a research article I posted originally in July 2019 suggesting a big breakdown in Crude Oil was going to take place in early 2020 and extreme volatility was likely between February 2020 and April 2020. Our researchers predicted the following within that research article: If our ADL predictive modeling is correct, we will see rotation between $47 and $64 over the next 3+ months before a breakdown in price hits in November 2019. This will be followed by two fairly narrow price range months (December 2019 and January 2020) where oil prices will tighten near $45 to $50. After that tightening, we believe an extremely volatile price move will happen in February through April 2020 that could see oil prices trade as low as $22 and as high as $51 over a two to three-month span. Then, in early March 2020, we published this follow-up article on our Crude Oil predictions. Within that article, we updated our analysis to include the following statement: If our research is correct, Crude oil may find a bottom somewhere near $17 to $24, the potential rally back up to somewhere above $37~41 ppb before staging another massive selloff. The massive volatility suggested by the ADL system also suggests a broad price range over the next 60+ days. BREAKDOWN IN CRUDE TARGETING SUB $30 LEVELS Currently, Crude Oil prices have broken into a deep downward collapse after reaching highs near $44 ppb. The extended topping formation above $41 ppb aligns with our earlier research suggesting the broad market peak in Crude Oil over the past three months may have setup another breakdown event as the global markets react to renewed economic fears and the continued COVID-19 event. Our Adaptive Dynamic Learning (ADL) predictive modeling system is currently suggesting deeper price lows, initially targeting $32 to $33, then possibly falling below $27.50, are likely followed by an extended period of congestion below $30 throughout the end of November. In reality, Crude price levels could fall below $22 on a broader market selloff, then recover to levels above $24~28 before entering the congestion period we are describing. We believe ERY may rally 15% to 20%+ as Crude Oil collapses. The timing and setup, as well as the technical confirmation from our ADL predictive modeling system, suggests ERY could rally at least 11% to 14% over the next few days and weeks. The extended lower price consolidation that we are expecting may prompt ERY to rally an additional 5% to 8% if a deeper price low in Crude Oil, below $25, is established. Before you continue, be sure to opt-in to our free-market trend signalsnow so you dont miss our next special report! We dont believe Crude Oil will attempt to target the COVID-19 lows at this time. We believe a roughly 61% price collapse from recent highs is likely based on a Fibonacci Retracement of COVID-19 lows to the recent highs. This places an immediate target price level for Crude Oil below $32.76 ppb. Our ADL system predicting a target price below $30 ppb suggests a deeper price move is highly likely. Thus, we believe a move to levels below $30 is highly likely with support being between $25 to $30. Our Fibonacci Price Modeling system places critical support near $28.30. Once Crude Oil reaches the bottom and finds support, well be re-evaluating the potential for further price activity and trends. We want to warn you that once Crude Oil establishes the support level below, or near, the $30 ppb level, it will likely enter an extended sideways consolidation phase until after November 11, 2020. So be prepared for some potentially volatile sideways price activity after the bottom is established. If you found this informative, then sign up now to get a pre-market video every day before the opening bell that walks you through the charts and my proprietary technical analysis of all of the major assets classes. You will also receive my easy-to-follow ETF swing trades that always include an entry price, a stop, two exit targets, as well as a recommended position sizing. Visit my Active ETF Trading Newsletter to learn more. While many of you have trading accounts, our most important accounts are long-term buy-and-hold investment accounts. Our signals can help you preserve and even grow your long term capital. If you have any type of long-term investment or retirement account and are looking for signals as to when to own equities, bonds, or cash, be sure to become a member of my Long-Term Investing Signals, which includes a weekly market update and trade alerts. Chris Vermeulen www.TheTechnicalTraders.com Chris Vermeulen has been involved in the markets since 1997 and is the founder of Technical Traders Ltd. He is an internationally recognized technical analyst, trader, and is the author of the book: 7 Steps to Win With Logic Through years of research, trading and helping individual traders around the world. He learned that many traders have great trading ideas, but they lack one thing, they struggle to execute trades in a systematic way for consistent results. Chris helps educate traders with a three-hour video course that can change your trading results for the better. His mission is to help his clients boost their trading performance while reducing market exposure and portfolio volatility. He is a regular speaker on HoweStreet.com, and the FinancialSurvivorNetwork radio shows. Chris was also featured on the cover of AmalgaTrader Magazine, and contributes articles to several leading financial hubs like MarketOracle.co.uk Disclaimer: Nothing in this report should be construed as a solicitation to buy or sell any securities mentioned. Technical Traders Ltd., its owners and the author of this report are not registered broker-dealers or financial advisors. Before investing in any securities, you should consult with your financial advisor and a registered broker-dealer. Never make an investment based solely on what you read in an online or printed report, including this report, especially if the investment involves a small, thinly-traded company that isnt well known. Technical Traders Ltd. and the author of this report has been paid by Cardiff Energy Corp. In addition, the author owns shares of Cardiff Energy Corp. and would also benefit from volume and price appreciation of its stock. The information provided here within should not be construed as a financial analysis but rather as an advertisement. The authors views and opinions regarding the companies featured in reports are his own views and are based on information that he has researched independently and has received, which the author assumes to be reliable. Technical Traders Ltd. and the author of this report do not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any content of this report, nor its fitness for any particular purpose. Lastly, the author does not guarantee that any of the companies mentioned in the reports will perform as expected, and any comparisons made to other companies may not be valid or come into effect. Chris Vermeulen Archive 2005-2019 http://www.MarketOracle.co.uk - The Market Oracle is a FREE Daily Financial Markets Analysis & Forecasting online publication. A woman deposits a mail-in ballot in a drop box in Hackensack, N.J., in July. The ability of Americans to vote by mail has become a major flash point in the 2020 election. (Seth Wenig / Associated Press) The controversial new chief of the U.S. Postal Service had not even started his job when a disturbing thing happened to hundreds of thousands of Americans who cast ballots by mail in primary elections this spring. Their votes were never counted. The torrent of disenfranchisement provided a worrying prelude to a general election in which, for the first time in history, most Americans will probably vote in advance of election day. Amid President Trump's efforts to undermine mail voting and the tumultuous tenure of Louis DeJoy, the Trump loyalist now running the mail, many people see the Postal Service as an obvious culprit. But election experts say recent controversies surrounding the post office and Trump's campaign of disinformation about mail-in voting are mostly sideshows. The bigger dangers for voters predate this administration and involve election officials in the states. When ballots get tossed, one of the most common reasons is that states mislead voters into thinking they can safely wait until a day or two before election day to drop them in the mail. Even when the post office is running on all cylinders, that isnt enough time to guarantee votes will be counted in many states. It is unrealistic and wishful thinking by these states, said Charles Stewart III, a political science professor at MIT who focuses on voting. They set the deadline as close as they can to election day, taking the position [that] we are giving people as much opportunity as possible to vote by mail. It has done the opposite. It has set up voters to fail. Missing the deadline for ballots to be delivered to election officials was the main reason that about 1% of all mail ballots were tossed in 2016. Amid this year's rapid shift toward mail voting, the percentage has surged higher in some states. More than 5% of mail votes were thrown out during this year's primary in Virginia, for example, according to figures reported by National Public Radio. Story continues In Wisconsin, about 2% of ballots around 23,000 votes were rejected in the primary. That was a larger share of votes than Trump's winning margin in the last presidential election. Nationwide, the number of mail-in voters disenfranchised this year already has exceeded the total for the entire previous presidential election cycle by more than 200,000. With polling suggesting that roughly one-third of voters perhaps as many as 50 million people plan to vote by mail, the uptick in discarded ballots is worrisome in an already chaotic election. Even if all voters sent ballots by mail in this year's general election, delivering them would be no problem for a Postal Service that handles 3 billion cards and letters a week during a typical holiday season, said Mark Dimondstein, president of the American Postal Workers Union. The key is that voters have to allow enough time for their ballots to arrive, and states need to provide accurate information about the deadlines. That clearly did not happen during the primaries. Between early June and mid-August, more than 1 million ballots were mailed out to voters so late within a week of primary election day in their state that they put voters at high risk of having their completed ballots arrive too late at election offices to be counted, according to a new report from the Postal Service inspector general. In 34 states, officials ignore Postal Service guidance to set a deadline for distributing absentee ballots to voters more than seven days before the election. Deadlines vary from state to state. California has among the most voter-friendly rules, allowing ballots to be counted for days after an election as long as they are postmarked by election day. Most states, however, require ballots to arrive by election day, according to a compilation by the National Conference of State Legislatures. States also vary in how easily voters can resolve problems with mail-in ballots, such as a signature that doesn't precisely match the one on file another leading cause of ballots being disqualified. About 30 states have websites that allow voters to track whether their ballot has been received and whether it has been accepted for counting. In August, California Secretary of State Alex Padilla announced the launch of a ballot-tracking tool for state voters. Elections experts worry that voters aren't hearing enough about those deadlines and sources of information. They are instead getting dire warnings from lawmakers about post office management issues that have caused serious problems with delivery of medicines, perishable items and even live animals, but which even major postal unions say are not going to disrupt their ability to deliver ballots, especially now that DeJoy facing a public outcry has vowed to put some of his plans on hold until after the election. I understand the Democrats' inclination to sound the five-alarm fire here, but you want to make sure that people are confident in their mail ballots, said Nathaniel Persily, a Stanford professor who co-directs the Stanford-MIT Healthy Elections Project with Stewart. The message that should be directed at voters, Persily said, is that mail voting will work fine if ballots are mailed back at least a week before election day. "One of the things I hope the Postal Service [controversy] has done is convince everyone that if they want to vote by mail, they should do it as early as possible," he said. That message is especially important in states that don't have much experience with widespread mail-in voting. In New York City, for example, more than 1 in 5 ballots were rejected in June's primary. Until this year, voting by mail had accounted for just a small share of ballots cast in the state, and election officials were overwhelmed by a tenfold increase. In California, more than 100,000 ballots went uncounted during this year's primary, about 1.5% of the nearly 7 million cast. More than two-thirds of those were discarded because they arrived too late. Most of the rest had missing or defective signatures. For November, the state has extended the deadline for receipt of ballots by two weeks, as long as they are postmarked by election day. In other states, proposals to extend ballot deadlines or take other steps to avoid disenfranchising voters have stalled amid a coordinated push by the Trump campaign and the Republican National Committee against expanded use of mail-in ballots. Further complicating matters is the president's persistent spread of disinformation about mail voting, falsely claiming it is highly vulnerable to fraud and is a conspiracy against him. The installation of DeJoy in June fueled fears by Democrats that the administration was seeking to rig the system against absentee voters. Polls have repeatedly shown that more Democrats than Republicans say they plan to vote by mail this year. Though DeJoy has backed down to a large extent on his aggressive cost-cutting measures, the confusion he helped create has rattled voters. A new Wisconsin poll by Marquette Law School, for example, shows the number of voters in that key swing state who say they plan to vote by mail has dropped considerably since May, from 43% to 32%. "He played a role, wittingly or unwittingly, in undermining peoples confidence in voting by mail, which fed into the suppression tactic of 'there is something wrong with voting this way,'" Dimondstein said. Some groups are scrambling now to get word out about the importance of mailing ballots early. They are testing new mobile apps, distributing ballot-tracking tools and deluging social media in an effort to push voters to request and return their ballots early. On the Republican side, state parties that have long relied on mail-in voting, especially by older people, are scrambling to find ways to encourage their side to vote despite the president's attacks on mail balloting. On the left, organizers are emphasizing that ballots not returned by the week before the election should be brought to drop boxes set up at polling places, election offices and elsewhere. "We are encouraging every single voter to know the rules and make a plan," said Wendy Fields, executive director of the Democracy Initiative, a coalition of progressive groups working to expand voting rights. "This is a high-information moment. We are making sure folks are checking their registration, getting the ballot, getting it done and getting it in the mail," Fields said. "We need to keep our foot on the gas." Fields said activists are also guiding voters to alternatives to mail if they can't get their ballot to the Postal Service in time. Educating voters is a steep challenge this cycle. The COVID-19 pandemic and legal fights over how voting should be carried out are causing frequent changes in state rules. Misinformation abounds. And progressive groups continue to highlight the fights over the post office in fundraising campaigns, which often suggest that mail voting could be imperiled, further confusing voters. "Providing clear and accurate information to voters in a timely manner is the biggest challenge we face," said Tom Lopach, chief executive of the Voter Participation Center, a nonprofit that has registered more than 1 million voters for the 2020 election. Times staff writer Noah Bierman contributed to this report. SHOTLIST SHANKSVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA, UNITED STATESSEPTEMBER 11, 2020SOURCE: DC POOLRESTRICTIONS: NO RESALE 1. Mid shot US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump recite the Pledge of Allegiance SHANKSVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA, UNITED STATESSEPTEMBER 11, 2020SOURCE: POOLRESTRICTIONS: NO RESALE 2. Mid shot Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden and his wife Jill Biden hold their hands on their hearts at the Shanksville Flight 93 Memorial IN THE AIR, UNDEFINEDSEPTEMBER 11, 2020SOURCE: DC POOLRESTRICTIONS: NO RESALE 3. US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump aboard Air Force One observe a moment of silence with Cabinet members and others on board to commemorate the victims of the September 11, 2001 attacks. UPSOT: "Ladies and gentlemen, the time is 8:46 am - the time the first plane struck the first tower of the World Trade Center nineteen years ago. We would ask that you please stand and join the President and First Lady in a moment of silence to honor those victims who perished as a result of these terrorist attacks." 4. US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump aboard Air Force One observe a moment of silence with Cabinet members and others on board to commemorate the victims of the September 11, 2001 attacks. UPSOT: "Ladies and gentlemen, the time is 8:46 am - the time the first plane struck the first tower of the World Trade Center nineteen years ago. We would ask that you please stand and join the President and First Lady in a moment of silence to honor those victims who perished as a result of these terrorist attacks." NEW YORK, STATE OF NEW YORK, UNITED STATESSEPTEMBER 11, 2020SOURCE: POOLRESTRICTIONS: NO RESALE 5. Mid shot Joe Biden tells Maria Fisher, UPSOT: "It never goes away," referencing the death of his own son, Beau Biden NEW YORK, STATE OF NEW YORK, UNITED STATESSEPTEMBER 11, 2020SOURCE: POOL 6. Photo Democratic Presidential Candidate Joe Biden (L) greets US Vice President Mike Pence as they attend a ceremony at the 9/11 Memorial in New York to commemorate the 19th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, on September 11, 2020. SHANKSVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA, UNITED STATESSEPTEMBER 11, 2020SOURCE: DC POOLRESTRICTIONS: NO RESALE 7. Tracking shot US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump arrive ahead of a ceremony commemorating the 19th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, in Shanksville, Pennsylvania8. Zoom in US President Donald Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, Ed Root, cousin of flight 93 attendant Lorraine G. Bay, and Nancy Root, his wife, lay a wreath SHANKSVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA, UNITED STATESSEPTEMBER 11, 2020SOURCE: POOLRESTRICTIONS: NO RESALE 9. Mid shot Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden and his wife Jill Biden with Calvin Wilson as they look at the wall of names at the Shanksville Flight 93 Memorial 10. Tracking shot Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden and his wife Jill Biden walk with Calvin Wilson as they lay a wreath at the Shanksville Flight 93 Memorial ///-----------------------------------------------------------AFP TEXT STORY: newseriesTrump, Biden make rival appearances on 9/11 anniversary By Catherine TRIOMPHE =(Picture+Video)= ATTENTION - RECASTS with ground zero ceremony ///New York, Sept 11, 2020 (AFP) - President Donald Trump and his Democratic rival Joe Biden held dueling commemorations Friday for the September 11, 2001 terror attacks on the United States, a bid to appear as leaders in a deeply divided national moment.On the 19th anniversary of the Al-Qaeda attacks the former vice president Biden -- who has stepped up his campaign after keeping a low profile in light of the pandemic -- began the day in Manhattan for an annual event honoring the nearly 3,000 people who died in the destruction of the World Trade Center.Trump did not attend the ceremony in his native New York, instead sending Mike Pence as a White House representative. Biden and the vice president tapped elbows and chatted briefly.Neither would give official remarks, as the Ground Zero ceremony's speeches -- pre-recorded this year due to coronavirus measures -- are generally reserved for family members of victims.But Biden's mere presence attracted attention at an event broadcast live on main US television networks and punctuated by minutes of silence, the first one at 8:46 am (1246 GMT), the time the first plane hit one of the Twin Towers.The Republican president meanwhile travelled to Shanksville, Pennsylvania some 300 miles (480 kilometers) to the west of New York, where an airliner crashed after the passengers tried to wrest control from the Al-Qaeda hijackers.The president and First Lady Melania Trump listened in silence as the names of the 40 passengers and crew killed aboard Flight 93 were read out -- with two bells tolling after the reading of each one.Later in the day the Democratic presidential hopeful also will travel to Shanksville -- but there was no chance of the rivals crossing paths: Trump was due to leave well before Biden and his wife Jill arrive at the site. - 'Scoring points' - Neither of these appearances are expected to feature political showmanship according to Robert Shapiro, a political scientist at Columbia University. The 9/11 ceremonies are traditionally "free of rhetoric, dedicated to paying tribute to victims" of the attacks, he said.The ceremonies will nevertheless be closely followed by the media, and offer Biden and Trump a chance to "show their leadership and empathy.""There will be a temporary silencing of the more vitriolic rhetoric they are using against each other," Shapiro said.The choice of both candidates to show up in Pennsylvania, an important state to win in the presidential election, illustrates the "obvious calculations" their advisors have made.Long a Democratic stronghold and Biden's home state, Pennsylvania swung narrowly to Trump in the 2016 election, helping him secure his surprise victory over Democrat Hillary Clinton.Polls show Trump and Biden nearly even in Pennsylvania, and Democrats hope to win the state back in the November 3 vote.But if the somber commemorations mark a "truce," it is likely to be a short-lived one, as was the case in 2016.Clinton took part in the New York memorial but left the event early because she was feeling ill. Her doctor later revealed he had diagnosed her two days earlier with pneumonia, which she had kept secret.Trump leaped on the incident and for weeks mercilessly mocked his rival's health.cat-mdo/ec ------------------------------------------------------------- Robert Fenstersheib, a South Florida personal injury attorney known for his catchy commercials encouraging people to tell Robert anything, was killed Wednesday in a shooting. Scott Mager, Fenstersheibs colleague and best-friend, said the Hallandale Beach-based attorney was killed by his son, Michael Fenstersheib. Michael, 35, struggled with severe mental illness and addiction, and also shot his long-time girlfriend. Michael was sent to several rehabilitation centers and facilities, Mager said. Im sure he regrets what he did even though he is dead, Mager said. He didnt have any violent incidents before...Something wrong and unusual happened. According to police, a call came in reporting a shooting at about 9:40 a.m. Wednesday at Roberts home in the 3200 block Southwest 49th Street in Hollywood. Officers found both father and son dead from possible gunshot wounds. The woman, who was also shot, was taken to Memorial Regional Hospital. Mager says she came out of surgery Wednesday afternoon and is in serious but stable condition. Police did not say what happened in the home or how the three people were related, but called the shooting an isolated incident. Mager said Robert was the most kind, philanthropic human being you can ever hope to meet. Whatever people needed he was there for. He added that anyone who wants to honor his legacy should think about how they can help others. Anyone with information is asked to call Hollywood police at 954-764-4357 (HELP) or 954-967-4567 or Broward Crime Stoppers at 954-493-8477(TIPS). Miami Herald writer David Ovalle contributed to this report. If you or someone you know is thinking about self harm, call the toll-free National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255). Its available 24/7. Students and staff at the University of Iowa staged a sickout on September 2, with hundreds of instructors and students calling in sick to oppose the universitys homicidal policy of continuing in-person education. Over 900 instructors and students signed a pledge to call in sick in support of the protest. Despite limited organization, the sickout represented a genuine and brave stand, which is part of the wave of opposition, including the strike by nearly 2,000 University of Michigan graduate student instructors, against the deadly reopening of campuses around the country. The sickout was publicized just four days in advance, over the anonymous Twitter and Instagram pages @uiowasickout. The sole demand was for the school to transition to 100 percent online classes. Boyd Law Building, University of Iowa (Credit: Tony Webster/Wikimedia Commons) The protests come on the heels of a massive increase in cases on the campus, as well as the state of Iowa more broadly. On Tuesday the University of Iowa released updated COVID-19 statistics, revealing that an additional 220 students and three employees had self-reported positive tests. After only two weeks of class, the total number of infections is 1,589. Similarly, at Iowa State University there have been 1,475 confirmed positive cases since August 1. The seven-day average of new cases for the state of Iowa is now 259 per 100,000 residents, the nations second highest. The Iowa Department of Public Health reported a 28.8 percent positive rate in testing for COVID-19. On Tuesday, 588 individuals tested positive, bringing the state total to over 70,000 positive cases. To date, 1,180 residents of Iowa have died from COVID-19. There are currently 78 University of Iowa students with the virus who are self-isolating on campus; an additional 24 students are in quarantine. The University of Iowa has more than 30,000 students and 30,000 employees, meaning tens of thousands of workers and students are at risk of contracting the deadly respiratory virus. Johnson County, Iowa, where the university is located, reported Monday a 14-day average positivity rate of 22.8 percent. Despite the startling growth in cases after only one week of classes and the opposition by teachers and students manifested in the sickout, the University of Iowa administration remains determined to continue holding face-to-face classes. Currently, as many as 25 percent of credit hours are still in-person. According to the University of Iowa faculty, the administration sent out two threatening emails last Tuesday evening in an attempt to stop the sickout. The first was to COGS, the graduate student union, reminding them of their obligation to the university to be in the classroom. The second email was to faculty. The latter email admonished faculty and students for demonstrating against the intransigent administration and threatened faculty with reprisal. The statement claimed that teachers withholding labor over deadly workplace conditions constitutes violating contractual obligations. The email, signed by the university provost, Kevin Kregel, reads: While the university acknowledges individuals concerns about in-person instruction, I strongly disagree with the planned manner of expressing those concerns. I respectfully remind you that as role models, you have an obligation to deliver instruction as assigned, and to provide appropriate notice of absences due to illness. The email continued by outlining the universitys plan for a safe reopening, a plan, which should be noted, has led to one of the worst campus COVID-19 outbreaks in the world. The administration has done everything in its power to ensure in-person learning and large lectures continue. The enormous response from students and faculty to the revelations of the virus outbreaks has demonstrated in no uncertain terms how they regard the administrations homicidal policies. Students and faculty responded with strong support for the sickout, while there was widespread feeling that a one-day sickout was inadequate to bring about the demand for 100 percent online instruction. Many of those who spoke to the World Socialist Web Site called for a broader struggle. One instructor told our reporters: Im proud of the students and faculty for standing up to the blatant intimidation tactics of the university, and for calling out the administrations hypocrisy in stating theyre continuing in-person classes. This was a one-day targeted action and it needs to be repeated in every school and workplace being forced back to work, not just as a sickout but as a general strike to protect our lives from the out-of-control virus. On Facebook, a parent shared the experience of a daughter who is a student and works in one of the universitys science labs: She works in the lab prepping and ensuring safety rules are followed. She went to work/lab today and was sent home because her lab co-worker tested positive and my child is with her a lot. They wear all the safety gear plus the cloth masks so it is doubtful my daughter got it from her. As bad as Iowa City is, I know it is just a matter of time until she gets it. Cole, a sophomore at University of Iowa, told the WSWS, I did receive emails from some of the professors talking about the sickout. I think this is a good idea to bring attention to the issue. If my in-person class was that day I would not have attended. He continued, My in-person class is not that large but still I feel like its too much of a risk, but I dont want to fall behind so I just attend. I support what was done. They are acting like the professors and students can manage this global pandemic that has killed so many by being mindful. If one student dies from this its going to blow up in their faces. Sarah, a senior, stated, It is ridiculous we have about 3.5 percent of the entire student population having been tested positive since school began a week and a half ago. How is this not enough to go fully online? I keep being surprised by the way that the smart guys in the room continue to come up with dumb policies. I think we have to do something more than just a one-day sickout. Kathleen, a University of Iowa graduate worker, shared through Facebook that she was only allowed to move her classes online after struggling to fill out tons of paperwork and disclosing personal health information. My concerns are not for my personal situation, she said. Im concerned for my colleagues, and graduate students having to go into classes where there really isnt enough space and the conditions arent really appropriate. Graduate students, together with undergraduates, full-time faculty, Iowa public school teachers and the broader working class must form rank-and-file safety committees to demand that in-person classes and other non-essential workplaces remain closed until a return to work has been determined by scientific evidence to be safe. Only by a complete break with the Republicans, Democrats and trade unions can workers assert their rights and interests. Educators and students in Iowa should follow the example of teachers in Detroit, Florida, Texas and other states who have formed rank-and-file safety committees to demand schools stay closed. Following the sickout at the University of Iowa, graduate student opposition to the reopening of campuses has already spread, including the three-day strike at the University of Michigan. These struggles must be deepened and expanded to all sections of the working class, including meatpackers, auto workers and immigrant workers in preparation for a nationwide general strike. The Socialist Equality Party and the International Youth and Students for Social Equality call on all Iowa teachers, students, and workers to contact us and join the Educators Rank and File Safety Committee today. NCUA awarded $75,000 in grants to three low-income, minority depository institution credit unions to support mentoring programs with larger credit unions. Mentoring relationships can help MDI credit unions, particularly those in rural and underserved communities, grow stronger and support their members and communities better, NCUA Chairman Rodney E. Hood said. The NCUAs mentoring program is important to the promoting the broader goal of greater financial inclusion. I congratulate the grantees and look forward to hearing about the results of their efforts. The agency awarded mentoring grants to: An Attleboro mom was struggling to find SpaghettiOs for her child with autism until the community came to the rescue. Crystal MacDonald from Attleboro is a mother of five; the oldest is 13 years old and the youngest is four years old. She is a full-time nursing student and was also working part-time until circumstances forced her to stay home and take care of her children. MacDonald's daughter, Ashlyn, has nonverbal autism and has sensory challenges. That means the texture and taste of some food would be too much for her, and so she would refuse to eat them. She would eat only a few types of food, including cheese pizza, grilled cheese, yogurt, and SpaghettiOs with meatballs. MacDonald said SpaghettiOs with meatballs, in particular, gives her daughter the least sensory experience. Pandemic disrupted her daughter's routine of school Ashlyn's school routine was stopped due to the pandemic. That proved to be challenging for her, as school and having structure is Ashlyn's life, MacDonald told The Sun Chronicle. Since then, her daughter has been having trouble sleeping and would not eat anything else but SpaghettiOs. That would not have been so much of a problem, only that SpaghettiOs became scarce when the pandemic began. Often, she would find shelves empty. She then had to routinely check every store, calling them by phone or personally visiting the grocery store three to four times a week. She would then buy as many as her budget would allow her until stocks become available again. When her story and other shoppers' experience in food and goods shortages were featured in The Sun Chronicle last month, the community responded quickly. People started helping her find or personally buy SpaghettiOs for Ashlyn, and many of them know someone or has a family member with autism. So they understand the urgency of finding the product. MacDonald was overwhelmed by the outpouring of support. She felt so much love from her community, she told TODAY. And blessings seem to keep pouring as the company that manufactures SpaghettiOs, Campbell's Soup Company, responded to TODAY's inquiry by donating a year's supply of Ashlyn's favorite food. MacDonald said it is an "incredible gift" for her daughter and her family. As a way of thanking her community, she wants to pay it forward by asking people to donate to The Arc of Bristol County's fundraising campaign. The Arc of Bristol County is a non-profit organization that helps families of children with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Prevalence of autism Approximately 1 in every 54 children in the United States is diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder or ASD, a CDC report said. For most children, autism is diagnosed after the age of four, but some can be diagnosed as early as two years of age. The majority of cases of autism find genetics as the main cause and children born to older parents are more likely at risk of having the condition. Also, it is estimated that 40 percent of people with autism are nonverbal. Autism Speaks, notes that it is important the early intervention is done to help the child improve in his/her learning, communication, and social skills. Photo Illustration by The Daily Beast / Photos Getty President Donald Trumps personal lawyer and a key Ukrainian ally in their plot to smear Former Vice President Joe Biden have both tried to distance themselves from collaborator Andriy Derkach after he was sanctioned and outed as an active Russian agent by the U.S. Treasury Department. Rudy Giuliani, who worked with Derkach and whose work as Trumps lawyer and top Biden-dirt-digger culminated in his own clients impeachment, told The Daily Beast on Friday that he was no longer in touch with the Russian intelligence asset. Asked if he was going to continue communicating with Derkach, Giulianiwho has since started working with the Trump 2020 campaignsimply replied, Havent talk[ed] to him in months. Asked if this week's news means his friendship and collaborations with Derkach are over, Giuliani tersely responded, No idea. According to Giuliani, no one from the Trump administration or elsewhere in the presidents orbit or inner circle ever warned him not to meet with Derkach, even though the Ukrainian lawmaker has long been under scrutiny for his Kremlin ties. Giuliani said nobody had even bothered checking in with him, after all this time and scandal, to express their reservations about Derkach. In his first substantive comments since Derkach was sanctioned, former Ukrainian diplomat Andriy Telizhenko claimed the Russian asset had never been a core member of the team along with him and Giuliani, who were looking to manufacture a political scandal in Ukraine that could damage Biden and his son Hunter ahead of Novembers election. I never liked Derkach, never knew much about his background, Telizhenko told The Daily Beast. The methods Derkach usedincluding leaking some recordingscaused harm for the team. The U.S. intelligence services must have found solid evidence about the background of that man. I am sure that everybody who knows Derkach is not surprised to hear about the sanctions. (After publication, Telizhenko reached out to explain that when he said team he meant the Trump administration and [its] team.) Story continues The Daily Beast previously reported that Derkach met with Giuliani in Kyiv last December after the Ukrainian lawmaker began to push a series of flagrantly untrue conspiracy theories claiming that he had enough evidence to bring down Biden and Trumps previous presidential rival Hillary Clinton. Although Telizhenko claims not to have been a close ally of Derkach, the pair have a history of working with Giuliani on propagating debunked conspiracy theories about Ukraines interference in the 2016 presidential election. Theyve also team up with the presidents personal lawyer to dig up information about the Bidens and their political dealings in Ukraine. Telizhenko told Buzzfeed News in July that he warned Giuliani about working with Derkach because of his pro-Russia associations. Perhaps coincidentally, that article was published the same day the intelligence community offered warnings about Russian proxies interfering in the upcoming election. Before this summer breakup, the three men seemed to have something of a symbiotic relationship. Giuliani has interviewed both Derkach and Telizhenko on his YouTube video series Common Sense about the Bidens. Derkach appeared for separate interviews with Giuliani in February. It appears that Telizhenko acted as a translator during Derkachs meeting. (I did not act as a translator for the Derkach interview with Mr. Giuliani but was asked a couple of days later by Mr. Giuliani to do a voiceover [for a video] after my meeting with Mr. Giuliani, said Telizhenko after publication. All three men also participated in a three-part One America News Network (OAN) documentary on the Ukraine impeachment hoax which aired in December 2019. Giuliani traveled to Ukraine to meet with Telizhenko and Derkach. When asked for comment about Derkach on Friday afternoon, the networks president Charles Herring responded with a 167-word text message. None of those words mentioned Derkach. In his meetings, Giuliani said he collected hundreds of pages of documents outlining Bidens corruption in Ukraine, saying the information would expose the presidential candidate as a fraud. Telizhenko helped Giuliani during his trip, he said, but claims he and the rest of his team did not arrange the Trump advisers meeting with Derkach. (Oleksandr Onyshchenko, a Ukrainian gas tycoon accused of embezzlement, has also worked with Giuliani in the past. He was arrested in Germany in December 2019 around the time of Giulianis trip to Kyiv.) Telizhenko told The Daily Beast that former lawmaker Andrey Artemenko, who was stripped of his Ukrainian citizenship in 2017 for proposing a deal to lease Crimea to Russia, set up the meeting between Giuliani and Derkach in December. Artemenko, under the name Andry Kuchma, filed paperwork with the U.S. Department of Justice this spring to work in the country to help set up meetings between Derkach and members of Congress, including members of the House and Senate foreign affairs committees. It makes sense that [Telizhenko] would want to try and distance himself from Derkach now. Its laughable but not surprising, said one former senior U.S. official who worked on Ukraine policy. He doesnt want what happened to Derkach to happen to him. It would be wise of Telizhenko to not engage in the same behavior as Derkach if he wants to stay safe from sanctions. The Treasury and State departments have for months worked on putting together a plan for sanctioning Derkach, an individual with direct knowledge told The Daily Beast. That process included the revoking of Derkachs U.S. visa earlier this year. Its unclear if the administration has scrutinized Telizhenko to the same degree as Derkach. Telizhenko told The Daily Beast his U.S. visa is still valid and that he plans on returning to the U.S. when the coronavirus pandemic begins to wind down. Despite trying to distance himself from Derkach, Telizhenko admits to smoking cigars with Giuliani and helping to organize his trip to Kyiv. Mr. Giuliani and I traveled together from Budapest; we spoke for hours about corruption in Ukraine, Telizhenko said. I helped to organize a few meetings for Mr. Giuliani in Kyiv. (Telizhenko said after publication that he never admitted to smoking cigars with Mr. Giuliani, only traveling with him back to Kyiv from Budapest.) Telizhenko said he had continued to work on exposing a so-called scandal in Ukraine that would damage Biden, and had given evidence to Sen. Ron Johnsons investigation over the past year. I have been [providing evidence] at the Senate, about the U.S. officials of high and low levels involved in corrupt schemes on the territory of Ukraine under the Obama administration, he said. The results of the Senates investigation will be published in two weeks. Telizhenko and Derkach have credibility problems, said the former senior official. Its been known for some time that Derkach is acting in Russias interests and is an active peddler of disinformation. Johnson knows this. He knows he cant rely on this kind of information. Telizhenko said he had passed many emails from the U.S. officials to the Senate. My prediction is that Donald Trump wins the election in November, he said, claiming his team would be happy to help with the peace process in Ukraine in a second Trump term, by which he likely means appeasing Russian aggression in the region. In a statement released on Thursday responding to Treasurys announcement, Johnson and Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) bizarrely accused the Democrats of relying on disinformation from Guilianis contact Derkach, falsely accusing them of interacting with the Russian agent: Foreign election meddling in all of its forms from any corner of the globe cannot be tolerated. We commend the Trump Administration for holding accountable perpetrators of foreign interference, and I hope my Democratic colleagues in Congress will finally stop relying on disinformation from the likes of Andriy Derkach to smear their political rivals. Since last year, Giulianis Biden-Ukraine crusade and his chumminess with figures such as Derkach alarmed various Trump lieutenants and allies on Capitol Hill, who viewed much of what Giuliani was bringing back to Trump and Washington as part of a disinformation campaign, or even Russian propaganda. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), a top Trump ally and confidant on the Hill, told The Daily Beast in December that Giuliani would be [wise] to share what he got from Ukraine with the [intelligence community] to make sure its not Russia propaganda. Im very suspicious of what the Russians are up to all over the world. (At the time, Giuliani simply insisted that what hed obtained was not Russian propaganda.) However, Grahams criticism was muted, if not absent, on Friday and he declined to address Derkach or Giuliani specifically when asked in a brief phone interview. The GOP senator instead offered up just a general proposition. No matter what comes out of the Ukraine, we need to make sure the intelligence community takes a good look at it because businesses and other entities there are easily manipulated, Graham said. My advice would be to keep your guard up with anything that comes out of the Ukraine I believed that then and believe that now. That doesnt mean you cant look at abuse of power or misconduct, [however]. Given Giulianis current, Biden-related work with the Trump campaign, Giulianis recent collaborations with a Russian agent brings back uncomfortable echoes of the Kremlin collusion narrative that haunted the first Trump campaign and the administration for so long. However, its a parallel that Team Trump appears to be shrugging off. Two senior Trump campaign officials and another source close to the team say they arent aware of anybody on staff who sees this as any serious concern this week. If the Resisters want to make this campaign about Russia again, that would be a terrible strategy. Have at it, said a Republican close to the Trump campaign. UPDATE 5:55pm: This story has been updated throughout with additional comments from Telizhenko. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now! Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more. The Asia-African Market Department at the Ministry of Industry and Trade has joined hands with trade offices to arrange webinars introducing potential of the African and Middle East markets, which drew hundreds of Vietnamese firms. African countries, especially those in the western region, have high demand for rice because local production cannot meet demand, especially during years with natural hazards, crop failure, political instability and diseases. Algeria, in particular, relies entirely on rice imports, according to the Vietnam Trade Office in the country. The surge in its rice consumption is attributed to the increase of Asian migrants in the country, particularly Chinese workers. Algeria purchased about 100,000 tonnes of rice per year, equivalent to 1% of the countrys food consumption. Vietnam shipped in excess of 16,390 tonnes of rice to the African country in 2019, fetching US$6.28 million, a leap of 20.8% in value from the previous year. The figure hit US$14.58 million in the first six months of 2020, accounting for 58% of Vietnams total export value to Algeria. Similarly, Senegal imports up to 800,000 tonnes of rice a year, primarily broken rice. Vietnams rice exports to Senegal witnessed a sharp increase to 96,665 tonnes in 2019, earning US$32.62 million, rising 13.1-fold in volume and 10.2-fold in value. The country shipped rice worth US$26.47 million in the first seven months of 2020, a year-on-year surge of 77.2%. This year, Senegal is projected to import 1.25 million tonnes of the grain. In both markets, Vietnamese rice faces tough competition from products of India, Thailand, Pakistan, Uruguay and China, among others. The Vietnam Trade Office is keeping a close eye on adjustments in trade policies and rice import demand in the region, as well as import and payment regulations, especially in the context of COVID-19, to promptly inform businesses. From reporters simulating actor Sushant Singh Rajput's method of suicide to TV anchors flagging his smiling photos as 'proof' that he was not suffering from depression, no detail has been deemed too trivial or too tasteless India has more than four million coronavirus cases and an explosive border stand-off with China, but the story dominating television news for months is how Rhea Chakraborty supposedly drove her ex-boyfriend, Sushant Singh Rajput to suicide with pot and black magic. Faced with a seemingly endless pandemic lockdown and an economy in free fall, Indians have spent months glued to the rollercoaster aftermath of Rajput's death in June. From reporters simulating his method of suicide to primetime anchors flagging smiling photos of the actor as "proof" that he was not suffering from depression, no detail has been deemed too trivial or too tasteless. Meanwhile his former girlfriend Chakraborty, has been dragged through the mud as an ice queen and a gold-digger, with Rajput's family blaming her for his death. On Tuesday, Chakraborty was arrested for allegedly buying cannabis for the 34-year-old star, whose suicide is now being investigated by India's top anti-crime agency. Many of India's television channels have enthusiastically participated in the process -- with high-profile anchors such as Republic's Arnab Goswami in little doubt as to her guilt. To some, the sensational coverage of such a delicate issue is unseemly. "Every time you think TV news can't plumb new depths, these channels find a way to do it," media analyst Geeta Seshu told AFP. "It's very easy for them to pretend to be crusaders for justice because other government agencies are failing to do their job but that's simply not true. Their scrutiny doesn't extend to serious issues." Trial by media India's rambunctious TV media has a long history of tabloid-style coverage, particularly of stories involving crime or celebrities. The accidental drowning death of Bollywood superstar Sridevi in a Dubai hotel bathroom in 2018 spurred one reporter to climb into a bathtub to depict how she might have died. Victims' relatives are routinely hounded by journalists eager to hold so-called media trials and assign guilt, long before courts get a chance to examine the case. This time too, much of the coverage has followed the same pattern -- but the result has touched a nerve in a country deeply anxious about its future. As TV anchors cheered Chakraborty's arrest this week, India's coronavirus cases hit new records, making it the second most infected nation in the world, even as a strict lockdown saw its economy contract by nearly a quarter between April and June. Leading television channels such as Republic and Times Now, which are openly partisan, have offered Prime Minister Narendra Modi's flailing government a much needed reprieve by focusing on Rajput's suicide. The death of the young star, who rose from humble beginnings to achieve critical acclaim in many hit films, shocked a country that has long stigmatised depression as something that only afflicts unsuccessful people. Mental illness is often swept under the rug and cloaked in shame. When Rajput's family told reporters he was not depressed and was pushed into taking medication by Chakraborty, many were eager to believe them, starting with the TV media. Politicians have not been far behind, with the Bharatiya Janata Party running a #JusticeForSushant campaign in the eastern state of Bihar, where Rajput was born and which is due to have elections next month. 'Unfair, misogynist' Not everyone has been cheering the coverage. Images of Chakraborty -- who has denied any wrongdoing -- being pushed and shoved by cameramen, with no regard for social distancing, have been polarising. "What we are seeing here is the total vilification of a young woman," said feminist activist Vandita Morarka. "It is extremely unfair and very misogynist," she told AFP. Many Bollywood celebrities have also come out in support of the 28-year-old actress, with stars like Vidya Balan condemning the "media circus" and demanding #JusticeForRhea on their Instagram profiles. But the rapacious coverage is unlikely to ease. India's television media operates under the principle of self-regulation, and is nominally supervised by the independent -- and largely toothless -- News Broadcasting Standards Authority. "There is almost no regulation worth its name", said analyst Seshu. "The channels pretty much do what they want." Although rising viewership has brought some relief to a television industry reeling from pandemic-induced job cuts, its slide into sensationalism has grim implications for India, she warned. "The government already does its best to dismiss the media, with a prime minister who doesn't believe in holding press conferences", she said. "Now, thanks to these channels, public trust in the media's role as a watchdog is also slipping away." Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-12 05:34:59|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close LA PAZ, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- At least seven people died and five others were injured after a minibus collided with a garbage truck in western Bolivia, police said on Friday. The police commander of the city of El Alto, Ismael Villca, told local media that the accident occurred on Friday morning when the heavily loaded dump truck and the minibus carrying several passengers crashed on the highway connecting La Paz and Desaguadero, presumably due to one or both of the vehicles speeding and invading other lanes. Bolivian police and firefighters arrived at the scene to help remove the people trapped in the minibus, and transferred survivors to area medical centers. Images from local media outlets showed how the front of the minibus had been completely destroyed after crashing into the bumper of the large truck. The police chief said that the mechanic and forensic accident reports will look into the causes of the accident. Enditem Growing up, 19-year-old Chris Douglas understood the importance of missions in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. His father, Sean Douglas, was a mission president in Peru and saw hundreds of young adults serve others and spread the Gospel. Chris Douglas knew that one day he, too, would want to sign up. Still, then the time comes and you actually go, and step away from school, family and friends, he said. Its difficult. But his faith pushed him forward. He applied for a mission shortly after graduating from The Woodlands College Park High School. Six months later, he departed for training in Mexico. I learned as much Spanish as I could, then I went to Argentina, Chris Douglas said. And Im grateful for every little moment I was able to get down there. His mission was cut short by COVID-19. Instead of spending the usual year or two in Argentina, Chris Douglas was able to stay for only a couple of months before the country went into lockdown. He quarantined and returned home. Soon the church found a solution, making a decision to protect missionaries and to respect the local COVID-19 guidelines in the countries where they served, Sean Douglas explained. I was amazed by how quickly the church reacted, said Sean Douglas, who serves as a lay minister and also as Area Authority Seventy, responsible to the church within the Houston metro area, from the Gulf of Mexico to College Station. They returned all missionaries to their country of origin. They were able to bring back tens of thousands of missionaries right away. He said that there are currently 67,000 missionaries with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 100 countries. Once the young adults returned and self-quarantined, the church offered an opportunity to be reassigned to a mission in the U.S. They were able to continue their work primarily from their apartments, studying Scripture and using technology to reach out to others. Mission presidents could also provide community-service opportunities that met guidelines for health and safety. For Chris Douglas, that meant being reassigned to the Billings, Mont., mission. Argentina it is not, but he welcomed the ability to continue to serve. I cant go knocking on doors anymore, but Ive had wonderful service opportunities, Chris Douglas said. He has worked at the Salvation Army and helped community members with yard work they were unable to do themselves. You name it, Ive probably done it here, he said. Right now, because of COVID-19, weve been able to serve more needs. People are also more likely to hear a message of hope because of the circumstances. He creates videos to upload to Facebook, in which he shares the Gospel and answers questions. Were able to still reach out with technology, he said. Its needed now more than ever. Missionary Loren Butler, 20, is also using technology in new ways during his time serving in Houston. Originally from Idaho, he moved to the Houston area in December 2018. Before the coronavirus pandemic, he met with individuals regularly, often going door to door. Butler was also involved in a number of community-service projects, assisting local food banks and helping the elderly or those with health issues. Until the pandemic. It was definitely an adjustment period, he said. COVID-19 is not something wed seen before in the world. Its not something weve experienced in the past, and it wasnt something we knew how to deal with. As a mission, we had to adapt. He wondered how to continue to share the Gospel with individuals and help them with their needs. Thats a lot different when we cant show up on their doorsteps, he said. We had to start becoming keener with social media, whether thats helping over a video call or talking about our beliefs on a regular phone call. His mission president Jeremy Guthrie identified safe ways to serve the community, leaning into outside tasks, such as working in their yards, and still remaining at a distance. In a sense, our days still look a lot like normal mission days before COVID-19, Butler said. We used to go to our neighbors to knock on doors. Now we do essentially the same thing but through Facebook. Participating in the mission has helped him grow in a number of ways, he said, but the pandemic especially taught him creative problem-solving skills. To continue to do this work, to come up with these solutions, has been an opportunity, he said. All the missionaries were able to actively continue. This is the type of growth Sean Douglas saw in his years as a mission president in Peru. He remembers dropping off returning missionaries at the airport at the end of their mission. They had just grown leaps and bounds, he said. They learn how to study, learn self-discipline. In addition, they learn about world issues and problem-solving. Missionaries are assigned a companion not of their choice. Working with someone else 24/7 can prepare young adults for their future co-workers and spouses, Sean Douglas said. Signing up for a mission is voluntary and reflects faith and commitment on the part of the young adults, he added. They check out of being in the world to focus on being a servant of God, he said. And when theyre in the service of fellow man, theyre in the service of God. Sean Douglas fondly recalls signing up for his own mission in Chile at age 18. I genuinely feel my life began after my mission, he said. It became a gateway for a lot of decisions, and it prepared me for those decisions. It was transformative. Guthrie, who serves from downtown Houston to Galveston and west to Victoria, went on his own journey in Spain, after his freshman year of college. The call to mission is in Scripture, he explained, in Matthew: Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. Its not something were doing for ourselves, Guthrie said. Were doing it on behalf of God. The missionaries in his area usually help at food banks and shelters. They also teach English classes, meet new people and attend services at local churches. Theyre just going about doing good, Guthrie said. Now, the young adults spend the majority of time indoors, but theyre still connecting to people using Zoom, Messenger and WhatsApp, he said. He is also receiving new missionaries, who were reassigned from posts abroad to Houston. Sean Douglas estimates that 200 young adults are in Guthries mission and about 600 in Greater Houston. At the same time, hundreds of young Houstonians are now serving in missions throughout the U.S. Its a miracle in some ways to keep this work going, Sean Douglas said. Its Gods work. And if they cant serve abroad, theyre still serving. They just are continuing this work in a very different way. He believes that this generation was particularly suited to make the adaptation. If there ever were a culture of youth that could change rapidly to an environment of remote service and connection, its this population, he said. These young people quickly adapted to a new way. So much of the world today is online. I dont think the previous generation would be able to do this. The pandemic has pushed people toward faith, Sean Douglas added. I believe this is a turning point, he said. I believe we are opening up to a time when peoples hearts are going back to what matters most in life. Theyre being softened and maybe becoming a little more God-centric. Maybe theres more interest in learning about Christ. Lindsay Peyton is a Houston-based writer. French Prime Minister Jean Castex warned today the country is seeing a 'clear worsening' of its coronavirus outbreak. Nearly 10,000 new cases were recorded yesterday, a record since wide-scale testing began, but Castex said a recent increase in Covid-19 hospitalisations was particularly worrying. Despite the surge in cases, Castex said he would aim to avoid a new nationwide lockdown that would further hammer the economy. From his residence in Paris in a televised statement, Castex said there is a 'clear worsening' in France of the spread of Covid-19 which has 'not lowered in intensity' and 'will still be with us for some months.' 'We have to succeed in living with this virus, without returning to the idea of a generalised lockdown,' Castex said. 'Our strategy is not changing. We must fight the virus without putting on hold our social, cultural and economic life, the education of our children and our ability to live normally,' he added. Medical staff with protective gear conduct tests for Covid-19, today in Venissieux, near Lyon, amid the novel coronavirus pandemic This image of a television screen shows French Prime Minister Jean Castex as he speaks on the coronavirus situation during a press conference at The Hotel Matignon in Paris today Castex said 42 of France's 101 departments are now classified as 'red zones' where the virus is circulating rapidly, up from 28 earlier this week. 'There is no Maginot Line - inevitably it ends up reaching the most vulnerable,' he said, referring to the supposedly unbreakable defences France built ahead of World War II. But he did not announce any major new restrictions, urging people instead to respect social distancing guidelines and the use of face masks. And the quarantine period for people who catch the virus will be shortened to just seven days from 14, to better match 'the period when there is a real risk of contagion,' he said. The move is a tacit acknowledgement that enforcing quarantines has proven nearly impossible given the number of new cases. Castex also said testing capacities would be ramped up in response to long wait times for appointments and results. Priority cases involving people with confirmed exposure to Covid-19 patients or already showing symptoms will be given reserved spots at testing centres, and 2,000 more people will be hired to carry out contact tracing. Officials have been increasingly concerned about the high number of infections in France, even if the death toll and admissions to intensive care are way below the highs recorded in March and April. The health ministry said 9,843 new coronavirus infections were recorded on Thursday, the highest number since large-scale testing began. France's total death toll from the pandemic now stands at 30,813. The head of the scientific council advising the government on the pandemic, Jean-Francois Delfraissy, said Wednesday that the government may soon have to make 'tough' decisions to slow the outbreak. People at high risk because of old age or health problems including diabetes, obesity and respiratory issues may require a protective 'bubble' around them, for example. There was the danger of a 'very rapid, exponential rise' in some places, Delfraissy said, singling out the French Riviera and Provence regions. Castex himself is in a seven-day period of self-isolation, having spent part of last weekend with the boss of the Tour de France Christian Prudhomme, who tested positive for Covid-19. Castex was later deemed virus-free after an initial test. The French government announced yesterday it will pay parents to stay home if schools are forced to lock down due to a surge in coronavirus cases. Paris revealed it will pay 84 per cent of the wages of one parent in each household with a child under the age of 16 if their school is forced to close down due to the virus. French President Emmanuel Macron flanked by Bonifacio Mayor Jean Charles Orsucci visits Bonifacio, on the Mediterranean Island of Corsica, France today. President Macron today said he hopes new measures will not be too restrictive The announcement comes after infection clusters emerged across the country since schools were reopened on September 1. The clusters have already lead to the closure of 34 schools and the cancellation of 500 separate classes. Payments will be backdated to 1 September, The Times reports, adding that the French government has also announced an extension of their furlough scheme for struggling businesses. Since the beginning of the month, new cases have gone up by 7,292 each day on average, a figure that blows away the previous record daily average of 3,003 seen in August. After reaching a low of 4,530 on 28 August, the number of people hospitalised with COVID-19 is again trending upward, with an increase of 93 over the last 24 hours to 5,096, the highest total in more than a month. However, hospitalisations for the disease are still more than six times below the April 14 peak of 32,292 and the number of patients in ICUs is far below the April 8 record of 7,148. The rise in infections has mainly affected young people who are less likely to develop complications from the virus. There has so far been less strain on French hospitals, which were almost overwhelmed at the end of March. The number of hospitalisations have now shot up for 12 days in a row. The number of patients in intensive care units stands at 615, a level unseen since the end of June. Hospital figures are still very far from peaks reached in April but create renewed strain on the hospital system that might lead authorities to take action. France's decision to put the country under one of Europe's strictest lockdowns between March 17 and May 11 was dictated by the need to keep the hospital system from being overwhelmed. President Emmanuel Macron said yesterday he hoped any new measures would not be too restrictive. 'What we need to do is to adapt to the evolution of the virus and try to slow its circulation with hygiene measures and adapting our social lives', he said during a visit to Corsica yesterday. 'We need to be able to continue to live, educate our children and care for other patients and illnesses and to have a social and economic life.' According to The Times, Macron added that lockdown measures would be implemented on a regional basis, not national. France has the seventh-highest COVID-19 death toll in the world. Dozens of major wildfires are burning through the U.S. West Coast, destroying hundreds of homes and wiping out entire neighborhoods in two towns in Oregon. More than 3 million acres have burned in California, a record in state history. The August Complex that started from a series of lightning strikes last month has become the biggest wildfire in California's history. "The debate is over around climate change, just come to the state of California, observe it with your own eyes. It's not an intellectual debate. It's not even debateable any longer," California Governor Gavin Newsom said on Friday. "We're experiencing what so many people predicted decades ago." Newsom on Friday said he is directing his administration to speed up California's environmental goals, which he says aren't enough, as well as pushing to invest more in green energy. The Ashland Police Department in Oregon has opened an arson investigation for the Almeda Fire, which killed two people and decimated two towns. The death toll from the Almeda Fire is expected to rise as search teams look through the destruction. Four people died from the fires in Oregon and a 1-year-old boy died from the blazes in Washington state. A fire has also killed at least 10 people in California, the Butte County Sheriff's Office reported on Thursday evening. Officials are still searching for missing people. There have been at least 20 fatalities so far from the fires and the death toll is expected to rise. Prime Minister said on Friday that students will study under a new curriculum drawn from the the Education Policy when the country celebrates its 75th year of Independence in 2022, and asserted that the curriculum will be "forward-looking, future ready and scientific". Addressing a conclave on "School Education in 21st Century" under the NEP 2020, Modi also emphasised on the need for children to study in their mother tongue or local language at least till Class 5. He, however, said that the NEP places no bar on learning any language and that children can study English or any international language which they find useful. No one has any objection to this, he added, while noting that Indian languages should be promoted. His comments come amid criticism of the NEP-2020 by some opposition-ruled states. A few opposition parties have accused the ruling BJP of working to promote Hindi, a charge rejected by it. In his speech, the prime minister lamented that the world changed in the last three decades but our education policy remained the same. In the current system, marksheet has become "pressure sheet" for students and "prestige sheet" for families, the prime minister said, adding that the new policy aims to remove this pressure. Modi said the NEP will give a new direction to the country in the 21st century, sowing the seeds for a new era. "The job is not finished yet. It (NEP) has to be implemented in an equally effective manner, and we have to do it together," he said, noting that a nation-wide consultation process is going on over the policy. People have many questions about the NEP, and they are legitimate, he said, noting that over 15 lakh suggestions have been received on MyGov portal from teachers within a week of the Ministry of Education seeking views on the policy's implementation. "When the country marks its 75th years of Independence, then every student should be studying under guidelines formulated by the NEP. This is our collective responsibility," he said, referring to teachers, parents, states and NGOs. The NEP places a lot of thrust on children's education, he said, adding that the young generation is vital to the nation's development. It focuses on learning based on fun, activities and discovery, and seeks to develop mathematical thinking and scientific temperament, Modi said. The NEP has been prepared in way that the syllabus can be reduced and focus should be shifted to fundamentals, he said. A curriculum framework will be developed with a view to make learning a fun-based complete experience, he said. "It has been decided that when we complete our 75 years of Independence in 2022, students should be stepping towards a new future with this new curriculum. This curriculum will be forward-looking, future ready and scientific," he said. It will have new skills to promote critical thinking, creativity, communication and curiosity, Modi said. He pitched for linking education to the surroundings students live in and said engage, explore, experience, express and excel should be the mantra of the new age learning. Students should have 21st century skills which are critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, curiosity and communication, he said. Advocating that children should be learning in their mother tongue in initial years, he said it should be kept in mind that language is the medium for education. Education is not all about language, he added Young students should not be spending their energy more on understanding a language than their subject, he said, adding that this is why mother tongue is the medium of study in early education in most countries. One of the major reasons behind the drop-out ratio is that students do not have the freedom of choosing their own subject but NEP will give the choice, he said. Now, students will not have to be limited to the watertight boundaries of commerce, science, and humanities and will choose any subjects they want to, he said. The prime minister also urged teaches to emphasise that people follow coronavirus guidelines of using face cover and maintaining social distancing. The NEP approved by the Union Cabinet in July replaces the 34-year-old Policy on Education framed in 1986 and is aimed at paving the way for transformational reforms in school and higher education systems to make India a global knowledge superpower. Among the reforms proposed in the policy for school education are universalisation of Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) for children up to the age 8; replacing 10+2 structure of school curricula by a 5+3+3+4 curricular structure; integrating curriculum to 21st-century skills, and mathematical thinking and scientific temper. (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 a collective statement shared by some students of the Dhrupad Sansthan with Firstpost, several issues have been flagged with respect to the gurukuls official response to the harassment allegations against Akhilesh and late Ramakant Gundecha. The #MeToo allegations surrounding Bhopals Dhrupad Sansthan the prestigious music academy founded by the Gundecha brothers Umakant, (late) Ramakant and Akhilesh has deepened, with students alleging that the gurukuls recent public statement in response to the complaints does not reflect its actual handling of the situation. In a collective statement shared by some students of the Sansthan with Firstpost, several allegations have been detailed with respect to the gurukuls management of the harassment plaints: namely that Akhilesh Gundecha did not step down voluntarily, as claimed in the Sansthans official response; that the students do not accept the composition of the internal committee constituted to look into the harassment charges; and that no one from the gurukul or the Gundecha family has issued an unconditional apology to the survivors for the harassment they were subjected to. The Sansthan management, in the meantime, has said that they are actively engaged in a dialogue with the students regarding these concerns. Firstpost had reported on 4 September that the Dhrupad Sansthan was embroiled in sexual harassment allegations from former and current students. An Amsterdam-based yoga teacher, who had been a disciple at the Sansthan, shared a Facebook post in which sexual misconduct accusations were levelled against Ramakant and Akhilesh Gundecha by several students. The post further alleged that the traditions of the guru-shishya parampara were subverted to create a culture where the students lived in fear of reprisals unless they acceded to demands for sexual favours from Ramakant and Akhilesh. The misconduct is said to have occurred over a span of several years. (Firstpost is not naming the woman or quoting from her Facebook post as we do not have permission to do so.) Responding to the allegations at the time, Umakant Gundecha had told Firstpost that Akhilesh had voluntarily withdrawn from all activities of Dhrupad Sansthan and that an internal committee had been constituted on 3 September to look into the complaints brought into their notice and strive to deliver justice to the students. However, in the collective statement shared by the students, they allege that the nature of the Dhrupad Sansthan which is an NGO on paper, but in effect runs like a small, family-owned enterprise meant there was no external oversight with regards to the sexual harassment and other issues. Contrary to the official statement issued by the Sansthan, Akhilesh Gundecha did not step down voluntarily, the students statement reads. He was forced to leave the gurukul due to pressure from the students and the mounting evidence. The statement notes that the allegations against Akhilesh Gundecha were aired in his presence, and that of other Gundecha family members, during a meeting on 2 September. Former students from around the world also shared accounts of harassment via Facebook and on a closed and anonymously created WhatsApp group. The students statement also observed that the Sansthans official response to the allegations contained no mention of the accusations against Ramakant Gundecha, who passed away in November 2019. The students further demanded the dismissal of the current committee and the setting up of an unbiased new external and independent committee to look into their allegations. They observed: All the members of the [current] committee were chosen entirely by the Gundecha family and are individuals who are connected to the family or the Dhrupad Sansthan. Requests for a completely independent committee were brushed aside citing the credentials of the members already chosen. The final list of committee members was not accepted by the survivors and other students but was still published in an official statement. The Dhrupad Sansthan management has now said that it is committed to ensuring the students concerns are fully addressed. The secretary for Dhrupad Sansthan told Firstpost: Pandit Umakant Gundecha has been talking to the students, reassuring them of Dhrupad Sansthans priorities. Pt Umakant Gundecha had no prior knowledge about the said allegations, however, when the allegations were brought to him, as a proactive measure, he had instituted an Internal Complaints Committee immediately in compliance with the legal provisions. We at Dhrupad Sansthan completely understand the students concerns and are actively working towards them. There is a constant dialogue between the institute and the students. We are also open to the idea of reconsidering the constitution of the committee and are working to make sure that mutually acceptable members are appointed to the committee. A complete copy of the students statement can be accessed here Dhrupad Sansthan Student Statement by Firstpost on Scribd TANZANIA, Tanzania - A majority of U.N. Security Council members called for an immediate halt to fighting between Myanmar government forces and the Arakan Army guerrilla force following a closed council meeting on the latest situation in the southeast Asian nation. A joint statement from eight of the 15 council nations said the clashes in western Rakhine and Chin states are taking a heavy toll on local communities and risk escalating, and stressed that a halt to fighting is even more urgent in light of the increased number of COVID-19 cases in Rakhine State. The government has been embroiled for more than a year in an intermittent conflict with the well-trained and well-armed Arakan Army representing members of the areas Rakhine ethnic group. The guerrilla force is posing the strongest military challenge to the central government of the many ethnic minority groups who for decades have sought greater autonomy. Human rights advocates have accused Myanmars army of using undue force and targeting civilians in their operations fighting the guerrillas. The fighting is continuing as an upsurge in coronavirus cases that began in August in Rakhine has since spread to other parts of the country. Myanmar on Friday re-imposed its toughest measures so far to control the spread of COVID-19, banning travel out of the countrys biggest city, Yangon, and grounding all domestic flights until Oct. 1. Addressing the situation in Rakhine more broadly, the eight countries called on Myanmar to accelerate its efforts to address the long-term causes of the crisis that led more than 700,000 Rohingya Muslims to flee to Bangladesh over three years ago because of violence perpetrated by the Myanmar military. Myanmar has long claimed the Rohingya are Bengali migrants from Bangladesh, even though their families have lived in the country for generations. Nearly all Rohingya have been denied citizenship since 1982, effectively rendering them stateless, and they are denied freedom of movement and other basic rights. The eight countries United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Belgium, Estonia, Dominican Republic and Tunisia encouraged Myanmar to set out a transparent and credible plan to implement recommendations of the Rakhine Advisory Commission, and the Independent Commission of Enquiry. The Rakhine Commission, headed by the late former U.N. secretary-general Kofi Annan, called on Myanmar before the August 2017 attacks began to grant citizenship and ensure other rights to the Rohingya, and urged the government to promote investment and community-directed growth to alleviate poverty in Rakhine. The Independent Commission of Inquiry, established by Myanmars government, concluded in January 2020 that there are reasons to believe security forces committed war crimes in counterinsurgency operations that forced Rohingya to flee to Bangladesh but said there is no evidence supporting genocide. The eight council nations noted that Myanmar is required, under a ruling that same month by the International Court of Justice, the United Nations top court, to do all it can to prevent genocide against the Rohingya people. Calling themselves committed supporters of Myanmars democratic transition, the eight council members said they recognized efforts made by its government on democratization and called Nov. 8 elections an important milestone in Myanmars transition, which the international community has supported with funding and technical expertise. We underline the importance of ensuring individuals of all communities, including Rohingya, are able to participate safely, fully, and equally in credible and inclusive elections, they said. The formation of the Executive/ Legislative/Party Consultative Committee by President Muhammadu Buhari and the effective commencement of its assignment today is the beginning of a more fruitful and cordial relationship among the different structures of the Executive, Legislative arms of government and the ruling party. This was the observation of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo at the first meeting of the committee held at the Presidential Villa. Mr Osinbajo who is the chairman of the committee established last week by the president added that with the take-off of the consultative platform, there will be a more coordinated approach in the work of the federal government. While inaugurating the committee last week, President Buhari said we must admit to ourselves that our party has been too often embroiled in bitter and on occasions, totally unnecessary squabbles costing us seats in legislative and gubernatorial elections. These never should have happened. We are here to make sure such occurrences do not happen again. We must now ensure regular consultations between the party and the Government. I am a firm believer in the doctrine of the Separation of Powers, which is fundamental to our constitutional democracy. But our practice should be harmonious checks and balances devoid of bitterness and petty rivalry. Speaking to journalists at the end meeting, the President of the Nigerian Senate, Ahmad Lawan, said the committees focus is to enhance proper coordination between the party and the various arms of government for the purpose of effective implementation of programmes for Nigerians. According to him, last week, we told you, the essence of this committee is to ensure optimum service delivery to the Nigerian people. The legislature, the executive arm of government and the party (platform on which the legislative and executives arms, today are on) are all together in this committee, trying to shape very strategic means of delivering services to the Nigerian people. We want to ensure that there is good governance continuously for the entire period of our tenure and subsequent years that we will be in government, by the grace of God. Continuing, the Senate President said this first meeting was to look at those critical areas that we need to concentrate and focus on how to ensure that we improve on the way and manner by which we deliver services to the Nigerian people, either as an executive arm of government or even the legislature. And, of course, the party is our veritable platform and vehicle for ensuring that this government, including all the arms, implement the party manifesto to the letter. The party provides the guidance, the clarifications and the rest of the two will continue to be implementers of this. We are very satisfied with this first meeting, and subsequent meetings will be held on a monthly basis. But where we think there may be need for an emergency meeting, we could be called for the meeting by the Vice President, our Chairman. Aside the vice president and the senate president, other members of the committee present at the meeting included the Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege; the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Ahmed Wase; Senate Majority Leader, Yahaya Abdullahi; House Majority Leader, Alhassan Doguwa; the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha; Chief of Staff to the President, Ibrahim Gambari; the Chairman of the APC Caretaker Committee and Governor of Yobe State, Mai Mala Buni; and APC Caretaker Committee Secretary, Akpan Udoedehe. Laolu Akande Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media & Publicity NORTHAMPTON Following heavy criticism from downtown business owners, Mayor David Narkewicz said Friday that the city will remove the temporary experiment to redesign a stretch of Main Street known as the Northampton Shared Streets and Spaces project. Installed in August and funded through a $200,000 grant from the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, the project which expanded sidewalks for outdoor dining and shopping, added a bike lane and reconfigured parking was meant to support downtown businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. But business owners balked, citing traffic and parking issues among other concerns. My goal for this project was to temporarily create more public space in order to safely bring more people downtown to support Northampton businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic, Narkewicz said in a Facebook post announcing that the changes will be undone. While I am confident that this effort was beginning to have its intended effect, some 55 downtown business owners have expressed opposition to the project and asked that it be removed. On Monday, the Northampton Department of Public Works will begin restoring the section of Main Street between the State Street and King Street intersections to its previous design. Changes made to other downtown streets including Masonic Street, Strong Avenue, Pearl Street, Market Street and Main Street between King and Bridge streets will remain in place, Narkewicz said. We have received overwhelming testimony from businesses in these areas that our efforts to support outdoor dining and space in the public way has helped them survive the current economic environment, he said. The city will continue to work with local businesses where possible including on middle and upper Main Street that want to create more safe outdoor space. The experiment on the stretch of Main Street that includes shopping destinations like Thornes Marketplace was meant to be a test run for a planned $8.8 million makeover of the heart of the citys downtown, set to begin in 2025. But Narkewicz said Friday he decided to act quickly on the mixed and negative feedback from business owners. The debate itself is bad for business, and my love for Northampton far outweighs any desire I have to defend this idea, he said. In response to questions posed to him on Facebook, Narkewicz said Northampton wont have to pay MassDOT back. I have already been in touch with the Governors office about this issue. This was always a temporary project and the city would be able to keep all of the planters, blocks, signage, and other materials to repurpose for future projects, he wrote. Gov. Charlie Baker, meanwhile, announced Thursday that the state is nearly doubling funding for the statewide Shared Streets and Spaces grant program, to $10 million. The program aims to help businesses with public safety and logistical improvements during the coronavirus pandemic. A parking ban will be in effect on Main Street between the State Street and King Street intersections from 9 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 14 through 6 a.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 15 while the citys DPW dismantles the project. KYODO NEWS - Sep 11, 2020 - 03:57 | All, World U.S. President Donald Trump said Thursday that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is in "good health" after rumors circulated that the head of the secretive state could be gravely ill. "Kim Jong Un is in good health. Never underestimate him!" Trump tweeted. His remarks also came a day after U.S. media reported some unpublicized letters between the two leaders, citing excerpts from an upcoming book by prominent journalist Bob Woodward which showed Kim's apparent efforts to court Trump through over-the-top flattery. The pen pal relationship evolved as Trump and Kim met three times after a period of heightened tensions in 2017, when they were engaged in a fiery tit-for-tat verbal exchange over North Korea's development of nuclear weapons and intercontinental ballistic missiles. While Trump has touted his "very good relationship" with Kim, the U.S. push to rid Pyongyang of its nuclear weapons has been stalled since the collapse of a bilateral summit in early 2019 over disagreements about sanctions relief. Meanwhile, speculation had swirled over Kim's health after he remained out of the public eye for about three weeks in April. His public appearances have since been reported through North Korean state-run media. But rumors over Kim's condition have recently surfaced again as some news outlets have reported a South Korean diplomat's claim that Kim has been in a coma since April and that all of his appearances since then were faked by state authorities. While a major celebration is expected in North Korea next month on the 75th anniversary of the founding of the Workers' Party of Korea, the head of the U.S. forces in South Korea said Thursday that Pyongyang has not showed any signs of provocations so far. "There's people suggesting that perhaps there'll be a rollout of a new weapons system. Maybe. But we're not seeing any indications right now, any sort of lashing out," Gen. Robert Abrams said during an online event hosted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington think tank. The CSIS said last Friday that satellite imagery of a North Korean shipyard has showed some activity suggestive of preparations for an upcoming test of a submarine-launched ballistic missile. Mayank Singh By Express News Service NEW DELHI: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held an important review meeting with the military brass even as the Line of Actual Control in eastern Ladakh did not witness any aggressive action on Friday, with the brigade commanders of India and China meeting to keep the channels of communication open. A senior officer confirmed, The minister met the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) and the three service chiefs to discuss the ongoing situation post the meetings in Russia between the defence and the foreign ministers of the two countries. National Security Advisor Ajit Doval was also present at the meeting where the five-point agreement reached on de-escalating tensions in eastern Ladakh deliberated upon, sources said. The agenda for the meeting between the corps commanders of India and China, likely to take place early next week, was also discussed. There have been a total of five such meetings so far since the standoff in Ladakh began. At the meeting, General M M Naravane briefed about the combat readiness of the Army to deal with any eventualities and also elaborated on plans to keep the forces in the high-altitude region during harsh winter months. ALSO READ | Jaishankar-Wang Yi talks: India concern over China massing troops along LAC in eastern Ladakh The situation along the LAC was, meanwhile, remained calm. There was no aggressive action in the last 24 hours, said a senior Army officer. The brigade commanders of both sides and the LAC commanders of the Southern Bank of Pangong Tso also held a meeting in the Chushul area. The meeting started at 11 and lasted for more than three hours. We will continue to talk as this keeps the channel of communication open and helps in controlling the situation, said the Army officer. Communication over the hotlines also continued. Chief of Defence Staff Bipin Rawat appeared before the parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence. While the agenda for the meeting was listed as provision and monitoring of the quality of ration and livery items to the Defence forces, especially in border areas, Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar had said earlier in the day that he would ask for a presentation on the situation at LAC in Ladakh. ALSO WATCH: Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Adrian Wail Akhlas (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, September 11, 2020 07:38 497 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c442526f 1 Business Airlangga-Hartarto,PSBB,large-scale-social-restrictions,economic-recovery,economic-contraction,Jakarta-psbb,anies-baswedan Free Indonesia expects a long road to full economic recovery after Jakarta brought back strict social restrictions measures amid a continued rise in the number of coronavirus cases. A full economic recovery would take at least two to three years, Coordinating Economic Minister Airlangga Hartarto said on Thursday following the Jakarta administrations decision to reimpose large-scale social restrictions (PSBB) relaxed in early June. If virus cases rise, then the economy will take a hit. The government expects that it will take until 2022 or even 2023 [for the economy] to return to pre-COVID-19 levels, he told a virtual business forum held by Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin). "The economy is not only about the fundamental factors but also the sentimental factor, particularly in the capital market," he went on to say, adding that "pulling the emergency brakes would need to be done by maintaining public confidence in the economy". His statement comes as the capital is set to require non-essential industries to have their employees work from home, to limit the use of public transportation and to prohibit dining in restaurants starting on Monday, similar to measures imposed from April to June, Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan said in a press briefing late on Wednesday. Indonesian stocks fell by more than 5 percent at closing after hitting the circuit breaker on Thursday morning, following the announcement. The decline in the benchmark Jakarta Composite Index (JCI) stood in contrast with gains seen in most markets across Asia. The rupiah, meanwhile, weakened 0.38 percent against the United States dollar to 14,855. Jakarta has recorded a daily average of over 1,000 new cases this month and registered nearly 43,400 infections and 1,330 deaths from COVID-19 since the pandemic began, according to government data, as the city gradually relaxes its restrictions. Indonesia has recorded more than 203,000 cases as of Thursday with 8,336 fatalities. The capital city contributed the most to the national economy compared to other regions in the country as Jakartas regional domestic product accounted for 17.17 percent of the countrys gross domestic product (GDP) in the second quarter, Jakarta Statistics Indonesia (BPS) data shows. It was followed by East Java (14.6 percent) and West Java (13.45 percent), both also virus epicenters. The government will ramp up spending to increase the capacity of hospital beds and make vaccines available in the first quarter next year, Airlangga said. Around 30 million vaccine [doses] will be available by the first quarter next year at the earliest, and the rest will follow in the second and third quarters, he said, adding that the pandemic response and economic recovery efforts in 2021 would be supported by efforts to vaccinate people. The government will expand some social protection programs into next year, including cash aid for formal workers for the first three months next year and cash transfers for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) during 2021s first half, Airlangga went on to say. The government still expects GDP to grow by 4.5 percent to 5.5 percent next year as the economy is likely to contract this year. It projects the economy to shrink by 1.1 percent at worst or grow by 0.2 percent at best this year. The economy is more likely to contract than grow in the third quarter this year, even without other movement restrictions, Bank Central Asia (BCA) economist David Sumual told the Jakarta Post on Thursday. The economy has been losing steam since August as virus cases jump. Indonesia's economy shrank 5.32 percent in the second quarter as household spending and investment contracted. Although the countrys healthcare facilities are better now compared to during March and April, further restrictions by Jakarta administration will still take a heavy toll on economic activity, he went on to say. The severity of economic contraction would depend on how long it would take to restrict peoples activities. Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) deputy chairwoman Shinta Kamdani called on the government to pay more attention to small businesses and large corporations. Although domestic demand has picked up gradually, the PSBB policy will heavily affect employment as businesses in transportation and [food and beverages], among other sectors, will be forced to furlough their employees again, she told the Post. Shinta added that ensuring activity in sectors that were allowed to operate during the PSBB policy would be key to prevent further job losses, and the government should ensure the continuity of export-oriented manufacturing industry operations as global demand for Indonesian goods had risen gradually. We are trying to keep the manufacturing industry operating amid rising global demand, and we want to ensure that their activities are not being affected by PSBB measures. The association, Shinta added, would seek permission from the Industry Ministry and regional administrations, including Jakarta, to continue operations for companies that implemented strict health protocols. Julianne Moore has been hunkering down with her family in Montauk during the pandemic but the star has some exciting projects on the horizon. The stunning 59-year-old award winner graces the cover of DuJour Magazine's fall print issue and got candid in the interview about her upcoming role as feminist icon Gloria Steinem. Despite her exceptional acting pedigree, Moore admitted that meeting the 86-year-old women's rights activist was 'intimidating.' Cover girl: Julianne Moore graces the cover of DuJour Magazine's fall print issue and got candid in the interview about her upcoming role as feminist icon Gloria Steinem Julianne is set to portray Steinem in the upcoming Julie Taymor biopic, The Glorias, which starts streaming on Amazon Prime Video/VOD on September 30. 'It was intimidating,' Moore revealed about her first meeting with Steinem. 'She's such a magnificent and formidable woman and the definition of an activist.' The Oscar winner will portray the activist in the film after age 40 and actress Alicia Vikander, 31, will take on the character from ages 2040. Steinem was on hand throughout the production of the film and diplomatically stepped in to make sure the acting was true to form. 'It was intimidating,' Moore revealed about her first meeting with Steinem. 'She's such a magnificent and formidable woman and the definition of an activist.' 'She'll gently correct you,' Julianne said, 'but she's so modest.' 'As an actress, it was a challenge to portray her, because her mannerisms and her vocal quality are so subtle,' the Magnolia star said. 'Watching her speeches and interviews, I'm so aware of how much abuse was inflicted on her. But she's never rash and doesn't yell. She never took the bait.' The trailer - which dropped earlier in September - showed the actresses in character with Steinem's iconic long blonde hair. In the film the different aged versions (there are four in all) are able to interact with each other. Steinem was on hand throughout the production of the film and diplomatically stepped in to make sure the acting was true to form: 'She'll gently correct you but she's so modest.' 'As an actress, it was a challenge to portray her, because her mannerisms and her vocal quality are so subtle,' the Magnolia star said. 'The fantastical element of the film was so appealing to me. She cinematically encompasses who this person was to all of us,' Moore said. The legendary Bette Midler took on the role of New York Congresswoman Bella Abzug, who co-founded the National Women's Political Caucus with Gloria. Orange Is the New Black scene stealer Lorraine Toussaint portrays lawyer Florynce 'Flo' Kennedy, who also helped found the National Women's Political Caucus. R&B songstress Janelle Monae (Harriet, Hidden Figures) plays the co-founder of Ms. magazine, Dorothy Pitman Hughes. Oscar winner: Julianne posed for a casual yet chic cover shoot for the magazine - ditching her blonde tresses from The Glorias and embracing her classic fiery red shade 'You never walk into a trailer and see the kind of diversity that we had on set. So many women are represented in the film and that sense of Gloria being about all women,' Julianne reflected. Adding: 'The film is a real reminder on whose shoulders we stand and the rights we take for granted nowlike birth control.' Julianne posed for a casual yet chic cover shoot for the magazine - ditching her blonde tresses from The Glorias and embracing her classic fiery red shade. Since March, she has been living the good life in quarantine with her husband and daughter in The Hamptons. The Glorias: Julianne is set to portray Steinem in the upcoming Julie Taymor biopic after age 40 and actress Alicia Vikander, 31, will take on the character from ages 2040 'We felt so lucky to have it,' she said of her Montauk residence. 'It was so, so cold in the winter, but amazing.' 'It's always wonderful to be with your family,' Julianne mused about this unprecedented situation. 'My husband cooks and I clean - but we're both so sick of the endless loads of laundry and dishes.' 'It's been a lesson for all of us,' she reflected on the pandemic. 'Trying to go forward as if nothing has changed is a bit of a fool's errand. We just have to accept that we don't know what's happening with anything.' Advertisement Around 200 migrants including families with young children have descended on British shores today, including at least 73 landing on Kent beaches - taking the total number of Channel migrants this year to over 6,000. UK authorities are said to have been 'overwhelmed' by the 'absolute mayhem' in the English Channel as hundreds of migrants took advantage of calm Channels and sailed from France to the south coast. Lifeboats from Dover, Dungeness and Walmer were launched to support Border Force officers who brought at least 40 suspected migrants crossing the Narrow Sea into the busy Kent port. Dozens of exhausted migrants waited on the side of South Road near Kingsdown Beach in Kent to be picked up, with one male migrant repeatedly telling onlookers: 'I want to go to London'. Some of the adults lay on the floor and looked exhausted after making the treacherous trip, while Border Force officers gave the children blue rubber gloves to play with to keep them entertained. Dover's Tory MP Natalie Elphicke said today: 'I fully appreciate the strength of feeling about the continued small boats crossings. With around 6,000 illegal entrants this year alone, it is entirely unacceptable. I am working hard on this, and the Government has outlined a number of steps that it is taking to tackle this issue.' Dozens of exhausted migrants including families with young children waited on the side of the road to be picked up near Kingsdown Beach in Kent after crossing the English Channel today Dozens of exhausted migrants including families with young children waited on the side of the road to be picked up near Kingsdown Beach in Kent after crossing the English Channel today Dozens of exhausted migrants including families with young children waited on the side of the road to be picked up near Kingsdown Beach in Kent after crossing the English Channel today Dozens of exhausted migrants including families with young children waited on the side of the road to be picked up near Kingsdown Beach in Kent after crossing the English Channel today Dozens of exhausted migrants including families with young children waited on the side of the road to be picked up near Kingsdown Beach in Kent after crossing the English Channel today Dozens of exhausted migrants including families with young children waited on the side of the road to be picked up near Kingsdown Beach in Kent after crossing the English Channel today Dozens of exhausted migrants including families with young children waited on the side of the road to be picked up near Kingsdown Beach in Kent after crossing the English Channel today Dozens of exhausted migrants including families with young children waited on the side of the road to be picked up near Kingsdown Beach in Kent after crossing the English Channel today One of the dinghies, packed with lifejackets, that dozens of exhausted migrants used to cross the English Channel today A large group, including an Iraqi family of five with children aged around six and seven, dodged Border Force vessels to reach Kingsdown, Kent, on a huge green inflatable boat. Another group of three Asian migrants, wrapped in blankets and wearing lifejackets, also made it to Folkestone this morning as crossings resumed in large numbers amid low winds. Dozens more suspected migrants were picked up by Border Force patrol boats and taken into the Port of Dover. Official figures are yet to be confirmed, but it is understood more than 200 have arrived - taking the year's total of 5,851 past the 6,000 mark. It is not yet known how many vessels are involved. However, it is believed another four boats have been detected off the Kent coast today as dinghies carrying migrants attempting the dangerous crossing remain in the Channel. Dozens of exhausted migrants including families with young children waited on the side of the road to be picked up near Kingsdown Beach in Kent after crossing the English Channel today Dozens of exhausted migrants including families with young children waited on the side of the road to be picked up near Kingsdown Beach in Kent after crossing the English Channel today Dozens of exhausted migrants including families with young children waited on the side of the road to be picked up near Kingsdown Beach in Kent after crossing the English Channel today Dozens of exhausted migrants including families with young children waited on the side of the road to be picked up near Kingsdown Beach in Kent after crossing the English Channel today Dozens of exhausted migrants including families with young children waited on the side of the road to be picked up near Kingsdown Beach in Kent after crossing the English Channel today Dozens of exhausted migrants including families with young children waited on the side of the road to be picked up near Kingsdown Beach in Kent after crossing the English Channel today Dozens of exhausted migrants including families with young children waited on the side of the road to be picked up near Kingsdown Beach in Kent after crossing the English Channel today Suspected migrants are brought into Dover, Kent, by Border Force officers following a small boat incident in the Channel Suspected migrants are brought into Dover, Kent, by Border Force officers following a small boat incident in the Channel Suspected migrants are brought into Dover, Kent, by Border Force officers following a small boat incident in the Channel Suspected migrants are brought into Dover, Kent, by Border Force officers following a small boat incident in the Channel The latest arrivals come despite Home Secretary Priti Patel's vow to make the route 'unviable', and the continued row between the Home Office and the legal profession on how to tackle the crossings. Seventeen refugees crammed on one boat and made it to the UK yesterday. So far this September, a staggering 826 migrants have arrived over six days, including a record 416 migrants on 28 boats last week. The Coastguard, the RNLI and the Border Force cutter Seeker are all active today responding to migrants making the dangerous journey. French patrol forces are also active across the water border. Responding to today's migrant crossings, Nigel Farage said: 'Total chaos in the Channel this morning. Border Force can't cope, there have been several beach landings and some migrants have now disappeared into the hills.' A Border Force vessel was seen towing four dinghies, thought to have been used by migrants, into Kent harbour. Suspected migrants are brought into Dover, Kent, by Border Force officers following a small boat incident in the Channel A Border Force Officer carries a child migrant at Dover Marina after being rescued in the English Channel by the Border Force Suspected migrants are brought into Dover, Kent, by Border Force officers following a small boat incident in the Channel Suspected migrants are brought into Dover, Kent, by Border Force officers following a small boat incident in the Channel Meanwhile, Border Force officials detained 223 migrants in 18 dinghies after they crossed the Channel to reach the UK on Monday - as French authorities stopped another 106 people making the crossing. Dan O'Mahoney, Clandestine Channel Threat Commander, said he has been working with counterparts in France to 'make this route completely unviable'. They also revealed a further 106 people in eight boats were stopped by French authorities before they could get into UK waters. Mr O'Mahoney said: 'These crossings are facilitated by criminals willing to risk people's lives for money. France is a safe country with a fully functioning asylum system - those seeking refuge can and should claim asylum there. 'I continue to work with my counterparts in France on a daily basis to make this route completely unviable, and this morning the French stopped more migrants leaving the coastline. 'Though I recognise the number still reaching the UK remains too high. We continue to return those who do not have a legitimate asylum claim despite barriers to removals under the Dublin Regulations and legal challenges.' An empty migrant dinghy is collected by Border Force off the beach at St Margaret's Bay on September 11, 2020 in Dover Migrants wait on the beach at St Margaret's Bay after landing by dinghy from France on September 11, 2020 in Dover Migrants wait on the beach at St Margaret's Bay after landing by dinghy from France on September 11, 2020 in Dover A migrant removes his wet clothing at the beach at St Margaret's Bay after landing by dinghy on September 11, 2020 in Dover Migrants wait on the beach at St Margaret's Bay after landing by dinghy from France on September 11, 2020 in Dover An attorney wanted by Tennessee authorities on multiple rape charges shot and killed himself this morning in Mobile. David Whelan, 49, was a Murfreesboro attorney wanted on charges of aggravated rape and statutory rape involving a teenage babysitter. He had recently been placed on the TBIs Most Wanted list. Raymond Smiles, assistant chief inspector for the Gulf Coast Regional Fugitive Task Force, said that officers received a tip about Whelan being on a boat at the Sundowner Marina, off Dauphin Island Parkway, in Mobile, last night. A group of five officers approached Whelan this morning after 6 a.m. while he was on the boat. It was unclear whether the boat belonged to him. When they identified themselves, he reached for his weapon and committed suicide, Smiles said. "It was a very quick. Whelan had been on the run since early September, when police said he failed to appear in court on his charges. He was indicted in June. Whelan had been under investigation since February 2019 based on allegations that he asked a client to perform sexual activity in lieu of payment. The trends during the maize procurement in Punjab that ended recently were not encouraging with the farmers getting nearly 30% less prices for their produce than the last year. This also resulted in fall in revenues for the state government that gets market fee on the sale of the produce at the grain markets even as there was surge in arrivals this year. Maize was the first crop to reach the mandis after the Centre passed two agriculture sector ordinances in June. The prices crashed from 1,500 per quintal last year to 1,100 this time. Market fee and rural development fund collected this year was 1.44 crore against the last years 1.84 crore, HS Brar, a senior Punjab Mandi Board official said. Even more worrying is the fact that agriculture experts and farmer unions are apprehending a repeat of the trend during the cotton and basmati procurement for which arrivals are expected to start any time. The prospects for cotton and basmati are not reassuring since the buyer is apprehensive to enter the market in the wake of the new ordinances, said BS Rajewal, who heads a faction of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU). These two crops are not covered under the assured procurement system as is wheat and paddy. Therefore, the prices are governed by the market dynamics. The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Ordinance, 2020, and the Farming Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Ordinance, 2020, have brought in uncertainty in the trading of agricultural produce, said a mandi board official. In 2019, 2.57 lakh tonne maize was purchased from mandis in Punjab while 2.61 lakh tonne produce was procured this time, as per the figures compiled by the mandi board. Cotton arrivals are expected to begin in mandis soon as the Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) has fixed October 1 as beginning of the crop purchase schedule. 5,710 has been fixed as minimum support price (MSP) per bale of cotton against the last years 5,450. However, the private buyer who purchased just two-third of harvest paid the farmers an average 3,800 per bale. Agriculture department officials said they succeeded in increasing the area under cultivation of maize, basmati and cotton and now the next challenge was to fetch good remunerative price for the these crops. There is the need to effectively implement the MSP and assured procurement of all crops. The forthcoming procurement of cotton and basmati will be quite crucial, said Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) vice-chancellor BS Dhillon. WAIVE LEVIES ON BASMATI: EXPORTERS In a communique to chief principal secretary to Punjab chief minister, Suresh Kumar, the Punjab Basmati Exporters Association has demanded waiver of 2% market fee and of rural development fund on the purchase of the aromatic variety of rice. If this does not happen, we will not be able to make purchases in the state, which comprises 40% of 34,000 crore exports from India. We appeal to the state government to waive all levies and support the basmati growers, association director Ashok Sethi said. The harvest of the 1,509 variety of aromatic grain has started and arrivals were reported in some places. Of at least 16 lakh acre under cultivation of aromatic grain, 40% is the 1,509 and the rest is the 1,121 variety. We are paying 8.5% over and above the cost of grain, which includes 2.5% dami to arhtiyas, transport and labour charges and 4% states taxes. These taxes are not charges in other basmati-growing states, added Sethi. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The two presidents also exchanged views on the developments in neighboring Belarus. President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday, September 11, had a phone conversation with Polish leader Andrzej Duda. Zelensky raised the issue of historical memory, namely the inclusion in the register of military burials and the restoration of a legal Ukrainian grave on Monastyr Mount in Werchrata, the President's Office reports. The President of Poland said he is hopeful that the issue will have been removed from the agenda by their next meeting in person as Duda "gratefully accepted" Zelensky's invitation to visit Ukraine in October this year. The two presidents also exchanged views on the developments in neighboring Belarus. Zelensky noted the "common approaches" Ukraine has with the European Union in assessing the internal political crisis in Belarus. Read alsoMEP slams Putin's oped over "destroying historical truth"The Ukrainian president briefed Duda on the security situation in Donbas and Ukraine's efforts to ensure sustainable peace, also thanking Warsaw and personally Andrzej Duda "for their firm support of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of our state." "Today, a meeting of advisors to the leaders of the Normandy Four is taking place in Berlin. I hope that the meeting of the leaders of the Normandy Four will take place soon," Volodymyr Zelensky said. The heads of state discussed steps aimed at countering the COVID-19 spread and minimizing the impact of the pandemic. "I reaffirm Ukraine's willingness to join the implementation of your plan of international cooperation after the end of the coronavirus pandemic," Zelensky told Duda. "I wish a speedy recovery to all Poles who are undergoing a coronavirus challenge." In September 2019, Ukraine lifted a ban on exhumation works by Polish experts at locations where Poles died during World War 2. The ban had been introduced over the inaction of Polish authorities to prevent acts of vandalism at the graves of and monuments to Ukrainians in Poland, as well as over the inaction of Polish authorities on the restoration of numerous sites that have been destroyed. We have used your information to see if you have a subscription with us, but did not find one. Please use the button below to verify an existing account or to purchase a new subscription. Huawei, at its developer conference, announced that the company's smartphones released in 2021 will run on HarmonyOS. Ever since Huawei was placed on the Entity List by the U.S. Government, the company has struggled to keep the impact on its business at a minimum. Up until now, the company has refrained from sharing any way forward for its smartphone business, however, we finally have some news from the company about its way forward with respect to the smartphones. Huawei, during its Developer Conference, announced that all its smartphones will run HarmonyOS starting 2021. During its developer conference, Huawei has revealed that starting 2021, Huawei smartphones will run on HarmonyOS and not Android. Given that the company can no longer licence GMS, and hence not get access to any version of Android released after Android 10. Even though the company announced the release of EMUI 11 at their developer conference, it is still based on Android 10 and now Android 11, which started rolling out to devices recently. Huaweis next challenge will be to lure developers to create apps for their ecosystem, which is definitely going to be an uphill challenge. While the company may have its OS related issues sorted, the future of their smartphone business still faces grave uncertainty. The U.S. Government has tweaked its export laws in such a way that Huawei can no longer procure technologies that are created using American equipment or software. This effectively meant that TSMC, the manufacturer of the Kirin chipsets, can no longer supply Huawei with their flagship chips. Additionally, Samsung and LG just recently announced that they will no longer be supplying displays to Huawei for their smartphone. At this point, without a flagship chipset, a great display and Android, Huaweis flagship devices will only have the Leica branded cameras to boast of, which may not be enough to keep customers enticed. In addition to announcing that HarmonyOS would power the phones coming in 2021 from Huawei, the company also said that they would be Open-Sourcing HarmonyOS to be used in tablets, cars, watches etc. The company is also tying up with major appliance manufacturers in China to power their appliances using HarmonyOS. ANKARA, Turkey - Turkey called on European Union countries Friday to abandon a policy of blindly taking the side of EU members Greece and Cyprus in a tense standoff over energy exploration rights in the eastern Mediterranean. Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman Hami Aksoy also urged Greece to reduce the ongoing tensions by backing a NATO initiative that aims to reduce the risk of an armed conflict at sea and withdrawing Greek warships that are monitoring a Turkish research ship which itself is accompanied by Turkish warships. NATO allies Greece and Turkey have deployed naval and air force units to assert competing claims over energy rights in the eastern Mediterranean. Turkish survey vessels and drill ships continue to prospect for gas in waters where Greece and Cyprus claim exclusive economic rights. Turkey accuses Greece of trying to grab an unfair share of maritime resources and Cyprus of disregarding the rights of Turkish Cypriots on the ethnically-divided island. Greece and Turkey have carried rival naval exercises amid their standoff. On Friday, Turkey issued a new Navtex, or international maritime safety message, for Sept. 12-Sept. 14 live-fire exercises between its southern coast. Aksoys statements were directed at the leaders of seven southern European countries, who at a meeting Thursday urged Turkey to end its unilateral and illegal activities in the eastern Mediterranean and to resume dialogue to ease tensions. In their final statement, the leaders of France, Greece, Cyprus, Malta, Italy, Spain and Portugal reaffirmed their full support and solidarity with Cyprus and Greece as they face Turkeys confrontational actions. Meeting in Corsica, France, the leaders also warned that the EU was ready to develop a list of further sanctions unless Turkey ends its unilateral activities and engages in dialogue. The Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman called their declaration biased, detached from reality and lacking a legal basis. The EU and the other countries that signed the declaration should abandon their one-sided and biased attitudes that they blindly pursue under the guise of solidarity, Aksoy said. Solidarity can occur with the side which is right. There can be no solidarity with the wrongful side. Netflix defended the docuseries film "Cuties" as "social commentary" against the sexualization of young children. The film was accused following a misleading market campaign and is still targeted by social media users online, claiming that "Cuties" sexualizes young girls. The Doucoure receives death threats. There are over 300,000 people who signed a petition demanding "Cuties" to be removed. The petition claims that the film sexualized an 11-year-old girl for the viewing pleasure of pedophiles. A spokesperson of Netflix said in a statement to Variety that "Cuties" is a "social commentary" against the sexualization of young children. "It's an award-winning film, and a powerful story about the pressure young girls face on social media and from society more generally growing up - and we'd encourage anyone who cares about these important issues to watch the movie." Doucoure explained why she made "Cuties," a six-minute featurette that comes with the film on Netflix. According to Doucoure, she met hundreds of young girls to portray their understanding of what femininity is. The filmmaker said that she put her heart into the film as it is her story. "Our girls see that the more a woman is sexualized on social media, the more she's successful. And yeah, it's dangerous," she added. NME called "Cuties" in a four-star review as a powerful exploration of how young girls subconsciously are encouraged to perform for the male gaze. The review went on by stating that the film is a vivid and very alarming part of a young girl struggling to live with two competing forms of deeply ingrained patriarchy. According to Independent, "Cuties" titled Mignonnes in France received a critical nomination and won a directing award at the Sundance Film Festival in 2019. The film is about an 11-year-old girl who tries to escape family issues by joining a free-spirited dance clique called "Cuties" and builds their self-confidence through dance, as per Netflix's synopsis. Lots of social media users are sharing screenshots of the IMDb parental guide for the film. IMDb cites several scenes in "Cuties" to back up their 18+ rating for the film, such as "excessive and lengthy closeup shots of bums, breasts, and spread crotches of scantily clad 11-year-old girls." A petition on Change.org calling Netflix subscribers to cancel their subscription due to the inappropriate content "that exploits children and makes a disturbing vibe," gained more than 600,000 signatures. "Cuties" became controversial after the promotional poster of Netflix for the film, which is accused of sexualizing young girls. On Thursday, a reporter for conservative publication the Daily Caller, Mary Margaret Olohan, tweeted a video clip of the girls in the film dancing and twerking. The report commented, "Netflix is comfortable with this. Plenty of people will defend it. This is where our culture is at." Olohan added, "I understand this video is upsetting and depicts little girls in a gruesome light. I tweeted it for those who will say that 'Cuties' is innocent." Netflix is comfortable with this. Plenty of people will defend it. This is where our culture is at. pic.twitter.com/UlqEmXALmd Mary Margaret Olohan (@MaryMargOlohan) September 10, 2020 After reviewing the film, the conservative advocacy group Parents Television Council, said, "it stands by its earlier criticism that the TV-MA-rated film sexualizes children." According to PTC, the young female actors were trained in lines with "foul, vulgar language," highly sexualized dance routines, and clothe-revealing. Besides, in one scene, the 11-year-old named Amy acts asshe is pulling down her underwear to take pictures of her genitals and post it online. In another scene, the young girl tries to seduce a man, who already has a family, to get out of trouble for stealing his cell phone. Check these out: Tiger King's Joe Exotic Pleads for Trump Pardon through Sending Personal Letters Nicole Young Seeks $2 Million Monthly Spousal Support from Husband Dr. Dre in Divorce Proceedings Robert Pattinson Tests Positive for COVID-19, Leads to Pause in 'The Batman' Filming NEW YORK, Sept. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Business Insider this week announces the latest iteration of Transforming Business, its annual editorial feature highlighting the work of business visionaries who are propelling innovation in their fields. The Transforming Business series reports on a wide range of industries faced with disruption, including consumer tech, retail, energy, finance, supply chain, manufacturing, healthcare, enterprise tech, media and advertising, and investing. The series profiles business executives and entrepreneurs, and features about what's next in sustainability, technology, and innovation. ING is a partner in the special series, which for the first time spotlights 100 business leaders for each of three regions of the globe: North America, Asia, and Europe. The lists were compiled through extensive reporting by Business Insider's editorial team. Among those profiled are: Gwynne Shotwell, President and Chief Operating Officer of SpaceX; Ezinne Kwubiri, head of diversity and inclusion at Stockholm-headquartered H&M; and Malaysia-based AirAsia Group CEO Tony Fernandes. Said Alyson Shontell, Editor-in-Chief of Business Insider: "A key part of Business Insider's editorial mission is to report on the drivers of business transformation. During this extraordinary time, when business and society are facing unprecedented challenges, these stories are even more critical. Our reporters and editors have identified 300 transformative people CEOs and activists, founders, investors, and inventors whose influence resonates far beyond their own organizations." Said Mark Pieter de Boer, ING Wholesale Banking Chief Commercial Officer and Head of Sectors: "ING believes that progress is always possible and in people who pursue it in a responsible way. We support changemakers people and companies that ignite, lead and advocate for sustainable change in the world. Even in this challenging year for global business, innovative leaders are proving it's possible to keep companies' transformation efforts on track, or even accelerate change. "That's why ING is partnering with Business Insider to present the 100 People Transforming Business lists, and a series of special reports and articles providing leadership guidance from industry-specific perspectives." Said Julian Childs, Regional Managing Director and SVP or EMEA & APAC at Insider, the parent of Business Insider: "With the support of our global sponsor ING Wholesale Banking, we're thrilled to be expanding this year's series 100 People Transforming Business to include lists from Europe and Asia, as well as North America. As next-generation digital businesses, ING and Business Insider share a focus on helping companies transform and innovate for the future." About Business Insider Business Insider is one of the most popular business news brands in the world. Launched in 2007, Business Insider has 14 global editions in eight languages. Business Insider and its sister general interest news publication, Insider, are under the Insider Inc. umbrella, which has more than 350 million monthly visitors across all platforms and generates hundreds of millions of video views each month. Insider Inc. offers a subscription research service, Insider Intelligence, which provides in-depth insights, data, and analysis of digital topics, including mobile, social, Internet of Things, and FinTech. Insider Inc. is a subsidiary of Axel Springer SE. About ING ING is a global financial institution with a strong European base, offering banking services through its operating company ING Bank. The purpose of ING Bank is empowering people to stay a step ahead in life and in business. ING Bank's more than 55,000 employees offer retail and wholesale banking services to customers in over 40 countries. ING Group shares are listed on the exchanges of Amsterdam (INGA NA, INGA.AS ), Brussels and on the New York Stock Exchange (ADRs: ING US, ING.N). Sustainability forms an integral part of ING's strategy, evidenced by ING's leading position in sector benchmarks by Sustainalytics and MSCI and our 'A-list' rating by CDP. ING Group shares are included in major sustainability and Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) index products of leading providers STOXX, Morningstar and FTSE Russell. SOURCE Business Insider REUTERS The Big Three (Rogers, Bell, and Telus) in Canada will put up a big fight if Canadian actor Ryan Reynolds tries to bring Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) Mint Mobile into the country, experts say, adding that anyone who backed a venture like that would likely lose a lot of money in the process. On Sept. 9, Reynolds tweeted the launch of his telecom company Mint Mobile in the U.S., offering customers a pre-paid service that starts at US$15 per month, as well as an unlimited plan priced at US$30. Hundreds of people commented on the tweet asking if the service was coming to Canada, to which Reynolds replied working on it, and trying. Yahoo Finance Canada reached out to Reynolds about his plans, but did not get a response in time for publication. Mint Mobile offers cellphone plans to customers in the U.S. The MVNO does not own any network infrastructure and has a licencing partnership with T-Mobiles coverage for its service. Carriers will use every regulatory, political, traditional lever to stop Reynolds John Lawford, executive director and general counsel of the Public Interest Advocacy Centre, said in an interview that even if the CRTC mandates network access to MVNOs, he doesnt think the regulatory environment is stable enough for anyone to launch a company. Anyone can give it the old college try and sink a lot of money and lose a lot of money fast, he said. The three large providers, if they sense any true threat from the rules from the CRTC on MVNOs, whether or not there is an interesting startup like Mr. Reynolds efforts here, will use every regulatory and political and traditional lever to stop it. In late February, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) held regulatory hearings on whether to mandate MVNO (wholesale service providers) access to large wireless networks. Views are still divided on whether or not mandating MVNOs would increase competition in Canada and lower cellphone prices. Story continues Lawford added that even if the CRTC mandates MVNO access, it will be met with appeals from the bigger carriers and will result in a long process before a final decision is made. Telecom and tech expert Peter Nowak said that without a decision from the CRTC, any such efforts in Canada dont stand a chance. Nowak highlighted compared to the Canadian market the U.S. market is very different and is more conducive to MVNOs. The difference lies in market share. In the U.S., AT&T and Verizon were giants that dwarfed Sprint and T-Mobile by subscriber numbers, which is why those last two companies were very open to dealing with MVNOs, he said. They figured customers are customers - retail customers are obviously better, but wholesale customers are better than nothing. Now, the merged T-Mobile and Sprint entity is much bigger, but its still behind AT&T and Verizon, so its still motivated to give MVNOs good terms. Verizon is the parent company of Yahoo Finance Canada. Nowak explained the case is different in Canada because Bell, Rogers, and Telus have carved the market in thirds relatively equally, and arent motivated to make serious customer gains through the use of MVNOs. They have absolutely zero incentive to offer wholesale deals to MVNOs who in turn could offer cheaper services to consumers. Which is why were not likely to see Mint or any other service in Canada anytime soon, he said. Reynolds wealth and fame wont mean carriers will be willing to negotiate Ben Klass, a telecom expert and PhD candidate at Carleton University, said in an interview that Canadian telecom carriers are also more interested in owning all infrastructure as opposed to selling it off. Cellphone companies have, in some cases, sold off their infrastructure [in the U.S.], whereas the companies here appear much more interested in having total control over their networks, Klass said. Try as much as he can and as he wants, you could be rich and famous and it doesnt matter. [The Big Three] are going to say no until something changes. The biggest challenge Reynolds would face is trying to gain access to companies in Canada, and Klass added that carriers simply arent willing to negotiate. Like Lawford, Klass added that the CRTC can make a decision but its not like flipping a light switch and changes take place immediately. You hope theyll do it as expeditiously as they possibly can, but these things take time, he said. Hanish Bhatia, a senior analyst at Counterpoint Research, said the most important thing to understand is what Reynolds would bring to Canada. What is the business model? What are they trying to bring? What is their niche for a business like this in the telecom sector? he said in an interview. You could either be targeting ultra-low-cost wireless plans or you could be targeting the population in some rural areas. If you do that, it brings up different challenges, so one is definitely retail, because if youre putting a lot of investment in retail then you need big investments and would expect a big return. But for the population size in Canada and how the population is spread out, it may not make business sense because the margins at the same time are very thin. Download the Yahoo Finance app, available for Apple and Android and sign up for the Yahoo Finance Canada Weekly Brief. DDB Mudra Group has been assigned the integrated marketing communications mandate for McDonalds India - North & East (Connaught Plaza Restaurants Pvt. Ltd.). The enhanced scope will include digital marketing by 22feet Tribal Worldwide and digital media planning by OMD Mudramax, in addition to the existing brand strategy and creative mandate. DDB Mudra Group will manage the overall marketing and digital communications strategy for the brand across traditional and digital media. There will be additional emphasis on strengthening brand visibility in the digital space aligned with the business goals. The team will work across brand touchpoints to connect and engage with consumers. Commenting on the partnership, Mr Robert Hunghanfoo, Head, CPRL said, DDB Mudra brings a deep understanding of the brand philosophy and ethos. Their creative work and successful partnership with us makes them our preferred partner for the extended mandate in digital marketing. Added, Kriti Awasthi, DGM, Marketing at McDonalds India - North & East, Digital media has revolutionised the way brands connect, communicate and interact with their customers world over. COVID-19 has further accelerated the need for robust digital marketing for successful consumer outreach. With strong experience in the digital marketing space and in-depth understanding of brand McDonalds, we are confident that DDB Mudra Group will enable us to reinforce our brand love and strengthen our consumer outreach on the digital platforms as well. We look forward to delivering a great McDonalds experience through innovative and strategic interventions. Talking about the expanded partnership, Ashutosh Sawhney, Managing Partner, DDB Mudra Group, North said, Brand McDonalds needs no introduction anywhere in the world. We are thrilled to have secured the overall communications mandate for McDonalds North & East India. This is a testimony of a progressive, consumer-first client who believes in DDB Mudra Groups combined ability of creating media agnostic ideas and deploying them based on the deepest understanding of consumer journeys. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has signed an order to provide funding for the construction of Gobuustu-Yukhari Nematabad-Hajilar-Ashaghi Nematabad-Yenikend-Garibli road in Aghdash district. Under the presidential order, 16.4 million manats have been allocated to the State Agency of Azerbaijan Automobiles Roads for the construction of the road connecting seven residential areas with a total population of 6,000 people. -- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Partnership Provides Greater Access to End-To-End Serialization and Track & Trace Solutions COLUMBIA, Maryland, Sept. 10, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Movilitas announced Pharmalutions Pte Ltd as its newest Movilitas.Cloud partner for the Asia-Pacific region. Under the partnership, Pharmalutions provides greater access to compliance-ready solutions with Movilitas.Cloud, a GAMP 5 validated software as a service solution (SaaS), and their all-European-made Serialization & Aggregation technologies dedicated to the pharmaceutical industry in the region. Their comprehensive portfolio enables companies to comply with global regulations while improving operational efficiencies to deliver safer pharmaceuticals to patients. Several countries in the Asia-Pacific region, such as Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia, have already established or announced the introduction of serialization regulations for medicines. As track & trace regulations further spread and evolve, this partnership ensures that safer products reach consumers. It makes compliance for life science manufacturers simple, offering a holistic solution connecting the serialization equipment on the shop floor with an out-of-box level 3-5 track & trace solution that is configurable for the specific needs of different participants in the supply chain. "We have been involved in product-serialization and aggregation since 2004," said Tilman Joerss, Founder and Director of Pharmalutions. "This is 15 years ahead of the EU-FMD deadline [February 2019], and it provided us with a valuable long-term perspective of the regulatory landscape and its evolutionary nature. Today, this broad experience serves our customers well in dealing with much faster approaching deadlines while safeguarding their long-run investments into product-traceability. Rapid deployment of future-proof technology. That is the key and why Movilitas.Cloud is a perfect match." To learn more about the Movilitas.Cloud solution, please visit: https://www.movilitas.com/solutions/movilitas-cloud/ About Pharmalutions Pte LTD Founded in 2010 in Singapore, Pharmalutions Pte Ltd is a specialist for multi-regulatory Track & Trace (T&T) based on product-serialization, with a distinct focus on pharmaceutical compliance. Pharmalutions evolved from Regional System Integrator to become a private-label in 2019. Today, Pharmalutions is an officially recognised GS1 Singapore Solution-Partner (SSP). A 10-years-history powers Pharmalutions with a unique long-term perspective on global T&T. Its deeply rooted network stretches from Europe to Asia-Pacific, across industries. For more information, visit Pharmalutions.net or LinkedIn About Movilitas Movilitas is a technology leader delivering the next generation of solutions and consulting services across multiple industries to advance smart supply chain ecosystems. We are recognized as a trusted SAP partner for digital supply chain transformation. We help businesses realize new growth opportunities, adapt to today's on-demand economy and maintain compliance. Through services, such as Movilitas.Cloud, or extensions and accelerators for SAP solutions, our clients unlock data to realize greater efficiencies and new revenue streams. For more information, visit movilitas.com, or LinkedIn, Twitter or Xing CONTACT: marketing@movilitas.com Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1011119/Movilitas_Logo.jpg PATNA: Former Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis on Friday clarified that the death case of Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput was not an election agenda for the NDA in Bihar. We dont want to make this an election agenda. Sushant Singh Rajput is the son of Bihar and people across the country want justice for him. We would ensure that he gets justice, Fadnavis said. Sushant Singh Rajput who hailed from Bihar was found hanging at his apartment in Mumbais Bandra on June 14. The CBI, Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) are investigating the case from various angles. The case was handed over to CBI after a tussle between Maharashtra and Bihar police. The state government had recommended CBI probe into the case after the late Bollywood actors father KK Singh filed an FIR against actress Rhea Chakraborty, her family and six others for abetment of suicide of his son. Sushant Singh Rajputs girlfriend Rhea Chakraborty was arrested on Tuesday by the NCB. A week earlier, the BJP poster campaign seeking justice for Sushant Singh Rajput had created a flutter in poll-bound Bihar. The Opposition parties in the state especially RJD had then said that the BJP was distributing posters, pamphlets and masks to influence voters ahead of polls. As per a report over 30,000 posters and stickers and 30,000 masks bearing the picture and the slogan justice for Sushant have been printed and distributed in Patna and other districts of the state. Fadnavis along with BJP Chief JP Nadda are in Bihar to assess the party preparedness for assembly elections which is slated to be held in November this year. Sources said that the BJP has been worried after an internal survey carried out by party leaders showed anti-incumbency against Bihar CM Nitish Kumar and the NDA. The report suggests that during Naddas visit, the party would discuss ways to reach out to voters and inform them about policies launched by the state as well as the central government. According to RJD leaders in Patna, with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar losing ground in the state, the BJP wants to influence voters by using Sushant Singh Rajput case but people of Bihar are aware that our leader Tejashwi Yadav was the first to demand CBI probe on the issue. Negotiations set to begin on Saturday had originally been slated to start in March but were repeatedly pushed back Afghan government negotiators left for Doha on Friday to hold landmark peace talks with the Taliban aimed at ending the country's long running conflict that has killed tens of thousands of people. Negotiations set to begin on Saturday had originally been slated to start in March but were repeatedly pushed back amid disputes over a prisoner exchange that included the release of hundreds of battle-hardened Taliban fighters. "After continuous efforts of the government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan to start direct talks with the Taliban, the peace negotiating team of the IRA left Kabul for Doha," Nader Naderi, a member of the negotiating team, said on Twitter minutes before their plane took off President Donald Trump has made his key foreign policy priority to end the war in Afghanistan and bring troops back home as he faces uncertain prospects in the November 3 election. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will be attending the opening session of what he said was a "historic" opportunity to end America's longest war. "I'm mindful of how difficult these conversations will be among the Afghans but it's theirs for the taking," he told reporter onboard his flight to Doha. "We are going to Doha to tell the Taliban that you cannot succeed by force," Abdul Hafiz Mansour, a member of Kabul's delegation, told reporters at the capital's airport. "The time is ready for reconciliation now, we can resolve our problems by talking to each other." Negotiations have raised hope among Afghans across the country that the grinding conflict might come to a halt. "We are desperate for peace. The killing of Afghans should be stopped," said Kabul shopkeeper Abdullah, who lost a relative in a bomb attack that targeted Vice President Amrullah Saleh this week. "I'm not very optimistic about the future, but peace talks is a good first step to at least reduce the violence." Story continues Afghan school teacher Aminullah, who lives in restive Kunduz province, insisted that gains made in the past two decades should not be lost. "As much as we want peace, we also want the achievements of the past years kept," he said. "I don't want my school closed, but peace is the priority now." emh-jds/ecl/gle Universities across the UK are preparing to reopen for the start of the Autumn semester this month amid the updated COVID-19 government guidance, which limits large gatherings of more than six people across campuses. UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock told the House of Commons on Thursday that he wants students to be careful not to pass on to more vulnerable groups of their parents and grandparents. If you are a student who is about to return to university or go to university for the first time, then please, for the sake of your education and your parents' and grandparents' health, follow the rules and don't gather in groups of more than six people, Hancock said in a statement to Parliament. The Department for Education has published the updated guidance for universities on how they can operate in a COVID secure way. This includes a clear request not to send students home in the event of an outbreak in order to avoid spreading the virus across the country, he said. The first few weeks of what is the start of a new academic year in September is traditionally marked by freshers meets and gatherings. However, this year there will be an effort to limit student numbers as much as possible in order to control the spread of coronavirus, as the number of cases in the country began to rise once again since last week. Under the Department for Education guidelines, students with symptoms are told to self-isolate in their current accommodation such as halls of residence. All other residents in the same household must also isolate for 14 days, and be provided with support by their institution. The guidance recommends the use of disciplinary measures in the event of student non-compliance, as well as suggestions to combat the spread of the virus such as reducing the sizes of casts in drama and considering if some tuition in certain subjects can be conducted outside. Hancock's plea for caution in the Commons came alongside speeches by the UK Education Secretary Gavin Williamson and Universities Minister Michelle Donelan, urging university staffers and students to follow the guidance to try and limit the spread of infections. Let's be honest, these months have been incredibly difficult, for everyone involved, said Donelan. The next few months will be very different for you and I want to thank you for all the hard work that you have done to ensure that social distancing measures are introduced, plus blended learning and COVID-secure measures. We agree with you it is absolutely imperative that both students and staff are kept safe, she said in a speech to members of Universities UK, representing most of the UK's universities. In his address to vice-chancellors, Williamson highlighted the extra funding being granted to universities as they struggle through the COVID-19 lockdown imposed in March. I do acknowledge that the pressures providers are facing as a result of COVID-19 are substantial and some may face serious financial difficulties as a result. That is why my department is working closely with the sector, the Office for Students and across government to monitor and fully understand the financial risks that providers are facing and help them access support where necessary, and have established a restructuring regime to support universities as a last resort, if it proves necessary, he said. In reference to visa changes unveiled for students on Thursday, he added: We now have a world-class student visa offer befitting our world-class higher education sector this will only improve once the Student Route is launched later this year, and student visa processes are further streamlined. The route, to apply to all overseas students including Indians from October 5, will mean students require a total of 70 points to be granted a visa to study at a UK university under the new points-based visa regime. They will achieve the required points if they can demonstrate that they have an offer from an approved educational institution, speak English and are able to support themselves during their studies in the UK. The UK Home Office says the new route will simplify the existing Tier 4 Student Visa application process. TORONTO - With many businesses continuing to operate at limited capacity, Toronto Mayor John Tory on Thursday called on upper levels of government to provide additional economic support for Canadas downtowns. There is increasing concern among business leaders and others about the future of downtowns in major cities across Canada, Tory said in a statement. He asked the federal and provincial governments to take a number of steps to protect businesses particularly ones facing a slow recovery, such as hotels and restaurants. For the first time in memory, Torontos downtown is essentially devoid of activity, except for residents, he said. In a letter to federal Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland, Tory asked the Liberal government to launch a review into reviving main streets and downtown cores, as people continue to work from home. He also called for the replacement or extension of several federal programs introduced during the pandemic. He asked that the Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance program, which provides relief to small businesses experiencing financial issues due to COVID-19, be replaced and given a simpler intake and application process. The federal government should also extend the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy past Dec. 31 and improve the Business Credit Availability Program loan guarantee for larger firms, Tory said. In a separate letter to Ontario Finance Minister Rod Phillips, Tory urged the provincial government to support hotels and attractions and help keep municipal finances afloat through property tax deferrals. Carefully done and targeted, additional investments in businesses now will save jobs, will preserve businesses and will ultimately speed up and strengthen our recovery. That in turn will allow us to fix our public finances faster, Tory said in a statement. A spokesperson for Freeland noted that Ottawa has invested more than $2 billion in municipalities through the Safe Restart Agreement. Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, our government has worked closely with Mayor Tory and the City of Toronto, and we will continue to do so, press secretary Katherine Cuplinskas said in a statement. Phillips did not immediately respond to a request for comment. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 10, 2020. This story was produced with the financial assistance of the Facebook and Canadian Press News Fellowship. U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday it was possible another country could soon join a diplomatic accord between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, Trend reports with reference to Reuters. Trump is to host a signing ceremony next Tuesday that will include delegations with Israel and the UAE. His negotiators have been trying to get other Gulf nations, such as Bahrain and Oman, to join in normalizing relations with Israel. Israel and the UAE agreed last month to normalize relations in a deal that Trump helped orchestrate. Next week at the White House well be having a signing between the UAE and Israel, and we could have another country added into that. And I will tell you that countries are lining up that want to go into it, Trump told a White House news conference. Trump, who is seeking re-election on Nov. 3, did not disclose the name of the country that might be the next to join, but predicted that Saudi Arabia would eventually do so. Youll be hearing other countries coming in over a relatively short period of time. And you could have peace in the Middle East, he said. I think what ultimately will happen is youre going to have quite a few countries come in. The big ones are going to be coming in. I spoke to the king of Saudi Arabia, so were talking. We just started the dialogue. And youll have them come in, he said. The Saudi Embassy in Washington did not respond to a query on whether the Saudi ambassador or another Saudi representative would attend next weeks signing ceremony at the White House. GREENWICH Officers have made arrests of juveniles alleged to have stolen cars in the community or nearby, but the 14-year-old boy who was recently apprehended in Cos Cob behind the wheel of a stolen automobile set a record, Greenwich police said Friday. An officer found the young car thief on Shannon Lane in Cos Cob at 3:20 a.m. Sunday, according to the arrest report. The car had been reported stolen earlier in the night from a resident of Briarcliff Manor, N.Y., in Westchester County, N.Y., police said. The arrest report did not disclose the suspects name, due to his age, nor did it list his hometown. Items stolen from a car in Greenwich were also recovered in the teenagers vehicle when it was searched, police said. He was charged with a felony count of larceny in connection with the stolen car, a lesser count of larceny in connection with the items allegedly taken from the other vehicle, as well as burglary and driving without a license, police said. The criminal case was turned over to Juvenile Court in Bridgeport, police said. About 80 cars have been reported stolen in Greenwich so far this year, nearly all of them with starting devices inside them, police said. Car thefts have been surging around the region., with a spree reported in Westchester County, N.Y. In Briarcliff Manor, where the Sunday case originated, five cars have been stolen over the past year, compared to only one in the prior 12-month period, according to a recent report from the Westchester County district attorneys office. Many of the thefts in recent months have been committed by juveniles who come to Greenwich and look for cars to steal, police said, with many suspects who are 16 or 17 years old. But none of the recent arrests have involved a thief as young as 14 before, police said. A 15-year-old car-theft suspect was nabbed in 2018, police said. rmarchant@greenwichtime.com Defence Minister Rajnath Singh presents a memento to Minister of Armed Forces of France Florence Parly during the Rafale induction ceremony, at IAF airbase in Ambala, Thursday, Sept. 10, 2020. A PTI Photo NEW DELHI (PTI): Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and his French counterpart Florence Parly on Thursday held extensive talks during which they vowed to step up cooperation in the Indian Ocean, a region which is witnessing rising Chinese military posturing. It is learnt that Singh also apprised Parly on India's four-month-long border row with China in Eastern Ladakh. Official sources said the two sides reviewed the entire gamut of bilateral cooperation and exchanged views on contemporary regional and global security issues of mutual interest. The two ministers emphasised the need to work closely keeping in view the joint strategic vision of India-France cooperation in the Indian Ocean region, the sources said. The talks took place at Ambala Air Force station after a ceremony marking induction of five Rafale jets into the Indian Air Force. Singh and Parly held a brief conversation at the Air Force station in Palam in Delhi shortly after her arrival on Thursday morning. The Indian Navy has significantly expanded its deployment in the Indian Ocean Region, stationing a plethora of warships and submarines following the border row in Eastern Ladakh to send across a message to Beijing. The maritime space around the Malacca Strait is very critical for China's supply chain through sea routes. After returning to Delhi in the afternoon, Parly held talks with National Security Advisor Ajit Doval focusing on ways to further boost bilateral defence and security cooperation, officials said. In her brief address at the ceremony, Parly said France is fully committed to integrate the Indian defence industry with France's global military supply chain, while calling the induction of the Rafale jets into the IAF a new chapter in bilateral defence ties. "The strategic partnership between France and India is based on common values and friendship forged over several decades," she said. "Since India's independence, our two democracies have been cooperating very closely. France has always stood beside India in good and bad times," she said. In Delhi, Parly visited the national war memorial and paid tributes to India's fallen heroes. Bahrain has become the latest Arab nation to agree to normalize ties with Israel as part of a broader diplomatic push by President Donald Trump and his administration to fully integrate the Jewish state into the Middle East. Trump announced the agreement on Friday, following a three-way phone call he had with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Bahrains King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa. The three leaders also issued a brief six-paragraph joint statement, attesting to the deal. Another HISTORIC breakthrough today! Trump tweeted. The announcement on the 19th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks came less than a week before Trump hosts a White House ceremony to mark the establishment of full relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Bahrains foreign minister will attend the event. Theres no more powerful response to the hatred that spawned 9/11 than this agreement, Trump told reporters at the White House. It represents another diplomatic win for Trump less than two months before the presidential election and an opportunity to shore up support among pro-Israel evangelicals. Just last week, Trump announced agreements in principle for Kosovo to recognize Israel and for Serbia to move its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. This is a historic breakthrough to further peace in the Middle East, Trump, Netanyahu, and King Hamad said in the statement. Opening direct dialogue and ties between these two dynamic societies and advanced economies will continue the positive transformation of the Middle East and increase stability, security, and prosperity in the region. Like the UAE agreement, Fridays Bahrain-Israel deal will normalize diplomatic, commercial, security, and other relations between the two countries. Bahrain, along with Saudi Arabia, had already dropped a prohibition on Israeli flights using its airspace. Saudi acquiescence to the agreements has been considered key to the deals. Trumps son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner noted that the agreement is the second Israel has reached with an Arab country in 30 days after having made peace with only two Arab nationsEgypt and Jordanin 72 years of its independence. This is very fast, Kushner told The Associated Press. The region is responding very favorably to the UAE deal and hopefully its a sign that even more will come. Netanyahu welcomed the agreement and thanked Trump. It took us 26 years between the second peace agreement with an Arab country and the third, but only 29 days between the third and the fourth, and there will be more, he said, referring to the 1994 peace treaty with Jordan and the more recent agreements. The agreement will likely be seen as a further setback to the Palestinians who tried unsuccessfully to have the Arab League condemn normalization with Israel until they have secured an independent state. That was one of the few cards still held by Palestinians in negotiations as peace talks remain stalled. The joint statement made passing mention of the Palestinians, saying the parties will continue efforts to achieve a just, comprehensive, and enduring resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to enable the Palestinian people to realize their full potential. The agreement makes Bahrain the fourth Arab country, after Egypt, Jordan, and the UAE, to have full diplomatic ties with Israel. Other Arab nations believed to be on the cusp of fully recognizing Israel include Oman and Sudan. While tacitly blessing the deals, Saudi Arabiathe regional power playeris not expected to move as quickly. Like the UAE, Bahrain has never fought a war against Israel and doesnt share a border with it. But Bahrain, like most of the Arab world, long rejected diplomatic ties with Israel in the absence of a peace deal establishing a Palestinian state on lands captured by Israel in 1967. The agreement could give a boost to Netanyahu, who was indicted on corruption charges last year. Deals with Gulf Arab states are the direct result of the policy that I have led for two decades, namely peace for peace, peace through strength, Netanyahu has said. The Israeli-UAE deal required Israel to halt its contentious plan to annex occupied West Bank land sought by the Palestinians. Telephone calls soon began working between the nations as they continue to discuss other deals, including direct flights. While the UAEs population remains small and the federation has no tradition of standing up to the countrys autocracy, Bahrain represents a far-different country. Just off the coast of Saudi Arabia, the island of Bahrain is among the worlds smallest countries, only about 760 square kilometers (290 square miles). Bahrains location in the Persian Gulf long has made it a trading stop and a naval defensive position. The island is home to the US Navys 5th Fleet and a recently built British naval base. Bahrain is acutely aware of threats posed by Iran, an anxiety that comes from Bahrains majority Shiite population, despite being ruled since 1783 by the Sunni Al Khalifa family. Iran under Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi had pushed to take over the island after the British left, though Bahrainis in 1970 overwhelmingly supported becoming an independent nation and the UN Security Council unanimously backed that. Since Irans 1979 Islamic Revolution, Bahrains rulers have blamed Iran for arming militants on the island. Iran denies the accusations, though weapons experts suggest explosives found there bear similarities to others linked to Iran. Israel and Iran view each other as top regional enemies. Outside of those tensions, Bahrains Shiite majority has accused the government of treating them like second-class citizens. The Shiites joined pro-democracy activists in demanding more political freedoms in 2011, as Arab Spring protests swept across the wider Middle East. Saudi and Emirati troops ultimately helped violently put down the demonstrations. In recent years, Bahrain has cracked down on all dissent, imprisoned activists, and hampered independent reporting on the island. While the Obama administration halted the sale of F-16 fighter jets to Bahrain over human rights concerns, the Trump administration dropped that after coming into office. Bahrains royal family and officials have come out in support of the Israel-UAE agreement. However, civil society groups and others have condemned the move and warned the monarchy not to follow in the UAEs footstepsdespite Bahrains yearslong flirtation with Israel and Jewish leaders. Unlike the Emirates, Jews had a historical presence on the island and some still live there. In 2017, two prominent US rabbis said Bahrains king told them he hoped the Arab boycott of Israel would end. An interfaith group from Bahrain that year also visited Israel, though the state-run Bahrain News Agency later said that it didnt represent any official entity after an uproar erupted on social media. Bahrain has increasingly relied on support from other nations as it struggles with its debts, particularly neighboring Saudi Arabia. In that way, Bahrain has followed in lockstep with Riyadh, meaning any normalization with Israel likely got the kingdoms approval though Saudi Arabia has for its part remained silent since the Emirati announcement. Associated Press writers Aya Batrawy in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and Ilan Ben Zion and Joseph Krauss in Jerusalem contributed to this report. A new state audit says Oregon is failing to ensure vulnerable children and families are receiving the mental health care they need through the Oregon Health Plan, even as taxpayers shell out millions of dollars in performance bonuses to healthcare administration companies. Despite the importance of mental health services, auditors say in the report released Wednesday that state health leaders failed for the last decade under both Gov. Kate Brown and Gov. John Kitzhaber to set a consistent plan or vision for providing these services, resulting in system disarray. The human consequences of fragmented and delayed mental health care can be severe. Although the auditors examined at how the state is serving all children and families on Oregons version of the Medicaid program, they also looked specifically at the experiences of children in foster care. Oregon child welfare officials have in recent years said they were forced to temporarily house children in state care at government offices, hotels and institutional settings such as converted juvenile jails, in large part because many children had behavior health needs beyond what most foster parents could handle. Advocates for children say improved mental health care, addiction treatment and other services could allow more children to return home to their families sooner or live in a more homelike setting with foster parents. Auditors described how one unnamed 9-year-old boy in the child welfare system stayed in a hotel for more than 100 days while awaiting recommended intensive mental health services. He was treated in the emergency department several times , and did not have regular access to needed services and supports, auditors wrote. Due to a variety of delays, the boy never received residential care that a child psychiatrist said he needed. An anonymous 16-year-old girl with a history of sexual exploitation and drug use who was involved in the child welfare and juvenile justice systems also experienced delays also experienced poor health care when she most needed it. After she was found by child welfare, she was treated at five facilities, including twice at the emergency department, but was not able to access Medicaid-funded psychiatric services, auditors wrote. Approximately 1 million low-income people are supposed to receive mental health care through the Oregon Health Plan. For that behavioral health care, the state expects to spend $3.2 billion in the two-year budget, auditors wrote. Auditors traced many of the problems, including the lack of a vision or strategic plan, to a high rate of turnover among elected and agency leaders. After structural changes at the agency in 2015, the behavioral health director position remained vacant for three years before three interim directors cycled in and out of the role, they wrote. It was finally filled on a permanent basis in April 2019. Without a defined strategy and specific, measurable, departmental goals for behavioral health, (Oregon Health Authority) is unable to effectively assess its desired impacts for Oregonians especially for children and families, auditors said. Auditors pointed out Medicaid administration companies known as coordinated care organizations can receive performance pay if they meet benchmarks set by the state, yet none of those metrics are tied specifically to the quality of mental health care provided to children and youth. Although Oregon child welfare policy requires children to receive mental health assessments within 60 days of entering state custody, the companies tasked with managing that care the coordinated care organizations are judged by the state on a different metric. The Oregon Health Authority only looks at whether children in the foster system receive assessments within 60 days of the state notifying the companies that a child was placed in foster care, auditors wrote. Given significant delays between the time children enter state custody and when the state notifies Medicaid administrators, the companies largely meet their benchmarks even if children wait longer than child welfares goal of 60 days for an assessment. According to data the auditors obtained from the Department of Human Services, from January 1, 2017, through December 31, 2018, only 49% of children had their mental health assessment within 60 days of foster care entry, and only 58% had an assessment within 90 days of entry. Oregon Health Authoritys rating of childrens timely access to mental health assessments was much rosier, with no hint many children wait more than three months just for the initial evaluation. In 2018, the measure showed 86.7% of children met this target and 13 of the 15 (Medicaid administration companies) received their incentive payment for the measure, auditors wrote. The Oregon Health Authority does not track whether children actually receive the mental health care determined to be necessary by those assessments. Continuing to reward (coordinated care organizations) for an ineffective measure instead of defining clear outcomes based on public interest is problematic, auditors wrote, noting the companies received $188 million in performance pay in 2018. The audit also highlighted what some people who work with neglected, abused and traumatized children have been saying for years: Chronic worker shortages are increasing system strain and trauma for vulnerable children and youth in residential treatment facilities. But with Oregon Gov. Kate Brown and state lawmakers poised to make deeper recessionary cuts to the state budget potentially this fall and almost certainly in 2021, auditors warned that COVID-19 budget impacts may prevent workforce supplementation. Auditors did not specifically include in their 22 recommendations for improvement a suggestion to change the performance metric for coordinated care organizations ensuring children receive good mental health care. However, they did recommend the state work on improving the companies' accountability including addressing reports that some companies did not provide data to the state in a timely manner. The auditors also suggested the Oregon Health Authority use some of its existing analysts to determine the extent to which Medicaid claims data can be used to accurately identify and track the number of children receiving mental health services statewide and outcomes. State Behavioral Health Director Steve Allen agreed with all the auditors' recommendations. This audit recognizes a long-standing challenge within the behavioral health system, which is lack of timely, complete and accurate data, Allen wrote. There are legitimate systemic reasons why this is the situation, and (Oregon Health Authority) continues to work on developing the ability to find cost-effective levers that result in improvements. Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal urged start-ups to focus on three Ps - product, process, people - for building Aatmnirbhar Bharat. Gujarat has again emerged as the best performer in developing startup ecosystem for budding entrepreneurs, according to the ranking of states and union territories by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT). Gujarat was categorised as the best performer among all states and one union territory (UT) Delhi, barring north-eastern states and other UTs. Among all the north-eastern states except Assam and all UTs barring Delhi, Andaman and Nicobar Islands has emerged as the best performer. A total of 22 states and 3 UTs participated in the exercise. To establish uniformity and ensure standardisation in the ranking process, states and UTs have been divided into two groups. While UTs except Delhi and all states in North East except Assam are placed in Category 'Y', all other states and UT of Delhi are in Category 'X'. The states' start-up ranking result 2019 was divided into two groups 'X' and 'Y'. While the 'X' group has all the states and Delhi, barring north-eastern states and other UTs; group 'Y' has all north-eastern states except Assam and all UTs except Delhi. Releasing the rankings on Friday, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said that it will help in further promoting the start-up ecosystem by the Centre, states and UTs. He said that for funding of the startups, the 'Fund of Funds' is supporting them and many public sector undertakings are coming forward with dedicated funds to start-ups. "I am also very keen that Indian industry, Indian investors, high networth individuals, possibly mutual funds, insurance companies should also very seriously consider participating in this very exciting journey that our Indian startups are going through," he said. He also suggested start-ups to focus on three Ps - product, process, people - to focus on promoting Aatmnirbhar Bharat. DPIIT secretary Guruprasad Mohapatra said that over 36,000 startups are recognised by the department so far. All the states are taking steps to promote the growth of budding entrepreneurs, he said adding the start-up ecosystem in the country has led to creation of over 4 lakh jobs. The rankings are based on the initiatives taken to develop the start-up ecosystem for promoting budding entrepreneurs. For the purposes of ranking, states/UTs are classified into five categories: Best Performers, Top Performers, Leaders, Aspiring Leaders and Emerging Startup Ecosystems. Top performers are: Karnataka and Kerala; Leaders are: Bihar, Maharashtra, Odisha, Rajasthan, and Chandigarh; Aspiring Leaders: Haryana, Jharkhand, Punjab, Telangana, Uttarakhand and Nagaland; Emerging Startup Ecosystems are: Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Mizoram and Sikkim. The ranking framework 2019, it said, has seven broad reform areas consisting of 30 action points ranging from institutional support, easing compliances, relaxation in public procurement norms, incubation centres, seed funding, venture funding, and awareness and outreach. Many parameters involved getting feedback from beneficiaries which was gathered through more than 60,000 calls made in 11 different languages to empathetically connect with beneficiaries to ascertain the real situation at the implementation levels. In the last 2018 edition of the ranking, Gujarat emerged as the best performer in developing the start-up ecosystem for budding entrepreneurs. Other top performers that followed the western state were Karnataka, Kerala, Odisha and Rajasthan. The government had launched Startup India Action Plan in January 2016 to promote budding entrepreneurs in the country. The plan aims to give incentives such as tax holiday and inspector raj-free regime and capital gains tax exemption. Social activist Swami Agnivesh, who was suffering from liver cirrhosis for a long time, died of multi-organ failure at a Delhi hospital on Friday, doctors said. He was 80. His last rites will be performed on Saturday at Agnilok Ashram in Behelpa, Gurgaon at 4 pm. Before that, his body will be kept at his office in 7, Jantar Mantar Road so that people can pay last respects. Those coming to pay last respects have been urged to follow COVID-19 protocols. Agnivesh was critically ill and admitted to an ICU of the Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences, and was on ventilatory support since Tuesday, the doctors said. "He was suffering from liver cirrhosis and died today due to multi-organ failure as his condition deteriorated and he went into cardiac arrest at 6 pm," a spokesperson of the hospital said. Resuscitation was attempted but he passed away at 6:30 pm, he said. Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot were among those who condoled his demise. "Deeply saddened to hear about the demise of social activist & champion of women''s rights Swami Agnivesh Ji. My condolences to his admirers & followers. RIP," Puri tweeted. "Grieved at the passing of Swami Agnivesh, who gave up a career as a professor in Kolkata to fight for many causes. My condolences to his friends and followers," Banerjee posted on Twitter. Gandhi called his demise an "irreparable loss" to the country. "Swami Agnivesh, the founder of Bandhua Mukti Morcha and revolutionary leader of Arya Samaj passed away today. His demise is an irreparable loss to the entire country and Arya Samaj. My humble tribute to him," he posted on Twitter in Hindi. How Lashkar operatives planned on burning down the Secunderabad-Darbhanga Express Why NIA arrested former Congress MLAs daughter-in-law in an Islamic State case NIA charges 7 ULFA terrorists for killing Assam Sub-Inspector India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Sep 11: The National Investigation Agency has filed a chargesheet against 7 ULFA operatives in connection with the killing of a sub inspector in Assam. The chargesheet has been filed against Bijit Gogoi, Kanto Bora, Santosh Gogoi Sadiya, Jushinta Moran,Bubul Moran, Dipankar Borah and Mamun Dihingia. The officer in charge of the Bordumsa Police Station - Sub-Inspector Bhaskar Kalita, received specific input regarding presence of a group of suspected ULFA terrorists inside a house at Kujupathar Village. NIA court convicts two fake currency racketeers from Bengal A joint operation by the Police and Para-military was launched against the ULFA militants. During the process of cordoning of the suspect premises, ULFA militants hiding inside a locked house started firing indiscriminately at the Police, which resulted in the death of Bhaskar Kalita. Taking advantage of poor light conditions, ULFA militants managed to escape into the nearby jungle. Moreover, while escaping, they snatched away AK-47 rifle from the deceased Police officer, the NIA said in its chargesheet. Sushant Death Case: Rhea Chakraborty denied bail by a Mumbai court, will stay in jail|Oneindia News Investigation has established that this was carried on the instructions of ULFA leader Arundoi Dahoti. They came from their camps in Myanmar and were planning on carrying out attacks and also raising funds, the NIA said while also adding that further investigations are on. ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkish and Greek officials met at NATO headquarters on Thursday for talks aimed at preventing further military escalation in the eastern Mediterranean, Turkey's Defence Ministry said, as Greece called for "meaningful" European Union sanctions on Turkey. Military officials from the two countries, both NATO members, were due to hold talks in Brussels on Tuesday after an initial contact last week, but NATO postponed the talks. The "military de-confliction" talks, announced by Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg last week, aim to prevent an escalation from incidents such as a collision between Turkish and Greek warships last month. The warships had been shadowing a Turkish vessel surveying for oil and gas in disputed Mediterranean waters west of Cyprus, an operation that Greece condemned as illegal. Ankara and Athens both view the area as part of their continental shelf. Greece says any discussion is contingent on the departure of Turkish vessels from disputed waters, but Turkey says it will not engage in talks under pre-conditions. The technical talks at NATO will not address underlying territorial disputes, but could discuss establishing a hotline between the two countries' military forces. "During the meeting where measures to prevent any potential interferences by military elements were discussed, an exchange of ideas was carried out," the ministry said in a statement. It said the next meeting was being planned for the "coming days". Greek officials did not immediately comment on the talks. Greece has been calling for EU sanctions on Turkey. On Thursday, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said the bloc must impose "meaningful" sanctions on Turkey unless it pulls its vessels from the area. He said Turkey and Greece needed dialogue "but not when held at gunpoint". The dispute in the eastern Mediterranean has also delayed EU sanctions on Belarus, four EU diplomats said, while exacerbating tensions between Turkey and France, which have been at odds over a host of issues. Story continues Addressing the European Parliament Foreign Affairs Committee on Thursday, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said the EU had no jurisdiction on maritime boundary matters and that Ankara expected the bloc to remain unbiased while evaluating the dispute. "By acting as an international court, defending one side's claims over the issue, the EU has become a party in the problem unfortunately," Cavusoglu said. EU leaders will meet on Sept. 24-25 to address the issue. (Reporting by Ece Toksabay and Tuvan Gumrukcu; Editing by Daren Butler and Frances Kerry) clashed with and five of its Western allies Thursday over the poisoning of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny, with Moscow's ambassador demanding evidence that a Soviet-era nerve agent was responsible and Germany's envoy countering that his country's findings have been handed over to the chemical weapons watchdog. The confrontation came at the monthly UN Security Council meeting on chemical weapons in Syria, with the United States, Belgium, Britain, Estonia and France expressing grave concern at Germany's determination that 44-year-old Navalny was the victim of a chemical weapons attack using a military-grade nerve agent from the Novichok group. Britain's acting UN ambassador, Jonathan Allen, said a similar nerve agent was used with lethal effect in southern England in 2018 on former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter. A woman exposed to the contents of a perfume bottle reportedly used in the attack died several months later. vehemently denied any involvement, but Britain has charged two men it called Russian military intelligence officers with the nerve-agent poisoning. Allen told the council that the United Kingdom stands with Germany's findings on Navalny and called on to urgently conduct a full and transparent investigation into this use of a banned chemical weapon and to uphold the Chemical Weapons Convention that bans their use. Acting US deputy ambassador Cherith Norman Chalet called Navalny's poisoning by a chemical weapon completely reprehensible and urged Russia to be fully transparent and to bring those responsible to justice. Navalny, the most visible opponent of Russian President Vladimir Putin, fell ill on a flight to Moscow on August 20 and was taken to a hospital in the Siberian city of Omsk after the plane made an emergency landing. He was flown to two days later. German scientists concluded that without doubt Navalny was poisoned by a Novichok agent. The German hospital treating Navalny said Monday his condition had improved, allowing doctors to take him out of an induced coma. Russia's UN ambassador, Vassily Nebenzia, told the Security Council that we are the most interested party to know what happened and Moscow wants to share its evidence. He said the Russian doctors who saved Navalny's life found no chemical weapons substances. Nebenzia cited an Aug. 27 request from Russia's prosecutor to Germany for information under a Russian-German agreement, which has had no response. If you demand explanations, put the facts on the table and we'll compare notes, he said. Why should we trust allegations uncorroborated by evidence?" This whole incident cannot but raise questions about some foul play being staged, Nebenzia added. Germany's Defense Ministry has said the data about Navalny has been provided to the Hague-based Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, which implements the Chemical Weapons Convention. Stressing that point, Germany Ambassador Christoph Heusgen accused Russia of using another smoke screen and said Navalny's poisoning isn't an issue between Germany and Russia but an issue of concern" about chemical weapons use. Germany is doing what it is supposed to do under the Chemical Weapons Convention by giving all the evidence to the OPCW, Heusgen said. And it would be very good if Russia would work with OPCW in finding all the background to the case of the use of Novichok, he said. Nebenzia replied that it is a case Russia-German relations and not an issue. He quoted a Russian Foreign Ministry statement issued Wednesday saying if the evidence requested by Moscow isn't provided, Russia will regard it as Germany's refusal to establish truth in an investigation. Nebenzia also quoted the ministry as saying this would be regarded as a blatant and hostile provocation against Russia, which would definitely undermine Russian-German relations and international relations as a whole. (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 Associated Press WASHINGTON: Bahrain has become the latest Arab nation to agree to normalize ties with Israel as part of a broader diplomatic push by President Donald Trump and his administration to fully integrate the Jewish state into the Middle East. Trump announced the agreement on Friday, following a three-way phone call he had with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa. The three leaders also issued a brief six-paragraph joint statement, attesting to the deal. Another HISTORIC breakthrough today! Trump tweeted. The announcement on the 19th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks came less than a week before Trump hosts a White House ceremony to mark the establishment of full relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates. Bahrains foreign minister will attend the event. Theres no more powerful response to the hatred that spawned 9/11 than this agreement, Trump told reporters at the White House. It represents another diplomatic win for Trump less than two months before the presidential election and an opportunity to shore up support among pro-Israel evangelical Christians. Just last week, Trump announced agreements in principle for Kosovo to recognize Israel and for Serbia to move its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. This is a historic breakthrough to further peace in the Middle East, Trump, Netanyahu and King Hamad said in the statement. Opening direct dialogue and ties between these two dynamic societies and advanced economies will continue the positive transformation of the Middle East and increase stability, security, and prosperity in the region. Like the UAE agreement, Fridays Bahrain-Israel deal will normalize diplomatic, commercial, security and other relations between the two countries. Bahrain, along with Saudi Arabia, had already dropped a prohibition on Israeli flights using its airspace. Saudi acquiescence to the agreements has been considered key to the deals. Trumps son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner noted that the agreement is the second Israel has reached with an Arab country in 30 days after having made peace with only two Arab nations Egypt and Jordan in 72 years of its independence. This is very fast, Kushner told The Associated Press. The region is responding very favorably to the UAE deal and hopefully its a sign that even more will come. Netanyahu welcomed the agreement and thanked Trump. It took us 26 years between the second peace agreement with an Arab country and the third, but only 29 days between the third and the fourth, and there will be more, he said, referring to the 1994 peace treaty with Jordan and the more recent agreements. The agreement will likely be seen as a further setback to the Palestinians who tried unsuccessfully to have the Arab League condemn normalization with Israel until they have secured an independent state. That was one of the few cards still held by Palestinians in negotiations as peace talks remain stalled. The joint statement made passing mention of the Palestinians, saying the parties will continue efforts to achieve a just, comprehensive, and enduring resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to enable the Palestinian people to realize their full potential. The agreement makes Bahrain the fourth Arab country, after Egypt, Jordan and the UAE, to have full diplomatic ties with Israel. Other Arab nations believed to be on the cusp of fully recognizing Israel include Oman and Sudan. While tacitly blessing the deals Saudi Arabia, the regional power player, is not expected to move as quickly. Like the UAE, Bahrain has never fought a war against Israel and doesnt share a border with it. But Bahrain, like most of the Arab world, long rejected diplomatic ties with Israel in the absence of a peace deal establishing a Palestinian state on lands captured by Israel in 1967. The agreement could give a boost to Netanyahu, who was indicted on corruption charges last year. Deals with Gulf Arab states are the direct result of the policy that I have led for two decades, namely peace for peace, peace through strength, Netanyahu has said. The Israeli-UAE deal required Israel to halt its contentious plan to annex occupied West Bank land sought by the Palestinians. Telephone calls soon began working between the nations as they continue to discuss other deals, including direct flights. While the UAEs population remains small and the federation has no tradition of standing up to the countrys autocracy, Bahrain represents a far-different country. Just off the coast of Saudi Arabia, the island of Bahrain is among the worlds smallest countries, only about 760 square kilometers (290 square miles). Bahrains location in the Persian Gulf long has made it a trading stop and a naval defensive position. The island is home to the U.S. Navys 5th Fleet and a recently built British naval base. Bahrain is acutely aware of threats posed by Iran, an anxiety that comes from Bahrains majority Shiite population, despite being ruled since 1783 by the Sunni Al Khalifa family. Iran under Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi had pushed to take over the island after the British left, though Bahrainis in 1970 overwhelmingly supported becoming an independent nation and the U.N. Security Council unanimously backed that. Since Irans 1979 Islamic Revolution, Bahrains rulers have blamed Iran for arming militants on the island. Iran denies the accusations, though weapons experts suggest explosives found there bear similarities to others linked to Iran. Israel and Iran view each other as top regional enemies. Outside of those tensions, Bahrains Shiite majority has accused the government of treating them like second-class citizens. The Shiites joined pro-democracy activists in demanding more political freedoms in 2011, as Arab Spring protests swept across the wider Middle East. Saudi and Emirati troops ultimately helped violently put down the demonstrations. In recent years, Bahrain has cracked down on all dissent, imprisoned activists and hampered independent reporting on the island. While the Obama administration halted the sale of F-16 fighter jets to Bahrain over human rights concerns, the Trump administration dropped that after coming into office. Bahrains royal family and officials have come out in support of the Israel-UAE agreement. However, civil society groups and others have condemned the move and warned the monarchy not to follow in UAEs footsteps despite Bahrains yearslong flirtation with Israel and Jewish leaders. Unlike the Emirates, Jews had a historical presence on the island and some still live there. In 2017, two prominent U.S. rabbis said Bahrains king told them he hoped the Arab boycott of Israel would end. An interfaith group from Bahrain that year also visited Israel, though the state-run Bahrain News Agency later said that it didnt represent any official entity after an uproar erupted on social media. Bahrain has increasingly relied on support from other nations as it struggles with its debts, particularly neighboring Saudi Arabia. In that way, Bahrain has followed in lockstep with Riyadh, meaning any normalization with Israel likely got the kingdoms approval, though, Saudi Arabia has for its part remained silent since the Emirati announcement. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, people in their 20s and 30s are the main consumers of traditional alcohol. Its consumption has gone up since July 2017 when independent brewers were allowed to sell their products online. Homegrown spirits are popular among young women, the ministry said. / gettyimagesbank By Kang Hyun-kyung Baek Woong-jae's "Hanju, Homegrown Drinks" takes readers to two dozen local breweries across the country which make a variety of homegrown fermented drinks. With a note describing the taste of each product at the end of each chapter, Baek tells the stories of brewers and their products, detailing how they started their liquor businesses, how long they have produced their drinks and how their products differ from each other and from those of other producers. Baek's field trip began in Hongcheon, Gangwon Province. The author calls the eastern county the mecca for homegrown spirits. "Hongcheon is home to the best and most diverse spirits," the book reads, saying over 10 breweries are located in the small rural county. "Water quality there is great and water quantity is enough so the locals have no worries about water shortages The county is unfamiliar with drought as water is plentiful there." The author said Hongcheon has emerged as the highest in-demand county for aspiring brewers because of its location and reasonable property prices. Hongcheon is relatively close to Seoul, compared to other eastern cities, so logistics costs are not a problem for them, he said. The book, published by Changbi Publishers last week, was released amid soaring demand for traditional alcoholic beverages. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, people in their 20s and 30s are the main consumers of traditional alcohol. Its consumption has gone up since July 2017 when independent brewers were allowed to sell their products online. Homegrown spirits are popular among young women, the ministry said. The author coins the term "hanju" to refer to traditional Korean traditional drinks of a premium quality. "Hanju is an alternative term I suggest to replace the term 'jeontong sul' (traditional Korean drinks)," he said. Baek said he chose to use a new terminology which he said is more accurate than "traditional Korean spirits" because they are much more than simply tradition. "They were not copied from foreign liquors. They are with us today and people enjoy them now," the book reads. Baek defines premium hanju as spirits that were made from locally produced ingredients including homegrown yeast "nuruk," and had a long fermentation process before they go on sale. "They have no other artificial ingredients. Hanju has unique cultural value," the author says. Baek's brewery tour begins in Hongcheon-based Midam Brewery. It's the only brewery located in downtown Hongcheon, according to him. "The brewery, which began its business in nearby Yangpyeong County, was relocated to its current place years ago Its owner is a grandmother who is over 60, and she is the only staffer of the brewery. The one-person brewery has several different spirit labels, such as seoktan-ju (a spirit easy to drink) and songhwa-ju which uses pine tree powder as an ingredient. "Here everything is handmade. The brewer, Ms. Midam, is a person of experimentation. She tries every possible method and ingredient to produce her own spirits. Ginger-ju is the product of her ingenuity and it reflects her experimental spirit," the author says. Quoting the brewer's answer when asked what kind of spirits she is trying to make, the author says the brewery aims to produce premium spirits that can satisfy five senses. Baek left tasting notes of five Midam Brewery products. Regarding seoktan-ju, the author says it's a standard spirit with an adequate level of sweetness and a savory taste. "If you want to understand the spirits produced in Midam Brewery, you will want to taste them first and then look into the brewing process to see how they're made," the book reads. Baek Woong-jae's "Hanju, Our Spirits" published by Changbi Publishers Under fire, Trump defends his remarks about downplaying coronavirus threat People's Daily Online (Xinhua) 16:59, September 10, 2020 Knowing "This is deadly stuff," but telling the public the virus would disappear "like a miracle." WASHINGTON, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump defended on Wednesday his remarks in an earlier interview that he wanted to downplay the coronavirus threat to the U.S. public, arguing that he is a cheerleader for the country and did not want to create panic. "I wanted to always play it down, I still like playing it down, because I don't want to create a panic," Trump told Bob Woodward, author and associate editor of The Washington Post, in an interview on March 19, according to revelations in Woodward's new book "Rage." Facing criticisms following reported revelations in the book, which is due for publication this month, Trump insisted he was right to keep his concerns about the pandemic private. "We don't want to instill panic, we don't want to jump up and down and start shouting that we have a problem that is a tremendous problem, scare everybody," Trump told reporters at the White House, "we had to show calm." "The fact is I'm a cheerleader for this country, I love our country," Trump said. "And I don't want people to be frightened, I don't want to create panic, as you say. Certainly, I'm not going to drive this country or the world into a frenzy." Trump said he downplayed the threat of the virus also because he didn't "want pricing to go up to a level that becomes almost unaffordable." The president dismissed the reports of his own remarks as "another political hit job." According to the revelations, Trump told Woodward in an interview on Feb. 7, when the United States reported just a few cases of COVID-19, that the virus was more dangerous than the flu. "This is deadly stuff," Trump said. The president said that the virus was airborne and more deadly "than even your strenuous flus." "It goes through air, Bob, that's always tougher than the touch," Trump said, "the air, you just breathe the air and that's how it's passed." But in public during the same period, Trump said there were at the time many more flu deaths in the United States, claiming that the virus would disappear "like a miracle." On Feb. 26, he said that COVID-19 cases in the country would fall to "close to zero." On Feb. 29, he told Americans that "everything is under control." Seizing on the book's revelations, Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden slammed Trump in his tour to key swing state Michigan on Wednesday, saying the president "knowingly and willingly lied about the threat it posed for months." "He knew and purposely played it down," said the former vice president, "worse, he lied to the American people." "He's failed our economy and our country," Biden said. Woodward's book reportedly also revealed National Security Adviser Robert O'Brien warned Trump on Jan. 28 that the coronavirus "will be the biggest national security threat you face in your presidency." Trump told Woodward in May that he didn't remember being told that. The United States ranks the first in the world with over 6.35 million infections and over 190,700 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University. The upcoming book "Rage" is based on 18 interviews that Trump gave Woodward between December and July, as well as background conversations with officials and other sources, said a Washington Post report. The newspaper and CNN were given advance copies of the book and published details on Wednesday. Woodward is a two-time Pulitzer Prize winner. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Vietnamese American protesters demonstrate in Westminster over human rights in Vietnam on Feb. 26, 2019. (Los Angeles Times) To the editor: After reading about Jeff LeTourneau's apology and resignation from his Orange County Democratic Party leadership post for praising Ho Chi Minh, I wondered if the spirit of the former Office of Strategic Services agent was laughing. After all, OSS Agent 19 (Ho Chi Minh) received assistance from the United States during World War II for leading the Viet Minh forces against the Japanese occupiers and for providing the Americans with important intelligence and assistance in the recovery of downed Allied air crew. The emerging Cold War led the U.S. to break its ties with Ho while providing France with aid in that country's doomed effort to regain Vietnam as a colony. Today, however, the U.S. has not only made extensive corporate investments in communist Vietnam, but under President Trump, the two countries have affirmed their commitment to increase defense cooperation. In political terms this military cooperation, like corporate investments in Vietnam, raises the question of just how "communist" the Vietnamese communists really are. The present road of security cooperation is a road that in the future may lead to Americans fighting and dying in defense of Ho Chi Minh's legacy: communist Vietnam. What will LeTourneau's critics say then? Chuck O'Connell, Woodland Hills .. To the editor: So, the vice chairman of the Orange County Democratic Party shared a social media post glorifying the detested former communist leader of Vietnam. He got called out loudly from both sides of the aisle, resulting in his resignation. Meanwhile, no one is calling out this current president, who waxes poetic about his love affair with the brutal North Korean dictator and who shows far greater loyalty to Russian President Vladimir Putin than to our own beleaguered intelligence agencies. I think I detect a double standard. Penelope Burley, Santa Rosa Valley, Calif. Ms. Petit-Homme, who has worked at the hotel for 22 years, said she is one of a few housekeepers back at work and her managers said there arent enough guests to bring in more. She was told the cleaning of rooms at checkout is meant to keep her and guests safe. But she believes that the hotel is busy enough that more housekeepers should be brought back. They are still busy, Ms. Petit-Homme said. They dont have no respect for the housekeeping. We work very hard in the housekeeping and now we do more work in the same time and its hard. Josh Herman, vice president of marketing and public relations at the Fontainebleau, said the hotels focus is on returning to former occupancy levels, enabling it to re-employ as many of its workers as possible. He added that since reopening the hotel has been following A.H.L.A. guidance and has received positive feedback from guests. While the enhanced cleaning protocols are more costly to execute, both in supplies and labor, the health and safety of our guests and team members are always our highest priority, he said. We continue to work closely with our housekeeping team in adjusting schedules to accommodate for these new requirements. Ms. Petit-Homme and others said that the current fight is just the latest skirmish in a more-than-decade-long battle between hotels and employees. Companies, housekeepers say, want to save money, so theyve created programs that discourage guests from requesting housekeeping, but have framed them as environmental initiatives and offered guests rewards points for skipping cleanings. The pandemic, as they see it, has given these companies an opportunity to trim cleaning even more and cut their costs. Hotel owners and investors say they simply cannot afford to have all their housekeepers back at work full time, and measures like checkout-only cleaning are meant to keep everyone safe. They say its also what guests want. Frank Lavey, senior vice president of global operations at Hyatt, said in an email that guests are returning to Hyatt hotels with new expectations around cleanliness, which includes limiting potential contact points, especially within the guest room. RICHMOND Gov. Ralph Northam has mixed news about state revenues as the General Assembly prepares to consider proposed changes to the state budget tax revenues are steady, but dont count on a speedy economic recovery from the COVID-19 inspired recession. Tax revenues were down slightly in August, $3.6 million less than the same month a year ago, but the state is about $375 million ahead of the revised revenue forecast that Northam issued last month when the assembly convened in special session to consider changes to the budget. Despite trying economic conditions, collections from payroll withholding and sales taxes remained steady, Northam said Thursday. We look forward to Septembers receipts, which will provide more insight into Virginias financial picture. The revised budget projects a 1.8% decline in total state revenues during the fiscal year that began on July 1, but the state collected $325.6 million more in the first two months than it did a year ago, an increase of 11.6%. Most of the gain came from estimated and final income tax payments that came due on June 1, a month later than normal because of the public health emergency, and carried over into the new fiscal year. Those payments, made by sole proprietors and investors, rose about $30 million in August and $312.6 million in the first two months, compared with a year ago. Income taxes withheld from paychecks, which constitute more than 60% of the revenues in the state general fund budget, fell by 4% in August, compared with the same month a year ago. However, the decline was due primarily to one less payroll deposit day in August compared with a year earlier, and the state expects to make it up with one extra deposit day in September. Sales tax revenues rose about $3.6 million during August and $68 million for the fiscal year, compared with the same periods a year ago, primarily because of internet sales that Virginia began taxing last year. Payroll withholding and sales taxes are holding up well right now, Secretary of Finance Aubrey Layne said Thursday. However, Layne said revenue collections are closely tracking a revised forecast that expects a $2.7 billion shortfall in the $46 billion general fund budget for this year and next year, prompting Northam to recommend the elimination of more than $2 billion in new spending approved by the assembly on March 12, the same day the governor declared a public health emergency. I think everybody can rule out the snap-back in the economy, he said. Layne also doesnt expect Congress to agree on a new emergency relief package with additional help for state and local governments, as well as millions of unemployed Virginians and economically damaged small businesses. I dont think theres any will in the Republican Party and Congress right now to do any additional stimulus, he said. The good news includes a continuing boom in taxes paid on deeds, wills, lawsuits and contracts so-called recordation taxes that include house sales and refinancing of mortgages. The housing market is still strong and people are refinancing, Layne said. The bad news is a continuing decline in revenues to support Virginias transportation program for highways, rail and public transit. Motor fuels taxes fell by more than $17 million in August and almost $34 million for the fiscal year, or a decline of more than 23% in the first two months. Taxes on motor vehicle sales also fell by almost $1.2 million, or 11.6%, in August and are down about 2% for the year. Sales and use taxes were up, but motor vehicle license fees and insurance premium were down. Virginia collected $120 million less in transportation funds in the last fiscal year than had been budgeted, and Northams revised budget predicts a $750 million shortfall in transportation revenues in the two-year budget. (Photo : KCNA via REUTERS) North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un writes in Pyongyang, North Korea in this image released September 5, 2020 by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency. (Photo : REUTERS/Jorge Silva) A security guard points a thermometer gun as he stands at the entrance of a condominium building, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Bangkok, Thailand April 30, 2020 North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un may have possibly ordered shoot-to-kill to stop the further spread of coronavirus. This was revealed by a U.S. Korea Force commander in an interview. He did not detail the exact arrangement of the order, but anyone that crosses border may face serious danger. How come North Korea records no COVID-19 cases? North Korea has been known by many as a dictatorial nation, led by its Kim Jong-un, the nation's Supreme Leader since 2011. In today's pandemic, the country's name frequently pops up. This is due to the researches stating that North Korea has not yet recorded any confirmed cases of COVID-19 throughout the whole time of pandemic. It was debated by many experts from the field. Saying that the N. Korea may have just been hiding the real numbers of the positive cases in the region. Tech Times even made a report in March, regarding this assumption. "It's impossible for North Korea not to have a single case of coronavirus," said Jung H. Pak, a former CIA analyst on North Korea. Even US Forces Korea (USFK) commander Robert Abrams admitted that this could be a possibility. "It is a closed-off nation, so we can't say emphatically that they have cases, but we're fairly certain they do," Abrams said. "What I do know is that their armed forces had been fundamentally in lockdown for about 30 days, and only recently have they started routine training again. As one example, they didn't fly an airplane for 24 days." However, on Friday, Sept. 11, a leaked interview with Abrams was published via Agence France-Presse (AFP). Shoot-to-kill order? According to the report, US General Abrams may have told an online conference organized by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington on Thursday, Sept. 10, that N. Korea is shooting people in order to curb the spread of COVID-19. He did not detail how this is possible in the interview. However, he specifically said that the nation recently introduced a new "buffer zone, one or two kilometers up on the Chinese border." "They've got North Korean SOF (Special Operations Forces) out there. ... Strike forces, they've got shoot-to-kill orders in place." So far, N. Korea has not yet released statement regarding the matter. Meanwhile, it is expected for the government to soon unveil its new machineries and weapons in the upcoming 75th anniversary of the ruling Workers' Party in Pyongyang. ALSO READ: North Korean Man 'Shot Dead' After Being Suspected With Coronavirus This article is owned by Tech Times Written by Jamie Pancho 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. WILMINGTON, Del. The two women seen in a viral video confronting and taking a red "Make America Great Again" hat from supporters of President Donald Trump at the Democratic National Convention in Wilmington last month have been indicted on hate crime charges. Olivia Winslow and Camryn Amy, both 21 and from Wilmington, were indicted by a New Castle County grand jury on Tuesday on charges of second-degree robbery, second-degree conspiracy, endangering the welfare of a child, third-degree assault, attempted third-degree assault, offensive touching and felony hate crimes. In a video posted on social media, Winslow and Amy were seen damaging signs and taking a red MAGA hat from a group of Trump supporters protesting the nomination of former Vice President Joe Biden as the Democratic nominee for president. A young boy in the video can be heard saying, "That's somebody else's hat," after Winslow appears to pick it up off the ground and throws it. "Call 911," the boy says to his mother as the two women walk away with the hat. The video, posted by the Students for Trump Twitter account, appears to show two women taking a MAGA hat from a boy before getting into an altercation. Later in the video, a man attempting to get the hat back appears to be punched by the second suspect, who later throws the hat over a fence. Video of the confrontation, posted by Students for Trump on Twitter, has been viewed millions of times and was shared by Trump's son Donald Jr. Winslow and Amy were arrested shortly after the incident. Wilmington police said they identified the two after reviewing the video footage. Three of the seven charges the two women face are felonies and collectively are punishable by 15 years in prison. Earlier: Wilmington police arrest 2 women in connection with viral MAGA hat theft The hate crimes charge could lead to the most prison time of all the charges. Delaware law states that a person is guilty of such when they commit a "crime for the purpose of interfering with the victims free exercise or enjoyment of any right, privilege or immunity protected by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, or commits said crime because the victim has exercised or enjoyed said rights." Story continues Delaware Attorney General Kathy Jennings, whose office pursued the indictment against the women, said in a written statement Tuesday that "harming another person let alone a child because of the expression of their views betrays the principles on which our country was founded." The two women are out on bail, a spokesman for Jennings said Tuesday. It is unclear when they are to be arraigned on the charges. Follow Xerxes Wilson on Twitter: @Ber_Xerxes. This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Delaware women face hate crime charges in viral MAGA hat theft North Korea has executed five Economic Ministry workers after they criticised Kim Jong-Un's policies, according to reports. It is thought that the communist party officials were shot by firing squad on July 30 after speaking out about the regime's economic policies which have left the country one of the poorest nations in the world. Details of their conversation are said to have been reported back to their bosses before they were summoned to a meeting and arrested by the secret police. North Korea has executed five Economic Ministry workers after they criticised Kim Jong-Un's policies, according to reports The five men, who had been attending a dinner party, had openly discussed the stagnant economy in the militarised nation state as well as the need for industrial reform as it continues to produce few consumer goods for its impoverished citizens. It was reported that the employees had also spoken about the need for North Korea to seek foreign co-operation in order to overcome looming trade sanctions, according to DailyNK. The outlet said that the heads of the Economic Ministry, as well as Kim Jong-Un himself, were told about the comments before authorities launched an internal investigation. It is believed that the unsuspecting workers were summoned to a meeting before they were arrested, forced to confess to undermining the regime, and executed. It is thought that the communist party officials were shot by firing squad on July 30 after speaking out about the regime's economic policies which have left the country one of the poorest nations in the world (Kim Jong-Un pictured) Daily NK also said that their families were transferred to a political camp in Yodeok, Hamgyeongnam-do, which is notorious for housing political dissidents. The alleged executions have prompted fears that the purges have returned after initially sweeping through the country in 2011 following former the death of Supreme Leader Kim Jong-il. It comes after it was reported that Kim Jong-Un displayed his uncle's head after executing the powerful general by firing squad. Photograph: Kathryn Elsesser/AFP/Getty Images Dozens of people are missing and at least 23 people are believed to have been killed as historic wildfires in the western US forced evacuations, stretched fire crews thin and spawned misinformation. Residents of Portland, Oregon, awoke on Friday to air thick with smoke pollution that dimmed the sun and turned the skies blood-orange red. Hundreds of firefighters are battling two large wildfires that threatened to merge near the most populated part of Oregon, including the suburbs of Portland, and the governor said dozens of people are missing in other parts of the state. Related: 'I have never seen anything like this': Oregon towns emptied and confusion spreads amid fires The states emergency management director, Andrew Phelps, said officials are preparing for a mass fatality event and that thousands of structures have been destroyed. Oregons governor, Kate Brown, said more than 40,000 Oregonians have been evacuated and about half a million people are under some form of evacuation order. Historic fires are raging in the western US. In the worst-affected states of California, Oregon and Washington, almost 100 fires have consumed record areas of landscape amid tinder-dry conditions and high temperatures exacerbated by the climate crisis. Portlands mayor, Ted Wheeler, declared a fire emergency, allowing him to activate evacuation centers, make special provision for the citys homeless population and close the citys famed Forest Park and other large green nature areas, where trees can fuel the fires. Portland was named the city with the worlds worst air quality on Friday, according to the website IQAir. South of the city, fires are moving so fast that some people who were evacuated and went to a shelter had to be evacuated again. Not far from Portland, firefighters on Friday were concerned that the giant Riverside fire near the evacuated town of Molalla, which has already burned 125,000 acres on the west slope of the Cascade mountains, might merge with the deadly Beechie Creek fire. Story continues default That latter fire is immediately to the south, and has already burned 182,000 acres, destroyed the lakeside town of Detroit, killing a 12-year-old boy and his grandmother, who were attempting to flee its flames. Authorities in the state are also struggling to handle a deluge of misinformation about the fires, as people spread unsubstantiated social media posts blaming coordinated groups of arsonists from both the far left and far right for setting the blazes. The FBI said Friday that its investigated several claims and found them to be untrue, while officials in Oregon and Washington state have turned to Facebook to knock down the competing narratives, with some posts blaming Antifa activists and others claimed the far-right group the Proud Boys was responsible for starting the fires. Reports that extremists are setting wildfires in Oregon are untrue, FBI Portland tweeted on Friday. Help us stop the spread of misinformation by only sharing information from trusted, official sources. Meanwhile in Washington state, an exhausted firefighter wrote on a local firefighters union Facebook page about the difficulty of having to fight both the blazes and an onslaught of rapidly-spreading false information. There is nothing to show its Antifa, or Proud Boys setting fires. Wait for information, he wrote. [Facebook] is an absolute cesspool of misinformation right now. Especially any of the neighborhood groups you may be in. Please, dont share or spread, unverified, non-news related info. In California, hot, dry weather conditionsappeared to be easing the spread of multiple blazes that have blitzed historic amounts of land. However the state is still tackling huge and dangerous conflagrations on multiple fronts. In the north, a wildfire that destroyed a foothill hamlet has become the states deadliest blaze of the year. Ten people were confirmed to have died and the toll could climb as 16 people remain missing. The North Complex fire that exploded in wind-driven flames earlier in the week was advancing more slowly on Friday after the winds eased and smoke from the blaze shaded the area and lowered the temperature, allowing firefighters to make progress, authorities said. Speaking from the site of the North Complex fire in Oroville, California governor Gavin Newsom said the state was seeing the reality of climate change play out in real time, and that the states clean energy goals and other preventive efforts were inadequate. What were experiencing right here is coming to communities all across the United States of America, unless we can act on climate change, Newsom warned. The governor also signed a bill into law that will give some people who served as firefighters while incarcerated a chance to expunge their record, allowing them to get paid jobs as firefighters upon release. California relies heavily on prison labor for its firefighting efforts. Many incarcerated firefighters earn just pennies an hour for the dangerous work of fighting wildfires, and the system has attracted intense criticism, especially as many former inmates have no realistic path into a career. A burnt out vehicle sits on the roadside after the Bear Fire in Feather Falls, California. Photograph: Peter Dasilva/EPA In Washington state, 600,000 acres have burned. Governor Jay Inslee, who ran for the Democratic presidential nomination on a ticket that put the climate crisis as the No 1 issue facing America and the world, said the abnormally dry conditions and high temperatures fueled by climate change were making fires so explosive. At a news conference Friday, he argued the fires in the northwest shouldnt be called wildfires, but climate fires. This is not an act of God, Inslee said. This has happened because we have changed the climate of the state of Washington in dramatic ways. Some parts of Oregon have likely not seen such intense blazes in 300 to 400 years, Meg Krawchuk, a pyrogeographer at Oregon State University, told the Guardian. Its very important to think in terms of learning from [the situation] right now because we may be getting a glimpse of what our future may continue to be, Krawchuk said. Although untangling the weather conditions from climate change is complicated, a combination of global heating which is driving drier, hotter conditions and more frequent, extreme droughts and a buildup of dried and dead vegetation that fuel fires are overall increasing the risk of bigger, more extreme fires. Across the west, there have always been fires, said Stephen Pyne, a fire historian and professor emeritus at Arizona State University. But the extreme fires are becoming more frequent. A mobile home park destroyed by fire is seen in Phoenix, Oregon. Photograph: David Ryder/Getty Images A record 3m acres have burned across California this year, with so many blazes simultaneously whipping through dry wilderness that many have converged into massive complexes, the scope of which the state has never seen. Josiah Williams, 16, was among the first of the known victims killed by the North Complex fire, in Berry Creek. Hes a kind, sweet boy who has the best personality, his aunt, Bobbie Zedaker, had told the Guardian, while the family was waiting for news. His mother later confirmed his death on Facebook. A 77-year old victim was also identified by authorities on Friday. The Butte county sheriff, Kory Honea, revised the death toll of the North Complex fire from 10 to nine on Friday. One set of suspected remains was in fact a burned anatomical skeleton. No additional remains have been discovered so far. Meanwhile Paradise, the town devastated by the Camp fire in 2018, faced haunting memories as the nearby North Complex fire raged. On Friday smoke was draped over the town like fog. Ash from the nearby fires piled up on sidewalks and gutters and blew through the air. The fire has killed people in Berry Creek, a nearby foothill hamlet, and largely leveled the town, a devastation familiar to the residents of Paradise, where 85 people died in the Camp fire. At Treasures from Paradise, an antique shop that was destroyed in the fire and reopened in 2019, owners Barbara and Rick Manson had planned to keep the store closed Friday to focus on cleaning up the ash from outside and removing the smell of smoke indoors. But as they worked, customers streamed in, still looking for a slice of normalcy amid another disaster, and the Mansons couldnt turn them away. Were gonna be here as long as the place doesnt burn down around us, Barbara said. Paradise isnt considered at risk at this point, though earlier in the week, officials issued an evacuation warning for parts of Paradise. The couple is optimistic, and think Paradise will be safe, but still are preparing for any possibility. Rick has been watering the grass and around the building to protect it. A lot of people are hurting, Barbara said. I think people thought the fires were behind us. John Kass' recent column (Is there a rain hard enough to cleanse Chicago of its sins against children? Sept. 9) was spot on. The Tribune Editorial the same day (Listening for answers after another child killed) also addressed the murders of innocent children. There is one significant action that could certainly help, but the mayor and governor simply wont act as they need to. The National Guard needs to be brought in to assist local authorities. Plain and simple. Anyone who has lived here as long as I have knows the real reason both of them will not do this as it would potentially put the federal government in a positive light if it works. Politics as usual in Illinois. They will not do anything to put the current administration in a favorable position, even if it means more murdered children. Simply reprehensible! Dublin, Sept. 11, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Office & Commercial Furniture Supply for Small Business and E-Commerce in Europe. The Dealer Point of View" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. Based on a survey launched on January 2020, that involved around one hundred office furniture distributors in Western Europe (dealers, distributors and e-tailers), this report offers the analysis of the furniture supply activity for small accounts in Europe and the use of e-commerce for the purchase of furniture, as online sales are expected to increase rapidly in the next few years especially among individuals and small accounts. The perspective of this research includes not only office spaces, but a wider panorama of activities like furniture for small hotels, B&B, bar/restaurants, co-working and home offices, a market which is heavily in the hand of distributors (both small and large) due to its high fragmentation and the reduced average dimensions of the supplies. The analysis concentrated on: The supply for small accounts: customer segments, purchasing process, influencing factors. E-commerce for commercial furniture: channel evolution, organization, products and budgets, shipment and delivery. The office furniture market in Europe: recent sector's data. Estimates on E-commerce in the furniture sector. Geographical coverage: Scandinavia (Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden); Central Europe (Germany, Austria and Switzerland); Western Europe (Belgium, France, Ireland, the Netherlands and the UK); Southern Europe (Greece, Italy, Portugal and Spain). Key Topics Covered: 1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY. Europe: Office and commercial furniture supply for small business and E-commerce 1.1. The Sample 1.2. Distributors expectations for 2020 2. SUPPLY TO THE SMALL BUSINESS SEGMENT 2.1. Large corporate or public office projects Vs Medium/small commitments by region and by kind of distributor (small or medium/large) 2.2. Small businesses Sales by segment (medium/small offices, private/home offices, co-working facilities, restaurants/bars, bed&breakfast/small hotels, retail stores), by region and prospects 2.3 The purchasing process. First approach, main factors that influence the purchase, promotion tools 3. THE E-COMMERCE 3.1 Strategies. The use of e-commerce 3.2 Web channels organizaton. E-commerce platforms and dedicated staff 3.3 E-commerce: most demanded products and average budgets 3.4 The online purchase. Main factors influencing the on-line purchase, shipment policy and delivery terms 4. OFFICE FURNITURE MARKET AND E-COMMERCE 4.1 Demand of office furniture in Europe and by country 4.2 International trade. Imports and Exports of office furniture by country and by segment (office furniture and office seating) 4.3 E-commerce for the furniture sector: a global picture Story continues THE QUESTIONNAIRE For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/v3ra23 About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research. CONTACT: CONTACT: ResearchAndMarkets.com Laura Wood, Senior Press Manager press@researchandmarkets.com For E.S.T Office Hours Call 1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call 1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 TORONTO - Under the stars of a pandemic skyline, the Toronto International Film Festival kicked off Thursday night with a sea of moviegoers inside their vehicles instead of a darkened cinema. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 10/9/2020 (498 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Toronto-born percussionist Jacqueline Acevedo, left, performs alongside David Byrne, centre, and Mauro Refosco in "American Utopia." The Spike Lee-directed concert film opens this year's Toronto International Film Festival. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO - HBO, David Lee TORONTO - Under the stars of a pandemic skyline, the Toronto International Film Festival kicked off Thursday night with a sea of moviegoers inside their vehicles instead of a darkened cinema. It was a TIFF opening night celebration unlike any other, with outdoor screenings of "David Byrne's American Utopia" playing at three separate spots across the city, including at two drive-in theatres. The physically distanced edition start of the festival wasn't ideal, but as organizers adhere to strict public-health protocols to reduce the spread of COVID-19, film buff Charles Stankievech was simply happy to have tickets. "I'm glad TIFF wasn't cancelled," he said, leaning out the window of his SUV at the Visa Skyline Drive-In. The outdoor theatre looks onto Toronto's waterfront, the CN Tower and a glowing wall of office buildings and condominiums. "I mean this is exciting," Stankievech added. "It's a new way to see a film at TIFF... I mean, I hope it's not like this next year, but while we're in this phase I'm really happy to experiment." For others, the drive-in experience was totally uncharted. Ala Roushan, who joined Stankievech for the film, said the drive-ins weren't part of her childhood. Looking around at all of the cars she couldn't have anticipated the Byrne fans who would honk in approval when he sang their favourite songs. "It's a shared experience," she said. "Maybe the silver lining of this whole pandemic is you bond over the challenges and build these really unique memories." Toronto-born percussionist Jacquelene Acevedo, left, performs alongside David Byrne, centre, and Mauro Refosco in "American Utopia." The Spike Lee-directed concert film opens this year's Toronto International Film Festival. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO - HBO, David Lee Broadway percussionist Jacquelene Acevedo, one of the stars of "American Utopia," was hoping to make a few memories of her own at one of TIFF's opening night screenings. The Toronto-born musician, who lives in New York, hunkered down for 14 days of self-isolation to attend the Spike Lee-directed film. "It's a full circle moment," she said ahead of the festival. "I knew that as a Canadian, because of my history, and how much this place has given me, it's like I have to come back. I can't not... I'm in a Spike Lee joint with all my buddies up there, with David Byrne." But it's hard to ignore the damper COVID-19 put on TIFF's usual red carpet fanfare. Usually an international press gallery crams together, elbow-to-elbow, in hopes of getting a moment with a Hollywood star. None of that is happening this year, and the festival also isn't allowing photographers to access the drive-in premieres, citing "health, safety, security and COVID capacity issues." Only about 60 features screen over the next week and a half, instead of the usual selection of several hundred films. Many of the titles will be accessible across the country on a virtual platform hosted by the festival. "American Utopia," an HBO production that rolls out on the Crave streaming platform in October, plays for a limited time on TIFF's online Bell Digital Cinema next Wednesday. The feature-length concert is a fitting start to a year where TIFF programmers have focused on films that address potent social conversations about race, immigration and politics. All three take centre stage in Byrne's show, which puts him alongside 11 international musicians as they perform songs from his 2018 album of the same name, and other favourites pulled from years as the frontman of Talking Heads. Acevedo appears throughout the show playing the drums, dancing and taking a knee for Black lives before a powerful rendition of Janelle Monae's protest song against police brutality, "Hell You Talmbout." The moment is captured with a few trademark stylistic touches from the film's acclaimed director, who's dedicated much of his career to portraying how racism rips through society. "People keep saying it's such a timely show," Acevedo said. "But it's also in a strange way, I wouldn't say prophetic, but it was definitely ahead of its time. Now it's like things are making a lot more sense and catching up." "American Utopia" was filmed over three days in February, Acevedo said, only a few weeks before the pandemic shut down Broadway. Landing a part in the production was like serendipity, as she describes it, in part because a friend recommended she audition for a role knowing her eclectic skills. Acevedo was exposed to a vibrant world of global music, dance and theatre after she moved with her father, a Colombian composer, to New York as a teenager. She picked up the congas with his encouragement and began playing more live shows, which eventually led to her winning a Latin Grammy Award as part of all-female mariachi band Flor De Toloache. "American Utopia" called for a performer with knowledge of drums, movement and performance. "I just felt like it was made for me," she said. "I got to use all my talents and training in a way that I never really could have imagined." Ready, Pet, Go! Leesa Dahl looks at everything to do with our furry, fuzzy, feathered, fishy (and more!) pet friends. Arrives in your inbox each Monday. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. With the Broadway show on hold due to the pandemic, and the earliest possible restart date pegged in January 2021, Acevedo hopes the filmed version gives audiences a thought-provoking experience suited for this difficult year. "The creative forces behind it are so rich, they're so lush, they're so full of life," she said. "It's really exciting to be part of something like that." This article by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 10, 2020. Follow @dfriend on Twitter. Note to readers: This is a corrected story. A previous version misspelled Jacquelene. Gov. Phil Murphy will hold another press conference at 2 p.m. Friday to provide updates on the coronavirus pandemic and the latest case numbers in New Jersey. It will be streamed from the Trenton War Memorial on the governors YouTube channel. Among the officials who will join Murphy are state Health Commissioner Judy Persichilli, state Epidemiologist Dr. Christina Tan and State Police Superintendent Colonel Pat Callahan. Murphy is attending a commemoration ceremony for the 19th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks in New York City at 8:30 a.m. before the briefing in Trenton. New Jersey reported 507 positive tests for the coronavirus and five new deaths on Thursday as the rate of transmission dropped slightly to 1.09 and at least three public school districts had to change plans for in-person classes due to student infections. The rate of transmission is being closely watched as schools throughout the state continued to reopen this week with a mix of in-person, remote and hybrid learning plans. NJ Advance Media staff writer Matt Arco contributed to this report. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Brianna Kudisch may be reached at bkudisch@njadvancemedia.com. Tell us your coronavirus story or send a tip here. DESPATCH FROM CABINET His Excellency the President on Thursday morning chaired a Cabinet Meeting at State House, Nairobi. The Meeting is the first since the end of the two-week Cabinet Working Recess that ended on 28th August, 2020. During the sitting, Cabinet considered a raft of policy interventions geared towards economic stimulus during and after the subsistence of the Coronavirus Pandemic. Cabinet also discussed seminal programmes and projects within the Administrations Transformative Agenda for the nation espoused as the Big Four. Cabinet applauded Kenyas Healthcare Workers for their commitment to duty during the pendency of the Coronavirus Pandemic. Other frontline staff including National Security Officers were also recognized by Cabinet for their sterling role in leading the Nations response to COVID-19. As a measure of our Nations recognition of and pride in our frontline workers, Cabinet also approved the Comprehensive Insurance Cover for all frontline workers. Cabinet noted that many Kenyan Health Workers had joined various programmes to support other nations in their fight against various Pandemics; such as the fifty Kenyans currently serving the Republic of Seychelles and the team of over one-hundred medical personnel who heeded the call to stand with the Democratic Republic of the Congo as it contended with Ebola. In view of the foregoing, Cabinet ratified the Memorandum of Understanding for the Provision of Health Personnel between the Republic of Seychelles and the Republic of Kenya. Under the Memorandum of Understanding, the Republic of Seychelles continues to facilitate the Kenyan Health Personnel serving in that nation. Cabinet also considered and approved an Inter-Agency Programme to prevent and respond to Gender-Based Violence (GBV) in the context of COVID-19. Cabinet noted that during the COVID-19 Pandemic there had been a marked uptick in undesirable social challenges, amongst them domestic violence, GBV and violations of the Rights of Children. Cabinet underscored that Kenyas heritage and social values situate the family as the most valued asset in Society, and situates children as the guarantor of our future. In that regard, Cabinet approved the establishment of toll-free hotlines and various online and mobile applications that would enable anonymous reporting of all incidents of Gender-Based Violence and all instances of abuse of Childrens Rights. As part of the Administrations interventions aimed at enhancing access to credit by Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) during the pendency of the COVID-19 Pandemic, Cabinet approved the establishment of a Credit Guarantee Scheme with an initial seed capital of Ksh. Ten Billion to be capitalized in two tranches of Ksh. 5 Billion in FY 2020/21 and FY 2021/22. The States contributions are expected to be followed by contributions from Development Finance Institutions and participating commercial financial institutions; which are expected to boost the finding for the scheme to at least Ksh. One Hundred Billion. The Credit Guarantee Scheme is expected to be operationalized by mid-October, 2020. Towards realization of the agenda on Affordable Housing, Cabinet approved the implementation of the Mukuru Social Housing Project, the first social housing programme in Kenyas history. The Project, with an estimated investment value of Ksh. Fifteen Billion, will consist of over 13,000 housing units in a partnership between the Government and private investors. The development of the ancillary infrastructure to the project has since commenced. Cabinet approved the Kenya Micro and Small Enterprises Policy; which aims to provide an integrated business environment for the growth and development of stable and vibrant MSEs in Kenya. The Policy recognizes the vital role played by MSEs in the economy, particularly with regard to wealth and employment creation. In securing the market of our produce abroad, Cabinet considered and approved the Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Agriculture and the Associazione Caffe Trieste-Italy noting that it sought to enhance market access for Kenyan Coffee in Italy through a robust partnership for promoting our produce in the Italian market. Cabinet also noted that the move would provide a platform for similar engagements within the other European Union (EU) countries. In order to foster the commercialization of Bamboo plants, and as part of the Administrations Greening Campaign, which seeks to achieve a minimum ten-percent (10%) tree cover by the end of the year 2020 in addition to creating employment through agroforestry; Cabinet sanctioned the classification and designation of Bamboo as a scheduled crop under the Crop Act (No. 16 of 2013). In fidelity with the Presidential Directive on the development of a welfare package to cushion frontline healthcare workers during the pendency of the COVID-19 Pandemic, Cabinet approved the enhancement of the Group Personal Accident and Work Injury Benefit Act Cover and the inclusion of Comprehensive Group Life Cover for all Civil Servants, including the NYS. The meeting also considered and approved the other memoranda, policies and bills as follows: Hosting of the 9th Edition of Africities Conference in 2021; Industrial Research Development Institute Bill, 2020, Proposed Health Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2020; Development of the Commuter Rail Line from the Nairobi Central Station to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and The Kenya Global Partnerships for Education (GPE) Covid-19. Cabinet concluded the days deliberations by noting that our national endeavor to flatten the COVID-19 disease curve was dependent on our individual and communal behaviour. In that regard, Cabinet urged all Kenyans to continue observing the guidelines and protocols issued by the Ministry of Health, that include: wearing of facemasks, rigorous and frequent handwashing, physical and social distancing. CABINET OFFICE EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT Thursday,10th September, 2020 Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-11 21:09:40|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close LUSAKA, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- Zambian President Edgar Lungu on Friday expressed optimism on the country's economic recovery in 2021. "The good news is that a rebound of our economy is projected in 2021 subject to the COVID-19 pandemic being contained. The implementation of supporting policy measures will further stimulate the economy and put us on a sound path to recovery," the Zambian leader said during the opening of the 5th Session of the 12th National Assembly. While acknowledging that the economy remained resilient from 2016 to 2019, the Zambian leader said economic growth was projected to decline by 4.2 percent this year, adding that the impact of the global economy has been immense on the country. The Zambian leader said the government has identified economic diversification and job creation as the key pillars to support the country's development agenda, adding that a number of interventions have been implemented in the sectors identified as key drivers and enablers of economic diversification and job creation. "I wish to assure this August House that my government remains resolute to implementing economic recovery programs aimed at achieving a stable macroeconomic environment, and affordable private sector investment," he added. According to him, pursuing economic recovery was his government's priority because so much depends on the economy. He, however, called for the building of resilience in all spheres of the country's systems, adding that it was imperative for the country to have resilience to shocks in the global economy. Enditem Update: A second suspect in the death of a mother of two who was found with severe head wounds at a West Side home was arrested Thursday. Dorian Murphree, 22, faces a capital murder charge, according to San Antonio police. Murphree was arrested without incident at 9 p.m. Thursday near Loop 410 and Callaghan Road. Police had previously arrested Kyle Phillips, 18, in connection with the death of Jasmine Williams, 19. According to an arrest affidavit, three men were seen on neighbors' surveillance video getting out of a vehicle and entering Williams' home. Three witnesses, who were inside the residence when the men entered, told police that Phillips went into Williams' bedroom and demanded money from her. Then the witnesses heard multiple gunshots. The three suspects returned to the vehicle, with the three witnesses, and drove away. The witnesses told police that Murphree was in the vehicle listening to real-time audio from inside the home as the shooting occurred. The men stole two pairs of tennis shoes, a piggy bank full of change, and the victims debit card and phone. A third suspect was not named in the affidavit. Both Phillips and Murphree have been held on $500,000 bonds. Original (Aug.10): A suspect in the death of a mother of two who was found with severe head wounds at a West Side home was arrested Monday. Kyle Phillips, 18, is facing a capital murder charge, according to San Antonio police. On July 14th, Jasmine Williams, 19, was found dead inside her home at 1:15 p.m. in the 8600 block of Limpkin Court after her 51-year-old fiance called police. The man told police he came home to find the garage door open and Williams bloodied and unresponsive in the bedroom. SAPD Chief William McManus said previously the woman had severe head wounds. She was pronounced dead at the scene. Police did not reveal a motive for Williams killing. Williams two daughters, a 2-year-old and a 5-month-old, were inside the home when the incident occurred. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-11 21:20:27|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close TOKYO, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- The Japanese government from Oct. 1 will include Tokyo in its domestic travel subsidy program after initially deciding the capital was ineligible in July due to a resurgence of COVID-19 cases, the country's tourism minister said Friday. The decision to include Tokyo in the government's "Go To Travel" campaign was made between Tourism Minister Kazuyoshi Akaba, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga and Economic Revitalization Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura, who is also the minister in charge of the coronavirus response. "The struggling Tokyo tourism industry's recovery will gain momentum and Tokyoites are looking forward to the inclusion," Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike told a press briefing on the matter, a day after the Tokyo metropolitan government lowered its alert level for the virus. The Tokyo metropolitan government on Thursday lowered its coronavirus alert by one notch on its four-tier scale as weekly infections have marked a downward trend. The four-level virus warning system was introduced on July 2, and the metropolitan government raised the alert to the highest level, meaning "infections are spreading," on July 15 when the local government confirmed 165 new COVID-19 cases in the capital. The second-highest level, where the alert level now stands, means "caution is necessary" against a resurgence of virus infections. The decision to lower the alert level was reached by the Tokyo metropolitan government after consultations to assess the exact virus situation in the capital of 14 million with public health and infectious disease experts. During the consultations, Masataka Inokuchi from the Tokyo Medical Association explained to those convened that the average number of new cases in the past week had decreased to 149, compared with 183 in the previous week. Inokuchi warned, however, that the pace of decline remains slow and the situation requires continued vigilance, adding that a fresh resurgence of COVID-19 cases would result in the alert level being raised back to the highest level. Koike on Friday urged those taking advantage of the travel subsidy campaign to ensure that maximum preventative measures were taken to ensure no further spread of the virus. The government said its "Go To Travel" campaign, beginning July 22, would help bolster the domestic tourism sector by subsidizing accommodation and transport fees. According to the government's original reasoning, local economies and the overall domestic tourism sector would get a boost from increased consumer spending after a prolonged virus-triggered slump, which in turn would benefit the broader recession-hit economy. Under the 1.35 trillion yen (12.7 billion U.S. dollars) campaign, travelers can benefit from a 35 percent discount on their expenses and from Oct. 1 will be able to receive coupons worth 15 percent of their total costs that can be exchanged for food, shopping and activities offered at participating locations. The Japan Tourism Agency has estimated that around 7.81 million people have taken advantage of the campaign based on those staying at participating hotels between July 27 and Sept. 3. The government hopes the inclusion of Tokyo in the campaign will help see these figures swell significantly and hence spending to help virus-hit regional economies. But the COVID-19 cases in the capital have been a cause for concern again this week, with the local government reporting 187 new cases on Friday and 276 the previous day. This is compared to less than 80 new cases reported on Monday. The capital's cumulative total has reached more than 22,600 infections, according to the latest figures. The sharp rise in cases in Tokyo on Friday, the highest among Japan's 47 prefectures, has pushed new infections nationwide up by more than 300 to a total caseload topping 75,000 infections and a death toll surpassing 1,400 people. Enditem Aspect to Integrate Dialer Products with Google Verified Calls Service One thing nearly all Americans can agree on nowadays is that robocalls and scam calls are a scourge. They waste cell phone minutes and time, and they raise our blood pressure. While most of us dont pick up a call from a number we dont recognize, the phone still rings, and the voice mailbox gets cluttered. Legitimate businesses are harmed because consumers wont pick up their calls, thinking theyre unwanted robocalls or scams. Technology has stepped up to try and combat these nuisance calls. Google (News - Alert) is one of the companies that has addressed the problem with its newly introduced Verified Calls feature in its Phone app. The Verified Calls was added to increase call answer rates, build trust, and help consumers by presenting calls from legitimate businesses with verification, branding, and call reasons. When participating businesses place calls, Verified Calls establishes trust by confirming the identity of the businesses in real-time so users can be confident that calls aren't spoofed. Users receive enhanced experiences with the caller business name and logo, verification badge, and the reason for the calling, setting the ground for a successful engagement. Customer engagement solutions provider Aspect (News - Alert) recently announced that it plans to integrate its enterprise contact center dialer products with Googles Verified Calls service. Consumers still rely on voice calls to communicate with businesses. According to Aspects recent report, the Aspect Consumer Index 2020, its the preferred interaction channel when urgency, security or privacy is critical. Herein lies the fundamental issue: customers often dont answer calls if they dont recognize the number. Its easy for spammers to disguise themselves as legitimate callers. Googles Verified Calls service addresses this key business problem. We integrated Googles new feature to facilitate good calls, said Michael Harris (News - Alert), Aspect Chief Product Officer and CMO. Our enterprise customers are among the largest financial institutions in the world and they need to reach their consumers. Likewise, consumers need to answer those calls with confidence. We view Verified Calls as a giant step in the right direction. Edited by Maurice Nagle A riot police officer is reached by a petrol bomb during clashes with demonstrators protesting against police brutality in Medellin, Colombia on September 10, 2020. - At least 10 people were killed and hundreds wounded after rioting broke out in the Colombian capital Bogota during protests over the death of a man repeatedly tasered by police, authorities said Thursday. (AFP) Bogota: At least 10 people were killed and hundreds wounded after rioting broke out in the Colombian capital Bogota during protests over the death of a man repeatedly tasered by police, authorities said Thursday. Demonstrators took to the streets of the Colombian capital on Wednesday after video emerged of attorney Javier Ordonez pleading with uniformed officers, who shocked him with the weapon at least five times as he lay on the ground. "We are facing a massive act of violence," Defense Minister Carlos Holmes Trujillo said after several police stations were attacked and destroyed. The minister said he would bolster law enforcement in the capital city of more than seven million by sending in hundreds of soldiers and military police officers. Violent protests spread to the cities of Medellin and Cali. Bogota mayor Claudia Lopez said an earlier death toll of seven had increased to 10 on Thursday, most of them from gunshot wounds. Seven people had died in rioting in the capital, "the majority of them young people," Lopez said in an update late Thursday. Assessing the casualties from a night of violence, Lopez said earlier on Twitter that 326 people had been wounded in clashes between riot police and protesters, including 114 uniformed police. Fifty-eight of those wounded had suffered gunshot wounds, the mayor said. "There is solid evidence of the indiscriminate use of firearms by the police. What kind of training do they receive to have that absolutely disproportionate response to a protest," she said. Ordonez, a 46-year-old lawyer and father of two, is heard repeatedly crying "please, no more" in the widely circulated footage of his arrest, taken by a friend. He was taken to a police station and transferred to a local medical facility but died soon afterward. His family claim Ordonez was further assaulted after he was taken to the police station. Right-wing President Ivan Duque promised an investigation would be carried out "with total rigor in order to have absolute certainty about the facts." However, he said he would refuse to "stigmatize" the police "and call them murderers" because of the actions of a few officers. 'Sorrow' Videos taken by protesters using smartphones and shared on social media show terrified demonstrators running from gunfire during Wednesday's clashes. One man in a crowd is heard shouting "he's been hit, he's been hit!" as another, with bloodstained clothes, is dragged away by friends. The family of 23-year-old Frankpierre Charry said he was shot by police after he was caught up in the clashes in southern Bogota. "The doctors say they shot him in the back, from very close range," his mother Blanca Clavijo told AFP. The bullet had "hit his stomach and damaged his intestines," leaving him fighting for his life in hospital, she said. The government said 56 police posts had been "vandalized" and 70 people arrested for "violence against public forces." The defense minister told a news conference that the officers who detained the victim had been immediately suspended. The police claim they had responded to a complaint of public drunkenness and that Ordonez had assaulted them, necessitating the use of a taser. "We express our sorrow for the death of Javier Ordonez and offer our solidarity with his family," Trujillo said. "The national government will continue to cooperate with the authorities so that the facts are established as soon as possible." Before the death toll rose to seven, the minister offered a reward for "the capture of the perpetrators of the murder of five people" during the unrest in Bogota and the neighboring municipality of Soacha. Lopez, the city's leftist mayor elected last October, said the case highlighted the need for "deep and serious restructuring within the police." She said 137 complaints of excessive use of force by the police had been made so far this year. "There is a structural problem of cases of police abuse and, in addition, impunity," Lopez said in a statement. For many Colombians, the case evoked the killing in the US in May of African American George Floyd, also 46, who suffocated after being pinned by the neck to the road under the knee of a white officer. Floyd's plea that "I can't breathe" has become emblematic of police brutality toward African-Americans, burnished on banners and T-shirts at protests that continue to roil the United States. New Delhi/Moscow, Sep 11 : India has told China that it failed to provide a credible explanation for the deployment of massive troops of People's Liberation Army (PLA) along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh. Sources told IANS that there was a two and a half hours parley on Thursday between External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and State Councilor and Foreign Minister of China Wang Yi in Moscow on the side-lines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting. India underlined its strong concern at the amassing of Chinese troops with arms and equipment along the LAC. Arguing that the deployments had created "flash points" along the LAC, Jaishankar told his counterpart that the presence of such large concentration of troops was not in accordance with the 1993 and 1996 agreements. "The Chinese side has not provided a credible explanation for this deployment. The provocative behaviour of Chinese frontline troops at numerous incidents of friction along the LAC also showed disregard for bilateral agreements and protocols," Jaishankar told Wang. Sources said India clearly conveyed that it expected full adherence to all agreements on management of border areas and would not countenance any attempt to change the status quo unilaterally. Jaishankar also emphasized that the Indian troops had scrupulously followed all agreements and protocols pertaining to the management of the border areas. "The immediate task," Jaishankar told Wang Yi, "is to ensure a comprehensive disengagement of troops in all the friction areas." Sources said India conveyed to China that it is necessary to prevent any untoward incident in the future and the final disposition of the troop deployment to their permanent posts and the phasing of the process is to be worked out by the military commanders. Sources said while the Indian side recognized that a solution to the boundary question required time and effort, it was also clear that the maintenance of peace and tranquility on the border areas was essential to the forward development of ties. The recent incidents in eastern Ladakh, however, inevitably impacted the development of the bilateral relationship. Therefore, an urgent resolution of the current situation was in the interest of both nations, Jaishankar said in the meeting. Jaishankar also underlined that since the resumption of Ambassadorial-level relations in 1976 and holding of boundary talks since 1981, India-China relations have developed on a largely positive trajectory. While there have been incidents from time to time, peace and tranquility has largely prevailed in the border areas. As a result, India-China cooperation also developed in a broad range of domains, giving the relationship a more substantive character. At the end of their discussions, the ministers reached an agreement on five points that will guide their approach to the current situation. As per the joint statement, the two ministers agreed that both sides should take guidance from the series of consensus of the leaders on developing India-China relations, including not allowing differences to become disputes. They agreed that the current situation in the border areas is not in the interest of either side and therefore that the border troops of both sides should continue their dialogue, quickly disengage, maintain proper distance and ease tensions. Both sides, they agreed, shall abide by all the existing agreements and protocol on China-India boundary affairs, maintain peace and tranquillity in the border areas and avoid any action that could escalate matters. The two sides also agreed to continue to have dialogue and communication through the Special Representative mechanism on the India-China boundary question. They also agreed in this context that the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China border affairs (WMCC), should also continue its meetings. The Ministers agreed that as the situation eases, the two sides should expedite work to conclude new Confidence Building Measures to maintain and enhance peace and tranquillity in the border areas. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text A blood test that can identify a variety of mutations in advanced breast cancer can reliably match women to effective targeted treatments, early results of a major clinical trial reveal. The plasmaMATCH trial provides the strongest evidence yet that simple blood tests known as 'liquid biopsies' can benefit women with breast cancer by tracking their disease as it evolves and directing them to the most effective treatments. Researchers showed that the blood test is now reliable enough to be offered to patients on the NHS once it has passed approval, raising the prospect of a major reshaping of care that could speed up access to the best available drugs. A team at The Institute of Cancer Research, London, and The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, analysed blood samples from more than 1,000 women with breast cancer that had recurred after treatment or spread to another part of the body. The aim was to see whether the blood test could help improve treatment for the significant proportion of women whose breast cancer is caused by one of a variety of rarer mutations - as opposed to better-known defects like BRCA mutations. The plasmaMATCH trial was largely funded by Stand Up To Cancer, a joint fundraising campaign from Cancer Research UK and Channel 4, with additional support from AstraZeneca, Breast Cancer Now and Puma Biotechnology, and the new findings are published in The Lancet Oncology today (Thursday). Researchers at The Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) and The Royal Marsden were able to reliably detect mutations found in tumour DNA that had been shed into the bloodstream of women with advanced breast cancer. They then went on to match patients to targeted treatments according to the specific mutations in the tumour DNA. The researchers looked at three targetable defects in genes called HER2, AKT1 and ESR1, which are known to drive breast cancer. A total of 142 women with these detectable mutations were then given experimental drugs targeted against the specific characteristics of their cancer. Women with ESR1 mutations were treated with fulvestrant, while women with HER2 mutations received neratinib on its own or with fulvestrant. Women with AKT1 mutations were split into two groups, according to whether their cancer was oestrogen receptor positive or not, and were treated with capivasertib plus fulvestrant, or with capivasertib on its own. Researchers found that some women with HER2 and AKT1 mutations responded to the treatments assigned to them - suggesting that liquid biopsies can successfully match patients with certain rare forms of advanced breast cancer to more effective treatments. Five out of 20 women with rare HER2 mutations who were matched to neratinib saw a beneficial response - meaning cancer growth was slowed or stopped, or tumours were shrunk. Meanwhile, four out of 18 patients with AKT1 mutations responded to capivasertib. However, the treatment targeting the ESR1 mutation was not found to be effective. Researchers also validated the findings by checking tissue samples from the patients to confirm that the liquid biopsies had correctly identified the presence or absence of the mutations in over 93% of cases - sufficiently accurate to implement in routine care. The team believes that findings from the plasmaMATCH trial will help make a strong case for the adoption of liquid biopsies into clinical practice for patients with advanced cancer - a case strengthened by the fact that liquid biopsies are easier to take, faster to analyse and less painful for patients than standard tissue biopsies. Liquid biopsies also offer a more dynamic alternative that could keep track of cancers as they evolve over time and their range of mutations changes. For the targeted drugs that have shown initial promise in this study, the next step is to carry out larger clinical trials to assess whether they are better than existing treatments. The hope is that larger trials will lead to more targeted treatments being approved, providing new treatment options for patients with rare subtypes of breast cancer. Study leader Professor Nick Turner, Professor of Molecular Oncology at The Institute of Cancer Research, London, and Head of the Ralph Lauren Centre for Breast Cancer Research at The Royal Marsden, said: "Our findings show that simple blood tests can quickly and accurately tell us the genetic changes present in a patient's cancer, and use that information to select the most suitable available treatment. "Using a liquid biopsy could be particularly important for patients with advanced breast cancer, to help select the most appropriate treatment. "Tests that detect tumour DNA in the blood have huge potential and could transform how doctors select targeted therapies for patients with advanced cancer. Our study shows that these liquid biopsies can pick up the mutations that drive a patient's breast cancer, and can successfully match patients with the best available precision medicine for their cancer." Study co-leader Professor Judith Bliss, Professor of Clinical Trials at The Institute of Cancer Research, London, and Director of its Cancer Research UK-funded Clinical Trials and Statistics Unit, said: "The plasmaMATCH trial platform has allowed us to look at the activity of various different treatments at the same time. This efficient trial set-up has been a success and it is already starting to bring patients closer to new targeted treatments." Professor Paul Workman, Chief Executive of The Institute of Cancer Research, London, said: "It's exciting to see the first results emerging from the pioneering plasmaMATCH trial. The findings demonstrate the powerful potential of liquid biopsies to pick up mutations that although individually rare can collectively play an important role in causing many breast cancers. Crucially, the study shows that matching women to the best available precision medicine for their tumour, using a blood test rather than an invasive tissue biopsy, can have real clinical benefits. "These findings should lay the foundation for liquid biopsies to become a standard part of patient care for patients with breast cancer, and help accelerate women's access to the best available precision medicines." Michelle Mitchell, Chief Executive of Cancer Research UK, said: "Our Stand Up To Cancer initiative allows us to quickly transform any promising discoveries made in the lab into new tests and treatments for people with cancer. So it's absolutely fantastic that we are looking at the possibility of using a simple blood test to quickly match the best treatments for women with advanced breast cancer. It's results like these that will help us see 3 in 4 people survive their cancer by 2034." ### Notes to editors For more information please contact Diana Cano Bordajandi in the ICR press office on 020 7153 5021 or diana.cano@icr.ac.uk. For enquiries out of hours, please call 07595 963 613. The plasmaMATCH trial was sponsored by the ICR and The Royal Marsden, and coordinated by the Clinical Trials and Statistics Unit at The Institute of Cancer Research (ICR-CTSU). ICR-CTSU receives core programme support from Cancer Research UK and is accredited by the UKCRC and the NCRI. Further information on the trial can be found here: https://www.icr.ac.uk/our-research/centres-and-collaborations/centres-at-the-icr/clinical-trials-and-statistics-unit/clinical-trials/plasmamatch The Institute of Cancer Research, London, is one of the world's most influential cancer research organisations. Scientists and clinicians at The Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) are working every day to make a real impact on cancer patients' lives. Through its unique partnership with The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust and 'bench-to-bedside' approach, the ICR is able to create and deliver results in a way that other institutions cannot. Together the two organisations are rated in the top centres for cancer research and treatment globally. The ICR has an outstanding record of achievement dating back more than 100 years. It provided the first convincing evidence that DNA damage is the basic cause of cancer, laying the foundation for the now universally accepted idea that cancer is a genetic disease. Today it is a world leader at identifying cancer-related genes and discovering new targeted drugs for personalised cancer treatment. A college of the University of London, the ICR is the UK's top-ranked academic institution for research quality, and provides postgraduate higher education of international distinction. It has charitable status and relies on support from partner organisations, charities and the general public. The ICR's mission is to make the discoveries that defeat cancer. For more information visit http://www.icr.ac.uk About Cancer Research UK * Cancer Research UK is the world's leading cancer charity dedicated to saving lives through research. * Cancer Research UK's pioneering work into the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer has helped save millions of lives. * Cancer Research UK has been at the heart of the progress that has already seen survival in the UK double in the last 40 years. * Today, 2 in 4 people survive their cancer for at least 10 years. Cancer Research UK's ambition is to accelerate progress so that by 2034, 3 in 4 people will survive their cancer for at least 10 years. * Cancer Research UK supports research into all aspects of cancer through the work of over 4,000 scientists, doctors and nurses. * Together with its partners and supporters, Cancer Research UK's vision is to bring forward the day when all cancers are cured. The Pink Line: Journeys Across the World's Queer Frontiers By Mark Gevisser Farrar, Straus and Giroux. 525 pp. $28.99 - - - As 2019 drew to a close, Merriam-Webster declared the pronoun "they," reconfigured as a non-binary gender identifier, its "word of the year." The authoritative choice to cement a once-contentious usage affirmed the expansion of both the language and the politics of gender and sexuality in recent years. As of this summer, the United States has had five years of nationally legalized same-sex marriage, an openly gay presidential candidate, the expansion of federal workplace protections for transgender employees and many pop-cultural firsts. In the mainstreaming of LGBT identity, the 2010s could be seen as the lived promise of the rainbow-tinted arc of justice once denied to those confined to the emotional and physical violence of closets. But beyond the privileged capitals of the United States, where pronouns are being respected and applied, the political and personal borders of LGBT life remain far more complicated, as the extraordinary new book "The Pink Line" reveals. South African journalist Mark Gevisser's account of the global fight over LGBT rights is a hugely ambitious and exceptional work of long-form journalism. Eight years in the making, with stories from Malawi, South Africa, Egypt, Russia, India, Mexico, Israel and the Palestinian territories, this is a landmark study of unprecedented frontiers in the battle for civil rights. Gevisser, who is gay and came of age during the 1980s AIDS crisis, acknowledges in the introduction that reporting this story was also a personal quest to understand the dramatic shift between his generation and the current moment. But instead of a triumphant celebration of progress, this is a layered and surprising work about those living along these cultural fault lines - what Gevisser calls the world's new "pink lines." He shows how the unapologetic queer demands for dignity are colliding with moral panics and nationalist politics. Entrenched ideas about family and religion are being forced into conversations with rapid shifts in norms and discourse. As the recent debate over J.K Rowling's comments about trans women reveals, social media identity politics are even igniting culture wars among progressives. To find through-lines in this swirling and shifting story, Gevisser focuses on case studies. He embeds with activists, lawyers, parents, LGBT refugees and those who are living and moving along the world's LGBT frontiers. Migrations and technology have allowed for trends that seemed impossible in his own generation. "It was no coincidence that the notion of LGBT rights was spreading globally at the exact moment that old boundaries were collapsing in the era of globalization," he writes. "The collapse of those boundaries meant the rapid global spread of ideas about sexual equality or gender transition - and at the very same time, a dramatic reaction by conservative forces, by patriarchs and priests, who feared the inevitable loss of control that this process threatened." In a chaptertitled "Pink Dollars, Global Gay," an international gay cruise sails into the harbors of the Caribbean nation of Dominica, where authorities arrest an American gay couple seen having sex on their balcony under stringent local homophobic strictures. In later sections, a Russian transgender mother struggles to be recognized as a rightful parent in painful custody battles for her daughter. A lesbian couple from Cairo, awakened by the Arab Spring, flee the country as the Tahrir Square revolution collapses and a spirit of rebellious freedom is brutally crushed. Gevisser's book feels especially revelatory in this globalist approach, making thoughtful comparisons that illuminate just how privileged Western societies have become in the application of LGBT legal rights. What makes Gevisser an especially compelling narrator and guide to this subject is his awareness of his privilege as a White, upper-middle-class South African from a country with one of the most progressive post-apartheid constitutions in terms of human rights. He writes openly about his struggles with "the white man's savior complex" as he considers how to help an impoverished teenage gay Ugandan refugee seeking asylum in Canada, or how his passport allows for the freedom of movement unavailable to many queer people in the world. (Along with his considerable travels, Gevisser has studied and lived in the United States.) His self-disclosure liberates him from the sometimes insular and patronizing Western gaze on LGBT communities in postcolonial societies, understanding how American or European cultural power may have galvanized LGBT movements but can also serve to destabilize and in many cases endanger local struggles for sexual and gender diversity. These gray zones make the book riveting and morally complex. I was deeply moved by these nuances in "The Pink Line" to reflect on my own coming-of-age and coming-out story. I began the last decade still in my 20s, still in the closet, and watched the 2010s unfurl with the most extraordinary transformation of the politics, culture and inclusion of LGBT lives in the United States. I remember the anti-gay-marriage mandates and frequent homophobic slurs in college in the early 2000s, now replaced with pop-cultural icons and sprawling pride weekends. I have friends whose pronouns are "they" and who are thriving professionally and personally. But I have also spent the past few years living outside the United States, married to my husband, and have experienced the humbling checkerboard of LGBT rights in different parts of world, the unexpected moments one has to slip back into closeted skin - and the stories of enduring inequity and struggle. Like every queer person who crosses a border, I too have been living and thinking along pink lines. Gevisser gives language and form to those experiences. As he explains, "The Pink Line" is a shifting border, sometimes porous but too often marked by defeat, discrimination, otherization and loss. His stories reveal how loves are disrupted, families torn apart, jobs lost and exiles enforced. But as he reiterates, there are daily triumphs, breakthroughs and, in some of his most moving stories, unprecedented transformations in families from the Palestinian territories to Malawi whose hearts and doors are opening where that once seemed impossible. While the author's own sexuality certainly makes him a partial observer, this is by no means a memoir or a polemic. It is a work of clear-eyed analysis and exceptional reporting, and it deserves a wide and non-LGBT readership that wishes to understand these frontiers. What elevates the book is Gevisser's poetic and queer gaze, his searching language about why he has dedicated almost a decade of his life to understanding a generational transformation. Dedicating his book to his husband, Gevisser notes, "Writing about it seemed, to me, to be my debt to love." - - - Qureshi is a culture writer and radio journalist whose work has appeared in The Washington Post, the New York Times and Newsweek, and on NPR. The Australian Federal Police logo is seen in Canberra, Australia, on June 6, 2019. (Getty Images) Federal and State Police Team up to Combat Pedophiles CAIRNSA new joint team to combat pedophilia and child sexual exploitation has been launched in Far North Queensland during National Child Protection Week. The Australian Federal Police (AFP) teamed up with Queensland Police Service (QPS) to launch the Joint Anti Child Exploitation Team (JACET) in Cairns on Thursdayonly the second such one in the state. The JACETs will complement the AFP-led Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation (ACCCE) that is tasked with preventing and stamping out the sexual exploitation of children. AFP Detective Superintendent ACCCE and Child Protection Operations Paula Hudson said the new team would make Queensland the only Australian state with two geographically separate JACETs, a significant boost for law enforcement agencies working to protect Australian children. We know in order to successfully identify, investigate and prosecute child sex offenders, that we must work together, Hudson said. The establishment of the new JACET in Cairns means both agencies have a greater coordinated investigative response in order to achieve the best possible outcomes for children across the entire state, she said. Queensland Police welcomed the partnership with the AFP, which will strengthen investigative intelligence capability of state, territory and federal police to prevent the creation, possession, and distribution of child abuse material. Acting Chief Superintendent Chris Hodgman said: QPS is committed to this partnership to ensure child sex offenders are held to account. The Centre brings together specialist expertise and skills in a central hub, supporting investigations into child sexual abuse and developing prevention strategies focused on creating a safer online environment. Members of the public who have any information about people involved in child abuse and exploitation are urged to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. You can also make a report online by alerting the Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation via the Report Abuse button. Prime Minister Ludovic Orban declared on Friday in Orsova that there is no scenario for Romania to return to the state of emergency and quarantine, stating that the situation is under control. "There is no such scenario, as you can see, we have stopped the increase in the number of infections for five weeks, and in fact we've had a slight downward trend in the number of cases for two weeks. Of course, the decrease is not as we would like it to be, but the situation is under control, we have limited the spread of the virus, the treatment capacity is not overwhelmed, all the structures of the health system have the possibility and are handling the situation we are in. No such hypotheses are being considered," Orban replied when asked if Romania could return to the state of emergency and lockdown. The Romanian Prime Minister participated on Friday, in Orsova - southwestern Mehedinti County, in the presentation of the project "Prunisor-Orsova-Baile Herculane-Jupa natural gas transmission pipeline". Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, September 11, 2020 16:51 497 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c444a399 1 World TKI,migrant-workers,BP2MI,Saudi-Arabia,workers-exploitation,human-trafficking,National-Police Free The Agency for the Protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers (BP2MI) has repatriated 52 workers who were stranded without pay in Saudi Arabia, an official said on Thursday. Agency head Benny Rhamdani said the agency arranged the repatriation of the workers after news of their situation went viral on social media. They returned to Indonesia on Thursday evening. The workers had been sent to Saudi Arabia illegally, he said, adding that he suspected they were victims of human trafficking. In a video uploaded on YouTube, the migrant workers were stranded in Saudi Arabia because they had not been paid by their employers since 2018. They also demanded that their placement agency afford them their rights, Benny said as reported by kompas.com on Thursday. Read also: Migrant protection agency thwarts trafficking plot to Dubai The BP2MI coordinated with the Indonesian Embassy in Saudi Arabia to repatriate the migrant workers. After their arrival in Jakarta, the agency found that 31 of the workers were not listed in the BP2MI records. The workers said they had been dispatched to Saudi Arabia by private placement agencies, namely El-Safah, Putra Timur Mandiri and Anugrah Sumber Rezeki. They had all worked as domestic workers. The BP2MI will soon report to the National Polices Criminal Investigation Department as we suspect the companies were illegal placement agencies, allegedly engaged in human trafficking, he added. The agency has quarantined the workers to comply with COVID-19 health protocols and will later provide them passage to their hometowns. (dpk) The Canouan Government School where the Pelican School was allowed to occupy the section to the right. (Photo credit: testwpo5.tecnavia.co) According to Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves, the refusal by his government to grant extensions of five work permits for some of the expatriates who worked at the Pelican School in Canouan, triggered the recent protest by some parents on that southern Grenadine island. "If the Pelican School cannot exist, why am I giving you a permit?, Gonsalves questioned in a radio address on September 4, alluding to the agreement that Pelican School would have by now, been absorbed into the Canouan Government School. He would have considered granting the work permit extensions if those concerned had decided to work in other areas within education, but the government could not go against its policy and issue a work permit, the Prime Minister said. "So that was the trigger for what transpired, so the persons are saying that work permits were denied, and some heard it and decided to protest, the Prime Minister explained. According to Gonsalves, he had received an email from Pignataro of the Pelican School on September 3, to which he responded by reminding the investor of the terms which had been discussed and agreed back in 2018. Among the terms agreed: the school will be set up for public education and cater for a total of 400 students; it will include IT and Science laboratories, library and auditorium; the Montessori school will be open to all children free of charge and that the students will be allowed to complete the academic year in the new school campus, to avoid disruption to their curriculum, before being absorbed by the public school. Advance notice Further on the issue, St Clair Jimmy Prince, Minister of Education, asserted in a press conference earlier this week, that all major stakeholders knew well in advance that there was to be a merger between the Pelican School and the Canouan Government Primary. The Minister was responding to protest action by parents of students who attended the Pelican School. They were protesting the requirement that their children be transferred to the Canouan Government School. However, Prince reiterated that parents knew of the new arrangement way in advance of the re-opening of school, and some parents had already transferred their children. The Pelican School, it was explained, was located on lands in the South that was given over for development by Dermot Desmond. This meant that the school was forced to be removed from that location. But an agreement was reached between Government and the other stakeholders that the school would be allowed to operate for a year within the state-owned facility, after which students of the Pelican School would be absorbed into the Canouan Government School. The agreement, Prince said, was to have one school on the compound. To have two separate schools - one government and one private operating out of the same facility, runs foul of the Education Act, Prince explained. Not only was that a problem, but there was also an issue of using different syllabi. "We told them that we would not be allowing it and we cannot do that, Prince said, "and there was no objection to the construction of another school. New Delhi: Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa on Thursday flew solo in a Mig-21 fighter jet, the oldest fighter aircraft in the IAFs inventory, a defence statement said. Air Chief flew the Mig-21 Type 96 aircraft from the forward Indian airforce base at Uttarlai in Rajasthan. This is the first visit of the Air Chief to a forward operational base in the western sector. Dhanoa is on a three-day visit to the forward air base in the western sector to assess operational preparedness and take stock of the morale of the personnel stationed there, the statement said. The IAF chiefs flight in the aircraft, lasted about half an hour long, said officials. Before Dhanoa, his predecessors, Air Chief Marshals A.Y. Tipnis and Dilbagh Singh had flown the Russian-made aircraft while commanding the service. Tipnis, who headed the IAF from December 1998 to December 2001, had said he flew the aircraft solo to send a message that it was safe. Also Read: Air Marshal Birender Singh Dhanoa takes charge as next Air Force chief For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. The Vice-Presidential Candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Professor Naana Jane Opoku Agyemang has called for equality in the application and the enforcement of laws. She said in situations that laws were not justly and fairly applied, it bred corruption and other nefarious activities. A statement signed by Mawuena Trebarh, her spokesperson, said she was speaking at a forum with management and staff of the Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII) as part of her tour to engage civil society organizations on the NDCs manifesto. Professor Opoku-Agyemang urged the judiciary and the security agencies to at all times apply the law consistently. If you want to talk about naming and shaming, be consistent. If you are going to apply the law, be consistent. If you are going to apply punishment, be consistent." Responding to criticisms regarding her interventions on behalf of the Muntie 3, she said Clemency is part of the judiciary system yet people pretend they dont understand why there should be a remission." Touching on how corruption could be dealt with under the next NDC government, Prof. Opoku-Agyemang said, When we talk about Operation STING, it stems from our previous tenure in government, where you saw our President prosecute his own. On the Corruption Perception Index (CPI), she urged the GII to be specific about performance of the country in a year under review saying, Please dont generalize. Let us know, where we were at what time. Let that be a kind of incentive for parties to compete so they can say that in their time it was high. If you generalize that may not result in healthy competition to improve." At Centre for Democratic Development (CDD) Professor Opoku Agyemang noted that in as much as the NDC was committed to implementing the policies in its manifesto, it would not compromise on the value for money principle. At IMANI Africa, Professor Opoku Agyemang answered questions on how the NDC would ensure excellence in Ghanas education sector. She hinted that the focus would be on building the students up by supporting the teachers, putting methods in place for strict supervision and accountability. In all, the NDCs Running Mate visited five Civil Society Groups including; Africa Center for Energy Policy (ACEP), the Socialist Forum of Ghana, IMANI Africa, Center for Democratic Development (CDD) and the Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII). Source: GNA Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Senate Democrats blocked a narrowly tailored pandemic relief plan proposed by Republicans, contending the measure was too meager a response given the damage that Covid-19 continues to wreak on the U.S. economy. The Senates 52-47 vote in favor of the bill was short of the 60 needed to advance the legislation for floor debate, leaving Congress at an impasse just weeks before lawmakers return home to campaign in the pivotal fall elections. Estimated at roughly $500 billion to $700 billion, the package was less than the Republicans own $1 trillion plan from July, intended to target the most pressing areas for help -- revived supplemental unemployment insurance benefits and extended aid for small business, in particular. The bill was a fraction of the $2.2 trillion backed by Democrats. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer dismissed the Republican bill as little more than an election-year prop for vulnerable GOP incumbent senators. Yet he said he thought Republicans would return to the bargaining table to craft a bipartisan bill after failing to pass their own -- as occurred with the previous aid packages. What Next If past is prologue, theres actually a significant chance that the public heat on many Republican senators as they go back home will have them come to their senses, and theyll start negotiating with us in a serious way, Schumer said before the Senate vote. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell argued that much in his bill addressed areas that both parties agreed to, including the jobless benefits and Paycheck Protection Program for small businesses. The question was whether Democrats prefer to hide behind closed doors and refuse to help families before the election, he said before the vote. McConnell this week declined to answer questions Thursday morning about what would happen after the expected failure of his bill. He did tell reporters he doubted Democrats want a deal before elections that will decide control of the White House and Senate. Weekly figures on unemployment claims showed the labor market remains deeply damaged by the Covid-19 crisis. Initial jobless claims in regular state programs were unchanged at 884,000 in the week ended Sept. 5, the Labor Department said Thursday. That was well above the 850,000 economists had expected. Graham Outreach House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Thursday that the Senate vote doesnt mean the end of stimulus talks. No, she told reporters when asked the question. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, who is campaigning for re-election in South Carolina, said hes not giving up on a relief package before the election. He said hes reached out to Democratic Senator Chris Coons of Delaware, who often works with Republicans on proposals, to see if they can gather a group of senators to propose a middle ground. Some other Republican senators were pessimistic. Small Business Committee Chairman Marco Rubio said Democrats have decided that if things go bad that the president and Republicans will be blamed and it will help them win in November. He warned that unemployment at smaller companies will climb. Senate Finance Chairman Chuck Grassley said that while it was sad that no deal is likely to get done, the impact will be a lot less than a couple weeks ago amid signs of an improving economy. Republican Defection One Republican senator, Rand Paul of Kentucky, joined Democrats to oppose bringing up the bill; no Democrats backed it. Senator Kamala Harris of California, the Democratic vice presidential nominee, wasnt present to vote. The pared-back proposal, released Tuesday, provides a $300-per-week unemployment benefit enhancement, $105 billion for schools, a $10 billion grant to the U.S. Postal Service, $258 billion for the Paycheck Protection Program for small businesses, $47 billion for vaccines and testing needs, and liability protections for employers. Absent from the bill: additional help for airlines, which face a wave of job cuts when support runs out from the $2.2 trillion Cares Act, the last big stimulus package. Underscoring the economys continued strains, Amtrak Chief Executive Officer Bill Flynn warned Wednesday about the impact of expiring Cares aid. The passenger rail network needs $2.84 billion in additional funding by Oct. 1 to avoid dismissals and service cuts, Flynn said. The Congressional Budget Office hasnt yet scored the cost of the Republican bill, which calls for drawing on unspent funds allocated to support Federal Reserve facilities. Poison Pill Besides its smaller size, Democrats slammed the Republican bill for poison pill provisions that include lawsuit protections for businesses that reopen and a tax break for paying for private-school costs. The White House and congressional Democrats have been more than $1 trillion apart on the stimulus since negotiations broke off Aug. 7. Democrats lowered their demand from $3.4 trillion that passed the House in May to $2.2 trillion, but havent budged beyond that. 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... A rescued puppy with a cleft lip had been at an animal shelter in Jackson, Mich., for almost a week, and staff worried that she wouldn't be adopted. Then a man who has a 2-year-old with a cleft lip walked into the shelter. Brandon Boyers visited Jackson County Animal Shelter last week, hoping to adopt rescued chickens to expand his family's small farm. But his thoughts quickly shifted from poultry to puppies when he spotted a small black-and-white dog whose cleft lip reminded him of his son, Bentley. "It was pretty shocking actually," said Boyers, 27. "I had never seen a dog with a cleft lip before." He called his wife on FaceTime to show her the puppy. "I immediately told him to adopt her," said Ashley Boyers, 23. "I said to bring her home today." Brandon Boyers asked Lydia Sattler, the director of the animal shelter, about the adoption process. "I explained that they could take the puppy home two days later, after she had her final vet appointment," said Sattler, who was delighted that a family was interested in adopting the dog. But Bentley's parents couldn't wait to introduce their son to his new friend with a familiar face. The next day, Ashley Boyers brought Bentley to the shelter for a visit. "They were head over heels for each other right away," she said. As Bentley cradled the puppy in his arms and nestled next to her, "everyone started crying." "We were all in tears seeing the two of them together," said Sattler, who explained that this is the first time the shelter has had a puppy with a cleft lip. "The fact that this is something we never see, the puppy came from 1,000 miles away and that Bentley's dad just happened to be here at that moment, it was just amazing. "The puppy immediately started soaking up all his love," she continued. "It was genuine joy." Bentley, who decided to name the dog Lacey, was born with a cleft lip and has had two surgeries. He has several more procedures to come, including a bone-grafting operation, his mother said. "I found out he was going to have a cleft lip during my gender ultrasound. He had his first surgery when he was 5 months old," Ashley Boyers said. "He is the strongest little boy I know." According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, roughly one in 2,800 babies is born with a cleft lip in the United States. While the numbers aren't as clear for canines, purebreds have a higher incidence rate of the condition than mixed-breed dogs. Although Lacey's breed is unknown, the shelter suspects she is a combination of many breeds. Lacey and 24 other rescued dogs was transported from an area in Mississippi with an overpopulation of animals to the Jackson County shelter. "She was one of the last ones of the 25 to be adopted," said Sattler, adding that despite the birth defect, the puppy is expected to live a normal, healthy life. In a Facebook post, the shelter wrote, "It's so hard to put into words how meaningful this adoption is to all of us." "Bentley found his match today in this tiny pup who also has a cleft lip," the post says. "They instantly loved each other." Although the cleft lip is a coincidence, Bentley's parents believe Lacey was meant to be their son's dog, they said. "He knows that the dog has the same condition as he does. He understands," said Ashley Boyers. "It is remarkable to see him share something in common with the puppy." Along with his parents, Bentley is overjoyed with his little buddy. "My puppy [is] so cute," Bentley said. "I cuddle Lacey and give her kisses." Lacey is adjusting well to her new home and older canine sister, Remi, a 9-month-old English mastiff. "The dog has been fantastic," Brandon Boyers said. "She even stands up to our big dog." "Bentley spends all day playing with her," Ashley Boyers said. "They play outside with balls and find sticks and rocks. And all three of them take a daily nap on the dog bed together." But beyond being his playmate, Lacey and her cleft lip will be an important companion for Bentley, his parents said. "He won't feel like he's alone on this journey," Brandon Boyers said. Phoenix, AZ -- (SBWIRE) -- 09/11/2020 -- VoiceAmerica, the leader in online media broadcasting and the largest producer and distributor of live internet talk radio, announced the newest podcast episode by Landmark Recovery, "The Opioid Knowledge Gap", with host Zach Crouch, and guests Dr. Amy McKeever and Debra Jay. The episode played live on September 10th and can be heard on-demand at Landmark Recovery Radio. Host Zach Crouch is joined by Dr. Amy McKeever and Debra Jay. Dr. Amy McKeever, board-certified women's health nurse practitioner, discusses the knowledge gap she saw with students when they had to navigate conversations related to opioid use in a clinical setting. Debra Jay, founder of Structured Family Recovery services and training, talks with Zach about her latest book, "It Takes a Family: A Cooperative Approach to Lasting Sobriety." About Landmark Recovery Landmark Recovery offers individualized treatment, including detox, inpatient drug and alcohol rehab, intensive outpatient, and alumni programming to address addiction. Landmark has drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers in Carmel, Louisville, Oklahoma City and Lexington, OK. Their sister company, Praxis by Landmark Recovery, is based in Louisville, Kentucky and serves the Medicaid population. If you or a loved one need help with drug or alcohol recovery, call 866-504-8545 or visit Landmark Recovery . About VoiceAmerica VoiceAmerica, the pioneer of digital radio programming since 1999, is the original digital broadcast company for the production and delivery of Live Internet Talk Radio programming and continues to be an industry leader in Live Internet Talk, podcast audio creation, production, and distribution. VoiceAmerica creates and distributes over 500 unique and innovative radio programs that engage millions of listeners worldwide. Five diverse VoiceAmerica network channels distribute live programs daily that reach a growing domestic and international audience. Listen live at VoiceAmerica Variety, VoiceAmerica Business, VoiceAmerica Health, VoiceAmerica Empowerment, VoiceAmerica Influencers, and on our Apple and Android devices. Follow VoiceAmerica on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. To learn how to become a host or sponsor on VoiceAmerica.com, call 1-855-877-4666. VoiceAmerica | Become a Host | Advertise with us | About VoiceAmerica CONTACT: Zach Crouch Alicia.Borchardt@landmarkrecovery.com Japan's coastguard has rescued one person in the search for a cargo ship carrying nearly 6,000 cattle and dozens of crew members that went missing in the East China Sea. That's according to a coastguard spokeswoman on Wednesday (September 2) night. The vessel -- named The Gulf Livestock 1 -- sent a distress call off southwestern Japan as Typhoon Maysak lashed the region. Pictures showed a crew member in a lifejacket being hauled from choppy seas. The ship departed from New Zealand on August 14th with nearly 6000 cattle as well as 39 crew members from the Philippines, two from New Zealand and two from Australia. It was bound for the Port of Jingtang in Tangshan, China. Strong winds and rains were hampering rescue efforts. WASHINGTON President Donald Trump announced Friday that Bahrain would move to normalize relations with Israel, building on the president's push for closer ties between Israel and its Arab neighbors. The White House announced last month that the United Arab Emirates and Israel had agreed to formalize diplomatic relations, paving the way for Friday's deal with Bahrain and giving Trump a fresh foreign policy win ahead of the November election. "Another HISTORIC breakthrough today! Our two GREAT friends Israel and the Kingdom of Bahrain agree to a Peace Deal the second Arab country to make peace with Israel in 30 days!" Trump tweeted on Friday. The president tweeted out a copy of the six-paragraph deal between Israel, Bahrain and the U.S., which said Bahrain and Israel will establish "full diplomatic relations." "Opening direct dialogue and ties between these two dynamic societies and advanced economies will continue the positive transformation of the Middle East and increase stability, security and prosperity," the statement said. President Donald Trump listens as Jared Kushner speaks in the Oval Office of the White House on Friday, Sept. 11, 2020, in Washington. Trump will welcome UAE and Israeli officials to the White House next week for a signing ceremony on Tuesday. Bahrain Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa is also scheduled to attend that ceremony. As part of the deal with the UAE, Israel agreed to temporarily halt its controversial plan to annex parts of the West Bank, land that Palestinians see as vital to their hopes of a future state. The only other Arab nations to have active diplomatic ties with Israel are Egypt and Jordan. Bahrain, an island kingdom, is a pivotal U.S. ally in the Middle East. The country hosts the U.S. Navys Fifth Fleet and U.S. Naval Forces Central Command. This is a truly historic day," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Friday. When I took office the Middle East was in a state of absolute chaos. Trump has delegated Middle East peace negotiations to his son and adviser, Jared Kushner. In a briefing with reporters on Friday, Kushner did not answer questions about whether Israel had made concessions to win the deal, nor did he say whether the U.S. had agreed to push through new arms sales to Bahrain or provide other assistance to the kingdom. Story continues "This deal was a great breakthrough for them and for their people," Kushner said in sidestepping those issues. After the White House unveiled the UAE deal, questions emerged about whether the Trump administration had agreed to sell that country F-35 fighter jets as part of the agreement. Last month, the UAEs minister of state for foreign affairs, H.E. Anwar Gargash, confirmed UAE is pursuing a deal on the F-35s with the Trump administration. But he said its been a longstanding request and sidestepped questions about whether it was part of the Israel-UAE peace deal. During a forum hosted by the Atlantic Council, Gargash said an F-35 deal is on the table and noted the UAE had first requested those planes six years ago. He said the peace deal should eliminate concerns that the UAE represents a military threat to Israel and thus should pave the way for an F-35 sale to go through. We ought to get them, he said, particularly now that the whole idea of a state of belligerency or war with Israel no longer exists. When pressed on possible arms sales to Bahrain, Kushner said many details of the agreement would be hashed out in the coming weeks. "We've been able to broker this breakthrough at the leadership level, and now people will get together on the working levels ... to start talking through some of the opportunities," he said. Kushner portrayed the Bahrain deal as a watershed moment in Middle East peace. "We're seeing the beginning of a new Middle East," he said. "I do believe that it's an inevitability that all countries in the Middle East will normalize relations with Israel." And Trump, who has promoted the UAE-Israel agreement on the campaign trail, told reporters Thursday that "you'll be hearing other countries coming in over a relatively short period of time. And you could have peace in the Middle East." ... I can see a lot of good things happening with respect to the Palestinians, the president added. But Kushner's much-touted plan to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has not gained any traction. The Palestinians do not see the Trump administration as a neutral negotiator, in large part because of the president's staunchly pro-Israel policies. And while Kushner's proposal endorsed a "two-state" solution an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel Trump's commitment to it has been an open question. It also sought to limit Palestinians to specific parts of East Jerusalem and leave Israel in sole charge of holy sites that are sacred to both sides. Critics say Trump is taking credit for the fruits of diplomacy that began years ago. "President Trump taking credit for this is like the rooster taking credit for the dawn," said Brian Katulis, senior fellow at the Center for American Progress specializing in the Middle East. This latest agreement by itself is an encouraging sign of progress in a region that has been racked with conflict and civil wars. But its hard to credit the Trump administration with this deal," he said. Katulis argued that agreement is due to shifting interests and alliances that have been in motion for many years. "It is unlikely that this deal, combined with the one between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, will fundamentally shift the overall instability in the Middle East. These deals do nothing to de-escalate tensions with Iran, and it does not appear to produce any progress on resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, he said. William Wechsler, director of the Atlantic Councils Middle East Programs, said there's no question the deal marks a shift in the dynamics of the Middle East. "We are witnessing the emergence of a new geopolitics of the Middle East," he said. But "the U.S. is unfortunately seen to be in the early stages of withdrawing from the region, exacerbated by U.S. troop reductions in Iraq and Afghanistan driven by our election calendar and President Trumps repeated insistence that the U.S. no longer has interests in maintaining the free flow of energy, something that has defined our role for forty years," he said. Wechsler said the danger is that "this new regional geopolitics is likely to be even less stable than even the dangerous one to which we have become accustomed, with a larger number of actors and a more uncertain future. If the U.S. was to reaffirm its traditional role and avoid withdrawal, that would go a long way toward reinforcing this emerging coalition and thus improving regional security and diminishing everyones uncertainty about the future. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump announces Israel and Bahrain will normalize relations Four employees at a correctional facility in Washington state are under investigation for violent and racist social media posts about black Americans and the killings of two protesters in Kenosha, Wisconsin. A series of Facebook posts were shared on Twitter by a Seattle attorney and former public defender showing King Countys Department of Adult & Juvenile Detention (DAJD) correctional officers, including a sergeant, appearing to endorse shooting protesters at police brutality demonstrations while voicing support for Donald Trump. The posts first reported by Patch include a photo from Kenosha, where two people were killed during demonstrations in the wake of the police shooting of Jacob Blake, who was left paralysed after an officer fired several rounds into his back. It includes the caption: "Great shot!!!! 2 less votes for uncle joe. Trump Trump Trump!!!" In another post from a different employee, the caption reads: "If America is so Racist, why do so many Black and Brown people want to migrate here?" A post from a sergeant at the jail said to return fire on these sacks of trash and Trump Trump Trump. He shared another post that said the trick against Black Lives Matter protesters is BIG TRUCKS, MAGA & AMERICAN FLAGS ALONG WITH PEPPER SPRAY. Another employee shared posts disparaging Rayshard Brooks, who was killed by police in Atlanta, an Islamophobic cartoon with Colin Kaepernick, and false claims about Muslim congresswoman Ilhan Omar. The detention centre is the same jail where The Independent journalist Andrew Buncombe was held on 1 July as he covered ongoing protests in Seattle. On 31 August, a corrections officer notified Command Staff about an inappropriate social media post by a sergeant, a detention centre spokesperson confirmed to The Independent. The case was immediately referred to an internal investigations unit, who is reviewing the posts and will report to a commanding officer to determine if the allegation is sustained." DAJD has almost 1,000 employees, a microcosm of the community, with different points of view, a DAJD statement said. Violence and racism will not be tolerated at King County. Employees received a memo on 15 June about DAJDs social media policy. Postings that violate DAJD Code of Conduct on or off-duty will be investigated, and could lead to discipline, according to a spokesperson. DAJD director John Diaz told The Independent in a statement that this is a large organization with a diverse workforce doing a very difficult job. The vast majority do their jobs very well, he said. "We will not tolerate racism or the promotion of violence on social media or other forums. That applies in the workplace or on personal time. We will take immediate action whenever allegations of this type of inappropriate conduct come to light, as we have in the most recent case. After a thorough investigation, if the allegations are sustained, we will take disciplinary action. Protests against police brutality and systemic racism have continued in Seattle following the Memorial Day killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, which galvanised an international movement for reforms. Seattle attorney Sade Smith told Patch she has frequently visited the jail to represent protesters and has often encountered abuse and information blocks, as well as poor conditions at the facility. She has called for the officers involved in the investigation to be fired. "We're talking about people who have obvious racial issues being in charge over people with no power, and that's just dangerous," she told Patch. "You're not qualified to be in that situation, you need to be doing something else." 'Russia-Linked' Individuals, Including Ukrainian Lawmaker, Blacklisted Over U.S. Election Interference By RFE/RL September 10, 2020 The United States says it has imposed sanctions on a Ukrainian lawmaker behind leaked telephone records of Democratic presidential hopeful Joe Biden, as well as three other "Russia-linked" individuals accused of attempting to influence the U.S. electoral process. The U.S. Treasury Department said in a statement on September 10 that it had blacklisted Andriy Derkach along with three Russian nationals said to be employees of the Internet Research Agency (IRA), the so-called troll factory based in St. Petersburg that was involved in what the U.S. intelligence community said was an attempt by the Kremlin to interfere in the 2016 presidential election. Separately, the Justice Department said it had filed criminal charges of election interference against one of the Russians for stealing American identities, opening fraudulent banking accounts, and promoting messaging aimed at undermining confidence in the political system. Derkach has been helping U.S. President Donald Trump's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani find compromising information in Ukraine on Biden, who served as the Obama administration's point man to Kyiv following the 2014 revolution that pushed a pro-Russian president from office. The Treasury Department said Derkach "has close connections" with the Russian intelligence for over a decade. "Russia uses a variety of proxies to attempt to sow discord between political parties and drive internal divisions to influence voters as part of Moscow's broader efforts to undermine democratic countries and institutions," it said. In the United States, it said Russia had "used a wide range of influence methods and actors to target our electoral process," including targeting candidates in the November presidential election. Between May and July, Derkach released edited audio tapes from 2016 of Biden's conversations with then-Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko. On the tapes, Biden appears to tell Poroshenko that the U.S. will provide a $1 billion loan guarantee to Ukraine once the government replaces its top prosecutor. U.S. and Western officials complained the prosecutor was failing to fight corruption and welcomed his eventual removal. However, Giuliani with the help of Derkach has tried to push a widely dismissed theory that Biden sought to get the Ukrainian prosecutor dismissed to protect his son, Hunter Biden, who sat on the board of a controversial Kyiv-based natural gas company. 'Unsubstantiated Allegations' The Treasury Department said the tapes published by Derkach were intended "to discredit U.S. officials" and the he "levied unsubstantiated allegations" against American and foreign political figures. "Derkach almost certainly targeted the U.S. voting populace, prominent U.S. persons, and members of the U.S. government, based on his reliance on U.S. platforms, English-language documents and videos, and pro-Russian lobbyists in the United States used to propagate his claims," it said in its statement. Derkach's designation "is a clear signal to Moscow and its proxies that this activity will not be tolerated," the Treasury Department said. Three "employees of the IRA" -- Russian nationals Artem Lifshits, Anton Andreyev, and Darya Aslanova" were also sanctioned because they had "supported the IRA's cryptocurrency accounts." Lifshits is the Russian facing criminal charges in the United States. The IRA, which was previously designated by the TreasuryDepartment for its interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, "uses cryptocurrency to fund activities in furtherance of their ongoing malign influence operations around the world," the Treasury Department said. The United States had previously said that the IRA is funded by Yevgeny Prigozhin, a Kremlin insider known as "Putin's Chef." The Treasury Department's move freezes any U.S. assets of those blacklisted and bars Americans from dealing with them. Derkach "and other Russian agents employ manipulation and deceit to attempt to influence elections in the United States and elsewhere around the world," Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin said. "The United States will continue to use all the tools at its disposal to counter these Russian disinformation campaigns and uphold the integrity of our election system," he added. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-linked- individuals-including-ukrainian-lawmaker-blacklisted-over- u-s-election-interference/30832138.html Copyright (c) 2020. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Gov. Kevin Stitts use of $10 million from the federal CARES Act for private school tuition is at odds with federal court interpretations, and he ought to change course. Stitt made the decision in compliance with an interim final rule in June from U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos that described how states were to distributed federal COVID-19 relief funding for low-income students. The DeVos rule supports reserving money from the one-time federal stimulus program to use for private school students regardless of their backgrounds. Stitts plan would pay the private tuition for about 1,500 students, representing less than 3.8% of private school students and about 0.2% of all school-age students. Some recipient families could have an annual income of up to more than $100,000. As we have stated before, this is an inefficient and poor use of taxpayer money. A couple of federal courts says its also not legal. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-11 06:44:36|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 10 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese envoy on Thursday asked the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) to build consensus on the issue of chemical weapons use in Syria. The chemical weapons issue is of great concern for all. China objects to hasty conclusions and accusations on alleged use of chemical weapons in the absence of solid evidence. Rushing to conclusions is not conducive to closing the Syrian chemical weapons dossier and even damages the mutual trust among the Syrian parties, and thus harms the political process, said Geng Shuang, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations. The OPCW should endeavor to strengthen mutual trust among states parties to the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) and keep the tradition of making decisions based on consensus. Questions and different opinions should be encouraged instead of neglected. All parties should engage in dialogue and consultation to reach agreement, he told a Security Council meeting. Pushing for a vote while there is still significant divergence only causes confrontation and undermines cooperation. It is harmful to the OPCW's authority, operation and long-term interests. Unfortunately, such practice has happened several times in the OPCW. Many countries, including China, are seriously concerned, he said. With regard to the OPCW's decision to establish the Investigation and Identification Team for the purpose of identifying the perpetrators of chemical weapons use in Syria, and the decision of the 94th OPCW Executive Council meeting, which condemned Syria for chemical weapons use, China's position is firm and clear, said Geng. "I would like to emphasize that the OPCW should strictly comply with the provisions of the Chemical Weapons Convention in the conduct of its work, instead of being used as a geopolitical tool by certain state parties." The international community should join hands to maintain the professionalism, objectiveness and impartiality of the OPCW and reject any attempts of politicization, he said. China gladly takes note that the Syrian government and the OPCW have maintained communication and cooperation through letters and video conferences. It calls on the two sides to continue such engagement and resolve pending issues through cooperation, said Geng. The Syrian Permanent Mission to the United Nations has submitted a number of letters to the president of the Security Council, offering information and expressing concern. China calls on the OPCW and the international community to give attention and response to these letters, he said. As a CWC state party, China firmly opposes the use of chemical weapons for any purpose by any country, organization, or individual, under any circumstances, he said. Enditem WASHINGTON, Sept. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Give an Hour is partnering with the California Victim Compensation Board (CalVCB) and the Ventura County District Attorney's Office to offer support services to the survivors and bereaved family members of the October 2017 Las Vegas Route 91 Harvest Festival shooting in Southern California. Approximately 65 percent of the more than 24,000 attendees of the Route 91 Harvest Festival were from California. Funding for the program, entitled SoCal Route 91 Heals Project, will benefit eight counties Ventura, Kern, Santa Barbara, Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, Riverside, and San Diego. The SoCal Route 91 Heals project will begin offering NO COST services in the Fall of 2020. Services include web-based support groups, education on improving and maintaining emotional wellness, training for survivors interested in becoming peer supporters, an online mass trauma resource library, and annual memorial events. All services offered will focus on the long-term needs of the Route 91 community. As the third-year mark of the shooting approaches, Give an Hour is collecting video memorials that highlight hope and healing from survivors who wish to share their stories. "It is so important to recognize and support the survivors of mass shootings, such as Route 91 Harvest Festival," said Randy Phelps, Ph.D., CEO of Give an Hour. "While it is natural for most of us to move on from tragedies, those directly impacted will live with their loss forever. Give an Hour is proud to offer our services to those in need." Survivors are encouraged to visit www.giveanhour.org/route91 to learn more about the project. About Give an Hour Give an Hour is a national nonprofit 501(c)(3), founded in September 2005 by Dr. Barbara Van Dahlen, a licensed clinical psychologist. Give an Hour believes that within communities lies the resources to address many of the challenges that face society challenges that often result in emotional pain and suffering. For the past 15 years, Give an Hour has provided over 325,000 hours of free mental health services to veterans, service members, and their families, as well as to victims of natural and man-made disasters like mass violence. By harnessing the skills and generosity of citizens across the nation and around the world, Give an Hour provides those in need with help and hope. www.giveanhour.org About the Ventura County District Attorney's Office The Ventura County District Attorney's Office is the public prosecutor for the county's 850,000 residents. The office employs approximately 280 employees including attorneys, investigators, victim advocates, and other professional support staff who strive to seek justice, ensure public safety, and protect the rights of crime victims. Follow the Ventura County District Attorney's Office on Twitter @VenturaDAOffice. Contact Give an Hour: Sally Charney Director of Marketing and Special Partnerships [email protected] Related Links Give an Hour Ventura County District Attorney Office SOURCE Give an Hour Related Links http://www.giveanhour.org The Comptroller General, Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Muhammad Babandede, has given travel advisory for China, Europe and North America bound passengers due to COVID-19. Mr Babandede gave the advisory in a statement through the Service Public Relations Officer (SPRO), Sunday James, on Friday in Abuja. He said that the directives were necessary to enable passengers travelling to China, Europe and North America from Nigeria to observe the required travel protocols as requested by the Chinese and French Embassies. The deadly virus first emerged in Wuhan, China in December last year and has since spread to all parts of the world, killing thousands. But according to the Nigerian official, all intending passengers to China are required to obtain COVID-19 negative test certificate before departing Nigeria. This had taken effect from 1st September 2020. But we need to ensure that everyone was well informed of this new development. They are required to take a Nucleic Acid Test three days before departure. Chinese citizens are to apply for Green Health Codes with HS mark. Other foreign nationals including Nigerians are to complete Health Declaration Forms. All the two categories of travellers; foreigners to China and Chinese citizens are to submit COVID-19 negative test certificate to the Chinese embassy or Consulate in Nigeria for issuance of required clearance for their journey to China. Non-resident Nigerians in Europe and North America are to avoid transiting France pending the lifting of travel restrictions due to COVID-19. Transit passengers to Europe and North America transiting through Paris, must endeavour to present a valid Permanent Resident Permit for their final destination and COVID-19 negative test certificate to enable them entry into France, he said. Mr Babandede advised all China, Europe and North American bound passengers to strongly abide by these rules to avoid denial of departure from Nigeria and repatriation from the countries concerned due to non-compliance. (NAN) The administration of District 12 in Ho Chi Minh City has issued an official warning to residents regarding the presence of wild alligators near the Saigon River. The Peoples Committee of District 12 has ordered lower-level administrations, including those in Thanh Loc, Thanh Xuan, and An Phu Dong Wards, to caution local residents against the threat of alligator attacks on the Saigon River. The order was given in a document issued on Wednesday following reports of alligator sightings near Phu Cuong Ferry Terminal in neighboring Binh Duong Province. The leaders of District 12 have also called on locals to inform authorities immediately of alligator sightings so that animal control agencies can handle the threat as soon as possible District 12 chairman Le Truong Hai Hieu told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper on Thursday that local leaders had received reports of alligators on the loose from officials in Binh Duong Province and, accordingly, warn their residents. Hieu also noted that the district has prepared to respond to future sightings of alligators at large. Back in July, locals in Ho Chi Minh City also spotted an alligator on the loose in the Te Canal, a tributary of the Saigon River, in District 4The reptile was caught on the same day thanks to swift intervention by local authorities. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Starting Monday, people who do not wear a mask on the MTAs public transportation system face a $50 fine. The fine applies to anyone without mask on New York City subways, buses an all Metro-North trains, including the New Haven Line. The fine was announced by New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Thursday. Under Cuomo's executive order, all riders are required to wear a mask while riding public transit as a way to limit the spread of COVID-19. No rider has the right to endanger fellow riders by putting themselves above the law & refusing to wear a mask, Cuomo tweeted. The vast majority of people are complying & I thank them. For the handful who refuse, there will be a new $50 fine. MTA surveys show more than 90 percent of customers are using masks on subways, buses, the Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North. The $50 fine is the latest measure to drive mask compliance even higher. Cuomo said. I have asked the MTA to come up with an enforcement regimen so people know that not only are the cars clean and the stations clean, but the riders will be acting appropriately. We have to be able to say to the riding public that everyone will be wearing masks - and if they refuse to wear a mask they will be penalized." "Health experts agree that wearing a mask is the single best thing we can do to limit the spread of Covid-19," said MTA Chairman and CEO Patrick J. Foye. "The $50 fine gives us another tool to help achieve our goal of universal mask usage on New York City Transit subways and buses, Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North Railroad." Elon Musk momentarily forgot his son's name during an interview, telling the press that it 'sounds like a password'. Musk was visiting the Giga factory in Berlin when a member of the press asked him how his child was. During the press conference, one interviewer asks Musk, who looks very confused: 'how is X A-12?' Elon Musk (pictured) was visiting the Giga factory in Berlin, Germany, when a member of the press asked him how his child was The Tesla CEO asks the reporter to repeat themselves before laughing and saying 'oh you mean my kid? That sounds like a password.' He continues: 'He's great. I think next time I'm going to bring him.' Musk and musician partner Grimes welcomed their first child together on May 4 and decided to name the baby boy X A-12 Musk. This is reportedly pronounced 'Ex Ash A Twelve' with 'Ex' being the child's first name. Later that month Grimes announced the baby's name was changed to 'X A-Xii' as it was reported that the child's original name violates California naming laws. Musk and musician partner Grimes welcomed their first child together on May 4 and decided to name the baby boy X A-12 Musk (pictured) Under these laws only the 26 letters of the English alphabet, including hyphens, could be used. Musk had been at the manufacturing plant for Tesla that is currently under construction in Germany. Elon Musk has visited Germany to discuss his new European Tesla factory that is currently under construction in Germany. He recently overtook 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 earlier this month to discuss the plans. Advertisement Dagestan has a reputation for being one of the world's most dangerous places - but it also has a reputation, certainly among adventurous travellers, for harbouring a nice line in abandoned ghost villages. Images and drone footage show that nestled in the heart of the republic, in southwestern Russia, are several ancient settlements that have been completely deserted, with residents having fled to bigger towns and cities in search of better opportunities. One of the most impressive is the village of Gamsutl, which is perched 4,600 feet up (1,400m) on top of Mount Gamsutlmeer and nicknamed the 'Machu Picchu of Dagestan'. Scroll down for video Gamsutl dates back around 2,000 years and is perched 4,600 feet up on top of Mount Gamsutlmeer London-based Melanie Smith visited Gamsutl in May 2019 and wrote about it on her blog Only My Footprints Smith said: 'There were very few tourists at Gamsutl, and I have to say it was one of the nicest places I visited in the mountainous region' Namesake: The village of Gamsutl is nicknamed the 'Machu Picchu of Dagestan' The now disintegrated houses in Gamsutl were last occupied in the 1950s Today, it is possible to reach the village via an hour-long climb along a narrow path There were once around 300 occupied dwellings in Gamsutl. The last resident died in 2015 The village is believed to date back 2,000 years and grew around the fortress of a local ruler, who placed it on the mountain for tactical reasons. According to the Russia Travel Blog, the population of Gamsutl grew over the centuries and 'life was seething here even in the 20th century'. Along with around 300 dwellings, 'there were shops, a school, a post office, a hospital and even a maternity hospital'. However, in the late 1950s more and more people began to leave the village in search of a better life in larger towns or villages. The last resident died in 2015. Today, it is possible to reach the village via an hour-long climb along a narrow path. London-based Melanie Smith, who visited Gamsutl in May 2019 and wrote about it on her blog Only My Footprints, told MailOnline Travel that she would liken the site to a 'small but well-formed version of Machu Picchu in Peru, which it earns its nickname from'. The abandoned village of Kakhib (pictured) is located around a two-hour drive from Gamsutl Smith described Kakhib as a 'stunning abandoned village that appears to be utterly disguised in the cliffside' Ghostly presence: The grassy ruins of Kakhib loom above more modern dwellings below Smith said the rock houses and watchtowers in Kakhib are 'well camouflaged' amid the surrounding landscape She added: 'Unlike Machu Picchu, there were very few tourists at Gamsutl, and I have to say it was one of the nicest places I visited in the mountainous region.' The avid traveller also ventured to the abandoned village of Kakhib during her road trip through Dagestan. It is located around a two-hour drive from Gamsutl. She said the drive involved 'winding up and down sheer mountains and the scenery was a mix of Utah, Arizona, New Zealand and Morocco'. There is little information available about Kakhib, but Smith detailed it following her visit, writing: 'It is a stunning abandoned village that appears to be utterly disguised in the cliffside. 'The rock houses and watchtowers are well camouflaged and my photos dont do it justice. 'Our guide had never actually walked through the ruins as none of his tourists to this point were willing to do the walk it was only 15 minutes' strolling. 'We saw lower Kakhib, and then the neighbouring higher Kakhib which was stunning in the afternoon light, though you did have to watch your feet to avoid all the cow poop.' In between Gamsutl and Kakhib is another abandoned mountaintop village called Koroda, but Smith didn't manage to get there during her visit. In May 2018 German video news agency Ruptly captured some stunning drone footage of the uninhabited village of Koroda Koroda is located at 4,920ft (1,500m) above sea level and is surrounded by dramatic cliffs Ancient: Koroda was built between the third and fourth centuries AD Eerie corridors and walkways are still intact in Koroda, with some of the wooden doors also in place and firmly shut Like Kakhib, there is little information about Koroda. However, in May 2018 German video news agency Ruptly captured some stunning drone footage of the uninhabited village. An accompanying description with the aerial video notes that Koroda is located at around 4,920 feet (1,500m) above sea level and is surrounded by 'awe-inspiring Caucasus cliffs'. It adds that the village was 'built on the confluence of two mountain streams between the third and fourth centuries AD' and according to local records, 'during the Middle ages Koroda was bustling with life, but as the villagers moved to a new settlement, life in the village dwindled'. The drone footage captures Koroda's eerie arched corridors and walkways, with some of the wooden doors to dwellings still intact and closed shut. One viewer, Bob Mitchell, noted: 'Wow! What a location. Lovely old stonework. [It] should be preserved and restored. Great off-the-beaten-track tourist destination.' While JoJoMama added: 'Someone put a lot of work into this place! Just carrying the stones up there must have been a chore.' Dagestan was annexed by Russia in 1813 and became fully controlled by it in 1877. It became autonomous in 1921. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union it has been ravaged by attacks and fighting involving Islamic militants and criminal gangs. Tours are available, but it should be noted that the FCDO currently advises against all travel to Dagestan. Click here for more information. Former Gov. Tom Ridge wants voters to be prepared for what to expect on election night. Specifically, he said voters need to understand its very likely, if not probable, that the presidential race wont be decided on election night. In a news conference this week, Ridge said some states, including Pennsylvania, are going to need days, perhaps weeks, to count all the ballots, especially with so many being cast by mail. We should be prepared for Election Week or Election Month, Ridge said. There will be unprecedented delays. Ridge is hardly alone in predicting it will take days - or longer - to know if President Donald Trump wins re-election or Democratic nominee Joe Biden will head to the White House. Election officials in Pennsylvania and elsewhere say they expect the counting may go beyond Nov. 3. With the coronavirus pandemic, more voters will cast ballots by mail than ever before. It takes longer to process mail-in ballots, officials say. In the news conference this week, Ridge called on states around the country to allow election officials to begin processing the mail-in ballots before Election Day, so they can be counted more quickly. Pennsylvania is one of the key battleground states that could decide the presidential election, political analysts have said. The commonwealth offers 20 electoral votes, a big number toward the 270 needed to win the presidential election. So if Pennsylvanias count takes days, or weeks, the Keystone State will command the nations attention. A lot of eyes around this country are going to be on our state in Pennsylvania, Ridge said. The Pennsylvania Department of State, which oversees elections, acknowledges the counting may not be finished on Election Day. In the Pennsylvania primary, nearly 1.5 million people cast ballots by mail. With more people voting in the November election, officials are expecting a higher number of ballots cast by mail. There is no question that Pennsylvania counties are going to be counting a record volume of mail-in and absentee ballots in November, Wanda Murren, a state department spokeswoman, said in an email. The number of applications for mail ballots is already approaching the number of applications prior to the June 2 primary. What is most important, of course, is that all ballots are counted accurately, but we are also working on all fronts to make sure the ballots are also counted as quickly as possible. Still, based on the current restrictive circumstances of pre-canvassing of ballots not being permitted until Election Day, it is likely, especially in close races, that outcomes will not be known on election night, Murren said. Mail-in primary election ballots are processed May 28, 2020, at the Chester County Voter Services office in West Chester, Pa. Nearly 1.5 million cast ballots by mail in the June primary. Many more are expected to vote by mail in November.AP File Photo/Matt Rourke Be patient this year It isnt just the presidential election that may be unresolved. Close legislative contests across the country could be undecided on election night if states and counties have to tally mail-in ballots. Federal Election Commissioner Ellen Weintraub told CNN in August its possible the counting wont be finished on election night. Were all going to need to take a deep breath and be patient this year, because, you know, theres a substantial chance we are not going to know on election night what the results are, Weintraub told CNN. Possibly for the presidency, but maybe for many other races that are important to people, and thats OK. If it takes a little bit longer to count all the votes accurately, thats what we need to do in order to ensure that everyones vote counts. Twenty years ago, Americans had to wait several weeks before George W. Bush was declared the winner over Al Gore after a dispute over the vote count in Florida. More than a month after the election, Gore conceded the race in December 2000. While the Bush-Gore race isnt exactly ancient history, political analysts and experts expect many Americans will be anxious or angry if election night ends in a cliffhanger. Alison Dagnes, a professor of political science at Shippensburg University, said a delayed result shouldnt be considered a failure of election officials. Instead, it should reassure voters that election officials are aiming to get an accurate count. That should make everyone feel better but I think it will make everyone feel worse, Dagnes said. Even if we dont have a definitive answer on election night, our election system is legitimate, our election system is safe, She said. We just have to have patience. In order to get it right, we may have to wait. Suzanne Almeida, interim director of Common Cause Pennsylvania, said voters and political campaigns should be ready for the prospect of undecided contests at the end of election night. Its important for the public and candidates and advocates to be aware that a delay in results doesnt mean something bad has happened," Almeida said. "It means theyre working to get it right. The polling station at the Aldersgate Church in Hampden Twp. on primary election day in Pa. on June 2, 2020. Joe Hermitt | jhermitt@pennlive.com A culture shift This is the first year voting by mail has been widely available in Pennsylvania. Last year, Gov. Tom Wolf signed a law allowing voters to cast ballots by mail; the law had strong bipartisan support. Until this year, voters could only request absentee ballots and had to explain why they couldnt get to the polls. Now, Pennsylvania voters can cast their ballots by mail simply because thats what they prefer. In the June primary, some counties were given several extra days to tally mail-in ballots, due to the pandemic and protests in some parts of the state. Some legislative contests werent decided for days. This is really a culture shift for Pennsylvania," Almeida said. "Until this year, we had election night results. We are used to getting that immediate bump and knowing quickly. It wont be like that. The first mail-in ballots in Pennsylvania are scheduled to be sent to voters later this month. With the U.S. Postal Service experiencing delays, Almeida urges voters to return the ballots with plenty of time before the election. Like other political analysts, Dagnes said voting by mail has proven to be secure. But she said Trumps continued dismissal of mail-in ballots as fraudulent can undermine voters' confidence in the integrity of elections. Mail-in balloting is very, very safe, she said. Mail-in ballots are easy to track. Ridge, a lifelong Republican and the first secretary of homeland security, also vouched for the security of mail-in voting. A leader of the bipartisan group, VoteSafe, Ridge is urging election officials across the country to do what is necessary to enable voters to cast ballots by mail or in person. Scores of lawsuits have been filed in Pennsylvania and other states over the management of the election. Lawsuits have focused on procedures to allow mail-in voting, pre-canvassing, the use of dropboxes for mail-in ballots and processes over signature verification for ballots cast by mail. There are 233 legal cases pending in 44 states, DC and Puerto Rico about elections and balloting, Dagnes said. Both the Trump campaign and Biden campaign are throwing an awful lot of lawyers at this. Ridge and other election officials say counties should get extra time before the election to remove the mail-in ballots from envelopes and verify signatures. That way, counties could begin counting those ballots more quickly on Election Day. Pennsylvania is one of only seven states that doesnt allow counties to process ballots cast by mail before the election, Ridge said. Wolf and lawmakers seem to agree on the idea of processing of mail-in ballots before the election but have differed on when officials should begin. The Democratic governor would like counties to be able to begin pre-canvassing the mail-in ballots 21 days before the election. Senate Republican leaders propose three days. The governor is also pushing for the state to count ballots cast by mail up until three days after the election, as long as they are postmarked by Election Day. Some lawmakers are opposed to that idea. While the governor is pushing for legislative approval, the Wolf administration has petitioned the state Supreme Court to allow an extra three days of counting after the polls close. Counties learned some lessons from the primary, state officials say. Some counties are getting better equipment to process ballots, Murren said. And state officials are advising counties on dealing with the anticipated influx of mail-in ballots. Still, even if counties and states do everything right, they may need more than one night to determine the winner of the presidential election and close legislative contests. We might know on election night, Dagnes said. Im just not counting on it. More from PennLive Pa. House set to vote on a GOP-crafted election bill that a Democratic member called red meat nonsense Pa.'s Senate GOP leaders propose an earlier cut-off date for voters to request a mail-in ballot Bipartisan group of former govs, others team up to remind Pa. voters of their safe voting options Pa. sued over rejection of mail-in ballots due to problems with signatures Justice Minister Lee Kwi-nam speaks to pedophile rapist Cho Doo-soon at Cheongsong Prison, in this March 16, 2010 file photo. Cho was sentenced to 12 years in prison for raping a girl, 8, in December 2008 in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province. Korea Times file By Bahk Eun-ji Concerns are growing over the upcoming release of convicted child rapist Cho Doo-soon in December, whose violent rape of an eight-year-old girl in 2008 shocked the nation. With 18 previous criminal convictions, Cho, 68, was sentenced to 12 years in prison in 2008 for kidnapping and violently raping the child in a public washroom in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province. Cho left the victim unconscious, with her head under running water. The eight-year-old girl survived but the attack was so brutal that she suffered permanent internal damage. In a psychological counseling interview at Ansan Probation Center conducted in July, Cho said "I am fully aware of what I did and how my actions are viewed in this society. I'll put up with all the condemnation." He is also reported to have apologized to the victim, according to the Ministry of Justice, Thursday. Cho said he plans to return to Ansan after being released from prison. The city is where Cho lived before his imprisonment, and his wife is known to live there, too. However, he did not elaborate on what he plans to do after he is released from prison. Starting with a preliminary interview in July, the Ansan probation office plans to provide specialized education programs to prevent Cho from reoffending. The justice ministry provides a 150-hour, six-month special course providing psychological treatment for high-risk offenders who commit sexual violence. The process is intended to prevent criminals from repeating crimes by identifying the causes of their crimes and correcting their distorted percetions. In order to strengthen management and supervision of Cho, the justice ministry said it plans to increase the number of supervisors at the Ansan probation office from two to four. As Cho's 12-year prison term comes to an end this year, there have been growing calls to keep him in prison. A number of petitions have been posted on the presidential office's homepage since 2017, asking Cheong Wa Dae to prevent his release. One posted in 2017 has garnered more than 600,000 signatures to date. The public widely denounced the sentence for Cho as being too lenient. Some angry internet users expressed their concerns and fears ahead of his release. "I couldn't sleep for two days when I first heard about his crime on the news. As a mother of two daughters, I'm so worried about his release," an internet user wrote on an online community at a portal site. Another user said, "I can't believe psychological counselling is the only solution the government can offer before his release. Stricter punishment is required for such sex offenders." German Economy Minister Peter Altmaier wearing a face mask presents the government's updated economic outlook for 2020 in Berlin, Germany, September 1, 2020. Photo: Reuters/Hannibal Hanschke Europes largest economy has been showing positive signs of recovery from the pandemic but optimism is not high for 2021. This week, the German government slashed its tax revenue forecast for next year and has committed to additional borrowing in 2021. Meanwhile, Finance minister Olaf Scholz told Reuters that the economy wont return to pre-crisis levels until the start of 2022. The finance ministry said on Thursday (10 September) that it expects overall tax income of 772.9bn (716bn, $916bn) in 2021, almost 20bn less than its previous estimate. We cant save our way out of the crisis, finance minister Olaf Scholz said, noting that the tax revenue drop was related to the governments stimulus spending. However, he added that there are many signs that the worst is behind us. His words echo those of economy minister Peter Altmaier, who said last week that in comparison with many other European industrial countriesthink of Great Britain where the recession was twice as bad as in Germany... we have succeeded in preserving the substance of our economy and keeping jobs. READ MORE: Germany predicts better-than-expected 2020 GDP German GDP contracted by 9.7% in the second quarter of 2020, compared with the same period in 2019. However, the government recently revised its forecast for 2020 to a decline of 5.8%, a more optimistic outlook than the previous forecast for a 6.3% contraction. The latest revision puts the 2020 GDP almost on par with the 5.7% GDP contraction in 2009, at the height of the financial crisis. The recession in the first half of the year was less severe than we had feared, Altmaier said. Post-lockdown recovery is going faster and more dynamically than we dared hope, he added. However, Berlin is more pessimistic about 2021, forecasting growth of just 4.4%, down from its previous expectation of 5.2%. Output in the manufacturing sector increased for the third consecutive month in July, its 1.2% rise was much lower than the May and June surges. Story continues The improved mood among companies and the reduction in short-time work suggest that the recovery process will continue in the coming months, although it may take some time, the federal economics ministry said. Automotive sector struggling The car sector saw a 7% output increase in July, but is still 15% under its pre-pandemic level. The German Economic Institute warned that the car industry is not the growth engine of the German economy in its current ailing state. While the government has earmarked billions to support the car industry, which employs around 900,000 people, the focus of that support is on technology, the switch to green mobility, and buyer premiums on electric cars. READ MORE: German car chiefs demand more aid amid COVID-19 slump To the dismay of automotive chiefs, who are battling over-capacity and anxious for demand to pick up, Berlin has so far not agreed to fund buyer premiums on petrol and diesel cars. Politicians and industry bodies are warning of mass job layoffs in the automotive sector. Already pre-pandemic, the car industry was suffering, and planning job cuts as part of overall cost-cutting plans. On Friday, Volkswagen-controlled lorry maker MAN announced it will cut up to 9,500 jobs. Audi (NSU.DE) plans to axe 9,500 jobs in Germany between now and 2025, while rival Daimler (DAI.DE) announced in November 2019 that it would cut around 10,000 jobs worldwide by 2025 as part of its cost-saving strategy. BMW (BMW.DE) also plans to get rid of some 6,000 jobs. Like most of its EU neighbours, the country is also experiencing a second wave in COVID-19 cases although the death toll, at around 9,300 is significantly lower than in Spain, France, Italy, and the UK. While a repeat of the nationwide lockdown is highly unlikely, a second surge in infections has stoked concerns about the damage that potential small or local lockdowns or the consumer insecurity will do to their business in the second half of the year. Borrowing to cushion the blow Meanwhile, the German government is spending billions to try and lessen the impact of the pandemic on its companies and their staff. After lifting its constitutional debt brake earlier this year to fund the multi-billion-euro stimulus plan it will borrow around 218bn this year Scholz said this week that the government will need to take on more debt in 2021 as well. A key part of Germanys stimulus effort is the Kurzarbeit short-hours work program, which it will now extend until the end of 2021. The scheme was credited with helping Germany recover after the financial crisis, as it avoids mass layoffs and helps companies ramp up once the economy improves. The Ifo institute said that the number of companies still reliant on the furlough program had dropped to 37% in August, from 42% in July. The industrial sector is still heavily dependent on the scheme, however, with 80% of metal producers still on short-time hours, and 65% of companies in the automotive industry. Germanys labour bureau reported a slight increase in the unemployment rate in August, to 6.4%, from 6.3 % the month before. But, it noted that unemployment normally rises slightly in August, and the uptick was not related to the coronavirus pandemic. Kolkata: A car accident claimed the life of Kolkata Polices first woman officer-in-charge, Debashree Chatterjee and two other officers, her driver and her official guard. Chatterjee was presently posted as CO 12th Battalion. The vehicle in which Armed Battalion Commandant Deboshree Chatterjee, her bodyguard Tapas Burman, and driver Manoj Saha were travelling in rammed into a stationary truck loaded with sand on the National Highway-2 on Friday morning. Confirming the news, a senior official of West Bengal Police said, "Debashree Chatterjee, CO 12th Battalion met with an accident on her way to Kolkata on Durgapur expressway at Hodla under Daddur PS limits in Hooghly district of West Bengal. When all three were rushed to the IB Sadar Hospital after the accident, the attending doctor declared all of them dead. According to eyewitnesses, the official vehicle`s driver was allegedly speeding when it hit the truck. Officials of Hooghly district police said the driver may have lost control after dozing off on the wheel, as per a report by PTI. During her 32-year-long service, Chatterjee headed the Cyber Cell and Women Grievance Cell in the Detective Department of Kolkata Police and was commended for her work. She was the first woman officer-in-charge posted in Kolkata Police. She took over as the officer-in-charge of North Port police station in 2010. Meanwhile, senior officials - DIG Traffic, West Bengal and SP of Hooghly district has rushed to spot to investigate the cause of the accident. A post mortem will be conducted on all three bodies today. One officer choked, slapped, and slammed a 12-year-old Black girl, whom he also insulted with an ugly racial slur, according to allegations contained in a legal filing. After being involved in another, unrelated incident where he was accused of racism, he lost his job, only to win it back after an appeal. He remains a member of the police department in Aurora, a suburb of Denver. Also on the Aurora police force is the officer who in 2003 killed Jamaal Bonner, an unarmed Black man. And the officers who in 2010 violently confronted Rickey Burrell, a Black man who was having a seizure. The department eventually settled a lawsuit filed by Burrell, who accused officers of fracturing his wrist and injuring his back. The Aurora Police Department has recently been in the news for what happened on Aug. 24, 2019, when three of its officers tried to arrest Elijah McClain, a 23-year-old Black man who was walking home from a grocery store. The officers choked and then restrained McClain, ignoring his cries of distress. Emergency responders injected him with ketamine instead of offering medical help, which McClain desperately needed and would not get in time. He suffered cardiac arrest and died two days later. Elijah McClain in a hospital bed. (Change.org) Auroras persistent racist brutality is so widespread that it has been very difficult to catalog all of the examples, says Mari Newman, a civil rights attorney who is representing the McClain family. Though she has represented them from the start, only now has the case attracted the kind of national attention that could lead to justice. Eight years ago, Aurora was the focus of national sympathy after a gunman killed 12 people at a midnight film showing. The site of the massacre was 3 miles due south from the spot where McClain was killed. At that time, Aurora became the symbol of a culture drenched in gun violence. Now it is a symbol again, this time of another culture out of control: suburban policing. Some progressives have held up suburbs as police-free zones, wondering why inner cities cannot enjoy similar circumstances. A lot of people cannot fathom what an abolitionist America looks like, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., recently said of the push to defund police departments and redirect money to social services. Tell them it looks like a suburb. Story continues Only it doesnt. The notion that policing is nonexistent in suburbs is inaccurate. The vast majority of killings by police occur in suburbs, not large cities, according to the news outlet FiveThirtyEight. In 2016, a study ranked the 100 biggest American cities on how frequently police officers use force; Aurora ranked eighth. Close behind were Anaheim, a suburb of Los Angeles, and Mesa, a suburb of Phoenix. The relentlessly scrutinized and criticized New York Police Department was near the bottom of the list. When you look at the numbers, there are about as many people killed in suburban areas alone as everywhere else combined. This is a huge issue, says Samuel Sinyangwe, co-founder of the Mapping Police Violence project and author of the FiveThirtyEight analysis. Big cities tend to be more progressive, politically, Sinyangwe added. While rates are going down in big cities, theyre actually going up everywhere else. ACLU Colorado In 2018, the Better Government Association and public radio affiliate WBEZ examined 113 officer-involved shootings in the Chicago suburbs over the previous 15 years. They found that officers were not disciplined in any of those instances. In fact, some of the suburban officers saw careers flourish after being involved in a controversial shooting, the multipart investigation found. The majority of the 113 people those officers shot were Black. This is a story that plays out regularly on suburban streets and in suburban counties across the nation. But because most police stops, even violent ones, dont result in killings let alone killings like McClains that become a national cause taken up by celebrities the crisis of suburban policing has gone largely unexamined. Nobody reports on its, nobody covers it, says DeRay Mckesson, the prominent racial justice activist affiliated with Black Lives Matter. Mckesson grew up in Catonsville, Md., just over the Baltimore city line. He watched reporters swoop in for the civil unrest following the 2015 killing of Freddie Gray, an unarmed Black man, at the hands of city police officers. Most of those reporters moved on, forgetting about Baltimore. Mckesson wishes they had stayed, in particular to cover the use of force by the county police department, which has jurisdiction over Baltimores suburbs. Last year the county department was sued by the Trump administration for racist hiring practices. The move received some coverage, but nothing like the sustained reporting that followed the murder of Gray. Trump has used fear of racial justice protesters to make suburban safety a campaign issue, deploying racialized language and imagery to suggest that white people living in the suburbs would be unsafe if Joe Biden, the former vice president, were to win Novembers election. He has even said that Biden wants to destroy our suburbs, presumably a reference to defunding the police (which Biden does not support) and fair housing legislation (which Biden does). Aurora is a case study in how the suburbs have changed over the years while suburban police departments have not. In some ways, those departments share Trumps vision of the suburbs more readily than do many suburban residents themselves. Suburban police departments tend to take much more of a law-and-order kind of approach relative to their urban counterparts, says Rebecca Neusteter, a scholar of policing at the University of Chicago. Arrests in cities have gone down significantly over time, at least in some categories, whereas that has not been the case in some suburbs. And while suburbs have experienced rapid diversification in recent years, that change has not been uniformly welcomed. In some places, aggressive policing is not only tolerated but also actively endorsed, even as major cities like Minneapolis and Seattle call for radical reimagination of law enforcement. Neusteter describes a public hearing in a Washington, D.C., suburb at which a member of the public asked a police chief why they dont use force more. The suburbs are a place instantly recognizable but not easily defined. That makes it difficult to say what makes a suburban police department, a problem compounded by the fact that some suburbs are policed by countywide departments that answer to an elected sheriff. Although no standard definition exists, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation there are 7,001 suburban police departments in the nation, out of a total 13,128 local departments. The FBI defines suburbs as cities with fewer than 50,000 people, though its calculation also includes county departments within large metropolitan areas. Elijah McClain playing violin. (Family handout) It can take a killing like that of McClain to focus attention on a department that has deployed overly aggressive policing against people of color, according to civil libertarians and activists in the Denver area. And they have done so, those critics maintain, with what amounts to complete immunity. The Colorado chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union filed a legal brief against the department in July just as Colorado was opening a new investigation into the McClain killing alleging on behalf of a different plaintiff that Aurora maintained an explicitly unconstitutional biased-based policing policy that allowed officers to use race as a motivating factor in policing decisions. An analysis of police activity in Aurora by criminologist Lance Kaufman conducted earlier this year found that African-Americans were 5.5 times more likely than other people to have Aurora Police Department officers use force against them. They were 1.4 times more likely to be shot with a Taser, but were 16 times less likely than other races to injure a police officer during an arrest. That last finding, Kaufman wrote in his analysis, was statistically significant at an extremely high level, proving that not only did Aurora cops use force more frequently against Black people, but that the use of force appears to be less frequently justified in those cases than in confrontations with any other group. In 2015, for example, OyZhana Williams was shoved to the ground and tackled because shed dropped car keys to the ground instead of handing them over to police officers, who had engaged in a tense encounter with her in a hospital parking lot. During a 2017 welfare check, Aurora police officers hog-tied Vanessa Peoples, a Black woman in her 20s, so tightly that they dislocated her shoulder, according to the Colorado ACLU filing. OyZhana Williams being attacked by police in 2015. (Frank & Salahuddin LLC) Those complaints point to concerns long predating the McClain killing. In 2005, an Aurora officer shot and killed Naeschylus Carter-Vinzant for allegedly violating the terms of his parole. In 2009, an Aurora officer kicked Carla Meza in the head, breaking a facial bone. That officer was fired but managed to win back his job. The Colorado ACLU says all of these incidents in which the victims were all people of color and the McClain killing constitute a disturbing pattern of the Aurora Police Department using force against people of color that would not be used against similarly situated white arrestees. Auroras most notorious arrestee is James Holmes, a white man responsible for the 2012 movie theater shooting. He was apprehended by the Aurora Police Department without the use of force and is currently in federal prison. The unjustified killing of Elijah McClain by Aurora police is part of an ugly and long-standing pattern of racially biased policing in that city. In case after case after case, Aurora police unnecessarily escalate tension, fear and violence when interacting with people of color, says Mark Silverstein, director of the Colorado ACLU. The tragic result is that in one of Colorados most racially diverse cities, people of color, especially Black people, feel threatened when interacting with the city officials whose job is to protect them and ensure their safety, Silverstein says. But whose safety are suburban police supposed to ensure? That question, of course, brings up another, more fundamental one: Who are the suburbs for? Since the 1950s, when they were created to accommodate the postwar population growth, the suburbs have been idealized by white populations, says Andrea Boyles, a sociologist and author of Race, Place, and Suburban Policing: Too Close for Comfort. The continuing arrival in major Northern cities of Black people from the South only accelerated that shift, known as white flight. Then the civil unrest that shook many cities in the late 1960s all but completed the suburbanization of white America. This is exactly what happened to Denver and Aurora, just as it did to Los Angeles and the San Fernando Valley, Chicago and Cook County and many other metropolitan areas where increasingly neglected city centers came to be surrounded by wealthy, white suburbs with safe neighborhoods, good schools and plenty of green space. Racist practices sanctioned by federal housing statutes made sure the initial home buyers were white. (Though racial covenants are a thing of the past, some of the racist practices still exist in vestigial form: Westchester, N.Y., has continued to grapple with allegations of discriminatory real estate practices into the 21st century.) African-Americans settled in a part of Denver called Five Points, a thriving community nicknamed the Harlem of the West in the 1920s. Martin Luther King came to speak in Denver in 1967, a year before he was assassinated. Although the city did not explode in the kinds of unrest that the nation witnessed in Newark and Detroit, televised images of burning buildings and federal troops on American streets hastened the shift of white populations to the suburbs. The Five Points area of Denver. (John Leyba/The Denver Post via Getty Images) No place was better positioned to take advantage of that shift than Aurora, which annexed land and built housing throughout the 1970s to welcome families fleeing the big city next door. As across much of the West, vast tracts of open land practically begged for development. One mall arose in 1971, another four years later. By 1980, Aurora was recognized as the fastest growing city in the United States, according to a city history. Ten years later, the citys population was approaching a quarter-million people. That population was, at the time, overwhelmingly white. But that started to change in the aughts, as middle-class Black families and young Black professionals looked to escape cities. Every time a friend of mine calls to say they are moving to Denver, I tell them about Aurora, a Black native of Denver named Ryan Ross told the Denver Post in 2012. The newspaper noted that between 2000 and 2010 there were 14,000 new Black residents in Aurora, representing the largest such increase in the state. This phenomenon, known as Black flight, accompanied a return of whites to cities their parents or grandparents had fled. So while Washington, D.C., lost its Black majority in 2011, the suburbs of adjacent Prince Georges County came to be known as the citys Ward 9 (the district has eight wards, with Wards 7 and 8 being home to the preponderance of Black residents). Latinos also moved to the suburbs near places like Chicago. Elijah McClains mother, Sheneen, was among those who moved her family to the suburbs, out of a hope that it would be safer, says family attorney Newman. She was concerned about gang violence in Denver. Sheneen McClain during a rally and march June 27 outside the Aurora, Colo., police department over the death of her son Elijah. (David Zalubowski/AP Photo) Communities that had been white for two or three generations suddenly saw an influx of people of color. White comfort seems to be prevalent, says Boyles, when Black folks are situated in the inner city. This was especially true as crime rose in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The reasons for that rise were complex, but the media often explained it as having resulted from the trade in crystallized cocaine, or crack. The drugs inner-city purveyors were seen in the popular media as wanting to exploit white suburbanites for profit. That perception likely increased fears of African-American families like the McClains fleeing those very inner-city neighborhoods for the suburbs. A 1994 report from the Department of Justice described a seemingly dire state of affairs: Many urban communities are experiencing serious problems with illegal drugs, gang violence, murders, muggings, and burglaries. Suburban and rural communities have not escaped unscathed. They are also noting increases in crime and disorder. By that time, crime was actually declining in most major American cities, having peaked in either 1990 or 1991 across the nation. But like his Republican predecessors, President Bill Clinton wanted to project a tough-on-crime attitude, which he needed to win centrist support for his 1996 reelection bid. That imperative became especially urgent after the Republican rout during the 1994 midterms. In the Senate, a comprehensive anti-crime bill was crafted by a skilled dealmaker who had long made successful overtures to the chambers conservatives: Joe Biden. The 1994 Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act sought to punish both violent and drug-related offenses more severely. Critics also say that it led to the mass incarceration of Black men. Stephen Sposato, center, whose wife was killed when a gunman invaded the San Francisco law firm where she worked, and Marc Klass, right, whose daughter was kidnapped and killed, look on after President Bill Clinton signs the $30 billion crime bill in 1994. (Dennis Cook/AP Photo) A quarter century later, that vision of policing persists largely untouched, which is why the last two Democratic nominees for president have been hounded by the legacy of the 1994 crime bill. Only very recently have activists, reformers and politicians offered a new vision of criminal justice that has backing outside the usual precincts of the left. But what reform will actually look like defunding the police, abolishing police departments altogether, devoting more money to community organizations when it arrives in Washington, as it inevitably will someday soon, nobody yet knows. At the very least, both McClains killing and Trumps invectives about criminals coming for housewives have led the nation to think more deeply than it has for a long while about what cities are, and what suburbs are, and what it means for someone to truly belong somewhere. McClain seemed to belong in the suburbs. But on an August night last year, that came to count for nothing. Even as Black people entered the suburbs, they did not necessarily attain the power to dictate decisions on the local level. In particular, local government remained a stronghold for whites, says Rayshawn Ray, a Brookings Institution fellow. Elected leaders, in turn, usually appoint fire and police chiefs, as well as other municipal officials. That means that even as some suburbs became more diverse, those suburbs power structures mostly remained white. That became apparent after teenager Michael Brown was killed by a police officer in Ferguson, Mo., in 2014. In Ferguson, like in many other St. Louis suburbs, growing Black populations did not lead to growing Black representation in government. Longtime white residents have consolidated power, continuing to dominate the City Councils and school boards despite sweeping demographic change. They have retained control of patronage jobs and municipal contracts awarded to allies, wrote former Missouri state Sen. Jeff Smith in the New York Times, describing what was happening in Ferguson but also, as he noted, in suburbs all over the country. This filtered down to interactions between individual Black residents of Ferguson and members of the police force who were supposed to protect them. The Ferguson Police Department used traffic stops to essentially turn minor infractions into a major revenue source. Ferguson police officers from all ranks told us that revenue generation is stressed heavily within the police department, and that the message comes from City leadership, a 2015 Department of Justice report on policing practices in Ferguson found, even as it declined to press charges against the officer who killed Brown. It wasnt just traffic stops, either. In her book on the largely Black suburbs to the north and west of St. Louis, the sociologist Jodi Rios cataloged infractions for which Black residents of those suburbs might incur a visit from the police: the number of people around their barbecues, the types of music they listen to, the coordination of their curtains, the way they wear their pants, where they play basketball, how they paint their backdoors, where their children leave their toys, who spends the night at their houses, who parks a car in their driveways, and how they use their front porches. Rios goes on to argue that cumulatively, this has led to what many residents express as a lifetime of indebtedness and fear, and a feeling of being trapped in a place they do not have the means to leave. The promise of suburban living, in other words, was never extended fully to many Black families who had been captivated by that very promise. Aurora, Colo., police in riot gear during a June 27 protest over the death of Elijah McClain. (Andy Cross/The Denver Post via Getty Images) What was true in St. Louis was true elsewhere in America, and even if the specific practices were different, a pattern was plainly at work in the suburbs, one that was made worse by the gap between the demographics of police forces and the populations being policed. Mckesson, the Black Lives Matter activist, says an unhelpful public narrative cast the suburbs as havens of safety that only someone from elsewhere could disturb. The only danger is coming from outside, Mckesson says of that narrative. Police officers, in this Trumpian version of events, are working only to keep malevolent influences at bay. The public narrative is that they are not the issue, says Mckesson. The killing of McClain has challenged that belief, calling into question whether police departments as white as Auroras are effective in working with populations that are no longer uniformly white. A 2016 analysis by Brookings scholars Alan Berube and Natalie Holmes looked at the racial composition of 122 suburban communities around the country. Most secondary city and suburban police departments, it turns out, exhibit even larger diversity gaps than their nearby big cities, Berube and Holmes found. That lack of diversity has real-world effects. In Prince Georges County, Md., Black police officers alleged in a 2018 lawsuit that the county department had a persistent problem of officers who engage in racist conduct (including abusive police practices), both towards Officers and Civilians of Color. That same year, the sheriff of Bergen County, which encompasses the wealthy suburbs of New Jersey, right across the Hudson River from Manhattan, resigned after he was found to have made racist statements. Police can easily come to a point where they have very little self-awareness, says Brandon del Pozo, who was a precinct commander in New York and later served as the police chief in Burlington, Vt., and has written frequently on police reform. Theyre really insulated from a lot of accountability. He cites the lack of media attention as a problem. Everyones hounding the NYPD for its data, he says, but few journalists show a similar interest in numbers for suburban police departments. Who is watching what they are doing? Elijah McClain could have been forgotten but wasnt. His plight resurfaced on the internet during the protests that followed the killing of George Floyd in late May. More than 5 million people have signed a petition calling for justice. That call has also been taken up online, as well as by politicians. In an essay published after his death, civil rights icon and longtime Georgia congressman John Lewis called McClain a gifted violinist. At the U.S. Open earlier this week, tennis phenom Naomi Osaka wore a face mask emblazoned with McClains name. Police in Aurora have responded to recent protests over the McClain killing by violently disrupting a peaceful demonstration at which several people played the violin. Three officers have been fired from the force in connection with mocking photographs taken at the site where McClain died. One of those officers, Jason Rosenblatt, had been involved in the attempt to apprehend McClain. The infraction that caused him to lose his job was responding to the offensive photograph over email with a ha ha. Aurora, Colo., police officers clash with demonstrators during a protest over the death of Elijah McClain, June 27. (Andy Cross/The Denver Post via Getty Images) Interim Police Chief Vanessa Wilson apologized for the photo, calling it a crime against humanity. Several weeks later, her officers stopped a car with five Black women. Guns drawn, the officers handcuffed them and ordered them onto the pavement. The officers believed the car was stolen. It had not been. Wilson promised an investigation. Her office did not respond to a request for comment for this article. Neither did that of the citys mayor, Mike Coffman. There are now five federal and state investigations into McClains killing and the Aurora Police Department. Late last month, McClains family sued 13 officers involved in the arrest, as well as a paramedic, a doctor and the city of Aurora itself. The suit charges that McClain was terrorized by a policing department that permits and encourages a culture of racial violence. This is a department that needs to be rebuilt from the ground up, says Newman, the McClain family attorney. The culture is rotten to the core. The text of the lawsuit she has filed against the Aurora Police Department opens with McClains final words, which were captured on the responding officers body cameras: I cant breathe. I cant breathe, please. I cant. I cant breathe. I cant breathe, please stop." Cover thumbnail photo: Rich Fury/Getty Images _____ Read more from Yahoo News: Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler announced Thursday a closure of all city-owned outdoor spaces such as parks, including forested areas. The closure remains in effect through Sept. 24, unless otherwise modified. Tualatin Hills Park and Recreation District has closed all outdoor spaces through Monday, Sept. 14. This includes parks, trails and natural areas. All outdoor programs and athletic field reservations are also canceled. The following state parks are closed to all visitors until further notice or unless otherwise noted: Silver Falls State Park near Silverton Detroit Lake campground and Mongold day-use area near Detroit North Santiam State Park near Mehama Collier Memorial State Park near Klamath Falls, closed the remainder of September, which is when its normal camping season ends All state parks and boat ramps on Fall Creek Reservoir including Winberry day-use area, North Shore day-use area and Cascara campground are closed until further notice. Its best not to visit any state parks until conditions improve, Oregon Parks and Recreations District Associate Director Chris Havel said Tuesday. If you do travel to a park, or anywhere else for that matter, give space to emergency personnel and be prepared for unexpected closures. Bureau of Land Management Northwest Oregon District has temporarily closed all recreation sites and certain roads through Sept. 15. All BLM-developed campgrounds in northwestern Oregon are closed to the public, and dispersed camping is prohibited. Members of the public may not enter closed recreation areas. This temporary closure covers the northwestern part of the state, west of the Cascade Range and north from Cottage Grove to the Columbia River. As of Friday, all BLM-administered land within the Northwest Oregon District east of Interstate 5 is closed to the public. Oregon state forestlands in Lane, Douglas, Coos, Jackson, Josephine, and Klamath counties are closed to public entry and use until further notice. A recent release estimated the closures would last at least until Sept. 13. The closure includes the Gilchrist and Sun Pass state forests in Klamath County. Crater Lake National Park is closed. For a complete list of USDA Forest Service closures, check this website: fs.usda.gov. Full closure orders are in effect on the Mt. Hood, Siuslaw, and Willamette National Forests. Large area closure orders are in place on the Deschutes, Fremont-Winema, Gifford Pinchot, Rogue River-Siskiyou, and Umpqua National Forests, as well as the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. All lands managed by the Oregon Department of Forestry are closed to public use. Among those areas are the Tillamook, Clatsop and Santiam state forests and other ODF-managed forestlands in Lane, Douglas, Coos, Jackson, Josephine, Klamath, Polk, Lincoln and Benton counties. The Siuslaw National Forest is temporarily closing to public access. This closure covers all national forest, coastal, and sand areas and includes the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area, Sand Lake, developed campgrounds, dispersed camping, day use areas, wilderness areas, and all forest roads and trails. Willamalane is closed due to hazardous air conditions. All facilities, parks, and trails closed until further notice. The area can not provide smoke respite shelters or any other programs at this time. The Oregon State Marine Board is urging boaters to stay off the water near areas where there are active fires. The agency asks boaters to do their part by staying out of harms way and wait to use waterways until outdoor conditions improve. Sheriffs office marine deputies are assisting with public safety and evacuation orders and need the assistance of boaters to stay well clear of active fires and bodies of water used for fire suppression efforts. According to a recent release, boaters can be cited for unsafe operation for interfering with these efforts. Fire chiefs, in conjunction with the Cowlitz County Fire Marshal, are banning all burning within the city limits of Kelso, Longview, Kalama and Castle Rock. The ban includes all recreational fires. PacifiCorp has closed all access to its properties in Southwest Washington Lewis River basin until further notice. The closure will remain in effect until the fire hazard conditions improve. For a complete list of recreation site closures and limited or reduced services in Oregon and Washington, go here: https://www.pacificorp.com/community/recreation.html. MEDICAL OHSU COVID-19 drive up testing: Both locations closed through Saturday. Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Center: Closed. All pharmacies will remain open. To check hours and availability of a pharmacy visit virginiagarcia.org/clinics-providers/ PeaceHealth Medical Group has closed most of its Eugene, Springfield, and Cottage Grove clinics through the weekend. Clinics that remain open are: Urgent Care at Gateway in Springfield and West Eugene Pediatrics at RiverBend Pavilion in Springfield and University District in Eugene New Patient Coordinator at University District Pediatric Cardiology and Surgery at RiverBend Pavilion SCHOOLS The Oregonian/OregonLive maintains and active page of notices of school closures and delays in the metro area. Check the most up-to-date information here: oregonlive.com/weather/page/oregon_school_closures. Gresham-Barlow Sch. Dist.: No school September 14-18 due to hazardous air quality and regional wildfires. First day of school is now set for Monday, September 21. Here are schools outside the main coverage area of the link above: Alsea Sch. Dist.: Alsea school closed for the rest of the week. Dallas Sch. Dist.: School closed Friday, no lunch/breakfast, no childcare. Elkton Sch. Dist.: Classes canceled Friday. K-3 in-person instruction begins Sept. 14. Students should resume their normal CDL schedule. Harrisburg Sch. Dist.: Closed. School will resume on Monday, Sept. 14. Oak Hill School: Closed. On-site orientations scheduled for Sept. 11-12 are canceled. Pleasant Hill Sch. Dist.: Closed due to power outage. Yoncalla Sch. Dist.: Closed. In person learning for K-3 canceled. Distance learning for grades 4-12 will continue online. BUSINESSES Oregon Zoo: Closed. Pre-purchased tickets will be automatically refunded on the card used. The City of Hillsboro: Utility Billing office and Municipal Court closed for the remainder of Friday, Sept. 11. Brookwood and Shute Park libraries closed Friday-Saturday, Sept. 11-12. Corvallis-Albany Farmers' Markets: Canceled for Sept. 13. Powells Books, Cedar Hills and Burnside: Closed. Due to air quality conditions, our Cedar Hills Crossing and Burnside locations will be closed to customers today. All store locations are continuing to offer curbside pickup. pic.twitter.com/Xu1UrdtDw3 Powell's Books (@Powells) September 11, 2020 Hillsdale Farmers' Market: The market for Sept. 13 is canceled due to unsafe air quality. Hollywood Farmers Market: Closed Saturday due to air quality. Lake Oswego Farmers Market: Closed Saturday due to air quality. Portland Farmers Markets: Portland State University market closed Saturday; Lents and King markets closed Sunday. Details. Washington County: All county facilities closed as of 10 a.m. Friday due to poor air quality. Washington Co. Circuit Court: Closing at 10 a.m. Clackamas County: Clackamas County offices and buildings remain closed due to being located in a Level 2 evacuation zone. For more information visit www.Clackamas.us Lake Oswego: City Hall closed. Clackamas Co. Circuit Court: Closed. Marion Co. Circuit Court: Closed. Oregon Appellate Courts, Tax Court, and State Court Admin. Office: There will be a partial closure order issued for the Appellate/Tax Courts and Office of the State Court Administrator(Salem) Friday. Remote public services will continue, but there will be no in-person services. EVENTS A virtual event to celebrate the 2020 Governors Arts Awards recipients is postponed due to Oregons current wildfire emergency. The Virtual Celebration was scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 12. A new date for the celebration will be set soon. PRISONS Two prisons are closed for visitors because they have been evacuated: Coffee Creek Correctional Facility in Wilsonville and the Oregon State Correctional Institution in Salem. Evacuated prisoners have been returned to two others: Santiam Correctional Institution and Mill Creek Correctional Institution. -- Rosemarie Stein/The Oregonian/Oregonlive.com Email at rstein@oregonian.com; 503-221-4376 Follow on Twitter @TrafficPortland UNICEF India has roped in youth icon and thought-leader, Ayushmann Khurrana, as its celebrity advocate for promoting rights #ForEveryChild. Ayushmann Khurrana will support UNICEF towards its work around ending violence against children. The youth icon will work towards this initiative in India and he joins the likes of David Beckham, who works on this campaign globally. Welcoming Ayushman Khurrana as a celebrity advocate for childrens rights, Dr. Yasmin Ali Haque, UNICEF Representative in India said, I am delighted to welcome Ayushmann Khurrana as a UNICEF celebrity advocate. Hes an actor who challenges the boundary of every role he plays. He will bring a sensitivity, passion and a powerful voice for every child, with a specific focus towards ending violence against children. Ayushmanns support will help increase awareness about this important issue, especially now with Covid-19 heightening the risk of violence and abuse against children due to the extended lockdown and the socio-economic impacts of the pandemic. Also read: Kardashians likely to sign deal with Netflix, Apple or Amazon soon: Report Also read: Akshay Kumar teaches Bear Grylls Hindi in Instagram Live Ayushmann Khurrana, actor, said, I am very pleased to partner with UNICEF as a celebrity advocate. I believe that everyone deserves the best start in life. As I watch my children play in the safety and happiness of our home, I think about all the children who never get to experience a safe childhood and grow up with violence at home or outside. With UNICEF, I look forward to supporting the rights of the most vulnerable children, so that they grow up as happier, healthier, educated citizens in nurturing environments free from violence. Also read: Bombay HC adjourns Kangana Ranauts plea against office demolition untill Sept 22 A U.S.-brokered agreement with Serbia and Kosovo ran into difficulty a week after it was signed, as Serb President Aleksandar Vucic raised questions over its implementation. While the core of the accord signed in Washington Sept. 4 is on "economic normalization" between the Balkan neighbors, it includes provisions committing Serbia to move its embassy in Israel and on 5G networks that could harm Serbia's close ties with China. In an 80-minute interview on Thursday evening, Vucic said that Serbia will follow through on its commitments but cast doubt on the timing and execution of the embassy plan. "We have to talk with Palestinians and with our Arab friends," he said on RTS television. "We have to see if Israel will recognize Kosovo and vice versa, we'll see if Palestine will recognize Kosovo." The agreement brokered by President Donald Trump, which has not been made public, includes provisions on transportation links, trade relations and energy. However, a copy seen by Bloomberg shows that it also carries political terms apparently unrelated to bilateral relations, including a commitment by Serbia to open a commercial and government office in Jerusalem on Sept. 20 and move its embassy to the city by July 1, 2021. That would follow the Trump administration's lead in shifting the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv after recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital, a move rejected by most other nations and the European Union. Kosovo is also to recognize Israel under the deal's terms, which may complicate its own efforts to increase the number of states that recognize it as an independent and sovereign nation. The accord places the Serb leader in a predicament on several fronts. Vucic has for years played a balancing act between Russia, China, the U.S. and European leaders including Germany's Angela Merkel. A deal that normalizes political ties is crucial for both Serbia and Kosovo to progress on the path toward EU membership, yet China and Russia back Serbia's opposition to Kosovo's independence. "Vucic is clearly maneuvering, changing main political partners as it suits him," Florian Bieber, the director of the center of South East European Studies at the University of Graz said Thursday. "Six months ago he was very tight with China, during the protests in Belgrade he was very European, and now he is American and against China." China has become one of the largest foreign investors in Serbia, which is part of President Xi Jinping's Belt and Road Initiative. But the deal commits both parties to "prohibit the use of 5G equipment supplied by untrusted vendors in their communications networks." That is standard language used by the Trump administration to refer to companies such as Huawei that it says has links to the Chinese Communist Party. Huawei denies any such links. Serbian Minister of Trade, Tourism and Telecommunications Rasim Ljajic told reporters last year that Serbia wants to join China on the "digital silk road," implementing 5G technology as soon as this year. Huawei is one of the major suppliers to state-owned Telekom Serbia, and the Chinese company is helping Belgrade's ambitions as a "smart city." "China has treated 5G decisions as litmus tests for their bilateral relationships, so it's not something that Vucic could pursue without serious ramifications," said Andrew Small, a senior transatlanic fellow at the German Marshall Fund of the United States' Asia program. Even so, the accord is "a general expression of intent using language plucked from other U.S. agreements, signed in a very rushed process." That leaves the Serb president wiggle room "to provide appropriate reassurances to the Chinese side," he said. Asked in the interview whether the agreement would create difficulties with China and its 5G technology, Vucic dismissed the question. "Where does it say China is a problem?" he said. Serbia came under pressure from the EU this week to drop out of a military drill with Russia and Belarus, then canceled all military operations with partners. Serbia refuses to recognize the sovereignty of Kosovo, which declared independence in 2008, nearly a decade after NATO forces drove out Serb forces from the territory. 'Buying Time' Vucic, who discussed the accord with Vladimir Putin this week, said the Russian president "shows respect for our situation." That's an improvement from last weekend, when a Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman apologized after she drew a rare public rebuke from Vucic for mocking him in a social media post when he signed the deal in Washington. In questioning aspects of the White House accord, Vucic is "buying time," said Bieber at Graz. "If Trump loses the election, the whole thing is off the agenda." Vucic made clear that Serbia will honor its obligations even if Trump loses to Democratic candidate Joe Biden on Nov. 3 -- a scenario he said he doesn't see happening. "I'm convinced Trump will win the election" despite the "tremendous campaign that is waged against him," he said. About 8 persons out of some 109 people arrested for allegedly obstructing a police operation in Madina Ritz Junction in Accra are set to face full rigours of the law. The police have pressed charges against these law breakers to face the court soon. This comes on the back of an attack by some residents of Ritz Junction on a team of police personnel providing security to a bailiff executing court order. After investigations by the police, eight out of the 109 arrested persons were alleged to have been part of those who disrupted the work of the police. Speaking to Citi News, the Public Relations Officer of the Greater Accra Regional Police, DSP Efia Tenge, said the eight persons were put before court for obstructing the work of the police. On the back of some obstructions which took place at Ritz junction on Monday, on Wednesday, the Regional Command mobilised again and went to the place where 109 persons were arrested for their involvement in obstructing the police in the said operation. Eight of them were found to have been involved in the said action. So they have been put before court this morning and the rest of them have been released. They were held for assault on a public officer and also obstructing the police officers in the discharge of their lawful duties. ---CitiNewsRoom Mumbai: After the huge success of 'Krishna and his Leela', actress Seerat Kapoor is on cloud 9. The actress received a warm response for her performance by fans and critics alike. The multi-talented actress has been waiting for the lockdown to open up to start with her work. The post-production of the film 'Maa Vintha Gadha Vinuma' is almost done. According to the sources, the actress Seerat Kapoor went to see the first look of the film and cannot contain her excitement, to share it with her fans. Seerat Kapoor is playing the role of a simple Vinitha, a typical, no-nonsense Andhra Telugu girl who is both disciplined and career-driven which is totally opposite of her role in 'Krishna and his Leela'. Heres a glimpse of her look in the film, playing a Tamilian: Seerat made her debut as an Actress in 2014 with 2 different Cinemas "Zid" in Bollywood and "Run Raja Run" in Tollywood. Post her grand debut in Indian Cinema, she has had an exceptional career in Tollywood with some blockbuster hits like Tigers (2015), Columbus (2015), Raju Gari Gadhi 2 (2017), Okka Kshanam ( 2017) and Touch Chesi Chudu (2018). Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-11 15:42:04|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Journalists work inside the reopened Colosseum in Rome, Italy, June 1, 2020. (Xinhua/Cheng Tingting) "We are convinced that a multilateral approach and dialogue with our partners are fundamental to coming out of this crisis," Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio said. "Italy needs international cooperation, not trade wars." ROME, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- Free trade and multilateralism are key to the recovery of Italy's exports in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, top politicians and economists said Thursday at the launch of a new report on the outlook for Italian trade in 2020-2023. The report, titled "Open (Again)" was published by SACE, which is Italy's export credit agency and wholly owned by Italy's state-owned investment bank Cassa Depositi e Prestiti (CDP). SACE works closely with and owns 76 percent of Simest, which is Italy's support agency for companies that want to export their products. "We need a more general return to open trade, because in the past three years especially, we have seen how certain trade tensions have generated uncertainties, which has also affected our exports," commented SACE Chief Economist Alessandro Terzulli. He was echoed by Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio, who said that "one of the fundamental messages of the (SACE) report is the maintenance of trade relations that are open and without barriers between the great powers." "We are convinced that a multilateral approach and dialogue with our partners are fundamental to coming out of this crisis," Di Maio said. "Italy needs international cooperation, not trade wars." A waiter serves clients at a restaurant in Bologna, Italy, May 18, 2020. (Photo by Gianni Schicchi/Xinhua) PANDEMIC SHOCK Terzulli went on to describe the "pandemic shock" from COVID-19 as "a foreshadowing of a global economy that is becoming more and more fragile while it is more and more interdependent and interconnected. And while these factors have a series of positive aspects, it clearly also exposes (the global economy) to certain fragilities." "One thing is certain: this pandemic shock emerged within a risk picture that was already overcrowded," Terzulli said. He added that "we are now facing a heterogeneous and uncertain picture, with some economies undergoing a slow recovery and entire geographical areas that are still trying to contain the spread of the infection." Under the first baseline scenario in which "the pandemic is stopped or significantly reduced by the end of the current year," Terzulli said they "expect Italian exports to drop by 11.3 percent in 2020, but to effect a speedy recovery in 2021, with exports growing by 9.3 percent, and continuing to grow by around 5 percent in 2022 and 2023." "In Asia in 2021 ... the economies that will recover the fastest from the 2020 (pandemic) shock are those that have managed the pandemic crisis faster or better than others," Terzulli added. Terzulli pointed to "the great speed of recovery of China," adding that Italian exporters should "consider important opportunities in South Korea and Japan, but also in countries such as Vietnam." The two more negative baseline scenarios are based on another lockdown, or on an extension of current restrictive measures, should the pandemic not be brought under control. "We must try to transform adversity into opportunity," said SACE President Rodolfo Errore. Economy and Finance Minister Roberto Gualtieri cited a new report by the ISTAT national statistics institute, showing that Italy's seasonally adjusted industrial output index grew by 7.4 percent in July compared to June, although it dropped by 8 percent in July compared to the same month of last year. These numbers "confirm that the recovery of productive activities after the March-April lockdown is significant" and therefore "a pretty strong case can be made that Italy's gross domestic product (GDP) will make a double-digit comeback in the third quarter," Gualtieri said. "We face challenging months ahead (and) international trade doubtless represents a crucial and strategic sector for the Italian economy," Gualtieri said, pointing out that the government has put in place significant financial measures to support Italy's export-oriented companies. A China-Europe freight train with 45 compartments of anti-epidemic supplies leaves Xinzhu Railway Station in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, on Aug. 12, 2020, to head for Italy's Milan. (Photo by Yuan Jingzhi/Xinhua) CHINA'S RECOVERY "Existing close trade relations with China will have an impact on growth in various economies, especially those in Southeast Asia, which are highly integrated into regional value chains and whose principal outlet market is (China)," the new SACE report said. SACE analysts wrote in the report, "the progressive recovery of the Chinese economy ... could guarantee them (meaning other Southeast Asian economies) a driver of recovery." As a consequence "this will reflect on Italian exports towards those markets, such as for example in the case of the Philippines and Myanmar, where our sales will contract by more than 20 percent in 2020, and in spite of a sound recovery expected next year (Italian exports to the Philippines and Myanmar) will not manage to return to pre-crisis levels before 2022," the report explained. "The contractions forecast for Italian exports towards (China's) Hong Kong and Indonesia are slightly under (20 percent), but in these cases the recovery next year will be more significant," the analysts wrote in reference to the Hong Kong and Indonesian economies. SACE added that "our exports towards Singapore and Thailand will largely return to 2019 levels in 2021, while in the case of Vietnam, they might even be surpassed." Shanghai (Gasgoo)- Chinese power battery giant CATL and automaker Chongqing Changan Automobile Co., Ltd. (Changan) recently signed an agreement for the long-term in-depth strategic cooperation on intelligent-connected EVs and smart energy ecosystem, CATL announced on September 9 via its WeChat account. Changan Automobile Company Limited (Changan) procured roughly 32.782 billion yuan ($4.789 billion) 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 ($380.161 million), recording an impressive surge from the year-ago loss of 2.24 billion yuan ($327.257 million). Changan said its profit for the first six months was greatly affected by non-recurring gains and losses. According to the company's semi-annual results, the increase in the price of shares in CATL controlled by Changan generated a net profit of 1.78 billion yuan ($260.053 million). Changan is firmly advancing the implementation of the "Beidou Tianshu" intelligence and "shangri-la" new energy strategies, in a bid to speed up its transformation from being a traditional automaker to being an intelligent mobility technology and service provider. (UNI-T, photo source: Changan Automobile) In the first half of 2020, Changan's "intelligent cockpit domain control system" was selected by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology as one of the "new generation of key tasks for artificial intelligence industry innovation". In March, the automaker proved the strength of Changan's level 3 self-driving technology by holding an experience event where the UNI-T SUVs handled all kinds of road conditions on public open roads. Besides, the core of the intelligent strategy of "Beidou Tianshu" global software center has been set up in Xiantao Data Valley, dedicated to building the largest software technology and mobile intelligent platform in China. Under Changan's new energy strategy, Benben E-star has substantially alleviated users' range and charging anxiety with a NEDC-rated range of 301km and 30 minutes DC fast charging speed. The prototype of Changan's first pure electric car with a carbon fiber body successfully came off the production line in April, which marked the important achievement of the new energy vehicle project and the national key research and development plan of the 13th five-year plan undertaken by Changan, the automaker said in its financial results. Actors Kim Min-hee, left, and Kim Sae-byuk in a scene from the film "The Woman Who Ran" / Courtesy of Jeonwonsa Film By Kwak Yeon-soo Director Hong Sang-soo's "The Woman Who Ran" is a situational tale of a bored married woman named Gam-hee (Kim Min-hee) who meets her three old friends over the course of three days while her husband is away on a business trip. As she travels alone for the first time in the five years since her marriage, Gam-hee explores new ways of seeing the world. She first visits Young-soon (Seo Young-hwa), who moved to a quiet town outside Seoul recently after a divorce. Over grilled meat and makgeolli, they catch up along with Young-soon's housemate Young-ji (Lee Eun-mi) until they are interrupted by a neighbor who wants Young-ji to stop feeding a stray cat on account of his wife's fear of the animal. Next, Gam-hee visits Su-young (Song Seon-mi), a pilates instructor who has a crush on her neighbor. This time, their conversation is interrupted by a stalker-like poet, who keeps returning to Su-young's flat after a one-night stand. And finally, Gam-hee visits an arthouse cinema and runs into Woo-jin (Kim Sae-byuk), who works there. Unlike the first two friends, Gam-hee feels uneasy about Woo-jin because her estranged friend is married to a popular novelist Gam-hee used to date. She later has an awkward encounter with the novelist (Kwon Hae-hyo) at the cinema. The story's simple and linear structure is stimulating, and the film does a good job of portraying how Gam-hee steps out of her comfort zone and finds personal independence through casual conversations with her old friends. Hong's static long takes and trademark zooms help audiences read the characters' thoughts and emotions. His naturalistic approach and appreciation of small moments, like the occasional zoom of mountains and neighborhoods, also showcase plenty of depth. Whether asked or not, Gam-hee continues to say she is lucky she married a man who thinks "people in love should always be together." However, encounters with three different independent women lead her to step back and reassess her life. However, there's one aspect of "The Woman Who Ran" that some may find rather frustrating the appearances of sad-sack men. As the film focuses on the interactions of the women, Hong avoids the male gaze and depicts men as fools this clearly differs from his previous works that are mostly told from a man's point of view. "The Woman Who Ran" is Hong's 24th feature film since debuting with "The Day a Pig Fell into the Well" in 1997. The film premiered at this year's Berlin International Film Festival before its local release. It has been met with international accolades and positive reviews, scooping up the Best Director Award at the 70th Berlinale and the Best Script Award at the 16th Bucharest International Film Festival. The film will hit local theaters Sept.17. Washington, D.C.--(Newsfile Corp. - September 11, 2020) - The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced that the court-appointed receiver has begun the final distribution to investors in connection with the SEC's action against defendants Paul Greenwood, Steven Walsh, and their affiliated WG Trading entities. Upon completion of this final distribution, over $1 billion will have been returned to affected investors, representing 100% of their net principal investments. The SEC charged Walsh, Greenwood, and their affiliated entities with orchestrating a brazen investment fraud involving the misappropriation of investor assets. The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission filed related charges against the defendants at the same time. The SEC obtained emergency relief and, ultimately, judgments against the defendants, and Walsh and Greenwood pleaded guilty in parallel criminal actions based on the same underlying conduct. The court-appointed receiver in this matter, Robb Evans & Associates, LLC, has made four previous distributions to injured investors: in December 2010, in April 2011, in April 2013, and in October 2015. This final distribution was approved by the court on Aug. 24, 2020. "This final distribution is a demonstration of the SEC's resolute commitment to protecting investors and seeking justice for victims of fraud," said SEC Enforcement Director Stephanie Avakian. "We are proud to join with our colleagues at the CFTC to announce this full return of investors' net principal investments." "This case serves as yet another example of the value of working with our law enforcement and regulatory partners to preserve the integrity of our markets and protect customers," added CFTC Division of Enforcement Director James McDonald. "In the end, the funds marshalled by the court-appointed receiver were enough to make the victims of this fraud whole and we are pleased to join the SEC in announcing this positive outcome." The SEC's litigation in this matter has been conducted by Paul Gizzi and Thomas P. Smith, Jr. of the New York Regional Office, and has been supervised by Sanjay Wadhwa. The SEC appreciates the assistance of U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the CFTC. Please register or log in to keep reading. No credit card required! Stay logged in to skip the surveys. Tristan Gooley has led expeditions on five continents. Hes the only living person to have flown solo and sailed single-handed across the Atlantic. Hes lived with nomadic tribes in some of the worlds wildest places. So whats he doing guiding me round his local woods, in this tame corner of the Home Counties? Because, as hes discovered, you can have just as many adventures in Britain as you can in Borneo, even here in the Sussex commuter belt, where he lives with his wife and their two teenage sons. Gooley is a natural navigator, someone who can find their way without manmade instruments, simply by following the sun and stars, the contours of the land and water. Hes rediscovered old skills our ancestors used to have, skills indigenous people still use today a way of life, a way of seeing, that most of us have long forsaken. Its 10 years since he published his first book, The Natural Navigator, and now his pioneering work has won him the Royal Institute of Navigations Gold Medal. His research straddles numerous genres, from astronomy to zoology, but by investigating the links between these genres hes helped to develop a hybrid discipline, a way of looking at the world which draws on what Germans call the Umwelt. Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) Dr VG Somani has ordered Serum Institute of India (SII) to suspend any new recruitment in Phase 2 and 3 clinical trials for the Oxford-AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine candidate till further notice. The direction comes close on the heels of SII's answer to a show-cause notice by the drug regulator asking why the clinical trials for the COVID-19 vaccine in question were not stopped even after patient safety concerns surfaced. The DCGI also asked Serum Institute to increase the safety monitoring of the test subjects vaccinated under the trials so far, and submit the plan and report, news agency PTI reported. The vaccine manufacturer has also been ordered to submit clearance from Data and Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB) in the UK and secure clearance from the DCGI's office in India before resuming recruitment in the trials in future. ALSO READ: Oxford coronavirus vaccine trials halted: What are other COVID-19 vaccines to watch out? Serum Institute is working with British-Swedish biopharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca and Oxford University for manufacturing the COVID-19 vaccine candidate AZD1222. The Pune-based company had started manufacturing the vaccine, targeting to use in India and 92 other countries upon completion of trials and regulatory clearances. In India, the vaccine was to be marketed under the brand name Covishield. The Indian drug controller had issued a show-cause notice to Serum Institute on September 9 for not informing it about AstraZeneca suspending the clinical trials of the Oxford vaccine candidate in other countries, and also for not submitting casualty analysis of the "reported serious adverse events". The British-Swedish biopharmaceutical major AstraZeneca put a pause on the COVID-19 trials after a UK patient fell ill. ALSO READ: Oxford COVID-19 vaccine: Still aiming for it by year-end, says AstraZeneca CEO AstraZeneca had described the pause as a "routine action", which must be done as part of the process in case of an "unexplained illness" in any of the participants. The company did not explain the nature of the illness. A New York Times report, however, attributed a person familiar with trials saying that one UK participant had 'transverse myelitis', an inflammation of the spinal cord which is normally caused by viral infections. It's not clear yet if this was in direct response to the vaccine. Serum Institute on Thursday said it has paused trials after the DCGI show-cause notice. The company stated it reviewing the situation for now. It had started trials among 1,600 volunteers at 17 centres, each with about 100 volunteers, on August 22. Serum Institute has promised to provide 400 million doses to low-and middle-income countries by 2020, and 1 billion doses in total. It aims to make over 6 crore doses per month of its vaccine candidate, which will be increased to 10 crore per month by April 2021. Meanwhile, AstraZeneca CEO Pascal Soriot has said that the company is still aiming for the Oxford COVID-19 vaccine to be ready by this year-end. ALSO READ: AstraZeneca vaccine trial pause 'wake-up call' but it shouldn't discourage researchers: WHO Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-11 02:51:36|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close LONDON, Sept. 10 (Xinhua) -- Senior officials from the European Union (EU) and Britain met in London on Thursday for hastily arranged talks over a controversial Brexit bill as British Prime Minister Boris Johnson intended to override key parts of the Withdrawal Agreement previously agreed with Brussels. British Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove talked with European Commission Vice President Maros Sefcovic in an "extraordinary meeting." Sefcovic told Gove that violating the Withdrawal Agreement would break international law and jeopardize trade talks, according to an EU statement. "In no uncertain terms" that the "timely and full implementation" of the divorce deal is "a legal obligation," said the statement. Sefcovic urged the British government to withdraw these measures that break international law from the bill "by the end of the month," adding that the Withdrawal Agreement "contains a number of mechanisms and legal remedies to address violations of the legal obligations contained in the text, which the EU will not be shy in using." Issuing its own robust response, the British government said it would "discharge its treaty obligations in good faith," but added that "in the difficult and highly exceptional circumstances in which we find ourselves, it is important to remember the fundamental principle of parliamentary sovereignty." Rejecting Britain's arguments that the bill is designed to protect peace in Northern Ireland, the EU argued that "it does the opposite." Sefcovic said that by presenting the draft United Kingdom Internal Market Bill, the British government has damaged the EU's trust which the UK now has to re-establish. Britain on Wednesday published the controversial bill, which overrides elements of Johnson's Brexit deal with Brussels, despite a senior minister explicitly acknowledging that the plan would breach international law. The new bill will be formally debated by MPs in the British parliament for the first time on Sept. 14. It is intended to ensure Northern Ireland can continue to enjoy unfettered access to markets in the rest of Britain. The bill was published amid the EU's growing anger after Britain brushed aside warnings from the regional bloc that breaching the treaty would prevent any trade deal being struck. The British government has said it is prepared to walk away with no deal if progress is not made soon. Professor Mark Elliott, public law expert at Cambridge University, described the British government's response as "utterly risible," and that Britain, like every other state, is required in international law to abide by its treaty obligations. "The UK may have left the EU, but it has not left the community of nations or the rules-based international order," said Elliott. Britain's membership of the EU ended Jan. 31, but as part of a transition period it is sticking with the bloc's rules until Dec. 31. Both sides have said a future trade deal needs to be agreed by mid-October to enable it to be approved ahead of Jan. 1, 2021. If there is no deal in place by then, Britain will trade with the EU on WTO terms. Enditem The cast of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air is getting back together for an unscripted special on HBO Max to mark the 30th anniversary of the show. Will Smith excitedly shared the news in an Instagram post. "Today is exactly 30 YEARS since The @FreshPrince of Bel-Air debuted! So were doin something for yall a for real Banks Family Reunion is comin soon to @HBOmax!" he shared on Instagram. He added "RIP James," remembering James Avery, aka Uncle Phil, who passed away back in 2013. Smith also shared a picture of his Fresh Prince co-star, Janet Hubert. The two had been at odds for years, since her departure from the show. The news of the two burying the hatchet was huge, considering the feud lasted over a decade. Social media was shocked by the reconciliation. While I'm excited for the unscripted special, the good news doesn't stop there: A reboot of the show is also in the works. The new show will be streamed on Peacock, and according to USA Today, it is bringing back many original cast members, such as Alfonso Ribeiro (Carlton), Tatyana Ali (Ashley), Karyn Parsons (Hilary), Joseph Marcell (Geoffrey), and DJ Jazzy Jeff (Jazz). According to Fandom, the show is expected to air around Thanksgiving, and fans (including myself) are anxiously waiting for what's to come. With the original cast members, including Janet Hubert, the reboot is sure to be a success. Advertisement Thousands of migrants left homeless on the Greek island of Lesbos after fires destroyed the overcrowded Moria camp protested against a new refugee camp being built on the island today, as Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis confirmed a new facility would be made. Clapping and chanting songs, the protesters demanding to leave the island were boisterous but peaceful on the road leading to the island's main town. Some held up signs pleading for help from Germany, a favoured destination for many migrants and refugees who arrive in Greece from the nearby Turkish coast. But the Greek government announced it would not be 'blackmailed' by the protesters and has no plans to relocate them away from the island. Director of the Greek Migration Minister's office, Konstantinos Kostakos, said around 1,000 migrants would be temporarily relocated onto a ship that has docked at Sigri, on the western side of the island. He told CNN: 'This is the first ship that has docked on the island. If there is a need we will consider bringing more.' 'The Greek government will not be blackmailed. What happened - this 'burn and go' tactic - will not be tolerated.' Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis demanded more 'active' participation from the EU in housing the migrantas he said Athens will rebuild the notoriously overcrowded camp destroyed by fire. 'A new facility will be needed... it will be done... (but) the management model must be different,' Mitsotakis said after meeting with European Commission vice-president Margaritis Schinas in Athens. 'We will discuss the maximum European participation in this effort. European solidarity cannot be limited to managing a crisis.' Athens has long complained that aside from providing funds, fellow EU members have done too little to help states like Greece and Italy, where most migrants first arrive on European soil. Mitsotakis said: 'We cannot repeat the mistakes of the past... it's not just a concern of Greece and other states on outer (EU) borders to manage this problem.' The refugees slept in car parks and petrol stations last night after Greece's largest refugee camp burned down - with locals setting up roadblocks to stop a new one being built. Hungry families slept on roadsides and in fields across the island after the Moria camp was reduced to a mass of smouldering steel and melted tent tarpaulin following successive blazes on Tuesday and Wednesday. Thousands of migrants left homeless on the Greek island of Lesbos after fires destroyed the overcrowded Moria camp protested against a new refugee camp being built on the island today Protesters held up signs pleading for help from Germany, a favoured destination for many migrants and refugees who arrive in Greece from the nearby Turkish coast Riot police attend the peaceful but boisterous protest on the road leading to the island's main town today as thousands gather The Greek government announced it would not be 'blackmailed' by the protesters and has no plans to relocate them away from the island Some who fled the fires have tested positive for Covid-19 after an outbreak of the disease in the camp, further complicating attempts to round up migrants and get them into alternative accommodation. Trucks were yesterday blocking access to the ruins of the camp, which housed 12,000 people in a space designed for only 2,800, to prevent a clean-up operation that would make way for new tents. 'Now is the time to shut down Moria for good,' said Vangelis Violatzis, a local municipal leader. 'We don't want another camp, and we will oppose any construction work. We've faced this situation for five years, it's time for others to bear this burden.' Greece's government says the fire was started deliberately by asylum seekers protesting against quarantine measures at the camp, and is calling for Europe to share the burden of housing the migrants. Angela Merkel's interior minister Horst Seehofer said today that that 10 EU countries had agreed to take in some of the 406 unaccompanied children at the camp, with most of them set to go to France or Germany. Protesters hold up signs saying the refugee camp 'Moria kills' and 'we need peace and freedom' as they demand to be moved from the island Thousands of migrants descended on the road amid fears of coronavirus infections soaring amongst the refugee population in the now burned-down camp Riot police in armour carry shield in preparation as the refugees call for resettlement. Around 1,000 migrants will be temporarily relocated onto a ship that has docked at Sigri, on the western side of the island Peaceful but boisterous migrants, some in coronavirus facemasks, crowd the road in protest outside a BP garage, holding signs A mirgant calls for aid from Germany, holding a sign reading 'Germany please help us', as protesters, including children, raise their arms in the air Displaced migrants sleep in a supermarket car park on the island of Lesbos early today following the fire which destroyed Greece's largest refugee camp A woman holds her child as displaced asylum seekers wait to see whether they can board a bus out of Moria on Thursday An aerial view on Thursday shows the aftermath of the fire which broke out on Tuesday night, leaving around 12,000 people homeless The fire late on Tuesday at Moria camp, Greece's main migrant facility, sent thousands fleeing for safety into surrounding olive groves. 'We've lost everything, we were abandoned, without food, water or medicine,' said Fatma Al-Hani, a Syrian woman who barely had time to grab her identity papers before the flames engulfed the camp. Gaelle Koukanee, a pregnant 21-year-old Congolese refugee, said the police had fired tear gas during the operation to extinguish the fire. 'We have children, old people, disabled among us. Why this lack of humanity?' she asked, seeking shelter from the beating sun under an olive tree. While nobody was seriously hurt, the Tuesday blaze destroyed the official part of the camp, which housed 4,000 people, ministers said. A second fire broke out late on Wednesday, destroying most of the remaining camp where another 8,000 lived in tents and makeshift shacks around the perimeter. Another fire briefly broke out inside the camp on Thursday. The minors in the Moria camp have been flown off Lesbos island and rehoused in 'safe' facilities in northern Greece, Athens said, adding that all had been tested for the coronavirus. Migration minister Notis Mitarachi said that asylum seekers had started the fire because of quarantine measures imposed after 35 people at the camp tested positive for coronavirus. Some who fled the fires on Tuesday and Wednesday night later tested positive for Covid-19, complicating attempts to round up migrants and get them into alternative accommodation. Refugees set up camp on the road near Mytilene as families were forced to sleep in the open following the fires An asylum seeker rests on a blanket at the roadside in Lesbos which has long been one of the main gateways to Europe A boy sits on a trolley with belongings pulled by other young migrants as they walk on a road near Mytilene on Friday Refugees find shelter outside a Lidl supermarket next to a road near Mytilene after 12,000 people were left homeless by the successive fires on Tuesday and Wednesday A woman pushes a child in a shopping trolley as migrants take shelter in a car park in Mytilene on Thursday A crowd of people stand near a road sign pointing to Moria in Greek and English as they search for new accommodation Blockade: Lesbos residents park trucks head-to-head to barricade a road and stop the Moria migrant camp being cleaned up and replaced Asylum seekers rest with their belongings by their heads after setting up camp on a roadside near Moria today A migrant pulls a girl lying on a cart on the island of Lesbos today with refugees left homeless and hungry by the fire A woman carries her child as asylum seekers walk on a roadside, many of them wearing masks following a coronavirus outbreak at the camp which Greek officials say led to the fire Two men push a garbage bin with their belongings and children inside with one girl taking a sip from a water bottle Displaced migrants wait in a line for food outside a Lidl supermarket in Mytilene yesterday Refugees rest on the side of the road under blankets on Lesbos following the destruction of their migrant encampment A man and a child wearing a mask pull their belongings along a road on Lesbos in the early hours of Friday morning Asylum seekers find shelter outside a petrol station on Lesbos, with talks underway in Europe on how to re-settle the migrants A group of women wearing face masks because of the coronavirus outbreak at the camp carry their belongings in bags today Riot police units were brought to the port of Mytilene in Lesbos early this morning following Tuesday's fire Earlier this year, a plan to build a new camp on Lesbos stalled after locals clashed with riot police to prevent the construction. 'We lacked toilets, showers and as women, we were afraid to walk at night. But now I'm even more worried about my future,' Koukanee, the Congolese refugee, said. Greek officials have declared a four-month emergency on the island and flew in extra riot police. Germany and France on Thursday agreed on an initiative for EU states to share out some 400 minors from the camp, a source close to the talks told AFP. 'As a preliminary step we are offering to Greece to accept refugees who are minors - other steps must follow,' German Chancellor Angela Merkel told a panel discussion in Berlin. The European Union must 'assume more shared responsibility' for migration policy, Merkel said. Greek prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis wants that kind of sentiment transformed into action. 'Europe must move from words of solidarity to a policy of acts of solidarity,' he said at a summit of Mediterranean leaders in Corsica. 'We have to put the migration crisis at the heart of our discussions and be much more concrete,' he said. Children sit on a blanket while adult migrants survey their belongings on a roadside camp on Lesbos on Friday Asylum seekers carry their belongings as they walk on a roadside close to the remains of where they had been living Asylum seekers carry their belongings including what appears to be a child's toy as they walk on a road on Lesbos today Refugees take shelter under tents and blankets on the side of a road today with their future thrown into uncertainty A displaced asylum-seeker says her goodbyes as others wait to see if they are able to board a bus out of Moria Migrants shower themselves in a ditch a few miles away from the Moria fire which broke out on Tuesday night Refugees find shelter near the Lesbos coast early this morning, with thousands of people left homeless and hungry by the fire Two Greek navy vessels would provide additional sleeping space, the migration ministry said. The Netherlands offered to take in 100 of the migrants, half of them minors. European Commission vice-president Margaritis Schinas, who visited Lesbos on Thursday, said they had organised the transfer of 400 unaccompanied minors to the mainland with a view to their relocation in Europe. 'And in the next few hours, there will be ships financed by the European Union to provide shelter to those vulnerable, more-in-need,' he said. Since becoming one of the main gateways into Europe for migrants and asylum seekers in 2015, Greece has built dozens of detention centres around the country. But with other European nations accepting only a small trickle of refugees, thousands remain trapped in the Greek camps in usually dismal health conditions. Greece's conservative government has also toughened its asylum restrictions, slashing cash benefits and accommodation provisions to discourage further migration. 'This is Europe?' asked Fatma, clutching her two-year-old son. 'I've had enough, I just want my baby to grow up in peace,' she said, breaking down in tears. A military helicopter transfers packages with tents in order to make an improvised camp for homeless refugees By Gabriel Crossley and Sanjeev Miglani BEIJING/NEW DELHI (Reuters) - China and India said on Friday they had agreed to de-escalate renewed tensions on their contested Himalayan border and take steps to restore "peace and tranquillity" following a high-level diplomatic meeting in Moscow. Chinese State Councillor Wang Yi and Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar met in Moscow on Thursday and reached a five-point consensus, including agreements that troops from both sides should quickly disengage and ease tensions, the two countries said in a joint statement. The consensus, struck on the sidelines of a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation meeting, came after a confrontation in the border area in the western Himalayas earlier this week. "The two Foreign Ministers agreed that the current situation in the border areas is not in the interest of either side. They agreed therefore that the border troops of both sides should continue their dialogue, quickly disengage, maintain proper distance and ease tensions," they said in the statement. Jaishankar told Wang that the immediate task would be for troops to step back from the "areas of friction" so that things do not get worse, an Indian source said. Troops are barely a few hundred metres apart at some points. China and India accused each other of firing into the air during the confrontation, a violation of long-held protocol not to use firearms on the sensitive frontier. Wang told Jaishankar the "imperative is to immediately stop provocations such as firing and other dangerous actions that violate the commitments made by the two sides," China's foreign ministry said in a statement on Friday. Wang also told Jaishankar all personnel and equipment that have trespassed at the border must be moved to de-escalate the situation. In June, tensions erupted into a frontier clash in which 20 Indian soldiers were killed and China suffered an unspecified number of casualties. Story continues Shares of defence-related firms fell in China on Friday after the news of progress in the talks, with the CSI National Defense Industry Index down 1.2% and on track for its steepest weekly decline since Oct. 12, 2018. Tongyu Heavy Industry shares tumbled as much as 16.4% at one point. CHINESE BUILDUP The ministers' meeting lasted for two hours and was the latest diplomatic effort to head off a broader conflict between the world's two most populous countries, which went to war in 1962. Jaishankar told Wang that India was deeply concerned about the buildup of Chinese forces on the Line of Actual Control on the poorly defined border. "The Chinese side has not provided a credible explanation for this deployment," an Indian government source quoted Jaishankar as saying at the meeting. "The provocative behavior of Chinese frontline troops at numerous incidents of friction along the LAC also showed disregard for bilateral agreements and protocols," Jaishankar said, adding any unilateral attempt to change status quo would be resisted. China's Global Times, an influential tabloid published by the official newspaper of China's ruling Communist Party, reported on Wednesday the People's Liberation Army (PLA) were moving soldiers, bombers and armoured vehicles into the border. Chinese state media also recently reported armed jump drills by PLA paratroopers in Tibet. The Global Times said in an editorial published late on Thursday that any talks with India should be paired with "war readiness". "The Chinese side must be fully prepared to take military action when diplomatic engagement fails, and its frontline troops must be able to respond to emergencies, and be ready to fight at any time," the newspaper said. (Reporting by Beijing newsroom and Sanjeev Miglani in New Delhi; Writing by Se Young Lee; Editing by Michael Perry, Lincoln Feast, Gerry Doyle and Kim Coghill) The ACLU, one of the groups that challenged Trumps memo, called the ruling a huge victory for voting rights and for immigrants rights. A special three-judge panel has blocked a memorandum signed by President Donald Trump that sought to exclude undocumented immigrants from being counted in the U.S. Census. President Donald Trump speaks to supporters at a rally Thursday in Freeland, Michigan. A three-judge panel has blocked his memo that sought to exclude undocumented immigrants from being counted in the census. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images) The panel, out of New York, declared the July 31 memorandum an unlawful exercise of the authority granted to the President. The court also blocked the Commerce Department, headed by Trump appointee Wilbur Ross, from including information about the number of undocumented immigrants in their reports to the president after the census is complete. The Washington Post is reporting that the ruling is likely to be appealed to the Supreme Court. A pamphlet with 2020 census information is included in a box of food to be distributed by the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank to people facing economic or food insecurity amid the COVID-19 pandemic. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images) The court said that those in the country illegally qualify as people to be counted in the states they reside, opining, Throughout the Nations history, the figures used to determine the apportionment of Congress in the language of the current statutes, the total population and the whole number of persons in each State have included every person residing in the United States at the time of the census, whether citizen or non-citizen and whether living here with legal status or without. The American Civil Liberties Union, one of the organizations that challenged the presidents memo, called the ruling a huge victory for voting rights and for immigrants rights. Read More: Biden says hes ready to debate Trump: I know how to handle bullies President Trump has tried and failed yet again to weaponize the census against immigrant communities, Dale Ho wrote in a statement, The law is clearevery person counts in the census. Ho is the director of the ACLUs Voting Rights Project. The ruling is the second defeat for the Trump administration related to the U.S. Census. Last June, the Supreme Court ruled against the administrations attempt to add a citizenship question to the census. Story continues Read More: Trump to resign, request pardon if he loses election: Cohen The administration is facing a third court ruling associated with the census. In mid-April, the census deadline was extended until Oct. 31 due to the coronavirus pandemic. But on Aug. 3, the administration abruptly moved to move up the deadline to Sept. 30. A federal judge ordered the administration to produce internal documents related to the date change, which experts say could shorten the period for analyzing and correcting problems with the data used to reapportion seats in the House of Representatives and distribute over $1.5 trillion in federal funding. Have you subscribed to theGrios Dear Culture podcast? Download our newest episodes now! The post Court blocks Trump order to exclude undocumented immigrants from census count appeared first on TheGrio. The pitching injuries are beginning to pile up for the Red Sox. Boston placed starter Zack Godley on the 10-day injured list with a right elbow flexor strain and recalled lefty Matt Hall before Thursdays game against the Rays at Tropicana Field. Earlier in the day, Boston placed righty Austin Brice (right lat strain) on the IL, optioned infielder Jose Peraza to the clubs alternate site in Pawtucket and recalled righties Dylan Covey and Robert Stock. Godley is the sixth Sox pitcher to be placed on the IL since Aug. 29, joining Brice, Colten Brewer (right third finger strain), Kyle Hart (left hip impingement), Darwinzon Hernandez (sprained left SC joint) and righty Nathan Eovaldi (right calf strain). The Red Sox did not place any pitchers on the injured list for non-COVID-19 related reasons from the beginning of summer training camp through Aug. 29. Godley, who was signed to a minor-league deal shortly before Opening Day, has made eight appearances (seven starts), posting an 8.16 ERA. He last pitched Sept. 4 against the Blue Jays. Hall, who was a member of the clubs five-player taxi squad for the trip to St. Petersburg and Miami, owns a 19.89 ERA in 6 innings over three appearances (one start) on the year. Lefty Mike Kickham is starting for the Red Sox in Thursdays series opener, righty Andrew Triggs is scheduled to pitch Friday and lefty Martin Perez will take his turn Sunday afternoon. The Sox have not yet announced a starter for Saturday. Rookie Tanner Houck (who would be making his major-league debut) and Eovaldi are candidates to start that game. Related links: Tanner Houck on Boston Red Soxs taxi squad in Tampa, 2017 first-round draft pick could make major league debut this weekend Boston Red Sox roster moves: Austin Brice to IL, Jose Peraza optioned; Dylan Covey, Robert Stock recalled Yairo Munoz returns, Bobby Dalbec batting 8th as Boston Red Sox open four-game series vs. Rays on Thursday night Boston Red Sox vs. Tampa Bay Rays preview: TV schedule, pitching probables, key stories (Sept. 10-13) Hudson Potts, new Red Sox prospect, rooted for Mitch Moreland as Rangers season-ticket holder before being traded for Boston fan favorite Jose Peraza sent down: Boston Red Sox option Opening Day 2B to Pawtucket after he hit .198 in last 33 games Bobby Dalbec, Boston Red Sox rookie slugger, has used Jackie Bradley Jr.'s bat during 4-game homer streak: Just tried it out and it has been going pretty well Convicted murderer Charlotte Mulhall, one of the so-called 'Scissor Sisters', is taking legal proceedings in a bid to quash her transfer from a Dublin prison over an alleged "inappropriate liaison" with a female member of prison staff. In the lawsuit she claims her transfer to Limerick Prison has deprived her of visits from her son, the Irish Independent understands. The mother-of-one had been serving her life sentence for one of the country's most gruesome murders at the Dochas Centre in Mountjoy. She was observed by a prison officer sitting in the lap of a female prison worker on December 23, 2018. Mulhall (37) maintains they were doing a "beauty treatment", but it is understood the prison officer believed an "inappropriate liaison" was taking place. She was transferred to Limerick the next day and an investigation into the matter was launched by the Irish Prison Service. Apart from a couple of two-day periods when she was briefly returned to the Dochas Centre, she has remained in Limerick ever since. In judicial review proceedings, Mulhall is seeking orders for the quashing of her transfer and for her to be returned to the Dochas Centre. She is also seeking to be allowed receive visits from her son there. As part of the complaint, she maintains she was doing a number of courses in the prison as part of her rehabilitation, but these fell away as a result of the transfer. The matter is expected to come before the High Court next week. Mulhall is being represented in the case by solicitor Tracy Horan and barristers Conor Power SC and Cian Kelly BL. She was one of two sisters jailed in 2006 over the killing and dismemberment of their mother Kathleen's Kenyan boyfriend Farah Swaleh Noor, at a cottage in Ballybough, Dublin, the previous year. Kathleen Mulhall alleged Noor threatened to kill her. The case is regarded as one of the most infamous in Irish legal history. Mr Justice Paul Carney, the now-deceased judge who presided over the trial, described Noor's death as "the most grotesque case of killing" he had experienced in his professional lifetime. Charlotte Mulhall received a life sentence for murder, while her sister Linda (45) was sentenced to 15 years for manslaughter. Charlotte Mulhall stabbed Noor up to 20 times with a kitchen knife, while her sister hit him on the head a number of times with a claw hammer. They chopped up his body after killing him. The sisters were apprehended following an intensive Garda investigation after parts of Noor's body were discovered in the Royal Canal. Charlotte Mulhall was previously disciplined in 2014 after being caught with alcohol in her cell, as well as fighting with another prisoner. She was also at the centre of controversy in 2008 when it emerged she was given daily access to kitchen knives shortly after being jailed. A photo emerged of her jokingly holding a 10-inch knife to a male prisoner's throat after she was given kitchen work duties at the Dochas Centre. (Newser) Rio Tinto chief executive Jean-Sebastien Jacques will leave the Anglo-Australian mining giant by March over the destruction of Australian Indigenous sacred sites to access iron ore, the company says. Significant stakeholders have expressed concerns about executive accountability for the failings identified, Rio Tinto said in a statement. By mutual agreement, Jacques will step down once a replacement has been appointed or on March 31, whichever happens sooner, the statement said. Executives Chris Salisbury and Simone Niven will leave the company on Dec. 31. Rio Tinto announced last month that Jacques would lose $3.5 million in bonuses and Salisbury and Niven around $700,000 each over the destruction in May of two rock shelters in Juukan George in Western Australia state that had been inhabited for 46,000 years, the AP reports. story continues below Rio Tinto concluded in an internal review last month that there was no single root cause or error that directly resulted in the destruction of the rock shelters. But internal documents revealed last week that Rio Tinto had engaged a law firm in case the traditional owners, the Puutu Kunti Kurrama and Pinikura people, applied for a court injunction to save the rock shelters. The Western Australian government has promised to update Indigenous heritage laws that allowed Rio Tinto to legally destroy the sacred sites. Jamie Lowe, chief executive of the National Native Title Council, which represents Australia's traditional owners of the land, said he had called on Rio Tinto to take more action than cutting executive bonuses. He welcomed the decision to replace the three executives. (Read more Australia stories.) CALS staff recognised in M&G 200 Young South Africans CALS Acting Deputy Director, Palesa Madi, and Stanley Malematja from Right2Protest appear on this year's list of the Mail & Guardian 200 Young South Africans CALS is very pleased to announce that our Acting Deputy Director, Palesa Madi, has been named one of the Mail & Guardian's 200 Young South Africans for 2020 in the civil society category at last night's virtual reveal. We also send our warmest congratulations to Stanley Malematja from the Right2Protest Project, which is housed at CALS, for making the list in the Law and Justice category. Palesa and Stanley were both profiled by Max Dylan Lazarus for the Mail & Guardian and you can read more about them in the pieces below which first appeared here, or watch the full announcement of this year's honourees here. Palesa Madi In reflecting on her recent achievements, Palesa Madi makes a point to note the room for self-improvement, Although I am proud of the last three years of my life having raised a three year old, lectured, and being appointed as acting deputy director at one of the largest and oldest human rights centres in the country I did not take enough time for myself to pause and reflect. One can forgive the lack of reflection time when considering her other outputs, including co-editing and publishing a first-year textbook, I felt proud lecturing using the textbook, inspiring law students to use the law as a tool to advance social justice. I also feel proud having contributed to the book because through it, young people can then see for themselves the various non-traditional career paths in law such as academia and human rights law. Along with a prodigious level of productivity, Madi goes to great length to emphasise the importance of introspection, vulnerability and mental health, saying The state of ones mental well-being is at the core of the daily decisions we make, our mental state shows itself in how we treat ourselves and others and it affects your outlook of the world. While its important to draw inspiration from others success, its even more important to look within to ascertain ones own passions, interests and talents. Once you know what sets your heart on fire, you must do all you can to excel at that passion and to build wealth from that passion. This translates into her work for the Centre for Applied Legal Studies: I want to see a better functioning state and government, where human rights are equally protected and where state resources are used to serve the country and particularly those that are most vulnerable. Stanley Malematja As an attorney at the Right2Protest Project, Stanley Malematja is committed to using the law to make a change in the lives of the most marginalised people in South African society. His goal is clear: The respect, protection, promotion and realisation of human rights. Poor service delivery must be an issue of the past. Malematjas achievements have been accomplished through hard work and no shortage of talent. This was entirely evident during his studies, when he was named as the overall winner at the 6th Annual Child Law Moot Court Competition in 2015, and when he received the prestigious Danie en Chrissie Dorfling Floating Trophy from the University of Johannesburg for the next years edition. Now, as a sessional lecturer at the University of Witwatersrand, and through his work at the Right2Protest Project at the Centre for Applied Legal Studies, Malematja is committed to changing paradigms surrounding protests, and helping them to become more effective. This is achieved by providing legal assistance to community groups and protesters across the country, running workshops on how to protest peacefully and legally, filing bail applications for arrested protesters, and referring matters to member civil society organisations when cases go to trial. Peaceful protest actions must be seen as an effective method of public participation, key to any democratic state, as opposed to being perceived as an anti-government movement, Malematja says. With global events in 2020 illustrating the necessity and effectiveness of peaceful protest movements to enact real change, the work that Malematja and Right2Know do could not be more relevant and important. Advertisement President Donald Trump told a large Michigan crowd Thursday night that First Lady Melania Trump thought Joe Biden looked 'sad' when she watched him during a Democratic debate before claiming that 'far-left lunatics' will run the government if the former vice president wins the November election and that the murder rate in Chicago and Baltimore is 'higher than in Afghanistan'. The president arrived at the MBS International Airport in Freeland, Michigan, where he was met by a cheering crowd of several thousand, packed shoulder-to-shoulder, mostly without masks. 'This is not the crowd of a person who comes in second place,' Trump declared to cheers before criticizing Biden's performance during the Democratic debates. 'The first lady actually came in... and she watched the debate and she watched Joe and she said, "Darling, it's so sad,"' Trump claimed, before taking aim at Biden's running mate, Kamala Harris, who he called the 'most liberal person in the USA'. The mention of Harris brought on boos and jeers from the crowd. 'On November 3 Michigan you better vote for me! I got you so many damn car plants,' Trump said as the crowd cheered while waving 'Make America Great Again' signs. Trump then claimed that Biden is trying to 'eliminate new jobs and open your borders'. Scroll down for video President Donald Trump told a Michigan crowd Thursday that First Lady Melania Trump thought Joe Biden looked 'sad' when she watched him during a Democratic debate before claiming that 'far-left lunatics' will run the government if the former vice president wins the November election and that the murder rate in Chicago and Baltimore is 'higher than in Afghanistan' The president arrived at the MBS International Airport in Freeland, Michigan, where he was met by a cheering crowd of supporters Trump was seen waving as he stepped off Air Force One upon arrival for a campaign rally at MBS International Airport in Freeland, Michigan, on Thursday Later Thursday night, Trump tweeted: 'When we win I, as your President, will totally forgive ALL deferred payroll taxes with money from the General Fund' 'He's promised to flood your states with refugees,' Trump said. 'He would open up the floodgates amid a pandemic and by the way the wall is over 311 miles long right now. 'The murder rate in Democrat-run cities like Chicago, Baltimore, New York [and] so many others is higher than in Afghanistan, yet Biden supports imposing these failed policies nationwide. You will have crime like you've never seen it before,' Trump insisted. 'If Joe Biden is elected far-left lunatics won't just be running frail Democrat cities, they'll be running the Department of Justice, the Department of Homeland Security and the US Supreme Court, and we can't let that happen. 'No city, town or suburb will be safe. On November 3 your vote will save America. Remember it's the most important elect we've ever had,' Trump added. At one point, Trump brought up Antifa and asked the crowd: 'Does anybody want to have somebody from Antifa as a member and as as a resident of your suburb? He then made up a bizarre scenario, saying: 'Say Darling, who moved in next door? Oh, it's a resident of Antifa. No thank you...Let's get the hell out of here, darling...Ahh, I wish Trump were president.' Later Thursday night, Trump tweeted: 'When we win I, as your President, will totally forgive ALL deferred payroll taxes with money from the General Fund. I will ALWAYS protect Seniors and your Social Security! Sleepy Joe Biden will do the opposite, he will raise your taxes and DESTROY our Country!' Trump arrived in Michigan for the rally despite pushback from officials worried that his rallies are growing in size and flouting public health guidelines intended to halt the COVID-19 spread. Michigan's Democratic Gov Gretchen Whitmer raised alarms earlier on Thursday about the rally. Whitmer did not try to scuttle the rally, but warned that such events 'threaten all that sacrifice that we've made'. 'If the rallies are like those he's held in recent days in other states, with lots of people close together without masks on projecting their voices, I'm concerned about it,' she said at a news conference Thursday morning. 'This is not a partisan observation. We are in a public health crisis. We all want to get out of this public health crisis. Its going to take every one of us doing the right things to get out of it together, to make this as short as possible.' Michigan currently caps outdoor events at 100 people and mandates that attendees wear masks if they cannot consistently stay 6 feet away from people who are not part of their households. There is an exception, though, which states that nothing in the order can 'abridge protections guaranteed by the state or federal constitution under these emergency circumstances'. This week, the state of Nevada became the first to scuttle his plans for rallies initially set for Las Vegas and Reno. Trump's arrival in Michigan comes as he grapples with the fallout from new book 'Rage' by Washington Post journalist Bob Woodward. Trump arrived in Michigan for the rally despite pushback from officials worried that his rallies are growing in size and flouting public health guidelines intended to halt the COVID-19 spread Several thousand people came out to hear from the president on Thursday during his campaign rally MBS International Airport in Freeland, Michigan on Thursday Many supporters were seen wearing hats 'MAGA' hats as they waited to hear from the president on Thursday 'If Joe Biden is elected far-left lunatics won't just be running frail Democrat cities, they'll be running the Department of Justice, the Department of Homeland Security and the US Supreme Court, and we can't let that happen,' Trump told his supporters (pictured) A Trump gestures during a campaign event at the MBS International Airport, in Freeland, Michigan, on Thursday In a series of 18 interviews with Woodward, the president spoke frankly about the dangers posed by the virus - even as he downplayed them publicly - and admitted he had tried to mislead the public. The book, based on recorded phone interviews, has refocused attention on Trump's handling of the virus, a subject he has tried to shift away from less than two months before Election Day. Before departing the White House Trump denied he had lied to the nation and highlighted a surge in virus cases in Europe to contend that the United States is faring well. 'I really do believe we're rounding the corner,' he asserted. 'Donald Trump knew all along just how deadly this virus is,' Biden said in a virtual fundraiser. 'He knew and purposefully played it down because all he was concerned about was his reelection, didn't want to affect economic growth.' Congress' top Democrats, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer, set the party's theme on the subject: 'Trump lied and people died.' But Trump, answering questions at the White House, insisted 'there was no lie' in his often-dismissive public comments about the virus last February and March. He noted that he had limited travel from China, where the virus apparently originated, 'so, obviously, outwardly I said it's a very serious problem. ... That doesn't mean I'm going to jump up and down in the air and start saying "people are going to die, people are going to die." No, no, I'm not going to do that. We're going to get through this.' In a burst of tweets earlier Thursday, Trump said that if his comments about playing down the danger of the virus were so bad, why didn't Woodward report them at the time 'in an effort to save lives? Didn't he have an obligation to do so? No, because he knew they were good and proper answers. Calm, no panic!' Woodward has defended his decision to hold off by saying he needed time to make sure Trump's private comments were true. Meanwhile, Trump is resuming an aggressive campaign schedule, despite growing resistance from local leaders who have expressed alarm at his insistence on holding large-scale rallies during a pandemic. While the rallies so far have been held in airport hangars open to the air, they have been drawing thousands of supporters despite local restrictions. And the majority of attendees have refused to wear masks, even when mandates are in place. Trump has characterized the rallies as 'peaceful protests' and White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany said attendees were exercising their First Amendment rights. This week, Nevada pulled the plug on rallies set for this weekend, citing the state's ban on gatherings of more than 50 people, drawing fury from Trump's campaign. The Reno-Tahoe Airport Authority warned a company that planned to host the campaign rally for 5,000 people at a private hangar that it would be in violation of the governors restrictions and the terms of the companys lease for the hangar. 'You are hereby advised that you may not proceed with the proposed gathering,' the letter states. Trump spoke until nightfall in Michigan before boarding Air Force One to head back to Washington, DC The president is seen waving at his supporters as he boarded Air Force One in Freeland, Michigan, on Thursday Trump is seen speaking to a crowd of several thousand supporters on Thursday night before heading back to DC Meanwhile, Trump's son, Donald Trump Jr, addressed a crowd during a Make America Great Again campaign event at Point Lookout Vineyard in Hendersonville, North Carolina, on Thursday Trump Jr is seen greeting US Congressional Candidate Madison Cawthorn during a Make America Great Again campaign event for his father at Point Lookout Vineyard in Hendersonville, North Carolina on Thursday 'Outrageous!' tweeted Adam Laxalt, Trump's Nevada campaign co-chair. 'This is unprecedented - to cancel an incumbent president's campaign stop inside 60 days of a major contested election in a swing state. This isn't over!' In North Carolina, Trump held a rally this week that drew a mostly mask-less crowd of thousands. While an executive order currently limits outdoor gatherings to 50 people and mandates masks in public, the rally was technically legal under state pandemic rules that exempt certain gatherings where people exercise free speech, a spokeswoman for North Carolina's governor said Wednesday. Still, the spokeswoman, Dory MacMillan, said: 'When elected leaders violate the White House coronavirus guidelines surrounding masks and social distancing, especially with large mask-less crowds that sit and stand closely together for hours, they put peoples health at risk.' Michigan is a vital Electoral College battleground, which Trump won by only 10,704 votes in 2016, helping him breach the Democrats' 'blue wall' and putting him in office. While Trump aides had all but written off the state earlier this summer, they now say they have seen a tightening in recent weeks and believe they are in a better position than they were in 2016. But Democrats see optimism, too, having made major gains there in the 2018 midterms, winning every major statewide office and a handful of congressional seats as well. Both candidates have been paying frequent visits, with Biden traveling to suburban Detroit on Wednesday to make a direct appeal to blue-collar workers who might have voted Republican four years ago but now regret it. Its ironic that the only way Barilaro could wrest the headlines from the Premier was by turning the NSW Nationals into the bucolic plague. Bruce Hulbert, Lilyfield The Nationals and Liberals should abandon the fiction that they are in a functional marriage and admit that what we are watching is nothing better than a tussle between estranged bedfellows for their share of the doona. Colin Stokes, Camperdown The Premier is an example I will now hold up to everyone in how to address workplace bullying. Be calm, be conciliatory, but in the end, call them out. Thank you, Premier. Good on you. Tim Parry, North Turramurra Roll out the Barilaro. Michael Deeth, Como West Blinky Bill 1 Barilaro 0. Denis Goodwin, Dee Why How much Barilaro can a Berejiklian bear? Mark Pearce, Richmond We can all be proud that only in Australia could koalas potentially up-end a state government. They always look so innocent. Stephen Gates, Ashfield Now is not the time for point-scoring, PM Once again, the Prime Minister has demonstrated his double standards and pursuit of political point-scoring by demanding premiers relax state border restrictions while his government maintains those on Australias borders. Im sure his government is relying on the advice of health scientists, just as the premiers are (''PM promotes hotspot model to open states'', September 11). While I, too, feel for those who cant see the people they love and who are ill, many people are suffering but many more could be if the advice of health experts is ignored. Merilyn McClung, Forestville Scott Morrison saw fit to intervene in Queensland because a young woman was denied the right to attend her father's funeral. The same Scott Morrison once wanted to deny the government funding needed for family members to travel to the funerals of refugees who tragically drowned when their boat sank off Christmas Island. Selective compassion or just base politics? Tony Judge, Woolgoolga Until Morrison shows some compassion towards refugees, his confected outrage on limited compassionate travel during restrictions remains merely political. Peter Wotton, Pyrmont How quaint to hear Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton accusing the Queensland Premier of hypocrisy for letting film stars like Tom Hanks into the state . He who happily waived restrictions to allow a couple of French au pairs into the country while he doggedly keeps people detained on in detention centres. Linda Shaw, Braddon ACT To politicise the greatest crisis fronting our nation in 75 years is pathetic and well beneath the dignity of the position of prime minister. How dare the man compare outbreaks and congratulate one premier over another? No condemnation when the same premier dodged scrutiny and blame over the cruise ship debacle. This from the great economist urging opening of borders three months ago. We're all Australian, PM, even non-conservative voters. Show leadership, embrace our diversity and stop being divisive. Peter Snowden, Orange Stubby holder stunt brings only shame It's not that Australia Post demanded delivery of mail items: indeed it is obliged to deliver mail unless the contents meet dangerous good criteria (''Australia Post bosses face Senate grilling'', September 11). It's not that people intervened in the delivery process, although that might leave them open to a charge of interfering with the delivery of mail. The real issue? Firstly, that someone in One Nation thought it appropriate to send their stubby holders to people most unlikely to be One Nation supporters. Secondly, that no one in One Nation has taken responsibility for an action that should disgust any person with a modicum of decency. Peter Butler, Wyongah While there are laws against conspiring, blackmailing and making unlawful threats, I would assume one otherwise has a right to communicate with others with a few legislatively defined exceptions, such as sending anthrax by paid post and that no one other than law enforcement officers would have the right to intervene in or to disrupt the postal communications of others. If so, neither Australia Post, nor Melbourne City Council, nor any other general community group should be seeking to examine and to control the content of postal communications; and Christine Holgate in seeking to ensure the post gets through to the addressee has acted exactly as she should have. Shame on the would-be control freaks. Ross Drynan, Lindfield Make Rio pay Important as the Juukan Gorge caves are to our First Peoples, they were more than a record of just Aboriginal history and culture, they were important in terms of human history (''HESTA demands review over Rio Tinto approach'', September 11). They should have been protected for all. The French would lynch Jean-Sebastien Jacques if he blew up the prehistoric caves at Lascaux in the Dordogne. We must not allow the pathetically weak response of Rio Tinto pass unchallenged. The Commonwealth government must revoke the export licence from ore from this mine. Sean Buck, Coogee There is no doubt that the executive of Rio Tinto must be held accountable for the destruction of 46,000-year-old Aboriginal rock shelters at Juukan Gorge and that heads must roll but what about ministerial responsibility (''Rio Tinto CEO, top executives resign amid cave blast crisis'', smh.com.au, September 11)? Both Environment Minister Sussan Ley and Minister for Indigenous Australians Ken Wyatt's offices knew three days prior to the blast and they did nothing. Some ministers pile on Rio but are not ready to take any responsibility. They must resign as well. Mukul Desai, Hunters Hill Fantasy fiction Bob Woodwards new book about US President Donald Trump probably wont shock anyone, as he merely joins the chorus of embarrassing revelations by John Bolton, Michael Cohen and Mary Trump (''In his own words'', September 11). I am surprised that at this critical moment of the presidential race, Trumps minders have not published a memoir detailing his glorious achievements in the past four years. Perhaps no one can find enough material , or they fear the memoir will be branded as fantasy fiction. Vincent Wong Killara Trump didn't want to cause panic so he spread the pandemic instead. Elizabeth Boyd, North Balgowlah Trump claims he is a cheerleader for this country . I would love to see him in a mini-skirt holding a pom-pom. Peter Procopis, Bowral Tarnished Crown The Heralds editorial spells out the pertinent facts before the the NSW Independent Liquor and Gaming Authority inquiry about Crown (Crown casinos has failed on money laundering claims, September 11). The public can see that the propriety of the Crown board is wholly diminished, teetering on maladministration. The question is whether this is enough for Crown to lose its licence on the new casino. I predict that members of the board will fall on their swords, pushed from behind by the weight of money that would otherwise be lost by both Crown and not forgetting the government. The monumental edifice nearing completion at Barangaroo will always remain tainted with this disclosure of impropriety. Peter Neufeld, Mosman Pilot scheme Wildfires in the US have burned more than two million acres, nearly a 20 times increase in land burned by this time last year (''Fierce wildfires wipe out Oregon towns'', September 11). Seems timely for us Aussies to rid ourselves of those idiotic submarines and pour the proceeds into buying some flying water tankers. There will never be a better time to strike a bargain with Qantas on procuring excess planes and as a bonus allow out-of-work pilots to keep their eyes and hands in by ferrying water. Bill Thomas, Castle Hill Police the police Although justice has been served for Curtis Scott, what action is the police commissioner taking against the officers involved ("League player Curtis Scott has final charges dismissed in court", September 11)? Peter Mahoney, Oatley Cometh the hour In a digitally connected, 24/7 world with ever-increasing flexible work hours and the trend to work from home, has daylight saving any relevance any more (Letters, September 11)? What is the point in creating this unnecessary fracas twice a year? We have enough to deal with at the moment without this unnecessary irritation. Time to end it nationwide now and return to three standard time zones across Australia throughout the year. Rick Kemp, Baulkham Hills The bright spot on the horizon is the soon-to-come clock change. Blissful light evenings to enjoy, just what we need after a long, dark, cheerless winter of discontent. I cant wait. Judy Hungerford, North Curl Curl A hard act to follow Give the Oscars an Oscar (''Academy's new diversity rules add off-screen hurdle for best picture Oscar hopefuls'', September 11). George Fishman, Vaucluse Twisted tongues Yes, buzz words have become more common but with all things being considered in the bigger picture, at the end of the day, give or take: without them our politicians going forward would have great difficulty communicating and this would, to say the least, be unprecedented (Letters, September 11). Warwick Artis, Bathurst I take issue with people who use "issue" rather than "problem". Ian Falconer, Turramurra Can we stop using "taking a knee" in Oz we say kneeling. John Nickel, Noosa Heads While you're at it get rid of the annoying "get-go". What's wrong with beginning or start? Paul Gray, Daylesford (Vic) It's not only buzzwords that put my teeth on edge, it's the overall misuse of English. Nouns are used as verbs (to medal at the Olympic games) and adjectives are used instead of adverbs (drive safe). Perhaps we need to go back to vigorous teaching of English grammar in our schools before it is too late. Margaret Grove, Abbotsford I am bemused by the use of the incorrect grammatical use of "different to". The correct phrase is "different from". Ken Follows, Erina What do Herald readers have against a colourful and evolving language? Would you rather we all spoke with all the liveliness of a robot? John Christie, Oatley Postscript For his first day of kindergarten at Claire Lilienthal school, James JJ Klos wanted everything his big brother Charlie got three years ago. So his mom, Cathy Tran, dressed him in nice clothes and outfitted him with a new school backpack. She took his picture at the front door. Then she walked him to school as she did with Charlie, which for JJ meant back down the hall and into his bedroom. He sat down at his desk with his mom at his side and dialed into a Zoom session. He was brave on his first day. We didnt have any first-day-of-school tears, which I guess is a pro, says Tran. The con is he doesnt really get to socialize. Its sad that he cant be there to interact with the other kids and make new friends. Some might see Trans reconstruction of a typical first day as sentimental and nostalgic in this harsh new reality. But it was also precisely the right thing to do, according to Rose Messina, director of the SPARK (Successful Preschool Adjustment and Readiness for Kindergarten) Program at UCSF Benioff Childrens Hospital Oakland. A major milestone like starting kindergarten needs to be recognized, says Messina, a social worker and clinician. We are resuming another school year, but no one thinks that distance learning is the way to go. SPARK is part of the larger Center for the Vulnerable Child at Benioff that treats children of all ages, and all ages have been referred from schools, pediatricians and child welfare services. Demand has been constant from the start of the lockdown in March, right through the summer and into the new school year. Fifty staffers provide services that would normally be conducted in person at schools, at home and at the Oakland clinic. The meetings are now on Zoom, which amplifies the isolation issue for the kids. Schools are often a place of refuge for children. They feel there is at least one adult there that they have a connection with. Sometimes it is the school principal. Other times it is the person at the front desk, Messina says. Lea Suzuki / The Chronicle This doesnt carry over to Zoom unless the connection is with the teacher. The absence of this adult relationship and their peer classmates is significant. For instance, one 7-year-old patient having a very bad day smashed the family TV and iPad. That is one way of venting frustration as a result of being cooped up, especially for people who live in apartment buildings that lack outdoor space. Recess was a beautiful thing for releasing tension and we no longer have it, Messina says. In San Francisco, with its strong parochial tradition, putting on a school uniform can also be a beautiful thing, and in many neighborhoods you can see girls in plaid or herringbone jumpers or skirts, or boys in pants and V-necks, playing on the sidewalks in front of their homes. There is no order from the Archdiocese of San Francisco requiring uniforms, but St. Vincent de Paul School in Cow Hollow is asking all 235 students to wear theirs, even as they attend school via Zoom. When you wear a uniform at home you feel professional and act accordingly, says Patricia Shanks, extended care director at St. Vincent de Paul School. One parent who was able to replicate her back-to-school ritual was Karna Nisewaner of Palo Alto. She is a San Jose tech attorney while her husband, Arne Stokstad, works in human resources for BART. They have their kids in a community child care program located on the campus of their neighborhood public school, Addison Elementary. On the first day of school, she took a picture of second-grade son Liam and fifth-grade daughter Elsa in front of their townhouse then walked them three blocks to their classes. We scooted to school like we normally do, Nisewaner says. But instead of entering Addison, they took their school-issued Chromebooks into the child care center in the school to Zoom in on class from the secure building. They are picked up again at 4 p.m. for the walk home. What we found in the spring is being home isolated just destroyed their moods, says Nisewaner, whose own mood was destroyed by having to help her kids on Zoom when she should have been on her own client video calls. Lea Suzuki / The Chronicle Im sure young people are picking up on our anxiety, says parent Cathy Tran, who is also president of the PTA at Claire Lilienthal. Their first PTA meeting of the year was the most well-attended meeting ever, right up until the moment it was hacked, with school Principal Moira Zacharakis in attendance. Everything bad that happens when you get Zoom-bombed happened, says parent Kelly Tunstall, who finally got up her nerve to join the PTA at this meeting. 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. Passwords are always a complaint, the distance learning curriculum is not. The San Francisco Unified School District took everything it learned from the misadventures in the spring and came out this fall with a first 30 days program. The emphasis is on the community. Strict Zoom lessons are downplayed. Kindergartners like JJ Klos sitting in his bedroom still get to have circle time and songs. They get to share drawings through a video-chat program called Seesaw. Every child in the district who needed one was issued a Chromebook, but children were also issued tablets and pencils, anything that makes school a tactile experience. It is all about getting kids to share their interests as a way to get to know each other and build a sense of belonging in their school and in their class, says Zareen Poonen Levien, personalized learning environments program manager at San Francisco Unified. Even during screen time there is an emphasis on getting the kids to converse with each other. The mute button is a new toy. Lea Suzuki / The Chronicle Tunstalls fifth-grader, Brixton Plock, had his 11th birthday during the first week of school. Since his is often the first school birthday of the year, it is normally a to-do. His parents, both artists, usually decorate their Richmond District flat and make a cake for a party that includes Brixtons classmates and their parents. This year, the fifth-graders in Brixtons class chanted happy birthday in each of the individual squares on the screen, instead. It wasnt the same, but the faces were still there. That community aspect is a big win, says Tunstall. These are people that we know that are on the screen, so we dont feel so alone. These little parts of childhood are different, Tunstall says, but the kids are resilient. Asked if there has been any trouble with remote learning, Tunstall says, The only meltdown was mine. I missed having the first day of school. That is not something you get back. Sam Whiting is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: swhiting@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @samwhitingsf Stage winner Team Education First rider Colombia's Daniel Martinez on the summit of Puy Mary on Friday Daniel Martinez scored a first Tour de France stage win for US team Education First on Friday as Slovenia's Primoz Roglic extended his lead at the top of the overall standings after a titanic mountain struggle. Defending champion Egan Bernal dropped time over the final kilometre of the 13th stage while Colombia's Nairo Quintana and Frenchman Romain Bardet also fell further behind Roglic. As the race hit a nine-percent incline on the day's sixth and final climb Roglic and Pogacar managed to drop an elite clique of riders in the running to win the 2020 Tour. Bernal now looks under severe pressure from Vuelta a Espana champion Roglic, who has a powerful team around him. Bernal's team Ineos said their 23-year-old leader was improving each day from a bad back. "We will do better on the really tough stages," Ineos director Benjamin Rasch said. The holder of the green jersey, Irishman Sam Bennett, and the vastly experienced Peter Sagan will likely renew their struggle for sprint points on Saturday's 194-kilometre run over five small hills between Clermont-Ferrand and Lyon. dmc/gj There was a brief ceremony at the House of Commons yesterday to mark the 200th anniversary of the murder of Spencer Perceval, the only British Prime Minister to be assassinated. In The Daily Telegraph that same morning there was a letter marking the event from Lord Lexden, formerly known as Alistair Cooke, historian of the Conservative Party. Lord Lexden called tongue in cheek for an apology from the Foreign Office minister Henry Bellingham, who is from the same family as the assassin, John Bellingham. Mr Bellingham was at the ceremony, and laid flowers. I hope Lord Lexden is satisfied. Hague a friend to all nations equally An email wings from William Hague's department yesterday The Foreign Secretary today met the Foreign Minister of Chile. He said: 'I am delighted to have met Foreign Minister Moreno. Chile is one of our greatest friends in the region... That was yesterday. On the previous day, there had been a message that said, The Foreign Secretary today met the Foreign Minister of Panama. He said 'I am delighted to have met Foreign Minister Roberto Henriquez of Panama... Panama is an important partner for the UK... Delightful job he has got there. MPs: leave the jokes to comedians With her amazing ability to attract controversy, the Tory MP Nadine Dorries set off a Twitter storm about her appearance on last night's Have I Got News For You several hours before it was broadcast. Her fellow guests included the black comedian Reginald D Hunter, right. Afterwards, she tweeted: As I looked over my shoulder, Reginald D Hunter was talking to my daughter.#wheresmyshotgunman Some people who saw this thought she was being racist. What she actually meant to imply was that Hunter is dangerously attractive. It illustrates a general rule that politicians probably should not make off-the-cuff jokes. From far right to leftie in 30 years One of the weirdest of Britain's far-right groups was the November 9th Society, launched in Milton Keynes in 1977 by a man named Terry Flynn. The name itself is a giveaway. November 9, 1923 was the date of Hitler's beer-hall putsch in Bavaria. November 9, 1938 was Kristallnacht, the state-sponsored outbreak of destruction, thuggery and murder aimed at German Jews. Members of N9S did not hide their allegiance. They would dress in Nazi uniforms and entice youths to daub buildings with swastikas, including the Labour Hall in New Bradwell. Flynn's wife, Margaret, took part in these sordid shenanigans until their marriage broke up, after which she transferred her loyalty to the Animal Liberation Front, and was jailed for vandalising a butcher's shop. Now, older and wiser, she has resurfaced as a newly elected Labour councillor for Bradville, in the same part of Milton Keynes as New Bradwell. All this was 30 years ago and in those days I was a brainwashed idiot, she told the Milton Keynes Citizen. I should have known better and I have regretted it my whole life. Working for the community now is my way of making up for what I did. The Labour Party say they knew about her past when she was selected but decided it would be wrong to exclude her for things she had done over a quarter of a century ago. The Ukrainian delegation is led by Deputy Prime Minister for Reintegration of Temporarily Occupied Territories Oleksiy Reznikov. Head of the Ukrainian President's Office Andriy Yermak has arrived in Berlin to participate in a meeting of advisers to the Normandy Four (Ukraine, Russia, Germany, and France) leaders scheduled for September 11. According to Yermak, the Ukrainian side once again emphasizes the great desire of the Ukrainian people to establish peace in their country, as reported on the president's website. Read alsoZelensky, Merkel discuss Donbas developmentsThe Ukrainian delegation is led by Deputy Prime Minister for Reintegration of Temporarily Occupied Territories Oleksiy Reznikov. "Ukraine has done everything possible to implement the agreements of last year's summit of the Normandy Four leaders in Paris. We provided our compromise-based proposals on each paragraph," Yermak said. The truce showed everything is possible if there is a desire, he said. "It's time to take concrete actions and concrete steps. It's time to hold the next summit of the Normandy Four leaders," Yermak added. Normandy Four: Latest developments Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-11 21:32:28|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close National flags of China (R) and the United States. (Xinhua/Bao Dandan) BEIJING, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- China has issued a diplomatic note announcing reciprocal restrictions on the activities of the U.S. embassy and consulates in China, including the U.S. consulate-general in Hong Kong, and their personnel, according to the website of the Chinese Foreign Ministry. A Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Friday that the relevant measures apply to senior diplomats and all other personnel of the embassy and consulates, with the aim of urging the U.S. to repeal its wrong decisions as soon as possible. Since October last year, the U.S. Department of State has imposed multiple rounds of restrictions on the normal performance of duties by the Chinese embassy and consulates in the United States and their personnel, the spokesperson said, adding that the U.S. practice has severely violated international law and basic norms governing international relations and disrupted China-U.S. ties and normal exchanges between the two sides. Stressing that these measures are China's legitimate and necessary response to the erroneous U.S. moves, the spokesperson said China would continue to support normal exchanges and cooperation between all sectors of the two countries, while the Chinese embassy and consulates will maintain normal interactions with all sectors in the United States. "Once again we urge the U.S. side to immediately correct its mistakes and lift the unreasonable restrictions imposed on the Chinese embassy and consulates and their staff. China will make reciprocal responses to U.S. actions," said the spokesperson. India vs Rest of South Asia: South Asia, a region characterised by low standards of healthcare and densely populated spaces, was expected to be badly hit by the pandemic. However, India has taken a huge lead in terms of cases than the rest of the region. Indias caseload is 13 times that of Bangladesh and 15 times Pakistan's. But given the size of the country, a fair comparison can be arrived at only by looking at the per capita figures. Even in terms of cases per million of population, India leads Bangladesh and Pakistan by 1.6 and 2.3 times respectively. Compared to Sri Lanka, ... Nineteen years ago Friday, nearly 3,000 American lives were lost when planes were hijacked and flown into the World Trade Center in New York, the Pentagon just outside Washington, D.C., and into a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. But as the U.S. commemorates that day of infamy, it is simultaneously grappling with the coronavirus. About 191,000 lives have been lost in the United States so far some 60 times more than on 9/11. Due to the pandemic, ceremonies that normally take place to commemorate this tragic day are starkly different this year. MORE: 'Nothing scares me': For 9/11 responder, COVID was the hardest battle yet PHOTO: A firefighter salutes while listening to the National Anthem during a 9/11 memorial service at the National September 11 Memorial and Museum on Sept. 11, 2020 in New York City. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images) In New York City, families of the victims of 9/11 and survivors have still been invited to the site of where their loved ones died, but they have been required to wear masks. In prior years, names of those who died have been read aloud by family members and friends in the plaza. But this year, according to the National September 11 Memorial & Museum, the reading of those names has been pre-recorded to be played out on speakers. Members of the general public have been discouraged to attend and pay tribute. Left to right, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Jill Biden, Democratic presidential candidate and former Vice President Joe Biden, former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg, Vice President Mike Pence and his wife Karen Pence on Sept. 11, 2020 in New York City. (Mary Altaffer/AP) Vice President Mike Pence, former Vice President Joe Biden, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, former Mayor Mike Bloomberg and Sen. Chuck Schumer attended Friday's 9/11 Memorial & Museum official commemoration ceremony. Pence broke away from the event to attend an alternate ceremony blocks away in Lower Manhattan, where the names of the dead were read in person by family members. The alternate ceremony was organized by the Tunnel to Towers Foundation, and approximately 125 family members were in attendance. The 9/11 Memorial and Museum will go ahead with its annual Tribute in Light," beamed into the sky from its traditional location in Lower Manhattan, after initial plans to cancel the commemoration over coronavirus concerns were met with backlash. The lights will be turned on at sunset and will fade away at dawn Saturday. Story continues PHOTO: A large American flag is unfurled at the Pentagon ahead of ceremonies at the National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial to honor the 184 people killed in the 2001 terrorist attack on the Pentagon, in Washington, Sept. 11, 2020. (J. Scott Applewhite/AP) The Pentagon held a ceremony at which Secretary of Defense Marker Esper and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley gave remarks. But the audience consisted solely of Defense Departments senior staff and officials. Family members of those who lost their lives were being allowed to visit later in the day but were not in the audience. MORE: McConnell vows vote on 9/11 victim compensation fund after Jon Stewart criticism On Capitol Hill, Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other House members, wearing masks, gathered for a moment of silence on the steps of the U.S. Capitol at 8:46 a.m., then sang a verse of "God Bless America" as they memorably did the evening of the attacks. PHOTO: Speaker Nancy Pelosi, along with members and staff, observe a moment of silence on the House steps of the Capitol to honor victims of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2020. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call via Newscom) Both former Vice President and Democratic nominee Joe Biden and President Donald Trump plan to attend separate private ceremonies at Shanksville, Trump in the morning and Biden in the afternoon. On his way to Pennsylvania, Trump and first lady Melania Trump observed a moment of silence on Air Force One. PHOTO: President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump pause for a moment of silence on Air Force One as he arrives at the airport in Johnstown, Pa., on his way to speak at the Flight 93 National Memorial, Sept. 11, 2020, in Shanksville, Pa. (Alex Brandon/AP) MORE: Bringing America Back: The coronavirus's toll on vulnerable populations, and more to know As of Sept 1., 2020, 1,642 of the 2,753 victims of the attack on the World Trade Center have been positively identified, according to the NYC Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. 1,111 victims have not been positively identified, 19 years later. PHOTO: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and members of Congress hold moment of silence observing National Day of Service and Remembrance on the East Front Steps on Capitol Hill in Washington on Sept. 11, 2020. (Gripas Yuri/ABACAPRESS.COM via Newscom) More than 1,400 Sept. 11 survivors and responders have contracted the coronavirus so far, according to data from the World Trade Center Health Program. Due to their compromised immune systems from surviving Sept. 11, especially their ailing respiratory symptoms, many have fallen ill. As of Aug. 21, at least 191 have been hospitalized and 44 have died. John Feal, a former construction worker who has suffered long-term health damage from working at Ground Zero after 9/11, told ABC News that he remembers the nations unity after the attacks. "If we were to bottle Sept. 12 and we learned to live like everyone did that day, the pandemic would go away a lot faster," Feal said. ABC News' Ivan Pereira and Aaron Katersky contributed to this report. Ceremonies marking 9/11 look much different due to pandemic originally appeared on abcnews.go.com A man carrying a shield with a symbol linked to Antifa stands next to a van with "Black Lives Matter" imagery during a demonstration outside a Multnomah County Sheriff's Office building in north Portland, Ore., on Aug. 12, 2020. (Nathan Howard/Getty Images) Oregon Voters Dont Approve of Portland Protests, Think Police Arent Using Enough Force: Poll A majority of Oregon voters disapprove of the ongoing unrest in Portland, according to a new poll, and a plurality want police to use more force against demonstrators. By a margin of more than two to one, more Oregon voters disapprove of the protests in Portland than approve of them, 66 percent to 31 percent, according to the DHM Research survey of 502 voters in the state. Most age groups disapproved of the protests. Those between the ages of 18 and 29, and those who identified as minorities said they believe the protests are helping black Portland residents. Protests and riots have taken place nearly every night in Oregons largest city since May 28, causing tens of millions of dollars in damage and disturbing residents in multiple cul-de-sacs. Asked whether they approved of the Portland Police Bureaus response to the unrest, 46 percent of respondents said yes, compared to 45 percent who disapproved. However, a split was evident: most respondents 45 or older approved of the response, versus just 21 percent of those between 18 and 29. Most of the protesters and rioters skew younger. A smoke grenade ignites beneath a vandalized police cruiser at the Portland Police Bureau North Precinct during a protest 2020 in Portland, Ore., on Aug. 22. (Nathan Howard/Getty Images) Approximately half of white respondents approved of the police response, compared to about a quarter of minority respondents. A plurality, or 42 percent, of respondents, said police have not used enough force in attempting to quell the rioting. And a majority of respondents, or 55 percent, said riot is a more accurate description than protest of the ongoing events in Portland. The unrest is considered the most important issue Oregon voters want state leaders to address, according to the poll. Voters said they disapproved of how Gov. Kate Brown and Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler are responding to the unrest, but also said they dont approve of how President Donald Trump has responded. The DHM survey was conducted online and had a margin of error of plus/minus 4.4 percent. The results were released shortly after Wheeler barred police officers from using tear gas when trying to quell riots and unlawful assemblies. A different survey conducted last month by FM3 Research of 434 likely Portland voters found 67 percent of respondents supported protests while 31 percent opposed them. A majority also said they believe police use of force has been inappropriate, 59 percent to 35 percent. Most respondents said they prefer an independent board to investigate matters like deaths in police custody and complaints about the use of force that results in injury. Portland police officers disperse rioters past a dumpster fire near the Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facility in Portland, Ore., early Aug. 21, 2020. (Nathan Howard/Getty Images) The poll was conducted online and via landline and call phones from Aug. 25 to Aug. 30. Voters will get a chance to weigh in the board issue. Portlands City Council voted over the summer to place a proposal to restructure the citys police oversight system on the Nov. 3 ballot, over objections from the Portland Police Association, a police union, and City Auditor Mary Hull Caballero, who oversees the current system. The proposal under consideration today is presumed to be in response to demands for a different police oversight system. Not a better system, just different. We cant tell if it would be better, because we havent had time for due diligence, to weigh the pros and cons, to understand the hurdles to implementation, or to simply to have our questions answered, Caballero told councilmembers before the vote. The ballot would amend the citys charter to establish a new police oversight board and give the board new powers, including the ability to subpoena witnesses. Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty, a Democrat who introduced the proposal about a month before it was referred to the ballot, said it was one of a number of efforts to move towards a broader vision of community safety. Because police have long dominated the narrative of what public safety should look like, we need to take a step back and instead think about what community safety looks like. Not everyone has the same view or experiences of safety, and thats where we must start, she said in a statement earlier this year. We need to rethink how we manage conflict, how we deal with uncomfortable situations, what communities need in moments of distress, what constitutes a crime, and what an appropriate response looks like. This is wrong. For better or worse, the global economy is the only economy weve got. Like the industrial economy before it, it is flawed, often cruel, but it pays the bills. If Chicago is to mend its divisions, it will have to do it with the money it reaps from its status as a global city. Simha Goldin, Director of Goldstein-Goren Diaspora Research Center in Tel Aviv University (studies the history and heritage of the Jewish people and their culture in the diaspora in all areas) announced during the Kyiv Jewish Forum 2020 that a new project for the Ukrainian and Jewish studies is being launched. I am very pleased to announce the creation of a new project at the center the initiative of the Ukrainian and Jewish studies. This has become possible thanks to the generous support of the Jewish Confederation of Ukraine and the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress. I would like to especially thank Dr. Haim Ben Yakov and Mr. Boris Lozhkin for their help and dedication in creating this project, Goldin said. According to him, the purpose of the Ukrainian-Jewish research initiative is to study the history and culture of Jews in the Ukrainian lands from the ancient times to the present days. The relations between the Jewish and the non-Jewish communities, in which they existed, will be examined. Before the revolution, Ukraine was one of the main centers of Jewish life and culture of Judaism in Eastern Europe, Goldin noted. According to him, almost all major events in the Jewish history of Eastern Europe took place namely in Ukraine. At the same time, relatively few studies have focused specifically on the history of those communities and the specifics of the Ukrainian context that made those communities so productive and dynamic. The project of the center is aimed at recognizing the importance of studying the uniqueness of the Jewish community of Ukraine and its rich history, said the Director of Goldstein-Goren Diaspora Research Center in Tel Aviv University. As previously reported, Kyiv Jewish Forum-2020 was held online on September 8-9. The forum was organized by the Jewish Confederation of Ukraine in partnership with the Jerusalem Post. On the first day of the forum, the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky addressed the participants with a welcoming speech. According to the JCU President Boris Lozhkin, the annual Kyiv Jewish Forum has become a global platform for discussing the most relevant issues of the Jewish community and the whole world. VANCOUVER, BC, Sept. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ - Copper Mountain Mining Corporation (TSX: CMMC) (ASX: C6C) (the "Company" or "Copper Mountain") announces results of the Company's annual meeting of shareholders (the "Meeting") held on September 9, 2020. A total of 79,074,111 common shares were voted at the Meeting, representing 41.33% of the total issued and outstanding common shares of the Company. The results for the items voted at the Meeting are as follows: Number of Directors Vote For % For Votes Against % Against Set the number of directors at seven 79,016,148 99.93% 57,963 0.07% Election of Directors Vote For % For Votes Withheld % Withheld Bruce Aunger 41,093,225 51.97% 37,980,886 48.03% Michele Buchignani 73,737,324 93.25% 5,336,787 6.75% Gilmour Clausen 75,442,198 95.41% 3,631,913 4.59% Al Cloke 41,105,298 51.98% 37,968,813 48.02% Alistair Cowden 74,148,726 93.77% 4,925,385 6.23% Carl Renzoni 40,238,954 50.89% 38,835,157 49.11% William Washington 75,634,606 95.65% 3,439,505 4.35% The Company reports shareholders reappointed PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as auditors of the Company for the ensuing year and authorized the directors to fix their remuneration. Vote For % For Votes Against % Against Appointment of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP 78,949,998 99.84% 124,113 0.16% The Company's shareholders voted against the Company's non-binding advisory vote on compensation ("Say on Pay"). Although Say on Pay is an advisory vote and the results are not binding upon the Board, the Board will take into account the results of the vote, together with shareholder feedback and best practices in compensation and governance. Vote For % For Votes Against % Against Approval of advisory vote on compensation 36,630,039 46.32% 42,444,072 53.68% As a result of the AGM voting results, the Board of Directors will accelerate the process of Board renewal that is already underway and actively communicate with shareholders regarding Board renewal and compensation disclosures. About Copper Mountain Mining Corporation Copper Mountain's flagship asset is the 75% owned Copper Mountain mine located in southern British Columbia near the town of Princeton. The Copper Mountain mine currently produces approximately 90 million pounds of copper equivalent, with average annual production expected to increase to approximately 120 million pounds of copper equivalent. Copper Mountain also has the development-stage Eva Copper Project in Queensland, Australia and an extensive 2,443 km2 highly prospective land package in the Mount Isa area. Copper Mountain trades on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol "CMMC" and Australian Stock Exchange under the symbol "C6C". Additional information is available on the Company's web page at www.CuMtn.com. On behalf of the Board of COPPER MOUNTAIN MINING CORPORATION "Gil Clausen" Gil Clausen, P.Eng. President and Chief Executive Officer Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This news release may contain forward-looking statements and forward-looking information (together, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable securities laws. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, are forward-looking statements. Generally, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of terminology such as "plans", "expects", "estimates", "intends", "anticipates", "believes" or variations of such words, or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might", "occur" or "be achieved". Forward-looking statements involve risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results, performance and opportunities to differ materially from those implied by such forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from these forward-looking statements include the successful exploration of the Company's properties in Canada and Australia, the reliability of the historical data referenced in this press release and risks set out in Copper Mountain's public documents, including in each management discussion and analysis, filed on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Although Copper Mountain believes that the information and assumptions used in preparing the forward-looking statements are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on these statements, which only apply as of the date of this news release, and no assurance can be given that such events will occur in the disclosed time frames or at all. Except where required by applicable law, Copper Mountain disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. SOURCE Copper Mountain Mining Corporation Related Links www.CuMtn.com Two weeks ago, a Chinese national who had been doing research at the University of Virginia was arrested and charged with the theft of trade secrets while trying to leave the country. The researcher Haizhou Hu, who also works at a Chinese military university was detained by U.S. Customs and Border officials at Chicagos OHare International Airport as he was trying to board a flight to China. When investigators questioned the Chinese national and searched his electronic devices, they say, they discovered a highly advanced computer code stolen from UVa. The Justice Department noted in a statement released that week: A routine screening conducted by authorities revealed that Hu was alleged to be in possession of bio-inspired research simulation software code that he was not authorized to possess, and which represented the result of years of research and resources in its development by members of the University of Virginia academic community. Hu was conducting research on bio-mimics and fluid dynamics at UVa, the release said. Recently, the FBI has dedicated significant attention and resources to uncovering Chinese researchers in the U.S. who might be stealing research secrets. In the past two years, government officials say the sheer volume of Chinese espionage efforts have demanded the U.S. double down on the blatant theft of intellectual property. In 2017, the U.S. IP Commission Report estimated the total cost of Chinas theft of intellectual property is costing the U.S. as much as $600 billion annually. A congressional study suggests that Chinas IP theft also has resulted in the loss of American industries and businesses, and more than 2 million American jobs. Officials estimate that about 8% of Chinas gross domestic product is directly tied to stolen intellectual property. Chinas playbook is simple, say government officials: Rob, replicate and replace. Rob the American company of its intellectual property, replicate that technology and replace the American company in the Chinese market and, one day, in the global market. It is working. Addressing Congress in November, FBI Director Christopher Wray said American government entities, corporations and universities need to become far more aggressive at detecting and mitigating cyberthreats. No longer can it be assumed that any U.S. network is 100% safe from Chinese espionage. Wray noted that American universities especially need to do far more to protect themselves and their intellectual property. Hus arrest last month highlights that. Cybersecurity is everyones business. Adapted from the Richmond Times-Dispatch. Editors note: Editorials published from other sources do not always represent the viewpoints of The Daily Progress, but are offered in an effort to share additional opinion and information. Bujumbura, Burundi (PANA) - At least six people were killed, two wounded, another went missing and property was looted by unidentified armed individuals on Thursday night in the northern Kayanza province of Burundi, the public radio reported Friday citing local government sources As per a post by XDA, Xiaomi is rolling out a new update that adds heart rate monitoring featuring using the camera to its Mi Health app. The Chinese OEM Xiaomi, introduced the Mi Health app in July last year. And during its initial days, it was lacking some of the important features which a health app should have. However, with multiple updates, especially with MIUI 12 update, the Mi Health app got better. Notably, it got features like step counter, new sleep tracking features, and a sedentary reminder, etc. Advertisement And with this new update, the Xiaomi Mi Health app is getting heart rate monitoring feature. This new feature will make use of the smartphones camera to measure and monitor your heart rate. The new update is arriving with version number v2.7.4. Besides, it does not require any additional hardware or sensors now, to measure the heart rate on your Xiaomi devices. The update introduces a new Heart rate section in the Mi Health app Using this new feature is rather simple. Noticeably, this new update also adds a new Heart rate section to the Xiaomi Mi Health app. Advertisement You have to head over to this new section on the app and then tap on the button located in the right corner. Then it will ask you to place your finger on the rear camera and cover the flash with it. If everything is properly done, then it will start measuring your heart rate. However, note that you should not remove your finger from the camera until the measuring bar reaches 100%. Once the heart rate measuring is completed, it will ask you to select your current state in a pop-up window. There will be three options to choose from, i.e. General status, Resting-state, and After exercise. Advertisement Based on any of the selected status, you can press the View report button. And a new pop up will show you your current heart rate. The pop up will also show other details, including whether your heart rate is normal or slow, depending on the option of your current status you choose. You can also see your Dashboard, which includes all the data of your heart rate collected over a period of time. This way, you can easily keep a track of the variations. Advertisement The new update is rolling out via OTA If you want to experience this new feature on your Xiaomi Mi Health app, then you probably have to wait for the official OTA to arrive. Make note that this feature is available on the app version 2.7.4. Sadly, it is not available on the Google Play Store. However, it is expected to be available to all users in a few days. St. Augustine, Florida, Sept. 11, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CareFast+ is pleased to offer urgent care services in a new building on the Flagler Hospital Campus in support of the hospitals mission to become a total care enterprise that advances the physical, social and economic health of the communities served. CareFast+ is operated through a joint venture partnership between Flagler Health+ and TeamHealth Ambulatory Care. Under this partnership, TeamHealth provides full operational support, including staffing and management of urgent care services. In partnership with TeamHealth, we launched CareFast+ to further deliver on our promise to bring high quality, low cost, compassionate and convenient care solutions to the residents of St. Johns County and surrounding communities, commented Flagler Health+ President & CEO Jason Barrett. TeamHealth Ambulatory Care offers hospital/system partners the support of a tenured team dedicated solely to ambulatory care, providing patients an unparalleled outpatient experience. An urgent care setting provides a convenient, affordable solution for people who are not able to make an immediate appointment with their doctor or have a health concern that does not require the emergency room. We are excited to bring the highest level of care and service from our skilled clinicians to the community, said Joseph Chow, MD, President, TeamHealth Ambulatory Care and President Elect, Urgent Care Association. By accepting a wide variety of insurance plans and being open 365 days a year with hours extending into the evenings, we make obtaining quality healthcare easy for the patient. TeamHealth Ambulatory Care is led by George Tracy and Dr. Joe Chow, following TeamHealths paired leadership philosophy that matches seasoned physicians with top business minds to create fervent supporters of quality and innovation in patient care. With more than 25 years of experience in consumer-driven urgent care services, TeamHealth Ambulatory Care offers customizable partnership models, including joint ventures, management services agreements, or consulting relationships. We are proud and feel privileged to provide hospitals and systems solutions that drive efficiency, increase patient satisfaction, and further support consistency of care, shared George Tracy, Chief Executive Officer, TeamHealth Ambulatory Care. About Flagler Health+ Flagler Health+ is a total-care enterprise aimed at advancing the physical, social and economic health of Northeast Florida communities. From serving as the lead agency for the Continuum of Care with an aim to end homelessness to bringing a new concept in health villages throughout the region, Flagler Health+ is here to serve as our patients partner on the journey of life. Flagler Health+ is an extension of Flagler Hospital, which has a 130-year legacy of caring for the community. The 335-bed hospital has been named among Americas 100 Best Hospitals out of nearly 4,500 nationwide. Learn more about CareFast+ at www.carefastplus.com. About TeamHealth At TeamHealth, our purpose is to perfect the practice of medicine, every day, in everything we do. We are proud to be the leading physician practice in the United States, driven by our commitment to quality and safety and supported by our world-class operating team. Through our more than 16,000 affiliated healthcare professionals and advanced practice clinicians, TeamHealth offers emergency medicine, hospital medicine, critical care, anesthesiology, orthopedic surgery, general surgery, obstetrics, ambulatory care, post-acute care and medical call center solutions to approximately 3,100 acute and post-acute facilities and physician groups nationwide. TeamHealth Ambulatory Care provides full-service management of 26 urgent care locations in four states. These locations treat more than 400,000 patients annually for non-life threatening needs. Customized service models include pediatric urgent care, adult urgent care, primary care, and occupational medicine which produce top percentile patient experience results. In a bid to increase the number of ICU beds at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Bhopal, the government will soon provide 15 ventilators and all other possible assistance, state minister Vishwas Sarang said. After reviewing the facilities at in light of the COVID-19 pandemic on Thursday, the medical education minister said the state government has discussed with the Centre the matter of procuring 100 ventilators for the institute. Apart from this, the state government will soon provide additional 15 ventilators to the hospital from its end to enhance its patient intake capacity, Sarang said. Bhopal director Dr Sarman Singh and senior doctors and the state government officials among others were present during the review. has so far recorded 81,379 COVID-19 cases, while the toll in the state stands at 1,661. (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.) BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 11 By Jeila Aliyeva - Trend: Turkmenistan will support the activities of Japanese companies in the country, as well as create favorable conditions for investment activity, Trend reports with reference to Turkmenistans State News Agency . This was stated during a telephone conversation between President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov and Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe. One of the priority directions of the Turkmen-Japanese partnership is the activation of trade and economic relations, the parties said. Thus, the countries cooperate both in a bilateral format and within the framework of international organizations. One of the examples of cooperation is the participation of Japanese companies in the implementation of projects on construction of modern oil and gas and chemical plants in Turkmenistan. Reportedly, the Japanese business circles are interested in expanding their activity in the Turkmen market and in participating in new infrastructure projects. Japanese companies have proved themselves to be reliable partners in the implementation of such big projects as the construction of industrial plants. The plant for the production of ammonia and carbamide was built in Mary town of Turkmenistans Mary region, the plant for the production of carbamide fertilizers was built in Garabogaz town in the Balkan region, the plant for the of polyethylene and polypropylene was built in Kiyanly town and the world's first plant for the production of environmentally friendly pure synthetic fuel - gas from natural gas was built in Ahal region. The prospects for mutually beneficial partnership are also available in the transport, communications, logistics and agricultural sectors. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @JeilaAliyeva A 102-year-old retired nurse is to complete her 102nd charity walk on her birthday. During lockdown Joan Rich set a goal to walk 102 laps of her local park before her 102nd birthday on September 11. Following in Captain Sir Thomas Moores footsteps, the former auxiliary nurse and Second World War veteran aims to raise money for the NHS she worked in for much of her life. Using her frame, or pushing her wheelchair, Mrs Rich walks a 560-metre path from her home in Felixstowe in Suffolk, around Allenby Park, and back. She has already completed 101 laps and raised more than 23,000 for NHS charities. Mrs Rich was one of the first people to visit the park on April 22 when it reopened after shutting due to the coronavirus pandemic. A local resident had mowed NHS into one of the lawns during lockdown and it inspired Mrs Rich to complete the challenge. I wanted to do my bit for them, she said. The only way I can help is by walking, like Sir Tom. I hope it makes a difference. Her daughter Diane Rich, who accompanies Mrs Rich on the walks, set up a JustGiving page for the venture. With more than 23,000 given so far, they hope a final surge in donations will mark the last walk. She has walked over 35 miles, Diane told the PA news agency. She has been very humbled by the support she has had from neighbours, friends and strangers. She says no matter how big or small all donations add up to help raise money for the NHS. Joan, who was a nurse at Felixstowe General Hospital between 1964 and 1978, said she sometimes had to go to the park during shifts when patients who had absconded from the hospital had gone there. Mrs Rich also worked at Hillingdon Hospital in west London before moving to Felixstowe in 1964. During the Second World War, she served with the Royal Military Police and was stationed in Jerusalem where she helped prisoners of war return to health before being sent home to their families in the UK including a member of her local bicycle club in Ipswich who was captured at the start of the war. Mrs Rich, who was born in Meriden in the West Midlands during the Spanish flu pandemic in 1918, said the sense of community spirit during the coronavirus pandemic had reminded her of that during war time. While stationed in Jerusalem, she lived close to another Allenby Park spending more than half of her life visiting parks with the same name. Local children have put images in their front windows encouraging Mrs Rich to achieve her goal. For more information visit: justgiving.com/fundraising/Diane-Rich1 This family in the village of Susya in the southern West Bank were among 205 Palestinians who were displaced by Israeli home demolitions in August alone, according to UN figures Israeli demolitions of Palestinian homes built without planning permits that are almost impossible to obtain have risen sharply during the coronavirus pandemic despite the health risks, the UN said Friday. "The period from March to August 2020 saw the demolition or confiscation of 389 Palestinian-owned structures in the West Bank, on average, 65 per month, the highest average destruction rate in four years," the UN humanitarian affairs office (UNOCHA) said. "Sadly, demolitions during the period March-August 2020 left 442 Palestinians homeless, further exposing many to risks associated with the pandemic." UNOCHA said that in August alone, 205 people were displaced, more than in any other single month since January 2017. The Israeli authorities routinely raze homes built by Palestinians on their own lands in annexed east Jerusalem or the occupied West Bank if they lack Israeli construction permits. Contacted by the AFP, the Israeli military body in charge of civil affairs in the territories, COGAT, said it had an "obligation to maintain public order". The catch, according to a UN study, is that such permits are "virtually impossible" to obtain and the result is a chronic housing shortage. "The destruction of property in an occupied territory is prohibited under international humanitarian law, unless absolutely necessary for military operations," said the UN humanitarian coordinator for the Palestinian territories, Jamie McGoldrick. "The global pandemic has increased the needs and vulnerabilities of Palestinians who are already trapped in the abnormality of prolonged military occupation. "Unlawful demolitions exacerbate these vulnerabilities and must stop immediately." According to the latest Palestinian health ministry figures, more than 27,600 cases of the novel coronavirus have been confirmed in the Palestinian territories. Of those, 193 have died. cgo-mib/kir/dv A study published today in Science reveals that biological sex has a small but ubiquitous influence on gene expression in almost every type of human tissue. Genes found to be expressed at different levels in adult males and females are involved in many different biological processes, including response to medication, control of blood sugar level in pregnancy, and cancer. The study is part of a set of papers (4 in Science, 1 in Cell and 8 in other journals) published by the Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) Consortium, which are the culmination of a 10-year-effort funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). GTEx project is an ongoing international effort to build a comprehensive public resource to study tissue-specific gene expression and regulation. Sex has a weaker but important effect on the genetic contribution to gene regulation, with the researchers discovering previously unreported links between genes and complex traits, including birth weight and percentage of body fat. Therefore, these discoveries suggest the importance of considering sex as a biological variable in human genetics and genomics studies. If specific genes or genetic variants contribute differentially to a given trait in males and females, it could suggest sex-specific (or differentiated) biomarkers, therapeutics, drug dosing, etc. In the future, such knowledge may form a critical component of personalized medicine or may reveal disease biology that remains obscured when considering males and females as a single group. Sex differences have been previously attributed to hormones, sex chromosomes, and differences in behavior and environmental exposures, but the molecular mechanisms and underlying biology remain largely unknown. In this study lead by Barbara E. Stranger from the University of Chicago, and Northwestern University, both in Illinois, researchers from the Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), in the group of Roderic Guigo, the Sant Pau Biomedical Research Institute, the University of Barcelona, and other centers world-wide, investigated sex differences in the transcriptome, which is the sum of all RNA transcripts in a cell, across 44 types of healthy human tissue from 838 individuals. "Our work is a catalog of sex-differentiated effects across the human transcriptome that can serve as a reference when performing further analyses to explore the role of sex in biology," says Manuel Munoz-Aguirre, co-first author and researcher at the Centre for Genomic Regulation. "We believe this work can be helpful for researchers seeking to assess sex biases in disease, which could ultimately translate into clinical practice." Sex differences in gene expression were reported in at least one type of tissue for over a third of all human genes (37%). Although abundant, the sex effects on gene expression were mostly small. The number of sex-biased genes and their effect sizes were not dominated by either sex. Sex-biased genes represented diverse molecular and biological functions, including genes relevant to disease and clinical phenotypes, many of which had not been previously associated with sex differences at a molecular level. For example, the gene CYP450, linked to human drug metabolism in liver, was found to be sex-differentially expressed across multiple tissues. Genes targeted by the H3K27me3 epigenetic mark, linked to sex-biased secretion of pituitary growth hormone and placental development, were also sex-differentially expressed across multiple tissues. The researchers also studied the genetic regulation of gene expression. Here they found much less of an impact of sex, with the majority of discovered effects observed in breast tissue, followed by muscle, skin and adipose tissue. When cross-referencing this data with results from 87 GWAS studies representing 74 different complex traits, the researchers found 58 gene-trait links that would have been missed with sex-agnostic analyses, highlighting the importance of considering sex as a biological variable in genomic analyses. "These results suggest that sex differences in human complex traits might derive, in part, from sex differences in gene regulation. In the future, this knowledge may contribute to personalized medicine, where we consider biological sex as one of the relevant components of an individual's characteristics", declares Barbara E. Stranger, main author of the study at Northwestern University, Chicago. In women, the genetic regulation of CCDC88 is strongly associated with the progression of breast cancer, and HKDC1 with birth weight, possibly by altering glucose metabolism in the liver of a pregnant woman. In men, genetic regulation of DPYSL4 was associated with body fat percentage and CLDN7 with birth weight. The researchers also identified a link between an uncharacterized gene, C9orf66, and male pattern balding. "Our study reveals gene-trait links that would have been missed with sex-agnostic analyses, highlighting the importance of considering sex as a biological variable in genomic analyses. In a forthcoming future, we anticipate that novel, sex-aware single cell transcriptome approaches may play an important role in disentangling sex effects on the transcriptome even further", says Meritxell Oliva, co-first author of the study at The University of Chicago, and former researcher at the Centre for Genomic Regulation. Importantly, the researchers note that despite the discovery of extensive sex differences at the transcriptome level, these effects were small and the male and female distributions overlapped. Indeed, they note that the majority of biology at all phenotype levels is shared between males and females. They also note that the study has several limitations. The findings are based on a snapshot of mostly older individuals. The analysis also does not account for sex differences that occur during different developmental stages, in specific environments, or in specific disease states. The CRG authors of this paper also contributed to two other papers of the set published today by the GTEx Consortium. In the main GTEx paper published by the GTEx consortium, and another manuscript, cell type composition was identified as a key factor to understand gene regulatory mechanisms in human tissues. GTEx researchers found that the abundance of each cell type in human tissues is linked to specific genome traits. CRG researchers have contributed to these articles by testing statistical methods to identify the presence of specific cell types in tissues based on gene expression. ### An Iranian fuel tanker bound for Venezuela showed up on radar on Friday as off the coast of South Africa. Iranian fuel deliveries continue to the South American country after recent US seizures, and the lengthy route around Africa could be to avoid the US military. The website MarineTraffic received a signal from the tanker, named Fortune, on Friday showing it off South Africas Indian Ocean coast. MarineTraffic shows at least three Iran-flagged fuel tankers currently sailing, none of which have a destination listed. Fortune began in the United Arab Emirates city of Khor Fakkan and is due to dock on Sept. 21. Faxon sailed from the Iranian island Lavan and was detected off the coast of the UAE on Aug. 31. Forest left the Iranian city of Bandar Abbas on or before Aug. 9, according to the website. On Thursday, Reuters reported that Forest and Fortune were near southern Africas Cape of Good Hope and heading for Venezuela. They will arrive later this month with around 300,000 barrels of fuel, according to the outlet. The travel around Africa is notable because past routes for Fortune, Forest and Faxon to Venezuela went through the Mediterranean Sea. The US military and its NATO allies' presence in the strategic body of water has threatened Iranian fuel shipments in the past. Last year, British authorities temporarily seized the Iranian tanker Grace 1 off the coast of Gibraltar. Grace 1 was reportedly heading to Syria. The United States maintains harsh sanctions on both Iran and Venezuela and opposes both governments. This shared status has brought the two countries closer in recent years. The United States says Iran is building a nuclear weapon, which Iran denies. In August, the US government announced the seizure of four tankers it said were carrying Iranian fuel to Venezuela. The companies are now challenging the move in a US court. The United States has recently upped pressure on Iran and seized the websites of the companies that allegedly facilitated the attempted oil transfer to Venezuela. On September 10, a massive fire broke out at the Port of Beirut, causing panic among residents that were traumatized by the massive explosion there last month. The explosion killed and injured thousands of people. Fire in Beirut port There was no clear cause of the fire at the port, which was decimated by the explosion on August 4 when nearly 3,000 tons of ammonium nitrate detonated, triggering a shock wave explosion that blasted the doors, windows and walls of establishments and homes. A column of black smoke billowed from the port at midday, with orange flames coming out from the ground. The Lebanese army said that the fire is at a warehouse where oil and tires are placed in the duty-free zone at the port adding that fighting the blaze is ongoing and that the army helicopters are helping with the operation. The residents, who are all still struggling to heal over the explosion last month, panicked at the sight of the fire. They opened their windows and called each other to warn them of the fire. Also Read: Ammonium Nitrate: What is This Chemical Culprit Behind the Deadly Beirut Blast Local TV stations said that the companies that have offices near the port had asked their employees to leave the area. Meanwhile, Lebanese troops closed the road that passes near the blazing port, referring traffic to other areas, according to CNN. The explosion on August 4 killed more than 190 people, injured around 6,500 and damaged thousands of buildings in the area. Beirut is paralyzed as the troops and residents are cleaning the debris left by the explosion. A viral video is circulating on social media showed workers at the port running away as soon as the fire broke out. The incident became a chilling reminder of the blast that killed dozens of port employees and ten firefighters. Gov. Marwan Abboud of Beirut and authorities warned the public to stay away from roads that are leading to the port in order to give way to fire engines and to allow them to move fast. Police spokesman Col. Joseph Msalam said they have no information about the port because the facility is under the control of the army. When asked about reports that the fire was caused by burning tires and oil, Col. Msalam said that he doesn't know and that they have not gotten any word from the responders on the port. This was the second fire reported at the port this week. On September 8, a small fire erupted and created panic. Fortunately, it was quickly extinguished, according to BBC. Rescue search ends On September 6, after 72 hours of searching for any survivor trapped underneath the wreckage of a collapsed building, the search and rescue team has said that they were unable to find any signs of life in the area, ABC news reported. Both Lebanese and Chilean rescue teams had been digging since September 3. The Topos Chile search and rescue team had detected possible signs of life after their sniffer dog had signaled to them that a human body might be in the building. The team dug through the rubble, but all they got were dead bodies. Authorities stated that chances of finding survivors a month after the explosion are slim. Related Article: How to Help Beirut, Lebanon Explosion Victims and Other Causes @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. As part of an official visit to Lithuania, Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Dmytro Razumkov met with representatives of the Ukrainian community near the monument to Taras Shevchenko in Vilnius and honored the memory of the great poet by laying flowers. Speaking to the community, Razumkov thanked Ukrainians in Lithuania for their readiness to support Ukraine, regardless of borders, and noted their unity and solidarity, the press service of the Ukrainian parliament reported. The Ukrainian speaker also thanked the community for the cultural and educational work, preservation of Ukrainian traditions, language and most importantly - the memory of people who were killed when defending the Ukrainian state. As Ukrinform reported, Razumkov paid an official visit to the Republic of Lithuania on September 10. iy Between early 2018 and the start of September, Israel has conducted a number of operations in Syria, targetting Hezbollah regarding Asharq al-Sawt. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported that Israeli airstrikes on Iranian sites in Syria for the past 32 months have caused the destruction of 270 targets and the death of around 500 Iranian forces and affiliated militias. A total of 79 Israeli airstrikes targeted Syria between early 2018 and the start of September, destroying 250 targets, including weapons depots, buildings, and military headquarters, SOHR reported on Wednesday. The airstrikes killed 509 individuals as follows: 12 citizens (including three women and three children), and 497 members from regime and affiliated armed groups including Lebanons Hezbollah and Iranian forces. The 497 members were distributed as follows: 63 regime members, 35 pro-regime armed forces, 228 from Hezbollah and 171 Iranian forces and the Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The Israeli airstrikes have escalated since 2018. SOHR documented a minimum of 26 targets belonging to the regime and Iranian forces and their loyal militias of Syrian nationals and foreigners. SOHR documented at least 23 airstrikes in 2019 with 10 targeting Damascus and its countryside, seven in Qunaitra, two in Deir Ezzor and each in Homs, Aleppo, Hama, Suwayda and Daraa. The first nine months of 2020 were an indicator that Israel insists on fighting the Iranian presence in Syria. This year, a minimum of 30 airstrikes were monitored as follows: 11 in Deir Ezzor, seven in Homs, six in Damascus and its countryside, three in Daraa, two in Qunaitra and Hama, and one in Aleppo. At least 161 people, mostly Iranian forces and their loyal militias of Syrians and foreigners, were killed in the Israeli attacks since the beginning of 2020. 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. One (relatively) good piece of news, though, is that people wont necessarily be stuck in an indefinite state of lockdown, Megan Scudellari writes for Nature. She notes one June report on 53 countries, compiled by a team at the MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis at Imperial College London, that suggests that personal behavioral changes such as hand-washing and wearing masks have helped stem the tide of infections in some places even as lockdowns lift. Another study concluded that if at least 50 percent of people are cautious in public if they wear masks, wash their hands and avoid large gatherings social-distancing measures could be gradually eased every 80 days over the next two years without overwhelming hospitals or causing a new peak in cases. Waiting (and waiting) for a medical mediocrity Over the past few months, the arrival of a coronavirus vaccine, whenever it happens, has become synonymous with resolution, the herald of a near-immediate return to prepandemic life. But as Carolyn Y. Johnson writes in The Washington Post, that scenario is very far from the likeliest one. The declaration that a vaccine has been shown safe and effective will be a beginning, not the end, she says. Thats because no vaccine is 100 percent effective, and only some confer lifelong immunity. Whereas the measles vaccine, one of the best at preventing disease, is 97 percent effective and has to be administered only twice, influenza vaccines are on average about half as effective and have to be administered every year. For a coronavirus vaccine to meet the Food and Drug Administrations approval threshold, it will have to prevent or reduce severe disease in only 50 percent of people who receive it. Thats why, as one expert in drug development put it to Ms. Johnson, the first generation of vaccines may be mediocre. What would a mediocre vaccine do? As Sarah Zhang writes in The Atlantic, it might limit Covid-19s severity without entirely stopping its spread. That could still be a great help in suppressing case rates and saving lives, but according to the experts Ms. Zhang spoke with, it would not make the virus simply disappear. For context, consider that vaccines exist for more than a dozen human viruses but only one, smallpox, has ever been eradicated from the planet, and that took 15 years of immense global coordination, she writes. We will probably be living with this virus for the rest of our lives. But as Dr. Dhruv Khullar argues in The New Yorker, an exceptionally effective vaccine is not the only way to get the virus under control. The public, he says, has been trained to think of the coronavirus like polio, which was eradicated in the United States after a silver bullet vaccine was introduced in 1955. But the path the coronavirus takes could end up being more similar to that of tuberculosis. Like polio, tuberculosis ravaged the United States in the 1900s, but it has no comparable vaccine, and was instead beaten back incrementally with an array of imperfect medical advances and public-health strategies. Unless you have a perfect vaccine, which very few are, youll always have people who end up getting sick, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the federal governments top infectious disease expert, told Dr. Khullar. With or without a vaccine, were going to need other treatments. The founder of Reliable Revolutionaries, a local activist group, has been arrested after allegedly leaving her children home alone. Jourdyn Parks, 29, was charged with abandoning a child with intent to return, according to the Bexar County Sheriff's Office. Deputies were called to a home on the Northeast Side for a welfare check shortly after noon Wednesday. They found two children, ages 8 and 2, looking out from an upstairs window. The elder child opened the window and told deputies her mother was at a meeting and would be back soon. The deputies entered the home through a back door that had been left ajar. Sheriff Javier Salazar said the deputies discovered "deplorable conditions" inside. Parks arrived home at 3 p.m. and told deputies she had gone to get her phone fixed. She was arrested and the children spent the night in Child Protective Services' custody. One child's non-custodial parent had been reunited with them, Salazar said Thursday, and the other was en route to San Antonio to take custody of the other child. Deputies had been called to the home on three prior occasions, dating back to Aug. 3, but made contact with the children for the first time Wednesday. The Reliable Revolutionaries, formed in the wake of protests over George Floyds death, advocates for changes including amending the police union contract and reallocating money from the police to other departments. Asked whether Parks' activism had any bearing on the case, Salazar said, "No." Parks was released Thursday on bond. Aaron Grissom, a contestant of "Top Chef," has died. He was 34 years old. According to The News Tribune, Grissom died after getting in a motorcycle crash in Washington state. The outlet reports the Pierce County medical examiner ruled his death an accident. Top Chef - Season 12 (Bravo / NBCU Photo Bank) "Bravo and the Top Chef family are saddened to learn about the passing of Chef Aaron Grissom from Season 12: Boston," a Bravo spokesperson said in a statement. "Our deepest sympathy goes out to his family and friends." Originally from Tacoma, Washington, Grissom was one of 16 chefs on the 2014 season of Top Chef that was taped in Boston. He placed 11th in the competition. He also appeared on the Food Network series "Diners Drive-Ins and Dives." His former co-worker, Yu Nanakornphanom, remembered him not only for his work in the kitchen but also for a good deed he did: donating one of his kidneys to a friend who needed one. Top Chef - Season 12 (Bravo / NBCU Photo Bank) After we opened (Moshi Moshi), we talked about it. I have this condition, I dont know how much I can take with the business," Nanakornphanom told The News Tribune. "Then we were joking around, and he said, I can give you a kidney. We happened to be a match were both Type O. Its very rare to find Type O. He had a lot going on, Nanakornphanom added. I think he had a good future ahead of him. Hes always learning to do something. He was driven. He lived his life fully. New Delhi: A Mumbai court on Friday, dismissed the bail applications of Rhea Chakraborty, brother Showik and four others in drugs scandal related to Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput's death case, filed by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB). According to sources, during her interrogation with the NCB, Rhea Chakraborty had revealed a few names of Bollywood celebrities who consume and procure drugs. As many 15 B-Towners are now on NCB radar, and it has been learnt that they belong to the B-category of actors. Another important detail which has been reported is that during the lockdown period, a courier was sent from Sushant's house to Rhea's residence through a courier. Dipesh Sawant had allegedly given the parcel from Sushant's house to the courier boy and at to be delivered at Rhea's place. Showik took the courier from the courier boy, according to sources. The parcel carried half a kilo buds in it and this courier was sent sometime in the month of April. In order to evade suspicion, some household items were also packed in that courier packet along with buds (drug). The packet of buds was sent through a courier so that it doesn't get caught during police checks amid lockdown. The courier boy in fact identified Dipesh Sawant and Showik Chakraborty. Also, the phone call details of the courier boy were traced from Showik and Dipesh. Meanwhile, Rhea and other 5 accused are likely to move the Bombay High Court for bail. Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput was found dead at his Bandra residence on June 14, 2020. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has filed a chargesheet against seven ULFA cadres for allegedly killing a police officer during a gunfight in Tinsukia district of Assam two years ago, a spokesperson of the anti-terrorism agency said on Friday. While three of the accused stand arrested in the case, the search is on for four others who are absconding, the spokesperson said. Officer-in-charge of Bordumsa police station, Sub-inspector Bhaskar Kalita was killed and his service rifle, an AK-47, looted when his party was attacked by a group of United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) militants at Kujupathar village on May 4, 2018. The NIA, which took over the case in June 2019 from the Assam Police, filed the chargesheet under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, Explosive Substances Act and Arms Act before the special judge at Guwahati in Assam on Thursday, the spokesperson said. He said the accused named in the chargesheet are Bubul Moran alias Tiger Asom, Dipankar Borah alias Ghutuk and Mamun Dihingia (all residents of Tinsukia who have already been arrested in the case) besides Bijit Gogoi alias Arunodoi Dahotia alias Arunodoi Asom of Dibrugarh; Kanto Bora alias Rupom Asom of Golaghat; Santosh Gogoi Sadiya from Tinsukia; and Jushinta Moran alias Yangkho Asom of Sadiya in Tinsukia who are all absconding, the spokesperson said. Investigation has established that this terrorist act was committed by a group of ULFA terrorists in result of a conspiracy hatched by the accused persons on instruction of the ULFA leader Arundoi Dahoti alias Arunodoi Asom, the NIA said. In pursuance of the conspiracy, it said the group of ULFA militants comprising Kanto Bora alias Rupom Asom, Santosh Gogoi alias Gyan Asom, Bubul Moran alias Tiger Asom, Jushinta Moran alias Yangkho Asom and another ULFA militant Rudreshwar Baruah alias Jaan Asom (already dead), came from their camp in Myanmar to Tinsukia district in Upper Assam, armed with assault weapons, Improvised Explosive Devices, explosive powder, with an aim of raising funds for ULFA and committing terrorist acts at various places in Assam. On receipt of the information, the same was sought to be thwarted by Officer in Charge Bordumsa and his team. During the process of laying the cordon, the ULFA cadres fired indiscriminately on Sub-inspector Kalita, who was leading from front, thus killing him, the NIA said. The terrorists also snatched his service weapon, an AK-47 rifle, while escaping, the spokesperson said, adding that investigation also established that the accused Dipankar Borah alias Ghutuk and Mamun Dihingia were overground workers of ULFA, a proscribed terrorist organisation, and had provided logistical support to its militants. Further investigation in the case is continuing, the spokesperson said. A young mum has been diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor after suffering a seizure in front of her two-year-old. Suzie Greenham was a healthy 28-year-old hairdresser from Taree, on the New South Wales mid-north coast, when she fell pregnant with her daughter Maya in January. The expectant mother-of-three knew something was wrong when she started struggling to butter her toast and button up her pants just before she was due to go on maternity leave in mid-August. Days later, Mrs Greenham suffered three seizures in two three days and received the devastating news that she has glioblastoma multiforme - an aggressive brain cancer with a five per cent survival rate. Mrs Greenham's sister Rachel Griffith opened up to Daily Mail Australia about how the devastating news has impacted her family. Suzie Greenham is pictured with her husband Jesse and children Caleb and Sienna Ms Greenham was diganosed with stage four glioblastoma multiforme - an aggressive brain cancer with a five per cent survival rate - four weeks ago 'Five weeks ago it was normal - it was like there was nothing wrong with her,' she said. Run down with headaches, swollen ankles and fatigue, Mrs Greenham put her symptoms down to being heavily pregnant. She got home from her last day of work on August 11 and took a bath to help the pain in her swollen ankles. While her two children, four-year-old Caleb and three-year-old Sienna, played in the living room, she suffered her first seizure in the water. Feeling sick and scared, the pregnant mother left the bathtub and lay on the couch. 'The next thing she remembers is her daughter standing next to her saying, "Mummy, are you okay? Are you okay?",' Ms Griffith said. While her two children, four-year-old Caleb and three-year-old Sienna, played in the living room, she suffered her first seizure in the water Mrs Greenham realised she was unable to talk and began crying hysterically, before her parents walked through the door and called an ambulance Mrs Greenham realised she was unable to talk and began crying hysterically, before her parents walked through the door and called an ambulance. She had a CT scan and an ultrasound at Manning Base Hospital in Taree, but the results came back clear. While she was sent home the following day after an MRI, Mrs Greenham suffered another seizure that night as she lay next to her husband Jesse. When the doctors looked at her brain scans again, they noticed a worrying blurry dot. 'She was rushed straight to John Hunter Hospital but the doctors weren't sure if it was a tumor or multiple sclerosis, so we were hearing both for a a few weeks.' On August 25, Mrs Greenham gave birth to her third child five weeks early, Maya Rose, so doctors could do more invasive tests without harming the unborn baby. On August 25, Mrs Greenham gave birth to her third child five weeks early, Maya Rose (pictured), so doctors could do more invasive tests without harming the unborn baby 'Maya (pictured) has put smiles on faces during the situation when there feels like there is nothing else to smile about,' Ms Greenham's sister said While her two older children Caleb and Sienna (pictured) are too young to understand what is happening to their mother, their aunt explained that they know something is not right Following a final scan, she was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor. 'It was just horrible,' Ms Griffith said. 'It tore the family apart.' 'The only shining light of the situation is that she gave birth to a happy healthy baby girl. Maya has put smiles on faces during the situation when there feels like there is nothing else to smile about.' The mother-of-three has now lost all movement in her right arm. She is losing movement in her leg and her speech is still impacted by the 'rapidly growing' tumor. While her two older children are too young to understand what is happening to their mother, their aunt explained that they know something is not right. Ms Greenham (pictured with her parents on their wedding day) is losing movement in her leg and her speech is still impacted by the 'rapidly growing' tumor The family have set up a Go Fund Me page to help Mr Greenham take time off work be there for his wife and children 'Caleb and Sienna know something is going on with mum.' 'They don't know exactly what it is, but they've been picking up on a few things and they're quite upset.' Mrs Greenham has been undergoing chemotherapy and radiation to slow the growth of the tumor, but her husband - who is a diesel mechanic and runs his own business - will soon become a single dad. The family have set up a Go Fund Me page to help Mr Greenham take time off work be there for his wife and children. 'Jesse has taken extended leave off work to be by her side and look after the kids. She has the support of her family and friends, but they will still need all the help they can get,' Ms Griffith said. 'Raising money will help the family spend as much quality time together as they can and allow Jesse to take as much time off work as needed.' Sharad Pawar Says Centre Should Make Presentation Before Parliamentary Panel on India-China Situation NCP president Sharad Pawar on Friday said there should be a presentation by the government on the situation at India-China border in Ladakh, where armies of the two countries are involved in a face-off. Pawar, who is in New Delhi to attend a meeting of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence, said there are other defence-related issues on the table for discussion, but he will make a request that a presentation is made on it. LIVE UPDATES India Has One of the Worlds Lowest Covid-19 Mortality Rates But Numbers Dont Tell the Whole Story For months, India has been struggling to control the coronavirus pandemic with limited success. The countrys reported mortality rate is surprisingly low compared to other countries with high infection rates. But some scientists warn that the numbers are incomplete and misleading. Not all deaths take place in a hospital. Even if a patient dies in hospital, but it is not covered by the Health Ministrys medical certification of cause of death (MCCD) web portal, the death may not get logged in the system. And even if it is, it likely wont get a cause of death, and so wont be included in the Covid death toll. READ MORE In Tamil Nadus Political Theatre, Language Drama is Running to Full Houses The political discourse in Tamil Nadu is swaying inexorably towards an oft-trodden ground: language politics. A high-stakes political crossfire is underway in Tamil Nadu over the perceived imposition of Hindi and the exclusion of regional languages; the Dravidian parties are wasting no time in trying to score points over each other. READ MORE Trump Says Kim Jong Un Showed off Headless Body of His Executed Uncle to North Korean Officials The headless body of Kim Jong Uns executed uncle was displayed to senior North Korean officials, US President Donald Trump told the author of an upcoming book on the US president. Jang Song Thaek, the North Korean leaders uncle by marriage, was purged for treason in 2013, in what was widely seen as Kim mercilessly asserting his authority. Kim tells me everything. Told me everything He killed his uncle and he put the body right in the steps," Trump told Washington Post investigative journalist Bob Woodward, according to his forthcoming book Rage. READ MORE Actor Rhea Chakraborty, Brother Showik and 4 Others Denied Bail in Drugs Case A special court on Friday rejected the bail pleas of actor Rhea Chakraborty and her brother Showik, arrested by the NCB in a drugs-related case. The court also rejected the bail pleas of four other accused in the case. The NCB had begun its investigation after retrieved chats between Chakraborty and the late Sushant Singh Rajput allegedly hinted at the use of banned drugs. LIVE UPDATES Elon Musk Forgets Son X A-12s Name in Interview, Says Sounds Like a Password Tesla CEO Elon Musk named his baby X A-12 in May and we still havent been able to figure out what it means or how to pronounce it correctly. Then they changed the babys name to X A-Xii and we still cant get it. But we may not be the only ones. Turns out, the list includes Musk himself. In a video posted online, an interviewer asks Musk how X A-12 is doing. Musk seems genuinely confused for a minute. He asks the interviewer to repeat himself, and then laughs. Oh, you mean my kid That sounded like a password," he says. WATCH VIDEO The Social Dilemma shows us how captivated by the comfort of information at our fingertips and the ability to always stay connected, we often resign ourselves to the perils of technology. The past decade has witnessed a growing dependence on the internet. Boomers, millenials, and zoomers all have found a cozy spot in the vast expanse of the interweb. It is as if life before it never existed. Every day either begins with checking updates on Twitter, scanning Instagram, binge-watching a show or a couple movies maybe, or even the latest video by your favourite YouTuber (mine is Mike Chen). Now, with the fear of the coronavirus keeping us indoors, social media and other digital platforms are the most convenient and safest diversions. Captivated by the comfort of information at our fingertips and the ability to always stay connected, we often resign ourselves to the perils of technology. "Have we all fallen under some kind of spell?," asks former Googler Tristan Harris, often called "the conscience of Silicon Valley." The Social Dilemma, directed by Jeff Orlowski (Chasing Coral and Chasing Ice), ventures into the spooky side of technology, reaffirming the fact that yes, we are under a spell. The irony is not lost on me that the documentary is available on Netflix, a platform that heavily relies on machine learning algorithms to optimise user experience. The film begins with a Sophocles quote, "Nothing vast enters the life of mortals without a curse," priming the audience for the ominous testimonies of former staffers at firms like Facebook, Google, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest. The documentary is interspersed with a dramatised fictional narrative of a suburban family, lured into the social media trap by evil algorithm triplets played by Mad Men actor Vincent Kartheiser. The Social Dilemma explains the sly game plan behind the unchecked influence of social media. The intent is plain and simple the subtle exploitation of our biological need to forge social connections. Reading or watching a news report about the many boo-boos of social media platforms is completely different from firsthand disclosures from ex-techies. The fictional story juxtaposed against crisply chopped interviews and an eerie background score tries to replicate the tone of a true-crime documentary. Google is not just a search engine, and social networking is only one facet of Facebook, Snapchat and Instagram. These platforms constantly engage with their audience, baiting us into spending more time online, with just profit as the singular goal. "Our attention is the product being sold to advertisers"; "We are the product"; "Changing what you do, how you think, who you are," are statements echoed by almost every interviewee. It is no secret that the once niche internet companies are one of the wealthiest in all of human history (Forbes lists Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg's net worth close to $100 billion). Constant tracking and storing of personal data is the only way; and no Big Tech company, no matter how ethical they may seem on the surface functions sans this practice. The amount of time spent glued to a screen is one problem, but there is also the real-world impact of the type of content consumed. Twitter may be the 21st century's newspaper, but the information every user receives is tailor-made to their preferences and usage patterns. The biggest ramifications of social media discussed in The Social Dilemma are political polarisation and fake news. At the hands of governments or a state actor with immense wealth, social media has been successfully weaponised to create echo chambers of propaganda. Whether its Russian interference of the 2016 US elections, hate speech against Myanmar's Rohingya Muslims or dissemination of propaganda by political parties in India, Facebook has especially come under fire. The documentary recaps recent instances of unrest internationally with a montage of news clips followed by one interviewee declaring social media as a killer of democracy. Venture capitalist and early investor in Facebook presents an unsettling observation, "The Russians didn't hack Facebook. What they did was use the tools Facebook created for legitimate advertisers and legitimate users, and they applied it to a nefarious purpose." Recently, the platform was called out for failure to apply hate speech rules to accounts linked with the Bhartiya Janata Party despite being reported for promoting violence. (Also read on Firstpost Massive tweet volumes, complex hierarchies, coordinated attacks: Hacker reveals how BJP, Congress IT cells wage war on social media) The Social Dilemma may seem like an ordeal at its length of one and a half hours, but it is an essential watch for novices and regular users of social media. That we are mere pawns whose habits and behaviours are being monitored and manipulated, is a cause for alarm. Maybe it is time to practice some restraint and go for that much-needed digital detox. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-12 01:43:33|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close CAIRO, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron discussed on Friday the developments of several regional issues, including the situation in Libya. During a phone conversation, both presidents exchanged views over a number of issues of common interests, Egyptian Presidential Spokesman Bassam Rady said in a statement. Sisi and Macron rejected escalation in eastern Mediterranean which affects the interests of the countries of the region, stressing that achieving security and stability in the region is a priority that requires coordination between Egypt and France. Regarding the Libyan issue, both leaders stressed their support for a political solution to the crisis in the oil-rich country away from foreign interference and armed militias. They also welcomed positive steps to reach a peaceful settlement in Libya, within the framework of constructive international efforts, the spokesman said. The two presidents also stressed the importance of intensifying bilateral coordination to support the government and people of Lebanon by all possible means to overcome the repercussions of the Beirut's port explosion disaster. Sisi and Macron highlighted the need to back Lebanon to face the current economic and political challenges the country is going through in order to preserve its stability, sovereignty and unity. On the Middle East peace process, it has been agreed that international action should be pushed towards the resumption of Palestinian-Israeli negotiations with the aim of reaching a just and comprehensive settlement in a manner that opens prospects for stability and prosperity for all peoples of the region. Enditem RENO, Nev. - A judge has cleared the way for a Salvadoran immigrant to be tried in Reno for all four homicides hes accused of committing during a six-day crime rampage in two northern Nevada counties in January 2019, but the trial is still at least months away. Washoe County District Judge Connie Steinheimer has scheduled a hearing Wednesday on a motion by public defenders for Wilber Martinez-Guzman to postpone the trial indefinitely so they can eventually travel to El Salvador to gather information about his background, including his mental capacity. Travel there currently is prohibited due to the coronavirus. Martinez-Guzman, 21, is facing the death penalty after he was indicted last year in the killing of an elderly Reno couple and two Gardnerville women in their homes. The Nevada Supreme Court ruled in March that Washoe County prosecutors lack jurisdictional authority to prosecute him in Reno for the two killings in nearby Douglas County. The high court ordered Steinheimer to reconsider her refusal to dismiss some of the charges. But the justices explained she could deny the motion again if she determined the crimes were sufficiently related to justify prosecuting him in Washoe County. The (Gardnerville) Record-Courier reports Steinheimer ruled on Wednesday the Washoe County grand jurys indictment was valid. Federal officials have said Martinez-Guzman is in the U.S. illegally, but they dont know how or when he crossed the Mexico border. The case has drawn the attention of President Donald Trump, who says it shows the need for a border wall. The indictment on 10 counts included four murder and multiple burglary charges. Investigators say he stole a revolver from Gerald and Sharon David in southwest Reno Jan. 4, 2019, before travelling to rural Douglas County where he shot Constance Koontz Jan. 9 and Sophia Renken Jan. 12, then returned to rob and kill the Davids Jan. 15. District Attorneys Chris Hicks of Washoe County and Mark Jackson of Douglas County said they sought a single indictment in Reno partly to expedite prosecution. They insisted the crimes are linked because he shot all four victims with the same gun he stole from the Reno couple he had worked for in 2018 as a landscaper. Italy Libya Embargo A boarding team board the Merchant Vessel Royal Diamond 7, in international waters, 150 kilometers north of the Libyan city of Derna, Thursday, Sept. 10, 2020. The European Union maritime force enforcing the U.N. arms embargo on Libya said Thursday it re-directed a tanker headed for Libya after determining it contained jet fuel in possible violation of the embargo. The MV Royal Diamond 7 was en route early Thursday from Sharjah, United Arab Emirates to Benghazi, Libya when members of the EU force Operation Irini boarded the ship. (EUNAVFOR Med Irini/Italian Defense Ministry via AP) ROME (AP) The European Union maritime force enforcing the U.N. arms embargo on Libya said Thursday it intercepted and redirected a tanker headed for Libya after determining it was carrying jet fuel in possible violation of the ban. The MV Royal Diamond 7 was en route Thursday from Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, to Benghazi, Libya, when members of the EU forces Operation Irini boarded the ship 150 kilometers north of the Libyan city of Derna, the EU force said. Just this week, U.N. experts accused the warring parties in Libya and their international backers including the UAE, Russia and Jordan on one side, and Turkey and Qatar on the other of sending weapons and mercenaries to Libya in violation of the totally ineffective U.N. embargo. A statement from the EU mission said its inspection aboard the Marshall Islands-flagged MV Royal Diamond 7 determined the cargo was jet fuel, which it said was likely to be used for military purposes. The mission noted that jet fuel is considered military material by the U.N., which has authorized the EU force to seize weapons and halt weapons-transporting ships bound for Libya. The mission said it was redirecting the tanker to a European port for further investigation. Libya was plunged into chaos when a NATO-backed uprising in 2011 toppled longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi, who was later killed. The county has since split between rival east- and west-based administrations, each backed by armed groups and foreign governments. Germany, France, Italy, Spain and the Netherlands called on the European Commission to draw up strict regulation for asset-backed cryptocurrencies such as stablecoins to protect consumers and preserve state sovereignty in monetary policy. The finance ministers of the five European Union member states said in a joint statement on Friday that stablecoins should not be allowed to operate in the 27-member bloc until legal, regulatory and oversight challenges have been addressed. Stablecoins, a type of cryptocurrency often backed by traditional assets such as fiat money, leapt onto policymakers agendas last year when Facebook revealed plans for its Libra token. Some central banks and financial regulators, concerned that Libra could destabilise monetary policy, facilitate money laundering and erode privacy, threatened to block it and the project has been delayed and reshaped as a result. The EUs regulatory framework for stablecoins should preserve the blocs monetary sovereignty and address risks to monetary policy, as well as protecting consumers, the five countries said in a statement issued on the sidelines of a broader meeting of European officials in Berlin. The European Commission is expected to present its regulatory proposals later this month. We all agree that its our task to keep financial market stable and to ensure that what is a task for states remains a task for states, German Finance Minister Olaf Scholz told reporters during a joint statement with his counterparts. Very clear rules Scholz said authorities should take a tough approach and this should include a ban on any private sector activities if regulatory requirements were not met. The five countries want all stablecoins to be pledged at a ratio of 1:1 with fiat currency, with reserve assets denominated in the euro or other currencies of EU members states, and deposited in an EU-approved institution. All entities operating as part of a stablecoin scheme should be registered in the EU, they said. Such a move would likely impact the Geneva-based Libra Association, which plans to issue and govern Libra. The association did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Were waiting for the Commission to issue very strong and very clear rules to avoid the misuse of cryptocurrencies for terrorist activities or for money laundering, French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said. The central bank, I mean the ECB, is the only one to be allowed to issue a currency. And this point, its something that cannot be jeopardized or weakened by any kind of project, including the so-called Libra project, Le Maire added. Health Ministry urges States/UTs to Mandatorily retest all Symptomatic Negative Cases of Rapid Antigen Tests through RT-PCR India PIB Ministry of Health and Family Welfare States/UTs to ensure that no Positive Cases are Missed to curb the Spread of Infection Posted On: 10 SEP 2020 12:43PM by PIB Delhi Union Health Ministry has noted that in some large States, symptomatic negative cases tested by Rapid Antigen Tests (RAT) are not being followed up by RT-PCT testing. The Guidelines of ICMR as well as the Union Health Ministry clearly state that the following two specific categories of persons must necessarily be retested through RT-PCR tests: 1. All symptomatic (fever or cough or breathlessness) negative cases of Rapid Antigen Tests (RAT). 2. Asymptomatic negative cases of RAT that develop symptoms within 2 to 3 days of being tested negative. In this background, the Union Health Ministry and ICMR have jointly written to all the States/UTs and urged them to ensure that the all symptomatic negative cases of RAT are mandatorily retested using the RT-PCR test. This is necessary to ensure that such symptomatic negative cases do not remain untested and do not spread the disease among their contacts. This will also ensure early detection and isolation/hospitalization of such false negatives. It has also been reiterated in the joint letter that while the RAT is being used to increase access and availability of testing in the field, RT-PCR remains the gold standard of COVID tests. The Union Health Ministry has also urged the States/UTs to urgently establish a monitoring mechanism in every district (a designated officer or a team) and at the State level to follow up such cases. These teams shall analyse details of RAT conducted on a daily basis in the Districts and State and ensure that there are no delays in retesting of all symptomatic negative cases. The aim of States/UTs should be to ensure that no potentially positive case is missed out. They have also been advised to undertake an analysis on a regular basis to monitor the incidence of positives during the RT-PCR tests conducted as a follow up. **** MV/SJ HFW/COVID Min-ICMR letter/10September2020/2 (Release ID: 1652922) NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Worcester police uncovered a slew of bomb-making materials, drugs and guns in a Canal District apartment reportedly booby trapped with explosive devices, court records reviewed by MassLive show. David Dolan, a 38-year-old reportedly known member of the Vice Lord Gang, was arraigned Thursday in Worcester District Court and ordered held without bail pending a dangerousness hearing scheduled for Tuesday. Police obtained a warrant to search the Harding Street apartment on Wednesday, a day following Dolans arrest. Massachusetts State Police were surveilling Weah Wisner for alleged drug distribution when they reportedly observed Dolan interact with Wisner on Tuesday in a believed drug deal. Both men were then stopped by police. Wisner, according to police, complied, while Dolan attempted to flee. Dolan was reportedly found to be in possession of a loaded .45 caliber semi-automatic handgun, approximately 20 grams of fentanyl, seven grams of cocaine and more than a thousand dollars in cash. Police say they found a .22 caliber firearm, along with a .38 caliber revolver, approximately 21 grams of crack, a digital scale and $1,604 in cash inside of a backpack in Wisners possession. Wisner was arraigned Wednesday and held on $10,000 cash bail. Following his arrest, Dolan told officers he had ingested an unknown substance and was taken to the hospital. According to police, further investigation caused police to suspect more weapons were being kept at Dolans apartment in the citys Canal District and that the apartment was booby trapped with explosive devices. Massachusetts State Police Bomb Squad conducted a search warrant at the Harding Street apartment Wednesday. According to court records, officers climbed through a fourth-floor window and discovered a grenade and fused pipe bomb that were fashioned to look like they would detonate upon opening the rear door to Apartment 4B. The devices were determined to be fake, police said. Authorities then searched the apartment where they found a loaded AK-47, loaded AR-15 style rifle, loaded .357 caliber revolver, loaded .22 caliber rifle, a semi-automatic shotgun, numerous suppression devices, which are illegal in Massachusetts, a stun gun, a ballistic vest, fireworks and PVC piping and caps, which can be used to make explosives. Fentanyl and hallucinogenic drugs were also found, police said, along with packaging materials, digital scales and cutting agents. Dolan, police said, does not have a license to carry a firearm and faces more than a dozen gun, drug and fireworks charges. Dolan was ordered held without bail and is scheduled to appear in court for a dangerousness hearing on Tuesday. Assistant District Attorney Shayna Woodard argued in court Thursday for Dolan to be held without bail after he cut off his GPS tracking device following his release on $15,000 bail for a previous case in November, the Telegram & Gazette reported. Judge Robert J. Pellegrini ordered the $15,000 bail to be revoked for that case, which involved home invasion and assault charges. Related Content: A Political Science Lecturer, Dr Richard Amoako Baah, believes President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo should be partly blamed for the infamous "Akyem Mafia & Sakawa grandpa" tag hanging around his neck. According to him, had President Akufo-Addo prosecuted or indicted his predecessor or even his appointees for the several allegations of corruption levelled against them, there would not have been this show of 'audacity' to describe him as a "Sakawa grandpa". Former President John Dramani Mahama has been receiving a barrage of criticisms over the "Akyem Mafia and Sakawa boys" post written by the MP for Bolgatanga Central, Isaac Adongo, which he (Mahama) posted on his facbook page. Dr Amoako Baah, who was speaking on Neat FM's Me Man Nti programme, however, condemned the former President for what he describes as 'loose talk'. "Adongos post is not right but for Mahama to repost it is even worst. As a former President, you dont have to engage in loose talk . . . but I will say this; President Akufo-Addo should be blamed for Mahama having the audacity to endorse such a comment, because we all know what Mahama did: Agambire, Guinea fowl, MPs collecting double pay and so on; no one has been arrested or indicted. You don't need a Special Prosecutor to prosecute this case . . . you (Akufo-Addo) allowed it and now he is making such comments upon all what they did..." he stated. Meanwhile, the Chiefs and youth of Akyem Abuakwa, Akyem Kotoku and Akyem Bosome are demanding a retraction and an apology from the flagbearer of the NDC.A group calling itself, Concern Citizens of Okyeman, took to the streets to demonstrate against the former President and NDC for allegedly describing them as Akyem Sakawa Mafias. Source: Rebecca Addo Tetteh/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Dzulfiqar Fathur Rahman (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, September 11, 2020 09:07 497 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c442e7cf 1 Business solar-power,KOICA,UNDP,South-Korea,rural-area,Indonesia Free The government and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Indonesia launched on Thursday an US$18 million project to provide solar power systems to rural communities in four provinces across the country. The project, called ACCESS Project, will install 23 communal solar power systems with a total power of 1.2 megawatts (MW) in 23 villages in West Sulawesi, Southeast Sulawesi, East Nusa Tenggara and Central Kalimantan by 2023. The Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) Indonesia, which handles South Koreas official development assistance, has agreed to fund the project with a grant. Sophie Kemkhadze, the deputy resident representative of UNDP Indonesia, said in a virtual talk on Thursday that the project would contribute to the achievement of the UNs Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) as it entered the final decade of meeting the goals. So, ACCESS Project is a beacon of important contribution to SDGs for both Indonesia and Timor Leste, not only because it addresses one particular goal for SDGs, which is access to global energy, or because it contributes to the agenda of environment and climate, but also because it addresses so many different goals, Sophie said. ACCESS project is in line with the governments agenda as it seeks to raise the share of regions that have access to electricity, called electrification ratio, to 100 percent from around 99 percent today. The last one percentage point equals 5 million people, according to an estimate by the Indonesian Energy Ministry. The project also takes place in neighboring Timor Leste, where the countrys State Administration Ministry and KOICA local branch will install 1,000 highly effective solar lamp systems in 25 villages across three municipalities and develop 11 solar water pumping systems. Verania Andria, a senior advisor for sustainable energy at UNDP Indonesia, said the project would provide access to electricity for 20,000 people and access to clean water for 3,500 people in total from the selected regions in both countries. The locations [in Indonesia] are based on regional administrations proposal to the [Indonesian energy ministry] to get small-scale energy. But due to the governments budget constraints, they have yet to get an allocation. Thus, ACCESS supports the villages that have not received any funds, Verania said. The project will also train and certify 80 people to operate the solar power systems and establish 33 renewable energy service enterprises at the local level. Verania also said that at the end of the year, the project would be open for bids from companies wanting to develop the solar power systems, aiming to finish construction by 2021 and start conducting the certification program in 2022. Harris Yahya, the director of renewable energy at the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry, said the government was facing challenges to provide electricity to rural communities because they were far from urban centers. The people also did not live close to each other, making it expensive to expand electrical grids. The government is planning to overcome these challenges by developing a portable device called Talis, which can store enough power to light a house with three LED light bulbs for up to six days. It works like a portable charger for mobile devices, according to Harris. It needs charging and there will be a charging center, said Harris. That is the model that we will develop. National Security Advisor: China Actively Interferes in US On September 4, White House national security advisor Robert OBrien said the Chinese regime has the most massive program among countries seeking to interfere in the U.S. election, and has taken the most active role in political influence efforts. OBrien told reporters at a briefing: Theres always going to be propaganda. Theres always going to be efforts to influence us. We know the Chinese have taken the most active role. The national security advisor concurred with Attorney General William Barrs comments earlier this week that China, rather than Russia, poses the greatest threat to U.S. election security. OBrien said he agreed with Barrs assessment 100 percent. OBrien described President Donald Trump as the first president to stand up to the Chinese in 40 years, saying the administration has taken strong action in confronting the regimes unfair trade practices, theft of U.S. intellectual property, and human rights abuses. The administration recently sanctioned Chinese officials and a paramilitary group over their role in repressing Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang. Its also sanctioned Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam and other Hong Kong and Chinese officials for undermining freedoms in the city. Mr Solomon Namlit Boar, the North East Regional Minister, has called for support from the international community for flood victims at Kunkua, in the Mamprugu-Moaduri District of the Region. The flood, which submerged farmlands in about 14 communities in the District, also cut off link roads to nine communities and led to the loss of lives in the Region. The Minister made the call when he led a team from the Regional Directorate of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) to present mattresses, sachets of rice, buckets, cooking oil and used clothing, among other items to the flood victims at Kunkua. Mr Boar, who is the Member of Parliament (MP) for the Bunkpurugu Constituency, was accompanied by Mr Tahiru Tia Ahmed, the Deputy Regional Minister, Mr John Kweku Alhassan, the Regional Director of NADMO and some members of the Regional Security Council. The MP and his entourage also visited farmlands and roads submerged by the flood waters to get firsthand information on the situation and commiserated with beavered families. He said even although the government had supplied some relief items, it was not enough to sustain the victims for even a week, and appealed to philanthropists, individuals and organisations to support the victims. So we want to use this opportunity to crave the indulgence of the international community, especially organisations that have been involved in supporting the government almost every time that we find ourselves in this situation. Mr Boar said the devastation was across the Region including the West and East Mamprusi, Chereponi, Bunkpurugu and Yunyoo Districts. This is a very terrible situation for us here in the North East Region, especially the Mamprugu-Moaduri enclave. It means that nobody can access any social services in West Mamprusi from the Mamprugu-Moaduri District unless through the Upper East Region. He said the government was working to tackle the annual flooding situation in the region through the construction of the Pwalugu Multi-Purpose Dam. I am very sure that 36 months from now, God willing, we will not be talking about flooding in this area. The MP said despite the intense sensitisation by officials of NADMO, there was the need for attitudinal change by residents, especially farmers to stay away from farming along water ways. He called on residents of the Region to pay critical attention to information from the Ghana Meteorological Services Department and not take anything for granted as more rains were expected. Mr Boar urged canoe operators who took it upon themselves to carry people across to other communities to stay away from the water until it receded to avoid deaths in the Region. Source: GNA Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The "manager" of the luxury yacht Lady Pamela was fined $4500 by a Queensland magistrate on Friday morning after lying repeatedly to a Maritime Safety Queensland officer. Greg Numa, 64, pleaded guilty in Southport Magistrates Court to breaching the Public Health Act by providing false information to an emergency officer. Greg Numa outside the Gold Coast courthouse on Friday. Credit:Toby Crockford - Brisbane Times Mr Numa, the skipper of the luxury yacht, is the only person from the vessel to be charged, but NSW Police fined several other people who had been aboard for the voyage from Melbourne to Coomera. The passengers included millionaire construction magnate Mark Simonds and family members, along with Hannah Fox, the eldest daughter of Linfox executive chairman Peter Fox. Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner gave an emotional speech during a Thursday press conference in which Turner and the Houston Police Department released body camera footage from the April shooting death of Nicolas Chavez, 27. Four officers who shot Chavez were fired. OFFICERS FIRED: Houston police release body camera footage of deadly April police shooting Now Playing: Houston Police Department body camera footage showing the fatal shooting of 27-year-old Nicolas Chavez on April 21, 2020. Four officers were fired in connection to his death. (Warning: This video contains scenes of graphic violence and profanity. Viewer discretion is advised.) Video: Houston Chronicle See below for Turner's full speech: "Let me just start off by saying that what happened the night of April the 21st has dramatically, dramatically affected many people in this city. Nicolas Chavezs life was taken and his family must live with their personal loss and anguish for the rest of their lives. Today is a difficult day for all of us. Especially the Nicolas Chavez family, to the Houston Police Department, to the four police officers and their families, who are being affected, who have been dismissed, and for the City of Houston. The video is difficult to watch, and I have seen it several times. Its difficult to watch without questioning why the shooting happened in the end, and wishing the encounter couldve ended differently, and knowing that it should have had a different outcome. It was roughly a 15-minute-or-so encounter, and for almost the entire time, I cannot fault the police officers for what they did. But in those final seconds, when deadly force was used, I have, as mayor of this city, asked several questions: Did Mr Chavez pose an immediate threat to any police officer or to the general public? What instrument or weapon did he have that could have posed an imminent threat to the officers or to the general public? And if Mr. Chavez had a taser in his hand, would that have justified the use of deadly force? And those questions, I have asked over and over and over again, and in this case, I have concluded that there was no imminent threat to any police officer, and they could have returned home to their families. Ive said that many times. I want police officers to do their jobs. I recognize that their job, every day, is a difficult one, and at the end of the day I want each and every one of our police officers to return home to their families. There was no threat to the general public and Mr. Chavez only posed a threat to himself, and he too could have lived and could have gotten the help that he desperately needed. I have the responsibility as mayor of this city of representing the entire city, every single person that lives in our city. Classified police officers, firefighters, municipal workers, and the 2.3 million Houstonians. And when employees follow the policies and the rules and do things that are right, as mayor, I will stand by each and every one of them. Even in the midst of criticism, I will stand with you. But when employees fail to follow the policy and they don't do things right, we have to call those things as they are. I have concluded the shooting was not justified in this case -- the shooting at the end -- and that is unfortunate, and the dismissal of the four officers in this particular case is warranted. The city has roughly 5,300 police officers, and 99.9 percent of them do an incredible job each and every day. We fully recognize that they put their lives on the line each and every day. Since I have been mayor, some have died in the line of duty, and have been permanently injured. And since I have been mayor, we have supported them, provided the equipment that they needed, and funded this department even in the midst of criticism. But the disciplinary action being taken today does not lessen the support, or the respect, or the admiration, of each and every one of our police officers. But the action being taken today does say, in our city, we hold everyone accountable. That there are consequences for certain actions. That every person, every person, in our city has value and is important. Whether theyre healthy, or whether theyre vulnerable. Whether theyre in substance abuse crisis or facing mental health issues. Everyone, every life, is important. No one should conclude that the dismissal of these officers is an indictment on HPD, of the 5,300 police officers. But when you are wrong, when you are wrong, there are consequences. And for the good of every police officer who serves, for the good of everyone that followed the rules, that protect this city, it is important for us to call a ball a ball, and a strike, a strike. And police officers, when they do their job, I will stand by you. But when you fire -- like in this case at the end -- when there was no imminent threat, then accountability must take place in order for our city to move forward. And thats whats happening here today. Its not an easy matter, and its difficult for all of us. But you cant bring back Mr. Chavez, and you cant fill the hole in this familys life. But we can move forward, in spite of our pain, to work together, to heal our city. And thats what were doing here today." dylan.mcguinness@chron.com Eighty Two new renewable energy projects are set to go ahead after the government approved the results of the first Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (RESS) auction. Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment, Eamon Ryan T.D. today (11 September 2020), announced the final results of the auction which includes solar, wind and community energy projects. Renewable electricity is a central element of our action on Climate disruption, ensuring that we are on a pathway to meet our ambitious climate targets. The RESS scheme not only clearly sets us on that pathway, but lays the foundations of a thriving and cost effective renewable electricity market that supports the growth of the green economy, creates sustainable work opportunities, and ultimately benefits the consumer as the renewables become more and more cost effective. This RESS scheme will support an investment in Ireland of over 1.4Bn and support the recovery by creating roughly 1,000 jobs. As part of the July Stimulus package the Government allocated funding for green apprenticeships, which will be needed to support these investments and will provide a path for transition from brown to green for many Irish communities, particularly in the Midlands. Speaking at the announcement today (Friday 11 September), Minister Ryan said: I am delighted to welcome the final results of the first auction under the new Renewable Electricity Support Scheme. The first RESS auction provides us with a platform for rapid deployment of onshore wind and solar projects at scale and at least cost, replacing fossil fuels on our energy grid. The results are very competitive and represent a significant saving on previous support schemes. Solar projects will play a critical role in diversifying our renewable generation portfolio for the period out to 2030. We have exceeded our target for Community projects participation. Seven communities are being supported to produce their own power and share in the ownership of Irelands energy revolution, while inspiring others to follow. We expect that our next auction will have a higher share of community-based renewables. Five solar energy and two onshore wind community projects were successful in RESS-1. These projects are located across three provinces in counties Kilkenny, Galway, Mayo, Wexford, Clare and Cork. The projects will be owned in the majority by Communities and the revenues from their operation will be cycled back into those communities. Speaking today at the announcement of the successful RESS-1 bidders, JP Prendergast, Chairman of the Claremorris and Western District Energy Coop, said: We are so proud to be putting a solar farm, which is 100% community-owned, on to what was once a dumping ground turning it from a brown site to green. We hope we, in partnering with Mayo County Council and working with Community Power, can provide a model to other communities for what can be achieved. The big win for us here, because of RESS-1, is that it has given us credibility and empowered us. We can now show other communities just what is possible. Also speaking at the announcement, Grainne Blount, Development Manager of Natural Forces said: The success of the community category in RESS1 has paved the way for communities to be involved in the energy transition with real community ownership of energy projects. Communities we are working with are hugely excited at the opportunity to own the energy projects where they live, they see this as an opportunity to improve the lives of those living in the community and for communities to create the future they want. The costs of wind and solar power are lower than ever and continue to drop due to efficiencies in the supply chain and technological improvements. The cost of these technologies in RESS are already getting closer to the wholesale electricity price and will frequently be lower than the wholesale price at a point in time. Wind and solar have very low operational costs associated with them. It has been shown both in Ireland and around the world that increasing the quantity of low operational cost generators on the system lowers the wholesale price. The Programme for Government recognises the importance of community involvement in energy projects. The first RESS auction includes mandatory community benefit funds for all projects. The community benefit fund under RESS-1 will deliver approximately 4.5million a year to sustainable community initiatives targeted at those communities living in close proximity to the RESS-1 Projects. The SEAI has already begun work on identifying prioritiy projects. Additional community policies and supports are specified in the State Aid including: financial support for community-led projects, mandatory community benefit funds, investment opportunities for communities and citizens, and additional community categories for future RESS auctions. India has never let geography or geometry define its approach to assisting developing countries and it views South-South Cooperation as a development partnership and not a donor-donee relationship, India's deputy envoy to the UN has said. Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Nagaraj Naidu said this while speaking at the UN Day for South-South Cooperation Pathways toward the SDGs through South-South solidarity beyond COVID-19' on Thursday. He said that India remains committed to the principles of South-South cooperation both at regional and global level for mutual learning, capacity building and progress of all developing countries. India has acted with a deep and abiding commitment to South-South Cooperation which it views as a development partnership rather than a donor-donee relationship. We have never let geography or geometry define our approach to assisting countries across the developing world, Naidu said. Naidu said this year's South-South Cooperation Day comes at a time when the world continues to grapple with the challenge of COVID-19 pandemic. However, challenging times demand extraordinary responses and the global south should work even more closer during this pandemic and find appropriate solutions in the collective journey to build back better, Naidu said. Even though India has been hit by the pandemic, the country is at the forefront in the call for joint global action to address COVID-19 with the aim of assisting fellow developing countries, he said. Highlighting efforts by India to help other nations amid the pandemic, Naidu said the country has extended medical-related assistance to more than 120 developed and developing countries and pledged $15 million to Gavi, the global vaccine alliance created in 2000 to improve access to new and underused vaccines for children living in the world's poorest countries. India has also utilised its strength in the digital and information technology space to develop a learning platform to deliver courses for training healthcare personnel of partnering developing countries. Naidu voiced India's commitment to continue sharing its developmental experiences and technical expertise with other developing countries in the spirit of the World is One Family'. Our approach to development partnership will be human-centric, based on principles of mutual respect and national ownership with a commitment to sustainable development for all, he said. India has become a leading player in South-South cooperation and its engagement with developing nations has intensified over the last few years. The India-CARICOM Leaders Meeting, India-Pacific Islands Heads of State Summit and the India-Africa Forum Summits have further strengthened the special bonding between India and fellow developing countries. India's development cooperation ranges from capacity building by providing training to nearly 15,000 students annually from more than 160 countries under the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) programme to providing developmental financing to 64 countries totaling $30.66 billion. The International Solar Alliance and the Coalition for Disaster Resilient infrastructure co-founded by India, are other examples of Southern efforts to champion the cause of affordable solutions for a greener future, Naidu said. Another inspiring example of India's contribution in South-South cooperation is the $150 million India-UN Development Partnership Fund, operated from the UN Office for South-South Cooperation, Naidu said. The fund supports Southern-owned and led demand-driven, and transformational sustainable development projects across the developing world with a focus on LDCs, LLDCs and SIDS. In three years, the fund has accumulated a portfolio of 39 projects in 41 countries and through the initiative, India is directly impacting the lives of communities across the developing world, Naidu added. Projects under the fund include getting ready a convention centre in Palau to host next year's Oceans Conference, rehabilitating hospitals in Antigua & Barbuda and Guyana, building a school in Dominica, an Information Technology Centre of Excellence in Papua New Guinea to developing the capacity of women to stem desertification in the Kanem and Lake Chad regions. The IBSA (India-Brazil-South Africa) Fund for the Alleviation of Poverty and Hunger also hosted at the UN Office for South-South Cooperation is another unique mechanism for South-South Cooperation. Established in 2004, the IBSA Fund is supporting initiatives in the area of food security, safe drinking water, addressing HIV/AID. Since 2004, a total of $39.3 million has been contributed to the Fund by the three countries and the Fund has undertaken a total of 33 projects, of which 24 have been completed. The local arm of Korean carmaker Kia has just revealed the pricing for the forthcoming Kia Stonic. Prior to its online reveal, the Ayala-backed Kia Philippines has announced that the Kia Stonic will follow the variant-based pricing schedule found below: 4 LX 5-speed MT : P735,000 4 LX 6-speed AT : P835,000 4 EX 6-speed AT: P925,000 But that's not allthose who will make their vehicle reservation on the 2021 Kia Stonic until October 15, will get to enjoy a pre-launch P60,000 price slash offer on the 1.4 LX MT, while a lower yet still substantial P50,000-discount awaits early buyers of the 1.4 LX AT and 1.4 EX AT. The P60,000-price reduction on the 2021 Kia Stonic will bring the price down to P675,000, almost like buying subcompact sedan. The upcoming launch will be the second online reveal for AC Motors, after they introduced the Maxus G50 last month. It seems that AC Motors is targeting the quirky, younger market niche as the Maxus G50 has outrageous colors to choose from. The 2021 Kia Stonic, on the other hand (whose tagline is Style that is Iconic), is looking at tapping the young and trendy crossover market. kia stonic The Kia Stonic, first introduced in 2017 at the Frankfurt Motor Show in Germany, displays Kias chief designer Peter Schreyers European Design Language. It is fronted by the Tiger Nose Grille and projector headlamps, flanked with the LED Daytime Running Lamps (which is exclusive to the EX variant). Aside from that, the 2021 Kia Stonics top-of-the-line variant wears a two-tone color option, which makes it more of a headturner. On the design alone, this incoming crossover earned global recognition from the highly-coveted iF Design and Red Dot Design Awards in 2018. Inside, the Kia Stonic is fitted with an eight-inch infotainment touchscreen unit, linked to six speakers spread around the vehicle cabin. Its safety features include Reverse Parking Sensors, Hill Start Assist, and Electronic Stability Control all available in the EX grade. Story continues All the variants of the 2021 Kia Stonic share the same 1.4-liter 4-cylinder gasoline engine with D-CVVT (Dual Continuous Variable Valve Timing). This is mated to either a five-speed manual transmission (LX MT) or six-speed automatic transmission. kia Stonic Designed to provide ample and efficient power, the sole manual variant churns 93 horsepower (hp) while the automatic transmission versions is at 99 horses. Further, Kia Philippines reiterated that allincluding yet-to-revealed Kia Stonicwill be offered with a five-year or 160,000-km warranty, as well as 24/7 Roadside Assistance free. This would entail Emergency Towing, Personal Assistance, Minor Onsite Repair, Medical Assistance and Information Service. Kia Philippines President Manny Aligada expressed his bursting excitement over the impending launch of the 2021 Stonic. We are excited to present to you the all-new 2021 Kia Stonic. Its a vehicle for those looking for something hip and stylish yet likewise want to get the value-for-money proposition that this crossover offers, Aligada said. The leadership of Kia Philippines is back on its aggressive stance on vehicle introduction in the country to launch the 2021 Kia Stonic. Early this year, Aligada said that they will focus on strengthening the current lineup that they have in the local market. Photo/s from Kia Philippines Also read: Kia PH 'changes tune,' to unbox all-new model in Q4 of 2020 Kia PH to unbox more dealerships amid pandemic Kia PH Prepares for New Norm Ops New Delhi: India, China Brigade commanders interaction at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh is underway since 11 am on Friday (September 11, 2020) morning. The interaction has been happening on a daily basis since last many days except with an interlude on Monday and Tuesday when the Chinese side allegedly indulged in provocative action around Rezang La at LAC. According to a source, the aim of the talks is to "exchange views on daily activities so that there's no misunderstandings and make sure the communication lines are open". During the ground commanders interaction earlier this week, both sides decided to hold Corps commanders' levels talks. While the date and time of the meet is yet to be decided, it will be the sixth such meet since June. Live TV So far, five Lt Gen-level or Corps Commander talks have taken place between the Indian and Chinese armies on June 6, 22 and 30; July 14 and August 2. Hopes are high that after the India, China Foreign Ministers' joint statement calling for disengagement at the border will ease things on the ground. India has marked its presence on the south bank of Pangong lake and several dominating heights close to China's existing positions at Finger 4, north bank of the lake. The Chinese have occupied Finger 4 to Finger 8 in the north bank of Pangong lake and as part of disengagement, India has repeatedly asked Chinese forces to go on its side of LAC and vacate the area. Meanwhile, the foreign ministers of India and China held a nearly 2-hour-30-minute long meet in Moscow on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Foreign Ministers' meet. Issuing a joint statement on the matter, the countries asserted that the five-point statement will "guide their approach to the current situation". Both countries also agreed that border troops of both sides should continue their dialogue, quickly disengage, maintain proper distance and ease tensions. One spent time quietly consoling families. The other proclaimed America's might. President Donald Trump and his Democratic rival, Joe Biden marked the 19th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks on Friday at memorial services where their differences in style couldn't have been more sharply on display. As Biden approached those whod lost loved ones at ground zero and shared the pain of his own losses, Trump vowed that America will always rise up, stand tall and fight back, speaking at the Shanksville, Pennsylvania, site where hijacked Flight 93 crashed after passengers rushed the cockpit. Biden also visited Shanksville later in the day, laying a wreath at the memorial and meeting with families, but the two did not cross paths. And while Americans were focused on the commemorations, the political significance of the visits to Shanksville was hard to ignore: Pennsylvania is a crucial battleground state in the 2020 election. Trump won there by less than 1 percentage point four years ago, and Democrats hope they can return it to their column this year. The two did not cross paths but the day nonetheless brought the two candidates the closest they've been in months. While Trump spoke at the site's morning memorial ceremony, Biden visited later in the day, after attending the 9/11 Memorial & Museums annual commemoration at ground zero in New York, along with Vice President Mike Pence. Image: Democratic presidential candidate and former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden and U.S. Vice President Mike Pence at 19th anniversary of September 11, 2001 attacks on World Trade Center in New York (Carlo Allegri / Reuters) In a rare moment of detente during what has become a nasty campaign, Biden approached Pence after arriving at the ceremony and tapped him on the shoulder to say hello. The current and former vice president then shared an elbow bump the popular COVID-era handshake replacement as did Biden and second lady Karen Pence. Biden insisted that he would steer clear of politics on a national day of mourning taking place in the midst of another unfolding tragedy, the pandemic. Im not gonna make any news today. Im not gonna talk about anything other than 9/11," Biden told reporters. "We took all our advertising down, Its a solemn day, and thats how were going to keep it, OK?" Story continues Trump delivered a patriotic message in Shanksville as he shared the story of Flight 93, which officials concluded had been headed to Washington, D.C. until passengers teamed up against the hijackers, memorably declaring lets roll as they took them on mid-flight. The heroes of Flight 93 are an everlasting reminder that no matter the danger, no matter the threat, no matter the odds, America will always rise up, stand tall, and fight back," Trump said, telling the families of those killed that today every heartbeat in American is wedded to yours." Trump also noted how the country had come together after 9/11. There was no mention of the current divisions in the country over the coronavirus crisis. Image: US-politics-vote-9/11 (Brendan Smialowski / AFP - Getty Images) It was a unity based on love for our families, care for our neighbors, loyalty to our fellow citizens, pride in our great flag, gratitude for our police and first responders, faith in God and a refusal to bend our will to the depraved forces of violence, intimidation, oppression and evil," Trump declared. He and first lady Melania Trump also observed a moment of silence aboard Air Force One at 8:46 a.m., marking the time the first plane hit the World Trade Center 19 years ago. It was a different display in Lower Manhattan at the Ground Zero ceremony, where public officials were not part of the program. Biden nonetheless consoled family members in the audience. At one point during the ceremony, as Biden was listening to the reading of the names of the victims, he spotted a woman crying in the crowd. Amanda Barreto, 27, of Teaneck, New Jersey, lost her godmother and aunt in the 9/11 attacks. She said later Biden approached her and wanted to let me know to keep the faith." He told her he knows what it means to lose someone. He wanted me to stay strong. And hes so sorry for my loss. She said she was appreciative of his comments and would be voting for him this fall. Image: New York City Commemorates 19th Anniversary Of September 11 Terror Attacks (Amr Alfiky / Pool via Getty Images) Biden also spotted 90-year-old Maria Fisher, who lost her son in the attacks. He told her he had lost his also, a reference to his son's Beau's death from cancer. It never goes away, does it? he lamented, and handed her a rose. The National Park Service, which co-hosts the annual Flight 93 memorial event, had originally said it was planning an abbreviated ceremony this year to minimize the spread of the coronavirus. The agency had been planning a 20-minute Moment of Remembrance without a keynote speaker or musical guests. The name of each passenger and crew member was to be read aloud with the ringing of the Bells of Remembrance, according to the agencys website. But after Biden and then the White House announced their plans to visit, the website was updated to reflect a new schedule that included remarks from Trump and the secretary of the interior. Image: U.S. President Trump visits Flight 93 National Memorial during 19th annual September 11 observance in Stoystown, Pennsylvania (Jonathan Ernst / Reuters) In 2016, the 9/11 memorial events became a flashpoint in the presidential campaign after then-Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton abruptly left the Ground Zero ceremony and was seen stumbling as she tried to get into a van. Trump also spent the day in New York and paid his own visit to the memorial in lower Manhattan. Friday was Trumps second time observing the anniversary in Shanksville, where he made remarks in 2018. Biden spoke at the memorials dedication in 2011, when he was vice president. 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. ACROSS AMERICA It all started with a pan of lasagna. Rhiannon Menn was living in San Diego in April when she hit on the idea of cooking for her extended neighborhood family to help them through the coronavirus pandemic. On a Facebook page, she offered home-cooked meals for moms and had a few takers the first week, then more the second. Then all of a sudden, people saw the post and said, Hey, Ive also been looking for something to do, Menn, who now lives in Somerville, Massachusetts, told Patch. Some 300 cooks across America are now connected through her Lasagna Love project and so far have donated more than 2,000 lasagnas the quintessential comfort food. Some of the recipients lost their jobs to the pandemic and are having trouble feeding their families, but the project responds to emotional needs as well, Menn said. Getting a home-cooked meal from someone, they feel comfort, they feel cared for, Menn said. That's why it's called Lasagna Love. By Christopher Huffaker for Somerville Patch Patch editors across America told similar stories of people looking out for their friends, relatives and complete strangers. Here are 12 more stories we promise will be food for your soul. Courage And Valor, But No Medal Yet Cpl. Waverly Woodson Jr., a medic in the only all-Black U.S. combat unit to storm Normandys beaches on June 6, 1944, was critically wounded, yet he treated some 200 soldiers on Omaha Beach, working for 30 hours before he collapsed. He received a Bronze Star and a recommendation for a Medal of Honor, the nations highest award for military valor. But he never received the Medal of Honor because he was Black, says U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, who is working with a bipartisan coalition of lawmakers to award him the medal posthumously. By Alessia Grunberger for Germantown Patch (Northcliffe Collection/ANL/Shutterstock) Drag Queens Save A VFW Post Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 39 was on the verge of closing for good after revenue from liquor sales and hall rentals dried up when it shut down because of the coronavirus. The post, the oldest in Florida and the third-oldest in the world, has another distinction: Its known as an especially welcome place for minority veterans such as women and members of the LGBTQ community. "What it meant for me was more than just being a pretty face sweating off our makeup," Brad Rice, one of the drag queens who performed at a benefit that replenished the VFWs coffers, told Patch. "We are talking about supporting a specific community who have given the utmost to ensure our success and survival. It's important for our community to support and embrace them and be a part of a collective and shared experience." By Skyla Luckey for St. Pete Patch Story continues (Skyla Luckey/Patch) Whos Saving Whose Life? When it comes right down to it, Jim Snedekers business is saving kids lives. The 73-year-old has been a fixture on Pond Hill Road in Wallingford, Connecticut, since 2016, helping kids get across the street safely before and after school. Snedeker, retired and a widower, said he just sat at home doing nothing until the crossing guard gig came along. Who benefits most the kids or the man who has gained celebrity status as the next mayor of Wallingford or simply The Crossing Guard? Snedeker says this: They gave me a life. By Vincent Salzo for Wallingford Patch (Vincent Salzo/Patch) The Cops Did What? A Newark teenager was visibly upset when he saw the car he had just bought being towed. A police officer saw the 18-year-olds reaction and called him over. The whole story came out: The teen had just bought the car, but didnt have the money for registration or to get a title. What happened wasnt an arrest. But it was arresting: The officer pulled $250 in bills from his pocket to pay to get the teen's car out of storage. Another cop pitched in $123 for the registration and title. By Eric Kiefer for Newark Patch (Photo courtesy of the Newark Department of Public Safety) Fighting For A Fighter Jess Dunne and Christian Schott named their baby girl Nova Rae Schott Nova after supernova, a powerful and brilliant stellar explosion. Dunne said the name is perfect for the little girl, who was born 12 weeks early and is fiercely fighting for her life. Dunne used social media to share with the North Fork, New York, community the emotional journey of giving birth to a premature baby, and the community answered back with a crowdfunding campaign to help the young family cover unexpected medical expenses. By Lisa Finn for North Fork Patch (Photo courtesy of Jess Dunne) 'Turbo Relationships' Kick Into High Gear The coronavirus pandemic has stolen a lot from Americans, but it cant steal the promise of love. Couples are still getting together in fact, theyre entering relationships on dating apps at a greater speed because of the pandemic. A new term, turbo relationships, has even been coined specifically for dating during coronavirus lockdowns. It refers to relationships that started right before the lockdown or during lockdowns and have progressed at Mach speed, says a New York City relationship expert. By Tim Moran for Across America Patch (Photo courtesy of Per Rosenkvist) Fueling The Food Bank The North Hollywood Interfaith Food Pantry has been addressing food insecurity for 37 years. After workplaces shuttered and unemployment claims skyrocketed, the food pantry saw a 43 percent increase in the number of people served. Born during a recession and having endured several more, the pantry has more than proved its resiliency in the face of turmoil. Still, like people throughout Los Angeles, leaders quickly discovered the coronavirus posed a new kind of challenge: finding volunteers to meet the need. The community responded. By Kenan Draughorne for North Hollywood Patch (Kenan Draughorne/Patch) 9-Year-Old Raises $1,200 For Sick Kids Francesca Swartz, a 9-year-old from suburban Chicago, loves to bake and wanted to sell her cookies and lemonade at a neighborhood lemonade stand. She talked with her uncle about it, and he suggested she donate the proceeds to charity. What she cooked and mixed up raised a fair amount for Fire Buddies, a charity that serves kids with cancer, and a local donor provided a triple match to bring the donation to $1,200. By Yasmeen Sheikah for Oak Forest Patch (Photo courtesy of Bridget Zemanek Swartz) The Cake The Pandemic Baked Lisa Rutigliano is not afraid to take risks. But the New Jersey native may not have taken the leap to open her healthy bakery without the rather unanticipated intervention of the coronavirus. "I had to make an extremely hard decision if I was going to go back to the restaurant or try to create something of my own," Rutigliano told Patch. "I thought about it every day during the early stages of quarantine and had many concerns as far as not having a stable income, relying on an economy during a pandemic, and leaving a restaurant I worked so hard for." By Russ Crespolini for Long Valley Patch (Photo courtesy of Lisa Rutigliano) The Pandemic Is The Mother Of Invention The coronavirus pandemic has challenged Americans to come up with solutions to things they didnt know would be a problem. Tyler and Brielle Stolberg, 10-year-old twin sisters from Highland Park, Illinois, hit on a solution to a problem that presented itself with the states mask mandate. Theyve raised thousands of dollars since July with their beaded mask holders that clip onto a face mask's ear loops. By Jonah Meadows for Highland Park Patch (Photo courtesy of Alison Stolberg) A Key Solution To A Rough Problem New Jersey art teacher Julie Chrobak was packing kits for her ceramics students, who are learning remotely until October, when she realized she was missing a key item: something to smooth clay. She knew the hotel-style plastic key cards made excellent tools for the job but had no luck locating them. Finally, she hit the jackpot when a local hotel checked one more thing off her list. By Carl Stoffers for Parsippany Patch (Photo courtesy of Julie Chrobak) Lifeguards Step Into New Role When the pandemic hit, lifeguards in Los Angeles left their coastal posts to step into a new role: running the countys coronavirus testing sites. They were recognized for their sacrifices and courage at the virtual 2020 International Surf Festival. Though the COVID-19 era may have changed the way the awards are presented this year, the contributions made by these ocean lifeguards aren't any less noteworthy or inspirational," said Rob McGowan, president of the International Surf Festival. "In fact, the lifeguards have risen to these new challenges to expand the meaning of exemplary effort above and beyond the line of duty." By Ashley Ludwig for Redondo Beach Patch (Photo courtesy of Los Angeles County Fire Department) This article originally appeared on the Across America Patch A leading expert on Amazon tribes was shot dead with an arrow fired by indigenous people while approaching them in a remote area of Brazil. Rieli Franciscato, 56, was the head of a programme to protect indigenous groups that have little or no contact with the outside world. He died on Wednesday in the Seringueiras region, a remote municipality in the northern state of Rondonia, said a statement from the Brazilian government's indigenous affairs office, FUNAI, where he worked. Witnesses said he was shot above the heart with an arrow while monitoring recent appearances by a tribe known as the 'Cautario River isolated group,' according to a photojournalist in the region, Gabriel Uchida. Rieli was accompanied by a police patrol and a former head of FUNAI said their presence could have triggered the attack. Rieli Franciscato, 56, a government official and leading expert on isolated Amazon tribes, who was killed by an arrow fired by indigenous people on Wednesday Franciscato was killed in the Seringueiras region, a remote municipality in the northern state of Rondonia (pictured), close to the border of Bolivia The hunter-gatherers of the Uru-Eu-Wau-Wau tribe The Uru-Eu-Wau-Wau tribe lives in the mountains of the Amazon rainforest but its population has slumped after road-building and tin-mining projects brought conflict and disease to its 1.8million-acre reservation. First contacted by Brazilian government officials in 1981, the tribe is thought to consist of fewer than 1,000 hunter-gatherers living in nine separate villages. The population is estimated to have fallen by more than half in the last four decades after intrusion by miners and settlers, especially after the discovery of massive tin reserves in 1991. The area has also been affected by fires and deforestation, with Brazil's president Jair Bolsonaro pushing for development on indigenous lands. The Uru-Eu-Wau-Wau, who speak some Portuguese, are aware of Bolsonaro's policies and younger tribe members have equipped themselves with drones to spy on invaders. Older villagers have been known to suggest 'an arrow to the leg' to keep out loggers, who are sometimes arrested by federal police when the tribe manages to alert authorities. The tribe is highly vulnerable to diseases spread by viruses and bacteria and has very little access to healthcare, according to Minority Rights Group International. The Kaninde foundation co-founded by Franciscato says the tribe is facing 'invasions by land grabbers, miners and loggers that threaten the lives of the indigenous people'. Kaninde has also equipped the tribe a laptop, a high-definition camera, a waterproof camera, walkie-talkies and a GPS device. The plan is for each village to have at least three people capable of using the devices. Hundreds of people intruded on Uru-Eu-Wau-Wau territory in 2019, according to Amnesty International which says that illegal cattle farms in the area are fuelling the destruction of the rainforest. One tribe member, Ari Uru-Eu-Wau-Wau.was murdered in April with four blows to the head, but the killer's identity was not known. Officials in the state of Rondonia have been accused of turning a blind eye as land is taken from indigenous people near the Bolivian border. In other areas of Brazil, invasions of protected land have led to violent clashes, while the coronavirus has also caused havoc among Amazon tribes. Advertisement When the party came under fire with arrows, they ran to take shelter behind a vehicle, but Rieli was hit above the heart, witnesses said. 'He cried out, pulled the arrow from his chest, ran 50 meters and collapsed, lifeless,' a policeman who accompanied the expedition said in an audio posted on social media. He was taken to the nearest hospital, but died soon after. The tribe 'are known as a peaceful group,' Uchida told the AFP news agency. 'The last time they appeared in the region was in June.... It was a larger group, very peaceful. They even left presents at someone's house,' he said. 'This time, there were just five armed men - a war party. That means something must have happened to make them seek 'revenge.'' Such groups have sometimes lashed out violently when illegal miners or poachers encroach on their land. Uchida said there were some reports of such activity in the region. The indigenous rights group Survival International said Franciscato's death and the appearance of tribal people on the edge of nearby ranches was 'almost certainly a response to the immense pressure they and their forest are under'. 'Most of the forest surrounding the reserve has been destroyed and occupied by ranchers and loggers, who are also targeting the reserve itself,' the group said. 'Last year numerous fires were started outside and inside the reserve, and this year the ranchers have threatened to burn more of the territory.' Sarah Shenker, a senior researcher for the group, called the expert's death a 'tragic and immeasurable loss for uncontacted tribes'. She added: 'The uncontacted Indians may well have mistaken Rieli, one of their closest allies, for one of their many enemies who threaten their survival. 'Theyve been pushed to the edge and theres only one solution: protect their territory from all invasions so they can survive and thrive.' Isolated tribes' first contacts with the outside world have often been disastrous in the past, marred by deadly violence, devastating outbreaks of disease and the breakdown of their social structures. Rieli led an operation at FUNAI called the Uru Eu Wau Wau Ethno-Environmental Protection Front, whose mission was to protect isolated groups. FUNAI declined to say how he died, but officials and a journalist in the region confirmed the details of the incident on Thursday. His death comes at a time when indigenous people in Brazil are under increasing threat from invasions by illegal land grabbers, loggers and gold miners, emboldened by the policies of far-right President Jair Bolsonaro who wants to develop the Amazon and reduce the size of indigenous reservations. The Kaninde Ethno-Environmental Defense Association he helped found in the 1980s said the indigenous group had no ability to distinguish between a friend or a foe from the outside world. Rieli Franciscato helped found the Kaninde Ethno-Environmental Defense Association in the 1980s, which works to protect the Amazon's indigenous population Indigenous men of the Uru-eu-wau-wau tribe from the same region in which Franciscato was killed hold bows and arrows in an indigenous reservation. Indigenous people in the region and their way of life has become increasingly threatened from the outside 'We are feeling bewildered by so many deaths in this Brazil that no longer respects indigenous rights,' said Ivaneide Cardozo, Franciscato's friend and co-founder of the Kaninde association. Paying tribute to Franciscato, the foundation said described him as an 'excellent, serious and dedicated professional' who 'dedicated his life to the last second doing what he loved most: fighting for the peoples of the forest.' The foundation says the tribe is facing 'invasions by land grabbers, miners and loggers that threaten the lives of the indigenous people'. Kaninde has also equipped the tribe a laptop, a high-definition camera, a waterproof camera, walkie-talkies and a GPS device. The leading authority on Brazil's remaining isolated tribes and a former head of FUNAI, Sydney Possuelo, said Bolsonaro had kept his campaign promise to destroy the agency that is meant to defend rights of indigenous people. Possuelo said the government had defunded FUNAI and left it without staff needed for security at its isolated posts just as increasing land invasions increase the risk of violent clashes. FUNAI official Ricardo Lopes Dias said ''Rieli dedicated his life to the indigenous cause. He had more than three decades of service, and leaves an immense legacy for the protection of these peoples' A member of the Uru-eu-wau-wau tribe looks on in an area deforested by invaders in the village of Alto Jaru, at the Uru-eu-wau-wau Indigenous Reservation. Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro wants to develop the Amazon and reduce the size of indigenous reservations 'Rieli was a calm, methodical, soft-spoken man who knew the dangers very well, but he was alone and so he went to ask the police to accompany him,' Possuelo said. Invasions of protected land have led to violent clashes, while the coronavirus has also caused havoc in among Amazon tribes who are vulnerable to the spread of disease even without a pandemic. Brazil's presidency did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Bolsonaro has repeatedly proposed the need to integrate the indigenous, who he has described as living 'like cave men,' into broader Brazilian society. The Brazilian Amazon is home to at least 100 isolated tribes, more than anywhere else in the world, according to Survival International. 'Rieli dedicated his life to the indigenous cause,' said FUNAI official Ricardlo Lopes Dias. 'He had more than three decades of service, and leaves an immense legacy for the protection of these peoples.' A mother-of-two who snatched a suitcase containing 76,000 worth of designer clothes and jewellery on a two-hour rail trip has avoided jail. Hajar Al Fahad, 26, struck up a conversation on a 160-mile journey with wealthy female passenger Fatima Al Shatti from London Paddington to Cardiff Central. The ex-waitress then pretended that she was herself rich and had a cleaner before grabbing the suitcase as she left the train 'in a moment of madness'. It contained 'extremely expensive designer items' including a Chanel handbag, watches, Cartier necklaces, earrings, bracelets and gold rings. Unsuspecting Ms Al Shatti hadn't realised that her suitcase was missing until she had reached her destination 40 miles away in Swansea. Al Fahad admitted taking the suitcase containing items by Chanel and Cartier as the train arrived at Cardiff Central station, the city's Crown Court heard. She was given an eight-month prison sentence, suspended for a year. Hajar Al Fahad struck up a conversation on a 160-mile journey with female passenger Fatima Al Shatti from London Paddington to Cardiff. The 26-year-old pretended that she was wealthy before grabbing the blue suitcase as she left the train 'in a moment of madness' Al Fahad, 26, had been travelling from London Paddington to Cardiff Central (pictured) Speaking exclusively to MailOnline today, Al Fahad said: 'I know I did a big crime and that was wrong but I've been punished for that.' The out-of-work thief said she couldn't explain why she snatched the suitcase, insisting:. 'It was a moment of madness, I don't know why I did It. 'I wish I hadn't. I just can't explain it.' A sentencing hearing at Cardiff Crown Court yesterday heard she struck up a conversation with Ms Al Shatti after helping her with her suitcases onto the train. Prosecutor Andrew Davies said the victim noticed the defendant putting her smaller luggage on top of hers on the rack at the end of the carriage in September 2018. They sat opposite each other and talked but had to leave the train due to a cancellation. When a replacement arrived Al Fahad helped Ms Al Shatti with her suitcase and arranged the luggage in the same fashion. They then sat talking as the train pulled out of the station. When the victim went to check on her luggage and to sit in a different carriage the defendant followed and continued to sit near her. The court heard Al Fahad 'added an element of fantasy' to her conversation with Ms Al Shatti, claiming she was wealthy herself and had a cleaner. Al Fahad was sentenced to eight months in prison suspended for 12 months and was ordered to carry out a 20-day rehab activity requirement and 150 hours unpaid work The suitcase contained 'extremely expensive designer items' including a Chanel handbag (right: stock), watches, Cartier necklaces (left: stock), earrings, bracelets and gold rings She told the victim she was having difficulty with a Barclays application which left her unable to pay the cleaner so Ms Al Shatti agreed to pay the defendant from her account. Al Fahad paid a sum to the victim's account so she had her bank details. Describing the theft, Mr Davies said: 'At Cardiff the defendant got off the train and in doing so took not only her smaller luggage but the luggage of Ms Al Shatti. Ms Al Shatti did not realise her luggage had been taken until she arrived in Swansea.' Police traced Al Fahad, from Llanrumney, through her purchase of a train ticket at London Paddington and found the majority of the stolen items, worth 76,559. A search of Al Fahad's mobile discovered web searches for the items in the suitcase and photographs of herself wearing the items she had stolen. But when questioned the rogue passenger said the suitcase was hers - and later claimed the luxury goods inside were counterfeit. Defence barrister Tim Petrides said Al Fahad was born in Kuwait and had moved to the UK aged six. He said she had two young children who would suffer if she was given an immediate custodial sentence. 'She was trying to portray herself beyond her means and an element of fantasy came into the conversation,' the lawyer told the court. 'She has described her actions as a 'moment of madness' and in her own words to me 'sorry is not enough'.' Al Fahad, 26, had been travelling from London Paddington (pictured) to Cardiff Central Judge Catherine Richards said she accepted Al Fahad did not set out to steal from anyone, but had carried out an opportunistic theft. She added: 'Why you took that decision that day is incomprehensible considering how much you stand to lose. You entered into a fantasy conversation with the victim and tried to represent yourself as something you were not.' Al Fahad was sentenced to eight months in prison suspended for 12 months and was ordered to carry out a 20-day rehabilitation activity requirement and 150 hours unpaid work after admitting theft. Her neighbours were unaware that she narrowly escaped jail for stealing a suitcase packed with valuables from another train passenger. They described her as a smart and well educated woman who doted on her children. One neighbour said: 'This is the first I've heard of it - she's kept it very quiet. 'Hajar is a friendly and outgoing and has lived here for two years and there's been no bother. She dotes on her two boys who are always smartly dressed'. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Sept.11 By Zhale Gasimova Trend: Azerbaijan will host the 1st Online Forum of Entrepreneurs Baku 2020 event on September 22-23 under the support from the Agency for Development of Small- and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs), Trend reports on Sept.11 referring to the agency. As reported, the online forum aims to motivate entrepreneurs in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and post-pandemic period, as well as learning of the international experience. The main goals of the forum are also to promote entrepreneurial thinking, especially among young people and women, to boost interest in entrepreneurship, to motivate young people working in the field of social entrepreneurship and starting their own business, as well as to discuss the problems faced by entrepreneurs during the pandemic. During the online forum, the participants will get acquainted with the success stories of entrepreneurs working amid the current pandemic, study foreign experience through speeches of international rapporteurs. Businessmen from Turkey, Germany, Finland, United Arab Emirates, Georgia, Russia, Pakistan, Spain, and other countries will take part in the event as speakers and guests. The partners of the online forum organized by the SA Consulting LLC from the US are the youth public association Odlar Yurdu, SAT Group, Youth Center for Social Business, Business Club Networking.az, Majlis Business Network from Azerbaijan, and the Eurasian Economic Cooperation Organization. The deadline for the forum registration is 15:00 (GMT+4) on September 21. As many as 2 million formerly incarcerated felons are poised to regain their voting rights ahead of the November election, an influx that could swing critical races in states like Florida, Nevada, North Carolina and Iowa. The move to restore the vote to felons or people on parole or probation has been gathering speed for several years, with many states passing new laws or taking executive action well before this summer. But the result means a significant number of people with firsthand knowledge of the criminal justice system will have their right to vote returned at a time when law and order, police brutality, public safety and race are dominating the presidential race. The numbers of people that are eligible to cast their ballot are huge. We know that that will absolutely impact any election, from state to local to federal, if all of those people exercise their right to vote, said Stephanie Young, chief officer of culture, communications and media partnerships at When We All Vote. Iowa became the latest to act when Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds signed an executive order in August restoring the right to vote and hold public office for Iowans with felony convictions who have completed their sentences. The policy will impact an estimated 40,000 people. August polling shows former Vice President Joe Biden and Democrat Theresa Greenfield trailing President Donald Trump and Republican Sen. Joni Ernst within the margin of error in Iowa. Reynolds executive action comes with an asterisk. It doesnt apply to felons convicted of homicide or related crimes, and the policy can be rescinded by a new governor unless the legislature ratifies an amendment to the states constitution. But, for now, the move erases Iowas status as the only state in the country to permanently ban residents with felony convictions from voting without appealing to the governor. Voting rights advocates believe no one deserves to lose the right to vote, and argue that disenfranchising felons is a Jim Crow-era practice that disproportionately targets people of color. Story continues At the end of the day, who does it impact? Black people and brown people, period, Young said. It doesnt impact anybody else at these levels. This is another way of figuring out how can we create more barriers for people of color. That is not right. Activists frame Iowas action as a step in the right direction but caution that the country has a long way to go to protect the rights of those who are currently or formerly incarcerated. The trend has been very much one of reform over the years, and with relatively little backlash of any kind, said Marc Mauer, a senior adviser and former executive director of The Sentencing Project, which estimated that felony disenfranchisement prevented 6.1 million Americans from voting in 2016. Indeed, a 2018 HuffPost/YouGov poll found that 63 percent of adults supported the restoration of voting rights for individuals convicted of a felony who have completed their sentences. A majority also said those individuals should automatically have their rights restored after completing their sentences rather than having to go through a process. I dont want to suggest its been easy its been a struggle in every state but its very much been moving in that direction, Mauer said. The biggest advancement for felon voting rights came when nearly two-thirds of voters in Florida backed a constitutional amendment in 2018 to automatically restore felons' ability to vote after completion of their sentences. But Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis signed legislation last year that defined completion of sentence to include full payment of any restitution or fines, fees and other costs, something voting rights advocates have decried as a modern-day poll tax. The amendment itself restored the right to vote for roughly 1.4 million Floridians, but the fate of hundreds of thousands of felons who must meet legal financial obligations hangs in the balance of a court decision expected sometime this month. Floridas voter registration deadline is Oct. 5. DeSantis, who appealed a court decision in May that allowed felons to vote without paying fines or fees, has said victims of crimes deserve restitution and argued that someone convicted of stealing money, for example, hasn't completed his or her sentence until that money is paid back, as ordered. Julie Ebenstein, senior staff attorney with the ACLUs Voting Rights Project, said Floridas constitutional amendment was the biggest expansion of democracy since the voting age was changed to 18. That means theres enough people who are disenfranchised in Florida by a felony conviction that it expanded the electorate nationwide in a very significant way, she said. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis answers a question during a roundtable meeting with transportation industry leaders at the Hilton Orlando-Bonnet Creek Resort in Orlando, Fla., Friday, Aug. 7, 2020. DeSantis addressed coronavirus and state transportation construction concerns. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel via AP) There are no races for statewide office on the ballot this year in Florida, but the presidential race there is likely to be another nail-biter. Trump carried the state in 2016 by just 1.3 percentage points, the equivalent of about 113,000 votes. The Florida Rights Restoration Coalition has spent more than $3 million helping thousands of people cover their fines and fees, according to Deputy Director Neil Volz. On the one hand, this is a huge celebration and advancement of democracy in our country, and on the other hand we see that there are hundreds of thousands of returning citizens who thought they were going to be able to vote who look like they wont be able to vote this year, said Volz, who called the ongoing litigation an exhausting legal roller coaster. Well be ready to respond to whatever the court decision is in a way thats focused on real peoples lives and continuing to push forward to break down the barriers that people need to fully participate in their community, he said. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, felons in 16 states lose their voting rights while theyre incarcerated. In 21 states, felons lose their voting rights during incarceration and for additional time after, typically while on parole or probation or until outstanding fines, fees or restitution are paid. And in 11 states, felons face stricter even policies. Vermont and Maine, whose populations are 94 percent white, are the only states in the U.S. where no citizens can lose their right to vote. But Washington, D.C., joined them in allowing its residents to vote from prison when Mayor Muriel Bowser signed a bill in July. At the very least, voting rights advocates say, states should allow returning citizens to vote once theyve completed their sentences, even if theyre on parole or probation. For the states that do disenfranchise, the most sensible policy is to just enfranchise people who are not incarcerated once theyre back in their community, said the ACLU's Ebenstein. Thats always the cleanest point at which somebody could have their rights restored. Once you start putting additional restrictions like after parole, after probation, after payment, after two years after incarceration ends, etc., ... that can be another barrier to getting their rights restored. In North Carolina, a three-judge panel restored the vote to felons who have been released from prison but remain on probation due to court costs and fees, striking down state voting restrictions. Those challenging the law argued it disenfranchised roughly 70,000 North Carolinians. Trump won North Carolina by roughly 170,000 votes in 2016. Republican Sen. Thom Tillis, who is up for reelection, won his 2014 race by less than 50,000 votes. Last year, a half-dozen Democratic governors took steps to eliminate similar kinds of barriers. Gov. Steve Sisolak of Nevada signed a bill restoring voting rights for an estimated 77,000 felons who have been released from prison or discharged from probation. Thats larger than the margin of victory for Sisolak and Sen. Jacky Rosen in 2018 and Hillary Clinton and Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto in 2016. Trump lost the state by just 27,000 votes four years ago. Elsewhere, Gov. Jared Polis of Colorado signed legislation restoring voting rights to more than 9,000 people on parole, while Gov. Andy Beshear of Kentucky signed an executive order automatically restoring the right to vote to more than 140,000 felons who completed their sentences. Gov. Phil Murphy of New Jersey signed a bill restoring voting rights to more than 80,000 people who are on probation or parole. And by the end of last year, Gov. Andrew Cuomo of New York had restored the voting rights of more than 49,000 parolees after signing an executive order in 2018, though such rights were revoked for nearly 8,000 people due to either a parole violation or new conviction. Virginia Gov. Ralph Northams office announced nearly a year ago that he had restored the rights of more than 22,000 Virginians convicted of felonies, though voting rights advocates note that, as is the case in Iowa and Kentucky, a new governor in Virginia has no obligation to continue policies that enfranchise returning citizens. It will take a constitutional amendment to codify the executive actions into law. Despite the many gains over the past few years, some states continue chipping away at voting rights. Republican Gov. Bill Lee of Tennessee signed a bill last month making it a felony to camp out on state property, punishable by up to six years in prison, after activists had demonstrated outside the state Capitol for months. Felons automatically lose their voting rights in Tennessee. Hans von Spakovsky, a senior legal fellow at the conservative Heritage Foundation, defended existing restrictions on voting, saying people often make the mistake of thinking that prison time is all there is to a sentence. Some sentences, however, include probation and an order to pay restitution to the victim. I dont think that its right to restore the vote of people until theyve completed all aspects of their sentence, he said, echoing DeSantis. Von Spakovsky also questioned the motive behind the expansion of voting for people with felony convictions, noting that voting isnt the only civil right a felon loses. If theyre not just interested in getting that vote, then why are they not restoring all of the other rights that felons lose, like their right to own a gun? he asked of politicians. The fact that they dont push to restore all those other rights make the people pushing this bill look like absolute hypocrites. Mauer said that expanding the electorate through public policy is just one step in what he described as a painstaking process that also involves informing people how to vote and encouraging them to do so. And it all comes amid a global pandemic that has killed more than 190,000 Americans and legitimate uncertainty about who can vote at a time when the president is warning of voter fraud. You have this whole pool of new formerly incarcerated voters, but you also have this pool of voters who have sat out, and they sat out in 2016 or they sat out during the midterm elections in 2018, Young, of When We All Vote, said. You couple former incarcerated Americans with other nonvoters, and they could be the largest voting bloc. London, Sep 11 : As universities across the UK prepare to reopen, Health Secretary Matt Hancock issued an urgent plea to students to follow rules banning gatherings of more than six people aimed at curbing the spread of Covid-19. The opening weeks of a new academic year traditionally start with fresher's events and social events, but the new lockdown rules which will come into force on September 14 has placed a limit on gatherings, reports Xinhua news agency. On Thursday, Hancock told the House of Commons (Lower House of Parliament) that he wants students to avoid passing on the virus to parents or grandparents. His plea came as the Department for Education (DoE) issued an updated guidance earlier in the day to universities as they prepare to reopen in September. A record-high number of 18-year-olds have signed up this year to study at universities in the UK. Figures from Ucas, the UK's universities admissions service, showed a record 71,370 overseas students secured places at the universities, 1,200 more than last year. The figures also show that the growth in overseas student numbers has more than compensated for a drop in European Union students. However, experts warned that due to coronavirus-related uncertainty, some students might not take up their places and the next few weeks would be crucial in determining how many would enrol eventually. Universities Minister Michelle Donelan urged students on Thursday to act responsibly as they head to campuses. "The updated guidance includes recent advice and will help university leaders access the information they need, and assist their existing plans to keep students and staff as safe as possible," said Donelan. Donelan said SAGE, the government's scientific advisory group, has made clear that teaching in person is important and fully online provision would have an impact on students' mental health. Where practical work occurs in close contact like medicine, dentistry and performing arts, universities should follow advice for the relevant professional environment, the minister added. "All social activities will need to comply with the latest measures, though students will still be able to socialize with the same 'household' they form in their student accommodation," she added. Four Houston police officers were fired Thursday after a months-long investigation of a fatal shooting found that they were "objectively unreasonable" in discharging 21 rounds at a man in distress. On April 21 at around 9 p.m., multiple officers responded to several 911 calls about a man who was running through highway traffic. Officers approached Nicolas Chavez, 27, in a parking lot, where he was running while holding a metal object, police said. During a roughly 15-minute interaction, officers shot Chavez with stun guns and bean bags while attempting to "stop him from harming himself," Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo said in a video compilation of the body-camera footage that was also released Thursday. PHOTO: Nicolas Chavez, seen in body-camera footage provided by the Houston Police Department of the shooting incident on April 21, 2020. The department highlighted a stun gun that Chavez could later be seen grabbing. (Houston Police Department) Throughout the incident, five officers fired 24 rounds at Chavez, Acevedo said at an at-times emotional press briefing Thursday. Three of those shots were found to be "objectionably reasonable," while the final barrage of 21 shots by four officers was not, he said, because Chavez "was at his greatest level of incapacitation." Acevedo detailed that before the 21 shots in question, police officers had shot Chavez more than once, discharged five cartridges of stun guns and deployed six bean bags. "I believe that anyone that watches this tape, and sees this, will see they had a lot of opportunities and a lot of other options readily available to them that we, as long as I'm the police chief of this city, I will expect my officers to take," Acevedo said. The four officers fired were Sgt. Benjamin LeBlanc, who discharged two of the 21 shots; Omar Tapia, who discharged six; Patrick Rubio, who discharged six, and Luis Alvarado, who discharged seven. MORE: Two Savannah cops fired for use of excessive force during arrest LeBlanc, a 12-year veteran of HPD, also fired the first two shots, and a fifth officer, Kevin Nguyen, fired one, for 24 total rounds. All five officers were placed on administrative leave following the shooting. Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said at Thursday's press briefing that the incident "has dramatically affected many people in this city." Story continues "This video is difficult to watch, and I have seen it several times," he said. "It's difficult to watch without questioning why the shooting happened in the end, and wishing the encounter could have ended differently and knowing that it should have had a different outcome." PHOTO: Mayor Sylvester Turner talks to reporters about the officer-involved fatal shooting of Nicolas Chavez, during a press conference at the Edward A. Thomas building, Sept. 10, 2020, in Houston. (Godofredo A. Vasquez/Houston Chronicle via AP) He said that "for almost the entire time," he found no fault in the police officers' actions, but agreed that the final shooting was "not justified in this case." "Mr. Chavez posed a threat to himself," he said. "And he too could have lived and could have gotten the help that he desperately needed." Getting choked up, Turner stressed that the decision to dismiss the officers "is not an indictment on HPD." Joe Gamaldi, the president of the Houston Police Officers' Union, responded that the four officers were "fired today for a justified shooting," and called the decision "unjust and deplorable." "[Even] if you deescalate, retreat, follow policy, training and the law... you will still lose your job as a Houston Police Officer," he said on Twitter. Acevedo had promised in April that the department would look into the incident following the release of cellphone footage that captured the barrage of 21 shots fired. The department's Special Investigations Unit and Internal Affairs Division reviewed nearly 25 hours of footage from 39 videos, Acevedo said. In the nearly 17-minute compilation of several officers' body-camera footage released Thursday, 911 calls reporting a man in distress walking through traffic on a highway and through residents' yards are included. Chavez was distraught and "apparently suicidal," the police chief said in the video. PHOTO: Nicolas Chavez, seen in body-camera footage provided by the Houston Police Department of the shooting incident on April 21, 2020. (Houston Police Department) While addressing Chavez in a parking lot, officers can be heard ordering him to get on the ground. After he doesn't comply, officers deploy bean bags and stun guns. Chavez appears to move toward one of the officers while holding a metal object, according to police. At that point, LeBlanc fires two shots, striking Chavez. Nguyen later fires a third. While on the ground, Chavez, who is visibly bloodied, throws the object and starts pulling a stun gun by its wires toward himself. He grabs it, at which point the four officers fire 21 shots. The stun gun was ultimately empty, though the officers said they were not aware of that, according to the police chief. "Let me be clear -- it's objectively not reasonable to utilize deadly force when a man's already been shot multiple times, has been tased, has been on the ground, has shown that he really cannot get up," Acevedo said Thursday. "I cannot defend that." There were 28 officers on the scene, Acevedo noted. Chavez was transported to a local hospital, where he died, authorities said. The medical examiner later determined that Chavez had 29 wounds from bullets, skip rounds (bullets that struck the ground first) and bullet fragments entering and exiting, according to Acevedo. The autopsy revealed that Chavez had methamphetamine, amphetamine and ethanol in his system, according to Acevedo. PHOTO: A tribute to Nicolas Chavez, 27, who was shot and killed April 21 by several police officers during a confrontation in Denver Harbor, sits at the site of the shooting along Interstate 10, Sept. 10, 2020. (Mark Mulligan/Houston Chronicle via AP) Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg said in a statement Thursday that her office is reviewing the incident and plans to present a case directly to a grand jury that will "determine whether the Houston police officers who shot Nicolas Chavez were justified or whether they committed a crime." "I met with the mother, father and wife of Nicolas Chavez to listen to their concerns and personally assure them that our Civil Rights Division prosecutors will conduct a thorough, independent review of all the evidence in his death," she said in the statement. MORE: Cops fired over photos of chokehold used on Elijah McClain In a press conference Thursday, Chavez's mother, Leantha Chavez, said she was "elated" over the dismissal of the four officers, but called for them to be charged, according to the Houston Chronicle . "It's very hard to be happy and sad about something so tragic," she said, the paper reported. ABC News' Gina Sunseri contributed to this report. 4 Houston police officers fired after shooting man on the ground 21 times during alleged mental health crisis originally appeared on abcnews.go.com By Friday, three family members were still in the hospital, including granddaughter Ela Laster, 3, who is at Comer Childrens Hospital in Chicago with two broken legs, a broken arm, broken collarbone and tailbone, and other possible injuries; Kayla Boomsma, 25, Elas mother, who was transferred from Porter Regional Hospital to Comer with difficulty breathing and broken ribs; and Jason Boomsmas wife, Amie Boomsma, 45, transferred from Porter to Memorial Hospital of South Bend with a severe break in one leg below the knee and a broken hip. The U.S. Labor Department said on Thursday it cited Smithfield Foods for failing to protect employees from the coronavirus, making it the first major U.S. meatpacker to face a fine after outbreaks at slaughterhouses infected thousands of workers. The citation did little to quiet complaints from labor unions and safety advocates, who say the Trump administration needs to do more to protect workers critical to the nations food supply. The Labor Departments Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) cited Smithfield for failing to provide a workplace free from recognized hazards that can cause death or serious harm to employees of a plant in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, according to a statement. At least 1,294 Smithfield workers contracted the coronavirus and four employees died this spring, the statement said. The citation issued to the company said employees were working in close proximity to each other and exposed to the virus. OSHA proposed fining the worlds biggest pork processor $13,494, the maximum allowed by law. Litigation Rising The citation comes as companies are facing increasing litigation over worker infections and mounting pressure to protect employees. Critics said the penalty was too small. Its not even a slap on the wrist, said David Michaels, a professor of environmental and occupational health at George Washington University, who served as U.S. assistant secretary of labor for OSHA under the Obama administration. After 1,300 workers have been infected, dozens hospitalized and four killed, a small fine like this sends the message to Smithfield and other meat packing companies that they have no reason to worry about OSHA. The Labor Department said in a statement that OSHA was committed to protecting workers and cited Smithfield in accordance with well-established procedures and legal standards. Smithfield, owned by Chinas WH Group Ltd., thinks the citation is without merit and plans to contest it, spokeswoman Keira Lombardo said. The company has taken steps to protect employees and spent $350 million related to COVID-19 during the second quarter, she said. Smithfield temporarily closed the plant in April after infections surged among workers. The facility is one of the nations largest pork processing facilities, representing about 5% of U.S. pork production. In July, Smithfield sued OSHA in a bid to quash a subpoena issued as part of a federal probe into the plant. The two sides ultimately came to a resolution, and U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier dismissed the case. The fact is that the Sioux Falls community experienced an early spike in COVID-19 cases, which impacted our plant, Lombardo said. Nearly 20 plants run by companies like Smithfield, Tyson Foods Inc and JBS USA closed temporarily this spring because of outbreaks. Trump Order President Donald Trump in April ordered meat plants to stay open to protect the U.S. food supply, despite concerns about outbreaks, drawing a backlash from unions that said at-risk workers required more protection. The failure by the Trump Administration to hold Smithfield accountable makes clear that this White House cares more about industry profits than protecting Americas essential workers, said Marc Perrone, president of the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union, Americas largest meatpacking union. Californias OSHA this month cited two smaller meat packers, one frozen food manufacturer and eight agriculture or farm-labor contracting firms, after the agency determined the companies failed to protect employees from exposure to COVID-19. Cal/OSHA proposed over $200,000 in penalties each to food manufacturer Overhill Farms Inc. and its temporary employment agency Jobsource North America Inc. Overhill Farms disputed Cal/OSHAs findings and said it will contest them. Jobsource could not be reached for comment. It has been scary working through this pandemic and watching co-workers get sick while wondering if I will be next, Overhill worker Hilda Morales said. (Reporting by Tom Polansek and P.J. Huffstutter in Chicago; Editing by Leslie Adler, Marguerita Choy and Tom Brown) Photo: The Smithfield Foods Inc. plant stands closed in Sioux Falls, South Dakota on April 15. Topics COVID-19 Workers' Compensation USA Huawei has just certified a smartphone with the model number CND-AN00, and leaksters in China claim this is the previously available nova 7 SE 5G with a new chipset. The device matches the footprint and the battery size, as well as the actual charger that will be shipped with the phone but will be powered by Mediateks Dimensity 800U rather than the Kirin 820 5G platform. According to one leakster, the new version of Huawei nova 7 SE 5G will have a lower price. The Kirin 820 5G chipset has four Cortex-A76 units that go over 2.2 GHz, with the other four staying at 1.84 GHz. However, the Dimensity 800U has only two powerful A76 cores while the other six are A55 and at 2.0 GHz. The move is likely in response to the US ban that limits Huawei's access to manufacturing facilities for its custom-designed chips. Source (in Chinese) | Via By Yingzhi Yang and Aishwarya Nair (Reuters) - TikTok owner ByteDance plans to invest billions of dollars and recruit hundreds of employees in Singapore after opting to base its Southeast Asia regional headquarters there, a person familiar with the matter said. ByteDance has also stepped up the purchase of servers in global trade and transport hub Singapore to back up U.S. data as a contingency, the source told Reuters on Friday, adding that it began the three-year plan in 2019. The Chinese firm is being forced by President Donald Trump to sell TikTok's U.S. assets to avoid a ban in United States. The Trump administration has cited a potential national security risk due to the vast amount of private data which the short video app is compiling on U.S. consumers. TikTok has said that it stores all U.S. user data in the United States, with back-up in Singapore, which analysts say is likely to become more attractive for firms seeking a neutral location amid rising tensions between Washington and Beijing. ByteDance decided last year to locate its regional headquarters in Singapore, which in recent years has ramped up efforts to attract tech firms and investors, the source said. "Even though we are in the midst of an uncertain environment, many companies from all over the world ... continue to grow their operations in Singapore to serve Asia and international markets," Kiren Kumar, executive vice president of Singapore Economic Development Board said. PayPal, Siemens, Twitter and Zoom had said that they were investing in Singapore this year, Kumar added. Bloomberg earlier reported https://bloom.bg/2RfslmZ that ByteDance was planning to make the city-state its beachhead for the rest of Asia as part of its global expansion plans and set up a data centre there. However, the source told Reuters that ByteDance has yet to make a decision about such a move, while another source said TikTok had this year moved some engineers there from China. (Reporting by Yingzhi Yang in Beijing, Aishwarya Nair in Bengaluru, and Aradhana Aravindan in Singapore; Editing by Sherry Jacob-Phillips, Anil D'Silva and Alexander Smith) President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un hold hands during their first summit at the truce village of Panmunjeom, April 27, 2018. They held three inter-Korean summits that year, but six South Korean detainees in North Korea have not been released yet. / Korea Times file By Kang Seung-woo The South Korean government's silence on its citizens detained in North Korea is drawing criticism from those who are claiming that Seoul is intentionally avoiding the issue so as not to ruffle feathers in Pyongyang while pursuing inter-Korean projects. A petition was posted on global petition website Change.org last month, calling for the release of the six South Koreans seized by the totalitarian state and detained for up to seven years. The petitioner, a youth group called Save 6 Koreans, wrote that the South Korean government and even the United Nations have made inadequate efforts to bring them home. "We question the United Nations and the South Korean government's lack of effort toward the repatriation of six South Koreans detained in North Korea," it said in the petition. Three of the six are Christian missionaries, who helped North Korean defectors in China before they were arrested for anti-state activities and spying, and the remaining three are North Korean defectors who hold South Korean citizenship. The missionaries have been sentenced to a life of hard labor. Referring to the three inter-Korean summits between President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in 2018 and a visit by South Korean celebrities and business leaders to the North, it added, "The issue of human rights and the dignity of six lives cannot be held back as a price for maintaining diplomatic relations." The South's reluctance to negotiate their release is in sharp contrast to the action of U.S. President Donald Trump who sent State Secretary Mike Pompeo to the North to bring back three American detainees in May 2018. As of Friday, more than 870 have signed the petition. If it collects enough signatures, they plan to deliver it to Cheong Wa Dae, the National Assembly and the U.N. Human Rights Council, urging them to open negotiations with the North to confirm the wellbeing of the prisoners and organize their repatriation. The youth group is not alone in making such a call. The Korean Association of Church Communication issued a statement last month, calling the government's reluctance a "shame." "The South Korean government must step up efforts to at least confirm their status," it said. Kim Jung, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies, said the matter has been put on the back burner under the current administration, while it focuses on engagement with the North. "As the government is aware that its citizens have been detained in the North, it needs to show its determination to have them repatriated home by either raising the matter with the North directly or coordinating with international organizations," he said. "Given that inter-Korean talks are currently stalled, it would be a better idea to handle the issue with international bodies, which is an option that is less of a political burden for the South." Leif-Eric Easley, an associate professor of international studies at Ewha Womans University, said the next time the North seeks economic cooperation or assistance, the South should push harder for separated family reunions and the return of the detainees. "The Moon administration made a genuine effort to build political trust, but should have demanded more progress on humanitarian issues earlier. Atmospherics are not as important as reciprocity, and human life cannot be replaced like a hotline or a building," he said. A police officer has been airlifted to hospital with severe burns after he was attacked in Cornwall. A man, 30, has been arrested on suspicion of attempting to murder a police officer following the incident in Newquay. Officers were called to Trevenson Road at 10.20am on Friday following reports of a male behaving aggressively, Devon and Cornwall police said. While at the scene, an officer was assaulted and sustained a number of burns to his arms and legs. A spokesman for the force said his injuries were severe but not believed to be life-threatening. He has been taken to Treliske hospital by air ambulance and his next of kin have been informed, the spokesman said. A 30-year-old man, from Newquay, has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder of a police officer and remains in police custody at this time. Crime and policing minister Kit Malthouse tweeted: All thoughts with this brave officer and his family. Swift and certain justice must follow for the perpetrator. Emergency services remained at the scene on Friday afternoon. Chief Superintendent Ian Drummond-Smith, police commander for Cornwall, tweeted: Very serious incident. My thoughts with our officer. Speaking to reporters at the scene, Chief Supt Drummond-Smith said police had been called to assist bailiffs who were carrying out an eviction on private land. He said an officer, aged 51 and a British Army veteran, had suffered significant injuries from fire during the incident. He commended police officers who turned up in great numbers from all around the county, very quickly, saying that without a doubt, some of their actions saved the injured officers life. The injured officer is a Newquay officer. Hes a very well-known and very well-respected officer from the town, he told reporters. He has sustained significant injury but I am pleased to say its not life-threatening. He is conscious, he is sat up in his hospital bed and hes talking to us on the telephone. He is in good spirits. The police commander said the incident demonstrated the bravery of police officers up and down the country. Several emergency services vehicles were seen attending the scene near Newquay Tretherras School. The incident is not believed to be related to the school. Nothing warms a Bengalis heart more than when told that they are special and that no one comes close to their culture. So, its not surprising that faced with a belligerent BJP, the Trinamool Congress wants to hit the chord by pitching a campaign for Amra Bangali, i.e., We are Bengalis. The purpose behind this invocation of Bengali pride is to project the BJP as a party of outsiders headed by the Narendra Modi-Amit Shah duo who are not Bengalis and, hence, dont understand Bengali culture. And now Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, the just-appointed Congress chief for Bengal, has gone a step further in the hope that his party will be a contender in next years assembly polls. He has waded into the Sushant Singh Rajput-Rhea Chakraborty case and played the Rhea is a Bengali-Brahmin" card. At a press conference, he said, The BJP is doing politics over Sushant ahead of Bihar elections. But Rhea, who is a Bengali-Brahmin, is being targeted " Those in the Congress who want to stay away from this Sushant-Rhea issue may not be happy with what Adhir said, but the fact remains that he perhaps has little choice. The Congress has been left far behind in Bengal with the BJP now being the main adversary to the states ruling Trinamool Congress. And the Congress-Left combine is barely strong enough to take on both the BJP and TMC. Adhir has a tough task ahead and, therefore, doesnt want to leave any issue out. Interestingly, while the BJP has played the Bihar card in Sushants name, it has refrained from turning Rhea into a Bengali card ahead of the Bengal polls. Whats even more interesting is that even the Trinamool has preferred to stay away from this issue and has not jumped to the defence of Rhea. As a source said, Bollywood and its affairs can be dirty and if we wade into it, its going to spill on us." This is why the TMC will use its Bengali pride campaign with party chief Mamata Banerjee as the mascot, in a bid to project her as what a proud Bengal stands for. So we have Mamata Banerjee criss-crossing the state, speaking about Bengals history, culture and also Rabindra Sangeet, The Congress has no leader or face who can match up to Mamata. And this perhaps explains why Adhir used the Rhea factor in a bid to portray that when others dont stand up for their own, the Congress does. He took the cue from political parties of Bihar who, ahead of the polls this year, have pitched for son of the soil Sushant Singh Rajput. In fact, even the Congress in Bihar had demanded a CBI inquiry into the actors death. But in Bengal, Rhea was kept at an arms length; till Adhir jumped in. It may not help the Congress at all. In fact, it could backfire. Winning elections needs a strong organisation. something which the Congress has neglected. Cho told prison psychiatrists in July that he "regrets" his crime and intends to "draw no more public criticism" after his release. He wants to return to Ansan, where his wife lives. Ansan city has vowed to step up security around Cho's neighborhood, including additional security cameras to track his whereabouts. Infamous child rapist Cho Doo-soon wants to return home to Ansan south of Seoul when he is released from prison in December after serving just 12 years. That means he will live only around 1 km from the girl he brutally raped back in 2008, who ended up suffering permanent physical damage. An official at the Ansan city government said, "We can't reveal the addresses of either the criminal or the victim due to privacy laws, but they are about 1 km apart." "We expect the victim and her family as well as other locals to feel very nervous so we're installing additional security cameras in blind spots." The city already has 3,622 security cameras and is installing 211 more this year. Cho, who has a long rap sheet, abducted the schoolgirl in Ansan in December of 2008 and dragged her into a church restroom where he raped and mutilated her. The victim graduated from high school in 2017 and is now at university. Police pledged to ensure that the victim does not bump into the rapist in the neighborhood. Cho must wear an electronic ankle bracelet for seven years after his release, and his personal information will be public for five years. Police will track his whereabouts for 20 years. A police source said, "We usually meet convicted sex offenders every three months, but we intend to check up on Cho more often due to the fears of locals." Probation officers in Ansan plan to use various programs to reduce the chances of Cho committing a repeat offense. They include one-on-one supervision and limits on his alcohol consumption. Four people will take turns watching him. Cho has been serving his sentence in Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province. Since May, he has been receiving 150 hours of psychotherapy for rapists. The Justice Ministry wants to seek court approval for additional restrictions, including limits on his access to childcare facilities and other locations. If you were looking for the Charlestown Democratic Town Committee website and ended up here, try this Got news tips, gossip, suggestions, complaints?E-mail us: progressivecharlestown@gmail.com We strive to avoid errors in our articles. Our correction policy can be found here A court in the United Kingdom, during Day 4 of the hearing in the Nirav Modi extradition case on Thursday, heard expert views -- one virtual and two in-person -- on the fugitive diamond merchant's mental health, his suicidal tendency, and family history of suicide. Epidemiologist Prof Richard Coker, on COVID-19 situation in Arthur Road jail and its danger to Nirav Modi, said: "COVID spreads extremely effectively through prisons... and the risk increases if community prevalence of the disease is high." He gave his testimony in the court via a live video link from Thailand. The defence had made a case of botched up numbers and testing issues in the prison. The prosecution, however, said there could be no such consequences, as by the time Nirav would go back - in a year or more - it would be an entirely different situation. Dr Forrester, forensic psychiatrist, who had assessed Modi over a period of time, said Nirav Modi's mental health has deteriorated over a period of time as he has developed psychomotor slowing, which means slower body movement, long pauses between sentences and using short sentences. He also highlighted Nirav Modi's family history of depressive illness and suicide. "He presents with a high risk of suicide although not immediate. His condition has been deteriorating and so I predict further deterioration. His depression is likely to increase if not treated in a suitable setting," said Dr Forrester. The defence also tried to make a case of prison conditions not congenial for Modi's mental conditions. Alan Mitchell, who's a prison expert, also argued about his concerns around the lack of natural lighting in the jail. Modi's defence team, led by barrister Clare Montgomery, had raised several issues around the conditions at Barrack 12 at Arthur Road Jail in Mumbai, where he is to be lodged on being extradited, claiming it is covered in its entirety in a blue metallic cover since it housed a terrorist in 2007. The hearing will continue today also. Former Supreme Court judge Markandey Katju will give his testimony today. He will likely argue that Nirav Modi might not get a fair trial in India. Nirav Modi is being subject to two sets of criminal proceedings -- a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe on a large-scale PNB fraud and an Enforcement Directorate (ED) case relating to the money laundering charges against the diamantaire. CBI is also seeking his extradition to India on the grounds that he destroyed evidence and intimidated a witness in the case. If the judge finds a prima facie case against Modi, it will go to UK Home Secretary Priti Patel to formally certify his extradition to India to stand trial. Edited by Manoj Sharma with PTI inputs Also read: Indian prisons, Nirav Modi's mental health in focus at extradition case hearing Home Minister Amit Shah says FCRA registration to Golden temple is pathbreaking move India oi-Ajay Joseph Raj P New Delhi, Sep 11: Union Home Minister Amit Shah said the government's decision to allow the Golden Temple in Amritsar to receive foreign funds is a pathbreaking move and it will once again showcase the outstanding spirit of service of the Sikh community. Earlier, the Home Ministry on Wednesday approved registration of Sri Harmandir Sahib under the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010, allowing it to receive foreign funding. Amritsar's Golden temple is also known as Sri Harmandir Sahib. India operates 5th Vande Bharat flight to China Taking to Twitter, Shah said, "The decision on FCRA at the Sri Harmandir Sahib is a pathbreaking one which will once again showcase the outstanding spirit of service of our Sikh sisters and brothers." Shah further went on to say that Prime Minister Narendra Mod is blessed that 'Wahe Guru ji' has taken 'Seva' from him. Indo-China face-off: Additional reinforcements made in hill tops "Sri Darbar Sahib's divinity gives strength to us. For decades, the Sangat worldwide was unable to serve there. Modi Government's decision to allow FCRA to the Sri Harmandir Sahib deepens the connect of Seva between the Sangat globally and the Sri Darbar Sahib. A blessed moment!" he said. Sushant Death Case: Rhea Chakraborty denied bail by a Mumbai court, will stay in jail|Oneindia News It can be seen that the FCRA registration has been given in the name of the 'Sachkhand Sri Harmandir Saheb Sri Darbar Saheb Punjab Association', a body set up in 1925. Union Food Processing Minister and Akali Dal leader Harsimrat Kaur Badal thanked Shah for granting the FCRA registration to the Golden temple. "Happy to share that MHA has granted approval under FCRA to Sri Harmandir Sahib. This will enable the shrine to receive 'sewa' from all over the world & go a long way in propagating Gurusahab's philosophy of 'sarbat da bhala'. I'm grateful to @AmitShah Ji for making this possible," she tweeted on Wednesday. Vice President Mike Pence appears to have deleted a tweet praising Donald Trump's handling of the coronavirus outbreak amid an uproar over the president's comments in recorded conversations with journalist Bob Woodward that contradicted what he told the public. The social media post went up on Thursday but has since been deleted. In it, the ever-loyal Trump No. 2 urged his followers "to remember that President @realDonaldTrump shut down the entire American economy to put the health of America first." The post went up at 11:11 a.m. ET on Thursday morning, the same day the official coronavirus death toll in the United States approached 192,000. At least 6.4m Americans have contracted the virus. Both figures are according to data compiled and analysed by The Johns Hopkins University. The president, during a Thursday afternoon press conference, made the same point about shutting down the US economy this spring to help slow the spread of the novel virus. But he also vowed, as long as he is president, there will be no more shutdowns due to the coronavirus. "We're not doing any more shutdowns. We did the shutdown and now we're doing the opening, and there won't be any more shutdowns," Mr Trump said. "There could be a little section, a small section, where you have a breakout, but we're not talking about shutdowns like they were talking about, depending on experts. We're not going to be doing that." The VP tweet deletion came on the second consecutive day of the president and his team denying that he told Mr Woodward in early February the coronavirus was "deadly stuff" and was transmitted among humans through the air while he was publicly downplaying its severity -- and dismissing any need to wear masks. "There's no lie here. What we're doing is we're leading," a head-shaking Mr Trump snapped after telling ABC News correspondent Jonathan Karl his question about why the president told a "lie" to his country was a "terrible question" and the journalist is a "disgrace" to his employer. "If he thought that was a bad statement, he would have reported it," Mr Trump claimed, referring to Mr Woodward. "No one thought it was bad."But plenty of Democratic officials do. Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden this week called it a "dereliction" of the president's duty. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer told reporters that "Trump lied and people died." After audio recordings were released by Mr Woodward with the president admitting "I always wanted to play it down," Mr Biden called that a "life-and-death betrayal" of the American people. The president contends he was just trying to keep the country "calm." The Union minister Ramdas Athawale has demanded compensation for actor Kangana Ranaut after BMC (Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation) carried out a demolition drive at the actors Mumbai office recently. The minister met Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshiyari on Friday and demanded that Kangana Ranaut gets compensated for the damages caused to her property due to BMCs demolition drive. I met Maharashtra Governor today over the issue of demolition of Kangana Ranauts property in Mumbai and demanded that she should get compensation for the loss. The way BMC carried out demolition at her property is wrong. She must get justice, Athawale said, according to ANI. The Maharashtra Governor on Wednesday had called on Ajoy Mehta, special advisor to the chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, to discuss the matter. During the meeting, Koshiyari expressed his displeasure over the demolition incident, as per reports. Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) officials demolished portions of Ranauts property, alleging structural violations, a day after issuing her a notice. The actor is in a middle of a controversy after she compared Mumbai with Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and criticised the city police. Athawale on Thursday met Ranaut at her residence in Mumbai. The minister said that BJP or RPI will welcome Ranaut if she decides to join either of the parties However, Kangana has no interest in joining politics, Athawale said after his meeting. Kangana Ranaut said she is not interested in politics but is interested in ensuring unity in society. She said that in her upcoming film she is playing the role of a Dalit and that caste system should be abolished, the minister said. Why Did The Taliban Appoint A Hard-line Chief Negotiator For Intra-Afghan Talks? By Frud Bezhan September 10, 2020 Abdul Hakim Ishaqzai spent years lying low in Pakistan's southwestern city of Quetta, where the Afghan Taliban leadership has been based since the U.S.-led invasion in 2001 toppled the extremist group from power in neighboring Afghanistan. A hard-line cleric, Ishaqzai until recently ran an Islamic madrasah, or seminary, in the Ishaqabad area of Quetta, from where he led the Taliban's judiciary and headed a powerful council of Taliban clerics that issued religious edicts to justify the group's brutal insurgency in Afghanistan. But now Ishaqzai, who is in his 50s, has been propelled into the spotlight after he was appointed the Taliban's chief negotiator for long-awaited peace talks in the Gulf state of Qatar with the internationally recognized government in Kabul. The announcement about Ishaqzai on September 5 was part of a major shakeup in the Taliban's 21-member negotiation team ahead of the start of direct peace talks in Qatar between the warring Afghan sides. The militant group offered no explanation for the sudden changes. Taliban sources say the negotiating team was modified to give it the power to make decisions on the spot. Experts say the appointment of Ishaqzai, who is close to Taliban leader Haibatullah Akhunzada, could be an attempt by the core leadership to reassert its direct control over the upcoming negotiations in Qatar. The Taliban's political office in the Qatari capital, Doha, is led by Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, a co-founder of the Taliban who is considered a relative moderate. The ultraconservative Ishaqzai replaces Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanekzai, who along with Baradar spearheaded negotiations with the United States over a landmark agreement signed in February that is aimed at negotiating an end to the 19-year war in Afghanistan. Under the U.S.-Taliban agreement, international forces should withdraw from Afghanistan by May 2021 in exchange for counterterrorism guarantees from the Taliban, which pledged to negotiate a permanent cease-fire and power-sharing deal with the Afghan government. The deal pledged up to 5,000 Taliban prisoners would be set free by the Afghan government ahead of the negotiations, in return for the freedom of 1,000 members of the security forces held by the militants. The last Taliban prisoners were released last week, except for half a dozen inmates who were later transferred to Qatar. 'University Of Jihad' Experts say Ishaqzai is widely respected among the Taliban for his religious credentials, ranking alongside Mullah Akhundzada as the most senior cleric in the militant group. "This is important because the Taliban likes to assert religious justification for what they do," said Michael Semple, an expert on the Taliban insurgency at Queen's University in Belfast. "Many of the senior commanders and leaders never actually qualified from their madrasahs and so are 'unqualified,'" Semple added. "The presence of Ishaqzai adds weight to whatever the negotiating team cares to do." Ishaqzai graduated from and taught at the Darul Uloom Haqqania Islamic seminary in northwest Pakistan, which is known for preaching a fundamentalist brand of Islam and schooling a generation of fighters for the Afghan Taliban. The so-called university of jihad counts some of the world's most notorious terrorists among its alumni, including Taliban founder and spiritual leader Mullah Mohammad Omar -- who died in 2013 in Pakistan -- and Jalaluddin Haqqani, the late leader of the Pakistani-based Haqqani network that is allied with the Afghan Taliban. Ishaqzai's reputation among the Taliban is also enhanced by his birthplace. He hails from the Panjwai district in the southern Afghan province of Kandahar. The district is considered the spiritual home of the Taliban. "This means that he represents the original leadership and core constituency of the Taliban -- the clerics of the Pashtun tribes of the greater Kandahar region in Afghanistan," said Semple. The Taliban emerged in the mid-1990s following the end of the decade-long Soviet occupation of Afghanistan. The predominantly ethnic Pashtun group first surfaced in ultraconservative Islamic seminaries in Pakistan, where millions of Afghans had fled as refugees. The seminaries radicalized thousands of Afghans who joined the mujahedin, the U.S.-backed Islamist rebels who fought against the occupying Soviet forces. The Taliban appeared in Kandahar in 1994, two years after the mujahedin seized power in the country. Infighting among mujahedin factions fueled a devastating civil war that killed around 100,000 people in Kabul alone. The Taliban promised to restore security and enforced their ultraconservative brand of Islam. They captured Kabul in 1996 and two years later controlled some 90 percent of the country. 'Complete Trust' An Afghan intelligence official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said Mullah Akhundzada's "complete trust in and closeness with" Ishaqzai was key to his appointment. "The Taliban and the United States want to conclude negotiations before the U.S. election in November, and Ishaqzai is the one person who has the power to make decisions at the negotiating table," the official said. The official also said Ishaqzai's appointment also "contains" the "serious tension" between political chief Mullah Baradar and Stanekzai, the former lead negotiator who has been demoted to deputy chief negotiator. Both men remain members of the Taliban's 21-member negotiating team. Mullah Baradar served as the Taliban's second-in-command under Mullah Omar and coordinated the group's military operations in southern Afghanistan before his arrest in the Pakistani city of Karachi in 2010. Some believe he was arrested by Pakistan, the group's main sponsor, because he was facilitating secret talks between Kabul and the Taliban leadership. Baradar has long supported peace talks without Pakistani interference. But Stanekzai is "considered Pakistan's man," according to Antonio Giustozzi, a Taliban expert with the Royal United Services Institute in London. Islamabad has long been accused of harboring and aiding the Taliban in Afghanistan. Pakistan's ties to the Taliban date back to the 1990s, when it provided arms, training, and intelligence to the militants. Islamabad was one of only three countries to recognize the Taliban regime as the government of Afghanistan. After the regime's fall in 2001, many Taliban leaders took refuge inside Pakistan. Observers say Pakistan sees the Taliban as an insurance policy for reaching its longstanding strategic goals in Afghanistan -- installing a pro-Pakistan government in Kabul and limiting the influence of its archrival India, which has close ties to Kabul. Mixed Signals Ishaqzai has earned a reputation as a hard-liner and has been dedicated to restoring the group's Islamic emirate, the official name of the Taliban regime that ruled Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001. And experts say his appointment gives contradictory signals. The presence of such a senior figure signals that the negotiation team has "real weight" and the Taliban is taking talks seriously, said Semple. To those inside the Taliban who worry that the negotiating team might settle for a compromise deal, the appointment of a hard-liner signals "reassurance," he said. "However, those who believe that the Taliban might be persuaded to agree [to] a compromise will argue that the presence of such a senior figure makes it easier for the negotiating team to sell whatever they agree [to] to the rest of the group," said Semple. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/why-did-the- taliban-appoint-a-hard-line-chief-negotiator- for-intra-afghan-talks-/30832252.html Copyright (c) 2020. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address The Defense Department is rescinding its order to shut down the military's independent newspaper, Stars and Stripes, in the wake of a tweet late last week by President Donald Trump vowing to continue funding the paper. In an email to Stripes' publisher Max Lederer, Army Col. Paul Haverstick said the paper does not have to submit a plan to close. Haverstick, acting director of the Pentagon's Defense Media Activity, said a formal memo is being drafted that will rescind the order to halt publication by September 30, and dissolve the organization by the end of January. The email was obtained by The Associated Press. 'The memo will be provided once it is completed and properly vetted and approved within the Department,' said Haverstick's email. 'We are trying to get this completed by the weekend, but this timeline may shift based on vetting.' Stars and Stripes has been the publication of the U.S. military since the Civil War The paper receives $15.5 million in federal funding - half of its annual operating costs The Defense Department had ordered the paper to shut down following the Pentagon's move earlier this year to cut the $15.5 million in funding for Stars and Stripes from the budget. The cut to Stars and Stripes annual Pentagon subsidy equaled about half of the news organizations annual funds to pay expenses. Stars and Stripes remaining money comes from sales, subscriptions and advertising. Last Friday, Trump abruptly tweeted his opposition to the plan. 'The United States of America will NOT be cutting funding to @starsandstripes magazine under my watch,' Trump tweeted. 'It will continue to be a wonderful source of information to our Great Military!' Trump's tweet came as he fought off accusations that he called service members killed in World War I 'losers' and 'suckers' during an event in France in 2018. On Friday the president tweeted that he was opposed to cutting funds for the paper Lindsey Graham said he was relieved by the reprieve granted to the paper The comments, first reported by The Atlantic and confirmed by The Associated Press, shined a fresh light on Trump's previous public disparaging of American troops and military families and they delivered a new campaign issue to his Democratic rival Joe Biden, less than two months from Election Day. Trump was alleged to have made the comments about the war dead as he was set to visit the Aisne-Marne American Cemetery during a trip to France in November 2018. The Trump White House had not spoken out against the Pentagon plan to close the paper before last Friday, even though it has been in the works and publicly written about for months, and was in the president's budget request. On Friday afternoon, however, Trump worked to shore up his reputation as a staunch supporter of the nation's armed services. Members of Congress have objected to the defunding move for months. And senators sent a letter to Defense Secretary Mark Esper last week urging him to reinstate the money. The letter, signed by 15 senators - including Republicans and Democrats - also warned Esper that the department is legally prohibited from canceling a budget program while a temporary continuing resolution to fund the federal government is in effect. Stars and Stripes was ready by the troops during the Civil War, and, pictured, WW2 The House-passed version of the Pentagon's 2021 budget contains funding for the paper's publication, but the Senate has not yet finalized a defense funding bill. '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 senators said in the letter. Lindsey Graham, Republican senator for South Carolina, in a separate letter to Esper in late August, also voiced opposition to the move, calling Stripes 'a valued "hometown newspaper" for the members of the Armed Forces, their families, and civilian employees across the globe.' He added that 'as a veteran who has served overseas, I know the value that the Stars and Stripes brings to its readers.' Haverstick, in his new email, also said the department is looking into how it will fund Stripes for the next year, since it was not budgeted. And he said the paper will be required to submit a budget plan for the next year. The first newspaper called Stars and Stripes was very briefly produced in 1861 during the Civil War, but the paper began consistent publication during World War I. When the war was over, publication ended, only to restart in 1942 during World War II, providing wartime news written by troops specifically for troops in battle. Although the paper gets funding from the Defense Department, it is editorially independent and is delivered in print and digitally to troops all over the world. A suburban council is planning to transform the banks of a sporting oval into a swimming spot as part of a growing push to take back the Parramatta River for recreation. Hunters Hill Council's bid to open Bedlam Bay, west of the Gladesville Bridge, to local swimmers follows the release of a concept design for another swimming area to the south of the river, at Bayview Park in Concord, as part of an initiative being propelled by the City of Canada Bay. Hunters HIll Council is working with the Parramatta River Catchment Group and Sydney Water regarding the suitability, feasibility and desirability of Bedlam Bay as a swimming site. Credit:Rhett Wyman The plans come as Sydneysiders increasingly turn to the outdoors during the COVID-19 pandemic and authorities keep an anxious watch over crowd numbers at beaches as the weather heats up. "These are fantastic spots for the community to cool off in the warmer months, and a great alternative to other overcrowded swimming spots in Sydney," Canada Bay mayor Angelo Tsirekas said. This article was written by Alex Sixt, a member of the Entrepreneur NEXT powered by Assemble content team. Entrepreneur NEXT is our Expert solutions division leading the future of work and skills-based economy. If youre struggling to find, vet, and hire the right Experts for your business, Entrepreneur NEXT is a platform to help you hire the experts you need, exactly when you need them. From business to marketing, sales, design, finance, and technology, we have the top 3 percent of Experts ready to work for you. Social media. Newsletters. Video. You name it. When it comes to marketing a brand, there are seemingly thousands of options to choose from. Although every digital channel has something unique to offer, the first option brands should consider when enhancing their marketing strategy is a blog. Believe it or not, a blog is one of the most effective ways to boost brand awareness and reach your target audiences by authoring content that is relevant to their searches. Before you race to your computer to click that get started button in WordPress, youll need to outline a few things, starting with finalizing your topic and focus. Establishing a topic will help you to determine the niche your blog will fit into, and showcase your brand as a market leader within the industry. To set your blog up for success from the beginning, consider your brands purpose and audience; this will help you identify the right keywords and phrases to ensure your blog will drive readers toward your website. Even with the right blog positioning, Search engine optimization (SEO) is a tough topic for many entrepreneurs and business owners due to constantly shifting trends and algorithms. Regardless of your SEO experience, blogging is an excellent, user-friendly step to take toward driving more organic website traffic. If youre still skeptical about how blogging can contribute to your SEO, here are the top ways that a blog can be valuable to your brand: Keep your website fresh. If youre like most of the population, when you stumble on a website that hasnt been updated in years, youre likely to exit immediately and never return. Google is the same way; when a website or its content hasnt been updated for a while, it will move on past it to find the next best search result for the user. Therefore, websites that are updated have a much higher chance of ranking higher as a search result than pages that are stale. Keeping an updated website doesnt mean youll need to implement 24/7 content coverage, but its a best practice to release content at least once per week, if possible. By publishing fresh content, users will be more likely to trust that your brand is up-to-date on the latest in the industry and, therefore, more trustworthy. When a user feels your content is credible, theyre also more likely to share it across digital channels, greatly improving your SEO by generating more views for your post. Related: SEO Needs to Be Apart of Your PR Strategy Increases 'dwell time.' Dwell time is defined as the length of time a user spends looking at a webpage after theyve clicked a link on a search engine results page (SERP), before returning back to the SERP results. Its a key metric in determining how well your website is performing and can provide valuable insight related to what your audience seems to be most interested in. However, dwell time doesnt only provide you with feedback; Google likely uses this metric in its algorithm to decide where a website ranks (this is not confirmed, but highly speculated by SEO Experts). The longer the dwell time, the more likely it is that your website ranking will rise. The content you publish to your website plays a large role in increasing dwell time, as users are much less likely to spend any amount of time on a page they deem to be stale or outdated. It takes approximately 50 milliseconds (0.05 seconds) for users to form an opinion about your website that determines whether they like your site or not, whether theyll stay or leave. What can you do to make the best impression in such a short amount of time? Publish content that is relevant and tailored to your specific audience. Most users will arrive at your website via some form of content, likely a blog post, and will stay if they feel the content answers a specific question or peaks an interest they have. Related: How to Earn Your Clients Trust (And Keep It) The number one problem shared among entrepreneurs today is finding, vetting, hiring, and retaining expertise. Identifies long-tail keywords. For those just starting out with SEO, it can be tempting to only target the most relevant, obvious keywords for your industry. For example, a hair salon would likely use the keyword hair salon to show up in related results. However, this technique neglects the value of using more specific keywords that can benefit smaller businesses that may not rank as first in general searches, known as long-tail keywords. Long-tail keywords are keywords that are more specific and gain less traffic but have a higher conversion rate due to fitting within more of a niche. Although relevant keywords should be included in blog posts, long-tail keywords that are more specific to an individual brand, rather than an industry, are incredibly valuable. Due to the incredibly competitive nature of SEO, your content has a higher chance of reaching your target audience with more specific keywords than those that are more general. Although content that contains long-tail keywords may not attract as much traffic as opposed to more general keywords, the users who do land on your site should be much more likely to convert. Long-tail keywords can help you to identify specifically what your audience is interested in and pinpoint their needs by targeting more specific searches. Related: How to Identify the Best Long-Tail Keywords Learn about your audience. So, youve done your research and created a blog that will cater content to your audiences interests. That's awesome, but the learning doesnt stop once you hit publish on your blog page. As you begin to create content, its important to resist the urge to set it and forget it. Even after content is published, youll need to pay attention to which blogs are getting the most traffic and shares, as these topics are huge hints toward what topics are likely to drive your SEO and earn more conversions. The more youre able to improve your SEO with blog content, the higher your website will rank, as well (after all, that is the goal of SEO). As you begin to hone in on topics that perform well, more users will land on your website and become followers, increasing overall traffic. Bonus points: creating stellar, SEO-driven content will also help you to build a loyal brand following (*cue happy dance). Related: 5 Ways to Grow Your Business Through Blogging Get expert help. This all sounds amazing, but lets be honest: running a business is difficult, and finding the time to create SEO-focused content doesnt always make the cut on the to-do list. If the thought of creating and maintaining a blog still feels like a massive undertaking, then theres good news: you can hire someone to take care of it for you. As the business landscape continues to shift and evolve rapidly, there are several platforms that can help you find the Expertise you need without the burden (and high cost) of hiring a full-time employee. Platforms such as Assemble can match you with perfect Expert to help you with blogging needs and improve SEO. Related: 5 Ways a Digital Marketer Can Supercharge Your Online Outreach No matter your industry, a blog is a powerful tool to help your website reach higher rankings and earn more organic traffic. Whether you take on the task of blogging yourself or hire an Expert to help, youll quickly begin to reap the benefits that quality content can bring to your business. To hire the Experts you need, exactly when you need them, visit next.entrepreneur.com to schedule a meeting with our Expert solutions team. Related: Why Every Brand Should Have a Blog 3 Foolproof Tactics to Generate Consistent and Predictable Sales With Your Business Blog How to Scale Your Blog Like a Startup Copyright 2020 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved By David Shepardson (Reuters) - Boeing Co said late on Thursday it was in discussions with U.S. safety regulators about a manufacturing issue found last year in its 787 Dreamliner. KOMO News Radio in Seattle reported the issue involved the vertical tail fin on the 787, citing federal records, and could affect 680 airplanes. It was the fourth reported production issue disclosed in recent days involving the 787. Asked about the latest issue, the Federal Aviation Administration reiterated on Thursday it "is investigating manufacturing flaws affecting certain Boeing 787 jetliners" but had made no decisions whether to issue new airworthiness directives. KOMO said the issue involved excessive gaps that could pose a safety concern and cause strain on the structure of the plane over time. Boeing said in a statement the newly reported "issue was found in late 2019" and had been addressed in production. It added its engineers determined "it did not immediately affect the safety of flight and no immediate action is required." The largest U.S. airplane manufacturer added it was "working with the FAA to finalize guidance for the in-service fleet. Our expectation is that this will require a one-time inspection during regularly scheduled maintenance." Boeing said on Tuesday it learned during fabrication of the 787 horizontal stabilizer that some components were clamped with greater force than specified, which could result in improper gap verification and shimming. A person briefed on the matter said the horizontal stabilizer issue could require inspecting as many as about 900 airplanes. On Monday, the FAA said it was also investigating two other manufacturing flaws in some 787s. Boeing said in August that airlines had removed eight 787s from service as a result of two distinct manufacturing issues in fuselage sections. Boeing said on Monday that some airplanes had shims that were not the proper size, and some airplanes had areas that did not meet skin-flatness specifications. Shims are used to close tiny gaps in joints. Boeing identified the shimming issue in August 2019. "Individually these issues, while not up to specifications, still meet limit load conditions. When combined in the same location however, they result in a condition that does not meet limit load requirements," Boeing said. (Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Sandra Maler and Peter Cooney) Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-11 16:26:38|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close THE HAGUE, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- A man in a van drove into a police car several times in the center of Amsterdam on Friday morning, with one police officer injured, the Amsterdam police said on Twitter. The incident happened at around 4:25 a.m. local time (GMT 0225) at Muntplein square. The incident was preceded by a chase. The suspect's van caught fire after colliding with the police car. The police fired but the suspect was unharmed. The suspect has been arrested and his motive remains unclear. Enditem The European Union must manage migratory flows, not be subject to them, Italy's prime minister said on Thursday Giuseppe Conte spoke during a news conference alongside the heads of states of France, Greece, Cyprus, Malta, Italy, Spain and Portugal. He said the EU must extend its leadership in the Mediterranean, strengthen relationship with countries of origin and transit, as well as put up in place a mandatory system for repatriations. "We must adopt a European mechanism of repatriations as well as an effective mechanism for a mandatory redistribution of migrants," he said. His comments on migration come during an emergency summit by the seven nations amid fears of open conflict with Turkey stemming from mounting tensions over oil and gas drilling. "The main basis is to convey strong solidarity, not just ideal but concrete, with the friends of Greece and Cyprus, with respect to unilateral Turkish actions," Conte said. Greece and Turkey have deployed naval and air force units to assert competing claims over energy exploration rights in the eastern Mediterranean. Turkish survey vessels and drill ships continue to prospect for gas in waters where Greece and Cyprus claim exclusive economic rights. Italy's oil and gas giant ENI is among the companies that won the bid to conduct exploratory drills off Cyprus. The newest Covid-19 vaccine candidate to start human testing is the first where volunteers wont get a painful injection. Instead, theyll receive a spray through the nose. China on Wednesday approved phase I human testing for the nasal spray vaccine, which is co-developed by researchers at Xiamen University and Hong Kong University, as well as by vaccine maker Beijing Wantai Biological Pharmacy Enterprise Co. Intranasal spray has previously been developed as a vaccine for the flu and is recommended for use among children and adults who want to avoid the more common needle injection. While it is not the most frequent choice for delivery, scientists around the world are working to develop sprays as an alternative to muscle jabs for all sorts of vaccines. Chinas Candidates The intranasal vaccine is the 10th candidate from China to proceed to the crucial stage of human testing. The country is building its lead in vaccine development after western front-runner AstraZeneca Plc had to pause its late-stage human trial to investigate a spinal cord illness in a person who received its experimental shot. The intranasal spray contains weakened flu virus that carries the genetic segments of the coronaviruss spike protein. Administered through the nasal tract, it mimics the natural infection of respiratory viruses to stimulate the bodys immune response against the pathogen that cause Covid-19, according to Science and Technology Daily, a paper affiliated with Chinas Ministry of Science and Technology. Some scientists hope a vaccine that gets sprayed through the nose may have a better chance of stopping the spread of the insidious virus through respiratory tracts. A needle injection can arouse a systematic immune response to prevent severe illness, but may not be strong enough to ward off infection. Preclinical studies have shown the nasal vaccine can significantly reduce lung damage among mice and hamsters when challenged with the coronavirus, Science and Technology Daily reported. Global Race The nasal spray joins about 35 other candidates currently in human testing, as the global race to be first with an effective vaccine against the deadly pathogen intensifies. In the wake of AstraZenecas setback, Chinas most advanced vaccine developers, including CanSino Biologics Inc. and state-owned China National Biotec Group Co., have emphasized the safety of their own shots. CNBG said the two shots it is testing are effective in staving off infection. None of the Chinese diplomats and workers traveling to virus hot spots overseas has reported infections several months after receiving the vaccines, Zhou Song, CNBGs general counsel, said in a article published in Science and Technology Daily. CanSino, which employs a vaccine-making technique similar to that of AstraZeneca, said its military-backed shot is safe and hasnt caused any severe side effects in testing. Zhu Tao, CanSinos co-founder and chief scientific officer, defended the vaccine against criticism that it appears to trigger fewer antibodies compared to those generated by rivals including AstraZeneca and Moderna Inc. The variation in antibody readings is a result of using different measuring methods, Zhu said in a presentation to investors this week. This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Amid the ongoing tussle between Bollywood actor Kangana Ranaut and Shiv Sena, the actor on Friday shared an old interview of Shiv Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray and asked how he would have felt today, had he seen his partys situation. Balasahebs biggest fear was that some day his party would become Congress, the actor wrote. Great Bala Saheb Thakeray one of my most favourite icons, his biggest fear was some day Shiv Sena will do Gutbandhan and become congress @INCIndia I want to know what is his conscious feeling today looking at the condition of his party ? pic.twitter.com/quVpZkj407 Kangana Ranaut (@KanganaTeam) September 11, 2020 In the video interview, shared by Kangana, Balasaheb can be heard saying that he didnt believe in elections or democracy. Because I am there the party has survived. Otherwise, it would have become congress, Balasaheb said in the interview. Great Bala Saheb Thakeray one of my most favourite icons, his biggest fear was some day Shiv Sena will do Gutbandhan and become congress @INCIndia I want to know what is his conscious feeling today looking at the condition of his party, Kangana tweeted. Balasaheb Thackeray founded Shiv Sena in 1966 as a right-wing, regional, Marathi political party. In a swipe at the Congress, which is part of the Maha Vikas Agadhi government in Maharashtra, Kangana asked party president Sonia Gandhi to take note of the treatment that she is being subjected to. Can you not request your Government to uphold the principles of the Constitution given to us by Dr. Ambedkar? You have grown up in the west and lived here in India. You may be aware of the struggles of women. History will judge your silence and indifference when your own Government is harassing women and ensuring a total mockery of law and order. I hope you will intervene, the actor tweeted. The tussle began after the actor compared Mumbai with Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir and Sena leaders reportedly threatened her. She came to Mumbai on September 9 with Y plus security provided by the Centre. On the very same day, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation razed illegal portions of her Bandra office, which took the ongoing fight a notch higher. However, the Maharashtra government said it had no role in BMC action. Meanwhile, Kangana Ranauts mother Asha Ranaut thanked Union home minister Amit Shah for providing security to Kangana though the family had no BJP connection. The family had long Congress connections, she said. Appeals Court Denies Texas Democrats Bid to Expand Mail-In Voting A federal appeals court has denied Texas Democrats effort to expand mail-in voting in the state amid the pandemic. The Texas Democrats brought the lawsuit against the states Republican leadership, arguing that Texas law that restricted no-excuse mail-in voting for any person ages at least 65 violated the 26th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution that afford protections against voting rules that discriminate based on age. Under the Texas Election Code, absentee voting is limited to voters who are aged 65 and over, disabled, absent from the country, or confined in jail, but are eligible to vote. The Texas Democrats argued that the law amounts to an abridgment because it makes voting more difficult for one age group compared to another. A divided three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit ruled on Thursday that the law did not violate the 26th Amendment because it merely confers a benefit to a certain age group and does not abridge the right to vote for others. A law that makes it easier for others to vote does not abridge any persons right to vote for the purposes of the Twenty-Sixth Amendment, the panel majority wrote in their opinion (pdf). Abridgment of the right to vote applies to laws that place a barrier or prerequisite to voting, or otherwise make it more difficult to vote, relative to the baseline. U.S. Circuit Judge Carl Stewart dissented saying that the law fails to treat members of the electorate equally with regard to mail-in voting and thus hurts younger voters. By giving younger voters fewer options, especially in the context of a dangerous pandemic where in-person voting is risky to public health and safety, their voting rights are abridged in relation to older voters who do not face this burden, Stewart wrote. The panel majority threw out the district courts ruling that favored the Texas Democrats and sent the case back to the lower court for further proceedings. Texas Democrats Chairman Gilberto Hinojosa said in a statement to Reuters that they will continue to fight in the district court for every Texan to have an equal right to vote, regardless of their age. Meanwhile, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said in a statement he was pleased with the 5th Circuits ruling. I am pleased that the Fifth Circuit correctly upheld Texass vote-by-mail laws, and I commend the court for concluding that Texass decision to allow elderly voters to vote by mail does not violate the 26th Amendment. We will continue to protect the integrity of Texas elections and uphold the rule of law, Paxton said. This comes as Democrats and Republicans in Texas and across the country lock horns over the issue of expanding mail-in voting amid the CCP virus pandemic. President Donald Trump and Republicans have rebuked the idea of the blanket expansion of mail-in voting, citing concerns of voter fraud. Meanwhile, Democrats argue that mail-in voting options are necessary in order to comply with public health recommendations to reduce gatherings due to the pandemic. (Newser) Labor Day has come and gone, which means that it's time to start getting serious about watching the presidential race, says Nate Silver of FiveThirtyEight. "It's no longer 'too soon' to look at polls, even (if) you're the type of person who's inclined to be conservative in when you start looking at polls," he tweeted Tuesday. As of this week, his site has Joe Biden up 7.5 points in national polling. It also gives Biden a 72% chance of winning and President Trump a 28% chance. The upshot: Biden is in a good position, but you'd be crazy to write off Trump. Backing that up is a new analysis by the respected Cook Political Report that delivers good news to Trump on two battleground states: It has Nevada and Florida both creeping to the right. story continues below This is incremental stuff: The site has changed its rating on Florida from "Lean Democrat" to "Toss Up," and on Nevada from "Likely Democrat" to "Lean Democrat," writes Amy Walter, who runs through the particulars in each state. On Florida, for instance, Biden is "underperforming with Latino voters," while Trump's standing in state polls has been ticking up the last few months. Nevada, meanwhile, has been slammed particularly hard by the pandemic from an economic perspective, with many residents there more worried about a keeping a roof over their heads than anything else. (Meanwhile, a COVID vaccine has become a flashpoint in the race.) I think its the persistent nature of all of these stressors that are going on, not just with COVID but with our society, she said. Many of us can mount a good coping strategy and coping response to acute stressors, but when these stressors become chronic, it wears down even the best of us. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-11 09:40:57|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi (R) meets with his Indian counterpart S. Jaishankar on the sidelines of a foreign ministers' meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Moscow, Russia, Sept. 10, 2020. (Xinhua/Bai Xueqi) MOSCOW, Sept. 10 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi held full, in-depth discussion with his Indian counterpart S. Jaishankar on the situation in the border areas as well as bilateral ties here on Thursday. Wang noted that it is normal for China and India to have differences as two neighboring major countries. What is important is to put these differences in a proper context vis-a-vis bilateral relations. The key to that is to take guidance from the strategic consensus between the Chinese and Indian leaders that China and India are not competitive rivals or each other's threats, but cooperation partners and each other's developmental opportunities, Wang said in the talks on the sidelines of a foreign ministers' meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Moscow. Wang stressed that as two large developing countries emerging rapidly, what China and India need right now is cooperation, not confrontation; and mutual trust, not suspicion. Whenever the situation gets difficult, it is all the more important to ensure the stability of the overall relationship and preserve mutual trust. Wang said that China-India relations have once again come to a crossroads. But as long as the two sides keep moving the relationship in the right direction, there will be no difficulty or challenge that can't be overcome. Wang outlined China's stern position on the situation in the border areas, emphasizing that the imperative is to immediately stop provocations such as firing and other dangerous actions that violate the commitments made by the two sides. It is also important to move back all personnel and equipment that have trespassed. The frontier troops must quickly disengage so that the situation may de-escalate. The Chinese side is willing to support enhanced dialogue between the frontier troops on both sides to resolve specific issues, Wang said, adding that the Chinese side will stay in touch with the Indian side through diplomatic and military channels and be committed to restoring peace and tranquility in the border areas. Jaishankar noted that the Indian side does not want tensions to escalate in the border areas. India's policy toward China has not changed. The Indian side believes that China's policy toward India has not changed either. Jaishankar said that the Indian side does not consider the development of India-China relations to be dependent on the settlement of the boundary question and India does not want to go backwards. The truth is, India-China relations have made steady progress over the years, and the Chinese and Indian leaders have met several times and reached a series of important consensus on the development of bilateral relations, he said. The Indian side is prepared to work with China to ease tensions on the border through dialogue and negotiation and to restore and maintain peace and tranquility in the border areas, Jaishankar said. The two sides reached a five-point consensus regarding the current situation after the discussion. Enditem By turning lemons into lemonade, Cartier Carey was able to donate more than 22,000 diapers to single moms in his community. Earlier in the summer, the 11-year-old from Hampton, Virginia, wanted to do something to help people struggling during the pandemic. He knew that a lot of parents were having a hard time getting diapers for their kids either the store shelves were empty or they couldn't afford to buy any. Carey had the idea to set up a lemonade stand, where he could raise money for supplies and also hold drives where people could drop off donated diapers and wipes. In the first month, he raised $4,500, and has since distributed over 22,000 diapers. One woman who made a donation told Carey that she was able to get back on her feet because of people like him, and he was "an amazing young man." Hearing that was "heart-touching," Carey told ABC News, and "after that, that made me want to keep doing it." Carey has a history of helping those in need last year, he put together "Carti Packs," bags that he passed out to homeless people filled with toothbrushes, soap, hand sanitizer, and other hygiene products. With the help of his mother, Carey has launched a nonprofit called Kids 4 Change, which he hopes will inspire his peers. "Others can make a difference just like I'm doing right now," he told ABC News. "They can save lives and be heroes. They're never too young." More stories from theweek.com The true Election Day nightmare scenario The epistemic crisis of political polling Are the troops turning on Trump? With stunning architecture and state-of-the-art technology, the Robert W. and Patricia A. Maurer Center is among one of the most modern and innovative learning environments for business education in the nation. The building includes high-concept, high-tech learning facilities to encourage active collaboration for future business leaders and entrepreneurs. Home to the Allen W. and Carol M. Schmidthorst College of Business, the Maurer Center connects the iconic Hanna Hall with a 50,000-square-foot addition that celebrates BGSU's history while incorporating a modern corporate environment. University photographers Craig Bell, Brad Phalin and Isaiah Vazquez go inside the Maurer Center upon its opening this fall. By Brenna Hughes Neghaiwi and Oliver Hirt ZURICH (Reuters) - Credit Suisse will launch a digital banking app in October challenging fintechs like Revolut in the Swiss bank's home market by offering free foreign transactions and fully digital wealth management, the bank said on Thursday. Credit Suisse's new CSX banking app will offer free online banking from next month, a move it hopes will attract new customers to more lucrative services it will add over coming months, including taking out mortgages, making investments and planning pensions, Switzerland's second-biggest bank said. "We want to grow with our clients," Swiss head Andre Helfenstein told journalists. "We thought we needed to do more for young people." Digital competitors like Britain's Revolut and Germany's N26 have amassed millions of customers and billion-dollar valuations by offering cheap, user-friendly alternatives to traditional banking services. Undercutting incumbents on pricing for foreign exchange, stock trading and money transfers, they are particularly popular with younger customers. Credit Suisse's move makes it the first major bank to roll out a comprehensive digital package in Switzerland, with a fully digital wealth management service to be added to the app in November. "CSX falls somewhere in the upper mid-level of what's available," said Ingo Rauser, head of business consultancy Capco, adding basic capabilities rivalled those of online-only "neobanks". "But, in contrast to the neobanks, Credit Suisse can draw from its full range with digital versions of its investment and pension products in a next step." Credit Suisse aims to cut costs in its Swiss retail business by closing roughly a quarter of its branches, while bringing in new customers --- particularly in the younger client segment, where it says it has catch-up work to do -- by expanding upon other digital solutions in the market. Story continues That will include "digital bars" where customers can receive advice and connect to specialists via video conference, as well as co-working and event spaces to attract start-ups and entrepreneurs. Cash withdrawals at ATM machines are not covered by the free version of the app, but clients who do so regularly can reduce costs via a premium version costing 3.95 Swiss francs ($4.34) a month. That undercuts rival UBS's banking package for general Swiss retail customers, priced from 10 francs a month. (Reporting by Brenna Hughes Neghaiwi; Editing by Michael Shields) The Alabama Public Charter School Commission on Thursday failed to approve an application for the states first LGBTQ charter school, leaving some commissioners questioning whether the denial was due to bias and asking for a vote to reconsider. I am heartbroken, Commission Chairman Henry Nelson said after the vote, visibly shaken. I know first-hand that this (school) is needed. I hope theres not bias. Four of the eight commissioners present abstained from the vote, three voted yes, and one voted no, which effectively denied approval to Magic City Acceptance Academy. After the vote, Nelson appealed to Commissioner Marla Green, the sole no vote, to move to call for a new vote. According to commission attorney Lane Knight, Green is the only one who can call for the new vote. Green refused. Nelson subsequently called a commission meeting for Sept. 17 at 5:30 p.m., but its unclear whether the commission will reconsider the vote then. This is the second time MCAAs application has been considered by the state commission, with the first time having denied an appeal after Birminghams board of education denied the application. The Academy planned to open the charter school in Homewood with 250 to 300 students in grades six through 12. Because Homewood City Schools has chosen not be a charter authorizer, the group applied directly to the state commission. Theres no school thats come before us with stronger leadership, with the amount of money they have and have their own facility, said Nelson, who has been a commissioner for 5 years. Related: Alabama charter commission Zoom meeting shut down after hackers flood it with porn, obscenities I cant see any reason based on our previous votesthat this school matches, if not exceeds, every other school that weve voted on. Commissioners Sydney Raine and David Marshall also voted yes. Raine said it was clear the school is needed. For us to turn our back on it, it doesnt make any sense to me. The commission met via Zoom and was hit by hackers early in the meeting, forcing commissioners to close the initial meeting and restart soon after. The commission approved two charter applications: Breakthrough Charter School in Perry County and Ivy Classical Academy in Prattville. They denied an application from Knowledge Unlimited, which planned to locate in Bessemer. MCAA Principal Michael Wilson spoke to commissioners after the vote, saying his groups application met the same requirements as others that were approved. I would implore you to put bias aside and let us save some lives by providing the atmosphere and the academic environment that so many students out there need. Nelson ended the meeting by asking commissioners to take the weekend to reflect on the days vote. I just dont think we need to send this message, Nelson said. I really dont. I think its going to hurt Alabama. Its going to hurt the commission. Two new commissioners, Dr. Rebecca Lee and former Sen. Dick Brewbaker, were confirmed by the Alabama State Board of Education on Thursday morning. As much of the United States moves toward reopening in phases, some people are enjoying little bites of pre-pandemic life, such as dining in restaurants, exercising in gyms and learning in classrooms. With the gradual return comes a set of intrusive health questions: Are you experiencing any symptoms? Have you been exposed to anyone who has tested positive for the coronavirus? Answering those questions is where it gets tricky. People usually tell one to two lies a day, according to a 1996 university study. Consistent with the belief that lying is an everyday social interaction, participants said they did not view their lies as serious and did not worry about being caught, the researchers said. But what about lying during a pandemic that has brought widespread economic damage and produced a national health crisis? Incidents in which people were dishonest about their health have been well documented over the last several months. In March, a New York man lied about his Covid-19 symptoms to gain access to a maternity ward to see his wife, who later developed flulike symptoms. The same month, a woman who flew from Massachusetts to Los Angeles and then to Beijing was placed under investigation after she was accused of lying about her symptoms. In August, a woman in Washington State was shamed for lying to her manicurist about testing positive for the virus. New Delhi: In a major positive development amidst growing India, China border tension, both countries have come out with a joint statement calling for the easing of tensions. The five-point statement will "guide their approach to the current situation", top Indian government sources told WION. Both countries agreed that border troops of both sides should continue their dialogue, quickly disengage, maintain proper distance and ease tensions. The statement was issued after India's External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held a meet for over 2-hours in Moscow on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Foreign Ministers' meet. Recalling the "consensus of the leaders" agreed in the informal Wuhan summit and Chennai connect summits of 2018 and 2019, both will not allow "differences to become disputes" and "the current situation in the border areas is not in the interest of either side." One of the key outcomes of the joint statement is that both sides shall abide by all the existing agreements and protocol on China-India boundary affairs, maintain peace and tranquillity in the border areas and avoid any action that could escalate matters. Both sides will continue to have dialogue and communication through the Special Representative mechanism (SR) on the India-China boundary question and Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China border affairs (WMCC). The SR Level mechanism led by India's National security advisory Ajit Doval and Chinese FM have met twice and WMCC multiple times in the four months-long standoff at the Line of actual control or LAC. It has also been agreed the two sides should expedite work to conclude new confidence building measures for "peace and tranquillity in the border areas" once the current situation eases. The talks which were the first in-person talks between the two foreign ministers amidst the standoff saw External affairs minister telling the Chinese side that the Indian side recognized that a solution to the boundary question required time and effort and it was also clear that the maintenance of peace and tranquillity on the border areas was essential to the forward development of ties, top government sources told WION. The sources elaborated, that EAM told Chinese FM recent incidents in eastern Ladakh has inevitably impacted the development of the bilateral relationship and called for an urgent resolution of the current situation was in the interest of both nations. During India, China FMs meet, India's envoy to China Vikram Misri and India's envoy to Russia Bala Venkatesh Varma both were present. The EAM also highlighted its strong concern at the massing of Chinese troops with equipment along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) which are violative of 1993 and 1996 India China Agreements and created flashpoints along the LAC. The provocative behaviour of Chinese frontline troops at numerous incidents of friction along the LAC showed disregard for bilateral agreements and protocols, it was pointed out. The Chinese side could not provide any credible explanation for the deployment. The Indian side has conveyed to China that it expected full adherence to all agreements on the management of border areas and emphasized that the Indian troops had scrupulously followed all agreements and protocols pertaining to the management of the border areas. The final movement of the troop deployment to their permanent posts is expected to be worked out by the military commanders. The ground commanders have agreed to hold sixth round of Corps commanders' levels talks soon, as reported by WION on Thursday. When Archie Harrison was born in May 2019, his parents Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex refused to give him a royal title. Instead, they chose to raise him as a private citizen, and they named him Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor. However, when Queen Elizabeth passes, everything changes for young Archie despite his parents wishes. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle debut Archie Harrison | Dominic Lipinski WPA Pool/Getty Images Archie Harrison will have big decisions to make when he turns 18 Since announcing their decision to step down as senior royals, Harry and Meghan have started a whole new life. They moved with their son to the United States. And, they recently purchased a home in the exclusive Montecito neighborhood of Santa Barbara, California. Harry says he wants a more peaceful life for his family. He and Meghan have also expressed their desire to give Archie Harrison a normal upbringing. But, according to Express, the royal title choice will ultimately be Archies when he turns 18. RELATED: Why Do Archie Harrison and Prince George Have Different Last Names? Archie is currently seventh in line to the British throne. He was automatically an HRH (His Royal Highness) upon birth, even though Harry and Meghan didnt include the title on his birth certificate. Archie also automatically becomes a prince when his grandfather, Prince Charles, ascends to the throne. His place in the line of succession will also shift to sixth, and that will subject him to a whole new set of royal rules. The royal rules changed in 2013 British Parliament made some major changes to the royal rules with the 2013 Succession to the Crown Act. Before the new law was put in place, all royal family members were required to ask the presiding sovereign for permission to marry. But the 2013 update changed this requirement to only the first six in line to the throne. Archie Harrison will be in the top six when Queen Elizabeth dies and Charles becomes king. However, he will fall back down in line if and when Prince George has children. Of course, it will be years before Archie Harrison chooses whether or not to use his royal status. RELATED: Will Archie Harrison Be Allowed to Work For the Royal Family Now That Harry and Meghan Have Left Royal Life Behind? It is anticipated that Archie will be brought up in America and he may well broadly have an outlook which shares the views of his parents, royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams says. They place more importance on what they see as independence than on the trappings of royalty. Will Prince Charles free Archie Harrison from his royal burden? When Prince Charles becomes king, the current rules dictate that Archie Harrison will automatically become a prince. He will also have the option to use the HRH title, but many believe he is unlikely to use it. According to Express, Prince Charles could completely free his grandson from his royal burden by changing the law when he becomes king. Constitutional expert Iain MacMarthanne told the outlet that current law says Archie will automatically become HRH Prince Archie of Sussex upon the death of the queen, whether he wants to use the title or not. RELATED: Prince Charles Is Video-Chatting With Prince George to Stay in Touch, But What About Archie Harrison? Finding Freedom authors Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durant claim that Harry and Meghan took their concerns to Prince Charles. They want Archie Harrison to choose his own path. And, Charles told the concerned parents that he would consider issuing a new letters patent when he becomes king. To not have a senior role in the royal family but have a title is just a burden, explained the source. Senator Chuck Grassley on Friday demanded more details from the Justice Department on the cell phones used by Special Counsel Robert Muellers team that were wiped before the DOJ inspector general could review them for records. It appears that Special Counsel Muellers team may have deleted federal records that could be key to better understanding their decision-making process as they pursued their investigation and wrote their report. Indeed, many officials apparently deleted the records after the DOJ Inspector General began his inquiry into how the Department mishandled Crossfire Hurricane, Grassley wrote in a letter dated Friday to Attorney General William Barr and FBI Director Christopher Wray. Moreover, based on this new information, the number of times and the stated reasons for the deletions calls into question whether or not it was a widespread intentional effort, the Iowa Republican wrote. At least 27 cell phones belonging to members of Muellers team were wiped clean of data before the DOJ inspector general could comb them for records, the DOJ said in records released Thursday. Including mobile phones that were reassigned, members of the Special Counsels office wiped a total of 31 phones. Several of the phones were wiped accidentally, some after the wrong password was entered too many times. Andrew Weismann, a top prosecutor on Muellers team, accidentally wiped his mobile phone more than once, causing the data to be lost, the DOJ said. A phone belong to assistant special counsel James Quarles wiped itself without intervention from him, the DOJs records state. The cell phone of FBI lawyer Lisa Page was misplaced by the special counsels office. While it was eventually obtained by the DOJ inspector general, by that point the phone had been restored to its factory settings, wiping it of all data. The phone of FBI agent Peter Strzok was also obtained by the inspector generals office, which found no substantive texts, notes or reminders on it. Story continues Phones issued to at least three other Mueller prosecutors, Kyle Freeny, Rush Atkinson, and senior prosecutor Greg Andres were also wiped of data. Grassley, who chairs the Senate Finance Committee, demanded that the DOJ provide the committee with records relating to the cell phones, including any recovered text messages and the explanations that members of Muellers team gave for why their phone data was deleted. Grassley also asked whether the DOJ is investigating potential violations of federal record keeping laws by members of the Special Counsels Office as well as whether the department attempted to forensically recover any deleted records. Mueller submitted his final report to Attorney General William Barr on the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election in March of last year. The report concluded that the Trump campaign did not conspire with Russians to influence the election, but said investigators could not reach a conclusion on whether President Trump committed obstruction of justice. More from National Review On Thursday, Netflix launched their global campaign One Story Away in 27 countries. Speaking about the premise of the campaign Eric Pallotta, Vice President, Brand, Netflix said People have very different tastes and moods. But no matter who you are or where you are, were all only one story away from seeing, feeling and connecting more The film put together by Netflix India features a series of montages from hit series including Stranger Things, Sacred Games, Marriage Story, Dark, The Crown, Money Heist, 13 Assassins, Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl, The Two Popes, Never Have I Ever, Sex Education, Extraction, Guilty, Our Planet, Homecoming, Roma and more. Stories are powerful. The series and films we watch bring out all sorts of different emotions, give us perspectives weve never seen before and even make us feel closer to each other Pallotta further said. The campaign highlights among other things that Netflix has a formidable library of original content that has been massively successful worldwide. The wide appeal of its shows that dont just include English originals but also in Spanish, German and Hindi show the broad appeal of OTT streaming. Netflix has strung together multiple edits of the film based on the favourite shows of audiences in different regions, however, it seems like a missed opportunity that they did not localise this campaign further by adapting the voiceover into local languages. The 1 minute and 13 second campaign has gone live on digital platforms. MUSKEGON HEIGHTS, MI Activists will rally together in Muskegon Heights this weekend to protest police brutality, memorialize those who have been killed in police shootings, and register voters in West Michigan in preparation of the upcoming November election. Black Lives Matter Muskegon will host a protest and march at 2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 12, at Rowan City Park, 2801 Baker St., in Muskegon Heights. This is the second protest against police brutality hosted by the new group, which was formed in July to maintain momentum of local protests held in May and June against police brutality, sparked by the killing of George Floyd, a Black man who was killed by police in Minneapolis. RELATED: New Black Lives Matter Muskegon group aims to keep the fire going One of the main goals of Saturdays protest is to educate and register voters in the Muskegon area, which organizer Ati Smith said is one of the most effective strategies to combating police brutality. We think the number one way to solve this issue is voting and getting the elected officials out of office who arent doing what they promised they would do, Smith told MLive Friday. We want to talk about voting, policy reform and holding our elected officials accountable. Smith, a Muskegon native, said she wants the community to understand that police brutality isnt just the killing of unarmed Black people; its any type of abuse of power by police officers. Were not saying that police in Muskegon are killing people, were saying that police everywhere are abusing their authority, she said. We want to let them know that we dont hate all cops, we just want police officers to do their jobs and not abuse their authority. The rally is also intended as a memorial for Black people who have been killed by police, including Breonna Taylor and Philando Castile, according to the events Facebook page. Smith said she also wants people to trust that Black Lives Matter Muskegon is still here, and still fighting. The group hosted its first rally July 4, when dozens gathered at Heritage Landing to listen to activists and speakers share their thoughts and experiences with systemic racism. The Muskegon event was one of dozens of rallies, demonstrations and marches that had taken place across Michigan since Floyds death on May 25. The Minneapolis man, who is Black, died after a white Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes. RELATED: This is our time: Muskegon Black Lives Matter chapter hosts rally for equality Smith said she expects at least 50 people to show up to Saturdays protest, which will be peaceful. We are a very peaceful organization, she said. We only want change and well do that by any means necessary, but that doesnt mean violence. There will be several activists and local officials speaking at the rally, and Smith hopes for the event to be informative for attendees. This is just an event for the community to come together and just to stand together and let them know, theres power in numbers and were here for real change. More on MLive: Local activists to protest Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety Protesters and supporters of President Donald Trump line roads outside airport during visit Detroit Lions planning to protest before opener against Bears B lack Lives Matter (BLM) protesters have taken to the streets across the UK calling for an end to institutionalised racism. Demonstrators marched as, across the Atlantic, the four officers charged over George Floyds death went on trial. Participants said they were determined to show that previous BLM demonstrations were not just a moment. Mass protests were staged across the world in May and June after footage emerged of police officer Derek Chauvin kneeling on Mr Floyds neck. Black Lives Matter protests across the world - In pictures 1 /28 Black Lives Matter protests across the world - In pictures A banner and a US. flag are placed on the Monument a la Republique in Paris REUTERS Protesters in Perth Australia Getty Images Speakers at the Black Lives Matter Rally at Langley Park in Perth Getty Images Police officers are seen during a protest against police brutality and the death in Minneapolis police custody of George Floyd, in Paris REUTERS Perth protests Getty Images Speakers take to the stage during the Black Lives Matter Rally in Perty Getty Images Protesters show their support during the Black Lives Matter Rally at Langley Park in Perty Getty Images Demonstrators march through the streets in Perth AFP via Getty Images Demonstrators march through the streets in Perth AFP via Getty Images Demonstrators march through the streets in Perth AFP via Getty Images Demonstrators march through the streets in Perth Getty Images Demonstrators march through the streets in Perth Getty Images Thousands of people take part in a demonstration against police brutality and racism in Paris AP French riot police forces detain a protester during a rally as part of the 'Black Lives Matter' AFP via Getty Images French riot police forces detain protesters AFP via Getty Images The crowds in Paris AFP via Getty Images A man wearing a protective face mask and googles walks past a broken store window in Paris REUTERS Assa Traore (C), the sister of Adama Traore, who died in police custody in 2016 in Paris AFP via Getty Images Protesters hold flares as they stand next to a banner reading 'Confronted to police brutality - Self defence' in Paris AFP via Getty Images A house facade with a graffiti against police in Paris. AFP via Getty Images An injured demonstrator is helped away in Paris AFP via Getty Images Chauvin and three of his now former colleagues are charged over the death but it is understood they will push for separate trials in order to diminish their roles in the incident. Socially distanced events took place outside the US embassy in London as well as in Manchester and Leeds on Friday. Those involved were encouraged to take the knee, which has become a symbol of solidarity with the BLM movement and a memorial to Mr Floyd. Protesters take the knee as they gather outside the US Embassy / AFP via Getty Images Around 40 people gathered outside the embassy in Vauxhall, south London, where the flag was flown at half mast to mark the anniversary of 9/11. Protesters carried placards bearing slogans including Racism is not born, it is taught. End systemic racism, while passing motorists sounded their horns in solidarity. Brian Richardson, a barrister and member of the Stand Up To Racism steering committee, said that racism in the UK also needed to be called out. The US flag flew at half mast to mark 9/11 / PA We wanted to come here and show our solidarity and continuing support for the family of George Floyd and the fight for justice, he told the PA news agency. The atmosphere is one of determination because I think a lot of people wondered whether the extraordinary outburst we saw in the first week (of the protests) was just a moment. Were determined to show its not a moment and were going to continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and all the victims of injustice in America, but also to call out racism in this country. Black Lives Matter is a global movement and were going to stand with our sisters and brothers in America, which is fantastically important. Protesters held up powerful messages as they called for an end to racism / AFP via Getty Images Stand Up To Racism co-convener Weyman Bennett added that the UK was facing a crossroads. We stand with those facing racist harassment and violence at police hands, she said. In Britain, the massively disproportionate use of stop and search under section 60 against black people must end. We face a crossroads in fighting racism and discrimination that has killed thousands who are disproportionately killed by police in our communities, and are disproportionately affected in Covid-19 deaths due to institutionalised racism. This is not a moment this is a movement. No more black people killed by the police, no more inequality justified by racist lies. No more divide and rule by the rich and powerful who use racism as a tool to defend inequality in society. We need change and we need it now, in fact we demand it. A new report has claimed that Sony has had to revise planned prices for the PlayStation 5 consoles due to Microsofts attractive next-gen Xbox hardware price tags. A PS5 launch date in Japan may have been accidentally revealed, and a timely reminder of what future PS5 owners can look forward to has been circulating on social media. Working For Notebookcheck Are you a techie who knows how to write? Then join our Team! English native speakers welcome! News Writer (AUS/NZL based) - Details here It seems that Sony may have intended higher prices for its PlayStation 5 consoles than many suspected, according to a report from Gamereactor. There have even been some recent rumors of a PS5 with disc drive costing 599 and the Digital Edition costing 499, so you could reason that respective price tags for other markets would have been around US$599/549 and US$499/449. However, now Microsoft has confirmed US$499/449/499/AU$749 and US$299/249/299/AU$499 for its two consoles, its believed Sony has had to go back to the drawing board and cut its console price tags. The same source further reports hearing prices of US$399 and US$499 for the Digital Edition PS5 and Blu-ray PS5, respectively. This could indicate prices of 349/399/AU$599 for the former console and 449/499/AU$749 for the latter in other key markets. Of course, none of these PlayStation prices are official, so they should be taken with a healthy dose of skepticism for the time being. Amazon has yet again seemingly leaked confidential details about Sonys upcoming next-gen console, with listings for the DualSense charging station, the PS5 Pulse 3D wireless headset, and apparently a protective cover (or attachment of some sort) for the DualSense controller, appearing on the companys website for Japan. A date of purchase for these PS5 accessories was also listed: November 20. This could mean that the PS5 console will be launched in Japan on that particular date, or Amazon has just guessed a date for the sake of placeholders. For those getting fed up of the wait for the PS5, a seemingly dated but still relevant image (see below) of games and exclusives coming to the next-gen console has been circulating on social media as of late. The picture, which seems to have come from a Spanish-language forum, shows PS5 exclusives that are classed as first-party or second-party titles on the top row while the second row features third-party games and timed exclusives. Its an impressive list of games that should help reinvigorate the spirits of some fans who may have found their excitement levels flagging lately. Sale off - Buy Microsoft Xbox One S now on Amazon Search engines store so much of our online activity that it's possible our daily search patterns hold clues to our mental health. "Google searches can really provide a lens into the way people are thinking and feeling," Michael Birnbaum, M.D., a psychiatrist and assistant professor at Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, told ABC News. More and more, online searches are becoming a primary resource for those seeking health-related information. This is especially true when it comes to stigmatized topics such as mental health, and new research suggests this digital data could prove to be an important tool for monitoring mental health monitoring. MORE: Protecting Black mental health: How to cope, restore and 'take your power back' Birnbaum, also the director for Northwell Health's Early Treatment Program, a clinical and research initiative for adolescents and young adults in the early stages of psychosis, partnered with researchers at Georgia Tech and Cornell Tech to "try to understand how we can use the internet to revamp psychiatry." His team set out to learn how mental illness manifests itself online and how experts can use that knowledge to improve ways of identifying patients with mental illness -- and delivering appropriate care. A comparison of Google searches between healthy volunteers and patients with Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders -- or SSD, psychiatric conditions characterized by symptoms of psychosis -- looked at 32,733 time-stamped searches, analyzing search activity timing, frequency and content. Researchers then developed machine learning algorithms that use search activity data to identify individuals with SSD and to predict psychotic relapse. PHOTO: Undated stock photo depicts doctor holding patient's hands. (STOCK PHOTO/Getty Images) The study identified several important patterns. People with SSD searched less frequently and used fewer words in searches. During a relapse, people with SSD were more likely to use words related to hearing, perception and anger, and were less likely to use words related to health. Story continues MORE: What President Trump said about the coronavirus versus what Bob Woodward recorded in interviews: Timeline This isn't the first time online search activity has been linked to a person's medical information: Prior studies have shown that patterns and search content have been useful in predicting lung cancer, Parkinson's disease and pancreatic cancer up to a year in advance of the diagnosis. Other online platforms have been studied in this context as well. For example, Birnbaum's group previously looked at how Facebook activity could be used to predict episodes of psychosis. Other researchers have identified patterns in Twitter and Instagram content as predictors of depression. PHOTO: Google website. (James Leynse/Getty Images) "The ability to reveal critically important changes from a person's baseline functioning in real time has major implications in how quickly people can be diagnosed or receive the help they need," Dr. Neha Chaudhary, child and adolescent psychiatrist at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School and Co-founder of Stanford Brainstorm, said in an email to ABC News. Unlike many other medical fields, psychiatry relies entirely on subjective clinical impressions and self-reporting from patients or their families. A lack of objective data often results in significant delays in making a psychiatric diagnosis and initiating proper treatment. In patients with mental illness, those delays may contribute to bad outcomes -- social isolation, unemployment or substance abuse. Any under-recognized psychiatric condition or relapse also comes with a risk of emergencies -- suicide, violence or the need for psychiatric hospitalization. Digital data could augment self-reported data and help physicians recognize what patients need more quickly. "If we can find a way to make sense of this data the right way, we may be able to create more accurate, robust tools to assess and identify those at risk for suicide and other public health crises," Chaudhary added. PHOTO:An undated stock photo depicts a woman in therapy. (STOCK PHOTO/Getty Images) Jack Rozel, M.D., M.S.L., medical director of resolve Crisis Services and president of the American Association for Emergency Psychiatry, told ABC News: "The goal is to use machine learning and large databases to figure out who is genuinely at risk of engaging in violence and suicide, for example." But, Rozel, added, "It's tricky because we're talking about rare events, which makes it difficult to identify patterns, even with machine learning. If we are ever going to have a chance to predict and manage these high-impact events, we need to figure out how to use algorithms in a useful and evidence-based way." "The power of the data," Chaudary added, "comes from its use in collaboration with professional help. That's where we'll really start to see a positive impact." But a number of significant challenges remain. "Unfortunately, the use of internet data today comes with major privacy and ethical concerns that must be navigated before this research can be implemented in the real world, in a way that's helpful without being harmful," she said. "In an ideal world, the benefit is clear: The data follows the person's behaviors, and the changes in behavior may follow changes to a person's mental health that may have otherwise gone unnoticed for months -- or even years." Leah Croll, M.D., a neurology resident at NYU Langone Health, is a contributor to the ABC News Medical Unit. What do Google searches tell us about our mental health? originally appeared on abcnews.go.com STORY LINK Pound South African Rand (GBP/ZAR) Exchange Rate Shakes off Stronger SA Manufacturing Production Improved Manufacturing Production Not Enough to Dent Pound South African Rand Exchange Rate Pound Steadies in Spite of Latest Tensions over UKs Internal Market Bill South African Rand at Risk of Downturn on Softer Business Confidence Index Like this piece? Please share with your friends and colleagues: Stronger-than-expected South African manufacturing production figures were not enough to keep the Pound Sterling to South African Rand (GBP/ZAR) exchange rate from pushing higher on Thursday.While monthly production saw another solid uptick on the month investors were disappointed to find that some of the momentum seen in June had started to fade.The manufacturing data was also overshadowed by the second quarter current account figure, which proved even more discouraging in nature.As the current account fell back into a state of deficit in the second quarter worries over the health of the South African economy naturally picked up.Although investors had anticipated a return to deficit from the current account the scale of the shortfall caught markets off guard, which represented a 2.4% ratio of gross domestic product.GBP exchange rates saw a temporary reprieve from Brexit tensions, meanwhile, as market focus turned towards other major market movers.Even so, with EU lawyers indicating that the UK has already breached the withdrawal agreement by tabling the Internal Market bill the potential for fresh volatility remains.Although the two sides went ahead with the penultimate round of Brexit negotiations the lingering risk of a no-deal scenario kept a lid on demand for the Pound.With the UK economy looking set to face further disruption before the end of the year, thanks to the uncertainty stemming from Brexit, the GBP/ZAR exchange rate struggled to make any major gains.Fridays raft of UK data could give the Pound further cause for weakness if the latest production and trade figures fail to impress.Unless the economy can demonstrate greater evidence of recovery in the wake of the initial wave of the Covid-19 crisis the mood towards the Pound could sour once again.The appeal of the South African Rand could deteriorate further, on the other hand, if Augusts SACCI business confidence index weakens.As the South African economy had shown signs of weakness even before the advent of Covid-19 investors remain sensitive to any fresh evidence of a slowdown.However, if business confidence delivers a monthly uptick this could encourage a rally for ZAR exchange rates ahead of the weekend.Even if business sentiment leans towards greater optimism, though, the South African Rand may still falter in response to any renewed sense of market risk aversion. International Money Transfer? Ask our resident FX expert a money transfer question or try John's new, free, no-obligation personal service! ,where he helps every step of the way, ensuring you get the best exchange rates on your currency requirements. TAGS: Pound Rand Forecasts 11.09.2020 LISTEN Asutifi North District Assembly (ANDA) in Ahafo Region has organized a five - day training workshop to help curb child abuse in communities. The training workshop facilitated by the Social Welfare and Community Development and held at Kenyasi assembled members of the Child Protection Committee (CPC) of the district. The District Director of Social Welfare and Community Development, Peter Duayaw said the district has decided to use sensitization to end the various forms of abuse children encounter so it thought it wise to roll out capacity building for the committee members who will spearhead the exercise. Peter Duayaw the lead facilitator explained that the training workshop has adequately prepared the committee members on how to interact with communities where they will be assigned to assist residents to know the need to erase child abuse which is gradually gaining root. According to him, the committee members who are from Traditional Council, Domestic Violence Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU), Commission for Human Rights and Administration Justice (CHRAJ), National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), Ghana Health Service (GHS), Ghana Education Service (GES), District Budget Department and Non - Governmental Organization (NGO) are to peg themselves at the level of the community folks to enable them to understand child abuse and its related issues. He mentioned, members have been trained to use pictures and other stuff to demonstrate doing their visit to help residents understand the whole child abuse concept. " Their training will let communities speak more on the subject " Peter Duayaw stated. He expressed that per the training workshop members will assist communities to easily identify their actions on their children termed as child abuse, the effects, and solutions. " They will know that children are vulnerable per their engagement with our able committee members," he said. On the final day of the training workshop, the committee members visited a community called Amomaso and engaged the chiefs and people on the subject to be assessed by the Social Welfare and Community Development. After the engagement, the chiefs and people of Amomaso expressed their gratitude to the team for such an education which is of great importance, and pleaded with the team to be visiting them often on the said topic. The District Social Welfare and Community Development commended the members for exhibiting what they taught into practice and urged them to keep it up. It said with their support the menace can be eradicated. The Third Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld the conviction and 30-year sentence of Mohammed Jungle Jabbah Jabateh, 53, of East Lansdowne, a former Liberian war lord convicted of fraud and perjury in 2017 for lying about his past while seeking asylum and residency in the United States. In an opinion issued this week, the appeals court recounted some of the horrors Jabateh and his followers engaged in when he was a commander in the United Liberation Movement of Liberia during the countrys fractious and bloody civil war in the 1990s. Under Jabatehs command, fighters brutalized prisoners of war and civilians alike, the opinion says. Their crimes were breathtaking in their scope and cruelty, including murder, rape, torture, ritual cannibalism, and human enslavement. The opinion states that Jabateh fled Liberia after the civil war ended, fearing retribution for his crimes, and applied for asylum in the United States. In a personal statement attached to that application, Jabateh spun a tale that reimagined his role during the war and diffidently cast himself as an innocent victim of ethnic persecution, according to the opinion. Jabateh also denied on his application that he or his immediate family members ever caused harm or suffering to any person because of his or her race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group or belief in a particular political opinion, or ever ordered, assisted, or otherwise participated in such acts. During a subsequent interview on his application in 1999, Jabateh firmly reiterated that he had never committed a crime or harmed anyone else, the opinion says. He applied for permanent residency in 2001 and was interviewed in 2011 under oath on that petition, according to the opinion. During that interview, he again denied engaging in genocide or lying to obtain entry into the United States. Jabateh was indicted on two counts of immigration fraud and two counts of perjury stemming from his answers during the 2011 interview. He was convicted on all four counts following a jury trial that included testimony from 17 Liberian witnesses who recounted the atrocities he committed or directed others to commit. Jabateh appealed his conviction and sentence, arguing there was insufficient evidence to support the perjury charges and that the government improperly charged him with fraud for making false oral statements during the interview rather than written statements in his documents. Because Jabateh did not raise those issues at trial, however, the Third Circuit was limited to reviewing for plain error, a strictly narrow doctrine that only allows for finding clear legal errors that had a prejudicial effect on the defendant. The appeals court upheld the perjury convictions on their face, finding there was ample evidence Jabateh had engaged in ethnically or politically motivated violence and that he had gained immigration benefits by lying about those actions. The Third Circuit did agree with Jabateh that the best reading of immigration law language enacted by Congress applies only to material, false statements made in a document under oath or under penalty of perjury, not false statements made orally under oath about that document. But while Jabateh is right, his failure to raise this argument at trial significantly alters the scope of our review, the opinion says. Given the novelty of the interpretative question, and the lack of persuasive, let alone authoritative, guidance, we cannot conclude that our reading of (the law) meets the stringent standards for reversal for plain error the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure require. For that reason, we will affirm his conviction in full. The Third Circuit additionally affirmed the 30-year aggregate sentence, likewise finding no plain error in the lower courts 26-level upward departure from the guidelines based on the seriousness of Jabatehs lies and their effect on the asylum and immigration process. Commercial ties are the most important aspect of Burkina Faso's relations with Russia, the African country's ambassador, Antoine Somdah, told Sputnik on Friday, adding that the authorities were working to boost Russian companies' presence in the country MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 11th September, 2020) Commercial ties are the most important aspect of Burkina Faso's relations with Russia, the African country's ambassador, Antoine Somdah, told Sputnik on Friday, adding that the authorities were working to boost Russian companies' presence in the country. "Now, commercial aspect is the most important for us. We are currently working on it to allow Russia become a partner which is present on the ground," the diplomat added. The diplomat recalled that Russia has traditionally cooperated with African countries in the Soviet period and as a sovereign state. And this cooperation was enhanced by the first Russia-Africa summit held last year in the city of Sochi, the ambassador maintained. "The summit in Sochi gave a new dimension to it. The aspect of military cooperation existed for a long time, but the summit has reinforced all of it, brought it to a new dimension," Somdah noted. The authorities are now working to implement the projects agreed upon during the summit. "The private sector, the enterprises are in contact, they are the engine of this cooperation. At the state level it takes time to put in place the secretariat etc. We need a second meeting to see what we were able to achieve. As for Burkina Faso, I cannot say that everything works already; we are creating this new cooperation, which was born in Sochi," Somdah said. Burkina Faso's top diplomat, Alpha Barry, was expected to visit Russia in March for talks with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov but the visit had to be postponed over the COVID-19 pandemic. The Russia-Africa Summit held in October 2019 gathered the heads of state and government from over 40 African nations. More than 50 agreements worth more than 800 billion rubles ($10 billion) were signed over two days of the event. BUDAPEST, Hungary - Hungarys prime minister said Friday that he is rooting for the reelection of U.S President Donald Trump because what he represents is good for Central Europe. Prime Minister Viktor Orban said he was in his kitchen when Trump called him Thursday evening and they had a long talk about the pandemic situation in the United States, the U.S. electoral outlook and bilateral issues. What the president represents is good for Central Europe, which is why we are rooting at least me, personally for him to win the election, Orban said Friday on state radio. In July 2016, Orban became the first European national leader to publicly endorse Trumps presidential candidacy. At the time, Orban, who was elected for a third consecutive term, and fourth overall, in 2018 on the back of a ferocious anti-immigrant campaign, said he preferred Trump because of his anti-terrorism proposals and his opposition to democracy export. The Hungarian government is facing proceedings in the European Union for allegedly undermining the blocs democratic values and rule of law, including issues like media freedoms, minority rights, the electoral system and academic and religious freedoms. Orban also said Friday that it was increasingly common for national leaders to speak informally on the phone and build personal relationships instead of relying on formal diplomatic contacts. Im encouraged by seeing so many different ethnic races come together for this young lady, but I hate it takes something like this for us to gather, said William Calloway, one of the vigils organizers. Thats the only thing that troubles me, that it took something this tragic, senseless, for us to gather like this. But I am encouraged that we all are coming together. Three hackers who attempted to break into Donald Trump's Twitter account just before the presidential elections in October 2016 were left amused to see that his leaked password 'yourfired' worked to enter his Twitter account, the media reported on Friday. According to a report in the Netherlands-based news portal nltimes.nl, the Dutch hackers found Trump's password because of a 2012 LinkedIn data breach involving a database of 117 million usernames and passwords. The password 'yourfired' - the erroneously spelled catchphrase for Trump's TV reality show 'The Apprentice' - turned out to also work on his Twitter account. "They were shocked when it worked. The Dutch knew they were potentially in trouble, because it could be interpreted as a cyber attack on a presidential candidate," Vrij Nederland journalist Gerard Janssen who saw the hacking screenshots was quoted as saying. The hackers did not mean to do any harm or post anything from Trump's account as they were "testing the security on the account, and then they reported the vulnerability to Trump and the United States government". The hackers never heard back from Trump but they did get a message from the National Cyber Security Center saying that the American government had taken up the report. "Thank you for contacting us". In July this year, 130 several high-profile personalities like Bill Gates, Elon Musk, Apple, Joe Biden and Barack Obama saw their Twitter accounts being hacked in a crypto scam. Trump's account was not part of the hack. According to reports, Trump's accounts may have some form of enhanced security measures that aren't available to regular verified Twitter account holders. "The president would undoubtedly be the service's prime target for hackers, so it is possible that Twitter has afforded Trump and his staff some form of extra verification that made it more difficult to breach his account," Forbes reported. A 49-year-old forest ranger was allegedly hacked to death by Maoists in Chhattisgarhs insurgency-hit Bijapur district on Friday, police said. The incident took place at around 3 pm when forest ranger Rathram Patel had gone to Kondronji village under Jangla police station limits to pay wages to villagers for road construction work in the forest area, inspector general of police (Bastar range) Sundarraj P told PTI. At least 15 militia cadres of Maoists were involved in the attack, he said. Patel, a native of Balodabazar district, was posted at Indravati Tiger Reserve at Bhairamgarh forest range, the official said. Two forest guards who accompanied Patel, managed to flee the scene when the ultras attacked him with sharp weapons, he said. A police team reached the spot and recovered the body, the IG said, adding that a case has been registered in this regard and a search operation has been launched for the ultras. BERLIN and NEW YORK, Sept. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- From among more than 3800 companies and academic projects from 115 countries worldwide, South Summit's professional experts have chosen Dynamic Infrastructure to be part of the very prestigious list of companies who are driving global change. With an unparalleled contribution to the challenge of maintaining aging infrastructure, Dynamic Infrastructure enables PPP projects, local municipalities and governments to face the huge transportation infrastructure crisis with modern and innovative tools. Rami Zoltak, Dynamic Infrastructure's head in Berlin, Germany, "I'm honored on behalf of our hardworking teams for the recognition of our work across Europe. Our product, which is based on proprietary technology, is a very significant driving factor behind the change we are witnessing in the way mega-infrastructure, bridges, tunnels and dams, are being maintained. "With over 800 analyzed bridges and tunnels, we are leveraging the collective professional knowledge from thousands of engineers to support local decision making. Its almost a miracle how, within just a few days of engaging with us, maintenance managers and owners have benefited from a huge leap towards the future era of asset management." About South Summit 2020 South Summit 2020 is one of the leading innovation platforms that connects uniquely disruptive startups with worldwide investors and corporations seeking to improve their global competitiveness through innovation. Meet the most disruptive people in the virtual conference of South Summit to be held on 6-8 October, 2020 in Madrid, Spain. https://southsummit.co/en/home/ About Dynamic Infrastructure Dynamic Infrastructure harnesses the power of AI to disrupt Operation & Maintenance of critical transportation assets. Founded by industry professionals with decades of operation and maintenance experience for PPPs and DOTs, Dynamic Infrastructure has become an industry leader and key driver of a data revolution in decision-making processes related to bridge and tunnel Operations & Maintenance. Headquartered in New York, NY, with offices in Germany and Israel, Dynamic Infrastructure maintains a close relationship with its clients. Media Contact: PR Dynamic Infrastructure http://diglobal.tech/ [email protected] Tel: +1(646) 233-1481 SOURCE Dynamic Infrastructure New Delhi, Sep 11 : Amid the India-China faceoff, Congress former President Rahul Gandhi for the first time attended the meeting of the Standing Committee on Defence on Friday. Rahul Gandhi has been a vocal critic of the government policy on China. After being criticised by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for not attending the meetings, this was the Congress leader's first appearance since he was nominated to the Committee. Rahul Gandhi in a tweet said, "The only 'talk' to have with China is about restoration of 'Status Quo Ante' as of March 2020. PM & GOI refuse to take responsibility for pushing China out of our land. All other 'talk' is worthless." Gandhi had slammed the government's China policy. "The Chinese have taken our land. When exactly is GOI planning to get it back? Or is that also going to be left to an 'Act of God'?" Sources said in the meeting NCP leader Sharad Pawar sought a detailed presentation by the government on the India-China faceoff at the Line of Actual Control in Ladakh. Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat also attended the meeting. The BJP had criticised Rahul Gandhi for not attending the panel meetings. Meanwhile, the military representatives of India and China met on Friday to ease the tensions at the border where both countries' troops are only metres apart, ready to take on each other. The military delegates talks have been taking place continuously since September 7 when the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) tried to occupy Indian territory at the LAC in eastern Ladakh and it was thwarted by the Indian Army. India then took pre-emptive action to occupy Rezang La, Rechen La, Blacktop, Goswami Hill and some other heights near Chushul to thwart the Chinese army. The Chinese have made multiple attempts to dislodge the Indian troops from the mountain heights. The Brigade Commander level meeting is happening in Chushul and has remained inconclusive so far. A senior Indian Army officer said that the talks will eventually ease tensions but it is a tedious process. In Delhi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held a crucial meeting with Chief of Defence Staff Bipin Rawat and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval along with the service chiefs on the LAC situation. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text US President Donald Trump on Thursday, September 10 announced that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will be flying to Qatar to attend the intra-Afghan peace talks between the Taliban and the Afghanistan government. The long-anticipated talks between the two parties are scheduled for September 12 and will take place in Qatar, where the Taliban have their political office. Read: Taliban Agrees To Resume Intra-Afghan Peace Negotiations, Talks To Begin On September 12 'Historic opportunity': Pompeo During a press conference at the White House, Donald Trump said, "I can announce, with great pride, that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will be departing this evening on a historic trip to Doha, Qatar, for the beginning of intra-Afghan peace negotiations. Trump further added that the number of US troops in Afghanistan would soon be brought down to only 4,000 as agreed upon in a deal between Washington and the Taliban back in February. The intra-Afghanistan Peace talks are being considered a diplomatic breakthrough that could potentially stabilise the war-torn country after nearly four decades of conflict. Mike Pompeo, in a statement, said the peace talks were a historic opportunity to end the conflict in the country as the people of Afghanistan have carried the burden of war for too long. Read: US Will Reduce Its Troop Strength In Afghanistan To 4,000 In A Very Short Period Of Time: Trump Despite negotiations being back on track, peace in Afghanistan is going to be a long drawn process as the two sides discuss the right of women and minorities. As per reports, the Taliban has stated that it will allow women to go to school, work and even participate in politics but they would not accept a female president or a female chief justice even though they are willing to allow female judges. Afghan government's negotiating team will contain several female officials who will have to find a way to uphold the right and freedoms of women. There are no women on the Taliban negotiation team. (Image Credit ANI) Read: Afghanistan Reopens Schools After Five Months Amid COVID-19 Pandemic Read: Afghanistan Releases 400 Taliban Prisoners Ahead Of Peace Talks A women hangs clothes in the Juma Sustainable Development Reserve, deep in Brazil's Amazon, which lost 1,359 square kilometers (525 square miles) to deforestation in August 2020 Last month was the second-worst August on record for deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon, according to official figures released Friday, sparking new criticism of far-right President Jair Bolsonaro's environmental policies. A total of 1,359 square kilometers (525 square miles) in the Brazilian Amazon -- 23 times the size of Manhattan -- were lost last month, according to satellite data from Brazil's National Space Research Institute (INPE). The figure triggered new warnings on the future of the Amazon, a year after worldwide outcry erupted over huge fires that devastated the world's biggest rainforest, a vital resource for curbing climate change. Last year was the worst for deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon since INPE began keeping records in 2015. Under international pressure, Bolsonaro responded by deploying the army to fight slash-and-burn agriculture and other causes of deforestation in the Amazon, about 60 percent of which is in Brazil. His government has been quick to claim success. And indeed, deforestation last month was 20 percent lower year-on-year than 2019, the worst August on record. But deforestation continues advancing at nearly the same pace as last year's crisis levels: the 6,087 square kilometers lost so far this year represent a drop of just five percent from last year, according to INPE data. The August deforestation figure "is unacceptable, and more so considering that the army has been in the Amazon since May, supposedly to fight deforestation," said Marcio Astrini, executive secretary of environmental group the Climate Observatory. "This is further proof that the military operation... is not working." Monthly deforestation has now exceeded 1,000 square kilometers seven times in all -- six of them under Bolsonaro, who took office in January 2019. "The devastation has reached a whole new level," Astrini said in a statement. Critics accuse Bolsonaro of attacking the Amazon by slashing environmental protection programs and calling to legalize agriculture and mining on protected lands. Story continues Adding to international concern, fires have recently been devastating the Pantanal, the world's largest tropical wetlands, a region famous for its wildlife. Less than nine months into the year, the Brazilian Pantanal has already registered an annual record of 12,703 fires, according to INPE data. lg/jhb/ft A 20-year-old woman testified tearfully Thursday that 40th Judicial District Judge Jeff Perilloux smeared vapor rub over her chest when she was a teen in 2017, touched the side of my boob and refused to stop as he stood in his underwear in his LaPlace kitchen. Close friends with Perilloux's daughter at the time, the woman said shed been ill and had started to rub the balm hed offered her on her own throat. Perilloux told her it needed to go on her chest, she said, and insisted on doing it himself. It wasnt like a few rubs and done. He put on a few layers and was spreading it out a lot, said the witness, describing a horror that overtook her. Awaiting trial on felony sex charges, judge in St. John the Baptist Parish seeks re-election Jeff Perilloux, the St. John the Baptist Parish judge who has been off the bench for two years under an interim suspension pending the outcome It was among several instances in which prosecutors allege that Perilloux, 52, crossed the line into criminal acts with teenage girls with whom hed come in close contact through his children. Perilloux sat at the defense table in the same St. John the Baptist Parish Courthouse where he has served, wearing a black face mask as the woman testified behind clear plexiglass. He's facing trial this week on three felony counts of indecent behavior with a juvenile and one count of misdemeanor sexual battery, involving three teenagers whom The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate is not naming. Prosecutors from the Louisiana attorney general's office wrapped up their case Thursday after two days of testimony. Perilloux has proclaimed his innocence, and he might testify in his own defense Friday. As his trial moves forward, Perilloux is running for re-election on the Nov. 3 ballot. He has not taken the bench since an interim suspension he accepted more than two years ago when the allegations against him surfaced. Top stories in New Orleans in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up In his trial, ad hoc Judge Dennis Waldron has scheduled closing arguments for Saturday morning, followed by deliberations by the jury of five women and one man. The woman who testified over the vapor rub incident, which allegedly took place while one of Perillouxs daughters was steps away, was 17 at the time and is the purported victim in the misdemeanor charge against Perilloux. She described him as like a second dad, and said shed sided with Perillouxs daughter and the judge after a trip to Destin, Florida, ended in broken friendships. In Destin, another friend had exited the judges bedroom shaken and soon reported that Perilloux reached inside her swimsuit bottom. Police would be called, though prosecutors in Florida have declined to charge Perilloux in that alleged incident. The felony charges against him in Louisiana include allegations involving the same teen. Trial for St. John Parish judge accused of molesting teen girls delayed 4th time After already being delayed three times, the trial for a St. John the Baptist Parish judge accused of sexual misconduct with his teenage daugh I just kind of felt like my heart just kind of broke, the young woman testified Thursday of the vapor rub incident. I went from trying to pull for him, protect him, to thinking, I dont know what to think anymore. Has he always been this way? Another young female testified that Perilloux rubbed her down with tanning lotion one time, also in 2017, after shed repeatedly declined. He rubbed it all over me. I just completely froze, tensed up and stared out the window the whole time, she said. I never wanted to tell anyone, she added. Im not going to say hes wrong, when Im 14. She was forced to admit in court, however, that she could not recall a key detail she had told State Police investigators, that Perilloux had also tugged at her shorts in an attempt to place a water hose down them. She testified Thursday that she remembered Perilloux reaching for her shorts but couldnt recall whether hed touched them. The jury will decide all three felony counts, while Waldron, the judge, will rule on the misdemeanor charge. Each one of us have reached out to a mechanic in our moment of trouble for help. Now with #ProtectIndiasEngine, its time for us to return the favour to our trusted mechanics, so they may continue to keep us moving ahead #NonStop. Here, in one of the worlds youngest countries, most Indians first taste of freedom and responsibility comes when they ride a two wheeler for the first time. It gives them the confidence in their ability to go places and make a difference. During the pandemic, those instincts have shone through in the way young volunteers have reached out to those who have been the worst affected. This is because of an empathy that the youth have developed during their early experiences of the world astride their most beloved ally, their trusted two-wheeler. They have realized the invisible effort and magic that helps keep their own lives on track. In moments of desperation, when the wheels have stopped turning, they know what the unconditional support of their mechanic has meant to them, as they helped keep their two wheeler protected non-stop. And today, as our young demonstrate that same selflessness and vigour, they must spare a thought for their trustworthy mechanics, for whom its a way of life. The lockdown and resulting health concerns forced the closure of mechanic shops across India. While many were forced to temporarily close down, their subsequent recovery has been held up by reduced vehicle use and health concerns. This has deeply affected the current income of mechanics, and also threatens their future opportunities. Without mechanics, who have always been there to help us keep moving ahead non-stop, Indian riding experiences will never be the same. Castrol Activ has been constantly working towards mechanics welfare and growth for a few years. Their marquee property Castrol Super Mechanic supports car and bike mechanics across India to test their skills and gain recognition nationally by displaying their knowledge and talent. In the last 3 years, Castrol has witnessed an overwhelming participation from over 2 lakh mechanics across India thus reassuring their wish to upskill and be recognised. And now its time to help our mechanics rise up once again with the #ProtectIndiasEngine campaign. Building on their legacy of helping mechanics every step of the way, Castrol Activ has joined hands with Network 18 on this initiative, as a way to mobilize our support, care and concern for our trusted mechanics. By invoking our mechanics commitment to provide non-stop protection to two-wheelers, the #ProtectIndiasEngine campaign will give everyone across the country a chance to pledge their support. To aid us in this mission we have Bollywood superstar, Ayushmann Khurrana, headlining the campaign. As a renowned youth icon, whos worked his way to the top and spent many years riding a two wheeler, Ayushmann Khurrana shared stories of how mechanics have helped him too in crucial moments. Adding to the largeness and lending more support to the campaign are well-known actors from southern India - Shine Shetty and Ganesh Venkatram and well known Hindi actor, Ravi Dubey. Their messages are simple. After years of our mechanics helping provide non-stop protection to our vehicles, its time for us to #ProtectIndiasEngine and pledge our support to our mechanics. While the act of taking the pledge will be a simple two-minute task, it will have a big impact. For every pledge received to #ProtectIndiasEngine, Castrol Activ will contribute Rs.10 of its own, to create a fund of upto Rs. 50 lakhs. This money will then be deployed towards training, upskilling and engaging our mechanics with new technologies, safer business practices and industry trends. To pledge their support, customers can simply log onto www.protectindiasengine.com and hit the pledge button. Alternately they can give a missed call to 7574-003-002. Its time for us to make our effort count and #ProtectIndiasEngine. This is a partnered post. TAMPA, Fla. - A Florida man was sentenced to death on Friday for raping and killing a 9-year-old girl. Hillsborough County Circuit Court Judge Michelle Sisco affirmed a jurys unanimous death penalty recommendation for Granville Ritchie, the Tampa Bay Times reported. He was found guilty last year of first-degree murder, sexual battery and aggravated child abuse. Ritchies attorney, Bjorn Brunvand, had argued that Ritchies abusive and violent childhood in Kingston, Jamaica, and lack of prior criminal history should prevent him from being put to death. Ritchie, 41, was dating 9-year-old Felecia Williams neighbour, Eboni Wiley, in May 2014, prosecutors said. Ritchie and Wiley were watching the girl one day and took her to his mothers apartment. Ritchie sexually assaulted and strangled the girl while Wiley went to buy marijuana, prosecutors said. Ritchie then hid the girls body in a suitcase and later dumped her from a causeway into Tampa Bay. Wiley testified that Ritchie told her he gave Felecia money to buy candy at a nearby store, but she never returned. Wiley had initially told police that the girl ran away but changed her story after Felecias body was found, officials said. Wiley was charged with lying during a missing person investigation and is scheduled to face trial next month. Surviving the devastating Haiti earthquake in 2010 put things in perspective for Dieuveny "DJ" Jean Louis. A live music event planner at the time, Louis had returned to his native Haiti from Miami to plan a benefit concert. He checked into the Hotel Montana in Port-au-Prince, dropped off his bags, and ventured out to grab some lunch. When the earthquake hit, the hotel collapsed, killing more than 50 people. "I look at my life as a blessing," Louis says. "I'm here today because I was given a second chance." Today, Louis is founder and CEO of Toast Distillers, which he launched in 2015. Toast's core products are premium and well liquors, but that's just one aspect of the business. The Miami-based company's philanthropic arm, Toast First Response, donates supplies to the frontlines in the wake of natural disasters. When the Covid-19 pandemic reached the U.S. in March, Toast quickly pivoted to begin producing hand sanitizers, shipping its first pallets by March 25. After receiving a flurry of inbound interest, the company put the sanitizer operation into high gear. It sold to retailers and to the states of Florida and South Carolina and donated to the Army, Navy, University of Miami, and Boys & Girls Clubs in Miami-Dade County. In all, the company has produced and shipped more than 500,000 gallons of sanitizer, about 50,000 gallons of which was donated. Louis's career as an entrepreneur can be traced back to his love of music, specifically the guitar. After he immigrated to Florida from Haiti at age 10, his musical talents drew him to the Miami nightlife scene, which led to his organizing a modestly sized concert meant to benefit Caribbean communities. Within a few years, it grew to become the Starfest Music Festival, a massive multi-day event highlighting hip-hop, jazz, and reggae. Louis was able to make the events free by attracting sponsors and used the leftover proceeds to rehabilitate hospitals, orphanages, and other facilities throughout the Caribbean. In the weeks leading up to the earthquake, Starfest drew more than 500,000 attendees across multiple locations, capped by a headlining act of Rick Ross in Haiti. After the disaster, in which more than 200,000 people died, Louis remained in Haiti for several weeks to help with recovery efforts. He says the experience made him think long and hard about his next steps. Having worked some of Miami's most exclusive clubs, he had always dreamed of launching a premium liquor brand. One day, he asked his lawyer to find out whether the name Toast was trademarked. To their surprise, it wasn't. "I always say, every day above ground is a good day to toast," Louis says. "So I knew I had to do it." Just four years after Louis leveraged his connections to get the company's products into bars and restaurants in South Beach and beyond, Toast acquired the Miami Distilling Company, maker of Pitbull's Voli 305 vodka. When Covid hit earlier this year and hand sanitizer began disappearing from shelves across the country, Louis knew that being an alcohol manufacturer with its own facilities put his company in a position to help. He transitioned Toast's operations with help from a local business, Cosmetic Corporation of America, and partnered with a nearby bottling plant. The company quickly began manufacturing sanitizing gels, sprays, and lotions under the name EZ Hand Sanitizer, which it continues to make today. Springing into action to help communities in crisis is nothing new for Toast. After Hurricane Irma struck Florida in 2017 and Hurricane Dorian hit the Bahamas last year, the company brought truckloads of food, water, diapers, and other essential supplies to the impacted areas. Dr. Blumenthal is an expert in pathogenesis, treatment and prevention of atherosclerotic vascular disease. He was the principal developer of the John Hopkins Ciccarone Center for the Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease, a multidisciplinary center that provides education and treatment for patients at high risk for developing cardiovascular disease. He is on the official national spokesperson panel for the American Heart Association and has co-written over 500 articles dealing with many aspects of coronary heart disease and atherosclerosis management. Dr. Blumenthal is also on the editorial board of several peer-reviewed journals and co-editor-in chief of the textbook Preventive Cardiology A Companion to Braunwald's Heart Disease. "Roger Blumenthal has been mentoring young physicians and preventive cardiologists for almost three decades. His gentle, supportive demeanor, ability to bring out the best in everyone around him, and his many deep insights to guide scientific and clinical investigation have produced numerous outstanding leaders in cardiovascular medicine from around the world. This travel award is intended to honor his longstanding efforts to train the best and the brightest. The Roger S. Blumenthal Travel Award will be given henceforth to the Early Career Research Award Winner who is judged to have submitted the most outstanding research to the ASPC Congress on CVD Prevention, " said Peter Toth, MD, PhD, FASPC, President of ASPC. About the American Society for Preventive Cardiology The ASPC, founded in 1985, represents a multidisciplinary group of healthcare practitioners and researchers who share an interest in and a passion for preventive cardiology. A vision of the society is to interface with all other organizations involved with treatment and prevention of cardiovascular disease. For more information, visit https://www.aspconline.org. SOURCE The American Society for Preventive Cardiology Related Links www.aspconline.org Smoke loomed over Azusa on Wednesday as the Bobcat fire burned in the Angeles National Forest. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) Smoke continued to clog the air over the San Gabriel Valley and parts of eastern Los Angeles on Friday morning as crews gained a small toehold on the Bobcat fire after several days of unchecked burning . The blaze has now seared more than 26,000 acres, according to the U.S. Forest Service , and is continuing to move deeper into the Angeles National Forest. It was 6% contained as of Friday morning. Stephen Cooper, an Altadena resident and fitness instructor, said the smoke was so thick Friday morning that he canceled his outdoor fitness class. A man walks on the Santa Fe Dam as smoke rises from the Bobcat fire in the San Gabriel Mountains above Duarte. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) This morning I could smell smoke and then looked at the [air quality index] and that was 205 very unhealthy, he said. Im usually hammering on my clients about the importance of consistency when it comes to training and healthy eating, but when its unhealthy like this, it makes no sense to push it. The South Coast Air Quality Management District said smoke advisories will remain in effect throughout the day. Areas along the 210 Freeway from Pasadena to Rancho Cucamonga are likely to see the highest levels of particulate matter. Even in areas far from fires or areas not covered by a smoke advisory, if you can smell smoke or see ash from a wildfire, avoid or limit outdoor activities, the district said. Cooper said he hasn't been sleeping well and has been keeping his bedroom curtains open so as to keep an eye on the mountains above me." Altadena is one of seven communities that remain under an evacuation warning , along with Monrovia, Arcadia, Bradbury, Sierra Madre, Duarte and Pasadena. "I've seen the flames from past fires, and they can be wicked," said Cooper, whose fitness class wasn't the only outdoor activity canceled by the smoke. Poor air quality also contributed to the closure of eight parks in Los Angeles County: Eaton Canyon, Devils Punchbowl, Frank G. Bonelli Regional Park, Lario Staging Area, Marshall Canyon, Peck Road Water Conservation Park, San Dimas Canyon Natural Area and Santa Fe Dam Recreation Area. Story continues The closures, which will remain throughout the weekend, were ordered in the best interest of park guests, community and staff, the county's Department of Parks and Recreation said. L.A. County Fire Capt. David Dantic said Friday morning that crews are expecting the fire to continue burning away from neighboring communities. Our main objective is to put a whole containment line around the fire, but probably the most active area today will be in the north, northeast of the fire, Dantic said. As the fire continues moving through the forest, some foothill communities are cautiously optimistic. In Arcadia in an area significantly threatened by the fire earlier this week voluntary evacuation notices were lifted Wednesday. A Red Cross evacuation point at the Santa Anita Racetrack closed Thursday after the fire shifted away from the region, although the agency is continuing to monitor its spread, Red Cross Los Angeles spokewoman Marium Mohiuddin said. As the situation changes and grows, the Red Cross is in touch with community partners to see how we can help, she said. If that means reopening an evacuation point, well definitely do that. The Red Cross is currently offering virtual and telephone assistance for anyone affected by the fire. Residents in other areas, however, remain on pins and needles as flames in the nearby hills burn visibly red. In Monrovia, police had to break up traffic jams caused by spectators who came to take photos of the fire Thursday night, city officials said. "As we patrolled neighborhoods, it became clear that many of the people causing the traffic were coming in from out of town some as far as Long Beach and Orange County to observe and photograph the fire," the city said in an update Friday morning. Portions of the blaze are still creeping toward the community, and Monrovia police have set up checkpoints to discourage "everyone, especially visitors and gawkers, from impeding potential evacuation routes." Although crews will focus on the northeastern flank of the fire Friday, the forest's steep, rocky terrain makes it difficult to reach certain areas on foot, Dantic said, and retardant drops that helped keep the fire in check overnight could be hampered by low-visibility conditions. Helicopters and air support can only go if the weather cooperates, if they can actually see, he said. The smoke and the marine layer have contributed to us not flying at certain times in the day. The Bobcat fire ignited Sunday and is currently one of more than 25 wildfires burning across California. It burned for five days with no containment and doubled in size in one day before shifting away from foothill communities. Being such a large footprint, it's something, Dantic said of the 6% containment attained since Thursday. "Of course, we want 100%. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-11 11:08:18|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Eroni Duaibe poses for a photo in Suva, Fiji, Sept. 8, 2020. (Xinhua/Zhang Yongxing) by Zhang Yongxing SUVA, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- A major contributing factor to the successful containment of COVID-19 is China's governing system that are people focused and many countries can learn from China that has set a world standard for dealing with such pandemic, a Fijian student has said. In an interview with Xinhua, Eroni Duaibe, a 42-year-old Fijian student studying in Wuhan, capital city of China's Hubei province, said that the successful containment of the pandemic was only possible through a governance system that people focused and sought to preserve the livelihood of its people. "I would like to highlight certain aspects of China's fight against the virus that many other countries can learn from. A major contributing factor to the successful containment of the virus was the governing system that China has," said the student. China's central government, according to the Fijian, the People's Liberation Army, the provincial governments, the municipalities and communities were all people centric. "There is much care and concern for the people. What I experience first-hand was a genuine desire towards the welfare and the wellbeing of the people and those (like us)that have become temporary residents in China," he said. Duaibe started his PhD study in China in September, 2018 at the Wuhan-based Central China Normal University. He returned to Fiji for a holiday. Like most of his fellow Fijian students, he, along with his wife, decided to stay in Wuhan after the outbreak early this year because they have confidence in the measures to be taken by China to fight the virus. "We had a lot of confidence that the measures taken by the Chinese government to combat and contain the virus were workable and would provide solutions to the problem we faced. And the best of the best medical officials in China were in Wuhan at that time and that gave us confidence that if we got infected, we were sure to access the best medical services in the world," he said. "In total honesty, I am extremely impressed with how the Chinese government dealt with the pandemic and was able to contain the spread of COVID-19." The measures that the Chinese government took were unprecedented and were based on trial and error, he said. "Given the fact that the new unseen enemy presented a new set of challenges changed the nature of how preventative measures were implemented. With the uncertainties of the virus and the threats it presented, the Chinese government continuously assessed policies and amended them whenever they saw a need. These measures were sure to play a pivotal role in controlling the spread of the virus." He detailed that people in China willingly adhered to the measures implemented by the municipalities, provincial governments and central government. Even before the complete lockdown was implemented in Wuhan, citizens volunteered to stay indoors and self-restrict their movements. "The virus has brought about a different aspect of warfare where we are fighting an unseen enemy. This war has caused a lot of causalities. It is the responsibility of the nation to provide a safe environment for its citizens to live in. I am totally convinced that China was able to achieve this through the implementation of such preventative measures that upheld the right to stay alive." From his point of view, the pandemic has also brought about a lot of marvelous things that "we can only dream of in normal circumstances. People were more compassionate, more caring, more communal and more so a good side of humanity was portrayed." "All I can say is that we were in a time where challenges were new and authorities were inundated with various ways or solutions to counter the rapid spread of the virus. Wuhan was experiencing this pandemic for the very first time and the university's response in keeping its students safe was commendable," he said. "With Wuhan being virus free, I have tremendous praise for the community that I live in, the Wuhan municipality, the provincial government, the central government and more importantly the Chinese people. I commend the resilience of the people, their resourcefulness and the genuine care and concern for the wellbeing for others. China's response to COVID-19 has set the benchmark on how we deal with a pandemic of such magnitude." As for China's assistance for the South Pacific island nations including Fiji in fighting against the virus, he said that China has done a lot for the South Pacific region that included the donation of medical supplies and the virtual conferences to share its experience in fighting the virus with the region. "I believe that China has done a lot for the South Pacific region. The provisions of masks personal protective equipments (PPEs) and ventilators have been very helpful for these small Pacific island nations. All we can do for now is to learn from China's experience and continue to be vigilant in ensuring the maintenance of public health." Duaibe emphasized that he now has a fresh impression about China, saying that this pandemic once again has brought to light the ability for China to survive in a bad situation. Its ability to halt its economic activities to ensure containment is truly commendable. I now see China in a totally different light. The mention of China brings new hope, new understanding of diplomacy, new approach to trade and more so a new understanding on how life is lived in general." Russia has overseen meetings in southern Syria between the different factions, to discuss reconciliations and defected officers and soldiers writes North Press. On Monday, Russian officers held a meeting between government security officers and senior commanders of the Russian-backed Fifth Corp in the town of Busra in the Daraa countryside, southern Syria. Informed sources told North Press the meeting dealt with settling the status of defected officers from the Syrian government forces and the security tensions between Daraa and Suweida countryside. The source said both sides agreed on the reconciliation of defected officers from the Syrian army, who joined the Fifth Corps, including 21 officers with senior ranks and 172 other officers and soldiers. The discussion revolved around the possibility of considering those enrolled in the Fifth Corps not wanted by Syrian government and they can choose between staying in the Fifth Corps, the 8th Brigade, or returning to the government forces. Both parties also discussed the security tensions occurring on the administrative borders between the eastern countryside of Daraa and the western countryside of Suweida, which occurred between the National Defense Faction and the patrols of the Fifth Corps. The meeting took place under the supervision of three Russian officers with the coordinator of relations in the de-escalation zone between Syrian government and Russians, Imad al-Aqbani. Russian Sponsorship The source indicated that the meeting was held at Russias request and sponsorship, and was attended by heads of security departments of the Syrian government in Daraa and Suweida. The source added that Dawood Abu Shakra, representing the Men of Dignity and Imad Jaafar, representing the National Defense joined the meeting after the departure of the Syrian government delegation. The town of al-Qarya in the southern countryside of Suweida witnessed frequent clashes between National Defense Forces affiliated with Syrian government and Iran, and the Fifth Corps, which includes factions opposed to Syrian government. The last of these clashes took place after the forces of Ahmed al-Awda, commander of the Eighth Brigade, prevented farmers in the town from approaching their lands to harvest their crops. Awda, commander of the 8th Brigade, previously headed the Shabab al-Sunna faction and took the town of Busra as his headquarters. The Men of Dignity faction and the princes of the mountain in Suweida had called on Russia to put an end to the violations of the Eighth Brigade, which is under the command of the Fifth Corps. Joint Operating Room According to the source, under pressure from Russian side, the meeting resulted in an agreement between all parties to create a joint operations room and everyone to abandon hostile policies. The meeting took place in the absence of any representative of the officers of the Fourth Division in the government forces which is considered close to Iran. Observers and civil activists in Suweida province attributed that to the fact that the meeting was directed against the Iranian presence in the southern region. The security and military meeting coincided with a visit by a high-level Russian delegation, which included Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and met with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. This article was edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author. Mumbai, Sep 11 : Actor Himansh Kohli has lent support to actress Kangana Ranaut after Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation regarding her office here. The Yaariyaan actor says it takes a lot of blood and sweat for one to build a home of their dreams, and nobody has the right to destroy it. Soon after Kangana compared Mumbai to Pakistan Occupied Kashmir and criticised the Mumbai Police in a series of tweets, the BMC sent her a notice on Tuesday regarding the unauthorised construction at her office in the city. While the actress was still in her hometown in Himachal Pradesh, the BMC demolished parts of her Bandra office on Wednesday. Calling it a "gruesome" act, Himansh said: "It's really hard to understand why do people always have to get personal during arguments. Fight, have a debate, and regardless of the fact that your point is proven wrong or right, leave it at that. It's not only inhuman but also very immature to indulge in any form of violence. It shows that you're not mature to handle your own emotions. What happened with Kangana Ranaut and her newly launched studio, is gruesome." "It's so hard for a person to come to Mumbai, struggle here for years, get work somehow, finally after years of good work you make a name for yourself, slowly buying and setting up a property gives you a sense of security and growth. But all those dreams are shattered, the faith in the system is gone once you go through something so damaging," the actor said. He added: "Someone's property is the most-prized and prominent possession to them. After all, it's the fruit of years of hard work. No one should have the right to destroy it. I'm sure she will only come back and emerge out of this stronger. More strength to her and her team." -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text As the French government's Defence Council meets to decide what to do about the alarming rise in the number of cases of Covid-19, nearly 10,000 infections were reported by French medical authorities in 24 hours on Thursday. The number of patients being hospitalised has also risen. French President Emmanuel Macron says he wants Friday's Defence Council meeting to show the way forward in the fight against the virus in the next couple of weeks. Against the background of an alarming upsurge in the number of infections, the government's Scientific Council has already warned that the authorities are "going to be obliged to take a certain number of difficult decisions" over the next eight to ten days. The president has stressed that the Scientific Council is an advisory body, with a strictly technical function. "The decisions will be taken by the political leaders," says Emmanuel Macron. "We have to continue to be careful, to be realistic," said the president, warning against the dangers of any panic reaction. Worrying general picture of French epidemic Southern France continues to be hard hit, with the situation along most of the Mediterranean coast causing alarm. Nationwide, 9,843 cases were recorded in the course of Thursday, a stark new record since the start of the epidemic and the generalisation of testing. French Health Minister Olivier Veran has warned that the upsurge in the number of infections is going to result in an automatic increase in the number requiring hospitalisation, but with a delay of several weeks. On Thursday, there were 600 Covid victims in French emergency wards, far from the peak of 7,000 at the height of the first wave on infections in April. Policy based on fear and anxiety An open letter in the French tabloid Le Parisien newspaper, signed by 35 intellectuals and scientific figures, is harshly critical of government information policy. The signatories denounce "a systematic exaggeration of the dangers" posed by the virus, and a policy which they say is increasing levels of public fear and anxiety. The Brandon Hall Group awards recognize the best learning programs around the world, highlighting the work of organizations that have identified learning needs and designed and delivered programs which have had a positive impact on the organizations and their students. "It's an honour to be recognized by the Brandon Hall Group. The award highlights our commitment to helping prospective financial planners develop the skills needed to best guide their clients in this ever-changing, complex world," says Cary List, President and Chief Executive Officer, FP Canada. "The CFP Professional Educational Program teaches financial planners to take a 360-degree view of their clients' lives to deliver the best advice, and to effect the best possible outcomes for their clients." The CFP Professional Education Program, an online program launched in November 2019, was created to address critical skills gaps among financial planners, in a rapidly changing, technology-driven world. "We are excited to receive global recognition in the Best Certification Program category, which saw entries from banks, technology companies and other Fortune 500 companies from around the world," said Tom Hamza, Head of the FP Canada Institute. "The award underscores the positive feedback the CFP Professional Education Program has received from students and employers alike." The program covers principles of human behaviour, ethics and holistic financial planning, and teaches professional skills in the areas of communications, critical thinking and relationships. Developed and designed in partnership with Metrix, the program is offered on an innovative online platform that blends interactive tutorials, videos and real-world case studies, supplemented with live instructor interaction. "Metrix was thrilled to partner with FP Canada on this innovative project. We collaborated to develop an engaging virtual experience that goes beyond traditional eLearning and in doing so, created a new model for what an effective and modern professional education program can look like," says Jessica Knox, Chief Executive Officer, Metrix. For more information on FP Canada's certification programs and paths to certification visit our website. For more information on Metrix, visit their website. About FP Canada A national professional body working in the public interest, FP Canada is dedicated to championing better financial wellness for all Canadians by leading the advancement of professional financial planning in Canada. There are approximately 21,000 professional financial planners in Canada who, through CFP certification and QAFP certification, meet FP Canada's standards. Learn more at FPCanada.ca. About The FP Canada Institute A division of FP Canada, the FP Canada Institute is dedicated to elevating the practice of financial planning. The FP Canada Institute provides professional education, practice support tools and other resources to financial planners and students to help them meet the needs and expectations of all Canadians seeking financial planning advice from a certified professional. About Metrix Metrix is an award-winning learning & development company that creates high quality custom learning experiences for global Fortune 500 companies across a range of industries including but not limited to Finance, Healthcare, Government, Public and Retail. Metrix supports effective workforce transformations, onboarding, software implementations, and product and service launches by providing curriculum analysis and design, eLearning, (virtual) instructor-led training, mobile, videos and much more. Through a thoughtful combination of experience, innovation, and strategy, Metrix has successfully designed powerful ways to build competitive and empowered workforces for over thirty years. www.metrixgroup.com CFP, Certified Financial Planner and the logo are trademarks owned by Financial Planning Standards Board Ltd. (FPSB) and used under license. All other trademarks are those of FP Canada. 2020 FP Canada. All rights reserved. SOURCE FP Canada For further information: Megan Harman, FP Canada, [email protected]; Jessica Knox, Metrix, [email protected] Related Links https://www.fpcanada.ca/ Grieving relatives of seniors living in Camilla Care Community, a Mississauga long-term-care home, are looking to sue it for $25 million for failing to protect its residents from the deadly COVID-19 virus. At least 68 residents died there from the virus during the pandemics first wave. Filed in Toronto by law firm Thomson Rogers, the lawsuit alleges that Camilla Care, operated by Sienna Senior Living, the class action lawsuit has yet to be certified by a court. It was filed by the estate and family of 93-year-old Mehri Armand, who lived in a room with three other residents and died on May 28 after testing positive for COVID-19. The nursing home, now partnering with Trillium Health Partners, is also the focus of a Peel Regional police investigation into alleged abuse of residents during the spring outbreak On Thursday, Peel police said the investigation is ongoing. Thomson Rogers partner Stephen Birman said his firm has been contacted by several families of Camilla Care residents and is launching the class-action proceedings, because a lot of these families are vulnerable and the residents are vulnerable and probably would not be able to bring claims on their own. In a news release, the law firm alleged that Camilla Care failed to use COVID-19 screening measures for staff, and, once the outbreak began, did not separate infected residents from those who did not yet have the virus. It also alleged that the home failed to give its workers basic personal protective equipment and did not renovate its building to eliminate the four-resident rooms that contributed to the mass spread of the virus. Birman said it usually takes a year to get a class-action lawsuit certified in order to proceed, and, if it succeeds, the claims of each family must be tested in court. Nursing homes across Ontario are the focus of several other class-action lawsuits along with an investigation by Ontario Ombudsman Paul Dube, who is examining the oversight of nursing homes by the provincial Ministry of Long Term Care. This is the fifth class-action lawsuit Thomson Rogers has filed; three are targeting individual Sienna homes: Weston Terrace Community; Woodbridge Vista Care Community, and Altamont Care Community in Scarborough. A Sienna Senior Living spokesperson said, We are aware of the proposed class actions. We are reviewing the claims and intend to respond in due course through the appropriate court processes. At all times, our highest priority is the health and safety of our residents and team members, the spokesperson said in a written statement. We continue to work closely with public health authorities and our healthcare partners to implement all necessary precautions, protocols and directives to protect our residents and team members throughout the pandemic. Reveras Carlingview Manor in Ottawa is also facing a Thomson Rogers class-action lawsuit. In a statement yesterday, Reveras spokesperson said the company will review the matter and respond in an appropriate way at the proper time. Right now, we are focusing our efforts on caring for our residents, protecting our residents and employees from the ongoing pandemic, and preparing for possible future waves of COVID-19. Many of the lawsuits claims against Camilla Care are noted in a June 15 interim report from Trillium Health Partners, which was asked by the ministry to work with Sienna as part of a voluntary agreement, which officially began on May 31. Trillium medical staff had already been helping Camilla, as part of Premier Doug Fords hospital swat teams of volunteers sent into struggling long-term care homes. Trilliums interim report said that residents were left in wet incontinence briefs for extended periods; staff were forceful, rushed and/or aggressive when helping residents eat. Some nursing staff were unaware of how and when to swab residents for COVID-19 testing, the report said. Staff were not proficient in the use of personal protective equipment (PPE). Some were seen caring for COVID-positive residents then going to the nursing station without removing PPE. Others initially wore garbage bags over their clothes and on their feet, the report said. Lawyer Birman said the lawsuit sends the message that many of these homes were completely unprepared for a first wave. He said he hoped the hospital reports and lawsuits will make sure that all steps are in place to prevent these issues being repeated, if there is any sort of second wave. Sienna said the company is making every effort to prepare for a potential second wave with the focus of keeping residents and team members at Camilla safe. Revera said its Donway Place Retirement Residence in Toronto, a retirement home, not a nursing home, has confirmed that one resident and five employees received positive test results for COVID-19 on Sept. 5. Toronto Public Health has tested all residents, with results pending, while remaining staff are in the process of being tested, a spokesperson said. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 10) Guidelines are out on antigen testing for domestic air travelers, a faster alternative to the reliable swab or real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) tests. Inter-Agency Task Force spokesperson Harry Roque on Thursday said IATF Resolution 69 allows the use of antigen tests instead of RT-PCR as a pre-boarding requirement for asymptomatic local tourists. It can also be integrated as part of the requirements before a person can enter the destination as long as a confirmatory antigen testing will be done 3 to 5 days after their arrival. Roque added antigen tests can be used to test domestic tourists who suddenly show flu-like symptoms in instances where there are no available RT-PCR test kits, which remains to be the "gold standard" in detecting the virus. The antigen test works by looking for a unique part of the novel coronavirus, such as a specific protein on one of its namesake "corona" spikes. If that specific protein is present in detectable quantities, then the test will show a positive result. The government previously issued a guideline that rapid antibody testing cannot be used to screen the presence of SARS-CoV-2 as it can only detect if the person has developed antibodies against the virus. The government earlier allowed select areas in Northern Luzon to reopen their doors to domestic travelers. New data released by Iran's major trading partners show a significant drop in Iranian imports, as well as the nations' exports to Iran. The Indian Ministry of Finance shared data Wednesday showing a 23-fold drop in India's imports from Iran in the first seven months of 2020. India imported $3.2 billion of products from Iran in the first seven months of 2019, with that figure dropping to a meager $140 million in the same period in 2020. India's Ministry of Finance also reported that the nation's exports to Iran also fell by 45 percent to $1.575 billion. For the first time, the trade balance between Tehran-New Delhi appears to be to the detriment of Iran, and India's exports to Iran have been eleven times more than its imports to the Islamic Republic. Following China, India was previously Iran's largest oil customer, but has currently not bought any crude oil from Iran since the second half of 2019. India's total imports also nearly halved to $88 billion in the first seven months of 2020, suggesting that India's imports of non-oil products from Iran may have also fallen sharply. Iranian customs have not published detailed statistics on Iran's non-oil foreign trade since March 2019. Still, data released in 2018 shows that Iran's non-oil exports to India totaled more than $2 billion. The decline in Iran's total exports to $140 million in the first seven months of 2020 shows that in addition to the cessation of oil exports, sales of Iranian non-oil goods to India have also fallen sharply. China, Japan, South Korea, and Turkey have also released seven-month trade reports with Iran. For the first time, Iran's seven-month trade balances with all of those nations have been negative. Iran's exports to Turkey dropped from $3 billion to $580 million, and Iran's imports from the nation also fell by 31 percent to $1.12 billion, indicating that Turkey's exports to Iran have been twice more than its imports from its Iranian neighbors. At the same time, Iran's exports to South Korea fell from $2.1 billion to below $7 million, and its imports fell from $282 million to $105 million, showing that Iran's exports to South Korea have become almost non-existent. Iran's exports to Japan also fell from about $1.2 billion to $22 million, though the nation's imports from Japan also increased by 32 percent to $45 million. Before U.S. sanctions were imposed on Iran, Japanese and South Korean exports to Iran were significant. In 2018, South Korea's exports to Iran amounted to $2.3 billion, and Japan's were $725 million. As Iran's largest trading partner, China still maintains a large trade volume with Iran, but Iran's seven-month exports to China also fell 61 percent to $ 3.5 billion. Iran's imports from China decreased by six percent during the same period to $5.12 billion. Moscow is also one of Tehran's major trade partners, but Russian customs reported only four-month trade figures related to Iran in May. Cuba and Iran are the only countries that the Russian report is silent about concerning their annual trade with Moscow. Based on the report, Iran imported $542 million of Russian products and exported$ 205 million of commodities to Russia over four years. Since then, Russian customs have removed Iran from its foreign trade list altogether and have not released any data on Iran in its new reports. The European Union has so far released six-month statistics on trade with Iran, which does not show much change compared with the first half of 2019, but indicates a sharp drop compared with the same period in 2018. Afghanistan, Iraq, and the United Arab Emirates are also among Iran's major trade partners but have not released figures related to Iran in 2020. Many households in a Mid-Autumn Festival toy making village have seen a sharp fall in their income due to being affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. At this time of previous years, Ong Hao Village in the northern province of Hung Yen used to be busy for the production of Mid-Autumn toys. Lots of households even have to work overnight to meet the demand. A product for the Mid-Autumn festival in Ong Hao Village However, the situation is different this year as the drop in orders caused local household incomes to decrease by 50-70%. The village has been known for making traditional toys for hundreds of years. Initially, the products are major drums, but later, more products are made. Toys made in Ong Hao Village have been available nationwide. Vu Huy Linh whose family is among the oldest drum producers in the village said that currently, he has repainting drums which have not yet been sold. In previous years, our familys workshop was extremely busy preparing for the coming Full Moon Festival. But this year, we have almost not had any orders, he said. According to Linh, his family sold around 10,000 drums priced at VND30,000-100,000 each, depending on different kinds. This meant that he earned a profit of VND5,000-10,000 each. But the figure is merely 2,000 drums. Vu Huy Dongs family is in the same situation as a large number of paper marks is still waiting for customers. Formerly, his workshop provided a monthly income of VND4-5 million per worker. Dong is creating masks These losses are quite big as many households prepared materials from last year. Despite the challenges, villagers try to preserve the traditional craft with the strong belief that when the Mid-Autumn Festival comes, they will still have chances to live. I wont abandon the craft which I have been living with for four decades. Three generations in his family have been involved in this, Linh noted. He always reminds his children of preserving the traditional toy production. Households in a Mid-Autumn Festival toy making village have seen a sharp fall in their income due to being affected by the Covid-19 pandemic Nguyet Van Miet, head of the village, said that previously, 50% of local households made traditional toys, but the number has sharply fallen because many people turned to work for industrial parks. Meanwhile, the villages products have to compete with Chinese toys. The village welcomed thousands of visitors per month in the previous time, but now just a modest number. We hoped authorities would have measures to support us amid difficulties due to the pandemic, he said. Dtinews Consumer Reports has no financial relationship with advertisers on this site. Hyundai added an additional 471,000 Tucson SUVs to an existing recall related to vehicle fires, and warned owners to park their cars outside and away from structures until repairs can be made. The new list of recalled vehicleswhich now includes Hyundai Tucson SUVs from the 2016 through 2021 model yearsadds to a campaign announced in September 2020 because problems with the antilock braking system (ABS) could cause a fire. Kia recalled the 2019 Stinger sedan for a similar problem in September as well, and also said affected vehicles should also be parked outside until they are fixed. Both Hyundai and Kiawhich share parts and suppliershave issued multiple recalls in recent years that include more than 2.5 million vehicles that may be at risk of catching fire. Hyundai is the parent company for the two brands. Recalls should always be taken seriously, especially when there is a potential for a vehicle fire, says Jake Fisher, senior director of Consumer Reports Auto Test Center. Consumers cant risk putting this one off, and should have their vehicles repaired as soon as a fix is available. Hyundai spokesman Michael Stewart told Consumer Reports that the Tucson recall is unrelated to a different ABS-related recall issued in 2020. The automaker is aware of 12 engine compartment fires, one crash, and no injuries related to the September recall. Stewart says there are no reports of additional property damage, injuries, or crashes related to the recall expansion. In addition to parking the Tucson outside, Stewart told CR that owners should take these important precautions if the ABS warning light illuminates on the dashboard. Do not drive the vehicle. Contact your local Hyundai dealer. Disconnect the vehicles 12-volt battery while it is waiting to be serviced. Make sure to remove the negative battery cable first. Ask your Hyundai dealer for a loaner vehicle if necessary. Story continues In September, a Kia spokesman told CR that it identified six instances of fires in Stinger sedans, none of which led to crashes or injuries. Previous recalls related to fire risk in Hyundai and Kia vehicles involved brake fluid leaks, faulty oil pans, fuel leaks, oil leaks, and engine problems. In addition, the Hyundai Elantra was previously recalled for a different problem related to its ABS sensor. After more than 3,000 reports of fires and a petition from the Center for Auto Safety, an advocacy group, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration launched an investigation into Hyundai and Kia vehicles that use a four-cylinder engine design that both companies share. (This engine, the Theta II, is not used in the Stinger.) There is a class-action lawsuit related to the fires as well. If any vehicle you are driving catches fire, heres what to do, according to experts CR has consulted with. First, pull over and shut off the engine. This stops the flow of fuel. Get yourself and your passengers out of the car as quickly as possible. Make sure to stay a significant distance away100 to 150 feet or moreand never go back into the vehicle to retrieve personal property, advises the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Call 911 or have another motorist make the call to get emergency services on their way as soon as possible. Attempt to put out the fire only if you have clear access to the source, have a suitable fire extinguisher, know how to use it correctly, and can maintain a safe distance from the car. Only use an extinguisher approved for Class B or Class C fires; a label on the extinguisher will identify which kind of fire its suitable for. Never open the hood or trunk if you suspect theres a fire there; the additional air flowing in could cause the fire to enlarge. Be aware of your surroundings. Never stand on an active roadway. If youre parked by the side of the road, stay far behind the vehicle to avoid being hit if another car strikes your vehicle. The Details Vehicles recalled: Hyundai Tucson SUVs from the 2016 through 2021 model years, and Kia Stinger sedans manufactured from June 21, 2018, through July 9, 2019. The problem: In Hyundai vehicles, a defective circuit board within the ABS system may short-circuit, which could cause a fire. In a statement to NHTSA, the automaker said this may be related to a quality-control problem from the supplier that manufactured the circuit board. Kia is still investigating the cause of fires in Stinger sedans, but it may be related to a problem with the hydraulic electronic control unit. The fix: Hyundai dealers will replace faulty ABS modules free of charge. Kia is working on a fix for Stinger vehicles. How to contact the manufacturer: Owners of vehicles newly added to the recall will be notified via first-class mail by Hyundai in late February 2021. Other vehicle owners should have already been notified. Owners of affected vehicles may call Hyundai at 800-633-5151 or Kia at 800-333-4542. NHTSA campaign number: The campaign number for Hyundai vehicles is 20V543. The campaign number for Kia vehicles is 20V518. Check to see whether your vehicle has an open recall: NHTSAs website will tell you whether your vehicle has any open recalls that need to be addressed. If you plug your cars 17-digit vehicle identification number (VIN) into NHTSAs website and a recall doesnt appear, it means your vehicle doesnt currently have any open recalls. Because automakers issue recalls often, and for many older vehicles, we recommend checking back regularly to see whether your vehicle has had a recall issued. Coronavirus cases in Connecticut are on the rise. Three separate metrics used for calculating the spread of COVID-19 in Connecticut are showing increases slight increases, but possibly the beginning of a worrying trend. This is going in the wrong direction in a mild way, said Scott Roberts, associate medical director for infection prevention at Yale Medical Center. Its kind of unclear if are we at the start of a second wave, which were all anticipating. And it is possible. Three individual metrics the number of new cases, the percentage of tests that are positive and the transmission rate are all showing the state moving in the wrong direction, though nowhere near the levels seen in April. This is showing once again, COVID is not done, COVID is not behind us, said Lamont administration spokesman Max Reiss. The more people going to a lot more events where people are congregating, the more the disease is going to spread. On Thursday the state announced a seven-day rolling average of 126 new cases. That average was 111 on Wednesday and 69 on Tuesday. The state said Friday that an average of 1.1 percent of all coronavirus tests came back positive, increasing for the third day in a row. The positivity rate crossed the 1 percent threshold on Thursday, which it had not reached since August 3. The disease transmission rate, as tracked by website RT.live, is at 1.07 in the state, meaning that, on average, every individual patient is passing the virus on to more than one other person. The transmission rate has been slowly but steadily rising in Connecticut since early August. The start of college in Connecticut could have something to do with the increases. Theres been a lot of incraased testing in age groups where there may be higher positivity rates, Roberts said. Many younger patients are asymptomatic, and its possible that with the ramp-up in testing among students, more COVID-19 cases are being discovered. In fact, the majority of new coronavirus cases in Connecticut are among college-age residents, particularly those aged 20 to 29, according to data released Thursday by the state There is a lot more testing going on among student populations, according to Reiss, though he said, we cant say its just statistics. Several colleges have reported positive coronavirus cases since the start of the Fall semester, most notably UConn, which has logged a total of 109 positive cases, as of Thursday. Sacred Heart University said Friday that there had been a total of 31 positive cases. Nearby Fairfield University said Thursday that there have been seven cases since the start of the semester. Central Connecticut University announced Wednesday four new cases and 17 people in quarantine. Dr. Anthony Fauci, perhaps the nations best-known infectious disease expert, told MSNBC on Friday that the data is troubling nationwide. "When you have a baseline of infections that are 40,000 a day and you have threats of increased test positivity in certain regions, he said. What we don't want to see is going into the fall season, you don't want to start off already with a baseline that's so high. Irans electricity grid will be connected with Russia and Azerbaijan in a few months, once grid compatibility studies are completed, Irans Energy Minister Reza Ardakanian said on Friday. Irans power grid could be linked and synchronized to connect with other grids either via Azerbaijan or via Armenia and Georgia, Ardakanian said, as reported by Iranian Fars news agency. Iran welcomes either of the two routes which gets ready first, Fars quoted minister Ardakanian as saying. Iran, Azerbaijan, and Russia have agreed to set up a company which has already started working on the project to link Irans grid to Russia via Azerbaijan, he added. The idea of connecting Irans power grid with Russia via Azerbaijan was first aired in March 2019, when Ardakanian met with the then Azerbaijani minister of economy and industry, Shahin Mustafayev, in Tehran. We are considering plans for connecting the country's power grid to Russia through the Republic of Azerbaijan, which will help synchronize Irans power system with that of Russia, the Iranian minister said back then. Iran and Russia are looking to boost their energy cooperation, including via joint projects, the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) reported earlier this week after Iranian Ambassador to Russia, Kazem Jalali, held a meeting to discuss the future energy cooperation with Russian Deputy Energy Minister Anatoly Tikhonov. A day later, Tikhonov was detained at a pre-trial detention center in Russia pending a trial over his alleged involvement in embezzlement of US$8 million (603 million Russian rubles), news agency TASS reported on Wednesday. Tikhonov, who is one of eight deputy ministers of Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak, has held the deputy minister post since the summer of 2019. Tikhonov and other people were detained for two months until November 8 and are charged with fraud. Lawyers for Tikhonov say that the charge was an attempt to discredit the ministrys top officials, TASS reported. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump bestowed the Medal of Honor on a U.S. soldier Friday, calling him one of the bravest men anywhere in the world for his role in a daring 2015 missio n to rescue dozens of hostages who were set to be executed by Islamic State militants in Iraq. Trump picked the 19th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks to honour Sgt. Maj. Thomas Patrick Payne, who negotiated a barrage of enemy gunfire and repeatedly entered a burning building in a harrowing effort that saved more than 70 hostages. The president said that Payne, who was in high school on 9-11, and his classmates learned about the attacks on the United States from a teacher who solemnly relayed what had happened. In that moment, Pat was called to action, Trump said. He knew that his country needed him. Trump highlighted Paynes small-town America upbringing and his familys commitment to public service. The soldier grew up in Batesburg-Leesville and Lugoff, South Carolina. His wife Alison is a nurse, his father a police officer, and his two brothers serve in the Army and Air Force. Payne, 36, was assigned to lead a team clearing one of two buildings known to house hostages in a nighttime operation in the northern Iraq province of Kirkuk. The Oct. 22, 2015, raid quickly became complicated. Kurdish forces working with U.S. troops attempted to blast a hole in the compounds outer wall, but the blast failed. The explosion alerted the ISIS militants, who opened fire on the Kurdish forces. Payne, a sergeant first class at the time of the mission, and his unit climbed over a wall to enter the prison compound. The soldiers quickly cleared one of the two buildings. Once inside the building, the unit encountered enemy resistance. The team used bolt cutters to break the locks off the prison doors, freeing 38 hostages, according to the White House. Moments later, an urgent call over the radio came from other task force members engaged in an intense gun fight at the second building. Between 10 to 20 Army soldiers, including Payne and Master Sgt. Joshua L. Wheeler, headed toward the second building that was partially on fire. Kurdish commandos were pinned down by the gunfire. Wheeler was shot and killed, the first American killed in action since the U.S. launched renewed military intervention in Iraq against the Islamic State in 2014. Twenty ISIS fighters also were killed in the operation. Payne called his fellow soldiers actions on that day awe-inspiring. It makes me proud to be an American, he said. Their legacies live on in this Medal of Honor. The team scaled a ladder onto the roof of the one-story building under machine-gun fire. From their roof-top vantage, the commandos engaged the enemy with hand grenades and small arms fire, according to an official account. At that point, ISIS fighters began to detonate their suicide vests, causing the roof to shake, Payne said in a statement. ISIS fighters continued to exchange gunfire with the commandos as they entered the building. Once the door was kicked opened, both American and Kurdish commandos escorted dozens more hostages out of the burning building. Payne reentered the building two more times to ensure every hostage was freed. He had to forcibly remove one of the hostages who was too frightened to move. Payne joined the Army in 2002 as an infantryman and quickly made his way into the Rangers. He has deployed several times to combat zones as a member of the 75th Ranger Regiment and in various positions with the U.S. Army Special Operations Command. He was initially given the Armys second-highest award, the Distinguished Service Cross, for the special operations raid, which was upgraded to a Medal of Honor. Payne received a Purple Heart for a wound sustained in a 2010 mission in Afghanistan. The ceremony was held as Trump is still dealing with the fallout of an article published by The Atlantic earlier this month, citing anonymous sources, that Trump in private called captured troops losers and suckers and denigrated military service. Trump and aides have denied the allegations. Trump has previously publicly denigrated the late Sen. John McCain, who spent more than five years as a prisoner of war, as a loser and not a war hero. Fridays Medal of Honor ceremony for Payne was announced prior to the publication of The Atlantic article. ___ Madhani reported from Chicago. AP writer James Laporta contributed to this report from Delray Beach, Florida. The big shareholder groups in Pinnacle West Capital Corporation (NYSE:PNW) have power over the company. Institutions often own shares in more established companies, while it's not unusual to see insiders own a fair bit of smaller companies. Companies that used to be publicly owned tend to have lower insider ownership. Pinnacle West Capital is a pretty big company. It has a market capitalization of US$8.0b. Normally institutions would own a significant portion of a company this size. Taking a look at our data on the ownership groups (below), it seems that institutions are noticeable on the share registry. We can zoom in on the different ownership groups, to learn more about Pinnacle West Capital. See our latest analysis for Pinnacle West Capital What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About Pinnacle West Capital? 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 Pinnacle West Capital. This suggests some credibility amongst professional investors. But we can't rely on that fact alone since institutions make bad investments sometimes, just like everyone does. When multiple institutions own a stock, there's always a risk that they are in a 'crowded trade'. When such a trade goes wrong, multiple parties may compete to sell stock fast. This risk is higher in a company without a history of growth. You can see Pinnacle West Capital's historic earnings and revenue below, but keep in mind there's always more to the story. Investors should note that institutions actually own more than half the company, so they can collectively wield significant power. Pinnacle West Capital is not owned by hedge funds. The company's largest shareholder is The Vanguard Group, Inc., with ownership of 12%. Meanwhile, the second and third largest shareholders, hold 9.6% and 5.6%, of the shares outstanding, respectively. Story continues Looking at the shareholder registry, we can see that 50% of the ownership is controlled by the top 15 shareholders, meaning that no single shareholder has a majority interest in the ownership. Researching institutional ownership is a good way to gauge and filter a stock's expected performance. The same can be achieved by studying analyst sentiments. There are plenty of analysts covering the stock, so it might be worth seeing what they are forecasting, too. Insider Ownership Of Pinnacle West Capital The definition of an insider can differ slightly between different countries, but members of the board of directors always count. 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 information suggests that Pinnacle West Capital Corporation insiders own under 1% of the company. It is a very large company, so it would be surprising to see insiders own a large proportion of the company. Though their holding amounts to less than 1%, we can see that board members collectively own US$20m worth of shares (at current prices). Arguably recent buying and selling is just as important to consider. You can click here to see if insiders have been buying or selling. General Public Ownership The general public, with a 14% stake in the company, will not easily be ignored. While this size of ownership may not be enough to sway a policy decision in their favour, they can still make a collective impact on company policies. Next Steps: While it is well worth considering the different groups that own a company, there are other factors that are even more important. For instance, we've identified 1 warning sign for Pinnacle West Capital that you should be aware of. Ultimately the future is most important. You can access this free report on analyst forecasts for the company. NB: Figures in this article are calculated using data from the last twelve months, which refer to the 12-month period ending on the last date of the month the financial statement is dated. This may not be consistent with full year annual report figures. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com. It was the first post I read on Monday when I logged onto Facebook. If youve never had the Supreme Court decide if you have the same rights as others, you have privilege. Ive read a great deal about privilege, particularly white privilege, but had never seen the subject addressed with such clarity and succinctness. I immediately began reviewing some of the most significant Supreme Court decisions in American history decisions that we applaud as well as those we deplore. The Supreme Courts 1857 decision in the Dred Scott case would have had no impact on me as a white American, had I been living at that time. Dred Scott, born into slavery, was taken by his owner to Illinois and the Wisconsin Territory, where slavery was illegal. He filed a lawsuit in the St. Louis Circuit Court in 1846. Scott demanded his freedom based on two Missouri statutes: a person of any race could sue for false imprisonment; and a slave taken to a free state or territory became free and couldnt be re-enslaved. Lower court rejections compelled Scott to appeal to the Supreme Court. The high court ruled against Scott by a 7-2 vote. Writing for the majority, Chief Justice Roger Taney stated that Scott had no right to sue for his freedom since blacks werent citizens of the United States. Indeed, a perpetual and impassable barrier existed to separate the white race and the one which they had reduced to slavery. Slaves remained slaves, even when their owners took them into states and territories that had outlawed slavery. The Civil Rights Act of 1875 was sponsored by radical Republicans Sen. Charles Sumner and Rep. Benjamin Butler. It was passed by Congress and signed into law by President U.S. Grant. The measure outlawed racial discrimination in public accommodations and public transportation. The Supreme Court in 1883 ruled 8-1 that sections of the act were unconstitutional. The federal government, the court decided, lacked the authority to forbid racial discrimination practiced by private individuals. The Supreme Court yet again reduced the rights of black Americans with its 1896 ruling in Plessy v. Ferguson. Louisiana, a former Confederate state, in 1890 implemented a law that required equal but separate accommodations for black and white train passengers. Homer Plessy. in the language of that era, was an octoroon, which meant that he was one-eighth black. Plessy deliberately violated this law for the purpose of having it declared unconstitutional when his case went to court. He lost the case, however, and his conviction was upheld by the Louisiana Supreme Court. The U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear Plessys case but also ruled against him. Racial segregation in the United States now had judicial legitimacy. The sole dissenting vote on the Supreme Court was cast by John Marshall Harlan, who argued that Our constitution is color-blind. He predicted that one day the Plessy v. Ferguson ruling would be regarded as pernicious as the Dred Scott decision. Harlan had also cast the sole dissenting vote in 1883 when the Supreme Court struck down the Civil Rights Act of 1875. These three decisions attacked the rights of black Americans. A landmark 1954 decision, however, expanded their rights. In Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, the court unanimously ruled that racial segregation in public schools is unconstitutional. We conclude that in the field of public education the doctrine of separate but equal has no place. Separate educational facilities are inherently unequal, the court stated in handing down its ruling. The Supreme Court in 1973 ruled in Roe v. Wade that women possess the right to reproductive freedom of choice. In the 2015 case of Obergefell v. Hodges, the Court decided that same-gender couples have the right to marry. But have I as a white, straight, native-born American, ever had my rights determined by a Supreme Court decision? Yes, in 2015 when the Court upheld Obamacare, which at that time provided me with health insurance. And make no mistake access to quality healthcare is indeed a right for all Americans. John J. Dunphy is an author, the Godfrey 15th Precinct Democratic Committeeperson and recording secretary for the Godfrey Democrats. STONEWALL The Oak Hammock Marsh Interpretive Centre is to be renamed for the MLA who championed turning a patch of wetland and tall grass prairie into a welcoming place for the public to experience nature. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 10/9/2020 (497 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. STONEWALL The Oak Hammock Marsh Interpretive Centre is to be renamed for the MLA who championed turning a patch of wetland and tall grass prairie into a welcoming place for the public to experience nature. The 27-year-old facility will be rebranded the Harry J. Enns Wetland Discovery Centre, to honour the legacy of the late MLA (PC, Lakeside, 1966-2003) who worked with Ducks Unlimited Canada to push for its development. "Oak Hammock is one of Manitoba's most popular wildlife areas, and the interpretive centre attracts more than 100,000 visitors every year," Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister said Thursday at a news conference outside the facility, with Enns' family in attendance and geese honking overhead. "This was a highlight of his career," said Andrew Enns. He recalled his father (1931-2010), who served as both natural resources and agriculture minister, talking about the changing nature of agriculture and what it meant for the urbanization of society. "He grew up in an era when he was a kid that, even though you lived in Winnipeg, you always had a relative who had a farm and you spent time on the farm and you spent time in nature," Enns said. "For more and more Canadians, getting out of the city and getting into the countryside and experiencing what it can offer, it's not an easy task. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. "Dad had the foresight to know that centres like these would only increase in importance over time" and there would be lasting benefits," he said. "It provides that access to people who wouldn't otherwise be able to experience all that goes on in a marsh, a slough, or a prairie and, as a result, perhaps change behaviours in order to preserve and protect these places in the future." Along with a new name, Pallister hailed an exemplary "public-private partnership" in announcing a $6-million endowment fund with the Interlake Community Foundation, replacing the centre's annual provincial operating grant. The endowment will provide consistent funding (around $270,000 a year) to the interpretive centre that was also promised $1.5 million in upgrades from the province earlier this year. "The building behind me is the key that unlocks the wonder of these wild spaces, making them accessible and relatable to people all over the world," Karla Guyn, chief executive officer of Ducks Unlimited Canada, said in front of the centre. "It's an ecological gem nestled among some of the last tall grass prairie habitats in Manitoba and surrounded by the tranquil waters of an internationally important wetland." carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca In 1920, Warren Harding won the presidential election promising a return to normalcy. This followed the turbulence of World War I, the Spanish flu epidemic, and Senate rejection of the League of Nations. But when Harding died 2 years later, his successor, Calvin Coolidge, clarified the meaning of normalcy by declaring: The chief business of America is business. Flash forward 100 years. Joe Biden is running on a similar pledge of normalcy, but if Biden wins, our nation must resist any return to the same old business as usual. After all, it was our already deteriorated political norms that had helped produce a President Trump in the first place. Foremost is reforming our severely flawed campaign finance system that undergirds most D.C. gridlock and stalls most issues save those that benefit moneyed interests. For examples, look no further than every defense appropriations bill and the unanimous 2016 vote that defanged Drug Enforcement Agency power at the height of the opioid crisis. Of course if Biden wins, hell have quite a to-do list cleaning up after Trump. Theres recovering from COVID-19, repairing our damaged federal institutions, and closing the many loopholes Trump exposed and exploited. But even though Biden will have raised and spent more than $1 billion on his presidential campaign, I actually can still see him taking up campaign finance in earnest. This is because Bidens age (78 on Nov. 20) will make him even more eager than most new presidents to quickly pass legacy legislation that cements his name in history. Uniquely fitting this bill would be a constitutional amendment that finally fixes key flaws in our elections that the U.S. Supreme Court has either refused to change or made worse with bad rulings ranging from Citizens United to corporate personhood to gerrymandering. Plus, no potential legacy-making legislation can approach the vast public support of campaign finance reform. According to a 2018 University of Maryland poll, 88% of voters say reducing big-donor influence is important. Further, this high figure stayed constant in both very red or very blue districts. So if Democrats reclaim the Senate, Biden could leverage this and post-Trump hunger for reform in his first year. This is what happened with passage of Obamacare in 2013, Trumps 2017 tax cuts, and Clintons 1993 budget plan. But unlike those votes, an amendment will require two-thirds of both chambers of Congress. To help attract Republican support, Biden should invoke the memory of John McCain, whose Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 (a.k.a. McCain-Feingold) was D.C.s last (failed) attempt to save our federal system from its own rapacity. Key is proposing a truly nonpartisan amendment with no partisan poison pills. For example, corporate and union donations must be equally banned. I proposed just such a constitutional amendment when I ran earlier this year for Congress in Californias 7th District. Its key elements are, first, to limit all federal candidates to donations only from individuals eligible to vote for them. This would mean U.S. House candidates could raise money only from voters within their district, and Senate candidates from voters in their state. This would effectively end all donations from PACs, corporations and rich outside donors, and return voters to their rightful central place in our representative democracy. It should also eliminate about 80% of money from our elections, allowing more candidates to run who are more interested in public service than dialing far and wide for campaign dollars. Second, the amendment must end all dark money by overturning the abominable 2010 Citizens United ruling. This can be done by declaring: Corporations are not people in any legal sense, Political donations are not free speech and can be regulated, and Media and social media outlets cannot run or host any political ads from groups lacking a transparent, accessible donor list or any political ads from non-candidate third parties within 30 days of the start of balloting. The amendment should also reform other long-needed corrections related to gerrymandering, length of campaigns and out-of-control advertising in support of Supreme Court nominations. (See full amendment details at FreeTheVote.com.) The possibility for Biden backing this approach recently increased when he announced support for making election day a federal holiday. Including this in an Elections Reform Constitutional Amendment would be one more way to recommit our nation to its democratic ideals. For this alone, history would smile brightly on Biden for more than just returning the federal government to pre-Trump normalcy. A President Biden will have helped save American democracy for the ages. Sacramento-based Jeff Burdick founded FreeTheVote.com in 2019. Imagine that memorable scene from The Godfather II with me playing Michael Corleone and Vice President Mike Pence cast as Fredo. I approach No. 2, hug him and whisper: Mike, you broke my heart. And for what? Ambition? A politician is led astray by his or her quest for a bigger title. There is no bigger cliche. What a waste. At the heart of the betrayal was a single issue: immigration. Of course, were not talking about just any run-of-the-mill issue. The immigration debate is thorny, divisive and highly charged. There are unlikely alliances, unpredictable obstacles and undercurrents of racism. Whats more, both parties lie to their constituents, pretending to pursue policies they have no intention of pushing. Republicans talk as if they want to deport undocumented workers even if it upends the business community that supports them, while Democrats trick Latinos into thinking theyd like to welcome more of them into the citizenry even if it upsets their core constituency of working-class white voters. The whole debate is one big con. Now, I think Pence conned me. One of the things that the immigration issue has going for it is that it reveals character and shows others whether you have any to reveal. At the recent Republican National Convention, the issue made its way into Pences speech when he accepted the GOP nomination for vice president. Joe Biden is for open borders, sanctuary cities, and free lawyers and health care for illegal immigrants, Pence said Good luck arguing that case, Mike. On immigration, Biden is a boring moderate. He doesnt want an open border. In fact, he has often voted to fortify it. That includes his vote in favor of the 2006 Secure Fence Act, which authorized the construction of 700 miles of border fencing. Later, when Biden served as vice president, he sat silently by as President Barack Obama devastated the immigrant community in the United States by deporting record numbers of people, separating families, caging children and removing refugees without access to lawyers and other forms of due process. Pences fearmongering takes me back almost 15 years. Thats when I started writing about Pence, who was then a third-term congressman from Indiana. I interviewed him several times about his stab at immigration reform. In 2006, Pence was himself attacked by anti-immigration hard-liners. Then-House Judiciary Committee Chairman James Sensenbrenner who authored a bill that made it a crime to help an undocumented immigrant remain in the United States dismissed Pence as having all these bright ideas that would never work. Rep. Tom Tancredo, R-Colo. who was at the time one of the most overtly nativist members of Congress accused Pence of pushing a miniamnesty. It would be a crime to assist an undocumented immigrant to remain in the United States knowing or in reckless disregard of the fact that such person is an alien who lacks lawful authority to reside in or remain in the United States. All because Pence dared to come up with a comprehensive immigration reform bill that was as creative as it was controversial. At the core of the controversy was the thorny question of what to do with the millions of undocumented immigrants in this country who prop up portions of the U.S. economy. Rather than simply try to deport them all and watch most of them come back, Pence devised a way for those people to remain in the United States. The key was for the undocumented to humble themselves and acknowledge they did something wrong by coming here illegally or overstaying a visa. If they did that, Pence reasoned, fair-minded conservatives would go along with the concept of allowing these people to stay put. Pence recruited as an ally Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas and used her input to refine his idea. The Hutchison-Pence bill which dropped in July 2006 required undocumented immigrants in the United States to briefly return to their home country and register for work visas with the eventual opportunity to become U.S. citizens. Back then, and for the next decade, whenever I was asked who my favorite politician was, Pence was always near the top of the list. Thats because I admire in elected officials three things that not many of them have: courage, character and a willingness to fight it out with members of ones own tribe. Unfortunately, that was Old Pence. That was the one who, as the governor of Indiana during the 2016 Republican primary, had nothing nice to say about Donald Trump and endorsed Sen. Ted Cruz. New Pence had to turn himself inside out when he hitched his wagon to Trump, who rewarded the Hoosier by making him his second-in-command when he became president. Trust me. Old Pence would not have liked New Pence. ruben@rubennavarrette.com All eyes are on the meeting between Indian external affairs minister S Jaishankar and his Chinese counterpart on September 10 in Moscow, nevertheless, it has increasingly become clear over the past few weeks that the two countries are preparing for a long-drawn standoff in Eastern Ladakh. Despite multiple rounds of military and diplomatic talks between India and China, the disengagement and de-escalation process along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) appears to have stalled. In fact, the last few days of August and early September witnessed renewed jostling along Pangong Tso, one of the sites where India says the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) had advanced in April-May to change the status quo. The spike in tensions at Pangong Tso came after nearly two months of talks leading to little material change in the ground situation. In that time, the rhetoric from Beijing had been positive, but this did not translate into actions on the ground. This approach, at best, reflects a willful denial of the changed bilateral circumstances after the Galwan Valley clashes and, at worst, a complete lack of understanding about the mood in India. For the Indian government, restoration of the status quo ante in Eastern Ladakh is not just a critical military objective but also a political imperative. One can view Indian ambassador Vikram Misris recent outreach to officials from Chinas Central Military Commission and Foreign Affairs Commission in this context. Nevertheless, it appears that neither have these meetings nor have the punitive economic measures or posturing by New Delhi forced a rethink in Beijing. What complicates the situation further is the opacity around the political objective that the Chinese leadership aims to achieve through this standoff, because, at present, it appears that Beijing has made minor tactical gains in exchange for strategic losses. The question that then arises is how well is the PLA positioned to deal with such a situation. In our assessment, organisational and structural reforms carried out over the past few years along with new equipment development have enhanced the PLAs capacity to hold the fort. Chinese troops could continue to hold the territories that they have encroached upon, with logistics, supplies, equipment maintenance, and the weather being the key challenges. In fact, given the infrastructure development on the Chinese side and equipment availability, the PLA might enjoy a relative advantage in this context. For instance, former Indian army generals have written about the PLA troops at the LAC being fresher during patrols because they travel in centrally-heated vehicles. However, an exchange of hostilities and the broadening of the stand-off into multiple theatres will present formidable challenges for the Chinese forces. Chinese troop strength and firepower Reports say that China continues to deploy at least 40,000 troops in the front and rear areas in the Eastern Ladakh sector. Over the past three months, it has also built semi-permanent structures at some of the disputed sites. The Indian army has reportedly mirrored such deployments. If the stand-off proceeds well into the winter, both sides will face challenges of maintaining deployments. The PLA could further augment troop numbers if needed, but this will come with its own set of complexities. First, multiple assessments have noted that the total troop strength for Chinas Western Theatre Command (WTC), which is responsible for the Sino-Indian border, is around 2,30,000. This includes 70,000 troops from the Xinjiang Military District and 40,000-50,000 from the Tibet Military District. But total strength does not imply deployable strength. WTC is not just responsible for the Sino-Indian border but also maintains vigil along Chinas boundaries with Central Asian countries. Besides, it is also home to Chinas two most politically sensitive and unstable regions: Xinjiang and Tibet. Here, the PLA supports the work of the Peoples Armed Police in maintaining social stability. Thus, WTCs total strength cannot be deployed in entirety for an Indian contingency along the LAC in the short term. In case of a long-drawn stand-off, reinforcements to WTC would most likely come from Chinas Central Theatre Command (CTC) and strategic reserve forces. Notably, since the implementation of Xi Jinpings military reforms, troops from Chinas Southern and Eastern Theatre Commands have also undertaken occasional exercises on the Tibet plateau. This will likely hold them in good stead if needed on the Indian border. But, one swallow does not make a summer. This process of deployment from other theatres will be challenging. These soldiers will require at least 10 to 14 days of acclimatisation before being deployable and combat-ready. This is because CTC and Southern Theatre Command forces are largely based along the plains of the Yellow and Yangtze Rivers. Deployment on the Tibet plateau with tougher climatic conditions, therefore, cannot be immediate without acclimatisation. More importantly, the PLA does not have a rotational policy at junior officer-level. For instance, if a soldier starts in Eastern Theatre Command (ETC), then it is most likely that he would be a part of that theatre command throughout his career, except in case of contingencies or during occasional military exercises and drills. Yet, some recent changes, like bringing the Qinghai region under WTC, which was earlier with erstwhile Lanzhou Military Region, have enhanced opportunities for acclimatisation and training of reserve forces. Besides, the PLAs strategic airlift capability, which is still developing, has improved over time, enabling the airlift at least a division in 24 hours. More importantly, the use of civilian resources due to improved infrastructure along the LAC on the Chinese side has also boosted the PLAs mobility. In terms of firepower, since the Doklam crisis, newer weaponry like the T-15 tanks, the PCL 181 towed howitzers, the GJ-2 advanced attack drones and the Z-20 multi-utility rotary-wing have been deployed with the WTC. Some of these were specially manufactured for operating in the Tibetan plateau region for an Indian contingency. Besides this new equipment, the WTC commands around 160 fighter aircraft and surveillance and attack drones. The aircraft range from the J-10s, J-11s, J-16s to Su-27s, among others. As of now, there have been no reports of the Su-35s being deployed at forward bases facing India. However, the H-6 strategic bombers, whose jurisdiction went to CTC from WTC during the recent reforms, are reportedly deployed with Chinas forward bases facing India. These were also deployed in the frontline bases during the 2017 Doklam stand-off. Under the current circumstances, both China and India have made significant deployments to ensure that a stalemate continues for an extended period. Yet, the possibility of escalation cannot be ruled out. This, however, will depend on events on the ground along with the changing incentives of each side. (Manoj Kewalramani and Suyash Desai are with the China Studies Programme at the Takshashila Institution) Disclaimer: The views expressed above are the authors' own. They do not necessarily reflect the views of DH. The Israeli army said Sept. 7 that it will halt training in an olive grove in the Upper Galilee region. The ancient grove cultivated for many years by disabled Israel Defense Forces (IDF) veteran Ilan Rona is adjacent to a Golani Brigade firing range. Usually, the drills are kept within a strict parameter, but two weeks ago, a firing drill by a Golani unit spilled over into the grove, sparking a bushfire and damaging olive trees 100 years old. Workers at the grove said that the spill two weeks ago was not the first time that ammunition found its way into the plantation. In fact, it has almost become a habit for them to pick up cast bullets, grenade launchers and other military debris that lies scattered in the area. Dozens of olive tree trunks have been damaged, and some of the old trees have bullet holes. Two trees are completely broken. "Once it became clear that the training in the new perimeter caused damage in the olive groves adjacent to the firing ranges, the IDF northern command prohibited exercises in this perimeter. These days, the northern command is busy regulating the ensemble of firing ranges vis-a-vis the authorities and vis-a-vis the Israel Land Authority. We deeply regret the damaged caused to Mr. Rona and his family. We will do our outmost to prevent fires and damaging nature, including in firing ranges," the army stated. The olive grove story is unusual, but the friction between the army and civilians in farmlands and in nature reserves happens on a daily basis. In most cases, like the Upper Galilee olive grove, a solution or a compromise is reached, at some point. But there are also cases where activists are forced to conduct long campaigns to protect ecological-sensitive areas. Gilad Gabay, southern region director of the Israel Nature and Parks Authority, told Al-Monitor that Israel is a small and crowded country, which is why land use requires constant compromises. "There are about 3 million dunams of nature lands that are also used by the army. A point of friction that requires daily dialogue and cooperation. That's why the IDF and the Nature and Parks Authority have signed several years ago a covenant that sets the rules for military exercises and military infrastructure. For instance, in an area we consider sensitive in terms of landscape and ecological system, tanks and heavy machinery wont be allowed only pedestrian training." Gabay explained that these rules also apply to the IDF air force. "Some of the rare birds in Israel are very sensitive to strong sounds and to air shocks. At the authority, we have specific maps that indicate where eagles and vultures are nesting in order to regulate where and at which altitude fighter jets can fly. In some areas, IDF jets are instructed not to fly too low, so as not scare the eagles and make them abandon their nests." Most of these sensitive areas are located in the south of Israel. But recent tensions in the north with Hezbollah have generated massive presence of the army near the borders with Syria and Lebanon. Thus, IDF infrastructure projects in the region are becoming more and more a source of conflict between the army and local naturalists. The army is now planning to flatten some land in order to enable the movement of heavy and armored vehicles near the border fences. These roads will pass for the most part through nature reserves. According to publications, the army began to evaluate in May a plan to pave a road through the Baram Forest Nature Reserve in the Upper Galilee. Specialists explain that this reserve is unique in its giant oak timber and in its pure grove that sustains all kinds of plants and animals. Another plan that is currently being considered by the army is a road that will pass through the Nahal Kziv Nature Reserve, also in the north. The Kziv stream is one of the most beautiful streams in the region with flowing water, animals and forest views, and it serves as an ecological corridor for animals traveling between different parts of the Galilee region. The IDF had said it has not yet determined the final paths of the roads it wishes to construct near the border fences. Still, the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel (SPNI) the countrys most veteran nature preservation group is worried about the project and has already proposed some alternatives. Local residents have joined the SPNI in its campaign they are also concerned about irreversible damage to the fragile ecosystems around them. "In the great majority of cases, we manage to reach a compromise. The army is aware of the importance of preserving our environment, and we conduct a fruitful dialogue. But in some cases we simply disagree. Of course security considerations are of the outmost importance, but so are civil life, protecting nature and enabling people to walk around and experience vegetations and plants. It is important that the army does not look only at the security interests, but includes all the different elements in the final equation," Gabay concluded. TORRINGTON The Torrington Historical Society has received a $10,000 COVID relief grant from Connecticut Humanities. This relief grant was funded by the Connecticut Humanities Fund made possible by the Connecticut General Assembly, according to a statement. The majority of funding from this grant will assist in funding a part-time educator position at the Torrington Historical Society. A new position at the society, the part-time educator will develop online programs for schools and adults and will also create other programming including radio spots featuring items of historical interest. Central to the Societys mission is our goal of sharing Torringtons history with schools and the general public said Gail Kruppa, Assistant Director/Curator. This grant will provide essential funding for programming and will also aid in purchasing needed equipment. In addition to funding part of the educator position, the grant will allow the Society to purchase two laptops and software for staff to work remotely, exterior signage for Covid-19 protocol, and HVAC air filter upgrades in the history museum. Road work begins in New Hartford Monday NEW HARTFORD Construction will be occuring on portions of Carpenter Road and Stub Hollow Road beginning Monday. Reclaiming of a section of Carpenter Road from Route 202 to Dings Road is the initial step in re-paving of this section. Reclaimation will begin on Monday, which will be followed by grading and fine grading with repaving scheduled for the week of Sept. 28.. Reclaiming of a section of Stub Hollow Road from West Hill to house number 145 is the initial step in re-paving of this section of roadway. Reclaimation begind on Monday, followed by grading and fine grading with repaving set to begin the week of September 28, 2020. Traffice will be limited to residents only, and alternate routes should be used during this time. This schedule is weather dependent and is subject to change. Be advised that the road will be in rough condition during this process - lower your speed and be cautious when traveling through construction areas. Call Town Hall at 860-379-3389 for information. Writing of Uncle Toms Cabin program LITCHFIELD A Western Road to Abolition: Isabella Porter Beecher and the Writing of Uncle Tom's Cabin, will be held at 6 p.m. Sept. 15 on Zoom, by the Litchfield Historical Society. Registration is required. Professor Ron Chester, author of the Society's A Lawyer of Passionate Mind: The Story of Tapping Reeve, decided to examine the life of the relatively unknown Isabella Porter Beecher, wife of Edward Beecher, after reading the following quote from Harriet Beecher Stowe's The Pearl of Orr's Island: "Are there any lives of women?" "No my dear, said Mr. Sewell, "in olden times, women did not get their lives written, though I don't doubt many of them were much better worth writing than the men's." In this virtual lecture, Chester shares Isabella's exceptional though unheralded life: her move from Boston to the frontier town of Jacksonville, Illinois; her radicalization there on the subject of slavery; her surmounting of terrible family tragedies; and finally, her convincing of sister-in-law Harriet to write Uncle Tom's Cabin -- a book which helped incite the Civil War. To register, email registration@litchfieldhistoricalsociety.org Literary series on Wallace Stevens starts Sept. 16 CORNWALL Wallace Stevens: The Transient Transcendentalist, an eight-week literary seminar with Mark Scarbrough, will be held by the Cornwall Library, 10 a.m.-noon, Sept. 16-Nov. 4. Wallace Stevens: The business executive as poet, the metaphysician as Hartford Insurance VP, the hulking wallflower, the shy brawler, the last Romantic, the first post-modern, the father of self-referentiality, the heir to John Keats, the foil to Robert Frost, the Republican Marxist, the quiet anarchist, the gawdy Puritan, the would-be sensualist in New England, the would-be prude in Key West. Stevens is all of these and none, according to a statement. His poetry is arresting, mind-bending, and gorgeous. Its images are haunting; its philosophy, disconcerting; its structure, impeccable. Join us as we set sail across the 30 years of his best work, starting with the early elliptical poems in Harmonium and moving toward the shattering Auroras of Autumn. To read his poetry is to find the world changed: what we need right now. Participants should obtain The Collected Poems Of Wallace Stevens: The Corrected Edition, edited by John H. Serio and Chris Beyers (Vintage, 2015). The old Collected Poems (which most of us have) was rushed into print at the end of Stevens life in 1955. Its riddled with errors now corrected in this edition. Page numbers in the reading schedule refer to this edition. The literary seminar will be on Zoom. Registration is required, and the links will be provided to registrants by The Cornwall Library in Cornwall, Connecticut. The reading syllabus will be provided to registrants. Contact director@cornwalllibrary.org or 860-672-6874 for more information. Pierogies, Harwinton products event includes food drive HARWINTON Another closure from COVID-19 this time, the Harwinton Fair inspired the Harwinton Lions to sell Holy Pierogies in their frozen form, a repeat of the clubs popular sale in July. For this sale, the Lions will also offer additional products made and sold by three Harwinton companies: A Healing Trail, Willy Petes Chocolates, and Ridge Runner Soaps. The club will also collect food donations for the Harwinton Food Pantry, hoping to equal or even exceed the two truckloads of food that donors generously contributed in July. A popular item at past Harwinton Fair weekends, Holy Pierogies, fresh frozen and packaged in dozens, will be available in six flavors. All products will be available for pre-order until Sept. 17 through the Harwinton Lions square site, https://lions-club-of-harwinton.square.site/ Orders can be picked up from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Oct. 3, in the Harwinton Post Office parking lot. When picking up orders, residents are asked to bring a food donation for the Harwinton Food Pantry. Proceeds of all sales will benefit the many causes and organizations the Harwinton Lions support, including college scholarships for Lewis Mills High School students, Kidsight eye screening (temporarily suspended this year), the Hometown Holiday Celebration, holiday baskets, Project Graduation, the Senior Center, Library, and other local organizations that depend on the support. Ill give you a little hand: Litter pickers in Crawley during last years drive Volunteers across the country are today rolling up their sleeves to wage war on litter as the campaign to clean up Britain kicks off. Armed with litter-pickers, bin bags and gloves, they will comb countrysides, beaches and streets as part of the Great British September Clean, backed by the Daily Mail. The campaign, organised by Keep Britain Tidy, was due to run in March but had to be postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic. Nearly 700,000 volunteers signed up just six weeks after its launch, eclipsing last years total of 563,163. Six months on the campaign is going ahead while sticking to Government guidelines to prevent the spread of coronavirus. Groups of no more than six will litter-pick together while maintaining social distancing at all times and using the correct equipment. Shocking pictures have shown that in recent months litter has become an enormous blight on the nations beauty spots. Blighted: Shocking scene in Windsor this June shows importance of campaign Best buddies aged 61 and 15 boost campaign A shop worker aged 61 and a 15-year-old schoolboy have become firm friends as they battle the scourge of litter. Neighbours Julie Taylor and Ben Thornbury have set up a thriving clean-up group. Aspiring conservationist Ben, of Malmesbury, Wiltshire, said litter-picking had helped to keep their spirits up through the pandemic. He recalled: Around four years ago, Julie asked me if I wanted to help her clean out a hedge near our homes which was filled with so much litter. So we cleaned it all up then posted it to our local Facebook page and we got loads of positive comments so we just decided to keep it going. Ben said the pair spent time together nearly every day and mostly chatted about conservation and photography. Julie, who works in a Clarks shoe shop part-time, added: The message we are trying to get out there is that everybody can get along no matter their age. When the younger generation come together with the older generation we get on so well. Ben is very caring Im proud to call him a friend. A shop worker aged 61 and a 15-year-old schoolboy have become firm friends as they battle the scourge of litter. Neighbours Julie Taylor and Ben Thornbury have set up a thriving clean-up group Advertisement From the countryside to the coast, thoughtless people have left piles of waste and plastic while meeting up with friends and family outdoors as lockdown restrictions began to ease. A survey this year found that a fifth of people admitted dropping litter during the lockdown and almost half of 18 to 25-year-olds said they had dumped rubbish in streets, parks and rural areas. Now is the chance for you to get involved in the bid to make Britain beautiful again. The campaign has already been backed by everyone from Prime Minister Boris Johnson to the Wombles of Wimbledon, who came out of hibernation to help encourage the nation to get involved. All 22 senior Cabinet ministers have pledged to take part and the 364 Tory MPs have been urged to do their bit. Backing from TVs Backshall Wildlife TV presenter Steve Backshall has given his backing to the Great British September Clean. The naturalist, 47, is encouraging everyone who cares about the environment to take part. Backshall, who is a Keep Britain Tidy ambassador, said he had seen first-hand the impact of litter on the environment. By coming together and all doing our bit we can change things, he said. Advertisement Jaguar Land Rover has asked its workforce of around 38,000 to get involved, while the Post Office and Countryside Alliance have also pledged to take part. Keep Britain Tidy has called on Mail readers once again to pitch in. Richard McIlwain, deputy chief executive, said: We are delighted to be back now albeit in a slightly different way to make sure everyone stays safe and we want as many people as possible to pledge to pick. As little as 15 minutes of litter-picking, whether while walking the dog or walking the kids to school, makes a big difference. When the Mail announced the campaign was to go ahead, Mr Johnson said: I wholeheartedly support the Mails public-spirited campaign. While continuing to follow distancing rules, we can all play our part by rolling up our sleeves and joining in the Great British September Clean. The 2019 clean-up effort was the biggest ever mass-participation environmental campaign when volunteers tidied the equivalent of 239,344 wheelie bins of rubbish nearly 20 per cent of which was plastic bottles. The Mail has mounted many successful environmental campaigns including Turn the Tide on Plastic and Be a Tree Angel. VFW Post 448 Commander Arnie Perras thanks all those who made the monument possible. Iraq and Afghanistan War veterans are asked to raise their hands. The monument was supposed to come directly from India, but the committee was able to find a black granite marker closer to home. This monument was still imported from India but is about a foot shorter. Sgt. Maj. Michael P. King focuses on the words engraved on the monument "No One Left Behind." Veterans placed wreaths near the monument to conclude the ceremony. Sgt. 1st Class Mark Pompi says the driving force behind this memorial was VFW Post 448 Commander Arnold Perras. Perras says it was important to hold the ceremony on 9/11. He said they planned to use a scale model of the monument if they were unable to get the real one in time. PreviousNext Pittsfield Honors Fallen in Iraq and Afghanistan With New Monument PITTSFIELD, Mass. Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 448 held a dedication ceremony Friday morning on the 19th anniversary of 9/11 to unveil the Iraq and Afghanistan War Memorial at Veterans Memorial Park. "As long as there is war, there will be death," Sgt. Maj. Michael P. King said Friday morning in front of the 50 or so attendees who spread out over the park. "We cannot avoid it; however, we can choose how we deal with it." The Berkshire Iraq and Afghanistan Memorial Committee raised nearly $50,000 to acquire the black granite marker that holds the names of Berkshire County residents who died serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. Mayor Linda Tyer spoke of her personal connection to the monument. She said her father is a retired colonel of the Air Force and she grew up on military bases all around the United States and Europe. She said participating in these ceremonies brings her back to childhood memories of American flags, men and women in uniform, and the sound of taps. "Today is September 11th, this is the 19th year of our national day of mourning and remembrance," Tyer said. "There could be no more fitting time for us to dedicate the Iraq Afghanistan monument today." Tyer thanked all military personnel, retired and in active duty, for their service. She also extended her gratitude to the Memorial Committee for taking what was a tragic moment in American life and putting together a monument to remember those who stepped forward to protect and serve the United States after 9/11. "When we remember their service, we remember them," Tyer said. "We remember their families and express our gratitude for their ultimate sacrifice." The ceremony was led by Arnold M. Perras, commander of VFW Post 448 in Pittsfield, and he thanked all those who helped make the monument a possibility. He said the monument itself is solid granite imported from India. He said it was important to use granite from India because it was of the highest quality and did not contain hairline fractures that would likely lead to damage during Northeast winters. The memorial honors five Berkshire County residents who gave their lives serving after the World Trade Center and Pentagon attacks in 2001: The five soldiers' names are laser etched into the stone facing the road and include Sgt. 1st Class Daniel H. Petithory, 32, of Cheshire, who was killed by a friendly fire bombing on Dec. 5, 2001, in Afghanistan; Sgt. Glenn R. Allison, 24, of Pittsfield who died Dec. 18, 2003, during physical training in Baghdad, Iraq; Chief Warrant Officer Stephen M. Wells, 29, of North Egremont, who died Feb. 25, 2004, when the helicopter he was in crashed in Habbinayah, Iraq; Spc. Michael R. DeMarsico II, 20, of North Adams, who was killed by an improvised explosive device on Aug. 16, 2012, in Panjway, Afghanistan; and Spc. Mitchell K. Daehling, 24, of Dalton, who also was killed by an IED on May 14, 2013, in Sanjaray, Afghanistan. A time capsule containing materials from the Gold Star families of the five fallen soldiers was sealed underneath the monument and will be opened in 2101, 100 years from now. The front of the memorial features an image of two soldiers supporting one another and the text "NO ONE LEFT BEHIND." King spoke about the phrase "no one left behind," and said it extended beyond the battlefield. He said it is important to remember the veterans who carry the burden of war with them every day. No soldiers have survived combat alone, so there is no need for them to suffer alone today, he said. He explained that when he enlisted in the military and repeated the Oath of Enlistment, he understood that all of those words summed up to "I will die for you." In 2005, he said his cousin was killed by a car bomb in Baghdad, and he truly realized the pain that military families experience. About a year and a half later, he was deployed to Iraq and experienced a whole new level of loss. "Every veteran has said, 'I will die for you,' however, my time as a warfighter is over," he said. "I now speak to the men and women who have died in service for our country. I will live for you." Perras listed community partners who donated time, money, and materials to bring the monument to fruition. Perras said around the memorial are paving stones with names etched into them signifying those who have donated to the monument. These pavers will continue to be sold until Sept. 11, 2021, through this website as an ongoing fundraiser for the monument. Sgt. 1st Class Mark Pompi said the driving force behind this memorial was Perras. "From the time I got home from deployment in Afghanistan and started my work with the VFW Post here in Pittsfield, it was Arnie's dream to make this memorial a reality," Pompi said. "His contributions to these efforts cannot be understated." Pompi explained that the men being honored did not enlist because of the money, they enlisted because they wanted to do something special. He described their service as "selfless service." He expressed his gratitude to the Gold Star families for their loved ones' sacrifices and said it has been an honor getting to know them. Regarding the soldiers honored in the monument, he concluded with: "Today when you mention any of their names, there is a revered hush, a deep respect," he said. "I think you know what I am trying to say, they have truly ascended into a place of a hero." When I drove my son to school for the first time since March, I was overcome with gratitude for the faculty and staff who have worked countless hours preparing to bring students back to the classroom safely. As a mother, sending my child to school in-person this fall felt like the greatest gift even amid a public health crisis and strict social gathering guidelines. But I know not all parents feel the same. Erin Silver, 35, moved her son out of his school because she did not want him to attend face-to-face. Instead, the Ridgewood, New Jersey, resident paid a premium to enroll him in a remote learning program and hired a nanny to help monitor his activity, since Silver and her husband both work full time. Because Silver's husband suffers from asthma, "there was no bone in my body that felt comfortable sending my son to school," she said. "It was too high-risk for me." Rather than send her son back to preschool, Erin Silver of Ridgewood, New Jersey, opted for a virtual program for her 4-year old and hired a nanny to help. Source: Erin Silver The Silvers chose a virtual preschool called BumoBrain, which provides an online curriculum and live lessons taught by teachers, coupled with interactive activities, for their 4-year-old. The program costs $99 a month, including supplies. With the addition of a full-time nanny, "we are spending three times the amount we used to spend," Silver said. And still, there are significant drawbacks, she added. "He doesn't get to have actual physical interaction," Silver said. "Everyone has to make sacrifices and that's the sacrifice that we are making. "I wish things we different," she added. "I am doing the best I can with the cards I am dealt." More from Personal Finance: Coronavirus has upended school plans Desperate parents turn to 'learning pods.' Here's what it can cost Parents are at a breaking point as they try to cope with school Alternatives to traditional schooling are popping up across the country, such as pod schools, which can be in person or virtual, like the program offered by BumoBrain. Different educational companies are offering services at almost every price point. In these cases, parents withdraw their children from school and register as homeschoolers. Of course, Americans under financial constraints have few, if any, of those options. Many families are limited to the reopening plan at the public school in their district, which could still change. In fact, a little more than half of U.S. elementary and high school students will attend school only virtually this fall, according to a recent tally. NSW Nationals leader and deputy premierJohn Barilaro has withdrawn his threat to move his party to the crossbench over the state's disputed koala protection laws. The backdown comes after Premier Gladys Berejiklian demanded a commitment from the Nationals that they would remain united as a Coalition government until the next election in 2023 during crisis meeting talks on Friday morning. Mr Barilaro backed down after he blindsided Ms Berejiklian a day earlier when he announced his MPs would abstain from voting on coalition bills as they fought over changes to the koala protection plan. Friday's crisis meeting between Mr Barilaro and the Premier lasted 25 minutes. 'He walked the government to the brink and he's got nothing out of it,' a Liberal source told the Daily Telegraph. New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian issued a stunning ultimatum to her deputy and Nationals MPs on Thursday Mr Barilaro backed down after he blindsided Ms Berejiklian a day earlier when he announced his MPs would abstain from voting on coalition bills as they fought over changes to the koala protection plan 'The premier stared him down. 'She showed him that she would no longer tolerate his bullying behaviour. Another source told the Sydney Morning Herald there will be no National Party room revolt. There are reports Mr Balilaro's leadership of the Nationals could now be in doubt with a senior Liberal source claiming Mr Barilaro had '100 per cent capitulated'. Mr Balilaro didn't disclose the details of his discussions with the Premier to Nationals colleagues in a party room meeting afterwards. It comes after Ms Berejiklian issued a short but blunt ultimatum to the deputy premier and his Nationals colleagues in a 60 second meeting on Thursday afternoon. Mr Barilaro had blindsided the Premier hours earlier, announcing his MPs would abstain from voting on coalition bills as they fought changes to the protection plan. The move effectively robbed the government of its majority and provoked a stern response from the premier. NSW Deputy Premier and Nationals Leader John Barilaro (pictured) has backed down from his crossbench threat in a crisis meeting with the Premier (in background) on Friday morning 'It is not possible to be the deputy premier or a minister of the Crown and sit on the crossbench', Ms Berejiklian fired off in a media statement. She said Mr Barilaro and his Nationals ministerial colleagues had until Friday morning to declare support for her government or be sacked from cabinet. 'If required, I will attend Government House tomorrow and swear in a new ministry,' Ms Berejiklian said. Mr Barilaro appeared to have softening his stance by Friday morning, telling Sydney's 2GB radio he thought the issue could be resolved but it may take time, possibly several weeks. He also claimed the threat to sit on the crossbench had been misinterpreted. 'What we said yesterday was that no one would go physically to the cross bench,' Mr Barilaro said. 'But what was turned on us because we said we won't vote on government bills until this is resolved but we will vote on bills and motions on the regions that, effectively, the whole party's gone to the crossbench. 'They're not sitting on the crossbench, we are not going to the crossbench.' Stella Jean, the Haitian-Italian designer who has just announced a boycott of Milan Fashion Week, says she has suffered racism all her life. But it was only when the 41-year-old encountered it in Italys mainly white fashion industry that she realised just how unwilling people were to talk about it. Now Jean, whose brightly-coloured skirts and dresses are worn by celebrities including Beyonce and Rihanna, says she can no longer remain silent in the face of what she sees as a rise in racially-charged incidents in Italian fashion. The former model, a protege of Giorgio Armani and the only Black person ever to be appointed to Italys influential Fashion Council, will not show her latest collection at Milan Fashion Week later this month in a protest over racism. As the first and only Black designer in the history of the Fashion Council, it is my responsibility to explain to those who havent noticed the extreme marginalization in which my minority lives, she told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. An entire generation of new Italians ... have lived for too long in a condition of total invisibility. Italian fashion houses have been criticised in recent years for creating products deemed racist, including Guccis 2019 Blackface sweater with a mouth cut out and trimmed in red, and Pradas 2018 keychain of a monkey with inflated lips. Jean said that while discrimination had been an uncomfortable and punctual travel companion in her life, she only encountered it in the fashion industry recently, when she raised questions of race. When she did so, she found that broaching the subject of racism in Italy is to this day still an unconfessable taboo. Italy is whiter than most other European countries and there has been relatively little debate over the countrys colonial past, racism or integration. About 9% of Italys 60 million registered residents are foreigners but of these, less than half a million come from sub-Saharan Africa. Last week Italys Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio drew criticism for sharing Blackface memes of himself on his Facebook page, a response to a wave of earlier memes that surfaced when he appeared in public with a deep sun tan. SIGNS OF PROGRESS Jean said there had been years of silence and denial around questions of race in Italy. Earlier this year, she released a film showing Italian women of Black and Asian origin revealing the racist comments they confront on a regular basis. Then last month she launched an appeal for reform in the Italian fashion industry under the slogan, Do Black Lives Matter in Italy?. Allow black kids to be part of your organization charts, she said. The colour doesnt have to be the reason you hire someone for sure, but it cant be the reason you dont hire either. Global Black Lives Matter protests have put pressure on the multi-trillion dollar fashion industry to eradicate racism and boost diversity. Anna Wintour, the editor-in-chief of fashion bible Vogue, apologized in June for hurtful and intolerant mistakes by the magazine, which she said had not found enough ways to elevate and give space to Black editors, writers, photographers, designers and other creators. In June, French cosmetics company LOreal rehired Munroe Bergdorf, a British Black transgender model who it sacked in 2017 after she described all white people as racist. In Italy too, there have been signs of progress, said Jean. Following the murder of George Floyd, the most important gatekeepers of Italian fashion showed unprecedented social solidarity with the American cause, she said. In fashion we have to start ... amplifying the voices of women and men of all colours. (This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.) Follow more stories on Facebook and Twitter SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON (Alliance News) - Talks on a post-Brexit trade deal between the UK and the EU are hanging in the balance after Brussels demanded the UK abandon plans to override key elements of the Withdrawal Agreement. At a stormy meeting in London on Thursday, the Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove insisted the government "could not and would not" drop measures in legislation tabled earlier this week. It prompted European Commission vice-president Maros Sefcovic to accuse the UK of an "extremely serious violation" of international law, putting the ongoing trade talks in jeopardy. Meanwhile UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson is facing growing unrest among Tory MPs deeply unhappy at the threat to undermine Britain's traditional support for the international rule of law. The former chancellor Norman Lamont said the government was in a "terrible mess" and warned the UK Internal Market Bill would not get through the Lords in its present form. In the Commons, senior Conservatives are tabling an amendment to the Bill which they said would limit the powers it gave to ministers in relation to the Withdrawal Agreement. The row erupted as the latest round of trade talks a also taking place in London a ended on Thursday with both sides acknowledging that "significant differences" remain. Johnson has set a deadline of October 15 for an agreement to be reached, otherwise he has said he will simply walk away from the negotiating table. However Sefcovic said the UK side needed now to rebuild trust which had been "seriously damaged" by the events of the past days. He said the provisions in the Bill relating to the Withdrawal Agreement had to be dropped by the end of September and that the EU would "not be shy" about taking legal action if the government refused. Under the terms of the Bill, ministers would take powers to vary a protocol in the Withdrawal Agreement relating to the customs arrangements in Northern Ireland after the current Brexit transition period ends on December 31. The protocol, agreed after much difficult negotiation, was intended to prevent the need for the return of a "hard" border with the Republic while ensuring the integrity of the EU single market. The government has said the measures in the Bill are simply a "legal safety net" to enable it to protect the Good Friday Agreement and the Northern Ireland peace process. This drew a dismissive response from the EU which said that "it does the opposite". Among Tory MPs there was uncertainty whether the measures were intended as a negotiating tactic designed to put pressure on the EU as the trade talks enter their final stages. Even some committed Brexiteers voiced concern that the prime minister had gone too far. Bernard Jenkin, the leader of the strongly pro-Brexit European Research Group, said Johnson "should be more mindful of the reputational damage of playing such hardball". The senior Conservative backbencher Bob Neill, who chairs the Commons Justice Committee, is tabling an amendment to the Bill which he said would impose a "parliamentary lock" on any changes to the Withdrawal Agreement. Among its supporters are Theresa May's former deputy, Damian Green. Neill told Times Radio: "We are not natural rebels. We've all served as ministers, we know that this is a serious job, and we do our best to take the job seriously. So we don't do anything like this lightly. "So I hope it's at least an indication as a government that really, you need to think very hard and carefully about going down this route. For heaven's sake, try and find some other way." By Gavin Cordon, PA Whitehall Editor source: PA Copyright 2020 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden leads President Donald Trump in six 2020 swing states, as the Republican National Convention changed little in the race for the White House, according to a new CNBC/Change Research poll. Across Arizona, Florida, Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, the former vice president holds a 49% to 45% edge over the Republican incumbent, the survey released Wednesday found. It compares with a 49% to 46% edge Biden held in a poll taken two weeks ago, after the Democratic National Convention but before the GOP's nominating events. Zoom In Icon Arrows pointing outwards Biden holds at least a narrow lead in all six of the states, which will play a major role in determining who wins the White House on Nov. 3. Here is where the race stands in all of those states, and how it has changed from the last survey: Arizona: Biden 49%, Trump 45% (was Biden 49%, Trump 47%) Biden 49%, Trump 45% (was Biden 49%, Trump 47%) Florida: Biden 49%, Trump 46% (unchanged) Biden 49%, Trump 46% (unchanged) Michigan: Biden 49%, Trump 43% (was Biden 50%, Trump 44%) Biden 49%, Trump 43% (was Biden 50%, Trump 44%) North Carolina: Biden 49%, Trump 47% (was Biden 48%, Trump 47%) Biden 49%, Trump 47% (was Biden 48%, Trump 47%) Pennsylvania: Biden 50%, Trump 46% (was Biden 49%, Trump 46%) Biden 50%, Trump 46% (was Biden 49%, Trump 46%) Wisconsin: Biden 50%, Trump 44% (was Biden 49%, Trump 44%) The poll, taken Friday through Sunday, surveyed 4,143 likely voters across the six states and has a margin of error of plus or minus 1.4 percentage points. It shows a race changing little even in a period where presidential candidates can see a temporary bump after they inundate voters at their nominating conventions. Though Biden's lead in both national and swing-state polling averages has fallen from highs seen during the worst of the coronavirus pandemic in June and July, the CNBC/Change Research polls find the presidential race largely unchanged by events in recent weeks. US President on Thursday said that if he is re-elected in the November elections, will ink a deal with him in the first month and will get back into the fold as he asserted that his second term will bring in lasting peace in the Next week, Trump will host delegations from Israel and the United Arab Emirates for a signing ceremony of the historic peace deal between the two countries that establishes diplomatic ties among them. Encouraged by the Israel-UAE peace deal, countries in the region are lining up that want to go into it, he said. "As you know, UAE is headed by a very, very highly respected gentleman and respected by everybody. And he's a warrior too. He's a great warrior. And Mohammed is very excited about this. And you'll be hearing other countries coming in over a relatively short period of time, he said. "You could have peace in the I think what, ultimately, will happen is you're going to have quite a few countries come in. The big ones are going to be coming in. I spoke to the King of Saudi Arabia, so we're talking. We're starting a -- we just started the dialogue. And you'll have them come in," he added. Trump said that two things are going to happen if he wins the elections in November. "If we win the election, will come and sign a deal with us very, very rapidly, within the first week, but let's give ourselves a month -- because their GDP went down 25 per cent, which is, like, an unheard of number, and they'd like to be able to get back to having a successful country again. So, I think, that'll happen, he said. "And I think, very importantly, the Palestinians will get back into the fold. When they see all of these countries that, frankly, have been supporters of the Palestinians -- very big supporters and, certainly, financial supporters, Trump said. The US used to pay the Palestinians USD 750 million a year, he said, adding that he ended that some time ago on the basis that they didn't seem to want to make peace. "We will think about it once we have a deal, but I've ended that quite a while ago. I'm frankly surprised they haven't been to the table earlier, he said. But this is the best way. This is a way that's going to be great. This can really bring the together," Trump said. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) PHILIPSBURG:--- In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Prime Minister and Chair of EOC, Honorable Prime Minister Silveria Jacobs, instructed all educational institutions on the island to be closed to students and the public as of March 18, 2020. To continue the learning process, schools opted to conduct classes online (distance learning). Unfortunately, many students on the island do not have a proper device or internet service at home to allow them to follow classes. In August with the new school year scheduled to begin, the Minister of Education, Honorable Rodolphe Samuel instructed the schools to continue with distance learning, this decision was made to mitigate the active COVID-19 cases on the island. Many students are impacted by this new style of learning because they do not have the required tools for online classes. In an effort to assist the community in this dire time, the Rotary Club of St. Martin Sunrise kicked off a project with the objective of providing students in need with appropriate learning tools required to follow classes successfully. Family & friends from around the world were approached and asked for a contribution towards the project, some chose to contribute funds while others contributed devices. TelElm who is an avid supporter of the club and very active in the community, was approached and without hesitation donated 10 one-year free internet service vouchers. The club has been partnering with Motorworld for the past seven years on a back to school project where students are supplied with a backpack filled with school supplies, due to the current learning process 19 tablets were donated instead. Thus far the club was able to collect enough funds to purchase 42 laptops and tablets which along with the internet service vouchers courtesy of TelElm were distributed to various elementary and secondary schools. One internet service voucher was supplied to the Rupert Maynard Community Center. Students can go to the community center with their device to access internet service and follow classes. The Rotary Club of St. Martin Sunrise would like to give special recognition to TelEm and Motorworld for their generous contribution and continued support. These establishments should be commended for including the well-being of the community as part of their corporate social responsibility. The club is also grateful for all the individuals and organizations who contributed. The project is ongoing, persons interested in donating to the cause can contact Fundraising chair, Mr. Prakash (Peter) Dialani at +7121-5229170 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Victorian Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton, Emergency Management Victoria boss Andrew Crisp and police chief Shane Patton will front the state inquiry into the hotel quarantine program next week. Professor Sutton, Mr Crisp and Mr Patton will be joined by former Victoria Police chief commissioner Graham Ashton and former Emergency Management commissioner Craig Lapsley as the inquiry also moves to hear evidence from the state controllers leading the response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Victorian Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton is set to front the hotel quarantine inquiry next week. Credit:Luis Enrique Ascui The star line-up was confirmed on Friday afternoon after a Health Department leader was forced to concede that not even she had a clear idea of who was in charge of the hotel quarantine program. As commander of Operation Soteria, Merrin Bamert was responsible for the day-to-day management of the program. Denmark's New Law Against Sexual Violence Is A Huge Step Last Wednesday, Denmark announced that sex without explicit consent can be prosecuted as rape. This modification to the countrys sexual violence laws is one of the most important battles for gender equality in Denmark that has taken place for a very long time, said Danish Justice Minister Nick Haekkerup. According to News18, the new law prioritizes consent when it comes to the prosecution of rape, specifying that it must be given voluntarily and as an expression of an individuals free will through words or action. The Danish Womens Society also called the policy a historic victory for legality and the right to make sexual decisions. Previously, Denmark required that all rape victims must prove their struggle to fight off or defend themselves. Now, consent is the main focal point. A date for a formal vote has not been announced, but the new law will be adopted by the end of 2020. ADVERTISEMENT ?? The Danish government has announced plans to reform sexual violence laws to make #consent rather than #violence the basis for determining rape. https://t.co/zRWkR2tArl Young Feminist Europe (@YoungFeministEU) September 8, 2020 Many countries such as Sweden, Germany, Belgium, and Britain have long established consent-based rape laws. And since Swedens 2018 decision to change the definition of rape to all non-consensual acts of sex, conviction cases have increased by 75 percent. Meanwhile, the U.S. continues to establish barriers for victims of rape, which has led to an abundance of dismissed, foreclosed, and unreported cases. The U.S. criminal justice system is filled with loopholes when it comes to prosecuting assault, with only 23% of cases being reported and less than 1% of cases leading to any repercussions. Denmark is changing the law to recognise sex without consent is rape. Previously the victim had to prove they struggled and fought off the rapist. https://t.co/xy0PKkHxv8 Dr EM (@PankhurstEM) September 4, 2020 In the U.S., states such as Pennsylvania, Idaho, and Georgia have yet to define consent at all. And continue to require proof by "threat of forcible compulsion." By adopting a consent-based rape law, survivors are less likely to feel silenced, and fewer perpetrators will walk free. Anna Blus, a womens rights researcher for Amnesty International, spoke on Denmarks new policy, saying Legislation reform has the potential to also influence mindset, so this commitment by the Danish government is a welcome step forward We now look forward to seeing the text of the law and hearing how the authorities intend to challenge rape myths and negative gender stereotypes at all levels of society. This will require institutional and social change, as well as comprehensive sexuality and relationships education, including on sexual consent. We are confident that, led by survivors, Denmark can forge a new path which other countries in Europe will follow. "This will require institutional and social change, as well as comprehensive sexuality and relationships education, including on sexual consent." - Anna Blus Top photo: Nick Haekkerup by Ministerio da Saude/Flickr Creative Commons More from BUST Berlin Film Festival Makes History With Gender Neutral Awards Parade Is Donating Over 1,000 Pairs Of Underwear To LGBTQ+ Centers This UK Tampax Ad Was Pulled From Ireland Airwaves For Being Too Vulgar Olivia Simonds is a graduate of Clark University with a bachelors degree in Sociology and a minor in English literature and creative writing. Much of her work is inspired by long subway rides, her friendships, and the perpetual pulse of New York City, where she grew up and still lives today. You can follow her on Instagram @oliviasimonds or on Twitter @livsimondss At the event (Photo: VNA) Hoa Binh A seminar took place in the north eastern province of Hoa Binh on September 10 to introduce its potential, advantages and incentives to businesses of the Republic of Korea (RoK). Speaking at the event, Secretary of the provincial Party Committee Bui Van Tinh affirmed that the event provided the two sides with an opportunity to explore each others potential and advantages, and for RoK firms, investors and credit institutions to study the provinces business climate. As the Vietnam-RoK relations thrive, Hoa Binh hopes to welcome more RoK investors, he added. Introducing the provinces advantages and major achievements over the years, the official said Hoa Binh is paying heed to speeding up the implementation of essential infrastructure projects, administrative reforms and human resources training, thus creating optimal conditions for investors. At the event, delegates discussed the provinces incentives and untapped potential, along with the development of eco-smart urban areas in the province. RoK Ambassador to Vietnam Park Noh-wan said that the RoK will strengthen multifaceted cooperation with Vietnamese localities in the coming time, particularly Hoa Binh province. The RoK Embassy will connect with RoK firms to encourage them to invest in the province and enhance economic, tourism and cultural ties between RoK localities and Hoa Binh, the diplomat noted. For his part, Deputy Foreign Minister Le Hoai Trung urged Hoa Binh authorities and RoK businesses to further promote cooperation in a closer and more effective manner in the future. At present, Hoa Binh is home to 40 foreign direct investment projects with total registered capital of more than 580 million USD. About 20 of which are projects of RoK firms, making the East Asian country its largest investor. 599pp, 1,950; Vij Books India Whats happening with China these days? It is picking fights simultaneously with most of its neighbours. The only time communist China opened two fronts was in 1950 when it invaded and occupied Tibet and fought the US-led UN forces to a standstill at the present demilitarized zone between South and North Korea. Now, China is harassing Japan in the East China Sea, restricting the freedoms of the enraged people of Hong-Kong, and firing missiles across the Taiwan Strait and claiming most of the South China Sea, disputed by many countries in South East Asia. The latest is Chinas encroachment on Indian territory. On 15 June, PLA troops crossed over the Line of Actual Control in eastern Ladakh and were repulsed by the Indian army. China is doing everything according to its Tibet playbook: in the early 1950s, it occupied the Indian territory of Aksai Chin. Both in Ladakh and in the South China Sea, Beijing hopes to apply its Tibet playbook to establish facts on the ground and on water and later argue that possession is nine-tenth of the law. How China developed its Tibet playbook that includes encroachment, occupation, and the spinning of a narrative of false claims is examined in rich detail by Claude Arpi in his four volumes on Tibets relations with India. Digging deep into the material at the National Archives and the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library, Claude Arpis latest offering focuses on his findings on the last five years of Indias diplomatic presence in Tibet. As he writes in his first volume, the Chinese invasion of Tibet in 1950 presented newly independent India with a policy choice: was new China a friend or foe? In this debate, the friend camp led by Indias first Prime Minister Nehru wanted deeper cooperation with its new neighbour. The foe camp wanted India to treat China, now at its door step, as harbouring malign intent and recommended that the country beef up border security from Ladakh in the west to North-Eastern Frontier Agency (NEFA), now Arunachal Pradesh, in the east. In the policy choice India made, the China-as-a-friend camp carried the day. India handed all its extraterritorial rights including the trade agencies in Gyantse, Dromo (Yatung) and Gartok in Tibet to its new rulers,. In 1954, India signed the Panch Sheel agreement with China that formally recognized Tibet as a part of the Peoples Republic. One of the important documents Arpi has dug out and commented on is a report filed by Apa Pant to the Indian foreign ministry of his observations in Tibet. Pant was the Political Officer (PO) based in Gangtok. Since the days of the British Raj, the PO had looked after the affairs of Sikkim, Bhutan and Tibet. Apa Pant travelled to Tibet from November 1956 to February 1957 and met with the Dalai and Panchen Lamas, members of the Tibetan ruling elite and leaders of the Tibetan resistance. The observations Apa Pant made in his report was, in the words of Claude Arpi, an eye-opener for New Delhi. Pants observations about the sentiments of the Tibetan people under their new rulers and his predictions about Chinas plans for Tibet in the future are sharp and prophetic. Regarding the true feelings of the Tibetan people under Chinese rule, Apa Pant observed, Due to fear and the realization of their military, (as well as) the weakness of the Tibetans (they) are keeping quiet but have neither mentally or emotionally submitted themselves to the Chinese rule nor accepted it as the final dispensation. About Chinas future plans for Tibet, Pant wrote: Only when roads, aerodromes and perhaps a railway line are completed millions of Chinese will start flooding into Tibet and settling there permanently. Claude Arpi adds that this has come true 60 years later. Claude Arpi (Courtesy the author) Claude Arpis fourth and final volume in his examination of Tibets relations with India from 1947 to 1962 ends with the closure of the Indian Consular General in Lhasa. New Delhi cited the severe restrictions imposed on the consulate for its closure. In hindsight one wonders whether the closure of the Lhasa consulate was a wise thing to do. If it had remained open, weathering Chinese restrictions and the chaos of the Cultural Revolution, New Delhi would have had a keener sense of what was happening behind the Himalayas. For scholars and researchers interested in this phase of Tibets relations with India, Claude Arpis books will remain essential reading. These four volumes are a seminal contribution to our understanding of Tibets interaction with both India and China and Indias interaction with China on Tibet at a critical period in history. Thubten Samphel is an independent researcher and a former director of the Tibet Policy Institute. NEW DELHI : Anticipating a muted festive and wedding season, fashion designers and ethnic apparel brands are cutting back on inventory and toning down designs as shoppers opt for small social gatherings and scrimp on discretionary expenses. Apparel retailers, especially those selling formal or heavy ethnic wear, are bearing the brunt of the pandemic-led lockdown, economic slump and potential annihilation of the big fat Indian wedding, which has severely impacted their revenues. The festivities, which coincides with the wedding season is staring at a sombre consumer mood. Consequently, brands are readjusting their inventory, simplifying designs and slashing future orders. For starters, the wedding market has been a complete washout. Individual fashion designers business has been badly hit by the pandemic," said Monisha Jaising, a Mumbai-based designer who offers ready-to-wear, pret and bridal couture. She said the market for Indian designers, who thrive on the big fat Indian wedding, has crashed this year. Brides are picking lighter and fewer outfits as wedding celebrations turn modest. Jaising says at least 70% of the weddings have been postponed. The remaining 30% who are still getting married are holding small, intimate events. They are having only one function instead of the five they would have had earlier. At fashion house Ritu Kumar, managing director Amrish Kumar is reducing the inventory. Though design planning takes more time and we have just started coming back to work, there is some element of focusing more on casual dressing in this structure of what the portfolio looks like. To that extent, we are looking at the next season being more loaded toward casual," said Kumar. What will happen is that for the bridal piece, the merchandise will be similar but since lesser people will be there for festivities and celebration and expenditure is going to be curtailed, so demand for less expensive pieces will rise. Thats how most of the brands are planning their collection," said Kavindra Mishra, MD and CEO at House of Anita Dongre. suneera.t@livemint.com Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. BANGALORE, India, Sept. 10, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Major factors driving the Calcium Carbonate Market size include growing construction activities and demand from industries, such as paper and pulp, plastic, and construction. The report provides an in-depth analysis of the global Calcium Carbonate Market size and the current trends and future estimations to elucidate the imminent investment pockets. The Global Calcium Carbonate Market size is expected to grow from USD 20,686.77 Million in 2019 to USD 28,984.82 Million by 2025 at a CAGR of 5.78% during the forecast period. Get Detailed Analysis of COVID-19 Impact on Calcium Carbonate (CaCO 3 ) Market: https://reports.valuates.com/request/sample/360I-Auto-2I145/The_Global_Calcium_Carbonate TRENDS INFLUENCING THE CALCIUM CARBONATE MARKET SIZE Calcium carbonate is commonly used as a filler material in the process of alkaline papermaking. Rising demand for brighter and bulkier paper is the main factor behind the paper industry's preference for calcium carbonate. This increasing use in the paper industry is driving the calcium carbonate market size. The plastics industry is also rising at a rapid pace. The high demand for plastics in the packaging, automotive, manufacturing, electrical & electronics, and other industries is expected to drive the Calcium Carbonate Market size. The use of plastics for multiple purposes in these sectors, such as lowering costs in the packaging and construction industries, reducing weight in automobile parts, and as an insulator in electronic devices, drives demand for calcium carbonate. The growing demand for nano-calcium carbonate in plastics, rubber, and paints is expected to provide further fuel to the Calcium Carbonate Market size. The product is an ultra-fine precipitated form of calcium carbonate used as an additive to change its end-product performance characteristics. The increasing demand for polyvinyl chloride in concrete, pipes, flooring, and furniture is likely to increase the Calcium Carbonate Market size. In addition, calcium carbonate increases the properties of gap filling and viscosity and prevents the shrinking when used in adhesives and sealants, which drives its demand in the adhesive industry. Environmental hazards associated with calcareous mining, such as deforestation, vegetation loss, damage to natural aquifers, and others, may hinder market development. View Full Report: https://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/360I-Auto-2I145/the-global-calcium-carbonate CALCIUM CARBONATE MARKET SHARE ANALYSIS Asia-Pacific is expected to hold the largest Calcium Carbonate market share, with China being the leading consumer in terms of demand for calcium carbonate. The growing demand for paper packaging and tissue products in the Asia-Pacific region is expected to drive the size of the calcium carbonate. Owing to the high production and sales of paper and pulp products in Canada, North America is the second-largest region on the global calcium carbonate market. Calcium Carbonate Market by Region Americas Asia-Pacific Europe Middle East Africa . Inquire for Regional Data: https://reports.valuates.com/request/regional/360I-Auto-2I145/The_Global_Calcium_Carbonate CALCIUM CARBONATE MARKET SEGMENTATION Based on Type, the Calcium Carbonate Market studied across Based on Industry, the Calcium Carbonate Market studied across Adhesives & Sealants Paints & Coatings Paper & Plastic. Key Companies: Calcinor SA, Carmeuse, Excalibar Minerals LLC, GLC Mineral, Huber Engineered Materials, Imerys, Maruo Calcium Co. Ltd., Midwest Calcium Carbonate, Minerals Technologies Inc., Mississippi Lime Company, Oya AG, Sibelco. The report answers questions such as: What is the market size and forecast of the Global Calcium Carbonate Market? What are the inhibiting factors and impact of COVID-19 shaping the Global Calcium Carbonate Market during the forecast period? Which are the products/segments/applications/areas to invest in over the forecast period in the Global Calcium Carbonate Market? What is the competitive strategic window for opportunities in the Global Calcium Carbonate Market? What are the technology trends and regulatory frameworks in the Global Calcium Carbonate Market? What are the modes and strategic moves considered suitable for entering the Global Calcium Carbonate Market? Buy Now for Single User: https://reports.valuates.com/api/directpaytoken?rcode=360I-Auto-2I145&lic=single-user Buy Now for Enterprise User: https://reports.valuates.com/api/directpaytoken?rcode=360I-Auto-2I145&lic=enterprise-user SIMILAR REPORTS Global and Japan Nano Calcium Carbonate Market The global Nano Calcium Carbonate market size is projected to reach USD 4320 Million by 2026, from USD 2859.3 Million in 2020, at a CAGR of 7.1% during 2021-2026. View Full Report: https://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/QYRE-Othe-2U351/nano-calcium-carbonate Synthetic Calcium Carbonate Market In 2019, the global Synthetic Calcium Carbonate market size was USD 14100 Million and it is expected to reach USD 16560 Million by the end of 2026, with a CAGR of 2.3% during 2021-2026. Calcium carbonate is usually marketed under two forms, Ground Calcium Carbonate (GCC) and Precipitated Calcium Carbonate (PCC). Between the two forms, GCC is the most widely used one and contributed 72.87% share in 2017 globally. View Full Report: https://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/QYRE-Auto-480/global-synthetic-calcium-carbonate Calcium Carbonate Filler Masterbatch Market View Full Report: https://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/QYRE-Auto-34G2859/global-calcium-carbonate-filler-masterbatch Calcium Carbonate Filler Market View Full Report: https://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/QYRE-Othe-2U352/calcium-carbonate-filler Light Calcium Carbonate Market View Full Report: https://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/QYRE-Othe-1S349/light-calcium-carbonate Heavy Calcium Carbonate Market View Full Report: https://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/QYRE-Othe-3Z313/heavy-calcium-carbonate ABOUT US: Valuates offers in-depth market insights into various industries. Our extensive report repository is constantly updated to meet your changing industry analysis needs. Our team of market analysts can help you select the best report covering your industry. We understand your niche region-specific requirements and that's why we offer customization of reports. With our customization in place, you can request for any particular information from a report that meets your market analysis needs. To achieve a consistent view of the market, data is gathered from various primary and secondary sources, at each step, data triangulation methodologies are applied to reduce deviance and find a consistent view of the market. Each sample we share contains detail research methodology employed to generate the report, Please also reach to our sales team to get the complete list of our data sources CONTACT US: Valuates Reports [email protected] For U.S. Toll-Free Call 1-(315)-215-3225 For IST Call +91-8040957137 WhatsApp : +91 9945648335 Website:https://reports.valuates.com Twitter - https://twitter.com/valuatesreports Linkedin - https://in.linkedin.com/company/valuatesreports Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/valuatesreports Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1082232/Valuates_Reports_Logo.jpg SOURCE Valuates Reports Buildings are engulfed in flames as a wildfire ravages the central Oregon town of Talent near Medford, Ore., on Sept. 8, 2020. (Kevin Jantzer via AP) Rumors About Antifa Setting Wildfires Are False: Law Enforcement Rumors that members of the far-left Antifa network are behind the spate of wildfires in Oregon are not substantiated, law enforcement officials warned this week. While a number of people have been arrested for arson in recent days, none appear to have explicit ties to the network. Douglas County Sheriffs Office officials wrote on Facebook that 911 dispatchers were being overrun with requests for information and inquiries on an UNTRUE rumor that 6 Antifa members have been arrested for setting fires in the county. The rumor isnt true, officials said, urging people to stop spreading it. The Molalla Police Department, while asking people to report any suspicious activity because of rumors about people looting while fires raged, later edited its post, telling people: This is about possible looters, not antifa or setting of fires. There has been NO antifa in town. And the Medford Police Department posted a screenshot of a story that claimed police arrested a man for arson. A street is shrouded by smoke from wildfires in West Linn, Ore., Sept. 10, 2020. (Christian Gallagher via AP) This is a made up graphic and story. We did not arrest this person for arson, nor anyone affiliated with Antifa or Proud Boys as weve heard throughout the day. Also, no confirmed gatherings of Antifa which has also been reported, the department stated on social media. Antifa members have repeatedly set fires in Portland this summer. Some individuals have been arrested this month for arson or with incendiary devices in Oregon, California, Washington state. Elias Newton Pendergrass, 44, was arrested last week for allegedly setting a fire that burned hundreds of acres near Eugene, Oregon, the Lane County Sheriffs Office said. Detectives took a 27-year-old man into custody in Madera County, California on Thursday because he possessed illegal firearms, drugs, and bomb-making materials. Christine Comello, 36, was arrested in Spokane, Washington on Monday on suspicion of setting fires. And two men were apprehended in Puyallup and Parkland, Washington trying to ignite flames, state troopers said. Jeffrey Acord, one of the men, said he called police after a fire started near him during a live stream on Facebook. A farm is leveled by the South Obenchain Fire along Butte Falls Highway in Eagle Point, Ore., on Sept. 10, 2020. (Adrees Latif/Reuters) Im out here on 167 right now it looks like a fire literally just started, Acord said in the video. Ultimately it was determined is that they had probable cause to believe that gentleman had started that fire, Puyallup Police Capt. Jason Visnaw told King 5. Acord was arrested during unrest in Ferguson, Missouri, in 2014 for possession of a concealed weapon and other charges. According to his Facebook page, he is a Black Lives Matter supporter. Humans are believed to be behind several fires that burned through over 2,000 acres in Lincoln County as well as flames that destroyed some 600 houses in Almeda County. We are conducting a criminal investigation in conjunction with the sheriffs office and state police, and assisted by detectives from around the county, Ashland Police Chief Tighe OMeara told The Epoch Times via email. I cannot release any information on the investigation, but there is zero evidence it was set by anyone with any political motives, that is pure fabrication, he added. Foreign hackers are targeting U.S. campaign staff members, consultants, and think tanks associated with both Democrats and Republicans, Microsoft said Thursday. The foreign hackers are trying to breach computers at more than 200 organizations, including those in the U.S. campaigns and their consultants, the Associated Press reported. In a CNN report, Microsoft said the hacking appears to be from groups in Russia, China, and Iran. In a post on their site, they said the activity makes it clear that groups have stepped up their efforts in targeting the 2020 election. The attacks were "more stealthy" than the foreign hacker attacks against the Democratic National Committee in 2016, said the New York Times. BBC also reported that the attacks were not confined to the U.S. British parties also became targets for the hackers. But it was not known which parties were targeted. Russian hackers from the Strontium group were responsible for the 2016 attack. It is also believed to be the same group involved in the current hacking issues. Strontium is a cyber attack unit allegedly linked to military intelligence. It is also known as Fancy Bear. Top US Officials Weigh In The country's top cyber security officials acknowledged that Microsoft did find attempts to botch email accounts of people related to the election. But they said there is no proof that election systems are being affected by the attacks. Chris Krebs, director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), spoke in behalf of the Department of Homeles Security. Krebs said: "It is important to highlight that none are involved in maintaining or operating voting infrastructure." He added that there was no impact found on election systems. Microsoft's security software stopped most of the attempts to hack. Targets were also notified of the attack. Some of them even managed to stop the hacking, said Microsoft VP Tom Burt. The company did not comment on who was successfully hacked. The extent of the impact was also undisclosed. What Did the Foreign Hackers Want? Burt said, similar to the 2016 attack, there were attempts to get people's log-in credentials. Attempts to compromise these accounts were also found. Microsoft assumed that the attempts were ways to aid in intel gathering or disruption of operations. The tech giant said that Chinese hackers attack some people connected to Biden's campaign, while the hackers in Iran are targeting people in Trump's campaign. The Chinese hacking group, known as Zirconium targeted "prominent individuals" in international affairs, academic institutions, and policy. Meanwhile, the Iranian group, known as Phosphorus, failed to access White House officials accounts, Microsoft said. A John Hopkins geopolitics expert, Thomas Rid, said he was disappointed with the firm's refusal to differentiate threat levels by state actor. He said he did not understand why Microsoft was "lumping in actors" even though they operate in different ways. His guess was that there were no threat levels said to "probably make this sound more bipartisan." As CISA said, there were no attacks on voting systems themselves. Burt stressed that these activities show the need for people "involved in the political process" to use free and low-cost security tools. He ensured that these tools can protect against cyber attacks as election day draws near. Check these out! Pelosi Salon Visit Controversy Forces Owner to Close Shop Second Stimulus Bill Rejected: Will You Still Receive a Direct Payment? Justice Department: US Charged 57 People with PPP Fraud Cases Donald Trump Is anything not in flames right now? I spent much of Wednesday scrolling through the apocalyptic photos coming out of the West Coast. Instagram shots of friends homes backlit by orange darkness, video of others driving across the Golden Gate Bridge under eerie orange skies. The images were surreal. Meanwhile, in Washington, another unsettling fire burned. A bombshell report from a new book by Bob Woodward provided evidence backing up earlier reporting: that the president knowingly downplayed the deadly stuff of the coronavirus for months. Trumps own words and Woodwards reporting show that the president misled the public about the scale of the threat as he pressured governors to keep their states open and stoked protests against their restrictions. After four years, its easy to be inured to the chaos coming from the White House. This week alone, the president described his military leaders as war profiteers and claimed, yet again, that Anarchists, Agitators, Looters were on the verge of invading the suburbs. 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 But the comments that Woodward reports, as Joe Biden and other Democrats have noted with outrage, stand out. More than 191,000 Americans have died of a virus the president admits he knew was deadly. While the exact estimates vary, multiple studies have found that taking protective measures earlier would have saved tens of thousands of lives. In different times, Trumps admission would have prompted an investigation what did the president know, and when did he know it? and maybe even calls for his resignation. Now, no one expects any serious response from Washington. After failing to remove Trump last winter, Democrats are focused on electoral victories in November. Republicans generally save their critiques for anonymous media reports or to be monetized in bestselling books, as they attempt to rehabilitate their image after Trump turns out to be the kind of leader in private that his comments reveal in public. In an interview on Fox News on Wednesday, Trump said he misled Americans because he didnt want to create panic a concern he doesnt seem to have about his baseless warnings of suburban anarchy, or his years of speeches and ads depicting scenes of violence, disaster and economic carnage perpetrated by his Democratic enemies. If anyone still believes the president and his allies are playing some kind of 3D political chess where every move is plotted, the publication of this book should finally put that idea to rest. Sure, no president can resist the lure of the legendary Woodward. But past administrations heavily managed their interactions with him, knowing his track record for unflattering portrayals. Certainly, they didnt free associate in recorded late-night chat sessions. Yet, even Woodward doesnt escape this political moment unscathed. The renowned journalist is a totem of the Washington establishment. He believes in the lofty ideals of the post-Watergate era that his most famous reporting helped usher into our politics. Like character. And leadership. And ethics. That is neither this time nor this president. The debate surrounding whether Woodward should have disclosed Trumps admissions earlier, given the pain of the virus and the erratic nature of the president he was covering, is valid. But Woodward must grapple with larger questions about his worldview, as well. As my Times colleague Jennifer Szalai wrote in her review of the book, the 77-year-old reporter is rooted in an old-school establishment that asks of the president windy, high-minded questions like What are your priorities? as they flatter those around him for information. When everything is burning, perhaps the questions need to be more basic. Is it wrong to withhold information as hundreds of thousands of Americans die? And what responsibility for those deaths is borne by those who enable Trumps behavior? We dont know how or when this fire will burn out. Or whether anything resembling Woodwards Washington will be left in the ashes. From Opinion: QAnon is coming and no one is at the gate What is going on with QAnon, the false conspiracy theory that appears to be taking hold among some of Trumps most devoted followers? In a Times op-ed, researcher Annie Kelly analyzes how QAnon spreads and why it is finding an audience with so many women. Kelly reports that among the female adherents she interviewed at a QAnon rally, many talked about how they had come out of a sense of maternal duty to protect the innocent. That corresponds to a founding tenet of the conspiracy theory, that theres a cabal of Satan-worshipping pedophiles who are plotting against Trump while operating a global child sex-trafficking ring. President Trump has flirted with the convoluted QAnon conspiracy theory for months, writes Geoffrey Kabaservice in another Times op-ed. Over 70 QAnon supporters have run for Congress as Republicans this year, Kabaservice notes, and Trump and some in the House Republican Conference have embraced the theorys adherents. Times columnist Jamelle Bouie points out that one QAnon adherent, Marjorie Taylor Greene, won 57% of the vote in the August runoff election for Georgias heavily Republican 14th Congressional District. That means shell almost certainly win the general election. Kabaservice argues that the threat posed to the Republican Party by QAnon followers is akin to the threat it faced in the late 1950s and 60s from the John Birch Society. Influential party leaders need to forcefully eject QAnon and its followers from the party, as they had with the Birchers, he says, but today there are no gatekeepers of similar stature on the political right. Kelly adds that Our answer must be a balance of empathy for those who have been drawn in by QAnons seductive message, coupled with a firm rejection of its lies. ADAM RUBENSTEIN Malaika Arora reveals she worked and travelled through her pregnancy, says marriage was never a hindrance The Delta state government on Friday announced the reversal of the pay cut for political appointees and civil servants on Grade Level 07 and above. The state announced the downward review of the salaries of these categories of workers which was intended to take effect from July 2020 to December 2020. The state blamed the coronavirus pandemic for the sharp drop in revenues accruing to all tiers of government. Major economic activities were shut down owing to the total lockdown imposed and travel ban enforced for two months. Over 55,000 infections of COVID-19 have so far been recorded across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. Delta State currently occupies the eighth position on the chart of high risk states with 1, 780 infection as of the time of filing this report. Reversal In a statement issued by the Secretary to the State Government, Chiedu Ebie, the state said it had reversed the cuts due to the recent review of pump price on petroleum products. Due to the effects of the recent upward review of pump price of petroleum products and electricity tariffs, His Excellency, Senator Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, Governor of Delta State has directed the immediate restoration of salaries of the affected categories of workers and appointees. The state government commended the cooperation of the labour unions and the affected personnel. As we await the full reflation of the countrys economy, Deltans and other residents are implored to continue to lend support to Governments efforts at confronting the current economic challenge, it said. According to the official, the Commissioner of Finance and the Accountant General have already been directed to ensure immediate implementation of the latest directive. New Delhi, Sep 11 : Does the cast iron-friendship of brothers China and Pakistan also extend to poverty-stricken Balochistans copper and gold mines? Is this why Chinas growing footprint in Pakistan fired Baloch insurgents who now feel doubly exploited-by both Pakistan and now China. Brahamdagh Bugti, one of the most influential Baloch exiles and the grandson of popular leader Nawab Akbar Bugti-killed in airstrikes by Islamabad-says that China is colonizing his region. Bugti, who heads the Baloch Republican Party (BRP), from Switzerland, says that Islamabad has never taken the Baloch people or their leaders into confidence regarding inviting Chinese projects to Balochistan. This is an assessment with which Jabin T. Jacob, associate professor, Department of International Relations and Governance Studies, Shiv Nadar University, agrees. He says: "Chinese involvement is mostly economic in the Gwadar area and in the security domain-ensuring both safety of its citizens there and perhaps, some level of scouting around for a naval/military facility in the area." In July this year, Pakistan awarded a Chinese mining company, Metallurgical Corporation of China Ltd, to extract gold and copper from Chagai in Balochistan till 2035. The company is registered as Saindak Metals Ltd and has been mining since 2002. Predictably, the decision has further alienated the Balochis as they feel that the benefits of such economic cooperation are shared between the all-powerful generals in Islamabad and the exploitative Chinese. Balochistan is Pakistan's largest province with almost 40 per cent of its geographical area and shares borders with Iran and Afghanistan-making it geo-politically a strategic region. Also, it is the poorest of all Pakistan provinces with nearly 75 per cent Balochis living in rural areas. With good governance alien to the region, Balochistan has low employment opportunities, negligible or poor roads, no clean water and health facilities. No wonder the Baloch are up in arms - literally. The Baloch nationalists, seeking independence from Pakistan, have already attacked umpteen Chinese interests including its nationals. Experts feel that China's involvement has exacerbated the conflict in the region. Jacob says: "Partially, yes, the Chinese presence has encouraged the Pakistani state to crack down further on the Balochis as part of the project of building up the nation-state." This has pushed up the security cost of the ambitious CPEC for both China and Pakistan. However, it also gives a vital clue to the Chinese mind. Undeterred, China is pumping more money in Pakistan and consequently Balochistan. Jacob, a China expert, stoutly feels that despite knowing the problems and challenges, "China is going in with eyes wide open in Balochistan and is willing to take losses." Under prodding by Beijing, Islamabad had to create a Special Security Division (SSD) managed by a senior Pakistani army general to protect Chinese people and investments in Balochistan. However, the Pakistani Army has gone a step further to protect Chinese interests in the region-it has also established death squads to kidnap and kill Baloch youth-a testimony to the fact that Chinese involvement in Balochistan has exacerbated the demand for independence. Pakistan's response for independence has been brutal. Brutal, because it launched a crackdown on the Baloch people-kidnapping youth and murdering them. The dead bodies of young people regularly keep surfacing from different parts of the region. In fact, even Baloch political parties that support Pakistan and participate in the political process feel disillusioned. Akhtar Mengal, leader of the Balochistan National Party, has severely criticized Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, saying that after Khan's coming to power in 2018, more than 1,500 Baloch had "disappeared" -- a polite word for state-sponsored kidnappings. Highlighting the recent killing of a boy, Hayat Baloch, Norway-based journalist, Kiyya Baloch wrote on Twitter: "State violence such as that of Hayat has mainly gone unnoticed among Pakistani civil society, NGOs, and media because victims are Baloch. For all the Pakistani liberal democrats and activists, who talk about equality, feminism, and freedom on Twitter in reality, deny a political power or complete autonomy to ethnic group. This cycle of violence continues if this double-standard exists. Now an inquiry into cold blood murder of Hayat has been ordered, but this will rarely yield any results. #JusticeForHayathBaloch." The Chinese footprint and the Pakistani boot in Balochistan is almost akin to the 'cutting of the Chinese melo' by the imperial powers as Balochistan faces the wrath of Communist China and Islamic Pakistan for its mineral riches with no benefits going to an impoverished community. (This content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com) -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Recently, Ghanshyam Nayak, who plays the role of Nattu kaka in Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah, underwent a surgery. Before surgery, he had said that it was a major surgery, but he is positive and requested his fans to pray for him. The actor, who is now recovering in the hospital, told ETimesTV that he is much better now. The actor said that the surgery which happened on Monday lasted nearly for four hours. He further said that the first three days were tough and today is the first day he ate food after surgery. He added that he is now only looking ahead in life. About his surgery, Ghanshyam said, "Eight knots were removed. And, I really don't know how so many had formed. Those knots have been sent for further testing but I have faith in God, jo bhi karega achcha hi karega." He also revealed that his colleagues from his show have been calling him and enquiring about his health. Ghanshyam said that they are waiting for him to get back on the sets, but he has been advised a month's rest after he is discharged from the hospital. So, he doesn't think that he will be able to resume shoot until Navratri at least. The actor concluded by saying, "Son comes at night to be with me, daughter is here throughout the day. The team of doctors attending to me is very good." Also Read: Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah: Nattu Kaka Aka Ghanshyam Requests Fans To Pray For Him The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has sought sanction from the Union government to prosecute former defence secretary and Comptroller and Auditor General of India Shashi Kant Sharma, former Air-Vice Marshal Jasbir Singh Panesar, and three other Indian Air Force (IAF) officers in connection with irregularities in the 3,727-crore AgustaWestland chopper deal, people familiar with the development said. Sharma was joint secretary (air) in the ministry of defence when the contract for supplying 12 VVIP helicopters was under consideration, and when operational requirements (OR) for the deal were being finalised. The contract alleged violations and kickbacks in the deal became one of the biggest controversies during the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) regime was given to Anglo-Italian firm AgustaWestland in February 2010. The deal was eventually scrapped in 2014 Sharma was later Indias defence secretary, between July 2011 and May 2013, and then CAG till 2017. This is the first time his name has come up in connection with the case. The words JS Air an apparent reference to the designation joint secretary (air) appeared repeatedly in Italian court judgments in the matter, as part of a note written by British middleman Christian Michel, who allegedly arranged kickbacks to politicians and officials in India. Exact details of Sharmas role, however, were not known. As JS (Air), Sharma was part of key meetings in the defence ministry, said a CBI official when asked about the prosecution sanction. He declined to give any other details, while confirming the request was made in writing to the defence ministry. HT has seen the document making the request. The details of the alleged role played by Sharma in the case are not clear at this time. Section 19 of the Prevention of Corruption Act makes it mandatory for CBI to seek a prosecution sanction from the concerned department before filing a charge sheet against a government official. Sharma denied the charges. I had a long unblemished service record of over 40 years and nobody can blame me for any malafide action or decision. I strongly and firmly deny any such frivolous allegation, he told HT. A second CBI officer, who asked not to be named, contended that Panesar and the three IAF officers played important and questionable roles in the purchase and testing of the AW-101 helicopters. More details of Panesars alleged role are not known at this time. The three officers against whom sanctions have been sought from the defence ministry are deputy chief test pilot SA Kunte, Wing Commander Thomas Mathew, and Group Captain N Santosh. The three officers have retired. Panesar and the three officers could not be reached. The Directorate of Veterans office did not share their contact details. The second CBI officer added that a supplementary charge sheet, detailing the alleged roles played by Sharma, Panesar, Kunte, Mathew and Santosh, is ready and will be filed as soon as the government accords sanction. The charge sheet will also detail the role of about a dozen other officials and individuals that amount to conspiracy and violation under the prevention of corruption act, he added. On Michel, the CBI supplementary charge sheet will explain how he paid bribes to Indian officials to influence the decision in the favour of AgustaWestland, and later destroyed the trail, said the second officer. Michel was extradited to India in December 2018 and is currently lodged in Tihar jail. CBI filed its first charge sheet in the case in September 2017, naming former IAF chief SP Tyagi; former Air-Vice Marshal JS Gujral; former AgustaWestland CEO Bruno Spagnolini; former Finmeccanica chairman Giuseppe Orsi; Michel and his two associates, Guido Ralph Haschke and Carlo Gerosa; SP Tyagis cousin Sanjeev Tyagi; and Delhi-based lawyer-middleman Gautam Khaitan. They have all denied any wrongdoing. According to a note, allegedly written by Michel sometime in 2008 at his London office, 30 million euros were to be distributed among Indian bureaucrats, politicians, and air force officers. The note used abbreviations of designations under the heads AF (which, investigators allege, meant air force), BUR (bureaucrats, according to sleuths), POL (politicians) and Fam (believed to be SP Tyagis family). The note mentioned that 6 million euros were for AF, 8.4 million euros for BUR, 3 million euros for Pol and 15-16 million euros for Fam. Several of the abbreviations under the header were revealed by Guido Haschke to Italian investigators, according to court documents. The Italian courts 2016 judgment in the case it sentenced Orsi and Spagnolini said that Haschke admitted to these expenses incurred by Michel on the Indian military, bureaucracy, and politicians. Spagnolini and Orsi were acquitted later by an appeals court in Milan in September 2018. CBI claimed in its first charge sheet (HT has seen a copy) that, in 2004, officials at Prime Ministers Office (PMO), Special Protection Group (SPG) and air force and ministry of defence officials, agreed to change the mandatory service ceiling of the helicopters from 6,000 meters to 4,500. This, it alleged, ultimately benefitted Anglo-Italian firm AgustaWestland. CBI also says it has established a money trail of 62 million euros (around 415 crore) out of suspected 67 million euros (452 crore) in bribes allegedly paid to Indian officials through middlemen. The irregularities in the award of contract to AgustaWestland led to estimated loss of 398.21 million euros (around 2,666 crore) to the Indian government in the 556.262 million euros (3,726.9 crore) contract, according to CBI. The tentacles of the drug mafia seem to spread far and wide. It has now emerged that peddlers were smuggling contraband into Bengaluru through North Karnataka. Police on Thursday said they had confiscated a staggering 1,200 kg of ganja store in the underground chamber of a sheep farm on the outskirts of Kalaburagi. Police got wind of the drug haul after the arrest of a ganja peddler named Jnanashekar in VV Giri Colony, Seshadripuram, on August 30. Jnanashekar, an auto driver from Gayathrinagar, was allegedly trying to sell 2.1 kg of ganja when he was caught. Jnanashekar led the police to another drug peddler named Siddunath Lavate, a native of Sindagi taluk, Vijayapura district. Lavate was arrested near Madanayakanahalli, off Tumakuru Road, on September 6. While police found only 200 grams of ganja in his possession, he revealed the names of two other drug peddlers Chandrakanth, from Aurad, Bidar district, and Naganath, from Kalgi, Kalaburagi district. He also helped the police seize another 150 kg of ganja from Kamalapur on National Highway 50 in Kalaburagi district. Police then launched a manhunt for Chandrakant and Naganath and caught them near a toll plaza in Kalaburagi district the same day. The duo told the police about a big haul of ganja store in Chandrakants sheep farm located Lacchu Nayak Tanda in Kalgi. But when police went to the farm, they found neither sheep nor ganja there. It was only after sustained interrogation that Chandrakant disclosed the cache: the contraband was stored in an underground chamber beneath a mud floor. A lid opens into the chamber, which is about five feet deep and 10 feet wide. Police found 1,200 kg of ganja, packed in dozens of bags. The source Police believe the entire haul of ganja was smuggled from Odisha. The ganja transported it to a vegetable market in Telangana before smuggling it into the Kalaburagi sheep farm. The contraband was meant to be supplied to peddlers in Mumbai, Bengaluru and other places of Karnataka. Celebrity The Daily Beast Reuters/Arnd WiegmannTheatrical rock superstar Meat Loaf, whose Bat Out of Hell is one of the bestselling albums of all time, has died at the age of 74. Reports say the singer and actor had recently fallen sick with COVID-19.In an emotional statement posted to Facebook early Friday, the performers family said he was with his wife when he died and had said his final goodbyes to his two daughters in the past 24 hours. The star sold 100 million albums in his five-decade career and starred in movie HANGZHOU, China, Sept. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- BEST Inc. (NYSE: BEST) ("BEST" or the "Company"), a leading integrated smart supply chain solutions and logistics services provider in China, announced that it has been included in the country's latest ranking of the 500 largest private enterprises, with BEST being recognized as the 262nd largest non-state-owned enterprise in the country. The top 500 list, which was unveiled yesterday at the China Top 500 Private Enterprises Summit 2020 held in Beijing, is an annual ranking conducted by the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce (ACFIC), founded in 1953. With annual revenue of 35.2 billion Chinese yuan in 2019, BEST ranked second in terms of revenue among parcel logistics firms on the list. In addition, the ACFIC also unveiled China's Top 100 Private Enterprises in the Service Industry, with BEST ranking 81st. Johnny Chou, Founder, Chairman and CEO of BEST, said "It is a great honor for our Company to be recognized on ACFIC's list with so many other successful and respected enterprises from China's private sector. Over the past 13 years, alongside rapid growth and development in the Chinese economy, BEST has grown into a leading smart supply chain and logistics services provider through operational excellence and continuous innovation. I believe that BEST's pursuit of empowering businesses with smart supply chain solutions and enriching the lives of consumers with efficient logistics and delivery services will drive us even further in our next chapter of development." ABOUT BEST INC. BEST Inc. (NYSE: BEST) is a leading integrated smart supply chain solutions and logistics services provider in China. Through its proprietary technology platform and extensive networks, BEST offers a comprehensive set of logistics and value-add services, including express and freight delivery, supply chain management and last-mile services, truckload service brokerage, international logistics and financial services. BEST's mission is to empower business and enrich life by leveraging technology and business model innovation to create a smarter, more efficient supply chain. For more information, please visit: http://www.best-inc.com/en/. INVESTOR AND MEDIA CONTACTS BEST Inc. Investor Relations Team E-mail: [email protected] The Piacente Group, Inc. Yang Song Tel: +86-10-6508-0677 E-mail: [email protected] The Piacente Group, Inc. Brandi Piacente Tel: +1-212-481-2050 E-mail: [email protected] SOURCE BEST Inc. Related Links https://www.best-inc.com/ The committee tasked with evaluating metrics is slated to issue a recommendation Oct. 22 on how to proceed when the first nine weeks end in November. The group on Thursday told the board that central Virginia is seeing a high burden of community spread, which is measured by the number of new cases per day and the number of outbreaks as well as positivity percentage. But those numbers are down from earlier this summer. Beth Teigen, HCPS chief of staff, said the schools cant move past limited in-person instruction right now. While all measures have been decreasing, only outbreaks, wherein more than two people are related to a COVID-19 case, have decreased for a consecutive 16 days. All other measures are fluctuating. Percent positivity has been decreasing for 11 days; the number of new cases has been decreasing for eight days. Teigen said Henrico has been at a high transmission burden for at least three weeks. She said the district should be in a moderate burden for at least 14 days to consider reopening schools. That would allow for a hybrid approach of two days in person and three days of virtual learning for students with a full virtual option available. Nisum Nisum is building upon its previous practice of giving employees time off to vote and further encouraging employees to become an active solution for a successful Election Day. Nisum, a leading global digital commerce firm, announced today that they will pay its US-based employees to work at voting polls on Election Day on Tuesday, November 3, 2020. 2020s global COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the already existing shortage of voting poll workers, which threatens the ability for every citizen to easily and quickly vote due to fewer polling locations and longer wait and processing times. Therefore, this year Nisum is building upon its previous practice of giving employees time off to vote and further encouraging employees to become an active solution for a successful Election Day. Nisum was founded on the principle of taking care of its people and its community, and there is no more critical time period than now when individuals, companies, and organizations must come together and do our civic duty, says Imtiaz Mohammady, CEO and founder of Nisum. I am very proud of our employees who choose to spend their Tuesday to help our citizens vote swiftly, safely, and securely. Nisum was inspired by the actions of its longtime client Gap, Inc., whose Old Navy brand announced that they will pay its store employees who serve as poll workers for the 2020 election. Mohammady adds, Nisums motto is 'Building Success Together.' Im glad that we can build success not only in the workplace but also in our community through civic engagement. About Nisum Nisum is a leading global digital commerce firm headquartered in California, with services spanning digital strategy and transformation, insights and analytics, blockchain, business agility, and custom software development. Founded in 2000 with the customer-centric motto "Building Success Together," Nisum has grown to over 1,400 professionals across the United States, Chile, India, and Pakistan. A preferred advisor to leading Fortune 500 brands, Nisum enables clients to achieve direct business growth by building the advanced technology that B2C and B2B clients need to reach end customers in todays world, with immersive and seamless experiences across digital and physical channels. Whether youre a hot start-up or a major global brand, Nisums approach is the same: forge the most powerful connection possible between people, processes, and technology in order to achieve unparalleled success with fast time-to-market, scalable and cloud-based solutions. At the intersection of business and technology, Nisums combination of deep expertise, acceleration models, and global execution capabilities results in integrated solutions that deliver real and measurable growth. Media Contact Tina Wung Vice President, Marketing, Nisum twung@nisum.com Email Whatsapp Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment It was a late night in August 1998 that I always think back on whenever the infamous events of September 11, 2001, come to mind. My grandfather was in the hospital dying, and as our family was preparing to say goodbye, in the background the TV was on the news. My grandfather loved history, law and geo-politics, which I believe he successfully passed onto me, and I vaguely remember watching an interview being shown of a man I had never heard of named Osama bin Laden. Bin Laden was in a cave raving against America during an interview with a western journalist when he said his terrorist organization had declared war on America and that he was going to attack the United States. I remember thinking to myself, How is this guy in a cave going to attack the most powerful country on earth? Years later, on that Tuesday morning, I remember being stunned as I heard that mans name on the TV again, with the realization that he had fulfilled his threat. Our world was suddenly and dramatically changed by the images that I will never forget, that played over and over again of those planes hitting the Twin Towers in New York. Surely this was a movie, we kept thinking. But no, this was no movie. Our country had been attacked for the first time since Pearl Harbor, and our world and all the exciting expectations that came with ushering in a new century and millennium were dashed. In the immediate days that came after 9/11, like everyone around me, I experienced fear. Fear that this was going to be the start of an onslaught of terrorist attacks on our homeland, because 9/11 shattered the illusion that Americas strength and the oceans that separated us somehow meant we were invulnerable. Yet, even as scary as those days were, there were things I remember from the weeks following that horrible day that I have often thought back to, especially recently. I remember President Bush quoting Psalm 23 that night from the Oval Office, reminding us that in the valley of the shadow of death, we can overcome fear knowing a power greater than ourselves was with us. I remember seeing Republicans and Democrats on the steps of Capitol Hill joining hands singing God Bless America. I remember seeing American flags plastered anywhere and everywhere, and churches packed. I remember seeing real unity in our country, real love for our neighbor, patriotism, and a spiritual realization that our country had been shaken at its core and for a brief moment, we individually and collectively looked heavenward for help to face this new threat. But sadly, as with just about everything in the age we live in, our attention span is short, our memory fades and we forgot the lessons 9/11 taught us. Today, as we get ready to mark the 19th anniversary of that day, our country is facing an ongoing pandemic, economic hardships, mental and emotional freefall, racial reckoning, riots in our streets, and an upcoming polarizing presidential election. Yet, this time around, as our nation is engulfed in the most severe crisis Ive ever seen in my lifetime, we are not responding to this moment as we did almost 20 years ago. Instead of uniting, we are more divided than ever before. Instead of loving our neighbor, we spar with them on social media. Instead of listening, weve become accustomed to shouting. Whereas when we faced 9/11 we understood what had happened, in todays polarizing media landscape its as if our reality is on different planets for understanding what is happening before us. Our national institutions are in danger of implosion. For the first time in my life, I am actually deeply concerned for what future awaits my children growing up in this country. Yet, all is not lost, and its not too late. We have been here before. The details are different to be sure, but our families, churches, leaders and nation have risen to the occasion in our past when we faced tyranny, civil war, depression, wars, political turmoil, and social unrest. And while there are many factors for how America has weathered these challenges, there is one consistent theme embedded in our story, and that is our turning to God in times of crisis. The question facing us today is: Will we recognize our need for Him in our hearts, our lives, and our society or will we continue on the course we have been on, heralding our own self destruction? As Francis Chan said, The irony is that while God doesnt need us but still wants us, we desperately need God but dont really want Him most of the time. We need hope for the future, we need love to triumph over hatred, faith to overcome fear, brokenness to be made whole and confidence to face uncertainty. We need racial reconciliation, we need healing, and we need to value what matters most. We need Jesus. We need a relationship with Him over religiosity. We need a move of God in our hearts, our homes, and our land. And believe it or not, how you and I respond to this moment, ultimately determines if its too late for our country or not. If we humble ourselves, realizing we cant fix our problems purely through political or societal means, if we look up, and call on the Ancient of Days, if we resolve to search and seek to know Him, if we are willing to stop doing the same things over and over again expecting a different result, engaging in true insanity and change from our futile ways of thinking and living; then we will be heard, forgiven, healed and revived, in our lives and in the life of our nation. Almost 20 years ago, I vividly remember as a high schooler watching us take a step in that direction. But we ended up forgetting the wake-up call that for a brief moment, got our attention to what matters most as Americans and as human beings. If we dont wake up to the spiritual urgency of the hour in which we find ourselves, we may not get another opportunity. Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD Psalm 33:12 Private legal practitioner, Maurice Ampaw has described New Patriotic Partys vociferous lawmaker, Kennedy Agyapong as a spoilt brat whose awful actions have been ignored for long. He said the NPP guru is not above the law and must be punished if necessary for his actions to serve as a warning to others. He has been pampered for too long in this country. He is not above the law, he said after Kennedy Agyapong was cited for contempt. Kennedy Agyapong has been summoned by High Court judge Amos Wuntah Wuni for contempt after the legislator called him stupid. Ken Agyapong is reported to have scandalized and threatened the judge and, by extension, the court in an ongoing land case. On Wednesday, September 2, the lawmaker had threatened to petition the Chief Justice over a judgment given without his knowledge. On a program on Net2 TV, Ken Agyapong called the judge stupid for delivering judgment when he was unaware of the case despite being the de jure owner of the land for 18 years. You are a stupid judge. I will face you, Mr. Agyapong said on his TV station Net2 last week. He stressed: I am not Anas to take bribe from you. I will deal with you. Kennedy Agyapong has however apologized for his actions but Maurice Ampaw maintained that his words are unpardonable. His apology shouldnt take away the fact that what he did was wrong. He should not escape punishment for this behavior. He behaves like he is possessed by some spirit, he said in an interview with NEAT FMs morning show 'Ghana Montie'. Source: King Edward Ambrose Washman Addo/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Details added: first version published on 20:28 (Sept. 10) BAKU, Azerbaijan, Sept. 10 Trend: The first meeting of the Azerbaijani Economic Council, created upon the Azerbaijani presidents decree, was held on Sept. 10 under the chairmanship of Azerbaijani Prime Minister, Ali Asadov, the Azerbaijani Cabinet of Ministers told Trend on Sept. 10. The members of the Council, namely, assistants to the Azerbaijani president Shahmar Movsumov and Natig Amirov, assistants to the Azerbaijani first vice president Emin Huseynov and Khalid Akhadov, Minister of Economy Mikayil Jabbarov, Minister of Finance Samir Sharifov, Minister of Labor and Social Protection of the Population Sahil Babayev, Chairman of the Central Bank of Azerbaijan Elman Rustamov, Executive Director of the State Oil Fund of Azerbaijan (SOFAZ) Israfil Mammadov attended the meeting. Prime Minister Ali Asadov noted that the Economic Council, being a new platform, is an advantageous institution for collegial discussion of the most difficult problems in a difficult period for the world and the national economy, in order to come to a consensus. By the instructions of the head of state, the Economic Council should create a program on the framework of economic policy. In parallel with public investment, attracting private local and foreign investment should be the main task of the economic policy of the new period. The leading role of the private sector should be ensured, serious and radical steps should be taken to improve the investment environment, the prime minister said. In order to adequately respond to the strategic challenges, which national economic development is facing, the President of Azerbaijan set the following tasks: maintaining macroeconomic and financial stability; generation of new mechanisms for increasing the annual rates of economic growth; creation of more sustainable and inclusive sources of economic growth; in particular, attracting private investment, including foreign direct investment; determination of national development priorities based on the expansion of non-oil exports; radical improvement of the investment environment; strengthening the international competitiveness of the country's economy; increasing socio-economic well-being; and other strategic objectives. To ensure the fulfillment of these tasks in the Decree of the Azerbaijani president, the Economic Council is instructed to prepare proposals based on the successful models available in the world in all spheres of the economy, including in the fiscal, monetary sectors and the financial and banking sector, the real sector, in encouraging private investment, regulating the activities of state-owned enterprises, improving the efficiency of the social protection system, developing health care and education, Asadov said. In order to implement the measures envisaged in the decree, the council is allowed to attract local and foreign experts, international organizations and academic institutions. Speaking at the meeting, the members of the council shared their opinions on the Regulation on Council, development of a long-term work plan, directions of reforms. In conclusion, the prime minister, on behalf of the members of the Economic Council, said that the council is fully aware of its responsibility for the implementation of the difficult and honorable tasks set by the President of Azerbaijan and will ensure the prompt adoption of all necessary measures in this direction. BAY CITY, MI The husband of a woman who won a half-million dollars on a lottery ticket then allegedly joined her on a multi-county burglary spree has accepted a plea deal. Mitchell T. Arnswald, 30, on the afternoon of Thursday, Sept. 10, appeared before Bay County Circuit Judge Harry P. Gill via Zoom from the Bay County Jail and pleaded no contest to two counts of second-degree home invasion and one count of possession of burglary tools. The former is a 15-year felony, while the latter is punishable by up to 10 years in prison. In exchange for Arnswalds pleas, Bay County Chief Assistant Prosecutor Jeffrey Stroud agreed to dismiss a third count of second-degree home invasion and to not issue additional charges related to four other burglaries. By pleading no contest as opposed to guilty, Arnswald did not orally admit to committing any crimes. Defense attorney Sally B. Warren said Arnswald was pleading no contest for reasons of civil liability. Gill relied on police reports to enter convictions on the record. Those reports state that on Aug. 22, 2019, a house on East Cody Estey Road in Pinconning Township had been broken into. Arnswald and wife Stephanie V. Harvell subsequently pawned jewelry stolen from the house at a Bay City shop for $325, Gill said. The following week on the afternoon of Aug. 29, 2019, a house on South Farley Road in Merritt Township had a door kicked in and was burglarized. That same afternoon, investigating Bay County Sheriffs deputies found a Ford SUV matching the suspect vehicle description at the Meijer at 595 N. Pine Road in Hampton Township. Deputies staked out the unoccupied SUV until Arnswald and Harvell exited the Meijer, returned to it, and started driving away, Sheriff Troy R. Cunningham has said. Defendant Stephanie D. Harvell is walked out of the courtroom after her plea hearing on Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2020. Harvell plead guilty breaking and entering into homes in 2019. Kaytie Boomer | MLive.com Deputies pulled over the SUV and arrested Arnswald and Harvell without incident. In the vehicle, deputies found a safe, a jewelry box, and other items reported stolen from the Merritt Township house. Deputies also found just-purchased crowbars and rubber gloves in the SUV. Ive been short on work lately and broke into that couples house, Arnswald told deputies, according to Gill. I went in and took some things that I thought were worth some money. I kicked the back door open, went in, and got what you found in the truck. Wed gone to Meijer to get some hammers and prybar to open the safe. Prior to the couples arrest, a task force comprising detectives from Bay, Saginaw, Midland, Arenac, and Tuscola counties was formed to investigate a rash of seemingly related burglaries. Harvell, 29, in January pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree home invasion and one count of conspiracy to commit that crime, both 15-year felonies. Judge Gill in March sentenced Harvell to two years of probation and ordered her to pay $17,966.01 in restitution between four recipients. At the time, Harvell still had related charges pending in Arenac County. A judge in that county in June sentenced Harvell to four to 15 years in prison on a conviction of second-degree home invasion. Harvell is currently serving her time at the Womens Huron Valley Correctional Facility in Ypsilanti. Harvell in January 2016 won $500,000 on a $5 Hot Ticket scratch-off from the Michigan Lottery, having bought it at a Bay City Speedway gas station. In a press release issued by Michigan Lottery, Harvell said she and Arnswald, whom she wed in December 2015, had been living paycheck to paycheck. Harvell bought the scratch-off ticket the same day she had received an eviction notice, she previously said. Harvell said she planned to use the money to buy a house and a car and set up college funds for her two daughters. Arnswald in May 2016 bought a house in the 3600 block of Lauria Drive in Bangor Township for $80,000. By September 2019, he owed $4,863.50 in three years' worth of delinquent property taxes. Arnswald in March 2019 filed a hardship agreement with the county, agreeing to make monthly payments of $60. Records in September 2019 indicated Arnswald had not made a single $60 payment. The county did not end up foreclosing on the property, however. Significant payments were made and a new hardship agreement has been made with payments of $300 (per) month being due, said Bay County Treasurer Shawna Walraven on Sept. 11. Currently, Arnswald owes $4,879 in back taxes due by Sept. 30. That fee increases to $4,940.52 by Oct. 31 and to $4,987.07 by Nov. 30, records indicate. Harvell and Arnswald remain charged in Saginaw County with second-degree home invasion, receiving and concealing between $1,000 and $20,000 of stolen property, and conspiracy to commit both of those crimes. Judge Gill is to sentence Arnswald on Oct. 26. Read more: Woman who won $500K in Michigan lottery gets probation, drug rehab for burglaries Winner of $500K scratch off lottery ticket pleads guilty in Michigan burglaries Couple who won $500,000 lottery, now facing burglary charges, owe thousands in back property taxes Couple who won $500,000 in the Michigan Lottery now accused of burglary spree The Bay Area in California awoke Wednesday to a scene straight out of Mars. Orange and even red skies blanketed San Francisco, Oakland, and Berkeley, and ash rained down, with wildfires raging far in the distance. In this image taken with slow shutter speed, embers light up a hillside behind the Bidwell Bar Bridge as the Bear Fire burns in Oroville, Calif., on Wednesday, Sept. 9. (Noah Berger/AP) When the smoke and ash get even thicker close to the wildfires, it can cut the sunlight out completely, making it look like the dead of night, CNN meteorologist Judson Jones said. Residents turned on lights, looking into a rust-colored sky that made it look like nighttime. Winds are carrying the wildfire smoke from afar. Both the Creek Fire and the North Complex Fire are burning more than 200 miles away, yet their presence could be felt in the Bay Area. Other places, such as Salem, Oregon, are experiencing similar apocalyptic glows. Patrick Kenefick and Dana Williams, both of Mill Valley, Calif., record the darkened Golden Gate Bridge at 9:47 a.m. covered with smoke from wildfires Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2020, from a pier at Fort Baker near Sausalito, Calif. (Eric Risberg/AP) The massive plumes of smoke generated by the wildfires raging across California have led to the longest stretch of unhealthy air quality alerts on record in the Bay Area, with 25 straight days of Spare the Air alerts, Erin DeMerritt, Bay Area Air Quality Management District spokeswoman, told CNN. The previous record was 14 consecutive days during the 2018 Camp Fire. The smoke and ash are acting like natures version of an Instagram filter, Jones said. The particles in the air are refracting sunlight similar to the way small air particles do when the sun sets or rises. A man walks his dog along Bridgeway Avenue as smoke from wildfires darken the morning in Sausalito, Calif. (Eric Risberg/AP) The particles scatter the shorter wavelengths of blue and green, making us unable to see them. The longer wavelengths of red and yellow pass through the bottom, giving us this haunting effect, Jones said. Orange skies covered San Francisco, making Sneha Patil feel like she was on another planet. It was surreal, Patil wrote. It felt like I had woken up to the skies in Mars! Looking up Columbus Ave. the Transamerica Pyramid and Salesforce Tower are covered with smoke from wildfires late Wednesday morning, Sept. 9, 2020, in San Francisco. (Eric Risberg/AP) Michelle McKeown, of Oakland, saw homes in her neighborhood with lights on at 10 a.m. It feels eerie, apocalyptic and frightening, McKeown told CNN. Ive lived in the Bay Area since 1988 and never experienced such doom coming from the sky. The skies burned red over a vintage clothing store in Oakland. Even though it looked like this, it didnt smell like smoke, said Maya Messoriano, owner of Minds Eye Vintage store. At least its finally looking like a proper #apocalypse, a local band called Empty Vessel posted on Instagram. Climate scientist Peter Gleick tried to capture the dark skies around his Berkeley home on Wednesday, saying the camera didnt do it justice. Ive lived in northern California since 1978, Gleick wrote to CNN. I have NEVER seen skies like this. Its like midnight out there now (at 10:15 a.m.) but instead of black skies, theyre dark, dark red. See more pictures below: People stop at Fort Point to take morning pictures of the Golden Gate Bridge covered in smoke from wildfires Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2020, in San Francisco. (Eric Risberg/AP) The skyline in the distance behind Crissy Field is barely visible with smoke from wildfires late Wednesday morning, Sept. 9, 2020, in San Francisco. (Eric Risberg/AP) Wildfire smoke obscures the sky over Interstate 280 in San Francisco. (Jeff Chiu/AP) Under darkened skies from wildfire smoke, a man crosses Hyde Street with Alcatraz Island and Fishermans Wharf in the background on Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2020, in San Francisco. (Eric Risberg/AP) The Infinity Towers in Downtown San Francisco are seen under an orange smoke-filled sky. (BRITTANY HOSEA-SMALL/AFP via Getty Images) The CNN Wire contributed to this report. The South Dakota Division of Insurance is terminating its program of allowing temporary insurance producer licenses. The division issued a bulletin in April that outlined grounds for the issuance of temporary insurance producer license due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the closure of producer testing sites. Since that time more than 100 applicants were employed using temporary insurance producer licenses. Those testing centers have fully reopened in South Dakota and appropriate mitigation measures are in place, the division said. So, the division will not accept temporary insurance producer applications based on the criteria of the COVID-19 bulletin after Sept. 11, 2020. Specifics of the new temporary licensing policy include: All existing temporary insurance producer licenses will terminate on the lesser of: (1.) The time of automatic expiration of the temporary license (180 days after issuance); or (2.) November 13, 2020. No renewals for temporary insurance producer licenses are available regardless of the license issue date. No exceptions will be made. Any temporary license application received after Sept. 11 will be closed with no license issued. All temporary insurance producers are encouraged to immediately schedule their insurance producer examination to avoid a disruption in license status. Access the insurance producer application and examination information. At termination, temporary insurance producers will no longer be licensed to legally sell, solicit, or negotiate insurance and full licensure will be required. Responsible licensed producers are encouraged to review the license status of temporary insurance producers for which they are responsible to prevent noncompliance. Source: South Dakota Division of Insurance Topics South Dakota Kumho Asiana Group headquarters in Seoul / Yonhap By Lee Min-hyung Korea Development Bank Chairman Lee Dong-gull The termination of the high-profile takeover deal between HDC Hyundai Development Company and Asiana Airlines was officially announced Friday after the cash-strapped airline and its creditors declined to accept HDC's demand for another 12 weeks of due diligence. The collapsed deal will likely create a stir in the local M&A industry, possibly arousing legal disputes between the interested parties over HDC's contract deposit worth 250 billion won ($210.5 million), 10 percent of the deal's total value. Following the announcement of the botched deal, Asiana's main creditors led by Korea Development Bank (KDB) have initiated their "Plan B" on normalizing the business operation of the airline. HDC Hyundai Development Company Chairman Chung Mong-gyu A U.S. Navy veteran has claimed he had no idea he was living with HIV for more than two decades, because government health care workers never informed him of his positive test result in the mid-1990s. In a federal lawsuit filed this week, the South Carolina man says he ended up with 'full-blown AIDS' because he never received treatment after being kept in the dark. 'The treatment he's getting now is effective, but he's had essentially 25 years of wear and tear for having no treatment,' said his lawyer, Chad McGowan. Conditions related to his unknown HIV status included an infection of his brain tissue, McGowan said. 'He feels extremely guilty about the girlfriends he's had over the last 25 years because he didn't know,' he said. A U.S. Navy veteran has filed a lawsuit against the Department of Veteran Affairs claiming health officials neglected to tell him he was HIV positive in 1995 The HIV test was done in November 1995 as part of standard lab testing at a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs medical center in Columbia, South Carolina, the lawsuit states. The V.A. 'does not typically comment on pending litigation,' agency spokeswoman Marlous Black said in an email. The veteran, identified in the lawsuit as John Doe to protect his privacy, was hurt in a 1976 ship wreck while serving in the Navy, the lawsuit states. He was aboard a destroyer that collided with an aircraft carrier off the coast of Scotland, McGowan said. The servicemen on the destroyer were told to abandon ship. He and others were rescued from the North Sea. McGowan said the ordeal led to his client developing Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. He was classified as disabled due to his physical and mental injuries, and began being treated by the Veterans Affairs Department. A doctor at the V.A.'s Columbia medical center ordered the lab work that included the HIV test in November 1995. Guidelines require that patients be informed of any positive test result, and that treatments begin. The Navy veteran, identified as John Doe, said he ended up with 'full-blown AIDS' after VA officials in South Carolina kept him in the dark about the diagnosis 'In clear contravention of the standard of care, Mr Doe was not informed of the positive HIV test until decades later,' the lawsuit states. In 2014, a nurse practitioner at the Columbia facility wrote a memo noting the 1995 lab tests, according to medical records included in the complaint. But the information still wasn't conveyed to the veteran, the complaint states. In 2015, the veteran saw another doctor through the V.A. who wrote in a medical record that he came across the 1995 lab results showing the positive HIV test. The doctor asked him who his infectious disease doctor was, and the veteran said he didn't have one. That doctor also asked the veteran if he knew he was HIV positive, and he responded that he was never told about any positive test. That doctor 'does not diagnose Mr Doe with HIV, nor does he even add the positive HIV test to Mr Doe's problem list or medical history in his medical chart to flag the positive HIV test for subsequent providers,' the complaint states. It wasn't until September 2018 when the veteran had an emergency visit to a non-V.A. hospital - Maimonides Medical Center in New York City - that he received a definitive diagnosis and began treatment for HIV/AIDS. At that point, he responded well to antiretroviral therapy, but 'the virus had already progressed to full-blown AIDS,' the complaint states. He 'needlessly suffered for decades with co-existing conditions common in HIV infected persons, including lymphadenopathy, neurotoxoplasmosis, muscle aches and joint pain,' the complaint states. The HIV test was done in November 1995 as part of standard lab testing at a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs medical center (pictured) in Columbia, South Carolina, the lawsuit states 'Had Defendants acted within the standard of care, Mr Doe would not have suffered the losses he has suffered, and will continue to suffer in the future, and more likely than not, he would not have developed AIDS.' Some people who are HIV-positive can live for several years without developing symptoms, but others develop symptoms much more quickly, experts say. 'Some people progress really fast and some don't progress at all,' said Dr Carlos del Rio, director of the Center for AIDS Research at Emory University in Atlanta. The negligence alleged in this lawsuit appears to be highly unusual. 'I can't think of any specific situation where someone's test result was delayed in that way,' said lawyer Scott Schoettes, the HIV project director at Lambda Legal, which is involved in HIV-related court cases around the nation. Schoettes is not involved in the South Carolina case. McGowan said he's advocated for other V.A. patients who weren't informed in a timely manner after biopsies found evidence of disease, 'but nothing where there's a 25-year delay.' 'In my experience working with patients like Mr Doe, the V.A. has so many providers that come and go, that they try to have some continuity of care, but stuff falls through the cracks all time,' he said. 'Communication issues, I believe. Sort of like it gets pushed down in the file and nobody looks.' Life and general insurer Aviva is offloading its Singapore business to a consortium led by Singapore Life, for S$2.7 billion ($1.98 billion), as the London-listed firm sharpens its focus on Britain, Ireland and Canada. The British company said on Friday it will sell its majority shareholding in the business to the Singlife consortium, which includes alternative asset firm TPG, Japanese insurer Sumitomo Life and other existing Singlife shareholders. Promising to shake up the organisation after she took over in July, new CEO Amanda Blanc pledged to reduce its operations in Asia and Europe. Analysts have said the insurer is operating in too many countries and sectors, and its shares have lagged rivals. The stock closed 5% higher at 303.2 pence on Friday, as investors welcomed the news. The sale of Aviva Singapore is a significant first step in our new strategy to bring greater focus to Avivas portfolio," said Blanc, who has been looking to pivot Aviva away from Asia, where some global players have struggled with competition. The deal, one of the biggest in insurance in Southeast Asia, comes at a time when Singlife has been looking to expand in the region. TPG will become the largest shareholder in the new group, which will initially be branded as Aviva Singlife in Singapore, with a 35% stake. Aviva will retain a 25% equity stake, with another 20% going to Sumitomo. The rest will be held by other investors in Singlife, which started operations in Singapore in 2017, and has snapped up customers with its digital offerings. We believe this constitutes exceptional value creation for the group (Aviva) and represents clear delivery from the new CEO Amanda Blanc on her promise for decisive action," Jefferies analysts said. The deal also consists of S$2 billion in cash and marketable securities, and S$250 million in vendor finance notes, Aviva said. ($1 = 1.3664 Singapore dollars) 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 (Bloomberg) ByteDance Ltd., the Chinese owner of video-sharing app TikTok, plans to make Singapore its beachhead for the rest of Asia as part of its global expansion, according to people familiar with the matter. The Beijing-based company is looking to spend several billion dollars and add hundreds of jobs over the next three years in the city-state, where it has applied for a license to operate a digital bank, said the people, who asked not to be identified because of confidentiality. The investment would come at a crucial time as the technology company is forced to sell TikTok operations in the U.S. under pressure from the Trump administration. ByteDance, the worlds most richly valued startup, is plowing ahead with plans to take its social media services deeper into Asia after setbacks in India and the U.K. as well as the U.S. The internet phenomenon controlled by billionaire Zhang Yiming has long eyed Southeast Asias 650 million increasingly smartphone-savvy population, a region where Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. and Tencent Holdings Ltd. are also making inroads. The plans for Singapore include establishment of a data center, the people said. Its operations there include TikTok and Lark, an enterprise software business. ByteDance already has more than 200 job openings in Singapore for positions in everything from payments to e-commerce and data privacy, according to its job referral site. The company has 400 employees working on technology, sales and marketing in the city-state, one of the people said. A ByteDance representative offered no comment. Southeast Asia is rapidly evolving into a critical location for Chinas largest tech corporations from Alibaba to Tencent in the face of growing hostility from the U.S. and other major developed markets. Singapore is becoming a regional base for both Western and Chinese companies because of its developed financial and legal system, and as Beijing tightens its grip on Hong Kong. Singapore is highly attractive to tech firms looking for a hub to address the Southeast Asian markets due to geographic proximity, said Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Vey-Sern Ling. The workforce is highly educated, tech savvy and multilingual. In China, ByteDance also runs news aggregation app Toutiao, and TikToks Chinese twin Douyin. Collectively its stable of products has more than 1.5 billion monthly active users. ByteDance is said to have generated more than $3 billion of net profit on more than $17 billion of revenue in 2019. U.S. Deadline Asia is a growth area for the company, especially when it is increasingly likely to miss the U.S. governments deadline for the sale of its TikTok U.S. operations. President Donald Trump said Thursday he wont extend his Sept. 15 deadline for the deal. In India, TikTok is among more than 100 Chinese-made consumer apps that are banned by the government on concerns about security. SoftBank Group Corp. is exploring gathering a group of bidders for TikToks India assets. The U.K. government is likely to ban TikTok from moving local user data out of the country, Bloomberg News reported. Gateway Singapore in particular offers ByteDance the opportunity to explore an area its had relatively little exposure to. The company is leading a consortium that has applied for a digital-bank license from the Monetary Authority of Singapore. Other members of that group include a private investment firm owned by a member of the Lee family that founded Oversea-Chinese Banking Corp. The regulator will award as many as five such permits to nonbanks by December. Ant Group and Tencent-backed Sea Ltd. have also applied. The city-state offers a potential gateway to the rest of Southeast Asia, where the digital lending market may reach $110 billion by 2025, according to a report by Bain & Co., Google and Temasek Holdings Pte. Download our app to receive breaking news alerts and read the news on the go. Ankara, Sep 11 : A massive wildfire affecting more than 150 hectares of land in Turkey's Samandag and Antakya districts near the country's border with Syria was brought under control after 93 hours, the media reported. The cooling works in the area took place via land and air, the Hurriyet Daily News reported. While there was no loss of life as a result of the fires, financial damage in the area will be determined after the investigation. Firefighter crews, two aircraft, 182 waterjet engines, 24 construction vehicles, 45 technical personnel, and a total of 792 personnel participated in efforts to extinguish this year's largest fire, which broke out on September 5 and quickly spread due to winds. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text A herd of horses from a Boy Scout camp near Scotts Mills is safe and sound because of volunteer efforts led by Linn-Benton Community College and Cascade Equine Veterinary Clinic. The 32 horses, mainly mares and geldings, are lodged on a 55-acre grass field in Tangent that the college plans to turn into an equine center. The plot adjoins Cascade Equine, whose owner, Chris Wickliffe, helped out with hay and galvanized tubs of water. Jenny Strooband, an instructor in LBCCs agricultural sciences department, knew there would be issues with horses and other livestock needing evacuation as soon as news surfaced of the severity of the Santiam Canyon fires. Strooband kept monitoring social media for reports of horses needing evacuation, and she and a crew of volunteers were out for 20 consecutive hours hauling horses from the 600-acre Butte Creek Scout Ranch to the Tangent property after an evacuation order was served on the Scotts Mills area of Marion County. The Beachie Creek Fire exploded so fast, Strooband said. It caught people by surprise, and LBCC was happy to offer up this area. Strooband was speaking Thursday near the Cascade Equine fence, where the majority of horses were clustered near piles of hay and water tubs provided by Wickliffes operation. Smoke from the fires all but obscured the outlines of the property, but you could see silhouettes of some horses that were scoping out the far reaches of the fenced parcel. This is a pretty amazing group of horses," Wickliffe said. Ive been around them since I was 13. It was fun to watch them when they came in. When horses get to new ground, they immediately go to the fenceline to get a sense of how much land there is. It was really important to get these guys where they were safe. The horses are used for camps and other activities associated with the Cascade Pacific Council of the Boy Scouts of America. Included are twice-annual Scout trips from the Butte Creek facility to Camp Baldwin near The Dalles. Wickliffe has been participating in the rides for decades. On the outings the Scouts cover the 185 miles or so in six days. This years rides, however, were canceled because of the coronavirus. Strooband said the volunteer effort is just part of LBCC's mission. We have a truck and trailer and we have access to feed and bedding, Strooband said. This is what we do. We serve our community. And we serve our community in more than just the classroom. We try to serve them in every aspect in which they need us to. Sometimes people just need a horse trailer. Eight other evacuated horses are being lodged at the colleges horse barn near the campus, and Strooband noted that the Oregon State Fairgrounds and the Linn County Fair & Expo Center also have been accepting horses and other evacuated livestock. The Benton County Fairgrounds is also available for livestock. Strooband said the Tangent property has the capacity to hold 100 horses, but she also said she hoped the Scout herd could be ready to return to Butte Creek in a week or so. With college classes starting Sept. 28, Strooband added that there could be some challenges managing the needs of the college along with housing evacuated horses. These horses are welcome here as long as they need to be here, she said. Well make do. Contact reporter James Day at jim.day@gazettetimes.com or 541-812-6116. Follow at Twitter.com/jameshday or gazettetimes.com/blogs/jim-day. Love 7 Funny 0 Wow 1 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The Himachal Pradesh high court on Friday issued bailable warrants against principal secretary, engineer-in-chief, superintending engineer (Shimla circle) and executive engineer (Sunni division) of the irrigation and public health department with an amount of 25,000 each to the satisfaction of the arresting officer. Justice Vivek Singh Thakur passed these orders on a contempt petition filed by one Govind Singh for violation of the orders issued on April 23, 2019, passed by the Tribunal, as per which the respondent IPH department was directed to allow him to serve upto the age of 60 years. The petitioner has prayed to direct the respondents to release his salary till date along with 12% interest. After abolition of the erstwhile Tribunal, the petition was transferred to the high court. Despite several opportunities granted to the respondents to file response/compliance affidavit, the same was not filed. The respondents were directed to appear in person on September 10 in the court, in case of failure to file the compliance affidavit. However, they neither filed the response nor appeared in person. Also, nothing was on record on their behalf for exemption from presence in the court. The court observed that in the aforesaid circumstances, it has no other option except to issue bailable warrants for securing the presence of the respondents along with record, enabling the court to proceed further. The Office of the Special Prosecutor has written to Parliament seeking information and related documents on the controversial Agyapa gold royalty transaction agreement. Citi News sources within Parliament indicate that the request is to assist the office to execute its prevention of corruption objective. The Special Prosecutor, Martin Amidus demand is pursuant to Sections 2(1) (c), 29 and 73 of the Office of the Special Prosecutor Act, 2017 (Act 959) and Regulation 31 (1) and (2) of the Office of the Special Prosecutor (Operations) Regulations, 2018 (L.I. 2374) which mandates the office to exercise the functions and powers of prevention of corrupt activities. When furnished with the information, Martin Amidus Office will seek to unravel whether the transaction has any potential of promoting the commission of corruption and corruption-related offences and advise the government accordingly. This office will be concentrating on any potential of the said transaction(s) to promote and facilitate the suspected commission of corruption and corruption-related offences and advise the government accordingly, portions of the letter sighted by citinewsroom.com noted. Citi News sources say, Parliament has been given up until September 17, 2020, to furnish the Office of the Special Prosecutor with the required documents given the public interest the issue has generated particularly within this electoral season. citinewsroom Charred remains of homes and businesses after the passage of the Santiam fire in Gates, Ore. (Kathryn Elsesser / AFP-Getty Images) Nearly nine months pregnant, Elisha Goodrick was cooking chicken piccata Monday evening when she noticed something eerie weather like she had never experienced in western Oregon. It was strange enough to see ash falling like snow outside her kitchen window as a wildfire galloped through mountainsides somewhere above. But what alarmed her was the pounding on the roof as an extraordinary wind raged in the tops of Douglas firs, raining branches on the blue-shingled house. It wasn't long before a volunteer-firefighter friend called. "Get out now," he said. The Holiday Farm fire was quickly approaching their little town of Rainbow. Goodrick grabbed her hospital go-kit. Her fiance, James Rethaford, seized a diaper bag and a favorite quilt stitched by his late grandmother. They loaded their year-old son, Korbin, into their old Buick and raced west down the valley toward Eugene. We didnt wait for the Level 3 warning, we just took off, said Rethaford, sitting on a cooler Wednesday in front of an evacuation center. Im 95% sure the house is gone. As for the roaring winds that night, scientists say that they were the equivalent of the notorious Santa Anas of Southern California. Their rare appearance in the rainforests of the Pacific Northwest is almost certainly due to climate change, according to researchers. And like the winds that race down the mountainsides near Los Angeles each fall, gaining heat and fanning the flames as they go, the gales that struck Oregon over the weekend have turned small fires into infernos. The state is experiencing its worst fires in memory, with at least three deaths including a woman and her 13-year-old grandson and swaths of two small cities Phoenix and Talent burned to the ground. Hundreds of homes and other structures have been destroyed. Skies have turned bright orange or dark gray across the western part of the state, which is experiencing some of the worst air quality ever recorded. Story continues On Thursday, 39 separate fires burned across the state, including one that forced evacuations as it reached cities on Portland's outskirts. Oregon Gov. Kate Brown, who is seeking federal disaster aid, is bracing residents for bad news as crews start to reenter burned communities to assess the damage. "We have never seen this amount of uncontained fire across the state," Brown said during a Thursday news conference. "Thousands of people loaded their cars with precious belongings, pets and as much as they could possibly carry." Larry O'Neill, the state climatologist, said in an interview that the winds Oregon experienced are almost unheard of this time of year. "There's a sense of complacency because we don't get the Santa Ana-type winds, so you don't check fire weather or think about it so much when you move into one of these forested areas," he said. "People still have this idea that western Oregon is a rainforest, so it wouldn't happen like in California where they build in dangerous areas and should know better." Elisha Goodrick, who is more than eight months pregnant, and James Rethaford, fled a wildfire with Korbin, their toddler. (Richard Read / Los Angeles Times) The weirdness began on Monday when swings in the jet stream sent temperatures in Colorado plummeting more than 55 degrees overnight and produced a rare summer snowstorm. Moving from higher-pressure areas to lower ones, warm air rushed north across a vast stretch of the West. Hot dry air that had accumulated to the east of the Cascade mountains in Oregon crested the range and raced down western flanks and foothills into the Willamette Valley. Physics dictates that air warms about 5 degrees for every 1,000 feet of descent. "This is a key ingredient for explosive fire growth," O'Neill said. "Firefighters typically count on a slowing of fire growth at night when they have to suspend air operations," he said. "But without the normal cooling as relative humidity goes up, the fires just absolutely explode." Studies show that the shift in the jet stream and the Santa Ana-type winds are consistent with climate change, he said. "Climate change is not an abstract concept anymore," he said. "This is what it looks like." Completing the equation of disaster, the winds drove flames into areas of western Oregon that had been experiencing severe drought including Rainbow, a town so small it is not counted separately in the U.S. census. John Bailey, a forestry expert at Oregon State University, has hiked in the woods around the town, admiring towering firs, songbirds and the rushing McKenzie River. He said decades of fire suppression, as well as severe cutbacks in logging, had created a buildup of fuel downed logs, grass, shrubs and duff that he had predicted would someday power catastrophic fires. Rethaford and his family moved there a year ago from the Oregon coast and rented a house from his father, Troy Rethaford. The night they evacuated, his father ran out after them, asking why they were leaving so soon, but an hour and a half later, as massive flames appeared over the ridge, he fled as well. Before he fled on Monday, Troy Rethaford snapped a photo of the Holiday Farm wildfire approaching his house in Rainbow, Ore. (Troy Rethaford) The Holiday Farm fire tore down the McKenzie River valley and into the town of Blue River, home to about 800 people six miles west of Rainbow. Firefighters had to cut their way through fallen trees as they drove east into the area debris that could have trapped people who failed to get out early. Sections of Blue River were razed. The full extent of destruction in Rainbow remains unknown, as does the cause of the fire, which was still fully uncontained Thursday evening. Goodrick, 33, Rethaford, 31, and their son spent Monday night in their car, sleeping little. They eventually found their way to a high school stadium in Springfield, Ore., where a stream of vehicles dropped off donated food and supplies. The Red Cross booked the family a room in a motel, where they spread out donated toys for Korbin. The couples biggest regret was leaving behind their engagement and wedding rings, and Goodricks wedding dress, for a ceremony that had been delayed by the coronavirus pandemic. Rethaford, who is unemployed, worried about supporting his growing family, perhaps without a house. After Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Rethaford traveled with his church group to Louisiana, where members helped to rebuild a mans house. Now Im seeing it from the other side, he said. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Almost 500 personnel were working on the fires, which were just a few miles (kilometers) apart, with rugged terrain between them that limits boots-on-the-ground efforts to keep them apart, Myers said. If they merge, they could generate such heat that it causes embers to fly thousands of feet into the air, potentially igniting other areas, Myers said. At a press conference in Hanoi on September 10 following the closing ceremony of AIPA 41, NA Chairwoman Ngan said the successful General Assembly consolidated reputation of Vietnam in general and its NA in particular in the world arena. She said that participants at all the meetings within AIPA 41 spoke highly of and expressed appreciation towards the careful preparation by the Vietnamese NA. NA Chairwoman Ngan stressed the relevance of AIPA 41s theme Parliamentary Diplomacy for a Cohesive and Responsive ASEAN Community, especially given the COVID-19 pandemic. AIPA has shown its support to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in response to the pandemic as well as recovering the economy, she added. NA Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan (C) announces the outcomes of AIPA 41 at the press conference. AIPA member parliaments agreed on promoting digital economy and take advantage of the Fourth Industrial Revolution in post-pandemic recovery, the top legislator said. She also highlighted Vietnams initiative on setting up a forum for young parliamentarians of AIPA which has been warmly welcomed by members of AIPA. Having received high consensus from AIPA member parliaments, the meeting of young parliamentarians of AIPA is expected to be an official mechanism within AIPA General Assembly in the following years after the AIPA Secretariat finalises protocols and procedures. With such meetings to be held on an annual basis, young parliamentarians within ASEAN now have a forum to express desires and make practical contributions to the development of ASEAN, she added. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 11) Social media platform Twitter is abuzz with calls to ease the burden on students who are struggling with remote education after the Department of Education dismissed proposals for an academic freeze or the suspension of the academic year until the government is able to bring the coronavirus outbreak in the country under control. Hashtag #AcademicEaseNow is trending on Twitter as students speak about their concerns on remote education, which many say the countrys education system is ill-prepared for. Twitter user @aceeethetic said: As student #WeDeserve more time to be prepare on our academics, #WeDeserve free wifi and stable internet connection, and #WeDeserve a well-planned academic year. Another user @_niyang1899 shared her sentiment about learning remotely: If you can't freeze the academic calendar of universities and colleges, at the very least, give us more time and easier tasks for our online classes. #AcademicEaseNow #EquitableEducation Also joining the online discussion is @full_haechan, who said: You know whats funny? I have a subject where we have to answer guide questions for EVERY topic and then we have to report it to the class to assess if we actually understood the topic. We do this [more than] 3 times a week. Its my classmates who deserve my tuition #AcademicEaseNow. Relatedly, student-led organizations from the Polytechnic University of the Philippines are pushing for the implementation of measures to help students and educators who are struggling to quickly adapt to distance learning. Recommendations of the PUP Students Party for Equality and Advancement of Knowledge (SPEAK), along with the PUP Office of the Student Regent (OSR), PUP Sentral na Konseho ng Mag-aaral (SKM), NAGKA1SA! PUP include providing learners with printed modules, including those taking an online mode of learning, hiring more teachers to monitor, evaluate and assist students struggling in online classes and to help them understand lessons. They also want the government to subsidize teachers salaries so they will not be laid off by school administrators until the crisis is over. On Thursday, an association of public tertiary schools in the Philippines estimates that 3,207 employees from 70 state colleges and universities will lose their jobs amid school closures and the shift to a new kind of schooling, reflecting the impact of the current economic and health crises on higher education institutions. Affected are those without security of tenure. The Philippine Association of State Universities and Colleges also said that the number of students in public higher education institutions that will be forced to forego their education this school year may exceed 50,000. The Commission on Higher Education previously said some colleges and universities started their first semester using flexible learning-teaching methods from June to August. Other higher education institutions will open their academic year this month and in October. Meanwhile, the Department of Education moved the school year opening to October 5 from August 24 due to the pandemic. Face-to-face classes are prohibited until a coronavirus vaccine becomes available for mass rollout. (Alliance News) - Heathrow has warned that the UK government's quarantine policy is costing jobs "every day" after recording an 82% decline in passenger numbers last month. The west London airport wants testing to be permitted as a way of reducing the 14-day coronavirus quarantine requirement for arriving travellers. Just 1.4 million people travelled through the airport in August, compared with 7.7 million during the same month in 2019. Mainland Portugal, Hungary, French Polynesia and Reunion were removed from the government's quarantine exemption list for England on Thursday. Travellers have until 4 am on Saturday to return before the new rules are implemented. For holidaymakers scrambling to return from Portugal's Algarve to London on Friday, British Airways had flights to Heathrow costing GBP494, while easyJet had a flight to Gatwick for GBP286. More than half of the passengers who used Heathrow in August were travelling to or from the EU. Demand for North American routes was down 95% year-on-year. Heathrow said more than 30 airports around the world are already using coronavirus testing of travellers as a way of reducing quarantine requirements. One of those airports, Germany's Frankfurt, has overtaken Heathrow in terms of passenger numbers. Heathrow Chief Executive John Holland-Kaye said: "Britain's economic recovery is falling behind. "Heathrow's traffic figures for August demonstrate the extent to which quarantine is strangling the economy, cutting British businesses off from their international markets and blocking international students, tourists and investors from coming here to spend money. "The government has announced it is looking at the options for reducing quarantine for passengers who test negative for Covid-19 but ministers urgently need to turn words into action. Every day of further government delay costs British jobs and livelihoods." By Neil Lancefield, PA Transport Correspondent source: PA Copyright 2020 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. The British government acknowledged on Tuesday that it may end up paying out as much as 3.5 billion of taxpayer funds in fraudulent or wrong claims for its job retention scheme, which covers up to 80% of an employees salary while they are on furlough. Thats the equivalent of 10% of all the money disbursed by the furlough program by mid-August. We have made an assumption for the purposes of our planning that the error and fraud rate in this scheme could be between 5% and 10%, Jim Harra, the top civil servant at HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC), told members of parliaments on the Public Accounts Committee, adding that an academic study had estimated that the level of fraud and error could be even higher than 10%. The jobs retention program is not the only British stimulus program thats proven to be susceptible to fraud. The Bounce Back Loan program, which was launched to help small businesses survive the lockdown and its lingering aftermath, has been exploited by a minority of applicants to buy luxury cars, property or even premium bonds. One of the reasons this is happening is that the loans are self-certified, so that they can be granted within 24 hours. They are also fully guaranteed by the State, meaning that banks are not liable for any unpaid debts and are therefore quite happy to release the funds with little in the way of background checks. Much of the debt 40%-50% according to the Financial Times will never be repaid, since many of the businesses will collapse. The program has so far disbursed 31 billion to 1 million small businesses roughly a fifth of the estimated 5 million registered businesses. The vast majority of these businesses had perfectly legitimate claims to the loans. With the economy brought to a virtual standstill by the government-imposed lockdown, they needed money as quickly as possible. But in all the haste to get credit flowing, juicy opportunities were created for fraudsters to fill the pockets along the way for fraudsters to also fill their pockets. In July, the Policy Exchange think tank warned that fraud and error could set the government back between 1.3 billion and 7.9 billion. The think tank said the governments financial rescue scheme was prone to abuse and scams due to the sheer scale of the loan program as well as the speed at which measures were rushed through. Governments all over the world are beginning to admit that a considerable part of their unprecedented stimulus programs has been dished out on fraudulent or incorrect claims. In the U.S., a report authored by House Democrats last week warned that $3 billion of the funds rolled out in the taxpayer-funded Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) program went to businesses that had been flagged as potentially problematic by the government. Some applicants received multiple loans in violation of the programs rules. Three billion dollars may seem like a drop in the ocean compared to the $525 billion thus far disbursed by the program, but it could be just the tip of the iceberg. For the moment, theres little way of knowing, since the Small Business Administration (SBA) and the Treasury Department only manually audit PPP loans of more than $2 million, which account for less than 1% of all the loans approved. Court records for the fraud schemes uncovered thus far outline how some opportunistic individuals wired money ostensibly intended to fund their payrolls to their personal accounts or those of friends and family. Others splashed out on luxury jewelry, cars and property, while some hoarded bundles of cash or frittered away thousands in PPP funds on strip clubs or in gambling joints. Questions are now being asked about private banks apparent failure to administer the loans. The PPP loans are 100% guaranteed by the State. As such, the banks themselves have zero liability and as such little incentive in ensuring that the loan recipient is credit worthy or even whether their claim appears to be legitimate. No one has played a bigger role in dishing out PPP loans than Americas biggest bank, JPMorgan Chase, which has issued around 280,000 loans totaling more than $29 billion. In a memo to staff, senior management said they had uncovered instances of customers misusing PPP Loans, unemployment benefits and other government programs and that some employees have fallen short, too. The firm said the incidents may even be illegal. Another country where concerns have been voiced about stimulus-related fraud is Switzerland, where over 400 criminal proceedings have so far been launched against company executives, often for overstating their companys turnover in order to receive a bigger loan. Roughly one out of every 300 loans issued is currently suspected of fraud, though that number could rise in the coming months. In Italy fears are rising that the mafia is finding new innovative ways of tapping the governments stimulus funds. Given that an estimated 40% of businesses were considered to be at risk of bankruptcy due to the coronavirus crisis, according to the National Institute of Statistics, money had to be injected into the economy as quickly as possible. That meant that the normal anti-mafia checks were jettisoned. The onus is now on stepping up control efforts after the funds are released. But recovering funds after theyve been disbursed is a lot harder than checking for fraud before releasing them, says Anna Sergi, a professor at the University of Essex who specializes in organized crime: If you discover at a later stage that there was Mafia involvement, how do you undo what youve already done? Back in the UK, a big problem is opacity. The government refuses to disclose the recipients of 52 billion of state-funded coronavirus business loans, including the 516 large companies that received 3.5 billion between them. Without full disclosure, says the editor of The Guardian, the public has no idea whether the money, which is essentially theirs, went to politically connected insiders, firms with thin trading histories or directors previously convicted of fraud, or whether it ended up in a tax haven. The Bank of England has been a little more forthcoming about the identity of the 63 companies it has lent more than 17 billion to as part of its Coronavirus Corporate Financing Facility (CCFF). Close to 30% of the money disbursed went to firms that are owned by a tax haven company or a tax exile, or are themselves incorporated in a tax haven, according to the investigative thinktank Taxwatch UK. The recipients also include American oil giant Schlumberger, which was fined $237 million in 2015 for knowingly violating sanctions against Iran and Sudan, and Chemring, a UK arms company that is under criminal investigation by the Serious Fraud Office for bribery, corruption and money laundering. As confirmed by the SFO website, this is still an ongoing investigation. But Chemring was able to pick up a 50-million loan from the BoE. In this new normal pandemic economy, fraud is exploding at all levels. With central banks and governments creating new money in unprecedented volumes and then releasing it into the economy as fast as they can, with little in the way of checks and balances and, in some cases, virtually no transparency, its hardly any surprise. By Nick Corbishley, for WOLF STREET. Enjoy reading WOLF STREET and want to support it? Using ad blockers I totally get why but want to support the site? You can donate. I appreciate it immensely. Click on the beer and iced-tea mug to find out how: Would you like to be notified via email when WOLF STREET publishes a new article? Sign up here. New Delhi, Sep 11 : The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Friday said it filed chargesheet against Tania Parvin in Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) online recruitment module case. The chargesheet said she became member of 70 jihadi groups on social media, which propagated terrorist ideology advocating a skewed version of 'Islamic Jihad'. The chargesheet was filed on Thursday in a Special NIA court in West Bengal's Kolkata. She has been charged under sections of the strict Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA). An NIA spokesperson in Delhi said, "During investigation it was revealed that Parvin had got radicalised in the cyberspace by Pakistan based cadres of LeT. She gradually became part of about 70 jihadi groups on social media, which propagated a terrorist ideology advocating a skewed version of Islamic Jihad with an aim to further radicalise and recruit impressionable Muslim youth." The official said that Parvin was also active in various "Palestinian and Syrian Jihadi" social media groups. "Investigation further revealed that the LeT cadres based in Lahore, Pakistan had introduced the accused to the officials of Pakistan Intelligence Agency, ISI, who tasked her to open fake Facebook profile and befriend armed force members in India to obtain sensitive strategic information," the official said. According to NIA officials, Parvin, 22, was taken into custody in April by NIA as she was in touch with Pakistani handlers through several Pakistani SIM cards. She also distributed Indian SIMs and was handling communication through WhatsApp groups and Facebook. NIA sources had earlier said that highly radicalised Parvin was also in touch with Hafiz Saeed, the chief of banned terror outfit Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD). The NIA had taken over the case from West Bengal Police in April this year to bust the ring of female spies, as she was in touch with several handlers in Pakistan, including 26/11 Mumbai blast mastermind Saeed, according to sources. Source claimed ISI was using her to honeytrap officials and access sensitive information. The NIA sources claimed the special task force nabbed Parvin, a student of the Maulana Azad College -- a state-run Kolkata college, from the Baduria near the India-Bangladesh border in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district. She was nabbed after a year-long surveillance, NIA officials said. Prime Minster Viktor Orban said aim of plan is to defend Hungarys functionality and not for everyone to stay home. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said his government was drafting a war plan to defend against the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic. Greece, France and Palestine have all reported a record number of daily coronavirus cases. UN chief Antonio Guterres has urged countries to find $15bn during the next three months to fund the ACT-Accelerator programme, a WHO-led global collaboration to hunt for a vaccine and treatments. More than 27.9 million people around the world have been diagnosed with the coronavirus and more than 906,000 have died, according to Johns Hopkins University. Some 18.8 million people have recovered. Here are the latest updates: Friday, September 11 22:55 GMT Colombia nears 23,000 deaths linked to novel coronavirus Colombia hit a sombre milestone today, as the country is reporting over 700,000 cases of the novel coronavirus and nearly 23,000 deaths attributed to the virus. The health ministry said it confirmed 702,088 cases since the pandemic began, and 22,518 deaths. The country, which lifted an over five-month lockdown at the beginning of September, still has over 95,000 active cases of the virus. Health authorities say intensive care units in hospitals in Bogota, the capital, are running at about 62 percent capacity. Colombia recently said it plans to enter into a looser quarantine phase and is considering allowing international flights to resume. 22:41 GMT Brazil reports 874 new coronavirus deaths Brazils health ministry is reporting 874 new deaths linked to the novel coronavirus over the last 24 hours and 43,718 additional cases. The country has now registered 130,396 deaths and over 4.2 million cases since the pandemic began. Brazil is among the countries that have been hit hardest by the deadly virus. 20:30 GMT Positive COVID-19 tests linked with restaurant dining Among adults tested for the coronavirus at 11 US healthcare facilities in July, those who were infected were about twice as likely to have dined at a restaurant in the previous 14 days, a US study said. Otherwise, activity levels were similar in people with or without COVID-19 in other respects such as shopping and social gatherings at home. Masks cannot be effectively worn while eating and drinking, whereas shopping and numerous other indoor activities do not preclude mask use, researchers said in the report in the US Center for Disease Control and Preventions Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. 20:00 GMT Mexico nears 70,000 official COVID-19 deaths, but toll likely far higher The confirmed coronavirus death toll in Mexico a country among those most affected by the pandemic is primed to hit 70,000 when official data is released on Friday. Excess mortality data from mid-March through early August indicates that the total number of deaths beyond the official count is likely tens of thousands higher. The spread of the virus has ravaged an already ailing economy, which is now seen contracting by up to 13 percent this year, the deepest recession since the 1930s-era Great Depression. 19:30 GMT Greece hits 300 coronavirus deaths Greeces death toll from the novel coronavirus hit 300 on Friday, the state health agency said, as the total number of infections topped 12,700. Over half of the countrys 12,734 infections since the pandemic began were recorded in August, mostly among Greeks. The spike has been attributed to large gatherings in violation of social distancing rules. 18:55 GMT Fauci disagrees with Trump on coronavirus, cites disturbing US statistics Top government infectious disease expert Dr Anthony Fauci said he disagreed with President Donald Trumps assessment the United States has rounded the corner on the coronavirus pandemic, saying the statistics are disturbing. Fauci, the outspoken director of the National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said the US was starting the flu season with a high baseline of around 40,000 new cases a day and deaths are averaging around 1,000 daily. Trump, who has admitted playing down the severity of the virus since it emerged early this presidential election year, said on Thursday he believed the US was rounding the corner on the crisis. 18:00 GMT UAE daily coronavirus cases surge to near peak level The United Arab Emirates health ministry has reported 931 new daily cases of the coronavirus following a recent surge in infections that are near the highest since the pandemic broke out. Until last month, there had been a generally falling trend since the UAEs new daily cases peaked at 994 in May, but numbers have surged from 164 cases on August 3. The Gulf Arab state has recorded 77,842 infections and 398 deaths from COVID-19. 17:05 GMT Norway plans for new virus wave as cases spike Norwegian health authorities say the Scandinavian country must plan for a new, national wave of the coronavirus as Norway sees a spike in the number of cases. If it should come, it is more likely that it will happen in the autumn and winter when people gather to a greater extent indoors, the Norwegian Institute of Public Health said in a report published Friday. Norway has recorded 11,866 cases and 265 deaths. 16:30 GMT Hungary drafts war plan as cases surge in eastern Europe Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said his government was drafting a war plan to defend against the second wave of the pandemic. The plans aim was not for everyone to stay at home and bring the country to a halt but to defend Hungarys functionality, Orban said. The prime minister said measures meant to protect the economy and spur growth would be introduced in the coming weeks. In the second quarter of the year, Hungarys gross domestic product fell 13.6 percent, the worst drop in the region. 16:15 GMT France seeing clear worsening of COVID-19 outbreak France is seeing an acceleration of the COVID-19 outbreak after a surge in infections but aims to avoid any new nationwide lockdown, Prime Minister Jean Castex said. There is a clear worsening in France of the spread of COVID-19 which has not lowered in intensity and will still be with us for some months, Castex said in a televised statement in Paris. But he did not announce any major new restrictions, saying Frances aim is to avoid a general lockdown and succeed in living with the virus through social distancing, mask-wearing and ramped-up testing. 15:45 GMT Armenia land borders to remain closed until January over virus Armenia has announced its land borders would remain closed until January as the hard-hit Caucasus nation extended coronavirus restrictions. Foreign nationals will not be able to cross Armenias land borders until January 11 and public gatherings of more than 60 people will also be banned into the new year. The restrictions are being imposed to halt the spread of the disease in Armenia and protect public health, the government said. 15:15 GMT Vatican-based Filipino cardinal tests positive for coronavirus Archbishop of Manila Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle celebrates mass at a solidarity campaign against human rights abuses, in Quezon City, Philippines [File: Eloisa Lopez/Reuters] Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle has become the highest-ranking Vatican official known to have tested positive for the coronavirus. The Vatican said Tagle, 63, a Filipino who heads the Vaticans missionary arm, had tested positive when he arrived in Manila on Thursday. Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said Vatican health officials were checking people who had come into contact with Tagle in recent days. He did not say if this included the 83-year-old pope, who is believed to be tested regularly. 14:45 GMT First European travel bubble ends as coronavirus cases spike in Estonia The first European pandemic travel bubble, created in May by Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, was burst on Friday, as Latvia said it is mandating a 14-day quarantine on everyone arriving from Estonia. Estonia has had 21 novel coronavirus infections per 100,000 population over the previous two weeks, according to European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, passing the 16 threshold set by Latvia for mandatory quarantine. 14:20 GMT Dutch register 1,270 new coronavirus cases as surge continues Dutch health authorities have reported 1,270 new confirmed coronavirus cases in the Netherlands, close to previous record highs set in early April. Regional health authorities said on Wednesday the countrys testing capacity is stretched to its limits and the National Institute for Health (RIVM) said in an update on Tuesday that cases had risen by 50 percent from the week before. 13:50 GMT Brazilian state of Bahia plans to buy 50 million doses of Russias vaccine The Brazilian state of Bahia has signed an agreement to conduct Phase III clinical trials of Russias Sputnik V vaccine against COVID-19 and plans to buy 50 million doses to market in Brazil, officials have said. Russia will sell up to 50 million doses of the Sputnik-V vaccine to Bahia state, RDIF said in a statement. Governor Rui Costa said an agreement was signed this week to undertake the trials and Bahia will receive an initial 500 doses as soon as Brazils health regulator Anvisa approves the protocol for testing. Hello, this is Linah Alsaafin taking over from my colleague Umut Uras. 12:45 GMT Thailand finds second virus infection after long absence Thai health authorities confirmed another coronavirus infection had been detected in the country, in an Uzbek professional soccer player, eight days after the virus resurfaced following a more than three-month absence. The man was positive after a mandatory pre-match test on Tuesday, despite having completed quarantine on August 27 after three prior negative tests, health officials told a news conference. The man, 29, arrived in Thailand on August 13. Yong Poovorawan, a virology expert from Bangkoks Chulalongkorn University, said the virus incubation period in the man would have been longer than 14 days and it was unlikely to have been domestically transmitted. 12:15 GMT Switzerland reports 528 new coronavirus infections Switzerland has reported 528 new cases of the coronavirus, the Federal Office of Public Health said, the highest daily rise in infections since early April. The total number of confirmed cases has now reached 46,239, the office said, while the number of COVID-19 deaths has risen by three to 1,740. Passengers wear protective masks on a train of Swiss operator SBB [File: Reuters] 11:40 GMT One in 1,400 people in England have COVID-19, ONS estimates The UKs Office for National Statistics estimated that 39,700 people within England had COVID-19 during the Aug 30-Sept 5 week, equating to about one in 1,400 people. The most recent modelled estimates suggest that the number of infections has increased in recent weeks. Estimates suggest that there were about 3,200 new cases per day in the community population of England during the week. That is slightly higher than the current official levels of new cases being reported across the whole of the UK. The UK recorded 2,919 new daily confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Thursday and 2,659 new cases on Wednesday. 11:00 GMT Myanmar reports 115 new cases of coronavirus Myanmar reported 115 new coronavirus cases, a day after imposing sweeping new lockdown measures in its battle on the second wave of infections. The tally stands at 2,265 cases and 14 deaths after infections quadrupled over the last month, since the virus resurfaced in the western state of Rakhine, following weeks without a domestic case. The health ministry announced 115 new cases in a Facebook post on Friday, following 142 reported on Thursday evening. 10:30 GMT Finland to ease travel restrictions on Sweden Finland will ease tight restrictions on entry as it tries to attract business travellers and tourists before winter, allowing arrivals from countries with higher rates of coronavirus infection including its neighbour Sweden. Previously, Finland had barred arrivals from countries with more than 10 cases of coronavirus infection per 100,000 people, a threshold which excluded travellers from many European countries. The exclusion of Swedes was particularly disruptive, as the neighbours are close allies. From September 19, the threshold for countries to gain unrestricted entry will rise to 25 cases per 100,000. Travellers from countries where the rate is higher will also be allowed in if they present a negative test result. They must then remain under self-quarantine, either for two weeks or until they produce a second negative test. 10:00 GMT Malaysia reports 182 new virus cases Malaysia reported 182 new coronavirus cases, the sharpest rise in more than three months with no new deaths, the health ministry said. The new infections marked the biggest jump since June 4, when 277 cases and one death were reported. Malaysia currently has 9,810 confirmed coronavirus infections, including 128 deaths. Passengers wearing protective masks wait in line to board a bus at a bus station, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia August 11, 2020. REUTERS/Lim Huey Teng 09:20 GMT Austria expands face mask requirement as cases rise Austria will tighten up on mask-wearing and social distancing at public events and in restaurants from Monday in response to the rise in the spread of the coronavirus pandemic in the country, Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said. Wearing of masks will be compulsory in shops, public transport and in schools outside classrooms from Monday, he said. Private events will be limited to 50 participants indoors and 100 outdoors, while professionally organised seated events could run to up to 1,500 people indoors and 3,000 outdoors. The daily number of infections has been rising since late June and reached 644 on Thursday, the highest number since late March, when an initial spike in infections was fading under a national lockdown. 08:45 GMT India reports global record daily jump of 96,551 cases India reported another record daily jump of 96,551 coronavirus cases, which is also the highest global daily increase, taking its caseload to 4.5 million. Deaths have remained relatively low, but are seeing an upward trend. As many as 1,209 people died from COVID-19, Indias health ministry said, taking total deaths to 76,271. 08:10 GMT Russia reports 5,504 new cases, 102 deaths Russia reported 5,504 new coronavirus cases, bringing the national tally to 1,051,874, the fourth largest in the world. Authorities said 102 people had died in the past 24 hours, pushing the official death toll to 18,365. Russias tally of coronavirus infections stands at 1,085,281, the worlds fourth-highest [File: Anadolu] 07:40 GMT Hungarys daily virus infections tally hits new record at 718 Hungary reported 718 new coronavirus cases on Friday, the highest daily tally to date, the government said. The country has reported 10,909 coronavirus cases with 631 deaths so far. Prime Minister Viktor Orban said earlier in the day that Hungary would not impose blanket school closures, but would aim to protect the most vulnerable elderly as the goal was to keep the economy going. 07:10 GMT Czech Republic reports 1,382 new cases, biggest daily rise The Czech Republic reported 1,382 new coronavirus cases, the highest single-day tally to date, extending a renewed spike in infections that has led authorities to impose tighter face-mask requirements. The daily rise announced by the health ministry brought the total number of the central European countrys infections to 32,413. The Czech government on Thursday ordered people to wear face masks inside buildings as the daily new case count topped 1,000 for the first time, but has so far opted to avoid bringing back other tough measures that would hurt businesses. 06:45 Hungary will not impose blanket school closure to curb virus: PM Hungary will not impose blanket school closures to curb the spread of the coronavirus but will aim to protect the most vulnerable elderly as the main goal is to keep the economy going, Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on state radio. Orban said that a mandatory wearing of masks on public transport must be enforced. He also said the Visegrad states of the EU Hungary, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Poland will coordinate their measures to fight the second wave of the pandemic. Premiers of the four states will meet in Poland later in the day. Orban says that a mandatory wearing of masks on public transport will be enforced [File:Reuters] 05:45 GMT Ukraine reports record daily high of 3,144 new cases Ukraine registered a record 3,144 new cases of the novel coronavirus in the past 24 hours, the national security council said, up from a previous record of 2,836 registered on September 5. The council said a total of 148,756 cases were registered in Ukraine as of September 11, with 3,076 deaths. Hello, this is Umut Uras in Doha taking over from my colleague Zaheena Rasheed. 05:06 GMT India orders states to expand coronavirus testing Indias health ministry has asked states to allow coronavirus testing on demand without a doctors prescription as the country logged another record jump in daily cases. It also said some negative rapid antigen tests should be redone through the more reliable RT-PCR method, the gold standard of coronavirus tests that looks for the genetic code of the virus. The retesting order applied to people who had negative results but had fever, coughing or breathlessness, or people who developed those COVID-19 symptoms within three days of their negative test results. 04:31 GMT Australia to host Rugby Championship in November-December Australia will host the southern hemispheres four-nation Rugby Championship (TRC) from November 7 December 12, the sports governing body SANZAAR said in a statement. Traditionally TRC is played as an international, cross-border series of home and away matches between Argentina, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa but due to the pandemic this is obviously not possible this year, SANZAAR Chief Executive Andy Marinos said. We have, therefore, worked very hard as a group to ensure TRC takes place this year, albeit in one country, and SANZAAR was meticulous in assessing the two options for hosting presented to it by New Zealand Rugby and Rugby Australia. 03:58 GMT China logs 15 new cases, all imported Mainland China reported 15 new coronavirus cases at the end of Thursday, up from seven cases a day earlier. The National Health Commission said in a statement all of the cases were imported infections involving travellers from overseas, marking the 26th straight day of no local infections. 03:13 GMT Kosovo battles outbreak of virus deniers Kosovos government is letting in the media into previously sealed hospital wards to film the suffering of coronavirus patients after a new poll showed that a third of the population believe the pandemic is a pure hoax, the AFP news agency reported. Tell those outside who dont believe what you saw here, an exhausted elderly man, recovering at the infectious disease clinic after a two-week battle with the respiratory disease, told a local TV channel. Dont joke with this. How can anyone believe a lie that the virus does not exist? he implored. Kosovo had its deadliest month yet in August with nearly 300 deaths a toll higher than all the three prior months combined. 02:46 GMT South Korea sees uptick in cases South Korea posted 176 new coronavirus cases on Friday, a slight increase from the 156 and 155 cases reported on Wednesday and Thursday, respectively. Seoul is battling a fresh wave of infections that erupted at a church and drove the countrys daily tally to 441 in August. The numbers have steadily dropped since the government imposed strict social distancing rules, but Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said the consistent outbreaks are deepening concerns whether the government should extend or ease the curbs, including an unprecedented ban on nightly on-site dining in the greater Seoul area, due on Sunday. It would be right to lift the restrictions, considering the sacrifices the people are making, but were as much worried if any hasty easing would lead to a respread of the virus and cause even greater pain for the public, Chung told a meeting. Hyundai Heavy Industries employees wait in line to take tests for the COVID-19 coronavirus at a virus testing station in the southeastern port city of Ulsan on September 9, 2020 [Yonhap/ AFP] 02:13 GMT Curfew to remain as Australias Victoria reports 43 new cases Daniel Andrews, the premier of Australias Victoria, said a curfew imposed to contain the states coronavirus outbreak will remain in place as health officials reported 43 new cases and nine deaths in the last 24 hours. The curfew position at the moment will not be changing. Because it is working, he told reporters, dismissing claims the lockdown violated human rights. A flare-up in cases forced the Victoria government to put the state into a hard lockdown in early August. But it has helped to bring down the daily rise in infections to double digits in recent days after it touched highs of more than 700. 01:54 GMT Myanmar suspends domestic flights A domestic flight ban came into effect in Myanmar on Friday, with Myanmar National Airlines, Air KBZ, Air Thanlwin and other airlines announcing the suspension of their services, many for at least two weeks. Some 21 Yangon townships were also under stay-at-home order after authorities recorded 120 new cases and two deaths on Thursday. 01:22 GMT Dozens charged in US for stealing $70m in pandemic aid Scammers have stolen $70m from a programme supporting US businesses hurt by the coronavirus downturn, leading to charges against 57 people including an NFL player, the Justice Department said. Brian C Rabbitt, an acting assistant attorney general for the criminal division, told reporters the alleged fraudsters tried to get hold of more than $175m from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). Of the $70m that was stolen, the government has recovered or frozen $30m. The amount of fraud that weve uncovered to date and that weve prosecuted to date is significant, Rabbitt said. Given what weve seen so far, we believe that there is an additional set of fraudulent activity out there that we intend to continue pursuing. 00:53 GMT Colombia to gradually reopen international flights Maria Orozco, Colombias transport minister, said international flights to and out of the country will begin gradually, starting on September 21, following a six-month hiatus to contain the spread of coronavirus. The health ministry is drawing up security protocols that include requiring travellers to take coronavirus tests and for their results to be negative, Orozco said. The resumption of international flights will depend on destination countries, airport capacity and the interest of the airlines, she added. 00:29 GMT Canadas Quebec sets stricter mask rules Quebec, Canadas second-most-populous province, will fine anyone who does not wear a mask in an enclosed public space amid an uptick in new coronavirus cases. We cannot accept that a few irresponsible individuals are putting our entire society at risk. So, I think its time to crack down, Quebec Premier Francois Legault told a news conference. The new measures will come into effect on Saturday. The amounts are yet to be announced. 00:11 GMT Latin America passes 8 million cases The number of confirmed coronavirus infections topped eight million in Latin America, the region with the most infections in the world, though there were indications the spread of the virus was slowing in some countries. During the past week, the daily average of cases in the region fell to 67,173 through Wednesday from 80,512 in the previous seven days, according to a tally by the Reuters News Agency. Brazil, suffering the worst outbreak in the region, stayed atop the Latin American tables for coronavirus cases and deaths, recording a total of 4.2 million infections and more than 128,000 deaths. Still, Brazilian officials noted a decrease in infections in recent days. The average number of cases also fell slightly in Peru, Colombia and Mexico, the countries with the most infections after Brazil. 00:01 GMT Brazils Bahia state to test Russias vaccine The Brazilian state of Bahia signed an agreement to conduct phase-three clinical trials for Russias Sputnik V vaccine against COVID-19 and plans to buy 50 million doses to market in Brazil, officials said. Governor Rui Costa said a confidentiality agreement was signed on Tuesday to undertake the trials and Bahia will receive an initial 500 doses as soon as Brazils health regulator Anvisa approves the protocol for testing. If the trials that are expected to start in October are successful, Bahia will look to market the Russian vaccine in Brazil through its pharmaceutical research centre Bahiafarma, the states health secretary Fabio Vilas-Boas said in a statement. Hello and welcome to Al Jazeeras continuing coverage of the coronavirus pandemic. Im Zaheena Rasheed in Male, Maldives. For all the key developments from yesterday, September 10, go here. New York, Sep 11 : Despite Democratic nominee Joe Biden's nearly 8 point lead against Donald Trump in national polls, US pollsters are red flagging the cracks in the Joe Biden - Kamala Harris ticket's lead among key voting blocs, saying the gap is still not wide enough to put the Democrats safely on the winning side against Trump. If the 2020 race is tight, Trump's Black support is being seen as a game changer. Biden's lead among Blacks is pegged in the range of 80 per cent to Trump's over 10 per cent according to a clutch of recent polls. That, according to US pollster John Zogby, is not good enough to make it across the finish line. Researchers who analysed the 2016 election have argued that Clinton could have won the Michigan and Pennsylvania battlegrounds if only Black voters there backed her the way they did Barack Obama. Obama got about 95 per cent of Black voters in those states, Clinton got close to 90 per cent. "It means that - first of all, that Joe Biden should not be polling 81 percent among Blacks. He should be polling about 90 per cent. We saw that even Hillary Clinton's 89 per cent in 2016 was not enough to overcome Donald Trump, particularly in states like Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, North Carolina, where there are larger black turnouts. If Donald Trump ends up with 14 per cent of the black vote, that could be real trouble for the Democrats," Zogby told IANS. Trump would get 14 per cent of the Black vote if the election were held today, according to the latest Newsmax-John Zogby Strategies Poll. The online poll among 600 Black likely voters nationwide was conducted on September 4-7. Zogby makes the point that Barack Obama got 96 per cent of the Black vote in 2008, 93 per cent in 2012, and off a much larger turnout. "So there were even more black voters. Hillary Clinton had substantially less turnout." Asked how the Black Lives Matter protests have shifted the equation for the Democrats, Zogby pointed to the demographics of those who took to the streets. "If you look at the demonstrations, large majorities of those demonstrating for Black Lives Matter look to be white and look to be young people. So that could end up being a blessing in disguise for Biden and Harris." A poll of polls average by Real Clear Politics puts Biden ahead by 7.5 points. Within that cluster, another poll is the most promising for Biden, putting him 12 points ahead of Trump. Across six battleground states - Florida, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Arizona, North Carolina and Wisconsin, Biden's overall lead averages 3.9 points. Stories like "How Trump could Pennsylvania again" have begun to dominate political news coverage in US broadsheets, speaking to the mathematical end game of the 2020 election. The Biden - Harris ticket has its work cut out, says Zogby. Large numbers of people on both sides are showing clear signs that they are unwilling to accept the results of a democratically held election, he says. Zogby describes the 2020 contest as 'The Armageddon Election', a term that came into US political vocabulary around the time of the George Bush-Al Gore 2000 battle which ended in a tie and was settled by a Supreme Court decision of five to four. Undecided voters among Blacks are unlikely to go the Trump way, says Zogby. "If I see 10 percent of Blacks undecided, I don't think they're going to vote for Donald Trump.A That tells me if they haven't made up their mind about Biden-Harris, maybe they're not going to vote. That's one of the things that happened in 2016." "If I see a high percentage of evangelical Christians saying "I don't know who I'm going to vote for," well, most of those votes should be going to Donald Trump. They're not going to go to Joe Biden pretty much under any circumstances." According to Pew Research Center data, more than a third of Trump's support in 2016 came from non-Hispanic white Americans with college degrees and Asian, Black and Hispanic voters. Overall, if a Democrat is polling less than 90 per cent among Blacks, "that's trouble", according to Zogby. "If at this point in time and then heading into the election, if there are 10 per cent or more who are undecided among blacks, that's troubling for a Democrat. Same can be held for women and for young voters." "Among Republicans, it's all about getting 60-65 per cent of evangelicals, 80 per cent of conservatives, and 60 per cent of white women.If for some reason Republicans are not not polling at that level, that could be trouble for them." (Nikhila Natarajan is on Twitter @byniknat) -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text While a similar meeting between Trump and Biden will not happen, the day will nonetheless bring the two candidates the closest theyve been in months. And though the country will be focused on the commemorations, the political significance of their visits to Shanksville was hard to ignore: Pennsylvania is a crucial battleground state in the 2020 election. Trump won there by less than 1 percentage point four years ago, and Democrats hope they can return it to their column this year. Haryana police formed a special investigation team on Friday after a Muslim barber alleged his right arm was hacked off by four people in Panipat on August 24. Akhlaq Salmani, a resident of Uttar Pradeshs Saharanpur, told police his arm was chopped off around 1.30am on August 24 in Panipat town, where he had gone in search of a job. Salmanis brother, Ikram, alleged the crime was committed after the culprits allegedly spotted the number 786 tattooed on his right arm. My brothers hand was cut because 786 was written on his hand, alleged Ikram. The number 786 has a holy context in Islamic religious scriptures. Panipat superintendent of police, Manisha Chaudhary, confirmed the crime but added that Salmani did not mention the tattoo in his complaint. The FIR, lodged on September 7, said around 1.30am on August 24, Salmani was near the Kishanpur area of Panipat, searching for water. When he knocked at a house, four people allegedly attacked him with sticks and bricks, dragged him to a nearby saw machine and chopped his right arm off with a chainsaw. They later dumped him near the railway track, the FIR added. However, a second FIR filed on September 7 alleged that Akhlaq sodomised a young boy on August 23 and his hand was cut off when he fell on nearby railway tracks while fleeing from the spot. Both the FIRs were filed on September 7 after he recorded his statement from a hospital bed at PGIMS, Rohtak, where police admitted him after spotting him on railway tracks on August 24. An SIT under Panipat DSP Satish Vats has been formed to investigate both the cases and the police will soon contact Akhlaq to join the investigation, said Chaudhary. When Salmani reached his home in Nanauta town of Saharanpur district on September 8, his family alleged he was attacked because of his religion. This sparked a political row with Saharanpur MP and Bahujan Samaj Party leader Fajlur Rehman, Samajwadi Party district president Rudrasen and Bhim Army district president Raj Gautam visiting Salmanis home. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON For months, Mumbai was the worst COVID-19 affected city in Maharashtra and the country, having even more cases than of the national capital New Delhi. But in August things started changing and Mumbai had for a brief period shown signs of a slowdown when it comes to new infections. BCCL In the meantime, Pune, which has far less population than the big cities like Delhi and Mumbai was taking a turn for the worst. In mid-August, Pune overtook Mumbai as the worst COVID-19 affected city in the country and it has remained the same ever since. As of Thursday, Pune had recorded 2,18,502 COVID-19 cases against the 1,63,115 in Mumbai. bccl As far as active cases are concerned, Pune has 69,456 cases, while the corresponding numbers for Mumbai stood at 26,629. The only place where Pune is better than Mumbai in the chart is when it comes to fatalities. While Mumbai has seen 8,023 COVID-19 deaths, in Pune it stood at 4,634. But that is little to the city to be relaxed as the situation is only getting grim every passing day. In the past 24 hours, Pune recorded 4,885 new COVID-19 cases the highest so far, which is even more than some of the worst-affected countries. In fact, Pune is the only district in India to have crossed the 2 lakhs mark. bccl "Of the 4,885 cases, 2,078 cases are from Pune Municipal Corporation limits, while 1,240 cases are from Pimpri Chincihwad," an official said. Sudden spike in COVID cases The biggest concern for Pune is how the cases have spiked in the past few weeks. Recently, Pune Mayor Murlidhar Mohol had said that the city has reported more number of cases due to a large number of tests being conducted there, which is more than Mumbai. The COVID-19 positivity rate in Pune is around 22 per cent, Collector Rajesh Deshmukh told on Tuesday. "Currently, Pune district is on top in terms of the number of Covid-19 cases in the country. The reason behind the surge in cases is the aggressive testing strategy adopted by the district administration," he said. bccl Not just recently, but Pune has been doing aggressive testing for the last two months and the number of cases is bound to increase, he said. "In fact, no other district is conducting tests the way Pune is doing," he claimed. Effective contact-tracing, tracking of co-morbid people and isolation of patients have been possible due to the large number of tests, Deshmukh said. Testing, tracking, tracing must "Testing, tracking and tracing are the main factors behind the surge. Even the results of sero survey (conducted on nearly 1,500 people) found out that 50 per cent people had antibodies," he said. Despite the number of Covid-19 cases being high, the recovery rate in Pune is encouraging as it is now about 78 per cent, he said. According to projections, Pune is likely to cross the 2.50-lakh mark by the end of September. bccl The Pune district comprises areas within the jurisdiction of Pune Municipal Corporation (BMC), Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) and the rural areas spread over 15,642 sq km with a population of around 94 lakh. Meanwhile, Pune's first sero survey has found that 51.5 per cent of the 1644 respondents from five highly- affected wards in the city have seroprevalence of antibodies against SARS-CoV-2, the virus which causes COVID-19 infection. U.S. Senator Jim Risch Twitter On Tuesday, September 8, 2020, thirteen U.S. Senators introduced a resolution calling on the Government of Cameroon and armed separatist groups from the English-speaking Northwest and Southwest regions to end all violence, respect the human rights of all Cameroonians, and pursue a genuinely inclusive dialogue toward resolving the ongoing civil conflict in Anglophone Cameroon. U.S. Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Ben Cardin (D-Md.), ranking member of the Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere, Transnational Crime, Civilian Security, Democracy, Human Rights, and Global Women's Issues introduced the bipartisan resolution along with Senators Todd Young (R-Ind.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), and Tim Kaine (D-Va.). The key provisions of the resolution include encouraging all parties of the Anglophone conflict in Cameroon to: Conclude and uphold an immediate ceasefire. It urges the warring parties to guarantee unfettered humanitarian access and assistance to the Northwest and Southwest regions. Exercise restraint and ensure that political protests are peaceful, the U.S. Senators said on Tuesday. Establish a credible process for an inclusive dialogue that includes all relevant stakeholders to achieve a sustainable political solution that respects the rights and freedoms of all of the people of Cameroon. The deadly violence and human rights abuses against the Cameroonian people as a result of the Anglophone conflict has crippled the countrys political and economic development. The international community must do more to speak out against the atrocities of this conflict, and engage all sides to pursue an inclusive and constructive path toward peace and stability, said Risch. Resolving this conflict will allow Cameroonians to fully realize their own constitutional and democratic ideals, pursue justice for those whose lives have been lost or destroyed, and restore Cameroons robust security and economic partnership with the United States. Americas foreign policy should be rooted in our values, including our obligation to support human rights all around the globe. The situation in Cameroon has continued to devolve, and the United States Senate cannot be silent in the face of grave human rights abuses, Cardin said. This bipartisan resolution marks Congress commitment to working with the Cameroonian people to put an end to violence and human rights violations, pursue justice for victims, and support Cameroon in reconciliation, development, and humanitarian efforts. The resolution recalls that since 2016, Cameroons security forces have been credibly accused of grave human rights abuses, including suppressing the basic freedoms of expression and assembly, arbitrarily detaining those who challenge the presidents authority, torture, and extrajudicial killings. Human Rights Watch has documented extensive burning of villages by members of the security forces in the last two years in both the Northwest and Southwest regions, as well as rampant killings of civilians and sexual violence. Google's autocomplete feature that predicts search queries will be removed for information about political parties, candidates and voting as well. One of Google Searchs key features is going through a change as part of the companys efforts for the US elections. Googles autocomplete feature in Search will be disabled for search queries related to the elections. Google will remove predictions that may influence users on a certain candidate or political party. Google uses autocomplete to predict search queries based on what users have typed in the search box. Its quite helpful (sometimes) and makes it easier for users to jump to what theyre looking for without having to type the whole thing out. Seeing how this may impact the US elections, Google is making a change. We expanded our Autocomplete policies related to elections, and we will remove predictions that could be interpreted as claims for or against any candidate or political party. We will also remove predictions that could be interpreted as a claim about participation in the electionlike statements about voting methods, requirements, or the status of voting locationsor the integrity or legitimacy of electoral processes, such as the security of the election, Google said in a blog pos Google cited some examples of search predictions like you can vote by phone and donate to will not appear in autocomplete. But despite Google Search not autocompleting these queries, users will still be able to search for them. This applies only to the elections and autocomplete will work the same way as it does for other search queries. Google has also highlighted various other approaches it has taken to improve Search for users. Google said it has conducted over 1 million search quality tests so far, and an average of over 1,000 tests are conducted daily. It also has an Intelligence Desk that actively monitors and identifies potential information threats. Google also highlighted how its breaking news detection has improved from up to 40 minutes to just a few minutes now. He counts his grandmother among several angels in his life. He said another was looking out for him on one of his first nights in Vietnam. Livingston was lying on top of sandbags in a bunker on patrol when he decided to light a cigarette. Support Local Journalism Your subscription makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} Think about that for a second. How stupid is that, knowing that there are (troops) out there (in the dark) that want to kill you? Livingston asked the crowd. I bet it wasnt 20 seconds later and (a bullet) missed me by about six inches and blew up a sandbag underneath me. I rolled back down into the bunker and all hell broke loose after that. Not only did I put myself in jeopardy, but I put my fellow servicemen in jeopardy as well. That wasnt a good night, and I didnt smoke for a while after that. Livingston, who was trained as an Air Force security forces officer, spent a year in Vietnam. He was stationed in Colorado Springs, Colorado, after that, where he oversaw security at NORAD. He eventually turned down an offer to reenlist in the military. Instead he chose to enter a career in law enforcement. He turned down a chance to work for a police department in New Jersey to return to Nebraska. WASHINGTON Amid a political crisis of his own making, President Donald Trump headed for the support of a rally in battleground Michigan on Thursday, trying to move past revelations that he had been determined to play down the danger of the coronavirus last winter despite describing it in private as deadly stuff. But the virus controversy followed him. Trump faced renewed pushback from officials worried that his rallies are growing in size and flouting public health guidelines intended to halt the COVID-19 spread. This week, the state of Nevada became the first to scuttle his plans for rallies initially set for Las Vegas and Reno. Michigans Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has also raised alarms about Thursdays event. Before departing the White House Trump denied he had lied to the nation and highlighted a surge in virus cases in Europe to contend that the United States is faring well. I really do believe were rounding the corner, he asserted. Trump is grappling with fallout from a new book by Washington Post journalist Bob Woodward. In a series of interviews with Woodward, the president spoke frankly about the dangers posed by the virus even as he downplayed them publicly and admitted he had tried to mislead the public. The book, based on recorded phone interviews, has refocused attention on Trumps handling of the virus, a subject he has tried to shift away from less than two months before Election Day. Donald Trump knew all along just how deadly this virus is, Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden said in a virtual fundraiser. He knew and purposefully played it down because all he was concerned about was his reelection, didnt want to affect economic growth. Congress' top Democrats, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer, set the partys theme on the subject: Trump lied and people died. But Trump, answering questions at the White House, insisted there was no lie in his often-dismissive public comments about the virus last February and March. He noted that he had limited travel from China, where the virus apparently originated, so, obviously, outwardly I said its a very serious problem. ... That doesnt mean Im going to jump up and down in the air and start saying people are going to die, people are going to die. No, no, Im not going to do that. Were going to get through this. In a burst of tweets earlier Thursday, Trump said that if his comments about playing down the danger of the virus were so bad, why didnt Woodward report them at the time in an effort to save lives? Didnt he have an obligation to do so? No, because he knew they were good and proper answers. Calm, no panic! Woodward has defended his decision to hold off by saying he needed time to make sure Trumps private comments were true. Meanwhile, Trump is resuming an aggressive campaign schedule, despite growing resistance from local leaders who have expressed alarm at his insistence on holding large-scale rallies during a pandemic. While the rallies so far have been held in airport hangars open to the air, they have been drawing thousands of supporters despite local restrictions. And the majority of attendees have refused to wear masks, even when mandates are in place. Trump has characterized the rallies as peaceful protests and White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany said attendees were exercising their First Amendment rights. This week, Nevada pulled the plug on rallies set for this weekend, citing the states ban on gatherings of more than 50 people, drawing fury from Trumps campaign. The Reno-Tahoe Airport Authority warned a company that planned to host the campaign rally for 5,000 people at a private hangar that it would be in violation of the governors restrictions and the terms of the companys lease for the hangar. You are hereby advised that you may not proceed with the proposed gathering, the letter states. Outrageous! tweeted Adam Laxalt, Trumps Nevada campaign co-chair. This is unprecedented to cancel an incumbent presidents campaign stop inside 60 days of a major contested election in a swing state. This isnt over! In Michigan, Gov. Whitmer did not try to scuttle the rally, but warned that such events threaten all that sacrifice that weve made. If the rallies are like those hes held in recent days in other states, with lots of people close together without masks on projecting their voices, Im concerned about it, she said at a news conference Thursday morning. This is not a partisan observation. We are in a public health crisis. We all want to get out of this public health crisis. Its going to take every one of us doing the right things to get out of it together, to make this as short as possible. Michigan currently caps outdoor events at 100 people and mandates that attendees wear masks if they cannot consistently stay 6 feet away from people who are not part of their households. There is an exception, though, which states that nothing in the order can abridge protections guaranteed by the state or federal constitution under these emergency circumstances. It was a similar situation in North Carolina, where Trump held a rally this week that drew a mostly mask-less crowd of thousands. While an executive order currently limits outdoor gatherings to 50 people and mandates masks in public, the rally was technically legal under state pandemic rules that exempt certain gatherings where people exercise free speech, a spokeswoman for North Carolinas governor said Wednesday. Still, the spokeswoman, Dory MacMillan, said that, When elected leaders violate the White House coronavirus guidelines surrounding masks and social distancing, especially with large mask-less crowds that sit and stand closely together for hours, they put peoples health at risk. Michigan is a vital Electoral College battleground, which Trump won by only 10,704 votes in 2016, helping him breach the Democrats' blue wall and putting him in office. While Trump aides had all but written off the state earlier this summer, they now say they have seen a tightening in recent weeks and believe they are in a better position than they were in 2016. But Democrats see optimism, too, having made major gains there in the 2018 midterms, winning every major statewide office and a handful of congressional seats as well. Both candidates have been paying frequent visits, with Biden traveling to suburban Detroit on Wednesday to make a direct appeal to blue-collar workers who might have voted Republican four years ago but now regret it. ___ Jill Colvin of The Associated Press wrote this story. AP writers David Eggert in Lansing, Michigan, Brian Slodysko in Washington, Bill Barrow in Atlanta, and Jonathan Lemire in New York contributed to this report. Presidential hopeful Joe Biden said he would end forever wars but keep some US troops in the Middle East if elected president. Biden, the Democratic Party nominee facing President Donald Trump in the November election, gave an interview to the US Department of Defense-owned Stars and Stripes on Thursday. In the interview, Biden said, I support drawing down the troops. He also said the Islamic State (IS) is still a threat, adding, We still have to worry about terrorism. Biden also told Stars and Stripes that the situation is complicated in Iraq and Syria and that he cannot guarantee a full withdrawal as a result. Much of the interview focused on Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan. Biden's endorsement of a reduced but continuous military footprint in the region is not a new policy. His campaign website says he would remove most US troops from the Middle East and that the remaining forces would focus on IS and al-Qaeda. Ending US wars in the Middle East has support on both sides of the aisle, with Trump often railing against endless wars in the region. On Wednesday, the US military announced it would reduce its footprint in Iraq from more than 5,000 troops to 3,000. Trump used the news that day to rally his base, tweeting, Lets bring them home alongside a Fox News video that criticized the influence of arms manufacturers on US foreign policy. If elected, Biden would conduct Middle East policy markedly differently than Trump does their agreement on troop drawdowns not withstanding. Biden supports reentering the Iran nuclear deal under certain conditions and ending US support for the Saudi-led war in Yemen. Bidens support for keeping some US troops in Iraq could be influenced by President Barack Obamas Iraq policies. Biden was vice president when Obama decided to remove all troops from Iraq in 2011 in fulfillment of his campaign promise. In 2014, IS swept through northern Iraq and the Obama administration sent forces back in as part of the global anti-IS coalition. People who binge-drink show more extensive dysfunction across their brains than previously realized, a new study from the University of Sussex has shown. The research shows that binge-drinkers' brains have to put more effort into trying to feel empathy for other people in pain. The paper "Differential brain responses for perception of pain during empathic response in binge drinkers compared to non-binge drinkers" is published in the October 2020 edition of the Neuroimage: Clinical journal. The study involved 71 participants (from France and the UK) whose brain activity was observed in fMRI scanners while undertaking a pain perception task. Half of these people were classified as binge-drinkers and half were not. The binge-drinkers were sober while they were being observed. In the task participants were shown an image of a limb being injured, and asked to imagine either that the body part was theirs, or that of another person, and to state how much pain was associated with the image. The binge-drinking participants struggled more than their non-binge-drinking counterparts when trying to adopt the perspective of another person experiencing the pain: they took more time to respond and the scans revealed that their brains had to work harder - to use more neural resources - to appreciate how intensely another person would feel pain. The study also revealed a more widespread dysfunction than previously realized; a visual area of the brain, which is involved in recognising body parts, showed unusually high levels of activation in the binge-drinkers. This was not true in the non-binge drinkers who looked at the same images. When the binge-drinkers were asked to imagine the injured body part in the picture as their own, their pain estimate was not different from that of their non-binge drinking counterparts. Professor Theodora Duka from the School of Psychology at the University of Sussex said: "I have been studying the effects of drinking excessive alcohol for many years. In that time I have built up a strong body of evidence about the widespread way in which binge-drinking is associated with brain dysfunction in areas supporting self-control and attention. Our aim with the present study was to examine whether binge drinkers show less empathy and their brains show different responses to non-binge drinkers, when they imagine another person in pain. Reduced empathy in binge drinkers may facilitate drinking as it can blunt the perception of suffering of self or others during a drinking session. We have shown with this study that dysfunction associated with binge drinking is even more extensive than previously known. A region of the brain called the Fusiform Body Area associated with recognition of body parts showed hyperactivity in binge-drinkers in a situation in which feelings of empathy are experienced. Our results are quite surprising. Our data show that binge-drinkers need to work harder to feel empathy for other people in pain. They need to use more resources in terms of higher brain activity than non-binge drinkers. What this means in everyday life is that people who binge-drink might struggle to perceive the pain of others as easily as non-binge drinkers do. It's not that binge drinkers feel less empathy - it's just that they have to put more brain resource into being able to do so. However, under certain circumstances when resources become limited, binge drinkers may struggle to engage in an empathic response to others." Dr Charlotte Rae, School of Psychology, University of Sussex Bring drinking is defined as consuming more than 60 g of pure alcohol - (equivalent to about three quarters of one bottle of wine, or 2 pints of lager) on at least one occasion in the past 30 days. About 30% of all adults (over 15 years of age) who drink alcohol in UK and France meet this criterion. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-11 10:19:31|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close LONDON, Sept. 10 (Xinhua) -- British chief Brexit negotiator David Frost said Thursday night that the European Union (EU) and Britain still have "significant" differences over a free trade deal, and their talks will continue in Brussels next week. Frost made the statement after the latest round of UK-EU trade talks had ended in London without agreement. The EU warned Britain of legal action over a controversial trade bill, known as the UK Internal Market Bill which was published by the British government on Wednesday. The bill is believed to override elements of British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Brexit deal with Brussels. The UK Internal Markets Bill is intended to ensure Northern Ireland can continue to enjoy unfettered access to markets in the rest of Britain. It was published after Britain brushed aside warnings from the EU. The bill will be formally debated by MPs in the British parliament for the first time on Sept. 14. In separate hastily arranged talks in London on Thursday, European Commission Vice President Maros Sefcovic demanded Britain withdraw the new bill "by the end of the month" or risk jeopardising trade talks. Sefcovic said the divorce deal is "a legal obligation" and any action violating the Withdrawal Agreement would break international law. However, British Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove, who met with Sefcovic in an emergency joint committee meeting, made it "perfectly clear" that London was not prepared to back down. "I made it perfectly clear to vice president Sefcovic that we would not be withdrawing this legislation. He understood that. Of course he regretted it," he told reporters after their meeting. The EU said the on-going situation had "seriously damaged trust" and it would take legal action against Britain. EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier said after the latest round of negotiations that "trust and confidence are and will be key" in the talks. Britain left the EU at 23:00 GMT on Jan. 31, but that is not the end of the Brexit story because Britain is now in a transition period lasting for 11 months, which keeps the country bound to the EU's rules. Enditem Gov. John Bel Edwards is scheduled to release details on Phase 3 coronavirus reopening rules on Friday afternoon. UPDATE: Phase 3 in Louisiana: Some bars can reopen as other businesses expand capacity to 75% Edwards announced Thursday that the state could move forward with the phase on Friday, when the Phase 2 order was scheduled to expire. He said the mask mandate would remain in place, but did not immediately release a detailed list of Phase 3 restrictions. Vaccine news in your inbox Once a week we'll update you on the progress of COVID-19 vaccinations. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up +4 Louisiana isn't 'lifting all restrictions' in move to Phase 3, but here's what could change Calling it his toughest decision during the coronavirus pandemic, Gov. John Bel Edwards said Thursday the state will move to Phase 3 for the r Edwards said in a Friday morning show on WWL Radio that businesses will be allowed to reopen at 75% occupancy. He also said this phase shift could be the last big change before a vaccine is released. New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell said Thursday that she will not lift any restrictions for the city as the rest of the state moves into Phase 3. The governor is scheduled to share more details at a 2 p.m. press conference. Watch it live and follow coverage here. Can't see the module below? Click here. COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohio officials must allow voters to apply for absentee ballots online, a Franklin County judge ruled on Friday. Common Pleas Judge Stephen L. McIntosh, a Democrat, sided with Ohio Democratic Party attorneys who argued nothing in current state law prohibits state officials from offering an online option. The current system allows voters to request an absentee ballot application online, but the actual application itself must be printed off and filled out in ink before being physically delivered to a county elections office. McIntoshs Friday ruling says the state must allow voters to fill out a physical form and email an image or fax it to their county elections office. In reviewing the plain language of the statute, absentee ballot applications must be in writing and need not be in any particular form, McIntosh wrote. The statute does not address in what form the boards of elections are to receive absentee ballot applications. The statute only requires that the applications be made in writing. McIntosh rejected arguments from Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose that changing the process of applying for an absentee ballot so close to the Nov. 3 election will create chaos and voter confusion. He said elections officials already accept online application from overseas voters, like those serving in the military. Secretary of State Frank LaRose, a Republican, indicated he would appeal. LaRose for years has called for a law change to allow voters to request absentee ballots online, but said changing the system so close to the election in the specific manner the judge describes would be a security liability. Todays ruling rolls out the red carpet to Russian hackers painting a giant bullseye on the back of our election system and upending the significant progress Ohio has made on election cybersecurity, LaRose said in a statement. It injects chaos into what was already a challenging election for our county boards of election, and we are confident that a higher court will correct this quickly. Ohio Democratic Party Chairman David Pepper called the ruling a big win. We can send our taxes in and bank and do everything else online," Pepper said. "Theres no reason why Ohio, like so many states are doing, cant allow voters to send in this basic information. He also questioned why LaRose would appeal a case that grants a policy that he ostensibly supports. If you can take an application from Rome, Italy, you can do it from Rome, Ohio, Pepper said. I think one of the reasons their arguments are so weak is that this is already done. President Donald Trumps campaign, the Republican National Committee and the Ohio Republican Party also filed to intervene in the case to argue against allowing online absentee ballot applications. They filed formal arguments on Friday, hours before McIntosh issued his ruling. The Ohio Democratic Party filed the lawsuit in June. Theyre also pursuing a different lawsuit in Franklin County that seeks to force state officials to allow counties to set up more than one secure drop box for completed absentee ballots. There are two elections-related lawsuits pending in federal court one from voting advocates that would block elections officials from rejecting applications because signatures dont match whats in a voter file, and another federal lawsuit that challenges the single ballot drop-box requirement. Early voting begins on Oct. 6, which is also when the first rounds of mail ballots will be sent to voters who have requested them. The state sent out absentee ballot applications to all 7.8 million registered Ohio voters. Read the judges ruling here: Jonathan Lipman (second from left) stands for a portrait with his wife, Aarati Kasturirangan (right), and children, Elijah Lipman (left), 9, and Asha Lipman, 12, outside their South Philadelphia home on Thursday, Sept. 10, 2020. Jonathan and his son have struggled with long-haul COVID-19, while his wife and daughter were briefly sick and have since recovered. Read more Loneliness is universal during a pandemic. Theres the isolation, as were all cut off from our family, our friends. And theres the silence. We miss the hum of conversation at the bar, the babble of children in school hallways, and the roar of the crowd at the ball game. But the silence I wasnt ready for was my own. I did not expect to be cut off from my own voice, my own self, by this pandemic. I have now been sick with COVID-19 for over 180 days. Until recently, almost nobody believed me, so I stopped even believing myself. When you tell the same story over and over and nobody hears you, you start to wonder whether the world has gone deaf or if youve just ceased to exist. READ MORE: The road to recovery after serious COVID-19 is long. Some may never be the same. It started in mid-March, the same week the whole country really began to fear the virus. Everything shut down, all plans were canceled, including my familys. We were as scared as everyone else. And that was before my wife came down with sudden exhaustion and a fever. We were, of course, afraid it was COVID-19. But we could not get her a test. Nor could we get one for me when I developed those same symptoms, plus a dry racking cough, days later. Only people who had been exposed to a confirmed COVID-19 patient could get tested. Since almost nobody else could get tested, it was impossible to prove exposure. When I finally did get tested, the results took almost a week to come back negative. This was not uncommon for folks who got sick in March, because of delays in testing and the poor accuracy of early tests. My 9-year-old son and 11-year-old daughter also got sick and came back with negative tests. Within two weeks, my wife and daughter recovered. But my son and I entered an uncharted limbo. On all the charts we see on the news, each case of COVID-19 is marked as having one of two final results: recovered or dead. The reality is that there are likely hundreds of thousands of people in this country who are neither. We call ourselves the long haulers. Long-haul COVID-19 is very real. CNN anchor Chris Cuomo described having it. Ed Yong at the Atlantic has written extensively about it. Mount Sinai Hospital in New York created a center to treat patients for it. But its a story thats largely been drowned out by the very tragic stories of the dying and the inane shouting about when to reopen restaurants, whether to wear a mask, and whom to trust when it comes to vaccines and treatments. Heres what it feels like. My cough and fever disappeared after two weeks. But I was left unable to participate in my normal life. I woke up most days with severe pain in my limbs, like broken bones. I was so short of breath I could not make it up the two flights of stairs in the house without gasping. Severe headaches would come and go. Complex mental tasks were impossible. Id find myself reading and re-reading the same email, unable to make sense of it. Worst was the crushing fatigue. Every afternoon I would stagger to my couch and collapse asleep for hours in the middle of the day, regardless of what impact it had on my work or my family. I might feel better for a day or two, but I would inevitably crash again. Id send hastily scribbled emails to cancel meetings before I passed out. The food Id bought to cook my family for dinner rotted in the fridge. My bouncy, sweet-tempered, irrepressible son, who liked to do handstands while watching cartoons, transformed into a morose ghost slumped in his bed. He cried if we suggested he go for a walk. As Week Two stretched to Weeks Three and Four, I started to ask for help. Thats when I discovered I had no voice. To the medical community, a negative COVID-19 test meant that neither my son nor I had COVID-19. Period. So we were told it must be something else, and were assured that we would get better. When we didnt get better, alternative explanations were offered. Maybe it was some other virus. Maybe it was a problem in my gut. Maybe my son had suddenly developed a new inherited condition. Maybe I just had anxiety. The more frustrated I became with my malfunctioning body, the more I let the doctors' voices replace my own. Jonathan Lipman Our sons doctor eventually signaled surrender, telling us theres nothing left to treat. She meant that she didnt know what to do. But what we heard is that we were making stuff up. After all, pain and fatigue dont show up on blood tests, and those tests meant more to the doctors than my lived experience. The more frustrated I became with my malfunctioning body, the more I let the doctors' voices replace my own. I wasnt sick I was lazy. The world receded from me. I could not join everyone else in fighting off the loneliness of lockdown. I stopped returning concerned texts or answering the phone. I missed Zoom happy hours because I was still napping. I didnt have enough energy to make sourdough. Our plans to take long family walks through the Wissahickon were canceled. READ MORE: I still have COVID-19 symptoms. Am I contagious? With all of this, I am lucky. Lucky to have survived. Lucky to be self-employed and well off, so I could choose to work half days instead of quitting or being fired. Lucky to have a loving wife who kept me tethered. Lucky to be a white man in a culture that defers to white men, and not a woman or a person of color who, we know from countless testimonies and studies, would have been even more ignored by doctors. Eventually, out of exasperation, one of my specialists ordered me in for a colonoscopy to see if that could help reveal what was happening. It was the first time a doctor saw me in person, and she was visibly upset at how sick I looked, as well as shocked by the lack of care Id received. She canceled the procedure and ordered me to the emergency room for new tests, where a CT scan revealed I had damaged lungs. When my wife got a call to notify her, she cried in relief. Finally, our voices were heard. Six months in, Im better but not well. Jonathan Lipman Six months in, Im better but not well. With the CT scan results, I was able to see a lung doctor, who gave me a firm diagnosis of post-COVID-19 damage. He said it was almost certain my entire family had the disease, despite our test results. With his help, as well as acupuncture, yoga, and vitamins, Im starting to finally see some slow, halting improvements in my health. Ive joined online communities full of thousands of other long-haulers whose experiences have validated my own. Now that Ive started to believe I really am sick, Ive allowed myself rest. My son, similarly, is starting to improve. But nobody can tell us whether we will face permanent damage to our health. There is very little research on long-haul COVID-19, and nothing in the way of policy or programs from the government. There are hundreds of stories like mine of people being ignored or not believed by their doctors. In our market-driven, consumer-culture health-care system, all of us are expected to navigate this frightening road alone. Its taken me months to realize what a trap that is. How dangerous and unfair it is to ask people to make individual decisions about whether to go to work, or to school, when those decisions affect so many people in so many ways we dont yet understand. I am not alone. There are thousands of voices like mine COVID-19 patients who are not dead, but not recovered. Who are still hurting. It is past time for the medical community, the government, and the community at large to listen to us, and to believe. FAQ: Your coronavirus questions, answered. Jonathan Lipman is a strategy and communications consultant for progressive organizations and nonprofits. He lives in South Philadelphia. NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / September 11, 2020 / Digital transformation has updated the global business through innovative technology to optimize productivity and efficiency. Among these, artificial intelligence (AI) has played an important role in accelerating this process and powering diverse industries such as manufacturing, medical imaging, autonomous driving, retail, insurance and agriculture. A Deloitte survey found that in 2019, 53% of businesses adopting AI spent over $20 million on technology and talent acquisition. The Surging Demand for Data Labelling Services Thirty years ago computer vision systems could hardly recognize hand-written digits. But now AI-powered machines are able to facilitate self-driving vehicles, detect malignant tumors in medical imaging, and review legal contracts. Along with advanced algorithms and powerful compute resources, labeled datasets help to fuel AI's development. AI runs on data. The unstructured raw data need to be firstly labeled in the dataset so that the machine learning algorithms can understand it. Given the rapid expansion of digital transformation progress, there is a surging demand for high quality data labeling services. According to Fractovia, data annotation tools market was valued at $ 65O million in 2019 and is projected to surpass $5billion by 2026. The expected market growth refers to the increasing transition of raw unlabeled data into useful Business Intelligence (BI) by machine learning skills with human guidance. AI's new workforce Data labelers are referred as "AI's new workforce" or "invisible workers of the AI era". They annotate tremendous amount of raw datasets for model training that enables the public to enjoy machine learning empowered goods and services. Along with the hugely lucrative market, there is more than one way for the data labelling industry to organize their workforce. In-house The data labelling enterprises hire part-time or full-time data labelling teams with direct oversight of the whole tagging process. When the annotation projects are quite specific, the team can adjust to changes of the particular needs. As a rule of thumb, it is more common to have an in-house team for long-term AI projects, where data flow is continuous during the prolonged periods of time. Story continues The cons of in-house data labeling team are quite obvious. It's expensive to hire and train a professional labeling team, develop a software with the right tools and maintain a secured working environment. Outsourcing Hiring a third-party annotation service can be another option. Outsourced companies have experienced annotators who finish tasks with higher speed and efficiency. Specialized labelers can proceed with a large volume of datasets within a shorter period. On the other hand, outsourcing results in less control over the project process and the communication cost is comparably high. A clear set of instructions is necessary for the labeling team to understand what the task is about and make annotations correctly. Tasks may also change as developers optimize their models. Besides that, it takes extra time to check the quality of the completed tasks. Crowdsourcing Crowdsourcing means sending data labelling tasks to individual labelers all at once. It breaks down large and complex projects into smaller and simpler parts for a large distributed workforce. A crowdsourcing labelling platform also implies the lowest cost. It is always the top choice when facing a tight budget constraint. While Crowdsourcing is considerably lower priced than other approaches, its biggest challenge, as we can imagine, is the accuracy level of the tasks. According to a report studying the quality of crowdsourced workers, the error rate of the task is significantly related to data annotation types. In the case of basic description task, crowdsource workers' error rate is around 6%, which is much lower than sentiment analysis task with 40%. A turning point during COVID-19 Crowdsourcing has been proven beneficial during the COVID-19 crisis as in-house and outsourced data labelers are affected by the lockdown. Meanwhile, people stuck indoors are now turning to more flexible jobs. Millions of unemployed or part-time workers are starting the crowdsourcing labelling tasks from anywhere with internet. Bytebridge.io, a tech startup for data service, has also seen the workforce as well. It provides high quality and cost-effective data labeling service for AI companies and job opportunities for labelers who can work without any limit on time and place. Bytebridge.io employs consensus mechanism to optimize the labelling system. Before distributing individual tasks for labelers, the system firstly sets a consensus index, such as 90%. If 90% of labeling results are basically the same for the same part of the task, the system would judge that they have reached a consensus and move onto the next part of the task. If the machine learning model requires higher accuracy for data annotation, the platform can adjust to "multi-round consensus" to repeat tasks over again to improve the accuracy of final data delivery. Developers can create their own projects on Bytebridge's dashboard. The automated platform allows developers to write down their specific requirements for the labeling projects, upload raw dataset and control the labeling process in a transparent and dynamic way. Developers can check the processed data, speed, estimated price and time, even though working at home. By cutting down the intermediary costs and time, Bytebridge.io charges 90% cheaper than Google and any other in Silicon Valley, shows 10 times or more rapid data processing speed. Bytebridge.io is devoted to gearing up the AI revolution and digital transformation through its premium data processing service, automated data platform and connection of the cost-effective international fragmented labor force. SOURCE: TTC Foundation View source version on accesswire.com: https://www.accesswire.com/605727/Invisible-Workforce-of-the-AIEra Representative image Your wait to dine at your favourite restaurant in Mumbai may end soon. Sources in the Maharashtra cabinet told CNBC-TV18 that a group of key ministers in the state would meet around September 10 to discuss the next set of guidelines under Mission Begin Again 5.0. Sources added that the group of ministers could discuss the proposal of allowing dine-in services at restaurants across the state. Currently, only take away services are allowed at restaurants and the demand to start dine-in service has been long pending. The National Restaurants Association of India (NRAI) has submitted a set of standard operating procedure (SOP) with the Maharashtra government covering issues pertaining to social distancing, reducing touch points, receiving and handling goods and general health sanctity of customers and employees at restaurants once dine-in services are allowed. The restaurant industry is one of the worst-affected due to the COVID-19 lockdown and NRAI has predicted that over 40 percent of restaurants may not even open up once the lockdown is lifted. Anurag Katriar, President of NRAI told CNBC-TV18 that with every passing month of the lockdown another 5 percent of restaurants may bite the dust and in that scenario any relief from the Maharashtra government in the next set of unlock guidelines will be seen as a big relief. 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 BMC Commissioner Iqbal Chahal had earlier said that they were already talking to restaurants and have asked restaurant associations to submit SOPs of their operations. Chahal also affirmed that the government was looking to allow restaurants to reopen. Further, sources told CNBC-TV18 that the state government may discuss the proposal to allow gyms to reopen in the state. Recently, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray had asked owners of health clubs to draw a set of guidelines which they would follow to check the spread of coronavirus and ensure safety. Thackeray also met a group of gym owners and told them to prepare a set of SOPs and hand it over to the government. With certain relaxations expected to come under Mission Begin Again 5.0, the Maharashtra government is not keen on starting local trains or metro services. Sources added that government may not allow schools to reopen anytime soon. Days after a white woman and professor at George Washington University revealed in a blog post that she had been pretending to be black her whole adult life, Professor Jessica Krug has reportedly resigned from the university. Jessica Krug aka Jess La Bombalera was a Professor of African American History in GWU and had claimed to be of Afro-Puerto Rican descent until her recent revelation in a blog post on Medium in which she revealed that she was in fact a white, Jewish woman from Kansas. Earlier on Friday, the university said it is investigating the case of the white professor who says she faked multiple Black identities that were central to her writings and research. According to a report in Buzzfeed News, students of the university have now been sent a letter from the provost telling them that Krug had resigned from her position. The former professor recently stunned all when she came out about her real white identity. Read: Who is Jessa La Bombalera, the White Woman and Professor in US Fooled Everyone by Claiming to be Black Her Whole Life? Krug had previously claimed to be of Afro-Puerto Rican descent and was a regular among activist circles in the Bronx where she also lived. She was known for her bold rhetoric against White Americans. Known as Jessica La Bombalera or simply Jessa Bombaleraamong activists in the Spanish Harlem neighbourhoods of New York and her followers as, Krug delivered a speech at a New York City Council Zoom meeting from El Barrio in June in which she accused white New Yorkers of neglecting her neighbourhood. In the Medium post, Krug revealed that she was indeed from Kansas and claimed to have lived through childhood trauma and mental health issues. She did not, however, use them as an excuse for her presence. But mental health issues can never, will never, neither explain nor justify, neither condone nor excuse, that, in spite of knowing and regularly critiquing any and every non-Black person who appropriates from Black people, my false identity was crafted entirely from the fabric of Black lives, she said. Fans of the activist expressed their shock and humiliation when the read Krugs blog with many claiming they felt cheated and gaslit. Krugs case is similar to that of Rachel Dolezal, a Washington state NAACP civil rights leader, who identified as Black but was biologically white. Krug authored a 2018 book titled Fugitive Modernities that examined the political practices of those who fled slavery. The book was a finalist for the 2019 Frederick Douglass Book Prize and also the Harriet Tubman Prize. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-12 03:05:04|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIRUT, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- The value of losses caused by the massive fire that erupted at Beirut Port's duty free warehouse a day earlier reached 15 million U.S. dollars, LBCI local TV channel reported on Friday. Food products, oil, tires, beauty products, clothes, shoes, home appliances and electric equipment were destroyed by the fire, it said. Spokesperson of the Lebanese Red Cross (LRC) Rona Halabi noted that a big part of the products that will be distributed to poor families in Lebanon and Syria were destroyed by the huge fire. Beirut's port is a vital facility used by the LRC to store products. "We are working extensively to re-import products for needy families by using port of Tripoli or Beirut's airport as an alternative," Halabi said. The fire erupted at the port of Beirut on Thursday, the second huge fire at the port after the previous one caused two huge explosions on Aug. 4, destroying a big part of the city while killing around 190 people and wounding at least 6,000 others. The cause of the fire is unclear and investigations are still ongoing. Enditem Actor Rhea Chakraborty has been put in a jail cell without a bed or a ceiling fan, NDTV reports. Her cell in Byculla jail is adjacent to the one occupied by Indrani Mukerjea, who was accused of murdering her daughter, Sheena Bora. Sources told the news channel that Rhea was put in a single cell for security reasons. There are concerns that she could be under threat, as the prime accused in the Sushant Singh Rajput death case. Rhea has been accused by Sushants father of abetting the actors suicide and misappropriating his funds. She has denied the allegations. Rhea and five others, including her brother Showik, were arrested earlier this week on drugs-related charges, after the Narcotics Control Bureau found sufficient evidence tying her to a drug syndicate. Rhea has been charged with procuring drugs for Sushant. ALSO WATCH | Rhea Chakraborty moves Mumbai court again, bail plea to be heard tomorrow According to the report, Rhea has been given a chatai (mat) to sleep on, but doesnt have a pillow or a bed. If the court allows it, a table fan will be provided for her. Her cell is being guarded by two round-the-clock guards, in three shifts. Rhea's lawyer Satish Maneshinde said they would decide further course of action after perusing the court order. "Once we get a copy of the order passed by the special NDPS court, we will decide next week on further course of action and about approaching the Bombay High Court," he said, according to PTI. In her bail plea, Rhea had claimed that she was falsely implicated in the case. Also read: Farhan Akhtar shares tweet against Rhea Chakrabortys media trial, tackles hate: You deserve a PHD in whataboutery The NCB began its investigation after the Enforcement Directorate (ED), which was probing money laundering charges linked to the case, shared chats retrieved from Rhea's mobile phone, hinting at the use of banned drugs. Sushant was found dead at his residence in suburban Bandra on June 14. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is separately probing a case against Rhea and others for allegedly abetting the 34-year-old actor's suicide. (With agency inputs) Follow @htshowbiz for more SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON EODev (Energy Observer Developments) announces the closing of a first round of funding to accelerate the industrialization and commercialization of its solutions developed around the latest hydrogen technologies. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200911005110/en/ GEH2 the electro hydrogen generator Kadeg Boucher/EODev Thanks to a seed round mid-2019, EODev was able to set up its operational structure, to sign its first strategic agreements and contracts, and to finance and design prototypes. Today, EODev announces the closing of its first round of funding, for a total amount of 20 million, thus positioning itself as one of the innovative players in the French hydrogen industry, whose growth is now a government priority. This funding will accelerate the industrialization and commercialization of sustainable, reliable, innovative, and accessible energy solutions. EODev's products address the entire energy chain: medium-power hydrogen power generators (GEH2); on-board hydrogen energy systems (REXH2) for maritime and river use (propulsion and hotel load), and mobile floating hydrogen refueling stations (STSH2) for the production and distribution of green hydrogen. EODev could count on the complete confidence and support of its shareholders and long-time partners in the Energy Observer Odyssey (the Accor Group and Thelem Assurances), and on the contribution of new industrial players involved in the project (the Monnoyeur Group). This commitment demonstrates the technical excellence of the products offered and the relevance of a strategy resolutely oriented towards the energy transition. With technologies directly addressing the demand for an efficient and accessible hydrogen use with a limited environmental footprint, EODev is ready to contribute to the ambitions announced by the government as part of the "France Relance" plan, which marks a watershed in the support of the entire hydrogen industry. Created in March 2019, EODev is the result of the research and development carried out on board Energy Observer, the first energy self-sufficient hydrogen vessel to circumnavigate the world. The company thus benefits from the expertise acquired by its engineers and validated over the 30,000 nautical miles its laboratory boat has already covered since 2017, using hydrogen fuel cell technologies. About EODev Based in Saint-Malo (France), EODev is a subsidiary of the Energy Observer Group, an organization bringing together both expeditions and innovations, and developing solutions proving that another future, more respectful of mankind and nature, is possible. The company's ambition is to be a key player and an accelerator of the energy transition by offering sustainable, reliable, and accessible industrial solutions. The products and solutions developed by EODev are based on the smart and optimized use of energy mixes combining different renewable energy sources and hydrogen as a storage means. The company also offers energy mix optimization services with its Energy Consulting Department: Energy Designer. www.energy-observer-developments.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200911005110/en/ Contacts: Media: media@energy-observer.org Josephine Guinard +33 (0)7 86 43 79 91 A virologist who claimed the Chinese government covered up the coronavirus outbreak says she will produce scientific evidence the virus was man-made. Respected Chinese virologist Dr Li-Meng Yan, who specialised in virology and immunology at the Hong Kong School of Public Health, claimed that Beijing knew about the coronavirus well before reports began to emerge. She has since been forced to flee Hong Kong fearing her life is in danger, and appeared today on Loose Women from a secret location, revealing that the Chinese government had 'removed all her information' from government data bases. Dr Yan claimed that reports that Covid-19 originated at a wet market in Wuhan are a 'smoke screen', and that she plans to publish a report she claims has evidence the virus is manmade. Scroll down for video Chinese virologist Dr Li-Meng Yan, pictured, is a Chinese virologist and whistleblower who believes the Chinese government and World Health Organization knew about person-to-person transmission of COVID-19 much earlier than reported 'The first thing is the meat market in Wuhan is a smoke screen and this virus is not from nature,' Dr Yan said. When asked where the virus comes from, the scientist replied: 'It comes from the lab in Wuhan.' 'The genome sequence is like a human finger print', she said. 'And based on this you can identify these things. I will [use this] evidence to tell people why this has come from the lab in China, why they are the ones who made it. 'Anyone, even if you have no biology knowledge, will be able to read it, and check and identify and verify it yourself. She has since been forced to flee Honk Kong fearing her life is in danger, and appeared today on Loose Women from a secret location 'It is critical to understand it, we can not overcome it, it will be life-threatening for everyone.' She claimed that ahead of fleeing her country, her information was wiped from government databases and that her peers were 'told to spread rumours about her'. 'This is some common sense for Chinese people', she said. 'We know under Chinese government [they are at risk] 'They deleted all my information and also they told people to spread rumours about me, that I'm a liar, I don't know anything, I just killed a hamster in the lab. They will try to control my family and friends and then suddenly I don't exist.' The virologist was based at a prestigious Hong Kong university, one of the worlds leading centres for researching infectious diseases and a key part of the World Health Organisations (WHO) global epidemiology network. Yan says she was one of the first scientists to study the coronavirus that would become known as Covid-19, and claims at the end of December 2019 she was asked by her supervisor at the University to look into an odd cluster of SARS-like cases that had erupted in mainland China. Through her medical and scientific contacts she claims to have stumbled upon a cover-up of epic proportions, but her evidence about human transmission and claims Beijing deliberately distorting details of the virus' origins were ignored. She claimed that ahead of fleeing her country, her information was wiped from government databases and that her peers were 'told to spread rumours about her' Yan, pictured with host Jane Moore, plans to publish a report she claims has evidence the virus is manmade As the death toll rose, Dr Yan felt she had a moral and scientific duty to blow the whistle on the cover up, and is now in hiding after travelling to the US, and fears that her life is in danger. 'I was a medical doctor and PHD, said Yan, 'I work with a bunch of the top experts in the world and because I had my two degrees from mainland China, I was the one assigned to do the secret investigation about new pneumonia in Wuhan. 'During my investigation, what I found I reported to my supervisor, there was no response, because everyone was worried. 'So I kept silent, I knew I had to tell people because it's urgent and on the account of a famous Chinese YouTuber in the US it was told to the world [that] China had discovered the Covid situation and [that] human to human transmission already exists.' Yan claimed she saw 'nobody responding' to her reports of human to human transmission, and that while there is fear surrounding Chinese government, she 'could not keep silent'. From the beginning, I decided to get this message out in the world and it was very scary in the world because I'm a doctor and I knew if I don't tell the truth to the world I will regret it myself in the future. Yan claimed she saw 'nobody responding' to her claims, and that while there is fear surrounding Chinese government, she 'could not keep silent' She went on: 'I never thought this would happen when I did the secret investigation, I [thought] I would speak to my supervisor and they would do the right thing on behalf of the government. 'But what I saw was nobody responding to that. People are scared of the government but this was something urgent, and Chinese New Year time, [I knew] this was a dangerous virus and all these things meant I could not keep silent, there are human beings and global health [at risk].' The Chinese national health commission have denied the outbreak started in the lab, saying there is no evidence the new coronavirus was created in a laboratory. A spokesperson told ITV: 'The fact is there is no delay or cover up whatsoever from the Chinese government, it reported virus data and relayed information as soon as possible to the international community. 'As soon as cases were identified in Wuhan city China acted immediately to conduct investigations to stop the spread of the disease'. The CEO who was caught on camera viciously beating his four-month-old puppy has apologizes for losing his temper and taking 'unreasonable and unjustifiable action' as his brother has defended him and insisted he was simply disciplining the pooch for peeing on a rug. Jeffrey Previte, 46, was slammed this week after DailyMail.com published footage of him thrashing and choking his dog Bici outside his apartment in the Seychelle Condominiums building in Santa Monica, California. In an apology to colleagues and friends, Jeffrey wrote: ' I want everyone to know that I truly regret my actions on August 22, 2020. Words can't fully describe how sorry I am for what happened. 'I lost my temper and took unreasonable and unjustifiable action in attempting to discipline my dog Bici. As I have said, words are not enough here, Bici is no longer living with me and is with another loving family. I have also stepped away from my job and am enrolling in anger management training.' Now his brother Nolan Previte, who with Jeffrey is co-CEO of EBI Consulting, has leapt to his defense in an email to the siblings' employees. In an email sent to EBI Consulting employees on Friday and obtained by DailyMail.com, Nolan defended Jeffrey by saying the August 22nd beating was simply 'zealous discipline of the dog for peeing the rug'. Nolan, 50, insisted his brother is 'kindhearted', denied he had any abusive tendencies and claimed Jeffrey 'deeply cares' for the pooch he was filmed beating. Santa Monica police confirmed they were aware of the sickening video and are currently investigating it as a possible incident of animal abuse. Nolan Previte (right), the brother of Jeffrey Previte (left) who was caught on camera viciously beating his puppy, has defended him. In an email sent to EBI Consulting employees on Friday and obtained by DailyMail.com, Nolan defended Jeffrey by saying the August 22nd beating was simply 'zealous discipline' Previte, 46, was slammed this week after DailyMail.com published footage of him thrashing and choking his dog Bici outside his apartment in the Seychelle Condominiums building in Santa Monica, California Santa Monica police confirmed they were aware of the sickening video and are currently investigating it as a possible incident of animal abuse Nolan wrote: 'Please trust me here, Jeff certainly regrets the zealous discipline of the dog for peeing the rug, but I assure you this is absolute nonsense. 'He's an extremely kindhearted, sensitive, caring and thoughtful person with zero cruel or abusive tendencies. He's truly the opposite of cruel or abusive. 'And he deeply cares for Bici, as anyone who's actually seen him with the dog would attest.' Nolan went on to claim that the dog was 'living the life'. JEFF'S APOLOGY I want everyone to know that I truly regret my actions on August 22, 2020. Words can't fully describe how sorry I am for what happened. I lost my temper and took unreasonable and unjustifiable action in attempting to discipline my dog Bici. As I have said, words are not enough here, Bici is no longer living with me and is with another loving family. I have also stepped away from my job and am enrolling in anger management training. Additionally, I am making financial contributions and looking to dedicate my time to support animal rights organizations. I own this. It is not who I am and not representative of the quality time my dog Bici and I have spent together. I am sorry first and foremost to my dog, Bici is the best dog in the world. I also apologize to all who have been understandably upset by this. I love Bici and we have had an exceptional life full of affection and I already miss my companion. I am an imperfect person, but hope that maybe in time I will earn some level of forgiveness. As part of accepting responsibility, I have taken a leave of absence from my job. As you know, I am part of a family business and my actions are in no way reflective of the values of my family or my colleagues. I am heartbroken over the attention my actions have brought to them. I will work to become a better person and to learn from this. Jeff Advertisement He wrote: 'Reality is that Bici has been living the life, on the beach and in the woods with my wife and kids for most of the summer and she's happy, comfy and full on my couch right now.' Astonishingly Nolan blamed management of the Seychelle Condominiums for the harrowing video. 'This has been weeks in the making,' he wrote, 'including attempted extortion, crazy false accusations, and building management ineptitude.' The co-CEO of the environmental risk and compliance management consultancy firm ended the email by warning employees not to discuss the dog-beating. He wrote: 'Thank you for your faith and trust and your help in dealing with this by not talking with anyone but me or Jeff.' CEO Jeffrey Previte was caught on security camera thrashing his defenseless dog Bici and grabbing the whimpering hound by the throat A concierge, who has asked to remain anonymous, heard the dog's cries from his seat at the building's front desk and told DailyMail.com he filed a report The concierge filed a report about the incident to the building's management where he said he felt violated The brothers were appointed joint CEOs of EBI Consulting last month, a firm which is owned by their family. The company has over 400 employees in offices across the United States and Canada. The sickening video shows off-duty CEO Previte yanking the dog off the floor by the scruff of its neck and violently jerking the animal through a door before giving it a hard smack. A concierge, who has asked to remain anonymous, heard the dog's cries from his seat at the building's front desk and filed a report about the incident. 'I heard the dog screaming and when I looked on the camera, I saw him beating the dog,' the concierge said. The man filed a report about the incident to the building's management and he told Previte he had the footage and was going to write a report. 'He became irate... and then he hung up on me,' the man said. 'He apologized the next day, but I didn't think it was a sincere apology.' The concierge filed the report writing: 'At 6.55pm, I witnessed Jeffery [sic] Previte beating his dog.' 'I heard the dog screaming and when I looked on the camera, I saw him beating the dog,' the concierge said 'There's nothing illegal about what I did - I said if you need to tell the building, tell the building,' Previte told DailyMail.com The attack on the dog took place at his apartment in the Seychelle Condominiums building in Santa Monica, California In a statement to DailyMail.com. Previte didn't deny that he was rough with the dog but instead claimed that the concierge was extorting him. 'I think this is very unfortunate that this has come across your desk. I don't even know exactly what to say but I will say this: [The concierge] called me the evening of this interaction with my dog and that was at nine o' clock at night and he attempted to extort money from me so that he wouldn't report it to the building. 'There's nothing illegal about what I did - I said if you need to tell the building, tell the building. 'The building manager took it very seriously. I find it very unfortunate that we are even talking about this.' The concierge explained to DailyMail.com exactly what he saw transpiring on the security screen. 'He was very angry. He was choking and slapping the dog,' he said. 'He even slammed the poor dog against the wall.' The man claimed that his report was not taken seriously by his manager. According to Previte's social media, he is an avid hunter and outdoorsman who is the CEO of an environmental risk and compliance management consulting firm Previte was seen posing with a deer that he appears to have hunted in a 2011 photo on Facebook which he captioned: 'I didn't mean to kill Bambi' 'My boss laughed in my face,' he said. 'I took the next day off work. I just felt that they should have called the police at least.' The concierge said that Previte has no kids and has lived in the building for about five years. 'He dates strange women that come in and out,' the concierge said of Previte, adding, 'He wears a Make America Great Again hat and he rides bikes. 'He's hardly there - he goes back and forth to Boston. He is probably only there once every two months. You hardly see him. He drives fancy cars and he is in and out.' The building management said in a statement to DailyMail.com, 'The apparent conduct of the unit owner was abhorrent and completely unacceptable. Building management stands behind our employee and we took swift action including contacting animal control and directing the resident to cease all contact with our employee. We continue to evaluate other measures that can be taken with our counsel.' A 38-year-old Bristol man pleaded guilty Thursday to charges of dealing fentanyl and crack cocaine, federal authorities said. Elkie Crump, who went by the alias 40, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, fentanyl, and possession with intent to distribute cocaine base, a press release from the U.S. attorneys office for the district of Connecticut said. Last December, the Drug Enforcement Administrations New Haven office began an investigation into Crump along with the Bristol Police Department, the release said, after they received information he was dealing fentanyl. Investigators were able to buy the drug from him three times between January and February, authorities said. Crump was arrested at his home in West Hartford, where a search also turned up 14 grams of crack cocaine and a 9 mm handgun, the release said. Each charge against him carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, the U.S. attorneys office said. Crump has remained in custody since his arrest. He is due to appear in court for sentencing Dec. 2. A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind. President Donald Trump is vowing to crush any 'riots' that occur among opposition should he be declared the winner on Election night saying he would 'put it down within minutes.' Trump was asked about the hypothetical scenario by Fox News host Jeanine Pirro who mentioned 'threats' of riots without providing specifics. 'Let's say there are threats. They say that they are going to threaten riots if they lose on election night, assuming we get a winner on election night. What are you going to do?' the host asked him. President Donald Trump said he would put down any election night riots 'within minutes' if they were to occur and he is announced the winner that night 'We'll put them down very quickly if they do that. We have the right to do that. We have the power to do that if we want,' said Trump, sitting for an interview at the White House during a week when his team was rocked by bombshell recordings by author and journalist Bob Woodward. Rather than downplay the possibility, Trump took the hypothetical, continuing: 'Look, it's called insurrection. We just send in, and we do it very easy. I mean, it's very easy. I'd rather not do that because there's no reason for it, but if we had to, we'd do that and put it down within minutes. Within minutes,' Trump said, in a clip posted by Politico. Trump has repeatedly gone after 'rioters' and 'looters' who he said are rival Joe Biden supporters. He has sent in federal agents to cities suffering rioting and property destruction in the wake of protests over the death of George Floyd. He famously posed with a bible outside St. John's Church across from the White House after authorities deployed tear gas on peaceful protesters. Trump's use of the term 'insurrection' recalls his administration's threat to use the Insurrection Act to use military forces put down disturbances. Fox News host Jeanine Pirro asked Trump how he would respond if opponents 'threaten riots if they lose on election night' A protester dances around a fire set by protesters while burning a peace sign near the Federal Courthouse in Portland, Oregon during another night of protests in the city. Portland Protest, Oregon, U.S. - 19 Jul 2020 'If a city or state refuses to take the actions that are necessary to defend the life and property of their residents, then I will deploy the United States military and quickly solve the problem for them,' Trump said in June. Last month, after declaring mail-in voting 'fraudulent,' Trump tweeted: 'Must know Election results on the night of the Election, not days, months, or even years later!' Some election experts have begun giving warnings that the president could try to declare victory on election night based on in-person votes, even as millions of mail-in ballots get counted. Mail ballot requests and early voting in battlegrounds is already revealing a pronounced advantage for Democrats in those categories. Biden currently leads in polls nationally as well as in key battleground states. The President of the Republic, Nana Akufo-Addo has paid a familiarisation visit to a Tomato processing factory located in Domfete, in Berekum under the One District One Factory development policy. These activities are part of the president's two-day working visit to the Bono region. The $16 million Tomato processing factory is a project being undertaken by Weddi Africa. The factory, a project operating under Government's 1-District-1-Factory initiative, is a wholly-owned Ghanaian company, which will have an installed capacity to process 40,000 metric tons of fresh tomato per annum. This translated into 720 crates of tomatoes per shift per day, with the factory also possessing a 500-metric ton cold room facility to hold fresh tomato fruits. The company has established a 2,400-acre farm land as nucleus farm, and also spearheaded the establishment of the Tomato Out-grower Farmers Association in Tano North and Berekum West Districts, with 2,000 registered farmers from Ahafo and Bono regions. Indeed, the 2,000 farmers are on schedule to receive seeds, fertilizers and other inputs and technical services from the relevant MDAs, with these mechanisms all put in place to ensure the sustainability of the factory. President Akufo-Addo was informed that, once fully completed, the factory will create about 186 direct jobs, with more than 3,000 indirect job opportunities in the Berekum West District and other surrounding communities. Government, the President assured, is committed to supporting private sector operators like Weddi Africa Limited to position themselves to become globally competitive, and, thereby, also take advantage of market opportunities presented by the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), whose Secretariat has been established and commissioned in Accra. Further, he told the gathering that the Government has established an institutional mechanism to provide strategic support and assistance to the domestic private sector operating at the district level. I refer to the Business Resource Centres which have been established in 67 Districts across the country, 30 of which have already commenced operations. The 1D1F companies will benefit from the assistance to be provided by the BRCs, he added. He commended the promoters of Weddi Africa Ltd. for establishing such a modern facility in Domfete, Berekum, in support of the Government's Industrial Transformation Agenda, and appealed to Nananom and residents to give their maximum co-operation to the promoters of the business, to ensure their success, which, he explained, will be the success of Nananom and residents as well. ---Daily Guide Sen. Ben Sasse Wants Cameras Removed From Senate Hearings Cameras shouldnt be allowed into Senate hearings, Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.) asserted this week. Most of what happens in committee hearings isnt oversight, its showmanship. Senators make speeches that get chopped up, shipped to home-state TV stations, and blasted across social media. They arent trying to learn from witnesses, uncover details, or improve legislation. Theyre competing for sound bites, the first-term lawmaker wrote in an op-ed, floating proposals he said would make the Senate great again. The only committee that often operates without cameras, the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, sees the benefits, Sasse said. Without posturing for cameras, Republicans and Democrats cooperate on some of Americas most complicated and urgent problems. Other committees could follow their example, while keeping transparency by making transcripts and real-time audio available to the public, he added. The first television broadcast from the Senate chamber took place on Dec. 19, 1974. The audience watched as Nelson Rockefeller, the former New York governor, took the oath of office to become vice president following Gerald Ford becoming president after Richard Nixons resignation. Regular television coverage of Senate proceedings didnt start until 1986. Some recent hearings have attracted millions of viewers, such as last years vetting of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. Sasse told Fox News the Senate is meant to deliberate, thinking carefully about the countrys longterm future, but lawmakers have become too concerned about getting retweets on Twitter. The average Senate committee hearing today is a theater competition; whoever puts on the best show wins. The incentive structure around the Senate is upside-down. Short-term posturing is rewarded, and long-term problem-solving is penalized, he said. Removing cameras would create an atmosphere for substantive and candid conversations, the senator alleged. Lets be clear, too: Eliminating cameras does not mean eliminating transparency. Thats a false choice. We can ensure the publics right to real, radical transparency through readily available audio recordings and written transcripts, he said. Sasse clarified that recordings and transcripts should be made available immediately to ensure transparency if cameras were taken out of hearings. Sasses other ideas included limiting senators to a single 12-year term and encouraging senators to live, eat, and work in dormitories when the Senate is in session. Most colleagues expressed support for the overarching idea that the Senate is broken and needs to be fixed following the publication of the op-ed, the Nebraskan asserted. Now is the time for out-of-the-box ideas. Once upon a time, the Senate was the worlds greatest deliberative body. Lets make it great again, he said. The Rajasthan government will prepare an action plan to explore the possibility of introduction of cheetah, the fastest animal on the planet, in the state, officials said. A committee of experts set up by Dehradun-based Wildlife Institute of India (WW) has zeroed in three states - Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat - where cheetah population could be re-introduced. For that, the WII needs to conduct feasibility studies. On Thursday, a WII proposal to conduct the study in Rajasthan was taken up for consideration in the state wildlife board. A presentation was also made by WII scientists on why Rajasthan has possible sites for reintroduction of cheetah and its potential to have the animal. After finalizing the action plan, a decision would soon be taken on the WII proposal, Rajasthan forest Minister Sukhram Vishnoi. In February this year, the Supreme Court had allowed the introduction of cheetah under the project which was initiated by then environment minister Jairam Ramesh in 2009. Also read: Supreme Court allows introduction of African Cheetah in India Congress MLA from Sangod (Kota) Bharat Singh, who was present at the meeting, said the Central government has permitted the re-introduction and conservation of cheetah which could be brought from Africa. The states who could take the initiative and have potential and suitable sites are Rajasthan, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh. They can get cheetah which could be associated with the development and promotion of tourism, Singh said. Singh said at the meeting, the WII representative mentioned two sites - one each in Jaisalmer and Kota - for cheetah introduction, said Singh. Shahgarh Bulge in Jaisalmer was among the top sites identified in 2010 by an expert panel constituted by the central government to reintroduce cheetah in India, said a forest department official. Shahgarh Bulge in Jaisalmer was among the top three sites identified in 2010 by the expert panel. The other two sites - Kuno Palpur and Nauradehi - were in Madhya Pradesh. As 10 years have passed since the last assessment was done, experts said Shahgarh Bulge needs to be re-assessed for prey population viability to sustain cheetahs and the ability of the habitat to sustain these animals in the long run. Shahgarh now has animal population which needs to be relocated if the site has to be considered for introducing cheetah. The then government had reservation over the site and had written to the Central government saying the region has oil deposits and was very close to Pakistan border, said the official. The WII experts also said that apart from Shahgarh Bulge, relocation sites can also be explored at other places in Barmer and Jaisalmer districts. With Rajasthan being the biggest state geographically and the availability of dry and plain grassland, the state has the maximum potential, said an expert who was not willing to be quoted. Divya Bhanu Sinh, member of the expert committee formed by Central government in 2010 and author of The end of a trail: The cheetah in India book, said, The Wildlife Institute of India surveyed possible sites to introduce cheetah where one was Shahgarh Bulge in Jaisalmer; and other two in Madhya Pradesh Kuno Palpur and Nauradehi. Kunal Palpur was selected as the site for the introduction of cheetahs and the environment ministry had given its permission to the Madhya Pradesh government to import nine cheetahs in different batches from Namibia for translocation into Kuno Palpur wildlife sanctuary at Sheopur where the last cheetah was hunted in the 1950s. But before the process to import cheetahs could start, the project was challenged in the Supreme Court on the ground that the sites selected were not viable for cheetah re-introduction. The apex court stayed the project and formed an expert committee to examine all aspects. In February, it finally approved the project. MK Ranjitsinh, who headed the expert committee, said that the cheetahs re-introduction is an interesting project not only for India but for the entire world as such long-distance relocation of big animals in wild has not happened. As cheetah was native to India till the 1950s, them adopting to hot and humid temperature of the country would not be very difficult. But, we need a proper wildlife management plan of habitats for that, he said. Cheetahs roamed about Indias grasslands till the 1950s when they were hunted to extinction in the country. Iran has a sub-species of the Asiatic cheetah but has refused to share them with India, forcing the government to look for the African ones. The Asian and the African species separated between 30,000 and 60,000 years ago. (Natural News) In Andy Weirs science fiction novel turned Hollywood blockbuster The Martian, lead character Mark Watney survives on Mars by using his botany skills to grow a small farm in his habitat. While this concept of growing plants on Mars may seem like pure science fiction now, real-life botanists want to make it a reality. At the Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS) in Utah, botanists are looking into what it takes to grow plants in Mars, or at least, in conditions similar to what astronauts may one-day experience during a future Mars mission. Looking for plants living in Mars-like environments The MDRS, run by the Mars Society, has crews living like astronauts for a week or two simulating what a real-life manned Mars mission could be like, with crews even conducting spacewalks in simulated spacesuits. Part of the reason the MDRS is suited to simulating Mars missions is its location. Located near Hanksville, Utah, the MDRS sits on a swathe of sandstone similar to the rock on Mars the soil even has a similar color to that on the Red Planet. Despite this barren, rocky landscape, several plants do grow in the rocks around the MDRS. Its these that have caught the attention of Paul Sokoloff, a botanist and ecologist at the Canadian Museum of Nature. The plants that grow in the area around the MDRS include wildflowers, such as the yellow blossomed Cleomella palmeriana and the purple Phacelia demissa, as well as the invasive, bushy weed called Halogeton glomeratus. In addition, the landscape around the habitat changes every year, which could mean that there are even more species to be identified. (Related: Antarctic fungi could be able to colonize Mars.) The first time I was at MDRS there was a bunch of large, basically sod plants [grasses] and there was nothing else no life, no flora, recalled David Murray, MDRS GreenHab manager. Then, the last time, [Crew] 210 with Paul, there was one dominant species covering the entire thing. That happened over the course of one year. Its to identify all these species that Sokoloff has been returning to the MDRS for years, one of the most recent being as part of Crew 210. During that trip, which took place in April of 2019, Sokoloff and other members of Crew 210 visited three known sites to pick up local species of plants. Beyond this, Sokoloffs group has plans to return at least one more time. Recreating Mars on Earth to grow plants In addition to picking up plants growing in the region, the MDRS also grow plants inside the habitats GreenHab. While the rocky desert surrounding the MDRS are somewhat reminiscent of Mars, at the GreenLab, scientists work to recreate the Martian environment as accurately as possible. This includes steps such as lowering the ambient light to better match the amount that would be found in the Red Planet. The main challenge with the experiments conducted in the MDRSs GreenHab is the fact that the plants take longer to grow than the two weeks that each mission to the MDRS takes. As such, each batch of plants is passed on to the next crew that takes over the MDRS until the plants are finally harvested. The ability to grow plants on Mars is seen as an important component of any future Mars mission. Having to carry all the food necessary for a mission to the Red Planet would take up a significant amount of space on any spacecraft. Being able to grow food on the planet would help reduce the amount of material needed to be carried on a Mars mission. With this in mind, it should come as no surprise that the Mars Societys efforts at the MDRS are not the only studies looking to see if it would be possible to grow plants on Mars. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) scientists have also tested growing plants in soil that simulates that found on Mars. In addition, astronauts have already grown and even eaten vegetables such as lettuce on board the International Space Station, showing that it is possible to grow food in environments with reduced gravity. Follow Space.news for more on the efforts leading up to future manned missions to Mars. Sources include: Space.com 1 BDJ.PenSoft.net Journals.PLOS.org Space.com 2 (Image: Reuters) Citigroup, the third-largest bank of the US, has named Jane Fraser as its new chief executive officer (CEO). She will become the first woman to lead a major Wall Street bank when she takes charge from the current CEO, Michael Corbat, in February 2021. Fraser, who has been with the bank for 16 years, is the President of Citi and the CEO of Global Consumer Banking. She oversees the bank's consumer businesses in 19 countries. She was also the CEO of Citi Latin America from 2015 to 2019. "We believe Jane is the right person to build on Mikes record and take Citi to the next level. She has deep experience across our lines of business and regions and we are highly confident in her. Janes ability to think strategically and also operate a business are a unique combination that will serve our company well," John Dugan, the Chair of Citi's board, said in a statement. Fraser, who is from the UK, has an MBA from Harvard Business School and an MA in economics from Cambridge University. She began her career as an analyst at Goldman Sachs in London. She was a partner at McKinsey & Company before joining Citi in 2004. Her name was also floated as a potential CEO of Wells Fargo. Only 37 out of the Fortune 500 companies are run by women. Investment banking and financial services, in particular, are male-dominated industries. "I'm often asked, 'Can you have it all? Can you do it all?'" Fraser, a mother of two, said at an event in 2016 as quoted by Reuters. "And I say, 'Yes, you can, but you can't do it all at once and don't expect everything at once." UPDATE: Murphy signs bills that will get some drivers out of long MVC lines New Jersey drivers waiting for hours on long lines at state Motor Vehicle Commission agencies are also waiting for something else: Gov. Phil Murphys signature on two bills that would get some people out of line and reduce the frustrating wait for others. Drivers interviewed Thursday at the Wayne Motor Vehicle Commission agency said the two bills should be signed, and document expiration dates extended. They also said allowing them to make appointments would help reduce the crushing wait of multiple hours. Drivers Thursday dealt with showers, a downpour and humidity while waiting in a line that snaked from the old agency, past a new one under construction and through the parking lot. Since agencies opened on July 7 after a four-month shutdown to prevent spreading the coronavirus, that scene has been repeated throughout the state. Its terrible, totally unacceptable, said Rich Kitaeff of Woodland Park, who was in the middle of the line and had been waiting two hours. He was there for a simple thing, to have a new photo taken so he could renew his drivers license. Photos have to be retaken after four years. My problem is my wife had a strokeI cant leave her alone. She is sitting in the car waiting for me, Kitaeff said. I explained that to them; (an MVC employee) they said lot of people have handicaps and that was the end of it. One of the bills on Murphys desk, passed by the state Senate on August 27, would spare Kitaeff and other people over age 65 from waiting in line by allowing them to reuse a photo on file at the MVC so they could renew their licenses online. Thats a good thing, he said about the bill. My background is in operational management. I know something has to be donethis is third world stuff. Rita Patel of Rutherford said she got in line at 6:30 a.m. to spare her 79-year-old father from having to stand for hours waiting to have his photo taken to renew his drivers license. It would be very tough for him to come here. Hes not driving much, but needs it for ID, so thats why I came here for him, she said. If they do it online for older people, that would be better. Extending the expiration dates on drivers licenses also would help, she said. Several other states' DMVs have given drivers more time, pushing expiration dates out to the end of the year or until the coronavirus pandemic is over. Maryland and the District of Columbia DMV did, extending the expiration date on all documents until the pandemic ceases. Kansas DMV extended expiration dates on drivers licenses that expired between March 12 and Sept. 15 to the end of the year. Georgia gave a 120-day extension to drivers with documents that expired between March and June. California and Illinois DMVs extended license expirations dates for drivers based on age. Murphy has not answered questions specifically about the bills. We havent said no to extensions, the governor told reporters Wednesday. The MVC granted extensions to Sept. 30 for documents that expired between March 13 and May 31, when MVC facilities were closed for the pandemic. Those expiring from June 1 to Aug. 31 were extended to Dec. 31, said William Connolly, an MVC spokesman. But they dont cover drivers whose documents expire this month, and some with paperwork with October expiration dates are joining the lines, too. I have to come in because my picture is too old (and) it expires next month, said Bernard Spiegel of South Orange, standing near the end of the line in Wayne. Im about to travel abroad and need to have my drivers license. He (Murphy) should sign that bill. Spiegel was among many motorists who said the MVC should allow them to make appointments, rather than line up and take their chances. New Jersey is among nine states taking walk-in customers, while 39 other state DMV offices are open by appointment only, according to the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators. Appointments make a lot more sense. I had expected to be able to make an appointment and spent a lot of time on the internet to find out I cant, Spiegel said. MVC officials said they determined agencies could process more peoples transactions without appointments, based on the experience issuing Real ID drivers licenses before the pandemic hit. But drivers such as Spiegel said appointments would be preferable to waiting for hours in line. Id be happy to make an appointment to have a spot in a queue and get it done, he said. Another bill waiting for Murphys signature would temporarily provide 120 days for drivers moving in from out of state to obtain New Jersey drivers' licenses and register vehicles during the COVID-19 health emergency. Now, new residents such as Nuddassir Nsar of Hackensack, face two trips to the MVC, one to get a New Jersey license and a second to register and get license plates for his vehicle. He was on his second trip to the MVC to transfer his New York license. He said signing the bill should be expedited. He got to Wayne at 7:30 a.m., after driving to the Lodi agency where there was no place to park, he said. This was his second MVC trip after going to the Oakland agency on Wednesday, where officials said he needed additional documentation for a New Jersey license. I brought too many (documents), he said, holding up a folder. I dont want to have to go home and come back tomorrow. State Sen. Declan OScanlon, R-Monmouth, who co-sponsored the MVC photo bill, questioned the governors delay in signing the bill as people were still waiting in line. He challenged Murphy to wait in line at an agency to get a feel for what drivers are going through. Kitaeff thought that was a good idea for the governor to experience waiting in line at an agency. It would give him some empathy, he said. NJ Advance Media staff writer Brent Johnson contributed to this report. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Larry Higgs may be reached at lhiggs@njadvancemedia.com. Mexico will receive a supply of 32-million doses of Russia's Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine. This latest agreement between Russian directive Investment Fund (RDIF) Russia's sovereign wealth fund and Landsteiner Scientific pharmaceutical company should be able to vaccinate 25 per cent of the Mexican population. According to the RDIF, delivery for 32-million doses is expected to start in November 2020 (subject to approval by Mexico's regulators). READ | Mexico: Journalist Found Beheaded Near Railroads, Minister Condemns 'cowardly Murder' Mexico signs a deal for Russia's COVID-19 vaccine In August 2020, Sputnik V was registered by the Ministry of Health of Russia was the world's first registered vaccine against COVID-19. Earlier in September, the results of Phase II and III trials of Sputnik V reported a safe immune response in 100 per cent of the participants. Currently, the Russia-made COVID-19 vaccine is undergoing trials in 40,000 volunteers and its first results are expected to come out by October-November 2020. READ | Mexico President Regrets Protester Killing, Wants Justice Russia's Sputnik V is a two-dose vaccine regimen, which contains the full-length Spike and Nucleocapsid proteins from SARS-CoV-2 in two different adeno-associated viruses (AAV) vectors. In over 250 clinical trials AAVs have safely elicited immune responses. Kirill Dmitriev, Chief Executive Officer of the Russian Direct Investment Fund said that in a recent study 66 per cent of Mexicans have expressed their confidence in Russia's Sputnik V. This confidence may be the proven safety record of the vaccine trials and that the supply 32-million COVID-19 vaccine doses will help 25 per cent of the Mexican population to receive access to the safe and effective vaccine. READ | COVID-19 Vaccine: Russia Begins Inoculating Volunteers With 'Sputnik V' Sputnik V is the world's first clinically approved vaccine The worlds first clinically approved vaccine against the novel coronavirus has been manufactured by the Gamaleya Research Institute in collaboration with the Russian Health Ministry. Last month, Russian Health Minister Mikhail Murashko told in a meeting that it is one of the first registered vaccines in the world to prove its effectiveness and safety. The United States has been sceptical over the Russian vaccine and US Health Secretary Alex Azar told a news conference that it is more essential to have a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine than acing the race. Murashko said that foreign colleagues are sensing the specific competitive advantages of the Russian drug and are trying to express groundless doubts. READ | Mexico Starts Campaign Urging Employers To Hire Refugees "Back then, retailers were saying, 'No one is going to bother making real coffee at home. We're a tea-drinking nation'," says Schirato. "My old man fought tooth and nail to get non-instant coffee in supermarkets. For him, it was always about making good coffee accessible to as many people as possible." Warm pork terrine hits the table. It's a textbook example of the charcutier's art meaty with hock, gelatinous from trotter. Sweet gherkins and capers cut through the melting fat. Comforting buffalo mozzarella served on lemon leaf. Credit:Janie Barrett I ask Schirato what his favourite Italian food is. "Gnocchi," he says without needing a beat. "A lot of people tell me they don't like it, and I tell them, 'There is a big difference between gnocchi and gnocchi'. Homemade is always best." Unfortunately, there's no gnocchi or "gnocchi" on the Mediterranean-inspired menu, but there is Italian buffalo mozzarella that's every bit as comforting. Served on lemon leaf and gently touched by a Josper oven, the warm cheese makes for a cheap holiday to the Amalfi coast. Vittoria's supermarket play in the decade of salad bars and Peter Russell-Clarke was a success. Like so much food and drink popular in migrant communities, pure coffee (that is, whole coffee beans or the ground stuff) went from fringe curiosity to aspirational must-have. Vittoria is now Australia's market-leader in the pure coffee category and exports to countries including New Zealand, China, Thailand and the US from its Silverwater factory. Les Schirato gained a controlling share of the company in 2002 and is chief executive and chairman today. Rolando is set to succeed his father as Australia's coffee king one day, but that was never really the intention. Plump rock oysters perfect for a sunny winter day. Credit:Janie Barrett "I was running events for Vittoria in high school and later while studying at Macquarie University for an anthropology major," he says. "I found myself enjoying the work, developing relationships and learning a lot. It suddenly became one of those things where you think, 'Well, I like this, I should probably stick with it'." He says the anthropology major came about from advice provided by his older sister. "She said,'Just study what you're interested in it might be something you won't have the chance to be exposed to later in life.' Doing a business degree probably wouldn't have given me the edge I was going to acquire through working anyway." Schirato stepped up to managing director in 2014 and says he now "basically running the business". "To be honest, I probably wasn't ready for the job until three years ago. Even now, I have a shit-load to learn." He reports to his father and the Vittoria board. "My old man is great, but we fight a lot. Like any father-son relationship, we have similar values but different points of view. At least [COVID-19] has provided the separation needed for more considered communication. It's put a stop to heated Italian discussions in the hallway." Les and Rolando Schirato with Al Pacino on the set of a Vittoria commercial in 2010. One focus of such hallway discussions has been the launch of a Nespresso-style coffee capsule range. "When capsules first popped up, I was like, 'We need to get into this, they're going to be big'," says Schirato. "My old man took a purist angle and said we should be spending more time promoting home espresso machines, which are always going to make a better coffee." Schirato didn't argue with his father on that. "Of course anyone who knows their way around an espresso machine will produce better coffee than a capsule. But the reality is most people aren't that committed to making a coffee at home. Their beans might be stale, or the machine hasn't been cleaned properly. At least a capsule is sealed fresh and gives consistent results." Sweet gherkins and capers cut through warm pork terrine. Credit:Janie Barrett Vittoria eventually did release a capsule range, which has been a lifeline for revenue through the coronavirus pandemic. The food service sector has traditionally accounted for just over half of Vittoria's business with retail not too far behind. When COVID-19 hit, the company experienced a 60 per cent decline in sales to cafes and restaurants. Trade with hotels dropped by 80 per cent and mega-client Qantas stopped buying altogether. "Having diversity between retail and food service has saved us over the past six months. If we were only selling wholesale to hospitality venues, we would be in a lot more strife. It has been interesting to see some of our competitors now trying to expand into Coles and Woolies especially the ones that scoffed at Dad for wanting to sell to supermarkets in the first place." We share grilled sirloin sharpened with salsa verde, crisp golden spuds and butter lettuce salad exactly what you want to eat on a sunny winter day in jacket-optional weather. I want to know if Schirato has any eco-guilt about selling coffee capsules given billions of pods end up in landfill each year and can take centuries to break down. "Look, at the end of the day they're no good for the environment. We could have started using biodegradable and compostable capsules years ago, but they're a complete farce. Schirato says Vittoria is working to provide customers with more sustainable capsule options. Credit:Janie Barrett "I've seen pictures on Instagram of capsules in dirt, as if you can throw them into your food waste for compost. But read the fine print and they're actually 'commercially compostable'. They need to be taken to an authorised facility and heat-treated to decompose. Most people don't do that and they become landfill." Schirato says Vittoria is working with external companies to provide customers with more sustainable capsule options and is frustrated by competitors who build their brand around "doing the right thing" with compostable capsules. "Not only are they not doing the right thing, they're actually misleading people, which is even worse." He is also irked when people tell him they don't like Vittoria coffee. "It's like saying you don't drink Penfolds because you were once served a corked bottle of their shiraz. The best coffee I've ever had is one of ours, but so is the worst. There are so many variables out of our control once a cafe takes delivery of beans, from the way those beans are stored, to the cleanliness of the machine and the barista's skill." To this end, Vittoria spends a great deal of time and money providing clients with quality equipment and training. "Something like mineral water is easy. You store it in the fridge, you open it and you're done. Coffee is much harder to get right." Schirato still hopes to launch a flagship store in Milan by December. I half-jokingly suggest Vittoria could collaborate with Milanese luxury labels similar to the company's long-standing partnership with Australian Fashion Week. "Oh, mate, don't worry. Our contact in Milan is already talking about that kind of thing. She says 'I'll introduce you to Dolce & Gabbana, Missoni, all the big fashion houses'. I can't bloody wait." Cafe blend espressos arrive with a slice of Basque cheesecake and the taste is a world away from any just-add-water instant malarkey: thick, strong, nutty and on the right side of bitter. "Perfect," says Schirato. I reckon the Milan fashionistas set will agree. Una Mas Coogee Pavilion, 130A Beach Rd, Coogee 9114 7383 Actor Kangana Ranaut in a tweet said that, as a symbolic gesture, she will not renovate the portions of her office that were demolished on Wednesday by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation. The BMC carried out the demolition based on alleged structural violations. In a tweet, the actor wrote, I had my office opening on 15th Jan, shortly after corona hit us, like most of us I havent worked ever since, dont have money to renovate it, I will work from those ruins keep that office ravaged as a symbol of a womans will that dared to rise in this world. She added the hashtag, Kangana vs Uddhav, a sign of her continued altercation with Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray. I had my office opening on 15th Jan, shortly after corona hit us, like most of us I havent worked ever since, dont have money to renovate it, I will work from those ruins keep that office ravaged as a symbol of a womans will that dared to rise in this world #KanganaVsUddhav https://t.co/98VnFANVsu Kangana Ranaut (@KanganaTeam) September 10, 2020 Flanked by security guards provided by the Union home ministry, Kangana arrived in Mumbai on September 9, hours after the BMC carried out the demolition. On Thursday, the actor paid a visit to the property, and surveyed the damage. Also Watch l Kangana Ranaut attacks Sonia Gandhi, says history will judge your silence The Y-plus category security cover was provided by the Union home minister Amit Shah after Kangana expressed concerns for her safety following a war of words with Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut. The controversy started when she said that she feels unsafe in Mumbai, and compared it to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Raut condemned her comments, and advised her not to set foot in Maharashtra. Also read: Kangana Ranaut takes a dig at Sonam Kapoor: Mafia bimbos have started to seek justice for Rhea Chakraborty In a video message posted on Twitter, Kangana addressed Thackeray directly, and said in Hindi, Uddhav Thackeray, did you think that you got revenge from me by colluding with the film mafia and demolishing my house? My house has been demolished today but your pride will crumble tomorrow. Time will change. I think you have done me a huge favour. I knew what Kashmiri Pandits must have gone through, but today, I have experienced it. I vow that I will make a film, not just on Ayodhya, but also on Kashmir. I will rouse my fellow countrymen. It has happened to me, which has some meaning and significance. Uddhav Thackeray, it is a good thing that it was me who was subjected to this cruelty and terror. It definitely has some significance. Jai Hind, Jai Maharashtra! Follow @htshowbiz for more SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON After four months of bloody standoff between India and China, the two neighbours on September 10 said they have agreed on five points to guide their approach to resolve the border face-off on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh. The five-point plan included abiding by all existing agreements and protocol on management of the frontier, maintaining peace and tranquility and avoiding any action that could escalate matters. The consensus was reached during talks between External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Moscow on September 10 on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meet. The meeting lasted two-and-half hours. ALSO READ: China 'deliberately' provoked India in fresh clash in eastern Ladakh: US intelligence On the backdrop of this, here's a short primer on what has been happening at the LAC in recent days, and what has sparked the fresh round of conflict followed by talks on both military and diplomatic level. >> After the Galwan face-off, things along the India-China border have remained tense, with the tension culminating into an alarming situation on September 7, when China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) troops, attempting to close-in with one of India's forward positions along the LAC were dissuaded by Indian troops, following which the PLA troops fired a few rounds in the air in an attempt to intimidate Indian troops. ALSO READ | India-China border tension: Here's what we know so far >> On its part, China said Indian forces crossed into the territory it holds along their disputed border and fired warning shots at a Chinese patrol in a move it called a serious military provocation and a violation of their agreements. >> China's western military command said the incursion occurred on September 7 along the southern coast of Pangong Lake, in the area known in Chinese as Shenpaoshan. >> Reports have suggested that the Indian Army has secured its positions at many strategic locations in the Chushul area. According to reports, Indian soldiers have taken up dominating positions at Finger 4 along the Pangong Lake. The military is also reportedly keeping a close watch on the PLAs build-up at Depsang-DBO. >> "The situation around the LAC is slightly tense. So, we have undertaken precautionary deployments. Talks are going on at various levels. I am confident that we will be able to resolve the current situation through dialogue," Army Chief MM Naravane had said. >> Defence Minister Rajnath Singh met with his Chinese counterpart Wei Fenghi against the backdrop of rising tensions between the two nations at the LAC in Moscow on September 4 on the sidelines of the SCO meet. Follow our LIVE Updates here. >> External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on September 3 said the border row has to be solved through diplomacy and that it was vital for both countries to reach an "accommodation" not only for themselves, but also for the world. However, according to a News18 report, even as the talks go on, the situation on ground doesn't seem to be anywhere close to a resolution. Another factor, according to the report, is China's domestic politics, particularly the Chinese Communist Party's key plenum next month. There, Xi Jingping would like to go with an image of a leader next only to Mao Zedong - something that would not allow him to dial down on the border situation. In effect, the report suggests, indications at this point along the border seem to pointing towards a limited conflict. The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) on September 10, 2020. The board elected Subhash Kamath, Chief Executive Officer, BBH & Publicis Worldwide, India, as the new Chairman. Kamath will take over the role from his predecessor, Rohit Gupta, President - Network Sales & International Business, Sony Pictures Networks India. Also read: Subhash Kamath elected ASCI chairman Under Rohit Guptas tenure as Chairman, ASCI continued its momentum in three areas of improvement. Strengthening its association with Government of India and other industry bodies to curb misleading ads; increase digital surveillance of misleading advertisements; and raise the total number of complaints processed by the Consumer Complaints Council (CCC). Through various digital initiatives, ASCI was able to raise membership of the CCC by 10 per cent, including new players from e-commerce, fin-tech and ed-tech categories. It partnered with TAM Media Research to monitor 3,000 digital media platforms, including Google and Facebook, and track misleading ads as part of its SuoMoto surveillance (NAMS). In its complaints analysis, ASCI reported receiving 7,772 complaints in 2019-2020, a growth of ~25 per cent, compared to the previous year. This included 4,682 direct complaints and 3,089 complaints flagged by its Suo Moto surveillance (NAMS). The regulatory body met 45 times during the year and deliberated on 3,773 advertisements. It upheld 2,126 advertisements, a growth of 43 per cent over last year. Following the trend from the previous year, the biggest offenders in terms of misleading advertisements were the Education sector (2,000 complaints), followed by Healthcare (787), Personal Care (202) and Food & Beverages (175). Most importantly, out of the 2,126 advertisements upheld by ASCI, the compliance by media owners and advertisers was 98 per cent. Citing this data, newly appointed Secretary General of ASCI, Manisha Kapoor, remarked, Were often perceived as a toothless tiger in the industry, but thats simply not true as you can see, we have 98 per cent compliance, which means most stakeholders adhere to ASCI guidelines. ASCIs increased engagement on social platforms and ticker running on TV channels also continues to bear fruit as consumer complaints for digital media advertisements increased by 47 per cent (2019-2020) vis-a-vis 35 per cent (2018-19) to 30 per cent (2019-2020) on TV vis-a-vis 26 per cent (2018-2019). However, at 1,156 (out of 3,773) complaints, the share of print ads continues to dominate the pie. The provinces Lifeflight air ambulance program will be absorbed by STARS, a private, not-for-profit operator, in the coming months. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 11/9/2020 (497 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. The provinces Lifeflight air ambulance program will be absorbed by STARS, a private, not-for-profit operator, in the coming months. As early as December, STARS (Shock Trauma Air Rescue Service) will assume expanded responsibility for adult air ambulance services within Manitoba, said the provinces health services agency, Shared Health. Critical care medical air services have been provided over the past two years by a combination of Shared Health adult and child (neonatal/pediatric) transport teams, Lifeflight staff and STARS. "Together, these teams have ensured ongoing and consistent availability of the Lifeflight service, even with the additional challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic," said Dr. Brock Wright, provincial lead of health services. "In the early months of the pandemic, gaps in Lifeflight physician coverage were covered by STARS, demonstrating our ability to build upon our existing partnership to further stabilize staffing and ensure Manitobans have access to this service for years to come," he said in a news release. The Lifeflight program, developed in 1985, provides inter-facility air ambulance transport for critically ill or injured Manitobans from areas outside a 200-kilometre radius of Winnipeg. STARS has had a contract with the province to supply rapid and specialized emergency care and transportation for critically ill and injured patients in southern Manitoba since 2011. It also operates in Alberta and Saskatchewan. STARS had previously partnered with Shared Health to ensure the availability of fixed-wing services in times of staff shortages. Darlene Jackson, president of the Manitoba Nurses Union, which represents nurses affected by the move, said her organization is "deeply concerned" about the contracting out of the Lifeflight program. "There are six nurses among the health care professionals affected. We feel this move proves that all along government only wanted to weaken and eventually outsource a service thats of vital importance to rural Manitobans," Jackson said in a statement. "Lifeflight has a sterling reputation and excellent patient safety record; there is no reason to push this move in the midst of a global pandemic, when health care is already going through significant changes and adjustments," she added. "While nurses value the services that STARS provides, no details have been provided about how STARS will be capable of managing this significant expansion in its services while also improving patient care." Doctors Manitoba, which represents the provinces physicians, also expressed concerns about the move. In a statement, the organization said while it is encouraged to see a plan to continue air transportation for critically ill patients, the changes announced Thursday leave physicians with more questions than answers about how patients from northern and remote communities will be treated and transported. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. "We look forward to hearing more details from Shared Health," it said. Patients are routinely accompanied by a physician on Lifeflight to monitor and treat them during transport. "At this point, it is not clear whether patients will receive this same level of advanced medical care as the service is transferred to another provider. Aviation medicine requires highly skilled physicians able to provide emergency and critical care, trained to handle the unique challenges encountered when transporting patients by plane," Doctors Manitoba said. Shared Health said the transition will take place no sooner than Dec. 10. Its agreement with STARS is in place until March 2022. Oversight for quality of care, patient safety and costs will be the responsibility of a joint operations committee made up of Shared Health and STARS staff. larry.kusch@freepress.mb.ca Photos of the dead girls wearing military-style uniforms were published in the local press. Officials said they buried the bodies quickly, following a protocol designed to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. They also said they burned the military uniforms the girls were said to be wearing, but only after a medical examiner stated the girls appeared to be in their mid- to late teens. Officials in Paraguay ran the fingerprints of the girls though a national database, but didnt get a match. That led them to seek help from the Argentine government in an effort to establish who had been killed. Once their identities were revealed, the girls families and the Argentine government reacted with indignation. It is not possible to believe that those who witnessed these events didnt notice the tender age of the girls, Argentinas foreign ministry said in a statement. Relatives accused the Paraguayan military of hurriedly burying the bodies to cover up what had happened. The United Nations and the Argentine government are now pressing Mr. Abdos administration to conduct a thorough investigation. The two girls have been identified as Maria del Carmen Villalba, 11, and Lilian Mariana Villalba, 12. Relatives said they had both traveled to Paraguay last November to spend time with their fathers. The first-degree murder trial of Michael Durant wrapped up early after a last-minute decision by his attorney Joe Wilkinson. Most of the action took place in conference rooms outside the courtroom before Wilkinson asked for the adjournment. It is Friday, and given the conversations during the break, Im going to have to decide whether Im going to call this witness, Wilkinson said to Superior Court Justice Gerald Taylor. I didnt expect to end up here. Wilkinson said he would review a video of the witnesss statement before deciding how to proceed. Durant, 47, is accused of killing a 32-year-old Niagara Falls woman in August 2003. The victims body was discovered in a ditch near Darby Road and Grassybrook Road on the outskirts of Niagara Falls. The Court of Appeal overturned Durants conviction in 2019. Durant, who has been in custody since Niagara Regional Police arrested him in January 2006, was convicted of the murder in 2012 and sentenced to life with no possibility of parole for at least 25 years. The Crown and the defence have had their hands full dealing with an offence committed more than 17 years ago. Some of the principal witnesses have died. Others have struggled mightily in recalling statement details given to the police during the original investigation. Fridays witness, Gord Hill, was present during a conversation between Durant and his sister after the murder, but before Durants arrest. The conversation was an essential part of the testimony of Sara Waters, which was lead by the Crown during its examination in chief. Is there another witness? Taylor asked. When Wilkinson said there werent any others scheduled, Taylor had the bailiff return Hill to the courtroom. We arent going to hear your testimony today, Mr. Hill, Taylor said. We will hear it on Monday. Have a good weekend. Taylor presides over the case at the Waterloo Regional Courthouse without a jury, rare in a first-degree murder trial. The trial was moved to Kitchener because pretrial publicity may have tainted the jury pool, but the decision to go ahead without a jury was made at the 12th hour. A publication ban imposed by Superior Court Justice C. Stephen Glithero protects the victims name, and she is being referred to in the trial as DD. Coronavirus travel restrictions and mandatory quarantine requirements are being extended until the end of September. Canada adds 30 days to international travel restrictions Coronavirus travel restrictions and mandatory quarantine requirements are being extended until the end of September. Canada adds 30 days to international travel restrictions Coronavirus travel restrictions and mandatory quarantine requirements are being extended until the end of September. Canada adds 30 days to international travel restrictions Coronavirus travel restrictions and mandatory quarantine requirements are being extended until the end of September. Shelby Thevenot Aa Accessibility Font Style Serif Sans Font Size A A Canada is extending travel restrictions on incoming foreign travellers for another month as coronavirus continues to pose a threat to public safety. Travel restrictions are now being extended until September 30. This is Canadas third time extending the travel restrictions that were originally put in place from March 18 until June 30. The federal government has been reviewing the coronavirus situation month-by-month and adjusting travel policies accordingly. In addition, the mandatory quarantine order that was in effect since March has also been extended. Exempt travellers will have to carry out a self-isolation period of 14 days if they are allowed into Canada. Canadian citizens and permanent residents returning to Canada will continue to be subject to strict quarantine measures. Exemptions and other details can be found here: https://t.co/zESXaTXBNj (2/2) Bill Blair (@BillBlair) August 28, 2020 Who can come to Canada? According to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) the following groups of people are exempt from travel restrictions: Canadian citizens; Permanent residents; Some people who have been approved for Canadian permanent residence; Some temporary foreign workers; Some international students; and Immediate family members of Canadian citizens and permanent residents (spouses or common-law partners, dependent children, dependent children of dependent children, parent or step-parent, guardian or tutor). The full list of exempt individuals is available here. Canada is still accepting immigrants Canada continues to welcome immigrants who support the labour market and aid in economic recovery. This past month Canada created a pathway to permanent residence for asylum-seekers working in healthcare. IRCC also introduced a temporary policy where people on visitor status who had Canadian job offers could apply for a work permit without having to leave the country. Immigration programs are also continuing to be active, inviting immigration candidates to take the next steps towards permanent residence. Find out if you are eligible for any Canadian immigration programs Most ITAs ever issued by Express Entry Though the number of permanent residents admitted to Canada is still down compared to this time last year, according to the latest IRCC data, the federal government has so far issued more Invitations to Apply (ITAs) through the Express Entry system in 2020 than any year before. There were four Express Entry draws held in August. Canada invited candidates through every federal program managed by Express Entry, which includes the Federal Skilled Worker Program, the Federal Skilled Trades Program, and the Canadian Experience Class. Canada also held an Express Entry draw targeting Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) recipients. Express Entry candidates who are awarded a provincial nomination through a PNP are automatically awarded an additional 600 Comprehensive Ranking System points, and are thereby effectively guaranteed to receive an ITA in a subsequent Express Entry draw. PNP draws were held by the provinces of British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, and Prince Edward Island this month. The future of Canadian immigration The federal government and the Canadian public still share a generally positive outlook toward immigration. However, the global pandemic has presented economic challenges in Canada and abroad that will affect immigration. Foreigners generally still want to come to Canada, as many report that the economic hardship will not be felt as badly in Canada as their home country. At the same time, the economic downturn in foreign countries might make it more difficult for some people to pay the required fees for Canadian immigration, which have gone up this year. The Canadian government will also have to evaluate the economy and political climate to decide what immigration targets will look like beyond 2020. Canada will unveil its multi-year immigration levels plan by November 1. Find out if you are eligible for any Canadian immigration programs 2020 CIC News All Rights Reserved One week after restarting negotiations with the City of St. Helena, the Napa Valley College Board of Trustees Thursday held its first public discussion of potentially leasing part of its Upper Valley Campus to the city. Over the last week, the college board and the City Council have each met separately in closed session to discuss lease terms. The two sides are negotiating a deal that would allow city staff, including police, to occupy part of the Upper Valley Campus (UVC) for a term of no more than five years, according to a joint statement issued Sept. 4. If the college and the city reach an agreement in principle, the college board could pass a resolution of intent to lease part of the St. Helena facility at its October board meeting, said Bob Parker, assistant superintendent/vice president of administrative services, during a brief report to trustees in open session. That resolution would trigger a public notification process, followed by possible approval of the lease at the November board meeting, Parker said. College officials said the campus will continue to offer community education and non-credit classes and community events and is expanding its culinary, hospitality and tourism management program. The program now offers three certificates and one associate degree in hospitality management. Starting in fall 2021, the college hopes to add an advanced culinary skills certificate and an associate degree in culinary arts and hospitality. Leasing to the City of St. Helena would not in any way stop us or hinder our ability to continue to offer the programs, classes and services at the Upper Valley Campus that (UVC Director Shawntel Ridgel) is working on, Parker said. Trustee Jeff Dodd agreed that the campuss ongoing operations and a potential lease with the city are not mutually exclusive. This is the greatest use of resources not just for the students but for the taxpayers as well, he said. The college received two letters voicing some of the same criticisms that led to negotiations breaking down in early 2020, when the city was looking for office space for employees displaced by a near-fire that rendered the old City Hall uninhabitable. Thomas Timar, a Napa resident and professor emeritus of education policy and political science at UC Davis, noted that the campus was built with public funds for a public educational purpose. For many students poor, ethnic minority, migrant, first in families to attend college it is an entry point to higher education that would otherwise not be available to them, Timar wrote. The question we should all be asking is if (NVC President) Ron Kraft is successful in his plan for the campus, who benefits? Who will be better off? Former NVC President Diane Carey Woodruff also emphasized the campus importance as a gateway to higher education for the Upvalleys largely Latino high school population. She urged the board to table the matter until all educational options have been thoroughly explored. Making a long-term decision regarding the future of higher education in our county in the middle of a statewide wild fire and raging pandemic deserves careful consideration and should not be rushed; in fact, it would be irresponsible to do so, she wrote. Watch Now: California Proposition 16, restoring affirmative action, explained in 1 minute You can reach Jesse Duarte at 967-6803 or jduarte@sthelenastar.com. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. A new study combines evolutionary genomics from coronavirus samples with computer-simulated epidemics and detailed travel records to reconstruct the spread of coronavirus across the world in unprecedented detail. Published in the journal Science, the results suggest an extended period of missed opportunity when intensive testing and contact tracing might have prevented SARS-CoV-2 from becoming established in North America and Europe. The paper also challenges suggestions that linked the earliest known cases of COVID-19 on each continent in January to outbreaks detected weeks later, and provides valuable insights that could inform public health response and help with anticipating and preventing future outbreaks of COVID-19 and other zoonotic diseases. Our aspiration was to develop and apply powerful new technology to conduct a definitive analysis of how the pandemic unfolded in space and time, across the globe. Before, there were lots of possibilities floating around in a mish-mash of science, social media and an unprecedented number of preprint publications still awaiting peer review." Michael Worobey, Researcher, University of Arizona Worobey also led an interdisciplinary team of scientists from 13 research institutions in the U.S., Belgium, Canada and the U.K. The team based their analysis on results from viral genome sequencing efforts, which began immediately after the virus was identified. These efforts quickly grew into a worldwide effort unprecedented in scale and pace and have yielded tens of thousands of genome sequences, publicly available in databases. Contrary to widespread narratives, the first documented arrivals of infected individuals traveling from China to the U.S. and Europe did not snowball into continental outbreaks, the researchers found. Instead, swift and decisive measures aimed at tracing and containing those initial incursions of the virus were successful and should serve as model responses directing future actions and policies by governments and public health agencies, the study's authors conclude. How the virus arrived in the U.S. and Europe A Chinese national flying into Seattle from Wuhan, China on Jan. 15 became the first patient in the U.S. shown to be infected with the novel coronavirus and the first to have a SARS-CoV-2 genome sequenced. This patient was designated 'WA1.' It was not until six weeks later that several additional cases were detected in Washington state. "And while all that time goes past, everyone is in the dark and wondering, 'What's happening?'" Worobey said. "We hope we're OK, we hope there are no other cases, and then it becomes clear, from a remarkable community viral sampling program in Seattle, that there are more cases in Washington and they are genetically very similar to WA1's virus." Worobey and his collaborators tested the prevailing hypothesis suggesting that patient WA1 had established a transmission cluster that went undetected for six weeks. Although the genomes sampled in February and March share similarities with WA1, they are different enough that the idea of WA1 establishing the ensuing outbreak is very unlikely, they determined. The researchers' findings indicate that the jump from China to the U.S. likely occurred on or around Feb. 1 instead. The results also puts to rest speculation that this outbreak, the earliest substantial transmission cluster in the U.S., may have been initiated indirectly by dispersal of the virus from China to British Columbia, Canada, just north of Washington State, and then spread from Canada to the U.S. Multiple SARS-CoV-2 genomes published by the British Columbia Center for Disease Control appeared to be ancestral to the viral variants sampled in Washington State, strongly suggesting a Canadian origin of the U.S. epidemic. However, the present study revealed sequencing errors in those genomes, thus ruling out this scenario. Instead, the new study implicates a direct-from-China source of the U.S. outbreak, right around the time the U.S. administration implemented a travel ban for travelers from China in early February. The nationality of the "index case" of the U.S. outbreak cannot be known for certain because tens of thousands of U.S. citizens and visa holders traveled from China to the U.S. even after the ban took effect. A similar scenario marks the first known introduction of coronavirus into Europe. On Jan. 20, an employee of an automotive supply company in Bavaria, Germany, flew in for a business meeting from Shanghai, China, unknowingly carrying the virus, ultimately leading to infection of 16 co-workers. In that case, too, an impressive response of rapid testing and isolation prevented the outbreak from spreading any further, the study concludes. Contrary to speculation, this German outbreak was not the source of the outbreak in Northern Italy that eventually spread widely across Europe and eventually to New York City and the rest of the U.S. The authors also show that this China-to-Italy-US dispersal route ignited transmission clusters on the East Coast slightly later in February than the China-to-US movement of the virus that established the Washington State outbreak. The Washington transmission cluster also predated small clusters of community transmission in February in California, making it the earliest anywhere in North America. Early containment works The authors say intensive interventions, involving testing, contact tracing, isolation measures and a high degree of compliance of infected individuals, who reported their symptoms to health authorities and self-isolated in a timely manner, helped Germany and the Seattle area contain those outbreaks in January. "We believe that those measures resulted in a situation where the first sparks could successfully be stamped out, preventing further spread into the community," Worobey said. "What this tells us is that the measures taken in those cases are highly effective and should serve as a blueprint for future responses to emerging diseases that have the potential to escalate into worldwide pandemics." To reconstruct the pandemic's unfolding, the scientists ran computer programs that carefully simulated the epidemiology and evolution of the virus, in other words, how SARS-CoV-2 spread and mutated over time. "This allowed us to re-run the tape of how the epidemic unfolded, over and over again, and then check the scenarios that emerge in the simulations against the patterns we see in reality," Worobey said. "In the Washington case, we can ask, 'What if that patient WA1 who arrived in the U.S. on Jan. 15 really did start that outbreak?' Well, if he did, and you re-run that epidemic over and over and over, and then sample infected patients from that epidemic and evolve the virus in that way, do you get a pattern that looks like what we see in reality? And the answer was no," he said. "If you seed that early Italian outbreak with the one in Germany, do you see the pattern that you get in the evolutionary data? And the answer, again, is no," he said. "By re-running the introduction of SARS-CoV-2 into the U.S. and Europe through simulations, we showed that it was very unlikely that the first documented viral introductions into these locales led to productive transmission clusters," said co-author Joel Wertheim of the University of California, San Diego. "Molecular epidemiological analyses are incredibly powerful for revealing transmissions patterns of SARS-CoV-2." Other methods were then combined with the data from the virtual epidemics, yielding exceptionally detailed and quantitative results. "Fundamental to this work stands our new tool combining detailed travel history information and phylogenetics, which produces a sort of 'family tree' of how the different genomes of virus sampled from infected individuals are related to each other," said co-author Marc Suchard of the University of California, Los Angeles. "The more accurate evolutionary reconstructions from these tools provide a critical step to understand how SARS-CoV-2 spread globally in such a short time." "We have to keep in mind that we have studied only short-term evolution of this virus, so it hasn't had much time to accumulate many mutations," said co-author Philippe Lemey of the University of Leuven, Belgium. "Add to that the uneven sampling of genomes from different parts of the world, and it becomes clear that there are huge benefits to be gained from integrating various sources of information, combining genomic reconstructions with complementary approaches like flight records and the total number of COVID-19 cases in various global regions in January and February." "Our research shows that when you do early intervention and detection well, it can have a massive impact, both on preventing pandemics and controlling them once they progress," Worobey said. "While the epidemic eventually slipped through, there were early victories that show us the way forward: Comprehensive testing and case identification are powerful weapons." Hyderabad, Sep 11 : Police on Friday foiled the BJP's plan to lay siege to the Telangana state Legislative Assembly after detaining its top leaders and scores of workers. The BJP leaders were demanding an official celebration of the Telangana liberation day on September 17. Bharatiya Janata Party's state unit chief Bandi Sanjay Kumar and former president K. Laxman were among the leaders detained as they were trying to proceed towards the Assembly. Sanjay was rounded up when he left his residence in Banjara Hills along with dozens of supporters. There was a heated argument between the police and the BJP leaders. Stating that there is no permission for the protest, police detained the BJP leader. There was mild tension as his supporters tried to stop the police vehicle carrying him. Some BJP leaders were placed under house arrest to foil the protest march. Telangana Legislative Council member Ramachandra Rao took exception to his house arrest and alleged that the police prevented him from going to the Council to attend the session. Police also arrested former BJP state president K. Laxman and his supporters when they were heading towards the Assembly. The arrested leaders and workers were shifted to various police stations in the city. Police also arrested scores of BJP workers trying to reach Hyderabad from various parts of the state to participate in the protest programme. The protestors from different parts of Hyderabad and surrounding areas kept trying to reach the Assembly throughout the day. Police made tight security arrangements around the Assembly. The protestors were stopped and arrested near Nampally and Basheerbagh cross roads. The protestors raised slogans against the Chief Minister and demanded that the government officially celebrate Telangana liberation day. The BJP has long been demanding that Telangana liberation day be celebrated officially. It was on this day in 1948 that the Hyderabad State was merged with the Indian Union following the Centre's military action, popularly known as the 'Police Action'. The BJP argues that in those districts of Karnataka and Maharashtra, which were part of erstwhile Hyderabad State, September 17 is officially celebrated and since the entire Telangana was under the 'tyrannical' rule of the Nizam, the day should be celebrated officially on a grand scale. Successive governments of the Congress and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) in undivided Andhra Pradesh and after the formation of the Telangana state, the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) government ignored the demands for officially celebrating the day to avoid any controversy. Muslim groups have been opposing any celebrations as they claim that Muslims were massacred during the 'police action'. The Congress, TDP, TRS, Left parties and other groups celebrate September 17 as Telangana merger day by hoisting the national flag. They refrain from calling it liberation day. All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) maintains that there is only one Independence Day for the entire country and hence there is no need for separate celebrations in Telangana. Rita Schwartz, right, president of the Association of Catholic Teachers, is shown in this file photo. The Catholic high school teachers' union has a tentative contract with the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. Read more Teachers at area Catholic high schools have a new contract with the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. By a 3-1 ratio, the 500 members of the Association of Catholic Teachers approved a two-year pact Friday afternoon. The archdiocese initially had insisted that teachers agree to provisions that would have left them vulnerable to midyear layoffs if COVID-19 caused a significant decline in enrollment. Union members on Tuesday rejected a proposal with the layoff language. The new deal does not permit midyear layoffs. Teachers at the 17 area Catholic high schools represented by the union will get raises of $1,000 in the first year of the pact and $1,200 in the second year; teachers who serve as department heads and moderators of clubs will receive small increases in their stipends as well. Teachers health insurance premiums and co-pays will stay steady. Under the teachers' recently expired contract, teachers were paid between $40,200 and $82,905, depending on experience and education. READ MORE: Phillys Catholic high school teachers reject contract, but do not vote to strike Rita Schwartz, union president, said she was relieved that a deal was struck. She criticized the archdiocese as attempting to take advantage of the pandemic. Im so proud of my teachers for being so strong, Schwartz said Friday. Losing teachers in the middle of the year just would not work, and it would not be a good thing for kids, parents and teachers. Jason Budd, the archdioceses chief negotiator, said in a statement that he was gratified by the agreement. With todays announcement, we are able to move forward without interruption for the benefit of the students and school families we serve, Budd said. The newly ratified labor-management agreement allows schools to continue to thrive by providing a means to respond efficiently and effectively to the rapid pace of change that is a natural part of the 21st century educational landscape. It also provides the latitude to respond effectively and rapidly to the unique circumstance of a pandemic. The contract gives the high schools, which have about 10,000 students, some flexibility to deal with pandemic conditions, Schwartz said, including provisions for things like mask wearing and permitting teachers' lessons to be recorded to allow students to access them remotely. The agreement applies only to secondary school teachers. Teachers at Catholic parish and regional elementary schools are not unionized. The teachers have great hopes and expectations for this school year, one that will be filled with challenges as they navigate an entirely different school environment," Schwartz said. "The teachers are amazing in ordinary circumstances, but they will be unbelievably amazing this school year. Anand Teltumbde, one of the intellectuals accused of conspiring with Maoists to foment violence in Maharashtras Bhima Koregaon village two years ago, moved the Bombay High Court on Friday against a National Investigation Agency (NIA) courts order extending his custody by 90 days last month. In his plea, he challenged the order, saying the extension on July 12 was not as per the norms laid down under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) and hence should be set aside. Teltumbde, who is lodged in Mumbais Taloja jail along with other accused in the case, added the special court should be ordered to grant him bail. The plea is expected to be heard next week as justice Revati Mohite Dere on Friday recused from hearing it after it came up before a bench she headed. The plea said Teltumbde on July 12 completed 90 days in custody. But as the investigation had not been completed in the case, the extension of his custody was sought along with that of his co-accused, Gautam Navlakha. Teltumbde surrendered to the NIA on April 14 as per a Supreme Court direction. NIA cited the Covid19 pandemic and voluminous draft of the charge sheet and said that is why it has been unable to file it. It added that interrogation of witnesses and perusal of forensic evidence was also pending due to the pandemic while seeking the extension of Teltumbde and Navlakhas custody as per the Section 43 (D) of the UAPA. The section says the extension for 90 days can be sought citing if there are compelling reasons for it. Teltumbdes plea said the special court did not heed the information provided in NIAs application for the extension to his custody. It added the application said sufficient evidence has been being collected and added the special court did not abide by a Supreme Court order which states that a person cannot be detained beyond 90 days if investigators are unable to complete the investigation and file a charge sheet within that period. Teltumbde said his custody would not contribute towards the recording of statements of witnesses or receiving forensic reports. Hence, the special court should not have granted the 90-day extension. The violence in Bhima Koregaon was triggered a day after an event called Elgar Parishad was held in Pune on December 31, 2017. Hundreds of activists attended the event. Investigators say that speeches made at the event, which Maoists allegedly funded, aggravated caste clashes that broke out in Bhima Koregaon during the bicentennial celebration of a British-era war Dalits commemorate. One person died in the clashes that also sparked widespread protests by Dalit groups that shut down Maharashtra later that month. Until last month, Felisa Javier-Holt had never packed a lunch for her 5-year-old daughter. When Mara started day care as an infant, all her snacks and meals were provided. In preschool, she went to the cafeteria for a tray of rectangle pizza or French toast sticks with a cup of syrup. But social distancing precautions erased that option for the St. Margaret of Scotland kindergartner. Brown-bagging became one more adjustment in a year overstuffed with them. I panicked, said Javier-Holt, who lives in the Shaw neighborhood. It sounds really minor, but it was completely new for us. Zoom calls have replaced corporate team meetings. School cafeterias have closed. And hot lunches have gone cold. At first, caterers and restaurant owners were forlorn, their usual customers whittled away. Then they got creative, and started testing new approaches to get meals into the hands of students, moms and executives alike: daily box lunch deliveries, curbside sandwich pickups or even heat-and-serve entrees for the whole family, to be eaten all week. The companies are hoping to recover enough revenue to carry them through until offices and cafeterias are bustling again. Were acutely aware of the difficulties families are facing, said Gregory Owens, co-owner of SymBowl, which specializes in made-to-order salads, wraps and bowls. Owens and Becky Schoenig have had to shutter their Chesterfield location and are serving their plant-based meals curbside in Kirkwood. They are selling less than a third of the grain-veggie-dressing combinations they were a year ago. So they are expanding their menu this month, adding family meals such as chicken and grain-free dumplings and sweet potato lasagna, starting at $35. We need to do something that we hope brings more business in, said Schoenig. Our normal concept isnt doing it. Courtney Curtwright, co-owner of White Box Catering in Midtown, is offering something similar after fielding requests from parents looking to check a weeks worth of meals off their to-do list. White Box typically caters breakfast and lunch for corporate meetings and conferences. But over Zoom, no one needs a platter of pastries. Orders have fallen by 70%. We had to change everything, said Curtwright. Less balsamic chicken, more chicken pot pie. Meatloaf with mashed potatoes instead of charcuterie plates. And, of course, homemade cookies. Paris Rollins is courting the school-lunch crowd, but she hasnt had to revamp her child-focused catering menu. Rollins, who started Picky Eaterz as a side job two years ago, decided to use the pandemic roller coaster as a test ride for what she hopes will become a stand-alone cafe. This is my opportunity, said Rollins. Ill figure out how it goes along the way. She knows firsthand the struggle to get kids to expand their palates. Her oldest daughter, now 15, became a fearless eater once Rollins found the right presentation, turning grapes into caterpillars and bowls of spaghetti into birds nests. She eventually wants to move from her commercial kitchen in Florissant into a kid-friendly restaurant. But for now, the Picky Eaterz lunch menu of $7.50 entrees featuring rainbow grilled cheese will be ready for daily delivery by mid-month. At least one customer is ready. Ashley Arinez of Wildwood has a preschooler who is averse to eating anything green. She wants something thats hers and just hers, Arinez said of 3-year-old Aria. If you cut it into cute shapes, shell eat it. We got flattened Jennifer and Todd Byrne started Byrne Catering soon after they were married in 2014. Each year, they picked up more contracts for school lunches and cut back on special-event catering, settling into a routine of toasted ravioli and tacos, green beans and orange slices. Private schools, which dont have the enrollment numbers to necessitate a large food management company, often sign on with local caterers. The profit margin is small but with enough volume, its usually a more predictable bread-and-butter than bigger affairs like weddings. About 18 months ago, Byrne Catering moved into the kitchen at Barat Academy, an independent Catholic school in Chesterfield. They were delivering lunches to 10 other schools, hiring part-time help, humming along. We felt like we had arrived, said Jennifer Byrne. It was a great school year. Until March. Then we got flattened, she said. We dont have to pay rent or utilities, or wed be bankrupt. Barat is one of two clients they have left; the 600 meals they were making a day have dropped to a few dozen. By late August, it was clear to the Byrnes they would need to at least attempt a Plan B. They started selling $48 family meals fajitas and baked ziti, to start with a couple of times a month, for pickup at Barat. Gregorys Creative Cuisine, which operates out of the Bevo neighborhood, lost $90,000 when schools closed last spring. The fall is not looking much brighter. Five of the six schools Gregorys fed arent having outside food brought in this year, dropping their output from more than 460 lunches a day down to, they hope, at least 50. Were trying to ride it out, said Kelly Kasparak, who wears several hats as the only employee left besides owner Gregory Mosberger. Three others have been laid off. Mosberger started the company more than 30 years ago. He is now reaching out to old clients, hoping to drum up enough business to limp through until school is fully back in session. But if a whole year is lost, the company could be, too. We are about as small as a small business gets, said Kasparak. Id be completely lying if I said I wasnt nervous. Stay up to date on life and culture in St. Louis. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. By Express News Service CHENNAI: As part of encouraging a contactless ticket system to minimize the spread of COVID-19, Chennai Metro is offering a 20 percent discount for those who use QR codes. This is applicable for single journey tickets, return journey tickets, group tickets and trip passes, a Chennai Metro Rail release stated. This initiative is a measure to encourage passengers to avoid queuing at Metro stations. Passengers can download the CMRL Mobile app to use the QR code ticketing system. Travel card readers have been installed at all Metro stations for passengers to avoid queuing in front of customer counters and ticket vending machines. Meanwhile, a total of 24,354 passengers have travelled on the Metro since the services resumed on September 7. Till September 9, a total of 18,769 passengers travelled on the Metro using the smart card ticketing system and 637 passengers utilised the QR code ticketing system. On September 9 alone, a total of 13,980 passengers travelled on the Metro. A total of 11,091 passengers travelled on the Metro using the smart card ticketing system while 325 passengers utilised the QR code ticketing system, the release added. SPRINGFIELD Republicans in the Illinois House on Thursday unveiled a single charge they hope to bring against Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan, accusing him of conduct unbecoming to a legislator or which constitutes a breach of public trust. House Minority Leader Jim Durkin, R-Western Springs, introduced that charge during the first day of hearings of a special investigative committee that is looking into Madigans role in a bribery and extortion scheme involving utility giant Commonwealth Edison. As was stated earlier, this is a unique proceeding. It has only been invoked once and that was back in 2012, Durkin said, referring to hearings that led to the expulsion of former Rep. Derrick Smith, who was then under federal indictment for accepting a $7,000 bribe from a confidential informant in exchange for legislative favors. But unlike the Smith case, Madigan so far has not been charged with any crime and he has strenuously denied engaging in any wrongdoing, a fact that Democrats on the six-member panel pointed out repeatedly. This case is unique to previous special investigating committees, in that the member that is subject of the petition has not been accused by federal prosecutors of any criminal activity, committee Chairman Emanuel Chris Welch, D-Hillside, said at the outset of the hearing. Madigan was implicated in the scheme when officials at ComEd entered a deferred prosecution agreement in July with the U.S. Attorneys Office of the Northern District in Chicago. In that agreement, the company admitted that over a period of years, it awarded lobbying jobs and contracts to close associates of Madigan in an effort to win his favor for legislation that benefited the company. Although Madigan has not been charged with a crime, U.S. Attorney John Lausch has said there is an ongoing investigation into the matter and his office has issued a subpoena to Madigans office for documents and records of communication related to efforts to secure jobs at ComEd or its parent company Exelon for several named individuals. So the charge is based on criminal activity, criminal activity that has not been charged, Rep. Natalie Manley, D-Joliet, said about the charge being considered by the committee. But Ron Safer, an attorney and former federal prosecutors who is working with the House Republicans, said the deferred prosecution agreement contains evidence that is stronger than a criminal charge. The deferred prosecution agreement contains actual evidence, actual admissions by Commonwealth Edison, agreed to by the United States of America, he said. That is quite different and more substantial than a mere charge. Safer also noted that the committees job is not to determine whether Madigan committed a crime, but rather whether he engaged in conduct unbecoming to a legislator of which constitutes a breach of public trust. Welch noted the same thing in his opening remarks. This is a political process, not a legal proceeding. We are not a court of law, he said. As such, this committee is not bound by traditional rules of evidence. However, we are bound to adhere to the rules of decorum. In addition to the formal charge, Republicans also said they are seeking voluntary witnesses to testify and produce documents. Those include Madigan himself and several people mentioned in the U.S. Attorneys subpoena. Among those are Michael McClain, a ComEd lobbyist who has been a close confident of Madigan, as well as Fidel Marquez, a former high-ranking ComEd official who was charged last week with conspiracy to commit bribery, and former ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore. The committee adjourned without setting a date for its next meeting. Welch said that he and the ranking Republican member, Rep. Tom Demmer, of Dixon, first need to consult with the U.S. Attorneys office in order to avoid interfering with the ongoing federal investigation. Before we take any substantive action, we must consult with the US Attorney for the Northern District, Welch said. This committee must avoid taking any action that can be an interference with an ongoing federal investigation or investigations. Durkin noted that was the same process used in the case of former Rep. Smith in 2012 as well as the impeachment proceedings against former Gov. Rod Blagojevich in 2009. 415753After months-long border standoff at the Line of Actual Control (LAC), India and China have finally agreed on a five-point plan to ease the tension. The consensus happened during talks between External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Moscow on Thursday evening on the sidelines of a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meet. In yesterday's meeting, S Jaishankar strongly raised India's concern over the deployment of a large number of troops and military equipment by China along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh. Jaishankar and his Chinese counterpart held an almost two-hour-long discussion reaching a "five-point" consensus to ease ongoing border tensions. Foreign minister Jaishankar told the Chinese delegation that the presence of a large concentration of the People's Liberation Army of China was not in accordance with the bilateral pacts of 1993 and 1996 on border affairs. China has deployed a large number of troops and weapons along the LAC in the last few weeks after the border standoff erupted in early May. Henceforth, Jaishankar told Yi that the provocative behavior of the PLA at friction points on the LAC showed its disregard for bilateral agreements and protocols. The five-point consensus between India and China 1. The joint statement said Jaishankar and Wang agreed that both sides should take guidance from the series of the consensus reached between leaders of the two countries on developing India-China relations, including not allowing differences to become disputes. 2. The document emphasised on abiding by all existing agreements and protocol on management of the frontier, maintaining peace and tranquility, and avoiding any action that could escalate matters. 3. The two foreign ministers agreed that as the situation eases on the border, the two sides should expedite work to conclude new confidence-building measures to maintain and enhance peace and tranquillity in the border areas 4. Jaishankar and Yi agreed that the current situation in the border areas is not in the interest of either side. They agreed, therefore, that the border troops of both sides should continue their dialogue, quickly disengage, maintain proper distance and ease tensions. 5. They also agreed in this context that the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China border affairs (WMCC) should also continue at its meetings," it added. In yesterday's meeting, India also insisted that the immediate task should be to ensure a comprehensive disengagement of troops in all the friction areas. The final disposition of the deployment of troops to their permanent posts and the phasing out process is to be worked out by the military commanders of the two sides, government sources informed India today. Also read: AstraZeneca vaccine trial pause 'wake-up call' but it shouldn't discourage researchers: WHO Also read: India mulls restricting copper, aluminium imports from China The COVID-19 pandemic has created a unique cybersecurity environment that many attackers are seeking to exploit and, unfortunately, schools are unprepared for this new challenge.All sectors are grappling with security. The FBI reported a fourfold increase in daily online crime complaints in the months following the start of the pandemic compared to before it. One challenge is that many individuals are working from home for the first time, so the traditional approach of keeping untrusted devices off organizations networks is ill-suited for the new wave of threats from unpatched home computers running on unsecure home networks. In addition, with staff no longer working in proximity to one another, employees are more susceptible to phishing attacks because they are less likely to confirm a suspicious email with a colleague or have access to in-person IT support. Finally, with more activities moving online, IT has become even more mission-critical than in the past, which means organizations are more willing than ever to pay attackers when they are hit with ransomware.On top of these issues, the education sector faces some unique challenges. First, it is a top target for attackers. According to Microsoft Security Intelligence , the education sector accounted for 60 percent of all reported enterprise malware in June. The FBI even issued an alert to K-12 schools in late June, warning them of an increase in ransomware attacks during the pandemic as schools transition to distance learning.Second, the education sector often uses older systems. One of the biggest vulnerabilities is the continued use of Windows 7. Microsoft ended support for this operating system in January, which means it is no longer issuing patches for new security vulnerabilities. Unfortunately, as many as 10 percent of U.S. schools are still using Windows 7 machines, which makes them particularly vulnerable to new exploits. In addition, many students may be using these older machines at home, particularly since it is common for children to be using older, hand-me-down devices.Finally, schools must contend with the fact that they must support many inexperienced users. Both educators and students are often unfamiliar with many of the online tools they are now using for distance learning. Indeed, the wave of Zoombombing incidents in classrooms can at least be partially attributed to users poorly configuring the security settings for their meetings. Likewise, many students may be bringing school-issued computers into their home for the first time and may not understand all the security risks. Schools must also meet the challenge of providing usable security for younger users who may struggle with following best practices such as using complex passwords.Few states have taken steps to address these issues, and school reopening plans have largely been silent on the question of cybersecurity for distance learning. This needs to change, and states need to dedicate money and resources to ensure students can learn in a secure environment. Some of these changes will require investments in new technology, such as replacing outdated devices and enabling single sign-on and two-factor authentication (such as facial recognition or tokens) so students and teachers can log on to e-learning applications more easily and securely. And some of these changes will require investments in more training and support for teachers, staff and students to learn and practice good cyberhygiene. Importantly, these efforts should equip schools with the resources to address emerging issues such as online bullying, hate speech and misinformation to ensure students are as safe in a virtual classroom as they are in a traditional one.One step in this direction would be for states to develop and share best practices for education cybersecurity, perhaps through organizations like the National Association of State Chief Information Officers or the Council of Chief State School Officers. Ignoring this problem may be tempting there are so many other important priorities to safely reopen schools, and administrators are already stretched thin but if millions of children will be spending their days online this school year, it is a challenge states will need to address soon. "The $15 million business case from Brisbane to Toowoomba - will determine the appropriate time to build it." Fast rail is firmly on the agenda of the Queensland and Australian governments. The Queensland government is now part of three fast rail business cases: the North Coast Connect concept, linking Brisbane to the Sunshine Coast; the $8 million Brisbane-Gold Coast concept; and the more recent Brisbane-Toowoomba concept, for which the Australian government has brought forward $15 million. The Queensland government is wary of being left with a big financial burden, given talk of capturing money from increasing land values never eventuated with Cross River Rail and the federal government left Queensland to fund the $5.4 billion rail project itself. Brisbane lord mayor Adrian Schrinner, who chairs the Council of Mayors (South East Queensland), said resolving fast rail funding was "down the track". "This is not about signing a blank cheque. This is about doing the planning and getting it right," Cr Schrinner said. Brisbane lord mayor Adrian Schrinner said south-east Queensland would boom post-COVID. On Friday, all of south-east Queenslands mayors turned up to ask the Queensland government for more direct input to the three business cases. Mr Wagner said his company had no input into the Brisbane-Toowoomba business case, despite its infrastructure experience. "We would like to have that input through our local council and certainly the input needs to come through the local communitys industry forums," he said. "But one of the challenges is that we need the state government to come on board and make sure it is a very cohesive approach." There is also the expected politics before the Queensland election on October 31. The Council of Mayors released ReachTel polling of 2100 residents in the south-east on Friday, which showed 81.4 per cent believed a fast rail network would reduce congestion in south-east Queensland. Just more than 55 per cent said it might influence their vote at the election. Cr Schrinner said he understood most people were only thinking of getting through the next months of the pandemic. "But I have no doubt that there will be more people moving to our region because of COVID," he said. "People from Melbourne we are already hearing are wanting to come and live in our region because of the great lifestyle and economic opportunities we have got here, but unless we invest in better transport, liveability will suffer." The mayors have argued for fast rail to be advanced in south-east Queensland as an Olympics 2032 bid was made in December 2019. Cr Schrinner said he had asked Transport Minister Mark Bailey and Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk to be included in the planning process, but that local governments were still excluded. "At the moment we are being completely locked out of this process and that means the people of south-east Queensland are being locked out of this process," he said. The mayors believe that without having direct input to the business cases, the Queensland government will recommend some minor improvements to the Citytrain network. Toowoomba mayor Paul Antonio said: "We don't want this study to be done by bureaucrats in Brisbane. "We want it to be broad and include the business community of the whole corridor; that is Ipswich, the Lockyer Valley and ourselves to get the best outcome for our community." Denis Wagner and Toowoomba mayor Paul Antonio. Credit:Tony Moore He said the freight-based Melbourne-Brisbane Inland Rail project and a proposed fast rail connection should share the same proposed rail tunnel near Toowoomba. "Obviously if you build this [fast] rail line and you want to build the freight line [Inland Rail] there will have to be a tunnel over six kilometres long through the Toowoomba range," he said. "I think there would be synergy there and save a fair bit of money if both projects used the same tunnel." Sunshine Coast mayor Mark Jamieson said the LNP-financed North Coast Connect business case Queensland's first business case on a fast rail network did advocate changes to the existing Sunshine Coast rail line, which was laid in the 1890s. "Between Nambour and Beerburrum it is still a single line and it's one of the biggest choke points in the whole Queensland rail system," he said. The road alternative, the ever-expanding Bruce Highway, was choked regularly. German payments giant Wirecard filed for insolvency after admitting that the 1.9 billion euros ($2.2 billion) missing from its accounts did not exist A top Philippine financial investigator said Friday he has asked Berlin authorities for information on dozens of "persons of interest" in a Manila inquiry on the Wirecard accounting scandal. German payments giant Wirecard filed for insolvency in June after admitting that the 1.9 billion euros ($2.2 billion) missing from its accounts -- which it initially claimed was deposited in two Philippine banks -- did not exist. The company's former chief executive and several other top executives have since been arrested on fraud charges. Mel Georgie Racela, executive director of the Philippines' Anti-Money Laundering Council, said it and the justice department's National Bureau of Investigation shared a list of "57 persons of interest" with German investigators. It includes Jan Marsalek, Wirecard's former chief operating officer who is also being sought by Berlin investigators, he said. Another is German businessman Christopher Reinhard Bauer, who the Philippine government said died from natural causes in Manila in July. "We also need evidence... that these foreigners are engaged in fraudulent activities," Racela told an online news conference. "Without a predicate offence we cannot proceed with our money laundering case against these foreigners," he said. Philippine investigators have not specified Bauer's role in the accounting scandal, but the Financial Times has described him as a former Wirecard Asia Pacific executive. The list also includes employees of the two Philippine banks where the Wirecard billions were supposedly deposited, as well as Filipino immigration officials suspected of fabricating Marsalek's travel records to throw off investigators. Racela did not name others in the list. Investigators have established that the supposed Wirecard bank deposits "did not enter the Philippine financial system", he added, echoing an earlier statement by the central bank. They also looked into the activities of subsidiary Wirecard e-Money operating in the country but did not find any wrongdoing, Racela said. cgm/rbu She finally left The Bachelor mansion on Thursday night following a fiery clash with Juliette Hererra. And on Friday, a downcast Roxi Kenny was pictured out and about in Brisbane. The 29-year-old was sporting a large bandage on her calf, indicating that she may have got another tattoo. Stepping out: The Bachelor's Roxi Kenny was pictured out and about in Brisbane on Friday following her exit from the show She was dressed casually in a black dress, a matching bag, and a pair of Givenchy slides. Roxi dramatically stormed out of the mansion on Thursday's episode, after her feud with Juliette. And the 29-year-old has revealed the real reason she tearfully left the series while speaking to The Courier Mail on Friday. Got ink? The 29-year-old was sporting a large bandage on her calf, indicating that she may have got another tattoo 'There was something said to me off camera that was the straw that broke the camel's back. It hit below the belt,' Roxi said. The mechanical engineer decided not to divulge what exactly happened, but spoke of the deep impact it had on her. 'I don't think it's important that people know what was said, but at the same time it was the one thing that pushed me that far over the edge,' she told the publication. Drama: Roxi (left) finally left The Bachelor mansion on Thursday night after a clash with Juliette Hererra (right) Roxi went on to say she was 'disappointed' she let it get to her. 'It wasn't a good environment for me anymore,' she said. 'Juliette had been poking and prodding me all season. What you saw on the show, that's just a snippet of the stuff I was experiencing.' The revelation comes after dramatic scenes saw Roxi exit the mansion on Thursday after going on an expletive-laden tirade and flipping the bird at Juliette. The Bachelor continues Wednesday at 7.30pm on Channel 10 DGAP Post-admission Duties announcement: Haier Smart Home Co.,Ltd. / Third country release according to Article 50 Para. 1, No. 2 of the WpHG [the German Securities Trading Act] Haier Smart Home Co.,Ltd.: Release according to Article 50 of the WpHG [the German Securities Trading Act] with the objective of Europe-wide distribution 11.09.2020 / 15:09 Dissemination of a Post-admission Duties announcement according to Article 50 Para. 1, No. 2 WpHG transmitted by DGAP - a service of EQS Group AG. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. Dissemination of a Post-admission Duties announcement according to Article 50 Para. 1, No. 2 WpHG Announcement on Submission of Application for Listing of H-Shares and Publication of the Application Proof Qingdao / Shanghai / Frankfurt, 11 September 2020 - Haier Smart Home Co., Ltd. (the 'Company', D-Share ISIN CNE1000031C1, A-Share ISIN CNE000000CG9) published an announcement on Shanghai Stock Exchange with regard to Submission of Application for Listing of H-Shares and Publication of the Application Proof. The shareholders meeting, A-shareholders class meeting and D-shareholders class meeting of Haier Smart Home Co., Ltd. have approved the issuance of overseas listed foreign shares (H-Shares) and the listing on the Main Board of Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited (hereinafter referred to as the 'Hong Kong Stock Exchange') by the way of introduction (hereinafter referred to as the 'this Issuance and Listing') and the proposal of converting the exchangeable bonds issued by the overseas wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company into bonds convertible into H Shares of the Company (namely the proposal of converting the exchangeable bonds (EB) to the convertible bonds (CB), hereinafter referred to as 'the Issuance of H-Shares Convertible Bonds'), and the Company received the China Securities Regulatory Commission's Acceptance Notice of the Application for Administrative Approval for this Issuance and Listing and the Issuance of H-Shares Convertible Bonds issued by China Securities Regulatory Commission (hereinafter referred to as the 'CSRC') (Acceptance No.: 202398) on 10 September 2020. For details, please refer to the relevant announcements published on the website of Shanghai Stock Exchange (www.sse.com.cn) by the Company. According to the schedule of this Issuance and Listing and the Issuance of H-Shares Convertible Bonds, the Company has submitted the application to Hong Kong Stock Exchange on 10 September 2020, and has published the Application Proof for this Issuance and Listing on the website of Hong Kong Stock Exchange on 10 September 2020. It shall be noted that the Application Proof is a draft version, and the information contained therein is incomplete and may have significant changes. In order to allow the investors of A-Shares and D-Shares to have a good understanding on the relevant information disclosed in the Application Proof in a timely manner, it is hereby announced that the Application Proof can be reviewed on the following websites of Hong Kong Exchange: Chinese website: https://www1.hkexnews.hk/app/sehk/2020/102604/documents/sehk20091001450_c.pdf English website: https://www1.hkexnews.hk/app/sehk/2020/102604/documents/sehk20091001451.pdf It shall be explained particularly that this announcement is made only for investors and potential investors of the Company to understand the relevant information about this Issuance and Listing and the Issuance of H-Shares Convertible Bonds of the Company in a timely manner. The announcement and the Application Proof published on the website of Hong Kong Stock Exchange shall not constitute and shall not be considered as an offer or an invitation offer to acquire, purchase or subscribe the overseas listed foreign shares (H-Shares) and H-Shares convertible bonds to be issued pursuant to this Issuance and Listing and the Issuance of H-Shares Convertible Bonds for any individual or entity. This Issuance and Listing and the Issuance of H-Shares Convertible Bonds of the Company are conditional upon the effectiveness of the privatization of Haier Electronics Group Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as 'Haier Electronics'), which remains to be subject to the approval, sanction, permission and/or filing of, with or by relevant government agencies and regulatory authorities such as the CSRC, Hong Kong Stock Exchange and the Supreme Court of Bermuda, as well as the fulfillment of conditions such as obtaining the requisite approvals at a meeting of the scheme shareholders of Haier Electronics to be convened at the direction of the Supreme Court of Bermuda and at a special general meeting of the shareholders of Haier Electronics, and there are uncertainties in these matters. The Company will perform its information disclosure obligations in a timely manner based on the progress of the matters, and investors are kindly requested to pay attention to the investment risks. Board of Directors of Haier Smart Home Co., Ltd. 11 September 2020 About Haier Smart Home Co., Ltd.: Haier is one of the world's leading manufacturers of household appliances with a focus on smart home solutions and customized mass production. Haier Smart Home Co., Ltd. develops, produces and distributes a wide range of household appliances. These include refrigerators, freezers, washing machines, air conditioners, water heaters, kitchen appliances as well as smaller household appliances and an extensive range of intelligent household appliances. The Company distributes its products through leading household brands such as Haier, Casarte, Leader, Candy, GE Appliances, AQUA and Fisher & Paykel. Haier Smart Home Co., Ltd. has launched Smart Home Experiential Cloud, which connects homes, users, enterprises and ecosystem partners, and facilitates the integration of Haier's online, offline and micro-store businesses and supports user interaction to further optimize the user experience. IR contact: Yao Sun (Sophie) - Haier Smart Home Germany T: +49 6172 9454 143 F: +49 6172 9454 42143 M: +49 160 9469 3601 Email: y.sun@haier.de 11.09.2020 The DGAP Distribution Services include Regulatory Announcements, Financial/Corporate News and Press Releases. Archive at www.dgap.de Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin David Kirton (Reuters) Shenzhen, China Fri, September 11, 2020 15:39 497 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c44470fe 2 Science & Tech Huawei,smartphone,Google,Android,operating-system,HarmonyOS Free Huawei Technologies plans to introduce its Harmony operating system (OS), viewed as its replacement to Googles Android mobile operating system, on smartphones next year, as it seeks to overcome curbs placed on it by the US. The company first unveiled its proprietary HarmonyOS last year which it has billed as a multi-device platform across watches, laptops and mobiles, rather than as a like-for-like challenger to Googles Android mobile OS. Analysts say it is the closest solution to a replacement that Huawei has, after its addition to the US entity list in May last year, which barred Google from providing technical support for new Huawei phone models using Android, and from Google Mobile Services (GMS), the bundle of developer services upon which most Android apps are based. Huaweis consumer business group CEO Richard Yu and Wang Chenglu, president of Huaweis consumer business groups software department gave an update on Thursday to the companys annual developer conference in the southern Chinese city of Dongguan. The milestone were marking is that were supporting Huawei devices from Harmony OS 2.0, but at the same time Harmony OS 2.0 may also be available to other vendors devices, Wang said. Harmony OS 2.0 will be available to all hardware manufacturers. Yu added that the company had also opened to developers a beta version for smart TVs, watches and car infotainment systems from Thursday, and plans to make it available for smartphones in December. US pressure Being cut off from Googles Android support led the company to experience a slump in overseas smartphone sales, although that was later offset by a surge in domestic demand. Its alternative to GMS is Huawei Mobile Services (HMS), which Yu said was now the worlds third largest mobile app ecosystem. Zhang Pingan, president of Huaweis consumer cloud division, said overseas customers were accepting of HMS and sales of phones with HMS had soared since May. Yu said the company shipped 240 million smartphones last year, which gave it a second-place market ranking in 2019, but added that software shortages had hurt sales in recent months and shipments fell to 105 million units in the first-half. In August, the US expanded earlier restrictions aimed at preventing Huawei from obtaining semiconductors without a special license. Analysts have said that Huaweis smartphone business would disappear entirely if it could not source chipsets. The development of HarmonyOS and HMS is fascinating. Nevertheless, this development will need hardware to deliver to the consumers. Thus, the biggest challenge is still coming from the chips supply disruption, said Will Wong, an analyst with consultancy IDC. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 11) The World Health Organization-led solidarity trials on potential coronavirus vaccines in the country may start by the end of October, the Department of Health said Friday. The WHO solidarity team is targeting to decide on the third or fourth week of September which among the 34 vaccine candidates will be tested for safety in the clinical studies, Health spokesperson Maria Rosario Vergeire said in a media forum. Kung ano lang ang karapat dapat ang isasama nila, she added. [Translation: Only those which are deserving will be included in the trials.] She added that the WHO has not yet provided the names of the manufacturers of the candidate vaccines being considered for the studies. The group from the WHO is also eyeing to identify sites for the medical research, which would need participants from areas with high COVID-19 transmission rates, on the last week of October. Science and Technology Secretary Fortunato dela Pena said Thursday that the government already identified eight zones for the solidarity vaccine trials. Six are in Metro Manila, one is in Calabarzon and another one in Cebu. The DOH clarified in a statement issued after Vergeires briefing that the timeline of the vaccine research is tentative as it may change depending on several factors. It is the WHO that will primarily determine adjustments and changes, the DOH said. Five firms developing a coronavirus vaccine have signed an agreement that will allow the Philippines to access the data of their research, but only four companies are looking to hold clinical trials in the country, DOST said. These are Seqirus from Australia, Sinovac and Sinopharm from China, Gamaleya from Russia, and Adimmune from Taiwan. Sinopharm is not interested in conducting Phase 3 of its medical research in the Philippines to finish this critical stage early. But DOST Secretary Fortunato dela Pena said that the trial spearheaded by the WHO is the country's priority over independent clinical trials. WHAT: To support the technology community as it navigates information overload and the rapidly evolving tech landscape, global consulting firm Protiviti ( www.protiviti.com ) is hosting a new series of complimentary webinars featuring subject-matter experts on topics including business continuity, cybersecurity, zero trust, cloud, DevOps and more. Currently scheduled webinars are: "China's Evolving Cybersecurity Law and What Companies Should Know Before Operating in Mainland China" (Monday, September 14, 10:00 p.m. EDT) Presenters: Protiviti Managing Director Michael Pang, Manager George Zhang. Gain an overview of China's Cybersecurity Law, including its impact on enterprises currently operating in China and the challenges of compliance. "Ask the Experts: Enhance Your Customer Experience to Maximize Revenue" (Thursday, September 17, 1:00 p.m. EDT) Presenters: Protiviti Director Greg George, Associate Director Michael Allenson and Robert Half Managing Director Soowan Scheuermann, Robert Half Director AJ Simon. Protiviti and Robert Half speakers discuss current customer experience market trends and key actions organizations can take now to deliver exceptional customer experiences. "Finding Data Visibility Amongst the Clouds" (Thursday, September 24, 2:00 p.m. EDT) Presenters: Protiviti Managing Director Randy Armknecht; ReliaQuest CTO Joe Partlow; and CareerBuilder CISO/CIO Anthony Dupree. Protiviti, ReliaQuest and CareerBuilder discuss the challenges, approaches and proven methods of monitoring hybrid and multi-cloud environments. "Attack and Response: Three Common Scenarios and What to Do About Them" (Thursday, October 1, 1:00 p.m. EDT) Presenters: Protiviti Director Michael Ortlieb, Associate Director Dante LoScalzo, Senior Managers Matthew Freilich and Leo Berrun. For any organization functioning in today's digital landscape, data breaches are inevitable. Protiviti subject-matter experts will walk through three attack scenarios based on recent real-world engagements and recommend solutions. "Identity The New Perimeter" (Thursday, October 8, 1:00 p.m. EDT) Presenters: Protiviti Managing Directors Samitha Amarasiri and Todd Musselman. Learn how to protect the enterprise using improved Identity and Access Management methods. "Demystifying Zero Trust" (Tuesday, October 13, 1:00 p.m. EDT) Presenters: Protiviti Managing Director Nick Puetz, Director Jon Medina; Netskope Director Vladimir Klasnja. Protiviti and Netskope subject-matter experts explain the concept of zero trust and give a technical overview of the tools and concepts needed to implement it successfully. "Stop Slouching! Your Cloud Security Posture Matters" (Thursday, October 15 at 1:00 p.m. EDT) Presenters: Protiviti Managing Director Francis Ofungwu, Senior Manager Megha Kalsi. Protiviti experts provide an overview of Cloud Security Posture Management and explain how this new approach to cloud security can help mitigate future breaches. "Building an Effective ICS Security Program" (Thursday, October 22 at 1:00 p.m. EDT) Presenters: Protiviti Associate Director Justin Turner, Manager Derek Dunkel-JahanTigh. As attackers focus more on environments that directly impact operations and revenue generation, industrial control systems (ICS) and manufacturing systems are prime targets. Protiviti subject-matter experts will showcase successful ICS governance frameworks and approaches for operational technology environments. "Next-Gen U.S. Government Regulations: How They Affect Your Business and How to Get Ready" (Thursday, October 29 at 1:00 p.m. EDT) Presenters: Managing Director Perry Keating, Director John DiDuro; Parava Security Services Managing Partner Andy Watkin-Child. This webinar will help attendees understand how to comply with U.S. government regulations aimed at protecting data, sensitive information and intellectual property, including NIST 800-171 and the upcoming CMMC regulations. "Securing the Enterprise at the Speed of DevOps" (Thursday, November 5 at 1:00 p.m. EDT) Presenters: Protiviti Managing Director Francis Ofungwu, Senior Managers Abdel Fane and Leo Berrun. As part of building a security-centric culture, learn how embedding automated security practices into the Software Development Lifecycle will enable an organization to standardize how applications and the underlying infrastructure are secured. Additional webinars on a variety of tech-related topics will be added to the series; check the Protiviti website often for updates. WHEN: Starting in mid-September and continuing through 2020. All webinars are one hour long. ATLANTA, GA / ACCESSWIRE / September 11, 2020 / Lori Lane, Senior Vice President of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Georgia Properties, is honored to be selected and recognized for her career achievements in the prestigious Who's Who in Residential Real Estate' list. Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Georgia Properties' Senior Vice President, Lori Lane, was recently selected to once again be included in Atlanta Busines Chronicle's annual "Who's Who in Residential Real Estate" list. In this piece, Lane is recognized for her incredible career and contributions to not only luxury real estate, but also the new construction industry. She is noted for inspirational leadership and innovative strategies that resulted in Georgia Properties' Luxury Collection to be the first-ever real estate company to win the coveted MAX Award, edging out many Fortune 500 companies, including Arby's, Coca-Cola, and more. For the Atlanta Business Chronicle Feature, please visit: https://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/news/2020/08/07/whos-who-of-atlanta-real-estate.html#g/470463/39 This special section comprises an esteemed group of top industry leaders who advance the Atlanta real estate market, despite unprecedented challenges. The final selections were chosen according to the most recent real estate lists and statistics compiled by the Chronicle's research departments. This special section was syndicated through the newspaper's print publications, online networks, and various social media channels. "I am so humbled to be featured alongside so many talented individuals. Thank you to The Atlanta Business Chronicle for the continued support," said Lane. "I feel extremely fortunate to lead, mentor, and grow with my amazing team. They encourage me to bring the best version of myself every day, and I would not be where I am today without their continued loyalty and support." By constantly evolving their strategies with the times, Lane continues to lead her young team in finding effective ways to generate results for Luxury Collection associates and clients. The division recently played a huge role in the company having its best month ever, with over $500 million in sales. This unprecedented success is a testament to the leadership and unwavering work ethic displayed by Lane. Her creative vision, attention to detail, and passion for excellence have been a huge asset to the company and has served as an inspiration to her team. Story continues "What our Luxury Collection has accomplished is a reflection of the commitment and leadership of Lori," said Dan Forsman, president and CEO Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Georgia Properties. "She is a visionary and brings a growth mindset to every project she works on. This recognition is well-deserved, and I look forward to witnessing everything Lori and her team will accomplish in the future. I am beyond thankful that she is a part of our company." About Luxury Collection Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Georgia Properties Luxury Collection, the award-winning division of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Georgia Properties, year after year, continues to set the standard in the marketing and selling of luxury properties throughout the Metro Atlanta area. Through an extensive marketing strategy, Luxury Collection associates receive the most advanced marketing and technological resources available, along with access to the vast global and local Berkshire Hathaway network, leading to more leads and closings for Luxury Collection listings. Backed by the power of one of the most admired companies in the world, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Georgia Properties is globally recognized as redefining luxury real estate. For more information, please visit: https://luxuryredefined.com/ Luxury Collection - Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices GA Properties, Luxury Redefined Contact- Isabella Perdichizzi Phone- 404-671-4195 URL- https://luxuryredefined.com Email- isabella.perdichizzi@bhhsgeorgia.com Address- 3500 Lenox Road NE #300, Atlanta, Georgia 30326, United States SOURCE: Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices GA Properties View source version on accesswire.com: https://www.accesswire.com/605811/Atlanta-Luxury-Broker-Lori-Lane-of-Berkshire-Hathaway-HomeServices-Georgia-Properties-Named-to-Atlanta-Business-Chronicles-2020-Whos-Who-in-Residential-Real-Estate AUGUSTA, Ga. (Sept. 11, 2020) - A $3 million National Eye Institute grant is enabling the critical infrastructure necessary to grow research initiatives in major vision-robbing conditions at the Medical College of Georgia and Augusta University. The NEI center core grant, or P30 grant, comes at a time of critical development for the James and Jean Culver Vision Discovery Institute at Augusta University, and is key to the sustainability of future growth, says Dr. Sylvia Smith, chair of the MCG Department of Cellular Biology and Anatomy and director of the Culver VDI. Smith, a NEI-funded retinal cell biologist, is principal investigator on the new P30 grant. The Culver VDI currently includes 32 faculty members from MCG, the Dental College of Georgia, the College of Allied Health Sciences and The Graduate School at AU as well as the University of Georgia Experimental Therapeutics Program. Areas of focus in the institute include disorders affecting the retina, cornea and lens, including diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma and the retinopathy that affects premature babies. The grant provides support for organization of the critical expertise and infrastructure needed by these individual vision scientists, enables more efficient collaboration between them and their colleagues across the country, and encourages more collaborative projects with investigators in other fields with overlapping interests. The infrastructure support is also a powerful recruitment tool for additional vision scientists, Smith says. "This growing group of scientists has always been a highly collaborative and collegial group, happy to share their expertise and equipment, but the grant enables us to formalize and expand our sharing more efficiently and effectively," Smith says. The new grant will not support purchase of new equipment, Smith says, rather enables the logical clustering of the significant equipment AU has made available to individual vision investigators with a system in place to schedule equipment usage, train and assist investigators and laboratory personnel in its usage, troubleshoot problems and oversee equipment maintenance. The three new modules include Visual Function Assessment, Histology and Imaging and Gene Expression/Proteomics. Each module is directed by a more senior investigator and co-directed by a newer NEI-funded scientist with interest and expertise in the services offered. The grant pays a small percentage of the directors' salaries and provides some salary support for essential module personnel as well. "What we have now is the manpower to help guide people," Smith says. ### Module leadership includes Visual Function Assessment, led by Smith and co-directed by Dr. Amany Tawfik, associate professor, Dental College of Georgia Department of Oral Biology and Diagnostic Sciences; Histology and Imaging, led by Dr. Xingjun Fan, associate professor, MCG Department of Cellular Biology and Anatomy, and co-directed by Dr. Shruti Sharma, associate professor, MCG Department of Ophthalmology; and Gene Expression/Proteomics led by Dr. Yutao Liu, associate professor, MCG Department of Cellular Biology and Anatomy, and co-directed by Dr. Ashok Sharma, associate professor, MCG Department of Population Health Sciences. An internal advisory group includes MCG vision scientists Drs. Ruth Caldwell, Manuela Bartoli, Pamela Martin and Mitch Watsky. Culver VDI faculty currently have 17 NEI RO1 research grants to fund their individual studies. Eight RO1s, the National Institutes of Health's oldest grant mechanism for providing funding for health-related research and development, are required to qualify for a P30 grant. MCG has a longstanding history of strong vision scientists, but a concerted recruitment effort began in 2008 with the establishment of the Culver VDI, Smith says. The late Dr. James F. Culver was the first ophthalmologist for the aerospace program, an inaugural member of the National Eye Advisory Council and a 1945 MCG graduate. Vision impairment or blindness affects more than 2 billion people worldwide, according to the World Health Organization. This was the knock on effect of Covid-19, he told RTE radios Morning Ireland. Dr ODowd also warned that four counties Carlow, Laois, Wicklow and Wexford were now warm spots for the virus according to data collated by the ICGPs GPBuddy Community tracker system. Three hundred GPs around the country provide the data for the system which Dr ODowd said has predicted right along that the disease is on the increase in cases, or certainly referrals are on the increase. It shows GPs are very busy dealing with the virus. Dr ODowd said that his practice in Tallaght was very busy this week with upwards of 200 people seeking help in one shape or form. The practice was consistently busier than this time last year, he said. Advertisement Covid is just one part of what we do, we recently took on a chronic disease programme. Dr ODowd said that the spread of the virus into the community rather than in meat factories or care settings meant that GPs were receiving calls as frequently as they had been in the last few months. If the disease is driven into the homes, by nature of the fact we're family doctors, we deal with people in their homes, so they'll still ring us for advice, so the demand on the GP will be similar, to what it has been over the last few months. When asked about the suggestion that GPs be taken from the referral process, Dr ODowd said that on Tuesday seven people had telephoned him seeking advice about Covid, two of whom he sent on for testing. If I hadn't been there, all seven would have gone, the testing business is under pressure, having somebody like me to give advice like that has an effect in moderating demand. Because if the testing system collapses or is under too much pressure we really are in trouble. BANGOR, Maine - A Black man who is going to trial for murder must wear a mask even though he thinks it could prejudice jurors against him, a judge ruled. Carine Reeves, of New York, contended that a mask would subject him to racial profiling and stereotyping by jurors who associate masks with criminals. Court rules require everyone in a courtroom to wear a mask during the coronavirus pandemic. Justice Harold Stewart II said jurors will understand why Reeves and all others in the courtroom are wearing masks. And Reeves could be subjected to undue attention if he were the only one without a mask, the judge said. During this pandemic, the court cannot think of a greater state interest than taking measures that prevent the spread of the virus, for everyones health and safety, the judge wrote Thursday in his decision. More than 4,700 people have been infected with the coronavirus in Maine and more than 130 of them have died since the start of the pandemic. Reeves is charged with murder in the 2017 killing of Sally Shaw, who was shot in the head and left on the side of a road in Cherryfield, in eastern Maine. The trial, scheduled to begin later this month, is the first murder trial in Maine since the pandemic reduced courthouse hours and delayed trials. Reeeves attorney, Stephen Smith, had pointed to a study by North Carolina researchers who wrote, African Americans are particularly prone to racial profiling solely due to the fact that they are wearing masks. Were at a particular moment in this nations history when having a court force a Black man to wear a mask or to be judged by jurors wearing masks ... is in our view unconstitutional, he told the judge. Assistant Attorney General Leane Zainea said Reeves could achieve his wish of a mask-free trial by agreeing to delay the trial something Reeves declined do. In his motion, Reeves also contended that witnesses should not wear masks because it would violate his constitutional right to confront them. The judge ruled against the defendant on that point, too. ___ Follow AP coverage of the pandemic at https://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-11 19:14:09|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close ANKARA, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- The Turkish security forces launched a new operation against the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in southeastern Siirt city of Turkey, its Interior Ministry said on Friday. "Operation Lightning-11 Herekol" started with 1,003 security personnel, including Gendarmerie Special Operations forces, police, and security guards, said the ministry in a written statement. At least 54 PKK members were killed, 24 collaborators captured, 112 caves, shelters, and storages were destroyed, and a large number of arms, ammunition, and other supplies have been seized in a series of "Lightning" anti-terror operations to date, said the ministry. On Tuesday, "Operation Lightning-10" was launched in the eastern city of Van. The Turkish security forces regularly conduct anti-terror operations in the eastern and southeastern parts of Turkey. "Operation Lightning-1" started in the southeastern Sirnak city on July 14. The PKK, listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States, and the European Union, has been rebelling against the Turkish government for over 30 years, which has claimed the lives of more than 40,000 people. Enditem The Mediterranean island -- less than half the size of New Jersey -- was effectively partitioned in 1963 when fighting erupted between its two main groups: Greek and Turkish Cypriots. It was fully divided in 1974 after Turkey intervened, capturing the northern third of the island, saying it intended to protect the minority Turkish Cypriots following an Athens-backed coup by supporters of union with Greece. That brought the two neighbors close to war. To this day, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus is recognized only by Turkey, while the Republic of Cyprus, which is internationally recognized, officially has sovereignty over the entire island but is only able to govern in the south. Turkey doesnt recognize the ROC. Unification efforts have stalled. Adding new strains, the U.S. eased its decades-old arms embargo on the Republic of Cyprus in September, a move condemned by Turkey. A Dublin criminal charged with threats to kill allegedly linked to a drug debt and gun attacks on a Co Tyrone home has been granted bail. Robert 'Roo' Redmond (32) is to be released on conditions including a ban on contacting the man he is accused of menacing after they met in Lanzarote. Redmond, of Woodview Close in the Donaghmede area, who is centrally linked to gangland feuding in Dublin, was arrested at a hotel in Belfast last month. Shots He denies a single charge of making threats to kill a man on dates between February 1 and July 2, 2019. According to police, the case is connected to separate gun attacks on the Coalisland property in March and July last year. In the first incident, a number of shots were fired through the windows. Detectives believe the house was targeted because a member of the family living there was under threat from Dublin criminals over a drug debt. A previous court heard the man who was allegedly threatened claims he developed a friendship with Redmond after they met on the Spanish island. But their relationship was said to have deteriorated after he was held responsible for a 250,000 debt. Threats to kill were allegedly made in WhatsApp messages, with one telling the man he had two weeks to pay and signed off "tick tock, tick tock". It was claimed that another message warned: "I'm going to cause damage to your family." After shots were fired at the house for a second time, the man allegedly received a further telephone communication informing him he would be getting "five or six in the face". Redmond is not charged with any involvement in either gun attack. Opposing his application for bail at Belfast Magistrates' Court yesterday, a police officer claimed the man is "under threat from Dublin criminals in relation to a drug debt". "That is believed to be the reason for the attack on the family home," he added. Defence solicitor Joe McVeigh stressed that Redmond denies making any threats to kill. "The allegations all emanate from one person, and that person by his own admission is a drug dealer," he said. With the court told that a statement of complaint has been withdrawn, Mr McVeigh argued that his client could live in Belfast. Judge Laura Ievers granted bail to that address, imposing a number of conditions including the lodging of a 3,000 (3,250)cash surety. Deadly Last month the Herald revealed how 'Roo' is heavily involved in the deadly Coolock feud when he lost 136,000 in assets after a High Court judgment. The convicted drug dealer has survived an attempted hit and was also twice arrested for possession of firearms in relation to the feud which has claimed five lives. Redmond has been the focus of multiple investigations by specialist Garda units, including the Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau (DOCB). He was also closely monitored by the Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB), which made two significant seizures from him in August 2018 and January 2019. Libya's east-based parliament convened an emergency meeting Friday to address the eruption of rare protests over dire living conditions across the country's east, rallies that mirror similar recent protests in the west of the divided nation. Hundreds of young Libyans flooded the streets of Benghazi and other eastern cities late on Thursday, setting piles of tires ablaze, witnesses said, a spontaneous outburst of anger over the area's crippling electricity shortages. The witnesses spoke on condition of anonymity, fearing reprisals. The demonstrations followed similar protests over power cuts and corruption that have roiled the capital, Tripoli, and other parts of western Libya in recent weeks. Unlike the rallies in the west, however, the protests in Benghazi and elsewhere in the east did not appear centrally organized and were not violently dispersed. War-torn Libya is split east to west between two administrations, each backed by an array of militias and foreign powers. Military commander Khalifa Haftar rules the east and south, while a U.N.-supported government based in Tripoli controls the west. In its emergency session Friday, the eastern House of Representatives sought to deflect blame for the deterioration of public services, accusing the Tripoli-based Central Bank and government of ``plundering'' the country and neglecting the east. In an effort to placate frustrated citizens, it promised to investigate ``suspected corruption'' and expedite municipal elections. Yet on both sides of the country, analysts say, internal splits have deepened amid a pause in fighting. Political factions are seeking to co-opt popular fury over the country's litany of grievances: cash shortages, electricity and water cuts, collapsing infrastructure, rife corruption and a devastating coronavirus outbreak. ``Power brokers are trying to utilize the protests for their own gains and purposes,'' said Mohamed Eljarh, co-founder of Libya Outlook, a consultancy based in eastern Libya. In the west, the U.N.-supported government's powerful interior minister, Fathi Bashaga, openly backed the protests against his internal rival, Prime Minister Fayez Sarraj _ and was briefly dismissed from his post. In the east, Haftar has faced a series of embarrassing military defeats, with his forces retreating from most of the territories they seized during their failed 14-month campaign to capture Tripoli. This week, Hifter was sidelined from the U.N.-brokered Libyan political talks that took place in Switzerland and Morocco, and is now trying to strengthen his hand against the east-based House of Representatives and its prominent speaker, Aguila Saleh, said Eljarh. Saleh sent representatives to the talks and has positioned himself as a major Libyan power broker on the world stage, most recently by proposing a cease-fire and a political initiative. Although Haftar and his forces are known to quash even the mildest dissent, late Thursday, the witnesses in Benghazi said police watched without reacting and even encouraged the protests. Eastern Libya's interim government and the country's drastic lack of public services was the focus of outrage _ not Haftar. Libya's Tripoli-based National Oil Corporation issued a response on Friday to eastern authorities' allegations that it has failed to provide fuel shipments to the east, where blackouts can exceed 12 hours a day. The corporation promised it was ``making every effort'' to deliver fuel to ``all parts of Libya and its power plants,'' attributing the blackouts and fuel shortages to a months-long blockade of the country's oil fields imposed by Haftar-allied eastern tribes. Talks to reopen the pipelines have repeatedly broken down. The embargo has cut Libya's oil production to a trickle, forcing refineries to shut and draining the budget for fuel imports, the corporation said. An oil tanker carrying 39 million liters of fuel docked in Benghazi's port on Friday afternoon to resupply power stations, east Libya's Electricity Authority announced. But without electricity, the vessel would take another full day to unload. The outbreak of unrest comes after delegates from rival camps, under heavy international pressure, came to a preliminary political agreement in the Swiss city of Montreux, which aims to guide Libya toward elections and demilitarize the contested city of Sirte, controlled by Haftar. Citing the talks in Montreux, as well as political negotiations that continued Friday in Bouznouki, Morocco, the U.S. Embassy in Libya said the ``productive consultations`` reflect ``the deep desire of most Libyans to bring the conflict to an end.'' Before the latest cease-fire took hold and staved off a major escalation, both the Turkish-backed Tripoli government and Haftar's forces, supported by the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Russia, were facing off over Sirte, a gateway to Africa's largest oil reserves. Search Keywords: Short link: Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-11 21:53:21|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- A senior Chinese legislator has stressed fully implementing the Anti-Unfair Competition Law to improve the business environment and coordinate epidemic control with economic and social development. Chen Zhu, vice chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, made the remarks on Friday at a meeting of a law-enforcement inspection team of the NPC Standing Committee. The Anti-Unfair Competition Law is a basic law enabling the country to regulate the order of market competition and maintain the operating mechanism of the market economy, Chen said. To effectively implement the law, efforts must be made to adopt targeted measures to solve key problems and fix weaknesses in areas including legislation and law enforcement, Chen added. Enditem Even before filming started on Des, the three-part ITV mini-series in which Mays plays Detective Chief Inspector Peter Jay, the nightmares began The spectre of serial killer Dennis Nilsen haunted Daniel Mays as he tackled the role of a lifetime: the 'old school copper' who helped bring the mass murderer to justice. 'I watched all these documentaries,' Mays told me, 'and pored over all this research' including Killing For Company, Brian Masters' best-selling psychological study of Nilsen. Even before filming started on Des, the three-part ITV mini-series in which Mays plays Detective Chief Inspector Peter Jay, the nightmares began. 'On two occasions I woke up my wife, Louise, screaming, because I thought I was locked in an attic with Dennis Nilsen.' Not helping matters was 'the amount of herbal cigarettes I had to smoke' (Jay was a chainsmoker). Des contains masterclass performances from David Tennant, as the monster who disposed of his victims in grisly ways; Jason Watkins (Harold Wilson in The Crown) as author Masters, who visited Nilsen in jail and RADA-trained Mays, star of lockdown hit White Lines and Line Of Duty. 'More than anything, it was an investigation in reverse,' Mays said of the police's efforts. 'Here was a guy who openly admitted to 15 murders and yet because of the way he disposed of the bodies, they had no evidence. They had to find some.' The 42-year-old reflected on the difference between policing then, and now; particularly how officers coped with the horrific nature of the crimes. 'Coppers back in 1983 didn't have counsellors. They'd just go down the pub and drink a few pints to get over it.' Nilsen was collared at his flat in North London, in an area Mays once used as a cut-through. 'You do wonder which house it was,' he said. 'I watched all these documentaries,' Mays told me, 'and pored over all this research' including Killing For Company, Brian Masters' best-selling psychological study of Nilsen (pictured above) The making of Des, with director Lewis Arnold at the helm, was as painstaking as the police investigation into the murders. Arnold and his producers spent several years on research, talking to the victim's families, and that sensitivity is reflected in the drama, over three nights from Monday. 'It was always told from a point of respect,' Mays said, adding that while the killings are described in graphic detail by Tennant, as Nilsen; they are not shown. He added that Des also deals with 'a whole set of untruths about the case', and I urge you to watch it, to see what they are. Mays was speaking to me from the 'bubble' he's sharing with Stephen Graham, during a break from filming the second series of Sky's police show Code 404. Following that, he'll join Mark Strong for new episodes of Temple, which should take him through till February. The spectre of serial killer Dennis Nilsen haunted Daniel Mays as he tackled the role of a lifetime: the 'old school copper' who helped bring the mass murderer to justice. Des stars David Tennant as Dennis Nilsen and Daniel Mays as DCI Peter Jay 'We've got Covid testing hanging over the production,' he said of Code 404. 'We're tested twice a week.' He added he felt sorriest for the crew, who had to wear masks and PPE 12 hours a day. His own Lockdown was spent nursing Louise, who had slipped and shattered an ankle. Son Milo, 14, was studying for mocks; and Mays helped home school seven-year-old Dixie. 'We got through it,' he said, laughing. Going back to work was initially difficult. 'I hadn't acted for seven months. In your own mind-set you've switched off.' Looking further ahead, he said treading the boards again after doing The Caretaker at the Old Vic four years ago with Timothy Spall and George McKay (who also appeared with Mays in Sam Mendes's 1917) was a priority. He told me he's been discussing playing Macbeth for director Joe Hill-Gibbins. Watching Sleepless, the musical, at the Troubadour, Wembley Park Theatre, left me singing the praises of the cast led by Jay McGuiness, Kimberley Walsh and Theo Collis. Everyone involved with producers Michael Rose and Damien Sanders deserves a pat on the back, too, for putting on the musical version of Nora Ephron's romance movie. I found it touching. How amazing to see a musical in 2020, inside a disease secure theatre. Thousands have been spent on health checks to keep cast, crew and audiences safe. Bravo. I hope the rumours come to pass about David Hare's scorching monologue Beat The Devil being filmed, for viewing at some later date. The play stars Ralph Fiennes, portraying Hare as he copes with the effects of Covid-19, while throwing the Prime Minister under a bus for his handling of the pandemic. Beat The Devil is on at the Bridge as part of a season of one-person plays featuring a diverse array of artists. I saw it last weekend. It was my first time back in a theatre and the Bridge's maintenance of Covid secure protocols was scrupulous, and very reassuring. Festival serves up movie treats Movie fans are in for a well-deserved treat at the British Film Institute's London Film Festival. Even though it is a quarter of its normal size, director Tricia Tuttle and her team have assembled a brilliant array of titles to show at the event, which will feature a mix of live and virtual screenings, from October 7-18. Kicking things off is Steve McQueen's film Mangrove, featuring Shaun Parkes, Letitia Wright and Malachi Kirby as members of the Mangrove Nine: activists acquitted in a landmark case of inciting a riot in London in 1970. And bringing it to a conclusion will be Ammonite, directed by Francis Lee (God's Own Country), starring Kate Winslet and Saoirse Ronan (on general release early 2021). There will be screenings at the BFI Southbank complex and 12 independent cinemas in London and across the UK. 'It's about getting audiences back into cinemas!' Tuttle said. Kicking things off is Steve McQueen's film Mangrove, featuring Shaun Parkes, Letitia Wright and Malachi Kirby as members of the Mangrove Nine: activists acquitted in a landmark case of inciting a riot in London in 1970 Titles getting cinema showings include Chloe Zhao's Nomadland, about an underclass of Americans living in vans out West, starring Frances McDormand; Phyllida Lloyd's Herself, about a battered mother-of-two who decides to build her own home; and Mogul Mowgli, starring Riz Ahmed as a rapper. Cinemagoers can also catch Spike Lee's film of David Byrne's Broadway show American Utopia; Joanna Scanlan rediscovering life after her husband's death in Aleem Khan's After Love; Stanley Tucci and Colin Firth in Supernova; Elisabeth Moss in Shirley and Pixar's latest, Soul, voiced by Jamie Foxx, Tina Fey, Angela Bassett and Daveed Diggs. Those and more than 50 other titles will also be shown virtually via BFIPlayer. For a complete list of films, and how to see them, visit bfi.org.uk/london-film-festival. The majority of dog and cat owners say that their pet is a family member, according to a study. Photo: Getty Ask most pet owners how they feel about their animals, and they will probably tell you that they consider them a part of the family. In the UK, half of all adults have pets, with 26% owning a dog and 24% sharing their homes with cats. For a lot of people, their animals are far more than just another mouth to feed. Not only do we love them and their companionship, we enjoy exercising, walking, playing and even chatting to them. They might chew our clothes and scratch our furniture, but they can also ease loneliness and reduce stress, anxiety and depression. Losing a pet can be unimaginably difficult. Yet asking to take time off to deal with the death of a pet is something not many people are able to do. Last year, Emma McNulty, from Glasgow, said she was too upset to work after her terrier Millie died but was told to find cover or risk being fired. Unable to find a replacement, her part-time job in a sandwich shop was terminated. But with our animals having such a significant impact on our lives, is bereavement leave for pets something businesses should be taking more seriously? READ MORE: Why it's OK to prioritise your mental health over your job As an employee, you have a right to time off to deal with an emergency involving a dependant, the advisory, conciliation and arbitration service Acas states. This could be a spouse, partner, child, grandchild, parent or someone else who depends on you for care. There's no legal right for time off for dependants to be paid, but some employers might offer pay. However, its unlikely a pet would be included in this benefit. Compassionate leave can be granted by an employer as paid or unpaid leave for emergency situations, but this is at the discretion of the employer. Essentially, some businesses may be understanding and allow employees who lose a pet some time off, but they have no legal obligation to do so. In the 1980s, Virginia Commonwealth University researchers Sandra Barker and Randolph Barker asked dog owners to complete what is called the Family Life Space Diagram in which symbols representing family members and dogs are placed within a drawn circle representing ones life. In 38% of the diagrams, the dog was placed closer to the owner than other family members were. Story continues Another study, published in 2017, states the majority (77%) of dog and cat owners report that their pet is a family member. People talk to them, include them in family portraits, spend time picking out the perfect outfit for them, hunt with them, jog with them, send them to school, forgive them quickly even after they are hurt by them, turn to them on bad days for a lift, spend thousands of dollars on them, choose places to live that are best for them, post videos of them on the Internet, include them in their wills, confide in them, and feel torn apart inside when they die, the researchers wrote. READ MORE: How to recognise if you are being 'breadcrumbed' at work With this in mind, it makes sense that the loss of a pet is often a cause of deep grief. Suddenly, a being you shared your life with new relationships, new homes, new jobs is no longer there, and cant be replaced. In fact, research suggests the attachment between humans and animals is often so strong that it is common to mourn in a way that is very similar to the feelings and behaviours associated with the loss of a human family member. Grief affects everyone differently. Some feel sadness or anger, others experience stress or disbelief. Theres no normal response to the death of a loved one, including a pet. While some people are able to carry on working, others may struggle. Of course, theres the risk that some employees will abuse the system if compassionate leave for a pets death is allowed. But the same could be said for sick leave and other crucial policies. READ MORE: The problem with productivity culture is that we aren't robots Moreover, turning down a request for someone to take time off to grieve may have a detrimental impact on employees. If someone is forced into the workplace, its unlikely they will still be as productive and perform as normal. An employee who feels theyre not being treated without empathy may well call in sick anyway, which can be hard to disprove. A supportive approach shows the organisation values its employees and their lives outside of the workplace. Allowing workers to take a day off to say goodbye to a much-loved pet is more likely to lead to a happier, committed workforce. The annual ceremony at the Flight 93 National Memorial in western Pennsylvania will be smaller and quieter than usual on Friday. Its because of pandemic-related preferences of relatives of the 40 people who died there and public health guidelines, according to the National Park Service. President Donald Trump is expected to attend the small, private ceremony scheduled to begin at 9:45 a.m. and last about 20 minutes. In addition to being closed to the public, the annual observance will be shorter than usual and lack things such as a keynote speaker and musical guests. The park, located near the town of Shanksville in Somerset County, will be closed to visitors until after the ceremony. The ceremony will live-streamed in high resolution all over the world. Joe Bidens campaign said he also will visit the memorial on Friday, the 19th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. As of mid-afternoon on Thursday, his campaign hadnt released information about when he plans to be there. Sept. 11 is typically the busiest day of the year at the memorial, although the Labor Day weekend sort of kicks off our busy season, park ranger and public information officer Katherine Cordek said Cordek says visitors are typically very reverent Its an emotional place, particularly on Sept. 11. She said virtually everyone the park service has heard from has been understanding of the need for the closed ceremony and appreciative of the live stream. Asked whether the park service, given the election campaign and visits by Trump and Biden, is concerned about potential disruptive behavior on the part of visitors, she said absolutely and officials are prepared. Were very conscious of the times we live in, she said. Cordek said she hopes visitors will focus on the goal of remembering the people who died there and recognizing their loved ones, and on how that day changed history. On Sept. 11, 2001, United Airlines Flight 93 crashed into the former surface mine in the rural, bucolic area about 125 miles west of Harrisburg and 82 miles east of Pittsburgh. Hijackers were trying to crash the jet into the U.S. Capitol, but passengers and crew fought and thwarted them. Thursday night will feature the Flight 93 sites debut of the Towers of Light twin beams of blue light pointed skyward visible 50 miles away during clear conditions. According to the Cumberland Times-News, it will mark the first time the lights shine from all three Sept. 11 crash sites, with the others being the World Trade Center and Pentagon sites. Painting curbs red or yellow to warn drivers about hidden fire hydrants seems like a good idea, until somebody says otherwise. Thats how a pilot project initiated by former Mayor Rob Ford to paint curbs to mark parking ticket traps came to a sorry end, after transportation services officials declared that it wasnt effective. After my columns about the citys refusal to put up signs or make any effort to alert drivers to a hidden hydrant on Charles Street that is a gold mine for $100 parking tickets, many readers emailed to suggest an obvious fix. There is a very easy solution to this problem, said Robert Herscovitch. Paint the curb red in a no parking area, like they do in some American cities. Simple as that. Better to acknowledge the hydrant by painting the curb yellow, and on that, writing hydrant in red, with an arrow, said Peter Evans. As always, the yellow indicates where you may not park. I propose a fire hydrant parking pilot (project), said Raymond Kennedy. 1. Identify so-called hidden hydrants. 2. Paint curb red. 3. Count tickets issued, with signs put up at locations with the highest ticket counts. After umpteen months, declare pilot as permanent! The ideas prompted deja vu for me, as I recalled that the former mayor initiated a pilot project similar to those floated by readers, which was sunk by bureaucrats after he was no longer mayor. Ford, who died too soon of cancer in 2016, had many faults. But he also had an uncanny sense of what the public liked and disliked, and was able to hone in on things that got under peoples skin, like ticket traps. He took part in a photo op in the summer of 2013 on University Avenue, where he grabbed a brush and painted the curb red in front of a hydrant that was one of Torontos juiciest ticket traps, as part of a pilot project. Ford nailed it when he told reporters that people are getting sick and tired of getting tickets in this city. The pilot identified eight locations where hidden hydrants or other less-than-obvious parking restrictions were easy pickings for parking enforcement. The curb was painted red at each location. In 2016, after Ford was out as mayor and just a few weeks before he died, I revisited the pilot project after noticing faded red paint in front of one of the hydrants on University. In an interview with a senior transportation services official, I was told that they monitored the locations for 11 months. Parking in those spots was briefly reduced, but he said drivers soon reverted to bad habits. We wanted it to be a success, and if it had been, we would have implemented it, said the official, adding that it was killed in part because painted curbs are harder to see in winter, when theyre covered in snow. At the time, I was struck by the unwillingness of city officials to create policy that makes identifying ticket traps a priority, a situation that still exists today. And its why I continue to advocate for good signage that makes it easy for drivers to see why they shouldnt park in a particular spot, instead of just painting curbs. Ford would no doubt go along with me. Whats broken in your neighbourhood? Wherever you are in Greater Toronto, we want to know. Email jlakey@thestar.ca or follow @TOStarFixer on Twitter (Newser) The police chief of Connecticut's largest city cheated to get the job, according to federal prosecutors, who say he could face decades in prison. Bridgeport Police Chief Armando Perez is accused of working with the city's acting personnel director, David Dunn, to rig the hiring process, reports the New York Times. In announcing wire fraud charges on Thursday, Acting Manhattan US Attorney Audrey Strauss said the pair had obtained secret test questions and got two officers to draft his application and answers to the written test. Perez and Dunn are also accused of making changes to the scoring system that would benefit Perez and ensuring there was no requirement that candidates have a bachelor's degree; Perez was the only applicant who didn't, according to prosecutors. story continues below Mayor Joe Ganim had named Perez, a 40-year veteran, as acting chief of police in 2015. But to remain in that position, Perez had to become one of three finalists in a 2018 nationwide search, per the Connecticut Post. In securing the position, he got a five-year contract as well as a $300,000 payout for accrued leave, per the Times. "Bridgeport's citizens and police officers deserve leaders with integrity who are committed to enforcing, not breaking, the law," Strauss said. Perez and Dunn are charged with wire fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and making false statements. Perez faces up to 50 years in prison if convicted; Dunn up to 40. Ganim served as mayor from 1991 to 2003, before spending seven years in prison for corruption. He was reelected in 2015 and 2019. He says Perez, who once served as his driver, has now resigned. (Read more Bridgeport, Conn. stories.) Sixteenth Street Baptist Church will do a virtual memorial observance for the 57th anniversary of the bombing at the church that killed four girls on Sept. 15, 1963. The anniversary falls on Tuesday, and the church is asking those who want to observe the occasion to watch a re-play of last years memorial service, when former Vice President Joe Biden spoke at the church. Biden is now the Democratic nominee for president in the Nov. 3 election against President Donald Trump, the Republican nominee. The church will re-play video from last years service on its Facebook page on Tuesday at 9:30 a.m. Afterward, Pastor Arthur Price will lay a wreath at the site of the bombing, he said. Out of an abundance of caution and care, we will commemorate the anniversary of the bombing in this fashion, Price said. The church has not yet resumed in-person worship since discontinuing in March because of the coronavirus lockdown. All of our services are virtual, Price said. The 1963 bombing killed 14-year-old Addie Mae Collins, 11-year-old Denise McNair, 14-year-old Carole Rosamond Robertson, and 14-year-old Cynthia Wesley. In his speech last year, Biden offered a tribute to the girls, saying,"that blast took aim at the very foundations of this community in 1963." Biden spoke leading up to the ringing of the church bells at 10:22 a.m., in commemoration of the moment the bomb exploded. This is not a symbolic loss, Biden said. That transfixed the world and inspired a whole nation. Its personal. And even 56 years later, its tragic. The Sunday School lesson that day was taught by U.S. Air Force Chaplain Lt. Col. Ruth N. Segres, who spoke before Biden. All of thats in the virtual service, Price said. At the conclusion of the service, I will lay the wreath. Williams' two drivers are no supporters of moves to introduce 'reverse grid' racing in Formula 1 next year. Championed by Liberty Media, the plan was rejected by the teams for 2020. But F1 sporting boss Ross Brawn now says more interesting Monza-like results would be possible if the push for reverse-grid sprint races is revived for 2021. The teams that would presumably benefit the most from that are at the back of the grid - but backmarker Williams' two drivers do not like the sound of it. "That is not the DNA of Formula 1," said Nicholas Latifi. "The results would be worth a lot less." George Russell agrees: "I don't like it, even if I would probably get points every now and then. "But I would look like an idiot because the fast guys would eat us up. They're in cars that are so much better than ours that they can easily just brake ten metres later. We wouldn't be able to defend ourselves. "On the other hand, if I was in a top car, I'd probably be all for it - you'd look like a superhero as you did overtake after overtake of the others who are in cars that simply aren't as good," the British driver added. (GMM) Washington, Sep 11 : A new study has revealed that the number of confirmed Covid-19 cases in the US, currently the worst-affected country in the world, has been greatly undercounted due to a lack of testing. The case tally in the Us does not "capture the total burden of the pandemic because testing has been primarily restricted ... due to limited test availability", Xinhua news agency quoted researchers from the School of Public Health, University of California Berkeley as saying in the study released on Thursday. The study was published in the journal Nature Communications. According to the study, the US might have had over 6.4 million cases by April 18, while there were only 721,245 confirmed cases at the time. According to the latest statistics by the Johns Hopkins University, as of Friday the US has registered a total of 6,397,245 confirmed cases and 191,791 deaths. Another report released on Wednesday suggested that the US needed to perform as many as 200 million Covid-19 tests every month till next year in order to control the pandemic. Jade Benjamin-Chung, a professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at Berkeley Public Health, said that "we have a large number of asymptomatic people who are affecting the total number of infections but may not be included in confirmed case counts", indicating that only testing people with moderate to severe symptoms was not enough. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Some 100 wildfires are raging across the western US many uncontained with at least 16 people confirmed dead. Dozens of extreme, wind-driven fires burned through forests and towns on the West Coast of the United States on Thursday, killing at least 16 people, forcing half a million to evacuate in Oregon alone, and destroying hundreds of homes, authorities said. A spokeswoman for Oregons Office of Emergency Management announced late in the evening that some 500,000 people, about an eighth of the states total population, had been told to leave their homes. Thousands more were displaced north and south in the neighbouring states of Washington and California. Including eight California fire deaths last month, the regions reported death toll for this year is now at least 16. Among those killed in the past day was a one-year-old boy who died while his parents attempted to drive out of an inferno 130 miles (209.2 kilometres) east of Seattle. They are both in a critical condition in hospital. This childs family and community will never be the same, said Washington Governor Jay Inslee, in a statement on the states first fire death of 2020. And neither will countless others who are reeling from the utter devastation these wildfires are leaving in their wake. Oregon has borne the brunt of some 100 major wildfires raging across the western US this week. Around 3,000 firefighters have been battling nearly three dozen blazes in Oregon, but fire officials say about twice as many are necessary to bring the fires under control. Governor Kate Brown warned the death toll would rise as rescue teams reached devastated areas. We have never seen this amount of uncontained fire across our state, she told a press conference. We know that there are fire-related fatalities. And as soon as we are able to provide confirmed information, we will do so. Arson suspected Police have opened an arson investigation into at least one of the Oregon blazes, the Almeda fire, which started in Ashland near the border with California, according to local police chief Tighe OMeara. We have good reason to believe that there was a human element to it, so were going to pursue it as a criminal investigation until we have reason to believe that it was otherwise, OMeara told Reuters news agency. OMeara said he expected the death toll from the Almeda fire, initially blamed for two of Oregons fatalities, to rise as search teams combed through the ruins of homes that burned amid a chaotic evacuation. The Oregon blazes tore through at least five communities in the Cascade mountain range as well as areas of coastal rainforest normally spared from wildfires. In eastern Washington state a fire destroyed most of the tiny farming town of Malden. In central Oregon, search and rescue teams entered devastated communities like Detroit, where firefighters led residents on a dramatic mountain escape after military helicopters were unable to evacuate the town. A 12-year-old boy was found dead with his dog inside a burned-out car and his grandmother was believed to have succumbed after flames engulfed an area near Lyons, about 50 miles (80 km) south of Portland, the Marion County Sheriffs Office said. Embers for miles To the south, a Reuters photographer saw small communities near the city of Medford reduced to ashes as he drove south towards Ashland. Some people expressed relief after escaping the Bear Creek trailer park where nearly every house burned. Thank God we were at home, said Julio Flores, who escaped with two children who would have been alone had his restaurant working hours not been cut due to the coronavirus pandemic. Oregon firefighters put out embers in Mill City, as tens of thousands of people fled blazes along the West Coast of the US and officials warned the death toll could rise [Kathryn Elsesser/AFP] Firefighters said unusually hot, dry winds from the east had supercharged the blazes, spreading flames from community to community, and then from house to house. When it really gets windy these embers are going for miles, said Firefighter Andy Cardinal in Eagle Point, north of Medford where the town of around 10,000 was on standby to evacuate. Brown said some 900,000 acres (3,642 square kilometres) had burned, dwarfing the states annual 500,000-acre average over the past decade. We have never seen this amount of uncontained fire across the state, she said. We are feeling the acute impacts of climate change. Climate scientists say global warming has contributed to greater extremes in wet and dry seasons, causing vegetation to flourish then dry out in the US west, leaving the kind of debris that can easily catch fire. By evening, two of Oregons largest fires, burning around 24 miles (38.6 kilometres) southeast of the centre of Portland, had merged, leading to a major expansion of evacuations in densely-populated Clackamas County, emergency management spokeswoman Bobbi Doan said. Asked whether areas of Portland itself might be evacuated, Chief Deputy State Fire Marshal Mariana Ruiz Temple said everything would depend on wind direction and force. Desperate escapes In California, officials said some 64,000 people were under evacuation orders while crews battled 29 major fires across portions of the most populous state in the US. About a third of those evacuees were in Butte County alone, north of Sacramento, the capital, where the North Complex wildfire has scorched more than 247,000 acres (999.57 square kilometres) and destroyed more than 2,000 homes and structures. The remains of three victims were found in two separate locations of that fire zone, according to Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea, bringing the total death toll from California wildfires so far this summer to at least 11. The charred remains of a vehicle amid the devastating Butte County fire in California [Peter Dasilva/EPA] A 12th person died in Siskiyou County in far northern California, state fire authority Cal Fire reported, providing no further details. Tina Rose, 29, fled her home in central California after seeing the mountain in front of her house glowing red from the flames of the fire. We were packing everything and you can hear the propane tanks just exploding and when we heard the second one we were just like we need to go in case it does move faster, because you never know, she told AFP. It is something we never want to experience again, she said, speaking from her brother-in-laws home. Wildfires have now burned across a record 3.1 million acres (12,545 square kilometres) in California this year. Six of the top 20 largest wildfires in the states history have also occurred in 2020. In the San Francisco area, the deep orange sky caused by the smoke from the fires gave way to a wintry grey, but cars were still forced to drive with lights on in the gloom. Polluted air meant schools and daycare centres were no longer letting children play outside, while the elderly and vulnerable individuals were encouraged to stay inside. The strong, dry winds of the past days appear to have eased off across much of the state, with severe weather warnings lifted for most of California. Humidity is expected to rise as temperatures cool into next week, providing some relief, Cal Fire said. Californias deadliest fire took place two years ago when 86 people were killed in the town of Paradise. Nepal has been relying on the Indian market for life-saving Remdesivir drug, which is being used for the treatment of COVID-19 patients across the world. Though the drug is not seen as a cure to the virus, it has played an important role in bringing patients out from a critical medical stage. Sapana's (name changed) father is admitted to a private hospital in Kathmandu and undergoing treatment at intensive care unit (ICU), as he was confirmed to have contracted the virus. She asked her chemist, who had contacts in India, to order Remdesivir as it was not available in Nepal. "As my chemist had contacts in India, he was able to bring it to Nepal. Now, my father is doing well and is out of danger. If the medicine was not available in India, his condition would have become worrisome," Sapana said. According to Sapana, the drug costs up to 7,000 in India and around 20,000 Nepali rupees in the Himalayan nation, including freight charges. The Nepal government has given permission to three companies for procurement of the drug from foreign countries including India and the US. "If we can import it in large amounts then relatives of COVID-19 patients would not need to pay the extra charges which come as freight and commissions. Hope, the drug would be imported as soon as possible from India and the US," said Dr Prabhat Adhikari, a virologist. Nepal's Medical Council's directive (interim clinical guidance for COVID-19) has also enlisted Remdesivir drug for primary medication. Out of 123 medicine importers registered with the Department of Drug Administration, the majority of them import from Indian companies. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. BARCELONA: Wearing face masks, thousands of Catalans on Friday staged dozens of small protests calling for the regions independence from Spain despite warnings from health officials to avoid gatherings during the COVID-19 pandemic. All rallies respected social distancing and were peaceful except an unauthorized march in the evening in central Barcelona in which a few hundred separatist protesters, some with torches, burned a mannequin with Spains King Felipes face and boxes with the logos of Spanish corporations and public institutions. In the morning, unidentified people had set fires at several points of Catalonias rail network, forcing train cancellations before traffic was resumed four hours later. In Catalonia, Sept. 11 marks La Diada", the anniversary of the fall of Barcelona to Spanish forces in 1714, and has been marked in recent years by major separatist rallies as the pro-independence drive has dominated Spanish politics. Close to 60,000 people attended static protests across the region, according to grassroots organizer Assemblea Nacional Catalana. We have held Europes largest COVID-adapted protest," said chairwoman Elisenda Paluzie, referring to the use of masks, safe distancing and pre-registering of participants. I can understand that some people could be afraid but organising a protest is compatible with the pandemic," said 25-year-old web programmer Marc Purgimon at one of Assembleas Barcelona rallies. Its important to keep protesting against the repression that Catalonia suffers and for independence." There were entry controls to the rally and participants had to stand at marked spots. Many wore shirts with this years protest motto The duty to build a better future" and waved separatist flags. Spain has recorded more than 560,000 cases of the novel coronavirus, more than any other western European nation. Manel Capdevila, 59, said he wanted to show the rest of Spain that the independence movement had not weakened despite the health crisis and divisions between parties: We need to persist and say we want to decide our future and this will not stop." The regions public health secretary and the head of a doctors association had discouraged such gatherings, and the regional separatist government did not attend the protests. Catalan government spokeswoman Meritxell Budo urged Madrid to agree to a referendum on independence and called for an amnesty for nine separatist leaders jailed for their role in a failed 2017 independence bid and for others who fled Spain then. The government of Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has ruled out any amnesty or referendum but has backed talks with Barcelona. We will keep working to achieve reconciliation in Catalonia from a dialogue within the constitution," Sanchez tweeted. Opinion polls show people in Catalonia are split on the issue of independence. The latest survey shows more respondents in favour of their region remaining part of Spain. Separately, Catalan regional head of government Quim Torra on Friday offered to take in refugees from Greeces biggest migrant camp destroyed by fire on Wednesday. The government of Catalonia makes itself available to receive people seeking an opportunity to flee war, hunger and fear," Torra tweeted. The Spanish government makes the final decision on admitting refugees. 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 WELLESLEY TOWNSHIP Police are investigating reports of break-ins that occurred in Wellesley and Woolwich townships on Tuesday evening, and officers believe the incidents are connected. At around 9 p.m., Waterloo Regional Police were called to a business on Ament Line in Wellesley for a reported break-in. Officers said unknown suspects used a vehicle to gain entry to a business and stole property. Police were later called to another property on Reids Wood Drive in Woolwich Township for an abandoned vehicle and the report of a break-in and robbery. Officers said the complainant reported seeing an unknown vehicle drive up the laneway of a business on Line 86, but when he went to investigate, he found no one. When he returned back to his home, he saw a man leaving his house, who threatened him with a torch, officers said. The suspect stole the victims keys, personal property and then drove off in the victims Ford Escape, police said. Officers believe the incidents are connected and their investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information about these incidents is asked to contact police at 519-570-9777. Anonymous tips can also be left with Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation has asked IndiGo to take "appropriate action" after the regulator found alleged violation of safety and social distancing protocols by mediapersons in the airline's Chandigarh-Mumbai flight that had actor Kangana Ranaut as a passenger, senior officials said on Friday. IMAGE: Bollywood actress Kangana Ranaut arrives at Mohali International Airport. Photograph: PTI Photo "We have seen some videos wherein mediapersons are standing too close to each other in the 6E264 flight on Wednesday. It seems to be a violation of safety and social distancing protocols," a DGCA official said. There are multiple issues with this incident, and prominent among them are related to "photography on board in violation of Aircraft rules 13, violation of COVID-19 protocols and certain actions falling within the purview of unruly behaviour on board", the official stated. As per the DGCA rules, an airline can put an "unruly passenger" on its "no-fly list" for a certain period of time after an internal enquiry. A viral video of the Wednesday's incident showed that reporters and camerapersons of various TV channels were jostling and bunching up near the front rows to get a comment from Ranaut after the plane landed at the Mumbai airport. The video purportedly showed that the actor was sitting in one of the front rows. In the video, one crew member can be heard telling the passengers to sit down in their seats and not "harass" anyone as the seat belt sign had not been turned off. According to the video, Ranaut disembarked from the plane without giving any comment to the mediapersons on board. The Shiv Sena, which heads the alliance government in the state, and Ranaut had engaged in a war of words after she likened Mumbai to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and said she feared Mumbai Police more than alleged movie mafia. On Wednesday morning, a team of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) had demolished the alterations allegedly made without the civic body's approval at Ranaut's bungalow at Pali Hill in Mumbai. Ranaut arrived in Mumbai the same day after the demolition through the aforementioned IndiGo flight. IndiGo in a a statement said, "We have given our statement to the DGCA regarding the matter pertaining to flight 6E 264 from Chandigarh to Mumbai, on September 9, 2020." "We would like to reiterate that our cabin crew, as well as the captain followed all the requisite protocols, including announcements to restrict photography, follow social distancing and maintain overall safety," the airline stated. IndiGo said it also followed the requisite protocol of documenting this matter in its post-flight report. "We are committed to providing a safe, hassle-free experience to our passengers," it added. On this incident, a DGCA official on Friday said, "We have asked the airline (IndiGo) to take appropriate action against those responsible." Also, the regulator has asked the airline to submit a report on this incident, the official mentioned. As per the Civil Aviation Ministry's social distancing rules issued on May 25, "On arrival at the destination, passengers should be allowed to exit (the plane) in a sequence so as to avoid any bunching." Recent video shows attorney Javier Ordonez pleading with police officers, who tasered him at least five times as he lay on the ground A riot police officer is reached by a petrol bomb during clashes with demonstrators protesting against police brutality in Medellin, Colombia on September 10, 2020. - At least 10 people were killed and hundreds wounded after rioting broke out in the Colombian capital Bogota during protests over the death of a man repeatedly tasered by police, authorities said Thursday. (AFP) Bogota: At least 10 people were killed and hundreds wounded after rioting broke out in the Colombian capital Bogota during protests over the death of a man repeatedly tasered by police, authorities said Thursday. Demonstrators took to the streets of the Colombian capital on Wednesday after video emerged of attorney Javier Ordonez pleading with uniformed officers, who shocked him with the weapon at least five times as he lay on the ground. "We are facing a massive act of violence," Defense Minister Carlos Holmes Trujillo said after several police stations were attacked and destroyed. The minister said he would bolster law enforcement in the capital city of more than seven million by sending in hundreds of soldiers and military police officers. Violent protests spread to the cities of Medellin and Cali. Bogota mayor Claudia Lopez said an earlier death toll of seven had increased to 10 on Thursday, most of them from gunshot wounds. Seven people had died in rioting in the capital, "the majority of them young people," Lopez said in an update late Thursday. Assessing the casualties from a night of violence, Lopez said earlier on Twitter that 326 people had been wounded in clashes between riot police and protesters, including 114 uniformed police. Fifty-eight of those wounded had suffered gunshot wounds, the mayor said. "There is solid evidence of the indiscriminate use of firearms by the police. What kind of training do they receive to have that absolutely disproportionate response to a protest," she said. Ordonez, a 46-year-old lawyer and father of two, is heard repeatedly crying "please, no more" in the widely circulated footage of his arrest, taken by a friend. He was taken to a police station and transferred to a local medical facility but died soon afterward. His family claim Ordonez was further assaulted after he was taken to the police station. Right-wing President Ivan Duque promised an investigation would be carried out "with total rigor in order to have absolute certainty about the facts." However, he said he would refuse to "stigmatize" the police "and call them murderers" because of the actions of a few officers. 'Sorrow' Videos taken by protesters using smartphones and shared on social media show terrified demonstrators running from gunfire during Wednesday's clashes. One man in a crowd is heard shouting "he's been hit, he's been hit!" as another, with bloodstained clothes, is dragged away by friends. The family of 23-year-old Frankpierre Charry said he was shot by police after he was caught up in the clashes in southern Bogota. "The doctors say they shot him in the back, from very close range," his mother Blanca Clavijo told AFP. The bullet had "hit his stomach and damaged his intestines," leaving him fighting for his life in hospital, she said. The government said 56 police posts had been "vandalized" and 70 people arrested for "violence against public forces." The defense minister told a news conference that the officers who detained the victim had been immediately suspended. The police claim they had responded to a complaint of public drunkenness and that Ordonez had assaulted them, necessitating the use of a taser. "We express our sorrow for the death of Javier Ordonez and offer our solidarity with his family," Trujillo said. "The national government will continue to cooperate with the authorities so that the facts are established as soon as possible." Before the death toll rose to seven, the minister offered a reward for "the capture of the perpetrators of the murder of five people" during the unrest in Bogota and the neighboring municipality of Soacha. Lopez, the city's leftist mayor elected last October, said the case highlighted the need for "deep and serious restructuring within the police." She said 137 complaints of excessive use of force by the police had been made so far this year. "There is a structural problem of cases of police abuse and, in addition, impunity," Lopez said in a statement. For many Colombians, the case evoked the killing in the US in May of African American George Floyd, also 46, who suffocated after being pinned by the neck to the road under the knee of a white officer. Floyd's plea that "I can't breathe" has become emblematic of police brutality toward African-Americans, burnished on banners and T-shirts at protests that continue to roil the United States. India and China have reached a five-point consensus to resolve the four-month-long military standoff in eastern Ladakh agreeing to "quickly disengage" troops, avoid any action that could escalate tensions and take steps to restore peace and tranquillity along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). The agreement in which the two countries said the current situation in the border areas is not in the interest of either side was finalised during the "frank and constructive" talks between External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Moscow on Thursday evening. The talks on the sidelines of a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meet lasted two-and-a-half-hours. The consensus came days after a fresh confrontation between the armies of the two countries in eastern Ladakh on Monday that further escalated the standoff which erupted in May and triggered a massive military build up by both sides in almost all friction points along the LAC, the de-facto border between the two countries. Indian government sources said the five-point agreement will guide the approach of the two countries in tackling the current border situation which has remained volatile and tense. "The two foreign ministers agreed that the current situation in the border areas is not in the interest of either side. They agreed therefore that the border troops of both sides should continue their dialogue, quickly disengage, maintain proper distance and ease tensions," said a joint press statement issued by India's Ministry of External Affairs(MEA) in the early hours of Friday. However, there is no mention of any timeline in the statement for disengagement and restoration of peace and tranquillity. India has been consistently maintaining that China should restore status quo ante of April in eastern Ladakh. The joint statement said Jaishankar and Wang agreed that both sides shall abide by all the existing agreements and protocol on China-India boundary affairs, maintain peace and tranquillity in the border areas and avoid any action that could escalate matters. Significantly, the statement said the ministers agreed that as the situation eases, the two sides should expedite work to conclude "new confidence building measures" to maintain and enhance peace and tranquillity in the border areas. At the talks, the Indian delegation highlighted its strong concern over massing of troops and military equipment by China along the LAC besides referring to "provocative behaviour" by the Chinese People's Liberation Army(PLA) personnel at numerous incidents of friction, Indian government sources said. They said the Chinese side could not provide a credible explanation for the troops buildup. The Indian side insisted that the immediate task is to ensure a comprehensive disengagement of troops in all the friction areas and that it is necessary to prevent any untoward incident in the future, the sources said. Jaishankar also told Wang that maintenance of peace and tranquillity on the border areas was essential to the forward development of ties, the sources added. He conveyed to his Chinese counterpart that the recent incidents in eastern Ladakh, however, inevitably impacted the development of the bilateral relationship. The sources said the Indian side clearly conveyed during the talks that it expected full adherence to all agreements on management of border areas and would not countenance any attempt to change the status quo unilaterally. "It was also emphasized that the Indian troops had scrupulously followed all agreements and protocols pertaining to the management of the border areas," said a source. The joint statement also said Jaishankar and Wang agreed that both sides should take guidance from the series of consensus reached between leaders of the two countries on developing India-China relations, including not allowing differences to become disputes. It was clear that the reference was to the broad decision taken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping in the talks following the Doklam episode of 2017. "The two sides also agreed to continue to have dialogue and communication through the Special Representative mechanism on the India-China boundary question," the joint statement said. "They also agreed in this context that the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China border affairs (WMCC), should also continue its meetings," it said. Foreign Minister Wang and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval are special representatives for the boundary talks. The Indian Army and the PLA have been locked in a tense standoff in multiple areas along the LAC in eastern Ladakh since early May. Shots were fired across the LAC on Monday for the first time in 45 years with the two sides accusing each other of firing in the air. A press release issued by the Chinese Foreign Ministry in Beijing quoted Wang as having told Jaishankar that it is normal for both the countries to have differences but it is important to put them in proper context and take the guidance of the leaders. "Wang noted that it is normal for China and India to have differences as two neighbouring major countries. What is important is to put these differences in a proper context vis-a-vis bilateral relations", the release said. Wang stressed that as two large developing countries are emerging rapidly, what China and India need right now is cooperation, not confrontation; and mutual trust, not suspicion, the release added. "Whenever the situation gets difficult, it is all the more important to ensure the stability of the overall relationship and preserve mutual trust", Wang said. "China-India relations have once again come to crossroads. But as long as the two sides keep moving the relationship in the right direction, there will be no difficulty or challenge that can't be overcome," Wang added. It is also important to move back all personnel and equipment that have trespassed. The frontier troops must quickly disengage so that the situation may de-escalate , he said. The Chinese side is willing to support enhanced dialogue between the frontier troops on both sides to resolve specific issues. The Chinese side will stay in touch with the Indian side through diplomatic and military channels and be committed to restoring peace and tranquility in the border areas." The meeting between Jaishankar and Wang was the second highest political contact between the two countries in a week. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and his Chinese counterpart Gen. Wei Fenghe had also met in Moscow on September 4 on the sidelines of another SCO meet. In Delhi, Singh and the country's top military brass deliberated on the five-point agreement, government sources said. National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Bipin Rawat, Army Chief Gen. MM Naravane, Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria and Navy Chief Admiral Karambir Singh were among others who were present, they said. The armies of India and China are expected to hold a fresh round of Corps commander-level talks early next week with a focus on implementing certain provisions of the five-point agreement, the sources said. The sources said the Indian Army will keenly observe Chinese military's overall approach along the LAC in eastern Ladakh to make an assessment of their seriousness in easing tension as agreed in Jaishankar-Wang talks. It is also learnt that Gen. Naravane deliberated on the overall situation in Ladakh as well as on the provisions of agreement with top military officials in the Army headquarters. In Chushul, another round of Brigade commander-level talks also took place for around four hours from 11 AM on Friday with a focus on bringing down tensions at the face-off sites. Madrid: Five people with suspected links to Islamic State jihadists were arrested in separate incidents in Spain and Hungary, with several weapons also being seized, authorities said. Spain's interior ministry yesterday said police detained a Moroccan man with Dutch identity documents in the north western city of Figueras suspected of belonging to IS who recently returned to Spain from Turkey. The authorities are investigating whether his return "was motivated by a desire to carry out some sort of action in Europe," the ministry said in a statement. The ministry said Spanish police were able to locate the man thanks to the help of Dutch authorities and of the intelligence services of several unnamed countries. "Investigators are currently trying to determine the degree of radicalization of the detainee, his possible linksin Europe, the activities he has been carrying out for Daesh and what his purpose was since his arrival in Spain," the statement said, using an Arabic acronym for IS. In a separate operation, police detained two Spanish menwho were part of a group "that had reached a very high levelof determination to carry out terrorist activities". The group was "fully aligned with the strategy of theterrorist organisation Daesh," the ministry said in a separate statement. Police seized a long gun and three knives during searches of six houses carried out as part of the operation in Ceuta, the tiny Spanish territory bordered by Morocco on one side and the Mediterranean Sea. Meanwhile, Hungarian authorities said they arrested two young women from France and Belgium allegedly seeking to joinIS in Syria. The Belgian, 18, and the French national, 19, were trying to cross into Serbia, a police spokes person told Hungarian news agency MTI. The women, who were not named, were travelling on a bus from Vienna to Sofia from where they planned to reach Syria and join IS. They were subject to warrants issued for previous "acts in connection with terrorism," Gyorgy Bakondi, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's chief security advisor, told public television. No further details were released. Spanish police have arrested 181 people accused ofconnections to Islamist militant groups since 2015 when Spainraised its terror alert level to four on a scale of five following deadly attacks in France, Tunisia and Kuwait. It is the highest alert level since Al-Qaeda-inspiredbombers blew up four packed commuter trains and killed 191people in Madrid on March 11, 2004. Spain has been mentioned on extremist websites as apossible attack target for historical reasons, given much ofits territory was under Muslim rule from 711 to 1492. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Attorney General William Barr. Alex Wong/Getty Images A veteran prosecutor working on Attorney General William Barr's investigation into the origins of the Russia probe resigned from the Justice Department on Thursday, the Hartford Courant reported. The prosecutor, Nora Dannehy, reportedly resigned amid concerns that Barr was exerting inappropriate political pressure on investigators to release their findings before the November election, even though their work is not yet done. Dannehy's colleagues told the Courant that she did not support President Donald Trump and had been concerned for weeks by Barr's actions. The attorney general has repeatedly cast doubt on the origins of the Russia probe, suggesting the FBI should not have launched the investigation and that it was inappropriately "spying" on Trump's 2016 campaign. An independent investigation into the matter by the Justice Department's inspector general found no evidence of illegal spying and also concluded that the bureau had an "authorized purpose" in launching the Russia probe. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. Related: 7 takeaways from Robert Mueller's Russia investigation A prosecutor who was working on the Department of Justice's investigation into the origins of the FBI's Russia probe has resigned from the department, the Hartford Courant reported on Friday. The prosecutor, Nora Dannehy, resigned amid concerns that Attorney General William Barr was pressuring investigators to produce a final report before the election, even though their work is not done, her colleagues told the Courant. The department, under Barr's leadership, opened an investigation into the Russia probe's origins last year, shortly after he was confirmed as attorney general. Barr is overseeing the inquiry and appointed John Durham, the US attorney in Connecticut, to determine whether prosecutors or senior DOJ and FBI officials broke the law while conducting the Russia investigation. According to the Courant, Dannehy worked with Durham for decades and is a veteran prosecutor who's highly respected by her colleagues. She initially left the department over 10 years ago but came back when Durham asked her to work on his investigation. She announced her resignation from the DOJ in a brief email to colleagues on Thursday evening, according to the Courant. Story continues Dannehy's colleagues told the Courant that she did not support Trump and had been concerned for weeks by what she viewed as political pressure from Barr for Durham's team to produce a report on its investigation before the November general election. Barr has repeatedly cast doubts on the origins of the investigation, which examined Russian interference in the 2016 US election and whether members of President Donald Trump's campaign conspired with the Russian government to tilt the race in his favor. He falsely claimed last year that the FBI was inappropriately "spying" on the Trump campaign a talking point the president and his allies have also widely circulated and suggested that the investigation was part of an effort to undermine Trump. An independent probe into the matter by the Justice Department's inspector general, Michael Horowitz, uncovered no evidence that the bureau illegally spied on the Trump campaign. It also concluded that the FBI had an "authorized purpose" in launching the Russia probe, though it did find "significant inaccuracies and omissions" in the bureau's application for a warrant to surveil a Trump campaign aide. Shortly after Horowitz's report was released, Barr and Durham publicly voiced their disagreement with its findings and said the FBI was not justified in opening the investigation into Russia's interference and the Trump campaign in 2016. "The FBI launched an intrusive investigation of a US presidential campaign on the thinnest of suspicions that, in my view, were insufficient to justify the steps taken," Barr said in a statement. He added that law-enforcement officials overstepped their boundaries when they investigated Trump and the president did nothing wrong. The attorney general also released a misleading letter to the public in March 2019 summarizing the findings of the FBI's Russia probe, which was spearheaded by the special counsel Robert Mueller. Barr said Mueller found "no collusion" between the Trump campaign and Russia, and he also concluded that Trump did not obstruct justice in Mueller's probe. Mueller's final report contradicted both of Barr's claims. "Collusion" is not a legal term, and Mueller's report determined that there was not sufficient evidence to charge anyone associated with the Trump campaign for conspiring with the Russian government. Legal scholars pointed out that saying there was not "sufficient evidence" did not mean there was no evidence. On obstruction, Mueller's team wrote that it declined to make a "traditional prosecutorial judgment" on whether the president sought to thwart the Russia inquiry. But it emphasized that this finding "does not exonerate" Trump, adding that if they "had confidence" that "the president did not commit a crime," they would have said so. Read the original article on Business Insider Welcome to the second article in our series about Elmal, Cameli and Highland Tourism. Our first article talked about where you can stay in Elmal, near Cameli if youre looking for a break in a rural location. If you missed it, please click on the link below and take a few minutes to have a read. Stone house holidays in a stunning rural, traditional location Stones houses in Elmal If you would like to book a stay in one of the stone houses, please click on the link below. Stone Houses Elmal, Cameli Elmal life in the slow lane Exploring a traditional Turkish village will reveal a completely different world. One where you can lose yourself in the simple yet interesting traditions that have been passed down over the years. Where unspoilt beauty and peacefulness prevail, the passage of time has barely left its mark and where agriculture, trout farming and ancient methods are a way of life. You can experience all this and more by spending a few days in Elmal. The Water Mill (Su Degirmeni) Have you ever been in a water mill? Have you ever see grain being ground into flour by two millstones powered by water? Elmal has a working water mill where locals take their own grain and receive back ground meal or flour. The local family who operates the mill take payment in flour, a percentage called the millers toll. Its fascinating! Take time to explore the intricate pattern of narrow streets in the village. Mountain views, fields of crops, peeping livestock, traditional farm equipment, streams, the village mosque, remains of original houses, wood piles, peppers drying, trout farms and so much more. And best of all, warmth, friendliness, and true Turkish hospitality. Have a look at our photo gallery for a sneak peek. Discovering village life Wherever you go in the village, youre never far from running water. Or a trout farm (alabalk ciftligi) Time for tea (cay zaman) No visit is complete without cay. You can sit under a shady tree, order numerous glasses of cay and enjoy them whilst chatting with Muharrem and his family. Or you can help yourself from the caydanlk in the centre of the village that provides free cay for locals and visitors. The villagers take turns to provide tea and sugar and the caydanlk is kept filled by the shop owner opposite. Thats hospitality for you! We hope youve enjoyed our tour of Elmal village. Of course, theres much more to see and experience so why not go along and check it out for yourself? Youll be glad you did! www.camelibagevleri.com In our next article in the series, well be taking a look at Cameli and things to do in the area. www.camelitour.com There is no pause as Itsu founder Julian Metcalfe answers how his sushi empire is faring in the wake of the pandemic: 'It's been completely decimated.' The East Asian-inspired fast food chain is almost completely reliant on the lunchtime trade and well-heeled office workers paying up to 10 for a box of sushi. Some 35 of its 77 stores are still shut. A third of its staff are on furlough. Last month it completed an insolvency procedure, known as a company voluntary agreement, to close two stores and slash rents on 53 more. Some might think it will be a long way back. Struggle: Itsu boss Julian Metcalfe believes the threat of Covid-19 'has been blown out of all proportion' It's 'extraordinary that businesses aren't bringing people back' to the office, Metcalfe, 60, complains. The risk of the virus 'has been blown out of all proportion' and 'we live in a world where our leaders don't like delivering bad news, they just can't bear it'. He says: 'How many knee-jerk reactions will we see? Next week you won't be able to eat rabbit, it's ridiculous.' But with newly lowered rents, he believes his stores will survive until office workers make their slow return. His re-invigorated expansion plan has been hatched with 'Elon Musk-type stealth' in lockdown. Office workers are Itsu's history, he says, 'its future will be different'. Metcalfe says his crusade with Itsu, which he founded in 1997, is to offer a healthy lunch for 7. His style is more mad inventor than fastidious accountant, but compared to some of the technocrats who run top companies, it's refreshing. 'I'll put in whatever it takes', he says, adding that total investment has hit '40million to 50million' in the last three years. 'And we'll put in more this is a really long game.' His wealth was estimated to be 215million last year. Itsu's latest accounts show sales rose 10.4 per cent to 116.5million in 2018, while losses narrowed from 8.8million to 6million. Deserted: Some 35 of Itsu's 77 stores are still shut. A third of its staff are on furlough. Last month it completed an insolvency procedure, known as a company voluntary agreement Today he wants to show off the new restaurant design that is being trialled on Great Portland Street in London's West End. He says it will be enough to overcome the slump facing the hospitality industry. 'This is really huge, it's the first time we've cracked affordable fast food,' he says. Perhaps we should believe him. He did, after all, make his riches reinventing how we eat lunch. W ITH university friend Sinclair Beecham, he started selling freshly made sandwiches in Hampstead, north London in 1986. When the queue became too long, they made them in the morning and stored them in fridges Pret a Manger was born. He sold most of his stake to private equity firm Bridgepoint for 364million in 2008. The sale opened up the trappings of wealth to him. He lives with his wife, art expert and businesswoman Brooke, in a 17th-century Tudor home in Oxfordshire. It is 'large enough to accommodate their seven children', notes one interior magazine writer. The interest is reminiscent of Metcalfe's former life in the society pages (his grandfather Edward was best man at Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson's wedding). Now even Pret, worth 1.5billion when JAB Holding bought it in 2018, is on its knees. It has axed 2,890 staff and will shut 30 outlets. Its boss, who racked up huge profits from its 'follow the skyscraper' strategy, admitted last week it was too focused on London. Metcalfe is reluctant to talk about Pret but thinks it is 'probably very concerned', noting it doesn't bring in punters much after 3pm. By contrast, Itsu has not cut staff. In fact, there's talk of breaking outside London in a meaningful way for the first time. And there are encouraging signs. The new-style restaurant on Great Portland Street has been open a week. 'Everyone's been pretty pleased. We try not to put targets for the first month, it's a waste of time or if there was a target, they didn't tell me,' says Metcalfe. The hope is to bring couples and groups of friends in for a quick bite in the evening and vie with the leading Asian chain, Wagamama. Little expense has been spared on the restaurant down to the real orchids. 'It's top-class Itsu stuff. It would not look out of place in Kyoto,' Metcalfe boasts. 'There hasn't been much development in affordable healthy fast food because it's just so difficult. One of Itsu's 'sushi robots' churns out the Nigri. The machines can produce 4,800 perfectly shaped rice snacks per hour We're still having to rely on Wagamama, Nando's, and a few other places. If your budget is 7, you have a problem.' He excitedly runs through innovations in this restaurant that he hopes to roll out across the estate. Touch screens planned ahead of Covid, but now with the added benefit of removing 'endless interaction by hand'. He has slimmed down Itsu's menu to 16 hot and 16 cold items downgrading the importance of sushi. At the same time he has cut prices so that sushi boxes are 3.99 to 8.39, and rice and noodle bowls are 5.50 to 6.50. The hot recipes which include best-seller teriyaki chicken, spicy Korean chicken and vegetable gyoza noodles taste good. The price is kept down by bulking out the bowl with carbs, with clever presentation to give a wow-factor. Seven in ten dishes are under 500 calories and nothing is fried. Another eye-catching element is a new generation of sushi robots, which shape the sushi rice all without being handled by chefs. 'I don't know how much they cost, 50,000 or something,' Metcalfe says, but is later corrected by a minion (they are a mere 12,000). The nigiri robot produces 4,800 perfectly shaped rice snacks per hour almost too quickly for the chef to harvest. The machines more common in Japan where they are made free up staff for other parts of the store. If Metcalfe's reinvention comes off, then expect to see stores in a town near you he anticipates the next stage could get up to 170 in the UK. 'It's far more than a business, it's an absolute crusade,' he finishes dramatically. 'Not since the 50s has fast food caught up with changing tastes and nutrition needs. It's a start. We will lead and many will follow.' BAKU, Azerbaijan, Sept. 11 By Fidan Babayeva Trend: The processing facilities of Azerbaijans Azertutun LLC (Azertobacco) received more than 6,400 tons of tobacco leaves from farmers, Trend reports on Sept. 11 referring to the Azerbaijan Industrial Corporation. "The processing facilities of Azertutun LLC, located in the Azerbaijani north-west, continue to receive tobacco leaves, the corporation added. Until now, 6,447 tons of tobacco leaves have been received by the tobacco production and processing facilities operating in Balakan, Zagatala, Gakh and Sheki districts. The tobacco production and processing facilities received 2,408 tons of tobacco leaves from Sheki farmers, 1,492 tons from Balakan farmers, 1,418 tons from Zagatala farmers, 1,128 tons from Gakh farmers. "Presently, 224 tobacco curing chambers have been installed at the processing facilities in these districts, the corporation. As of today, 687 tons of dried tobacco have been sent from processing points to the warehouses." The Azerbaijani president approved the state program for development of the production of tobacco and tobacco products in Azerbaijan on August 10, 2017. One of its main goals is to increase the yield of tobacco up to 20 centners per hectare, expand the tobacco-growing areas up to 6,000 hectares and increase the production volume up to 12,000 tons of tobacco. CEDAR RAPIDS -- Presidential campaigns owe it to the voters to hit the campaign trail and meet voters even during a pandemic, according to a team of President Donald Trump supporters on a bus tour of Iowa this week. The Trump bus is on a 12-stop tour of the state, including a visit to Cedar Rapids on Thursday morning where American Conservative Union Chairman Matt Schlapp joked there were more people at the GOPs Linn County campaign office on a rainy Thursday in Iowa than at Joe Bidens acceptance speech. The tour is no laughing matter for the Iowa Democratic Party, which called it a celebration of Trumps failure to contain the coronavirus pandemic. Not only is the tour incredibly dangerous, Iowa Democratic Party Chairman Mark Smith said, but is nothing short of tone-deaf as 76,000 Iowans are still out-of-work from Trumps failure to contain the virus that led to the worst economic downtown since the Great Depression. Penny Nance, president of Concerned Women for America, responded, I guess that means were being effective or they wouldnt have bothered issuing a news release. Trump campaign spokeswoman Erin Perrine also pushed back on the Democrats criticism. Listen, everybody has their own individual choice, she said. Those who may have a higher likelihood or have underlying health conditions, please join us for events online, enjoy the movement from home. But we absolutely take safety and security and the health of the American people very seriously on this campaign, Perrine said. And thats something were going to continue to do. More than half of those at the indoor rally were not wearing masks. However, the real issue, Schlapp said, is that Democrats dont want a traditional campaign because they know their nominee, former Vice President Joe Biden, isnt up to it. They have done everything they possibly could to not engage and have a real campaign for the American people, Schlapp said. So this line on the question of health just falls conveniently into what they want to do on all this. They would like there to be no events from either candidate. No bus tours. No engagement of the American people. It would be a phony, no debate, TV video kind of campaign, and that is simply not consistent with the American experience, he said. Weve got to engage the voters. We owe it to the American people to explain what Donald Trump wants to get done in a second term. The campaign and how and where it is waged is bigger than Trump and definitely bigger than this Joe Biden person, Schlapp told supporters at the GOPs Linn County campaign office. Its bigger than the men, Schlapp said. In Trumps heart, the cause is the country. Hes doing this because he doesnt want our country to surrender to the scourge, to the cancer of socialism. And thats what this is about. The bus tour will continue with an 11:50 a.m. stop Friday at the Iowa Firefighters Memorial, 1370 First Ave., in Coralville. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 BEIJING, Sept. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- A report from Science and Technology Daily: The world nowadays is made up of diversified entities. With a great amount of driving forces for social and economic development, only digital technology can act as veins to connect each dot. As to China, although the future setup of development would mainly focus on the "domestic great circulation", the "mutual promotion of domestic and international double circulation" is also of great importance. By launching Global Initiative on Data Security, we declare once again to the world that China adheres to opening up, exerts to promote the establishment of an open world economy and a digital community with a shared future. Either in the field of science and technology or economy, the trend of globalization is irreversible, so is the trend of the division and cooperation of work and mutual benefit among different countries. China needs to keep the status of being highly open to the world, and creates a new edge in terms of international cooperation and competition in each sector, including the information industry, in order to help realize goals of social development in a new era. A man of virtue is open-minded and always at ease whereas a man of meanness is full of distress at all times. There are always some countries trying to stir up disputes based on the idea of zero-sum game. Recently, several American politicians have scurried across different continents, sparing no effort to slander China's IT industry and even the entire opening-up policy with the excuse of "safety maintenance". By advocating global data security, China not only displayed the frankness that we always uphold and stopped the spreading of malicious lies fabricated by certain people, but also exposed the covered hypocrisy of the United States. In addition to fighting back against political smear, the initiative also reflects China's profound understanding of the nature of the information industry and how to increases social productivity. For thousands of years, the realization of the value of information has been closely tied to transmission. Even the oracle of Heaven, if buried in the mountains, is a piece of waste paper. And the core function of the Internet is to fulfill the most extensive and efficient transmission of information in history. Unlike the slow and repeated progress of productivity in ancient times, the information society is more likely to embrace the trend of broader and thorough interconnection and this will only constantly accelerate and upgrade. Therefore, the lack of international rules in the digital space will jeopardize the development of the global digital economy. While the United States is taking actions that are not conducive to data security, it still severely accuses other countries of endangering America. No country has any reason to tolerate its hegemony. Judging which products are safe or "convicting" who is jeopardizing data security in other countries should not be left to the United States to speak for itself. The time has been long past when a hegemonic country could selfishly fulfill its greed with the sacrifice of its subordinates. It is obvious that a visionary country will follow the tides of the time and make concerted efforts to ensure the smooth flow of information under fair and mutually beneficial rules. (Authors:Zhang Mengran, Lu Zijian & Long Yun) SOURCE Science and Technology Daily Mainline Protestants twice as likely as evangelicals to have religiously unaffiliated teenage kids: Pew Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Mainline Protestant parents are twice as likely to have religiously unaffiliated teenaged children as evangelical parents, according to a new report by the Pew Research Center. In a report released Thursday, Pew found that 80% of evangelicals surveyed had a teenage child who shared their religious identification; 81% of Catholic respondents reported the same. However, mainline Protestant respondents who had a teenage child that identified as mainline Protestant was 55%, far lower than the evangelical and Catholic samples. Further, among the three Christian groups, mainline Protestants had the highest percentage of teenage children who identified as unaffiliated, at 24%. Evangelical respondents had the lowest percentage of unaffiliated teenaged children at 12%, while 15% of Catholic respondents had a teenage child that was religiously unaffiliated. Among religious unaffiliated parents surveyed, 86% percent of them had a teenage child who was also unaffiliated, while 10% had teens who identified with one of the Christian categories. When it comes to religious practices with the family, evangelical teens were more likely to engage in such practices compared to mainline Protestants and Catholics. Eighty-eight percent of evangelical teens said they talk about religion with their family, while 60% of mainline Protestants and 66% of Catholics said the same. Eighty percent of evangelical teens, 51% of mainline teens and 42% of Catholic teens said they say grace before meals. Over half (53%) of evangelical teens said they read religious scriptures while only 18% of mainline and Catholic teens said the same. Other findings show that teens were as likely to attend worship services as their parents, with 44% of teens and 43% of parents saying they attended worship services at least once a month. Despite similar attendance, Pew also reported that its usually the teens who are less religious than the parents. For instance, far fewer teens (24%) than parents (43%) say that religion is very important in their lives, explained Pew, adding that parents are far more likely to overestimate the importance of religion to their teen than to underestimate it. Overall, about half (48%) of all surveyed teens said they have all the same religious beliefs as their parent. Among the teens who said they share some of the same beliefs or hold quite different beliefs from their parent, 34% said their parent doesnt know that they have different religious beliefs; 17% said this difference causes at least some conflict in their household, Pew noted. Pew drew their data from a survey of 1,811 teenagers aged 13-17 taken March 29 to April 14, 2019, interviewing them along with one parent or legal guardian, with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points. The report pointed out that the survey was conducted well before the COVID-19 pandemic began and thus did not factor in current restrictions on in-person worship. While Pew had non-Christian and black Protestants among the respondents, they concluded that the numbers of each category were not sufficiently large enough to draw any conclusions about those specific groups. In recent years, much has been made about the decline of liberal mainline denominations, especially The Episcopal Church, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The decline has been a mixture of factors, including aging demographics, lower birth rates, and many conservative members leaving over increasingly liberal theological positions being taken. In February, the Episcopal Churchs Executive Council heard a report concluding that their denomination will effectively cease to exist within the next 50 years at their current rate of decline. Kristine Stache, interim president of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America-affiliated Wartburg Theological Seminary, told the Council that the denomination will have no Sunday attendance in 30 years and no baptized members in 47 years. Last month, the Rev. J. Herbert Nelson II, stated clerk of the PCUSA General Assembly, warned that the denomination might have to quit holding a mass gathering for their biennial general assembly due to membership losses and financial issues. Nelson explained in a video that the denomination "cannot continue to hold the big tent General Assembly in which we have people from all over coming in and spending six, seven, eight days at a general assembly and utilizing that in a big arena. That is happening, basically, because we are at a place financially with the drying up of per capita as it is and the whole system is strained with regards to the fallout in the denomination with membership loss which actually came from people leaving, said Nelson. India and China on Friday held Brigade-Commander level talks at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Chushul area of eastern Ladakh. The talks took place for four hours from 11 am to 3 pm, said sources. According to a source, the aim of the talks was to "exchange views on daily activities so that there are no misunderstandings and make sure the communication lines are open". The interaction has been happening on a daily basis since many days except with an interlude on September7-8 when the Chinese side allegedly indulged in provocative action around Rezang La at LAC. Live TV During the ground commanders interaction earlier this week, both sides decided to hold Corps commanders' levels talks. While the date and time of the meet is yet to be decided, it will be the sixth such meet since June. So far, five Lt Gen-level or Corps Commander talks have taken place between the Indian and Chinese armies on June 6, 22 and 30; July 14 and August 2. Hopes are high that after the joint statement of India and China Foreign Ministers calling for disengagement at the border, things will ease on the ground. India has marked its presence on the south bank of Pangong lake and several dominating heights close to China's existing positions at Finger 4, north bank of the lake. The Chinese have occupied Finger 4 to Finger 8 in the north bank of Pangong lake and as part of disengagement, India has repeatedly asked Chinese forces to go on its side of LAC and vacate the area. Meanwhile, the foreign ministers of India and China held a nearly 2-hour-30-minute long meet in Moscow on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Foreign Ministers' meet. Issuing a joint statement on the matter, the countries asserted that the five-point statement will "guide their approach to the current situation". Both countries also agreed that border troops of both sides should continue their dialogue, quickly disengage, maintain proper distance and ease tensions. KYODO NEWS - Sep 11, 2020 - 12:05 | Feature, All, Japan At a time when female leaders around the world are winning plaudits for their coronavirus responses, Japan's ruling party will hold a leadership election without a single female contender, with its male-led factions appearing to hinder their rise. The Liberal Democratic Party's presidential election next Monday, which effectively decides the country's next prime minister, is a contest between three men -- Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, 71, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba, 63, and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida, 63. All three have spoken of promoting female participation in Japanese society, as did outgoing Prime Minister Shinzo Abe himself. But efforts hitherto have done little to break the "glass ceiling," with the World Economic Forum ranking Japan 121st in gender equality among 153 countries surveyed last year and in last place among major advanced economies. Elsewhere, female leaders including German Chancellor Angela Merkel, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen have attracted praise for their effective coronavirus responses, with their countries suffering little damage or performing better than neighbors. There were women who sought to join Japan's LDP leadership race following Abe's announcement last month that he would step down due to poor health. Tomomi Inada, 61, a former defense minister and Abe protege, and Seiko Noda, 60, a former internal affairs minister, both showed strong interest in running, but neither was able to clear the requirement of securing nominations from at least 20 LDP lawmakers. Inada had been supported by LDP members who hold conservative views on family issues, but they distanced themselves from her after she shifted her focus to issues surrounding women and started promoting debate on helping single mothers and allowing separate surnames for married couples. "Faction-led politics is a hurdle for women joining the (leadership) race," Inada said on a TV program recorded Wednesday after deciding to follow her faction's policy of backing Suga, who has already secured the backing of around 80 percent of lawmakers. Noda, who has openly said she wants to become prime minister, also failed to secure the support of 20 LDP lawmakers in the previous two leadership elections. After Abe's resignation announcement, Noda said she hoped for a policy-based "fair presidential race." But just days after the announcement, most of the LDP factions had decided to back Suga. Ishiba and Kishida also declared their candidacies with the support of their intraparty groups. With the LDP deciding to exclude rank-and-file members from voting this time, citing the need to stage a quick election to choose Abe's successor amid the ongoing fight against the pandemic, Noda gave up on running, seeing the outcome as essentially in the hands of the lawmaker factions. "There is a glass ceiling as women cannot join the race unless they have held prominent posts in the past and secured the backing of factions," said Shin Ki-young, a political science professor at Ochanomizu University. Shin warned that such a situation may hinder efforts to bring issues related to women to the table. Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike, 68, was the LDP's first-ever female candidate in the 2008 presidential election, but there has been no one to follow. The problem is not restricted to the ruling party. The presidential election of a new opposition party to be formally launched Tuesday through the merger of the two main opposition forces was also between two male candidates. In the Thursday election, Yukio Edano, 56, leader of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, beat Kenta Izumi, 46, policy chief of the Democratic Party for the People. There have been some female leaders of opposition parties in the past, with the late Takako Doi becoming head of the then Japan Socialist Party in 1986, and Renho, 52, was chosen leader of the Democratic Party in 2016. Social Democratic Party leader Mizuho Fukushima, 64, is a rare incumbent, although her party holds just four seats in parliament. But female representation itself in Japan's parliament is low to begin with. The percentage of female lawmakers in the lower house as of last month stood at 9.9 percent, far below top-ranking Rwanda at 61.3 percent or the international average of 25.1 percent, according to the Inter-Parliamentary Union. Shin said the LDP and the new main opposition party could have encouraged more women to become politicians if they had shown women vying for the top job. "They lost that chance," she said. Tim Ryan of IFAC Accountants explains why now may be the perfect time for farmers to take on new projects Changing Farm Structures One of the major decisions which can face farmers is whether to change their farm structure. There are many aspects from the Department of Agriculture, Revenue and legal implications that should be reviewed before a decision is made Registered Farm Partnerships If you have decided to enter a partnership, you should reach out to your accountant and solicitor for advice. They can then examine the proposed structure and confirm that it makes sense not only financially, but from a succession and legal point of view too. The next step is to deal with the Department of Agriculture as they have templates and sample documents to assist farmers which are available on the DAFM website. Registered or unregistered partnerships are virtually the same from a legal and taxation point of view. The main difference between them is that Department of Agriculture benefits are available to registered partnerships. What benefits can I expect from a Registered Partnership? *Extra grants available to all partnersdouble TAMSII *Allows more than one herd number in the entity *Sorts all issues with herd numbers and BPS - owner of BPS does NOT transfer entitlements to other partners (unless they wish to) *Useful as a succession planning tool to bring Young Farmers into business *Tax benefits New stock relief 50% Beware the Joint Herd Number Issue Am I in a Partnership? Recently, some farmers have created Joint Herd Number structures in order to qualify for the National Reserve and Young Farmers Scheme without seeking either legal or taxation guidance. This can cause issues down the line as the question arises in individual cases as to whether a partnership has been created. Potential problems include: *Whether the structure grants immediate, unintended legal ownership rights to the underlying farming assets of the enterprise, to the new joint owner. *Whether the structure renders the terms of existing Wills which do not reflect the existence of the partnership open to legal challenge as a consequence of not referring specifically to the partnership. *Whether the structure creates unplanned and unintended Income Tax, Capital Gains Tax, Capital Acquisitions Tax, or Stamp Duty bills. Ifac Dos & Donts *Do NOT transfer your herd number or BPS to a registered partnership before deciding with your accountant/solicitor who exactly is in the partnership. *Do NOT transfer your herd number to a registered partnership or joint names if you have applied and not been granted approval for a TAMS grant or GLAS. You must wait until approval has been granted before moving herd number. *BPS must always be transferred to the new entity before 15 May each year *Be aware of tax/legal issues of moving a herd number to joint names without setting up either a registered or unregistered partnership. A properly planned partnership structure, such as a Registered or Unregistered Farm Partnership, can assist in a number of ways, including with farm transfers and succession. A partnership can also enhance profitability, improve work-life balance, reduce Income Tax, secure 50% Stock Relief and a potential double ceiling for the new TAMS II Capital Grant. However, before deciding to enter into a partnership, always seek professional advice. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-11 20:17:47|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday stressed continuing to advance the development of science and technology to a deeper and broader level. Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the comments at a symposium attended by scientists in Beijing. Xi said the scientific and technological development must target the global science frontiers, serve the main economic battlefield, strive to fulfill significant needs of the country and benefit people's lives and health. Enditem The Mumbai Police late on Friday night arrested four workers of the Shiv Sena for assaulting a retired Indian Navy officer. Madan Sharma, 65, was allegedly thrashed by Sena workers for forwarding on WhatsApp a cartoon featuring Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, police said. The incident took place at around 11.30am in Lokhandwala Complex area in suburban Kandivali. One of those arrested has been identified as Kamlesh Kadam, a Sena shakhapramukh, along with three party workers while two others are on the run. Retired Navy officer Madan Sharma had forwarded a cartoon on Thackeray on a WhatsApp group. Some Sena workers went to his house and beat him up. Sharma sustained an eye injury and is being treated at hospital," an official said. A case under IPC Section 325 (causing grievous hurt) and provisions related to rioting was registered against the accused. Former Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis slammed the Thackeray government over reports of the assault. Extremely sad and shocking incident. Retired Naval Officer got beaten up by goons because of just a WhatsApp forward. Please stop this GundaRaj Hon Uddhav Thackeray ji. We demand strong action and punishment to these goons," he said on Twitter. Florence police have announced a plan for demonstrations in the downtown area this weekend, which has seen 14 weeks of protests over the summer around the Lauderdale County courthouse. I have determined, in the interest of public safety, to modify the police departments response to the downtown protests, Florence Police Chief Ron Tyler said. The plan calls for protesters against the Confederate monument to remain in the area south of Tennessee Street and west of South Court Street on the courthouse side. Counter-protesters will be restricted to the area south of Tennessee Street and east of South Court Street, on the Long Lewis/Suntrust Building side. Yelling, chanting and singing will be permitted if the noise level remains reasonable," but no sound amplification will be allowed, except for the Courthouse property, or as long as the Lauderdale County Sheriffs office permits it. Streets and sidewalks must remain clear for vehicles and pedestrians. The three blocks of North Court Street, from Tennessee Street to Tuscaloosa Street, is restricted to restaurant and business patrons, with active protesting allowed in the area. The Florence Police Department will have zero tolerance for any protester crossing S. Court St. to the opposing side or protesting on N. Court St., the directive reads. Tyler told AL.com that did not mean that protesters or counter protesters cant be on N. Court St. I am saying there will be a zero tolerance for criminal offenses that occur in this area, he said. Tyler said the plan was formulated with guidelines provided by the American Civil Liberties Union in mind. This plan is very reasonable, Tyler said. It is not a capricious reaction, rather it reflects an awareness of the concerns of the ACLU about infringement on First Amendment rights and it is consistent with their guidance. It affords everyone the opportunity and appropriate space to express their First Amendment rights while also protecting downtown patrons, not involved in the protests, from being caught up in any altercations. Rebecca Seung-Bickley, communications director for the ACLU of Alabama, said no one from the organization was personally consulted. Neither the ACLU of Alabama nor ACLU National was consulted regarding the Florence Police Departments new protest restrictions," she said. "They are simply citing our know-your-rights materials on our website, which does not equal agreement or support. Furthermore, we have not seen the location, and so would not be able to say whether these are reasonable time, place, or manner restrictions. Tyler said ACLU guidelines say police must treat protesters and counterprotesters equally. Therefore, separate and equal space is being provided for any counterprotesters, he said. We will be present to maintain order and ensure there are no problems and that the counterprotesters do not unlawfully disrupt this weekends events. 'People who have diabetes or heart disease or high blood pressure seem to be more badly affected by the disease.' IMAGE: Medical workers get ready to treat patients suffering from COVID-19 at the Max Smart Super Speciality Hospital in New Delhi, September 5, 2020. Photograph: Danish Siddiqui/Reuters A trip to Italy from Australia in February this year changed Professor Jeremy K Nicholson's life. It changed his work focus. And his personal life too. He learned that SARS-COV-2, responsible for COVID-19, was not simply a deadly respiratory virus temporarily running riot in the lungs, but caused effects that may stay with you all your life. Professor Nicholson's research on the frightening multi-organ metabolic nature of COVID-19 gives us many reasons why we should take our mask wearing, social distancing and other precautions even more seriously -- ten times more seriously -- and steer clear of COVID-19 entirely. A pro-vice chancellor of the health sciences at Murdoch University in Perth, western Australia, Professor Nicholson spent many years at Imperial College, London, where he was the head of the biological chemistry department and subsequently the head of the department of surgery and cancer. He started up MRC-National Phenome Centre at Imperial College, the world's first. In 2012, while remaining professor emeritus at the Imperial College, he moved to Australia to head the Australian National Phenome Centre, which is right now concentrating on COVID-19 research. A team of researchers of ANPC and the University of Cambridge, working jointly, to show the kind of widespread multiple effect COVID-19 has on the human body, have put together a predictive metabolic model for the disease. Using phenotyping* technology and by studying the blood plasma of positive and negative people, according to Professor Nicholson: 'To effectively navigate the coming waves of COVID-19, we need to be able to accurately diagnose and predict the severity of disease for infected individuals at an early stage so that they can be more effectively monitored and managed'. In Part I of his interview to Vaihayasi Pande Daniel/Rediff.com, Professor Nicholson explains the consequences of COVID-19 on your physiology. I had a question in the context of your multi-organ metabolic disorder research on COVID-19, where COVID-19 turns people into diabetics and gives them liver disease, heart disease and blood dysfunction. Were these people slated to get these diseases a little bit later and because of COVID-19 they got them earlier? Or they have gotten them now only because of COVID-19? People who have already got diabetes or heart disease or high blood pressure seem to be more badly affected by the disease. They are more likely to get severe effects. But the thing that's complex, really complicated is the fact that the disease looks as if it can -- what we call -- create a new onset presentation. Actually, most of the people who get COVID-19 -- from what we've seen so far -- get some sort of diabetic symptoms. They can have very high blood glucose and a lot of lipoprotein changes that are consistent with diabetes. So, the majority of the cases of diabetes are actually coming from the disease itself. And if you have diabetes already, then you get a sort of double dose of it, which is really, really bad for you. A group in London, at the Imperial College, have also shown that children -- up to 20 per cent of them -- can get diabetes with COVID-19. That, of course, is very, very worrying in the long term. And then on top of that, there's also signs from the biochemistry -- of liver disease, and cardiovascular disease. The virus attacks blood vessels. It can attack any part in the body technically. In addition to lung symptoms, there's also a lot of background symptoms as well, which often go unnoticed, because doctors are really concerned with the lung disease control now. What's worrying is quite a lot of people have probably got some new disease, liver damage and diabetes and that might be missed. If it is missed, it is more likely to make the overall disease pattern worse and increase the chances of morbidity and mortality. IMAGE: A health worker collects a swab sample from a woman during a rapid antigen testing campaign for COVID-19 in Mumbai, September 7, 2020. Photograph: Francis Mascarenhas/Reuters So, it seems as if COVID-19 brings these ailments, like diabetes specifically. It is difficult to say whether they would have gotten it in the normal course in any case? No, no, I don't think that's the case. COVID-19 has absolutely caused it. We have got so many patients, who are in the clinics, and they have signs of diabetes. But they've never had diabetes before. They're not on any anti-diabetic therapy. There are some people who are already diabetic and you know they are, because they are on some sort of anti-diabetic therapy. Then there are a lot of people that are now clearly diabetic (post COVID-19) from their blood biochemistry, but they're not being treated. If the doctors knew (after they had finished treating them for COVID-19) how bad their blood chemistry was, they would be treating them for diabetes. So, we know that they don't know. We don't quite know what percentage of people it is yet. But if you look back at the original SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) in 2003, a very large proportion of those people got long-term diabetic-like effects. Sixty per cent or more had elevated triglyceride levels, abnormal blood glucose levels and they also had a significant portion of liver damage. So, the original SARS-1 caused this long term. We don't know whether SARS-2 virus (responsible for COVID-19) causes this short term and it then reverses, more like gestational diabetes**, or it (the diabetic symptoms) is actually going to be present for a long time. We simply don't know that. There are not enough follow-up studies. So, let me make sure I am clear: It seems COVID-19 has caused diabetes in people who may not have gotten diabetes normally? Yes, that's correct. Or it might have taken many, many more years to get it. It certainly accelerated the process and it's in quite a high proportion of the patients. IMAGE: Medical workers take care of patients suffering from COVID-19 in the ICU at the Max Smart Super Speciality Hospital in New Delhi, September 5, 2020. Photograph: Danish Siddiqui/Reuters And what proportion are you seeing it in roughly? I'm talking about probably more than 80 per cent patients. Certainly, while they are in hospital have gotten diabetic symptoms. We don't know whether they will get reversed. We know that some of them do and others do not. We haven't studied enough people yet to know what the reversible versus non-reversible numbers are. We will know the answer fairly soon, because we were doing a joint study with the University of Cambridge, where we're following up a couple hundred people over the next year or two or so, who've already had COVID-19. We're following up every three months, six months, a year into it and we'll be able to work that out. But obviously the disease is quite new, so knowing what the long-term actual outcomes are is not possible for anybody to say yet, because nobody has had it that long. But based on SARS-1, there is a chance, correct? There's a significant chance, I would say, because of what we know already from the original SARS. But what we need to hope is that it is not as bad with COVID-19 as the original SARS was, in terms of the long-term effects. As a lay person it is difficult to understand the immunity issue. Is it like the parallel example of a common cold? If one person gets a cold in the household, it's possible that the other people in the same home get some sort of mild immunity and don't get the cold or somebody gets just a milder version of the same cold. Apart from the fact that you may be at a higher risk of getting COVID-19, if you don't take certain important precautions, are there some people at a higher risk of getting it, regardless? While for others it just sort of passes them by, and they don't get it at all, or there's maybe a sort of in-between stage, like the cold, or they are asymptomatic. What does it look like to you? Yes, it is a very good question. Of course, all good questions are difficult to answer. So, some people probably are largely immune to it anyway, because of their experience of being exposed to other viruses and have built up a level of immunity. Immunity is complicated. It's both from antibodies and it is also cellular. Cellular immunity is where there are cells programmed to kill viruses. So, it's possible that even some people, who have no antibodies, may still have some immunity, because they have so called killer T-cells (a type of lymphocyte) which are primed to attack viruses that look like it (like COVID-19, because of dealing with similar, earlier viruses). We don't know enough about the immunology of this yet. It looks like you need cellular immunity, the cells that kill bugs, and also the immunity from humoral antibodies*** to be really well protected. The vaccine, of course, only stimulates the humoral response, the antibody production. It doesn't affect, as far as we know, the cellular variety. Actually, I'm not sure. I simply don't know that. But it may not affect the cellular response side of it. So, the vaccine addresses one part of the problem, as far as I can see. But the other thing is that your immune system is incredibly complex. It is affected by all sorts of things, your overall state of health, your nutrition. If you're malnourished, your immune system is very poor. If you are old your immune system is very poor. If you are old and malnourished there is a very big risk of getting a severe version of the disease. Obviously, of course, in India, there are quite a lot of malnourished people which is very, very worrying. But the main feature that sets apart how good your immune system is your microbiology. That's all the different bacteria that live normally inside your gut. And people are very, very different in what bugs live inside them. And that may have an influence, as well, on whether or not you're going to get severely infected by the disease. We simply do not know. There will be lots of different features and factors that will affect different people in different ways. The answers of which we will learn those over the next year or so. So, that means the risk of contracting this disease differs person to person? And if two people, unknowingly, sit on each on either side of somebody who is sick or severely sick with COVID-19, there's a chance that one person might get it and the other will get away without getting it? That is absolutely correct. That is definitely true. We had a colleague who got sick. He was incorrectly diagnosed as being COVID-19 negative. He definitely had it, because his family had the antibodies later. He had a meeting in an office the day before he fell sick, and one person in the meeting caught the disease and the other person did not. We have seen it (this phenomenon) in our own (backyard). IMAGE: Health workers collect a swab sample for COVID-19 testing in New Delhi, September 8, 2020. Photograph: Shrikant/ANI Photo I have been told that COVID-19 is not more mysterious than other typical respiratory virus-caused illnesses of the same ilk. For you, what is the most curious and unusual aspect about COVID-19? In another interview you mentioned it is a more complex disease than anything anybody has ever seen before. You cannot call this just a respiratory disease. Because it isn't. It is a multi-system disease. That is very, very evident. So, there are people who get diabetes, as I've said that already. There are children, it is being reported, who, it looks like now, are getting Type 1 diabetes. There are people who have been reported to have renal failure. It causes brain damage. It causes gut damage. It causes liver damage and it looks as though it affects the cardiovascular system. The thing about the virus is that is completely different to anything we've seen before. It is because it attacks blood vessels, the lining of blood vessels, all over the body. So, in the lungs - which obviously has got lots of blood vessels in its tissue, because that's where oxygen exchange occurs -- are a high target for the virus. But there's lots of other tissues that have got a lot of blood vessels -- the kidney and obviously the brain. There's quite a lot of evidence now that there's brain injury. I am not going to speculate, since the publication is not out yet, but there's lots of different ways the virus can affect brain -- in really complicated ways and effectively the system too. We're are trying to understand the biological nature of the disease, right, so, we're better able to think about how we manage patients who have the disease. Certainly, just treating people for lung symptoms is not really accurate, because there's lots of other abnormal biochemistry going on at the same time. And certainly, people just thinking they've recovered when they left the hospital is a (false) promise here, because they may not have recovered at all. And in fact, many people who never get to the hospital, may still have evidence of the disease. Because the diabetes and liver problems are independent of the severity of the lung issues. I don't think people fully understand that. I can tell you from my own personal point of view - I have had COVID-19. IMAGE: Professor Jeremy K Nicholson, pro-vice chancellor of health sciences at Murdoch University, Perth, western Australia. IMAGE: Professor Jeremy K Nicholson, pro-vice chancellor of health sciences at Murdoch University, Perth, western Australia. Did I hear correctly? You said you have had COVID-19? I have had COVID-19. I got it in a conference in Italy. I flew back from Italy to Australia in February. I was not sick. When I got back, I was very, very tired. I thought that I had really bad jetlag. But it lasted well over a week and I very slowly sort of got back to work. I felt like I was too tired to go out. And then four months later, I was tested as part of our scientific studies. And I was antibody positive for the virus. And not only that -- my biochemistry changed. So I am now a diabetic and I didn't used to be. And I also have liver damage and I didn't used to have that. So, I know personally what happens. I am perfectly fit. I had a mild version of it. But I have abnormal blood chemistry which shows me to be a diabetic and I wasn't before. *The activity or process of determining, analysing, or predicting all or part of an organism's observable characteristics or traits, that are produced by the interaction of its genotype or genetic constitution and the environment, according the Merriam-Webster Dictionary. **Gestational diabetes is when during pregnancy women experience elevated blood sugar. *** The type of immunity that is facilitated by macromolecules located in extracellular fluids. It is called humoral immunity because it deals with substances in the humors or the body fluids. Feature Presentation: Ashish Narsale/Rediff.com During the heat of the Covid-19 pandemic in Ghana, Abeiku Aggrey Santana and his partners Derrick Cobbinah, Africa's Project Officer for the Royal Commonwealth Ex-Services League and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Forces Help Africa and GUBA Foundation supported and brought to light the activities of WWII veteran, Joseph Hammond who recorded a walk of 14 miles in a week as part of a fundraiser to support Africa's frontline workers. The 95-year old Ghanaian World War II veteran walked 3.2 kilometres (two miles) each day to reach his target on Africa Day in Accra and raised almost 43,000. This gesture by this noble man went viral in the international media including Al Jazeera, BBC, CNN, DW, France 24 and Washington Post. It also attracted a number of corporations and individuals to reciprocate the goodwill and stretch their arm of support to the veteran. Today, September 11, the First National Bank has donated a sum of GHC 12,000 to the veteran warrior. The bank, which recently launched a project dubbed Accelerated Support for Pandemic Intervention and Relief Effort (ASPIRE) to assist government and its stakeholders in mitigating the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic made the donation to honour the gallantry of Mr Hammond. Speaking to the media, Mr Dominic Adu, who is the first Ghanaian CEO of the bank, said they were proud to share in the veterans story. "The stories that he tells are so compelling. It's a history of our life; the history indeed of the world, not just of Ghana. And to be the CEO of First National Bank which has actually given me the opportunity to meet him, I am extremely privileged. In terms of what we intend doing, I am glad you have actually mentioned the change in his life because he definitely deserves it. On our part, [you know] the donation is to support his life", the CEO said. He was delighted that First National Bank will look back in the future and also tell their story as the best bank that ever existed in Ghana. Consequently, Ghanaian Billionaire, Philanthropist and Prince of Africa, Nana Kwame Bediako, popularly known as Freedom Jacob Caesar, and his New Africa Foundation also donated a fully furnished house to the 95-year old Joseph Hammond who lived 75 years of his life in his family home in Accra. The Prince of Africa and his foundation has been at the act of showing greater level of generosity amidst the covid-19 pandemic. WO1, Joseph Hammond, who was inspired by the story of Captain Tom Moore becoming a national hero in the United Kingdom for raising 33 million pounds ($40m) to help NHS before turning 100, was full of praise to the Philanthropist and the First National Bank. He thanked them for leading the path in the hospitality sector and their unmatchable kindness to the Ghanaian populace. Mr Hammond further urged them to continue to support the less privileged in society. Other veterans including Russia's Zinaida Korneva, 97 years, and British Dabirul Choudhury, 100 also bagged similar stories of success for their yeoman's job. Source: 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 COLUMBUS, Ohio Ohio teachers and other school personnel should be allowed to carry firearms on school grounds without needing prior peace-officer training or experience, Attorney General Dave Yost argued in a legal brief to the state Supreme Court this week. Yost filed the brief in support of the Madison Local School District Board of Education in Butler County, which allowed school employees to voluntarily carry concealed firearms so long as they have a conceal-carry permit and undergo active shooter training. The policy change came after a 14-year-old student opened fire at Madison Junior-Senior High School in 2016, injuring four. The 12th District Court of Appeals sided with several parents who sued the school district, claiming that a state law has far higher training requirements in place to carry a gun in schools. The law they cite states that no school shall employ a person as a special police officer, security guard, or other position in which such person goes armed while on duty, unless that person has completed either peace-officer training or served at least 20 years as an active-duty officer. But Yost, a Columbus Republican, argued in his brief that the appeals court ruling was wrong, as teachers, principals, janitors, and other non-security school workers arent hired to be armed while on duty. They just voluntarily choose to carry a weapon, Yosts brief states. No one would describe a salesman or a valet who carries a concealed weapon as being employed in a position in which such person goes armed while on duty. The Ohio Supreme Court has given permission for Madison school workers to carry concealed firearms while it considers the case. Earlier this month, an Ohio Senate committee advanced legislation that would exempt all school personnel from the training requirement in order to carry a firearm at school. That legislation, Senate Bill 317, now awaits a Senate floor vote. Read more Ohio politics and government stories: Ohio State has case to sue Big Ten if 2020 football season is canceled, Ohio AG Dave Yost says New Ohio health director backs out hours after Gov. Mike DeWine announces appointment Ohio House Bill 6 legislative opponents make case for repeal Gov. Mike DeWine sidesteps questions on Donald Trump downplaying coronavirus Ohio Supreme Court rejects Kanye Wests request to make states presidential ballot Reliance Retail is expected to drive hard bargains with fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) companies for its brick-and-mortar stores and online retail, bolstered by funds from investors and the added scale from the takeover of Future Group, according to analysts and industry experts. The retail arm of Reliance Industries Ltd is also expected to aggressively push its private brands, the analysts said. The Future Group deal has given Reliance a 27% share of Indias organized grocery retail market worth about $544 billion. This could alter ways in which the Mukesh Ambani-owned company will negotiate trade terms with FMCG firms as its influence over modern trade outlets, kirana stores, and e-commerce channels, will grow multifold. The combined network of Reliance Retail and Future Groups retail business could contribute as much as 8-10% of sales revenue for the top FMCG players, making Reliance Retail their largest customer based on FY20 revenues, according to estimates by financial services company Jefferies. Reliance Retails acquisition of Future Group consolidates the organized grocery retail, but becomes a concern for the FMCG industry, analysts at Jefferies said in a recent report. The large scale that Reliance Retail will enjoy would increase its bargaining power with FMCG firms, vendors for general merchandise and logistic partners, the brokerage said. Smaller companies said they are already anticipating a scenario where they could be asked to dole out offers. I foresee some kind of a monopolistic approach and more of the industry and brands will have to really struggle to get the right targets or volumes from them, or else there will be pressure from them to give more offers, schemes or discounts, said a founder of a mid-sized FMCG company on condition of anonymity. Reliance Retail will run about 2,000 grocery stores with Future Groups formats, including Big Bazaar, Heritage, Easyday and Nilgiris, and its own retail formats such as Reliance Fresh, Reliance Smart and the business-to-commerce Reliance Market. This will give the company a combined grocery business of $5.5 billion, analysts at CLSA said in a recent report. There is also its newly-launched e-commerce JioMart platform, which connects kiranas with consumers, giving it inroads into the general trade market. Some analysts point to the change in dynamics between FMCG firms and Reliance Retail, while others said large multinationals will not be easy to roll over. They (Reliance) are hard negotiators and will look to maximise this opportunity of scale. But, that said, I dont think you can just roll over successful and popular consumer companies such as Hindustan Unilever Ltd, Nestle India Ltd, Godrej Consumer Products Ltd, and Marico Ltd, and leave them out of the growth strategy, said Rajeev Krishnan, former MD and CEO Spar Hypermarket. Martha Bayliss to become Advisor, added with Gardner to company Board of Directors After recent recapitalization, QualityMetric to Move to Expand its Patient Reported Outcomes Solutions for Life Sciences and Healthcare Customers NEW YORK, Sept. 11, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- QualityMetric ("QM"), an industry-leader of patient reported outcomes and clinical outcomes assessments products, scientific consulting and translation services, announced today the appointment of Garth Gus Gardner as Chief Executive Officer. His appointment comes as the company seeks to build on its position as the preeminent provider of Patient Reported Outcomes (PRO) and Clinical Outcome Assessments (COA) solutions and services to healthcare and life sciences companies, and following its recapitalization in August by Vesey Street Capital Partners, LLC . (VSCP). He will be joining the companys recently constituted Board of Directors. Were very excited about this announcement from Vesey Street Capital Partners newest portfolio company and we look forward to partnering with Gus and the executive team on future growth opportunities, said Adam Feinstein, Managing Partner at VSCP. Gus brings deep experience in patient outcomes, research and analytics, and intimate knowledge of this business, with a record of successful leadership roles in multiple health technology companies, including QM earlier in its evolution," said Larry Marsh, General Partner of VSCP. We could not be more enthused about the leadership he will bring to the company as it enters this new chapter. We are equally thrilled to have Martha Bayliss also join our Board of Directors and serve as a company advisor after her successful tenure in running this business and look forward to her continued valuable contributions going forward. "Over the last two decades QM has established a track record of excellence in developing clinically-based, scientifically validated products and services that enhance the patient voice in drug development and across health care, said Mr. Gardner. Im honored to be partnering with VSCP and the widely-respected management team at QM as we seek to build on that success by expanding and broadening the solutions we bring to the market to help measure the outcomes of patient care. Mr. Gardners career spans three decades of diverse leadership roles, including experience as the former President of QM. He also was an executive at Optum where he led multiple global science and analytics business units and helped oversee various analytics and emerging technologies efforts and initiatives. In 2018, he joined Optum International as EVP of Operations for its Brazil businesses, which included employee assistance programs and data/analytics consulting. Earlier in his career, Mr. Gardner was the Chief Operating Officer of Clinical Data, Inc., a global manufacturer of in vitro diagnostics analyzers and reagents, leading the company to rapid growth in analyzer products, menu expansion and novel laboratory middleware. Prior to Clinical Data, Mr. Gardner was a Division President at PSICOR, a leader in perfusion services, where he led his clinical team through rapid expansion prior to the company being acquired by Baxter International. Mr. Gardner is a formerly Board Certified Cardiovascular Perfusionist, and began his leadership career as an Officer in the United States Marine Corps. A key role of QMs newly established Board of Directors will be to provide the companys executive team with strategic counsel across all areas of the business, including operations and business development. Ms. Bayliss was asked by VSCP to serve on the board of QM as she transitions her professional and academic pursuits. VSCP, a New York-based healthcare services private equity firm, completed the recapitalization of QM in August. VSCP and affiliates contributed the equity for the transaction. First Eagle Alternative Credit, LLC and Morgan Stanley Credit Partners provided debt financing to support the transaction and Kirkland & Ellis served as legal counsel to VSCP. ABOUT QUALITYMETRIC QualityMetric works with the worlds leading healthcare and life sciences companies to measure and better understand outcomes through the creation, administration, and review of general and patient-specific health surveys. Founded in 1997, QM combines its proprietary scientifically validated general health and disease specific surveys with its enabling technology, advanced analytics, and sector expertise to work with all the worlds largest pharmaceutical companies in clinical trials and patient surveillance. For more information, please visit www.qualitymetric.com . ABOUT VESEY STREET CAPITAL PARTNERS VSCP is a private equity firm with substantial and differentiated healthcare services sector and sourcing expertise. Specifically, we specialize in middle market buyouts, with a focus on businesses with strong cash flow characteristics that create value for hospitals, physicians, pharmaceutical/life sciences companies, and health insurers by enhancing efficiency, expanding productivity, reducing costs, and growing revenues. Since inception, the firm has deployed approximately $600 million in capital, primarily as a control investor. For more information, please visit www.vscpllc.com . Contacts: Vesey Street Capital Partners Bryan Sekino, CFA Chief Financial Officer Tel: (646) 847-2438 Email: bryan@vscpllc.com Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-11 02:05:29|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Photo taken on Sept. 10, 2020 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, shows Group of 20 (G20) labour and employment ministers attending a virtual meeting . G20 labour and employment ministers called on Thursday for strong social protection systems to support all workers and their families during crisis and recovery. (G20 Saudi Arabia/Handout via Xinhua) RIYADH, Sept. 10 (Xinhua) -- Group of 20 (G20) labour and employment ministers called on Thursday for strong social protection systems to support all workers and their families during crisis and recovery. They highlighted during a virtual meeting the systems should cover self-employed and informal employment, according to a statement by the G20 Saudi Presidency. "We recognize the importance of protecting and promoting decent jobs for all, especially for women and youth, within our domestic and global labor markets," the officials said in their ministerial declaration. The ministers vowed to support all workers experiencing job losses. They have requested the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) to carry further analysis of the COVID-19 pandemic's impact on global labor. To reduce the gap between women and men in labor market, the officials vowed to tackle the various barriers faced by women. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis, the G20 countries have been holding regular meetings to deal with impacts of the deadly virus in various sectors. During the G20 leaders' summit in March, the G20 leaders vowed to pump more than 5 trillion U.S. dollars into the international economy. Enditem (Newser) About three dozen coronavirus vaccine candidates are in human testing around the world, all of them using the standard approach of a needle to deliver an injection. China, however, has just given approval for the first nasal spray to proceed to human trials, reports Bloomberg. One hope is that a spray might be more effective than a shot in stopping the spread of the virus through the respiratory tract, though scientists are a long way from figuring out whether that would happen. If nothing else, a nasal spray would likely be easier to mass produce and to administer, per NDTV. story continues below The spray, which makes use of a weakened flu virus in tandem with the coronavirus' spike protein, is scheduled to begin Phase 1 testing with 100 human volunteers in November. This is China's 10th vaccine candidate to reach the human-testing stage. Elsewhere, AstraZeneca says it still plans to have a vaccine ready by the end of the year, despite what it hopes is a temporary stop to testing because of a trial participant's illness, reports the Wall Street Journal. The participant, a UK woman, developed a neurological condition, and a review is underway to determine whether it's related to the vaccine, per the New York Times. (Economists think it makes sense to pay people $1,000 to get vaccinated.) In the wake of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, companies in India are reporting more cyberattacks than any other country in the world and 56% of them report their IT costs having increased significantly in the past months exactly two times the global average, reveals the Acronis Cyber Readiness Report 2020. The report further highlights that 92% of the companies globally have adopted new technologies to enable remote work, including workplace collaboration tools, privacy solutions, and endpoint cybersecurity. The survey was conducted by Acronis, a global leader in cyber protection across seventeen countries with India being one of them and 3,400 global companies and remote workers. The challenge for organizations is that managing the protection of data across the company network and all of those new devices using a stack of different solutions is expensive, time-consuming, and complicated. The lack of integration also creates gaps in the organizations defenses that cybercriminals are exploiting. The Acronis Cyber Readiness Report reveals that as hackers target remote workers, phishing, distributed denial of service (DDoS), and videoconferencing attacks are the most common tactics used. Below are some of the key findings: 39% of global companies experienced a videoconferencing attack in the past three months as workers rely on apps like Zoom, Cisco Webex, and Microsoft Teams India demonstrates the highest rates, with 66% of local companies reporting having encountered videoconferencing attacks Malware attacks such as ransomware also have increased during the pandemic, with 31% of companies reporting daily cyberattacks and half (50%) being targeted at least once a week India reported twice as many attacks as any other country, followed by the US and the UAE. Phishing attacks are occurring at historic levels, which is not surprising since the report found only 2% of companies consider URL filtering when evaluating a cybersecurity solution. That oversight leaves remote workers vulnerable to phishing sites while 62% of companies in India report struggling with phishing attempts. These Acronis findings and external research illustrate why organizations need a cyber-protection solution that reduces complexity and improves security to support remote work environments, and the solution must be cost-effective to address the scale of remote workers. Acronis addresses these challenges with the release of Acronis Cyber Protect 15, which integrates backup, disaster recovery, next-generation antimalware, cybersecurity, and endpoint management tools into a single solution. The new product comes at a time when businesses are struggling to safeguard their data and infrastructure against the risks of the new remote work landscape. The modern cyber landscape demands modern protection Serguei SB Beloussov, founder and CEO of Acronis, said, The cyberthreat landscape has changed dramatically during the past few years, and in the last six months in particular. Traditional stand-alone antivirus and backup solutions are unable to protect against modern cyberthreats. Organizations that modernize their stack with integrated data protection and cybersecurity not only gain greater security, they lower their costs and improve efficiencies. The automation and streamlined management of Acronis Cyber Protect 15 means any business can decrease their risk, avoid downtime, and increase their IT teams productivity. With Acronis Cyber Protect 15s unique integration of data protection and next-generation cybersecurity capabilities including AI-based behavioral detection that stops zero-day attacks, URL filtering, vulnerability assessments, videoconference protection, and automated patch management organizations protect against modern cyberthreats while ensuring they can recover their data and systems faster than any other solution. 10% of users might click on malicious links that lead to phishing attacks, but the URL filtering in Acronis Cyber Protect blocked all of those sites protecting the users, their devices, and their companys data. Videoconferencing protection prevents the exploitation of popular video conferencing solutions Testing by independent cybersecurity labs such as AV-Test and Virus Bulletin shows that Acronis Cyber Protects antimalware detects 100% of malware attacks with zero false positives. Based on the current cyberattack rate, the unique integration of backup and cybersecurity enables Acronis Cyber Protect to prevent an estimated $150 million in direct losses for its customers each year. The comprehensive cyber protection delivered by Acronis Cyber Protect will continue to be vital in the post-pandemic landscape. With 88% of the remote workers surveyed by Acronis expecting to work from home to some extent even after the pandemic ends, ensuring their protection and cybersecurity will require the kind of integration and automation found only in Acronis Cyber Protect 15. The newly formed Special Operations Group was dispatched, with a sniper stationed in a building across the lane told to kill Atkinson if he moved his shotgun towards the hostages. A policeman, gun in hand, talks to one of the Waiters' Club's owners during the 1978 hostage crisis. Credit:The Age Archvies The stalemate was broken when Atkinson asked to see his mother who, it turned out, didnt approve of her sons nocturnal activities. Clad in her dressing gown, she marched up the stairs to dress him down, bonking him on the head with her handbag and telling him to stop being stupid. He did what he was told and released his hostages. Fontana is reflecting on his 45-year career on his last day before retirement. He has spent most of his time at the sharp end of investigations. In policing, where backstabbing is a dark art form, Fonze is a strange bird. In four decades, I have never heard anyone say a bad word about him. The Waiters Club would not be Fontanas only brush with a shotgun. Transferred to Dandenong, he and his inspector came across a similarly armed man. Even though both police drew their handguns, he refused to drop the shotty. The police would have been entitled to shoot him but instead Fonze walked up and took the shotgun: I just felt he wasnt going to shoot." The inspector, Carl Mengler, was impressed. This plus the fact Fontana was a first-class crook catcher set him apart as one to watch. In March 1982, another respected crook catcher, Johnny Weel, pulled over two cars filled with Mafia-grown cannabis. One of the men arrested, Gianfranco Tizzoni, would become a star informer. Tizzoni said he had recruited Melbourne hitman and armed robber James Frederick Mr Cool Bazley to kill Griffith anti-drugs campaigner Donald Mackay, who went missing in July 1977. Loading Bazley also killed drug couriers Isabel and Douglas Wilson, whose bodies were found buried in Rye in May 1979. As a result of the tip-off, police set up taskforce Trio under the command of Carl Mengler, who handpicked a team of elite investigators including Fontana. Mackay was murdered in NSW but as the plot was hatched in Melbourne, the taskforce planned to charge Bazley with conspiracy to murder. The case had been ineptly investigated in NSW by Big Joe Parrington, a Sydney detective with an inflated view of his own ability. Parrington saw taskforce Trio not as colleagues but competitors and hid information from them, hoping to swoop in and charge Bazley in NSW. When Parrington first turned up in Melbourne, he refused to talk to the detectives assigned to brief him, saying: In NSW, we talk to the organ grinder and not the monkeys. Fontana says: Joe Parrington came down he looked exactly like Lee Marvin and told us we would never solve it. Not Lee Marvin. Credit:Sydney Morning Herald But they did. Bazley was old school. When he was interviewed he didnt say a word to us. At the end all he said was Put it [his record of interview] in my back pocket. Not Joe Parrington. Bazley was sentenced to life in 1986 for the murders of the Wilsons, nine years for the conspiracy to murder Mackay and a further nine years for a $270,000 armed robbery. At a subsequent inquiry, Parrington was exposed as impeding Victorian police officers and Crown law authorities in the prosecution of murder". The bickering had a lasting effect on Fontana: Co-operation is the greatest weapon against organised crime. The gun dealer who provided the weapons, George Joseph, eventually made a statement to police. Joseph loved to make homemade liqueur chocolates and for decades, he would send batches to Fontana. Even the crooks liked him. One of his most difficult and rewarding investigations was into The Shadow, a serial rapist who terrorised Caulfield for four years. Police increased patrols in the area but the offender was an experienced burglar who knew how to move in the shadows. Fontana checked the files on nearly 50 unsolved rapes and saw a pattern in about 16 cases. They were all around Narong Road, the rapist targeting women who lived alone in ground-floor flats. The offender would sometimes burgle the flat, confirm the resident was a lone female and then return to attack. Fontana put a policeman in a flat that had been recently burgled and occupied by a lone female. Sure enough The Shadow returned and although he initially escaped, police found the registration of a car linked to convicted burglar George Kaufman. Every time he was released from prison, there would be a rape within days, says Fontana. Assistant Commissioner Stephen Fontana arrives at the Coroners Court to give evidence. Credit:Simon Schluter Eventually, he was charged with multiple rapes and sentenced to 21 years. His experience in tracking serial sex offenders led to his selection as senior investigator on the Spectrum taskforce the hunt for the child sex offender known as Mr Cruel. Mr Cruel was the prime suspect in a series of sex attacks, including three on schoolgirls in their own homes. The last suspected attack was on 13-year-old Karmein Chan, taken from her familys Templestowe home in April 1991 while her parents were at work. A year later, her body was found in landfill at Thomastown. She had been shot three times in the back of the head. The Spectrum taskforce would operate for 29 months and cost almost $4 million. The 40 investigators would examine 27,000 suspects, deal with 10,000 tips and check 30,000 houses. They arrested 73 people on a range of offences, many relating to sex crimes. But they were not able to identify Mr Cruel. Asked if they were ever close to finding him, Fonze says: I wish I knew. Serial sex offenders usually continue until they are caught or die. Yet Mr Cruel stopped, possibly because the murder was a step too far or he died, was jailed or sought treatment. He was a cold and calculating offender. Perhaps we spoke to him and that scared him off, says Fontana. Fonze worked in anti-corruption areas and was devastated when in 2004, police informer Terence Hodson and his wife, Christine, were murdered to silence them. Fontana led the State Emergency and Security Department dealing with anything from terrorism to the 2009 Black Saturday bushfires, swine flu, floods and locust plagues. In 2012, Fonze was appointed Assistant Commissioner (Crime) and remembering his experience from the Trio days encouraged a program of co-operation with the Australian Federal Police, Border Force, Australia Post, the tax office, the Australian Crime Intelligence Commission and state police forces. This resulted in joint investigations into the infiltration of maritime ports by organised crime, syndicates using mail to import drugs, cyber crime and international operations into outlaw motorcycle gangs. The biggest shock, he says, is the widespread appetite for child pornography. Police monitor known sites and when they are accessed, it creates a pinprick on a map of Victoria. The results are depressing the police map of Melbourne is covered with thousands of dots, each one representing someone accessing child porn, each one exploiting a child. The child is often from a third world country. One international syndicate was run by a young man from his northern suburbs home. Fontana asked to view the material his detectives had found and what he saw and heard left the veteran investigator shaken. I was fuming really. It is disgraceful and so widespread. He began to lobby politicians for tougher jail terms for offenders. He got his way. Steve Fontana and detective Christine Stafford were involved in breakthrough investigations into online child pornography networks. Credit:Paul Jeffers In his last two years, he has overseen the greatest rollout of technology and communications gear in the history of Victoria Police. It was a long way from when he left the Academy with a rubber baton, a Browning pistol and a shiny set of handcuffs. In a three-way phone call on Friday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa of Bahrain, U.S. President Trump announced that Bahrain became the next Arab Gulf State to join the historic peace deal that Israel closed with the UAE on August 13th. Addressing reporters on Thursday, U.S. President Donald Trump already hinted at the participation of another nation in the peace deal. While some analysts expected Saudi Arabia to be the next Arab nation to normalize relations with Jerusalem, there were already some signals that Bahrain would be the next nation to establish relations after the country opened its airspace to Israeli flights. Shortly after the phone call, U.S. President Trump announced the Historic Breakthrough, saying that it is the second Arab country to make peace with Israel in 30 days! Trump also tweeted the joint statement in which the two nations agree to work together to increase stability, security and prosperity in the region. Joint Statement of the United States, the Kingdom of Bahrain, and the State of Israel pic.twitter.com/xMquRkGtpM Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 11, 2020 While the normalization of relations between Bahrain and Israel can be seen as a positive development, its also a development that adds another layer of complexity to Middle East geopolitics. Digging deeper to see whats really behind the normalization of relations between Arab nations and Israel, Oilprice.coms Simon Watkins quotes a senior source who works closely with the EU on security matters as saying that This formal deal, though, just officially clarifies what has been happening for some time between Israel and the UAE in the field of intelligence co-operation to counteract Irans growing power in the region that has become more militaristic, given the increasing dominance of the IRGC [Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps] in Tehran, While there has not been a direct reaction from Iran on the Bahrain-Israel diplomatic deal, Tehran, in the meantime has been taking its own measures to guarantee its safety. Iran recently announced more military and intelligence co-operation with both Russia and China. Bahrain will become the fourth Arab country - following Egypt, Jordan and the UAE, to establish full diplomatic ties with Israel, while Oman and Sudan are believed to be on the cusp of doing the same. By Tom Kool for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Nestle lines up $58.5m to increase grain stocks From:ChinaDaily | 2020-09-11 07:39 Switzerland-based food and beverage giant Nestle SA said on Thursday that it would invest an additional 400 million yuan ($58.48 million) in the northeastern Chinese province of Heilongjiang to enhance its grain cultivation and dairy farming capacities in the country. The current investment is in addition to the 300 million yuan invested by the company in 2018 and 2019 for capacity expansion in Shuangcheng district of Harbin. Nestle said the new investment will be focused on strengthening the company's advanced production capacity in Shuangcheng, which will be completed in two phases over the next five years, covering baby food, baby formula and adult functional foods. Rashid Qureshi, chairman and CEO of Nestle in China, said: "As China leads the way in the global economic recovery, Nestle looks forward to working alongside its many valued partners and stakeholders in Heilongjiang and continue putting its Creating Shared Value approach to business into action." Some of the investment will be used to promote the development of local grain cultivation in Heilongjiang province, with an initial focus on organic grains. This will be done through the new Nestle Grain Competence Center, Nestle's first such facility worldwide. The company will also expand and upgrade its Nestle Dairy Farming Institute over the next three years and strengthen its role as a hub for the domestic dairy farming sector. The DFI will also play a growing role in Nestle's drive to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in its supply chain. In the last five years, the DFI has been part of Nestle's global efforts to share its technical knowhow and improve dairy farming through training and exploring responsible practices with stakeholders. The DFI is also a source of high-quality local milk for Nestle's A2 milk products. After the expansion, the DFI will have the latest dairy farming technologies and higher fresh-milk production capacity due to larger cow herds. The investment will also complement China's efforts to boost domestic production of infant formula and help drive growth of Nestle's locally produced infant and baby formula products, it said in a statement. Initially, Nestle will expand the production capacity of Gerber branded infant cereal by more than 50 percent. Subsequently it will launch two new product categories, including infant cereal-based snacks and adult functional foods. In May, Nestle said it planned to invest 730 million yuan in Tianjin to scale up its production capacity for high-end, innovative products to meet rising consumer demand for plant-based products, snacks and pet food. Jason Yu, general manager of Kantar Worldpanel China, said the new investment from Nestle demonstrates the confidence of Nestle in China's domestic consumption market. "For food companies, having a stable supply chain is critical to the success and it is the area where local brands are strong today," said Yu. DHAKA, Sept. 10 (Xinhua) -- The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the government of Bangladesh Thursday signed agreements for 50 million U.S. dollars in loan to promote, fund and implement public-private partnership (PPP) infrastructure projects in the country. Fatima Yasmin, secretary of Bangladesh's Economic Relations Division (ERD), and Manmohan Parkash, country director of ADB in Bangladesh, virtually signed the loan agreement on behalf of Bangladesh and ADB, respectively. S M Anisuzzaman, Chief Executive Officer of Bangladesh Infrastructure Finance Fund Limited (BIFFL) signed the project agreement. ADB said it has been a long-standing partner to support BIFFL to promote PPP program and develop its pipeline of projects. HDP parliamentarian sentenced to 10 years in jail but will remain free pending appeals process. A Turkish court has sentenced a parliamentarian from the pro-Kurdish Peoples Democratic Party (HDP) to 10 years in jail for membership of a terrorist organisation. Remziye Tosun, a member of parliament representing the province of Diyarbakir in majority-Kurdish southeast Turkey, will remain free pending the appeals process, according to court documents released on Friday. Tosun was accused of treating wounded members of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) during clashes in Diyarbakirs Sur district in 2016, her lawyer told Reuters news agency. There is no evidence that supports the verdict. It is based on statements that were taken by force from individuals who were there during that period, said lawyer Muharrem Sahin, adding that Tosun lived in the area and did not have the expertise to treat people. If the upper court upholds Tosuns conviction, her case will go to parliament, which will then vote on whether to lift her immunity. Ankara accuses the HDP of ties to the PKK, which has fought against the Turkish state in the southeast since 1984 and is deemed a terrorist group by Turkey, the United States, and the European Union. The HDP, which is the third-largest party in Turkeys parliament with 56 deputies, denies such links. A ceasefire between Ankara and the PKK ended in 2015, leading to some of the most violent clashes in years, including in the Sur district. The opposition has accused Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his ruling Justice and Development Party of seeking to quash dissent by jailing opposition members and critics since a 2016 failed coup. The government has said its actions are justified by threats which Turkey faces. In June, two politicians from the HDP and one from the main opposition Republican Peoples Party (CHP) were jailed after parliament stripped them of their status as deputies due to their conviction. Eleven HDP deputies had their status removed before a parliamentary election in 2018. SBS has promoted Matthew Hancock as General Manager, SBS On Demand. His current position is Head of Priorities and Planning for SBSs TV and Online Content Division where he leads project management and analysis functions, and has been instrumental in the strategic approach across television and digital portfolios. He joined SBS in 2016 from roles at Screen Producers and Screen Australia, and has more than 20 years experience in the media industry. Hancock replaces previous General Manager, Abigail Thomas, who recently took up a role in the Corporate Strategy team. Marshall Heald, Director of TV and Online Content, SBS, said: Im delighted to announce the appointment of Matt into the role of General Manager for SBS On Demand. He brings a unique mix of strategic experience and analytical skill from extensive experience working in the sector, along with a deep understanding of our audiences and the evolving streaming environment we operate in. SBS On Demand has experienced significant growth and success in recent years, testament to the dedicated team and leadership who have focused on building the platform and its offering for audiences in an increasingly competitive and rapidly changing market. Matt is well placed to further develop and drive our strategy, taking SBS On Demand into its next phase as we continue to evolve the platform and improve our offering for audiences. Matthew Hancock said: SBS On Demand is Australias most distinctive streaming destination, with more than 9,000 hours of content in over 50 languages for free. Im thrilled at being able to collaborate with a passionate team of specialists that put audience first, dedicated to building a world-class user experience that connects our viewers with a unique, compelling and evolving content proposition unlike any other. There are exciting times ahead. SBS On Demand has surpassed eight million registered users, and is the first media operator in Australia to offer Simplified Chinese and Arabic, with more languages to come. Hancock will commence in the role from 14 September. Donald Trump Jr refused this week to condemn an Illinois teenager who has been charged with shooting dead two Black Lives Matter protesters who were demonstrating against the police shooting of Jacob Blake last month. Kyle Rittenhouse, 17, told authorities that he traveled from Illinois to the Kenosha protests to protect businesses and people. Rittenhouse fatally shot Joseph Rosenbaum and Anthony Huber who tried to wrestle the AR-15 style rifle from the teen, authorities said. Gaige Grosskreutz was also shot in the arm in the August 25 shooting, but he survived. One other person was also shot. Rittenhouse faces several charges, including first-degree intentional homicide, but his attorney says the shootings were done in self defense. During an interview with Extra that aired on Tuesday, Trump Jr told host Rachel Lindsay Abasolo: 'If I put myself in Kyle Rittenhouse's [shoes], maybe I shouldn't have been there he's a young kid, I don't want 17-year-olds running around the street with AR-15s maybe I wouldn't have put myself in that situation, who knows,' President Donald Trump's son said. 'But we all do stupid things at 17,' Trump Jr added. Donald Trump Jr refused this week to condemn an Illinois teenager who has been charged with shooting dead two Black Lives Matter protesters who were demonstrating against the police shooting of Jacob Blake last month Trump Jr said: 'If I put myself in Kyle Rittenhouse['s shoes], maybe I shouldn't have been there he's a young kid, I don't want 17-year-olds running around the street with AR-15s... but we all do stupid things at 17' The remarks came just days before Trump Jr appeared in Hendersonville, North Carolina, to campaign for his father. During the rally, Trump Jr talked about strong support for his father's campaign heading into November and criticized Democrats, particularly Joe Biden. Trump Jr also spoke about the importance of local elections in North Carolina and voiced his support for Republican congressional candidate, Madison Cawthorn. 'I think you have a Congressional race there that's very winnable and good, but it's obviously tightened up with the redistricting that's taken place,' Trump Jr said. 'So, we're definitely doing what we can to help Madison get over the line. It's not just about the presidency, you need Congress to be able to help initiate the policies Donald Trump delivered for America with the first time.' Trump Jr's remarks about Rittenhouse were similar to those from the president who claimed that Rittenhouse was 'violently attacked'. Rittenhouse (left) told authorities that he traveled from Illinois to the Kenosha protests to protect businesses and people. Instead, on August 25, Rittenhouse fatally shot Joseph Rosenbaum and Anthony Huber, authorities said 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 (pictured) portray him as a hero who stood up to lawlessness President Trump called the shootings an 'an interesting situation' that is 'under investigation'. 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. 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. The U.S. and its NATO allies are practicing maneuvers in arctic waters close to the Russian borders of their arctic coastline. It will be an ending to two weeks of movement by the two superpowers. In the joint naval exercise, there's an American destroyer with several frigates from Norway and Britain. These NATO nations have been longtime allies of the U.S. in Europe that supported U.S. Military initatives. According to the report, sea drills are taken point by the British Navy but the exercise is within the 200 miles (nautical) of the claimed Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). In this case, the only restricted activities are commercial not military activities are allowable in international law, reported Breaking Defense. It is just one of the instances of transiting the seaways to the Arctic via freedom of navigation. More activity is expected as vessels of NATO will be more active there. One example is the establishment of ports that will be upgraded to handle more naval traffic. Tromso in Norway will be a frequent stopover for American sub crews on operations in the arctic circles upper part. The leading ship is the Royal Navy frigate HMS Sutherland, USS Ross destroyer Arleigh Burke and other ships that make up the participants of the exercise. Aircraft included are Danish and Norwegian patrol aircraft to complete the exercises. Exercises for this small force of multinational ships transit near the Russian fisherman peninsula. This is just a small spur of only the bigger Kola peninsula with the Russian Northern Fleet, where Russian submarines are docked with many missile batteries installed too. Also read: US Submarines Get Improved Arctic Port to Dock Courtesy of Norway Despite being close to the Russian mainland, the assurance of keeping ships in international waters was mentioned as a premise for these exercises. This was confirmed by Lt. Col. Ivar Moen of Norway's National Joint Headquarters by a source (verified by the original article). The exercise is expected to draw attention from Russians who are only 200 nautical miles away. On one occasion, a Mig-29 of the Northern fleet interdicted one of Norway's P-3 Orion above the Barents Sea. More intercepts of Russians and NATO planes have added a tense atmosphere in the region. More P-3s flying around in international waters have attracted MiG-31s as well while on patrol. No detection of Russian ships or submersibles that are trailing the NATO ships. A statement released by the British Royal Navy said that the NATO task force operating in the High North shows the determination for the UK and allies to freedom of access and navigation (FONOPs). It mentions Russia's claims in the Arctic and the right to control the sea lanes in its Arctic coastline that is quite extensive. One area in the Barents Sea straddling the Russian area is a volatile point because it is the Russian access to the North Atlantic. Vice Adm. Gene Black, commander, US Sixth Fleet added that the cooperation with its allies is an advantage, citing the ability to have arctic operations with the help of its allies, working together where it matters. USS Ross CO Commander John D. John said the chance to work with Norway and UK crews is an exercise of interoperability. Before this, the Barents exercise in May included the destroyers USS Donald Cook, USS Porter, and USS Roosevelt with the HMS Kent were included. The value of U.S. and NATO warships working together in joint naval exercises shows the U.S. Navy can operate everywhere. Related article: One of the Most Advanced Attack US Navy Submarines Sighted in Troms @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. An experienced fisherman stranded on an old wooden fishing boat in the Southern Ocean with a friend for five days has opened up about the ordeal. Tony Higgins, 57, and Derek Robinson, 48, went missing while travelling from South Australia's Coffin Bay near Port Lincoln to Goolwa on September 3. The duo were a day into their trip on a 10-metre wooden-hulled fishing boat, named Margrel, when they started to experience engine trouble. Instead of becoming distressed, the pair 'just tinkled along and made do', contacting a friend to inform them their plans had changed and they would be diverting to nearby Kangaroo Island instead. But two days later, after failing to make contact, a massive search operation was launched. Despite growing fears for their survival, the men claim they were fine. 'We didn't even know anyone was looking for us,' Mr Higgins told 7News. 'I didn't ask to come get rescued. I knew exactly where we were.' Tony Higgins (left), 57, and Derek Robinson (right), 48, went missing while travelling from South Australia's Coffin Bay near Port Lincoln to Goolwa on September 3 Mr Higgins said he and Mr Robinson failed to notice any planes looking for the pair from Sunday to Wednesday, and the Investigator Strait was the only other boat they encountered. The former fisherman in the Gulf of Carpentaria said he never felt unsafe, despite the large swell on his journey and his deckie getting seasick. 'My deckie [Mr Robinson] hadn't been doing this sort of stuff before, but after a while he saw how the boat was travelling and felt all right about it,' he told ABC Radio Adelaide. Mr Higgins had bought as a restoration project but insists it was seaworthy. He said they lost a blade off the propeller during the journey. 'You can probably see it yourself, so had to slow it down - half ribs, half speed and instead of doing seven to eight knots (about 13 km per hour), we were doing three,' he said. One of the propeller's three blades broke off the boat named Margrel (right) after hitting a turtle or submerged log - extending their journey from four to eight days Rescue crews feared the worst as the pair went missing for five days on their boat named Margrel (pictured) before being located by police on Thursday The men were headed to Goolwa, from Coffin Bay near Port Lincoln, they told a friend they would try make it to Kangaroo Island after their engine failed but ended up in Salt Creek 'It's a very seaworthy boat a very seaworthy vessel.' He believes the trouble was sparked when one of the propeller's three blades broke off after hitting a turtle or submerged log. The massive search operation - covering more than 120,000 square kilometres - involved police, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority and members of the Royal Australian Air Force. It also involved Kangaroo Island and Volunteer Marine Rescue members. Crews spent days searching an area larger than Tasmania covered in an attempt to find the men. Fears were raised when the men were not located after several weather warnings and days of treacherous conditions. Mr Higgins said he and Mr Robinson (pictured) failed to notice any planes looking for the pair from Sunday to Wednesday, and the Investigator Strait was the only other boat they encountered The aerial search was called off on late on Wednesday due to rescue teams failing to find any sign of them. However, a call came through hours later informing rescuers the men managed to raise the alarm. They somehow managed to contact their families and Victor Harbour police station to tell them they were still alive, despite not firing any flares or activating the boat's Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB). Margrel was then towed to Victor Harbor by police, and Mr Higgins remains on board the boat - moored off the Granite Island causeway - to ensure it does not sink. Mr Higgins was fined $1,000 for having an out-of-date EPIRB as well as old flares on board. While he was appreciative for the efforts of the search teams and concern of the nation, he apologised for scarying everybody. 'Sorry Australia,' he told ABC Radio Adelaide. Bengaluru, Sep 11 : Global PC market leader Lenovo's SmarterEd -- free online education platform on Friday revealed that it has secured over 11,000 volunteer teachers and nearly 15,000 student registrations in its first four months. In April, Lenovo launched its platform in collaboration with eVidyaloka, a non-profit organisation (NGO), which allows students from classes V to XII to choose their teachers, select the subject they would like to learn, and take out time to learn as per their convenience. The SmarterEd platform was designed by Lenovo for one-on-one online learning sessions, taking into account the respective teaching and learning styles of learners and instructors. The registrations were not geographically limited, which allowed individuals from 654 cities to teach voluntarily, and students from 571 different cities to learn, with the majority from Delhi. "We are delighted to see thousands of learners and teachers accessing the platform for better education," Amit Doshi - Chief Marketing Officer, Lenovo India said in a statement. "We had launched the SmarterEd platform to assist students during the national lockdown in April when schools across the country had been forced to suspend classes," Doshi added. The platform offers links to NCERT and State syllabus e-books, and allows learners from classes V to XII to register. In the last three months, the maximum number of registered students (5,000 plus) were from class XII, the platform said. While learners and volunteer teachers had the option to choose from multiple Indian languages, the most preferred language for communication was English, followed by Hindi. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text At 8:46 a.m. Friday morning, several dozen mid-valley residents gathered at the American Legion Post 10 in Albany to pay homage to the 2,977 people who were killed by terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and a farm field in Pennsylvania on Sept. 11, 2001. Post 10 Commander David Solomon said the attack by Al Qaeda terrorists wounded our nation and was an unforgiving, horrific act. On that day, terrorists hijacked planes and flew them into the World Trade Center and Pentagon. Passengers on board United Airlines Flight 93 battled their hijackers and the plane crashed into a farm field in Stonycreek Township, Pennsylvania. Solomon was a first responder on that day in New York City and lost numerous colleagues and friends. It was one of the most devastating days in our nations history, Solomon said. I fear that the knowledge about Sept. 11, the anger we felt that day, is fading from our memories, but families are still suffering due to the gaping holes of lost loved ones in their families. The deceased ranged in age from 2 to 85. About 1,000 were military veterans. It took 99 days to extinguish the fires. Solomon said 343 firefighters, 23 police officers, 37 port authority staff members and seven EMTs died that day and thousands more have died from health issues associated with breathing in toxic air that day, what he called World Trade Center disease. Albany Mayor Sharon Konopa said the 9/11 attacks touched all of our hearts across the nation. We are all one nation together. Konopa said Oregon is facing another devastating event with nearly 1 million acres of wildland fires. We must make sure our hearts are with everyone, Konopa said. Our landscape has changed. Lives have been lost. People have been hurt and homes lost. Konopa said she has lived in Albany her whole life and has never seen a fire season of this magnitude, calling it an unprecedented event. Konopa said the first responders helping people with wildfires today have the same caring hearts as those who ran into the World Trade Center to help others while it was collapsing around them. They saved lives then and they are doing the same thing today, Konopa said. U.S. Senate candidate Jo Rae Perkins said she vividly remembers learning about the attacks 19 years ago and those memories stir deep emotions within her. We have way more things in common than not, Perkins said. We all need to love and be loved; to have a roof over our heads; food; and to have the government leave us alone to enjoy our lives as we see fit. Perkins said the United States has has been extremely divided lately. But on that day, we were all Americans, just as we are today in Oregon, Perkins said. We must all pull together to overcome these wildfires. Colors were presented and retired by members of area American Legion Rider groups. The invocation and benediction was given by Post 10 Chaplain Chuck Zeitler. Nancy Randall led singing of the national anthem and "Let There Be Peace on Earth." Mid-valley residents presented floral wreaths in honor of those who died, especially those for whom Solomon attended funerals. The Post 10 Honor Guard fired a 21-gun salute in honor of the attack victims. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-12 02:59:14|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close RAMALLAH, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- Palestine recorded in the last 24 hours eight more deaths and 652 new COVID-19 cases in the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, and East Jerusalem, a senior Palestinian official said on Friday. Palestinian Minister of Health Mai al-Kaila said in a press statement that 34 cases receive intensive medical care, adding that the rate of the recovered cases in Palestine has reached 70.5 percent. "Since the outbreak of the deadly disease in March, Palestine recorded 37,866 COVID-19 cases, including 232 deaths, 26,691 recovered cases, and 10,943 active cases under medical care," she said. Meanwhile, the Hamas movement's authorities began to ease the strict lockdown imposed on the Gaza Strip after recording the first four COVID-19 cases in the densely populated areas on Aug. 24. The Hamas-run ministry of interior said in a press statement that easing the lockdown did not include all the Gaza Strip, but just some parts of the enclave with fewer infections. Enditem Mumbai, Sep. Sep 11 : A Mumbai Special NDPS Court on Friday rejected the bail applications of actress Rhea Chakraborty, her brother Showik and four others accused in the drugs case filed by Narcotics Control Bureau, advocate Satish Maneshinde said. All the six accused - including Samuel Miranda, Dipesh Swant, Abdul Basit and Zaid Vilatra - are likely to move the Bombay High Court for bail, he added shortly after the ruling. "Once we get a copy of the NDPS Special Court Order, we will decide next week on the course of action about approaching the Bombay High Court," Maneshinde told mediapersons. Until she gets further relief, Rhea, 28 - who was arrested on Sep. 8 and sent to judicial custody till Sep. 22 - will remain in the Byculla Jail. The other accused, Miranda - home manager of the late actor Sushant Singh Rajput, house help Sawant, and two drug peddlers - are also in judicial custody. In the bail plea, Maneshinde forcefully argued that there is nothing on record to suggest that Rhea was in any way involved with the financing of illicit drug traffic or harbouring offenders in relations to any narcotic drugs or psychotropic substances. He pointed out to Special Judge G. B. Gurao that the NCB was silent on the quantum of drugs, the type of drugs allegedly procured and financed by her, the quantum of the narcotics. "The case against her is that she coordinated the delivery of drugs for her boyfriend (Sushant) and occasionally even made the payment for it...These allegations make for an offence that is bailable," Maneshinde contended. Rhea, in her bail plea, has alleged that she was "coerced" into making "self-incrimating confessions" during her interrogations by NCB for three days this week, and maintained that she has not committed any crime whatsoever but was being falsely framed in the case. Retracting her "self-incriminating confessions", she termed her arrest as "unwarranted, without any justification," "arbitrarily curtailed her liberty", she faced death and rape threats and there were no female officers present during her interrogation, which took place on Sep. 6,7, and 8, with her arrest coming on the final day. Opposing the plea, the Special Public Prosecutor Atul Sarpande argued that she could influence the witnesses or tamper with evidence with her money power and must not be enlarged on bail. Rejecting the defendents' plea, Special Judge Gurao rejected their bail applications and all the accused will continue to remain in custody till any relief is granted by the Bombay High Court. Latest updates on Sushant Singh Rajput Death Mystery -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text When hundreds of Rohingya refugees paid traffickers to escape their squalid camp in Bangladesh, they were promised a new life in Malaysia after just one week at sea. Instead, the group of mostly women and children suffered more than 200 days of terror on the high seas, until they landed this week on Indonesia's northern coast, where they are now back in refugee tents. Beaten by the traffickers, they battled hunger and thirst as storms lashed their wooden vessel, and watched in horror as the corpses of scores who died were tossed overboard, according to survivor accounts. "We were told that we'd reach Malaysia in seven or eight days, but we floated in the water for months," one male survivor told AFP from a makeshift tent camp on Indonesia's Sumatra island. "We suffered miserably. (The crew) tortured us all the time, beating and cutting us." Kamrun Nahar, another survivor, said she lost count of how many bodies were thrown into the sea, adding "mothers and their children died" after succumbing to illness. The new accounts -- and those of nearly 100 Rohingya who landed in Indonesia in June -- suggest some 800 migrants left Bangladesh on a large boat around March before being split onto smaller vessels. - 'Shuttle system' - Many paid up to $2,400 to get aboard, but smugglers held them hostage for months in order to extort more money from their friends and relatives, survivors and aid agencies said. "Traffickers were said to be demanding transfers of as much as 5,000 ringgit ($1,200)," the Jakarta-based Institute for Policy Analysis of Conflict (IPAC) said in a report. Despite their ordeal, the group looked relatively healthy, suggesting that traffickers had an interest in keeping them alive. Experts say some smuggling boats are fitted with desalinisation machines to produce potable water during the hazardous crossings. But the latest arrivals said they were fed little more than a handful of rice and a glass of water each day. Story continues "The smugglers employed a kind of shuttle system, with smaller fishing boats going back and forth with food and water," the IPAC report said. In another twist, IPAC said many women on board were hoping to reach romantic partners in Malaysia. "Most are already married either virtually or otherwise to men in Malaysia who financed their travel," it said. - 'Horrific journey' - Moving refugees from a mothership onto smaller craft for transfer to shore is a common tactic for traffickers. But it is a perilous operation and an estimated 200 Rohingya have died at sea this year, said Ann Maymann, the Indonesia representative for UNHCR, the UN's refugee agency. "It's a horrific journey, it's very unpredictable", Maymann told AFP. "Those who disembarked are probably those whose families have paid." The latest survivor accounts -- including claims there could have been as many as 100 dead -- could not be independently verified by AFP but they match reports given to international organisations, including the UNHCR. Two of this week's arrivals -- a young woman and a man -- have died of unspecified illnesses, although everyone was declared coronavirus-free after testing by local authorities. - Long-term plan - This week's arrival was one of the biggest such landings by the persecuted Myanmar minority in years. Around one million Muslim Rohingya live in cramped refugee camps in Bangladesh -- next to their native Myanmar -- where human traffickers run lucrative operations promising to find them sanctuary abroad. The Rohingya fled from Buddhist-majority Myanmar to escape a military crackdown against them three years ago that UN investigators said amounted to genocide. Muslim-majority Malaysia and Indonesia are favoured destinations for Rohingya trying to escape Bangladesh. "We suffered a lot in Myanmar and couldn't find any peace," said Mahmud Syakir who fled the refugee camp in the hope of reuniting with his sister in Malaysia. "I'm a poor guy, an orphan. I've only got a sister in Malaysia but I can't go to her now." str-pb-lgo/fox/kma/am/qan Similar to the physical show, SIGN CHINA | Live will bring visitors thousands of elite exhibitors from 8 industry sectors through its Digital Showroom, where visitors can watch live streaming programs from Exhibitor Webcast, look for their target suppliers via a B2B Search Engine, post their procurement enquiry for a Business 1-to-1 service and receive exhibitor recommendation through AI Algorithm Matching. Apart from that, during SIGN CHINA physical show dates, 17-19 September, visitors can watch live streaming from the Organiser and experience an Onsite Virtual Tour to visit the booth of famous brands and new joiners. Moreover, media partners will share their insights through the streaming programs of Global Voices and Conference Webinars. Both physical and virtual, SIGN CHINA 2020 Shanghai will be here to offer professional sign manufacturing equipment, materials and various practical application solutions to global community of the sign industry. Please join us with free registration: https://bit.ly/3k6RRHF, either Onsite or Online for more: signage & lightbox/ digital signage/ indoor & outdoor digital inkjet printing equipment and ink/ indoor and outdoor digital printing supplies/ digital textile printing/ retail & display solutions/ laser engraving & cutting equipment and components/ acrylic & advertising panel. About SIGN CHINA: Established in 2003, SIGN CHINA has been devoting itself to build a one-stop platform for the sign community, where global sign users, manufacturers and professionals can find the combination of laser engraver, traditional and digital signage, light box, advertising panel, POP, indoor & outdoor wide format printer and printing supplies, inkjet printer, advertising display, LED display, LED illuminant, OLED and digital signage all in one place. (For more, visit: www.SignChinaShow.com) About the Organiser: Informa Markets Trust, a joint venture of Informa Markets. Informa Markets is a leading B2B information services group and the largest B2B event organizer in the world. It has over 11,000 staff and provides business service to over 40 countries for more than 50 different industries. Over 500 leading exhibitions across the globe are organised by Informa Markets SOURCE Informa Markets Trust Burma Ministers Team Caught in Attack by Arakan Army in Myanmars Chin State Chin State Municipal Minister U Soe Htet / Htet Wai / The Irrawaddy YANGONChin State government officials led by Municipal Minister U Soe Htet have been stranded in Paletwa Township in the south of the state due to attacks by the Arakan Army (AA), an ethnic armed group engaged in ongoing fighting with the Myanmar military in neighboring Rakhine State. The 11-member team of state government officials arrived in war-torn Paletwa on Sept. 5 to provide food and cash assistance to over 1,000 families affected by the armed conflict. The AA attacked them with heavy and small arms as they were crossing the Kaladan River from Paletwa to Hakha, the seat of the Chin State government, on Wednesday at noon, forcing the government officials to return to Paletwa. We are still in Paletwa. We are making plans to leave. And we have to take security precautions, U Soe Htet told The Irrawaddy on Thursday. The attack was targeted at the government team, U Soe Htet said, but no one was injured. They targeted us. Some like that we came here. And some dont. The displaced persons are happy that we provided national-level assistance of 40,000 kyats per family to over 1,000 displaced families in Paletwa. But the other group may not like that we came here, U Soe Htet said. Major General Zaw Min Tun of the Myanmar militarys Tatmadaw True News Information Team said the AA attacked a government military base at around 1 p.m. on Wednesday with 107-mm rockets. U Soe Htet is in a safe place. The AA shot at the military unit, not him. But he was on the vessel and crossing the river, the military spokesman told The Irrawaddy. The Irrawaddy could not independently verify the situation, as AA information officer Khaing Thukha was not available for comment, despite multiple attempts. The AA has frequently expressed its dislike for U Soe Htet, a former Myanmar military officer. It has also accused him of spreading misinformation about the armed group. U Soe Htet is running for a seat representing Paletwa in the Chin State parliament in the November election, on the National League for Democracy ticket. The Khumi Affairs Coordination Council has released a statement expressing its concern about the possibility of holding a successful election in Paletwa. As villages in Paletwa Township are located along the Kaladan River, candidates will have to campaign along it. However, with both banks of the river backed by hills and the AA active in the area, candidates are finding it difficult to reach villages in Paletwa while campaigning. Candidate Bu Htan Paing of the Chin National League for Democracy, who is running for an Upper House seat in Paletwa, slammed the AA for targeting a government minister. He said he still cannot campaign in villages along the Kaladan River due to security concerns. The AA said they would not disrupt the election. But it is difficult to say if they are as good as their word. I want the AA and the Tatmadaw to reduce engagement as much as possible before the election, and avoid fighting until the election is over. Both sides say they are fighting for the people, and I want them to avoid military activities during the election, which is important for the people, said the candidate. In February, fierce clashes between the Tatmadaw and the AA in Paletwa blocked transportation routes to the township, leaving over 100,000 locals short of basic foodstuffs. The AA has attacked government ministers in previous cases. On Feb. 19, it attacked a military helicopter carrying Union Minister for Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement Dr. Win Myat Aye and Rakhine State Chief Minister U Nyi Pu, who were traveling from Sittwe to Buthidaung to assist civilians affected by armed clashes. It also abducted a group of Indian citizens who were traveling along the Kaladan River to conduct a survey on the Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project, along with NLD lawmaker U Whei Tin, on Nov. 3 last year. One of the Indian citizens died due to heart problems while in the AAs custody. The armed group released the other Indian citizens soon after, but held U Whei Tin for more than two months, not releasing him until Jan. 21, 2020. It accused U Whei Tin of informing the Myanmar military of its movements and spreading misinformation. Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko You may also like these stories: Three Myanmar Soldiers Court-Martialed for Raping Rakhine Woman Children Killed by Artillery Strike Spark International Charity Calls to End War in Western Myanmar Rakhine Parties Slam COVID-19 Campaign Restrictions Ahead of Myanmars Election Rise in significance of high speed bandwidth, technological advancement across the world, and growing Internet penetration drive the growth of the global coherent optical equipment market. North America contributed the highest share in 2018, and will maintain its dominance throughout the forecast period. As the IT industry adopted work from home strategy, the demand for coherent optical equipment has been reduced for few months of the coronavirus pandemic. Portland, OR, Sept. 10, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- According to the report published by Allied Market Research, the global coherent optical equipment market generated $18.64 billion in 2018, and is estimated to reach $37.18 billion by 2026, registering a CAGR of 9.4% from 2019 to 2026. The report offers an extensive analysis of changing market trends, key winning strategies, Porters Five Forces, major segments, and competitive scenario. Rise in importance of high speed bandwidth, technological advancements across the world, and increase in internet penetration drive the growth of the global coherent optical equipment market. However, high capital Investment may hinder the market growth. On the other hand, expansion in rural areas creates new opportunities in the coming years. Download Sample Report: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/5986 Covid-19 scenario: The operational strategy of work from home has been adopted by the IT industry; therefore the demand for coherent optical equipment has been reduced for few months of the coronavirus pandemic. New installation of the coherent optical equipment has been postponed during the global lockdown due to the stoppage of the commercial construction projects across the globe. Get detailed COVID-19 impact analysis on the Coherent Optical Equipment Market: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-for-customization/5986?reqfor=covid The report offers a detailed segmentation of the global coherent optical equipment market based on technology, equipment, application, end-user, and region. Story continues Based on equipment, the wavelength-division multiplexer (WDM) segment contributed to the largest share in 2018, accounting for more than one-fourth of the total share, and is estimated to maintain its dominant position during the forecast period. However, the optical switches segment is expected to register the highest CAGR of 11.2% from 2019 to 2026. Based on application, the networking segment accounted for the largest share in 2018, holding nearly half of the total share, and is expected to maintain the largest share throughout the forecast period. However, the data center segment is estimated to portray the highest CAGR of 10.9% during the forecast period. For Purchase Inquiry: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/purchase-enquiry/5986 Based on region, North America contributed the highest share, accounting for nearly two-fifths of the total market share in 2018, and will maintain its dominance throughout the forecast period. However, Asia-Pacific is expected to grow at the highest CAGR of 12.0% from 2019 to 2026. Leading market players analyzed in the research include Infinera Corporation., Cisco Systems Inc., Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd., Ciena Corporation, Nokia Corporation, Fujitsu Limited, NEC Corporation, ECI Telecom Ltd., and ZTE Corporation. About Allied Market Research: Allied Market Research (AMR) is a full-service market research and business-consulting wing of Allied Analytics LLP based in Portland, Oregon. Allied Market Research provides global enterprises as well as medium and small businesses with unmatched quality of "Market Research Reports" and "Business Intelligence Solutions." AMR has a targeted view to provide business insights and consulting to assist its clients to make strategic business decisions and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domains. AMR offers its services across 11 industry verticals including Life Sciences, Consumer Goods, Materials & Chemicals, Construction & Manufacturing, Food & Beverages, Energy & Power, Semiconductor & Electronics, Automotive & Transportation, ICT & Media , Aerospace & Defense, and BFSI. We are in professional corporate relations with various companies and this helps us in digging out market data that helps us generate accurate research data tables and confirms utmost accuracy in our market forecasting. Each and every data presented in the reports published by us is extracted through primary interviews with top officials from leading companies of domain concerned. Our secondary data procurement methodology includes deep online and offline research and discussion with knowledgeable professionals and analysts in the industry. AMR also presents Avenue, an innovative subscription-based online report database. With Avenue, you can avail an online access to the entire library of syndicated reports on more than 2,000 niche industries and company profiles on more than 12,000 firms across 11 domains. This is a cost-effective model, tailored for entrepreneurs, investors, and students & researchers at universities. You can also request customizations, suggest new reports, and avail analyst support as per your requirements. Get access to the library of reports at any time from any device and anywhere. For more details, follow the link: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/library-access CONTACT: Contact Us: David Correa 5933 NE Win Sivers Drive #205, Portland, OR 97220 United States Toll Free: 1-800-792-5285 UK: +44-845-528-1300 Hong Kong: +852-301-84916 India (Pune): +91-20-66346060 Fax: +1-855-550-5975 help@alliedmarketresearch.com Web: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com Follow Us on: LinkedIn Twitter A Melbourne couple who drove more than 300km to regional Victoria to mow their lawn have been fined for breaching their city's Stage Four Lockdown. The man and woman drove from Preston in Melbourne's inner north to their second property in the small country town of Koondrook on the Murray River in northwest Victoria on Thursday. Police said when they asked the couple why they had travelled so far, they said 'the grass would have got too long if we didn't come up'. Melburnians are only permitted to travel to regional Victoria for work, medical care, care giving and to buy goods and services, provided it is their closest location. A Melbourne couple were fined for driving more than 300km to regional Victoria to mow their lawn, which is a breach of the city's Stage Four Lockdown (stock image) Since 'mowing the lawn' is not an acceptable reason to travel so far, the couple were fined $1,652 each on the spot. The couple were just two of 100 Victorians fined for breaching the chief health officer's directives in 24 hours. Two men from Craigieburn who caught a taxi to the Yarra Ranges were pulled over at a vehicle checkpoint and fined. One man said he as travelling to Gruyere to buy a vintage car while the other said he was going to buy tyres. A map of the three-hour drive from Preston in Melbourne's inner north to the country town of Koondrook in Victoria's north west. The couple were fined after making the drive on Thursday A man and two women were also fined after being caught hosting a birthday party at a short-term rental property on the Bass Coast. Another 22 were fined for failing to wear a face mask when leaving home for one of the four approved reasons, 31 were fined at vehicle checkpoints and 30 were fined for curfew breaches. Police have now issued 9,769 infringements since Stage Three restrictions were reinstated in Melbourne in early July, a total of more than $14 million in fines. Melbourne's Stage Four lockdown began on August 2. Colombia's defense minister apologized on Friday on behalf of the national police for an incident of police brutality that sparked two nights of protests that rocked parts of capital Bogota and satellite city Soacha, leaving 11 dead and hundreds injured. Demonstrators have taken to the streets for consecutive nights to protest the death on Wednesday of Javier Ordonez, 46. A widely-shared video filmed by Ordonez's friend showed the father of two being repeatedly shocked with a stun gun by police. He died later in a hospital. "The national police apologize for any violation of the law or ignorance of regulations by any members of the institution", Defense Minister Carlos Holmes Trujillo said in a video message. The video of Ordonez shows him pinned to the ground by police officers and subjected to successive electric shocks early on Wednesday as he begs, "please, no more." Police said Ordonez was found drinking alcohol in the street with friends in violation of coronavirus distancing rules. He was taken to a police station in western Bogota which has become a focal point of protests, and later died in hospital. Two police officers implicated in Ordonez's death face charges of abusing authority and homicide. They have already been suspended and will be fired from the force. A further five officers have been suspended in connection with Ordonez's death, Trujillo said. Seven people aged between 17 and 27 years old died after being shot in Bogota during protests on Wednesday, according to the mayor's office, while the national government says three were killed the same night in Soacha. Family members of some of the Bogota victims told local media their loved ones had not been participating in the protests. Another woman was killed in Bogota on Thursday as protests continued. She was hit by a stolen public transport vehicle, local and national officials said. More than 200 civilians and 194 police officers have been injured during the clashes, according to the national government. Ordonez's death could fuel renewed outrage against the police, who were widely criticized last year after a teenage protester was fatally injured by a riot squad projectile. (REUTERS) Geojit's report on Agri Picks Madhya Pradesh is preparing to spend 11.6 bln rupees under the price support scheme to procure kharif pulses--tur, urad, and moong--harvested in 2020-21 (Jul-Jun), a state government official said. Malaysia's crude palm oil output rises 3.1% on month to 1.86 mln tn in August, data from Malaysian Palm Oil Board showed. Total palm oil stocks were a tad down at 1.69 mln tn. Malaysia's palm oil exports in August fell by 11.3% on month to 1.58 mln tn, and biodiesel exports were down 36.7% on month at 24,675 tn, data showed. India received 5.2 mm rainfall yesterday, 16% below normal, the India Meteorological Department said. Since Jun 1, the country has received 828.6 mm rainfall, 7% above normal. The Association of Natural Rubber Producing Countries has lowered its forecast for global rubber output in 2020 to 13.15 mln tn, down 4.9% from the previous year, from the 13.20 mln tn pegged in July, the association said in its monthly report. Brazil has been able to reduce pollution levels by 50% by blending ethanol with petrol, said Evandro Gussi, the president of Brazil's sugarcane industry association UNICA. Tamil Nadu has requested the Centre to draft new guidelines for its flagship Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana to avoid any fraud, a senior state government official said. The water level in 123 key reservoirs across the country rose more than 2% over the past week to 142.234 bcm today, data from the Central Water Commission showed. The level is 83% of the total live storage capacity of 171.090 bcm. It is 2% higher on year and 18% higher than the 10-year average, according to the commission. For all commodities report, click here Disclaimer: The views and investment tips expressed by investment experts/broking houses/rating agencies on moneycontrol.com are their own, and not that of the website or its management. Moneycontrol.com advises users to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions. Read More Prithviraj Sukumaran is undoubtedly one of the most bankable actors and directors of Mollywood. The actor with his impeccable performances and unconventional roles in films has proven that he is at the top of his game, and the fact that his name is taken after Superstars Mohanlal and Mammootty in Mollywood, only proves it. Prithviraj's journey from a newbie to a Superstar is truly an inspirational tale that anyone would want to be a part of. Well today, the actor took to his social media handle to share a motivating note that would want one to take risks in life, and conquer the world with their success. Sharing his unrecognizable picture from the pooja ceremony of Nandanam, the actor wrote, "This photo was taken on the day of #Nandanam pooja. A good year or so before the film finally released (was my third release though it was my first film). I had no clue what life had in store for me in the coming years then." As mentioned earlier in his interviews, the actor went on to say that all he knew was to be keep occupied himself during the summer break with Nandanam. He wrote, "All that I knew was that I got something to keep myself occupied during the summer break before going back to college. Never went back to college.. and that thing I got to keep myself occupied, well.. that occupies all that I am now. Sometimes.. you just have to trust the flow..coz these waters have a way of taking you to where you're meant to be!" Well, the fans and followers of the actor are quite impressed with the inspirational post, which has now gone viral on internet. Interestingly, Prithviraj's wife Supriya Menon has commented, 'Manu ettaaaa!', a phrase used by the female lead Navya Nair (as Balamani) in the movie Nandanam to address Prithviraj's character Manu Nandakumar. Talking about Nandanam, the 2002 film directed, written and co-produced by Ranjith, received 2 Filmfare Awards (South) and 4 Kerala State Film Awards. Meanwhile, Prithviraj Sukumaran will next be seen in Blessy's survival drama Aadujeevitham. He is also a part of Gokulraj Baskar's untitled project, which marks India's first virtual production film. Prithviraj Sukumaran's Virtual Production Project: Here Is An Exciting Update! Prithviraj Sukumaran's Virtual Production: Kiccha Sudeep To Make Malayalam Debut With The Project? GREENWICH Sydney Pelletier-Martinelli doesnt remember many details about September 11, 2001. She was only 2-years-old at the time, and her mother drove her to her first day of preschool. Her mother received a phone call that morning. It was her father, who worked in the World Trade Center. The young Greenwich womans eyes teared up Friday morning as she declined to share details about her parents conversation from that day 19 years ago. Obviously, it was a really bad thing that happened, but we remember it in a positive way, she said. Pelletier-Martinelli, now 21, said her family always takes time to reflect and remember her father, who died in the attacks that morning, in a positive light. We dont have hate in the way that we remember my dad and in the way that he died, she said as she dried her eyes. The Bucknell University student shared her story Friday morning during the towns annual Sept. 11 remembrance ceremony in Cos Cob Park. Survivors of those who died in the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks were joined by town elected officials, first responders and community members during a peaceful but solemn service that differed in many ways from those in years past. It was the first year organizers held the two-hour service early in the morning, promptly starting at 8:46 a.m. with a cannon and bell ringing, marking the exact time when the North Tower of the World Trade Center was hit by an aircraft. There was no seating this year and all attendees wore face masks amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The ceremony historically includes several speakers. But this year, it included only a short prayer service led by the Reverend Thomas Nins, a police chaplain with the Town of Greenwich. His message to the large group of bystanders was a familiar one. For the last several months, America has been focused on what matters and who matters, he said. The anniversary of the World Trade Center attacks reminds us that America matters and that every person who died during the tragedy mattered just the same, he said to the crowd. When the numbers came in, no one divided the victims by race or by socio-economic class, he said. Before his closing remarks, Nins ended with a reminder: Americans grieved, but they united and rebuilt together after the devastation, he said. Let us go forward not divided by race and class (but) united, as Americans, he said. The event is held each year in an area of the park where two glass structures, symbolic of the Twin Towers, are situated with a view of Long Island Sound and the Riverside Yacht Club. Its the only club in Greenwich (where you) could see the towers before the attacks, said Stephanie Dunn Ashley, a co-organizer of the event. During the service, community members laid flowers near the base of the memorial, which is inscribed with the names of 32 people with ties to Greenwich who died in the terrorist attacks. On the base of the memorial lies a separate tribute for a Greenwich man Donald Freeman Greene who died on Flight 93 on his way to Shanksville, P.A. The names of the deceased are purposely placed along the memorial so that at certain intersections, the letters also come together to spell, forever, liberty, courage, freedom (and) love, Dunn Ashley said. She co-organized the event with Wells Noonan a Greenwich resident who lost her brother in the attacks. Dunn Ashley said the ceremony holds a special place in her heart because many of her friends and family members were in the Pentagon and the World Trade Center on that fateful day in 2001. I didnt lose any of my family members, but I did lose a whole bunch of friends and I grew up in New York City, so its my hometown, she said. She moved to Greenwich just before the landmark buildings were destroyed and she said the anniversary has always held a special significance. She visits the local memorial site just almost every day. I have 2,751 photos of this place, she said, showing off the cell phone photographs to prove it. I just come, I sit, and I think, and I have a moment of reflection, she said. I always sit for a minute, say Hello and just give a little bit of my day back to them, she said of the deceased. As time passes, the grieving process gets a little easier, Dunn Ashley said. I think its easier, she said, but youre always taken back to that moment. The event was held in memory of more than 30 people with ties to the town who died on Sept. 11, 2001: Bryan Craig Bennett, Stephen Patrick Cherry, Kevin Francis Cleary, Kevin P. Connors, Brian Cummins, Christine Egan, Michael Egan, Ulf Ramm Ericson, Bennett L. Fisher, Thomas Edward Galvin, Steven Glick, Donald Freeman Greene, Pedro Grehan, James Douglas Halvorson, Erik Hans Isbrandtsen, Gregory Kamal, Joseph Anthony Lenihan, Adam J. Lewis, Peter R. Kellerman, Teddy Maloney, Francis Noel McGuinn, Christopher D. Mello, Cheryl Monyak, Lindsay Stapleton Morehouse, Robert Walter Noonan, Mike A. Pelletier, Michael C. Rothberg, Jason E. Sabbag, Stacey Leigh Sanders, Frederick Varacchi, Bruno Wachtler, Martin Phillips Buff Wohlforth, and Charles Alan Zion. tatiana.flowers@thehour.com @TATIANADFLOWERS Dr. Avaliani's expert opinion has been featured in many publications including Social Life Magazine, The Hamptons, Today.com, Teen Vogue, Readers Digest, Huffington Post, Latina Magazine, and more. Dr. Avaliani is a leading female expert on Upper East Side in New York City specializing in cosmetic and laser surgery. She is a Member of the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery, ASLMS (American Society of Laser Medicine and Surgery), and a Diplomate of the American Board of Medical Specialties. Dr. Avalianis unique approach is very much appreciated and recognized locally and internationally by her loyal patient following. Her high-end clientele includes many celebrity models, actors, TV hosts, celebrity makeup artists, hairstylists, fashion designers, and many billionaires and influential people. Dr. Avaliani has received numerous and very prestigious awards in record time. She is always on top of her game by attending numerous medical societies and is a member of numerous aesthetic committees dedicated to non-surgical advancement always bringing the best and the latest technologies for her patients. Her expert opinion has been featured in many publications including Social Life Magazine, The Hamptons, Today.com, Teen Vogue, Readers Digest, Huffington Post, Latina Magazine, and more. Dr. Avalianis practice offers the latest state-of-the-art technologies, with more than $1 million of the latest state of the art laser equipment available. Her practice belongs to a handful practices in the entire country to be named Cynosure Center for Excellence for continually providing the best treatment protocols with the best results for her patients. She is a cynosure expert and top SculpSure and PicoSure provider in NYC. She designs and develops treatment protocols and is a CynoSure Laser trainer to her peers. She is a top expert NovaThreads provider in New York, offering revolutionary FDA approved technology in non-invasive thread lift procedures using the safe and absorbable PDO thread sutures. Dr. Avaliani shares her expertise by being a certified NovaThreads trainer in NYC to her peers from around the country. Dr. Avaliani has a magic light touch and artistic skill for details. She is highly skilled in performing the latest laser cosmetic surgery treatments for the face and body. She is a National Master Peer trainer for advanced injection techniques on neuromodulators (ex: BOTOX and Dysport ) and dermal fillers (ex: Juvederm and Restylane ). She also perfected the art of microcannula injection technique to deliver most comfortable and bruise-free injections to her patients. An ever-growing share of Dr. Avalianis practice comes from word of mouth. My consultations are detailed and bespoke for each patient. I am not afraid to turn away a patient if they are not the right fit. Not everyone is a candidate for every procedure, and not everyone has a realistic expectation. Expertise and honesty are her hallmarks. Dr.Avalianis offers a unique Bespoke Beauty Treatments. She believes that an important aspect of the whole body approach is to help patients feel youthful, more attractive, and to regain their confidence. There is no one treatment that fits all. Dr. Avaliani is a founder of Cosmetic & Laser Surgery Center in New York City. She and her team of highly experienced and licensed laser technicians are there to answer any questions for you as well as provide the best service with the best results. Her office offers an exceptionally unique, professional, welcoming, and most relaxing atmosphere. Her practice uniquely caters to both Men and Women as they all trust her expertise and her skillful eye for detail. The key elements of every single consultation performed by Dr. Avaliani, is about carefully listening to her patients concerns and reflecting on them by setting only the most realistic expectations and being very honest, even if it means telling: No. Patient education and effective communication at the hands of Dr. Avaliani and her team result in outstanding results and an extremely satisfied family of patients. Dr. Avaliani has lived and grew up in New York. Upon completion of her medical degree from St. Georges University, she completed her residency training at a prestigious NYM/New York Presbyterian-Weill Cornell Medical Center, one of the top 10 institutions in the country. Following her residency, she was invited to complete a highly competitive cosmetic surgery observership in New York, where she perfected the skill of the latest surgical and non surgical techniques. Dr. Avaliani is Board Certified in Cosmetic Laser Surgery by the American Board of Laser Surgery and in Internal Medicine by the American Board of Internal Medicine. She is a fellow Member of many prestigious medical societies, including the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery, the International Society of Cosmetic Laser Surgeons, the American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery, American Academy of Aesthetic Medicine, and the New York State Medical Society. She is also an attending physician at NYU and NYM/New York Presbyterian-Weill Cornell Medical Center She is fluent in 6 languages, including English, Russian, Ukrainian, Moldovian, Polish, and German. In her leisure time, she is also a wife and a mother to her son and daughter and enjoys spending quality time with her family between Manhattan, Miami, the Hamptons, and St. Barths. Trust your face and body to a top NYC expert, Dr. Avaliani, and experience unique Bespoke Beauty treatment plan by a true artist and expert. Learn more about Dr. Anna Avaliani by visiting: https://hauteliving.com/hautebeauty/member/dr-anna-avaliani/ 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/ STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The election of 2020 will be conducted amid unprecedented circumstances as the coronavirus (COVID-19) has the country reeling and restrictions alter the way Americans would normally cast their ballots. A record number of voters are expected to register their ballots by mail as President Donald Trump makes repeated unsubstantiated claims that mail-in voting could lead to voter fraud. Meanwhile, those looking to avoid potentially long lines and exposure to the virus have options in New York to avoid heading to a polling site on Nov. 3. Heres what you need to know about voting in the 2020 general election. Voters went to polling sites, including at PS 78 in Stapleton, on Election Day, Nov. 6, 2018. (Staten Island Advance/Annalise Knudson) Staten Island Advance/Annalise KnudsonStaten Island Advance/Annalise K DEADLINE TO REGISTER TO VOTE For those who are not yet registered to vote in New York, applications must be postmarked no later than Oct. 9 and received by a board of elections no later than Oct. 14 to be eligible to vote in the upcoming election. You can also register to vote at a local board of elections or any state agency participating in the National Voter Registration Act, but any application must still be received by the Oct. 9 deadline, according to the New York State Board of Elections. Click here to check if you are registered to vote. Stickers that read "I Voted By Mail" sit on a table waiting to be stuffed into envelopes by absentee ballot election workers at the Mecklenburg County Board of Elections office in Charlotte, N.C. on Sept. 4, 2020. (Getty Images/TNS/Logan Cyrus)TNS ABSENTEE BALLOTS New Yorkers hoping to vote absentee in the November election can request a ballot application now that Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed a series of laws in late August, the Advance/SILive.com reported, joining most states in the country that allow for this form of voting. The three-bill package signed by Cuomo gives voters the ability to request the application, to do so because of coronavirus fears, and gives assurances that ballots postmarked before or on the Nov. 3 Election Day will be counted if theyre received by Nov. 10. Nearly a quarter of the ballots were cast by mail in the 2016 election, according to the Pew Research Center. The deadline to apply online, by email, fax or to postmark an application or letter of application by mail for an absentee ballot is Oct. 27. However, the Post Office has advised those seeking an absentee ballot not to wait until the end of October to apply saying it cannot guarantee the timely delivery of ballots applied for less than two weeks before an election. Once a ballot is received and completed, it can be returned by mail as long as it is postmarked by the Nov. 3 deadline, dropped off at an early voting poll site between Oct. 24 and Nov. 1, dropped off at a poll site on Nov. 3 by 9 p.m. or dropped off at a County Board of Elections Office starting Sept. 8 until no later than Nov. 3 at 9 p.m. Heres how to complete your absentee ballot. An early voting site on Staten Island in 2019. (Staten Island Advance/Annalise Knudson) EARLY VOTING Voting before Election Day is also a possibility for New Yorkers. Early voting starts on Oct. 24 and runs until Nov. 1. While the New York City Board of Elections website has not yet listed where early voting will be held on Staten Island, nine locations were used in 2019, the Advance/SILive.com previously reported. Heres a list of times early voting will take place during the aforementioned span. This was the scene inside St. Christophers community center as the primary 2020 voting began.(Staten Island Advance/Jan Somma-Hammel) IN-PERSON VOTING Election Day in-person voting, the most common way ballots are cast in elections around the country, will take place on Nov. 3. Face coverings and social distancing measures will be required at polling sites. For those who have voted in New York before, an ID is generally not needed to vote. If you are a first-time voter who registered by mail and did not provide a copy of your ID with your registration, then you may have to show your ID to cast a ballot. Click here to find your polling site. live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Vodafone Idea share price fell about 3 percent in morning trade on BSE on September 11 as reports said that the company was planning to raise Rs 35,000 crore. As per a CNBC-TV18 report, Vodafone Idea is looking to raise Rs 10,000 crore via the sale of fibre business and data centre. It will raise another Rs 25,000 crore through debt and equity. As per the report, Vodafone Idea has cleared the appointment of merchant bankers for data centre sale. It wants to sell both the fibre and data centre assets by the end of the year. The company will engage with more players for the sale of fibre assets. Brookfield and KKR are already in contention, with Brookfield being the front runner, the report added. Moneycontrol could not independently verify the report. The company can do with a fund injection as it has adjusted gross revenue (AGR) dues to pay to the government. On September 1, the Supreme Court allowed Vodafone and other telecom players 10 years to pay the dues but asked the companies to make an upfront payment of 10 percent of the outstanding amount. According to a department of telecommunications assessment, Vodafone Idea owes Rs 58,254 crore. It owes balance of around Rs 50,399 crore, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said on July 20. Shares of Vodafone Idea were trading 1.58 percent lower at Rs 11.24 on BSE at 1140 hours. WikiLeaks founder Julian Assanges legal team spent the second morning of a major extradition hearing focusing a magistrate court judges attention on United States torture and war crimes that Assange helped to expose. Defense attorney Mark Summers called Clive Stafford Smith, a human rights attorney who has represented prisoners at Guantanamo Bay, to the witness stand. He was asked about human rights cases he pursued, which were bolstered by revelations in documents WikiLeaks published. For example, Stafford Smith told Judge Vanessa Baraitser that U.S. State Department cables helped those impacted by U.S. drone killings in Pakistan. It contributed to court findings that US drone strikes are criminal offenses and that criminal proceedings should be initiated against senior U.S. officials involved in such strikes. [Heres the full witness statement from Stafford Smith: PDF.] A high court in Pakistan ruled drone strikes carried out by the CIA and U.S. authorities were a blatant violation of basic human rights including a blatant breach of the absolute right to life and a war crime,' Stafford Smith declared in a statement to the court. Due to the decision, drone strikes that caused many innocent deaths stopped very rapidly. None were reported in 2019. The defense had Stafford Smith testify in order to persuade the court that Assange disclosed U.S. involvement in criminal activity. Specifically, these were public interest disclosures of war crimes and torture. Some of the publications are currently the subject of a criminal investigation into the CIA that is before the International Criminal Court (ICC). In other words, the prosecution against Assange is retaliation for bringing increased scrutiny to U.S. actions throughout the world. But James Lewis, the lawyer representing the Crown Prosecution Authority on behalf of the U.S. government, was irritated by the defenses focus on documents that exposed torture and war crimes. Lewis insisted the U.S. government only charged Assange with documents that revealed the names of informants, and none of the materials Stafford Smith was asked about mattered in the extradition case. At one point, Stafford Smith contended Lewis was wrong about the way in which cases are prosecuted in the United States. An FBI expert or some other individual with a similar background would likely testify during a U.S. trial about terrorism or terrorist groups and how WikiLeaks publications helped them. Stafford Smith highlighted the many times he has dealt with evidence of torture against Guantanamo prisoners being classified. It has been the U.S. position that revealing such information will endanger U.S. and coalition forces by fueling retaliatory terrorist attacks. You cannot tell the court how this case will be prosecuted, Lewis said. Youre making things up. Under President Donald Trump, the U.S. government has sanctioned officials at the ICC for investigating allegations of war crimes in Afghanistan that were likely committed by the CIA, Afghan government forces, and the Taliban and its affiliates. This includes an investigation into the CIA rendition and torture program in the country. This retaliation against ICC officials was brought up by Summers, and Stafford Smith maintained the Trump administration believes it can sanction anyone who is not an American national who assists in the investigation of torture and war crimes. Stafford Smith suggested, given how WikiLeaks has supported human rights investigations through its publications, the U.S. government could target Summers and other attorneys with similar sanctions. Ahmed Rabbani is a Guantanamo Bay prisoner, who Stafford Smith represents. He shared evidence related to his rendition and torture that contributed to the ICC decision to investigate U.S. crimes. Rabbani remained in Kabul for seven months and was then moved to another prison (which reports indicate was a CIA black site) before being transferred to the custody of U.S. forces, according to Stafford Smith. According to Stafford Smith, U.S. government attacks on journalists, leakers and those journalists who worked with them, has since the earliest days of Afghan conflict, appeared to have a strong chilling effect leading to a dearth of individuals from inside government, willing to go on record to evidence U.S. violations. The power and value of the WikiLeaks disclosures about Iraq and Afghanistan can scarcely be understated, and are of key importance to evidence war crimes and human rights violations by the US and its allies. Stafford Smith added, The cables similarly demonstrated U.S. interference with other rendition investigations in Spain and Poland. As the extradition hearing continues, more witnesses are expected to detail criminal activities committed by the U.S. government, which WikiLeaks exposed. It is all part of his defenses effort to prove the case against Assange is politically motivated. The post In Extradition Hearing, Julian Assanges Legal Team Focuses On US Torture And War Crimes Exposed By WikiLeaks appeared first on Shadowproof. Michael Cohen, President Trump's former personal lawyer, has released a new book called "Disloyal." (J. Scott Applewhite / Associated Press) Michael Cohen is continuing his "Disloyal" streak against President Trump. From home confinement, Trump's former personal attorney appeared on "Late Night With Seth Meyers" to discuss his new tell-all book about his time at the White House and to urge Americans to vote against the president in the upcoming election. In 2018, Cohen was sentenced to three years in prison after pleading guilty to numerous charges, including campaign finance fraud and lying to Congress. He was released to home confinement in May as COVID-19 hit prisons around the country. "Thirty-eight percent of this country, his base including members of Congress are doing exactly the same thing that I did, and I'm trying to say to them, from one member of the cult to another, 'Open up your eyes and acknowledge that Trump doesn't care about you,'" Cohen told Meyers on Thursday. "He doesn't care about your family. He doesn't care about anything other than winning this election and, in essence, becoming an autocrat, which is what he wants to be." Cohen went on to address specific details from "Disloyal," which hit shelves this week, including the claim that Trump's own children tried to stop his 2016 campaign for fear of losing business because of their father's racist platform. "Don, Ivanka and Eric came to me this was post the initial launch of the campaign, when he made the statements about Mexicans the very first reaction, by Univision, was, 'We're pulling out from the [Trump National Doral Miami resort],' and it was costing the Trump Organization ... tens of millions of dollars," Cohen said. "And the kids came to me, and they stated, 'You gotta get dad to stop this. We're going to be out of business. Very soon you'll be the CEO of this company, and we're going to change the name to the Rump Organization.'" Last month, Cohen released the buzzy, Trump-bashing foreword for "Disloyal," which is signed, "Michael Cohen, Otisville Federal Prison , Otisville, New York, March 11, 2020. On "Late Night," he opened up about his experience writing the book while serving time and working at a sewage treatment plant. Story continues "There was a lot of free time, believe it or not," Cohen said. "So I would put myself into the electric room that had a small desk, and on a yellow pad I would begin to write. "And at the end of each day, I would sit down with a group of my friends inmates, like Tony Meatballs and Andy Cucumbers and Stevie and Herbie and a whole group of guys and we would get together in the cube ... and I would read them different parts of the book that I was working on. And it was just something that we did to pass our time." In the book, Cohen admits playing an active role in Trump's schemes as his demented follower, fixer and designated thug." And he was clear in his interview with Meyers that he doesn't expect anyone to hail him as a "hero" for finally "acknowledging the things that I did and the loss of my moral compass." "All I'm just trying to do is to make amends and to allow the book to serve as a basis for people to understand, this is the man that wants you to vote for him and to pull the lever on his behalf come election day," Cohen said. "I'm giving you all of the inside information that you need in order to make the determination whether this man is really who you think is best for you and best for this country." Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 11/9/2020 (496 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Many health professionals have warned about an "echo pandemic", a mental health crisis owing to the COVID-19 pandemic. Numerous surveys conducted over the past few months have indicated a soaring number of Canadians are concerned about, or struggling with, their mental health. Its not hard to understand why: living through a global pandemic is demanding, exhausting, stressful and incredibly hard on ones mental health. People are dealing with fears about getting sick, about a loved one getting someone sick, and about job loss amid the economic crisis that has resulted from the pandemic. Others are navigating the isolation and loneliness brought about by physical distancing directives. That, and winter is coming. When the pandemic hit Manitoba in March, the days were already getting longer and the promise of spring and, with it, more possibilities for physically distant activity and socialization outdoors helped blunt the edges of our reality a bit. The prospect of a dark, cold and potentially isolated winter, which also happens to be cold and flu season, has understandably set people on edge about what their mental health will look like come April. People are also burning out. Now, at the pandemics six-month mark, the adrenaline and vigilance that got many through those first few weeks has worn off. For some, that diminished capacity has manifested in sloppier approaches to the fundamentals masking, handwashing, distancing. For others, it has manifested as anxiety and depression. Justice Minister Cliff Cullen during the announcement that the government will be investing $3.5 million for a new until at HSC's emergency department for patients in various stages of intoxication, withdrawal or mental-health crisis. (Mike Deal / Winnipeg Free Press) Want more great journalism? Get our best news and features delivered in your inbox every weekday evening. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. And lets not lose sight of the fact Canadians were already grappling with mental health challenges pre- pandemic. Advocates were already decrying the patchwork accessibility of mental health services in this country, and those suffering were already languishing on waiting lists. Aside from the one day a year of hashtagged corporate feelgoodery, society still doesnt really know how to talk about mental illness in a non-stigmatizing way especially when it looks like addiction and homelessness. Isolation and loneliness are not new problems. Neither is trauma. There is an opportunity, now, to prepare for whats coming. The Canadian Mental Health Association has called on the federal government to act now. Part of that will mean bolstering access to preventive mental health services, not just responding to a crisis. "There can be no economic recovery from the pandemic without mental health," said Margaret Eaton, CMHAs National CEO, in a release. "People need early access to community services, instead of waiting for more intensive and expensive services down the road." The roll-out of the digital therapy program AbilitiCBT, which is available to Manitobans age 16 or older experiencing mild to moderate symptoms of anxiety owing to the pandemic, is an encouraging example of such early-access community services, as is the federal governments Wellness Together portal. The $3.5-million investment in a new unit at Health Sciences Centres emergency department for patients in various stages of intoxication, withdrawal or mental health crisis, announced on Sept. 2 by Health Minister Cameron Friesen, is an encouraging step toward improving the capacity of the current system. But there needs to be more investment in a variety of long-term supports, such as trauma-informed counselling for frontline workers, as well as improvement in coverage, especially for those who dont have insurance or lost coverage when they lost their jobs. Ultimately, its pay now or pay more later in serious social consequences of untreated mental illnesses including an increase in substance abuse, homelessness and crime, as well as poorer educational and physical health outcomes. Now is the time for Canada to start treating mental illness with the same dililgence it does physical illness. SirTerry Leahy has emerged as one of the major winners from the 5.4billion float Sir Terry Leahy has emerged as one of the major winners from the 5.4billion float of The Hut Group. According to documents filed to the stock market last night, the former Tesco boss owns 17m shares in the online retailer. In the money: Former Tesco boss Sir Terry Leahy has emerged as one of the major winners from the 5.4bn float of The Hut Group That stake will be worth 85million when the Hut lists its shares in London for 5 each later this month. Leahy, 64, who ran Tesco for 13 years until 2011, will rake in 17million straight away as he sells 3.4m shares. This will leave him with another 13.6m shares worth 68million and their value could climb even higher if The Hut performs well when trading begins. Leahy is just one of a handful of businessmen to cash in from the biggest float in London since 2013, when the Government listed the shares of the Royal Mail. Founder Matthew Moulding, 48, will be left with a 17 per cent stake worth 918million which could rise to a 25 per cent stake if The Hut's valuation climbs to 7.25billion in the next two years. Party time: Hut founder Matthew Moulding, 48, (pictured) will be left with a 17 per cent stake worth 918m Others to cash in when The Hut floats on September 16 include Oliver Cookson, the entrepreneur who founded nutrition brand Myprotein. He sold his sport shakes business to The Hut in 2011 for 58million, and will pocket 283million as he sells down his sizeable stake. Former Debenhams director Terry Green and corporate financier Carl Houghton will cash in 6million and 2.1million of shares respectively. 'Savers beware' warning over shares Savers who buy shares in The Hut Group have been warned they will receive less protection, and no say over any future takeovers. The online retailer has applied for a 'standard' listing on the stock market, rather than the 'premium' listing sought by blue-chip companies of a similar size. It said this 'will afford shareholders a lower level of regulatory protection than that afforded with a premium listing'. The company will not be required to comply with the UK Corporate Governance Code designed to protect investors. But a source close to Hut has said the standard listing will enable it to retain the 'entrepreneurial structure' which has made it a success. DC Thomson, the family-owned media firm which publishes The Beano, will pocket more than 5.7million while still holding on to shares worth more than 50million. And board directors Angus Monro, Iain McDonald and John Gallemore will all be making between 4.6million and 5.5million from selling down. Myprotein entrepreneur Oliver Cookson will pocket 283m as he sells down his sizeable stake Other individuals, including employees of the group, will sell 10.5m shares worth 52.5million. Among the institutions which back The Hut, early investor KKR is due to sell out. It will bag 448million as it sells the entirety of its 89.5m shares not bad for an investment which only cost KKR 100m six years ago. And West Coast Capital, the investment firm of Scottish entrepreneur Sir Tom Hunter, will sell 52.5million of shares while retaining more than 100million. The Hut, founded by Moulding and chief financial officer Gallemore in 2004, owns make-up brands such as Eyeko and Illamasqua, and retail websites such as Look Fantastic. But the governance of the company has raised eyebrows among some in the City. Moulding plans to keep an enormous amount of control over the company with a 'golden share' that gives him the right to veto any takeovers. And the so-called 'independent' directors on the board have all worked with the company for a number of years. Temperature checks are part of the new pandemic way of life throughout the country, with schools, museums and attractions taking temperatures for all those entering the building. At least one school district, Cumberland Valley, is conducting temperatures checks on a location you may not expect -- on the wrist. Wrist temperature scanners deploy the same infrared technology that the forehead scanners use to detect what ones temperature is. The technology means that temperatures can be checked without having to come into contact with the skin. While it may seem different, Dr. Chris DeFlitch, the chief medical information officer at Penn State Health, says theres no reason to be concerned. You can check a temperature in a number of different ways, he said. And wrist placement makes sense too. If you think about it, theres a lot of blood vessels that are close to the surface, DeFlitch said. Youll give a better assessment of what a temperature is if its around an artery. Those concerned about infrared exposure to the forehead need not be. False claims have circulated social media stating that infrared thermometers pointed at the forehead can expose the brain to radiation, specifically the pineal gland. This isnt true. Infrared thermometers dont emit radiation and do not transmit wavelengths into the body, they just sense heat emitted by the body. The director of neuroradiology at Johns Hopkins University, Dr. Haris Sair, told the Associated Press that these thermometers pose no risk to the pineal gland at all. The only danger from the forehead thermometers can come from the lasers used to help them target the right spots, which should not be looked at directly as they could cause harm to the eyes. Wrist temperatures arent particularly better or worse than forehead ones. The devices used to check each should be FDA approved, which means they fit guidelines for accuracy and safety. So regardless of whether youre getting your forehead or wrist scanned, the main thing is to make sure temperatures are being checked. Its a good public health measure to protect other people, DeFlitch said. Checking your temperature shouldnt be the only precaution you take, however. DeFlitch emphasized the need to wear face masks, wash hands and keep physically distant from others when possible. If people can do that, well really control the spread of the virus, he said. READ MORE: Coronavirus myths debunked: why your hair dryer wont kill the virus and rinsing your nose with saline wont help Why social distancing works, as demonstrated with Skittles Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe warned that the country's security environment is becoming more testing Japan must strengthen its ballistic missile defences, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Friday, a potentially controversial proposition given the country's pacifist constitution, which limits its military capabilities. Abe made the call despite being in the final days of his tenure, after deciding to resign for health reasons -- a sign, analysts said, of the importance he attaches to the issue. In a statement he warned that the country's security environment is becoming more testing, citing the ballistic missile threat posed by North Korea, and questioned whether Japan could protect itself sufficiently with interception systems alone. "I believe it is necessary to enhance deterrence and thereby further reduce the possibility of an attack against Japan by ballistic missiles and others," Abe said. In order to discourage such attacks, his government had considered a new missile policy. Abe insisted that the discussions were within the "scope of the constitution and in compliance with international law. "Japan's exclusively defence-oriented policy will not change at all," he said. But the possibility of Japan acquiring a strike capacity, even if couched in terms of deterrence and defence, is controversial. The LDP's coalition partner Komeito is firmly opposed to any offensive military expansion, and the cost could also provoke objections. Japan's armed forces are restricted to self-defence by the post-war constitution and the country relies heavily on the US under a bilateral security alliance. In 2017, the government approved the purchase of a missile defence system, Aegis Ashore, at an estimated cost of $4.2 billion over three decades. But earlier this year, the government said it was scrapping deployment of the system after concerns from residents about the risks posed by a missile defence system in their backyard. Abe's statement has no binding effect on the government that will be formed next week after a new prime minister is named -- most likely chief cabinet secretary Yoshihide Suga. Story continues But analysts said Abe hoped to frame the debate after his departure. "Missile defence is one of the big issues Prime Minister Abe left unresolved," Hideshi Takesada, a defence expert and visiting professor at Takushoku University in Tokyo, told AFP. "By issuing the statement, Abe aims to pave the way for a new defence policy and leave his legacy to the next government." si-sah/rbu New Delhi, Sep 11 : Parliament's Standing Committee on Law and Justice has favoured integration of virtual courts into India's legal ecosystem and recommended certain categories of cases like fines for traffic offences and cheque bounce to be handled only through virtual courts in future. The panel chaired by senior BJP leader Bhupender Yadav submitted its report to Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu on Friday. The panel said that the concept of virtual courts has gained immense ground during the COVID-19 pandemic, and emerged as the 'new normal'. Citing opposition by various Bar associations, which favoured physical hearings over virtual ones, the committee said: "Since the integration of virtual courts into the legal ecosystem will have a significant impact on all stakeholders, the committee feels that members of the Bar associations and Bar councils must also be involved in evolving a consensus. This will avoid unnecessary opposition and irritants." Batting for virtual courts as an instrument for speedy justice, the committee said one of the principal benefits of virtual courts is that they help expedite processes and procedures that are otherwise protracted and laborious. "The problem of truncated hearings, interspersed by frequent adjournments, can be avoided as there can be no excuse for litigants and lawyers to not attend court. Repeated adjournment of cases and truncated hearings are resulting in rescheduling of court processes and disrupting the progress of cases," the parliamentary panel pointed out. The committee recommended that, to begin with, the judiciary may identify categories of cases that can be tried by virtual courts. "The Department of Justice, in its written replies to the committee, submitted that the following cases may be tried in the virtual courts -- offences under the Motor Vehicles Act (traffic challan cases), petty offences where summons can be issued under Section 206 of CrPC, cases registered under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act, and motor accident claim petition cases." It asserted that virtual courts would lead to improvement over the working of traditional courts as the former are more affordable, citizen-friendly and offer greater access to justice. The committee emphasised that it was of the view that all such matters where personal presence may be dispensed with can be transferred to virtual courts. It said it believed that virtual adjudication will bring massive benefits across the system. "The committee is of the opinion that a full-fledged virtual court should be piloted in the first instance. This allows the system to be tested in practice, which can then be refined in the light of feedback from stakeholders. It will also enable the judiciary to identify the type of cases best suited for virtual courts." The parliamentary panel held a series of meetings with Secretaries of the Department of Justice and Legal Affairs, Secretary General of the Supreme Court, and representatives of the Bar Council of India as well as other Bar associations on the functioning of virtual courts. The panel also suggested that virtual courts can be extended permanently to various appellate tribunals like Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal, Intellectual Property Appellate Board, National Company Law Appellate Tribunal etc, located across the country, which do not require personal appearances of the parties/advocates. Six months after Beethoven contemplated suicide, confessing his despair over his increasing deafness in the 1802 document known as the Heiligenstadt Testament, he was carousing in taverns with a charismatic new comrade, George Polgreen Bridgetower. This biracial violinist had recently arrived in Vienna, and he inspired one of Beethovens most famous and passionate pieces, the Kreutzer Sonata. Beethoven even dedicated the sonata to Bridgetower. But the irritable composer who would later remove the dedication to Napoleon from his Third Symphony eventually took it back. While Napoleon didnt need Beethoven to secure his place in history, this snub reduced Bridgetower to near obscurity. Though his name was included in Anton Schindlers 1840 biography of Beethoven, he was described inaccurately as an American sea captain. Like so many Black artists prominent in their lifetimes, he has been largely forgotten by a history that belongs to those who control the narrative. Bridgetower was born on 13 August 1778, in eastern Poland, and christened Hieronymus Hyppolitus de Augustus. His father, Joanis Fredericus de Augustus, was of African descent; his mother, Maria Schmid, was German-Polish, making Bridgetower what was then known as a mulatto, a person of mixed race. (The poet Rita Doves 2008 book Sonata Mulattica, an imagined chronicle of Bridgetowers life, has helped raise his profile a bit in recent years). Bridgetowers father who took the name Frederick, and sometimes went by others was the driving force behind his sons career. Handsome, charming and fluent in multiple languages, Frederick was a natural storyteller with a flair for promotion; he claimed that his father had been an African prince unofficially adopted by a Dutch sea captain, and was promised diamonds and gold dust and then sold into slavery, surviving a shipwreck in the process. The father married an African woman and wound up in Barbados, where Frederick was born; the name Bridgetower was likely derived from the islands capital, Bridgetown. Its unclear how Frederick wound up in Poland, but the historian William Hart wrote in a 2017 article in The Musical Times that young Bridgetowers godparents were members of the noble Radziwill family; Frederick, and possibly his wife, may have been in their service. The couple and their son soon moved to Austria, where Frederick, known as the Moor, worked as a page to Prince Nikolaus Esterhazy. The music-loving prince maintained his own orchestra at his palace in Eisenstadt, where Haydn was court composer. (George Bridgetower was later touted as a pupil of Haydns, but its unclear if he ever studied with the master). Pillars Of The Opera: Prince Esterhazy, Lord Fife, Ball Hughes, Lord Wilton', an engraving by R Deighton and JR and G Cruikshank, 1889 (Rex Features) Bridgetowers public debut was long thought to have taken place in Paris in 1789. But Hart discovered an advertisement in a Frankfurt newspaper promoting a concert by Hieronymus August Bridgetown, the son of a Moor, in April 1786, when the boy would have been just 7. It is noted that he had already played for Emperor Joseph II. The Bridgetowns, as they were then known, lived for a time in Mainz, an important musical centre, where Maria gave birth to another son, who would later become a cellist. Frederick, leaving his wife and younger child behind, took on tour his elder son, who, billed as a young Negro of the Colonies, performed a violin concerto by Giornovichi in the prominent Concert Spirituel series in Paris in 1789. His talent, as genuine as it is precocious, is one of the best replies one can give to the philosophers who wish to deprive those of his nation and his colour the faculty of distinguishing themselves in the arts, a review in the Mercure de France said. Bridgetower would play in nearly 50 public concerts with leading orchestras and musicians, including Haydn After several more concerts in Paris, including one attended by Thomas Jefferson, the Bridgetowers as they then called themselves left for England, where the family created a sensation. With Oriental-inspired clothing in vogue, Frederick played up his presumed exoticism by wearing flowing Turkish robes. Everyone wanted to meet this African prince and his prodigy whose name had now become George. By the autumn of 1789, Frederick had arranged for his son to play before King George III and Queen Charlotte, as well as the Prince of Wales, later George IV. George induced general astonishment when he played in Bath, according to the Bath Morning Post. At 11, he made his London debut with a Giornovichi concerto between the first two parts of Handels Messiah. He and his father were often at Carlton House, the town residence of the Prince of Wales, who organised regular chamber concerts. On 2 June, 1790, the prince sponsored a benefit concert for Bridgetower and another young artist at the Hanover Square Rooms, the premier concert venue for fashionable society. An artwork depicting the hall at Carlton House in Londons Pall Mall (Getty) Until then, Frederick had skilfully managed his sons career. But his behaviour turned increasingly self-destructive. At a masquerade attended by the prince, Frederick dressed as a caricature of a Black slave, advocating for abolition; this was certainly a worthy cause, but the stunt served to alienate the elites whose favour he had taken pains to cultivate. During a performance of Messiah, he shouted for a repeat of the Hallelujah chorus, and, after a struggle, was thrown out of the theatre. There were reports of excessive drinking and womanising. Charlotte Papendiek, a lady-in-waiting to Queen Charlotte and a prolific journal keeper, wrote that Frederick gambled away his sons money and treated him so brutally that George sought refuge with the Prince of Wales at Carlton House. Frederick was committed to an asylum before being sent back to Germany by the prince, who took 12-year-old George under his protection. The prince gave him the opportunity to learn from the finest musicians in London. He studied composition, theory and piano with Thomas Attwood and violin with both Francois-Hippolyte Barthelemon and Giornovichi. He formed a close relationship with Giovanni Battista Viotti, a violinist and composer whose confident, daring style would influence his own. Over the next decade, Bridgetower would play in nearly 50 public concerts with leading orchestras and musicians, including Haydn and the double-bass virtuoso Domenico Dragonetti. He was the first violinist of the Prince of Wales band; the organist and composer Samuel Wesley wrote that Bridgetower was justly ranked with the very first masters of the violin. Austrian composer Franz Josef Haydn (Getty) After visiting his ailing mother in Dresden, Bridgetower arrived in Vienna in early April 1803. He had been invited by Prince Lobkowitz, one of Beethovens patrons, to play that composers quartets. Beethoven and Bridgetower formed an instant bond. The composer, then 32, may have recognised himself in the 24-year-old violinist. Beethoven had been nicknamed the Spaniard for his swarthy complexion, and engravings of the two men show a marked resemblance. They also had in common abusive fathers with vested interests in their careers, as well as the ability to thrill audiences with their astonishing talents. After hearing Bridgetower play, Beethoven not only agreed to participate in a concert for him at the Augarten, but also decided to write something for them to perform together. He had already started sketching out the first two movements of a violin sonata, to accompany a previously discarded finale. He now began to compose with Bridgetower in mind, as the two men stayed up nights drinking and acting like teenagers. Though Bridgetower was described as melancholic, he could also be high-spirited and ribald. He brought out Beethovens freewheeling, bawdy side. German composer Ludwig van Beethoven (Getty) The concert had been planned for 22 May 1803, but since the sonata wasnt ready, it was postponed until the 24th. At 4:30 that morning, Beethoven instructed his pupil, Ferdinand Ries, to copy out the first two movements for the violinist. Ries managed only the first, and the piano part was still in sketch form. Beethoven and Bridgetower took the stage for the morning concert, having never rehearsed the piece. Bridgetower was sight-reading. At some point, he seems to have stopped performing, making his living as a piano teacher in Rome and Paris Beethoven had given Bridgetower an opening solo that began with an explosive declaration, moving into a fiery, sensual dialogue. At one point, Bridgetower surprised Beethoven by imitating and then expanding on a short piano cadenza in the first movement. Beethoven, jumping up, hugged him, crying: My dear boy! Once more! After the performance, Beethoven presented Bridgetower his tuning fork and wrote a dedication on the score: Sonata mulattica composta per il mulatto Brischdauer, gran pazzo e compositore mulattico (Mulatto sonata composed for the mulatto Bridgetower, great lunatic and mulatto composer). Tolstoy wrote about the unsettling first movement in his novella The Kreutzer Sonata, whose protagonist, after hearing his wife play the piece with her violin teacher, stabs her to death in a jealous rage. Beethoven didnt do anything that extreme, but after Bridgetower made a rude comment about a woman Beethoven admired, the two men quarrelled and Beethoven took back the dedication. A watercolour of George Bridgetower (Rex Features) When the sonata was published, it instead bore the name of French violinist Rudolphe Kreutzer. Beethoven had been thinking of moving to Paris, and dedicating the piece to Kreutzer was a calculated political move. What Beethoven didnt know was that Kreutzer disliked his music; Kreutzer described the sonata as outrageously unintelligible and never played it. Bridgetower returned to London and continued to perform, enjoying the patronage of the Prince of Wales. On 23 May 1805, he participated in a concert in the Hanover Rooms, along with his brother, who played a Romberg cello concerto. Their father had also come back to England, where he was arrested and thrown in jail for vagrancy. In 1811, Bridgetower received a masters degree in music from Cambridge University and became a member of the Royal Philharmonic Society. Five years later, he married Mary Leake, the daughter of a prosperous cotton manufacturer. They had two daughters; one died in infancy, and he grew estranged from the other. He and his wife separated in 1824. Little is known about Bridgetowers later years; at some point, he seems to have stopped performing, making his living as a piano teacher in Rome and Paris. In an 1847 letter to Madame de Fauche, a fellow musician, he makes a joking but telling reference to his biracial identity: If the bearer of this letter is fortunate to find you, favour me by having your message conveyed to him who is not fair enough to be my tiger, nor dark enough to be my Friday, but is my long-tried honest Caliban. The allusion to the half-human, half-beast character in Shakespeares Tempest is a poignant one: when his island is suddenly occupied, Caliban is enslaved. Bridgetower died on 29 February 1860, in a house on a small back street in south London; he was buried at Kensal Green Cemetery. The death certificate identifies him as a gentleman. By then, Beethoven had been gone for 32 years. Its unknown if Bridgetower ever played the Kreutzer Sonata again, or if he was in contact with Beethoven after their rift. All we know is that on 24 May 1803, two brilliant performers dazzled a crowd with their high-wire virtuosity. One of them entered history. The New York Times The fracturing of the Coalition was sparked by a policy designed to protect koala habitat, which the Nationals say would severely limit the way property owners could manage their land. Premier Gladys Berejiklian gave Mr Barilaro an ultimatum to withdraw the Nationals' threat to sit on the crossbench by 9am on Friday or she would sign in a new ministry. A statement released several hours after the pair met on Friday said: "Following a meeting this morning between the Premier and Deputy Premier, the NSW Liberal and Nationals Coalition remains in place." Mr Barilaro claimed a win in the crisis, insisting he secured a commitment that the divisive policy would be debated at cabinet. But Ms Berejiklian had already agreed to the cabinet discussion, and said earlier in the week the "issue would be considered by cabinet in due course". It will remain on the agenda for October 6. Mr Barilaro said he had never seen his party room more united or supportive of his leadership than in the wake of the policy crisis. After the Premier delivered her ultimatum on Thursday night, he said he told his colleagues he would resign if they did not think he was "best serving this party room as the leader." "[But] I've never seen a party room so united, unanimously backing me. That gave me the strength to get in there and negotiate this morning," Mr Barilaro said. He said he was proud of the approach he and his party had taken because it put the koala planning policy on the agenda. "I'm proud of the Nats. We learned something from greyhounds, we learned something from local government mergers. Our region can take so much but we tipped them over the edge with the Koala SEPP [policy]." Upper house Nationals MP Wes Fang said there was "not a crack of light between Barra and his team" while Mental Health Minister and Nationals MP Bronnie Taylor said Mr Barilaro had the full support of the party. "John Barilaro is not going anywhere and he has the absolute support of the National Party room and the absolute support of the state executive, Mrs Taylor said. NSW Treasurer Dominic Perrottet said "nothing has changed" within the government despite the tumultuous 48 hours. "As the Premier has pointed out quite clearly, these processes need to be sorted out through the cabinet process," Mr Perrottet said on Friday. "That was the Premier's position all through last week, that was the Premier's decision today and now we move on." Mr Perrottet said the "difficult" episode was a reminder to keep disagreements behind closed doors for debate in cabinet. "The commitment today was that any matters of disagreement on public policy ... are dealt with through the cabinet process," Mr Perrottet said. "The main thing today is we are back on track. It's been a distraction for the government [and] the people of NSW expect better." Mr Barilaro's threat to destroy the Coalition came after Nationals vowed not to attend the joint party room or leadership meetings. This would have meant they were "effectively" crossbenchers, he said. "By not supporting government legislation effectively means all members [are] united in the National Party and will sit on crossbench," Mr Barilaro said on Thursday. But Ms Berejiklian refused to accept the demands and said the Nationals had two choices: stay in the Coalition or be sacked as ministers. "It is not possible to be the Deputy Premier or a minister of the Crown and sit on the crossbench," Ms Berejiklian said on Thursday. Loading Water Minister Melinda Pavey, said country people respected the Nationals stood up for them. Migrants have been camped out in the open air since fires destroyed Moria camp Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Friday demanded more "active" participation from the EU in housing thousands of migrants on the island of Lesbos, as he said Athens will rebuild a notoriously overcrowded camp destroyed by fire. "A new facility will be needed... it will be done... (but) the management model must be different," Mitsotakis said after meeting with European Commission vice-president Margaritis Schinas in Athens. "We will discuss the maximum European participation in this effort. European solidarity cannot be limited to managing a crisis," the PM said. Athens has long complained that aside from providing funds, fellow EU members have done too little to help states like Greece and Italy, where most migrants first arrive on European soil. "We cannot repeat the mistakes of the past... it's not just a concern of Greece and other states on outer (EU) borders to manage this problem," Mitsotakis said. Greek officials have scrambled to provide alternative housing for asylum-seekers made homeless by the fires in Moria camp. A ferry and navy ships have been pressed into service, while a new makeshift camp has sprung up over the objections of local hardliners who want the migrants off the island altogether. Several EU states have offered to take in unaccompanied minors from the camp and have pledged supplies, doctors and cash. EU vice-president Schinas said the bloc is "planning for the future," promising "new standards, with better installations" at any rebuilt camp in "the mid-term". Greece's largest and most maligned migrant camp, Moria burned down in successive fires on Tuesday and Wednesday, leaving nearly 12,000 people homeless. Built in 2013 and originally designed for temporary screening and detention for fewer than 2,800, Moria eventually grew to house over 20,000, many of them sleeping in tents outside its walls. Overcrowding, poor sanitation and crime at the camp had been highlighted by rights groups for years. jph/tgb Ahead of the Assembly by-election in Madhya Pradesh, state Congress party has initiated a campaign against illegal mining and river conservation padayatra in the Gwalior-Chambal region led by seven-time MLA from Lahar and former minister Govind Singh. He initiated the Nadi Bachao Yatra on Saturday, September 5, in Bhind and Datia districts and has been walking 18-20 km every day as a part of the campaign aimed at garnering public support against unlawful mining in the region. Waterman Rajendra Singh, Rajya Sabha MP Vivek Tankha, Congress working president Ramniwas Rawat, Computer Baba and others have also taken part in the campaign. Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh and senior Gandhian activist Rajgopal PV will attend the event on Friday, September 11, when the yatra culminates at the Sind riverbank in Datias Sankua area. According to sources, the Congress party was of the view that the yatra should cover the entire Gwalior-Chambal region but sensing that dates for by-polls could be announced anytime soon, the party leadership asked Singh to limit the campaign to Bhind and Datia districts only. Of the 27 assembly poll bound seats, 16 are scheduled to go to by-polls from the Gwalior-Chambal region, which has for years remained a hotbed of unlawful mining. Singh (69) had often confronted the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over illegal quarrying of sand in the region, and openly claimed that he had failed to stem illegal mining in the area as a part of the Kamal Nath Cabinet in the past. Devendra Tripathi, the Block Congress president, told News18 that Singh had carried out a survey with the help of an organisation and the findings of the survey had deduced that water level in local Sindh river has faced depletion by around 70% in last ten years due to sand mining, which has been destroying the water holding capacity of the river. Besides Bhind and Datia districts, the entire Gwalior-Chambal region has been gripped by illegal miners for years and audacious mining mafia often engaged in bloody fights with the police, forest and other enforcement agencies being regularly assaulted by the miners upon facing obstruction in their unlawful activities. Hitting out at the mining mafia and alleging patronage of politicians and police in the trade, Tripathi said, The mining mafia is so undeterred that we regularly spot several vehicles carrying sand despite sand mining being banned in monsoon months." During the Covid-19-induced lockdown, DIG Police Rajesh Hingankar had raided various illegal stockpiles of sand in Bhind and had probed the role of couple of policemen including a senior official in connection to the case. In his addresses, Singh often cited the example of a hand pump that he got dug up around a decade ago in Machhand, 15 km from Lahar, and the water level below the hand pump has gone down to 180 feet as against 80-90 feet ten years ago. With the help of his campaign, Singh has highlighted illegal sand mining in the catchment areas of rivers Sind, Mriga and Chambal, and has underlined the fact that if illegal mining does not stop, the region could be gripped with water scarcity in future. However, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has termed the yatra as Singhs personal agenda. Dr Govind Singh with the yatra is condoning his old sins in the fag end of his political career," alleged BJP spokesperson Deepak Vijayvargiya, adding that when the Congress was in power, their leaders accused each other of illegal mining. Once we returned to power, we have stopped all kinds of unlawful activities, claimed Vijayvargiya. Congress Gwalior-Chambal media in-charge KK Mishra said that illegal mining was a curse for the entire state. Dr Govind Singhs yatra is crucial for ridding the Gwalior-Chambal region from mining mafia. Positive results of this yatra will be visible in the days to come," said Mishra, adding that those responsible for illegal mining in the region have already come to the spotlight. Global survey of vaccine confidence shows that perceptions about the safety of jabs are much more volatile than before. As the worlds top drugmakers and researchers race to develop vaccines for the coronavirus, a new global study has highlighted the varying attitudes towards the safety of jabs from country to country. Researchers asked almost 300,000 adults across 149 countries whether they see vaccines as important, safe and effective, in the largest-ever global survey of vaccine confidence conducted between 2015 and 2019 a period before the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings published on Friday by The Lancet medical journal showed that political instability and misinformation affects negatively on public trust towards vaccination programmes, researchers said. The study found six countries where vaccine confidence had dropped significantly since 2015: Indonesia, Pakistan, Serbia, Azerbaijan, Afghanistan and Nigeria. According to Heidi Larson, a professor at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine who led the research, this was linked to trends in political instability and religious extremism. She said online misinformation was also a significant problem, adding that public mistrust in politicians in general also likely played a role. When there is a large drop in vaccination coverage, it is often because theres an unproven vaccine safety scare seeding doubt and distrust, Larson said. In Indonesia, Pakistan, Serbia, Azerbaijan, Afghanistan and Nigeria, the proportion of people strongly disagreeing that vaccines are safe had increased significantly [Made Nagi/EPA] Indonesia saw one of the largest falls in public trust worldwide between 2015 and 2019, triggered in part by religious leaders questioning the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine, and by local healers promoting natural alternatives to vaccines. In some European countries, by contrast, public trust in vaccines has risen since 2015. In France, where confidence in vaccines has been consistently low for decades, the survey saw an increase from 22 percent to 30 percent of people strongly agreeing they are safe. In Britain, confidence in vaccine safety rose from 47 percent in May 2018 to 52 percent in November 2019. Thoroughness, effectiveness and safety Researchers urged governments to ramp up investments in public information campaigns and infrastructure development for the potentially forthcoming coronavirus vaccine. Daniel Salmon, from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, said that without this there is a risk of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines never reaching their potential due to a continued inability to quickly and effectively respond to public vaccine safety concerns, real or otherwise. Larson said overall, there is a lot of confidence globally about vaccines but dont take it for granted, she warned. Confidence goes up and down its highly variable, she added, adding that such volatility is much stronger than it used to be. Among some countries, there is more polarisation of sentiment. More people are going to the extremes of strongly disagree or strongly agree, Larson said. The report was released on the same day the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged countries to find $15bn during the next three months to fund the ACT-Accelerator programme, a World Health Organization-led global collaboration to hunt for a coronavirus vaccine and treatments. The WHO lists vaccine hesitancy as one of its top 10 global health threats, and dipping levels of immunisation coverage have seen outbreaks of preventable diseases such as polio and measles in recent years. Larson said with the coronavirus vaccine race in full swing, governments should now be extra vigilant about assessing public trust in vaccines and responding rapidly to concerns. Theres a lot of anxiety about the speed of vaccine development (for COVID-19), she said. But the public is not really keen on speed theyre more keen on thoroughness, effectiveness and safety. The Rachakonda police in Hyderabad arrested on Thursday a school dropout who allegedly masqueraded as a doctor and treated people, including Covid-19 patients, in various hospitals for four years. Rachakonda police commissioner Mahesh Bhagawat said the special operations team, along with the Medipalli police, raided the house of one Yedunuri Sandinti Teja alias Veeragandham Teja at Boduppal on the outskirts of Hyderabad and took him into custody, along with his father Veeragandham Venkat Rao and associate Bokudi Srinivasa Rao. The police also seized several documents, including a fake memorandum of marks, provisional certificates, migration certificates and convocation certificates starting from Class 10 to MBBS and even MBA, obtained from various institutions and universities, apart from 4.70 lakh in cash and two mobile phones. Though Teja claimed to be 23, his documents showed that he is much older, the commissioner said. Bhagawat said during the nationwide lockdown in March and April, Teja had approached the Covid-19 cell of Rachakonda police and volunteered to take part, along with other doctors, in the health check-up of migrant workers and police personnel at various checkposts. He also gave emergency treatment to hospitalised police personnel. The police said the man came on the police radar for procuring an SUV that belonged to a history-sheeter during his wedding in July this year. We were shocked to find that he was a Class 5 dropout and all his certificates were forged, Bhagwat said. Teja ran away from home in 2005 and worked in several cities such as Vijayawada, Tirupati, Howrah and Lucknow selling water bottles and snacks in trains. Teja then met a doctor, YS Purushottam Reddy, who took him to his house in Tirupati and got him a job. In 2012, Teja learnt how to drive, got a licence, a voter ID card, a PAN card and an Aadhaar card using the doctors home address and initials YS. Subsequently, Teja bought his fake degrees. Based on these forged certificates, he joined JN Medical College, Raipur, as an intern, where he actually learnt about medicine. He then went to Bengaluru, where he worked as junior DMO in Sapthagiri Hospital for some time, Bhagawat said. Later, he moved to Hyderabad and worked in various super speciality hospitals up to February, 2020. Since he has basic medical skills which he learnt from other medical practitioners during his internship, nobody suspected him, Bhagwat said. Teja also took advantage of his fake initials YS and introduced himself as a relative of Andhra Pradesh chief minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy and cheated several high-profile people, the police commissioner added. The police have registered several cases against Teja under sections 419, 420, 465, 468 and 471 of the Indian Penal Code and are investigating the case. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ABOUT THE AUTHOR Srinivasa Rao Apparasu Srinivasa Rao is Senior Assistant Editor based out of Hyderabad covering developments in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana . He has over three decades of reporting experience. ...view detail The expert behind Melbourne's economically destructive Stage Four lockdowns has admitted the measures won't prevent a third wave of coronavirus. University of Melbourne infectious diseases Professor Tony Blakely is a key author of state government modelling that argues the restrictions shouldn't be eased until Victoria's new cases averaged five a day over a fortnight. That is still a tough ask, considering Victoria recorded 43 new cases on Thursday as New South Wales and Queensland struggle to keep average daily counts in the single digits. Victoria's Labor Premier Daniel Andrews has used that argument to justify maintaining harsh rules in Melbourne until at least late October. The expert behind Melbourne's economically destructive Stage Four lockdowns has admitted the measures won't prevent a third wave of coronavirus. Pictured is a deserted intersection at Swanston and Bourke streets on September 10, 2020 The Stage Four lockdowns have already been extended by two weeks beyond the initial September 13 end date. Melbourne's five million residents on August 2 were placed into a strict lockdown banning them from travelling more than 5km from home and being outside after 8am. This followed a second wave of COVID-19 that in early July saw residents in 36 suburbs and inner-city public housing towers banned form leaving home as the rest of the city lived under Stage Three lockdowns. Professor Blakely said he could not guarantee the Stage Four lockdowns would prevent a potential third wave outbreak because the disease was unpredictable. 'We simply can't guarantee there won't be another third wave because this virus is stochastic, it is chance,' he told ABC 7.30 host Leigh Sales. 'It just takes one person getting in and giving it to a super spreader, going to a wedding even if there's only 50 people and off it goes. 'So there is that chance element.' Professor Blakely said he could not guarantee the Stage Four lockdowns would prevent a potential third wave outbreak because the disease was unpredictable Melbourne's five million residents on August 2 were placed into a strict lockdown banning them from travelling more than 5km from home and being outside after 8am. Pictured are police in Melbourne on September 9, 2020 searching the boot of a Mercedes-Benz E-Class Sales had asked him if Melburnians could be making sacrifices for nothing. 'How do Victorians know they won't have gone through all of this and complied and done the right thing and then be let down again at the government end?,' she said. What Victoria receives from YOUR GST Victoria has allocated $17.7billion from the Commonwealth Grants Commission in 2019 That equated to 25.7 per cent of the $69billion distributed to the states and territories from GST revenue Victoria received 98.3 cents for every dollar of the GST collected in the state compared with 87 cents for New South Wales and 51.8 cents for Western Australia Queensland received $1.05 compared with $1.47 for South Australia, $1.76 for Tasmania and $1.24 for the Australian Capital Territory - the home of the nation's highest average salaries The Northern Territory received $4.27 for every GST dollar collected there Source: Commonwealth Grants Commission 2019 report Advertisement When much of Melbourne was placed into Stage Three lockdown again in July, federal Treasury estimated they would cost $1billion a week. The Institute of Public Affairs, a free market think tank, calculated the Stage Four lockdowns would cost the state economy $3.17billion a week. Victoria last year received $17.7billion from the Commonwealth's collection of the Good and Services Tax. Professor Blakely said the other bigger states were simply lucky to have avoided a second wave of COVID-19. 'I can tell you that New South Wales and Queensland are thanking their lucky stars at the moment that they haven't seen an outbreak yet,' he said. 'There is stochasticy and chance involved here. 'I'm hoping that Victoria has good luck now and we get through to Christmas in good shape with good action and good policy to maximise the good luck.' Victoria has recorded 43 new cases of coronavirus and nine more deaths. Friday's cases have taken the state's death toll to 710. The new numbers come in the eighth day of double digits in cases after Thursday recorded 51 infections and Wednesday had 76. The 14-day average of cases in the coronavirus-riddled state fell to 73 on Thursday. Mr Andrews said although there were discussions to ease the 8am to 5am curfew on September 28, it may be extended beyond that. 'The plan talks about the 28th, it may go beyond that,' he said. 'We will look at the data, we'll look at where we're at, we'll look at how close we are to achieving the very low case numbers that are essential to opening the place up. 'It's no more complex than that. The curfew will be on for no longer than it needs to be on.' A stunning image of the closest galaxy to the Milky Way - the Andromeda galaxy - has won first prize in the annual Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition run by the Royal Observatory in Greenwich. More than 5,000 people from six continents entered the annual event - now in its twelfth year - with the winning entries all showcased in an exhibition at the National Maritime Museum in London. French photographer Nicolas Lefaudeux beat thousands of amateur and professional photographers from around the globe to win the astrophotography event to claim the Insight Investment Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2020 title. As well as securing the 10,000 top prize, his image of the Andromeda Galaxy takes pride of place in the exhibition of winning photographs opening at the National Maritime Museum on October 23, 2020. The judges were captivated by Lefaudeuxs awe-inspiring image that was taken in Forges-les-Bains, Ile-de-France, adding that the photograph depicts a version of the Andromeda Galaxy seemingly at arms length - despite being light-years away. Competition judge Ed Robinson said of the winning entry: 'To most of us, our closest neighbouring galaxy Andromeda can also feel so distanced and out of reach, yet to create a photograph that gives us the impression that it is just within our physical reach is truly magical, and somewhat appropriate as we adjust after such socially distanced times'. Eddie Gindi , executive vice president of Century 21, came to Philadelphia's Union League in 2014 to introduce his family-owned company's plans for the old Strawbridge and Clothier flagship store at 8th and Market. The chain's own central store survived the 9/11 attacks across the street in Manhattan, but Century 21 declared bankruptcy and shutdown plans after insurers declined to pay coronavirus shutdown loss claims, noting that policy provisions exempt them from paying damages in national emergencies and what lawyers call "Acts of God" Read more We didnt know where our people were... The 9/11 attacks haunted Century 21. The strike on the World Trade Center gutted the department store chains flagship location across from Ground Zero. Over the next couple of months, that site became a center for helpers who swarmed the nearby ruins, digging out the dead and trucking wreckage away. Later, the Gindi family, which owns the chain, helped traumatized young people by backing summer programs for the Tuesdays Children foundation, which helped survivors from conflict zones across the world travel to Bryn Mawr College for healing and educational programs. That was before Century 21 opened a store here, in the heart of the old Strawbridge & Clothier store, anchoring the east end of what is now Fashion District Philadelphia at Eighth and Market. It is just down a few flights of stairs from the Inquirer newsroom (my desk is in the old linens department). On Thursday the Gindis announced bankruptcy and a shutdown, driven by the coronavirus closings. The decision follows nonpayment by the companys insurance providers of approximately $175 million due under policies put in place to protect against losses stemming from business interruption such as that experienced as a direct result of the COVID-19 pandemic, co-CEOs Raymond and I.G. Gindi said in a statement. While insurance money helped us to rebuild after suffering the devastating impact of 9/11, we now have no viable alternative but to begin the closure of our beloved family business because our insurers, to whom we have paid significant premiums every year for protection against unforeseen circumstances like we are experiencing today, have turned their backs on us at this most critical time. Insurers have warned that these kinds of decisions were coming, and no surprise: The lethal terrorist attack was an isolated event in a few limited areas; not so the virus shutdowns. The way insurance works is, when everyone crashes at the same time, the underwriters can blame God and not pay. If they paid all the claims happening at once, theyd be broke. Business interruption policies are not designed to cover pandemics, and lawsuits trying to force insurers to pay have failed, points out Loretta Whorter of the Insurance Information Institute. Its the governments job to fix national problems, and the latest coronavirus rescue has stalled in the Senate. Meanwhile, in the real world, bills pile up, and there comes a time when even powerful clans that built a common vision across generations say No More. Back in the summer of 2014, I spoke with Eddie Gindi, a son of cofounder Sonny Gindi. Its the only job I ever had, said Gindi, then co-owner of the eight New York-area Century 21 department stores. They later expanded to 13, adding New Jersey and Florida sites, as well as Market Street East in the fall of 2014. The family made a big bet on bucking the department-store consolidation trend in the face of online shopping. Gindi started working for his father and uncle, who founded Century 21, as a student in 1977. Back then it was just two stores: Brooklyn Bay Ridge and Manhattan, across from the World Trade Center, he said. That store had been there since 1961, even before the towers. At first it was the size of a Philly rowhouse. They were "selling very cheap. But the vision they had was incredible, Gindi said. The World Trade Center rose across the street in the late 1960s and early 1970s, a shining symbol of the financial district. As PATH and Metro trains pumped in workday waves of traders, bankers and clerks, Century 21 spread into a neighboring Woolworths, a bank, and seven buildings, occupying 200,000 square feet. I had to break down a few walls. It was kind of a maze, Gindi said. Then, on Sept. 11, 2001, I went up to the roof of our place in Brooklyn, Gindi said. I saw the second tower hit. The collapse. We didnt know where our people were, where my brothers were, he recalled. Store security got everyone out safely. But the chains flagship store was completely destroyed. Windows were blown out, fixtures shot, merchandise wrecked. The company sent its downtown workers to outlying stores. We were fully staffed, Gindi said. But we didnt want to fire anybody. In the background, the claims adjusters came to help. Six months after, the Lower Manhattan store reopened, improved. No more maze. Ten years later, the Gindis joined neighbors at the dedication of the National September 11 Memorial Museum. Eddie Gindi saw the sites ornamental pear tree, splintered in the attacks, now richly flowering. And he wrote a song about it, The Survivor Tree, for his band, the Men in My Head. We can use this to help someone, he thought. Gindi approached Tuesdays Children, the 9/11 survivors' nonprofit, whose Project Common Bond brings together survivors of terrorist attacks around the world, in hope of healing. "I called their director, Terry Grace Sears, and said, I want to help you raise some money, when can you meet? She said, In about five minutes. " He told his 9/11 stories and played his song, and cried. Gindi put his CD on sale at Century 21. He said he raised $275,000 in six months through a lot of hard work and real teamwork from both ends. He helped bring Common Bond to New York in 2013. We greeted them and gave them some gifts and let them shop, Gindi said. They met guys in the band. The next year, Common Bond brought young people from Latin America, Africa, Israel, and the Palestinian territories to Bryn Mawr and held events for them, such as the Peace Olympics. I was so glad it was in Philadelphia, because we are coming to Philadelphia, Gindi said at the time. It must be some kind of good omen. We want to be part of the community there. Philadelphia is the right spot for us. It was for six years. Now the Strawbridges showrooms, like so many familiar properties, wait for their next bold entrepreneur, trying to guess what people want downtown, where so many paths cross, where so many visions have lingered, for a time. Nova FM's new drive show, Kate, Tim and Joel, will launch on Monday, after a week that saw at least four staff members made redundant by the radio network. Comedian Marty Sheargold, 49, will broadcast his final show on Friday, alongside colleagues Kate Ritchie and Tim Blackwell. And from Monday, comedian Joel Creasey, 30, will step into his shoes. New look drive show: Nova FM's new drive show Kate, Tim and Joel will launch next week 'Can't wait to start Kate, Tim and Joel on Monday. Is there any research I should do? A book I should read? Is there an online masterclass I can sign up to? Just kidding,' he joked. 'That sounds exhausting... I'm sure someone's going to tell me... right?' Meanwhile, former Home and Away star Kate excitedly said: 'We're all keen to get into the studio on Monday Get Joel out of the house regularly, kick off the show and start making KTJ radio instead of just talking about it! Out with a bang: Comedian Marty Sheargold, 49, will broadcast his final show on Friday Ready to start! From Monday, comedian Joel Creasey, 30, will take over the co-hosting seat. He said: 'Can't wait to start Kate, Tim and Joel on Monday. Is there any research I should do?' While Tim quipped: 'I've just told Joel to spend the time leading up to our first show listening to Cardi B's WAP on repeat. If that doesn't break him we'll know he's ready for the gig!' The rebranding of the Nova FM drive show comes after the network brutally axed jobs in the latest round of job cuts to affect the radio industry during the COVID-19 recession. On Tuesday, Radio Today confirmed that the network had decided to cut local workdays in Brisbane and Adelaide. This change will see Nova 106.9 hosts Katie Mattin and Jack Tree, and Nova 919 announcers Rosie Panetta and Jarrod Walsh depart the business or 'possibly be redeployed'. Let go: On Tuesday, Radio Today confirmed that the network had decided to cut local workdays in Brisbane and Adelaide. Nova 106.9 hosts Katie Mattin (left) and Jack Tree (right) will depart the business or 'possibly be redeployed' After the news was broken, Jarrod shared a tearful video on social media in which he reacted to his redundancy and reflected on his 16-year career at the network. 'I was one of a handful of good people who was made redundant from the radio station,' he said. 'I was preparing myself mentally but nothing can prepare you to hear those words.' Jarrod broke down in tears as he reminisced about his time at Nova, and admitted he was feeling a mixture of 'fear, relief and anxiety' since hearing the news. He added: 'My hands have been randomly shaking for the past couple of days. 'Nothing can prepare you to hear those words': After the news was broken, Jarrod shared a tearful video on social media in which he reacted to his redundancy and reflected on his 16-year career at the network 'I haven't really been given the opportunity to say farewell and thank you on the air so I'm going to do that here and I'm going to try and hold it together.' Nova's programming and marketing boss, Paul Jackson, told Radio Today the network had been forced to 'review' its business as a result of the pandemic. 'It's been a tough time for all media industries during COVID and as a result we've reviewed every aspect of our business, including programming, to ensure we continue to deliver our listeners with the best content, announcers and shows, in the most efficient way,' he said. 'As a result of this review we've looked carefully at all our Nova workday announcers and unfortunately this has resulted in some talented broadcasters being made redundant.' (Alliance News) - Pembridge Resources PLC on Friday said unit Minto Explorations Ltd has secured an up to USD12.5 million prepayment funding facility with Sumitomo Canada Ltd. Shares in Pembridge were up 22% at 3.95 pence in London in morning trading. Sumitomo is Minto's copper concentrate off take agreement counterparty with the USD12.5 million being additional to the existing offtake agreement, under which Sumitomo makes an advance payment of 90% of the value of concentrate output per month. Pembridge said the deal "represents a further development in Minto's relationship with Sumitomo." Minto Explorations operates the underground copper-gold-silver mine located in central Yukon, Canada. Gati Al-Jebouri, Pembridge's chief executive & chair, said: "We are delighted to have developed our relationship with Sumitomo in this way. Such an arrangement had been under discussion for a year and it is a measure of the progress Minto has made in that time that Sumitomo has now committed to it. Such support and commitment from Sumitomo is important to Minto and will help the ongoing development of the mine." By Anna Farley; annafarley@alliancenews.com Copyright 2020 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. Facebook says it will block campaigns from submitting new ads in the week leading up to the Nov. 3 election, preventing candidates from posting uncontested messages ahead of the vote. It removes dozens of accounts and pages each month for what it calls coordinated inauthentic behavior, including on its Instagram platform, and has begun removing (or labeling) deepfakes and other deceptively altered or fabricated media. But while Facebook has a fact-checking program aimed at labeling fake news, it has declined to subject political advertising to such scrutiny, on free-speech grounds. Microsoft Corp. is releasing new technology to fight deepfakes by analyzing videos and photos and providing a score indicating the chance that theyre manipulated. As for Twitter, it introduced a new policy earlier this year on synthetic and manipulated media and now flags content it believes to be significantly and deceptively altered or fabricated. Facebook and Twitter have created various tools to help protect candidates from impostors, such as badges that can be added to their verified accounts. A letter, sponsored by several of the largest crime victims' organizations in California, was sent to mayors of the state's 13 largest cities Thursday, urging them to oppose Proposition 20 -- a statewide initiative that they believe will increase incarceration rates and costs, while cutting investments in services necessary to help survivors. The letter coincided with a press conference held Thursday morning, where crime victims and different district attorneys from across the state shared why they were opposing Proposition 20. Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen, who was part of the press conference, said this proposition would "turn back the clock 20-30 years ago." "We had prisons that were bursting at the seams, unconstitutionally overcrowded that we had to send our prisoners to different states. We had 14 new prisons built over a period of time but one public university. We had high crime rates," Rosen said. "Do we want to turn back the clock or do we want to move forward as we have been over the last few years in this state?" The proposition, which will be on the November ballot this year, would amend several sentencing charges to be more punitive. If passed, theft and fraud crimes, like firearm theft, vehicle theft and unlawful use of a credit card would be chargeable as misdemeanors or felonies, rather than just misdemeanors. It would also change 51 crimes and sentence enhancements as violent, which would exclude those individuals from the parole review program in which felons convicted of nonviolent crimes, as defined by the law, could be released for parole. "Accountability is a key piece of justice, but it is not the only piece. You cannot double down on punishment at the expense of getting results," Contra Costa County District Attorney Diana Becton said. "By increasing the number of offenses eligible for parole by over 100 percent, the only thing prop 20 guarantees is that a person who's locked up for those offenses will have no incentive to participate in the rehabilitation program. That means far more people will exit our prisons without receiving the rehabilitation services that research shows recidivism." The press conference also hosted individuals who were victims of sexual assault and domestic abuse who shared that while jail time for their abuser was a relief, it was not the main component for the healing of their trauma. Sephora Acheson, the executive director of Ruby's Place -- the first domestic abuse shelter in the United States, shared her experience as a survivor of sexual assault as a child. "It provided temporary sense of safety when the person that caused me harm was in jail, but it didn't change their behavior. Where the healing really came for me...is from the services like counseling, shelter and case management as well as the rehabilitation services of those who caused harm," Acheson said. "It is incredibly disheartening that survivor voices are being exploited to say yes on Prop. 20. That is not the consensus that we hear from folks that we serve as well as myself, personally." One in five people who survived a crime in the last 10 years received the help needed to recover from their trauma, according to a 2020 Alliance for Safety and Justice study. Opponents of Proposition 20 fear that with the passing of this legislation coupled with budget cuts related to COVID-19, resources available for victims would see significant cuts. William Lansdowne, a retired San Diego and San Jose police chief, said this bill would "decimate some of those programs." "They are going to put officers back in patrol and going to cut the family justice centers and the homeless outreach centers because they are expensive," Lansdowne said. "We need to be able to keep that money." The bill would increase state and local correctional costs for more than tens of millions of dollars annually. It would also increase costs for state and local courts for over a million dollars annually. Former San Francisco District Attorney and candidate for Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascon said in order to understand who benefits from the proposition, it is important to follow the money. "The largest amount of money is coming from law enforcement associations and prison guards. Organizations that have benefited for the last several decades by the infusion of taxpayers money into those organizations," Gascon said. The top three donors who contributed to Protecting California Cooper Ballot Measure Committee, a PAC that supports Prop 20, were the California Correctional Peace Officers Association Truth in American Government Fund, the Association For Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs PIC and the Los Angeles Police Protective League Issues PAC. Each of those organizations donated $2 million, according to public campaign finance documents. "We build more prisons than universities. We have increased the size of police agencies and without necessarily seeing any return on the investment," Gascon said. "In fact... we are now experiencing some of the lowest crime levels... and that has not been because of more incarceration." The state has fewer incarcerated people now, than in any point in California history, but the bill would result in as many as 10,000 more people imprisoned every year in state jails and prisons, according to a 2020 study by the Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice. The letter was signed by Crime Survivors for Safety and Justice, California's largest network of survivors of crime. The California Partnership to End Domestic Violence and Ruby's Place -- which provide shelter and other crises services to survivors of sexual assault and domestic abuse have also signed on. It has been sent to the mayors of Los Angeles, San Diego, San Jose, San Francisco, Fresno, Sacramento, Long Beach, Oakland, Bakersfield, Anaheim, Riverside, Santa Ana and Stockton. So far, Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs, Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg and Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf have responded by saying they oppose Proposition 20. Copyright 2020 by Bay City News, Inc. Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. The first comes from Snoop Dogg, the rapper, who joined the cavalcade of celebrities slapping their names on wine labels earlier this year with 19 Crimes Snoop Cali Red, a blend of petite sirah and zinfandel that sells for an affordable $13 a bottle. Its the first California wine from 19 Crimes, an Australian brand owned by Treasury Estates, a major wine conglomerate that also owns Beringer, Chateau St. Jean and other U.S. brands. Ive yet to taste Snoop Cali Red, but the Aussie version is most notable for its augmented-reality label scan it with your phone and the label comes to life to tell the story of the 19 crimes that could get British miscreants banished to the penal colony that became Australia. Increasingly dry conditions in arid western US states are making wildfires bigger and tougher to contain, expert says. San Francisco, United States As deadly wildfires continue to burn in the US, from the Pacific Northwest down to the California-Mexico border, LeRoy Westerling has a sombre projection for beleaguered residents and exhausted firefighters: Its going to get worse. Westerling, a climatologist at University of California Merced (UC Merced) who has spent more than two decades studying wildfires and the weather that drives them, said a lot of vegetation has yet to burn and dead trees and brush provide fuel to the fires. Climate change has made the current blazes more severe than in previous years, he said. The west is an arid region, and with climate change, a dry region is getting drier, Westerling told Al Jazeera. The deadly wildfires on the US West Coast have forced hundreds of thousands to flee their homes. In California alone, nearly 15,000 firefighters were working on Friday to contain more than two dozen major wildfires across the state. Experts such as Westerling point to a combination of factors linked to climate change they say are spurring the blazes across the region and making it more difficult for emergency crews as they battle the flames. The western US has seen less rain and snowfall in recent years, which means forests dry out quicker when the summer heat comes, Westerling explained, and that means the fire season is longer because [the forest] dries out earlier. Years of drought from 2011 to 2019 also worsened the situation. Westerling said the current fires are plume-driven, which means the flames are shooting up into the sky and may generate their own thunder. Thats why we see big cloud formations over these fires. Theyre creating [their] own weather system that enhances the spread of the fire. Forests bone dry Allen Schauffler, lead anchor at Central Oregon Daily News who has covered wildfires in the area since 1987, said he has noticed fires worsen over the past decades. It just seems that fire seasons can start earlier, last longer and burn hotter than when I started. Also, more people have built more homes in the boondocks [isolated areas] and so theres the potential for more property damage and more loss of life, Schauffler told Al Jazeera. He said this years fires in Oregon come after a period of drought and a string of high-desert lightning storms. About 500,000 Oregon residents have been evacuated from their homes more than 10 percent of the states 4.2 million people, the AP news agency reported on Friday, citing the Oregon Office of Emergency Management. It's not just sheds and homes and gas stations going up in flames. It's lives and towns and human connections and memories and culture. Allen Schauffler, lead anchor at Central Oregon Daily News Schauffler said resources have been stretched thin as the state tries to cope with mass displacement and firefighters battle the blazes. Its not just sheds and homes and gas stations going up in flames. Its lives and towns and human connections and memories and culture, he said. CJ Martinez, a resident of Talent, Oregon, a small town in the south of the state near the border with California, said his apartment and truck were destroyed in the wildfires. Martinez, who was caring for an elderly parent in California when the fire engulfed his home, said he was shocked to hear the news. I had to tell my manager [and my] colleagues in real-time that I had just lost everything, he told Al Jazeera. I just blurted out, I just heard from my landlord that my truck burned and my apartment, theres nothing left. I guess that means Ive lost everything. I was numb. Autumn winds While the impact of the fires has already been devastating for so many people, Westerling said the burning season is just getting started and strong winds that typically begin in late autumn are expected to make the situation even more difficult to control. He pointed to 2017 fires in Santa Rosa, in Californias Sonoma County, which forced more than 200,000 residents from their homes and burned 149 square kilometres (57.5 square miles) of land, and the deadly 2018 fires in northern Californias Butte County as examples of how wind and a lack of rain can worsen things. We need rain or snow to end fire season, said Westerling. Some US politicians, such as California Republicans Devin Nunes and Tom McClintock, have baulked at the suggestion that climate change is making the wildfires worse. But the states Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom recently rejected that discourse. I quite literally have no patience for climate change deniers, Newsom said during a news conference in the fire zone on September 8. Its completely inconsistent, that point of view, with the reality on the ground, the facts as we are experiencing. For his part, Westerling said a warming planet creates the dry conditions that propel the fires and paints a bleak picture for the future. The fire problem is not going away. The Kremlin critic is being treated in Berlins Charite hospital after falling ill on a Russian domestic flight last month Berlin: Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny has made further progress in his recovery after what Germany said was poisoning with a Soviet-style Novichok nerve agent, and is able to speak again, Der Spiegel magazine reported on Thursday. The Kremlin critic is being treated in Berlins Charite hospital after falling ill on a Russian domestic flight last month. Germany says Navalny was the victim of an attempt to kill him and has demanded an explanation from Russia. Moscow has said it has seen no evidence that Navalny, 44, was poisoned. Der Spiegel magazine said Navalnys police protection had been stepped up in the expectation that he would be receiving more visitors as his condition improved. Der Spiegel and Bellingcat understand that Navalny can speak again and can likely remember details about his collapse, the magazine wrote, crediting its investigative website partner. His statements could be dangerous for people behind the attack. There was no immediate comment by the hospital treating Navalny. The affair has driven tensions between Russia and the West to new heights, with some Western governments believing Navalny was poisoned by Russian security services with top-level backing. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Wednesday there was a substantial chance his poisoning was ordered by senior Russian officials. Berlin faces calls for a sharper response to the poisoning. Some opposition politicians have called for the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline from Russia to Germany, a Kremlin flagship project, to be cancelled, even as it nears completion. Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte was quoted on Thursday as saying Russian President Vladimir Putin had told him he would set up a committee to investigate Navalnys case and was ready to collaborate with the German authorities. New Delhi: The meeting between External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will give "political guidance" on the disengagement process which both sides have agreed to in the Russian capital city of Moscow, said top Indian government sources on Friday. Calling it an "important first step", the government sources said that the "outcome of the meet gives political guidance for disengagement". Amid border tension in eastern Ladakh, Jaishankar on September 10 stressed the need to maintain peace and tranquillity at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) to Wang. The ministers held over two-hour-long talks on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Foreign Ministers' meet in Russian capital city Moscow. Both the sides have agreed "that the border troops of both sides should continue their dialogue, quickly disengage, maintain proper distance and ease tensions". Live TV This was the first in-person meet between the foreign ministers since the border tension flared up in May but both of them had spoken to each other after the Galwan incident of June in which India lost 20 of its soldiers. They have come face to face thrice in Moscow on September 10--first at SCO FMs meet, then for the Russia, India and China FMs Lunch and later for the bilateral meet. On September 10, India and China agreed to hold Corps commander levels talks soon and while the date and time of the meet are yet to be decided, it will be the sixth such meet since June. The talks have taken held five times so far on June 6, 22 and 30, July 14 and August 2. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said that "India and China made a useful decision on de-escalation at the border". Russia is the host of SCO and BRICS groupings this year and last two weeks saw SCO Defence minister meet and SCO Foreign ministers meet. Indian and Chinese foreign and defence ministers met on the sidelines of the meet, in first such political engagement in the four-month-long border standoff. Meanwhile, on the ground, the situation remains tense even as at some places Indian and Chinese forces are just 300 meters away. No fresh aggressive action by the Chinese side has been observed, which on September 7 and 8 indulged in "provocative" action according to the Indian Army. Indian and Chinese Brigade Commander and Commanding Officers interacted on Thursday for three hours from 11 am to 2 pm and the status quo continues. A govt source said that the aim is to "keep lines of communication open" between the two sides. A massive spike in border tensions in eastern Ladakh was triggered by fresh face-offs between the armies of India and China along the LAC. The Indian Army on September 8 said Chinese troops attempted to close in on an Indian position near the southern bank of Pangong lake in eastern Ladakh the previous evening and fired shots in the air, a first such instance of bullets being used along the LAC after a gap of 45 years. The Army said this in a statement after the Chinese People's Liberation Army(PLA) late on September 7 night alleged that Indian troops crossed the LAC and "outrageously fired" warning shots near the Pangong lake. The Indian Army in a release on September 8 said, "PLA troops fired a few rounds in the air" and "despite the grave provocation, own troops exercised great restraint and behaved in a mature and responsible manner". India has occupied several dominating heights close to China's existing positions at Finger 4, north bank of Pangong Lake. The development gives the Indian Army an edge over the Chinese even as PLA troops continue to indulge in provocative actions. The Chinese have occupied Finger 4 to Finger 8 in the north bank of Pangong Lake. As part of disengagement, India has repeatedly asked Chinese forces to go on its side of LAC and vacate the area. FILE PHOTO: The headquarters of Wirecard AG, an independent provider of outsourcing and white label solutions for electronic payment transactions is seen in Aschheim MANILA (Reuters) - Philippine authorities are investigating 57 foreign and local "persons of interest" potentially involved in a scandal at German payments firm Wirecard AG , an official at the country's anti-money laundering agency said on Friday. The Southeast Asian nation became embroiled in the collapse of Wirecard in June, with the payments firm initially claiming it kept $2.1 billion in two Philippine banks, which the central bank and the lenders denied. The persons of interest were included in a report sent to the National Bureau of Investigation, Mel Georgie Racela, executive director of the Philippines' Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC), told a virtual news conference. The list includes officers at Philippine lenders BDO Unibank Inc and Bank of the Philippine Islands believed to have forged documents to show Wirecard is a depositor, Racela said, adding that the banks were no longer part of the investigation. In addition, immigration personnel who were said to have created fake entry and exit information on Wirecard's former chief operating officer are among the persons of interest, according to Racela. The Bureau of Immigration did not respond to a request for comment. "After we coordinate, we will now build up the case and file the necessary case," Racela said, adding that not all the 57 would face criminal charges. German lawmakers this month launched a parliamentary inquiry into the implosion of Wirecard, the country's biggest post-war corporate fraud. The AMLC is working with German authorities as it pursues a case against foreigners, Racela said. (Reporting by Neil Jerome Morales; Editing by Ed Davies) The European Union (EU) will offer support to Ukraine in the implementation of programs aimed at fight against climate change, Head of the EU Delegation to Ukraine Matti Maasikas has said. Now the EU is preparing a $10 million program for Ukraine for the most important sectors, which includes, in particular, a new policy on climate change, "greening" transport. If this program is successful, it can become the basis for a further broader program with a more integrated approach to "green" the economy of Ukraine, Maasikas said at the hearings of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Ukraine's integration into the EU on the European Green Deal on Friday. According to him, the European Green Deal is Europe's new strategy and priority, bringing together policies to tackle terrible climate change and reduce pollution. Therefore, ecology, economic and social sustainability go hand in hand, he said. According to Maasikas, Ukraine has shown great interest in cooperation under the EU Green Deal and readiness to offer a structured and permanent dialog on this topic. At the same time, he pointed out, in particular, the success of improving the energy efficiency of residential buildings, expressing an understanding that further reform requires funding. The EU is looking for opportunities to enhance cooperation with Ukraine through dialog within the framework of the Ukraine-EU Association Agreement. He said that the EU hopes that the elements of the Green Deal can be included in further joint documents, the EU Ambassador to Ukraine said. He also stressed the need to avoid the introduction of aggressive technologies based on fossil fuels and "sustainable economic nationalism." He said that all understand that such logic is a dead end and will lead to a decrease in GDP and economic capacity. The U.S. Commerce Department is attempting to negotiate an agreement that would help thousands of U.S. companies comply with policies designed to protect the personal privacy of European citizens. The department, and the European Commission, an arm of the European Union (EU), have initiated discussions to resolve privacy issues raised by the EU, according to an August 10 joint statement. The reason for the negotiations is that Privacy Shield, a Commerce Department program designed to protect the privacy of Europeans, has fallen apart. As a result of a legal challenge brought by Austrian privacy advocate Maximillian Schrems, an EU court ruled on July 16, 2020, that the U.S. Privacy Shield program was invalid because it failed to provide the requisite protection for European citizens. Until the issues are resolved, U.S. companies will be operating in a twilight zone over how to ensure the privacy of personal data they collect and process electronically from European sources. More than 5,000 companies participate in Privacy Shield, and most of them are small or medium sized businesses. The commercial impact of the EU decision is significant. Cross-border data flows between the U.S. and Europe are the largest in the world and are fundamental to the largest trading relationship in the world, valued at approximately 1.3 trillion U.S. dollars annually, according to a joint statement issued by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and several e-commerce associations. The termination of Privacy Shield has disrupted these transatlantic data flows and has created legal uncertainty for Privacy Shield participants, the groups said. Data flows are essential not just to tech companies but to businesses of all sizes in every sector, said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross. Why Are US Companies in a Fix? At first glance, Privacy Shield appears to be a substantive legal framework. In reality, the relationship between the U.S. and European Economic Area (EEA) countries regarding privacy has been in a fragile state for years. The EU court decision marked the second time in five years that a U.S.-Europe privacy framework had unraveled. A prior agreement, called the Safe Harbor Act, failed in 2015. In general, EEA countries subscribing to the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) insist that countries outside of the EU provide a similar level of protection for personal data as that provided within the EU. Under GDPR protocols, several types of compliance are permitted for the transfer of EU data outside the EU, according to an analysis provided to the E-Commerce Times from the Better Business Bureau National Programs office. Privacy Shield enabled U.S. companies to meet one of these, based on what is known as an adequacy determination, which is a decision by an EU regulator that a non-EU countrys privacy laws are sufficiently robust to meet EU standards. By signing up under this single vehicle and implementing the required privacy practices, U.S. businesses were able to process the data of EU consumers in the United States. Also, Privacy Shield differed from an alternative mechanism, known as Standard Contractual Clauses (or SCC), in that Privacy Shield provided additional transparency and accountability requirements. Privacy Shield was also a broader compliance mechanism than a contract between two businesses, the analysis noted. The stumbling block between Europe and the U.S. was outlined by the EU Court. Europeans claim that U.S. law fails to provide European citizens the same level of due process protection as U.S. citizens regarding personal data that could be obtained by U.S. national security and law enforcement agencies. A D V E R T I S E M E N T The result is that U.S. companies are caught in a crossfire between governmental entities. The European decision to invalidate the Privacy Shield focuses not on commercial uses of data, but on concerns over potential government access, said U.S. Chamber of Commerce executive vice president Myron Brilliant. Finding a Solution Poses Challenges While government entities try to work out a solution, U.S. companies will have to deal with meeting GDPR standards as best they can. It will not be easy. One option for U.S. companies is to use data localization measures. These are regulations requiring companies to store and process data on servers physically located within national borders, according to Albright Stonebridge Group. A second option is for U.S. companies is to fall back on SCC agreements. But the EU decision made it more difficult to craft appropriate SCCs. Rather than use somewhat general legal templates, such agreements will now have to be much more specific depending on individual country requirements and the nature and use of collected data. The EU decision contained significant additional burdens, for U.S. companies regarding both options, according to Lisa Soto, a partner at Hunton Andrews Kurth. The only sure bet is complete localization of data in the EEA. That is economically infeasible for most companies, so they are scrambling now to put in place alternate solutions for data transfers if they were relying on Privacy Shield certifications to legalize transfers, Soto told the E-Commerce Times. If companies were relying on SCCs, they now need to conduct a transfer risk assessment and potentially put additional safeguards in place. To say this is a mess is an understatement, she added. Some legal experts contend that better encryption will help U.S. companies, and that the concern about national security agency access to data is somewhat constrained by U.S. law. The EU court decision has been rigorously examined by legal experts, with carefully nuanced analyses and interpretation of the ruling. But that underscores the notion that drafting SCCs puts a significant legal and compliance burden on companies. Making matters even more risky for U.S. companies is the contention that the EU court cast doubt on the use of SCCs, according to the BBB National Programs analysis. In fact, a few European regulators, known as Data Protection Authorities (DPAs), have already voiced concerns about the viability of SCCs. Uncertainty will be the norm for data transfers between the EU and the U.S. until European regulators clarify the standards introduced by the EU Court. There is also additional uncertainty for data transfers from the UK to the U.S. because Brexit goes into full effect at the end of the year, said Cobun Zweifel-Keegan, deputy director, Privacy Initiatives for BBB National Programs. A D V E R T I S E M E N T The state of play after the Schrems decision is that all transfer mechanisms recognized under EU law now require additional legal, operational, and technical steps in order to even have a chance at being sufficient under the new standards, he told the E-Commerce Times. Until there is further clarity, businesses will continue to work to demonstrate their compliance to the best of their abilities, including by implementing the types of practices required by Privacy Shield, he added. Ongoing Negotiations While negotiations between the U.S. and Europe continue, the DoC will keep operating Privacy Shield in hopes that discussions will result in workable modifications to the program. Any of the companies in the program can drop out, but thats not advisable, according to Soto, of Hunton Andrews Kurth. The Privacy Shield principles continue to serve as a strong framework for the protection of personal data. In addition, Switzerland continues to honor the Shield framework. Thus, it makes sense for companies to remain certified to the Shield. Of course, the hope is that diplomatic discussions will prove successful, and companies that are Shield certified ultimately will be able to again use the Shield as a mechanism by which to legally transfer personal date from the EEA to the U.S., Soto noted. There is lots to see and experience in Europe and while it is great to have options it can also make it harder to pick and choose. We would generally like to see and experience everything but that rarely a viable option. So how do you choose? There is no set recipe for the perfect trip. It depends a lot on your own preferences as well as the time and budget. But it is possible to find the most optimal solution within your own requirements and limitations. It is just a matter of doing the necessary research and being thorough with the planning. See what there is to see Europe is filled with attractions. It is a melting pot of cultures and history and the attractions and sights will vary from country to country. There will be art, architecture and food to experience in every single country, but it is worth it to look into the specific countries to find out what to prioritise. Some of the most common countries to travel to in Europe include Italy, France, the United Kingdom, Greece and Spain. All of these countries offer a great variety of things to see. No matter if you are interested in going to cities or exploring beautiful nature, these countries are all good picks. However if you are especially interested I nature and would like to explore beautiful mountains then Italy, Austria, Switzerland and Norway are all great picks. Their different climates also offer different kinds of nature and which will make them great stops on the trip for anyone who is interested in nature. If you are after history and culture, then the bigger cities and capitals of Europe will be solid choices. Cities like Rome, Paris, London, Amsterdam, Budapest, Barcelona and Berlin are great choices where you will have no risk of running out of things to do. Time to relax A holiday should also make time for relaxation. There are plenty of great locations in Europe to visit f you want to relax on a beach, near beautiful nature or in a luxurious hotel. Make sure to bring relaxing entertainment that allows you to just spend time enjoying being away from home. If you are in need of inspiration for fun and relaxing activities for the quieter moments, then check out the deals for Japanese players for fun online casino games or consider bringing a good book. We all tend to know the popular and busy holiday destinations best but there are plenty of great choices if you are interested in the more quiet destinations in Europe. Make sure not to pack your holiday with too many things to do and see. Set aside time to relax and take in the different surroundings by going to quiet locations. Many will agree that a great holiday has a good balance between exciting experiences and relaxing moments. So make sure that you do not get too caught up in trying to see everything a no one says that you canat come back another time. When Chelsea Connor first saw Will Carey, all 6 feet 7 inches of him, in June 2014, he was onstage at the comedy club Carolines on Broadway, discussing the gentrification of the chopped cheese sandwich. Im a Brooklyn girl and Ive been eating that chopped cheese sandwich since I was a kid, so I could instantly relate, said Ms. Connor, 31, the director of media relations and communications for the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union, a New York-based labor union and division of the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union. He did a lot of observational humor and had so many funny bits that just got to me, she said. Mr. Carey, 34, whose height helped him notice Ms. Connor sitting with friends on a crowded evening, was a lot more observational than she first thought. When his standup routine ended, he walked off the stage and made a beeline for her and introduced himself. I just saw her and thought she was very beautiful, he said. When I started talking to her, I thought she was particularly smart and interesting, and I wanted to know more about her. A UK court presiding over the extradition case of Sanjay Bhandari, an accused arms dealer wanted in India on money laundering charges, has set June 7, 2021, as the date for the start of proceedings. Bhandari, who was arrested on an extradition warrant back in July, was due to appear at Westminster Magistrates Court in London on Friday for a case management hearing. But District Judge D J Goldsmith said todays hearing had been vacated as all outstanding matters had been dealt with between the parties, with directions given via email. Mr Bhandaris bail conditions have been extended until February 5, 2021, said Judge Goldspring, indicating the next date for a bail hearing in the case. The UKs Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), representing the Indian government in extradition proceedings, said Bhandari is sought by the Indian authorities for prosecution for money laundering contrary to the Prevention of Money Laundering Act 2002. He faces cases against him in India filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED). The Indian governments extradition request for Bhandari had been certified by UK Home Secretary Priti Patel on June 16 and he was arrested a month later on July 15. He was granted bail on 120,000-pound security and the surrender of his passport, with other restrictions including a daily curfew at his home in central London and regular visits to a police station. Meanwhile, the latest set of hearings in the extradition case of another alleged economic offender, diamond merchant Nirav Modis, concluded in the same court building on Thursday. The 49-year-old jeweller, wanted in the USD 2-billion Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud and money laundering case, has been lodged at Wandsworth Prison in London since his arrest in March last year. His case will now return to Westminster Magistrates Court for further hearings on November 3 and then in early December before a judgment expected at the end of the year or early next year. Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) Member of Parliament (MP) from Bihar Manoj Jha will file nomination as the Opposition candidate for the post of Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha (RS) on Friday. Speaking to Moneycontrol before filing the nomination papers, Jha said that the election, to be held on September 14, has immense value in terms of how to look at engaged conversation in a Parliamentary democracy. Fight symbolic Harivansh, also an MP from Bihar, representing the Janata Dal (United), is the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) candidate. To defeat NDA, Jha needs at least 123 votes in the 245-member Rajya Sabha, with an effective strength of 244. Though Jha is supported by 12 Opposition parties, his chances of victory are slim as the BJP-led NDA has 116 members. The Congress, SP, TMC, NCP, DMK, CPI, CPI(M) and Shiv Sena are some of the parties supporting Jha. Together, these parties have only 91 members. Dont confuse nation with government In the last few months, we have seen that the ruling regime has made sure that voices antithetical to their position are being demonised, said Jha, 53, who has been a professor of the Department of Social Work at the University of Delhi. He headed the department between 2014 and 2017. The RJD and the entire Opposition sees this as an opportunity to convey to the regime that political parties come and go, governments change, but the nation is perennial. Dont confuse the nation with the government, said Jha, a prominent face in TV debates, who was nominated to the Rajya Sabha in 2018. Eye on Bihar elections The election assumes significance as it comes against the backdrop of the Bihar assembly polls scheduled later this year. Perhaps, it is keeping this in mind that Harivansh, representing the Janata Dal (United), which leads the NDA in Bihar, had filed his nomination on September 9 as NDAs candidate.. The post fell vacant after JD-U leader Harivansh Singhs first term ended in April. Election couldnt be held during the Budget session, which ended in March. Since then, no proceedings could take place due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and now election will be held during the monsoon session that begins on September 14. Jhas name, sources said, was mooted by both the Congress and the Samajwadi Party (SP), with an eye on Bihar elections. Jha said he enjoyed the support of the genuine Opposition in the House. This election is not about individuals. It is about making a strong pitch and sending a message to the ruling establishment that please start listening to the Opposition, Jha said. Harivansh had defeated BK Hariprasad of the Congress in the 2018 election, bagging 125 votes to his rivals 105. The NDA has further strengthened its presence in Rajya Sabha since then. Jha said the election was not about winning or losing but to send out a message of what the RJD and other like-minded parties stand for. We are going to the House with an open mind. Everybody would know what we stand for and let the House decide. Whether they decided in favour of me or Harivanshji, ultimately democracy wins, he said. One day following Kim Kardashian's announcement that "Keeping Up With The Kardashians"' ending is slated in 2021, a recent report has shed light on the reason behind the reality series' cancellation. The Reality Show's Success The reality series "Keeping Up With The Kardashians" helped make Kim Kardashian and her siblings Kendall, Kylie, Kourtney, and Khloe household names and launched their careers in the beauty and fashion industry. KUWTK ran for 20 seasons with its season finale scheduled early next year. According to reports, the decision was all business, reported USA News Posts. Khloe Kardashian Dealing With the News Khloe is apparently having a rough time with the news. When asked by Ryan Seacrest regarding the show's finale, Kris Jenner divulged that it was the 36-year-old Good American founder. According to Kris Jenner, "We had to tell the crew yesterday, so we were all crying, but I think Khloe. (Khloe) is the one who is taking it the hardest and hasn't stopped crying since we announced... It's been a hard decision; I'm not going to lie. It's been very emotional," reported Page Six. Kardashian Family's Streaming Deal After 14 years, the Kardashians' series may be concluding but this does not mean the popular family is slated to disappear from the smalls screen. They are reportedly planning to follow take the same action as Prince Harry and Meghan Markle and sign a profitable deal with a streaming service, reported The Sun. The Reason Behind the Axing of the Show According to sources, this was following the famous family's request for more money being declined by E! bosses which prompted "Keeping Up With the Kardashian's" ending. Also Read: Kylie Jenner New Boyfriend? Poses Maskless With New Man in Paris, Contravening Travel Ban Announcements Kim Kardashian was vigilant not to give a reason behind her parting statement on Instagram. This left the show's loyal viewers wondering the real reason for its cancellation. Aside from Kim Kardashian, Kris Jenner and Khloe Kardashian took to Instagram to issue a statement regarding the reality series' finale. The statement was signed by the entire family including Rob Kardashian, Kylie Jenner, Kendall Jenner, and Scott Disick. Fans' Reactions on Social Media Avid viewers of the iconic reality show were stunned to learn the news. They will still get to watch the upcoming season 19 and season 20 but these viewers shared their grief on social media. Why Did They Call It Quits? The family showed gratitude to its viewers. Kim admitted that she would not be where she is today without the long-running series. However, no one in the family disclosed why they decided to end their easiest money-maker. According to Page Six, the Kardashian family chose to let go of the show because they finally grew tired following 20 seasons. According to sources, they prefer to mark the show's end on a "high note." News from Daily Mail stated that the show was canceled because the network cannot cough up the money demanded by the family, following reports that their earlier five-season contract cost $150 million. Showrunners were not able to offer more money due to the crisis in the advent of the COVID-19. Related Article: Kim Kardashian 'Cheating' On Kanye West: The Truth @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Michael Wyles said the 8pm to 5am curfew, brought in as part of Melbourne's Stage Four restrictions, had not been authorised under state law A top QC has questioned the validity of the coronavirus curfew imposed on Melbourne by Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews. Michael Wyles said the 8pm to 5am curfew, brought in as part of Melbourne's Stage Four restrictions, had not been authorised under state law. 'There is no legal basis for the curfew,' he told The Australian. Legislation allows health officials to make emergency orders to protect the public but chief health officer Brett Sutton has revealed he did not seek the curfew. Premier Andrews instead said the restriction had been 'about enforcement'. Mr Andrews was asked if the measure had been requested by police and said this week that restrictions were decided on advice from a variety of authorities. 'Some of that's public health advice, some of its law enforcement advice,' he said. A top QC has labelled the coronavirus curfew imposed on Melbourne by Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews (pictured) during Stage Four lockdown as 'invalid' The curfew was brought in for 'enforcement' rather than for public health and is not seen as a valid reason to enact emergency orders (empty streets in Melbourne pictured on Friday) Mr Wyles' pointed out the potential flaw in the curfew as assisting law enforcement was not a valid reason to enact emergency health orders. 'It is invalid and everyone can ignore it because the direction is not, according to what Sutton said yesterday, for the purpose of eliminating or reducing the risk of COVID,' Mr Wyles said. The revelation comes as the bizarre reason why the Victorian government turned down help from Australian Defence Force with hotel quarantine was revealed. An inquiry into Melbourne's botched quarantine program heard ADF troops were not used as it would have been 'daunting' for arriving passengers. The strict curfew ordered Melburnians (pictured wearing masks on a walk) to stay at home between 8pm and 5am. Residents must also stay within 5km of home for exercise The DHHS revealed Australian Defence Force troops (pictured in Avalon on Friday) were not used in hotel quarantine hotels as it would have been 'daunting' for travellers A Department of Health and Human Services director Pam Williams said she didn't know why the ADF hadn't been used for security, Herald Sun reported. Ms Williams said many returned travellers had experienced difficult journeys to get back into Australia. 'An ADF presence upon their arrival at the hotels may have been a daunting experience, particularly for people from war-torn countries,' she said. Finding out who decided to use private security rather than the ADF or police is a key issue for the inquiry. Victoria has recorded just 43 new cases of coronavirus and nine more deaths on Friday (people exercise along the Tan track in Melbourne pictured) Former chief commissioner of police Graham Ashton and his replacement, Shane Patton, are set to give evidence next week. Emergency Management Commissioner Andrew Crisp and Mr Sutton will also face the board. Victoria's deadly second wave of coronavirus was sparked when at least 29 of the private security guards caught COVID-19 from quarantine guests. Victoria recorded 43 new coronavirus cases and nine deaths on Friday. ABC NewsBY: BEN GITTLESON, ELIZABETH THOMAS, and LIBBY CATHEY, ABC News (WASHINGTON) -- President Donald Trump, at a White House news conference Thursday, continued to defend comments he made to journalist Bob Woodward in which he admitted he deliberately downplayed the seriousness of the coronavirus to the public despite knowing its deadly danger, and argued that if the comments were so bad, Woodward should have made them public sooner. "If Bob Woodward thought it was bad, he should have immediately gone out publicly, not wait for months," Trump said, appearing to try to deflect any blame. Woodward told The Associated Press Wednesday that he needed time to confirm that Trump's private comments were accurate. "If I had done the story at that time about what he knew in February, that's not telling us anything we didn't know," Woodward said, saying he made it a priority to get his story out before the election. "Had I decided that my book was coming out on Christmas, the end of this year, that would have been unthinkable." Trump, asked by ABC News Chief White House Correspondent Jonathan Karl, "Why did you lie to the American people and why should we trust what you have to say now?" dismissed the question and denied he had lied. "That's a terrible question and the phraseology. I didn't lie. What I said is we have to be calm. We can't be panicked," he said. Karl pressed the president on the contradiction between what he said to Woodward and portrayed in the public, noting that Trump acknowledged to Woodward on Feb. 7 the virus was deadlier than the most "strenuous flu," but three weeks later told the American people it was "just like the flu." "Listen. What I went out and said was very simple," Trump replied. "I want to show a level of confidence, and I want to show strength as a leader. I want to show our country will be fine one way or the other whether we lose one person -- we shouldn't lose any. This shouldn't have happened. This is China's fault. Nobody's fault by China." Thats a terrible questionI didnt lie. What I said is we have to be calm, we cant be panicked, Pres. Trump tells @jonkarl when pressed about reports he deliberately minimized the seriousness of COVID-19 to the public. https://t.co/SJUK7i8fyL pic.twitter.com/ZQkdVtUeSL ABC News (@ABC) September 10, 2020 Pressed on reports he deliberately downplayed the COVID-19 threat, Pres. Trump says, "If Bob Woodward thought what I said was bad, then he should have immediately...gone out to the authorities, so they can prepare and let them know." https://t.co/SJUK7i8fyL pic.twitter.com/1hYyBwm5U1 ABC News (@ABC) September 10, 2020 "I don't want to jump up and down and start screaming 'Death! Death!' Because that's not what it's about. We have to lead a country. We're leading a great country. We're doing a great job," he continued.Philip Rucker of the Washington Post followed Karl's line of questioning by pressing Trump on why he told Woodward he knew the virus was airborne but wouldn't say that publicly, to which Trump said, "everybody knew it was airborne. This was no big thing."As he did on Twitter Thursday morning, Trump tried to use Woodward in his defense, saying if his actions were so bad, then why did Woodward not bring them to the public."If Bob Woodward thought what I said was bad, then he should have immediately right after I said it gone out to the authorities so they can prepare and let him know. But he didn't think it was bad. He said he didn't think it was bad. He actually said he didn't think it was bad," Trump said.Trump's earlier prepared remarks quickly turned toward the election and an attack on Biden in which Trump suggested Biden and his running mate Sen. Kamala Harris are anti-vaccination because they've questioned Trump's credibility. Harris on Sunday said she would not trust Trump's word alone on the safety of a coronavirus vaccine because of the political pressure she says he's put on other agencies."Biden is perfectly happy to endanger the lives of other people by doing something that he thinks is going to help him politically because his polls are getting very bad, they're getting very shaky," Trump said.The Biden campaign, meanwhile, argues that by playing down the virus in public Trump endangered lives, and had he enforced mitigation efforts sooner, tens of thousands of lives could have been spared."He knew how dangerous it was, and while this deadly disease ripped through our nation, he failed to do his job on purpose. It was a life-and-death betrayal of the American people," Biden said at a campaign stop in Michigan on Wednesday.The president gave 18 interviews to Woodward for the upcoming book "Rage" which he has already called a "political hit job."He took only three questions at Thursday's news conference."The United States has done real well. Very proud of everybody that worked on this. I really do believe we're rounding the corner and the vaccines are right there," Trump told reporters, continuing his rosy outlook. "Were rounding the final turn."Trump's statements to Woodward, as reported by CNN and The Washington Post, reflect a greater recognition of the threat than he let on publicly."I wanted to always play it down," Trump said on March 19, according to CNN, which obtained an audio recording of the interview, and The Washington Post. "I still like playing it down, because I don't want to create a panic."The president had acknowledged to Woodward over a month before that the recognized COVID-19 was "deadly stuff" -- in contrast with the president's public assertions the virus would "work out fine" and was "very much under control."In his initial reaction to reports on Woodward's book Wednesday, Trump defended his rosy public assessments as part of a possible effort not to "create panic.""Well, I think if you said in order to reduce panic, perhaps that's so," Trump said. "The fact is, I'm a cheerleader for this country. I love our country. And I don't want people to be frightened. I don't want to create panic as you say. And certainly, I'm not going to drive this country or the world into a frenzy. We want to show confidence. We want to show strength. We want to show strength as a nation. And that's what I've done.""I'm the leader of the country, I can't be jumping up and down and scaring people," Trump later told host Sean Hannity. "I don't want to scare people. I want people not to panic, and that's exactly what I did." Copyright 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved. Updated story ... Speaking Friday morning at an unrelated news conference in Chicago, Gov. J.B. Pritzker noted that the 19th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks comes as Illinois and the U.S. are grappling with yet another tragedy -- a pandemic that has killed more than 190,000 Americans, including 8,273 in Illinois. Nearly 3,000 died in the 9/11 attacks. I believe the lessons of community and of resilience that echoed through the United States in the aftermath of 9/11 ought to guide us today as we navigate the COVID-19 pandemic, Pritzker said. The state is now reporting 257,788 known cases of coronavirus in Illinois throughout the course of the pandemic. Lake County, which was on last weeks warning list leading into the holiday weekend, was removed from this weeks group. In addition to DuPage, the counties on the list are Bond, Bureau, Cass, Clinton, Coles, Crawford, DeKalb, Effingham, Greene, Grundy, Hancock, Henderson, Jackson, Jasper, Jersey, Lawrence, Madison, McLean, Monroe, Morgan, Pulaski, Schuyler, Shelby, Stark, St. Clair, Tazewell, Vermilion, Washington and Williamson. The statewide test positivity rate for the seven-day period ending Thursday was 3.9%. The rate sat at 4.1% a month earlier, and was 2.9% as of July 10. Earlier this week, the statewide positivity rate dropped below 4% for the first time in more than a month. Coronavirus cases that are connected to schools are also being reported, as public health officials have said for the past few weeks. Asked at a news briefing Thursday at what level Pritzker would call for Illinois schools to fully return for in-person instruction across the state, he said, Its a lot lower than where we are now. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced last month students across that state could return to the classroom this fall with the low positivity rate there. The CDC have said that below 5% is something everybody should strive for, but with regard to what level at which we would just send every kid back to school, I dont know what that number should be, but were a long way from it, Pritzker said this week. Well be looking at what number we ought to be looking at, but theres no region thats even close, though, to where New York is. Public health officials said cases have been tied to college parties, bars, weddings and travel to neighboring states, while general transmission of the virus in the community is also increasing. Public health officials also blamed a lack of local enforcement in some areas of a statewide mask mandate for public settings, and some people refusing to participate in the contact tracing process or chalking up symptoms to allergies and waiting to get tested. In determining which counties are at a warning level, the state Department of Public Health considers a range of factors, including the number of deaths, availability of intensive care beds, weekly hospital admissions and whether there are clusters of cases. Chicago Tribune There also were 32 deaths reported: Coles County: 1 male 80s Cook County: 1 female 50s, 1 male 60s, 2 females 70s, 4 females 80s, 1 female 90s DuPage County: 1 female 60s, 1 female 70s, 1 male 70s, 1 male 80s Greene County: 1 male 60s Jersey County: 1 female 80s Kane County: 1 female 60s, 1 female 90s Lake County: 1 male 70s Macon County: 1 female 90s Madison County: 1 female 70s, 1 female 90s Peoria County: 1 female 90s Rock Island County: 1 female 80s St. Clair County: 1 male 70s, 1 male 90s Tazewell County: 1 female 70s Wayne County: 1 female 70s Will County: 1 female 70s, 1 female 90s Williamson County: 1 female 70s, 1 male 80s Other data: IDPH is reporting a total of 257,788 cases, including 8,273 deaths, in 102 counties in Illinois The preliminary seven-day statewide positivity for cases as a percent of total test from Sept. 4-10 is 3.9% Within the past 24 hours, laboratories have reported 56,661 specimens for a total of 4,632,382 As of last night, 1,619 people in Illinois were reported to be in the hospital with COVID-19 Of those, 359 patients were in the ICU and 155 patients with COVID-19 were on ventilators A county enters a warning level when two or more COVID-19 risk indicators that measure the amount of COVID-19 increase. PHOTOS: Have you seen these missing Illinois children? Invoking Shiv Sena founder, late Balasaheb Thackeray, actor Kangana Ranaut on Friday questioned how he would be feeling if he saw his party's situation today. Sharing an old video clip of an interview given by the late Balasaheb in which he said that he does not "like elections, and groupism", Ranaut said the late leader's biggest fear was that Shiv Sena will "become Congress". "Great Bala Saheb Thakeray one of my most favourite icons, his biggest fear was some day Shiv Sena will do Gutbandhan and become Congress. I want to know what is his conscious feeling today looking at the condition of his party?(sic)" Ranaut's tweet read. Ranaut has been making headlines with her bold statements and revelations about Bollywood after actor Sushant Singh Rajput was found dead in his Mumbai residence in June. She had been provided with Y-plus category security cover by the Union home ministry in the wake of the row over her remarks, in which she compared Mumbai with Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and also targeted the Mumbai police. Recently, the actor had also moved the Bombay high court against the demolition drive by Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation at her property in Mumbai. Pompeo urges ASEAN to cut ties with Chinese companies Iran Press TV Thursday, 10 September 2020 8:33 AM US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has called on Southeast Asian nations to sever ties with Chinese companies that he claims help build islands in the disputed South China Sea. The remarks by the US' top diplomat came on Thursday during an online summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). "Don't just speak up, but act," he told the 10 foreign ministers of the ASEAN. "Reconsider business dealings with the very state-owned companies that bully ASEAN coastal states in the South China Sea." "Don't let the Chinese Communist Party walk over us and our people. You should have confidence and the American will be here in friendship to help you," he added. The summit was held at the time of simmering tensions between the US and China over a range of issues from trade to the coronavirus and to the dispute over the South China Sea. Last month, the US blacklisted governmental and commercial organizations for allegedly helping procure items for the Chinese military buildup in the resource-rich waterway. The US commerce department said then the blacklisted companies would be subject to sanctions which restrict their access to American technology and the purchase of US-related goods. The South China Sea is a gateway to major sea routes, through which about 3.4 trillion dollars' worth of trade passes each year. China claims sovereignty over much of the strategic waterway and has since 2014 built artificial islands on reefs and installed military bases on them. Vietnam, Taiwan, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Brunei have overlapping claims with China to parts of the sea. The Philippines, however, said last week it would not follow the US lead because it needed Chinese investment. The United States, which sides with Beijing's rivals in the maritime dispute, routinely sends warships and warplanes to the South China Sea to assert what it calls its right to freedom of navigation, ratcheting up tensions among the regional countries. China has constantly warned the US against its military activities in the sea, saying that potential close military encounters between the air and naval forces of the two countries in the region could trigger accidents. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address When Nigerias statistics bureau, NBS, said in its latest unemployment report that about half of the nations 76,562 doctorate degree holders within the labour force were either jobless or underemployed, it sent eyes popping and neck swivelling with surprise. Hassan Yau, a doctor of mass communication at Bayero University, Kano, was one of the sceptics. He believed that students who enrol in PhD programmes often have a certain level of financial stability before they do so, and only a job could guarantee that. The statistics that NBS released is worrying, and I am doubting the credibility of the research, he said. Significant numbers of students with PhD in Nigeria are already employed before embarking on the course. But when Rasheed Adigun heard about the report, he simply smiled, because he had not worked since April despite bagging a PhD late last year. In fact, when last he worked, he was paid 48,000 for the month. Four years of searching for a job without a breakthrough, after a first degree, led Mr Adigun to seek additional educational qualification by applying for masters at the Usmanu Danfodiyo University, where he had finished with the best CGPA in the university (4.92 out of 5). Yet, no job came. His feat as the best student nonetheless offered him a postgraduate scholarship at the University of Pretoria, South Africa, where he specialised in organic synthesis and medicinal chemistry. Upon graduation, he returned to Nigeria to seek opportunities, but very little came his way. Then the nationwide coronavirus lockdown happened. Since hand sanitisers were in high demand at the time, the chemist began to produce it, but demand struggled due to the lockdown. When the lockdown was eased, indifference towards the coronavirus ensured that demand for the product remained low. We are almost running at a loss now, he said. Now, people act like there is no longer (a) pandemic out there. They hardly buy. About 87 per cent of businesses in the country were negatively affected by the pandemic, a nationwide survey in April showed. Not less than four in every ten Nigerian who were working before the outbreak of coronavirus in the country lost their jobs due to the impact of COVID-19, NBS also said in April. The data Up from 23.1 per cent in the third quarter of 2018, Nigerias unemployment rate rose to 27.1 per cent in the second quarter of 2020, NBS said in August. Although the number of people within the economically active or working age (aged 1564 years) also rose by 1.2 per cent, from 115,492,969 people in 2018 to the current figure of 116,871,186. About two-thirds (80,291,894) of the active population fall within the labour net that is those who are able and willing to work a figure now 11.3 per cent less than that of Q3 of 2018. But for every two persons in the labour force, only one is gainfully employed (35,585,274), others are either jobless (21,764,617) or underemployed (22,942,003). NBS defines being underemployed as working between 20 to 39 hours on average a week, or working full time (40 hours) but in an activity that underutilises ones skills, time and educational qualifications. To be unemployed, one must have done nothing at all or worked for less than 20 hours in a week. Experts have attributed the unemployment rise to the increase in the youth population without matching unmet labour capacity, overreliance on the public sector, and cultural and religious constraints on certain jobs. Beyond the figures With the hope that it will boost her chances of securing a job, immediately after her service year, Saudah Suleiman, 26, enrolled in a masters programme. But it didnt help much. Since she completed her masters in 2019, she has been searching for a job with litte success. Eventually she got a job but the pay package is pitiful, she said. She currently assists a lecturer in her school to assess postgraduates theses and in turn gets whatever comes. Nonetheless, her boss has encouraged her to pick up a PhD form. NBS said of the 521,108 active masters holders, about half (284,149) are employed, 119,513 unemployed, and 117,446 underemployed. Like Ms Suleiman, the thirst for better job prospects informed 25-year-old Hafsah Garbas decision to pursue a masters degree. Her expectations upon graduation were, however, unmet. She said now she does nothing and would accept a job anywhere and any type. Advertisements Also, the report that over 2.8 million of the about 7 million active first degree graduates are unemployed came as no surprise to Folarin Komolafe because he was laid off during the nationwide lockdown in April, barely a year after he was orphaned. The graduate of sociology started a drycleaning business, earned a certification in human resource management, but little more was achieved. I have made frantic efforts in securing a job since then. The pandemic has been a stumbling block as only few organizations are recruiting at this time, he said. One could attribute the ban placed on recruitment in government MDAs as a stumbling block to Nigerians out there who have lost their jobs and are trying hard to secure another. Addressing skill mismatch, way to go Citing a research by Ringier One Africa Media that revealed that 90 per cent of job applicants are not qualified for the jobs they apply for, even though some are qualified for other jobs, Ibrahim Oredola, founder and team lead at SkillNG, attributes rising unemployment rate to skill mismatch in the job market. Technically, its not really that there are no other jobs at all, the problem is that people are applying for jobs they are not qualified to do, he said, adding that despite this, jobs are not in abundance. But if we effectively address the issue of skill mismatch and development, we might just be on the right track to solving this perennial problem. We need to look at the skills in demand, what skillsets employers are looking for, what problems are they looking to solve and then tweak our education system to respond to those demands. He said while the nation needs to review its academic curricula, job seekers also need to be proficient in more than just one skillset, because we are in an era of concurrent multiple careers. Also, the HR departments of various organisations have a lot to do to ensure that vacancies are accurate as much as possible. You dont say you are recruiting for a social media manager and are looking for the requirements of an accountant or programmer, thats very confusing. Jamila Muhammad, a lecturer at Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), also noted that institutions need to prioritise skills acquisition and run practical-oriented curricula rather than theory-driven ones. In Germany, for instance, under a system termed ausbildung (meaning apprenticeship), students are required to attend vocational training and school simultaneously. In some cases, the students are paid. There is an urgent need to review our system in order to feed students with vocational skills from the institutions. That will help to ease the competition in the labour market, Mr Yau said. Data limitations Fatima Muhammed works as a part-time research consultant with an international organization, and for every day she works, she said she is paid 100,000. That amounts to 3 million, assuming she works all month long. Before COVID-19, she worked from 9-5. But now, I work at my leisure. I could work for four hours a day, she said, adding that she has two aides she employed herself. By that count, Ms Muhammed works about 20 hours weekly and would fall within the category of the underemployed. Mr Yau said the NBS figures might be inaccurate because people like Ms Muhammad might have been misrepresented. In the same breath, Ms Muhammed of ABU said those engaged in jobs like digital marketing for example, who might not have definite work hours, could have been misrepresented in NBS counting. If you check all social media platforms, you will see business pages and its working for many people. You cannot categorize those guys as unemployed. They are earning even more than some of us in the public sector, she noted. Today marks the 19th anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks that killed nearly 3,000 Americans. It's a day that Houstonian Evelyn Mercado will never forget. "It was the worst day of my life," Mercado told Chron.com. Mercado is originally from New York. 'DEADLY': Trump says he knew coronavirus was 'deadly' and worse than the flu Like so many in New York City, Mercado went to work in Manhattan that Tuesday morning unaware that the next few hours would bring some of the most terrifying and emotional moments in her life. "I was at work," Mercado said. "We had a clear view of the Twin Towers when the first plane hit. We were in disbelief. We just stood watching. Then the second plane hit, and thats where we all started running. "I was in survival mode, shaking, trying to get home. I had to walk over the Brooklyn Bridge to get out of Manhattan. At that point, I didn't know what was going to blow up next." Many saw the destruction caused by the attacks on the news, but Mercado witnessed it firsthand. "The streets were quiet, eerie. I felt the smoke coming towards me, and I was just praying I make it home to see my 1-year-old baby," she said. Mercado also had family and friends working at the Twin Towers that day. "My cousin worked four floors under, in the basement of the Twin Towers," Mercado said. "He made it out. My friend worked on the 86th floor. When the fire alarm went off she went outside to get coffee, but they also said to go back up because it was a false alarm. All her coworkers went back up and thats when the tower went down." Today, Mercado lives in Houston, but on every anniversary she recalls those moments. Jacki Zehner, the first female trader to make partner inside Goldman Sachs Group Inc., was sitting at her kitchen table in Utah on Thursday morning when her husband told her he had good news: Wall Street has their first female CEO. She was happy to hear that Jane Fraser will run Citigroup Inc.mostly. To have a female at the top of a large financial institution is a step forward, but its a baby step, she said in an interview Thursday morning. Acknowledging that its never been true before, and its true now, is something to ... Dear Reader, Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance. We, however, have a request. As we battle the economic impact of the pandemic, we need your support even more, so that we can continue to offer you more quality content. Our subscription model has seen an encouraging response from many of you, who have subscribed to our online content. More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed. Support quality journalism and subscribe to Business Standard. Digital Editor My boss asked me to cancel my sick leave and return to work. But I was afraid of canceling because I wasnt assured of a surgery date and I didnt want to go through the whole process again, he said. I guarantee if I canceled my sick leave like my boss wanted, none of this would have happened. But I was in a lot of pain. And I already had put off the spinal fusion for as long as I could because of my age. The Pennsylvania Department of Health reported 1,008 new coronavirus cases Friday, marking the second time in September the state has reported more than 1,000 new cases. The new report raises the statewide total of coronavirus cases to 142,885. Across Pennsylvania, 7,837 deaths have been tied to COVID-19, including 17 newly reported fatalities Friday. More than two-thirds of the states coronavirus deaths have occurred in long-term care facilities, such as nursing homes. The number of new coronavirus cases has risen in September after dropping steadily in August. The state never hit 1,000 new cases in a day in August. State officials have also tracked an uptick in new cases among younger adults, including those between the ages of 19 and 24. We have seen a significant increase in 19-to-24-year-olds," Pennsylvania Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine said in a news conference. Levine said the department has tracked increases in COVID-19 cases at colleges and universities. Some colleges have moved to remote learning after seeing spikes of coronavirus cases. Last week, Temple University and Gettysburg College moved the majority of their fall courses online after seeing more students getting infected. Levine said the department has seen reports of college students gathering in large groups and not social distancing. But she stressed the importance of engaging students. We have to work with young people and empower them to make the right decisions," Levine said Friday. There were 30,855 test results reported to the department through 10 p.m. Thursday. Between September 4 and September 10, the state administered 151,264 COVID-19 tests, according to the health department. Levine noted the number of cases in recent days has been up and down, partly due to the Labor Day holiday. Fewer people are being hospitalized for COVID-19. The health department reports 491 people are being treated in hospitals for the coronavirus, compared to about 700 in late July. At the peak in the spring, about 2,800 coronavirus patients required hospital care. Statewide, 82% of those who have been infected with the coronavirus have recovered, according to the health department. 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 infected suffer relatively mild symptoms, and some have virtually no symptoms at all. But the virus can pose more serious complications for seniors and those with health complications. More than 1.6 million Pennsylvanians have tested negative for the coronavirus. Here is the look at the week-by-week trend going back to early July. July 4-10: 5,135 new cases, an average of 733 per day July 11-17: 5,602 new cases, an average of 800 per day July 18-24: 6,093 new cases, an average of 870 per day July 25-31: 6,477 new cases, an average of 925 per day Aug. 1-7: 5,231 new cases, an average of 747 per day Aug. 8-14: 5,671 new cases, an average of 810 per day Aug. 15-21: 4,693 new cases, an average of 669 per day Aug. 22-28: 4,358 new cases, an average of 622 per day Aug. 29-Sept. 4: 5,671 new cases, an average of 810 per day Sept. 5-11: 5,223 new cases, an average of 746 per day More from PennLive Lebanon County walked out on that limb and Wolf sawed it off behind us Philadelphia and COVID-19: How the city battled the pandemic How Lancaster County has endured the coronavirus pandemic Pittsburgh navigates a surreal in-between as it grapples with coronavirus " " Using highways as emergency runways for planes sounds like a good idea, right? muratart/iStock/Thinkstock The frequently repeated "fact" that United States highways were designed to work as emergency runways is little more than an urban legend, despite its prevalence (a lot of people seem to know about it) and its longevity (no one seems to know when it actually originated, but it can be traced to legislation that dates back to the 1940s). At first glance, the idea seems like both common sense and a total head-scratcher. Of course a military plane should be able to land on a nice, wide road in an emergency! But then what about all the roads that are too curvy or too hilly or have an otherwise unsuitable landing surface? And what about the cars and trucks that are probably already on the highway with no way of being warned of this emergency? The people who originally thought up this urban legend accounted for some of those questions. For example, the whole road isn't supposed to be suitable for emergency runway use; just 1 mile (1.6 kilometers) out of every 5 miles (8 kilometers). This ratio is supposedly enough to account for turns, elevation changes and densely populated areas. And like all good urban legends, this one does have a historical basis. The 1-in-5-mile rule actually goes back to misinterpretations or misquotations of the Defense Highway Act of 1941, the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1944 and the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956, depending on the source. Advertisement Though all three of these laws are real, none actually contain such language. The Defense Highway Act provided flight strips, mostly for military use, that were near highways. The first Federal-Aid Highway Act came close to including another flight strip program but ultimately did not, and it wasn't part of the second Federal-Aid Highway Act, either [source: Weingroff]. So no such law has ever been passed, and furthermore, such a strategy wouldn't be practical. Since using a highway as a runway would only happen in the kind of unprecedented theoretical emergency in which planes wouldn't even have time to divert to the closest commercial airport, there's absolutely no way local law enforcement could close and clear the highways quickly enough to provide a safe emergency landing. What's the plan, then, if there's ever an emergency that requires airborne planes that are unable to reach their destinations to land immediately? Small municipal and private airports are the most obvious solution. Military bases are another option. There are actually little-used and little-known (that is, not for public commercial travel) runways all over the place that are a logical location for an emergency plane landing in a war or terrorist situation. Advertisement Originally Published: Jul 9, 2015 WASHINGTON More than eight months after a barrage of rockets killed an American contractor and wounded four American service members in Kirkuk, Iraq, militia groups continue to target U.S. military bases in that country, and the frequency of those attacks has increased. "We have had more indirect fire attacks around and against our bases the first half of this year than we did the first half of last year," Gen. Frank McKenzie, the commander of the U.S. Central Command, said. "Those attacks have been higher." "They have not been particularly lethal and that's a good thing, but they are continuing," he said during an exclusive interview with NBC News while traveling in the Middle East. Asked why the attacks have been less lethal, McKenzie said, "They're not hitting us." U.S. Central Command Commander Marine Gen. Kenneth McKenzie's comments came just hours after he announced the United States would be cutting its footprint in Iraq by almost half by the end of September, with about 2,200 troops leaving the country. A defense official said the frequency of the attacks has increased over 2019, but the overall number of rockets in each attack is generally lower. In 2019, militia groups would often fire dozens of rockets in an assault, whereas this year most attacks include only a few rockets at a time. "We know they have very good weapon systems and they are not employing their high-end weapon systems. They're employing things like 107 mm rockets and mortars, which are not as sophisticated as some of their other weapon systems they have," McKenzie said. "For whatever reason, it may be by design, we don't know, they're just not that successful at hitting anyone. And that's a blessing." He added, "I don't know how long we can count on that continuing." McKenzie said Iran's goal is to force the U.S. to leave the region. They've pursued political avenues this year, including trying to influence the Iraqi government to ask the Americans to leave. "It is now evident, at least to me, that that solution is not going to occur for them, that the government of Iraq sees the benefits of maintaining a long-term security relationship with the United States, with NATO, with our coalition partners," he said. "It doesn't mean it's going to be a big one but we are going to maintain a good security relationship with them." Story continues "Now Iran needs to decide, are they going to continue this political angle which has not worked for them or are they going to shift to other things and see how those things work. Only time will tell but we are prepared for that." Related: The attack reportedly involved as many as 30 rockets fired into the base, which is hosting coalition troops. The U.S. military brought in additional defensive capabilities, such as Patriot missile defense systems, to be ready if Iran were to take more aggressive actions to force the U.S. out of the area, McKenzie said. "We've done what we need to do to protect our forces." McKenzie warns Iran could "pursue other objectives by inflicting a level of pain below what they think is the U.S. red line." "That's very dangerous, because I don't think they have an appreciation for where our red line would be," he said. "They might believe they can continue to attack us with rockets and missiles in Iraq and we won't respond and that would be a very dangerous thing for them to believe." "The decision to respond is not a military decision," he said. "The danger here is that Iran will not understand how provocative some of the things that they're doing could be." While in Baghdad on Wednesday, McKenzie announced the U.S. military would decrease the number of U.S. troops in Iraq from about 5,200 to roughly 3,000 by the end of this month. That decision, he explained, has been in the works for some time. "We've been well on our way to this for a while," McKenzie said, explaining that the Iraqis have become more capable and are doing more operations on their own. "As a result of the Iraqis doing better, we are able to mentor them, to interact with them at a higher level, rather than accompanying them on all these operations." The U.S. has been moving American forces out of bases around Iraq throughout 2020, consolidating them to a few locations, mainly in Baghdad, Irbil and out west at Ain al-Asad. Already in 2020, the U.S. has left al-Qaim, Qayyarah Airfield West, K-1 near Kirkuk, al Taqqadum, and Camp Taji. McKenzie said that reducing the number of bases allowed U.S. forces to reduce their "attack surface," or decrease the number of possible targets, to defend better against rogue militia groups. The December 2019 attack against the U.S. military in Kirkuk set off a series of tit-for-tat attacks between the U.S. and Iran, beginning with the U.S. killing the Iranian Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani and ending with Iran launching missiles at the al-Asad Airbase, inflicting traumatic brain injuries on dozens of U.S. service members. McKenzie said the recent attacks are perpetrated by various militia groups and while not every one can be tied directly back to Iran, the nation still bears some responsibility. "You wonder how much of that is directed by Iran, how much of that is by proxies on the ground that they have imperfect command and control of," McKenzie said. "The bottom line is, even if it's not directly ordered by Iran, they are using weapons that were typically provided to them by Iran at some point in the process, so there's a certain moral ownership of this even if Iran is not giving them instructions to do it." As to whether the U.S. will respond to these attacks, McKenzie said, "I think the United States will take whatever steps are necessary to protect our forces in Iraq." As per sources suggest that the Chinese, who never vacated the Finger 4 ridgeline even after agreeing to total disengagement, on Tuesday, massed close to 2,000 soldiers on the upper reaches of the ridge. Sources suggest that the Chinese, who never vacated the Finger 4 ridgeline even after agreeing to total disengagement, massed close to 2,000 soldiers on the upper reaches of the ridge Tuesday night. Observing the Chinese troop movement, India also moved to mirror the deployment, sending almost the same number of troops to the Finger 3 ridgeline. A government source said that the situation remains tense and less than 500 metres separate troops of the two sides, forces on either side are armed. The source added that all are within shooting range and the line of sight is clear on the upper reaches, the weather too is harsh during the night, the challenge is to keep the troops calm. During two-hour-long talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Moscow, EAM Jaishankar has conveyed Indias concern over recent incidents in eastern Ladakh and he also took up the issue of provocative behaviour of Chinese frontline troops at numerous incidents of friction. Also read: Foreign Ministers of India, Russia discuss cooperation in nuclear, space sectors, agree to work closely in UNSC Also read: Rajnaths stern warning to China: Rafale induction a big message to those eyeing our territory According to government sources in the meeting, the Indian side highlighted its strong concern at the massing of Chinese troops with equipment along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), the presence of such a large concentration of troops was not in accordance with the 1993 and 1996 Agreements and created flashpoints along the LAC. As per the sources, the Chinese side has not provided a credible explanation for this deployment, the provocative behaviour of Chinese frontline troops at numerous incidents of friction along the LAC also showed disregard for bilateral agreements and protocols. Jaishankar underlined that since the resumption of Ambassadorial level relations in 1976 and holding of boundary talks since 1981, India-China relations have developed on a largely positive trajectory. While there have been incidents from time to time, peace and tranquillity have largely prevailed in the border areas. As a result, India-China cooperation also developed in a broad range of domains, giving the relationship a more substantive character. EAM told the Chinese side that while the Indian side recognised that a solution to the boundary question required time and effort, it was also clear that the maintenance of peace and tranquillity on the border areas was essential to the forward development of ties, the recent incidents in eastern Ladakh, however, inevitably impacted the development of the bilateral relationship and therefore, an urgent resolution of the current situation was in the interest of both nations. According to government sources, The Indian side clearly conveyed that it expected full adherence to all agreements on the management of border areas and would not countenance any attempt to change the status quo unilaterally. It was also emphasised that the Indian troops had scrupulously followed all agreements and protocols pertaining to the management of the border areas. According to government sources, EAM Jaishankar emphasised, The immediate task is to ensure a comprehensive disengagement of troops in all the friction areas. That is necessary to prevent any untoward incident in the future. The final disposition of the troop deployment to their permanent posts and the phasing of the process is to be worked out by the military commanders. At the end of their discussions, the Ministers reached an agreement on five points that will guide their approach to the current situation. After more than two-hour-long talk between External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, both sides have reached a five-point consensus which emphasised maintaining peace and tranquillity, dialogue, and disengagement. According to a joint statement issued by India and China, The two Ministers agreed that both sides should take guidance from the series of consensus of the leaders on developing India-China relations, including not allowing differences to become disputes. They also agreed that the current situation in the border areas is not in the interest of either side. They agreed therefore that the border troops of both sides should continue their dialogue, quickly disengage, maintain proper distance and ease tensions. The two Ministers agreed that both sides shall abide by all the existing agreements and protocol on China-India boundary affairs, maintain peace and tranquillity in the border areas and avoid any action that could escalate matters. They agreed to continue to have dialogue and communication through the Special Representative mechanism on the India-China boundary question. They also agreed in this context that the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China border affairs (WMCC), should also continue its meetings, according to the joint statement. Also read: AstraZeneca CEO promises Covid-19 vaccine by year-end despite pause in trials By Azernews By Akbar Mammadov Turkey aims to sign a Free Trade Agreement with Azerbaijan and increase trade turnover between the two countries, Turkish Trade Minister Ruhsar Pekcan said on September 11. Pekcan made the remarks after a meeting in Ankara with the Azerbaijani delegation headed by Chairman of the Parliament Sahiba Gafarova. Noting that the trade turnover between the two countries in 2019 amounted to $4.4 billion, she said that this figure does not reflect the real potential of the two countries, and added. Azerbaijan and Turkey signed the Preferential Trade Agreement on February 25 that aims to step up efforts to bring their trade volume to $15bn. Pekcan also pointed out that Turkeys exports to Central Asia via Iran due to pandemic and therefore the Georgia-Azerbaijan-Caspian route has gained more importance. The Turkish minister also said that Turkey attaches special importance to the development of trade relations with Nakhchivan. In general, we are satisfied with our cooperation with Azerbaijan and believe that we will sign a larger trade turnover. Chairman of the Parliament Sahiba Gafarova said that Baku and Ankara were contributing greatly to the development of the region. Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan, Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum, Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway projects can be examples of this. The Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway project is a railway connecting Turkic-speaking countries and can only be compared to the Ancient Silk Road. Our economic ties are at the highest level. Gafarova reminded that the trade turnover between the two countries has exceeded 2bn dollars in the first six months of 2020 despite the pandemic. Gafarava who was on her first official visit abroad since her appointment as the Chairman of the Parliament in February said: As Turkey is the closest country to us, Azerbaijans senior officials pay their first [officials] visits to Turkey. She reiterated former President Heydar Aliyevs words that Azerbaijan and Turkey are one nation and two countries. Our language, religion, culture and history are the same. At the same time, the unity of our language and culture allows us to build our future together," Gafarova said. During the two-day visit, Gafarova will also meet with Chairman of the Turkish Grand National Assembly Mustafa Shentop. The current state and prospects of inter-parliamentary relations, further expansion of the bilateral cooperation, implementation of global projects implemented by the two countries, ways to resolve regional conflicts will be discussed at the parliamentary level. Gafarova will also meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and other officials. The Azerbaijani delegation that Gafarova has led during the visit, includes the head of the inter-parliamentary working group with Turkey Ahliman Amiraslanov, the committee chairman Ziyafat Asgarov, MP Sevil Mikayilova, Fazil Mustafa, Elshan Musayev, Tural Ganjaliyev, the Head of the Parliamentary Office Safa Mirzayev and other officials. TROY, N.Y. Hudson Valley Community College President Roger Ramsammy has been named to a two-year term on the board of directors of the New York State Economic Development Council (NYSEDC). The appointment was made at the Economic Development Councils annual meeting on Sept. 2. The Economic Development Council was created more than 30 years ago to encourage and develop state-wide and regional economic development. The organization includes 900 members from a variety of fields including workforce development, economic development, finance, banking, education and private corporations. One of the main goals of the EDC is to promote New York State as a world-class destination for businesses looking to re-locate or grow, Ramsammy said. One of the ways we can accomplish that, I believe, is to show that we have a world-class community college system in SUNY and the ability to deliver skilled employees when and where they are needed. I look forward to helping the EDC and New York State achieve that goal, Ramsammy added. NEW DELHI: The Indian government had on July 1 designated at least nine persons as terrorists, from the United States, UK, Pakistan, Germany and Canada, under the UAPA for involvement in terrorist activities in India. The list included Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, Legal Advisor and one of the main protagonists of the US-based Sikhs for Justice (SFJ). Pannun has been making sustained efforts to revive militancy in Punjab at the behest of Pakistan. With little or no support on the ground, the outfit is involved in uploading daily diatribes against Indian leaders and spreading misinformation through social media channels. It has also launched a concerted campaign to incite Punjab-based Sikh youth to perpetrate violence for monetary gain. Taking advantage of laws of free speech in Western countries, the SFJ runs regular campaigns among the Sikh Diaspora in Europe and North America to promote their secessionist campaign called 'Referendum 2020', through a false narrative of atrocities against Sikhs to embarrass India. In a related development, Punjab Police on July 2 registered a case against Joginder Singh Gujjar alias Goga, an SFJ activist and resident of Italy for the last 18 years, during a visit to India. The arrest led to protests by Sikh organizations to secure his release with Indian Missions abroad. Sukhpal Singh Khaira, Founder of the Punjab Ekta Party wrote a letter to the Punjab CM stating that "Joginder had no criminal record and should be released." However, the case was based on information regarding his active participation in SJF's cause and his role at an SFJ-led anti-India convention in Geneva. He had also been providing financial assistance to the outfit's operatives in India and abroad, while objectionable material was found as evidence on his cell phone. Joginder Singhs case is not a lone one as the SFJ has been masterminding a movement to alienate members of the Sikh Diaspora from their home country. The SFJ regularly puts out fake stories about the oppression being faced by Sikhs. In fact the acting chief of Akal Takht, Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh, has warned Sikh youth against Pakistan and the SFJ, stating that adverse forces were pushing Sikhs on the wrong path and inciting them through social media for their own benefit. The SFJ has attempted to project itself as an organization working for the welfare of the Sikh community when it is in fact insidiously ensuring that Sikhs face the laws of the land when they travel to India, so as to feed into its narrative of oppression of the Sikh community. "There are wild declarations and announcements made by its members from time to time that they would bear the complete legal costs to defend those arrested for SFJ activities. However, on-ground investigations reveal that those facing legal hassles for participating in secessionist activities, far from receiving any support, are discarded by the SFJ once a case is registered against them," said a senior officer working with the central security establishment. Live TV The families of the Punjab based gullible youth who were arrested for 'Referendum 2020' activities face ruin as no one from the outfit came to offer any assistance once they were caught. Delhi-based Vijay Singh, father of one such arrested youth, Harmeet Singh, informed the media that his son started working for SFJ in order to afford the school fee for his daughter. The level of support the movement finds in Punjab is evidenced by the fact that the outfit was not able to get enough Sikh youth to further its cause and even enrolled a Batala based Christian youth, Rahul in exchange for money. Another case in point is that of Shabnamdeep Singh, who received a pistol and a grenade in 2018 through his Pak based handlers and SFJ activists in order to carry out an attack during festival season. On account of zero support on the ground, SFJs messaging and its rants on social media have become increasingly aggressive as they get desperate to gain a following. Its leaders have even threatened to eliminate the Punjab CM if he moves around without security. The association of wanted terrorists such as Paramjit Singh Pamma (UK) and Hardeep Singh Nijjar (Canada) with the outfit is also evidence of the true intentions of their movement. SFJ seeks to ignite passion and anger over old wounds of the Sikh Community and paint a picture of oppression in present-day Punjab, to brainwash the Diaspora. The outfit is known to indulge in violence and intimidation to silence those who speak up against it in Gurdwaras abroad. There are many who believes that Sikh Diaspora members need to evolve a strategy to work with the Open Door Policy of the Indian Government, in light of the recent positive developments of doing away with the Blacklist, inviting Sikh Diaspora for dialogue, reopening cases related to the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. There is a pressing need for moderate Sikhs to take charge of issues facing the community globally and also realize that organizations such as the SFJ are pursuing a narrow, selfish agenda to create an atmosphere of fear and discrimination within the Diaspora. The Diaspora members, who maintain close cultural and personal links with their homeland should also look within and refrain from associating with a banned organization, having no standing, and look to directly address their grievances. Donald Trump Donald Trump with thumbs up in front of elderly white congregation in church Drew Angerer/Getty Images/Salon Michael Cohen's book about his years as Donald Trump's fixer is a clarion call to Christians to wake up; recognize the man many of them revere as a heavenly agent is a religious fraud; and act. Trump loathes Christians and mocks their faith, but pretends to believe if it suits his purposes. In Disloyal, published today, Cohen shows how Trump is a master deceiver. He quotes Trump calling Christianity and its religious practices "bullshit," then soon after masterfully posing as a fervent believer. In truth, Cohen writes, Trump's religion is unbridled lust for money and power at any cost to others. Cohen's insider stories add significant depth to my own documentation of Trump's repeated and public denouncements of Christians as "fools," "idiots" and "schmucks." In extensive writing and speeches, Trump has declared his life philosophy is "revenge." That stance is aggressively anti-Christian. So are Trump's often publicly expressed desires to violently attack others, mostly women, and his many remarks that he derives pleasure from ruining the lives of people over such minor matters as declining to do him a favor. Cohen describes himself as an "active participant" with Trump in activities ranging from "golden showers in a sex club in Vegas" to corrupt deals with Russian officials. The author offers new anecdotes about Trump's utter disregard for other people and his contempt for religious belief. Cohen's words should shock the believers who were crucial to his becoming president, provided they ever read them. By denouncing the book Trump has ensured that many of those he has tricked into believing he is a deeply religious man will never fulfill their Christian duty to be on the lookout for deceivers. None of the evangelicals I have interviewed in the past five years knew Trump has denounced in writing their beliefs and written of the communion host as "my little cracker." Story continues Trump detests Christianity Despite the irrefutable evidence that Trump detests Christianity and ridicules such core beliefs as the Golden Rule and turning the other cheek, America is filled with pastors who praise him to their flocks as a man of God. Trump himself has looked heavenward outside the White House to imply he was chosen by God. Pastors who support Trump were scolded two years ago by Christianity Today, a magazine founded by Billy Graham, for not denouncing Trump as "profoundly immoral." Many evangelical pastors then attacked the magazine rather than following the Biblical exhortation to examine their own souls. Cohen writes that as a young man who grew up encountering Mafioso and other crooks at a country club he fell into the "trance-like spell" of Trump, whom he describes as an utterly immoral, patriarchal mob boss and con man. Trump is "consumed by the worldly lust for wealth and rewards," Cohen writes, which puts him at odds with the teaching of Jesus Christ about what constitutes a good life. "Places of religious worship held absolutely no interest to him, and he possessed precisely zero personal piety in his life," Cohen writes. Prosperity gospel embraced Cohen explains that the only version of Christianity that could possibly interest Trump is the "prosperity gospel." That is a perverse belief that financial wealth is a sign of heavenly approval rooted in 19th Century occult beliefs that is anathema to Christian scripture. Many actual Christians regard the prosperity gospel as evil. Christianity Today, calls it "an aberrant theology" promoted by disgraced televangelists including Jimmy Swaggart and Jim and Tammy Baker. Early in Trump's aborted 2012 presidential campaign, Cohen writes, he was ordered to reach out to faith communities. Soon Paula White, now the White House adviser on faith, proposed a meeting at Trump Tower with evangelical leaders. Cohen writes that Trump liked White because she was blonde and beautiful. Cohen said that among those attending were Jerry Falwell Jr., who recently resigned in disgrace over sex and greed allegations as head of Liberty University, and Creflo Dollar, who solicited donations for a $65 million corporate jet and who was criminally charged that year with choking his daughter. Dollar said those charges were the work of the devil. Once the evangelical leaders took their seats, Cohen writes, Trump quickly and slickly portrayed himself as a man of deep faith. Cohen writes that this was nonsense. Laying on hands After soaking in Trump's deceptions, the leaders proposed laying hands on Trump. One purpose of laying on hands is to call on the Holy Spirit for divine approval. Cohen was astounded when Trump, a germaphobe, eagerly accepted. "If you knew Trump as I did, the vulgarian salivating over beauty contestants or mocking Roger Stone's" sexual proclivities "you would have a hard time keeping a straight face at the sight of him affecting the serious and pious mien of a man of faith. I knew I could hardly believe the performance or the fact that these folks were buying it. "Watching Trump I could see that he knew exactly how to appeal to the evangelicals' desires and vanities who they wanted him to be, not who he really was. Everything he was telling them about himself was absolutely untrue." To deceive the evangelicals, Cohen writes, Trump would "say whatever they wanted to hear." A perverse epiphany Trump's ease at deception became for Cohen an epiphany, though a perverse one. In that moment, Cohen writes, he realized the boss would someday become president because Trump "could lie directly to the faces of some of the most powerful religious leaders in the country and they believed him." Later that day, Cohen writes, he met up with Trump in his office. "Can you believe that bullshit," Trump said of the laying on of hands. "Can you believe that people believe that bullshit." Cohen also writes about Trump's desire, expressed behind closed doors, to destroy those who offend him. Trump has said the same, though less vividly, in public. "I love getting even," Trump declared in his book Think Big, espousing his anti-Christian philosophy: "Go for the jugular. Attack them in spades!" He reiterated that philosophy this year at the National Prayer Breakfast. Holding up two newspapers with banner headlines reporting his Senate acquittal on impeachment charges, Trump said, "I don't like people who use their faith as justification for doing what they know is wrong. Nor do I like people who say, 'I pray for you,' when they know that that's not so." Trump spoke after Arthur Brooks, a prominent conservative, told the breakfast meeting that "contempt is ripping our country apart." Brooks went on: "We're like a couple on the rocks in this countryAsk God to take political contempt from your heart. And sometimes, when it's too hard, ask God to help you fake it." Everyone in the room rose to applaud Brooks except Trump, though he finally stood up as the applause died down. Taking the microphone, Trump said, "Arthur, I don't know if I agree with you I don't know if Arthur is going to like what I'm going to say." Trump then said he didn't believe in forgiveness. That is just as Cohen wrote: "Trump is not a forgiving person." Trump's words at the prayer breakfast made clear that he rejects the teaching of Jesus at Luke 6:27: "Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you." The question pastors should raise in their Sunday sermons, the question Cohen's book lays before them, is how can any Christian support a man who mocks Christianity, embraces revenge as his only life philosophy and rejects that most basic Biblical teachingforgiveness. Related Articles New York, Sep 11 : The ongoing coronavirus pandemic in the US has led to the alteration of commemoration events across the country on Friday to mark the 19th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terror attacks. The 9/11 Memorial and Museum in New York will open on Friday for family members of the victims after being closed for six months, reports Xinhua news agency. Public can visit on Saturday with timed tickets and all social distancing rules in place. In New York, ceremonies will be held at the memorial plaza and a corner nearby. Instead of stages set up on the occasion this year, hand sanitizer stations installed by crews in masks will dot the grounds in Lower Manhattan, local media reported. "It was, how we could do it safely, that became a question for us," said 9/11 Memorial and Museum Director Alice Greenwald. "We've always had a stage. And we've seen too many examples of when you have a stage, people naturally gather." Family members have pre-recorded victims' names, which will be streamed online on Friday morning, according to an NBC News report. Victims' families can still gather in person at the memorial but NYC Fire Commissioner Daniel Nigro said in a memo last month that the department "strongly recommends" firefighters not participate in 9/11 observances this year. The ringing of bells, signifying each of the four coordinated attacks, will also take place, complete with honour guard. Concerns over the coronavirus at first cancelled The Tribute in Light, the beams of light that soar into the air. But Memorial officials, with state and donor support, have finally worked to make sure the production crew are safe. In Pentagon, this year's ceremony will be held without victim families' attendance, and their loved ones' names will be recited also by a recording, rather than readers on-site. The victims' relatives can visit the Pentagon's memorial in small groups later in the day. President Donald Trump and his Democratic rival Joe Biden have planned to attend a truncated ceremony at the Flight 93 National Memorial near Shanksville, Pennsylvania. The Flight 93 memorial has also sclaed down its usual 90-minute ceremony, partly by eliminating musical interludes. Memorial spokeswoman Katherine Cordek said the names of the 40 people killed there would be read, but by one person instead of multiple family members. Biden's campaign said on Thursday that the former Vice President has pulled its TV ads off the air for Friday to commemorate the anniversary. "On September 11th, Biden will commemorate the anniversary of the attack on our country and will honor the incredible bravery, tragedy, and loss we experienced on that day," Michael Gwin, deputy rapid response director for Biden for President told The Hill news website. On September 11, 2001, the US came under multiple attacks, carried out by the Taliban militant group, after four civilian aircraft were hijacked and steered toward prominent buildings. Three of the planes hit their targets in New York and Washington D.C., while the fourth crashed en route to Washington as its passengers battled for control of the aircraft with the hijackers. The attacks resulted in 2,977 deaths and over 25,000 injuries. This was the single deadliest terrorist attack in human history and the single deadliest incident for firefighters and law enforcement officers in the history of the US. Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced the mitigations Aug. 25 when the positivity rate for Region 7, which covers Will and Kankakee counties was 8.4%. State officials Friday announced that Will County was no longer on the warning list, but mitigations for Region 7 remained in effect as positivity rates have not yet dropped to 6.5% or below. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-11 21:36:49|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close CAIRO, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- The Arab League (AL) welcomed on Friday the progress achieved during the dialogue hosted by Morocco to ease the divisions between the Libyan two conflicting parties. "The ongoing political momentum aimed at converging points of views and building trust between the Libyan parties, reaching a determined understanding and settling the crisis via political means," the AL said in a statement. Morocco has provided a platform in the city of Bouznika for talks between the two conflicting parties, the Libyan National Army (LNA) and the parliament on one side, and the Government of National Accord (GNA) on the other side. The talks were concluded on Thursday. According to the statement, the political talks would put the crisis on the right security and economic path. The statement highly praised "the efforts exerted by Morocco for facilitating the dialogue which ended by solving some issues related to uniting the Libyan state institutions." The statement also called on resuming all efforts brokered by the United Nations for bridging more confidence among the Libyan different segments, maintaining the field cease-fire to reach an integrated national political settlement for the war-torn country. Libya has been locked in a civil war since the ouster and killing of its former leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. The situation escalated in 2014, splitting power between two rival governments with warring forces, namely the UN-backed GNA based in the capital Tripoli, and the other in the northeastern city of Tobruk allied with the LNA led by Khalifa Haftar. Enditem (Natural News) Pharmaceutical companies claim they are working around the clock to fight coronavirus, but that doesnt mean their efforts to influence Washington have stalled. In fact, the worlds biggest pharmaceutical firms have showered 356 lawmakers with money ahead of the election this year, which means theyve targeted more than two thirds of sitting members of Congress. An analysis by STAT found that the campaign contributions have amounted to around $11 million, which has come in the form of 4,500 checks from political action committees (PACs) that are connected to the firms in question. This type of political giving is par for the course in an election year, with Big Pharma making a big series of modest donations to Congressional incumbents while avoiding making big donations to the presidential candidates. Their goal is to gain favor via donations to the lawmakers tasked with regulating health care. Political action committees are often set up by drug companies, who encourage high-level employees to make donations to them. The pharmaceutical companies are not legally permitted to give direct donations to candidates, so the PACs serve as their proxy pursuing their interests. Executives may donate hundreds of dollars a month to a PAC for their company; these donations are capped at $5,000 per year. According to STAT, Pfizer has the most active PAC, sending out nearly 550 checks to lawmakers and other industry groups. Merck and Amgen arent far behind with 379 and 405 checks, respectively. This outpouring of cash comes at a time when Congress has recently provided billions of dollars to the federal health care agencies that fund drug company research. Another issue at play this year is the fact that should Biden defeat Trump and Democrats take control over the Senate, Congress may carry out unprecedented reforms to how Americans pay for their prescriptions, which could dramatically hurt revenues for the drug industry. The executive director for advocacy group Patients for Affordable Drugs Now, Ben Wakana, said: The breadth of these contributions shows drug corporations have no intention of doing anything to lower their prices they are lavishing millions in campaign contributions to protect their power to dictate high prices for prescription drugs. Big Pharma makes donations across party lines When it comes to individuals, Senator Mitch McConnell has received the most from the pharmaceutical industry. The Republican majority leader, who is seeking reelection this year, received money from 23 of the 25 drug companies and PACs STAT studied. McConnell has not made many overtures toward enacting drug pricing legislation. He recently ignored a major bipartisan proposal passed by the Senate Finance Committee, choosing not to put it forward for a vote. The drug industry is favoring Republicans with its financial gifts, but not by a wide margin: 53.5 percent of the contributions that were given to specific lawmakers or party groups went to Republicans, while 46.6 percent were given to Democrats. This trend has been seen in 14 of the past 16 elections going back to 1990. And although the difference in giving between the two parties is not significant, a wider gap in giving can be seen at the leadership level. For example, drug industries have given House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) $129,000, while House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) has only received $11,000. Although Big Pharma appears to believe that a Biden presidency would be a nightmare scenario, they continue to target politicians across parties in hopes of having allies no matter who is elected. They are also targeting officials who sit on important healthcare-related committees. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) said in a statement to STAT: Big Pharma has no political loyalty, and their strategy of gaining influence by supporting politicians on both sides of the aisle has earned them many friends in Washington. An observational study published in JAMA Internal Medicine found that Big Pharma spends an average of $233 million a year lobbying the U.S. federal government, $414 million in contributions to presidential and congressional campaigns, and $877 million to state candidates and committees. Their influence is tremendous, and that is how they get away with continuing to promote and sell dangerous and ineffective products. Sources for this article include: StatNews.com NCBI.NLM.NIH.gov A court in Karnataka has extended the police custody of Kannada actors Ragini Dwivedi and Sanjjanna Galrani and four others in the Bengaluru drug racket case till Monday. Ragini Dwivedi was arrested on September 5 and had been remanded in police custody till Friday, while Galrani had been arrested on Tuesday. Even as Raginis lawyer argued that since his client was already in police custody for a week and had told them whatever she knew, the public prosecutor sought the custody of all arrested for six more days. Stating that the accused had not been cooperative, police sought further custody of them for further interrogation. The judge finally ordered that all of them would continue to be in police custody for the next three days. Meanwhile, the Central Crime Branch police said that they had arrested alleged drug peddler Pratheek Shetty who is listed as accused No.15 in an FIR filed in the Cottonpet police station. He is the seventh person among the 15 named in the FIR who have been arrested. Home minister Basavaraj Bommai said on Friday that the ED was also looking into the financial angle and whether hawla transfer of money was involved in the drug and substance abuse case. While CCB will continue its investigation, the ED is reviewing matters that come under its purview as drug transactions have financial implications with foreign connections too. In the continued statewide crackdown on drug peddlers, the Shivamogga district crime intelligence bureau in a joint operation with Shikaripura rural police on Friday said that they have seized 27.5 kg of Cannabis. The two accused, Nageshwara Rao and Swami Rao, are said to be absconding even as a case against them has been registered under the NDPS act. Facebook Inc. launched legal action on Friday against Irelands Data Protection Commission in an attempt to halt a proposed order that could stop the company from transferring data from the European Union to the United States. The U.S. social media giant urged regulators to adopt a pragmatic and proportionate approach until a sustainable long-term solution can be reached, a company representative said in a statement. The Irish commission, Facebooks lead regulator in the EU, had commenced an inquiry into the company controlled EU-U.S. data transfers. It also suggested that a key mechanism used by the company for transatlantic data transfers cannot in practice be used for EU-U.S. data transfers, Facebook said on Wednesday. Facebook had said that it believed the mechanism, Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs), had been deemed valid by the Court of Justice of the European Union in July. The Irish regulator declined to comment. (Reporting by Akanksha Rana in Bengaluru and Conor Humphries in Dublin; Editing by Shounak Dasgupta and Sriraj Kalluvila) Topics USA Europe BAKU, Azerbaijan, Sept. 11 By Ilhama Isabalayeva Trend: The discharge of industrial wastewater into rivers in Armenia greatly threatens the environment and human health in Azerbaijan, Member of the Public Council under the Azerbaijani Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources, Head of the Laboratory of the Institute of Radiation Problems of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences Muslim Gurbanov told Trend on Sept. 11. The main source of heavy metals is the ore industry, Gurbanov added. Heavy metals enter rivers and eventually mix with the waters of rivers flowing in Azerbaijan through wastewater from the enterprises operating in Armenia. Gurbanov stressed that a number of research institutes and the relevant structures of the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of Azerbaijan are conducting research on the quality, level of chemical and radioactive contamination of water which enters Azerbaijan through transboundary rivers and is used for drinking and other purposes. Heavy metals enter human body along with drinking water, causing toxic effects, the professor said. The human body is able to accumulate chemical substances (bioaccumulation), therefore this factor is considered a big source of threat for future generations. Heavy metals can accumulate for years, having a negative environmental impact on the marine animals. The professor added that the source of radiation is also the radioactive waste of the Metsamor nuclear power plant located in Armenia. These wastes are toxic and their impact is stronger than those of heavy metals. New York, Sep 11 : With US President Donald Trump pushing for quicker approval of Covid-19 treatments and vaccines ahead of the November election, top regulators of the country's Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have vowed to defend the agency's independence, while upholding scientific integrity. In an opinion column published in USA Today on Thursday, eight senior career civil servants who direct the work of the various centres at the FDA assured that they continue to make decisions on the safety and effectiveness of medical products based on the available science. The regulators who have among them over 100 years of experience at FDA warned that "if the agency's credibility is lost because of real or perceived interference, people will not rely on the agency's safety warnings." However they did not mention Trump or other political leaders in the column even as they admitted that "the F.D.A., like other federal executive agencies, operates in a political environment." The statement comes at a time when Trump had hinted that a vaccine could be available before the Election Day. He had earlier lashed out at the FDA for its approach to approving treatments for Covid-19. "The deep state, or whoever, over at the FDA is making it very difficult for drug companies to get people in order to test the vaccines and therapeutics," Trump had earlier said in a tweet that tagged FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn. "Obviously, they are hoping to delay the answer until after November 3rd. Must focus on speed, and saving lives!" In an interview with the Financial Times published late last month, FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn said emergency authorisation of Covid-19 could be the right decision if the benefits outweigh the risks. Health officials in the US were questioned by senators on Wednesday about whether Trump is interfering in the development of potential Covid-19 vaccines. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text By PTI AHMEDABAD: Twenty-four doctors working in hospitals run by Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) have tested coronavirus positive in the last three days,officials said on Friday. At Karai near Gandhinagar, 38 trainee policemen were also found infected, they said. "Of the 24 doctors who tested positive, four are senior doctors or faculty members of affiliated medical colleges. All others are junior doctors," AMC's deputy municipal commissioner O P Machra said. These doctors belong to four AMC-run hospitals in the city - V S Hospital, SVP Hospital, L G Hospital and Shardaben Hospital, he said. Of them, only SVP Hospital provides treatment to coronavirus patients. "Out of around 2,000 doctors working in these hospitals, 24 tested positive in the last three days," Machra said. CLICK HERE FOR COVID-19 LIVE UPDATES At Karai village near Gandhinagar, 38 trainee constables of Gujarat Police Academy tested positive for the infection in the last couple of days, officials said. The academy has a sprawling campus and provides pre- induction training to newly-recruited police personnel- right from constables to inspectors. They live inside the campus during their training period. "The academy first conducted COVID-19 test on 12 trainee constables after another one developed COVID-19 symptoms," Additional DGP, Training, Vikas Sahay, said. "Of these 12 trainees, eight tested positive. After that we conducted tests on 50 others, who had come in their contact and found 30 of them infected. All are asymptomatic and quarantined in a building in the campus itself for treatment," he said. ALSO WATCH: Even teleprompter could not take so many lies: Rahul's dig at PM Modis Davos speech When exactly will you get our land back: Rahul Gandhi questions Centre over Chinese aggression India oi-Ajay Joseph Raj P New Delhi, Sep 11: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who is seen repeatedly questioning the Centre on the issue of Chinese aggression across the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh, on Friday took to Twitter to take a jibe at the government. Taking to Twitter, Rahul Gandhi said, "The Chinese have taken our land. When exactly is GOI planning to get it back? Or is that also going to be left to an Act of God?" Rahul Gandhi was referring to finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman's recent remark that coronavirus was an 'act of God' which may result to contraction of the economy this fiscal. Military commanders of India-China to meet soon, discuss complete disengagement It can be seen that Gandhi's tweet has come after external affairs minister S Jaishankar met his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on Thursday evening on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Moscow. At the meeting between the two leaders, India and China reached a five-point consensus on easing border tensions in Ladakh. Last week, defence minister Rajnath Singh, too, had met his Chinese counterpart, General Wei Fenghe, in the Russian capital. Meanwhile, on Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that language is just a mode of study and not a study in itself. Addressing the conclave, PM Modi said, "We need to see that most of the energy of students should not be spent on learning the language rather than the subject. A child should understand what they are taught." NEP 2020: Students should be taught in mother tongue till class 5, says PM Modi Sushant Death Case: Rhea Chakraborty denied bail by a Mumbai court, will stay in jail|Oneindia News The Prime Minister further went on to say that in a lot of countries, elementary education is imparted in their mother tongue. "It is a known fact that students learn better in the language they speak at home." In rural areas, parents are not associated with a child's learning because of the mode of teaching at school. At least till class 5, students should be taught in the mother tongue. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Friday, September 11, 2020, 12:40 [IST] BAKU, Azerbaijan, Sept.11 By Tamilla Mammadova Trend: Election campaign in Georgia will be conducted calmly, efficiently and fairly, Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia said, Trend reports via Georgian media. According to him, Georgia's key task is rapid economic recovery, decent jobs and, of course, as always, people will be at the center of this program. It should be a victory for everyone. This should be an election free from political extremes, noted Gakharia. 2020 Parliamentary elections and elections of the Supreme Council of the Autonomous Republic of Adjara will be held on October 31. Georgias ruling party, Georgian Dream, has nominated Giorgi Gakharia as its candidate for a prime minister. The elections in the autumn will be different from preceding elections, with 120 MPs to be elected upon a party-list based electoral system and the remaining 30 based on a majoritarian electoral system. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @Mila61979356 A charred vehicle is seen in the parking lot of the burned Oak Park Motel after the passage of the Santiam Fire in Gates, Oregon California firefighters battled the state's largest ever inferno Thursday, as more than half a million people fled blazes up and down the US West Coast and officials warned the death toll could shoot up in coming days. At least eight people have been confirmed dead in the past 24 hours across California, Oregon and Washington, but officials say some areas are still impossible to reach. The August Complex Fire became the biggest recorded blaze in Californian history on Thursday, after multiple fires in the state's northwest combined in high temperatures and winds to rip through 470,000 acres of dry vegetation. Half a million people have been evacuated in neighboring Oregon, authorities said. "Firefighters are prioritizing life (and) safety as they battle a record 900,000 acres of wildfires," said an Oregon government statement. Governor Kate Brown said that the amount of land incinerated by fires in just the last 72 hours was twice the state's annual average, and that at least five towns had been "substantially destroyed." "We have never seen this amount of uncontained fire across our state," she told a press conference. "We know that there are fire related fatalities. And as soon as we are able to provide confirmed information, we will do so." A sign is posted next to a fire vehicle as flames continue to consume the area during the Creek fire in Fresno County, California Local Oregon officials have confirmed two deaths in the Santiam Canyon region, 60 miles (95 kilometers) south of Portland, and another was recorded in the Ashland area, near the California border. Police went door to door to make sure that residents were evacuating the Molalla, marking their driveways with spray paint to show they had left. "It's one thing to leave your house, it's another thing being told that you have to leave," said Denise Pentz, a resident of the town for 11 years, who was loading her family belongings into a camping trailer. "It's awful. This is home... But the most important thing is my babies, my husband, my dog, my cat, and that all my neighbors have gotten out safely." All three West Coast states have been scrambling to contain rapidly spreading wildfires since the weekend due to unprecedented heatwaves followed by intense, dry winds. Among those killed in the past day was a one-year-old boy who perished while his parents suffered severe burns as they attempted to flee an inferno 130 miles east of Seattle. An orange smoke-filled sky is seen above cows in Molalla, Oregon, as fires burn nearby "This child's family and community will never be the same," said Washington governor Jay Inslee, in a statement on his state's first fire death of 2020. "And neither will countless others who are reeling from the utter devastation these wildfires are leaving in their wake." 'Glowing red' In northern California's Butte County, where three people have been killed, firefighters battled flames through the night after a day of apocalyptic orange skies over the Golden State. Another dozen people were reportedly unaccounted for in the area. One unidentified person was killed in far northern California, near the remote rural community of Happy Camp, a Cal Fire spokeswoman told AFP. Tina Rose, 29, fled her home in central California after witnessing a nearby mountain "glowing red" from looming wildfires. A charred swing set and car are seen after the passage of the Santiam Fire in Gates, Oregon "It is something we never want to experience again," she told AFP, speaking from her brother-in-law's crowded home near Fresno. In the San Francisco area, Wednesday's deep orange sky caused by wildfire smoke gave way to a wintry gray, but cars were still forced to drive with lights on in the gloom. Polluted air meant schools and daycare centers were no longer letting children play outside, while seniors were encouraged to stay inside. But the strong, dry winds of the past days eased off across much of the state, with severe weather warnings lifted for most of California. Humidity is expected to rise as temperatures cool through to next week, providing some relief, Cal Fire said. Death toll rises Much of the smoke has blown down from the north, where the Bear Fire exploded at an unprecedented speed this week, combining with older blazes to threaten the town of Oroville. Firefighters cut defensive lines and light backfires to protect structures behind a CalFire fire station during the Bear fire Map of the western coast of the US, showing active wildfires as of September 10, and highlighting the main fires in California. By Thursday it had covered 250,000 acres and was only 23 percent contained. Evacuation warnings were expanded to parts of the town of Paradise, the site of California's deadliest modern fire, which killed 86 people less than two years ago. Including eight California fire deaths last month, the region's total reported fire death toll is now 16 for the year. California has seen more than 3.1 million acres burn this yearan annual record, with nearly four months of fire season still to come. Governor Gavin Newsom blamed the ferocity of this year's fires on climate change. "We must do more," he tweeted. "We need action at EVERY level. CA cannot do this alone. Climate change is REAL." Explore further US towns destroyed as firefighters battle wildfires under orange skies 2020 AFP 3 1 of 3 Hearst Connecticut Media file Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Hearst Connecticut Media file Show More Show Less 3 of 3 WALLINGFORD The number of employees at a North Main Street restaurant who have tested postive for COVID-19 has increased to five, according to the town health director. Health Director Stephen Civitelli said despite the increase in the number of The Library Wine Bar and Bistro employees who have tested positive for the virus, he has no reason to believe that any diners have contracted COVID-19 as a result. The restaurant first closed on Sept. 1 and then reopened 48 hours later following a deep cleaning of the eatery before voluntarily closing again on Sept. 4 for the extended period, according to Civitelli. President Donald Trump boasted that he saved Saudi Arabia's crown prince from greater scrutiny over the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, according to Bob Woodward's explosive new book. In one of 18 interviews with Watergate reporter, Trump defended Mohammed bin Salman over the gruesome murder inside a Saudi consulate of Khashoggi, a critic of the crown prince's rule. 'I saved his a**,' Trump told Woodward for his forthcoming book 'Rage,' according to an excerpt published Thursday by Business Insider. US President Donald Trump has reportedly boasted of salvaging the reputation of Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, whom he is seen meeting at a June 2019 G20 summit in Japan 'I was able to get Congress to leave him alone. I was able to get them to stop,' Trump said. In an echo of the infamous 2018 summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in which the US leader appeared to accept his denials of election meddling, Trump noted that Prince Mohammed denied involvement. 'He will always say that he didn't do it,' Trump was quoted as telling Woodward. 'He says that to everybody, and frankly I'm happy that he says that. But he will say that to you, he will say that to Congress, and he will say that to everybody. He's never said he did it.' Trump bragged that he protected the Saudi Crown Prince, pictured, after the assassination and dismembering of the Washington Post columnist The president revealed that he didn't believe the prince ordered Khashoggi's, pictured, murder but intelligence services have stated that he did order the attack Khashoggi's killing triggered an uproar among US lawmakers but the Trump administration has stood by Saudi Arabia, including controversially bypassing Congress for an $8 billion arms deal. As he has said publicly, Trump defended his stance by pointing to the major oil producer's purchases of US goods, including weapons. 'He says very strongly that he didn't do it,' Trump was quoted as telling Woodward. 'Bob, they spent $400 billion over a fairly short period of time.' Khashoggi - who wrote opinion pieces for The Washington Post, Woodward's newspaper - was lured into the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in October 2018 to handle marriage paperwork. Within minutes, the onetime royal insider turned critic was strangled to death with his body then dismembered, according to Turkish and US officials. A Saudi court on Monday handed jail terms of between seven to 20 years to eight unnamed defendants and overturned five death sentences, in a final ruling condemned by Khashoggi's fiancee and a UN rights expert. Trump is said to have made the remarks in one of 18 interviews with legendary investigative reporter Bob Woodward, pictured left, which make up his new book Rage out next week Taiwan Requests to Participate in UN Assembly Amid Pandemic News analysis Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Taiwans request to attend this years U.N. General Assembly bears extra weight to world leaders: Taiwan is one of the few nations successfully dealing with the current health crisis, while the Chinese regime has been criticized by many countries for covering up information in the early stages of the pandemic. Under political pressure from China, the international organization is likely to exclude Taiwan again from attending the General Assembly, which will be held from Sept. 15 to 30 in New York, United States. The Chinese regime considers Taiwan part of its territory, despite the fact that the island operates as a de-facto state, with its own democratically-elected government, military, and currency. Beijing has continually pressured international organizations, such as the United Nations, to accept Chinas sovereignty claims. 23.5 million people of Taiwan are denied any access to U.N. premises. Taiwanese journalists and media outlets are also denied accreditation to cover UN meetings, wrote Taiwans Foreign Minister Jaushieh Joseph Wu in his recently penned commentary published in several Asian newspapers. To commemorate the 75th anniversary of the United Nations, the theme for this years assembly will be The Future We Want, the U.N. We Need: Reaffirming our Collective Commitment to Multilateralism. Taiwan has not been a part of the U.N. since October 1971. Due to COVID-19, the U.N. assembly this year will be held virtually for the first time. Diplomats joining the event will be reminded every day of the ongoing pandemic due to the new norm of a virtual meeting environment. Taiwan, with its high population density, has managed to have less than 500 confirmed cases and seven deaths since the start of COVID-19, while around the world, there have been over 27 million infected, and more than 893,000 deaths. Experts have attributed Taiwans success in curbing the spread of the virus to its early preventive measures, which largely came from its past experience of dealing with epidemics originating from China. Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen was head of the Mainland Affairs Councilthe islands agency for managing relations with mainland Chinaduring the SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) pandemic in 2003. SARS caused 180 deaths in Taiwan. Based on its past experience, Taiwans Disease Control Agency (DCA) sent two health experts to Wuhan on Jan. 11, upon learning about the citys mysterious pneumonia-like illness that broke out late last year. DCA held its first news conference on Jan. 16 to address the potential health risk that originated from Wuhan, then quickly established border control measures, and a new Central Epidemic Command Center dealing with the novel coronavirus. Meanwhile, other nations have largely relied on information from the World Health Organization (WHO). WHOs Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus visited Beijing, and met Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Jan. 28, five days after the lockdown of Wuhan. However, WHO did not declare COVID-19 as a pandemic until March 11. Taiwans success in protecting the island nation from the pandemic has caught the worlds attention. In August, U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar visited Taiwan to discuss strategies in containing COVID-19becoming the highest-level U.S. official to visit the island since 1979. Taiwan has also been making efforts to assist other nations. Taiwan had donated 51 million surgical masks, 1.16 million N-95 masks, 600,000 isolation gowns, 35,000 forehead thermometers, and other medical materials to more than 80 countries, Wu said in his commentary. The U.N., under its 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, pledges that no one will be left behind, and that because the dignity of the human person is fundamental, we wish to see the goals and targets met for all nations and peoples and for all segments of society. Wu asserted that the U.N. is working against its own vision, when Taiwanone of the worlds model democracies and a success story in containing the current pandemiccontinues to be barred from taking part in and exchanging experiences and information with the U.N. system. In May, Taiwan was excluded from an annual meeting of the World Health Assemblythe decision-making body of the WHOdespite its success in containing the pandemic. Since 2017, Taiwan has been barred by China from taking part in the assembly and its meetings. Wu emphasized in his commentary: The global community must make a concerted effort to forge the better and more sustainable future. Taiwan is ready, willing, and able to be a part of these efforts. Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden has called US President Donald Trump's handling of the coronavirus pandemic "disgusting" and "almost criminal", after it was revealed that the latter had downplayed the virus' threat earlier this year, the media reported on Friday. "It was all about making sure the stock market didn't come down, that his wealthy friends didn't lose any money, and that he could say anything, that in fact anything that happened had nothing to do with him," the BBC quoted Biden as saying in a CNN interview on Thursday. The former Vice President said that Trump "waved a white flag". "Think about it. Think about what he did not do - it's almost criminal," he added. Biden's remarks came after local media reported on Wednesday that Trump told author and associate editor of The Washington Post, Bob Woodward in March that he wanted to downplay the threat because "he did not want to create a panic". Trump's remark was revealed in Woodward's new book "Rage", slated to release this month. It is based on 18 interviews that Trump gave Woodward, who broke the Watergate scandal, between December 2019 and July 2020, as well as background conversations with officials and other sources. Facing criticisms following the revelations, Trump insisted he was right to keep his concerns about the pandemic private. At a White House event also on Wednesday, Trump defended his remarks, calling himself a cheerleader for the country and arguing he did not want to create panic. The US continues to be the worst-hit country in the world by the coronavirus pandemic. As of Thursday, the number of cases increased to 6,397,245, while the death toll stood at 191,791, according to the Johns Hopkins University. Oh, you like podcasts? Sign up for Vulture's new recommendation newsletter 1.5x Speed here. Photo: Vulture The true-crime podcast universe is ever expanding. Were here to make it a bit smaller and a bit more manageable. There are a lot of great shows, and each has a lot of great episodes, so we want to highlight the noteworthy and the exceptional. Each week, our crack team of podcast enthusiasts and specialists will pick their favorites. Unfinished Short Creek, Keep Sweet, No Matter What Short Creek, a town straddling the borders of Utah and Arizona, was settled by Mormon fundamentalists in the 1930s. Before the arrival of Warren Jeffs, the president of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (FLDS), Short Creek might have been considered idyllic by many who lived there, but when Jeffs came in to replace his father as the prophet, he brought tyranny with him, instituting a series of edicts that cut the residents of Short Creek off from the world and transformed the community into a cult. Jeffs was convicted of child sexual assault in 2011. Unfinished Short Creek, hosted by Ash Sanders and Sarah Ventre, examines the existing divide between the towns remaining fundamentalists and former believers in the wake of the chaos wrought by Jeffs. In this second episode, youll hear about the changes Warren Jeffs made, like ordering parents pull their children out of school in order to avoid contact with apostates, that pushed some members of the community to believe that their lives were in danger and took it upon themselves to leave, although it would likely mean they never saw their families again. Unfinished is smoothly rendered and wildly absorbing, and youll be eager for the next dispatch. Chanel Dubfosky Youre Wrong About, Killer Clowns Anniversaries are typically commemorated with tokens of paper, wood, and steel. But for their 100th episode, hosts Sarah Marshall and Michael Hobbes present a very different sort of gift killer clowns. (Just what Ive always wanted!?) The two welcome Chelsey Weber-Smith, the host of the American Hysteria podcast, as their special guest to examine various waves of supposed bloodthirsty bozos, including the bizarre clown sightings of 2016. Of course, if youve listened to Youre Wrong About even once, you can probably guess that the rumors of killer clowns have been greatly exaggerated (save for John Wayne Gacy). The episode takes plenty of tangents to explain the historical roots of our unsettling feelings toward these performers including court jesters, Stephen Kings It, and the concept of the uncanny valley and the results are a real delight. See, clowns can be fun! Amy Wilkinson Medical Murders, H.H. Holmes: The Torture Doctor Medical stuff isnt usually my bag, but I gave this a whirl since H. H. Holmes is such a larger-than-life baddie. Ive never read Devil in the White City, and most of my knowledge about him comes from other podcasts or, uh, American Horror Story, so I was expecting an Olde Timey yarn about gruesome high jinks and wildly creative hotel horrors. Instead, the two episodes of Medical Murders devoted to him focus a great deal on his life and his extensive scams, as well as the nine murders he committed that were actually confirmed. While its obvious Holmes was sociopathic scum, it seems a lot less likely that he was responsible for the 200 victims he claimed or the Murder Castle described in salacious detail by the press at the time. Medical Murders also supplements its stories with insight from internist Dr. David Kipper about everything from dissecting corpses in med school to the baseless gold cure for alcoholism popularized by the Keeley Institute in the 19th century and beyond. Jenni Miller Unjust and Unsolved, Rosa Jimenez Rosa Jimenez is serving a 99-year sentence for the 2005 murder of 21-month-old Brian Gutierrez, whom she was babysitting at the time. While many in the legal community, including five Texas judges and the Innocence Project (currently working on her release), agree that Gutierrezs death was an accident, she remains in prison while suffering from stage-four kidney disease. In the latest episode of Unjust and Unsolved, a podcast examining the cases of innocent people serving time for crimes that have yet to be solved, journalist Maggie Freleng dives into the nooks and crannies of Jimenezs case via interviews with her lawyer and Jimenez herself. There are a stack of blatant errors in this case, including the fact that the forensics proving her guilt actually dont play out in favor of the prosecution, and when Jimenez, who was undocumented and not an English speaker, was interviewed, she had not been read her Miranda rights and didnt know she could ask for a lawyer. Tune in for Jimenezs story, and pay careful attention to the issues of ethnicity, class, and xenophobia keeping her in prison. Chanel Dubfosky Friday, September 11 CounterClock, Prime Suspect In the second season of CounterClock, host Delia DAmbra investigates another small-town North Carolina murder, this one in her hometown of Manteo. In February 1990, 28-year-old Stacey Stanton was found dead in her apartment by her co-worker. Clifton Spencer, a Manteo local who visited the same bar as Stacey the night before, was arrested and convicted for her murder. Episode two follows DAmbra as she tracks Staceys movements the night before she died, as well as the folks she was with, including Spencer, and Staceys ex-boyfriend Norman Mike Brandon. The hasty investigation and conviction of Spencer, a Black man, by the same law-enforcement officials we met in season one (which covered the unsolved murder of Denise Johnson), force questions of accountability. Were just at the beginning of DAmbras search for answers, so make sure you get in on this one ASAP. Chanel Dubofsky In the Red Clay, All That Glitters: Chapter 5 I dont know about most true-crime aficionados, but I didnt know anything about the Dixie Mafia or the notorious Billy Sunday Birt until tuning into this podcast. Its a wild tale of moonshine, murder, and mayhem, not to mention trunk-loads of black beauties smuggled in from Mexico, and possibly hidden traysure? To be honest, I wasnt sold on In the Red Clay until this particular episode, mostly because it relies heavily on stories from Birts son Stoney. Host Sean Kipe uses first-person interviews and supplemental media to balance it out, including a gruesome and heart-wrenching description of a hit on Georgia DA Floyd Hoard narrated by his now-adult son G. Richard Hoard. I can understand worshipping your father, especially when hes a larger-than-life character like Billy Sunday Birt, and when its the environment you grew up in, but its kind of wild to hear someone say, He was a good husband except for the adultery He treated my mama like a baby in all seriousness. We also get to the wildest part of the story, a letter and a map found hidden in a family curio apparently, Billy Sunday Birt was also a fan of arts-and-crafts that could lead to one last big haul. Hopefully, future episodes will show Stoney continuing to reckon with the crimes of his father, instead of as a family man with a strict sense of familial honor and loyalty and a source of wild tales about teenage arson and souped-up cars. Jenni Miller Paper Ghosts, The Dead Butterfly, I Wish It Was You That Was Dead, and A Hell House Over the course of eight years spanning the late 60s and early 70s, four girls Debra Spickler, Janice Pockett, Lisa Joy White, and Susan LaRosa vanished from the same rural pocket of New England, leaving their family members and friends desperate for answers. Fifty years on, those answers remain elusive. Paper Ghosts, which debuted its first three episodes this week, follows investigative journalist and true-crime writer M. William Phelps on his 12-year quest to solve these crimes. Police dont believe the disappearances are the work of a serial killer, but Phelps seems to believe differently, citing his many interviews with multiple murderers who are emphatic that coincidences like the ones linking these cases dont just happen. Phelps has a personal interest in at least one of these crimes hes friends with the girls sister and hes made inroads with many of the victims family members, allowing him to paint vivid portraits of each missing girl. And despite the time that has lapsed since their disappearances, Phelps touts new evidence and new leads that could heat up these very cold cases. For the sake of those still grieving five decades later, I hope hes right. Amy Wilkinson Criminalia, Giulia Tofana: Worlds Most Dangerous Apothecary Criminalia is a new podcast from Shondaland Audio about people who commit murder using various types of poison. Admittedly, its weird to describe homicidal poisoning as a frothy distraction, but in these times Ill take what I can get. Hosts Maria Trimarchi and Holly Frey are charming, and their friendship lends a certain warmth and humor to what could be a grim undertaking, although Criminalia is definitely not a true crime comedy podcast; so far the episodes have each clocked in at around 30 minutes, with lots of historical detail. In this case, that means they go beyond the life and death of Giulia Tofana, who invented the undetectable poison known as Aqua Tofana, and delve into the history of apothecaries and why or how a woman in Italy and thereabouts in the early 17th century might want to make use of poison to off a husband. Its easy to fall into the trap of cheering on female killers in some twisted sense of equality, but Criminalia eschews that you-go-girl! vibe while acknowledging that, yeah, sometimes a little tipple of arsenic be an appealing solution for a trapped woman. Jenni Miller Smoke Screen: Fake Priest, Meet the Browns Investigative reporter Alex Schumans task is a disquieting one: hes tracing the footsteps of Ryan Scott, also known as Father Ryan, who spent his 30 year career as a con-man (and possible murderer) pretending to be a priest, tricking people out of money, plus committing misconduct while serving in public office. Episode 5 follows Ryan as he continues to wiggle his way out of things like jail time, legal fees, and any other kind of accountability. Why did one elderly woman, who gave Ryan literally all her money, then decide to renege on the charges she brought against him? Why do people keep stepping in to give him a hand? As you enter this impossibly twisted world, remember that nothing is what it seems. Just when you think it cant get more unbelievable, it does. This story is about so much more than its WTF premise; its not just weird, but hypnotic, and youll be hooked from the very beginning. Chanel Dubofsky September 3, 2020 Fraudsters, The Psychic Readers Network Part 1 CLEO 2020 If youre of a certain age, the name Miss Cleo probably brings to mind a simpler time running home after school to see which spot Baby One More Time earned on TRL; logging onto AIM to chat with your crush. But if that entire sentence reads like gibberish to you, let me quickly explain: Miss Cleo was a Jamaicanaccented psychic, who promised to advise you in matters of money and the heart if you only dialed up the Psychic Readers Network (and forked over a lot of cash). Her commercials were ubiquitous throughout the late 90s and early 2000s, but it was all, of course, a scam and a billion-dollar one at that. Hosts Seena Ghaznavi and Justin Williams dive into this grift in the pilot of their new podcast Fraudsters (produced by the Last Podcast Network). The first installment of the Psychic Readers Network series examines both the life of Youree Dell Harris (the future Miss Cleo, who was not Jamaican), as well as the nefarious business practices that helped the network swindle all those dollars (they orchestrated a bait-and-switch with a 900 number and sent collection notices to customers whod already had their fees waived by their telephone providers). While the episode itself feels a little overlong given the amount of material covered, Ghaznavi and Williams are amiable hosts. Im curious to see how the podcast develops over the coming months. If only there were someone I could call to find out now Amy Wilkinson The Piketon Massacre, The Investigation The residents of Piketon, Ohio, were shocked by the 2016 murders of eight members of the Rhoden family. Things like that just didnt happen in the small town until they did. At first, investigators thought the murders were related to the Rhoden familys marijuana-growing operation, but they soon zeroed in on another local family, the Wagners, with whom the Rhodens had a complicated relationship. The sixth episode explores whether or not the murders had to do with the relationship between Jack Wagner and his ex-girlfriend, Hanna May Rhoden; the former couple had a 2-year-old daughter together. (Hanna May Rhoden also had a 5-day-old baby when she was killed; thankfully, all of the children were spared.) Were the murders a result of a custody battle gone horribly awry? Or were the crimes part of a bigger picture in Piketon? This is the sixth episode of the series, so youll need to catch up on the previous episodes to understand the ins and outs of this complicated crime, its investigation, and the bigger picture of life in Piketon itself. Jenni Miller Relative Unknown, Rolling Over If youre into organized crime, Hells Angels, 1970s Cleveland, the Witness Protection Program, and/or outrageous family secrets, Relative Unknown (created by C13 Originals, the folks who brought you Root of Evil) is a podcast with everything you want. After a fire and a murder, the pieces of Jackee Taylors off-kilter childhood began to come together when a trunk is bequeathed to her and she learns about her fathers involvement with the the Hells Angels and the groups ongoing impact on her family. In episode five, we get a closer look at Butch Crouchs decision to lead the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) to a storage locker containing weapons belonging to the Hells Angels, which were suspected to have been involved in the unsolved 1975 murder of a 21-year-old mother, Maryanne Sigley, and her 2-year-old son, Michael, in Cleveland. Crouch told the police about several murders they already knew about, but also revealed information about several they didnt know about one of which Crouch himself had committed just three months after Jackee was born. The police were deeply skeptical of Crouchs motivation for informing, given the nature of the crimes and how he and his family stood to be impacted. This episode marks the halfway point in the series. Butchs confession and negotiations with the police and FBI result in his entrance into the Witness Protection Program, which changes Jackees entire life. Listen now for all the stirring and vital details. Chanel Dubofsky Racket: Inside the Gold Club, Sex and Champagne I may not be able to sum up this new podcast better than journalist Amanda Mull, whose favorable tweet sent me searching for it in the first place: If you like Hustlers, she writes, you should give [Racket] a shot, because the story of the Gold Club is even wilder. Two episodes in, I can confirm: She is not wrong. Before becoming the subject of an FBI raid, the Gold Club was one of Atlantas hottest (and highest-grossing) strip clubs, welcoming the likes of Dennis Rodman, Michael Jordan, and the King of Sweden. (Donald Trump allegedly set foot inside this gold-plated palace as well, but his reps deny it.) Last weeks episode examined how Atlantas strip joints and the citys cash-cow convention industry became inextricably and salaciously linked. This week, host Christina Lee takes us deep into the inner workings of the club through interviews with its hostesses, dancers, and lawyer. What emerges is a glittery, booze-soaked facade hiding plenty of rot at its core. Just how rotten, well have to wait for future episodes to find out, but Lee does allude to the Big O. Yep, thats right organized crime. On that account, the Gold Club and Scores may have even more in common than just gyrating hustlers. Amy Wilkinson Scam Goddess, Dr. Dupe with Joel Kim Booster Scam Goddess creator and host Laci Mosley says near the beginning of this episode that her podcast isnt true crime, and Im not here to argue! But Im happy to sneak this into our true-crime roundup because its hilarious and a great palate cleanser from, well, everything. The story is about an extremely fancy surgeon who supposedly helped innovate wait for it TRACHEA TRANSPLANTS but also scammed an NBC news producer assigned to profile him, convincing her that theyd have a lavish wedding officiated by the Pope. He was technically charged with forging documents and abuse of office in Italy and sentenced to 16 months in prison. So it counts as true crime as far as Im concerned. Not to mention, the people who died after his surgeries! Come for the scamming, stay for the banter between Mosley and this weeks guest, writer and comedian Joel Kim Booster. Jenni Miller The Fall Line, Identity After Death with Forensic Anthropologist Dr. Amy Michael, Part 2 Season ten of The Fall Line looks at the unsolved murders of trans women Florida. This episode gets into the cases that have most impacted forensic anthropologist Dr. Amy Michaels, including that of Joseph Henry Loveless, the accused murderer whose body was discovered in 1979 and remained unidentified until 2020. The event prompted Michaelss own reckoning: Do we only seek to solve the homicide cases of good people? Michaels was also part of the team that exhumed the body of Shannon Siders in order to confirm evidence and cause of death when police reopened her case. Its a fascinating interview and a dream for the true-crime obsessed who crave insider information that takes into consideration the big (and definitely ugly) picture. Chanel Dubofsky 1.5x Speed: A Weekly Newsletter of Podcast Recommendations and Reviews Listening notes for the top shows, from Vulture's critic Nick Quah. Email This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Terms & Privacy Notice By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice and to receive email correspondence from us. Tourists take selfies at Tianchi scenic area in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, April 25, 2020. [Xinhua] Domestic travelers planning for the upcoming National Day holiday do not need to take additional precautions against the novel coronavirus as the disease is no longer circulating in society, according to a top public health expert. Currently, on the Chinese mainland, the virus can only be found in hospitalized patients, people placed under medical observation and laboratories, Wu Zunyou, chief epidemiologist at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said during an interview with China Central Television this week. "It is now impossible to contract the virus in social environments, including schools and workplaces," he said. "There is no need to place extra restrictions on tourists out of concern for COVID-19 infections, though necessary travel safety precautions should be taken due to large gatherings." This year's National Day Holiday will run from October 1 to 8, one day longer than usual as it overlaps with the Mid-Autumn Festival, which also falls on October1 this year. Tourist agencies thwarted by pentup demand have predicted a surge in domestic travel during the eight-day holiday as the outbreak has been suppressed in the country and most travel restrictions have been lifted. According to the National Health Commission, the Chinese mainland has reported no new locally transmitted infections for 25 consecutive days as of Wednesday. The commission detected seven new imported cases on Wednesday. Wu said during the interview that all incoming travelers will be managed in a closed-off loop and will not pose risks to local residents. "After months of exploring and practicing strategies aimed at fending off imported infections, China has improved its knowledge in this aspect and is capable of gradually increasing incoming flights," he said. In Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, a 19-year-old man who returned from the United States on August 11 and tested negative for the virus twice during the 14-day mandatory quarantine period, was recently confirmed as an asymptomatic carrier of the virus, according to the local government. He first tested positive on September 1 during a follow-up test targeting overseas travelers entering Jiangsu. Tests conducted on Monday and Tuesday also returned positive, the government said. He showed no symptoms, and the CT scan imaging was normal, it added. His parents and other close contacts tested negative for the virus. Samples collected from his rooms and places he visited before also tested negative. (Source: China Daily) Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-10 23:42:13|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Photo taken on Sept. 10, 2020 shows explosive belts and chemical substances seized in an anti-terrorism operation in Temara, Morocco. The Moroccan security services on Thursday raided a cell linked to the Islamic State (IS) militant group and arrested five of its members. (Xinhua) RABAT, Sept. 10 (Xinhua) -- The Moroccan security services on Thursday bust a cell linked to the Islamic State (IS) militant group and arrested five of its members. Security operations carried out simultaneously in the cities of Tangier, Tiflet, Temara and Skhirat led to the arrest of the five suspects aged between 29 and 43, according to a statement by the Moroccan Central Bureau for Judicial Investigations. Two of the suspects were arrested in Tiflet, 80 km east of the capital Rabat, and in Temara located in the suburb of Rabat. Three explosive belts, electronic devices, large-sized knives and swords, chemical substances and nearly three kg of ammonium nitrate were seized during the operation. Initial investigations revealed that the suspects were planning to carry out terrorist attacks on sensitive sites in Morocco using explosive belts, said the statement. Enditem CANBERRA, Australia - Rio Tinto chief executive Jean-Sebastien Jacques will leave the Anglo-Australian mining giant by March over the destruction of Australian Indigenous sacred sites to access iron ore, the company said on Friday. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 10/9/2020 (497 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Rio Tinto Chief Executive, Iron Ore at Rio Tinto, Chris Salisbury speaks at a press conference in Perth, Nov. 29, 2018. Salisbury will leave the Anglo-Australian mining giant will leave the company on Dec. 31, over the destruction of the sacred sites, the company said on Friday, Sept. 11, 2020. (Richard Wainwright/AAP Image via AP) CANBERRA, Australia - Rio Tinto chief executive Jean-Sebastien Jacques will leave the Anglo-Australian mining giant by March over the destruction of Australian Indigenous sacred sites to access iron ore, the company said on Friday. Significant stakeholders have expressed concerns about executive accountability for the failings identified, Rio Tinto said in a statement. By mutual agreement, Jacques will step down once a replacement has been appointed or on March 31, whichever happens sooner, the statement said. Rio Tinto chief executive Jean-Sebastien Jacques attends an annual general meeting in Perth, May 9, 2019. Jacques will leave the Anglo-Australian mining giant by March, 2021, over the destruction of the sacred sites, the company said on Friday, Sept. 11, 2020. (Will Russell/AAP Image via AP) Executives Chris Salisbury and Simone Niven will leave the company on Dec. 31. Rio Tinto announced last month that Jacques would lose $3.5 million in bonuses and Salisbury and Niven around $700,000 each over the destruction in May of two rock shelters in Juukan George in Western Australia state that had been inhabited for 46,000 years. Rio Tinto concluded in an internal review last month that there was no single root cause or error that directly resulted in the destruction of the rock shelters. But internal documents revealed last week that Rio Tinto had engaged a law firm in case the traditional owners, the Puutu Kunti Kurrama and Pinikura people, applied for a court injunction to save the rock shelters The Western Australian government has promised to update Indigenous heritage laws that allowed Rio Tinto to legally destroy the sacred sites. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Jamie Lowe, chief executive of the National Native Title Council, which represents Australia's traditional owners of the land, said he had called on Rio Tinto to take more action than cutting executive bonuses. Lowe welcomed the decision to replace the three executives. There needs to be a consistent theme of them showing that they are conscious of Aboriginal cultural heritage and its protection, Lowe said of mining companies. The rock shelters' traditional owners had no comment to make on the Rio Tinto leadership changes, Puutu Kunti Kurrama and Pinikura Aboriginal Corp. said. We will continue to work with Rio Tinto in the aftermath of the Juukan Gorge disaster. Our focus continues to rest heavily on preserving Aboriginal heritage and advocating for wide-ranging changes to ensure a tragedy like this never happens again," the corporation said in a statement. We cannot and will not allow this type of devastation to occur ever again, the statement added. RTHK: US mayor of Portland bans the use of tear gas The mayor of the protest-hit US city of Portland, Oregon overnight on Thursday ordered city police to stop using tear gas for crowd control purposes. The northwestern city has endured more than 100 days of demonstrations against racism and police brutality. Mayor Ted Wheeler, a Democrat, has been fiercely criticised by "Black Lives Matter" and anti-fascist activists that have been in the streets since the death of George Floyd, the African-American man who died gasping for air under the knee of a white police officer in late May in the city of Minneapolis. In his dual job as mayor and chief of police, Wheeler has been criticised for failing to meet commitments to reduce racial discrimination and police brutality, which demonstrators believe especially target racial minorities. "It's time for everyone to reduce the violence in our community. We all want change. We all have the opportunity and obligation to create change. We all want to focus on the fundamental issue at hand justice for Black people and all people of color," Wheeler said in a brief taped announcement. "That's why, as Police Commissioner, effective immediately and until further notice, I am directing the Portland Police to end the use of CS gas for crowd control," he said. During the last hundred days city, county and state police have relied on tear gas "where there is a threat to life safety. We need something different. We need it now", Wheeler said. (AFP) This story has been published on: 2020-09-11. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. With 200 MPs out of 785 above the age of 65, there is a serious shadow of COVID-19 looming over the monsoon session of Parliament, with several senior MPs expressing their concern over the large gathering at a single venue for 17 days. R Rajagopalan reports. IMAGE: The lawns at the Parliament complex being mowed during the coronavirus lockdown. Photograph: Prem Singh/ANI Photo Some 15 members of Parliament from Tamil Nadu, who are above 65 years of age, are yet to inform Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla or the Lok Sabha secretariat if they will attend the monsoon session of Parliament which begins on September 14. Birla has been trying to ascertain their presence from the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam's Leader of the House T R Baalu, who himself is 79 years old and faces many health issues. The reason for the MPs's reluctance: The raging coronavirus pandemic, which shows no sign of abating either in Tamil Nadu, or in Delhi. According to the Centre, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Delhi, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka account for 69 percent of the COVID-19 cases in the country. The Tamil Nadu MPs are not alone. Many MPs from Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal also have misgivings about attending Parliament when COVID-19 is rampant across the country. Last week, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee directed her Trinamool Congress MPs over 65 years of age not to travel to Delhi. Similarly, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar asked his Janata Dal-United MPs who are above 65 years of age to skip the Parliament session. The Shiv Sena, it is learnt, has left the option open to its MPs. Of the 38 Lok Sabha MPs from Tamil Nadu, those who are 70 and above are T R Baalu, S Jagathrakshagan, S S Palanimanickam, S Thirunavukkarasar, K Subbarayan, T R Parivendhar, S Ramalingam, A Ganeshamurthi and P R Natarajan. They have been told by the Lok Sabha secretariat to leave for New Delhi only after taking due precautions and to carry COVID-19 negative certificates as on their departure date. Looming large on the MPs's minds is the recent death of the Congress MP from Kanyakumari, 70-year-old Harikrishnan Vasanthakumar, of COVID-19. Many MPs have not responded to e-mails or phone calls from the Speaker's office about their arrival schedule, while those who have replied that they are yet to make up their minds about attending the Parliament session. With 200 MPs out of 785 above the age of 65, there is a serious shadow of COVID-19 looming over the monsoon session, with several senior MPs expressing their concern over the large gathering at a single venue for 17 days together. They feel the situation is serious as seven Union ministers -- including Amit Anilchandra Shah and Gajendra Singh Shekhawat -- and two dozen MPs from both Houses had tested positive for COVID-19. Prime Minister Narendra Damodardas Modi, the Lok Sabha MP from Varanasi, will turn 70 during the session, on September 17. As many as 97 out of 240 MPs of the Rajya Sabha are above the age of 65, with 20 of them above the age of 80 -- including Dr Manmohan Singh (87) and A K Antony (82). The data uploaded on the Rajya Sabha Web site as on September 8 says the average age of MPs is 63.3 years. In the Lok Sabha, 130 MPs are above 65 years, including 30 who are above 75. One MP is 90 years old. All those entering the Parliament complex will have to undergo the RT-PCR COVID-19 test and get a negative certificate. However, many feel that managing more than 2,000 entrants, including security personnel, officials, journalists and others, for two weeks will be a Herculean task. A minister in the Modi government said the air-conditioning system in Parliament complex is outdated and dangerous for health as it does not have an automatic ventilating system. "No amount of masks and social distancing," the minister says, "can help.' A project that will soon see cameras installed at 80 intersections in Peterborough could lead to improved commuting times and better traffic flow in the citys future. Miovision, a Waterloo-based technology company, is working with city staff to implement the project this fall. Kurtis McBride, president of Miovision, says his company has worked with a number of municipalities to help improve traffic safety and to bring down commute times. When a grant from the province for a pilot project was landed, the company reached out to Peterborough a little more than a year ago to gauge interest, he said. The city was working on a traffic management system, he said, and talks progressed. COVID-19 obstacles pushed back the installation temporarily, McBride said, but it is anticipated that the equipment to facilitate the Smart Signal System Pilot will be installed this fall, allowing for implementation of the new system by the end of 2020. Traffic will be monitored through the system for an estimated two years. A report that went before city council in July stated that the project, which includes the deployment of up to 80 camera-based traffic detectors at signalized intersections in Peterborough at no cost to the city, will deploy enhanced camera technology capable of detecting vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians under severe winter weather conditions. The citys contribution to this project is limited to in-kind services to assist Miovision with the installation and testing of their equipment in the field. In return, the city receives the benefit of installation of the equipment at up to 80 of its signalized intersections without any capital expenditure. After the completion of the research project, the city will retain the Miovision camera equipment and will only be responsible for ongoing maintenance of the cameras. The retail value of these 80 camera-based detection devices is estimated at $1.6 million. The city has already installed one standard Miovision camera at an intersection to test movement detection technology, according to a city staff report, and it has been performing well. As these cameras are able to detect the movement of traffic, cyclists and pedestrians under all conditions, its anticipated that the city can reduce the use of buried loops in the pavement to detect the presence of vehicles that are needed for signal operations. With four to eight loops installed at the average intersection and an average cost of $2,000 per loop, this represents a capital cost savings of about $12,000 for a typical intersection, or a potential savings of $960,000 at the 80 intersections with the new cameras deployed. The Miovision Smart Signal System has been deployed in a number of U.S. cities, including Pittsburgh, Boston and Portland, where they have seen average travel times reduced by 25 per cent, stops reduced by 30 per cent and emissions reduced by 20 per cent. Toronto, London and Edmonton have also begun testing this type of signal control system as well. Coun. Lesley Parnell said some citizens had raised a privacy concern with her, so she raised her concern to council before voting to support the project. But McBride is confident that privacy shouldnt be a concern to citizens. Personal data is not collected as part of the traffic project, he said. ATLANTA - Attorneys for a white father and son charged with killing Ahmaud Arbery say their clients werent motivated by race when they armed themselves, chased after the young Black man and shot him in the street after a confrontation, according to interviews published Friday. Gregory and Travis McMichael have been jailed since they were arrested on murder charges in May, more than two months after 25-year-old Arbery was fatally shot while running in their neighbourhood outside the port city of Brunswick. Cellphone video of Travis McMichael shooting Arbery three times at close range with a shotgun further fueled a national outcry over racial injustice. Gregory McMichael told police after the shooting that he and his son pursued Arbery because they suspected him of being a burglar. This case is not about race, Bob Rubin, one of Travis McMichaels defence attorneys, told The Atlanta Journal Constitution in a story published Friday. Mr. Arbery was not targeted because he was Black. Travis McMichael grabbed a shotgun and his father armed himself with a handgun when they saw Arbery run past their home Feb. 23. The men pursued Arbery in a pickup truck. They stopped in the road in front of Arbery, who kept running until he came face-to-face with Travis McMichael. The video shows Arbery punching and trying to grab the gun before hes shot. Attorney Franklin Hogue, who represents Gregory McMichael, was quoted by the newspaper as saying the McMichaels went after Arbery because he had previously been recorded by security cameras inside a nearby home under construction. This is what was in their head, Hogue said. Not the narrative youre hearing: `Ah, theres a Black man running in our neighbourhood. Lets go track him down and shoot him. Its far from that. Authorities have said theres no evidence Arbery stole from the construction site or that he committed any other crimes. An attorney for the homeowner has said its possible Arbery stopped at the site for water while he was jogging. During a preliminary court hearing in June, Georgia Bureau of Investigation agent Richard Dial testified that a third man charged in Arberys killing told police he overheard Travis McMichael utter a racist slur as he stood over the body right after the shooting. Rubin said he believes William Roddie Bryan Jr., who shot the video and was also charged with murder for joining the pursuit, made up the account of the slur in hopes of cutting a deal with investigators. You could feel the world gasping when the investigator in court first accused Travis McMichael of using the slur, Rubin said. We gasped. But when you look at whats actually happening it cant be true and I dont think its true. Both McMichaels filed legal motions last month asking a judge to grant them bond so they can be released from jail pending trial. Theyre still awaiting a decision. Rubin called Travis McMichael a man whos lived a very good life, a life helping others, not a caricature of Southern vigilante racism. Its not clear where the postcard has been during the intervening decades, or why it took so long to reach the address. Letters from years or decades past do sometimes turn up in peoples mailboxes, though a spokesman for the Postal Service said it was rarely because they became lost in the system. In most cases these incidents do not involve mail that had been lost in our network and later found, said Tim Ratliff, the spokesman for the Postal Service for the Great Lakes area. What we typically find is that old letters and postcards sometimes purchased at flea markets, antique shops and even online are re-entered into our system, he said. Mr. Ratliff added, as long as there is a deliverable address and postage, the card or letter gets delivered. Ms. Keech first shared her discovery in a Facebook group called Positively Belding, a page that celebrates positive news in the city of about 5,700 residents northeast of Grand Rapids. Members of the page said they were amazed by the discovery. At least one person joked that mail cant be delivered in a timely manner. Some members, trying to find out more about the McQueens to help Ms. Keech, have become sleuths. One person theorized that someone may have bought the old postcard at a store and simply dropped it in the mail. The government is being urged by the Civil Society to FastTrack the conversion of extant leases and permits to valid timber utilization contracts to allow for the successful issuance of FLEGT license to boost the ailing industry. The Forestry Commission and Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources has over the years undertaken several steps towards the issuance of FLEGT License. Unfortunately, the processes have been stalled in the past year raising concerns from civil society groups pushing for the license to see the light of day. Eco Care Ghana and various Civil Society Organizations have noted that they have observed with worry the seemingly slow pace at which the conversion process between the various actors are progressing. They have therefore through a press statement called on the state actors to play their various roles to see to the issuance of the FLEGT license before the year comes to an end. We call on the Forestry Commission, the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, and the Parliament of Ghana to undertake their respective responsibilities as mandated by law and convert extant leases and permits to valid timber utilization contracts to allow for successful issuance of FLEGT license before the end of 2020, part of a statement copied to Modernghana has said. According to the Civil Society, the issuance of FLEGT license will greatly remedy the ailing timber industry and assist in redirecting much-needed funds and staff time from being used in responding to due diligence requests and invest them in supporting the welfare of their workers in this COVID-19 era. If the processes are completed before the end of the year, Ghana will become only the second country in the world and the first in Africa to trade in FLEGT licensed timber. Below is the statement from the Civil Society: Williamstown Community Chest Collects for Local Food Pantries WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. A global pandemic can stop the Williamstown Community Chest from holding its annual fun run this weekend. But it cannot stop the venerable non-profit from figuring out new ways to serve the community. On Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and on all three remaining Saturdays this month, the Community Chest will accept donations for the town's food pantries and thank donors with a coupon for a "sweet treat" at a local shop. "What would usually be happening tomorrow is our annual Fun Run," Executive Director Anne Singleton said on Friday morning. "It's a kickoff for our fund-raising campaign and it gives people that feeling of community. "We obviously can't do that that way this year. But we wanted to find another way to build that feeling of community." An event to benefit the food pantries at Sts. Patrick and Raphael Parish on Southworth Street and the Community Bible Church on Bridges Road seemed like a natural choice. "We know the food pantries have been doing amazing work," Singleton said. "They always have, but especially since March. "We also know that the coming colder months are going to be challenging for many people. We don't have a crystal ball, but we anticipate that will be the case." Now is the time to keep those pantry shelves stocked, particularly with some of the items of highest need, like personal care items (toilet paper, toothbrushes, etc.), cleaning supplies, soup, diapers and socks. All those items and more are listed on the Community Chest's website And in addition to helping out the pantries, the fund-raiser will support local businesses through the coupons made possible by a grant from MountainOne Bank. "As a thank you for contributing, folks who bring contributions will receive a coupon," Singleton said. "That way we can help the local businesses who have always supported us. Everyone is working so hard and doing their best. There's so much uncertainty, and we want to help in any way we can. "Local businesses have always been so supportive of us when we do the Penny Social at Holiday Walk and things like that. We want to say thank you." The Community Chest itself, which benefits 17 regional non-profits ranging from the Berkshire Immigrant Center to Louison House to the Berkshire Family YMCA, is facing a challenging fund-raising season ahead. In addition to seeing the Fun Run put on the shelf after 12 years, the Community Chest faces the possibility that one of its signature events, the Penny Social that packs Williams College's Lasell Gymnasium during Holiday Walk, will be yet another local event lost to COVID-19. The good news is that the Community Chest was able to meet its fund-raising goal for 2019-20 despite the pandemic. Singleton said the organization's fiscal year ends at the end of this month, and the campaign was very successful. "As always, people are so generous and supportive of the organizations that receive allocations from us," she said. "I know that people will be as generous as they can possibly be in the coming year. "We don't know what's going to happen [in December]. The Penny Social is a good fund-raiser and awareness raiser for us. We're working on what will happen instead of that. I wish I could tell you." Like with the food pantries that will benefit from Saturday's event, the other non-profits who receive funds from the Community Chest have been part of the county's response to increased need during the economic crisis brought on by the pandemic, Singleton said. "It's something that maybe we take for granted sometimes, but it's so wonderful to have organizations that provide services that are strong and steady, and they were ready," she said. "They had to make adjustments to how they serve people, but they did it. "If we didn't have those organizations in place, it's hard to imagine what it would have looked like. It's a real blessing for us that we didn't have to create those services." The Williamstown Community Chest's "Sweet Treat September" event runs Sept. 12, 19 and 26. Saturday's kickoff is on the porch at 84 Spring St. On Sept. 19, the non-profit will be collecting for the town's food pantries at the Milne Public Library on Main Street. Those who can't make it on Saturdays can contact the Community Chest to arrange a drop-off by calling 413-458-2443. Charlevoix resident part of election fraud investigation Charlevoix resident John Haggard is among a group of Republicans who signed an Electoral College certificate attempting to award the states 16 votes to Donald Trump following the 2020 election a document now under federal investigation. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and an Afghan delegation on September 11 arrived in Qatar where negotiations between the Taliban and Afghanistan's government are scheduled to begin the next day. Pompeo said on his way to the Qatari capital, Doha, that upcoming Afghan peace talks are likely to be contentious, but they are the only way forward if Afghans are to find peace after decades of conflict. The negotiations were laid out in a peace deal Washington brokered with the Taliban and signed in Doha on February 29 aimed at ending the war and bringing U.S. troops home, ending America's longest conflict. Its taken us longer than I wish that it had to get from February 29 to here, but we expect Saturday morning -- for the first time in almost two decades -- to have the Afghans sitting at the table together, prepared to have what will be contentious discussions about how to move their country forward to reduce violence and deliver what the Afghan people are demanding: a reconciled Afghanistan with a government that reflects a country that isnt at war, Pompeo said on the plane taking him to Doha. "Its their country to figure out how to move forward and make a better life for all Afghan people, he said. President Donald Trump made the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan a promise before the 2016 presidential election. In the countdown to this November's presidential poll, Washington has ramped up pressure to start intra-Afghan negotiations. At a news conference on September 10, Trump called the talks exciting and said Washington expected to be down to 4,000 troops by November. Even though delays have plagued the start of negotiations, Washington began withdrawing some of its 13,000 troops after the February 29 deal was signed. Pompeo warned of spoilers to peace, citing recent targeted killings in Afghanistan and the attempted assassination earlier this week of Afghan Vice President Amrullah Saleh. Its very clear that the violence levels have to come down to acceptable levels, he said. U.S. peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad told journalists on September 11 that the negotiations would be a "test for both sides." "This is a new phase in diplomacy for peace in Afghanistan. Now we are entering a process that is Afghan-owned and Afghan-led," Khalilzad said, adding that Washington will continue to monitor and engage with both sides. The Afghan delegation includes Abdullah Abdullah, who heads the High Council for National Reconciliation, the powerful umbrella group that will oversee the negotiation team headed by former intelligence chief Mohammed Masoom Stanikzai. Abdullah's appointment to head the council was part of a power-sharing deal with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, ending months of squabbling over the results of a controversial presidential poll the year before. The Taliban negotiating team is led by Abdul Hakim Ishaqzai, a hard-line cleric who spent years lying low in Pakistans southwestern city of Quetta, where the Afghan Taliban leadership has been based since the U.S.-led invasion in 2001 toppled the extremist group from power in neighboring Afghanistan. With reporting by AP, Reuters, and AFP VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Sept. 11, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Euro Manganese Inc. (TSX-V/ASX: EMN) (the "Company" or "EMN"), announces that the Company has granted stock options to its directors, officers and employees to purchase up to an aggregate of 3,950,00 common shares of the Company. Of these, 1,653,000 have been granted to directors, 783,000 have been granted to officers and 1,514,000 have been granted to employees and consultants. The stock options are exercisable for a term of ten years at an exercise price of $0.11 per common share. The options will vest one-third on the date of grant, and one-third on each of the first and second anniversaries of the date of grant. About Euro Manganese Inc. Euro Manganese Inc. is a Canadian mineral resource company, whose principal focus is advancing the evaluation and development of the Chvaletice Manganese Project, in which it holds a 100% interest. The proposed Project entails re-processing a significant manganese deposit hosted in historic mine tailings, strategically located in the Czech Republic. EMN's goal is to become a leading, competitive and environmentally superior primary producer of Ultra-High-Purity Manganese Products in the heart of Europe, serving both the lithium-ion battery industry, as well as producers of specialty steel and aluminum alloys. Authorized for release by the CEO of Euro Manganese Inc. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange), or the ASX accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Contact: Marco A. Romero President & CEO +604-681-1010 ext. 101 Fausto Taddei Vice President Corp. Development & Corp. Secretary +604-681-1010 ext. 105 E-mail: info@mn25.ca Website: www.mn25.ca Company address: 1500 - 1040 West Georgia Street, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada V6E 4H8 Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-12 04:28:44|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close AMMAN, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- Jordan said on Friday that ending the Israeli occupation and resolving the Palestinian-Israeli conflict based on the two-state solution play the key role in realizing peace in the Middle East. Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi made the remarks after the normalization of ties between Israel and Bahrain was announced. Safadi said in a statement what is required to realize peace in the region is ending the Israeli occupation and stopping all Israeli measures that undermine the two-state solution. Creating an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital under the borders of 1967 remains the key for peace and ending the conflict in line with the Arab Peace Initiative and the international resolutions, said Safadi. "The effect of such deals relies on Israel's actions," Safadi noted, warning that Israeli measures that undermine peace opportunities and proceed with settlement activities will only exacerbate the situation and deepen the conflict. Jordan, he said, will continue to work with the allies and Arab and non-Arab countries to realize peace, which is a strategic option for Jordan, Palestine, and the Arabs. Jordan signed a peace treaty with Israel in 1994. Enditem Shares of Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) traded in the red after falling over a percent in morning trade on BSE on September 11. The company will release its June quarter earnings later today. IRCTC, which operates in four business segments- internet ticketing, catering, packaged drinking water under the Rail Neer brand, and travel and tourism- has suffered a serious blow due to COVID-19. Keshav Lahoti- Associate Equity Analyst, Angel Broking said the company's long-term fundamentals are intact. Currently, the Government of India holds 87.4 percent in IRCTC. As per SEBI minimum public shareholding requirement, promoters can hold a maximum 75 percent in the company. "So, to comply with SEBI regulation, as per media reports, the government is planning to sell 15-20 percent in the company in the minimum number of tranches. Amount raised from OFS will help the government in managing the fiscal deficit in these unprecedented times of COVID-19," Lahoti pointed out. The analyst believes there could be short-term pressure on the stock if the government announces OFS as the free float will increase in the market. Shares of IRCTC traded 0.87 percent lower at Rs 1,358.65 on BSE at 11:15 hours. 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. A Nepalese national (25), who had worked as a contractual agent with two banks, would secretly install a remote access application (app) in mobile phones of his customers he had helped obtain credit cards and would later use the app to withdraw money from their accounts, the Delhi Police said. The police have arrested the suspect following a six-month hunt. The suspects modus operandi was uncovered after he had gained illegal access to the mobile phone of an Indian Army personnel in the national capital and withdrew Rs 69,334 from the latters credit card account, said Devender Arya, deputy commissioner of police (DCP) (south-west), Delhi Police. The arrested accused has been identified as Mukesh Okheda, a native of Nepal, who had moved to Delhi from Bengaluru late last year in search of a job. Okheda allegedly started committing these frauds from February after he was employed as an agent by credit card departments of two banks. His job was to look for customers, who wanted new credit cards. Initially, he would convince his customers to take new credit cards and later facilitate the process of obtaining the cards for them, said a Delhi Police investigator, who didnt wish to be identified. Okheda allegedly took advantage of the card issuance process. He would get hold of a customers mobile phone during the card issuance process on some pretext. Then, he would secretly install a remote access app in the customers mobile phone and return the device to him (the customer), said the investigator. All that Okheda needed to carry out a fraudulent transaction was a one-time password (OTP) since he had the other credit card details of his victim. The rule stipulates that an OTP must be sent to a customers mobile phone number to validate a transaction. Okheda would use that app on his own mobile phone to gain remote access to the victims mobile device and then steal the OTP. Okheda would delete the OTP from the victims mobile phone after making a bogus transaction, the investigator said. Okheda would never leave behind any trail of evidence about his crime and the victim would be unaware that his mobile phone and privacy was breached to defraud him, he added. Okheda got busted after the Indian Army personnel approached the Delhi Cantonment police station authorities on March 9 after he had lost Rs 69,334 through a fraudulent transaction. The Indian Army personnel found out that Rs 69,334 was withdrawn from his credit card even though he didnt share the card and OTP details with anyone, said DCP Arya. Delhi Polices cyber cell in the south-west district was assigned the case and they approached the bank that had issued the credit card to the victim. The bank authorities informed us that the money was transferred to two online payment apps and from there to a bank account registered in the name of Okheda. Some mobile phones registered in Okhedas name were also recharged using the duped money, said the DCP. Okheda had allegedly been changing his address repeatedly to evade arrest, the police said. Finally, acting on a tip-off, the police nabbed him from Baprola village in Dwarka on Wednesday. A probe is in progress to ascertain how many other credit card holders were allegedly cheated by Okheda, the police said. Citigroup won the rights to offer a pair of new credit cards with online furniture seller Wayfair, edging out Alliance Data Systems, CNBC has learned. The deal happened amid surging demand for home goods as millions of Americans were forced to work remotely from their residences during the coronavirus pandemic. Wayfair saw an 84% jump in second-quarter sales and turned a profit for the first time since going public in 2014. The online retailer's stock has climbed 192% this year. Credit-card issuers have been fiercely jockeying over multi-year co-brand deals as they offer banks a way to quickly tap into consumer spending at popular retailers. For instance, last year Goldman Sachs won the rights to offer the Apple Card, helping it immediately ramp up its nascent consumer finance business. Citigroup, which wrested the Costco card from American Express in 2016, similarly displaced Columbus, Ohio-based Alliance Data, a major provider of private-label cards that had previously offered a Wayfair card, according to a person with knowledge of the deal. E-commerce businesses in particular have seen robust sales as the pandemic makes it harder to shop in physical stores. Online spending by users of Citigroup retail cards jumped almost 30% this year versus 2019, said Citigroup spokeswoman Jennifer Bombardier. "As retail continues to move online, we are thrilled to partner with Wayfair to provide customers with seamless, convenient financing," said Craig Vallorano, head of Citigroup's retail services business. The Citigroup products include a store card that works only at Wayfair and its affiliated brands, and a co-branded card that works anywhere Mastercard is accepted, according to Bombardier. They both offer 5% in rewards on eligible Wayfair purchases and have a variable APR of 26.99%. The co-branded card also earns 3% at grocery stores, 2% on online purchases and 1% on all other transactions. Customers can use the cards for no-interest financing if paid in full up for to 24 months on qualifying purchases or for major purchase plans, which come with a 9.99% APR for up to 60 months. Just because these films are streaming doesnt mean everyone everywhere will have access. Distributors (as well as filmmakers still seeking distribution) are asking festivals to geoblock, which means offerings from Chicago fests will be limited to viewers in Illinois. Distributors are also imposing an audience cap, usually between 300-500 total views, which correlates to the number of tickets that might have been sold for an in-person screening. Its a business decision meant to protect a films value when a distributor goes to release it on PVOD (theatrical is still an iffy proposition) and ultimately makes a deal with a streaming service like Netflix or Hulu. Lucknow, Sep 11 : Former Samajwadi Party Minister Gayatri Prajapati has another FIR lodged against him on the complaint of a rape complainant's former lawyer Dinesh Chandra Tripathi, police said on Friday. Prajapati had been arrested in 2017 on the rape charge and recently bailed out for two months on medical grounds. Ghazipur SHO Brijesh Kumar Singh said the FIR was lodged on the charges of dishonesty, criminal intimidation, forgery for the purpose of cheating, and fraudulently using a document against the former Cabinet minister and the Chitrakoot-based woman, her daughter, and her unidentified accomplices. In the FIR lodged at the Ghazipur police station on Thursday, Tripathi said that the woman complainant had asked him in February 2019 to submit an affidavit in favour of Prajapati and other co-accused in the gang-rape case and when he opposed the same, she threatened him with dire consequences. Tripathi alleged that on March 26, 2019, she got news published against him in newspapers and hired other advocates for her case. The lawyer claimed that she took money, plots, and houses from Prajapati in return for turning hostile in the case. Tripathi alleged that when he dubbed her conduct against the spirit of law and justice, she lodged a case against him in Chitrakoot on June 19. "Police did not find anything substantial and submitted its final report in the case," he said. "In connivance with Prajapati, she then lodged a rape case against me at Gautampalli police station on July 7, 2019. She took a plot worth Rs 1.5 crore in Aashiana locality to make her daughter also turn hostile in the case against Prajapati," he alleged. Tripathi further accused the woman of asking him to talk to Prajapati when the latter was in jail. "Prajapati threatened to get me killed once he came out. The woman also threatened to get me killed by Prajapati's men once he was out of jail. Now, unidentified miscreants chase me when I go out for work and when I return home," Tripathi claimed, seek protection from the police. The woman had lodged an FIR against Tripathi on the charges of rape, sexual assault, causing hurt by poisoning, dishonesty, wrongful confinement, and POCSO Act, 2012 on December 27, 2019. Attorneys for Kyle Rittenhouse may oppose his extradition from Illinois to Wisconsin, where he will face homicide charges for the shooting deaths of two men during protests in Kenosha. Rittenhouses attorney, L. Lin Wood, said Thursday that Rittenhouse plans to fight extradition. The present plan is to oppose extradition at this time, Wood said in an email. There are several legal issues which need to be addressed with respect to the issue of extradition. Rittenhouse, 17, of Antioch, is alleged to have come to Kenosha during protests on Aug. 25 to act as a militia member, armed with an AR-15. The teen is charged with first-degree reckless homicide for killing Joseph Rosenbaum, first-degree intentional homicide for killing Anthony Huber and attempted first-degree intentional homicide for shooting and injuring Gaige Grosskreutz. Rosenbaum, a 36-year-old Kenosha resident, and Huber, 26, of Silver Lake, had been regular participants in Black Lives Matter protests in Kenosha throughout the summer, according to a local organizer. Grosskreutz, 26, of West Allis, had been active in protests in the Milwaukee area, volunteering as a medic. The shootings were captured on video. His attorneys plan to argue that Rittenhouse was defending himself when he shot the three men. Rittenhouses case has become a cause for some conservative commentators and gun activists, with prominent conservative attorneys Wood and John Pierce signing on to represent him while Woods foundation and a Christian organization are raising money for his defense. Rittenhouse was taken into custody in Antioch the day after the shooting and is in custody in Lake County. He is being held on a $2 million warrant from Kenosha County and will have an extradition status hearing in Waukegan, Ill., on Sept. 25. Extradition is the legal process that allows the transfer of a person held in one state to another state where they have been charged with a crime. The Constitution addresses the issue, stating that any person charged with a treason, felony or other crimes found in one state shall on demand of the executive authority of the state from which he fled, be delivered up, to be removed to the state having jurisdiction of the crime. Because Kenosha shares a border with Illinois, extradition cases are common. In the vast majority of cases, the defendant waives extradition and returns voluntarily to face charges. Keith Findley, a professor at the University of Wisconsin Law School, said there is a good reason so few people fight extradition. Its pretty rare because there are very few defenses, Findley said. Essentially, Findley said, as long as documents are in order, the identity of the defendant is assured and the person has actually been charged with a crime, a court will order extradition. While Wood raised questions about Rittenhouses safety, Findley said that is not something he believes could be raised in an extradition case. There have been some suggestions that perhaps the court can refuse extradition if there was not probable cause for the arrest, and maybe thats what they are going to argue, but I dont know, Findley said. Findley said that while Rittenhouse has an argument for self defense at trial, probable cause for charges is a relatively low bar. Prosecutors have enormous discretion in charging anything, but when you have a case when someone is walking the streets with a high-powered weapon and ends up shooting three people, a prosecutor would be hard-pressed not to charge, Findley said. The only real issue in the case is going to be the issue of self defense, and that is the kind of thing we have juries decide. Rittenhouse will be represented in the extradition case by Pierce, who is based in California, and Chicago-based attorney Michael Baker. Out-of-state lawyers must seek permission to practice in the state they will represent a client through a pro hac vice attorney admission and must have an attorney licensed in the state represent the client as well. Wood said they are still seeking a local attorney to join Rittenhouses defense in Wisconsin. We have been interviewing several very highly qualified Wisconsin lawyers, and I believe we will be making a decision on Wisconsin counsel in the next few days, Wood said. He said he expects Baker to remain part of the defense team and said attorney Marina Medvin is another invaluable asset to the team, which is led by John in both Illinois and Wisconsin. Medvin, based in Virginia, is a criminal defense attorney and conservative columnist. The lead prosecutor for the case in Kenosha is Assistant District Attorney Tom Binger. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 1 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Confirmation of African swine fever in Germany could have a knock-on effect for the UK pig sector, the National Pig Association warns. The German government announced on Thursday (10 September) the country's first case of ASF in a wild boar near the Polish border. The ministry of agriculture unveiled a series of strict measures to avoid any contamination, and the activation of a crisis management plan. The National Pig Association (NPA) called the situation 'very worrying' as it could have a 'significant impact' on the wider market. NPA chief executive Zoe Davies said: Our thoughts go out to all German producers who clearly now face a period of uncertainty. "We await to see what the trade implications will be, but there is the potential for export restrictions to be put in place." As Germany is one of the biggest pork exporters in the world, UK producers have been told that this could result in downward market pressure if surplus product that can no longer be exported is re-directed onto the EU market. Ms Davies added: "There will also be export opportunities for those countries, like the UK that can export to China, so this will hopefully lessen the blow, but the same cannot be said for the cull sow market which is already in the doldrums. We hope that the German authorities are able to quickly contain the spread of the virus and keep it out of domestic pigs, so that any trading restrictions are kept to a minimum." However, she she it would take at least two years to regain official ASF-free status due to the testing requirements to prove ASF has been eradicated from wild boar. The German government's announcement also highlights how African swine fever continues to spread in Europe and elsewhere. The NPA said the biggest risk to UK pigs was infected meat was brought into the country and discarded in a place where domestic or feral pigs can access it. Beautiful. Even on the small screen. Yes, its a shame that American audiences wont be able to see Niki Caros spectacular live-action epic Mulan in theaters, but the good news is this is such a great-looking film, with amazing set pieces and dazzling action and colors so vibrant they would dazzle a Crayola factory, it will still play well on your home monitor. There are so many gorgeous shades of orange and magenta, blue and yellow, its as if we were seeing these colors for the first time. While the 2020 version of Mulan adheres to many of the elemental plot points of Disneys 1998 animated hit (which is based on the Chinese legend of Hua Mulan), there are no musical numbers and theres no wisecracking dragon sidekick, and the film earns its PG-13 rating through the realistic albeit stylized violence sequences. Mulan is set in an unspecified fantastical/historical period in China many centuries ago, with various temporal references from different eras. The opening is set primarily within a bustling, rounded-housing community, aka Fujian tulou, where a young Mulan (Crystal Rao, absolutely delightful) is a rules-bending free spirit who is always getting into trouble, as evidenced by a frantic comedic sequence in which she chases a chicken every which way and that, at one point winding up on the roof, thanks to her prodigious if untrained chi, or life force/energy flow. Mulans mother, Hua Li (the wonderful Rosalind Chao), is mortified by Mulans wild ways. Mulan is nearing the age when she will be matched up for marriage, and Hua Li frets that the town matchmaker wont be able to find anyone for such an undisciplined and nontraditional girl. Mulans father, Hua Zhou (the excellent veteran character actor Tzi Ma), a legendary war hero, cant help but beam with pride over the boundless energy of life itself speaking through her every motion, but when Mulan is a little bit older (and now played by Yifei Liu), he tells her, Your chi is strong, Mulan, but chi is for warriors, not daughters. This is no idle chatter. The empire is under siege from the revenge-minded Rouran warrior Bori Khan (Jason Scott Lee), who has struck a devils bargain with the shape-shifting and quite evil witch Xianniang (Li Gong) and has amassed a mob of bloodthirsty factions who have invaded China. The emperor (Jet Li) orders conscription notices decreeing one man from every family to join the Chinese army, but the only male in Mulans family is her noble but aging and disabled father, who will surely be killed if he joins the battle. (In this version of the tale, Mulan has a little sister, Hua Xiu, played by Xana Tang.) You know what happens next. Mulan takes her fathers old armor and the familys legacy sword, disguises herself as a man and enlists in the army. Cue the obligatory training sequences, with Mulan going to great lengths to hide her identity (theres a running joke about her smelling awful because, of course, she cannot bathe with her fellow trainees). The highlight of this section is an extended faceoff between Mulan and the dashing Honghui (Yoson An), who is widely regarded as the top fighter in the battalion until Mulan can no longer disguise her magnificent skills. There are moments when Mulan is like the Tootsie of a thousand years ago, e.g., Honghui thinking hes talking to his new little buddy, when of course its Mulan, who has taken a liking to him: How do you even talk to a woman? Just talk to her like youre talking to me now. I wish it was that easy. What if she doesnt like me? She will. I mean, I think she will. Later, when Bori Khan captures the emperor and traps him in elaborate restraints, he goes on and on and ON in classic Bond yapping, villain style. Regardless of era or genre, these megalomaniacal bad guys never learn to just shut up and get it over with. With an appropriately rousing epic movie score accompanying the action, Mulan takes us through bright green bamboo forests and snow-covered mountains to horizon-spanning canyons. The interiors are just as impressive, e.g., when were in the emperors palace in the Imperial City. And the costumes! Whether youre in the Chinese army or youre a black-clad henchman for Bori Khan or a humble villager or the emperor, not to mention our hero Mulan, you are sporting some seriously badass, stunningly coordinated outfits. These folks are fighting for their lives with style. Director Caro knows how to stage elaborate action sequences, and she is equally adept at light comedy and the heavier dramatic moments. For all its realism, Mulan also has some fantastic magical elements, from Xianniangs sorcery to the soaring phoenix that occasionally appears to the title character to Mulans wire-fu fighting style. The international cast is nothing short of great, led by Yifei Lius movie star turn as a boundaries-shattering, stereotype-defying hero-warrior for her time and for ours. Mulan 3.5 stars RATED: PG-13 (contains sequences of violence) WHEN: Now WHERE: Available to stream on Disney+ Premier Access KYODO NEWS - Sep 12, 2020 - 03:10 | All, Japan Yoshifumi Nishikawa, a former chief of Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp. who spearheaded a major shakeup of Japan's banking sector in the early 2000s before taking the helm of the mammoth Japan Post group during its initial privatization period, has died, sources familiar with the matter said Friday. He was 82. Nishikawa was one of Japan's most well-known bankers and had a reputation as a strong leader with bold ideas. In 2005, then Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi selected him to oversee Japan Post's privatization process, which began two years later. At the time, the Japan Post group had some 240,000 employees and its banking unit was the world's largest deposit holder. However, he resigned as president of Japan Post Holdings Co. in October 2009 when the Liberal Democratic Party's defeat in the preceding summer's general election led to a review of the privatization by the new government. Nishikawa, a native of Nara Prefecture, joined what was then Sumitomo Bank in 1961 and became its president in 1997. At the time, the Japanese financial industry was in crisis due to widespread bad debt, with several major banks and brokerages collapsing in 1997 and 1998. As chief of the bank that was part of the Sumitomo conglomerate, he was credited with successfully completing its merger with Sakura Bank to create SMBC in 2001. The merger proved a significant shift in the industry as Sakura was an amalgamation of Mitsui Bank and Taiyo Kobe Bank, meaning that two rival conglomerates -- Sumitomo and Mitsui -- joined forces to establish a megabank. While at the helm of SMBC and its holding firm, Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group Inc., Nishikawa focused on clearing the ledger of bad loans and improving its financial health by taking measures including selling 150.3 billion yen ($1.4 billion) in SMFG convertible preferred shares to U.S. investment bank Goldman Sachs Group Inc. in 2003. Nishikawa resigned as president of SMBC and SMFG in 2005, but soon re-emerged as a major player in Japan's corporate world when he assumed the presidency of Japan Post Holdings in January 2006 to start preparations for the privatization. He aimed to float Japan Post Holdings as well as its banking and insurance units as quickly as possible in order to execute the LDP's privatization drive. However, the now-defunct Democratic Party of Japan took power and moved to freeze the planned sale of postal shares, and Nishikawa stepped down as Japan Post Holdings president in October 2009. "There is a big difference between what I have already done, and intend to do, in the process of privatizing the Japan Post group and the new government's policy," he said at a news conference at the time. When the LDP retook power in 2012, the government progressed the privatization plan and shares of the three postal firms were listed simultaneously on the Tokyo Stock Exchange in November 2015. Nishikawa served as chairman of the Japanese Bankers Association twice, first in fiscal 2000 and again in fiscal 2004. With a flooded street behind her, Margate, N.J. Crossing Guard Dawn Flynn stands outside the William H. Ross school on Thursday. She's seeing New York and Pennsylvania families dropping off kids this year at the Jersey Shore school. Read more MARGATE, N.J. The corner of Monmouth and Granville Avenues is busy with morning drop-off at the William H. Ross School, but this year, in addition to masks and coronavirus protocols, things are a little different. You missed the New Yorkers, says crossing guard Dawn Flynn, a veteran of the corner for 19 years. The Philadelphia people, though, are still on the corner, after dropping off their two children, newly enrolled down the Shore in Margate, where the family spent the spring and summer in a rental property, and where unlike back home, schools have reopened for in-person instruction five days a week. The Philly dad doesnt want his name used, fearing a possible backlash from the locals who are skeptical of the new parents' commitment to their school. Were all in, assures the dad. We are staying. Up and down the Jersey Shore, summer people, many of whom arrived in the early spring from coronavirus hot spots, are staying on. They are working remotely, arranging extended rentals, making September their new August and, a bit more controversially, enrolling their children in appealingly small schools in Shore towns. In the tiny schools in Avalon and Stone Harbor, where teaching is currently in a hybrid in person-remote model, the school board is worried the added enrollment will derail plans for a gradual move to a five-day reopening. If it is a luxury option, because you have a second home, to choose between school districts, nobody else has that luxury who is a resident, Maggie Day, a school board member and Stone Harbor shop owner, said during a school board meeting broadcast Wednesday on Facebook. She suggested capping in-person numbers and restricting any future summer people to an all-virtual option. If its going to affect a resident or a tuition student already attending our school, then their option would be virtual, Day said. READ MORE: Moreys Piers in Wildwood is surviving the summer of 2020 barely The district, which barely cracks 175 students spread out over two schools, has seen 15 new students in its Stone Harbor school, which houses K-4th grade, and two new families in Avalons upper grades. But just a few more summer residents will tip the balance of the schools classrooms and prevent a full reopening with proper social distancing, Superintendent Stacey Tracy told the board. She and others on the board doubted the summer people would be sticking around, and expressed reluctance to flip the entirety of our school system to accommodate them, as one board member put it, comparing their enrollment to the difference between a marriage and a hookup. The summer residents, I dont think theyre going to stay for the year, Tracy said. I think by October or November, theyre going to go home. We had 12 kids in Avalon enrolled and 10 of them are gone. The board explored whether they could now restrict in-person learning to locals and those already enrolled, or ask people to show a New Jersey drivers license or voter registration to discourage summer people. In Ocean City, board president Joseph Clark thinks the summer people are here to stay. Like elsewhere in coastal towns up and down the eastern seaboard, Ocean City real estate is on fire. READ MORE: Beach home sales at the Jersey Shore are surging during the coronavirus outbreak Ocean Citys high school, which is running on a hybrid model, has about 75 additional students to put enrollment at about 1,300, Clark said, with somewhat smaller enrollment boosts in the lower grades. The high school, in fact, is now at capacity, he said, and is still working out the wrinkles in social distancing. Any additional high school enrollments will be assigned to the districts outsourced Virtual Academy for now, he said. Clark said he was well-aware of a widely circulated photo showing students eating lunch bunched together on the high schools bleachers, and said the school was working out the problems as we go along. There are people who have second homes, and its not just were going to sneak down here until we get it straightened out [back home], he said. I believe a lot of those families are moving here. Weve had families move into town, buy a home, who are in the virtual program right now. Were full. READ MORE: At the Jersey Shore in a season like no other, the winners and losers from restaurants to real estate Unlike tiny Stone Harbor, Ocean City has multiple classrooms per grade and extra classrooms, he said. The district also has 198 students from out of district under the states Choice program. He said the additional enrollment was a reflection of Ocean City seeing a general increase in people relocating to seasonal destinations, spurred by concerns over the coronavirus in more dense locations. Post-Labor Day did not have quite the same feel this year, he said. For those of us used to the carpet being rolled up and things calming down, not so much, said Clark. Back in Margate, parent William Jacovini said the decision to enroll his son in the beach towns school rather than in Philadelphia was easy. I went through Margate schools, Jacovini said. And despite the towns typical nuisance flooding he had to navigate around Thursday morning, he said he feels his first grader is in good hands. These public schools really stood out, he said. You hear the discussions, go on the Zoom meetings. Theyve really done their preparations. They had engineers discussing the upgrades in the HVAC system. Its amazing, for Margate to make such an effort. He said hes staying 100 percent. Were actually selling our Philadelphia home," he said, and his wife, a pharmacist, is getting a New Jersey license. Plus, his parents still live in Margate and so are available for after-school pickup. Thomas Baruffi, Margates superintendent, said about 23 students had transferred into Margates two schools, for a total enrollment of 381. The school has classes every day from 8:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m., leaving the afternoon for teacher planning periods. It is also offering limited after-school care in its Lucky Kids program, and Margate recreation will be planning intramural sports, easily solving problems that are upending parents in other districts. Students must pass health screening questions every day, bringing their signed paper with them, and are assigned one class per door to space them out around the building. Masking has not been an issue, Baruffi said, and classrooms have desk shields. Its going well, he said. So far, so good. For a school facing declining enrollment, the boost would typically be welcome. We have a limit on our class size," Baruffi said. "Its kind of a funny conundrum. We always welcome new students because our enrollment is low. Now all of a sudden, well be happy to take a few more but not too many. Back at Monmouth and Granville, the dad from Philly said that he was looking forward to his family taking their place among the Margate locals. Its an amazing lifestyle, he said. My daughter said shell do her homework on the beach, he said. I said, You think youll do your homework on the beach. Vickers then withdrew his request for the recount. Reeves asked if they could move the recount to Friday instead of next week as previously discussed, and Cotters assured him that would be possible. Reeves then asked where the ballots are currently located and who has access to them. Sweeney answered that they are in a back office and no one has access to them. Reeves repeated his question, and Sweeney again answered that they are in a back office that no one has access to. He repeated his question for a third time and Sweeney replied that the door to the office stays shut but I guess anyone could open it as we do not lock it. Reeves next question was, Do I have access to the all of the tape from the video monitoring system from the day those ballots were stored over here? Cotter said the ballots are sealed in boxes, and Reeves replied that they just admitted that anyone could enter the room. Im not asking a rocket science question. Im asking who has access, he said. Does anybody that has keys to this building have access to those ballots? As president, he has warned darkly and with considerable hyperbole of dangers he sees everywhere. At first, it was citizens of majority-Muslim countries bringing terror to the shores of the United States. Then it was MS-13 gang members overtaking tranquil communities. Then it was caravans of illegal aliens traveling through Central America toward the U.S.-Mexico border. Then it was un-American Democrats trying to steal everyones guns, obliterate the economy and destroy the country by instituting socialism. The U.K.'s opposition Labour party said this week that an Arm takeover is not in the public interest and criticized the ruling Conservative Party for failing to protect the British chip designer often hailed as one of the nation's most innovative firms from overseas predators. Arm's chips are used by companies around the globe to power millions of electrical devices. Apple uses them in iPhones and iPads, while Amazon uses them in Kindles, and car manufacturers use them in vehicles. The company has 6,000 staff globally and 3,000 of those are in the U.K. Ed Miliband, the shadow business secretary, warned that an Arm takeover by a Silicon Valley firm would ultimately lead to U.K. jobs moving overseas. A government spokesperson said that Downing Street monitors proposed acquisitions closely. "Where we feel a takeover may represent a threat to the UK, the government will not hesitate to investigate the matter further, which could lead to conditions on the deal," they said. Rumors have been swirling that U.S. chipmaker Nvidia is edging closer to buying Arm from current owner, SoftBank, which has allowed Arm to carry on independently since it acquired the firm in 2016 for 24 billion ($31 billion). SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son confirmed in August that his company is considering selling or listing Arm. Arm declined to comment and Nvidia did not immediately respond to CNBC's request for comment. "Arm is a major British success story, but the government is doing nothing in the face of the risk of the company being swallowed up by Nvidia," Miliband said in a statement shared with CNBC. "If the government truly believes in an active industrial policy, it cannot be right that they are ignoring the potential consequences of this takeover including the possible implications for where the company is headquartered and the thousands of jobs in Britain that depend on it." Miliband also warned about the risks of putting too much power in one company's hands. "We also know the tendency of dominance is a particular problem in the tech sector, and government must be much more vigilant about the risks of this," he said. "The government should show leadership and seek legally binding assurances from Nvidia should it take over the company to keep Arm headquartered in the UK rather than see jobs and decision-making moved across the ocean the same assurances that were made when Arm was taken over by Softbank in 2016." Miliband's warning comes after several other British tech companies were acquired by larger companies overseas. One of the most notable examples in recent years is London artificial intelligence lab DeepMind, which was acquired by Google in 2016 for around $600 million. Today, DeepMind is widely regarded as one of world leaders in AI research. The Labour party said there is a "worrying pattern of key British businesses in the vital technology sector being taken over by overseas interests." NDC Presidential candidate, John Dramani Mahama, who is seeking re-election in the December 7 elections, has pledged to legalize the riding of motorbike for commercial purposes, popularly called okada, in Ghana. Legalizing okada business is one of the major promises that the former President and the NDC seek to undertake should Ghanaians give them the nod to come back to power. However, currently a law has been made which bans okada business in the country. It is therefore in respect of the law that the Ministry of Transport has released a report to tell Ghanaians under whose administration was the law to ban okada business enacted. The Ministry of Transport, in a statement copied to Peacefmonline.com, disclosed that Road Traffic Regulation 2012, L.I.2180, was passed by previous NDC administration under the leadership of former President, John Dramani Mahama in 2012 to make the commercial use of motorcycle in the country illegal. ''The Ministry of Transport has taken notice of public debate on the legality of the Okada business. The Ministry therefore wishes to inform the general public'' that ''the law which makes Okada operations illegal, the Road Traffic Regulation 2012, L.I.2180, was passed in 2012 by the then NDC administration under former President, His Excellency John Dramani Mahama'', the Ministry's statement read. It was further established that ''the Akufo-Addo Government, upon assumption of office, sought to assess the implementation of the Road Traffic Regulations, and, in the process, needed to consult stakeholders, industry players and interest groups on the provisions in the law''. This release is to settle the debate on okada business. Read full statement below: STATEMENT ON OKADA OPERATIONS The Ministry of Transport has taken notice of public debate on the legality of the Okada business. The Ministry therefore wishes to inform the general public on the following: 1. The law which makes Okada operations illegal, the Road Traffic Regulation 2012, L.I.2180, was passed in 2012 by the then NDC administration under former President, His Excellency John Dramani Mahama. 2. The Akufo-Addo Government, upon assumption of office, sought to assess the implementation of the Road Traffic Regulations, and, in the process, needed to consult stakeholders, industry players and interest groups on the provisions in the law. 3. Accordingly, the Ministry, between March and November 2019, held consultations with various organizations, regional administrations and local authorities at the following venues: i. Greater Accra Region, Accra Ghana Shippers' Authority ii. Volta Region, Ho RCC Conference Hall iii. Eastern Region, Koforidua RCC Conference Hall iv. Western Region, Takoradi SSNIT Conference Hall v. Central Region, Cape Coast RCC Banquet Hall vi. Bono Region, Sunyani University of Ghana Learning Hall vii. Ashanti Region, Kumasi GNAT Hall viii. Upper East, Bolga RCC Conference Hall ix. Northern Region, Tamale Radash Conference Hall x. Upper West, Wa Regional Library Conference Hall The following groups were also part of the consultation exercise: i. Ghana Institute of Planners ii. Ghana Automobile Dealers Association iii. Ghana National Association of Driving Schools iv. Ghana Association of Driving Instructors v. National Road Safety Authority vi. Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority vii. Motor Traffic and Transport Department viii. Okada Riders Association ix. Ghana Insurers Association x. Ghana National Fire Service xi. National Ambulance Service xii. Ghana Red Cross Society xiii. National Disaster Management Organization xiv. Road Safety Advocates xv. Transport Unions (GPRTU, GRTCC, PROTOA, etc.), and others 4. In addition, four (4) major hospitals namely Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, Tamale Teaching Hospital, Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital and the Greater Accra Regional Hospital were visited to obtain firsthand information on the toll of Okada related injuries on the administration and operations of the health facilities. 5. Consultation was also held with the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) in November 2019 at the Ghana Journalist Association Press Centre in Accra. 6. The 2nd phase of the consultations is to engage stakeholders in the six (6) newly created regions of Bono East, Ahafo, Western North, Savannah, North East and Oti Regions. Other key interest groups and civil society organizations would also be consulted. They include the following: i. Center for Democratic Development (CDD) ii. Danquah Institute, iii. Institute for Democratic Governance (IDEG) iv. Integrated Social Development Centre (ISODEC) v. Centre for Policy Analysis (CEPA) vi. Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) vii. And Political Parties 7. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the final stage of the stakeholder engagement is expected to commence in October 2020, and a report presented before Cabinet for consideration. 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 Rio Tinto boss Jean-Sebastien Jacques and two senior executives will be replaced after an investor revolt forced the mining giant's board to escalate its response to the blasting of the ancient Juukan Gorge rock shelters. Mr Jacques, Rio's iron ore division boss Chris Salisbury and corporate affairs boss Simone Niven will depart the company within six months, the board said, following a series of crisis meetings held this week. Rio Tinto chief executive Jean-Sebastien Jacques will leave the company by the end of March. Credit:Josh Robenstone In a statement issued on Friday morning, the board said Mr Jacques, 48, would stay as chief executive until the appointment of his successor or until March 31, whichever was earlier. The decision comes after months of escalating pressure from Aboriginal groups, top shareholders and government leaders over Rio Tinto's decision to destroy the two culturally significant rock shelters in Western Australia's Pilbara region, which had evidence of continual human occupation tracing back at least 46,000 years. on Friday welcomed India and China's decison to de-escalate tensions in eastern Ladakh, with foreign minister Sergei Lavrov saying he was "very happy" that he could provide his Indian and Chinese counterparts a platform for a "very well timed" meeting. India and China agreed on a five-point plan for resolving the prolonged border face-off, including quick disengagement of troops during talks between External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Moscow on Thursday on the sidelines of a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meet. Addressing a joint press conference here with his Chinese counterpart Wang after bilateral talks, Lavrov noted that the foreign ministers of the three countries had a very produtive meetings on Thursday under the Russia, India and China (RIC) format. "We are very happy that Moscow has presented a platform to Russia, China and India to have this very productive, fruitful meeting whose goal is to stablise the situation on the border between India and China," Lavrov said while a reporter sought his comments on the India-China roadmap to deescalate tensions along their borders. "It was a very productive and very well timed meeting and I am very happy that it happened," he said on the bilateral meeting between Jaishankar and Wang. Ahead of the meeting between Jaishankar and Wang, a senior Russian diplomat in New Delhi had expressed confidence that India and China will be able to resolve the border standoff through dialogue. Deputy Chief of the Russian embassy Roman Babushkin said Moscow would like to see "de-escalation and disengagement" through talks in eastern Ladakh. "We hope that India and China will find a solution to the border issues through dialogue," he said at an online interaction with journalists in New Delhi on Tuesday. His comments came a day after tension escalated in eastern Ladakh following a fresh confrontation between Indian and Chinese troops in the region. "We are not participating in the resolution of disputes between the two countries. We are focusing on the creation of a positive atmosphere for it," Babushkin said, ruling out the possibility of playing the role of a mediator unless it is asked to do so by both India and China. The Russian diplomat said though the SCO Charter doesn't allow any bilateral dispute to be taken up, the bloc provides a platform to create mutual trust and finding common ground between member countries. Jaishankar's trip to Moscow happened days after Defence Minister Singh visited the Russian capital to attend a meeting of SCO defence ministers. Last Friday, Singh held an over two-hour meeting with Chinese Defence Minister Gen Wei Fenghe on the escalating border row between the two countries in eastern Ladakh. (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 Polish drug smuggler has been jailed for eight years after trying to sneak 8million of cocaine into the UK in a lorry delivering toy bricks. Marek Wisniewski, 45, admitted trying to import 80 kilos (176lbs) of Class A drugs with a potential street value of 8.1million, a judge at Canterbury Crown Court heard. The National Crime Agency (NCA) launched an investigation after Border Force officers stopped him attempting to pass through Dover's Eastern Docks on May 29. Marek Wisniewski (pictured), 45, admitted trying to import 80 kilos (176lbs) of Class A drugs with a potential street value of 8.1million, a judge at Canterbury Crown Court heard A search of the vehicle revealed blocks of cocaine stuffed in holdall bags hidden behind pallets. They were among boxes of toy bricks destined for a company address in Cambridgeshire. Wisniewski, from the industrial city of Bytom, started his journey from southern Poland. When interviewed, he claimed he had no idea how the drugs got there. NCA Dover Branch Commander Martin Grace said: 'Serious and organised crime networks rely on people like Wisniewski to carry out the leg work. Now he will have to face the consequences. 'The profit that can be made from drugs mean criminals will try almost anything to smuggle their product into the country and evade detection. A search of the vehicle revealed blocks of cocaine (pictured) stuffed in holdall bags hidden behind pallets. They were among boxes of toy bricks destined for a company address in Cambridgeshire Wisniewski, from the industrial city of Bytom, started his journey from southern Poland. When interviewed, he claimed he had no idea how the drugs (pictured inside bags) got there 'Working with partners like Border Force, we have been able to stop this cocaine reaching the streets of the UK and caused disruption to the group behind it.' Wisniewski was also ordered to forfeit the drugs, phones and van. David Smith, Border Force regional director, said: 'Illegal drugs have a significant impact on our society, being the root cause behind countless burglaries, thefts and robberies. 'They are also used as a commodity by organised criminals linked to violence and exploitation of the vulnerable. 'Border Force will continue to work with our law enforcement partners at the NCA to bring offenders like Wisnieskwi to justice and to disrupt the workings of organised criminal groups in the UK.' Children attend a lesson in a school in Moscow, Russia, Monday, Sept. 7, 2020. Russian schools, which switched to online classes in late March when the coronavirus pandemic swept the country, have reopened this month. (AP Photo/Pavel Golovkin) Russian children have returned to schools after attending classes online since the coronavirus pandemic swept the country in late March. To prevent another spike in cases, all teachers underwent mandatory virus tests before primary and secondary schools reopened on Sept. 1. Temperature checks are conducted each morning and and school schedules were amended to reduce the number of students attending at the same time. Authorities also limited how many children can be together in school cafeterias and recreation areas is also limited. Masks in schools are not mandatory for all of Russia's 85 regions, though some provinces are requiring both students and teachers to wear them. Children with a classmate who tests positive for the coronavirus will be quarantined for two weeks. Parents have the option of keeping their home to continue studying online. A teacher measures students' temperature before the start of classes in a school in Moscow, Russia, Monday, Sept. 7, 2020. Russian schools, which switched to online classes in late March when the coronavirus pandemic swept the country, have reopened this month. (AP Photo/Pavel Golovkin) Children attend a lesson in a school in Moscow, Russia, Monday, Sept. 7, 2020. Russian schools, which switched to online classes in late March when the coronavirus pandemic swept the country, have reopened this month. (AP Photo/Pavel Golovkin) Children disinfect their hands before having a meal at a school in Moscow, Russia, Monday, Sept. 7, 2020. Russian schools, which switched to online classes in late March when the coronavirus pandemic swept the country, have reopened this month. (AP Photo/Pavel Golovkin) Children prepare to get a meal during a break at a school in Moscow, Russia, Monday, Sept. 7, 2020. Russian schools, which switched to online classes in late March when the coronavirus pandemic swept the country, have reopened this month. (AP Photo/Pavel Golovkin) A teacher measures students' temperature before the start of classes in a school, with the chemical protection suits in the background at a school in Moscow, Russia, Monday, Sept. 7, 2020. Russian schools, which switched to online classes in late March when the coronavirus pandemic swept the country, have reopened this month. (AP Photo/Pavel Golovkin) A school teacher gives an online lesson in an empty classroom because one of children is suspected of being infected with the coronavirus in Moscow, Russia, Monday, Sept. 7, 2020. Russian schools, which switched to online classes in late March when the coronavirus pandemic swept the country, have reopened this month. (AP Photo/Pavel Golovkin) 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. Subscriber content preview The COVID-19 restrictions have shuttered what was once the lucrative centerpiece of African tourism, the safari. By GERALD IMRAY Associated Press Image courtesy iStockPhoto [enlarge] Africa's tourism sector is struggling to cope with the drop in international travel caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The World Travel and Tourism Council estimates the drop in travel will see Africa lose between $53 billion and $120 billion in contributions to its GDP in 2020. CAPE TOWN, South Africa Raino Bolz quickly diversified when his tourism business in South Africa's winelands crashed to a halt in March because of the coronavirus pandemic. He sold a minibus useless without tourists to ferry around and bought a herd of pregnant cows. . . . A brocade market in the mountainous area of Lao Cai Province has attracted lots of visitors thanks to its colourful products. Bac Ha District Market has been introduced to international readers by Serendis Magazine in Sri Lanka as one of the top 10 most interesting markets in South East Asia. Tourists are attracted by the community activities of the ethnic people in Vietnam's mountainous northwest region and unique traditional features. As Bac Ha Market opens on every Sunday, it has a lot of visitors, especially women from Mong Hoa or Flower Hmong ethnic group. Both goods for local women to wear on special occasions and products and souvenirs for tourists are all put on display at the market. There are both hand-made and mass-produced products at the market at different price ranges. A hand-made traditional dress of Mong Hoa ethnic group costs about VND2m (USD86) while the mass-produced one is usually cheaper by half. Depending on the visitors' budget, they can get a brocade blanket for VND500,000 to VND800,000 or VND30,000-50,000 for stuffed animals. Visitors to Bac Ha District can also enjoy horse market and nightingale market nearby. According to tour agents, many tourists to Sapa choose to make an additional trip to Bac Ha. Local women in Bac Ha District often wear nice clothes when they go to the market because it's their way of going out and meeting friends. Other popular markets in the mountainous area in Lao Cai are Y Ty market with a wide range of local products and Coc Ly Market because of its remote location. Some photos of the market: Dtinews Sunlit valleys in Bac Ha town Bac Ha town in the northern mountainous province of Lao Cai is famous for its wonderful scenes where visitors can capture beautiful images in all corners. VICTORIA - British Columbias financial outlook is being hammered by the COVID-19 pandemic, but a partial recovery is on the horizon next year, says Finance Minister Carole James. But James, who described herself as a realist Thursday, said B.C. remains a long way from rebuilding its economy to pre-COVID-19 levels. The provinces most recent financial numbers from April to June project an economic decline of 6.7 per cent this year, while the budget is forecast to post a deficit of almost $13 billion for the 2020-21 fiscal year, she said. James said the COVID-19 pandemic has challenged and changed the province. Just as were seeing globally and in Canada, B.C.s economy and everyday lives of people and the businesses of our province have been seriously impacted, she said at a news conference. The impact of COVID-19 has touched on almost every area, as you can imagine personal and business incomes, retail sales, purchases of fuel, the housing market, all of those have dropped compared to predictions in the budget in 2020. Last month, James said B.C.s final 2019-20 budget changed from a projected modest surplus to a deficit of $321 million in a matter of weeks with the arrival of COVID-19. She said B.C. is now expected to battle budget deficits for the next year and likely longer. James said Thursday that revenue forecasts are $4.6 billion lower and expenses are $7.7 billion higher, largely due to the provinces pandemic response. Jas Johal, Opposition Liberal economic development critic, said the government has been too slow in responding to the economic devastation of the pandemic. Todays $12.8-billion deficit demands an immediate and robust economic recovery plan, he said. Other provinces have introduced their plans in June and early July. We have seen nothing from the NDP government that fundamentally addresses the economic challenges moving forward. James said she will provide details of the governments planned $1.5-billion economic recovery effort next week, but Johal said the money should have been flowing by now. That emergency funding should have been prioritized and out the door a long time ago, said Johal. James said there were 149,600 fewer jobs in August than in February, when the government tabled its budget. The area hardest hit by job losses was the wholesale and retail trade sectors, where jobs were down by 33,900 positions. The information, culture and recreation sector lost more than 25,000 jobs. B.C.s jobless rate in August was 10.7 per cent, compared to five per cent in February. It goes without saying that these are unprecedented times and these are times that are very hard to predict whats coming ahead, James said. We may see slower recovery because of a weaker global recovery. We may see more negative impact to households and to businesses. We may see future waves of the virus and that may have an impact. But she said private sector economists are projecting B.C.s economy is expected to rebound somewhat next year, posting economic growth of 5.2 per cent. James said the province has taken a more prudent approach, forecasting growth of three per cent in 2021. This report by The Canadian Press was first published on Sept. 10, 2020. Note to readers: This is a corrected story. A previous version said that job declines in the wholesale and retail trade sectors was at 33.9 per cent and that the provincial government forecast a 5.2 per cent growth rate for 2021. Read more about: By Laman Ismayilova The Russian Information and Cultural Center in Baku has opened a virtual exhibition "Normandie-Niemen". The exhibition was presented by the Museum of the Great Patriotic War. The exposition of the exhibition tells about Normandie-Niemen, a French air force that fought in the ranks of the Red Army against a common enemy during the Great Patriotic War. On November 25, 1942, a Soviet-French agreement was signed on the formation of a French aviation squadron on the territory of the USSR, which later became the Normandie-Niemen regiment. Normandie-Niemen is a fighter aircraft unit of the French Air Force. During the dormant phase in 2009, the Escadron was equipped with Mirage F1CT fighters and stationed at Colmar-Meyenheim Air Base (BA 132). The Normandie-Niemen Fighter Regiment has adopted different formations and designations since 1942. Originally formed as Groupe de Chasse Normandie 3 in 1942, then redesignated as a Regiment in 1944, then given four different squadron numbers (1953, 1962, 1993, & 1995), and later two regiments designations (2008 and 2011). The unit served on the Eastern Front of the European Theatre of World War II with the 1st Air Army. The regiment is notable for being one of only three units from Western Allied countries to see combat on the Eastern Front during World War II. Normandie-Niemen was the only Western Allied unit to fight with the Soviet forces until the end of the war in Europe. The Museum of the Great Patriotic War, also known as the Victory Museum, is the largest museum of military history in the Russian Federation. The museum hosts the biggest collection of World War II military equipment in Europe, impressive 3D installations and panoramas as well as a unique series of six dioramas depicting the war. The exhibition area of the main building is more than 14, 000 square meters. Apart from the main exhibition, the museum visitors have a chance to view unique dioramas depicting major battles of the Great Patriotic War, a 3D historical and artistic panorama "Battle of Berlin" as well as a full-dome video projection "Road to Victory". The Victory Museum collection stores more than 60, 000 exhibits, including personal belongings of military leaders and soldiers, letters from the front, awards, weapons, uniforms, paper currency, etc. In the center of the museum is the Hall of Glory, a white marble room which features the names of over 11,800 of the recipients of the Hero of the Soviet Union distinction. A large bronze sculpture, the "Soldier of Victory," stands in the center of this hall. The upper floors display numerous exhibits dedicated to the war such as photographs of wartime activities, weapons and munitions, uniforms, awards, newsreels, letters from the battlefront, and model aircraft. In addition, there is an e-memory book, which records the name and fate of every Russian soldier who died in World War II. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz It has been 19 years since the terrorist attacks that fundamentally changed America. The 9/11 attacks introduced a nation to Islamic terrorism in a way that none of us could have ever imagined. Flying airplanes into symbols of American exceptionalism was the wake-up call of those who wanted nothing more than to see the blood of Westerners spill onto the streets. The 9/11 attacks made al-Qaida and its leader Osama bin laden household names. It also did something more remarkable unifying America, even if it was for a short period. We know the rest, including the thousands that died in endless wars that the Defense Department tells us have ended but feels like they continue to this day. The Defense Department reports 2,353 total deaths and 20,149 wounded in action in Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan (those taking place between 2001 and 2014). Those numbers cant measure up to the 4,431 total deaths and 31,994 wounded in action in Operation Iraqi Freedom (those taking place between 2003 and 2010). But while the clock ran out on certain operations, the American presence in the region continues. The New York Times this week reported 8,600 troops remain in Afghanistan. In Iraq, that number is 5,200 although President Trump said this week that he plans on cutting that commitment to 3,000. Military leaders also expect the number in Afghanistan to be cut in half. That is welcomed news. Heres hoping that Midlanders take some time Friday to remember the 2001 terrorist attacks, the lives lost on that day and the commitment made by tens of thousands if not hundreds of thousands to put themselves in harms way for our safety. For those people, I know I always will be grateful. But sometime in the future, I hope Americans think about the other side of post-9/11 conflicts that defined our foreign policy for more than a decade. Our commitment was for a reason poorly explained and without other nations that had no problems allowing the United States to use its own resources. Despite what your favorite cable news station or radio personality tells you, that commitment was bi-partisan and, if held unchecked, will continue as long as there is the possibility of intervention somewhere. If some want to read this and question the seriousness with which I view the danger abroad, that is your prerogative. But I also acknowledge that today makes me think about another post 9/11 attack that killed a Midlander one of our boys Jake Young. And there is not a military commitment imaginable that could have prevented that 2002 bombing in Bali. At some point, our leaders must be more laser-focused on what counts as Americas interests and what is worth the long-term sacrifice of American men and women. Heres one more point. Our nations debt was $5.8 trillion on Sept. 30, 2011, according to a Department of the Treasury website. And while the wars and post-9/11 interventionism arent the only reason for the explosion of that debt to $26.7 trillion (according to the usdebtclock.org on Wednesday), they did provide a reason to break out the credit card and gave politicos the opportunity to spend even larger sums of money for other programs. It helped desensitize a nation on deficit spending that was unlike what we had seen prior to 9/11. No one is talking about pulling out the entire commitment of military personnel out of Japan (54,000, according to Reuters), Germany (48,000 as reported by USA Today in July) or South Korea (28,500 troops, according to a July article in the Wall Street Journal). Re-examining the scale of that commitment at all sites across the globe, though, is necessary A woman has been jailed for 13 years after killing her 60-year-old friend by pushing her down the stairs in a row over 200 owed for a cancelled Moroccan holiday. Rosalind Gray, 56, was once pictured on a mobility scooter with a brick in one hand, a walking stick in the other and a cigarette balanced between her teeth. She owed grandmother Linda Rainey 200 after their trip to Marrakesh was cancelled because of a flight mix-up. The two women exchanged messages in which Ms Rainey asked for her money back and Gray called her a 'nasty old troll'. Rosalind Gray, 56, was once pictured on a mobility scooter with a brick in one hand, a walking stick in the other and a cigarette balanced between her teeth The jury were told of some of the 5,493 text messages exchanged between Gray and Ms Rainey from December 24, 2018, until July 31 last year. They argued again when they unexpectedly met up at the home of mutual friend Adrian Lawrence, 54, in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk. Norwich Crown Court heard how the row led to Gray pushing Ms Rainey in the chest at the top of the stairs so she went flying backwards and landed at the bottom with a fatal brain injury. The mother-of-five died two days later on August 7 last year without regaining consciousness after having her life support turned off in Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge. She owed grandmother Linda Rainey (pictured) 200 after their trip to Marrakesh was cancelled because of a flight mix-up. Rainey was killed after Gray pushed her down the stairs Gray, of Great Yarmouth, and Lawrence set out to pretend her death was an accident and tried to silence witness Emma Walker, who had been in the flat. But Ms Walker spoke to police three days after Ms Rainey's death, on August 10, and revealed what happened. Gray was cleared of murder, but a jury took less than two hours to find her guilty of manslaughter at an earlier trial. She and Lawrence were also convicted of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice between August 5 and August 12 last year. Judge Stephen Holt gave Gray an extended sentence of 13 years in prison followed by four years on licence, and jailed Lawrence for 38 months. The court heard Gray had seven previous convictions for 25 offences including arson with intent to endanger life for which she received a 10-year jail term in 2010. Gray (pictured) of Great Yarmouth, was cleared of murder, but a jury took less than two hours to find her guilty of manslaughter at an earlier trial Judge Holt said Gray was 'entirely responsible' for the death of Ms Rainey and insisted she 'couldn't care less' about it. He told her 'it should have been blindingly obvious to you that pushing someone backwards down stairs was high risk.' Judge Holt described Lawrence as the 'main mover' in trying to cover up the killing and hailed the bravery of witness Ms Walker who came forward to police despite facing pressure to stay quiet. He added that both defendants had shown a 'complete lack of empathy and remorse'. Ms Rainey's daughter Louise Pierce read a victim impact statement on behalf of her family, describing how her mother had been 'snatched from us' and that 'losing her has been so painful'. Gray and Ms Rainey argued when they unexpectedly met up at the home of mutual friend Adrian Lawrence (pictured), 54, in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk. Judge Holt described Lawrence as the 'main mover' in trying to cover up the killing She said the sight of her mother in hospital would stay with her forever and questioned how the defendants - who were supposed to have been her friends - could act as they did. Ms Pierce said: 'It breaks my heart that I will never get to call her to ask her advice on anything, whether it's to do with my daughter or how to make Yorkshire puddings, something I always got wrong without her reminders!' She added that she her family also had the 'trauma' of having to go through two trials after the jury had to be discharged in the first trial earlier this year. The trial heard how Gray and Lawrence told Ms Walker to hide in another room when paramedics arrived to treat Ms Rainey as she 'couldn't be trusted to stay quiet'. They later threatened her to keep quiet at a meeting in a pub, but she found the courage to come forward. Prosecutor Andrew Jackson said Ms Rainey's death would have been an 'undetected perfect murder' if it had been put down to a tragic accident. He described Gray as having a 'propensity for violence'. One message allegedly sent by Gray described Ms Rainey a 'nasty old bag'. Ms Rainey's (pictured) daughter Louise Pierce read a victim impact statement Another sent by Gray at 10.11pm on July 30 called her former friend 'vile' and a 'nasty old troll' and urged her to 'enjoy your lonely life'. Ms Rainey replied that Gray owed her 200. In the last message between them at 12.02am on July 31, she said 'come on sweet, bring it on'. Gregory Bull, defending Gray, had been in the flat for just 20 or 25 minutes before the incident and insisted it was 'not a case of premeditation or any form of planning'. Mr Bull said there was 'no evidence to say this was a ferocious attack or a really hard push'. He said there had been no viciousness from Gray towards Ms Rainey, describing it as a 'spontaneous push' which 'happened in a flash'. Andrew Oliver, defending Lawrence, who has nine convictions for 17 offences, said custody was 'inevitable'. He said Lawrence was an alcoholic and had been drinking 'a huge amount of alcohol' at the time. Mr Oliver said it was not sophisticated or well planned and was an 'immediate reaction to a fast-moving incident'. Lawrence, who appeared by videolink, apologised to Ms Rainey's family, saying: 'I can't ask for forgiveness, but I hope they accept my apology.' Gray posed for her picture of her on the mobility scooter with a brick in June 2018 with a social media caption saying: 'lol you can take the girl out of Hemel but you cant take Hemel out of the girl lol I found this thing outside the pub with a brick in the basket it tickled me lol x' Detective Chief Inspector Mike Brown of Norfolk Police said: 'The sentencing reflects the seriousness of Rosalind Gray and Adrian Lawrence's actions that night and in the days following Linda's death. 'I would like to thank the witness for their bravery and assistance throughout our investigation and during the trial. 'Without their honest and consistent account of the circumstances leading up to, and during the days after the incident, we may not have ever known the truth behind Linda's untimely and tragic death. 'While Linda's family have seen justice, nothing can make up for their loss and I can only hope the sentence will go some way in helping them during this difficult time.' COLUMBUS, Ohio -- In an embarrassing turn, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine remains without a state health department director after a South Carolina public health official withdrew her name from consideration on Thursday night, hours after DeWine had announced shed gotten the job. See update: Harassment of Dr. Amy Acton led to decision to with draw. On Thursday afternoon, DeWine announced hed hired Dr. Joan Duwve, currently director of public health for South Carolinas Department of Health and Environmental Control, as the new director of the Ohio Department of Health. She was to have started around Oct. 1, DeWine said, becoming Ohios first permanent health director since Dr. Amy Acton resigned in June amid a mix of growing public pressure, criticism and harassment. But at 8:30 p.m. Thursday, DeWine announced Duwve had withdrawn her name, citing personal reasons. The Governors administration will continue its search for a full-time Director of the Ohio Department of Health, read an unsigned statement from DeWines office. The governors office didnt share additional details on how the hire fell through. But after news of Duwves withdrawal broke, socially conservative activists shared an online resume on social media that showed she worked for Planned Parenthood as a volunteer coordinator for eight months in the early 1980s. DeWine, a Republican, opposes abortion and was elected to office in 2018 with support from anti-abortion advocacy groups. Seriously. How did this happen?" Aaron Baer, president of Citizens for Community Values, wrote on Twitter. How did a former Planned Parenthood, Volunteer Coordinator get serious consideration as our health director. DeWine knew about Duwves work for Planned Parenthood before offering her the job, according to Dan Tierney, a DeWine spokesman. The state health department has been led on an interim basis by Lance Himes since Acton resigned. Acton was just one of many public health officials who quit in the face of threats and harassment amid public backlash to coronavirus restrictions. Duwve previously worked in the Indiana state government, including while current Vice President Mike Pence was governor of the state, DeWine said. She took her job with the South Carolina state government in April, according to the Post and Courier. Immediately before that, she was an associate dean for the Indiana University public health school in Indianapolis. Duwve is a Cleveland-area native, graduating from North Olmsted High School and Ohio State University as an undergraduate. She holds a medical doctor degree from Johns Hopkins University and a master of public health from the University of Michigan, according to her professional profile on the South Carolina state website. During his televised coronavirus briefing earlier Thursday, DeWine praised Duwve as sharing similar passions on public health issues. DeWine said Duwve has been dealing with the coronavirus pandemic in South Carolina, including participating along with Ohio officials in national coordinating calls with the White House. Shes been immersed in this battle just like we have been immersed in this battle, he said. India bans 6 Christian groups from accepting foreign funds in 'shakedown' by Hindu nationalist party Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Amid another crackdown on foreign aid, India has canceled six Christian organizations licenses to receive donations from outside the country in a move some say is little more than a shakedown by the Hindu nationalist party. According to a report from UCA News, New Life Fellowship Association, Evangelical Churches Association of Manipur, Ecreosoculis North Western Gossner Evangelical, and Northern Evangelical Lutheran Church have all had their licenses canceled under the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act. John Prabhudoss, chairman of the Federation of Indian American Christian Organizations of North America, told The Christian Post that two additional Christian charities Rajnandgaon Leprosy Hospital (A member of the Christian Medical Association of India) and the DonBosco Tribal Development Society also lost their licenses to accept foreign funds. Without these licenses, the Christian organizations will be unable to legally receive donations from outside India, hindering their ability to carry out their evangelistic ministries. From time to time, relevant matters concerning FCRA norms are reviewed, and government actions are taken, an official from the Home Ministry told UCAN without citing a specific reason why the Christian organizations licenses were canceled. Prabhudoss told CP that curtailing the flow of foreign money to Christian organizations is blackmail on the part of the governing Bharatiya Janata Party, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in expectations of a payday. A government action like the one taken against these Christian institutions is taken against those who receive substantial amounts of donations/investments from overseas, he explained. Then intermediaries get involved offering to resolve the issue with the government. Those intermediaries will name their price. Once the amount is paid, they will clear the institution of all wrongdoing. Then officially they will restore the ability of these institutions to receive funds from overseas. These donations are paid to the party funds or affiliates of the BJP party. Since Modi took office in 2014, more than 11,000 nongovernmental organizations have lost their licenses to accept foreign funds, according to The New York Times. In 2017, Compassion International, a U.S.-based Christian organization that sponsored more than 100,000 impoverished children in India, was forced to stop its operations after its FCRA license was canceled on suspicion of engaging in religious conversion. Prabhudoss told CP hes not surprised by Indias latest crackdown on foreign aid, adding that such actions wouldn't have happened if the Trump administration took Compassion International's case seriously three years ago. President Trump shied away from taking any action, he said. I was informed that the president did not show any interest when he was briefed by a friend of his at the White House. That kind of inaction or lack of reaction in a case involving Compassion International has greatly strengthened the confidence of the Hindu nationalist party headed by Mr. Modi. According to Prabhudoss, the actions of the Modi government can be narrowed down to a few people in the highest power circles in India trying to raise donations to the Hindu BJP party. Unfortunately, I have been led to believe that several Christian organizations sending funds to Indian counterparts have paid such 'donations' to restore their status, he said. However, most Christian charities would not or even could not meet these demands for payments. So they lose their ability to receive funds to continue operating. Prabhudoss called on U.S. officials to send a strong signal to India that such actions by the government are not appreciated and that there will be repercussions. He told CP that in addition to addressing the issue with Sam Brownback, U.S. ambassador at large for International Religious Freedom, FIACONA is in dialogue with various church and philanthropy organizations involved in India to put together a coalition to address this issue. We are planning to build a grand coalition of organizations and churches to make the case with the U.S. Congress, he said. We are seeking churches to participate because almost all Christian organizations in the U.S. are now vulnerable for a shakedown by the Indian government. To avoid that we need cooperation from organizations across the U.S. and U.K. India is ranked at No. 10 on Open Doors USAs World Watch List of countries where it's most difficult to be a Christian. The organization says that Christians in the country face horrific levels of violence from extremists, with thousands of attacks taking place every year. The present Greenway from Omeath to Carlingford Marina Concerns of landowners, and some councillors' own issues, have resulted in a delay in making a decision on whether or not to continue the Carlingford Lough Greenway. On the agenda of last week's meeting of Dundalk Municipal District was a Part 8 application in respect of a section of the greenway from Omeath pier to the border. A Part 8 planning application is the method a county council uses to apply for planning permission for a development. The Carlingford Lough Greenway project aims provide the first cross-border greenway from Carlingford to Newry, a distance of 19.1km; and encourage people to walk and cycle. The greenway already exists between Carlingford marina and Omeath. In a lengthy debate, the meeting heard that while no one was against the project, many of the 27 landowners involved complained of a lack of dialogue with officials. It was pointed out from the top table that all landowners had been met, and that planners had gone 'above and beyond' the statutory requirements. At the outset, Cllr Andrea McKevitt proposed delaying a decision as she said there were 'a lot of questions' arising from the plan. Cllr John Reilly said landowners complained about a lack of dialogue. He told of one who would have two acres land-locked as a result of the greenway and another matter concerning Irish Water. In one case the greenway would pass within 15 yards of a kitchen window, and go around another residence 'like a horseshoe' on three sides of the property. 'There is a complete lack of dialogue. All are in favour of the greenway which will go from Carlingford to Newry at some stage, but I can't agree to proceeding until there is more dialogue,' Cllr J. Reilly continued. Cllr Sean Kelly too spoke of a lack of engagement with the council. One landowner heard nothing back from a meeting with officials in his house. 'Everyone supports it, but if the community is not on side, that's when there is a problem.' Cllr Antoin Watters highlighted a fear of losing funding over any delay. 'There are a lot of issues. Concerns have to be addressed.' Cllr Edel Corrigan noted a 'phenomenal' body of representations to councillors over the past week on this. She said they needed to ensure it was done in a way so as not to put the development at risk if there was a legal challenge. 'What real consultation was there to produce the same map in the Part 8 as there was before?' asked Cllr Conor Keelan. 'It indicates to me that an alternative route was not examined. 'Everybody here is in favour of this great piece of infrastructure, but I'm not going to vote for something unless it's right.' Cllr Keelan added a lot of people in Cooley felt they hadn't been properly consulted. Cathaoirleach Emma Coffey pointed out if there was a challenge the project could be 'bogged down in court proceedings'. She noted it stated in a report that 'the council directly engaged with all landowners'. 'It would seem to me that's not reflective in the communications being received.' Cllr Coffey said she didn't believe they had been given enough information. The meeting was told a decision could be deferred for six weeks from the issue of the report, which would leave a deadline of 24 September. The route of the greenway could only be changed by starting the whole process again, meaning a new Part 8. It was also pointed out alternative routes were examined and the preferred route was in the Part 8. Adrian Kerley, project co-ordinator, Louth County Council, said all landowners were met over a series of more than 100 meetings. In some cases, where the landowners were elderly, they met other family members or third parties. There had also been three public consultations, and he said the council had gone above and beyond what was statutory. Mr Kerley said environmental issues had also to be taken on board. 'It's not the case we haven't listened to landowners. We had to go with the experts' advice.' On the subject of alternative routes, he said the council could not get permissive access agreement from the landowners in question. Cllr Corrigan proposed holding a workshop with councillors to get clarification. This was seconded by Cllr Kelly. Cllr Marianne Butler said she didn't see what holding another meeting would achieve; and Cllr Watters believed a deferral would do no good because if there were changes, it was a new Part 8. Senior Executive Officer, Colette Moss, said a workshop was a good idea. 'This is a scheme we all want'. It was agreed to hold a workshop on 8 September. What we may be in for, though, is a return to the 1960s and 1970s. That might sound innocuous except that 13,000 National Guardsmen were deployed to Los Angeles after 34 people were killed in the 1965 riots, the first of hundreds of protests and more than a dozen violent riots over the next three years that killed over 100 and left urban centers gutted for four decades. A president and presidential candidate, John F. and Bobby Kennedy, were assassinated, as were Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. In 1972, another presidential candidate, George Wallace, narrowly survived an assassination attempt. A 1968 Gallup poll found that 81 percent of the country agreed that law and order has broken down. A University of Michigan researcher found in 1971 that nearly one-third of men thought that police beating students wasnt violence at all and even more felt the same about police shooting looters. Throughout the 1970s, America faced nearly 1,500 terrorist attacks, nearly all domestic in origin. The murder rate crept up steadily, nearly doubling from the early 1960s through the late 1970s. India on Friday recorded an unprecedented rise in single-day spike both in number of fresh cases and deaths in 24 hours. There were 96,551 new infections reported that took the total tally to 45,62,414, the Union Health Ministry data revealed. There were 1,209 deaths reported in the past 24 hours, which is also the highest fatality in a single day, with the toll reaching 76,271 so far. Out of the total cases, 9,43,480 are active, 35,42,663 have recovered so far as India rallies just behind the US. The first case was reported in the US on January 21, while in India it was on January 30. The US accounts for the world's highest number of cases and deaths at 63,95,904 and 1,91,753, respectively. India has breached US' single day tally of cases, but the US still holds the single day deaths record of 2,494 on April 15. Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Uttar Pradesh are the worst-hit states. They account for over more than 60 per cent of the active cases, according to the Ministry. The recovery rate stands at 77.74 per cent, while the fatality rate has dipped to 1.68 per cent, the Ministry data showed. According to the data from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), India conducted a record 11,63,542 tests in a single day on Thursday, taking the total number of samples tested so far to 5,40,97,975. Meanwhile, the Health Ministry and ICMR have jointly written to all the States and UTs and urged them to ensure that the all symptomatic negative cases of rapid antigen test are mandatorily retested using the gold standard RT-PCR test to ensure that such symptomatic negative cases do not remain untested and spread the disease The Ministry has also urged the States and UTs to urgently establish a monitoring mechanism in every district, a designated officer or a team, and at the State level to follow up such cases. Defender Pacific 2020 expands across breadth of the theater By U.S. Army Pacific September 10, 2020 FORT SHAFTER, Hawaii -- U.S. Army units from Joint Base Lewis-McChord are in final preparations with U.S. Air Force partners for Joint Operations into the Aleutian Islands as part of Defender Pacific 20. America's First Corps and 7th Infantry Division are employing their tactical operations centers to provide command and control of joint forcible entry exercises across Alaska over the next week. The Defender Pacific 20 exercise commenced weeks earlier with joint forces deploying to Guam and maneuvering by air and sea to Palau in a demonstration of assurance to our allies and partners in the region. "The next phase of the exercise will increase in scale and joint complexity, as we exercise multi domain operations in support of Indo-Pacific Command," said Col. James Bartholomees, U.S. Army Pacific Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations. Defender Pacific 20 is a joint exercise that demonstrates strategic readiness by deploying combat credible forces across the Indo-Pacific Theater of operations contributing to a free and open Pacific. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address At 8:30 a.m. on a sunny Friday morning, about 100 people gathered together behind Middlesex Middle School in Darien, and stepped back in time to another sunny morning 19 years ago. They were all there to remember and pay tribute to the events of Sept. 11, 2001 - the day when an organized group of terrorists made an attack on the United States, which resulted in the "most devastating loss of life on American soil, ever," said Terry Gaffney, vice-chairman of Darien's Monuments & Ceremonies Commission, who led the event. In this image from video provided by the U.S. Army, then-Sgt. 1st Class Thomas Payne is interviewed as a winner of the 2012 Best Ranger competition at Fort Benning, Ga., on April 16, 2012. Read more WASHINGTON President Donald Trump will bestow the Medal of Honor on a U.S. soldier Friday for his role in a daring 2015 mission to rescue dozens of hostages who were set to be executed by Islamic State militants in Iraq. Trump picked the 19th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks to honor Sgt. Maj. Thomas Patrick Payne, who negotiated a barrage of enemy gunfire and repeatedly entered a burning building in a harrowing effort that saved nearly 70 hostages. The White House, in a statement, highlighted Payne's small-town America upbringing and his family's commitment to public service. The soldier grew up in Batesburg-Leesville and Lugoff, South Carolina. His wife Alison is a nurse, his father a police officer, and his two brothers serve in the Army and Air Force. Payne was assigned to lead a team clearing one of two buildings known to house hostages in a nighttime operation in the northern Iraq province of Kirkuk. The Oct. 22, 2015, raid quickly became complicated. Kurdish forces working with U.S. troops attempted to blast a hole in the compounds outer wall, but the blast failed. The explosion alerted the ISIS militants, who opened fire on the Kurdish forces. Payne, a sergeant first class at the time of the mission, and his unit climbed over a wall to enter the prison compound. The soldiers quickly cleared one of the two buildings. Once inside the building, the unit encountered enemy resistance. The team used bolt cutters to break the locks off the prison doors, freeing 38 hostages, according to the White House. Moments later, an urgent call over the radio came from other task force members engaged in an intense gun fight at the second building. Between 10 to 20 Army soldiers, including Payne and Master Sgt. Joshua L. Wheeler, headed toward the second building that was partially on fire. Kurdish commandos were pinned down by the gunfire. Wheeler was shot and killed, the first American killed in action since the U.S. launched renewed military intervention in Iraq against the Islamic State in 2014. Twenty ISIS fighters also were killed in the operation. The team scaled a ladder onto the roof of the one-story building under machine-gun fire. From their roof-top vantage, the commandos engaged the enemy with hand grenades and small arms fire, according to an official account. At that point, ISIS fighters began to detonate their suicide vests, causing the roof to shake, Payne said in a statement. ISIS fighters continued to exchange gunfire with the commandos as they entered the building. Once the door was kicked opened, both American and Kurdish commandos escorted about 30 more hostages out of the burning building. Payne reentered the building two more times to ensure every hostage was freed. He had to forcibly remove one of the hostages who was too frightened to move. Payne joined the Army in 2002 as an infantryman and quickly made his way into the Rangers. He has deployed several times to combat zones as a member of the 75th Ranger Regiment and in various positions with the U.S. Army Special Operations Command. He was initially given the Armys second-highest award, the Distinguished Service Cross, for the special operations raid, which was upgraded to a Medal of Honor. Payne received a Purple Heart for a wound sustained in a 2010 mission in Afghanistan. ___ Madhani reported from Chicago. AP writer James Laporta contributed to this report from Delray Beach, Florida. City Councilman Erskine Oglesby announced on Friday his intentions to run for mayor of Chattanooga. Councilman Oglesby represents District 7 in Chattanooga which includes St. Elmo, Alton Park, East Lake and parts of downtown. For most of my adult life, I have been dedicated to serving others, and these last four years serving the public of Chattanooga has brought many successes and opportunities for Chattanooga to grow, said Councilman Oglesby. I want to see Chattanooga be a place where every citizen has the opportunity to develop to their fullest potential. I believe we can achieve the goals of equality and inclusion that are ingrained in our civic culture. As we recover from the challenges that our citizens are currently facing, the next four years of our city will be an important chapter that we have the opportunity to write. Chattanooga has been blessed with many opportunities yet there are many neighborhoods in our city that continue to struggle. As your next mayor I will focus on the issues that truly impact our residents everyday lives -ensuring a strong economy for all, increasing trust in our public safety, and a renewed focus on addressing homelessness throughout our city. We will expand access to affordable housing and tackle our citys transportation and infrastructure needs all while being fiscally responsible to our citizens and the business community that makes Chattanooga a city of innovation and opportunity. I have the vision, passion and the necessary business experience to build a strong, innovative, diverse team to address the current, and future needs of Chattanooga. Councilman Oglesby is an active community volunteer serving on the Executive Committee of the Southeast Tennessee Development District, and the boards of the: Chattanooga Girls Leadership Academy, YMCA of Metropolitan Chattanooga, Habitat for Humanities for Greater Chattanooga, Chattanooga Neighborhood Enterprises, Tivoli Foundation, Chattanooga Area Employment Consortium, Mark Making, Prison Prevention Ministries, and the Southeast Tennessee Health Consortium Committee. Councilman Oglesby is also the past chairman of the board of the Erlanger's Community Health Centers and has served as vice chairman of the city of Chattanooga's Pension Board. He has previously served on the Creative Discovery Museum, WTCI-PBS Television, 100 Black Men of America, Bessie Smith Cultural Center and Metropolitan Ministries, and is a member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc, the Chattanooga Downtown Kiwanis and the Tennessee State University National Alumni Association. Councilman Oglesby is married to Sheryl Oglesby, and together they have their son Ryan, and daughter Dominique, three grandsons, and a great-granddaughter. They are members of Resurrected Reformed Baptist Church. I will be a mayor that prioritizes the creation of a comprehensive plan that will grow our neighborhoods while closing the economic divide that currently exist in our city," said Councilman Oglesby. In the coming months, I plan to meet with citizens groups and neighborhood associations across our city. GRAND RAPIDS, MI A student has tested positive for the novel coronavirus at Forest Hills Central High School, according to a notification letter sent out Thursday, Sept. 10 to school families. According to the letter from Principal Steve Passinault, a student at the high school began experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 on Saturday, Sept. 5, three days after last being inside the school building, located at 5901 Hall St. SE. Because that time frame is greater than 48 hours, students and school staff will not be quarantined according to the districts protocols, the notice reads. People who have come into close contact with the Forest Hills student will be contacted by the Kent County Health Department, according to Passinault. The district learned of the students positive COVID-19 test on Wednesday, Sept. 9. Other Kent County schools have responded to positive cases among their students and staffs over the last few weeks, as the school year ramps back up. Caledonia, Grandville and Kentwood school districts have had to notify families. Caledonia High School closed for two weeks after five students and a staff member tested positive for COVID-19 in late August. The school will reopen Monday, Sept. 14. In Grandville, after a staff member at Grandview Elementary tested positive for the virus, the school schedule was not changed, but parents of students with direct contact with the staff member were informed, the district told parents. And a staff member at East Kentwood High School tested positive for coronavirus the weekend before Aug. 24. That positive test took place before the district had reopened for the fall, and the reopening date was not affected. Forest Hills Public Schools is the second largest school district in Kent and Ottawa counties after Grand Rapids. There were 9,728 students enrolled the 2019-20 school year, according to state enrollment data. Central High had 1,190 students. The district began the new school year on Aug. 31. K-6 students can attend class in-person full time or virtually. There is a hybrid option for those in grades 7 through 12, where they have face to face class two days a week and have online learning for three days through Sept. 25. To help readers navigate this complicated fall, were pleased to offer you a simpler way to get all of your education news: Our new Michigan Schools: Education in the COVID Era newsletter delivered right to your inbox. To receive this newsletter, simply click here to sign up. Read more on MLive: Coronavirus cases at Grand Valley State surpass all other universities in Michigan Six months ago coronavirus changed everything Michigan front-line workers eligible for tuition-free community college under state program Ex-banker jailed for 7.5 years in $1.6 million embezzlement case RAPSI, Vladimir Burnov 12:22 11/09/2020 MOSCOW, September 11 (RAPSI) Moscows Tverskoy District Court has sentenced a former deputy chairman of board of the bank Legion Victor Brusentsev to 7.5 years in penal coliny for 122 million-ruble ($1.6 million) embezzlement, the press service of the Prosecutor Generals Office has told RAPSI. Additionally, Brusentsev has been fined 800,000 rubles ($10,700). Ex-advisor to the bank board Andrey Batishchev received the same term and fine. Other defendants Dmitry Khaykov and Mikhail Korolkov have been setencened to 4.5 years in jail and a 500,000-ruble ($6,700) fine and 6 years behind bars and a 600,000-ruble ($8,000) fine respectively. In 2014, the accomplices issued knowingly unreturnable credits to firms under their control and concluded fictious deals and assignment agreements. They thus embezzled 122 million rubles from the credit organization, according to the prosecutors statement. Legion bank was declared insolvent in September 2017 by the Moscow Commercial Court. Advertisement The first of a 1billion nationwide network of more than 100 electric forecourts is nearing completion, with the bespoke location near Braintree in Essex due to be finished in November following delays caused by the coronavirus. It will become the first custom-built charging station in the UK with 24 rapid chargers and 6 Tesla Superchargers on site to deliver up to 350kW of power to electric cars. The powerful devices should replenish the batteries of the latest plug-in models in between 20 and 30 minutes - in which time drivers can head into a state-of-the-art building with shops including a Costa Coffee, WH Smith and Booths high-end supermarket. The company behind the network, Gridserve, has revealed a number of new images showing the location taking shape ahead of the grand opening before the end of the year. Slide me UK's first electric forecourt takes shape: The nation's first custom-built EV station with 30 on-site charging devices is due to open at the end of the year in Essex. Construction has been delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic but should be completed in November The operator has today announced multiple new partnerships with leading retail, service and technology giants to deliver a 'world-class' customer experience at the UKs first electric forecourt. It is currently undergoing construction at a 2.5-acre site adjacent to Great Notley, just off the A131, with links to Stansted Airport, Chelmsford, Colchester and the busy M11 motorway. Of the 30 devices on site, 24 high power chargers - half of which can deliver up to 350kW of power - are provided by Swiss-Swedish technology giant ABB. A further 6 Tesla Superchargers will be available specifically for Tesla vehicles, though Gridserve said it plans to have more of these at future sites to appease the demand for the popular US manufacturer's cars in the UK. The site will have 30 rapid car chargers in total. Another 24 will be provided by ABB and provide charging for all EV models. There will also be 6 Tesla Superchargers dedicated to the brand's models Each location will have a building on site for drivers to use for the 20 to 30 minutes their vehicles are charging. The Braintree store will be two storeys and have WH Smith and Costa Coffee on site The project has been supported by a 4.86 million grant from Innovate UK, one of the largest awarded by the government agency last year and will also be financed by Hitachi Capital UK. Gridserve has said this will be the first of a massive network of UK-wide locations that will be operational within five years. The company has already secured exclusivity at 100 site, and planning applications for two additional forecourts in Uckfield and Norwich East have recently been submitted. All forecourt destinations will be located on busy routes and near powerful grid connections close to towns, cities and major transport hubs. The Essex forecourt's building will be state-of-the-art and have a waiting lounge, free superfast Wi-Fi, high-end washrooms and a dedicated kid's area The sites are due to have 'well-being' relaxation areas and business meeting room pods The building will also be an electric car education centre to showcase the latest models and benefits of owning a plug-in vehicle Operators have guaranteed that every forecourt will be powered by 'zero carbon solar energy and battery storage projects' to ensure strict carbon emission targets can be met, whilst also keeping prices low With the sale of new petrol, diesel and hybrid cars due to be banned from 2035 as part of the government's attempts to hit a carbon-neutral target for 2050, the transition to electric vehicles is very much underway. There is already the 3,000 Plug-in Car Grant available to buyers of new zero-emissions cars, though more incentives are expected to become available with the arrival of green number plates for electric cars from this autumn - which could give drivers access to bus lanes and free parking in town centres in the future. Founder and chief executive of Gridserve, Toddington Harper, who claims to be named after Toddington Services in Bedfordshire The Department for Transport has also this week published a study looking at ways to accelerate the consumer shift to plug-in vehicles, with one of the proposals being that the government raises the price of new petrol and diesel cars to subsidise the cost of electric models. On Friday, operators announced a number of retail partners including WH Smith, Costa Coffee, Post Office, Booths, and Gourmade, alongside its charging infrastructure partners ABB and Tesla, There will also be customer support from the AA. Founder and chief executive of Gridserve, Toddington Harper, who claims to be named after Toddington Services in Bedfordshire, said: 'Our UK-wide network of over 100 customer-focused Electric Forecourts will eliminate range and charging anxiety by making it easier and cheaper to charge an electric vehicle than to fuel a petrol or diesel alternative. 'The UKs first Electric Forecourt, represents so much more than an electric equivalent of a modern petrol station it will deliver a fully loaded customer experience, offering the Best of British retail and customer service to cater for a full range of consumer and driver needs.' The Essex forecourt will have a two-story building with a waiting lounge, free superfast Wi-Fi, high-end washrooms, a dedicated kid's area, 'well-being' relaxation area and business meeting room pods. On the ground floor, a comprehensive retail space, with shops, coffee stalls, a convenience supermarket, and fresh and frozen food. There will also be an education centre to showcase the latest electric vehicles and benefits of owning one. Slide me New images released by Gridserve this week show the two-storey building taking shape, with many of the electric-car chargers already installed at the site The forecourt was due to be completed this summer but the schedule was pushed back as the country went into lockdown Toby Keir, managing director at WH Smith Travel said: 'At WH Smith, we have been serving customers on their journeys for over 200 years and we understand how important convenience is to people on the go. 'Were therefore delighted to be partnering with Gridserves Electric Forecourt to deliver a new first-class retail experience, with fantastic service and a tailored product offer. Its a great concept and we look forward to playing our part over the next hundred years with the future of electric cars.' Edwin Booth, executive chairman at quality supermarket chain, Booths, added: 'As a family-owned retailer with sustainability baked into our core, we couldnt think of a more fitting opportunity to continue our journey into the South of England.' Operators have guaranteed that every forecourt will be powered by 'zero carbon solar energy and battery storage projects' to ensure strict carbon emission targets can be met, whilst also keeping prices low. 'To achieve this, Gridserve is developing several large solar farms, supported by grid-scale batteries, as part of its 'Sun-to-Wheel' initiative to ensure that 100 per cent of the electricity used at its forecourts is renewable and, from the grids perspective, sustainable,' a statement read. The project has been supported by a 4.86 million grant from Innovate UK, one of the largest awarded by the government agency last year and will also be financed by Hitachi Capital UK The company has already secured exclusivity at 100 site, and planning applications for two additional forecourts in Uckfield and Norwich East have recently been submitted The company has recently acquired the UK's first subsidy-free solar farm the Clayhill Solar Farm in Bedfordshire to guarantee that all of the energy used at the Braintree site comes from net zero-carbon solar power. 'Its our collective responsibility to deliver sustainable energy and move the needle on climate change,' Mr Harper added. 'By delivering a series of hybrid solar farms in tandem with our Electric Forecourt rollout, we can ensure that every kWh of energy used to charge EVs is matched from 100 per cent renewable, zero carbon energy sources, enabling us to start delivering net zero carbon transport in 2020, well ahead of the UKs 2050 net zero target.' Grideserve has also recently put the finishing touches to an advanced solar farm, a 34.7 Mega Watt peak (MWp) project at York with bifacial panels, single axis sun trackers, and a 30MWh battery, and is completing a 25.7MWp project at Hull using similar technologies. Poppy Welch, head of Go Ultra Low, the joint government and industry campaign to promote the uptake of electric vehicles, commented: 'Innovations like Gridserves electric charging forecourt are ensuring more and more people around the country have access to charging infrastructure and retailers enrolling in partnerships like this are supporting the move towards an electrified future. 'The UK already enjoys access to one of Europes most comprehensive charging networks, with over 33,000 public chargepoint connectors at more than 12,000 locations across the UK. 'The network is set to go from strength-to-strength as continued investment from both private companies and the government enables rapid expansion, making it even easier for electric motorists to top up on the go.' 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: 675,890 cases in Texas, including 14,208 deaths. 165,429 in the Houston region, including 3,188 deaths. More than 6.4 million in the U.S., including 192,886 deaths. Click here to see a U.S. map with state-by-state death tolls and the latest coronavirus case counts. More than 28.3 million in the world, with over 912,212 deaths. More than 19 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: 7 p.m. The total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Texas on Friday was 675,890, an increase of 4,326. Another 139 deaths were confirmed, bringing the statewide total to 14,208, according to a Chronicle analysis. The number of confirmed cases in the Houston region is now 165,429, up 1,728 from Thursday. There have been 3,188 deaths in the Houston region, up 17 from yesterday. The positive test rate has decreased from 7.77 percent to 6.9 percent. Statewide, there were 3,465 patients hospitalized for lab-confirmed COVID-19 on Friday. There are 56,971 total staffed hospital beds, 11,893 beds and 1,210 ICU beds available. There are 7,324 ventilators available. -Reporter Matt Dempsey 2:45 p.m. With offices and businesses largely shuttered due to the pandemic, a new public art installation helps add color to downtown Houston. The Downtown District and UP Art Studio have installed 18 public art installations by Texas talents, dubbed WindowWorks, from the 200 to 1800 blocks of Main Street, with a few on side streets. -- Molly Glentzer 2:15 p.m. A judge on Friday rejected Attorney General Ken Paxtons request to halt Harris Countys plan to send mail ballot applications to all 2.4 million registered voters. State District Judge R.K. Sandill denied Paxtons request for a temporary injunction, stating that nothing in the Texas Election Code bars Harris County Clerk Christopher Hollins from carrying out the plan. Sandhill was unpersuaded by the argument that it could lead to voter fraud. Mail ballots have become the focus of fierce debate during the COVID-19 pandemic. Texas is one of only a handful of states where residents need a valid reason to vote by mail. -- Zach Despart 1:35 p.m. Mayor Sylvester Turner on Friday pulled the city out of the joint Houston-Harris County task force on housing stability that recommended an eviction grace period ordinance in response to the economic toll of the coronavirus pandemic. In a statement, Turner said the groups work was instrumental and led to more cash assistance for the citys renters, but that it was time for the citys housing committee to continue this work for the City of Houston. Marvin Odum, the citys recovery czar and co-chair of the task force, said the task force has accomplished its goals, and the city can get back to its normal governing process. "We didnt want to blur the lines between what we were asking the task force to help us with versus the normal governance process of the city," Odum said. -- Dylan McGuinness, Sarah Smith and Jasper Scherer 1 p.m. It's "very unlikely" a coronavirus vaccine will be ready before the Nov. 3 election, said Dr. Peter Hotez, co-director of the Texas Childrens Hospital Center for Vaccine Development. "If youre talking about October 2021, not 2020, then Im very optimistic," he said. "I think well have several vaccines by October 2021, which is impressive. But by this October, I do not see a path by which well have vaccines released to the public." Hotez, also a professor and dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, discussed the Trump administration's Operation Warp Speed, global vaccine efforts and more on the latest Coronavirus Chronicle podcast. -- Lisa Gray Noon: Solar sales took a hit during the second quarter, reflecting the difficulty of door-to-door selling of residential solar systems as the coronavirus pandemic spread. The U.S. solar market installed 3.5 gigawatts of solar capacity during the second quarter, a 6 percent decrease compared with the first quarter, according to a study by the research firm Wood Mackenzie and the solar trade group Solar Energy Industries Association. One gigawatt provides enough power for about 700,000 homes. The biggest factor was a 23 percent drop in residential installations as stay-at-home mandates made it difficult for solar sellers to meet potential customers at home or through in-store product demonstrations. -- L.M. Sixel 11 a.m. Houston-area scientists, including researchers at the Texas Childrens Hospital and the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, are part of the frantic global race for a COVID-19 vaccine. The regional efforts provide glimpses into the making of a vaccine for SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, the most crippling pandemic since the 1918 Spanish Influenza. Never before has such an esoteric world, such a scientific quest, so captured a frightened worlds attention. The efforts also showcase a frantic race that features more than 170 projects in development around the world, all aiming to be the one whose vaccine brings the virus to heel. --Todd Ackerman and Nick Powell 10:30 a.m. The end of summer vacation and return to school at home for Houston appears to have a calming effect on congestion in the region. With kids still out of the classroom because of COVID, and parents likely not far away as they crack open their laptops to learn, Houston Transtar traffic volumes declined, according to the most recent data. Since last Friday, when traffic was 23 percent below normal going into the Labor Day weekend, traffic volumes most days and especially school days slid, compared to recent weeks. From Tuesday to Thursday, traffic volumes were down an average of 20 percent. Excluding weekends and holidays, that is an unprecedented drop since May, when the 2019-20 school year drew to a close, also with everyone distance learning. -- Dug Begley 9:15 a.m. Can I trust the vote-by-mail application in my mailbox? Do I need to renew my drivers license? Whats actually still open in Houston? The Chronicle answers your pressing pandemic and election questions in the latest Houston How-To column. --Gwendolyn Wu 8:30 a.m. Unemployment claims in Texas rose for the second consecutive week as a temporary federal program to provide additional benefits expired and Congress remains deadlocked on another COVID-19 relief bill. The state's first-time claims for jobless benefits climbed by 66,330 last week, up nearly 10,000 from last week, the Labor Department reported. Meanwhile, while politicians argue, workers struggle to pay their bills. Ive cut back on everything I could think of, said Julie Engbrock, a 57-year-old substitute teacher from La Porte. --Rebecca Carballo 8 a.m. Texas COVID-19 deaths on Thursday eclipsed 14,000 as the state reported another 153 fatalities, according to a Houston Chronicle analysis of state data. The overall death total is 14,069. Texas also saw another 5,599 cases, bringing that total to 671,564. The state's rolling average for new cases is now at 3,593.9, slightly down from Wednesday. The Houston region's case count is 163,701, up 1,132 from Wednesday. Harris County added 742 new cases Thursday, and is at 113,504 cases total. There have been 3,171 deaths in the Houston region, up 34 from Wednesday. The positive test rate rose slightly from 7.58 percent to 7.77 percent. The rolling average of viral tests is now at 42,536. Statewide, there were 3,575 patients hospitalized for lab-confirmed COVID-19. There are 55,140 total staffed hospital beds, 11,783 beds available and 1,217 ICU beds available. There are 7,359 ventilators available. - Matt Dempsey A surface view of the organ of hearing (cochlea) from a mouse, using confocal microscopy. The sensory cells are named hair cells because of their apical projections (stereocilia) which move from stimulation by sound. Credit: University of Maryland School of Medicine Researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) have conducted a study that has determined the role that a critical protein plays in the development of hair cells. These hair cells are vital for hearing. Some of these cells amplify sounds that come into the ear, and others transform sound waves into electrical signals that travel to the brain. Ronna Hertzano, MD, Ph.D., Associate Professor in the Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery at UMSOM and Maggie Matern, Ph.D., a postdoctoral fellow at Stanford University, demonstrated that the protein, called GFI1, may be critical for determining whether an embryonic hair cell matures into a functional adult hair cell or becomes a different cell that functions more like a nerve cell or neuron. The study was published in the journal Development, and was conducted by physician-scientists and researchers at the UMSOM Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery and the UMSOM Institute for Genome Sciences (IGS), in collaboration with researchers at the Sackler School of Medicine at Tel Aviv University in Israel. Hearing relies on the proper functioning of specialized cells within the inner ear called hair cells. When the hair cells do not develop properly or are damaged by environmental stresses like loud noise, it results in a loss of hearing function. In the United States, the prevalence of hearing loss doubles with every 10-year increase in age, affecting about half of all adults in their 70s and about 80 percent of those who are over age 85. Researchers have been focusing on describing the developmental steps that lead to a functional hair cell, in order to potentially generate new hair cells when old ones are damaged. Hair cells in the inner ear To conduct her latest study, Dr. Hertzano and her team utilized cutting-edge methods to study gene expression in the hair cells of genetically modified newborn mice that did not produce GFI1. They demonstrated that, in the absence of this vital protein, embryonic hair cells failed to progress in their development to become fully functional adult cells. In fact, the genes expressed by these cells indicated that they were likely to develop into neuron-like cells. "Our findings explain why GFI1 is critical to enable embryonic cells to progress into functioning adult hair cells," said Dr. Hertzano. "These data also explain the importance of GFI1 in experimental protocols to regenerate hair cells from stem cells. These regenerative methods have the potential of being used for patients who have experienced hearing loss due to age or environmental factors like exposure to loud noise." Dr. Hertzano first became interested in GFI1 while completing her M.D., Ph.D. at Tel Aviv University. As part of her dissertation, she discovered that the hearing loss resulting from mutations in another protein called POU4F3 appeared to largely result from a loss of GFI1 in the hair cells. Since then, she has been conducting studies to discover the role of GFI1 and other proteins in hearing. Other research groups in the field are now testing these proteins to determine whether they can be used as a "cocktail" to regenerate lost hair cells and restore hearing. "Hearing research has been going through a Renaissance period, not only from advances in genomics and methodology, but also thanks to its uniquely collaborative nature among researchers," said Dr. Herzano. The new study was funded by the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) which is part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). It was also funded by the Binational Scientific Foundation (BSF). "This is an exciting new finding that underscores the importance of basic research to lay the foundation for future clinical innovations," said E. Albert Reece, MD, Ph.D., MBA, Executive Vice President for Medical Affairs, UM Baltimore, and the John Z. and Akiko K. Bowers Distinguished Professor and Dean, University of Maryland School of Medicine. "Identifying the complex pathways that lead to normal hearing could prove to be the key for reversing hearing loss in millions of Americans." Explore further Scientists find a simpler way to make sensory hearing cells More information: Maggie S. Matern et al, GFI1 functions to repress neuronal gene expression in the developing inner ear hair cells, Development (2020). Journal information: Development Maggie S. Matern et al, GFI1 functions to repress neuronal gene expression in the developing inner ear hair cells,(2020). DOI: 10.1242/dev.186015 London, Sep 11 : The daily number of coronavirus cases in the UK had increased by nearly 3,000, with another 2,919 new infections recorded, according to the official figures. Thursday's figure marked an increase of 260 over Wednesday's figure, when 2,659 new infections were officially confirmed, reports Xinhua news agency. The number of Britons who contracted Covid-19 since the start of the outbreak now stands at 358,138, according to latest data released by the government. A further 14 deaths were confirmed in the past 24 hours across all settings, taking the official death toll to 41,608. Meanwhile, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps announced that travellers arriving in England from mainland Portugal will have to self-isolate for two weeks from Saturday. No quarantine will be required for those arriving in England from the Portuguese islands, the Azores and Madeira. Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Wednesday announced a tightening of social distancing rules by banning social gatherings of more than six people in England in a bid to contain the spread of coronavirus in the country. The rule of six will cost Christmas trade 'billions,' experts have claimed, as restaurants fear there will be no party trade and self-catering providers are hit by swathes of cancellations. From Monday, new lockdown rules in England will mean no more than six people will be able to gather indoors or outdoors. The hospitality industry says it has already been hit hard by this week's announcement from Boris Johnson, with self-catering holiday homes seeing 'thousands' of cancellations, according to the Professional Association of Self-Caterers. Yesterday Mat Hancock faced a grilling from Conservative MPs over the new measures, as Sir Desmond Swayne asked if govenment policies were 'having an impact worse than the disease itself?' Mr Hancock said the new rules were 'necessary for the public health of the nation'. There are also warnings that the new rules could take billions away from retailers preparing for the Christmas rush. Independent retail analyst Richard Hyman told The Guardian: 'I think that this could reduce retail spending by billions. Toys and presents will obviously be bought but I think clothing sales will be hit. 'Clothing retailers need the fillip triggered by going to parties and family gatherings. That's clearly going to be significantly curtailed.' 'Thousands' of holiday rentals on self-catering cottages and homes have been cancelled following the rule of six announcement on Wednesday, the Professional Association of Self-Caterers has said Michelin star chef Tom Aikins has warned a lack of Christmas party bookings could see restaurants close, unless offices are allowed to book in groups larger than six. He told BBC Radio 4: 'For a lot of restaurants and hotels, its their bread and butter business at this time of year going into Christmas. If that's not happening, it's possibly going to make restaurants shut down.' NEW LOCKDOWN RULES FOR ENGLAND FROM MONDAY Max social gatherings SIX PEOPLE Applies indoors and outdoors Applies in private homes Applies in pubs and restaurants Does NOT apply to schools or workplaces Does NOT apply to weddings, funerals, team sport Does NOT apply if household bubbles are bigger than six people Police will be encouraged to break up larger groups and issue 100 fines, which will then double on each repeat offence up to 3,200 Advertisement Kate Nicholls, chief executive of UKHospitality, feared new rules would wipe out the positive impact of the Eat Out to Help Out scheme. She told The Guardian: 'The fear is that, having built momentum over August and brought back two-thirds of our workforce from furlough, consumers get nervous and feel they can't go out. There was a very clear don't socialise message.' Self-catering holiday homes are also at risk, following what Martin Sach, chair of the Holiday Homes Association, described as a 'devastating' period of lockdown. Asked about the impact the rule of six could have on larger properties, Mr Sach told MailOnline: 'It's going to have a major effect on a substantial part of the holiday market. 'Owners of these properties are not going to be able to let them for the normal price, they'll have to let them according to price of a six-person property.' Alistair Handyside, chair of the Professional Association of Self-Caterers said smaller holiday cottages may escape harm, but it could devastate larger properties. He told BBC Radio 4: 'Not many people want to book six people into a property that's designed for 25 and rattle around. So they will probably be bereft of bookings for the next few months. 'What it will mean in the short term is no income and refunds, so they'll go into negative turnover for the next three months as they refund the guests that would've come.' Larger holiday cottages will be 'bereft of bookings,' says Alistair Handyside, following Wednesday's Government announcement He added: 'The cancellations have been started, all I've been dealing with all day is owners who are haemorrhaging of bookings just as they started to recover. 'This self contained space is the safest space that's available for for paying guests to stay in. 'These houses are prepared properly, the guests go in, they're in their own self-contained area not sharing it with other groups as they would in a hotel, or bed and breakfast or a pub. This is a very safe space where they can control their own group. 'We're mystified as to why this limit hits self catering but you can still book 20 hotel rooms.' Mr Sach said the start of lockdown was 'devastating,' for self caterers, saying most owners were eligible for a Government grant of up to 10,000, which 'wasn't large enough' to cover losses from earlier this year. He added: 'We're still waiting to see what regulations are passed as well, plus we don't know yet what's going to happen to people who are already staying in holiday homes.' Michelin star winning chef Tom Aikens warned restaurants could shut unless they manage to get Christmas party bookings Speaking to the nation from No10 this week, Boris Johnson said a spike in Covid infections over the past week left him no choice but to tighten lockdown across England for the first time since March. 'We must act,' he said. He signalled that the 'rule of six' limit on how many people can socialise together will be in place for some time to come. Apart from a vaccine, he said the only other way out before Christmas was a 'moonshot' of introducing mass daily testing for everyone, but admitted that would require 'everything to come together'. There are now concerns that restaurants could shut as they lose vital Christmas party trade. Michelin star chef Tom Aikins, who runs Muse in Central London, told Radio 4: 'We just opened last week on Thursday we were starting to take some bookings for Christmas. 'It was all looking a little bit rosy until the announcement that's just happened. 'I don't think there will be many Christmas parties. 'I can't imagine big offices turning out as a table of six. It's not really fair on the others. 'A lot of restaurants and hotels, its their bread and butter business at this time of year going into Christmas if that's not happening its possibly going to make restaurants shut down. 'It's unfair towards the hospitality industry, particularly this time of year. 'It's the busiest time of year and yet you can still travel in large groups of people on the Tube and on the Underground.' Asked on Wednesday whether he had abandoned his stated ambition to have the country back towards normality by Christmas, Mr Johnson said: 'Whether we are going to get things back to normal at all by Christmas, I'm still hopeful, as I've said before, that in many ways we could be able to get some aspects of our lives back to normal by Christmas. 'I talked just now about how you could do that. Through that Moonshot of daily testing everybody gets a pregnancy-style test, a rapid turn-around test in the morning, 15 minutes later you know whether you are infectious of not. 'You may not know whether you are infected or not, but you know whether you are infectious, or not, and that gives you a kind of passport, a freedom to mingle with everybody else who is similarly not infectious in a way that is currently impossible.' He added: 'We are aiming for that. We are driving for that. As I have saidwe cannot be 100 per cent sure that we can deliver that in its entirety.' 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. A Mumbai firm has been awarded the contract to dismantle the 46-year-old Guru Nanak Dev Thermal Plant (GNDTP) in Bathinda and make way for a mega industrial park spread over 1,350 acres. The firm made a final bid of Rs 164.6 crore to Punjab State Power Corporation Limited, PSPCL director, finance, Jatinder Goyal said on Friday. The official order will be released within two weeks to the successful bidder to start dismantling the defunct plant. Details of the top bidder in the e-auction held on Wednesday will be made public after completion of the official procedure of work allotment, Goyal said. The PSPCL had fixed a reserve price of Rs 132 crore but we got Rs 32 crore above it. The e-bidding got an encouraging response, he said. The state cabinet has decided to develop a mega industrial park on 1,350 acres over which the plant is built. The land will soon be handed over to Punjab Urban Development Authority (PUDA) on a 80::20 revenue sharing scheme, as decided by the cabinet. Punjab Energy Development Agency (PEDA) recently offered to install a solar power plant at the GNDTP site but that is not under consideration. The PSPCL may consider a renewable energy project at another site, said Goyal, who also holds the charge of director, generation. TOWERS TO STAND TALL The four mega cooling towers of the power facility, that are often confused with smoke-emitting chimneys, are deemed to be monuments and will not be brought down. Only civil structures, including chimneys and machinery used in power generation besides cables and pipes, will be disposed of. The GNDTP plant was shut in 2018 as per the modalities worked out by a Punjab governments sub-committee set up on August 24, 2017, for the closure of the state-owned thermal plants in view of the Central Electricity Agency (CEA) guidelines to retire non-viable thermal power plants that have exceeded 25 years life span. SYMBOL OF MALWAS PROGRESS The foundation stone of the thermal plant, credited with playing a significant role in the development of the semi-arid Malwa belt of Punjab, was laid in November 1969 by then chief minister Gurnam Singh. He was the first Akali chief minister. The power facility was dedicated to the first Sikh master Guru Nanak Dev to mark his 500th birth anniversary. Construction started in 1970 and the plant was completed in 1982. It had four thermal units, each having a generation capacity of 110MW. The first unit started generating electricity in 1974. Opposition parties such as the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) besides employees of the state power department and farmer unions have been protesting against the decision to wind up the plant. We face another deadly foe, the coronavirus, which has killed nearly 190,000 Americans more than 63 times the number of those who died on 9/11 and rather than pull us together, this airborne virus has been driving us apart. In the early days, denial and incompetence led to confusion about the roles that should be played by various government agencies and actors. Partisans selfishly resisted measures that could prevent more deaths, egged on by, of all people, the president of the United States. This is happening against the backdrop of growing awareness of racial disparities that have caused many to question our very society. Protesters have taken to the street, some few marring their cause by engaging in violent and destructive acts. Theyve been met by counterprotests that also at times have turned violent. And political rhetoric has gotten out of hand, with false and outrageous claims flying about candidates beliefs. Spurious conspiracy theories have taken root and threaten to invade legislative offices. Some Americans cant be bothered to find the truth. But all is not lost, not yet. For eight years, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has been looking for ways around Japan's pacifist constitution to bolster the country's military. And in his last full week on the job, he laid the groundwork for a plan to allow preemptive strikes on enemy bases. Abe's statement on missile defense Friday leaves a big piece of unfinished business for his top aide and likely successor, Yoshihide Suga. While few expect the long-time chief cabinet secretary to share Abe's zeal for amending the constitution, he'll be confronted with the same dilemma of how to counter growing threats from China and North Korea -- and the same security demands from Japan's sole ally, the U.S. Abe called for alternatives to defend against ballistic missiles, saying that new policies should be decided by the end of the year. He offered vague language on whether that meant strike capability, but added the plan must abide by the country's exclusively defensive security stance. He also questioned whether interception alone would be enough. Missiles are among Tokyo's biggest worries as Beijing and Pyongyang rapidly expand stockpiles of advanced rockets designed to evade defense systems and destroy allied bases. Japan's response has been muddled, with Defense Minister Taro Kono in June scrapping plans to install Lockheed Martin's Aegis Ashore missile shield over concerns about costs and safety to the host communities. "We are considering what policies are possible as an alternative," Abe said, leaving the decision up to whoever wins control of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party in a leadership election on Monday. "And we will secure an interception capability that can protect our country from the threat of ballistic missiles." One option is to buy weapon systems capable of striking enemy missiles before they're launched. Problem is, that solution probably costs more money than Suga wants to spend during a global downturn. It's also more likely to stoke fears that Japan is drifting back toward the militarism that led to World War II. "He will probably favor a modest approach," said James Schoff, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace's Asia Program in Washington. "Suga has a lot of challenges to deal with and a broad range of domestic reform priorities that will cause him to be wary of spending too much real and political capital on a military capability that can be applied only in very few situations." Suga will also have to contend with growing demands from Washington, whether or not President Donald Trump overcomes former Vice President Joe Biden to win a second term on Nov. 3. The U.S., which wrote the constitution that requires its WWII foe to "forever renounce war," has increasingly pressed Japan to play a bigger regional role to help counter China's rise. While Abe has purchased Lockheed F-35 fighter jets and in 2014 reinterpreted the constitution to allow Japanese "self-defense" forces to come to the aid of an ally under attack, he never mustered enough support to amend the document. Japan's latest plan seeks to overcome limits on offensive weapons by arguing that striking an enemy base to prevent an attack would be a defensive move. The most immediate concern comes from North Korea, which threatened to "sink" Japan and fired two nuclear-capable ballistic missiles over the archipelago during a flare-up in tensions in 2017. Since then, Kim Jong Un has rolled out a series of smaller solid-fuel rockets that are easier to hide, quicker to deploy and designed to evade U.S.-made interceptors like the Patriot PAC-3. China's Xi Jinping and Russia's Vladimir Putin, who both have ongoing territorial disputes with Japan, have poured money into some of the world's most advanced missiles systems. In October, Xi paraded a variety of weapons intended to offset American advantages in any conflict through Beijing, including the DF-17 missile with a hypersonic glide vehicle, which is designed to make warheads almost impossible to intercept. "Japanese ruling party politicians are worried that the hypersonic glide vehicle, hypersonic cruise missiles or a fleet of unmanned aerial vehicles in a formation flying for conventional attacks that are currently developed by China and Russia could become a game-changer for the near-future warfare," said Katsuhisa Furukawa, a security analyst who used to serve on the United Nations Panel of Experts on North Korea. Japan's current missile-defense system relies on upper-atmosphere interception by Aegis-equipped destroyers and lower-altitude missiles being shot down by Patriots. Scrapping the ground-based Aegis Ashore system could leave a gap in the Japan's missile shield when the destroyers aren't in the right place. On Friday, Abe pointed the need for a more offensive capability in his statement. "Can we really protect the lives of the people and their peaceful existence just by improving our interception capability?" he asked. Although Japan has the rocket technology to quickly build a ballistic missile force, such a move would be costly. The switch toward offensive weapons could also face opposition at home -- including from the LDP's pacifist coalition partner Komeito -- as well as from China and other countries previously occupied by Japan. "The worst thing Japan could do would be to cut back on missile defense and increase offensive strike instead," said Schoff, of the Carnegie Asia Program. "I don't think Japan is set up legally or politically to make early and heavy use of strike a viable option and a useful deterrent." The Defense Ministry took steps toward a greater strike capability in 2017, when it allocated 2.2 billion yen ($21 million) for an air-to-surface Joint Strike Missile. The fiscal year 2020 budget allocated 13.6 billion yen more for the cruise missiles, which can be mounted on F-35s. The country is also looking to deploy the Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile, a longer-range version of the JSM. To build a credible independent strike capability, Japan would also need to improve its surveillance of potential targets in China and North Korea. "All in all, the costs could become enormous," said Furukawa, the security analyst. "Japan does not have the fiscal resources available to cover everything on its own." The Federal Government says it has not come to a point where it is convinced that schools should be re-opened for academic exercise after their closure due to Coronavirus pandemic. The Minister of State for Education, Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, disclosed this on Thursday in Abuja at a meeting of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 with the Northern Traditional Leaders Committee on National Primary Health. The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the meeting was presided over by the Minister of Information and Culture on behalf of the Chairman of PTF and Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha. The meeting was to seek the support of the traditional rulers towards preventing community spread of COVID-19. Responding to a question from Sultan of Sokoto, His Eminence Saad Abubakar, on school reopening, Nwajiuba said the Federal Government is still evaluating the situation. He said: At the moment, we have not come to the point where we can say we are convinced that schools can manage themselves and reopen comfortably. Our teams have gone out and we will use the whole of this week and next week to do a proper evaluation. We are going round to see the level of compliance but most importantly we are waiting to get an update on all the facilities in every part of Nigeria. So, it is a work in progress. The Minister said the government strongly believed in the opinions of experts that 15 per cent of transmission of the pandemic is from school environment and that was why they proposed remodeling of classes. Nwajiuba said: We believe the experts that the school system is a suspect place for transmission and that is why we are working with them, particularly on guidelines. We are suggesting that classes be remodeled if there are no enough classrooms for social distancing, We can do tier system, some can come in the morning, may be the junior classes, and the senior classes can come in the afternoon. We are also working out guidelines such as washing of hands because school must go on at one point. The Minister said they experimented the system in the past weeks during the West African School Certificate Examinations and the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board examination. We are lucky thus far because we only recorded an incident in Gombe, where a child contacted COVID-19. We quickly isolated him and he recovered in time to join the class back. But that showed that these places are sources of spread. Nwajiuba underscored the need to collaborate with the states for a seamless and safe reopening of schools, particularly at the primary level. He said the states were trying to look at their peculiar situation using the national guidelines. The Minister stressed the need for the collaboration of the monarchs to prevent community spread of the pandemic. Earlier, the Sultan underscored the need for the PTF to put adequate measures in place before schools are reopened to prevent transmission. The traditional ruler also said the task force must ensure that with the reopening of the nations airspace to international flights, workers at the entry points will not circumvent the laid down protocols. NAN recalls that the Federal Government in March ordered the immediate closure of all educational institutions, which includes tertiary, secondary and primary schools as a precautionary move to curtail spread of COVID-19. Welcome to my genealogy blog. Genea-Musings features genealogy research tips and techniques, genealogy news items and commentary, genealogy humor, San Diego genealogy society news, family history research and some family history stories from the keyboard of Randy Seaver (of Chula Vista CA), who thinks that Genealogy Research Is really FUN! Copyright (c) Randall J. Seaver, 2006-2021. AUSTIN Gov. Greg Abbott and other top state Republicans vowed Thursday to introduce legislation that could strip money from cities that cut law enforcement funding, another step in their ongoing response to protests over police violence in the lead-up to the November election. The proposed bill would ban cities from annexing local unincorporated areas, thereby cutting them off from new sources of tax revenue. It also would allow residents in annexed areas to vote to remove themselves from their citys authority. Republicans previously have said they also will bring forth legislation that freezes property tax revenues in cities that defund police operations. Together, these proposals will make it physically, financially impossible to defund law enforcement, and it should leave Austin with no choice but to restore the cuts that theyve already made, Abbott said in a news conference. Texas Take: Get political headlines from across the state sent directly to your inbox Earlier this summer, the Austin City Council voted to cut 5 percent from the citys $400 million annual police budget and is considering up to $130 million in additional cuts or reallocations. Austin spends more per resident on its police than any of the other three largest Texas cities. Republicans have used the move as an opening to attack Democrats, who are fighting to retake control of the state House in November. Many prominent Democrats, including former Vice President Joe Biden and some state lawmakers, do not support defunding efforts, though they have called for reforms to address racism and aggressive policing within law enforcement ranks. On Wednesday, Abbott issued a call for all political candidates in Texas to sign a pledge publicly supporting police funding. The Texas Democratic Party fired back Thursday with a pledge of its own, calling on state leaders to agree to a broad list of Democratic priorities, including health care and public education. On HoustonChronicle.com: Abbott calls for police funding pledge from candidates It is time that our leaders show Texans that they have their backs, it said in a statement. Democrats have accused the governor of diverting attention away from his response to the pandemic. Texas saw a surge in infections this summer after Abbott allowed businesses to reopen and barred local officials from mandating face masks in public; Abbott later issued a mask mandate when cases were rising. Annexation helps cities collect additional tax revenue, but it is often opposed by residents in unincorporated areas. Many cities have been essentially blocked from using the tool since 2017, when the Texas Legislature passed a Republican-authored law requiring approval for annexation from unincorporated residents. Abbott has provided few details about how either proposal would work, including what threshold would be used to measure defunding the police. He said Thursday the details would be worked out in the upcoming legislative session. PHOENIX The coronavirus pandemic has taken a harsh toll on the mental health of young Americans, according to a new poll that finds adults under 35 especially likely to report negative feelings or experience physical or emotional symptoms associated with stress and anxiety. A majority of Americans ages 18 through 34 56% say they have at least sometimes felt isolated in the past month, compared with about 4 in 10 older Americans, according to the latest COVID Response Tracking Study conducted by NORC at the University of Chicago. Twenty-five percent of young adults rate their mental health as fair or poor, compared with 13% of older adults, while 56% of older adults say their mental health is excellent or very good, compared with just 39% of young adults. In the midst of the pandemic, young adults are navigating life transitions such as starting college and finding jobs, all without being able to experience normal social activities that might be especially essential for people who are less likely to have already married and started their own families. Some young people are just beginning their adult lives amid a recession, and older members of the group are already experiencing their second. Christina Torres, 32, a middle school teacher in Honolulu, had to postpone her June wedding and was not able to travel to her grandmothers funeral in California because of the pandemic. She misses being able to deal with stress by going to the gym and getting together with friends. And so its hard to not feel really hopeless sometimes, especially because the numbers keep going up, she said. The study found that younger Americans also consistently show higher rates of psychosomatic symptoms, like having trouble sleeping, getting headaches or crying, compared to other age groups. The likelihood of experiencing such symptoms decreases with age. One possible explanation for the age gap could be that young adults have less experience dealing with a public health crisis, said Tom Smith, who has directed NORCs General Social Survey since 1980. Smith, 71, says he grew up being told not to play in the dirt because of the risk of contracting polio. This experience facing a pandemic is completely new for most younger adults, he said. Torres thought some of the hardship her generation is experiencing now could be attributed to their lack of historical context, compared with her parents generation. So it kind of feels like, oh my God, can this get any worse? When is it going to get better? she said. It doesnt feel like its going to get better. Young adults also face constant exposure to social media, which could make negative feelings about the virus even worse. The survey found that frequently watching, reading or talking about the virus is consistently linked with higher rates of negative mental health symptoms. Wayne Evans, 18, a freshman at North Carolina State University studying remotely after being sent home because of virus cases at the school, said social media provided daily reminders of COVID-19. In some ways social media has added to my stressors, yes. Just the information overload thats unavoidable on social media platforms can be distracting, he said. The survey found 67% of young adults, but just 50% of those older, say they have at least sometimes felt that they were unable to control the important things in life. And 55% of 18 to 34 year olds say they have felt difficulties piling up too high to overcome, compared with 33% of older adults. In Arizona, Desiree Eskridge, 17, decided to study remotely in California for her first year at Northern Arizona University partly because she did not want to risk spreading COVID-19 to her family, which is prone to sickness. She also worried she would get sick and have to pay back a student loan for a semester she could not finish on the campus. She did move into her grandparents house so she could still be more on her own. She relies on friends who are living on campus and taking the same classes to explain things she did not quite understand during lectures and has to schedule extra Zoom appointments with her professors for additional help. Its extremely stressful, but me being home makes it a little easier because I can do it all in my own time and my own space and I dont have to be in this new environment where I have to learn everything all over, she said. _____ Associated Press writer Colleen Slevin in Wheat Ridge, Colorado contributed to this report. Kelleher reported from Honolulu. ___ The survey of 2,007 adults was conducted July 22-August 10 with funding from the National Science Foundation. It uses a sample drawn from NORCs probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population. The margin of sampling error for all respondents is plus or minus 3.1 percentage points. Kolkata: Two months after BJP MLA from Hemtabad Debendranath Ray was found hanging in North Dinajpur district of West Bengal, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has filed its charge sheet concluding it was a case of abetment to suicide, conspiracy and cheating. According to sources in West Bengal CID, the charge sheet read, Charge Sheet filed U/S 306/ 420/ 120(B)/ 34 IPC has been submitted against accused - Niloy Sinha of English Bazar, Malda district and Mabud Ali of Chanchal, Malda district. Both have been charged with abetment to suicide, conspiracy and cheating. Ray was found hanging from the roof of a shop near his house in Bindal village of the district on July 13, 2020. Bengal BJP leaders alleged that it was a case of murder. Later, the CID took over the case from the district police and filed the charge sheet on Friday. Officials also highlighted that a suicide note was found in his pocket. BJP leaders had moved Calcutta High Court demanding a CBI probe into the mysterious death, however, the plea was turned down. Union minister Ramdas Athawale on Friday met Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari, seeking "justice" and compensation for Bollywood actor Kangana Ranaut, whose office in Mumbai was partially pulled down by the civic body. IMAGE: Rajya Sabha MP Ramdas Athawale calls on Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari, at Raj Bhavan in Mumbai. Photograph: ANI Photo Athawale said he told the governor that Ranaut was served notice and the demolition was carried out within 24 hours of that on Wednesday by the Shiv Sena-controlled Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation while she was not in the city. The minister of state for social justice had met the actor at her residence in Khar on Thursday and told her that she need not be afraid while in the city. "I held discussions with the governor for 20-25 minutes (at Raj Bhavan). We discussed the issue relating to Kangana Ranaut. Injustice was meted out to her," Athawale told reporters after the meeting. Alleging that the BMC also broke furniture in Ranaut's office during the demolition drive, he accused the civic body of misusing its powers. "I urged the governor to ensure that Kangana gets justice and compensation," Athawale said. The Shiv Sena, which heads the alliance government in the state, and Ranaut had engaged in a war of words after she likened Mumbai to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and said she feared Mumbai Police more than alleged movie mafia. Using a bulldozer and excavators, a BMC team had demolished the alterations allegedly made without the civic body's approval at Ranaut's bungalow at Pali Hill on Wednesday morning. Ranaut arrived in the city the same day after the demolition. Athawale's party -- Republican Party of India-Athawale had come out in support of the actress and offered her security at the Mumbai airport when she returned to the city amid sloganeering by Shiv Sena workers. Gandhinagar, Sep 11 : The Gujarat government's Director of Prosecution has ordered public prosecutors of all districts to file appeals of all cases rejected by the lower district courts regarding lockdown violations in the state. There were over 1.5 lakh cases for violations of lockdown and quarantine filed by the Gujarat Police during the nationwide lockdown. Director of Prosecution, Paresh Dhora, in a letter, asked all district public prosecutors to file an appeal or revision of the cases rejected by various district courts pertaining to violations of Section 188 of IPC, i.e violation of lockdown provisions. "The crime of violation of IPC 188 is a cognizable offence, which means the police are empowered according to the provisions. Besides that, under the lockdown circumstances, the orders pertaining to IPC 188 also authorises the police to file complaints of lockdown violations," the letter said. "Moreover, the apex court has dismissed the writ petition filed by Dr Vikram Singh vs Union of India to cancel the FIRs of violations under section 188, which means that the FIRs of lockdown violations are endorsed by the Supreme Court. Looking at all these, the orders by the Vadodara magisterial court and other such courts in districts of cancelling the FIRs can be challenged," the letter said. Dhora has ordered the public prosecutors to send proposals of appeal or revision of all the FIRs filed to the District Magistrates concerned and after sanctioning of proposals, file revision applications as soon as possible in higher courts. The Gujarat Police had filed over 1.5 lakh cases for lockdown and quarantine violations in the state. More than 27,600 people had been arrested using the CCTV footage and drone camera. The Judiciary, which is responsible for upholding the Constitution, adopting a policy of violating the Constitution by joining hands with many rulers, has become an inherent feature of the constitutional violations in Sri Lanka. by Victor Ivan Governance-wise, the 20th Amendment can be described as a regressive step. In my opinion, with the enactment of the 20th Amendment, one era of Sri Lanka will come to an end. The era that ends with the introduction of the 20th Amendment cannot be considered as an era of democracy. Similarly, the new era that begins with the 20th Amendment too, cannot expect to be an era in which the system of democracy will thrive in its true spirit except that it would herald a period in which a system of dictatorship will have more weight. There cannot be a qualitative difference except a quantitative difference between the period ending with the 19th Amendment and the one that begins with the 20th Amendment. Since independence, Sri Lanka has generally been regarded as a country which has held elections continuously. That is why many consider Sri Lanka to be a democratic country. Although the rulers who have come to power from time to time have been elected by popular vote, it cannot be said that much of the countrys affairs since independence have been carried out in a democratic milieu. Puzzles of Sri Lankan democracy In a democratic sense, Sri Lanka, at the time it gained independence, was not in a developed stage capable of maintaining a system of self-governance of its own. Even after independence, the situation did not improve much. So much so, in the democratic sense, compared to the Indian Independence Movement, the Independence Movement of Ceylon steered by the National Congress was lagging in an extremely backward position. There were many leaders who had a theoretical understanding of liberalism among the leaders of the Indian Independence Movement, and it can be said that there was hardly a single person among the leaders of the National Congress of Sri Lanka who understood liberal principles. The Ceylon National Congress was not a strong advocate of democratic rights, nor did it play a vital role in the socialization of democratic values. In a democratic sense, it remained at such a backward stage that it strongly opposed even the granting of universal franchise to Sri Lanka. Gaining independence Despite Sri Lankan society remaining poor in terms of democratic values on the eve of independence, the British, however, conferred a fully-fledged Westminster-style parliamentary system of governance to Sri Lanka when they left it granting independence. But neither the national leaders nor the Sri Lankan society had the democratic knowledge or discipline required to maintain and carry forward the newly gained system of governance in a strong and creative manner. The Burghers were the only indigenous community in Sri Lanka which could be considered to have had a deep understanding of liberal ideology at the time the country gained independence. It was through them that liberal ideas could have spread among other communities viz. the Sinhalese, Tamils and Muslims. Yet, the other natives of Sri Lanka did not have a favourable attitude towards the Burger community and they were looked down upon as an inferior and mixed ethnic-stock and were contemptuously referred to as thuppahi lansi or cockroach lansi. Under the circumstances, a strong feeling had grown among the Ceylonese burghers that they will have no future in independent Sri Lanka. At that time, it was mostly the Burghers who constituted the backbone of the public service, especially the Judiciary of Sri Lanka. After independence there was a marked decline in the public service particularly in the judiciary due to a large number of not only the Europeans but also the Burghers leaving Sri Lanka. The departure of the Burghers who could be considered an ethnic group enriched with liberal attitudes has been an important factor in weakening democracy in Sri Lanka. Defending the Constitution Traditionally, any country with a democratic vision and discipline has a great faith in and respect for the countrys constitution. Violating the Constitution is considered to be the most serious offense by such a country. And it is very rare that one can hear of the instances of violation of the Constitution in a democratic country. The American Constitution is as old as 231 years. It has been violated by only one President of the USA during this long course of history. The term of office of an American president is four years. The American Constitution does not specify the number of terms a president could hold the office. Yet, all presidents, from President George Washington, the first president to Roosevelt, have served only two terms. Although it was not a constitutional provision, it was considered a tradition to be followed by all presidents. But Roosevelt, who became President of the USA during World War II, served four terms, contrary to the tradition maintained up to then. In this backdrop, the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution was introduced in 1952, limiting the number of terms of the office of a President to two, so as not to allow another President to commit that offense. In India, too, during Indira Gandhis last regime, there were serious constitutional violations by her government which commanded a large majority in the Parliament. The 42nd Amendment, which she proposed violating the Constitution, was strongly opposed by the judiciary. Yet, she was able to circumvent the judiciary and pass the amendment taking advantage of the majority power she commanded in the parliament However, with the change of the regime of Indira Gandhi, the 43rd and 44th Amendments were enacted in 1978 repealing the 42nd Amendment, which had caused a distortion in the Constitution; and the Supreme Court barred the introduction of amendments that would have changed the basic structure of the Constitution to prevent further distortions of similar nature. Violation of the Constitution Sri Lanka can be ranked as one of the worlds most prominent countries for violating the Constitution. Violation of the Constitution has been a regular occurrence at the hands of State rulers since independence. So much so, that violation of or sacrilege in relation to the Constitution is not considered a serious offence in Sri Lanka. Even before the ink on the Soulbury Constitution had run dry, D.S. Senanayake, the first Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, then Ceylon, violated the Constitution by enacting citizenship ordinances which led to deprive the citizenship rights of those who were entitled to them. Again in 1956, Prime Minister S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike violated the Constitution by enacting the discriminatory piece of the Official Languages Act, depriving Tamil people of their right to have reasonable use of Tamil language. The first Republican Constitution enacted in 1972 by the coalition government of SLFP, LSSP and CP that came to power in 1970, was adopted in a manner that violated the accepted constitutional norms and traditions. Thereafter, the Second Republican Constitution introduced in 1978, was also drafted violating accepted traditions of constitution making. During the 17 years rule of the UNP since 1978, the number of instances in which the Constitution was violated intentionally have been numerous. The extension of the term of office of the Parliament where the UNP had a five-sixth majority in Parliament, by a corrupt referendum, is considered to be the most infamous violation of the Constitution during that period. President Chandrika Kumaratunga who came to power subsequently, even without having a two-thirds majority in the Parliament wanted to change the Constitution, adopted a policy of violating the Constitution with the connivance of the Judiciary. Presidents Mahinda Rajapaksa and Maithripala Sirisena who came to power after Chandrika can also be considered as Presidents who have violated the Constitution. The Judiciary, which is responsible for upholding the Constitution, adopting a policy of violating the Constitution by joining hands with many rulers, has become an inherent feature of the constitutional violations in Sri Lanka. Democracy overturned It was after the establishment of a presidential system of governance in 1978 that the democratic character of the peoples representatives was completely overturned. Along with that, the Parliament lost its supremacy and became a mere rubber stamp of the President. Under the circumstances, probably to keep the parliamentarians happy, a system of granting privileges, special rights and immunities, which were contrary to law and accepted democratic traditions, and conducive to corrupt the character of peoples representatives, was created. This eventually led to making the MPs businessmen transacting dubious businesses with the government, illegally. Furthermore, the laws that restricted spending on elections by candidates contesting elections, the system of auditing of funds received and expended by political parties were abolished creating an atmosphere for candidates to gang up with the dealers of black money. This situation led to change not only the nature and the character of the Parliament but also that of the State itself. The contest for State power became a fierce struggle for the right to plunder public property, in addition to the right to rule the country. Thus, the looting of public property which is under temporary custody of the rulers became a regular feature of the State rule in Sri Lanka. The changes that had taken place in this way did not come under protest but the acceptance of the MPs. Since then, all reforms added to the political system (including the 19th Amendment) can be considered as ostentatious fabrications intended to conceal the true nature of plunder being carried out in the name of public administration, and to give the system a quasi-democratic appearance. The Election Commission of Sri Lanka alone can be cited as an example to illustrate the ugly situation that prevails in Sri Lanka. However, this unpleasant scenario can be changed by emulating at least the system of Election Commissions in other democratic countries. There are about 12 countries, including India and the United Kingdom in which the System of Election Commissions is being operated. In almost every country indicated above except Sri Lanka, Election Commissions have been set up with comprehensive powers to monitor the spending of funds of political parties by candidates on elections, to determine whether the internal affairs of political parties are conducted in accordance with the respective constitutions of political parties, and to investigate into incidents where MPs doing business with the government in violation of the law. However, it is interesting to note that the Elections Commission of Sri Lanka has been set up in such a way that it does not have wide powers outlined above. It must be said that the real status of all other commissions is also not much different. Democracy that prevailed prior to the 20th Amendment was unable to do justice to Shani Abeysekera. In every country where a democratic political system is in operation, Presidents and Parliamentarians elected from public vote are prohibited from transacting business with the government. But since 1978, elected Presidents as well as MPs in Sri Lanka have been involved in doing business with the government. This is not something done in secret, but in public. Corruption in Sri Lanka has become an uncontrollable menace because peoples representatives who are at the helm of State rule have openly adopted a policy of plundering public resources in their custody and disposal. Regrettably, the reforms introduced to the system of governance since 1978 have not been conducive to change this uncivilised status, except to strengthen it further. In terms of democracy, Sri Lanka was in the dark even with the enforcement of the 19th Amendment. The 20th Amendment may plunge the country into pitch darkness, democratically. But, those who cannot discern the darkness that prevailed prior to the 20th Amendment shall not comprehend the post-20 pitch darkness that is in store. Few news stories scream before times quite as loudly as Brexit does. The agonizing negotiations over Britains withdrawal from the European Union consumed much of Britains, Europes, and, to a lesser extent, the rest of the worlds attention for much of 2016 through 2019, though todayin the midst of a pandemic with much of the world literally on fireall the talk of Malthouse compromises and Canada Plus deals can feel like a distant memory. Here at Slate, we discontinued our regular This Week in Brexit roundup in December 2019, after Parliament finally passed Prime Minister Boris Johnsons withdrawal bill. But Brexit was not done with us, not by a long shot. This week, talks are on the brinks of collapse, the British government may be breaking the law, and terrifying deadlines are looming. Ah, just like the good old days. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Heres a special one-off edition of This Week in Brexit to get you back up to speed. This week in werent we done with this? Technically, Brexit has happened, but only if you define Brexit very narrowly. To recap, Johnson called an election last December and won a landslide victory, allowing him to finally get the controversial withdrawal agreement he had negotiated with the EU approved by Parliament. Britain formally exited the EU on Jan. 31. But the agreement just specified the legal terms for the British withdrawal. Johnsons government still has to negotiate a final trade deal with the EU, something thateven at the timeseemed like it was going to be more complicated than he was letting on. The U.K. is currently in a one-year transition period under which it is continuing to abide by EU rules. That period runs out at the end of this year, after whichif nothing has been agreedthe EU and the U.K. will revert to trading based on World Trade Organization rules, which could have damaging economic consequences for British companies that do business in Europe and consumers who rely on products from Europe. This is what is commonly called a no-deal Brexitthe bleak scenario that loomed over talks all last year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Despite the risks, no-deal currently seems to be the most likely outcome, given the lack of progress in the seven rounds of trade talks that have been held so far. Johnson recently said he would walk away from the talks without a deal if one had not been reached by Oct. 15. Johnson has taken to calling this scenario an Australia-style trade deal, which sounds nice until you realize that Australia does not have a trade deal with the EU. Advertisement Advertisement This week in stumbling blocks: Many factors stand in the way of a final trade deal. Theres an ongoing dispute over the amount of fishing British and European boats will be able to do in each others waters. Theres also the issue of state aidassistance the government gives to businesses in the form of subsidies or tax breaks. The EU limits the amount of state aid governments can give companies in order to prevent unfair competition. The EU now says it doesnt want to give the British access to European markets unless the U.K. respects European standards on state aid as well as those for worker protections and environmental regulations. That doesnt sit well with Brexiteers, given that getting rid of European regulations was the whole point of this. There are also fears that this could mess with Johnson adviser and social distancing scofflaw Dominic Cummings plans to build a British Google to compete with Silicon Valley post-Brexit. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But if you followed Brexit at all last year, you will not be shocked to learn that the biggest stumbling block has been Northern Ireland. The Irish border, the U.K.s only land border with the EU, was by far the toughest issue to resolve in the original Brexit talks. Nobody wants to have a hard border, which could threaten the regions peace process, across the island of Ireland, but without a hard border, theres no way to check goods crossing over for customs. You could also leave Northern Ireland in a customs union with the EU, but this would essentially create a new economic border down the middle of the Irish sea and divide the U.K. Theresa Mays solution was to keep the U.K. as a whole in a customs union with the EU, but hard-line Brexiteers didnt consider that Brexit at all, and she failed multiple times to get her withdrawal bill through Parliament. Johnsons solution was basically to fudge it. In his withdrawal agreement, Northern Ireland exited the customs union along with the rest of the U.K. but would continue to operate under EU rules. It wasnt entirely clear at the time how this was going to work, and they still havent figured it out. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This week in breakin the law, but just a little bit: Last Sunday, the Financial Times reported that Johnsons government was preparing new legislation that would override parts of the withdrawal agreement, in particular the very, very sensitive part about Northern Ireland. Under the legislation, there would be no need for export declarations for goods moving from Northern Ireland to the rest of Britain, and EU law would have no role in setting state aid policies for Northern Irish firms. Its not clear whether the bill can get through Parliament, but this is clearly a way to play hardball on outstanding issues involving Northern Ireland, and the EU is furious about it. Since the withdrawal agreement is now a formal international treaty, European leaders say that this bill is a violation of international law. During a debate in Parliament, Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis conceded that it would break international law in a very specific and limited way. He might want to workshop that defense before using it in court. On Thursday, Johnson rejected an EU ultimatum demanding that the bill be withdrawn. Advertisement Both the U.K. and EU are accusing the other of undermining the Good Friday Agreement, the 1998 pact that ended most of the violence in Northern Ireland. U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has also said that Congress would not approve a new trade deal with the U.K.a major priority for Johnsonif the British government violates the withdrawal agreement or threatens peace in Northern Ireland. Advertisement Advertisement This week in what to expect: The EU says it is stepping up its preparations for a no-deal Brexit, and at the moment, the two sides positions look irreconcilable. As a former British prime minister once said, Brexit means Brexit. In this case, that means that firm deadlines are often not actually that firm, ultimatums not that ultimate, and red lines more a faded pinkish color. Its quite possible that Brussels and London will once again cobble together a compromise at the last minute, as they have so many times before. Or perhaps past experience has made them overconfident, and this time they really will blow through the deadline into the uncharted waters of a no-deal Brexit. The only thing we can be confident of is theres going to be more drama. By more aggressively flexing its claims through energy exploration and naval exercises in the eastern Mediterranean, Turkey is trying to both legitimize its declared EEZ claim, as well as delegitimize any potential EEZ claims in the region that Greece has through its islands of Crete, Rhodes and Kastellorizo. Kastellorizo, in particular, has the potential to generate a significant EEZ claim for Greece that could connect to Cyprus's own claimed EEZ, thus significantly limiting Turkish claims to resources between Crete and Cyprus. Further escalation could result in Greece finally claiming its full EEZ in the eastern Mediterranean, which Athens has so far been reluctant to do for fear of spurring a wider conflict. Turkey has also been actively attempting to delegitimize Cyprus' claimed EEZ in the eastern Mediterranean by both conducting energy exploration in waters that Cyprus directly claims, as well as harassing foreign companies that are operating on behalf of the Cypriot government. Turkey has argued that Cyprus' claimed EEZ is not legal because it was not done in coordination with the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, which Ankara recognizes as a legitimate government for all of Cyprus. Turkey also argues that, as an island, Cyprus cannot claim a full EEZ. Turkey's Yavuz vessel is currently drilling off the coast of Western Cyprus. Turkey's Barbados vessel is also currently researching in the Northern Cyprus territorial waters that Turkey recognizes as a part of an oil exploration block held by the state-owned Turkish Petroleum Corporation. In 2018, the Turkish navy prevented the Italian oil firm Eni from drilling on its Cuttlefish prospect in an exploration block the company received from Cyprus. The Specter of War Turkey's increased provocations will continue to drive the United States and other NATO countries, including France and Greece, to boost their own naval presence in the eastern Mediterranean. Both Turkey and Greece will try to refrain from crossing red lines that could spur a larger confrontation that neither wants, but the higher presence of ships in the eastern Mediterranean will nonetheless increase the possibility of incidents, as evidenced by the Aug. 10 collision between the Greek frigate Limnos and the Turkish frigate Kemal Reis. International mediation would likely avoid further escalation to a military conflict between Greece and Turkey, but is unlikely to result in a diplomatic solution to their dispute. In the case of a wider crisis, most NATO members would view Turkey as the aggressor and would likely back Greece. This would likely reinforce Ankara's overall pursuit of its maritime strategy and intensifying national security push by offering Turkey further proof that NATO does not prioritize its national security priorities. Countries can only leave NATO on their own accord, which Turkey remains is unlikely to do. Instead, Ankara would probably continue to reduce collaboration with NATO countries. Despite Cyprus and Greece's calls for a more significant response to deter Turkey's behavior, the European Union will likely be hesitant to impose more drastic measures for fear of prompting Ankara to reduce cooperation on migration and other EU priorities. Unless Turkey starts to more directly protect its claims in the Aegean Sea, fires upon a Greek or another European vessel, or conducts drilling or exploration activities around Crete, Brussels will likely limit its sanctions pressure to companies and individuals supporting Turkish activities in the Mediterranean. Decisions on implementing EU sanctions require unanimity among the bloc's member states. And some countries, such as Germany, are more concerned about aggressive sanctions only inflaming Brussels' tensions with Turkey. If the European Union does not take significant action on Turkey, Cyprus is now threatening to veto proposed EU sanctions against Belarus amid the country's ongoing political crisis. This may result in slightly stronger EU sanctions that target more Turkish individuals and companies, but more broad-based economic sanctions against the Turkish government remain unlikely. Energy Projects in the Crossfire The United States will likely let the European Union continue to take the lead in responding to Turkey's attempts to delegitimize Greek and Cypriot maritime claims, but Chevron's recent entry into the eastern Mediterranean could eventually draw Washington more directly into the conflict. On July 20, Chevron announced an agreement to acquire the Houston-based oil and gas firm Noble Energy, which operates both the Leviathan gas field off the coast of Israel and the Aphrodite gas field off the coast of Cyprus. Ankara, however, will likely adopt a more hands-off approach to U.S. companies operating in the region, as the United States would be more willing to impose hardline sanctions in response to American firms being drawn into its maritime disputes. By continuing to increase the cost of developing resources in Cypriot waters, Turkey's ongoing harassment of foreign energy firms will drive its neighbors closer together on both maritime security and energy exploration issues. But it could also potentially halt their construction of the proposed East Med pipeline. Cyprus, Egypt, Greece and Israel created the East Mediterranean Gas Forum in 2019. The quartet has since collaborated to construct the roughly $6 billion pipeline project, which would carry natural gas from the eastern Mediterranean to Europe. Under international law, Turkey is technically required to allow other countries to build pipelines through its EEZ. But Ankara retains the power to demand that any constructors of the East Med pipeline adhere to its environmental reviews and oversight, which would be de facto recognition of Turkey's EEZ. Otherwise, Turkey could send its navy to harass or intercept vessels involved with construction as Ankara did in 2018 with a drillship planning to spud a well in Cypriot waters. BRUSSELS (AP) - The 27 European Union nations presented a firmly united front to the U.K. on Friday after the British government said it plans to violate part of their Brexit divorce agreement, warning London that there was little chance of a new trade deal unless the U.K. reverses course. The European Parliament's lead lawmaker on Brexit said that even if a free trade agreement is struck, the EU legislature will refuse to ratify it unless Britain drops a proposal to override parts of the legally binding withdrawal agreement. "Should the U.K. breach the withdrawal agreement, the European Parliament wont ratify a future agreement between the European Union and the United Kingdom," said David McAllister, a German politician who heads the European Parliaments U.K.-EU coordination group. McAllister said the British bill was "a serious and unacceptable breach of international law." British Prime Minister Boris Johnsons plan to alter provisions in the EU divorce deal has put already bogged-down talks on a future trade deal into an even deeper rut. "We are remaining firm, we are remaining calm," McAllister told The Associated Press after a meeting of the European Parliament's U.K. committee. "But its not easy to negotiate our future relations under these threatening circumstances." Bruno Le Maire, France's minister for economic and financial affairs, attends the Informal Meeting of Economics and Finance Ministers in Berlin, Germany, Friday, Sept. 11, 2020. (Kay Nietfeld/DPA via AP, Pool) EU leaders have expressed anger and bafflement at the U.K's announcement that it will breach an international treaty with a bill that would diminish the EUs oversight of trade between mainland Britain and Northern Ireland. "We have never in recent history -- or, maybe in ancient history dealing with other countries -- seen such a renegement on an agreement," said Ireland's Europe minister, Thomas Byrne. Leaders of the bloc vowed to stand together as time runs short to find a smooth economic transition before Britain leaves the EU's economic structures on Dec. 31. A no-deal Brexit on Jan. 1 would hit some EU nations, including Ireland, France, Belgium and the Netherlands especially hard. But none were ready to make concessions to U.K. demands, which the EU views as seeking free access to the EU market while refusing to guarantee fair competition. "We will never accept any kind of decision that might weaken or jeopardize the European single market, French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said. "We have made very clear that all European countries remain united and strong," he added, At a meeting of eurozone finance ministers in Berlin, all other comments made backed Le Maire's stance. Ireland, which has the EU's only land border with the U.K., stands to lose the most in a breakdown of trade talks. Irish Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe welcomed "solidarity and support" from his colleagues in other EU countries. The spat spilled over into a U.K-French-German meeting on Iran on Thursday, where according to German diplomats Foreign Minister Heiko Mass and his French colleague Jean-Yves Le Drian impressed upon British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab the importance of abiding by international treaties. The British government has acknowledged it plans to breach international law with the Internal Market Bill, which would diminish the EUs oversight of trade between mainland Britain and Northern Ireland - a fraught issue during Brexit negotiations - in the event the U.K. and the EU can't reach agreement. But it says the breach is minor, and denies trying to renege on the agreement, which commits both sides to ensuring there are no customs posts or other obstacles on the Northern Ireland-Ireland border. An open border underpins the peace agreement that ended decades of violence in Northern Ireland. Britain says its law is intended to ensure there are no barriers to trade between Northern Ireland and the rest of the U.K. in the event that there is no deal with the EU. Johnsons spokesman, James Slack, said the bill provided "a safety net that removes any ambiguities and ensures that the government can always deliver on its commitments to the people of Northern Ireland." Business Minister Nadim Zahawi said the British government was "absolutely committed" to upholding the agreement, including the parts relating to Northern Ireland. "Its not about if we implement the Withdrawal Agreement and the Northern Irish protocol, its how we implement it," he said. But the admission that new legislation will break international law has caused alarm across the political spectrum, even in Britain. The bill is likely to face strong opposition when it is debated in Parliament next week. Johnson is due to speak to Conservative lawmakers later Friday in an attempt to forestall a potential rebellion. The EU has said it will take legal action if the U.K. doesn't change course and drop the controversial law by the end of September. Despite the chill in relations between London and Brussels and the threat of legal action, British officials insist talks on a future trade deal arent on the verge of collapse - and could continue even if the EU sues the U.K. for violating the withdrawal agreement. A senior U.K. negotiating official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the confidential meetings, said a round of talks in London this week was "more constructive than you might expect." The official said that the two sides were starting to have "discussions of substance on some issues," though they remain far apart on the key outstanding areas of state subsidies for businesses and EU boats access to U.K. fishing waters. Chief U.K. negotiator David Frost plans to return to Brussels next week for more talks with Barnier. Both sides say that unless there is an agreement by next month, Britain is facing an economically disruptive no-deal exit on Jan. 1. Barnier said Thursday that "the EU is intensifying its preparedness" for a possible no-deal outcome. ___ Geir Moulson and Frank Jordans in Berlin contributed to this story. French Finance and Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire, right, is welcomed by Federal Finance Minister Olaf Scholz, left, for the Informal Meeting of Economics and Finance Ministers in Berlin, Germany, Friday, Sept. 11, 2020. (Hannibal Hanschke/Pool Photo via AP) The President of the Eurogroup, Paschal Donohoe, speaks during the Informal Meeting of Economics and Finance Ministers in Berlin, Germany, Friday, Sept. 11, 2020. (Kay Nietfeld/DPA via AP, Pool) Second Lt. Zala Zazai, foreground, the only woman on a police force of 500, on the job in Khost, Afghanistan, June 22, 2020. (Image: NYT) Peace talks between the Taliban and the Afghan government are expected to begin Saturday in Doha, Qatar, officials announced Thursday, in a historic negotiation between the two sides after nearly two decades of bitter war. The release of 5,000 Taliban prisoners held by the government opened the way for the breakthrough, after months of delay and recrimination. The prisoner release was agreed to by the United States in its historic deal with the Taliban in February, at talks in which the Afghan government was not present. Under that agreement, the Americans also promised a phased withdrawal of their remaining troops in exchange for guarantees that the insurgents would reduce their attacks and no longer permit the country to serve as a haven for terrorists. Now, finding a compromise between the Taliban and the government on issues of power sharing and civil liberties, including the role of women and minorities, will be no easy task, and it will be made more difficult by decades of bloodshed and grievances. Here is where things stand. US forces are leaving Afghanistan on schedule The agreement reached between the United States and the Taliban in February called for withdrawing all of the roughly 12,000 US troops remaining in the country over 14 months. President Donald Trump has repeatedly expressed his desire to get US troops out of Afghanistan. Under the deal struck between the United States and the Taliban, the US would bring home about 3,400 troops within 135 days of the signing of peace deal and shutter five military bases. In return, the Taliban agreed to an effective cease-fire with the US-led coalition. The insurgents said they would not attack American targets on their way out, and the United States agreed to stop attacking Taliban fighters except in rare cases, in which their Afghan allies were under severe pressure. Both sides said the terms of the first 135-day phase had been honored, but the Taliban is anxious that the United States will not fully withdraw by early next year. While some US officials have expressed concerns about trusting the Taliban, none has yet suggested significantly changing the withdrawal schedule. General Kenneth F McKenzie Jr, chief of US Central Command, said Wednesday that by November the US military presence in Afghanistan will be reduced to 4,500 troops. Negotiations over power sharing will be complicated. As difficult as it has been to get the Taliban and the government to the negotiating table, coming to an agreement will be even more complicated. Finding a sustainable compromise between two clashing visions of government a strict Islamic theocracy and a democratic republic will be no easy task, and it will be made more difficult by decades of bloodshed and grievances between the two sides. The Afghan governments priority will be to secure a lasting cease-fire while the talks take place, something the Taliban have agreed to as a first item on the agenda. But getting the insurgents to let go of violence, their main leverage, will be no easy task. There is distance between the sides on other issues including the shape of a future power-sharing government, womens rights and how to potentially integrate thousands of Taliban fighters into the security forces. In the meantime, the clock is ticking. Each side knows that the country, stuck in a divided and hostile region, could face a dangerous new crisis if the United States pulls out its last troops before a settlement is finalized. At the talks: a presidential contender, a religious scholar and 5 women The negotiating team of the Afghan republic consists of a mix of government officials and opposition figures, overseen by perennial presidential candidate Abdullah Abdullah. The team includes five women among its 21 members, including Fawzia Koofi, a former member of parliament who recently survived an assassination attempt and will be arriving at the table with her hand in a cast. Masoom Stanekzai, the chief negotiator, has been a longtime confidant of President Ashraf Ghani and most recently served as Ghanis intelligence chief. The Taliban team will include some of the delegation that negotiated the deal with the United States, and a notable change: As chief negotiator, the insurgents have put forward Mawlawi Abdul Hakim Haqqani, a religious scholar who has led the Talibans network of local courts in recent years. Mawlawi Haqqani is seen as carrying deep influence within the Taliban ranks, having served as instructor to many of their leaders in Islamic seminaries. Overseeing the process will still be Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, the Talibans deputy supreme leader, who signed the US deal on behalf of the insurgents. Many on both sides will bring histories of personal loss to the table. Stanekzai was wounded in a bombing that killed Afghanistans former top peace envoy, Burhanuddin Rabbani. Mawlawi Haqqani lost his brother and son in an explosion targeting a mosque in the Pakistani city of Quetta, where much of the Taliban leadership operates from. US officials are wary of Taliban promises to keep terrorists out of Afghanistan As part of their agreement with the Americans, the Taliban committed to preventing terrorist groups from using Afghanistan as a base of operations. The mechanism for monitoring each sides adherence to the agreement includes a joint office in Doha. Its unclear, however, how that office evaluates the Talibans ties to al-Qaida and other terror groups, but senior US military leaders have said they are not satisfied so far. Consecutive reports to the UN Security Council by a monitoring team, including one report this month, have said that a large number of foreign fighters including Pakistanis, Arabs and Central Asians affiliated with al-Qaida and other regional terror groups still have cover in Afghanistan under the umbrella of the Taliban. The Taliban have disputed those reports. Taliban attacks on Afghan forces have been unabated Even as direct confrontations between the United States and the Taliban have decreased, the insurgents have ramped up their attacks on the Afghan governments forces. In the past, Afghan forces were heavily reliant on US air support, but that help has been limited since the United States and the Taliban reached their deal in February. More than 3,500 Afghan troops have been killed and nearly 6,800 others wounded in the five months since the two sides signed their deal, Ghani said in late July. Some officials say the death toll is much higher. In the same period, nearly 800 Afghan civilians have been reported killed and more than 1,600 wounded. c.2020 The New York Times Company A special court in Mumbai is expected to pronounce its order on Friday on bail pleas filed by actor Rhea Chakraborty, her brother Showik and three others. Rhea and the others have been arrested by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) in connection with its probe into a drug angle in the death of Sushant Singh Rajput. Special judge GB Gurao heard the submissions made by the lawyer of the Chakrabortys and the special public prosecutor on Thursday. The bail applications of the four other accused were also heard, after which the matter was adjourned. Rhea was on Tuesday arrested by NCB for allegedly arranging drugs for Sushant Singh Rajput, who was found dead in his Mumbai flat on June 14. The agency said in its affidavit filed in response to their bail pleas that Rhea and her brother financed and arranged drugs for Rajput at his instructions. What we know so far: After being questioned for three consecutive days, Rhea was arrested by NCB on Tuesday in connection with the agencys probe into a drug angle in Sushant Singh Rajputs death. A magistrates court remanded Chakraborty to 14-day judicial custody. After spending Tuesday night at the NCB office, Rhea was on Wednesday moved to the Byculla Jail. Rhea moved the special court after a magistrate court on Tuesday night rejected her bail plea. She has been booked under Section 27 A of the under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. While rejecting Rheas bail plea, the court sent her to judicial custody till September 22. Her brother Showik and other accused have been sent to judicial custody till September 23. In her bail plea in the special court, Rhea has stated she is innocent and accused the NCB of falsely implicating her in the case. The 28-year-old actor said she was coerced into making self-incriminatory confessions by NCB and that she was withdrawing them. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) are also probing various angles surrounding the death of the 34-year-old Rajput. Details added (first version posted on 18:36) BAKU, Azerbaijan, Sept. 11 By Elchin Mehdiyev - Trend: As part of the official visit to Turkey, the Azerbaijani parliamentary delegation, headed by Speaker of the Azerbaijani parliament, Sahiba Gafarova, visited the Heydar Aliyev Park in Ankara, revered the memory of the national leader of the Azerbaijani people by laying a wreath at the monument, Trend reports referring to the Azerbaijani parliament. Then the MPs visited the mausoleum of the founder of the Turkish Republic Mustafa Kemal Ataturk - "Anitkabir". On behalf of Speaker of the Azerbaijani parliament Sahiba Gafarova, a wreath was laid at the Mausoleum. Gafarova wrote an entry to the Book of Memory. On the same day, the Azerbaijani parliamentary delegation met with Chairman of the Turkish Grand National Assembly, Mustafa Sentop. Having warmly greeted Gafarova and the members of the delegation, Sentop stressed that Turkey and Azerbaijan are fraternal countries. "Azerbaijan and Turkey are one nation, two states, linked by fraternal ties and historical friendship, Sentop added. The joy of Azerbaijan is our joy, its sorrow is our sorrow." Touching upon the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Mustafa Sentop said that Armenia is a threat not only for Azerbaijan but for the entire region. While reminding the words of Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, that Turkey is always close to Azerbaijan and is ready to support it in everything, Sentop added that Turkey will always support Azerbaijan in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. While expressing gratitude for the sincere meeting, Gafarova was pleased that she made her first visit to Turkey as the speaker of the parliament. There is a good tradition between our countries, speaker of the Azerbaijani parliament stressed. Our high-ranking statesmen, after taking office, make their first official foreign visits to the fraternal country. "Adhering to this wonderful tradition, I made my first official foreign visit to friendly Turkey, Gafarova added. It is very commendable and I am sure that this wonderful tradition between the two fraternal countries will continue." The speaker of the Azerbaijani parliament regretted that this visit was not made earlier due to the coronavirus pandemic. Gafarova congratulated fraternal Turkey on the extremely effective fight against the pandemic. While speaking about the Azerbaijan-Turkey relations, the speaker of the Azerbaijani parliament stressed that there is no alternative to these relations in the world political system. The relations are based on the true spirit of brotherhood of our peoples, Gafarova added. Today, relations between Azerbaijan and Turkey are at the level of strategic partnership. The speaker of the Azerbaijani parliament brought to the attention of the Turkish colleague that the Azerbaijani parliament and the Turkish Grand National Assembly are the fraternal parliaments following the spirit of relations between our peoples. This brotherhood is observed in the cooperation of the parliaments both on a bilateral basis and within the international organizations, Gafarova said. There are interacting friendship groups in our parliaments, speaker of the Azerbaijani parliament said. These groups are successfully led by Ahliman Amiraslanov from the Azerbaijani side and Shamil Ayrim from the Turkish side. Shamil Ayrim was awarded the Dostlug Order by President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev for his services in the development of fraternal relations between Azerbaijan and Turkey, Gafarova said. The speaker of the Azerbaijani parliament stressed that it is extremely important to expand mutual visits and meetings between the heads of the parliaments and friendship groups as the intensification of contacts between friendship groups makes an important contribution to the further deepening of ties between the countries. Gafarova again expressed deep gratitude to the Turkish politicians and political parties because four parties represented in the Turkish Grand National Assembly issued a joint statement on the provocation committed by Armenia in the direction of Azerbaijans Tovuz district on the state border between Azerbaijan and Armenia on July 12. Being one nation and two states, our history has a lot in common, speaker of the Azerbaijani parliament stressed. Therefore, both countries must build the future to preserve this commonality. Gafarova stressed that the words voiced by the president when accepting the credentials of the newly appointed ambassador of Greece to Azerbaijan express the position of entire Azerbaijan. "As you have stressed, Azerbaijan and Turkey have very close relations, speaker of the Azerbaijani parliament added. To date, 249 documents have been signed between the two countries. These documents cover a wide range of spheres beginning from the education sector and ending with energy projects. The Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway, TAP, TANAP projects are important projects not only for our countries but for the entire region, Gafarova added. The fact that we are implementing these projects together testifies to our unity, brotherhood, and friendship. I think that we should further expand these relations." Then the views on other issues of mutual interest were exchanged. One student was killed in the collapse of a ramshackle wall segment in front of Nam Loc Elementary School in Nam Dan District of the north-central province of Nghe An. Nguyen Quang Xuyen, deputy head of Nam Dan Districts Bureau of Education and Training, confirmed to Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper that a fifth-grader died in the accident on Friday. The victim is identified as N.H.L, a student attending class 5C at the school. We are cooperating with the school and the [victims] family in addressing the issues. The incident happened during break time, Xuyen detailed. The student was standing near the wall when it collapsed on him, Xuyen said. The victim was promptly rushed to the hospital by teachers at Nam Loc Elementary School, but he did not pull through. Nguyen Trong Hoang, deputy director of Nghe An Provinces Department of Education and Training, said the department's leaders have visited the victims family to express condolences. They have also directed Nam Dan Districts education department and Nam Loc Elementary School to coordinate a timely response to the accident. Police of Nam Dan District are looking further into the collapse scene in the hope of determining the cause of the collapse. Wall debris is seen at the scene of a wall collapse in this photo taken in front of Nam Loc Elementary School in Nghe An Province, Vietnam, September 11, 2020. Photo: T.Thanh / Tuoi Tre Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! One of the water buffalos inside a pen at Don Boyer & Sons farm in East Berlin, Pa., on Thursday, Sept., 3, 2020. The water buffalos will be used for milking and put into the making of the Caputo Bros. Creamery mozzarella cheese. Read more East Berlin, Pa. Brothers Brad and Larry Boyer have been tending to dairy cows on the rolling hills of Adams County all their lives on a farm deeded to their family by William Penn. But that centuries-old family tradition has been in grave danger as the dairy industry suffers through a crisis of such low commodity milk prices, it now costs more to produce milk than the farmers receive. The cows were going to have to leave here because it just wasnt working anymore, says Brad, 52, who had been considering converting the farms focus into cash crops and steers for meat. You dont want to lose the family farm. The Boyers are hardly alone. As many as 500 small family Pennsylvania dairy farms have disappeared over the past two years, according to Amber Yutzy, a dairy educator at Penn State Extension, with the pressures of an already shrinking market and vulnerable supply chain being further disrupted by COVID-19. Could mozzarella made from the milk of water buffaloes be the Boyers dairy savior? It just might work if Rynn and David Caputo are correct. The married owners behind Caputo Brothers Creamery in nearby Spring Grove have gambled on purchasing a herd of 28 water buffaloes prized elsewhere around the world for the richness and quality of their milk, and especially in Southern Italy for making mozzarella and partnered with some Pennsylvania dairy farmers to raise and milk them. The project began this summer with the Don Boyer & Sons farm, which welcomed the massive beasts with curlicue horns at the end of June. If only they could figure out how to consistently milk them. They have to face the right way in the milking parlor, but they dont always do that yet, says Brads wife, Michele, acknowledging the heifers were still skittish after recently giving birth to calves that could be heard lowing in a nearby pen. They definitely have a mind of their own, says Brad, noting that theyd already dug deep mud holes to wallow in his fields, that theyre docile enough to be petted, and that their call sounds more like a giant pig barking (mwah! mwah! mwah!) than the tuneful moo of cows. Were just learning. You have to be gentle with them. You have to earn their trust. When all goes well and the milk is flowing, its a beautiful thing to behold. Its more of a brighter, pearly white with higher butterfat and richer flavor, says Brad. When mixed with the production from the Boyers' 80 milking cows a blend Caputo recently began making all its cheeses with the financial returns have also been rewarding. Before partnering with Caputo, the Boyers were receiving as low as $12 per 100 pounds of milk from the ever-fluctuating market prices of their cooperative even though it cost them about $16 to produce. The Caputos require higher quality milk and more stringent animal welfare standards, which adds costs in feed and farm improvements. But the milk is more valuable when used for cheese, so the Caputos are paying the Boyers $28 per 100 pounds (about 11.6 gallons), nearly tripling their monthly revenues. "Adding value and diversifying is something we at Penn State have been telling dairy farmers to consider," says Yutzy, who notes that most of Pennsylvanias 6,500 remaining dairies are small family farms. This project is one of the first heard of with water buffalo. Its a big improvement, says Brad. If (Rynns) goal is to save more family dairy farms, Id say that yes, shes definitely saving some. The hybrid buffalo-cow dairy arrangement, which they hope to replicate with at least three other farms, is just the beginning for the Caputos in their quest to finally begin producing the kind of mozzarella that captured their hearts when they attended culinary school in 2005 in Campania. That Southern Italian region specializes in bufala mozzarella, which is notable for a mouth-coating richness that leaves a bright tang and lingering sweetness. But, as with so many grand plans in the era of coronavirus, the pandemic nearly blew the whole thing up, including the company itself: Should we just put the key in the door and walk away? Rynn remembers thinking in their deepest moment of crisis. There were a lot of questions. The Caputos had fast become one of the nations most celebrated producers of artisan cows milk mozzarella curds, ricotta and other Italian-style cheeses after launching in 2011. With easy access to Pennsylvanias dairy country and an old world fermentation method for their curds that distinguished them from most of the competition, they grew quickly with an early boost of sales by the prestigious New York purveyor, Murrays Cheese. They increased from 40 pounds a week at the outset to 8,000 pounds a week in 2020. Their growth has also been fueled by the popular cheeses infused with beers from Troegs in Hershey (like Mad Elf, Troegenator and Perpetual IPA Cheese) they now produce exclusively for Giant markets. But Caputo Brothers instantly lost its accounts with 114 restaurants across the country when dining room shutdowns landed hard in mid-March due to the COVID-19 crisis. Also shuttered was their thriving travel business of culinary tours of Italy. The Caputos dipped deep into cash reserves to keep their 23 employees on payroll with health benefits. By mid-April, however, they hit a wall. With just $875 left in the bank, $45,000 still owed to them by restaurant accounts, and their application for a Paycheck Protection Payment (PPP) loan stuck in limbo, the Caputos were suddenly unable to pay one of their farms for a weeks worth of milk theyd previously committed to, resulting in the dumping of 3,000 gallons of milk. Theres nothing I am more ashamed of in my career than that phone call, says Rynn. It was the hardest decision I have had to make because usually I am their champion. And so in desperation she turned to social media, putting out a plea for assistance on FaceBook Live (This is what being a small business now looks like, and I need help.) It was answered by an instant jolt of online sales, but, more importantly, Good Morning America came calling, too. A late April spotlight on Caputos make-at-home mozzarella kit generated over $300,000. A $130,000 PPP loan showed up later that week. And suddenly, the cheese companys bufala dreams were back on track. The Caputos used $30,000 of earnings from their GMA promotion to complete a delayed agreement of purchase for a water buffalo herd from New Jersey. With several calves just born at the Boyer farm and more on the way, the herd is already growing to an expected 34. But acquiring and raising the animals is only part of the puzzle. While water buffalo are revered elsewhere around the globe as beasts of burden, as well as sources of milk and meat, theyve yet to make an impact in the United States as a sustainable dairy source. Of the 180 million water buffaloes farmed around the world, only about 2,500 were in the United States in 2019, according to the American Water Buffalo Association. Ive visited so many water buffalo farms over the past 10 years that dont work, says Rynn, because theres no infrastructure or supply chain. Aside from being delicious, water buffalo milk is also highly perishable, she says, with a shelf life of no more than two days. But the Caputos believe they have cracked a secret code by creating hybrid buffalo-cow dairy farms and deciding to blend the two milks for the best of both worlds with the shelf life of cows milk and the taste and flavor of bufala. Even at just over 10% of buffalo milk in the early mix, an extra hint of richness and sweet lactic tang was perceptible in the fresh rounds of mozzarella that were rolling off the Caputos new stretching and balling machine. The automation will expand their ability to produce more finished mozzarella and not just the curds which have long been the core of their business. The curds come in a block that needs to be broken up, salted, and stretched under hot water by customers on site, but are preferred by many to pre-fab cheese for optimal freshness. Twice a week we run the baller to test and evaluate, says Rynn, who concedes the cheese still needs to be adjusted for flavor, texture and shelf life before they distribute it through Lancaster Farm Fresh, hopefully within the next couple months. (Caputo already makes very limited amounts of finished mozzarella by hand.) She envisions the buffalo milk content rising to 35% of the mix as the milk supply increases over the next few years, and eventually cheeses made with pure buffalo. Such cheeses are already widely available, but pricey, and virtually all are imported or made with imported curds. In the meanwhile, Caputos bufala growth is planned around distributing the herd among several dairy farms, including three more that are already interested, so we can build up the milk supply without any one farm having to take the full leap. One of the nations largest and longest established water buffalo ranchers, Thomas T.J. Olson of the Turkey Creek Co. in Texarkana, Ark., believes the Caputos might just have a shot. Ive worked with almost all the water buffalo startups, and theyve all run into problems for different reasons, said Olson, who began ranching the animals in 1985. One of the large hindrances is that when someone gets into the buffalo business, theyre usually on their own. They have to milk it, store it, make the cheese and then market it. And thats tough for one person to do. With the Boyer brothers raising the animals and getting a fair price for the milk, and the Caputos focusing on their specialties, making the cheese and marketing, it could be a salvation for everybody, says Olson. Can the water buffalo save Pennsylvanias struggling family dairy farms? The industry-wide problems are too great, perhaps, for any one solution to remedy. But this promising mozzarella project is poised to make a difference one farm at a time. Dairy farming is a way of life, and I dont want to see houses built here on this open space, says Brad Boyer. But we need money to survive, and some of these farms are definitely going to give up. (Rynns) very passionate about these water buffalo, though. So were going to give it a shot for her. Bengaluru, Sep 11 : Irked by media reports about his alleged involvement in a high-profile drugs racket involving Sandalwood actors, Congress MLA and former Minister BZ Zameer Ahmed Khan on Friday asserted that he was being targeted by his political opponents since he is a Muslim. Khan is the owner of a private bus firm National Travels and has several other business interests spread across Mumbai and other regions in the country. Throwing down the gauntlet at his opponents, Khan declared that if the police found even one piece of evidence against him in the drug racket, he would give all his property to the government and surrender to the police. "I vow to cooperate with the police in this case," he said while speaking to reporters after a meeting with Leader of the Opposition, Siddaramaiah. Of late, a section of the media had been writing about Khan's alleged close associate Fazil Khan, who is said to run a casino business in Sri Lanka. The Congress MLA maintained that neither did he know much about Fazil Khan nor about his business interests in Sri Lanka. "I do not know what all businesses Fazil is involved in, here or elsewhere. I am not his business partner. I met him four years ago and my last telephonic conversation with him too happened around the same time. So, I am ready to cooperate with any agency that will investigate this case," he said. He claimed that he had never met Sandalwood actress Sanjjanaa Galrani who was arrested in the case. "Why will I go to a casino? This is a conspiracy hatched against me by my political opponents. I am being targeted solely because of my religion," he claimed. The former Minister said he had not met Galrani in Bengaluru or in Sri Lanka. "Why will I go to Sri Lanka to meet her or at the airport? I have not even seen her in my life. So, how does the question about me meeting her in Sri Lanka or elsewhere arise?" Khan questioned angrily. Meanwhile, Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa said that the state government had given a free hand to police to investigate drug-related cases. "We will not succumb to any pressure, be it political or otherwise," he reiterated. It was reliably learnt that the Congress leadership was worried about Khan's name cropping up in several cases in the last one year -- multi-billion rupee ponzi scheme, DJ Halli riot case, and now a drugs case involving Sandalwood actors. Earlier in the day, Khan met his mentor Siddaramaiah, who reportedly asked him to come clean in this case. Chinese state media on Friday cautiously welcomed the five-point consensus reached by Indian and Chinese foreign ministers in Moscow to defuse the ongoing border tension but said it was New Delhis responsibility to ensure the final positive outcome. Most official media carried a report by the state news agency, Xinhua on the meeting between external affairs minister S Jaishankar and Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) meeting of foreign ministers in Moscow on Thursday. It said the two agreed that the current situation in the border areas is not in the interest of either side. They agreed therefore that the border troops of both sides should continue their dialogue, quickly disengage, maintain proper distance and ease tensions. Jaishankar and Wang had held full, in-depth discussion with his Indian counterpart S Jaishankar on the situation in the border areas as well as bilateral ties here on Thursday, the Xinhua report said. It quoted Wang as saying that it is normal for China and India to have differences as two neighbouring major countries. What is important is to put these differences in a proper context vis-a-vis bilateral relation, the report said, quoting the senior Chinese official. Also Read: India, China differences remain despite five-point consensus on easing tensions State-run hawkish nationalist tabloid Global Times carried opinion pieces, saying the ball is now in New Delhis court to resolve the tensions. In an editorial published ahead of the meeting, the tabloid said Beijings talks with India come with war preparedness. On the outcome of the bilateral meeting, the tabloid said it exceeded the expectations of most international observers and created favorable conditions for a possible future meeting between the leaders of the two countries. The article then quickly changed track to say the successful implementation of the joint statement, however, depends on whether the Indian side can truly keep its word. Quoting experts, it argued that it is possible that the joint statement will end up as merely paper talk, if India did not follow-up. We should not only observe what India says, but also what it does. For a country like India, the most important thing is how it acts, it quoted Hu Zhiyong, from the Institute of International Relations of the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, as saying. In a separate opinion piece, the tabloids editor Hu Xijin claimed the border tension is a result of the aggressive attitude of the Indian army. The meeting between the two foreign ministers maintained the political communication channels between the two sides under the current critical situation. However, due to the huge differences in the understanding of the actual border control line between the two sides, the Indian army adopted an aggressive stance on the ground, Hu wrote in a commentary published in Mandarin. The two foreign ministers eased the political situation. Whether the wishes can be implemented on the spot is uncertain, he added. SOUTHINGTON District and local health officials are investigating a confirmed coronavirus case at John F. Kennedy Middle School, Superintendent Timothy Connellan reported Friday. In a letter to the school community, Connellan said officials began investigating the case, including tracing the individuals contacts with other people, on Friday morning. Those who have been in close contact with the person in question will be notified, Connellan said in the letter. School district personnel in collaboration with the local Health Department will ensure that all contacts have information on how to protect themselves and others, he wrote. The investigations are confidential and may not be disclosed by either the district or the Health Department, he wrote. This situation will be monitored closely in conjunction with local public health officials. The safety of our community is our priority. I think we can all assume that this will not be the last confirmed case in Southington, Connellan said in the letter. It is incumbent upon us all to implement the mitigation strategies recommended by our Public Health officials and medical professionals to help keep one another safe. We appreciate your support and understanding in these challenging times. william.lambert@hearstmediact.com MURTAUGH As the number of students with COVID-19 begins to rise, most Magic Valley schools have stayed the course on keeping in-person classes, but that changes next week for Murtaugh students. The Murtaugh School District said Thursday evening that four additional students have tested positive for the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. Two students tested positive last week. In response, the school district will not allow any fans at the football game Friday night against Rockland and classes at the combined junior/senior high school will be held online instead of in person, the district said in a message to parents. Classes will still be held Friday for all grades and elementary classes and remain in person next week also. On Wednesday, the Minidoka County School District announced that a Minico High School student tested positive for COVID-19. The district responded with a call for everyone to remain calm, respectful and empathetic to those affected while the district seeks guidance from the health department. In a letter addressed to parents, staff and the community, Superintendent James Ramsey said the district received notification on Wednesday about the student. While we must protect the privacy of the person involved, we believe it is best to communicate transparently with you so you can make well-informed decisions for your family, the letter reads. The district has contacted South Central Public Health District for guidance in addressing the situation. In the Cassia County School District there have been two positive COVID-19 cases since Aug. 24, district spokesperson Debbie Critchfield said. She did not indicate if they were students or staff. Both have since recovered. The Jerome Joint School District has had no positive cases since the start of school, Superintendent Dale Layne said. The district had one staff member test positive prior to the start of school. Twin Falls School District spokesperson Eva Craner said the district has had 22 positive cases, comprised of students and staff, so far this year. Some of those have recovered and are back in school. On Thursday there were 10 students out of school due to positive tests across the district. The South Central Public Health District on Thursday released its updated county risk assessment for COVID-19. Cassia County moved from the moderate to minimal risk category, where Blaine and Lincoln counties remain. Camas County moved from the minimal risk category to the moderate risk category, where Gooding, Jerome, Minidoka and Twin Falls counties remain. Cassia and Minidoka counties were both in the high risk category when the first set of assessments was released Aug. 13. The risk categories are updated every two weeks. The virus is transmitted by through person-to-person contact and through the exchange of respiratory droplets. Symptoms of the virus include fever, cough and shortness of breath. If anyone experiences these symptoms they should contact medical help. Our greatest priority is the safety of our students, staff and community members. It is important to remember that children are greatly influenced by the reactions of adults when facing difficult circumstances. I encourage everyone to remain calm and to be empathetic and respectful to those affected, the letter from the Minidoka superintendent said. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 1 Sad 4 Angry 0 WASHINGTON Prospects for any additional stimulus to address the coronavirus pandemics devastating toll before the election darkened considerably Thursday, when a whittled-down Republican plan failed in the Senate on a partisan vote. Democrats voted unanimously to block the proposal from advancing, calling it inadequate to meet the mounting needs for federal aid, in the latest indication of a lack of political will to reach an agreement, even as critical federal aid for individuals and businesses has run dry. It was a nearly party-line vote whose outcome was never in doubt. The proposal amounted to a fraction of the $1 trillion plan Republicans had offered in negotiations with Democrats, who in turn are demanding more than twice as much. A failure to compromise would leave millions of jobless Americans in potentially dire straits, as they exhaust traditional jobless benefits and states run out of additional funds that President Donald Trump steered to the unemployed by executive order last month. It would also strand a wide swath of small-business owners who have endured steep drops in revenue as the pandemic chilled economic activity, with little prospect of a return to normal levels for months to come. Along with a pandemic of COVID-19, we have a pandemic of politics, Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kan., told reporters after the vote. Looking to the House and for that matter, our colleagues across the aisle its a sort of a dead-end street. He spoke after the measure failed on a 52-47 vote, falling short of the 60 it would have needed to advance, as Republicans worked to foist blame on Democrats for the lack of progress on a compromise and give their own vulnerable incumbents a chance to vote for an aid measure before they face voters. In a Twitter post, Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., flatly declared, Congress isnt going to pass more #Covid_19 relief before the election. His comments echoed a pessimistic assessment this week by Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, a Trump administration point man in the stalled bipartisan talks, who said although many Americans needed help, he was unsure an agreement was possible. If it is not, economists and champions of more stimulus warned that by effectively cutting off what had been a large stream of federal aid, Trump and lawmakers would risk the health of a recovery that has slowed, stalled or even begun to reverse by various real-time measures of activity. Nearly 30 million people were receiving unemployment benefits in the week that ended Aug. 22. Almost one-quarter of small businesses in weekly census surveys said they would need additional financial assistance or capital in the months to come. At a time when small businesses are increasingly pessimistic about their ability to survive without additional support, we are now faced with the very real prospect in fact, the likelihood of no further relief from Congress until after the election, said John Lettieri, the president of the Economic Innovation Group, a think tank that has led a collection of advocacy groups in pushing for long-term, low-interest loans to keep small companies afloat. That is malpractice, plain and simple. Top lawmakers insisted that a bipartisan agreement remained possible, although recent phone calls between Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Mnuchin have failed to yield a breakthrough. And after Democrats unanimously blocked the Republican measure from advancing, their leaders counseled rank-and-file lawmakers to remain united behind demands for a much larger package. We dont want to go home without a bill, but dont be a cheap date, Pelosi told House Democrats on a private call after the vote, according to two people who described the remarks on condition of anonymity. She added, When you are in a negotiation, the last place to get weak knees is at the end. Trump, leaving Washington for Michigan on Thursday, told reporters he supported additional stimulus, but blamed Democrats for the stalemate. The president has attempted to act unilaterally to assist the recovery and has recently held out the prospect of more executive actions, including perhaps redirecting federal funds to send direct payments to individual Americans. But economists and Trumps own recent history suggest that any significant aid to the economy before the election would need to be provided by Congress, which controls federal spending. On Thursday, the Federal Emergency Management Agency said that supplemental relief checks for unemployed workers, instituted by Trump in an executive memorandum last month, would soon end. The payments of $300 or $400 per worker per week, depending on a state contribution level, will have lasted only six weeks for participating states. Only 18 states have begun making the payments, according to Michele Evermore, senior researcher and policy analyst at the National Employment Law Project. After swiftly approving several rounds of aid totaling nearly $3 trillion last spring, lawmakers and administration officials have failed to bridge deep divisions over another relief package. While Democrats swiftly pushed a $3.4 trillion plan through the House in May, Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., the majority leader, said he wanted to hit pause to determine whether more help was necessary, and waited until late July to propose any. By then, several Republican senators, wary of adding more to the ballooning national debt and unhappy with concessions Mnuchin made to Democrats in previous negotiations, balked at additional spending and panned the $1 trillion proposal. After weeks of daily conference calls, Republicans ultimately hammered out a substantially scaled-back measure that would have provided about $350 billion in new funding and repurposed hundreds of billions more from the original stimulus law. The measure included federal aid for unemployed workers, small businesses, schools and vaccine development, as well as reviving weekly federal jobless benefits that lapsed at the end of July at $300 half the original amount. Democrats have pushed for restoring extra federal unemployment payments at $600 per week. It also omitted another round of stimulus checks to American families and any additional aid to state and local governments facing dire financial circumstances amid the pandemic a top priority for Democrats. The resulting package was intended to answer the concerns of fiscal hawks who were reluctant to provide additional federal funding. Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky was the only Republican to break with his party and vote against advancing the measure Thursday. McConnell cast the vote in starkly political terms. In remarks beforehand, he praised vulnerable Republicans staring down steep challenges in November for their contributions to the narrow package, and warned of the consequences of blocking the bill. Democrats, he said, can tell American families they care more about politics than helping them. After weeks of saying that they would not accept anything less than $2.2 trillion, top Democrats called the revised Republican proposal unacceptable, and charged that McConnell never intended to enact additional aid. McConnell is being his cynical self by saying, Ill just put something on there to look like we are trying to do something while we ignore the needs of the American people, while we shy away from cursing the virus, Pelosi said at her weekly news conference. Still, she insisted there was still a chance of a deal. She said she was still optimistic that the White House and Democrats could find enough common ground to pass another round of relief but only if Republicans were willing to offer hundreds of billions of dollars more in funding for state and local governments. Moderate lawmakers in both chambers are growing increasingly anxious about the prospect of leaving Washington in October without additional relief, a worry Democrats raised with their leaders during the private call Thursday, according to one person familiar with the conversation. But Pelosi and Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., the minority leader, who joined the House call, indicated that they planned to hold firm. The more unified Democrats are, the more likely Republicans are to come to the table, Pelosi told them, echoing Schumers arguments. Still, proponents of extending more help to small businesses, in particular, expressed discouragement over what has been a monthslong deterioration in hopes for a deal. Outside the Capitol on Wednesday, flight attendants gathered to urge lawmakers to approve an extension to an expiring payroll support program as airlines warned of looming furloughs without federal action. We cant just afford to throw up our hands and say, This isnt working, said Caroline L. Harris, the vice president for tax policy and economic development at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. This article originally appeared in The New York Times. You can now pre-order the Pixel 4a in the UK, Germany, Singapore, Japan, France, and more. Carphone Warehouse offers a deal. Pre-orders for the Google Pixel 4a are now open in countries globally. Australia ($599), France (349), Germany (340), Ireland (382), Singapore ($499), Spain (389), Taiwan ($11,990), and the UK(349) can now head to their territorys official Google Store website and order the new compact-sized, budget-friendly Pixel. In addition, Carphone Warehouse is offering a 50 rebate. When you pre-order through the retailer youll get a 50 giftcard, good towards purchases at UK electronic store Currys. India and Japan were also supposed to launch pre-orders by September 10, but both websites still only offer to sign you up for an email alert once the phone will be available to order. If youre waiting, keep an eye out for that email notification. The Google Pixel 4a is Googles answer to the iPhone SE. At under 400 bucks, the Pixel 4a is Googles midrange Pixel phone that does everything well with its compact size (5.8-inch screen) and power-efficient processor (Snapdragon 730). The Pixel 4a packs 6GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. Although there's only a single camera, it's arguably one of the nicest ones in its price range. The main camera is a 12.2MP camera with an 8MP selfie shooter. Source: Carphone Warehouse Google Store Ontario was in the midst of a massive restructuring of its health-care system when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Called the biggest change since medicare, the sweeping overhaul created a super agency known as Ontario Health to oversee the entire system. The plan was announced by the Progressive Conservative government just one year before the pandemic in February 2019 and started to come into effect four months later on June 6. Ontario Health had just been getting its feet under it at the time that the pandemic hit and it has a huge role to play in this response, said Lynn Guerriero, president of Niagara Health. So, boy, it has grown up pretty quickly. It had no choice. Ontario Healths board was named in March 2019, but its president and CEO Matthew Anderson wasnt appointed until Dec. 20 just over one month before Canadas first case of COVID-19 landed in Toronto on Jan. 25. He didnt take the helm until Feb. 1. By that time, hospitals and public health had already started preparing for the pandemic. Youve got Ontario Health, which is created for all the right reasons, but a fledgling organization at the time, said Guerriero. There really isnt clarity on how that structure is supposed to work in this situation, partly because we were literally just changing. Lynn Guerriero, president of the Niagara Health System, said at the beginning, one of the hardest things to grapple with was working out the reporting structures for public health, Ontario Health and Ontario West. "We were getting different information, different communication." Torstar file photo The creation of Ontario Health meant an end to the 14 Local Health Integration Networks (LHINs) that had overseen and co-ordinated the health-care system since 2006. The LHINs started to be dismantled in December just over three months before Ontario declared a state of emergency March 17 in response to the pandemic. When COVID-19 hit in January, Ontario had just been split into five huge geographic regions on Dec. 2, with Hamilton and Niagara becoming part of Ontario West which stretches from Burlington to Windsor and from Niagara to the Northern Bruce Peninsula all under one CEO. Its so massive that it covers the territory of four separate LHINs including Hamilton Niagara Haldimand Brant, Erie St. Clair, Waterloo Wellington and South West. Im not used to that structure yet, also fledgling, said Guerriero. So all of a sudden you have different key players in the system reporting to different people and a lot of them. So it was really confusing. She said at the beginning, one of the hardest things to grapple with was working out the reporting structures for public health, Ontario Health and Ontario West. We were getting different information, different communication, said Guerriero. The system itself was getting different messages from different people, different bosses. It was a collision course between a major health crisis and the transformation of the system that is supposed to respond to it. We do pandemic planning all the time, said Guerriero. But the scale and the nature of this was so unexpected and massive. Unprecedented. One key plank of the restructuring wasnt in place for the pandemic. Groups of local providers known as Ontario Health Teams (OHT) are eventually supposed to oversee the delivery of care in specific geographic areas or specialties. Ontario Health Teams would be particularly helpful in keeping patients out of hospital, said Dr. Zain Chagla infectious disease physician at St. Joseph's Healthcare. St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton and Burlington each had a team approved at the end of November. In total, 24 teams were chosen to be among the first to reinvent local delivery of care in Ontario. Niagaras team didnt get the go-ahead until the end of July mid pandemic along with four others. Its unknown how many OHTs there will eventually be. None had gotten far enough along to play a meaningful role in the pandemic. Thankfully, most of them have done nothing and thats the best we can hope for with them, said Natalie Mehra, executive director of the Ontario Health Coalition. Basically, what they (the Conservatives) have done is hand over the health system to the providers to restructure themselves. She predicts OHTs will result in more privatization of care over time as groups of providers take over control of local health delivery. Mehra finds that alarming in the wake of the deadly spread of COVID-19 in long-term care where nearly 60 per cent of homes are privately owned. Imagine if the long-term-care industry, which is in the Ontario Health Teams, had control over restructuring health care in each local region, she said. We are extremely concerned they will take over more public hospital services like convalescent, chronic and rehabilitative care. If they had been further along, we expect that would have happened and those people would have been as at risk as the people living in long-term care currently are. For-profit status was associated with the extent of COVID-19 outbreaks in long-term-care homes in a study involving McMaster University researcher Andrew Costa and published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal July 22. The research found a twofold increase in the number of cases and a 178 per cent rise in the number of deaths in outbreaks at for-profit homes compared with non-profit. Those industries have an interest in expanding their market share whether or not they can really provide the care levels that people need and in expanding the ways that they can take profit out of the health-care system, said Mehra. The consequences of that have been very clear through the pandemic. Natalie Mehra, executive director of the Ontario Health Coalition, predicts Ontario Health Teams will result in more privitization of care over time. The Canadian Press file photo One of the main goals of OHTs is to break down siloes to create a more seamless health-care system. The OHTs band together a number of health and social service organizations from one geographic area or specialty to guide the patient to the help they need. Dr. Dominik Mertz, associate professor of infectious diseases at McMaster University, says that kind of co-operative approach could make a big difference in the pandemic when health resources need to be used as efficiently as possible to make sure theyre not overwhelmed. I think having less stringent borders between acute care, chronic care, long-term care and home care should probably help if its well organized and co-ordinated, he said. One of the pieces we have always been struggling with is finding the right spot for the right patient at the right time. Having more interactions between those sectors, which my understanding is one of the over arching goals of this approach, should probably help in particular in a situation where the entire system is in a strain in terms of more patients. The ability to have different parts of the health-care system work more closely together would be particularly helpful in keeping patients out of hospital, said Dr. Zain Chagla, infectious disease physician at St. Josephs Healthcare. They could have been used in terms of the low-risk COVID patients how to maintain them virtually in the community while having primary care and specialist groups together as part of their care, he said. Theyre a new infrastructure, so its very hard to introduce a pandemic into it. Instead, hospitals and long-term care forged new partnerships on their own to help each other through the pandemic. Out of necessity, we now have relationships with every long-term-care facility in Niagara, Guerriero said about Niagara Health. I think probably every region has done the same thing. Hospitals and long-term-care facilities are now much more working together. "I think having less stringent borders between acute care, chronic care, long-term care and home care should probably help if its well organized and co-ordinated," said Dr. Dominick Mertz, associate professor of infectious diseases at McMaster University. Dr. Dominick Mertz While the OHTs werent in place in time, Guerriero says the super agency has made a difference over the course of the pandemic. One of the best things is they provided clinical committees or expert panels quickly, like in one week, convene, look at the evidence, get out a directive, said Guerriero. They listen to us about, We need things faster. But the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) is not convinced Ontario Health has added much value in the battle against COVID-19. Centralization as a concept is attractive, but it also inserts a layer of bureaucracy which didnt exist previously, said Michael Hurley, president of CUPEs Ontario Council of Hospital Unions. The risk is Ontario Health taking over and interfering in areas where there wasnt evidence we were performing badly, he said. Its a very, very convoluted oversight of funding. Its very confusing and its very confused. The pandemic hasnt stopped the health system overhaul in July, the province passed significant changes to home and community care, transferring planning, co-ordination and delivery to OHTs. The Ontario Health Coalition said it was done in an unprecedented short time for third reading debate and all amendments from opposition parties were voted down which is unheard of. They are going forward with all their restructuring plans as they had them before the pandemic across the province, said Mehra. There has been no relent on that. They havent moved off any of them. Theyre really sticking to their policy plans for very significant health-care restructuring. I find it shocking to be honest. Greece says dialog with Turkey important, but not 'at gunpoint' Iran Press TV Thursday, 10 September 2020 10:26 AM Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis says dialog with Turkey over sea boundaries in the eastern Mediterranean is "important" provided that it is held on peaceful terms, not "at gunpoint." The Greek prime minister made the remarks in an article published simultaneously in the London Times, Germany's Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, and France's Le Monde on Thursday. "We do need dialogue, but not when held at gunpoint. What threatens my country's security and stability threatens the well-being and safety of all EU member states," Mitsotakis said in the piece. He also urged the European Union (EU) to impose "meaningful" sanctions on Turkey unless Ankara pulled its maritime assets from disputed areas in the eastern Mediterranean. Turkey and Greece, both of them NATO members, have been at loggerheads over oil and gas exploration rights in the eastern Mediterranean. Turkey has dispatched a seismic research vessel and warships to escort it to an area in the sea that is disputed with Greece. Greece, for its part, has ordered its naval vessels to shadow the Turkish ships. Earlier, one Greek and one Turkish naval vessel were involved in a minor collision. This month, the leaders of the EU member states are expected to specify a response to Turkey. "If Europe wants to exercise true geopolitical power, it simply cannot afford to appease a belligerent Turkey," Mitsotakis wrote, noting that Ankara still had time to avoid sanctions and "take a step back." He said Turkey should stand down, "return to the table, and pick up from where they left off when they quit exploratory talks in 2016. And if we cannot agree, then we must seek resolution at [the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in] The Hague." Germany, meanwhile, has been mediating to defuse the growing tensions between Turkey and Greece. Turkey has said it is open to dialog but has stressed that negotiations should start without pre-conditions. On Wednesday, Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar and his German counterpart, Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, discussed the latest developments in the eastern Mediterranean over the phone, Turkey's Defense Ministry said in a statement. Akar said that Ankara did not favor a deadlock but instead wanted to eliminate the current problems through dialog, adding that other countries had to approach the issue with "common sense and spirit of the [NATO] alliance." The Turkish minister, however, said that Ankara would never allow any fait accompli and would continue to safeguard its rights under international law. Reports on Wednesday said that Athens would submit a set of proposals for the establishment of a mechanism to help defuse the increasing tensions with Ankara to NATO on Thursday. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address The Swedish Armed Forces Materiel Administration (FMV) delivered another upgraded Tapper-class patrol boat to the 1st Marine Regiment, the main combat unit of the Swedish Amphibious Corps. HMS Arlig joined the four patrol boats already handed over to the 17th Amphibious Patrol Boat Company based in Goteborg. The Swedish Armed Forces Materiel Administration (FMV) delivered another upgraded Tapper-class patrol boat to the 1st Marine Regiment, the main combat unit of the Swedish Amphibious Corps. HMS Arlig joined the four patrol boats already handed over to the 17th Amphibious Patrol Boat Company based in Goteborg. Follow Navy Recognition on Google News at this link HMS Arlig together with two more patrol boats in the port of Gothenburg. (Picture source: The Swedish Armed Forces/Joakim Nilsson) The five surveillance boats that FMV has now delivered have undergone a service life extension program during which, among other tasks, the command bridge has been rebuilt and engines and sonar have been replaced. National defense was prioritized in Sweden latest defense policy paper for 20162020, including submarine-hunting capability. Patrol boats participate in protecting shipping and Swedens territorial waters from intrusion especially in Gothenburg, where 30 per cent of Swedens foreign trade passes every year. The Swedish archipelago constitutes a complex environment which means that the Swedish Navy needs short reaction times. The patrol boats must be able to carry out several different tasks such as maritime surveillance, protection of shipping, submarine hunting and acting in the event of an attack. It requires both sensors and equipment that are adapted to the environment to achieve optimal effect. HMS Trygg in Stockholm. (Picture source: Wikipedia/Matti Blume) About the Tapper-Class patrol boat: In terms of specifications, Tapper-Class patrol boat has a full load displacement of 62 tons and a total length of 23 meters, a beam of 5.4 meters and a draught of 1.9 meters. Fitted with 2 diesel engines each developing 1 200 hp, the vessel can reach the maximum speed of 25 knots (46 km/h; 29 mph). Tapper-Class patrol boat's main armaments comprise 2 12.7 mm heavy Machine guns, mines & depth charges and anti-submarine rockets. With the new systems fitted on the patrol boats, the units operational capability increases in several areas. Together with the expected re-establishment of an amphibious battalion in Goteborg, the capability for armed combat within the naval area will be significantly improved, Captain Magnus Augustinson, head of the 17th patrol boat company, comments. New Delhi, Sep 11 : The Election Commission (EC) on Friday decided that candidates as well as political parties will publish details of criminal antecedents, if any, in newspapers and television thrice, regarding candidates nominated by them. Articulating the specific manner in which it needs to be done, the EC stated that the first publicity needs to be done within the first four days of the last date of withdrawal of candidature, while the second publicity must be done within the fifth to eighth day of the last date of withdrawal. Meanwhile, the poll body has also asserted that there needs to be a third publicity as well from the ninth day till the last day of campaign which is two days prior to the date of polling. This timeline, the EC believes, will help voters exercise their choices in a more informed manner. "This will help in creating more awareness amongst the voters and other stakeholders," says the EC. Making its position clearer, the EC also stated that even those candidates, as well as the political parties who nominate them, will have to follow the same rules even if the candidate wins uncontested. Explaining the poll body's strict emphasis on adherence, it said in a statement, "[The] Commission has always emphasised on this moral yardstick for overall betterment of electoral democracy". These modified instructions will be applied with immediate effect, said the EC on Friday. EDWARDSVILLE The Gori Law Firm celebrated its 12th anniversary this summer and its new women-led leadership of Beth Gori, principal partner and owner, and Sara Salger, managing partner. Located in Edwardsville, The Gori Law Firm has seen significant growth and is now one of the top filers of asbestos cases in the country, The Gori Law Firm has expanded throughout the St. Louis region but also into Los Angeles, New Orleans, Orlando, Washington, D.C. and New York City. With nearly 200 employees including 45 attorneys and approximately 150 support staff members the firm has recovered more than $3 billion in settlements for clients across the country. I am so proud to be helping lead an organization like the Gori Law Firm which I believe employs some of the very best attorneys and staff in our field, said Gori. Like many businesses throughout the region, we are doing whatever possible to keep our staff employed at full capacity, she said. This includes taking advantage of the federally-funded PPP loan program that helped so many businesses during COVID-19, allowing flexible time to work from home, flexible in-office hours and shifting our practice to working with clients and the courts remotely where possible. We are just like every other business in that payroll is a large percentage of our expenses and many of our people are irreplaceable so we are doing all we can to make the smartest decisions for the firm and our Gori Law family, she said. COVID-19 has taken a toll on the region in terms of unemployment, so we are grateful that we were able to retain our full staff. The Gori Law Firm has also expanded its practice areas over the years to include personal injury, commercial litigation, medical malpractice, pharmaceutical litigation, workers compensation and real estate law. The atmosphere at The Gori Law Firm has always been one focused on people, said Salger, one of the firms first attorneys when it was established in 2008. By hiring and retaining the best team, we have found success and results for our clients, she said. People like to feel cared for and respected and as a team we certainly respect our clients, the struggle they are going through and have the resolve needed to get them the financial compensation they deserve for the challenges they are facing. The Gori Law Firm is known locally for its generous support of the community, giving more than $3 million to nearly 200 charities. We remain dedicated to helping the local community and take our role as a corporate citizen seriously, Salger said. We are proud that our success has and will continue to translate to great generosity in the communities we serve. For more information, visit gorilaw.com. People of today when referring to 'The Turn of the Century' are nearly always speaking about the changes that have taken place in Ireland since the year 2000, which is fair enough, but to those of my generation; and, I suspect, to many of the readers of these notes, the phrase meant an entirely different period. You see, when I was growing up in Dundalk after the World War 11 Emergency, older people used to refer to the period after 1900 as 'The Turn of the Century'. They saw it as a time when life in Ireland 'changed utterly', which was, of course, very true for them but began to mean less and less as the twentieth century wore on and was almost forgotten about by the time it had ended. It it easy to understand, therefore, why the young, and even the middled aged, of the present day, do not think about the passing of time in the same way as their ancestors! So, where did the idea of things changing with time moving from century into another come from? I must admit that I really do not know the correct answer to that question but I had always thought (perhaps incorrectly) that it came from soldiers returning from fighting during the First World War (or the 'Great War' as they knew it because they did not know then that World War 11 was not that far away). The soldiers of World War One must have got a lot of their ideas from the French who, at that time, were fond of looking back to the 'Fin de Siecle' (The end of the nineteenth century) and the beginning of they called 'La Belle Epoque' , 'The Good Times' before the Great War began. When were the 'Goods Times' for the people of this island? Again I find it very hard to give a good answer but, personally, I believe that, for those of us who are still alive, it was maybe during the period after the signing of the 'Good Friday Agreement' to end the 'Troubles' in Northern Ireland and, perhaps for some, the 'Celtic Tiger' era which saw the return of many of our exiles who had been working abroad. Of course, that period was not great for everybody in Ireland but, at least for many Dundalk folk, it was a great improvement on the thirty or so years that had gone before! All that has changed again, however, with the 'Coming of the Covid' pandemic in the present year and one cannot help the feeling that 'everything has changed utterly' and that Ireland will never be the same again when it has passed! The thoughts about how much things have changed since the beginning of the present century came to me during the past week when watching a programme on television about late Joe Dolan of 'The 'Drifters' fame. I had not realised just how popular he was with audiences in Ireland and, indeed, in many other parts of the world. When I mentioned this to a friend of mine since then, they said that, back in the seventies, they recalled that when he sung at a dance in the Pavilion, Blackrock, the hall was packed to bursting point and that his audience had reached a frenzy of excitement. Another friend recalled that, after attendances at ballroom dancing had declined, Joe had continued to perform at functions in much smaller venues in the area and was as popular as ever into the present century. The same person remarked Joe had been in the habit of handing the tie which he had worn during his performance to a member of the audience. His wife had been the lucky recipient of such a garment and had kept it as a treasured memory of Joe! I wonder do many of my readers have similar fond memories of Joe Dolan and 'The Drifters'? Apart from dancing, which I understand cannot be now be performed in public because of the 'social distancing' rules, what else has changed since the present 'Turn of the Century'? Far too much, I am afraid, to even begin listing here. For start I can think of the change in currency in Ireland, the increase in homelessness, electric cars, the end of smoking in public, the number and variety of mobile communication devices and many, many other things. Above all, however, it has been the impact of what is called 'social media' on society in Ireland and the good and ill that it has caused to us all in that period. I wonder would any of my readers like to make out a list of what they believe has been the greatest changes since the beginning of the twenty first century? And what would they like to see change again before 2050? Remember, however, try to be impartial and fair and to be charitable to towards towards politicians and others in positions of power and influence. If that is at all possible? Peter Kavanagh's Trip Through Time column appears each week in the Dundalk Democrat A public petition calling for severe punishment for the driver responsible for a fatal DUI crash which occurred on Wednesday, in Eurwangni, Incheon, has gathered more than 360,000 signatures as of 2 p.m., Friday. / Screen capture from Cheong Wa Dae official website By Lee Hyo-jin Calls are mounting for law enforcement authorities to punish the driver of a fatal DUI crash, which occurred on Wednesday in Eurwangni, on Incheon's Airport Island. A man on his way to deliver fried chicken was killed in the accident. A public petition posted Thursday on the Cheong Wa Dae website demanding the driver receive severe punishment has gained more than 360,000 signatures as of 2 p.m., Friday. The public is now expecting a response from the presidential office as the petition has exceeded the number of signatures needed. The government is required to give an official response to a petition which gathers more than 200,000 endorsements within 30 days. The accident occurred around 12:55 a.m., Wednesday, on a two-lane road in the island resort area, according to Incheon Jungbu Police Station. A 33-year-old woman drove her Benz vehicle over the centerline, crashing into a 54-year-old man on a motorcycle. The critically injured man was immediately taken to a nearby hospital, but died shortly after. The police stated that the woman's blood alcohol level was over 0.1 percent, high enough to get her license revoked. The legal limit is 0.03 percent. It was later revealed that the victim was the owner of a fried chicken restaurant in the neighborhood, on his way to the last delivery of the day. The writer of the public petition, claiming to be the victim's daughter, elaborated on the incident and called for proper investigation and severe punishment. "After the heavily drunk woman ran over my father, she tried to contact her lawyer on the site before calling 119. And the passenger in her car had the belt on his trousers unbuckled," read the petition, asking for the highest level of legal punishment. She also called for a thorough investigation stating that police had refused to provide her with some details of the accident. "They didn't tell me at what speed the 'murderer' was driving, nor did they allow me to see her face," she wrote. The police requested an arrest warrant for the driver on Thursday, and the Incheon Disctrict Court will decide on its approval by Friday. The police added that she will be charged against the Additional Punishment Law on dangerous driving, better known as the Yoon Chang-ho Act. The revised traffic law, passed in 2018, was named after an army conscript who was killed by a drunk driver in Busan that year. Under the law, DUI offenders face up to at least three years in jail and up to life imprisonment when the accident results in death. Wildfires ravaging Oregon have at least scorched 1,400 miles of the state with more than 500,000 people statewide ordered to evacuate, according to officials. Winds continues to drive fires into populated areas today, especially in Clackamas County. Towns of Molalla and Estacada have seen damage and the cities of Canby and Oregon City are now being told to prepare to evacuate. A total of 900,000 acres have burned across the Cascades, which is now triple the figure, as announced by Gov. Kate Brown Wednesday. "To put that number into perspective, over the last 10 years, we see an average of 500,000 acres burned in an entire year. We've seen that nearly double in the past three days," Brown said in a report. The Oregon Fire Marshal had expected to catch a break from the weather, with winds dying down enough to get some of the state's largest fires under control. However, the winds continued to push wildfires across the Clackamas County. On Thursday afternoon, state and local officials said they are unsure if the warning issued to prepare people for evacuation would extend into Portland's southeastern edges. Officials noted that the decision would depend on the wind. According to Brown, the weather system is not giving them a reprieve. "My teams are telling me that while wind dynamics are changing, we are now facing unstable air conditions that continue to make response efforts very, very difficult," Brown said in a report. Brown noted that the state is still waiting on death toll numbers. But there have been at least three reported fire deaths in the state. Authorities said the more than 500,000 people statewide had been forced to evacuate due to the wildfires. The Oregon Department of Correction, on the other hand, said it is evacuating a prison as two large wildfires appear to be merging. The latest count came from the Oregon Office of Emergency Management. The recent count is 10 percent of the state's 4.2 million population. The firefighting teams include 10 incident management teams. Brown has also requested the U.S. Department of Defense for a battalion of active duty military who trained in firefighting. Oregon Deputy Fire Chief Doug Grafe said they need to come close to doubling their efforts over the next couple of weeks to fight the wildfires. The unpredictability of the winds leads to more question than answers. It is unclear where the fires will head next. Wildfires have been also scorching the state of California. The wildfire north of Sacramento is considered to be largest in California history. The August Complex Fire is a combination of 37 fires caused by lightning in Mendocino National Forest on Aug.17, according to the U.S. Forest Service. Forest Service spokesperson Terry Krasko suggested that the fire may have been actually be bigger. At least 12 people have died in the last month as 29 major wildfires burn in California. The National Interagency Fire Center said on Thursday that 102 active large fires have scorched 4.4 million acres in 12 states across Alaska and the West. Check these out: Wildfires Ravage West Coast Region California's Air Quality Worse Than India as Wildfires Ravage the State, Report Says Northern California Wildfires Killed at Least 5 People Berlin's Justice Ministry has approved a request from Moscow for legal assistance in the investigation of the poisoning of opposition leader Alexei Navalny, and has tasked state prosecutors with working with Russian authorities, officials said September 11. Berlin state prosecutors said in a tweet that their office had been commissioned to provide legal assistance to Russia and information on Navalny's state of health, subject to his consent. The office said it would provide no further information on the request at this time. Navalny, the most visible opponent of Russian President Vladimir Putin, was flown to Germany two days after falling ill on Aug. 20 on a domestic flight in Russia. German chemical weapons experts have determined that the 44-year-old was poisoned with a Soviet-era nerve agent, prompting Berlin to demand that Russia investigate the case. He was kept in an induced coma for more than a week as he was treated with an antidote, before hospital officials said Monday his condition had improved enough for him to be brought out of it. Related stories AP .|. The hospital had no comment Friday on his condition, but doctors have not ruled out long-term effects of the poisoning. The Kremlin has bristled at calls from Chancellor Angela Merkel and other world leaders for Russia has to answer questions in the case, denying any official involvement and accusing the West of trying to smear Moscow. Russian authorities have prodded Germany to share the evidence that led them to conclude without doubt that Navalny was poisoned with a military nerve agent from the Novichok group, the same class of Soviet-era agent that British authorities said was used on former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter in Salisbury, England, in 2018. Its in the best interests of our German colleagues to protect their reputations after all and to provide all necessary information that could shed at least some light on their accusations, which have been absolutely unsubstantiated so far, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Friday. Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Russian investigators have launched a preliminary inquest into the Navalny case, but insisted that it's essential for Russia to see the proof of Navalny's poisoning to launch a full-fledged criminal inquiry. From the viewpoint of law, we can't describe those checks as a criminal case on the basis of analyses of a German laboratory, particularly a military one, Peskov said in a conference call with reporters. Just as it's impossible for Germany to open a criminal case on the basis of analyses taken in our military hospital. It's legal nonsense. Germanys Defense Ministry has said the data about Navalny has already been provided to the Hague-based Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, of which Russia is a member. Merkel's spokesman, Steffen Seibert, said Friday the agency was best equipped to handle an issue that was not a bilateral German-Russian problem." This is about a crime that took place in Russia with a chemical nerve agent that is internationally prohibited the OPCW is the logical point of contact, he told reporters. On Wednesday, the Russian Foreign Ministry invited German Ambassador Geza Andreas von Geyr to reaffirm Moscows demand for Germany to provide Russian authorities with the medical data, including biological materials, the results of samples and tests to allow Russian experts to study and check them. Russian doctors previously said they had found no sign of Navalnys poisoning. The move to task Berlin prosecutors to work with Russian investigators came a week after Russia's request for assistance was received by the Berlin state Justice Ministry. Separately, Seibert denied reports that Germany had received a Russian request for permission to send investigators to interview Navalny. Editor's note: Shauna Springer, the chief psychologist for the Stella Center, is one of the nation's leading experts on PTSD and trauma and the author of "Warrior: How to Support Those Who Protect Us." The views expressed here are her own. (CNN) Kate Colbert was first diagnosed with Covid-19 in late March, and she's been fighting both physical symptoms and emotional trauma ever since. Calling a radiology department to follow up on her doctor's order to get an emergency angiogram in May, she started sobbing when the receptionist said she could not schedule the procedure until she tested negative for Covid. "I broke down in tears and pleaded, 'I don't deserve to die at home just because you don't have a protocol,'" said Colbert, a marketing consultant and business book author in Kenosha, Wisconsin. "I've never felt so abandoned." People won't visit her home. "I'm 170 days out from contracting Covid and people still treat me like I have the plague," said Colbert, who is recovering but still suffering lingering effects of the virus. "Since March, only my mom, my friend Sara and one repairman have come inside my home." The coronavirus pandemic may be the most significant mass trauma event of the decade, and it's drawing parallels with another significant trauma the September 11, 2001, attacks. The events of 9/11 have much to teach us about the impact of trauma. Does trauma impact us in the same way regardless of its source? Will our recovery journey be the same? What causes some trauma to forge human connection while other trauma destroys it? What 9/11 can teach us about current challenges Mass trauma can create a prolonged state of "chronic threat response" the continued state of being in a hyper-aroused survival mode. About 20% of those in the World Trade Center Health Registry reported new symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder five to six years after 9/11. Trauma's impact can also persist for many years, even decades. Fifteen years out, in a sample of 36,897 exposed rescue/recovery workers and community members in the WTC Health Registry, 14.2% of rescue workers and 15.3% of community members reported post-traumatic stress disorder and depression. Jonathan Morris, 62, a US Army staff sergeant at the time, was the noncommissioned officer in charge of the emergency department at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, during 9/11. He lost two colleagues in the Pentagon attacks Army Lt. General Timothy Maude and Army Lt. Col. Karen Wagner, who was killed on her first day of work at the Pentagon. "It's been nearly 20 years and I still think about the friends and colleagues I've lost every day," Morris said. The impact of trauma often ebbs and flows over time, and help is not always there when needed. Over one-quarter of those with PTSD or depression reported unmet needs for mental health care in the preceding year. Morris is taking a proactive approach. "Since this time of year is especially hard for all of us, I have been reaching out and doing 'buddy checks' on others who were impacted like I was by 9/11. I don't want to lose any more friends to suicide." People lose friends after exposure to trauma The period just after traumatic loss is painful, overwhelming and tumultuous. In the wake of a tragedy, many survivors discover that family and friends are not as supportive as they'd hoped or not supportive at all. Sometimes people are OK, and sometimes they're not: Trauma creates ambiguity that can make recovery challenging. "People want to tie things up in a neat little bow 'Are you sick or are you not sick?'" Colbert said. "'Do I send you a card, or can I take you off my prayer list now?' The aftermath of trauma clarifies who is in your tribe, and this clarity can bring additional grief. If you contract Covid, your most enduring challenge may be loneliness. Recovery course for 2 trauma events can be very different It can be harder to do nothing than to do something really hard. With both 9/11 and the London bombings, "carrying on" was a form of healthy defiance. During the London bombings, morale was highest in some of the most badly hit parts of London. In contrast, Covid silently and ruthlessly divides and conquers, sowing helplessness, mutual distrust and crippling fear. Prolonged social isolation may be as dangerous as the virus for some Americans. And PTSD is likely to have a widespread, lasting impact as we come out of Covid just as it has for some of those impacted by the 9/11 attacks. Not everyone can "get over" Covid or get over a scary escape from the Twin Towers. And while people weren't afraid they could "catch" 9/11, fear of contagion is a unique challenge for those who contract Covid-19. Reactions to her illness remind Colbert of the personal blame and social rejection that was leveled at those who contracted HIV and AIDS during the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Certain traumas can take us from feeling that we are part of the human community to a place of profound isolation, where our trust in the goodness of others is deeply damaged. As Colbert relayed, "These days, I can't tell friend from foe. The kindest people feel sorry for me, the fearful ones are cruel and the indifferent ones have forgotten about me. But I'm still me and I'm still here, and I'm not OK." How can we cope? Even if your family has been lucky enough to have been spared the cruel impact of the novel coronavirus, be it your health, your finances or work-related, know that we are wired to act in response to threat. There are ways we can cope with this time of unknowns. 1. Identify three things you can do and take action. Moving with purpose on our values is how we find meaning in the middle of chaos. Identifying three things we can take action on without endangering others and acting on these things can help us reclaim our fighting spirit. 2. Instead of focusing on "social distancing," let's "connect from a distance." Take a moment to think about your personal pit crew the people in your inner circle that you deeply trust. Put a reminder in your phone to contact one of these special people each day on a rotating basis. Being intentional about connecting with our tribe provides an anchor during a perfect storm of stress. 3. Advances in trauma treatment are cause for new hope. There are a variety of promising new treatment options that target both the biological and psychological symptoms of trauma. For example, stellate ganglion block is an injection that helps to calm an overactive fight-or-flight system, and ketamine infusions are another emerging treatment option. (SGB is offered by the Stella Center in Oakbrook, Illinois, just outside of Chicago, at no personal cost for qualified people enrolled in the World Trade Center Health Program.) Post-traumatic stress does not have to be a life sentence, so ask for help and don't give up. This story was first published on CNN.com, "9/11 and Covid-19: 2 mass trauma events with different recovery challenges." CLAYTON U.S. Rep. Ann Wagner on Thursday called on St. Louis County to distribute federal coronavirus aid to the countys 88 municipalities, saying it was outrageous the funds had not been disbursed in the five months since the county received them. But Pat Kelly, executive director of the Municipal League of Metro St. Louis, said on Thursday that he thought the county would be sending $47 million to the municipalities within days. The U.S. government in April delivered $150 billion in aid to state and local governments with a requirement they spend it by years end and only on expenses related to the coronavirus. Local governments with at least 500,000 residents received direct aid instead of it coming through the state. St. Louis County received $173.5 million. In a letter dated Thursday to County Executive Sam Page, Wagner, R-Ballwin, said she had asked him several times to release funds to the municipalities. She said the Municipal League of Metro St. Louis and several municipal leaders had told her they are in desperate need of these funds. This is a serious issue that demands immediate action. Wagner also ripped St. Louis County during a House Financial Services Committee hearing on Thursday for only having spent 44% of its relief funds with a quarter of the year to go. Nationally, she said, only 25% of Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act funds had been spent through the end of June, and we need to get to the bottom of why this is. The municipalities in St. Louis County need these funds now, she said. They needed them months ago. Wagner will face Democrat Jill Schupp on Nov. 3 for Missouris 2nd District House seat. Doug Moore, a spokesman for Page, responded in a statement: We are on track to distribute funds to support our municipalities in compliance with federal regulations and based on need. Well be making an announcement soon. Although frustrating to many, we must follow federal guidelines for distribution of these funds. To do otherwise we risk having to return the funds. The Page administration has said each expense must be carefully tracked to make sure it complies with Treasury guidelines that expenses be coronavirus related. The countys budget director, for example, recently asked Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bells chief of staff for a statement to explain why it planned to spend $117,000 on televisions and iPads. The official said they were necessary for teleconferencing and remote work. Some County Council members said earlier this week they were frustrated with the pace of the relief effort under Page and that they doubted the county could distribute all the money by years end. Page responded the county would award the aid in time and that his only worry was it wasnt enough. The Page administration months ago set aside the $47 million for the municipalities while it sought clarity on whether the Treasury would allow the county to hand it down. The Treasury later clarified the funds could be used to pay police and fire salaries from March 1 through December 31. Some municipal leaders wanted the money to be distributed proportionate to their populations; the Page administration studied ways to provide more for communities that are struggling more than others, but could not find a way to justify it, given the Treasurys parameters. Pages chief policy officer, Cora Faith Walker, told council members on Tuesday that the money would be distributed to municipalities at a rate of $68 per resident. That means Chesterfield would receive $3.2 million while Velda Village Hills would get $70,000. But, she said, some struggling communities would qualify for more money. Kelly said Walker had told him that an extra $13 million would be made available to the poorest communities. Kelly said the councils of each municipality in the coming days would pass resolutions asking the county for the money, and he expected funds to be released soon. Build your health & fitness knowledge Sign up here to get the latest health & fitness updates in your inbox every week! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Report: Russian Hackers Targeted Political Consultancy Working For Biden September 10, 2020 A campaign-advisory company working for Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden was targeted by suspected Russian state-backed hackers, a Reuters report has found, which the Kremlin dismissed as "nonsense." Microsoft recently alerted the company about the hacking attempt. The U.S. software company identified hackers tied to the Russian government as the likely culprits, three sources briefed on the matter told Reuters. The hackers failed to gain access to the company's networks, according to a source familiar with its response, Reuters said. "They are well-defended, so there has been no breach," the person said. The company said to have been targeted was Washington-based SKDKnickerbocker, a campaign strategy and communications firm. The attacks included phishing, a method to trick users into disclosing passwords, the sources said. SKDK Vice Chairwoman Hilary Rosen declined to comment. A Biden spokesman did not respond to a request for comment, and Microsoft spokesman declined to comment, according to Reuters. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on September 10 rejected the report. "It looks like more nonsense that, unfortunately, respected news agencies publish sometimes," Peskov told reporters in Moscow. U.S. intelligence agencies have raised alarms about possible efforts by foreign governments to interfere in the November 3 presidential election. Based on reporting by Reuters Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/russian- hackers-targeted-political-consultancy -working-for-biden/30830493.html Copyright (c) 2020. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address They thought theyd got away with it. It was late May and Rio Tinto, having destroyed 46,000 years of Indigenous heritage enclosed within caves deep in the West Australian Pilbara, was expecting blowback from traditional owners. The mining giant knew it would make headlines. The strategy was to ride out what it thought was going to be a wave of initial criticism. Rio Tinto chief executive Jean-Sebastien Jacques is disappointed about the decision to leave the company. Credit:Daniel Munoz During the next six weeks it seemed Rio's reading of the situation was impeccable. Back then, none of the board members could have imagined that within three months the wave of protest from traditional owners would have burgeoned to a shareholder-led tsunami of dissent - one large enough that it has wiped out three of Rios most senior executives, including chief executive Jean-Sebastien Jacques. A French government official's attempt to ban a feminist book called 'I Hate Men' appears to have backfired after it sold out. Sales of Pauline Harmange's 'Moi les hommes, je les deteste' skyrocketed after Ralph Zurmely, a special adviser to France's ministry for gender equality, called it an 'ode to misandry [a hatred of men].' In an email, Zurmely told Monstrograph - the book's publisher - that 'incitement to hatred on the grounds of gender is a criminal offence', and asked the publisher to pull the book from publication 'on pain of criminal prosecution'. The 25-year-old activist's book argues that 'anger towards men is actually a joyful and emancipatory path, if it is allowed to be expressed', and explores whether women 'have good reason to hate men'. Monstrograph has denied that the book is an incitement of hatred, and called the book a 'feminist and iconoclastic book' that 'defends misandry as a way of making room for sisterhood'. Colline Pierre, one of the founders of the micro-publisher run by volunteers, said 'The title is provocative but the language is measured. It is an invitation not to oblige oneself to frequent men or compromise with them. 'At no time does the author incite violence,' she added. 'I hate men', a book written by 25-year-old French activist Pauline Harmange (pictured for an interview with The Guardian), has drawn criticism from Ralph Zurmely, a special adviser to France's ministry for gender equality, who called it an 'ode to misandry [a hatred of men]' The first 450 printed copies of the book flew off the shelves after Zurmely called for it to be banned. Since the first print run, a further 2,500 copies have been sold. A larger, so far unnamed publisher, is now set to take the title on, according to The Guardian, and UK publishers are set to be considering translating it into English. France's ministry for gender equality distanced itself from Zurmely's threat of criminal prosecution, saying it was a 'personal initiative and completely independent of the ministry.' The ministry's comments came after Harmange received ridicule and threats on social media. The special adviser told Mediapart that if Monstrograph continued to sell copies of the book, the small publisher would be 'directly complicit in the offence and I would then be obliged to send it to the prosecution for legal proceedings'. But the magazine NouvelObs pointed out that if the book were to be banned, a similar case could be made for books by male authors to be banned on the grounds of misogyny. Harmange, an activist from Lille in northern France, said the book is an invitation to women to 'imagine a new way of being, to take less account of the often unsupported opinions of men, to consider the adage "it is better to be alone than in bad company seriously, and to rediscover the strength of female relationships full of reciprocity, gentleness and strength'. Following the adviser's criticism, the book - titled 'Moi les hommes, je les deteste' in French - has flown off the shelves, with 450 first editions and a further 2,500 copies selling out She also hit back at Zurmely's response to her book, saying: 'A state official who has a power crisis facing an 80-page book released in 400 copies, I find that very problematic.' In a blog, the activist wrote that her head was 'spinning' at the response she had recieved, writing: 'As a gigantic snub to this man who wanted to ban my words, this book which should have been printed only at 500, maybe 700 copies max, has been ordered more than 2,000 times. 'We have withdrawn the book from sale, not because we are afraid but because we can no longer keep pace [with demand]. (And not forever, I promise),' she wrote. Harmange describes herself as bi-sexual, and is married to a man. She said that her experience working with rape and sexual assault victims in France has made her distrust men she does not know, according to The Times. She pointed to statistics that show nearly 40 women a day are victims of sexual violence in France - which has been rocked by the MeToo movement in recent years. Meanwhile, she added, women who dislike men 'neither kill nor injure anyone, nor prevent them from dressing the way they wish, from walking in the street at night, or from expressing themselves as they see fit.' CHICAGO, Sept. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Hightower Chief Marketing Officer Abby Salameh has been named Individual RIA Thought Leader of the Year by WealthManagment.com. The news came during the publication's virtual "Wealthies" award ceremony on Sept. 10, which celebrated the winners of the 2020 Industry Awards. With a long history of experience building top-line solutions for RIAs, driving brand development and fostering a collaborative community amongst advisors, Ms. Salameh's marketing leadership spans more than two decades. Since joining Hightower in 2019, she has led the firm through a complete rebrand and spearheaded the development of Engage, a digital content marketing platform designed to help Hightower advisors deploy automated, effective marketing campaigns to drive engagement, business development, revenue and organic growth. In the wake of the pandemic, Ms. Salameh has helped Hightower seamlessly transform in-person corporate events onto a virtual platform, while continuing to incorporate thought leadership and meaningful content into the community. Ms. Salameh has been a speaker, moderator and panelist at more than 100 financial conferences and is a regular author of articles for both the mainstream and financial press. Ms. Salameh seeks new ways to help advisors serve their clients in more meaningful ways, creating fresh solutions like the newly launched Well-th Report digital magazine and podcast series, which discusses what wealth means to clients and advisors. Now in its 6th year, the WealthManagement.com Industry Awards program recognizes the outstanding companies, individuals and organizations that make a real difference in the daily activities of financial advisors. More than 200 companies and individuals submitted 625 nominations in 2020. "It's truly an honor to be recognized by WealthManagement.com for doing what I love to do, which is helping advisors understand and utilize digital marketing strategies for lead generation and organic growth," said Ms. Salameh. "I'd like to thank the marketing and executive leadership teams here at Hightower for their hard work supporting Hightower's shared vision for advisor success." About Hightower Hightower is a wealth management firm that provides investment, financial and retirement planning services to individuals, foundations and family offices, as well as 401(k) consulting and cash management services to corporations. Hightower's capital solutions, operational support services, size and scale empower its vibrant community of independent-minded wealth advisors to grow their businesses and help their clients achieve their vision of "well-th. rebalanced." Based in Chicago with advisors across the U.S., the firm operates as a registered investment advisor (RIA). Learn more about Hightower's collaborative business model at www.hightoweradvisors.com. Media Contact: Patty Buchanan JConnelly (973) 567-9415 [email protected] SOURCE Hightower Related Links http://www.hightoweradvisors.com By Akbar Mammadov Azerbaijan has allocated $2.27 million (3,866 million AZN) to modernize the unified information system of the Service for Mobilization and Conscription. President Ilham Aliyev signed a relevant decree on September 9. According to the order, for this purpose, funds have been allocated to the State Service for Mobilization and Conscription from the presidents reserve fund envisaged in the state budget for 2020. The modernization of the unified information system considers fundamental changes in the field of security, hardware and software tools in the unified electronic information system of the state service. The State Service for Mobilization and Conscription was established in order to ensure the application of the law "On military position and military service" dated December 23, 2011, and to improve the management structure in the relevant field in order to meet its modern requirements. --- Akbar Mammadov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @AkbarMammadov97 Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Until 2014, Spain could open criminal investigations on crimes against humanity no matter where those crimes were committed in the world. The case of Inocente Orlando Montano, who was extradited to Spain from the United States in December 2017, started thanks to that principle of full universal jurisdiction. Since 2014, a new law says victims should be of Spanish nationality to file a suit under the Spanish jurisdiction, and the Jesuit case only survived because five of the six priests murdered in 1989 were born in Spain. Montano, 77, was given the opportunity to follow the trial from his cell. But the former Salvadorian colonel chose to be present every day, sitting in his wheelchair by a table in the middle of the courtroom and listening to every word the judges and parties had to say about him. In concluding remarks his attorney asked the judges to acquit Montano or at least that mitigating measures should be applied due to his age and health condition. An order to kill His presence in Madrid reminds of the Cold War and the Salvadorian civil war, which lasted from 1980 to 1992, and claimed the lives of some 70,000 civilians. During those years, the military committed some 18,700 crimes, many of them in complicity with death squads, according to the 1993 final report of the Truth Commission set up in the country with assistance of the United Nations. At the time, the United States backed Salvadorian governments with the aim of preventing the ascent of communism. According to figures from the US Congress, Washington had sent over $4 billion to El Salvador by 1989 as cooperation funding. That same year, on November 15, an order was given to soldiers of a special armed forces unit (the Atlacatl Batallion) to go to the campus of the Central American University (known as UCA), kill father Ignacio Ellacuria and leave no witnesses, according to testimony before the Madrid court. Former lieutenant Yusshy Rene Mendoza, American professor Terry Lynn Karl and priest Jose Maria Tojeira came to the bar to describe the crucial order, allegedly given during a meeting at which Montano was present. A decision like that must have had the approval of the High Command, said Karl, a political science professor and former director of the Centre for Latin American Studies at Stanford University. The High Command was a body composed of the then president Alfredo Felix Cristiani, the Minister of Defence and his deputy, the chief of the general joint staff and Colonel Montano, then Deputy Minister of Public Security which was one of the three highest positions in the army. According to the three witnesses, officials from the High Command and the General Staff met that day to plan the murder. The buddies plot Karl said independent investigations by Scotland Yard and the CIA, corroborated by declassified US government documents collected by the National Security Archive, an NGO, pointed to Montanos responsibility in the Jesuits slaying. But the order to kill father Ellacuria had been a collective decision, she told the court. Montano was part of a group which also included head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Colonel Rene Emilio Ponce and deputy Defence Minister Orlando Zepeda, who were known as Los compadres (the buddies), said Karl. She wrote two long reports (one in 2009 and the other in 2017) on the killings of the priests. Just after a media campaign where it was said on a nationwide channel that the UCA Jesuits were guerrilla leaders, everyone at that meeting was more or less clear about what was going to happen. The consensus was important because the order to kill civilians was illegal, Karl told the court. By 1989, the population of El Salvador was tired of a decade of war. Father Ellacuria was close to president Cristiani, and he was pushing for peace, testified Father Tojeira, who was head of the Jesuit order for Central America. If anyone in El Salvador cheered for peace, then that person would become the enemy of both military and guerrilla, explained Tojeira during the trial. The Jesuits at UCA had received several death threats and by 1989 at least four bombs had exploded in several Jesuit facilities, according to Tojeira, who is now director of the Human Rights Institute at the Central American University. Murders at the Jesuit residence Witness at the trial, lieutenant Mendoza was an officer at the Military Academy when he was ordered to join 40 soldiers of the Atlacatl Battalion in their mission at the Jesuit residence inside UCA campus. He was present when at 2am on November 16 the soldiers fired at Fathers Ignacio Martin-Baro, Segundo Montes, Juan Ramon Moreno, Amando Lopez and Joaquin Lopez, killing them all. A woman and a younger lady were also killed that night, he told the court. 42-year-old cook Elba Ramos and her 16-year-old daughter had sought refuge at the residence due to the security situation in the capital city. Father Tojeira explained that the residence was a short distance from strategic military facilities: 700 meters from the General Staff, 400 meters from the National Intelligence Directorate and 200 meters from a so-called Democracy Tower from where soldiers and snipers with night sights could see, according to him, what happened in the Jesuit residence. He added that the same morning he learned about the killings, he personally informed president Cristiani he had strong indications that uniformed soldiers were responsible for the crime. Tojeira said he got access to Cristiani through the Popes representative in El Salvador. He also elaborated on his subsequent meetings with the Chief of General Staff and the deputy Defence minister. The army was trying to cover up its own responsibility, he believes, noting that one day after the slaying, the army published an obituary lamenting the killing of the Jesuits. Tojeira also recounted the time he retired in annoyance from a meeting with military, members of a Criminal Facts Investigative Commission who he thought tried to manipulate him. The investigation was a farce. On about December 20, 1989, I and Father Estrada, rector of UCA at the time, had a meeting with them. We told those colonels that they had to investigate the Atlacatl. But what the colonels told us was that the investigations were being carried out with polygraphs [lie detectors] on people who denounced the FMLN [guerrillas] as the murderers. They told us ridiculous things, such as that a FMLN commander was homosexual and died in that offensive, that he had told his lover that they had killed the Jesuits. Things like that. It was all a sham. We left that meeting very upset because the Colonels had tried to manipulate us, said Tojeira. I just ran administrative tasks Montano After a lawsuit was filed to the special high court in Spain by the NGO Center for Justice and Accountability in 2008, 20 members of the Salvadorian Army were indicted in 2011 for their alleged responsibility in the Jesuits slaying. Montano was one of them. Another died the same year, his compadre general Ponce. A year later, El Salvadors Supreme Court rejected the Spanish extradition request for the other military, on the grounds that they had already been tried for the same facts in 1991-1992 in El Salvador. Montano was living in the United States where the extradition request, after his lawyers had exhausted all avenues of appeal, eventually led to his transfer to Spain at the end of 2017. I just ran administrative tasks, said Montano in his first statement before the Madrid court on June 9. He acknowledged he had been part of several meetings around November 15th, 1989 but denied that the one where the order was given had taken place. Also, he tried to mitigate his power as the number 3 in the army, repeating that his responsibilities were only administrative. According to Montano, strategic decisions during the war were not taken as alleged by consensus, among the colonels but only in the High Command. When asked by his lawyer in court what decisions he did participate in, Montanos sideways response was: The only decision we made in the High Command was to upgrade aggressiveness in our response by using the Air Force and artillery. He said that neither Ellacuria nor any other priest was mentioned and that all they wanted was to recover several parts of the city held by the guerrillas at the time. El Salvadors judiciary called to act The Foundation of Studies for the Application of Law (FESPAD), a body that observes the judiciary system in El Salvador, welcomes the universal jurisdiction trial which stood for ten days in Madrid last July. This trial is a positive and emblematic contribution in order to overcome impunity for crimes against humanity and war crimes, said the NGO on July 7, at the opening of the hearings. We hope that our judicial system will follow this example, since it has a constitutional obligation to overcome this historical debt, reopening the judicial process to try the rest of the accused who are in El Salvador. In 2018, when the amnesty law in El Salvador was abrogated, UCA tried to reopen the prosecution against the compadres and president Cristiani. The prosecution is ongoing, according to the UCA Institute for Human Rights. For former Salvadorian president Calderon Sol, Spain has been violating El Salvadors sovereignty by prosecuting members of its army. 25 years after peace, Spain came to reopen this. It is not fair with El Salvador. This is a judge wanting to kick national sovereignty, he said in 2016. *Note : The trial was entirely broadcasted. Due to the Covid19 pandemic restrictions our correspondent couldnt fly to Madrid but followed the trial from distance. US President Donald Trumps attempt to stop undocumented immigrants from being counted is unlawful, court says. A United States court has rejected the Trump administrations attempt to prevent undocumented immigrants from being counted in the US census, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) said Thursday, hailing the decision as a huge victory. In its decision, the US District Court in New York said that so long as they reside in the country, undocumented immigrants qualify as persons in a state' who must be counted in the 2020 census, a mandatory survey that is sent to every household in the US every 10 years. Their exclusion would have influenced how many seats in the US House of Representatives are allocated to each US state and Donald Trumps critics, as well as civil rights groups, had accused the US president of trying to politicise the census process for his own gain. The president must act in accordance with, and within the boundaries of, the authority that Congress has granted, the three-judge panel said in its ruling, which can be appealed to the US Supreme Court. We conclude that the president did not do so. Trump in July signed a presidential memorandum ordering undocumented immigrants who recent estimates say number more than 10.5 million people across the country be excluded from being counted when congressional districts are redrawn. Excluding these illegal aliens from the apportionment base is more consonant with the principles of representative democracy underpinning our system of government, Trumps memorandum reads. In their decision, the federal judges in New York said the presidential order was unlawful and the harm it would cause would last a decade. The census is also used to allocate federal funding and immigrants rights groups say that undercounting means communities will not get the financial support they need to offer critical programmes to residents. The ACLU was among several groups, as well as cities and US states, to file a federal lawsuit in July against Trumps order. Dale Ho, director of the ACLUs voting rights project, said in a statement Thursday that the courts decision is a huge victory for voting and immigrants rights. President Trump has tried and failed yet again to weaponise the census against immigrant communities. The law is clear every person counts in the census, Ho said. The decision was also welcomed by Letitia James, the attorney general for the state of New York, which was among the plaintiffs in the case. President Trumps repeated attempts to hinder, impair, and prejudice an accurate census and the subsequent apportionment have failed once again, James said in a statement. The White House and the Department of Commerce, which oversees the census, did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Reuters Thursday. The Trump administration had previously tried to include a citizenship question on the 2020 US Census, another move that was lambasted as an attempt to intimidate undocumented immigrants. In July, the administration abandoned that plan, saying it would begin printing forms that do not include the contentious question. That decision came after a rebuke from the US Supreme Court, which on June 27 faulted the Trump administration for its original attempt to add the question and blocked its effort. I respect the Supreme Court but strongly disagree with its ruling regarding my decision to reinstate a citizenship question on the 2020 census, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said in a statement at the time. Since coming into office, the Trump administration has pursued staunchly anti-immigration policies, including a ban on immigration from Muslim-majority countries. Many of the policies have been challenged in court. President Trump is running out the clock on his own re-election campaign. For much of the Trump presidency, days and controversies have run together until theyve become an indistinguishable blur: a bombshell revelation from a former aide, or a self-sabotaging news conference, canceling out the last one. Time has seemed to pass quickly or not at all, as the constant churn of scandals, resignations, tell-all books and racist or sexist tweets has created its own political ecosystem. At times, the constant noise has helped Mr. Trump, who thrives on chaos and wants the spotlight always on himself, and he believes he has faced few consequences for it. But with less than eight weeks left until the election, and with early voting beginning in some states this month, the number of days Mr. Trump can afford to burn is dwindling. He is trailing his Democratic rival, Joseph R. Biden Jr., in most national and battleground state polls, and is facing a potential cash crunch, leaving him with less to invest in television ads after aggressive spending over the last three years. Nevertheless, Mr. Trump has spent the last week playing defense, first in the wake of a report that he referred to Americans who died in combat as suckers and losers, and then doing damage control after the release of excerpts from the veteran journalist Bob Woodwards new book, Rage. Cameroon Military Sweeps Northwest City to Weed Out Separatists By Moki Edwin Kindzeka September 10, 2020 Cameroon's military this week launched an operation to weed out anglophone separatists in the northwestern city of Bamenda. Locals say the commercial hub is eerily quiet after the military banned motorcycles, and rebels responded by demanding all vehicles stay off the streets. Civilians have been escaping the renewed fighting to neighboring towns and villages. Twenty-seven-year-old nurse Rachel Ngobising arrived in Yaounde late Wednesday after escaping heavy fighting in Cameroon's northwestern city of Bamenda. "I struggled and I trekked for a very long distance before I could find a car that could smuggle me out of Bamenda. Worst of all, when I finally got a car, I had to pay five times the normal price [fare] because even the driver is scared. He was taking a risk," she said. The fighting broke out as Cameroon's military this week swept the city of about 350,000 people, looking for anglophone separatists. The commander of troops in the Northwest region, General Nka Valere, Monday announced what he called "Operation Clean Bamenda." He said they aimed to weed out rebels who entered the city after the military on Sunday killed a self-proclaimed rebel general. "That terrorist, by the name Fonteh, alias 'mad dog,' has killed more than 100 people," he said. "We are taking all the measures to make sure that Bamenda will be clean. Respect the decision taken by the city mayor of Bamenda and administrative authorities." In a Wednesday interview, Valere said there were several running battles between the military and rebels in Bamenda and nearby villages. However, in Bamenda, locals say the streets are eerily quiet and movement in the city has become difficult. Officials banned motorcycles to stop the rebels from being able to quickly attack and escape. Cameroon authorities say, normally, commercial motorcyclists alone number about 25,000 in Bamenda. Separatists responded by demanding all vehicles stay off the city's streets. Daniel Caapo is a Hong Kong-based, self-proclaimed deputy defense chief for the rebel Ambazonia Defense Forces. Speaking via a messaging application, he says they announced the demand to support motorcyclists. "Our citizens are relying on motorbikes to go to hospital and to provide access to critical areas of Bamenda," he said. "Most of these motor bikers earn their living only providing these services and they cater for a large population of our people who have no jobs to make a living. We cannot allow this. We have to rise up in solidarity with the bike men and also to send a strong message to the occupying force [military] and to the occupying administration [government]." Cameroon's military has vowed to crush rebels who refuse to surrender and hand over their weapons. The governor of the Northwest region, Deben Tchoffo, says people should respect security actions needed to make the city safe. He says measures taken by the government and the military to protect civilians should be respected. The announced actions, and many others that have not been made public, says Tchoffo, are intended to ensure the safety and well-being of all civilians. He asks that all civilians continue carrying out their daily activities without fear. The rebels have been fighting since 2017 to carve out an independent, English-speaking state from French-speaking-majority Cameroon. The United Nations says the four-year conflict has left at least 3,000 people dead and displaced more than half a million. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address On Wednesday, a U.S. top military commander said the U.S. will reduce the number of troops in Iraq this month from 5,200 to 3,000. Levels are expected to drop to about 4,500 in Afghanistan by November, coinciding with the Nov. 3 presidential election. (Natural News) The American Association of Physicians and Surgeons (AAPS) is suing the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for withholding from the public some 60 million doses of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) that were donated by drug manufacturers to treat Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) patients. Currently, these 60 million doses of HCQ are under strict lock and key at the Strategic National Stockpile because the FDA refuses to allow doctors to prescribe the drug to their ailing patients. Consequently, tens of thousands of Americans are needlessly suffering and dying from an illness that, quite frankly, is preventable. Because the medical deep state eventually wants everyone to get vaccinated for the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19), HCQ must remain off-limits because its widespread use would quickly prove that there is no need for a vaccine (RELATED: Learn more about how green tea and zinc can help support a healthy, COVID-free lifestyle). [The FDA cares] more about [its] power over the HCQ Stockpile than the lives being lost daily without access to it, the lawsuit against the FDA reads. [T]he injunction plaintiff seeks would irreversibly overturn the status quo, by compelling the government to disburse the hydroxychloroquine in the Stockpile a step that, once taken, cannot be undone. The only thing that cannot be undone, the plaintiffs lament, is the loss of life that has come about due to the FDA playing politics with HCQ rather than simply doing the right thing to help sick people recover with this inexpensive, science-based remedy. Up to 100,000 lives could be saved if the FDA stopped restricting hydroxychloroquine According to Yale University professor Dr. Harvey Risch, somewhere between 50,000 and 100,000 lives could be saved from the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) if only the FDA would repent of its sins by unleashing the HCQ Stockpile. Keep in mind that HCQ was approved by the FDA as a safe and effective drug back in 1955 almost 70 years ago and only now is the agency suddenly claiming that the drug is no longer safe and effective. Even the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) agrees that HCQ is safe and effective, so why is the drug still prohibited from being used to put an end to the plandemic? The AAPS is calling on the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to enjoin the FDA to make available and distribute promptly, and for the benefit of the public holding valid prescriptions, the HCQ being stored in the [Strategic National Stockpile]. The FDA insists that its decisions are not reviewable by a federal court, however the AAPS was quick to point out that, based on that view, the agency could dump the entire HCQ Stockpile into the Potomac River and there would be no legal accountability. The suit was filed in response to the FDAs refusal to approve HCQ for use in treating the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19), even after a clinical trial showed the drug to be a safe and effective remedy. According to Dr. Jane Orient, executive director of the AAPS, the FDA continues to obstruct the use of a long-established antimicrobial that can also be used in outpatients, to prevent the need for hospitalization. Because of FDAs negative statements about HCQ (hydroxychloroquine), patients are having great difficulty in obtaining HCQ, she further points out, noting that a research team from the Henry Ford Health System in Detroit found that HCQ helped to bring about a 51 percent reduction in mortality among Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) patients treated at area hospitals. Without HCQ and zinc, by day six or seven the viral load explodes and then triggers an exaggerated inflammatory response, adds Dr. Elizabeth Van Vliet, M.D., about how HCQ with zinc works during the first five days to stop viral entry into our cells and to block the virus from multiplying. More of the latest news about the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) plandemic can be found at Pandemic.news. Sources for this article include: WND.com NaturalNews.com Hyderabad, Sep 11 : Vaccine maker Bharat Biotech on Friday announced that the animal trials of its Covid-19 vaccine candidate Covaxin were successful. It said the results demonstrated the protective efficacy of the vaccine in a live viral challenge model. "Bharat Biotech proudly announces the animal study results of COVAXIN - These results demonstrate the protective efficacy in a live viral challenge model," tweeted the Hyderabad-based firm. It said the data from the study on primates substantiate the immunogenicity of the vaccine candidate. According to a detailed statement attached to the tweet, Bharat Biotech developed and assessed the protective efficacy and immunogenicity of an inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine (BBV152) or Covaxin in rhesus macaques (Macaca mulata). Twenty macaques were divided into four groups of five animals each. "One group was administered a placebo while three groups were immunised with three different vaccine candidates at 0 and 14 days. All the macaques were challenged with SARS-CoV-2 14 days after the second dose. The protective response was observed with increasing SARS-CoV-2 specific IgG and neutralising antibody titres from third week post-immunisation," it said. "Viral clearance was observed from bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, nasal swab, throat swab, and lung tissues at 7 days post-infection in the vaccinated groups. No evidence of pneumonia was observed by histopathological examination in vaccinated groups, unlike the placebo group which showed features of interstitial pneumonia and localisation of viral antigen in the alveolar epithelium and macrophages by immunohistochemistry." "To summarize, the vaccine candidate was found to generate robust immune responses. Thus, preventing infection and disease in the primates upon high amounts of exposure to live SARS-CoV-2 virus," it added. The vaccine is being evaluated in Phase-I clinical trials in India. The vaccine maker early this month received approval from the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation to conduct the Phase-II trials. Bharat Biotech had announced on June 29 that it successfully developed Covaxin in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the National Institute of Virology (NIV). The SARS-CoV-2 strain was isolated in NIV, Pune and transferred to Bharat Biotech. The indigenous, inactivated vaccine candidate has been developed and manufactured in Bharat Biotech's high containment facility located in Genome Valley, Hyderabad. East London creatives, West Country aristocrats, members of U2 and The Rolling Stones. It's quite the customer base to command - but then Irishman Luke Irwin is not your average rug designer. The Dublin-born 52-year-old has built up a rich-pile fanbase of A-listers and royalty that stretches around the world. Handmade in India and Nepal, Irwin's hand-knotted, custom-made rugs can be found in locations such as the Gritti Palace in Venice as well as in the homes of members of the British royal family. The latter is an ace card to have in your back pocket but Irwin doesn't play it. His wife, interior designer Alice Elliot, is a niece of the Duchess of Cornwall, wife of Prince Charles. Alice's mother, Annabel, and Camilla are sisters - but whatever might lie on the floor of the Wales' homes in Clarence House or Highgrove in Gloucestershire, it is not part of the story he wants to tell. Expand Close Luke Irwin's Seat of Power chair. Photo: David Archer / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Luke Irwin's Seat of Power chair. Photo: David Archer "I've always had a thing that when someone buys or commissions a rug from me, they are buying a rug, not a PR campaign," says Irwin, who was 34 when he started his contemporary rug company. His circuitous route to becoming one of the most respected rug designers in the interiors world has taken him across the stages of Irish theatres and beyond - a journey that was always colourful, just like his rugs, which retail from around 5,000 up to the tens of thousands. For the less affluent, there is the opportunity to buy into his vision at the British high-street brand John Lewis, where his rugs start from around 2,000. He grew up in Co Kildare, where his family lived in Leixlip, just down the road from the late Desmond Guinness at Leixlip Castle, and Irwin says he has fond memories of visiting there as a child. Young Luke went to preparatory school in England, at St Ronan's in Kent, with his older brother and then it was on to Eton College in Berkshire, just like his dad before him. However, Luke didn't take the Old Etonians' route into Oxford or Cambridge. At 16, he convinced his parents - bloodstock agent and former Goffs boss Jonathan Irwin and his first wife, interior designer Mikaela Rawlinson - to allow him to leave Eton, with an A Level in drama. Expand Close A design from Luke Irwin's Mosaic Collection. Photo: Sebastian Nicholas / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp A design from Luke Irwin's Mosaic Collection. Photo: Sebastian Nicholas "I left school a year early and I was working with Noel Pearson at the Gaiety on HMS Pinafore when I was 17. My father isn't exactly a conformist. I recognise more and more of him in how I view things with every passing week," he tells me. Working as an assistant stage manager, and later as assistant artistic director, his last job in Ireland was at the Abbey Theatre before he left for London in the early 1990s. What followed was a total mixed bag of jobs. He was a porter in the auctioneer Christie's picture department, did stage management, then tried his hand as a theatrical agent and in the world of PR. "I just happened to be a particularly reticent employee and never really got the quid pro quo that if you sit there between nine and six, you are paid X amount a week. I kind of felt that if I do brilliant work between nine and 12, why couldn't I go to a matinee in the afternoon?" he says. His career path was far from straight and there was personal sadness, too. His younger brother Sam died in an accident in Portugal aged 18. He fell from a wall just a week after leaving school. It wasn't the first family tragedy. Irwin's father, Jonathan, has lost three sons. Expand Close Another design from Luke Irwin's Mosaic Collection / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Another design from Luke Irwin's Mosaic Collection After his parents' marriage ended, Jonathan married Mary Ann O'Brien. Their son John died at birth. Their son Jack suffered a brain trauma shortly after birth. He lived at home for 22 months and, after he died, the couple set up the Jack and Jill Children's Foundation in his memory to provide nursing care for children in their own homes. Family is especially important to Irwin. He chats to me from his 18th-century home in Brixton Deverill, a quiet corner of Wiltshire. He describes it as a "magical" place and lives there with Alice and their two children, 14-year-old Otis and 11-year-old Violet, plus dogs, cats, sheep and more. Most notable is Rabbit, the dog who poses on a heap of ikat rugs on the company website. The latter earned himself the moniker of "the naughtiest dog in England" after squirrelling his way into a visiting delivery van. Father and son share a passion for Liverpool FC. Violet is very visual - well, her mother and both her grandmothers are interior designers, so it's definitely in the genes. Reflecting on lockdown and their time together, Irwin says it's been a blessing. "It's like stolen time, to have the children and everybody here under one roof - we will never have it again with such intensity." He met Alice when he was working for her mother in antiques. They married in 2003, the same year he started his rug business, and in 2012 they bought their picture-perfect Wiltshire home. Fortunately, Irwin was at home the fateful day in 2015 when builders, who were at work putting electricity into a barn, dug a trench and then shouted for him to come and see what they had found. "I knew exactly what it meant because of the world I'm in and my love of history," he recalls. A four-month archaeological dig confirmed the news. The dazzling basket-weave mosaic floor which had winked up at the surprised builders belonged to the biggest Roman palace in Britain. "You could not set this up," the rug designer laughs. "You find a luxury mosaic floor from 1,800 years ago and it is 15 yards from your front door." Dating back to between 175 AD and 220 AD, it is now known as the Deverill Villa. The walls confirm that it was three storeys high, it measured 200 metres in length and width, and it had underfloor central heating. Irwin's Irish honesty shone through in the find. "After the builders called me to come look, I called the Wiltshire County Council archaeological department, and what was kind of sad was that their first emotion was gratitude. It would suggest that a lot of people would have slipped the builder 50 quid and said, 'Just cover it up and say nothing.'" There are clues to the way Irwin approaches life in what happened next. A late starter in business - and with an emerging rug company on his hands at the time - he admits that he "hummed and hawed" about using the mosaic find as inspiration for a collection "because it was blurring the lines between home and professional life". Thankfully, he saw sense in the end. The Roman remains inspired his Mosaic Collection, his most famous to date. It has been incredibly popular, just like his debut range, which was inspired by crop circles, and his Botanical Collection. However, with critical success comes the inevitable homages. "The way of protecting yourself is to make the next collection you do a complete departure from the one you did before. Nobody knows what you are going to do next. That gives you a 12-month headstart on anybody else, and everyone is a jump away from where you were before. And that also is sort of how my head works," he says with a chuckle. Irwin speaks with the smarts of a man who took his time to find out what he loved doing, and learned about life along the way. The lad who suffered with presenteeism has matured into a businessman whose rugs are eagerly collected around the world. Little point asking about Kate Middleton and Jemima Khan owning them - because Irwin will stay shtum. He has about 11 or 12 of his own rugs at home. The hall is painted a fabulous malachite green, and the other walls are painted in neutral tones to allow the paintings, rugs and textiles to speak for themselves. His latest creative project has been his Seat of Power chair. His first foray into furniture design, it is, he tells me, "an allegorical piece, a conversational piece to start a dialogue about the changing power of nature". "The frame is a hammer and sickle, and the upholstery is a rug design I did in 2008, where stars turned into doves and fly across the stripes," Irwin explains. One of the rugs was presented to Barack Obama in the White House on St Patrick's Day. So, what makes for a good rug? "The key is its colour and size," Irwin says. What causes him frustration is looking at pictures of rooms in an estate agent's window "where the rug is totally the wrong scale. Usually too small." A solution to this issue, he recommends, is to lay out newspapers to see what size looks best. He says the skill of a designer is to make a rug that has a flow and a coherence, in the full knowledge that people will be putting an armchair, sofa and coffee table on it. Irwin laughs that he always knew he was not going to be a stockbroker or a lawyer, but now, as a rug designer happy to offer advice, he observes, "When talking to clients, you almost feel like a GP - trying to draw out of them what their symptoms are so you can give them a diagnosis." For more information, see lukeirwin.com Highlights Trump has refused to extend the deadline for Bytedance to sell the US operations of TikTok t Bytedance could not reach a conclusion with any of the potential buyers. Trump had signed an executive order announcing that the app will be taken down in the US if it fails to sell its operations. With only four days to September 15the deadline for China's Bytdance to sell TikTok, the short video platform's fate in the United States hangs by a thread. The US President has now refused to extend the deadline for Bytedance to sell the US operations of TikTok to an American company. Although there were too many takers, Bytedance could not reach a conclusion with any of the companies. "There will be no extension of the TikTok deadline. We'll either close up TikTok in this country for security reasons, or it will be sold," Trump was quoted as saying by reporters. Trump had granted 90 days to Bytedance to sell the US arm of the short video making platform but that doesn't seem to be happening anytime soon Bytedance despite having many potential buyers including Microsoft, Oracle, and Walmart could not finalize the deal due to China's newly introduced export control rules that would require China's permission for TikTok to sell its algorithm. Earlier this month, Microsoft had entered into a partnership with Walmart to acquire the TikTok's US operations. "We are confident that a Walmart and Microsoft partnership would meet both the expectations of US TikTok users while satisfying the concerns of US government regulators," Walmart said in a statement. The retail giant was earlier in talks with Softbank for a partnership but it did not materialize since Walmart does not have a cloud technology component. Oracle too had entered into the fray after Microsoft expressed its desire to acquire TikTok. The reports had earlier stated that if the deal gets finalized between Bytedance and the companies, the sale price would be in the range of $20 billion to $30 billion. Trump had signed an executive order announcing that the app will be taken down in the US if it fails to sell its operations to a US company within 90 days. Trump called TikTok and WeChat a threat to "national security" in its executive order. This had compelled TikTok's CEO to step down after only 100 days of assuming the position. "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. I understand that the role that I signed up for including running TikTok globally will look very different as a result of the US administration's action to push for a sell-off of the US business," Mayer had said in his letter to his employees informing them about his decision to quit TikTok. The letter was obtained by FT. Ronald Harwood, a British author, playwright and screenwriter who earned three Oscar nominations and won for best adapted screenplay in 2003 for The Pianist, died on Tuesday at his home in Sussex, England. He was 85. His agent, Judy Daish, confirmed his death to the BBC but did not specify a cause. The South African-born Mr. Harwood was one of Britains leading playwrights in the latter half of the 20th century. His plays included The Ordeal of Gilbert Pinfold, adapted from a novel by Evelyn Waugh; After the Lions, about the French stage actress Sarah Bernhardt; and, perhaps most notably, The Dresser, which opened on Broadway in 1981 and received a Tony nomination for best play the next year. Like many of Mr. Harwoods works, The Dresser explored the world of performers and the theater. It centers on an aging, tyrannical Shakespearean actor and his backstage dresser, or personal assistant. It was based on Mr. Harwoods own experience as a young man working as the dresser for the English theater actor Donald Wolfit. As Farewell slowly rode away from the station, with the woman walking alongside, Beasley followed, police said. The two stopped and Farewell approached the vehicle before getting back on his bicycle and riding off, police said. It is unclear if the two exchanged words. SPRINGHILL, N.S.RMCP say theyre looking to identify a suspect in a possible attempted abduction near Springhill, N.S. Police responded to a complaint around 8 p.m. Thursday on Valley Road that a man had possibly tried to lure a three-year-old child into his car. The child was playing with two others when their mother saw a vehicle pull up next to the children. Authorities say the driver then yelled for one of the children to get into his car before the children ran into the house and the man drove towards Springhill. The man is described as being in his late 40s with a clean cut appearance and a raspy voice driving an older model silver or beige Chevrolet Cruze. Officers patrolled the Springhill area but werent able to locate the suspect and are asking residents to contact Crime Stoppers if they have any information. Read more about: Jane Fraser made history on Thursday when she became the first female global bank chief executive, a role she will take up next year when Citigroup Incs current CEO Michael Corbat will step down. Fraser, 53, who grew up in Scotland, navigated some of the worlds most cut-throat corporate environments, including Goldman Sachs, Harvard Business School and McKinsey & Company, before joining Citigroup in 2004. During her time at the bank she has helped execute some of its divestitures, including the staggered sale of its Smith Barney brokerage, and was often assigned to fix problems in the banks operations, ranging from its US mortgage business to its Mexico operations. She became president and chief executive of global consumer banking last year. Shes very, very intelligent and a thoughtful, strategic thinker. Shes a consensus builder who listens to everyone and then takes decisive action, said one prominent Citi investor. The investor said Fraser had demonstrated her qualifications for the top job during her stint from 2015 to 2019 running the banks Latin America operations, where she cleaned up some underperforming businesses. Brian Kleinhanzl, an analyst at Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, said Fraser has a solid track record within the bank and may be more willing to make changes to boost its laggard profits, as investors have demanded. Fraser declined requests for interviews on Thursday, a Citi spokeswoman said. Improving performance Analysts and investors said Fraser will be judged on whether she can improve Citis performance, which has lagged its rivals. She will also take over amid what many expect will still be a challenging consumer lending environment due to the economic fallout of the global coronavirus pandemic. It has been harder for her to get here than had she been a man. But now that shell become CEO... all that matters will be whether she extracts value, said the Citi investor. Fraser has frequently spoken with striking candor about the challenges of holding down a high-powered pressurized job while raising two sons with her husband, also a senior banker, who eventually gave up full-time work to support the family. You cannot have it all at the same time, she told CNN in 2014. You can have it all, spread over decades. Fraser started her career with Goldman Sachs in London and went to work in Madrid before earning an MBA at Harvard Business School in 1994. She had been reluctant to rejoin the financial services industry due to its lack of women and instead took a role at McKinsey. There were so few women in financial services, and those who were, were rather scary. It was the days of wearing these big padded shoulders, dressing practically like a man or in these suits that were horrendous, and none of them were that happy, she told an audience at womens networking event in 2016. I didnt want that, Fraser said, according to a YouTube recording of the event. She said she ignored those who warned her that she would be stupid to get pregnant and was subsequently appointed a McKinsey partner two weeks after giving birth. She worked part-time there for a decade before returning to banking with Citigroup in 2004, keen to move away from advising and back to running a business. Often self-deprecating and good-humored, Fraser on Thursday drew praise from colleagues both in and outside the bank. Apart from being our first female CEO, and the first for a large US bank, Jane is also a... thoroughly decent person, said one of her colleagues. Greg Baer, president of the Bank Policy Institute trade group, who has worked with Fraser in the past, said she had the knowledge and perspicacity to be a policy leader for the industry. The Australia Letter is a weekly newsletter from our Australia bureau. Sign up to get it by email. This weeks issue is written by Isabella Kwai, a reporter with the Australia bureau. It was the slow pace that struck me most when I returned to my hometown, Sydney, three years ago from Washington, D.C. Walking behind strangers, who always seemed to amble slowly, was unbearable. Old friends invited me to lazy afternoons in the sun to catch up. Sometimes, the conversation lapsed into brief silences. I found this relaxed attitude quite alarming. The feeling was apparently mutual. Highly strung was the diagnosis for me, according to one friend. But by then I had absorbed the lessons of studying in the United States, where there had always been somewhere to rush and never enough time to slow down. They called it the American Dream, the belief that with hard work you could realize your deepest, most cherished ambitions. BOGOTA: Nine people have died in Colombian capital Bogota and satellite city Soacha following violent overnight protests against police brutality, as city authorities called on residents to stay indoors on Thursday evening. The demonstrators were protesting the death this week of law student and father-of-two, Javier Ordonez, 46, in police custody. A widely-shared video filmed by Ordonez`s friend showed Ordonez being repeatedly shocked with a stun gun by police. Some 175 civilians and 147 police officers have been injured in the protests, according to authorities in Bogota, while dozens of stations and public vehicles were damaged or set alight, the national government said. Bogota`s mayor Claudia Lopez said people should return to their homes by evening, to ease tensions. "Although there is no curfew in Bogota, we ask that by no later than seven o`clock, all those who can, please stay at home," Lopez said in a Facebook Live broadcast. Seven people aged between 17 and 27 years old were confirmed killed during the protests in Bogota, and another two in Soacha. The circumstances surrounding their deaths are being investigated, authorities said. Over 60 people suffered gun-related injuries, the mayor`s office said. Lopez compared the unrest to the worst days of Colombia`s armed conflict. The video of Ordonez shows him pinned to the ground by police officers and subjected to successive electric shocks as he begs, "please, no more." Police say Ordonez was found drinking alcohol in the street with friends, in violation of coronavirus distancing rules. He was taken to a police station in western Bogota where his family allege he suffered further abuse. He died later in hospital. The two officers involved have been suspended pending an investigation, the government has said. Ordonez`s family called for justice and peaceful protest. "He was murdered by the police officers," his former sister-in-law, Eliana Marcela Garzon, told Reuters. "We don`t want (deaths) in a country already full of conflict, we want justice." Police reform is needed, Garzon said, especially for the future of children like her now-fatherless nephews. "I don`t want them to grow up feeling like there isn`t justice in this country," she said. "I want them to grow up knowing laws are followed." Duque has said abuse of authority should not be tolerated, but the government called for Colombians not to "stigmatize" police officers and appealed for calm. "What we are facing here is a mass act of vandalism and violence," defense minister Carlos Holmes Trujillo told journalists earlier on Thursday. Bogota`s police will be reinforced with 1,600 more officers, more than half of whom will come from other regions, and 300 soldiers, the defense ministry said. An effort by labor unions earlier this week to revive mass protests seen last year against Duque`s economic and social policies garnered a tepid response amid ongoing coronavirus restrictions. But Ordonez`s death could fuel renewed widespread outrage against the police, who were roundly criticized last year after a teenage protester was fatally injured by a riot squad projectile. Despite trying to appoint a defence counsel for Indian using diplomatic channels, has said that only "locally registered lawyers" will be allowed to appear before the bench. Geo News on Thursday reported Foreign Office Spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri as saying that there was no other option for but to "cooperate with Pakistani courts", which only permitted the appearance of locally registered lawyers before the bench. This comes days after Pakistani media reported that the Islamabad High Court on Thursday gave "another opportunity" to appoint a counsel for The Islamabad High Court adjourned the matter till October 6. Last month, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) of India had said that it has asked for Jadhav to be represented by an Indian lawyer for filing a review petition against his death sentence. "We are in touch with Pakistan through diplomatic channels. We believe in a free and fair trial in keeping with the letter and spirit of International Court of Justice (ICJ) judgment. We have asked that Jadhav be represented by an Indian lawyer," MEA Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava had said during a virtual briefing. "However, it is important that Pakistan addresses the core issues and these core issues involve providing all the necessary documents in this case as well as providing unimpeded consular access to Jadhav," he had said. India has been asserting that the Pakistani side should provide for an unimpeded, unhindered and unconditional consular access and asked to ensure that the meeting should be held in an atmosphere free from fear of retribution and without the presence of any Pakistani official in the vicinity of Jadhav and the Indian consular officials. Pakistan has also been requested to not record (video and audio) the meeting. The spokesperson has said that any conversation between Jadhav and High Commission officials must necessarily take place in privacy and without the presence of any Pakistani official or recording by Pakistan. Pakistan claims that Jadhav was arrested from Balochistan in 2016 on charges of espionage.India has rejected Pakistan's allegations and said he was kidnapped from the Iranian port of Chabahar. In early 2017, a Pakistani military court sentenced him to death. The ICJ upheld India's claim that Pakistan has committed an egregious violation of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations on several counts. (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.) Keeping food fresh without refrigeration is near impossible in the scorching climate of sub-Saharan Africa. But its hard to power fridges in a region where almost 600 million people live off the grid. Thats where Brazils Youmma comes in. The company has developed a pay-as-you-go solar-powered fridge that is being snapped up by small business owners. The fridges help to reduce food waste, store medication safely, and allow shops to keep products fresh for longer, says Andre Morriesen, research and development manager at Nidec Global Appliance, which owns Youmma. Of about 2,000 fridges sold since Youmma launched it in 2019, around 80% were to small businesses, he adds. Energy Efficient The cooling system of the small 100-liter fridge has been designed for off-grid use, and it consumes a quarter of the energy of a regular fridge, according to Nidec. That means it can be powered by a smaller solar panel and a smaller battery, reducing costs. The battery can keep the fridge running for a day and a half without sunlight. Customers pay for the fridge in daily installments via cell phones, through M-Kopa, a Kenyan solar energy company. New M-Kopa customers pay a $100 deposit. Daily payments range from $1 to $1.50 for a package that includes solar lighting and covers the installation of a rooftop solar panel. If a user doesnt pay, the fridge stops working until they do. Once it has been paid off which usually takes around two years the customer owns the fridge and the solar power system outright. M-Kopa says it costs more than a conventional fridge, but the package includes lighting as well as continued access to free off-the-grid energy. Pay-as-you-go is useful for [rural] households or businesses with an uneven cash flow, such as income based on harvesting seasons," says Teresa Le, a climate change and energy specialist for the UN Development Program. However, even when paired with pay-as-you-go systems like M-Kopas, solar fridges are still costly for the average person and thats why they mostly appeal to small businesses, says Le. Kioko Mwange runs a small shop in the village of Kithungo, eastern Kenya. Since signing up for the Youmma fridge he has increased his sales, which is offsetting the daily payments. It helps me preserve milk for up to 10 days," says Mwange. I have seen an increase in customers, and they are now confident about the quality of the milk I sell them." Although other affordable options for solar-powered cold storage are available in sub-Saharan Africa, these tend to be larger shared fridges such as Nigerias Cold Hubs and Kenyas Solar Freeze and are mainly used to store produce after harvest or at markets. Life changing Le is confident the market for solar fridges will grow as distribution networks and pay-as-you-go systems improve. Morriesen believes the fridges can be a life-changing product" for rural families and bring freedom to women" who often spend hours each day walking to food markets. With a refrigerator, they can bulk buy ingredients, saving them time and money, he says. Youmma sells fridges in Uganda and Kenya, and it is looking to expand into Nigeria, Tanzania, Zambia, Ivory Coast and Senegal. ACORD, the standard setting body for the global insurance industry, is experiencing a massive jump in global reinsurance and other industry interest in its digital products and services, CEO Bill Pieroni said. The increase comes as reinsurers and carriers, already pursuing technology upgrades, have accelerated those efforts during the coronavirus pandemic. We have a backlog of demand from our members to deploy our digital solutions, Pieroni said during the recording of Carrier Managements Big Re reinsurance innovation webinar, which will be aired on Sept. 15, 2020. Pieroni said the backlog is more than 50 percent above typical levels. Whats more, he added, the London market is among the stronger demand drivers. Weve got software assets that help with e-placement [and] helps with claims management, particularly in the London market, which always led the world in terms of a pull demand, Pieroni added. Lloyds has historically been making a big push and continues to under the current leadership team around digitization. We are increasing the number of colleagues weve got focused on the London market and focused on reinsurance, and it spans every stakeholder within the reinsurance industry MGAs, MGUs, underwriters, primary carriers, reinsurers. Pieroni said the demand surge is also coming from the Middle East, North Africa, South Africa, Australia, Japan, China and North America. Its ubiquitous, he said. I would say its two to three-fold depending on which geography and business youre talking about. Pieroni said of ACORDs 36,000 global members, reinsurers were the tip of the sphere, really using the tools [and] technique solutions that ACORD provided. The digitation that has emerged from the pandemic has helped quicken their modernization push. Beyond the pandemic, however, primary carriers, MGAs, brokers and agents are encouraging reinsurers to digitize in an ongoing effort that predates COVID-19, Pieroni added. Were so very excited about this, Pieroni said. Theres nothing so powerful as an idea whose time has come the forces that are compelling the full continuum of reinsurance stakeholders to use digitation will only increase moving forward. Pieroni was referring to products from the ACORD Solutions Group, which include construction aids and digital accelerations that address things like document delivery and automation and data transformation/straight-through processing. Theres also ACORDs ADEPT (ACORD Data Exchange Platform & Translator), which is an industry-owned market capability that allows for real-time data exchange, translation and transformation. Click here to sign up for Carrier Managements Big Re Reinsurance Innovation Webinar: Reinsurance Innovation: Whats Wanted, Needed and on Its Way. The webinar will be broadcast on Sept. 15, 2020, with panelists Steve Chirico, director in the property/casualty rating division of AM Best; Patrick OBrien, CEO and Director at Greenlight Reinsurance Ireland, and Bill Pieroni, president & CEO of ACORD. The Save Romania Union - Party of Liberty, Unity and Solidarity Alliance (USR PLUS Alliance) candidate for Timisoara mayor, Dominic Fritz, said on Friday that he will propose to the President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, to invite to the city all the heads of states that have minorities in western Banat, for a debate on innovation through diversity, which he deems as "defining for the future of the European continent". He stressed in his speech that he wants to take Timisoara out of isolation and create diplomatic and cultural bridges that will put the city back on Europe's map. "Timisoara was a European city long before the European Union existed and will be a European city that will have something to say because, at this moment, it is almost invisible on Europe's map; we have few tourists, the fact that we are the European Capital of Culture in 2023 is still not capitalized upon in the promotion of the city and we have a mayor [ed.n.- Nicolae Robu] who only knows how to represent his own jokes and ego. (...) I have many ideas and plans on how we can put Timisoara back on Europe's map. One of them is that I intend to ask President Klaus Iohannis to invite the heads of the countries that have in Timisoara representatives of the historical minorities from Banat (Serbia, Hungary, Slovakia, Austria, Germany, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria), together with Romania, to come to Timisoara for a high-level summit to debate this theme of innovation through diversity, because I believe that this is the defining theme of the European continent's future. I hope we will have such a meeting in Timisoara in a year or two, where we can convey such a message of our tradition of multicultural Banat and of Timisoara, as the capital of Banat, but also a message of the European values that were born precisely in this region of Eastern Europe and spread throughout Europe," said Dominic Fritz. He added that a city with the history of Timisoara, with values, diversity and multicultural experience must play a much stronger role on the continent, precisely because the other cities and countries have something to learn from Timisoara's experience. The USR PLUS candidate also added that, although he is not a Romanian, but German citizen, there is "a love story" between Timisoara and himself, and Europe needs such stories. The press conference of the USR PLUS candidates from Timisoara was also attended by the PLUS leader, MEP Dacian Ciolos, who stated that by voting for this alliance on September 27, Romania has the chance to "disconnect from the buttons" those politicians who for 30 years had the opportunity to develop Romania, but did not. "Our goal, after the local elections, is not only to come with competent people in public administration, but also to make a breach in the magma built up in decades by the old political class, through the mayors you will elect, through the local councilors, a breach in the public administration through which we want to bring to light as many things as possible from the the local councils, because stealing is impossible or harder in broad light," said Dacian Ciolos. The MEP also said that the objective of the USR PLUS Alliance is to enter the government and change things for the better in Romania, both at local and central level. It's official! Vijay Sethupathi-Aishwarya Rajesh's Ka Pae Ranasingam is gearing up for its direct-to-OTT release on Zee Plex. Vijay took to his social media handle to announce the same. Stating that the film is going to be a big release, he tweeted, "Stay home, stay safe, we're bringing #KaPaeRanasingam HOME TO YOU on @ZeeplexOfficial Releasing in 5 Indian languages, subtitled in over 10 International languages, streamed in over 150 countries! It's going to be MASSIVE." Let us tell you that the film will be released on Zee Plex on a pay per view model. Interestingly, Ka Pae Ranasingam will become the first Tamil movie to release on OTT platform on a pay per view model. Though the date of release is not revealed, the fans and followers of the actor are indeed elated with his new announcement, as they will now get to witness the versatile Vijay Sethupathi on screen in their respective homes. It is to be noted that the film directed by Virumandi was earlier scheduled to release in January 2020. The thriller will mark the fourth collaboration of Vijay and Aishwarya Rajesh after Pannaiyaarum Padminiyum (2014), Rummy (2014), and Dharma Durai (2016). Touted to be an emotional drama, the film will revolve around the lives of people in rural areas and the injustice done to them by the government authorities on a day to day basis. Based on a true story, the film has a script penned by Shanmugam Muthusamy while cinematography is handled by Sudarshan Srinivasan. Ka Pae Ranasingam has music composed by T Ghibran. On a related note, the teaser of the film released recently was highly praised by the netizens, especially for the actors' perfect acting chops and impactful dialogues. The 1-minute-41-second video has now clocked 4 million views on YouTube. Ka Pae Ranasingam Starring Vijay Sethupathi To Release On Zee Plex? Vijay Sethupathi And Amala Paul To Feature In Romantic Anthology? The French satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo republished controversial cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad last week as the trial of 14 suspects in the deadly 2015 terror attack on the outlet began in Paris. Seventeen people, including 11 employees of the weekly, died in the January 2015 rampage, which the Islamist militants said was in revenge for the magazines publication in 2006 and 2012 of cartoons depicting the Muslim holy figure. In Iran, protesters responded to the re-publication by burning Israeli and U.S. flags in front of the French Embassy in Tehran on Sept. 9. A day earlier, Irans supreme leader, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, addressed the nation, accusing the U.S. and Zionists of using Charlie Hebdo to distract the nations and governments of West Asia from their sinister plots. The cardinal and unforgivable sin of a French magazine in insulting the holy face of the Prophet once again revealed the hatred and hostility of the political and cultural institutions of the Western world against Islam and the Muslim community, Khamenei said. That characterization is misleading. Overlooked by Khamenei: Charlie Hebdo has aimed its satire at other religions, not just Islam. And Western politicians at times have criticized the magazine for going too far. Charlie Hebdo is a satirical, atheist and far-left publication that regularly targets a broad array of institutions. According to the BBC, the magazine is part of a tradition in French journalism going back to the 18th century that combines left-wing radicalism with a provocative scurrility that often borders on the obscene. The magazines original version, a monthly publication called Hara-Kiri, was established in 1960 and banned twice by the government in 1961 and 1966. It has operated since 1970 under the name Charlie Hebdo. Over time, the magazine has been accused of anti-Semitism and published cartoons mocking Jesus, the Catholic Church and disaster victims. To take just one example of the magazines in-your-face style, editors in 2016 published a cartoon depicting the corpses from an Italian earthquake as filling in a lasagne. After outraged politicians condemned the insensitivity, the magazines editors doubled down with another sardonic cartoon, captioned: Italians, it is not Charlie Hebdo that built your homes, its the mafia! The magazine published cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad in 2006, 2011 and 2012. The 2012 cartoon included a nude depiction that caused the most outrage in the Muslim world. At the time, White House spokesman Jay Carney questioned the judgment behind publishing something like this. The French government tried to persuade Charlie Hebdo from publishing; when that failed, it shut down embassies and schools in 20 countries for fear of reprisals. Frances then-foreign minister, Laurent Fabious, forcefully criticized the magazine, saying the absurd cartoons awakened strong emotions in many Muslim countries and asking whether it was really sensible or intelligent to pour oil on the fire? In 2011, Charlie Hebdos office was fire-bombed and its website hacked after it announced that Muhammad would be editor-in-chief of its next issue. The issue carried a cover drawing of the prophet making a sarcastic comment. The January 2015 terrorist attack put the magazine in the international spotlight, with the violent assassination of its 11 staffers garnering worldwide condemnation. But the magazines editorial choices have not had universal sympathy. In April 2015, six prominent Western writers withdrew as guest hosts from the annual gala of PEN America, an anti-censorship group that decided to give the magazine its annual Freedom of Expression Courage Award. The writers said they disagreed with the magazines promotion of cultural intolerance. One of them, Teju Cole, wrote in the New Yorker magazine that although Charlie Hebdo claimed to offend all parties, recently it had gone specifically for racist and Islamophobic provocations. In August 2017, Western politicians condemned Charlie Hebdo for publishing a cartoon critical of Islam on its front page after terrorist attacks in Spain killed 15 people and injured more than 100 others. Stephane Le Foll, a member of Frances parliament and former government minister, called the cartoon extremely dangerous. "When you're a journalist you need to exercise restraint because making these associations can be used by other people," he said. Charlie Hebdos republication of the Prophet Muhammed cartoons prompted protests in Muslim countries beyond Iran. In Pakistan, thousands marched and burned French flags. Pakistans foreign ministry said on Twitter the move was a deliberate act to offend the sentiments of billions of Muslims and cannot be justified as an exercise in press freedom or freedom of expression. In a harsh condemnation, Turkeys Foreign Minister Hami Aksoy said the republication likewise dismissed a free speech rationale and complained of a new generation of fascists and racists in France and Europe acting to increase anti-Islamism and xenophobia. In an editorial explaining their decision, Charlie Hebdos editors wrote: We have often been asked since January 2015 to print other caricatures of Muhammad. We have always refused to do so, not because it is prohibited the law allows us to do so but because there was a need for a good reason to do it, a reason which has meaning and which brings something to the debate. In the trial that began Sept. 9 in Paris, alleged accomplices in the terrorist attack on Charlie Hebdos office face various charges that include providing weapons and logistical support for the attacks, which terrorized the French capital for three days. Three defendants are being tried in absentia who are believed to have been killed in Syria while fighting for Islamic State. Twelve were gunned down in the attack on the magazines office, including 11 employees and a police officer; a female police officer was killed the following day; and four persons were killed at a kosher supermarket two days later. The three gunmen were killed in a police raid on Jan.9. CAIRO A group of young people disaffected with the Muslim Brotherhood in several countries, including Qatar, Turkey and Sudan, recently announced their split from the organization to establish Tayyar al-Mostakel (the Independent Movement). The group cited disappointment with Brotherhood policies with regard to detainees in Egyptian prisons and reconciliation with the Egyptian regime. The new group issued its first statement Aug. 21 through several media platforms, saying, The group seeks, through its project, to be the alternative option for those who reject what the Muslim Brotherhood has become with all its failures, chaos abroad and efforts to waste the energies of young people. The statement said, We are set from the very beginning to again tackle the issue of detainees and call on the state to look into this matter to find solutions to reach a settlement acceptable to both parties in a bid to grant freedom to thousands of people whom the organization has turned its back on. We are seeking to find a radical solution to the issue of detainees. Human Rights Watch says the number of political detainees in Egypt, whether belonging to Islamic organizations or civil parties and movements, has exceeded 60,000 since the 2013 fall of President Mohammed Morsi, a Brotherhood member, at the hands of the army. Al-Monitor spoke with one of the young people participating in the establishment of the Independent Movement, who talked about the goals and features of the new organization. The source asked not to be named as he is not allowed to speak to the media. We are a group of young [former] Muslim Brotherhood members and mid-level leaders. We decided to form our own group after we saw that the Brotherhoods leadership has failed to reach solutions to the outstanding problems and crises that tens of thousands of detainees in Egyptian prisons are paying for, the source said via a secure online communication platform. In recent months, before our decision to announce our new movement, we tried to contact the senior leaders in the organization in a bid to find solutions for the detainees and the fugitives outside Egypt who fled the country because of pending cases against them. We clearly requested that they revisit a decision involving [possible] reconciliation with the Egyptian regime in order to save what can be saved of the Brotherhood, which has been dissolved for seven years now. Our requests seem to have fallen on deaf ears, he said. In October 2013, a few months after the ousting of Morsi, the Egyptian government announced the abolishment of the Muslim Brotherhood, and the confiscation of its funds and properties. The Brotherhood was designated a banned organization and joining it was against the law. Our decision from the very beginning was to be open to all the different political groups, and not to have a problem in negotiating with the Egyptian authorities headed by President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, especially if this would result in the release of the detainees and the return of the fugitives to the country without any fear of persecution, the source said. The source added, Our group currently includes [former Muslim Brotherhood] mid-level leaders spread over three countries, Turkey, Qatar and Sudan. We are currently preparing our protocol draft and clear demands to search for communication channels with the Egyptian authority. The source refused to reveal any names of those who joined the organization. In October 2017, in an interview with France 24, Sisi talked about his position on reconciliation with the Muslim Brotherhood and its reinstatement into the political sphere in Egypt. This decision of reconciliation depends on the Egyptian people who are currently still angry, and all parties should know that, Sisi said. Later, in October 2018, Sisi had categorically denied any reconciliation with the Muslim Brotherhood and said in a press interview, The Muslim Brotherhood will not have any role in the Egyptian arena while I remain in power. The Egyptian people will not accept the groups return because the Muslim Brotherhoods ideology is not viable nor in line with the peoples [vision]. Murad Ghorab, a Muslim Brotherhood leader and deputy director of the Brotherhoods affiliated Virtue Party, told Al-Monitor, We are well aware that the Brotherhood young people are livid about the detainees who have been incarcerated for a long time and the fugitives who cant come back for fear of reprisal, arrest and torture. But starting any negotiations with the regime must be done officially and via decision-making mechanisms within the group, and not through defection and the establishment of parallel groups. Ghorab added, The organization is currently in a critical stage and needs its members to line up with it and not to break with it. This is especially true since this newly formed group of young people might be used to undermine the Muslim Brotherhood and not to advance its goals. These young people should return under the umbrella of the Brotherhood. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 11) The pardon given to the US marine convicted of killing a transgender woman in the country is not a prerequisite to gain access to the coronavirus vaccines being developed by firms based in the United States. Di tayo naka-receive ng kondisyon na ganito (We did not receive this type of condition) based on the discussions we have had from the manufacturers from US, Health spokesperson Maria Rosario Vergeire said in a media forum. Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said Thursday he is of the opinion that President Rodrigo Duterte has granted absolute pardon to Lance Corporal Joseph Scott Pemberton so the Philippines could be prioritized in the COVID-19 vaccine developed by the United States. "Sa tingin ko itong desisyon ng Presidente ito ay personal na opinyon ko ang pagbibibay ng pardon kay Pemberton ay kabahagi ng pagnanais ng President na kapag mayroon nang vaccine na na-develop kung sa Amerika man ay makikinabang din ang Pilipinas," he said in a media briefing. [Translation: In my personal opinion, I think the decision of the President to grant pardon to Pemberton is part of his desire for the Philippines to obtain vaccines, if these are developed by America.] READ: Roque believes Pemberton pardon was in exchange for US-made COVID-19 vaccine Earlier, DOH said it has ongoing negotiations with US pharmaceutical firms Moderna and Pfizer, both of which are developing coronavirus vaccines. The agency is also in talks with other vaccine makers from Australia, China, Russia and Taiwan. Meanwhile, the World Health Organization is about to hold clinical trials for candidate vaccines for coronavirus in the country, with the tentative schedule set on the last week of October. Pemberton is set to be released from detention after serving five years and 10 months of his 10-year sentence following the pardon granted to him by Duterte on September 7. The President made the announcement in the midst of an appeal by the Laude family for a court to reconsider its order for the US serviceman's early release on good behavior. On Friday, Pemberton was turned over to the custody of the Bureau of Immigration, which will process his deportation. Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said Pemberton just needs to have three more things to be allowed to fly home NBI clearance, travel documents and flight itinerary, which will come from the US embassy. In October 2014, Laude was found dead in an Olongapo City motel room after a night out with then 19-year-old Pemberton, who confessed to killing her after finding out she had male genitalia. The 26-year-old transgender woman was found alone in the motel bathroom with her neck blackened with strangulation marks and head rammed into a toilet. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-12 00:34:36|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- China on Friday called on some U.S. politicians to do away with their arrogance and bias toward China, spare a thought for American people's well-being and work harder to fix their problems at home. Foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian made the remarks at a routine news briefing when asked to comment on U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's allegations that the Communist Party of China (CPC) used COVID-19 to weaken democracy. "Facts are the best myth-busters," Zhao said, adding that the Chinese people, under the leadership of the CPC, adopted the most comprehensive, rigorous and thorough prevention and control measures, and secured major strategic achievements in the nationwide fight against COVID-19. In the meantime, the number of confirmed cases in the United States has surpassed 6.3 million, with deaths exceeding 190,000 in total, according to the latest statistics. "However, faced with such grim circumstances, some U.S. politicians, instead of respecting life and science and protecting people's health, are busy seeking selfish political gains by scapegoating, deflecting attention and concocting flimsy lies to smear other countries," Zhao said. In the United States, the epidemic has seen the rich given priority access to testing while the aged, the poor and the minorities suffer the most fatalities, Zhao said. "The United States has no monopoly on democracy. What it has is but one version of democracy, while China has its own version. Regardless of their differences, all democracies must go through the test of COVID-19," he said. Pompeo and his likes can by no means represent the American people, but can only speak for the minority ruling class and the interest groups behind them, Zhao said. "No matter how they carry on bragging, facts will reduce them all to a laughing stock." Enditem OTTAWA COUNTY, MI A driver, allegedly distracted by her cell phone, was involved in a two-vehicle crash Thursday evening that left a man injured. According to a release from the Ottawa County Sheriffs Office, the head-on collision took place shortly before 6:45 p.m on Sept. 10 at 172nd Avenue at Comstock Street in Grand Haven Township. Both drivers and a toddler passenger were all transported to North Ottawa Community Health, police said in the release. According to police, a 24-year-old woman, of Grand Haven, was distracted by her cell phone while navigating the intersection of 172nd Avenue at Comstock Street and drove her Chrysler 300, along with a 2-year-old passenger, into the wrong lane. There, she allegedly struck a Chevrolet Silverado head-on, driven by a 51-year-old Grand Haven man stopped in the left turn lane, ready to turn onto Comstock Street. The Chrysler driver was cited, and she and her passenger showed no injuries but were taken to the hospital for evaluation. The Chevrolet driver was taken to the hospital complaining of pain, police said in the press release. Read more on MLive: Forest Hills Public Schools student tests positive for coronavirus New apartment complex will house adults with disabilities in Grand Haven Tri-Cities YMCA in Grand Haven to reopen after six month closure The court also ruled that a measure to allow casino gambling can appear on the ballot, despite opposition from Ricketts and other conservatives who say it will contribute to gambling addiction and bankruptcies. The rulings came one day before the legal deadline to certify both measures for the general ballot. Pilbara, the region of western Australia where Rio Tinto iron more expansion led to the destruction of an historic Indigenous Australian heritage site. Photo: Rio Tinto The CEO of Rio Tinto (RIO.L) is to leave his post by mutual agreement over the destruction of an Indigenous heritage site in Western Australia. The FTSE 100 (^FTSE) mining giant faces a parliamentary inquiry in Australia over the caves, an important site for the Puutu, Kunti Kurrama and Pinikura (PKKP) peoples. The caves showed evidence of continued inhabitation for 46,000 years. Two other senior figures are also set to leave the company, it said in a statement on Friday. Significant stakeholders have expressed concerns about executive accountability for the failings identified, the company said. Jean-Sebastien Jacques, who has led Rio Tinto since 2016, will step down from his post as executive director and chief executive. He will remain in post until a successor is found or by 31 March next year. READ MORE: Rio Tinto boss to lose bonus over cave destruction Chris Salisbury, chief executive of iron ore, will step down with immediate effect and leave Rio Tinto on 31 December. Simone Niven, group executive for corporate relations, will also step down and leave on the same date after an orderly transition. The three senior figures had already been told in late August they would not receive their performance-related bonuses this year under its short-term incentive plan. A 2016 award Jacques had been due to receive next year under its long-term incentive plan was set to be reduced by 1m ($1.3m). READ MORE: Rio Tinto may tap outsider for new CEO But the latest decision comes as the fallout has grown from the publication of the Anglo-Australian companys review into the damage caused by the expansion of an iron ore mine at Juukan Gorge, in the Pilbara region. The review found some of Rio Tintos systems, decision-making processes and governance failed to work as they should have. But the company said there had been no single root cause or error that directly led to the site being blown up. It was the result of a series of decisions, actions and omissions over an extended period of time, underpinned by flaws in systems, data sharing, engagement within the company and with the PKKP, and poor decision-making. Story continues READ MORE: Traditional owners say Rio Tinto knew the importance of caves Rio Tintos chairman Simon Thompson said in a statement on Friday: What happened at Juukan was wrong and we are determined to ensure that the destruction of a heritage site of such exceptional archaeological and cultural significance never occurs again at a Rio Tinto operation. We have listened to our stakeholders' concerns that a lack of individual accountability undermines the Group's ability to rebuild that trust and to move forward to implement the changes identified in the Board Review." He added that all three senior figures deeply regret the destruction of caves. Ivan Vella, currently managing director of rail, port and core services within the iron ore division, will replace Salisbury on an interim basis. Meanwhile Simon McKeon, a non-executive director, will be appointed to a newly created board role of senior independent director, to enhance board engagement in Australia. Investors and analysts say there are no clear internal candidates, and an outsider is likely to be brought in to change its culture and shore up its reputation, Reuters reports. Activist and Elgar Parishad- Koregaon Bhima case accused has approached the challenging the decision of a special court to give an extension of 90 days to the Investigation Agency (NIA) to file its charge sheet against him. His plea came up for hearing on Friday before a single bench presided over by Justice Revati Mohite-Dere, who recused herself from the hearing. It is likely to now come up before another bench of HC next week. In his plea, filed through advocate V Satyanarayan Rao, Teltumbde has challenged the special NIA court order of July 12 granting extension to NIA to file a charge sheet. Teltumbde said, as on July 12, he had already been in judicial custody for 90 days. In his plea, he said, as per law, there must be a compelling reason for granting such extension, and the prosecuting agency should have filed a report indicating it did make some progress in its probe in the 90 days. The plea further said the special court should not have accepted the NIA's submission that it could not file the charge sheet due to the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown. Even during the lockdown, lower courts had permitted physical filings and the NIA's investigating officer could have submitted the charge sheet before the in charge magistrate's court, the plea stated. While the NIA is free to continue its probe even after the stipulated period of 90 days, it can't keep an accused in custody indefinitely without filing charge sheet, Teltumbde pointed out in his plea. He further said the NIA had filed charge sheets in 10 cases even during lockdown between March 21 and July 12. He said the special court's order granting extension to NIA should be quashed and set aside by HC, and he be released on bail. (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.) Lucknow, Sep 11 : Uttar Pradesh Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA, Nand Kishore Gurjar, has written to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, asking him to upgrade actor Kangana Ranaut's security to 'Z' plus category and to dismiss the Shiv Sena led-coalition government in Maharashtra for 'illegally' demolishing the actor's office in Mumbai. The BJP MLA from the Loni Assembly segment of Ghaziabad, alleged in his letter that Kangana Ranaut's office was demolished by the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on the instructions of mafia don Dawood Ibrahim. The MLA, however, did not substantiate his allegation. "The BMC hasn't bothered to look into various illegal properties, but has acted against Kangana Ranaut," he said in his letter which also demands arrest of Maharashtra Chief Minister, apart from dismissal of the coalition government. "I too have received threat calls from Pakistan and various Islamic countries ever since I raised my voice against streaming of a web series. There is a need to order a probe by NIA into the nexus Maharashtra government has with the underworld," the Legislator said in his letter. The BJP MLA's letter highlights the increasing political divide over the issue after Kangana Ranaut likened Mumbai to Pakistan occupied Kashmir. The coalition partners in the Maha Vikas Aghadi government have alleged that Kangana is being used as a proxy by the BJP to defame the Mumbai Police. Ranaut was provided Y-plus category security cover by the Centre on the recommendation of the Himachal Pradesh government after the actor, who is originally from Mandi in the Himalayan state, said she had been threatened by Shiv Sena if she returned to Mumbai. The BMC had demolished Kangana Ranaut's office in a posh Pali Hill locality alleging it violated the sanctioned plan. The actor has accused BMC of carrying out vendetta at the behest of the state government. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Federal regulators cited a North Bergen nursing home for workplace safety violations over the availability and use of personal protective equipment at the height of the COVID-19 outbreak in New Jersey, proposing more than $28,000 in penalties. The Occupational Health and Safety Administration, in a Sept. 4 letter, deemed many of the alleged violations serious, in connection with issues related primarily to the availability and use of respirator masks at The Harborage, a 245-bed facility. The enforcement action came after a healthcare employee union filed complaints on behalf of workers at the nursing home operated by Hackensack Meridian Health, as well as the adjoining Palisades Medical Center. Hackensack Meridian officials said they would contest the findings. Labor leaders for Healthcare Professionals and Allied Employees, which made public the violations letter, said OSHAs investigation confirmed what those on the front lines during the COVID-19 outbreak have been saying. As a result of this callous conduct by Hackensack Meridian Health, healthcare workers, including HPAE members, were exposed to the virus, became infected and sickened by the virus, said Barbara Rosen, the unions first vice president. At least two HPAE members died. Alfredo Pabatao, 68, a medical transporter at Palisades Medical Center and local 5030 member, died on March 26. His wife of 44 years, Susana, an assistant nurse at Bergen New Bridge Medical Center in Paramus, died from the virus four days later. The union attributed Alfredo Pabataos death in part to the hospitals failure to provide personal protective equipment, according to its complaint with OSHA. Among the violations cited by OSHA in its letter was a failure to provide N95 respirator masks to staff providing treatment and patient care to residents with COVID-19, or those suspected to be infected, a failure to provide additional fit testing when different N95 facepiece makes and models were used, and effective training of proper use of the masks. Hackensack Meridian officials said they would refute the agencys conclusions and took issue with statements made by union. This is an open investigation and we are challenging several of the OSHA findings, said Daniel Varga, Chief Physician Executive for Hackensack Meridian Health. We vehemently oppose the unions characterization of our approach to team member safety as abhorrent or callous. We believe that the safety standards that we had to adopt in this unprecedented global pandemic absolutely protected our team members. Hackensack Meridian has 15 days to respond. Masks and other protective equipment, or PPE, at hospitals across the state and especially in nursing homes were in critically short supply early in the outbreak, which led to mounting anger among staff members at many health facilities over the real dangers they faced doing their jobs. PPE and testing supplies throughout New Jersey ran thin as hospitals were overwhelmed, and many nursing homes found themselves cut out of the supply chain. Varga said Hackensack Meridian had to make a number of decisions regarding the PPE mandates because of the situation all hospitals were in at the time. But he maintained that the standards they adopted were appropriate and more than met the standards of keeping staff safe. Under OSHA requirements, healthcare providers must conduct what is known as an initial fit test of N95 masks to validate the size needed for each employee. There is also a mandate for an annual re-check of the fit test, as well as a safety check before a healthcare work sees a patient to make sure the mask fits and seals properly. But we ran into supply pipeline issues, Varga said. While the annual re-fit requirements were relaxed, no hospital had an adequate supply to put everyone through an initial fit test, he explained. Masks were not only in short supply, but many different brands were coming in during the crisis and actual sizes varied among brands. He added that at the time, Hackensack Meridian was burning through 30,000 masks a week. Still, he said everyone went through a seal test. If it didnt, they did not take care of patients, he said. This happened during a crisis. We dont believe it affected team safety. According to Varga, the issues faced by Hackensack Meridian were not isolated. Similar complaints have been lodged with OSHA against healthcare facilities nationwide. There are 900 employees who work at Hackensack Meridian Health Palisades Medical Center and another 120 workers at The Harborage, where patients are often transferred. Rosen said the union has pending OSHA complaints at several other Hackensack Meridian Health facilities, including Jersey Shore University Medical Center. We still need Hackensack Meridian Health to establish verifiable safety protocols for healthcare workers to work safely without getting infected, she said. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Ted Sherman may be reached at tsherman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TedShermanSL. In a bizarre claim, Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh on Thursday said that the coronavirus pandemic is gone and the lockdown imposed in the state is Chief Minister Mamata Banerjees attempt to thwart the saffron partys political rallies. Corona is gone, said Ghosh in a jam-packed public rally in West Bengals Hooghly district. Ghoshs remarks came on a day when West Bengal reported over 3,000 Covid-19 positive cases and 41 fatalities. Kolkata Police Commissioner Anuj Sharma, too, tested positive for the fatal virus as the overall tally climbed to 1,93,175 on Thursday. Meanwhile, India registered a record 96,551 coronavirus cases in 24 hours taking the total number of infections to over 45.62 lakh on Friday. Eto bhid dekheydidir bhai der shorir kharap hoy gechheyCorona te noy..Corona chole gechheyasholey tara bjp ke bhoy pachhey. BJP ke atkabar jonney, Didimoni Coronar naamey dhong korchen (Upon seeing the crowd, the TMC workers of Mamata Banerjee have fallen sick. Not because of Corona (virus). Corona is gone. Actually, they are scared of BJP and to stop us from organising rallies in Bengal, Didi is doing dramatics in the name of coronavirus), Ghosh said, while addressing a public rally in Hooghlys Dhaniakhali. In back-to-back controversial statements, the Bengal BJP chief also asked the crowd to be ready for revenge against the policemen and TMC workers who slapped false cases against the BJP workers. Please be ready with your iron rods for those who assaulted you with iron rods. Keep a record of all the policemen and TMC workers who slapped false cases against you and assaulted you, he said. The ruling Trinamool Congress came down heavily on Ghosh for his horrifying" statement. While the whole of India is still fighting tirelessly against the deadly Covid-19 pandemic, Dilip Ghosh announces Corona is Over. Evidently, he values vote bank politics much above human lives," All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) official handle tweeted. Ghosh is known for sparking rows with his contentious remarks and has often landed up in a soup. Recently, he asserted that workers of the ruling party will be beaten up with shoes as a section of the states police force was intimidating his party workers," and those involved would not be allowed to go scot-free. Last year, on August 27, Ghosh threatened a cop in East Medinipur that no one will be able to trace his body and his family members will not be able to perform his last rites if he continues to harass the party workers in the district. In an earlier instance, he had asked party workers to beat policemen if they hesitate to take action against Trinamool Congress supporters. It is our democratic right to beat up policemen who are biased and specifically targeting us on the instruction of TMC, Ghosh had said in a public meet in Howrah. Back in November, last year, Ghosh had attacked a section of intelligentsia for eating beef at road side stalls and taking pride in cleaning excreta of foreign pet dogs. He further went on to claim that desi cows milk contains gold, and therefore its milk is golden in colour". Advertisement California residents are comparing the Bay Area's apocalyptic orange skies to scenes from Blade Runner 2049 while Los Angeles is suffering the worst smog in 26 years and its air quality has plummeted to the poorest in the world as wildfires continue to rip through the West Coast leaving at least 23 dead. Almost 100 major fires continue to rage across 12 states, devastating almost 4.4 million acres and wiping out thousands of homes in their paths. California, Oregon and Washington state have been hardest-hit with more than 500,000 Oregonians - 10 percent of the population - forced to evacuate after 1,400 square miles have been scorched statewide in the last week alone causing the major city of Portland to declare a state of emergency. In Northern California, the North Complex fire that destroyed a foothill hamlet is now the state's deadliest blaze of the year with 10 people confirmed dead - as officials warn the toll could climb higher as emergency crews desperately search for at least 16 missing people. Four other deaths have been confirmed in Oregon, including a 12-year-old boy and his grandmother - and one in Washington state. Areas that have so far escaped the blazes unscathed are now in the grips of dangerously poor air quality, with San Francisco blanketed in thick smog and its air quality now the joint worst in the world with Dubai. Scroll down for video LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Downtown Los Angeles on Thursday as smog from the wildfires screen the sun on the horizon BLADE RUNNER 2049: California residents are comparing the Bay Area's apocalyptic orange skies to scenes from Blade Runner 2049 SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA: The worst of the lung-damaging ozone pollution was in San Francisco and Oakland the Golden Gate bridge was almost camouflaged against the orange hue and also in Sonoma County, particularly the town of Sebastopol MEDFORD, OREGON: A person walks past gutted homes in the Medford Estates neighborhood in the aftermath of the Almeda fire in Medford which authorities are investigating as possible arson TALENT, OREGON: Resident Desiree Pierce cries as she visits her home destroyed by the Almeda Fire Friday PHOENIX, OREGON: Drone footage shows a mobile home park in Phoenix, Oregon, on Thursday totally destroyed by the wildfires sweeping across the state and the rest of the West Coast The map above shows 103 fires that have already burned more than 3.4 million acres across the western United States This comes as: Authorities announced the cause of the deadly Almeda fire in Oregon that has so far killed two and destroyed hundreds of homes is now under investigation as a potential arson attack after a body was found near the start of the blaze. The National Weather Service revealed that a staggering 87 percent of all US wildfires in 2020 have been caused by humans. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said the wildfires are proof of the climate crisis and warned Americans that 'Mother Earth is angry.' Pelosi told MSNBC Thursday: 'She's telling us - whether she's telling us with hurricanes on the Gulf Coast, fires in the West, whatever it is that the climate crisis is real and has an impact.' Officials denied reports spreading on social media that fires have been started by far-left group Antifa and far-right group Proud Boys and told residents to dismiss the rumors spread by unofficial sources. Family members of a couple who escaped from a wildfire in rural Washington State but tragically lost their one-year-old son have described their ordeal as a miracle with a tragic ending. The Oregon Department of Corrections said it was evacuating the Coffee Creek Correctional Facility in Wilsonville as two growing fires appeared to be merging and headed for the facility. Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler declared a state of emergency Thursday, shuttering public parks and spaces, housing the city's homeless and activating evacuation shelters for displaced residents in the state's largest city. Parts of California were shrouded in burnt orange skies Thursday, with residents taking to social media to compare the sight to the end-of-the-world movies and, in particular, Blade Runner 2049. The hotly-anticipated follow-up to the 1982 sci-fi classic Blade Runner was released in 2017 and was famed for its orange scenes set in Las Vegas in 2049. At the time, some critics blasted the scenes as unrealistic but social media users pointed out this week that the reality was closer than anyone could have anticipated. The skies above the Bay Area and the Golden Gate Bridge were lit up with flaming orange hues Thursday and there were some reports of ash raining down from the skies. The orange skies have been caused by a combination of the smoke fumes from the wildfires mixed with clouds and fog and blocking out the sunlight in the Golden State. Unlike earlier in the week when high winds swept a lot of the smoke out to sea, the air quality had deteriorated considerably across California by Thursday morning. The worst of the lung-damaging ozone pollution was in San Francisco and Oakland the Golden Gate bridge was almost camouflaged against the orange hue and also in Sonoma County, particularly the town of Sebastopol. IQAir, which measures air quality throughout the world, found that San Francisco was tied with Dubai in the UAE with having the world's worst air quality with an index of 167 parts per billion at 10am, considered 'very unhealthy' and way above the federal standard of 70ppb. In rural areas such as Yosemite National Park that AQI level soared to 400ppb, the LA Times reported. Lung-damaging ozone pollution spiked to 185ppb in downtown LA at midday on Sunday, the highest reading in Southern California since 2003 and highest in the city for 26 years. MEDFORD, ORGEON: The Medford Estates neighborhood in the aftermath of the Almeda fire in Medford, Oregon MEDFORD, OREGON: Authorities are investigating the cause of the blaze as a potential arson attack after a body was found near its origin BERRY CREEK, CALIFORNIA: More than 14,000 firefighters are battling 28 fires across California, according to the Department of Fires and Forestry Protection. An exhausted Cal Fire crew were seen taking a break in the grass next to Berry Creek Elementary School, which was destroyed overnight during the Bear Fire on Wednesday TALENT, OREGON: Residents survey the remains of their home in Talent, Oregon, from the blaze Ashland Police Chief Tighe O'Meara announced Thursday a criminal investigation has been PHOENIX, OREGON: A displaced couple in Phoenix, Oregon, after the blaze tore through homes. A criminal investigation has been opened into the cause of the 'suspicious' fire PHOENIX, OREGON: An American flag is almost all that remains standing after the Almeda fire ripped through Phoenix TALENT, OREGON: Residents look at the destruction caused by the Almeda fire which has so far killed two people TALENT, OREGON: Desiree Pierce wipes away tears as she stands among the rubble where her home once stood TALENT, OREGON: Residents comfort each other in the aftermath of the Almeda Fire which authorities are investigating as possible arson TALENT, OREGON: Fire retardant covers vehicles and roads in pink while buildings are reduced to rubble TALENT, OREGON: A man walks through a neighborhood destroyed by the Almeda Fire in Talent Friday TALENT, OREGON: Homes are reduced to rubble from the fire which investigators said is 'suspicious' PHOENIX, OREGON: An aerial shot from a drone of a mobile home park destroyed by fire in Phoenix, Oregon, on Thursday. More than 500,000 Oregonians were forced to flee the wildfires TALENT, OREGON: Homes are reduced to rubble in Talent after the fire ripped through neighborhoods. Oregon officials denied reports spreading on social media that fires have been deliberately started by far-left group Antifa and far-right group Proud Boys PHOENIX, OREGON: Fire-ravaged homes in Oregon are seen from above on Thursday PHOENIX, OREGON: In this aerial view from a drone, a mobile home park destroyed by fire is shown on September 10, 2020 in Phoenix, Oregon. Hundreds of homes in the town have been lost due to wildfire PHOENIX, OREGON: Phoenix was reduced to a wasteland by the ferocious fires which have been raging across the West Coast MONROVIA, CALIFORNIA: Firemen monitor the advance of the raging wildfire in Angeles National Park on Thursday PHOENIX, OREGON: West Coast authorities have reported that at least 23 people have died in wildfires that are raging in California, Oregon and Washington state. This aerial view shows a mobile home park in Phoenix, Oregon, that was destroyed by a fire PHOENIX, OREGON: Hundreds of homes in Phoenix, Oregon (mobile home park pictured), have been lost due to wildfires in the state LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: People watch as thick smoke from the Bobcat fire moves through downtown Los Angeles, California, on Thursday OREGON CITY, OREGON: Oregon residents evacuate north along highway Highway 213 on Wednesday near Oregon City, Oregon. As of Thursday night, more than 500,000 Oregonians - 10 per cent of the state's population - have been forced to evacuate SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA: The Golden Gate Bridge is seen at 11am on Wednesday in San Francisco, amid a smoky, orange hue caused by the ongoing wildfires GATES, OREGON: A bird bath is seen in front of the charred remains of a home after the passage of the Santiam Fire in Gates, Oregon, on Thursday TALENT, OREGON: A neighborhood destroyed by fire is seen as wildfires devastate the region on Thursday in Talent, Oregon TALENT, OREGON: Pink fire retardant covers a car in an area destroyed by the Almeda Fire. Oregon officials denied reports spreading on social media that fires have been deliberately started by far-left group Antifa and far-right group Proud Boys MONROVIA, CALIFORNIA: A Coulson 737 firefighting tanker jet drops fire retardant to slow Bobcat Fire at the top of a major run up a mountainside in the Angeles National Forest on September 10, 2020 north of Monrovia, California MONROVIA, CALIFORNIA: The Bobcat Fire advances in the Angeles National Forest on September 10, 2020 north of Monrovia, California Oregon fire under investigation as ARSON after body is found near the blaze's origin and 87% of all 2020 wildfires have been caused by humans The Almeda fire in Oregon that has so far killed two is now under investigation as a potential arson attack after a body was discovered near the start of the blaze. Ashland Police Chief Tighe O'Meara announced Thursday a criminal investigation has been opened into the cause of the fire saying he believes the circumstances around the fire were 'suspicious'. Investigators are looking into the possible connection between the blaze and the death of an unidentified individual, whose body was found near the origin of the fire. 'We have good reason to believe that there was a human element to it,' O'Meara said of the Almeda fire Thursday. 'We're going to pursue it as a criminal investigation until we have reason to believe that it was otherwise.' O'Meara did not elaborate on the suspicions of authorities but said police are working alongside the Jackson County Sheriff's Office on the investigation 'including the resulting death that occurred nearby along the Greenway.' Sheriff Nathan Sickler confirmed Wednesday that a body had been discovered around a mile from the origin point of the fire along the Bear Creek Greenway in north Ashland. Two people have so far been killed by the blaze, although authorities warned the true death toll is likely to be higher. The fire started in Ashland Tuesday before spreading across more than 3,000 acres and destroying 600 homes in surrounding communities. This comes as the National Weather Service (NWS) revealed a staggering 87 percent of all wildfires that have ravaged America this year were caused by humans. Stark data showed that 36,383 of the 41,599 fires that have ripped through the nation in the first nine months of the year were started by humans, burning a total of 2,510,743 acres. California has been hardest-hit by human-caused fires, with a total of 7,072 as of September 10. Texas was second with 4,170, followed by North Carolina with 1,889, Florida with 1,779 and Arizona with 1,552. Advertisement In Oregon, authorities said Thursday night that more than 500,000 people statewide were forced to evacuate due to wildfires. The latest figures, from the Oregon Office of Emergency Management, show more than 10 per cent of the state's 4.2 million population have fled the deadly fires as more than 1,400 square miles have burned this week in the state. Authorities said the wildfire activity was particularly acute Thursday afternoon in northwestern Oregon as hot, windy conditions continued. At least four people have been killed including a 12-year-old boy and his grandmother who were found dead with their dog after trying to escape the Santiam Fire in Marion County. Wyatt Tofte, 12, and Peggy Mosso were killed in the wildfire in the Santiam Valley and the fire was also suspected of causing at least one death outside of Ashland. Governor Kate Brown said Thursday more Oregonians have been killed but the exact number is not yet known. The Oregon Department of Corrections said it was evacuating the Coffee Creek Correctional Facility in Wilsonville, 16 miles south of Portland, as two growing fires appeared to be merging and headed for the facility. This came after three other prisons near Oregon's capital city of Salem were forced to evacuate inmates and staff earlier in the week. Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler declared a state of emergency Thursday, shuttering public parks and spaces, housing the city's homeless and activating evacuation shelters for displaced residents in the state's largest city. Officials warned that emergency crew resources are now in short supply in the city, after many were drafted to tackle blazes in other parts of the state. The Almeda fire in Oregon that has so far killed two is now under investigation as a potential arson attack after a body was discovered near the start of the blaze. Ashland Police Chief Tighe O'Meara announced Thursday a criminal investigation has been opened into the cause of the fire saying he believes the circumstances around the fire were 'suspicious'. Investigators are looking into the possible connection between the blaze and the death of an unidentified individual, whose body was found near the origin of the fire. The fire started in Ashland Tuesday before spreading across more than 3,000 acres and destroying 600 homes in surrounding communities. This comes as the National Weather Service (NWS) revealed a staggering 87 percent of all wildfires that have ravaged America this year were caused by humans. Stark data showed that 36,383 of the 41,599 fires that have ripped through the nation were started by humans, burning a total of 2,510,743 acres. California has been hardest-hit by human-caused fires, with a total of 7,072 as of September 10. Texas was second with 4,170, followed by North Carolina with 1,889, Florida with 1,779 and Arizona with 1,552. Despite the prevalence of human-caused fires, authorities in Oregon have waded in on rumors that wildfires in the state have been deliberately started by extremist political groups. Unsubstantiated reports have been surfacing on social media that the fires have been started by far-left group Antifa and far-right group Proud Boys. Officials denied the reports and told residents to dismiss the rumors spread by unofficial sources. 'Remember when we said to follow official sources only,' the Douglas County Sheriff's Office in Oregon posted on social media. 'Remember when we said rumors make this already difficult incident even harder? Rumors spread just like wildfire and now our 9-1-1 dispatchers and professional staff are being overrun with requests for information and inquiries on an UNTRUE rumor that 6 Antifa members have been arrested for setting fires in DOUGLAS COUNTY, OREGON.' Medford Police Department also wrote in a Facebook post that officers had not arrested anyone connected to the Proud Boys or Antifa for arson and warned of a fake post using the department's logo claiming five Proud Boys had been arrested for arson in 2018. The quashing of rumors comes as the state is being ravaged by the wildfires as well as widespread unrest as protests mount calling for an end to systemic racism and police brutality across America. Meanwhile in California, the North Complex fire is now the state's deadliest blaze of the year with 10 people confirmed dead. Butte County sheriff's deputies and detectives found seven bodies on Thursday, a day after three other victims were discovered. One of the victims has been identified as 16-year-old student Josiah Williams who was 'supposed to leave with his brother' but couldn't escape the flames. Josiah's devastated family broke their silence to announce his death after several fraught days searching for the teen culminated in the discovery of his body. The first named victim of a devastating California wildfire that has so far killed 10 has been identified as 16-year-old student Josiah Williams (pictured) who was 'supposed to leave with his brother' but couldn't escape the flames His aunt Bobbie Zedaker told The Sacramento Bee the family was notified about the 16-year-old's death Thursday after authorities confirmed his identity using his brother's DNA. Zedaker said the family were struggling to come to terms with his death as the 'outgoing' and 'kind' high school student was supposed to flee the area with his brother. 'He was supposed to leave when his brother did, but he didn't. I have no idea why,' she told the Bee. Family members had posted messages on social media this week asking for help in locating the missing boy who was last seen at the family home on Bean Creek Road. Josiah's mom Jessica Williams wrote on Facebook Wednesday that her son had not been seen since other family members escaped the blaze earlier in the week. 'I'm asking for all the prayers to find my son Josiah Williams who is in the fire in butte county california he didn't leave with his brother or dad and now berry Creek is burned where my sister is also stuck but please everyone my son is Missing and not to be found so please dear God help my family and find my son,' she wrote. Zedaker told the Bee Williams was flying out to California from Indiana Friday morning. The grieving aunt paid tribute to her nephew as 'a very smart kid': 'He was adventurous, he was very outgoing, he was very kind.' Authorities have not publicly identified the victims. Among those unaccounted for are Sandy Butler and her husband, who called their son to say they were going to try to escape the flames by finding shelter in a pond. 'We're still hoping and praying for good news,' said Jessica Fallon, who has two children with the Butler's grandson and considers them her own grandparents. 'Everything is replaceable, but not my grandparents' lives. I'd rather lose everything than those two. They kind of held the family together.' The North Complex fire was advancing more slowly Friday after the winds eased and smoke from the blaze shaded the area and lowered the temperature, allowing firefighters to make progress, authorities said. More bodies could be found as crews manage to make their way into devastated areas. A team of anthropologists from Chico State University were helping in the search, sheriff's Capt Derek Bell said. GATES, ORGEON: A charred vehicle is seen in the parking lot of the burned Oak Park Motel after the passage of the Santiam Fire in Gates, Oregon on Thursday BERRY CREEK, CALIFORNIA: A Butte Sheriff officer checks on a vehicle that was burned in the Bear Fire near Lake Oroville in Northern California on Thursday MONROVIA, CALIFORNIA: An air attack plane flies by the plume of the colossal wildfire raging in the Angeles National Forest on Thursday MONROVIA, CALIFORNIA: Mormon Lake Hotshots firefighter Sara Sweeney uses a drip torch to set a backfire to protect mountain communities from the Bobcat Fire in the Angeles National Forest on September 10 CALIFORNIA: The Bobcat Fire consumes a forest in the Angeles National Forest on September 10, 2020 north of Monrovia, California. California wildfires that have already incinerated a record 2.3 million acres this year and are expected to continue till December. The Bobcat Fire has grown to about 24,00 acres, and is 6% contained. CALIFORNIA: Flames are seen at the Bobcat Fire in the Angeles National Forest on September 10, 2020 north of Monrovia, California MONROVIA, CALIFORNIA: Felled tree trunks burning in the Angeles National Forest on Thursday GATES, ORGEON: A charred swing set and car are seen after the passage of the Santiam Fire in Gates, Oregon, on Thursday GATES, OREGON: The charred remains of the Gates Elementary School in Oregon on Thursday after the inferno ripped through the town The weeks-old fire was about 50 per cent contained when winds thrashed it into explosive growth on Tuesday, driving it through rugged Sierra Nevada foothills and destroying much of the town of Berry Creek. More than 2,000 homes and other buildings had burned in the lightning-sparked collection of fires now known as the North Complex burning about 125 miles northeast of San Francisco. The fire is among five this year that have set records for the most land ever burned, including a blaze that broke the mark Thursday as the largest ever. More than 4,800 square miles have burned so far this year - more land than Rhode Island, Delaware and Washington, DC, combined - and fall is typically the worst season for fires. Nineteen people have been killed and nearly 4,000 structures have burned across the state. House Speaker Pelosi spoke out Thursday about the devastating blazes ravaging her home state. 'Mother Earth is angry,' she said Thursday on MSNBC. 'She's telling us - whether she's telling us with hurricanes on the Gulf Coast, fires in the West, whatever it is that the climate crisis is real and has an impact.' Pelosi said later Thursday that climate policies needed to be 'absolutely a priority' in the upcoming election to prevent more deadly blazes ravaging the nation. GRIDLEY, CALIFORNIA: People fleeing from wildfires in Northern California gather at a temporary evacuation point in Gridley, California, on Thursday GRIDLEY, CALIFORNIA: A sign warning of impending fire danger is posted on a roadway in Estacada, Oregon. Multiple wildfires grew by hundreds of thousands of acres Thursday, prompting large-scale evacuations throughout the state MONROVIA, CALIFORNIA: Members of the Mormon Hot Shots from Arizona lay hose line down rugged terrain off Highway 39 near Crystal Lake in front of the Bobcat Fire, which has burned more than 23,000 acres on Thursday LEABURG, OREGON: Firefighters work on mopping up a back burn near Leaburg, Oregon, on Thursday. A dearth of resources has hampered the fight against the Holiday Farm Fire MOLALLA, OREGON: An orange smoke-filled sky is seen above Molalla, Oregon, on Thursday as fires burn nearby The fires, fed by drought-sapped vegetation amid warming temperatures attributed to climate change, have spread at an alarming rate and given people less time to flee. Hundreds of campers, hikers, and people spending Labor Day weekend at mountainside reservoirs and retreats had to be evacuated by military helicopters when they got stranded by a fast-moving fire that broke out in the Sierra National Forest in the center of the state during record-setting high temperatures. President Donald Trump spoke with Gov Gavin Newsom on Thursday 'to express his condolences for the loss of life and reiterate the administration's full support to help those on the front lines of the fires,' according to White House spokesman Judd Deere. The North Complex fire is the 10th largest in the record books and growing as firefighters try to prevent it from advancing toward the town of Paradise, where the most destructive fire in state history two years ago killed 85 people and destroyed 19,000 buildings. Authorities lifted an evacuation warning for Paradise on Thursday, the day after residents awoke to similar skies as the 2018 morning when a wind-whipped inferno reduced the town to rubble. Under red skies and falling ash Wednesday, many chose to flee again, jamming the main road out of town in another replay of the catastrophe two years ago. About 20,000 people were under evacuation orders or warnings in three counties from the fire. OROVILLE, CALIFORNIA: Flames lick above vehicles on Highway 162 as the Bear Fire burns in Oroville, California, Wednesday night. The blaze, part of the lightning-sparked North Complex, expanded at a critical rate of spread as winds buffeted the region BERRY CREEK, CALIFORNIA: Flames consume a home and car as the Bear Fire burns through the Berry Creek area of Butte County, California, on Wednesday BERRY CREEK, CALIFORNIA: Flames shoot from a window as the Bear Fire burns through the Berry Creek area of Butte County, California, in Wednesday MONROVIA, CALIFORNIA: The Bobcat Fire consumes a forest in the Angeles National Forest on Thursday north of Monrovia, California Some 14,000 firefighters continued to try to corral 29 major wildfires from the Oregon border to just north of Mexico, though California was almost entirely free of critical fire weather warnings after days of hot, dry conditions and the threat of strong winds. Smoke blew into vineyards in wine country north of San Francisco, and rose above scenic Big Sur on the Central Coast and in the foothills and mountains of Los Angeles, San Bernardino and San Diego counties in the southern part of the state. Numerous fires continued to burn in Washington and Oregon, as well, and dense smoke blanketed much of the West Coast on Thursday morning, darkening skies with hazardous air pollution. Authorities in Washington state announced the arrest of a second person for intentionally starting a brush fire in Pierce County. State troopers said a witness saw the man setting fire to grass with a match near State Route 512 and State Route 7 and called police. After a brief chase, troopers arrested the individual. The recent arrest follows that of a 36-year-old Puyallup man who was taken into custody for allegedly starting a large brushfire which temporarily shut down state Route 167 and several ramps near Meridian Avenue. In Oregon, a fire raging along the Oregon border destroyed 150 homes near the community of Happy Camp and one person was confirmed dead, the Siskiyou County Sheriff's Office said. About 400 more homes were threatened. The fire that roared into the hamlet of Berry Creek, with a population of 525, incinerated countless homes and largely destroyed Camp Okizu, a summer getaway for children with cancer. A crew fighting the fire was overrun by flames when winds shifted and its members escaped with only minor injuries after deploying emergency shelters. It was the second time in two days that firefighters in California had to take the rare last-ditch effort to save their lives. Fallon, who had driven from the San Francisco Bay Area after hearing the Butlers were missing Wednesday morning, waited with her toddler son and 2-year-old daughter with dozens of evacuees gathered at a fairgrounds in the small city of Gridley, trembling in morning cold. BERRY CREEK, CALIFORNIA: A scorched car rests in a clearing following the Bear Fire in Butte County, California, on Wednesday BERRY CREEK, CALIFORNIA: A hand crew works to save a home as the Bear Fire burns through the Berry Creek area of Butte County, California, on Wednesday BERRY CREEK, CALIFORNIA: A hand crew clears vegetation from around a barn as the Bear Fire burns through the Berry Creek area of Butte County, California, on Wednesday Among them was Douglas Johnsrude, who packed up his eight dogs and fled his home in the community of Feather Falls on Tuesday. Johnsrude said he assumed his house trailer burned, which would be the second time he's lost his home in a fire. He inherited his mother's house after her death, but it was destroyed in a 2017 fire. 'The reason I haven't rebuilt up there is because I knew it was going to happen again. And guess what? It happened again,' he said. 'Seeing the smoke and the flames and everything else, it's unreal. It's like an apocalypse or something.' Butte County spokeswoman Amy Travis described the evacuation center as a staging area while officials line up hotel rooms for families displaced by the fire amid the COVID-19 pandemic. 'COVID has changed the way we do sheltering,' she said. 'We don't have a lot of hotel rooms here in Butte County, and a lot of them are definitely busy with people that have already made their own hotel arrangements for evacuations.' Fallon said she'd been peppering hospitals with phone calls in search of her grandparents. Her daughter, Ava, doesn't understand what's going on. She thinks they're camping. The girl typically speaks with her great-grandmother two to three times a day. 'Im tossing and turning. I have just such bad anxiety. I'm just really worried about my grandparents,' Fallon said. 'I'm hoping that they're up there sitting in some water waiting to be rescued.' LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: People watch as thick smoke from the Bobcat fire moves through Los Angeles, California, U.S., September 10, 2020 LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: An airplane flies above the thick smog from the Bobcat fire moving through Los Angeles, California, on Thursday LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Visitors look out across the horizon on Thursday staggered by the thick smog sweeping in from the forest wildfires LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: A view of downtown Los Angeles under an orange overcast sky in the afternoon in Los Angeles, California, USA, 10 September 2020. California wildfire smoke high in the atmosphere all over the state blocked the sunlight and turned the sky orange and yellow for most of the day The city of Huntsville budget for the upcoming fiscal year emerged more robust than what Mayor Tommy Battle said he expected during the economic uncertainty due to the coronavirus pandemic. The budget, which tops $400 million, was formally introduced at the city council meeting Thursday night. The council will hold a work session Tuesday at 5 p.m. at city council chambers for a detailed presentation of the budget. Council members at that time will critique the budget and likely suggest some changes. The council is scheduled to vote on the budget at its Sept. 24 meeting. The budget includes cuts to outside agencies, who agreed to a 5 percent reduction in funding for the 2021 fiscal year. Altogether, outside agencies will receive $1.98 million in the proposed budget -- a decrease of $57,094 from last year. Still, the citys proposed general fund budget is more than $8 million more than in 2020 after each city department was informed to cut its spending by 5 percent in March when the coronavirus first spread into Alabama. Battle also instituted a hiring freeze. The budget also includes a 1 percent cost of living adjustment for city employees. Click here to see the full budget. This was a difficult budget, but it shaped up the last couple of months, Battle said in an interview with AL.com Thursday night. "All of the sudden, we saw the sales tax was not going to be impacted as much as we thought it was going to be. In fact, well be a little bit ahead of last year. Well be 2-3 percent ahead of last year on sales tax. We also had to recognize the lodging tax was going to stay down for a little while until (Redstone Arsenal) opens back up. It was a better budget than I originally imagined as we started coming into it. Sales tax makes up 59 percent of the citys revenue stream. Among items in the budget highlighted by the city: $46.7 million for municipal facilities, including a new city hall with plans to begin construction next year. $50 million for various projects and improvements of city roads. $24.3 million for outside agencies. The budget allocations for Huntsville Fire & Rescue and Huntsville police also saw increases. Funding for Fire & Rescue went up 8.6 percent while police saw a 1.2 percent bump. Battle said the budget keeps Huntsville in position to sustain its rapid growth. Huntsville is on pace to be the states largest city within five years and while efforts to attract workers to the Rocket City to fill thousands of recently announced new jobs has been slowed due to the pandemic, that work will soon resume. I think weve come out with a good budget we can keep on moving ahead, Battle said. We can keep on doing the things we have to do because in several months, were going to be in that same boat where weve got to recruit people to come into Huntsville to take the jobs weve already established here. The mayor said he was also pleased to be able to include the pay raise for employees. Battle pointed to the fact that city hall never closed during the pandemic and that employees showed up for work even when they were a little squeamish about it. This year, more than any other year, this is more of a thank you for a good job done and accolades for the jobs theyve done over this year, Battle said. NEW YORK/SHANKSVILLE, Pennsylvania: President Donald Trump and his Democratic opponent Joe Biden separately commemorated the 19th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on Friday, taking a pause from campaigning to honor the almost 3,000 victims killed in the single-most deadliest assault on U.S. soil. Biden participated in a solemn morning memorial ceremony in New York, where al Qaeda operatives destroyed the World Trade Center with two hijacked jets. Trump began the day in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, where passengers crashed a hijacked plane believed to have been headed to the U.S. Capitol or White House. Biden and Vice President Mike Pence, both masked, bumped elbows in greeting at the New York ceremony, one of the many ways the anniversary ceremony has been changed by the coronavirus pandemic. Pence read a biblical verse while Biden made no remarks. About 200 people including Governor Andrew Cuomo and U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer attended that ceremony, where family members in pre-recorded videos read the names of the more than 2,600 people killed when two hijacked jets slammed into the Twin Towers. A third hit the Pentagon. A similar memorial ceremony was held at the Pentagon and in Shanksville, where people sat socially distanced on folding chairs near the site that Flight 93 went down. The only thing that stood between the enemy and a deadly strike at the heart of American democracy was the courage and resolve of 40 men and women the amazing passengers and crew of Flight 93," Trump told the crowd. America will never relent in pursuing terrorists that threaten our people." He noted the U.S. killings of Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in 2019 and of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani in January, but made no mention of the 2011 killing of 9/11 mastermind Osama bin Laden under President Barack Obama and Vice President Biden. Trump, his wife Melania, and family members of one of the flight attendants on Flight 93 took part in a wreath laying ceremony in front of the wall of names of those that were killed. Earlier, all 40 names of the passengers and crew members were read aloud, followed by the ringing of bells of remembrance. Biden arrived in Shanksville hours later, his path from the airport to the memorial site lined with houses sporting flags in support of Trump. Trump won Pennsylvania in 2016 and the state is considered crucial if he is to be reelected to a second term. But Biden, as Trump did, eschewed politics for the moment, speaking with three families of passengers on Flight 93. He later visited a local fire station, delivering baked goods and beer. One of the marks of being an American is understanding theres some things that are bigger and more important than yourself," he said at the memorial site with several hundred spectators watching from afar. WEVE HAD A LOT OF PEOPLE DIE In New York City, the annual memorial ceremony took on a different look and feel amid the COVID-19 pandemic that has killed more than 191,000 Americans. The ruins of the shattered World Trade Center have since been replaced by a glittering $25 billion complex that includes three skyscrapers, a museum and the memorial with the goal that it would be again be an international hub of commerce. But the pandemic has rendered it somewhat of a ghost town, adding an eerie quality to the commemoration of the attack, with office workers staying home and tourists avoiding the memorial site. While the memorial was scaled back due to virus concerns, some of the same traditions were observed, such as the ringing of bells at the same time each of the towers was struck and then again at the hour they fell. After organizers of the main commemoration announced they would play pre-recorded videos of family members detailing the names of the victims, the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation committed to a live reading at a separate site near Ground Zero. Another tradition, the twin beams of light honoring each of the Twin Towers, will go ahead Friday evening after earlier discussion of cancelling it to prevent crowds gathering. Nicole Vilardo was at the Ground Zero ceremony to remember her father, Joseph Vilardo, who worked at Cantor Fitzgerald and was 42 when he was killed. It was a little bit harder to get in this year," she said as her four-year old son and 20-month-old daughter squirmed in a stroller. Vilardo works as a cancer surgeon at Montefiore Hospital in the Bronx, one of the worst hit at the height of the citys coronavirus outbreak in March and April. We had a lot of people die," she said. The city has lost eight times as many people to the virus as to the 9/11 attacks. The thing that is similar is the resiliency of this city," she said, comparing the two crises. New York is unstoppable. Its going to come back. You wake up and New York is here. That was the feeling in 2001 and its the same today." At St. Pauls Chapel, built in 1766 and a place of refuge for exhausted firefighters on 9/11, the Rev. Phillip A. Jackson ceremoniously rang the Bell of Hope at 8:46 a.m., the time the first plane hit. We lost almost 24,000 of our fellow New Yorkers this year. I dont know about you, but for me that is a heartbreak and a loss that we will remember forever," Jackson said before ringing the bell, a gift from the city of London that has been rung on every anniversary since 2002. Early in the day, at the memorial site, Biden spoke to 90-year-old Maria Fisher, who lost her son in the /11 attacks. He told her he lost his son, Beau, as well, and lamented, It never goes away, does it?" 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 Lecturers at the University of Agriculture and Environmental Studies (UCAES) at Akyem Bonsu in the Eastern Region said the non-payment of their 12 months salary arrears is ripping their families apart. According to them, as breadwinners, they are however unable to fulfill their financial obligations to support their families a situation affecting their Marriages and Childrens upkeep. They said this when they joined the administrative staff including Cleaners and Security personnel of the University Wednesday to protest in demand for payment of their 12 months salary arrears by Management. According to the agitating staff clad in a red armband, they have not been paid their salaries since July 2019 as well as their Social Security Contributions which has affected the renewal of their National Health Insurance Scheme. The University College currently has about 30 lecturers some being part-time Lecturers but they are demoralized by the non-payment of their salary arrears and poor working environment. They have given a week ultimatum to clear the arrears threatening to take further action. The Student Representative Council also took part in the protest. Madam Gbefa Isabella -SRC General Secretary said the situation has affected teaching and learning. She said about 200 students in the University are in dilemma over their fate hence appealed to management to resolve the impasse. The University College Agriculture and Environmental Studies (UCAES), a tertiary institution established in 2006 by the Akyem Abuakwa Traditional Council under the authority of the Okyenhene Amoatia Ofori Panin II is a first private university in Africa dedicated to agriculture and environmental studies. However, it has since its inception gone through financial and academic challenges affecting the growth of the University. The University College offers Bachelor of Science (BSc) programs in Sustainable Agriculture, Agribusiness Management, Environmental Science, Waste Management and Environmental Health. This is not the first time Lecturers at the University College are protesting over nonpayment of salaries. In 2019, the lecturers and administrative staff went on strike which brought academic activities to a halt on Friday, March 1, 2019. Meanwhile, Authorities of the university are yet to respond to this news item. Source: Michael Akrofi, Eastern Regional Correspondent 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 Grammy Award Winning Artist, LECRAE, Partners with Prison Fellowship To Bring Restoration to Men at Alabama's St. Clair Prison The Hope Event scheduled for September 11th is the first prison event scheduled since the Covid-19 pandemic began! September 11, 2020 , the nation's largest Christian nonprofit serving prisoners, former prisoners, and their families, is partnering with Grammy Award-winning multi-platinum artist Lecrae to present a HOPE event, the first prison to be scheduled since the Covid-19 pandemic began. On Friday, September 11th beginning at 5:30 pm, Atlanta, GA- Prison Fellowship , the nation's largest Christian nonprofit serving prisoners, former prisoners, and their families, is partnering with Grammy Award-winning multi-platinum artistto present a HOPE event, the first prison to be scheduled since the Covid-19 pandemic began. On Friday, September 11th beginning at 5:30 pm, Lecrae will join Prison Fellowship and opening act, The Birdsongs , a Christian rock band, for a two-hour event intended to bring hope and restoration to men incarcerated at St. Clair Prison in Springville, AL. The HOPE event will feature live performances from The Birdsongs, Lecrae, and conclude around 7:30pm with an impactful conversation with the men who will view the event from a safe distance. "We are thrilled to have Lecrae and Birdsongs join us and perform for our first HOPE event since this coronavirus pandemic began," said James Ackerman , President, and CEO of Prison Fellowship. "Their God-given talents come at a perfect time for these men after losing many critical in-prison services and visitation, due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Not only will Lecrae perform for the men, but he's also taking the time to talk with them about God's incredible transforming power. For those who desire a second chance at life, we know that God will use Lecrae to restore them in a powerful way." Honoring the biblical verse Matthew 20:16, "the last will be first, and the first will be last," this is not the first time Lecrae has partnered with Prison Fellowship Ministry (PFM). In fact, he has a history of connecting his music and message with prisons. When Anomaly dropped and was the #1 album in the country, our first stop on the tour was Rikers Island and LA County Jail because I wanted the people in prison to understand that they were not forgotten. I remember the impact of those visits not just on them, but on me! Prison Fellowship and I have the same mission, to restore a sense of value, worth, meaning, and purpose to the lives of those who feel hopeless. I want everyone to know that restoration is possible. You are never too far gone, with God, change is always possible! He also recently partnered with PFM on Mothers Day 2020 as part of a compassionate release campaign to raise awareness about the tragic death of Andrea High Bear, the first woman to die of COVID-19 in the Bureau of Prisons, and to urge followers to take action to ensure this never happens again. Bear passed away after giving birth while on a ventilator. Lecrae posted a video message to his followers, educating them on the issue and encouraging them to take action. As a result, nearly 600 advocates sent over 2,000 letters to the President and their federal lawmakers urging them to include measures to prevent and respond to COVID-19 outbreaks in corrections facilities and to ensure those with a criminal record have access to reentry services. Lecrae released his new album, Restoration, to prisons nationwide through J-Pay a week before it was available to the general public. He will also be distributing 5,000 Free copies of his forthcoming book, I Am Restored: How I Lost My Religion, But Gained My Faith, to people in the system. As part of his "Masks For The People" partnership with Live Free USA, Lecrae raised funds for over 70,000 masks to be distributed throughout the prison system, to essential workers, and correction officers. A quantity of the PPE has been set aside for families when visitation restrictions are lifted. Lecrae A multi Grammy award-winning platinum selling artist, Lecrae has evolved into a New York Times best-selling author, entrepreneur, speaker, thought leader, philanthropist, and co-owner/President of Reach Records . He is part of the new wave of thought leaders who are engaging the culture and taking Jesus out of the pulpits into the wider world in hopes of restoring faith. "I am a hip-hop artist who happens to be Christian, believes in God, and follows the teachings of Jesus, but my music is created for all! There is so much on the horizon. I'm literally just getting started. His nine studio albums and multiple mixtapes are now nearing the two million mark in sales, with the acclaimed artist winning two Grammy Awards, eight Dove Awards, a Billboard Music Award, multiple BET and Soul Train awards, and an Honorary Doctor of Music. The Birdsongs The Birdsongs are a Christian rock band originally from Seattle, WA, now living near Knoxville, TN, composed of three brothers and a sister. Their new album "The Journey, Act II: The War" focuses on finding hope amidst depression, anxiety, temptations, and trials and using Christ's promises to keep fighting. Their single "Will You Save Me?" and "Reality" both released in 2019 have received over 1.5 Million listens on Spotify and are on constant rotation on Christian Rock and Internet Radio stations. Another song, "This Isn't Love" was a top 10 hit on Billboard's Christian Rock Chart. Prison Fellowship Prison Fellowship is the nation's largest outreach to prisoners, former prisoners, and their families, and a leading voice for criminal justice reform. With more than 40 years of experience helping restore men and women behind bars, Prison Fellowship advocates for federal and state criminal justice reforms that transform those responsible for crime, validate victims, and encourage communities to play a role in creating a safe, redemptive, and just society. HOPE Events In prison yards across the country, men and women are being introduced to the hope of Jesus Christ through one- and two-day Prison Fellowship Hope Events that feature a variety of inspirational speakers and musicians. While providing a brief respite from the challenges of prison life, these events give prisoners the chance to respond to Christ and take the next step of joining a faith community behind bars. ### For more info on Lecrae, visit the JFH Artists Database. Acting tough against mask offenders, the Pune police collected 1.40 crore from 27,989 violators between September 2 and September 10. The action was carried out across all police zones in the city. While those not wearing masks at public places were warned under Indian Penal Code (IPC) Section 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) since Covid-19 cases broke in the city, Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) had not authorised the police to collect fines. The action was backed by fine after union minister Prakash Javadekar and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar urged the police to implement it pointing out that rising virus cases in the city. The ministry of home affairs (MHA) national directive for Covid-19 management states: Wearing of face cover is compulsory in public places; in workplaces; and during transport. The directive empowers the police to prosecute people without masks. After the state home department gave its authorisation to the police to take action against offenders, police stations, including the traffic branch, have been ordered to fine mask offenders. Standing instructions have been issued to lodge FIRs against persons who argue and obstruct government servants from discharging their duties. Deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar has ordered municipal corporations to take effective steps to check virus spread and delegated powers to the city police to recover fine of 500 from residents found not wearing mask in public places. Deputy commissioner of police (crime) Bachchan Singh said, People need to follow virus prevention norms strictly. Our action against offenders is to sensitise the public. From September, Pune police intensified action against people not wearing masks and offenders were fined 500. Mask violators Zone 1- 4,576 Zone 2- 4,049 Zone 3- 3,589 Zone 4- 4,431 Zone 5- 5,462 Traffic police- 5,882 Total 27,989 500 Fine collected from mask offender Standard operating procedures (SOP) for cops while taking action When taking action against a person who travels without a mask, the reason for fine, violators name and place must be mentioned in the receipt issued post fine collection Penalties should not be imposed without a receipt People who do not have masks and those who deliberately do not wear masks fall under priority category for taking action Wider dissemination on information related to dangers of not wearing masks and avoid disputes while taking punitive action. A person who is alone and travels without a mask, but is not in contact/conversation with anyone should be given instructions about using a mask first. Even after giving a message, if the person is indifferent to the advice or the person is found to be deliberately avoiding the use of the mask, penalty should be imposed and a receipt issued All officers and staff should use hand gloves, masks, face shields and sanitiser after each action. Police officers and staff should maintain a physical distance during action Bengaluru, Sep 11 : Three priests were found brutally murdered in the courtyard of Sri Arakeshwara Temple in Karnataka's Mandya district on Friday, police said. This incident took place in Guttalu village in Mandya, which is 100 km from Bengaluru city. The police said that the heads of the priests had been crushed by stones. The assailants had broken open all three 'Hundis' -- a cash offering box used by devotees to donate money -- and fled with all the currency notes leaving behind the coins. The police has identified the three priests as Ganesh, Prakash and Anand. According to the police, the bodies were first spotted by the villagers, who became suspicious after finding the temple doors half-open very early in the morning. "This group of villagers entered the premises and saw the bodies of the priests in a pool of blood and stones scattered around," the police added. The police added that these priests used to sleep in the temple premises to guard the deity as well as to protect the Hundis. This temple comes under the Muzarai department (department of Religious and Charitable Endowments) and is in the "B" category for its collections. The police suspect that the assailants could be more than three people and their motive appears to be looting the cash and valuables. The Mandya Police was taking the help of sniffer dogs to track the assailants. Meanwhile, Chief Minister B. S. Yediyurappa has announced an ex-gratia of Rs five lakh to each of the deceased's family and said that the state government will soon arrest the assailants. The mother of Nicolas Chavez, who was killed in April by Houston police, on Thursday said she was "elated" over the firing of four police officers involved in her son's death. But she isn't satisfied. "It doesn't change how my heart feels," said Leantha Chavez. "It's very hard to be happy and sad about something so tragic. Its a weird feeling. You dont know whether to be up or to be down. Now it's time to move onto the next step which is charging (the officers)." Leantha Chavez spoke at a news conference held via Zoom by the Greater Houston Coalition for Justice. Led by longtime Houston activist Johnny Mata, the coalition called the meeting to discuss the release of roughly 15 minutes worth of body camera footage showing Nicolas Chavez's deadly April 21 encounter with police. The video's release came as Houston police announced the termination of four officers' who fired their guns multiple times at Nicolas Chavez, who at the time was struggling on the ground in a Denver Harbor parking lot. The video shows officers' attempts to subdue him with non-lethal force before they unloaded a volley of gunfire. The Houston Police Officers' Union argued that Chavez provoked the shooting by pointing a discarded police Taser in their direction. "Viewing that tape, and having visited the family, the children of the young man who was killed, it breaks your heart," Mata said. "(It was) a death that was senseless, in the sense that it could have been handled differently." The footage released Thursday shows multiple Houston police officers use lethal and non-lethal force throughout the encounter. Acevedo said he felt the officers' actions were justified until the final barrage of 21 rounds. Leantha Chavez said the video "speaks for itself," though it did not show her son's minutes-long struggle in a ditch before police fired the deadly rounds, she said. "He sat there and laid there on his stomach and on his back for a long time," she said. "Minutes went by... and they could have taken him then. They could have done a lot of things, and thats why I think Acevedo did what he did in firing those officers." She said she considered the officers' firing a first step in seeking justice. "There are things I want taken away from the officers, and thats freedom," she said. "And ... I want (Nicolas') children to be taken care of." julian.gill@chron.com By Joel Schectman, Raphael Satter, Christopher Bing and Joseph Menn WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Microsoft Corp recently alerted one of Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden's main election campaign advisory firms that it had been targeted by suspected Russian state-backed hackers, according to four people briefed on the matter. The hacking attempts targeted staff at Washington-based SKDKnickerbocker, a campaign strategy and communications firm working with Biden and other prominent Democrats, over the past two months, the sources said. Microsoft Corp identified the suspected hacking group as the same set of spies blamed by the U.S. government for breaking into the campaign of Democratic former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and leaking the emails of her staff, two of the sources said. The group, which many cyber researchers refer to as "Fancy Bear," is controlled by the Russias military intelligence agency, according to reports from the U.S. intelligence community released after the 2016 election. A person familiar with SKDK's response to the attempts said the hackers failed to gain access to the firm's networks. "They are well-defended, so there has been no breach," the person said. U.S. intelligence agencies have raised alarms about possible efforts by foreign governments to interfere in the November presidential election. Investigations by former special counsel Robert Mueller and the Senate intelligence committee both concluded that affiliates of the Russian government interfered in the 2016 presidential election to try to help Republican Donald Trump get elected. Mueller has warned that Russia was meddling in the current campaign. SKDK Vice Chair Hilary Rosen declined to comment. The Biden campaign said it was aware Microsoft said a foreign actor had tried and failed to access "non-campaign email accounts of individuals affiliated with the campaign." Story continues Microsoft, which has shared with SKDK its assessment that Russian state-backer hackers targeted the firm, declined to comment. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed the allegations as "nonsense." Moscow has repeatedly denied using hacking to interfere in other countries' elections. One of the sources familiar with the incident said it was not clear whether Bidens campaign was the target or whether the hackers were attempting to gain access to information about other SKDK clients. SKDK managing director Anita Dunn was a White House communications director during the Barack Obama presidency and serves the Biden campaign as a senior advisor. The attempts to infiltrate SKDK were recently flagged to the campaign firm by Microsoft, which identified hackers tied to the Russian government as the likely culprits, according to the three sources briefed on the matter. The attacks included phishing, a hacking method which seeks to trick users into disclosing passwords, as well as other efforts to infiltrate SKDK's network, the three sources said. A Microsoft spokesman declined to comment. Microsoft believes Fancy Bear is behind the attacks based on an analysis of the group's hacking techniques and network infrastructure, one of the sources said. The company, which has extraordinary visibility on digital threats via its widely used Windows operating system and cloud services such as Office 365, has taken an increasingly active role in calling out state-backed cyberespionage. In 2018, the company launched its Defending Democracy initiative, aimed in part at safeguarding campaigns from hackers. SKDK is closely associated with the Democratic Party, having worked on six presidential campaigns and numerous congressional races. In addition to its current work for Biden, the firm in 2018 worked on successful governors' races in Kansas and Connecticut. (Additional reporting by Thomas Balmforth in Moscow and Jack Stubbs in London; Editing by William Mallard and Alistair Bell) By Trend Azerbaijan will host the 1st Online Forum of Entrepreneurs Baku 2020 event on September 22-23 under the support from the Agency for Development of Small- and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs), Trend reports on Sept.11 referring to the agency. As reported, the online forum aims to motivate entrepreneurs in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and post-pandemic period, as well as learning of the international experience. The main goals of the forum are also to promote entrepreneurial thinking, especially among young people and women, to boost interest in entrepreneurship, to motivate young people working in the field of social entrepreneurship and starting their own business, as well as to discuss the problems faced by entrepreneurs during the pandemic. During the online forum, the participants will get acquainted with the success stories of entrepreneurs working amid the current pandemic, study foreign experience through speeches of international rapporteurs. Businessmen from Turkey, Germany, Finland, United Arab Emirates, Georgia, Russia, Pakistan, Spain, and other countries will take part in the event as speakers and guests. The partners of the online forum organized by the SA Consulting LLC from the US are the youth public association Odlar Yurdu, SAT Group, Youth Center for Social Business, Business Club Networking.az, Majlis Business Network from Azerbaijan, and the Eurasian Economic Cooperation Organization. The deadline for the forum registration is 15:00 (GMT+4) on September 21. Syracuse police, firefighters, and public officials marked the 19th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks in a limited attendance gathering downtown this morning. The ceremony was held at the Police Memorial in Forman Park, where attendees observed a brief moment of silence and a candle lighting. A 911 radio transmission was also used in the remembrance. Nineteen years after September 11, 2001, we continue to honor the sacrifice made by our brothers and sisters in police, fire and emergency medical services, the transmission said. Two five-foot pedestals with a flagstone were erected in the park as a representation of the Twin Towers. Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh and Syracuse Police Chief Kenton Buckner lit three candles and placed them on the flagstone to pay tribute to the lives lost at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and on United Flight 93 that crashed southeast of Pittsburgh. Peter Laun has attended the ceremony in Syracuse every year, usually with his brother H. Thomas Laun. The retired deputy chief of fire died this past spring. This year, Laun kept his brothers firefighter badge in his coat pocket. Weve never missed it and hes here again, Laun said. After what happened on 9/11, Gov. Pataki said two things that were real important: never forget and never again, Laun said. Both of us have been committed to that even though were old guys now and long retired. We just dont forget the impact that it made on our lives and on our country. Most years, the minutes of silence start at 8:46 and end at 9:03 the time between the first and second planes hitting the World Trade Center towers. Additional commemorations included a display of the Flag of Heroes, whic features all the names of the emergency service providers who died responding to the scene along with the Flag of Honor, which memorializes the civilian victims. Other Central New York ceremonies: The town of DeWitt will livestream its 9/11 Memorial Service to honor victims of the attacks at 6 p.m. Only officials will be onsite for the event to protect the health and safety of our community. The live stream can be found at https://www.facebook.com/TownofDeWittNY/ and a recording will be available after the ceremony has concluded. The Cicero Fire Department will also host a memorial event from 6:30 to 7 p.m. Friday at their headquarters at 8377 Brewerton Road, Cicero. This gathering is open to the public and COVID-19 precautions will be enforced, with attendees asked to wear face masks. The Sylvan Beach Fire Departments 9/11 Memorial Ceremony will be held at 7 p.m. at the bandstand in the village park. Attendees are asked to follow social distancing and mask guidelines set forth by New York State. Credit: CC0 Public Domain Austria will expand mandatory mask-wearing and slap new restrictions on events as it battles a surge in new coronavirus cases, the government said Friday. Masks will be compulsory in all shops and public buildings from Monday, in addition to places where they must already be worn such as supermarkets and public transport, Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said. Austria is witnessing its highest infection rates since the country was in lockdown in the spring, with 654 new cases recorded on Wednesday. "It is getting serious again. The numbers have kept rising in recent weeks," Kurz told a press conference. Spectator numbers for events with fixed seating will also be reduced to 1,500 people for indoor events and 3,000 people for outdoor events. Events without allocated seating will be restricted to a maximum number of 50 people indoors and 100 people outdoors from Monday. Food and drinks indoors will also only be served at tables to avoid mingling at parties and in bar areas, while masks will have to be worn by waiters and waitresses, Kurz added. He warned the government could introduce further measures if cases kept rising but would try to avoid a repeat of the lockdown imposed earlier this year, which entailed severe restrictions on movement and the closure of shops and restaurants. The EU member with its nearly nine million people has so far recorded 31,897 infections and 750 deaths. Explore further Follow the latest news on the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak 2020 AFP Earlier this week, Site Selection magazine put out an issue on the 20 regional economic development groups representing Canadas best locations. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 11/9/2020 (497 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Earlier this week, Site Selection magazine put out an issue on the 20 regional economic development groups representing Canadas best locations. Winnipeg was on the list. If there are 20 places that Site Selection thought were better places to do business than Winnipeg, then that would have been a big story. Twenty-five years ago when the citys image and its business community was suffering a crisis of identity at that time the city was dealing with the ignominy of losing a big league sport franchise there was a realization that people in the city had to start getting the word out on just how great a place Winnipeg was for doing business. For some number of years since, Winnipeg companies started appearing on more lists of the largest, fastest-growing, most-improved, best-managed companies. Winnipeg has consistently ranked near the top of KPMGs competitive alternatives lists that scores cities on business costs. Yes, there are many of those kind of lists out there, but more broadly, the point of getting more Winnipeg mentions is to build a perception that there are good things going on in the city, as most people who live here would attest to. Applying for inclusion on those lists takes time and effort and may be seen of questionable value for some considering the time it takes to be included. A recent list that came out called Best Workplaces in Canada, with 150 companies split into three categories: more than 1,000 employees, 100 to 999 employees, and less than 100. Online Business Systems was the only company from Manitoba on the entire list. In fact, Online has been on the list for 14 years straight. People will say those lists are a function of the companys predisposition to take the time and pay the fee to enter the program. But these lists are widely disseminated and the less people see Winnipeg mentions among the expected concentration of companies from the Greater Toronto Area, Vancouver and Montreal, the more they will be inclined to hold on to whatever negative stereotypes they may have about this city. Ria Neuendorff, the chief people officer at Online, said the company is particularly engaged with the Best Workplaces program, because it puts most of the emphasis on the ranking on what its employees say about the company. Online has been around for about 35 years. It was one of the original information technology consulting companies in the province helping companies "computerize" back in the early 1990s. It now refers to itself as a digital transformation and cybersecurity consultancy, with the latter practice only included in recent years as data security issues became something that even the smallest of companies had to start addressing. It has grown over the years and has about 350 employees including about 70 in the U.S. and has had functioning offices in various cities over time. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, companies like Online had become good at functioning with a certain number of their employees working remotely. Onlines founder, Chuck Loewen, continues to run the company along with original partner and chief technology officer, Tim Siemens. Online does not develop proprietary software or software-as-a-service, but provides one-on-one consulting for clients effectively customized solutions for all its clients. Neuendorff says it is surprising how many people have been with the company for 15, 20 and 25 years in a sector that has become famous for the kind of job mobility its skilled practitioners enjoy. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. But she said that there are always people who join the company who find that the constant change from client to client is not to their liking. The company has a successful career mentoring system so even if a consultant is entrenched remotely in a client site there is always Online collaborators and support available. Neuendorff said one of the most popular employee benefits is a self-directed professional development budget that ranges from $1,500-$5,000, and from 40-to-80 hours annually. Many other Manitoba companies have great support and professional development services for their people, just as there are many Manitoba companies who are conscientious and proud of their community involvement, as is Online. Online is probably as guilty as the community at large in not blowing its own horn enough, but at least its efforts have allowed the word "Winnipeg" to be included among a list of 150 other companies from across the country. In aggregate, if more companies made the effort to get on those lists, it could raise the profile of the city and effectively become another feature of a companys "community involvement." martin.cash@freepress.mb.ca UK-based pharma giant AstraZeneca Plc's CEO Pascal Soriot has said that the company is still aiming for the Oxford COVID-19 vaccine to be ready by this year-end. Speaking during an online conference on Thursday, he sought to reassure investors after halting the late-stage clinical trials of its coronavirus vaccine because of a possible adverse reaction in a study participant. AstraZeneca is developing a vaccine candidate- AZD1222- in collaboration with the University of Oxford. Also Read: Don't panic! Oxford coronavirus vaccine trials halted not cancelled "What we have here is a special set of circumstances where the whole world becomes involved in the conduct of a clinical trial," Soriot stated in his first public comments since the clinical test was paused earlier this week, Bloomberg reported. He further added that the decision to resume the trials rests with a group of independent experts who are conducting a review of safety data whereby they are working to understand if the volunteer's condition was coincidental or a result of the vaccine. Soriot stated that there is no choice for now, but to be "very patient and see how it unfolds". AstraZeneca suspended late-stage trials of its coronavirus vaccine this week after an illness in a participant in Britain. The patient was reportedly suffering from symptoms associated with a rare spinal inflammatory disorder called transverse myelitis. Also Read: Oxford coronavirus vaccine trials paused after UK patient falls ill: What now? Soriot said during an online event that AstraZeneca did not yet know the diagnosis, adding that it was not clear if the volunteer had transverse myelitis and more tests were needed. He said the diagnosis would be submitted to an independent safety committee and this would usually then tell the company whether trials could be resumed. Soriot said that the potential vaccine, which the World Health Organization (WHO) has flagged as the most promising for coronavirus, that it was usual for a trial to be suspended. "It's very common, actually, and many experts will tell you this," Soriot said, adding, "The difference with other vaccine trials is, the whole world is not watching them, of course. They stop, they study, and they restart." AstraZeneca would supply vaccines to countries at the same time to ensure a fair and equitable distribution, Soriot said, adding that the company was close to having the capacity to produce 3 billion doses at sites set up around the world to prevent governments from restricting distribution. Also Read: Coronavirus vaccine: Govt plans to manufacture Russia's Sputnik V in India Also Read: Coronavirus vaccine: Army, frontline workers may get it first; COVAXIN to be ready by year end Owen Plietz joins Kaiser Permanente after nearly 5 years with Wellstar Health System in Atlanta where she served as executive vice president, chief operating officer for the organization's Hospital Division, which includes 11 hospitals, multiple outpatient centers, nursing homes, and other facilities and services. Owen Plietz previously spent 17 years at Sutter Health, a Northern California regional integrated health care system, serving as both chief operating officer and chief administrative officer of multi-hospital entities, and finally as CEO of Sutter Medical Center in Sacramento. Owen Plietz currently serves as chair-elect for the American College of Healthcare Executives, and chair-elect of the Healthcare Executives Study Society. "This is an extraordinary time for leaders in health care to step up and address the current challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic while simultaneously working to improve the long-term health of patients, members, and communities," said Greg A. Adams, Kaiser Permanente chairman and CEO. "We are striving every day to do just that, and we are excited to have such an accomplished leader as Carrie join us and help drive this critical work." Owen Plietz will report directly to Janet Liang, executive vice president and group president for markets in California for Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc. and Hospitals. "Carrie is a dynamic leader with a strong track record of successful leadership and driving excellence through teams and medical group partnerships," said Liang. "Her deep experience in and across all the many aspects of health system operations, strategy, and leadership, coupled with her proven record of integrating multiple functions and facilities into one enterprise, will be a great asset to our organization." "I am very excited about this opportunity to be part of delivering on the mission of Kaiser Permanente, and humbled by the responsibility it entails," Owen Plietz said. "Kaiser Permanente has a tremendous 75-year record of achievement and making a difference in the lives of all those it serves, and I look forward to being a part of the many more achievements to come." About Kaiser Permanente For 75 years, Kaiser Permanente has been committed to shaping the future of health and health care and helping our members, patients, and communities experience more healthy years. We are recognized as one of America's leading health care providers and not-for-profit health plans. Since July 21, 1945, Kaiser Permanente's mission has been to provide high-quality, affordable health care services and to improve the health of our members and the communities we serve. We currently serve 12.4 million members in 8 states and the District of Columbia. Care for members and patients is focused on their total health and guided by their personal Permanente Medical Group physicians, specialists, and team of caregivers. Our expert and caring medical teams are empowered and supported by industry-leading technology advances and tools for health promotion, disease prevention, state-of-the-art care delivery, and world-class chronic disease management. Kaiser Permanente is dedicated to care innovations, clinical research, health education, and the support of community health. For more information, contact: Hilary Costa, [email protected] (510) 406-6654 SOURCE Kaiser Permanente Related Links http://www.kaiserpermanente.org Moscow: Belarus opposition politician Maria Kolesnikova said security officers put a bag over her head and threatened to kill her when they tried to forcibly deport her to Ukraine earlier this week, according to a complaint filed by her lawyer on Thursday, local time. Kolesnikova, one of the most prominent leaders of month-old protests against the re-election of President Alexander Lukashenko, prevented the attempt to expel her by tearing up her passport. Maria Kolesnikova speaks at a news conference in Minsk, Belarus in August. Credit:AP She has emerged as a hero for the protest movement trying to bring down the curtain on Lukashenko's 26-year rule, and a chief target for the authorities who have detained her over accusations of an illegal attempt to seize power in the former Soviet republic. She said in her statement that she had genuinely feared for her life during the failed deportation attempt. The Jharkhand High Court on Friday discovered that Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad was still running 27 days short of completing half of the sentence in one of the fodder scam cases in which he was convicted and awarded to five years of imprisonment in January 2018. The bench comprising Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh, therefore, adjourned hearing on Yadavs bail plea for October 9 on the request of his counsel Kapil Sibal. Former Bihar chief minister Lalu Prasad Yadav, who has been undergoing treatment in custody at Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Ranchi, moved the bail application on the ground that he had already completed half of the sentence in the aforesaid case realted to fraudulent withdrawal of 33.13 crore from Chaibasa treasury over fictitious spends on fodder and other expenses for cattle. Yadav had suffered a major jolt in the fodder scam case on September 30, 2013, when a trial court in Ranchi held him guilty in the first of six cases against him. The conviction got him five years in prison, disqualification from Parliament and a ban on contesting elections. He was given bail by the Supreme Court in December that year. Also read: Bal Thackeray feared Sena will become Congress, Kangana shares video The former Bihar chief ministers trouble renewed again after December 23, 2017, when he had been convicted in three other fodder scam cases in quick succession. Since then, he has been in jail. Of these three cases, he had secured bail in one of them last year on the ground that he had served half of the 3.5 years imprisonment awarded to him. In the second case, he has filed the aforesaid bail application on similar ground. Opposing his bail plea, the CBI contended that Yadavs custody, in this case, was yet to commence as he had not completed the full custody in previous cases. It pointed out the provision of Section 427 of the code of criminal procedure (CrPC) arguing that the court never ordered that sentences awarded to him in different fodder scam cases would run concurrently. In absence of any such order, Prasads custody in subsequent cases would start only after completion of the sentence of previous cases as per Section 427 of the CrPC, CBIs counsel and assistant solicitor general Rajiv Sinha contended. However, senior lawyer Kapil Sibal, representing Yadav, argued that the CBI had not raised this point with respect to bail applications filed by any of the fodder scam convicts earlier. In his earlier case also, the agency didnt raise this contention and the court granted bail to him on completion of half sentence, Sibal argued. The bench, however, after calculating the period of custody served by Yadav in this case, found that 27 days were still left to cover half of the five years sentence. On Sibals request, it adjourned hearing for October 9. After spending the initial two months from December 2017, to February 2018, in Birsa Munda Central Jail in Ranchi, Lalu Prasad Yadav had developed health complications in March 2018 and was moved to the hospital. Since then, he never returned to jail. After a steep surge in Covid-19 cases in August, he was moved from the RIMS paying ward to the hospitals directors bungalow. Actor Kriti Sanon has once again called out the media in her tweets. Kriti retweeted a video of a woman who was on the same flight as Kangana Ranaut when she flew back to Mumbai on Wednesday. The video showed how multiple media persons hounded Kangana for a response, flouting social distancing norms. The journalist showed how the media flocked to Kanganas seat, even as she refused to address them. Sharing it, Kriti wrote, This is what i meant.. how is this even allowed? Have we forgotten that we are still in the middle of a serious pandemic and the number of cases are just rising? We havent even reached a peak yet!. Directorate General of Civil Aviation has sought a report from IndiGo airlines on photography and videography during Kanganas flight. Kangana returned to Mumbai on September 9 as the returned to Mumbai from her home state Himachal Pradesh, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation demolished illegal alterations at her office. She took a flight from Chandigarh and was escorted by the Y-plus security offered to her by the home ministry. ALSO WATCH | Sushant Singh Rajput funeral: Kriti Sanon, Shraddha Kapoor, others attend Earlier on Thursday, Kriti has re-shared a post by Malaika Arora on her Instagram Stories. If Indian journalism goes any lower, they will hit oil, it read. When a journalist told her that there are still a few good ones doing their job properly, Kriti replied, Point taken Samina..i know there are few ethical ones & i wish there were more. More power to you. Every industry has scope for improvement. Journalism being a powerful medium, needs to be responsible, dignified & unbiased.Truth over TRPs. Facts over opinions. & No blind items. Also read: Rashami Desai sides with Ankita Lokhande in spat with Shibani Dandekar: Peoples minds have become so small After the death of Sushant Singh Rajput, Kriti had called for an end to blind items on film stars in the media. Blind Items should be ILLEGAL, should be banned! They should come under Mental Harassment! So either have proof and some f***ing guts to write the names, or dont write it at all! You write hear-say and call it journalism while you have no idea how badly that can affect someones mind, their family, their life. Little Birdie is usually not right, she had written in a Twitter post. Follow @htshowbiz for more SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) - A leading Filipino telecommunications firm has heeded the call of the national government to support its blended learning program in lieu of the COVID-19 pandemic. Through its WiFi2Teach program, Globe Telecom partnered with the Department of Education (DepEd) in donating 1,000 Globe At Home Prepaid WiFi modems to selected public school teachers and provide them with fast, reliable, and affordable internet connection. "Like our partners from DepEd, we advocate for quality, accessible, and relevant education to help uplift the lives of more Filipinos as we continue accelerating the country's digital transformation," said Barbie Dapul, vice president and head of marketing for Globe At Home. The DepEd expressed its gratitude to Globe for helping the teachers migrate into the digital mode of learning and improve their Internet access and connection. "With Globe's WiFi2Teach program, we can gradually address these challenges and help more public educational institutions and teachers to become more adapted to the new normal of remote, online learning for the upcoming academic year," said Abraham Abanil, director at DepEd. Individuals may also extend help to teachers, even at home, by buying a Globe At Home Prepaid WiFi modem from Globe's official store on online shopping platform LazMall until Sept. 15, 2020. For every purchase, 100 will be donated to fund the need for internet connection of public school teachers. Aside from its efforts to provide the needed connectivity and access for teachers at home, Globe also spearheaded initiatives to boost the digital learning programs in the country. The telco established an eLibrary platform with DepEd to give K to12 students, educators, and parents around the country free and quick access to hundreds of ebooks and educational videos. Globe has also been working with the Education Department in organizing various skills development programs for teachers nationwide, such as training sessions on digital literacy and Global Filipino Teachers, a component of DepEd's learning continuity plan. Under the Digital Thumbprint Program, Globe and DepEd conduct a series of workshops designed to educate learners, parents, and educators alike on digital citizenship, online safety, and the responsible use of the internet. Learn more about this story and how you can help power digital learning for public schools nationwide via www.globe.com.ph/help/broadband. Contributed photo In a famous segment from one of my favorite movies, Lawrence of Arabia, Lawrence is leading a band of fighters in an impossible trek across the Arabian Desert to conquer Aqaba when one of the men goes missing, having slipped off his camel while in a heat-induced stupor. Lawrence decides to go back and retrieve him against the objections of Sherif Ali, who tells him that the missing man must already be dead and any attempt to rescue him is doomed from the start. Then another fighter, referring to the one who is missing, chimes in, Gasims time has come, Lawrence. It is written. Lawrence answers, Nothing is written. Ali, accusing him of blasphemy, warns Lawrence that the mission to take Aqaba will never happen, especially after Lawrence tries to rescue Gasim. To which Lawrence replies, I shall be at Aqaba. That is written (pointing to his head) in here! On the High Holy Days, Jewish worshippers ask to be written in the Sefer He-Hayyim, the Book of Life. In the UNetaneh Tokef prayer we recite, On Rosh Ha-Shanah it is written, on Yom Kippur it is sealed. Who shall live and who shall die who by fire and who by water who by earthquake and who by plague. How many of us will contract COVID-19 and how many of us will be spared? How many of us will suffer financially? When will we ever get out of this pandemic? UK organic food exports face an 'outright ban' if equivalence is not agreed in a Brexit deal with the EU, the sector has warned. More than 30 organisations representing the organic food sector have written to the government highlighting the stark warning. The letter, addressed to Chief UK Negotiator Lord Frost and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Michael Gove, expresses 'deep concern' about the future of trade and certification of organic products between the UK and the EU. The letter warns of 'detrimental impacts' on the organic market, adding that UK exports face being excluded from the EU market if mutual agreement between the two is not achieved by the end of the year. Figures show that global sales of organic products are approaching 100 billion, and the UK is the worlds 9th largest organic market. Sales also increased during lockdown, with the sector on track to hit the 2.6bn mark by the end of the year exceeding the 2.5bn originally projected, according to the Soil Association. But unless organic standards equivalence is secured as part of the negotiations, the UK will lose access to EU markets automatically at 11pm on 31 December 2020. Organic groups say it will bring significant practical and financial problems for a 'dynamic, fast-growing and highly prized part of the British food scene'. They add that manufacturers in Northern Ireland are also likely to lose access to some essential sources of organic ingredients or products produced in Great Britain. Instead, NI could receive products from EU member states which would be able to be imported without additional administration or certification requirements. Roger Kerr, Chairman of the UK Organic Certifiers Group (UKOCG), said producers faced overnight exclusion from the EU market if a mutual recognition agreement between the UK and EU was not achieved before the deadline. By co-signing this letter as a sector, we are urging government to recognise what is at jeopardy here as we enter a new regime with the EU. "Securing mutual agreement between the UK and the EU in relation to organic certification must be a priority for the negotiators, he said. Omsco, the UK's largest organic dairy co-operative, said the sector needed an 'urgent resolution' to the situation. Managing Director, Richard Hampton said: Access to the European market is vital not just because of the growth opportunities, but also because our spread of markets and products allows us to deliver the flexibility and availability to our UK customers. "The loss of these markets will damage efficiencies, reduce flexibility and increase costs at a precarious economic time." The searing heat and roaring winds may be slowly giving way to calmer, slightly more temperate conditions in the West, but the toll from the wildfire crisis continues to grow, disrupting lives for tens of millions. Deaths in Washington, Oregon and California have increased to at least 17, and nearly 500,000 people in Oregon alone, or 10% of the entire state's population, have either evacuated or have been told to be ready to leave. Based on numbers released Thursday, California has seen 3.1 million acres burn so far this season, the most of any season, the vast majority of which has taken place since mid-August. Six of the state's top 20 largest fires are currently burning, including the largest wildfire on record, known as the August Complex. These wildfires are what is known as a compound disaster, in which more than one extreme event takes place at the same time, across a varied geography. While climate scientists have been warning that compound disasters are an inevitable result of human-caused climate change, a spate of simultaneously burning, rapidly expanding fires spanning the entire West Coast was not expected for several more decades if greenhouse gas emissions remain high. Perhaps more ominously, there is no exact historical precedent for these blazes. Oregon has seen more than 900,000 acres burn in just 72 hours, which is larger than the state of Rhode Island and compares with its 10-year average annual wildfire seasonal total of just 500,000 acres. A spate of destructive fires in the state of Washington, related to the same hot, dry and windy weather pattern, has also charred at least 587,000 acres. Thick, stagnant smoke is creating some of the worst air quality conditions in the world in places like Portland and San Francisco, beating out cities in India and China. On Friday, a NOAA satellite spotted a 1,500-mile-long trail of smoke, resembling an ash-colored extended arm, reaching to the west above the Pacific Ocean and ingested into a swirling storm system. Even to climate scientists who study wildfires, whose key message is to get used to the unprecedented, this fire event has been shocking. Studies have documented an increase in acres burned in large fires across the West due to global warming, and projections unanimously show that the region is trending hotter, drier and more susceptible to large blazes to come. For example, a study published in August shows California's frequency of fall days with extreme fire-weather conditions has already more than doubled since the 1980s. But the geographic scale of this disaster, including the way that so many of these fires behaved once they began, is an indicator to scientists that this disaster is unprecedented in modern times, and a dark precursor of a future without steep cuts in greenhouse gas emissions. - - - When the Creek Fire burned 100,000 acres of Sierra Nevada forest in a single day during Labor Day weekend's record-breaking heat wave, it was a warning of what was to come later in the week. In addition to the heat wave and extreme fire weather conditions in place at the time, the Creek Fire has another connection to climate change. The blaze burned through stands of dead trees in the southern Sierra Nevada, an area hard-hit by the 2011-2017 drought and an epicenter of the tree mortality that occurred during that time. Studies have shown that human-caused global warming caused that drought itself to be more likely and severe. "I can't say it was unexpected what happened there, but the speed with which it went was mind-blowing to a lot of us," said Eric Knapp, a research ecologist with the U.S. Forest Service in Redding, Calif. Radar imagery shows that the massive fire-induced thunderstorm composed of smoke and ash that towered above the fire grew to a height of 55,000 feet, which indicates that extreme fire behavior took place. It was just after the heat wave had peaked that fierce and relentless dry winds moving from the land to the sea arrived along the West Coast, and wind-driven blazes tore a path of destruction through Washington, Oregon and Northern California. "We never expected so many of these places to burn at the same time to the degree that they did," said Dana Skelly, a fuels program manager for the U.S. Forest Service in Portland. "The systems that people rely on to help them get through these events are completely maxed out." The tragedy that is playing out exceeds the California fire disasters of 2017 and 2018, which at the time were worse than most people could have imagined was possible for wildfire. "I do not have anything to compare with these current events where there are upward of seven fires greater than 100,000 acres, each burning in the Northwest, mainly Oregon, along with countless large fires in California that erupted in size," John Abatzoglou, a climate scientist at the University of California, Merced, said in an email. According to Knapp, most fire records date to 1910, so it is difficult to discuss fire size before that time. "But I think it is fair to say that these fires are unprecedented for the speed at which they moved," he said. "We've never seen so many fires cover so many acres in such little time." Nick Nauslar, a meteorologist at the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, Idaho, said this event far surpasses anything in the modern record. "Multiple fires made 20+ mile runs in 24-hours over the last few days in California, Oregon, and Washington," he said in an email. "Most of these fires are making massive runs in timber and burning tens of thousands of acres and in some cases 100,000+ acres in one day. The shear amount of fire on the landscape is surreal, and no one I have talked to can remember anything like it." - - - Wind is pressing the accelerator on fires that were already moving at alarming rates this summer, and this doesn't typically happen so early in September. "This wind event is extremely unusual in terms of its timing, extent, and strength for the West Coast," Abatzoglou said. Typically, stronger land to sea wind patterns set up later in the fall season, when cold air descends into the interior Western states. But the cold not only arrived early this year, it was record cold with snow in the Rockies. The contrast with record heat on the West Coast amplified the air pressure gradient that drove the winds. "Both the heat and dryness and the winds were unusual in isolation, but the combination of them at the apex of the fire season is even more remarkable," he said. According to Abatzoglou, human-caused climate change is accelerating the rate that vegetation dries, through increases in both temperature and the vapor pressure deficit, a measure of atmospheric dryness. Over the past 30 days, the West has seen its highest vapor pressure deficit readings in the last 40 years for this time of year. "Dry fuels set the table for lands that are more receptive to igniting and carrying fire; this has been compounded by some regions with massive drought kill loading the number of dead fuels, and moreover the legacy of fire suppression leading to more fuels to burn," he said. The Big Blowup of 1910 This week's firestorms have drawn comparisons to the Big Blowup of 1910, a wind-driven conflagration in the northern Rockies that also followed a very dry season. On Aug. 20, 1910, dry cold fronts passed through and unstable air helped blow up scores of fires in North Idaho and western Montana, along with parts of Washington and British Columbia. These wildfires torched more than 3 million acres, killing 85 people, including 78 firefighters in six separate incidents. "Because of the trauma of 1910 fires for the Forest Service, it wanted to double down to ensure that large fires would never happen again," said Stephen Pyne, a fire historian and emeritus professor at Arizona State University. It ushered in the modern era of American-style firefighting, or "fire suppression," that continues today. The first fire weather forecasts for high winds were also a result of the 1910 fire. Though it was a landmark event in American fire history, it did not have the scope of what is unfolding right now. "The 1910 fires were very strongly clustered across the Idaho panhandle and into Montana and not nearly as widespread as what we're seeing at the moment," Abatzoglou said. - - - Due in part to a heavy investment in firefighting infrastructure, annual burned acreage plummeted in the 1950s, and a relatively quiet period ensued that lasted for several decades. However, in the 1980s, things began to shift. The first of the modern fire sieges took place in 1987, when 11,000 lightning strikes helped torch 640,000 acres, many of them in California and Oregon. In the last 30 to 35 years, the West has seen a steady rise in the intensity of wildfires as well as acreage burned, tied to human-caused climate change. The legacy of decades of fire suppression also looms large. "Fires today are much more intense and putting up much more smoke per area burned because we're consuming all the fuel accumulated during the years of suppressing almost all fires," Knapp said. - - - In California, the 2017 season was an inflection point because it initiated a multiyear series of conflagrations in both the northern and southern parts of the state that has continued into 2020. There used to be several years in between notable fire outbreaks, and they rarely occurred in both summer and fall of the same year. "California has had big fires - it is built to burn," Pyne said. "But I can't think of any time over the last 100 years where we've had serial fire outbreaks, four years running." "That I can find no record of happening before," he added. "That is the big switch; that is the phase change." SPRINGFIELD Illinois reported another 2,145 cases of COVID-19 on Friday as 56,661 tests were completed over the previous 24 hours, increasing the seven-day average positivity rate to 3.9%. The Illinois Department of Public Health also announced another 32 virus-related deaths in persons aged between their 50s and their 90s. That brought the total number of deaths to 8,273 since the pandemic first reached Illinois, while there have been 257,788 confirmed cases among more than 4.6 million tests completed. The recovery rate is 96% for those 42 days removed from a positive diagnosis, according to IDPH. There were 30 counties at a warning level for COVID-19 spread as of Friday, according to IDPH, and two areas that have seen increased restrictions due to COVID-19 saw their positivity rate remain roughly flat. Region 7, including Will and Kankakee counties, has a 7.5% positivity rate as of Tuesday, which was level from the day prior. In Region 4, including the Metro East area on the Missouri border, the positivity rate was 10%. The regions positivity rates must decrease to 6.5% before added mitigations which include restricting bars and restaurants to indoor eating and drinking can be rolled back. Gov. J.B. Pritzker at an unrelated news conference Friday took questions on mitigation efforts and their potential impact on mental health, drug overdoses and suicide. There's a mental health component to that as well. Not to mention that we've also stepped up our efforts in providing social services, human services to people, Pritzker said of the states mitigation efforts at the Chicago news conference. On Thursday, IDPH Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike said in a news conference there was no conclusive data that suicide rates have increased due to COVID-19, but she noted, issues such as job loss, financial strain and social isolation are all risk factors for suicide. She urged anyone in an emergency situation regarding suicide to call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. We're looking at every aspect of how this is affecting our families and trying to deal with those, Pritzker said Friday. There are people who might say well why don't you just lift the mitigations because that will lift some mental health challenges that people are having again, youre trying to balance here the health care that has been so damaged by this pandemic, and clearly the consequences from people not being able to do what they normally do in their lives. The governor once again blamed a lack of a national strategy for making it difficult for states to mitigate spread. He said Iowa, which had a positivity rate near 14%, and Missouri, with a rate near 12%, are among neighboring states with much higher positivity rates. They're on our border and people are crossing that border all the time, both ways, and I'm not telling people that they shouldn't do that, I'm just saying that has an impact on what we do as a state. But if you had a federal focus on a strategy for all of the states, you wouldn't have this problem of relatively lower positivity rate in the state of Illinois and then having to deal with all the much higher positivity rates in all the surrounding states. While a vaccine could change the trajectory, according to the governor, he said the economy will be unable to recover without a national strategy. Hospitalizations for the virus in Illinois remain slightly above their pandemic lows. At the end of Thursday, there were 1,619 persons reported hospitalized with COVID-19, leaving about 37% of beds available statewide. There were 359 intensive care unit beds in use by COVID-19 patients while roughly 42% were available. COVID-19 patients were using 155 ventilators, with roughly 78% available. The counties at a warning level include Bond, Bureau, Cass, Clinton, Coles, Crawford, DeKalb, DuPage, Effingham, Greene, Grundy, Hancock, Henderson, Jackson, Jasper, Jersey, Lawrence, Madison, McLean, Monroe, Morgan, Pulaski, Schuyler, Shelby, Stark, St. Clair, Tazewell, Vermilion, Washington and Williamson. A county enters a warning level when two or more risk indicators measuring the amount of COVID-19 increase, including cases per 100,000 residents, hospital bed usage, test positivity rate and number of deaths, among others. Common causes for an increase in cases in those counties are college parties, weddings, large gatherings, bars and clubs, long-term care facilities and other congregate settings, travel to neighboring states, and spread among members of the same household who are not isolating at home, according to IDPH. In some counties, local law enforcement and states attorneys are not enforcing important mitigation measures like social distancing and the wearing of face coverings, IDPH said in a news release. Additionally, some people refuse to participate in contact tracing and are not providing information on close contacts or answering the phone. Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service covering state government and distributed to more than 400 newspapers statewide. It is funded primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation. You are clearly a super-user of NUVO.net. Thats a good thing. It means you depend on independent and local news sources to keep you informed. You are a smart person. Coincidentally, independent and local news sources depend on you too. Youve read 25 articles this month and now, wed like you to be join our mission and become a NUVO Supporter. For as little as $4 a month, you can keep us alive and fighting -- and can have unlimited access to the independent news that cant be found anywhere else. Lockdown, but not on music- When countries around the world went into lockdown during the pandemic, millions of people were locked in their homes with no means of interacting face-to-face with those around them. But music brought them together. Throughout the pandemic, there have been reports of people holding mini concerts in their balconies, of neighbours coming together for a little jam session (albeit, while in isolation in their own homes), playing music and making merry. (Image: Reuters) Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Advertisement President Donald Trump on Friday vowed that America will always 'rise up' and 'fight back' when under attack as he paid tribute to the 40 people who died on United Flight 93 when they brought down the plane in a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. In a sobering and patriotic speech at the national memorial, Trump praised the '40 towering patriots' who he said 'took charge and changed the course of history forever' as al Qaeda hijackers were flying the plane toward Washington. 'The heroes of Flight 93 are an everlasting reminder that no matter the danger, no matter the threat, no matter the odds, America will always rise up, stand tall, and fight back,' the president said. 'The only thing that stood between the enemy and a deadly strike at the heart of American democracy was the courage and resolve of 40 men and women.' 'Our sacred task, our righteous duty, and our solemn pledge, is to carry forward the noble legacy of the brave souls who gave their lives for us 19 years ago,' he said. 'In their memory, we resolve to stand united as one American nation, to defend our freedoms - to uphold our values - to love our neighbors - to cherish our country - to care for our communities - to honor our heroes - and to never forget.' U.S. President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump stood together during a ceremony at the Flight 93 National Memorial, remembering those killed when the hijacked flight crashed into an open field on September 11, 2001 The president paid tribute to the 40 Americans who died on United Flight 93 when they brought down the plane in a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania before al-Qaeda hijackers could reach Washington During his speech, Trump said: 'Our sacred task, our righteous duty, and our solemn pledge, is to carry forward the noble legacy of the brave souls who gave their lives for us 19 years ago' Mourners gathered for a ceremony commemorating the 19th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, in Shanksville, Pennsylvania While Trump spoke at the site's morning memorial ceremony, Democratic rival Joe Biden was to visit later in the day Donald Trump lowers his head as he sits beside wife Melania at the ceremony held in Shanksville on Friday 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 (pictured) on September 11, 2001, killing all 40 civilians and four al-Qaeda hijackers on board Nearly 3,000 Americans lost their lives on September 11, 2001. Pictured: The World Trade Center attack from Astoria, Queens After he spoke, he and first lady Melania Trump laid a wreath at the Flight 93 Memorial, which contains the names of those who died. A bag piper played 'Amazing Grace.' During his remarks, the president also paid tribute to the members of the military that lost their lives in the wake of the terrorists attacks. 'More than 7,000 Military Heroes have laid down their lives since 9/11 to preserve our freedom,' Trump said. 'No words can express the summit of their glory or the infinite depth of our gratitude. But we will strive every single day to repay our immeasurable debt and prove worthy of their supreme sacrifice.' Trump also offered words to the unit the country on its day of mourning. 'We were united by our conviction that America was the world's most exceptional country, blessed with the most incredible heroes, and that this was a land worth defending with our very last breath. It was a unity based on love for our families, care for our neighbors, loyalty to our fellow citizens, pride in our flag, gratitude for our police and first responders, faith in God - and a refusal to bend our will to the depraved forces of violence, intimidation, oppression and evil,' he said. 'When terrorists raced to destroy the seat of our democracy, the 40 of flight 93 did the most American of things, they took a vote and then they acted,' Trump added. Trump's visit kicked off a day of memorial services expected to take place at the memorial sites of the 9/11 attacks in Pennsylvania, New York City and at the Pentagon in Washington, as well as across the country. Although the country will be focused on the commemorations, the Shanksville events will be of great political significance for both candidates at the battleground state A US Park Police officer guards a field during a ceremony commemorating the 19th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, in Shanksville, Pennsylvania Mounted police officers sit outside the Visitor's Center at the National Memorial before a memorial service attended by President Donald Trump in Shanksville President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump walk with Ed Root and his wife Nancy to lay a wreath President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump returned to the White House in Washington shortly after attending a 9/11 memorial service in Pennsylvania Earlier, the president and first lady Melania Trump also observed a moment of silence aboard Air Force One at 8.46am, marking the time the first plane hit the World Trade Center 19 years ago. Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden visited the Shanksville memorial later in the afternoon, after attending the 9/11 Memorial & Museum's annual commemoration at Ground Zero in New York, along with Vice President Mike Pence. It was a different display in Lower Manhattan at the Ground Zero ceremony, where public officials were not part of the program. Biden nonetheless consoled family members in the audience. While Trump and Biden's visit will not overlap, Pence and Biden's did. In a rare moment of detente, Biden was seen approaching Pence after arriving at the ceremony and tapping him on the shoulder to say hello. Wearing masks, the current and former vice president then shared an elbow bump - the popular COVID-era handshake replacement - as did Biden and second lady Karen Pence. Although the candidates and country will be focused on the commemorations, the political significance of the two candidates' visits to Shanksville is hard to ignore, with Pennsylvania being a crucial battleground state. In New York City, Democratic presidential candidate, Joe Biden and wife Jill, stood alongside Governor Andrew Cuomo during a pre-recorded reading of the names ceremony on Friday Biden's visit to the 9/11 Memorial & Museum's annual commemoration at Ground Zero in New York, overlapped with that of Vice President Mike Pence. The former VP was seen greeting Pence with an elbow bump Pence and his wife, Karen, read Bible passages after visiting the National September 11 Memorial on Friday Mourners pause at the north reflecting pool as flowers are placed in the names of the dead at the National September 11 Memorial and Museum on Friday Biden however, insisted that he would steer clear of politics on a national day of mourning. 'I'm not gonna make any news today. I'm not gonna talk about anything other than 9/11,' he told reporters. 'We took all our advertising down, it's a solemn day, and that's how we're going to keep it, OK?' Victims' relatives gathered for split-screen remembrances, one at the September 11 memorial plaza at the World Trade Center and another on a nearby corner, set up by a separate organization. The Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation objected to the memorial's decision to forgo a longstanding tradition of having relatives read the names of the dead, often adding poignant tributes. Memorial leaders said they made the change as a coronavirus-safety precaution on the 19th anniversary of the deadliest terror attack on U.S. soil. At the September 11 Memorial and Museum, mourners stood silently as they listened to a pre-recorded reading of the names - a plan that organizers felt would avoid close contact at a stage but still allow families to remember their loved ones at the place where they died. But some felt the change robbed the observance of its emotional impact. The Tunnel to Towers Foundation arranged its own, simultaneous ceremony a few blocks away, saying there was no reason that people couldn't recite names while keeping a safe distance. President Trump and first lady Melania paused for a moment of silence aboard Air Force One as they arrived at the airport in Johnstown, Pennsylvania Trump (pictured boarding Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland) did not attend the Pentagon ceremony for the first time in his presidency The Trumps traveled to Shanksville to mark the 19th anniversary of the September 11th attacks. The two sat quietly during the memorial service as the name of each person who died was read aloud with a bell striking after each one Reverence for the dead 'requires that we read these names out loud, in person, every year,' said foundation chair Frank Siller, whose brother Stephen was a firefighter. The readers stood at podiums that were wiped down between each person. Biden offered condolences to a woman he spotted crying in the crowd of hundreds, Amanda Barreto, who lost her aunt and godmother in the attacks. Barreto, 27, said Biden 'wanted to let me know to keep the faith' and 'wanted me to say strong,' telling her he understood what it meant to lose a loved one. His first wife and their daughter died in a 1972 car crash, and his son Beau died of brain cancer in 2015. Biden didn't speak at the ceremony, which has a longstanding custom of not allowing politicians to make remarks. He also told the reporters traveling with him what the day means to him: 'It means I remember all my friends that I lost.' 'It takes a lot of courage for someone that lost someone to come back today,' Biden continued. 'I know from experience, losing my wife, my daughter, my son, you relive it, the moment as if it's happening. It's hard. 'It's a wonderful memorial, but it's hard. It just brings you back to the moment it happened, no matter how long, how much time passes. So I admire the families who come.' From left, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Joe Biden, former New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg, and Vice President Mike Pence stand during the national anthem at the National September 11 Memorial and Museum Lorna O'Hara holds a poster of her cousin, Brian Bilcher, a New York City firefighter who died on Sept. 11, 2001, during the attacks at the World Trade Center, before a ceremony organized by the Tunnel to Towers Foundation A mourner brushes water over the inscribed names of the deceased with his fingers during the memorial service People bow their heads during the 9/11 memorial service at the National September 11 Memorial and Museum during the 19th anniversary of the terror attacks TRUMP'S FULL SPEECH AT THE AT THE FLIGHT 93 NATIONAL MEMORIAL Thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you, David, very much. It's a great honor to be with you. Nineteen years ago, on this day, at this very hour, on this field, 40 brave men and women triumphed over terror and gave their lives in defense of our nation. Their names and their stories are forever inscribed on the eternal roll call of American heroes. Today, we pay tribute to their sacrifice, and we mourn deeply for the nearly 3,000 precious and beautiful souls who were taken from us on September 11th, 2001. To the family members of Flight 93: Today, every heartbeat in America is wedded to yours. Your pain and anguish is the shared grief of our whole nation. The memory of your treasured loved ones will inspire America for all time to come. The heroes of Flight 93 are an everlasting reminder that no matter the danger, no matter the threat, no matter the odds, America will always rise up, stand tall, and fight back. To every 9/11 member all across this nation: The First Lady and I come to this hallowed ground deeply aware that we cannot fill the void in your heart or erase the terrible sorrow of this day. The agony renewed, the nightmare relived, the wounds reopened, the last treasured words played over and over again in your minds. But while we cannot erase your pain, we can help to shoulder your burden. We promise that unwavering love that you so want and need, support, devotion -- and the very special devotion -- of all Americans. On that September morning, when America was under attack, the battle turned in the skies above this field. Soon after taking off from Newark, New Jersey, radical Islamic terrorists seized control of United 93. Other hijacked planes struck the North Tower of the World Trade Center, and then the South Tower, and then the Pentagon. The terrorists on Flight 93 had a fourth target in mind. It was called: our nation's capital. They were just 20 minutes away from reaching their sinister objective. The only thing that stood between the enemy and a deadly strike at the heart of American democracy was the courage and resolve of 40 men and women -- the amazing passengers and crew of Flight 93. Donald and Jean Peterson were grandparents traveling to vacation in California. Deora Bodley was a student headed back to college. Richard Guadagno was returning from celebrating his grandmother's 100th birthday. Lauren Catuzzi Grandcolas was three months pregnant with her first child. Every passenger and crewmember on the plane had a life filled with love and joy, friends and family, radiant hopes and limitless dreams. When the plane was hijacked, they called their families and learned that America was also under attack. Then they faced the most fateful moment of their lives. Through the heartache and the tears, they prayed to God, they placed their last calls home, they whispered the immortal words, 'I love you.' Today, those words ring out across these sacred grounds, and they shine down on us from Heaven above. When terrorists raced to destroy the seat of our democracy, the 40 of Flight 93 did the most American of things: They took a vote, and then they acted. Together, they charged the cockpit, they confronted the pure evil, and in their last act on this Earth, they saved our capital. In this Pennsylvania field, the 40 intrepid souls of Flight 93 died as true heroes. Their momentous deeds will outlive us all. In the days and weeks after 9/11, citizens of all faiths, backgrounds, colors, and creeds came together, prayed together, mourned together, and rebuilt together. The song 'God Bless America' became a rallying cry for the nation. We were united by our conviction that America was the world's most exceptional country, blessed with the most incredible heroes, and that this was a land worth defending with our very last breath. It was a unity based on love for our families, care for our neighbors, loyalty to our fellow citizens, pride in our great flag, gratitude for our police and first responders, faith in God, and a refusal to bend our will to the depraved forces of violence, intimidation, oppression, and evil. In New York, Arlington, and Shanksville, people raced into the suffocating smoke and rubble. At Ground Zero, the world witnessed the miracle of American courage and sacrifice. As ash rained down, police officers, first responders, and firefighters ran into the fires of hell. On that day, more than 400 first responders gave their lives, including 23 New York City police officers, 37 Port Authority workers, and 343 New York City firefighters. Today, we honor their extraordinary sacrifice and every first responder who keeps America safe. With us today is David DeMato, a retired Chicago police officer and a current officer of the Navy Reserves. On 9/11, he drove from Chicago to Ground Zero. As David says, 'While the sights and smells of working at Ground Zero will forever be etched in my mind, what is more profound is the way this country came together afterwards. The police officers and firemen were revered as the heroes they truly are; the military was appreciated in a manner not seen in decades; and common people found new meaning in values like friendship, kindness, and selflessness.' Thank you, David. Such beautiful words. And thank you to every member of law enforcement who risks their lives to ensure our safety and uphold our peace. This morning, we also remember the 183 people who were killed in the attack on the Pentagon and the remarkable service members who crawled straight through the raging blaze to rescue their comrades. We express our undying loyalty to the nearly 6 million young men and women who have enlisted in the United States armed forces since September 11th, 2001. More than 7,000 military heroes have laid down their lives since 9/11 to preserve our freedom. No words can express the summit of their glory or the infinite depth of our gratitude. But we will strive every single day to repay our immeasurable debt and prove worthy of their supreme sacrifice. America will never relent in pursuing terrorists that threaten our people. Less than one year ago, American warriors took out the savage killer and leader of ISIS, Al-Baghdadi. Soon after, our warriors ended the brutal reign of the Iranian butcher who murdered thousands of American service members. The world's top terrorist, Qasem Soleimani, is dead. Here in Shanksville, this community locked arms and hearts in the wake of tragedy. With us today is Chuck Wagner, a heavy equipment operator who lives just a few miles away. Very soon after the attack, Chuck helped search for the black box. He was so changed by what he experienced that he joined with several members of his church to become what they call 'Ambassadors' for the 40 men and women on Flight 93. Chuck and his neighbors learned about each person, cared for their families, and each day, rain or shine, they took shifts standing vigil over their final resting place. Long before this place was a national memorial, back when it was marked by a simple wooden cross, Chuck and his fellow Ambassadors were always here waiting to tell visitors about those we lost. Nineteen years later, Chuck says his life is devoted to three things: his family, his church, and preserving the memory of the men and women of Flight 93. To Chuck, his wife Jayne -- (applause) -- thank you very much. Thank you very much. To Chuck and his wife Jayne, thank you so much for being here. And to the over 40 Ambassadors with us today, please stand and receive America's thanks. And this is a very deep thanks. Please. (Applause.) Thank you very much. Also with us is Marine veteran Jason Thomas, from Long Island. On September 11th, Jason had just retired from the Marines. But he immediately put back on his uniform and raced into the nightmare of ash and debris. At Ground Zero, he found a fellow Marine, Dave Karnes. Together, they began to call out: 'United States Marines! United States Marines! If you can hear us, yell, tap. Do whatever you can do. We're the United States Marines.' Soon they heard a shout for help. Two police officers were trapped beneath 20 feet of rubble. Jason and Dave dug for hours on end knowing that, at any moment, the wreckage could come down on them, crushing them alive. At one point, someone told Jason to stop. Jason replied, 'I'm a Marine. I don't go back. I go forward.' That day, Jason helped save the lives of those two officers. For years, Jason said nothing about what he did on 9/11. He did not even tell his five children. But when he saw the rescue recounted on TV, he decided to meet those officers. One of them gave him a gift: a steel cross made from a beam that Jason helped lift to free them from the hell on Earth. As Jason said about the cross, 'It means a lot. It's a symbol of what we are as Americans. Because that day, we all came together and stood as a nation, as Americans. It didn't matter what race you were, what religion you were. It didn't matter. We all came together to help one another. I'd die for this country. I'd die for this country.' Jason, thank you very much for bearing witness to the character of our nation. Jason, thank you very much. (Applause.) Thank you very much. Thank you, Jason. The men and women of Flight 93 were mothers and fathers, sons and daughters, husbands and wives. Nothing could have prepared them for the dreadful events of that morning. But when the moment came, when history called, they did not hesitate, they did not waver. Forty towering patriots rose up, took charge, made their stand, turned the tide, and changed the course of history forever. Our sacred task, our righteous duty, and our solemn pledge is to carry forward the noble legacy of the brave souls who gave their lives for us 19 years ago. In their memory, we resolve to stand united as one American nation, to defend our freedoms, to uphold our values, to love our neighbors, to cherish our country, to care for our communities, to honor our heroes, and to never, ever forget. Thank you. God bless you. God bless the heroes of Flight 93. God bless all of the families. 9/11 -- we'll never forget. God bless you all, and God bless America. Thank you very much. (Applause.) Advertisement Vice President Mike Pence greeted firefighters assembled at FDNY Ladder 10 Engine 10 near the 9/11 Memorial on Friday Meanwhile, Pence went on to the Tunnel to Towers Foundation ceremony, where he read the Bible's 23rd Psalm, and his wife, Karen, read a passage from the Book of Ecclesiastes. 'For the families of the lost and friends they left behind, I pray these ancient words will comfort your heart and others,' said the vice president, drawing applause from the crowd of hundreds. Shortly after Trump's speech, Biden and his wife traveled to Shanksville on Friday afternoon to pay his respects to the victims who died on United Flight 93, 19 years ago. The former vice president did not deliver a speech, but met and spoke with families who lost loved ones in the attack. 'Don't ever underestimate one of the marks of being an American is understanding there's some things that are bigger and more important than yourself,' Biden said. He also stopped by the wall of names where he laid down a white wreath. Biden and his wife Jill traveled to the Flight 93 National Memorial shortly after attending a 9/11 memorial ceremony in New York City, and Trump's speech in Shanksville Biden was seen laying a wreath at the memorial site on Friday. The Democratic candidate pledged not to make any news during the day with the November 3 election now less than two months away In short, the anniversary of 9/11 is a complicated occasion in a maelstrom of a year, as the U.S. grapples with a health crisis, searches its soul over racial injustice and prepares to choose a leader to chart a path forward. Still, families say it's important for the nation to pause and remember the hijacked-plane attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people at the trade center, at the Pentagon in Washington and near Shanksville on September 11, 2001 - shaping American policy, perceptions of safety and daily life in places from airports to office buildings. Around the country, some communities canceled 9/11 commemorations because of the pandemic, while others went ahead, sometimes with modifications. The Pentagon's observance was so restricted that not even victims families could attend, though small groups can visit the memorial there later in the day. U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley gave remarks during the 19th annual September 11 observance ceremony at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia Military leaders conducted the Pentagon's ceremony without victims' families in attendance, and their loved ones' names were recited by a recording Service members and guests listen to the playing of Taps during Friday's ceremony. It marks the first time since taking office that neither President Donald Trump nor Vice President Mike Pence attended the Pentagon ceremony The Pentagon took a direct, devastating hit from an aircraft and the enduring symbols of American power were evacuated during the terrorist attack on September 11, 2001 The National Park Service, which co-hosts the annual Flight 93 memorial event in Pennsylvania, had originally said it was planning an abbreviated ceremony this year to minimize the spread of the coronavirus, with no keynote speaker or musical guests. But after Biden and then the White House announced their plans to visit, the agency's website was updated to reflect a new schedule that included remarks from Trump and the secretary of the interior. None of the appearances featured prominent political showmanship, though the ceremonies were closely followed by the media and gave the candidates what political scientist Robert Shapiro dubbed a chance to 'show their leadership and empathy.' The choice of Trump and Biden to both head to Pennsylvania, a vital election battleground state, illustrates the 'obvious calculations' their advisors have made, the Columbia University scholar said. In 2016, the 9/11 memorial events became a flashpoint in the presidential campaign after then-Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton abruptly left the Ground Zero ceremony and was seen stumbling as she tried to get into a van. Trump, who spoke repeatedly of that during the campaign, also spent the day in New York and paid his own visit to the memorial in Lower Manhattan. Friday was Trump's second time observing the anniversary in Shanksville, where he made remarks in 2018. Biden spoke at the memorial's dedication in 2011, when he was vice president. Planned 9/11 military flyover at 2,500ft over Hudson River is CANCELED following outrage from critics who called the idea 'tasteless' and 'insensitive' The NYC Emergency Management system announced an F-18 jet was expected to conduct a flyover near the Verrazzano Bridge Friday in a tribute to victims of the 9/11 attacks A military flyover scheduled to take place on the Hudson River on the 19th anniversary of the September 11th attacks was canceled last minute on Friday, following backlash from critics who slammed the idea as 'tasteless' and 'insensitive.' The New York City Emergency Management system on Thursday announced an F-18 jet was expected to conduct a flyover near the Verrazzano Bridge at 3.30pm on Friday in a tribute to the victims of 9/11. The aircraft was due to fly over the river at an altitude of about 2,500 feet, according to a statement posted on Twitter. The plans for the display however, quickly drew criticism on social media with many slamming the event as ill-conceived. Among them was Brandon Borrman, Twitter's VP of global communications, who said the event was tone-deaf. 'Granted, I no longer live in NY, but this seems like a really bad idea, verging on completely tasteless,' Brandon Borrman, Twitter's VP of global communications, tweeted in response. Critics said the idea to have a low-flying jet over Manhattan on the day the nation will pause and remember the hijacked-plane attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people was 'insensitive' to the family of victims. Staten Island Rep. Max Rose also replied to the tweet saying: 'Are you out of your mind? Cancel this immediately.' Several users echoed his sentiments, with one woman adding: 'Why in the world would anyone decide to have a fly over in NYC on September 11th? This is not a tribute, it is extremely insensitive especially to the families of those who were murdered in the Twin Towers that awful and horrific day.' In a statement to DailyMail.com, a spokesman for the Mayor's Office said Mayor Bill de Blasio was not informed about the plans for the flyover. 'The mayor wasn't aware of the flyover, and frankly it's inappropriate. He looks forward to thanking our heroes and honoring those we've lost at the ceremony this morning,' the spokesperson said. The office later confirmed in a follow up statement that the event had been scrapped after the city formally asked the Department of Defense not to proceed with the flyover. Earlier on Friday, President Donald Trump and his Democratic opponent, Joe Biden, were both traveling to rural Pennsylvania for the memorial service. Mourners gathered at Ground Zero Friday morning to remember those who were killed in the terror attacks 19 years ago 9/11 lights shone out across America despite coronavirus restrictions which almost caused this years commemorations to be cancelled Light tributes to September 11 victims shone across America overnight on Thursday as commemorations began on eve of the 19th anniversary of the terror attacks. Tributes paid to those who lost their lives have been altered this year, with restrictions in place due to Covid-19. In New York, the annual 'Tribute in Light' was almost canceled after the 9/11 Memorial and Museum said there was a virus risk to the installation crew. In Washington, a tower of blue light shone over the Pentagon one of many changes to the annual remembrance, which has been scaled back this year. NEW YORK CITY: Governor Andrew Cuomo and former Mayor Mike Bloomberg, the memorial's billionaire chairman, stepped in to keep the memorial-sponsored lights on NEW YORK CITY: The 9/11 Memorial and Museum's annual 'Tribute in Light' will also go ahead after the memorial announced last month it was nixing the twin blue beams The Tunnel to Towers Foundation illuminated its 'Towers of Light' tribute next to the Pentagon on Wednesday, and it will remain lit until the early hours of Saturday 12. This is to honor the lives lost in Flight 77, which struck the Pentagon after being hijacked, killing all 64 passengers and 6 crew on board, and 125 people in the building. Military leaders will conduct the Pentagon's ceremony without victims' families in attendance, and their loved ones' names will be recited by a recording. Although they won't be read on-site, victims' relatives can visit the Pentagon's memorial in small groups later Friday. President Donald Trump and Democratic challenger Joe Biden both plan to visit the Flight 93 National Memorial in Pennsylvania on Friday, though not at the same time. Trump is speaking at a morning ceremony, with Biden paying respects in the afternoon. It will also be the first time since taking office that neither President Donald Trump nor Vice President Mike Pence will be at the Pentagon ceremony. WASHINGTON D.C.: Tributes paid to those who lost their lives have been altered this year, with restrictions in place due to Covid-19 WASHINGTON, D.C.: Many events will take place online and not in front of crowds, like the large flag unfurling at the Pentagon WASHINGTON, DC: Military leaders will conduct the Pentagon's ceremony without victims' families in attendance, and their loved ones' names will be recited by a recording In New York, the double beams of light that evoke the fallen twin towers were nearly canceled in the name of virus safety, until an uproar restored the tribute. The Fire Department cited the virus in urging members to skip observances of the 2001 attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people, among them almost 350 firefighters. Some victims' relatives say they understand the ground zero observance had to change in a year when so much else has. The National September 11 Memorial and Museum canceled its tradition of having relatives read the names of the dead aloud. It will offer a recording instead to those gathered at the World Trade Center site. 'It's another smack in the face,' says Jim Riches, who lost his son Jimmy, a firefighter. The father is staying home on the anniversary for the first time this year because he doesn't want to take chances with the coronavirus after a prior illness. But he feels others should have the option of reciting the names of the dead on the memorial plaza, instead of listening to a recording. Some victims' relatives felt the change robbed the observance of its emotional impact. A different 9/11 group, the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation, set up a simultaneous ceremony in response to this in New York. The 9/11 Memorial and Museum's annual 'Tribute in Light' will also go ahead after it was announced last month the twin blue beams that shine into the night sky over lower Manhattan were to be canceled. While there's no official gathering to view the lights, the memorial cited virus risks to the installation crew. The cancellation outraged some victims' relatives, police and fire unions and politicians, who noted that construction sites around the city were deemed safe to reopen months ago. After the Tunnel to Towers foundation said it would organize the display on its own, Governor Andrew Cuomo and former Mayor Mike Bloomberg, the memorial's billionaire chairman, stepped in to keep the memorial-sponsored lights on. This comes after a federal judge directed the Saudi Arabian government to make officials available for depositions about their knowledge of the terror attack, which killed almost 3,000 Americans, on the eve of the anniversary. This includes as many as 24 current and former officials such as Prince Bandar, the former ambassador to the United States, according to Yahoo! News. The order has been praised by families of the 9/11 victims as a milestone in their years-long effort to prove that some Saudi officials were either complicit in the attacks or had knowledge of the hijackers plans months before. However the effect of the ruling may depend on the willingness of the Saudi government to make its citizens available for testimony as some figures no longer hold positions and therefore cannot be compelled to testify. The question of possible involvement in the 9/11 attacks by Saudi officials has been a subject of intense debate for years but it is something the Saudis have consistently denied. Lawyers for the victim's families have developed a circumstantial case that two of the hijackers, Khalid al-Mihdhar and Nawaf al-Hazmi, received financial support from individuals associated with the Saudi government. Rajesh Bhushan has urged the States and Union Territories (UTs) to ensure that no restriction is imposed on the movement of medical oxygen from one State to another. It may be noted that oxygen support is one of the key clinical management in the treatment of COVID-19 patients across India. According to the Union Health Ministry, so far, less than 3.7 per cent of active patients are on oxygen support in the country. Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan has urged the States and Union Territories (UTs) to ensure that no restriction is imposed on the movement of medical oxygen from one State to another. It may be noted that oxygen support is one of the key clinical management in the treatment of COVID-19 patients across India. According to the Union Health Ministry, so far, less than 3.7 per cent of active patients are on oxygen support in the country. Bhushans decision come when the Health Ministry got to know that a few States are trying to curb the free inter-State movement of oxygen supply by exercising provisions under various Acts and also mandating the manufacturers and suppliers located in the State to restrict their oxygen supplies to only the hospitals of the State. In a letter written to the States and UTs, Bhushan has emphasised the availability of adequate and uninterrupted supply of medical oxygen is an important pre-requisite for managing moderate and severe cases of COVID-19. The Health Secretary has strongly reinforced that it is the responsibility of every State to ensure that every hospitalised COVID patient receives oxygen. The Health Ministry has reiterated the critical importance of oxygen in hospitals for the management of critical COVID patients. Medical oxygen constitutes an essential public health commodity. Any impediment in the supplies of medical oxygen in the country may critically impact the management of patients suffering from COVID-19 disease in other parts of the country, said a government statement. Moreover, some of the major oxygen manufacturers and suppliers already have existing supply agreements with hospitals in various states with a legal obligation to fulfil such agreements, they said. Also Read: We have to equip students with 21st-century skills, NEP will ensure holistic development: PM Modi According to the Health Ministry, the COVID management strategy is based on a standard of care treatment guidelines. These guidelines have ensured a uniform and standardised quality of medical care in all the COVID facilities, including hospitals. For moderate and severe cases, adequate oxygen support, appropriate and timely administration of anti-coagulants and widely available and inexpensive corticosteroids, in accordance with the protocol, can be considered to be the mainstay of COVID-19 therapy, the Health Ministry said. The Health Ministry further informed that adequate supply of oxygen throughout the country has enabled effective clinical care of the hospitalised moderate and severe cases, in conjunction with other measures. The adopted host of strategies have actively resulted in the rising recovery rate and steadily declining Case Fatality Rate (CFR) at 1.67 per cent. To date, 35,42,663 people have recovered from coronavirus disease. The country has reported 4.56 million cases so far. (ANI) Also Read: TS PGLCET 2020: Check result date, merit list and other details Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-12 02:46:56|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis (L) meets with European Commission Vice President Margaritis Schinas in Athens, Greece, on Sept. 11, 2020. Greece's European partners are already offering assistance to the country to cope with the crisis on Lesbos island after the destruction of the Moria refugee migrant camp by a fire this week. They are preparing to agree a coherent, single migration and asylum policy to find a definitive solution to the challenge, Margaritis Schinas said here on Friday. (Xinhua/Marios Lolos) ATHENS, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- Greece's European partners are already offering assistance to the country to cope with the crisis on Lesbos island after the destruction of the Moria refugee migrant camp by a fire this week. They are preparing to agree a coherent, single migration and asylum policy to find a definitive solution to the challenge, Margaritis Schinas, European Commission Vice President, said here on Friday. Schinas was on a two-day visit to Greece after the largest reception center in the country, which was created five years ago on the northeastern Aegean Sea island to host thousands of refugees who arrived there from the nearby Turkish coast, was destroyed in a series of blazes under still unclear circumstances. Greek officials have said that the first big fire erupted as some of the 35 residents who had tested positive for COVID-19 resisted isolation measures. The overcrowded camp with a capacity of some 2,800 but which accommodated almost 13,000 people was left in ruins, with the Greek authorities struggling to shelter the residents in new temporary facilities. "We need to take a broader look at our migration policies and make sure that Moria will be there to remind us of everything that we need to change in Europe," said Schinas said in a statement. "We are a family. We are a union. It is unthinkable that only a few member states have to shoulder a disproportionate responsibility in crisis situations." The pillars of this new agreement among member states should be solidarity and responsibility, he said. At the forefront of the influx of refugees into Europe since 2015, Greece has received more than one million people who risked their lives on boats operated by smuggling networks. Half of them landed on Lesbos, an island with a population of about 85,000. Most of the people who reached Greece in 2015 fleeing war zones and extreme poverty, continued their journey to other European countries until the borders along the Balkan route were closed. Approximately 100,000 asylum seekers are currently stranded in Greece, according to the Greek government. A third of them are hosted in overflowing camps on five islands. "Greece lifted a very heavy weight, a lot heavier than its share, especially in certain islands. Lesbos is the most extreme example. So, it is time for everyone to assume their responsibilities," Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou said on Friday after she received Schinas in Athens, according to the Greek national broadcaster ERT. "I would like, on behalf of the European Commission, to thank the Hellenic Republic in your person for the titanic efforts made in recent days to address the tragedy," Schinas said. "The definitive solution is ...a coherent, holistic European immigration and asylum policy. And it is probably the only good thing about this tragedy is that the European public is becoming aware of the need for a solution." After providing aid to Athens to accommodate the people who were left homeless, the Commission plans to present on Sept. 30 its proposals for a new migration and asylum pact, he said. "I would like to thank the European Commission, but also all the member states, who have generously offered to support us in this difficult time. But it is quite clear that this European solidarity cannot be limited only to managing a crisis," Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said during a separate meeting with Schinas on Friday, ERT reported. "We are drawing up the new European immigration and asylum policy which will help us avoid the mistakes of 2016 and we will do everything in our power to have all the governments of Europe by our side in this new beginning. Because Europe cannot fail twice on such an important issue," Schinas said. Enditem Justin Trudeaus critics like to dismiss him as an actor. But this prime ministers time in power has seen him doing more reacting than acting, mainly to large global events out of his control. Trudeaus build back better plan the focus of the coming huddle with his cabinet ministers this week will be a test of whether his government is capable of action and reaction. The promised ambitiousagenda is a response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which has kept the Liberal government in reactive gear for most of 2020. But it is also being billed as a blueprint for a future that no one envisioned as recently as the election less than a year ago, a generational moment. Putting a plan in place for whats going to happen is a totally different thing than dealing with whats already occurred. Its too bad the Liberals already used forward in their 2019 election platform and throne speech, because this new plan is the one that will really be judged by its ability to anticipate the future. Theres an old maxim, to govern is to choose. But so much of what has taken up Trudeaus time since 2015 didnt require much of a choice at all its not as if the government could have opted not to renegotiate free trade with Donald Trump or do emergency relief for a pandemic-shocked nation. Building Back Better, however, requires an array of choices, none of them obvious, easy or simply reactive. What does a new employment insurance system look like? How much does the federal government want to wade into the mainly provincial territory of health and child care? Is climate change or COVID-19 the most urgent concern facing the country right now? And significantly, how much debt can Canada handle after the hundreds of billions more it has already assumed in this locked-down year? None of those choices boil down to a simple either/or decision or worse, platitudes that are too often the frothy filler of bold speeches from the throne in ordinary times. Long ago, I was taught the trick for telling the difference between a platitude and a real strategy. Take any sentence from a politicians speech and put not in it or turn the sentence into its reverse meaning. If it sounds ridiculous, as in: This government will not build back better, then what youre being sold is an empty sentiment, not a policy choice or a strategy. Thats not a bad way to measure what the Trudeau cabinet will be considering for the next couple of days for inclusion in the speech from the throne, due to be read on Sept. 23. It could in fact be a good exercise for the ministers themselves as they meet on Monday and Tuesday to go over the drafts of the post-pandemic blueprint. Points should go to any minister willing to weed out the platitudes from the strategy. Another exercise for this cabinet retreat, if it hasnt been done already, is to sift through what worked and what didnt work in the thick of the pandemic and see what can be applied to the post-pandemic future. What definitely worked was federal-provincial co-operation and transparency the weekly calls, the near-daily contact between Chrystia Freeland and the premiers. Back in April, Ontario Premier Doug Ford told me that the pandemic experience on this score would bleed over into the post-pandemic future; that some seeds of collaboration were being sown. The last two public appearances between Ford and Trudeau; the most recent one on Friday, would seem to indicate that something like co-operation has taken hold between the federal Liberals and Fords government. What also worked during the pandemic, for the most part, was putting government on to a more nimble footing. As Heritage Minister Steven Guilbeault said in an interview last week, this past year has taught government that it can do big things when necessary. We created a program out of thin air, Guilbeault said. So maybe theres a lesson there. Working at warp speed, however, comes with risks, such as the now-infamous WE Charity controversy, which Trudeau and his advisers have now already acknowledged as a failure or at least a slip in due diligence. Leaving aside the questions still being debated over whether this was cronyism, what that story exposed yet again was whether anyone around Trudeaus cabinet is able to put the brakes on not-so-good ideas. Will any ministers at the Ottawa retreat have that question on their minds as they go through the build-back-better plan? The product of their work will be assessed on Sept. 23 on the basis of its ambition, its choices and its cost and maybe most importantly, whether this is a government that can act as well as react. 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 Read more about: Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 11) Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana met with his Chinese counterpart at the headquarters of the Philippine Armed Forces on Friday with an agreement to peacefully settle disputes on the South China Sea. The Philippines was the last stop this week of Chinese State Councilor and Defense Minister Wei Fenghe after visiting Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei three Southeast Asian countries that claim parts of the South China Sea. Wei also paid a courtesy call to President Rodrigo Duterte in Malacanang. [W]e must always be guided by our commitments in international law. Any and all disputes must be resolved peacefully in full accord with the UNCLOS and all relevant international instruments," Duterte said, as quoted by the Palace in a statement. He added that all all relevant players with a stake" in the South China Sea should work to stabilize the region. On Thursday, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called on the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to stand up against Beijings aggressive actions and quit doing business with Chinese companies that Washington had blacklisted for involvement in illegal activities in the disputed waters. READ: PH to honor contracts with Chinese firms despite US blacklist Palace The Philippines Department of National Defense initially issued a press release quoting some strong words from Lorenzana that the country adheres to the arbitral ruling and will continue to conduct routine, legitimate maritime patrols in the WPS (West Philippine Sea) and challenge any activities that infringe on Philippine sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction. West Philippine Sea refers to areas that Manila claims in the South China Sea, a vast global waterway that Beijing insists to own almost entirely. An international tribunal in The Hague recognized the Philippines sovereign rights to areas under its exclusive economic zone that China disputes, but both governments agreed to disagree on the landmark ruling to pursue cooperation. The Philippines Defense Department recalled its news release in an hour. The latest statement makes no mention of the countrys arbitration win and stressed that Lorenzana and Wei discussed how to avoid misunderstanding, and to resolve differences amicably. Both agreed that peace and stability in the SCS should be maintained," the statement read. "Both also talked about the early conclusion of the Code of Conduct in the SCS. The code will outline the only allowable actions countries can take in the South China Sea. Critics have noted the slow progress in the talks due to resistance from China, but the Chinese government recently called for the resumption of negotiations amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The Philippines is country coordinator for the ASEAN-China Dialogue Relations until 2021. The two defense leaders also signed the implementing guidelines for a grant worth 130 milllion renminbi or over 922 million for the Armed Forces of the Philippines in the form of equipment for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. Lorenzana expressed his optimism that his meeting with General Wei will foster collaboration between both countries defense establishments, and advance mutual trust and interests for future exchanges on matters of security and mutual concern, the department said. Aside from defense cooperation, Lorenzana and Wei also exchanged best practices in pandemic response in their face-to-face meeting at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City. CNN Philippines' David Santos contributed to this report. (Newser) Lindsay Lohan accepted a $365,000 advance to write a book but never turned in a word, despite a 2-year extension, according to a lawsuit from HarperCollins. The publisher filed a lawsuit in New York Thursday, saying Lohan reneged on a 2014 contract to write a book and never returned the advance, USA Today reports. HarperCollins says when it didn't have the manuscript by the agreed-upon deadline, of May 1, 2015, it agreed to push the deadline back to March 15, 2017, but still received nothing. The publisher says it told Lohan's reps in 2018 that the deal was off and it wanted its money back. In the lawsuit, it says it is seeking the return of the advance plus interest and legal fees. story continues below "By failing to return the money to the Plaintiff upon the Defendants breach of the agreement, the Defendants have received a windfall and have been unjustly enriched," states the lawsuit against Lohan and her company, Crossheart Productions, per Page Six. USA Today notes that a Lohan docu-series showed her meeting a literary agent in 2014 and discussing a potential book including journal entries from her 2013 stint in rehab. The agent said it could be a "multi-million dollar book," and it was now up to Lohan "to sit down and do some writing and dig up those journals that she has and start putting the pieces together." (Read more Lindsay Lohan stories.) Germinate, a Portland, Ore app development studio has named Douglas Gastich its new CEO. Michael Krol, who founded Germinate in 2008, moves to the CTO position and will continue to lead the design and development teams. Gastich will bring go-to-market and business development services to help Germinate's client and portfolio companies see greater results from their products and services. Bringing an app into the world doesnt need to be painful" says Gastich. It should be fun, an adventure in expression. When you combine technical know-how with business know-how, everything gets simpler and faster for entrepreneurs. It thrills me to join a team that gets this, at its core. Germinates's unique approach to the world of app development follows in the footsteps of 'technology in service' pioneers like 37 Signals (now Basecamp). Germinate fills the role of app incubator for entrepreneurs looking to go from the seed of an idea to the sprout of an MVP, and on to market success. "It keeps us sharp," says Krol, "Working with innovative and thoughtful clients, helping them to bring their app ideas into the world, we love it so much. Doug brings years of experience taking technology products to market, solving tough business problems- something I know our clients and partners will love." "It's been really fun to watch," says Torri Wright, BEHCA CEO and Germinate client-partner. "I know Michael and Doug personally, and honestly I'm surprised it's taken them this long to partner up. The benefit to BEHCA was immediate, they push each other to be better, and I get even more from our partnership." Gastich brings decades of experience in business development, product development and organizational leadership. "I love ideas. But they are not precious. Ideas are meant to be batted around. Molded. Tested. And perhaps best of all, made real." About Germinate: Germinate is an app innovation studio. Founded in 2008, the Portland, Oregon based firm works with enterprise companies and startups to build and launch great apps. New Delhi: Pakistan has adopted a new strategy to smuggle arms ammunition in Jammu and Kashmir as Indian security forces have maintained a strict vigil on the Line of Control, killing terrorists who were trying to infiltrate into the valley. The continuous pressure has created a problem for the handlers sitting in Pakistan as they are unable to get new recruits to spread terror. Pakistan has now decided to smuggle ammunition near the border areas by throwing weapons down the hill to overcome the shortage of weapons for the terrorists hiding in the valley. Security forces recently recovered a cache of arms and ammunition along the Line of Control. This means that people across the border are unable to make infiltrations, therefore, weapons are being dumped near the LOC. This has led to an increase in the movement on the launch pads across the border. Live TV Supporters of terrorists in Kashmir are aware of such consignments of weapons, which lift them secretly and carry them to the active militants in the valley. After this disclosure, strict monitoring is being maintained on the movement of local citizens in the areas adjacent to the Line of Control. Last week, three big caches of arms and ammunition have been caught from Baramulla and Kupwara in North Kashmir. This also included modern weapons. The security forces have gathered inputs that a lot of weapons and ammunition is still being dumped that is being searched. According to Abdul Qayoom, SSP of Bermulha, not a single attempt of infiltration has been successful for the past one and a half years. That is why the terrorists hiding in the country have a shortage of weapons, and to meet their expectations, drones are being employed to deliver these weapons to them. It is worth mentioning that two drones carrying weapons in Jammu and Kashmir were shot down by the security forces. At the same time, efforts to transport arms from Poonch and Rajouri border areas are also going on from Pakistan. Two days ago, a truck near Jawahar Tunnel in Kulgam in South Kashmir was caught with a huge amount of arms and ammunition was caught. DIG, Southern Kashmir, Atul Goyal is of the opinion that the captured weapons must have been sent to local terrorists who are new recruits. Notably, the security forces have carried out successful anti-terror operations in the Kashmir Valley, and so far killed around 160 terrorists in this year. This included 28 terrorist commanders from various terrorist organizations. Security forces have also managed to bring as many as 16 youths back to the mainstream of life. While Lloyds overall results in the second half were hit by 2.4 billion ($3.12 billion) of COVID-19 claims, the markets underlying underwriting performance saw a huge improvement, which Chief Executive Officer John Neal said is a real testament to the performance management measures, which have been put in place over the past three years. Lloyds made a loss of 400 million ($520 million) during the first half, with a combined ratio of 110.4%. Without pandemic-related losses, the combined ratio would have been 91.7%, an improvement from the combined ratio of 98.8% reported for the first half of 2019. (A combined ratio above 100% indicates an underwriting loss). During a press briefing to discuss Lloyds half-year results, Neal said, the improvement in the underlying performance indicates a marked improvement in the attritional loss ratio. (Attritional losses, which are caused by non-catastrophe claims, are attributed primarily to premium price deterioration.) Neal pointed to an improvement of 7 percentage points in the attritional loss ratio, which dropped to 52.6% in the first half of 2020, compared to 59.7% during the first half of 2019. The markets expense ratio, which has long hovered around 40% and is deemed to be too high, came down slightly during the first half to 37.7% from 38.1%. He said its important that the market gets into a rhythm of continuous performance improvement and management. Its not once and done. Weve got to maintain this good progress that weve made into the long-term, if we are to return Lloyds to long-term sustainable profitability. Lloyds Reports First Half Loss of $520M on COVID-19 Claims Of those claims, Lloyds said it would pay out 2.4 billion pounds [$3.12 billion] in COVID-19-related claims. S&P Says Underwriting in Lloyds Market Continues to Improve While the supertanker has not reached its cruising speed yet, it seems to be on the right course for now, the S&P report says. Over the past three years, Lloyds has focused on performance management of syndicates in the market because of losses it reported in 2017 and 2018. Books of business were re-underwritten and underwriters pulled out of unprofitable lines. Lloyds returned to a profit of 2.5 billion (US$3.2 billion) in 2019. Neal said this hard work is starting to pay off. We expect to see further improvement through 2021, as the market works on delivering [business and capital] plans that we consider to be logical, realistic, and achievable. Positive Rate Movement Of course, a major indicator of long-term sustainable profits are premiums priced above the cost of risk. Positive rate movement is further good news for the market, said Chief Financial Officer Burkhard Keese, who also spoke during the press briefing. He noted that average risk-adjusted rate increases on renewal business came to 8.7% during the first half. These increases are exceeding plan every quarter. Furthermore, the rate of increase is accelerating in 2020 and its happening across the vast majority of classes and geographies. Were moving into the fourth consecutive year of price increases, Neal said, which are expected to continue through 2021. So, as we do that, its important that we get the [business] plans right for 2021, so we dont undo all of the good work that weve done through 2018, 2019, and 2020, Neal added. Yes, growth can be supported but it has to be the right risk at the right price, he said. Keese said the reduction in non-profitable business volumes has led to an 8.6% decrease in premium. This shows our ability to drive unprofitable business out of the market, he added. This has been one of the most challenging six months faced by Lloyds, with COVID losses affecting both asset and insurance side of the business, said Keese. Despite this double hit to our resources, Lloyds stood up well. The markets even better priced portfolio will support its future profitability and will increase its resilience, he added. The improved underwriting result demonstrates clearly the ability of the market to restore underwriting discipline and performance. The most important message from his presentation, Keese said, is that if the market sticks to its strategy of profitable growth and disciplined underwriting, we can steer it to profitable territory. Despite the underwriting rigor, Neal said new business written will grow in 2021 to somewhere between 12 billion and 13 billion ($15.5 billion and $16.8 billion). Two years ago, we were talking about 7 billion [$9 billion], so its almost double what it was two years ago. He said the right balance is being achieved by giving the right flexibility for new business growth. If we make assumptions on what 2021s going to look like, and those assumptions prove to be too conservative, then weve said to businesses, Come back and talk to us again. If you think you can present a better plan, and theres better rate increases, better price for exposure, then of course, well sit and listen. He said its important to ensure this marketplace has the opportunity to make money in not only in 2021 and 2022, which it should, but also to be able to sustain that profitability into future years. This has been one of the most challenging six months faced by Lloyds, with COVID losses affecting both asset and insurance side of the business. Despite this double hit to our resources, Lloyds stood up well, said Keese. Potential Losses Ahead Could Lloyds survive a second lockdown? Neal affirmed that the markets capital position could cope even with another group of natural catastrophes in the second half, such as 2017s Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria in 2017. As for the lockdown, and required virtual trading, Neal said, Lloyds made it work. Its harder and its not perfect We can take some terrific lessons from COVID in terms of the flexibility we created in our work environment. However, he emphasized, there is a need and there is a value proposition in physical interaction and connection, and that does make it easier and better for us to do business. So yeah, we can cope, but its not ideal. After locking down in March, Lloyds returned to its underwriting room in London on Sept. 1. At the moment, Neal said, footfall is increasing, but its currently only in the hundreds, which he expects will increase during September and October. (In a normal, non-pandemic world, Lloyds can see footfall of around 5,000 people per day). Currently, the underwriting room is operating on a staggered basis for example, with direct property underwriters on one day, and specialty lines on another. At the moment, its different lines of business on different days. I think we probably can move to a broader capability, all products in the marketplace, pretty soon, Neal explained. Visit the Big Re, Carrier Managements reinsurance hub, for complete reinsurance coverage. Launched during the week of what would have been the Reinsurance Rendez-Vous de Septembre, this special page aims to provide complete reinsurance coverage of, by and for reinsurance professionals and buyers including news, features, interviews, commentaries, whitepapers, videos, webinars and more. Topics COVID-19 Profit Loss Excess Surplus Underwriting Reinsurance Lloyd's Last week, a 13-year-old boy with autism from Salt Lake City, Utah made headlines after he was shot by police officers responding to a call concerning his mental health, according to an article by CNN. It was a tragic occurrence that raised further questions about the ability of police officers to respond thoughtfully and with appropriate force when deescalating sensitive situations. In the days following this occurrence, and perhaps in response to this national concern, Harris County Sheriff's Office (HCSO) has initiated a new program to improve interactions with residents on the autism spectrum called Project Guardian. Interacting with law enforcement can be stressful for anyone, but for individuals with autism, the encounter can be a traumatic or even frightening experience. 13-YEAR-OLD AUTISTIC BOY SHOT BY POLICE: Police vow to work with probe of shooting of autistic boy The flashing emergency lights, having eye contact, are all triggers that can cause a person on the autism spectrum to react in a way that makes them look suspicious to an officer unaware of the situation. According to the CDC, "People with ASD often have problems with social, emotional, and communication skills. They might repeat certain behaviors and might not want change in their daily activities. Many people with ASD also have different ways of learning, paying attention, or reacting to things." The innovative program will help alert deputies when encountering an individual with autism whose family provided confidential information to the database maintained by the HCSO. We continuously work with the community to ensure we are doing all we can to best serve our residents with compassion and understanding, said Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez in a press release. Families are encouraged to submit basic information about their loved with autism on the Project Guardian website and include a recent photo along with individual characteristics to assist the deputies when interacting with them. Enrollment is voluntary and free. All deputies in the HCSO have received training on autism, and having this information can be key in helping interaction with deputies go safely and smoothly. Once enrolled, families are provided with a Project Guardian decal to place on their front doors or window to alert deputies that someone in the home has autism. Project Guardian engages the community, builds positive relationships, and embraces public safety as a shared responsibility. Its an example of what we can accomplish together," said Gonzalez. Ruling Democratic Party Chairman Rep. Lee Nak-yon delivers a speech at a plenary session of the National Assembly, Sept. 7. According to relevant laws which require lawmakers to be present at sessions, they gathered at the plenary chamber despite concerns of COVID-19 infection. Protective screens have been installed between every seat. Yonhap By Jung Da-min September to November is the busiest time of the year for lawmakers. Meetings are held day after day during this period, with the opening of the National Assembly's annual regular session in September, followed by the Assembly's annual audit of government departments in October and inspection of the government budget for next year in November. Concerns are rising, however, over possible setbacks in this year's legislative activities, as the Assembly is facing an unprecedented crisis due to the COVID-19 situation. The entire Assembly compound has already undergone temporary shutdowns three times so far once in late February, once late last month and again early this month. Partial shutdowns for some Assembly facilities have also been implemented several times over the period. For the political parties, their leaders have often been self-quarantined at home to abide by government guidelines for those who have come into contact with COVID-19 patients. To cope with the circumstances, they have adopted remote working systems and held some party meetings online. Seminars and conferences that were planned to be held at the Assembly compound have also been canceled or replaced by online seminars and conferences in line with the government's quarantine guidelines. Political watchers say such efforts are insufficient and the Assembly should further accelerate its digital transformation by enabling online legislative activities such as proposing bills through an online system, holding meetings online and voting for bills digitally. They say such a transformation is necessary to prevent further disruptions to the Assembly's schedule. Rep. Lee Young of the main opposition People Power Party, bottom right, a former ICT expert, holds an online meeting with her aides in this photo provided by her office, Aug. 27. Courtesy of office of Rep. Lee Young Hurdles remain, however, for the Assembly's digitization, as the legislative body's major meetings including plenary sessions still require lawmakers to attend the sessions physically, according to relevant laws and regulations. According to articles of the National Assembly Act, the speaker shall declare the title of a bill to be put to vote, and announce the vote result, at the speaker' seat, and lawmakers should be present in the chamber at the time of voting. Some lawmakers of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), including Rep. Jo Seoung-lae, proposed an amendment to the National Assembly Act to introduce a contact-free online system for major Assembly meetings, but it faced opposition from other lawmakers who cited possible side effects such as the system being abused for other political purposes or security-related issues. Lawmakers and experts attend an online seminar on digital transformation of the National Assembly hosted by the National Assembly Secretariat, Sept. 3. Courtesy of National Assembly Secretariat Zhang was the nations first licensed private business vendor after the Reform and Opening Up policies were adopted 42 years ago. Punctilious and humble, 59-year-old Zhang Huamei is not the most arresting of characters at first glance. In her face, one discerns a sharp blend of the mildness of an ordinary Chinese housewife and the sophistication of a persistent businesswoman forged by decades of commercial endeavors. Chinas economic miracle started with her: she was the nations first licensed private business vendor after the Reform and Opening Up policies were adopted 42 years ago. In the past decades, she has founded a business empire selling buttons in her hometown Wenzhou. She, along with other local business leaders, produce over 60 percent of the worlds buttons. My life is like a button: small, but not insignificant. A tiny button can make a big difference on clothes, an ordinary woman like me can also take the lead in the business arena, said Zhang. Opprobrium, struggle and success The date on Zhang's business permit: 30 November, 1979 I dropped out of elementary school because of poverty. I was born into a family with seven kids, and I had to find a way to survive, and doing business was the only option then, said Zhang. Following her neighbors, the teenaged Zhang became a street vendor selling small commodities such as buttons, memorial medals and watch straps. She could only make one or two yuan per day, but that was almost enough to meet the entire familys daily expenses. Zhangs biggest fear back then was that she might be detained for conducting speculative activities. Back in the 1970s, the term businessman was equivalent to petty criminal in China, as the country strictly forbade private-owned businesses, even if this so-called business was nothing more than an outdoor table piled with knick-knacks like buttons and zippers. I had to endure contempt and fear as a business owner. Society looked down on people like us, and I had to set up my stall outside my house, so that when the officials came, I could wrap up everything and flee as fast as I could, she said. Zhang had no idea that a dramatic transformation was on its way and that she would soon be jumping on the bandwagon to become Chinas first entrepreneur. In 1978, the debate on whether the country should adopt private business ownership was heating up. It was eventually settled in the affirmative in December at the Third Plenary Session of the 11th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China. Hearing the news, Zhang quickly applied for a business license by submitting her personal information, two photos and a description of her business. In 1980, she became the first of more than 2,000 vendors in Wenzhou, and upgraded her table-shop into a one floor store. The buttons that she sold were now displayed on counters. I felt really relived when I received my license. With a legal paper in my hand, I was no longer a speculator, and my children would not be teased because of my occupation, said Zhang. In the years that followed, Zhang tried her hand at a number of different businesses, but buttons have always been the heart of her enterprise. She came to the brink of bankruptcy twice, once when her brother was badly injured and she had to cover the medical bills, and the other when an unsuccessful investment in leather shoes incurred tens of thousands of yuan in debt, a devastating amount at that time. At the most critical moment, buttons saved my business. I decided to start again from where I began, only focusing on buttons, but with my own design of the latest fashions, said Zhang. The twists and turns of her business ventures have turned Zhang into an astute businesswoman. She founded her button empire in 2000, with 200 square meters of shop floor in Wenzhous commercial center, along with design, sales and stockpile divisions in addition to several assembly lines. She makes millions of yuan in revenue every year, and has become a legend and role model for women with dreams of making it big in business. But she has also found it hard to balance her role as a businesswoman with that of a mother. Zhang had to get up early to get her son ready for school, and then rush to her store to welcome the first batch of customers at dawn. Many times, she had to work until midnight and had to sleep on her store floor. She joked that though people call her lady boss, she was actually a boss with no vacation and endless stress from both business and family. In 2019, Zhang decided to retire, handing over her business empire to her son. She kept nothing but her license, with which a shy girl witnessed Chinas rapid economic development and progress over 40 years. After all, we are all small buttons, but dont forget, buttons will always be needed and will always have their place on clothes, added Zhang. Press the right button Wenzhous businesswomen are representative of modern women in China, fully capable of competing with, and even outperforming, their male counterparts. [Photo by He Zhuoyan] Today, Wenzhou, the city where it all started for Zhang, has become one of the most famous commercial hubs in China, whose success in business is arguably unmatched by any of its counterparts. Many young people, especially women, have embarked on a journey to wealth by starting their own business, expanding their business reach worldwide. For the past four decades, China has continued to open to the world, giving people like us more opportunities to explore new possibilities. There might be problems and difficulties, but I think young people nowadays are well-equipped with knowledge, and as long as they are courageous and hardworking, I see no reason why they cannot be more successful than I am, said Zhang. According to Zhang, courage and hard work are the core values of the Wenzhou business spirit, but now, with the development of technology, creativity, innovation and knowledge have become the new characteristics of modern Wenzhou businessmen. Prepare for the best, seize the moment, and at the right time, press the right button, concluded Zhang. Zhang also noted that Wenzhous businesswomen are representative of modern women in China, fully capable of competing with, and even outperforming, their male counterparts. According to local statistics, in 2008, only 8,638 women registered companies in Wenzhou, while the number soared to 59,014 in 2019, accounting for 33.79 percent of total new business owners that year. Currently, there are over 326,000 female business owners in Wenzhou, who have stimulated growth in the so-called She-economy, and leading to many business streets and shopping malls with the Woman power theme springing up around the city. Female business leaders have also formed their own business unions, helping young women realize their business dreams and pursue their desired careers. Its not your gender but your talent that makes you a successful business leader. Women in modern times are equipped with knowledge and a hardworking spirit, and our success and achievements have proven that women are just as good as men, and we can also become prominent business leaders, she said. Enable Ginger Cannot connect to Ginger Check your internet connection or reload the browser Disable in this text field Edit Log in to edit with Ginger Log in to edit with Ginger Enable Ginger Cannot connect to Ginger Check your internet connection or reload the browser Disable in this text field Edit Log in to edit with Ginger Log in to edit with Ginger Enable Ginger Cannot connect to Ginger Check your internet connection or reload the browser Disable in this text field Edit Edit in Ginger Edit in Ginger Enable Ginger Cannot connect to Ginger Check your internet connection or reload the browser Disable in this text field Edit Edit in Ginger Edit in Ginger Enable Ginger Cannot connect to Ginger Check your internet connection or reload the browser Disable in this text field Edit Edit in Ginger Edit in Ginger Actor Kangana Ranaut, at the centre of a row with the Maharashtra government, on Friday turned her attention to Congress president Sonia Gandhi to say she must intervene and stop the harassment of women. Ranaut, whose comment likening Mumbai to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir triggered a spat with Maharashtra's ruling Shiv Sena as well as its coalition partners Congress and Nationalist Congress Party said history would judge Gandhi's 'silence and indifference'. "Dear respected honourable @NCIndia president Sonia Gandhi ji being a woman arn't you anguished by the treatment I am given by your government in Maharashtra? Can you not request your Government to uphold the principles of the Constitution given to us by Dr Ambedkar?" the actor posted on Twitter. Ranaut, often in the news for her provocative statements, said Gandhi had grown up in the west and lived in India and must be aware of the struggles of women. "History will judge your silence and indifference when your own government is harassing women and ensuring a total mockery of law and order. I hope you will intervene @INCIndia," she added in another tweet. Ranaut's office in Mumbai faced action for "illegal" alterations by Shiv Sena-led Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation on Wednesday. The 33-year-old actor has been aggressively criticising the Maharashtra government on Twitter since she returned to the city from her home state Himachal Pradesh on Wednesday, soon after the civic authorities demolished portions of her office. On Thursday, Ranaut took on the Maharashtra government by castigating Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray for 'misusing power' and declaring that her voice won't be suppressed. The actor, who has been given Y-plus category security, posted a series of tweets comparing the BMC to goons, terming the state government a 'milavat sarkar' and recalling Marathi culture and pride. Later in the day, Union Minister Ramdas Athawale met Ranaut at her residence in Khar and alleged that the BMC demolition drive at her bungalow in Bandra was carried out in a sentiment of revenge and the Maharashtra government, too, had a role to play. Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat has expressed concern at the plight of migrant labourers and said much has to be done to get them employment during his three-day visit to Uttar Pradeshs industrial city of Kanpur. Bhagwat arrived in the city late on Wednesday night before meeting Sangh leaders on Thursday. He took their feedback on the implementation of ongoing welfare programmes run by the organisation. He said that RSS workers should work for labourers in urban areas and farmers in the rural areas. We have to imbibe a sense of Atmanirbharta (self reliance) in society, Bhagwat was quoted as saying by Sangh workers who attended the meeting. He reminded RSS workers that their work was for the good of society and not for self or publicity. Also Read: PM Modi to address conclave on school education under National Education Policy-2020 on Friday He also sought the details of the welfare work being done by the RSS in Kanpur- Bundelkhand region while citing several examples of RSS initiatives during the ongoing Covid 19 pandemic. He also asked workers to align efforts with social organisations and religious bodies such as gurudwaras for greater impact. SKDKnickerbocker, which advises the Joe Biden presidential campaign, says it warded off attacks by Russian-state hackers. Microsoft alerted SKDKnick's Washington office of the attacks launched by the same group that broke into the presidential campaign of Hillary Clinton and leaked her emails. The "Fancy Bear" hacking group is controlled by Russia's military intelligence. Stagwell Group owns SKDKnick. APCO Worldwide is turning Nov. 3 into a Day On for employees to not only cast their ballots but continue to advocate for progress beyond Election Day. APCO president, North America Kelly Williamson calls the day a chance to exercise our civic duty and to be a part of something greater than ourselveskeeping our democracy resilient. The firm is a signatory of Time to Votea nonpartisan, business-led initiative to help ensure employees across America don't have to choose between voting and earning a paycheck. It has also launched its adVOcaTE campaign, which encourages eligible APCO employeesand their friends, family, acquaintances and connectionsto register to vote, and will seek to be a trusted, credible, nonpartisan resource for information about voting and volunteering. As communicators, we engage stakeholders every day, and our practices should be extended to our colleaguesgiving them ample time and opportunities to engage and participate in this exercise of democracy, said APCO founder and executive chairman Margery Kraus. MWWPR is leading communications for the New Jersey Pandemic Relief Fund, including public relations and digital marketing support, on a pro bono basis. A nonprofit organization hosted by the Community Foundation of New Jersey, the fund works to fight the medical, social, and economic impact of COVID-19 on organizations that provide essential services on the pandemics front line. To date, NJPRF has raised approximately $38 million from 59,000 donors. One-hundred percent of donations are used to meet four challenges facing the state of New Jersey in the face of the COVID-19 crisis: stopping the spread, supporting the healthcare and frontline community, providing help to the vulnerable, and rebuilding the communities impacted. On September 9, security forces arrested journalist Islam Al-Kalhi while he was covering the al-Moneeb protests sparked by the killing of a young man by the police. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) urges for his immediate release and calls on the authorities to guarantee journalists' rights when covering the demonstrations. The Supreme State Security Prosecutor in Egypt ordered the detention of Al-Kahli, a journalist for Darb media, for 15 days allegedly for for "publishing fake news." The authorities did not clarify the nature of the "fake news" that the journalist is accused of publishing. According to media reports, Al-Kahli was detained while conducting field interviews and did not publish any news about the alleged killing of a young man by the police. Case 855 Media reports add that Islam Al-Kahli's detention now forms part of the recently opened Case no. 855. This case concerns charges of "belonging to a terrorist group, publishing false news and misusing social media," which is being used by the Egyptian authorities to arrest journalists, lawyers and human rights activists arbitrarily. IFJ General Secretary, Anthony Bellanger, said: "We condemn the on-going state-led campaign in Egypt against journalists and media freedom. We call on the authorities to immediately release Islam Al-Kalhi and all the arrested journalists in jail for doing their job." Speaker Nancy Pelosi reiterated that the US Congress would block any potential US trade deal with the UK if Boris Johnson unilaterally violates the Good Friday Agreement that allows an open border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. How do you walk away from an international agreement? Ms Pelosi said of the prime ministers potential move. "How do you trust [negotiating with] that?" she asked rhetorically at a press conference on Thursday. The speaker echoed comments from other House Democrats this week that the UK is of course free to chart its own course in terms of pulling back from the European Union. But if the country goes about that process in a way that upsets existing agreements involving the US, which is a guarantor of the Good Friday Agreement, that would have ramifications beyond the UKs control. Their self determination is up to them. Our trade relations are up to us, Ms Pelosi said. "The people of the UK have determined their course of action. That's up to them. But it is not up to them to think that they will be rewarded [with a new US-UK trade deal] if they mess with the Good Friday accords," she said. Ms Pelosi said she has made her position on the matter very clear for a year now. "It's a very simple message. They know it. They've heard it ... This is not anything we've hidden under a bush: There will be no bilateral US-UK agreement if ... the Good Friday accords with regard to the border are changed." On Wednesday, as Mr Johnsons government continued hashing out an agreement with the EU over the UKs departure from the union, it released an Internal Market Bill that would effectively subject the Northern Ireland-Ireland border to regular customs checks, a break from the recent tradition of the free flow of commerce between the UK province and the independent republic. Politicians in the UK and abroad who are against the move fear that closing the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland would incite a return to Republican and Loyalist violence that ended in the late-1990s. Such a scenario could lead to the remilitarisation of that border and chaos with regard to the political future of Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland Deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill has said the Johnson governments move would be "a treacherous betrayal" inflicting "irreversible harm." COLUMBUS, Ohio Ohioans are receiving their official unsolicited ballot applications in the mail by the millions, leading to many questions about how mail voting works in Ohio. Here are some common questions and answers you may have about the Nov. 3 presidential election. And first off, here are some key dates for you to know: Oct. 5 Voter registration deadline Oct. 6 First wave of mail ballots go out, early in-person voting begins Oct. 27 Recommended deadline to request an absentee ballot by mail Nov. 2 Mail ballots must be postmarked and in the mail to be counted; last day of early, in-person voting Nov. 3 Election Day Note: With all the misinformation circulating about the November election, The Plain Dealer and cleveland.com asked Northeast Ohio elections officials to answer questions about how the process works as part of a myth-busting series of stories called Election Truth. Click here for more information on the project. Why did I get an absentee ballot application if I didnt ask for one? The state mailed them last week to all 7.8 million registered voters in Ohio, according to Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose, a Republican who oversees state elections. More mailings are planned in October to target those who either newly registered to vote or updated their registrations. Ohio has done similar unsolicited application mailings in every presidential and gubernatorial election since 2012. This years mailing cost $1.1 million, paid for with federal coronavirus relief money. Ohio officials perform these mailings to promote mail-in voting as an option for those who prefer it. What does the form look like? Weve put an example of the envelope at the top of this page, and the full mailer from the Secretary of States Office on the bottom. I already requested an absentee ballot. Why am I getting another application? In short, the reason for the duplication is a disconnect between candidate campaigns, third-party groups, county elections officials and state elections officials. Ohio elections officials, concerned about mail delays, have encouraged voters to request ballot applications as quickly as possible. Candidates and outside political groups have been sending application forms out too as they try to mobilize their preferred voters. Meanwhile, the Secretary of States Office began its process of printing ballots and stuffing them in envelopes weeks ago. Last weeks mailing of applications went out to all registered voters, even to those who already requested a ballot. There is no harm in filling out requests multiple times. But you shouldnt do it. What if I didnt get one? You can print one off here. Make sure you are registered to vote. Where should my application go? The state form includes a business envelope and a field bearing the address of your local board of elections. Youll need a stamp to mail it in. You can also deliver it in person to your county elections office. Click here for a directory of elections offices for every county. When do I need to get my application in? Legally, theyre due Oct. 31, the Saturday before Election Day. But elections officials recommend getting them no later than Oct. 27. Earlier is even better. Thats because once an application is received, elections workers then have to process it and mail back a ballot. With mail delivery times, requesting a ballot the Saturday before the election is almost certainly too late for one to come on time. When will I get my ballot? The first round of blank ballots will go out to those who request them on Oct. 6. Thats when early, in-person voting begins too. How can I check on the status of my application? You can call your local board of elections, or check the Ohio Secretary of States Offices website, www.voteohio.gov/track What do I need to put on the form? The legally required elements include name, date of birth, address, a piece of identifying information like the last four digits of your social security number or your drivers license number. You also must sign and date the form. Some third-party forms are sent en masse to voters in all 50 states. They may not contain all the required information, so be careful. If youre comfortable, you should consider including your phone number or email address in the application so elections workers can contact you with questions to fix any mistakes on the form. Otherwise, if theres an issue they may reject your application and send you a new one, which can create delays. Voter files are public records though, so keep that in mind. What if I change my mind and decide I want to vote in person on Election Day after I send in an absentee ballot request? Poll workers will see in your voter file that youve already requested an absentee ballot, even if you havent cast it. So theyll make you vote provisionally, a process that will delay your vote from being counted as elections officials take extra time to verify you havent voted twice. And if youve already voted by mail and show up on the election day to vote again, you could be charged with voter fraud, so dont do it. When will absentee votes be counted? Ballots that are received before Election Day will be among the first to be counted, and should show up in totals shortly after polls close at 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 3. Those that are late, but still postmarked by Nov. 2, will be counted if they arrive within 10 days after election. But they wont be reported until the official results are certified on Nov. 24. If there are a lot of straggling mail-in ballots, and theres a close race, this could cause a disparity between election night and whats officially reported. This is why LaRose, whos worried about how this scenario would play out publicly, has said his office will report outstanding mail-in ballots along with the results on Election Day. How many people vote absentee in Ohio? In 2016, more than 1.2 million Ohioans cast absentee votes by mail or by dropping a completed ballot off at their county elections office. Thats about 15% of all votes cast according to the Secretary of States Office. Another 665,000 voted early and in person. About 3.6 million people, or 66% of the electorate, voted on Election Day. In 2018, 941,447 voters cast mail ballots, or 21% of the overall vote. Another 429,888 people voted early in person. About 3.1 million voted on Election Day, or 69% of the overall vote. Elections officials and political insiders are expecting a larger percentage of early voting this November, due to the coronavirus pandemic. They predict about 50% of all voters will cast mail ballots. Mail voting requests already are approaching 2016 totals, and theres still nearly two months until the election. Is mail-in voting rife for fraud? Studies repeatedly have shown voter fraud is extremely rare, including in Ohio, where multiple Republican Secretaries of State have found only limited examples. In 2016, for instance, then-Secretary of State Jon Husteds Office identified 153 irregularities out of 5.6 million ballots cast, 0.0002% of all votes. All ballots and election results in Ohio are reviewed and verified by a team of Republican and Democratic elections workers. State request forms and absentee ballots have a unique barcode and require voters provide the same personal information thats needed to vote on Election Day. Ballot drop-boxes outside each Board of Elections are required to be monitored by security around the clock. And while everyone gets an unsolicited ballot application, only those who request them will actually get a ballot. Joe Biden plans to attend the 9/11 Memorial and Museums 19th anniversary commemoration ceremony in New York City on Friday morning, his campaign said in a press release. Driving the news: He and President Trump will honor the anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks at the Flight 93 National Memorial in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, later on Friday. Their paths are not expected to cross, Axios' Margaret Talev reports. Between the lines: Vice President Mike Pence and Second Lady Karen Pence will be in attendance at an independent ceremony scheduled in response to social distancing requirements at the 9/11 Memorial and Museum. Trump is not currently expected to attend the museum's annual event. Details: Family members at the museum will not read the names of victims in-person onstage to adhere to social distancing guidelines. The reading of the names will be pre-recorded. "The horrific loss of life, from the largest attack on U.S. soil, a terrorist attack, requires that we read these names out loud, in person, on this day, every year. We can never minimize that fateful day," the CEO of the Tunnel to Towers Foundation, which is hosting the independent ceremony, said in a statement. Flashback: New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) said last week that Trump "better have an army if he thinks hes gonna walk down the street in New York. New Yorkers dont want to have anything to do with him." Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Eisya A. Eloksari (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, September 11, 2020 11:09 497 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c443780a 1 Business SMEs,GDP,digitalization,Cisco,International-Data-Corporation Free Indonesian small and medium enterprises (SMEs) could contribute an additional US$164 billion to the countrys gross domestic product (GDP) in 2024 if they become more digitally mature, according to a recent study. The 2020 Asia Pacific Small Medium Business Digital Maturity Study by technology company Cisco and International Data Corporation (IDC) shows that digitally mature SMEs can enjoy up to 16 percent increase in revenue and a 14 percent increase in productivity, allowing for a greater contribution to the national economy. Digitizing SMEs is important, as it is the driving force of our economy. SMEs are also one of the sectors hardest hit by the pandemic, said Cisco Indonesia managing director Marina Kacaribu in a press briefing on Wednesday. She went on to say that most of Indonesias SMEs were still in the early stage of digital transformation, marked by the absence of a digitalization roadmap and lack of digital talent. The study showed that 31 percent of SMEs in the Asia-Pacific region are still in the first stage of the digitalization process, called the digital indifferent stage. Meanwhile, 53 percent are in the observer stage, 13 percent in the digital challenger stage, and only 3 percent are in the digital native stage. Indonesias economy relies heavily on small businesses, which account for more than 60 percent of the GDP and employ a majority of the labor force. Cooperatives and Small and Medium Enterprises Minister Teten Masduki previously stated that the government aimed to have 10 million micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to go digital by the end of the year to help them ease the financial burden of the pandemic. Teten at the time said that only around 8 million MSMEs had an online selling platform, either through e-commerce or social media. That number represents around 13 percent of all of the MSMEs in the country. The COVID-19 pandemic has driven the majority of SMEs in APAC, at 69 percent, to accelerate the digitalization process, including by investing more in technology, the study finds. For Indonesia, that means businesses are investing more in cloud technology and upgrading security measures. Marina said that 82 percent of Indonesias SMEs were digitalizing processes to create new products and services, up from 41 percent last year. Reasons for the digitalization include a need to keep up with the competition and catering to customer demand. She added that, as companies progressed to the next stage, they would invest more in technology, hire more tech-savvy workers and adopt more automation in their business processes. The potential for Indonesia to go beyond the first stage is tremendous. The most important thing to do for SMEs is to plan and prioritize the digital solutions they need and invest accordingly, Marina said. Read also: Indonesian businesses ramp up cybersecurity budget amid rampant attacks The study also suggests that accelerating the digitalization process could add $1.3 trillion to the regions GDP in 2024. The pandemic brings an opportunity for SMEs to accelerate their digital transformation, as the process will not only help them solve problems but also sustain their growth in the long run, said Cisco ASEAN small business and commercial director Raz Mohamad. Despite recognising that Ghana has chalked up success in curbing drug trafficking, the Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII) says the investigative body of the Ghana Police Service (GPS), the Narcotics Unit, still lags behind in conforming to international standards. The GII, has noted that the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution, which prosecutes matters related to drug trafficking, has low level of compliance with international standards on drug trafficking. However, GII, the Ghana chapter of Transparency International (TI), has observed that the Criminal Division of the High Court has an appreciable level of conformance to such international standards on drug trafficking and corruption-related issues. These revelations follow a research by GII in conjunction with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). According to William Nyarko of the Africa Centre for International Law and Accountability (ACILA), a research GII conducted indicated that the Drug Law Enforcement Unit (Narcotics Unit) of the GPS was in compliance by 20 per cent of international standards. He said that, The Office of the Director of Public Prosecution was in compliance by 36 per cent while the Criminal Division of the High Court was in compliance by 48 per cent. Mr Nyarko made these findings public when he presented a report of the law enforcement accountability in Ghana at a forum of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), the media and other actors within the law enforcement value change in Accra on Tuesday. Miss Mina Mensah, the Director of the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI), underscored the fact that an independent oversight body was necessary to enhance accountability in the GPS. Policing demands additional control as it improves oversight and increases accountability, she stated. Miss Mensah also said the GPS needed an Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) to halt the unfortunate recurring instances of police misconduct. She added that the IPCC would increase the internal police oversight mechanisms to address and supplement existing oversight mechanisms to handle complaints. This, she noted, would restore the confidence in the GPS to make it more engaging with the public and make the Service more responsive to individual and public concerns. Miss Mensah further stated that the IPCC would always assure officers of an impartial process for resolving cases of misconduct and strengthen internal oversight. This research forms part of the CRIMJUST project, which is aimed at enhancing the capacities and integrity of criminal justice institutions to tackle drug trafficking and transnational organised crime along the drug trafficking routes in Latin America, the Caribbean and West Africa. The CRIMJUST project is being done in collaboration with the UNODC, which centres on three pillars capacity building, interregional co-operation and institutional integrity. Source: The Ghanaian Times Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Here are todays top news, analysis and opinion at 9 AM. Know all about the latest news and other news updates from Hindustan Times Plea in Supreme Court over data protection in UPI platforms The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) have permitted Amazon, Google and Facebook/ WhatsApp to participate in the unified payments interface (UPI) ecosystem without scrutiny and in violation of UPI guidelines and RBI regulations, Member of Parliament (MP) Binoy Viswam said in a petition before the Supreme Court, claiming that this was putting sensitive financial data of Indians at huge risk. Read more Android 11 (Go edition) for entry-level phones announced, heres whats new Google announced the rollout of Android 11 earlier this week. It has now unveiled the latest iteration of its Android Go platform, Android 11 (Go edition). Google launched Android Go back in 2018 and the OS touched its 100 million active user mark earlier this year. Read more How will BCCI save this domestic season from peril? The Indian Premier League, so lucrative and pivotal for BCCIs finances, gets underway in the UAE next weekend after a five-month delay due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Read more How to fight coronavirus? Delhi Polices post has the answer Police forces around the nation have been using their social media presence to spread important health information. This post by the Delhi Police is no different and conveys an essential message in a witty way regarding how one can prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus. Read more Radhika Madan explains why it is important to speak up for Rhea Chakraborty: Justice is yet to be served Pataakha actor Radhika Madan has shared a widely circulating post about why supporting Rhea Chakraborty doesnt indicate disrespecting late actor Sushant Singh Rajput. She said that she wants justice for the Chhichhore actor but is also left heartbroken on seeing Rhea being treated inhumanly. Read more Nargis Fakhri dances at golden hour in a Bohemian maxi dress and we cant take our eyes off Floral fashion and girl-next-door styles are here to stay as Bollywood divas simply cant have enough of them. Those looking to upgrade their impeccable wardrobe this fall season can take a leaf out of Rockstar actor, Nargis Fakhris book or rather social media posts. Read more Dont drag my name: Adhyayan Suman over Kangana Ranauts alleged drug links Kangana ranauts ex-boyfriend Adhyayan Suman spoke on alleged drug links. I was giving an interview when I came to know that my name is coming up. I was scared and I felt very disappointed for my name being dragged. I have had my struggle, I am working hard, please dont drag my name here. I was ridiculed when I came out in 2016 and spoke my heart out. I have been hounded by media, please dont drag me into this. I have fought depression and I dont deserve this, he said. Watch more Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron discussed on Friday the developments of several regional issues, including the situation in Libya, Trend reports citing Xinhua. During a phone conversation, both presidents exchanged views over a number of issues of common interests, Egyptian Presidential Spokesman Bassam Rady said in a statement. Sisi and Macron rejected escalation in eastern Mediterranean which affects the interests of the countries of the region, stressing that achieving security and stability in the region is a priority that requires coordination between Egypt and France. Regarding the Libyan issue, both leaders stressed their support for a political solution to the crisis in the oil-rich country away from foreign interference and armed militias. They also welcomed positive steps to reach a peaceful settlement in Libya, within the framework of constructive international efforts, the spokesman said. The two presidents also stressed the importance of intensifying bilateral coordination to support the government and people of Lebanon by all possible means to overcome the repercussions of the Beirut's port explosion disaster. Sisi and Macron highlighted the need to back Lebanon to face the current economic and political challenges the country is going through in order to preserve its stability, sovereignty and unity. On the Middle East peace process, it has been agreed that international action should be pushed towards the resumption of Palestinian-Israeli negotiations with the aim of reaching a just and comprehensive settlement in a manner that opens prospects for stability and prosperity for all peoples of the region. As the sun rose over the western United States on Wednesday, residents in San Francisco stepped outside into an otherworldly scene. The sun was dimmed and everything appeared rusty orange as dense smoke from wildfires burning across the West obscured the sky. "It reminded me of that scene in Independence Day when the aliens landed. That's what it felt like," Carolina Nassif, a San Francisco resident, told AccuWeather's National Weather Reporter Dexter Henry. Nassif has lived in San Francisco for 16 years and explained that she has never experienced air quality conditions this poor. "When you experience [it] in real life, it looks like an ominous, deep, dark brown. Imagine the sky was just dark, dirty brown," Nassif added. Patrick Kenefick, left, and Dana Williams, both of Mill Valley, Calif., record the darkened Golden Gate Bridge covered with smoke from wildfires Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2020, from a pier at Fort Baker near Sausalito, Calif. The photo was taken at 9:47 a.m. in the morning. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg) Nikki Midina, who lives in Daly City, California, just south of San Francisco, agreed that she has never experienced anything like the smoky conditions that enveloped the West this past week. "You notice it immediately. It's very hazy. You can feel it in your throat," Madina told Henry, adding that you can even feel the effects of the smoke when indoors. The blanket of smoke -- which many have taken to social media to describe as "apocalyptic" -- has grown so large that it is easy to see from space, stretching all along the coast of the western U.S. and expanding more than 1,000 miles westward over the open waters of the Pacific Ocean. The far-reaching effects of the wildfire smoke have done more than just block out the sun. The plethora of smoke has caused air pollution to spike across the region all the way from San Diego to Seattle, with the worst pollution levels focused on Northern California and western Oregon, where the largest fires are burning. Story continues The air pollution in this area is approaching the worst levels in years, according to Plume Labs, a company that monitors air pollution around the globe. Wildfire smoke can be seen hovering over much of the western U.S. and expanding westward over the Pacific Ocean on Thursday, Sept. 10, 2020. (NOAA) In the past five years, the highest air pollution levels were observed in Palmdale, California, just north of Los Angeles, during December of 2017, Plume Labs said. Currently, the air pollution levels just north of San Francisco are just as bad. Across the border in Oregon, the air pollution along the Interstate 5 corridor is a hazardous' levels, including Medford, Eugene, Salem and Portland. "Wildfire smoke exposure can have very real health consequences. The most common health risks associated with smoke exposure are found within our lungs," Plume Labs told AccuWeather in an email. "Smoke exposure can lead to difficulty with breathing, including coughing, runny nose, bronchitis, wheezing and exacerbation of chronic diseases such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)," the company added. Even people who are otherwise healthy are at risk of health complications due to inhaling the smoke. According to a study conducted by Berkley Earth, given the current air pollution levels across the western U.S., inhaling the air is equivalent to smoking 25 cigarettes a day. Health effects may be exacerbated if you have heart or lung disease, are an older adult or a child, are pregnant, are a smoker or are involved in strenuous outdoor work or outdoor sports, Plume Labs said. The air pollution that has enveloped the western U.S. is much different than other types of air pollution, such as smog that is produced by factories. "Wildfires emit a mixture of particulate matter (PM) and gases," said Dr. Boris Quennehen, a scientist a Plume Labs. "In particular, forest fires emit significantly more pollutants, mostly because they last longer. Even variations of wood and how it is burning can make a difference." Fires that move into communities and burn residential areas can pose an added danger as they scorch more than just wood. Materials such as plastic, building materials and electronics expel toxic gasses when they are burned, compounding health issues for those who inhale the polluted air. CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP In the age of COVID-19, a majority of people wear a face mask when outside, but not every face covering is effective at filtering out pollution from wildfires. "To complicate the situation, anti-pollution masks (FFP2 and above) commonly have valves to help let air out and make breathing easier. Unfortunately, valves render the mask virtually useless in preventing the transmission of viruses - because it is designed to let air out (along with whatever else might be in that air)," Plume Labs told AccuWeather. "It would be best to choose an FFP2+ mask without valves in order to meet both needs," the company added. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said that N95 respirators do provide protection from wildfire smoke, but they are in short supply this wildfire season due to the pandemic. In addition to the aforementioned health impacts from inhaling the polluted air, those who are not properly protected from the wildfire smoke run an increased risk of contracting the coronavirus. "Wildfire smoke can irritate your lungs, cause inflammation, affect your immune system, and make you more prone to lung infections, including SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19," CDC explained on its website. "Some symptoms, like dry cough, sore throat, and difficulty breathing can be caused by both wildfire smoke exposure and COVID-19," the CDC added. However, other symptoms of COVID-19, such as chills, a fever, diarrhea and body aches are not associated with exposure to smoke. Residents across the western U.S. can monitor the air quality levels in their neighborhood with AccuWeather's Air Quality page, which includes detailed air quality forecasts. Reporting by Dexter Henry. Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-11 07:25:14|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close A man wearing a mask is seen on a street near Venice Beach, Los Angeles, the United States, April 10, 2020. (Xinhua) Researchers noted the unusually high number of visitors, patients and hospitalizations suggests community spread of SARS-CoV-2 prior to established clinical awareness and testing capabilities. It may indicate that the coronavirus had silently arrived and begun establishing a foothold undetected on the West Coast around Christmas 2019. LOS ANGELES, Sept. 10 (Xinhua) -- A new study by American researchers, released on Thursday, suggests the deadly coronavirus may have already reached Los Angeles by late December, actively circulating in the area months before the first definitive cases in the United States were identified. Researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), evaluated more than 10 million patient and health records for UCLA Health outpatient, emergency department and hospital facilities, spanning Dec. 1, 2019, to Feb. 29, 2020, and compared those records with data from the same period over the previous five years. They found a troubling trend. The outpatient clinic visits by UCLA patients seeking care for coughs increased by over 50 percent and exceeded the average number of visits for the same complaint over the prior five years by more than 1,000. They also discovered a "significant" excess in the number of patients seen in emergency departments for reports of coughs and of patients hospitalized with acute respiratory failure during this time period. These excesses remained even after accounting for changes in patient populations and seasonal variation, according to the study, published in the peer-reviewed Journal of Medical Internet Research. "For many diseases, data from the outpatient setting can provide an early warning to emergency departments and hospital intensive care units of what is to come," said Joann Elmore, the study's lead author and a professor of medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. A customer wearing a face mask shops in a supermarket in Los Angeles, California, the United States, March 4, 2020. (Xinhua/Li Ying) "The majority of COVID-19 studies evaluate hospitalization data, but we also looked at the larger outpatient clinic setting, where most patients turn first for medical care when illness and symptoms arise," Elmore said. Researchers noted the unusually high number of visitors, patients and hospitalizations suggests community spread of SARS-CoV-2 prior to established clinical awareness and testing capabilities. It may indicate that the coronavirus had silently arrived and begun establishing a foothold undetected on the West Coast around Christmas 2019. If true, that would shake up the current narrative of the virus' origins in the country. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported the first U.S. COVID-19 case on Jan. 21, who was a man traveling from Wuhan, China to Washington state. And it was not until Feb. 26 that the CDC confirmed community spread of the coronavirus in the United States. UCLA researchers did not conclude for certain that coronavirus was behind the trends laid out in their study, saying other factors could be responsible for some of this unexpected increase, such as the use of e-cigarettes, or flu. "We may never truly know if these excess patients represented early and undetected COVID-19 cases in our area," Elmore said. "But the lessons learned from this pandemic, paired with health care analytics that enable real-time surveillance of disease and symptoms, can potentially help us identify and track emerging outbreaks and future epidemics." Irish telecoms company Eir has no plans to drop Huawei from its network, saying any changes in the current stance from the European Union would be costly for operators and customers. Chief Executive Carolan Lennon told CNBC Friday that Eir was confident in the security of Huawei and that the telco will maintain its equipment in parts of its network by following EU recommendations on vetting providers. In January, the European Commission, the executive arm of the EU, published its 5G "toolbox," which coordinates risk assessments and mitigation across the bloc. "Effectively that was a coordinated approach to network security so that we would all respond proportionately to any risks in the 5G networks. That includes things like enhanced controls or a dual provider strategy," Lennon said. Eir uses a mix of providers with Ericsson in the core of its 5G network and Huawei providing the radio access equipment. "We also manage and monitor our network ourselves with our own staff. We're behind that EU proposal and in that EU proposal there's no recommendation to ban any particular network provider," Lennon said. The EU position differs from that of the U.S., which has led the charge against the Chinese firm, claiming its links to the Chinese leave nations vulnerable. Huawei has denied the allegations. In July, the U.K. told mobile network operators to strip Huawei gear from its networks by 2027. Lennon added that should the Commission ever change its stance on Huawei, it would be a costly endeavor for a telco to remove and replace all of its equipment and these are costs that would be felt by the consumer during a time when connectivity has become essential. "The majority of telcos in Europe use Huawei equipment so that would absolutely slow down deployment of these fast networks just at a time when consumers and businesses need them the most and absolutely drive extra cost to the operators to do that and obviously increase the prices as well," she said. "We're following the European Commission endorsement of the 5G toolbox and I'm not expecting that to change," she said. Castries, Saint Lucia:--- The Caribbean Association of Banks (CAB) Inc. has embarked upon a series of initiatives intended to promote and celebrate financial literacy and financial inclusion in the region. The campaign, which is now underway, will target a number of demographic groups, including families, small businesses, and financial services professionals. The theme for the campaign, which runs until the end of September, is Saving and Investing Today for a Brighter Tomorrow. Its financial literacy campaign is the latest intervention coming out of the CAB corporate social responsibility programme, an avenue whereby CAB deepens engagement with the financial services industry and the general public, whilst contributing to regional development. The CAB CSR programme is known as CAB Cares. CAB has posted a crossword puzzle to its website, www.cab-inc.com, to help teach children some of the basic vocabulary associated with banking and financial services, investment and savings. In collaboration with some of the leading practitioners across the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) the organisation will also publish a number of editorial thought leadership pieces on the subject of savings and investments, and will host various webinars, panel discussions, and workshops. These will be promulgated across the CAB social media platforms - Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Among the topics that will be addressed in coming weeks will be Reading & Understanding Financial Statements For Small Businesses, Insuring Your Assets, Vehicles For Saving, Innovations in Investment, Business Recovery Caribbean Banking in a Post-COVID World (The Way Forward), and Data Privacy, Opportunities and Challenges. The campaign is being supported by a number of partners including central banks and commercial banks from around the region, CAB general members and service members. MELBOURNE : Rio Tinto parted ways with its chief executive and two deputies on Friday, bowing to a shareholder outcry over the destruction of two significant Aboriginal rockshelters and what was seen as the miner's inadequate initial response. The departures are the highest profile examples yet of the increasing muscle of institutional investors to hold companies to account for actions that fall short in areas such as human rights obligations and expected community standards. They also come amid heightened sensitivity in Australia to its treatment of Aboriginal people, who are over represented in the country's prisons and suffer poorer health and shorter average life spans. Chief Executive Jean-Sebastien Jacques, who has led Rio since 2016, will step down by March 31 next year, while iron ore boss, Chris Salisbury, and Simone Niven, head of corporate relations, the unit responsible for dealing with indigenous communities, will also depart. The executive changes "should be a wake up call for the Australian iron ore sector and mining companies worldwide on their relationships with First Nations people," said Brynn O'Brien, executive director of activist investor the Australasian Centre for Corporate Responsibility. Activists and investors said Rio had fallen short in an earlier board-led review into how the miner legally detonated rockshelters showing 46,000 years of human habitation at Juukan Gorge in Western Australia against the wishes of traditional owners. The review had recommended cutting short-term bonuses for some executives. Australia's largest pension fund, AustralianSuper said it was satisfied that "appropriate responsibility" had now been taken by Rio Tinto executives, although it added that nothing could undo the destruction of the culturally significant sites. Others suggested further action was likely. "(This) is the right outcome and raises the question about what happens next at the board level," said analyst Peter O'Connor of broker Shaw and Partners. "I don't think it's over yet." Jacques last month apologised at an Australian Senate enquiry into the destruction of the caves, saying there was no doubt the company could have made better decisions. The blasts, which enabled Rio to access $135 million of high-grade iron ore, drew international condemnation and damaged the miner's reputation for dealing with indigenous groups in its worldwide operations. "What happened at Juukan was wrong and we are determined to ensure that the destruction of a heritage site of such exceptional archaeological and cultural significance never occurs again at a Rio Tinto operation," Rio chairman Simon Thompson said on Friday. The traditional owners of the land, the Puutu Kunti Kurrama and Pinikura (PKKP) people said they had no comment on the executive changes, but would continue to work with Rio Tinto. "We cannot and will not allow this type of devastation to occur ever again," the PKKP said in a statement. MINE CHANGES Rio said a search was already underway to replace Jacques. The board praised his leadership and pointed to his sale of the group's coal assets, development of a climate change strategy and strong shareholder returns under his tenure. Rio shares drifted down 0.7 percent in Australian trade, in line with a softer broader market. The controversy, meanwhile, has spilled over to the rest of the sector, with BHP Group and Fortescue Metals Group both pledging to review mine plans that could threaten sacred sites as they step up talks with traditional owners. Submissions to the Senate inquiry, which has been pushed out to December due to coronavirus induced travel bans, have shone a light on the power imbalances between miners and traditional owners in their agreements. The inquiry will consider legislative changes required to prevent such incidents from recurring. Western Australian state laws that approved the destruction are also being revised. Representing traditional owners, The National Native Title Council (NNTC) welcomed the move but called for further law reform. "Traditional owners are not anti-economic development. They just want to be able to protect their most significant cultural heritage sites." This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Never miss a story! Stay connected and informed with Mint. Download our App Now!! Topics Black Lives Matter protest and march at Kent State University. Kamalenn Gillespie and Tory Wenson, both organizers of the protest, lead rally calls at Oscar Ritchie Hall. KENT, Ohio Hundreds gathered Thursday on Kent State's Risman Plaza for a Black Lives Matter protest prompted by the racist statements painted on "The Rock," a fixture on the campus, with participants voicing their concerns that the campus does not provide a sense of safety among the Black community. "This is bigger than The Rock. We want Kent State to be a safe space for all of us, and this is a chance for Kent State to grow," protest co-organizer Tory Wenson said. "We're not going to dwell on what happened and we're going to focus on the positive. We need all of you to stand up," Organizers estimated about 600 protesters marched from Oscar Ritchie Hall, which houses Kent's Pan-African Studies program and is named for the university's first African-American faculty member, and continued to The Rock at the base of Hilltop Drive, which has served as a canvas for racist statements the past two weeks. In three cases, messages and symbols in support of the Black community were covered with the words "White Lives Matter" and most recently "Blacks have no home here." The most recent message prompted university officials to issue a statement that they are considering removing the Rock, fencing it off or installing security cameras. "It's not just a direct result of what happened at The Rock. It's about how Kent State handled it, and how they kept letting it happen to us. I felt like if they really wanted to make a change, and really felt what was happening was impacting us and making their students feel uncomfortable, they would have stopped it from happening three times," protest co-organizer Kamalenn Gillespie said. While still at Risman Plaza, Wenson said Kent State is dealing with two pandemics coronavirus and racism and she addressed the list of demands issued by the student organization Black United Students to President Todd Diacon. The demands, while issued by BUS, were on behalf all students of color, Gillespie said. Story continues The demands include reporting racially motivated incidents through the Flash Alerts system (as the university does for sexual assaults); increased security escorts; having trained mental health professionals respond to mental health crises as opposed to uniformed police officers; and a resolution on Black student safety by the Kent State and city of Kent police departments. BUS is further demanding that the university include an anti-hate clause into the student code of conduct and the expulsion of those who violate it. Makayla Thomas, who handles BUS public relations, said earlier this week many of the demands affect all students but are felt more acutely by the Black community and added these issues had been discussed prior to The Rock paintings. Diacon discussed the demands with BUS's e-board, Vice President of Student Affairs Lamar Hylton, and Interim Vice President for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Amoaba Gooden, and said security escorts already have been increased. Hylton, Gooden and Interim Provost Melody Tankersley are leading the university's newly established Anti-Racism Task Force. "As for the other demands, they have been heard, openly received and are in the process of being executed," BUS tweeted. An update on the demands. pic.twitter.com/CyA7eWzwUP BlackUnitedStudents (@bus1968) September 10, 2020 Cameran Cunningham, president of Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity, also addressed protesters Thursday and expanded on BUS's list of demands. Cunningham noted the university's extensive work in the areas of equity, inclusion and diversity and praised the strength of the Black community, but said, "Work needs to be done. Hate has no home here, but hate exists here." As the university's first Black organization, Kappa Alpha Psi has a list of 15 demands, including an apology by Diacon, a video statement from Kent State police condemning acts of hate and vowing to protect Black people on campus, more tenured Black professors and the development of a comprehensive racial awareness and inclusion curriculum. The fraternity is also asking for a scholarship fund for African American students, that Diacon and the university endorse reparations to the U.S. government for Black Americans, and a diversity audit of curriculum, employees and salaries. An opportunity for change is present. We hope that Kent State University President Todd Diacon and @KentState meet our demands. pic.twitter.com/uPVxNzeO7p The Renowned UndertaKers (@GTNUPEs_) September 9, 2020 As marchers wound through campus, about 20 individuals waited for their arrival at The Rock, where about 16 people spoke and protesters became emotional as they related their struggles about being Black on campus, Gillespie said. She added that the protest was largely peaceful, but there was some unrest when participants felt their concerns were not addressed by Kent City Council members who attended. Gillespie added that protesters were upset by Diacon's absence. The crowd dispersed around 4:30 p.m., after about two and a half hours. Later in the day, BUS President Tayjua Hines, Undergraduate Student Body President Tiera Moore and Hylton hosted a virtual town hall to address the incidents at the Rock, how to support those who were hurt by the messages and how community members can all contribute to a better future moving forward. "This is a very tense time and our Black community certainly is reeling from these incidents of hate, particularly at the Rock," Hylton told trustees that morning. "I'm so appreciative of the university and more specifically of our student leaders who have really shown up as partners in this work and who have shared, honestly, candidly, their feelings, how they are made to feel on this campus and calling on the university to do something about it. I'm just inspired by their resolve and resilience and I look forward to continue to work alongside them to make Kent State live up to its purpose." A second protest and march in the same locations is scheduled for Friday at 2 p.m. The protests are occurring as the university is reporting increased cases of COVID-19 and shortly after banning all university-sponsored events of more than 10 people. Protesters on Thursday generally were masked and practicing social distancing. "We're doing everything we can to make sure it's safe, but we feel like this problem is much bigger as a social issue. It's so big and so relevant, and we've been fighting for change for years. We go here and we spend our money here just like anybody else, so for that to have happened on the rock, we felt like we had to act. We feel we can promote social distancing and safety and still come together to make a change for our community," Wenson said. Black Lives Matter protest and march at Kent State University. A protester looks ahead during a ahands upa call and response. Follow Krista S. Kano on Twitter: @KristaKanoRCedu. This article originally appeared on Record-Courier: Kent State students hold Black Lives Matter protest after Rock racism Decision Denying Registration To Butun Kyrgyzstan Party Reversed By RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service September 10, 2020 BISHKEK -- A court in Bishkek has reversed a decision by the Central Election Commission (BShK) to refuse to register the Butun Kyrgyzstan (United Kyrgyzstan) political party for parliamentary elections next month. The Administrative Court of Bishkek announced its decision late on September 9 and shortly after that the BShK announced that the party had been officially registered, putting the total number of parties registered for the October 4 election at 16. On September 3, a day before the election campaign kicked off, the BShK said applications by Butun Kyrgyzstan and another party, Aktiv (Active), had been rejected as they didn't meet the necessary requirements. The BShK cited "violations" and discrepancies in documentation -- including the list of candidates -- submitted by Butun Kyrgyzstan. Newly established Aktiv was unable to provide the registration fee of about $63,500. Butun Kyrgyzstan then appealed the BShK's rejection in court. Kyrgyzstan's unicameral parliament, the Jogorku Kenesh (The Supreme Council), consists of 120 seats. Pro-government parties, including Birimdik (Unity), Mekenim Kyrgyzstan (My Homeland Kyrgyzstan), and Kyrgyzstan, as well as the opposition Ata-Meken (Fatherland) party are widely expected to do gain seats. No party is allowed to hold more than 65 seats in the Supreme Council. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/decision- denying-registration-to-butun-kyrgyzstan- party-reversed/30831529.html Copyright (c) 2020. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Care and Feeding is Slates parenting advice column. Have a question for Care and Feeding? Submit it here or post it in the Slate Parenting Facebook group. Dear Care and Feeding, I live in a small neighborhood and have two kids, 2 and 4. We have been letting our kids play with a few other neighborhood kids during COVID. My kids do not attend day care or preschool and are with me or my spouse for child care. Recently, while the kids were all hanging out in my backyard, my neighbor brought her 2-year-old son over, let him interact with the kids, then told us he wasnt feeling well. My husband noticed right away that he did not look well and removed our kids from the group. Two days later, her son was again playing outside. I took one look at him and he looked terrible. I told her that because her son was ill, we were unable to play with him that day. She then brought him over to our other neighbors to play with their two kids. The next day, I had to be the mean lady who sent these kids away, after telling them because they were playing with someone sick, we could not play. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I am beyond furious as to why my neighbor is allowing her ill son to play with others. This is not the first time this has happened, and she usually says something like Its not anything serious I cant control what our other neighbors do/feel, but I am angry that now my kids have to lose play time with friends. We do not go anywhere else or see any family due to the pandemic, and my oldest kid really loves playing with all the kids. Do you have any advice on how to handle this; I dont want to have weird drama with my neighbors, but I also want them to understand that what they are doing is crazy and irresponsible. Thanks. Advertisement The Meanie Dear Meanie, Im afraid youre not going to be able to get them to understand that theyre being irresponsible. And, in the Before Times, I doubt that a kid with the sniffles would have even been noticed in a playgroup. All you can control is the choices you make for your own kid. Whats complicated here is that youre doing a bit of a Rear Window thing to see what other kids the Diseased Child has come in contact with. Keeping in mind that just as you have no reason to think this kid has COVID-19 or has had COVID-19 on any of the previous occasions, you have no idea what any of these other kids are doing or touching or licking when youre not looking directly at them. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If someone brings a visibly ill kid over, send them home. If you dont want your children around kids who you know previously interacted with a sick-looking kid, are you planning on waiting 14 days? Because at that point, I would just give up on playing with the neighborhood kids and be happy you have a 2- and 4-year-olds and a backyard and let them amuse themselves. I just dont see a way you can relax and also play with the neighborhood kids. It would absolutely be better if people didnt take their sick kids places, but they do, and you just dont have the time or energy to police that. Theres no email or proclamation nailed to the local doors that will change anyone elses behavior. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Help! How can I support Slate so I can keep reading all the advice from Dear Prudence, Care and Feeding, Ask a Teacher, and How to Do It? Answer: Join Slate Plus. Dear Care and Feeding, My son is 6 and starting first grade remotely. Overall, he is a bright and happy kid. He adores his 2-year-old sister and has a few close friends. He is also deeply introverted, emotionally sensitive, a perfectionist, and prone to develop deep interests in topics that he exclusively wants to talk about (for hours). His preschool teachers recommended that we get him assessed as gifted starting at about 2, but we werent in a rush. Our public schools assess all kids entering kindergarten, and that seemed early enough. The tests in kindergarten indicated he was a bright kid, but not qualifying for (or near qualifying for) gifted services. He was happy in his kindergarten class and his teacher indicated he was on grade level, and so honestly, we stopped thinking about it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When school went remote last year, it became clear that there was a pretty big discrepancy in what he was doing at school and what he does at home with us. For example, he can do addition with two- or three-digit numbers, simple multiplication, and understands negative numbers. These are things that we taught him from his questions (e.g., why is 8 minus 6 not the same as 6 minus 8?); were not drilling him on math worksheets or something at home. In school, he is doing simple single-digit addition. Or he can read Pokemon cards fluently to play the Pokemon card game and likes for us to read him chapter books meant for older kids (think Harry Potter) but has no interest in reading books himself. Advertisement Advertisement Basically, the school is telling us that unless his assessment tests (which they do a couple of times a year on an iPad) demonstrate what we see at home, he will not receive anything extra in school. His classroom teacher can do some differentiation, but it is fairly limited with a full class and even harder in a remote environment. So we seem stuck in a place where he is completely bored with his schoolwork but not advanced enough to get more challenging material in school. This is also feeding into his perfectionist tendencies where if he gets anything wrong at all, he says he is bad at math/reading/whatever. Advertisement We will continue to support him as best we can outside of school, but I would appreciate an outside opinion on what, if anything, we should try to do in school. Would you recommend having him assessed outside of school? Is there another way that schools can support in-between kids that were missing? Advertisement Bored in No Mans Land Dear BiNML, To be extremely frank with you, you seem to have a smart and normal kid who is not yet hitting the benchmarks for the gifted program, and you should just continue to let him do more challenging things at home. Most kids are bored at some of their schoolwork or struggle with some other aspect of it, and especially during a pandemic, this is not worth you trying to get an outside assessment the school wont pay any attention to anyway. All classes have a mix of kids who are quicker on the uptake than others and those who are struggling just to keep up. Teachers have the ongoing challenge of trying to give help to those who really need it while also not boring anyone to tears. They are testing multiple times a year for the gifted program! If he makes it there, hell make it there. Hes 6. I would worry more about his perfectionist tendencies, worry less about him being Technically Gifted, and try to supplement his education with things he enjoys challenging himself with. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If you missed Thursdays Care and Feeding column, read it here. Discuss this column in the Slate Parenting Facebook group! Dear Care and Feeding, A few years ago, one of my best friends, Jane, moved away with her husband and son (Thomas) for new jobs. I miss her terribly, but its difficult to visitits a few hours away, and I dont have a car. If I visit, I take the train, which has a limited schedule, and isnt cheap, so my stays consist of an overnight. Because of that, its hard to find the time. She occasionally comes back to my city for work, and a couple of times all three of them have come for the day. Recently, I made my first visit in almost seven months (I had planned a visit sooner, but then COVID-19 struck). I learned that Jane is having a difficult timebeing around her husband and 4-year-old son 24/7 is trying, the general state of our country is depressing, and she has no support network where she lives. Its a town thats between suburban/rural where its difficult to meet new people, and none of her friends or family live close by. My heart aches for her. Advertisement Advertisement Because I mainly work from home now, and also generally have more free time on my hands, Jane is hounding me to come visit more. She has even offered to pay for the train, or come get me herself. The problem is that I cannot handle being around Thomas for that long. Hes not a bad kid, but he has absolutely no boundaries because Jane doesnt set any. For instance, both mornings of my last visit, she let him come into the guest bedroom and wake me up at 6:30 a.m., declaring, He just misses you so much he couldnt wait any longer! He will constantly nag for attention, like tug on me and scream in my face, COME LOOK AT THIS! when Im in the middle of a conversation with Jane, or demand Janes attention, which she will immediately cater to. Another specific example: I was playing with him for a bit while Jane and her husband made dinner. Thomas threw one of his toys at me, and I said very sternly to him, You do not throw things at people, it hurts and its not nice. He ran crying to Jane, and I heard her say, Oh honey, Im sorry she made you cry! Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I really hope I dont sound like a kid hater, because Im notthe majority of my friends have children and I truly enjoy time with them! But being around Thomas for at least 24 hours is just not at all appealing. I keep making vague, lame excuses, and I can tell Jane is hurt. So how do I handle this? Please advise! Troublesome Thomas Dear TT, Let me immediately reassure you that there was nothing inappropriate in how you responded to having a toy chucked at you by a 4-year-old, and Janes response to your reasonable boundary was silly. Im also sure he is also bored and acting out and kids do love waking people up and pulling attention, so I think she may very well be just floundering and letting things slide. Advertisement Now, you mention you recently made your first trip in seven months. Thats a pretty long time. I think 24 hours of irritation after seven months is an acceptable sacrifice for an isolated best friend who is clearly desperate to see you. But now shes pushing for more frequent visits, because youre working from home. You need to decide how often you can handle 24 hours of Thomas and then say working from home has really ramped up! Ive made time for our next few visits out here, but they wont be able to be as common as wed like and then give her dates for her calendar so she knows when youre coming and thus isnt always asking you when youll be out next. Advertisement And be honest with yourself! Dont overcommit to visits, but also remember you can set boundaries for your stays, like I actually take a while to fall asleep, can you keep Thomas out of my bedroom until 8? or I have a work call, Ill go take it on a walk! You clearly love and miss Jane, and finding a number of visits you can live with AND making them more survivable is absolutely achievable. Advertisement For more of Slates parenting coverage, listen to Mom and Dad Are Fighting Dear Care and Feeding, I am the mother of a bright but immature 11-year-old daughteran only childwho still (she claims) believes in Santa. She sat down the other day to start composing her list of this years requests to the North Pole, although she will be 12-years-old in December. She has the absurd idea that Santa can deliver gifts such as bunk beds! Advertisement I thought that I could gently disabuse her of this fantasywhich, yes, I instilled in herby having her write an essay answering questions such as these: Why is it that Santa delivers so much less to kids in poor families than he does to kids in affluent families? Why are we sending money through a charity to support a child in Bangladesh if she can just ask Santa for whatever she needs? Advertisement Advertisement All I got from that exercise was this annoyed response: Well, Mommy, it seems like from these questions that you dont believe in Santa! Do I just sit her down and tell her the truth? Or should I let her continue with this childish fantasy? Advertisement Frustrated Mom Dear FM, Starting early with these this year! Look, shes almost 12 and kids at school are going to make fun of her. Sit her down immediately and say very sweetly that Santa isnt real, its just a way some families express love and generosity to one another, and how fun it is that now that she knows the secret, she can get to be Santa for other people too. If she really didnt know, shell be sad and then get over it. If she did know, and was just hoping to game the system for bunk beds, shell get over that, too. Advertisement Nicole More Advice From Slate I had a professor last semester who I am really, literally in love with. Shes married with a kid and I think straight, so its not something I would ever even attempt to act on. She just offered to be my adviser, and I was obviously ecstatic and said yes. The problem is, I have a couple of tattoos related to her. One is a small word in her handwriting, which is really cute, distinctive handwriting, that I got sort of in the spirit of unrequited love, and because it was a positive affirmation shed written on some of my work, and having her say something like that about something I wrote just meant a crazy amount to me. My question is: Do I need to make sure to keep them covered whenever I know Im going to be seeing her? Will she be creeped out and hate me if she sees them? SOMERSET COUNTY, Pa. It looked exactly like a Trump rally, although possibly the most low-key version ever. On Friday morning, supporters of President Donald Trump lined the road outside the Flight 93 National Memorial near Shanksville, Pa., where Trump attended a private ceremony. With the park closed because of the ceremony, they set up along the road, with American flags and Trump-related banners rising from beds of pickups or otherwise waving from vehicles. Many if not most were decked in Trump shirts and hats. They hadnt gotten any glimpse of Trump as of late morning, although eyes and cell phones had turned skyward when two military helicopters flew toward the park. Despite the visual resemblance to a Trump rally, several people interviewed said Sept. 11 is a day to focus on people and events that should mean the same to all Americans. This is a day both sides can honor what happened. Its not a time to get ugly. But its a time for truth as well, said Jesse Paxton, 30, of Butler Pa., a Trump supporter. Although Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden was also expected to visit the park at an unannounced time later Friday, there was no strong signs of support in the area known for its embrace of Trump and Republicans. Mary Firtz had much good to say about Trump and little good to say about Democrats. She planned to make her first visit to the memorial later Friday. At mention Bidens planned visit, she said: I think everybody should put aside their differences. Trump participated in the annual ceremony that includes family of the 40 passengers and crew who died after they thwarted a terrorist attempt to crash the jet into the U.S. Capitol on Sept. 11, 2001. Because of pandemic-related social distancing requirements and family members' wishes, the ceremony was closed to the public and abbreviated. Bob and Kara Goas of Windber stood with their three young children near the park entrance during the ceremony, with the children holding up a Trump banner. Bob Goas, 31, said that despite the fact he and his wife are both laid off and struggling to support their family on less than $200 per week in unemployment benefits, theyre both holding strong and supporting Trump. Goas, who noted their children are home-schooled, said We thought it would be a nice family trip to support our president. Unlike many others gathered outside the park, the entire Goas family wore face masks. Goas said that, early in the pandemic, he was of the belief that only N-95 masks provided sufficient benefit, and saw no value in wearing anything less. But he said scientific information changed his mind. Lets keep other people safe and just wear it, he said. Dorothy Knupp of Ligonier was open in her strong support for Trump, but also said Friday was a day to focus on the events of 19 years ago. We all remember where we were when everything happened, said Knupp, 55. This hit really close to him. It was a serious wake up call. JEE Mains results 2020: The National Testing Agency (NTA) will declare the results of the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) mains 2020 today on its official website. Once the results are declared, candidates who have appeared in the JEE Main 2020 will be able to check their results online at jeemain.nta.nic.in. Also Read: JEE Mains results 2020: LIVE UPDATES The JEE Mains examination was held from September 1 to 6, 2020, at various centres spread across the country. Recently, the Union Education minister Ramesh Pokhriyal said that out of the 8.58 lakh candidates who had registered for the JEE (Main) exam, 6.35 lakh candidates appeared in the examination. Also Read: JEE Main Result 2020: How to calculate percentile and All India Rank How to check JEE Mains results 2020: Visit the official website at jeemain.nta.nic.in On the homepage, click on the link that reads, JEE Mains 2020 results A new page will appear on the display screen Key in your credentials and login The JEE Mains 2020 will be displayed on the screen Download the results and take its print out for future reference. People all over the world associate colours with emotions. In fact, people from different parts of the world often associate the same colours with the same emotions. This was the result of a detailed survey of 4,598 participants from 30 nations over six continents, carried out by an international research team. The study was published in the journal Psychological Science. No similar study of this scope has ever been carried out, said Dr Daniel Oberfeld-Twistel, member of the participating team at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU). It allowed us to obtain a comprehensive overview and establish that colour-emotion associations are surprisingly similar around the world. Scientists report that the participants were asked to fill out an online questionnaire, which involved assigning up to 20 emotions to twelve different colour terms. The participants were also asked to specify the intensity with which they associated the colour term with the emotion. The researchers then calculated the national averages for the data and compared these with the worldwide average. This revealed a significant global consensus, summarised Oberfeld-Twistel. For example, throughout the world, the colour of red is the only colour that is strongly associated with both a positive feeling -- love -- and a negative feeling -- anger. Brown, on the other hand, triggers the fewest emotions globally. However, the scientists also noted some national peculiarities. For example, the colour of white is much more closely associated with sadness in China than it is in other countries, and the same applies to purple in Greece. This may be because in China white clothing is worn at funerals and the colour dark purple is used in the Greek Orthodox Church during periods of mourning, explained Oberfeld-Twistel. In addition to such cultural peculiarities, the climate may also play a role. According to the findings from another of the teams studies, yellow tends to be more closely associated with the emotion of joy in countries that see less sunshine, while the association is weaker in areas that have greater exposure to it. According to Dr Daniel Oberfeld-Twistel, it is currently difficult to say exactly what the causes for global similarities and differences are. There is a range of possible influencing factors: language, culture, religion, climate, the history of human development, the human perceptual system. Many fundamental questions about the mechanisms of colour-emotion associations have yet to be clarified, he continued. However, by using an in-depth analysis that included the use of a machine learning approach developed by Oberfeld-Twistel, a computer program that improves itself as the database grows, the scientists have already discovered that the differences between individual nations are greater the more they are geographically separated and/or the greater the differences between the languages spoken in them. (This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.) Follow more stories on Facebook and Twitter SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The city of Midland reported another two coronavirus-related deaths Friday. The two deaths both female patients in their 80s bring the total number of deaths to four this week and to 79 total during the pandemic. There were five deaths last week and six from Aug. 30 through Sept. 5. The patients both Midland County residents -- were being treated in Dallas. One was being treated in a hospital. She died Thursday. The other was being treated in nursing home. She died Friday. Both were reported to have had underlying health conditions. The Midland Health Department reported there were 10 new cases reported Friday. That means the week ended with 79 cases, which was 44 less than last week and the first sub-100 week since early June. The health department also reported 1,219 active cases (four less than Thursday) and 1,970 recovered (11 more). Coronavirus report Cases Tuesday: 47 Cases Wednesday: 12 Cases Thursday: 10 Cases Friday: 10 Cases this week: 79 Total cases this week: 123 Total cases last week: 157 by Shafique Khokhar In Karachi, Shabbir Shafqat, president of the National Christian Party, calls for a revision of the law on blasphemy and punishment for those who make false accusations for secondary reasons. "These cases are driving many minority members to leave the country." The condemnation of the UN Commission for Human Rights. Karachi (AsiaNews) - A one-day hunger strike in support of Asif Pervaiz, sentenced to death for blasphemy, and for 24 other Christians in prison, unjustly accused of the same crime was held on 9 September by the National Christian Party (Ncp) of Karachi, which calls for the revision of this law on blasphemy, also suggesting penalties for those who for second reasons make false accusations of blasphemy. Shabbir Shafqat, president of the NCP, strongly condemned the death sentence of Asif Pervaiz, accused of blasphemy by his employer, who tried to push him to convert to Islam. After his refusal, Asif was accused of having sent text messages offensive of Islam and Muhammad. Shabbir denounces that the death sentence is the result of undue pressure on the justice system which leads to discriminatory sentences. In Asif's case, it is by no means proven that the messages were sent by him; there was no forensic investigation to see from which phone the messages were sent. The police only concluded the case based on the statements of the prosecution. These cases and false accusations - said Shabbir - are totally based on discrimination. I am very afraid for the future of minorities in Pakistan. These cases are driving many minority members to leave the country. We must pray for our nation, for the police in Pakistan and for the judicial system. " The NCP also released a list of 24 other Christians falsely accused of blasphemy and languishing in prison. Among them are: Nadeem Samson, Patrus Masih, Hamyon Faisal, Sawan Masih, Anwer Masih, Asif Stephen, Amoon Ayoub, Zafar Masih, Shahbaz Masih, Qaiser Ayoub, Imran Ghafoor, Noman Ashgar, Ishfaq Masih, Adnan Prince, Sunny, David Mushtaq, Nobeal Masih, Saleem Masih, Nadeem James, Shafqat Emanuel, Stephen Masih, Yaqoob Bashif and Shagufta Kausar. On 8 September, the UN Commission for Human Rights asked the Pakistani government to take immediate and concrete measures to avoid the manipulation of the blasphemy law, also ensuring the protection of journalists and human rights defenders, subject to threats. UN human rights spokesperson, Rupert Colville, speaking on the same day of the death sentence against Asif Pervaiz, said: We have followed with increasing concern numerous instances of incitement to violence online and offline against journalists and human rights defenders in Pakistan, in particular against women and minorities. Especially worrying are accusations of blasphemy, which can put accused individuals at imminent risk of violence. Aggressively pursuing his zero-tolerance policy for corruption, UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath continues to crack the whip on corrupt police officials. After suspending two IPS officers within 24 hours, the state government, on Thursday night, suspended more police personnel on charges of corruption and dereliction of duty. A case for extortion has been registered in Mahoba against suspended SSP Mani Lal Patidar. In Mahoba, the government suspended Rajesh Kumar Saroj, former inspector of Charkhari police station, former station officer Kharela, Raju Singh, former SO Karbai, Devendra Shukla and constable Rajkumar Kashyap. SSP Mahoba Mani Lal Patidar was earlier suspended on Wednesday and a vigilance probe has been ordered against him. In Prayagraj, where SSP Abhishek Dixit was suspended on Tuesday, nine more police personnel have faced action. Kareli inspector Anjani Kumar Srivastava, Atarsuiyya inspector Sandeep Mishra, Kareli inspector Nagendra Kumar Nagar, Sub-Inspectors Gaurav Tiwari, Prem Kumar, Kuldeep Kumar Yadav, Durgesh Rai, Ibrar Ansari and Head Constable Ram Pratap Singh have been placed under suspension. According to official sources, action has been taken based on the complaints received against these police personnel and more heads could be expected to roll in the coming days. A senior police officer in the rank of ADG, said, "Action should have been taken much earlier but it is still welcome. It will help in cleansing the system and inculcate discipline in the force. A large number of police personnal who have affiliations with political leaders, do not toe the line of discipline which naturally makes working difficult." For DGP Vikram Singh said that the results of this action would take about six months to start showing and if the strictness continues, UP police will regain lost glory. Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu, currently touring his home constituency Mukto in Tawang district, trekked a distance of 24 km for 11 hours to meet people of a remote village. The 41-year old chief minister walked through mountain terrains and forests to reach Luguthang village, 97 km from Tawang. "It was an arduous journey while crossing Karpu-La(16,000 ft) to Luguthang (14,500 ft)," Khandu tweeted after returning to Tawang on Thursday. The village, located at a height of 14,500 feet above sea level, in Thingbu tehsil of Tawang district has a population of 50 people who live in 10 houses. "Had a review meeting with Luguthang villagers to ensure that benefits of every flagship programme reaches the last man standing in forward areas," the chief minister tweeted. The journey to the village, which is inaccessible byroad, is a mesmerising one as one has to cross the eye-catching Karpu-La mountain and several natural lakes that fall on the route. The chief minister, along with Tawang MLA Tsering Tashi, and villagers and monks of Tawang monastery, attended the consecration of Jangchup Stupa the next day. The stupa has been erected in the name of Khandus father and former chief minister Dorjee Khandu who died in a helicopter crash near Luguthang village while returning fromTawang to Itanagar on April 30, 2011. "The chief minister spent two nights at the house of a villager before trekking back," sources in Tawang said. Luguthang is mostly inhabited by Brokpas, a nomadic yak-herding tribe. They spend the summer months around the higher Himalayas in search of grazing grounds for their yaks and come down to lower areas in harsh winter. A special investigation team (SIT) of Uttar Pradesh police has detected embezzlement worth Rs 11 crore from the donation funds of two Mathura temples and registered an FIR against 12 people at its police station in Lucknow on Friday. Senior police officials, privy to the investigation, said the embezzled amount from the funds of Mukut Mukharbind temple and Hargokul Daswalia Brahmaadan temple in Govardhan, Mathura could be higher. An SIT official said those accused in the FIR are the common receiver of both the temples - Ramakant Goswami, his two assistants Manu Rishi and Santosh Kumar, and Ram Krishna Sharma, Radha Kishan, Vivek Sharma and his mother Siddhisri Sharma, Pintu Saini and his wife Kamlesh, Latto Saini, Bihari Lal Saini and Koken Babu Mishra. The official said the accused have been booked under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 420 (fraud), 409 (criminal breach by government servant), 408 (criminal breach of trust by clerk or servant), 423 (dishonest or fraudulent execution of deed of transfer containing false statement of consideration) and 120-B (entering into criminal conspiracy with common intention to commit fraud). Also read: Swami Agnivesh passes away at 80, was suffering from liver disease As per the FIR, the embezzlement was committed by the receiver and the other accused between 2014 and 2018. The official said a preliminary inquiry was handed over to the SIT by the state government in July 2019 and it was completed in February 2020. He said the permission to register an FIR and conduct further investigation was pending with the state government due to the Covid-19 outbreak. He said the FIR was lodged after the state government gave the go-head in the case a few days ago. 'Comreg has issued a draft decision likely to cut the 900m fee NBP must pay Eir for access to the telecoms company's rural poles and ducts.' A ruling from telecoms regulator Comreg could knock tens or even hundreds of millions off the 3bn National Broadband Plan (NBP) bill at the expense of Eir. Comreg has issued a draft decision likely to cut the 900m fee NBP must pay Eir for access to the telecoms company's rural poles and ducts. The regulator says the price to access Eir infrastructure may be unrealistically high at 900m over the 25-year term of the NBP contract because it is based on a pricing level set for much smaller, short-term commercial contracts. The scale of access needed, relative stability of the funding and long length of the National Broadband Plan contract, means that it would be fairer for Eir to pitch its access price lower, Comreg said. "Comreg proposes to draw a distinction between, on the one hand, generic access for CEI [Civil Engineering Infrastructure], and on the other hand, CEI access by NBI [National Broadband Ireland] for the purposes of the NBP. This distinction is proposed having regard to the significant differences between these two types of access," said Comreg in its draft decision. A spokesperson for Eir said that the company would study the draft decision. Separately, the Department of Communications has confirmed Coillte chairperson, Bernie Gray as the government nominee to the board of National Broadband Ireland. Ms Gray is a management consultant who held senior management posts in Eir. The hotel industry's peak body has called for clear heads and eyes to be wide open as the sector looks to recovering from the dire impact of the global pandemic on tourism. Michael Johnson, national and NSW chief executive of Tourism Accommodation Australia, speaking at the Australasian Hotel Industry Conference and Exhibition (AHICE2020) conference in Sydney and online, said the initial shutdown of inbound markets and borders earlier this year, followed by the implementation of federal restrictions, had left tourism "decimated". Renders of the Quincy Hotel Melbourne, in Flinders Lane, by Toga Far East. "We need to be agile, resilient and to look clear-eyed at what post-COVID success will look like and adjust our operating structures and businesses to the new normal," Mr Johnson told the conference. "We now find the majority of hotels in CBDs around the country operating 50 to 60 per cent down on this time last year. Sydney and Melbourne are faring even worse, with room revenues down more than 75 per cent." To the Editor: Re Disastrous Wave of Climate Events Slams California (front page, Sept. 11): I sit here in Southern California about 50 miles from the nearest catastrophic wildfire, watching the ash fall from the sky while those in the north are seeing something more apocalyptic. Yes, there is a link between climate change and what is happening across the United States. With the election looming I cannot help but wonder how science and fact-based research are ignored in the face of significantly increased hurricane activity, relocations of entire communities because of repeated flooding, and record heat followed by snow in Colorado. We cannot continue to call these 100-year events because they are happening more frequently. The Trump administration has issued a report that shows the impact to financial markets. Will it be the wake-up call our country needs? It comes from an administration that is not focused on the environment. It is past time to take drastic action and reverse course to save the world. Carin E. Whitaker Dana Point, Calif. Prayagraj : , Sep 11 (IANS) After getting support from a saint in Ayodhya, it is now the Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishad (ABAP) -- the apex decision-making body of the 13 recognised Hindu monastic orders in the country -- that has come out in support of Bollywood actor Kangana Ranaut. Akhara Parishad president Mahant Narendra Giri has described Kangana Ranaut as a 'brave and courageous daughter' of the nation who has busted the racket of the drug mafia and its links with Bollywood. "The fearless voice of the actress against the domination of a particular community in Bollywood and drug mafia has caused ripples. This has scared the drug mafia while the state government is feeling threatened of being uprooted," said Giri. "This is the reason why the Uddhav Thackeray government has demolished Kangana Ranaut's office to intimidate her," he stated. The Mahant further said, "The Maharashtra High Court has given relief to Kangana by ordering a stay on demolition. The bravery with which she has faced the drug and Bollywood mafia in Sushant Singh murder case, has made many people angry and they are targeting her." He thanked the Himachal Pradesh government and the Centre for providing a security cover to the actress. "The law and order situation in Maharashtra is very bad. The Maharashtra government has not taken any action in the case of mob lynching of two saints in Palghar. The Akhara Parishad demanded a CBI inquiry in the Palghar case, but the state government has failed to act," he added. Replying to a question, the ABAP also condemned the fraudulent withdrawal of money from the account of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust. The ABAP president demanded stern action against the culprits. He said the incident must be investigated properly and any link of bank employees should also be probed. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text September 11 : Past few days Kangana Ranaut fought a war of words boldly with the Maharashtra government and the Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut. After visiting her ravaged office and meeting the Union Minister Ramdas Athawale on Thursday, today the actress changed the mood with an adorable throwback picture. The Panga actress took to Twitter and shared a throwback picture of herself from her school days and wrote a motivational note along with it. In the picture little Kangana is seen in her school uniform posing with her sister Rangoli Chandel. In the photo Kangana is seen posing with her hand on her hip, shelling out her tough girl vibes. Mind is loud and clever, feelings are naive and subtle in nature, never let your mind dominate your feelings, hold on to that little feeling deep inside your heart buried and pushed away by your logic and fears,hold on to it no matter how stupid or absurd it is,let it guide you pic.twitter.com/YutaWvpzBU Kangana Ranaut (@KanganaTeam) September 11, 2020 Along with the photo, the actress wrote, Mind is loud and clever, feelings are naive and subtle in nature, never let your mind dominate your feelings, hold on to that little feeling deep inside your heart buried and pushed away by your logic and fears, hold on to it no matter how stupid or absurd it is, let it guide you. Meanwhile, Kangana said that she will work from her ravaged office as she doesn't have the money to renovate the property. She tweeted, I had my office opening on 15th Jan, shortly after corona hit us, like most of us I havent worked ever since, dont have money to renovate it, I will work from those ruins keep that office ravaged as a symbol of a womans will that dared to rise in this world #KanganaVsUddhav. I had my office opening on 15th Jan, shortly after corona hit us, like most of us I havent worked ever since, dont have money to renovate it, I will work from those ruins keep that office ravaged as a symbol of a womans will that dared to rise in this world #KanganaVsUddhav https://t.co/98VnFANVsu Kangana Ranaut (@KanganaTeam) September 10, 2020 After BMCs demolition drive at her office premises on Wednesday, the actress has been supported by several Bollywood actors, her fans, as well as politicians. Kangana will leave Mumbai shortly and will return to her hometown in Himachal Pradesh. YouTube/CNN Trump knows he has to distract the nation from the pandemic he has failed to control leaving more than 188,000 Americans dead as of September 8, tens of millions jobless, and at least 30 million reportedly hungry. So he's mounting a tried-and-true law and order campaign. https://youtu.be/fh1xNjguKEM At the Republican National Convention, Trump said: "Your vote will decide whether we protect law-abiding Americans, or whether we give free rein to violent anarchists, agitators and criminals who threaten our citizens." He's right. But the anarchists, agitators, and criminals threatening Americans are not those protesting police violence. They are the highly armed and racist right-wing vigilantes, along with the conspiracy theorists and shady criminals Trump has repeatedly encouraged and surrounded himself with. Take for example, the white gun-toting 17-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse, who has been charged with killing two people and wounding a third during Black Lives Matter protests in Kenosha, Wisconsin and who, perhaps not coincidentally, occupied a front-row seat at a Trump rally in Des Moines last January. Despite the fact Rittenhouse has been charged with murder, Trump defends him, claiming he was acting in self-defense, that "they very violently attacked him." Or consider the pro-Trump caravan that drove into Portland, Oregon, including the neo-fascist Proud Boys shooting Black Lives Matter protesters with pepper spray and paintballs and driving into crowds. Someone wearing the hat of a far-right group called Patriot Prayer was shot dead. Trump's reaction? Rather than condemn the violence, he tweeted "GREAT PATRIOTS!" in support of the pro-Trump agitators, and "big backlash going on in Portland cannot be unexpected. The people of Portland won't put up with no safety any longer." He also retweeted a claim that "this coup attempt is led by a well funded network of anarchists trying to take down the President." Story continues At the Republican convention, Mike Pence lamented the death of federal officer Dave Patrick Underwood, who he said was "killed during the riots in Oakland, California" earlier this year, implying Underwood was killed by protesters. In fact, Underwood was killed by an adherent of the "boogaloo boys," an online extremist movement that's trying to ignite a race war. Such groups have found encouragement in a president who sees "very fine people" supporting white supremacy. The threat to law and order also comes from conspiracy theorists like Marjorie Taylor Greene, the recently-nominated Republican candidate for Georgia's 14th congressional district and QAnon supporter, 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." And from people like Mary Ann Mendoza, a member of Trump's campaign advisory board, who was scheduled to speak at the Republican convention until she retweeted an antisemitic rant. Clearly the threat comes from hotheaded police officers who fire bullets into the backs of Black people, or kneel on their necks so they can't breathe. But Trump and Pence don't bother mentioning Jacob Blake, or George Floyd or Breonna Taylor. And it comes from Trump's own lackeys who have brazenly broken laws to help him attain and keep power. Since Trump promised to hire only "the best people," fourteen Trump aides, donors and advisers have been indicted or imprisoned. You want the real threat to American law and order? It's found in these and other Trump enablers, lackeys, and bottom-dwellers. They are the inevitable exCRESense of Trump's above-the-law, race-baiting, me-first presidency. It's from the likes of them that the rest of America is in true need of protection. Related Articles Former Member of Parliament (MP) for Bantama constituency in the Ashanti Region, Henry Kwabena Kokofu says if the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) will ever come back to power, it will be in the year 2032. Hon. Kwabena Kokofu was optimistic that the Akufo-Addo government will, without doubt, be given a second term in government. He was commenting on the NDC 2020 manifesto. Speaking on Peace FM's 'Kokrokoo', the former Bantama MP made reference to a promise made by the Presidential candidate of the NDC, John Dramani Mahama and his Running Mate, Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang that they will ensure the free SHS policy of the incumbent government is upgraded to cover private schools in deprived communities, should they be re-elected during the December 7 polls. "The next NDC Government will make the Free Senior High School Programme better by ensuring that its numerous challenges are addressed, and higher standards introduced, expand the Free SHS programme to cover students in private Senior High Schools in underserved/deprived areas, abolish the double-track system, complete abandoned structures for secondary and technical education including abandoned E-Blocks to cater for current students and expected increase in admissions, strengthen and sustain private participation in the delivery of secondary education," the manifesto read. But to Hon. Kokofu, the NDC promise to fortify the free SHS programme is an admission that President Nana Akufo-Addo's education policy is the best. However, he doesn't believe the NDC has the programme at heart and that all they wished for is to have the votes of Ghanaians and afterwards, ruin the free education policy. According to him, the NDC's position on the free SHS changed when they hired a research organization to conduct a survey on the six newly-created Regions for them and the findings showed that the Regions were very pleased with the President's free SHS policy, adding all the six Regions pledged to vote for the Akufo-Addo government. He said it is since then that the NDC's strategy has been to support the free SHS but not that they have confidence in the free SHS. Hon. Henry Kwabena Kokofu further stated that the opposition party has never been interested in the wellbeing of the deprived population and that they are hiding behind the free SHS only for votes. He called on the former President and NDC Presidential candidate, John Mahama to hope for 2032 when he has indeed learned his lessons and would like to do the right thing. "If the free SHS needs an upgrade, we don't have to let you who has no faith in it to do it. It is on record that the NDC doesn't like anything that will help the underprivileged people. The NDC said they don't want the capitation grant and school feeding programme. They should remain in opposition till President Akufo-Addo and the NPP are done with developing the country and we have confidence that the NDC will not come and ruin the good works, then we can consider allowing them to come back to power, and that will be in 2032." 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 Pushkar Banakar By Express News Service NEW DELHI: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, during the meeting with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, highlighted Indias strong concerns at the amassing of Chinese troops with equipment along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). Jaishankar and Wang met in Moscow on the sidelines of the meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation(SCO). The talks--the second highest political contact between the two countries in a week--lasted two-and-a-half-hours. The Chinese side has not provided a credible explanation for this deployment. The provocative behavior of Chinese frontline troops at numerous incidents of friction along the LAC also showed disregard for bilateral agreements and protocols." Government sources also said the Indian side strongly raised the deployment of large number of troops and military equipment by China along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh and conveyed its concern. "The Indian side clearly conveyed that it expected full adherence to all agreements on the management of border areas and would not countenance any attempt to change the status quo unilaterally, sources said. Jt press statement issued after meeting between Indian Chinese FMs in Moscow. Work on new CBMs to begin after current tension eases @NewIndianXpress @TheMornStandard pic.twitter.com/Z26LtyfjQ3 Pushkar Banakar (@PushkarBanakar) September 10, 2020 In a joint statement issued early Friday, the two leaders said that they should not allow disputes to become differences. The two Foreign Ministers agreed that the current situation in the border areas is not in the interest of either side. They agreed therefore that the border troops of both sides should continue their dialogue, quickly disengage, maintain proper distance and ease tensions, the statement added. According to the statement, both sides agreed to abide by all agreements and protocols on India-China border affairs and avoid any action that could escalate matters. The Ministers agreed that as the situation eases, the two sides should expedite work to conclude new Confidence Building Measures to maintain and enhance peace and tranquility in the border areas, the statement said. Sources on India-China FM meet: EAM underlined that since the resumption of Ambassadorial level relations in 1976 and holding of boundary talks since 1981, India-China relations have developed on a largely positive trajectory. @NewIndianXpress @TheMornStandard Pushkar Banakar (@PushkarBanakar) September 10, 2020 Meanwhile, sources said that Jaishankar during the meeting noted that India-China relations since 1981 have developed on a positive trajectory and these developments have given it a substantive character. While the Indian side recognized that a solution to the boundary question required time and effort, it was also clear that the maintenance of peace and tranquility on the border areas was essential to the forward development of ties. The recent incidents in eastern Ladakh, however, inevitably impacted the development of the bilateral relationship. Therefore, an urgent resolution of the current situation was in the interest of both nations, sources said. ALSO READ | Rajnath holds review meeting with NSA Doval, top military brass on China border situation Sources added that it was agreed during the meeting that there would be a comprehensive disengagement of troops in all friction areas to prevent any further untoward incident. The final disposition of the troop deployment to their permanent posts and the phasing of the process is to be worked out by the military commanders, sources said. The Chinese side could not provide a credible explanation for the troops buildup, the sources said on Friday. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and his Chinese counterpart Gen. Wei Fenghe had also met in Moscow on Friday on the sidelines of a SCO meet. Government sources said the five-point agreement will guide the approach of the two countries to the current border situation. The Indian Army and the Chinese People's Liberation Army(PLA) have been locked in a tense standoff in multiple areas along the LAC in eastern Ladakh since early May. Shots were fired across the LAC on Monday for the first time in 45 years with the two sides accusing each other of firing in the air. Besides striving for quick disengagement of troops, the two countries agreed that their soldiers should maintain proper distance from each other and abide by all existing agreements and protocol on management of the de-facto border. The Ministry of External Affairs(MEA) issued a joint press statement early on Friday featuring five points which were agreed by both the sides at the "frank and constructive" discussions by the two ministers. "The two foreign ministers agreed that the current situation in the border areas is not in the interest of either side. They agreed, therefore, that the border troops of both sides should continue their dialogue, quickly disengage, maintain proper distance and ease tensions," it said. The joint statement said Jaishankar and Wang agreed that both sides should take guidance from the series of consensus reached between leaders of the two countries on developing India-China relations, including not allowing differences to become disputes. This assessment was a clear reference to decisions taken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping at their two informal summits in 2018 and 2019. "The two ministers agreed that both sides shall abide by all the existing agreements and protocol on China-India boundary affairs, maintain peace and tranquility in the border areas and avoid any action that could escalate matters," the joint statement said. ALSO READ | India-China standoff: Former ISRO Chief pitches for ramping up India's space assets At the talks, Jaishankar and Wang agreed that as the situation eases on the border, the two sides should expedite work to conclude new confidence building measures to maintain and enhance peace and tranquility in the border areas. The joint statement said the two sides also agreed to continue to have dialogue and communication through the Special Representative(SR) mechanism on the India-China boundary question. "They also agreed in this context that the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China border affairs (WMCC) should also continue at its meetings," it added. A press release issued by the Chinese Foreign Ministry in Beijing quoted Wang as having told Jaishankar it is normal for both the countries to have differences but it is important to put them in proper context and take the guidance of the leaders. "Wang noted that it is normal for China and India to have differences as two neighbouring major countries. What is important is to put these differences in a proper context vis-a-vis bilateral relations", the release said. Wang stressed that as two large developing countries emerging rapidly, what China and India need right now is cooperation, not confrontation; and mutual trust, not suspicion, the release added. "Whenever the situation gets difficult, it is all the more important to ensure the stability of the overall relationship and preserve mutual trust", Wang said. "China-India relations have once again come to a crossroads. But as long as the two sides keep moving the relationship in the right direction, there will be no difficulty or challenge that can't be overcome", Wang added. At the talks, the Indian government sources said the Indian side highlighted its strong concern over amassing of large number of troops by China along with military equipment along the LAC, and noted that the presence of such a large concentration of military personnel was not in accordance with the bilateral pacts of 1993 and 1996 on border affairs. They said the Indian delegation conveyed that the provocative behavior of Chinese frontline troops at the friction points along the LAC showed their disregard for bilateral agreements and protocols. "The Indian side clearly conveyed that it expected full adherence to all agreements on management of border areas and would not countenance any attempt to change the status quo unilaterally. "It was also emphasized that the Indian troops had scrupulously followed all agreements and protocols pertaining to the management of the border areas," said a source. Jaishankar told Wang that maintenance of peace and tranquility on the border areas was essential to the forward development of ties, the sources said. He conveyed to his Chinese counterpart that the recent incidents in eastern Ladakh, however, inevitably impacted the development of the bilateral relationship. Therefore, he told Wang that an urgent resolution of the current situation was in the interest of both the nations, the sources said. The Indian side insisted that the immediate task is to ensure a comprehensive disengagement of troops in all the friction areas and that it is necessary to prevent any untoward incident in the future, the sources said, adding the final disposition of the deployment of troops to their permanent posts and the phasing of the process is to be worked out by the military commanders of the two sides. (With PTI Inputs) MDC-Alliance activists who faked abduction in May this year have now turned to apostolic prophets in what appears to be a desperate bid, wrapped in superstition and mythology, to have the States case against them crumble, The Herald can reveal. Joana Mamombe, Cecilia Chimbiri and Netsai Marova, whose suspicious movements on the day they claimed to have been abducted were captured in a video that has since gone viral, are now frequent visitors at the shrine of an apostolic sect leader, Madzimai Memory of Hatfield, Harare. The prophetess is allegedly famous among criminals and fugitives as she is said to possess spiritual powers that can make a serious crime weightless on the scales of justice. On September 1, the three activists visited the shrine located behind the Catholic University of Zimbabwe between Joshua Nkomo Road and St Martins suburb where they sought to have the State case quashed as they expressed fear that they could be convicted on charges of faking abduction and lying to the police. According to members of the apostolic sect, the three arrived at the shrine in an unregistered Toyota Fortuner, that was being driven by Mamombe, who is a former MDC-A legislator. The three were spotted at the shrine, where other 50 congregates were attending church services between 11am till late at night. At the shrine, the trio took turns to kneel before a male prophet and each pleaded for the State case to fizzle out as they said they had no evidence to back their abduction claims. The prophet said that the women were vigilant, especially Mamombe whom he singled out as courageous. He also told the three activists that they lusted for material things and he described them as promiscuous, attributes that he said were bringing them misfortune, said one congregant who sat within earshot of the whole episode. The prophet, however, assured them that their troubles would disappear if they committed to attending regular intercessions where the dark clouds of misfortune, that had often accompanied them, would be removed spiritually. The three were asked each to bring a white piece of cloth, milk and six eggs, items that would protect them against any misfortune. Then they were given a stone each to put in their bathing water representing the river in which the ladies were drowning, but the stone symbolised their life-jacket, another congregant said. Mamombe was told that after the collapse of the State case, her future would brighten up as she would accumulate a lot of fortune, which would ensure that she lives a happy life ever after. Chimbiri was told that her ill-fortunes emanated from her strained relationship with her parents, especially her father. She was also told that she had a burning desire to get married, but was not finding a perfect husband, a predicament that often leaves her drained, the source said. She was advised to make peace with her parents This picture combo shows the MDC-Alliance trio of Joana Mamombe, Cecilia Chimbiri and Netsai Marova consulting apostolic prophets in Hatfield recently and the unregistered Toyota Fortuner which was being driven by Mamombe two colleagues, had to attend the church services regularly so as to ensure that she is cleansed from any bad luck. Nothing much was said about Marova, apart from that she too, just like hertwo colleagues, had to attend the church services regularly so as to ensure that she is cleansed from any bad luck. Some of Madzimai Memorys ardent followers were convinced that the trio had found a sanctuary from where all their troubles would peel off, while the sceptics questioned why people who were enmeshed in sinful practices were seeking divine intervention before they had repented. Insiders in the MDC-Alliance said there is pervading fear in the opposition as the party leadership are blaming each other over the poorly choreographed fake abductions. This comes as wheels are coming off from the MDC-Alliance trio abduction claims, as new evidence from CCTV footage, cellphone tracking and pictures, disproves their assertions that they were arrested at a police checkpoint along Samora Machel Avenue. Further examination of the evidence established that after the illegal demonstration in Warren Park, the trio drove a silver Mercedes Benz Reg. No. AFE 9222, along Westwood Road which separates the suburbs of Westwood and Kambuzuma and turned into Kambuzuma Road, towards the Workington Industrial Area. They eventually got into Coventry Road before turning into Rotten Row Avenue. The car was being driven by Ms Mamombe. The evidence also shows that in the afternoon of the day of the alleged abduction, they drove to Fidelity Life Towers where the offices of the Zimbabwe Doctors for Human Rights owned Counselling Services Unit, are housed. The two organisations are rabid critics of Government. From Fidelity Life Towers, their movements were detected in the Kopje area where Ms Chimbiri detected her uncle and called him on her mobile phone and immediately made a U-turn and met the uncle at the corner of Rotten Row Avenue and Coventry Road. The uncle confirmed to investigators that he met the three female activists just before 2pm on the day of the alleged abduction. Afterwards, the three were noticed in the vicinity of Advocates Chambers housed at Old Mutual Building along Third Street, where MDC-Alliance leader Nelson Chamisas private offices are incidentally located. From Advocates Chambers, they are tracked to Baines Avenue and Sixth Street and then moments later, they are tracked to Golden Stairs Road in the Ashbrittle area before making a U-turn towards Belgravia. Just before 3pm, Ms Mamombe tells her lawyer, Jeremiah Bhamu via WhatsApp that she had been arrested. However, his efforts to locate her or ascertain how many people had been arrested were not responded to. Around 5.34pm of that day, Mr Bhamu then notified Ms Mamombe of his intention to make a missing person report. Mr Bhamu shared the messages with investigators. While Mamombe had told her lawyer that she had been arrested around 3pm, CCTV at Belgravia Shopping Centre shows the team arriving at around 4.45pm and parking at a food court with the registration of the vehicle clearly noticeable. Ms Chimbiri is still wearing the same clothes she had been pictured in earlier in the day. The three also display suspicious behaviour when they ordered their food from their car with a manager at the Food Court confirming they had told him pakaipa (meaning something is wrong) when he asked why they didnt want to get into the shop. They immediately left after their order had been delivered with the car only discovered at Harare Central Police Station on May 16. However, a manager at a nearby shop said the vehicle was not at the parking lot on May 14 and 15. Detectives discovered the trios cellphones in the car while an empty packet of a new cellphone was also found in the vehicle, raising suspicion that the new gadget could have been the one they were using for communicating. Evidence also showed that they used the new phone for their activities on the Internet. Medical checks done in the presence of independent doctors have cast doubts on allegations of physical and sexual abuse by the trio. Joe Biden said he does not want to be baited by Donald Trump (Patrick Semansky/AP) Joe Biden said he hopes to avoid being baited into a brawl when he takes on Donald Trump in presidential debates. The Democratic candidates comments to a virtual fundraiser give an idea of how he will tackle the first debate in Cleveland on September 29. Speaking about his aims, he said: I hope I dont take the bait. I hope I dont get baited into a brawl with this guy, because thats the only place hes comfortable. Mr Biden has previously said he plans to be a fact checker on the debate stage, and hold Mr Trump accountable for any misstatements or falsehoods. This is a guy who is absolutely tasteless. Completely tasteless. So pointing it out doesn't do much Joe Biden on Donald Trump But on Thursday night, Mr Biden said that people know what a liar his opponent is. This is a guy who is absolutely tasteless. Completely tasteless. So pointing it out doesnt do much, he said. But Mr Biden acknowledged that he expects the president to say awful things about me and my family during the debate to try to get a rise out of him and the debate is almost certain to feature clashes about the two candidates families. Expand Close Oldest US presidents at inauguration (PA Graphics) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Oldest US presidents at inauguration (PA Graphics) The Trump campaign in particular has targeted Mr Bidens son Hunter for his ties to Chinese and Ukranian companies, and Mr Biden has been angered about Mr Trumps reported comments calling fallen Marines suckers and losers, speaking about his son Beau, who served in the Delaware Army National Guard. Democrats often criticise Mr Trump for the use of his children in government positions and policy negotiations, as well as the financial benefit his familys business has seen from the presidency. While Mr Biden said he does not want to get baited by Mr Trump, he did express confidence that I know how to handle bullies. We need to restore honor and decency to the White House. Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) September 7, 2020 But Mr Biden suggested his strategy in the debate will be focused more on drawing a contrast with Mr Trump on competency and policy, and offering Americans an alternative to the Trump presidency. The place he is most uncomfortable is on the facts. The place hes most uncomfortable is in the area of what hes going to do. The place hes most uncomfortable is knowing the policy. Hes one of the most ill-informed presidents substantively that Ive ever worked with, Mr Biden said. He added: Everybody knows who Donald Trump is. I plan to tell them who I am. We attempted to send a notification to your email address but we were unable to verify that you provided a valid email address. Please click here to update your email address if you wish to receive notifications. Otherwise, you may click here to disable notifications and hide this message. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Sept. 11 Trend: Azerbaijani Foreign Minister, Jeyhun Bayramov, received the Ambassador of the Arab Republic of Egypt to the Republic of Azerbaijan, Adel Ibrahim on Sept. 11, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry told Trend. Bayramov noted the special importance of the relations between Azerbaijan and Egypt, and highly valued the existing relations between both countries in political, economic, cultural, and other areas. The cooperation and mutual support between the countries on bilateral and multilateral platforms were emphasized. Ambassador of Egypt Adel Ibrahim conveyed the sincere congratulations of Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Arab Republic of Egypt, Sameh Shoukry, to the attention of Bayramov and invited the Azerbaijani foreign minister to pay an official visit to Egypt. The sides exchanged the views about the realization of mutual visits between two states, the activity of the Intergovernmental Commission, the restoration of direct flights after the pandemic, and other issues. The sides also stressed that great potential exists for further enhancement of relations in the economic, trade, and tourism spheres. The Azerbaijani foreign minister informed the Egyptian ambassador about the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and its serious consequences, the continued aggression policy of Armenia, the recent military provocation by the Armed Forces of Armenia along the border, the illegal activities carried out by Armenia in the occupied Nagorno-Karabakh and other adjacent regions of the Republic of Azerbaijan, including illegal resettlement policy, which undermines the peaceful resolution of the conflict and return of the Azerbaijani IDPs to their native lands. The necessity of full and unconditional withdrawal of occupying forces of Armenia from all territories of Azerbaijan and the return of the IDPs to their native lands in accordance with the decisions and resolutions of the international community, including the Arab Republic of Egypt, in particular, the demands of the UN Security Councils resolutions were emphasized. Ambassador of Egypt in his turn expressed support of Egypt to the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan and noted that his country advocates the peaceful settlement of the conflict. The sides also exchanged views on the other issues of mutual interest at the meeting. "We do everything we can to make wraparound services available so our students can concentrate on earning their diploma," explained Shellie Hanes, area superintendent of Learn4Life , a network of nonprofit charter schools that offers a personalized, flexible program to help former dropouts and students who are falling behind. "Most of our teens do not have access to healthcare, so bringing this service on-site is a huge advantage to our students, especially our teen moms." Click to tweet: Access to healthcare is just as big a concern as receiving a quality education for rural and at-risk students. @Learn4Life in Fresno partners with @UnitedHealthCen to provide healthcare services at school, including no-cost COVID-19 tests. #ruraled This month United Health Centers (UHC) of the San Joaquin Valley will open a clinic adjacent to Learn4Life Fresno in Manchester Center, so students and their families can access healthcare, including physicals, immunizations, dental and vision. The clinic has committed to providing students and their families with licensed dental, medical and optometry screenings, behavioral health assessments, vaccinations, prenatal services and health education classes. A certified enrollment specialist can help enroll students and their families in Medi-Cal, Covered California and CalFresh. Free COVID-19 testing is available on site. The new United Health Center in Manchester Center is located at 1901 East Shields Avenue in Fresno and will be open weekdays from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. beginning on September 14. For more information, visit https://unitedhealthcenters.org/manchester. About Learn4Life Learn4Life is a network of nonprofit public schools that provides students personalized learning, career training and life skills. Each school is locally controlled, tuition free and gives students the flexibility and one-on-one attention they need to succeed. Serving more than 49,000 students including full-time and intersession students we help them prepare for a future beyond high school. For more information, please visit www.learn4life.org. MEDIA CONTACT Ann Abajian, Learn4Life (844) 515-8186 [email protected] SOURCE Learn4Life Related Links http://www.learn4life.org EAST ST. LOUIS An East St. Louis man has pleaded guilty to a charges related to the fatal shooting of Illinois State Police Trooper Nicholas Hopkins on Aug. 23, 2019. Al Stewart, Jr., 21, was sentenced Thursday to 51 months in federal prison for unlawful possession of a firearm while being a user of a controlled substance. Stewart pleaded guilty to the charges in June and has been in federal custody since his arrest in August 2019. He will serve a three-year term of supervised release following his imprisonment. Court documents state that, on Aug. 23, 2019, Stewart was living on the left side of an East St. Louis duplex next door to Christopher R. Grant when shots fired through Grants door killed Hopkins who was on the front porch preparing to execute a state search warrant against Grants apartment. During a subsequent search of both duplex apartments, state police crime scene investigators recovered nine firearms and several magazines of ammunition. In Stewarts apartment, they found a fully loaded Glock .40 caliber handgun with an extended magazine in a kitchen cabinet. In a post-arrest interview, Stewart said he was sleeping when he heard loud noises outside on Aug. 23, 2019. He told police he grabbed the gun and went to the front window, but put the gun back when he heard officers announce Illinois State Police. Stewart also admitted he was a regular user of cannabis. Grant, 47, was indicted in March by a federal grand jury on allegations that, among other offenses, Grant used a Glock Model 19, 9mm caliber pistol to commit murder in relation to a drug trafficking crime, causing the death of Hopkins. Grants case is still pending. Hopkins, of Waterloo, was 33 when he was killed. He is survived by his wife and three children. The investigation into Stewarts gun possession was conducted by the Illinois State Police and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The aunt of a grieving, young woman who was forced to miss her father's funeral said Queensland's strict coronavirus rules had caused the family a lot of distress. Sarah Caisip was barred from being allowed to leave her hotel quarantine in Brisbane to attend her father's funeral, despite living in Canberra which has had zero coronavirus cases since July 10. Instead of being able to grieve with her 11-year-old sister Isobel Prendergast and her mother Myrna Prendergast, the grieving 26-year-old daughter was instead only allowed to view her deceased father Bernard Prendergast if she wore personal protective equipment. The aunt of a grieving, young woman who was forced to miss her father's funeral said Queensland's strict coronavirus rules had caused the family a lot of distress. Pictured is Sarah Caisip alighting from a ute wearing personal protective equipment to view her father's body Ms Caisip's aunt, identified on Brisbane radio 4BC only as Jane, said her niece was traumatised at only being allowed to see father in a casket, as police and Army officers surrounded her, instead of grieving with her loved ones. 'That was pretty upsetting. It was quite distressing to see that,' she said. Aunty Jane said Ms Caisip's mother and younger sister were too upset to complain. 'She was really too upset to say very much at all and her Isobel was extremely distressed,' she said. Making matters more distressing, Ms Caisip was barred from talking to her young sister as she arrived at the Mount Gravatt cemetery - 20 minutes after the funeral had finished. Instead of being able to grieve with her 11-year-old sister Isobel Prendergast (left) and her mother Myrna Prendergast (right), the grieving 26-year-old daughter was instead only allowed to view her deceased father Bernard Prendergast if she wore personal protective equipment 'It was very upsetting for everybody,' Aunty Jane said. 'Sarah would not even have been able to do that. Sarah Caisip was barred from being allowed to leave her hotel quarantine in Brisbane to attend her father's funeral, despite living in Canberra which has had zero coronavirus cases since July 10 'It was under such distressing circumstances.' Queensland's Labor government refused to allow Ms Caispin see her father as he was dying of cancer. Mr Prendergast died on September 2, 2020, before his daughter could farewell him. Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk on Friday claimed she felt the pain of cases like Ms Caisip's - a day after telling Parliament her case was determined by the state's Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young. 'I feel these issues personally just like everybody else does,' Ms Palaszczuk said. 'I am human just like everyone else. These people are human beings as well. Who wouldn't be touched by these cases? They are heartbreaking.' Ms Palaszczuk has told Queensland's Legislative Assembly that Prime Minister Scott Morrison's call to her, pleading for Ms Caisip to be allowed to attend her father's funeral, amounted to bullying. Sharp divergences remained between India and China on the standoff along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) even after the two sides framed a five-point roadmap for easing tensions on the disputed border and speeding up the disengagement of troops. The two sides reached an agreement on the five points during talks between external affairs minister S Jaishankar and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on the margins of a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting in Moscow on Thursday night. The points include dialogue aimed at quick disengagement, maintaining proper distance between troops of the two sides and easing tensions, abiding by all agreements and protocols on border management, and working on new confidence-building measures once the situation eases. Also Read: How Jaishankar-Wangs 5-point consensus works out depends on one man | Analysis Wang was quoted by a Chinese foreign ministry statement as acknowledging that it is normal for two major neighbours such as India and China to have differences and that bilateral ties have come to a crossroads, though there is no challenge that cant be overcome if both sides keep moving in the right direction. These remarks marked a slight shift from Chinas stance in recent weeks, including during defence minister Rajnath Singhs meeting with his Chinese counterpart Wei Fenghe on September 4, of holding the Indian side entirely responsible for the standoff. Also Read: India-China joint statement stresses need for more confidence building In other areas, however, sharp differences persisted between the two sides, and experts noted that both countries hadnt made any mention of the restoration of the status quo on the LAC as it existed in April or set any timeframe for completing the disengagement and de-escalation. The Chinese foreign ministrys statement also said that the Indian side does not consider the development of India-China relations to be dependent on the settlement of the boundary question, but this was dismissed by people familiar with developments. The people, speaking on condition of anonymity, noted that Jaishankar had emphasised even before the meeting that the state of the border cannot be delinked from the state of the relationship, and that he had repeated this at the talks with Wang. Also Read: India, China agree on 5-point plan for resolving border standoff: Heres what you need to know During the meeting, Jaishankar made it clear recent incidents in eastern Ladakh had inevitably impacted the development of the bilateral relationship, said one of the people cited above. While the Indian side recognised that a solution to the boundary question required time and effort, it was clear the maintenance of peace and tranquillity in the border areas is essential to the forward development of ties, the person added. The people also challenged the Chinese statements assertion that the Indian side believes that Chinas policy toward India has not changed, saying the Chinese side is yet to provide a satisfactory explanation for the massing of troops and equipment in violation of all existing border agreements, which has created new flashpoints along the LAC. The Chinese statement cited Wang as outlining Chinas stern position on the situation and emphasising the need to immediately stop provocations such as firing and other dangerous actions and to move back all personnel and equipment that have trespassed. The people cited above reiterated that Indian troops hadnt crossed the LAC and it was the Chinese troops that had fired in the air during the latest face-off on September 7 on the south bank of Pangong Lake. We are committed to a resolution though peaceful dialogue but it is the Chinese side that has repeatedly resorted to aggressive military actions and posturing, a second person said. Former ambassador Vishnu Prakash is among those who remain sceptical about the Chinese sides intentions and willingness to deliver on the commitments made during Thursdays meeting. The India-China joint statement on border disengagement somehow doesnt inspire. The Chinese dont seem to have agreed to restore status quo ante. There are no timelines, he said. The understanding on quick disengagement is vague at best. It will be a miracle if these commitments are honoured, Prakash added. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Department of Environmental Conservation is investigating the cause of thick, black smoke that emanated Wednesday from the Sheridan Park crematory on Sheridan Drive in the Town of Tonawanda. The smoke, which lasted about an hour, drew the attention of town officials and residents who have long complained about the facility at the Amigone Funeral Home. The crematorium, which was in operation throughout the 1990s, was shut down in 2012 and reopened in 2018 with a new unit that was supposed to prevent odor, soot and noise. A statement from DEC spokesman Todd J. Pignataro said the agency responded immediately Wednesday to reports of black smoke from the facility that lasted about an hour. "DEC's investigation into the cause of the smoke is ongoing," the DEC statement provided by Pignataro said. "Additional information will be provided when it is available." Vincent Amigone Sr., CEO of Amigone Funeral Homes, declined Thursday to answer questions about the incident. Police and the Australian military patrol the banks of the Yarra River in Melbourne, Australia on July 23, 2020. (Robert Cianflone/Getty Images) 43 New Cases, 9 Deaths Recorded in Victoria Victoria has reported 43 more COVID-19 cases and nine deaths, taking the national toll to 797. The number of fresh diagnoses recorded in the 24 hours to the morning of Sept 11 maintains the states lowering infection rate and assists the vital 14-day average. Victoria has recorded 710 coronavirus deaths since the start of the pandemic. Despite the ongoing spread, there has been good news for regional Victoria this week, with just 72 active cases and its fortnightly daily average sitting at 4.5. The number have prompted Premier Daniel Andrews to point to the easing of regional restrictions by late next week. Regional Victoria are quite close to being able to take perhaps not just one step, but two, he said. The premier, meanwhile, is refusing to budge on Melbournes lockdown curfew despite a second senior official distancing himself from the controversial measure. Victorias police boss Shane Patton revealed the force never requested the introduction of the curfew, two days after chief health officer Brett Sutton said it wasnt his recommendation. The government is already under fire for its botched hotel quarantine program and much-maligned contact tracing efforts, while the newly announced COVID-19 roadmap has also sharply divided opinion. A new survey, published on Sept 10, found Andrews satisfaction rating among health workers has plummeted since the second wave hit. The survey conducted by TKW Research found just 58 percent of 300 frontline health workers were satisfied with his handling of the pandemic, down from 86 percent in April. Melbourne ISLAMABAD -- Protests were held in Islamabad and other cities across Pakistan amid national outrage over the alleged gang rape of a woman in front of her children. Dozens of women affiliated with the womens wing of the Jamaat-e-Islami political party gathered in front of the National Press Club building in the capital on September 11, chanting slogans calling for the execution of rapists. Rape is not punishable by the death penalty under Pakistani law. Pakistani authorities say they have detained 14 people for questioning after two armed men allegedly gang-raped a woman in front of her children after her car stalled on a highway. In the incident near the eastern city of Lahore on the night of September 9, two armed men allegedly gang-raped the woman after her car ran out of fuel on the Lahore-Sialkot motorway. The assailants also stole cash and jewelry from the mother before fleeing the scene, police said. Authorities say they have detained 14 suspects for questioning and conducted DNA tests of seven suspects. News of the assault immediately drew widespread condemnation on social media, including from officials and politicians. Anger only grew after Lahore police chief Umar Sheikh seemed to blame the victim, a Pakistani citizen said to be a resident of France, because she was driving at night without a male companion. Sheikh told the media that no one in Pakistani society would "allow their sisters and daughters to travel alone so late. The officer went on to say that the woman probably "mistook that Pakistani society is just as safe" as France. The police chief also said that the victim should have opted for a less deserted road, and that she ought to have checked the level of fuel in her car. The comments prompted calls for his removal among politicians, rights activists, and others. Describing the remarks as unacceptable, Human Rights Minister Shireen Mazari tweeted: "Nothing can ever rationalize the crime of rape. That's it." Sheikhs office said his comments had been misunderstood. He said that the woman left her house with her children thinking Pakistan was France. Because in France, there is writ of state, there are moral values, citizens are provided protection, there is rule of law, the statement said. Gang rape is relatively rare in Pakistan, although sexual harassment and violence against women is not uncommon. Hundreds of women are killed every year in Pakistan in so-called honor killings for violating conservative Pakistani traditions on love, marriage, and public behavior. With reporting by AFP and AP SCHAUMBURG, Ill., Sept. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Voting members of Emergency Nurses Association selected Jennifer Schmitz, MSN, EMT-P, CEN, CPEN, CNML, FNP-C, NE-BC, as the association's 2021 president-elect. Schmitz, of Cape Elizabeth, Maine, has deep roots in emergency health care that stem from becoming an EMT at the age of 16. Today, with 20 years of emergency nursing experience, she is the Interim Chief Nursing Officer for Southern Maine Health Care. Schmitz is currently in the final year of her three-year term on the ENA Board of Directors. "Being elected into the president-elect position is one of the greatest honors of my career thus far. I am grateful to have been selected by the members to lead the organization as we continue to advance emergency nursing. I am looking forward to our future and what we will accomplish together," said Schmitz. Following her year as president-elect, Schmitz will serve as ENA president in 2022. Voters in the 2020 ENA National Election also made their selections for a new secretary/treasurer, and to fill seats on the ENA board and Nominations and Elections Committee. Secretary/Treasurer: Terry Foster , MSN, RN, CEN, CPEN, CCRN, TCRN, FAEN, of Kentucky Board of Directors: Steven Jewell , BSN, RN, CEN, CPEN, of Texas , BSN, RN, CEN, CPEN, of Dustin Bass , MHA, BSN, RN, CEN, NE-BC, of Nevada , MHA, BSN, RN, CEN, NE-BC, of Cheryl Randolph , MSN, RN, CEN, CPEN, CCRN, FNP-BC, TCRN, FAEN, of California Additionally, voters selected three members for the Nominations and Elections Committee. Region 1 Tami Wheeldon , BSN, RN, CEN, of Washington , BSN, RN, CEN, of Region 3 Benjamin Coe , PhD, RN, CEN, CPEN, NHDP-BC, NREMT-P, PCCN, TCRN, of Missouri , PhD, RN, CEN, CPEN, NHDP-BC, NREMT-P, PCCN, TCRN, of Region 5 Dawn MacMullen, RN , CEN, of New York About the Emergency Nurses Association The Emergency Nurses Association is the premier professional nursing association dedicated to defining the future of emergency nursing through advocacy, education, research, innovation, and leadership. Founded in 1970, ENA has proven to be an indispensable resource to the global emergency nursing community. With nearly 50,000 members worldwide, ENA advocates for patient safety, develops industry-leading practice standards and guidelines, and guides emergency healthcare public policy. ENA members have expertise in triage, patient care, disaster preparedness, and all aspects of emergency care. Additional information is available at www.ena.org. ENA Media Contact: Dan Campana Senior Manager, PR & Communications 847-460-4017 [email protected] SOURCE Emergency Nurses Association Related Links http://www.ena.org Mother and baby mountain gorilla in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Credit: Juan Pablo Moreiras/FFI The birth of five baby mountain gorillas within the space of just a few weeks in Uganda's Bwindi Impenetrable National Park has temporarily lifted the gloom that descended on the region earlier this year. The arrival of this latest quintet is music to the ears of everyone involved in their conservation. As recently as July, we were lamenting the fact that mountain gorillasand, in particular, the Ugandan population of these magnificent great apeshad suffered a series of setbacks. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the enforced suspension of gorilla visits in all three range states had led to tourist income drying up, threatening the livelihoods of the communities in whose hands the fate of the gorillas ultimately lies. Park authorities in all three range states were struggling to pay the wages of the rangers who dedicate their lives to protecting the gorillas and their forest habitat. As if that wasn't enough, both mountain gorilla populations in Uganda had been hit by separate, but equally tragic, accidents. In early February, three adult gorillasincluding a pregnant femaleand a male infant died after being struck by lightning in Mgahinga National Park, the Ugandan section of the vast Virunga Massif where Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo converge. The Uganda Wildlife Authority had scarcely had time to recover from the trauma of discovering those four corpses when it was left reeling from another devastating blow. Rafiki, one of Bwindi's renowned and revered silverbacks, was mortally wounded by a spear after a confrontation with a group of poachers. In the absence of other livelihood alternatives due to the economic shutdown, they had evidently entered the park illegally in order to lay snares for bushmeat. An eleven-year sentence for the perpetrator is no consolation for the loss of Rafiki. This fatal encounter was a graphic illustration of how COVID-19 can catalyze chain reactions that lead ultimately to biodiversity loss, threatening the future of species that were already teetering on the brink of extinction before the pandemic struck. After this recent catalog of disasters for Uganda's gorillas, it is refreshing to bring glad tidings to the outside world. In total, seven babies have been born in Bwindi since January this year, more than double the number recorded for the whole of 2019. There is also hope on the horizon in the shape of news that the becalmed tourist industry may soon have the wind in its sails once more. Small groups of visitors are now being admitted into protected areas under strictly enforced conditions that include compulsory use of face masks and strict observation of social distancing rules. Given the similarity of human and gorilla genetic make-up, which renders these great apes potentially vulnerable to human-borne viruses, the revival of tourist activity poses inevitable risks. Responsible behavior, in line with the Gorilla-friendly Pledge, will be essential in ensuring the safety of mountain gorillas, not only in Uganda but throughout their range. The New Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) has devised an elaborate plan involving a special 40-member team to sanitise Parliament before and during the monsoon session, which begins next week in the backdrop of a recent spike in coronavirus disease (Covid-19) cases in the Capital, officials said on Friday. Deep cleaning of Parliament whenever there is an adjournment, and regular sanitisation of the entire complex, are two highlights of the plan, according to the officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity. They pointed out that the first phase of the sanitisation drive has already begun in and around the complex and that it will be completed in the next two days. Officials also said NDMC, along with the Union health ministry and the New Delhi district administration, is conducting Covid-19 tests on parliamentary staff at 10 centres in the complex. The monsoon session will convene on September 14 and continue till October 1. According to a senior NDMC official, the special team will carry out sanitisation drives three times on a typical work day while the House is in session before the sitting every morning, during breaks, and when the session is adjourned for the day. We will also ensure deep sanitisation every time the session is adjourned on any issue. Sanitiser dispensing machines have been installed on the premises. We dont want to take any chances as the session is being conducted amid the pandemic, the official said. He said extra staff will be on standby to ensure there is no laxity in sanitisation, testing and cleanliness. This official added that the team it will be deployed in addition to the staff deployed for usual cleanliness work in the complex has been divided into two groups of 20 workers each. One group will ensure deep cleaning and sanitisation inside Parliament House, while the other will take care of the areas outside such as corridors, offices of ministers and staff rooms, among other places, the official said. In normal circumstances, the civic body carries out cleaning exercises and drives against mosquitoes in the complex before any session, another senior NDMC official said. But this year, there are additional responsibilities of testing and thorough daily sanitisation in the wake of the pandemic, he added. We are dedicated to ensuring a safe session of Parliament. Thorough sanitisation exercises will be conducted. However, we will be doing it for the first time on such a large scale. At this point, we will not be able to tell the exact time needed to conduct the daily exercises, the second official said. A third official, who is from NDMCs public health department, said the civic agency has been conducting Covid-19 testing for Parliament officials and staff since September 5. Our testing process is underway at 10 testing centres set up in the Parliament complex at different locations...With the House commencing on Monday, the number of testing centres will be increased. Covid-19 testing counters will be opened at all entry gates of parliament building premises, the official said. PK Sharma, former head of NDMCs public health department, said: It is good that thorough sanitisation exercises and testing will be done, as nearly 1,000 people are expected to be on the premises...Along with precautionary measures by concerned agencies, public cooperation and strict enforcement of guidelines are key to controlling the spread of the virus. The additional safety steps come at a time when Parliament is preparing to hold the session under the shadow of the coronavirus. Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha authorities are focusing on every detail to ensure the safety of lawmakers and workers during the 18-day session. Doorstep Covid-19 tests for MPs, the freedom to deliver a speech in the House while seated, options to undergo real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test at their constituency before heading to Delhi, and one-way movement in the Central Hall and key corridors are some of the new measures the House will adopt. Visitors and media persons will not be allowed access to areas including the Central Hall during the upcoming session. Media, however, will be allowed to cover the session from press gallery. There will be no question hour. People pass a sign for JPMorgan Chase & Co. at its headquarters in Manhattan in New York City on Oct. 2, 2012. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images) Trump Praises JP Morgan Chase for Telling Workers to Return to Office President Donald Trump praised investment bank JPMorgan Chase for urging its employees to return to the office from remote working arrangements implemented to reduce potential exposure of staff to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) virus. Congratulations to JPMorgan Chase for ordering everyone BACK TO OFFICE on September 21st. Will always be better than working from home! Trump said in a tweet. The Wall Street Journal on Sept. 10 broke the news that the bank, one of Wall Streets biggest employers, had called its sales and trading staff back to the office by Sept. 21. Exempted from having to work in-office are employees with child-care issues and medical conditions that make them more vulnerable to the CCP virus, according to the report. JPMorgan, which is headquartered in Manhattan, sent its workers home in March, along with rest of Wall Street, as the pandemic surged in New York City, shuttering businesses and prompting stay-at-home orders. After nearly three months of lockdowns, the city began to reopen in June, with an indoor dining ban at restaurants being the longest to remain in force. Gov. Andrew Cuomo said on Sept. 9 that New York City restaurants will be allowed to resume indoor dining on Sept. 30, although under a restrictive set of rules. Strict restrictions will be in place, Cuomo said in a tweet, detailing the constraints. Restaurants will be limited to 25 percent capacity, all customers will have to submit to a temperature check at the door and wear masks when not seated at a table, which must be arranged at least six feet apart. Also, one member of each party will have to give contact tracing information. There will be no bar service, and restaurants must close by midnight while being held to more stringent air filtration and purification standards. Trumps praise for the Wall Street investment bank comes amid a broader White House initiative to encourage businesses and schools to resume activity safely. We believe many school districts can now reopen safely, provided they implement mitigation measures and health protocols to protect families, protect teachers, and to protect students, Trump said in a statement in mid-August. The White House said the unintended consequences of keeping schools closed could cause long-term harm to childrens education and hinder economic recovery. Reinforcing the detrimental impact of school lockdowns on the economy, an intergovernmental agency that works to stimulate economic development recently warned that pandemic-related disruption to schools could cost Americas economy around $15 trillion in lost output over the remainder of the century. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) said in a report (pdf) that, provided it can be done safely, reopening educational facilities will have a positive impact on economic output. Reopening schools and universities will bring unquestionable benefits to students and the wider economy. In addition, reopening schools will bring economic benefits to families by enabling some parents to return to work, the study authors wrote. The agency warned, however, that if schools are slow to revert to previous levels of performance, the education-related detrimental impact of the pandemic on the economy could be even more costly. A federal court ruled Thursday against President Donald Trumps plan to exclude undocumented immigrants from the process that decides how many representatives each state sends to Congress. Although the U.S. Constitution says the number of Congressional representatives is based on the whole number of persons in each State, Trump wrote in a July memorandum that he could define what a whole person was to punish states that hobble Federal efforts to enforce the immigration laws. That memorandum was an unlawful exercise of the authority granted to the President, wrote all three U.S. District Court judges in the Southern District of New York. The judges also blocked federal officials from making any attempt to follow the order. New Jersey and a coalition of other states had sued to block the plan. The federal governments census is ongoing, and its final numbers will determine billions in federal funding and the number of Congressional representatives each state gets for a decade. A Census of all persons residing in the United States is a cornerstone of American democracy," state Attorney General Gurbir Grewal said in a statement. "For years, the Trump administration has been trying to tamper with the count. Weve defeated those efforts in court before, and today we scored another victory by blocking the latest attempt to undercount the populations of diverse states like New Jersey. A Trump spokeswoman did not immediately respond to a request for comment, or say if they planned to appeal. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Blake Nelson can be reached at bnelson@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @BCunninghamN. Have a tip? Tell us: nj.com/tips. From the team that brought you Forgotten, Underneath and the Olivier Award-winning Silent, Before is a new play with much music, set in Clerys of Dublin, on the very day this iconic department store shuts - for good. Pontius is inside, trying to choose a gift for his estranged daughter, whom he hasnt seen for almost 20 years. He will meet her in an hour. This fathers journey is both beautiful and strange, from the isolation of his Midlands home, to the madness of OConnell Street. Some folk are impossible to buy for In 2006, Fishamble: The New Play Company produced Pat Kinevane first solo play, Forgotten and together they started a remarkable journey which would see them create an outstanding trilogy of work which has already been critically acclaimed both in Ireland and across the world. Forgotten was followed in 2011 by a second play, Silent (which won the team an Olivier award) and by Underneath in 2014, all three written and performed by Pat Kinevane and directed by Jim Culleton. Now the team has reunited to bring this new work to the stage. Once again produced by Fishamble, written and performed by Pat Kinevane and directed by Jim Culleton, comes to the Watergate stage on September 24 and 25. Before was commissioned by Fishamble and has been in development with the support of the Arts Council, National Theatre Studio (London), Pavilion Theatre, the RTE Concert Orchestra, and The Strollers Touring Network. Pat Kinevane is a native of Cobh, Co. Cork. He has worked as an actor in theatre, film, television and radio for 29 years. In 2016 Pat won a Laurence Olivier Award in London for his Outstanding Achievement as an actor and a wrtier. This prestigous award was shared with Fishamble and Jim Culleton who have been integral to the production and direction of Pats three solo shows. First As a writer he completed his first full length play The Nuns Wood in 1997 which won a BBC Stewart Parker Trust Award and was produced by Fishamble. Fishamble then produced his second play The Plains of Enna (Dublin Theatre Festival 1999). Pat wrote The Death of Herod for Mysteries 2000 at the SFX. In 2008 his piece Evangeline Elsewhere premiered in New York in the First Irish Festival. Pat has been touring since 2006 with his three solo pieces Forgotten (Irish Times Theatre Award Nominee), Silent (Scotsman Fringe First, Herald Angel and Brighton Argus Angel Award) and Underneath (Scotsman Fringe First and Adelaide Fringe Awards) all produced by Fishamble. Fishamble: The New Play Company is an Olivier Award-winning, internationally acclaimed Irish theatre company, dedicated to the discovery, development and production of new work. This year the company celebrates 30 years of new plays in Ireland through its many productions and extensive development programme. Fishamble is at the heart of new writing for theatre in Ireland, typically supporting 60% of the writers of all new plays produced on the island of Ireland every year and has told the story of Ireland over 30 years through daring new plays and award-winning productions. Port Kingstown as it is today, has been assessed as being inadequate to serve SVGs expanding commerce and trade. They may have agreed that the project is a necessity, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is warning that it could put a strain on public finances. "The cost of building a new port, however, is quite large for a small economy like St. Vincent and the Grenadines, amounting to nearly 21% of GDP. The new port will boost construction demand but also put heavy pressure on public finances, the IMF said in a May 2020 report. The report continued: "The main growth channel is through the employment of unskilled labour, and the impact from capital inputs is limited as these will mostly be imported. The long term growth impact of the port would hinge on the authorities effort to strengthen St. Vincent and the Grenadines competitiveness, and foster private sector activity. The IMF report also cited that "In the absence of this investment (private sector), should there be structural failure at the existing port, significant negative economic impacts would ensue. The project, a significant module of the Governments vision, which will result in the modernization and expansion of Port Kingstown, is already taking shape, with government having identified an area Lowmans Leeward - for the construction of 47 housing units to cater to those families, who will be displaced from the Rose Place community, in order to accommodate the project. In fact, the process began some time ago with the removal of vendors from the sea wall in the area of Little Tokyo. Actual construction was originally scheduled to commence in 2020, but this has been postponed to 2021. Construction is expected to be complete by 2024. The Kingstown Port Expansion and Modernisation Project has already received commitments of funding as follows: a US$110 million loan from the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB); approximately US$32 million from the CDB-administered United Kingdom Infrastructure Fund; and a $US43 million input by the Government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. For its part, the CDB is on record as saying that investment in port modernization in St. Vincent and the Grenadines will boost the efficiency of cargo service, revitalize Kingstown, and enhance the business environment while expanding employment opportunities and reduce poverty. | By Alex Likowski Art can be defined in so many ways and mean so many different things to the creator and to those who experience the creation. We can be touched, transported, or brought to tears. We can be inspired, soothed, or enraged. The main thing, according to the late 19th- and early 20th-century French sculptor Auguste Rodin, is to be moved, to love, to hope, to tremble, to live. Today our lives, constricted by COVID-19 these last six months, have reflected just a little of the unseen terror of past pandemics. The plagues of Europe and the Middle East were mostly seen through a lens of religion and morality. Think of the frightening visions of Pieter Bruegel the Elders The Triumph of Death in the 16th century or Nicolas Poussins The Plague of Ashdod in the 17th. Or Egon Schieles The Family, painted during the Spanish flu 100 years ago. Destiny by Roosevelt Hammett, and A Tree and a Leaf by Oksana Mishler. This pandemic at this time is clearly viewed differently. We understand more about whats happening and why. But it has evoked many of the same themes about the fragility of life, our interdependence, and the almost divine sacrifices of caregivers. Unfortunately, the people we expect to help us navigate those questions, our artists, have been some of the most severely impacted. A Brookings Institution study found that between April and July of this year about 2.7 million jobs and more than $150 billion in sales of goods and services for creative industries nationwide were lost mostly in the fine and performing arts. And professional artists are not typically known for having big bank accounts to help them weather the storm. Of course, some artists do feel more energized and focused in lockdown. A Washington Post online call for art this summer brought in 650 entrants, including some darkly humorous pieces like a social distancing park bench, a digital rendering of a masked woman perfuming herself with something labeled leau de bleach, and a face mask with a stimulus check printed on it. Toronto artist Gary Taxali went so far as to tell CNN that staying in and getting lost in making art is pure bliss. Many others have adapted to the new order of things. Google Arts and Culture can take you to hundreds of museums around the world. The National Symphony Orchestra website is one of many that offers thousands of video performances in its library. And local efforts, like the University of Maryland, Baltimores (UMB) own art and literary journal, 1807, give amateur artists new opportunities to express themselves and engage their communities. On the Sept. 10, 2020, edition of Virtual Face to Face with Dr. Bruce Jarrell, host Bruce E. Jarrell, MD, FACS, president of UMB, spoke with three contributors to 1807. Oksana Mishler, RDH, DHSc, clinical assistant professor at the University of Maryland School of Dentistry and a member of the UMB Council for the Arts & Culture; Erin Hagar, MA, MFA, senior instructional designer, Faculty Center for Teaching and Learning, also a member of the UMB Council for the Arts & Culture; and Roosevelt Hammett, officer with the UMB Police Department. Setting the tone for the discussion, Jarrell presented a recent discussion with the honorary chair of the UMB Council for the Arts & Culture, Maryland First Lady Yumi Hogan, MFA. Hogan is an artist, adjunct faculty member at the Maryland Institute College of Art, and a contributor to 1807. Watch the discussion by accessing the video link at the top of the page. Wan-Ifra Women in News name 2020 Editorial Leadership Award Laureate for Africa Wan-Ifra Women in News has named Mary Mbewe as the 2020 WIN Editorial Leadership Award Laureate for Africa. Mbewe, who is currently the executive editor of the Daily Nation in Zambia, has over 30 years' experience in the media industry and has invested herself in training and developing of journalists starting their careers. The Women in News Editorial Leadership Award is awarded to one outstanding woman editor in the Sub-Saharan Africa Region and in the Arab Region annually and previous winners include Toyosi Ogunseye, head of West Africa for BBC in Nigeria (2014) and Pamella Sittoni, executive editor at The Daily Nation in Kenya. SAO PAULO (Reuters) - Brazilian authorities blocked assets worth 230 million reais ($43 million) as part of a probe into drug trafficking and money laundering in two countries, according to a statement from Brazil's federal police on Friday. Some 42 properties, two farm estates, 75 vehicles, boats and aircraft were being seized in Brazil, police said. In Paraguay, 10 properties valued about 150 million reais (21.98 million pounds) were being blocked as part of the investigation. "Operation Status," as the probe is being called, involves cooperation between Brazilian and Paraguayan police. On Friday, police began serving arrest and search warrants in Brazil and Paraguay, the statement said. The blocking of the assets and the arrest and search warrants were granted by a federal court in Campo Grande, capital of Mato Grosso do Sul state, the statement said. (Reporting by Ana Mano; Editing by Alex Richardson and Steve Orlofsky) A worker at the Aunt Bessie's factory in Hull, which employs around 400 people. (BMP Media/Reach) An outbreak of coronavirus has been confirmed at one of the UKs biggest Yorkshire pudding factories. Bosses at the Aunt Bessies facility in Hull said a small number of workers had tested positive, with one understood to be seriously ill. The unwell employee was hospitalised and a second is recovering at home, the company said. Both workers are believed to have displayed COVID-19 symptoms and had tests before going into isolation. The firm then conducted a deep clean of its site on Hulls Brighton Street industrial estate. Watch: Yahoo UKs Health Editor, Alexander Thompson explain how coronavirus is treated Aunt Bessies, famed for its Yorkshire puddings and desserts, said they have "followed and gone beyond the guidance" set out by public health bodies. Read more: Cambridge University offers weekly COVID-19 tests to all students living on campus The company, which is thought to employ around 400 people, has also implemented its own track and trace procedure to identify anyone who may have come into contact with the infected workers. It is understood that the first employee told bosses that they were feeling unwell last Thursday - the day before the second began showing symptoms. The news also led the Government's track and trace team to get to work speaking to the employees. The factory is located on an industrial estate in Hull. (BPM Media/Reach) A spokesperson for Aunt Bessies said: "We continue to follow the guidance of national health authorities very strictly. "Currently, our Aunt Bessies factory has a small number of coronavirus cases, but PHE has repeatedly complimented us on our social distancing measures and our proactive approach to ensuring that our colleagues are safe and well. Read more: COVID marshals: What are coronavirus compliance officers and what will they do? "The health and welfare of our employees is our number one priority. "We acted early and decisively in March to implement new procedures and have strict protocols at all of our sites, including our Hull Aunt Bessies factory, to reduce the risk of coronavirus spreading amongst our employees." Story continues The statement adds: "Our production facilities have always been regularly sanitised, and we introduced additional sanitisation and facility cleans in early March. The firm said they had gone 'above and beyond' national guidance on coronavirus. (BMP Media/Reach) Coronavirus: what happened today Click here to sign up to the latest news and information with our daily Catch-up newsletter "Other measures in place at our Aunt Bessies facility include floorspace segregation, the use of thermal infrared cameras to detect signs of high temperature, use of Perspex barriers in some areas and mandatory wearing of face masks. Hull City Council has confirmed its involvement with dealing with the outbreak, stating the risk to the public is "very low". According to the most recent data published by Public Health England, Hull has a rate of 10.8 coronavirus cases per 100,000 people, putting it well down the list of local authorities suffering most from the virus. Hull had 28 new cases of coronavirus in the last seven days, according to the data. No. 11 NC State Baseball Makes a Quick Turnaround to Host UNC Greensboro Tuesday No. 11 NC State baseball (2-0) is set to make a quick turnaround Tuesday when it hosts in-state opponent UNCG (2-1) at Doak Field at Dail Park for its first midweek contest of the season. First pitch is set for 3 p.m., and the game will be broadcast on the ACC Network Extra. Talks come amid intensive diplomatic engagement between key economies President Xi Jinping will meet via video link on Monday with European Council President Charles Michel, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, the rotating chair of the regional bloc, the Foreign Ministry announced on Wednesday. The meeting comes amid intensive diplomatic engagement between China and the EU countries amid the COVID-19 pandemic and global economic recession due to the impact of the outbreak. Xi had a video talk with the first two EU leaders in June, when they and Premier Li Keqiang co-chaired the 22nd China-EU leaders' meeting via video link. That was the first talk between Xi and the two new EU leaders, who assumed their posts in December. He also had several telephone talks with Merkel after the COVID-19 outbreak this year. State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi concluded his five-nation European tour on Sept 1, which took him to Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, France and Germany. Yang Jiechi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee, also visited Spain and Greece last week. Analysts said the upcoming meeting is significant not only for the China-EU relationship, but will also help boost international confidence in post-pandemic recovery amid mounting tensions between China and the United States. In a speech delivered at the French Institute of International Relations on Aug 30, Wang said despite the difference in social systems, China and the EU are meant to be comprehensive strategic partners, not systemic rivals. He called for building a partnership between China and the EU in investment, green and digital economies, multilateral affairs and countering the pandemic. China and the EU both advocate multilateralism and are committed to safeguarding the United Nations-centered international system, the international order underpinned by international law, and the World Trade Organization-centered multilateral trading system, officials said. During the 8th China-EU High-Level Trade and Economic Dialogue held via video link at the end of July, both sides recognized major progress made in their negotiations on a bilateral Comprehensive Agreement on Investment. They committed to concluding the negotiations and reaching a high-level agreement within the year. Yao Ling, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Cooperation, said the positive results of the dialogue demonstrated the common responsibility of China and the EU as significant economies and the major driving forces of economic globalization to create a margin of hope for a global economy impacted by the pandemic as well as unilateralism and protectionism. This year marks the 45th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and the EU. Due to COVID-19, a series of planned events have had to be rescheduled. A summit of China and EU countries planned for September in Leipzig, Germany, will be held later. A summit between China and Central and Eastern European countries set for the first half of the year in China was also postponed. Observers said the global pandemic has become a catalyst for China and the EU to reshape their relationship, and the huge interests they share will bolster their cooperation in the post-pandemic era. The EU was China's biggest trading partner from 2004 to 2019. In the first half of 2020, it became the second largest after the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. Wang said in his speech in France that over the 45 years, "an important experience we have gained is: China and the EU are entirely able to enhance trust through dialogues on an equal footing, achieve win-win outcomes through mutually beneficial cooperation, properly address differences through constructive communications and jointly tackle global challenges through stronger coordination". Russian Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Minister of External Affairs of India Subrahmanyam Jaishankar pose for a photo during Meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation in Moscow, Russia on September 10, 2020. SINGAPORE India and China issued a joint statement over an ongoing border dispute in the Himalayas, calling for dialogue and disengagement to ease tensions between the nuclear-armed rivals. It came after foreign ministers from both countries met at the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation meeting in Moscow on Thursday. Discussions were "frank" and "constructive" between India's Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and China's foreign minister, Wang Yi, according to the Indian external affairs ministry. "The two Foreign Ministers agreed that the current situation in the border areas is not in the interest of either side. They agreed therefore that the border troops of both sides should continue their dialogue, quickly disengage, maintain proper distance and ease tensions," the statement said. It added that the countries agreed to abide by existing agreements and protocols on China-India boundary affairs and avoid actions that could escalate tensions. "The two sides also agreed to continue to have dialogue and communication through the Special Representative mechanism on the India-China boundary question," the statement said. Troops on both sides have been engaged in a border dispute since May and in June, a fatal clash killed 20 Indian soldiers. China did not disclose if its troops had suffered any casualties. Earlier this week, New Delhi and Beijing accused each other of firing in the air during renewed confrontation at the unmarked border where opposing soldiers are positioned in close proximity. Firearms are limited in the border areas under a previous agreement, which experts said highlighted the seriousness of this week's confrontation. Political opportunist: I was watching Kamala Harris on TV last night. She was talking about growing up in Berkley. I grew up in the San Francisco Bay area. Berkley is one of the wealthiest, if not the wealthiest (town) in the Bay area. While she was going to school in Berkeley, my sister and I were going to school four miles away in Oakland. She shouldve gone to school in Oakland and experienced what we experienced. Also, her dad is from Jamaica. What does he know about the black experience in America? Hes not a descendant of slaves. What we see is Kamala Harris is a political opportunist and always has been. Thunder Bay, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - September 10, 2020) - White Metal Resources Corp. (TSXV: WHM) ("White Metal" or the "Company") announces that it has signed a binding letter of intent ("LOI") with 1259542 B.C. Ltd (the "Optionee"), to enter into an Option Agreement (the "Agreement") in respect of its 100% owned Startrek Gold-Antimony property (the "Property"), located about 20 km east of Gander, Central Newfoundland (the "Option"). Under the terms of the LOI, the Optionee can earn up to a 70% interest in the Property by: Paying $25,000 and issuing 133,333 common shares of the Optionee to White Metal within three days of receipt of TSX Venture Exchange (the "Exchange") approval of the Option transaction; Completing $150,000 of exploration expenditures on the Property on or before the first anniversary of execution of the Agreement; Paying $50,000 and issuing 300,000 common shares to White Metal on or before the first anniversary of execution of the Agreement; Completing an additional $250,000 of exploration expenditures on the Property on or before the second anniversary of execution of the Agreement; Paying $75,000 and issuing 433,333 common shares to White Metal on or before the second anniversary of execution of the Agreement; and Completing an additional $500,000 of exploration expenditures on the Property on or before the third anniversary of execution of the Agreement. Commented Michael Stares, President and CEO of White Metal, "We are extremely pleased to have found a partner to advance the Startrek Gold Property in an area of Newfoundland which has recently seen a lot of activity in gold exploration. This Option fits into the Company's strategic plan to find partners to advance our projects while maintaining an interest, as we did with the Seagull Lake PGE Project (see news release dated 21 February 2020) and the Far Lake Cu Property (see news release dated 20 May 2020)." Story continues In addition, the Company announces that it has received Exchange approval for the agreement with the Vendor of the Startrek Gold Property, Sokoman Minerals Corp. ("Sokoman"), pursuant to which White Metal has now earned a 100% ownership interest in the Property by paying Sokoman 750,000 shares to complete the option agreement in full. The Company has also reached an agreement with Sokoman whereby it will have the first right of refusal on 1% of the 2% Net Smelter Return Royalty which is owned by the original Startrek Gold Property vendor, by paying to Sokoman $175,000 and issuing that amount of shares equaling $250,000. Finally, further to the Company's news release of August 17, 2020, the Company has received Exchange approval to pay an additional cash finder's fee of $4,809 and issue 80,700 broker warrants, each broker warrant being exercisable at $0.10 for 24 months from the date of issuance. Technical information in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Dr. Scott Jobin-Bevans (P.Geo.), Vice President Exploration and a Director of White Metal, who is a Qualified Person under the definitions established by the National Instrument 43-101. White Metal Resources Corp. (TSXV: WHM) is a junior exploration company exploring for precious metals and base metals in Canada and Namibia. For more information you can visit the company's Web Page at www.whitemetalres.com. On behalf of the Board of Directors of White Metal Resources Corp. "Michael Stares" Michael Stares, Director For further information contact: Michael Stares 684 Squier Street Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada, P7B 4A8 Phone: (807) 628-7836 Fax: (807) 475-7200 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 news release contains forward-looking statements 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 news release 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. The reader is cautioned that assumptions used in the preparation of any forward-looking information may prove to be incorrect. Events or circumstances may cause actual results to differ materially from those predicted, as a result of numerous known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of the Company. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking information. Such information, although considered reasonable by management at the time of preparation, may prove to be incorrect and actual results may differ materially from those anticipated. Forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date of this news release and the Company will update or revise publicly the included forward-looking statements only as expressly required by applicable law. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/63533 It was the deadliest foreign attack on American soil, with the nearly 3,000 people killed as terrorists commandeered aircraft that would crash into the twin towers in New York City, the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., and a field in Shanksville in western Pennsylvania. Nineteen years after the 9/11 attacks, Phillipsburg on Friday hosted one of several commemorations planned across the Lehigh Valley. The service opened with a bell tolling nine times, followed by 11 peals at the close. The Rev. Bill Slack read a timeline of attacks. Speaker town Councilman Harry Wyant Jr. was mayor in 2001 and like most of us who were alive at the time, as current Mayor Todd Tersigni observed, remembers exactly where he was and what he was doing. Wyant was sitting in his office, going over expenses, when he got word a plane had crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center. His first thought was: what a horrific accident, an initial misunderstanding that would be resolved when a second plane slammed into the South Tower 17 minutes later. We didnt know where it was going to happen next, Wyant said during Fridays memorial service in Shappell Park. We didnt know whether we were safe here in Phillipsburg. Council President Randy Piazza Jr. said its difficult to remember life before the attacks altered everyday routines and before the selfless acts of heroism and sacrifice of those who responded. Before we witnessed and in some cases experienced unimaginable loss, he said. As the years pass us by, we become more removed from the experience that changed us all. For future generations, there is no before. Our way of life was altered so drastically for us, it is now commonplace for them. Piazza echoed the words repeated on every anniversary of that Tuesday, a cloudless late-summer day across the region: Never forget. We dont want to forget that day because we dont want to relive it, he said. In one moment everything could change, so try to take time out of your day and enjoy life a little more, cherish all moments big and small and dont take anything for granted. Tersigni said he believes the country came together on 9/11 and that the experience strengthened the nation, even as its hard to believe nearly two decades have since passed. It does not seem like it was 19 years ago that our country was attacked by terrorists, he said. Many fathers, mothers, sisters, brothers, grandmothers, grandfathers, husbands and wives and even grandchildren were taken in this most horrific way. The mayor asked the community members and representatives of the Phillipsburg Police Department, Fire Department and Emergency Squad gathered Friday to join him in prayer and remembrance of those who lost their lives and loved ones, and to honor those who continue to fight for the United States. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to lehighvalleylive.com. Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com. The research suggests that a range of invasive alien plants pose a series risk to the County - home to the second-highest number of endangered wildlife in East Africa including elephant, rhino, Grevy's zebra, reticulated giraffe and wi CABI scientists have led the first assessment of naturalised, invasive and potentially invasive plant species present in Laikipia County, Kenya, which hosts the highest populations of endangered large mammals in the country. The research led by Dr Arne Witt suggests that a range of invasive alien plants pose a series risk to the County - home to the second-highest number of endangered wildlife in East Africa including elephant, rhino, Grevy's zebra, reticulated giraffe and wild dogs. Together with CABI colleagues Winnie Nunda and Tim Beale along with help from Dr Darren Kriticos of the University of Queensland, Australia, Dr Witt argues that without efforts to eradicate, contain, or control invasive plant species in Laikipia County many rare and iconic wildlife species may be lost. As outlined in the journal Koedoe: African Protected Area Conservation and Science, the researchers strongly advocate the use of biological controls as cost effective, safe and environmentally sustainable ways to manage some of the invasive plants as part of an integrated management plan. Broadscale roadside surveys were carried out in Laikipia County, to record all naturalised and invasive species. This data was supplemented by CLIMEX eco-climatic niche models of nine species that the scientists consider to pose the biggest threat to conservation initiatives in the East African region. Widespread species in the County included Opuntia stricta, O. ficus-indica, Austrocylindropuntia subulata and other succulents. Of the 145 alien plant species recorded, 67 and 37 (including four species of uncertain origin) were considered to be already naturalised or invasive, respectively, and a further 41 species had been recorded as being naturalised or invasive outside of Laikipia. Most (141) of these species were introduced as ornamentals only or had uses in addition to being ornamentals, with the majority (77) having their origins in tropical America. Based on the current eco-climatic conditions, most of Laikipia is unsuitable for Chromolaena odorata, marginally suitable for Mimosa pigra and Lantana camara, and a better climatic match, ranked from least to most favourable, for Tithonia diversifolia, Cryptostegia grandiflora, Parthenium hysterophorus, Prosopis juliflora, O. stricta, and Parkinsonia aculeata. Dr Witt said, "The County is home to the second-highest abundance of wildlife in East Africa, after the Mara-Serengeti ecosystem, and hosts the highest populations of endangered large mammals in Kenya. "Alien plant invasions pose significant threats to conservation and livelihoods in Laikipia. As such, it would be prudent to develop and implement management strategies to reduce the threats of all invasive and potentially invasive plant species. "It is imperative that all naturalised, invasive and potentially invasive plant species be removed from the grounds of all tourist facilities and possibly also villages that fall within areas where the main land-use practice is livestock production and conservation. "Those plants which have already escaped cultivation should be eradicated, if possible, or their further spread contained. Finally, biological control solutions for widespread and abundant species should be implemented wherever possible, as has been done for O. stricta and initiated for O. engelmannii." Dr Witt added that there are many benefits to the use of biological controls including the fact that many agents establish self-perpetuating populations, often across the whole range of the target species, and most projects only require a one-off investment. "There are a number of widespread and abundant invasive plant species in Laikipia that could be targeted for biological control," he said. "The cochineal Dactylopius opuntiae (Cockerell) 'stricta' biotype (Dactylopiidae), recently introduced for the control of O. stricta, is already established in Laikipia. Species such as O. ficus-indica and O. monacantha have also been brought under good control through the introduction of cochineal in the last century." Permission is currently being sought from the regulatory authorities to introduce another biotype of D. opuntiae for the control of O. engelmannii. Cereus jamacaru has also been brought under good biological control in South Africa, an option should this species become invasive, although populations are currently such that it can still be eradicated in Laikipia. Additional information Main image: The reticulated giraffe is among a range of endangered species whose habitat is at risk from invasive plants in Laikipia County, Kenya (Credit: Arne Witt). Full paper reference Arne B.R. Witt, Winnie Nunda, Tim Beale, Kriticos, D.J., 'A preliminary assessment of the presence and distribution of invasive and potentially invasive alien plant species in Laikipia County, Kenya, a biodiversity hotspot', 9 Sept 2020, Koedoe: African Protected Area Conservation and Science, DOI: 10.4102/koedoe.v62i1.1605 This paper, including the full lists of species surveyed, is available to view open access here: https://koedoe.co.za/index.php/koedoe/article/view/1605/2566 ### Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (Agence France-Presse) Rio de Janeiro Fri, September 11, 2020 16:05 497 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c44484cb 2 Environment Leonardo-DiCaprio,Amazon,Brazil,Jair-Bolsonaro Free Brazil's environment minister challenged Hollywood star Leonardo DiCaprio Thursday to "put your money where your mouth is," after the actor and environmentalist criticized far-right President Jair Bolsonaro's policies on the Amazon rainforest. DiCaprio had shared a video on Twitter Wednesday from a campaign called DefundBolsonaro.org, which claims that "Bolsonaro's government has taken the destruction of the Amazon to unbearable levels," and calls on investors to pressure the president to take steps to protect the world's biggest rainforest. Environment Minister Ricardo Salles fired back with a taunt. "Dear @LeoDiCaprio, Brazil is launching 'Adopt1Park' preservation project which allows you or any other company or individual to pick one of the 132 parks in the Amazon and directly sponsor it at 10 euros per hectare per year. Are you going to put your money where your mouth is?" Salles wrote on Twitter. Bolsonaro retweeted the message. Dear @LeoDiCaprio Brazil is launching Adopt1Park preservation project which allows you or any other company or individual to pick one of the 132 Parks in the Amazon and directly sponsor it at 10 Euros per hectare per year. Are you going to put your money where your mouth is? https://t.co/VMG817oUX8 Ricardo Salles MMA (@rsallesmma) September 10, 2020 The president, who took office in January 2019, has presided over a surge in fires and deforestation in the Amazon, which scientists say is a vital resource for curbing climate change. DiCaprio, who has called for stronger action to protect the rainforest, has become a favorite target of the Bolsonaro administration. Last month, Vice President Hamilton Mourao challenged the "Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood" star to an eight-hour hike in the Amazon, saying he wanted to show him the rainforest was not actually burning. Salles, for his part, has shown a knack for stirring up controversy. The environment minister faced intense criticism in April when a video recording was made public of a Bolsonaro cabinet meeting at which he said the coronavirus pandemic was an opportunity to roll back regulations "now that the media's only talking about COVID." He landed in a new row Thursday when he tweeted a video by a Brazilian agricultural lobby group that claims, "The Amazon is not burning," with images of verdant forest, smiling indigenous people and cute animals. However, it soon emerged the video featured animals that do not actually live in the Amazon. Though Bolsonaro has called reports on the Amazon fires "a lie," figures from his own government show there were 29,307 fires in the rainforest last month, just slightly shy of the crisis levels that triggered international condemnation last year. On September 9, 2020, the United States District Court for the District of Colorado entered a final judgment by consent against investment adviser Steven D. Rodemer for fraud in connection with his misappropriation of hundreds of thousands of dollars from an elderly client. The SEC's complaint, filed on September 3, 2020, alleged that Rodemer served as investment adviser to an elderly, widowed client and handled all of her finances, including advising her on her overall investment strategy and placing orders to execute this strategy. As alleged, Rodemer used his power of attorney over the client's assets to write checks to himself, to his bank, and to cover various expenses associated with his vacation home. In addition, Rodemer allegedly used the client's brokerage account-issued debit/credit card to cover personal expenses and make ATM withdrawals, and later used the client's bank account to pay his personal credit card bills online. According to the complaint, none of these transactions were authorized by the client, and in total, Rodemer misappropriated $451,889 of her funds. The final judgment enjoins Rodemer from violating the antifraud provisions of Sections 206(1) and 206(2) of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 and orders him to pay a civil penalty in the amount of $385,536. The SEC's investigation was conducted by Heather L. Freiburger and was supervised by Mary S. Brady and Jason J. Burt of the SEC's Denver office. The litigation has been led by Polly A. Atkinson and Terry R. Miller and supervised by Gregory A. Kasper. WATERLOO REGION Thousands of academic workers paused this week in support for Scholar Strike Canada, a labour action protesting anti-Black, anti-Indigenous, and police violence in Canada and around the world. Students, faculty, and staff who participated in the strike withdrew from all academic work to attend digital teach-ins held on Sept. 9 and 10. The teach-ins organized for the strike were led by prominent Black and Indigenous scholars from across Canada, and are available to watch online at scholarstrikecanada.ca. The strike asked for academics to support a public statement, which was signed by just over 40 academics from the University of Waterloo and Wilfrid Laurier University. The statement calls for commitment on the following actions: Support demands for defunding the police and redistributing resources to Black, Indigenous, racialized, queer and trans communities Remove campus police, and rescinding agreements between policing institutions and universities Address the underrepresentation of Black and Indigenous faculty in all Canadian institutions Recruit, admit, retain and mentor Black, Indigenous and racialized undergraduate and graduate students Support the campaign by CUPE 3261 to stop the University of Toronto from contracting out caretaking services Advocate for the creation, expansion, and maintenance of mental health and health care resources for students at our universities Support demand for affordable education, sustainable jobs and housing for students and cultural professionals across all the universities. Ciann Wilson, associate professor at Laurier and co-director for the Centre for Community Service Learning and Action, said that the urgency around these issues compelled her to strike in solidarity of faculty and students heading into school this Fall. For me, being a Black scholar, I think these are important issues to draw attention to, Wilson said. Wilson said that participating in the Scholar Strike was especially key in efforts to bridge the disconnect between what happens in the academy and the world around us. Noting that Black and Indigenous students are often policed both inside and outside of the classroom, Ciann commented on how at the same time, there is no space for them in an average classroom to talk about how they are dealing with these issues. Michela Stinson, a PhD student at the University of Waterloo, was one of four graduate students from Waterloo who publicly signed on to support the nationwide strike. Stinson drew attention to how the issues being addressed are deeply related to recent efforts by Waterloo students to unionize. Black, Indigenous, and racialized grad students and faculty are those who are often most affected by precarious labour and income inequality, Stinson said. Stinson is one of a growing number of graduate students at Waterloo who have signed union cards, a campaign led by the Committee to Organize uWaterloo. The groups drive has received support from the Canadian Union of Public Employees. The union drive was also prompted by COVID which also disparately affects the same [Black, Indigenous, and racialized] populations, Stinson said. I would see my own revoking of labour for Scholar Strike as in solidarity with our own drive efforts. Robyn Burns, a queer community organizer and PhD student at Waterloo, said she also sees the efforts to unionize as connected to the issues around police violence and systemic racism. Striking is important in terms of reclaiming my own labour power, and investing it where it's most needed, and that is certainly on issues of anti-Blackness and police brutality. Burns spoke about the tension of striking while working in the academy. When you have external scholarships, I learned at the height of the pandemic, universities can decide to revoke their internal monetary support. She emphasized that she is striking in protest of police brutality and racism, but that job precarity at universities makes it so difficult to organize and meaningfully address said issues. Unions normalize protests, Burns said. Thats a good thing. A shameful application for rogue state status, a deliberate step that will destroy Britains moral authority on the world stage and harm its position in international trade, and an unsurprising move from a Prime Minister who cannot be trusted. These are some of the ways the media in Britain and Europe have described Boris Johnsons decision to tear up the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement he signed only last year. With talks on a post-Brexit trade deal imperilled after Brussels demanded the UK abandon plans to override key elements of the agreement, most newspapers reaction to Mr Johnsons move, which the Government admits contravenes international law, has been deeply scornful. The Guardians editorial says the Governments plans read like an application for rogue state status. Guardian front page, Friday 11 September 2020: Brexit talks on brink as UK rejects ultimatum pic.twitter.com/Kw8vYaNecs The Guardian (@guardian) September 10, 2020 By trumpeting its readiness to override some of its treaty obligations towards the European Union, Boris Johnsons government has cast Britain as a country that does not act in good faith and cannot be trusted to keep its word, the paper says. It subverts the rule of law at home and abroad. It pulls the rug from under Britains reputation everywhere from Ireland to Hong Kong, and wherever else people hope they can rely on Britain to play fair. The paper calls on Tory MPs reportedly set to revolt against Mr Johnson over the saga to ensure Britain complies with the agreement. It is time for MPs to reclaim the parliamentary sovereignty that is at the heart of our politics and put a quick end to a shameful episode, it says. Story continues Guardian columnist Fintan OToole writes: Everybody knows Boris Johnson can lie for England. To his supporters, it was one of his best assets. The problem is that congenital mendacity isnt just for foreigners. If you lie for England, you will also lie to England. In openly admitting that it signed the Withdrawal Agreement with the EU in bad faith, Johnsons Vote Leave Government also implicitly confessed that it lied wholesale to the electorate in last Decembers general election. The Times asks why Attorney-General Suella Braverman and Justice Secretary Robert Buckland have not yet resigned, since they had a duty to uphold the rule of law. The paper says the greatest danger is not that Britains international standing will be damaged by doubts over its integrity, nor that it will surrender any moral authority in demanding countries such as Russia, China and Iran abide by international law, nor that it will wreck a Brexit trade deal. Dozens of Tory MPs prepare new Brexit revolt#tomorrowspaperstoday@hendopolis pic.twitter.com/nc0EslNom0 The Times Pictures (@TimesPictures) September 10, 2020 The biggest danger, it says, is that the Government undermines wider public confidence in the rule of law. That was already being tested, not least by the growing attacks by politicians on the judiciary. If even the Governments own law officers will not defend the rule of law as it is openly flouted, who will? But its stablemate The Sun is firmly backing the PM, declaring: There seems no limit to the self-harm the EU will inflict in its 11th-hour bid to prevent Britain becoming fully independent. It says there will be trade sanctions and legal action if we dont kowtow. This from the outfit which reneged on its written promises to make a trade deal respecting us as a sovereign nation. It added: Boris cant cave in to blackmail. And voters will back him. Brits dont like being bullied. Buckle up for a painful Brexit divorce. The Daily Mirror recalls that Mr Johnson told voters last year he had an oven-ready deal for Brexit. It says that, by his hostile act this week, he has poisoned relations with Brussels, degraded the UKs standing on the world stage and poses a risk to the Good Friday Agreement. Unless there is a last-minute compromise, we are facing the prospect of a damaging no-deal Brexit just as we are starting to recover from the coronavirus lockdown, it says. Even the conservative Daily Telegraph strikes a cautionary tone, warning over the perils of a potential trade war emerging from what it calls a high-stakes move at a key moment in talks aimed at achieving a trade deal by the end of the year. Tomorrows Telegraph front page: EU gives UK 20 days to retreat on Brexit Bill#TomorrowsPapersToday Read more: https://t.co/NMJnRqYgAY pic.twitter.com/IPN363jfBN The Telegraph (@Telegraph) September 10, 2020 We understand that brinkmanship is de rigueur in EU negotiations, the paper says, but a trade war that would follow a complete breakdown would be in no-ones interest. In Europe, Germanys Der Spiegel magazine says: A contract is a contract? Not for Boris Johnson. Noting that UK chief negotiator David Frost may call for more realism from the EU, the magazine says: Thats funny. Because on the EU side, we have long been wondering how to stay realistic in the face of a negotiating partner who adjusts reality weekly. In France, Liberation sums up the shocking move by saying: The democratic government of a country respected throughout the world for its legal rigour has proposed to include in its national legislation noncompliance with international law. The paper adds that the move is not surprising, coming from a Prime Minister who last year tried to justify the unjustifiable when he illegally suspended parliament, and who has repeatedly shown that his reputation, and that of his country, do not bother him. Dutch newspaper NRC Handelsblad says the step is in line with Mr Johnson last year demoting MPs who disagreed with him and proroguing parliament, other moves which came under the beloved chaos theory he uses to achieve his goals. Spains El Pais said it is not yet clear whether the plan is just another barbaric negotiating ploy, but said it has poisoned the already tense climate of the withdrawal talks. New global record of 96,551 new cases registered infection rate that could see India overtake the US in coming weeks. New Delhi, India India has added another 300,000 coronavirus infections to its caseload in the past four days, an infection rate which could see it overtake the United States to become the worlds worst-affected country within weeks. The country registered 96,551 new cases a fresh global record on Friday. On Monday, India had surpassed Brazil as the country with the second-highest number of coronavirus cases in the world, with 4.2 million cases. The US has a caseload of 6.4 million infections. More than 76,000 people in India have died due to the coronavirus, which has killed more than 909,000 people worldwide. Indias health ministry says the surge in cases is due to an increase in daily testing that has now exceeded one million. Despite the steep surge in new cases and deaths, India continues to ease restrictions and open up its economy to make up for losses incurred during its long and punishing lockdown period, which experts believe was rushed through and illogical. The lockdown was wrong, it just destroyed our economy. Dr Jayaprakash Muliyil, epidemiologist The March lockdown forced hundreds of thousands of workers to flee cities for their homes, and experts say it probably contributed to the spread of the virus in rural areas. Moreover, they say that the government has not successfully communicated an effective and uniform message on masking, social distancing and congregation measures that could have helped contain the spread of the outbreak. As the infections spike in rural areas, health experts say the countrys crumbling rural health sector is not equipped to deal with the surge in cases in the worlds second-most populous nation. The only silver lining for the government is the high recovery rate (77 percent) and the low mortality rate (1.6 percent) points the government continues to emphasise. Poor health infrastructure Even in cities, patients have had to suffer due to poor hospital facilities and protocols. Mohinder Kaur, who was admitted to a government-run Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital in the capital, New Delhi, after testing COVID-19 positive, told Al Jazeera of her ordeal. No one would come near us or even help us. If anyone would accidentally touch us, the staff would shout at them for ruining a PPE (personal protective equipment) kit, the 75-year-old retired school teacher told Al Jazeera. If lockdown was not enforced earlier, we would have been in an even worse position. Bizay Sonkar Shastri, BJP's national spokesperson In this heat, the fans were not working and the staff would not get them fixed despite several complaints. The toilets were filthy and sometimes had no water. The ward had rats, lizards, cats and even dogs roaming around. It was a living hell and we are fortunate to have survived this, she said. Indias capital still has better health facilities in comparison to rural areas where only 20 percent of Indias doctors and 40 percent of hospitals are located. Health experts feel that this could put millions of people at risk. People stand in a queue as they wait for their turn to collect test reports for the COVID-19 at a hospital in the northern Indian city of Amritsar [File: Narinder Nanu/AFP] Indias epidemic is two-part, urban followed by rural, each consisting of innumerable outbreaks each district or city/large town with its own outbreak, the sum total is what is seen in numbers, said Dr T Jacob John, epidemiologist and former professor at Christian Medical College, Vellore. In the last week of August, the epidemic reached all nooks and corners evidenced by infection among tribal communities. That means, spatially the epidemic has peaked, he said. Stage four of the pandemic John says India has entered stage four of the pandemic, which means the country is seeing widespread transmission, and that is reflected in the record number of daily infections in the past several weeks. But the government has so far steadfastly denied community transmission, during which the source of contagion is not known. John says India witnessed community transmission (stage three) between March and July. Mask-wearing and avoiding crowding, school closure etc has definitely flattened the curve a little bit, not as much as we could have achieved had we done lockdowns in a planned manner. Dr T Jacob John, epidemiologist and former professor at Christian Medical College, Vellore The epidemiologist said authorities must move from the idea of control to mitigation. Preeti Kumar, vice president, public health system support at the Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI), a public-private non-profit, pointed out that India is a federal state and health is largely a state subject. Each state has implemented the response based on the strength of its health system and available resources, Kumar told Al Jazeera. Kerala and Punjab states introduced lockdowns even before the rest of the country did. Four southern states (with stronger health systems) have also tested more and reported better. In contrast, the poorer northern states with weaker health systems, are only now beginning to feel the impact and are struggling with testing, tracing, treating and reporting, she said. According to Kumar, the Indian government provided much of the leadership in the early stage of the pandemic, and continues to support through strategic guidelines, expertise and some level of funding. Ineffective lockdown Prime Minister Narendra Modis Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government had introduced one of the worlds strictest lockdowns, triggering a working-class exodus from cities to rural areas and smaller towns. The two-month lockdown led to the shuttering of factories and loss of millions of jobs, and experts say the decision, taken at four hours notice, was ineffective and unscientific. Security guards frisk commuters at a metro train station New Delhi [File: Adnan Abidi/Reuters] The lockdown was wrong, it just destroyed our economy, said Dr Jayaprakash Muliyil, epidemiologist and chairperson of the Scientific Advisory Committee of the National Institute of Epidemiology. Calling it a rushed move, Christian Medical Colleges John said Indias lockdown had no scientific support. National lockdown was illogical. It was necessary in different states at different times as they reached phase three, he said. Meanwhile, Kumar of PHFI believes that other countries like South Korea, Japan, Thailand and Taiwan did not see the rise in cases the way India has seen post-lockdown because they had invested heavily in testing, contact-tracing and quarantine. Lockdown was declared to help buy time to prepare the system to cope prepare facilities, equipment, consumables, testing labs, surveillance systems and health workforce, Kumar said. These countries also had widespread use of masks, distancing, etc. These interventions together helped flatten the curve. Our scale-up in testing has taken more time, starting from a very low base. Lastly, our public measures and awareness on masking, hygiene and distancing are very low. In India, especially in rural areas and even semi-urban areas, poor hygiene standards and lack of social distancing measures further contributed to the spread of the virus, experts say. Poor sanitation is the governments failure, said John. Beyond the big metros, there is little information on wearing masks. I think the communication has not been sufficiently effective and sustained to spread awareness about it. Preeti Kumar, vice president, the Public Health Foundation of India Kumar from PHFI blamed the government for not successfully communicating an effective, uniform message on masking, distancing and congregating. Beyond the big metros, there is little information on wearing masks. I think the communication has not been sufficiently effective and sustained to spread awareness about it. Opening up is being perceived by people as if the epidemic is no more a threat. This incorrect perception needs to be addressed, she added. According to her, countries which have managed to flatten the curve have relied on the government to scale up testing, contact tracing and treatment. Alongside, they have effective policies on active public engagement on masking and distancing, she told Al Jazeera. India has conducted 54 million tests so far, compared with the US which has conducted more than 90 million tests. The US population is a quarter of Indias 1.4 billion people. Governing party spokesman defends govt On flattening the curve, John said, Mask-wearing and avoiding crowding, school closure etc has definitely flattened the curve a little bit, not as much as we could have achieved had we done lockdowns in a planned manner. The only silver lining for India in its fight against the pandemic is its low mortality rate. Experts say the mortality rate is also low in neighbouring countries. Fortunately, COVID-19 mortality is quite low in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Median age in these countries is below 30 and that is one reason for the low mortality. Mortality is also declining globally my hypothesis is that the virus is becoming less virulent, a natural phenomenon in new hosts and multiple generations of virus growth, said John. A spokesman from the BJP defended the Modi governments management of the pandemic. Those who are saying that lockdown was unscientific have wrong intentions, Bizay Sonkar Shastri, BJPs national spokesperson, told Al Jazeera. It is because of lockdown that our daily numbers are at around 90,000, otherwise they would been in lakhs [hundred of thousands]. If lockdown was not enforced earlier, we would have been in an even worse position. Those who are raising questions about the lockdown are anti-Modi and anti-BJP, he said. Bengaluru, Sep 11 : The Central Crime Branch (CCB) of Bengaluru on Friday arrested two alleged drug peddlers in connection with the high profile case related to procuring and selling of banned drugs during high-end parties in the city allegedly involving Sandalwood celebrities. The accused have been identified as Prateek Shetty and Aditya Aggarwal. According to a statement released by the CCB, Aditya hails from Haryana but is based in Bengaluru. He is a close associate of Viren Khanna, who is a high-profile event organiser. The police added that preliminary investigations revealed Aditya had deep connections with drug peddlers in the city. "His association came to light when Khanna's premises were raided in Delhi," the statement said. Earlier, Joint Police Commissioner (Crime), Bengaluru City Police, Sandeep Patil said that the CCB police have arrested drug peddler Prateek Shetty in connection to the case. Speaking to IANS, a senior investigation officer disclosed that the CCB was probing the dark web angle too. "Most of these psychotropic drugs or hallucination drugs like ecstasy tablets or LSD strips are generally procured through the dark web." According to the police, Shetty (30) originally from Mangaluru, is a trained software engineer who took drugs during his early days in college. "Once he came to Bengaluru and was employed in an IT firm, his addiction led him to become a peddler in the initial days. Due to his addiction, he lost his job and now he is a full time drug procurer and supplier of drugs to high end parties," said a police official privy to the investigation. The police also pointed out that the CCB had arrested Shetty once, as he was one among three drug suppliers from whom the CCB had recovered a major drug consignment of 1.5 kg of cocaine and 1930 ecstasy tablets worth Rs 1.48 crore in 2018, in Banaswadi police station limits. The police added that Shetty is a known drug peddler since 2010, while from 2015 he has become part of a full-fledged drug supply chain in the city, which thrives on high-end parties. He has well-established connections among drug suppliers operating from Nigeria, Africa and Latin America. Following the successful launch of the People's Manifesto by the main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), the leadership of the party is taking the campaign trail to Kumasi, Ashanti region this week. The NDC is set to hold a town hall meeting on the People's Manifesto in Kumasi on Tuesday, September 15, 2020. The party will take advantage of the event to present its manifesto to the people of the Ashanti Region. It will afford the NDC an opportunity to explain the policies and programmes contained in its 2020 manifesto to residents in the Ashanti Region. It will be held in other regions of the country in the coming weeks. The program is scheduled to take place on 15th September 2020, at 2pm and will be addressed by the flagbearer of the NDC, John Dramani Mahama and other speakers. The NDC assures the general public that we intend to take the People's Manifesto to the doorsteps of every Ghanaian, as we embark on the rescue mission to create jobs and prosperity for all, and restore Ghana back on the path of development and true progress, a statement from the party said. The NDC launched its manifesto dubbed the People's Manifesto on Monday, September 7, 2020. The manifesto, which was put together by 21 persons within the NDC, is divided into six key areas: fixing the economy, promoting human development, providing infrastructure for growth, providing decent jobs, good governance and corruption and deepening international relations and foreign affairs. At the policy document's launch on September 7, 2020, leaders of the party touted the mode of compiling the manifesto, which they said was essential to solving the problems of the average Ghanaian. ---CitiNewsRoom Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-11 23:48:48|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close JUBA, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- South Sudan on Friday said that conflicts and COVID-19 pandemic were to blame for declining economic growth in the country. Salvatore Garang Mabiordit, the Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, said inter-communal skirmishes, natural disasters, desert locust invasion and volatility in the global oil market had slowed down economic growth. "What causes the downfall of the economy is due to four issues, one is civil war which reigned for five years and now six, second is COVID-19, third is natural disasters such as desert locust and floods, but the economy has been hampered much by the COVD-19 rather by war itself," Garang told reporters in Juba. He said the government has been running the country on a budget deficit as a result of poor non-oil revenues collection, adding that his ministry has formed an economic cluster to tackle the irregularities in non-oil revenues sector. "Also tax revenues were significantly affected because of the closure of borders and business with neighboring countries become very slow or at least only relief items were allowed to come," said Garang. He said that graft and weak tax collections management system had also hampered efforts to revive the economy. South Sudan said in August it was seeking 250 million U. S. dollars loan from African Export and Import Bank to cushion the economy from disruptions occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic. The central government in Juba said in July that oil production had dropped to 170,000 barrels per day (bpd) from 185,000 bpd due to disruptions occasioned by COVID-19 disease. Statistics from the Ministry of Petroleum indicate that production in Upper Nile reduced from 130,000 bpd to 120,000 bpd and in Unity state, it dropped from 60,000 to 50,000 bpd. Enditem SANDUSKY, OH / ACCESSWIRE / September 11, 2020 / Rising Biosciences, Inc. (OTC PINK:RBII) CEO Arthur Hall noted the resumption of trading of RBII stock and announced the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued Establishment Number 96322-OH-3 for the company's new 10,000 square foot bottling plant and corporate headquarters in Sandusky, OH. "We will begin bottling in our new plant by October 1st, starting with our new product, Oxy Blast 50 Post-Harvest Fruit and Vegetable Bactericide Disinfectant, that is being targeted to grocers and produce vendors nationwide, to safely sanitize and disinfect fresh fruits and vegetables. It is a variant of the Oxy Blast 50 Bactericide Disinfectant we currently use with the OxyThyme system," said Hall. "The company is very proud that the bactericide disinfectant product is also listed with the "Organic Materials Review Institute", added Hall. OMRI is a private, nonprofit organization that determines whether or not a product qualifies as organic under the USDA's National Organic Program (NOP). Goods that are found to comply are listed on the OMRI Brand Name Products List (BNPL). The list is used by certifiers, growers, manufacturers, and suppliers to confirm that an item is approved for organic use according to USDA rules. After conferring with legal counsel, the Company has decided to rescind the petition of termination of suspension as the temporary suspension has expired and trading has resumed, deciding the best direction moving forward for the Company is to initiate the quickest actions necessary for the continuation of trading on the OTC Markets. The Company is currently in the process of working with broker-dealers to resume its quotation on the OTC Markets. About Rising Biosciences, Inc. About Rising Biosciences Inc. - In addition to Oxy Thyme, RBII operates three distinct business units. The first business unit is a physician's practice management company focused on the proper use of cannabis for the treatment of chronic pain, opioid addiction, and terminal patients. The second business unit is a research and development company focusing on oral and topical pharmaceuticals within the strict standards set forward by the pharmaceutical compounding industry and the FDA. The third business unit offers cutting edge behavioral health medical treatment for substance addiction from branches throughout the Midwest. Follow $RBII on the NEW Twitter account and on Facebook for LIVE updates! https://twitter.com/RisingBioscien1 https://www.facebook.com/RisingBioSciences/ Cautionary Statement Regarding 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 INFO: For Investor Inquiries: IR@risingbiosciences.com SOURCE: Rising Biosciences, Inc. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/605705/Rising-Biosciences-Inc-Resumes-Trading-Announces-New-10000-SF-Headquarters-and-Bottling-Plant A Kitchener woman is urging officials to keep up the search for her partner, who is among 40 crew members still missing from a livestock ship that capsized near Japan last week. Carolyn Gray believes her partner, 27-year-old William Mainprize, is alive and can return home safely. "It might sound crazy, but I feel that Will is still alive," Gray told CBC News. Mainprize is Australian and was working as a stockman on the Gulf Livestock 1, which left New Zealand in mid-August to carry 5,800 cows to China's eastern coast. On Sept. 2, the ship sent a distress signal from the East China Sea as a typhoon passed through the area. The first survivor rescued from the ship told Coast Guard officials that the boat stalled when an engine stopped, then capsized after being hit broadside by a powerful wave and finally, sank. So far, two survivors have been rescued and the body of a third crew member was recovered. The search was temporarily halted due to a typhoon, but the Coast Guard said Japanese ships were back at sea looking for crew members early this week. The total crew included 39 people from the Philippines, two from New Zealand and two from Australia. The body of the crew member who died has not been identified. 'No way around it' In the days leading up to the typhoon, Mainprize sent Gray messages about growing wind speeds and bad weather. The waves were so strong, he said, he was tossed out of bed at night. In a text message, Mainprize told Gray the ship was headed toward the centre of the typhoon. "No way around this sucka!" he said in a WhatsApp message provided to CBC News. Mainprize wrote often how excited he was to see his partner after the trip was over. After having spent more than a year in a long-distance relationship, Gray and Mainprize planned to reunite after his job on the livestock ship was complete. They planed to move to Australia together. "I think he was just trying to really stay calm and collected and having more faith in the boat to make it through a storm like this," said Gray. Story continues Submitted by Carolyn Gray Mainprize worked on ships throughout his early 20s but hadn't intended to be part of a crew this year. He lost his job as a wilderness guide when the COVID-19 pandemic hit and started taking work on boats again to make money. This was supposed to be his last boat, said Gray. Mainprize was planning to go back to school for an education degree and become a geography teacher. Staying strong Gray has faith in her partner's survival skills and sense of calm under pressure. She believes he's alive but says time is of the essence for search and rescue efforts to be successful. "If there's anybody that is capable of surviving something like this, it is him," said Gray. Submitted by Carolyn Gray In a joint statement issued Friday, the Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs said they have been assured by Japanese officials that the search continues by air and sea. "Japan's Coast Guard has assured Australia it will not give up its search for those missing," the statement said. The statement also said the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is providing the families of those missing with consular assistance. Gray, who graduated from Wilfrid Laurier University and lived in Kitchener for 10 years, had been in Egypt before the typhoon. The Australian government has provided her with a visa and a compassionate exemption to travel to Sydney, near Mainprize's family. She is quarantining alone in a hotel room before she can join them. Until then, Gray said she will wait by her phone for news. "I would want him to know that we're coming, and to stay strong, and to not give up," she said. By Lefteris Papadimas LESBOS (Reuters) - Thousands of migrants were stranded without shelter on Lesbos on Thursday after fires razed their camp to the ground, and the government said it would take days to find housing for them. Some who fled the fires on Tuesday and Wednesday night tested positive for COVID-19 after an outbreak of the disease in the camp, further complicating attempts to round up migrants and get them into alternative accommodation. "Today we will undertake all necessary actions to house families and the vulnerable while food distribution continues," government spokesman Stelios Petsas told reporters. Bracing for a possible surge in COVID-19 cases, authorities were sending 19,000 test kits to the island. Petsas added that a passenger ferry had docked at the island's port of Mytilene to house families. Petsas said Tuesday's fire, which reduced the Moria camp holding some 12,500 people to a mass of smouldering steel and melted tent tarpaulin, was started by asylum seekers reacting to quarantine measures after COVID-19 infections were detected. He did not provide evidence. "Some do not respect the country hosting them. They take advantage of any excuse to set every solution on fire," he said. The camp was quarantined last week after its first COVID-19 case surfaced. Until the fire broke out, 35 migrants had tested positive and most of them were moved into an isolation unit in the camp. After the blaze erupted and the camp was evacuated, only eight of them had been tracked down. On Thursday, Migration Minister Notis Mitarachi said all of them were missing again. "The health issue is very important, that's why we need to have a new temporary accommodation soon," he told MEGA TV. Earlier, authorities moved 406 unaccompanied children and teenagers from the camp and its poor living conditions to the mainland. But thousands more people remained stuck in Lesbos with nowhere to sleep and little to eat. Story continues Local attitudes toward the migrants, on an island at the forefront of the European migrant crisis in 2015-2016, have turned largely hostile in recent years as the number of people in the camp gradually increased. Families slept on roadsides and in fields across the island overnight after a second fire broke out at the camp late on Wednesday, destroying what was left from the first inferno. On a parking lot outside a supermarket, more than 1,000 migrants, including families with small children, waited in the sunshine for bottled water and food to be distributed. SPARE A BISCUIT? The 406 unaccompanied minors were taken to safe facilities in northern Greece where they will stay temporarily, while preparations for their relocation to other EU countries is ongoing. Valencia, an eight-year-old Congolese girl who was barefoot, gestured to a Reuters reporter that she was hungry and asked for a biscuit. "Our home burned, my shoes burned, we don't have food, no water," she said. Both she and her mother, Natzy Malala, 30, who has a newborn infant, slept on the side of the road. "There is no food, no milk for the baby," Natzy Malala said. Government plans to find shelter for the migrants were likely to be met with resistance. Authorities were already at loggerheads with Lesbos residents over plans to replace Moria with a closed reception centre, which the residents fear would mean thousands of asylum seekers remaining their permanently. Municipalities were at odds over the situation, said Costas Moutzouris, governor of the Northern Aegean. "There is no decision. It's up in the air," he told Reuters. Another government official, who declined to be named, said sheltering migrants on boats was not a safe solution. (Additional reporting by Angeliki Koutantou; writing by George Georgiopoulos and Michele Kambas; Editing by Mike Collett-White, Angus MacSwan and Dan Grebler) Long-delayed peace talks between the Taliban and Afghan government negotiators will begin Saturday in Qatar, officials said, marking a potentially momentous milestone in Afghanistan's 19-year-old war. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will travel to Doha for the opening of the US-backed negotiations, as President Donald Trump seeks to honor his pledge to halt the country's "endless wars" overseas with just two months to go until he faces re-election. The talks had originally been slated to start in March but were repeatedly pushed back amid disputes over a prisoner exchange that included the release of hundreds of battle-hardened Taliban fighters. Trump announced Pompeo would depart Thursday "on a historic trip to Doha, Qatar, for the beginning of intra-Afghan peace negotiations." The insurgents, the Afghan government and Qatari officials all confirmed on Thursday the talks would begin Saturday following an opening ceremony in Doha. Pompeo, in a statement, called the talks a "historic" opportunity to end decades of war and bloodshed, adding "This opportunity must not be squandered". Qatar's foreign ministry said the talks "are a serious and important step towards establishing sustainable peace in Afghanistan". Afghanistan's former chief executive Abdullah Abdullah, who now heads the High Council for National Reconciliation (HCNR), was set to fly to Qatar on Friday. "HCNR hopes that after a long wait, talks will lead to permanent peace & stability & an end to war," the council said on Twitter. The talks come as Trump faces uncertain prospects in the November 3 election and he has pushed hard to pull back US forces from Afghanistan, where they rose to more than 12,000 under his watch to pressure the Taliban and Islamic State. The number fell to about 8,600 in July following a February accord between Washington and the Taliban, and is expected to be around 4,500 in October. Story continues - Freed insurgents - Trump believes pushing ahead could boost his standing among voters fed up with conflicts that began almost two decades ago, after the September 11, 2001 Al Qaeda attacks. The announcement of the start of peace talks was delivered just hours after a final hurdle -- the fate of six Taliban prisoners linked to the killings of French and Australian civilians and troops -- appeared to have been resolved. Peace talks were delayed for six months as the Taliban and Kabul conducted a US-brokered prisoner exchange. The Taliban released 1,000 Afghan troops, while Kabul freed 5,000 insurgents. Paris and Canberra had objected to the freeing of six militants tied to killing French and Australian nationals, but a compromise appeared to have been struck by sending the insurgents into custody in Qatar. Late on Thursday, the Taliban confirmed the six prisoners had arrived in Doha. They had been flown out of Kabul on a special plane, a Taliban source in Pakistan had told AFP earlier on Thursday. The six included a former Afghan soldier charged with the killing of five French soldiers and injuring 13 others in 2012. Another former Afghan soldier who murdered three Australia troops was also among the six. The Taliban official said another two Taliban prisoners who murdered Frenchwoman Bettina Goislard, an employee of the UN refugee agency, had been released in Afghanistan's Wardak province. Their release had also been initially opposed by Goislard's family and Paris. The Afghan government did not immediately confirm the claim. burs-jm/st Health and safety have always been top priorities at new car dealerships. Since March 15, however, when some Ontario businesses were ordered to shut down because of COVID-19, health and safety became a more urgent and serious matter. Since day one, the Trillium Automobile Dealers Association began to assess what the shutdown meant for its 1,100 franchised new car dealers (and their customers) across Ontario, and to discuss a plan for the safe reopening of dealerships. Within weeks, the TADA had created a series of detailed guidelines and protocols aimed at the safe reopening of dealerships and to ensure the safety of their employees, customers and suppliers. More than a dozen manuals were written, utilizing best practices from the Manitoba Safety Association and automobile associations in Manitoba and Quebec. The guidelines focused on drive-thru service bays, test drives, vehicle disinfecting, social distancing, safe glove removal, payment transactions and other dealership operations. Once the documents were completed, they were sent to the provincial government to demonstrate dealerships were ready to safely reopen when the province decided it was safe to do so. Throughout a consultative process, Frank Notte, director of government relations at TADA, worked with several provincial ministries. During the first six months of COVID-19 pandemic, it has been encouraging to see the spirit of co-operation and goodwill among the provincial and federal governments. This spirit can also be said of the leadership at each of the manufacturers and industry suppliers, who have demonstrated unparalleled support. National and provincial associations have never worked more effectively together as when we collectively rowed in the same direction to help combat this health crisis. The dealers of Ontario thank Tim Reuss and Mike Stollery, the joint leadership at the national association (CADA), for the role they played in keeping Ontario moving. With our industrys response and our dealer networks commitment to implement our safety guidelines and protocols, showrooms at new car dealerships were among the first retail businesses to reopen. (Service and parts were deemed essential and never ordered to close.) Today, dealerships across Ontario are open for business and customers can rest assured that they have adopted the safety guidelines and protocols to provide a safe shopping experience. Some new car shoppers have opted to purchase vehicles entirely online, and that option is available. I am proud of our dealer network for its quick adoption of our health and safety guidelines, and diligence in ensuring that their workplaces remain safe and risk-free for their employees and customers. At Don Valley North Toyota and Don Valley North Lexus (part of the Weins Canada Auto Group, which owns 15 dealerships in the GTA), a number of initiatives were put in place, in addition to the health and safety guidelines created by the TADA. These measures included the installation of Smart Desks inside the showrooms, where the customer and salesperson can sit at a table, six feet apart, and utilize separate computers to facilitate a transaction. Customers felt immediately safer using the Smart Desks. Other measures introduced at Don Valley North Toyota/Lexus include a contactless service department, where customers can drop off their vehicle and have service work performed without having to step foot inside a dealership; outfitting shuttle vehicles with Plexiglas between the front and back seats while transporting customers; introducing Zoom meetings for customers (who wanted to purchase a vehicle from the comfort of their home); and introducing a flatbed delivery system, where customers can have their new vehicles transported to their homes without visiting a dealership. When we introduced these additional safety measures, our staff felt safer, and that immediately put our employees and customers at ease, says Amin Tejani, vice-president of operations at Weins Canada. Together, these additional measures have not only made our dealerships safer, but they have also made buying and servicing a car more efficient than ever. I would also like to commend the 40,000-plus employees employed at dealerships across Ontario. They have worked tirelessly behind the scenes to implement the health and safety guidelines and have done an outstanding job serving customers to keep all of us moving. "She can recover from that and she has a future career and she'll deal with that, but so many others just face heartbreaking devastation," he says. If you want any evidence of the devastation, just get in the car and drive down the main shopping strips. Melbourne business leader Graeme Samuel Samuel's concern over the Victorian economy and his frustration with the state government paying little heed to the views of business communities come in a week when modelling conducted by accounting giant PwC underlined the damage suffered by inner Melbourne. The PwC modelling, conducted for the City of Melbourne, predicts inner Melbourne could lose 79,000 jobs annually over the next five years under a scenario of prolonged recovery and fewer workers returning to the CBD. It also forecasts that Victoria's economic output could fall by $327 billion over the next five years, compared to pre-COVID forecasts. Whether Melbourne, and the broader Victorian economy, can find its mojo again remains a vexed question for now, and Carol Schwartz, one of the most prominent women in Melbourne business circles and a Reserve Bank board member, says it's inevitable the economy has been changed forever by the coronavirus. According to Schwartz, some of the changes will be positive and some negative, but either way businesses will have to change how they operate. "For example, I'm certainly not going to be hopping on an aeroplane to go interstate for one meeting any more, having been exposed to technology which now allows us to have those meetings very comfortably and very effectively," she says. With the road to recovery set to be bumpy, Schwartz says unemployment looms as a key pain point, adding that all levels of government will need to focus on tackling joblessness as quickly as possible. She's also keen for policymakers to use every lever at their disposal, from taxation to labour laws, to start turning things around. "I think that everything's up for grabs, and so nothing should be off the table as a sacred cow." No light at the end of the tunnel David Smorgon, whose family has been synonymous with business in Melbourne ever since they set up a butcher shop in inner Melbourne nearly a century ago, is sanguine things will get better for Melbourne and the states economy, but is urging patience. "At the moment we're in a dark tunnel in Victoria, and I'm afraid to say that, as at September 10th, there's no light at the end of the tunnel that we're in at the moment. But, no doubt, we will get there," says Smorgon, the executive chairman of Pointmade, a boutique advisory firm dealing with wealthy families. Smorgon's note of confidence, albeit measured, is educated by what he labels the inherent resilience of the states business community. "Let's not forget how strong the Victorian economy's been over the decades." "And we've shown through our bushfires, through our recession we had going back in the 1990s, we do bounce back and we've got a conviction to bounce back." "But it's a question of do we have the confidence, have business people got the confidence and the trust in the current government to go and reinvest in Victoria," he says. The answer to Smorgon's question on confidence, according to the former chief executive of Melbourne retail institution Myer, Bernie Brookes, is a resounding no. Brookes believes Victorias economy may never recover to its former glory, labelling the state "irreparably damaged". "To use a good sporting analogy: if you're out of the game for long enough, you may never make a full recovery," he says. "It's going to take a decade to get back to near where it was. It isn't going to bounce back suddenly, even if there is a vaccine." Harry Debney, the boss of ASX-listed fresh produce giant Costa Group, offers a more upbeat outlook, but wants decisive action from the Victorian government. "The underlying strengths of the Victorian economy are still there." "But I think the longer this goes, the worse it gets. So the imperative has got to be to gain effective control of COVID. And on that matter, what we definitely need is better execution," he says. Same problem but the 'worst solution' While sentiment on outlook for the Victorian economy remains mixed, the one common theme from the local business community is that the state government needs to take its input more seriously. Martin Hosking, founder of technology marketplace Redbubble, says it's hard not to feel disappointed as every other state and territory had handled the crisis better than Victoria. "Everyone had the same problem and we had the worst solution," he says. "Confronted with this failure. the government has said we will do everything we can not to replicate it. I can understand emotionally how they got there, but it seems to lack a degree of flexibility and a willingness to be much finer in the way it is applied." Hosking says the government has not deeply engaged with the most effective businesses, adding that Melbourne should be opened up as quickly as possible. "A lot of effort has gone into one side, which is lockdown and the virus, and I have not seen the same level of engagement for the other side," he says. "We can't just be locking down this state indefinitely, which is what the Premier seems to be saying." As a founder of a digital company, many of which call Melbourne home, Hosking says fostering technology businesses may prove crucial to driving a recovery. "I would like to see federal and state governments acknowledge the role technology businesses are playing in helping the economy survive." But for now, many businesses, new and old, find themselves in a situation well beyond their control. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporations education department has issued letters to some private schools in Mumbai after they failed to admit students under the 25% Right to Education (RTE) quota for the academic year 2020-21. The department recently sent out written orders asking such schools to comply with the admission guidelines under the RTE act and grant admissions to students before September 15, which is the last date to do so. It has been found that despite several instructions and repeated reminders, these schools have not complied with the norms with respect to the RTE act. Complaints have been received against such schools from parents and local activists. We have thus asked them to grant admissions to eligible students at the earliest, said an official from the BMC education department. Names of these schools were not divulged as they still have time to comply. But sources in the department said that nearly 3-4 schools were sent such letters. This year, the civic body is yet to complete admissions under the 25% quota in Mumbai. With the Covid-19 outbreak and the resultant lockdown, schools have now been asked to grant provisional admissions to students whose names have appeared in the lotteries. Even with several relaxations, very few students have been able to confirm their admissions so far. This year, a total of 14,135 applications were made against 7,069 available seats under the quota in the city. Of these only 2,682 seats have been confirmed their admissions while 2,846 students have been provisionally admitted. Sudhir Paranjape, an activist from the Anudanit Shiksha Bachao Samiti, an NGO working for the disadvantaged sections said that with the entire admission process moving online, parents are having a tough time. In addition to this, several parents who have applied for the admissions have got no allocation yet. Since so many seats lie vacant every year so we have demanded the government to allot nearby schools to these students. A letter has gone on behalf of over 2,000 parents in the city to the state government. We demand that at least in aided schools across the state, the RTE act be implemented entirely, he added. AMMAN (Reuters) - Syrian air defences thwarted an Israeli attack on Aleppo city, Syrian state television said on Friday. Later, the broadcaster said the army downed several Israeli missiles before they reached their targets in the latest attack Syria said was conducted by Israel. Israeli defence officials have said in recent months Israel would step up its campaign against Iran in Syria where, with the help of its proxy militias, Tehran has expanded its presence. A regional intelligence source said Israel was stepping up raids in Syria at a time when world attention and the region, including Syria, were distracted by the coronavirus pandemic. Israel has acknowledged conducting many raids inside Syria since the start of the civil war in 2011. (Reporting by Suleiman Al-Khalidi; Editing by Sandra Maler and Grant McCool) Are you still pushing off that much-needed vacation? Heres a way to experience a little change of scenery: Display relaxing landscape art or images of your favorite vacation spot. A mental escape can be beneficial in reducing stress. Slowing down and taking a break are part of a healthy, balanced life, say health experts. Hanging up travel-themed art might help you feel calm as well as offer a glimmer of globetrotting, even during a pandemic. Illustrators, painters, photographers and printmakers at Etsy and other decor sources make art pieces affordable and easy to find. "Jet off to a dreamy locale without leaving your home base announces an Etsy headline over images of letterpress map prints of Memphis ($36, 10 inch square), a colorful illustration of a street scene in India ($32, 10 inches by 8 inches) from the picture book, Priya Dreams of Marigolds & Masala, and a watercolor print of houses on the Italian cliffside village of Positano ($20, 5 inches by 7 inches). Also part of Estys gallery: Oregon artist Bue Kees pencil sketch of a Portland park ($25, 8 inches by 10 3/4 inches) that he created during the WPA era. See more Oregon depictions, from Big Foot to waterfalls. Here are other ways to create a visual world tour on your walls: Travel-inspired Art AllPosters offers a variety of travel-inspired posters including Ansel Adams Tetons and the Snake River, Grand Teton National Park c. 1942 ($17.99, 30 inches by 24 inches). Take 40% off canvas art and 10% off posters. Sign up to receive up to 50% off. Art.coms bestselling posters range from sailboats to the Scottish Highland ($22 for the 16 inch square print, free shipping). Build.com has a multicolored collection of Wanderlust world map wall decor such as Varaluz ($189, 32 inches by 48 inches) plus free shipping and 10% off your order. Canvas Freaks has art depicting oceans, stars and country life. Receive 10% off by joining the email list. Cost Plus World Market has travel posters including four vintage-looking illustrations of California, Hawaii, Colorado and Alaska by artist Martin Wickstrom. Each piece is printed on 16-inch by 20-inch-high canvas and placed in a black wood frame ($199.99 for four). Shipping is free on orders of $49 or more with the code WMFS49 eBay Art auctions works offered by world-famous brokers such as Sothebys as well as direct sales from thousands of artists. Fine Art America offers travel-inspired art of landmarks and universities, architecture and skylines of New York City, San Francisco and the most exciting cities around the world. Images are on canvas, metal and acrylic as well as wood. Also find framed prints, posters, greeting cards, tapestries and phone cases. Great Big Canvas has letter art that states Travel: The only thing you buy that makes you richer ($113.99 on sale, 30 inches by 24 inches). Receive 40% off your entire purchase by clicking on the coupon. Iamfy has travel art prints and posters created by emerging and established artists around the world. No airfare needed. Warning: May induce a serious case of itchy feet, teases the website. Get 20% off your order. Joss & Main has wall art that evokes beach scenes on canvas starting around $33. Michaels has framed art starting at $100. Take 20% off with the code 20MADEBYYOU. Minted.com/art has limited edition art and profiles of the artists. Shipping is free on fine art prints with the code SHIPFREE. Society6 offers travel prints under $20. Receive 10% off your order. Overstock Art has hand-painted oil paintings and reproductions of great masters such as Van Gogh, Monet and Klimt. Search by artists, styles, movements, sizes or rooms. Take 20% off your first order. Overstock lets you search for landscapes, beach scenes, cityscapes or art mediums such as photography. Take an extra 10% off select art. Wayfair has a canvas print of Norman Rockwells painting Coming And Going ($121.99, 24 inch square). See other travel inspired art. Shipping is free on orders over $35. Zazzle also has framable travel posters. Take 50% off select cards with the FALLGREETING code. Amazon has travel-inspired wall art for every room. Check out the educational, scratch-off maps (about $15) and 3D wood world maps in various sizes to hang on walls. Bed Bath & Beyond has a framed print by Anderson Design Group depicting European cities ($59.99, 18 inches by 24 inches, with free shipping). Display Vacation Photos Your memories can also be immortalized on your wall. Turn your favorite vacation photo into framable art. Framebridge makes art framing easier. Chose a frame, upload a photo or mail in a physical object such as a poster or print, in free, prepaid packaging. The frame is built and assembled by hand and then shipped to you. The company also offers design services. The companys guarantee is that If youre not 100% happy with your order for any reason, let us know and well make it right. Prices range from $39 to $209 and shipping is always free. Take $10 off the first custom frame by entering your email. Shutterfly is known for producing framable art from family photos such as a photo collage that forms a heart. Take 40% off everything, including fleece, plush fleece and sherpa photo blankets (starting at $44.99). See 45 inspiring living room wall decor ideas and photos. Snapfish digital photo printing service allows you to preserve memories by printing pictures in a variety of sizes. Save up to 70% off custom canvas prints through Sept. 13 Walgreens is offering 60% off canvas prints and floating frames through Sept. 12 with free, same day pickup. Take 50% off photo gifts like a custom face masks, shower curtains, puzzles, bags and apparel. Off the Wall Homesick has specialized candles and diffusers selected for their nostalgic scents to evoke memories of a faraway country (Australias eucalyptus or the U.Ks bergamot, grass and rain) or a city memorable to you. Uncommon Goods, which sells sustainable products, from bamboo kitchenware to upcycled fashions, offers custom cribbage board with a laser-etched map of one of 4,000 lakes ($69). VistaPrint has photo mugs on sale for $8.23. Janet Eastman | 503-294-4072 jeastman@oregonian.com | @janeteastman The police officer who knelt on George Floyd's neck for almost nine minutes before his death has appeared in person in court for the first time since the May 25 killing, and was heckled as he was escorted to a corrections department SUV afterwards. Derek Chauvin, 44, has been charged with murder and is currently being held in custody, while three other officers are free on bail. On Friday he was present in court for the first time, having previously appeared via videolink. Wearing an orange prison jumpsuit, face mask and handcuffs, he was led away by correction officers after the three hour hearing, as protesters near the court shouted abuse at him. During the hearing, the judge presiding over the case on Friday dismissed the local prosecutor from the murder trial, accusing him and his team of 'sloppy' work. Mike Freeman, Hennepin County attorney, was removed from the case along with the three other members of his team. Derek Chauvin, who knelt on George Floyd's neck, was seen for the first time on Friday Chauvin, 44, had not been seen in public since the May 25 killing of George Floyd The 46-year-old security guard, was born in Texas but moved to Minneapolis for a fresh start Judge Peter Cahill said that Freeman acted in error by sending his staff to speak to the medical examiners following George Floyd's May 25 death, without having any independent witnesses to their discussion. 'It was sloppy not to have someone present,' said Cahill. 'Those four attorneys are off the case. They are now witnesses.' The medical examiner's verdict is expected to play a key, and highly controversial, role in the trial. Four police officers are charged over George Floyd's death, pictured with lawyers in court Protesters lay on the ground for 8 minutes 46 seconds - the time Chauvin's knee was on Floyd Floyd, a 46-year-old black man, died while being arrested for using a counterfeit $20 bill. Chauvin, who is white, knelt on his neck for almost nine minutes, causing Floyd to pass out, while three other officers were also involved in the arrest. Chauvin, 44, has been charged with first degree murder, and is the only one of the four still being held in custody. Thomas Lane, J. Kueng and Tou Thao have all been charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder and manslaughter, and are free on bail. George Floyd, 46, died on May 25 The Hennepin County medical examiner's office said Floyd experienced cardiopulmonary arrest while being restrained by the officer. Their autopsy said Floyd had 'other significant conditions' including coronary artery disease and hypertensive heart disease, plus 'fentanyl intoxication; [and] recent methamphetamine use.' An independent autopsy conducted by Dr Allecia Wilson and Dr Michael Baden, commissioned by the family, said he died as a direct result of the way he was arrested. They found that sustained pressure impeded blood flow to the brain, and Chauvin's weight on Floyd's back impeded his ability to breathe. Demonstrators in Minneapolis have long called for Freeman to be removed, arguing that he was slow to react to Floyd's death, and has not pursued the case with sufficient vigor and transparency. Friday's hearing was the first time that all four officers were present in court. Judge Peter Cahill held Friday's hearing to discuss issues including changing trial venue Thomas Lane, front, and J. Keung, behind him, pictured leaving court on Friday, are charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder and manslaughter, and are free on bail On Friday the session was held to discuss various issues in the case, including whether the trial should be moved out of the county, whether the defendants should be tried in one trial or separately, and how jurors will be selected, among other issues. Judge Cahill has not yet ruled on those motions - his decision to remove Freeman being the sole outcome of the hearing. Prosecutors say witnesses and Floyds family members would likely be traumatized by multiple trials, and it would be more efficient and in the interest of justice to hold one proceeding. But defense attorneys are pushing for separate trials, saying they are likely to offer 'antagonistic' defenses, and evidence against one officer could negatively impact another's right to a fair trial. Attempts at finger-pointing are already prevalent throughout court filings in the case. Attorneys for Lane and Kueng have argued that their clients were rookies, who were following Chauvin's lead. Thao's attorney, Bob Paule, has said that his client's role was 'absolutely distinct' from the others, because he was on crowd control and was securing the scene - while the other three restrained Floyd. Chauvin's attorney, Eric Nelson, also wrote that his client's case is different. Nelson said prosecutors must prove Chauvin intended to assault Floyd, but they must also show that the other officers knew of Chauvin's intent before it happened. As a result, he said, Chauvin will have to defend himself differently. 'The other defendants are clearly saying that, if a crime was committed, they neither knew about it nor assisted in it,' Nelson wrote. 'They blame Chauvin.' But Chauvin also points fingers at the others. Protesters had gathered outside the Family Justice Center in Minneapolis on Friday Nelson wrote that Lane and Kueng - the officers who responded to a forgery call - initiated contact with Floyd before Chauvin and Thao arrived, and that Chauvin believes Floyd was overdosing on fentanyl. Nelson wrote that while Lane and Kueng called for a paramedic and believed Floyd was 'on something,' they didn't elevate the call to one of more urgency or give medical assistance. 'Instead, they struggled to subdue Mr. Floyd and force him into their squad car, likely exacerbating his condition considerably,' Nelson wrote, adding that Chauvin could reasonably argue that their inaction led to Floyd's death. 'If EMS had arrived just three minutes sooner, Mr. Floyd may have survived. If Kueng and Lane had chosen to de-escalate instead of struggle, Mr. Floyd may have survived. If Kueng and Lane had recognized the apparent signs of an opioid overdose and rendered aid, such as administering naloxone, Mr. Floyd may have survived,' Nelson wrote. Attorneys for all four men have also asked that the trial be moved from Minneapolis, saying that pretrial publicity has made it impossible for them to receive a fair trial. Bob Paule, Thao's attorney, said in a court filing that the state has tainted the jury pool by calling Floyd's death a 'murder.' Paule also cites protests that caused millions of dollars of damage in Minneapolis, saying an impartial jury cant be found in Hennepin County because jurors would 'shoulder the weight of their decision creating further rioting and destruction. Cahill said it was premature to decide whether to move the trial. He said he wanted to send a questionnaire to potential jurors to see how they had been affected by media coverage, and whether a fair jury could be selected in Hennepin County. Cahill said he was leaning toward having an anonymous jury, citing potential security threats. The judge said a trial would likely last six weeks, including two weeks for jury selection. Outside the courthouse, protesters staged a symbolic 'die-in', lying on the ground, for eight minutes 46 seconds - the time Chauvin knelt on Floyd's neck. After the hearing, attorneys representing Floyd's family held a press conference. Ben Crump, a prominent civil rights lawyer, criticized the defense attorneys' suggestions that Floyd had died of an overdose. Ben Crump, representing Floyd's family, has criticized suggestions Floyd died of an overdose 'The only overdoes was an overdose of police force,' he said. 'The world saw what happened. 'Who are you going to believe? Your eyes, or these killer cops?' Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-11 21:30:32|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close KUWAIT CITY, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- Kuwait on Friday reported 653 new COVID-19 cases and one more death, raising the tally of infections to 93,475 and the death toll to 557, the Health Ministry said in a statement. Currently, 9,258 patients are receiving treatment, including 97 in ICU, according to the statement. The ministry also announced the recovery of 620 more patients, raising the total recoveries in the country to 83,660. 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, 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 Dozens of wildfires in Oregon have forced the evacuation of more than 500,000 residents, prompting Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler to declare a state of emergency Friday as two massive blazes converged at the doorstep to his city. Today, I issued a City of Portland Emergency Order due to the extreme wildfire conditions threatening lives and property, including wildfire threats to the City of Portland and the greater Portland Metropolitan area. Please stay informed and stay safe. https://t.co/D8JAQQmxWf Mayor Ted Wheeler (@tedwheeler) September 11, 2020 While scores of wildfires have erupted over the past weeks in Oregon, two of the largest, the Beachie Creek and Riverside fires, appeared about to merge, forcing the evacuation of portions of Clackamas and Marion counties. Those two counties, which neighbor Portland to the south, have a combined population of nearly 1.4 million. We have never seen this amount of uncontained fire across our state, Gov. Kate Brown said at a press conference Friday. So far, over 306,000 acres have burned in Oregon this year, which has also seen record fire damage in Washington and California. The charred remains of Gates Elementary School in Gates, Ore., on Sept. 10 after the passage of the Santiam Fire. (Kathryn Elsesser/AFP via Getty Images) The scale of the devastation in Oregon is staggering, displacing 1 out of every 10 residents in the state and so far taking the lives of at least 15 people. Its incredibly smoky in Bend, local resident Michael Omar told Yahoo News. Approximately 500,000 people [are] evacuating on the other side of the [Cascade] Mountains. Its like a smoky fog you can see down the street, but the light is a dim orange. As in neighboring states, the massive amounts of smoke produced by the fires mean that even those residents spared the need to evacuate are suffering from an unhealthy air quality in which toxic ash and smoke coat outdoor surfaces. Portlands air quality deteriorated over the past day, making it less safe to breathe than in any other city on the planet. Similar conditions prevailed in much of Northern California and as far south as San Francisco. Thanks to approximately 30 large wildfires in Washington, an orange-gray haze has also extended north to Seattle and covers much of the states pristine wilderness. The National Weather Service said Friday that air quality would continue to worsen throughout the day in western Washington. Story continues Aerial view of a mobile home park destroyed by fire in Phoenix, Ore. (David Ryder/Getty Images) The fires have wreaked destruction on everything in their path. Well, a home where I used to live in Phoenix [Ore.] burned, and campgrounds I stayed at on Detroit Lake [also in Oregon] this summer burned, Portland resident Bill Redden, a retired public defender, told Yahoo News. If theres a take on that, its that Oregon is still a small enough state that most everyone has some sort of personal connection to the destruction. Jason Houk, a radio DJ on KSKQ in Ashland, said roughly 800 homes were destroyed in the town on Tuesday when a wall of flames from the Almeda Fire tore through Ashland, Talent and Phoenix. With scarcely enough time to grab their passports, Houk, his wife and their two daughters evacuated, but their mobile home was destroyed along with 80 others in the complex where they lived. Returning to view the devastation, Houk said the mobile home park now "looks like the pictures of Hiroshima. Utter devastation. Anything that could burn burned, any metal was twisted, any aluminum melted, any brick shattered, anything once green is black, Houk told Yahoo News. Millions of acres have burned across the West this year, and experts point to climate change as a contributing factor in the unfolding disaster. Across 11 Western states, including Oregon, Washington and California, approximately 87 percent of the landscape is abnormally dry, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. Even more startling, much of the normally rain-soaked states of Oregon and Washington where wildfires have erupted this week is suffering severe drought. The frequency of wildfires in California has been directly linked to rising temperatures, which turn dangerous underbrush and dead trees into ready kindling. This year, more than twice the yearly amount of land has burned in Oregon, and California is setting its own records. 6 of the 20 largest wildfires in California history have occurred in 2020. Over 2.6 million acres have burned. CALIFORNIA: if you are asked to evacuate please do so immediately. Listen to your local authorities and stay safe. Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) September 10, 2020 For those who live in the West, the speed with which the fires can transform reality has proved especially disconcerting. We had a clear and smoke-free summer until this week, Christian Nielsen, a lab scientist in Portland, told Yahoo News. We went from the mildest fire summer in five years to the worst in a few days. Crazy. Perhaps the only silver lining about the wildfires is that the nightly clashes between police and protesters in Portland have taken a pause. I havent heard a word in the last two or three days about any nighttime protests. I think thats due to the air quality, Portland resident Angie Jabine said. If I were a protester, Id want any excuse to take a few nights off! A law enforcement officer watches as a fire spreads in Oroville, Calif., on Sept. 9. (Josh Edelson/AFP via Getty Images) _____ Read more from Yahoo News: LINCOLN The Nebraska Supreme Court on Thursday tossed a proposed constitutional amendment legalizing medical marijuana off the November ballot. The court majority ruled that the proposal by Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana violated the Nebraska Constitution's requirement that ballot issues stick to a single subject. The ruling overturns a decision last month by Secretary of State Bob Evnen, who announced that, while there are a number of problems with the proposal, it met the legal requirements to be placed before voters. Backers of the measure turned in more than 182,000 petition signatures, gathered from all 93 Nebraska counties, to the Secretary of States Office in July to put it on the ballot. Evnen's decision was immediately challenged by Lancaster County Sheriff Terry Wagner. He filed a lawsuit claiming that the measure violates the single-subject requirement and that it would confuse voters and create doubt about what they had decided. At least 53 villagers have been killed in eastern Democratic Republic of Congos Ituri province, by Islamist militants, a local official said on Thursday. The authorities blamed the attacks on Tuesday and Wednesday on the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a Ugandan armed group active in eastern Congo since the 1990s. The militia has killed more than 1,000 civilians since the start of 2019, according to U.N. figures, despite repeated military campaigns aimed at destroying it. On Tuesday night into Wednesday, ADF fighters attacked the villages of Tsabi and Tondoli, around 120 km (75 miles) south of the city of Bunia, officials said. Etienne Babawela, a local village chief, said 53 bodies had been discovered so far. We dont know how many deaths there will be tomorrow, he said. Its as if they had lots of time on Tuesday and Wednesday while they were killing people. The United Nations says violence attributed to the ADF has soared since the start of the year, following the launch of a large-scale army campaign. In response, the ADF abandoned its bases, split into smaller, more mobile groups, and took revenge on civilians. Several attacks attributed to the ADF have also been claimed by Islamic State, although researchers and analysts say there is a lack of hard evidence linking the two groups. Violence committed by a constellation of more than 100 armed groups has forced over half a million people in the east of the country to flee their homes since the start of the year. Millions of people died in eastern Congo, most from hunger and disease, during wars from 1996 to 2003 that sucked in more than half a dozen neighbouring countries. Congos military and security forces have also committed grave violations, including killings and sexual violence, the United Nations has said. Follow Us on Facebook @LadunLiadi; Instagram @LadunLiadi; Twitter @LadunLiadi; Youtube @LadunLiadiTV for updates The global fundus cameras market size is expected to grow by USD 124.85 million as per Technavio. This marks a significant market slow down compared to the 2019 growth estimates due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the first half of 2020. However, steady growth is expected to continue throughout the forecast period, and the market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 4%. Request Free Sample Report on COVID-19 Impacts This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200910005688/en/ Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global Fundus Cameras Market 2020-2024 (Graphic: Business Wire). Read the 120-page report with TOC on "Fundus Cameras Market Analysis Report by Product (Non-mydriatic fundus cameras, Hybrid fundus cameras, and Mydriatic fundus cameras) and Geography (North America, APAC, Europe, and ROW), and the Segment Forecasts, 2020-2024". https://www.technavio.com/report/fundus-cameras-market-industry-analysis The market is driven by the increasing use of non-mydriatic cameras. In addition, the technological advances are anticipated to boost the growth of the Fundus Cameras Market. Imaging the fundus is crucial in any ophthalmologic examination. Non-mydriatic fundus cameras have significantly improved the diagnosis of diseases when compared with ophthalmoscopes. Several conditions such as AMD, diabetic retinopathy, and retinal diseases can be diagnosed accurately with the help of non-mydriatic fundus cameras. Vendors in the market are investing in R&D and launching fully automatic, non-mydriatic fundus cameras, owing to their increasing demand from end-users. Vendors are incorporating newer technologies and enhancements in design and light sources, which is likely to spur the demand for fundus cameras. For instance, in April 2019, Essilor Instruments USA launched its RETINA800 non-mydriatic fundus camera. Its fully-automatic retinal image capture eases the screening and detection of retinal pathologies, which is expected to increase its adoption by ophthalmologists. 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 Major Five Fundus Cameras Companies: Canon Inc. Canon Inc. has business operations under various segments such as office, imaging system, medical system, and industry and others. The company offers Canon CR-2 Digital Non-Mydriatic Retinal Camera which is compact and lightweight and easily installed. Carl Zeiss AG Carl Zeiss AG operates its business through various segments such as semiconductor manufacturing technology, industrial quality research, medical technology, and consumer markets. The company offers fundus camera under the brand, CLARUS 500. EasyScan BV EasyScan BV offers ophthalmoscopes which can easily detect eye conditions such as AMD diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, and others. The company offers fundus camera under the brand, EasyScan. Epipole Ltd. Epipole Ltd. designs and manufactures retinal imaging devices which are ideal for detecting diseases such as diabetic retinopathy. The company offers fundus camera under the brand, epiCam M. Haag-Streit AG Haag-Streit AG offers various products such as slit lamps, tonometry devices, biometry devices, perimetry devices, and other products such as disposables, diagnostic lenses, and others. The company offers fundus cameras under the brand, Fundus Module 300. Register for a free trial today and gain instant access to 17,000+ market research reports. Technavio's SUBSCRIPTION platform Fundus Cameras Market Product Outlook (Revenue, USD mn, 2020-2024) Non-mydriatic fundus cameras size and forecast 2019-2024 Hybrid fundus cameras size and forecast 2019-2024 Mydriatic fundus cameras size and forecast 2019-2024 Fundus Cameras Market Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD mn, 2020-2024) North America size and forecast 2019-2024 APAC size and forecast 2019-2024 Europe size and forecast 2019-2024 ROW size and forecast 2019-2024 Technavio's sample reports are free of charge and contain multiple sections of the report, such as the market size and forecast, drivers, challenges, trends, and more. Request a free sample report About Technavio Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focuses on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200910005688/en/ Contacts: Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 Email: media@technavio.com Website: www.technavio.com/ Find all of the most important pandemic education news on Educating N.J., a special resource guide created for parents, students and educators. With an estimated 193,000 New Jersey students without computers or internet access at home, New Jersey launched an ambitious grant program in July to give public school districts $115 million to quickly buy laptops and wifi hotspots. But, as the majority of students return to class this month with either all-remote or hybrid classes, New Jersey education officials say they arent sure how many of those kids now have computers for home learning. Faced with questions about the digital divide problem at Thursdays legislative budget hearing in Trenton, interim state Education Commissioner Kevin Dehmer said the state isnt tracking how many students have received devices so far under the program. I dont know how many are actually available. But weve identified funding through this program for all of those students, Dehmer said. Under the process, districts order devices for students, then ask the state for reimbursement for the money, the commissioner said. But global shortages of Chromebooks, wifi hotspots and other devices have delayed shipments in an unknown number of New Jersey schools. Sen. Teresa Ruiz, head of the state Senate Education Committee, said Dehmers response was unacceptable. The fact that the repository of information, which is the Department (of Education), cant report to the Legislature how many students are still disconnected is a huge red flag for all of us, Ruiz said at the hearing. With more than 500 New Jersey school districts opening either all-remote or with a hybrid system combining at-home and in-class learning, the lack of a computer or an internet connection means some students are simply unable to do their school work. If we knew that kids were not going to have a computer available to them for the first day of school why would we allow school to open knowing that that child could not function to the best of his ability? said Ruiz, D-Essex. When all New Jersey schools closed in mid-March and switched to at-home learning, state officials estimated roughly 231,000 of the states 1.4 million public school students did not have either a computer or an internet connection available to connect with their schools. Many districts scrambled to identify students who needed devices and find them computers. By summer, state officials estimated the number of disconnected students had dropped to 193,000 and districts applied for the state grants to buy devices, Dehmer said. Nearly all the applications were approved by mid August. But many districts had their shipments delayed. Paterson, one of the states largest districts, thought it would have to start the year with many kids without computers. But its shipment of 10,000 Chromebooks arrived shortly before remote classes started. Other districts are still waiting. There are global supply chain issues. And we have done some things to try to help that. The governor has reached out to technology companies to see what they can do to prioritize delivery. That might be having some success already, Dehmer said. The state has also asked districts to enter cooperative purchasing agreements to purchase in bulk, he said. But Ruiz said that may be too late for students missing the start of the school year because they still dont have the devices they need. We missed a huge opportunity We have contributed to the digital divide during this crisis whether we want to admit to it or not, Ruiz said. The Education Law Center, the advocacy group behind the historic Abbott v. Burke court ruling on school funding for New Jerseys low-income districts, has also been critical of the Murphy administrations efforts to get computers to needy students during the COVID-19 crisis. New Jersey may be violating the state Constitution by not getting students the computers and internet access they need to attend school, the group said. In the pandemic, remote learning has become a central feature of our public education system, and the resources to connect all students to that system are now essential to effectuate their right to a free public education as guaranteed under the New Jersey Constitution, David Sciarra, executive director of the Education Law Center, said in a letter to the governor and other state leaders. 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. Send to Email Address Your Name Your Email Address Post was not sent - check your email addresses! Email check failed, please try again Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. The issue came to light after a senior SBI official in Lucknow called the trust secretary Champat Rai to confirm if the trust had issued another cheque for transfer of Rs 9.86 lakh. Ayodhya: The Uttar Pradesh Police have registered an FIR against unknown persons for fraudulently transferring Rs six lakh from the bank account of the Ram Mandir Trust through two fake cheques and attempting to transfer around Rs 10 lakh with a third cheque that was timely detected as counterfeit by the bank. A case has been registered at the Kotwali police station in Ayodhya on a complaint filed by the Trust's secretary and VHP leader Champat Rai, a senior police official said. "We have seized the account in which the fund has been transferred. A police team has been sent to Lucknow and another team to Bombay as the account in which the money has been transferred is of Maharashtra," Ayodhya DIG Deepak Kumar told news agency PTI. He said those behind the crime have withdrawn Rs four lakh from the fraudulently transferred amount while Rs two lakh is still in their account. "Rs 2.5 lakhs was fraudulently transferred from the Trust's account in State Bank of India (SBI) on 1 September and Rs 3.5 lakh on 8 September through a second fake cheque," the FIR said. The issue came to light after a senior official of the SBI in Lucknow called Rai to confirm if the Trust had issued a cheque for transfer of Rs 9.86 lakh. "We give phone calls to all our customers before clearing cheques (with large amounts). I myself called the customer regarding the clearing of cheque for Rs 9,86,000 and the customer (Rai) received the phone after many repeated calls," Mona Rastogi, deputy manager of the clearing department of SBI, told PTI. She said it was certain that bank officials had called on the Trust's registered phone number to confirm payments for the first two "fake" cheques of Rs 2.5 lakh and Rs 3.5 lakh each before clearing the payments earlier this month. "Definitely the bank had called the customer before clearing the cheques of Rs 2.5 lakhs and Rs 3.5 lakh. The call records and details are being checked to ascertain if the customer had received the calls," she said. Rastogi said had Rai not taken her call, the third cloned cheque would also have been cleared because it appeared as original and the signatures too raised no doubts. "The cheques are cleared if the norms are followed and the signatures are found to be correct," she said. In his complaint filed with the police, Rai stated that the Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust has crores of rupees in its bank account and it was earlier unaware that the funds were fraudulently transferred from the account. Ayodhya DIG Deepak Kumar told PTI that an FIR has been lodged at the Kotwali police station in this regard and investigation is being done. "We have seized the account in which the fund has been transferred. Four lakh rupees from the account have been withdrawn but two lakhs rupees are still there," he said. At the turn of the 20th century, leaders of a small Virginia town commissioned a life-size painting of Robert E. Lee to fill the back wall of its circuit courtroom. This week, after nearly a century hanging in the court, a judge ordered it removed ahead of a murder trial at the defendant's request. "The Court is compelled to conclude that the level of controversy surrounding the image of Robert E. Lee is sufficiently intense that it is foreseeable that it may impair the fair administration of justice," wrote Louisa County Circuit Court Judge Timothy Sanner in a decision Thursday. Dethroning the largest portrait in the Louisa courtroom took two years of legal wrangling, which started after a man facing a capital murder charge asked for its removal. The portrait is the latest Confederate relic to be taken down this year amid national protests calling for racial justice. Legal experts say it is a highly unusual, if not unprecedented, instance of a judge ordering a symbol of the Confederacy removed on behalf of a defendant. Jin Hee Lee, the senior deputy director of litigation at the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, commended the removal, saying it is a necessary step in addressing larger systemic inequalities in the criminal justice system. "If you enter a courtroom and see a portrait of Robert E. Lee, it immediately makes it a place not welcoming to members of the Black community," she said. "And oftentimes, that is just the tip of the iceberg." Sanner ordered the portrait removed by the county no later than Sept. 23. Long before George Floyd died at the hands of Minneapolis police and racial unrest spilled into small towns nationwide, Doug Ramseur walked into the circuit courtroom in Louisa to be appointed as an attorney for Darcel Murphy, a 33-year-old Black man facing a capital murder charge. To his surprise, a towering homage to Lee stared back. "Whoa, that is not appropriate," he recalled thinking to himself at the time, positioned between his Black client and a general who promoted segregation. Ramseur would later learn that the portrait was as old as the pillared courthouse itself, commissioned around 1906 by a committee of local officials who wanted to honor Lee. It was long past time, Ramseur and his client decided, to remove symbols of the Confederacy from the halls of justice. In 2018, Ramseur filed a motion arguing that Murphy should be tried in a courtroom without images "that could be interpreted as glorifying, memorializing, or otherwise endorsing the efforts of those fought on behalf of the Confederate cause or its principles." But the changing tide of public opinion had not yet turned on Leewith the same intensity seen in recent months, and reigning reverence for the former general was reflected in the judge's initial rulingon the matter. Sanner said it was a political, not judicial, responsibility to determine if and how Lee should be publicly honored. He also cited public appreciation for the former general as grounds for his prominence in the courtroom. "There are many who admire the real or perceived qualities of General Lee," he wrote in his November 2019 decision, referencing the Virginia state holiday in Lee's honor. "Being so honored makes a compelling case for the inclusion of the portrait." Months later, from the former capital of the Confederacy, the Virginia Senate voted to abolish the Lee-Jackson holiday in favor of an Election Day holiday. By June, the swelling movement for racial justice had coalesced around removing statues of Lee, casting the former general as representative of the Confederate's racist ideology. His statue was quietly removed from the Virginia Capitol one night in July. With his longtime case suddenly aligned with the national zeitgeist, Ramseur renewed and refiled the motion in June. Three months later, Sanner ruled in his favor, citing changing public opinion and a recent amendment that gave localities control over the disposition of war memorials. "Given the significantly prevalent image of Robert E. Lee as a figure of racial hatred and prejudice, the Court is compelled to conclude that such image is unwelcoming to many of the African Americans, and others, who are compelled to appear in our courtroom as litigants, witnesses, jurors, attorneys, and judges," he wrote in his decision Thursday. County Administrator Christian Goodwin said in a statement that the court's "direction is mandatory" and that he could not comment about whether the portrait has been removed yet. "For too long, Black citizens of Louisa have questioned whether they could receive justice in a courtroom that chose to honor a person who fought to keep them enslaved," Murphy's attorneys said in a statement Thursday. "Judge Sanner's decision makes clear that we must continue to dismantle the racist symbols and institutions that have sought to pervert our legal system in order to oppress racial minorities." Murphy's next court appearance is set for Sept. 28, when he will face a bench trial in the fatal shooting of a 42-year-old man - without a Confederate general in the room. COLUMBIA Federal employment efforts should be a key part of the economic recovery from the damage of the coronavirus, House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn said Friday. Clyburn is readying plans to prompt the government to do more to increase employment after the presidential election. Economic stimulus through new federal programs is something both candidates should implement, he said. If Biden wins, it will be," Clyburn said. If he wins, I guarantee you, Ive got plans already set. Clyburn spoke at a signing event for an agreement between two historically Black colleges in Columbia Allen University and Benedict College with Savannah River Nuclear Solutions. It's the private company that operates the nuclear processing and storage facility near Aiken. The agreement will build added connections between the colleges, making it more likely that student will be candidates for the more than 150 internships the company offers annually. Company representatives also will be attending job fairs and other events at the colleges to help students build their job search skills, including resume writing and interviewing. Such agreements between the company are either completed or in the works with all of the state's Historically Black Colleges and Universities. "The workforce at Savannah River Nuclear Solutions will look like South Carolina," CEO Stuart MacVean said. Such connections between major employers and colleges are vital to make sure that students from less privileged backgrounds see what opportunities are out there for them and to make sure they are seen by employers, Clyburn said. On the recovery, Clyburn said he has been garnering increasing support for his plan to focus investment on persistent poverty, which he hopes will be incorporated as part of stimulus spending next year. Under Clyburn's plan, at least 10 percent of rural development spending would go to counties where 20 percent of the population has been living below the federal poverty level for the past 30 years. Clyburn refers to the concept as his "10-20-30" plan, and last year he and Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., drafted legislation to implement it. Targeted federal spending and educational projects such as the ones signed Friday are a way to make progress against longstanding poverty, a model that worked in the 1960s, Clyburn said. All these things were to provide work experience and work training for people whose backgrounds did not allow them to participate," he said. Sean Worsley, an Iraq War veteran, faces five years in prison for a marijuana drug possession (Sean Worsley) A disabled Iraq War veteran faces five years in prison for marijuana possession after an Alabama judge denied his release, citing his past criminal record. Alabama circuit judge Samuel Junkin denied a motion that would allow Sean Worsley to move to a community supervision programme instead of a state prison on Wednesday. Mr Worsley was arrested for marijuana possession while driving through Alabama from his home state of Arizona, where he has been legally prescribed the drug. If convicted, he could face five years in the Alabama Department of Corrections. The judge said that he denied Mr Worsleys motion because of his past criminal records and attempts to leave the state. Because the Defendant has fled this jurisdiction both times he was released, failed to comply with any condition of bond or probation and has 5 felony convictions, including one he received while on probation from this Courts sentence, this Court finds that the Defendant is not a suitable candidate for placement in the Community Corrections Program, Judge Junkin said. Therefore, the request is DENIED. Previously, the veteran was arrested for a non-violent marijuana related charge and pleaded guilty. Mr Worsley, a disabled veteran, earned a Purple Heart for his time served in Iraq and reportedly suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) from his service. Doctors where medicinal marijuana is legalised can prescribe the drug to help relieve symptoms related to PTSD. Advocates with Alabama Appleseed, a nonprofit organisation, told multiple publications they thought they had an iron-clad case for Mr Worsley to be moved to a community supervision programme. He currently is sitting in Pickens County Jail in Alabama awaiting transport to state prison to begin serving a five-year sentence. Judge Junkin was presented with community supervision for the veteran that wouldve included an employment offer from BLOX LLC, a design, manufacturing, and construction company in Bessemer, Alabama. In the offer letter, BLOX said it would help Mr Worsley and his wife find stable housing in the town, according to Fox News. Story continues The State of Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs penned a letter to the judge that promised counsel to advocate for Mr Worsley. Receipts of the court costs and fees were also submitted, showing the balances have been paid in full. The Alabama Department of Corrections deemed Mr Worsley suitable for transfer. The judge who initially sentenced Mr Worsley also approved transferring him to Community Corrections with the Veterans Treatment County. But that was all denied. At the time of his initial arrest, Mr Worsley was with his wife, Eboni. They were driving through Alabama on their way to North Carolina to help his mother with hurricane damage on her home. Mrs Worsley has since moved to Alabama to stay close to her husband while they await his transfer to the state prison system. At this point, the family and I are really starting at ground zero. We have to find new lawyers, she told Fox News. We have to find appeal attorneys and an attorney who will go in and speak to him. Due to the news cycle surrounding his case, members of the community have rallied behind the family. More than 2,000 people donated a total of nearly $100,000 online. This money was used to pay Pickens County what they said Mr Worsley owed them for court fees and other expenses. It also went towards a rental home for Mrs Worsley. But Mrs Worsley said the money was dwindling as she awaits her husbands transfer. In Mr. Worsleys case, Alabamas justice system worked exactly as it was designed to, Leah Nelson, a lead researcher with the Alabama Appleseed, told Fox News. The arresting officer, judge and prosecutor each exercised discretion at various points, but ultimately, what happened to Mr. Worsley is a predictable outcome of Alabamas grossly punitive drug laws and the United States refusal to meet disabled veterans where they are or provide them with the services they need. Read more Florida man cleared after 37 years in jail for rape and murder as new DNA evidence comes to light R Kelly attacked in prison by fellow inmate, attorney claims Alabama Republican celebrates KKK member's birthday as state remembers civil rights hero John Lewis A U.S. Army nurse who grew up in 33 foster homes after her father went to jail and her mother relinquished parental rights had the statistics stacked against her; however, she was determined to live differently. Today, Second Lt. Stephanie Hergesheimers life story is an inspiration for many. Second Lt. Stephanie Hergesheimer, 30, a medical-surgical staff nurse in the U.S. Army. (Marcy Sanchez/DVIDSHUB) [Women] go through a lot, the world looks at us in a certain light, Stephanie, 30, from Vernon, Connecticut, said in an interview with the U.S. Army. Just because the world wants to put you in a square doesnt mean you have to be a square. You can be a diamond. You can do whatever you want, she said. Growing up, Stephanie found comfort and a way to escape between the pages of her school books. The school was her refuge, she said, a safe zone where she need not worry about anything that was going on in her life. Thats where I could just focus on being a student and what I needed to get done. I could read and that would put me in a whole different world. I never had to worry about what was going on around me, she said. An excellent student, Stephanie graduated high school with a full college scholarship, the U.S. Army reported. But she didnt find the sense of purpose she was hungry for in the first few months of her college degree. I was looking for purpose and direction to make a difference in the world, she said. In 2010, Stephanie dropped out and enlisted in the Army. With a desire to help others and with previous experience as a lifeguard, Stephanie gravitated toward a role in health care. She ended up training as a combat medic. Stephanie worked as an Emergency Room medic in South Korea before deploying with the 101st Combat Aviation Brigade to Afghanistan. After returning home in 2014, she discovered that she was pregnant. Stephanie prepared for life as a single mother while simultaneously cementing her resolve to keep doing better and forging ahead in her life. According to the U.S. Army website, Stephanie moved to Georgia with her baby daughter, finished her bachelors degree with a major in psychology, and applied to the Army Medical Departments Enlisted Commissioning Program. Eventually, Stephanie graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. At the time of writing, Stephanie is married and serving as a second lieutenant. The mom of a 6-year-old daughter now works in the inpatient ward at the only American level III trauma center overseas, the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany. With the benefit of both time and distance to aid her reflections, Stephanie ventured that her daughter is her biggest driving force to keep achieving. But so, she said, are the naysayers. Growing up, I was told I wouldnt make it and I wouldnt succeed, just from my past, she said. That definitely motivated me to prove them wrong. Then having a little daughter, having those little eyes look up at me and tell me, Youre my hero, pushes me to do more and be better. Across the United States, only around 50 percent of youths raised in the foster care system complete high school, according to the National Foster Youth Institute. Fewer than 3 percent go on to graduate from a 4-year college degree. Stephanie did not want to be limited by such disheartening statistics. As an anomaly, she hopes to inspire other young girls stifled by their circumstances to persevere despite hardship. To other little girls that are growing up in situations similar to mine, or in any situation, you dont have to be looked down upon, Stephanie told the U.S. Army. [N]o matter what youre going through in life, no matter what theyre throwing at you, you can do it; youre not weaker than anybody else, youre just as strong, she said. Watch the video below: (Courtesy of William Beach/DVIDSHUB) We would love to hear your stories! You can share them with us at emg.inspired@epochtimes.nyc Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-12 00:26:17|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close LONDON, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- British Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove on Friday defended British government's moves to press ahead with a new internal market bill that ministers acknowledge will break international law. Gove outlined the measures Prime Minister Boris Johnson's government plan to take in a written statement to the House of Commons (lower house of parliament). He said Britain had made clear during discussions with EU officials on the UK Internal Market Bill that the legislative timetable for the bill would continue as planned. Gove also reiterated the government's commitment to implementing the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement, including the protocol covering Northern Ireland. His official statement follows a demand 24 hours earlier by the European Union for the British government to drop clauses in the new bill that override a Brexit treaty signed by London and Brussels. Lawmakers in Britain's House of Commons will have their first opportunity Monday to comment on the internal market bill, ahead of a full debate later next week as part of its legislative journey. A number of Conservative MPs in the House of Commons have expressed dismay at the bill over the way it will break international law. With Johnson commanding a majority in the chamber, he is expected to win. But the bill will face a stormier ride on the unelected House of Lords where a number of peers have already said they will mount a strong opposition against it. The Times reported Friday that at least 30 Conservative MPs have threatened to rebel against the bill when it goes before parliament. The Times said the rebel MPs have tabled an amendment that would bar the government from overriding the Withdrawal Agreement without parliament's support. Despite the dispute over the internal market bill, both the EU and Britain have agreed to meet next week in Brussels to continue discussions on a new trade pact which is expected to come into operation on Jan. 1, 2021 after a Brexit transition period comes to an end. EU officials said the talks will go ahead even though they are expected to be challenging. Brussels issued an ultimatum to the British government Thursday to back down on its controversial trade bill by the end of September, or face legal action and a possible collapse of ongoing trade talks. Britain ended its EU membership on Jan. 31 but is still following EU rules during the transition period until Dec. 31. Unless a trade deal is agreed by the end of this year, Britain will have to trade with the EU under the World Trade Organization terms. Enditem Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 11) Adapt or perish has been the mantra for businesses looking to sustain operations during the COVID-19 pandemic. With people still wary of heading out to shop and dine, most stores have been forced to take their businesses online to keep their sales going. Early birds to the e-commerce revolution are benefiting, but that doesn't mean that new digital migrants cannot catch up. Steve Sy, founder and chief executive officer of e-commerce enabler Great Deals, had several tips to share for those looking to move to virtual shops. Start early According to Sy, it takes between four to six weeks to set up a robust e-commerce store. Time is of the essence especially for struggling firms. "Right now, being digital is the key to survive this pandemic," he said. However, he added that smaller firms looking to launch quickly do not have to complete the full nine yards of crafting their own website, social media pages, online payment gateway, and shipment channel. Tap online selling platforms Sy described the likes of Lazada and Shopee as "low-hanging fruit" where businesses can start selling their goods in a jiffy. These marketplace platforms allow a seller to sign up and upload their products in one day and be ready for customers the next day, with an established traffic of customers already within reach, Sy said. It's not as expensive too the Great Deals executive said the platforms mostly collect a fee worth 5 percent of lower of a store's sales. If selling via social media, a good strategy would be to join Facebook groups to tap communities, especially a brand's target market. This will also boost traffic to the brand's official pages. Content is king Much like physical stores, the stars of an establishment should still be their quality products. Once the online business is up and running, Sy advises to fill up the page or profile with great content, especially realistic photos of the products. Good chat support can also make or break sales. "When people ask 'how much po,' the response rate should be as fast as you can," he said. Sy said consumer spending is likely to sustain its recovery closer to the Christmas season easily the most wonderful time of the year for Filipinos. Lockdowns and job losses aside, he said there are still hints that people are eager to spend and shop, as seen in the recent 9.9 online shopping megasale. "I believe e-commerce is the silver lining during this pandemic," Sy added. "Definitely, I have high hopes for the Christmas season. Ang Filipino culture is always very generous. People will just save at importante 'yung mga anak nila, may new dress or new shoes for Christmas." Srinagar, Sep 11 : The Jammu and Kashmir Police along with the Army and the CRPF on Friday busted an Al-Badr terror module involved in grenade hurling incidents, officials said. The police said one uncategorised terrorist identified as Ishfaq Ahmad Pandith, a resident of Sopore in North Kashmir, and his two associates identified as Abdul Majeed Dar and Mubashir Ahmad Dar, both residents of Sopore, were arrested. "They were involved in a grenade hurling incident at the Warpora Sopore police post," the police said. An FIR has been registered in the matter and further investigation is in progress. More arrests are expected, the police said. BEIRUT - The process of formation of the new Lebanese government appears to be at a standstill. No sign has yet come from designated premier, Mustafa Adib, who is reportedly engaged in ''talks'' between the sides, according to local media close to Adib and President Michel Aoun who had promised, together with other Lebanese leaders, to French President Emmanuel Macron to announce the new cabinet by September 15. Meanwhile press reports said a presidential envoy, Lebanese General Abbas Ibrahim, has travelled to Paris. Ibrahim is the head of General security and a leading figure behind the scenes in Lebanon. He travelled to Paris Thursday and met with Bernard Emie, the head of the general directorate on foreign security, the French foreign security service. Ibrahim's visit to France takes place two days after the imposition of new US sanctions on two politicians allied to Hezbollah, who are present in the current government. Ibrahim has been alleged by several sources to be also close to the Shiite movement. According to Lebanese media, his visit has the objective of understanding whether France is acting together with the United States in putting pressure on Hezbollah or whether President Emmanuel Macron means to pursue his policy of dialogue with all Lebanese sides to reach as soon as possible the creation of a new government. (Bloomberg) -- Zomato Pvt, an Indian food delivery startup, will file for an initial public offering in the first half of 2021, joining a rash of consumer internet companies raring to go public. Our finance/legal teams are working hard to take us to IPO sometime in the first half of next year, Deepinder Goyal, Zomatos founder and chief executive officer, told employees in an email on Thursday, a copy of which Bloomberg News has obtained. In response to a query, Goyal declined to comment on the size of the IPO or the valuation. Technology companies are set to raise more capital via IPOs in 2020 than at the height of the dotcom bubble, an extraordinary showing in a year fraught with uncertainty. Zomato, backed by Sequoia Capital and Jack Mas Ant Group among others, represents a clutch of high-flying Indian startups now riding a smartphone boom in the worlds second-most populous nation. The company continues to seek funds ahead of its envisioned debut. Global investors Tiger Global Management, Temasek Holdings, Baillie Gifford and Ant have joined Zomatos latest financing round, he added. There are more big names joining the round - we estimate that our current round will end up with us at $600 million in the bank very soon, Goyal said in the same note. The investors are part of a $525 million round that, as per a filing with Indias company regulator, values the startup at $3.4 billion. Zomato is among the two largest players in Indias food delivery business. Its locked in a fierce fight with rival unicorn Swiggy, which is backed by the likes of Tencent Holdings, Naspers Ltd. and DST Global among others. Both startups faced challenging business conditions during the coronavirus pandemic and ensuing lockdowns, but are continuing to win global investor support. Swiggy raised over $100 million from Naspers earlier this year. Food delivery is beginning to bounce back as Indians continue to order food via apps in a country with half-a-billion smartphones and with restaurants still shuttered for walk-in customers. Story continues The best part is that our burn rate is very low and our market share is accelerating in all regions, Goyal said in the note to employees. We have no immediate plans on how to spend this money. We are treating this cash as a war chest for future M&A and fighting off any mischief or price wars from our competition in various areas of our business. (Updates with details on the IPO market in the third paragraph) For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com Subscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source. 2020 Bloomberg L.P. CAMBRIDGE One woman is dead and another is in custody as police conduct a homicide investigation in Cambridge. Waterloo Regional Police received a call for a medical emergency around 10:30 a.m. Friday morning at a housing complex on Queen Street West near Winston Boulevard. When officers arrived, they found an adult woman dead. An adult female who is believed to be known to the victim has been arrested for murder, said police spokesperson Ashley Dietrich, adding police are not looking for any additional suspects. There is no concern for public safety at this time. Dietrich would not share the names or ages of the two women, or how they were known to each other. Details about who called in the medical emergency, the cause of death or if a potential weapon was recovered were also not shared by police. Residents of the housing complex would not speak on the record but were shocked by the scene Friday morning and described the area as a quiet community where residents look out for each other. There will be an increased police presence in the area Friday as officers continue to investigate. Our condolences do go out to the family and the community and all those involved, Dietrich said. Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 519-570-9777 ext. 8191 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477. Cheryl Ray moved to Oregon about eight years ago from Texas after losing two homes, one in Galveston when she had to be rescued from the rooftop during Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and when her roof collapsed in Houston during Hurricane Ike in 2008. On Friday morning, Ray woke up among about 65 fire evacuees sheltered by the American Red Cross in the Oregon Convention Center. Many of the people arrived from Clackamas County, including some who had to be moved from a different shelter at Clackamas Community College in Oregon City when fire risk forced them out. Ray, 60, and some of her neighbors in Oregon City had piled into a truck about 2 p.m. Thursday to leave town amid a Level 2 "Get Set'' evacuation notice and arrived in Portland five hours later after sitting in bumper-to-bumper traffic. Ray said she suffers from chronic pulmonary disease and was bothered by the smoke that seeped into her house. She left behind her nebulizer but brought her personal journal and her Bible, as well as her two dogs, Luna and Sandy, who were huddled in a crate beside her cot. I had my windows taped up, but it was still smoky. The sky was red and ashes were falling all over the place. It was really scary," Ray said. " Im praying I dont lose everything again. Im hoping the rain comes soon. The convention center is now housing three different shelters: one run by Multnomah County that has operated during the coronavirus pandemic for about 100 homeless people and now two more -- the new 300-bed shelter for fire evacuees and a so-called severe weather shelter for anyone who needs refuge from the poor air quality from the wildfire smoke. "We know this is a very difficult and stressful time for folks who have been impacted by the wildfires,'' said Chad Carter, head of the American Red Cross' Cascade region. Primarily its an opportunity for them to relax and know they have a safe place to be. The Red Cross has mobilized volunteers from around the state and from other parts of the country to assist in Oregon, Carter said. Theyre providing three meals, cots, blankets and showers to the evacuees. A TV also was set up in the shelter and one area was set aside for people with small pets. Chris Voss, Multnomah Countys emergency management director, said a call came in Thursday afternoon from Clackamas County and state officials who said they needed to move people from the community college shelter location out to a safer spot. Firefighters had been struggling to hold back quickly growing fires in Clackamas County since Sunday night. But the circumstances turned even more dire Thursday as it became likely that two of the states largest fires would combine. The Riverside fire started in Clackamas County and has flared to 130,049 acres. The Beachie Creek fire originated in Marion County and raced over 186,000 acres. Obviously, we wanted to lend any support that we possibly could, Voss said. Were going to continue to try to do that to the extent we possibly can. Jennifer Masotja, emergency manager for Multnomah Countys Human Services Department, said shelter cots are physically distanced and meals are pre-prepared and distributed to shelter residents. " We will run as long as we have to," she said. The Joint Office of Homeless Services on Friday also started to distribute thousands of N-95 masks to people living outside for protection from the smoke. Scott Gee, 65, who owns a 36-acre farm nine miles south of Molalla, had evacuated his family Tuesday to the Clackamas Community College shelter site. On Thursday, he went back to the family property to check on it. I hosed everything down and fed my livestock, he said. As he was at his property, he learned his wife at the community college had to be evacuated from there to the convention center in Portland because the Clackamas County threat level had risen. He drove and met her at the convention center about 8 p.m. Thursday. Gee said hes lived on the Molalla-area farm for 40 years. His pickup was filled with some clothes, toiletries, his two dogs and a chicken caged in the back. Anxious and worried about his home, he stood and talked with his brother and a friend, also evacuees from Molalla, in a parking lot across from the convention center. His brother, Roy Gee, 59, said he and his friend drove back to Molalla about 6 a.m. Friday to check on their home. Police were on bullhorns advising residents in the area to leave, he said. Nobody was there. We were sitting in the front room of the house and it was orange all around it, Roy Gee said. He picked up a handful of soot outside the house and it felt warm in his hand. Thats when I said we got to get out of here. Scott McGee, who has owned a farm nines miles south of Molalla for 40 years, was evacuated from the Clackamas Community College shelter to Portland's Oregon Convention Center Thursday night. He said he returned to his farm earlier Thursday, "hosed everything down" and fed his livestock. But he's anxious to get back, worried if his property will be salvaged from wildfires. Here, he waits outside the Oregon Convention Center. Scott Gee talked about the antique motorcycles stored on his property, every tree on it I planted and the turkeys, chickens, pigs and rabbits that remained. I just let everything loose, he said. Theyre better off loose than they are penned up. At least it gives them a fighting chance. He kept repeating: I need to get home and get stuff taken care of. I want to get back up there. Back inside the convention center, Linda Johnson, 54, said she was just thankful to be in a safe place. She was with her husband, Lonnie Johnson, 68, and they both use electric scooters for mobility. The manager of the couples Oregon City building, Hilltop Court Apartments, helped arrange for them to be driven Thursday night by AMR Ambulance to the convention center. Linda Johnson has multiple sclerosis and her husband has had three strokes and five heart attacks. They brought their medications, their scooters, a couple of pairs of pants and shirts and a folder holding their important personal papers and medical records. Lonnie and I have been praying that God will put out the fires, said Linda Johnson, who celebrated her 20th wedding anniversary on Aug. 17 . I feel safe, as long as Im here with Lonnie. Anyone can arrive at the shelter at the Oregon Convention Center 24 hours a day. The entrance is by the back loading dock. Anyone seeking shelter to obtain respite from the smoke should call 211 to check whats available. Two more sites were being made available for people experiencing homelessness at the Charles Jordan Community Center and Mt. Scott Community Center. Those wishing to volunteer with the American Red Cross can go to redcross.org. -- Maxine Bernstein Email at mbernstein@oregonian.com; 503-221-8212 Follow on Twitter @maxoregonian Subscribe to Facebook page As the future of what was once LIAT is being crafted, a number of airlines have moved in to fill the void created by LIATs cessation. If what the CMC reported is what was proposed, then the government of Antigua and Barbuda is prepared to underwrite up to 50% of the required capitalisation for a reorganised LIAT. The CMC said late last week that it had obtained a copy of the new reorganisational plan and that Antigua and Barbuda is proposing to re-investment of EC$180 million. The remaining $50% is expected to be shared by other private and public sector entities, including existing shareholder governments. And according to CMC, Antigua and Barbudas Prime Minister Gaston Browne said in an interview with that news agency, that the reorganised LIAT (I974) limited would be different from a restructured entity. "In a reorganised LIAT, creditors will be asked to take a cut up to 100 per cent in some instances, but on average about 50 per cent. The staff we expect, a 50 per cent reduction in the staff liabilities because if they go to liquidation they will be lucky to get 10 per cent, he added. Already, the Barbados and St Vincent and the Grenadines governments, former shareholders in the airline, had in July agreed to sell their shares, to accommodate the new reorganisational plan outlined by Antigua and Barbuda. Dominica is the other major shareholder government. As it stands now, the Administrator, appointed in late July, is the sole representative of what remains as the LIAT estate. All decisions involving the affairs of LIAT would be taken exclusively by the administrator and not the directors, or shareholders. The Administrator, Cleveland Seaforth, is tasked with the responsibility of reorganizing the company LIAT (1974) Ltd., by cutting liabilities and realigning expenses. The administrator would have full powers to negotiate terms with creditors, including agreement to reduce sums payable. He promised a report within 120 days of his appointment. Debt write-off Meanwhile. Antigua News Room reported PM Browne as saying earlier this week that there has been no formal response to a request that governments write-off LIAT debts to them. While Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves of St. Vincent and the Grenadines gave indication that he was prepared to write off more than C$14 million owing to his government, Browne said Gonsalves has not confirmed that by way of a formal response. Neither, he said, has the other two (former) major shareholders Barbados and Dominica replied formally. Browne, however, said that he was "pretty sure that Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit of Dominica will be writing off the arrears. As it stands, LIAT has more than $300 million in liabilities and the assets, which are primarily travel assets, are estimated to yield a mere $20 million. UN Security Council has agreed to name a new special envoy for Libya After more than six months of squabbling, the UN Security Council has agreed to name a new special envoy for Libya and a "coordinator" who will be second in command, diplomats said Friday. The Council will vote early next week on a draft resolution that would renew the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) until September 15, 2021 and spell out the leadership structure. The draft, seen by AFP, says the Council had decided "UNSMIL should be led by a Special Envoy of the Secretary-General... with a particular focus on good offices and mediation with Libyan and international actors to end the conflict." Under the envoy's authority, "an UNSMIL Coordinator shall be in charge of UNSMIL's day-to-day operations and management" of its roughly 200 staff, the text says. The Council will ask Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to "appoint his Special Envoy without delay," according to the document. UN Libya envoy Ghassan Salame stepped down in March for health reasons, and bickering between the United States and its partners on how the role should be defined has stalled naming a successor. Guterres had tapped former Algerian foreign minister Ramtane Lamamra, but Washington nixed his nomination for reasons that were not made public. The UN chief then turned to former Ghanaian minister Hanna Serwaa Tetteh but the US again rejected it, asking that the post be split in two -- a political envoy and a boss for the UN mission, as is the situation for Cyprus or Western Sahara. Washington pushed for former Danish prime minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt to be the next special envoy but the other 14 Council members criticized that choice, diplomats said. Libya has endured almost a decade of violent chaos since the 2011 NATO-backed uprising that toppled and killed veteran dictator Moamer Kadhafi. The UN-recognized Government of National Accord (GNA) and an the Representatives House and eastern administration supported by Libyan National Army (LNA) are vying for power against a backdrop of dozens of local conflicts. The UN mission in Libya has been run since Salame's resignation by his deputy, American diplomat Stephanie Williams. She is due to leave at month's end. In a letter to Guterres earlier this month, the GNA said it supported the US solution of splitting the mission leadership in two, with an envoy and a coordinator. The proposed resolution, drafted by Britain, asks Guterres to "assess the steps required to reach a lasting ceasefire" over the next two months, and to make recommendations for how the UN can take part in "scalable ceasefire support." The text asks for "full compliance" by all UN member states with an arms embargo put in place in 2011, which has been repeatedly breached. It also asks countries to end "all support" for armed mercenaries in the war-wracked country and their immediate withdrawal, as well as no further foreign intervention. Turkey and Qatar have backed the GNA, while the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Russia support LNA. Search Keywords: Short link: Adopting legislation to implement the UN Declaration by the end of 2020 was a key pillar of the Liberal government's 2019 election platform, and we now look to the Liberal Party to table this legislation as soon as possible, upon Parliament resuming, so the legislation can be passed by the end of 2020. The Government of Canada has affirmed its commitment to achieving reconciliation with the Indigenous Peoples of Canada and this is a key action required to meet this goal. These are difficult times. Social unrest and a global pandemic have exposed the many areas in which the Metis Nation, Inuit and First Nations in Canada continue to be left behind. It has become clear that we can only move forward as a country when the human rights of Indigenous Peoples are respected and when the relationship between the Crown and Indigenous Peoples is built on a foundation of meaningful self-determination. The UN Declaration is a new way forward. It sets out the minimum standards for the survival, well-being and dignity of Indigenous Peoples. It is a comprehensive declaration that places self-determination and the right to live equally, free from discrimination at the heart of State interactions. Canada has publicly stated it officially adopted the UN Declaration and expressed its unqualified support in 2016. Federal legislation committing to implement the Declaration domestically is a necessary next step. Metis National Council President Clement Chartier states, "We are encouraged by steps taken in recent years, including the signing of the Canada-Metis Nation Accord. Establishing a Nation-to-Nation, government-to-government relationship with Canada is consistent with the intent of the UN Declaration and demonstrates that its full implementation is within our reach. We now look to all Parliamentarians to honour our Nation's inherent right to self-determination through the implementation of the UN Declaration." There is widespread support for the implementation of the UN Declaration because Canadians of all stripes recognize that it is the right thing to do. British Columbia recently adopted implementation legislation with the support of all parties. Bill C-262 was well-received across Canada and passed the House of Commons before being procedurally stifled by a few Senators. Key industry associations supported both of these initiatives and we continue to work with our industry partners to build relationships around the rights affirmed by the UN Declaration. It is critical that Parliament heeds this broad consensus. Using Bill C-262 as the floor, all parties must ensure that implementation legislation is passed this Parliamentary session. "We call on the Government of Canada to pass implementation legislation that affirms its commitment to the Metis Nation," said Metis National Council's Vice President and National Spokesperson David Chartrand, "Canada must act now in recognizing the importance of implementing the UN Declaration in Canada to overcome past harms on our people by ensuring our human rights are now fully realized. "Canada will have a brighter future when this is achieved," President Chartrand went on to say. "We call upon our federal, provincial, municipal, and industry partners, and indeed all Canadians, to join us in supporting this important historical change. We are doing this for our children, grandchildren, and future generations." On September 13, 2007, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples as a standard of achievement to be pursued in a spirit of partnership and mutual respect. The MNC represents the Metis Nation in Canada at the national and international levels. The Metis Nation's homeland includes the 3 Prairie Provinces and extends into the contiguous parts of British Columbia, Ontario, the Northwest Territories and the United States. There are approximately 400,000 Metis Nation citizens in Canada, roughly a quarter of all Aboriginal peoples in the country. SOURCE Metis National Council For further information: Ke Ning, Metis National Council, [email protected], c: 613-297-5193 Related Links www.metisnation.ca Many students will be receiving CAO offers in the first round today. Stock image The Leaving Cert results have landed and you have received your CAO offer, so what next? Guidance counsellor Aoife Walsh guides you through the processes of accepting your CAO offer, deferring your college place if you prefer, and how to access grants and financial supports. Accepting your offer There is no rush you have until Wednesday to accept an offer The arrival of CAO Round 1 offers brought joy and relief to many households. Undoubtedly, it has also led to confusion and stress in others. Anyone with an offer has until 3pm on Wednesday to accept. Therefore it is important for applicants not to rush into accepting, if they are unsure about it but neither should they spend too long deciding. Applicants who will accept their offer should do so online. Many students will have received two offers, one from the Level 8 list and one from the Level 6/7 list. If so, they must choose between them. For many, this will be an easy decision and it is expected that over half of acceptances will be made online today. Some applicants will need more time to consider. In previous years, disappointed candidates often appealed their Leaving Cert grades and, if the outcome made them eligible for a course, they got that offer and generally had the option of taking it up that year. While there is a process for appealing calculated grades, it is merely to check that there were no administrative errors, so it does not present the same potential for upgrades this year. Read More There is, however, the possibility of sitting the November exams. Some may see it as an opportunity but others as a complication. Students can combine the best results from the November exams with their best calculated grades which may lead to a desired offer, based on 2020 points. But they will not be able to take up that place until 2021. It would be as if they deferred it. In order to accept an offer, applicants should log into their CAO account and follow the instructions. If they decide not to accept, there is no need to notify the CAO. The offer will be passed on to another applicant in the next round if no action is taken before the deadline. Receiving an offer of any place in higher education is a huge accomplishment and one that should be celebrated. Take some time to savour this achievement with family and friends before considering the next step. A common reaction to a disappointing offer is to hit the accept button immediately, without thinking through other routes and options. If an applicant finds themselves in this situation, it can be very helpful to seek professional advice. They can do this by calling the National Parents Council Post Primary helpline or by contacting the school guidance counsellor. With a little time and the right support, those who find themselves in a confused and difficult situation on offers day are normally clear and happy with their decision by the time the acceptance deadline arrives. If you decide not to accept your offer, there is no need to notify the CAO. Read More How to defer You can ask your college to hold place for a year Every year when CAO offers are made, some successful applicants decide that, while they want to pursue the course, they dont want to take it up immediately. Colleges are open to requests for a deferral. Deferring means that you have accepted, in principle, and that the institution agrees to hold your place for one year, in this case, allowing you to enter in 2021. It is important to note that anyone who wants to pursue this option does not formally accept the offer, but instead seeks the deferral before the deadline for acceptances of the particular offer. Deferral is not guaranteed and colleges deal with requests on a case-by-case basis. While seeking to accommodate students, they are mindful of the need to keep adequate places open for the following years applicants. There has been much speculation that more students will seek a deferral this year, perhaps because of the shift towards online learning or a fear of physically attending on campus for health reasons. Based on the experience of CAO Round A and Round Zero, which precede Round 1, the level of requests is on a par, or a little less in some cases, with previous years. Covid concerns have been mentioned as a factor in some of the deferral applications arising from those two rounds of offers. Read More On the other hand, the lack of work and travel opportunities this year may encourage someone who might otherwise have considered seeking a deferral, to take their place this autumn. The rules and procedures vary a little between colleges. In general, deferrals wont be approved if students want to take up another CAO place in the current year or for someone who wants to repeat the Leaving Cert. Colleges will allow deferrals for someone who wants to enrol in a one-year post-Leaving Certificate (PLC) course. DCU says that there are no changes to its standard process but that it is aware of the many factors students have to take into account, particularly this year, and it will be as flexible and considerate as possible. UCC has made a slight amendment to its protocols, in that those applying on the basis of medical conditions are prioritised, once the application is accompanied with a medical cert/doctors letter. NUI Galway, University of Limerick and Maynooth Univeristy are operating their standard polices. Practice in UCD is to have a deferral limit of 5pc of places for each programme and that remains the same. TCD says it will endeavour to grant as many deferral requests as it can, but that there will be a limit on the number of deferrals that can be granted for all courses. Finance, travel or accommodation may be factors for those considering a deferral this year, and colleges will work with students facing such challenges to see if they can be overcome. Anyone thinking about a deferral should consider it carefully and, perhaps, talk it through with a guidance counsellor on the National Parents Council Post Primary helpline (1800 265 165).. How to access grants There's still time to apply for a grant... For anyone planning to attend further education, such as a post-Leaving Cert course, or higher education, the main source of financial assistance is the Susi grant. Susi is the centralised system through which student grants are processed. The application process is online at susi.ie Susi has already approved grants for about 70,000 students for 2020/21, including 2020 school-leavers and/or students who have become eligible because their family finances have taken a Covid hit. But there are a number of reasons why students may not yet have applied. It is not unusual for young people to struggle with choices about their future and the circumstances this year will have made the decision whether or not to attend third level even more difficult for many. Read More Students do not have to wait to accept a place on a course to apply for Susi. The advice for all young people even considering further or higher education, who think they may be eligible for a Susi grant, is to apply as soon as possible, to avoid any unnecessary delays in payment, even if they later decide not to attend college. Grants are means-tested and applications are generally assessed on the basis of the previous years income. There is also provision for sudden change in financial circumstances and 2020 has seen a dramatic downturn for a large number of households. Many families who would not have considered seeking a grant in early 2020 may now need to access this support. Those families should make an application through susi.ie. They should complete an application providing their financial information for 2019. Then, in Section F, applicants will be asked Did you have a change of circumstances in relation to your reckonable income (since 2019) that you expect to be ongoing for the foreseeable future? If an applicant answers yes to this question, they will have the opportunity to provide more information. There are different categories, but a student who is dependent on parents will be assessed on their own income and that of their parents/legal guardians. As well as income and the number of children in a family, an important factor in the amount awarded is distance from college. A higher rate (non-adjacent) is paid to students living more than 45km from college. An adjacent rate applies to students living within 45km. There is also a special rate if a family is in receipt of a specified social welfare payment. Anyone interested should begin by completing the Eligibility Reckoner on susi.ie. If the chance of success looks good, they should work through the application process. The rules of the scheme as it applies to students living in Direct Provision have been relaxed this year. There is no longer a requirement to have spent three years in the Irish school system and to have obtained the Leaving Cert. Applicants will still have to meet the requirement to have been in the Protection or the Leave to Remain process for three years. 9/2 Clifford Meyer, De Soto, was operating a semi-truck and flatbed trailer owned by River City Transport, northbound on State Hwy. 82, in the town of Wheatland. The trailer went off the roadway, and down an embankment. The trailer continued to be drug sideways along the embankment, and struck a power pole. The power pole snapped off. Meyer continued driving until the trailer was pulled back onto the roadway. Meyer did not report any injuries. There was no reported damage to the semi-truck and trailer. 9/3 Arthur Brose, Coon Valley, was traveling northbound on State Hwy. 162, in the town of Hamburg, around 8:55 p.m., and struck a large black dog that was in the middle of the roadway. Brose, and his passenger, Judy Brose, did not report any injuries. The owner of the dog was notified. 9/5 Jossie Alice-Briane Kozelka, De Soto, was traveling eastbound on S Creek Road, in the town of Genoa, and due to the sunrise, she was blinded by the sun, missed the corner, and went into the ditch. The vehicle overturned and landed in a pond. Jossie was transported to the hospital for a possible injury. The vehicle was towed due to disabling damage. (See photo) 9/5 Dylan Holcomb, La Crosse, was traveling southbound on County Road B, in the town of Jefferson. Holcomb failed to negotiate the corner, and was going too fast. The vehicle left the roadway, went into the ditch, and struck a tree. Holcomb had no apparent injuries. The vehicle was towed due to disabling damage. Holcomb was cited for Operating While Under the Influence. *** Message from Sheriff John Spears: There have been questions in regards to the new Executive Order #82 issued by Gov. Evers. I hope this clarifies our response here at the Sheriffs Office. The Vernon County Sheriffs Office supports individual actions that can be taken to reduce the spread of COVID-19. Those actions include, but are not limited to: social distancing, proper washing of hands, use of hand sanitizers, and the use of proper protective personal equipment (PPE), including masks. Additionally, we appreciate the efforts of business owners who have taken numerous steps to keep people healthy including, but not limited to: the use of safety barriers, social distance arrangements, as well as disinfecting procedures. We understand that some individuals may have medical conditions or disabilities that prevent them from utilizing masks. In order to provide some clarification, please be advised that the Vernon County Sheriffs Office will not be responding to complaints of individuals violating the Governors face covering mandate. Consistent with our understanding of the Executive Order #82, the goal is compliance and education, and is not meant to be punitive. However, the Vernon County Sheriffs Office will continue to respond to reports or complaints from a business owner, manager or other premise owner who has already requested that an individual leave a premise for failing to comply with the face covering mandate as it relates to that specific premise. We anticipate that these circumstances will be rare, but enforcement is necessary under these circumstances because they are situations where a disturbance may be likely. In those situations, our focus is not on the face covering order itself, but rather the fact that the individual is not wanted in a particular place, that the individual has been asked to leave, and has not complied with the request of the person in control of that premise. This enforcement response is consistent with most, if not all of the other Sheriffs Offices throughout Western Wisconsin and the state. *** Until further notice, in compliance with CDC limitations, to reduce the spread of coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19), Sheriff John Spears is limiting nonessential/nonemergent services including all meetings scheduled at the sheriffs office, license plate registrations, jail visitation, etc. In order to report an incident, or questions/inquiries in general, please call the Vernon County Dispatch Center at 608-637-2123 or email: vcso@vernoncounty.org. Civil Process/Record Request inquiries can be forwarded to 608-638-5710 or email: vcsorecords@vernoncounty.org. As directed by Sheriff Spears, if you are experiencing symptoms of the coronavirus or flu-like symptoms, please identify this to the dispatcher before a deputy makes contact at your residence. Precautions are being taken in this facility to maintain the health and wellness of staff, inmates and visitors. Thank you for your understanding. *Sheriff Spears is reminding citizens to practice good health practices and follow the guidelines set forth by the Centers for Disease Control. To help protect our community, your family and co-workers, please remember to wash your hands frequently for a minimum of 20 seconds, limit the amount of times you touch your face with your hands, cover your mouth when you have a cough, and if you are sick, stay home, or seek medical attention. Clean and sanitize your home, work areas, and frequently contacted areas. For more information, please contact the Vernon County Health Department or your medical provider, and do your part to keep our community healthy to reduce or limit the impact of COVID-19/coronavirus. Stay safe and healthy! In the 47-second cellphone video taken from afar by a bystander, a man can be seen near two police cars. Two shots ring out, and the man falls, staggering and crawling on the ground. I dont know what it is that theyre shooting him with, a bystander can be heard saying. The man on the ground moves his arms toward something nearby, and then the officers fire more than a dozen shots. Was that necessary? Wow, hes dead, the bystander says. They killed him. The Houston Police Officers Union condemned the firings on Thursday, saying the officers had acted responsibly. They tried to communicate, they tried to de-escalate, Douglas Griffith, the first vice president of the union, said at a news conference. The officers acted in the manner in which they were trained and by policy. Mr. Griffith described the item in Mr. Chavezs hand as an edged weapon that the officers believed was a knife, and said Mr. Chavez had harmed himself with it. Joe Gamaldi, the president of the union, said that officers shot Mr. Chavez after he had pulled in the wires of a stun gun and then pointed the device at an officer. What happened to Nicolas Chavez was a tragedy, he said. These officers did not want to shoot Mr. Chavez, and did everything in their power not to. At the news conference on Thursday, Chief Acevedo said that 28 officers were at the scene and that they had plenty of cover and distance when Mr. Chavez was reaching for the Taser. (Bloomberg) -- TikTok is pressing forward with plans for a sale of its U.S. operations ahead of a mid-September deadline, according to a person familiar with the matter, even as signs emerge that the video-sharing app is facing pressure to shut down rather than make a deal. The app, owned by Chinas ByteDance Ltd., is still considering bids from two possible buyers -- Oracle Corp. and Microsoft Corp., which has teamed up with Walmart Inc. TikTok intends to bring a proposal to the White House for approval before a deadline imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump, said the person, who asked not to be identified discussing internal plans. It will then be up to the Trump administration to approve a deal. Reuters on Friday reported that the Chinese government has privately expressed that it would rather ByteDance close TikTok in the U.S. than be forced to sell its U.S. assets. In response to the report, a TikTok spokesman said, the government has never suggested to us that we should shut down TikTok in the U.S. or any other market. TikTok has been at the center of deal negotiations and a political debate since early August, when Trump threatened to ban the app from the U.S., citing national security concerns. He then ordered it sold and has said he wants a deal by Sept. 15. Later that month, the Chinese government announced a handful of new restrictions around the sale of certain technologies, which has slowed a possible deal. Part of the confusion around sealing any deal is the number of interested parties that TikToks parent company must satisfy. Not only does it have to come to agreeable terms with an acquirer, as well as its profit-seeking venture capital backers, ByteDance also must find a way to please both the Chinese and U.S. governments. In China, ceding a top technology asset in the middle of a contentious battle with the U.S. is seen as unpatriotic. Within the Trump administration, certain advisers are pushing for an all-out shutdown of TikTok rather than a sale to an American company. Story continues Chinas U.S. embassy referred Bloomberg to comments made Friday by Zhao Lijian, a spokesperson for the Chinese foreign ministry. The U.S. should immediately correct its mistakes and stop its unjustifiable suppression on Chinese companies and other non-U.S. companies, he said. The Chinese side retains the right to take all necessary measures to safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of the Chinese companies. It also remains unclear which deal deadline TikTok has to abide by. The company is working toward a Sept. 20 deadline to provide something to the Trump administration, one person close to the company said, sticking with the 45-day timeline imposed in an executive order signed by Trump Aug. 6. But Trump has been insisting on a Sept. 15 deadline in media comments. TikTok also faces a November deadline to divest its U.S. assets in an order based on a recommendation from an interagency national security panel, the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S., or CFIUS. The companies involved in the negotiations were focused on getting a preliminary agreement by Sept. 20, and completing the sale by December, said one person familiar with the matter. But Chinas move to assert authority over a sale upended talks, said the person, and now its uncertain whether that deadline can be met. Whether a deal can be struck will depend on ByteDance navigating a difficult negotiation that wins support from China and the Trump administration, said the person. (Updates with comments from Chinas foreign ministry in sixth paragraph.) For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com Subscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source. 2020 Bloomberg L.P. Mumbai: Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari on Friday denied that he expressed disapproval about demolition at actor Kangana Ranauts bungalow here. Sources had said the governor had summoned Chief Minister Uddhav Thackerays principal advisor Ajoy Mehta on Wednesday, when the demolition was carried out, and conveyed his displeasure. To a reporters question here on Friday, Koshyari said, I havent expressed resentment anywhere." The Mumbai civic body demolished the alterations allegedly made without its approval at Ranauts bungalow at Pali Hill in suburban Bandra on Wednesday morning. The action came in the wake of a war of words between the Shiv Sena and the actress after she likened Mumbai to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). Speaking to the media after releasing a coffee tablebook to mark the completion of one year as governor of the state, Koshyari also said that he had not yet received the list of names for appointment to the Legislative Council. The term of the 12 sitting MLCs appointed under the Governors quota ended in June. I havent got the list of recommended names, he said. Speaking about his tenure as governor so far", Koshyari said, I have tried to visit each and every area of Maharashtra. Of 35 districts, I have visited 20." When he took over, farmers had suffered due to unseasonal and excess rains and there was political instability after the assembly polls resulting in Presidents rule, the govenror said. He sanctioned a relief of Rs 8,000 per hectare for farmers during this period, he said. Koshyari also said that he did not have any problem with the present Shiv Sena-led government and he did not interfere in governance. I keep speaking to Uddhav-ji," he said. The governor also justified his stand that university exams should be held despite the coronavirus pandemic. The federal government will help cover some of the emergency costs of Oregons wildfires, a U.S. lawmaker from Oregon confirmed. The White House approval of Oregons emergency declaration request comes several days after Gov. Kate Brown declared a statewide emergency for wildfires that have caused massive destruction around the state. U.S. Rep. Peter DeFazio, a Democrat from Springfield, said in a news release the Federal Emergency Management Agency will cover assistance for temporary housing for those displaced by the fire, as well as additional firefighting resources. Also on Thursday night, FEMA announced that it had authorized the use of federal funds specifically to help with fighting the fires in Clackamas County Complex Fire. In addition to reimbursement for fighting the fires, more than $629,000 in mitigation assistance will be available to Oregon. Oregon is facing an unprecedented crisis, and this decision to declare an emergency comes not a moment too soon, DeFazio said. With tens of thousands of Oregonians who are already dealing with public health concerns and economic uncertainty due to the COVID-19 pandemic forced to evacuate their homes, its imperative that the state has the resources it needs to provide safe temporary housing for all who need it. A spokesperson for DeFazios office noted that the declaration does not allot a certain dollar amount to the disasters, but that FEMA will retroactively help cover the economic toll of the disaster. She said she does not know how much of the damage FEMA will cover. Jayati Ramakrishnan; 503-221-4320; jramakrishnan@oregonian.com; @JRamakrishnanOR Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. As the world marks International Literacy Day, Standard Chartered Bank Ghana Limited has today launched a virtual reading project under its Employee Volunteering programme that engages their staff to read to underprivileged children remotely. As COVID-19 continues to disrupt learning in unprecedented ways, and with schools currently closed, the move to utilize technology in reading to the children will play a key role in improving their basic literacy skills. Partnering with United Way Ghana, the Standard Chartered Virtual Reading Project will bring together employee volunteers to read books approved by the Ghana Library Board, and in line with the school curriculum, to children who have been impacted by the closure of schools due to COVID-19, so they do not lag behind in their academics. Employee volunteering is a core component of the Banks community engagement strategy utilising staff volunteers to share their knowledge, skills and talent with their communities. In commemoration of International Literacy Day, staff volunteers will be volunteering their reading skills to children in lower and upper primary, between the ages of 8 and 14. This initiative is also part of a bigger Virtual Reading Project which will run through the entire month of September targeting 300 children, to ensure learning continuity, with the aim of educating, informing and inspiring children, as they wait to return to school. Commenting on the launch of the virtual reading project, Mansa Nettey, Chief Executive, Standard Chartered, Ghana Limited said, To minimise the negative impact of COVID-19 on childrens ability to learn, we are rolling out this project to support communities, not least, our young ones who are currently out of school and do not have access to remote learning. The ability to read and write is crucial for an individual to function and navigate all stages of life. As a bank we believe in giving back to society and are therefore leveraging our employee volunteering programme on International Literacy Day, to roll out this virtual reading project as part of our Futuremakers initiative to empower the next generation to learn, earn and grow. I believe that several young lives will be positively impacted today and throughout the month of September, consistent with our commitment to be Here for Good she added. September 8 was proclaimed International Literacy Day by UNESCO in 1966 to remind the international community of the importance of literacy for individuals, communities and societies, and the need for intensified efforts towards more literate societies. The issue of literacy is a key component of the UNs Sustainable Development Goals and the UNs 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. This years theme for International Literacy Day, Literacy teaching and learning in the COVID-19 crisis and beyond, highlights the contribution literacy has on lifelong learning and the role of educators, as the modes and methods of education keep changing. Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video A Florida man has been charged with impersonating a police officer after officials say he pulled over an off-duty Orlando cop for what he perceived to be erratic driving. The incident took place back in March in Casselberry, but suspect Omar Forde was only arrested on Tuesday night on a recently-issued warrant charging him with falsely personating an officer, a felony. Forde was booked into the county jail and later released after posting $2,000 bond. Florida security guard Omar Force, 40, has been charged with impersonating a police officer after stopping a real Orlando cop in late March Forde was dressed in his work uniform, including a tactical-style vest emblazoned with the words 'Criminal Task Force,' a silver badge and a utility belt with a gun and a Taser According to a probable cause affidavit obtained by DailyMail.com, the incident began unfolding at around midnight on March 29, when a Casselberry police officer was called to the area of Red Bug Lake Road and State Road 436 by off-duty Orlando police officer Zachary Price. Forde was arrested on Tuesday and booked into the Seminole County jail before posting $2,000 bond Price said that he was traveling on Red Bug Lake Road near Doster Drive in his blue BMW convertible when a white Ford Explorer SUV equipped with emergency lights resembling an unmarked police vehicle activated strobing lights and sirens, and pulled him over by ordering him over his vehicle's PA system to slow down. According to the report, Price said he noticed the driver of the SUV, later identified as Forde, wearing a tactical-style vest emblazoned with patches that resembled a law enforcement officers uniform. 'Officer Price asked Forde if he was stopping him, to which Forde replied he needed to slow down,' the affidavit stated. Price then contacted dispatch and summoned local police. When an officer with the Casselberry Police Department arrived on the scene, he found Forde still wearing his vest with the words 'Criminal Task Force' printed across the front 'much like a uniformed officer would wear,' according to the report. Body camera video shows a Casselberry, Florida, police officer interviewing Forde sitting behind the wheel of his SUV Forde's gear also included a silver badge worn over his heart and a utility belt with a holstered handgun, a Taser and a microphone in it. After being read his Miranda rights, Forde explained that he was on his way home from his work at a private security company called 'Criminal Task Force' when he saw Price's blue BMW pass him and swerve. 'Out of concern that the driver of the BMW may be under the influence, he activated the emergency lights and siren equipped on his company vehicle to get the BMW to slow down,' the report stated. 'Once the BMW pulled over, he pulled beside and advised the driver over his vehicle's PA system to "slow down, you going to hurt yourself."' Forde denied impersonating a police officer, saying that the name of the company where he works is 'Criminal Task Force' An investigation has revealed that the 40-year-old was driving on a suspended license A portion of Forde's exchange with the Casselberry cop was captured on body camera video, first obtained by ClickOrlando. In it, the security guard says Officer Price 'flew past me and his car danced. So I thought he might have been intoxicated; I didn't want him to hurt himself.' In the footage, Forde insists that he was not trying to impersonate a police officer, but he is told that if he were to pull over a civilian, they would easily mistake him for a real cop based on the appearance of his vehicle and uniform. 'A citizen would mistake this all day for a law enforcement officer,' a Casselberry officer tells him. The investigation has revealed that at the time of the traffic stop, Forde was driving on a suspended license stemming from a 2017 incident. Forde is due back in court for his arraignment on November 3. Washington, Sep 11 : US President Donald Trump has said that US troops in Afghanistan and Iraq would soon be reduced to about 4,000 and 2,000, respectively. "A lot of progress has been made in Afghanistan, but we will be down to 4,000 soldiers in a very short period of time. Likewise in Iraq, we will be down to about 2,000 soldiers in a very short period of time," Trump said on Thursday during the White House briefing, Xinhua reported. "We're pretty much out of Iraq and we're down to the smallest force that we've had, and we'll be very short late down to that number in Afghanistan," he added. The troop reduction plan that Trump revealed was a step further than the plan the US military announced a day before. Commander of US Central Command Kenneth McKenzie said Wednesday that US troop presence in Iraq is scheduled to be reduced to 3,000 by the end of September, and that in Afghanistan will be decreased to about 4,500 by early November. Currently, there are over 5,000 US troops deployed in Iraq to support Iraqi forces in battles against remnants of the Islamic State, mainly for training and advisory purposes. As the presidential election looms, Trump has made more effort to fulfill his campaign promise to bring troops home and pull his country out of "endless wars". Trump in the briefing also told reporters that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo would head for Qatar for the beginning of intra-Afghan peace negotiations. The government of Qatar announced on Thursday that a fresh round of Afghanistan peace talks will start in the Qatari capital Doha on September 12, according to the Qatar news agency, Xinhua reported. Trump has sought a full withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan. The war in Afghanistan, which has caused about 2,400 US military deaths, is the longest one in US history. The Pentagon said in mid-July that the US maintained its force level in Afghanistan at mid-8,000s, meeting the conditions of the US-Taliban agreement signed in late February. The agreement also called for a full withdrawal of the US military forces from Afghanistan by May 2021 if the Taliban meets the conditions of the deal, including severing ties with terrorist groups. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. You should upgrade or use an You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.You should upgrade or use an alternative browser OTTAWAThe Liberal government has proposed Parliament start up again as a hybrid body with a majority of MPs attending via video conference and voting remotely in a critical fall session. MPs and committees would have full powers to sit, debate and introduce bills. But it is not clear whether the Liberals are urging remote electronic or app-based voting, or a visual roll-call of MPs who would then cast a vote in a video conference. It is also unclear if Liberals would still limit the number of MPs in the Commons to 50 as was the case since May. What is clear is the government faces a high-stakes confidence vote within days of the Sept. 23 throne speech in which it intends to set out an ambitious new agenda, according to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Liberal House leader Pablo Rodriguez made the new proposal to Opposition parties Thursday but his office declined to reveal specifics that are now the subject of confidential discussions. We support the return of regular business of the House this fall. But the risks of COVID-19 have not gone away, so it is not wise for all 338 MPs to travel to Ottawa, said Mark Kennedy, a spokesman for Rodriguez. We support a full hybrid approach with some MPs in the House of Commons chamber and the rest participating online through the video conferencing that worked well this spring. Its the responsible thing to do. Conservative House leader Gerard Deltell declined to comment in an interview, saying he would respect the confidential nature of the discussions. A day earlier he told reporters For sure, we cannot be 338 exactly on the same spot, on the same desk. Obviously, we cannot do that, but there is plenty of other ways. If you want to have accountability in the government, we need to be in the House directly asking questions in a parliamentary committee, asking questions directly to the ministers and to the government. This is our job. In a dissenting report this summer, Conservatives recommended votes be conducted by video, and not electronically via an online or smartphone application. Electronic, remote voting has not been implemented in most major comparative, elected legislatures such as Australia, France, New Zealand, the United Kingdom (except for seven sitting days at the height of its pandemic), both the U.S. Senate or House of Representatives, or provincial and territorial legislative assemblies with the exception of B.C., the Conservatives said. Conservatives also wanted up to 86 MPs to attend in the chamber, plus the Speaker, saying that number would still be able to comply with physical distancing advice. Read more about: Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae arrives at the ministry building in the government complex in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province, Friday. / Yonhap By Jun Ji-hye Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae sought special favors for her son in 2017 when the son was serving in the Korean Augmentation to the United States Army (KATUSA) for the 2nd Infantry Division of the Eighth U.S. Army, the former commander of the Eighth U.S. Army Republic of Korea Army Support Group revealed Friday. At the time, Choo was chairwoman of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK). Lee Cheol-won, a retired colonel who was in charge of KATUSA soldiers at the time, said he received a report from an aide that somebody asked the group to assign Choo's son, surnamed Seo, to a KATUSA base in Yongsan, central Seoul, rather than a base in Uijeongbu, northern Gyeonggi Province. Women and people of color take themselves out of the running for Marine command screening boards "at a much higher rate" than white men, the service's top officer said this week, leaving the Corps with less diversity in its leaders. The Marine Corps has work to do when it comes to building diversity in its top ranks, Commandant Gen. David Berger said Thursday. That means not only looking at what happens during promotion selection boards, but also how the service can build its pool of eligible officers who can lead battalions or squadrons, so commanders are more representative of their units. "Women and minorities tend to remove, by request, from command boards," Berger said during a virtual Women in Defense Leadership Symposium. "... You're allowed the opportunity to write a letter and say, 'Please don't consider me,' because of family reasons or whatever. Women and minorities asked not to be considered at a much higher rate than their white male counterparts." Read Next: Jim Mattis Reportedly Slept in His Clothes to Be Ready for North Korea's Missile Launches Berger's comments follow a military-wide effort to rid the ranks of policies that leave some at a disadvantage. The Marine Corps recently ended its longstanding policy of requiring photos for promotion and selection boards, following a Defense Department-wide directive to do so. Each branch has also been ordered to review grooming standards for racial bias and update any policies that could lead to pregnancy-related discrimination. When it comes to Marine Corps promotion and selection boards, Berger said data shows women and minority officers are not facing a disadvantage. Selection rates for those groups, he said, are "roughly the same as the percentage of female and minority applicants being considered." But that's not the whole story, he added, because the problem isn't that women and minorities aren't getting promoted or selected for command -- they're opting out of the process. Female and minority officers tend to retire or resign their commissions at lower ranks than white men, Berger said. Many female Marines still feel the need to choose between their military careers and having a family. And a lot of minority officers are mustangs, meaning they're prior-enlisted Marines who already served several years, earning their commissions through what's known as MECEP, the Marine Corps Enlisted Commissioning Education Program. "That means that they're going to be older than their counterparts at every grade," Berger said. "So, they retire as captains and majors, and they don't get to be lieutenant colonels and colonels." But that's not the only problem affecting diversity in the ranks. The New York Times recently profiled Col. Anthony Henderson, a Black officer with several combat tours, leadership experience, and a letter of recommendation from the former Navy secretary who's been passed over three times for promotion to one-star. As retired Gunnery Sgt. Milton Whitfield Sr., according to the Times, said, "Tony Henderson has done everything you could do in the Marines except get a hand salute from Jesus Christ himself." But the colonel still hasn't made brigadier general. Berger acknowledged on Thursday that the Marine Corps has done "a really poor job" of explaining why it needs a more diverse force. Too often, he said, it's based on ambiguous studies that point to more diverse organizations producing better outcomes. "It comes across as sounding sort of politically correct, which is never going to sink in deeply," he said. Marines need to see the tactical benefits, he said. If a squad that looks and thinks alike is sent into the fray, they're going to walk right into a minefield before they even realize it. "We're much more powerful when we have different people looking at the same issue from different perspectives," Berger said. "We're going to come up with better tactical solutions, but we have to be able to explain that. I also firmly believe that war is going to get only more complex, so we're going to need a diverse force to solve the problems that are in front of us." Right now, the Marine Corps has a blind spot when it comes to minority and female officers who opt to leave the service. "We didn't ask ... 'Why did you remove your name from contention? Why did you pull your name out of the hat?' to get at the root cause of the problem," Berger said. "I don't have the answers today, but I'm telling you now we are surveying everybody who gets out of the Corps to find out why they're leaving." "We have to understand," the commandant added. "To really manage our talent, we have to understand why so many Marines -- with all that experience and all that competency -- why are they leaving the service?" -- Gina Harkins can be reached at gina.harkins@military.com. Follow her on Twitter @ginaaharkins. Related: Esper Bans Use of Promotion Board Photos, Orders Review of Hair and Grooming Standards Authorities in Northern California's Butte County on Thursday were looking for at least 12 people missing in a fire after three people were found dead in connection with the blaze on Wednesday, CBS SF Bay Area reports. The communities of Paradise and Concow, which were devastated by the devastating Camp Fire in 2018, are again being threatened this time by the Bear Fire, which is part of the North Complex fires in Butte, Plumas and Yuba counties. About 20,000 people were under evacuation orders or warnings in the three counties, the Associated Press reported. The fire has exploded in the last 48 hours after burning for about three weeks, damaging or destroying hundreds of homes and other structures. As of Thursday morning, the North Complex fires had burned 252,163 acres nearly 400 square miles. Containment was reported to be at 24%. Destructive wildfires are also tearing through parts of Oregon and Washington state, while California this year has seen fires advance with unprecedented ferocity and speed. Some of the more than 24 major fires burning across the state are among the largest on record in California's recent history. Fires have killed 12 people in California since the middle of August and destroyed more than 3,600 buildings. Smoke choked the skies on Wednesday, turning them shocking shades of red and orange. Law enforcement and fire personnel wait on the Enterprise Bridge to enter an area encroached by fire during the Bear fire, part of the North Lightning Complex fires, in unincorporated Butte County, in Oroville, California on September 9, 2020. / Credit: JOSH EDELSON/AFP via Getty Images On Wednesday, Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea confirmed that three people were found dead and at least a dozen were missing in connection with the Bear Fire. He became emotional Wednesday night when announcing the news of the dead and missing. "This is the part of the presentation I've been dreading," said Honea. "It brings back memories of when I stood before you back in 2018 to talk about the people who lost their lives during the Camp Fire." "Our situation over the last 36 hours has been dangerous, it's been deadly, its been extremely destructive," said Cal Fire Butte County Chief John Massina. Story continues The charred remains of a vehicle is left on the side of a road during the Bear fire, part of the North Lightning Complex fires, in unincorporated Butte County, California on September 9, 2020. / Credit: JOSH EDELSON/AFP via Getty Images Among the latest damage reported was to the mountain community of Berry Creek which was nearly destroyed by flames. Nearby Camp Okizu a long-time beloved Sierra retreat for children suffering from cancer had significant damage. A mother reported to CBS Sacramento she has not heard from her 16-year-old son Josiah Williams since the Bear Fire broke out. He was last seen in Berry Creek and his car was found unscathed. A search of hospitals has turned up nothing. Jessica Williams said she is praying it's a miscommunication. "I can't get a hold of him, nobody can find him," she told CBS Sacramento The Butte County Sheriff's Office said it received 85 missing person reports or requests for welfare checks in the area affected by the fire. So far, Honea said deputies have safely located 73 individuals. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Trump admits to downplaying coronavirus threat in audio recordings Woodward tapes show Trump knew the dangers of COVID-19 but downplayed it Bob Woodward to discuss Trump book on "60 Minutes" Long before he declared a national emergency over the spread of the coronavirus in March, President Donald Trump said in a taped interview with journalist Bob Woodward that he knew the virus was airborne, highly contagious and far deadlier than the flu. After hed declared a national emergency March 13, Trump said he was downplaying a virus that has now killed 190,000 Americans. I always wanted to play it down, Trump told Woodward in a March 19 interview, according to CNN. I still like playing it down, because I dont want to create a panic. Trump Interviewed 18 Times By Watergate Vet: This is deadly stuff, Trump said of COVID-19 in a Feb. 7 interview with Woodward. You just breathe the air and thats how its passed. And so thats a very tricky one. Thats a very delicate one. Its also more deadly than even your strenuous flu. The quote comes from Woodwards upcoming book Rage, the contents of which CNN and others reported on Wednesday. With fellow Washington Post reporter Carl Bernstein, Woodward famously cracked open the Watergate scandal in the 1970s, which led to President Richard Nixons resignation. Woodward's 'Rage': Woodward faced some criticism Wednesday over keeping the revelations in Rage under wraps until now. The book is set for release Sept. 15. Woodward interviewed Trump 18 times between Dec. 5, 2019, and July 21 of this year and recorded the interviews with Trumps permission, according to CNN. I just asked a very close friend of @POTUS why on earth would he give NUMEROUS interviews to @realBobWoodward who didnt write such nice things about him the last time. Answer: Donald thinks he can pick up any girl, and convince any guy about anything Charles Gasparino (@CGasparino) September 9, 2020 Biden Says Trump Betrayed America: Trumps acknowledgment of the true nature of the coronavirus to Woodward early in the pandemic stands at odds with his public statements, which have included assurances that COVID-19 was going to disappear and that it would all work out fine. Story continues Trump has not worn a mask in public with few exceptions, pressured states to reopen their economies from public health lockdowns and held large, in-person rallies during the pandemic. On Wednesday, Trump called Woodwards book a political hit job, adding: I dont want to create panic. Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden, speaking at a campaign event in Warren, Michigan, said Trump failed to do his job on purpose. It was a life-and-death betrayal of the American people. Trumps actions are beyond despicable, he said. Its a dereliction of duty. Related Links: Why AstraZeneca's Coronavirus Trial Halt May Not Be As Bad As It Sounds 3 ETFs For Biden's Infrastructure Ambitions President Donald Trump boards Air Force One on Sept. 3. White House photo by Tia Dufour. See more from Benzinga 2020 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. Reliance Industries Ltd is quoting at Rs 2330.9, up 0.73% on the day as on 12:49 IST on the NSE. The stock is up 94.41% in last one year as compared to a 4.4% jump in NIFTY and a 10.7% jump in the Nifty Energy. Reliance Industries Ltd gained for a fifth straight session today. The stock is quoting at Rs 2330.9, up 0.73% on the day as on 12:49 IST on the NSE. The benchmark NIFTY is up around 0.15% on the day, quoting at 11466.1. The Sensex is at 38873.55, up 0.09%. Reliance Industries Ltd has gained around 9.56% in last one month. Meanwhile, Nifty Energy index of which Reliance Industries Ltd is a constituent, has gained around 2.56% in last one month and is currently quoting at 15978.05, down 0.2% on the day. The volume in the stock stood at 190.6 lakh shares today, compared to the daily average of 171.73 lakh shares in last one month. The benchmark September futures contract for the stock is quoting at Rs 2331.8, up 0.67% on the day. Reliance Industries Ltd is up 94.41% in last one year as compared to a 4.4% jump in NIFTY and a 10.7% jump in the Nifty Energy index. The PE of the stock is 48.71 based on TTM earnings ending June 20. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) An eyewitness has come forward to contradict official claims that Michael Reinoehl, a left-wing opponent of police violence who was killed in Lacey, Washington on September 3, died in a shootout with police. According to the witness, an ordained minister who lives nearby, police opened fire without warning and Reinoehl did not appear to be armed. Reinoehl had fled from Portland, Oregon to the suburb of Olympia, Washington, about 120 miles north, after a warrant was issued for his arrest in the fatal shooting of an armed fascist, Aaron Danielson, during a right-wing attack on antipolice violence protesters. Reinoehl had claimed self-defense, saying he was acting as a defense guard for the protests that have taken place in Portland over the past three months. Police walk past evidence markers at a scene Thursday, Sept. 3, in Lacey, Wash., where Michael Reinoehl, 48, was killed by a federal task force. (AP Photo/Ted Warren) In interviews with press contacts, Reinoehl said he was fleeing because he feared being murdered by the police because of his political views, a fear that was fully justified as events have since demonstrated. He became the victim of what can only be called a targeted assassination, whose instigator resides in the White House. The official account is that when police accosted Reinoehl in the parking lot of an apartment building, he pulled a gun and exchanged fire with them. The officers who fired their weapons were from the Pierce County (Tacoma) Sheriffs Office, the Lakewood, Washington Police Department, and the Washington Department of Corrections (the prison system), operating as part of a federal/state task force. But eyewitness Nathaniel Dingess, a 39-year-old ordained minister who lives in the apartment complex, said police gave Reinoehl no warning or command before they opened fire and shot him dead. According to a statement issued by Luke Laughlin, his attorney, Dingess saw Reinoehl walk towards his car holding a cell phone in his hand and eating a piece of candy, when two unmarked police cars converged, blocking the exit from the parking lot. Officers shot multiple rapid-fire rounds at Reinoehl before issuing a brief stop command, quickly followed by more rapid-fire shooting by additional officers, the statement from Dingess reads. The witness said he did not see Reinoehl with a handgun or reaching for one. Police claimed to have recovered a gun in Reinoehls possession but have not said if it had been discharged. This account was first published Wednesday in the local media in Portland, Oregon, but by Thursday it was being prominently reported on the website of the Washington Post, the leading newspaper in the US capital, under the headline, Police shot Portland slaying suspect without warning or trying to arrest him first, witness says. This was accompanied by an extraordinary 18-minute video presentation on the newspapers website that profiled the experiences of four protesters arrested in Portland by heavily armed agents dressed in camouflage and unidentified except for the word police. The four were held for periods of up to 12 hours and interrogated, then released without charges. The Post headlineSwept up in the federal response to Portland protests: I didnt know if I was going to be seen againcaptures the terror inflicted on those arrested by federal agents using methods reminiscent of Latin American death squads. All four were from the Portland area, not outside agitators, and all four were active in the protest movement against police violence but unaffiliated with any left-wing organization, let alone the supposed Antifa, which is more of a label adopted by antifascist protesters than an actual group. Evelyn Bassi, 30, a lifelong city resident, is a bartender and chef. Mark Pettibone, 30, had recently completed a masters degree at Reed College in Portland and works at a grocery store. Tawasi, 44, is a Native American who uses only one name, lives in Portland, and works as a delivery driver and video blogger for the protest movement. He is a pacifist. Police accused him of being a Canadian named Ronald Hickey and sought to bring charges against the Native American of illegally entering the country. The fourth arrestee who discussed his experience with the Post was John Hacker, a 36-year-old recent graduate of Portland State University who works as a citizen-journalist documenting the Portland protests and the repressive measures of all levels of the state: Portland cops, Oregon state police and federal agents. Bassi and Pettibone were grabbed by armed agents and put into unmarked vans as they walked on downtown streets late at night, while Tawasi and Hacker were likely targeted because they were engaged in documenting the role of the police for left-wing social media outlets. After the Trump administration largely pulled federal agents out of Portland in August, it mobilized fascistic supporters, who staged several rallies in the Portland suburbs, then organized a series of caravans that drove into the city and carried out violent attacks on those protesting police violence. In some cases, they fired paint balls, pepper spray and other noxious irritants, and displayed firearms. It was in the course of one such confrontation, on August 29, that Aaron Danielson, who was firing paint balls and pepper spray at protesters and carrying a handgun, was shot and killed. One aspect of the killing of Michael Reinoehlthat he was carrying his cell phone when shot downhas particular significance from the standpoint of security. OregonLive.com reported that the US Marshals Pacific Northwest Violent Offenders Task Force obtained pen register and trap and trace warrants from a Portland-area judge. As the WSWS wrote Thursday, The court-approved warrants permitted the task force to track the GPS location and cell phone call data from Reinoehls cell phone and pinpoint his precise location. One hour and 14 minutes after the judge approved the warrant, the police apparently followed the cell phone signal to Reinoehls location and shot him dead. The moral author of Reinoehls execution-style slaying by police is President Trump. For months he has held up Portland as the prime target for his law-and-order and anticommunist demagogy. He dispatched hundreds of federal agents to the city, including the notorious BORTAC unit of Customs and Border Protection, a SWAT-style unit that has operated all over the world against so-called terrorists. In the past two weeks, Trump has defended the right-wing vigilante Kyle Rittenhouse, who gunned down two unarmed protesters against police violence in Kenosha, Wisconsin, then hailed the killing of Reinoehl, calling it retribution. Attorney General William Barr called the killing of Reinoehl a significant accomplishment in the ongoing effort to restore law and order to Portland and other cities. The Trump administration and the police are seeking to create a political atmosphere that justifies in advance whatever violence is carried out by the fascist right against left-wing protesters and the working class as a whole. They are assisted in this by their Democratic Party opponents, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, who have remained silent on both the execution of Reinoehl by the police and the gunning down of the two protesters in Kenosha by Rittenhouse. The Democrats have sought to present themselves as more competent and serious advocates of law and order and police repression than Trump. Nathaniel Dingess, the eyewitness who has bravely come forward to expose the police lies about the killing of Reinoehl, expressed fear for himself and his family as a consequence of his testimony. His attorney, Luke Laughlin, and other civil liberties lawyers have called for an independent investigation into the shooting of Reinoehl, rather than that conducted by the Thurston County Sheriffs Office, which has jurisdiction because the killing took place in Thurston County, Washington. In a statement to the press, Laughlin said, Given the political sentiment of the deceased, and the national climate regarding police shootings, the investigation ought to be handled by an outside organization without ties to law enforcement, if it can really be considered fair and neutral. He continued: At a time when public outcry over police killings is at its peak in this country, it is imperative that the circumstances of Reinoehls death not be swept aside. Mr. Murphy claims that acting DHS secretary Chad Wolf, under orders from national security adviser Robert C. OBrien, told him in May to cease providing intelligence assessments on the threat of Russian interference in the United States, and instead start reporting on interference activities by China and Iran. Then, in July, Mr. Murphy alleges Mr. Wolf ordered him to hold up an intelligence notification on Russian disinformation attempts because it made the President look bad. After Mr. Murphy refused, he claims, he was sidelined from the completion of the notification, which, after editing, put the actions of Russia on par with those of Iran and China in a manner that is misleading and inconsistent with the actual intelligence data. The bright blue sky turned to gray in minutes. Dr. James Pruden watched it happen as he walked from midtown Manhattan to the ruins where the Twin Towers once stood. It was just before noon on the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, three hours after the first plane hit the World Trade Center. A copy of the letter has also been sent to the member secretary of the Maharashtra State Commission for Women The Himachal Pradesh Commission for Women on Thursday wrote to the national womens panel, urging it to take up the issue of actor Kangana Ranaut's harassment with appropriate authorities. The Shiv Sena-controlled Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) had demolished "illegal alterations" at the Bandra bungalow of the 33-year-old actor. Writing to the National Commission for Women (NCW), state body Member Secretary Sandeep Negi said they have taken suo moto cognizance of media reports about the incidents of harassment of Ranaut at the hands of officials from the BMC, Mumbai Police, and political leaders. "As this is a well-known fact that Kangana Ranaut hails from Himachal Pradesh, this commission intends to take up the issue with your office for taking up the matter with appropriate authorities," the Himachal panel said. A copy of the letter has also been sent to the member secretary of the Maharashtra State Commission for Women. Dale Voris was sleeping at his parents' home along Oregon Highway 18 in Otis when he heard the loud knock on the door at 4:30 a.m. Wednesday. Get out now! the Lincoln County Sheriffs deputy yelled. Voris on Tuesday had prepared his parents, Rick and Debbie Voris, to leave as two fires north of the highway threatened the rural-residential areas around Otis and Rose Lodge. When the deputy knocked on the door it was on top of us, Voris told YachatsNews on Thursday from his home in Hillsboro. It was a quick grab-and-go and down the driveway we went. What they encountered was an inferno as the two-day-old Echo Mountain fire doubled in size to 2,400 acres Wednesday and jumped to the south side of the busy highway connecting Lincoln City with the Willamette Valley. The video that Voris took with his cell phone shows trees and structures erupting in flames as he raced west into Lincoln City from his parents' home two miles up Highway 18. (Warning: The video contains language some might find offensive.) Mile post 2 on 18. Posted by Dale Voris on Wednesday, September 9, 2020 It was intense and scary, said Voris, who grew up in Lincoln City and still has a gutter business there. Voris was able to get back into the area Wednesday afternoon. The inferno somehow spared his parents' home, he said, but hundreds of others were not so lucky. Homes along North Bank Road were lost, as were many homes along North Panther Creek Road and its side streets north of the Salmon River. Some homes in Highland Estates, which sits to the south above the highway, burned. Two mobile home parks, Salmonberry and Cherry Hill, suffered losses, as did some properties along East Devils Lake Road. Staff from the Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlifes hatchery along the Salmon River were evacuated but the hatchery was spared. Were blessed. Were lucky, Voris said Thursday. There are so many others who are just devastated. Its absolutely shocking to see. Its devastating and heartbreaking. The Oregon Forestry Department says it could be days before an accurate and official account of the losses are available. But the agencys infrared maps and video by homeowners posted to various Facebook groups show the devastation wreaked by the Echo Mountain and Kimberling fires. There were numerous structures lost, Michael Curren, district forester for the ODFs west Oregon district, told YachatsNews on Thursday. -- Quinton Smith/YachatsNews.com China has announced that its coast guard and an anti-narcotics unit conducted a rare drug bust in the middle of the Spratly Islands last month, seizing a ship and making six arrests, in the latest show of Beijings claim to jurisdiction over disputed waters in the South China Sea. Chinas state media reported the bust on Wednesday, but provided few details. The China Coast Guard (CCG), in conjunction with the anti-narcotics unit of Chinas Ministry of Public Security, ambushed the suspected drug smuggling ship on Aug. 13 northwest of Fiery Cross Reef, one of Chinas four largest military bases and artificial islands in the South China Sea. It wasnt immediately clear why it took nearly a month for the action to be made public. While the CCG is a member of Chinas Central Military Commission as a constituent part of the Peoples Armed Police, the Ministry of Public Security is a civilian law enforcement agency, and has no prior record of performing any duties or operations in the South China Sea. China described it as the first ever seizure of bulk illegal drugs in Nansha, Chinas term for the Spratlys, an archipelago of rocks and reefs in the southern part of the South China Sea, where Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam also have claims. Radio Free Asia could not independently confirm it was the first such drugs seizure in the Spratlys. Fiery Cross Reef is located less than 260 nautical miles from Vietnams Cam Ranh Bay, which raised questions for Collin Koh, a research fellow at the Singapore-based S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies. When the piece mentioned waters northwest of Fiery Cross Reef, theres no exact location, which could mean that potentially the event could have taken place even in Vietnams [exclusive economic zone], given the proximity to Vietnams southern coast area, he said. A nations exclusive economic zone is comprised of the waters encompassed by a 200 nautical mile boundary off its coasts. Raid planned for months A subsequent report by Chinas state media revealed that the Ministry of Public Security and CCG had been planning the night-time ambush for months. As early as May of this year, the Ministry of Public Securitys Fujian office believed a Chinese drug trafficking gang was conspiring to use a container ship to send drugs back into China through the port of Fuzhou, Fujian province. The suspected ship left port on July 2 and was on its way back to China with cargo when it was interdicted by CCG ships lying in wait at Fiery Cross Reef. Its unknown what flag the ship was sailing under, nor did the reports give the nationalities of the six persons arrested, who included the captain of the ship. Koh said that under international law, the arrests would be under Beijings jurisdiction so long as the suspected ship was Chinese-flagged. However, he added that such an interdiction operation could reinforce the notion that Beijing is carrying out effective jurisdiction in the disputed area, which definitely feeds into its South China Sea claim. Thats a key political implication that arises from this event. Hotbed for smuggling Southeast Asia has long been a hotbed for organized drug smuggling. One hundred and twenty tons of methamphetamine were confiscated by law enforcement agencies in 2018 alone, according to a report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. China alone seizes about 30 tons a year of synthetic drugs, according to a release by the same agency. However, most drugs originate in the Golden Triangle, a mountainous region where the borders of Laos, Myanmar, and Thailand meet, and pass over land borders. Neighboring Vietnam stopped a massive shipment of methamphetamine, ketamine, ecstasy, and heroin passing through its border with Cambodia on Sept. 2, according to Tuoi Tre newspaper. China has sometimes been criticized for its failure to stop the transit of precursor chemicals needed for production of some illegal drugs in other countries. But it has cracked down on drug trafficking in recent years, launching a Two Strikes, Two Controls law enforcement campaign that has continued since 2018 and seen provincial Public Security bureaus escalate their arrests of suspected drug syndicates. Chinas President Xi Jinping gave a speech to the nations police force on Aug. 26, stressing iron-like discipline and conduct and capping off a months-long education and rectification campaign aimed at the countrys legal system and judicial bodies. Nonetheless, the U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo accused China of abetting narcotics trafficking in Southeast Asia on Friday, in a statement coinciding with high-level meetings of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and its key dialogue partners. We stand for transparency and respect in the Mekong region, where the CCP has abetted arms and narcotics trafficking, the statement said, without providing evidence to back up the allegations. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Editorial Board (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, September 11, 2020 08:07 497 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c4426912 1 Editorial pandemic,#Editorial,PSBB,Jakarta-psbb,anies-baswedan,healthcare,medical-workers,COVID-19 Free Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan has finally decided to reimpose large-scale social restrictions (PSBB) in the capital, after the administration failed for weeks to curb new cases and fatalities. Beginning on Monday, all workplaces, except for essential businesses, must close down and public activities will not be allowed. The policy puts a halt to a so-called transition period that saw many offices, malls and public places reopen. A return to the partial lockdown contradicts the central governments zeal for economic reopening, which ended up triggering a surge in cases and deaths, especially among medical workers. Of course, the bold measure is based on data and real developments during the public health emergency, which suggested that Jakartas health system would collapse if the emergency brakes were not pulled. But Jakartas tough policy is doomed to fail without support from both the central government and neighboring regions. If, for example, the central government does not help by limiting travel in and around the capital, there will be little chance of containing the pandemic. Jakarta has reported a positivity rate of 12.2 percent over the past week, more than twice the rate of 5 percent or below recommended by the World Health Organization for relaxing restrictions after the city met the WHOs minimum testing rate of one test per 1,000 people per week. It had recorded a positivity rate below 5 percent a week before the transition period began in June, and that is the point that should be achieved by the administration if it plans to reopen again in the future. If the central government and the Jakarta administration cannot get their acts together, the upcoming PSBB will be an even more painful period for everyone. Businesses, especially small ones, will suffer even more while the citys healthcare system, which has seen more patients and sick medical workers, will no longer be able to shoulder the burden of the outbreak. A joint study from Social Resilience Lab, Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and the LaporCOVID (Report COVID-19) community shows that the healthcare system in Jakarta may collapse by the end of the year without massive intervention to curb transmission of the disease. The modeling, which analyzed data from Aug. 1 to Sept. 3, predicted up to 3,000 deaths by the end of October as more people requiring hospitalization would be unable to get treatment because hospitals would run out of beds. President Joko Jokowi Widodo should get himself onboard with implementing stricter public health protocols, including the possibility of imposing PSBB measures in high-risk areas. Good health will lead to a good economy, he said on Monday. He is already choosing the right words, but we are still waiting for him to choose the right course of action. Mali's New Leadership Raises Questions About French Counterinsurgency Mission By Lisa Bryant September 10, 2020 Over the past seven years, France's Barkhane counterinsurgency operation in the Sahel has weathered terrorist attacks, flagging political support from its African allies, and growing popular protests against the ongoing presence of Paris, the region's former colonial power. Now, it faces the coup in Mali. August's power grab by a group of army colonels Mali's fourth coup since independence is again posing questions about whether and for how long French boots should remain in an increasingly shifting and dangerous terrain. That debate ratcheted up a notch this week, following the deaths of two French soldiers in northern Mali, bringing to 45 the number of French fatalities in the region over the past seven years. "After the coup in Mali, doubts on the Barkhane operation," France's Le Figaro newspaper headlined this week, while some leftist lawmakers have called for a parliamentary debate about the future of France's 5,000-plus strong regional force. Yet along with the questions about France's future in the region, some analysts see potential opportunities from the coup which ousted a government long accused of corruption and mismanagement even as others fear deepening unrest. For its part, France's official answer remains the same. "There is no question of letting down the guard," Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian told French radio hours after news of the soldiers' deaths. "We are making progress in Mali, where we are fighting to ensure our security and that of other countries." Talks on next steps The debate comes as Mali's new military rulers hold local and international talks about the country's next steps. The 15-nation Economic Commission of West African States, or ECOWAS, has set a 12-month limit for new elections and a September 15th deadline for the appointment of an interim president and prime minister. There are also reportedly rocky talks between the self-styled National Committee for the Salvation of the People, or CNSP junta, and the civilian coalition whose massive protests helped topple the government of former President Ibrahim Boubakar Keita. Within this changing political landscape, France and other Western countries involved in regional counterinsurgency operations have offered mixed responses. Even as the European Union and Washington announced the suspension of some military missions in Mali following the coup, French President Emmanuel Macron announced in late August the Barkhane peacekeeping force "would continue." "They're still pushing for a quick [political] transition," said Andrew Lebovich, Sahel expert with the European Council on Foreign Relations policy institute, of Paris' response to the junta. Still, he said, France's tone toward the coup's leaders has softened after it became clear Keita would not be returning to power. Respecting engagements Helping to ease relations, Mali's coup leaders have said they would respect the country's previous military engagements, which include partnering with other so-called G-5 Sahel member states and France in fighting the long-running Islamist insurgency in northern Mali and neighboring countries. When they met with France's ambassador to Mali in August, analyst Lebovich noted, Barkhane's commander was also present. "There was a clear message being sent," he added, "that from their perspective, nothing changed with Barkhane." And for now, the military appears to have the support of at least a slice of the Malian population, which staged weeks of anti-government protests leading up to the coup. "The soldiers, the soldiers," some chanted at a Bamako rally on Monday. "In theory it's an opportunity," Lebovich said of the junta, who he noted moved swiftly to show "they wanted to play a role in pushing anti-corruption measures and good governance" reforms long demanded by French and other Western powers. Whether Mali's new rulers carry them out remains unclear. Also unclear, for some, is France's future relationship with them. Coup leader Colonel Assimi Goita, 37, received training in the United States and Germany but not in France, France's Les Echos newspaper noted. Indeed, only one of the coup's senior officers spent time in the country, it said, adding French military officials initially didn't seem to know who they were. "We knew the situation remained unstable, but the five officers who led the coup took us by surprise," it reported a French defense official as saying. Barkhane essential? Either way, Barkhane's supporters argue the force remains key in fighting the Sahel insurgency. Mali's own 13,000-strong army is underpaid and underequipped, while some G-5 alliance forces have been accused of human rights abuses. For its part, Paris has described a recent string of tactical successes, including the June killing of a senior al-Qaida leader, Adbemalek Droukdel. "I think today, Barkhane is vital for Mali," Nicolas Normand, a former French ambassador to Mali, told France's Marianne magazine in a recent interview. "If it's withdrawn, there will be chaos and towns will fall." But, he added, while "Barkhane is an insurance of Mali's survival, it cannot stay forever." French opposition parties have expressed their own doubts about the status quo. A number of analysts are also skeptical about Barkhane's effectiveness. Some point to a tangle of sometimes conflicting French and other European military missions in the region, and to protests in Mali and elsewhere against foreign involvement. "The French say they're making headway," analyst Lebovich said. "Most outside specialists look at this and say, 'Yes, there's some improvement, but in general the overall security situation is not that much better.' " NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address LONDON (dpa-AFX) - Rio Tinto Plc's chief executive officer J-S Jacques and two other executives will step down following criticism of the mining giant's destruction of two ancient rock shelters in Western Australia. Rio detonated explosives in May in an area of the Juukan Gorge, destroying the 46,000-year-old Aboriginal heritage site in Western Australia. The company went ahead with blowing up the ancient rock shelters despite the opposition of Aboriginal traditional owners. It has sparked widespread condemnation from shareholders, traditional owners and others. On Friday, the company said in a statement that 'significant stakeholders have expressed concerns about executive accountability for the failings identified'. The Anglo-Australian mining giant said that Jacques would remain as the chief executive officer until 31 March 2021 or the appointment of his successor. Rio Tinto chairman Simon Thompson said, 'What happened at Juukan was wrong and we are determined to ensure that the destruction of a heritage site of such exceptional archaeological and cultural significance never occurs again at a Rio Tinto operation.' Chris Salisbury will step down as chief executive, Iron Ore with immediate effect and will leave the company on 31 December 2020. Ivan Vella, currently Managing Director for Rail, Port & Core Services within Rio Tinto Iron Ore, will replace him on an interim basis, following a handover period with Chris. Simone Niven will step down as Group Executive, Corporate Relations, and will leave the group on 31 December 2020 after completing an orderly transition of her responsibilities. Simon McKeon, non-executive director, is appointed Senior Independent Director, Rio Tinto Limited with immediate effect. The newly created Board role will complement the existing Senior Independent Director role, which will continue to be performed by Sam Laidlaw for Rio Tinto plc. Last month, Rio Tinto said that it would cut this year's bonuses of its chief executive officer and two other senior executives following a review of the company's destruction of the two ancient rock shelters. The company cut Jacques' short-term bonuses of 1.70 million pounds. It would also reduce J-S Jacques' 2016 long-term incentive plan award by 1 million pounds. The long-term incentive is due to vest in the first half of 2021. Chris Salisbury, chief executive of Iron Ore; and Simone Niven, Group Executive, Corporate Relations would not receive their short-term bonuses of A$1.11 million and 525,000 pounds respectively. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de By Express News Service BHUBANESWAR: Even as Odisha continues to maintain low-levels of testing in the face of worsening Covid-19 situation, the State on Thursday reported its highest single-day numbers of 3,991 new cases, taking the total count close to 1.4 lakh. The previous single day highest was 3,861 on September 6. For the first time, 14 districts have recorded more than 100 cases, indicating the spread of the virus not only in the urban centres but also, more disturbingly, rural hinterlands of the State. The worst-hit Khurda, Cuttack and Puri accounted for over 35 per cent (pc) of the daily count with 687, 392 and 332 cases respectively. Among other districts, Balangir registered 180 cases, followed by Bargarh (169), Mayurbhanj (160), Jajpur (148), Kendrapada (147), Koraput (127), Nabarangpur (125), Angul (114), Jagatsinghpur (109), Sambalpur (104) and Dhenkanal (101). Eleven more patients including two each from Puri, Bhubaneswar and Cuttack and one each from Bhadrak, Ganjam, Nayagarh, Koraput and Rayagada succumbed to the disease. With this the death toll climbed to 644. At an average of 3,617 cases a day, Odisha has reported 32,560 new cases and 88 deaths in the nine days of this month. The case positivity rate that was below five pc last month now stands at 8.46 pc, nearly two pc above the cumulative positivity rate. The State conducted 47,161 tests, including 9,814 through RT-PCR and 37,043 antigen on Wednesday. It now has 30,476 active cases after 1,08 lakh recoveries. The rapid rise in new infections in Puri, Bargarh, Koraput, Mayurbhanj and Nabarangpur besides the three worst hit districts has become a cause of serious concern. Meanwhile, the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) has decided to replicate the measures taken at Berhmpur to contain the spread of the disease. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had asked the Corporation authorities to follow the model after a review on Wednesday. Accordingly, the BMC has decided to form 565 rapid response teams for health screening in the city. The civic body staff will also collect waste from the houses where infected persons are in home isolation. A BMC official said door-to-door mega health screening campaign will commence from Friday. The doctors will be in regular touch with the Covid-19 patients in home isolation through Zoom video app. Bio-medical waste will be collected daily through double layered non-chlorinated disposable plastic bags in compliance to the guidelines laid by CPCB from all the houses where Covid-19 positive patients are in isolation, he added. In one incident, Davis and the victim were in a car together on the way to her aunts house in Chicago, prosecutors said. The victim didnt come forward earlier because she thought no one would believe her. Union minister Pralhad Joshi on Friday said India has invited Australia to participate in the and other strategic projects related to mines and minerals. In his meeting with Australian minister for resources Keith Pitt, India's Coal and Mines Minister Joshi deliberated on increasing cooperation in areas of strategic minerals. "Had a virtual meeting with Mr. @keithjpittMP, Minister for Resources, Australia. We discussed enhancing strategic collaboration between organisations of both the countries on coal, critical and strategic minerals and related technologies," Joshi tweeted. "Invited Australia to participate in the ongoing global tender for commercial mining, coal gasification and coal to chemical projects and bring new technologies to these projects," he said in another tweet. Joshi further said that he also held discussions on active cooperation in strategic minerals especially lithium and cobalt for EV mobility. The government has launched the auction process for coal blocks for commercial mining, a move that opens India's coal sector for private players. The coal ministry this month revised the list of mines to be auctioned for commercial mining and now 38 blocks would go under the hammer instead of 41 mines announced earlier. (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.) (Newser) After nearly seven months away from famed Studio 8H, the cast of Saturday Night Live plans to return for the premiere of the show's 46th season next month. The broadcast is planned for Oct. 3right about the time of year the new season usually starts, Deadline reports. NBC didn't say whether there will be an audience in the Rockefeller Center studio or what coronavirus precautions will be in place. Cast members were self-quarantining in their homes for the last three episodes in the spring, per the Los Angeles Times, setting up their own lights for their appearances and featuring walk-ons by their children. story continues below Despite the limitations, the show had successes: Brad Pitt received an Emmy nomination for playing Dr. Anthony Fauci. The first remote episode, on April 11, featured Tom Hanks as host and included fixtures such as Weekend Update and a monologue sketch, per People. SNL has 15 nominations overall; the awards are to be presented Sept. 20. The show said guest hosts and musical guests will be announced later. In May, the cast talked about working at home in a video you can watch here. (Maya Rudolph expects to be in demand, given Joe Biden's choice of a running mate.) Bir Lehlou (Saharawi Republic) 10 September 2020 (SPS)- The President of the Saharawi Republic and Secretary General of Polisario Front, Brahim Ghali, affirmed in a letter to the UN Secretary General, Antonio Gutteres, that the Saharawi people are determined to take the necessary measures to defend their legitimate rights, stressing that they expect the UN to bring to a successful conclusion the decolonisation of the last colony in Africa. The letter delivered to Gutteres on Tuesday also reveals Saharawi peoples frustration from the UN inaction and failure to implement the mandate of its Mission, in addition to its tolerance of Moroccan obstacles to peace. Following is the complete text of the letter, which was also handed to the President of the Security Council to be published as an official document of the Council: H.E. Mr Antonio Guterres Secretary-General of the United Nations United Nations, New York Bir Lehlou, 7 September 2020 Mr Secretary-General, Twenty-nine years have passed since the establishment of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) by Security Council resolution 690 (1991) to implement the UN-OAU Settlement Plan that was accepted by both parties, the Frente POLISARIO and Morocco, in August 1988 and approved by the Security Council in its resolutions 658 (1990) and 690 (1991). As you are aware, the essential aim of the UN-OAU Settlement plan consists in achieving a just and definitive solution of the question of Western Sahara in conformity with General Assembly resolution 1514 (XV) by means of a ceasefire and the holding of a referendum without military or administrative constraints to enable the people of Western Sahara, in the exercise of their right to self-determination, to choose between independence and integration with Morocco (S/21360; para 1). In line with the UN-OAU Settlement Plan, the UN Observer Group to be established to monitor the implementation of the peace plan will function in accordance with the general principles applicable to United Nations peace-keeping operations (ibid, para 20). The United Nations however has so far failed in implementing the mandate for which MINURSO was created, and thus successfully completing the decolonisation of Western Sahara, the last colony in Africa. What is even worse is that both the United Nations and MINURSO have all along maintained a deafening silence in the face of Moroccos continued annexationist actions whose aim is to impose a fait accompli by force in the occupied Western Sahara and to undermine the legal status of the Territory as a Non-Self-Governing Territory pending decolonisation. Moreover, the United Nations has chosen to turn a blind eye as Morocco persists in its actions aimed to undermine the exclusive international nature of MINURSO and to handicap the operational capacity of the Mission to implement its mandate. Morocco continues to impose the use of Moroccan vehicle number plates on MINURSO vehicles and it insists on affixing Moroccan stamps on the passports of MINURSO personnel upon their entry to and exit from Western Sahara. Morocco also refuses to allow MINURSO access to any local interlocutors in occupied Western Sahara, which handicaps the Mission in the implementation of its mandate, as highlighted in numerous reports of the UN Secretary-General. Mr Secretary-General, When the Frente POLISARIO decided to accept the ceasefire in 1991, it wasand is stillpredicated on the full implementation of the UN-OAU Settlement Plan for which MINURSO was exclusively established. For the Frente POLISARIO, the ongoing ceasefire is an integral part of an integrated package deal, namely the UN-OAU Settlement Plan, which was accepted officially by both parties, the Frente POLISARIO and Morocco, and approved by the Security Council in its relevant resolutions. The ceasefire, therefore, can never be considered as a separate arrangement from the UN-OAU Settlement Plan or an end in itself, but only as a means to create the necessary conditions for implementing the peace plan whose ultimate goal is the holding of the self-determination referendum for the people of Western Sahara in line with the terms of the UN-OAU Settlement Plan. The failure of the UN Secretariat and the Security Council to act robustly to end Moroccos deliberate attempts to torpedo the mandate of MINURSO and to forcibly entrench and normalise its illegal occupation of parts of our country has severely undermined the credibility of the UN and deepened the loss of faith amid the Sahrawi people in the already fragile UN peace process. In this context, following the adoption of Security Council resolution 2494 (2019) on 30 October 2019, the Frente POLISARIO announced that it was left with no option but to reconsider its engagement in the UN peace process that has been drastically deviated from its agreed course. In our letter (S/2020/66) dated 28 December 2019, we outlined a series of urgent actions that both the UN Secretariat and the Security Council, acting within the scope of their respective responsibilities, should adopt to restore the confidence of the Sahrawi people in the UN peace process. In our letter, we also emphasised the need to ensure the independence and impartiality of MINURSO, which entails that the Mission should treat both parties equally. It is utterly unacceptable that, because of Moroccos policy of blackmail, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) and Head of MINURSO and other senior officials of the Mission cannot meet with the Frente POLISARIO in the Liberated Territories of Western Sahara, despite the existence of documented evidence that former SRSGs had held meetings with the Frente POLISARIO in those areas. We regret that neither the UN Secretariat nor the Security Council has taken any action in this regard. In concluding, after twenty-nine years since the entry into force of the UN-OAU Settlement Plan and the ceasefire, the Sahrawi people are determined to take the necessary measures to defend their legitimate rights and to ensure that MINURSO fulfils its mandate and functions in line with the general principles applicable to UN peace-keeping operations. What we expect from the United Nations, therefore, is to see concrete and serious actions made towards the full and rigorous implementation of the peace plan by enabling our people to exercise their inalienable right to self-determination and independence, thus bringing to a successful conclusion the decolonisation of the last colony in Africa. I would be grateful if you would bring this letter to the attention of the Members of the Security Council. Please accept, Mr Secretary-General, the assurances of my highest consideration. Brahim Ghali President of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic Secretary-General of the Frente POLISARIO". (SPS) 090/500/60 (SPS) Bengaluru, Sep 11 : The Central Crime Bureau (CCB)of the Bengaluru Police on Friday arrested an alleged habitual drug peddler, Prateek Shetty, in connection with the high profile case related to procuring and selling banned drugs during high-end parties in the city allegedly involving Sandalwood celebrities. In a media statement, Joint Police Commissioner (Crime), Bengaluru City Police, Sandeep Patil said, "The CCB police has arrested drug peddler Prateek Shetty in the early hours of Friday." Speaking to IANS, a senior investigation officer disclosed that the CCB was probing into dark web angle too. "Most of these psychotropic drugs or hallucination drugs like Ecstasy Tablets or LSD strips are generally procured through the dark web." According to the police, Shetty aged about 30 years and originally from Mangaluru is a trained software engineer who took drugs during his early days of college. "Once he came to Bengaluru and was employed in an IT firm, his addiction led him to become a peddler in the initial days. Due to his addiction, he lost his job and now he is a full time drug procurer and supplier of drugs to high end parties," the police officer explained. The police pointed out that the CCB had arrested Shetty once, as he was one among three drug suppliers from whom the CCB had recovered a major drug consignment of 1.5 kg of cocaine and 1930 Ecstasy tablets worth Rs 1.48 crore in 2018, in Banaswadi police station limits. The police further added that Shetty is a known drug peddler since 2010 onwards, and 2015 onwards he has become part of a full-fledged drug supply chain in the city, which thrives on high-end parties. He has well-established connections among the drug suppliers operating from Nigeria, Africa and Latin America. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Amid a prolonged standoff between India and China along the LAC in Ladakh, Chief of Defence Staff Bipin Rawat on Friday appeared before a parliamentary panel on defence. While the official agenda for the meeting was listed as 'provision and monitoring of the quality of ration and livery items to the Defence forces, especially in border areas', some members have said they will raise the issue of the Ladakh situation. The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence is chaired by BJP leader Jual Oram. Members who attended the meeting on Friday included Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. This is probably the first time Rahul Gandhi is attending this committee's meeting since being nominated to the panel last year after Lok Sabha elections. Pawar had told reporters earlier in the day that he will ask for a presentation for the members of the panel on the situation at LAC in Ladakh. The Indian Army and the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) have been locked in a tense standoff in multiple areas along the LAC in eastern Ladakh since early May. Shots were fired across the LAC on Monday for the first time in 45 years with the two sides accusing each other of firing in the air. However, the two countries reached an agreement during talks between External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on Thursday evening for a five-point roadmap including quick disengagement of troops and avoiding any action that could escalate tensions for resolving the four-month-long face-off, while noting that the current situation at their border is not in the interest of either side. Government sources said the Indian side strongly raised the deployment of a large number of troops and military equipment by China along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh and conveyed its concern. The Chinese side could not provide a credible explanation for the troops' buildup, the sources had said earlier on Friday. Let's face it. The government of Guam is more generous with its own workforce, not just when it comes to pay and raises, but also with leave b Read more New Delhi, Sep 11 : The Supreme Court asked the Centre on Friday if it could issue an ordinance allocating funds collected under the welfare schemes for construction workers to be used for other workers during the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, which has led to the return to many migrant workers to their native states. A bench headed by Chief Justice S.A. Bobde noted that other workers are equally poor and the Centre can take proactive action to address this issue. The bench asked Additional Solicitor General Madhavi Divan, appearing for the Centre, why can't the Centre issue an ordinance on this issue so that the funds meant for construction workers could be used for other workers too. The Centre's counsel submitted before the bench that she will revert back after taking instructions on the matter. The top court made the observation while hearing an application filed by the Madhya Pradesh government to withdraw Rs 1,000 crore from the Rs 1,985 crore collected for the welfare of construction workers. The state government's counsel submitted that the funds were needed as the revenues of the state have been reduced drastically due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and the amount collected under the welfare scheme is with the state welfare board. The state's counsel said the money will be returned to the state welfare board with interest. The application was filed in a matter where a plea was moved in the top court in 2006 seeking implementation of two laws connected to the welfare of construction workers in the country. The counsel for the petitioner contested the argument submitted by the state government. The two laws are -- Building and Other Construction Workers (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 1996 and Building and Other Construction Workers' Welfare Cess Act, 1996 (Cess Act). The state government's counsel submitted that many migrant workers have come back to the state due to the pandemic and they are not registered with the government, therefore the state cannot pay them. The bench queried as to what is the hurdle in registering them and after registration, the government can sort out who all are eligible for the benefits. The state's counsel said they can only register them under the 1996 law, which is meant for construction works. The bench asked the Centre's counsel to get instructions on this issue and listed the matter for further hearing after two weeks. Agence France-Presse NASA on Thursday announced it was in the market for Moon rocks and wants to pay companies to scoop out the dirt, take a photo, and then have it ready for collection by a future mission. The contract doesn't actually involve getting to the Moon itself a feat only achieved by the national space agencies of three countries but instead envisages companies designing a robot that NASA or major private sector players can then launch. "NASA is buying lunar soil from a commercial provider! It's time to establish the regulatory certainty to extract and trade space resources," tweeted administrator Jim Bridenstine. The US wants to become a leader in the exploitation of resources found in the soil or subsoil of asteroids and the Moon, a policy outlined in an executive order by President Donald Trump last year, despite an absence of international or legal consensus on the best way to manage extraterrestrial mining. The major space treaties are vague on the question. For the current tender, it has asked companies from around the world to present proposals to collect 50 to 500 grams of Moon rock, or regolith, from anywhere on the surface, provide imagery to prove it, then transfer sole ownership to NASA. Companies would set their own bids, and be paid 20 percent upfront with the remainder upon successful completion of their mission. NASA anticipates that the contracts will be worth some tens of thousands of dollars, according to the tender documents. In a blog post, Bridenstine wrote that NASA would determine collection methods at a later date, but it wasn't clear whether that meant the rocks would be collected by future astronauts and stay on the Moon or be brought back to Earth. The mission represents a proof of concept as NASA looks to return humans to the lunar surface by 2024 and then set its sights on Mars, harnessing the resources of the Moon and using it as a waypoint. NASA hopes to excavate lunar ice from the polar regions to supply both drinking water and to split the molecules apart to make rocket fuel for the onward journey. The space agency is increasingly relying on a public-private model, where it no longer assumes the entire cost of developing and operating missions, but instead contracts out services to private space companies. SpaceX, for instance, carries cargo for NASA to the International Space Station and recently completed a successful test flight to take astronauts too. Samsung Electronics Co. further expanded its dominance in the domestic smartphone market in the second quarter of the year, a report showed Friday, thanks to robust sales of the Galaxy A budget line and Galaxy S20 series. Samsung accounted for a 67 percent market share in the April-June period on its home turf, according to industry tracker Counterpoint Research, up 3 percentage points from the previous three months. Apple Inc. came in second with a 19 percent share, up 1 percentage point from a quarter earlier, while LG Electronics Inc. remained in the third spot with a 13 percent share, down 3 percentage points from the first quarter. Apple's iPhone SE, launched in May, was the bestselling smartphone model in the second quarter of 2020 in South Korea, followed by Samsung's Galaxy S20 Plus and S20 devices. Half of the top 10 bestselling smartphones in the second quarter were Galaxy A models from Samsung, according to Counterpoint Research, indicating that local consumers opted to purchase budget handsets amid the pandemic. Sales of smartphones priced below US$400 accounted for 45 percent in the second quarter, up from 33 percent a year earlier. Counterpoint Research said second-quarter smartphone sales in South Korea increased 9 percent from the previous quarter but were 8 percent down from a year earlier. (Yonhap) Speaking at a briefing in UCD this afternoon, Mr Reid said "there has been a clear increase of community transmission" of the virus. He said recent referrals for Covid-19 testing is being driven primarily by school children and people living in North Dublin. Mr Reid acknowledged that there has been an increase in the number of people with anxiety and mental health issues, presenting to HSE services. He said while it is concerning, he also said those people were not necessarily anxious about Covid-19. Speaking about the recent figures the HSE director said "There have been 717 new cases in the past 14 days and 151 cases in the past seven days.There are currently six people in ICUs at the moment and 50 people across Irish hospitals." He said the HSE have been dealing with a number of outbreaks, with the vast majority of them being in private homes settings. Advertisement There are currently 30 community testing centres across the country at the moment, with three pop up centres recently being established in Limerick, Tallaght and Kilkenny. Serial testing Meanwhile, Suzanne O'Connor from the HSE says there has been an increase in activity at hospitals recently, up 4 per cent on last week. She also gave more detail about serial testing that has taken place: "57,000 tests have been carried out overall in nursing homes, while in meat factories 13,000 tests have been completed, with a positivity rate of 0.27 per cent," she said. She also explained how there are Covid and non-Covid pathways set up in hospitals to deal with the pandemic. There are currently 363 vacant beds in hospitals at the moment, she said. Finally, Colm Henry the national clinical advisor and programme lead for acute hospitals said there has been a worrying trend of people needing to come into hospital with the virus. "We are seeing hosptialisation at a rate of two or three per day at the moment. You can't put a lid on a virus that spreads between young people. There are steep age related illnesses. He did reiterate though that both in Ireland and the rest of the world, 90 per cent of deaths have been people over 75 years of age. He also said he is concerned with people presenting with an illness at a delayed stage, because of their concern of Covid-19. Commuters who travel by yellow-band maxi-taxis between Port of Spain and areas in West Trinidad will have to dig deeper into their pockets from Monday. Chairman of the Yellow Band Route One Association Eon Hewitt told the Express yesterday the fares will go up by $1 across the board, and $2 for the Chaguaramas route. Support Local Journalism Your subscription makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} At a press conference he called on Friday morning, Dothan Mayor Mark Saliba addressed reports of Edwards' resignation and the revolving door of superintendents in the last five years or so. So, even though that is worrisome, I think its something that we will overcome, Saliba said. I appreciate everything Dr. Edwards has done for our community and its a lot of very, very hard work. I think were in a good place and we have a lot of good things ahead of us. He said he thought consistent leadership is important, but pointed out that he and other devoted public servants are still here to guide the future of Dothans education system. Well be here to make sure that plans that have been put forth and in motion will continue to do so, he said. Well be here to continue to collaborate with other parts of the community to guide and decide whats best for all of our citizens when it comes to public education. Microsoft says hackers from Russia, China and Iran were targeting US election campaigns Microsoft said Thursday it thwarted recent cyberattacks from China, Russia and Iran targeting both Republican and Democratic presidential campaigns, as technology giants scrambled to protect election security less than two months ahead of the US vote. The announcement came as Twitter said it would implement a policy next week to remove "false or misleading information intended to undermine public confidence in an election," including unverified claims of victory; and Google said it would take steps to ensure its "autocomplete" search feature doesn't make such misguided suggestions. Microsoft said that attackers have been targeting staff from the campaigns of President Donald Trump and his Democratic rival, Joe Biden. "In recent weeks, Microsoft has detected cyberattacks targeting people and organizations involved in the upcoming presidential election," said corporate vice president Tom Burt. It was clear that "foreign activity groups have stepped up their efforts targeting the 2020 election as had been anticipated," according to Burt. The attackers have targeted political operatives, think tanks, consultants and political parties in Europe as well, Microsoft said. It identified a Russia-based group called Strontium which Burt said "has attacked more than 200 organizations," and China-based Zirconium, which he said "has attacked high-profile individuals associated with the election, including people associated with the Joe Biden for President campaign and prominent leaders in the international affairs community." An Iran-based group dubbed Phosphorus has been targeting personal accounts of people associated with the Trump campaign, Microsoft said. The majority of those attacks were stopped by Microsoft security tools, and those targeted or compromised were alerted, according to Burt. Russia is trying to undermine voters' faith in the US electoral system and especially in voting by mail ahead of the November 3 election, according to a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) analysis. A statement in August from the National Counterintelligence and Security Center said Russia is actively working against Biden's candidacy, favoring Trump as it did in 2016. Microsoft's announcement affirms DHS warnings that "China, Iran, and Russia are trying to undermine our democracy and influence our elections," acting secretary Chad Wolf said in a prepared statement. China denied the allegation, accusing Microsoft of "fabrication" and "creating trouble" by raising the accusation. "The US presidential election is US' internal affair," said Zhao Lijian spokesman of the Chinese foreign ministry. "We have no interest to interfere in it, and we never interfered in it." An updated Twitter policy will ban misleading claims about election results and the voting process, including any unverified claims of victory or efforts to interfere with the transfer or power Twitter ramps up defense Twitter policy taking effect September 17 bans "false or misleading information" about voting as well as "disputed claims that could undermine faith in the process itself," such as allegations of election rigging, ballot tampering, vote tallying or certification of election results. The move comes amid rising concerns about when results will be verified for the presidential election, in view of an expected large volume of mail-in ballotsthe integrity of which Trump has spent months attacking. The policy prohibits "misleading claims about the results" or interference with the electoral process such as "claiming victory before election results have been certified, inciting unlawful conduct to prevent a peaceful transfer of power or orderly succession." Some analysts have suggested that Trump may reject the election results or refuse to leave office if he loses, while Trump himself has spent months suggesting Democrats were attempting to "rig" the election and refusing to say whether he will accept the results. Both Twitter and Facebook have placed labels on Trump posts about on mail-in votingsent out to his tens of millions of followers. "We will not permit our service to be abused around civic processes, most importantly elections," Twitter said. Google announced separately it would tighten controls for its "autocomplete" search feature to guard against misinformation. "We will remove predictions that could be interpreted as claims for or against any candidate or political party," search vice president Pandu Nayak said. "We will also remove predictions that could be interpreted as a claim about participation in the electionlike statements about voting methods, requirements, or the status of voting locations or the integrity or legitimacy of electoral processes, such as the security of the election." This will rule out predictions such as "you can vote by phone," Nayak said. Social media operators have been struggling with disinformation campaigns from Russia, China and other countries along with unverified claims by Trump on the vote process. Facebook said last month it was bracing for efforts by Trump or others to attack the integrity of the US election. Explore further Twitter may remove unverified election result claims 2020 AFP Corona is gone, declared BJPs Bengal unit chief Dilip Ghosh at a public rally in South Bengal on Thursday, adding that it was done to block BJP rallies. The shocking comment has come at a time at a time when the country has seen record jumps in daily Covid-19 cases. In a clarification on Friday, the leader said his speech on corona was taken out of context and in a reversal of stance said corona is still here. As the video of Ghoshs earlier statement went viral, pat came a barb from the Trinamool, accusing him of valuing vote bank politics above human lives. Corona is gone. Didimoni (Mamata Banerjee) is just pretending and imposing lockdown so that the BJP cant hold rallies, said Ghosh while addressing a gathering at Nadia in south Bengal on Thursday. The West Bengal government had imposed lockdown on six days in August. In September, three days of lockdown were announced out of which the final one on September 12 has been cancelled because of the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test on Sunday. While the whole of India is still fighting tirelessly against the deadly #COVID19 pandemic, @DilipGhoshBJP announces Corona is Over! Evidently, he values vote bank politics much above human lives. The wit of @BJP4Bengal President is horrifying! the TMC tweeted on Friday. Till September 10, West Bengal had recorded 1,93,175 cases with 3771 deaths. There are more than 23,000 active cases in the state. While Ghosh had made the statement at a gathering in Nadia, the partys president JP Nadda had accused Mamata Banerjee administration of timing the Covid-19 lockdown to coincide with the launch of the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya on August 5 and earlier lifting it for Eid. By imposing the lockdown, she [Banerjee] crushed the wishes of crores of people. It is a different matter that the lockdown was lifted [for] Eid on July 31This is a politics of appeasement. This politics of vote bank appeasement needs to be exposed, Nadda had said in his address to BJP workers via video-conferencing yesterday. The TMC had countered it, saying that imposing lockdown or cancelling it had nothing to do with a program that is held outside the state (Ayodhya is in Uttar Pradesh). Lockdown is imposed or cancelled based on administrative convenience and on the advice of experts, Saugata Roy, TMC lawmaker had said. A day after his Covid-19 remarks, Ghosh however said that he was quoted out of context and that Covid-19 is still there. My speech was 25 minutes long. Only a few seconds were taken and I was quoted out of the context. Covid-19 is still there and the TMC cant tackle it. But I stand by my statement that the TMC is imposing lockdown for political gains, he said on Friday. This is, however, not the first time that Ghosh has courted a controversy. In November 2019, a video went viral in which Ghosh had said that milk of Indian cows is laced with gold and thats why it was yellowish in colour. Pakistan sentences Christian man to death over allegation he sent blasphemous texts Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment A trial court in Pakistan sentenced a Christian man to death earlier this week after he was accused of sending blasphemous text messages to his former boss, fueling more criticism against the countrys blasphemy laws that are frequently used to target religious minorities. Asif Pervaiz, 37, who has been in custody since 2013 when he was alleged to have sent the blasphemous message to a former work supervisor, was sentenced to death by a ruling of a court in the Punjab capital of Lahore on Tuesday. The evidence on record was clearly not enough to sentence Asif Pervaiz to death. As usual, trial judges have so far never acquitted anyone accused of blasphemy, Pervaizs attorney Saif-ul Malook told Christian Solidarity Worldwide. I hope he will be freed by the High Court where we have filed an appeal. Sadly, Asif will continue to be incarcerated until his appeal is heard. Malook previously represented Asia Bibi, a Pakistani Christian mother who was acquitted by Pakistans Supreme Court in 2018 who spent nearly a decade on death row after she was accused of insulting Islam. Her case garnered international attention and scrutiny toward the countrys blasphemy laws. From my experience in the Asia Bibi case, judges in appeal courts hesitate to hear and decide blasphemy cases, Malook added. Cases involving murder are usually decided within three years, but blasphemy charges can take up to over seven years. An example is the case of Christian couple Shagufta Kausar and her husband, Shafqat Emmanuel, whose death row appeal was delayed this summer after spending six years in prison for blasphemy. They were accused by a local imam of sending a text message insulting the Islamic prophet Muhammad. We are very concerned by the trial courts decision to sentence Mr. Pervaiz to death, stated Mervyn Thomas, the chief executive of CSW, a London-based human rights watchdog organization that monitors instances of persecution in over 20 countries. Pakistans harsh blasphemy laws have proven to be a source of suffering for many, and are regularly abused. Mr. Pervaiz now has to endure further, indefinite imprisonment, given the nature of blasphemy charges and the social interests surrounding it. The complainant in Pervaizs case is Saeed Ahmed Khokhar, his former supervisor at the garment factory he worked at. Khokhar accused Pervaiz of sending several blasphemous messages to his phone. Under Section 295 of Pakistans legal code, blasphemy is punishable by life in prison or even death. In denying the accusation, Pervaiz maintains that he was accused of the crime after refusing Khokhars pressure that he convert to Islam. In Pakistan, more than nine out of every 10 people are Muslim. Pervaiz said during an earlier court hearing that he was confronted by Khokhar after he quit working at the factory. Khokhers lawyer, Ghulam Mustafa Chaudhry, said in an interview with Al Jazeera that his client denies pressuring Parvaiz to convert and argued that there were other Christian employees of the factory but none of them were accused of proselytizing. "He has taken this defense after the fact because he had no other clear defense," Chaudhry was quoted as saying. "That's why he accused him of trying to convert him." The National Christian Party of Karachi held a one-day hunger strike on Wednesday to show solidarity with Pervaiz and other Christians accused of blasphemy in Pakistan. These cases and false accusations are totally based on discrimination," NCP President Shabbir Shafqat told Asia News. "I am very afraid for the future of minorities in Pakistan. These cases are driving many minority members to leave the country. We must pray for our nation, for the police in Pakistan and for the judicial system. " In its annual report, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom said that it is aware of nearly 80 individuals who are imprisoned for blasphemy and at least half of them are facing life sentences or the death penalty. In December 2019, just over a year after Asia Bibi's acquittal, university lecturer Junaid Hafeez was sentenced to death after he was accused of blasphemy following an Islamic student group taking issue with his liberal teaching. He has been in prison since 2013. According to USCIRF, Pakistans blasphemy laws create a culture of impunity for violent attacks against religious minorities following accusations. In March 2019, a student murdered professor Khalid Hameed over perceived anti-Islamic remarks, the report reads. Protestors in Sindh attacked and burned Hindu shops and houses of worship following two incidents: in the first, a cleric accused a Hindu veterinarian of wrapping medicine with paper printed with Quranic verses; in the second, a student leveled blasphemy charges against a Hindu principal. A mob also attacked a Christian community in Punjab after a mosque claimed over its loudspeaker that the community had insulted Islam. In March 2019, it was reported that over 200 families were forced to flee their homes in Karachi after Christian women were falsely accused of blasphemy even though none of the charges were true. In 2018, the U.S. State Department added Pakistan to its list of countries of particular concern, which designates governments that have engaged in or tolerated systematic, ongoing and egregious violations of religious freedom. At its international religious freedom ministerials in 2018 and 2019, the State Department released statements signed by several other countries condemning blasphemy and apostasy laws that they say are inconsistent with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The countries also declared that such laws impede the freedom of individuals to choose a faith, practice a faith, change their religion, not have a religion, tell others about their beliefs and practices, or openly debate and discuss aspects of faith or belief. Pakistan is ranked as the fifth-worst country in the world when it comes to Christian persecution on Open Doors USAs 2020 World Watch List. Heritage architect Siddhant Shah, 30, gets a lot of complaints that his signs are misspelt. They say Please Touch instead of the usual Please dont touch, he says with a hearty laugh. At museums and art galleries across the country, Shah has installed tactile works that allow the visually challenged to touch a replica of the artefact or art work on display, and get a sense of what it looks like. The idea first came to him when he returned to India after getting a Masters in heritage management from the University of Kent in Athens, Greece, in 2014. One of the modules there had been on tactile and inclusive designs to make heritage accessible to all. That interested me a lot because my mother, an art educator, was losing her eyesight, Shah says. On a visit to an art gallery during a family vacation, Shahs mother was told rather brusquely to be seated while the others did the rounds. That hit me so hard, he says. I started thinking about what could be done. I had seen tactile museums in Greece with Braille guides and Please touch signs everywhere. I put the two thoughts together and decided this was what I wanted to do. On a mission In 2016, Shah began to work as an access consultant with the City Palace museum in Jaipur, creating Braille guides and reproductions of artefacts so the visually challenged could experience the exhibits. Luckily, around the same time, the National Museum in Delhi was trying to add tactile experiences as well, he says. He collaborated with them and created the Anubhav Gallery inside the National Museum. Hes created a similar gallery for the State Bank Museum in Karachi, Pakistan. In 2015, Shah founded his Access for All enterprise, a consultancy that helps make museums and art hubs inclusive and experiential spaces. Shah now works closely with the Ministry of Culture as well. So far, Access for All has created Braille guides as well as art replicas, artefact replicas and even replicas of miniature paintings. Most recently, Shah has worked with the Serendipity Arts Festival in Goa, India Art Fair in Delhi, Indian School of Design and Innovation, Mumbai, and Kolkata Centre for Creativity. This year, at the Jaipur Literature Festival, he also launched a Braille book of folk tales, featuring Braille art. There are several measures taken within our exhibitions to make art inclusive, says Vivek Menezes, curator of the Serendipity festival. In collaboration with Shah, we have art recreated and have audio aids. And the tactile elements are for everyone. The objective is to break all barriers and make art accessible for all. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-11 13:09:49|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BELGRADE, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- Serbia will never agree to recognize its southern province of Kosovo as a separate country, said Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic on Thursday. Vucic made the remarks in a TV interview with Serbia's national broadcaster RTS while commenting on the agreement signed on Sept. 4 in presence of the U.S. President Donald Trump by representatives of Serbia and its southern province of Kosovo and Metohija, which unilaterally seceded in 2008. He said that the one-year moratorium on Kosovo's membership in international organizations will enable cooperation, instead of political struggles, in the upcoming periods. Reflecting on the European Union (EU)-mediated dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina in Brussels recently, Vucic said that a compromise is needed between the two sides instead of the fulfillment of the EU's or any other's interests. He said that Serbia will never recognize Kosovo, and will strive to establish the Association/Community of Serb majority municipalities in Kosovo, which was guaranteed by the 2013 Brussels agreement. Enditem Support for abortion is dropping in many countries worldwide: survey Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment While an overwhelming majority of people in more than two dozen countries worldwide say they approve of women having legal access to abortion in some circumstances, support for terminating pregnancies is declining in many nations, according to a new survey conducted by Ipsos. The poll, which surveyed more than 17,000 people in 25 countries from May 22 to June 5, found that support for abortion has decreased in most countries surveyed since Ipsos first began tracking the worlds attitudes about abortion in 2014. Worldwide, support for abortion has dropped from 72% in 2014 to 70% in 2020. The biggest drop in support for abortion was in Germany, where approval of abortion stood at 76% in 2020, down from 85% in 2014. Sweden, France, the United Kingdom, Spain, Hungary and Italy also saw support for abortion decrease since 2014. In all of the aforementioned countries, however, some 70% of respondents still expressed support for abortion. The largest increase in support for abortion came in South Korea. In 2014, 59% of South Koreans supported abortion. That number rose dramatically to 79% in 2020. Support for abortion also increased in Belgium, Australia, Canada, and Argentina. In all four of those countries, support for abortion was measured at 70% or higher. While support for abortion also increased dramatically in Russia and Mexico from 2014 to 2020, the level of support remained below 70%. While support for abortion was measured at 70% or greater in more than half of the countries surveyed, the United States registered a much lower level of support for abortion compared to other developed countries. Abortion received 64% support in the U.S. in 2020, the same level of support it received in 2014. The only country where abortion received less than 50% support was Malaysia, where only 24% of respondents expressed support for abortion, a 3% decrease from 2014. While support for abortion remains high, support for unlimited and unrestricted abortion is low. Support for abortion was broken down into two categories: those who believe that abortion SHOULD be permitted whenever a woman decides she wants one and those who believe that abortion SHOULD be permitted in certain circumstances, such as if a woman has been raped. Worldwide, just 44% of respondents agreed with the former statement while 26% agreed with the latter statement. In nearly every European country surveyed, as well as Canada and Australia, a majority of respondents agreed that women should be able to have an abortion for any reason. The only outliers were Germany, where there was 49% support for unrestricted abortion, and Poland, where just 27% of respondents supported unrestricted abortion. In the U.S., only 35% of respondents expressed support for unrestricted abortion while 29% believed that abortion should be legal only in certain cases. Opponents of abortion were divided into two groups: those who believe that abortion should NOT be permitted under any circumstances, except when the life of the mother is in danger and those who think that abortion should NEVER be permitted, no matter what circumstance exists. Opposition to abortion with exceptions registered at less than 10% support in South Korea (8%), Hungary (7%), Canada (6%), Spain (6%), Australia (6%), Germany (5%), Great Britain (4%), Sweden (4%), Belgium (4%), the Netherlands (4%), and France (3%). In nearly every country surveyed, less than 10% expressed opposition to abortion in all circumstances. The exceptions were Malaysia (13%), Brazil (13%), Peru (12%), South Africa (11%), and Mexico (10%). In addition to breaking down the results by country, the poll analyzed the results of the survey by gender, education level, and region. The survey found that support for abortion was slightly higher among females (72%) than males (68%). Support for abortion increased as education levels increased, with 75% of those with a high education level supporting the procedure in at least some circumstances. Some 69% of respondents with a medium education level expressed support for abortion, while support stood at 66% among those with a lower level of education. Support for abortion was highest in Europe (80%), followed by North America and the Asia-Pacific (71%), Latin America (62%), and the Middle East and Africa (60%). While abortion remains a hot-button topic in the U.S. and around the world, a sizable proportion of respondents chose dont know/prefer not to say when asked about their position on the issue. Worldwide, 12% of those surveyed did not have a clear position on the legalization of abortion. The Ipsos polls release comes just months before the U.S. presidential election, where abortion has become a top campaign issue. The Democrats have promised to work to repeal the Hyde Amendment, which bans taxpayer funding of abortions, should they take complete control of government in Washington, D.C. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump has sent a letter to pro-life groups promising that he will continue to govern as the most pro-life president in our nations history. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-11 13:25:29|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close KHOST, Afghanistan, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- Four people were killed and eight others injured as a motorbike bomb struck a wedding party in eastern Afghanistan's Khost province on Thursday, provincial police spokesman Haider Adel said Friday. The wedding party was underway in Satar village outside the provincial capital Khost city, when an explosive device planted on a motorbike went off, killing four on the spot and wounding eight others, all civilians, the official added. No group or individual has claimed responsibility. Enditem James Deboer, supervisory special agent with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), at the World Trade Center memorial in New York City on Sept. 10, 2020. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times) HSI Agent Reflects on 9/11: I Dont Think We Could Ever Forget Supervisory Special Agent for Homeland Security Investigations James Deboer says he feels saddened by pandemic restrictions on 9/11 ceremonies NEW YORKIt was a cloudy afternoon in New York City when a towering man walked quietly past the 9/11 memorial on the eve of this years anniversary of the deadliest terrorist attack to take place on American soil. I dont think we could ever forget. We still have to keep the memory alive, says James Deboer, a supervisory special agent for Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) who helped with the recovery efforts in the aftermath 19 years ago. Deboer, who worked as a customs agent at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) at the time of the attacks, remembered when he received a call from his boss to report to the airport and to gear up. We didnt know what was happening, he told The Epoch Times. We didnt know if the West Coast was going to be attacked. Deboer, who was born and raised in the borough of Brooklyn, described experiencing an agonizing morning that day as he couldnt contact his two brothersboth of whom were New York City Police Department cops. James Deboer in New York City during the 9/11 recovery efforts. (Courtesy James Deboer) That afternoon, he was relieved to find out that all his family members were accounted for. Deboer then immediately volunteered to come back to the Big Apple and help with the recovery effort, which he said was a great honor. But not everyone was accounted for. He said he lost close friends that day. Now, Deboer says he cant help but feel a little sad coming to the memorial and seeing so few people here on the eve of the anniversary. Every year, it seems to get less and less, he said. Deboer critiqued the changes to this years ceremony, which wont feature the usual live reading of the names of the victims due to the pandemic. The ceremony will instead feature a recording of the readout. I dont think we should ever not be able to come here and read out the names, COVID or no COVID, he said. I think its important that it gets the coverage in the media so the new generations of people who werent alive, or who were just too youngthat they dont forget. Its very important to me that we honor these people. Its also important to honor those who have since died of cancer or other illnesses as a result of the attack, he says, noting that he gets his physical every year and that hes one of the lucky ones who has stayed healthy. James Deboer in New York City during the 9/11 recovery efforts. (Courtesy James Deboer) Deboer recalled that in the aftermath of the attacks, there was a great sense of togetherness in New York, describing so many different agencies working together on one mission. During his two months working at ground zero, Deboer recovered evidence and bodies. He said their efforts helped to bring closure to many families; often, however, they were only able to find a ring or wallet. Theres many people that werent able to give a proper burial to their loved ones, he said. That was tough. He said he felt a great sense of pride to help get this place back up and running. Its important every year. I dont care if its 10 years or 20 years or 50 years, he said. Never forget what happened. Anglesey Mining plc Annual General Meeting 2020 The 2020 Annual General Meeting of shareholders of Anglesey Mining plc will be held on 30 September 2020 and a General Meeting of Shareholders will be held on 30 October 2020. In light of current measures relating to Covid-19 and the UK Government advice on physical distancing measures, no shareholder, except those designated as attending for the purposes of making up a quorum, will be admitted to the Annual General Meeting called for 30 September 2020 or to the General Meeting called for 30 October 2020. Shareholders should submit a proxy vote in advance of each meeting. Please note that naming a proxy, other than the Chairman of the meeting, will not enable such proxy to attend the meetings. Shareholders who wish to ask any questions relating to the business of either of the meetings are welcome to do so by means of an email to mail@angleseymining.co.uk with AGM as its subject. . Due to the Covid-19 situation, the company's annual report and accounts will not be available for publication and distribution at the time of this notice and therefore the usual resolutions relating to the reception of those accounts and the directors' remuneration and remuneration policy reports will not be presented to the Annual General Meeting. In June 2020, the UK government enacted legislation to give companies flexibility to hold their annual general meetings where lockdowns due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic would prevent such meetings in person. The Corporate Insolvency and Governance Act 2020 introduced two key measures to help those companies required to hold an annual general meeting (AGM) during this time. Firstly, a company could extend the period in which its AGM must be held, and secondly, the Act allows companies to hold a closed AGM. However, the Act includes provisions relating to the holding of meetings of companies taking place between 26 March 2020 and 30 September 2020 (Relevant Period), that is primarily those companies with a December financial year end, and although the Act provides that further extensions will be granted to extend the Relevant Period in increments of up to three months, not to extend beyond 5 April 2021, such extension, which would have been relevant for those companies with a March, June or other financial year end, has not been granted. To deal with this unusual situation the board is calling a General Meeting of shareholders to be held on 30 October 2020, the notice of which is also set out below, to conduct the business and resolutions which will not be considered at the Annual General Meeting on 30 September 2020. Enclosed with these notices are proxy cards, one for each of the meetings. It is re-iterated that (a) shareholders cannot attend the meetings in person and (b) naming a proxy other than the Chairman of the meeting will not enable such proxy to attend the meeting. These arrangements appear to the board to be the best way to comply with the legal requirement to hold an AGM within six months of the end of the financial year; to provide shareholders with adequate time to consider the contents of the annual report before the accounts are presented at the meeting; and to give the required notice of the resolutions to be considered. Shareholders should visit the website www.angleseymining.co.uk for any further information and announcements which might be relevant to these general meetings. Notice of Annual General Meeting to be held on 30 September 2020 Notice is given that the 2020 Annual General Meeting of Anglesey Mining plc will be held electronically in a physically distanced manner on 30 September 2020, at 11.00 a.m. to consider and, if thought fit, to pass the resolutions set out below. As ordinary business 1. To reappoint John F. Kearney as a director. 2. To reappoint Bill Hooley as a director. 3. To reappoint Howard Miller as a director. 4. To reappoint Danesh Varma as a director. 5. To reappoint Mazars LLP as auditor. 6. To authorise the directors to determine the remuneration of the auditor. By order of the board Danesh Varma Company secretary 10 September 2020 Notice of a General Meeting to be held on 30 October 2020 Notice is given that a general meeting of shareholders of Anglesey Mining plc will be held electronically in a physically distanced manner on 30 October 2020 at 11.00 a.m. to consider and, if thought fit, to pass the resolutions set out below. Resolutions 1 to 3 will be proposed as ordinary resolutions and resolutions 4 and 5 will be proposed as special resolutions: As ordinary business 1. To receive the annual accounts and directors' and auditor's reports for the year ended 31 March 2020. 2. To approve the directors' remuneration report for the year ended 31 March 2020. 3. To approve the directors' remuneration policy in the directors' remuneration report for the year ended 31 March 2020. As special business 4. That, pursuant to section 551 of the Companies Act 2006 ("Act"), the directors be and are generally and unconditionally authorised to exercise all powers of the company to allot shares in the company or to grant rights to subscribe for or to convert any security into shares in the company up to an aggregate nominal amount of 660,000, provided that (unless previously revoked, varied or renewed) this authority shall expire on 31 December 2021, save that the company may make an offer or agreement before this authority expires which would or might require shares to be allotted or rights to subscribe for or to convert any security into shares to be granted after this authority expires and the directors may allot shares or grant such rights pursuant to any such offer or agreement as if this authority had not expired. This authority is in substitution for all existing authorities under section 551 of the Act (which, to the extent unused at the date of this resolution, are revoked with immediate effect). 5. That pursuant to section 570 of the Act, the directors be and are generally empowered to allot equity securities (within the meaning of section 560 of the Act) for cash pursuant to the authority granted under section 551 of the Act pursuant to resolution 4 above as if section 561(1) of the Act did not apply to any such allotment, provided that this power shall be limited to the allotment of equity securities: (a) in connection with an offer of equity securities (whether by way of a rights issue, open offer or otherwise) (i) to holders of ordinary shares in the capital of the company in proportion (as nearly as practicable) to the respective numbers of ordinary shares held by them; and (ii) to holders of other equity securities in the capital of the company, as required by the rights of those securities or, subject to such rights, as the directors otherwise consider necessary but subject to such exclusions or other arrangements as the directors may deem necessary or expedient in relation to treasury shares, fractional entitlements, record dates or any legal or practical problems under the laws of any territory or the requirements of any regulatory body or stock exchange; and (b) otherwise than pursuant to paragraph 12(a) above, up to an aggregate nominal amount of 498,000 and (unless previously revoked, varied or renewed) this power shall expire on 31 December 2021, save that the company may make an offer or agreement before this power expires which would or might require equity securities to be allotted for cash after this power expires and the directors may allot equity securities for cash pursuant to any such offer or agreement as if this power had not expired. This power is in substitution for all existing powers under section 570 of the Act which, to the extent effective at the date of this resolution, are revoked with immediate effect. By order of the board Danesh Varma Company secretary 10 September 2020 Notes to the notice of AGM and the subsequent General Meeting Entitlement to attend and vote 1. The right to vote at the meeting is determined by reference to the register of members. Only those shareholders registered in the register of members of the Company as at the close of business on 28 September 2020 in respect of the AGM and 28 October 2020 in respect of the subsequent General Meeting (or, if either meeting is adjourned, 48 hours (excluding any part of a day that is not a working day) before the date and time of the adjourned meeting) shall be entitled to attend and vote at the meeting in respect of the number of shares registered in their name at that time. Changes to entries in the register of members after that time shall be disregarded in determining the rights of any person to attend or vote (and the number of votes they may cast) at the meeting. Proxies 2. A shareholder is entitled to appoint another person as his or her proxy to exercise all or any of his or her rights to attend and to speak and vote at the meeting. However any person appointed other than the Chairman will, on this unusual occasion, not be able to attend and vote at the meeting. Shareholders are therefore recommended to use their proxy card to vote directly in the way they see fit. A proxy need not be a member of the Company. A shareholder may appoint more than one proxy in relation to the meeting, provided that each proxy is appointed to exercise the rights attached to a different share or shares held by that shareholder. Failure to specify the number of shares each proxy appointment relates to or specifying a number which when taken together with the numbers of shares set out in the other proxy appointments is in excess of the number of shares held by the shareholder may result in the proxy appointment being invalid. A proxy may be appointed only in accordance with the procedures set out in note 3 and the notes to the proxy form. The appointment of a proxy will not preclude a shareholder from attending and voting in person at the meeting. 3. A form of proxy for each meeting is enclosed. When appointing more than one proxy, complete a separate proxy form in relation to each appointment. Additional proxy forms may be obtained by contacting the Company's registrar Link Asset Services, Proxies, The Registry, 34 Beckenham Road, Kent BR3 4TU or the proxy form may be photocopied. State clearly on each proxy form the number of shares in relation to which the proxy is appointed. To be valid, a proxy form must be received by post or (during normal business hours only) by hand at the offices of the Company's registrar, Link Asset Services, Proxies, The Registry, 34 Beckenham Road, Kent BR3 4TU, no later than 11.00 a.m. on 28 September 2020 in respect of the AGM and 28 October 2020 in respect of the subsequent General Meeting (or, if either meeting is adjourned, no later than 48 hours (excluding any part of a day that is not a working day) before the time of any adjourned meeting). Corporate representatives 4. A shareholder which is a corporation may authorise one or more persons to act as its representative(s) at either meeting. Each such representative may exercise (on behalf of the corporation) the same powers as the corporation could exercise if it were an individual shareholder, provided that (where there is more than one representative and the vote is otherwise than on a show of hands) they do not do so in relation to the same shares. Total voting rights 5. As at 1 September 2020 (being the last practicable date before the publication of this notice), the issued share capital consists of 199,475,732 ordinary shares of 0.01 each, carrying one vote each and 21,529,451 Deferred A Shares and 116,241,384 Deferred B Shares which do not carry any rights to vote. Therefore, the total voting rights as at 1 September 2020 are 199,475,732. Nominated Persons 6. Where a copy of this notice is being received by a person who has been nominated to enjoy information rights under section 146 of the Companies Act 2006 ("Act") ("Nominated Person"): (a) the Nominated Person may have a right under an agreement between him/her and the shareholder by whom he/she was nominated, to be appointed, or to have someone else appointed, as a proxy for the meeting; or (b) if the Nominated Person has no such right or does not wish to exercise such right, he/she may have a right under such an agreement to give instructions to the shareholder as to the exercise of voting rights. The statement of the rights of shareholders in relation to the appointment of proxies in note 2 does not apply to a Nominated Person. The rights described in such notes can only be exercised by shareholders of the Company. Shareholders' right to require circulation of resolutions to be proposed at the AGM only 7. A shareholder or shareholders meeting the qualification criteria set out in note 10 below may require the Company to give shareholders notice of a resolution which may properly be proposed and is intended to be proposed at the meeting in accordance with section 338 of the Act. A resolution may properly be proposed unless (i) it would, if passed, be ineffective (whether by reason of inconsistency with any enactment or the Company's constitution or otherwise), (ii) it is defamatory of any person, or (iii) it is frivolous or vexatious. The business which may be dealt with at the meeting includes a resolution circulated pursuant to this right. Any such request must (i) identify the resolution of which notice is to be given, by either setting out the resolution in full or, if supporting a resolution requested by another shareholder, clearly identifying the resolution which is being supported (ii) comply with the requirements set out in note 11 below, and (iii) be received by the Company no later than six weeks before the meeting. Shareholders' right to have a matter of business dealt with at the AGM only 8. A shareholder or shareholders meeting the qualification criteria set out in note 10 below may require the Company to include in the business to be dealt with at the meeting any matter (other than a proposed resolution) which may properly be included in the business in accordance with section 338A of the Act. A matter may properly be included unless (i) it is defamatory of any person, or (ii) it is frivolous or vexatious. Any such request must (i) identify the matter to be included in the business, by either setting out the matter in full or, if supporting a matter requested by another shareholder, clearly identifying the matter which is being supported (ii) set out the grounds for the request (iii) comply with the requirements set out in note 11 below and (iv) be received by the Company no later than six weeks before the meeting. Website publication of audit concerns 9. A shareholder or shareholders who meet the qualification criteria set out in note 10 below may require the Company to publish on its website a statement setting out any matter that such shareholders propose to raise at the subsequent General Meeting relating to either the audit of the Company's accounts (including the auditors' report and the conduct of the audit) that are to be laid before the meeting or any circumstances connected with an auditor of the Company ceasing to hold office since the last annual general meeting of the Company in accordance with section 527 of the Act. Any such request must (i) identify the statement to which it relates, by either setting out the statement in full or, if supporting a statement requested by another shareholder, clearly identify the statement which is being supported (ii) comply with the requirements set out in note 11 below and (iii) be received by the Company at least one week before the meeting. Where the Company is required to publish such a statement on its website (i) it may not require the shareholders making the request to pay any expenses incurred by the Company in complying with the request (ii) it must forward the statement to the Company's auditors no later than the time when it makes the statement available on the website and (iii) the statement may be dealt with as part of the business of the meeting. Notes 7, 8 and 9 above: qualification criteria and methods of making requests 10. In order to require the Company (i) to circulate a resolution to be proposed at the meeting as set out in note 7, (ii) to include a matter in the business to be dealt with at the meeting as set out in note 8, or (iii) to publish audit concerns as set out in note 9, the relevant request must be made by (i) a shareholder or shareholders having a right to vote at the meeting and holding at least five per cent of the total voting rights of the Company or (ii) at least 100 shareholders having a right to vote at the meeting and holding, on average, at least 100 of paid up share capital. For information on voting rights, including the total voting rights of the Company, see note 5 above and the website referred to in note 15 below. 11. Any request by a shareholder or shareholders to require the Company (i) to circulate a resolution to be proposed at either of the meetings as set out in note 7 (ii) to include a matter in the business to be dealt with at the meeting as set out in note 8 or (iii) to publish audit concerns as set out in note 9 may be made either (a) in hard copy, by sending it to Anglesey Mining plc, Tower Bridge, St Katharine's Way, London E1W 1DD (marked for the attention of the Company Secretary); or (b) in electronic form, by sending an email to danesh@angleseymining.co.uk; and must state the full name(s) and address(es) of the shareholder(s) and (where the request is made in hard copy form) must be signed by the shareholder(s). Questions at the meeting 12. Shareholders have the right to ask questions at the meetings relating to the business being dealt with at the meetings in accordance with section 319A of the Act. The Company must answer any such question unless: (a) to do so would interfere unduly with the preparation for the meeting or would involve the disclosure of confidential information; (b) the answer has already been given on a website in the form of an answer to a question; or (c) it is undesirable in the interests of the Company or the good order of the meeting that the question be answered. Shareholders who wish to ask any questions relating to the business of either of the meetings are welcome to do so by means of an email to mail@angleseymining.co.uk with AGM as its subject. Documents available for inspection 13. The following documents will be available for inspection during normal business hours at the registered office of the Company from the date of this notice until the time of the meeting. They will also be available for inspection at the place of the meeting from at least 15 minutes before the meeting until it ends: (a) copies of the service contracts of the executive directors, (b) copies of the letters of appointment of the non-executive directors and (c) the Articles of Association of the Company which are also available on the Company's website. Biographical details of directors 14. Biographical details of all those directors who are offering themselves for reappointment at the meeting are attached to this notice and will also be included in the annual report and accounts. Website providing information about the meeting 15. The information required by section 311A of the Act to be published in advance of the meeting, which includes the matters set out in this notice and information relating to the voting rights of shareholders, is available at www.angleseymining.co.uk. Directors' biographies This combination of pictures shows Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (L) chairing a cabinet meeting in Jerusalem in June 2020 and Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa (R)at the a Gulf Cooperation Council summit in Riyadh in December 2019 Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Friday a normalisation deal between his country and Bahrain, drawing condemnation from the Palestinians, less than a month after agreeing with the UAE to establish diplomatic ties. "Citizens of Israel, I am moved to be able to tell you that this evening, we are reaching another peace agreement with another Arab country, Bahrain. This agreement adds to the historic peace with the United Arab Emirates," Netanyahu said in a Hebrew-language statement. Speculation among Israeli media had been rife since early on Friday evening that a deal with Bahrain had been secured. The deal, announced also by US President Donald Trump and confirmed by a senior Bahraini official, means that Bahrain becomes the second Gulf state and the fourth Arab nation to establish diplomatic relations with Israel. Egypt made peace with the Jewish state in 1979 and Jordan did so in 1994. The UAE and Israel announced they would establish diplomatic relations on August 13. "It took us 26 years to go from a second peace agreement to a third... but 29 days to go from a peace agreement with the third Arab state to the fourth Arab state," Netanyahu said. "And there will be more. This is a new era of peace." The Palestinian Authority in the West Bank and Islamist movement Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, both condemned the Israel-Bahrain deal. The agreement was "a stab in the back of the Palestinian cause and the Palestinian people," like the UAE-Israel deal announced last month, PA social affairs minister, Ahmad Majdalani, told AFP. Hamas said it was an "aggression" that dealt "serious prejudice" to the Palestinian cause. In the wake of the UAE-Israel deal, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo embarked on a regional tour, seeking to convince countries including Bahrain, Sudan and Oman to follow suit. A high-level Israeli source had this week suggested to a AFP that a deal with Bahrain was the closest to being secured. Story continues A small Gulf oil monarchy, Bahrain participated in a January ceremony in Washington when Trump unveiled his Middle East peace plan, which in effect gave a green light to Israeli annexation of large swathes of the occupied West Bank. Under the normalisation agreement with the UAE, Israel agreed to suspend its planned annexations in the West Bank -- but Netanyahu has insisted the plans remain on the table. alv-gl/sw/hkb Two Iranian-flagged tankers transporting fuel are sailing round Africas Cape of Good Hope en route to the Atlantic Ocean, according to Refinitiv Eikons vessel tracking data. The medium-size vessels Forest and Fortune, carrying about 300,000 barrels of fuel each loaded at Irans Bandar Abbas terminal last month, are bound for Venezuela, according to sources with knowledge of the shipment. Gasoline scarcity in Venezuela has worsened in recent days due to insufficient domestic production, leaving long lines of drivers waiting in front of stations and increasing the need for imported fuel. Iran sent a first flotilla of five fuel tankers to Venezuela between May and June to help its political ally, which is also under U.S. sanctions. The vessels arrived in Venezuelan state-run PDVSAs ports without interferences. But a second armada of four Liberia-flagged tankers owned by a Greek shipping group did not arrive at the South American nation in July as the fuel was seized by Washington under a court order. The fuel is expected to be auctioned as part of the U.S. court action. The Forest and Fortune have not officially changed their destinations. They continue sailing under the indication for order" and estimated date of arrival later this month, the Eikon data showed. A third Iranian tanker of the same size that also loaded fuel in August at Bandar Abbas, the Faxon, has kept its transponder switched off since it set sail, the data showed, making it difficult for tracking systems to detect its location. That vessel is also bound for Venezuela, according to the sources, but the route it took is yet unknown. Two separate sources said earlier this week that the three tankers communicated with the Suez Canal in early September to sail through the waterway, but they did not pass on the scheduled date. 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 Greg Gripons decision to leave League Citys council after one term has put his Position 5 seat in high demand, with three candidates vying for the spot. Running for the seat in the Nov. 3 election are business owner Wes Chorn, real estate agent Fred Rogers and Justin Hicks, an engineer/program manager.. Support for drainage and police Like many in League City, Wes Chorns top concern is drainage or the lack thereof. He has several rental properties in League City, and one of them took on water when Hurricane Harvey came ashore in 2017. I had to deal with that firsthand, said Chorn, who owns Senior Benefit Advisors and Chorn Equities LLC. I have a lot of friends who lost their houses during Harvey, too. A lot of it was rain, but it wasnt all rain. A lot of (the flooding occurred) because of (a lack of) drainage, Chorn said. The city is working on it now. Its happening, but I would like to see it happen faster. Chorn is a strong supporter of the citys police department. I want to keep League City where were at (right now,) he said. Our police need to have all of the safety equipment that they need, have the authority that they need and have the public support that they need. They need to have council support, which they have, and I want to make sure that remains. Focus on the future League City has about 110,000 residents and huge swaths of land are undeveloped. When completely built out, the citys population is likely to pass 175,000. That potential growth and how League City addresses it are Fred Rogers major concerns. Adding more people, buildings, concrete etc., will present a set of new challenges for all the services that the city provides to its citizens, said Rogers, who retired in January as chief recruiter for the Navys Houston recruiting District. (We need to) think proactively about the future, so we dont have to be reactive when the future arrives. Part of that proactive thinking would include listening to the professional assessments and recommendations of our city manager, department heads and (our) strategic partners on the best approaches to meet the future needs of our city, he said. Rogers added that his personal motto is Lead with the future in mind. Helping local businesses Also running for the Position 5 seat is Justin Hicks. One of his main concerns is the health of local businesses. We need to focus on helping preserve non big-box retailers, said Hicks, an engineer/program manager. COVID has put a lot of these local businesses in a situation that may be insurmountable. After we pull out of the COVID situation, we need to put a hardnosed focus on executing the bond projects (in a timely fashion.) We need to do this without a waste of time or money and put heavy pressure on contractors and city project managers to perform. The citys long-term growth is also on Hicks mind. I am fine with growth in the city, he said. But two things need to be brought to order. (We have to have) effective project management and accountability and (we have to) do the builds correctly the first time. If not, there will be drainage consequences in the new subdivisions that are built. This also applies to future traffic problems. We need to get it right the first time, otherwise, its newly built homes (getting flooded) and more wasted cost to the city taxpayers. John DeLapp is a freelance writer. He can be contacted at texdelapp@gmail.com. ISLAMABAD - U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo warned Friday the much anticipated negotiations between Afghanistans warring parties are likely to be contentious but stressed that they are the only way forward if Afghans are to find peace after decades of conflict. Pompeo made his comments en route to Qatar in the Middle East, where the Taliban maintain a political office and where historic intra-Afghan negotiations are to begin on Saturday. The start of the talks will be mostly ceremonious, before the negotiating teams of the Taliban and the Afghan government sit down to begin the hard task of hammering out a road map for a post-war Afghanistan. The intra-Afghan negotiations were laid out in a peace deal the United Sates and the Taliban signed on Feb. 29 in Qatars capital of Doha, aimed at ending the war and bringing U.S. troops home. Its taken us longer than I wish that it had to get from February 29 to here but we expect Saturday morning, for the first time in almost two decades, to have the Afghans sitting at the table together prepared to have what will be contentious discussions about how to move their country forward to reduce violence and deliver what the Afghan people are demanding a reconciled Afghanistan with a government that reflects a country that isnt at war, Pompeo said on the plane taking him to Doha. Its their country to figure out how to move forward and make a better life for all Afghan people, he said. President Donald Trump made the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan a promise before the 2016 presidential election. In the countdown to this Novembers presidential polls, Washington has ramped up pressure to get the intra-Afghan negotiations started. At a news conference Thursday, Trump called the talks exciting and said Washington expected to be down to 4,000 troops by November. Even though delays have plagued the start of talks, Washington began withdrawing some of its 13,000 troops after the February deal was signed. The withdrawal of the remaining troops does not hinge on the success of intra-Afghan negotiations but rather on the commitment made by the Taliban to fight other militant groups that could threaten the U.S. and its allies. Pompeo stressed that the U.S. was ready to return soldiers to Afghanistan if it saw a threat emerging and the Taliban reneged on their commitments. The White House and its peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad have refused to give specifics on commitments made by the Taliban, citing security concerns. Our commitment to reduce our forces to zero is conditioned on them executing their obligations under the agreement (which is) so very clear about their responsibilities with respect to terrorist activity taking place in Afghanistan, Pompeo said. But Pompeo warned of spoilers to peace, citing recent targeted killings in Afghanistan and an attempted assassination earlier this week of Afghan vice-president Amrullah Saleh. Its very clear that the violence levels have to come down to acceptable levels, he said. Khalilzad described the start of the talks as a new phase in the diplomacy for peace in Afghanistan. This is Afghan-led and Afghan-owned, there will be no mediators, he said. The Afghan delegation departed from Kabul, heading to Qatar later on Friday. The delegation is led by Abdullah Abdullah, who heads the High Council for National Reconciliation, a powerful umbrella group that will oversee the Kabul negotiating team, led by former intelligence chief Mohammed Masoom Stanikzai. Abdullahs appointment to head the council was part of a power sharing deal with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, ending their months of squabbling over the results of controversial presidential polls the year before. A Taliban official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to address the media, said the final six prisoners held by the Kabul government arrived late Thursday in Doha. The six were among 5,000 Taliban prisoner the U.S. peace deal called on the Afghan government to free before the start of negotiations. For their part, the Taliban were required to free 1,000 government and military personnel. Prisoner releases were behind repeated delays in the start of intra-Afghan talks and the freeing of the last six prisoners clears a final hurdle. Even as Afghans prepared for negotiations, the violence continued Friday. At least two civilians and two soldiers were killed by a bomb hidden on a motorcycle in eastern Khost province, a Defence Ministry statement said. The bomb exploded near a wedding. Separately, six Afghan soldiers were killed when their outpost in eastern Afghanistan was targeted, another ministry statement said. No one took immediate responsibility for the attacks, though both Taliban and the Islamic State groups affiliate are active in eastern Afghanistan. Although no U.S. or NATO soldiers have died since the signing of the U.S.-Taliban deal, relentless attacks have killed scores of Afghan soldiers and civilians. The Taliban have also claimed that Taliban prisoners freed by the government have been attacked as they were returning home or once they were back in their homes. ____ Associated Press writer Rahim Faiez in Kabul, Afghanistan, contributed to this report Read more about: Even when a business is losing money, it's possible for shareholders to make money if they buy a good business at the right price. For example, biotech and mining exploration companies often lose money for years before finding success with a new treatment or mineral discovery. Having said that, unprofitable companies are risky because they could potentially burn through all their cash and become distressed. So, the natural question for OpenLearning (ASX:OLL) shareholders is whether they should be concerned by its rate of cash burn. For the purpose of this article, we'll define cash burn as the amount of cash the company is spending each year to fund its growth (also called its negative free cash flow). First, we'll determine its cash runway by comparing its cash burn with its cash reserves. See our latest analysis for OpenLearning How Long Is OpenLearning's Cash Runway? A company's cash runway is the amount of time it would take to burn through its cash reserves at its current cash burn rate. As at June 2020, OpenLearning had cash of AU$5.9m and no debt. Importantly, its cash burn was AU$4.6m over the trailing twelve months. That means it had a cash runway of around 15 months as of June 2020. While that cash runway isn't too concerning, sensible holders would be peering into the distance, and considering what happens if the company runs out of cash. Depicted below, you can see how its cash holdings have changed over time. How Well Is OpenLearning Growing? OpenLearning reduced its cash burn by 3.0% during the last year, which points to some degree of discipline. Revenue also improved during the period, increasing by 4.8%. Considering both these factors, we're not particularly excited by its growth profile. In reality, this article only makes a short study of the company's growth data. This graph of historic earnings and revenue shows how OpenLearning is building its business over time. Can OpenLearning Raise More Cash Easily? Story continues OpenLearning seems to be in a fairly good position, in terms of cash burn, but we still think it's worthwhile considering how easily it could raise more money if it wanted to. Companies can raise capital through either debt or equity. Commonly, a business will sell new shares in itself to raise cash and drive growth. By looking at a company's cash burn relative to its market capitalisation, we gain insight on how much shareholders would be diluted if the company needed to raise enough cash to cover another year's cash burn. OpenLearning's cash burn of AU$4.6m is about 9.4% of its AU$49m market capitalisation. That's a low proportion, so we figure the company would be able to raise more cash to fund growth, with a little dilution, or even to simply borrow some money. Is OpenLearning's Cash Burn A Worry? OpenLearning appears to be in pretty good health when it comes to its cash burn situation. One the one hand we have its solid cash runway, while on the other it can also boast very strong cash burn relative to its market cap. While we're the kind of investors who are always a bit concerned about the risks involved with cash burning companies, the metrics we have discussed in this article leave us relatively comfortable about OpenLearning's situation. Separately, we looked at different risks affecting the company and spotted 4 warning signs for OpenLearning (of which 1 shouldn't be ignored!) you should know about. Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking elsewhere. So take a peek at this free list of companies insiders are buying, and this list of stocks growth stocks (according to analyst forecasts) 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. Donald Trump announced on Friday that Bahrain has indicated it intends to normalise relations with Israel, another significant step in the Middle East that comes after the president and his administration helped broker a similar pact between the United Arab Emirates and the Jewish state. This is a truly historic day ... So interesting that its on 9/11, Mr Trump told reporters in a previously unplanned Oval Office availability. When I took office, the Middle East was in a state of absolute chaos. The governments of Bahrain, Israel and the United States said in a joint statement: Opening direct dialogue and ties between these two dynamic societies and advanced economies will continue the positive transformation of the Middle East and increase stability, security, and prosperity in the region. Mr Trump is set to host senior officials from Israel, Bahrain and the UAE at the White House on Tuesday. The two peace agreements, officials said, will be signed that day. The president is hailing himself as peace broker in the Middle East. Analysts, however, say the first two pacts are major developments and steps in the right direction but warn much more must be done to declare the region truly peaceful. Even great warriors get tired of fighting, and theyre tired of fighting," Mr Trump said, using language other American presidents and senior diplomats have avoided to quell tensions in the volatile Middle East. A big missing piece of the peace puzzle is the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The Trump administration earlier this year announced a joint plan with Israeli leaders they contended was best for both sides. Only that it was swiftly rejected by Palestinian leaders and US congressional Democrats. Even some of Mr Trumps GOP allies said it was untenable. Still, Mr Trump, who can sometimes have his own view of reality, predicted a breakthrough. I can see a lot of good things," he told reporters, "happening with respect to the Palestinians. He dismissed a group of reporters without taking questions. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-11 19:05:59|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BANGKOK, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- Thailand's Ministry of Interior said on Friday that as part of the government's efforts to ease labor shortages in Thailand, border patrol police camps may be converted into COVID-19 quarantine centers to house migrant workers who carry rightful papers to work in Thailand. The powerful Interior Ministry has jurisdiction and is responsible for local administration and the internal security of all 76 provinces across Thailand. Meanwhile, Thai Labor Minister Suchart Chomklin said that converting the border patrol police camps into quarantine sites would be one way to save costs for employers, as well as ensuring the high quarantine standards. "We are currently facing a shortage in laborers especially in the agricultural sector," said the minister. Suchart said migrant workers who carry work permits were mostly from Myanmar, Thailand's neighboring country now facing a surge in COVID-19 cases. "Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha had expressed concerns over the impact the COVID-19 outbreak in Myanmar, and he had stressed utmost importance in controlling and screening of migrants workers stepping into Thai soil," said the minister. "So if this type of conversion of border patrol centers into quarantine spots, is successful, then other provinces may follow suit," said Suchart. "It saves a lot of money for the migrants' employers." The labor minister said some longan fruit plantation owners are providing COVID-19 quarantine facilities for migrants they are hiring. "But that means the migrants workers will have to travel long hours into Thailand to get to destinations, leading to huge risks in infections," said the minister. "Therefore quarantining at the border is most ideal." Enditem Asma Hafiz, TwoCircles.net Srinagar: After being shut for six months due to an unprecedented military clampdown last year in August, schools in Kashmir closed again in March this year due to coronavirus pandemic. To continue teaching, schools around the globe switched to virtual classrooms and online assignments to keep the children engaged. However, for 13-year-old Urfat Jan, this meant missing out on classes as her family could not afford a smartphone. Support TwoCircles In the initial days of lockdown, Urfats father would borrow a phone from a friend in their neighbourhood and buy a data package [for the phone] so that her daughter could attend online classes. This, however, did not solve the problem. I am a daily wager and finding work in these uncertain times is next to impossible. I could not manage to buy a mobile phone for my daughter. She never complained but I could see how this was taking a toll on her, says Mohammad Yousuf, Urfats father. To Urfats surprise, she was notified by her school teacher that soon she was going to get a smartphone. Two students, Mir Misbah and Wajahat Ahmad have been raising funds to provide underprivileged children studying at Government Higher Secondary School, Karimabad, Pulwama with smartphones. Till now, they have managed to help eleven kids and are planning to reach out to more. Misbah says she came across this idea after her mother, a teacher at Government Higher Secondary School, Karimabad, Pulwama, expressed concern when no one joined the online classes. On further inquiring, Misbah came to know that most of these children did not have the means to attend online lectures and she realized the challenges of remote learning. I wanted to help in whatever way I could. So, I wrote a post online and asked people to come forward and donate to help these underprivileged children. From there I got to know Wajahat and we came up with a plan, says Misbah, a Law student at the Central University of Kashmir. It is still not clear when the schools in Kashmir valley will resume classes. With the alarming rise in coronavirus cases, it seems unlikely that it will happen anytime soon. Moreover, the Indian government is yet to restore the high-speed mobile internet in Kashmir, snapped last year following the abrogation of Article 370 and 35A. In addition to this, there are recurrent suspensions of low-speed mobile internet, especially in South Kashmir, whenever there is an encounter between the security forces and the militants. Life for children in Kashmir is far from normal. Our children have faced many problems but yet they remain undeterred. I have been told my daughter is a very bright student and I am happy she can now stay in touch with her teachers and schoolwork, says Mohammad Yousuf. 13-year-old Nadiya Aslam is jubilant after getting a smartphone. Talking excitedly, she goes on and on about the features of her new phone. She says whenever she is not attending online classes, she watches YouTube videos extra knowledge about different topics. Nadiya was anxious she would not be able to perform well in her studies due to lack of resources, saying she would spend hours together brooding about the future. I know that I lag behind and it will take time to cover all the lessons but at least there is a glimmer of hope. I want to hold on to that and work hard, says Nadiya who is studying in seventh grade. Wajahat Ahmad, a post-graduate student in SKIMS Soura, works with PalCare Foundation a not-for-profit organization that offers assistance to patients in need of palliative care. When he came across Misbahs post on Twitter, he decided to help her mobilize people. The next step, he says, is to help more kids. We are planning to raise funds to buy smartphones for twenty kids this time. I think this could create a difference in their lives, says Wajahat. Talking about the hardships faced by these children, Misbah said most children came from economically weaker sections of the society. Some of them could not afford to buy a cellphone because their kin was languishing in jail and they had no source of income. In the case of Kashmir, she says, there are different layers of hardships. In order to ensure that the students are able to attend online classes, Misbah has created a WhatsApp group wherein the kids can report their problems. She says it is also a way to assess if they are progressing and are able to access the virtual classrooms. Before coming up with the decision of introducing the online mode of study, the administration should have considered if all the students could make use of this facility. There are so many disruptions to online classes that most of the students are worried about losing a full year of their education, says Misbah. Nadiya wants to become a doctor when she grows up. With the help of her new phone, she can now continue with her classwork and is confident she will catch up on all the lessons she has missed so far. Will hit them harder than ever: Trump says in warning to Taliban 9/11: 19 years on, revisiting the Indian connection to the attack India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Sep 11: It has been 19 years since the 9/11 attack. The attack is probably one of the worst in history and till date workers continue to identify nearly 1,100 victims of the hijacked plane attacks on the World Trade Centre. 9/11 attack, 19 years on | Memorial ceremonies change for 2020 | Oneindia News During the investigations on several occasions, an Indian link to the deadly attack had cropped up. Officials say that the main link was regarding the funding. The spotlight on the Indian link to the attack came back when an Aftab Ansari, who was part of the Harkat-ul-Mujahideen was brought back to India for his role in the abduction of a businessman and the attack on the American Centre in Kolkata. Investigations show that Ansari was one of the persons who was in the know of the 9/11 plot and it was further alleged that he had contributed the money he had received as ransom following the abduction of the businessman. The intelligence bureau had intercepted a call from the Alipore jail to Karachi. The conversation recorded between Jawed Baluchi from Karachi and Ansari was relating to an abduction plot in India which was fortunately foiled by the police. Roy Burman the vice chairman of Khadim shoes was abducted by a gang of five headed by Aftab Ansari. It was alleged that a part of the Rs 3.65 crore ransom that they had got was pumped into New York to help with the planning of the 9/11 attack. Ansari had to be deported from the UAE at the behest of the US after this link had come up. Ansari after the abduction had stayed on in India for a year before he executed the American Centre bombing in 2002 at Kolkata. After this, he fled to the UAE before being deported to India. Ansari however continued with his activities despite being lodged in jail. The 2014 intercept suggests that they were planning an abduction and also an attack in Delhi. An officer with the intelligence bureau informed that the ransom amount that they were planning on demanding was around Rs 4 crore. While a part of the money was to be used for the Delhi strike, they had planned on moving some money to Pakistan. According to a CIA dossier was partly funded by Ansari and his men. Some of the men who reported to Ansari had managed to slip out and they carried the funds to Pakistan which was used to float the Indian Mujahideen. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Friday, September 11, 2020, 12:30 [IST] Text of a Letter to the Speaker of the House and President of the Senate September 10, 2020 Dear Madam Speaker: (Dear Mr. President:) Section 202(d) of the National Emergencies Act, 50 U.S.C. 1622(d), provides for the automatic termination of a national emergency unless, within 90 days before the anniversary date of its declaration, the President publishes in the Federal Register and transmits to the Congress a notice stating that the emergency is to continue in effect beyond the anniversary date. Consistent with this provision, I have sent to the Federal Register the enclosed notice, stating that the emergency declared in Proclamation 7463 of September 14, 2001, "National Emergency by Reason of Certain Terrorist Attacks," is to continue in effect beyond September 14, 2020. The threat of terrorism that resulted in the declaration of a national emergency on September 14, 2001, continues. The authorities that have been invoked under that declaration of a national emergency continue to be critical to the ability of the Armed Forces of the United States to perform essential missions in the United States and around the world to address the continuing threat of terrorism. For these reasons, I have determined that it is necessary to continue in effect the national emergency declared on September 14, 2001, in response to certain terrorist attacks. Sincerely, DONALD J. TRUMP NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address More than 1 in 5 San Antonio households struggle to keep the lights on, new research shows. They spend at least 6 percent of their income on electricity and natural gas for their homes, according to a report published Thursday by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy. Thats the threshold at which ratepayers are considered burdened by their power bills. About 22 percent of local households fall in that category. An additional 11 percent, or about 88,000 households, are considered extremely burdened, spending at least 10 percent of their income on energy. There are inequities within the energy sector in terms of who is shouldering a lot of the burden for the costs of the energy system and who is accessing the benefits of our energy system, said Ariel Drehobl, one of the reports authors and a senior analyst with ACEEE. We found low-income households, in particular, and Black, Hispanic and Native American households, older adults and renters are some of the groups paying a disproportionately high amount of their income on energy costs, she said. The study draws on census housing data from 2017, the most recent year available, that details the so-called energy burden. The median household in the U.S. spends just over 3 percent of its annual income on energy. On ExpressNews.com: Here's why CPS Energy wants you to lower your energy use today Housing experts say residents should pay no more than 30 percent of their total income on housing-related expenses, which include everything from repairs to utility bills. No more than 20 percent of a persons housing costs should go toward electricity and natural gas. All cities and states can be working to make sure that those shouldering a disproportionate burden of those costs are able to have policies that increase income and wealth and policies that can help reduce their energy bills, Drehobl said. In San Antonio, the median household earns $55,000 annually and spends $1,800 each year on energy, or 3 percent of annual income, according to the reports authors. Low-income households are defined as earning just under $41,000 annually for a family of three. Those households in San Antonio spent on average 7.4 percent of their income on energy, or more than double the citywide median. AP photo, HOEP / ASSOCIATED PRESS However, San Antonians spend a smaller portion of their income on energy than the national average. Nationwide, 25 percent of homes are classified as energy burdened, and low-income U.S. homes on average spend over 8 percent of their income on energy. San Antonio was in line with Dallas and Houston, where 19 and 21 percent of households, respectively, spend more than 6 percent of household income on energy. Still, San Antonios pervasive poverty, combined with scorching heat, can force low-income residents into a choice between paying their power bill and spending on other necessities, such as food or medicine, advocates said. Critics of CPS Energy say it charges unfair rates that give an advantage to large businesses, some of which the city attracts by advertising cheap utility rates. Residents, meanwhile, pay more for the amount of energy they use. The idea is, if youre going to bring in businesses, the (San Antonio) Economic Development Foundation advertises that in San Antonio water is cheap, electricity is cheap and labor is cheap, said Meredith McGuire, a retired Trinity University sociology professor and a member of the Alamo Group Sierra Club. A lot of those businesses are using the energy or using the water in ways that could be made far more energy or water efficient. But because the rates are so cheap, theres no incentive for them to be doing that. CPS Energy sets a flat rate for residential customers of just under 7 cents per kilowatt-hour of power used, no matter how much total energy the household uses. But after commercial customers use a certain amount of power, the rate they pay is roughly cut in half, from 7 cents to 3 cents per kilowatt-hour. That so-called declining rate structure for businesses provides them little reason to use less power while placing greater strain on the citywide energy system, McGuire said. The reality is, theres nothing about the rate structure for businesses that would say to them, You have to have a better energy efficiency audit, McGuire said. On ExpressNews.com: Jefferson: Climate activists think CPS Energy will go green faster with mayor and council in charge. The city-owned utility hasnt raised rates on residential customers since 2013, and this year it agreed to suspend utility shutoffs and issued a forbearance on late fees as the pandemic ravaged the economy. The spread of the coronavirus forced CPS Energy this year to pause its free home energy assessment program, in which a technician visits a customers house to install power-efficient light bulbs and other items. But the utility said, We have implemented strict safety measures that will allow our weatherization efforts to begin again soon and look forward to continuing to offer these energy efficiency and conservation services to our customers to help them better manage their usage and lower bills. A spokesperson said, CPS Energy has always stood ready to help any customer in need and has worked to ensure customers are equipped with a wealth of assistance resources through COVID-19 and beyond. Short of restructuring utility rates, Drehobl said, local officials should expand initiatives to improve home energy efficiency through weatherization, such as improving insulation or sealing cracks in windows and doors. Efforts to retrofit homes with more energy-efficient technology, such as a programmable thermostat, are underway through programs such as Build SA Green, among others. The program works with homebuilders to certify new homes as energy efficient and works with homeowners to help them retrofit their houses with energy-saving upgrades. Many efficiency-related renovations are eligible for rebates through CPS Energy. McGuire welcomes the move to modernize homes in pursuit of greater efficiency. But shes skeptical it would be a big enough program to significantly reduce citywide energy consumption. Often, rental homes go without modern upgrades because a landlord may not want to pay for an improvement to a home theyre not living in. A renter may not be inclined to invest in greater energy efficiency for a home they plan to move out of. Using a pay as you save model, where a rental unit receives an upgrade that lowers the monthly electricity bill, is one alternative. The renter continues paying roughly the same bill amount each month, but the savings go toward paying off the homes upgrade, Drehobl said. She also said state governments should maintain moratoriums on residential utility shut-offs during the pandemic. Its not yet clear when CPS Energy will resume utility shut-offs. For customers throughout Texas served by private utility companies, shut-offs are set to resume Oct. 1, according to the Public Utility Commission. diego.mendoza-moyers@express-news.net Initially developed for gaming, Xtends Skylord allows Iron Man-type remote control. Its already been tested along Gaza border and the Israeli firm is already training American teams. The U.S. military has launched a new drone project with the Israeli company Xtend, using its Skylord system. The system allows drones to be controlled remotely with the help of virtual and augmented reality. As part of the pilot study, the U.S. military will test small and speedy drones developed by Xtend that are capable of intercepting enemy drones by casting nets around them from short range. Last week, the Israeli company, whose drone was developed with the Defense Ministry and has been tested along the border with the Gaza Strip, began training American crews on its augmented reality piloting system. What makes Xtends system unique is that the pilot operating the drone controls it with the help of augmented and virtual reality goggles, giving them the sensation that they are actually piloting from within the drone itself. Its interface enables the operator to immerse themselves or step into a remote reality and engage targets effectively yet safely, a statement by the company said Tuesday. Credit: The deal, as part of which the company has already delivered hundreds of drones to the American military, is valued at tens of millions of shekels. New Delhi, Sep 11 : The Supreme Court on Friday gave the green signal to National Law School of India University (NLSIU), Bengaluru, to conduct separate exam -- NLAT-2020 -- scheduled on Saturday, but asked it not to announce the results till the pendency of the plea. A bench comprising Justices Ashok Bhushan, R. Subhash Reddy and M.R. Shah sought response from the university and its vice-chancellor Sudhir Krishnaswamy within three days. The top court will conduct further hearing on the matter on September 16. The Supreme Court bench issued the directions on a plea filed by the parent of a student and a former vice-chancellor of NLSIU challenging a notice to conduct a separate entrance exam for the university. The bench said, "It is an important matter. It is a matter which needs to be decided." The petitioners have termed the move to conduct a separate exam as an "illegal decision". Former NLSIU VC R. Venkata Rao and Rakesh Kumar Agarwalla, the parent of a student of the university, contended in their plea that such unilateral decision to hold the National Law Aptitude Test (NLAT) as entrance exam to the university was taken without any application of mind, thereby completely prejudicing the students at the final hour besides putting their career at jeopardy for purely whimsical reasons. The plea filed through advocate Vipin Nair said, "Ostensibly, it appears that the sole aim of Respondent No. 2 (vice-chancellor Sudhir Krishnaswamy) is to turn Respondent No. 1 (NLSIU) from an island of excellence to an island of exclusion." The plea contended that this action by NLSIU has created an unprecedented uncertainty. "It is apparent that the aforesaid measures undertaken by Respondent No. 2 is solely directed at creating an elitist institution which caters to those who are able to afford to take the test and have the luxury to fulfil the other absurd conditions, while completely ignoring the aspirations of the poor, marginalised and less privileged candidates," said the plea. The petitioners urged the top court to quash the notification for admission to the five-year integrated BA, LLB (Hons) programme, 2020-21, read with the press release on NLSIU admissions 2020-21 dated September 4, 2020. The plea contended that this decision of the university is in direct violation of the fundamental rights of the students who desire admission, especially during the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Political advisors to the leaders of Ukraine, Germany, France, and Russia met in Berlin on September 11. Parties exchanged views but no breakthrough was achieved at today's meeting of political advisors to the Normandy Four leaders, according to Russia's envoy, deputy chief of presidential administration Dmitriy Kozak. Political advisors to the leaders of Ukraine, Germany, France, and Russia parties to the Normandy format of talks toward Donbas settlement met in Berlin earlier today, September 11, according to TASS. Read alsoMinsk agreements impossible to fulfill Ukraine's Kravchuk"Unfortunately, I can't boast of any agreed decisions being reached on all issues," the Kremlin's representative said. He claims that the parties did not discuss prospects for the Normandy Four leaders' summit. Kozak says the negotiators agreed to maintain ceasefire in Donbas. All controversial issues are expected to be agreed by the end of September. "We agreed that at the level of our aides, deputies, the dialogue on all these issues will continue, we will try to work out agreed decisions by the end of September," Kozak said. The date for the new meeting of political advisors has not been announced. Meeting of advisors to Normandy Four leaders: background In May 2016, Donald Trump made an unprecedented decision to reveal the individuals he would consider for the Supreme Court if elected. That shortlist might have won him that election. Exit polling and longer-term studies showed that a substantial number of GOP voters turned out for Trump because of the primacy of the Supreme Court in their concerns, including some who were repulsed by him but enticed by the dream of finally, after decades of effort and funding, capturing the federal judiciary for a generation. Trump, who campaigned among religious voters by telling them they had no other option, rewarded these voters when he became president, by ramming through not just two conservative Supreme Court justices but more than 200 lower court federal judges in record time. We are now blessed with judges who degrade transgender people, defend police brutality, defy abortion precedent, flout judicial ethics, run interference for their benefactor, and write Breitbart-style screeds about the evils of gun safety laws. Some of these new judges had never tried a case. Some of them havent even been lawyers for a decade. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Wednesday, Trump tried to revive the practical magic of that fateful 2016 announcement. It fell flat. In a bored and listless tone, the president rattled off 20 additions to the original Supreme Court shortlist, for a grand total of 45 contestants for a vacancy that does not yet exist. New picks include Sens. Ted Cruz, Tom Cotton, and Josh Hawley, alongside lower court Trump judges and a few administration officials whove been extra obsequious to the boss. He sounded most enthusiastic when claiming that Joe Bidens radical justices would erase national borders, cripple police departments, and grant new protections to anarchists, rioters, violent criminals, and terrorists. But even this perfunctory recitation of American Carnage: SCOTUS Edition cannot gin up the same kind of energy the first list imparted to his campaign. The 20 new names wont sway anyone this time, not just because they arent very interesting, but because there is no one left to convince: Everyone who is planning to vote for Trump because of the Supreme Court made up their minds long ago. Advertisement Advertisement There are no more Trump-skeptic conservatives to pick off because seizing the judiciary for the far right is one promise that the president has actually kept. In 2016, it was still an open question whether Trump would appoint a Federalist Society golden boy (as his supporters hoped) or Miss Kentucky (as they feared). On the campaign trail, he sounded like a wild card, even musing about appointing his own sister, a moderate federal appeals court judge. (His sister will be unlikely to get the nod this time.) But to the Republican establishment, a moderate SCOTUS nominee was even more horrifying than the prospect of an unqualified one. Trump fell in line after thencampaign counsel Don McGahn outsourced the judge issue to Leonard Leo, then-head of the Federalist Society. More so than usual, the Supreme Court was on the ballot: The next president would select Justice Antonin Scalias successor, since the Senate Republicans refused to let President Barack Obama fill the seat. Leo helped Trump assure anxious voters that he would replace Scalia with another arch-conservative. That was what the list served to secure. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The stakes are just as high today. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is fighting her fifth bout of cancer at age 87; no one seriously argues that she will stay on for four more years if Trump wins reelection. SCOTUS is on the ballot once againbut this time, everybody knows Trump would appoint extremely conservative justices while Joe Biden would appoint moderately liberal ones. In fact, court watchers almost universally agree that Trump would replace Ginsburg with Judge Amy Coney Barrett, a committed foe of reproductive rights. But Barrett was already on the original list; indeed, Trump felt compelled to give her a shoutout on Wednesday, in case youd forgotten who is waiting by the cemetery gates. At most, the new additions remind voters that, if Trump gets to appoint one, two, three, and even four Supreme Court justices (as hes promising) in his second term, there are many, many more Amy Coney Barretts clustered just offstage. And given the backbench of hacks Trump has built up in the lower courts, its hard to believe anyone with the wherewithal to vote really needed that reminder. Advertisement Advertisement Because the new list serves no meaningful political purpose, then, the best way to think about it is as a kind of recurring report card for jurists interested in their chances at someday being called up for the big show. Minor league ballplayers get scouting reports; off-off-Broadway actors get their good reviews. But how is a young, never-set-foot-in-a-courtroom former blogger turned appeals court judge to know whether their odds of promotion this season are 5-to-1, 250-to-1, or 10,000-to-1 without some kind of official notification? Advertisement Advertisement Or perhaps the list serves as a do better, slackers warning from the White House to those who did not make the list, so midlevel aspiring justices can start drafting the elaborate dissenting opinions or calls for rehearing en banc that will signal that they are ready and willing to overturn Roe v. Wade, Brown v. Board of Education, Obergefell v. Hodges, or whatever future E. Jean Carroll lawsuit the administration needs them to work on. The list tells any ambitious young judge or politician or Justice Department employee (we see you, Steven Engel!) where precisely they stand with the president and his Federalist Society allies. And the conspicuous absence of federal appeals court Judge Neomi Rao, the staunchest judicial defender of Trumps rank criminality, suggests shed better pull it together and write something abhorrent about abortion right quick if she wants to make the next round. Advertisement Advertisement We think these explanations have some merit, but they probably also give the White House too much credit for tactical thinking in any construction of the facts. The list is not one piece of an intricate political strategy to win over voters; the list is all they have. A pandemic is killing hundreds of thousands of people. Trump knew it would and did nothing. The economy is cratering. The West Coast is on fire. All Trump has to offer is the promise that he will appoint a reliable conservative to overturn Roe v. Wade and the recycled argument that the Supreme Court is all that matters. Advertisement Trump, who seated two justices yet watched the court refuse to overturn Roe again this year, is going back to that dry, dusty well. The list is for all the religious voters who watched Trump install 200-plus jurists, and still fail to deliver the end of abortion and LGBTQ rights. And thats why the list comes with a warning label about Bidens justices, who, Trump insists, will give unelected bureaucrats that power to destroy millions of American jobs. They will remove the words under God from the Pledge of Allegiance. Trump cant lift himself out of an electoral doom spiral by lying to his supporters about antifas in robes and assuring them that hell keep putting their idols on the bench. He put two of their idols up in two years and still abortion is legal. The president wants to replay his greatest hits, but Wednesdays announcement sounded like a cover band that only knows one song. The two ministers agreed that both sides shall abide by all the existing agreements and protocol on India-China boundary affairs, a joint statement said New Delhi: India and China have agreed on a five-point plan for resolving the prolonged border face-off in eastern Ladakh that included abiding by all existing agreements and protocol on management of the frontier, maintaining peace and tranquility and avoiding any action that could escalate matters. The two countries agreed to the plan during talks between External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Moscow on Thursday evening on the sidelines of a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meet. The Indian Army and the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) have been locked in a tense standoff in multiple areas along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh since early May. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) issued a joint press statement early on Friday featuring five points which were agreed by both the sides at the "frank and constructive" discussions by the two ministers. "The two foreign ministers agreed that the current situation in the border areas is not in the interest of either side. They agreed, therefore, that the border troops of both sides should continue their dialogue, quickly disengage, maintain proper distance and ease tensions," it said. The joint statement said Jaishankar and Wang agreed that both sides should take guidance from the series of consensus reached between leaders of the two countries on developing India-China relations, including not allowing differences to become disputes. This assessment was a clear reference to decisions taken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping at their two informal summits in 2018 and 2019. "The two ministers agreed that both sides shall abide by all the existing agreements and protocol on India-China boundary affairs, maintain peace and tranquility in the border areas and avoid any action that could escalate matters," the joint statement said. At the talks, Jaishankar and Wang agreed that as the situation eases on the border, the two sides should expedite work to conclude new confidence building measures to maintain and enhance peace and tranquility in the border areas. The joint statement said the two sides also agreed to continue to have dialogue and communication through the Special Representative (SR) mechanism on the India-China boundary question. "They also agreed in this context that the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China border affairs (WMCC) should also continue at its meetings," it added. Singaporeans reacted with anger at the scandal, which raised questions about the rich and poor are treated by authorities in the city The chairman of Singapore's airport operator has stepped aside after he faced a public backlash when a judge cleared an Indonesian maid accused of stealing from his family and criticised the case. The scandal involving Liew Mun Leong has sparked a storm of anger and raised questions about how the system treated one of the city-state's best-known businessmen compared with a low-paid domestic helper. With calls mounting for him to quit following last week's ruling, Liew announced late Thursday he was bringing forward his retirement from his role as chairman of Changi Airport Group. "I do not wish my current situation to be a distraction," the 74-year-old said, adding he was also stepping aside from positions at several other companies, including as an adviser to state investor Temasek. The case began in 2016 when the Liew family fired Parti Liyani and accused her of stealing Sg$34,000 ($24,800) worth of items from them, including watches and clothes. She denied the charges, but was initially found guilty and sentenced to more than two years in jail. But on appeal, a High Court judge overturned the verdict, saying the Liew family had an "improper motive" in filing charges against her. It emerged in court the maid was about to lodge a complaint with authorities that she had to clean the home and office of Liew's son, in addition to the businessman's house, which is illegal. The judge said there was reason to believe the filing of the charges was aimed at pre-empting this move, and questioned the credibility of Liew's son Karl as a witness. He also criticised the handling of evidence by detectives, and prosecutors and the police subsequently launched a probe. In a statement, Liew said that "my family members and I cooperated fully with the police and gave statements and evidence when required", adding he respected the court's decision. Criticism had been growing following the court's decision, with one Facebook commentator saying he was "really angry" at the case. Story continues "Not only shame himself, he shame CAG (Changi Airport Group) and Singapore," he wrote. The affluent financial hub is home to about 260,000 domestic helpers, who mostly come from poorer Asian countries such as Indonesia and earn salaries far below the average Singaporean. mba/sr/dan 35 Shares Share COVID-19 is a tragedy that could have easily been prevented if our leaders cared more about the well-being of their citizens instead of economies, stock markets, and their political campaigns. To all those arguing about how the economy is more important, I ask, how will sick and dead people contribute to an economy? How will sick and dead health care workers contribute to our already broken health care system, which is a critical part of any economy? Before we decide to sacrifice our loved ones for the economy, we must remember that a nation cannot flourish if its citizens are not healthy. Rabia Jalal is a physician. She shares her story and discusses her KevinMD article, Health care should be apolitical, but it isnt. Did you enjoy todays episode? Please click here to leave a review for The Podcast by KevinMD. Subscribe on your favorite podcast app to get notified when a new episode comes out! Do you know someone who might enjoy this episode? Share this episode to anyone who wants to hear health care stories filled with information, insight, and inspiration. Hosted by Kevin Pho, MD, The Podcast by KevinMD shares the stories of the many who intersect with our health care system but are rarely heard from. INSIDE Public Accounting Top 5 and Best of the Best firm We are honored to be named a Best of the Best firm for the 11th consecutive year. Receiving this recognition reflects on our firms strong foundation and our continued commitment to excellence and growth, said Sean C. Taylor, Managing Partner of Smith & Howard. Smith & Howard is proud to announce that it has once again been named a Top Five and Best of the Best firm in the nation by INSIDE Public Accounting. This is the second year in a row that Smith & Howard has been ranked the number two firm in the country by INSIDE Public Accounting. It is the only Atlanta firm named as one of the top five on the Best of the Best list. We are honored to be named a Best of the Best firm for the 11th consecutive year. Receiving this recognition reflects on our firms strong foundation and our continued commitment to excellence and growth, said Sean C. Taylor, Managing Partner of Smith & Howard. According to INSIDE Public Accounting, Best of the Best firms are selected exclusively on their performance in specific key areas of management, growth and strategic vision. Additionally, these firms are some of the highest-performing and best-managed public accounting firms across North America. Best of the Best firms represent the top performers of their peer group, which is an exceptional accomplishment in the competitive world of public accounting. They excel by leaning in to help clients, being proactive, and seeking solutions not just selling services, says Michael Platt, principal of the Platt Group and publisher of the accounting trade publication, INSIDE Public Accounting. And while most firms can boast having good people, one hallmark that is common across Best of the Best firms is their ability to leverage their team and create employee opportunities by building a work environment that team members are excited about and proud to work for. About Smith & Howard Smith & Howard is a top Atlanta accounting and advisory firm serving businesses in the construction, distribution, health care, hospitality, manufacturing, nonprofit, real estate and technology sectors. Services include audit and tax, strengthened by sales and use tax, international tax consulting, enterprise risk services, SOC reporting, technology consulting and process automation, among other offerings. More information is available on the firms website at https://www.smith-howard.com/. Ned Gerard / Hearst Connecticut Media MERIDEN Some students at Lincoln Middle School will be quarantined at home for 14 days after a student tested positive for COVID-19. Despite all health guidance, the parent sent the student to school while waiting for the test results, Meriden Superintendent of Schools Mark Benigni said in a video Thursday addressed to the community. 'Don't Even Bother To Clarify,' Sushant's Sister Tells Ankita Lokhande Shweta retweeted Ankita's Twitter post and wrote, "Don't even bother to clarify my dear. We are here for a cause and that is to know the whole truth, and we will keep pursuing that regardless! #WarriorsRoar4SSR." Earlier, Ankita Had Lashed Out At Shibani For Taking A Jibe At Her In response to Shibani Dandekar's open letter, the actress penned a lengthy post in which she denounced the '2 seconds of fame' accusation and blasted her for looking down upon television actors. "Stop looking down on we television actors, if that was your reason for describing my words as 'GROTESQUE', Ankita wrote in her note. For The Unversed, Shibani Had Accused Ankita Of Trying To Get 'Two Seconds Of Fame' By Targetting Rhea And Had Even Called Her 'Princess Of Patriarchy' "This woman clearly wants her 2 seconds of fame and has capitalised on Rhea being targeted because she has had never dealt with her own relationship issues with Sushant.. she has been the driving force behind this and she needs to be called out!" Shibani had written on her Instagram story. Shibani's open letter didn't go well with the netizens, who started their campaign 'I Stand With Ankita." Further, Ankita's friends and colleagues from the industry backed the Pavitra Rishta actress amid her verbal duel with Shibani. The lack of widespread coronavirus testing early in the outbreak in the U.S. will be remembered as the nation's biggest misstep in its pandemic response, Dr. Scott Gottlieb told CNBC on Friday. Gottlieb, formerly Food and Drug Administration commissioner under President Donald Trump, made his comments in defense of the widespread stay-at-home orders that were implemented in cities and states across the country beginning in March. "[February was] the critical the time frame when we could have done more to mitigate the spread and not have gotten ourselves into the situation in March that we had to then reach for the stay-at-home orders which had the devastating impact on the economy," Gottlieb said on "Squawk Box." Gottlieb said the reason why broad lockdown orders became the default response was because "back in February and March, we had no idea where the virus was and was not spreading because we didn't have diagnostic testing." He added, "When history looks back on this, the lack of situational awareness at that time is going to be remembered as the great failing." Research has shown the lockdowns were effective in preventing additional cases of Covid-19, with one study from the University of California at Berkeley estimating nearly 5 million infections were spared in the U.S. However, some contend the economic damage caused by the broad shutdowns millions out of work and businesses having to shutter rendered them too extreme of a response. "We absolutely had to shutdown New York City and do what we did in New York City and probably did a little too late," Gottlieb said. "The health-care system in New York the biggest, largest, best health-care system in the world was literally on the brink of collapse." Yet Gottlieb acknowledged there is room to wonder whether different cities across the country could have reacted differently than the one-time epicenter of the outbreak, New York City, which on March 15 announced it was ordering restaurants, bars and schools to close. At the time, the entire state of New York had less than 800 confirmed cases. "We probably had to implement a stay-at-home order in cities like [New Orleans], Detroit, maybe Chicago. Did we have to do it in Dallas? Probably not. Did we have to do it at that time in Miami? Probably not," Gottlieb said. But, he emphasized, it was difficult to know where outbreaks were occurring without the testing available. "We had to assume that it was spreading far more widely in the United States, at that point in time, than it was," said Gottlieb, who led the FDA in the Trump administration from May 2017 to April 2019. The early lockdown orders in places where, perhaps, the virus was not spreading widely were consequential because by the time Covid-19 outbreaks began to occur in those places, in May and into the summer, people in those regions had grown tired of the public health restrictions, according to Gottlieb. "Had we not shutdown the South, at that time and it wasn't spreading there, when it eventually got to the South, maybe we would have had more support for mitigation steps when we needed them. But by that time, people were exhausted and weren't going to support more stringent mitigation," he contended. Gottlieb's comments Friday come as the nation's early steps to combat the coronavirus are under the scrutiny following revelations in a new book from journalist Bob Woodward that Trump had sought to publicly downplay the threat of Covid-19, with the president suggesting in a recorded interview for the book in mid-Mach that he did so because he did not want "to create a panic." On Feb.7, according to the book, Trump also told Woodward that he understood the coronavirus to be "more deadly than even your strenuous flu." The U.S. has 6.4 million confirmed cases of Covid-19, the most of any nation in the world, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. At least 191,802 people have died. Coronavirus testing in the U.S. has been beset by challenges from the outset, including in early February when there were problems with tests sent out by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to labs across the country. Gottlieb has also previously indicated the U.S. should have done more to get private labs involved in the development of diagnostic tests in late January and February. Gottlieb, who also worked at the FDA under former President George W. Bush, referenced a response strategy for a flu pandemic issued in 2006 to explain why the U.S. was unable to implement more targeted public health strategies early in the Covid-19 crisis. "The pandemic planning always assumed you would have a diagnostic test and you'd be able to know where the virus was spreading," he said. "But back in February and March, we had to assume it was spreading everywhere because we had no testing. That's going to be looked back at as the key missing element here." VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / September 11, 2020 / Lucky Minerals Inc. (TSXV:LKY)(OTC PINK:LKMNF)(FRA:LKY) ("Lucky" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that a system of quartz veins have been discovered in the Fortuna 3 and 4 concessions. The Fortuna Property in its entirety comprises approximately 55,000 hectares in a well-known mineralized zone in southern Ecuador. Lucky's CEO, Mr. Adrian Rothwell, stated: "The identification of another target zone proximal to the El Buitre porphyry is testament to the quality of this project and represents a proof of concept on Fortuna as a potential host of epithermal gold mineralization. Congratulations to the team and a big thanks for their hard work and relentless belief in this project." For more information on the Shincata Gold Trend, readers are encouraged to view the Company's news release of August 18, 2020. Fortuna 3 and 4: Reconnaissance work completed by Lucky's team has identified two sets of quartz veins in Fortuna 3 and 4. The majority of these veins are of quartz; some contain tourmaline and others mainly quartz and iron oxides, and also fine disseminated pyrite. The widths of these veins range from 0.40 m to 2.0 m. Please click here to view map of Fortuna 3 & 4 showing quartz vein sampled locations and trends. The map shows two sets of veins. One set that trends NW and the other set that trends NE. Most of these veins cut across the foliation of Paleozoic meta-sediments (schistose rocks). The significance of these two sets of quartz veins (NW & NE) is being reviewed from a structural perspective and its possible relation to the El Buitre porphyry target (Fortuna 3) and the El Garo epithermal zone. Please click here to view photo of Quartz Vein - 1 m wide, trending NW (Fortuna 9) (Sample 261072) Please click here to view photo of Quartz Vein - 3 m wide, trending NE (Fortuna 3) Please click here to view photo of Quartz Vein fragment - trending NE (Fortuna 3) (Sample 261184) Please click here to view photo of Quartz Vein outcrop - 2 m wide, trending NW, containing disseminated hematite and pyrite (Fortuna 3) (Sample 261183) Our field crews are in the process of taking samples from these veins for assay. El Garo Target Update Further to the company's news release on September 2, 2020, the Lucky exploration team has traversed the northern area of Fortuna 1. The El Garo epithermal alteration zone was extended to an area of approximately 1.6 km x 0.8 km and remains open in all directions. Permitting for the planned soil grid sampling program over an area of approximately 4 km x 2 km is complete and work will begin next week. The results of the soil sampling program will assist in outlining anomalous areas where hand trenching will be completed. El Garo is characterized by vuggy silica, hydrothermal breccias with a silica matrix, jarosite, alunite and advanced argillic alteration, all typical of epithermal gold systems. Thirteen rock specimens were sent for Terraspec analyses and returned minerals such as alunite (both Na and K types), silica, pyrophyllite, dickite and smectite. All these minerals are typical of alteration zones associated with precious metal epithermal systems. Please see the linked photos below. Please click here to view photo of rock sample with alunite veins Please click here to view photo of rock sample of vuggy silica and alunite Early field work appears to indicate that the volcanics in this area are mostly horizontal (flat lying) to sub horizontal. If confirmed, the El Garo epithermal target may be comprised of "stacked lithocaps" in which the more porous volcanics would be better receptors for gold mineralization. Lithocaps are horizontal to sub horizontal blankets of residual quartz and advanced argillic alteration of hypogene origin, occurring over intrusions. To advance exploration work in this area, Lucky has started the permitting process for initial trenching and scout drilling. QA/QC Protocols All rock samples are submitted to ALS Chemex laboratories in Quito for preparation work, and the analytical work is completed at their lab facility in Lima, Peru. ALS Chemex is an ISO certified and accredited laboratory. 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. 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 hectares 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. The reader is cautioned that assumptions used in the preparation of any forward-looking information may prove to be incorrect. Events or circumstances may cause actual results to differ materially from those predicted, as a result of numerous known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of the Company. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking information. Such information, although considered reasonable by management at the time of preparation, may prove to be incorrect and actual results may differ materially from those anticipated. Forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date of this news release and the Company will update or revise publicly any of the included forward-looking statements as expressly required by Canadian securities law. SOURCE: Lucky Minerals Inc. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/605711/Lucky-Field-Exploration-Update-and-Discovery-of-New-Quartz-Veins-on-the-Fortuna-Property-in-Ecuador Half of students did not get their rental deposits back after they were forced to vacate their accommodation at the beginning of lockdown in March, a new survey revealed. The survey, carried out by housing charity Threshold, highlighted how students were negatively impacted when universities had to close, forcing many to return home to live with their parents. The survey also reported that 49pc of students did not get their deposit back. It also said students have serious concerns about the year ahead, with three-quarters worried about being able to pay for accommodation ahead of the new academic year. Nearly half (45pc) of students have been asked to pay more than one month's rent in security deposits, while one-fifth have been asked to pay four months' rent in advance. Chairperson of Threshold, Aideen Hayden, said the experience of students during the pandemic exposed the urgent need for legislative action. "Our new survey on the impact of Covid-19 on students shows that 49pc of students did not have their rental deposits refunded when they were forced to vacate their student accommodation," she said. "The experience of students during the pandemic points to an urgent need for the introduction of a legal definition of rental deposits, to limit rental deposits to the value of one month's rent and to implement a deposit protection scheme, which would see deposits lodged with an independent third party." Difficult Lorna Fitzpatrick, president of the Union of Students in Ireland (USI), is urging the Government to introduce legislation to ensure student renters are not hit by a repeat of what happened in March. "This is an extremely difficult time for students and their families. Many students are getting information about timetables in dribs and drabs from their institutions, which leaves them in very uncertain positions over their accommodation needs," she said. "The practice of looking for more than one month's rent upfront leaves students in a very difficult situation. It should not happen any year, but this year many students have lost their jobs because of the pandemic and are in even more trying financial positions. "Research in relation to Covid-19 carried out by the USI earlier this summer shows that 60pc of students are either 'concerned', 'very concerned', or 'extremely concerned' about their ability to manage financially over the next year; asking for so much money upfront is extremely unfair." There are currently no legal guidelines as to how much a landlord may request for a deposit. Threshold said it is aware of the practice of landlords seeking deposits to the value of two or more months' rent, along with the payment of the first month's rent, from new tenants. This is causing students to enter into debt or leave their bills go unpaid in order to secure accommodation. US officials are weighing whether to postpone or further cut refugee admissions in the coming year amid legal fights over President Donald Trumps refugee policy and uncertainty caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, a senior official said. The possible postponement - one of several options under discussion - would mean some or all refugee admissions could be frozen until a legal challenge to a 2019 Trump order on refugees is resolved with some greater degree of finality, the official told Reuters. It is not clear when that lawsuit may be resolved, especially if the case goes all the way to the US Supreme Court, a process that could take months or even longer. The president typically sets yearly refugee levels around the beginning of each fiscal year and the Trump administration has not yet announced its plans for fiscal 2021, which begins on Oct. 1. The refugee cap was cut to 18,000 this year, the lowest level since the modern-day program began in 1980. So far, roughly half that many refugees have been let in as increased vetting and the coronavirus pandemic have slowed arrivals. The senior official said that even if 2021 admissions are not delayed, next years cap could be cut below current levels. The arc of this administrations refugee policy is going to continue, said the official, who requested anonymity to discuss the ongoing deliberations. Trump and his top officials have said refugees could pose threats to national security and that resettlement should take place closer to countries of origin. The administration also contends that refugee resettlement can be costly for local communities, although refugee backers reject those arguments. The possible moves remain under discussion and no final decision has been reached, the official stressed. Democratic challenger Joe Biden has pledged to raise refugee admissions to 125,000 per year if he defeats Trump in November. However, Biden has not said how quickly he would raise the cap and advocates say the program could take years to recover after Trump-era reductions. If he wins, Biden could seek to raise the cap soon after taking office, just as Trump moved to halve refugee admissions in early 2017. But refugee groups say that restoring the pipeline of travel-ready refugees and rebuilding the organizations that receive them in the United States will take months or years as refugees will need to undergo renewed security and medical checks and shuttered resettlement offices will need to reopen. Trump, who is seeking another four-year term on Nov. 3, has made his immigration crackdown a focus of the presidency and 2020 campaign. In addition to greatly reducing refugee admissions to the United States, Trump also issued an executive order in September 2019 that required state and local elected officials to consent to receive refugees, saying it would better ensure refugees were sent to areas with adequate resources to receive them. In January, a Maryland-based US district judge blocked the order from taking effect, prompting Trump administration officials to consider a possible deferral of refugee admissions until the court case is resolved, the senior official said. The administrations refugee cap discussions involve officials from the State Department, Department of Homeland Security and the Pentagon, and have been coordinated by the White House National Security Council, according to the senior official, who declined to provide the names of those involved. The superintendent of Bismarck Public Schools is recommending that elementary students return to classroom full time, five days a week, beginning Sept. 29. Students in grades 6-12 will continue to operate under a hybrid schedule -- alternating in-person classes and distance learning -- but secondary schools are working out the details of a tentative timeline and processes to move to full-time, face-to-face instruction. Masks still would be required at all grade levels when social distancing isn't possible. Bismarck Public Schools opened for classes Aug. 31 under a hybrid schedule in which students were split into two groups that alternate between in-person and distance learning each day. Superintendent Jason Hornbacher in a school district statement cited low case rates among students and data from the district's newly created COVID-19 dashboard as reasons for the recommendation. Twenty-nine students and staff tested positive for COVID-19 in a two-week span from Aug. 24 to Sept. 6, according to the dashboard. The first day of school was Aug. 31, but staff were in school buildings the week before to prepare. Of the 29 positive cases, six were among elementary students and 14 were among secondary students. Seven elementary staff and two secondary school staff members also tested positive. There were 258 close contacts, putting the total number of people who were in quarantine at 287. There are a total of 15,647 students and staff within the district. One classroom has closed as a result, but the closure was limited to half the students due to hybrid scheduling, Hornbacher said in an interview. The dashboard was created internally by district information technology staff with the specific purpose of communicating COVID-19 case information with the public, he said. "Our long-range intent is that this is going to be updated daily," Hornbacher said. "We're still in the process of building that, so we're going to post it weekly for the time being." A link to the dashboard can be found at www.bismarckschools.org/Page/3868 underneath a tab titled "BPS COVID Case Dashboard." State Superintendent Kirsten Baesler previously said the state departments of Health, Public Instruction and Information Technology were working to develop a plan to provide statewide public school COVID-19 case data on a regular basis. Each of North Dakota's 11 public colleges and universities reports coronavirus case numbers via online dashboards that can be found at cts.ndus.edu/coronavirus/. Mandan Public Schools announced 10 positive cases among students and staff after the first five days of school. Some classrooms were closed as a result. Reach Bilal Suleiman at 701-250-8261 or Bilal.Suleiman@bismarcktribune.com Love 4 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 2 Angry 4 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Chris Aggeles is seen in a 2005 mugshot in his arrest on burglary charges The prolific sperm donor who claimed to be a genius with a 160 IQ but was revealed to be an ex-con with a history of mental illness has spoken out, apologizing to the parents of the 36 children created with his sperm. Chris Aggeles, 43, broke his silence in an interview with the podcast Donor 9623, six years after his true identity was accidentally revealed by a sperm bank, sparking lawsuits. Instead of the PhD candidate and genius who spoke four languages that he claimed to be, Aggeles was revealed to have served prison time for burglary, and court documents stated he had been diagnosed with schizophrenia. 'I hope that the families involved, and particularly the children involved, can find it in their hearts to forgive me,' Aggeles told podcast host Dov Fox in an interview. 'I'm sorry for betraying their trust, it was a s***ty thing and I'm not happy about it,' he added. 'I feel terrible about it, I really do.' Aggeles first began donating sperm in 2000, when he was 23 and a college dropout, working as a waiter in Georgia and aspiring to succeed as a drummer Aggeles first began donating sperm in 2000, when he was 23 and a college dropout, working as a waiter in Georgia and aspiring to succeed as a drummer. 'One of my roommates had seen an advertisement in one of the student newspapers and thought I would be a good candidate. It's a way to earn income,' he recalled in the podcast. 'It was a way for me to provide some stability in my life,' he said. 'It was an honor in a lot of ways, I felt like I was special somehow.' Aggeles went on to become a prolific donor, sometimes contributing twice a week, due to high demand based on the profile he had filled out for the sperm bank. What he did not reveal was that in 1999, he had been committed to a mental institution with a diagnosis of schizophrenia. In the interview, Aggeles said that he first experienced possible hallucinations in high school, hearing his name repeated over and over as he tried to fall asleep. Instead of the PhD candidate that he claimed to be, Aggeles served prison time for burglary, and court documents stated he had been diagnosed with schizophrenia Aggeles disputed that he had schizophrenia in the interview, insisting that he had a temporary condition known as schizophreniform disorder, which has similar symptoms but persists for less than six months. According to court documents, however, he was diagnosed with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder. Aggeles was charged with one count of burglary in 2005 and served eight months in jail after pleading guilty. After his probation was up in 2014, his case was discharged under terms of the First Offender Act. As Aggeles explains it, and police reports confirm, he walked into a shooting range one day and asked to rent a gun. When the attendant asked what kind of gun, he replied that he wanted a gun to kill himself. Police were called and escorted him outside of the range, where he saw a pile of granite and hatched a scheme to sell it as material for countertops. Aggeles said that he didn't have money for a truck to haul the granite, and decided that he would steal in order to get a truck and bring his scheme to fruition. None of these incidents - the arrest and the history of mental illness with a potentially genetic component - were revealed to the sperm bank by Aggeles in questionnaires he filled out. In 2014, Xytex mistakenly revealed Aggeles' name and email in a communication to some of the families who had used his sperm His profile stated that he had a bachelor of science degree in neuroscience, a master's degree in artificial intelligence and was working on his PhD in neuroscience engineering. In a six-page health questionnaire asking if he or any blood relative had any of the 143 medical conditions, Aggeles answered no to all but one - he said his father was color blind. When asked if he had schizophrenia or manic depression (bipolar disorder), he said 'no'. Just weeks after getting out of jail, Aggeles was back at Georgia-based sperm bank Xytex Corp, donating sometimes as often as twice a week. He says that the bank told him that he was a popular donor based on his profile, and that his sperm was in high demand. In 2014, Xytex mistakenly revealed Aggeles' name and email in a communication to some of the families who had used his sperm. Some of them, curious to learn more, looked up his name, and were shocked with what they found. Lawsuits followed, with far-flung couples in America, the UK and Canada expressing outrage over the deception. 'I had basically what amounted to a nervous breakdown,' Aggeles recalls. He went to a police station and confessed to deceiving the sperm bank, but was never criminally charged in the matter. 'I was embarrassed, I was remorseful. It was really, really tough,' he recalls. Aggeles said that he did not hold a grudge against the sperm bank for revealing his identity. Aggeles has never had any children of his own, something he now regrets. 'I've always wanted kids, but i don't know if that's in the cards anymore,' he said. Asked what message he had for the children created with his sperm, he said: 'I hope that they have long happy prosperous peaceful lives.' 'I hope they don't hold a grudge against me. I hope that they realize that I'm imperfect to be sure but my intent was not malicious,' he continued. 'I do hope at some point I am able to meet if not all of them at least some of them.' Whatever pictures of holiday beach crowds or political rallies might suggest, most Americans aren't opposed to wearing masks. A Pew survey in late August found that 85 percent of all adults said they had worn a face covering or mask in public all or most of the time in the past month, up from 65 percent in June. Thirty-four states have made it mandatory to wear masks in public. Even so, there is still enough confusion and controversy around the subject to prompt violent confrontations at times. This could be a manifestation of American individualism , but its also true that there have been inconsistencies in messaging.In March, health officials told Americans they shouldnt wear face masks , because most people did not know how to use them correctly and because the supplies then available were needed by health-care workers. The surgeon general asked the public to stop buying masks for both reasons, tweeting that they were NOT effective.In April, the president announced that the CDC recommended that Americans wear cloth face coverings in public spaces to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. He underscored that this was not mandatory and that he did not plan to wear one himself. Around this time , the World Health Organization advised that healthy persons only needed masks if they were caring for a person with COVID-19. (This guidance has since been updated .)Scientific consensus regarding the importance of masks in containing COVID-19 has grown since the early days of the pandemic, based on findings of new research. A study published in the journalestimated that state mask mandates averted more than 200,000 cases between March 31 and May 22 alone.Efforts are still ongoing to fine tune guidelines. Here are some examples of state legislative proposals introduced since August. HR6640 would amend House rules to require that all members, staff and guests wear masks while in the capitol building, with the exception of those with disabilities that make mask wearing harmful or difficult. It references CDC guidelines and notes that the pandemic has created the need for changes to our normal way of living. S2814 , abill, would make it a trespass offense during the current public health emergency to enter a store or retail business without a mask if signage is posted that clearly requires masks for entrance. This would be considered to be a petty disorderly persons offense punishable by a fine of up to $500, up to 30 days in prison, or both. HF10 would require all persons in the state to wear a facial covering in indoor public spaces as well as outdoor public spaces where it is not possible to maintain social distancing of 6 feet. It gives businesses the right to refuse service to persons without face coverings. The requirement would not apply to children under 8 and those with medical exemptions. SB1287 inwould make it a second-degree misdemeanor to willfully fail to wear a mask or face covering as required by the governors public health emergency declaration. The offense would be reckless endangerment, conduct that could place another in danger of death or serious bodily injury.Anotherbill, SB1243 , reflects a different perspective. It would amend the Public School Code to state that no school district will be required to enforce the wearing of face coverings on school grounds under the current disaster emergency or any other declaration of disaster emergency. HR964 proposes to censure a member of the states House of Representatives for, among other things, objection to the science, medicine and public health expertise underlying mask order from the governor and secretary of health. HR581 recognizes Hopes and Seams, founded by two high-school students, for donating thousands of masks to health-care workers and first responders, and to at-risk groups such as the elderly and members of the Navajo Nation. Police seize 40,000 in cash Police have seized over 40,000 in cash after attempts were made to send it through the Island's postal system. Officers say a man has been arrested and appeared in court. He pleaded guilty to attempting to remove criminal property from the Island. Isle of Man Constabulary has thanked partner agencies and the Post Office who continue to support the Police in their efforts to tackle organised crime. - Dr. Osei Yaw Adutwum has revealed that the government has put in place prudent and strategic measures to abolish the double-track system in the next few years - The system, up till date, is not favoured by most people especially the party in waiting, the NDC - Dr Adutwum said the government would ensure that the system is eradicated within the next four years. Our Manifesto: This is what YEN.com.gh believes in The double-track system under the New Patriotic Party's flagship Free SHS programme was introduced with the sole aim of reducing congestion in the various second cycle institutions. The system up to date is not favoured by most people especially the party in waiting, the National Democratic Congress, (NDC). A Deputy Minister of Education, Dr. Osei Yaw Adutwum, has revealed that the government has put in place prudent and strategic measures to abolish the double-track system in the next few years. In a Graphic Online report, he said some of the measures that had been put in place included strategic planning and the construction of infrastructure in the affected schools. Deputy Minister of Education, Dr Osei Yaw Adutwum Source: Graphic.com.gh Source: UGC READ ALSO: Wi-Fi for SHSs: GES to review policy on use of phones in SHS Minister This, according to Dr Adutwum, would ensure that the system is eradicated within the next four years. Dr. Adutwum stated that the huge investment in the education is to ensure that education became the driving force for the nations development. Meanwhile, former President Mahama, during the launch of his party's manifesto, stated that the NDC would cancel the double-track system when it is voted into power. READ ALSO: NPP's double-track system will move Ghana ahead by 20 years Adutwum YEN.com.gh earlier reported, the Deputy Education Minister, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, saying, the double-track system has the potential to leapfrog the country 20 years ahead in solving its inequality problem. Speaking on JoyNews' PM express and reported by myjoyonline.com, Dr. Adutwum quoted a recent study conducted by the Brooklyn Institution about 6 months ago, saying, "Ghana has been a nation in the developing world that has used a leapfrogging strategy to achieve something that they would have waited for 20 years to achieve and that is the double-track [system]. Explaining further, he said the initiative has given every Ghanaian child the opportunity to access Senior High Education no matter the grades and financial backgrounds. READ ALSO: Reopening of schools: JHS 2 and SHS 2 students to return to school on October 5 Vox Pop: Mahama or Akufo-Addo? Who deserves to win Election 2020? | #Yencomgh Got a story you think we should know about? Get interactive via our Facebook page. Source: YEN.com.gh If you love delicious treats but you're not such a talented baker, you need to try this recipe Australian home cooks are calling the 'world's easiest cake' - perfect to take to your next shared morning tea. You don't need butter, milk or eggs to whip up this incredibly easy and moist dessert - instead just a pre-made vanilla cake mix and a tin of apple slices in juice. An Aussie woman posted a step-by-step guide to the incredibly easy recipe in a local Facebook group. "After seeing a lot about the "two Ingredient cake" and reading everyone's hot tips I had to try it," she wrote. "It's AMAZING! And so easy. I won't buy cake again if I've got the time to cook this." While Australians have been using golden butter cake mix from the brand White Mill, Kiwis can use some locally available brands, like the Betty Crocker vanilla cake mix, or the Edmonds golden butter cake mix. Then instead of adding butter, milk or eggs to the dry ingredients as is standard, you simply strain and chop the tinned apples, and add them to the cake mix to create a syrupy mix. Place the mix into a tin, and then into a fan-forced oven at 160 degrees for 40 minutes and you'll be left with the ultimate apple cake. If you're not so keen on apple, you can use tinned pineapple or pear to create a totally different flavour. Cover it with custard or cream for the ultimate indulgence. "It was a real hit. I'll definitely make this again, and warm with custard would make a fabulous dessert," the woman said. Other members of the group said that adding a little crumble mix to the top of the cake really heightens the apple flavour. Another woman said she tried it with a gluten-free cake mix, and was similarly wowed by the results. It's not the first incredibly easy recipe to make headlines. Last month an Aussie mum's three ingredient custard square recipe went viral. Newshub. California firefighters battled the state's largest ever inferno Thursday, as tens of thousands of people fled blazes up and down the US West Coast and officials warned the death toll could shoot up in coming days. At least eight people have been confirmed dead in the past 24 hours across California, Oregon and Washington, but officials say some areas are still impossible to reach, meaning the number is likely to rise. The August Complex Fire became the biggest recorded blaze in Californian history Thursday, after multiple fires in the state's northwest combined amid high temperatures and winds to rip through 470,000 acres of dry vegetation. In neighboring Oregon, where at least five towns have been "substantially destroyed" and up to 40,000 people evacuated, governor Kate Brown said twice the state's annual average had burned in just the past 72 hours. "We have never seen this amount of uncontained fire across our state," she told a press conference. "We know that there are fire related fatalities. And as soon as we are able to provide confirmed information, we will do so." Local Oregon officials have confirmed two deaths in the Santiam Canyon region, 60 miles (95 kilometers) south of Portland, and another was recorded in the Ashland area, near the California border. All three West Coast states have been scrambling to contain rapidly spreading wildfires since the weekend due to unprecedented heatwaves followed by intense, dry winds. Among those killed in the past day was a one-year-old boy who perished while his parents suffered severe burns as they attempted to flee an inferno 130 miles east of Seattle. "This child's family and community will never be the same," said Washington governor Jay Inslee, in a statement on his state's first fire death of 2020. "And neither will countless others who are reeling from the utter devastation these wildfires are leaving in their wake." In Butte County, California, where three people have been killed, firefighters battled the flames through the night, after a day of apocalyptic orange skies over the Golden State. Another dozen people were reportedly unaccounted for in the area. One unidentified person was killed in far northern California, near the remote rural community of Happy Camp, a Cal Fire spokeswoman told AFP. The San Francisco skyline is obscured in orange smoke and haze from the fires. Photo: AFP Tina Rose, 29, fled her home in central California after witnessing the mountain in front "glowing red" from looming wildfires. "We were packing everything and you can hear the propane tanks just exploding... and when we heard the second one we were just like 'we need to go in case it does move faster', because you never know," she told AFP. "It is something we never want to experience again," she added, speaking from her brother-in-law's crowded home near Fresno. In the San Francisco area, Wednesday's deep orange sky caused by wildfire smoke gave way to a wintry gray, but cars were still forced to drive with lights on in the gloom. Heavily polluted air meant schools and daycares were no longer letting children play outside, while seniors and vulnerable individuals were encouraged to stay inside. But the past days' strong, dry winds eased off across much of the state, with severe weather warnings lifted for most of California. Humidity is expected to rise as temperatures cool through to next week, providing some relief, Cal Fire said. By Thursday it had covered 250,000 acres and was only 23 percent contained. Evacuation warnings were expanded to parts of the town of Paradise, the site of California's deadliest modern fire which killed 86 people less than two years ago. Including eight California fire deaths last month, the region's total reported death toll for this year is now 16. Governor Gavin Newsom blamed the ferocity of this year's fires on climate change. He tweeted: "We must do more. We need action at EVERY level. CA cannot do this alone. Climate change is REAL. So please -- VOTE." This piece was written by the Cracked Shop to tell you about products that are being sold there. Gaming is sweet, but it's even sweeter when you have the sweetest gear, and it's still further ensweetened when you get a good deal. Coincidentally, we found some! Check them out: Mini Handheld Game Console 2.0 + 268 Games MSRP: $49 Sale Price: $16.99 Price Drop: $7.99 (84% off) Miss your GameBoy? We all do. This tiny little GameBoy emulator preloaded with games will take you so far back, you'll be calling out for your mom to bring you some more Dunkaroos before you remember that she lives on the beach in Florida now. Throwback Gaming Console Chennai, Sep 11 : The oil in the very large crude carrier (VLCC) 'New Diamond' that was on fire for six days since September 3, cannot be emptied in situ as all its machinery are not operational, said Indian Coast Guard. "The transfer of cargo in situ is not possible as no machinery is operational on-board. The salvage team post inspection of the casualty ship, are taking required preventive steps to ensure the integrity, cargo safety as well as to plan the next course of action," Coast Guard said. The immediate plan of action discussed between the Coast Guard, vessel captain and the salvage team are preventive actions to avoid reignition and correct its trim. No significant list is observed on the vessel while it continues to be trimmed by aft (rear side of the ship dipping down into the water) by about one metre, the Coast Guard had said earlier. A Coast Guard official told IANS that the ship salvors will decide on the future course of action like bringing the oil tanker on an even keel, and where to tow it. Be that as it may, the Coast Guard officials are now slightly relieved as they have averted a major marine disaster -- about 3,00,000 ton crude carried by ship on fire for six days. The fire was finally doused on September 8. The oil tanker caught fire on September 3 after an explosion in its engine room, 37 nautical miles off the Sri Lankan coast. Later it was towed further away. The 20-year-old VLCC, sailing under the Panama flag, departed from Kuwait's Mina Al Ahmadi on August 23 and was headed to India's Paradip port, which it was expected to reach on September 5. According to the Coast Guard, the vessel reported a major explosion in its engine room while it was on its way to the port in Odisha. The first information about the vessel fire was received at the Coast Guard Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) in Mumbai. A Coast Guard official had earlier told IANS that the ship's fuel was on fire. The ship apparently had about 1,700 tonnes of fuel when it caught fire. A San Antonio teenager was arrested Thursday after allegedly encouraging her 3-year-old brother to smoke marijuana, according to the Bexar County Sheriffs Office. Larissa Contreras, 18, was charged with endangering a child. Her boyfriend Thomas Esquivel, 19, and a 16-year-old male who allegedly recorded the video have also been arrested. Both face charges of child endangerment. Deputies began investigating the case Monday after a local nonprofit worker reported seeing a video on social media of a child smoking in a car. Sheriff Javier Salazar said Contreras and others encouraged the 3-year-old boy to smoke a blunt, which made the child ill. FIND OUT FIRST: Get San Antonio breaking news directly to your inbox This suspect and several other persons of interest were taking quite a bit of joy at that. They were laughing at it and making fun of the fact that this little boy was just about as sick as he could be, Salazar said. The child took "2 or 3 hits" after Esquivel handed him the blunt and Contreras told the child to "inhale the smoke deeply," an arrest affidavit said. After Contreras' arrest Thursday, Salazar did not rule out additional arrests in connection with the incident. Contreras parents are not facing charges. The video was allegedly recorded while the teenager was taking care of her brother at a family function. The child, who will be drug tested to see what he ingested, is currently at home with family. Contreras, who was identified through the video posted on social media, livestreamed a conversation with deputies during the investigation. People have made death threats regarding the case in recent days, Salazar said, though its unclear to whom they were directed. Child Protective Services is involved in the case. In his speech at the first World Parliament on Religion on 11 September 1893, Vivekananda spoke about the need to end religious supremacy and propagated the message of tolerance and acceptance Universal Brotherhood Day is observed every year on 11 September to commemorate the historic speech delivered by Indian thinker and spiritualist Swami Vivekananda in Chicago in 1893. This year marks the 127th year of iconic speech. Vivekananda delivered the speech to an audience of delegates from all across the world at the first-ever World Parliament of Religion that was held between 11 and 27 September 1893. The speech started differently from the conventional usage of more formal salutations. The opening remarks were, "Sisters and brothers of America," for which he received a two-minutes-long standing ovation. According to a report by Scroll, between 11 September and 27 September, 1983, Swami Vivekananda actually gave six speeches in Chicago, of which the opening address is best known due to its novel and dramatic way of beginning. Vivekananda introduced Hinduism to the world and spoke about intolerance and the need to put an end to religious supremacy. He propagated a message of religious acceptance in addition to mutual tolerance while attempting to define both the concepts. Vivekananda explained that tolerance is the act of putting up with something that one disapproves of, while acceptance was admitting that even the seed of an idea can take root and produce an offshoot that was completely different and unique from the original ideology. Speaking about Hinduism, he said that he is proud to belong to a religion that has taught the worth both - tolerance and universal acceptance. "We believe not only in universal tolerance but we accept all religions as true," he said. As per a report by Free Press Journal, the speech garnered major attention and earned Vivekananda the title of the cyclonic monk of India. Several political leaders remembered Swami Vivekananda 's speech in Chicago today which marks its 127th anniversary. Vice President of India Venkaiah Naidu said that in 2018 he had the "good" fortune of speaking at the same Art Institute of Chicago where Swami Vivekananda delivered his legendary speech in 1893. Today is the 127th anniversary of Swami Vivekanand's historic address at the Parliament of Worlds Religions. In 2018, I had the good fortune of speaking at the same Art Institute of Chicago, the place where Swami Vivekanand delivered his legendary speech in 1893. #vivekananda pic.twitter.com/f0nC12KBO8 Vice President of India (@VPSecretariat) September 11, 2020 Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Vivekananda's speech in 1893 perfectly demonstrated the spirit of Indias ethos and the values. The prime minister also shared a link to Vivekananda's speech and urged youngsters to read the text of his address. The world remembers 9/11 for the dastardly attack on this day in USA. If only humankind had walked on the path of Jai Jagat given by Acharya Vinoba Bhave & Swami Vivekanandas message of Universal Brotherhood given in 1893, the destruction that followed would not have occurred. Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 11, 2020 Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that Vivekanandas "vigorous" address was a transformational and stirring moment that introduced the entire world with a new idea of humanity. This day marks the 127th anniversary of the great Indian philosopher and spiritual genius, Swami Vivekananda ji's historic Chicago speech. His vigorous address was a transformational and stirring moment that introduced the entire world with a new idea of humanity. pic.twitter.com/qqW72dyEuU Amit Shah (@AmitShah) September 11, 2020 Amit Shah also said that Swami Vivekananda will always be remembered as one of the moulders of the modern world across the globe. Vivekananda jis idea of universal brotherhood, tolerance & harmony continues to liberate & touch the souls of millions. The vision of #NewIndia resonates around his life, work & teachings. He will always be remembered as one of the moulders of the modern world across the globe. Amit Shah (@AmitShah) September 11, 2020 BJP national president JP Nadda said the country remembers Vivekananda's scintillating address to the world where he highlighted the Indian values of tolerance and universal acceptance. He also said that the teaching of Vivekananda will always inspire and motivate generations. Vivekanand ji fused spiritualism with patriotism & envisioned not only the ideal of service of god in humanity but also the welfare of the World. For nation building, his teachings will always inspire & motivate generations. Jagat Prakash Nadda (@JPNadda) September 11, 2020 Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb said that Vivekananda's historic address changed the world's perspective on India. I am proud to belong to a religion which has taught the world both tolerance and universal acceptance. Today marks the anniversary of the Indian philosopher and Hindu monk, Swami Vivekanandas historic Chicago speech.His historic address changed world's perspective on India. pic.twitter.com/p9fNQVFCK3 Biplab Kumar Deb (@BjpBiplab) September 11, 2020 Remembering the historic speech, Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot said the "ideals and principles based on humanism and universal brotherhood" will always inspire. Remembering #SwamiVivekananda's historic address at the World's Parliament of Religions, Chicago on its 127th anniversary today. Swami Vivekananda's ideals & principles based on humanism & universal brotherhood would always guide & inspire. Ashok Gehlot (@ashokgehlot51) September 11, 2020 11september1893 Swami Vivekananda addressed world religions of Parliament & gave us message of"Universal Brotherhood", but our ruling regime often misquotes & misuse his message "Help & not Fight,"Assimilation and not Destruction," "Harmony & Peace & not Dissension." pic.twitter.com/dXIPZpPwq9 Santhosh Kolkunda (@santhoshadv) September 11, 2020 The Scroll report attributes Vivekanandas popularity in Chicago to factors such as his charisma and some of his statements which resonated with the contemporary American psyche. A pickup driver hauling a horse trailer loaded with more than 40 people tried to circumvent a federal checkpoint, according to the U.S. Border Patrol. Early Thursday, an agent observed a pickup hauling a horse trailer inside a ranch northeast of the checkpoint on U.S. 83. The agent encountered the vehicle as it was attempting to leave the ranch through a gate near Texas 44. Two different cleanups will take place on Saturday in different communities. One cleanup will happen on Saturday at the Meredosia riverfront. Matt Canada, scoutmaster of Pack 137, said Cub Scouts like to do a service project every year. Last year they sold candy at the riverfront for a fundraiser and saw all the sticks and trash from the river being washed up and thought it was a good idea to clean it up, he said. Its something for the kids to do, Canada said. 12 scouts will be apart of the cleanup on Saturday ages ranging from kindergarten through sixth grade. Its the first time for the scouts to be doing the cleanup. Volunteers are also welcome to be apart of the Meredosia cleanup. They can bring yard tools like rakes and shovels. Canada said they plan to pick up any sticks at the river, any trash, weeds. They waited until now to do the cleanup since the river is not flooding anymore. The cleanup will start at 1 p.m. at the Meredosia riverfront. If there is rain, Canada said they will reschedule. Illinois Forest Products in Beardstown has donated two trees to be planted at the riverfront. It was Jacksonville Rotarys year to host and Brittany Henry, Rotary past president, had an idea to put together a service club project that could impact the community in a positive way. The community service pickup day was something everyone could participate in and cover a big amount for the city. I wanted to put together a service club project that was welcome to all of our service clubs not just inclusive to one club, Henry said. The trash pickup event invited service clubs such as Lions Club, Ambucs, Rotary, Kiwanis and Pilot Club. Henry said COVID-19 put the service club idea on hold. The idea was changed to a litter service pickup day instead of everyone getting together and being together at once, she said. They will all still be together on the day, but in small groups. Everyone will be paired in a group of two. The event was important to get the service clubs together. The times for the pickup event begin at 8:45 a.m. and end around 10:30 a.m. starting at Minnie Barr Park and Kiwanis Park with nine different starting locations and 100 volunteer spots to fill. Every half hour, there will new locations like the downtown square. The last shift will begin around Washington School. If it rains, Henry said, it will move to the following weekend. Kiwanian Lori Large Oldenettel created a map that puts together 30 blocks within the city of Jacksonville. Oldenettel said that if they fill all 100 spots, they will cover 60 miles of roads and sidewalks throughout Jacksonville. From Vandalia Road to Walnut Street and from Hardin Avenue to Main Street is the primary focus, she said. This seemed like a really safe project that our clubs could do that would provide a lot of impact throughout the community, Oldenettel said. Hopefully its the first of many events we can do as a community with all the service clubs where can just unite and make a community impact collectively all together. Two service club members will meet at their drop-off locations, which will be at places like Washington Elementary School, Kiwanis Park and Community Park. When people come at that time, they will get their litter grabber and map of which route they will take. The collective service club project was announced almost a year ago after a joint service club meeting in November. ROSWELL, Ga., Sept. 10, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The host agency phenomenon is not a new development in the travel industry. Still, now entire agencies are joining a new program from Travel Quest Network, one of America's largest host agencies. Some individual independent agents outgrow their host agency, while even small agencies don't always get the best commission rates or access to marketing programs and technology. The pressures from COVID-19 are forcing small agencies to look for new ways to improve their business even to remain viable. Travel Quest Network Travel Quest Network's new Associate Agency Program is designed for small agencies that produce $2 to $10 million in annual ticketed sales (pre-COVID). Unlike a traditional hosting program, the Associate Agency Program is designed for agencies, not individual agents. Small agencies are seeing the clear value of the new program and flocking to join. "The Associate Agency Program is a different kind of model from our existing individual independent agent program, though they share many similarities," says Jason Block, CEO of Travel Quest Network and its parent company WorldVia Travel Group. "Agencies with multiple agents have different needs than individual independent agents, and we wanted to create a program that catered to this large group of agencies that are hurting right now to give them a better opportunity to thrive in the inevitable rebound." The program offers many benefits to its member agencies, but the central advantage Travel Quest Network offers is the ability to increase their commission revenue without losing control of the business or being forced to sell, all without any setup or ongoing membership fees. While Travel Quest Network offers GDS support and advanced corporate technology tools, the program also features user-friendly technology products for booking air, hotel, and cruises at no extra charge, as more and more small agencies abandon the GDS. Bonnie Lee, President of Travel Quest Network, thinks that this program can help these agencies weather the storm. According to Lee, "Ensuring the survival of all agencies of every shape and size is essential to preserving a vibrant and diverse agency community. Small agencies like this, most with brick and mortar storefronts, are among the most vulnerable. We think they deserve to survive, and we're thrilled to offer them this opportunity, to give them more tools to help rebuild their businesses, and to work with them to overcome these challenges." While the program was under development before COVID, the global pandemic has accelerated its market introduction, according to Block. Small and not so small, agencies are taking notice. "As we have quietly rolled this out into the marketplace, we're seeing tremendous interest and have added six new Associate Agencies to the program during our testing phase. Beginning in September, we are officially bringing the program to the market, and if our early adopters are any indication, we expect it to be very successful," says Block. One such early adopter, Pack Up + Go, is thrilled to have joined the Associate Agency program. Pack Up + Go is a "surprise travel agency," offering short, thoroughly planned custom trips to its clients to surprise destinations. Jordan Tobe, Pack Up + Go's Director of Operations, says, "Leadership at Pack Up + Go was so thrilled when we found Travel Quest Network's Associate Agency program in our search for ways to streamline our very manual booking process. For years, in an effort to avoid the commitment to operating our business using a GDS, we booked directly with each airline on their individual booking sites. When we realized that through the Associate Agency Program, we could make our booking flow more efficient, gain commission on domestic bookings, and see all of our air reservations in one placeall without needing to be GDS trainedwe knew we needed to make the switch immediately!" ABOUT TRAVEL QUEST NETWORK Travel Quest Network is one of the fastest-growing host agencies in the United States and serves thousands of leisure and business travelers annually through its network of independent travel professionals. Travel Quest Network's award-winning marketing, technology, supplier partnerships, and educational programs empower its members to differentiate themselves in the marketplace, grow their business, and thrive within the travel industry. Travel Quest Network is wholly owned by WorldVia Travel Group, a Travel Leaders associate agency and branch of Tzell Travel Group. For more information, please see: https://travelquestnetwork.com For press assets, please see: https://travelquestnetwork.com/newsroom ABOUT PACK UP + GO If you love to travel but hate all the planning, Pack Up + Go ( PackUpGo.com ) will take care of all of that for you. The only catch? ... you won't find out where you're going until the day you depart! Pack Up + Go takes the pain out of vacation planning by booking accommodations and providing curated city guides. They encourage travelers to engage with their destination, while exploring with spontaneity and ease, and they work to distribute the socioeconomic benefits of tourism among small and mid-sized cities while encouraging travelers to experience places they may not organically visit. Pack Up + Go currently offers Surprise Road Trips, Surprise Plane or Train Trips, Staycations, and Surprise Outdoor Road Trips. Related Files Travel Quest Network Logo.png Related Images travel-quest-logo.png Travel Quest logo Related Links Travel Quest Network Travel Quest Network Associate Program SOURCE Travel Quest Network Bridgeport, Connecticuts biggest city, has experienced its share of government corruption in the recent past, including a scandal that sent the current mayor to federal prison for seven years before his triumphant return to City Hall. On Thursday, federal prosecutors added a potential new entry to the citys dishonor roll, charging that the police chief and another official conspired to rig the hiring process to ensure that the chief got the top police job. The chief, Armando J. Perez, colluded with Bridgeports acting personnel director to obtain confidential test questions in advance, had two officers secretly complete his written test and made sure that the test-scoring criteria was tailored in his favor, according to a criminal complaint. The chief and the personnel director, David Dunn, schemed to rig the purportedly impartial and objective search for a permanent police chief to ensure the position was awarded to Perez, Audrey Strauss, the acting United States attorney in Manhattan, said in a statement announcing the charges against the two men. Queensland police are appealing for anyone with female children who was at a North Mackay Bunnings on the weekend to come forward, after charging a 25-year-old man over the alleged photographing of a child at the store. Detective Senior Sergeant Emma Novosel said an eight-year-old girl was in the Bunnings North Mackay store on Saturday, September 5, between 11am and midday, with her family. They were about to leave when the girl's brother told their father he had seen the man allegedly taking photos of his sister. "The child's father then approached the man, who denied he even had possession of a phone. The matter was reported to police and an investigation commenced," she said. "The pictures were of an indecent nature, they were actually what we would call up-skirting. The man got close enough to this young girl to take photos up her skirt." It's time to "hunker down." Two modes of coronavirus transmission are significantly higher than thought. One underlying health condition is the very worst. And the government isn't handling a few things wisely. The nation's top infectious-disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, spoke with Harvard Medical School for its Grand Rounds video series on Thursday, and he took us all to school by sharing the very latest on the important facts surrounding COVID-19 and what he predicts for this fall and winter. Here's everything he thinks you should know. Read on, and to ensure your health and the health of others, don't miss these Sure Signs You've Already Had Coronavirus. 1 Coronavirus Is "Much More" Aerosolized Than Thought Ill man wearing grey sweater, yellow hat and spectacles, blowing nose and sneeze into tissue Theories on the extent to which coronavirus is transmitted through respiratory droplets (the stuff produced by coughing, sneezing and breathing, which quickly drops to the ground) versus aerosols (smaller particles that can linger in the air) are changing. "There was some real misunderstanding about respiratory droplets and so-called aerosolized particles," he said. "The aerosol and particle physicists that have approached us now have told us that we really have gotten it wrong over many, many years. Bottom line is, this is much more aerosol than we thought." 2 Transmission From Surfaces Isn't Understood cleaning checkout station "Infected surfaces clearly occurred," said Fauci. "The degree to which they contribute to transmission is unclear." Related: Dr. Anthony Fauci on the race for a COVID-19 vaccine 3 The Virus Isn't Just In Respiratory Droplets "The virus is in multiple body fluids," said Fauci. "Again, what the role in transmission is unknown." 4 Animals Can Be Infected Woman in protective surgical mask holds dog pet in face mask "Animals, both domesticated and zoo animals can be infected," said Fauci. "And yet again, we do not know and doubt whether this is a major source of human infection." RELATED: COVID Mistakes You Should Never Make 5 Events, Not One Person, Are Super-Spreaders "They're really much more super-spread at events than super-spread of people," said Fauci. "We used to think that a single person may be particularly prone to spreading it a lot. It is much more likely it's the circumstance in which that person is, as opposed to anything specific about the specific person." Story continues 6 Asymptomatic Transmission Is Higher Than Previously Thought Friends in the Pub "The thing about this outbreak that is very perplexing in being able to track and get our arms around is the fact that about 40 to 50% of the infections are asymptomatic," says Fauci. "If that's not bad enough, we know that nowand there was some doubt about this until it was really clarifiedit is likely that up to about 50% of transmissions off of individuals who do not have symptoms." 7 What's "Most Perplexing" About COVID Female doctor with a patient who is complaining of chest pain during coronavirus epidemic. "The thing that's most perplexing to me as a physician is the extraordinary range and spectrum of disease severity," said Fauci. "About 80-plus percent of individuals have mild to moderate disease. About 15 to 20% have severe or critical disease. The case fatality rate varies greatly on age and underlying condition." 8 The Worst Underlying Health Condition To Have obese woman "We're seeing that obesity is probably one of the most important of the conditions that are strongly associated with an increased risk of severe illness," said Fauci. 9 His Not-So-Subtle Criticism of Washington An American woman wears a mask and goggles at the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, D.C. to protect herself from the COVID-19 coronavirus. "There's been some, I would say disagreement among people who discuss this in Washington, not to be named for today's presentation, who feel that one of the approaches may be just protect the people in the nursing home, because they are the ones that are susceptible to severe disease," said Fauci. "If the others get infected, there may not be a problem. Well, we know that's not the case, because there are enough people who have underlying conditions who are not in nursing homes, who clearly have a predisposition to severe disease." 10 This Is "The Holy Grail" of COVID Doctor filling syringe with medication, closeup. Vaccination and immunization Fauci said that a vaccine is what "we all feel is going to be the Holy Grail and really the intervention that is going to get us back to normal, which we all hope to do." 11 He Expects Multiple Vaccines Nurse administering vaccination to students arms in a high school. "We project that by the end of this calendar year, let's say November, December, we will know whether we have a safe and effective vaccine, and I would say vaccines, plural," said Fauci. "But again, with vaccines, you never say never. And you never say always, there's nothing guaranteed. We'll just have to see, but these trials are progressing very well." 12 Why Some People Have Severe COVID and Some Don't "It's gotta be multifactorial," Fauci said. "It has to have something to do with the person transmitting and the burden of disease and the viral load. It probably has something to do with the host and the recipient and the receptor and the density of receptors in the recipient and then the proximity of contact and how close that contact is." RELATED: 11 Signs You've Already Had COVID-19 13 The Number of Cases Depresses Him Doctor wearing protective gloves holding Flatten the Curve chart, sitting at the desk in front of laptop computer "When we get with the task force, we go over the data from the night before, and I keep looking at that curve and I get more depressed and more depressed about the fact that we never really get down to the baseline that I'd like." 14 These States Are Currently Surging People line up at a mobile Coronavirus testing site at Martin Luther King Jr. Community Hospital "If we try to open up and if we don't do it correctly, we're going to see these surges that we've seen in the Southern states and the Midwest," said Fauci. "And now, if you look at the map, it's Montana, North and South Dakota, Michigan, Minnesota, Iowathose are the ones that are surging. I think, as we get into the fall and we do more indoor things, we are likely going to see upticks in COVID-19." 15 Why We Want Australia's Recent Flu Season "I don't know what's going to happen and I'm not predicting, but what we have said might happen, actually has happened in Australia," said Fauci. "And that is that they have had the lightest influenza season in memory. They can't remember a season this light. And the reason is they're wearing masks, they're physical distancing, they're washing their hands, and they're avoiding crowds." 16 It's Time to "Hunker Down" Handsome man with beard in trendy formal suit wearing a medical face mask "I would hope that with a combination of everybody who should be getting vaccinated with influenza, and the public health measures that we do, prevent us from having a bad influenza season and we somehow don't have a massive resurgence of COVID. Because what I would like to see is keeping the lid on it, keeping the baseline down, until we get a vaccine." He added: "I just think we need to hunker down and get through this fall and winter, because it's not going to be easy." 17 What "Concerns" Him About Vaccine Distribution An asian woman in a protective suit and mask holds an injection syringe and vaccine "We have let our local public health system deteriorate over decades and decades. If we had it the way it should be, we would be in a much better position" to distribute the vaccine, said Fauci. "I have a lot of concerns about the vaccine. Right now the issue of supply chain and distribution is being put in the hands of the military. Which is fine because they have a lot of experience in supply chain and whatever. But in general, that's a CDC issue." 18 What He's Learned From COVID science, chemistry, biology, medicine and people concept - close up of scientist with test sample making research in clinical laboratory "Don't ever underestimate as it evolves. And don't try and look at the rosy side of things," said Fauci. "Number two, we can doand should always dogood, ethically sound, scientifically sound research during the outbreak. This idea of throwing everything to somebody, because it's desperate, doesn't work. It's gotten us into trouble with other diseases. So let's not forget the fact that although you want to get the best intervention to someone as quickly as possible, that there is a major role for ethically sound controlled clinical trials, we have to do that." As for yourself, do everything you can to prevent gettingand spreadingCOVID-19 in the first place: Mask up, get tested if you think you have coronavirus, avoid crowds (and bars, and house parties), practice social distancing, only run essential errands, wash your hands regularly, disinfect frequently touched surfaces, and to get through this pandemic at your healthiest, don't miss these 35 Places You're Most Likely to Catch COVID. The Health and Technology District in Surrey, B.C. is partnering with Halo Health, Canada's first angel network for healthcare, on a new collaboration to expand and support health-tech innovations and entrepreneurs. The Health and Technology District is a vibrant ecosystem of innovators and entrepreneurs working alongside scientists, clinicians and health-care providers - each representing a range of technologies and research fields. Located immediately adjacent to Surrey Memorial Hospital, it is one of B.C.'s most rapidly growing and dynamic health-tech sectors where innovators, clinicians and researchers work in partnership to generate disruptive healthcare impacts through the translation of research, science and technology into global innovations. Halo Health is a not-for-profit angel network of entrepreneurial medical doctors, physicians, healthcare graduates and medical students supporting and scaling health-tech companies that build and strengthen the future of healthcare. Our mission is to help Canada's early stage medical technology companies succeed and grow by connecting them with potential funders from our network of physician-investors,Our angel network has an interest in investing in digital health and medical technologies, while growing our physician network and nurturing literacy in health technologies and innovations." Luke Sheen, Executive Director, Halo Health The partnership enables both groups to grow and inspire health innovation activities and initiatives, and address challenges associated with establishing a national, like-minded entrepreneurial network across communities of medicine. "We are always looking for opportunities to collaborate with forward-thinking, leading edge organizations to expand our growing network of health-tech innovators and entrepreneurs," says Rowena Rizzotti, Vice President of Healthcare and Innovations at the Health and Technology District. "Partnering with Halo Health will empower both organizations to strengthen and expand innovative initiatives and health technologies, and to expand our collective impact across Canada and strengthen Canada's overall performance in the health innovation domain." Nasa will pay companies to bring it rocks back from the Moon. The space agency will buy rocks, dirt and other bits of the lunar surface from companies who can make the journey to the Moon and back. The plan is part of Nasas broader plan to encourage private space exploration, which includes the extraction of materials from objects elsewhere in space. Nasa Administrator Jim Bridenstine wrote in a blog post accompanying the announcement that the plans would not violate a 1967 treaty that holds that celestial bodies and space are exempt from national claims of ownership. The initiative, targeting companies that plan to send robots to mine lunar resources, is part of Nasas goal of setting what Bridenstine called "norms of behavior" in space and allowing private mining on the moon in ways that could help sustain future astronaut missions. NASA said it views the mined resources as the property of the company, and the materials would become "the sole property of Nasa" after purchase. Under Nasas Artemis program, President Donald Trump's administration envisions a return of American astronauts to the moon by 2024. Nasa has cast such as mission as a precursor to a future first human voyage to Mars. "The bottom line is we are going to buy some lunar soil for the purpose of it demonstrating that it can be done," Bridenstine said during an event hosted by the Secure World Foundation, a space policy organization. Bridenstine said Nasa eventually would buy more types of resources such as ice and other materials that may be discovered on the moon. Nasa in May set the stage for a global debate over the basic principles governing how people will live and work on the moon, releasing the main tenets of what it hopes will become an international pact for moon exploration called the Artemis Accords. This would permit companies to own the lunar resources they mine, a crucial element in allowing NASA contractors to convert the moon's water ice for rocket fuel or mine lunar minerals to construct landing pads. Under the initiative disclosed on Thursday, Nasa offered to purchase limited amounts of lunar resources and asked companies to offer proposals. Under contracts whose terms would vary, a company mining on the moon would collect lunar rocks or dirt to sell to NASA without having to bring the resources back to Earth. "This is one small step for space resources, but a giant leap for policy and precedent," Mike Gold, Nasas chief of international relations, told Reuters. "They are paying the company to sell them a rock that the company owns. That's the product," Joanne Gabrynowicz, former editor-in-chief of the Journal of Space Law, said in an interview. "A company has to decide for itself if it's worth taking the financial and technological risk to do this to sell a rock." Additional reporting by agencies MONTGOMERY The Alabama Court of Criminal Appeal upheld the convictions of Jacory Tyshon Townsend for murder and shooting into an occupied vehicle, which claimed the life of Xavier Hykeem Thomas. Townsend was convicted in the Pike County Circuit Court in January 2019. The evidence at trial showed that on May 26, 2017, the victim was a passenger in a vehicle that was backing into a parking space in Brundidge. As soon as the car had been parked, another vehicle with tinted windows drove up and blocked the vehicle in which Thomas was riding. According to witnesses, Townsend jumped out of the passenger side of the vehicle and started shooting at Thomas vehicle. Witnesses later found Thomas lying in the vehicle. He was transported to a hospital in Troy and pronounced dead due to numerous gunshot wounds. Pike County District Attorney Tom Andersons office successfully prosecuted this case and obtained a guilty verdict. Townsend was sentenced to life imprisonment for his murder conviction and 20 years imprisonment for shooting into an occupied vehicle. Townsend sought to have his convictions reversed on appeal. Katie Holmes was recently spotted out of her comfort zone and getting smoochy with new toyboy Emilio Vitolo Jr. Their PDA-packed photos immediately went viral on social media, with people getting shocked by Holmes's unusual display of affection. Based on the photos obtained by the "Daily Mail," the 41-year-old actress and the 33-year-old chef were passionately kissing each other at Vitolo's father's famous Nolita restaurant in New York. The couple looks like in the middle to a romantic film as they hug and gaze at each other, just one look proves that they are clearly in love. However, it looks like Holmes's cloud nine moments would not last for long as it appears like the chef and aspiring actor cheated and used her while committing an act of infidelity. Yikes! Emilio Vitolo a Cheater? Vitolo is now being labeled as a "cheater" after a source close to him revealed that the chef was actually engaged when he hooked up with Holmes. And to make the situation worst, the insider told the UK news outlet that Vitolo only dumped her finance hours before their canoodling NYC photos went viral on social media. The source revealed that Vitolo broke up with his fiance, Rachel Emmons, via text message. But wait, there's more! Vitolo also ended his 18-month engagement without even telling the 24-year-old designer about his high profile fling. "Up to this press coming out, Rachel had no idea what was going on," Emmons's friend told the Daily Mail. "He is a cheater, and this isn't a 'happy ending' story," the friend added. The insider claims that Vitolo and his live-in partner are already planning their wedding, but now the young designer is left with bad publicity and was forced to move home. Meanwhile, another friend told "The Sun" that the supposed bride-to-be only learned about Vitolo having an affair when friends sent her articles on Holmes's kissing the love of her life. "She thinks it's disrespectful for it to be so public," the source said, adding that Emmons find the timing "bizarre and disappointing." "Rachel feels Emilio could have been more honest and dealt with it like a gentleman and face-to-face," the friend added. The friend said they are not sure if Holmes knows what she is getting into and aware that Vitolo was still engaged. "If she did, it's a bad example to set for her daughter," the friend added. Engagement Confirmation Vitolo and the founder of "Anna Rachel Studio" were reportedly dating for two years now. Although they unofficially announced their engagement last year, Emmons uploaded a photo wearing an engagement ring. "My number one. Future husband and love of my life," Emmons wrote alongside a romantic photo of the couple. As of writing, Emmons's Instagram account is still filled with sweet couple photos with Vitolo, while the celebrity chef rarely posts pictures with her fiance. READ MORE: Tom Hanks Health Update: Actor In Quarantine Again in Australia? Refugees and migrants from the Moria camp stranded on the island of Lesbos after the camp burnt down (AFP or licensors) The fires that devastated the Moria refugee camp on the Greek island of Lesbos this week and the despair of its former inhabitants have highlighted the need for an urgent migration policy that puts the person at the centre. By Linda Bordoni Greece began setting up tents on Friday for thousands of migrants left without shelter on the island of Lesbos after a fire destroyed the nations biggest refugee camp three days ago. With more than 12,000 former occupants of the notoriously overcrowded Moria camp now camping out in fields and along roadsides and threatened by a possible spread of coronavirus infections, the need for a solution has become increasingly urgent. The disaster that observers say was predictable because of the untenable conditions in the camp highlights Europes inability to agree on a common policy that would protect the migrants while sharing responsibility for their relocation. Religious leaders, faith-based groups and humanitarian organizations are calling for a rapid response to the crisis, while aid workers on the ground are helping deliver food and water to those left without a roof over their heads. As Silvia Sinibaldi, Humanitarian Director at Caritas Europa says, the organization is calling for the safety of those on the move and European solidarity. Speaking to Vatican Radio, she also told of the first-hand information provided by Caritass Greek office, Caritas Hellas, that has a team on the ground in Lesbos. Listen to the interview with Silvia Sinibaldi Sinibaldi described the situation on the island of Lesbos as quite tense with thousands of former Moria inhabitants stranded on the streets with no water or shelter. She said a large number of them are trying to enter the islands main town of Mytilene but they are being stopped by police. She said the Caritas Hellas team is coordinating with the Greek Minister of migration who is the leader of the response in coordination with UNHCR. They have offered support distributing water, and sleeping bags if needed - but lets hope not - because this would mean that migrants would be relocated either on the mainland or elsewhere on the island. They are also informing, helping with the translations and giving guidance to some 10,000 migrants that are stranded on the streets, she said. EU must take action and find a solution Sinibaldi spoke of the frustration of witnesses regarding an emergency that was so predictable: the conditions in Moria camp have been crazy for the last 5 years, she said. She added this is because the problem cannot be shouldered by the Greek government alone. A European solution must be found: it is a matter of solidarity and shared responsibility, she said. She explained that the European Union is currently working on a new pact on asylum and migration and expressed her hope that this accident is a warning sign that the current model is doomed to fail and in no way must it be replicated. A fair and permanent relocation system ensuring solidarity and responsibility should be put in place and all this should be in full respect of human rights, putting the person at the centre, the dignity of the person at the centre, and knowing that in this situation everyone is living in a vulnerable situation, not only those who are traditionally considered vulnerable categories. This situation calls for full solidarity for everyone, she said. Pope Franciss call to welcome, protect, promote and integrate migrants Sinibaldi recalled Pope Franciss powerful visit to the island of Lesbos and to Moria camp in April 2016, noting that already, in that occasion, the bad conditions in the camps for migrants and refugees where under the spotlight for all to see. It is disturbing," she said, "to see that since then very little has been done in terms of relocation. Sinibaldi said that since Tuesdsays fire, 400 children have been relocated to the mainland and Germany is calling loudly for a fair relocation system. She also recalled a papal audience yesterday, in which Pope Francis addressed members of an organization working to support migrants. He reminded us of our responsibility to welcome, protect, promote and integrate migrants, and that in no way people should die looking for hope and a safe place. I would say that Moria is a clear example that we stopped at the first two phases of welcome and protect, and went no further than that. This, she continued, should serve as a stark reflection for European leaders who are asked to find a common solution. Immediately after the fire, Cardinal Hollerich, the President of the Commission of the Bishops Conferences of the EU, said that it is Europe's dignity that went up in flames in the Moria camp. A shame for Europe Sinibaldi agrees the conditions in Moria were unbearable, worse than in other camps in much poorer parts of the world, and this is happening at the core of the European Union and this is shameful for Europe. Caritas Europa is calling, once again, Sinibaldi concluded, for a system where the sharing of responsibility and solidarity of member states is recalled; where people are put at the centre of the new pact on asylum and migration in which safe and legal pathways to access Europe are foreseen. There are many positive examples, but it is not fair or just to rely on small projects without putting a fairer EU system in place. Miton Global Opportunities Plc - Revised Arrangements for the AGM Miton Global Opportunities plc (the "Company", "MIGO") 11 September 2020 Revised Arrangements for the Annual General Meeting ("AGM") THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IS IMPORTANT AND REQUIRES YOUR IMMEDIATE ATTENTION Attendance at the AGM is no longer possible Shareholders should vote in advance by proxy Shareholders should consult the website for further information On 14 July 2020, Miton Global Opportunities plc posted the notice of its Annual General Meeting ("AGM") to be held at 12.00 noon on Thursday, 24 September 2020 at 25 Southampton Buildings, London WC2A 1AL. At the time we were hoping that as many shareholders as possible would be able to attend. This is no longer possible. On 9 September 2020, the UK Government announced new mandatory measures in relation to social distancing to reduce the transmission of the Coronavirus COVID-19. In particular, social gatherings of more than six people will be banned with effect from Monday, 14 September. We fully support these measures to protect public health and safety. As a result, it is now no longer possible for us to hold our AGM in the normal way. Revised arrangements We are required by law to hold an AGM and, given the unprecedented circumstances, the Board has decided that this year the statutory, formal business will be conducted with the minimum quorum of shareholders present to meet the legal requirements. The Directors, who are also shareholders, will constitute the quorum. There will be no live presentation from the Investment Managers and no opportunity to interact with the Directors and no shareholders will be admitted to the meeting. Voting Shareholders can vote by: Logging onto the Share Portal Service at www.signalshares.com and following instructions; Requesting a hard copy form of proxy directly from the registrars, Link Asset Services at enquiries@linkgroup.co.uk or on (0) 371 664 0391; or In the case of CREST members, utilising the CREST electronic proxy appointment service in accordance with the procedures set out in the Notice of Meeting. As physical attendance at the AGM will not be possible, shareholders should submit their votes by 12.00 noon on 22 September 2020 at the latest. Please appoint the Chairman of the meeting as your proxy for this purpose, as the attendance of other proxies at the AGM (other than the Directors) will not be allowed. Voting in advance of the meeting by any of the abovementioned means, will ensure that your votes are registered. Voting results will be confirmed at the meeting and then publicly announced on the London Stock Exchange and on the Company's website. If you are using hard copy proxy forms, please bear in mind that postal services might be slower than normal. The Notice of AGM can be found at the back of the annual report and also on the Company's website: www.premiermiton.com/migo Connecting with the Board and Investment Managers The Board believes that maintaining the dialogue with shareholders is extremely important. Any questions to the Board or the Investment Managers should be submitted before the AGM so we can ensure that your questions are answered either before or after the meeting on the Company's website www.premiermiton.com/migo You can submit questions up until 5.00pm on 22 September 2020 in the following ways: 1. By email: send your questions to info@frostrow.com 2. By phone: call us on +44 (0) 20 3709 8732 Updates from the Investment Managers are also available from the Company's website on www.premiermiton.com/migo The Board would like to thank all shareholders for their continued support and understanding. These are unusual measures and we hope that our shareholders and other stakeholders understand that everyone's health and safety must be our first priority in these exceptional circumstances. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: Frostrow Capital LLP Company Secretary Tel: +44 (0) 20 3709 8732 Email: info@frostrow.com -ENDS- File / Hearst Connecticut Media GREENWICH Officers were called to a large social event taking place at a local business on Havemeyer Place across the street from police headquarters at about 7 p.m. Wednesday, police said. We responded to a report of a large party in the central business district where masks and social distancing was not being adhered to, police Capt. Mark Zuccerella said Thursday. After speaking with the event coordinator, he agreed to end the event. No summons were issued at this time. File image Bharatiya Janata Partys West Bengal unit chief Dilip Ghosh declared at a rally in Hooghly district that novel coronavirus pandemic is gone and that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was intentionally imposing a lockdown to stop his party from holding rallies in the state. "Corona is gone! Didi (Mamata Banerjee) is acting. She is intentionally imposing lockdown so that BJP cannot hold meetings and rallies in Bengal," Ghosh said on September 9, according to news reports. The video clip of Ghosh claiming that corona is gone was circulating on social media platforms. Ghosh said that Trinamool Congress supreme Banerjee's brothers were feeling unwell after seeing the support BJP was getting in the state. "They are feeling unwell not due to fear of coronavirus, but due to the fear of BJP," he added. On September 10, the COVID-19 death toll in West Bengal increased to 3,771 after 41 more fatalities were reported. The overall COVID-19 tally in the state increased to 1.93 lakh. The states recovery rate stood at 85.9 percent. 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 West Bengal is expected to head for Legislative Assembly elections in the first half of 2021. Banerjees TMC is hoping to overcome a challenge from a surging BJP in the state. 'This project started with my mom mortgaging her mangalsutra.' 'I have been successfully keeping my dream alive by mortgaging my brother's house.' IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Damodardas Modi applauded Captain Amol Yadav's efforts when they met on October 20, 2019. All photographs: Kind courtesy Amol Yadav If 15 million Indians decide to contribute just one rupee each, (yes you tread it right; just one rupee), Captain Amol Shivaji Yadav, who has built an indigenous six-seater airplane can finish the second mandatory test flight at 2,000 feet after which, in about six months, his company Thrust Aircraft Company can manufacture 100 airplanes in about an year. If that wouldn't make aviation history in India by an Indian, what will? "My dream of making airplanes in India, by an Indian, is at stake for me," says the 44-year-old ex-jet Airways pilot, who has built the TAC003 on the terrace of his house in Kandivali, north west Mumbai. After spending more than 19 years to just get the permission to fly and about Rs 6 crore (Rs 60 million) of his and his family's hard-earned money, Captain Yadav is struggling to get another Rs 15 million to complete the 2,000 feet test flight by maneuvering the aircraft at that altitude as per Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) norms. "I just need about one-and-a-half crore rupees; if I have it, I will just go ahead and finish it off tomorrow," Captain Yadav tells Prasanna D Zore/Rediff.com when asked how prepared he is for this second test and the hurdle he needs to cross to do it. On Independence Day 2020, Captain Yadav successfully completed a test flight -- which he considers was the most challenging -- showcasing his airplane's capabilities to taxi at high and low speed, turn his airplane 180 degrees on ground, take off in a balanced manner, keep the plane in air for a while and then descend and touch down on the same airstrip at Dhule airport in a straight line. "If I stopped doing this I don't see for the next 20, 30 years, anybody who will dream of making airplanes in India," says Captain Yadav when asked what happens if he fails. "100 per cent. There is no doubt about it!" he beams when asked about the odds of crossing the second hurdle of flying his plane 2,000 feet above ground. IMAGE: Captain Amol Yadav with the skeletal design of the TAC003. Tell us about your first test flight that was successful... I have been repeatedly saying the plane tests are successful. On this 15th August, our Independence Day, we announced that our airplane has successfully cleared the first phase of test flight schedule, wherein we needed to check if airplane can move ahead on ground. We did certain technical maneuvers called slow speed taxi, high speed taxi, and then checked whether it can be turned 180 degrees on ground, if my airplane can break properly, and if it be maneuvered properly on the ground. After that, we have to check whether the airplane can take off at the desired speed, which varies with the weight and temperature. We have to calculate that and maybe at about close to 65 knots it takes off. This take off speed varies with every takeoff depending upon weight changes, temperature changes, tailwind, headwind; all these variables matter while deciding the takeoff speed. The airplane lifted off very easily as expected; then after it takes off it is supposed to do a balanced flight. But to land on the same runway what we wanted to do was climb and maintain a straight and level flight and then descend again on the same runway and land. After the balance flight we have to descend and land on the same runway. After landing we have to apply brakes and stop before the runway ends. These are the various very critical tests which we have completed successfully. After getting the Permit to Fly from the DGCA, this test was conducted successfully by me. We had cameras and other instruments installed in the airplane. All the flight parameters were recorded and will be handed over to the DGCA if they want to analyse the first test flight. IMAGE: The construction of the TAC003 underway. What is the next stage in achieving your dream of having an India-made airplane fly in Indian skies? In the next phase we are going to take off and climb up to 2000 feet. After reaching that altitude we will do various turns and after that we will commence our descent and land back again at the same (Dhule, in Maharashtra) airport. When and where is it likely to happen? It is planned at Dhule airport. That's the usual station of the airplane. We want to do it as soon as possible. We are just expecting some more funds so that we can conduct these tests. How are you managing the funds? Is that a big challenge? I have not been getting any funds. I have received nothing. I have received no help from nobody. As simple and straightforward as that! How much have you spent on your first test flight? We have spent about Rs 6 crore till today, together. It's all my money, my family, my friends. SEE: Captain Amol Yadav undertaking the successful take off and landing at Dhule airport. No help from either the state government or the Union government? Nobody has helped yet, except three gentlemen: one Mr Dinesh, Mr Kamlakar and Mr Lalit Kale. How much will you need to conduct your second test? The most critical tests of the airplane are conducted. Now, I will be going 2,000 feet high. This machine is performing very beautifully, very responsive. Nice machine we have made. But whatever it is, it's a new airplane design, which I am going to test fly. When we go 2,000 feet high, there is definitely a risk involved. This project started with my mom mortgaging her mangalsutra. I have been successfully keeping my dream alive by mortgaging my brother's house. So that is where it started and we are sustaining this way. Suppose tomorrow when I go to 2,000 feet high and if things go against me and if I die, then my entire family will go bankrupt in a month. My brother's house is under mortgage; we have used up all our savings and whatever else we had so that I can go about achieving my dream. I am the most important earning member and if something untoward happens to me then my entire family will be out in the streets with no backup money. Mine is a huge family; 18 people staying together. So, I am expecting at least Rs one-and-a -half crore in my account to take care of my family's financial needs and I can go up there, take that risk and finish it off. I have been saying repeatedly that the tests are successful, but I was not saying that the airplane is flying. Right now I am saying the airplane is flying because I have the insurance for the airplane. Somehow, we have gathered that insurance money, which was very huge for me. Now I have insurance and the airplane is also insured. If at all, I stopped doing this, I don't see for the next 20 years, 30 years, anybody who will dream of making airplanes in India. My chief engineer keeps telling me that you are not allowed to fail anymore. I just need about one-and-a-half crore rupees; if I have I will just go ahead and finish it off. SEE: Capt Amol Yadav explains the details of the first test flight. What are the chances that this 2,000 feet test will be successful? 100 per cent chances (of being successful). There is no doubt about it! Once you complete this second test successfully, how long before a made in India aircraft is made in India? How many years more before a commercial aircraft will be manufactured in India? Well, it depends on the financial help I will get after the second test flight is over. It will not be hundreds of thousands of crores of rupees! Rs 100 crore to Rs 200 crore (Rs 1 billion to rs 2 billion) will suffice... because I consider if I have all the required finances, then to make one type of airplane we will need just six months. Once we start manufacturing that airplane, we can manufacture hundred airplanes per year. Will the second test be your final test? The tests will go on in phases; there will be more tests, but the main test is to do something that is called the 'circuit'. That is at 2000 feet, we will maneuver the flight as per set DGCA norms. Will that be the most challenging test? No, no, no, no, no. The most challenging were high speed taxi on ground, take off, balance flight and landing and stopping before the runway ends was the most challenging which capabilities we have already successfully completed. What is at stake for you now? My dream of making airplanes in India, by an Indian, is at stake for me In independent India, this is the first indigenously made, six-seater airplane, which is registered by the DGCA. IMAGE: The fully-built TAC003 What will be your message for our readers? I have set my goal to make regional connectivity in India a reality for which I am making airplanes. I have my challenges, but I am confident of scaling my challenges. I am continuously, relentlessly, working towards achieving my goals. So anybody who wants to be successful in life must set their goals and persevere relentlessly to achieve that. If you want to contribute towards helping an Indian create aviation history, you can contact Captain Amol Shivaji Yadav at 9320032733. TAIPEI, Sept. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Supervised by Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC), organized by Taiwan Financial Services Round Table (TFSR) and hosted by Institute for Information Industry (III) and Taiwan Depository & Clearing Corporation (TDCC) have joined forces to host Taiwan RegTech Challenge (TRC) 2020, an inaugural international challenge in Taiwan. This public-private-partnership, executed by TDCC and FinTechSpace, is supported by over 20 financial institutes across all financial sectors. After 3 months of interview, practical issues from financial supervision to industrial digital supervision are identified. TRC 2020 calls for local and international solutions for accelerating the implementation of RegTech in industries. All participating teams get the chance to be mentored by local experts and the winning prize includes resources and services valued near US$300,000. TRC 2020 opens up a common platform for solution providers to meet and consult with Taiwan regulators and matching with financial institutes. Starting today until October 16th, challenge rounds include the Preliminary, the Semi-final and the Final, which will be hosted on January 28 and 29, 2021. Taiwan RegTech Challenge 2020 proposes the challenge and seeks for solutions in three main areas In response to FSC's policy, financial technology development needs and pain points are consolidated and discussed by experts via workshop. These are categorized into three main topics with seven sub-topics as the following: Topic Sub-topic 1 eKYC 1.1 Primary and premium information process and collection for KYC purposes like electronic identification, strong authentication, etrust services (eIDAS), identity verification, etc. 2 Monitoring, Surveillance & Data Sharing 2.1 Dynamic and automatic real-time data sharing for supervisors and regulators for surveillance relating to operational risk, market risk, sanction risk, etc. 2.2 Timely incident related information collection and analysis 2.3 Data sharing in compliance 3 Financial Crime Compliance & Fraud Detection 3.1 Suspicious transactions, accounts and behavior detection for money laundering, financing of terrorism, employee misconduct, etc. 3.2 Fraud detection 3.3 Beneficial ownership identification To effectively promote application, TRC 2020 provides data partner/mentor and one-on-one evaluation mechanisms. Participating teams which are not familiar with financial industry in Taiwan may require relevant data or pairing up with an industry expert. During the Semi-final and the Final, TRC 2020 will provide regulations & compliance and information security/feasibility checkup to ensure information security and compliance. Furthermore, participating teams have the opportunity to obtain FSC regulatory clinic's counseling and Azure platform provided by Microsoft Taiwan as the development environment. 30 participating teams will be selected to enter the Semi-final. After matching and counseling, 15 will be selected to enter the Final competing for the TRC awards (final 3 and 2 runner-ups) and the PoC prize, awarded by the sponsoring organizations. The prizes include: TRC Awards PoC Prize FinTechSpace resources: Rent free for a hot desk in FinTechSpace for 12 (Final 3) / 6 months (runner-ups) (Final 3) / 6 months (runner-ups) FinTechSpace mentoring including information security check, regulatory clinic, free Baker McKenzie regulation checkup (1 hour), and free AWS cloud space (FinTechSpace AWS JIB)* 2021 FinTech Taipei: Free 2 standard booths for final 3 and 1 standard booth for 2 runner-ups One Demo session Business and venture capital matching eKYC Theme Award: TWCA will issue an EAPS report for the award-winning proposals. After residing at FinTechSpace, the winning team can launch its API on eKYC digital sandbox. AWS Bank SinoPac Cathy United Bank E. Sun Bank Far Eastern International Bank LINE Bank Mega International Commercial Bank Next Bank Taishin International Bank TDCC Yunta Securities For more information: https://www.fintechspace.com.tw/trc2020-en/ *AWS credits must be applied directly to AWS through FinTechSpace. The winner must not have received past credits more than the offered credits at this time and also meet the Terms and Conditions (see https://aws.amazon.com/awscredits) of FinTechSpace and FinTechSpace Powered by AWS. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1251823/Global_innovators_invited_participate_Taiwan_s_Inaugural_RegTech_Challenge_inaugural_international.jpg (TNS) The buzz of dragonflies on the south fork marsh of the Skagit River Delta was temporarily replaced last week by the whine of a drone.Biologists with the state Department of Fish & Wildlife used a drone Aug. 31 to Sept. 3 to assess habitat conditions on Skagit Wildlife Area land, collecting imagery of about 1,200 acres of tidal marsh habitat.The drone followed an automated, pre-plotted flight plan from a height of about 400 feet. The primary objective of the survey was to document invasive narrow-leaf cattails.In collaboration with Western Washington University, Fish & Wildlife is surveying several areas to document invasive and native vegetation. While looking specifically for invasive cattails, biologists will also note other invasive species, including purple loosestrife, reed canary grass and knotweed.Biologist Daniel Zimmerman said the narrow-leaf cattails are a growing problem in the Skagit Wildlife Area.Those will eventually not only choke out all the native cattails but will affect other emerging native species, he said. For instance, waterfowl food, salmon habitat, all that kind of stuff will be affected.Skagit County Noxious Weed Control Board Coordinator Joseph Shea said while cattails are not a focus of his work, he understands the reason for concern.Some people might not mind it, but thats how a lot of noxious weeds are, he said. Someone who is not using the specific land for a specific land use may not be bothered by it. But if you are trying to rehabilitate native species and things of that nature, then it definitely becomes a concern.Through earlier ground surveys, Fish & Wildlife located hundreds of acres of invasive cattails.Zimmerman said for the size of the survey area, that was quite a large amount.It is hybridizing with the native cattails and is, as of right now, pretty much outcompeting a lot of the native vegetation, he said. Hopefully the use of the drone will be able to give us a better idea of what we are dealing with.When the invasive cattail crossbreeds with the native cattail, it creates a bigger, more invasive and dense species. In some areas, the cattails are 13 feet tall and tightly packed, making it nearly impossible to penetrate by foot.The height of the cattails blocks off open water from waterfowl. And no open water means no place to forage.Its the same story for juvenile salmon.Thats a big thing right now, Zimmerman said. This is all on the marsh plain, and if you get these channels suddenly blocked its like a picket fence. There is no area for those young salmon to get out onto the marsh plain.The density in which the invasive cattails grow has been an advantage to those conducting the drone survey as they are easily identified from above.The drone allows us to get a really good aerial view, much better than we normally would, and the quality is good enough to differentiate the native cattails from the non-native, Zimmerman said.The view also helps Fish & Wildlife track how well current eradication efforts are working.Now we will be able to show people exactly what is going on, rather than it simply being word of mouth, Zimmerman said. We will have visual evidence of, yes, this is working.Zimmerman doesnt expect to see the fruits of his labor for at least a month, adding he hopes to have an updated plan for fighting the invasive species in place by next spring.Currently, herbicides are used to control the spread of the cattails. Herbicides are more effective than large-scale mowing, which is difficult due to terrain and the fact the invasive cattails tend to grow back.The goal is more native cattails and fewer of the non-native ones.Hopefully, once we get more open water, more of that native vegetation, it will really do a lot more for the waterfowl, fish, shorebirds all that good stuff, Zimmerman said. Hopefully we can get it back to its original ecosystem. The inter-Afghan negotiations follow the signing early this year of an agreement between the United States and the Taliban, calling for the gradual withdrawal of U.S. and other foreign forces in Afghanistan in exchange for Taliban agreement to sit down and negotiate a political settlement of the war with the government of Afghan President Ashraf Ghani. Jaffer Bhai Mansuri, fondly known as the Biryani King of Mumbai who was instrumental in setting up the famous Delhi Darbar restaurant in 1973, passed away due to cardiac arrest on Thursday while being treated for COVID-19. Mansuri, 83, who was originally from Ahmedabad, is survived by four sons and three daughters. The Biryani King was undergoing treatment at the Breach Candy Hospital here, where he was admitted a week ago with symptoms of COVID-19. Jaffer Bhais Delhi Darbar chain of restaurants got famous for its Mughlai cuisine with full of Awadhi flavours ranging from kababs, daal gosht, various types chicken, mutton dishes and biryanis, including its signature dish mutton biryani". Maharashtras Minority Development as well as Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Minister Nawab Malik said in a tweet, Saddened to hear about the demise of Jaffer Bhai Mansuri of Delhi Darbar." May the almighty grant him jannah. Condolences and strength with the family in the hour of grief," he added. Jaffer Bhai, who began his culinary journey from an outlet in the crowded Islamapur near Kamathipura in the city, expanded his chain of restaurants when his sons joined him in the business Jaffer Bhais Delhi Darbar. Pradeep Shetty, vice-president of the Hotel and Restaurant Association of Western India (HRAWI) and joint honorary secretary of the Federation of Hotel and Restaurant Associations of India (FHRAI) told PTI: Our collective hearts go out to the family for their loss. Jaffer Bhai built a legacy that was, is and will be admired by many generations of Biryani aficionados to come." The hotel and restaurant fraternity will miss him dearly, Shetty added. Jaffer Bhai was a personal friend and will always be known as the Biryani King of Mumbai, said Gurbaxish Singh Kohli, president of HRAWI and vice-president of FHRAI. His passing away is a big loss to the Mumbai restaurant community. My deepest and heartfelt condolences to his family," Kohli added. LANSING, MI An extensive state review of Canadian energy giant Enbridges compliance with easement requirements for its Line 5 pipeline under the Straits of Mackinac is wrapping up soon, according to Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. Whitmer said the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), which holds the easement title, is finishing its review during remarks to the Chicago-based Environmental Law & Policy Center, which held virtual gala on Thursday, Sept. 10. The DNR review has been pending since last summer. We know a break in that pipeline would be an utter disaster, Whitmer said. As the DNR is wrapping up its easement review, I think its really very likely there will be a determination on that particular front in the very near future. Whitmer added that she remains aligned with the attorney general and the work that shes doing because I want to get this pipeline out of the water at the earliest possible moment. Whitmer has been criticized by environmental groups in Michigan for moving slowly to shut down Line 5. Pipeline opponents want her to revoke the 1953 easement that gives Enbridge authority to use the state-owned lake bottom to transport oil and gas. Mike Shriberg, regional director for the National Wildlife Federation, criticized Whitmer in a Bridge Magazine column this month for failing thus far to decommission the pipeline. Governor Whitmers political legacy will be decided in part by Line 5, wrote Shriberg, who served on a pipeline advisory board created by Gov. Rick Snyder. The legal underbrush has largely been cleared and the time for studies has passed its now time for a decision. The DNR told MLive on Thursday that its working with the governors office to finalize the review but it did not have a definitive timeline for completion. Whitmer ordered the DNR in June 2019 to undertake a comprehensive review of Enbridges compliance with the 1953 easement. Environmental groups have argued for years that Enbridge has violated terms of the easement in the past by allowing, among other things, erosion to create large unsupported spans in the dual underwater line. A DNR recommendation that Michigan revoke the easement is seen as a crucial legal hurdle that would be necessary before Whitmer could move to shut the line down. Any attempt to revoke the easement is likely to be met by resistance in court from Enbridge, which maintains that the 67-year-old pipeline is safe even as it seeks permits necessary to build a tunnel under the straits that would house a new, replacement pipeline. Whitmer addressed the tunnel in her gala remarks, saying she asked state Attorney General Dana Nessel to review a 2018 lame duck legislation that enabled construction of a tunnel as part of a deal between Enbridge and Snyder. The Michigan Court of Appeals ruled in favor of Enbridge this summer after Nessel declared the tunnel law unconstitutional and Enbridge sued in court. Nessel has asked the Michigan Supreme Court to review that decision. Nessel is seeking to have the pipeline shut down in a separate lawsuit in Ingham County Circuit Court, in which shes called Line 5 a public nuisance. Is the tunnel agreement valid? The courts have held yes it is. Now, its on us to make sure there are no violations of the easement, Whitmer said. That has been a long, intensive process. Should the DNR recommend the easement be revoked and Whitmer follow through on that, its not clear how such actions would impact the companys pending efforts to obtain state permits for tunnel construction; a $500 million project with an anticipated 2024 completion date. The Michigan Public Service Commission is deliberating until next year on Enbridges request to move Line 5 into a tunnel. The lengthy administrative review resembles a court case with motion, evidence, hearings and intervening parties. Opposition to Line 5 and the tunnel project centers around the potential threat of an oil spill and the overall contribution of fossil fuel infrastructure to global climate change. Supporters say the line is critical to supplying the U.P. with propane. Pipeline operation recently returned to full strength after the east leg was shut down for two months following disclosure of protective coating loss and anchor support damage the U.S. Coast Guard indicates was caused by Enbridge contractors. Related stories: Michigan seeks more info about Line 5 tunnel alternatives Enbridge seeks tunnel permits amid pandemic Protective coating on Line 5 pipeline worn away again Line 5 bent & ovalized where Enbridge wants to anchor it Enbridge offers assurances it would pay for Line 5 cleanup 11.09.2020 LISTEN Gujarat Sahitya Akademi, Indias Premier literary institution in collaboration with motivational strips, the world's most active writers forum with over 7 million visitors, awards writers on the occasion of Indias 74th independence Day. This recognition was based on literary excellence, global inclusion, active participation in global literature through motivational strips family, quality and depth of works, prominence of the writer through global search engines such as; google, bing, etc.. and other codes of conducts and criteria in the field. Rewards such as awards, and other forms of recognition are in themselves catalyst of growth. They are not signs that we have arrived, but signs that we can offer more to humanity said Eduardo while Sharing with board members of We write Liberia, a literary and creative arts group in Liberia aimed at promoting creative arts and literature in Liberia with an emphasis in poetry writing. Eduardo acknowledged Motivational strips, We Write Liberia, Writers Space Africa, and his brothers Salesians of Don Bosco as his key motivators in his writing sojourn thus far. He as well extended in a special way gratitude to the founder of Motivational Strips Shiju H. Pallithazheth and the Chairman of Gujarat Sahitya Academy, Dr. Vishnu Pandya for the global honour conferred on him as he sees it as a challenge to do more. Eduardo de Bosco is a young writer by birth named Edward Boateng. He is a Salesian of Don Bosco, a Songwriter, an Activist, and a Poet; whose love for humanity and the values of society is the chief source of his inspiration in poetry. He has written a number of Socio-Politico poems as well as other poems published in international magazines as well as featured in anthologies across the globe. His works cover the themes of Liberation, colonialism, Reformation, Restoration, Corruption, Preservation, Self-Discovery, Depression, Gender and Domestic Violence, African Culture, Identity, Nature, and Religion. He spends his free time on Poetry, Music, African Philosophy, History, and writing and he is presently studying philosophy as a Salesian post-novice in Nigeria, as well as carrying on personal research on facts of African cultures, Colonialism, and Liberian History. Eli Attie (L) and Dr. Alveda King at the 'Politics and Dirty Tricks' panel during Politicon at Pasadena Convention Center in Pasadena, Calif., on July 30, 2017. (Joshua Blanchard/Getty Images for Politicon) Georgia Tech Changes Policy That Denied Funding for Events Based on Speakers Views Georgia Institute of Technology has agreed to change its policy regarding funding for student events after a student group sued the school for its decision to withhold funding for events that it disagrees politically with. The Students for Life chapter at the university filed a lawsuit in April after the universitys student government body denied funding for a speaker event featuring Dr. Alveda King, the niece of the late Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., according to Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), lawyers representing the pro-life group. The lawyers said students pay mandatory student activity fees which its student government association uses to fund student group events on campus. They said that when Students for Life requested funding for the event with King, the student government questioned the group about the content and viewpoints that King may present. The student government told the group that their request had to be denied because King has been involved in religious ministries and her life was inherently religious, which would make it difficult to separate from an event about civil rights and abortion, ADF said. The ADF lawyers said in an update on Thursday that the university has now agreed to pay $50,000 in damages and attorneys fees, as well as revise its policies to ensure that funding decisions are made using viewpoint-neutral decisionmaking criteria, as part of a settlement agreement. Public universities are supposed to welcome diverse viewpoints and cant treat some student groups worse than others simply because they disagree with what the students have to say, ADF Legal Counsel Caleb Dalton said in a statement. Students for Life of America President Kristan Hawkins said in a statement that they are hopeful that Georgia Techs decision to change its policy will set an example for other universities in the country to uphold all students constitutional rights. Courageous student leaders across the nation face real opposition from their schools because they choose to stand up for the defenseless and peacefully educate their fellow students about protecting the preborn, Hawkins said in a statement. Meanwhile, Georgia Tech said in a statement to The Epoch Times that: The First Amendment guarantees of free expression are an essential cornerstone to the advancement of knowledge. Georgia Tech is pleased with the policies, as they reflect our commitment to upholding these important principles. DUBLIN, Sept. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Europe Liquid Biopsy Market to 2027 - Regional Analysis and Forecasts by Product & Services; Sample; Application; End User; and, Country" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. Europe, the liquid biopsy market, is anticipated to reach US$ 2,251.12 Mn in 2027 from US$ 1,097.82 Mn in 2019. The market is projected to grow with a CAGR of 9.5% from 2019-2027. The liquid biopsy market is growing primarily due to government and global health organizations initiatives. Restraining factors, such as low sensitivity of liquid biopsy, is likely to damage the growth of the market in the coming years. On the other hand, rising liquid biopsy due to growing application and advancements is expected to have a positive impact on the growth of the Europe liquid biopsy market in the coming years. Liquid biopsy is a revolutionary technology that is opening up various perspectives. The technology consists of isolation and detection of circulating tumor cells, circulating tumor DNA and exosomes, which provides genomic information of the cancer patients. Liquid biopsy are used in cancer diagnosis in order to study response or resistance to given treatments. The liquid biopsy test is conducted to detect cancer at an early stage. The test is performed either on a blood sample to identify cancer cells present in the in blood stream, or on the DNA extracted from tumor cells. The government for early detection of cancer takes various initiatives. For instance, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) started a new initiative called Pre-competitive Collaboration on Liquid Biopsy for Early Cancer Assessment. European countries are also taking initiatives for early detection of cancer. For instance, the Innovative Medicines Initiative funded the CANCER-ID project, started on 1January 2015. It is a public-private partnership between the EU and the European pharmaceutical industry, which includes 38 partners from 13 European countries, along with groups from the US and a company in Singapore. These partners are brought together to develop and validate standardized operating procedures for liquid biopsies. Such increasing initiatives for liquid biopsy, it is likely to boost the growth of the global liquid biopsy market during the forecast period. In 2019, the reagents & kits segment accounted for the largest market share in the Europe liquid biopsy market based on the product & services, and the similar segment is estimated to mark the highest CAGR in the market during the forecast period, owing to the availability of complete set of kits for liquid biopsy. However, due to growing COVID-19, the supply of diagnostics kits and assays are delayed because of growing quarantine time and shutting down all business operations. Europe is facing the massive impact of an outbreak due to exponential growth of infections in the region. As per data published by public sources, till March 26, Europe had an estimated 250,000 number of infected patients in the region. The outbreak badly hits countries such as Italy, Spain, Germany, France, and the UK. Key Topics Covered: 1. Introduction 1.1 Scope of the Study 1.2 Research Report Guidance 1.3 Market Segmentation 2. Europe Liquid Biopsy Market - Key Takeaways 3. Research Methodology 3.1 Coverage 3.2 Secondary Research 3.3 Primary Research 4. Europe Liquid Biopsy Market Landscape 4.1 Overview 4.2 PEST Analysis 4.2.1 Europe Liquid Biopsy Market - Europe PEST Analysis 4.3 Expert Opinion 5. Europe Liquid Biopsy - Key Market Dynamics 5.1 Key Market Drivers 5.1.1 Government and Global Health Organizations Initiatives 5.2 Key Restraints 5.2.1 Low Sensitivity of Liquid Biopsy 5.3 Key Market Opportunities 5.3.1 Rising Liquid Biopsy Due to Growing Application and Advancements 5.4 Future Trends 5.4.1 Consistent Launch of New Products 5.5 Impact Analysis 6. Liquid Biopsy Market - Europe Analysis 6.1 Europe Liquid Biopsy Market Revenue Forecasts and Analysis 7. Liquid Biopsy Market Analysis - By Product & Services 7.1 Overview 7.2 Liquid Biopsy Market Revenue Share, by Product& Service (2019 and 2027) 7.3 Equipment 7.4 Equipment: Liquid Biopsy Market - Revenue and Forecast to 2027 (US$ Million) 7.5 Reagents & Kits 7.6 Services 8. Liquid Biopsy Market Analysis - By Sample 8.1 Overview 8.2 Liquid Biopsy Market, by Sample, 2019 and 2027 (%) 8.3 Blood Based 8.4 Urine Based 9. Liquid Biopsy Market Analysis - By Circulating Biomarker 9.1 Overview 9.2 Liquid Biopsy Market, by Circulating Biomarker, 2019 and 2027 (%) 9.3 Circulating Tumor Cells (CTC) 9.4 Exosomes 9.5 Free Nucleic Acid 9.6 Free Nucleic Acid: Liquid Biopsy Market - Revenue and Forecast to 2027 (US$ Million) 10. Liquid Biopsy Market Analysis - By Application 10.1 Overview 10.2 Liquid Biopsy Market, by Application, 2019 and 2027 (%) 10.3 Non-invasive Prenatal Testing (NIPT) 10.4 Oncology 10.5 Transplant Diagnostics 11. Liquid Biopsy Market Analysis - By End User 11.1 Overview 11.2 Liquid Biopsy Market, by End-User, 2019 and 2027 (%) 11.3 Academic & Research Institutes 11.4 Hospitals 11.5 Reference Laboratories 11.6 Reference Laboratories: Liquid Biopsy Market - Revenue and Forecast to 2027 (US$ Million) 11.7 Other End Users 12. Liquid Biopsy Market Revenue and Forecasts To 2027 - Geographical Analysis 13. Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Global Liquid Biopsy Market 13.1 Europe: Impact Assessment of COVID-19 Pandemic 14. Company Profiles Companies Mentioned F. Hoffmann-la Roche ltd Inivata Ltd LungLife AI, Inc. Exosome Diagnostics MDxHealth For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/r8khv2 Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research. Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 SOURCE Research and Markets Related Links http://www.researchandmarkets.com on Friday said it has raised Rs 1,012 crore by issuing compliant bonds. The bank has issued and allotted compliant additional tier I bonds amounting to Rs 1,012 crore, it said in a regulatory filing. The bank said it has issued a total of 10,120 non-convertible, perpetual, taxable, subordinated, fully paid up, unsecured bonds carrying coupon rate of 8.30 per cent. There were a total of three allottees to this bond issuance, said the state-owned lender. Under the globally accepted Basel-III capital regulations, need to improve and strengthen their capital planning processes. norms are being implemented in phases since 2013 by the Indian to mitigate concerns on potential stress on asset quality and consequential impact on performance and profitability of The deadline for the domestic banks to meet these guidelines is September 30, 2020. stock closed at Rs 100.85 on BSE, up 0.55 per cent from previous close. (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 am really disappointed with his level of selfishness and that Mwonzora has sunk so low. He is claiming to defend the legacy of the late Morgan Tsvangirai by destroying what he (Tsvangirai) built. You claim you want to defend his legacy when you do not even know the origins of Tsvangirai," Chamisa told mourners. Morrisons hailed the 'renaissance of British supermarkets' as it posted its best sales figures for 16 years. Gearing up for a full-blown price war with rivals, chief executive Dave Potts said the supermarket had 'played our full part' in the coronavirus crisis. Retail sales at Morrisons in the six months to August 2 were 11.1 per cent higher than in the same period last year as business boomed during lockdown. Retail sales at Morrisons in the six months to August 2 were 11.1 per cent higher than in the same period last year as business boomed during lockdown But profits at the group fell 25.3 per cent to 148million as 155million of extra Covid-related costs outweighed the 93million it saved through business rates relief. The firm raised its interim dividend to 2.04p, handing 49million to shareholders, which it said was a sign of its 'confidence for the future'. Shares fell 4.1 per cent. The company also took on 46,000 staff in the first half, and will retain at least 13,000 of them on a permanent basis. The hiring spree helped the supermarket double the number of online weekly orders to 325,000. Potts also announced its 'biggest ever price cuts on customer favourites', adding it needed to 'compete in recessionary times'. The vice-presidential candidate of John Dramani Mahama, the flagbearer of the main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang has called on the judiciary to crack the whip on persons who attack that arm of government. Speaking at a meeting with some Civil Society Organisations in Accra, Prof. Opoku-Agyemang said the judiciary must be fair in the application of the law. The former education minister said: If you talk about name and shame it should be consistent. If you are going to apply punishment it should be consistent. If you say somebody has scandalised the law court and you allow the process to go through; the person has apologised and has done everything, the law took it course, the person was fined, the person was sentenced, the person was in prison. You say clemency, it is part of the judicial system; and people pretend they dont understand why there should be a petition. Another person does the same thing, also scandalises the court and just say he is coming to apologise so it is okay; that is corruption. And I want to see that also highlighted. Prof Opoku-Agyemangs comment comes after New Patriotic Party (NPP) MP for Assin Central Kennedy Agyapong apologised for insulting a judge and by extension scandalising the court. The MP apologised after he was summoned by a High Court judge, Justice Amos Wuntah Wuni, for contempt. The maverick lawmaker is said to have been angered by the judge's decision to pass judgment in an ongoing case without his knowledge and, thus, insulted him and by extension the court on his NET2 TV. On Wednesday, the judge issued a warrant for Mr Agyapong to appear before the court on Monday, September 14 at 10:00 am to show cause why he should not be severely punished for contempt if the matters are proven against him to the satisfaction of the Court. Mr Agyapong, however, issued a statement apologising for the infraction. In an apology letter to the Chief Justice, judges and magistrates, Mr Agyapong said: I am writing this apology letter in my capacity as Ghanaian and a Member of Parliament for the Assin Central Constituency of the Central Region. Respectfully, I have been sued as a defendant in case title: Emmanuel Mompi and 2 ORS vs Honourable Kennedy Ohene Agyapong (Suit No. LD/1028/2020). Subsequent to the suit, an order was made against me without my knowledge which made me very furious and angry, thus, concerning me to express my dismay and anger towards the court order on a live television programme called The Seat on NET2 television station on 2nd day of September 2020. However, upon sober reflection, Ive come to the realisation that without prejudice to the substantive case, my expression about the court opinion was harsh, thus, I find it necessary to render an unqualified apology without any reservation whatsoever to the Honourable Chief Justice, judges and magistrates and any individual who have been offended by my uncomplimentary comments. Thus, prior to the communication of this matter, Ive appeared on the same platform on the 7th day of September 2020 and rendered same apology to the Honourable Chief Justice, judges and magistrates. I must conclude that I strongly believe in our judicial system and can never denigrate its integrity. Indeed, I was set free by the court when I was charged with treason in 2012. Source: classfmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video A special court in Mumbai on Friday rejected the bail petitions of Rhea Chakraborty and her brother Showik, arrested by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) in connection with a drugs case linked to the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput. Special judge GB Gurao, presiding over cases under the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) act, also rejected the bail applications of four other accused in the case. All the accused are in judicial custody. Here is what NCB and Rhea Chakrabortys lawyers said: * Special public prosecutor Atul Sarpande, appearing for NCB, welcomed the decision. * Sarpande said the court, while rejecting the bail pleas, has accepted the contentions of the prosecution that the investigation is at a crucial stage, according to news agency PTI. * Rheas lawyer Satish Maneshinde said they would decide further course of action after reading the court order. * Once we get a copy of the order passed by the special NDPS court, we will decide next week on further course of action and about approaching the Bombay High Court, he was quoted as saying by PTI. * Rhea had claimed in her bail plea that she was falsely implicated in the case. She had also retracted her statement recorded by NCB when she was questioned for three days, claiming that the agency had coerced her into making self-incriminating statements. * NCB had strongly opposed their bail pleas and said that Rhea knew that Rajput was consuming drugs, but she continued procuring and making payments for drugs. * The agency had said that although the quantity of banned drugs seized in the case was small, it was still a commercial quantity and worth 185,200. * Rhea Chakraborty and Showik Chakraborty financed and arranged drugs for Rajput and at his instructions, the NCB had said in its affidavit responding to the bail pleas. * NCB added that as per the statement given by co-accused and Rajputs domestic help Dipesh Sawant, he used to procure drugs from other accused in the case on the instructions of Rajput and Rhea. * The financial transactions were handled by Rhea and sometimes Rajput. Dipesh Sawant used to procure drugs along with co-accused Samuel Miranda (former house manager of Rajput) for Sushant Singh Rajputs consumption, the affidavit said. * NCB had further said that if the accused are released on bail, they may tamper with evidence and try to intimidate key witnesses in the case. (With agency inputs) Jessica Leeds, one of the women who have accused Donald Trump of sexual misconduct, has opened up about the alleged groping incident in a new interview with writer and journalist E Jean Carroll. Leeds has alleged that Trump grabbed her breast and tried to reach up her skirt on a flight to New York more than three decades ago. Carroll has herself accused Trump of raping her and has sued the president for defamation over his response to her allegations. Trump has denied both Leeds and Carrolls claims. Leeds first came forward in October 2016 in an interview with The New York Times. At the time, she told the newspaper of Trump: He was like an octopus. His hands were everywhere. She added of the alleged incident: It was an assault. During her conversation with Carroll, published in The Atlantic on Friday, Leeds shared a similar account, stating in part: All I remember is all of a sudden, he is on me. Jessica Leeds speaks at a press conference in New York City on 11 December 2017 in New York City. (Monica Schipper/Getty Images) Its like hes got four extra hands, Leeds added. Hes grabbing my breasts. Hes trying to kiss me. Im trying to get his hands off me. "And this struggle its when he starts putting his hand up my skirt that I get a jolt of strength and manage to wiggle out of the seat. I grab my purse and storm to the back of the plane. After Leeds spoke out in October 2016, Trump denied her allegations as well as those made by other women in a statement to The New York Times, telling the newspaper: None of this ever took place." During a rally at the time, he claimed that Leeds was not attractive enough to elicit such conduct on his part, telling the crowd: Believe me, she would not be my first choice. In her interview with Carroll, Leeds said she had predicted that reaction. I know that if the story gets any attention, the first thing Trump will say is that Im not pretty enough, she told Carroll. I know instinctively thats what hes going to say. Earlier this week, the US Department of Justice asked to take over Trumps defence in the defamation lawsuit filed by Carroll against the president. The move would substitute the US instead of Trump as defendant. In those conditions, if any damages were awarded, the federal government would cover them, instead of Trump himself. Attorney General William Barr has defended the move, but some experts have expressed criticism. "The president gets sued all the time and is defended by the government," Stuart Gerson, who led the Justice Department's Civil Division in President George HW Bush's administration, told The Associated Press, "but those are for lawsuits that have to do with actions in his official capacity as the president. This isn't anything like that." Carroll's attorney Roberta Kaplan has called the governments position shocking. Additional reporting by agencies 2020 has been apocalpytic in ways more than one - a global pandemic with millions dead around the world, wildfires and the list is endless. Residents of San Francisco and elsewhere in California on Wednesday woke to a deep orange sky that triggered apocalyptic visions in a year already rife with disturbing events. Skies so dark at times that it appeared more night than day were accompanied in some places with ash falling like snow, the cause being massive wild fires filling the air with smoke and cinders. READ: Viral Photos Showing Ominous Orange Skies in San Francisco Maybe Result of California Wildfires READ: California Fires Rage On, How Do These Deadly Blazes Start and What Can Stop Them READ: Barack Obama Shares Viral Images of Orange Skies after California Wildfire, Warns of Climate Change The orange skies this morning are a result of wildfire smoke in the air," San Francisco Bay air quality officials said in a tweet. These smoke particles scatter blue light and only allow yellow-orange-red light to reach the surface, causing skies to look orange." Photos of the eerie scene, particularly of a San Francisco skyline fit for a dystopian science fiction film, spread quickly on social media. Absolutely no filter involved here. This is the morning sky over San Francisco at 8am. Orange, dark and ashy bc of wildfires. I was two days away from my 8th birthday when Mt. St. Helens shook the planet. Im from Seattle-Tacoma and i remember the sky looked just like this. pic.twitter.com/zgOkT2Ou5f Will Tran (@KRON4WTran) September 9, 2020 Strange and foreboding orange skies and a layer of falling ash greeted Bay Area residents as they woke on Wednesday, rubbing their eyes and wondering if theyd awoken on a different planet and pondering just how long the daylight dimness would last. https://t.co/VoXXF6FMw1 pic.twitter.com/KdbcD099PF San Francisco Chronicle (@sfchronicle) September 9, 2020 Scenes from around San Francisco where dark orange skies are still blanketing the city and region. This apocalyptic hue is due to a combination of smoke from various wildfires sitting above the marine fog layer. More here on @sfchronicle https://t.co/eChDMsLZLs pic.twitter.com/VaQlNsML0y Jessica Christian (@jachristian) September 9, 2020 Strange and foreboding orange skies and a layer of falling ash greeted Bay Area residents as they woke on Wednesday, rubbing their eyes and wondering if theyd awoken on a different planet and pondering just how long the daylight dimness would last. https://t.co/VoXXF6FMw1 pic.twitter.com/KdbcD099PF San Francisco Chronicle (@sfchronicle) September 9, 2020 For many, the fiery orange skies were reminiscent of the 2017 science fiction film, Blade Runner 2049. The movie, which came out in 2017, is set in future Las Vegas and was critically acclaimed for its cinematography - and yes, it included bright orange skies. The film, directed by Denis Villeneuve, is a sequel to the iconic Blade Runner movie released in 1982. The 2017 film stars Ryan Gosling and Harrison Ford. Ford reprises his role in the earlier movie for the sequel. In fact, a YouTuber who goes by the name DoctorSbaitso took a drone video of the city and compared it to scenes from Chernobyl, Mars and even the Blade Runner. The video was apparently shot at 11am in the morning when the sky is supposed to be bright and sunny. Instead it looked a little like this: Another YouTuber, named TerrytheThunder, decided to take things one step further and added the Blade Runner theme music to the video. Now do you see the similarities? It is practically impossible to distinguish the video from the scenes of the movie! What were being described as unprecedented" wildfires, fueled by strong winds and searing temperatures, were raging cross a wide swathe of California, Oregon and Washington on Wednesday, destroying scores of homes and businesses in the western US states and forcing tens of thousands of residents to evacuate. In California, where at least eight deaths have been reported, National Guard helicopters rescued hundreds of people trapped by the Creek Fire in the Sierra National Forest. The sky is on fire. Do you still think climate change is nothing to worry about? (Inputs from agencies) Appearing in good spirits, Princess Beatrice looked effortlessly radiant when stepping out for a food shop in west London. The Queen's granddaughter, 32, carried a bag of organic groceries to her car while sporting low-key gym gear and a face mask, yesterday. Her appearance is the second time she has stepped out in public since she tied the knot with husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi in a secret ceremony on July 17. Appearing in good spirits, Princess Beatrice (pictured) looked effortlessly radiant when stepping out for a food shop in west London The Queen's granddaughter (pictured), 32, carried a bag of organic groceries to her car while sporting low-key gym gear and a face mask, yesterday Beatrice sported a casual-looking navy jacket along with matching leggings, while adding a splash of colour with a vibrant blue handbag. Meanwhile, Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson's daughter added to her comfortable ensemble with a pair of casual grey trainers. The royal wore her red hair in a relaxed flowing style over her shoulders, and ensured she stayed safe during the trip by wearing a medical grade mask. She carried her phone in one hand, and clutched a bag of organic groceries in another. Beatrice (pictured) sported a casual-looking navy jacket along with matching leggings, while adding a splash of colour with a vibrant blue handbag Meanwhile, the royal (pictured getting into her car) ensured she stayed comfortable with a pair of casual grey trainers Beatrice appeared to keep her shopping session brief, leaving with only one bag of supplies, which she carried between her arms. It is the royal's second public appearance since marrying Edo in July and comes after the couple returned from a low-key honeymoon in France. Earlier this summer the couple, who had a secret wedding with just 20 guests, were spotted by an eagle-eyed tourist as they drove a small car absolutely packed to the roof with stuff in the south of France. It was such a surprise to see them, the tourist said, according to the Mail On Sunday. Edo was behind the wheel and they looked just like any other couple enjoying the beautiful drive. MailOnline has contacted Buckingham Palace for comment. The couple tied the knot on July 17 with Beatrice wearing a 1953 Norman Hartnell dress borrowed from the Queen and the Queen Mary tiara the monarch wore on her own wedding day. The royal (pictured) wore her red hair in a relaxed flowing style over her shoulders, and ensured she stayed safe during the trip by wearing a medical grade mask Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson's daughter (pictured) carried her phone in one hand, and clutched a bag of organic groceries in another A source told the publication that Beatrice and Edo had planned to skip a traditional honeymoon, but decided at the last minute to take a trip across the Channel. The wedding was arranged in a couple of weeks, and with lockdown their choice of honeymoon destinations was severely curtailed. They werent going to bother but at the last minute they decided to pack up the car and head out. Theyre a very down-to-earth couple. It is understood that they are planning a trip to Lamu Island, off Kenya, where Edos family own a home and where he took Beatrice in the early days of their romance. The property developer fell for the Princess after meeting her at the wedding of her sister Princess Eugenie to Jack Brooksbank in October 2018. At the time he was living with his fiancee Dara Huang, 38, the mother of his four-year-old son Wolfie. Ms Huang was said to be distraught when Edo began dating Beatrice, but the three are now firm friends. Dara was devastated at the beginning but she has always maintained good relations for the sake of their son, said a friend. She and Beatrice get along well. Beatrice is very kind and sweet to Wolfie. It emerged that Ms Huang, who runs Design Haus Liberty, an architecture firm, has moved her UK base into the same West London building from which Edo runs his property business. CSL Limited Chairman Dr. Brian McNamee is seen during the CSL Limited 25th Listing Anniversary commemorative event at Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) in Sydney, Australia, on Oct. 14, 2019. (AAP Image/Bianca De Marchi) Victoria Roadmap Most Crushing Policy Says Australias CCP Virus Vaccine Boss Support for the Victorian governments COVID-19 roadmap faced more scrutiny as Brian McNamee, chairman of CSL Limited, and the man tasked with manufacturing Australias COVID-19 vaccine called it the most crushing policy in a modern country. Leading Victorian businessman, McNamees criticised the governments roadmap for its lack of independent consultancy, placing further pressure on Victorian Premier Dan Andrews to ease the stringent restrictions. Andrews roadmap will see Melbourne remain under stage four lockdown until Sept. 28. Then move through a four-step plan that requires less than five traceable active cases for stage three. McNamee said that the measures are too strict considering the high recovery rate globally of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, commonly known as the novel coronavirus. This is a nasty virus, but the evidence internationally is that most people, particularly young people, recover fully from this disease, McNamee told The Herald Sun Sept. 10. This isnt ebola. If this was ebola in the community, I get it, but this is a disproportionate response to a disease that we better understand now, he said. Andrews has repeatedly defended the roadmap, arguing it was based on modelling conducted by supercomputers and that there was no other way. The notion that I have chosen this way to go and there were 50 other options I could have chosen, thats not in any way accurate, Andrews said at a press conference Sept. 9. No data has been publicised about the modelling despite requests from the federal government and media groups. According to McNamee, those tasked with creating the victorian governments models are now distancing themselves from the governments decisions. Even the modellers are saying youre going a bit too far with this, you asked us to do some work with these inputs, thats all you asked us to do, McNamee said. Greater Melbournes harsh lockdown exceeds that of Wuhan, China, the origin of the CCP virus, by a month. Stage four restrictions which are expected to end on Sept. 28, restrict residents from leaving their homes between 8 p.m. and 5 a.m., travel is limited to five kilometres. There are only four reasons for leaving the home, one being a one-hour exercise break. Masks are also compulsory across the state. Victoria police have issued thousands of infringement notices and arrested several individuals for violating the Chief Health Officers directions. We are an absolute outlier internationally. Its the most crushing policy in a modern country with a dynamic city like Melbourne. No one is attempting to do what hes doing here, he said. McNamees criticism of the roadmap this week followed those made by federal Health Minister Greg Hunt, Prime Minister Scott Morrison, and some of Australias leading epidemiologists. All have questioned the thresholds established for opening up and have pushed better contact tracing as a measure to deal with the threat of the Sars-CoV-2 virus. WASHINGTON Bahrain on Friday agreed to normalize relations with Israel, becoming the latest Arab nation to do so as part of a broader diplomatic push by President Donald Trump and his administration to further ease the Jewish states relative isolation in the Middle East and find common ground with nations that share U.S. wariness of Iran. Trump announced the agreement on the 19th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks following a phone call he had with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Bahrains King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa. The three leaders also issued a brief joint statement marking the second such Arab normalization agreement with Israel in the past two months. The announcement came less than a week before Trump hosts a White House ceremony to mark the establishment of full relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, something that Trump and his Middle East team brokered in August. Bahrains foreign minister will attend that event and sign a separate agreement with Netanyahu. Theres no more powerful response to the hatred that spawned 9/11 than this agreement, Trump told reporters at the White House. Fridays agreement is another diplomatic win for Trump less than two months before the presidential election and an opportunity to shore up support among pro-Israel evangelical Christians. In addition to the UAE deal, Trump just last week announced agreements in principle for Kosovo to recognize Israel and for Serbia to move its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. But, it is a setback for Palestinian leaders, who have urged Arab nations to withhold recognition until they have secured an independent state. The Palestinians have seen a steady erosion in once-unified Arab support one of the few cards they still held as leverage against Israel since Trump began pursuing an unabashedly pro-Israel agenda. This is another stab in the back of the Palestinian cause, the Palestinian people and their rights, said Wasel Abu Yousef, a senior Palestinian official. It is a betrayal of Jerusalem and the Palestinians We see absolutely no justification for this free normalization with Israel. In their joint statement, Trump, Netanyahu and King Hamad called the agreement a historic breakthrough to further peace in the Middle East. Opening direct dialogue and ties between these two dynamic societies and advanced economies will continue the positive transformation of the Middle East and increase stability, security, and prosperity in the region, they said. Like the UAE agreement, the Bahrain-Israel deal will normalize diplomatic, commercial, security and other relations between the two countries. Bahrain, along with Saudi Arabia, had already dropped a prohibition on Israeli flights using its airspace. Saudi acquiescence to the agreements has been considered key to the deals. Trumps son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner noted that the agreement is the second Israel has reached with an Arab country in 30 days after having made peace with only two Arab nations Egypt and Jordan in 72 years of its independence. This is very fast, Kushner told The Associated Press. The region is responding very favorably to the UAE deal and hopefully its a sign that even more will come. Netanyahu thanked Trump. It took us 26 years between the second peace agreement with an Arab country and the third, but only 29 days between the third and the fourth, and there will be more, he said, referring to the 1994 peace treaty with Jordan and the more recent agreements. Bahrains foreign ministry welcomed the deal and said that Hamad had praised U.S. efforts to establish security and stability in the Middle East, according to the official news agency. Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, a prominent Bahraini adviser to the king and the former longtime foreign minister, wrote on Twitter that the agreement boosts the regions security and prosperity. It sends a positive and encouraging message to the people of Israel that a just and comprehensive peace with the Palestinian people is the best path and is in the true interest of their future and the future of the people in the region, he wrote. In a nod to the Palestinians, the joint statement said the parties will continue efforts to achieve a just, comprehensive, and enduring resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to enable the Palestinian people to realize their full potential. The agreement makes Bahrain the fourth Arab country, after Egypt, Jordan and the UAE, to have full diplomatic ties with Israel. Other Arab nations believed to be on the cusp of fully recognizing Israel include Oman and Sudan. The regions power player, Saudi Arabia may also be close to a deal. Like the UAE, Bahrain has never fought a war against Israel and doesnt share a border with it. But Bahrain, like most of the Arab world, had long rejected diplomatic ties with Israel in the absence of a Palestinian peace deal. And, although the Israeli-UAE deal required Israel to halt contentious plans to annex occupied West Bank land sought by the Palestinians, the Bahrain agreement includes no such concessions. While the UAEs population remains small and the federation has no tradition of standing up to the countrys autocracy, Bahrain represents a far-different country. Just off the coast of Saudi Arabia, the island of Bahrain is among the worlds smallest countries, only about 760 square kilometers (290 square miles). Bahrains location in the Persian Gulf long has made it a trading stop and a naval defensive position. The island is home to the U.S. Navys 5th Fleet and a recently built British naval base. Bahrain is acutely aware of threats posed by Iran, an anxiety that comes from Bahrains majority Shiite population, despite being ruled since 1783 by the Sunni Al Khalifa family. Iran under Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi had pushed to take over the island after the British left, though Bahrainis in 1970 overwhelmingly supported becoming an independent nation and the U.N. Security Council unanimously backed that. Since Irans 1979 Islamic Revolution, Bahrains rulers have blamed Iran for arming militants on the island. Iran denies the accusations. Bahrains Shiite majority has accused the government of treating them like second-class citizens. The Shiites joined pro-democracy activists in demanding more political freedoms in 2011, as Arab Spring protests swept across the wider Middle East. Saudi and Emirati troops ultimately helped violently put down the demonstrations. In recent years, Bahrain has cracked down on all dissent, imprisoned activists and hampered independent reporting on the island. While the Obama administration halted the sale of F-16 fighter jets to Bahrain over human rights concerns, the Trump administration dropped that. ___ Associated Press writers Deb Riechmann in Washington, Aya Batrawy in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and Ilan Ben Zion and Joseph Krauss in Jerusalem contributed. Big Pharma is sending an important message to the country and especially the White House. For all the cutthroat competition in its ranks and the billions in revenue at stake, drug makers arent about to offer a coronavirus vaccine until its safe and effective. The nine firms are issuing a pledge thats worth holding them to. The multitrack vaccine race is turning into a fateful sweepstakes for a global market. But the testing phases cant be rushed, especially when the public is showing doubts that the eventual shot can be trusted. Added to the picture is undeniable politics with President Trump eager to promise that a surefire preventative is at hand or on the way and Democrats sniping at his overpromising. Scientists are estimating a vaccine could be ready by December or next year with frontline workers and medically vulnerable populations such as the elderly and infirm in line to be the first for shots. The pledge is coming from all the major players nearing the final Phase 3 that involves waves of human testing. Its a wide open field with the Food and Drug Administration waiting to bless the results. The hunt for a winner is producing a pedal-to-the-metal race, but process isnt all that reassuring. The FDA has shown itself craven in bowing to the White House wish for good news. It allowed hydroxychloroquine to be talked up as a curative until results showed that wasnt the case. More recently, the FDA head blessed convalescent plasma from COVID survivors as a positive advance but then retracted the claim when testing turned out to be too preliminary. Those missteps lead back to President Trump, who is pressing hard for a breakthrough that will mask his woeful mishandling of the outbreak thats killed more than 180,000 people. Up ahead are predictions that the virus may accelerate the death count up to to 300,000 by the end of year. The pledge from the drug firms contains sober language about guidance by science and testing. It also leaves open the question of seeking an emergency exemption that would shorten the steps usually required. One change might allow drug makers to show results based on a slice of the human testing field, waving off the need for statistics from tens of thousands of individuals. The joint statement is also a warning shot at China and Russia that are rushing out vaccine candidates with nowhere near the levels of testing that this country requires. Maybe bigger than politics or global competition is the publics attitude. Despite all the danger and disruption posed by the virus, theres a troubling level of uncertainty among the public about getting a vaccine shot. People are suspicious that a hastily devised vaccine isnt safe. At nearly the same time as the joint pledge, one of the participants, AstraZeneca, announced that human tests on its vaccine candidate developed with the University of Oxford are on hold after a potentially unexplained illness. Any suggestion of a hurried-up medication will worsen the picture. That worry led the top scientist in the government effort known as Operation Warp Speed to threaten to quit if work was disrupted by outside interference. The slow and steady job of research and development needs to be done at arms reach from nervous politicians, he suggested. The drug firms clearly want to safeguard the fortunes of their future products. But they are also right to ease public fears and warn off the Science Denier in Chief in the White House from a reckless promise. This country needs a vaccine as soon and safely and effectively as possible. 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. 11.09.2020 LISTEN H.E. Paul Kagame, President of the Republic of Rwanda to deliver Presidential Address, followed by Heads of State from South Africa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ghana, Ethiopia, and Morocco KIGALI, SEPTEMBER 11TH - Following four days of insightful and dynamic panels, forums and publications, the 10th annual AGRF will conclude this afternoon with a high-level Presidential discussion, featuring distinguished guests from across the continent. Speaking on the theme, Feed the Cities, Grow the Continent, ten current and former Heads of State, alongside the Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations, will address how their countries can build back better and bring about a new vison for Africa on the future of food. The final day of the world's premier forum for African agriculture will also see the 2020 winners of the Africa Food Prize (AFP) and GoGettaz Agripreneurship Prize announced. The Africa Food Prize award recognizes extraordinary women, men, and institutions whose outstanding contributions to African agriculture are forging a new era of sustainable food security and economic opportunity that elevates all Africans. The GoGettaz award aims to find Africas brightest young agrifood entrepreneurs, bringing technology, innovation, and passion to the agriculture and food industries. The AGRF is the world's premier forum for African agriculture, bringing together stakeholders in the agricultural landscape to take practical actions and share lessons that will move African agriculture forward. Please join us using the link in the details below. For media inquiries, please contact [email protected] *** Date and Time: Friday, September 11, 2020 14:00 18:00 Central Africa Time Format: Online video, using the AGRF link How to Join: Journalists can follow the proceedings two ways: Register and follow through the AGRF Platform: https://agrf.org/ Follow the proceedings on the AGRF YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCO2YDbBFz-gsHDz885HxqaA Summary of culminating session High-Level Presidential Panel Discussion Bringing it all home Framing remarks: H.E. Hailemariam Dessalegn, Chair of the AGRF Partners Group and Former Prime Minister of Ethiopia Presidential Address H.E. Paul Kagame, President of the Republic of Rwanda Heads of State and Government: H.E. Cyril Ramaphosa, President of South Africa H.E. Felix Tshisekedi, President of the Democratic Republic of Congo H.E. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, President of Ghana H.E. Abiy Ahmed, Prime Minister of Ethiopia H.E. Saad-Eddine El Othmani, Prime Minister of Morocco H.E. Amina Mohammed, Deputy Secretary-General, United Nations H.E. Paul Kagame, President of the Republic of Rwanda Honorary guests: H.E. Benjamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister of Israel Africa Food Prize and GoGettaz Awards Ceremony Award of the GoGettaz Agripreneurship Prize For years my students, readers, and followers have been telling me that it was hard to get top quality ingredients in one place. When the pandemic hit, shopping became more difficult and limited, so I created a one-stop solution for everything they would at home." ~ Chef Amy Riolo Italian chefs agree that having the best quality ingredients possible is integral to recreating authentic Italian dishes at home. After years of witnessing the difficulty her students, readers, and followers had in locating the finest ingredients needed to make her recipes properly, Chef Amy Riolo proudly partnered with DITALIA, an e-commerce shop offering specialty, imported Italian foods. Together Chef Amy and DITALIA collaborated to offer an exclusive box of high-quality, artisan Italian products needed to make classic primi first courses which are the backbone of the Italian kitchen, available now on ditalia.com. The artisan products in this box enable you to make risotto, pasta, polenta, sauces, and appetizers like an Italian professional without ever leaving your kitchen, and at a fraction of the price that it would cost to eat them in restaurants. Chef Amy offers a signature recipe collection on her website with step by step instructions needed to transform ordinary dishes into mouth watering masterpieces. The Amy Riolo Selections Italian Primi Essentials Gift Box includes the following 7 products: AMY RIOLO SELECTIONS ITALIAN EXTRA-VIRGIN OLIVE OIL This 100% Italian extra-virgin olive oil hails from the world-renown Trappeto di Caprafico family-owned estate (rated the 3rd best Olive Mill in the World 2019-2020) in Italy's Abruzzo region, where she leads culinary tours. The careful blending of three olives varieties lends sweet, harmonious, and fruity characteristics to the flavor of the oil. Cold-extraction and natural filtration combined with its very low-acidity rate make this oil the perfect choice for both ultimate flavor and health benefits. This one-of-a-kind oil boasts notes of tomatoes, almonds, herbs, and artichokes. It pairs well with grilled and roasted meats, poultry and fish, tomato sauces, cooked vegetable dishes, salads, and a wide range of antipasti. 2. Verrigni SPAGHETTORO (GOLD DIE CUT PASTA) Imported from Abruzzo, Italy, Verrigni is the only gold dyed pasta in the world. Chef Amy and many of the most celebrated chefs in Italy use and appreciate Verrigni because of its selection of the finest grains and its use of ancient techniques. This pasta has a very different consistency than those drawn by bronze die molds. Specifically, the gold-drawn pasta creates a distinct flavor and smell, and a look that is more intensely al dente. When cooked, its absorption and swelling are rapid, and it provides a more slippery, smooth, more intense wheat taste and a more yellow color, creating a beautifully rich dining experience. 3. DETACCHI BIANCOPERLA WHITE CORN FLOUR "STONE GROUND POLENTA Biancoperla stone ground white corn polenta (Slow Food Presidia) from the Veneto region of Italy is a rare and prized corn varietal with a distinct sweetness and delicate flavor. It is known for its low yield, fineness, and delicate flavor. This pearl-white variety is obtained from an ancient quality of maize which now risks becoming extinct, thus making it a protected and recognized Slow Food Presidium product. It pairs perfectly with seafood stews or grilled fish, and can also accompany meaty and vegetarian stews. 4. TENUTA MARGHERITA CARNAROLI RICE Carnaroli rice is widely known as the "king of rice" in Italian cuisine. Riso Margherita's superfine carnaroli rice represents the best in quality and versatility. Excellent as an accompaniment to a main course, in a rice salad, or as the star of the show in a creamy risotto, this rice is sure to impress. Since Italian chefs are often judged on their risotto-making skills, Chef Amy has chosen this product to ensure perfection each time. 5. DORAZIO PASSATA DI POMODORO This product is made with Italian tomatoes imported from Italy. It is the perfect base for homemade tomato sauces, soups, stews, pizza, and more. Chef Amy prefers the consistent slightly sweet-fresh taste that these tomatoes add to her recipes. 6. DISPENSA DEI GOLOSI CHILI PEPPER PATE Dispensa dei Golosi (Pantry of the Food Lovers) is a small artisanal company close to the beautiful city of Messina, in the heart of Sicily. Their mission is to enhance the authentic, rich flavors of their unique and fertile land. The result of their efforts are amazing gourmet products, great as finger food, appetizers or to play with tasty pasta dishes or cheese plates. Chef Amy loves to add this pesto into tomato sauces, use it as a pizza topping, or to stir into appetizers, soups, and stews. 7. PITTED TAGGIASCA OLIVES BY ANFOSSO A unique pleasure, these mild and sweet Taggiasca olives are suspended in extra-virgin mono-cultivar Taggiasca olive oil. The Taggiasca olive creates a buttery, light oil that is famous for its delicacy and simplicity. The olives are grown and pressed in Liguria by the Anfosso family, who have been making quintessential Ligurian products using traditional methods of cultivation and production for centuries. You can shop Chef Amy Riolos Primi Essentials Gift Box now at ditalia.com. For more information, or to schedule an interview with Chef Amy Riolo, contact the author Francesca Nicastro via email: Francesca@ditalia.com. Polish President Andrzej Duda will pay a visit to Ukraine on October 12-13, according to Jan Hofmokl, Director at the Eastern Division of the Polish Foreign Ministry. He said this during the Economic Forum in Karpacz, Poland, on Friday, September 11. "President Duda's visit to Ukraine is scheduled for October 12-13," Hofmokl said. He said the details of the visit were being finalized. Duda will stay in Kyiv on the first day of the visit, and the plan for the second day of the visit is still being agreed, Hofmokl said. He said that despite the COVID-19 pandemic, a meeting of the Ukrainian-Polish intergovernmental commission on economic cooperation is also to be held as soon as possible. Hofmokl stressed that Polish-Ukrainian relations were now very intensive, with Kyiv and Warsaw holding expert meetings on various issues. In particular, negotiations are underway on the issuance of permits for transit freight, vaccination, and health care. "We see our strategic partnership with Ukraine in Kyiv's even greater involvement in solving the problems of this part of Europe, as the Ukrainian voice is important," he said. op Lionel Messi turned up at Barcelona's training complex on Thursday for a workout, even as the rest of the squad enjoyed a day of holiday. The Argentine has been well cocooned since reporting back for training on Monday as he looks to get back to fitness, having to train individually at first due to LaLiga's coronavirus protocols and then not completing the double sessions held later in the week. Keen to make up for lost time, Messi has often been the first player to arrive at the training ground and this Thursday he was there alone. Friday will see the Catalan side train again as a group as they look ahead to Saturday's friendly with Gimnastic de Tarragona, a game in which Messi could take part. The Prince of Wales joined a charity for the unveiling of their 100th community fridge in Scotland today. Prince Charles, 71, opened the community fridge at Dumfries House in East Ayrshire with community fridge network manager Kanahaya Alam. The pair smiled and joked together as they stood outside to reveal the new apparatus which aims to help bring together the local community to tackle food waste. It marked his return to in-person duties after a summer break at Birkhall on the Queen's Balmoral estate in Aberdeenshire. The Prince of Wales joined the Community Fridge Network UK for the unveiling of their 100th community fridge in Scotland today. Pictured laughing and chatting with network manager Kanahaya Alam Charles and Kanahaya Alam opened the new community fridge together, the 100th of its kind in the UK. The latest addition is located at Dumfries House in East Ayrshire His Royal Highness and Kanahaya Alam were pictured standing in front of the fridge, which was filled with fresh fruit and vegetables. The royal, who wore a cream overcoat for the appearance due to the colder weather, held open the fridge for a young blonde girl who placed a selection of vegetables in a basket into the food store. The Community Fridge Network, run by environmental charity Hubbub, supports community fridges across the UK to share good food from local businesses and individuals that would have otherwise gone to waste. The 100th addition was set up at Dumfries House, part of The Prince's Foundation - an educational charity established by the Prince of Wales in 1986. A young blonde girl was pictured with the Prince of Wales, wearing a cream overcoat in the chillier weather, placing a basket of vegetables into the new fridge The Community Fridge Network, run by environmental charity Hubbub, supports community fridges across the UK to share good food from local businesses and individuals that would have otherwise gone to waste The organisation aims to support people in their efforts to create communities, such as championing a sustainable approach to how we live our lives and build our homes to teaching traditional arts and skills. As well as his cream coat, the white haired Prince wore dark grey suit trousers and pair of shiny brown formal shoes. His appearance comes just days after Prince Harry, 35, and Meghan Markle , 39, announced that they had totally refunded the Sovereign Grant for the redevelopment of five-bedroom Frogmore Cottage on the Queen's Berkshire estate. The couple, who had been paying back the cash in monthly instalments, were said to be 'very relieved and very pleased' to have been able to pay off the debt so quickly,' a source close to the couple told Vanity Fair's Katie Nicholl. 'This has been a pro-active step and something they wanted to do from the outset. 'There was no requirement [from the Queen] for them to pay the money back but it was important to them that they did, and after the Netflix deal they were in a position to do so. I think this is quite a significant moment for them.' It was revealed in the wake of the couple's decision to step back from their royal roles and to live in America that the Prince of Wales would make a private financial contribution to help them during their first year away. It is believed the total amount was around 1million. 'There will be very strong interest in cooperating with India under any future American administration, but on the margins India will need to be careful not to tip its hand regarding the election.' IMAGE: Democratic US presidential candidate Joe Biden, his wife Dr Jill Biden, US Senator and Democratic vice presidential candidate Kamala Harris and her husband Douglas Emhoff on the final night of the 2020 Democratic national convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, August 20, 2020. Photograph: Kevin Lamarque/Reuters Paul Staniland, a political scientist at the University of Chicago and author of the forthcoming book, Armed Politics: Violence, Order, and the State in South Asia, talks to Aditi Phadnis about the US policy in South Asia after the November election. If the Joe Biden-Kamala Harris team reaches the White House, do you think Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 2019 endorsement of Donald Trump as the next US president to the Indian Diaspora at his rally in Houston will be a problem? There is still a lot of time and uncertainty before the election, and Trump is making noises about refusing to accept a loss. So it's hard to prognosticate confidently. Biden-Harris are currently leading, and showing more consistent strength than Hillary Clinton-Tim Kaine in 2016 in the polls, but the race is likely to tighten given the high degree of political polarisation. Moreover, the electoral college gives disproportionate weight to Trump's base, so it is possible for him to be re-elected while losing the popular vote again by millions of votes. Trump's allegations of impending rigging, attacks on the reliability of mail-in voting, and general abuse of the State apparatus add a further, very alarming, element of uncertainty. What about India and Modi's outreach? Countries need to maintain collegial relations across leaders in other countries. Modi also engaged in outreach with Barack Obama, for instance, and Shinzo Abe has cultivated Trump. The danger for India is that the 2019 and 2020 rallies were unusually public and enthusiastic compared to more sedate, conventional, joint press conferences and statements. Leaders like Abe have not held rapturous mass rallies with him. There will be very strong interest in cooperating with India under any future American administration, but on the margins India will need to be careful not to tip its hand regarding the election. Trump is seen by many in the US as a fundamental threat to American democracy, so this is not a normal election. IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Damodardas Modi with US President Donald J Trump at the Howdy Modi event in Houston, September 22, 2019. Photograph: @Narendra Modi/Twitter What will Biden-Harris do to make the elephants in the room go away: The H1B visa issue? Trade issues? Make America Great again (protectionism)? China? We should assess broader statements by Biden and Harris, since they have not released a specific South Asia policy plan. A few strands seem important. First, Biden has highlighted the importance of democracy and liberalism as counterweights to the influence of China, Russia, and other illiberal regimes. In the eyes of many Democrats, the diffusion of authoritarianism and illiberalism is bad for American democracy at home and American allies abroad. Democrats recurrently stress India's importance as a strategic partner, while also being more critical -- even if only rhetorically rather than with substantive policies -- on human rights issues than Trump. This combination of views -- broadly pro-India and sceptical of some Indian policies -- is common in the US (and many other countries). At the same time, there is a recognition in the US that America's own serious domestic issues require urgent attention to increase its credibility abroad. Second, and potentially complicating the first strand, is an emphasis on competing with China. In South Asia, I suspect that any future administration will face tensions in both competing with China and pushing for liberal democracy. IMAGE: Paul Staniland So what does this portend for the future? When you combine these strands, it will be easiest for India to frame itself as an effective democratic competitor to China if it avoids the kind of violence and political instability that we saw in the second half of 2019 and into 2020, which was seen by many as a distraction from focusing on the issues that American strategists care about (economic growth and China). Given the dilapidated state of American infrastructure, inadequate State capacity, and the economic slump caused by COVID-19, there will be an overwhelming interest in domestic rebuilding before moving into ambitious global economic policies, but some movement on trade issues is certainly possible. The Democrats are the more immigrant-friendly party, but much will be determined by the outcome of Senate races. If the Senate also turns Democratic and the House stays under Democratic control, then there will be vastly more space for ambitious policies than if the Republicans retain control. Interested Indian observers should definitely pay attention to trends in close Senate races, especially if it looks like Biden is going to win. Feature Presentation: Rajesh Alva/Rediff.com First Minister warns supermarkets they could suffer reputational damage if they do not protect staff or customers properly This article is old - Published: Friday, Sep 11th, 2020 Improvement Notices have been served to some supermarkets in Wales over issues with a lack of social distancing, as Welsh Government hand councils more power to take quick local action. Today the First Minister Mark Drakeford announced extra powers for local councils to allow them to take more action, he said: From Monday, we will give local authorities new powers to take action themselves to reduce the spread of coronavirus. Most people in Wales have worked hard and complied with the rules, but a small minority have not done so. These new powers which come into force on Monday, will allow local authorities to close premises or prevent events from happening on public health grounds. One local council in Wales, Rhondda Cynon Taf, have highlighted their inspection work, finding 7 out of 45 supermarket premises visited were not adhering to the Health Protection (Coronavirus Restrictions) (No. 2) (Wales) (Amendment) (No. 4) Regulations 2020 which came into force on 10 August 2020, to control, minimise and prevent the risk of exposure to COVID-19. As a result that council issued seven Improvement Notices to a Tesco, Aldi, Morrisons, Lidl, Iceland and two Co-Op stores, and if there is no improvement they could face closure notices. Although no such action has been taken locally in Wrexham against supermarkets, there have been ongoing complaints raised on social media over issues with social distancing in some supermarkets and reports of loosening of standards in recent weeks. Today we asked First Minister about the issue and if Welsh Government should enforce the standards at such companies with outlets in multiple local authority areas. We noted that often councils are talking to lower level staff who cant alter national chain policy. We also asked how fines of a few hundred pounds was any kind of penalty to such large entities. The First Minister said: We do set national rules that all those supermarkets are bound by. My colleague Lesley Griffiths MS meets almost every week with national representatives of the supermarkets in Wales, and most supermarkets have done a remarkable job and many of them continue to do so. But, we have too many examples of where in local areas, local arrangements are no longer at the level that we need to see to protect staff and customers from the risk of coronavirus. Thats why I am pleased to see those improvement notices being served. I think it brings home to the supermarkets the need for them to sustain the standards that they had in place earlier in the pandemic. I dont think that the the incentive for supermarkets to do the right thing is in the few hundred pounds worth of fines. I think its in the reputational damage that is done to them where customers see in the window of a supermarket that an improvement notice has had to be served. I think its much more likely that people voting with their feet and going to places that are well managed and well run that will cause supermarkets to make sure that they are not the place where improvement notice is needed. Over the last few weeks people have been in touch about issues locally, so ten days ago we also asked Wrexham Council Leader Mark Pritchard and the Chief Executive Ian Bancroft about the issue. Health Minister just retweeted this thread from Leader of RCT Council who says he has ordered inspection of *all* large supermarkets in Rhondda Cynon Taf area for covid regs compliance and will issue improvement notices / enforcement if needed. Do we need the same locally? https://t.co/TZ8QAiSCrf Wrexham.com (@wrexham) August 31, 2020 Cllr Pritchard said he had seen the social media posts by his counterpart Andrew Morgan, stating: Ive seen the tweets and every leader is entitled to tweet and have their opinion. I have every confidence in our TTP in Wrexham, working in partnership with the other authorities across Wales. Ive every confidence in our Public Protection team, they do this, its their day job. Theyre very professional in what they do. I know they are out there as we speak, looking at issues which involves and surrounds Wrexham. I have every confidence in them, and they are proactive, and Id like to thank them for the excellent job theyve done so far and keeping people safe within Wrexham, theyve done a fantastic job. Chief Executive Ian Bancroft added: We have our environmental health team, our public protection team, if we have any concerns raised to us or aware of those, clearly we have those powers to go out, theyve obviously been extended in terms of Welsh Government to deal with issues. So clearly from a general management point of view, thats our normal business if weve got concerns with business premises, but obviously well review that and also well look at what complaints we get, or issues raised by members of the public or by other people. Top picture: A Tesco store in Talbot Green, Pontyclun, was subject to an Improvement Notice. (Natural News) Just a week after the World Health Organization announced that their lengthy polio vaccination campaign in Africa was a success, it emerged that their oral vaccine has actually spurred yet another new outbreak of the disease there. The new outbreak is being seen in Sudan, where two children were paralyzed shortly after being vaccinated against polio. The risk of vaccine-derived polio is not a surprise, but seeing these cases so soon after declaring wild polio eradicated on the continent is considered a big setback. There is no cure for polio, which can lead to irreversible paralysis and can even be fatal when it affects the muscles involved in breathing. It typically affects children under the age of 5. The problem is that the oral polio vaccine being used in Africa is an affordable version that uses a weakened version of the virus. This type is widely used in third-world countries because it is so easy to administer and there is no need for sterile syringes. The injected vaccine used in many Western countries, on the other hand, uses an inactivated virus and does not pose this particular risk, although it is associated with other negative vaccine effects. When children are given the oral polio vaccine, the weakened virus will replicate in their intestine, which encourages their body to produce antibodies to it. Unfortunately, their bodies then excrete it, and it can make its way into circulation from there. In areas with poor sanitation, the virus can not only survive but thrive and circulate over the course of several months, mutating to the point where it poses the same risk of causing paralysis as the wild polio virus it strives to prevent. It also spreads every bit as easily as wild polio, making it extremely dangerous. More than a dozen African countries are currently dealing with polio outbreaks caused by the vaccine, including Cameroon, Nigeria, Zambia, Angola and Congo. The World Health Organization has now warned that there is a high risk of it spreading further across the Horn of Africa and central Africa, given the regions large-scale population movements. Theyve also found the virus in 11 additional cases of vaccine-derived polio in Sudan as well as environmental samples. However, because there are usually many more cases that go unreported for every confirmed case, its reasonable to expect the problem is far more prevalent. The disease is known to be highly infectious and spreads quickly through contaminated water. WHO boasted that Africa was free of wild polio virus even as its vaccines spread another type of polio virus On August 25, the World Health Organization announced that Africa was officially free from wild poliovirus, leaving only two countries that still have endemic polio, Pakistan and Afghanistan. Both countries have recently seen a surge in cases, with Pakistan recording cases in areas that had previously been declared free of the disease. A region is certified as free of the wild polio virus after three years without any official cases; the last wild polio case in Africa was recorded in northeast Nigeria four years ago. At one point, polio was paralyzing 75,000 children per year across the African continent. It marks the second time a virus has been completely eradicated in Africa after smallpox was eliminated 40 years ago. However, experts have said that complete surveillance across Africa is impossible and that scattered cases of wild polio that have yet to be detected cannot be ruled out. Unfortunately, stories like these serve as a reminder of how serious the repercussions of mass vaccination campaigns can be, and its particularly concerning that children in poor countries are being targeted with vaccines that could cause them to become sick or paralyzed. Sources for this article include: GreatGameIndia.com TheGuardian.com ABCNews.go.com Nature.com The Supreme Court on Friday allowed the National Law School of India University, Bengaluru (NLSIU) to hold a separate entrance test, the National Law Aptitude Test (NLAT) on Saturday instead of the Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) for admissions in 2020 to the 5 years integrated LLB programme and the postgraduate LLM programme offered by the university. NLSIU should not, however, declare results of NLAT or conduct admissions to the university on that basis, for the time being, the top court which was hearing a petition challenging the universitys decision to hold separate entrance test clarified. The results of the examination and the admission based on it will be subject to the outcome of the case before the apex court, the 3-judge bench headed by justice Ashok Bhushan said. It directed NLSIU to file its response and posted the case for further hearing on September 16. Admission to LLB courses offered by 22 National Law Universities (NLUs) in different states is based on the CLAT score which is held every year by a consortium of NLUs. CLAT is scheduled to be conducted on September 28. However, NLSIU decided that it would hold a separate entrance test this year, the NLAT, in view of the delay in conducting CLAT due to Covid-19. A notification was also issued on September 3 announcing its decision to hold NLAT. Candidates will be selected on the basis of the aggregate marks secured in an online home-based Entrance Examination known as NLAT. The NLAT 2020 will test applicants for admission to the undergraduate B.A., LL.B. (Hons), and postgraduate LL.M programmes commencing in 2020, the notification said. It also made it clear that NLSIU will not accept CLAT 2020 scores for admission for the academic Year 2020-21. According to the notification, NLSIU preferred to opt-out of CLAT this year because it has to complete admissions before the end of September 2020 failing which it will inevitably result in a Zero Year with no admission. This is because the NLSIU follows a trimester system with 3 terms of 90 days duration. Each term must accommodate 60 hours of classroom instruction in each course and adequately provide for examination and evaluation processes. Further, the academic offering for the 3rd, 4th, and 5th year of the B.A., LL.B programme as well as the LL.M programme is fully integrated and requires a common academic calendar, the notification explained. Later another notification was issued stipulating technical requirements for writing the exam. As per the notification, candidates should have a computer system with a minimum internet bandwidth of 1 Mbps and exams can be given using laptops or desktops alone with integrated webcam and microphone. Further, only the Windows operating system would be allowed. Dr. Venkat Rao, who was a former Vice-Chancellor at NLSIU, approached the Supreme Court challenging NLAT stating that the decision taken by the Executive Council of NLSIU to conduct NLAT was illegal and without any legal authority. Further, the notification mandating technical requirements to give the exam are onerous and cast an unreasonable burden on students, the plea said. A parent of one of the law school aspirants was also a petitioner along with Rao. Senior counsel Nidesh Gupta appearing for the petitioners on Friday submitted that NLSIUs decision to hold a separate exam was violative of the MoU signed by the NLUs as well as the by-laws of the consortium. Senior counsel Arvind Datar, who represented NLSIU, told the court about the difficulties that may arise if NLSIU is not able to complete admissions by the end of September. NLSIU follows a trimester system. It has been repeatedly telling (the consortium) not to delay the admission process beyond September because the whole trimester calendar will collapse. It will result in a loss of Rs. 16 crore and will also lead to zero-year. So, to prevent that, we are holding a separate test. It is only for this year. We will go back to CLAT next year, he said. Senior counsel PS Narasimha who was representing the consortium of NLUs submitted that NLSIUs act can lead to the collapse of the consortium. If Your Lordships permit this, the Consortium will collapse, he said. The bench which also comprised justices R Subhash Reddy and MR Shah said that the petition raises important issues and needs to be examined in detail. Meanwhile, the Jharkhand High Court on Friday dismissed a similar petition challenging NLAT. The High Court said that the matter has pan-India ramifications and it will, therefore, not interfere. Before CLAT was devised, every NLU used to hold its own entrance exam for admitting students. A petition was before the Supreme Court in 2006 citing the difficulties faced by students in writing separate entrance exams for different NLUs. The court passed a series of directions in that case in 2007 pursuant to which 7 NLUS signed a memorandum of understanding in 2008 to hold a single test for admission to all the NLUs. The first CLAT was conducted in 2008 and later more NLUs joined the fray. By 2015, a total of 16 NLUs was part of CLAT. The task of holding CLAT fell on one NLU each year in rotation. Later two petitions came to be filed before the Supreme Court in 2015 and 2018 for streamlining CLAT and establishing a permanent secretariat to manage and conduct CLAT. The directions issued by the apex court in this regard led to the establishment of a permanent CLAT secretariat in Bengaluru in October 2018. Broadcast Journalist and acting manager of EIB Network, Nana Aba Anamoah has reacted to the kind acts of Vice President of Ghana Dr. Mahamadu Bawumia. In a post on her Instagram page, Nana Aba expressed her admiration towards Dr Bawumia. According to her, Dr Bawumia deserves applauds for his kind act and for having the courage to be seated close to the 82-year-old leper. She reiterated that it is a refreshing sight to behold. She wrote; Refreshing to see that Dr Bawumia moved an 82-year-old leper from a death trap to a befitting house for a human being. I am not just happy about the house but the sight of him sitting this close to a leper. Lepers arent pariahs or any rediculous myths perpetuated about them. 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 London, Sep 11 : Contrary to expectations, hospital cleaners are at the higher risk of getting the Covid-19 infection, compared to intensive care unit (ICU) clinicians, say researchers. The study, published in the journal Thorax, revealed that infection risk was highest among cleaners, acute and general medicine clinicians, and those of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) backgrounds. The researchers suggest that the type of personal protective equipment (PPE) worn may be key to these differences, which are likely to be relevant for any second surge in Covid-19 this winter. "We presumed intensive care workers would be at highest risk... But workers in ICU are relatively well protected compared with other areas," said study author Alex Richter from the University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust (UHBFT) in the UK. For the findings, the research team offered to test staff with no Covid-19 symptoms for both current (throat and nose swabs to detect antigen) and previous (blood test to detect antibodies) infection. "We recruited 545 staff in 20 hours," Richter commented. They were asked to report any illnesses consistent with Covid-19 that they had had in the previous four months. Nearly 2.5 per cent staff with no symptoms tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for Covid-19 infection. Of these, 38 per cent subsequently developed Covid-19 symptoms. Around one in four for whom serum samples were available said they had previously had symptoms consistent with Covid-19 infection. The findings showed that cleaners had the highest antibody positivity (seroprevalence)-- 34 per cent followed by clinicians working in acute medicine (33 per cent or general internal medicine 30 per cent. The lowest seroprevalence was found among staff working in intensive care medicine 15 per cent, emergency medicine 13 per cent, and general surgery 13 per cent. "This is an observational study, and not all participants provided all the information requested. Nor is it known whether symptomless infection among staff puts hospital patients at risk," the study authors wrote. "However, our data would support the assessment of widespread healthcare worker testing, including track and trace, on viral transmission during future waves of a pandemic," they concluded. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text The Center for Innovative Technology Announces Bob Stolle as Chief Executive Officer and President The Center for Innovative Technology Announces Bob Stolle as Chief Executive Officer and President Richmond, VA, Sept. 11, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Center for Innovative Technology (CIT) Board of Directors today announced Bob Stolle as the organizations Chief Executive Officer and President of CIT. Stolle previously served as CITs Senior Vice President of Policy and Regional Initiatives as well as the head of CITs Entrepreneurial Ecosystems Division. Virginias entrepreneurship community has grown tremendously during Ed Albrigos tenure at CIT, and we are grateful for his dedicated service to our Commonwealth, said Governor Ralph Northam. I am pleased to welcome Bob Stolle to lead the agency and its efforts to advance our innovation economy. On behalf of the CIT Board of Directors, I wish to thank Ed Albrigo for his outstanding leadership, said Michael Steed, CIT Board Chairman and Founder and Managing Partner of Paladin Capital Group. Ed has had a transformational impact on CIT and the Virginia innovation ecosystem from launching new innovative programs in technology and industry areas critical to Virginia, to launching the Virginia Founders Fund to ensuring that Virginia companies continued to receive over 4 million dollars in vital funding during COVID through CRCF, GAP, Smart Communities, and Unmanned Systems programs. CIT and the new Virginia Innovation Partnership Authority (VIPA) are in great hands, said Ed Albrigo, outgoing CIT CEO. I am thrilled that the CIT Board appointed Bob Stolle as the new CIT President. Bob knows CIT, the VIPA legislation, VIPA budget, and the key stakeholders for VIPA and CIT very well. Our communities and CIT staff highly respect Bob. There is no better choice for the new CIT President. Representing CIT, Bob currently serves on the GO Virginia Guideline Workgroup, he is on the executive committee of the University-Based Economic Developers (UBED), the GENEDGE Alliance, and is on the Boards of eight regional technology Councils in Virginia. He co-chaired Technology, Innovation & Startups for the Virginia Chambers Blueprint Virginia strategic plan, and he serves on the Investment Advisory Board for the Launch Place Seed Fund in Danville. Story continues Mr. Stolle has also served in several key positions for the Commonwealth of Virginia during the administration of Governor George Allen, including Secretary of Commerce and Trade, where he was responsible for 15 state agencies and promoting economic and community development in the Commonwealth. He also served on the technology transitions teams for Governors Warner, Kaine, McDonnell, McAuliffe, and Northam. Bob has an engineering degree from the US Naval Academy. He served on active duty and in the Reserves as a Navy pilot and retired with the rank of Commander. About the Center for Innovative Technology (CIT) Investing for Commonwealth Growth | CIT concentrates on the early commercialization and seed funding stages of innovation, helping innovators and tech entrepreneurs launch and grow new companies to create high-paying jobs throughout the entire state of Virginia. Founded in 1985, CIT, a nonprofit corporation, has been a primary driver of advocating for innovation and entrepreneurship in the Commonwealth. CIT accelerates next-generation technologies and technology companies through commercialization, capital formation, and market development initiatives. Our programs include | CIT GAP Funds | Commonwealth Research Commercialization Fund (CRCF) | Virginia Founders Fund | Broadband/Rural Broadband | Smart Communities | Cybersecurity | Unmanned Systems | SBIR/STTR Support (Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) & Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs) | University Partnerships | Startup Company Mentoring & Engagement on behalf of Virginia Entrepreneurship & Economic Development. CITs CAGE Code is 1UP71. Contact: 2214 Rock Hill Road #600, Herndon, VA 20170 | 703.689.3000 | www.cit.org | You can also follow CIT on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook. Attachment CONTACT: Sara (Pomakoy) Poole Center for Innovative Technology (CIT) sara.poole@cit.org Pompeo, Afghan negotiators converge on Qatar for peace talks Negotiations set to begin on Saturday had originally been slated to start in March but were repeatedly pushed back US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Afghan government negotiators arrived in Doha Friday ahead of what promise to be lengthy and difficult peace talks with the Taliban after 19 years of war. Afghan negotiations set to begin Saturday were originally scheduled for March but were repeatedly pushed back amid disputes over a prisoner exchange that included the release of hundreds of battle-hardened Taliban fighters. "I hope this is a historic day and the beginning of a big change," said Abdullah Abdullah, an Afghan former minister who is leading the peace negotiations, as he left for Doha. "Afghanistan's problems have no military solutions, that is why we are going to talks." US President Donald Trump has made ending America's involvement in Afghanistan a foreign policy priority as he faces uncertain prospects in the November 3 election. The Afghan government delegation and Pompeo both arrived in Doha on Friday ahead of the opening session of what Washington's top diplomat said was a "historic" opportunity to end America's longest war. "I'm mindful of how difficult these conversations will be among the Afghans but it's theirs for the taking," he told reporters onboard his flight to the Qatari capital. Abdul Hafiz Mansour, a member of Kabul's delegation, said his message to the Taliban would be that they "cannot succeed by force". "The time is ready for reconciliation now, we can resolve our problems by talking to each other," Mansour said. - 'Desperate for peace' - Negotiations have raised hope across Afghanistan that the conflict might come to a halt. "We are desperate for peace. The killing of Afghans should be stopped," said Kabul shopkeeper Abdullah, who lost a relative in a bomb attack that targeted Vice President Amrullah Saleh this week. "I'm not very optimistic about the future, but peace talks are a good first step to at least reduce the violence." Story continues The UN's envoy to Afghanistan Deborah Lyons called for an "an immediate and unconditional reduction in violence" ahead of the talks. "(That) would create a more conducive environment for constructive talks," she said in a statement. The announcement of the start of peace talks came Thursday just hours after a final hurdle -- the fate of a group of Taliban prisoners including those who murdered French and Australian civilians and troops -- appeared to have been resolved. Two Taliban prisoners who murdered Frenchwoman Bettina Goislard, a UN refugee worker, were released in the province of Wardak. Six other militants including two who killed French and Australian soldiers were transferred to Doha on a special plane reportedly to be held in detention there. Paris and Canberra emphasised their opposition to any release of these prisoners. "France reaffirms its firmest opposition to the release of individuals sentenced for committing crimes against French nationals, in particular soldiers and humanitarian workers," Paris said in a statement. Canberra insisted that a Taliban militant who killed three Australian soldiers and who was sent to Doha should not be released. Zalmay Khalilzad, the US negotiator on Afghanistan, said ahead of the talks that the "big picture" was to end the war. "I know that none of us are happy about the release of prisoners that committed violence against forces but we want to keep the big picture in mind," he told reporters. Peace talks were delayed for six months as the Taliban and Kabul conducted a wider US-brokered prisoner exchange. The Taliban released 1,000 Afghan troops, while Kabul freed 5,000 insurgents. emh-jds-gw/sls/dwo The rule was passed with 111 votes in favor, 8 against, and 8 abstentions. The parties Alianza para el Progreso, Somos Peru, Frepap, Partido Morado, and Frente Amplio asked Congress Chairman Manuel Merino to put such bill to a vote before debating the impeachment motion against President Martin Vizcarra The global pandemic threw the world for a loop as businesses shut down, schools closed, and working from home became the new normal. Phrases like social distancing and self-quarantine became part of our everyday nomenclature, and safety measures such as temperature checks and mask wearing were integrated into daily life. Its now hard to imagine businesses and gathering places without these new standards in place. From a business standpoint, reopening still poses many concerns and uncertainty. How can businesses keep employees safe, remain compliant with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines and avoid liability while still maintaining a sustainable level of profitability? From an employee standpoint, while many workers are eager to return to full-time hours and consistent paychecks, they are scared to return to an environment that increases their exposure to COVID-19. They may have questions about proper PPE, enforcement of social distancing and mask wearing, and many face new responsibilities that are not traditional to their position. Artificial intelligence will play a major role as we try to move to a post-pandemic world, especially as it pertains to tracking peoples health and wellbeing in public areas. Employers will tap technology solutions to help them face challenges such as adhering to new rules and regulations, monitoring compliance, and ensuring employee confidence and morale remains positive. Todays new reality will rely on technology more than ever, and this trend will only continue to grow as we settle into the new normal. From monitoring individuals to helping to ease customer flow, technology specifically artificial intelligence will be critical. Why AI? As society plans the reopening of offices, shared spaces and customer-facing businesses, how can we ensure the safety of workers and the community at large? One option is to hire or assign employees to policing practices such as temperature taking, mask wearing, and social distancing enforcement. Depending on the size of the business, this could take a great number of people. It would most likely involve a two-pronged approach, with employees on the ground as well as employees monitoring the situation from screens. Human error is a risk in these scenarios. Its difficult to monitor a large group of people to make sure they are adhering to the CDC guidelines. It also places a substantial mental burden on staff; the average human attention span is about 8.25 seconds, and many are distracted by emails, text messages and constant notifications on their phones. A technology solution is the clear answer in this case. Artificial Intelligence is a powerful technology tool that allows for multiple tasks to take place at once, faster and more efficiently than humanly possible. Cognitive computing systems such as neural networks are a specific type of AI that simulates human thought. This type of AI is used in autonomous vehicles and is also a good structure to build post-pandemic monitoring systems. Cognitive computing can learn to digest information in different contexts. For example, if people are simply passing each other, or a family walks into a store together, the system will learn that they do not need to physically distance within the group and therefore will not be violating the rules of social distancing. Not only is AI more reliable than humans at tracking multiple data points at one time, this type of monitoring can reduce liability exposure for businesses and organizations. Amazon is being sued by workers for not enforcing social distancing measures and being careless with contact tracing efforts. At the time, had the company had AI monitoring in place, it could have helped to make sure that such measures were being properly enforced and provided proof that the company took measures to ensure the safety of its workers. A D V E R T I S E M E N T AI in the Workplace Remote working was the instant solution for many businesses when the pandemic escalated. While some businesses are fully back in office and adhering to mandated expectations for employee safety, others remain remote or are utilizing strategic and flexible work schedules. For those going into office settings, a host of safety measures need to be implemented, but can pose a myriad of difficulties to ensure compliance and create substantial liability issues. AI can help to monitor body temperatures, ensure employees are social distancing, and even confirm that masks are being worn consistently. This use of AI technology can help reduce worker frustration and dissatisfaction with new rules of compliance, free up staff from the need to manually attempt a fraction of what todays computing power can achieve, and keep employees doing what they do best, rather than enforcing rules. The post-pandemic workplace will be made of more controlled environments including more managed daily interactions, reserving time for specific activities, rotating people in and out of smaller spaces, and flexible workspaces where employees can come and go as needed as opposed to each having a dedicated space. As the COVID-19 situation fluctuates, so will the guidelines that need monitoring. AI systems can quickly and easily be programed to shift with the loosening or tightening of guidelines, allowing for flexibility in the system. AI in Customer Experience For those working in retail, hospitality, healthcare and other customer-facing industries, additional unique challenges abound. Customers have been patient and understanding with the recent changes, but as the new normal sets in, this perseverance will surely revert to earlier expectations and customers may even begin to demand more. Customers will tire of waiting in line and having their temperatures taken to enter a restaurant or shop. While they will still expect safety measures and want to feel safe in the environment, their expectations of a quicker delivery method should be anticipated. With a situational awareness solution, companies can mitigate risks and still focus on delivering quality customer service. Businesses that rely on heavy foot traffic such as shopping centers, hospitals, casinos, recreational venues and theme parks, will need to evolve to remain safely in business. For such large spaces with big crowds, technology to monitor for social distancing, temperature checks and mask compliance will be critical. Hospitals will be one of the many workplaces that will evolve and depend on technology to avoid cross-contamination, especially with patients at higher-risk. AI technology can be used to take vitals, heartrate, temperatures and more without the need to enter a patients room. This will help to provide better overall patient care while keeping patients and staff safe. For retail and theme park settings, customer service can be faster and more efficient. There will no longer be the need to wait in a physical line. Customers will be able to check in, receive a notification when its their turn, and then be able to walk right up for service or to experience an attraction. AI will be more important than ever in these high-traffic situations. A D V E R T I S E M E N T AI Monitoring and Privacy With all of these technological implementations, employees and customers alike may be concerned about privacy. AI solutions have the ability to make people into avatars, where only behaviors and other rules are being monitored, which will help to ensure the privacy of individuals. Unlike the extensive volumes of video surveillance data being collected, this type of monitoring does not entail identity information such as names or images. Moreover, data through this type of platform can be stored locally, not via a cloud system which might be breached more easily. This could reduce the risk of bad actors intruding in the system since access would need to be through the local database. A Better Future With AI AI-enabled technology solutions will help lead to a better future. The change has already begun, and the landscape will most likely continue to shift abruptly as we adapt to the post-pandemic world and learn more about how COVID-19 and other diseases are transmitted. Customers, businesses and employees will all experience concern during phased reopening, but there are ways to safeguard individuals in minimally intrusive ways, thanks to AI, neural networks and other technological advancements. AI technology solutions will allow us to advance and resume some semblance of normal activity, all while managing compliance, ensuring profitability and mitigating liability. The former bookkeeper at Troy Elementary School is on the hook for more than $37,000 after a state agencys audit found that amount was missing from the schools bank account, including nearly $8,600 from school fundraisers that were not deposited into the account . The state Department of Examiners of Public Accounts reviewed the elementary schools books at the request of the Troy City Schools superintendent and the districts board of education to determine whether Troy Elementary School was complying with state laws, according to the Aug. 28 report of the audit. The examination showed ex-bookkeeper Sherry Tucker kept two separate master receipt books for the school but only one of the books was authorized to be used by the department. In the authorized book, only about $2,300 of the roughly $23,000 in receipts were deposited in the schools bank account. The state agency is requesting $21,000 to be paid back by Tucker. Among the missing funds was $8,590 in profits from school fundraisers in 2018 and 2019 that were unaccounted for in the schools bank account, the audit showed. About $5,800 in funds collected by teachers for Troy Elementary were also not deposited in the schools bank account, according to the audit. The review found that Tucker failed to follow established procedures with regard to receipting, recording, and depositing money collected on behalf of the school. Tucker showed a failure to properly record and deposit all money received from fundraisers, the audit found, although the state agency also said the schools principal didnt ensure that procedures were in place to authorize fundraising activities at the school. The audit also found discrepancies between Tuckers master receipts and the records of teachers and staff who gave the bookkeeper money from students, finding that nearly $1,800 was missing from the schools bank account. School personnel did not follow established policies and procedures to ensure the amounts remitted on alternative receipt forms to the Bookkeeper were properly receipted, recorded and deposited, the audit found. As a result, there is a possibility that all money collected was not entered into the accounting records or deposited into the Schools bank account exposing the school and the board to the risk of loss or theft." Rachel Laurie Riddle, chief examiner for the Alabama Department of Examiners of Public Accounts, said she believed Tucker did not have a justifiable explanation for the missing funds. I am of the opinion that the former bookkeeper has failed to show just cause why the amounts due should not be paid by Tucker, Riddle wrote. As case begins against officers involved in George Floyds death, activists call for police abolition and defunding. Court proceedings are set to begin Friday for four former Minneapolis police officers charged in the death of George Floyd, which sparked a nationwide movement against police brutality and anti-Black racism. Floyd died in Minneapolis police custody in May and video footage of his death showed the 46-year-old saying he could not breathe before going silent as former officer Derek Chauvin kept his knee on Floyds back for nearly nine minutes. Floyds death also reignited a debate across the United States about the future of policing, with many community members and activists calling for cities to defund police to invest in community programmes instead or abolish their police forces altogether. These demands have faced a backlash from pundits, politicians and some police officers themselves, who say the police keeps the US safe and serves as a thin blue line that stops society from descending into chaos. Case for abolition But many do not feel that way, said Mekdes Sisay, a member of the DC chapter of Black Youth Project 100 (BYP100), a national Black youth organisation that works on social justice issues, including those involving policing. Police dont keep us safe. Thats not their role they protect property, Sisay told Al Jazeera in an interview. Sisay pointed to the fact that in many cases, early policing in the US was in the form of volunteer slave patrols that attempted to return escaping slaves, then viewed as property, to their owners, especially in Southern states. Protesters march during a demonstration against police brutality and racism on August 24, 2020, in Minneapolis, Minnesota [Kerem Yucel/AFP] BYP100 is an abolitionist organisation, Sisay said. So, we are fighting for a future without police, a future without prisons, because we believe that these institutions actively work to oppress Black communities. Although Black people account for roughly 13 percent of the US population, they make up as much as 40 percent of people held in federal and state prisons, according to US census data. US government statistics also showed that federal and state prisons held about 475,900 Black inmates in 2017. Practically speaking, Sisay said BYP100 is working in conjunction with other groups in Washington, DC to decriminalise sex work as part of a broader strategy to reduce the need for police in society, among other efforts. Decriminalisation has worked in other instances, notably in Portugal, which ended drug criminalisation in 2001. The country adopted a public health approach to its drug problem and has seen an increase in people seeking treatment and plummeting overdose and HIV transmission numbers among drug users. But abolition is not without its detractors. Right-wing pundits like Fox News Tucker Carlson argue that abolitionists want a woke militia of armed social workers, psychologists, and ethnic studies majors and want people to be afraid to call the police. While many people in the US may not entirely agree with Carlsons characterisation, Sisay acknowledged that the national consensus in the US is not yet in favour of police abolition. I dont think that as many people have made the jump to abolishing the police totally, Sisay said. Theres still some pushback against that. But I definitely think that the protests over the summer and the momentum thats been built has pushed a lot of people towards that. Defunding police As protests and calls for defunding or abolishing police spread this year, some observers have pointed to the city of Camden, New Jersey, as a model for how policing can be transformed in a more moderate way. Camden, colloquially known as the most dangerous city in the US, decided to disband its police force in 2012 amid criticism of its inability to tackle years of record-high crime rates. A countywide police department took over the following year, which increased the number of officers on patrol for less total spending, thanks in part to lowered salaries resulting from the Camden City police unions dissolution. Violent crime has dropped significantly as the force instituted community policing, or building ties with the community, and some Camden residents support the changes. Others, like Ayinde Merrill, still think more needs to be done. Merrill is a lifelong resident of Camden and activist with grassroots group Camden Arts for Change, which has presented the Camden County Police Department with demands for increased accountability and for more officers from the city of Camden who know the community to be hired, among others. Merrill told Al Jazeera that while he personally is in favour of police abolition, defunding the police is the quickest way to attain progress that will benefit his community. Merrill said he would like to see the money that would have gone to police be redistributed to fund arts, job and education programmes. Progressive legislators like US Representatives Ilhan Omar and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez have made similar calls. It truly boggles my mind how anyone can see a $6 billion policing budget in ONE city alone which is more than we spend on health, youth, housing, and homelessness services here *combined* and say, You know what will fix police brutality? More money https://t.co/s0oldDJSZS Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) June 10, 2020 A 2017 joint report by Law for Black Lives, the Center for Popular Democracy and BYP100 examined budgets relative to policing in 12 large metropolitan areas in the US and found that money allocated for incarceration and policing comes at the expense of other programmes. In Oakland, 41 percent of the citys budget, or $242.5m, went to police spending, the report found. Other cities, such as Detroit, Houston and Chicago, allocated similarly high figures, with between 30 and 38 percent of their budgets to police spending in 2017, the 2017 report found. Expectations for police Betsy Smith is a retired police sergeant with 29 years experience in the Naperville, Illinois, police department and a spokesperson for the National Police Association, a pro-police nonprofit that says it works to educate people who want to help police departments achieve their goals. She said defunding police will not end the way activists expect; community policing programmes will be the first to be cut if budgets shrink, Smith said, as will training courses that go beyond state requirements, such as those on de-escalation. The bare minimum budget has to include police to answer calls Were going to be left with just basically trained police officers in patrol cars. I dont think thats what people want, said Smith, citing unrest in Portland, Kenosha, Minneapolis and elsewhere. However, Smith said police have been given greater societal responsibilities, including dealing with mental health and domestic disturbance calls which they do not enjoy so discussions around the type of policing people want are necessary. Mental health advocacy groups have also said police should not be responding to these sensitive calls because their interventions can lead to deadly results. In March, Daniel Prude, a Black man in a mental health crisis, died of suffocation after police put a hood over his head and held him down during an arrest. Community organisers like Merrill insist that with police budgets already so inflated, it is time to reconsider how much money goes into policing and defund to invest. We truly believe that if you have access to fair housing, education and jobs, he said, then things will turn around for communities. Minneapolis endured two nights of curfew last month due to unrest that erupted after a false report of another black man shot by police. The mayor acted fast to stem the turbulence, not wanting a repeat of the awfulness that happened with George Floyds killing and its aftermath. Huddled in my home fairly far from downtown Minneapolis, I prayed for othersin Kenosha and Portland and elsewhere. Nineteen years since 9/11, a nation united has fractured. We have met the enemy and he is us. The chasmic political and economic divides in America, driven deeper by a relentless pandemic, seem hopelessly unbridgeable. Our culture and political systemsfueled by the merciless thrill of social media and conspiracy craziesthrive in the zero-sum game. Only now the online vitriol has spilled onto the streets. Reactions vacillate between the call for police to restore order and worry against police overreach. The hallmark of free speech and rightful assembly in America relies upon civic order. Civic order relies on a commitment to common good. Theologically, the common good ties to our commitment to all persons made in Gods image (Gen. 1:27) and to the common grace generously and indiscriminately bestowed by God upon the righteous and unrighteous alike (Matt. 5:45). To the extent the common good untethers from common gracea doctrine based on Gods undeserved love for all peoplegoodness perverts into partisanship and subjects to societal whim, market value, individual rights, and personal preference. Once we feel we deserve what we get or are owed what we lack, common goodness turns tribal. We fight to preserve what were jealous for and fight against what we envy. Longtime pundit Andrew Sullivan asserts that American democracy cant survive without some general faith in an objective reality and a transcendent divinity. Thats why I suspect a reinvention and reboot for Christianity is an urgent task. Christianity, the faith, cannot be reinvented. The divinity of Jesus as God in the flesh, the presence and power of the Holy Spirit, and the Bibles authority, among other tenets, remain nonnegotiable no matter the urgency. Christians need to reground ourselves in core distinctives to shake salt and shine light. However, Christianity as practiced by the faithful could use a reboota computer term analogous to theological words such as restoration and reformation. The motto for the Protestant Reformation was Semper reformanda: the church must always reform. Christians need to reground ourselves in core distinctives to shake salt and shine light in these viral, vitriolic, and violent times. Among these core distinctives is the discipline of self-suspicion. Ive written already about the need as Christians to always assume our own wickedness and wrongdoingespecially when we feel we are right and have done nothing wrong. Virtue requires a continual skepticism of whats going on inside us, a low-grade leeriness as to the true content of our character. Our hearts can be murky as to motive such that even our very best and brightest intentions dim in the shadow of self-interest (Jer. 17:9; Rom. 7:15). The Reformations insistence on total depravity does not indict every human as intrinsically evil but rather insists every aspect of our being is tainted by sin and worthy of suspicion. As sinners, were capable of perverting goodness even as we seek to do it. A second discipline crucial to a reboot is Jesus command to love our enemies (Matt. 5:44; Luke 6:27). To love an enemy runs counter to every impulse in our age of outrage. Jesus injunction to pray for our persecutors comes off as weak and naive. To respond to meanness with kindnessturning the other cheek, giving up your coat, and going the extra mileelicits strong objections and cries of cheap grace. But grace always begins with indictment. To forgive is to blame. Step up to any stranger, announce, I forgive you, and watch the reaction. Article continues below Forgiveness does not demand the suppression of anger. Instead, Christian forgiveness taps into the energy anger generates. If by righteous anger we mean the impassioned hostility against those evils that offend, frustrate, threaten, or endanger, then the cross of Jesusthe passion of Christis angers fullest and finest expression. The sin Jesus boreof which we all share guiltbrought down the full fury of heaven. And yet Gods anger against us redeems into an eternal relationship with us. Righteous anger hungers and thirsts for justice; it has love as its lodestar and reconciliation as its endgame. The Scriptures remind us love always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres (1 Cor. 13:7). Love seeks first the kingdom of God and the goodness of others. Without love, anger is but a cataclysmic explosive set on destruction. Lastly, a reboot of Christianity should exude a strong confidence in a future yet to be revealed. Christs return portends dramatic hopea Judgment Day when all wrongs are made right and all things are made new, a perpetual nativity of heaven and earth, a home in glory land that outshines the sun. Christians believe in the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting, a new dawn breaking back into our present, a love from which nothing can separate us, a hope that cannot disappoint (Rom. 5:5; 8:39). Christian hope fosters no illusions of human self-improvement. Self-suspicion abides. We cannot escape our hardships or raise ourselves from the dead. Suffering, rather than meaningless pain or just desserts, translates through the Cross into meaningful redemption and reinforced character. Death, rather than a terrifying end to be feared, becomes the gateway to life everlasting. Resurrection weaves lifes hardships into its beautiful tapestry of new creation, anticipating that day when all things will be made right. Our hope is in God who has already done this, started and finished, beginning and end. Christian hope is not for a future that may happen but anchored in God for whom the future has happened already. Our sure hope is such a sure thing we can endure whatever troubles come our way in the meantime. Whenever I watch the 1939 classic The Wizard of Oz, I like how all Dorothy ever wants she finds shes had all along. In the movie, Oz was all just a dream. In the books, however, Oz is a real place, which is how it is in our book. The ultimate promises of Scripture read like a dream, but the reality it opens to us is more real than we could ever dream. In Christ, all wed ever want is what we already have. Its been here among us all along, so good we can taste it already, even as the full banquet awaits (Rev. 19:79). Look, Gods home is now among his people! (Rev. 21:3, NLT). Yes it is. And as we know, theres no place like home. Daniel Harrell is Christianity Todays editor in chief. Google has revealed new details about Android 11 Go Edition, the lighter version of its Android 11 mobile operating system, which was launched earlier this week. Android Go Edition is designed for lower-powered smartphones in the entry-level category, in particular those equipped with lower amounts of RAM than mid-range and flagship smartphones. Its applications take up less space and consume less memory than on standard Android iterations. Android 11 Go release adds support for smartphones with less than 2GB RAM, compared with the less than 1.5GB requirement on Android 10 Go Edition. According to a report from 9to5Google, it will be available on all devices running either Android 10 or 11 with less than 2GB RAM starting from October. However, Google told The Verge the update will only be on newer smartphones with that amount of memory. The company did not provide examples of smartphones which will receive the update but said that OEMs can decide for themselves whether they would roll out Android 10 Go or Android 11 Go on a device. Memory and storage improvements Google claimed apps will launch 20% faster on Android 11 Go Edition when compared with the Android 10 version. Users will have an additional 270MB of free memory at their disposal, which should allow them to run several more apps in the background. On the storage front, Android 11 Go uses 900MB less space, allowing manufacturers to add storage-heavy features like biometrics and dual-camera systems. It will also support some of the new features of Android 11, such as dedicated grouped notifications for messaging apps, and granting one-time permission for apps to use the camera and microphone. Budget smartphones in South Africa The Android 11 Go update could be well received in South Africa, where budget smartphones with low amounts of RAM are extremely popular. Three of the five best-selling smartphone brands in the IDCs report on smartphone sales in South Africa for the first quarter of 2020 are known for offering budget-oriented devices. These brands are Hisense, Mobicel, and Vodacom. The other two top-sellers Samsung and Huawei also boast a wide selection of entry-level smartphones. In addition, South Africas biggest mobile operator Vodacom previously told MyBroadband that it had seen a big increase in demand for budget smartphones from brands like Tecno and Hisense in 2020. Teachers assigned to lead remote-learning classes know little about the classes theyre supposed to teach or the resources available to them, an elementary teachers union says. I only have one word to describe this situation: chaos, said Jeff Sorensen, president of the Hamilton-Wentworth Elementary Teachers Local union, on Friday. Educators expected to resume full-time classes next Wednesday for the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board (HWDSB) are dealing with a sense of confusion and chaos, says Sorensen. Most of our virtual teachers are still waiting for timetables and assignments. They know theyll have to teach, for example, Grade 6 students, but they dont know what theyre supposed to be teaching or how. Math? Art? English? They have no idea. The school board has spent the past few weeks assigning between 240 to 300 teachers to a virtual-only school that will host more than 8,000 elementary students learning exclusively from home this September. The number of students opting to learn online has grown significantly, increasing by 2,000 students this week alone, as families contemplate how best to educate their children during a global pandemic. The virtual schools rising enrolment numbers which will host students from schools across the Hamilton-Wentworth district in one online hub have led to last-minute teacher reassignments and new hires to keep up with demand. Peter Sovran, associate director of learning services for the HWDSB, acknowledged the last-minute decisions that have arisen in preparation for online learning. We know this has been a really significant undertaking by everyone. There are extraordinarily short time frames, with unprecedented reorganization prior to the start of the school year, Sovran said. But Sorensen with the union said many of the teachers lack experience using online-learning tools and are scrambling to familiarize themselves with curriculums for grades they arent used to teaching. With online-only classes expected to begin on Wednesday, Sorensen says that many feel unprepared to teach their students and worry that the lack of preparation will impact their students education. Its not going to do any good for students learning, this kind of last-minute disruption. Theres been no time for preparation, no time for teachers to get to know their students. We have kindergarten teachers who are teaching Grade 8 students for the first time in their lives and vice versa. Its just not going to be like any other year, Sorensen told The Spec. The board began the hiring and reassignment process midway through August, offering professional development days to teachers to familiarize themselves with online-learning methods. Due to a late-August deadline for families to register their children for in-person or online-only classes, the board only recently learned of how many students would be attending remotely. There are teachers whove been assigned very late to remote learning, Sovran said, and they will be teaching in areas they have not taught before. Its going to take some time to prepare for all this, for sure. Some teachers have said that the professional development offered by the board has not adequately prepared them for the school year and doesnt account for the information theyre missing. One elementary teacher assigned to teach online-only Grade 1 classes who The Spec agreed not to name in order to protect her job security says the board has not yet provided her with a list of students or told her how she is expected to teach these classes online. Weve asked questions and we havent received answers. How do we teach certain classes online? What if students cant afford certain supplies at home? Do we have assessment tools we can use to assess our childrens comprehension levels? Every time we ask these questions to the board, were rebuffed. Were told well find out later, and yet school starts next week, she said. Complications surrounding remote learning prompted Hamiltons Catholic board to delay the start of its virtual school by one day, to Sept. 15, to allow teachers and students time to work with the technology (and) begin to make connections with their teachers and fellow students. The HWDSB says it will be starting online-only classes on Wednesday as planned. Were still confident we can open on Wednesday, said Sovran. Were going to allow for some transition time when classes start time where students can talk through what this new reality will look like and get to know their teachers. Were going to continue to exercise that patience and ask everyone to do the same, as opposed to delaying the start of school. We think its really important for students to be back in school. Sangrur The district chapter of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ekta-Ugrahan) formed womens wings in eight villages of Bhawanigarh block of the district recently. The development came as part of a plan to oppose the three new agricultural ordinances that the Centre has passed. Other farmer outfits, mostly seen as armies of old men, are also working to recruit youth and women into their fold. BKU leaders claim that the anti-farmer policies of the government will affect the lives of women and the young. In 2018, we decided to focus on increasing the participation of women and youth in unions. Now, we need to organise our youth and women. This is the need of the hour, as we combat these ordinances, said Sukhdev Singh Kokri Kalan, state general secretary of BKU (Ekta-Ugrahan). Kokri Kalan added that the anti-farmer policies of successive governments had meant that youth and women were already against the government. It was up to the farmer leadership to channelise this energy, he claimed. These ordinances will damage the farm economy and women have to suffer more. We are getting a huge response and women are joining the battle against anti-farmer policies, he added. Harinder Bindu, 42, state leader of womens wing of BKU Ugharan, said they already had a womens wing in Sangrur, Bathinda, Mansa and Barnala districts. The Modi government passed three ordinances under the shadow of covid-19. Women protested from August 25-29. Our women activists also protested against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), the NRC (National Register of Citizens) and the National Population Register (NPR) in Malerkotla, she added. Women are the most oppressed section, and farm debt and patriarchy impact them the most. We are getting organised in Malwa, she added. Kirti Kissan Union, another farmer outfit, recently formed youth wings in Sangrur, Moga, Ludhiana and Muktsar districts. Union activists are holding meetings with youth for the Barnala rally scheduled on September 14, the first day of the new Parliament session, to oppose the agri-ordinances We have formed five units of youth in Sangrur district. They wanted freedom, when elders were leading the movement. We will form units in other districts by September 28,said Bhupinder Longowal, 35, state leader, Kirti Kissan Union. Youth must not waste time and energy in gathering votes for political parties. Agriculture is our profession and we will not allow the government to snatch it from us, added Longowal. Aontu Leader and Meath West TD Peadar Toibin is appealing with Taoiseach Micheal Martin at leaders questions in the Dail to reopen critical health services across the country to those who desperately need them. Deputy Toibin said:I received a message from a Doctor in the last few days. He said to me: I've luckily had no patients who have died from coronavirus. I have at least three though who have had delayed cancer diagnoses due to delays and shut down. They will almost certainly die. I have many others who are desperate to be seen by specialists but are hitting a brick wall trying. He said: "Undeniably, shut down of the health services is killing people. Deputy Toibin said: "This is a startling statement by a doctor and its not an isolated situation. Around the country many people who are cancer symptomatic are facing a brick wall due to reduced or closed services. The consequences of this will be enormous and tragic for hundreds of people." He said:Cancellation of cancer screening likewise has seen thousands of abnormalities, precancerous cells and cancers missed. We have this bizarre and confused situation that you can get a haircut in Ireland but you cant get a Breast Check. Deputy Toibin said: One of the most frustrating aspects about this crisis has been the refusal of the government to research the human cost in terms of mortality and morbidity of the shut down of the health services. Without this information the decisions being made in terms of health care resources are not evidence-based decisions. Peadar Toibin who himself has had a Melanoma Cancer diagnosis in the last two months stated; Without information, resource allocation is being made on the blind. I am calling in the government for the umpteenth time to open all critical health services to patients immediately lives can be saved if we act now. DeputyToibin also used the example of Mental Health Services to indicate the dangers of closed services he stated; He said:The National Suicide Research Foundation collects data on self-harm presentations to hospital emergency departments. That important data collection service was suspended in the vast majority of hospitals up to the end of June. Even today that data on Self Harm is still not being collected at each of the Emergency Departments around the country. Deputy ToibinFace to face consultations for people with serious mental health illness are still down, I understand by up to 70%. Much of this has been replaced by telephone calls. Phone calls are no substitute for person suffering from Mental Health issues. He said:This Year we know in advance that there will be exceptional pressure. This gives us the chance to prepare properly. Taoiseach dont leave 100,000 women in a queue for Breast check. Dont create a hierarchy of illness, dont pit one patient against another in their pursuit of treatment. Will you provide the necessary resources now? A total of 28 of Cork Institute of Technology's 45 courses have seen a jump in their points requirements while 44 of University College Cork's 64 courses saw an increase. Music at CIT's Cork School of Music, under the reference number CR121, saw the largest increase in points at 235, bringing it from 633 points in 2019 to 868 now. It is important to note that access to that course is also dependent on an additional form of examination such as an interview, portfolio or audition. Only one course, Accounting, stayed the same at 316 while 14 courses saw the necessary points drop. Photography with New Media saw a massive fall of 670 points from 920 in 2019 to 250 in 2020. The course is also dependent on an additional form of examination such as an interview, portfolio or audition. Music at CIT's Cork School of Music, under the reference number CR121, saw the largest increase in points. Picture: Eddie O'Hare In UCC, Law and French saw the highest difference of 89 points bringing from 453 in 2019 to 542 in the first round of this year's offers. Law and Irish also had a significant jump of 78, going from 462 in 2019 to 540 this year. One course, Arts - 3 years, saw no change in points needed while a total of 11 courses saw a decrease in the number. Arts with Music - 3 or 4 years (BMus or Chinese/European/Int`l Pathway) saw the largest drop in points, at 38 taking it from 340 to 302. There were six changed or new courses in UCC and two courses which were not offered. New York Citigroup's Jane Fraser will become the first woman to ever lead a Wall Street bank when she succeeds CEO Michael Corbat in February. The New York bank announced the succession Thursday. Fraser is currently head of Citi's global consumer banking division, a major part of the bank that oversees not only checking and savings accounts but also Citi's massive credit card business. She's been with Citi for 16 years and had recently been tasked with leading the cleanup of the bank's troubled Latin American banking business. Fraser will be the first woman to lead one of Wall Street's big six banks, a major accomplishment in an industry long dominated by men. JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon has had two women as his second-in-commands for years Marianne Lake and Jennifer Piepszak but shows no signs of stepping down. In a Congressional hearing last year, the CEOs of the Wall Street banks were asked whether they expected to be succeeded by a woman in their roles, and no man raised his hand at the time. When Fraser does take over for Corbat in February, it's almost certain the U.S. and global economies will still be dealing with the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. Since early this year, banks have set aside billions to cover potential loan losses as businesses and customers alike have fallen behind on payments. With a vaccine still months away at least, and the U.S. economy in a deep recession, the problems for borrowers are expected only to get worse as the country heads into the fall and winter. Corbat led Citigroup for eight years, rebuilding the company after it nearly collapsed during the Great Recession and 2008 financial crisis. The federal government had to step in to buy a stake in Citi to keep it afloat, and the bank had some of the most toxic assets on its books of all the major banks during this time. Corbat turned Citi into a much smaller and stable entity, focusing on its credit card businesses and its international banking franchise. The bank was able to pass the Federal Reserve's "stress tests," which test a bank's resiliency, and is considered a much healthier institution now than it ever was before the financial crisis. Citi declined to make Fraser available for interviews. In a prepared statement, Fraser said, "Citi is an incredible institution with a proud history and a bright future. I am excited to join with my colleagues in writing the next chapter." First online General Assembly in AIPAs history According to Chairman of the National Assemblys Committee for External Relations Nguyen Van Giau, organising the AIPA 41 is among the crucial tasks of the Vietnamese NA during its chairmanship term in 2020. The General Assembly of the AIPA is the biggest event in the chairmanship term of any AIPA member parliament, which gathers legislative leaders of all the ASEAN member countries. However, as the COVID-19 pandemic has been raging the whole world, it was impossible to organise a physical AIPA General Assembly. Therefore, the Vietnamese NA, as the AIPA Chair in 2020, actively switched to teleconference in response to the pandemic. Nguyen Manh Tien, Vice Chairman of the NA's Committee for External Relations and head of the AIPA 41 information sub-committee, said the timely switch showed the Vietnamese NAs flexibility, responsibility and determination in fulfilling its role as the AIPA Chair in 2020. Also, by successfully hosting all meetings within AIPA-41 via teleconference, Vietnam has proved its technical capacity, in particular digital and internet requirements, Tien added. This initiative was warmly welcomed by AIPA members. Chuan Leekpai, President of the National Assembly of Thailand, said the COVID-19 pandemic has posed a global health security threat to humanity throughout the region. In the most difficult moment, the Vietnamese parliament has made every effort not only to deal with the spread of COVID-19 but also to hold three significant AIPA conferences, he said, adding that the success of AIPA would not have been possible without excellent management by the AIPA staff of the Vietnamese NA. Chairman of the Lao National Assembly's External Relations Committee Eksavang Vongvichith spoke highly of this initiative, saying that the Vietnamese NA has been exerting all-out efforts to prepare for the AIPA General Assembly. He said though the pandemic has been posing a remarkable challenge to the organisation of AIPA 41, hosting the General Assembly in the form of teleconference was a timely and wise initiative by the NA Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan and other leaders of the Vietnamese NA. Deeper engagement of young parliamentarians to AIPA A resolution on organising annual meetings of young parliamentarians of AIPA under an initiative by Vietnam was approved by the Committee on Organisational Matters of the AIPA 41 on September 9, 2020. Previously, such an idea was first initiated by NA Chairwoman Ngan in her remarks when assuming the role of the AIPA 41 chair. It had been reiterated in ASEAN Leaders' Interface with Representatives of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly as well as ASEAN Leaders Interface with Representatives of ASEAN Youth within the 36th ASEAN Summit. During the first ever unofficial meeting of young parliamentarians of AIPA on September 8, young parliamentarians contributed valuable ideas on promoting the participation of young parliamentarians in building the ASEAN Community in the context of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and the COVID-19 pandemics impact on all spheres of the socio-economic life in the ASEAN member countries. The meeting proved effectiveness of an official forum for young parliamentarians within the AIPA. Permanent Vice Chairwoman of the Vietnamese NA Tong Thi Phong highlighted the important role of young parliamentarians who represent nearly 220 million young people in ASEAN. The young parliamentarians are an important factor to connect youngsters and promote their participation in building the ASEAN Community and realising the goals of the ASEAN Community Vision 2025 through the ASEAN Work Plan on Youth for 2016-2020 and the following years, Phong said. Secretary General of the Cambodian National Assembly Leng Peng Long spoke highly of Vietnams initiative to include the discussion of the establishment on the agenda of AIPA-41. He stressed the necessity for parliaments to issue policies dedicated to youths so as to create favourable conditions for them to get engaged in their national development. Delivering a speech at the unofficial meeting of AIPA young parliamentarians, Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN Kung Phoak expressed appreciation to the Vietnamese NA for initiating the meeting. The official stressed that it is essential for young parliamentarians to lead the people to gain from the regional integration. 2020 marks the third time that the Vietnamese National Assembly has assumed the chairmanship of the AIPA and organised its General Assembly. This is an occasion for Vietnam to perform its role and responsibility in the AIPA and for the countrys NA to enhance its reputation as an active and responsible legislative body. It also promotes Vietnams position in the region and the world, especially in the context of the unprecedented pandemic. Students at Americas historically Black colleges and universities will have access to free COVID-19 tests this fall, courtesy of a donation worth $15 million from the lab equipment company Thermo Fisher Scientific. Its a game-changer, said Dr. Hugh Mighty, dean of the Howard University College of Medicine in Washington. This is a huge undertaking that could not be done without help. Thermo Fisher, which serves medical providers and academia, is donating diagnostic instruments, test kits and related supplies for The Just Project, named for the pioneering early 20th century Black biologist Dr. Ernest Everett Just. The companys initiative will also provide technical support to colleges to establish or build labs to process regular COVID-19 tests. The need for testing for Black students is really important, Mighty said. We are the most vulnerable, and the numbers show that even to be the case with college-age students. Howard University COVID testing (Howard University) According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, COVID-19 diagnoses among adults 18 to 29, which includes traditionally college-age people, are on the rise. So this is huge, Mighty said. Frankly, most schools do not have the ability or resources to test each of their students. Its a cost of about $100 per student. Thats an extraordinary amount of money when you consider the number of students were including. Howard, Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta, Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Xavier University of Louisiana and Hampton University in Virginia are the first HBCUs to receive the donations. A spokesperson from Thermo Fisher said more HBCUs will be invited to join the program in the coming weeks and months. "Our first priority is to ensure a safe and healthy environment on our campuses," said Dr. Valerie Montgomery Rice, president and dean of Morehouse School of Medicine. "The support we receive . . . through The Just Project allows us to offer easy access to COVID-19 testing that is so important to getting our students back to school safely." Story continues Coronavirus testing will take place in campus laboratories and testing stations. HBCUs have committed to use the donated equipment solely to offer COVID-19 testing to HBCU faculty, staff and students at no cost. We have been involved in the COVID-19 fight since November, said Fred Lowery, senior vice president and president for life sciences solutions and laboratory products at Thermo Fisher. After the initial rush of testing millions a week in the early days of the pandemic, Lowery said, thoughts focused on how we would get back to life. For us, those thoughts included how we could help our Black colleges and university students get back on campus safely as we battle the pandemic. Fred Lowery of Thermo Fisher said the company had been considering how to help Some campuses have returned to a full-time, on-campus schedule, while others are splitting between virtual learning and in-class studies. All are eligible for the complimentary testing. This is an important gesture. The Just Project gives us the capacity, in an affordable way, to protect our students during this pandemic, said Xavier President Reynold Verret. Verret said the old social cues followed on his campus like greeting others with a kiss on both cheeks as is custom in New Orleans had to stop, but the campus community is adapting. There is a sense of loss with all of this. But our students will wear masks and work hard at social distancing. Aside from The Just Project, Bloomberg Philanthropies last week donated $100 million to the four HBCU medical institutions Meharry, Morehouse, Charles Drew University of Medicine and Science in Los Angeles, and Howard University College of Medicine to help students with tuition. The goal is to increase the number of Black doctors in the U.S. (where only 5 percent of practicing doctors are Black) to address the number of marginalized, underserved patients. COVID-19 has been especially devastating for the Black community, and the scarcity of Black doctors practicing in Black communities is one reason for it, Michael Bloomberg, the former New York mayor and founder of Bloomberg Philanthropies and Bloomberg LP, said in a statement. During his run for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination, Bloomberg announced the Greenwood Initiative to augment Black family generational wealth to close the countrys vast wealth gap. Bloomberg said the latest donations are just a first step at fulfilling his pledge. Verret said: The larger piece is it will increase the number of students who come out of our schools and go into medical school. The cost of medical school needs to be more affordable. But this will help us grow the number of talented doctors from all ethnic backgrounds. The blind box concept, which originated in Japan in the 1980s, has rapidly evolved into a highly profitable capsule toy industry that has gained popularity throughout the world. MINISO debuted its Blind Box collection in China, where it rapidly drew in consumers fascinated with collecting the numerous cute toys, which also offers stressed millennials a sense of companionship as well as a playful way to relax and unwind. According to a 2019 report from China's Ministry of Civil Affairs, there are over 77 million adults living by themselves, with 80% of them spending at least $150 USD on "the little things" to combat isolation or spark joy. "What's driving the popularity of the blind box is the rising 'economy of loneliness'," says Mr. Ye Guofu, Founder and CEO of MINISO. "Pressure caused by lonesomeness or increased stress has seen an uptick this year, so we see great potential for this trend to pick up in international markets. That's why we've positioned the blind box as a strategic product for 2020 here at MINISO." As more and more young adults become designer toy consumers across the continent, this industry is expected to grow in popularity among the North American, European, Asia Pacific, and Latin American markets. MINISO Budding Pop Blind Box Availability MINISO customers will be able to purchase the latest Budding Pop collection on September 10 in Singapore at VivoCity, Westgate Mall and NEX Shopping Mall. The Budding Pop Blind Box collection will also be available at various stores across Malaysia, Brunei, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, Mongolia, Georgia, and Indonesia later this month. Blind boxes are priced in the 7-9 SGD (5 - 6.5 USD) range. Bolstered by MINISO's robust portfolio of brand partnerships with household IPs, customers can expect to see more blind box collections internationally available from MINISO, including a planned collaboration with Mickey and Minnie Mouse. About MINISO MINISO is a lifestyle product retailer, offering high quality household goods, cosmetics and food at affordable prices. Since its first store opened in Guangzhou in 2013, MINISO has opened more than 4,200 stores in over 80 countries and regions in 7 years. With a focus on sleek design and fun trends, its mission is to assure through its products that a better life has nothing to do with the price. For more information, please contact MINISO at: Aimee Gong: [email protected] Joy Liu: [email protected] SOURCE Miniso Group DENVER, Sept. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- CenturyLink Inc. (NYSE: CTL) announced that Level 3 Financing Inc., its indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary ("Level 3 Financing"), pursuant to the redemption notices issued on Aug. 12, 2020, has completed the redemption of all $140 million aggregate principal amount of Level 3 Financing's 5.625% Senior Notes due 2023 and all $700 million aggregate principal amount of Level 3 Financing's 5.125% Senior Notes due 2023 (collectively, the "Level 3 Notes"). Additional information regarding the redemption of the Level 3 Notes is available from Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A. About CenturyLink CenturyLink (NYSE: CTL) is a technology leader delivering hybrid networking, cloud connectivity, and security solutions to customers around the world. Through its extensive global fiber network, CenturyLink provides secure and reliable services to meet the growing digital demands of businesses and consumers. CenturyLink strives to be the trusted connection to the networked world and is focused on delivering technology that enhances the customer experience. Learn more at http://news.centurylink.com/. Forward-Looking Statements Except for historical and factual information, the matters set forth in this release and other of our oral or written statements identified by words such as "estimates," "expects," "anticipates," "believes," "plans," "intends," and similar expressions are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future results and are based on current expectations only, are inherently speculative, and are subject to a number of assumptions, risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control. Actual events and results may differ materially from those anticipated, estimated, projected or implied by us in those statements if one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or if underlying assumptions prove incorrect. You are cautioned not to unduly rely upon our forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements for any reason, whether as a result of new information, future events or developments, changed circumstances, or otherwise. We may change our intentions, strategies or plans (including our plans expressed herein) without notice at any time and for any reason. SOURCE CenturyLink, Inc. Related Links http://www.centurylink.com Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-11 21:19:45|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close VALLETTA, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- A healthcare worker in Malta has tested positive for COVID-19 again only four months after recovering from the virus, the Maltese health authorities said on Friday. This is the first time that a re-infection case was found in Malta. The healthcare worker tested positive on April 13 and recovered from the virus-caused disease on April 27, said Superintendent of Public Health Charmaine Gauci at a press conference. However, the patient complained about symptoms on Thursday and tested positive again for the virus, said Gauci. She said that investigations are currently under way to determine how the patient contracted the virus again. The Maltese health minister was in contact with the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control to seek suggestions, according to Gauci. With 43 new cases of infection reported in the last 24 hours, the total number of active COVID-19 cases in Malta reached 399. The country has so far reported 15 deaths of the disease, according to the Gauci. Enditem The Health Ministry states that it intends to increase the budget until the end of the year for the school health care network in order to complete the need for medical staff in the general and dental medical offices operating in the school and university system. "By the end of the year, the Health Ministry will identify the financial resources to supplement a number of 264 school doctors, 534 nurses for schools, 109 dentists, 145 nurses for dentists," reads a ministry's release issued on Thursday. According to the ministry, these funds will benefit the local authorities for the payment of doctors and school nurses who will occupy the new positions. At present, at national level, 1,302 doctors (788 with the specialty of general medicine and 514 with the specialty of dentistry) and 3,630 nurses (3262 with the specialty of general medicine and 368 with the specialty of dentistry) provide medical services in the school medical offices. Dining in restaurants increases a person's risk of getting COVID-19, according to a new study conducted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC report was released on Thursday, September 10, while several states consider letting restaurants start opening. Adults who were confirmed to have COVID-19 were twice as likely to have dined at a restaurant 14 days before experiencing the symptoms as compared to those who tested negative. Besides dining in restaurants, COVID-19 confirmed patients are also more likely to have visited a bar or a coffee shop among a group with no close contact with COVID-19 positive patients. According to CNN, data for the CDC study included those taken from 314 adults who were made to take a test because they said they were showing symptoms of COVID-19. The tests were done at 11 different health care facilities across 10 U.S. states, namely: California, Washington, Colorado, Utah, Tennessee, Maryland, Ohio, Massachusetts, North Carolina, and Minnesota. Of the 314 tested, 154 yielded positive, while 160 were negative of the SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19. The respondents were asked questions about the wearing of masks and their recently done activities in the community. Of the 154 who tested positive, 42 percent came into contact with at least one person confirmed to have COVID-19, and 51 percent of those close contacts were members of their family. The study also found that 71 percent of those with COVID-19 and 74 percent of those who tested negative adhered to wearing a face-covering in public. Researchers also found that both groups went shopping, went to the office, visited the gym, gathered in a home with fewer than ten people, used public transportation, and visited the salon. That is except for one thing, those who tested positive went dining in restaurants, according to a report on NBC News. This makes sense, according to associate professor of medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Dr. Todd Rice, who co-authored the report because it is easy to wear a mask or adhere to social distancing in all the other places mentioned above than in a restaurant. The study though, has some limitations because it did not distinguish if dining in restaurants was done indoors or outdoors. COVID-19 infections in restaurants have been linked to air circulation. Researchers said even if masks are worn, and social distancing is followed, ventilation, direction, and intensity of airflow might still affect the transmission of the SARS-CoV-2. According to an article on Med Page Today, researchers have concluded that before allowing restaurants to open, stringent guidelines must be followed in implementing safe practices to reduce the transmission of COVID-19 for the protection of all in the community. Because dining in restaurants is risky compared to other community activities, people must take extra precautions, especially since states are now lifting restrictions in restaurant operation. Check these out: Food, Primary Item that Americans Used Their Stimulus Checks On California Business Owners Unhappy With New COVID-19 Guidelines Gavin Newsom to Revive California Economy With 4-Tier System for Businesses Reopening Amid Pandemic Opinion | Three cheers for high courts It is a sad comment on the state of Indias democracy that a person can spend months in jail for a speech promoting harmony and amity I have gone through the inner case diary produced in a sealed cover along with pen drive and found that though her presence is seen in a peaceful agitation, which is a fundamental right guaranteed under Article 19 of the Constitution of India, the police have failed to produce any material that she in her speech instigated women of a particular community. So wrote Delhi high court judge Suresh Kumar Kait while granting bail to Devangana Kalita of the feminist collective Pinjra Tod on 1 September. Kalita and her flatmate, fellow Pinjra Tod member Natasha Narwal, have been in jail since May, accused of inciting riots in north-east Delhi in February. The administration has presented the violence in Delhi as a conspiracy hatched by activists agitating against the discriminatory Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA). advertisement advertisement On the same day that Kalita was granted bail, a bench of the Allahabad high court comprising Chief Justice Govind Mathur and Justice Saumitra Dayal Singh ordered the release of Kafeel Khan, also accused of inciting violence during the anti-CAA agitation, in his case through a speech delivered at the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) in December. The judgement said Dr Khans address nowhere 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. advertisement advertisement It is a sad comment on the state of Indias democracy that a person can spend months in jail for a speech promoting harmony and amity, but Dr Khan has endured worse. Back in 2017, lives of infants in the Gorakhpur hospital where he was employed were threatened by a lack of medical oxygen resulting from a failure of the administration to pay overdue bills. He procured oxygen cylinders using his own connections and money, a heroic and selfless act that resulted in him being jailed for dereliction of duty. He was absolved of all charges in September 2019, a few months before being locked up under the stringent provisions of the National Security Act for his AMU speech. advertisement advertisement On 21 August, a division bench of the Bombay high court at Aurangabad comprising Justices T.V. Nalawade and M.G. Sewlikar quashed cases against foreign citizens who had attended a convention of the Sunni Tablighi Jamaat in Delhi which became Indias first covid-19 superspreader event. The accused had entered India on valid visas and attended a meeting which, to the best of their knowledge, was perfectly legal. Even if a contravention of the law had occurred, it was on the part of the organizers and not ordinary delegates. Yet India jailed hundreds of foreigners from dozens of countries for months before freeing most on the condition that they admitted guilt. advertisement advertisement Justice Nalawade, considering the case of some of those still detained, was scathing in his assessment, writing, A political Government tries to find the scapegoat when there is pandemic or calamity and the circumstances show that there is probability that these foreigners were chosen to make them scapegoats. Nalawade stated that in order to quash an FIR, it was important to consider whether it was malicious. He concluded in the affirmative, connecting the Tablighi case with the agitation against the CAA and proposed National Register of Citizens (NRC) that many Muslims view as precursors to their disenfranchisement. The arrests of the Tablighis, the judge wrote, gave warning to Indian Muslims that action in any form and for any thing can be taken against Muslims. advertisement advertisement Many commentators have viewed the crackdown on anti-CAA activists and on Tablighi Jamaat members as part of a pattern of increasing persecution of Muslims in India. However, it is one thing for published opinion pieces to link the cases of Devangana Kalita and Kafeel Khan with those of foreign Tablighis, and quite another for a high court judge to make the same connection in a judicial order. Justice Sewlikar, while concurring with the quashing of the FIR, dissented from Justice Nalawades linkage to the CAA and NRC, calling it outside the scope of the petitions. It might be that Justice Nalawades contentions fell short of the rigorous standards of proof demanded by courts but the targeting of Muslims he alluded to is glaringly obvious. advertisement advertisement An instance of this is the double standards with regard to the spreading of covid-19. There have been cases of Hindu and Sikh religious gatherings in places like Tirupati and Nanded failing to adhere to distancing norms, where hundred of infections have been detected, but these have attracted no penalty. Another infraction that invites no punishment is the act of arresting peaceful activists on accusations that seem baseless. There are three steps involved in perverting justice, India style. First, the police, being beholden to politicians, stand to lose a lot for failing to toe the line, but give up nothing for jailing people on false charges, and are therefore incentivised to do the latter. Second, consequent to the invention of a category called the urban naxal, peaceful dissent frequently becomes entangled in the gravest allegations. It is viewed as seditious, destabilizing, a threat to national security. Evidence related to such serious charges is often deemed too sensitive to be made public, and is handed over to judges in sealed envelopes, making it easier to fabricate and harder to contest. advertisement advertisement Third, the elevation of charges attracts the imposition of draconian laws like the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (Uapa). The Uapa was amended last year to allow individuals to be deemed terrorists, where earlier only organizations could be so categorized. Since the law defines the word terrorism vaguely, it gives the state wide latitude to imprison citizens on flimsy pretexts with no possibility of bail. That is why Kalita will remain in jail despite the strong judgement in her favour. She faces other charges framed under Uapa, as do dozens of students, human rights activists, academics, environmentalists and civil rights lawyers across the country. We should cheer the recent judgements of the Delhi, Allahabad and Bombay high courts, for they bolster waning faith in the judiciarys commitment to civil rights, but we ought also to keep in mind that their effect is the equivalent of lopping off one of Ravanas limbs or heads, which simply grow back, leaving Indias criminal injustice system intact. advertisement advertisement Girish Shahane writes on politics, history and art. On this day in history, September 4, 1998, Larry Page and Sergey Brin found the Internet search engine Google while they were still the graduate students at Stanford University in Palo Alto, California. The worlds most successful dot-com search engine was founded after the duo one day created an algorithm to solve a computer task and it ended up searching all the hypertext documents available in cyberspace related to the term. They came up with the idea to create a search tool that will list relevant Web pages by analyzing backlinks" in a hypertext document, or how many times other sites linked to it as opposed to the search engine Hot Bot, popular in the 90s that curated all search results including the irrelevant ones, encyclopedia of world biography reports. Citing the TIME interview then, it said that the founders wanted their search technology to be different. The search engine should treat the Internet as a democracy. Google interprets connections between websites as votes. The most linked-to sites win on the Google usefulness ballot and rise to the top of the search results, encyclopedia cited excerpts of TIME interview with the duo. "I hope they will be able to return answers, not just documents. In the future, Google will be your interface to all the world's knowledgenot just web pages, The Guardian quoted Sergey Brin as saying in the November 2000 interview in London, England. According to the report, Page and Brin's unique algorithm was initially named Backrub, then changed to PageRank, as the search engine grew popular with Stanford users. While the popularity skyrocketed, more and more servers were needed, Page revealed in the US media reports, adding, theyd check who had got 20 computers and request for one to use at dorm rooms at Stanford. Thats where Page's room was a data hub and Brins initial office of todays Google. 4 September 1998. Google was founded by Larry Page and Sergey Brin, two students at Stanford University, USA. pic.twitter.com/QpLLtUZelT Prof. Frank McDonough (@FXMC1957) September 4, 2020 Today in 1998 Google is founded by Larry Page and Sergey Brin, two students at Stanford University pic.twitter.com/DF97MVl5So the painter flynn (@thepainterflynn) September 4, 2020 Read: IPhone 12 To Be Launched In Lower Grade 4G Spectrum? Report Suggests So Read: Apple Delays Debut Of Anti-tracking Tool In IPhone Software One billion Internet URLs Searches shot past 10,000 a day, Page was quoted saying by Newsweek. Further, the report quoted Brin as saying that the two spent $15,000 on a terabyte [one million megabytes] of discs on three credit cards. Having raised more money from friends, family, and then from venture capital firms, the two eventually set up the headquarters in an office park in Mountain View. The duo licensed PageRank technology to pay the firms to students that started yahoo.com and David Filo and named the company Google," after the mathematical term Googol. In June of 2000, Google attained a hallmark of one billion Internet URLs and became the number one search engine on the Web. By 2004 Google became the worlds most-visited Web sites indexing 138,000 search queries per minute. Read: Amazon Wins FAA Approval For Prime Air Drone Delivery In The United States Read: Google Loses Ownership Of Blogspot.in Domain, Millions Of Indian Users Affected By IANS MUMBAI: Popular TV actor Karan Mehra will be seen in a short film on issues related to menstruation. The film titled "Mahina" features actress Anjali Pandey and Karan, an urban couple who decide to travel to a village. Their trip turns into a nightmare when they witness an absurd and monstrous act towards a woman during her periods. Anjali has also directed and produced the film. "Lockdown gave me a lot of time to think about important topics which need change. Menstruation is definitely one of them. Conversations around menstruation have finally entered mainstream cinema and punched holes in the culture of silence around the subject. Slowly and gradually things are changing. 'Mahina' is my contribution to this change. Let's fight the stigma around menstruation together," she said. Karan said he is proud of Anjali for putting together a "film on a topic that needs our attention. Not many people talk about it. 'Mahina' is a realistic film which shows the ground reality of how women are treated during menstruation". Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-11 22:37:38|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, speaks at a teleconference on issues including deepening reforms to streamline administrative approvals, delegating power to lower levels and improving regulations and services on Sept. 11, 2020. Vice Premier Han Zheng, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, presided over the meeting. (Xinhua/Pang Xinglei) BEIJING, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- Premier Li Keqiang on Friday called for making new progress in cutting red tape to improve the business environment, boost the vitality of market entities and stimulate development momentum. Li, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, made the remarks at a teleconference on issues including deepening reforms to streamline administrative approvals, delegating power to lower levels and improving regulations and services. Vice Premier Han Zheng, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, presided over the meeting. Such reforms in recent years have contributed to a substantial increase in market entities and employment, rapid growth of new business forms and models, and increasingly stronger economic resilience and development momentum, which played an important role in fighting the COVID-19 epidemic and spurring economic recovery, Li said. Li stressed doing a good job in the implementation of macro policies and deepening the red tape-cutting reforms so as to help enterprises tide over difficulties and stimulate the vitality of market entities. He urged efforts to ensure stability of economic fundamentals, achieve the annual development goals, promote high-quality development, and form a new development pattern. The premier stressed solid implementation of the direct-channeling mechanism for fiscal funds to ensure that tax and fee reductions generate sound practical results and help maintain security in areas including employment, people's livelihoods, and operation of market entities. He stressed innovations on credit service models to make financing more accessible and favorable to enterprises, especially micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises. Li underscored implementation of the foreign investment law and supporting regulations as well as the negative list for foreign investment access, responding to concerns, and creating a better open business environment, so as to assure foreign investors of China's determination in opening up and enable them to benefit from China's opening-up policies. Enditem Advertisement While coronavirus cases rebound across Europe, Sweden is enjoying record low numbers of infections and deaths despite months of scepticism about its lockdown-free strategy. Sweden's infection rate - once the highest in Europe - is now lower than in Britain, Spain, France or Italy, as well as Norway and Denmark where leaders have long been alarmed by their neighbour's high death rate. Sweden last week carried out a record number of tests but only 1.2 per cent of them came back positive, the lowest level since the start of the pandemic. The Swedish comeback has now led Britain to remove the country from its quarantine list, opening the door to tourism in an economy which has already suffered a milder downturn than much of Europe. Sweden has flattened the curve without ordering its people to stay inside - keeping shops, schools and restaurants open even at the height of the pandemic and trusting Swedes to combat the virus by washing their hands and abiding by social distancing rules. The Nordic country's top epidemiologist has also played down the effectiveness of face masks and insisted that a full-scale lockdown would not have prevented care home deaths. Sweden, in brown, once had the worst infection rate in Europe measured by cases per million people - but while cases have surged in Spain and France and risen in Britain, Germany and Italy, Sweden's infection rate has fallen to an all-time low In the spring and summer, Sweden's infection rate (in red) was far higher than that of its Nordic neighbours - but the numbers are now similar with Norway and Denmark both having more cases per million over the last seven days Sweden's infection rate was the highest in Europe as recently as mid-June, when increased screening led to more than 1,000 people testing positive per day. On June 15, Sweden had a 7-day average of 101 cases per million people per day, while the next-highest in Europe was Belarus with 79. In Western Europe, the next-highest was Portugal on 30 cases per million, while Sweden's neighbours were far lower: Denmark six, Finland three, Norway two. In addition, Sweden has piled up more deaths than Norway, Denmark and Finland put together, with 5,843 fatalities in total, despite its population being only twice as large as those countries. The Swedish figures prompted concern and its strategy led to criticism at home and abroad, with many countries leaving Sweden off their lists of approved travel destinations when they resumed tourism. Sweden was indignant when its Scandinavian neighbour Finland excluded it from an easing of travel restrictions in Baltic and Nordic countries. Britain also left Sweden out of its 'travel corridor' list because its infection rate was still too high, while the Swedish prime minister announced an inquiry into the country's handling of the disease. However, the situation has totally reversed in three months since then, with infections surging in much of Europe but reaching record low levels in Sweden. Sweden announced only 7,131 new cases in the month of August, down from 11,971 in July and a far higher figure of 30,909 in June. By contrast, cases quadrupled from July to August in Spain and France, and more than doubled in Germany and Italy, while Britain this week tightened restrictions after a rise in cases. Sweden is currently averaging around 200 new cases per day, compared to more than 1,000 at the height of the pandemic, while the rate of positive tests last week was the lowest since the crisis began Deaths have fallen to an average of less than two per day after just 11 fatalities in the last week, compared to hundreds of deaths per week at the height of the pandemic in the spring The highest infection rates in Western Europe are now in Spain (200 cases per million) and France (118), while Britain is on 37 with Sweden well below them on 17. Sweden's current figure is lower than in Norway (19) and Denmark (38), with Finland the lowest of the four mainland Nordic countries on seven cases per million. Schools re-opened in Sweden mid-August and health officials say they do not expect a large resurgence of the virus in the coming weeks. On Tuesday, Sweden announced that it had carried out a record number of tests last week with only 1.2 per cent coming back positive - the lowest rate since the crisis began. At the peak of the crisis in the spring, 19 per cent of of tests - nearly one in five - were coming back positive in some weeks. 'The purpose of our approach is for people themselves to understand the need to follow the recommendations and guidelines that exist,' health agency chief Johan Carlson told a news conference. 'There are no other tricks before there are available medical measures, primarily vaccines. The Swedish population has taken this to heart,' he said. Deaths have also declined to their lowest levels since the earliest days of the pandemic, with only 11 new fatalities in the last week. There were 681 deaths in the worst week of the pandemic from April 19-25, when Swedes were still going to shops while most of Europe was in lockdown. People walk on a street in Stockholm where masks are not required and shops and restaurants have remained open throughout the pandemic, with Swedes trusted to take necessary hygiene measures themselves In recent weeks, some days have passed without a single new patient going into intensive care - compared to the dozens going into ICU every day in April. There were only six virus patients in Stockholm hospitals as of August 31 compared to 225 at the end of April, the local health authority Region Stockholm said. Per Follin, department head at Stockholm's Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, said figures in the capital were at the 'lowest level in a very long time.' 'The reason we have relatively low transmission now is largely due to the fact that so many Stockholmers are following the recommendations to stay home when you're sick, wash hands and keep your distance,' Follin said. Anders Tegnell, the Swedish state epidemiologist who has been the face of the country's virus strategy, has previously admitted that too many Swedes have died from the virus. However, he has insisted that a lockdown would not have stopped the large number of deaths in care homes where visits were banned in any case. In another sign of Swedish success, Britain announced yesterday that Sweden had been added to the list of approved 'travel corridor' countries - while Portugal was removed after a rise in cases. The Swedish government has long cited a high level of trust in authorities as a reason why virus measures can be voluntary rather than enforced. The strategy has been touted by the WHO as a sustainable model for tackling the virus, with Swedish officials saying that people will accept softer restrictions for longer. Shops and restaurants remained open with social distancing rules, while most schools stayed open and the rate of infection among children was no higher than in Finland where classrooms closed, officials said. April 22: While most of Europe was shut inside, people continued to sit in Stockholm parks such as this one despite the rising number of deaths from coronavirus As Europe edged out of lockdown, Sweden continued to forge its own path by playing down the use of face masks as other countries made them mandatory. Tegnel has said that masks have little proven effect and could lead to a false sense of security among wearers, and they are not required on public transport. By contrast, Finland now recommends wearing masks in public places, Norway advises it on Oslo public transport, while Denmark has made it mandatory on all public transport and in taxis. Tegnell's standard response is that public health officials are 'keeping an eye on' the issue and could introduce the measure if deemed necessary. 'Our strategy has been consistent and sustainable,' says Jonas Ludvigsson, a professor of epidemiology at Karolinska Institutet. 'We probably have a lower risk of spread here compared to other countries,' he said, adding that Sweden likely had a higher level of immunity than other countries. 'I think we benefit a lot from that now,' he said. Sweden has never adopted 'herd immunity' as a strategy in itself but officials have voiced hopes that it would gradually help to limit the spread of the disease. However, scientists are not yet fully certain of exactly how much immunity is provided by recovering from Covid-19, or for how long it lasts. A study by the UK's Royal Society of Medicine last month found that only 15 per cent of people in Stockholm had acquired antibodies by May 2020. Meanwhile, Swedish economic activity has started to pick up and the effects of the downturn look less severe than previously feared. 'The economic situation is looking a little brighter compared to our assessment in June,' finance minister Magdalena Andersson said in late August. Sweden's economy will contract around 4.6 per cent this year, Andersson said, compared to a projected 8.0 per cent slump in the EU and 11.0 per cent in Britain. The predicted drop is lower than an earlier projection of 6.0 per cent and similar to that seen during the global financial crisis of 2008-09. The outcome for Sweden is also roughly in line with forecasts for its Nordic neighbours, despite the much tougher measures they took to fight the pandemic. Andersson said the improvement would mean a deficit in public finances of around 5.6 per cent of GDP this year, compared with its June forecast of 7.8 per cent. She said the economy would need further support next year and in 2022 and 2023, promising around $11.46 billion of spending in September's budget. The Social Democrat-Green coalition government introduced a raft of policies to fight the pandemic, promising to spend about $34billion this year. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-12 03:18:13|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close RAMALLAH, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- The Palestinian leadership announced on Friday that it strongly condemns the U.S.-sponsored agreement on the normalization of ties between Bahrain and Israel. In a press statement, the Palestinian leadership said that the agreement "is a betrayal of Jerusalem, Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Palestinian cause." The statement added that the agreement between Israel and Bahrain "supports the legislation of the occupation's heinous crimes against the Palestinian people." "Palestine considers this step extremely dangerous and constitutes the destruction of the Arab Peace Initiative, the decisions of the Arab and Islamic summits, and international legitimacy," said the statement. The statement called on the Arab countries to abide by the Arab Peace Initiative declared in 2002 and the international community to abide by international law and legitimacy resolutions. Enditem Let me begin with an apocryphal story. Several years ago, the new Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture of the Government of India, on his first day at work, was being conducted around his office by a young Deputy Secretary. After walking several floors and winding his way through the labyrinthian corridors of Krishi Bhavan, the Secretary paused and asked: Tell me, how many people work in this ministry? A little over 20,000 people, sir, the Deputy Secretary replied enthusiastically. With incredulity writ large on his face, And I thought the farmers in the country do agriculture and produce crops, was the laconic observation of the Secretary. Reading excerpts from the 14-volume report of the Committee on Doubling Farmers Incomes reminded me of this anecdote. Yes, the aim of doubling farmers incomes by 2022-23 is a laudable declaration of intent and the report of the committee does provides a birds-eye view of what could be done -- a wish list, if you will -- and the broad strategy. Since agriculture is a state subject, it is now left to the states to resolve the question of how to do it. Being closer to the ground, the states have a worms-eye view of agriculture and ought to know they have to be cautious in applying market economics to households that are essentially not market-oriented. It is also far too important for this to peter out as have other similar announcements after a blaze of media attention -- Skill India Mission (August 2014), Make in India (September 2014), Start-Up India (January 2016), Stand-Up India (April 2016) have all but retreated from active praxis. The future hinges on how the states address the unfinished business of land reforms. Policy uncertainty on and the inadequate pace of agriculture reforms across India illustrate the divided state of mind with which state governments address the difficult task of envisioning the future of the Indian farmer. The agrarian problem raises two policy questions: First, the desirability of the transformation of Indian agriculture to a capitalist form of production and whether rescinding land reform legislation is the way to do this; second, how the agriculture sector can or should produce surplus despite the structural constraint of small land holdings. The vast majority of farm households -- an overwhelming 85% -- are marginal and small holdings and rely primarily on own family labour, and consume half or more of what they produce. Economists characterise this as subsistence farming. The predominant economic feature of the farmer household is its limited resources and the narrow range of economic choices before it. Since rain-fed agriculture predominates, soil, water and climate conditions combine to compel the farmer to produce the same crop or set of crops year after year. Farming practices remain unchanged, relying on simple implements and limited mechanisation. From a market perspective, the return the farm household seeks is simple and undifferentiated -- after meeting expenditure and debt obligations -- to have enough produce to feed itself. The farm household is not a link between the products market on the one side and the factors market on the other. Indeed, it is a micro model of the two rolled into one. A sure and certain way of misunderstanding farm households in India is to view them as a business. The time has clearly come for a systematic, evidence-based analysis of small and marginal farm households in the aggregate as a production sector. Such an analysis must be based on first principles -- of the farmer and his household as a form of social organisation and agriculture as a capitalist form of business is certainly not one such. Big business has in the past lobbied for free entry into agricultural production, demanding a shift towards corporate farming. Government policy is tending towards those in a position to make substantial investments in land; and those who own capital will benefit most from rescinding land reform legislations. In effect, this will accentuate regional and social inequalities and its implications are far-reaching, for the structure of society and the future shape of politics. In the warm afterglow of the Green Revolution, for several years, sustained high prices for food grains made investment in the production of high-yielding varieties of paddy, wheat, maize and millets extraordinarily remunerative. Non-agriculturists of various hues rushed to the countryside to invest in agricultural land, gentlemen farmers if you will. Yet, today, the rarest type to come across in rural India is a genuine capitalist producer who invests in dryland farming, and invests in land development or expanding the scale. Government therefore needs to address the specific question of how to achieve economy of scale to transform agriculture into a technology-led, high productivity sector, with marginal land holding as a structural constraint. Innovative land-leasing and/or contract farming arrangements can enable consolidation at scale. They can also work as a new form of organisation that provides the participant farmer a basic minimum income from rent for the land, and a share in the proceeds from the farm produce as wages. This might well serve as a new form of economic organisation by which the farmer retains ownership of the land, and in the aggregate, the agriculture sector produces at scale. The model leasing/contract farming laws drafted by the Government of India must serve as the starting point to seriously explore this option. The prospects for the vast mass of small cultivators of the present day are far from clear. If for no other reason, their very number makes it impossible for any of them to become capitalist farmers. Whether they will continue in the low-level equilibrium trap or whether they will be able to adopt modern methods and perhaps combine farming with non-farm employment, will depend on the sustained policy attention agriculture reforms receives in the future. Else, as in the past, to the extent that the governments ever intended to do more than toy with the idea of introducing agrarian reforms, doubling farmers incomes will be no more successful than several of the other fanciful schemes that the mandarins in Delhi dream up. (The writer is Director, Public Affairs Centre, Bengaluru) Disgraced bank manager Andi Lee, 39, (pictured) stole millions of dollars from unsuspecting customers to impress his girlfriend with luxury cars and designer watches, a court has heard A disgraced bank manager stole millions of dollars from unsuspecting customers to impress his girlfriend with luxury cars and designer watches, a court has heard. Andi Lee, 39, who worked at the Doncaster Branch of the Bank of Melbourne, was obsessed with the high life, flashy cars and clothes. He stole more than $4million to fund his lavish lifestyle between 2015 and 2019 as a way of keeping up appearances, posing as 'Mr Successful'. The 39-year-old has been jailed for seven years and eight months, after being sentenced over his crimes at Victoria's County Court on Friday. He must serve at least three years and 10 months before being eligible for release on parole. The 39-year-old has been jailed for seven years and eight months, after being sentenced over his crimes at Victoria's County Court on Friday Lee earlier told the court he'd spent years trying to be someone he wasn't, until he couldn't tell the difference between lies and reality. He pleaded guilty to three counts of obtaining a financial advantage by deception. His scheme involved scamming a series of unlucky customers through the offer of bogus term deposits. The money was funneled through a sophisticated web of transactions to his girlfriend, various associates and accounts set up under fake names. Of the money he stole, only $400,000 ended up in his own account. Some of his victims considered Lee their friend. The bank manager even invited one couple to his wedding after using false documents to sign them up to a term deposit and stealing $1.5 million. Lee splashed his ill-gotten cash on property and business ventures including restaurant investments. He stole more than $4million to fund his lavish lifestyle between 2015 and 2019 as a way of keeping up appearances, posing as 'Mr Successful' He also bought two Porsches, one for his girlfriend, as well as 26 designer watches. He said he felt the need impress his girlfriend by buying her things. Judge Frances Hogan labelled Lee's actions morally bankrupt. 'You were driven by an insatiable need to look successful and appear to be wealthy,' she said. Lee was born in a refugee camp after his mother fled Vietnam. He had a disadvantaged upbringing after his family moved to Australia and was desperate to better himself. He a personality disorder, including a sense of grandiosity, entitlement and 'addiction to admiration'. Before being jailed, Lee started volunteering to drive buses for Ronald McDonald House. He said it was a good thing he'd been caught because he hadn't been able to see a way out of his lies. The bank has repaid his victims. Bowl Inn may not feel the pressure of reducing crowd sizes as much as bigger bowling alleys, but helping people feel safe enough to return to the alley for a few rounds of bowling remains a challenge. Manager David White said a busy day for the business would feature around 30 bowlers on the lanes at the same time; the alley also is less busy during the summer, when people prefer to take part in outdoor activities. That means a good day for Bowl Inn still would have a crowd below the state-mandated 50-person limit under Phase 4 of the Restore Illinois plan. Larger lanes where more than 100 people can be expected to bowl at a time such as King Pin Lanes in Springfield are more affected by the limit. Concern that the crowd-size limit is hindering business for bowling alleys led the Illinois State Bowling Proprietors Association to file a lawsuit asking Lee County state court to invalidate Gov. J.B. Pritzkers exercise of authority to issue consecutive emergency declarations and restrict the number of people allowed in a bowling center. Representatives of the Illinois State Bowling Proprietors Association say that bowling alleys are being unfairly penalized while activities and businesses that scientists consider more dangerous are not capped to 50 people. Frankly, Gov. Pritzker has thrown a gutter ball on this one. Even medical experts agree that bowling is not a highly dangerous activity with regard to COVID-19 spread, said R. William Duff Jr., executive director of the Illinois State Bowling Proprietors Association. When asked about the suit on Tuesday, Pritzker said state government is trying to measure what activities are less dangerous and where more capacity can be allowed. The governor denied that any one industry is being politically targeted. With 12 lanes at Bowl Inn, White said keeping bowlers separated has been manageable so far and the alley already was cleaning and spraying bowling shoes and balls. One of the biggest things is, if you dont feel well, dont come in, White said. Wearing masks is optional for Bowl Inn customers. White said he has not faced any issues with his mask policy and people are able to decide whether the crowd size at any given time is too much for them. Im not a firm believer in the masks and Im not a firm believer against them, White said. While the crowd limit may not be the biggest hurdle for Bowl Inn, White said how safe people feel about going to the alley remains an issue for the business. Its been a hard hit on us, White said. And its going to be a struggle to get people back in here and feeling theyre safe. Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain The Trump administration is considering whether to give more time to TikTok's Chinese owners to arrange a sale of the popular video-sharing app's U.S. operations to an American buyer, according to people familiar with the matter. TikTok's owner ByteDance Ltd. is likely to miss President Donald Trump's publicly stated deadline of Sept. 15 for the company to strike a deal to divest its U.S. operations after new Chinese regulations complicated negotiations with bidders Microsoft Corp. and Oracle Corp., Bloomberg News reported Thursday. In preliminary talks with Chinese officials, ByteDance has been told that any proposal must be submitted for approval with detailed information about technical and financial issues, and the review will be substantial and take time, according to the Bloomberg report. Advisers haven't presented Trump with the decision yet on whether to extend the deadline, the people said. For now, the deal isn't a top priority for the president, according to another person familiar with the matter. All of the people spoke on condition of anonymity because of the ongoing nature of the discussions. The White House referred questions to the Commerce Department, which didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. Microsoft declined to comment. Representatives for TikTok and Oracle didn't immediately respond to requests for comment. TikTok is caught in a clash between the world's two preeminent powers. Trump has ramped up his pressure campaign on China ahead of what promises to be a hotly contested presidential election in November. U.S. officials have criticized the app's security and privacy practices, suggesting that user data collected through the app might be shared with the Chinese government. The real deadline for ByteDance to act remains an open question in the U.S. due to a confusing series of Trump statements and orders. While Trump has said he wants a deal by Sept. 15, the ban on TikTok's U.S. operations that he signed last month in a bid to force a sale requires the company to act by Sept. 20. Documentation implementing that ban, possibly under the authority of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, which allows the president to regulate international commerce in response to any unusual threat to the country, is expected to be made public in the Federal Register around Sept. 20, Bloomberg reported Sept. 2. A subsequent order issued by Trump on Aug. 14 on the recommendation of an interagency national security panel requires ByteDance to sell TikTok's U.S. business within 90 daysgiving it until after the Nov. 3 electionfurther clouding the timeline for a TikTok sale. The parties are still racing to present a preliminary deal to the White House before this month's deadline, though no agreement could be finalized before Beijing's signoff. It's also possible that ByteDance pulls out of a sale altogether if it determines it can't satisfy both governments, the bidders and its own shareholders. Explore further Report: Algorithm question complicates TikTok sale 2020 Bloomberg News Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Facing mounting public criticism, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Sept. 11 that he had changed his decision to travel to Washington on Sept. 13 on a private plane. Netanyahu is set to participate in a Sept. 15 signing ceremony at the White House for the normalization agreement between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, under the auspices of President Donald Trump. A statement issued by Netanyahu's office said, In order to prevent the media from diverting attention from the historic agreement with the UAE and possibly with other Arab countries as well, the prime minister will fly with the delegation in a more spacious plane, with strict separation arrangements to maintain his health. According to publications, Netanyahu, his wife, Sara, and their two sons, Yair and Avner, will fly on the same El Al Boeing 777 flight as the Israeli delegation and Israeli journalists. Netanyahu had initially planned to fly on a private charter flight from Spain, hired through Israir. His office said the prime minister had been advised by health professionals to fly on a separate plane out of concern that he might contract the coronavirus on the flight. His office had said, Due to fears that the prime minister could be infected with the coronavirus on a flight with more than 70 people, professional sources instructed the prime minister to fly in a separate plane that the State of Israel uses from time to time. Associates of Netanyahu added that his family members were to cover their part of the cost; a Channel 12 report said the private flight was expected to be at least $145,000. Reports about the private plane flight, coming as Israel struggles with an unprecedented economic crisis, generated harsh reactions on social networks and in the media. Opposition leader Yair Lapid tweeted early Sept. 11, Private plane?! Now? Why a private plane suddenly? People have nothing to eat. There is no limit to the detachment and obtuseness of this man. Several media outlets including Israels three leading TV channels decided to cancel the flights of their reporters and film crews. The networks explained that under current circumstances denied onboard briefings by Netanyahu and forced to stay at a Washington hotel at all times except for the ceremony there was no justification for sending special teams from Israel. Other criticism came from Israels national carrier El Al over the use of a foreign company to fly the prime minister. The Israeli Pilots Union also issued a statement that said, We Israeli pilots who served the country in war should also serve it in peace. Israel and its leader should have national respect for the flag, aviation and Israeli workers. Netanyahus flight to Washington raised again the issue of the purchase of an airplane for the exclusive use of the prime minister. In recent years, Israel has invested hundreds of millions of shekels (more than $160 million) in purchasing and preparing a Boeing 767 to serve as the Israeli equivalent of the United States' Air Force 1, but the plane is still not operational. Cost overruns are now being investigated by a special team at the State Comptrollers office. Appreciating the development work carried out by his party's government in Rajasthan, general secretary said people should be told about its initiatives. Maken said this before returning to New Delhi after a meeting with party leaders and workers in Jaipur. Maken was in the state to discuss party issues and MLAs' grievances. He heads a panel set up by the party high-command to look into the issues flagged by leader Sachin Pilot and the legislators who backed him during a power tussle with Chief Minister recently. Maken told reporters, " is number one in the Mahatma Gandhi Employment Guarantee Scheme in the coronavirus era. There is a need to tell people about the development that has taken place in under the rule of the Party." State Congress chief Govind Singh Dotasra said Maken has prepared a note of 22-24 pages, which he will discuss with the party high command. (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.) Julian Assanges extradition hearing at Londons Old Bailey was adjourned yesterday morning until Monday, after a member of the prosecution team was exposed to COVID-19. Only a few of the defence team attended the courtroom in person, along with District Judge Vanessa Baraitser, several court clerks and Assange. Prosecution lawyers James Lewis QC and Joel Smith dialled in via videolink. Edward Fitzgerald QC, Assanges lead defence lawyer, told the court, We have to go ahead on the assumption that [the person exposed] has COVID. The Old Bailey where Assange is being tried If that is a correct assumption then it has these consequences. Firstly, we shouldnt really be here today. COVID would be here in the courtroom and its not possible to tell how far its extent is. Secondly, there are members of our team who are high risk who couldnt be here in any event Thirdly, the court staff themselves would be at risk And finally, our client Mr Assange, whose vulnerabilities youre aware of, would be at risk being in the court. All parties agreed to the adjournment until Monday and to resume proceedings that morning if the exposed person tests negative. If they test positive, both the defence and the prosecution will have to submit statements indicating how they wish to proceed. Baraitser stressed that, while she agreed they should not proceed with a virtual hearing today, she was not ruling it out in the future. These events underscore the criminality of Baraitsers decision not to grant Assanges bail, even under the strictest conditions, in March. She said at the time that the global pandemic does not provide grounds for Mr Assanges release and that she had no reason not to trust the governments advice on protecting prisoners from the virus as both evidence-based and reliable and appropriate. As a result of her ruling, any delay in the case caused by the rapid resurgence of COVID-19 now underway in the UK will mean even more time in prison for Assange, placing him at serious risk of catching the disease. Numerous public health experts and prisoners rights advocates have referred to the grave risk posed to the prison population in the context of an escalating pandemic. The Howard League for Penal Reform wrote to the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) to warn, Should anyone enter a prison already infected with coronavirus it would spread and multiply like wildfire inside the establishment and in the community. The government ignored these concerns in spring, insisting that protocols were in place to make prisons safe. After calls grew for vulnerable prisoners serving time for non-violent crimes to be temporarily releasedwith even the Prison Governors Association calling for a 15,000-person reduction in the prison populationJustice Secretary Robert Buckland announced that 4,000 low risk offenders whose sentences were nearing an end could be released on licence. Assange was explicitly excluded from this proposal, with the MoJ reasoning sadistically that he was not serving a custodial sentence and was therefore ineligible for early release. The whole operation fell apart in any case, as just 87 prisoners were ultimately released during lockdown55 of them temporarily, 21 due to pregnancy and five on compassionate grounds. Hundreds became infected. Figures are hard to find but according to the Centre for Crime and Justice Studies (CCJS) charity, as of June 5, there were 479 confirmed cases of COVID-19 among prisoners (across 79 institutions) and 940 among prison staff (across 105 institutions) in England and Wales. There are 117 prisons in England and Wales, meaning 90 percent were affected in some way and 67 percent had prisoners infected. Of those infected, 23 prisoners died, as did 10 prison staff. At least one of these deaths occurred in Belmarsh, reported in early April. The prison confirmed it had multiple cases. Writing for the CCJS, Richard Garside notes that information on the effect of coronavirus in prisons is extremely limited but that on the basis of available statistics, England and Wales is quite possibly leading Europe in the number of coronavirus-related deaths in prison. With coronavirus surging again throughout the UK, more deaths are inevitable. WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange [Credit: AP Photo/Matt Dunham] If Assange does contract COVID-19, the consequences are very likely to be severe. The 49-year old journalist has a chronic lung condition and his health has been rendered exceptionally fragile by years of psychological torture and the denial of full medical care during his time in the Ecuadorian Embassy. Dr Stephen Frost, founder of Doctors for Assange, told the WSWS, While the Court today adjourned due to the risk of infection from COVID-19, Julian Assange has been sent back to Belmarsh maximum security prison where the threat of infection from COVID-19 is extremely highand he is severely immunocompromised. Frost said Assanges reckless and cruel treatment by the British state had been condemned by hundreds of medical doctors across six continents. The prolonged psychological torture and medical neglect of Julian Assange, highlighted in our two comprehensive Lancet letters of February and June this year, must end. He must be released immediately on bail, assessed and treated appropriately at a university teaching hospital and reunited with his family. With the first week of the hearing now effectively over, around 40 NGO, civil society and political observers remain barred from accessing the court, having had their permission to attend revoked by Baraitser on Monday morning. Jennifer Robinson, one of Assanges lawyers, commented in an interview with WikiLeaks Editor-In-Chief Kristinn Hrafnsson and WikiLeaks Ambassador Joseph Farrell: There have been real issues with access to these proceedings and open justice. Open justice is one of the most fundamental pillars of our judicial system in terms of both Julians right to have a fair trial and the right of the media and the public to scrutinise these proceedings Not as many journalists who would have liked to have had access actually have access. Weve had NGOs whove not been able to get access or at least were promised access and then had it removed on the day Ive heard from RSFs [Reporters Without Borders] Rebecca Vincent; she travels the world attending trials like this that affect freedom of expression and she has been saying that she has never had so much difficulty accessing a hearing as she has in the UK. What does that say about our democracy? Weve also seen limited seats in the public gallery as a result of social distancing. But certain seats are being allocated or kept for VIPs, none of whom have showed up or we know who they are. Which means that Reporters Without Borders are sitting outside waiting to see whether these people, whoever they are, show up, and missing half of the hearing, and having to bargain their way into court each day. It is not in the interests of maintaining open justice. So far, Reporters Without Borders is the only NGO which has been able to gain even partial access to the hearing. In an indication of the public support for Assange and interest in his case, a Reporters Without Borders petition demanding an end to the extradition has gained 83,000 signatures. The hearing is currently scheduled to resume on Monday, when American lawyer Eric Lewis will give expert testimony on Assanges likely pre-trial detention conditions in the United States, the restrictions that managing classified evidence will place on his legal defence, Assanges likely sentence if convicted, the conditions of his imprisonment post-conviction, and the political motivations behind his prosecution. 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. No, anti-fascists have not been arrested in connection with wildfires ravaging Oregon, and public officials are asking people to stop spreading the various false rumors claiming this to be the case. Some mainstream conservative pundits and a major police trade publication, as well as conspiracy theorists aligned with QAnon, have all promoted the false narrative about the historically destructive and deadly wildfires. While investigators are looking into arson as the possible cause of at least one fire, authorities say there is no evidence to suggest the arson is politically motivated. Utility providers have said some fires may have been started by downed power lines during historic winds and heat. Red flag wildfire warnings have been in effect for the better part of a week. People pushing the conspiracy theories have largely pointed to the Almeda fire, which Ashland Police Chief Tighe OMeara confirmed has spurred a criminal investigation. OMeara said rumors claiming anti-fascists were involved are 100% false information. We have some leads, and none of it points in that direction, he said. Anti-fascist activism in Portland has been in the national spotlight this summer as President Donald Trump has repeatedly blamed anti-fascists for violence at nightly racial justice protests. Both national and state conservative figures have repeated the new conspiracy theories about the wildfires. Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate in Oregon and noted QAnon supporter Jo Rae Perkins shared a post Thursday from a popular QAnon account on Twitter that insinuates Democrats started the fires for political gain. Paul Romero, whom Perkins defeated in the March primary, wrote a series of Twitter posts pushing the false claim that six anti-fascists had been arrested for arson in Douglas County. Douglas County officials said thats not true, and calls about the rumor were flooding its 911 lines. Rumors spread just like wildfire and now our dispatchers and professional staff are being overrun with requests for information and inquiries on an UNTRUE rumor that Antifa members have been arrested for setting fires in Douglas County, Oregon, the Douglas County Sheriffs Office posted to Facebook Thursday morning. THIS IS NOT TRUE! Similar claims gained national prominence after Turning Point USA representative Katie Daviscourt, who has more than 55,000 Twitter followers, posted Wednesday that unnamed law enforcement sources told her fires were allegedly linked to Antifa and the riots. Law Enforcement Today, which says it is Americas largest law enforcement owned and operated media outlet, reported Thursday unnamed sources have told them the wildfires may be a coordinated and planned attack. FBI spokesperson Beth Anne Steele refuted the claims when asked by The Oregonian/OregonLive. There is no indication that the fires are the result of coordinated criminal activity, Steele said. Conspiracy theorists have also pointed to a Molalla Police Department post on Facebook asking people to call 911 if they see suspicious activity after a lot of rumors and posts, going around about looters who may break into evacuated homes. The post was shared widely as supposed proof to back up the anti-fascist rumors. But Molalla police edited the post at 2 a.m. Thursday to clarify that its warning of looters had no connection to anti-fascists. The department urged people to stay calm and use common sense. Looting and theft have long been issues in areas affected by wildfires, as evacuated homes full of possessions are left unattended for extended periods of time. Oregon Public Broadcasting reporter Sergio Olmos and two independent journalists were approached Thursday by armed men in Molalla who told them to leave the city, Olmos said on Twitter. Photos posted by Olmos and a second journalist show armed men standing by the road and looking at the reporters. I was interviewing a couple, two men with rifles approached our group and asked what we were doing and what were taking pictures of, Olmos said Thursday afternoon in a tweet. Then [they] told us it was time to leave. Justin Yau, an independent journalist who was with Olmos at the time, said on Twitter the armed group was wary of outsiders based on rumors of arsonists starting fires in the area. Noelle Crombie and Maxine Bernstein of The Oregonian/OregonLive contributed to this report. -- K. Rambo krambo@oregonian.com @k_rambo_ ATV We had a little accident on the ranch. , I fractured my transversal processor so I cant move my lower back, and Randy broke his shoulder and 4 ribs. It could have been worse so Im thankful. Thank you all for the thoughts and prayers.Ou#RedneckLife https://t.co/3VoiJlYBHI Mindy Robinson u (@iheartmindy) September 8, 2020 In what Coutures girlfriend Mindy Robinson describes as an episode of #rednecklife, both Randy and Mindy were riding around in anon the grounds outside their ranch in Flagstaff, Arizona. They got into an accident and crashed the ATV, which resulted in injuries for both.TMZ first reported the news, saying that they initially dusted themselves off after the crash and headed back home. Once there, Couture realized he was in too much pain not to have someone look at him. At the ER, he was told hed broken his shoulder and that he would have to undergo surgery to fix it.Mindy confirms the accident on Twitter, adding that Couture also fractured several ribs: four of them, to be more exact. Surgery on the shoulder has been a success, with doctors inserting two metal plates.Mindy, for her part, got off relatively easy: she fractured what she mistakenly calls my transversal processor and consequently cant move her lower back at all. In a later tweet, Mindy explains that she was talking about the transverse process, which is the bony projection off your spine where muscle nerves attach. Sorry, but Im not even going to pretend to know that I knew what that was until I just busted it today.There are no details on how the accident occurred or what type of vehicle exactly Randy was driving, but the good news is that both are expected to make a full recovery. One year ago, the retired MMA fighter suffered a heart attack during a workout, and had to undergo surgery. He emerged from the hospital room saying he was heading back to the gym, because he was indestructible. The power couple that is fashion and film is going through a rough patch. A red-carpetless 2020 version of TIFF gets underway this weekend, just as festivals and awards shows around the world grapple with the relevance of glamour right now. The future of the red carpet system hangs in the balance. Actress Sarah Gadon of Alias Grace fame and a strong indie career, is an ambassador for TIFF this year. It is a role that will see her not in gowns, but in homegrown brands Canada Goose and Artizia. Instead of working with her Hollywood stylist, Annabel Harron who put her in an ethereal caramel-hued couture Fendi gown for last years TIFF premiere of American Woman she struck these brand deals herself. The clothing is a utilitarian approach, she says, to solve the practical problem of being outside for screenings and interactive online elements. Any iteration of a film festival or awards show should seek to reflect the times. What I love about fashion is that it really does mark where we are at, says Gadon. To wit: she woke up panicked on Tuesday about her mask wardrobe. Instead of worrying about your purse matching your shoes, your mask now needs to match your outfit! The fear of a misstep is real. Nicholas Mellamphy is owner of the by-invitation, by-appointment personalized designer shopping space Cabine by Nicholas Mellamphy in Yorkville. He gets misty about the fun of TIFFs past, when he hosted celebrity lounges and dressed actresses. Fashion is a non-starter right now, and many consider it irrelevant or flippant. The super wealthy, he adds, are hesitant to show off their spending while others are struggling. But its not a let-them-eat-cake moment. A dress is not a cake, he quips. You have to remember behind every dress are a lot of people, a whole machine and an industry. And lets not forget that behind every red carpet look is a stylist. Bronwyn Cosgrave literally wrote the book on the most famous of red carpets, the Oscars, with 2007s Made for Each Other, about the synergies between film and fashion and has since charted the rise of the stylist as the gatekeeper between actresses and designers in her current podcasts, Rodeo Drive and A Different Tweed. The existing red carpet model one where stylists broker deals between designers and top actresses to wear their clothing in exchange for publicity, and where the photos of actresses in beautiful clothing multiply across the web in a mutually beneficial promotion spree for the production they star in is unlikely to change dramatically, says Cosgrave. Where is it going to go? People are making a lot of money. Each outfit represents so many jobs and provides a very effective commercial for high fashion and luxury. Think of power deals such as the one between Kristen Stewart and Chanel under Karl Lagerfeld that relationship clearly made both parties a lot of money, glamming up Stewarts image, and in turn the actress brought her punk-tinged freshness to the label. Think also of how an up-and-comer can use fashion to amplify her image and hasten the rise to stardom. Bohemian Rhapsody star Lucy Boynton worked with stylist Leith Clark to trademark her retro look and launch a zillion likes. Cate Blanchett is the jury president at this years Venice Film Festival which ends as Torontos begins and, says Cosgrave, she has proved to be the fashion leader we need now. The actress (with her super stylist, Elizabeth Stewart) chose to rewear outfits a stunning McQueen embellished top that first appeared as a dress at the 2016 BAFTAs hitting the right notes of glamour and gravitas. Lady Gaga also proved herself a fashion leader in pandemic times, says Cosgrave of her multiple appearances and outfits at the recent virtual VMAs. Gaga, she says, is the bridge between music red carpet and film red carpet. The most resounding aspect was her rallying cry to wear a mask, the right political statement for the times. Then there were the brilliant twists on masks worn by the iconic Tilda Swinton, who received a career achievement award at Venice, while calling for gender-neutral acting awards and throwing out the Wakanda Forever salute. Swinton paired a hand-held sculptural mask by James T. Merry with her white Chanel couture gown. It wasnt functional, but it did send a powerful message. Another day saw the fashion legend don a surgical face mask on the red carpet, an equally boss move. Even pre-pandemic, powerful statements were becoming more common on the red carpet. The #TimesUp movement showed actresses using their rank to support marginalized groups, says Cosgrave. She cites the young stylists, and the creative laboratory of the Met Ball, who are bringing statement dressing to the red carpet. We have people like Janelle Monae, and her stylist, Alexandra Mandelcorn, who are exploring Afrofuturism. Look at the Ralph Lauren crystal dress with the hood at the Oscars this year. That dress is not really about fashion; it doesnt set trends. It is about changing the conversation. Men are becoming more important visual signallers as well. From Chadwick Bosemans stunning 2018 Givenchy embroidered tux to Billy Porters dress last year. Porter really kind of changed things up, and we are seeing far more experimentation on the red carpet now. Instead of stepping straight off the runway, we are seeing pageantry and extreme theatricality. It is, of course, also very Instagram-worthy. Canadian actress Amanda Brugel (best known for her role as Rita on The Handmaids Tale) says that she is living proof that fashion can grow your public profile. She adds a caveat, only if you wear what is true to you. Working with Canadian stylist Erica Wark and U.S. stylist Maeve Reilly, she has sharpened her focus on the role of fashion in her career and landed this year on Vogues Best Dressed List. Red carpets are my chance to get a little crazy with my image, Brugel says, adding she often curates her own mood boards when planning her looks. Representing matters to her. Last year I wore several Andrea Yimah pieces for TIFF and I was immensely proud to promote a BIPOC female designer on the carpet. Red carpets, says Brugel, can be your statement to the world without uttering a word. Gadon, on the other hand, says her red-carpet focus is about reflecting the movie first. The fashion industry has hijacked the red carpet and taken it over for its own purposes, but the real function is to serve the movie. This festival, though, will be a welcome break. Im finding it very refreshing how of-the-moment this is, not so thought out or contrived. Still, there is a yearning to return to glamour, says Mellamphy. History has proven after tough times comes great extravagance. The Roaring Twenties followed the Spanish flu. The New Look followed World War II. And the unrest of the 70s brought the sartorial excesses of the Reagan-era 80s. We always think it is the end of the world, then two years later we forget and go dancing again. Brugel, who also describes herself as a suburban mom, is looking forward to a time when I can wear a 30-pound teal sequin dress and stare at Joaquin Phoenix from across the carpet. But for now, I have work to do. NCP president Sharad Pawar on Friday said there should be a presentation by the government on what is happening on the India-China border, particularly in Ladakh, where the armies of the two countries are involved in a face-off. Pawar, who is in the national capital to attend a meeting of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence, said there are other defence-related issues on the table for discussion, but he will make a request that a presentation is made on it. Today, we are all worried about what is happening on the India-China border, particularly in the Ladakh region. There are different defence-related issues that will be discussed in the meeting. I am going to make a request that a presentation on the ground situation should be made," Pawar, who served as the defence minister in the PV Narasimha Rao government, said. Replying to a media query on whether the government is hiding anything regarding this matter, the former Maharashtra chief minister said he is not going to make any allegations as he does not have any such information. The ongoing tension on the India-China border is a very sensitive issue involving national security and nobody should indulge in any kind of blame game, he said. Instead, the thrust should be on how the morale of the armed forces can be boosted and the aggressive acts of the neighbouring country be repulsed, Pawar added. The Congress, particularly Rahul Gandhi, has been attacking the government over the handling of the situation. Earlier in the day, Gandhi tweeted, The Chinese have taken our land. When exactly is GOI planning to get it back? Or is that also going to be left to an Act of God?" Pawars Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) is a part of the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA). On September 3, Pawar, along with party MPs, met former foreign secretary Vijay Gokhale, an expert on China, and retired Air Marshal Bhushan Gohakle, and discussed issues related to the neighbouring country. I highlighted the fact that the Chinese are surreptitiously encircling the Indian Sub-Continent from all directions and also expressed my concern over their presence in the South China Sea. I hinted at the need to keep a close watch on affairs of Sri Lanka and Nepal and also the Chinese interventions in general," the NCP chief had tweeted. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Nuri Widiastuti Veronika and Pribadi Sutiono (The Jakarta Post) Melbourne/Jakarta Fri, September 11, 2020 The last day of presidency of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) in 2020 left a grim memory for Indonesia, as well as like-minded countries, as the United States vetoed the draft resolution on prosecution, rehabilitation and reintegration (PRR) of terrorists. Gaining support from 14 members, an opportunity for a comprehensive approach to tackle terrorism and violent extremism has been missed by the veto. The aim of the resolution was to address the prosecution, rehabilitation and reintegration of terrorists, including foreign terrorist fighters (FTFs) and their accompanying family members. The US vetoed it because it failed to include a provision regarding the repatriation of FTFs to their countries of origin or nationality. The veto could have dire repercussions for the relationships among current UNSC members and their efforts to address the terrorism threat that has been plaguing international affairs. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,000/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official stance of The Jakarta Post. One of the more disturbing stories to come out of this years still-developing wildfire season was the near-total destruction of the small farming town of Malden in eastern Washington state on Monday. Almost every structure in Malden, population 200, was destroyed by a fast-moving wildfire as high winds created what officials described as a firestorm, according to NPR. The Whitman County Sheriffs Office reported that 80% of the towns structures were destroyed. Malden, just 25 miles from the Idaho state line, lost its fire station, post office, City Hall, library and most of its homes, the sheriff said. When I saw that story, I thought about a new election law that the Idaho Legislature passed in last months special session. You may recall that the Legislature passed a bill mandating that Idaho always provide an in-person voting option. Theres little question that it was passed in response to what happened during the May primary in Idaho, in which Gov. Brad Little included all-mail voting as part of his emergency orders during the coronavirus pandemic. There was no in-person voting in May, and many legislators bristled that the governor, with the stroke of a pen, was able to completely wipe out in-person voting. So during the session, legislators nearly unanimously passed a bill requiring in-person voting. Only Democratic Sens. Cherie Buckner-Webb and Maryanne Jordan voted against it. The vote was unanimous in the House. The governor signed it into law on Sept. 1. Every elector shall always be provided the opportunity to vote in person in an election, notwithstanding any declaration of emergency, extreme emergency, or disaster emergency by the governor, according to the language that was added into Idaho Code. On its face, it seems pretty straightforward, and the message pretty clear: Even if the governor declares an emergency, every voter shall be provided an opportunity to vote in person. But heres the problem: What if you have an extreme emergency that wipes out every place you have to hold an election, such as your library, your city hall and your fire station? Thats what happened in Malden. Fortunately, Washington has all-mail-in voting, so the good residents of Malden dont have to worry about not having a polling place. Idaho is in its own wildfire season, and Malden is so close to Idaho, its possible you could have a similar scenario in Idaho. If White Bird is completely on fire, where would the polling place be? If you want to think of another natural disaster, many Idahoans recall the Teton Dams catastrophic failure in 1976. What if Lucky Peak (dam) failed? Sen. Maryanne Jordan told me in a phone interview Tuesday. That was one of the first thoughts I had (during the special session debate on the bill). What if Lucky Peak failed? If youve ever looked at those flood maps, it will wake you up in the middle of the night. If Lucky Peak Dam were to break on, say, Nov. 2, would Ada County Clerk Phil McGrane need to have a party barge at the ready as a mobile voting unit? To prescribe that people have to have a vote-in-person option after a devastating emergency, regardless of what the emergency is, seems to go beyond perhaps what the intent of the legislation might have been, Jordan said. I just thought it was too much. Legislators were making a statement, trying to prevent the governor from instituting all-mail voting through an emergency declaration, but in passing this legislation, they swung the pendulum a little too far. Scott McIntosh is the opinion editor of the Idaho Statesman. You can email him at smcintosh@idahostatesman.com or call him at 208-377-6202. Follow him on Twitter @ScottMcIntosh12. Love 0 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 1 Angry 0 BERLIN The U.S. Air Force flew three B-1 heavy bombers over the East Siberian Sea, north of Russias far east, as part of a series of recent maneuvers that the military said Friday are meant to demonstrate American capabilities and ability to support allies, but which a top Russian commander blasted as hostile and provocative. Despite China agreeing to de-escalate renewed tensions along the Line of Actual Control in eastern Ladakh following a high-level diplomatic meeting in Moscow, Indias understanding remains that the ground situation will remain the same for now. Senior government sources told News18 that reading between the lines suggests that there is no change in Beijings stated position after the over two-and-half-hour-long meeting between External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi. Officials said that top leadership has been apprised of the situation after seeing the response from China, and India remains firm that it wants a diplomatic solution of the problem. They said that while India is always committed to maintaining peace and tranquility in the region, it will not compromise on even a single inch of its territory. At the meeting in Moscow on Thursday night, India and China had agreed on a five-point plan for resolving the prolonged border face-off in Ladakh that included abiding by all existing agreements and protocol on management of the frontier, maintaining peace and tranquility and avoiding any action that could escalate matters. This was stated in a joint press release issued by India. However, significantly, the statement was not issued by China. Even as the meeting was held, Chinas People Liberation Army has increased significantly increased buildup in the the last 48 hours as it looks to move further west of Finger 4. Indian troops are also being deployed in large numbers along the Finger 3 ridgeline on the north bank of Pangong Tso to match the PLA build-up. Chinas moves are being seen as as an attempt to wrest the advantage after Indian troops occupied dominating heights on the stretch from the south bank of the lake to Rechin La near Rezang La on August 29-30. Sources said that Jaishankar told Wang Yi that the recent incidents in eastern Ladakh have inevitably impacted the development of bilateral relations, and therefore, an urgent resolution of the current situation was in the interest of both nations. However, the Chinese side issued a statement saying that the Indian side does not consider the bilateral relations to be dependent on the situation at the border". As per sources, the Indian side expressed its strong concern at the massing of Chinese troops with equipment along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). India stated that the presence of such large concentration of troops was not in accordance with the 1993 and 1996 Agreements. Sources said the Chinese side has not provided a credible explanation for this deployment. China also still tried to take a position on the current crisis as one where they have been wronged. Their statement said Wang outlined Chinas stern position on the border situation and said it is imperative that provocations should be stopped, including firing. However, India confronted China over these allegations. The Indian side said that the provocative behaviour of Chinese frontline troops at numerous incidents of friction along the LAC also showed disregard for bilateral agreements and protocols. (Photo : Scott Barbour/Getty Images) LONDON - APRIL 13: In this photo illustration the logo and search page of the multi-facetted internet giant Google is displayed on a computer screen on April 13, 2006 in London, England. (Photo : Morning Brew/Unsplash) Google's Being extra careful (Photo : Samuel Corum/Getty Images) HERNDON, VA - MARCH 03: A woman marks down her vote on a ballot for the Democratic presidential primary election at a polling place in Armstrong Elementary School on Super Tuesday, March 3, 2020 in Herndon, Virginia. 1,357 Democratic delegates are at stake as voters cast their ballots in 14 states and American Samoa on what is known as Super Tuesday. Google has recently tweaked its autocomplete functions within two months before the presidential elections in the United States on November 3. Since it has long been targeted by critics who accused the search giant of controlling the information that pops up in search results, Google said the changes aims to tackle misinformation online amid coronavirus pandemic continues to cripple societies worldwide and just before the U.S. elections. In a blog post published on Thursday, September 10, Google Vice President for Search Pandu Nayak announced the huge changes the the platform regarding its search features. Nayak wrote that Google has "expanded its Autocomplete policies related to elections" while suggestions that could be misinterpreted as allegations for or against any political party or candidate will also be removed. Similarly, claims about participating in the election, including voting requirements, methods, or status of voting locations as well as those that will affect the legitimacy of elections will also be blocked. For the November polls, Google has decided to block the autocomplete feature in Google Search that provide automatic suggestions just when users start typing their search queries that are related to the election. For instance, typing in either "Donald Trump" or "Joe Biden" will suggest their age, education, or news about them. However, when "is" is added on either names, then some benign autocomplete suggestions will pop up. The changes will also affect queries about the voting process like queries about voting by mail or donations. However, Payak noted that while suggestions related to these topics will not appear in Autocomplete, users "can still search for whatever you'd like and find results." Read also: TRUST ISSUE: Nor Androids and iPhones Won't Tell The Real Situations of San Francisco Wildfires Because of Auto Color Images Being extra careful Business Insider reported that Google Senior Director for Global Policy and Standards David Graff told the press that the company is being careful about the information that "we highlight in the search feature." The announcement is part of Google drive to halt the spread of misinformation through the search engine. However, Nayak's post hinted the imperfection of Google's systems, although the company vowed to do its best to enforce its policies and avoid inappropriate predictions. Meanwhile, Google urges the public to report a prediction that violates its policies or if the new autocomplete search feature ends up blocking a normal search query. Google search results are algorithmically arranged based on the subject of different posts. However, Google said the change was not specific for the Election Day 2020 although it has prepared for all possible outcomes. Google's VP of engineering Cathy Edwards said that they have made a various preparations in anticipation of some changes in information on November 3. Edwards added that there will be a dedicated group of people on video call to track "how things are going throughout the day." Meanwhile, the changes made by the search giant could again put itself on target of allegations that it is interfering in the election. Read also: TikTok Bans Users Who Share Video of a "Man with a Beard" Who Took Suicide While on Facebook Live This is owned by Tech Times Written by CJ Robles 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. This article is part of the Policing and Technology Project, a collaboration between Future Tense and the Tech, Law, & Security Program at American University Washington College of Law that examines the relationship between law enforcement, police reform, and technology. On Sept. 18 at noon Eastern, Future Tense will host Power, Policing, and Tech, an online event about the role of technology in law enforcement reform. For more information and to RSVP, visit the New America website. Public scrutiny around data-driven technologies in the criminal justice system has been on a steady rise over the past few years, but with the recent widespread Black Lives Matter mobilization, it has reached a crescendo. Alongside a broader reckoning with the harms of the criminal justice system, technologies like facial recognition and predictive policing have been called out as racist systems that need to be dismantled. After being an early adopter of predictive policing, the Santa Cruz, California, became the first city in the United States to ban its use. An ethics committee of a police department in the United Kingdom unanimously rejected a proposal for the department to further develop an artificial intelligence system to predict gun and knife crime. And the use of pre-trial and sentencing risk assessments remain at the center of public debate on how to best address mass incarceration and racial disparities within the criminal justice system. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But a foundational piece of police technology is missing from this reckoning: criminal intelligence databases. They may be largely absent from the public debate because databases are typically considered simple record repositories, often seen as the first stage in the creation of more high-tech A.I. systems. But these databases perform varied and advanced functions of profiling, not unlike systems of predictive policing. The historical context and political ramifications of these systems also mirror the systematic stigmatization and feedback loop that is now commonly understood as a fallout of predictive A.I. systems. Unlike investigative databases that are used to solve serious crimes and build prosecutors cases, criminal intelligence databases are populated with information about people who should be monitored and subjected to greater scrutiny because they might commit a future crimefor example, the notorious No Fly List created and maintained by the FBIs Terrorist Screening Center, which prohibits people from boarding commercial aircraft for travel within, into, or out of the United States based on government threat assessments. Yet these databases are often seen as passive aids for information gathering, rather than new methods of surveillance, which has contributed to the lack of legal safeguards. In the U.S., for example, these databases do not need to comply with the same constitutional and legal standards that govern criminal investigations, like due process and freedom of association. These databases are heavily influenced by politics and public sentiments, and their composition and use often reflect the prerogatives and biases of law enforcement agencies. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Gang databases serve as a great example for understanding these complexities. They have been around for decades, but their use has expanded globally as a crime-fighting tool in recent years. Defining what constitutes a gang or who is a gang member, however, is not as clear-cut as one may think. Who (and what kinds of information) is included in a gang database is typically guided by formal or informal policies that provide a definition of gang or gang members. But in the United States the legal definitions of gangs and gang members are so inconsistent that someone who meets the definition of a gang member in one state may not be considered a gang member in a neighboring state. There is also no consensus on what constitutes gang activity, since gang membership is not a criminal offense in itself. The lack of clear guidance and rules means police officers have a lot of discretion in making such determinations. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Does making a gang hand symbol in a social media post mean that the individual is a gang member? Are explicit or violent rap lyrics evidence of gang or criminal activity? Does frequenting areas where gang members are known to meet warrant inclusion in a gang database? Without clear gang database policies, police officers more often than not rely on subjective judgments and stereotypes to determine gang members and gang activity. And research and reporting on gang databases have shown that these judgments on who and what to include in gang databases reflect a historic pattern of overpolicing Black, Latinx, and other racial and ethnic minority communities. The NYPDs gang database is 99 percent Black and Latinx residents, the same demographic of residents targeted by the departments unconstitutional stop-and-frisk program. In London, 78 percent of the Metropolitan Polices Gang Matrix database are young Black men, even though the departments own figures show that this demographic only makes up 27 percent of youth violence. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The history of criminalizing entire groups through database technologies far predates the digital. Current gang database practices in the U.K. have been linked to the British colonial strategy of criminalizing entire communities (designated criminal tribes) in India. In the United States, federal and local law enforcement have repeatedly created watchlists of political activists without any evidence of criminal activity; when criminal charges did arise they were primarily loosely constructed conspiracy cases. The more recent digitization of databases only amplifies the problems of stigmatization and hyper-surveillance. Digitized and networked databases can more easily break down the silos between different government agencies, allowing for more seamless information sharing, and as a result more pervasive institutional profiling that can be used to justify differential treatment. Gang database designations are often shared with not only prosecutors, judges, and prison and jail officials but also schools, public housing authorities, immigration agencies, and employers. This means that the impact of being labelled and sorted in these systems carries significant and unique consequences for individuals and communities, far beyond the criminal justice system. Individuals identified in gang databases are subjected to increased police scrutiny and harassment, but so are their family members, neighbors, and other individuals that share any characteristics (such as race, age, height, and gender presentation). All of these negative consequences are based on the risk or assumption that individuals in databases will commit a crime, even when individuals have no prior criminal convictions. Advertisement Advertisement Despite being functionally similar to predictive policing and other risk assessment tools, gang databases dont seem to benefit from the degree of regulatory scrutiny and media attention afforded to other purportedly new technologies. To illustrate, even as the Chicago Police Department announced it will no longer use its controversial predictive policing program, it proudly announced it would be revamping its much-criticized gang database. If a gang database designation leads a judge to deny a defendant bail, how is that functionally different from a biased risk-assessment tools recommendation? If gang databases perform data analysis and inform government decision making, why are they seen as more elementary than other criminal justice technologies? The policy interventions needed for criminal intelligence databases also mirror some of the advocacy demands being made of A.I. systems. For example, just as mandatory algorithmic audits or algorithmic impact assessments are gaining traction as a way to allow external researchers and advocates to interrogate the logics and data used in A.I. systems, advocates are demanding similar pathways to access the logic and contents of gang databases. As the public begins to reject new forms of police technology before they are entrenched, we must not miss the opportunity to question the legitimacy of legacy technologies, too. Sign up for the Future Tense newsletter, published every other Saturday. Future Tense is a partnership of Slate, New America, and Arizona State University that examines emerging technologies, public policy, and society. Visions of the flying car overlapping with ride-hailing services have been generating more than just skepticism and raised eyebrows. There are actual policy questions that need answering as the nascent technology continues to advance.The company Wisk Aero is developing small, autonomous, electric flying vehicles capable of vertical take-off and landing in urban areas, while Uber is exploring the urban air taxi development through its Elevate initiative. And any number of companies from Amazon to smaller startups are experimenting with drone delivery systems.When CoMotion launched four years ago, said John Rossant, founder and CEO of the think tank for next-generation mobility, urban air mobility was barely on the radar and came up in passing conversations.Every edition of CoMotion LA, its become more and more important. It gets more space, he added during a recent virtual panel discussion titled The Skys the Limit.The idea of small aircraft buzzing through city skies is obviously raising a number of questions around safety, regulations, costs, urban design, transportation policy and other issues.Weve taken a fundamentally partnership-based approach in this initiative, in that we have worked to build alliances with manufacturers, with regulators at both the national and state and local level, said Eric Allison, head of aviation programs at Uber, and leader of the Elevate initiative, during the discussion. Because we know that to bring a new system of mobility a new form of mobility into practical and wide use, it really is a system problem. And you have to look at it from that holistic perspective that takes into account all of these different pieces.For starters, Allison does not envision the urban air taxi phenomenon will launch as an autonomous form of transportation.We certainly believe that this starts with piloted vehicles, said Allison, adding 2023 could be when some highly limited Uber air taxi operations take flight. In vehicles that are "highly automated, but not autonomous, said Allison.For its part, Wisk, a joint venture between Boeing and Kitty Hawk, an electric aircraft startup, has skipped the pilot, and is developing autonomous air transportation with small two-person electric aircraft.In order for this industry to scale, we really believe that this has to be a self-piloted aircraft, said Dan Dalton, vice president of global partnerships at Wisk.Not all urban design visionaries are on board with the flying taxi concept. Florian Lennert, head of mobility at NEOM , a futuristic planned city in Saudi Arabia, questioned the idea against any number of concerns such as sustainability, equity or development patterns which could exacerbate suburban sprawl.In a sense, this is the first time in thousands of years... to add a non-wheel-based form of transport to our transport mix, Lennert offered the discussion.We also, though, want to make sure we dont commit the same 20th century mistake, and simply put the car in the sky, he added. Because that would simply be transforming a problem from the ground to the sky.To move large numbers of people, cities should continue to focus on efficient public mass transit, said Lennert, adding urban air mobility should be shared and integrated into a multimode transit system.Urban air mobility will never be able to move the loads that something like the Tube in London or the metro systems in Hong Kong or Singapore do, he said.I dont think, in the end, it [urban air taxis] will form an efficient way of moving people around in cities, said Lennert.Much as local transportation officials have been involved in establishing the regulations and operations of micro-mobility devices like bikes and scooters, expect them to have a role in determining how aerial urban mobility is regulated, deployed and integrated into the transportation ecosystem, say experts.In order to have acceptance of this new form of mobility, we have to have all of the key stakeholders at the table, said Allison. And thats not just cities, from a government-public perspective, but also the broader public, from the community perspective. We want people to want this form of mobility in their communities. Not to oppose it.To be sure, launching a truly new form of mobility particularly one as futuristic as this one will require significant developments on both the technology fronts, as well as the regulatory framework, say officials.Its got to be safe, first and foremost, said Dalton.And its got to be reliable, and if you have those two things, you get trust, he added. Photograph: Alex Brandon/AP Donald Trump named three sitting senators as people he would consider nominating to the US supreme court if he is re-elected. Trump announced 20 names on Wednesday that he said would be added to his previously released list of potential supreme court picks. He said one of three conservative Republican senators with law degrees Tom Cotton of Arkansas, Ted Cruz of Texas and Josh Hawley of Missouri could be his next selection to the nations top court. Over the next four years, Americas president will choose hundreds of federal judges and up to four supreme court justices, Trump said both probably exaggerated figures. The new justices could fundamentally transform America without a single vote in Congress, Trump said. Progressive groups quickly criticized the announcement. If theres one thing this president doesnt lie about, its his eagerness to stack the courts with extremists prepared to carry out Republicans conservative agenda, overturning access to health care and abortion, Nan Aron, president of Alliance for Justice, said. This is a last-ditch effort by the president to energize his base. Trump is clearly trying to distract the American public from an astonishing number of damning allegations right now. Ben Jealous, president of People for the American Way, said: At a time when Donald Trumps judges and justices are already posing an existential threat to healthcare and coverage for pre-existing conditions, his updated list of potential supreme court nominees is yet another emergency alarm making clear the extremely high stakes of this election. He added: This list is packed with far-right ideologues, many of whom have already racked up deeply troubling records on lower courts. Conservative judicial activist groups, however, greeted the new list of names with cheers. President Trump continues to keep his promise to prioritize the appointment of judges while Joe Biden continues to duck the issue and hide his list, Carrie Severino, president of the Judicial Crisis Network, said. Story continues Hawley ruled himself out of the running to be a potential nominee, tweeting he had no interest in the high court. Cruz appeared to also rule himself out, saying it was humbling and an immense honor to be included on Trumps list but indicating he would remain in the Senate for the time being. Cotton, however, seemed more interested, saying he would always heed the call for service, and tweeting: Its time for Roe v Wade to go. Trump said Biden, his Democratic opponent in the presidential race, must release a list of justices for people to make a decision as to how they should properly vote. But the practice of releasing lists of names of judges is unique to Trump, who did so in his first presidential run to reassure so-called values voters that he was safe to support. Trump has elevated an unprecedented number of attorneys to the federal bench who have had no previous experience as judges, but the inclusion on Wednesday of three senators in his list of supreme court picks was seen as a boisterously political move. Is this supposed to win over swing voters? tweeted the former federal prosecutor Peter Zeidenberg. Trump thinks he is still running for the Republication nomination. Questions about coronavirus revelation Trumps news conference at the White House to announce his list, designed to shore up evangelical Christian and conservative support for his re-election bid, quickly turned into a back-and-forth with reporters about his coronavirus policy. Damaging revelations emerged with the publication of advance excerpts of a new book by the Washington Post journalist Bob Woodward on Wednesday. Woodward writes that Trump knew in February, a month before the widespread Covid-19 outbreak in the United States, that coronavirus was a lethal threat and that he intentionally downplayed it. Related: Trump's judges: a revolution to create a new conservative America Trump is trailing by double-digit margins in national polling averages and some polls have shown him losing support among the base of white evangelical Christians who helped propel him to victory in 2016. Trump warned those voters on Wednesday that life in America would change for good if he was not re-elected, playing on fears that a Democratic president would appoint justices committed to repealing the second amendment, funding late-term abortion and removing the words under God from the constitution. Trump also warned that a Democratic president would install judges who would cripple police departments and empower rioters, looters anarchists and terrorists. Neither of the two supreme court justices nominated during Bidens eight years as vice-president have made any such moves, and decades of public statements and officials votes by Biden have indicated no such intention. Priceline Pharmacy has been forced to apologise after Sydney stores 'improperly' sourced and sold counterfeit products branded as from a popular skincare range. An internal investigation has been launched into the matter involving beauty products from The Ordinary, some of which are not permitted to be sold in Australia. Counterfeit products have been removed from shelves at four western Sydney Priceline stores at Bankstown Pharmacy Exchange, Merrylands, Blacktown and St Marys. Priceline is investigating the sale of counterfeit items in four stores, including St Marys 'We are aware that four Sydney based Priceline Pharmacy franchise stores improperly obtained and sold some counterfeit product branded 'The Ordinary' from an unauthorised and invalid source,' the retailer posted on its Facebook page on Friday. 'Priceline is proud to stock 'The Ordinary' and Priceline head office has not and would never authorise such activity. On notification to us, we directed the stores to immediately remove all invalid products and are taking all actions necessary to ensure no further invalid products are made available.' 'We have also commenced an investigation.' Products are not currently permitted to be sold in Australia and may be counterfeit include AHA 30% +BHA 2% Peeling Solution, Azelaic Acid Suspension 10% and Alpha Arbutin 2% + HA. Priceline also issued a counterfeit warning about six products which are available in Australia but aren't sold in-store. These products from The Ordinary (pictured) are not permitted to be sold in Australia Priceline Pharmacy was forced to issue this apology and warning to customers on Friday They include EUK 134 0.1%, Resveratrol 3% + Ferulic Acid 3%, Argireline Solution 10%, Retinol 1% in Squalane, Mandelic Acid 10% + HA and Amino Acids + B5. Granactive Retinoid 2% and Emulsion 100% Plant Squalane are currently sold in Priceline but may be counterfeit if bought from one of the Priceline stores named. Priceline urges any customer who bought any of the listed products from one of the four stores to cease use of the product immediately and return it to the place of pruchase for a full refund. 'We take these matters VERY seriously and we thank those who brought it to our attention so quickly,' Priceline added. The counterfeit items were sold at four western Sydney stores, including Merrylands Online training will give Vietnamese students access to high-quality lectures overseas, while lecturers will be able to access effective teaching and organization methods. Minister of Education and Training Phung Xuan Nha said the Covid-19 crisis is still unpredictable and online teaching will be applied on a large scale at Vietnams education establishments. Minister of Education and Training Phung Xuan Nha The Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) has been setting necessary policies to encourage online teaching and accelerate digital transformation in the educational sector. Previously, we only organized in-person classes. But now, the combination of both online and in-person classes is a reasonable solution for all subjects. And online teaching only can be applied for some subjects, Nha said. The minister went on to say that in addition to obvious benefits, online teaching will also help teachers build up a rich school material database and keep up to date with knowledge being shared all over the globe. In order to grow rapidly, Vietnam needs to learn from developed countries. With online training, students can access foreign high-quality lectures, while lecturers can access advanced teaching methods. Currently, offline teaching remains the major teaching form at universities in Vietnam. This will create an incentive for teachers to improve themselves and help Vietnamese teachers connect with colleagues all over the world, Nha said. With this way, I believe that in five or seven years, Vietnam will have a generation of lecturers of international level. And they will know how to develop lectures in the most effective way, he said. The Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) has been setting necessary policies to encourage online teaching and accelerate digital transformation in the educational sector. Having 20 years of experience in distance education, the Hanoi Open University (HOU) has organized online training for the last 10 years. Duong Thang Long, deputy headmaster of HOU, said the school has received support from South Korean universities since 2015. The schools provided training to HOUs lecturers, technicians and officers, helping improve the quality of online teaching. Long supports the development of online teaching in Vietnam, but warned that in order to have an effective online training system, big investments will be required. If using old technologies with low costs, it will be ineffective. Modern infrastructure will require huge money, he explained. Though initial costs will be high, the benefits will also be high. RMIT, the Australian university which has campuses in Viet Nam, has successfully put 5,000 learning subjects online as a solution to cope with Covid-19. In Vietnam, 190 subjects have been switched online. Prof Coloe said the combination of online and offline teaching has become the new normal of the school. He emphasized the importance of providing flexible learning choices and easy access to students. He said in the digitized world, e-learning will bring more learning opportunities to the future leaders of Vietnam, whenever they are. Le Huyen Online teaching to continue post-COVID General schools and universities have organized online teaching for the last six months because of Covid-19. However, even when the pandemic ends, online teaching will still continue. Officials at William Floyd High School in New York recently hit Maverick Stow, a 17-year-old student, with a five-day suspension for coming to school on a Tuesday in early September, a "designated remote learning day" for Stow. The school district said Stow believed he should attend school in person five days a week, not four. That's right, Stow was suspended for not skipping school. To make matters worse, the student-criminal returned to school on the Wednesday and Thursday following his suspension and was promptly arrested by the Suffolk County Police Department for unlawfully entering school grounds. Though the district said it agrees with Stow's view that in-person instruction should take place five days a week, it also said it was required to follow state social distancing regulations and labeled his actions as "irresponsible and selfish behavior." And a "publicity stunt." Huh? State social distancing regulations allow students to attend school "in person" four days a week but not five? Do the powers that be think trimming the number of students allowed on campus by 20% makes all the difference? Apparently. The district noted, "We are still in the midst of a pandemic and will abide by the regulations set in place by our government and health officials designed to keep our students and staff safe. As we have said, Mr. Stow's rights as a student do not surpass the rights of any of our other 8,799 students; they should not have to come to school to witness this circus atmosphere each day." Circus atmosphere? The students who have come to school should not have to witness the "circus atmosphere" created by...a student attempting to come to school? The school district issued a statement reading: "If Mr. Stow continues to try to access school grounds each day that we are open, we will close the high school and its approximately 3,000 students to all in-person learning and it will be all virtual for the foreseeable future. We will not condone or allow students to flagrantly break the law in our schools." By attending them each day. Alrighty then. Students used to be punished for not coming to school. In days of yore, that was called truancy. Now everything is bass-ackward, and truth is punished more often than truancy. District officials threaten to close the school and sentence all 3,000 of its students to virtual home detention because one student wishes to attend it five days a week? That just proves they have no class. Virtual or otherwise. Maybe the aptly named "Maverick" should have simply claimed he was "protesting"...which in a sense he was. After all, officials don't label rioters' actions as "irresponsible and selfish behavior," or as "publicity stunts." Nor do they claim that protesters create a "circus atmosphere." And they typically don't arrest them, either. Image credit: Pixabay public domain. Press Release September 11, 2020 Rescind deal allowing China to build cell towers in military camps: Pangilinan DEFENSE Secretary Delfin Lorenzana should rescind the deal that allows China-backed Dito Telecommunity Corp. to build cell sites inside Philippine military camps, Senator Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan said Friday. "The secretary should rescind the deal as it compromises the security of our citizens and our country as whole, especially security of our data, which is the currency of this century," Pangilinan said. "Countries more technologically advanced have actually banned or reconsidered business deals with China's largest telco and phone manufacturer Huawei Technologies just two months ago due to possible spying. That should have been an eye-opener for us. Dapat natuto rin tayo sa karanasan nila," he added. Pangilinan cited the Reuters July 16, 2020 report, which said that the US and British foreign ministers agreed to promote the development of "additional trusted 5G solutions," quoting the US State Department two days after Britain decided to purge Huawei equipment from its 5G network by 2027. Another Reuters report, this time on July 22, 2020, said that French authorities have told telecoms operators planning to buy Huawei 5G equipment that they won't be able to renew licenses for the gear once they expire, effectively phasing the Chinese firm out of mobile networks by 2028. "This deal was approved last year but recent developments in the past 3 or 4 months give us serious reason to revisit the approval," Pangilinan said. The senator also pointed out the possible massive security breach this deal represents given that China has been encroaching on the West Philippine Sea and disallowing Filipino fishermen access to their source of livelihood. "Meron tayong usapin sa China tungkol sa West Philippine Sea. Meron pa sa Benham Rise. Patuloy nilang nilalapastangan ang ating yamang-dagat at binabawalan ang ating mangingisda na maghanapbuhay sa teritoryo natin," Pangilinan pointed out. "Pero ano ginagawa natin sa usaping ito? Parang meron tayong kapitbahay na nang-aangkin ng ating bakuran at papapasukin pa natin para magbantay ng bakuran natin," he added. Pangilinan stressed that Lorenzana and the rest of the military establishment are duty-bound to protect the country's national and the Filipino citizens' security, not compromise it with the deal. "We have serious doubts that we have in our possession the most modern technology and equipment to monitor cyber security threats. Kaya dapat pawalang-bisa na yung kontrata," the senator said. Dito Telecommunity, the third telco after Globe and Smart, is a consortium led by Davao-based businessman Dennis Uy. It includes Chelsea Logistics and Infrastructure Holdings Corp., Udenna Corp., and state-owned China Telecommunications Corp., which owns 40 percent of Dito. Many have raised concerns over the Chinese stake in the consortium, as Chinese state-owned firms are obliged under Beijing laws to follow orders, like divert or intercept internet traffic, or access state secrets, when required. Among those who raised national security concerns earlier were Lorenzana himself and National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr. Pointing to the proximity of POGO (Philippine offshore gaming operators) offices to military camps, Lorenzana late last year said these POGOs, which employ Chinese nationals, may shift their operations to spying. For his part, Esperon admitted that he considers the influx of hundreds of thousands of Chinese nationals in the country a national security threat. At the same time, Filipino citizens have started a petition addressed to "the Philippine Congress to stop the entry of Dito Telecommunity into the Philippine telco industry until its risks to the country are thoroughly assessed." That petition is here: https://www.change.org/p/we-started-this-petition-to-the-philippine-congress-to-stop-the-entry-of-dito-telecommunity-into-the-philippine-telco-industry-until-its-risks-to-the-country-are-thoroughly-assessed?recruiter=15899565&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=facebook_messenger_mobile&utm_campaign=psf_combo_share_initial&recruited_by_id=1c945770-c438-012f-b6d6-404067ca6a7a Nineteen years ago today, Americans were attacked on our on soil in what was the single deadliest terrorist attack and deadliest event for firefighters and law enforcement officers in the history of the United States. The spirit of unity that overcame Americans in the wake of those horrid terrorist attacks should overtake us all in every subsequent September 11 that comes to pass. That is one way in which we honor the memories of those who fell and reclaim the day from the Islamist extremists who celebrate the 3,000 mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, sons and daughters who were taken from us. No matter who you are, or where you come from, nothing, not politics, not race, creed or gender, comes before our sacred bond as Americans. Today, President Donald Trump will give remarks from Somerset, Pennsylvania. Also visiting will be presidential nominee Joe Biden. They will honor the memory of those great, brave Americans who perished nineteen years ago. The candidates will represent a spirit of unity that we once had, and should have again. We come together today as one unified people in the name of those we lost. At a time when law enforcement is under attack and scrutiny unlike ever before, 9/11 reminds us that these brave men and women, who may be strangers to us, have taken up a service in which at any moment they may lay down their very lives to protect you, and your rights. On 9/11, more than 400 law enforcement officers and firefighters lost their lives as they stormed into burning buildings, climbed up through the infernos, and did everything they possibly could to save the lives of innocent Americans who had been attacked. They did it then, and they would do it today, for you, in a heartbeat. In 2018, police arrested nearly 12,000 people for murder, 25,000 people for rape, and nearly 1.5 million for assault. In the past year, 89 law enforcement officers were killed in the line of duty. Several more have been killed or injured during the riots plaguing our cities. This is a dangerous job, and these men and women deserve our respect. Beyond acting in the face of mortal danger, these brave men and women work every day to prevent the next attack from ever taking place. In New York City, the NYPD Counterterrorism group has been responsible for stopping more than a dozen terrorist attacks since 9/11. Defunding the police means more Americans dead. Anticrime units have made the difference time and time again in preventing more attacks, and in responding to attacks that could not be prevented to try and contain the carnage as much as humanly possible. We should support these brave professionals in their efforts and have gratitude that they take on the call of duty. They fight to keep us safe. As we come together today as one nation to pay tribute to the victims of the terror attacks that took place nineteen years ago, we must never forget that there are those out there who would seek to do us harm. We must elect leadership that understands this sad truth, that is not scared to call it out for what it is, and who will provide law enforcement with the resources necessary to ensure above all else Americans' continued safety. As a candidate, President Trumps direct and apolitical way of addressing Islamist extremism was often criticized by those in the media. However, at the time, it was an immediate threat to America. Now, however, do we still feel like we are under impending danger? If not, it should be regarded as no coincidence that we have seen such fortunate change under the leadership of President Trump. He has annihilated ISIS and promoted domestic law enforcement at every turn. At the same time he realizes that the threat of Islamic terrorism is ever present and we must remain vigilant. Let us come together today and pray for the families of the fallen, show support for those who would protect us, and commit to doing what is right to ensure the continued safety and security of the United States of America. Rudy Giuliani is former mayor of New York City. A US forces commander in South Korea stated that shoot to kill orders have been released by authorities from North Korea in order to stop the coronavirus from entering its borders from China. Despite having borders with China, the country where the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) first emerged, the Hermit Kingdom has not reported a single case of the disease. It has been noted that due to the impoverished health care system of the country, the North would struggle if the virus that caused the pandemic would lead to an outbreak in the country. According to Yahoo! News, back in January, Pyongyang has already issued an order to shut down its borders with China in order to prevent the virus from entering the state. In addition, the state media also announced in July that the country has decreed a maximum level state of emergency. Meanwhile, Robert Abrams, commander of the US Forces Korea, the closing down of the border prompted an increase in demand for smuggled goods. Due to this, the authorities needed to intervene. In an online conference in Washington on Thursday which as organized by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), Abrams stated that a new "buffer zone" was introduced by the North about one or two kilometers on the border with China. Abrams added that Special Operations Forces of North Korea were deployed in the said buffer zone, who had orders to shoot-to-kill anyone who dares to cross. Read also: Beauty Salon Under Fire for Poster Stating COVID-19 is Not Real, Tells Customers Masks Not Needed Impact on the Economy The commander further added that the closure of the border had accelerated the effects of many economic sanctions that were imposed on the rogue nation due to its nuclear arsenal. Thus, with imports from its closest ally, China, dropping by 85%, the North's economy has been crippled. Aside from the effects of COVID-19, the North is also feeling the hard hit of the aftermath of Typhoon Maysak which destroyed at least 2,000 homes according to the state media. Due to this, Abrams stated that he is not expecting Pyongyang to issue major provocations anytime soon. However, he also noted that the nation may show off its new weapons system during the celebration of the founding of Kim Jong Un's ruling party's 75th anniversary. Moreover, Abrams noted that the focus of the regime at the moment is centered on recovering from natural disasters and also keeping COVID-19 out of its borders, Journal Online reported. Meanwhile, regarding the issue of COVID-19, it has been repeatedly insisted by the North that the disease has not invaded its borders and no outbreaks have happened. However, many have expressed skepticism on the claims of Pyongyang since China is one of its closest allies and the two nations share a long border. At the moment, there are no further information is given on the said shoot to kill directive by Pyongyang as a measure against COVID-19. The state is yet to release a statement regarding the claims of the US Forces commander. On the other hand, the leader of the North, Kim Jong Un has also been in the headlines in the past weeks due to talks about a shift in power and delegation of some powers to his sister Kim Yo Jong. Related article: North Korean Leader Admits Economic Shortcoming Needs More Planning @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Want to establish yourself as a technology thought leader? Now you can share your Cisco success story in the spotlight or behind the scenes through our customer reference program. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday invited his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe and his wife Akie Abe to visit India at their leisure, sources said. Prime Minister Modi extended the invitation during a telephonic conversation with Abe earlier today. "PM Modi invited PM Abe and his wife to visit India at their leisure," a source said. During the weekly briefing, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said that the two leaders exchanged greetings and recalled their earlier memories of their meetings at Varanasi, Sabarmati, Kobe and Kyoto. An MEA statement said the two leaders reviewed the status of ongoing cooperation, including the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail (MAHSR) project, under the framework of the India-Japan special strategic and global partnership. They expressed confidence that the strong momentum attained by the India-Japan partnership in the last few years will continue "unabated" in the future. They also agreed that the strong and enduring partnership between the two countries will play a critical role in charting the course for the global community in the post-COVID world. The statement regarding the talks between the two leaders came hours after Indian Defence Ministry announced that New Delhi and Tokyo have signed an agreement concerning the reciprocal provision of supplies and services between the armed forces of India and Self-Defense Forces of Japan. The two leaders welcomed the signing of the agreement. "They concurred that the agreement will further enhance the depth of defence cooperation between the two countries and contribute to peace and security in the Indo-Pacific region," the statement said. The two leaders agreed that the strong and enduring partnership between the two countries will play a critical role in charting the course for the global community in the post-COVID world. This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Never miss a story! Stay connected and informed with Mint. Download our App Now!! Topics My mother emerged from the sliding glass doors of her assisted living center wearing a billowy pink dress and slide-on sandals. Her long, graying hair was braided and wound into a bun. For me and my younger sister, it felt like Easter, Christmas and New Years Eve all rolled into one. It was the first time in five months that wed been able to see our mother in the flesh to sit across from her and have a face-to-face conversation. Ginger Purdy, once a famous and feisty advocate for San Antonio women, is a robust 93. She lives at Morningside Ministries Kaulbach Assisted Living Facility. Like other long-term care centers across Texas, it was forced into lockdown last spring in order to stanch the spread of the coronavirus. For months, our contact with our mother was limited to strained conversations through a window pane at the activities room. Mom, put the phone to your ear! When Morningside recently said the state would allow on-site family visits, my sister, Martha Bohrer, and I jumped at the chance. My older sister, Mary Owens, who lives in Wimberley, would visit later, since the rules only allowed two family members at a time. Hey Nina!, we exclaimed, standing in the breezeway with our flowers and chocolates. San Antonio Express-News file photo Nina is the name our mother gave herself after my son, Sam, her first grandchild, was born 32 years ago. It was vintage Ginger: Coming up with her own term of endearment. (She imagined that was how a child might pronounce her first name, Virginia.) What are we doing? she said, slightly befuddled, holding onto her walker as an aide directed her toward a group of canopies set up in the parking lot under a warm morning sun. Mom, we get to visit! In person! Before Kaulbach, our mother had lived at the Meadows, the independent senior living apartments next door on the Morningside campus. Right after the lockdown, it became clear Nina needed a higher level of care. It was a challenge to move her during the pandemic craziness, but we made it work. Morningside allowed me to be with her at the Meadows as movers boxed up her belongings. But because of COVID-19 restrictions, I wasnt allowed to enter Kaulbach. So Ive never laid eyes on my mothers new place. I wasnt there to tell movers where to put the jewelry box full of the big, bright baubles shes known for wearing. I wasnt able to show staff where to hang the few precious paintings she was allowed to bring to her less spacious, one-room abode. More challenging, neither my two sisters nor I have been able to touch our mother since March. Not even a brief hug or hand-hold. On Sept. 2, we three settled in at one of the tables for our 20-minute visit, next to other families doing the same thing. We explained to Nina that we were not allowed to touch, just chat. She harrumphed a bit, but my mom has always been great at adapting. Bob Owen /San Antonio Express-News She looked amazing. Since moving into Kaulbach, her skin has taken on a rosy, healthier glow. Her hair is shinier. Shes obviously eating well. While the lockdown has been rough on her at times I feel like Im in a prison she nonetheless remains her jolly self, quick to laugh and toss off a quip. So whats new? Nina asked. Martha and I updated her on happenings in our families, things we may have already told her in phone conversations. My mothers short-term memory isnt what it used to be, although she retains a razor-sharp hold on the long-gone past. I asked her what I always ask. How are you feeling? Do you have any pain? Are you happy? Are you sad? No, Im not depressed, she said, fingering a rose in the floral arrangement Id brought. I guess Im happy to be here. I mean, whats the alternative? We laughed. My mother wasnt wearing any jewelry or makeup. Until recently, she wouldve sooner died than leave the house so unadorned. (The summer before last, on a family trip to Port Aransas, she insisted on wearing full makeup and earrings to the beach.) For my mother, aging has been a process of gentle subtraction, of gradually letting go of things that dont really matter and cherishing those that do. Before moving into the Meadows about three years ago, my mother had lived her entire adult life in the home she and my late father built in Terrell Hills. Its a four-bedroom, Frank Lloyd Wright-style house that she adored and didnt want to leave. But scammers were targeting her. She accidentally blew up her microwave. It was time for something different. She liked her two bedroom apartment on the fourth floor of the Meadows. But after a year it became clear she needed some help, so we moved her into a one-bedroom apartment on the first floor. That made it easier to afford the in-home aides who washed her dishes and brought her meals. Then, about a year later, we realized it was time for Kaulbach. With each successive move, my mothers life has gotten smaller. This has been hard to witness because shed had such a big, big life. After my father split when I was 6, never to return, Ginger raised three daughters on her own, subsisting on his meager child support and the money she earned as a freelance fashion artist. When I was 10, she became the advertising manager at Dillards, a job that entailed long, hard hours and seemingly never enough pay. San Antonio Express-News file photo But she scrimped and saved and found a way to give her three daughters all the perks of well-rounded girlhood: Piano lessons. Horseback riding lessons. Ballet. My mother had been a dutiful daughter and a somewhat timid woman, afraid to champion herself. Then a miracle happened. At midlife, she discovered feminism and with the support of my late stepfather, the research scientist Robert Purdy, whom she married when I was 17 she blossomed into a full-throated womens activist. In 1980, she founded Network Power/Texas, a business support group for women. Eight years later, she brought the San Antonio Womens Chamber of Commerce into being. She helped create a scholarship fund that sent women, most of them single mothers, to local community colleges. Ginger coined the phrase middle woman to describe her relationship to feminism. She came late to the cause, was turned off by its sometimes strident rhetoric and wondered where she fit in within the movement. She knew there were plenty of other middle women like her, and she reached out to them in a memoir she published in 1996, Come On In, Theres Room For Us All. Magazines and newspapers wrote glowing profiles of her. Droves of women, especially younger ones, came to view her as a role model. Local politicos had her number on speed dial because they knew she could muster a crowd at a moments notice. My mother became an in-demand speaker, around town and beyond. Her message was always the same: You can face your fears and reach for the sky. And its never too late to become who you are. She is listed in Whos Who of American Women, and she was one of the first inductees in San Antonios Womens Hall of Fame. In 2004, the Womens Studies Institute at the University of Texas at San Antonio chose her to receive its first Womens Advocate of the Year Award. She even led a workshop at the United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, China in 1995. But the world turns, seasons change. Now my mother spends most of her time in her recliner, watching TV and reading her beloved Express-News. Bob Owen /San Antonio Express-News Now, the woman who once had a million irons in the fire just wants to spend time with us, her family. I have to remind myself to be grateful that my mother has the resources to be well-fed and safe, clean and content. That Ive been able to have a mother for this long. But I cant wait for the day when I can get her all dressed up and take her to lunch at Cappys. And dinner at the Barn Door. And ferry her to family birthday parties, where our tradition is to sing to the honoree in ridiculously loud, operatic voices. Where Nina gets doted on by her daughters and sons-in-law and six grown grandkids. I love you, Mama, I say when our too-brief visit is over. I love you, says Martha. I love you, too, baby girls, she says, shuffling back toward the Kaulbach entrance. We blow kisses through our masks. And then the sliding glass doors swish shut. Provided by Galveston ISD Galveston ISD Superintendent Kelli Moulton announced she would retire from her position at the end of January, the district announced in a news release Wednesday. I was welcomed into the district and allowed to lead bold action so that we could affect powerful change, said Moulton, who has served as superintendent since 2016, according to the news release. I am grateful for the opportunity I was provided by the Galveston ISD board to serve as the formal leader, but it was much more of a team effort with great synergy between the elected leaders and the educational professionals. Photo: (Photo : Facebook/Kids 4 Change 757) A Virginia boy donates 22,000 diapers plus wipes to help single moms get through the pandemic. He used the money he earned in his lemonade stand to buy the necessities for donation. Donates hard-earned money Cartier Carey is into investing back into his community in Hampton, Virginia, after earning money using lemons. Instead of saving up for himself to buy treats or opening up a savings account, he uses the money he collected to help others. The goal of the 11-year-old boy is to help single mothers in need. He knew that these moms are in distress due to the financial uncertainty brought about by the health crisis. So he decided to focus on the basics: diaper and wipes. See also: San Diego Teen Sews Unique Dolls for Children with Medical Conditions Brittany Stewart, Carey's mom, told CNN that her son does not want to spend money on himself. She said that Carey just wants to continue buying diapers and giving them to moms every day. It all started when Carey visited his grandmother who is living in an economically depressed neighborhood. Since he was very keenly observant for his age, the boy saw how many women struggled to raise children on their own. His first instinct was to find a way to help the moms. Stewart told "Virginia-Pilot" that as Carey grows older, he becomes more understanding of his surroundings. Her son came up to her one day and asked her if they could help some moms. Stewart asked her son what he wanted to buy, and that is how they came up with the idea. See also: Chicago Teens Transformed Liquor Store to Become Needed Food Market Carey had raised about $5,000 through his lemonade stand and donations by the end of July. Because of that, he was already able to distribute roughly 6,500 diapers. He has already given 22,000 as of September, which is close to his goal of 25,000. Other initiatives The helpful boy has launched "Carti packs" before he became a "lemonade mogul." It is a community initiative that provided care packages for the homeless. Each pack contains soap, tissue, deodorant, and hand-warmers. He also founded "Kids 4 Change 757," his non-profit organization, to help make the community better. See also: Teens with Disabilities Do Community Service to Give Back During the Pandemic His greatest joy is seeing grateful people Carey explained that his greatest joy comes from the gratefulness of the people he has helped. One mom broke down in tears and gave him a big hug after receiving his donated goods. The boy told ABC News that he almost cried because he was touched by how moved the mom was from his good deeds. Carey said that it helped make him want to keep helping others. He believes that he is never too young to save lives and be a hero. All he wants is to make a difference in the lives of the people in need. New Delhi: Defence minister Rajnath Singh on Friday held a two-hour-long meeting with Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat and the three service chiefs to discuss the situation along the Line of Actual Control with China. National security adviser Ajit Doval is also reported to have attended the high-level meet that discussed in detail the outcome of the talks between external affairs minister S Jaishankar and China foreign minister Wang Yi in Moscow on Thursday and how to follow it up at the military level. Another meeting of the two corps commanders is likely to be held next week in Ladakh to try and de-escalate tensions. The issues to be taken up in the military dialogue were also discussed. This will be the sixth corps commanders meeting between India and China after the standoff began between the two sides in Ladakh in early May. Singh had also met his Chinese counterpart Gen. Wei Fenghe in Moscow last week. Meanwhile, another round of brigadier-level talks were held between India and China in the Chushul sector on Friday. It started around 11 am and ended at 3 pm. The situation remains tense in Ladakh and the Army is still on high alert. Arunachal missing porters Union minister and Arunachal Pradesh MP Kiren Rijiju said Friday that the Chinese PLA had confirmed to the Indian Army it would hand over the missing Arunachal Pradesh youths to India. The handover is likely to take place anytime on Saturday, he said. It is expected the Indians will be handed over at Wacha, near Kibithu border personnel meeting point. Beijing: Chinas state-controlled media on Friday cautiously welcomed the five-point consensus reached by Indian and Chinese foreign ministers in Moscow to defuse the ongoing border tension, but said it was New Delhis responsibility to ensure the final positive outcome. Most official media carried a report by the state news agency Xinhua on the meeting between external affairs minister S Jaishankar and state councillor and foreign minister Wang Yi on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting of foreign ministers in Moscow on Thursday. The two agreed ...the current situation in the border areas is not in the interest of either side. They agreed therefore that the border troops of both sides should continue their dialogue, quickly disengage, maintain proper distance and ease tensions, the Xinhua report said. Jaishankar and Wang had held full, in-depth discussion with his Indian counterpart S. Jaishankar on the situation in the border areas as well as bilateral ties here on Thursday, the report said. It quoted Wang as saying that it is normal for China and India to have differences as two neighbouring major countries. What is important is to put these differences in a proper context vis-a-vis bilateral relation, the report said, quoting the senior Chinese official. The nationalistic tabloid Global Times, known for its hawkish views, carried opinion pieces saying the ball is now in New Delhis court to resolve the tension. In an editorial published ahead of the meeting, the tabloid said Beijings talks with India come with war preparedness. On the outcome of the bilateral, the tabloid said it exceeded the expectations of most international observers and created favourable conditions for a possible future meeting between the leaders of the two countries. The article then quickly changed track to say the successful implementation of the joint statement, however, depends on whether the Indian side can truly keep its word. Quoting experts, it argued that it is possible that the joint statement will end up as merely paper talk, if India did not follow-up. We should not only observe what India says, but also what it does. For a country like India, the most important thing is how it acts, Hu Zhiyong, from the Institute of International Relations of the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, told Global Times. In a separate opinion piece, the tabloids editor Hu Xijin said the border tension is because of the aggressive attitude of the Indian army The meeting between the two foreign ministers maintained the political communication channels between the two sides under the current critical situation. However, due to the huge differences in the understanding of the actual border control line between the two sides, the Indian army adopted an aggressive stance on the ground, Hu wrote in a commentary published in Mandarin. The two foreign ministers eased the political situation. Whether the wishes can be implemented on the spot is uncertain, he added. Your tax-deductible gift today powers our reporters and keeps us independent. We rely on you, our reader, not paywalls to stay funded because we believe important news and information should be freely accessible to all. Start your day with LAist Sign up for the Morning Brief, delivered weekdays. Subscribe Following a surge of coronavirus outbreaks at California State University campuses in Chico and San Diego, employees of Cal State campuses in the L.A. area are expressing concerns that COVID-19 protocols are inconsistent and could lead to further spread The protocols currently in place give the presidents of each of the 23 Cal State campuses the authority to develop their own pandemic guidelines. While the university system argues that campus-specific protocols allow for more flexibility to respond to different conditions at different schools, critics say a systemwide policy would send a stronger message. "A lot of our members are very concerned about exposure to COVID-19 while they're working on campus," said Cal State Los Angeles employee Kim Neal, the school's chapter chair of the California State University Employees Union. The union represents 16,000 clerical workers, custodians, IT workers and other employees in the CSU system. "Right now there's no measuring of temperatures. There's no self-checks," said Neal, an instructional support technician in CSLA's Department of Television and Film. "There's no arrival checks, there's nothing of that in place that we're aware of." A directive from the chancellor's office to the campuses, she said, would reduce the risk of virus exposure to her members. Pete Rauch, Vice President of Organizing with the California State University Employees Union, at a public hearing in 2019. (Courtesy Pete Rauch) The union's vice president, Pete Rauch, said COVID-19 guidelines issued by Cal State Chancellor Tim White should have been a mandate for each campus, rather than suggestions. "If you're going to return students to San Francisco State and you're going to return students and staff to San Diego State, what's the difference?" he asked. "Let's just say that I show up on a campus and then it turns out a couple days later, I was infected," Rauch said. "And while I was walking around on the campus, you know, I went to two or three different buildings. I don't think that there's a uniformity in how that's reported, not to the campus and not back to the employees either." The outbreaks at Chico and San Diego led both campuses to cancel their few remaining in-person classes, and Chico cleared its dorms last week. As of Thursday, Chico State's tally of student and employee COVID-19 cases totaled 156. As of the same day, San Diego State said it had counted 440 confirmed cases related to employees. GAPS IN COVID PROTOCOLS The way different campuses check for COVID-19 symptoms among people on campus underlines the variations in protocols and deadlines. At Cal Poly Pomona, approximately 500 employees and students are on the campus on a given weekday. Only a fraction of on-campus housing has been opened and most employees have been asked to work from home, said Leticia Gutierrez-Lopez, the university's Associate Vice President for Student Health and Well-being. "I think we started very cautiously," she said. Cal Poly Pomona's protocols require students and employees who need to be on campus to fill out a web-based symptoms checker. The university will be moving to an app soon called #CampusClear, Gutierrez-Lopez said. "I think we've been able to manage so far by using the screening and also by using safety training for students and staff," she said. The app-based symptom checker for students and employees who will be at the CSU Dominguez Hills campus. (screenshot) At the opposite end of Los Angeles County, CSU Dominguez Hills, which has about 200 staff and students on campus on an average weekday, reopened without a similar symptom checker in place, but this week officials rolled out a symptom screener on its iToro app. Students who will be on campus, in the dorms or to attend the few in-person classes are required to use the app to answer questions regarding virus symptoms. Not all campuses post tallies of campus-related cases. Dominguez Hills posts its count here. Cal Poly Pomona added new cases on Thursday to its count here. Still, employees are not required to answer those same questions. The university says it's talking to the employee unions for sign off. "We're just trying to make sure that we understand who our audience is, and that we're asking the right questions," said Mike Williams, the environmental health and safety manager at Dominguez Hills. CSULA's COVID-19 plan outlines various cleaning and sanitizing methods to take place on campus, and says students will be instructed to carry out self-checks but the plan does not describe any mandatory checks for people on campus. "Since March, Cal State L.A. has sent repeated communications to students and employees regarding COVID-19, including preventative measures and signs and symptoms of the disease," CSULA's communications office said in an email. "The university has also provided information on self-screening, which can be found on this webpage. Employees and students have also been instructed on what to do if they are diagnosed with coronavirus or have been exposed to others who have been diagnosed with the disease. Signage has been posted on buildings across campus and placed along walkways and other open areas," the office said. AUTONOMY AND CENTRALIZED DIRECTION Critics question whether that's enough. Audrey Dow, vice president at the Campaign for College Opportunity, says autonomy serves campuses well when it comes to setting curriculum to address local educational needs -- but it hasn't served the campuses well during the pandemic. "Students really need to have a consistent strong message coming from the Chancellor's Office," Dow said. "We're not sending a strong message to students about what they need to do in terms of precautions once they get onto campus." That could lead to outbreaks at different campuses. The Cal State Chancellor's Office said autonomy is meant to address campuses' regional needs. The office sent campuses an 18-page guide to protocols as the fall semester began. In a memo sent last week, the Chancellor's office urged campuses to report and investigate new cases. "Each of the campuses has developed its own repopulation plan and there are differences in each plan related to the variance in enrollment, programs, facilities, etc. across the campuses," said Mike Uhlenkamp, spokesman for Chancellor White. He said the chancellor's office is not keeping an official tally of COVID-19 cases at the 23 campuses. Our news is free on LAist. To make sure you get our coverage: Sign up for our daily coronavirus newsletter. To support our nonprofit public service journalism: Donate now. The New York Genome Center awarded six cancer research grants this week as part of an initiative examining the role of race and ethnicity in major types of cancer. The projects will investigate a variety of cancers including pancreatic, colorectal and endometrial cancer in African-Americans; lung cancer in Asian-American patients; breast and prostate cancer in patients of African ancestry; and the role of ethnicity in bladder cancer. The Genome Centers two-year-old initiative, called Polyethnic-1000, is aimed at closing the knowledge gap that exists largely because decades of genetic studies focused mainly on white patient populations. Dr. Harold Varmus, a professor of medicine at Weill Cornell overseeing the initiative, said he hoped the projects would advance the understanding of racial disparities in the prevalence of different cancer types, as well as patient responses to different cancer therapies. The disparities are there but the explanations are not, said Dr. Varmus, who previously served as head of the National Institutes of Health and of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Expanding genetic research to become more representative of the broader American population will also further researchers understanding of cancer. Leaving people out is an equity issue and a knowledge issue, he added. A doctor with the Texas Childrens Hospital Center for Vaccine Development told the Houston Chronicle it would be very unlikely a coronavirus vaccine will be ready before the Nov. 3 election. If youre talking about October 2021, not 2020, then Im very optimistic, Peter Hotez, co-director of the center, said. I think well have several vaccines by October 2021, which is impressive. But by this October, I do not see a path by which well have vaccines released to the public. On HoustonChronicle.com: Coronavirus expert Dr. Peter Hotez reveals when we can expect a vaccine Several Houston-area scientists are in the race to try to develop a COVID-19 vaccine, including researchers at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston and Texas Childrens Hospital, the Chronicle reported. With no vaccines and the pandemic still ongoing, traffic volumes are still down around the Houston area. The Chronicle reported Houston Transtar traffic volumes down an average of 20 percent between Tuesday and Thursday. State of the county: Cagle talks flooding, economy in Harris County Precinct 4 In the Cy-Fair area, COVID-19 cases continue to drop, with Harris County Public Health data showing nearly 100 less active cases in the region as of 4 p.m. Friday. The total number of cases this week is at 565, a drop from last weeks total of 661. While the number of active cases continues to go down, there are still some deaths. The number of deaths rose slightly this week from 66 to 68. Data was compiled using ZIP codes in the Cypress Creek Mirrors coverage area: 77040, 77041, 77065, 77070, 77086, 77095, 77429 and 77433. The largest number of cases is still in the 77040 ZIP code, showing 147 active cases. The second closest behind that is 77433, which shows 98 active cases. Anyone can still be tested at Pridgeon Stadium, 11355 Falcon Road A from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, as well as from 7 a.m. to noon and 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Walmart is still offering testing at three locations in the area: 11425 Barker Cypress Road, 8208 Barker Cypress Road and 12353 FM 1960 W. Appointments are required and can be made at www.doineedacovid19test.com. CVS Pharmacy is also providing testing at 6089 S. Hwy. 6 N., 11600 FM 1960 W. and 19715 Tomball Parkway. Those wanting to be tested must schedule an appointment at www.cvs.com/minuteclinic/covid-19-testing. paul.wedding@hcnonline.com BAKU, Azerbaijan, Sept. 11 Trend: The Azerbaijani Ministry of Defense has prepared video footage about combat units serving on the front line, Trend reports on Sept. 11 referring to the ministry. The video footage demonstrates the combat readiness of Azerbaijani servicemen, the conditions in the military bases, daily preparatory training of soldiers and officers. The servicemen serving on the front line report that they are completely ready for battle and protect the country with a sense of pride. The video footage also shows the conditions in which soldiers live and serve in the front-line zone. To say Happiest Minds Technologies' initial public offering was a hit on D-Street would be an understatement. The Rs 702-crore public issue was subscribed 150.98 times, making it the eighth biggest IPO of the last decade. The IPO of the Mumbai-headquartered digital IT services provider was subscribed 351.5 times by non-institutional investors and 77.4 times by Qualified Institutional Buyers (QIB) during September 7-9. Retail demand for the issue was strong as well, garnering 70.94 times subscription. Salasar Techno Engineering currently holds the spot for the most subscribed IPO of the last decade, notching 277.28 times subscription in its July 2017 issue, data shows. Apollo Micro Systems, which launched IPO in January 2018, witnessed 248.51 times subscription, followed by Astron Paper & Board Mill's IPO which was subscribed 243.29 times in December 2017. The subscription figures indicate that with all said and done, big money always chases quality. "Demand in primary markets is a function of what is on offer. Even during the lockdown, we have seen an insatiable appetite for quality Indian businesses so many listed companies have raised capital via QIP, and were oversubscribed," Sameer Kaul, CEO & MD of TrustPlutus Wealth Managers (India) told Moneycontrol. Capacite Infraprojects with 183.03 times subscription in September 2017 was at the fourth position, followed by Central Depository Services with 170.16 times subscription in June 2017. Ujjivan Small Finance Bank's 165.68 times subscribed issue in December 2019 and Amber Enterprises India's 165.42 times issue in June 2018 also saw major participation in their public issues. Also, Quess Corp (July 2016), MAS Financial Services (June 2018), BGR Energy Systems (September 2011), Dixon Technologies (September 2017), Advanced Enzyme Technologies (July 2016), IRCTC (October 2019) and Avenue Supermarts (March 2017) saw 104-144 times subscription. Ten-year data shows, 15 mainboard IPOs witnessed a subscription of more than 100 times. (Note: Capital First which was merged with IDFC Bank is not considered in this copy, though IPO was subscribed 133.44 times in September 2011.) Even though not many companies have come out with their IPOs this year, experts expect things to change soon on the D-Street as multiple media reports anticipate 6-10 public issues by December 2020. CAMS, Angel Broking, UTI AMC, LIC, NSE, Equitas Small Finance Bank, Gland Pharma are some of the IPOs the Street expects to see before 2020 ends. "We do see capital market intensity and activity. The need for confidence capital - more than growth or opportunity capital (in most cases), will keep that market active. We also believe it's a good thing and a very good way of moderating risks in the economy, and providing the firepower for economic expansion - when the time is right," Aditya Narain, Head of Research Institutional Equities at Edelweiss Securities said. Disclaimer: 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. "Primary capital markets activity also provides liquidity to investors and assets and we believe that is a good and necessary thing, for value realization and benchmarking, and for growth," he added. New research suggests that the US already had 6.4 million cases of coronavirus by mid-April - more than were officially reported as of Thursday. Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, calculated that the real number of infections by April 18 was nine-times higher than the 712,000 reported by the CDC, which they believe was a massive undercount due to insufficient or inaccurate testing. According to Johns Hopkins University's tally, 6.39 million US cases were confirmed by September 10. The current death tolls stands at more than 191,000. Testing in the US has ramped up considerably - but if as many people might have had coronavirus by spring as are confirmed now, the real case number remains a mystery, and is likely much higher. It is a grim perspective on the early spread of coronavirus - but the upside is that if cases were as high as the Berkeley team estimates by April, and as few as 20 percent of the population needs antibodies to reach herd immunity, the US may be closer than previously thought. The numbers of estimated versus confirmed coronavirus cases were closest, as of April, in states like New York and Washington (green) that were hit hard early on, while the disparity was greater in places like California and Texas (dark blue), where infections spiked later UC Berkeley scientists calculated that the real number of US coronavirus infections in the US was anywhere between three- and 20-times higher than the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) tally of confirmed cases as of April 18. The disparity ranged broadly from state-to-state and, as a consequence, so did their mathematical model's estimate of the real national case number. On April 18, the US ran a total of 146,156 coronavirus tests, according to data from the COVID Tracking Project. Today, 614,042 tests were performed in the US - four times more than were being done in April. President Donald Trump boasted on April 27 that the US had tested 'more than every country combined,' for coronavirus. But the new study blames 'incomplete' testing for 86 percent of the undercount of coronavirus tests up until April 18. Granted, a portion of that inadequate testing took place in the earlier months of the pandemic's grip on the US, when the CDC had sent out faulty tests, private sector kits were just beginning to trickle onto the market, and fury over lacking testing in the US abounded. The UC Berkeley authors attributed the remaining 14 percent of disparity between their April case estimate and the CDC's to inaccurate tests. Most states were not testing nearly enough people to get an accurate estimate of coronavirus cases in the spring, according to UC Berkeley scientists who suggest infections were nine-times higher than the official count as of April 18 Hospital Workers at Good Samaritan Hospital, in West Islip, New York, remove a body from a refrigerated truck, used as a mobile morgue In April when the epicenter of the outbreak was in New York Inaccurate tests aside, the during those first few months of the pandemic, the CDC recommended that coronavirus testing only people with symptoms. At the time, the only relevant symptoms were considered to be fever, persistent cough and shortness of breath. The majority of states complied with that recommendation, which was made largely to conserve the tests, which were still in short supply, and in part to limit further exposures from going to testing sites. But now, research suggests that anywhere from 30 to 70 percent of people with COVID-19 have no symptoms or only develop mild ones. Plus, with better understanding of the wide-ranging effects of COVID-19, the list of symptoms associated with the infection has expanded to include many that were previously dismissed, including nausea, vomiting, headache and loss of taste and smell. 'Thus, a substantial number of mild or asymptomatic infections in the US may be undetected,' the UC Berkeley study authors wrote. It wasn't just the CDC discouraging American from taking mild symptoms seriously as signs of COVID-19; President Trump himself dismissed the disease as 'like the flu.' Interviews with Bob Woodward show that even Trump knew better. The President told Woodward he knew that coronavirus was deadlier than the flu back in February - but didn't want to cause 'panic' by speaking to the true seriousness of the pandemic. Some states, such as New York, now encourage anyone who wants one to get a coronavirus test. The CDC says that 'not everyone needs to be tested,' and advises testing for people who have symptoms, have been in contact with someone with COVID-19 or who has been instructed to get screened by their health care provider or local health department. Even with the massive increase in testing, a recent Rockefeller Foundation and Duke University report suggested that the US needs to be doing nearly 200 million tests a month. About 20 million are being run a month now. The UC Berkeley authors could not be reached for comment, or an up-to-date estimate of how many people have COVID-19. But even if no infection had been missed since the April 18 end of their study period, if their estimate of US cases for that date is correct, their model would suggest that more than 12 million Americans have had COVID-19. KEY HIGHLIGHTS Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways VK Singh warns cement companies against cartelisation VK Singh says cement industry looking to make profits once for all The minister urged highway developers to bring down construction cost by adopting innovation, experimentation Apex highway development agency National Highways Authority of India has decided to bid out projects of about 4,500 kms in FY21 To ease liquidity crunch and ensure cash flow to contractors, NHAI disbursed Rs 10,000 crore during March Taking cement companies head on, Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways VK Singh on Friday blamed cartelisation by the industry for high prices of cement that has led to higher cost of road construction. The minister said that the road sector could buy out bulk of the cement should its prices be lowered. "Cement industry is not looking at it from the point of view of constant profits. They are looking at a typical Indian mentality -- make your profits once for all. They don't want to bring down the price," Singh said while speaking at a FICCI event. "If they bring down their price, road infrastructure is going to buy out most of the cement from them at a price at which we want. But they have gone into cartelisation, which is not good," the Minister added. Road builders have often complained of high cement prices and accused manufacturers of indulging into cartelisation. A private highway contractor said that in states like Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Maharashtra there were issues related to supply of cement due to localised lockdown but situation is now getting better. While warning cement firms against cartelisation, VK Singh urged highway developers to find other innovative ways to reduce cost of construction. "One thing which Nitin Ji (Senior Minister Nitin Gadkari) has also told you all and which I feel very passionate about is that we all need to work together to bring down the cost of road construction. Keep your profits but bring down the cost of construction. There are many things which are available. There are many ways that can be done. What I think needs to be encouraged is innovation and experimentation to bring down the cost. I think somewhere we are a little hidebound," the Minister said. Even as pandemic-triggered lockdown slowed down pace of highway construction in the country, Road Transport Ministry has kept its target high for the current fiscal and has taken a number of measures to accelerate construction. The apex highway development agency National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has decided to bid out projects of about 4,500 kms in FY21. To ease the liquidity crunch and ensure cash flow to the contractors, NHAI disbursed Rs 10,000 crore to contractors during lockdown in March 2020 using digital platforms. In the first quarter of current fiscal it cleared dues of more than Rs 15,000 crore to the vendors. Also read: Hindalco to supply 1.2 million tonnes of bauxite residue to UltraTech Cement Also read: GST intelligence detects Rs 17 cr tax evasion by cement manufacturer in MP . Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 11) An expert said it is important to stay connected especially during this time of the pandemic to lessen the feeling of hopelessness and worthlessness that may negatively affect ones mental health. In times of social distancing, we can still be socially connected, professional counselor James Franco, who is also a psychotherapist, told CNN Philippines Newsroom Ngayon. He said a simple, hello, kumusta ka? or how are you doing? can make a big difference, especially to the person you intend to talk to. Meanwhile, Franco reminded the public to limit what they see or read on social media, saying this could cause a person to experience social comparison that could further affect mental health. He said it would be better to listen to yourself and remove all things that make you uncomfortable. September is the Suicide Prevention Month that aims to spread awareness about the matter. The Department of Health reported in August that it recorded an alarming spike of mental health-related calls brought by the pandemic, with a monthly average of 53 suicide-related concerns. The department said high volume of calls were recorded from April to July. Franco said this can be associated with the sudden change in their everyday lives that requires doing things they did not normally do. However, Franco stressed that suicide is preventable. He said this can be done in many ways especially having someone to talk to starting from one's household. By having that conversation, one will be able to know what kind of help is needed to help the person who is potentially having suicidal thoughts, he said. Suicide is preventable, so kapag may nakikita ka na mga (if you are seeing) warning signs its very important to have that conversation, Franco said. If you are in need of mental health support, call the 24/7 National Center for Mental Health Crisis Hotline at (0917) 899-8727 or (02)7-989-8727 or 1553 (Landline-to-landline only). US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says he will visit Cyprus to press for a peaceful end to tensions in the Mediterranean US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Thursday he will visit Cyprus to seek a peaceful solution to mounting Mediterranean tensions as he called on Turkey to pull back its forces. Pompeo will hold talks in Cyprus on Saturday after a trip to Doha where he will help inaugurate long-awaited talks between Afghanistan's government and the Taliban. The top US diplomat said his trip to Cyprus would complement phone calls by President Donald Trump with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. The dispute "has to be resolved in a way that's diplomatic and peaceful," Pompeo told reporters on his plane. "So I'll be working on that project as well, trying to make sure that I understand the risks that are associated from the people of Cyprus' perspective," he said. Pompeo credited Germany with seeking to lower tensions. France has also been active on the maritime rift and has staunchly backed Greece and Cyprus. "We hope there will be real conversations and we hope the military assets that are there will be withdrawn so that these conversations can take place," Pompeo said. Turkey, which is hunting for gas and oil reserves in waters claimed by fellow NATO member Greece, last month deployed an exploration vessel backed by military frigates. Greece responded with naval exercises as a warning. Pompeo's trip comes shortly after the United States had lifted a decades-old arms embargo on Cyprus, outraging Turkey. The move was aimed at bringing stability to the divided island but critics said it had the opposite effect, pushing Cyprus to cooperate with other nations such as Russia. Turkey has occupied the north of Cyprus since 1974, when it invaded in response to a coup engineered by military leaders in Athens seeking to unify the majority-Greek island with Greece. Pompeo canceled a trip planned to Cyprus earlier this year as tensions soared between the United States and Iran. sct/ch The idea of a Sikh homeland is a fantasy that exists only due to the backing of Pakistan to Khalistan extremists, says the author of an explosive report detailing Islamabads role in fomenting terrorism in Punjab and keeping the issue alive abroad. Veteran Canadian journalist Terry Milewski, who wrote the report Khalistan: A Project of Pakistan, also asserted that the so-called Referendum 2020 will only be voted on by those who are already separatist elements and thus may result in skewing the outcome. I believe that without Pakistan they (Khalistanis) wouldnt have much to live for. It would be all rhetorical, all performative, with no substance, Milewski told Hindustan Times in an interview. This thing isnt real, its just a fantasy. Pakistan gives them something, gives the Khalistanis an illusion that their dream might become a reality, said Milewki, who spent decades with Canadas national broadcaster CBC, including years as a prime time news host. Milewski, who spent decades with Canadas national broadcaster CBC, has often faced attacks over his reporting on Khalistan issue. (Image courtesy: Terry Milewski) Milewski said his objective behind bringing out the report at this time was because the Punjab Referendum 2020, organised by the separatist group Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), is scheduled for November. He pointed out that election results in India have clearly shown that Khalistan has little popular support, and that even within the Sikh community in Canada, the vast majority will not participate in the process. However, that will ensure the results of the referendum are skewed in favour of those that actually support Khalistan. The problem is, its a referendum of the people that support the referendum, he said. The results, however insignificant they may be, is designed to rally supporters of a waning Khalistan cause, he added. Milewskis report was released by the think tank MacDonald-Laurier Institute (MLI) in Ottawa. It places the focus sharply upon Pakistans role in the Khalistan issue, which it fanned since the 1970s and continues to till this day. It traces the origins of the Khalistan project to Zulqikar Ali Bhutto, Pakistani prime minister in the early 1970s. It was fomented further by military dictator Zia ul Haq. The report also points to the links of Canadians involved in the movement to Pakistan, including the visits of Talwinder Singh Parmar there. Parmar is considered the mastermind behind the bombing of Kanishka, the Air India flight 182, in June 1985, which claimed 329 lives and remains the worst incident of terrorism in Canadian history. However, many Khalistani elements refuse to believe that fact, or continue to consider him a martyr. Milewski said this fosters denial and rejection of the Canadian court system and creates a conspiracy theory catchment like QAnon in the US. The problem is not theyre planning assassinations and terrorist attacks in Canada, they are telling their children Parmar was a martyr that he was innocent, he said. Milewski has often faced attacks over his reporting on the matter, including the argument that there was no violence associated with the Khalistan movement in Canada since the mid-1980s. That argument, he said, isnt completely valid since death threats against witnesses in the Air India case are still in operation today. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Panaji: Defence minister Manohar Parrikar parried questions on his possible return to Goa politics after the state legislative assembly polls, saying "let us cross the bridge when it comes". "I can only say that let us cross the bridge when it comes. (Nitin) Gadkariji has said what we wanted to say," Parrikar told reporters in Panaji on Friday when asked whether he will be back in the state as chief minister after Goa polls. He had accompanied BJP candidate Siddharth Kuncolienkar to file his nomination for the upcoming polls where he is contesting from Panaji constituency. The constituency was earlier represented by Parrikar till he was elevated to the central cabinet after Lok Sabha polls. Gadkari addressing a press conference on Thursday had said that the next chief minister would be decided in a democratic way by the elected representatives. "This leader can either be from the elected representatives or we can even send (someone) from the Centre," he had told reporters. Parrikar, former Goa chief minister, and his cabinet colleague Sripad Naik hail from the coastal state, but despite repeated queries, Gadkari had declined to reveal if he was hinting at one of them. Parrikar said Kuncolienkar will win in Panaji with a bigger margin than the last time. He said development of the constituency would be the poll plank. The BJP, which had won 21 of the 40 seats in the state in 2012, yesterday released the first list of candidates for the February 4 assembly elections in the coastal state. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. This story was published in partnership with The 19th, a nonprofit, nonpartisan newsroom reporting on gender, politics and policy. Sayu Bhojwani was glad that former Vice President Joe Biden chose a woman of color to be his running mate. But it wasnt until Sen. Kamala Harris formal acceptance speech that Bhojwani realized the full impact of Harris presence on the presidential ticket. This idea that only white men can serve as president and represent even the most diverse districts, but Black women and minority women can only represent Black and minority women, is problematic, said Bhojwani, founder and president of New American Leaders, New York Citys first commissioner of immigrant affairs and founder of South Asian Youth Action. The nomination of Kamala is a signal, an opening to the possibility that any of us who consider ourselves American can run for the highest office of the land. Prominent Black activists and donors predicted that Harris, the first Black woman and first South Asian on a major party ticket, will help generate new excitement among Black voters for Biden. That enthusiasm is also felt in the South Asian community, Bhojwani said. Sen. Kamala Harris may have ended her run in December 2019, but her participation in the election was far from over. On Aug. 11, former Vice President Joe Biden tapped the California senator as his vice presidential running mate, making Harris the first Black woman on a major partys presidential ticket. And she's bringing some celebrity star power to that ticket. Theres more of a likelihood to organize voters in the Indian American community and mobilize unreliable voters who might not have turned out at the polls, Bhojwani said. Theres more excitement about the ticket because Kamala is there. I hear this across the board. Asian Americans are the fastest-growing racial ethnic group of the U.S. electorate, according to the Pew Research Center, and up to 1 million Indian Americans the second-largest immigrant group after Mexicans are expected to cast a ballot in November, Bhojwani said. About three-fourths of Asian American women said they had negative feelings about the way the country was going and voted for a Democratic candidate in 2018, according to a study by SKDKnickerbocker, a political consulting firm that typically works for Democratic politicians. Story continues Despite the friendly relationship between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Donald Trump, most Indian Americans continue to vote blue alongside other immigrant groups. More than half of Indian Americans said they had a favorable opinion of Harris, according to the Asian American Voters Survey. Only 16% said they had an unfavorable opinion, 10% had no opinion and 20% had never heard of her. Still, some progressives are more cautious with their support given the senators tough on crime record as a district attorney and attorney general in California. But most Indian Americans are thrilled, especially at a time when Asian Americans have felt under attack because of the coronavirus pandemic, Bhojwani said. South Asian women said their biggest priorities were passing common-sense gun control laws, ensuring access to clean water and ensuring access to affordable health care for all, according to the SKDKnickerbocker study, which included thousands of interviews with women of color across the United States. Democratic women as a whole were most interested in ending racial and ethnic discrimination and ensuring everyone has access to affordable health care, including those with preexisting conditions. During her presidential campaign, Harris said she would sign an executive order requiring background checks for people looking to purchase firearms, call for more stringent regulation of gun manufacturers and restrict domestic abusers from buying guns. She also released a health care plan that guaranteed coverage to all Americans while still allowing private insurers to remain. Last month, Harris spoke of her immigrant parents her mother from India and her father from Jamaica in her speech formally accepting the vice presidential nomination. My mother instilled in my sister, Maya, and me the values that would chart the course of our lives, Harris said. She raised us to be proud, strong Black women. And she raised us to know and be proud of our Indian heritage. The senators story, familiar to other second-generation immigrants and multiracial Americans, was an opening for immigrant women, women of color and others who have felt marginalized by the political process to see their potential as leaders, Bhojwani said. At a virtual event organized by South Asians for Biden on Aug. 29, Harris encouraged South Asian women in an audio message to get involved in their community and run for office. To all the young women who are watching this, Harris said, I want you to know that leadership begins the day you are born. You are never too young or too old to be a leader. The vice presidential nominee has sparked difficult conversations about anti-Blackness in the South Asian community. Some argued that Harris should be celebrated for her Indian heritage without erasing her Blackness and perpetuating the model minority myth the belief that Asian Americans are smarter or more successful than other minority groups. A sign advertising a daily protest in solidarity with Black Lives Matter is affixed to a telephone pole in a historically Black neighborhood in Portland, Ore., on July 1 2020. People are seeing the part of her they want to see, Bhojwani said. Black women are focused on her Blackness. Jamaicans and people from Caribbean countries are focused on that, and Indian Americans are much more focused on her Indian background. Neil Makhija, executive director of the Indian American Impact Fund, the leading Indian American advocacy organization, said this milestone can be celebrated by immigrant communities of all backgrounds, particularly after four years of anti-immigrant rhetoric from the Trump administration. Kamalas story is the American story, Makhija said. Her acceptance of the vice presidential nomination is a quantum leap forward for Indian Americans, showing that we are taking our place in American history books. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Kamala Harris as Biden's running mate a plus for South Asian voters The Mayflower is one step closer to sailing from England to Plymouth but this time it will be without a crew. Powered by artificial intelligence, the autonomous ship is set to start trials in England and will be unveiled on September 16 in honor of the 400th anniversary the original vessel made its journey in 1620. The Mayflower will undergo several trips and missions over the next six months before it makes the more than 3,000 mile expedition across the Atlantic. The robot craft was set to embark on the journey next week, but has been delayed until April 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic. Scroll down for video The Mayflower is one-step closer to sailing from England to Plymouth but this time it will be without a crew The Mayflower Autonomous Ship (MAS), first revealed in 2017, is powered completely by reusable energy, mainly solar power, and made in partnership with University of Plymouth, autonomous craft specialists MSubs and public charity Promare which promotes marine research and exploration throughout the world. The craft is more than 100 feet long and is capable of reaching 10 knots, cutting the original journey of 66 days to just 12 days. Once the ship launches, organizers IBM and marine research group Promare hope for the crewless vessel to navigate itself along the same route the Mayflower would have used to bring the pilgrims to America. Goetz Linzenmeier, chairman and founder of Aluship, which built the hull, said: ''One common thing on both projects was really a sense of adventure.' Humans aren't the only ones to have had their travel plans ruined by the coronavirus. The robot craft was set to embark on the journey next week, but has been delayed until April 2021 due to the pandemic The Mayflower will undergo several trips and missions over the next six months before it makes the more than 3,000 mile expedition across the Atlantic. The robot craft was set to embark on the journey next week, but has been delayed until April 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic 'The original Mayflower had people believing in a special future and putting their lives at risk.' The ship will be staffed with an AI Captain that uses computer vision, automation software and IBM's Watson technology, CNBC reports. Human operators will program the Mayflower on where to travel, which then deciphers a plan to reach the designated point. The ship is also designed to react to ocean traffic in real-time using combination of radar, cameras, and the Automated Identification System (AIS), which transmits information such as the Mayflower's latitude and longitude to other boats. 'In this new Mayflower this is also a technological adventure, fortunately no life is at risk,' said Linzenmeier. The ship is also designed to react to ocean traffic in real-time using combination of radar, cameras, and the Automated Identification System (AIS), which transmits information such as the Mayflower's latitude and longitude to other boats Human operators will program the Mayflower on where to travel, which then deciphers a plan to reach the designated point The original Mayflower was a wooden, commercial, lightly-armed sailing vessel. The new Mayflower is a 'highly-sophisticated trimaran with an even more sophisticated interior,' he added. The interior is also different from the living quarters of the original ship. Instead of beds and bathrooms, there are just rooms with science experiments setup. One for water analysis that will test samples of seawater throughout the journey and store in bottles for a human worker to inspect when arrives on land. The interior is also different from the living quarters of the original ship. Instead of beds and bathrooms, there are just rooms with science experiments setup IBM has its own experiment on the craft that is said to identify whales and the bod using the animals' songs. And a third will analyze the shape of the Earth The samples will then been looked at by scientists at Plymouth University to determine microplastic levels throughout the ocean. IBM has its own experiment on the craft that is said to identify whales and the bod using the animals' songs. And a third will analyze the shape of the Earth. Andy Stanford-Clark, chief technology officer for IBM UK and Ireland, who's leading the science on the ship, told CNBC he believes there is a 'big opportunity' to use the Mayflower's technology in container ships, which could help supply chains stay in business during pandemics. 'Everyone wants to see what we're doing with Mayflower first but people are lining up to have these kind of conversations,' said Stanford-Clark. The Mayflower - 2020 The new Mayflower is powered by an AI Captain Journey time: 12 days Speed: 10 knots (max) Length: 15m Weight: 5 tons Propulsion A hybrid of wind and solar energy, with diesel backup generator Crew: 0 Passengers: 0 Navigation system: Motion and rotation sensors, Global Navigation Satellite System Mission: Research our oceans and pioneer a new generation of research ships. Source: IBM Advertisement Talks with the EU on a post-Brexit trade deal are in the balance after the UK rejected an ultimatum from Brussels (Jonathan Brady/PA) A post-Brexit trade deal with the EU is hanging in the balance after Brussels demanded the UK abandon plans to override key elements of the Withdrawal Agreement. At a stormy meeting in London on Thursday, the Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove insisted the Government could not and would not drop measures in legislation tabled earlier this week. It prompted European Commission vice-president Maros Sefcovic to accuse the UK of an extremely serious violation of international law, putting the ongoing trade talks in jeopardy. Despite the tensions, Britains negotiator Lord Frost said there had been useful exchanges and talks would resume next week in Brussels, although he warned that there were still a number of challenging areas. Meanwhile Boris Johnson is facing growing unrest among Tory MPs deeply unhappy at the threat to undermine Britains traditional support for the international rule of law. The former chancellor Lord Lamont said the Government was in a terrible mess and warned the UK Internal Market Bill would not get through the Lords in its present form. In the Commons, senior Conservatives are tabling an amendment to the Bill which they said would limit the powers it gave to ministers in relation to the Withdrawal Agreement. Former Labour prime minister Gordon Brown described the Governments approach as a huge act of self-harm. But Brexiteer Tory former minister Steve Baker told BBC Radio 4s Today programme: I think we should now be willing to repudiate the whole treaty on the basis of the EUs bad faith. Which in my mind is undoubted. The row erupted as the latest round of trade talks also taking place in London ended on Thursday with both sides acknowledging that significant differences remain. Mr Johnson has set a deadline of October 15 for an agreement to be reached, otherwise he has said he will simply walk away from the negotiating table. However Mr Sefcovic said the UK side needed now to rebuild trust which had been seriously damaged by the events of the past days. Expand Close European Commission vice-president Maros Sefcovic said the UK must drop provisions in the Bill (Stefan Rousseau/PA) PA / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp European Commission vice-president Maros Sefcovic said the UK must drop provisions in the Bill (Stefan Rousseau/PA) He said the provisions in the Bill relating to the Withdrawal Agreement had to be dropped by the end of September and that the EU would not be shy about taking legal action if the Government refused. Under the terms of the Bill, ministers would take powers to vary a protocol in the Withdrawal Agreement relating to the customs arrangements in Northern Ireland after the current Brexit transition period ends on December 31. The protocol, agreed after much difficult negotiation, was intended to prevent the need for the return of a hard border with the Republic while ensuring the integrity of the EU single market. The Government has said the measures in the Bill are simply a legal safety net to enable it to protect the Good Friday Agreement and the Northern Ireland peace process. This drew a dismissive response from the EU which said that it does the opposite. Among Tory MPs there was uncertainty whether the measures were intended as a negotiating tactic designed to put pressure on the EU as the trade talks enter their final stages. Even some committed Brexiteers voiced concern that the Prime Minister had gone too far. For heaven's sake, try and find some other way Sir Bob Neill Sir Bernard Jenkin, the leader of the strongly pro-Brexit European Research Group, said Mr Johnson should be more mindful of the reputational damage of playing such hardball. The senior Conservative backbencher Sir Bob Neill, who chairs the Commons Justice Committee, is tabling an amendment to the Bill which he said would impose a parliamentary lock on any changes to the Withdrawal Agreement. Among its supporters are Theresa Mays former deputy, Damian Green. Sir Bob told Times Radio: We are not natural rebels. Weve all served as ministers, we know that this is a serious job, and we do our best to take the job seriously. So we dont do anything like this lightly. So I hope its at least an indication as a Government that really, you need to think very hard and carefully about going down this route. For heavens sake, try and find some other way. Elsewhere, International Trade Secretary Liz Truss announced that the UK had secured a free trade agreement with Japan Britains first such post-Brexit deal. It is estimated the deal will boost trade with Japan by 15.2 billion. Ms Truss said: This is a great deal for Britain, going beyond EU-Japan in key areas like digital & data, financial services and food & drink. A British-shaped deal that delivers for the whole country. The year 2020 will not go down in history as anyone's favorite year. It had something for everyone in terms of the misery factor. Moreover, when I think about the misery inflicted during the year, it was almost entirely from Democrat schemes. That's why it's so utterly delightful to watch Biden's spokesman, TJ Ducklo, squirm, duck, and bob when Bret Baier asks him whether Biden relies on a teleprompter to get through interviews. It wasn't until I sat down to write this post that I realized how the Democrats are responsible for much of the misery that's rained down upon us in 2020. It started with the impeachment. When the impeachment began, Republicans were not happy. By the time it ended, Democrats were miserable. That was a breakeven, but it was also a harbinger for a rotten year. The Wuhan virus was most definitely the fault of the Chinese Communist Party, which lied to the world about the disease, using its puppets in the World Health Organization. Had China's government been honest, the rest of the world would have been better equipped to guard against a disease that proved to be deadly for the elderly and people with severe co-morbidities. The virus was not the Democrats' fault. What was the Democrats' fault, though, was the insane overreaction to the Wuhan virus. Initially, the American people were willing to sign on to a vast societal experiment: a 15-day lockdown to slow the spread of the disease, which would allow health facilities all over America to prepare for a possible onslaught. That would also give the federal government time to do what Trump, in fact, did: mobilize the private sector to produce the masks, ventilators, medicine, and other supplies necessary for Americans to deal with the disease. As we say at Passover, Dayenu! (It would have been enough.) But for the Democrats, it wasn't enough. Instead, they saw a wonderful vista spread before them: a ruined economy that would wipe out Trump's chances of re-election. Who cared if people's life savings were wiped out, if clinical depression and drug and alcohol abuse ran rampant through society, if suicides increased, if treatable diseases went untreated, if spousal and child abuse rocketed, if divorces multiplied, and if businesses were destroyed? Beating Trump was worth it. And so we suffered. And for the Democrats, that still wasn't enough. They used the excuse of a violent ex-felon's overdose-related death to justify mass protests across American cities. When Black Lives Matter, the ideological arm of the New Democrat Party, met up with Antifa, the military arm of the New Democrat Party, the misery multiplied as riots and looting spread from city to city. Minneapolis suffered half a billion dollars in damages, with much of the wreckage in black communities, and may take decades to recover. Tiny Kenosha, Wisconsin suffered $50 million in damages when a violent accused rapist was shot after fighting with police and appearing to reach for a weapon to use against them. Portland and Seattle have daily battles going on between police and paramilitary mobs. Chicago's been through the looting wringer twice now. There's some humor to be found in the fact that spoiled elite white kids destroy $100,000's worth of property in New York. Even more amusingly, these products of American higher education are too uneducated to realize that their chi-chi rebel name, "New Afrikan Black Panther Party," echoes the word "Afrikaner." It was an Afrikaner minority party that was responsible for South African apartheid from 1948 to 1991. However, the best humor, to date, comes from watching a Biden spokesman on the hot seat. To fully appreciate how funny Bret Baier's interview is, you have to watch some videos showing Biden visibly struggling to read from teleprompters during interviews: Joe Biden is relying on a teleprompter to answer questions: "move it up here," he tells his staff. There are long pauses between his words as he waits for the prompter to scroll. pic.twitter.com/zYlMbfd2mA Trump War Room - Text TRUMP to 88022 (@TrumpWarRoom) September 7, 2020 Joe Biden reads from a teleprompter at almost all of his events... and he can barely do that sometimes. pic.twitter.com/DZBRwCpk19 Jake Schneider (@jacobkschneider) September 8, 2020 Those videos are simultaneously funny, sad (because mental decline with age is always sad), and scary (because this is the Democrat partys presidential candidate). For pure, unadulterated humor, though, watch Bidens spokesman wiggle around and, in the end, basically accuse Bret Baier of being fake news, all so he can avoid acknowledging Bidens teleprompter addiction: Biden national press secretary TJ Ducklo refuses to answer questions on Joe Bidens teleprompter use in interviews and Q&A: you cant answer the question pic.twitter.com/oN2I2XXZpr Steve Guest (@SteveGuest) September 11, 2020 In 2020, we take our pleasure wherever we can find it. And since the Democrats caused much of our misery, it's great to take our pleasure at their expense. Image: Biden struggles with a teleprompter (Twitter screen grab). Eighteen people sentenced to over 146 years in prison after multi-million pound nationwide supply of cocaine and heroin This article is old - Published: Friday, Sep 11th, 2020 Eighteen people have today been sentenced to a total of over 146 years in prison between them for their part in a multi-million pound nationwide supply of cocaine and heroin. The case centred on an Organised Crime Gang (OCG) running what was described in court as the extremely busy and very profitable Echo Line, supplying drugs into North Wales, Merseyside, the North West and as far afield as Scotland and Devon Cornwall It was the biggest operation of its kind carried out by North Wales Police. Detective Inspector Lee Boycott of North Wale Polices Serious and Organised Crime Unit said: The level of sentencing reflects the seriousness of these crimes. This OCG had deadly intent to let no one stand in the way of their highly lucrative business which brought misery to thousands and violence to our streets. The sentencing this week has seen those at the very top of the Echo Line, through to those who were their couriers and street dealers, being brought to justice thanks to North Wales Police, working with colleagues from Merseyside and the Regional Organised Crime Unit . During the investigation drugs with a street value of 2.1 million were recovered over 5 kilograms of Heroin, Cocaine and Crack Cocaine; over 54 kilograms of Class A mixing agents; 17 kilograms of Amphetamine; over 3 kilograms of Cannabis; kilogram of Ketamine; and appoximately 43,000 Etizolam tablets. DI Boycott said: This is not where it ends. All those involved are starting their prison sentences, but we will continue to pursue the ring leaders to make sure that when they are eventually released they will not be able to benefit from their ill gotten gains. We will pursue Court Orders against them to place conditions on their lifestyles and we will also forensically examine their financial affairs so that any proceeds from their drug dealing cash or assets are recovered and paid to the public purse. List of names and sentences The Jammu and Kashmir Police have recovered stolen mobile phones worth about Rs 26 lakh and arrested three non-Kashmiri people during an investigation in the case, officials said on Friday. On July 4, Mohammad Amir Malik a resident of Devi Angan Hawal in Srinagar lodged a report in Nowhatta Police Station of burglary in his shop. He said that during the intervening night of July 3-4 some unknown burglars barged into his shop and decamped with mobile phones worth lakhs of rupees. After this, an FIR was registered and an investigation was taken up. During the course of investigation services of FSL unit as well as electronic surveillance unit was utilized. The tower dump of the area was analyzed and IMEI numbers of stolen mobile phones were put on surveillance for any lead in the case. An important clue emerged when a CCTV camera of a nearby shop recorded three suspected persons who seemed to be scrap collectors entering the mobile shop and leaving after some time with some sacks. On the basis of their CCTV footage, searches were carried out across the city in all areas with settlements of non-local scrap collectors. After nearly two months one stolen mobile phone became active with user location at New Delhi and SDR was found as Abdul Razaq Sheikh, a resident of JJ Colony Bhawana in Delhi. In order to investigate the matter a police party headed by an officer was deputed to Delhi and the accused was arrested on September 6. During questioning, the accused disclosed that he had hidden stolen mobile phones at his residence. On this disclosure of the accused police party recovered/seized 112 mobile phones along with their accessories from the spot. The accused Abdul Razaq was later shifted from New Delhi to Srinagar and again questioned when he revealed names of his two associates--Mohammad Alamin Sheikh and Mohammad Jahangir Sheikh residents of Madanpur Khadar in Sarita Vihar and also disclosed that few mobile phones are still dumped in the rented house of Jahangir. On this, a police party was deputed towards Harnag Anantnag for the arrest/recoveries. Both the accused were arrested and 11 stolen mobile sets were recovered/seized from the rented room of Mohammad Jahangir. In order to ascertain their modus operandi, all the burglars were put to sustained questioning during which they revealed that they used to recee their targets posing themselves as scrap collectors. Lashkars Tania Parveen arrested in Bengal was part of 70 Jihadi online groups India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Sep 11: Tania Parveen who was arrested in West Bengal in connection with a Lashkar-e-Tayiba module case was part of 70 Jihadi groups on the social media, the National Investigation Agency has said. Tania, a resident of District North 24 Parganas, West Bengal had converted to Islam after being radicalised. She was arrested by the West Bengal police, following which the NIA took over the investigation. She was a college student and got radicalised in the cyberspace by Pakistan based cadres of the Lashkar-e-Tayiba. NIA arrests key fake currency racketeer from Malda Tania, gradually became part of about 70 jihadi groups on social media, which propagated terrorist ideology advocating skewed version of Islamic Jihad with an aim to further radicalise and recruit impressionable Muslim youth, the NIA said in its chargesheet. The accused was also active in various Palestinian and Syrian Jihadi social media groups. Investigation further revealed that the LeT cadres based in Lahore, Pakistan had introduced the accused to the officials of Pak Intelligence Agency, ISI, who tasked her to open fake Facebook profile and befriend Armed Force members in India to obtain sensitive strategic information. NIA officials said that she was using a WhatsApp number of Pakistan. She was also part of several groups and had many accounts on social media sites. he police said that she was trying to honey trap Indian soldiers in lieu of information about the Indian Army. The investigation conducted by the police managed to establish her direct connection with the Lashkar-e-Tayiba. She was using the dark web to interact with the soldiers. She is a first year student of masters' degree and she was arrested on March 17 from her house at the Malayapur village, which is on the Bangladesh border. Sushant Death Case: Rhea Chakraborty denied bail by a Mumbai court, will stay in jail|Oneindia News The police found that she was in the process of befriending Indian soldiers. She was trying to honey trap them. However, she had not succeeded. The developer of the Courthouse Square redevelopment project in Flemington presented his amended plan during a Facebook Live event on Thursday, giving the public a preview of alterations made to the project days before its introduction to the borough council on Monday. Although the last redevelopment proposal voted on and approved by the borough dates back to 2017, developer Jack Cust of Flemington Urban Renewal LLC last publicly presented a smaller version of the plan in September 2019. Like that proposal, the amended project he shared on Thursday via the Flemington Borough Facebook page is notable for its downsized features, including reduced building heights, retail and parking space. In comparison to the 2017 redevelopment plan, the building height of the properties has decreased from 87 feet to 63 feet, 3 inches a reduction of approximately two stories. The parking spaces have dually decreased from 820 to about 350. The developer of Flemington Urban Renewal LLC presented his amended Courthouse Square redevelopment plan during a Facebook Live event on Thursday, Sept. 10.Courtesy Like the version Cust presented in 2019, this plan also continues to preserve the Union Hotel, the Hunterdon County Bank building and the Potting Shed building to maintain the original historic streetscape of Main Street, according to Cust. The police department building at 100 Main St. would remain in place, rent-free, for as long as they deem necessary, due to the significant economic burden posed by the buildings relocation, Cust said. According to Flemington Mayor Betsy Driver, who was also present at the Facebook Live event, after Cust purchases the building the borough will credit him $169,000 for it, which equates to the tax-assessed value of the property and parking lot. Driver said the ultimate goal of the borough is to eventually relocate the police department and recuperate these funds. Anybody who has ever been in that building, hopefully as a visitor and not as a guest, can attest that the building is not in great shape. Its really small, and the police are very crowded in there, Driver said. Im hoping that once we have this project going and other projects going around town, the borough finances will be such that we can then go and build a police station or find a new home for them somewhere in the borough. Driver added that Flemington DIY, an arts organization located at 90 Main St. that currently has a rent-free arrangement with the borough, will need to relocate after the borough sells and closes on the building with Cust. I have been speaking with them, and I have encouraged them to look for a new home in town, Driver said. I am quite certain that if theyre able to pay rent, Mr. Cust and anyone else will be happy to talk with them about being a tenant. Cust already purchased the Union Hotel and its neighboring properties in late June of this year. Under the revised redevelopment plan, the hotel would have 100 rooms including 15 historical suites as well as a restaurant on the first floor. A handicap accessible ramp would link the restaurant to the old Potting Shed building, which Cust intends to convert into a pub. There would also be 206 separate apartment units, reduced from the original site plans 222 apartment units, a number of which will function as affordable housing units to meet the boroughs COAH obligation. The plan also reduces the amount of retail space from 32,250 to 22,000 square feet, and allots for 5,200 square feet of amenity space. Cust said that there has been "a lot of different discussions ... (and) interest in renting the retail space included in the project, although no commitment has been made beyond the pub and hotel restaurant. Weve been approached by some people that have some very good concepts, kind of unique concepts, where they want to make it a destination-type thing a lot of fun types of things that you can walk around and do, Cust said. The 45,000-square-foot medical and education building initially proposed has been eliminated, a change Cust had previously included in the 2019 presentation. What that does is provides for a lot less parking and traffic requirement, and dramatically allows us to do some other things, Cust said. If all approvals are granted, Cust intends to complete construction in phases, projecting that the redevelopment of the hotel, Potting Shed building, and a portion of the plaza could be finished in one years time. The remaining properties could be completed in about two years. Seeking a vibrant Main Street We want to get Main Street back up, back online, get some activity there, get this restaurant and pub operating, and have this nice active area in the plaza working, Cust said. A year from now, its conceivable that Main Street will be operating in a really vibrant manner. And construction would not be confined to the property area alone. Late into the Facebook Live event, Driver said the redevelopment project has ostensibly been merged with a larger $6 million water and sewer infrastructure project for which Cust and the borough would each pay 50% of the necessary funds. The borough has significant infrastructure liabilities, for lack of a better word, that need to be upgraded. Some of the water mains going down Main Street are up to 100 years old. And we need to get that fixed, Driver said. Because the streets are already going to be open, and the borough is acknowledging that we also have infrastructure that needs to be improved in that area, we decided to combine the infrastructure project. Over 150 people tuned into the virtual event, the vast majority of them writing comments praising the altered project and Custs persistence in moving forward with it. Screenshots from Thursday's Facebook live eventCaroline Fassett I NJ Advance Media for NJ.com Screenshots from Thursday's Facebook live eventCaroline Fassett I NJ Advance Media for NJ.com Project faces some opposition Still, the redevelopment project remains mired in lawsuits brought forward by the Friends of Historic Flemington, a group of residents opposed to the project. In a statement shared with NJ Advance Media, the group said it has made multiple efforts to settle the suit," but Cust and his attorney have "refused to negotiate with our attorney. Cust denied that claim, stating the group has not responded to our attorney at all. In a separate statement, the Friends of Historic Flemington said they have made a vast difference in creating a better and more appropriate project. Instead of a sad replica of the Union Hotel and a series of high-rise structures incompatible with the scale and aesthetics of the historic district, the landmark Union Hotel, the Nevius building at 78 Main, and the Hunterdon County National Bank building at 90 Main have been saved, the statement reads. They are slated for adaptive reuse in a revised redevelopment project that has been meaningfully reduced from the massive scale initially proposed." Nonetheless, the group stated they still maintain significant concerns about the revised plan, and called on the borough council to consider alterations including the renegotiation of an overly generous 30-year payment in lieu of taxes (PILOT) agreement, and increasing Custs financial contribution to the water and sewer infrastructure upgrades planned in the borough. We will continue to strive to preserve our historic district, recognized as the second largest in the state of New Jersey, the statement reads. The Friends of Historic Flemington have taken a lot of credit for the compromises presented today," Driver said after the Facebook Live event concluded. I think thats great; they should take some credit for it. But if they really want to take credit for it, they should consider dropping the lawsuits. Reflecting upon these many redevelopment alterations that he has proposed over the years, Cust said he felt pretty happy" with his latest plan. Weve worked on this plan a long time with the redevelopment committee and the borough, and we think it addresses a lot of the issues that some people had concerns about," Cust said. Echoing Cust, Driver expressed her support for the amended plan by reminding those in attendance of Thursdays virtual event that Cust still retains site plan approval for his original 2017 proposal, and could abandon the proposed changes if he so desired. We need everything to go forward, we need it to pass, we need things to run smoothly, Driver said. If not, we could end up with a plan that many people said wasnt so great for Flemington. And Mr. Cust is aware of that, and were hoping that this alternative plan will satisfy the concerns that so many of us have heard over the last couple of years. The amended plan is scheduled to be voted upon by the Flemington Borough Council on Tuesday, Sept. 29. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Caroline Fassett may be reached at cfassett@njadvancemedia.com. Hong Kong: Food premise checks enhanced The Food & Environmental Hygiene Department has stepped up inspections at food premises in various districts to ensure food business operators compliance with the relevant regulation to minimise the transmission of COVID-19. The inspections follow the latest directions issued by the Secretary for Food & Health in relation to catering business premises under the Prevention & Control of Disease (Requirements & Directions) (Business & Premises) Regulation that came into effect today. As at 3pm, the department has inspected 725 catering business premises and initiated legal proceedings of prosecution against the operators of seven premises. These mainly concerned violating the requirements on the distance between tables, the number of customers exceeding half of the restaurant's normal seating capacity, and customers failing to wear masks within the premises at the time other than consuming food or drink. It is an offence to contravene the regulation's requirements and restrictions, and is subject to a maximum fine of $50,000 and six months imprisonment. The department appealed to food business operators and food handlers to comply with the regulation to keep workers, customers and the public safe. Patrons should co-operate to facilitate compliance with the relevant anti-epidemic measures when in restaurants, it added. This story has been published on: 2020-09-11. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Shares of Container Corporation of India (Concor) climbed 3 percent in early trade on September 11 after global brokerage firm Jefferies gave a buy call on the stock. As per CNBC-TV18, Jefferies has set a target price of Rs 525 for Concor and said that the stock has the potential to double over the next 3 years, driven by strong volume. Jefferies, as per CNBC-TV18, sees a 26 percent volume CAGR over FY21-25. The global brokerage firm is of the view that the expected commencement of the dedicated freight corridor (DFC) would be the key driver. Jefferies said FY21 profit of the company was impacted due to the land license fee (LLF) issue and it expects a gradual normalisation of EBITDA/TEU by FY25. Potential privatisation can be the additional upside, Jefferies believes. Shares of Concor traded 2.23 percent up at Rs 375.70 on BSE at 09:30 hours. 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. TANZANIA, Tanzania - Russia clashed with Germany and five of its Western allies Thursday over the poisoning of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny, with Moscows ambassador demanding evidence that a Soviet-era nerve agent was responsible and Germanys envoy countering that his countrys findings have been handed over to the international chemical weapons watchdog. The confrontation came at the monthly U.N. Security Council meeting on chemical weapons in Syria, with the United States, Belgium, Britain, Estonia and France expressing grave concern at Germanys determination that 44-year-old Navalny was the victim of a chemical weapons attack using a military-grade nerve agent from the Novichok group. Britains acting U.N. ambassador, Jonathan Allen, said a similar nerve agent was used with lethal effect in southern England in 2018 on former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter. A woman exposed to the contents of a perfume bottle reportedly used in the attack died several months later. Russia vehemently denied any involvement, but Britain has charged two men it called Russian military intelligence officers with the nerve-agent poisoning. Allen told the council that the United Kingdom stands with Germanys findings on Navalny and called on Russia to urgently conduct a full and transparent investigation into this use of a banned chemical weapon and to uphold the Chemical Weapons Convention that bans their use. Acting U.S. deputy ambassador Cherith Norman Chalet called Navalnys poisoning by a chemical weapon completely reprehensible and urged Russia to be fully transparent and to bring those responsible to justice. Navalny, the most visible opponent of Russian President Vladimir Putin, 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 flown to Germany two days later. German scientists concluded that without doubt Navalny was poisoned by a Novichok agent. The German hospital treating Navalny said Monday his condition had improved, allowing doctors to take him out of an induced coma. Russias U.N. ambassador, Vassily Nebenzia, told the Security Council that we are the most interested party to know what happened and Moscow wants Germany to share its evidence. He said the Russian doctors who saved Navalnys life found no chemical weapons substances. Nebenzia cited an Aug. 27 request from Russias prosecutor to Germany for information under a Russian-German agreement, which has had no response. If you demand explanations, put the facts on the table and well compare notes, he said. Why should we trust allegations uncorroborated by evidence?. This whole incident cannot but raise questions about some foul play being staged, Nebenzia added. Germanys Defence Ministry has said the data about Navalny has been provided to the Hague-based Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, which implements the Chemical Weapons Convention. Stressing that point, Germany Ambassador Christoph Heusgen accused Russia of using another smoke screen and said Navalnys poisoning isnt an issue between Germany and Russia but an issue of international concern about chemical weapons use. Germany is doing what it is supposed to do under the Chemical Weapons Convention by giving all the evidence to the OPCW, Heusgen said. And it would be very good if Russia would work with OPCW in finding all the background to the case of the use of Novichok, he said. Nebenzia replied that it is a case Russia-German relations and not an international issue. He quoted a Russian Foreign Ministry statement issued Wednesday saying if the evidence requested by Moscow isnt provided, Russia will regard it as Germanys refusal to establish truth in an investigation. Nebenzia also quoted the ministry as saying this would be regarded as a blatant and hostile provocation against Russia, which would definitely undermine Russian-German relations and international relations as a whole. Shankari Sundararaman By In the middle of August, Thai transport minister Saksayam Chidchob, in an interview to Bloomberg News, said that Thailand was considering a road and railway link across the narrow tract of land in the south of the country, which has been the proposed site for building the Kra canal. In its aftermath, Indian media reports said that plans for the Kra canal had been called off and that it was a step back for the Chinese. Most of these reports linked the retraction of the proposal to build the canal to Indias border tensions with China, erroneously implying a connection between the two. The statement by the transport minister referred to the possibility of building two ports in Chumphon and Ranong and connecting them through a network of overland linkages. This was in no way a reiteration of the end of the canal; it was more likely an addition to the canal, which has issues of sovereignty and environmental hazards linked to it. A deeper look at the geopolitics in the region and the political situation in Thailand currently will clearly reveal that the proposal is not dead and gone, but like several of the earlier efforts, is still in limbo. The Isthmus of Kra, the region in question, is the narrowest strip of land in the Malay peninsula. For nearly two and a half centuries, attempts have been made to build a canal connecting the Indian and the Pacific Oceans. Historically, this canal was pushed by the French and as colonial expansion took shape, the Siamese (modern day Thailand) rulers ensured two important outcomesfirst, Thailand remained independent from colonial rule and second, Britains focus on retaining the primacy of Singapore as the most important trading centre triumphed over the efforts to build the canal. The question of the Kra canal has been discussed almost since 1993. Much of its relevance has to do with increased shipping movement in the Straits of Malacca. The reason behind the proposed canal was to reduce the dependence on the Straits by connecting the Indian and the Pacific Oceans through an alternative route. Additionally, this would also reduce the travel time and eliminate the necessity of going around the Malay peninsula, a distance of nearly 1,200 kilometres. At first glance, the question of Kra seems simple enoughjust an alternate routebut within the deepening geopolitical environment in the Indo-Pacific region, the canal will significantly contribute to the existing stresses among the major powers and within groupings like the ASEAN itself. Increasingly, as the global economic engine has shifted to the east, the Indian and Pacific Oceans have come under greater focus. Both China and India are rising economic powers, notwithstanding the current downturn globally as a result of the pandemic. As such, these countries are dependent on energy resources from West Asia, which necessitates an uninterrupted supply. Geopolitically, as Chinese assertions in the Indian and Pacific Ocean regions have increased, there is also greater vulnerability for the country, especially in terms of its overwhelming dependence on the Straits of Malacca. Former Chinese president Hu Jintao had earlier coined the term Malacca Dilemma, which was a reference to Chinas overarching reliance on the Straits, causing vulnerabilities in terms of its ability to access the seas and transport its goods and energy supplies. As Beijing seeks to increase its relevance through projects such as the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, the emphasis on alternatives to the Straits of Malacca will lead to an increase in its efforts to leverage the countries of Southeast Asia. It is in this specific context that the dilemma of the Kra canal comes into question. Thai domestic politics in recent months has witnessed serious protests against the current government. The position of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha is currently under attack as Thai student organisations have taken to the streets to protest the alleged role of the government in the disappearance and killings of dissidents. One of the key challenges, at this time, is the issue of constitutional change: the protestors have been demanding changes to the constitution, especially alteration of the role that has been provided to the military in it. Since 2014, Prime Minister Chan-ocha, in his public pronouncements, has oscillated between the two positions of rejecting and supporting the Kra canal proposal, an indication of the dilemma that Thailands political establishment faces on this. The late King Bhumibol Adulyadej was not in favour of the canal, especially because of the issues linked to Thailands sovereignty. The current King Maha Vajiralongkorn, however, has been urged to consider the proposal and there has been no rejection of the plan yet. Thailand is clearly emphasising the importance of completing the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) and is seeing it as a potential link to the BRI, which has already pushed for a rail link between Thailand and Laos. While there are murmurs about potential refusals and withdrawals across the region with regards to the BRI, it is important to recognise and understand that each country will seek to leverage its maximum benefits. Thailand will be no exception and the dilemma to build or not to build will continue. Shankari SundararAman Professor at School of International Studies, JNU, New Delhi (shankari@mail.jnu.ac.in) Hollywood star Kate Winslet recently opened up about her time in front of the camera, including her collaborations with directors Woody Allen and Roman Polanski -- both of whom have been accused of sexual misconduct. According to Fox News, in an interview with Vanity Fair, the 44-year-old Oscar winner star pointed out, Its like, what the f**k was I doing working with Woody Allen and Roman Polanski? Its unbelievable to me now how those men were held in such high regard, so widely in the film industry and for as long as they were. Its f**king disgraceful. The following topic, of working with the two directors arose when Kate said she hoped to do her best when it comes to setting a decent example to younger women. The Titanic actor added that now, she must take responsibility for the fact that I worked with them both. She said, I cant turn back the clock. Im grappling with those regrets but what do we have if we arent able to just be f**king truthful about all of it? In 2011, she appeared in Romans Carnage and in Woodys Wonder Wheel, which debuted in 2017. Woody has been the subject of public scrutiny since beginning a relationship with actor Soon-Yi Previn, the adopted daughter of his former partner Mia Farrow. He was also accused of sexual abuse against his adopted daughter Dylan Farrow in 1993. Dylan addressed the allegations for the first time in a 2014 letter published in the New York Times that she was sexually assaulted by the director. Woody has denied her allegations. Kate said, But at the same time, I didnt know Woody and I dont know anything about that family. As the actor in the film, you just have to step away and say, I dont know anything, really and whether any of it is true or false. Having thought it all through, you put it to one side and just work with the person. Woody Allen is an incredible director. So is Roman Polanski. I had an extraordinary working experience with both of those men, and thats the truth. Also read: Rashami Desai sides with Ankita Lokhande in spat with Shibani Dandekar: Peoples minds have become so small According to Fox News, in 1977, Polanski was arrested and charged with allegedly raping a 13-year-old girl. The charges indicated on him included rape by use of drugs, sodomy and perversion. He pleaded guilty to unlawful sexual intercourse. Four other women have accused Polanski of sexually assaulting them as minors since 2010. He has denied all charges. Follow @htshowbiz for more Guest Column Despite Chinas Wishes, a Canal Across Southern Thailand Is Still a Distant Prospect Chinese President Xi Jinping (right) and Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha meet in Xiamen, China in September 2017. / Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs Chinas dream of finding an alternative to the Malacca Strait continues to prove elusive after Thailand announced it would shelve the Kra Canal project. Beijing has long pinned its hopes on the proposed canal as a way of reducing its reliance on the congested Strait. The project, a proposed 120-km canal cutting through the Isthmus of Kra in southern Thailand, would have been a crucial strategic asset for China, allowing the Chinese navy to move freely and quickly between its newly constructed bases in the South China Sea and the Indian Ocean. The project was supposed to allow China to bypass the Strait of Malacca, a narrow chokepoint between the Malay Peninsula and the Indonesian island of Sumatra that divides the Indian and Pacific Oceans. Up to 40 per cent of the worlds trade passes through the Strait. The route would reduce shipping distances for vessels entering the Gulf Of Thailand from the west by 1,200 km, bypassing Singapore entirely. China has described the project as part of the countrys proposed Maritime Silk Road trade route from China through Southeast Asia and the Indian Ocean to Europe. Nevertheless, there were concerns that the canal would undermine the independence of poor Southeast Asian countries like Myanmar and Cambodia, which have comparatively weak civil societies and are highly vulnerable to Chinese interference. Canal daydream The canal has been mooted since 1677 to take advantage of the relatively narrow strip of land between the Gulf of Thailand and the Andaman Sea. The idea has always been to construct a sea-level canal without the use of sea-locks. The length on land of the proposed canal has been estimated at 50-100 km depending on the route. At its narrowest point the isthmus is only 44 km wide, but a mountain chain at that point makes a 120-km stretch through the sparsely populated provinces of Krabi, Phatthalung, Nakon Si Thammarat, Songkhla and Trang more viable. The canal would cut costs and reduce transportation time by two to three days, shortening shipping distances by 1,200 nautical miles around peninsular Malaysia and Singapore. Assuming a one-way distance saved 600 km and volumes of crude oil at 2011 levels, the latest study concluded that if the entire traffic of the Strait of Malacca were diverted through this canal, it would reduce total annual oil shipping costs of Southeast and Far East Asian countries by around US$500 million (about 663.5 billion kyats). Courting Thailand Chinese interest in the project was first revealed in 2005 in an internal report prepared for the US Defense Department. It said China had offered to underwrite the construction of the canal along with Chinese port facilities and refineries, as part of its string of pearls strategy of forward bases and energy security. The Chinese plan envisaged construction of the canal over 10 years employing roughly 30,000 workers at a cost of $20-25 billion. In 2014, a military government seized power in Thailand and initiated major infrastructure projects to stimulate the economy. The latest plans for the proposed canal zone call for the development of industrial zones in the vicinity for heavy industry, including dry-dock and shipbuilding facilities, and deep seaports at the canal entrances. After the coup, Beijing was quick to take advantage of souring ties between Thailand and the West and cemented its friendship with the country. China began to invest in a high-speed railway system in Thailand and has a deep interest in greater economic connectivity in Asia, a core rationale behind its Maritime Silk Road concept. A canal across Thailand would improve not only access to the Indian Ocean, but also connectivity with southern China. The Thai-Chinese Culture and Economic Association of Thailand, which works closely with the Chinese Embassy in Bangkok, has sent a proposal to conduct a feasibility study for the canal, touting it as a way to end Thailands economic slump and make it a global shipping and economic hub, rivaling the Panama Canal. Politically very sensitive, the proposal was discreetly discussed and heavily lobbied for by influential groups both in and outside the Thai government. Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha has been cautious about the Chinese proposal, as he must consider complex domestic, economic and geopolitical factors. With the Malacca Strait growing congested and the risks of piracy, maritime terrorism and accidents also increasingalong with insurance feesthe case for an alternative shipping route is deemed more viable now than in the past. Its advocates also underline the potential benefits to neighboring countries, particularly Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. However, the emotive side of the debate is yet to be settled. Influential sections of the Thai security establishment view any partition of the Golden Axe (Khwan Thong)referring to the shape of Thailandas unacceptable. They stress the implications of the canal plan for longstanding demands for autonomy in Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat, suggesting it would increase the threat of separatism. To pursue its new maritime doctrine, China is aggressively lobby Thailand to buy new weapons systems including frigates and submarines to increase its maritime defense capacity in the Andaman Sea and Gulf of Thailand. Growing accounts also suggest China has offered to provide soft loans of around $5 billion to upgrade the main Thai naval base at Sattahip. However, the Thai government, under intense pressure from the political opposition and the public, recently delayed until the fiscal year 2022 plans to purchase two Chinese-made Yuan-class S26T submarines for 22.5 billion baht (about 950 billion kyats) over seven years. The decision was a major blow to China. For Malaysia and Singapore, diverting traffic and activity away from the tip of the Malaysian peninsula is detrimental to both their interests. The Malacca Strait will, nevertheless, always remain strategically salient for trade between the Persian Gulf and Indonesia or Australia. Myanmars shoreline remains isolated from the South China Sea nexus of the other Southeast Asian states, making trade between it and sea-based Southeast Asian partners reliant on the Malacca passage. Vietnam, which receives 90 percent of all its consumable goods and commodities via the sea, could find itself on track to rival Singapore as a major Asia-Pacific trading hub. The project would significantly alter the geopolitical and strategic landscape of Southeast Asia. Coupled with other Chinese activities in the region, including the Kyaukpyu Deep Seaport in Rakhine and the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor, Chinas deployment timelines would be significantly reduced in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). The project would also legitimize the Chinese presence in the IOR, as Chinas intent is to project naval power there. Though Thailand may witness some economic benefits, the strategic costs are likely to outweigh the benefits. The existing divide between Thai Buddhists and ethnic Malay Muslims would be further aggravated, undermining the stability of the country. The primary worry remains the fragile security situation in Thailands four southern provinces, with fears that a water divide across the Thai landmass would result in Bangkok losing control over the southern provinces bordering Malaysia. Moreover, Thailands economy could fall into a debt trap, as China would be keen to employ its funds, labor and material. The project is also expected to pose immense environment and geological challenges, which might need extensive study. Additionally, the economic viability of the project is doubtful, as the estimated cost of construction is $28 billion plus another $30 billion for related infrastructure, which may not be recoverable through toll fees in a reasonable time period. Since the canal would shorten distances only up to 1,200 km (unlike the Suez Canal, which saves 7,000 km and the Panama Canal, which saves 13,000 km), the slower speed, queuing up and toll payment may encourage ship owners to continue to use the Malacca Strait. The pros and cons of constructing a canal across the Isthmus of Kra have been debated for centuries: proponents stress economic and strategic benefits, while critics argue that it is too costly and commercially unviable. Due to political uncertainties in Thailand, lack of support and the global economic slowdown, the construction of a Kra canal remains a distant prospect. Yan Naing is the pseudonym of a regular observer on Myanmar affairs. You may also like these stories: During High-Level Visit, China Takes Note of Myanmars High Standards on BRI Projects Better Protection of Myanmar Workers Rights Needed Amid COVID-19 Rescuing Myanmar From the Chinese Debt Trap "I never thought about joining the military until that day," Antoinette said. The Staten Island native said the attacks moved her to action. "I had to do something. I couldn't just go to school and be OK with what happened to our city." Dan, who lived in Southern California, had already served three years in the Army when he was younger, but he re-enlisted. "The next thing I know, I was in Iraq in March of 2003, thrust into some heavy-duty combat," Dan said. While still young in a Texas high school, Anthony knew what he had to do. "Seeing all those people helpless in the towers, not being able to defend themselves from acts of terrorism, from the cowardice that was terrorists I knew I could help defend them with my life," Anthony said. While each veteran came back from war, they all brought something else home with them. "I went through some pretty horrific stuff, but I made it back alive," Dan said. "I've never forgot that day," Antoinette said. "I still look at New York City on a regular basis, and it's not the same. It will never be the same." Watch their full conversation and learn about how WWP programs save lives. About Wounded Warrior Project Since 2003, Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) has been meeting the growing needs of warriors, their families, and caregivers helping them achieve their highest ambition. Learn more. SOURCE Wounded Warrior Project Related Links https://www.woundedwarriorproject.org US President on Thursday (local time) said that Secretary of State Michael Pompeo will head to Doha later in the day to participate in the intra-Afghan peace talks. "I can announce, with great pride, that Secretary of State will be departing this evening on a historic trip to Doha, Qatar, for the beginning of intra-Afghan peace negotiations," Trump said at a press conference at the White House. He further said that the number of US soldiers in will be reduced to 4,000 in a very short period of time. "Similarly, in Iraq, the number of US soldiers will soon come down to 2,000 only," he added. Speaking on the recent peace agreement between Israel and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Trump said that a dialogue with Saudi Arabia has begun regarding the Middle East peace talks. "I spoke to the king of Saudi Arabia, so we're talking. We just started the dialogue and you'll have them come in," he said. He further said that one other country could be joining the bilateral agreement between Israel and the UAE by the time the signing ceremony takes place at the White House next week. (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 technology brands entered India in the late 80s, Public Relations as a tool was gaining respect and popularity. There was no beat that was specifically writing about technology, but publications and media companies started opening up and encouraged journalists to write more on this new vertical. The government also opened doors to a lot of international technology giants to invest in India and in a matter of few years we could see giants like Microsoft and Intel investing a lot in the Indian market. Since technology was rapidly changing, there was a need to create awareness and educate the audience both B2B and B2C on how technology can change the way business is done and how it will benefit the various industries in India. PR as a communication tool helped technology brands: This is where the role of Public Relations came to drive technology brand communication. While advertising did help create some awareness, but to engage continuously with the key audience and stakeholders, the use of PR was necessary. The CTOs and CIOs were the most important decision makers to decide what kind of technology should be adopted for their organisations. So, it was critical to send strong and credible communication by deploying appropriate PR strategy to get the attention of the CTOs. Technology was new and budgets were limited, so the CTOs and CIOs had to study and compare notes to decide before taking the final decision to go for the right technology. Global technology brands communicated through PR: Some of the worlds best brands have been built through PR. Our own homegrown software company Infosys is both a leading Indian and global brand, which has grown manifold and has very intelligently used PR as their key communication tool both in India and abroad. The secret of their success was that they delivered value with the right messaging, which helped them in creating strong belief and shaping positive opinions both with the stakeholders and the media. Some of the leaders from their company are today thought leaders in the IT industry. Big technology giants like Amazon.com, Yahoo!, eBay, Google, Microsoft, Intel and BlackBerry are great examples of tech companies that built their initial identity through Public Relations. Other tech giants like SAP, Cisco and Oracle strongly believed in PR as their primary communication and spent very minimal on the advertising front. One of the main reasons for all these brands to adopt PR as an important communication tool was that they wanted to demystify technology and educate the audience. This PR could deliver effectively with the help of CTOs and CEOs consistently through interviews, authored articles and roundtable conferences. Even today, associations like NASSCOM play an important role to provide great platforms for technology brands to speak about their offerings and continuously educate and engage with several stakeholders. Many technology start-ups trusted PR: Today, most of the startup companies, especially in the technology space, believe a lot in PR to create awareness as it is cost effective and lends credibility. Most of the start-up companies have sharply defined audience, which is all the more reason they place their faith on PR to do their job. Brands like Flipkart and Snapdeal had really combined PR and advertising so cleverly to reap maximum benefits in the early days of the launch and continued harnessing PR. Also, most start-ups worked on very limited marketing budgets and as a result they were a bit reluctant and careful going the mass media route. Hence, using PR to engage with the audience in the most cost-effective manner helped many start-ups. Even today there are many technology brands who simply trust PR and use them as their primary media tool to engage with their audience. To get some industry perspective, Adgully obtained the views of some of the industry leaders and professionals from technology brands to understand as to why PR is important and how it helps in building technology brands. Sharing her views, Tuhina Pandey, Communications Leader, IBM India & South Asia, said that the power of PR comes from the credibility and pull it creates when a third party endorses you on merit. It really is about influencing the influencer and what you are really exchanging is a story that interests people and impacts their life and when this story comes from a trusted source it helps the audience make better choices. With the rise of fake news, the role of PR is that much more accentuated, a much-needed check post. PR today is as much about owning the content as about sharing it. The digital era has ensured all boundaries between external and internal communications are shattered. Today, reputation risk is a central board issue as real time information, news and content flow shape public and stakeholder narratives, she added. Simplicity and storytelling are key. Technology is about people and the impact it has on their lives; you expect your consultants to first understand your business well and then communicate its impact to relevant stakeholders in a lucid and interesting way. Purpose, shared vision, brand promise and impact on citizenry are important drivers of a technology brand. It is important that stakeholders understand what a brand stands for and experience the same values each time they experience the brand. According to Vipin Nair, Head - Communications, Wipro Ltd, PR is probably the most compelling communication tool for technology companies. However, our definition of PR has expanded dramatically. Whereas PR used to play a role solely in the arena of earned media, today increasingly big tech brands draw on storytelling to communicate their messages. An area that I think B2B tech brands will be looking to do more over the next few years is influencer marketing not necessarily in the same way as a consumer brand but by engaging influential experts to explain the brands positioning and offerings accurately. Simply put, the role of PR for technology brands is to tell the story effectively, memorably, to the right people at the right time in a way that resonates the most. That is true whether you are selling a device or handling a reputation issue. PR professionals job is to make the brand or the company relevant to the people who may need to buy or over time rely on their services. And finally, how do you tell the story? Today, that tends to be a mix of earned media, industry analysts, influencers, paid digital, social media and more. A one channel approach is restrictive and unrewarding. Speaking on behalf of NTT India, Kaustubh Chandra, Director Marketing & Digital Sales Group, said, In recent times, PR has evolved from being just a mere communication vehicle to provide a strategic air cover and a function that supports on ground demand generation initiatives. By becoming an indispensable part of the integrated marketing communication program, rather than a siloed element, it has also played a vital role in elevating the overall brand experience. He further said, This financial year requires some radical changes in our strategies, including the marketing communications conundrum. PR and communications are expected to amplify our effort at every step of the journey, from need creation to need fulfilment. Often, the boardroom demand for quick, tangible ROI and an increasing reliance on sales activation campaigns have resulted in a rise in short-term thinking and tactics. This approach has proved detrimental in the long run. Marketers, specifically in the technology domain, continue to have more access to data to make decisions quicker than ever before. The need of the hour is to devise both, a long-term PR strategy and short-term plans along with outcome driven marketing campaigns. If used correctly, it can hugely benefit the brand, help you build the human connection and customer experience that is currently being missed in the digital era and clearly showcase the ROI of additional revenue through the Integrated Marketing & PR campaigns. Explaining the role and importance of PR and how it has helped them, Anuj Sidharth, Deputy Director, Marketing & Communication, MediaTek India, said, Public Relations is, indeed, a powerful communication tool for companies, especially for technology brands like MediaTek. The advent of digital technologies and well-informed customers is starting to influence and impact the B2B eco-system. They are becoming aware of B2B companies that create solutions forming an essential and important part of the end-product, and they are also on the lookout for detailed information around such solutions. Therefore, generating quality content becomes important, especially when it comes to advanced technology. Additionally, with the strong competition in the technology space, and the accelerated pace at which new and innovative solutions are being developed and offered to consumers, it is important to build a strong brand recognition and recall with end users to ensure a fair playing field for your company. When chalking out a tech PR strategy it should include innovative thought processes, expertise in technology domain, a robust understanding of media, and the readiness to take calculated risks for maximum rewards. With time, PR has evolved to play an active role in defining a brand and is an integral part of the funnel now. Praval Singh, Vice President, Zoho Corporation, commented, In the last decade, there have been many defining changes that we have seen in India, such as the Internet being available widely and becoming a lot more affordable, and initiatives like Digital India that have positively impacted technology companies and start-ups. We see that change in the news space as well. Technology, which used to get small space in the newspapers, now gets dedicated special pages. There are publications that focus only on the technology and start-up space. Journalists are also more knowledgeable about the emerging technologies. In turn, the readers, too, are becoming more aware with technology entering every single space of our everyday lives. Obviously, with the spurt in the number of tech companies, PR becomes an important channel for creating brand visibility and recognition. Marketing is a lot about understanding your customers needs and reaching out to them with a promise of solving their problems. When it comes to PR, however, you are engaging with journalists and you first need to explain them the kind of problems that your customers face, and then talk about how your solution is suited for these customers. We need to simplify technology-speak in order to get our message conveyed in the best manner. You cannot centre your entire PR strategy around announcements or launches. Every industry has news cycles, and those have to be kept in mind while charting out a PR plan. Spacing out major announcements and planning for how to keep the media engaged during the in-between periods is an important responsibility. Companies need to utilise all the PR tools at their disposal, and make sure that all communication is in line with brand values. Facebook goes back to its roots to create a section for the first people it was actually made for - college students. Facebook has launched a new section called Campus - a product within the main app for college students to talk about, well, other college students and school. Campus is a place where students can interact with only their peers, access Campus-only News Feed, join Groups, group chat rooms (Campus Chats) and events - essentially live the real on-campus life online. This new section is Facebook going back to its roots, and it even has a Campus directory where you can find and make friends with other students from the same institution. To access Campus, students will have to provide their .edu mail addresses and their graduation year. Post that, once they are in, they can create a new profile specially for this section. However, your mail profile photo and cover image will be used in this section too. Students will also have the option to add or remove classes, majors, minors, hometown and dorm information. The more information you add the easier it will be for students to find classmates with commonalities. This also gives Facebook more data about exactly what college students are studying and who they are talking to and be able to figure out platform ads accordingly. Charmaine Hung, the PM of Campus, told The Verge that Facebook opted for a separate profile for this section because students might not want to share hyper-specific college information on their public profile. Campus is not a global feature just yet. For now, it is being piloted with 30 universities in the US that includes the likes of Johns Hopkins, Virginia Tech, Northwestern, Vassar and University of Louisville. Students cannot interact across campuses, they can only see and speak to those who attend the same school - like it is in a real-world case. Campus seems to be a way for Facebook to keep its younger users and students engaged for longer while building off the main app behaviour itself. (Facebook) The Campus profile is walled off from the main Facebook, but, if you have blocked a person on Facebook, the person will remain blocked on Campus too and vice versa. And if a person has violated community guidelines on Facebook, they will not be allowed to join Campus either. Alumni can stay on, but Facebook will be sending them a notification to suggest that they might want to leave because the section is not as relevant to them. Campus seems to be a way for Facebook to keep its younger users and students engaged for longer while building off the main app behaviour itself. Students on Facebook right now are already joining groups specific to their schools so Facebook is just streamlining the process to make it a bit more authentic. Interestingly, Instagram has not been integrated into the Campus pilot so, effectively, the main Facebook is still the focus of Campus and a requirement for students to find their school peers. THE ISSUE: U.S. Attorney General William Barr wants to give politicians a heads-up on certain investigations. THE STAKES: His politicizing of the Justice Department threatens the rule of law. It is safe to assume there's not a criminal who wouldn't like a heads-up that they're under investigation. Until now, we'd have thought it would be safe to assume, too, that there wasn't a prosecutor who would actually make it a policy to tip off crooks. But Attorney General William Barr never ceases to amaze us, and not in a good way. Once again, Mr. Barr is serving the interest of President Donald Trump, not the rule of law. Mr. Barr's latest offense is a directive that the FBI consider giving a "defensive briefing" to elected federal officials, candidates for federal office, and their staff or advisors who are the targets Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act investigations. If the FBI decides not to, it must explain why in writing. And, any application for a FISA search or electronic surveillance warrant must be cleared by Mr. Barr. The order presumably stems from the well-known (if often misrepresented) facts of the Russia investigation, in which Mr. Trump's campaign was suspected of colluding in that country's interference in the 2016 presidential election. And for good reason: Special Counsel Robert Mueller confirmed Russian meddling and contacts with the Trump campaign, and found at least 10 instances of obstruction of justice by Mr. Trump. Justice Department policy constrained him from accusing Mr. Trump of a crime. Mr. Barr and Mr. Trump falsely declared the president exonerated, and Mr. Trump has cast it as an attempt to delegitimize his presidency. The Justice Department inspector general found flaws in the way the investigation was done, but no evidence of a plot against Mr. Trump. Mr. Barr's orders include putting some review steps in place to guard against such errors; nothing wrong with that. But his is notion of giving suspects a heads-up, and demanding his personal sign-off on FISA matters involving politicians, opens the door for abuse by the most overtly partisan attorney general in memory. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. That Mr. Barr has corrupted his office for Mr. Trump's sake has long been apparent. He withheld, censored and mischaracterized Mr. Mueller's report. He fired a U.S. attorney overseeing investigations of matters concerning Mr. Trump. He is trying to squelch the charges against Michael Flynn, Mr. Trump's former national security adviser, who twice pleaded guilty to lying in the Russia probe. Now Mr. Barr wants the Justice Department to represent Mr. Trump in a civil defamation case brought by a woman whom Mr. Trump accused of lying when she said he raped her in the 1990s. Mr. Barr uses the tortured logic that since Mr. Trump is president, his comments constitute an official act. Please. It's apparent that the hyper-litigious, shoot-from the lip Mr. Trump wants Mr. Barr to be his new fixer the last one went to prison and turned on him, of course and for taxpayers to pick up his legal bills. And Mr. Barr is all too happy to further corrupt the Justice Department in his quest to keep this president above the law, and beyond its reach. Developing plans to promote official sources of information and data. Establishing credible sources of information within communities is critical, said Vandewalker, because it draws a hard line between what's authoritative and what isn't. Governments should "designate and publicize" several sources of official information well before election day. Establishing credible sources of information within communities is critical, said Vandewalker, because it draws a hard line between what's authoritative and what isn't. Governments should "designate and publicize" several sources of official information well before election day. Protecting official websites from cyberattacks and hackers. One way bad actors have been able to sow doubt in communities is by hacking into official websites and posting incorrect information. They also routinely set up "spoofed" lookalike websites that mimic official sites. Among other things, governments should invest in .gov websites, says the report, as they are much more resilient against spoofing and have better security controls. One way bad actors have been able to sow doubt in communities is by hacking into official websites and posting incorrect information. They also routinely set up "spoofed" lookalike websites that mimic official sites. Among other things, governments should invest in .gov websites, says the report, as they are much more resilient against spoofing and have better security controls. Creating response plans to correct disinformation. Governments should draw up procedures ahead of time for dealing with incorrect information that circulates locally. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) provides standardized incident response plans in this area, as does the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs. Governments should draw up procedures ahead of time for dealing with incorrect information that circulates locally. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) provides standardized incident response plans in this area, as does the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs. Developing disinformation monitoring solutions. An assortment of social media monitoring and analysis firms exist whose services can make localized disinformation campaigns easier to spot. Communities should be investing in these kinds of tools--which are typically pretty affordable, said Vandewalker. An assortment of social media monitoring and analysis firms exist whose services can make localized disinformation campaigns easier to spot. Communities should be investing in these kinds of tools--which are typically pretty affordable, said Vandewalker. Building relationships with media organizations to better facilitate public outreach. Establishing relationships with local media organizations also helps facilitate outreach, as "local and ethnic media that serve frequently targeted communities are key partners in disseminating correct information in response to deceptive practices," the report says. Voter suppression can take many forms. It can involve official policies adopted by jurisdictions (such as gerrymandering, voter roll purges, and overly complex ID requirements), or it can involve unofficial "dirty tricks," frequently perpetrated by party insiders, that seek to manipulate certain voter blocs into not casting their ballots.A new report from the Brennan Center for Justice shows how online disinformation is both changing and adding to this latter problem.As one might imagine, social media allows said "dirty tricks" to occur on a much broader scale than in the past. And while previous decades saw mostly domestic individuals and groups engaged in suppressive activities, there now exists the reality of foreign involvement, too, says the report's author, Ian Vandewalker."In 2016 we saw a lot of activity from the Internet Research Agency, a troll farm in Russia with connections to the Kremlin," said Vandewalker. "They're still active, they are still trying to interfere in U.S. elections, and we've seen a lot of copy-cat activity from nations like China and Iran."Indeed, the U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee report on the 2016 presidential election showed how a network of Russia-linked actors used everything from bot networks on Twitter and Facebook, to Reddit threads and blogs to suppress the vote in certain communities. Recent reports have shown how other U.S. adversaries took notes on this process "At the same time, you also have domestic political actors here in the U.S. who, for their own partisan reasons, are trying to trick people out of voting because they think those people are going to vote for the other side," said Vandewalker.A lot of this disinformation aims to mislead people about the voting process. Deceptive practices like campaigns encouraging people to "vote by text," circulation of incorrect information about when and where to vote, or making the voting process seem more arduous than it really is, are all common. At the same time, other disinformation takes a decidedly more psychological approach, often attempting to split certain voter blocs or dissuade them from turning out at all.With all this in mind, the best thing that governments can do to combat such campaigns is be prepared. The report outlines five potential strategies that governments can prioritize. These include:The report also suggests supporting the Deceptive Practices and Voter Intimidation Prevention Act , a bill introduced last year by U.S. Senator Ben Cardin, D-Md., that seeks to create new penalties for disinformation-based voter intimidation. It would also extend new responsibilities to the Department of Justice to help states fight disinformation."We've seen this [disinformation] trend growing over the years--particularly targeted at minority communities," said a member of Cardin's staff via phone. "Our hope is that by putting these kinds of strong penalties in place we could discourage people from engaging in these types of activities," he said, while noting that the bill stalled in the Senate last year.Ultimately "there's no silver bullet" when it comes to fighting disinformation, said Vandewalker, explaining that everybody has a role to play."I think people, especially in the United States, need to be better educated about how to receive media, how to learn things through social media, what to trust and what to question," he said. "And the platforms also clearly have a responsibility to get junk out of there, especially things that are potentially criminal. And of course government has a responsibility to also be proactively informing people of true information." BUDAPEST: Hungary will not impose blanket school closures to curb the spread of the coronavirus but will aim to protect the most vulnerable elderly as the main goal is to keep the economy going, Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on state radio on Friday. Orban said that a mandatory wearing of masks on public transport must be enforced. He also said the Visegrad states of the EU Hungary, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Poland will coordinate their measures to fight the second wave of the pandemic. Premiers of the four states will meet in Poland later in the day. 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 Three months after New Orleans police deployed tear gas against protesters on the approach to the Crescent City Connection, a New Orleans City Council committee voted Thursday to advance an ordinance that would restrict -- but not ban -- its use. Criminal Justice Committee members gave a unanimous green light to the proposal from Councilmen Jason Williams and Jay Banks after hearing a string of public comments in support of the measure. Several members of the public said they watched in horror as the New Orleans Police Department deployed the gas on June 3 as they marched on the elevated highway to protest police violence and the killing of George Floyd. The incident sparked days of controversy in the city during a week of marches and demonstrations that hadn't otherwise escalated into violence or direct confrontations between police and protesters. The use of teargas was entirely unnecessary and caused an otherwise peaceful protest to become dangerous and potentially harmful, Natalie Sharp told council members during the public comments. She was on the approach to the bridge that night and witnessed protesters being gassed, including, she said, a small child who was whisked away by his father. Police in dozens of cities have used teargas as a crowd dispersant since George Floyd died under a policemans knee in Minneapolis on May 25. New Orleans police said they were faced with a small group of protesters -- among hundreds who had ascended the expressway on-ramp -- attempting to break through a police line stationed to prevent anyone from ascending to the top of the bridge. New Orleans one of 97 cities where police tear-gassed protesters, New York Times analysis finds At least 97 law enforcement agencies, including the New Orleans Police Department, have used tear gas against protesters in recent weeks, acco Police Superintendent Shaun Ferguson said Thursday he was open to restrictions on tear gas as long as police are allowed to use it under certain circumstances. An exception is necessary for situations where police are faced with a barricaded suspect, Ferguson said. The ordinance is designed to prevent the police from using chemical irritants in all but the absolute most dire circumstances, according to Banks. However, the current version of the proposal allows police to use tear gas and other riot control chemicals to prevent crimes of violence. Top stories in New Orleans in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up Williams said that in response to concerns that the legislation might give too much leeway, he hopes to amend the ordinance so that the only exception is in situations involving an imminent threat of loss of life or bodily injury. He also intends to amend the ordinance at a full City Council vote to require police to issue a warning before using gas. Public comments during the virtual meeting ran overwhelmingly in favor of restrictions on teargas and other chemical agents, although many speakers urged the council to outlaw them altogether. In addition to the tear gas ordinance, more restrictions for the police department are in the works. Ferguson said that under the auspices of the NOPDs 2012 reform agreement with the federal government, hes working with the U.S. Department of Justice and court-appointed monitors on an internal policy for civil disturbances. Separately on Thursday, Council Vice President Helena Moreno discussed her proposal to end the use of no-knock warrants in New Orleans. New Orleans protesters want to 'defund the police.' What does that mean? From the infamous "Algiers 7" police brutality case in 1980 to the corruption of the 1990s and the post-Hurricane Katrina killings that drew n Those warrants -- which authorize police to arrest suspects in their home without first announcing their presence -- have been controversial for years in light of the perception that they pose a danger to civilians and police alike. In March, Louisville police killed 26-year-old Breonna Taylor inside her own home during the execution of a no-knock warrant. She was not the intended target of the raid, and her name has joined Floyds among those chanted at Black Lives Matter protests. Video shows some protesters clashing with NOPD, stealing a shield, throwing tear gas back In an effort to bolster its case that the use of less than lethal ammunition to clear protesters off the Pontchartrain Expressway was justifie As we continue to focus on criminal justice and police reform, we really have to address one of the most controversial tactics, that is being actually banned in many cities right now, Moreno said. Moreno said that since state law authorizes the use of no-knock warrants, she was crafting a resolution instead of an ordinance that would outright ban the tactic. She hopes to work with the police department to create a policy that would prevent the use of the warrants. The Broken Hearts Gallery star Geraldine Viswanathan says comedy is more vital than ever before in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, stating that we need it to survive. After her breakout role in raucous teen comedy Blockers in 2018, Viswanathan now plays a New York 20-something whos fond of keeping mementos after break-ups. With the help of a down on his luck hotel owner played by Power Rangers and Stranger Things star Dacre Montgomery she turns her mementos, and those donated by others, into a unique gallery. Read more: Mark Kermodes romcom recommendations I think were uncovering [our love for comedies] more during this time. I just want to watch comedies, Viswanathan told Yahoo Movies UK. Geraldine Viswanathan and Dacre Montgomery star in 'The Broken Hearts Gallery'. (Credit: George Kraychyk/TriStar Pictures) It has been cool to see these comedies, especially studio comedies, have this sort of resurgence. And it has been fun to be a part of one of them. Read more: Marisa Tomei and Bel Powley on watching comedy at home Montgomery said the current global health crisis means that a movie like The Broken Hearts Gallery now hits differently than it would have done before we all knew what COVID-19 was. He said: Its almost sort of a posthumous portrayal of a different kind of world, when it was easier to meet people. And I think now, oddly, it will have this kind of old-age relevance with people even just since February since we have been going through this global pandemic. Geraldine Viswanathan and Dacre Montgomery star in 'The Broken Hearts Gallery'. (Credit: Linda Kallerus/TriStar Pictures) The 25-year-old leading man said The Broken Hearts Gallery will feel like something of a tonic for those struggling with the sadness of the world today. He said: It can tend to feel quite claustrophobic and crowded by news and isolation and all of these sorts of things. Im hoping for the best for [this movie], definitely. Read more: Jay Roach says comedy can bring people back to cinema The Broken Hearts Gallery is the directorial debut of Natalie Krinsky and also stars Molly Gordon, Phillipa Soo, Utkarsh Ambudkar, Suki Waterhouse and Arturo Castro. Read the full interview with Geraldine Viswanathan and Dacre Montgomery in which we discuss karaoke, the history of the New York romcom and the improvisation on set... Story continues Yahoo Movies UK: I wanted to start, if I may, with the karaoke scene. Its fair to say you both have your unique approaches to karaoke. Were they a reflection of yourselves or the characters? Dacre Montgomery: Definitely [myself]. I am so nervous. Geraldine quite literally held my hands to get me through it because I was s***ting bricks, as they say. Geraldine Viswanathan: Im always the one thats making everyone get up on stage. Im definitely that person thats like youre doing it, sorry, you have no say. Karaoke is all about commitment, and you have that Geraldine. GV: Thank you! Thats all it is. Obviously this film is part of a great tradition of New York romcoms. Was there any pressure for you guys in taking on that genre, particularly as two non-Americans? DM: Yeah. I felt very confident because Geraldine is obviously so talented and so is Natalie [Krinsky, writer-director] and the script was there. We had such an amazing group of cast members. I dont know if I was thinking about it really. I have romcoms that Im in love with, but I always just thought that maybe this is in that genre but we were making something that I didnt want to make comparisons to as we were going through the process. GV: It just felt like such a fantasy for me. Ive spent the last couple of years in New York and it felt really cool to be set there. Its kind of rare these days. 'The Broken Hearts Gallery' is a quintessential New York City romcom. (Credit: Linda Kallerus/TriStar Pictures) Were you guys watching other romcoms or New York movies to get yourself ready? GV: I watched When Harry Met Sally pretty close to when we started filming. Thats a big one for me. I love that movie. Any excuse to watch that movie again! GV: Exactly. I was like: This is my homework? Great! When you actually came to make the movie, how easy was it to find that on-screen chemistry that is so important to the story? DM: Geraldine had already been cast and I came over to LA to do a chemistry read. Im very nervous a lot of the time and so, again, I was very nervous. Geraldine just helped me through the whole process because I was very nervous. Also, I had never really worked with an Australian actress and that was so nice. I found the catharsis even more through the process because of that. GV: Its hugely important and we were so lucky on this movie that it just worked. There always needs to be that movie magic and I think we had that. With everyone on set, it was just such good energy. Youre blessed as well by the strong supporting cast. Like just about everybody, Im obsessed with rewatching Hamilton on Disney+, so I cant even imagine how exciting it was to have Phillipa Soo there. Amanda (Molly Gordon) and Nadine (Phillipa Soo) try to help Lucy (Geraldine Viswanathan) in 'The Broken Hearts Gallery'. (Credit: George Kraychyk/TriStar Pictures) GV: Truly! Read more: Inside the Hamilton hype machine DM: It was fantastic. And also on the day, everyone would bring a lot of options. I had a lot of scenes with Arturo [Castro] and he would bring so many jokes for every line and every scene and so many of them have made the cut. That was wonderful because I hadnt really worked with a group of people like that who were so quick on their feet to add options and alternatives to this ever-evolving romcom. Thats really interesting. Was there a vibe of that on the set, of improvisation and people bringing new ideas? GV: Very much so. Natalie really set the stage for us to all bring our own ideas and really bring ourselves to it. It just made it so much fun and it was so collaborative because it was so open. There was a lot of improvising and I think its really important in comedy because that spontaneity and looseness, I think, is what translates on screen. Geraldine Viswanathan in 'The Broken Hearts Gallery'. (Credit: George Kraychyk/TriStar Pictures) And did that come easily to you guys? Especially you, Dacre, having done less comedy? DM: Again, the cast, Geraldine and Natalie all have these amazing creative minds, dramatic and comedic, and bring so many options. For me, it was just a learning experience, especially coming from a different kind of genre or content world. It did really force me to push myself out of this level of comfort and being safe, I guess, in my choices. It was really scary, obviously, but great as an ever-learning person to experience that. Hollywood comedy is in a really good place at the moment. Im thinking of films like Game Night and Booksmart and, of course, your movie Blockers, Geraldine. Do you guys think its a good time to be doing comedy in America? GV: Its always a good time! I think we need it. Oh my God, we need it to survive. I think were uncovering that more during this time. I just want to watch comedies. And it has been cool to see these comedies, especially studio comedies, have this sort of resurgence. And it has been fun to be a part of one of them. You mentioned the times were living in there and that has obviously loomed in some ways over the release of this film. Do you think it has, in some ways, made it a better time to release a film like this one? Dacre Montgomery in 'The Broken Hearts Gallery'. (Credit: George Kraychyk/TriStar Pictures) DM: A hundred percent. I was talking to someone the other day about the lack of widely spread, studio, cinematic release romcoms that dont just go straight to a streamer. So I think in the first instance, having a romcom thats coming out is fantastic. We were just talking with another journalist about this idea that its almost sort of a posthumous portrayal of a different kind of world, when it was easier to meet people. And I think now, oddly, it will have this kind of old-age relevance with people even just since February since we have been going through this global pandemic. And like Geraldine is saying, it will provide a really nice level of escapism to not only go to the cinema hopefully, if you can and theyre open in your county, your state, your country or whatever but also to go and have that level of escapism. It can tend to feel quite claustrophobic and crowded by news and isolation and all of these sorts of things. Im hoping for the best for this, definitely. GV: Well said. Thank you very much for your time. Next time youre in London, youll have to give me a shout for some karaoke and Ill be right there. GV: Yes please! DM: Definitely! The Broken Hearts Gallery is in UK cinemas from 11 September. A Delhi court on Thursday sought response from Delhi Police on pleas filed by 35 foreigners challenging the framing of charges against them for attending the Tablighi Jamaat congregation here by allegedly being negligent and disobeying the government's COVID-19 guidelines. Additional Sessions Judge Sandeep Yadav directed the police to file the reply by September 22. A magistrate court had on August 24 framed charges against 36 foreigners in all under sections 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), 269 (negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) of the Indian Penal Code and Section 3 (disobeying regulation) of Epidemic Act, 1897. The charges were also framed under section 51 (obstruction) Disaster Management Act, 2005. They were discharged for the offences under section 14 (1) (b) (violation of visa norms) of Foreigners Act, sections 270 (malignant act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) and 271 (Disobedience to quarantine rule) of IPC. The court, however, said there was not an iota of evidence to suggest that the accused had in any manner professed or propagated the principles and doctrines of the Tablighi Jamaat or had indulged in Tablighi work as alleged. The punishment for the offences for which they have been charged ranges from six months to eight years of imprisonment. The pleas, filed through advocates Ashima Mandla and Mandakini Singh, claimed that the magistrate court has "grossly erred" in exercising its power and framing charges under sections 3 of the Epidemic Diseases Act, section 188 IPC, section 269 IPC, and section 51 of the Disaster Management Act, in the absence of "a shred of prima facie evidence either indicative of or incriminating" the accused qua allegations so levelled. They claimed that the framing of charges against the foreigners on "mere conjectures and surmises" was untenable in law. The accused entered the country on a validly issued Tourism visa on February 26 and visited the Markaz only on February 27 till February 29, they said. "It is noteworthy that the magistrate court made an erroneous presumption based on the entry record of the accused in the Markaz register, in the absence of any shred of evidence pertaining to the duration of stay of the accused "Conveniently so, the Prosecution has failed to come forward with any record thereby indicating let alone establishing the presence of the accused person inside the Markaz in the intervening duration between March 12-31," the pleas alleged. They further claimed that the prosecution has levelled unsubstantiated allegations against the foreigners in connection with Tablighi Jamaat by making inaccurate statements that people from Indonesia, Malaysia and other countries attended the religious congregation acting as coronavirus carriers. "It is noteworthy that there is no material in the first place, to show that there was any event that the foreigners participated in, much less the dates of such participation. The statements of witnesses lend no support to the case of the prosecution in any way, as the prosecution have failed to both place and identify any foreign national at the Markaz, much less attributing a role to them, in the intervening period between March 12-31," the pleas alleged. They further said the magistrate court had failed to appreciate that even in the eventuality of foreign nationals being housed at Markaz pursuant to the nation-wide lockdown in the wake of the pandemic, it was nothing more than 'force of circumstances' as there was disruption in the operation of international flights to and fro as early as March 12 and March 16 and subsequently a complete ban from March 21 till April 15 at the first instance. Further it was informed to the police that despite the ban, on the intervening night between March 23-24, 700 persons had left, however the Jamaat organisers were facing problems in sending public back from Markaz, they said. "The prosecution failed to bring on record letter dated March 25, addressed by one Maulana Yusuf on behalf of the Jamaat to the Station House Officer (SHO), Police Station Hazrat Nizamuddin stating that as on March 23, more than 1,500 persons were vacated from the Markaz premises and further the concerned SHO was informed that more than 1,000 persons were stranded inside the premises and the same was also in the knowledge of the designated SDM (Sub-Divisional Magistrate)," the pleas claimed. They further said that despite the Centre's protocol for 14-days quarantine period, 955 foreign nationals were housed at quarantine centres for nearly two months, though they repeatedly tested negative and were released from the quarantine centres only after intervention of the High Court of Delhi. "Despite the factual matrix, the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate, without judicial application of mind, has roped the accused in the absence of prima facie evidence," the pleas alleged. HOLYOKE Venture X announced plans this week to open a co-working space in 16,000 feet of the office and retail building at 98 Lower Westfield Road in early 2021. In co-working space, people rent offices or desk space. Venture X offers event space and meeting room rentals for the day or by the hour for members and non-members in addition to office co-working. Venture X franchisee Ned Barowsky owns the Holyoke Mall Crossing site on Lower Westfield Road, once home to retailers Pier 1 and Kaoud Oriental Rugs. As a fourth generation Barowsky from Holyoke, I am very proud and excited to bring the Venture X concept to our area, he said . I believe that Venture X will be a great asset to the Holyoke market and will fill a need as Holyoke and the surrounding communities are lacking premium co-working space. Jason Anderson, president of Venture X, stated in a news release, We are thrilled to be opening our second Venture X location in Massachusetts and our first in the western part of the state. "The Venture X brand is growing exponentially, and we look forward to providing professional, co-working options to Holyoke and the surrounding communities, Anderson said. Netanyahu thanked Trump. It took us 26 years between the second peace agreement with an Arab country and the third, but only 29 days between the third and the fourth, and there will be more, he said, referring to the 1994 peace treaty with Jordan and the more recent agreements. Local featured Doggone miracle! Shelter clears kennels, sets personal record rescue rate JOEL ANDREWS/The Lufkin Daily News Many of the dog kennels are empty at Kurth Memorial Animal Services in Lufkin. The hallways of the Kurth Memorial Animal Shelter were quieter on Thursday afternoon than theyve been in a very long time. In the last three months, efforts by staff and volunteers have resulted in more than 600 animals being picked up by a rescue or adopted out, and this is just the beginning. Diane Paulette, a former youth parole officer, began volunteering at the shelter and realized the assistance she could lend rescue coordinator Carol Cintula to make a legitimate change. Cintula has worked at the shelter for four years but was promoted to rescue coordinator on top of her other duties in 2019. Everything was kind of in place, but theyre so overworked and understaffed and you couldnt get people to just focus on one thing, Paulette said. The shelter had some connections to rescues, but not as many as they needed to push out the quantities of animals that they had available, Paulette said. While other staff had worked with rescues in the past, they recognized the need for this specific position because of what it could mean for the shelter. And in that time, the work by Cintula and Paulette has shown what a person dedicated to organizing pickups with rescues can do. JOEL ANDREWS/The Lufkin Daily News Paula Taylor shows off the empty cat kennels at Kurth Memorial Animal Services in Lufkin. The duo began reaching out to rescues across the state, resulting in the creation of a national network of well-respected rescues that were perfectly happy to pick up East Texas animals. Between Carol and Diane, weve just been pushing a ton of dogs out of here, shelter director Aaron Ramsey said. A great amount of it, I owe to Diane, Cintula said. Paulettes sister works for a rescue, and from there, their work and connections sort of exploded. Because Cintula still has to conduct her regular shelter work, outside of coordinating with rescues, Paulettes assistance meant more energy to be placed in those coordinations. Most of the animals have been taken up north into states like Ohio and Washington where, since the coronavirus, more people have wanted to adopt a pet to keep them company. Several rescues plan to maintain their relationship with Kurth and will be stopping by on a monthly basis to pick up more animals as they come in. JOEL ANDREWS/The Lufkin Daily News Carol Cintula visits a pair of dogs in kennels at Kurth Memorial Animal Services in Lufkin. A lot of people in the northern states who have heard about the southern cities overrun with stray animals specifically ask for animals from East Texas, Paulette said. Unfortunately, the people up there who want to help, they say they want an East Texas rescue dog because they know the story, Paulette said. Its pitiful that thats our name out there, but the ones who really want to help say they want a Texas dog. Its good theyre coming, but sad we have that reputation. JOEL ANDREWS/The Lufkin Daily News Diane Paulette explains the advantages of transporting animals to rescue services across the United States from Kurth Memorial Animal Services in Lufkin. The largest group of animals rescued in one day actually came Wednesday when the Ohio Alley Cats rescued 103 cats from the shelter. I would say its a record, in one day, with all of those cats going out, Ramsey said. For a single day, thats probably a new personal record for the shelter. Especially for cats, Cintula said. The previous record was somewhere around 70 animals. Kurth is an exceptional choice for rescues to pull from because it has a vetting fund, Ramsey said. The vetting fund means animals are healthy before they go out anywhere, or at least have been diagnosed and are undergoing treatment for their ailments. Clearing the shelter also means more resources can be given to the animals brought in who arent picked up by a rescue. Theyll have more time to work with an animal, keep it clean and learn about the animal before its adopted out. Especially since were always short-staffed here, we dont have enough people, when the numbers are down we can always provide better care, Cintula said. Despite these efforts, the shelter has maintained its number of daily and weekly intakes. On average, they bring in at least 12 animals a day. This means animals are always moving in, ready to be adopted or fostered, and the shelter staff wants to encourage people to continue to adopt. Even while moving more than 400 animals just to rescues, there were 244 adoptions from June 1 to Sept. 10. And the effect on the shelter, just by the work of those few months, was exceptional. JOEL ANDREWS/The Lufkin Daily News Mementos of successful animal adoptions decorate the walls at Kurth Memorial Animal Services in Lufkin. Kennels that were typically filled by one or more occupants were empty and the animals that remained were more relaxed than their predecessors had been. The staff, while still tired from long days of hard work, were quicker to smile and laugh. Where at one time more than one animal might be euthanized each day to make room, its been weeks since the last time they had to euthanize a healthy animal, and that was a unique case. Instead, they know that most of those animals are in a safe place and have the potential to find a forever home. by Sumon Corraya For the Bangladesh Catholic Education Board, the pandemic danger is still too high. The country has about 332,000 COVID-19 cases with more than 4,600 deaths. Schools will remain closed until 3 October. Many children have no access to e-learning. Some propose that all students get a pass. Some fear that the number of school dropouts will rise because of the coronavirus. Dhaka (AsiaNews) The pandemic danger is too high in the country to be able to reopen the schools. For Jyoti F. Gomes, secretary of the Bangladesh Catholic Education Board (BCEB), it is too risky for students go back to school at this time. Bangladesh has reported about 332,000 cases so far with more than 4,600 deaths, 30 a day, and more than 233,000 recoveries. The government, which has announced that schools will remain closed at least until 3 October, has not yet decided when they will actually reopen. To remedy the situation, the authorities have encouraged students to take part in e-learning classes since it imposed a lockdown in March. However, since most students do not have mobile devices or internet connection, teaching was also offered on national television. Gomes told AsiaNews that in July he asked all the principals of Catholic schools to be ready to reopen when the government gives the green light. "To ensure the safety of the students, we invited school administrators to upgrade school buildings, especially washrooms, and set up a system of drinking water where there is none. The Catholic Church in Bangladesh runs a university, 16 colleges, a thousand primary and secondary schools as well as 13 vocational training centres across the country. The BCEB comes under the Catholics Bishops' Conference of Bangladesh. According to the BCEB secretary, the government this year should give everyone a pass to avoid risks with school reopening. In his view, school activities should start again only after the COVID-19 emergency is over. Save the Children agrees. During an online round table organised by the Prothom Alo newspaper held yesterday, the NGO noted that the health situation in the country is still too dangerous, and that it is necessary to wait before reopening of schools. According to Prof Mohammad Shahidullah, member of the National Technical Advisory Committee on COVID-19, school reopening should be planned in detail in order to reduce the risk of contagion. He also said that he was concerned about the probable increase in school drop-outs, due to the economic hardship in which many families now find themselves. To overcome the problem, Shahidullah proposes that the government provide economic incentives to students in need, thus favouring their return to school. COVID-19 was projected to put a serious hurt on many college and university enrollments this fall, but that has not been the case at Davenport University. The private university, which has campuses throughout the state, including Midland, has nearly 6,300 students enrolled online and in traditional in-person classes. That number includes a 15% enrollment increase at its Midland campus and a 4% hike across all campuses, but officials refrain from divulging specific numbers for each of its campuses. We have a policy that we dont offer specific numbers by campus, said Amy Miller, Davenports executive director, communications and public relations. This is for a few reasons. One, is that Davenport is unique in that we are challenged to offer specific numbers until after Nov. 2. We have two fall start dates Sept. 8 and Nov. 2 so our numbers continue to change. Other Mid-Michigan universities may not be experiencing the COVID-defying enrollment spikes of Davenport, but there certainly are pockets of positivity despite operating in an environment that poses unprecedented challenges on many levels. Northwood University has welcomed back nearly 1,100 new and returning students to its Midland campus this fall. Its a number that is slightly lower than last year, but given the circumstances, it could have been much worse, said spokesperson Rachel Valdiserri. We have seen better than expected enrollments in our adult degree program and DeVos Graduate School programs. Northwood, like other institutions, has gone to great lengths to prepare its campus for a fall return of students. We have prepared campus and other locations with our students well-being in mind, she said. We know we cant eliminate COVID, but we take responsibility for ourselves and others to mitigate risk. Valdiserri said interest and enrollment in Northwoods new doctor of administration degree has exceeded expectations, noting there is a waiting list of applicants for the program. The university is using a number of methodologies to navigate through the pandemic. Traditional undergraduate classes are meeting face-to-face and are also live-streamed for students who opt for a virtual learning environment. The adult degree program offers classes online and in a real-time online (RT0) environment with instructors and students meeting virtually on a specific day and time. Graduate classes are taking place face-to-face and in a hybrid format, depending on the program, and the doctoral program is being taught strictly online. However, regardless of the program, all current face-to-face classes are designed to move online, as necessary, Valdiserri said. Meanwhile, Mid Michigan College has begun its fall semester slightly under fall 2019 enrollment of 3,769 students. We had budgeted to have fewer students because of the uncertainty in the world and the general decline in enrollment across the state over the last few years, said Matt Miller, vice president of Student Services at Mid Michigan. We did see enrollment come in a little faster as we approached the start of the semester, so that made us excited for fall. Mid is offering a mix of on-campus, online and hybrid classes. Virtual classes arent for everyone, as most administrators and instructors will tell you. We recognize that some students really prefer face-to-face classes, so we have a number of new protocols in place to promote safety in the learning environment, Miller said. This is an unusual time and our students are faced with unprecedented circumstances. Across the college, we have been hard at work to create the healthiest and safest environments we can. We all must look ahead, keep moving forward, and navigate these times of difficulty with resilience and care for one another. As expected, Saginaw Valley State University is experiencing a slight enrollment dip from the 8,265 students it enrolled last fall. Overall numbers in Cardinal Country may be down a bit, but officials are encouraged to see more students from the Great Lakes Bay Region choosing to stay closer to home and enroll at SVSU. The school has frozen tuition and increased scholarships and financial aid because this is such a challenging time for many families, said spokesman J.J. Boehm. Since mid-July, SVSU has conducted 10 orientation sessions, bringing more than 1,000 incoming freshmen to campus, many of whom opt to stay in the universitys highly-regarded residence halls. Boehm said new students have been quick to embrace new safety protocols and learn about all the opportunities available to them on campus. The university has pulled out all stops to educate its community about the new reality its facing. Through webinars, virtual town hall meetings, social media, a campus hotline and other means, we have communicated extensively with students, families and the community about our Cardinal NEST Plan (New Expectations for a Safer Tomorrow)," Boehm said. Thanks to the private support of alumni, local foundations and others, we have hired 100 students to serve as NEST Ambassadors to reinforce a culture of safety and responsibility across campus. SVSU is offering a mix of in-person, online and hybrid courses this semester. A 35-year-old pregnant woman, Risikat Saliman, was shot dead during a bloody clash between suspected cult groups at Aleke community in Ikorodu, Lagos State on Thursday. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) gathered that dozens of suspected cultists invaded Aleke community market around 8 p.m., started shooting sporadically, killing the woman. The Baale of Aleke, Adeniyi Okemati, said the hoodlums had gunned down the mother of two before the arrival of policemen from at Imota Division. I dont know why they came and be terrorising our people, he said. We want Lagos government to intervene so that we can collectively curb the menace to enable my people sleep with their two eyes closed. He appealed to the Lagos State Government to intervene. Mr Okemati also urged residents to collaborate with local vigilante teams to curb insecurity in the area. Traumatised The brother of the deceased, Babatunde Saliman, told NAN that the hoodlums arrived at the market around 8 p.m. and started shooting sporadically and eventually the bullet hit her on the back. I met her at the market lying in a pool of blood; some of her friends who came to the scene said that she was pregnant. Her body has been released by the police and was taken to Ikorodu General Hospital mortuary in preparation to transport her to her home town in Kwara State, he said. He called on the police to investigate the killing. Police react Meanwhile, the police spokesperson in Lagos State, Muyiwa Adejobi, who confirmed the killing, said that the cult clash was between Aiye and Eiye confraternity. He said policemen have restored normalcy to the area while the matter had been taken to the State Criminal Invesgation Department (SCID) Panti, Lagos. He said the commissioner of police, Lagos State, Hakeem Odumosu, has warned that the police will deal ruthlessly with anyone found culpable. The woman was killed by stray bullet when the two rival cults of Eiye and Aiye engaged each other in a supremacy battle. The Commissioner of Police in the state, Hakeem Odumosu, has zero tolerance for cultism. Cultism breeds various other crimes wherever they exist, he said. New Delhi: Regarding the issue of selling doormats printed with national flag by e-retail giant Amazon, The Ministry of External Affairs on Friday expressed hope that such incidence does not happen in future. MEA official spokesperson Vikas Swaroop told news agency ANI that The External Affairs Ministry responded by seeking an apology from Amazon and asking for the offended item to be removed. Within a day, the vice-president and country head responded by expressing regret and removing the item from the website. Earlier on Thursday, in a letter to Swaraj, Vice President and Country Manager of Amazon India Amit Agarwal said, I am writing in connection with the products that carried the Indian flag, as referred to in your tweet... Amazon India is committed to respecting Indian laws and customs. To the extent that these items offered by a third-party seller in Canada offended Indian sensibilities, Amazon regrets the same. At no time did we intend or mean to offend Indian sentiments. Also Read: Amazon Canada removes doormats with tricolour after Sushma's warning, but British flag doormats available on Amazon India For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. NEW YORK, Sept. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- In observance of the 19th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, now a federally recognized National Day of Service and Remembrance, 9/11 Day, founded by 9/11 families and others from the 9/11 community, and World Central Kitchen, a nonprofit organization founded in 2010 by chef and humanitarian Jose Andres, are teaming up to deliver more than 35,000 meals from local restaurants to support first responders and frontline healthcare workers in more than 35 cities nationwide. The program will provide a much-needed infusion of revenue for independently owned restaurants struggling as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. 9/11 Day and World Central Kitchen said that the goal of the program is to ensure that at least 50 percent of the meals will come from minority-owned restaurants. "Preparing and sharing a meal is an expression of love," said Nate Mook, CEO of World Central Kitchen. "Our aim is to create a groundswell of support for those working tirelessly on the front lines of the COVID-19 response while extending help and hope to restaurants and restaurant workers nationwide." Individuals can sponsor a meal for a first responder or healthcare worker for just $10.00 by visiting 911day.org . The Principal Financial Group Foundation has joined as a leading supporter of the program, helping to make those individual dollars go further with a grant of $250,000 made from the Principal Financial Group Fund. Nationwide Day of Virtual Volunteering Planned for 9/11 Sponsoring a meal is one of 11 featured "good deeds" 9/11 Day will be promoting on its website this year as part of its nationwide day of virtual volunteering in observance of the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on America. 9/11 Day is the nonprofit that successfully worked to establish the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks as a federally recognized National Day of Service and Remembrance ("9/11 Day"). "This program is reminiscent of how, 19 years ago, meals arrived at fire stations and hospitals as a show of solidarity and appreciation from the community," said Jay Winuk, 9/11 Day co-founder and 9/11 family member. "This year, anyone, anywhere can get involved by sponsoring a meal and supporting local businesses in the process." "Principal Foundation maintains our commitment to empowering underserved communities especially during these challenging times," said Paula Juffer, Interim Principal Foundation Director. "This association with 9/11 Day and World Central Kitchen provides another opportunity to support minority owned small businesses as well as providing meals to over 200,000 first responders." Other major contributors to this program include Raytheon Technologies, Stifel, Turner Construction, Zurich Insurance, Citi Foundation, Bank of America, Kroger, Pfizer, and the Corporation for National and Community Service, a federal agency that oversees AmeriCorps and other national service programs. For more information on 9/11 Day please visit 911day.org. Emily Walsh/Omar Renta 9/[email protected] SOURCE 9/11 Day Related Links https://911day.org Nineteen years ago, three Westfield natives were among those killed in the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York, and their hometown remembered them Friday in an annual ceremony at the memorial erected in their honor. The 9/11 Memorial Park is dedicated to Westfield natives Tara Shea-Creamer, Brian Murphy, and Daniel Trant, who died in the attacks launched on Sept. 11, 2001. Shea-Creamer was a passenger aboard American Airlines Flight 11, the first of two planes to crash into World Trade Center towers in New York, while Murphy and Trant were at work in the World Trade Center. The ceremony was attended by family members who gather each year to celebrate the lives of their lost loved ones. James F. Shea, former Westfield schools superintendent and father of Tara Shea-Creamer; Ann Murphy, Brian Murphys sister; and Matthew Trant, brother of Daniel Trant were once again present for the laying of the wreath in honor of the dead. Matthew Trant said his brother was an unassuming man who would be humbled by the support from the community that, like the rest of the country, never forgets the events of that tragic day. Daniel would have wondered why this ceremony is held year after year. He was a humble guy, he said. He would have been appreciative and grateful, as our family is, to have this wonderful outpouring of support. Ann Murphy said it is important for the community to remember 9/11 in order to continue the American way of life as we know it. Its important for the community to remember the horrific events of that happened 19 years ago, she said. Its gratifying that Westfield is diligent in remembering what happened on that heinous day. This is an annual reminder that we need to work every day to preserve our way of life. The ceremony was led by Mayor Donald F. Humason Jr., and included speakers U.S. Rep. Richard Neal, D-Springfield, and state Sen. John Velis, D-Westfield, all of whom spoke of the need to never forget 9/11, the nearly 3,000 lives that were lost that day, and the resiliency of our country. Velis said it is critical for the citizens of Westfield and the rest of the country to always remember the importance of 9/11, which left a profound effect on world affairs to this day. Here in Westfield we dont forget the day that changed America forever, he said. I wonder if the cowards who are to blame anticipated that 19 years later wed still be here today. Neal paid tribute to the first responders who ran into the burning buildings as people fled them before the towers toppled to the ground. When everyone else was trying to get out, fire and police ran in, he said. "Buildings can be rebuilt and sod relayed, but we should never forget the grief of these families. Neal also said the country needs to remain vigilant because another 9/11 could happen. It could happen again, Neal said. Its similar to Pearl Harbor, but these were innocent people who went to work that day. Kwaku Boahen, Communications team member of the NDC, says the call from the National Peace Council to all political parties to disband vigilantism ahead of the December 7 election is late. According to him, the Peace Council has been sitting unconcerned about violent acts under the incumbent government; so although the Peace Council has spoken, their advice came too late. Speaking on UTVs Adekye Nsroma program, Kwaku Boahen said, there have been so many violent incidents under this government but the Peace Council decided not to speak against or condemn it . . . now that President Akufo-Addo has collapsed all the security agencies in the country, you are calling for peace . . . their advice came too late. View this post on Instagram Kweku Boahen #AdekyeNsroma #UTVGhana #DespiteMedia A post shared by UTV Ghana (@utvghana) on Sep 9, 2020 at 3:07am PDT Source: Josephine Acheampomaa/[email protected] Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Prince Harry and Prince Williams alleged rift began when Harry started dating Meghan, Duchess of Sussex in 2016. Thats what Amid Scobie and Carolyn Durand wrote in their new royal biography Finding Freedom. Now, a royal correspondent says that the brothers relationship has irreparably changed and could sour further. Meghan Markle, Prince Harry, Prince William, and Kate Middleton | Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images There are clear fractures in Prince Harry and Prince Williams relationship According to Fox News, True Royalty TV has released a documentary titled The Royal Beat: Finding Freedom. The companion piece analyzes Scobie and Durands bombshell book, with Kate Thornton hosting. Thornton says that the writers of Finding Freedom were determined to investigate Harry and Williams falling out. I am sure its a temporary loss. And thats touched upon in our TV special. These guys will repair. They will heal, Thornton said. But right now there are fractures quite clearly within their relationship. Theyre not even living on the same continent. And thats going to hurt because they were shoulder to shoulder, brother to brother. Thornton made it clear this doesnt mean the siblings cant heal their rift. She noted that William and Harry are family. Its extraordinary for fans to think no one in the House of Windsor would ever have a falling out. Or, that nothing would ever go wrong and family members wouldnt butt heads. The royal siblings didnt speak for two months, claims biographer Page Six reports that Prince William and Prince Harry cut off all communication with each other for two months in the wake of Megxit. Scobie explained that Harry and Meghans decision to go public with their plans instead of discussing it with the family first caused the distance between the brothers to grow wider. Scobie says the brothers still barely speak, and it will take some time to heal. He says that because Harry and Meghans statements to the media werent discussed among the royal family, it caused the most amount of hurt to William. RELATED: Prince Harry and Prince William: A Look Back at Their Relationship Before Meghan Markle The biographer explained that William isnt just Harrys older brother, hes also the future King of the United Kingdom. William apparently felt that Harry damaged the familys reputation by putting the family business into the public domain. Scobie says the hurt continues to this day. And, the family didnt make much of an effort to convince Harry and Meghan to stay. Prince Harrys relationship with his brother has changed forever According to BBC royal correspondent Jonny Dymond, Prince Harrys comments in a 2019 documentary may have irreparably changed his relationship with Prince William. Express reports that when Harry said he and William were on different paths in the ITV doc shot during Harry and Meghans trip to South Africa, it escalated problems between the siblings. The relationship between William and Harry is irreparably changed. And the odds are, given the splitting of households and the charitable foundation, the establishment of separate diary and communications staff, relations will sour further, Dymond writes. RELATED: Princess Dianas Anniversary Will Highlight One of the Most Heartbreaking Aspects of William and Harrys Fractured Relationship He explained that Harry cant get over his loathing for everyone and everything involved in his mothers death. This includes the British media and The Firm. Now that Prince William and Prince Harry have different staffs and different objectives, they rub against each other instead of working together. The Royal Beat: Finding Freedom is currently available for streaming on True Royalty TV. I still wonder. Eight years ago, I suggested a different way to teach writing in high school: Require students take at least one semester of reading and writing instead of their regular English class. A paper would be due each Monday. In class, students would read what they liked or work on next weeks essay. They would take turns being edited by the teacher while they watched. That would total about three hours of personal editing by the end of the semester, much more than the zero hours usually allotted. A museum in Charleston, South Carolina, has pulled a jewelry line featuring items made from debris from Black Lives Matter protests and named after black victims of police brutality after a backlash from customers and activists. The Gibbes Museum of Art announced that it cancelled plans to sell the 'Wear Their Names' collection after swift backlash from local activists and social media. The collection featured necklaces, earrings, bolo ties and rings made with pieces of shattered window glass collected during Black Lives Matter demonstrations in May. 'Justice is not jewelry. Especially not jewelry named after Black bodies. Its heinous,' said local activist Tamika Gadsen. Each piece of jewelry was specifically named after a black American who died at the hands of law enforcement, and prices ranged from less than $50 to nearly $500. The Gibbes Museum of Art in Charleston, South Carolina, said it would no long er sell jewelry pieces featured in the 'Wear Their Names' collection The collection featured necklaces, rings, bracelets and rings named after black victims of police brutality (pictured) A necklace named 'The Breonna' for Breonna Taylor was priced at $240; a similar piece called 'The Elijah' after Elijah McClain cost $480; and 'The Trayvon' in reference to Trayvon Martin was listed for $45. A necklace named for Tanisha Pughsley was discounted from $190 to $155, while an earring referencing Tamir Rice was sold out. The Charleston couple behind the controversial collection, Paul Chelmis and Jin Wen, explained their rationale to Charleston Scene last week. Paul Chelmis and Jin Wen (left ti right) told Charleston Scene last week that they were inspired while watching demonstrations unfold in May The pair was inspired after watching a Facebook Live stream of a peaceful demonstration in Charleston on May 30. Later that night, some residents would damage local property during clashes with law enforcement. 'I kind of saw it as a natural reaction,' Chelmis told the publication. 'Like yeah, of course this is the result of our inattention. 'Instead of focusing on how terrible these people are who are "rioting," we should focus on what we should do to prevent it from happening in the future.' The Charleston couple drove downtown and collected shards of glass from windows that were shattered during unrest Paul Chelmis (pictured): 'Instead of focusing on how terrible these people are who are "rioting," we should focus on what we should do to prevent it from happening in the future' After talking, the couple decided to 'make something beautiful out of the rubble' and collected the shards of glass from outside damaged storefronts and buildings. The products were featured on Shan Shui, the couple's online store, and would be sold in the Gibbes Museum of Art gift shop. Proceeds would be donated to 'From Privilege to Progress,' a nonprofit organization seeking to 'desegregate' discussions about racism. But the plan was quickly scrapped when activists and others lambasted the collection, with some comparing the sale of the jewelry to a 'slave auction.' On Twitter, and 18-year-old activist named Sophie Ming decried the pieces for being monetized and for the proceeds not being directed to the victims' families. 'Its as if the name attached to the product determines the monetary value of each life. Thats what Im getting, its disturbing,' she wrote. Tamika Gadsen, founder of the Charleston Activist Network, shared that sentiment and blasted the collection online after reading an article about it in the Post and Courier. Sophie Ming, an activist who spoke out on Twitter, criticized the collection for monetizing black victims' lives and called it 'disturbing' Both Elijah McClain (left) and Trayvon Martin (right) were featured in the collection with pieces priced from $95 to $480 One necklace in the 'Wear Their Name' collection was named after Breonna Taylor, a 26-year-old EMT who was shot dead by Louisville officers this year 'I stumbled across this story in my Twitter feed, and its not hyperbole when I say Ive never responded so quickly to something so egregiously ill-conceived in Charleston. Ive never reacted that fast,' she told Yahoo Life. 'I pushed myself to finish the article in record time to make sure I got all of the details, to see if this was a joke maybe theres more to the story.' Gadsen described the collection under Shan Shui as a type of performative activism that, outwardly, had the appearance of supporting the black community but actually profited off the pain. What struck her as particularly offensive was the bolo tie named after Eric Garner, a 43-year-old New York father who died after a police officer placed him in a chokehold. Garner was seen on video pleading 'I can't breathe,' which was echoed by George Floyd six years later and became a rallying cry for the Black Lives Matter. After Garner's death, New York banned the use of chokeholds by officers. 'When you name a bolo tie after Eric Garner, the gruesomeness just leapt from the page. Its so Charleston to mischaracterize that gruesome exercise as charity,' said Gadsen. 'They made something gruesome look beautiful.' Tamika Gadsen: 'When you name a bolo tie after Eric Garner (pictured), the gruesomeness just leapt from the page. Its so Charleston to mischaracterize that gruesome exercise as charity' Pictured: pieces of the 'Wear Their Name' jewelry featured on the Charleston couple's website, Shan Shui People on social media spoke out as well to call the collection 'tasteless' and disappointing. 'There is an appropriate and inappropriate way to depict tragedies through art. Here is an example of a completely inappropriate, tone deaf, and tasteless way to do it...' one Twitter user wrote. 'Naming pieces after them and selling them for different prices give me slave auction vibes,' another said. One person called it 'disgusting' and said 'do not commodify the Black Lives Matter movement, police brutality and murder.' A number of Twitter users spoke out against the collection and expressed disappointment that black victims' were being used in the project Some social media users compared the sale of the Wear Their Names collection to a 'slave auction' User: 'Calling it "art" is no excuse. Regardless of where the money goes, you're commodifying the suffering of these families. There's a difference between support and exploitation.' User: 'What the actual hell is this? I swear people will always find a way to capitalize black people's pain' 'Calling it 'art' is no excuse. Regardless of where the money goes, you're commodifying the suffering of these families. There's a difference between support and exploitation.' In response to Sophie Ming's original post, one user said: 'What the actual hell is this? I swear people will always find a way to capitalize black people's pain. 'And I'm sure none of that money will go to the family members of any of those people their jewelry is named after.' In response to the outcry, Chelmis and Wen apologized with a now-deleted message on their social media. Shan Shui: 'Though we only wanted to honor the victim's names and retell their story, we see now that using those names was inappropriate and in poor taste' Pictured: a bolo tie featured as part of the 'Wear Their Name' collection 'While out intentions were pute and we consulted a wide variety of people before launching, it is clear that there are issues with the approach that we took,' the statement read. 'Though we only wanted to honor the victim's names and retell their story, we see now that using those names was inappropriate and in poor taste.' As of Friday, Shan Shui's website and social media accounts have been removed. While the couple's approach has been criticized, Gadsen hoped that people would look beyond this one instance and educate themselves on the larger context. 'White people feel entitled to tell us what we should do with our pain and how we should memorialize it,' said Gadsen. 'This is the time for white and non-Black POC folk to listen to Black people, not to take up space and thats what they did.' ALTON Land of Lincoln Legal Aid will host a Virtual Madison County Expungement Week online Sept. 21-25. The free online event will allow individuals with criminal records to begin the process of attempting to clear their records while also having the opportunity to learn about job training, educational opportunities, financial literacy and other programs. Madison County Employment and Training, Lewis and Clark Community College, The Dream Center, and Regions Bank are partnering with Land of Lincoln for this event. At noon of each day during the week, a different community partner will offer an online presentation about services they offer that could help people with criminal records obtain economic security. The online presentations will be available through Land of Lincolns Facebook page at facebook.com/lincolnlegalaid/. Land of Lincolns Facebook page will also be linking to an online form people can fill out to begin the expungement and sealing process. After the information is entered, Land of Lincoln staff will determine if the individual is eligible for record-clearing assistance. An expungement is a legal court order that destroys a criminal record and removes it from public view. Records that cannot be expunged because they resulted in convictions may be eligible to be sealed. Sealing limits who has access to the records. It may be several months from when a petition for expungement and sealing is filed until a decision is made by a judge. Daniel R. Kuehnert, a senior staff attorney with Land of Lincoln, said that criminal records often prevent people from landing a job or getting a higher paying job. The mistake you make at 18 years old shouldnt prevent you from getting a job when youre 40, Kuehnert said. A criminal record can be a major barrier in seeking employment, housing and education. Kuehnert said it is more beneficial to society to allow citizens the opportunity to work and live productive lives than to be held back by youthful missteps resulting in an arrest or conviction. He said that, although Illinois law prevents a potential employer from asking someone if they have been arrested on a job application, as someone moves further into the process of being hired, a background check may still show the arrest. By clearing their criminal histories as much as possible, people are granted freedom to seek better opportunities to improve their lives, he said. For the past several years, Land of Lincoln has helped organize large, in-person expungement events in Madison County each fall, which allowed dozens of people to file their expungement/sealing petitions at one time. Although such an in-person event is not possible this year due to the restrictions on large events because of the coronavirus pandemic, Madison County Virtual Expungement Week builds on the tradition of those events. The pandemic and the economic downturn are making it harder for anybody who is looking for work right now, Kuehnert said. For people with a criminal record, they have an extra burden that makes the struggle even more difficult. Thats why Land of Lincoln feels it is very important to do an expungement event this year, even if it cant be done in person. With our wide variety of community partners at the event, we hope it will give individuals with criminal records several tools to help work towards economic security. Madison County Virtual Expungement Week is taking part in National Expungement Week, September 19-26, when community organizations across the country are putting on events dedicated to increasing opportunities for expungement and other criminal records relief. This event is part of Land of Lincolns Fresh Start Project, which assists people who have been involved with the criminal justice system. In addition to expungement and sealing, the Fresh Start Project also assists recently incarcerated individuals with other types of civil legal issues. The Fresh Start Project is supported by funding from the Westside Justice Center-Access to Justice initiative. East Windsor, Conn. - The Connecticut Trolley Museum will once again be hosting its popular event, Pumpkin Patch Trolley. This fundraising event is extremely important in supporting the museum especially now since the Museum got hit hard financially from the Pandemic. Pumpkin Patch is a family fun filled adventure where you ride on a trolley car through the fall forest to the pumpkin patch field and each person can pick out a pumpkin. Each person will receive a bag filled with stickers to decorate their pumpkin. The Art & Craft tables will be open for the enjoyment of visitors. The Visitor Center will be open and decorated for Halloween. The Fire Truck Museum which is housed on the same property as the Trolley Museum will be open and included in Museum admission. Admission is $13 per person (all ages) and half off for Museum Members. The event will be held Thurs-Sun starting September 24. Visit www.ct-trolley.org for hours of operation, to purchase tickets and to read the Covid-19 Visitor Policy. Pumpkin Patch Trolley will also be open on Monday, October 12 for Columbus Day. Admission is $13 per person (any age) and Museum Members receive half off admission. The Connecticut Trolley Museum is located at 58 North Road (Rt. 140) and is a short 15 minutes north of Hartford or a short 15 minutes south of Springfield. For more information, please call our business office at 860-627-6540 or visit our website at www.ct-trolley.org. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-11 21:57:31|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close COLOMBO, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- The Sri Lankan government led by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on Friday said the country aims to manufacture high-quality medicines to cater to local and global markets at affordable prices. A statement from the President's Media Division said the government plans to produce 50 percent of the country's requirement of pharmaceuticals locally within the next three years. "The objective is to provide high-quality medicine to the public and the foreign market as well, at affordable prices. All products are made in accordance with the recommendations and standards of the World Health Organization," the statement said. Presently, 85 percent of Sri Lanka's drug requirement is met through imports at an annual cost of an estimated 730 million U.S. dollars. Producing pharmaceuticals locally will pave the way to save an estimated 335 million U.S. dollars. The statement said Sri Lanka is currently the largest importer of drugs in the Asian region. The president stressed that it was high time to turn the tables and added that large scale local investors were willing to contribute to this effort. "An investment zone of 400 acres will be established in the Hambantota Industrial Zone for manufacturing medicine targeting the global market. The world's topmost pharmaceutical companies have already expressed their inclination to join this venture. There is a huge demand for pharmaceuticals in the African and Southeast Asian region and it is also a goal to grab those market opportunities," the statement said. President Rajapaksa has made an open invitation to all the pharmaceutical importers to invest in manufacturing medicines locally. Enditem A woman wears a face mask in a coffee shop in Dublin as NPHET have indicated that Dublin is at the forefront of the increase in the number of Covid-19 cases nationally. Photo: Brian Lawless/PA Wire Almost 1.4 million people living in Dublin are being given a last chance to stop the spread of the coronavirus before facing the prospect of new restrictions. The National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet) yesterday urged the Government to introduce new restrictions on family gatherings as fears increased over the rise in new cases in the capital. Nphet called for rules on indoor gatherings to be significantly reduced to allow only people from two different households meet indoors. The current rules allow six people from three different households to hold indoor gatherings. Read More The recommendation was aimed at clamping down on the spread of the virus from family gatherings and people mixing with households other than their own. However, the Government has decided to sit on the recommendations and wait until next week before making a decision on restrictions for Dublin. Instead, the Government is expected to urge people living in Dublin and Limerick to limit their social contacts this weekend and cancel any parties or celebrations they have planned. The move comes as another 107 new Covid-19 cases were recorded in Dublin alone. Acting chief medical officer Dr Ronan Glynn warned that the rate of community transmission was still too high and asked people to be more cautious. "By limiting our contacts, we limit the opportunity Covid-19 has to spread through the community and ultimately we protect our families, our communities and those who are most vulnerable to the severest impacts of the disease," Dr Glynn said. Nphet also recommended postponing the reopening of "wet pubs" in Dublin because of concerns about the impact of more social gatherings while incidents of new cases are still rising. The public health group last week said pubs that do not serve food could be allowed to reopen at the earliest on September 21. However, it said there should be no live music or dancing and television volumes should be kept low. This is because Nphet is concerned music or television on a high volume will lead to people raising their voices and increase the spread of the virus in pubs. Live music is currently prohibited in bars that serve food. Culture Minister Catherine Martin said she was in favour of music being played in all bars when they reopen. Yesterday, in its advice to Government Nphet said the reopening of pubs should be postponed in Dublin. It did not urge against opening pubs in any other area of the country. Meanwhile, a Cabinet subcommittee on Covid-19 met to discuss the Government's soon-to-be-published medium-term action plan for living with the virus. The new plan will involve five levels of restrictions which will be introduced depending on the rate of the virus in a region or county. Taoiseach Micheal Martin said the Government was "looking at a number of levels that will be triggered by Nphet into the future". "We have used localised responses in terms of severe restrictions. They worked in Laois, Offaly and Kildare. Those would be part of a suite of options open to Nphet in the future," he said. "Restrictions will have to kick in if the level of cases spike and Nphet will intervene at certain stages along the way. It will be clearer to the public at what particular stages those will kick in," he added. The detailed plan will be published next week and will include a number of categories such as gatherings, transport and retail that will have corresponding restrictions. The plan will be debated by the Cabinet before it is published next week. Read More Labour Party leader Alan Kelly said the new Covid plan must be "elderly-proofed". Speaking in the Dail, the Tipperary TD said: "We need to look after our elderly. "We are heading into six months of winter, which is a difficult time. We need to ensure that the elderly can live their lives." Mr Kelly also insisted the plan must address the needs of people with disabilities and ensure they can still get the treatments they need while restrictions are in place. He also said the plan should address issues around sport and socialising, especially for older people. Tanaiste Leo Varadkar said the new plan was "the second chapter" in the fight against Covid-19. He said it would be more difficult than the first. "It is about suppressing the virus as much as possible while at the same time keeping the country open, including our schools, childcare, regular health services, cancer screening and businesses and employment," he said. Michelle Rodriguez in poster art for 'Fast & Furious 9'. (Credit: Universal) Michelle Rodriguez has hinted that Fast & Furious 9 might go to space, suggesting that the franchises vehicular mayhem may stretch to the final frontier. Asked about the long-standing rumours on radio station SiriusXM, the actor behind Dom Torettos wife Letty seemed to think somebody had let the cat out of the bag. Read more: Nathalie Emmanuel says shed follow Fast & Furious to space She said: "Oh, no way. How did you guys find that out? See what happens? People start talking behind the scenes, man. When a movie doesn't come out and... forget about it, things get out. Nobody was supposed to know that. Michelle Rodriguez in 2009's 'Fast & Furious' (Universal) The 42-year-old star may well have been joking, especially as rumours about space have followed the increasingly fantastical Fast franchise for several years. She did add that she wasnt lucky enough to hit space in this movie, without ruling out the idea that other characters might leave the Earths atmosphere. Read more: Tom Cruise could earn 50m for space film Rodriguezs co-star Ludacris also added to the rumour mill in July, hinting on a SiriusXM interview of his own that suggestions about the characters heading into space might be on the money. It has long been assumed that the Fast movies will eventually make it to space, but the recent announcement that Tom Cruise is heading there for real means they might just be beaten to the punch. Michelle Rodriguez and Vin Diesel visit Washington Heights on behalf of "The Fate Of The Furious" on April 11, 2017. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Universal Pictures) Whether or not Fast & Furious is leaving terra firma, Rodriguez did confirm she was able to lobby producers to bring on a female writer for the ninth movie. My biggest fight was getting a female writer and Im really happy that they were open to it, she said. Read more: Rodriguez celebrates birthday on Fast 9 set The star added: People just care about themselves usually, or people who look like them or act like them or have the same genitalia, I dont know. Its just how it works. And so I just know that if I bring up a female writer and she might care a little more about the female story. Story continues Vin Diesel as Dom Toretto in the 'Fast & Furious' franchise. (Credit: Universal) Originally set for a 2019 release, Fast & Furious 9 was shunted down the schedule in order to make way for the Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham spin-off Hobbs & Shaw. It was then completed in time for a May 2020 release, only to be pushed into 2021 as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. Read more: Johnson confirms Hobbs & Shaw sequel Alongside the usual cast members, John Cena has joined the ensemble as Jakob Toretto the brother of Vin Diesels protagonist. Fast 9 will also address the long-running Justice for Han campaign by featuring the return of Sung Kang as Han, who was believed to have been killed by Stathams character in the post-credits scene of Fast & Furious 6 a flashback to the 2006 film Tokyo Drift. The movie is now due to arrive on cinema screens in April 2021, whether its heading into space or not. CLIMATE The Carbon Club Marian Wilkinson Allen & Unwin, $32.99 It took one lunch with George W. Bush in 2001 for John Howard to agree to dropping ratification of Kyoto, without a word to his ministers. We became the presidents closest friend in resisting climate change. Fast forward two decades and on climate Australia seems closer to the Saudis and Brazil and, yes, to Donald Trump than to the Europeans or Japan. Or Joe Biden. Marian Wilkinsons book is a forensically researched account of how the clever country found climate policy too hard and collapsed into being laggard and sceptic, even as its land mass became more prone to fires and drought and its reef struggled with mass bleaching caused by heating oceans. Marian Wilkinson's book examines how Australia has failed to produce a meaningful climate policy to help deal with such problems as coral bleaching. Credit:XL Catlin Seaview Survey There is no one villain in her icily objective narrative but US influence in our politics is a big factor, although if Biden is elected he might edge Canberra away from more gas and to net zero emissions by 2050. President Uhuru Kenyatta hit back at politicians who recently attacked his mother Mama Ngina Kenyatta telling them to insult their own mothers instead. Speaking in Ruaka while on a visit to Kiambu on Wednesday, Uhuru indirectly told MPs Johanna Ngeno and Oscar Sudi to leave Mama Ngina Kenyatta alone. Wale watu washenzi wanaenda huko wakitukana mama yangu, waambieni wakatukane mama zao wachaane na mama yangu (the foolish people insulting my mother, tell them to insult their mothers instead and leave mine alone, President Uhuru said. The President was in Kiambu to inspect a road project that will connect Nairobi, Kiambu and Muranga counties. President Kenyatta: Tell these fools of yours to go insult their mothers and leave my mother alone.. Your Mother is the best, my mother is the best.#AllMothersAreEqual pic.twitter.com/G29GQ8VpXr Dennis Itumbi, HSC (@OleItumbi) September 10, 2020 Elsewhere, the Head of State on Thursday presided over the official opening of Kenyatta University Teaching, Referral & Research Hospital. The 650-bed capacity National Referral Hospital is equipped to offer services in Oncology, Trauma & Orthopedics among other specialised areas. The president toured the facility and laid a foundation stone at the Integrated Molecular Imaging Centre. He commended board chairperson Prof Olive Mugenda for her commitment to making the vision for the hospital a reality. To those who work here, God give you good health, strength and love to serve diligently all those Kenyans and citizens from other parts of this continent who come, he said. Uhuru also lauded Kiambu governor saying: I wish to thank the Governor of Kiambu for signing a collaboration agreement between Gatundu Hospital and Kenyatta UniversityI want to encourage other governors to also consider partnering with level six hospitals. Truckmaker MAN is to looking to save 1.8 billion euros every year German truck and bus manufacturer MAN said Friday it will cut up to one in four of its employees as it looks to make an "extensive restructuring", with the coronavirus pandemic battering the industry. The Munich-based company said it would lay off as many as 9,500 jobs in Germany and Austria as it looks to save 1.8 billion euros ($2.1 billion) annually. Two sites in Germany and one site in Austria may be closed. MAN reported an operating loss of 423 million euros ($500 million) in the first half of the year, and a revenue decline of 26 percent, as the spread of Covid-19 impacted customer demand and supply chains. However, the company was already struggling, and had planned a cost-cutting programme to react to a drop in demand that worsened with the health crisis. According to media reports, the group had envisaged axeing up to 6,000 jobs. "The commercial vehicle industry is undergoing radical change," MAN said. "Already in a few years' time, it will be virtually impossible to build a successful business model on the technologies and structures of today." MAN said the move was part of a pivot towards sustainability. Chief executive Andreas Tostmann said the company was facing "major challenges" due to technological change, particularly with "digitalisation, automation, and alternative drives". "This is why we need to restructure MAN: to become a lot more innovative, digital, and profitable in the long run," he said. MAN is 95-percent owned by Traton, the heavy-goods vehicle branch of German auto giant Volkswagen. Another Traton company, Sweden-based Scania, said in June it would cut 5,000 jobs -- around 10 percent of its workforce. Volkswagen reported a pretax loss of 1.4 billion euros for the first half of 2020 after the coronavirus pandemic sent sales plummeting. edf/dlc/spm A sailboat a few miles off the northern coast of Spain required assistance on September 11 after an orca damaged the ships rudder, according to Salvamento Maritimo. Footage from aboard the boat shows the orca near the stern of the ship. Salvamento Maritimo wrote in the post that Beautiful Dreamer was six miles from Cabo Prior when it requested towing. There are 3 crew members (Finnish and British) who had left A Coruna for the British Isles, the ocean rescue team wrote. As of the evening of September 11, the Beautiful Dreamer was in the Coruna Port, according to Marine Tracker. Credit: Salvamento Maritimo via Storyful Email Whatsapp Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment In 2001, my husband, Brian, and I lived on the 24th floor of an apartment building six blocks away from the World Trade Center complex. Our home had a 300 square foot terrace that featured a stunning view of the 110-floor Twin Towers directly to the north of us. Wed only been enjoying that view for two months, since July 6, having recently settled into the area as newlyweds. On the morning of September 11th, Brian shook me awake while shouting, A bomb went off in the World Trade Center! We rushed onto the terrace and stood staring at the black smoke and destruction caused by the first plane, when out of nowhere, the second plane came roaring overhead and struck the South Tower just 500 feet above us. We were blown back into our apartment from the impact and knocked unconscious onto the floor of our living room. When we came to, we immediately grabbed our dog and evacuated, barefoot and still wearing pajamas. We sought safety in nearby Battery Park, but the nightmare continued. The towers soon fell, covering us with toxic dust and debris, and heavy smoke surrounded us in a deadly cloud. We eventually managed to board a boat headed to New Jersey. We had escaped, but we couldnt return to our apartment for months. The massive implosion of the Twin Towers had registered on the Richter scale as an earthquake, which meant all buildings near the devastated complex including ours had to be tested to determine if they were structurally sound. Dont call us again, well call you when the building has been given the OK for you to return, our landlord said sharply, tired of hearing from us yet again. We were effectively homeless. Within the span of a few weeks, we had gone from an upwardly mobile Manhattan lifestyle to refugee status, grappling with unemployment, PTSD, and suffering health issues. Just like the new name of the destroyed complex, we had reached our own Ground Zero. America had been the victim of a terrible injustice, and I felt victimized as well. My worldview had been shaken, and I began to lose hope in humanity as I seriously questioned my previous beliefs that everyone was basically good. Our lives had become instantly unrecognizable, and I took all the fear, frustration and uncertainly that most Americans were feeling very personally as if I was being attacked. Losing hope in our future, I sank into a depression. This state of depression and shock worsened when our dog became sick from licking the toxic dust that had covered his fur when the towers fell. Our veterinary expenses and other mounting bills while we were displaced became a big cause of concern. A close Christian friend had a suggestion: Redeemer Presbyterian Church created a special 9-11 disaster relief fund, and people from around the world have donated to it. Go get help with your bills; it was intended for people like you! she urged. People like me?! I identified as a Christian, but my faith was shallow, untested, and compartmentalized. I was a sporadic churchgoer, and that was the extent of my involvement. But we dont go to your church! I protested. Just go see what theyre offering, she said, encouragingly. When I timidly arrived at Redeemers office, everyone greeted me warmly. I was asked a simple question about our experience; it was my choice to elaborate. They listened intently. At the end of my story, the Director responded, What you went through was really horrible and unfair, and we want to meet any needs it left you with. What would help you most right now? Well, paying for my vet bill would really help, I responded, concerned I was asking for too much. Well, then, thats what well do. They quickly produced a check that covered our vet bill and bid me goodbye. My first experience as an apprehensive receiver had been as dignified and respectful as a person could hope for. As I walked out the door, something shifted inside of me. I felt hope. At home, I rehashed the conversation to Brian. Wow, they didnt ask me about my faith, they didnt make a plug to go to their church, and they didnt mention a follow-up meeting. They really listened to me and cared. I felt so empowered and validated! And they gave us money! Im so glad this crazy vet bill is paid for. As I showed him the check, I reflected on what this short meeting with total strangers had accomplished: My faith in humanity was restored, the weight of injustice Id carried around for months had been lifted, my guard had come down, and I didnt feel like the world was against me anymore. My newfound hope gave me the desire to learn more about Redeemer. Within a few weeks, Brian and I attended a service. We loved the atmosphere, the music, the people we met, and the message the pastor delivered. We returned each Sunday, eventually making friends, joining Bible study groups, engaging in church activities, and volunteering with outreach programs. All of this led us into a deeper relationship with Christ. We even signed up for a mission trip in 2003 to Peru, and witnessed how God moved and spoke in other cultures. Eventually, Brian came on staff at Redeemer as Chief Financial Officer. Some years after attending Redeemer, I accepted a position of Missions director, a role Ive held for ten years now. We evangelize and do mercy ministry in partnership with and under the direction of our host church, oftentimes working with the most marginalized and vulnerable of the world. This role has brought me full-circle, as Im now in the position of being able to serve victims of injustice, just as Redeemer did for me in the 9-11 aftermath. Its gratifying to assist people toward restoration through addressing physical needs, and its thrilling to witness individuals get plugged into our hosts church and then come to Christ as a culmination. In this broken world, injustice and suffering will be a constant presence. Nineteen years after the September 11th, 2001 attacks, I still marvel how a church outreach program stepped into the gap and met me where I was, providing material help, restoring me, while pointing toward the only hope that matters: the hope there is in Christ. MOSCOW: Russian police have traced opposition politician Alexei Navalnys movements and what he drank before falling ill in Siberia last month, and are trying to locate a witness who has left the country, the interior ministry said on Friday. The ministry said it was preparing another request for legal assistance from Germany, where Navalny was airlifted to hospital last month after what Berlin says was a poison attack on him with a Novichok nerve agent. In a statement, the interior ministrys transport department in Siberia said it wanted to send investigators to work alongside German colleagues on the case, after reports that Navalny had emerged from a coma. This request will include an application for the possible presence of Russian internal affairs investigators and a Russian specialist when German colleagues are conducting investigations with Navalny, doctors and experts," the ministry said in a statement. It also requested permission to ask clarifying and additional questions. The request appeared to have no chance of success, given that Germany says it has already established the presence of Novichok and demanded explanations from Moscow - a call strongly echoed by other Western countries. Some German politicians have called for additional sanctions against Russia. Russia has not opened a formal criminal investigation and is sticking to its position that it needs hard evidence from Germany that Navalny was indeed poisoned. Transport police in Tomsk had established a timeline of events leading up to Navalny falling ill, the ministry said. It listed a hotel, restaurant, flat and coffee shop Navalny had visited, and said he had drunk wine and an alcoholic cocktail. In the days following Navalnys illness, his spokeswoman strongly denied allegations he had consumed alcohol. The ministry said police had interviewed five of the six people it said accompanied Navalny on the journey when he fell ill. It said it was looking for a sixth person it named as Marina Pevchikh, a UK resident who flew to Germany on Aug. 22 and whose whereabouts it said were currently being established. 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 Covid-19-infected woman has successfully given birth to a healthy baby boy with support from doctors at the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases on September 10. According to the doctors, the woman showed signs of going into labour since early morning. They had quickly called a doctor and a nurse from the Department of Surgery - Obstetrics to the Department of Virus and Parasites to help. The doctors already prepared a separated operation room for her since late August in case of emergency. "She had given birth prematurely before so it was highly likely that she would have another premature birth. That's why we have to prepare everything early," said Dr Tran Thuong Viet. "The staff were also ready for any situation." The baby was born at 8.25 am and weighed 3.1kg. Nurse Hoang Thi Thu Hang said this was one of the most special cases for her. They had prepared, even for the worse scenarios. Luckily, everything went smoothly and the baby and the mother are in good health. The staff involved will be quarantined for 14 days before they can resume working. "We all had to wear protective suits for hours so it was really hot. The face shields also hindered our eyesight," she said. Since the mother was tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, the baby was brought to another sector and incubated. A family will arrive to take care of the baby in the quarantine area. The doctors said the mother only had mild symptoms and her health is stable. The mother returned to Vietnam from Russia on July 17. She was quarantined at Nam Dinh Hospital. However, during this time, she was in the 30th week of pregnancy and her test results were confusing with both negative and positive results. She was later transferred to the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases in Hanoi. PM: Vietnam remains highly vigilant against COVID-19 With the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) epidemic being brought under control nationwide, various ministries and localities must remain vigilant against the resurgence of the virus, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has said. Addressing permanent Cabinet members during a meeting in Hanoi on September 11, PM Phuc noted that the country has registered no new locally transmitted COVID-19 infections for the past nine days in a row. A new normal has therefore been established, while economic and business production has also resumed. According to the Ministry of Health, Vietnam has so far recorded a total of 1,059 COVID-19 cases, including 402 involving individuals returning from overseas, along with 657 locally transmitted cases. In addition, as many as 893 patients have gone on to make a full recovery and have since been discharged from hospital. Most notably, up to 551 cases involving community transmission have been confirmed since the resurgence of the virus in late July. The death toll caused by the virus has also risen to 35, with the majority of deceased cases also suffering from underlying health issues. The ministry has recently declared that the outbreaks which have hit hotspots such as Da Nang and Quang Nam have been brought under control. This is also the case with the latest outbreak in Hai Duong province, with travel restrictions previously imposed on Ngo Quyen street where the virus had originally been detected being lifted on September 11. PM Phuc attributed the successful results achieved in the COVID-19 fight to drastic measures taken by the Government, alongside efforts made by various ministries, agencies, and localities, which ultimately prevented the virus from spreading wider among the community. Despite this success, the PM requested that ministries and localities remain highly vigilant due to the virus evolving in a complicated manner. He therefore urged them to encourage local residents to continue imposing preventive measures aimed at keeping the virus at bay in the community. He reminded designated agencies, especially those in the health sector, of the possibility of a virus resurgence in September and the remaining months of the year when the country opens its borders to a number of commercial international flights. Vietnam is scheduled to reopen six international routes starting from September 15 to Taiwan (China), Guangzhou in China, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Cambodia, and Laos. Indeed, the number of visitors in isolation is estimated to stand at approximately 5,000 per week in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. According to Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Truong Son, the health sector is devising a plan aimed at testing hordes of foreigners once the country resumes international air routes, with the sector having the capability of carrying out testing. Students in Da Nang to return to school after COVID-19 break Schools in Da Nang are due to reopen on September 14 following the loosening of social distancing measures in the central city that were implemented due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Elsewhere, secondary, high school, and college students in Da Nang will return to school on September 14, while those at kindergarten and primary schools will go back on September 21. Upon the reopening of schools, both students and teachers will be required to wear face masks at all times, whilst also ensuring that they maintain a distance of at least one metre from each other. According to a document issued on September 10 by the Da Nang Peoples Committee, the central city will continue to implement preventive measures to halt the potential spread of COVID-19 even with the epidemic being brought under control, starting from midnight on September 10. Local authorities in Da Nang will also continue the ban on gatherings of 30 people or more, whilst urging residents to remain at home and only go out for essential needs. Furthermore, a ban on festivals, along with religious and sporting events, in addition to non-essential services activities such as entertainment, beauty, karaoke, dancing, gaming, and filming, will remain in place. Restaurants will be permitted to reopen, but will be required to ensure that people maintain a safe distance inside the premises, with customers being encouraged to order food for takeaway or delivery. Local people will be asked to continue making use of coupons when purchasing goods, with the aim of preventing large gatherings at markets. Indeed, each family has been requested to only visit the market once every three days. Recent COVID-19 outbreaks in Vietnam under control: WHO representative It appears that Vietnam has been able to put the recent COVID-19 outbreaks under control, which started in the central city of Da Nang in late July, WHO representative in Vietnam Kidong Park has said. World Health Organisation (WHO) representative in Vietnam Kidong Park (Photo: VNA) In a recent interview with the Vietnam News Agency, he named the factors that have contributed to this result. The first is the rapid activation of the response system. After detecting the first case, Vietnam quickly activated its rapid response systems nationwide. Therefore, the country was able to detect and isolate suspected cases and those having close contact with travellers returning from pandemic-hit areas quickly, curbing the further spread of the SARS-CoV-2 that causes COVID-19. The health system capacity on the ground was rapidly scaled up. The Vietnamese Government promptly deployed a specialised team of experts in outbreak investigation, laboratory and clinical management. With this move, the country was able to provide high quality public health and clinical care to patients and minimise the loss of lives. Park also spoke highly of Vietnams continued transparent information sharing and communications of risk messages. Accordingly, most people closely complied with guidelines by health authorities, attributable to contain the spread of the virus. The Governments strong leadership at all levels and high-level commitment have been clearly demonstrated since the start of the outbreak, he noted. In the same way, Vietnamese people have been doing their part to support the Government in protecting themselves and their loved one. The successful control over the COVID-19 outbreak in Vietnam so far reflects these collective efforts, the WHO official affirmed. Regarding the development of vaccines in Vietnam, he said WHO welcomes all vaccine development programmes around the world, including Vietnam. As of September 8, there had been 179 COVID-19 candidate vaccines under development, including those in Vietnam. Of which, 34 are at clinical evaluation stage, he said. WHO is working with partners across the world to facilitate research and development, approval, mass production and equitable distribution of effective and safe vaccines. He said that Vietnam can gain access to COVID-19 vaccine via internationally coordinated aid through COVAX facility mechanism co-led by WHO, GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI); procurement through a bilateral deal; or its own development. He emphasised that the recent COVID-19 outbreaks remind people that COVID-19 is far from over and everyone should remain vigilant. WHO is working with the Ministry of Health to promote safe coexistent with COVID-19, which aims to achieve dual goals of outbreak management and economic recovery. The WHO official advised people to continue closely following heath guidelines, such as practicing hand hygiene and keeping away from crowded places with many people. Vietnam reports no COVID-19 cases in past 12 hours Vietnam recorded no new COVID-19 cases in the past 12 hours as of 6 am of September 11, the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control said. The country has documented 1,059 SARS-CoV-2 infections so far. Of the total, 691 were locally transmitted, including 551 linked with Da Nang city since the latest coronavirus wave began there on July 25. As many as 893 patients have recovered while 35 died from complications related to the disease. Most of the fatalities were the elderly with serious underlying health conditions. Among 166 still under treatment, 19 have tested negative for the novel coronavirus once, 15 others twice and 22 thrice. Currently, four patients are in critical conditions. There are 35,799 people having close contact with confirmed cases or coming from pandemic-hit regions under quarantine at present, including 603 in hospitals, 16,432 in other quarantine sites and 18,765 at home./. No new COVID-19 case on September 10 afternoon With no new case of COVID-19 recorded over the past 12 hours, the total number remained at 1,059 as of 6pm on September 10, according to the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control. So far, Vietnam has 691 locally-transmitted cases, 551 of whom are related to Da Nang since the pandemic broke in the central city on July 25. Three more patients were given the all-clear on September 10, raising the total number of recovered patients to 893. Among patient receiving treatment in health care facilities, 19 have tested negative for SARS-Cov-2 once, 15 twice and 22 others thrice. Four COVID-19 patients are on critical conditions with high risk of death. The country has so far recorded 35 COVID-19 related deaths, the majority of the cases were the elderly with severe diseases such as end-stage chronic kidney failure, cancer, sepsis and diabetes. As many as 36,126 people nationwide who had close contact with patients or entered from pandemic-hit areas are under quarantine, 621 of them are in hospitals, 15,874 in other establishments and 19,631 at homes. Singapore to roll out COVID-19 tracing devices Singapore will roll out its TT Token (Trace Together Token) to the public for free from September 14 and pilot its Safe Entry programme using TT Token devices or app in several venues. During a press conference on September 9, Singaporean officials said as the COVID-19 has been basically under control, Singapore will take new measures to trace infection sources when the island state begins to reopen economy in the near future. The distribution is expected to be completed in late November. Furthermore, a new Self-Check service and SMS service will be introduced from September 10 so that people can be alerted if they have visited the same venues at the same time as COVID-19 cases, based on their own SafeEntry records. This Self-Check service will be available on the TraceTogether app. Individuals can also access the Self-Check service via SingPass Mobile. On September 9, the Singaporean Health Ministry announced that from September 17, all travellers from India who are not Singaporeans and permanent residents will have to take a COVID-19 test before departing for Singapore. Vietnam calls for protection of civilians in COVID-hit countries with conflicts Vietnam has called for the protection of civilians in countries with conflicts and COVID-19 pandemic during an online session of the United Nations Security Council on the implementation of Resolution 2532 on the pandemic on September 9. Addressing the session, Ambassador Dang Dinh Quy, head of the Vietnamese permanent mission to the UN, held that the resolution should be fully implemented through the effective response to the call for ceasefire by the UN Secretary-General and the resolution. It is necessary to focus on protecting people in countries experiencing conflicts and humanitarian crisis, along with the strengthening of solidarity and coordination of efforts at national, regional and global levels as well as relevant parties during the preparation, response and recovery after the pandemic ends. He stressed the need to maintain peacekeeping operations in the new normal situation, contributing to the long-term solutions to maintain sustainable peace and development. Resolution 2532 was adopted by the UN Security Council on July 1, 2020 with 15/15 votes. It calls for the ceasefire in all countries included in the councils agenda, while supporting the UN Secretary-Generals call for global ceasefire to create favourable conditions for the control of COVID-19 pandemic. At the session, UN Under-Secretary-General Rosemary DiCarlo held that COVID-19 pandemic has caused risks of erosion of trust in public institutions, the aggravation of certain human rights challenges during the pandemic, which in turn can fuel conflict, and impacts to political and peace processes. She underlined the significance of Security Councils decisive engagement in follow up to the ceasefire call. Meanwhile, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Mark Lowcock said that alongside assistance from humanitarian agencies, others, in particular the international financial institutions, have an important role to play in helping the most vulnerable countries cope through the crisis. He held that beyond the economy, the biggest indirect effect of the virus is on public services, especially health and education. Members of the UN Security Council called on all parties involving in conflicts to fully implement Resolution 2532, while effectively responding to the UN Secretary-General ceasefire call, and supporting and giving humanitarian assistance to countries with conflicts. They also lauded UN efforts to adjust the operations of peacekeeping missions to maintain their operations, support the host country and protect themselves. Vietnam mitigates COVID-19 impact on employment Vietnam, as ASEAN Chair in 2020, has joined hands with member nations to push employment recovery from the COVID-19 outbreak, Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Dao Ngoc Dung has said. He made the statement while attending the G20 Labour and Employment Ministers Meeting held by Saudi Arabia on September 10. The bloc built the ASEAN declaration on social work development, which prioritises social workers role in responding to formidable challenges like the coronavirus pandemic, Dung stressed. He went on by mentioning the ASEAN Declaration on Human Resources Development for the Changing World of Work adopted at the 36th ASEAN Summit, adding it focuses on the enormous impacts of technology changes, aging population, climate change and disease on employment and jobs, and outlines sufficient activities to ensure that ASEAN workers are well prepared in the changing world of work. The Vietnamese Government recently passed a 2.7 billion USD financial support package for workers and businesses affected by the pandemic, he said, adding his ministry is recommending the Government carry out more packages to help local firms to restore, maintain and develop production and business. Dung was invited to the meeting as Vietnam is playing the role of the ASEAN Chair this year. The event drew the participation of G20 member countries and many international organisations like the ILO and the WB. The meeting took place against the backdrop of unprecedented turmoil in global labour markets, with a decline in working hours equivalent to the loss of 400 million full-time jobs worldwide in the second quarter of 2020. Over 1.6 billion works in the informal economy, and youth, women and persons with disabilities have been among the worst hit. Labour ministers adopted the Realising Opportunities of the 21st Century for All declaration, in which countries will work closely in response to the coronavirus outbreak to ensure that efforts to recover the economy will give priority to sustainable and inclusive growth in quality employment. Over 340 Vietnamese citizens return from Russia More than 340 Vietnamese citizens from Russia were brought home on a repatriation flight which landed safely at Cam Ranh International Airport in the central coastal province of Khanh Hoa on September 10. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the flight was arranged by authorities of the two countries and the national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines. Passengers are mainly students with no residences due to dormitory closures. After landing at the airport, all passengers and crew members of the flight were given health check-ups and sent to quarantine areas. To date, over 120 repatriation flights have been arranged by Vietnamese authorities since April 10 to help nearly 36,000 local people stranded abroad due to Covid-19 return home, the ministry said, adding that more such flights are set to be conducted in the coming time. 230 Vietnamese citizens arrive home safely from Chinese Taiwan 230 Vietnamese citizens from Taiwan (China) were repatriated home safely on September 9 on a flight conducted by budget Vietjet Air in coordination with Vietnamese and Taiwanese authorities and the Vietnam Economic-Cultural Office in Taipei. Passengers on board are mostly the elderly, pregnant women, workers with expired labour contracts, those suffering from underlying diseases and labour injuries, students who concluded their curricula, travellers and other especially disadvantaged cases. Upon landing at Can Tho international airport, they were put under quarantine in line with regulations. Security, safety and hygiene measures were strictly implemented during the flight to protect their health and prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). Upon landing at Can Tho International Airport in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho, those on board received health check-ups and were sent to concentrated quarantine facilities in line with regulations regarding COVID-19 prevention and control. There will be more repatriation flights in the coming time to bring home Vietnamese citizens with disadvantaged circumstances, depending on their need and the countrys quarantine capacity. More people are choosing to explore the world on their own. Photo: PA Photo/iStock For many people lockdown led to loneliness - but for others it sparked enthusiasm for spending time alone. That emerging trend is playing out in travel bookings, with more of us choosing future trips for one. Specialist operator Cox & Kings has reported an increase in demand, fuelled partly by an eagerness from individuals to get out and explore - even if no-one else wants to come along for the ride. "People have wanderlust in their DNA, so it's no surprise that lockdown was a wake-up call for some people to dust off their bucket list and get something booked, no matter if it is without their family and friends," says managing director Kerry Golds. If you are thinking of striking out solo - at home of abroad - here are a few things to consider. Play safe Staying safe should be the primary concern for anyone planning to travel alone. Venturing into new places can be daunting even in the same country, but that shouldn't be a deterrent to exploring. By taking the right precautions and being sensible, it's possible to have a smooth experience. There are several apps aimed at increasing personal security: Find My Friends is a tracking device which shares a user's GPS location with approved 'friends', allowing their movements to be monitored; bSafe works by sending a live video and audio stream to select contacts when activated via a voice alarm. They can also see your GPS location on a map. Not all dangers are posed by other people, though. If you're planning a long hike or a solo camping trip, always tell someone where you're going and agree to check in at certain times so no-one sends out a search party. Trust your judgement One of the joys of solo travel is the confidence boost it brings. Learning to trust your instincts and make considered judgements will help you in all areas of life. If a situation feels uncomfortable, leave quickly - and always err on the side of caution. But at the same time, don't be afraid to try something new. Weigh up whether something feels genuinely threatening or simply out of your comfort zone. Striking up conversation with fellow travellers might be intimidating but it's not necessarily dangerous, for example. Conversely, wandering around an unfamiliar place late at night could be foolish even in company. Know your limits Whether it's meeting new people or scaling a mountain, be realistic about what you can achieve. If the idea of big groups is daunting, start by introducing yourself to someone with common interests - perhaps a fellow traveller sharing transport and heading in the same direction as you. In terms of physical demands, pick activities that suit your abilities. If you're new to hiking, for example, choose simple walks to build up fitness. Likewise, if you've never been camping before, start off slow and opt for an overnight stay as a warm-up, rather than plunging straight into a week-long campathon. Learn some lingo When travelling abroad, it's useful to have a few stock foreign phrases in your armoury. Apps like Google Translate offer a quick fix solution for menus and street signs, but it's worth learning how to start a simple dialogue. Babbel offer interactive courses in 14 different languages; FluentU contextualises words by captioning music videos, podcasts and news reports. Subscriptions for both apps apply. Alternatively, carry a good book as a means of sparking conversation. Choose a paperback reflecting your tastes, and passers by will have immediately learned something about you, before words are even exchanged. Enjoy your own company Having fun doesn't always mean mixing with other people, and you don't need a second opinion to validate a travel experience. A beautiful mountain is just as beautiful even if you're seeing it alone. In fact, one of the benefits of witnessing sights solo is the absence of any pressure to quickly move on. For many, mealtimes can be challenging. People often complain single dining is lonely, but that shouldn't result in rushed meals and supermarket snacks. Savour what you eat - it doesn't matter if only one portion is being prepared. And don't be afraid of reserving a table for one in restaurants; many have bar seating and single placings especially set up. When a hunter was severely injured in a 100-foot fall near the Eagle River Nature Center, north of Anchorage, the Alaska Air National Guard's 176th Wing came to the rescue, according to a Sept. 9 news release. The injured man was able to use a satellite phone to reach the Alaska State Troopers, who then called in the Guard. Read Next: A Fighter Pilot Will Dogfight an AI-Controlled Jet in 2024, Esper Says The Wing immediately dispatched 212th Rescue Squadron pararescuemen (PJs) in a 210th Rescue Squadron HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter. They had to battle a windstorm, rain and low visibility to get as close as possible; a combat rescue officer and two PJs then climbed 500 meters up the mountainside with their gear to reach the injured hunter. The helo had to return to Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson for another PJ to assist in the rescue. The PJs and CRO were able to stabilize the hunter, then rappelled him down the mountain by setting up a technical rope belay system and waded across the Eagle River with him to reach the helo. The patient and his hunting partner were transported to Providence Alaska Medical Center for further treatment. "This mission highlights the exceptional synergy of our rescue community," Capt. Dan Warren, 212th RQS CRO and team commander for the ground rescue effort, said in a statement. "The Alaska State Troopers provided critical info, 176th Maintenance (Group) personnel rapidly prepared the helicopter for flight, the helicopter crew navigated harsh weather to employ us, and the unmatched resolve of fellow PJs to overcome brutal terrain to save a life is a humbling endeavor. The team effort is what enables our success." Maj. Wesley Ladd, Alaska Rescue Coordination Center (AKRCC) senior controller, credited the hunter with taking advantage of the satellite communication device. "Even close to a city, cold and wet conditions can lead to injury, especially with challenging terrain," he said. "Have a plan and carry a satellite communication device for if you need to call for help." -- Bing Xiao can be reached at bingxiao2020@u.northwestern.edu. Related: Inside the National Guard's Daring Rescue of Hundreds from a California Wildfire Did you hear someone in your childs school has the coronavirus? Is that true or is it a rumor and not true? New York state is setting up a system that officials say will report on whether the virus has been found in any of the states 5,000 public schools in 732 school districts, as well as the non-public schools. The information will be reported on an online dashboard that will be updated daily, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said this week. As of Friday, the dashboard was not reporting on any schools. But how will the system work and will it be reliable? The state is requiring labs to ask anyone 4 to 18 years old what school they attend. With that information, the labs must report positive results to the state. The school district and local health department also are required to report any confirmed cases to the state health department, which is overseeing the report card, Cuomo said. "These are the sources so you know its right,'' he said. With this information published online, parents can make their own decision on whether or not to send their children to school based on the data, Cuomo said. If there is an outbreak, the state can step in and close a school if the district or health department hasnt already done so. Schools also will close if the regional infection rate rises above 9 percent, using a 7-day average, after August 1. Related story: Will CNY schools shut down if a student gets the coronavirus? A look at the rules The information disclosed on the dashboard will include: Positive infections by date of students and staff for each school and each school district. Whether the school, and the student or staff member, are learning remote, in-person, or learning by a hybrid model. The number of students and staff on site. The percentage of on-site students and staff who test positive. The number of tests administered and the test type The lab used and how long it takes to get results from that lab. Date of the last submission or update Cumo said the idea behind the report card is to give parents, teachers, staff and kids confidence in their school district and its plan. "Its a big undertaking ,'' Cuomo said earlier this week of the report card, but its very important. The governor Cuomo signed an executive order to ensure schools, local health departments, labs and all testing properly collect and disclose data. Elizabeth Doran covers education, suburban government and development, breaking news and more. Got a tip, comment or story idea? Contact her anytime at 315-470-3012 or email edoran@syracuse.com MORE STORIES ON EDUCATING CNY CNY schools reopen: See what classrooms look like with coronavirus changes (photos) NY says schools can get rid of snow days this year (Wearing your pajamas inside out wont help) Will CNY schools shut down if a student gets the coronavirus? A look at the rules First high school in Section III drops out of fall sports because of coronavirus Masks, air purifiers could slash odds of coronavirus spread in classrooms: SU report Rise in coronavirus transmission inevitable when schools reopen, Cuomo says GREENSBORO U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan, who died late last year, was a key advocate for a $61 million federal investment in a new air-traffic control tower at Piedmont Triad International Airport. With new legislation, Congress may commemorate her work by naming the tower now under construction after Hagan. Four senators announced Thursday they hope to honor the Greensboro Democrat by designating the tower as "Senator Kay Hagan Airport Traffic Control Tower." On Thursday, Sens. Richard Burr, R-N.C., Thom Tillis, R-N.C., Mark Warner, D-Va., and Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., introduced the legislation. The group said in a news release that Hagan saw the limitations of the current tower at PTI and became a staunch advocate to procure funding from the Federal Aviation Administration. "Kay attended the tower's groundbreaking, demonstrating how committed she was to seeing this project through even after leaving public office," Burr said in the news release. She served in the Senate from 2008-2014. Michael Storms, Scott Rickard, Phillip Mulligan and Jake Kroll, who all work for the city of Southfield, filed their lawsuit in federal court on Tuesday, The Detroit News reported. The four responded Aug. 23 to a report of an unresponsive woman at a home. Timesha Beauchamp has cerebral palsy and her family called 911 because of what appeared to be serious breathing problems. A doctor at a Southfield hospital who didnt attend the scene pronounced Beauchamp deceased after Storms reported by telephone that she had been unresponsive for 30 minutes and showed no signs of life. Beauchamp wasnt taken to a hospital until Cole Funeral Home in Detroit called 911 hours later. Funeral home staff actually saw her chest moving earlier when they picked up the body at the Southfield home, according to the state. But Beauchamps family said they were assured by the medical crew that she was dead. Tennessee Authorities on lookout after tiger sightings KNOXVILLE Authorities were searching Thursday morning for a tiger in East Tennessee. NEW YORK, NY - SEPTEMBER 11: The 'Tribute in Light' memorial lights up lower Manhattan near One World Trade Center on September 11, 2018 in New York City. The tribute at the site of the World Trade Center towers has been an annual event in New York since March 11, 2002.Throughout the country services are being held to remember the 2,977 people who were killed in New York, the Pentagon and rural Pennsylvania in the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images) (Spencer Platt/Getty Images) J ackass star Stevie Lee has died at the age of 54, his family has announced. The sad news was shared on a GoFundMe page set up to help raise money to pay for his funeral. A statement on the page reads: "Steve 'Puppet The Psycho Dwarf' Lee Richardson unexpectedly passed away on Wednesday, September 9, 2020 at his home in the morning. "He was beloved by many and has many friends that were family, fans that adored him, but only his brother Jim left to take care of final arrangements. "Puppet has put smiles across the world with his hardcore attitude and lifestyle. He is a legend in the art of Midget Wrestling. He needs our help to give him one last curtain call. "Please donate what you can, share his memories with everyone, and share this fundraiser to give the Psycho Dwarf the best resting place possible. All proceeds will be given to Jim Richardson to handle the services/burial costs. Thank you all so much and Puppet, we love you brother!" As well as appearing in Jackass, Lee popped up in Oz the Great and Powerful, and American Horror Story. He also embarked on a wrestling career. Following news of Lee's death, Impact Wrestling paid tribute to the star. "We send our deepest condolences to his friends and family," the organisation tweeted. Courtesy of Alicia KeysAlicia Keys has launched a $1 billion endowment fund to support Black businesses and help communities affected by the global coronavirus pandemic and the protests against systemic racism and injustice that have erupted over the past few months. In a letter, obtained by Billboard, Keys explained the fund's "clear goal to empower Black America." "I am personally committed to creating meaningful conversations to hold corporations and institutions accountable for their contributions to racial justice," she continued. "Through our collective action, we can end the needless and preventable agony created by systemic racism," she continued. "We are pushing for an aggressive agenda to meet the urgent need of proper access, opportunity, and inclusion." Alicia Keys hopes to create long term opportunities that focus on Black schools, communities, entrepreneurs, businesses, banks, and "other Black institutions while addressing persistent social, economic and environmental disparities." This grand announcement comes just hours before Alicia Keys' performance at the NFL's Kickoff event Thursday, Sept. 10, airing at 7 p.m. ET on NBC. By Rachel George Copyright 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved. Portlands air quality deteriorated to downright dangerous levels Friday -- making it the worst among major cities across the globe. The air quality monitoring website IQAir.com, which ranks air pollution across nearly 100 cities internationally, elevated Portland Friday morning to its No. 1 position -- as in the worst, with an overall air quality index of 239. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agencys website listed Portlands measurement as even higher, at 349. Friday afternoon, Seattles air quality declined to the point that it briefly tied Portland for the most dismal air, before bouncing back into second place. Another West Coast city also plagued by wildfire smoke -- San Francisco -- was ranked third at 199 on Friday afternoon. A measurement of 0 or 50 is considered good, 51 to 100 is moderate, 101 to 150 is unhealthy for sensitive groups and over 150 is unhealthy for everyone. Levels of 300 to 500 are deemed hazardous. Portland typically has much cleaner air. Ten days ago the air quality index in the city was 11. Other parts of Oregon have been hampered by even heavier smoke than in the Portland area. The precise levels fluctuate throughout the day, but at various points Friday: Lincoln City registered at 251, Ashland at 305, Medford at 319, Roseburg at 347, Eugene at 437, Salem at 456, Bend at 515 and Sisters at 582. Whoa. I though our air quality was terrible (it is), then I saw Bend, OR (omg) pic.twitter.com/p4EyzUqHnM Thom (@CorvusCorax77) September 11, 2020 The National Weather Service has issued an air quality advisory for most of the western, central and southern parts of Oregon and Southwest Washington. The agency said air quality could significantly improve on Monday. Some forecasts show rain Monday and Tuesday. Marine air begins to work inland over the next couple of days with a modest westerly breeze. This will allow air quality and visibilities to begin to improve over northwest OR and southwest WA, as seen in this computer model for today (Fri). Purples depict the densest smoke. pic.twitter.com/U7ADxX4smw NWS Portland (@NWSPortland) September 11, 2020 Health experts are advising all residents to stay indoors unless absolutely necessary. Many are worried about homeless individuals in particular. Portland and Multnomah County started opening up additional shelter space Thursday night to give respite from outside air. State public health and workplace safety officials also are worried about people who work outdoors. They urged all employers Friday to stop outdoor work when the air quality index reaches unhealthy levels of over 150. Officials also said employers should supply outdoor workers with N95 masks where and when appropriate. Friday, the dangerous air prompted many new closures of outdoor spaces and even some indoor spaces across parts of the state. Bad air prompted Portland and Tualatin Hills Park & Recreation to close all of their parks and other outdoor spaces. Some farmers markets, state parks, Bureau of Land Management recreational areas, state forests, national forests and Crater Lake National Park are closed. Businesses, including two locations of Powells Books, and some restaurants also had shuttered because of the hazardous air. To check the air quality in your area, visit IQair.com. Or visit the EPAs air quality website, airnow.gov, and type in your city or ZIP code. View interactive maps at the states web page, oregonsmoke.blogspot.com, or the EPAs web page, fire.airnow.gov. The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality also allows smartphone users to check air quality though an app that can be found by searching for OregonAir in the app store. The air quality index shows the amount of microscopic particles smaller than 2.5 micrometers in diameter per cubic meter of air. These tiny smoke particles can embed themselves into the lungs, even entering the bloodstream where they can do further harm. Common short-term side effects of inhaling smoke particles are eye irritation, sore throat, runny nose, phlegm production, wheezy breathing and headaches. The Natural Resources Defense Council studied one year, 2012, of wildfires in Oregon and concluded that it led to measurable health consequences, including nearly 2,000 emergency room visits, 92 admissions to the hospital for lung and heart problems, 226 premature deaths and $2.1 billion in total health costs. The EPA suggests residents of smoky regions set up a clean room, where the entire household can seek a break from bad air that has seeped into other areas of the home. That could include running a HEPA air filter if you have one and sealing off windows with sheets of plastic and tape. I used garbage bags and packing tape to seal off our windows, and it's already made a big difference. pic.twitter.com/8uU8cWo8Mz Arwen Myers (@sopranoarwen) September 11, 2020 Most masks that are worn to ward off COVID-19 do little to filter out the smallest smoke particles. Medical experts say soaking masks or bandanas wont supercharge them to do the job, either. N95 masks and other medical-grade respirators will sift out fine particles, but they must fit properly and are in short supply because officials have urged the public to reserve them for frontline healthcare workers. Read about other tips for reducing your exposure to unhealthy air here. -- Aimee Green: agreen@oregonian.com; @o_aimee Eton College has been hit by an outbreak of coronavirus after 'a few' students tested positive for the disease on their return from the summer holidays. Final year students were the last to return to the prestigious college near Windsor in Berkshire yesterday and pupils were tested privately for the virus on arrival. Eton confirmed several of their 1,300 students were found to have Covid-19 and those with positive tests have now been placed in isolation. Staff will trace the movements of students who caught the virus, and isolate any pupils and employees with whom they have had recent contact. It is thought the outbreak affects three of Eton's boarding houses: Angelo's House, Wooton House and Keate House. Eton College has been hit by an outbreak of coronavirus after 'a few' students tested positive for the disease after returning from the summer holidays. Pictured: Eton The college would not confirm which houses were involved but said parents had been informed of the outbreak. In a statement, it said: 'Acting on the advice of senior health professionals, Eton took the decision to test all pupils and staff for Covid-19 on their return to school, having carefully assessed the risks of transmission within our specific boarding context. 'In deciding to test, Eton has been determined not to put additional pressure on the NHS. Therefore, a contract has been taken out with a private provider and the school is covering all costs. 'On their return to the school, a few asymptomatic pupils have tested positive and the school is following Health Protection Agency advice in relation to their isolation and the tracing of their contacts. The last of the school's students returned to the prestigious college near Windsor in Berkshire on Thursday and pupils were tested privately to avoid the use of NHS services 'Other pupils continue in school in accordance with the appropriate social distancing and other mitigating measures we have put in place.' The 42,000-a-year school was founded in 1441 and has many notable alumni including Prince William, Prince Harry and Prime Minister Boris Johnson. It is also where former PM David Cameron was taught, alongside Bear Grylls and actors Tom Hiddleston and Hugh Laurie. The Government advises that international students travelling to the UK to attend boarding school self-isolate for two weeks before going back to the classroom. This will come as news to most voters, but were having a two-stage presidential election this year. The first stage is Tuesday, Nov. 3. The plutocrats at JP Morgan warn Trumps chances at that stage are improving and consequently advise clients to position accordingly. I assume that means double down on investments in tear gas and fireworks manufacturers. A consulting group funded by Mike Money Cant Buy Me Love Bloomberg agrees. Trump will do well on Election Day, but Hawkfish CEO Josh Mendelsohn describes Trumps win as a red mirage. Thats because Election Day only serves to set a target threshold for the left. Once the count is over on Nov. 3 the left knows exactly how many mail ballots will be required to produce a victory for Gropey Joe Biden. Mendelsohn is only preparing Trump voters for the final letdown: The reason we talk about a red mirage is in fact because we believe that on election night, we are going to see Donald Trump in a stronger position than the reality actually is the data is going to show on election night an incredible victory for Donald Trump. A victory that will be steadily eroded as mail ballots or at least the mail ballots that are counted turn decisively in Bidens favor. The Hawkfish prediction of the before-and-after Electoral College count is enough to empty gun stores of the few remaining boxes of ammunition still on the shelf. Trump will have what appears to be an unassailable lead of 408 electoral votes to Bidens 130. Magically, only seven days later, the count flips and now Biden wins 334 to 204. I dont think Im alone in hearing the chattering wheels of cheatery at work. Strangely, when I write the left intends to steal the election with a stamp, pushback is immediate from both thieves and victims. Many independents and Republicans mistakenly think the 128,838,342 votes cast in 2016 makes a presidential election that is too big to steal. Theyre confident that even if the left tries, it would take too many fraudulent votes to change the outcome. That is a dangerous misconception. Its swing or battleground states where the election will be stolen and Trumps 2016 margin of victory in those states was whiskerthin. A New York Times analysis found a mere 107,000 votes nationwide effectively decided the election. Thats only 0.08% of the total vote. A completely stealable number, particularly when vote counters have a couple of weeks to do it. In 2016, Trump won Pennsylvania by 0.7% of the vote. He won Michigan by 0.2% Wisconsin by 0.8% and Florida by 1.2%. The political apparatus in three of those four states is a solely-owned subsidiary of the Democrat Party. Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin have Democrat governors. In all three states, the mayors of the three largest cities are all Democrat. That means the left controls the vote count machinery. Election judges are appointed by Democrat officials and trained by same. Republicans may be observers, but they wont be in control. We saw how this works in the 2008 election in Minnesota that inflicted Al Franken on us. Incumbent Sen. Norm Coleman led by 215 votes at the end of the official count. During the re-count, ballots were found in the trunk of a car and previously rejected ballots repented and were accepted. Even the ballots of voters in prison were counted, although that was illegal. In the end, Franken won by 225 votes. Minnesota was a swing state Hillary won by only 1.6%, and that was without riots. You can be sure enough mail ballots will arrive after election day to keep the state in Bidens column. This is why the lockdown is so important for the left. No school. No work. No return to normal. Fueling the Great Pandemic Panic is designed to frighten people. Frightened people wont go to the polls and will instead vote by mail. This unprecedented, tsunami of mail ballots will swamp the system. Ask yourself, why is the left adamantly in favor of a mail voting system that is so much more inefficient and slower than in-person voting? Simple. In a vote-by-mail election, its not who casts the votes thats most important, its who counts the votes. And in too many battleground states the votes are going to be counted by the people who believe its morally unthinkable and their duty to prevent another Trump win. Michael Shannon is a commentator and public relations consultant, and is the author of A Conservative Christians Guidebook for Living in Secular Times. He can be reached at mandate.mmpr@gmail.com. BEIJING (AP) The Chinese Embassy in the United Kingdom has demanded that Twitter investigate after its ambassador's official account liked a pornographic post on the social media platform. A human rights advocate on Twitter posted a screenshot on Wednesday showing that Chinese Ambassador Liu Xiaoming had liked the post. The embassy responded quickly, sharing a statement Wednesday night saying, Recently, some anti-China elements viciously attacked Ambassador Liu Xiaomings Twitter account and employed despicable methods to deceive the public. The Embassy has reported this to Twitter company and urged the latter to make thorough investigations and handle this matter seriously." Twitter declined to comment on the incident. The BBC reported Wednesday that the ambassador's official account had also liked a tweet critical of Chinese officials and another critical of the mass detention of China's Uighur Muslims. But on Thursday the account only showed two likes -- both of which are the ambassador's own tweets. Like most popular overseas social media platforms, Twitter is blocked in China, while Chinese social media such as Weibo, China's version of Twitter, steer well clear of controversial topics to avoid repercussions from the authorities. However, Chinese officials, particularly in the foreign ministry, have recently taken to Twitter and other social media to advocate for China's official positions, denigrate critics and counter criticisms over human rights, foreign policy and other issues. Bahrain has become the latest Arab nation to agree to normalise ties with Israel as part of a broader diplomatic push by President Donald Trump and his administration to fully integrate the Jewish state into the Middle East. Mr Trump announced the agreement on Friday, following a three-way phone call he had with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Bahrains King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa. The three leaders also issued a brief six-paragraph joint statement, attesting to the deal. Another historic breakthrough today! Mr Trump tweeted. The announcement on the 19th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks came less than a week before Mr Trump hosts a White House ceremony to mark the establishment of full relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates. Bahrains foreign minister will attend the event. It represents another diplomatic win for Mr Trump less than two months before the the presidential election and an opportunity to shore up support among pro-Israel evangelical Christians. Just last week, Mr Trump announced agreements in principle for Kosovo to recognise Israel and for Serbia to move its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Expand Close A general view of the Old City of Jerusalem (Adam Davy/PA) PA / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp A general view of the Old City of Jerusalem (Adam Davy/PA) This is a historic breakthrough to further peace in the Middle East, Mr Trump, Mr Netanyahu and King Hamad said in the statement. Opening direct dialogue and ties between these two dynamic societies and advanced economies will continue the positive transformation of the Middle East and increase stability, security, and prosperity in the region. Like the UAE agreement, Fridays Bahrain-Israel deal will normalise diplomatic, commercial, security and other relations between the two countries. Bahrain, along with Saudi Arabia, had already dropped a prohibition on Israeli flights using its airspace. Saudi acquiescence to the agreements has been considered key to the deals. Mr Trumps son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner noted that the agreement is the second Israel has reached with an Arab country in 30 days after having made peace with only two Arab nations, Egypt and Jordan, in 72 years of its independence. This is very fast, Mr Kushner saids. The region is responding very favourably to the UAE deal and hopefully its a sign that even more will come. The agreement will likely be seen as a further setback to the Palestinians who tried unsuccessfully to have the Arab League condemn normalisation with Israel until they have secured an independent state. That was one of the few cards still held by Palestinians in negotiations as peace talks remain stalled. The Northern Territory will open its borders to Australians from Greater Sydney next month in a move that will put further pressure on hardline Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk. Chief Minister Mike Gunner said Sydney will no longer be classified as a coronavirus hotspot from October 9. The decision will mean that all Australians except Victorians can enter the Northern Territory without quarantine, in huge boost for the territory's tourism industry. The Northern Territory will open its borders to Australians from Greater Sydney next month. Pictured: Twin Falls, Kakadu National Park Sydney residents will be able to visit the Northern Territory (pictured is Uluru) from October 9 Sydneysiders could soon be enjoying a fishing trip in the Northern Territory Mr Gunner said he made the decision because New South Wales has been so successful at suppressing the virus. The move makes it harder for Ms Palaszczuk to justify Queensland's harsh border lockdown which keeps out residents of regional NSW and Canberra, which been virus-free for 60 days. New South Wales has recorded ten or fewer daily cases for the past eight days. Explaining his decision, Mr Gunner said: 'First, there is now a sustained downward trend of new cases in Sydney over time, including seven straight days of ten or fewer new cases. 'Second, the contact tracing and containment system in New South Wales is superb. They are catching and containing the virus very quickly. It is not spreading. 'Third, the level of testing being done, and the links of almost all new cases to known clusters, gives a high degree of confidence that there are no known outbreaks occurring. 'For these reasons, the Northern Territory will plan to remove the hot spot status declaration for greater Sydney in 28 days' time. 'From Friday October 9, arrivals from greater Sydney will not need to undertake 14 are days of supervised quarantine. We are deliberately waiting another four weeks two full replication cycles so we can keep seeing the trend go down.' Tearful: Annastacia Palaszczuk welled up on national television this morning as she fronted the cameras for the first time since refusing to let a 26-year-old nurse attend her father's funeral Sarah Caisip (in yellow) was allowed to have a private viewing of her father's body, dressed in PPE and with security guards minding her. She was not allowed to greet her family Mr Gunner headed off anticipated criticism by telling locals that he has a good record at managing public safety. 'Every time we make a decision, I get people calling me and emailing me, saying I've stuffed it all up, that it will end in disaster, that I will kill people. People have the right to think that, if they want,' he said. 'But I would just say, I have been told that a million times so far, and it hasn't happened yet. Our hot spots policy is nation-leading, and it is working. It is keeping the Territory the safest place in Australia, while also keeping the Territory open for business.' 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 The Northern Territory has not had a case of coronavirus since August 1 and has only had 33 cases in total. Mr Gunner is prepared for some cases and believes the territory will be able to successfully manage any small outbreaks. 'There's also the reality that we may end up with a case, or cases, here,' he said. 'But for people who come here, the controls need to be themselves, their behaviours, so we would advise people coming here from areas where there's some cases, or outbreaks, but small numbers, such as Sydney, that maybe you consider not being close to people you haven't seen for a good while. 'In other words, kissing and hugging. In places like pubs and bars, which are wonderful places for us to be. But also to consider maybe not going and visiting vulnerable persons immediately, because there's places such as aged care and residential disability care where people are susceptible to this virus.' Queensland's borders are closed to Victoria, NSW and the ACT. Premier Palaszczuk faces an election next month and the tough borders are believed to be popular with most Queenslanders. Ms Palaszczuk has come under fire for inconsistency on border rules after letting actors including Tom Hanks as well as hundreds of AFL players, WAGs and staff enter Queensland via special luxury quarantine while keeping ordinary families apart. Hanks, who caught the virus in Australia in March, is in quarantine in a luxury Gold Coast hotel organised by the film industry after returning to Queensland from the US to continue filming Baz Lurhmann's Elvis Presley biopic. Mr Morrison has raised about 40 exemption requests with state and territory leaders, asking them to grant travel permission on compassionate grounds. Outrage as Ms Palaszczuk's policy reached fever pitch on Thursday when she prevented 26-year-old nurse Sarah Caisip, from virus-free Canberra, from going to her father's funeral. WASHINGTON President Trump announced on Friday that Bahrain would establish full diplomatic relations with Israel, following the United Arab Emirates, in another sign of shifting Middle East dynamics that are bringing Arab nations closer to Israel. Mr. Trump announced the news on Twitter, releasing a joint statement with Bahrain and Israel and calling the move a historic breakthrough to further peace in the Middle East. Speaking to reporters, the president said the anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks was a fitting day for the announcement. Theres no more powerful response to the hatred that spawned 9/11, he said. The announcement came after a similar one last month by Israel and the United Arab Emirates that they would normalize relations, on the condition that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel not follow through with plans to annex portions of the West Bank. Trump administration officials said they hoped that agreement would encourage other Arab countries with historically hostile though recently thawing relations with Israel to take similar steps. The deal, which isolates the Palestinians, comes as Mr. Trump tries to position himself as a peacemaker before the elections in November. Delhi Capitals is one of the franchises looking for their first Indian Premier League title. They have flattered to deceive in their history with several wooden spoon finishes. However, last year they turned around their fortunes with youngsters like Rishabh Pant, Prithvi Shaw, and Sandeep Lamichhane shining under the captaincy of Shreyas Iyer. They reached the playoffs but eventually lost out to Chennai Super Kings. This year they have added the experience of R Ashwin and Ajinkya Rahane to complement Shikhar Dhawan, Pant, and Iyer. Fans from the national capital are hoping that the players are able to deliver the much-coveted title this year. Delhi Capitals pacer Mohit Sharma also believes that they have a strong team this year and the results could be in their favour. Also Read | Indians may have a bigger impact than ever on this IPL, writes Sanjay Manjrekar If we keep results aside, the Delhi team has always been very good. I have played in other teams and Delhi was always competitive. Back then, we always used to say that you can never take Delhi lightly. There are a lot of youngsters in the team, and even now why people are saying that Delhi is strong is because we have continued with those youngsters for two years now, so they are settled. The results were not (consistently) in our favour because the process to get desired results is a long one. That could be the reason, Mohit Sharma was quoted as saying by TOI. But at the moment, the team is looking very strong and the kind of process thats going on, the amount of hard work we are putting in, the way (Ricky) Ponting is guiding us or the way Ryan Harris is working with the bowlers, I think the results will be in our favour this season. Delhi Capitals open their IPL 2020 campaign on September 20 against Kings XI Punjab at the Dubai International Stadium. New Delhi, Sep 11 : The outlook on agri-income which is one third of rural income is encouraging, with South India faring better than other regions, but the risk from excessive rainfall in September-October persists. According to a research report by J. M. Financial, supply chain challenges, government support (high MSP procurement), supportive global prices and shortages of some crops like vegetables are likely to support food prices and therefore farm realisations. J. M. Financial conducted 11th Rural Safari "remotely" amid the Covid-19 pandemic and gathered data from 13 Indian states. "Our key conclusions are the outlook on agri-income (1/3rd of rural income) is encouraging, with South India faring better than other regions, but the risk from excessive rainfall in September-October'20 persists", it noted. The impact of long-term structural initiatives (marketing reforms, contract farming, agri-infra boost, etc.) is yet to reflect on the ground but the start has been encouraging. However, there has been a significant weakness in non-agri income; localised and ad-hoc restrictions on movement across districts, even in July-August, have further delayed income revival. "Lack of local jobs and floods in some states have propelled the return of 35-40 per cent of migrant labourers to the cities, as per our survey", J. M.Financial said. While government welfare transfers have partly supported rural cash flows so far, we estimate that at least Rs 2.1 trillion (1.1 per cent of GDP) is still needed in welfare benefits to offset the likely decline in rural disposable income in FY21", the research noted. Covid-19 cases have spread further to rural India, now one half of confirmed cases vs. one fourth at end-June but a low reported mortality rate barring western India has so far limited its adverse impact. "While we expect sequential improvement in income/consumption in 2HFY21, we also anticipate continued caution, a focus on essentials (staples, hygiene and education) and agri-investments (tractors, agri-inputs, pipes, etc.) to persist. Given the slow revival in non-agri income, we expect discretionary consumption growth to be back-ended in FY21", the report said. Despite a commendable increase in MGNREGA and overall government spending, subdued private economic activity and ad-hoc lockdowns have impacted non-agri income significantly. "This is reflected in the earlier-than-anticipated return of migrant labourers to cities (as per our survey), particularly in the NCR region. As the number of passenger trains is still less than five per cent of normal, migrant labour groups have pooled vehicles to return, indicating stress on income levels", the report said. Consequently, wage rates in urban areas -- which have seen a spike -- could normalise in the next few months with improved labour availability. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Working out of Haryana, he later joined active politics and became the education minister in 1979. Noted social activist and Arya Samaj leader Swami Agnivesh, who was suffering from liver cirrhosis for a long time, died of multi-organ failure at a Delhi hospital, doctors said. He died just 10 days short of his 81st birthday. Agnivesh was critically ill and admitted to an ICU of the Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences, and was on ventilatory support since Tuesday, the doctors said. "He was suffering from liver cirrhosis and died today due to multi-organ failure as his condition deteriorated and he went into cardiac arrest at 6 pm," a spokesperson of the hospital said. Resuscitation was attempted but he passed away at 6:30 pm, he said. Born Vepa Shyam Rao in a Telugu Brahmin family, Agnivesh held a law degree and for a brief while worked with Sabyasachi Mukherji, the future Chief Justice of India. He joined the Arya Samaj in 1968 and took sanyasi vows in 1970, relinquishing his caste and surname. Working out of Haryana, a main centre of the Arya Samaj, he later joined active politics and became the education minister in 1979. In 1981, he formed the Bonded Labour Liberation Front to fight against the social evil. While Arya Samaj remains a revivalist Hindu organisation which does not advocate secularism, Agnivesh remained a fierce secularist and backed inter-faith dialogue. A notable face of India's diverse and vibrant civil society, Agnivesh had also served as the president of the World Council of Arya Samaj -- the apex Samaj body. Indian stocks were little changed Friday, set to cap their third weekly gain in four after shares of billionaire Mukesh Ambanis Reliance Industries Ltd. rose to a record on reports of of possible deals. The benchmark S&P BSE Sensex was little changed as of 10:07 am in Mumbai, holding its weekly gain at 1.3% as a rally in Indias biggest company by market value helped the gauge overcome global volatility and local problems. The conglomerates shares have risen 12% this week as people familiar said Amazon.com Inc. and KKR & Co. are in talks to buy stakes in its retail business. India equity investors have so far ignored the nations problems ranging from a shrinking economy to a border clash with China. The Sensex has risen about 50% from a low in March even as India saw its worst economic contraction on record in the June quarter, and it seems inevitable that the nation will at some point overtake the U.S. on Covid-19 caseload. The rally in Reliance has lifted the entire market, backed by the companys deals and stake sales, said Sameer Kalra, a strategist at Mumbai-based Target Investing. Still, the risk-reward has started diminishing, and valuations are expanding for both Reliance and the market. A gauge of consumer durable stocks rose the most among BSE Ltd.s sub-indexes. The yield on Indias benchmark 10-year government bonds fell one basis point to 6.04%, while the rupee weakened 0.1% to 73.53 per dollar. Yemen's Houthis Reportedly Launch Drone, Missile Attack on Saudi Capital Sputnik News 09:44 GMT 10.09.2020(updated 10:12 GMT 10.09.2020) The Houthi movement, which controls the north of Yemen, said that it launched an air attack on a key target in the Saudi capital Riyadh. The movement said it carried out an attack on an "important target" in the Saudi capital Riyadh using a ballistic missile and four drones. Earlier in the day, the Saudi-led coalition has destroyed an explosive-laden unmanned aerial vehicle launched by Yemen's Shia Houthi rebels, Saudi media reported. The drone was heading for the Saudi city of Najran located near the border with Yemen when it was intercepted and destroyed by the coalition forces, the SPA news agency reported, citing coalition's spokesman Col. Turki al-Maliki. Yemen has been engulfed in an armed conflict between the government forces, led by President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi, and the Houthi rebels for several years. Since March 2015, the Saudi-led Arab alliance, working in cooperation with Hadi's forces, has been conducting air, land and sea operations against the rebels, who control the capital of Sanaa and large areas in northern and western Yemen. The Houthis often use drones with explosives to attack Saudi border areas. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address FP Trending Facebook started way back in 2004 as The Facebook and it was an app created specifically for college students. Now in 2020, the social media giant has achieved great heights and is accessible to anyone above the age of 13. However, Mark Zuckerbergs venture is taking a trip back to its roots by launching a sub section that deals exclusively with college students. Known as Facebook Campus, the space will help students connect with peers better. Introducing the feature, Product Manager Charmaine Hung said Facebook Campus will help students make and maintain relationships, even if theyre away from their college. The blog mentions how connecting could be harder given some colleges are shifting to partial or full-time remote learning due to the pandemic. In order to enroll oneself up for Campus, users need to create an account separate from their main Facebook account. In fact, the app will be making it for you once you feed in your college email address and graduation year. Other information such as their major, classes, hometown and minor are optional. Much like a notice board in an actual college campus, news about a group meeting or event gets across to members of the campus only. The Campus-only News Feed will let students create study groups or plan virtual concerts. There will be campus-specific Groups where one can ask for advice or post a confession. One of the most crucial features of Campus is the presence of Campus directory that helps you find anyone on the basis of their class, major, or year. But it is a given that not everyone is going to be on Campus. There are going to be real-time chat rooms that can be created for members of a certain dorm or club. However, this feature is currently available only for 30 schools in the United States. The entire list has been published by the firm and students of those colleges can find Campus within their Facebook app. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is pressing ahead with legislation on trade despite a warning from Brussels that it could wreck their future relationship and an acknowledgement by his government that it violates international law. The Internal Market Bill is aimed at ensuring Britain's four constituent nations can trade freely with one another after leaving the European Union, but the government says that requires overriding part of the withdrawal treaty it signed with Brussels. The EU has threatened legal action against Britain, and many lawmakers have voiced ... The flurry of interest in acquiring TikTok shows the value of a popular social network with vast troves of consumer data. The deal also holds an important lesson about technology use that other businesses can learn from: the need to design applications in a flexible, portable way. One challenge for any company that buys TikTok will be how to carve up its technical infrastructure outside of China without destroying its value in the process. The impetus for the deal is that the US doesnt want China spying on its citizens through the app. That will require untangling the data and application code on the back end. TikTok owner ByteDance also runs a similar app called Douyin, available only in China, and the apps reportedly share technical resources including user data, server code, and the algorithms that determine which content and ads a user sees. ByteDance needs to separate those elements in the narrow timeframe its been given, and its ability to do that effectively will be a factor in how much a suitor is willing to pay and perhaps whether a deal happens at all. There are lessons here for other businesses. Its not uncommon to sell or spin off a product or company division for strategic reasons, and how those assets are architected can impact their value and the ease with which they can be sold. The days of building giant monolithic applications are long gone. Most new apps are built in the cloud using smaller microservices that can be scaled up and down as needed and updated independently. Thats good for introducing new features quickly but it can be hard to disentangle apps if theyre not designed carefully using open standards and technologies. There are three main areas to consider: the cloud infrastructure, the application code, and the data. Heres how to design each in a way that makes them portable and flexible enough that they can be separated cleanly if needed. Keep it cloud-neutral Most businesses have a preferred cloud provider, and any app being acquired may need to be moved onto a different service. In TikToks case, ByteDance recently signed an $800 million deal to run the app in Googles cloud. Certainly, Microsoft or Oracle would want to move the app to their own cloud as soon as possible to collect the revenue. One way to get locked into a cloud is using high-level managed services, like Amazon Redshift or Google Cloud Big Table. These services are alluringly simple to deploy but notorious for locking customers into proprietary formats. Even the managed versions of popular open source products like MongoDB and Elasticsearch can have subtle differences depending on the cloud provider, making it hard to port apps when you need to. Think of the public cloud as an infrastructure service, not the basis for architectural decisions. If youre building the next TikTok, select services that arent specific to one public cloud and dont limit your options by going all in on one provider. Make apps modular and portable Applications should be developed as microservices and deployed in containers based on a widely used standard like Docker. Containers package everything an app needs to run into a self-contained bundle, including the application code and any dependencies or configuration files it requires. That makes it easier to move or copy an app onto a different cloud or hardware platform. Because containerized apps are modular by nature, each application service can be dealt with individually as needed. For example, maybe the user interface code is copied over while the security services are rewritten. Or a business could sell off specific functionality and retain other parts of an app. The algorithms themselves can be updated for each country or region, depending on local market needs. Keep the data independent ByteDance has a trove of data about its users around the world. Given the USs privacy and security concerns, it will need to unbundle the data associated with its international users and ensure ByteDance has no way of accessing that information after the deal is complete. Managing data in the event of a sale starts with knowing where all your data lives, including any backups. Data should be architected intentionally and segmented by country or zone of operation. This is a good practice in any event, for compliance with regulations like GDPR or nation-specific data sovereignty laws, but may also be essential in the event of a sale. In addition, data shouldnt be hard-wired to the underlying storage system. Cloud native technologies like Kubernetes and containers allow data to reside anywhere and connect to an app as needed. In the event of a sale, data can be moved to a different cloud, data center, or region without having to rewrite the application or rip out the storage hardware. In short, data should be kept highly portable and there are standards-based cloud technologies that make that possible. Its unclear who will acquire TikTok but the deal could be a lucrative one. Facebook paid $1 billion for Instagram and the service generated $20 billion in ad revenue last year. TikTok has about 80 million users in the US and it is still growing fast. But these deals can be complex when data and applications have to be disentangled on the back end. How you architect your infrastructure can have a big impact when it comes to a sale. So let this deal serve as a lesson. Design for maximum flexibility, because you never know what the future holds. Murli Thirumale is co-founder and CEO of Portworx, provider of cloud-native storage and data management solutions for Kubernetes. New Tech Forum provides a venue to explore and discuss emerging enterprise technology in unprecedented depth and breadth. The selection is subjective, based on our pick of the technologies we believe to be important and of greatest interest to InfoWorld readers. InfoWorld does not accept marketing collateral for publication and reserves the right to edit all contributed content. Send all inquiries to newtechforum@infoworld.com. Medicaid enrollments increased by 2.3 million since the start of the pandemic, while unemployment reached more than 13 million. States are scrambling to fund their Medicaid programs and seeking federal help. Changes are planned to improve Medicaid programs after the pandemic. Medicaid enrollments have lagged far behind job losses during the COVID-19 pandemic. But even the smaller-than-expected increase has left states scrambling for funding. Although the national employment picture has improved since the depths of the pandemic-related state lockdowns in late spring and early summer, 13.6 million remained unemployed as of August, according to the latest report of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. But enrollment in Medicaid, which is designed to provide healthcare coverage for those in dire financial situations, had increased by only 2.3 million as of May, according to a Kaiser Family Foundation report. The 3.2% national increase in Medicaid enrollment obscured wide variations among states. For instance, citing July data, state healthcare executives identified enrollment increases of: 15.5% in Utah (compared with July 2019) 10% in Virginia (since the start of the pandemic) 1% in California (compared with July 2019) All three states expanded Medicaid eligibility under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) to all legal residents with incomes below 138% of the federal poverty level. Surprisingly enough we have not seen the impacts of the COVID response on our enrollment numbers, said Rene Mollow, deputy director of healthcare benefits and eligibility for the California Department of Health Care Services, about the states enrollment increase of roughly 100,000. Mollow said a Medicaid enrollment surge may follow several months behind the recession, which started in the spring. Another 230,000 California residents had signed up for coverage through the ACA marketplace since March 20, according to a Covered California release. But those increases are far less than the 7 million California workers who filed first-time claims for unemployment benefits during the roughly four-month period that ended on July 25, as reported by the U.S. Department of Labor. In interviews, some hospitals and health systems have reported seeing increases in Medicaid and uninsured patients in recent months, but such changes have varied by organization and across the country. Medicaid programs tackle a budget crunch A common concern among Medicaid programs has been state budget shortfalls stemming from declining tax revenue during the pandemic-fueled recession. In Virginia, Medicaid consumes 25% of the general-fund budget. That does not include the states share of the cost of its ACA eligibility expansion, which is covered by a provider tax. The Medicaid program often gets put on the chopping block during economic downturns, said Joe Flores, deputy secretary of finance in Virginias Office of the Governor. Historically, cuts have resulted in reduced eligibility, trimmed benefits and provider rate decreases. The state was considering $200 million in cuts before the federal government agreed to increase its share of Medicaid funding as part of COVID-19 relief efforts. However, Flores said during the recent meeting of the National Academy for State Health Policy that federal assistance will be needed beyond the pandemic. Thats because the state expects the 2020 enrollment increase to last for years. The enhanced federal funding was used in California to ensure the state met federal maintenance of effort requirements which mandate that states maintain full pre-pandemic eligibility and to fund costly COVID-19 treatments and offer some new services. For instance, California created a nurse hotline to assess residents symptoms and refer them to providers that could care for them and enroll them using presumptive eligibility, said Mollow. The states Medicaid program also started to make retainer payments to certain providers at which patient caseloads sharply dropped due to the states stay-at-home orders or to patient fears. Innovations by the Utah Medicaid program included the establishment of nursing home facilities for individuals who tested positive for COVID-19. Those facilities served as more advanced settings for COVID-19 patients who were transferred from other nursing homes and as sites to which hospitals could discharge stabilized COVID-19 patients, said Emma Chacon, director of financing operations for Utahs Medicaid program. Medicaid managed care plans draw scrutiny The finances of Medicaid health plans also are drawing the attention of planners. More than 40 states pay these plans $265 billion annually, comprising more than 80% of total Medicaid spending. Those per-enrollee payments continued this year even as utilization sharply declined at the height of the pandemic. While less care is being provided in our communities and providers are teetering on the edge in some instances, its interesting to note and some of us have that Medicaid managed care organizations have boosted their profits in the short run, Flores of Virginia said. This hasnt gone unnoticed in the governors offices, and the budgeteers are watching too. Most of Utahs 366,000 enrollees are covered by Medicaid plans, which reported a 3.9% decrease in managed care utilization, amounting to $27 million. Chacon said Medicaid officials had expected the pandemic to cut utilization by much more. In California, 10 million enrollees are covered by managed care plans, which have not yet provided the state with data on how utilization changed during the pandemic. Potential future changes to Medicaid programs California is urging the federal government to continue pandemic-related flexibilities, such as broadened use of telehealth. Utah also found that expanded use of telehealth, especially phone-based services, was a boon to mental healthcare for Medicaid enrollees in the state, which has relatively large swaths of rural and frontier areas, Chacon said. Future Medicaid efforts in the state will include a push to increase child immunizations, which fell sharply, and distribute flu shots. California is developing messaging to get Medicaid enrollees to seek needed preventive care. Patient volumes in the fee-for-service portion of the program remain below pre-pandemic levels, Mollow said. Hospitals in Utah have accommodated the number of COVID-19 patients to date but warned Medicaid officials that the combination of new cases and flu cases this winter may exceed their capacity, Chacon said. In California, where nursing home populations were hit hard by the pandemic, the Medicaid program is looking to decrease nursing home placements in favor of more home- and community-based services, Mollow said. Most important, said Flores, is for the federal government to increase its additional Medicaid funding from 6.2% to the 11% boost it provided for 21 months during the last recession. If we want to get out of this and recover, we need those resources, Flores said. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Ramadani Saputra and Moch. Fiqih Prawira Adjie (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, September 11, 2020 16:06 497 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c44490f9 1 National hate-speech,social-media,COVID-19,coronavirus,virus-corona,virus-korona-indonesia,outbreak,doctors,medical-workers Free Doctors have asked the public to stop accusing medical workers of profiting off the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak on social media. Muhammad Alkaff, an internist at Persahabatan General Hospital (RSUP) in East Jakarta, urged the public to spare doctors and other medical workers from such accusations and hate speech. Please dont [attack] doctors or medical workers who have struggled to such an extent with more than 100 casualties, with hate speech alleging that we or the hospital receive tens or even hundreds of millions [of rupiah]. We dont, Alkaff said in an interview with The Jakarta Post recently. The plea came amid the circulation of rumors among social media users that accuse medical workers of seeking to benefit from the outbreak, despite the growing number of casualties among them in the frontline while treating COVID-19 patients. The Indonesian Medical Association (IDI) reported that at least 109 doctors, eight dentists and 70 nurses had died of COVID-19 as of Friday. The association estimated thousands more were also infected by the novel coronavirus while treating their patients. Its not true that COVID-19 cases in Indonesia have surpassed China. The data is just manipulated so medical workers can gain a profit, Twitter handle @hntyoid posted on July 18, when Indonesias official count of COVID-19 cases reached 84,882, surpassing China with 83,644. Read also: Patients crowd hospitals as Indonesia loses 183 'priceless' medical workers A doctor from Kediri, East Java, Tri Maharani, refuted the claims. These false accusations have hindered us in fighting COVID-19. [They worsen] our fatigue and pressure while [containing this outbreak], she said in an episode of weekly talk show Mata Najwa, a clip of which was uploaded onto YouTube on Thursday. People started to flock to crowded places as authorities started to ease COVID-19 restrictions in June. However, new COVID-19 patients swarmed hospitals, prompting fears that the countrys healthcare system would eventually collapse. Responding to such concerns, the Jakarta administration will reimpose large-scale social restrictions (PSBB) starting on Monday as the isolation bed occupancy rate in the capital has reached 77 percent. Smoke from fires in Western Washington, Oregon and California to reach region today, Sept. 11 Air quality across the state as of 2:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 11. SPOKANE -- Officials at the Spokane Regional Clean Air Agency are warning residents in the region that, depending on the winds and fire activity, air quality over the next several days is expected to worse. According to a Sept. 10 news release, air quality today (Sept. 11) could possibly reach the Orange Range (Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups) or worse of the Air Quality Index (AQI). Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 12-13, the air quality could decline even further to the Purple (Very Unhealthy) or Maroon (Hazardous) range at times. This worsening air quality forecast is due to poor ventilation an... A retired judge appointed to review the Justice Department's motion to drop charges against former national security adviser Michael Flynn said on Friday that calling the agency's actions "irregular," which he did in June, "would be a study in understatement." Why it matters: Trump's allies have viewed Attorney General Bill Barr's move to withdraw charges against Flynn as the first major step in exposing the Russia investigation as a political hit job. Democrats fear Barr is weaponizing the Justice Department ahead of the election. The big picture: The DOJ in May moved to drop its prosecution of Flynn, who pleaded guilty in the Mueller investigation in 2017 to lying to FBI agents about his conversations with the former Russian ambassador. U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan had asked John Gleeson to present arguments for why the Justice Departments request to drop the case should be denied. What he's saying: "In the United States, Presidents do not orchestrate pressure campaigns to get the Justice Department to drop charges against defendants who have pleaded guilty twice, before two different judges and whose guilt is obvious," Gleeson wrote. "There is clear evidence that this motion reflects a corrupt and politically motivated favor unworthy of our justice system," he added. The Justice Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The White House declined to comment. Flashback: Gleeson described the agency's actions as "highly irregular" in a similarly scathing brief in June. Legal analysts found Sullivan's move to enlist Gleeson as "highly unusual" and, taken with his move to hear outside arguments on the DOJ's reversal, suggested disagreement with the agency's handling of Flynn's case, the New York Times reported in May. Read the full filing. Torontos Airbnb investors in woke up to a new, potentially risky reality yesterday, as September 10 marked the launch of the citys new short-term rental registry. Owners of properties that are currently available to renters for less than 28 days a month must register with the city before December 31. After that, new operators will be required to register with the city prior to renting their properties. "This is good news for Toronto residents and a step in the right direction when it comes to regulating short-term rentals and maintaining the peace and quiet of our neighbourhoods," Toronto Mayor John Tory said in an August 25 press release. "This system will provide crucial oversight of operators and ensure that they are held accountable and only operate within their principal residences." Described by the city as a necessary first step in its attempts to better regulate short-term rentals, the registry applies to hosts who wish to rent out either a maximum of three rooms in their primary residence or the entire property, the latter option coming with a 180-day per year limit. Once registered, operators will be issued a unique number that is required for advertising their homes on any short-term rental site. The process is ostensibly an attempt by the city to gather more data from short-term rental platforms, but the reality, is no number, no Airbnb listing. Those caught abusing the system will be fined anywhere between $300 and $1,000 and could potentially face removal from any associated rental platforms. In a given year, nearly 3,800 people die in Hudson County, whether from heart disease, cancer or any other of the innumerable ways that life comes to an end. Just how bad has 2020 been? With one-third of the calendar remaining, deaths in Hudson County have already surpassed what is typical for an entire year. There were more than 4,200 recorded by the end of August. Nor is it alone, preliminary state mortality data shows, amid the coronavirus pandemic that devastated New Jersey this spring. Hudson is one of four hard-hit northern counties in which overall deaths have already exceeded what would normally be seen annually, though only eight months have passed in the year. The others are Essex, Union and Passaic counties. And looking forward, almost every county in northern and central Jersey will likely see their annual averages surpassed by the end of October as will likely New Jersey as a whole, an analysis by NJ Advance Media found. Thats even assuming that deaths in the coming months remain flat, and there isnt a second wave of the outbreak. Comparing deaths this year to previous years represents another way to chart the impact of the contagion, which has killed more than 16,000 people in New Jersey, cratered the economy and forced unprecedented changes to social life. The Department of Health publishes month-by-month statistics of mortality in the state, and NJ Advance Media used those to examine deaths in 2020 versus deaths from 2015 to 2019. Over those five years, Hudson County averaged 3,769 deaths annually. That compared to the 4,234 recorded through August of this year, according to preliminary figures that are expected to grow, given reporting lags in the states data. Essex County averaged 5,994 deaths from 2015 to 2019, compared to 6,302 in 2020 through August. Union County averaged 3,979, versus 4,073. Passaic County averaged 3,751 versus 3,826. According to the states official coronavirus death toll, those four counties have the highest number of COVID-19 fatalities per capita in New Jersey, which is one of the worst hit states in the country. New Jerseys outbreak peaked in April, and the state has gradually reopened in recent months as daily death tolls fall into the single digits and hospitalizations and the number of patients on ventilators show steep declines. The states overall mortality data reflects that curve, with April driving this years high numbers. Statewide, 17,850 people died that month regardless of cause, nearly three times as many deaths as the 6,090 that April typically averages. Beyond the four counties that have already exceeded their normal yearly totals, many others are nearing that mark. Middlesex County averages nearly 6,000 deaths a year, and had 5,556 deaths through August. A typical September produces 450 deaths; if Middlesex saw that this year, its total would reach 6,006. Other counties could follow a month later, including Bergen, Hunterdon, Mercer, Monmouth, Morris, Somerset and Sussex. The state as a whole is also on pace to exceed its average annual death toll at the end of October. Through August, 66,114 deaths have been recorded so far across New Jersey; in a typical year, just over 74,000 people die in the state. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Riley Yates may be reached at ryates@njadvancemedia.com. EZULWINI Get 10 megabytes (mb) of data for only E2. This follows a major data price cut by giant telecommunications company MTN Eswatini. The Cheif Executive Officer (CEO) Wandile Mtshali, in an event attended by Acting Minister of Information, Communications and Technology (ICT) Manqoba Khumalo, announced the implementation of an overall review of 32 per cent in prepaid data bundles. For post-paid, the review is up to 70 per cent. At its headquarters at Mahlalekhukhwini House in Ezulwini yesterday, MTN launched a new campaign styled You Deserve the Best alongside the new data prices. This is the fifth major data prices review since the beginning of the companys data price transformation programme in 2016. Most of the packages are with immediate effect, while some will be staggered. Cheapest MTN has introduced bundles styled Freedom for prepaid customers which do not expire. They replace the Daily WOW bundles which used to expire after 24 hours. As a result, one gets an extra 2mb for the cheapest bundle (E2). For E10 you can get up to 65mb that do not expire. On top of the major cut, there are new exciting bundles for prepaid styled Tik Tok. Through the latter, one will get access to the Tik Tok short videos platform. A daily bundle for 100mb costs E5. A monthly bundle under this package costs E50. Another development for prepaid is the introduction of an all-in-one social bundles that covers Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter and Instagram. For E50, one gets 500mb for a month. The cheapest all-in-one social bundles (30mb) cost E5. However, the separate bundles for each social network will also be maintained. For post-paid customers, the changes come with the introduction of two new bundles; increased volume and price reduction of up to 70 per cent. Following the new normal enforced by the advent of COVID-19, e-learning data bundles have also been introduced for post-paid customers. A monthly e-learning one gigabyte (gb) costs E70. However, the latter will be accessible to pre-identified learning institutions. Off-net minutes for calling other networks have also been introduced for post-paid. Mtshali highlighted that the changes were introduced following complaints suggesting that data was expensive. Were also offering a 100 per cent bonus that takes the same validity as the purchased bundle for both the weekly and monthly WOW bundles. The bonus bundles will be used between 11pm and 5am. Weve introduced and were officially launching a universal short code which our customers can use to subscribe and unsubscribe to any of our digital services in the comfort of their homes. The new short code is *585#, Mtshali said. The CEO expressed hope that the release of the new spectrum would continue to assist their ability to service increased customer demand in a more cost-effective manner. In reaction to the development, the minster thanked MTN for delivering on its promises, saying the cut in prices would come in handy in the ease of doing business. He said she was personally relieved as legislators in the ICT portfolio were causing him sleepless nights over the price of data. It is a step in the right direction and a game changer. Businesses and investors usually look at the cost of data, said the minister. Reduced Khumalo said the reduced data price was just what the doctor ordered, as Eswatini was among countries with high cost of data. Issues on the talks between the Eswatini Posts and Telecommunications Corporation (EPTC) and MTN Eswatini regarding the termination of their Joint Venture Agreement expectedly emerged during yesterdays deliberations but the minister said he was in no position to say when would the issue be resolved but conceded that one of the hindrances was an undisclosed amount of money government needed to cough up to facilitate the deal. Vietnamese Ambassador Tran Duc Binh at the Committee of Permanent Representatives to ASEAN (CPR) has been selected as Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN for Community and Corporate Affairs for the February 2021 - February 2024 period. Vietnamese Ambassador Tran Duc Binh (Photo: VNA) At the 27th meeting of the ASEAN Coordinating Council on September 9, ASEAN foreign ministers agreed on Secretary-General Lim Jock Hois proposal on appointing Ambassador Binh as the new Deputy Secretary-General. Earlier, the diplomat had outperformed nearly 20 candidates from other ASEAN countries in several tests. On the sidelines of the online 53rd ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting (AMM 53) and related meetings, ASEAN Deputy Secretary-General Hoang Anh Tuan told the Vietnam News Agency that the selection of Ambassador Binh to the post reflects ASEAN countries trust in his knowledge and capacity for handling complex tasks, with him having performed exceptionally as CPR Chair this year when Vietnam is holding the ASEAN chairmanship. As Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN for Community and Corporate Affairs, Binh will be responsible for the implementation of corporate support functions, including administration affairs, human resources, finance and budget, information technology, information resource management, protocol and formalities, legal affairs, and management of cooperation programmes and projects. With this latest posting, Vietnam will continually have representatives in leadership positions in the ASEAN Secretariat between January 2013 and February 2024: Secretary-General Le Luong Minh (January 2013 - January 2018), Deputy Secretary-General Hoang Anh Tuan (February 2018 - February 2021), and now Deputy Secretary-General Tran Duc Binh (February 2021 - February 2024)./.VNA The Central Crime Branch (CCB) arrested actress Sanjjanaa Galrani on September 8 in connection with the Sandalwood drug scandal. Well, Sanjjanaa's name in the drug racket shocked her fans. However, the actress has become a trending topic on the internet, but this time, it is for her marital status. Recently, a picture of Sanjjanaa Galrani with Dr Azeez Pasha, a Bangalore-based cardiovascular surgeon went viral on social media. She is reportedly in a relationship with Azeez. In the picture, Sanjjanaa and Azeez can be seen dressed in traditional outfit, which looks like a wedding attire. After the photo went viral on social media, netizens started discussing her marital status. Well, the actress and Azeez had earlier shared differing views on their marital status. But Sanjjanaa Galrani's mother's recent opinion about her daughter's wedding left netizens confused. Hence, people are still asking that one question - Is she married or not? While addressing the media on Monday, Sanjjanaa Galrani had said, "I am not married, I want to make it clear that I am not." When a leading news channel asked Sanjjanaa's mother Reshma Galrani about the same, she said that her daughter is engaged to Dr Azeez Pasha. "They were engaged around three and a half years ago. They were set to be married this April, but the pandemic made us postpone it," Reshma added. Also Read : Sanjjanaa Galrani Knew About CCB Raid In Advance; Had Requested Neighbours For Support: Reports On the other hand, Azeez told the news channel, "Yes, the photograph is from a ceremony that is akin to a marriage." Well, after these statements, fans are eager to know about the photo from Sanjjanaa. Meanwhile, actress Ragini Dwivedi has also been arrested in connection with the drug racket. Along with the two actresses, the CCB also held 12 people for their role in drug dealing. Also Read : Sanjjanaa Galrani Arrested In Sandalwood Drug Scandal After CCB Raided Her Residence Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-11 00:09:31|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Firefighters put out the fire at Beirut's port in Lebanon, Sept. 10, 2020. (Xinhua/Bilal Jawich) Lebanon succeeded in controlling around 70 percent of the massive fire that erupted in Beirut's port. BEIRUT, Sept. 10 (Xinhua) -- Lebanon's civil defense teams succeeded in controlling around 70 percent of the massive fire that erupted in Beirut's port earlier on Thursday, al-Jadeed local TV channel reported. Photo taken on Sept. 10, 2020 shows the interior of a warehouse on fire at Beirut's port in Lebanon. (Xinhua/Bilal Jawich) Helicopters belonging to the Lebanese army assisted civil defense teams in extinguishing the fire. A military helicopter extinguishes flames at Beirut's port in Lebanon, Sept. 10, 2020. (Xinhua/Bilal Jawich) The massive fire broke out at Beirut's port comes from a warehouse that contains oil and tire deposits. Firefighters put out the fire at Beirut's port in Lebanon, Sept. 10, 2020. (Xinhua/Bilal Jawich) Director General of the Civil Defense General Raymond Khattar announced that the fire is taking time to be extinguished because of the type of tires that were burnt at the port. Lebanese President Michel Aoun announced earlier in the day that the Higher Defense Council will convene in the evening to discuss repercussions of this new fire at the port. A massive fire erupted at port of Beirut earlier in the day, which is the second huge fire that takes place following the fire that caused two huge explosions at the port on Aug. 4, destroying a big part of the city while killing around 190 people and wounding at least 6,000 others. The doomsday scenario has arrived, just as the climate scientists had warned. The only proof you need is a working TV, which delivers footage that Al Gore describes as a nature hike through the Book of Revelation. This is the new normal, and Washington Gov. Jay Inslee was exactly right last week when he suggested that the term wildfires is inadequate, as his state was transformed into a climate hellscape: I think we need to start thinking about this as a climate fire, Inslee said, because thats what makes them so explosive. Whatever we call them, we know the rise in global temperatures has parched the forests, and the results are terrifying. Flames rip through neighborhoods at higher speeds than people can run, and there have been reports of fires chewing up 1000 acres in a half hour. More than 1,400 square miles of Oregon had been incinerated, forcing the evacuation of 500,000 people 10% of the population. The pristine California landscape, which gets the most of the attention, looks more like the surface of Venus. As of Friday morning, fires had consumed more than 7,000 square miles across 15 US states, an area nearly as large as New Jersey, but similar destruction is being felt from Brazil to Greece to Indonesia. Which brings us to the inevitable question: How many more warnings do we need exactly? Clearly, American voters need more. They rank climate change as the 11th most important issue, according to an August Pew poll, with only 42 percent calling it very important. A Pew poll from June found that two-thirds want the government to do more about it, however. Those numbers are depressing, because this crisis calls for a radicalizing moment. The fires across the West Coast are just the latest examples of the very real ways our changing climate is changing our communities. Protecting our planet is on the ballot. Vote like your life depends on itbecause it does. pic.twitter.com/gKGegXWxQu Barack Obama (@BarackObama) September 10, 2020 The superb climate author, David Wallace-Wells, responded to the seminal UN climate report from 2018 by promoting alarmism. He said the global scientific reaction to that study was telling: The thing that was new was the message, he wrote in the New York Times last year. (That) it is OK, finally, to freak out. Even reasonable. This, to me, is progress. Panic might seem counterproductive, but were at a point where alarmism and catastrophic thinking are valuable. He didnt mean panic in the form of pointless anarchy, he meant panic in the form of obsessive mobilization. We saw a commitment to change during the coronavirus, which will be dwarfed in the scope of its damage by the time we finish burning the planet. We just didnt see it in the US. Other countries, informed by science and political courage, knew what to do. They sacrificed. They followed their shelter-in-place orders. They didnt play politics. Much of Europe and Asia shut down, and now many nations are closer to something resembling normalcy. It was an extraordinary validation of mobilization. The tragedy is that the US didnt have the courage to follow the examples set in Germany and Italy and Korea. And now we remain under the thumb of a nihilistic political party built upon wingnut denialism and the belief that fossil fuel companies should be subsidized with our tax dollars. The solution isnt just to articulate a set of aggressive, anti-emission proposals, as prominent Republicans like John McCain and Mitt Romney did less than a decade ago. This is also the time to open your throat and speak as if your kids' tomorrows are no longer assured. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Bookmark NJ.com/Opinion. Follow on Twitter @NJ_Opinion and find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook. Tell us your coronavirus stories, whether its a news tip, a topic you want us to cover, or a personal story you want to share. What happened in San Diego on Aug. 24 looked routine enough, by the brutish standards of this year. In a spontaneous protest outside San Diego Police Department headquarters, approximately 50 people attempted to block police cars from leaving. Police responded by beating protesters and legal observers with batons and fists. One young person apparently had a seizure while being dragged away by police, and other protesters responded by trying to pull their friend away, on which they too were beaten and arrested. Advertisement The surprising part came when the charges were announced. One of the people arrestedwho a witness to the arrests said had not touched anyone before they were grabbed by the handle on their backpack and pulled to the ground behind the line of policewas charged with violating the California state law against lynching, which carries a prison sentence of two to four years. That charge was a complete shock to us, the witness said. We assumed it was just going to be resisting arrest. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The word lynching was removed from the law in 2015, but the statute, California Penal Code 405a, otherwise preserves its original 1872 language, making it a felony to participate in the taking by means of a riot of another person from the lawful custody of a peace officer. The text does not specify that the riot be planned or racially motivated, or that the person be taken away from police custody with murderous intent. Advertisement Advertisement It seems perverse to arrest someone protesting police misconduct under a law meant to forbid extrajudicial killings. But even in its original form, the lynching law was built around the needs of law enforcement. The 19th-century statute did not explicitly criminalize the mob murder of people of coloran integral part of their removal from parts of California where white people wanted to livebut it made it illegal to embarrass the authorities while doing so. California police have exploited the ambiguity of the lynching law against protesters before. The text was amended in 2015, after Sacramento police used the lynching law against Maile Hampton, a Black woman who had tried to pull the handle of a sign being held by a person being arrested in a Black Lives Matter demonstration. Later, after public outcry, her charges were reduced. Advertisement Advertisement Now, freed from the embarrassing prospect of formally charging a nonwhite person with lynching, the San Diego police have revived the statute. Its the latest escalation of a long-running pattern of overreach in the city, physically and legally. Since the protests began here in May, Ive been out reporting on them as an independent journalist again and again, and again and again Ive seen young people assaulted and subjected to summary arrest. Ive seen sheriffs harass Indigenous people on their own land and target media with chemical weapons. Advertisement Advertisement And throughout it all, the authorities have used law and procedure for cover. Since the uprising began, the SDPD has refused to issue press passes, claiming the desk that does so is closed; the same desk has still been answering its telephone seven days a week. While displaying my own credentialsissued by the IWW Freelance Journalists UnionIve been maced, beaten, and shot at with riot munitions by San Diego police officers. Some of these instances were part of indiscriminate firing into a crowd; others were targeted and deliberate assaults. Advertisement Advertisement Four days after the lynching arrest, the police stopped a young woman who was driving behind marchers to carry medicine, food, and water. In the past, this woman has helped me render aid to others whove been hurt by police, and she has given me supplies to prevent my diabetes from causing serious medical issues during the protests. The police at first accused her of running a red light, as she maintained her innocence and several bystanders concurred. By the time police Capt. Dan Grubbscaptain of patrol operations for the Central Division of SDPDarrived, she was being told she had driven the wrong way down a one-way street. Advertisement Advertisement I began shooting photos. A crowd gathered and Grubbs called in the county sheriffs SWAT team as well as a bike police squad. Immediately, bike police began swinging their bicycles at the crowd, and I was maced, clubbed, and pushed while identifying myself as a journalist. I approached Grubbs to ask why he was targeting media, and he turned his back and walked away. Records requests for the assaulting officers body camera were denied, and SDPD has confirmed that Grubbs was not wearing a camera. Advertisement Later that night, SDPD arrested a protester who had been using a bullhorn to read names of San Diego officers indicted for or under investigation for child abuse while on the force. They were charged with obstruction of justice, resisting arrest, and battery on an officer. Advertisement Since then, SDPD has repeatedly manipulated bail amounts to keep protesters in a jail that leads the state in prisoner mortality with one incarcerated person dying every month for more than a decade. In one case, bail was set at $750,000, reduced to $200,000, and when the bond was posted, the bail was raised again to $750,000. Even local bail bondsmen identified this as the kind of systematic racism that we see every day and asked for people to come to the jail to protest. When protesters arrived, SDPD quickly attempted to surround them. This week, a judge reduced the bail amount to $150,000 and noted the previously set amount had been exceptionally high. The San Diego Police Department declined repeated requests for comment about any of the specifics of the arrests or charges they had made, including their use of the lynching law. Protests outside San Diego Police facilities continue. Mount Everest is one of those places on Earth with a mythical allure. This majestic Himalayan peak offers climbers what is often the challenge of a lifetime, and what can also amount to a spiritual journey like no other. While it is an accomplishment to be cherished, climbing all the way to the top of Everest is fraught with danger, however: each year about 800 people attempt to summit this famous peak, but not all succeed. A median of four people die each year on the trek. For some tourists, a safer and equally awe-inspiring activity can be a smaller challenge: climbing to Mount Everest base camp. This hike is one of the most popular in Nepal, and over 30,000 people do it each year. It takes many days and requires some preparation, but even a person who is relatively fit and has a minimal amount of hiking experience is able to do it. The rewards can be worth it. Here are ten things to consider when hiking to Mount Everest base camp that can help make the escapade attainable by just about anyone. 1. Save Enough Money Image credit: maeching chaiwongwatthana/Shutterstock There are many routes that lead climbers up the base of Mount Everest. The most traditional one involves taking a flight from Kathmandu to Lukla. There, climbers then follow a path along the Dudh Kosi River to Namche Bazaar, then go on to Tengboche and Dingboche villages. Hikers then climb Khumbu Glacier, and move onto Gorakshep and finally reach Everest Base Camp. All of this takes anywhere from 10 to 14 days to complete and costs money. A typical guided trip of this nature costs well over $1000 USD, which covers your transportation costs but not your food, supplies, souvenirs and other goodies and necessities you may need. In addition, just about all of the food sold along the route needs to be brought in from afar by human porters and helicopters. This means that prices can be as steep as the mountain itself, and the higher up you go, the more costs rise. You will need to budget a fair bit of money to purchase the gear you need as well and if you dont already have it, this can add up. One blogger spent about $650 USD on gear for the trip, and this was said to be cheap. It is also a fact that ATM fees in Kathmandu can be high. One withdrawal can cost up about $5 USD in fees alone. 2. Train in Advance Image credit: everst/Shutterstock You do not need to be in Olympic-level shape to climb to Everest Base Camp, but you will need physical training that builds strength and stamina. The traditional route has you starting at about 9,000 ft, from which you climb up to 18,300 ft. Each day you will be hiking for about 3 to 6 hours a day, with a pack on your back containing all your gear. While the backpack should likely hold no more than about 22 pounds (10kg) of stuff, it is still heavy enough to be a presence. Its advised that about two to three months before your trek, you start taking long walks equivalent to what your hiking will be like, at least 1 day per week. Build up your strength so that you can walk for about 5 to 6 hours without taking many breaks. Day hikes with hilly, uneven terrain with a backpack on will offer a good method of training. Basic aerobic and strength training is also recommended. Think slow and steady, not sprinting. You will need to taper off before flying to Nepal for your climb. This means that you stop your training and simply stretch for a few days or even a week before going for gold. 3. Acclimatize Image credit: biletskiyevgeniy.com/Shutterstock You are heading (at least partway) up a huge mountain! Your body needs to be ready to do so. It is estimated that on regular routes you will be ascending over 900 ft (274 meters) each day. Because of this, when your guide (either a person or a book) tells you to spend the night at a lower elevation in order to get ready for the next days climb, do it. Your body needs time to adjust to the high heights. It takes time for it to create more red blood cells, which are now needed to increase the amount of oxygen that flows through your body in order to deal with the lower rates of oxygen in the air. Most experts advise that you take about 1 or 2 days to acclimatize on your way to the worlds most famous base camp. 4. Take Medication Image credit: DedMityay/Shutterstock Some people feel woozy even if they do take the time to rest and have their body adjust. If you need to, dont shy away from taking medication like Diamox. This can help reduce your altitude headaches, as well as nausea and feelings of dizziness. Just read up on potential side effects so you know what to expect. 5. Invest in the Proper Gear Image credit: Brian Goodman/Shutterstock Having a warm enough sleeping bag and the right shoes on your feet can make all the difference. By investing in gear that can keep you comfortable, relatively speaking, you will enjoy your journey that much more. This includes clothing for all four seasons. Mountains can have weather systems that change from moment to moment. A puffy down jacket will keep you warm, and you will want to wear layers underneath, to wick sweat away from your body. Good quality hiking boots are a must as well. Make sure that they are not brand new, but broken in for at least a month before your trip in order to avoid sores on your feet. Experienced trekkers also advise you have a system on hand to treat your own water, a day pack, and a sleeping bag that will keep you warm at -4 degrees F (-20 C), among other necessities. 6. Get Mentally Prepared Ahead of Time Image credit: Daniel Prudek/Shutterstock Read up on climbing to base camp before going. Find out what worked for other people. Prepare yourself for the long days of walking ahead, and get into your own zone. There are plenty of online accounts by travel bloggers, and forums discussion everything from food to gear to what souvenirs are a worthy purchase. 7. Drink Up Image credit: Syda Productions/Shutterstock Water is essential for climbing Mount Everest base camp. The altitude dehydrates you more quickly, and not drinking enough water can make you feel nauseous. Bring a large water bottle and use it, and practice carrying 2 litres of water in your pack in the month leading up to your trip. 8. Avoid Eating Meat Image credit: unterwegs/Shutterstock It is advised that you avoid eating meat as you climb. Why? This is because any meat that reaches the area for consumption has to travel quite a ways to get there. This means that it often isnt that fresh. Avoid getting a bacterial infection by sticking to veggie platters. 9. Slow and Steady Wins the Race Image credit: el lobo/Shutterstock Well, its not exactly a race, but you get the point. Dont try to sprint up Everest, even at lower levels. This adventure is all about pacing yourself, and the more you do, the better you are likely to feel. This gives you time to appreciate the climb, and moreover, can prevent you from succumbing to bad altitude sickness. 10. Get Insurance Image credit: REDPIXEL.PL/Shutterstock Last but not least, get some insurance coverage before you go. If you do get hurt while hiking it can be expensive to pay out-of-pocket. Double-check to see up to which altitude your policy covers, as this is a defining factor in Everest policies. Being able to take advantage of a helicopter evacuation if needed can also be essential. Let the journey begin! The literature that has always fascinated Australian-Iranian author Shokoofeh Azar, 48, is the kind that has the pulse of its time in its hand. The kind that grabs my heart, slaps me in the face, captures my soul, wakes me up from ignorance and reminds me that literature has the power and mystery of a dragon, says the Melbourne-based author, whose own novel, The Enlightenment of the Greengage Tree (Europa Editions) does exactly this as it captures the zeitgeist of Iran following the establishment of an Islamic state. Set in Tehran during the first decade of the 1979 Islamic Islamic Revolution, Azars novel is a fine example of the ingenious use of magic realism. Narrated by the ghost of a 13-year-old girl, Bahar, it tells the story of an intellectual family of five compelled to flee their home in Tehran for Razan, a remote village, in the hope that they will be spared the religious madness engulfing the country. They eventually succumb to the atrocities perpetrated by the fundamentalist regime. Peopled by the living and the dead, humans and jinns, fireflies and dragonflies, spirits and soothsayers, magical creatures and mermaids, the novel opens with Roza, the mother, attaining enlightenment atop the tallest greengage plum tree in the grove of their house on a hill overlooking the 53 houses of the village. She does that at the exact moment on August 18, 1988, when her son, Sohrab, blindfolded and with his hands tied behind his back, is hanged without a trial after being in captivity for many months. The next day, he is buried with hundreds of other political prisoners in a long pit in the deserts south of Tehran, without any indication or marker lest a relative come years later and tap a pebble on a headstone and murmur there is no god but God. As the novel progresses we discover how the familys destinies are deeply entangled in the events that unfold over the decade and get a glimpse into the reign of terror unleashed by the mullahs at the behest of Ayatollah Khomeini, the supreme religious leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, who came to power after overthrowing Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi of Pahlavi dynasty. Ayatollah Khomeini (Getty Images) A month after the end of the eight-year Iran-Iraq war, in the summer of 1988, more than 5,000 opponents of the Islamic regime were executed in the prisons without trial or by speedy and unfair trials. From that date until today, the regime has never officially acknowledged the massacre. And, due to censorship, it has never been a part of the Iranian literature, says Azar, underlining that wrong political systems take more lives than the corona virus. Written in Persian but never published in Iran though it is available on some websites, the novel captures the tumultuous social and political realities of Iran through a delicate blend of its classic storytelling styles myths, legends and folk traditions. It was translated into English and published in Australia in 2017 by a small publisher, Wild Dingo Press. After it was shortlisted for the 2018 Stella Prize, the US, UK and Italy rights were sold to Europa Editions and the book was published overseas in January this year. This is the first time that an Iranian author has been nominated for the International Booker Prize. However, it is unlikely that the novel will ever be published in Iran. The American translator of the novel, who often travels to the country, has chosen to remain anonymous. Azar, who worked as a journalist in Iran and covered social affairs, was put behind bars several times until she was compelled to flee the country and move to Melbourne in 2011. For Azar who is also the first Iranian woman to have hitchhiked the entire length of the Silk Road, the Booker International nomination was a dream come true. And though the award eventually went to Marieke Lucas Rijnevelds The Discomfort of Evening, the novels availability and recognition in the West means English readers will discover afresh the depth and significance of Irans rich history of classic literature and culture. Azars focus is on highlighting the fate of humans under dictatorial regimes. For the novel, she drew on the stories of many of her friends who lost several family members and it is full of incidents and scenes that describe the atrocities of the regime in gruesome detail. In a paragraph following Sohrabs hanging, Azar writes: In the following days, the number of people executed increased so much that corpses piled high in the prison back yard and began to stink, and Evins ants, flies, crows, and cats, who hadnt had such a feast since the prison was built, licked, sucked and picked at them greedily. Juvenile political prisoners were granted a pardon by the Imam if they fired the final shot that would put the condemned out of their misery. With bruised faces, trembling hands, and pants soaked with urine, hundreds of thirteen and fourteen-year-olds, whose only crime had been participating in a party meeting, reading banned pamphlets, or distributing flyers in the street, fired the last shot into faces that were sometimes still watching them with twitching pupils. For the mothers, just like Sohrab was to Roza, their sons were the culmination of heartbeats, desires, loves and hopes that they had endured their entire life only to lose them in the end. When Sohrab is hanged, the family sees a sense of hopelessness seeping into the very cells of their being. Their father, Hushang, asks them to write anything to come to terms with the tragedy. But with each word they commit to paper, they understand that, contrary to what their father believed, culture, knowledge, and art retreat in the face of violence, the sword and fire and for years after remain barren and mute. Bahar tells us: It had happened many times before, during the years following the Arab conquest of Persia in the seventh century, for example, a period the scholar Abdolhossein Zarrinkoub called the two centuries of silence. Azar says that a small minority in Iran, including her own family, believes that the Shahs regime was much more reformist, modern, and patriotic than the Islamic regime. History has practically proved the same to the Iranian people, she says, adding how, for the past 20 years, since the first large-scale demonstration, known as University Dormitory Demonstrations (Kouy-e Daneshgah) in 2000, people across the country have held thousands of peaceful demonstrations against injustice, discrimination, politicised Islam, economic corruption, political corruption, repression of dissidents and censorship. But not even in one case has the regime responded positively to these protests and the peoples share of these protests has been only arrest, imprisonment and execution, she says. In the novel, Azar intended to be a narrator of a tiny percentage of Iranian dissidents in the 1979 revolution who voted No to the Islamic Republic in the 1980 referendum; the families that were very similar to her own. These families opposed Islam, Khomeini, and the Revolution, and considered the Islamic Revolution as an irreparable deviation in the development of modern Iran, she says. Even the dissidents, who were later arrested and executed in the summer of 1988, had voted Yes to this regime in the 1980 referendum. She says: If this novel had been written in the 1980s, a large population of Iranians would have opposed the story. But, today, 40 years after the regime formation, nearly 90 percent of Iranians have understood that the Islamic Revolution was an irreversible mistake in the process of development and democracy of Iran. Author Shokoofeh Azar In the novel, the fictional Khomeini is tortured by the ghosts of those executed, imprisoned in the palace of mirrors they force him to build. Trapped in the palace, the dictator meets his ugly end, having been forced to understand that while delivering monologues he may have been a fierce ruler, but in dialogue he was nothing but a bearded, illogical little boy, stubborn and pompous. The dictator whispers a single sentence in his last moments: It took 87 years to understand that the intellectual and formal rules of the monologue are fundamentally different from those of dialogue. Azar, whose novel has brought the story of the political excesses of the Islamic regime in Iran to the attention of readers in the West, feels that there is a linguistic disconnect between the intellectual and literary products of Iranians and the world. Excellent books, mainly non-fiction, have been published in Farsi (inside and outside Iran), but have never been translated into another language. Thus, the West has little idea of the evolution of Iranian thought, she says. Magical realism gives Azar the possibilities that realism does not. In my opinion, the best style to show the height and depth of real human feelings and emotions is magical realism. In this novel, I have tried to present that fantasy and magic in magic realism can be used in the service of factual events. Therefore, the magic realism in this novel has been used to document the real political, social and religious issues in Iran. That is, magic serves realism in this novel, she says. It was magic realism that helped her write the kind of novel that Azar herself likes to read: one that belongs to the category of literature that reminds us of human conscience and morality amid the collapse of social morality; literature that believes in humanity; literature that comes from reckless, exploratory, critical, creative and pioneer minds. It is the kind of writing that has shaped Azars own mind and writing, as it has the minds and work of many other Iranian theatre writer-directors, mythologists, philosophers, music composers and painters. Nawaid Anjum is an independent journalist, translator and poet. He lives in New Delhi. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-11 16:49:08|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close MANILA, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the Philippines surged to 252,964 after the Department of Health (DOH) reported 4,040 new cases on Friday. The DOH said the number of recoveries also rose to 186,606 after 566 more patients have recovered. The DOH added that 42 more patients have died from the viral disease, bringing the death toll to 4,108. Metro Manila, the epicenter of the outbreak, logged the most of the daily confirmed cases reported on Friday at 1,813. The country has tested over 2.76 million people so far. "Our efforts to strengthen our health system capacity across the country continue," Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire told a virtual media forum on Friday, adding that the focus is to expand the bed capacity of government hospitals. Moreover, she said the government will also beef up the COVID-19 laboratories and quarantine facilities, and build dormitories for healthcare workers. Vergeire added the government is studying whether or not to discourage home quarantine. "The government is closely studying whether or not to discourage home quarantine. There are specifics on who can isolate at home and who should be in the temporary treatment and monitoring facilities which is actually existing," she said. Interior Secretary Eduardo Ano earlier unveiled the plan of the government to enforce a strict ban on home quarantine for COVID-19 patients to cut the virus transmission in the households. Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, chair of the national task force on COVID-19, said he supports Ano's proposal, adding that a large part of the spike in infections recently were from the "home quarantined people." "The main issue of home quarantine is that without the correct facility at home, the quarantine is not properly observed thereby infecting the whole family. We will make an exception," Lorenzana said. Carlito Galvez, the chief implementer of the national action plan to combat COVID-19, said the government now has 20 mega quarantine facilities plus 28 hotels converted into isolation facilities as of Sept. 5. Enditem A nurse left the internet in stitches after sharing photos of her French bulldog A 26-year-old student nurse has left the internet in stitches after sharing photos of her one-year-old French bulldog Stanlee, who won't stop watching her while she works in the next room. Alicia Lalor, from Sydney, said Stanlee is 'so needy' and 'such a stage five clinger' that he likes to be close to her at all times, which can make it difficult when she is trying to complete nursing assignments. 'I asked Stanlee to sit in the other room so I could complete my assignment,' Alicia posted on Facebook this week. 'That didn't stop him from staring at me the entire time.' Alicia accompanied her post on Facebook with two photos of Stanlee, whose beady eyes were keenly watching her as she worked. Alicia Lalor, from Sydney, shared pictures of her bulldog Stanlee (pictured), who won't stop staring at her while she works in the next room 'I asked Stanlee to sit in the other room so I could complete my assignment,' Alicia posted on Facebook, adding that this didn't stop the dog (pictured) from staring at her Alicia Lalor, from Sydney, said Stanlee is 'so needy' and 'such a stage five clinger' that he likes to be close to her at all times (pictured together) The 26-year-old said she has had her French bulldog - who has his own Instagram account called Stanlee the Frenchie - for one and a half years now. 'He is such a needy baby and likes to be either touching me or staring at me at all times,' Alicia told FEMAIL. 'He's a stage five clinger that has been made worse by isolation and studying from home.' The 26-year-old said she has had her French bulldog - who has his own Instagram account called Stanlee the Frenchie - for one and a half years now (Stanlee pictured) Thousands who saw the 26-year-old's post found it hilarious. 'If it wasn't so cute it would be creepy,' one person posted. 'Hahaha, this is so great. He's like, "ma, why don't you love me?"' another added. A third wrote: 'This is such a great photo, and you've really brightened my day'. Others said their dogs are the exact same and can't bear to be away from their owners for long periods of time. 'He is such a needy baby and likes to be either touching me or staring at me at all times,' Alicia (pictured with Stanlee) said of her dog Alicia explained that while she is currently working at a post office while she studies for her exams, Stanlee (pictured) has become much more needy during the coronavirus pandemic Alicia explained that while she is currently working at a post office while she studies for her exams, Stanlee has become much more needy during the coronavirus pandemic. This is partly because he spends so much time with her. 'I take him with me to work every day and when I'm studying he's always with me, so he's become very used to me being around,' she said. U.S. tech giant Microsoft says hackers linked to Russia, Iran, and China have targeted people and organizations tied to both U.S. President Donald Trump and Democratic challenger Joe Biden. The announcement on September 10 came at the same time that Biden's main campaign advisory firm said it had been told by Microsoft it was being targeted by the same Russian hackers who intervened in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. The tech company said the newly reported actions appear to be part of a wider effort to target U.S. political campaigns and related groups ahead of the November 3 presidential election. What weve seen is consistent with previous attack patterns that not only target candidates and campaign staffers but also those who they consult on key issues, Tom Burt, a Microsoft vice president, said in a blog post. U.S. intelligence officials in August said Russians favor Republican President Trump and that the Chinese prefer Biden, the former U.S. vice president. However, Microsoft said in its latest statement that Chinese state-backed hackers have targeted high-profile individuals associated with the election, including people tied to the Biden campaign. Experts say hackers from China generally seek intelligence to gain economic and political advantage, while Moscow looks to weaponized stolen data to destabilize other governments. John Hultquist, director of intelligence analysis at cybersecurity firm FireEye, told AP that Microsoft's information shows that Russian military intelligence has continued to pursue election-related targets despite legal indictments by U.S. authorities, sanctions, and other measures. This is the actor from 2016, potentially conducting business as usual, he said. "We believe that Russian military intelligence continues to pose the greatest threat to the democratic process. U.S. intelligence agencies and congressional investigators determined that Russia's military intelligence interfered in the 2016 campaign to benefit the Trump campaign by hacking Democratic targets and releasing embarrassing material online, allegations Moscow denied. The suspected hacking group is a unit within Russias GRU military intelligence agency: the 85th Main Special Service Center (GTsSS), military Unit 2616. That group, known as APT28 or Fancy Bear, and other Russian hacking groups have been blamed in recent years by multiple Western governments, think tanks, and corporations for carrying out numerous cyberattacks. Microsoft's Burt said most of the latest infiltration attempts, also conducted by Iranian and Chinese agents, were blocked by Microsofts security software, but he would not provide further information. The company said Washington-based SKDKnickerbocker, a campaign strategy and communications firm, had been targeted by Russian agents. A person familiar with SKDK's actions told Reuters the hackers failed to gain access to the firm's data. The Biden campaign said it was aware that a foreign actor had tried and failed to access "non-campaign e-mail accounts of individuals affiliated with the campaign." Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on September 10 rejected earlier media reports about the hacking prior to Microsofts statement. It looks like more nonsense that, unfortunately, respected news agencies publish sometimes, Peskov told reporters in Moscow. With reporting by Reuters, AP, dpa, and AFP In what US President Donald Trump has called 'another historic breakthrough', Israel and the Kingdom of Bahrain have signed a normalisation agreement ahead of the September 15 signing ceremony between Israel and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Trump announced the agreement following a three-way phone call he had with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa. The three leaders also issued a brief six-paragraph joint statement, attesting to the deal. "This is a historic breakthrough to further peace in the Middle East. Opening direct dialogue and ties between these two dynamic societies and advanced economies will continue the positive transformation of the Middle East and increase stability, security and prosperity in the region," a joint statement by the three countries said. This represents another diplomatic win for Trump less than two months before the the presidential election and an opportunity to shore up support among pro-Israel evangelical Christians. Just last week, Trump announced agreements in principle for Kosovo to recognize Israel and for Serbia to move its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Like the UAE agreement, Bahrain-Israel deal will normalize diplomatic, commercial, security and other relations between the two countries. Bahrain, along with Saudi Arabia, had already dropped a prohibition on Israeli flights using its airspace. Saudi acquiescence to the agreements has been considered key to the deals. Trump had earlier said it was possible that another country could soon join a diplomatic accord between Israel and the United Arab Emirates. Trump is to host a signing ceremony next on September 15 that will include delegations with Israel and the UAE. His negotiators have been trying to get other Gulf nations to join in normalising relations with Israel. Israel and the UAE agreed last month to normalise relations in a deal that Trump helped orchestrate. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Sept. 11 Trend: As part of the official visit of the parliamentary delegation headed by Speaker of the Azerbaijani parliament, Sahiba Gafarova to Turkey, the Azerbaijani MPs in Turkeys Ankara city examined a part of the administrative building of the Turkish Grand National Assembly, which was damaged during the coup attempt on July 15, 2016, Trend reports on Sept. 11 referring to the Azerbaijani parliament. The delegation was thoroughly informed about the events of that period. Assistant Commissioner Luke Cornelius made it clear on Friday that the curfew had his support and that it had been "of significant benefit" in reducing crime, but said he did not believe it should be extended any longer than necessary. Loading "While police dont write the Chief Health Officer's directions ... we have certainly found the curfew of significant benefit in terms of us being able to keep the community safe," he said. "There has been a reduction in the number of out-of-control parties being held in the CBD since the curfew, as well as a drop in high-harm crimes such as carjackings and home invasions. "I would never advocate for the curfew to stay in place. The curfew can and should come off at the earliest opportunity, when we have the transmission of the virus under control." The state government published traffic data on Friday showing the curfew's effect in clearing Melbourne's roads. It showed a "pronounced and sustained" drop in vehicle traffic between the hours of 7pm and midnight across Melbourne. Between the hours of midnight and 6am the curfew had more of an impact closer to the city, with the report attributing higher outer suburban traffic to the concentration of essential workers. Bourke Street, typically one of Melbourne's busiest streets, has been deserted during the extended lockdown. Credit:Daniel Pockett However, new data from the University of Sydney obtained by The Age indicated that the Melburnians using public transport in inner-suburban areas doubled on the final weekend of August, although all forms of transport remained extremely low, at 9 per cent of normal levels. A lone commuter under stage four restrictions, at the start of August. Credit:Jason South Des Pearson, the states Auditor-General from 2006 to 2012, said the Andrews government should be more transparent with the justification for its decisions during the pandemic. Loading "We're in democracy and we're facing a crisis, so I think it would be good to see the government have the maturity to be transparent about it," Mr Pearson said. "On balance I think transparency is probably more deserved in a pandemic." "It's a complex issue and a complex problem and in some ways governments can't win, so I understand why they're a bit toey. But I believe in transparency and when in doubt, share the decision." Asked about Liberal MP Tim Wilsons approach to the Human Rights Commission asking the agency to investigate the curfew, the Premier said: "Its not a matter of human rights; its about human life." "That's my answer to Mr Wilson, and what he chooses to do with his time is a matter for him." The attack on the government over human rights came as federal Health Minister Greg Hunt said the federal government was set to "step up" the attack on Victorias COVID-19 curfew and the Andrews state Labor governments conservative approach to opening up the economy from its tough stage four restrictions. Mr Hunt told an Adelaide radio station he believed Prime Minister Scott Morrison would have the backing of the Victorian public in a push to convince Mr Andrews to move more quickly out of lockdown and to consider lifting the curfew. "Never underestimate the power of the public and the Prime Minister and a federal government working in concert," Mr Hunt said. "The Victorian public, the medical community, the epidemiologists, the federal government, the business community, they've been speaking out about these thresholds and targets and triggers." But the Premier told his daily media briefing on Friday that the curfew was working and it would remain in place while stage four restrictions continued. "There are very few legal reasons to leave your home and the curfew doesnt change that," Mr Andrews said. "It simply means that police have got an easier job." Copyright 2020 Albuquerque Journal SANTA FE New Mexicos face mask mandate doesnt chafe most voters. In fact, 78% of likely general election voters surveyed said they support the requirement that face coverings be worn in public settings, while just 17% expressed opposition to the mandate, according to a new Journal Poll. The backing for the mask requirement cut across party lines, though Democrats were much more likely than Republicans to express support. People are still concerned about contracting or transmitting the virus, said Brian Sanderoff, the president of Albuquerque-based Research & Polling Inc., which conducted the statewide poll. If they didnt take the virus seriously, they wouldnt be willing to deal with the hassle of wearing a mask. New Mexico was among the first states to require that face coverings be worn in public settings, when Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham revised a public health order in mid-May to include a face mask mandate. Other states have since followed suit, and there are about 34 states including neighboring Texas and Colorado with such a requirement in place. Lujan Grisham initially said she hoped positive peer pressure would be used to encourage mask wearing, saying the state did not intend to take a punitive approach to enforcing the mandate. But she changed course in July amid an uptick in COVID-19 cases and ordered the mask requirement be enforced with a $100 fine. Businesses must also require employees and customers to wear masks or face fines. As of Thursday, a total of five citations for failing to wear a mask had been issued by State Police officers around New Mexico. Statewide, the Journal Poll found voters in all regions of New Mexico were more likely to support than oppose the face covering requirement. But those surveyed in the states most Democratic-leaning areas including the Albuquerque metro area expressed stronger support than those in eastern New Mexico and the Four Corners region. In the Albuquerque metro area, for instance, 86% of those surveyed expressed support for the mask mandate, compared to just 11% who opposed it. In contrast, 58% of voters surveyed in the states eastern region said they supported the face covering requirement, while 38% said they were not in favor. The Journal Poll found little difference among Anglo and Hispanic voters on the issue. As for gender, female voters were slightly more likely than male voters to express support, but a clear majority of both men and women said they support the mandate. Trump supporters less enthusiastic There was also a notable face mask split between supporters of Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden and supporters of President Donald Trump, the incumbent Republican who is seeking reelection to a second term. Among New Mexico voters who said they planned to vote for Biden in the Nov. 3 election, 96% said they support the mask-wearing requirement and just 2% expressed opposition to it. Among voters who said they back Trump, meanwhile, 52% support the mask mandate and 40% oppose it. While Biden has regularly worn a face covering during campaign events, Trump has at times downplayed the importance of mask wearing and only occasionally has worn one in public. That stance has apparently rubbed off on some supporters, Sanderoff said, though he said Republicans may also be generally more wary of government mandates. Were seeing a really strong correlation between candidate preference in the presidential race and mandatory mask wearing, Sanderoff said. New Mexicos face covering requirement allows for certain exemptions, including eating and drinking. Exercising had also been an allowable exception, but Lujan Grisham did away with it in July. Methodology The Journal Poll asked voters whether they support or oppose New Mexicos public health order requiring individuals to wear masks or face coverings in most public places. The poll is based on a scientific, statewide sample of 457 likely general election voters who also voted in either the 2016 and 2018 general elections or both. It was conducted from Aug. 26 through Sept. 2. The voter sample has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.6 percentage points. The margin of error grows for subsamples. All interviews were conducted by live, professional interviewers, with multiple callbacks to households that did not initially answer the phone. Both cellphone numbers (74%) and landlines (26%) of likely general election voters were used. The Chinese embassy in the United Kingdom has called on Twitter to make thorough investigations after its ambassador's official account appeared to "like" a pornographic clip on the platform. The Twitter account for Ambassador Liu Xiaoming liked several tweets that were later unliked, including a 10-second clip posted by an adult-themed account. Liu Xiaoming's account also liked posts that criticised the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), said a BBC report. The apparent sexually explicit "like" was first identified by a London-based human rights campaigner, who flagged this to other Twitter users, said the report. Chinas UK embassy maintains that the tweets were liked by a possible hacker who had gained access to the ambassadors account. Recently, some anti-China elements viciously attacked Ambassador Liu Xiaomings Twitter account and employed despicable methods to deceive the public. The Chinese Embassy strongly condemns such abominable behaviour, said the Chinese embassy in the UK in a statement. The Embassy has reported this to Twitter company and urged the latter to make thorough investigations and handle this matter seriously, said the statement. The Embassy reserves the right to take further actions and hope that the public will not believe or spread such rumour, the statement added. A good anvil does not fear the hammer. https://t.co/4nb7lECEXM Liu Xiaoming (@AmbLiuXiaoMing) September 9, 2020 Liu Xiaoming shared the statement on his Twitter account and said: A good anvil does not fear the hammer. Twitter is reportedly blocked within mainland China. However, over the past year Chinese officials have become more active on the platform. A "like" on Twitter does not necessarily mean that the user is endorsing the content and are often used as bookmarks. Also, the heart-shaped icon that activates them can be easily selected by mistake. EDMONTONThe Alberta government is looking to hire a contractor to study the benefits and costs of a proposed provincial police force that could replace the RCMP. Online job postings show the province wants the contractor to do a feasibility review of a possible transition from the RCMP to an Alberta Provincial Police Service. An executive manager, with a salary of up to $164,000, would oversee a team that is to provide an evidence based and objective assessment of the idea. The provincial governments Fair Deal Panel recommended in June the creation of a provincial police force, saying the RCMP has become too bureaucratically inflexible and smaller communities arent getting enough front-line officers. A government website says the new transition study will help the government as it considers the recommendation. Blaise Boehmer, an Alberta Justice spokesperson, says a final decision on whether to replace the RCMP wont be made until after a final report based the study is completed by April 30, 2021. No decisions have been made about whether to replace the RCMP in Alberta with a provincial police service, he said in an email Thursday night. However, we have a responsibility to explore whether new ways of policing can improve the safety and security of Albertans and their property. Rural Albertans told the Fair Deal Panel about their frustrations with rural policing and we have an obligation to follow up on the panels findings and study whether theres a better way to protect our communities. The governments request for proposals seeks a vendor to conduct a study that will examine key questions around establishing a provincial police service to replace the RCMP, including operational requirements, processes and costs. Boehmer said the study itself will cost a maximum of $2 million. The deadline to apply for the jobs was earlier this week. Read more about: (Natural News) For daring to question the very soon release of his Operation Warp Speed Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccines, Donald Trump has ordered Joe Biden and Kamala Harris to issue a public apology to all Americans for their reckless anti-vaccine rhetoric. After Biden and Harris expressed concerns about rushed Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccines being mass-distributed to the American public before the Nov. 3 election, Trump called them both out for questioning science and putting the lives of Americans at stake. It undermines science, Trump stated about the skepticism expressed by the Democrat ticket. Theyll say anything and its so dangerous for our country. The other day during an interview with Floridas WKMG News 6, Biden asked some hypothetical questions about the safety and effectiveness of the vaccines that Trump plans to introduce to America as early as Nov. 1. Whos going to take the shot? Biden asked. Are you going to be the first one to say, Sign me up, they now say its okay? During a separate interview, Harris expressed similar concerns, calling the prospect of a rushed Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine, especially from Trump, an issue for us all. I would not trust Donald Trump, and it would have to be a credible source of information that talks about the efficacy and the reliability of whatever hes talking about, Harris said. According to Trump, such rhetoric is endangering lives. And releasing a Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine as soon as October, and for sure before the end of the year, is the only way to ensure that Americans are protected from the plandemic. The vaccine will be very safe, very effective, and it will be delivered soon, Trump recently announced. You could have a big surprise coming up. Trump: Americans will start getting vaccinated for COVID-19 by Nov. 1 Back in May, Trump announced as part of his Operation Warp Speed program that a vaccine for the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) will be ready by the end of the year. That timeline was later moved up to just before the election, which is when Trump now wants to start mass-vaccinating Americans. A few days later, however, Trump stated that the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) will eventually go away without a vaccine, so it remains difficult to discern what, exactly, will happen in the coming weeks. What we do know is that the Trump administration is calling on the states to prepare for the unveiling of a Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine by Nov. 1. Trump wants every state to prepare now for mass distribution of this vaccine by setting up distribution sites all throughout the land. This will ensure that as many Americans as possible can get jabbed before pulling the level for either Trump or Biden on Nov. 3. Operation Warp Speed officials have told distributors to expect the elderly including those homebound, in nursing homes and in senior living facilities as well as health care workers, frontline essential workers, national security workers and communities of color, to be among the priority groups for the first vaccine doses, writes Michael Wilner for McClatchyDC. Retail chains like CVS Pharmacy are expected to play a significant role in getting Trumps vaccine mass-distributed as quickly as possible. The company indicated that it has been having discussions with the administration on the important role we can play. Meanwhile, many Trump supporters are struggling through perhaps the worst cognitive dissonance thus far in his presidency. Do they continue supporting Trump as he races to unveil a fast-tracked Big Pharma vaccine, or is it best to backpedal and stick with the health freedom principles that serve as a bedrock for medical choice? More of the latest Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) news is available at Pandemic.news. Sources for this article include: Breitbart.com NaturalNews.com McClatchyDC.com Chandigarh, Sep 11 : Amid challenging times due to the Covid-19 pandemic, rheumatologists in PGI hospital here have discovered that a disease known as DADA2 that was previously known to occur predominantly among children also occurs in adults, its Director Jagat Ram said on Friday. The disease was recognised only in 2014 and is caused by a defect in the ADA2 gene that results in a deficiency of the ADA2 enzyme. What was known till now was that this disease manifests in the form of vasculitis, immunodeficiency and bone marrow failure, he said. The median age of involvement of all 210 cases known till now was four years, whereas the present study has had a median age of 15 years with patients presenting even as late as in the fourth decade of life, a Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) statement said. This disease was known to be present with brain strokes, extensive bad skin rashes, limb gangrene and also other internal organs involvement. The researchers led by Aman Sharma of the Department of Internal Medicine reported manifestations not known to be associated with this disease till now like haemorrhage in lungs, infarction of pancreas, a kind of brain (PRES) and heart involvement (focal myocarditis). Sharma said it is important to recognise this entity since strokes do not recur if the treatment is started. What Sharma's group showed for the first time was the good treatment outcomes of other disease manifestations which had not been reported previously. Their group is also the first to report that similar biological drugs which cost much less than the innovator drugs are also effective. This would help reduce the cost of treatment significantly. As many of these similar biological drugs are made in India, this would muster support for the use of these drugs in this disease. This also has a global connotation as cost is a major hindrance to treatment for most of the developing world. This paper has come online in 'Arthritis and Rheumatology', an official journal of the American College of Rheumatology. Savita Kumari, Head of the Department of Internal Medicine, said the rheumatology unit has been at the forefront of vasculitis research in the world, and is also a much preferred treatment centre which is even recommended for vasculitis treatment by the vasculitis foundation of the US. A forest ranger in Chhattisgarh was allegedly hacked to death by Maoists in Bijapur district of Bastar division on Friday, police said. He was 49. As per Inspector General of Police, Bastar range, Sunderaj P, the incident took place at around 3 pm when ranger Rathram Patel had reached Kondronji village under Jangla police station limits, about 45 km away from Bijapur town, to pay wages to villagers for road construction work in the forest area. Police said that the Maoists abducted the ranger and took him to school in the village and then killed him with a sharp edged weapon. Patel was posted at the Indravati Tiger Reserve as Ranger of Bhairamgarh forest range and was a resident of Balodabazar district which comes under Raipur division. Soon after the incident, SP Bijapur reached the spot. Police have registered a case in this connection and investigation is underway. Police said that around 15 militia cadres of Maoists were involved in the attack on the officer. Two forest guards, who accompanied Patel, managed to flee the scene when the Maoists attacked him with sharp weapons, police said. A police team reached the spot and recovered the body, the IG said, adding that a search operation has been launched for the Maoists. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Reporter Mary Schenk is a reporter covering police, courts and breaking news at The News-Gazette. Her email is mschenk@news-gazette.com, and you can follow her on Twitter (@schenk). Senior Belfast City Council official Nigel Grimshaw retired from the council on Friday "by mutual agreement" according to a leaked internal email. Mr Grimshaw - Director of City and Neighbourhood Services at the council - hit the headlines during the political storm over the councils handling of the Roselawn cremation of IRA veteran Bobby Storey An internal council report into the Storey funeral published in July said Mr Grimshaw made the decision to allow up 30 mourners to attend Mr Storeys cremation in the context of managing potential issues if numbers arrived and demands for access were made. Read More Eight other families were denied the right to have up to 30 people attend cremations at Roselawn on the same day as Storeys. The internal council report said Mr Grimshaw acknowledged that it was a mistake for which he takes responsibility, and that he regretted the effect it had on the other eight families affected on the day. In the wake of the Storey controversy it was also reported that Mr Grimshaws life had been threatened. Read More The email - signed by Chief Executive Suzanne Wylie and senior colleagues Siobhan Toland and Ryan Black - said: We are writing to you to advise you that Nigel Grimshaw has retired by mutual agreement from the organisation as of Friday 11 September. On behalf of Council and CMT, we would like to thank Nigel for his service to the organisation in the four years he has worked for Belfast City Council. In a reference to the row over the Storey cremation, the internal email continued: This has been a challenging time for everyone, and we want to reassure you that Elected Members and CMT are working together to resolve issues raised over the summer, A former police officer, Mr Grimshaw became an MBE in the 2016 New Year Honours List, and had been in post at Belfast City Council for a total of four years. Meanwhile, Belfast City Council confirmed on Friday that it had appointed a senior barrister Peter Coll QC to lead an independent probe into the Storey cremation. Read More Mr Colls investigation is expected to take six weeks. MINNEAPOLIS - A white police officer accused in the death of George Floyd had used neck or head and upper body restraints seven times before, including four incidents in which prosecutors say he went too far, according to prosecution documents released Friday in the case against four former Minneapolis officers charged in Floyds death. In one July 2019 arrest, prosecutors say, Derek Chauvin kicked an intoxicated male in the midsection, then applied a neck restraint until he fell unconscious. In June 2017, Chauvin restrained an arrested female by placing his knee on her neck while she was prone on the ground, prosecutors said. Prosecutors said in those cases and in two others, Chauvin held the restraints beyond the point when such force was needed under the circumstances. The list of Chauvins arrests involving restraints dates to 2014. It was made public on the same day that Chauvin and three other former officers appeared in court for a hearing on the prosecutions request to hold a joint trial, a defence request to move the trial out of Minneapolis, and other issues. Judge Peter Cahill took most issues under advisement. Floyd, a Black man in handcuffs, died May 25 after Chauvin pressed his knee against Floyds neck even as Floyd said he couldnt breathe. Floyds death was captured in widely seen bystander video that set off protests, sometimes violent, that spread around the world. The officers were fired. Chauvin is charged with second-degree murder and other crimes; Thomas Lane, J. Kueng and Tou Thao are charged with aiding and abetting. Chauvin appeared in court for the first time after attending previous hearings via videoconference from the state prison where hes being held. He didnt make eye contact with other defendants as he arrived. The Associated Press has made requests for detailed personnel records of Chauvin and the other officers, including any complaints and disciplinary action. The police reports mentioned by prosecutors in their court filing were not immediately available Friday. Chauvins attorney, Eric Nelson, had no comment on the prosecution document. Prosecutors said in their filing that they intend to offer evidence of these incidents at trial, because they anticipate Chauvin will claim he didnt intentionally assault Floyd in a way thats inconsistent with his training. Prosecutors plan to file a more detailed memorandum in the future. In addition to the arrests in which Chauvin used neck or head and upper body restraints, prosecutors also listed an August 2015 incident in which Chauvin saw other officers place a suicidal and intoxicated male into a side-recovery position after using a stun gun on him. Prosecutors noted the officers received a commendation, after medical professionals said the male could have died if they prolonged his detention. Similar documents were filed in the cases against Thao and Keung. Prosecutors listed nine incidents in which Thao was reprimanded for not responding appropriately to a scene, intentionally avoiding police response or falsifying reports. The documents say that in two cases, in 2012 and 2017, Thao tried to manipulate domestic-abuse victims to answer questions in a way that would allow him to avoid filing a domestic abuse report. Prosecutors said Kueng was involved in one arrest in December 2019 in which he and other officers struck an intoxicated and unco-operative individual and pinned the person to the ground in a prone position to apply handcuffs, then brought him to his feet after he calmed down. During Fridays hearing, prosecutors told Cahill that the four former officers should face trial together because the evidence and charges against them are similar and multiple trials could traumatize witnesses and Floyds family. Neal Katyal, an outside special attorney for the prosecution, said multiple trials would place a heavy burden on the court and witnesses, and could delay justice for months or years. He also raised the possibility that a verdict in an initial trial could prejudice the jury pool for later trials. A joint trial would allow the community to absorb the verdicts at once. ... We dont think they should be put through the trauma of four different jury verdicts, he said. But defence attorneys argued for separate trials, saying they would likely offer antagonistic defences and that the evidence against one officer could hurt another. The officers have already done plenty of finger-pointing in court filings. Attorneys for Lane and Kueng argued their clients were rookies who followed Chauvins lead. Thaos attorney, Bob Paule, said his clients role was absolutely distinct from the others, because he was on crowd control while the others restrained Floyd. Nelson, Chauvins attorney, wrote that the other men are already saying that if Chauvin committed a crime, they didnt know about it or assist. They blame Chauvin, he wrote. But Chauvin pointed fingers, too. Nelson wrote that Lane and Kueng the officers who responded to a forgery call initiated contact with Floyd and that while they called for a paramedic and believed Floyd was on something, they didnt elevate the call to one of more urgency or give medical assistance. If EMS had arrived just three minutes sooner, Mr. Floyd may have survived. If Kueng and Lane had chosen to de-escalate instead of struggle, Mr. Floyd may have survived. If Kueng and Lane had recognized the apparent signs of an opioid overdose and rendered aid, such as administering naloxone, Mr. Floyd may have survived, Nelson wrote. Ben Crump, an attorney for Floyds family members, told a crowd gathered outside the courthouse that defence filings highlighting Floyds drug use amount to killing him a second time. They are trying to claim some asinine theory about an overdose. I want to be clear about this. The only overdose that killed George Floyd was an overdose of excessive force and racism by the ... Minneapolis Police Department, Crump said. Who are you going to believe, your eyes or these killer cops? he said. Cahill took the issue of a joint trial under advisement. He also deferred discussion on whether the trial should be moved from Minneapolis. Attorneys for all four men have said pretrial publicity has made it impossible for them to receive a fair trial in Hennepin County. But Cahill said he would like to send out questionnaires to potential jurors to find out whether theyve been affected by pretrial coverage. Cahill granted a defence request to remove a local prosecutor from the case. Cahill said Friday that four Hennepin County prosecutors, including County Attorney Mike Freeman, are disqualified because they met with the medical examiner to discuss autopsy results. Cahill said they could be called as witnesses because the cause of Floyds death is in dispute. Freeman has long been out of favour with local activists for the way his office has handled cases against police officers. Freeman issued a statement saying his office did nothing wrong and followed the rules, and that hes confident Cahills order will be withdrawn or changed. Before the hearing, a few dozen protesters gathered in front of the courthouse, chanting No justice, no peace. One carried a Black Lives Matter flag and wore a black helmet with swim goggles around the back of his head. By the time the hearing ended, a large, loud crowd had gathered outside. Some beat drums while others chanted anti-police slogans. They loudly jeered defence attorneys as they left the courthouse. North Korea has issued "shoot-to-kill" orders to prevent COVID-19 from entering the country, said Robert Abrams, commander of US Forces Korea (USFK). Abrams during an online event organised by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) said that the "undernourished" country with a poor health system has instructed its forces to kill anyone trying to smuggle goods into the country or enter illegally from China. Surprisingly, North Korea has not reported a single case of COVID-19 so far despite sharing the border with China, from where the disease originated. Read: North Korea's Kim Urges Quick Recovery From Typhoon Damage 'To prevent COVID outbreak' "North Korean smugglers been trying to to get across and as a result, the regime issued out instructions so now they've got an additional buffer zone, one or two kilometers up on the Chinese border they have got North Korean SOF (Special Operations Forces) out there managing these things, Strike forces, they've got shoot-to-kill orders in place and this is fundamentally about preventing COVID from getting into North Korea," Abrams said during the event. Read: North Korea Satellite Images Suggest Ballistic Missile Launch Plans: US Think Tank Report "Everyone's aware of the sanctions on North Korea and sanctions historically always take a long time. The effectiveness of sanctions early on was sort of varied but with COVID-19 that has accelerated the effects of sanctions on North Korea. They closed their border at the end of January. If you look just back at the sanctions of 2017 that dropped Chinese imports by about 50 percent and then they rebounded last year. When the border shutdown with COVID-19 it dropped imports by China with 85 percent. There is a cumulative effect economically of COVID and the sanctions," Robert Abrams said on Thursday. Read: North Korea's Leader Kim Jong Un Inspects Typhoon-hit Areas, Announces Recovery Plan Abrams said that the measures are "understandable" because of the country's poor health system and undernourished population as they don't have the medical capacity and a very large outbreak could be devastating so they have taken the matter into their own hands. He further added that the effects of the three back-to-back typhoons are also one of the reasons that the regime has issued such orders as they are focused on getting their country recovered. Read: IAEA Suspects North Korea Still Enriching Uranium, heightens Open-source Info Collection A six-day Director General-level meeting between Bangladeshi and Indian border forces will be held here from September 13 during which the two sides are expected to discuss a host of issues related to crimes at their frontiers and other security challenges, officials said. The biannual talks between Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) director-general Major General M Shafeenul Islam and his newly appointed Indian counterpart Border Security Force (BSF) Rakesh Asthana will take place at BGB's Pilkhana headquarters. The BGB's operations director Lieutenant Colonel Fayzur Rahman said Bangladesh always laid high importance to violence on the borders. The BGB operations director said cross-border smuggling particularly drug smuggling, construction of different structures like barbed wire fencing and other installations, toxic water flow from upstream India were others issues to be discussed in the meeting. Border killing is an important issue for us, the state-run BSS news agency quoted a BGB official as saying. The official said that until August this year, 33 Bangladeshis were killed along Bangladesh-India frontiers. Rahman, however, described the upcoming meeting as a routine one when the two sides would discuss ways to improve relations between the two border forces, alongside other issues of mutual interest. Diplomatic sources suggested cattle smuggling, fake currency business and human trafficking are likely to be major issues for the BSF side during the talks. They said alongside the BSF sector commanders, officials of India's Narcotics Control Bureau and representatives of External Affairs Ministry and other agencies concerned would accompany Asthana in Dhaka. Officials said the BGB and the BSF chiefs were likely to sign a joint record of discussion at the end of the talks, the 50th at the level of director-general since 1975. The DG-level talks between the BGB and the BSF started in 1975 and are generally held twice a year, once in Dhaka and once in Delhi for the management of porous 4,096 km long frontiers. The BGB-BSF director general-level talks are set to be held days ahead of a planned foreign minister-level Joint Consultative Commission (JCC) meeting using virtual media to be hosted by Dhaka later this month. . Mathura : , Sep 11 (IANS) Thirty-seven years after he committed a crime, Raghunath Singh, a resident of Uttar Pradesh's Aligarh, wanted in connection with a case of motorcycle loot in 1983, was finally arrested on Thursday. He carried a reward of Rs 20,000 on his head. Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Gaurav Grover said that three persons were booked in the loot of a motorcycle from a bank manager in Managadhi in 1983. Two of them had earlier been arrested and remanded to judicial custody and the motorcycle was recovered from their possession. The third accused Raghunath Singh, however, was absconding. A source close to the other two accused, reportedly informed the police about the presence of Singh in Mathura on Thursday after which he was arrested. Show more Show less Cambodians have greeted the death earlier this month (September 2) of Khmer Rouge commandant Kaing Guek Eav commonly known as comrade Duch as one more milestone for the country as it continues to move on from its tragic past. As head of a notorious prison, Duch presided over the killing of as many as 16,000 people during the Khmer Rouge regime of the 1970s. Luke Hunt reports from Choeung Ek, Cambodia. Half Yearly Report and Accounts Perth, Sep 11, 2020 AEST (ABN Newswire) - The Directors present their report for Cyprium Metals Limited ( ASX:CYM ) and its subsidiaries ("the Group") for the 6 months ended 30 June 2020.Cue Copper ProjectThe Cue Copper Project is located in the Murchison region of Western Australia (refer to Figure 1*), which is host to a number of Volcanic Massive Sulphide ("VMS") deposits. VMS deposits are noted to occur in clusters when in favourable geological settings, such as those in the Cue Copper Project area, which is located approximately 20km to the east of Cue in Western Australia. The Project contains the Hollandaire copper deposit.During the first half of 2020, Cyprium completed 4,902 metres of Reverse Circulation ("RC") drilling at the Cue Copper Project. RC drilling at the Eelya South prospect returned an intersection of 3.0m @ 3.78% Cu in drill hole 20ESRC014 which also included 6.68 g/t Au and 81.0 g/t Ag from 59m (refer to Figure 2*).This high-grade copper/gold southern Eelya South intersection in drill hole 20ESRC014 was drilled to test a structure, previously identified at Eelya South in the 1990's which returned an intersection of 2.0m @ 10.12% Cu, 3.19 g/t Au and 92.0 g/t Ag from 40m in drillhole ERC19. There was a continuation of the sulphide rich zone in this RC drilling programme however significant copper grades were not intersected. Field work at the Eelya South prospect was resumed during the first half of 2020 following the RC drilling results to evaluate the potential for further copper rich sulphides in the prospect area.An RC drilling programme at Hollandaire was conducted around the margins of the existing deposit to test extensions of the mineralisation. The results show continuation of the mineralisation and the intersections are being taken into consideration in the planning for testing of further depth extensions through geophysical and drilling programmes.Cyprium completed a regional field mapping and surface sampling campaign at the Rapier West and Mt Eelya prospects, to the north-west of the Hollandaire deposits. A review and field inspection has been conducted on the regional prospects to prioritise targets for the next phases of drilling as part of Cyprium's strategy to increase its copper resource base at the Cue Copper Project. Samples were taken of mineralised quartz/iron gossans at the Rapier West and at Mt Eelya (refer to Figure 3*) which included the following assay results:- 12.3% Cu in Rapier West north costean surface sample- 13.0% Cu in Mt Eelya Gossan 1 surface sample- 10.6% Cu in Mt Eelya Gossan 3 surface sample- 10.2% Cu in Mt Eelya Gossan 8 surface sample*To view the full report, please visit:About Cyprium Metals Ltd Cyprium Metals Limited (ASX:CYM) is poised to grow to a mid-tier mining business and manage a portfolio of Australian copper projects to deliver vital natural resources, strong shareholder returns and sustainable value for our stakeholders. We pursue this aim, in genuine partnerships with employees, customers, shareholders, local communities and other stakeholders, which is based on integrity, co-operation, transparency and mutual value creation. Advertisement Restaurant and bar owners in New York City have spoken out to say 25 percent indoor dining will do 'nothing' to save their struggling industry that was brought to its knees then kept 'in the dark' by officials for months on end. On Wednesday, Gov. Andrew Cuomo finally announced that restaurants would be able to welcome diners inside again on September 30 but only on a maximum capacity of 25 percent and with strict rules in place like no bar service and a firm midnight close time. All welcomed the news and say that it is allowing them to finally prepare after months of silence from the government on when they might be able to start even attempting to make money again. But many say it will do nothing to help their struggling businesses which have been relying on PPP loans and handouts and are staring down the barrel of a tough next quarter with no further stimulus on the cards. What's more, there's been no solid information on if outdoor dining might be extended beyond October 31 which would give operators at least a chance to prepare spaces with heaters - which require permits, gas and weeks to order the heaters themselves. There is also the risk of spending money to prepare to reopen on a 25 percent capacity on September 30, only to have the government do a U-turn and ban it days beforehand, as it did in July. Robert Mahon, owner of Toro Loco and Broadstone and who is also affiliated with the Pig N Whistle Group, said the new rules would do 'nothing to help' anyone. Even before the pandemic, he said, bars and restaurants in the city were struggling against increased rent and hikes in minimum wage. Scroll down for video More than 1,000 restaurants and bars in New York City have had to close permanently after shutting their doors on March 16 and with little to no solid guidance from elected officials since then on how to survive NY Governor Andrew Cuomo and Mayor Bill de Blasio have held New York City's restaurant industry to an entirely different standard than anywhere else in the state, giving restaurants little to no information about when and how they can reopen and doing nothing to find them financial help that actually addresses their needs, the owners say. One commented that the mayor 'wouldn't be receiving an invitation for dinner anytime soon' 'No one is making money right now and October and November, when places run out of their PPP money, it will really be the cliff edge. NYC RESTAURANT AND BAR TIMELINE MARCH 16: All bars and restaurants close. To go cocktails and take-out food is the only thing allowed. MARCH 22: Senate passes CARES act which includes PPP for small businesses but makes no distinction for restaurants or bars which still weren't allowed to be open APRIL 16: First round of PPP relief runs out JUNE 22: NYC restaurants are allowed to start outdoor dining JULY 6: Cuomo and De Blasio suddenly pull indoor dining out of Phase 3 reopening with no plan for when it can happen AUGUST: Infection rate in NYC goes beneath 1% SEPTEMBER 3: Restaurants file class action seeking $2billion in damages SEPTEMBER 9: Cuomo says indoor dining will be allowed SEPTEMBER 30: 25% Indoor dining OCTOBER 31: Outdoor dining ends Advertisement 'If you're a multi-national company, sure, you'll survive. But if you're an independent operator it's not the same. A lot of places are going to go under.' He said that the restaurant industry had received no proper representation in government or been given special guidance to suit its needs. 'We feel like we've had no voice,' he said, adding there had been no lobby group or organization fighting for restaurants or bars' right to business. 'It's a joke,' Mahon added, saying 'every bar and restaurant' in New York City that is open right now is 'operating at a loss'. While no one in the industry wants to pack a space full of people again, Mahon said it was agonizing to watch other states and cities safely bring back higher capacities when New York - which was built on small, independent institutions - was kept shut. What would make matters easier, he said, would have been a July 1 tax break which never came, or a loosening on the rules of when and how to use PPP. Restaurants and bars were told they had to use it within eight weeks of it being issued which stopped many from using it too soon. 'You didn't want to claim it if you weren't open and then pay staff to be at home,' Mahon said. The lack of transparency, planning, information or even willingness to speak with industry leaders has made the entire process 'impossible', he said. Ashwin Deshmukh, Partner and GM at Short Stories on Bowery, said he welcomed Wednesday's announcement but that there hadn't been enough planning or transparency from the city beforehand. Short Stories coped throughout the summer by adding colorful umbrellas, musicians and a new menu which drew in some business on dry days. He however highlighted the dangers of not knowing far enough in advance whether or not outdoor dining would be able to continue. Deshmukh gave the example of outdoor heaters that might have been able to carry trade through some of the early winter months. 'The types that our friends in Paris or Montreal use, the ones that actually work, are not approved by the FDNY. 'I was going to have a friend come down from Montreal to help me fit out the entire outdoor area here in a way that would work for New York, but there was not enough time.' He optimistically added that the new rules will allow private parties to become more accessible to smaller groups and stressed that no one in the industry to rush back to crowded spaces unless it is safe. No one is making money right now... If you're a multi-national company, sure, you'll survive. But if you're an independent operator it's not the same. A lot of places are going to go under. Robert Mahon, owner of Broadstone and Toro Loco Other challenges that might turf up are the appropriate permit for what's known as a sidewalk cafe, and the amount of gas that would be needed. To have enough time to arrange either, restaurants need weeks, if not months. That level of foresight has been missing since the industry shut down, the owners say. 'There's just been no visibility,' Deshmukh said. As the rules stand, the month of October is the only one where a restaurant can offer outdoor dining and 25 percent indoor dining. After that, it will switch to entirely indoor model with the hope of scaling up to 50 percent in November, providing there are no major outbreaks. But restaurants have still not been shown the science, data or even criteria which might constitute another shutdown or scale-back. Chinese Tuxedo on Doyers Street had a 130-seat dining room with a 100-person bar attached. With outdoor dining, it could only accommodate 28 people because of the narrow street it is situated on. Twenty-five percent will bring some relief but owner Eddy Buckingham said he wished he'd had plans sooner Chinese Tuxedo owner Eddy Buckingham (L) says he welcomed the indoor dining announcement but wishes he'd known sooner that October would be when he could reopen. Robert Mahon (R), owner of Broadstone and Toro Loco, said the industry had had 'no voice' in reopening plans or strategies Eddy Buckingham, owner of Chinese Tuxedo on Doyers St, Peachy's beneath it and the soon-to-open Tyger in SoHo, said he welcomed the announcement because it brought an end to 'months of darkness' but that more information was still needed. 'There were months and months where we felt in the dark. The big disaster was when they said in-room dining was going to be in phase 3 and they gave us the guidelines, they did it every part of the state. Twenty-five percent is not sustainable, but it's the start of a journey back. I take this as the first step in a long process, I just wish I'd known sooner. Chinese Tuxedo owner Eddy Buckingham 'I went and invested in all the stuff to make sure we were compliant, got contractors in to build Plexiglas screens between booths, I drafted a COVID protocol, brought teams in for training - all this cost money. 'People went off unemployment, people moved back to NYC under the assumption they'd work, then five days before the roll-out, they said phase 3 going on but indoor dining wont be part of it. 'That was five days before July 9, then we didn't hear anything until Wednesday,' he said. He said that it was unrealistic to consider the 25 percent capacity a 'solution', but that it was finally a step in the right direction. 'It's not enough to make money but it's part of a more substantial road map, at least now I know what the rules are. Short Stories on Bowery added colorful outdoor furniture throughout the summer but didn't have enough time, nor did anyone, to plan for a possible outdoor winter season where heaters might be used to extend business. Restaurants don't know if they'll be allowed to operate outdoors after October 31 and without that knowledge, they can't seek permits for heaters, obtain them or get all the gas they need to run them Outdoor dining has allowed businesses to reopen but none are making money and many will soon run out of whatever they have left, the industry experts say 'Twenty-five percent is not a fix. Nobody's pretending it's a fix and anyone that tells you it is, they're just wrong. The industry, already, is a tough one. We run on super fine margin and we know it and that's OK. 'Twenty-five percent is not sustainable, but it's the start of a journey back. I take this as the first step in a long process, I just wish I'd known sooner. It's a step forward vs standing still or moving backwards, but we need to continue to demand support from the federal state and city government to give these small business owners a fighting chance of survival. Andrew Rigie, Executive Director of the NYC Hospitality Alliance 'There's no perfect solution here and I don't want to bang my drum.... I am impressed with the announcement. When it's transparent we at least know what we're dealing with. 'For three months, we were in the dark,' he said, adding he 'wouldn't be inviting de Blasio for dinner anytime soon.' Andrew Rigie, the executive director of the New York Hospitality Alliance, told DailyMail.com the industry desperately needed help from the government. 'Pre-pandemic, it was extremely difficult for restaurants to survive at 100 percent occupancy so 25 percent, in no way, is going to save the industry. 'It's a step forward vs standing still or moving backwards, but we need to continue to demand support from the federal state and city government to give these small business owners a fighting chance of survival.' He said that it would have a lasting effect not only on the restaurants but also the vendors they use who have gone without customers for months. 'Think of the upstate farmers who the restaurants buy produce from, the local florist, the oyster farm or vineyard on Long Island. A sign is posted at a restaurant on July 28. More than 1,000 have been forced to close permanently 'They need restaurants and bars and clubs to come back in order for their industry sector to be saved. 'Office workers who have been told you don't have to come back until at least 2021 - what are we going to do to support the coffee where people get them? The sandwich place? The happy hour place? When are the 70million tourists going to come back?' he said. He is pushing for a bill called The Restaurant Act which would separate restaurants from other businesses receiving PPP and allow them to survive. 'Operators have been financially devastated. This is an extraordinarily challenging time and their frustration, their anger is valid. 'What we're trying to do is do everything we can to fight at all levels of government to get as many different policies in place to help as many small businesses as possible,' he said. Oregon Congressman Earl Blumenauer will soon submit the Restaurants Act 2020 to ask for specific relief to restaurants around the country of $120billion that will help them survive. It would only give relief to restaurants that do not belong to a chain of more than 20 locations. New York City is now the last major city in the world that is still not allowing outdoor dining. Around half a million people in Oregon evacuated as dozens of extreme, wind-driven wildfires scorched U.S. West Coast states on Friday, destroying thousands of homes and killing at least 16 people, state and local authorities said. In southern Oregon, an apocalyptic scene of burned residential subdivisions and trailer parks stretched for miles along Highway 99 south of Medford through Phoenix and Talent, one of the worst hit areas, according to a Reuters photographer at the scene. Blazes jumped from wildfires burning through scrub and forest to suburban firestorms as flames jumped from house to house. Online video from the Tacoma, Washington, area showed fires starting in a residential area and setting homes ablaze, and locals running from house to house to warn neighbors. Everybody out, everybody out, a man screamed as firefighters tried to douse flames. Since Monday, 11 people have died from fires in California, while four were killed in Oregon and a 1-year-old boy died in Washington state, police reported. In Oregon alone the number of people under evacuation orders climbed to some 500,000 about an eighth of the states total population as Portland suburbs came under threat as two of the states biggest blazes merged into one, the state Office of Emergency Management said. Thousands more were displaced north and south in the neighboring states of Washington and California. We had four hours to pack up our pets and a few medications and things like that, said retiree John Maylone from an evacuation center in Fresno, California, after he was forced to leave three of his 30 cats as he fled the massive Creek Fire as it burned within a few miles of his home. Oregon bore the brunt of nearly 100 major wildfires raging across Western states, with around 3,000 firefighters battling nearly three dozen blazes and officials saying about twice as many people were needed. Police have opened a criminal arson investigation into the Oregon fire which destroyed much of Phoenix and talent and started in Ashland near the border with California, Ashland Police Chief Tighe OMeara said. Dozens of homes were burned at the Bear Creek trailer park nine miles (15 km) south of Medford, where families returned to find ashes and torched cars, according to another Reuters photographer. At least four Oregon police departments warned of fake online messages appearing to be from law enforcement that blamed left-wing anti-fascists and right-wing Proud Boy activists for starting the fires. The Oregon blazes tore through multiple communities in the Cascade mountain range as well as areas of coastal rainforest normally spared from wildfires. In eastern Washington state a fire destroyed most of the tiny farming town of Malden. Search-and-rescue teams entered devastated communities in central Oregons Santiam Valley to look for missing people after a 12-year-old boy was found dead with his dog in a burned-out car and his grandmother was also thought to have died. Firefighters said unusually hot, dry winds out of the east created firestorms that spread embers from community to community, and then from house to house. Oregon Governor Kate Brown said some 900,000 acres (364,220 hectares) had burned, dwarfing the states annual 500,000-acre (202,340-hectare) average over the past decade. This will not be a onetime event, Brown told a Thursday news conference. We are feeling the acute impacts of climate change Over 100 years of fire suppression by state and federal authorities has created a huge buildup of dead trees and undergrowth to fuel fires that have naturally burned in the Wests forests for eons. In recent decades Americans have built houses in those forests as second homes or due to rising prices in metropolitan areas like San Francisco, Portland and Seattle. Climate scientists say global warming has contributed to greater extremes in wet and dry seasons, causing vegetation to flourish then dry out, leaving more abundant, volatile fuel for fires. In California, the United States most populous state, wildfires have burned over 3.1 million acres (1.25 million hectares) so far this year, marking a record for any year, with six of the top 20 largest wildfires in state history occurring in 2020. About a third of evacuees were displaced in Butte County alone, north of Sacramento, where the North Complex wildfire has scorched more than 247,000 acres (99,960 hectares) and destroyed over 2,000 homes and structures. The remains of 10 victims have been found in separate locations of that fire zone, according to a spokesman for the Butte County Sheriffs Office. Another person died in Siskiyou County in far northern California, state fire authority CalFire reported, providing no further details. (Reporting by Barria and Latif; additional reporting by Andrew Hay, Steve Gorman and Sharon Bernstein; editing by Jonathan Oatis) Topics California Catastrophe Natural Disasters Wildfire Washington Law Enforcement Oregon The five Indian hunters who went missing from Arunachal Pradesh's Upper Subansiri district and was found by China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) will finally be handed over to India on September 12 (Saturday), confirmed Union Minister Kiren Rijiju on Friday. This comes three days after PLA confirmed that they were found on the Chinese side and almost 10 days after they went missing. Taking to the micro-blogging site, Twitter, Rijiju said that the PLA has confirmed to the Indian Army that the handing over is likely to take place anytime on September 12 at a designated location. He tweeted, "The Chinese PLA has confirmed to Indian Army to hand over the youths from Arunachal Pradesh to our side. The handing over is likely to take place anytime tomorrow i.e. 12th September 2020 at a designated location." Live TV The five youths had inadvertently crossed over to the other side and gone missing on September 2 from the Sino-Indian border in the district. China had on September 7 brushed off concerns over the whereabouts of the youths from a village in Arunachal Pradesh allegedly abducted by the PLA and said it has never recognised the northeastern state which it claims is part of south Tibet. The Chinese PLA has confirmed to Indian Army to hand over the youths from Arunachal Pradesh to our side. The handing over is likely to take place anytime tomorrow i.e. 12th September 2020 at a designated location. https://t.co/UaM9IIZl56 Kiren Rijiju (@KirenRijiju) September 11, 2020 However, on September 8, Rijiju had informed that the Chinese PLA had responded to the hotline messages of the Indian Army. China's PLA has responded to the hotline message sent by the Indian Army. They have confirmed that the missing youths from Arunachal Pradesh have been found by their side. Further modalities to handover the persons to our authority is being worked out, the union minister had posted on Twitter. "As a result of persistent efforts of Indian Army five missing hunters from the Indian side of LAC in Upper Subansiri, who had inadvertently crossed over to the other side on 02 Sept 2020, were traced. Chinese Army on 08 Sept responded on Hotline and confirmed that the missing Indians have been found on their side. Formalities for their early transfer is being coordinated with the Chinese Army," confirmed the Defence PRO Tezpur. The matter was brought to the notice by Arunachal Pradesh MP Ninong Ering on September 5, when he took to Twitter and claimed that five hunters were allegedly abducted by Chinese PLA. Five people from Upper Subansiri district of our state Arunachal Pradesh have reportedly been abducted by Chinas Peoples Liberation Army (PLA). A few months earlier, a similar incident happened. A befitting reply must be given to PLA and CCP China, Ering had tweeted. Immediately, responding to the requests, Rijiju had confirmed that the Chinese PLA had been contacted for their release. The Indian Army had told its Chinese counterpart about the five civilians, who were engaged as guides and porters by the Army in the Upper Subansiri district on the Sino-India border, on September 5. Those allegedly kidnapped have been identified as Toch Singkam, Prasat Ringling, Dongtu Ebiya, Tanu Baker and Ngaru Diri. The Arunachal villagers had gone for hunting in a jungle when they were allegedly kidnapped by the PLA. Two members of the group reportedly returned home and informed that they had been whisked away by the Chinese troops from Sera-7, an Army patrol zone located about 12 km further north of Nacho, which is the last administrative circle along the McMahon Line and is around 120 km from the district headquarters Daporijo. "We spoke with them on the hotline and told them that it's suspected that some people have crossed across to your side and we will be grateful if you could hand them over back, as per what we do normally," Lieutenant Colonel Harsh Wardhan Pande, an Indian Army spokesman, told news agency Reuters. "There is no earmarked line going through the forest or the mountains, so they keep moving here and there. So they might have gone there. It's a very normal thing," he said, adding they were yet to hear back from the Chinese. On September 7, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian told a media briefing in Beijing, "China's position on the eastern sector of the China-India boundary, or Zangnan--the southern part of China's Xizang (Tibet), is consistent and clear." He added the Chinese government has never recognized the so-called "Arunachal Pradesh". "I'm not aware of the situation you mentioned," the Chinese spokesperson said when asked about any updates about the missing Indian nationals. The All Arunachal Pradesh Students' Union (AAPSU) has condemned the Chinese statement dubbing the state as part of "South Tibet". "The people of the state outrightly reject the dubious statement by the Chinese Foreign Ministry dubbing our state as part of 'South Tibet'. We strongly condemn such statements and advise the Chinese government to refrain from such notoriety," the union said in a statement in Itanagar. The development comes at a time when the Indian Army has enhanced its deployment along the 3,400 km-long Line of Actual Control(LAC) in view of the tense border row between India and China in eastern Ladakh. Jammu Kashmir police on Thursday said that it has recovered two M16 rifles and pistols from district, during a joint search operation along with 8 Rashtriya Rifles. "Based on a credible input, we launched a joint search operation with the 8 Rashtriya Rifles. Two M16 rifles and pistols have been recovered. According to our input, there is a possibility of recovering more arms and ammunition," said Abdul Qayoom, SSP Baramulla, Earlier today, security forces had detected an improvised explosive device (IED) near Watergam village of Rafiabad in north Kashmir's district. Bomb disposal squad has reached the spot and is likely to detonate it shortly. Last month, the bomb disposal squad of the Indian Army destroyed an IED like object on Srinagar- Highway. (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.) Britain said explicitly this week that it plans to break international law by breaching parts of the Withdrawal Agreement treaty that it signed in January, when it formally left the bloc. Britain says the move is aimed at clarifying ambiguities, but it caused a new crisis in talks less than four months before a post-Brexit transition period ends in December. European Parliament lawmakers said today they will not approve any new EU-UK trade deal unless Britain fully implements its earlier divorce deal. The chamber must approve any such trade deal for it to be enacted. If the UK authorities breach the divorce deal, or threaten to do so, then "the European Parliament will, under no circumstances, ratify any agreement between the EU and the UK," the parliament's Brexit group and the heads of the parliamentary political groups said in a statement. Advertisement Investment banks have increased their estimates of the chances of a messy end to Britain's exit from the EU. Sterling dipped to 5-1/2-month lows on today. A deputy head of the bloc's executive, Maros Sefcovic, said that "it is now up to the UK government to re-establish trust". Mr Sefcovic spoke after informing EU lawmakers of his unsuccessful talks the previous day in London where he demanded that Britain scrap by the end of this month the plan to breach the divorce treaty. Britain has refused, saying its parliament is sovereign above international law. "As the United Kingdom looks to what kind of future trade relationship it wants with the European Union, a prerequisite for that is honouring agreements that are already in place," said Minister for Finance Pascal Donohoe. As the atmosphere soured between London and Brussels, Japan and Britain said they had reached agreement in principle on a bilateral trade deal that meant 99% of the Britain's exports to Japan would be tariff-free. No deal EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier said on Thursday the bloc was increasing its planning for a no-deal Brexit at the end of this year after trade talks made little progress. "The UK has not engaged in a reciprocal way on fundamental EU principles and interests," Mr Barnier said. "Nobody should underestimate the practical, economic and social consequences of a 'no-deal' scenario." Britain rejected Mr Barnier's view. "We don't recognise the suggestion that we've not engaged, we've been engaged in talks pretty consistently for many months now," a British source said. "The problem is the EU seems to define engagement as accepting large elements of their position rather than being engaged in discussions." The UK government said parliament would debate the contentious Internal Market Bill on Monday. The bill will face opposition in both houses of parliament as many senior British politicians have expressed shock that London is explicitly planning to breach international law. "I don't think this will get through the Lords, in its present form," said Norman Lamont, a Brexit supporting member of the House of Lords, the upper chamber. "It is impossible to defend. They'll have to think again." -Reuters The April Sound Property Owners Association Board held a Town Hall Meeting in the Lakeside Room of the Country Club at 7 p.m. this past Wednesday evening. The dark and stormy night probably impacted the attendance some, in addition to the COVID-19 concerns, but the meeting was very informational, many folks were able to ask questions and voice concerns, and the atmosphere was friendly and compatible. Board Chairman Kathy Howard conducted the meeting with help on the Power Point from Treasurer Karen Hurst, and Joe Harris doing his magic with the on-line and telephone transmission as well as the sound system. Trustees James Coulson and Tom Stiles were also in attendance. Kathy introduced Security Guard Laura Berendt who recently performed a heroic life saving miracle on a resident suffering cardiac arrest and received appreciative applause from the audience. The main subject of the meeting was the presentation of options for replacement of the existing fence along Highway 105. There has been an active committee researching the best choices to present to the residents. Kathy stressed that there will be a poll which will allow all homeowners of our community the opportunity to voice opinions. Then, if there is to be an assessment for the chosen fence, there will be another vote to approve that assessment. There are only estimates for the proposed fence right now, because there must be a professional survey of the entire area to be fenced before any chosen contractor can give an accurate estimate and present a contract to be signed and sealed. However, in order to get general estimates for comparison, a certain footage of distance has been given to all interested contractors. Kathy presented colored pictures on the large screen of each option. First, choice is the three rail vinyl fence like the one along the entrance and exit on the boulevard. Secondly, we could replace the existing fence with another three rail wooden fence. A third choice is a six foot cedar fence, and another is the steel post fencing to match that which was just installed along Marina Drive. These choices all will require some regular maintenance. The similated stone fencing, examples of which in brown and grey are located at the top of the hill to the right of the Boulevard on Reserve F, come in six foot by six foot sections with steel poles that will stair step to fit the topography. It is made in America of high quality raw materials, has Class A rating for flame resistance, never needs maintenance and comes with a life-time warranty. The last choice, concrete by Averfence, is the most expensive by far, but also will last forever and would give greater security to our community. You may drive by and see the samples and be watching for the polls that will come to you from the POA, so you can give your opinion. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-12 04:11:28|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close GAZA, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- The Hamas movement and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) slammed on Friday the fresh U.S.-sponsored normalization agreement between Israel and Bahrain. Hazem Qassem, Hamas spokesman in Gaza, told Xinhua that the wave of Arab countries' normalization with the Israel is part of the implementation of the provisions of the U.S. so-called "Deal of the Century." He added that the Palestinian people largely reject this deal, which aims at eliminating the Palestinian cause. "Joining the path of normalization by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and then by Bahrain makes them become partners with U.S. Deal of the Century, which is a clear aggression against our people," Qassem said. Last month, U.S. President Donald Trump announced that his administration had sponsored a normalization agreement between Israel and the UAE. The declaration of the agreement between Israel and the UAE sparked Palestinian outrage, and Palestinian demonstrators burned the flags of the UAE in several towns in the Palestinian territories. Two days ago, the state of Palestine failed to convince the Arab League's foreign ministry to issue a statement that condemns the normalization between the Arab countries and Israel. Meanwhile, the PIJ said in a statement that the agreement between Israel and Bahrain "is a new episode in the series of betrayal to Palestine." "It's a blatant coup against all Arab, national and Islamic constants of Palestine," it said. "This treacherous agreement won't undermine the Palestinian people's rights and the justice of their cause." Enditem NEW YORK (Reuters) - LVMH's plans to end its $16 billion acquisition of U.S. jeweler Tiffany & Co follows roughly 1,900 deals that have been cancelled, renegotiated or disputed around the world since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to S&P Global Market Intelligence. NEW YORK (Reuters) - LVMH's plans to end its $16 billion acquisition of U.S. jeweler Tiffany & Co follows roughly 1,900 deals that have been cancelled, renegotiated or disputed around the world since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to S&P Global Market Intelligence. The following are some of the high-profile deals that were scuttled or faced turmoil this year after they were signed: Auto parts maker BorgWarner in March threatened to end its agreement to acquire UK-based smaller rival Delphi Technologies, but in May resolved the issue and was on track to acquire it by the second half of 2020. The amended merger terms reduced Delphi's equity value by 5%. The revised deal values Delphi at $1 billion. Bed Bath & Beyond Inc sued 1-800-Flowers.Com Inc for failing to close a $252 million deal by March 30. The two sides agreed in July to a reduced $245 million price for the Pmall.com business of Bed Bath & Beyond. U.S. printer maker Xerox Holdings Corp walked away from its $35 billion hostile cash-and-stock bid for HP Inc in late March, after the coronavirus outbreak weighed on its campaign to take over the PC and printing equipment manufacturer. Forescout Technologies Inc sued private equity firm Advent International in May for pulling out of a deal to buy the cybersecurity firm for $1.9 billion. The two settled in July for a reduced $1.43 billion acquisition price. The largest U.S. mall owner, Simon Property Group Inc, in June ditched its $3.6 billion deal for competitor Taubman Centers Inc, citing the beating the retail sector has taken during the COVID-19 pandemic. Taubman vowed to fight Simon's move, and litigation is ongoing. Telefonica sued Millicom International Cellular of Luxembourg for backing out of a $570 million deal for the Spanish company's operations in Costa Rica. While Telefonica is pursuing breach of contract damages against Millicom in state court in Manhattan, it struck a deal in July to sell the business to Liberty Latin American Ltd for $500 million. Juweel Investors Ltd sued an affiliate of Carlyle Group Inc for failing to close the purchase of a significant stake in American Express Global Business Travel, a deal that was estimated at $1.5 billion. The deal expired without closing and the two sides are scheduled to go to trial next year to determine if the pandemic constituted a "material adverse event" that would have allowed the buyers to back out. L Brands Inc in May called off the sale of its majority stake in Victoria's Secret lingerie business to Sycamore Partners, after the retail operator and buyout firm sued each other over the $525 million deal. Sycamore fired the first legal shot, alleging in an April lawsuit that L Brands breached the deal by closing nearly all of its about 1,600 Victoria's Secret and PINK stores globally without Sycamore's permission. WeWork is ensnared in a lawsuit against its majority owner SoftBank Group Corp after the Japanese conglomerate backed out of a $3 billion tender offer to the co-working office company's existing shareholders. SoftBank provided WeWork with a separate $1.1 billion financing in August. WeWork and Softbank are still locked in a court battle over the tender offer. (Reporting by Jessica DiNapoli in New York and Tom Hals in Wilmington, Delaware; Editing by Tom Brown) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. Photo: The Canadian Press Don Meredith The Senate has agreed with recommendations from an independent evaluator that the victims of disgraced ex-senator Don Meredith should be compensated. The Senate standing committee on internal economy met behind closed doors Thursday to consider the recent report by former Quebec Appeal Court judge Louise Otis. Otis had been tasked to speak with six former employees in Meredith's office and review all materials from a four-year investigation completed last year by the Senate ethics officer. That investigation concluded that Meredith had repeatedly bullied, threatened and intimidated his staff, and that he had also touched, kissed and propositioned some of them. In a statement Thursday night, the Senate committee did not say how much the staff would receive, but that in her recommendations, Otis had averaged compensation levels in line with the amounts awarded in three major recent class-action lawsuit settlements involving harassment in the public sector. "Employees who participated in the independent evaluation process will be contacted by the office of the Senate law clerk and parliamentary counsel," the committee said. Two women who worked for Meredith had previously complained about the evaluation process, saying they were barred from using lawyers when speaking with Otis, told their legal costs would not be covered and that Otis' recommendations would not be binding on the Senate. After they came forward the Senate shifted the rules, allowing them to have counsel and that their costs may be covered if Otis also recommended that as part of her report. The committee did not mention legal costs in its release Thursday, though did say it will meet again to consider the report. Meredith was appointed by former Conservative prime minister Stephen Harper in 2010. He resigned in 2017 following a separate investigation and subsequent recommendations by the Senate's ethics committee that he be expelled for using his position to pursue a sexual relationship with a teenager. He has not faced any criminal charges. Maharashtra's tally of COVID-19 cases crossed 10 lakh on Friday with a record spike of 24,886 new cases, a health official said. IMAGE: Migrant workers, returning from their native places, get tested for COVID- 19 after they arrived in Thane district of Maharashtra. Photograph: PTI Photo While the total of cases reached 10,15,681, the death toll due to the pandemic reached 28,724 with 393 new fatalities reported across the state. The number of recovered COVID-19 patients increased to 7,15,023 with 14,308 patients discharged from hospitals in the last 24 hours. Maharashtra's recovery rate of COVID-19 patients is 70.4 per cent and fatality rate is 2.83 per cent. So far 50.72 lakh COVID-19 tests have been conducted in the state. The positivity rate of COVID-19 tests is 20 per cent in the state. 16,47,742 people are in home quarantine and 38,487 in institutional quarantine. GERING, Neb. - As wildfires rage across the western United States, some 200 firefighters from four states will gather in western Nebraska this weekend to train for battling fire in rugged terrain. The three-day Western Nebraska Engine Academy training exercise starts Saturday in the hills south of Gering, Scottsbluff radio station KNEB reported. Firefighters from 30 cities are expected to participate in the Type III incident training, with a management team of about 35 based out of Five Rocks Amphitheater. Multiple fire engines, helicopters and planes will be travelling in and around the area into Monday, officials said, with active fire exercises in the Cedar Canyon and Buffalo Creek Wildlife Management Areas. The training provides firefighters with experience needed for wildland firefighting certifications. SecMark Consultancy, a financial services company, will launch its initial public offering next week. It will be the third firm to launch an IPO in September after Happiest Minds and Route Mobile IPOs did so in the recent days. The IPO will be on the SME Segment of BSE to raise an estimated Rs 15 crore. The public offer comprises a fresh issue of 11.14 lakh shares (27 percent equity). The price decided for the IPO is Rs 135 per share. The issue will open on September 18 and close on September 23. The company is looking to raise money to develop software, infra, and strategic acquisition in technology space. It would also use the funds to develop a larger team, acquire assets, and for other issue expenses. It has serviced more than 200 clients in the last financial year which includes exchanges, alternate investment funds, portfolio managers, stockbrokers, wealth managers, insurance companies, investment advisors, NBFCs and more. Among projects, the firm has expanded online Compliance Management Software for intermediaries and grow an online examination portal for National Centre for Financial Education (NCFE). It has also built, operated and transfer contracts for setting up intermediaries business for Canara Bank, Bank of Baroda, Corporation Bank, XTX Markets, and others. The firm has developed Order Instruction Management System (OIMS) for order management of Intermediaries and also helped in operations, risk management and process reviews of leading entities like Aditya Birla Money, Edelweiss Broking, Paytm Money, etc. For FY20, the company's PAT rose to Rs 116 lakh versus Rs 97 lakh in the previous year. The company's turnover was at Rs 575 lakh in FY20 as against Rs 390 lakh in FY19. A roster of celebrities including Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson endorsed it. A corporate coalition led by Microsoft rallied tens of thousands of recovered coronavirus patients to donate their blood plasma, rich in antibodies, to help treat others. Federal taxpayers bankrolled the initiative with at least $340 million. But when President Donald Trump politicized and overhyped his administration's authorization last month of convalescent plasma to treat covid-19, he spawned confusion about the treatment and triggered a political backlash that specialists say has stifled an expected spike in demand. Now leaders of the effort to expand use of convalescent plasma are scrambling to reassure the public that the treatment does have merit, while fending off unfavorable comparisons to Trump's previous pet coronavirus treatment, hydroxychloroquine. Under similar pressure from Trump, the Food and Drug Administration authorized emergency use of hydroxychloroquine early in the pandemic only to withdraw the order in June when rigorous clinical trials proved the drug was ineffective. Doctors and proponents of convalescent plasma treatment say the comparisons to hydroxychloroquine are both unfair and inappropriate. They say plasma with high levels of coronavirus-fighting antibodies holds promise and is safe, unlike hydroxychloroquine, which poses a risk of fatal cardiac events. "It's a real shame that it has gotten politicized the way it has. The comparisons to hydroxychloroquine are unjustified because they are very different products and the safety data is very different," said Kate Fry, chief executive of America's Blood Centers, a coalition of nonprofit blood donor banks that has the largest government contract to gather plasma from recovered coronavirus patients. Advocates are attempting to keep on track randomized clinical trials that should prove definitively whether the treatment carries benefit, although making the drug more widely available has made it harder to recruit trial subjects who might receive a placebo. "We know there needs to be more randomized clinical trials and we need that for further efficacy data," Fry said. "In the meantime, this is something that can help people, and we are making sure they have access to it." Physicians also have expressed frustration with the highly charged atmosphere that has engulfed the research, in which they say people make medical decisions based on their feelings about Trump and his handling of the pandemic. "There's been a level of confusion that has been injected into it and a level of emotional response," said Shmuel Shoham, an infectious-disease clinician and researcher at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine who is leading clinical trials of plasma. "People have different ideas what the data means that have nothing to do with data, because of allegiances to tribes." Convalescent plasma has been used for more than a century to treat people stricken with infectious diseases. People who have already recovered from the virus build up antibodies in their blood plasma that can be beneficial to people who still have the illness. The Trump administration identified plasma as a potential therapy early in the pandemic and the FDA selected Mayo Clinic to make it available on a compassionate use basis across the country, called an "expanded access program," that was closely coordinated with the agency. In the days before the FDA issued its emergency use authorization, Trump accused the agency in a media briefing of dragging its feet on convalescent plasma, and on Twitter he blamed the "deep state" for slowing down drug and vaccine approvals. Then, on Aug. 23, the eve of his Republican nominating convention, Trump unveiled the FDA authorization for plasma. Although it was based on inconclusive patient data from Mayo's program, not a randomized clinical trial that would be a stronger test of its effectiveness, he declared convalescent plasma a major "breakthrough" in the fight against coronavirus and said it "had an incredible rate of success." FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn compounded the confusion and raised further questions about the FDA's independence by exaggerating the benefits of the treatment at Trump's press briefing, then backtracking the next day. The absence of a jump in transfusions since the emergency use authorization reflects public and physician uncertainty over the administration's shifting response, as well as a lack of sound data about which patients might benefit the most, they said. "Surprisingly, we haven't seen a spike in demand," said Pampee Young, chief medical officer of the American Red Cross. "I think it could be in part some of the negative press that came out." The government-sponsored drive to collect hundreds of thousands of units of plasma from coronavirus survivors is called the Fight Is in Us. Using celebrities to help deliver the message - including Helen Mirren and Johnson, who recorded videos using the campaign's catchphrase that donors "can literally save lives" - the drive has persuaded tens of thousands of recovered coronavirus patients to contribute their plasma so it could be transfused into someone else fighting the disease. It is led by Microsoft, Mayo, the American Red Cross and other nonprofit blood banks, as well as for-profit plasma collection centers that are gathering plasma to produce another, potentially better treatment from concentrated plasma called immune globulin. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation also participated in the effort. The Fight Is in Us website uses a "plasmabot" program to provide potential donors with a list of collection centers nearest to them. Mayo Clinic has received $49 million from the government to run the plasma program, according to public records. America's Blood Centers has received $201 million and the American Red Cross has received $69 million. Mitre, a federally funded research and development center based in Massachusetts that is also leading the initiative, has received more than $20 million. Microsoft, which provided leadership of the donor drive, said its participation was philanthropic and it was not paid. Department of Health and Human Services officials, including Hahn and Anthony Fauci, were part of a parallel, $8 million public relations initiative, appearing in TV, radio and billboard advertising. Each of those officials used variations of the catchphrase that coronavirus survivors "can literally save lives." "The Fight Is In Us coalition came together because we collectively believe that the antibodies of covid-19 survivors can play a critical role in turning the tide against this pandemic," Peter Lee, Microsoft's corporate vice president for research and incubation, in an emailed statement. "We're committed to evidence-based decision-making, and building trust with donors, doctors, and potential recipients," Lee said. "We're eagerly awaiting the results of randomized controlled trials for convalescent plasma and hyperimmune globulin, and in the meantime will continue to do our part to attract enough plasma donors to support these scientific efforts." The initiative led to treatment in more than 105,000 coronavirus patients and produced the data the FDA used to issue its Aug. 23 emergency use authorization for the treatment. The data showed that, among patients who were not intubated, 11% of those who received plasma with high levels of coronavirus antibodies died within seven days of transfusion, compared with 14% of those who received plasma with low antibody levels. FDA used that information to say plasma "may be effective," the minimum threshold for an emergency use authorization. An NIH clinical guidelines panel struck a more skeptical tone after the FDA's action. "There are insufficient data to recommend either for or against the use of convalescent plasma for the treatment of covid-19," the panel said. Mayo said its job for the government was to make convalescent plasma available through a compassionate use program and to test its safety. That evolved into an analysis of efficacy, it said. "The FDA has asked for additional data for review by their teams, and Mayo Clinic is providing those data. The discussion and simultaneous analyses continue," Mayo spokesman Robert Nellis said in an email. "We're confident in the data we've provided to the FDA and the scientific community and look forward to continuing to contribute to a medical solution to this pandemic." Arthur Caplan, a medical ethics specialist at New York University's Langone Medical Center who has closely studied compassionate use of unapproved treatments, said the government and Mayo clinic should have launched a controlled clinical trial to determine whether the treatment worked better than a placebo or some other treatment. Without that, the question marks loom large, he said. Mayo's expanded access effort started as "panic prescribing," he said. Then Hahn's misstatement that the treatment improved coronavirus survival by 35% fueled the political fires, said Caplan. "There's an increasing worrying concern on the part of the public that things are getting rushed, and overly hyped," he said. "Some people say, 'I trust the president and it's good,' and other people say, 'If he says it works, I'm not touching it.'" Still, plasma treatment has been supported by many physicians and scientists in the mainstream, while hydroxychloroquine gained traction largely through the promotion by Fox News commentators and internet posts by little-known doctors. Trump meanwhile has also made repeated promises that a vaccine will be made available before Election Day, even though top officials overseeing vaccine development say that is highly unlikely. Amid Trump's bid to rush a vaccine, drug companies responded with an extraordinary joint pledge to not seek approval before safety and efficacy has been established in Phase 3 clinical trials. A group called Survivor Corps has more than 100,000 followers on Facebook where plasma donors post selfies while they are hooked up with tubes to machines drawing their blood, straining off the yellow fluid, and putting the rest back in their bodies. Survivor Corps founder Diana Berrent, who has attracted corporate support to the cause, said donating plasma gave coronavirus survivors a strong sense of purpose during the pandemic lockdowns and social distancing. "We were being told as a country, the best you can do is literally do nothing," she said. "It goes against the human spirit and we want to help." The political fights that have erupted over plasma anger Scott Cohen, a Long Island coronavirus patient who received an infusion of convalescent plasma, subsequently recovered, and has now begun donating his own antibody-rich plasma to help others. Cohen does not place all the blame on Trump. "I find that politicizing any portion of this is so incredibly wrong," he said, "and it's happening on both sides." President Donald Trump speaks at a ceremony commemorating the 19th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, on September 11, 2020. (Brendan Smialowski / AFP) Trump Says America Will Never Relent in Pursuing Terrorists in 9/11 Ceremony President Donald Trump on Friday remembered the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks at the crash site of United Airlines Flight 93 in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, saying the 40 passengers on board who overcame terrorist hijackers show that Americans will fight back. America will never relent in pursuing terrorists that threaten our people, Trump said, adding: The heroes of Flight 93 are an everlasting reminder that no matter the danger, no matter the threat, no matter the odds, America will always rise up, stand tall, and fight back. In the weeks after the attacks that left 2,977 dead, Americans were united by our conviction that America was the worlds most exceptional country, blessed with the most incredible heroes, and that this was a land worth defending with our very last breath, the president said. It was a unity based on love for our families, care for our neighbors, loyalty to our fellow citizens, pride in our great flag, gratitude for our police and first responders, faith in Godand a refusal to bend our will to the depraved forces of violence, intimidation, oppression, and evil, Trump said. Before the speech, Trump and first lady Melania Trump, along with other White House officials, held a moment of silence onboard their plane. President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump pause for a moment of silence on Air Force One as he arrives at the airport in Johnstown, Pa., on his way to speak at the Flight 93 National Memorial, Friday, Sept. 11, 2020, in Shanksville, Pa. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) The presidents comments meant to inspire and reflect on the heroism following Sept. 11 comes as he leads the United States through the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus pandemic and as he tries to draw down troops from Afghanistan and Iraq after decades of war. Trump noted that Flight 93, after it was hijacked by al-Qaeda-affiliated terrorists, was taken back by passengers who fought back after they learned other planes were hijacked and flown into the World Trade Center in New York City. Democratic Presidential Candidate Joe Biden (L) greets US Vice President Mike Pence as they attend a ceremony at the 9/11 Memorial in New York to commemorate the 19th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, on September 11, 2020. (Angela Weiss / AFP) The 40 of Flight 93 did the most American of things, they took a vote, Trump said on Friday. And then they acted. Together they charged the cockpit, they confronted the pure evil, and then their last act on this earth, they saved our Capitol. Trump, in the address, also paid tribute to the nearly 6 million young men and women who have enlisted in the United States Armed Forces since September 11th, 2001, adding, More than 7,000 military heroes have laid down their lives since 9/11 to preserve our freedom. No words can express the summit of their glory or the infinite depth of our gratitude. Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden will visit Shanksville, Pennsylvania, on Friday after Trump leaves. He was seen attending a memorial at Ground Zero in Manhattan, which was also attended by Vice President Mike Pence, Gov. Andrew Cuomo, and Sens. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.). Biden told reporters that he wont mention politics for the day. Im not gonna make any news today. Im not gonna talk about anything other than 9/11, he told reporters. We took all our advertising down, its a solemn day, and thats how were going to keep it, OK? Trumps visit to Pennsylvania on Friday marks the third one to the Keystone State in three weeks, seemingly noting its importance as a swing-state ahead of the November election. Trump defeated Hillary Clinton in 2016 by about 45,000 votes. Other than Flight 93, which was heading from San Francisco to Newark, three other planes hijacked that day were crashed into the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York and at the Pentagon in Washington. The attacks sparked the War on Terror that led to the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq under the Bush administration. His sisters live in palatial piles, but it appears James Middleton is looking for somewhere decidedly more low-key for his martial home with fiancee Alizee Thevenet. The couple, who have had to postpone their wedding twice this year due to Covid-19, were spotted with a brochure for a one-bedroom home in south-west London - just a stone's throw from the home Pippa Middleton, 37, shares with her husband and son. The property boasts its own terrace and three garages - a rarity for central London - but is otherwise far more modest than one might expect, with a quick glance at the photos revealing a tired-looking exterior and a terrace in need of some TLC. However its enviable location means even this unpretentious starter home comes at an eye-watering listing price of 895,000. House hunting: James Middleton and fiancee Alizee Thevenet were seen with a brochure for a one-bedroom home in south-west London Safety first: The couple both wore face masks while strolling through London today (pictured) Low key: The property (pictured) boasts its own terrace and three garages - a rarity for central London - but is otherwise far more modest than one might expect James, 33, and Alizee dressed down in jeans and casual tops for the outing this morning. The couple both wore face masks to view the property before removing them outside and strolling away on foot - perhaps to another appointment. The couple currently live together in London but spent lockdown together at the Middletons' home in Berkshire. More to see? The couple both wore face masks to view the property before removing them outside and strolling away on foot - perhaps to another appointment Lots to discuss: The couple looked casual for their viewing in south-west London today Laid-back cool: Both James and Alizee looked relaxed in jeans and casual tops for the outing It is clear they are more loved up than ever as they look ahead to their wedding, with James gushing over his wife in a touching Instagram post shared last week. Posting a series of holiday pictures from a couple's getaway in Sicily, he wrote: 'Its a year since I asked Alizee to marry me what a year its been! Two homes, lockdown, two attempts at a wedding, a litter of puppies, launching of new company @ella.co, a beard shave, and much more.' He continued: 'The best part is that I get to share it with you Alizee and I cant wait to take on whatever the future holds for us.' Next chapter: The couple revealed they have had to postpone their wedding twice this year Getting comfortable: James and Alizee remove their face masks following the house viewing A marital home: The couple are already based in London but appear to want somewhere new The entrepreneur added: 'We managed to escape to Italy for a quick dip in the the sea, lots of wine and pasta and now ready to face the world again.' Calling the yacht holiday an 'unforgettable experience', James also shared a number of snaps from the luxurious trip. In the photographs, the couple could be seen relaxing on the deck of a lavish yacht, while James and Alizee also got behind the wheel of the boat. The Duchess of Cambridge's brother announced his engagement to his French partner last October after he is believed to have proposed while in the Lake District. The couple spent lockdown at the Middletons' family home in Berkshire. Striding ahead: The couple chatted as they left the 895,000 property after the viewing A closer look: James had another glance over the brochure for the property as they left A leading opposition official, Paval Latushka, says Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka knows that most people are opposed to his 26-year-long authoritarian rule. Speaking to Current Time in Prague on September 10, Latushka commented on the ongoing protests in Belarus that erupted after Lukashenka won an August 9 election that was widely seen as rigged. Latushka is on the opposition's Coordination Council and left Belarus after several of its members were detained by the authorities. As the co-heads of the Toronto International Film Festival tell it, planning this years event while consulting with their counterparts around the world during a pandemic was like group therapy. Cameron Bailey and Joana Vicente have connected with other major international festivals facing similar crises since early on in the COVID-19 shutdown, collaborating with organizations that are usually competitors to keep the important fall circuit alive. We created, I think, a special bond, Vicente, who is also TIFFs executive director, said in a recent phone interview. Well see what happens next year, but when you go through hard times together I think something sticks. The result is a reimagined online/in-person TIFF that has a much smaller slate and some of the same titles as other festivals, including the buzzy Nomadland and Ammonite. But its an event many in the industry are happy is happening at all. Honestly, it has not been easy. Im not going to lie, said Bailey, who is also TIFFs artistic director. But its a year we will always remember, because we were forced to learn new things, to do new things, to take on challenges that we might have deferred way into the future. And the result of that has been weve really just made these incredible leaps forward, as an organization and as a festival, that might have taken us years and years to do. Running Thursday through Sept. 19, the landmark 45th festival will show about 60 features as well as shorts mostly online, with some physical screenings adhering to COVID-19 guidelines. There will also be virtual talks, cast reunions and press conferences. Spike Lees filmed version of David Byrnes Broadway concert American Utopia is the opening night feature. Mira Nairs coming-of-age BBC series A Suitable Boy will close the festival. Bailey said despite screen industry shutdowns due to the pandemic the festival had thousands of submissions this year, but kept the lineup trimmed so it was manageable. They wanted to reflect current social issues, like those raised in the protests against racism, and turn up the volume on TIFFs initiatives to support women, local and BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, people of colour) filmmakers. The films, special events and programs including the Planet Africa 25th anniversary celebration are a way of engaging our audience with what everybodys talking about right now, Bailey said, which is: how can we make sure that there is more equity; that the movies we watch and enjoy are more inclusive of the lives that we all lead. TIFFs new Bell Digital Cinema platform is geoblocked to Canada for the public, expanding the festivals audience beyond Toronto, with a limit on the number of tickets sold per film. TIFF worked with New Zealand-based Shift72 on the digital platform, which it says has strict anti-piracy measures. Screenings at TIFF Bell Lightbox, two drive-ins and an open-air cinema will be physically distanced with limited audiences. Lightbox audiences must wear masks at all times. Some local film talent, as well as Vicente and Bailey, plan to appear at Lightbox screenings. For many critics who werent able to attend the in-person Venice Film Festival running now through Sept. 12, TIFF is the first opportunity during the pandemic to see Oscar-worthy films remotely. I think theyve been super smart and have risen to the occasion, said Anne Thompson, editor-at-large at film industry and review publication IndieWire. I cant envy them at all all of the different exigencies that they had to plan for. Im really impressed with how they figured it out. Much of the festival has been planned down to the wire with fewer resources and fanfare. Changing government health and safety protocols ruled out three in-person venues TIFF was hoping to use, and many filmmakers have been scrambling to finish their projects. In June, TIFF also had to lay off 31 employees and make salary cuts at the executive, senior management and management levels. The not-for-profit organization said it expects pandemic-related issues will slash revenues to half of what they were in 2019. The pandemic also scrubbed the usual glitz and street-level fanfare that has cemented TIFFs reputation as a peoples festival since its inception in 1976. There are no red carpets nor parties or Festival Street. I think its a money-losing operation and I commend everyone for pushing through, because its absolutely essential for the ecosystem, said Thompson. In TIFFs mind, it was not even a question of not having it, said Vicente. Just the cost of the organization not doing anything was really prohibitive in terms of us not being able to deliver on the commitments with corporate partners, said Vicente. They also wanted to support filmmakers and fill a void left by previously cancelled festivals like Cannes, she added. Festivals are key in spotlighting these films that dont have millions and millions of dollars of marketing, and really rely on the publicity and the lift that they get from festivals. TIFF holds a unique space in the festival world. With its easily accessible films and talent, and its Peoples Choice Award thats considered a bellwether for what will get a Best Picture Oscar nomination or win, TIFF is seen as essential to the industry. TIFF is also a big tourist lure and money maker for Toronto, generating more than $200 million in annual economic activity for the city and the province, according to the organization. This particular festival is, in some ways, so much a part of what defines the city, said acclaimed Canadian director Atom Egoyan, who is the governor of this years TIFF Filmmaker Lab. So for so many people, were just thankful that there is some physical form of it that we can still celebrate while being safe. Bailey said government has been supportive of this years festival since the beginning, and TIFF has been working closely with politicians and public health officials on COVID-19 protocols. The festivals major partners also stayed on board and will be highlighted in a virtual edition of the TIFF Tribute Awards fundraiser, which will air on CTV and a Variety global livestream on Sept. 15. Honourees include Kate Winslet and Anthony Hopkins. Shawn Mendes will perform. TIFF will also hand out its annual film awards on Sept. 20. Even before the pandemic, Bailey and Vicente had been thinking about a lot of the issues that are now brought into focus, like the future of film festivals and engaging with audiences beyond Toronto, they said. So we have to accelerate all of those conversations, said Vicente, and we cant wait to get through and then have a moment to let it all crystallize and understand whats worth keeping and what still needs to be innovated or improved, and what are things that maybe really didnt work. Its not going to be perfect, but when you have to innovate and innovate quickly, thats the price of it. But we are super excited. Using a smuggled-in mobile phone, a detained Ethiopian migrant pleaded for help as he described harrowing conditions in a Saudi detention centre -- overcrowded and disease-ridden cells, food scarcity and rising suicides. Campaigners have called on Saudi Arabia to investigate allegations of the abusive and unsanitary conditions confronting migrants after some began talking to activists and international media using contraband cell phones. "It's a living hell," a 23-year-old Ethiopian migrant told AFP from a detention centre in southern Jizan province along the Yemen border. Images published recently by Human Rights Watch showed shirtless and scrawny men huddled together in windowless cells. Although the exact numbers of detainees is unknown, the pictures triggered global shock, shining a rare spotlight on tightly guarded Saudi detention centres that have long remained out of public view. Last week, Saudi officials launched a crackdown to seize the cellphones in a bid to prevent further leaks. And visiting Ethiopian diplomats warned detainees to stop speaking out, three migrants locked up in two facilities in the kingdom told AFP. Held for more than five months, the impoverished migrants who originally escaped Ethiopia for a better life in Saudi Arabia are scraping by with barely enough food and water, the three said. Clogged toilets are overflowing, and many migrants have developed skin infections and other diseases. "There's no medical care in prison and they don't go out," Ethiopian activist Lema Zelalem Birhane told AFP, speaking from Addis Ababa. "People have been staying in that prison for more than five months, they didn't see any sunlight for five months." He is in contact with the detainees and corroborated claims by the migrants to AFP that many people have taken their own lives. Saudi Arabia's media ministry, the country's Human Rights Commission (HRC) as well as the Ethiopian embassy in Riyadh have not responded to AFP's requests for comment. Story continues - 'Dire conditions' - The New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) identified three main detention facilities frequently cited by migrants -- two in Jizan and another close to the western city of Jeddah. The International Organization of Migration (IOM) voiced concern over the facilities' "dire conditions". "IOM has been following up closely on the extremely difficult conditions facing Ethiopian migrants in centres in Saudi Arabia," the UN agency told AFP, adding it was in contact with the Saudi HRC, which is conducting an "internal inquiry on the conditions". Using people smugglers and rickety boats, hundreds of thousands of poor Ethiopians have undertaken perilous journeys over the past decade from the Horn of Africa to the oil-rich kingdom in search of jobs as domestic helpers, construction workers and animal herders. Their journey takes them through war-torn Yemen, where Huthi rebels in April forcibly expelled thousands of Ethiopians, accusing them of being "coronavirus carriers", according to migrants and HRW. The rebels "killed dozens" as the migrants were pushed towards the Saudi border, HRW said. "Saudi border guards then fired on the fleeing migrants, killing dozens more," it added. As many headed to a mountainous border region, hundreds were eventually allowed to enter the kingdom and placed in detention. - 'Silence the migrants' - Separately, the IOM says Saudi Arabia has deported roughly 10,000 Ethiopians per month since 2017 as it cracked down on undocumented migrants. The pace slowed earlier this year when Addis Ababa requested a moratorium amid concern the migrants were returning with coronavirus. "Hundreds if not thousands of Ethiopian migrants are now languishing in squalid detention centres in Saudi Arabia," said Human Rights Watch researcher Nadia Hardman, calling their incarceration "arbitrary and abusive". Earlier this month, Ethiopia's foreign ministry acknowledged it was "not doing enough" to assist the migrants, while praising Riyadh's "outstanding support" to its citizens. Addis Ababa appears careful not to antagonise Saudi Arabia, a key investor and source of foreign remittances in Ethiopia. "We migrated from our country to change our lives," said the 23-year-old migrant, who survived the carnage at the border in April. "We asked the Saudi prison guards to send us back to our country, but they say 'your government does not want you'." His 21-year-old-wife is locked up in another detention facility near Jeddah along with their one-year-old infant son. Contacted by AFP, she said pregnant Ethiopian migrants had given birth in unsanitary conditions at her facility as she voiced fears of being cut off from her husband if her phone is impounded. Activist Birhane confirmed phones were being confiscated, saying the move was "to silence the migrants." bur-ac/sls/fz/jkb With the New York City skyline looming behind, lawmakers and Essex County officials gathered at Eagle Rock Reservation Friday morning to commemorate the 19th anniversary of Sept. 11, live-streaming the ceremony out to the public. Nineteen years later, were here, amidst a global pandemic, emcee and broadcaster Stephen Adubato Jr. said, setting the tone for a memorial service honoring those who died in 2001, while paying heed to another national tragedy from which New Jersey has disproportionately suffered. Due to the pandemic, the West Orange event was closed to the public, with just a small attendance of speakers and members of the press. Today, it is a pandemic and not a terrorist that threatens our country, Congressman Donald Payne Jr. said. Like the events of 9/11, we must work together to defeat a common foe Sometimes we need common experience to bring us together, especially at times when things feels as if they are falling apart. The people honored and commemorated at this sacred site remind us of that unity in the face of division. Beginning at 8 a.m, the memorial also touched upon the raging national debate regarding policing, on a day where law enforcement is traditionally honored. To law enforcement, I want to share a message with you: We need you, we appreciate you and want you to know with all the noise thats going on, we will never defund you, Lt. Gov. Sheila Oliver said, her voice breaking as she tearfully addressed the officers standing on the sidelines. Olivers statement was the first time a member of Gov. Phil Murphys administration has taken such a firm stance on the defund the police movement ignited by the death of George Floyd in late May. At the onset of the ceremony, officers began by raising the American flag and then carried out a presentation of colors as bagpipes played from the Essex County Police and Fire Emerald Society Pipe Band. Lieutenant Governor Sheila Oliver speaks at a ceremony in remembrance of those lost in the 9/11 tragedies at the Essex County Eagle Rock September 11th Memorial in West Orange on Friday, September 11, 2020.John Jones | For NJ Advance Media The audience paused at 8:46 and 9:03 a.m., the respective minutes that planes struck the World Trade Center, for two moments of silence. Vocalist Arlette sang renditions of the National Anthem, America the Beautiful and an original composition titled One September Morning. A number of officials, including Pine Brook resident Helman Correa whose son died on 9/11 Freeholder Vice President Wayne Richardson and Essex County Democratic Party Chairman LeRoy Jones, read out the names of the 57 Essex County residents who died in the attacks 19 years ago. The memorial took place at Eagle Rock Reservation, home to a 9/11 memorial and filled with monuments, like a bronze canine statue that commemorates search and rescue dogs, a granite wall of remembrance with the names of victims, an 8-foot eagle statue that stands with a view of the former Twin Towers site and a 7,400-pound steel and concrete piece from the World Trade Center. A ceremony in remembrance of those lost in the 9/11 tragedies takes place at the Essex County Eagle Rock September 11th Memorial in West Orange on Friday, September 11, 2020John Jones | For NJ Advance Media Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill paid homage to the firefighters who lost their lives on Sept. 11, while pointing to her call for permanent funding of the Victim Compensation Fund to support first responders exposed to toxins during the attacks. We stand, this morning, beside a concrete steel beam from the World Trade Center, a monument and a reminder to never forget. And importantly, a reminder that on one of our darkest days, we saw the very best of America, Sherrill said. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Josh Axelrod may be reached at jaxelrod@njadvancemedia.com. Richmond has experienced nightly demonstrations and protests for much of the summer. While many demonstrations have been peaceful, others have resulted in rioting, vandalism and some violence by both police and protesters. Former national security adviser Michael Flynn exits a vehicle as he arrives for his sentencing hearing at U.S. District Court in Washington, December 18, 2018. A former federal judge said in a court filing Friday that the Justice Department's unusual effort to dismiss its prosecution of former national security advisor Michael Flynn seems like a "corrupt and politically motivated favor" done after pressure by President Donald Trump. Former judge John Gleeson's harsh words came as he urged the judge in Flynn's case, Emmet Sullivan, to reject the Department of Justice's request to drop its prosecution and then sentence Flynn for his crime of lying to the FBI. Gleeson, who is now an attorney in private practice, was appointed by Sullivan earlier this year to argue against the DOJ's effort, which is pending in Washington federal court. In his filing, Gleeson wrote that the Justice Department, in its own court records seeking a dismissal, "makes virtually no effort to deny or rebut the powerful evidence that its ... motion improperly seeks to place this Court's imprimatur on a corrupt, politically motivated favor for the President's friend and ally." Gleeson wrote that the Justice Department had made "patently pretextual attempts to justify what is plainly a corrupt political errand for the President." Flynn, a retired Army lieutenant general who briefly served as Trump's national security advisor, pleaded guilty nearly three years ago to lying to FBI agents about his discussions with a Russian diplomat in the weeks leading up to Trump's inauguration. He has yet to be sentenced in the case. For more than a year, he has tried to undo his conviction by arguing misconduct by prosecutors and the FBI. The Justice Department until several months ago had fought against Flynn's effort. But then it abruptly asked that the case be dismissed. Then-interim U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, Timothy Shea, argued in the dismissal request that the FBI's interview of Flynn was not justified by a counterintelligence investigation and that his lies about what he said to Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak were not "material" to that probe. Eiko Hashiba left Goldman Sachs Group Inc. in Tokyo in 2002 to give birth to a child at 23. Having to quit to look after her baby left her wondering why there werent more flexible ways for women to keep working in Japan, instead of leaving the workforce after having children. Ten years later, that question was still on her mind when she co-founded VisasQ Inc., which provides expert advice and consulting services not unlike those of McKinsey & Co. The difference? Its advisers dont work in-house: theyre outside consultants. I had my baby at an early stage in my career and I wanted some kind of work I could continue no matter what," Hashiba, VisasQs chief executive officer, said in an interview. VisasQ is a service that boosts a persons ability to work." VisasQs stock has risen 94% since listing on the Tokyo Stock Exchange in March. The surge has pushed the companys market value to about $236 million and made Hashiba, who has a 52% stake, a multimillionaire. People from across all industries register as advisers at VisasQ, and provide consulting sessions to clients seeking their expertise. VisasQ has more than 110,000 registered consultants, according to Hashiba. My experience as a working mom made me realize that there would be individuals out there whod want to work as independent advisers," Hashiba said. Hashiba is among a select group of female CEOs of Japanese companies. Only 11 out of 2,076 listed firms that disclosed the information, or less than 1%, had a woman as CEO last fiscal year, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Female CEO Earlier in the companys history, Hashiba said venture capital executives questioned whether she could succeed in the CEO role as a woman. They said the success rate was low, which inspired her to prove them wrong, she recalled. Hashiba joined Goldman Sachs after graduating from the prestigious University of Tokyo in 2001. She left the bank after just a year to look after her baby. Later, she worked at LOreal SA and Japanese private equity firm Unison Capital Inc. before setting up VisasQ. VisasQ hopes to tap the growing ranks of retired people in Japan -- among others -- as it seeks to increase the number of registered advisers into the millions. There are more than 36 million people in the country aged 65 or over, according to government data. Yukio Terakawa, a division head at Yanmar Holdings Co., said he plans to keep serving as a VisasQ consultant after he retires. All the years spent doing various kinds of hard work as a salaryman werent for nothing," Terakawa said. I want to keep using the service as it will be good for my life after retirement." Daichi Mamada, who works for Mitsubishi Electric Corp., used VisasQs consulting service to gain intelligence on a niche market. High in Value It was high in value; I could get a lot of information and knowledge," he said. The consulting service allowed me to get directly in touch with people I cant reach by myself. The consultant shared a lot of on-the-ground information." Veteran investor Mitsushige Akino sounded a note of caution. He said its too early to know whether to invest in the stock. The business needs a bit more time for the model to be verified," said Akino, senior executive officer of Ichiyoshi Asset Management Co. We dont know yet if the companies using the service will actually benefit from the advice provided. For now, people are buying the stock on a vague understanding that they will." The buying has pushed up valuations. VisasQ trades at about 420 times earnings, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. The company forecasts that revenue will increase 42% to 1.4 billion yen ($13.2 million) for the year ending February, but says profit should decline due to aggressive investment. VisasQ established a subsidiary in Singapore in April, intending to use it as a base to expand overseas. Hashiba plans to connect the companys existing pool of Japanese advisers to foreign customers, while also broadening the pool to include advisers from other Asian countries. Volatile Stock If it turns out the service isnt very effective, clients will drift away," said Akino, who expects the stock to be volatile in the short term. Because we dont know yet, there will be days the shares are bought on high expectations." Hashiba said she tries not to worry about stock-price movements, preferring to concentrate on the companys long-term development. Were in the very early stages of our growth," she said. Our dream is to have every one who is hard-working, even those who are experienced but not currently working full-time, to sign up on VisasQ." Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. The cyber production of Martin Sherman's Rose will extend its run until 26 September. Initially only running for three days, the piece will now continue for an additional two and a half weeks. Lipman, whose credits include Oklahoma! and The Best Man, takes on the titular role in the one-woman show, which will be available to watch across September. Tickets are on sale now here. Sherman's play, which first premiered at the National Theatre in 1999 where it was performed by Olympia Dukakis, follows Jewish woman Rose as she begins her life in a 1920s Russian village. Over time she travels across the globe, visiting the likes of Warsaw, Atlantic City, Arizona and Miami. Rose is directed by Scott Le Crass (Kicked in the Sh*tter), and will also be supporting three charities Age UK, The Fed, and UK Jewish Film. Tickets cost 8 plus booking fee, with the event being produced by Thomas Hopkins and Micheal Quinn for GingerQuiff Media and the Hope Mill Theatre in association with Julian Stoneman. Recently, a Facebook user living in Washington shared his experience of buying a fridge and having to wait more than four months for the product to be delivered during the COVID-19 epidemic. Photo shows the words Made in China on the packaging of a fridge bought by a Facebook user living in Washington who said he waited for more than four months for delivery during the COVID-19 epidemic in the U.S. With the COVID-19 outbreak leading to people hoarding more food, demand for fridges surged, and they had been sold out since March, the man recalled, saying that he ordered a fridge online in mid-April, but the product was out of stock until Aug. 26. When he finally did bring a fridge from an offline store home, he found that the product was made in China. Its better not to decouple from China, he said. The mans remark revealed that China and the U.S. have an economic relationship that is as inter-connected as it is possible to be. For over 40 years, China and the U.S. have forged closely entwined economic ties. The Wall Street Journal said on June 14 that China has retaken its mantle as Americas largest trading partner. Statistics show that the trade volume between the two countries reached $234 billion in the first half of this year, and exceeded $50 billion in June alone. Over 70,000 American businesses have made investments in China with an annual sales revenue of $700 billion. 97 percent of these countries are making a profit. According to a survey by the American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai, 92.1 percent of its members said they do not have plans to leave China, even as Trump pushes to decouple from the country. However, the Trump administration tends to act capriciously and wants to decouple the worlds two largest economies without considering the possible harm this will do to the business and science community or ordinary people. On Sept. 7, Trump told a Labor Day news conference at the White House that the U.S. will end its reliance on China once and for all. Heath Pittman, international logistics manager at Rural King Farm & Home Stores in the U.S., will reject this call. According to a report titled Urged by Trump to Decouple, U.S. Companies Want More China Faster by Bloomberg on June 28, thanks to a flexible supply chain and close relationship with vendors in China and elsewhere in Asia, Rural King has managed to avoid shortages of goods that many retailers experienced during U.S. lockdowns. Pittmans advantage is that he has more than 100 suppliers in China. Trumps Chinas policy is disconnected from the U.S. business community, said Evan Medeiros, former senior director for Asian Affairs at the White House's National Security Council on Sept. 7 at the virtual Taihe Civilizations Forum hosted by Taihe Institute, a Beijing-based think tank. The U.S. business community is particularly concerned about science and technology cooperation between the two countries, and wants protection in their fields rather than confrontation in the economic relationship, Medeiros noted. An article published by the Wall Street Journal on June 2 said that U.S. dependence on China isnt just about buying masks or iPhones. Chinas companies are major customers of U.S. high technology, and its students, who account for one-third of all the international students in the U.S., help fund Americas universities. Meanwhile, labor in China helps Apple churn out the devices quickly, and other economies are unlikely to replicate the Chinese mainlands economies of scale. Is decoupling from China good for people in China, the U.S., and the rest of the world? Some U.S. politicians who started brandishing the threat of decoupling from China believe that they will not have to pay for it. Dublin, Sept. 11, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Disposable Masks - Global Market Trajectory & Analytics" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The Pandemic Changes Daily Life & Brings in New Dress Codes The global market for disposable masks is projected to accelerate at a CAGR of 5.4% to reach US$28.8 billion by the year 2027. The biggest growth spikes are expected in the years 2020 and 2021 at 396.6% and 18. 2% CAGR respectively. The corona virus pandemic has irreversibility changed public life. Profound impact is already seen in the way governments, companies and people behave. Among the many ways in which COVID-19 has changed human behavior are social distancing; working from home; avoiding crowded public places; and wearing face masks. As masks become the new norm, the pandemic is pushing us into a faceless future. To give the economy a fighting chance to heal and recover, countries are cautiously easing lockdown despite the risk of the rise in infections. As society begins to revive, the post COVID life will bear no resemblance to the pre-COVID period. Facial masks are emerging into the new dress code for people all over the world. As economies reopen and people begin going back to work, face masks will grow in importance given their role in preventing a second wave of infections. Also, masks will help give people the confidence needed to step out-of-doors. Disposable masks especially surgical face masks have today become a symbol of the times to come i. e. more frequent pandemics and rising air pollution. Surgical face masks hitherto used exclusively by doctors and hospital staff are today in demand by general public as the health crisis deepens with the relentless march of the pandemic across 160+ countries. Surgical and medical grade masks have become staple Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for frontline healthcare, sanitation workers and people in general. While controversy over the effectiveness of face masks continue, they have nevertheless become symbolic of the human desire to take some kind of action to stay protected knowing there is no cure for the disease. Supply Shortages Sends the World Scrambling to Respond The sudden spike in demand has created a critical shortage of face masks the world over. This is resulting in a mass movement to home sew reusable facemasks. Fashion brands are voluntarily foraying into the production of face masks and medical gowns on a war footing to bridge the demand and supply gaps. Despite ramping up of production capacities by all manufacturers, demand for disposable face masks will continue to exceed production capacity. The severity of shortages can be put into perspective by the fact that the U. S. the worst affected by the pandemic in the world, added 156 million face masks to the Strategic National Stockpile in 2006 due to fears of flu pandemic, and since then failed to replenish supply triggering a stark shortage of face masks in 2020. In addition, France did not replenish its face mask stocks since 2011 and now depends mainly on China as well as just-in-time logistics for its needs. The COVID-19 outbreak left the country with national shortage of surgical and FFP2 masks and associated medical supplies. With a phenomenal demand for 40 million masks per week, the country has now instructed mask manufacturers ramp up production capacity to ensure availability of 40 million masks per month. While China Positions Itself as a Global Savior, Can it Be Trusted? Staging an early recovery from the pandemic, China's restarting of medical masks production for global exports offers hope in easing the pressure at least partially. However, the increase in claims of faulty masks produced and exported by the country is aggravating existing woes especially among desperate hospital staff. Some of the common issues reported by importing countries include improper fit, sub-standard products and faulty filters. Prior to the COVID-19 crisis, China held a 50% share of the global surgical masks production, manufacturing close to 20 million face masks daily and Taiwan accounts for 20% of the global face masks supply. Other major countries with considerable PPE manufacturing capacity include Thailand, Mexico, Malaysia, South Korea, Japan, India, the US, and some EU countries. Subsequent to the COVID-19 outbreak, China enhanced its masks production over five-fold, with a daily production of 110 million units. Quality issues associated with Chinese made masks are encouraging indigenous innovation among local manufacturers. 3M, for instance, deployed robots for dealing with worker shortage, while other companies are resorting to thinking out-of-the-box to overcome challenges. Under Arm our, Inc. unveiled the idea of no-sew masks. The sportswear company started making disposable masks with a single fabric piece, without the need for any sewing, which reduced requirement of manpower. Key Topics Covered: I. INTRODUCTION, METHODOLOGY & REPORT SCOPE II. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1. MARKET OVERVIEW Impact of Covid-19 and a Looming Global Recession Global Competitor Market Shares Disposable Masks Competitor Market Share Scenario Worldwide (in %): 2018E 2. FOCUS ON SELECT PLAYERS 3. MARKET TRENDS & DRIVERS 4. GLOBAL MARKET PERSPECTIVE III. MARKET ANALYSIS GEOGRAPHIC MARKET ANALYSIS IV. COMPETITION Total Companies Profiled: 20 For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/yfsqds Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research. It did not start when Barack Obama descended from the heavens to lead an ignorant, savage, and unfair country. Yet he certainly epitomized the lefts hoped for new America of which his bitter half only then became proud. Schools have been teaching identity politics to our children for decades. The left seeks to abrogate of our nations moral fiber with the deliberate destruction of absolute right and wrong under written and duly enacted law. While we seek to debate, they seek to silence. While we accept differences of opinion, they cancel. While we would live and let live, they will burn it all down. We see the consequences of this in the disaffected youth playing resistance dress-up and burning down our cities. The process of using identity politics to maximize victimhood has damaged the values and principles this nation was founded upon and its citizens have lived by. Self-sufficiency, taking responsibility for ones own actions, equality under the law, property rights, and law and order have been cast aside in favor of Critical Race Theory and the 1619 Project. It is the lefts attempt to see anarchy reign in our streets as rioters run amok, steeped in the victimhood and righteous violence taught to them all their lives. It is all part of their plan to steal the presidency, one way or another. Yet, it is important to note the BLM and Antifa goons currently wreaking havoc are doing so almost exclusively in Americas Democrat-run states and cities. It is a fake revolution, executed for the cameras and done to justify chaos as a tool to be used on a grand scale this election. It is a revolution that persists only under the aegis of the Democratic Party of America and the blind blessings of its propaganda arm, the media. This faux rebellion is the Obama of insurrections, a mile wide and an inch deep. It exists solely because right-minded Americans have not yet begun to fight. The left hopes to use the upheaval to steal this election and banish America to the ash heap of history. To the left, people must either be outraged victims, with every brutality undertaken against others deigned acceptable, no matter how violent and destructive, or they are oppressors who deserve outrage and atrocity. When you need people to believe something new for your plans to succeed, you must first destroy what they believe in presently. In this they have failed. Trumps win in 2016 showed the left they cannot depend on free and fair elections. To prevail in their plan to take over America, they would need an army. With the training of outraged victims and the removal of any restraint or consequences for their actions, they believe they have built one. It is an army they plan to deploy with vengeance, before, during, and after the actual vote. After years of using the tools of government and bureaucracy to unsuccessfully rid the world of the troublesome Trump, the left has had enough. They are planning this Presidential Election to be the last one they will need to steal. After attaining power, they plan to rig all future elections so they cannot lose. The left aims to use the riots to keep people from voting on Election Day. Therefore, we are seeing a new tactic of storming restaurants and physically attacking and hurling obloquy at bewildered and frightened diners. The Democrats want to create an ascendant, all-encompassing aura of universal fear among voters to suppress turnout and preclude a Trump landslide. The riots are integral to the lefts purposes; they will not be stopped by anything other than force or surrender. Biden is the surrender. Trump and the American people are the force. If Biden fails to attain victory at the polls, they will ratchet up the savagery as the will of the people afterward to either steal the presidency in the courts or depose Trump in a mostly unpeaceful coup. We know this because they have told us so. Just as with training the nation to accept the violence from their minions before, during, and after the election, they are advertising this election as one that will not be over when the polls close and not settled until the courts, California, Oregon, Washington State, and the armed forces have their say. Hillary told moldering Joe to never concede, no matter the vote count, because she knows vote counts can be changed. Electoral votes can be stolen. In fact, that is part of their plan. Recently the Democrats published a 22-page report entitled: Preventing a Disrupted Presidential Election from an organization called the Transition Integrity Project led by Georgetown law professor Rosa Brooks, among others. In it they described war-gaming four possible electoral results. The interesting outcome was the one where Trump won and Biden, played by political hack John Podesta, refused to concede and instead convinced California, Washington, and Oregon to threaten secession. They would then let the army decide what to do. It doesnt take a conspiracy nut to see the connection in letting the army decide the election and the coordinated Trump hates and disrespects the military smear by Jeffery Goldberg of the Atlantic, the same-day release of the military men denigrating Trump commercial, and the softball question and already prepared answer from Biden at his press conference. As Gore tried to do with his, we count until I win strategy in 2000, in 2020, the Democrats and their newly hired 600 lawyers are going to insist that every vote be counted no matter how long it takes. And when the mail-in votes suspiciously turn a Trump landslide into a Biden victory, they will declare Democrats believe in science and were afraid of COVID and therefore, voted by mail. Why do you think Biden wears the mask and keeps mentioning the pandemic? Why do you think Democrat governors are keeping economies closed even though COVID is fast disappearing as a threat? The riots were kept alive by Democrats to get Americans used to the violence that they will use to help steal this election. The vote by mail push is to make it easier to steal. The lawyers are to make it legal for them to do so. It does not have to be this way. Americans in both blue and red states can and should be prepared to defend themselves, their families, their livelihoods, their property, and their vote when challenged by those on the left. America is comprised of the best armed and trained citizenry this world has ever seen. It is why the 2nd Amendment will be the first thing the left will come after should they prevail. An armed people can say, No! It is high time Americans said, Hell No! A popular mostly peaceful uprising from the right is not uncalled for in the situation we find the nation in. Also, Trump is also no dope. They have thrown everything at the man for years and he has beaten them silly at every turn. Only the naive would believe that he is not aware of what the left is trying to do and does not have a plan to counter it. That is the thing with successful businessmen -- they think in exigent circumstances and contingencies. The easiest way to kill this coup-baby in the crib is for Americans to get out and vote. If Republicans hold onto the Senate and take the House, and if the people show up at the polls and give Trump a majority-vote and electoral win of such magnitude that stealing the election would be too obvious, the worm will turn and the left will return to its status of malignant impotence. There comes a time in the course of human events when people need to stand up and fight for what they believe in. If the people believe in America, now is that time. The author can be found on Twitter @williamlgensert Image: Pikist Director Abhishek Kapoor has shared a social media post to mark the third anniversary of the day he commenced work on the film Kedarnath, with actor Sushant Singh Rajput. In his note, Abhishek wrote that he wishes Sushant were here to see how much his fans love him. The actor died on June 14. Sharing a montage of behind-the-scenes videos and pictures from the Kedarnath sets, Abhishek wrote, Our last dance together kicked off 3 years ago on this day in #Kedarnath. I have vivid memories of our times together brother.. How i wish u knew how much u were loved by ur fans..how i wish that u were not made to believe otherwise by some vicious minds.. How i wish u could see how ur fans are fighting to bring u justice.. they have turned the world upside down for u and i can almost hear u say jaane do sir, kaam bolega. The filmmaker, who had previously worked with Sushant on the actors first film, Kai Po Che, added the following hashtags to his caption: #missubhai #jaibholenath #sushantsinghrajput #ssr #kaipoche #kedarnath. This comes after Rhea Chakraborty reportedly told investigators that Sushant began consuming drugs while working on Kedarnath. Rhea, who was dating Sushant at the time of his death, has been arrested along with several others for procuring banned substances for Sushant. Rhea is also being investigated for abetting Sushants suicide by the CBI, and for misappropriating his funds by the Enforcement Directorate. She has denied all allegations. ALSO WATCH | Sushant case: Bail plea of Rhea, Showik & 4 others rejected in drug angle probe A few days after Sushants death, Abhishek had said in an interview that the actors fragile mind was systematically dismantled by the film industry. Its a systematic dismantling of a fragile mind, he told Enquiry. Sushant was brilliant, he was an engineer, he was into astrophysics and quantum physics. But because we couldnt box him into stereotypes we called him off. He was off, just off your radar. Theres this thing that if youre not like us then you cant be with us. There are so many camps that if youre not part of a camp, even if youre in the middle of a room, you will be ignored. It is true, especially for actors. I, as a filmmaker, can isolate myself. I can warn a young actor but he cannot see it at the time because the lights are so bright. You lose yourself. Also read: Sushant Singh Rajput was troubled while shooting Kedarnath, felt all the love was going to Sara Ali Khan, says Abhishek Kapoor Kedarnath served as the film debut of Sara Ali Khan, and Abhishek said that Sushant felt that all the media attention had diverted towards her. He became reclusive. I had not spoken to him for about a year and a half, Abhishek said. There were times, you talk and then youd go away to do a film. He must have changed his number 50 times and I remember when Kedarnath was coming out, the media had just slammed it. I dont know what happened, he could see that he was not getting the kind of love because everything was centered around Sara that time. He was just kind of lost. When the film released and it did really well, I sent him a message. Follow @htshowbiz for more SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON New Delhi, Sep 11 : In a major crackdown on drug smugglers, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) on Friday said that it has arrested seven persons, including one African national and one Burmese national, between September 1 and 4 and seized 2 kg heroin. In a statement issued on Friday, NCB said that in a sustained operation conducted between September 1 and 4, the agency arrested seven persons and seized around 2 kg heroin. It said that in all, 10 similar parcels had already entered India, which are under probe. In the continued operation on the basis of digital footprinting and forensic analysis, inputs were received that more such international parcels were destined for India. "These parcels belong to the same syndicate, which is using the modus operandi of using fake/illegally arranged IDs. The mastermind of the syndicate is based out of India, who has created multiple layers to evade detection," the NCB said. Meanwhile, in the follow-up action, the NCB has seized around 4.5 kg heroin, 445 gm cocaine and 1.1 kg marijuana, which reached India in six parcels. "The consignor of these parcels is based in South Africa. The details of the same have been shared with the South African authorities," the agency said. The NCB further said that in continuation to its massive crackdown on drug traffickers, NCB officers in Delhi on the basis of specific inputs have also seized 2 kg premium quality charas also known as Malana Cream from one R. Yadav, a resident of Noida in Uttar Pradesh. According to the NCB, Yadav was the kingpin of a drug cartel having interstate linkages. "The mastermind in the seizure is sitting in Himachal Pradesh and is coordinating and handling the drug syndicate. Yadav was looking after the distribution channel in the syndicate," the NCB said. The drug syndicate used carriers to transport charas from Himachal Pradesh to Delhi/NCR, but this time due to the lockdown, Yadav preferred to visit the supplier himself to collect premium quality charas and was later apprehended at Panipat in Haryana on September 9. "This syndicate has pan India level distribution channel and further investigation in the matter will unearth the deep roots of the syndicate," the NCB added. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-12 00:44:57|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close NAIROBI, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- Kenyan police on Friday confirmed that three al-Shabab terrorists were killed and four others injured on Thursday by a bomb they were assembling to carry out roadside attacks in Garissa county near the Somali border. Rono Bunei, Northeastern regional police commander, said the terrorists were killed when an improvised explosive device (IED) exploded while being assembled in an area in Fafi region in northeast Kenya. "An IED exploded while being assembled by the al-Shabab operatives, killing three al-Shabab militants on the spot and injuring four others," Bunei said. Several security officers and scores of civilians have been killed, many maimed and property worth millions were destroyed in northeast region since the Kenyan soldiers entered Somalia in 2011 in a bid to forestall dangers facing from threats of al-Qaida-linked Somali Islamist group. Enditem The bomb squad has cleared Del Norte High School after the grounds were evacuated Friday morning when a suspicious bag was reported. Rebecca Atkins, an Albuquerque police spokeswoman, said no explosive device was found at the school, near Montgomery and San Mateo NE. YEREVAN. The residents of Yeghegnut village of Armavir Province are demonstrating outside the main building of the government of Armenia, demanding not to reinstate their former village mayor. Ashot Khurshudyan, the deputy mayor of Yeghegnut, noted that the former village prefect had written off 1 million drams from the village budget, which was the amount for the restoration of the tombstones of the fallen freedom fighters, but, according to Khurshudyan, the former village head did not spend one dram to that end. "That seal was put with the permission of the provincial governor. Had the provincial governor not allowed it, he [the ex-mayor of the village] could not have taken [that money] out [of the village budget]. (). We last met with the provincial governor on June 22, and we do not even want to meet [with him] after that," said one of the protesters. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-11 18:54:51|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Keqiang will attend the World Economic Forum (WEF) Special Virtual Dialogue with Global Business Leaders on Sept. 15, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian announced Friday. According to Zhao, Premier Li will deliver an address and have discussions with the business leaders attending the meeting. Enditem Vance Ta Sunke Witko III, 7, a first grader at Lower Brule Elementary in South Dakota, on orientation day. Danna Singer for The New York Times The Education Issue Will This Be a Lost Year for Americas Children? As students across the country start school, education experts reckon with the long-term implications of remote learning, vanishing resources and heightened inequality. Moderated by Emily Bazelon School in the United States is nowhere near normal this fall. Most students are not walking through schoolhouse doors, sitting at desks next to their classmates or meeting their new teachers face to face. Theyre at home, trying to learn through screens. (This is even more likely to be the case if the students live in cities or suburbs.) If theyre lucky, they have a laptop or a tablet and a fast internet connection the bare minimum that remote education requires. If not, they may be cut off from school through no fault of their own or of their families. According to the Center on Reinventing Public Education, a nonpartisan research group, students in high-poverty districts are the most likely to start the year with fully remote learning. The debate over what form school should take this fall foundered amid political division and uncertainty. In early August, as teachers raised safety concerns about reopening and education officials struggled with inconclusive and constantly changing public-health guidance, President Trump tweeted OPEN THE SCHOOLS!!! It was a blanket statement, made with no consideration of where or how reopening could be attempted with reasonable risk, based on the local rate of coronavirus cases and testing. The Trump administration also threatened to take federal funding from schools that did not reopen rather than offering more assistance for the preparation and precautions the pandemic demands. The risk of coronavirus outbreaks has been the primary concern. But shutting school and going remote will also inflict a serious cost, borne by students: a loss of learning and social-emotional development. In Los Angeles, for instance, kindergarten enrollment has plummeted this fall, a drop that school officials attribute to the difficulty families have supporting online learning full time at home, which is what young children need. Once schools shuttered in the early days of the pandemic, educators quickly discovered the possibilities and limits of distance-learning technologies, notes Justin Reich, director of the M.I.T. Teaching Systems Lab and author of the book Failure to Disrupt: Why Technology Alone Cant Transform Education, which will be published this month. Months later, it is obvious that the bright points of learning tech are substantially offset by the loss of schools as places for camaraderie, shelter, nutrition, social services, teaching and learning. Many things that happen in schools simply cannot happen at a distance. We brought together five experts to talk about the lasting impact of this extended and unprecedented period of upended education. Accompanying this roundtable are photographs of students, school faculty and staff during the opening days of the 2020 school year, capturing the wide variety in learning environments around the country. schools block 1 From left, Yessenia Tinno, 15, Jenikka Foster, 16, and Alexia Tinno, 17 doing their school work at home. They chose remote learning instead of attending classes in person at Pocatello High School, Fort Hall Reservation. Angie Smith for The New York Times Idaho Idaho let each of the states school districts decide for itself how to handle reopening. About two-thirds of the 116 districts opened for in-person learning in August, including several that opened against the advice of their local health agencies. Left: Kawat Adam, 13, an eighth grader on his way to Robert Stuart Middle School in Twin Falls. Right: Sixth-graders Agnes Gakiza, 11, and Sadia Salah, 12, wait for the school bus. Angie Smith for The New York Times Top: Kawat Adam, 13, an eighth grader on his way to Robert Stuart Middle School in Twin Falls. Bottom: Sixth-graders Agnes Gakiza, 11, and Sadia Salah, 12, wait for the school bus. Angie Smith for The New York Times Brooklynn Metz, 7, at her desk at Cascade Elementary School, where she is a second grader. Angie Smith for The New York Times Kimberly Osborne, who teaches the Shoshone language, at work at Shoshone-Bannock Junior-Senior High School. Angie Smith for The New York Times The Participants Susana Cordova is the superintendent of the Denver public schools. She has worked in the district for more than 30 years, beginning her career as a teacher at a bilingual middle school. The Denver public schools serve about 94,000 students, 63 percent of whom are eligible for free and reduced-price lunch and 75 percent of whom are Latino, Black, Asian or Indigenous. Nikole Hannah-Jones is a staff writer at The New York Times Magazine. She won the 2020 Pulitzer Prize for commentary for her essay in The 1619 Project, which she helped conceive. Her daughter goes to public school in Brooklyn. John B. King Jr. is the president and chief executive of the Education Trust, a national nonprofit organization that seeks to identify and close opportunity and achievement gaps, from preschool through college. In 2016 and 2017, King served as the U.S. Secretary of Education in the Obama administration. Pedro Noguera, a former public-school teacher and a sociologist, is the dean of the Rossier School of Education at the University of Southern California. His most recent book, which he wrote with Esa Syeed, is City Schools and the American Dream 2: The Enduring Promise of Public Education. Shana V. White teaches computer science to about 200 students at a public middle school in Atlanta. In 2019, she was named a Diversity and Inclusion fellow at Georgia Tech and an Equity fellow for the Computer Science Teachers Association. This discussion has been edited and condensed for clarity, with material added from follow-up interviews. What Do We Know About the Loss of In-Person School? Emily Bazelon: Pedro, could you start us off by explaining what we know about the effect of missing or disrupting school? Pedro Noguera: The research we have to draw upon is about school attendance and its correlation with academic performance. On average, when children miss school, that has a negative impact on their performance. Its most noticeable in the early grades, with respect to reading, and in the older grades in math. And for kids with learning disabilities, its noticeable across the board, because those kids require more intensive direct support. Bazelon: The research youre citing is about chronic absenteeism, defined as missing 10 percent or more of the school year. Last spring, many students either never logged on or participated sporadically in remote learning after schools closed because of the coronavirus. Two-thirds to three-quarters of teachers said their students were less engaged during remote instruction than before the pandemic, and that engagement declined even further over the course of the semester, Matt Barnum and Claire Bryan wrote for the education reporting site Chalkbeat in June. Teachers of low-income students and students of color were much more likely to report that their students were not regularly engaged in remote learning. John B. King Jr.: McKinsey, the consulting firm, did an analysis extrapolating from the existing research on the impact of remote learning. It projected an average of seven months of unfinished learning, assuming hybrid or fully remote learning continues off and on through January 2021. That rises to nine months on average for Latino students and 10 months for African-American students, given issues underresourced districts have with adequate access to the internet and devices and supporting teachers with remote learning. Its safe to say there has been significant missed learning because of the unavoidable closures this spring. Some districts and schools were better positioned to make that transition than others. And sadly, because of the failure of the federal administration to respond appropriately to the pandemic, and the failure of Congress to act, we are heading into a fall that is going to cause kids to lose even more ground academically. Bazelon: The losses arent expected to be universal. Another study of third to eighth graders, by researchers at Brown University and the University of Virginia, projected that the top one-third of students would potentially make gains in reading. But on average, other students would return to school this fall having lost a third of the progress they would have been expected to make last year and half of the expected progress in math. Noguera: The inequity of the situation is compounded over and over again. And were going to see the consequences of this for many years to come. Jacob Poirer in his fourth-grade class at Saint Josephs Episcopal School in Boynton Beach, Fla. Erika Larsen for The New York Times Bazelon: Theres also a risk of higher dropout rates for high school students. And lower educational attainment can translate later in life to lower earnings, worse health problems and shorter life spans. King: Then theres the social and emotional impact on children who have been isolated from their teachers and peers, or who are in homes where theres been trauma from Covid-19 or trauma from the economic crisis. There are kids affected by violence or addiction or abuse whove been without the supportive relationships they have at school. Thats going to take a toll on our children thats going to be with us for a long time. Susana Cordova: Last spring was so unplanned. When we started moving to remote in March, kids didnt have computers, they didnt have internet. In a very short period of time we got out over 50,000 laptops and started working with our students to get signed up for free internet programs. But teachers werent prepared, families werent prepared. I had meetings with teachers where they were working and holding a baby. I mean, none of us were prepared. King: Think about the child who was in first grade last year. My wife taught first grade, and thats a crucial year for learning to read. So that child missed three or four months of school last spring, and now is coming back for a new academic year, and maybe the child is in a district thats going to offer fully remote instruction or a hybrid of remote and in-person. The child is still likely not going to get the regular support around learning to read that he or she needs. Im really worried about where that child is going to be two years out, three years out, 10 years out. Shana V. White: Last spring, we had to have lessons on a learning-management system for students to access. In the beginning, it was just kind of like, Let students know the hours that youre available, and kids could come and go as they pleased. About halfway through, when we realized we werent going back, we had set hours that we had to be online for students every day. Then more kids came. But I had several students who never logged in. Nikole Hannah-Jones: In my daughters class of 33 in New York City, about 10 kids logged in. I dont know what happened to the other 23. And even the kids who were logging on, I cant speak to the quality of education they got in those three months. Cordova: In Denver, were putting a lot of energy into stronger approaches for remote learning this year. But I think its essential that, whenever we have conditions that can provide for safe and healthy in-person learning, we do as much of it as possible. Covid is really low in Denver right now, so the health conditions are favorable. Its probably as good as its going to get. So were doing a slow, gradual re-entry to bring kids back safely. We are providing child care to a small number of working parents, staffed by licensed child care providers. And we are planning to open preschool in September and also centers where small groups of students those with working parents or who may not have reliable internet access can participate in remote learning, with support. The idea is to provide consistent internet and in-person adult supervision, from district employees like paraprofessionals. schools block 2 Aiden Coty does his remote lessons at school. Trent Davis Bailey for The New York Times Colorado At Cowell Elementary school teachers are working from home, but more than 40 students attend a morning program with adult supervision, laptops and internet for participating in online classes. Left: Gissel Cardenas, a second grader, works in the cafeteria with other kindergartners and first and second graders. Right: Jiyanna Martinez, a second grader, also does her lessons in the cafeteria. Trent Davis Bailey for The New York Times Diego Garcia, 6, gets his temperature checked before being allowed into school. Trent Davis Bailey for The New York Times Hannah-Jones: Why child care providers or paraprofessionals instead of teachers teaching? Cordova: Our child care providers worked through the summer and are geared up to go, while were training our teaching staff and making sure that we have the protective equipment at scale to get going in all our schools. Working with people to address their concerns has been huge. You have to check all the health and safety procedures, and you have to address the emotional reaction that people have. Among teachers and parents, we have the entire spectrum from, The science is clear, bring all kids back, kids need to be in school, to Dont let anybody back until we have 14 days with no coronavirus cases. What has been really surprising to me, frankly, has been the lack of clarity from the medical experts. Weve been meeting weekly with them to create a decision-making matrix for reopening. With school starting this week, we finally finished it. Hannah-Jones: Whats confusing to me is the science doesnt change based on whether you have a child care provider or a teacher in the building. If were saying we dont know enough for teachers to come back in the classrooms but we know enough for low-wage child care workers to come back in I dont understand that. Cordova: I agree 100 percent. Thats part of why we have really been pushing to have a decision-making matrix that helps us communicate why its safe to be back, by looking at the data. But yes, its a crazy world when were saying its not safe for teachers but people who make $15 to $20 an hour can come back. Ive said to my teachers, Ive said to my school board, I dont want to be the leader of an organization that believes that. Bazelon: Nikole, what other inequities do you see? Hannah-Jones: I was reporting on schools in Louisiana, and I talked to parents in a mostly Black district that didnt even mandate that there had to be instruction when school shut in March. Meanwhile, in a parish a few miles away that was predominantly white, students were getting instruction. Some affluent parents are moving to places where schools are opening. Some are putting their kids into independent and private schools that are having in-person instruction. I have this deep pit in my stomach about the disparities and really the devastating impact that this period is going to have on us. Pedro mentioned special-ed students: A friend of mine from college has a child with autism who had made so much progress in school, and she has seen significant reversion since theres been no special-ed services being offered to those kids. White: We have a very high number of English-language learners, and meeting those students needs virtually is, I wont say impossible, but its nearly impossible to me. Noguera: For all kids, sometimes when they log on, you dont know what theyre doing. They could be playing with the dog, as my daughter was doing, while Zoom was going on. When school is functioning as normal, we expect kids to show up, and then we have them. Now we are really dependent on the families to make sure their kids are participating from hour to hour. When parents have to work, then theres no one. Kids are left to do this on their own. On top of that, you have districts that dont have good relationships with the parents. Bazelon: Last week, I interviewed Keri Rodrigues, the head of the National Parents Union. Speaking for parents, she said: Now we are facilitators of education, especially for K-6. Education doesnt really happen remotely without parents doing it. There are a lot of responsibilities on us. Hannah-Jones: At the end of the school year, I got a list from my daughters teacher about every assignment she had missed. I thought she was up in her room on her computer doing her assignments. She clearly was not, even though she was logged in. Noguera: I think many of our teachers have not been prepared on how to entice kids into learning remotely, how to get kids engaged so they want to show up. Thats a whole other level of preparation that a lot of districts have not, I think, focused on. There are resources out there. Yet in a lot of districts, Ive spoken to teachers who arent getting them. Weve been much more focused on the logistics than on the substance. Keshawn Townsend, 18, a senior at Aiken High School, in Cincinnati, Ohio does his remote lessons from his kitchen. Michael Wilson for The New York Times What Will Remote Learning Be Like This Year? Hannah-Jones: Now students are going into the next grade with brand-new teachers that many of them have never met before and vastly disparate starting points. That has existed in the past, but this year it seems far worse. Bazelon: Shana, what does the beginning of the year look like in your district? White: Some of our elementary schools are looping having teachers stay with the group of kids they had last year into the new year. Bazelon: Ive been thinking about how going to school every day levels the playing field among students. They come from different kinds of homes, yes, but once they arrive, they share the classroom, and the teacher can control the environment. Over the summer, my 17-year-old worked at a program that was half in-person and half remote. The remote part was really hard. Kids were frequently distracted by what was going on at home, like if someone was watching TV nearby. Cordova: Last spring, I did a pop-in visit to a special-ed class. It was a small class of six or seven students in fifth grade. They were doing a math lesson. The girls all had their bedrooms set up, and you could see them sitting at their computers. One of the boys was literally under the kitchen table, and you could hear his little brother crying in the background, and the teacher was saying to him: How many tabs do you have open? Close those other tabs, lets make sure youre in the right place. We have tried to emphasize the power of relationship-building for the start of this school year. At the end of August, the only work the teachers did for a week was outreach to parents, so that every family could get a contact. We didnt complete it, because of all the missed connections or disconnected phone numbers, so were continuing. Were also monitoring attendance on a daily basis, because when we surveyed students, teachers and parents last spring, overwhelmingly the people who had the best experience with virtual learning had regular live contact with their teachers. Teachers have told me they had some kids who came to their online office hours in the spring who never asked a question. They just wanted to be around somebody while they were doing work. And theyd look up every now and then to make sure the teacher was still there. We are trying to limit the areas for instruction to the most important aspects of a grades standards, and trying to go deeper as opposed to broader, and using that as a way to determine where there are gaps that we need to fill in. I just think its so important that we not squander the opportunity of the health conditions provided to have kids in person, because we know how much harder it is to do this effectively online. White: I wish for the fall, the state and the district had been more proactive in thinking of the worst-case scenario. At this point, Im teaching virtually and in person at the exact same time, and thats basically doing two jobs at once. Were required to use Zoom, and students have to have their cameras on. But were not allowed to use breakout rooms, and children are not allowed to talk on Zoom freely. Teachers have to choose to unmute them, and I have seen some who dont. My big thing is to make my class feel like a community. I think you can still do that virtually, not as well as you can in person, but somewhat. The kids in my class dont have to turn their cameras on, and I unmute them if they want to ask me a question or talk. We engage in the chat, we do lots of interactive games. Justin Rush, the head band director at L.W. Higgins High School in Louisiana, can only teach music history and theory for now. The students are not allowed to play instruments. L. Kasimu Harris for The New York Times. We have to teach for 30 minutes straight, which I dont think is helpful for students, because youre not going to keep kids attention for 30 minutes straight doing a lesson. So I usually do mini-lessons that are about five to 10 minutes long, and then I turn the kids over to do their independent work after that, and I stay on Zoom for them to ask me questions. Bazelon: Whats the rationale for not allowing students to talk freely on Zoom? White: That whats going on at home can be disruptive to the learning environment. King: This is troubling. I think that, in part, what were seeing is the challenge of making up how to do distance learning on the fly. We should be using tools like Zoom breakout rooms to create opportunities for students to work together collaboratively, so that they are connected, not isolated, during this period. Given the failures of the federal government around the pandemic, we knew in the spring that schools were still going to be doing either distance learning or hybrid learning. And yet, we didnt as a country make the investment in devices, internet access and professional development for teachers to facilitate high-quality learning for their students remotely. Hannah-Jones: We are an extremely wealthy country. It is a national shame that three kids are sharing a single device or that we are telling children, You have to go to your school parking lot in order to access Wi-Fi for your education, because we wont provide internet service for you. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, almost eight million kids dont have internet access at home through a computer. One-third of their families say they cant afford it. We are a country that can afford to educate our children in this circumstance, but we are making decisions that we are not going to. I hope every person who reads this feels a deep sense of personal shame about what is happening. Some of this could not be prevented, but a lot of it could. Bazelon: Pedro, are there best practices for remote learning? Noguera: Ive been promoting Edutopia. They have great resources online for teachers and parents on how to make engaging lessons, how to do science projects at home, how to build relationships online. Its better than the professional development Ive seen most districts doing, and its available for free. We also have a whole population of home-schoolers out there who have figured out ways to provide high-quality learning for kids while theyre at home. Thats a resource we should tap into. King: The federal Department of Education should be lifting up those best practices. In the absence of federal leadership, states should be doing that. There are a few examples of promising things people are doing across the country. Phoenix Union High School District in Arizona had an Every Student, Every Day campaign last spring, where an adult with the school district a principal, teacher or someone from the central office was in touch with every kid every day to check up on them. A San Antonio school district thats starting remote is offering workshops for parents on how the distance learning is going to work and how families can support their kids learning. In the Baltimore city school district, theyve had some teachers redefining their roles. A teacher who is really good at presenting content to students online does that, and then other teachers on the team provide direct support, by tutoring, coaching and mentoring students. Theres a teacher, Jonte Lee, in Washington, D.C., who does amazing science experiments in his kitchen, so kids want to log in and be a part of science class. Bazelon: Shana, you tweeted last month to other teachers about how unsolicited advice is going to be in abundance now, especially from people outside classrooms. OK, so whats helpful to teachers? The seventh and eighth grade symphonic-band class at Needville Junior High School in Texas meets on the first day of school to discuss plans for the upcoming year. Eli Durst for The New York Times White: First of all, time. I think every teacher has asked for more time. Teaching online and teaching in person are two totally different beasts. And were treating it as if its the same, just using a computer. Think about math teachers who use manipulatives. They cant do the things that they normally do in the classroom. They dont necessarily know the websites and resources that have virtual manipulatives. I have a really good friend whos a language-arts teacher, and shes asking, I want to do read-alouds and annotate with students, but what are the tools for doing that virtually? I have experience teaching virtually, so I know how to get kids engaged, and Ive been able to practice. I have different expectations of students than I would if they were in person. But there are other teachers, competent teachers, who are saying: I only have four kids come to my class. How did you get 28 to come? I think the big thing is that teachers dont have the time to figure it out, and we arent being given adequate resources and support. Many teachers are being told of changes at the last minute and expected to still be effective. Teaching during a pandemic is new for everyone, and the lack of grace and communication and support to truly plan instruction has been disheartening. schools block 3 Third grade students receive their school supplies. Lyndon French for The New York Times Wisconsin The first day of classes at Waukesha Stem Academy. The school, which includes Kindergarten through 12th grade over three campuses, is doing in person classes only. There were close to 6,000 cases in the area as of Sept. 9 Left: Students at the middle school have been assigned time slots to visit their lockers to allow for social distancing. Right: Rich Mertes takes attendance in his AP U.S. History class. Lyndon French for The New York Times Top: Students at the middle school have been assigned time slots to visit their lockers to allow for social distancing. Bottom: Rich Mertes takes attendance in his AP U.S. History class. Lyndon French for The New York Times Kindergartners are socially distanced. Lyndon French for The New York Times How Will the Pandemic Alter the Future of Education? Bazelon: I have a devils advocate question: Given how hard this is, should we be just figuring out how to let kids run around outside together or socialize in big, safer indoor spaces, hoping that if we keep them socially and emotionally well, theyll make up for the lost academic content later? There has been so little creativity about outdoor learning in much of the country. Its warm out right now in a lot of places! We dont have comprehensive numbers for day camp, but they worked well in many places, with low rates of transmission even in hot spots. Is that a route that we should be thinking about, even though it doesnt reflect the usual priorities? Noguera: The question you asked raises an interesting point. Suppose we had a national push to get kids reading. Low-tech. Actual books. And writing. We have, I think to some degree, become too beholden to the technology. I think outside learning could work in places like California. But it requires good leadership and guidance. Instead, school has been politicized. Thats a big part of whats wrong here. Hannah-Jones: We clearly could use this moment to rethink a lot of the ways that weve been offering education in this country. What if we said, Were not going to do high-stakes testing anymore? I wish instead of just trying to stanch the bleeding, we were thinking bigger. Cordova: And yet in the middle of this, I had to do $65 million in cuts to my budget. The intensity of need has just skyrocketed, and I have to cut, and this is after a couple of years of reductions already. How in the world do we square that? Hannah-Jones: There is no right to education in the U.S. Constitution. But states have their own constitutions, and many of them mandate an equal education for our students. And they are not doing that. Simply saying were going to leave it up to every school district to come up with its own policy on how theyre going to ensure quality education for their students is a total forfeiture of the state mandate. I think we should focus much more on the state level than even the local and the federal level, forcing states to provide what is necessary, in terms of guidance and equipment for all kids to have the same quality of education. Bazelon: Susana, do you worry that public education will come out of the pandemic weakened? One of my fears is that parents are going to get angry and frustrated, and that will create a push for more vouchers and more private school. Cordova: I definitely see parents leaving for home-schooling and parents with means looking at private schools (although many private schools are not necessarily taking a bunch of new kids). I was driving into work on Monday, our first day of school, and in my neighborhood, I saw what looked like two or three families getting together for the traditional first-day-of-school picture. They were on the porch with three kids. And my guess was that these are people who have decided that theyre going to do their learning cohort together at home. In the long term, how does that affect their beliefs about where they get their greatest supports is it from each other, or their own family, or is it still from the school? At Minnehaha Academy Lower School in Minneapolis, Kindergartens stand for the Pledge of Allegiance The hula hoops are used to maintain social distance when the children sit together on the floor. David Guttenfelder for The New York Times Bazelon: Should we flip the classroom more often, meaning more instruction through taped lectures tap the star lecturers for this and then give teachers more time to answer questions and help kids one on one or in small groups, with writing or problem-solving in math? This doesnt really work for younger children, I realize. But for high school and perhaps middle school, should teachers assume a different role for remote ed? King: Some of that is happening. Great Minds is a curriculum provider that offers Wit & Wisdom and Eureka Math. Starting this spring, they put lessons online taught by teachers on their team as a resource for schools and families. The idea is that teachers can use these video lessons to introduce topics and then use their time to work with their kids on the math tasks or writing assignments. So yes, thats possible. And some wealthy private schools were already doing some of that, so they had an easier time making this transition. We need a national commitment to make up for our childrens unfinished learning. Were going to need a nationwide focus on tutoring, of the kind we are seeing in Britain and the Netherlands. Were going to need additional counselors and mental-health services. A brief by Matthew Kraft and Michael Goldstein for the Brookings Institution proposed what is known as high-dosage tutoring, full time throughout the school year, provided by expanding the federal AmeriCorps program or through state and city programs. Senators led by Chris Coons of Delaware have proposed bipartisan legislation that would expand national service in response to the pandemic, doubling the number of AmeriCorps positions for this year and providing hundreds of thousands of opportunities to youth who are currently unemployed. Hannah-Jones: What about year-round school? I reported in Wake County, N.C., where some schools are year-round, and teachers and parents loved it because you didnt have three months off, but you got regular breaks, and kids didnt lose as much ground as they do when theyre out for the summer. Cordova: Im really intrigued by the idea of a third semester. But not the usual summer school. Parents with means figure out how to give their kids learning all year long. In the summer, their kids do programs based on their interests that get them engaged in learning for learnings sake not third grade is the multiplication tables or are all about social and emotional development. What are the summer learning experiences that we should invest in for kids who are falling behind, that would be motivational, that would expose them to a larger world? For our older students, a lot of it could be work-based, exposure to colleges. Thats what I really want to push for. schools block 4 Javier Vargas, a sixth grader at El Sereno Middle School, in Los Angeles, does his distanced learning at home. Damon Casarez for The New York Times California At the end of August, California introduced a reopening system that assigns each county a color-coded tier based on the spread of the virus. Schools in counties designated purple widespread arent permitted to reopen without a special waiver. More than half of the states 58 counties are currently in that category. Evelin Moreno, a first-grade teacher at Los Altos Elementary, teaches in her classroom while her students do remote learning. The district mandated that teachers work at their schools. Damon Casarez for The New York Times A classroom with desk dividers at Maple Creek Elementary School. Dave Woody for The New York Times Left: A teacher's learning pod, at Maple Creek School, which is using a hybrid model of remote and in-person learning. During in-person schooling, teachers and students are outside as much as possible. Right: A snack break at Laurel Tree Charter School. Laurel Tree is following a hybrid model of schooling. Dave Woody for The New York Times Top: A teacher's learning pod, at Maple Creek School, which is using a hybrid model of remote and in-person learning. During in-person schooling, teachers and students are outside as much as possible. Bottom: A snack break at Laurel Tree Charter School. Laurel Tree is following a hybrid model of schooling. Dave Woody for The New York Times Quincy Kelly, left, a fifth grader, and Cedar Breed, a third grader, study in the gym at Trinidad Elementary School, while their mother, the schools nutrition director, works to provide free meals. The school is currently doing only remote learning. Dave Woody for The New York Times Setia Steinbach, a 3rd grade student at Trinidad Elementary School, does her remote lessons in her backyard. Dave Woody for The New York Times What Should We Fight For? Bazelon: That leads me to my next question: As we imagine someday coming out of the pandemic, what should we fight for in American schools? What are the priorities? King: Maybe this is a nerdy-history-teacher way to frame this, but I was a nerdy history teacher. We have a choice between the Hoover path and the F.D.R. path. The Hoover path is the continued dismantling of public-sector responsibilities. Its cutting resources for schools, doing less, hoping for less. In contrast, the F.D.R. approach would recognize how deeply interconnected we all are and make our investments accordingly. As a nation, we should be more conscious by now of how hard it is to navigate life and work, so we ought to make a major national commitment to universal access to quality child care for kids from birth to 4 years old. And we ought to make a major additional investment in K-12 education not only to address the consequences of Covid-19 but to remedy the many inequities, especially for students of color and students from low-income backgrounds, that existed before the pandemic. We have the resources. The question is, Do we have the will? White: I have two kids myself, I have a third grader and a sixth grader. I would hate to realize that the adults in power have ruined the experiences that my children are going to have as adults because of how they handled Covid and the educational aspect of the pandemic. From a teachers perspective, the big thing for me is that some kids enjoy being away from school because school is a traumatic experience for them. Schools overpolice kids. Students often dont see themselves reflected in the curriculum. They spend time in classrooms being ignored or admonished. So for me, the priority is to humanize education. Too often we just consider students data points now. When teachers see kids as full human beings, it changes the entire scope of education. It changes the feel of a classroom. It changes the feel of a school. It can change the feel of a district so that parents feel like theyre part of the team. U.S. history teacher Andrew Newton waits for his students to arrive at Greenville High Academy, in South Carolina. Juan Diego Reyes for The New York Times Hannah-Jones: The pandemic has revealed that public schools are one of the few institutions that most Americans use and that connect us in a way that we are not connected anymore in almost any aspect of American life. Weve seen how much we rely upon them and how the very fabric of our country feels like its unraveling without the ability for our children to enter a public-school building. I agree with John, we need to take this as an F.D.R. moment, a chance to push the common good again over the individual good. Its not just about what can I do for my own child, but what function a school serves in our democracy, in our community. Ive been thinking a lot about teachers concerns in New York as were talking about reopening. Theyre saying things like: We dont have good ventilation in our schools. We dont have soap in our bathrooms. We dont have toilet paper, so how can we go back to school? And I ask, How have we allowed this to be? How is it only in a pandemic that were concerned that our children cant wash their hands with soap when they use the bathroom in publicly funded schools? I dont want any of our children in school with poor ventilation. I dont want teachers to have to supply toilet paper toilet paper, in the United States of America. So I pray that well come out of this more determined. Im not a hopeful person, so I dont know that we will. Bazelon: One of my greatest frustrations, as a citizen as well as a parent, is that sending my child to public school is a reasonable, feasible way for me to participate in the common good of the democracy, but now what? Our school district in New Haven plans to have only remote learning for at least the next 10 weeks even though Covid-19 is very low in my state (at an infection rate of 3.5 per 100,000). Private schools and charter schools in my city are reopening, and almost every other district in Connecticut plans to reopen, most following a hybrid model. For me, without the sharing and mixing of public school, its much harder to figure out how to contribute to the common good as a parent in a way that allows you to have your job and lead your life. Will we go back to school at all this year? Cordova: We had a parent at a board meeting talk about the importance of getting kids back. I was agreeing, and then she said, Dont prioritize those kids who dont know English. My kids were born here, and they deserve it just as much. I get it. Everybody wants their kids learning. But we have to think about our entire community as we deal with the complexities of reopening. Noguera: If schools reopen bit by bit, we should think about making the priority kids who are homeless or kids in foster care. Bazelon: I have one more question. Its a sad one. Is this a lost year? Noguera: For some, yes. It may very well be a lost year. For others, itll be a blip. Shana is right there are kids who benefit from learning at home, who are enjoying the time with their families. Cordova: I think it is superimportant that I lead our district with optimism about what we can achieve and temper that with the realities of what is so challenging in this time. I never know if Im erring too far on one side or on the other side. Weve had a huge rise in youth violence in our city. Kids have died, and there are serious issues around guns, and all of that is underneath what were doing. The violence isnt happening in our schools or on our grounds, but all of it plays out in school communities, among the same kids to whom were saying, Log in at 7:30 a.m. I really am stuck on what to do about that. Noguera: I think of myself as a pragmatist. We cant afford to just sit around now and lament and say, Well, I wish we had a different president or a different governor. Weve got to do the work where we are to expand educational opportunities for all students, because our kids futures depend on it. We have to do what it takes to make sure that our kids futures are not sacrificed. History is helpful here. After slavery ended in this country, the emancipated formerly enslaved people pursued education, created colleges and universities, passed the first laws in the South for public education that universally allowed white kids as well as Black kids to go to school. The drive to pursue education was based not on any guarantee that it would lead to a job, but because we knew that education was the key to freedom and empowerment in this country. It still is. B oris Johnson is facing two significant revolts today from within his own ranks that are likely to make it harder for the Prime Minister to enjoy the unseasonably warm weather, forecast for the coming days. The first is over the Governments new coronavirus restrictions and the failure to exempt the under-12s from the ban on social gatherings of more than six people. The second is on his decision to break international law in the Internal Market Bill unveiled this week in preparation for Brexit. Both rebellions are attracting uncomfortable numbers of Tory supporters, but the gravity and importance of the two differs vastly, both in long-term impact and the ease with which the rebellions might be defused. Lets begin with the coronavirus changes. The Evening Standard has much sympathy with the Government as it grapples with the challenge of trying to prevent a second wave of infections, with the accompanying loss of life and economic harm. Its been criticised before for acting too slowly so its understandable that its trying to act promptly this time, even though it would be sensible nonetheless to appease Tory rebels by excluding the under-12s from the ban on social gatherings of more than six people, as Scotland is doing. Younger children are treated differently at school and theres logic as well as political sense to tinkering with the new rules in this way. Yet the cause of the second rebellion the decision to flout international law by breaking the legally binding commitment over Irish border customs checks, signed by the Prime Minister himself in the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement with the EU is far less comprehensible. To start with, its wrong in principle for the Government to deliberately break the law. Its a tactical mistake, too, for several reasons. One is that its shattered the Tory unity over Brexit, which has prevailed since the general election, with the Prime Ministers critics including Leave-supporting heavy-weights such as Lord Howard and Lord Lamont. Nor, whatever Downing Street might hope, is legislating to break the law a good negotiating tactic. Its soured the atmosphere in our talks with the EU, bringing the threat of legal action from the European Commission if we dont back down, and its made the likelihood of an unwelcome no-deal exit more likely. Any chance of a US trade deal will be blown apart too, thanks to the opposition of Ireland-supporting Congressmen if the Internal Market Bill becomes UK law in its current form. Then theres the obvious disastrous damage to our long-term international reputation that will result from failure to adhere to the legal commitments weve made. Its shameful that this lawbreaking idea ever surfaced, and even if the number of Tory rebels and the intensity of Lords opposition proves insufficient to force the Prime Ministers hand, a swift reversal to scrap the planned legislation is essential. Loading.... Display black heroes Three large picture billboards of black trailblazers, including the nurse Mary Seacole, have gone on display outside the Young Vic. Its good to see them there and a reminder of the need for more public commemorations, including statues, of great ethnic figures. \TRUSTS\ enables European data markets based on the IDS architecture Data sharing shapes the economic and societal future of Europe and bears huge potentials. But it also comes with risks and apprehensions. The EU project TRUSTS ? Trusted Secure Data Sharing Space was established to identify and overcome legal, ethical, and technical challenges of cross-border data markets. The IDS architecture ensures data sovereignty for those who provide their data. The TRUSTS European Data Market will be based on the reference architecture designed by the International Data Spaces (IDS) Association. The IDS architecture is considered the de facto standard for creating and operating data ecosystems. Its approach is to enable interoperability through semantic data descriptions, to create trust between participants through certified security functions, and to establish governance rules for data usage and data flows. The IDS architecture ensures data sovereignty for those who make data available in data ecosystems. ?TRUSTS aims to ensure the sustainable business uptake of secure data markets by enabling a fully operational and GDPR-compliant European Data Marketplace for personal and industrial data in the finance and telecom sectors, while allowing the integration and adoption of future platforms?, says Alexandra Garatzogianni, TRUSTS Project Coordinator (Leibniz University of Hannover) and Head of Knowledge and Technology Transfer (TIB). TRUSTS brings together technology providers that are deeply involved in two major data market initiatives ? International Data Spaces and Data Market Austria ? to create a European Data Market based on sovereign, secure and trustworthy data exchanges. This integration will be tested in practice by six companies, addressing three use cases in the financial and telecommunications sector: Anti-Money Laundering Compliance, Agile Marketing through Data Correlation, and Improved Customer Support Services by Data Acquisition. The TRUSTS technology and use cases will be constantly accompanied by business considerations, which will ensure that the results of the project are sustainable beyond its duration. Learn more about TRUSTS in its live session on September 29, 11 a.m.: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/ For the press release on the IDSA webpage: https://www.internationaldataspaces.org/ For the TRUSTS webpage: https://www.trusts-data.eu/ The International Data Spaces (IDS) are a peer-to-peer network, a virtual data space that supports the secure exchange and the simple linking of data in business eco-systems on the basis of standards and by means of common governance models. IDS is managed by the International Data Spaces Association, a European non-profit association with currently more than 120 members from numerous industries, ICT and research across 20 countries, predominantly European. WINNIPEG - The Manitoba government says it will be offering Disaster Financial Assistance to three areas hit by flooding in the spring and summer. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 11/9/2020 (496 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Manitoba Infrastructure Minister Ron Schuler speaks to media in Winnipeg on Thursday, July 26, 2018. The Manitoba government has confirmed it will be offering Disaster Financial Assistance to three areas hit by flooding in the spring and summer. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Steve Lambert WINNIPEG - The Manitoba government says it will be offering Disaster Financial Assistance to three areas hit by flooding in the spring and summer. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Infrastructure Minister Ron Schuler says eligible costs from high water during spring flooding along the Red River Valley have been pegged at $3.7 million. Another $2 million is being set aside for Piney, Stuartburn and other communities in the southeast, which were hit with heavy rains in early June. The largest amount $29.4 million is going to Rivers, Minnedosa and other communities in western Manitoba for heavy rainfall in late June and early July. The rain damaged a provincial dam at Rivers and prompted 10 communities to declare local states of emergency. Disaster Financial Assistance is an ongoing program that reimburses homeowners, businesses and others for the costs of items such as evacuations, flood-prevention measures and cleanup. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 11, 2020 Beijing Pushes 92 Australian-Based Media Outlets to Tell Chinas Story Well Beijing has cultivated relationships with overseas Chinese-language media via major global conferences headlined by Communist Party leaders in what experts say is part of its broader united front work. The revelations come after four Chinese nationals and journalists were denied re-entry into Australia following allegations they engaged in espionage or foreign interference. Since 2013, 92 Chinese-language media outlets from Australia have taken part in the Global Chinese Language Media Forum. The conference is backed by major Chinese Communist Party (CCP) organs, including the Information Office of the State Council, Beijings internet censorship arm; China News Service, the second-largest state-run media in the country; and the Overseas Chinese Affairs Officewhich has been accused of influence activities. The latter two fall under the control of the United Front Work Department (UFWD) who also headlined the event, boasting: Thousands of Chinese-language media from overseas, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan are a unique force of public opinion, playing an important and unique role in spreading the Chinese voice A man walks past a newspaper kiosk in Hong Kong on Jan. 12, 2015. (Philippe Lopez/AFP/Getty Images) Best known for spearheading overseas Chinese influence operations, the UFWD gained notoriety in Australia with its connection to controversial billionaire Huang Xiangmo and the downfall of former Labor Senator Sam Dastyari. At the most recent event in Shijiazhuang in 2019, the forum featured high-ranking CCP leaders: Shen Yueyue, the vice-chairwoman of the National Peoples Congress; Deputy Ministers of the UFWD Tan Tianxing and Xu Yousheng (Xu is also director of the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office); Guo Weimin, deputy director of the Information Office of the State Council; and Wang Dongfeng, secretary of the Hebei Provincial Party Committee. Attendees are encouraged to promote cooperation between the world and China and to tell Chinas story well. A sentiment recently echoed by ABC News Director Gaven Morris who said, The story of China, its relationship with Australia and its role in our region and in the world is one of great importance for all Australians His comments followed the recent withdrawal of two Australian correspondents from China due to safety concerns. Australias Delegation One of the Largest In 2019, 427 delegates from 61 different countries attended including delegates from as far as the United Kingdom, Venezuela, Egypt, and Madagascar. Australia sent the third-largest delegation (37 individuals) following the United States (63) and Canada (51). The list of delegates reveals media proprietors and managers from Australian capital cities Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Canberra, and Perth. Pedestrians walk through the Chinatown district on March 04, 2020 in Sydney, Australia. (Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images) The attendees represent a wide swathe of media including those with direct links to Beijing, some long-standing Chinese community titles, and three attendees from Australias public broadcasters: SBS and ABC. Independent Chinese-language media such as The Epoch Times Chinese edition and Vision Times are not invited. Concerns Over CCP Influence The Hoover Institute in California (pdf) has called the conference nothing more than a platform for Beijing to influence overseas Chinese-language media to promote the Party line and cultivate self-censorship in overseas Chinese language news media outlets. During the forums founding, Guo Zhaojin, former president of China News Service, said a key goal of the event was to persuade overseas media to use material sourced from China News Service, rather than from competing independent sources in Taiwan or western countries. Chinese newspapers are seen at a newsstand in Beijing on July 24, 2019. (WANG ZHAO/AFP via Getty Images) Essays released during the conferences praised the censorship of views opposed by the Party and stressed the necessity of, in the words of one piece in 2015: properly telling Chinas story, the Hoover report stated. Acting Immigration Minister Alan Tudge warned on Aug. 28 of foreign actors seeking to grow division in Australia and sow distrust in the government and institutions. Tudge was particularly concerned about the reach of foreign actors in multicultural communities and warned that malign information or propaganda could be spreading through ethnic media, including outlets controlled or funded by state players. Community members with poor English-language skills were considered highly vulnerable. A lady crossing the street in Melbournes Chinatown on Feb. 14, 2020. (William West/AFP via Getty Images) Defending the Party Line Dr. Jin Chin, chair of the Federation for a Democratic China, concurred saying many overseas Chinese-language media have been infiltrated or are under the influence of Beijing. Staff of the media are either driven by the economic power of the Chinese Communist Party or influenced by so-called national pride, he told The Epoch Times. Some Chinese-language media funded by the Australian government appear to uphold Australian values, but in reality, they endorse Beijing, he added. For example, during the height of the Hong Kong pro-democracy rallies last year, a Sydney-based Chinese news website, and regular attendee of the Global Chinese Language Media Forum, published a statement on Aug. 21 condemning the radical demonstrators for escalating violence against police and stated that Hong Kong belonged to the Chinese nation. A boy is escorted by police officers to a police van in Hong Kong on Aug. 31, 2020. (AP Photo/Vincent Yu) Another news outlet in Melbourne this year defended Beijings handling of the COVID-19 outbreak in response to a series of Facebook posts made by Victorian state Member of Parliament Bernie Finn in March that criticised the Chinese regime. The outlet went on to call his posts a great insult to the Chinese people and said Finns actions exposed his paranoia, ignorance, and hatred towards China. Their actions stand in contrast to the experiences of independent Chinese-language media operators like Dr. Bin Lin, who received a letter in 2010 warning him not to mention the Tiananmen Square Massacre on his radio program again and threatening him with assassination. Stephen Maturen | Getty Images Recent stock market highs and lows have investors already bracing themselves for one more looming uncertainty: the presidential election. If you're like most investors, you're already anticipating that the outcome of this year's race for the White House will have an impact on your money. The vast majority of investors 93% believe the presidential race will affect the stock market, according to a recent survey from Hartford Funds, an asset manager. Moreover, 84% said they expect that will impact their investing habits. More from Personal Finance: How many weeks of extra $300 unemployment benefits are coming? Second $1,200 stimulus checks could be a longshot The CDC banned evictions, but some renters are still vulnerable While 45% of investors surveyed said they plan to make changes before the election, 62% indicated they will likely make changes in the 12 months after Nov. 3, Hartford Funds' survey found. The anticipation has already prompted financial advisors to urge clients to remain calm. "We're definitely seeing heightened emotions and a lot of passion coming out of this election," Julia Carlson, founder and CEO of Financial Freedom Wealth Management Group in Newport, Oregon, said during a Thursday webcast. Carlson said she has urged clients to separate their emotions from their investing decisions. "Whichever way this election goes, it's not going to break the nation," she said. What we can learn from past elections Republican president-elect Donald Trump delivers his acceptance speech during his election night event at the New York Hilton Midtown in the early morning hours of November 9, 2016 in New York City. Getty Images Though the first Tuesday in November may feel like a high-stakes turning point for the markets, history shows that might not necessarily be the case. Dating back to 1933, a Democratic president typically presides over a higher U.S. equity market than a Republican president, said Brian Kraus, head of investment consulting at Hartford Funds. And if you strip away some outliers, such as the boom years under President Bill Clinton or the dips prompted by the dot com bust, there's practically zero difference in equity market returns, he said. "There is a perception that party affiliations of presidents are going to impact stock market returns much more than actually has played out in the numbers," Kraus said. Investors who take a long-term view and buy and hold will likely be rewarded. If you put $10,000 in the market around Election Day, 10 years later it will have gained value, said Stephanie Link, chief investment strategist and portfolio manager at Hightower, a wealth management firm. "Short-term, the market never likes uncertainty," Link said. "We have this uncertainty and we don't know who's going to win." What could happen if Trump is re-elected Shannon Stapleton | Reuters Exactly how the election affects the markets would likely change based on three different potential outcomes, Link said. The first scenario is the status quo, where President Donald Trump is re-elected and Congress remains split between Republican and Democrat leadership. "I think the market would like that," Link said. "It would know who was in there." Small companies would likely rally on the news, she said, while other sectors including traditional energy, financials and technology would also be poised to do well. "What wouldn't work is China, because the rhetoric on China will actually tick higher," Link said. What may happen if Biden and Democrats win Democratic Presidential Candidate former Vice President Joe Biden speaks to a full crowd during the Joe Biden Campaign Rally at the National World War I Museum and Memorial on March 7, 2020 in Kansas City, Missouri. Kyle Rivas | Getty Images The second scenario is if Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden wins and there is a Democratic sweep of Congress. "The market will probably sell off, maybe at 2% to 4% and I think because of the tax proposals that he has," Link said. Covid-19 will make it difficult for Biden to hike taxes on companies. So, unless there is a vaccine, those levies will likely get deferred, Link said. "Initially the market might sell off," Link said. "I think buy that dip, quite frankly." Infrastructure, clean energy and health-care services companies would be poised to do well, she said. Pharmaceutical companies and FAANG stocks (Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Netflix and Alphabet) could dip. What a Biden win and split Congress would mean House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., at the U.S. Capitol to honor late Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., in Washington, D.C., on July 29. Brendan Smialowski | AFP | Bloomberg via Getty Images The third scenario would be if Biden wins and Congress stays split between Republican and Democrat control. "I think that the market likes that the best, because probably not much gets done," Link said. "Therefore, I think equities will rally." While Hartford Funds' survey found many people believe Republican control leads to better market returns, history shows better performance tends to happen under a divided government, Kraus said. "People just don't expect that," he said. What you should do to protect your money STAMFORD Gov. Ned Lamont will give the keynote address as the Stamford Chamber of Commerce hosts its 33rd annual meeting and awards ceremony on Sept. 30 at the downtown Residence Inn by Marriott. The events speakers, who also include Stamford Mayor David Martin, will appear in person, although Lamont might speak remotely from Hartford, according to Chamber officials. To adhere to social distancing guidelines, a limited number of people including speakers, award recipients and sponsors will be able to attend the event in person. Others can watch the proceedings virtually. We all are facing a truly unprecedented time, affecting every aspect of our lives, Stamford Chamber CEO and President Heather Cavanagh said in a statement. As the coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to evolve, this has been a difficult time for all of us. We are truly grateful for the heroic efforts and inspired by the selflessness of our healthcare workers, frontline responders, business community, residents and the city of Stamford during these uncertain times. At the Peoples United Bank-sponsored event, the Chamber will also recognize this years award recipients. Stamford Health, which includes Stamford Hospital, is the Chambers Company of the Year. Brad Lupinacci, a vice president of commercial banking at Stamford-based First County Bank, is the Member of the Year. These two award recipients provided vital contributions to our organization and the community. I admire the strength, resilience, and tenacity, of the award recipients that supported our businesses and the city of Stamford during these challenging times, Cavanagh said. The pandemic has changed the way we do business, and the way we live our lives, but has shown that we are #stamfordstrong and in this together. For more information about the event and to register, visit www.stamfordchamber.com. For sponsorship opportunities, events and communications coordinator Cindy Busani at cbusani@stamfordchamber.com. pschott@stamfordadvocate.com; twitter: @paulschott By Express News Service CHENNAI: Dharmapuri DMK MP S Senthil Kumar and BJP state vice president K Annamalai have agreed to participate in a live debate on a television channel over the alleged Hindi imposition in the state. A few days ago, former-cop-turned-politician Annamalai accused the DMK of playing language politics. He said the DMK was trying to hoodwink the public by giving them a distorted version of the issue. ALSO READ: Maker of Hindi Theriyathu Poda T-shirt alleges he's receiving threatening calls Claiming that the principal opposition party was hampering the career growth of youngsters by preventing them from learning an additional language, Annamalai said he challenged DMK leaders for a live debate. In response, DMK MP Senthil Kumar on Friday tweeted that he is ready to have an open debate with Annamalai. Following this, several Tamil television channels and YouTube channels have approached the duo to conduct a live debate. We need a television channel to approach us as we dont own any. We also need a moderator. Any debate needs a moderator to keep it decent and dignified. Once we have people contacting us, we will decide, Annamalai tweeted. Responding to Annamalai, Senthil Kumar said, 10 media persons have contacted me. Asked them to coordinate with you. Kindly finalize and let me know soon If you are preoccupied, I have no problem to come to your place. Junior doctors at Osmania General Hospital stage a mock operation using an effigy under a tree to highlight that there is not enough space in the operation theatres in the new building. Deepak Deshpande Postgraduate doctors of general medicine and orthopaedic departments at Osmania General Hospital used an effigy to explain how lack of space in operation theatres was affecting patient care and stressed that frontline workers must not be blamed for it. On the second day of their protest, doctors explained the manner in which the number of operations had reduced. The orthopaedic department used to perform six surgeries a day, it has come down to one now. The doctors said challenges were faced in infection control and lack of space was affecting post-operative care and in providing emergency care. General medicine doctors said that they were not performing surgeries since the two months as the department shifted from the heritage building to the new building of the Osmania General Hospital. The department since then does not have the space to operate and post-graduates are suffering the most. The arrangement of sharing operation theatres between cardio-thoracic and orthopaedic departments has not worked as it is not proving to be feasible for doctors. Junior doctors of general medicine had a meeting with health officials and were told that the heritage building cannot be re-opened as it is dangerous and there is threat to life. Dr Rohit Rathod, junior doctor of general medicine, said, We are being blamed by the administrators for not cooperating with them. But it is for the administrators to find a solution and create a system. If there is no proper facility how will we admit patients, treat and take care of them? The patients are blaming the postgraduates which is not fair. The PG doctors are upset that instead of finding a solution, the administrators are asking them to adjust and think of a solution. Postgraduate doctors have stated that they will continue their stir till the government gives them enough space to operate and treat patients. Patients who are coming at night are being turned away due to lack of space in these two departments. Dr B. Nagendra, superintendent, said, It is clear that presently the given space in OGH will have to be utilised by all departments. We are ensuring that patient care is not affected in any manner. A Delhi court on Tuesday sent Dubai-based businessman Rajiv Saxena to judicial custody till February 18 in the AgustaWestland deal case. (Photo: IANS) Image Source: IANS News New Delhi, Sep 11 : The CBI has sought the government's permission to prosecute former Defence Secretary and Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) Shashi Kant Sharma, Air Vice Marshal Jasbir Singh Panesar (retd) and three other former IAF officers in Rs 3,600 crore AgustaWestland VVIP chopper scam case. A top Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) source said that the agency, in March, sought sanction to move against Sharma, who was then Joint Secretary, Defence; Panesar and three other IAF officers -- Deputy Chief Test Pilot S.A. Kunte, Wing Commander Thomas Mathew and Group Captain N. Santosh (all now retired). IANS had reported on June 8 that the CBI has sought sanction to prosecute these officials. As per the source, the role of these officials came to the fore during the agency's probe. The source said that the agency got leads about their alleged role in the decision making and in the procurement process of the AgustaWestland choppers, and has got the documents related to their alleged involvement in the case. The agency came to know about the alleged involvement of five officials after two officials turned as witness for the CBI earlier this year and shared key details, the source said. The source said that once the prosecution sanction is granted or denied by the government, the agency will file its supplementary charge sheet in the case. On January 1, 2014, India cancelled the contract with Finmeccanica's British subsidiary AgustaWestland for supplying 12 AW-101 VVIP choppers to the IAF, over alleged breach of contractual obligations and on charges of paying kickbacks amounting to Rs 423 crore. The CBI, which registered an FIR in the case on March 12, 2013, had alleged that former IAF chief S.P. Tyagi, some of his relatives and the other accused received kickbacks from AgustaWestland to help it win the contract. The CBI probe revealed that several payments were made to the Tyagis by alleged middlemen Guido Haschke, Carlo Gerosa and Christian Michel. Indian investigative agencies in December 2018 arrested British national Michel after he was handed over by the UAE and he has been in judicial custody since then. Bob Woodward sat on information that disproportionately cost more Black and brown people their lives. Read more Calm down. Thats what a journalist at the Kenosha News was told by the papers editor when he objected to the headline of an article about a rally in support of Jacob Blake, a Black man who was shot seven times in the back by a white police officer. At the event last month, Blakes father spoke about visiting his son in the hospital, participants sang songs and read poetry about unity, and thousands peacefully marched behind the Blake family calling for social and criminal justice reforms. But the click-bait headline that topped the Kenosha News website for several hours quoted an unnamed participant: Kenosha speaker: If you kill one of us, its time for us to kill one of yours. Daniel J. Thompson, a digital editor who said he was the only full-time Black staff member at the paper, took vacation time to attend the rally. The headline, he said, left a false impression of the gathering, and worse, it was irresponsible and dangerous during such tense times. I dont even know if I can associate with the company after that, Thompson told Bob Heisse, the executive editor, in a text exchange. I need to calm down, but I wanted you to know immediately. To be fair, Thompson used the wording first, according to the screenshots of his conversation that he provided reporters. But as someone who has been in this situation, I imagine he was just anticipating what would come next. You sound the alarm enough times as a journalist of color in a mostly white newsroom, you get pretty good at predicting the dismissive response. Yes you should calm down, Heisse responded. That is a public threat, and it is an exact quote at a rally that was to that point totally on message. Oh, the times Ive been told, in one way or another, to calm down after bringing up legitimate concerns in a newsroom. And, oh, the times Ive wanted to quit over the patronizing pats on the head. Thompson actually did quit, though and now hes embarking on a new path to bring a better news source in Kenosha. Im rooting for him. But theres another reason Im bringing up the condescending phrase so often utilized and weaponized (usually against women) to dismiss legitimate concerns and it goes way beyond newsrooms. Consider the people especially the Black women who warned us about Donald Trump when he was campaigning and continue to do so as our national nightmare has only gotten worse. Calm down: Hes all bluster and bravado. Calm down: He doesnt really mean what he says about women or people of color or white supremacists. Calm down: Its not racism, its economic anxiety. Hows all that eKKKonomic anxiety working out for us? And now we have Bob Woodward, one of the two Washington Post journalists whose legendary reporting helped take down Richard Nixon, hawking his new book based on taped interviews where Trump admits in March that he intentionally downplayed the deadly coronavirus while publicly likening it to a seasonal flu that would magically disappear. I wanted to always play it down, Trump said in a recorded call. I still like playing it down because I dont want to create a panic. More than 190,000 Americans are dead, but, hey, calm down everybody. Obscene, no doubt. But surprising to exactly no one who has watched the despicable acts of an administration fueled by deadly lies. And yet, that didnt stop reporters and pundits from running to the closest TV set and op/ed page to breathlessly talk about the presidents well-documented moral and ethical failings. Except my attention was on someone elses failings: Woodward, a white celebrated journalism icon, who sat on information (seemingly to sell books, though he insists otherwise) that disproportionately cost more Black and brown people their lives. When I first brought that up on Twitter, many insisted I was shooting the messenger. It wouldnt have made any difference when Woodward disclosed it. Trump and his supporters wouldnt have changed course. I dont doubt that. Ive made no secret of what I think of Trump or his supporters. But this says less about Trump and more about a journalist and spare me the hes not a journalist anymore bit; hes got an honorific title of associate editor who put book sales before his duty to the public. Maybe it wouldnt have made a difference. Maybe it wouldnt have saved any lives. But then well never know, will we? And thats inexcusable in any book. Trump even agrees with me (2020 continues to be some cruel joke), although, for him, its just a deflection, as usual: Bob Woodward had my quotes for many months. If he thought they were so bad or dangerous, why didnt he immediately report them in an effort to save lives? Didnt he have an obligation to do so? No, because he knew they were good and proper answers. Calm, no panic! There it is: Calm Maybe a little easier to stay calm when the people whose lives are most at risk dont look like you. So I couldnt help but wonder: Maybe if those who are disproportionately dying of COVID looked like the author, someone might have thought releasing potentially lifesaving information was more important than a book release. This brings me back to Thompson, the lone Black journalist who called out that reckless headline. Just a headline, some might say. But heres the thing for those of us who know how vital diversity and equity and inclusion is in journalism: Its never about just one headline, or one story, or one newsroom that fails to represent the world around it. Its about cumulative complicity that causes real harm to real people. In case anyone still wonders, that matters. Its not just PC window dressing or the latest way to be woke. Turns out, it can actually be life-and-death. Hundreds of traders and sales staff at JPMorgan will be returning to London's business districts this month as the banking giant ordered more workers to return to the office. In a conference call this week, senior executives outlined plans to get JPMorgan's top managers in sales and trading back to their desks in London's Canary Wharf and Manhattan in New York. Bouncing back: Senior executives have outlined plans to get JPMorgan's top managers in sales and trading back to their desks in London's Canary Wharf The move will be a relief for local companies, which rely on commuter trade and have been starved of income for months. Most of JPMorgan's 12,000 London staff have been holed up in their homes since the end of March, due to Covid-19. But Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been urging firms to get back to their offices, as fears mount for jobs at inner-city shops, cafes, restaurants and bars. Bosses at the investment bank also believe having staff in the office will strengthen its culture, allow them to work more efficiently, and is important for training. Police in anti-riot gear march towards protesters in Portland through clouds of tear gas on the 100th day of protests against racism and police brutality overnight September 5-6, 2020 The mayor of the protest-hit US city of Portland, Oregon on Thursday ordered city police to stop using tear gas for crowd control purposes. The northwestern city has endured more than 100 days of demonstrations against racism and police brutality. Mayor Ted Wheeler, a Democrat, has been fiercely criticized by "Black Lives Matter" and anti-fascist activists that have been in the streets since the death of George Floyd, the African-American man who died gasping for air under the knee of a white police officer in late May in the city of Minneapolis. In his dual job as mayor and chief of police, Wheeler has been criticized for failing to meet commitments to reduce racial discrimination and police brutality, which demonstrators believe especially target racial minorities. "It's time for everyone to reduce the violence in our community. We all want change. We all have the opportunity and obligation to create change. We all want to focus on the fundamental issue at hand -- justice for Black people and all people of color," Wheeler said in a brief taped announcement. "That's why, as Police Commissioner, effective immediately and until further notice, I am directing the Portland Police to end the use of CS gas for crowd control," he said. During the last hundred days city, county and state police have relied on tear gas "where there is a threat to life safety. We need something different. We need it now," Wheeler said. The nightly protests, held in different parts of Portland -- sometimes even residential areas -- often end in thick clouds of tear gas. On September 5 police broke up a crowd marching towards a police station with a rolling barrage of tear gas. Hundreds of residents, many of them families with children, found the smell of the gas seeping into their living rooms and bedrooms. Wheeler was excoriated on social media following the incident. However many of the officers in the September 5 incident were state police who do not answer to the mayor but to the governor, and are not subject to the ban. Story continues On social media activists on Thursday were baffled by Wheeler's announcement. Separately, Portland on Wednesday banned the use of facial recognition technology by all city departments, including the police. ban/cjc/ch/st WASHINGTON The nations unemployment safety net is looking increasingly shaky, with a $300-a-week federal jobless benefit from the Trump administration running out just weeks after it began and millions of laid-off Americans nearing an end to their state unemployment aid. Most Americans who exhaust their states unemployment benefits typically after six months will transition to an emergency federal program that provides an additional 13 weeks of aid. Yet they still face a looming deadline: By years end, nearly all the federal unemployment supports will expire. Unless Congress extends those programs, millions of jobless Americans could be cut off. Their struggles come against the backdrop of an ailing job market with 13 million unemployed people and the pace of layoffs still elevated six months after the viral pandemic flattened the economy. Applications for unemployment benefits first spiked in the week of March 21, when they reached 3.3 million, then more than doubled the next week to a record 6.9 million. That means that anyone who began receiving state unemployment benefits then will have to shift to an emergency federal program in the coming weeks. Separately, a spokesman for the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which is administering the $300-a-week federal benefit, said Thursday that the agency is providing money to cover six weeks, from the start of August through the end of this week, with no extension in sight. Nearly all states have applied for the $300-a-week benefit. But only 17 have managed to upgrade their computers systems to actually distribute the payments. As a result, while many states will likely issue checks for several weeks, the money will be retroactive to early August and will cover only through mid-September. Trumps $300-a-week jobless aid program was created by an executive order last month after a more generous version adopted by Congress expired and Trump and Congress failed to reach agreement on a new aid package. Through July, people out of work amid the coronavirus pandemic were receiving $600 a week in federal aid on top of their state unemployment benefits. For many recipients, the $600 federal check exceeded their state benefits and kept them afloat as the economy crumbled. But Republicans in Congress opposed the $600, arguing that it was so high as to discourage many of the unemployed from looking for a job. On Thursday, Senate Democrats blocked legislation that would have extended the extra $300 payment and provided more money for schools. The Democrats favored restoring the full $600-a-week jobless benefit as well as more money for states, localities and small businesses. Also Thursday, the Labor Department reported that applications for unemployment aid were unchanged last week at 884,000, and the number of laid-off workers who applied for aid under a separate program for the self-employed and contract workers increased. The figures indicated that companies are still cutting an unusually large number of jobs. Other recent evidence also suggests that the job markets improvement may be weakening after solid gains through spring and most of summer. The number of people seeking jobless aid each week still far exceeds the number who did so in any week on record before this year. Hiring has slowed since June, and a rising number of laid-off workers now say they regard their job loss as permanent. The number of people who are continuing to receive state unemployment benefits rose last week, after five weeks of declines, to 13.4 million, evidence that employers arent hiring enough to offset layoffs. For those who have run out of state unemployment benefits, the next step will be to transition to a federal program known as Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation, or PEUC. Its among the alphabet soup of additional supports that were established by the $2 trillion aid package that Congress approved this spring. The emergency program lasts for 13 weeks and is now paying benefits to 1.4 million people. One of them is Mike Walsh, who lives in Orlando, and is receiving PEUC because Floridas state unemployment benefits last only 12 weeks. Along with North Carolina, thats the fewest number of weeks provided by any state. Before the pandemic, Walsh, 53, worked as a transportation manager for conventions and gatherings in Orlando and around the country. If a trade group brought 40,000 of its members to Orlando for an annual convention, Walsh would coordinate the buses needed to shuttle them from dozens of hotels to the convention center and theme parks. He traveled to Washington, D.C. to manage 2,200 buses that arrived for President Barack Obamas inaugural in 2009. Walsh doesnt know when the convention business, where he has worked for 33 years, will return. Yet that might not be until next spring, likely long after his unemployment checks will have run out. His current $244 payment and savings are covering his expenses for now, but he doesnt want to run through all his savings. If his money runs too low hell take any job. "Ill be the one standing at the door, telling you, Welcome to Walmart, " he said. If the PEUC program expires, unemployed workers can then apply for whats called Extended Benefits, which lasts from 13 to 20 weeks in most states, though only six weeks in Florida. Extended Benefits kick in when a states unemployment rate crosses a specific threshold. All states are currently paying these benefits, which is providing checks to 241,000 people. Then there is the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program, or PUA. It is a new source of support set up by the governments relief package and is now providing aid to 14.6 million of the unemployed, more than the regular state programs are covering. Its coverage lasts for 39 weeks. But not necessarily for those who have been laid off more recently. On Dec. 31, the PEUC and PUA will expire. That will leave only state benefits and the Extended Benefits programs. With unemployment likely to remain high until then, many of the jobless could be left desperate. There will still be a need for unemployment benefits then, said Elizabeth Pancotti, a policy analyst at Employ America, an advocacy group. ___ Christopher Rugaber and Geoff Mulvihill of The Associated Press wrote this story. Mulvihill reported from Cherry Hill, New Jersey. SOLON, Ohio Unlawful sexual conduct with a minor: S.O.M. Center Road At 10:35 a.m. Sept. 3, police arrested a Painesville man, 35, after the man arranged online to meet with someone he thought was a 15-year-old girl. While online, the man stated sexual acts he wanted to perform with the girl. In reality, the man was communicating with a Solon police detective, a member of the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. The man was arrested in a parking lot, where he had arranged for a meeting with the girl. Auto theft: Baldwin Road At 7:10 a.m. Sept. 3, a man, 31, reported that his car had been stolen from his homes driveway. The car had been left unlocked with the key inside. Carrying a concealed weapon: Liberty Road At 10:05 p.m. Sept. 3, an officer stopped a car that did not have visible registration. Inside the car were three people. One of the cars occupants, a Maple Heights man, 24, was found to be in possession of a loaded gun. The man was charged with carrying a concealed weapon. The driver, a Cleveland man, 23, was cited for driving with a suspended license. The cars third occupant, a Garfield Heights man, 22, was arrested on a traffic warrant issued by Maple Heights police. Receiving stolen property: Aurora Road At 3 p.m. Sept. 5, a stationary license plate reader at Solon and S.O.M. Center roads informed police that a passing car had been reported stolen from Cleveland Heights. The car was later located parked in the lot of Giant Eagle Market District, 34310 Aurora Road. Police waited in the lot for the cars occupant to come out of the store. A Cleveland man, 20, was arrested and charged with receiving stolen property. Auto theft: Duneden Avenue At 8:15 a.m. Sept. 5, a man, 41, reported that his car had been stolen from his homes driveway. The car was not locked and the key had been left inside. Theft from auto: Brookland Avenue At 10:35 p.m. Sept. 5, a woman, 41, reported that someone had entered her car, which was parked in her driveway, and stolen $20 cash, a debit card and an Ohio ID card. The car had been left unlocked. OVI: U.S. 422 At 4:35 p.m. Sept. 7, an officer stopped a car for speeding on U.S. 422 westbound. It was subsequently learned that the driver, a Newton Falls, Ohio, man, 30, was intoxicated. In the mans car, police found an open container of alcohol and drug paraphernalia. The man was charged with OVI, having an open container of alcohol in a motor vehicle and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was also cited for speeding. Stolen auto recovery: S.O.M. Center Road At 10 p.m. Sept. 8, an officer stopped a car that had been registered as stolen by Pennsylvania State Police. The cars driver was a woman, 33. Charges have yet to be filed. Read more from the Chagrin Solon Sun. Israel and Bahrain have agreed to open direct dialogue and ties, according to a US statement Related Trump says Bahrain agrees to normalize relations with Israel Egypts President Abdel-Fattah El Sisi on Friday welcomed an agreement by Bahrain and Israel to normalise relations and establish diplomatic ties, calling it a historic step toward regional stability and peace. The White House issued a joint statement by the US, Israel and Bahrain earlier on Friday announcing that Israel and Bahrain had agreed to open direct dialogue and ties between the latter two countries, following a similar step taken by the United Arab Emirates and Israel last month. I followed with great interest the tripartite statement issued by the USA, Bahrain and Israel agreeing to establish diplomatic relations between the Kingdom of Bahrain and Israel, El-Sisi wrote on Twitter. I value this important step towards establishing stability and peace in the Middle East region, [in a way] that achieves a just and permanent settlement of the Palestinian issue, El-Sisi said, thanking all parties involved in the move. US President Donald Trump also hailed the step, calling it another historic breakthrough. Our two GREAT friends Israel and the Kingdom of Bahrain agree to a Peace Deal the second Arab country to make peace with Israel in 30 days! Trump wrote on Twitter. According to the White House statement, Bahrain also accepted Trumps invitation to joint the UAE and Israel during a signing ceremony set to be held in the White House on September 15. Under the UAE-Israel accord, Israel agreed to suspend the planned annexation of areas of the occupied West Bank. El-Sisi had welcomed the Emirati deal, saying at the time that such steps would bring peace to the Middle East. Egypt supports a two-state solution, with a Palestinian state whose capital is East Jerusalem 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. The UAE is the first Gulf state and the third Arab country, after Egypt and Jordan, to officially normalise relations with Israel. Search Keywords: Short link: Some accounts say robbers attacked and killed three priests before looting the temple hundi Bengaluru: Three person were killed inside a famous 12th century temple during a robbery bid, police said on Friday. While some versions said the three murdered men were priests of the temple, unconfimred accounts said one was a son of the temple priest and two were guards. Police said the priests of the Arakeshwara temple were stabbed to death by the gang, who then decamped with currency notes from the 'hundi' (donation box). However, local versions said the victims' heads were crushed with boulders. The three slain men were named as Anand, Ganesh and Prakash. They lived on the temple premises, and were asleep when the miscreants broke into the place of worship, police said. Senior police officials, including the inspector-general of police, reached the spot and held enquiries. Chief minister B S Yediyurappa expressed condolences to the families of the priests and announced an ex gratia payment of Rs 5 lakh to the next of kin of the deceased. Yediyurappa tewweted, "It is very disturbing to learn that the priests of the Arakeshwara temple in Mandya, Ganesh, Prakash and Anand have been murdered by the burglars." "A compensation of Rs 5 lakh per family of slain temple priests will be given. Immediate legal action will be initiated against the guilty." Actor Chiranjeevi, who will soon resume shooting for his upcoming Telugu film Acharya, has teased fans with his new look. The 65-year-old has shaved his head in a new avatar that has gone viral on social media. However, its still unknown if the new look is for one of his upcoming projects. Chiranjeevi took to Instagram to share his picture. He captioned it Urban Monk. Can I think like a monk? With over four thousand comments and two and a half lakh likes, the post has gone viral. While some claim Chiranjeevi is trying out a new look, others claim it could be for one of the roles in Acharya. Acharya marks the maiden collaboration of Chiranjeevi and Koratala Siva. In the film, it is rumoured that Chiranjeevi plays dual roles. Acharya, as per reports, will be about a middle-aged Naxalite-turned-social reformer who launches a fight against the Endowments Department over misappropriation and embezzlement of temple funds and donations. The film is all set to resume shooting soon. The makers recently quashed a story theft allegation. We wish to inform everyone that Acharya is an original story written and conceptualized by Koratala Siva alone. Any claims that the said story is a copy is baseless, read the statement. It was only recently, on occasion of Megastar Chiranjeevis birthday on August 22 that the title look poster of Acharya was launched. It gathered great love and support from all sections of the society. As the hype reaches its zenith, a couple of writers, have now made false claims with respect to the story of the film, added the statement. The makers said theyve kept the story of the film confidential and only select few people are aware of what it is all about. Also read: Ankita Lokhande responds to Shibani Dandekars two seconds of fame comment, says stop looking down on TV actors It is absolutely ridiculous that claims are being made based on the motion poster alone! Wed like to clear that this is an original story. It is unacceptable to defame a reputed filmmaker like Koratala Siva. In fact, the claims which are being made are unfounded and seem to be based on the speculative and rumoured stories in the print and electronic media. Therefore, any claims with respect to the story are completely baseless, false and are made solely on assumptions, added the makers. Follow @htshowbiz for more ott:10:ht-entertainment_listing-desktop 11.09.2020 LISTEN The National Lottery Authority (NLA) in collaboration with the Volta Regional Police Command have successfully arrested four lotto fraudsters in the Volta Region. The four lotto fraudsters are Godwin Agbenyefia alias Demon aged 19, Reuben Abusah alias Last Burial aged 20, Kelvin Kwame Abouzi alias Kartel aged 20, and Kingsley Adelekey aged 21. The accused persons were operating from Akatsi and Ho in the Volta Region. The Circuit Court in Ho presided over by His Honor, Felix Datsomor has remanded the suspects in police custody to re-appear on 23/9/2020. The lotto fraudsters have created several Facebook accounts, Whatsapp platforms, and other social media platforms using the logo and pictures of the Staff of the National Lottery Authority(NLA) and sometimes pictures of other people to defraud the unsuspecting public. It is very sad that these lotto fraudsters are able to convince people who want to be rich overnight to make mobile money transfers to them in exchange for fake winning lotto numbers. The lotto fraudsters receive various sums of money from their victims in order to stake lotto numbers for them. After the Draw of the lotto numbers by the National Lottery Authority(NLA), the Lotto Fraudsters send photographs of FAKE Winning Coupons(Prize) to their victims suggesting that they have won lotto. The lotto fraudsters then demand 20-40% of the amount of money they claim the victims had won before NLA would pay their winning tickets. Subsequently, after the victims pay the lotto fraudsters with the percentage of the fake winning prize, the fraudsters then quickly block the phone calls of their victims and vanish. Sometimes, the lotto fraudsters manage to convince their victims to send money for Registration to qualify for the leaked winning numbers. The National Lottery Authority(NLA) would like to state categorically that, NLA has NOT designed any Registration Forms for the public to register for winning lotto numbers. The outcome of Lotto Draws are conducted in an open and transparent manner and the Draw is open to the general public for witnessing daily, except Sundays and public holidays. It is absolutely false that people and staff of the Authority have access to winning lotto numbers. The National Lottery Authority(NLA) would like to commend the Volta Regional Police Headquarters for a successful operation. The Authority shall continue to collaborate with the Police and other relevant security agencies to arrest the Lotto Fraudsters across the Country. However, it is the responsibility of the public to be more vigilant and discontinue engaging the services of the lotto fraudsters. Lotto is a game of chance and it is impossible to foretell winning numbers before Draws. Issued By: Public Relations Unit Of NLA NAKASEKE The Uganda Peoples Defence Forces (UPDF) has resumed its deployment to the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) after four months suspension of the rotation of troops since the outbreak of COVID-19. The African Union (AU) and UPDF had suspended troop movements in and out of the mission area as force protection measure and one of the mitigating measures in combating the spread of the pandemic. The Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) of the UPDF, Gen David Muhoozi said that AMISOM and UPDF has built capacity to contain the spread of the pandemic. COVID-19 came as a new phenomenon. We neither had no concrete ideas about the virus nor did we have adequate capacity to manage it, Gen Muhoozi. He noted that the entire world is affected and hence even with the money at hand, it was difficult to access the logistics to handle the pandemic. The CDF added that many countries have now developed capacity to produce the necessary logistics to address the problem such as sanitizers and personal protective equipment. Gen Muhoozi said this while flagging off Ugandas thirtieth Battle Group to Somalia at Peace Support Operation and Training Center (PSO TC)in Singo, Nakaseke district. The Battle Group Commanded by Col Jimmy Musoke comprises of over 1,800 personnel, both veterans and regular force who were mobilized in June 2019 and regular Forces. The CDF counseled the soldiers to be cautious of their health by observing the COVID-19 guidelines and preventive measures of all other diseases. He also told them to remain alert all the time to thwart enemy threats and consolidate the achievements of the previous battle groups. He expressed confidence that the extra training time the battlegroup received will make them perform batter. The CDF was accompanied by the Commander Land Forces, Lt Gen Peter Elwelu. Lt Gen Elwelu urged the deploying troops to ensure maximum discipline, which is a core attribute in military service. Commandant of PSO-TC, Brig Gen Bonny Wolimbwa, said the Battle Group is a hardened one because most of the members had earlier served in Somalia when the situation was more volatile and they had actively participated in the liberation struggle of places such as Mogadishu city, University, Masilah, Balcad, Jowhar, Afgooye, Bur-Hakaba, Marka and Barawe. Uganda deployed to Somalia in 2007 and since then it has fielded in 30 regular battle groups plus three other special battle groups; Battle Groups 9+, 11+ and 13+. Related Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-11 10:08:00|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close PHNOM PENH, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia on Thursday set a new monthly minimum wage for the kingdom's garment and footwear industry at 192 U.S. dollars for 2021, up 1.05 percent from the current 190 dollars, although the sector has been badly hit by the impact of COVID-19, Labor Minister Ith Samheng announced. The minister said that Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen decided to increase two dollars to the minimum wage for next year and it will take effect on Jan. 1, 2021. "Taking into account the wellbeing of the workers, the prime minister decided to raise two dollars to the 2021's minimum wage for the garment and footwear workers although the sector has been adversely impacted by the COVID-19," Samheng told reporters. The garment and footwear industry is Cambodia's biggest export sector, employing about 750,000 people in approximately 1,100 factories and branches, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, currently, some 120 factories still suspended their operations, affecting around 50,000 workers, he said. The Southeast Asian country saw a 5.4 percent drop in the garment and footwear export to 3.78 billion U.S. dollars during the first half of this year compared to the same period last year, according to government data. Speaking on behalf of the garment and footwear manufacturers, Nang Sothy, co-chair of the Government-Private Working Group on Industrial Relations, said the slight hike in the 2021's minimum wage was acceptable. "Wage increase during the COVID-19 pandemic is a difficulty for the employers, but to maintain the fraternal spirit between employers and employees, it is acceptable," he told reporters. Ath Thorn, president of the Cambodian Labor Confederation, said he was not satisfied with the new minimum wage, but due to the COVID-19, it was difficult for the confederation to demand a higher wage for the workers. Enditem With a price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of 24.7x Regal Beloit Corporation (NYSE:RBC) may be sending bearish signals at the moment, given that almost half of all companies in the United States have P/E ratios under 18x and even P/E's lower than 10x are not unusual. Nonetheless, we'd need to dig a little deeper to determine if there is a rational basis for the elevated P/E. With earnings that are retreating more than the market's of late, Regal Beloit has been very sluggish. It might be that many expect the dismal earnings performance to recover substantially, which has kept the P/E from collapsing. You'd really hope so, otherwise you're paying a pretty hefty price for no particular reason. See our latest analysis for Regal Beloit pe If you'd like to see what analysts are forecasting going forward, you should check out our free report on Regal Beloit. Is There Enough Growth For Regal Beloit? In order to justify its P/E ratio, Regal Beloit would need to produce impressive growth in excess of the market. Retrospectively, the last year delivered a frustrating 35% decrease to the company's bottom line. As a result, earnings from three years ago have also fallen 14% overall. Accordingly, shareholders would have felt downbeat about the medium-term rates of earnings growth. Shifting to the future, estimates from the eight analysts covering the company suggest earnings should grow by 25% over the next year. With the market only predicted to deliver 5.2%, the company is positioned for a stronger earnings result. With this information, we can see why Regal Beloit is trading at such a high P/E compared to the market. It seems most investors are expecting this strong future growth and are willing to pay more for the stock. What We Can Learn From Regal Beloit's P/E? Generally, our preference is to limit the use of the price-to-earnings ratio to establishing what the market thinks about the overall health of a company. Story continues We've established that Regal Beloit maintains its high P/E on the strength of its forecast growth being higher than the wider market, as expected. At this stage investors feel the potential for a deterioration in earnings isn't great enough to justify a lower P/E ratio. It's hard to see the share price falling strongly in the near future under these circumstances. It's always necessary to consider the ever-present spectre of investment risk. We've identified 2 warning signs with Regal Beloit, and understanding these should be part of your investment process. It's important to make sure you look for a great company, not just the first idea you come across. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies with strong recent earnings growth (and a P/E ratio below 20x). This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com. Darren Iozia | Journal-Courier Rachel McGuire (from left) and Bev Allen talk Thursday with Karen Walker during the Jacksonville Area Chamber of Commerces steak fry at Community Park. In past years, the event was held at the Jacksonville Airport and included social events and an auction. Because of pandemic restrictions, the chamber made the event drive-through service. CHICAGO, Sept. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- According to the new market research report "Ammunition Market by Application (Defense, Civil & Commercial), Caliber (Small, Medium, Large), Product (Bullets, Aerial Bombs, Grenades, Artillery Shells, Mortars), Component, Guidance, Lethality (Lethal, Less-lethal), Region - Global Forecast to 2025", published by MarketsandMarkets, the Ammunition Market size is projected to grow from USD 20.8 billion in 2020 to USD 24.9 billion by 2025, at a CAGR of 3.6% from 2020 to 2025. Factors such as the changing nature of warfare, the militarization of police forces, the increasing incidence of drug trafficking, and terrorist activities, and the modernization of armed forces are driving factors assisting the growth of the ammunition market. Apart from its use in defense forces, ammunition also sees increasing importance in civil and commercial applications such as sporting, hunting, and self-defense, among others. Ask for PDF Brochure: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=923 COVID-19 has affected the ammunition market growth to some extent, and this varies from country to country. Industry experts believe that the pandemic has not affected the demand for ammunition in defense applications. However, due to continuous lockdown and social distancing measures, there has been a decrease in the demand for ammunition in civil and commercial applications. For instance, hunting and sporting activities (which are a major driving factor for civil and commercial applications) have been reduced significantly. Increasing spending on the modernization of armed forces is driving the growth of the defense applications The defense segment of the ammunition market has been classified into military and homeland security. The growth of the defense segment of the ammunition market can be attributed to the increased spending of countries on military modernization programs, as well as the rise in terrorist activities and civil disturbances in several parts of the world. Based on caliber, the small caliber segment of the ammunition market is projected to witness the highest CAGR during the forecast period Based on caliber, the ammunition market has been segmented into small, medium, large, and others. The small caliber segment is projected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period. The growth of this segment can be attributed to increased use of small caliber ammunition by military and homeland security personnel, owing to less lethality of this ammunition. Moreover, open online marketplaces for small arms and ammunition and increased procurement of small caliber ammunition by the defense and homeland security sectors to curb rising instances of armed conflicts are also contributing to the growth of this segment. Aerial bombs segment of the ammunition market is projected to witness highest CAGR owing to increasing focus on upgrading of air force inventory by armed forces Based on products, the ammunition market has been segmented into bullets, aerial bombs, grenades, artillery shells, and mortars. The aerial bombs segment is projected to grow at the highest CAGR. In recent years, an increasing focus has been observed to upgrade air force inventory across the globe due to multiple reasons such as geopolitical tensions and air force applications. For instance, the US has ongoing F-35 fighter aircraft programs. Whereas the Indian air force is looking for multi-role aircraft to strengthen their armed forces, and hence new aircraft procurements will lead to an increased demand for related ammunition in the coming years. Hanwha Corporation (South Korea) and General Dynamics Corporation (US) manufacture aerial bombs for applications. Browse in-depth TOC on "Ammunition Market" 392 Tables 107 Figures 393 Pages Inquiry Before Buying: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Enquiry_Before_BuyingNew.asp?id=923 The North America market is projected to contribute the largest share from 2020 to 2025 The ammunition market in the North American region has been studied for the US and Canada. Major factors that are expected to drive the growth of the market in the region include rising instances of terrorism, which have led to increased use of ammunition by armed forces and a growing number of drug cartels in Central America North American countries are awarding a number of contracts to major players of the ammunition market for the delivery of ammunition, thus driving the growth of the ammunition market in the region. For instance, In July 2020, Northrop Grumman Corporation secured a contract from the US Army to deliver the next-generation airburst cartridge for the 30mm XM813 Bushmaster Chain Gun. The Bushmaster Chain Gun will be installed on the Stryker Infantry Carrier Vehicle (ICV). Also, the company has secured a contract worth USD 93 million from the US Army for the manufacture of multipurpose munition technology for destroying targets such as lightly armored infantry fighting vehicles. The munitions are expected to be compatible with the M4A1 rifle. The ammunition market is dominated by a few globally established players such as Northrop Grumman Corporation (US), CBC Global Ammunition (Brazil), BAE Systems (UK), Thales Group (France), and General Dynamics Corporation (US), among others. Related Reports: Less Lethal Ammunition Market by End User (Law Enforcement, Military, Self Defense), Product (Rubber Bullets, Bean Bag Rounds, Plastic Bullets, Paintballs), Weapon Type (Shotguns, Launchers), and Region - Global Forecast to 2023 Automatic Weapons Market by Product (Automatic Rifle, Machine Gun, Automatic launchers, Automatic Cannon, Gatling Gun), End Use (Land, Airborne, Naval, Handheld & Stationary), Caliber (Small, Medium, Large), Type, and Region - Global Forecast to 2023 About MarketsandMarkets MarketsandMarkets provides quantified B2B research on 30,000 high growth niche opportunities/threats which will impact 70% to 80% of worldwide companies' revenues. Currently servicing 7500 customers worldwide including 80% of global Fortune 1000 companies as clients. Almost 75,000 top officers across eight industries worldwide approach MarketsandMarkets for their painpoints around revenues decisions. Our 850 fulltime analyst and SMEs at MarketsandMarkets are tracking global high growth markets following the "Growth Engagement Model GEM". The GEM aims at proactive collaboration with the clients to identify new opportunities, identify most important customers, write "Attack, avoid and defend" strategies, identify sources of incremental revenues for both the company and its competitors. MarketsandMarkets now coming up with 1,500 MicroQuadrants (Positioning top players across leaders, emerging companies, innovators, strategic players) annually in high growth emerging segments. MarketsandMarkets is determined to benefit more than 10,000 companies this year for their revenue planning and help them take their innovations/disruptions early to the market by providing them research ahead of the curve. MarketsandMarkets' flagship competitive intelligence and market research platform, "Knowledge Store" connects over 200,000 markets and entire value chains for deeper understanding of the unmet insights along with market sizing and forecasts of niche markets. Contact: Mr. Aashish Mehra MarketsandMarkets INC. 630 Dundee Road Suite 430 Northbrook, IL 60062 USA: +1-888-600-6441 Email: [email protected] Visit Our Web Site: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com Research Insight : https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/ResearchInsight/ammunition-market.asp Content Source : https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/PressReleases/ammunition.asp SOURCE MarketsandMarkets 10.09.2020 LISTEN Before I begin, let me congratulate all National Service Persons on their posting to various user agencies across the country to contribute towards the socio-economic development of Ghana. If you happen to be one of them, remember that this period is for you to plan, learn, build network and inculcate virtues that will help you in years to come and not just to pass out with a certificate. These 12 months period is a critical stage in your life which should not be downplayed. A lot of people seem to think the year spent in service to their nation is a waste of their abilities and loss of money which they could be earning in the real world. Others also describe it as National Suffering but not National Service. Interestingly, whether you will be able to make the most out of this period or not all depends on your mindset. If you really desire to make a difference with your service year, you will need to break free from the wrong mindset and purpose in your heart to make this period worthwhile. At your workplace I want you to see this period as your first job or primary place of assignment. Do well to offer the best of yourself irrespective of where you have been posted to. First impression counts. Build good relationship with your superiors, colleagues, and even those you might be having higher qualification than. Their recommendation can secure you your permanent job. At your place of post, you might be running errands or doing what people call donkey work but do it with outmost excellence. This could be a test of your character, temperament and work ethics. If you are fortunate to find yourself in an educational institution where you have to assist in teaching of students, resolve to be of good example. The impact you will make in the life of a student wont affect only him or her but an entire generation. A gentle compliment, a reassuring touch, a workshop or seminar which you organize for these students can be a lasting legacy in their life. Allowance On your allowance, I know it is little but trust me, with proper planning, you can save something. You need to discard the warped mentality that you cannot save from the GH559 given you. Your attitude towards this little which you are receiving determines how you will spend your big salary someday. Remember that it is not the amount of money that determines how you spend it; it is your habits that determine your dealings with money. Take advantage of this period to build financial habits which you will need in the years to come. Do not spend before you save but rather, save before you spend. Let me help you with a guideline; you can use 60% of your monthly allowance on living expenses, 10% as miscellaneous for emergencies, 10 % as tithe and the rest (20%) as your savings or investment. You can scale these figure up or down based on your expenses and where you live. Trust me, your savings will become handy when you pass out of NSS. Look around your area of posting if there are business opportunities which you can invest in. I know some friends that were selling recharge cards, pastries, poultry eggs and clothing. You can equally engage in photography, farming, beads making or take up some professional or international courses. Do not let this period go waste. Build yourself up; read wide, impact a life, get abreast with developments in your area of study, take a course. In all, make sure this period of your life becomes worthwhile. Writer: Cephas Kwaku Debrah [email protected] Samsung plans to launch a budget model of its flagship smartphone Galaxy 20 before the end of the year. The Galaxy S20 FE reportedly has a flat screen with a lower resolution than the premium version. It comes with 6 to 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage space. It is expected to be priced at around W800,000 to W900,000, compared to the S20's W1.24 million (US$1=W,1188). Dubai: The UAE has launched its first "robot pharmacy" where robots will dispense prescribed medication at the click of a button. The robot is one of the latest smart technologies adopted by the authority to meet the 2016-2021 strategy, which aims to achieve a happy and healthy society, said Humaid Al Qatami, Chairman of the Board and Director-General of Dubai HealthAuthority. The robot, which can store up to 35,000 medicines and dispense around 12 prescriptions in less than a minute, will start serving customers from tomorrow, Saudi news agency WAM reported. The smart pharmacy was inaugurated in the presence of AliAl Syed, Director of the Pharmaceutical Services Department; Ahmad Bin Kalban, CEO of Hospital Services Sector, and Alya AlMazroui, CEO of Rashid Hospital. As the robot can dispense up to 12 prescriptions in less than a minute, it will significantly reduce a person's waiting time, Al Syed said. The dispensing process will be paper-free as the robot will store the prescription as soon as a doctor documents it electronically. Leveraging the robot for dispensing medication will alsoallow the pharmacist to focus on giving the customers right instructions on taking the medication, he added. For all the Latest Science News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Firefighters are stretched as fires tear through California, Oregon and Washington. As wildfires raged up and down the West Coast on Thursday, officials in Oregon said that one of the most destructive fires, which incinerated whole neighborhoods in two towns, may have been deliberately set. Three law enforcement agencies in Oregon, including the Ashland Police Department and the State Police, said they had opened an arson investigation for the Almeda Fire, which has been linked to at least two deaths and destroyed roughly 600 homes in the towns of Talent and Phoenix. Charred residential streets in those communities now resemble moonscapes, and the fire was still raging out of control Thursday. With firefighters struggling to contain the blazes, rescue workers made early forays into towns that had been blackened and hollowed out by fires. By Thursday, they had discovered at least eight bodies, and hundreds of homes had been consumed by flames. We have never seen this amount of uncontained fire across our state, said Gov. Kate Brown of Oregon, where 900,000 acres have burned. Resources have been stretched thin, as firefighters from Washington and Oregon who had been deployed to California were sent home to fight blazes in their own backyards. As California continued to burn, with more than 2.5 million acres scorched so far, a record in modern history, fire crews were being rushed in from Utah, Colorado and Texas. The August Complex Fire, sparked by a storm of lightning strikes last month, on Thursday became the largest fire in California history, having burned nearly 740 square miles. To the north, more than 480,000 acres have burned in Washington state this week, with some communities essentially destroyed, officials said. Every firefighting entity in Washington state would like to have more resources right now, Gov. Jay Inslee said at a news conference late Wednesday. He linked the devastating fire season to climate change, noting the West Coasts intense heat waves, and invited skeptics to visit a string of badly burned towns: Bonney Lake, Graham, Malden, Okanogan. In California, the fast-moving Bear Fire grew unabated as one of scores of wildfires across the state. The Bear Fire, burning near Chico, destroyed dozens of homes in Butte County, where three people were found dead, and the community of Berry Creek was hit especially hard. In addition to the three people found dead in Butte County, a 1-year-old boy was killed in the Cold Springs Fire in northern Washington, two deaths were linked to the Almeda Fire in Oregon, and two victims were discovered in a vehicle east of Salem, Oregon, according to the county sheriffs offices. Towns were wiped out in Oregon, and some Portland suburbs are under threat. Extreme fire weather conditions were expected west of the Cascades in Oregon through Thursday, officials said, driving forward blazes that have already destroyed hundreds of homes in the state. Evacuations expanded in the southern suburbs of Portland overnight, with all of the 418,000 residents of Clackamas County under some level of evacuation warning and at least half of the county under a mandatory evacuation order. Six homes and six other structures have already been lost to the flames, the county said, and 400 more structures remained threatened by the fires. The Almeda Fire, which ripped through the communities of Phoenix and Talent in southern Oregon earlier this week, forced new evacuations Wednesday in the city of Medford, the states eighth-largest city with about 80,000 residents. In Phoenix, the mayor estimated that 1,000 homes had been wiped out by the blazes. In Talent, just a few miles south, hundreds more homes were destroyed. Everything is completely gone, said Sandra Spelliscy, Talents city manager. Unlike the large wildfires that were sparked in remote areas and have mostly burned through trees and brush, the Almeda Fire has moved through populated areas. The wind pushed the fire so strongly that the flames jumped from house to house, igniting entire subdivisions, and creating a dangerous and unstable environment for residents to return to. When you have a wildfire, after the fire goes through all thats left is burned trees, brush, foliage, said Rich Tyler, a spokesman for the Oregon State Fire Marshals office. When you have a fire that burns through homes and businesses, you have open gas lines that are still spewing out natural gas, and those are burning. We have water that is flowing. We have hazardous materials in businesses that we didnt know of. The Bear Fire raced through mountain communities in California. Propelled by winds as strong as 45 mph, the Bear Fire northeast of Oroville, California, has grown at explosive rates this week, causing three deaths as it ripped through mountain communities and forced thousands of people to evacuate. The fire is still growing, but residents were already beginning on Thursday to learn of the damage across the 252,000 acres it has burned so far. Many will not have a home to return to. Berry Creek, a community of about 1,200 people, is largely destroyed. On Wednesday afternoon, only a handful of houses were still standing. The towns fire station and its firetruck, parked beside it, were burned. Across the street, the elementary school was destroyed. The Bear Fire, which is part of the North Complex, is still almost completely uncontained on its western flank, but calmer winds have slowed its growth, giving officials some hope. Winds have decreased dramatically, and hopefully that will remain over the next few days, said Scott McLean, a spokesman for Cal Fire, the state firefighting agency. Most Berry Creek residents evacuated the town in a panic early in the week as the fire charged toward them, with a narrow country road the only route to safety. More than 100 people had to be rescued Tuesday evening. At least 200 structures in the town have been damaged, officials said, adding that they do not know the full extent of the destruction yet and probably will not for several days. Many other small mountain communities were also affected by the fire, McLean said. Mayor Chuck Reynolds of Oroville told The Sacramento Bee on Wednesday that his city of roughly 20,000 people, which had been under an evacuation warning, had largely been spared by the fire. Farther south, the Creek Fire, near Fresno, remained completely uncontained, growing to more than 175,000 acres by Thursday morning. Thousands of people evacuated their homes, emergency teams searched for injured survivors, and the U.S. Forest Service closed all 18 national forests in California, fearing that people could become trapped in the parks. Douglas Zimmerman / SFGATE No more Martian orange: The sky in San Francisco reverts to a more normal-looking gray. Bay Area residents awoke to smoky gray skies Thursday morning and not the otherworldly orange murk that unnerved the region Wednesday, when soot particles billowing high in the atmosphere filtered the suns rays into an eerie daylong twilight. The National Weather Service said smoky and hazy conditions would probably continue in the Bay Area for the rest of the week, with no rain expected in the wildfire zones of Northern California, Oregon or Washington. On the plus side, the winds had lightened considerably, making it easier to fight the flames, according to David Lawrence, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. Without strong winds to disperse it, the smoke will linger through the weekend, Lawrence said. Most of the western halves of Washington, Oregon and California will be covered by smoke through the next couple of days, he said. Overall, it looks pretty hazy. Temperatures were expected to be cooler in San Francisco, a break from the searing heat that helped set the stage for states worst wildfire season on record. San Francisco is known for its fog, especially in the summer, but the haze that settled on citys skyline Thursday was no ordinary sea fog. Air quality in the region remained poor because of the wildfire smoke, and health officials in the city warned people to stay indoors at least through Friday. The rain the region is craving may finally fall early next week, although it remains unclear how much, Lawrence said. Most areas would take any precipitation, he said. We need the weather pattern to change. Forest Service A fire that began last month is now the largest in Californias recorded history. The August Complex fire that raged in Northern California last month is now the biggest in the states recorded history, according to the U.S. Forest Service. The fire was sparked by lightning in Mendocino National Forest, midway between Sacramento and the Oregon border, and has consumed at least 471,000 acres. That is 12,000 more than the 459,000 acres that burned in the Mendocino Complex wildfire in 2018. The August Complex, which started on Aug. 17 as a cluster of 37 different fires, killed a firefighter and destroyed 26 structures, according to forest officials. The five largest wildfires in California history have all occurred in the last three years. Three of them, including the August Complex, started last month. All three are still burning. The LNU Lightning Complex, which consumed more than 363,000 across five counties, including Napa and Sonoma, killed five people. The SCU Lightning Complex has destroyed nearly 397,000 acres across five counties. Both have been largely contained, but the August Complex is only 24% contained, according to the Mendocino National Forest. Police are working to dispel social media rumors about activists setting the fires. Officials dealing with mass fires on the West Coast have been forced to counter social media rumors that the blazes were set by activists. In Medford, Oregon, which saw a blaze that devastated the nearby communities of Phoenix and Talent, the Police Department reported hearing throughout Wednesday rumors that officers had arrested either leftist antifa or right-wing Proud Boys activists for arson. The department made its own Facebook post to say that neither story was true, nor was a fake graphic associated with the rumors, nor were reports of gatherings of antifa. Still, with no evidence, other social media posts repeatedly pointed suspicion toward antifa a loosely coordinated group of activists involved in protests in places like Portland. The Douglas County Sheriffs Office said Thursday that 911 dispatchers were being overrun with requests for information about an untrue rumor that antifa members were arrested for setting fires. The office said the rumors are making a difficult situation even harder. Do your part, STOP. SPREADING. RUMORS! the office said in a Facebook post. In Oregon, which has suffered catastrophic fires in the last few days, officials havent seen any evidence of such a campaign at the state or local level, said Joy Krawczyk, a spokeswoman with the Oregon Department of Forestry. She said many fires remain under investigation. Were not seeing any indications of a mass politically influenced arson campaign, Krawczyk said. Officials have previously said that one of the most devastating fires, the Santiam Canyon blaze east of Salem, was started by falling trees that knocked down power lines. Officials in Washington state reported one case they believe was arson, arresting a man they say was in a highway median setting a fire. That fire was soon extinguished. This article originally appeared in The New York Times. Previous studies have shown children often turn to pets for comfort and to voice their concerns. (Posed by a model, Getty Images) The loss of Rover, Felix or Thumper often triggers tears, but while parents may think the sadness is fleeting, new research suggests a childs mental health could be impacted by the death of a pet. Scientists from Massachusetts General Hospital looked at 6,260 children, who were followed from their early life up to eight years old. Results revealed psychopathology symptoms like jealousy, poor social integration and impulsiveness were more common among the youngsters who had loved a pet that died than those who had affection towards a living animal. Read more: Top-rated vacuum cleaner a must-buy for pet owners This could develop into depression that lasts up to three years after the beloved pet died, according to the scientists. The bond a child forms with a pet can mimic human relationships in terms of the affection, sense of protection and reassurance the individual receives, they added. Previous studies have also shown children often turn to pets for comfort and to voice their concerns. The distress of losing a pet could develop into depression that lasts years, according to scientists. (Posed by a model, Getty Images) One of the first major losses a child will encounter is likely to be the death of a pet, and the impact can be traumatic, especially when that pet feels like a member of the family, said lead author Katherine Crawford. We found this experience of pet death is often associated with elevated mental health symptoms in children, and that parents and physicians need to recognise and take those symptoms seriously, not simply brush them off. Two in five (40%) people in the UK own a pet. In the US, 67% of households around 85 million families have a furry friend. The strong bond that can form between an animal and a child has been linked to increased empathy, self-esteem and social competence. While all positive traits, the downside can be the grief a child endures once the pet passes away. Read more: 5 signs your cat genuinely bonded with you during lockdown In their paper The mental health effects of pet death during childhood: is it better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all? the scientists analysed data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children, carried out in Bristol, England. Story continues This was the first time any scientists had analysed the mental health responses of children to a pets death, with similar studies focusing on adults. The children were grouped based on pet ownership and death from birth to seven years old never loved, loved without loss, loved with loss. Psychopathology symptoms at eight years old were then compared between the groups. Thanks to this cohort, we were able to analyse the mental and emotional health of children after examining their experiences with pet death over an extended period, said study author Dr Erin Dunn. Results published in the journal European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry revealed psychopathology symptoms were more common among the children who had loved with loss than those who had loved without loss, particularly in the male participants. We observed the association between exposure to a pets death and psychopathology symptoms in childhood occurred regardless of the childs socioeconomic status or hardships they had already endured in their young lives, said Dr Dunn. The timing of a pets death or the number of animals that had passed away were not linked to psychopathology symptoms. Dr Dunn believes this speaks to the durability of the bond with pets that is formed at a very early age and how it can affect children across their development. Read more: Hungry dogs made to work for their snack There was also no difference in symptoms between the children who had loved with loss and those who had never loved an animal. The scientists concluded pet death may be traumatic for children and associated with subsequent mental health difficulties. Adults need to pay attention to whether those feelings are deeper and more profound, and if they're lasting longer than might have been expected, said Crawford. They could be signs of complicated grief and having someone to talk to in a sympathetic or therapeutic way may be extremely helpful for a child who is grieving. When it comes to pet ownership among children, it may not be better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all, wrote the scientists. (Newser) Four ex-cops charged in the death of George Floyd appeared in court in Minneapolis on Fridaybut they would rather be apart. The four menincluding Derek Chauvin, who knelt on the Floyd's neck for eight minutes as he struggled to breatheare blaming each other for Floyd's death and seeking separate trials, the Washington Post reports. Chauvin's lawyer says the veteran officer was assisting an arrest already in progress, while lawyers for J. Alexander Kueng and Thomas Lane say the rookies deferred to Chauvin. The fourth officer, Tou Thao, has told investigators he was focused on controlling bystanders. More: Change of venue unlikely. The four men also want the trial to be moved out of Minneapolis, but former judge LaJune Lange doubts it will happen since the case is already notorious nationwide, CBS Minneapolis reports. "A change of venue motion would only serve to reduce persons of color and persons who have diverse experiences in the jury pool," Lange says. story continues below Antagonistic defenses . "There are very likely going to be antagonistic defenses presented at the trial, said Earl Gray, a lawyer for Lane, in a motion filed this week. It is plausible that all officers have a different version of what happened and officers place blame on one another." . "There are very likely going to be antagonistic defenses presented at the trial, said Earl Gray, a lawyer for Lane, in a motion filed this week. It is plausible that all officers have a different version of what happened and officers place blame on one another." Prosecutors want one trial . Prosecutors say there should be one trial because the evidence is similar for each officer and they don't want Floyd's family to be traumatized, the AP reports. "All four Defendants worked together to murder Floyd: Chauvin, Kueng, and Lane pinned Floyd face-down, while Thao stopped the crowd from intervening, enabling the other Defendants to maintain their positions," they wrote in a court filing. Both sides made their cases Friday, and Judge Peter Cahill will issue a decision later. . Prosecutors say there should be one trial because the evidence is similar for each officer and they don't want Floyd's family to be traumatized, the AP reports. "All four Defendants worked together to murder Floyd: Chauvin, Kueng, and Lane pinned Floyd face-down, while Thao stopped the crowd from intervening, enabling the other Defendants to maintain their positions," they wrote in a court filing. Both sides made their cases Friday, and Judge Peter Cahill will issue a decision later. The charges . Chauvin is charged with second-degree murder, third-degree murder and manslaughter. Lane, Kueng, and Thao are charged with aiding and abetting the killing. . Chauvin is charged with second-degree murder, third-degree murder and manslaughter. Lane, Kueng, and Thao are charged with aiding and abetting the killing. First appearance for Chauvin . This was the first in-person court appearance for Chauvin, who is the only defendant still in jail. The other three former officers are free on bail. Chauvin appeared remotely for a court hearing on separate tax evasion charges Tuesday, reports the New York Daily News. . This was the first in-person court appearance for Chauvin, who is the only defendant still in jail. The other three former officers are free on bail. Chauvin appeared remotely for a court hearing on separate tax evasion charges Tuesday, reports the New York Daily News. Chauvin's defense . Eric Nelson, a lawyer for Chauvin, argues that Kueng and Lane mishandled the May 25 arrest before Chauvin and Thao arrived at the scene. "If Kueng and Lane had chosen to de-escalate instead of struggle, Mr. Floyd may have survived," he said in a filing this week, per the Post. "If Kueng and Lane had recognized the apparent signs of an opioid overdose and rendered aid, such as administering naloxone, Mr. Floyd may have survived." . Eric Nelson, a lawyer for Chauvin, argues that Kueng and Lane mishandled the May 25 arrest before Chauvin and Thao arrived at the scene. "If Kueng and Lane had chosen to de-escalate instead of struggle, Mr. Floyd may have survived," he said in a filing this week, per the Post. "If Kueng and Lane had recognized the apparent signs of an opioid overdose and rendered aid, such as administering naloxone, Mr. Floyd may have survived." Victim-blaming. Lawyers for Chauvin and Lane have raised Floyd's criminal record and history of drug use, the AP reports. They argue that the 46-year-old died from a fentanyl overdose, not a knee on his neck, though the death was ruled a homicide. Ben Crump, an attorney for Floyd's family, says victim-blaming won't work. "When police do inexcusable things, the defense is always to kill the victim all over again by dredging up their history and assassinating their character," he says. (Read more George Floyd stories.) (Newser) The Trump administration has charged a Russian national in a sweeping plot to sow distrust in the American political process and imposed sanctions against a Russia-linked Ukrainian lawmaker accused of interfering in the US presidential election. Those actions on Thursday, combined with a Microsoft announcement on hacking attempts targeting US political campaigns, parties, and consultants, underscore the extent to which the same cyber intrusions and foreign influence operations that defined the 2016 White House race remain a persistent concern today, the AP reports. In the case of the sanctions, officials denounced audio recordings that had been released by the Ukrainian parliamentarian and promoted by Trump on Twitter. story continues below The criminal charges accuse Artem Mikhaylovich Lifshits of serving as a translation manager in a Russian effort that since at least 2014 has tried to disrupt the political system in the US and other countries. Members of the initiative, known as Project Lakhta, traveled to the US to collect intelligence and operated bogus social media accounts that could pump out messaging to millions of Americans on divisive social issues. The goal of the department where Lifshits worked was to sow discord, incite civil unrest, and polarize Americans with social media posts that touched on hot-button topics including gun rights and race relations, prosecutors say. The Justice Department complaint does not accuse Lifshits or other Project Lakhta members of promoting a particular presidential candidate in the 2020 race. (Read more Russia stories.) By Trend Uzbekistan and Pakistan discussed the possibility of taking joint measures to intensify freight traffic through the territories of the two states and the implementation of joint projects aimed at developing transport infrastructure, Trend reports referring to the Ministry of Investment and Foreign Trade in Uzbekistan. Issues of bilateral interaction to expand transport and logistics cooperation were considered by Deputy Prime Minister of Uzbekistan Sardor Umurzakov and Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs of Pakistan Ali Haider Zaidi. The parties agreed that ensuring free mutual access of Uzbek and Pakistani goods to the markets of the two countries will significantly increase the indicators of trade. The Pakistani side expressed its readiness to provide consulting and technical assistance in the joint development of optimal conditions for the use by Uzbekistan of the developed infrastructure of the ports of Gwadar, Karachi and Kasym, for which a group of Uzbek experts in the field of transport will be sent to Pakistan in the near future. An agreement was reached to create a working group at the level of the heads of the Ministry of Transport of Uzbekistan, the Federal Ministry for Maritime Affairs of Pakistan, as well as the Pakistani National Logistics Corporation (PNSC) in order to develop and agree on mechanisms for practical interaction in the designated areas. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz WASHINGTON -- U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun has said Russia risks losing the friendship of the Belarusian people if the Kremlin continues to back authoritarian ruler Alyaksandr Lukashenka. Biegun made the comments on September 11 as Lukashenka faces the biggest challenge to his 26-year rule amid nationwide protests against the results of the August 9 presidential election that handed him a sixth five-year term. Meanwhile, Belarusian Nobel Prize-winning writer Svetlana Alexievich said she feared her country could lose its independence amid the political strife and called on Russian intellectuals for support. Speaking to journalists during a conference call, Biegun said most Belarusians "have seen Russia as the country closest to their hearts and we respect that sentiment and sovereign choice. It thus eludes us how Moscow could back such a regime and such violence against peaceful citizens, exercising constitutionally protected rights to freedom of assembly, association, and speech. The senior U.S. diplomat said that if the Russian leadership continues down this path, it risks turning the Belarusian people -- who have no grievance with Russia -- against Moscow. In Minsk, Alexievich seemed to echo that notion by lamenting that Russian intellectuals haven't spoken out against Lukashenka's actions. "Why aren't you helping my little nation maintain its dignity and statehood," she said, addressing Russians. 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. The Belarusian people have called on Lukashenka to step down and hold free and fair elections, claiming the August 9 vote was rigged in his favor. The 66-year-old Belarusian leader has responded to the peaceful protests with violent arrests and torture. His actions have not only emboldened the opposition, they have alienated Western governments, forcing Lukashenka to look to the Kremlin for support as he seeks to cling to power. Lukashenka will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin on September 14 at the Black Sea resort of Sochi, their first face-to-face meeting since the election. However, Lukashenka has spoken with Putin several times by phone since August 9. The two leaders have spoken several times by phone since August 9 with Putin promising military assistance under a bilateral military pact, including a police force. The Sochi meeting comes amid a years-long push by Putin for a Union state with Belarus, raising concern that a weakened Lukashenka could bow to the Russian leaders demands. There is a danger that we could lose our country, Alexievich said. Biegun said it was disturbing to see increasing signs of overt Russian support for the embattled dictator, but he declined to say if the United States would take any action, such as imposing more sanctions on Moscow, to oppose it. Biegun pointed out that Russians citizens have also been swept up by Belarusian police as part of the crackdown against protesters and subject to the same brutal violence. The U.S. deputy secretary of state said he hoped that Putin would express concern about the violence against Belarusian and Russian citizens committed by Lukashenkas government and the need for the strongman to step down. We hope the message from Moscow is that the ruler needs to give way to the will of his people, Biegun said of the September 14 meeting. He said the United States is working with its European allies, Moscow and Belarus to generate a proposal that offers a way out for Lukashenka. The prime ministers of Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Slovakia issued a joint statement on September 14 saying Belarus should hold new presidential elections to resolve the standoff. Biegun called on Lukashenka to hold talks with the Coordination Council that was set up by opposition leaders following the election to facilitate a transfer of power, saying the strongman had been "rejected by his own people." He said U.S. support for such talks "does not mean we're asking Belarus to choose between East and West." Alexievich, who is one of the seven members of the Coordination Council's presidium, warned that if Lukashenka doesn't negotiate, the problems will fester and "we will get nothing but a civil war." In the meantime, Biegun said the United States and its European allies will not let Lukashenka's actions go unpunished. The West is coordinating on sanctions against officials in Belarus responsible for election falsification as well as the beatings and detentions, according to the U.S. deputy secretary of state, who said he expected the U.S. sanctions list to be finalized in just a few short days. He said the West will avoid sanctions, at this stage, that impact companies and the economy. We do not also want to impose on the citizens of Belarus any additional punitive measures unless absolutely necessary and supportive of the goals we are seeking in Belarus, he said. EU countries have also called for a debate and resolution on Belarus at a meeting of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva for next week. With reporting by dpa, Reuters, and RFE/RL's Belarus Service Brasilia: A top expert on isolated Amazon tribes in Brazil has been killed by an arrow that struck him in the chest as he approached an indigenous group, friends and a police witness said. Rieli Franciscato, 56, had spent his career as an official in the government's indigenous affairs agency Funai, working to set up reservations to protect tribes. On Wednesday, as he moved close to an isolated indigenous group, he was hit by an arrow above the heart in the forest near the Uru Eu Wau Wau reservation in the western Brazilian state of Rondonia near the border with Bolivia. The area is home to four indigenous communities and three isolated tribes, according to the Kaninde Ethno-Environmental Defence Association he helped found in the 1980s. Rieli Franciscato, defender of isolated Amazonian tribes in Brazil, was killed by an arrow to the chest. Credit:Facebook/Rieli Franciscato "He cried out, pulled the arrow from his chest, ran 50 metres and collapsed, lifeless," a policeman who accompanied the expedition said in an audio posted on social media. Photo: The Canadian Press San Francisco City Hall is shrouded in smoke from wildfires on Wednesday. A Northern California wildfire that destroyed a foothill hamlet has become the state's deadliest blaze of the year with 10 people confirmed dead and the toll could climb as searchers look for 16 missing people. The North Complex fire that exploded in wind-driven flames earlier in the week was advancing more slowly Friday after the winds eased and smoke from the blaze shaded the area and lowered the temperature, allowing firefighters to make progress, authorities said. However, the smoke made for poor visibility and fire helicopters couldn't fly Thursday. In most parts of the state, red flag warnings of extreme fire danger because of hot, dry weather or gusty winds were lifted. On Thursday, Butte County sheriff's Capt. Derek Bell said seven bodies were discovered, bringing the total to 10 in two days. At least four people with critical burns were hospitalized. Deputies and detectives were searching for human remains as they made their way into devastated areas with a team of anthropologists from Chico State University, Bell said. The rising death toll comes as deadly wildfires in heavily populated northwest Oregon grow, with hundreds of thousands of people told to flee encroaching flames while residents to the south tearfully assessed their losses. People evacuated statewide because of fires had climbed to an estimated 500,000 more than 10 per cent of the 4.2 million people in the state, the Oregon Office of Emergency Management reported late Thursday. Barbara Harris Griffin was known as a loving mother and mentor who adored children, according to her daughter, Kameka Parker. Courtesy of Kameka Parker For most Americans, coronavirus testing has gotten vastly more accessible and speedier since the start of the pandemic. But research has shown that up to 10% of Americans still wait 10 days or more to receive their result. For Barbara Harris Griffin, a 67-year-old Baltimore woman with underlying health conditions, her COVID-19 test results didnt arrive for roughly four weeks by that time she was already in the hospital. Griffin's daughter told Insider if the test results hadnt taken so long, Griffin might have sought treatment sooner. Visit Insider's homepage for more stories. By the time Barbara Harris Griffin received the results from her June 2 coronavirus test, she was already lying in a hospital bed with severe COVID-19 symptoms. Roughly four weeks had passed since she took the test, and the results were long past the point of being useful. The 67-year-old Baltimore woman died on July 16. She was a mother of 12 who was best known for her kind-hearted nature and love of children, her daughter Kameka Parker told Insider. Griffin was widely respected as a mentor and role model for both her own children and others throughout the neighborhood. Her home was "always open to anyone who needed help," her obituary read. Barbara Harris Griffin waited roughly four weeks for her COVID-19 test results to arrive. By the time they did, she was already in the hospital. Courtesy of Kameka Parker "My mom was our world, and she was the best and [most] loving person anyone could have ever met," Parker told Insider. As the weeks throughout June and early July passed, Parker grew concerned about her mother's health, and eventually urged her to get checked out at the hospital. "She called me, and I was like, "Mom, I don't like how you sound.' It just sounded like she was gasping for air," Parker said. Griffin told her, "I don't want to go, because I already know they're going to end up keeping me." Barbara Harris Griffin is pictured with her daughter, Kameka Parker. Courtesy of Kameka Parker But Griffin went, nevertheless. That's when her illness took a turn for the worse, Parker said. First, she wasn't getting enough oxygen. Then, her carbon dioxide took a hit. After that, doctors grew concerned about her kidneys. They placed her on a ventilator. Story continues "It just seemed like every day it was just something going downhill," Parker said. Several days after Griffin was intubated, her heart stopped. Griffin spent weeks waiting for a test result when she could have been seeking treatment instead As a senior citizen and a patient with underlying health conditions, Griffin was already among those in the population most vulnerable to coronavirus complications. But Parker said the weeks-long delay in getting her initial test results back didn't help her mother's chances. Perhaps if that initial test had delivered timely results, Griffin would have sought treatment sooner, her daughter said. Barbara Harris Griffin is survived by 12 children. Courtesy of Kameka Parker Since the early months of the pandemic, coronavirus testing has become much more accessible to Americans across the country. But delays in receiving those test results still persist for many Americans as they did for Griffin. A recent nationwide survey conducted by researchers from Harvard University, Rutgers University, Northeastern University, and Northwestern University revealed that the average wait time for coronavirus test results was four days, but 10% of Americans wait 10 or more days. One Wisconsin man told Insider he took a COVID-19 test in Milwaukee, but then received three different answers from three different government employees in the two-week period after the test was taken. The debacle resulted in confusion over when he could return to work, and whether his results were even accurate. For Griffin, the weeks she spent waiting for test results could have been a valuable opportunity to seek treatment, Parker said. Instead, by the time Griffin arrived in the hospital, it may have been too late. Griffin's hospital experience itself was troubling to Parker, who said it seemed like the hospital didn't have enough personal protective equipment, and that the doctors and staff seemed constantly exhausted and fearful. "You can hear it in the voices of the people when you talk to them," Parker said. "It just seems like there's a lot of healthcare providers who are just frustrated and afraid themselves." Parker said ultimately, Griffin's experience with COVID-19 was a nightmare from the initial delayed test, to the hospital stay, to the medical bills her family will now have to pay out-of pocket. "It ripped my family into pieces," she said. Have you had a frustrating or unique experience with getting a COVID-19 test in the US? Contact this reporter at mmark@businessinsider.com. Read the original article on Insider A Philadelphia man pleaded guilty Thursday to grabbing a woman along a Burlington County highway, dragging her into the woods and trying to sexually assault her before a good Samaritan intervened to thwart the attack. Donald Cramer Jr., 54, will be sentenced to an 18-year state prison term in exchange for pleading guilty to attempted aggravated sexual assault, Burlington County Prosecutor Scott Coffina announced. The woman was walking along Route 73 in Mount Laurel on the afternoon of June 6, 2019, when Cramer grabbed her and pulled her to a wooded section near the I-295 northbound exit ramp, according to authorities. A Burlington County resident, John Bishop, spotted the attack as he was driving by, pulled over and rushed to help. Bishop grabbed Cramer, separated him from the woman and managed to subdue the assailant until Mount Laurel police arrived. I grabbed (Cramer) by the arm and bent it back, Bishop told NBC Philadelphia last year. (I grabbed him) by the back of his pants and I drug him up the hill and threw him to the ground. In a statement announcing the guilty plea, Coffina praised Bishop for intervening in the attack. Mr. Bishops courageous actions are directly responsible for preventing further and more serious harm to the victim, Coffina said. He saw someone who was in trouble and took immediate action. He has set a fine example for all of us to step forward and help our fellow members whenever we can. Cramer was scheduled for sentencing Dec. 10. He remained held at the county jail. Burlington County Assistant Prosecutor LaChia Bradshaw handled the case, which was investigated by the New Jersey State Police and township police. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Noah Cohen may be reached at ncohen@njadvancemedia.com. The leader of one of Solomon Islands nine provinces, Malaita, has said he is organising an independence referendum, possibly to be held within weeks. The separatist threat is the latest in a series of provocations by Malaitan Premier Daniel Suidani, who is being backed by US and Australian imperialism in his campaign against the national governments diplomatic switch from Taiwan to Beijing that was announced in September last year. After diplomatic ties were established between the Solomon Islands and China, Suidani immediately insisted that Malaita province did not recognise the move. He organised pro-Taiwan demonstrations on the island and sought to whip up anti-Chinese sentiment through anti-communist and evangelical Christian, anti-atheist rhetoric. The Malaitan provincial administration has effectively sought to maintain its own foreign policy, coordinating aid and economic assistance from Taipei. Suidani also declared that no Chinese aid projects or economic investment would be permitted on Malaita, and no Chinese nationals would be allowed to visit. The provincial government has created a pogromist atmosphere. A pro-independence outfit Malaita 4 Democracy, issued a threat at the beginning of this month to all ethnic Chinese businesspeople to leave the island within 24 hours. Many shops in the Malaita provincial centre of Auki were boarded up on September 2, before police intervened to prevent attacks. Suidani used as the pretext for the threatened independence referendum the national governments authorisation of a flight on August 31 from Guangzhou, China to Solomon Islands. The Chinese-funded flight carried returning Solomon Islands citizens as well as Chinese aid workers sent to help construct facilities for the 2023 Pacific Games, and the first Chinese ambassador to the country, Li Ming. All passengers tested negative for COVID-19 three times before boarding the flight. Suidani nevertheless attempted to whip up a fear campaign over coronavirus infections. (Solomon Islands is one of the few countries to have avoided any positive cases.) It remains to be seen whether Suidani will be able to proceed with the separatist ballot. Opposition members of the Malaitan provincial legislature have also said they hope to move a no confidence resolution against the premier. The national government has declared the proposed referendum illegal and threatened court action to stop it. Suidanis administration responded with a statement that absurdly accused the elected, multi-party coalition national government of moving into the area of dictatorship; Solomon Islands is slipping into the direction of the one-party system of China. The Malaitan administrations reckless actions threaten a civil war within the impoverished South Pacific country. Between 1999 and 2003, a low-intensity civil war that involved the separatist Malaita Eagle Force militia cost around 200 lives and forced tens of thousands of people to flee their homes. The threat of renewed conflict has been deliberately stoked by the United States, as part of its aggressive drive to undermine Chinas influence in the Pacific. When Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare announced the diplomatic switch from Taipei to Beijing last year, US officials reacted with fury. Vice President Mike Pence cancelled a scheduled meeting with Sogavare at a United Nations meeting, Republican Senator Marco Rubio threatened economic sanctions, and other Republican congressmen demanded that aid be cut-off. These public declarations followed an earlier, highly secretive deployment of US officials to Malaita. Dispatched to the province in August last year, just prior to Sogavares confirmation of the diplomatic switch, members of the Department of State, Department of Defense, Department of Trade, as well as embassy and aid personnel met with Daniel Suidani. No doubt CIA operatives were also represented in the delegation. After the meeting, unusually, no press statements, photographs, or social media posts were issued to explain what had been discussed. Subsequently, Suidani boasted of American support and said he would invite the US and Australian governments to assist with Malaitan security. Solomon Islands is an isolated country of just 600,000 people, with an undeveloped economy largely based on subsistence agriculture. Its location, however, makes it geo-strategically significant. The 194243 Battle of Guadalcanal was among the bloodiest of the US militarys confrontations with Japanese forces during World War II. US imperialisms post-war declaration that the entire Pacific Ocean constituted an American lake, is now threatened by the economic and military rise of China. The US ruling elite is seeking to maintain its Pacific and global hegemony through diplomatic provocations, economic pressure, and threats of military violence. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo signalled a shift towards a de facto regime-change policy against China in a major speech last July. The Solomon Islands government has been targeted for destabilisation and potential removal as part of this campaign. The US Defense Departments annual report to Congress on Chinas military capacity, Military and Security Developments Involving the Peoples Republic of China (PRC) 2020, was issued on September 1. Without presenting any evidence, it accused Beijing of having likely considered twelve countries (among them Sri Lanka, Burma, Indonesia, and Kenya) as potential sites for overseas military bases. The Chinese government, the report alleged, has probably already made overtures to three other countriesNamibia, Vanuatu, and Solomon Islands. The report added: Known focus areas of PLA planning are along the SLOCs [Sea lines of communication] from China to the Strait of Hormuz, Africa, and the Pacific Islands. Washington is accelerating its military buildup in the Pacific. Defense Secretary Mark Esper visited Palau on August 28, a small archipelago chain east of the Philippines with a population of about 20,000 people. The islands, which were a trust territory administered by the US after World War II, received formal independence in 1994 but the state continues to function as an American semi-colony. Palau is one of just four Pacific states that maintain diplomatic relations with Taiwan and not China. Esper used his visit to hypocritically denounce Beijing for its ongoing destabilising activities in the region. The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday that the visit may be followed by the establishment of a permanent US military base: The Republic of Palau has asked the Pentagon to build ports, bases and airfields on the island nation, officials said, offering a boost to US military expansion plans in Asia, as Washington aims to counter China. WASHINGTON - The U.S. Treasury Department on Thursday sanctioned a member of Ukraine's parliament for running an "influence campaign" against former vice president Joe Biden, dubbing the lawmaker "an active Russian agent for over a decade" who has maintained "close connections with Russian intelligence services." The sanctions against Andriy Derkach - who in an attempt to tarnish the Democratic nominee for president released pilfered and edited phone conversations that Biden had years ago with Ukraine's leadership - come less than two months before the 2020 presidential election and mark the most aggressive public action the U.S. government has taken to date to stanch foreign interference ahead of the vote. President Donald Trump's personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani, has met twice with Derkach since late last year and publicized the Ukrainian lawmaker's claims on his podcast and elsewhere, elevating what the Treasury Department has now characterized as a foreign interference campaign by an active Russian agent aimed at influencing the 2020 election. Giuliani met Derkach in Kyiv late last year, just as the House prepared to impeach Trump over a pressure campaign orchestrated by Giuliani to induce the Ukrainian government into announcing probes of Biden. Derkach later visited Giuliani in New York, months before he began releasing the tapes of Biden at news conferences in Kyiv. Derkach "and other Russian agents employ manipulation and deceit to attempt to influence elections in the United States and elsewhere around the world," Treasury Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin said in a statement. "The United States will continue to use all the tools at its disposal to counter these Russian disinformation campaigns and uphold the integrity of our election system." The Treasury Department said Derkach had "directly or indirectly engaged in, sponsored, concealed or otherwise been complicit in foreign interference in an attempt to undermine the upcoming 2020 U.S. presidential election." "Today's designation of Derkach is focused on exposing Russian malign influence campaigns and protecting our upcoming elections from foreign interference," the department said in a statement. "This action is a clear signal to Moscow and its proxies that this activity will not be tolerated." In addition to sanctioning Derkach, the Treasury Department also sanctioned three individuals from the Internet Research Agency, the St. Petersburg-based troll factory that created fake accounts on social media during the 2016 campaign in attempt to influence the election. The department said the three individuals supported the IRA's cryptocurrency accounts, which were used to fund such operations. One of them was also charged with a fraud conspiracy in the Eastern District of Virginia. The sanctions come a day after a senior official at the Department of Homeland Security alleged in a whistleblower complaint he was told to stop providing intelligence reports on the threat of Russian interference in the 2020 election in part because it "made the President look bad." A former member of Ukraine's Russia-leaning Party of Regions, Derkach was educated at the Higher School of the KGB in Moscow before entering business and politics in independent Ukraine after the Soviet Union's collapse. His father was a longtime KGB officer who later ran independent Ukraine's intelligence service in the late 1990s and early 2000s before losing his position amid a scandal over Ukrainian authorities' involvement in the kidnapping and murder of a prominent journalist. Nikolai Lakhonin, a spokesman for the Russian Embassy in Washington, didn't comment on whether Derkach is an active Russian agent and referred questions about him to the Ukrainian Embassy. Lakhonin said that by sanctioning Derkach, the United States was "trying to keep their favorite topic afloat." "In our opinion, these speculations have run their course and they are doing this on purpose in the context of the upcoming U.S. elections in November," Lakhonin said in an email.The Russian government has denied interfering in U.S. elections, despite extensive evidence of the activity presented in a 448-page report by former special counsel Robert Mueller III and a federal indictment that charged 12 named Russian intelligence officers with hacking and releasing emails from Hillary Clinton's campaign manager and the Democratic National Committee in 2016. In a statement to The Washington Post earlier this year, Derkach praised Giuliani for cooperating with his activities and denied working for or with any foreign intelligence agencies, saying such accusations were attempts to stop his work combating international corruption. "There is not a single confirmed or reliable fact of my illegal activity or wrongful connections," Derkach said in the statement. He said many high-ranking officials in countries that were once part of the Warsaw Pact studied at Moscow's premier intelligence academy. The Treasury Department said that all property interests Derkach holds subject to U.S. jurisdiction would be frozen, and U.S. persons would be prohibited from engaging in any transactions with him. The sanctions also block entities that are 50 percent or more owned by him from doing business in the United States. Derkach didn't respond Thursday to a request for comment on the sanctions. Andrew Bates, a spokesman for the Biden campaign, declined to comment. Since last year, Derkach has been running a full-fledged campaign against Biden and former Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko from Kyiv, complete with an English-language website and YouTube channel and a conspiratorial flowchart featuring the former vice president and financier George Soros at the center. The Ukrainian lawmaker called his campaign "DemoCorruption," making an array of spurious allegations - including some that Giuliani helped publicize in the United States - against Biden and U.S. officials who worked with him. In May, he began holding news conferences at which he revealed edited snippets of recordings from telephone conversations Biden had with Poroshenko while leading diplomacy toward Ukraine. According to the Treasury Department, Derkach was waging an influence campaign that cultivated false and unsubstantiated narratives concerning U.S. officials in the 2020 vote and sought to spur corruption investigations in both Ukraine and the United States "designed to culminate prior to election day." The Ukrainian lawmaker's unsubstantiated narratives, the Treasury Department said, were pushed in Western media through coverage of his news conferences and interviews and statements he gave. "Derkach almost certainly targeted the U.S. voting populace, prominent U.S. persons, and members of the U.S. government, based on his reliance on U.S. platforms, English-language documents and videos, and pro-Russian lobbyists in the United States used to propagate his claims," the department said. Derkach's allegations were seized upon by One America News, a favorite network of the president that has featured pro-Trump conspiracy theories. One America News conducted interviews with Derkach and publicized his allegations against Biden, helping inject the narrative the Ukrainian lawmaker was seeking to promote into the American political ecosystem ahead of the election. A spokeswoman for One America News didn't respond to a request for comment. The sanctions have punctuated a political dispute on Capitol Hill, where Democrats have warned that Senate Republicans risk legitimating information from figures like Derkach as part of their probe into the Bidens and Ukraine. "This is, of course, the same Kremlin agent who has been meeting and communicating with the President's personal lawyer and peddling this false information to Congress," House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, D-Calif., said in a statement Thursday. Derkach told The Washington Post and other news outlets that he had also sent materials to Congress in an attempt to spark investigations into his claims there. Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., and Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, who are leading a Senate probe into Biden and Ukraine that the Democrats have decried as an election-year smear, have said they didn't receive any information from Derkach in their probe due to wrap up this month. "Foreign election meddling in all of its forms from any corner of the globe cannot be tolerated. We commend the Trump administration for holding accountable perpetrators of foreign interference," Grassley and Johnson wrote in a statement Thursday. Giuliani did not respond to calls seeking comment other than accidentally dialing a Post reporter Thursday afternoon and not speaking. In an interview with The Post earlier this year, Giuliani said he knew Derkach "quite well" and that the Ukrainian lawmaker "has been very helpful to me." Asked if Derkach, had provided him with materials, Giuliani said, "Oh my God, yeah." Giuliani, who has been trying to spark Department of Justice investigations into Biden, spoke extensively about the documents he received from Derkach. He said Derkach had reviewed and shared prosecutor files in Ukraine. Giuliani denied he was being used as pawn in a Russian influence campaign, saying Derkach didn't seem pro-Russian and appeared to be "totally dedicated to a free Ukraine." The former New York mayor said it would disturb him if Derkach were working for the Russians. "Sure, it'd bother me. It would," Giuliani said. "But I don't depend on his credibility. I depend on the credibility of his documents." In his statement, Schiff took aim at Giuliani without mentioning him by name. "This announcement should serve as a reminder to those in the United States that have elevated Derkach's disinformation and engaged with him and other foreign actors spreading similar false narratives, that their work only advances Vladimir Putin's interests and efforts," Schiff said. "Americans alone should decide American elections." - - - The Washington Post's David L. Stern in Kyiv contributed to this report. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy have completed the second phase of soil treatment at the former Velsicol Chemical Co. plant site in St. Louis. Work began in October 2019 and more than 183,000 pounds of contaminants were removed from a one-and-a-half acre section called Area 2, where chemicals such as DDT and brominated compounds were produced. The agencies used thermal treatment technology to heat the soil and groundwater, capture contaminants and treat them on-site. EPA and EGLE had previously removed 56,000 pounds of contaminants from a smaller parcel known as Area 1 during the first phase of the cleanup, which was completed in October 2018. Thanks to innovative treatment technology and the support of our state and local partners, were removing contamination thats been underground at the Velsicol site for decades, EPA Region 5 Administrator Kurt Thiede stated in a press release. The results weve seen are promising for future cleanup activities that will contribute to a healthier environment for the St. Louis community. Initially, agency officials had expected to remove about four tanker trucks of contaminated material from that portion of Area 2. Instead, a dozen truckloads were filled from sections as deep as 37 feet underground. According to a report issued by EPA contractor CH2M, more than 11.5 million kilowatts of electrical energy was used to heat the soil in the treatment area. Also, more than 4 million gallons of contaminated groundwater was removed. In addition, 15,000 gallons of dense non-aqueous phase liquid, or DNAPL, was removed from the site and trucked to a EPA-licensed commercial facility in Arkansas where it was incinerated. The report concluded by stating the thermal treatment of Area 2 Phase 1 has successfully achieved all required performance and operations goals. EGLE is very pleased with the successful completion of this phase of the thermal treatment at the Velsicol site, EGLE Director Liesl Clark said. We look forward to working with EPA on the implementation of the rest of the cleanup actions at the site to protect the citizens of St. Louis and the environment. The remediation will next move into phase 2 of Area 2, which was the location of the plants DDT manufacturing facility. Heating is scheduled to begin there next spring. The estimated combined cost of the phase 1 and 2 work in Area 2 is $25 million. EPA Project Manager Tom Alcamo plans to ask the federal government for additional funds to finish design work at two more potential source areas located near M-46 and Watson Street. For more information and reports on the remediation taking place at the site, visit www.epa.gov/superfund/velsicol-chemical-michigan . His aunts son, Cody Peterson, posted on Facebook that he was ragged and had been trying to save his familys home for days with few reinforcements and no end in sight. Im too tired to keep going, he wrote. I havent eaten one meal in 60 hours. Firefighters, some with black smudges across their faces, streamed into the fire station in downtown Molalla, then hopped into their cars and themselves began to evacuate. Were falling back, one said as he headed out of town. Vern Sides, 71, a former firefighter for the U.S. Forest Service, watched them go from the parking area of the Ace Hardware where he works, and where he was now planning to spend the next few days camping in his blue Ford truck. He lives in the woods and was betting that his home was going to be destroyed. He choked up as he watched the fire station across the street empty out. They dont have enough manpower, he said. They dont have enough air support. These guys are coming in exhausted. Theyre spent. They dont have anything more to give, but they go out. Elsewhere in the state, crews were still fighting fires and sorting through the devastation from flames that had already passed. In Phoenix, Ore., aerial images showed whole neighborhoods razed to the ground. In areas east of Salem, the state capital, officials warned that more bodies could be discovered as they sifted through the devastation. Gov. Kate Brown of Oregon said it could be days or weeks before officials had a full understanding of the impacts from the fires. New Delhi: Results of Class 10 annual examinations 2016 was officially announced by Jammu and Kashmir State Board of School Education (JKBOSE) on their website. The Class 10 annual examinations results were delayed last year due to unrest, with over 83% of the 58,293 students qualifying for the next class. The students can check their results by logging into Jammu and Kashmir State Board of School Education website and check their results now. Over 98 percent students of class 10 appeared for Class 10 annual examinations 2016 which was held amid tight security arrangements. A total of 30,070 boys and 28,223 girls appeared in the examinations of which 84.61% boys and 81.45% girls passed, JKBOSE chairman Zahoor Ahmad Chatt said in Srinagar. About 30,070 boys and 28, 223 girls appeared in the examinations of which 84.61 per cent boys and 81.45 per cent girls passed, JKBOSE chairman Zahoor Ahmad Chatt said here. He said of the successful candidates, 3413 secured A1 grades 90 to 100 per cent marks, while as many as 7898 students secured A2 grade (80-89 per cent) and 9353 secured B1 grade (70-79 per cent). Steps to download the JKBOSE Class 10 results 2016: # Students can Log on to the official website of the Board, jkbose.co.in # Click on the title Results # Click on the View All link displayed in red at the bottom of this column. You will be directed to a new page. # Click on the link which says Results for Class 10th annual 2016 Kashmir division # Students can enter their roll number and click on submit # A new page will open and your result will be displayed # Students can download and save the result for future purpose The annual examinations of class 10 and 12 were held in the month of November in 2016, the exam was postponed due to the unrest following the killing of the commander of Hizbul Mujahideen Burhan Wani in an encounter. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. - Josua Nghaamwa is an IT innovator who is working hard to better the lives of people living in Africa - The 30-year-old developed a love for technology from a young age and he hopes to use his knowledge to help put Africa on the IT map - The self-taught tech genius developed a device that helps improve network coverage for people who live in rural areas Often when we think about technology we visualise countries like Germany, America and Japan. But, the reality is more and more African countries are joining the big names in the world of tech. One man, Josua Nghaamwa, is proving that Africans have what it takes to make groundbreaking developments in all industries - including IT. Josua, who grew up in Namibia, developed a love for all things technological when he was still in primary school. Soon, his love for technology turned into his career choice. The 30-year-old taught himself how to code and build tech devices. When he was in high school in 2008, Josua designed a cellphone that could communicate across 1 000km without airtime. Josua Nghaamwa is an IT innovator who won the international ICT summit in Cape Town with his device that provides coverage for rural areas. Photo: Supplied. Source: UGC After matric, Josua enrolled at the International Training Lingua College in Windhoek where he eventually obtained a diploma in tnformation Technology. In 2010, Josua discovered that so many people still have trouble with connectivity in villages. so he decided to develop a device that helps improve the signal to poor and rural areas. He said: "I came up with this idea of the Digital Smart Box in 2010 when I was at the village and there was no network, and I had to do my assignment for school. I was left with no choice but to come up with a solution that can save me from poor network connection." Initially, Josua used recycled parts to build the Smart Box and he ended up winning the international ICT summit in Cape Town as well as Go Continental, Africa. Josua dreams of one day having his own IT lab where he can provide opportunities for young people with brilliant ideas. He said: "My dream is to have a lab where young Africans that have brilliant ideas to change our continent and improve ICT infrastructure can come together and make it happen." In other news, YEN.com.gh reported on another inspiring African. Not all children develop at the same speed and some are so ahead of their time that they are dubbed young geniuses. Taida Drucilla Mapara, who resides in Harare, Zimbabwe, is one of those gifted young people. At the age of only 14, the teen is already heading to university after enrolling at Malawi's College of Medicine. Mapara dreams of one day becoming a cardiologist and she is well on her way to realising it. Mapara hails from a poor background but her exceptional intellectual abilities have opened doors for her. Source: YEN.com.gh The two countries held online the 13th round of negotiations regarding the seas beyond the mouth of the Gulf of Tonkin and the 10th round of consultation on cooperation for mutual benefit at sea on Wednesday, according to a Thursday press release from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. They agreed to boost negotiations on the delimitation of sea areas beyond the mouth of the Gulf of Tonkin as planned, and to discuss cooperation and mutual development in the East Sea to proceed as per international law, especially the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), to which both are signatories. The two sides also discussed recent situations in the East Sea and agreed on abiding by the "Agreement on basic principles guiding the settlement of sea issues," restraining from activities that would complicate the situation and maintaining peace and stability in the region. The next rounds of negotiations regarding the seas beyond the mouth of the Gulf of Tonkin and consultations on cooperation for mutual development at sea will be held at an appropriate time, both sides agreed. Vietnam and China had finished negotiations on the delimitation of areas within the mouth of the Gulf of Tonkin and signed a maritime delimitation agreement in 2000. Experts said the Agreement on the Delimitation of the Tonkin Gulf and the Tonkin Gulf Fishery Cooperation Agreement between the two countries have determined clear boundaries and created convenient international legal framework for each to protect, manage, utilize and develop economies in their sea areas and continental shelves within the Gulf of Tonkin. Vietnam and China began negotiations for the delimitation of sea areas beyond the mouth of the Gulf of Tonkin in 2012. They have agreed to continue the discussions twice a year. The two sides have agreed to negotiate step-by-step, quickly perform joint surveillance, create a basis for the promotion of delimitation negotiations for sea areas beyond the mouth of the Gulf of Tonkin and cooperate to mutually develop in the area. The East Sea is known internationally as the South China Sea. Walmart Inc. is entering the drone delivery wars, its latest move to counter Amazon.com Inc.s dominance in e-commerce as more Americans choose to shop from home. The worlds largest retailer said it has started piloting drone delivery of grocery and household items from its stores in Fayetteville, N. C. The automated drones are from Israeli startup Flytrex Aviation Ltd., and can fly about 6.2 miles carrying packages up to 6.6 pounds, according to the companys website. They take off from a landing pad near the store. The move follows Walmarts attempt to counter Amazons popular Prime service with its own membership program, dubbed Walmart+, which debuts Sept. 15. On HoustonChronicle.com: Latest win for Amazon means drone delivery is one step closer to becoming reality The rivals have acquired millions of customers during the pandemic thanks to their low prices and convenient shopping options, and the key now is to hold onto them by making it even easier to purchase the millions of everyday items they carry. Drones can reduce contact between customers and couriers, making them an increasingly popular option for businesses as the coronavirus continues to spread. Amazon has a head start with drones, as last month it became one of only a handful of companies certified by the U.S. government to operate as a drone airline. That allows Amazon to begin its first commercial deliveries in the U.S. under a trial program, using the high-tech devices it unveiled for that purpose last year. Flytrexs drones are part of the Federal Aviation Administrations Unmanned Aircraft System Integration Pilot Program (IPP), which aims to bring together private-sector companies and state and local governments to test drone operations. We know that it will be some time before we see millions of packages delivered via drone, Tom Ward, Walmarts senior vice president of customer products, said in a blog post. That still feels like a bit of science fiction, but were at a point where were learning more and more about the technology that is available and how we can use it to make our customers lives easier. Release Notes: Get Dwight Silvermans weekly tech newsletter in your inbox each Monday Walmart first mentioned that it was testing drones at an investor meeting in October 2017, and in February said that it had drones flying around in some of its Sams Club warehouse locations to help manage inventory. It has also filed patents for systems that would help ensure safe drone drop-offs into customers backyards, including one for a floating blimp-style warehouse. The silence is deafening. And heartbreaking. Waterloo Regional Police Chief Bryan Larkin presented statistics Wednesday, showing that Black people in this community are more likely to have information recorded about them by police. The civilian board that oversees the police learned that over the past 27 months, there were 789 people whose names and identities were recorded by police during investigations, traffic stops and other interactions. These people have not been accused of a crime. However, police say the information helps them solve crimes. Of those 789, 13 per cent were Black, even though the Black community in Waterloo Region is at about three per cent of the total population. Most reasonable people would agree that this information is very disturbing, in this community where many thousands marched in a Black Lives Matter protest, and where so many different voices have called for more anti-racist responses on many issues. So you would think that this civilian board, which includes three elected municipal politicians, would have asked many questions of the chief. But not a single query was made. Yet they are not shy about asking questions on other issues. Board members had many things to say about the items on the agenda at Wednesdays meeting. Just not the ones about race. Woolwich Mayor Sandy Shantz asked whether the police are purchasing electric cars. Ian McLean, president and CEO of the Greater Kitchener Waterloo Chamber of Commerce, asked about the bidding process when police consider buying services or equipment. He was concerned that the information provided to prospective vendors isnt transparent. Karin Schnarr, a recently appointed board member who is a business professor at Wilfrid Laurier University, questioned a sole-source purchase of software, saying she wanted to know why police had not looked for multiple quotes. Tony Giovinazzo, CEO of Activa, asked if a financial contingency is built into the purchase of new software. You get the picture. This is a group of people who see themselves as providing financial oversight and who are interested in what police are buying. But with the exception of McLean, who also asked a technical question about how new technology including artificial intelligence might be used to analyze the race data theyre not showing the same engagement in why the officers behave as they do. It seemed that the only person speaking about race issues was Larkin himself. He said he wants to hire experts to dig deeper into the race data for a profound discussion. Regional Chair Karen Redman chairs the seven-member police board, and said its silence on the racial issue wasnt an indication that were satisfied with the status quo. RELATED STORIES Waterloo Region Chief presents findings that show race-bias to police board But in North American culture, silence is often taken as consent. Somebody needs to let these board members know its not good enough. What if the several dozen local university faculty, who are upset enough about this issue that they have gone on strike from teaching their already beleaguered (and, dare I say, blameless) students this week, instead demanded to speak directly to the police board on the changes they want to see? (Yes, anyone can speak to the police board.) What if everyone who owns a Black Lives Matter T-shirt or lawn sign asked to speak at the next meeting of Waterloo regional council, where they could directly and continuously address the three elected municipal officials on the board (Shantz, Redman and Cambridge regional councillor Karl Kiefer) and ask them to be more engaged? Elected officials understand what it means when hundreds of people take the time to ask for change. Systemic racism in police services is inextricably woven into systemic racism in society. It will take a big push from the public to loosen the knots. In this task, polite silence is not our friend. Brunei's Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah (1st R) meets with visiting Chinese State Councilor and Minister of National Defense Wei Fenghe (2nd R) in Seri Begawan, capital of Brunei, Sept. 9, 2020. (Photo by Xinhua) BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, Sept. 9 -- Brunei's Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah met with the visiting Chinese State Councilor and Minister of National Defense General Wei Fenghe in Bandar Seri Begawan on Wednesday afternoon. Hassanal said that Brunei treats China as an important partner and sincerely thanks the Chinese government and military for providing support and assistance when Brunei was faced with the difficult times of the COVID-19 pandemic. He said the Brunei side is willing to continue to carry out exchange and cooperation with China in the fields of defense, economy and trade, energy, and humanities. He also hoped that the defense departments of the two countries will continue to promote pragmatic cooperation in the exchange of group visits and joint exercises, so as to push forward the continuous development of the China-Brunei strategic partnership of cooperation. Wei Fenghe said that under the guidence of Chinese President Xi Jinping and His Majesty Sultan, the relations between China and Brunei have sustained a great momentum of sound development, setting a model for achieving shared growth through discussion and collaboration among countries under different social systems. China is willing to deepen exchange and cooperation with Brunei in the area of defense to promote constant progress in the mil-to-mil relations between the two countries, said the Chinese defense chief. The stability of the South China Sea is in the common interests of China and Brunei, and the two sides should keep strengthening communication and consultation, promote maritime cooperation, and jointly maintain peace and tranquility in the South China Sea, said Wei. On Wednesday morning, Wei Fenghe held official talks with Bruneis Second Minister of Defense Halbi, and the two sides reached important consensus on maintaining strategic communication and deepening military exchanges and cooperation. Before their talks, Halbi held a welcome ceremony for Wei Fenghe at the compound of Bruneis Ministry of Defense. Chinese State Councilor and Minister of National Defense Wei Fenghe (3rd R) holds talks with Bruneis Second Minister of Defense Halbi (3rd L) at the Ministry of Defense of Brunei in Seri Begawan, capital of Brunei, Sept. 9, 2020. (Photo by Xinhua) Friday, September 11, 2020 Kevin Jae, a member of our Emerging Fellows program inspects the impact of economic inequality on migration in his ninth blog post. The views expressed are those of the author and not necessarily those of the APF or its other members. How does economic inequality affect migration? We can examine the question from two vantage points. The first vantage point will take the international context. As for the second, we will examine the effects of economic inequality on migration from the intra-national context. In the international context, economic inequality and migration seem to be inextricably tied in a cause-and-effect relationship. In a dominant narrative, migration happens because of economic inequality, or the differences between the economically underdeveloped nations and the developed world. In this narrative, there is an inversely proportional relationship between economic development and migration: the less economically developed the nation, the greater the motivation for potential migrants to emigrate and pursue a better livelihood. Pursuing this logic, some politicians, development workers, and scholars advocate for a smart solution to migration by tackling the problem at the roots. They advocate for ideas like circular migration and suggestions for temporary migration, in which international migrants contribute to the development of their home countries through remittances and the development of human capital through their experiences working abroad. These hopes seem justified, given the role of remittances on economic output for some underdeveloped countries. For example, according to the International Labour Organization (ILO), 42% of Tajikistans GDP came from remittances in 2015. More recent scholarship puts the correlation between development and migration into doubt. Actual empirical migration processes hardly conform to this relationship. While it seems rational to assume that people will migrate to improve their long-term material prospects, a more nuanced way of conceptualizing migration takes migratory capabilities into consideration. Realistically speaking, migrants need access to information, personal networks, a certain degree of capital, and skills for the labour market to migrate to another country. Higher levels of human and economic development actually facilitate migration, although migratory aspirations eventually decrease as nations reach developed country status. Empirical data also corroborates this way of theorizing migratory patterns. The largest movement of migrants come from countries like Turkey and Mexico, not from countries like Liberia and Bhutan. Eventually, after a certain level of development, potential migrants will be satisfied with the opportunities available at home and the home country will start to become a destination for migrants. Countries like South Korea, which has traditionally been a sender of migrants, are starting to become a receiving nation. In either case, economic development will lead to migration to a certain extent. Given how vastly unsuccessful development initiatives have been in the past decades, this does not promise to radically increase migrations from the global South to the global North in the future. In the domestic context, economic inequality plays a role in the reception of and the attitudes toward migrants by the local population. Studies suggest that individuals who perceive a lack of control harbour anti-migration sentiments: these individuals often face financial insecurity, feel political alienation, and lack trust in public institutions. As it stands, the general feeling of a lack of control looks to increase in the future. In the current political-economic landscape, there is increasing alienation of citizens from the political process, there are the politics of austerity, and income and wealth inequality are as high as they have been for decades. In the United States, almost 40% of Americans report that they would struggle to meet an unexpected $400 expense. These trends were happening before COVID-19 exacerbated the situation: the wealth of American billionaires has grown $365 billion to $3.65 trillion since the middle of March, while middle-to- low-income families have not fared well. Following the research, we may expect anti-migrant sentiments to increase, along with anti-migrant discourse from political parties, if these trends continue to hold in the future. Economic inequality affects migration in both the international context and the intra-national context. In the international context, economic inequality creates migratory aspirations while limiting migratory capabilities. In the intra-national context, economic inequality sets the ground for nationalist, anti-migration sentiments. This latter point will drive the next article, which will examine future scenarios of migration given a nationalist response. Kevin Jae 2020 Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. 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. Seema Verma, who runs the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services in the Trump administration, spent more than $3.5 million in public funds on outside consultants who worked to boost her public profile and promote her personal brand, according to a congressional investigative report released Thursday. Investigators found that in her first two years in office Verma used CMS funds to retain consultants with strong ties to Republican political circles who arranged media appearances, handled communications and scheduled private meetings, including a Girls Night party at the house of USA Today Washington Bureau Chief Susan Page that cost taxpayers nearly $3,000. The consultants charged up to $380 an hour for their public relations work, and some claimed travel expenses of more than $500 per day, far above the limits set for federal employees. Other eyebrow-raising spending cited by investigators includes $1,700 for arranging lunches for Verma with individuals associated with Fox News, the Washington Examiner and AARP; $977 to place an op-ed written by Verma on Fox News; and $13,000 to place Verma on panels and contend for awards like Washingtonian magazine's "Most Powerful Women in Washington. A group of Democratic lawmakers released a statement Thursday calling on Verma to pay the money back. Our investigation found that Administrator Verma misused funds appropriated by Congress and wasted taxpayer dollars intended to support critical federal health care programs, they said. Congress did not intend for taxpayer dollars to be spent on handpicked communications consultants used to promote Administrator Vermas public profile and personal brand. Administrator Verma has shown reckless disregard for the publics trust. We believe she should personally reimburse the taxpayers for these inappropriate expenditures. This is not the first time critics have raised questions about Vermas use of taxpayer funds. Last year, Politico reported that Verma had filed a request to be reimbursed at public expense for the loss of items stolen from her luggage during a work-related trip. The value of the stolen items totaled $47,000 and included Ivanka Trump-branded jewelry worth nearly $6,000. Get more details on the Verma investigation at Politico. Like what you're reading? Sign up for our free newsletter. WASHINGTON, Sept. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Former Governor of Pennsylvania and first Secretary of U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Thomas J. Ridge, and financier R. Brad Lane expand RIDGE-LANE Limited Partners with a team of distinguished former U.S. Federal Government Officials: Gen. Thomas Bostick : served as the U.S. Army Chief of Engineers and the Commanding General of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) - the senior military officer overseeing and supervising most of the Nation's civil works infrastructure and military construction, hundreds of environmental protection projects, as well as managing 34,000 civilian employees and military personnel in over 110 countries around the world. The Hon. Andrea Thompson : served as Under Secretary at the U.S. Department of State, responsible for cyber security, space, and emerging technologies. She was the Deputy Assistant to the President and National Security Advisor to the Vice President of the United States . Ms. Thompson served as the National Security Advisor for the Chairman, U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Homeland Security and Senior Military Advisor to the Chairman, U.S. House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee. The Hon. David Shulkin : served as Secretary at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, as well as Under Secretary for Health of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, responsible for the nation's largest integrated health care system with 1,200 sites of care, serving over 22 million American veterans and their families. Dr. Shulkin served as CEO Beth Israel Health System, Chief Medical Officer of the University of Pennsylvania Health System, as well as Chairman of Medicine and Vice Dean at Drexel University School of Medicine. The Hon. Gary Locke : served as Secretary at the U.S. Department of Commerce, where led the National Export Initiative to double American exports, and the Export Control Reform to make U.S. companies more competitive by easing their licensing burden for high-tech exports to partners and allies. He served as the U.S. Ambassador to China , opening markets for U.S.-made goods and services, as well as shaping policy for trade, regulation, and cross-border investment at the local, state, national, and international levels. The Hon. Thomas Vilsack : served as Secretary at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), where he developed policy and initiatives to support farmers, ranchers and growers - making record investments in rural communities to provide a nutritious food supply for the American people. He strengthened the global agricultural economy, created new markets for innovation, and made sustainability a key pillar of focus. The Hon. Craig Fugate : served as Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), where he awarding more than $19 billion in preparedness grants, investing more than $7 billion into hazard mitigation, enhanced technology and innovation that led the federal government to open-source its data for the public to make use of it, which fostered a community-oriented approach to build sustainable and resilient communities. Victor Mendez : served as Deputy Secretary at the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT), where he was the Chief Operating Officer, responsible for day-to-day operations of the 10 modal administrations and the work of more than 55,000 USDOT employees nationwide and overseas. He focused on ensuring the safety, efficiency, and modernization of America's transportation system, which plays a key role in economic development. Adm. Dennis McGinn : served as Assistant Secretary for Energy, Installations and Environment at the U.S. Department of Navy (DN), where he led the transformation of naval installations toward greater mission resiliency though energy efficiency, renewable energy, microgrids, and other clean technologies. He served as Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Warfare Requirements and Programs, overseeing the development of future Navy capabilities. Jim Williams : served as Acting Administrator at U.S. General Services Administration (GSA), which is America's only agency dedicated solely to procuring goods and services across all of the federal government, with an operating budget of $20 billion , annual procurement of $66 billion , including responsibility for management of $500 billion in U.S. federal property. He served as Commissioner of Federal Acquisition Service (FAS), led IRS Procurement, and served as Director of U.S. Department of Homeland Security US-VISIT. Dr. Jennifer Ricklin : served as Chief Technology Officer (CTO) at the Air Force Research Laboratory, with responsibility for providing strategic vision and guidance of their $5.2B technology portfolio. She was Chief Scientist & Director of the Homeland Security Advanced Research Projects Agency (HSARPA), a Program Manager at Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), and a Senior Adviser to the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Research & Engineering with a mandate to establish the Defense Innovation Unit (DIUx/DIU). Dr. John Zangardi : served as Chief Information Officer (CIO) at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), where he led initiatives for implementation of advanced cybersecurity technology, cloud computing and data analytics, identity management and telecommunications. He served as Chief Information Officer and Principal Deputy CIO at the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), as well as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Information Operations, and Space (DASN C4I, IO, and Space). Peter Tseronis : served as Chief Technology Officer (CTO) at the U.S Department of Energy (DOE), where he developed a technology roadmap that promoted information sharing across public and private sectors, created a technology summit series to foster innovation within national laboratories, DOE program offices and private sector. He served as Federal IPv6 Task Force chair, Energy.Data.Gov co-chair, Cloud First Task Force chair, and led improvements to the acquisition process resulting in advances in policy, mandates, and new initiatives. Chris Cummiskey : served as Under Secretary for Management and Chief Acquisition Officer at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), where he had department-wide responsibility for budget/finance, security, cyber, information technology, human capital, administration, and $19 billion in annual procurement. He co-led the Executive Steering Committee on the National Cybersecurity Protection System, and the Executive Steering Committee on Cyber Strategy, as well as the oversight committee on the implementation of the President's Executive Order on Cybersecurity. "The U.S. Federal Government is one of the largest customers of products and services in the world, spending in excess of $600 billion on private sector contracts annually. Successfully navigating that market, including: regulations, certifications, authority to operate, GSA schedules and agency-specific contract vehicles, competitive RFP's, agency priorities and decision makers, as well as legislative mandates and mission requirements can be a formidable task for emerging growth companies" said R. Brad Lane, CEO of RIDGE-LANE LP. "Our distinguished team brings an unparalleled breadth and depth of experience and relationships spanning all Federal agencies civilian, defense and intelligence bridging private innovation, public administration and acquisitions expertise, which will accelerate the speed and scale of procurement for our private sector clientele, who have developed novel technology solutions to grand challenges addressing critical needs of the public and society as a whole." RIDGE-LANE Limited Partners is a venture development firm focused on root-cause solutions to grand challenges in Education, Sustainability, and Information Technology with a team of General Partners, Venture Partners, and Senior Advisors who have served at the highest levels of finance, government, and the military. We create value for our clients and society by bridging the gaps between private-sector innovation, investment capital, policy and procurement across the Federal, State, and Local levels: an innovation ecosystem, providing corporate development to commercialize and scale novel technology companies, as well as place-based solutions that improve cities and quality of life. Innovators tackling grand societal challenges: [email protected] For more information visit: www.RIDGE-LANE.com SOURCE Ridge-Lane Limited Partners Related Links www.ridge-lane.com Jupiter could now be facing some of its own global warming issues. It turns out that Jupiters moons could be warming each other, in what is known as a process called tidal heating. This where Jupiter and its moons interact with each other during gravitational tugs which sees the planet and the moon exert pressure in either direction. Till now, it was believed that the planet itself was responsible for the tidal heating process, but the newest research indicates that moon to moon interactions are responsible for the heating up. The new study published in the Geophysical Research Letters suggest that some of Jupiters otherwise icy moons contain interiors warm enough to host oceans, which means liquid water. Maintaining subsurface oceans against freezing over geological times requires a fine balance between internal heating and heat loss, and yet we have several pieces of evidence that Europa, Ganymede, Callisto and other moons should be ocean worlds. Io, the moon closest to Jupiter, shows widespread volcanic activity, another consequence of tidal heating, but at a higher intensity likely experienced by other terrestrial planets, like Earth, in their early history, says Antony Trinh, a postdoctoral research fellow in the Lunar and Planetary Lab and the co-author of the study, as reported by Phys.org. The study says that when the tides generated by other objects in Jupiters moon system match each moons resonant frequencies, the moon will start to heat up. This results in melting of ice or rock internally. These tides can raise more heating than the tides raised by Jupiter. Basically, if you push any object or system and let go, it will wobble at its own natural frequency. If you keep on pushing the system at the right frequency, those oscillations get bigger and bigger, just like when youre pushing a swing. If you push the swing at the right time, it goes higher, but get the timing wrong and the swings motion is dampened, says Hamish Hay, now a postdoctoral fellow at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. He is the lead author of the study. Another study led by Edward Ashton from the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of British Columbia, suggests that Jupiter may have as many as 600 small irregular moons orbiting it. Former Maharashtra chief minister and Leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis on Friday said that the Uddhav Thackeray-led MVA government in the state failed in effectively defending Maratha reservation before the Supreme Court. He said that the state government should have focused more on the legal matter and should now take the development as a lesson for future planning. He also said that approaching Chief Justice of India Sharad Bobde to vacate the stay is the only option left before the state. Tamil Nadu and our situation is the same. Despite that, while referring to the constitutional bench, the apex court didnt stay the reservation declared by them but in our case, it was stayed. We need to see where we lacked in explaining the case effectively before the apex court, Fadnavis said while speaking to reporters in Delhi on Friday. The only way left before us is to approach the Chief Justice of India and request him to vacate stay on Maratha reservation as there is no difference between our case and that of Tamil Nadu. The state should also request him to club both the cases, he added. The Supreme Court on Wednesday stayed the Maratha quota in jobs and education while referring it to the constitutional bench. It is being seen as a major setback to the MVA government and the Opposition leaders are blaming the government for that. The state government is also planning to file an appeal against the three-bench judgement. Responding to former revenue minister and senior leader Eknath Khadses allegations that Fadnavis dislodged him from electoral politics as he was the main contender for the post of the chief minister in the state, Fadnavis said Khadse was forced to resign from his position over allegations of purchase of plot of Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC), a state-run corporation, by one of his family members. The case was filed against him following directives of the Bombay high court. There is no need to create confusion among people as Khadse ji was forced to resign in MIDC land purchase case and not in Manish Bhangare case, as he claims. The retired judge who probed the allegations submitted a report to the state but by then, a corruption case was filed against him following directives of the high court. This is also the reason the report could not be tabled before the state legislature. People will know the reality once the report is made public, Fadnavis clarified. Fadnavis also said that the matter between him and Khadse will be sorted out by discussion. Khadse ji is our senior leader and if he is unhappy we will sit together and resolve the issue. After all, it is a family matter, he said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON STOCKHOLM, Sept. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, SCA decided to discontinue the production of publication paper and to invest SEK 1,45bn in the production of chemically pre-treated thermo-mechanical pulp (CTMP) at the Ortviken industrial site in Sundsvall. The decision has been preceded by consultations with employee representatives. The proposed restructuring plan for Ortviken paper mill was announced on August 26. Following the conclusion of negotiations with employee representatives regarding the closure of publication paper production, consultations will now commence regarding the consequences of this closure for the employees. Approximately 800 employees are affected, most of whom are located at the Ortviken paper mill. "Publication paper is a product with a declining market and we now entirely leave this product area, this enables us to focus on products with healthy growth and good prospects for the future," says Ulf Larsson, SCA's CEO. "The plans we are now carrying out will have significant impact and now, together with representatives of our employees, we will seek the best possible solutions for those affected." For further information, please contact Bjorn Lyngfelt SVP Communications +46 (0)70-626-82-23 The core of SCA's business is the forest, Europe's largest private forest holding. Around this unique resource, we have built a well-developed value chain based on renewable raw material from our own and others' forests. We offer paper for packaging and print, pulp, wood products, renewable energy, services for forest owners and efficient transport solutions. In 2019, the forest products company SCA had approximately 4,000 employees and sales amounted to approximately SEK 19.6bn (EUR 1.9bn). SCA was founded in 1929 and has its headquarters in Sundsvall, Sweden. For more information, visit www.sca.com Svenska Cellulosa Aktiebolaget SCA Skepparplatsen 1 SE-851 88 Sundsvall, Sweden Tel: +46-60-19-30-00 www.sca.com This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com https://news.cision.com/sca/r/sca-discontinues-publication-paper-and-invests-in-pulp-production,c3192949 The following files are available for download: https://mb.cision.com/Main/600/3192949/1305577.pdf Press release (PDF) SOURCE SCA On Sept. 11, 2001, I was 11 years old, in a Muslim school in northern New Jersey, just a few minutes drive from lower Manhattan where the Twin Towers burned. My dad worked as a driver in that area, so when the planes crashed and my school was evacuated, all I could think about was if Id ever get to see my dad again. He made it home eventually, but many others didnt. I remember feeling that day that I was under attack as an American. Advertisement In the next few days, Id feel under attack as a Muslim. Our imam at our masjid brought to the prayer a big box stuffed with tiny American flags. He told us that if any of us felt unsafe, we could hang these flags out of our cars or out of our homes. Stories about Muslim women in hijabs and Muslim men with big beards being accosted in the street in hateful revenge attacks became commonplace. An FBI hotline was flooded with anonymous tips96,000 of them in the week after the attacksand the bar for being suspicious felt as low as being visibly Muslim. It didnt feel safe to be Muslim outside of the mosque. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement All over the country, not just my corner of Jersey, hate crimes against Muslimsand anyone perceived to be Muslimsoared in the days after 9/11. The White House sought to stave off a full-blown wave of violence. President George W. Bush quickly made the distinction between Muslim Americans and the terrorists who attacked us. On Sept. 17, Bush famously gave a speech from inside the Islamic Center of Washington. The face of terror is not the true faith of Islam, he said. Thats not what Islam is all about. Islam is peace. Hed go on to reaffirm this position several times in the weeks after, saying, The war against terrorism is not a war against Muslims, nor is it a war against Arabs. Another time: The terrorists are traitors to their own faith, trying, in effect, to hijack Islam itself. The enemy of America is not our many Muslim friends. And: The Muslim faith is based upon peace and love and compassion. The exact opposite of the teachings of the al-Qaida organization, which is based upon evil and hate and destruction. Advertisement Advertisement But as he made those speeches, his administration was beginning to roll out its signature Patriot Act, which gave the government power to lawfully surveil Americans with no probable cause, monitor their phone and email communications, collect bank information and transactions, and track anyones internet activity. Muslim Americans, and people who could be mistaken for Muslim like Sikhs and Indians, became terrorism suspects. The Bush administration also rounded up thousands of Muslims suspected of terrorism for having jobs or living in an apartment with other Muslims; they were brutalized and humiliated by their arresting agents. The government also produced a no-fly list that was so carelessly thrown together that it included many children under the age of 5. In 2002, the New York Police Department assembled a surveillance team that mapped Muslim communities, even in New Jersey, like they were enemy combatants. The program famously produced zero leads on terrorist activities, but did irrevocable damage to the relationship between Muslim Americans and law enforcement. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Even as a preteen, I didnt believe Bush when he preached acceptance of Muslims. Just experiencing the humiliation of allotting time for interrogation at the airport was enough to understand his words were empty. My teenage brother was on the no-fly list, and wed have to wait while he was taken to what we darkly joked was the Mohammed room. I remember going through mental gymnastics, telling myself that GWB sucks but America rules. In New Jersey, I felt vulnerable to law enforcement, but I thought my neighbors had my back. Theyd known and respected us as valuable members of the community long before 9/11. I was more worried about the Americans who werent interacting with Muslims regularlywhat would they do? Advertisement But for me, it helped that Bush said, We do not fight Islam. We fight against evil. That gave me just enough room to blame the government for bad policies and not give up on the country entirely. It didnt matter whether or not Bush believed what he was preaching. The implication was that if he were to say outright that we were at war with Islam, itd hurt him politically. Surely the public would be horrified if he were openly to declare war on millions of Muslims and encourage violence against them. Even if his government produced racist and xenophobic policies, I could still convince myself that the country at large accepted me. Advertisement Advertisement That illusion fell apart with Donald Trumps victory in 2016. Advertisement One of Trumps signature promises at the start of his campaign was to outright ban Muslims from entering the United States, dangerously conflating Muslims generally with terrorists. Donald J. Trump is calling for a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our countrys representatives can figure out what the hell is going on, he said. He barely got the last words out before he was drowned out by raucous applause. As a Muslim American, I felt under attack again. Saying Muslims instead of terrorists was no accident. It was a choice that gave his supporters a broader view of who exactly they should see as the enemy, putting all people who identify as Muslims in the same group. Still, I thought, there was no way enough Americans would excuse that kind of animosity toward their Muslim neighbors and vote him in, right? But they did. Advertisement Advertisement After Trumps win, Im learning the value of lip service. To be clear: Bush did enormous harm to Muslims in America, and his record is indefensible. But that little bit of affirmation that we werent the enemy, even if it was superficial, protected me from feeling entirely cast out as an American. It made me feel safe. At least elected officials acknowledged they understood there was a difference between Islam and terrorism, even if their policies often blurred those lines. But with Trump, the line has vanished. After spiking in 2001, the number of physical assaults against Muslims would only again rise to that level after Trump announced his plan to ban Muslims in 2015. This time, the point was not to stave off violence, but to stoke it. Advertisement Trumps travel ban is arguably nowhere near as consequential as Bushs Patriot Act. For the average Muslim American citizen, Bushs policies were much more dangerous. But Trump has pushed the Overton window for what is acceptable to say out loud about Muslim Americans. Bushs words, as hollow as they now seem, gave me a reason to believe that there were adults in the White House who felt responsible for how their words affected the people around me. I can only imagine how Trumps cavalier xenophobia would have worsened the way Muslim Americans experienced 9/11. What if he had told his supporters that Muslims in Jersey, where I was, were celebrating the attack? Still, the presidents hateful rhetoric has backfired in one important way: It drove Muslims to run for seats of power. His victory in 2016 is what inspired Muslim congresswomen Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib to run in 2018. That year, a record-breaking 100 Muslims ran for office. And as the representation and power of the Muslim American diaspora grows, were finally getting to speak for ourselves. A Wilderness of Error, the new FX miniseries directed by Marc Smerling and premiering Sept. 25, tackles one of the most-argued-about mysteries in the history of true crime. At issue is who killed Colette MacDonald and her two young daughters in Fort Bragg, North Carolina, in 1970. Her husband, Jeffrey MacDonald, is currently serving three consecutive life sentences in federal prison for the murders, but he has long maintained his innocence, and he has his champions. Among them is Errol Morris, the Academy Awardwinning documentary film director whose work includes The Thin Blue Line, The Fog of War: Eleven Lessons From the Life of Robert S. McNamara, and Gates of Heaven. In 2012, Morris published a book about the MacDonald case, from which this documentary takes its title. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Whats really interesting about the Jeffrey MacDonald murder case, says Morris in an interview during the first episode of A Wilderness of Error, is how many, many people have gone back over this. Its a case that resists definitive explanations. Most true crime documentaries offer a twist or two, but this one, which begins with a basic description of the initial investigation, is a labyrinth because thats what the case itself is. Here are a few things to keep in mind while watching A Wilderness of Error. (To avoid spoilers, were withholding our review of the five-episode series until after the finale airs.) Sign up for the Slate Culture newsletter The best of movies, TV, books, music, and more, delivered to your inbox three times a week. We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try again. Please enable javascript to use form. Email address: Send me updates about Slate special offers. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms Sign Up Thanks for signing up! You can manage your newsletter subscriptions at any time. The crime scene was a mess. Much of the debate the MacDonald murders have generated can be traced back to the lack of trustworthy physical evidence from the MacDonald home, where Colette and her daughters were killed. Military police handled the initial investigation, allowing many people, including random gawkers, into the house, contaminating the scene. Several key pieces of evidence vanished. As a result, the arguments for MacDonalds guilt or innocence relies to a large extent on which witnesses can be judged credible. Nevertheless, Morris book devotes considerable attention to such forensic evidence as fibers, much of which is not addressed by the miniseries.* Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement There are takes on takes on takes with this thing. The FX miniseries takes a skeptical look at Morris position on MacDonalds guilt. (Morris tells the filmmakers that while he cant be certain MacDonald is innocent, he nevertheless believes that he is.) Morris book criticizes Janet Malcolms The Journalist and the Murderer, which in turn scrutinized the work of yet another journalist, Joe McGinniss, who wrote a bestselling book on the crime, Fatal Vision. A docudrama based on McGinniss book was televised in 1984 and watched by millions of viewers. MacDonald sued McGinniss for fraud for pretending to believe in his innocence while researching the book and enjoying extensive access to the defense team during the trial, only to publish a book asserting MacDonalds guilt and accusing him of being a psychopath hopped up on diet pills. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement MacDonalds version of events sounded a lot less preposterous in 1970 than it does now. MacDonald claimed that he awoke in the early hours of the morning to find four hippie intrudersthree men and a womanin his house. He said he struggled with the men and was knocked out, but not before hearing his attackers chant, Acid is groovy, kill the pigs. An excellent documentary that aired on Inside Edition in 1989 does a better job of conveying the gritty street life in the area at that time, which featured heavy use of multiple hard drugs, many Vietnam War veterans with histories of violence, and nihilistic dabbling in satanism and the occult. The Manson family murders had been committed in Los Angeles six months earlier. On the other hand, a magazine with a feature story about the Manson killings was found in the MacDonald house and might have given MacDonald the idea for his story. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The anxiety of influence may shape what well see. A Wilderness of Error is directed by Marc Smerling, co-writer and co-producer of 2015s The Jinx, the HBO true crime documentary series about accused murderer Robert Durst. Anyone whos seen Morris seminal 1988 documentary film The Thin Blue Line, a movie that helped free an innocent man from death row in Texas, can see how powerfully The Jinx was influenced by such signature Morris techniques as the repeated use of stylized reenactments. But The Jinx came under heavy criticism for its gratuitous use of such reenactments (including from me). Meticulous to a fault, Morris uses reenactments to illustrate key points in witness testimony, often to highlight contradictions and inconsistencies. Like The Jinx, the FX miniseries is much, much looser in its deployment of reenactments, relying on them to generate atmosphere and chills at the risk of seeming to endorse particular versions of events. Early scenes of Morris sitting down to be interviewed on camera suggest hell be subjected to some grilling, the master placed on the hot seat by a disciple. Will he feel betrayed? If so, it will be far from the first time that someone drawn into this case ended up believing hed been double-crossed. The clashes continued for most of the night. Missile defence system in a state of alert to counter an "air attack". Government sources claim that most of the missiles have been shot down. In recent weeks, military operations by the Israeli army against Damascus and its allies, Iran and the Lebanese Hezbollah have intensified. Aleppo (AsiaNews / Agencies) - During the night and until the early hours of the morning, the Syrian anti-air defence remained on high alert to counter an external "air attack" near Aleppo, a northern metropolis once the economic and commercial capital of the country. According to experts, cited by the official agency Sana, the Israeli army was behind the attack, a protagonist in the past of targeted military operations in Syrian territory. "At 1.30 am local time - explains a note from the agency - the Zionist enemy conducted an aerial attack, with the aim of hitting the surroundings of the city of Aleppo with a wave of missiles", as confirmed by an anonymous "military source". It does not explain in detail the position or positions targeted, but adds that the anti-aircraft defense batteries activated and "shot down" most of the missiles. According to reports from the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (Osdu), in recent weeks there have been several air raids on Syrian territory, many of which have been attributed to Israeli forces. The attacks targeted positions south of Damascus, in central Syria or in the far eastern sector, on the border with Iraq, hitting and killing pro-Iranian militiamen or government soldiers. Israel has declined to comment on the attack. But in the past, Tel Aviv has carried out military operations against military targets in Damascus and its allies, Iran and the Lebanese Hezbollah, claiming them at a later time or years later. Tehran has supported the Syrian government during these nine years of war, sending hundreds of military experts and thousands of men. The Islamic Republic would have used the conflict to build a military base, used in collaboration with Syrian soldiers. Flared up in March 2011 with the repression of pro-democracy movements, the conflict in Syria has turned into a proxy war with the involvement of regional and world powers. To date, nearly 400,000 victims and millions of internally displaced persons and refugees have been registered. I have spent the better part of three days trying to imagine what went on in the former vice presidents head as he improvised this strange moment of retail politics. There must have been a fear of seeming rude, followed by and for an elderly male presidential candidate, maybe this would have been worse a fear of seeming wimpy. Hypochondriacal. Unmasculine. Whatever he said next needed to de-wimpify the situation, and by that standard youve got some guns was actually sort of brilliant in everything it invoked: Muscles. Firearms. Testosterone. Ego. Plus a working knowledge of contagion, a biceps being a less high-touch surface than a palm. South Africa: MEC to inspect renovations at Margate Airport KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs, Nomusa Dube-Ncube, is expected to inspect renovations at the Margate Airport. The MEC is expected to inspect the airport which falls under the Ray Nkoyeni Local Municipality on the South Coast on Saturday. The department has injected R10 million into the renovation of the airport which has created much needed jobs for local communities. Speaking ahead of the visit, Dube-Ncube said the department is committed to modernising the provinces small airports, not only to allow for an easy flow of passengers and tourists to various corners of the province, but also to make airports attractive destinations for future investments. As part of Heritage and Tourism Month activation, the MEC said the department will also visit a range of caves at KwaXolo, South Coast. This is a must see tourism feature which boast San paintings that are more than 100 000 years old. This is rich heritage and history we are using to stimulate tourism for the benefit of rural communities, Dube-Ncube said on Friday. She also pointed out that since the opening up of inter-provincial leisure travel; the department has been inundated with bookings from tourists from across the country. The MEC said that the department is working with municipalities across the province to ensure that local communities are brought into the mainstream tourism. The success of tourism will be judged by how much it is contributing towards our efforts aimed at substantially reducing poverty, inequality and unemployment in our country. More inclusive growth in the tourism sector will assist us enormously in our pledge to address inequality through radical economic transformation, Dube-Ncube said. To achieve inclusive growth, the department is ensuring that all spheres of government work towards increasing the number of tourism programmes and projects that are led by, and benefit communities. This will lay the foundation for real transformation to take root on the ground. Dube-Ncube will be joined by MEC for Transport, Community Safety and Liaison Bheki Ntuli and local leadership during the inspection. Local Government Tourism Capacity Building Programme Meanwhile, Dube-Ncube said the department is intensifying the roll-out the Local Government Tourism Capacity Building Programme for tourism practitioners and communities. She said the programme aims to ensure that the province is amongst the top tourist destinations. To achieve this vision, we have focused on enhancing our destination by improving infrastructure at various tourism magnets across local municipalities, she said. SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2020-09-11. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Ukrainian farmers have started gathering corn in eight regions, threshing the first 107,000 tonnes of corn from an area of 25.8 thousand hectares, according to the press service of the Ministry for Development of Economy, Trade and Agriculture of Ukraine. As of September 10, Ukrainian farmers gathered 43.4 million tonnes of main crops from an area of 12.3 million hectares, including 38.7 million tonnes of grain and legumes crops from an area of 9.8 million hectares (64% of the projected area). Also, Ukrainian farmers have already threshed 138.3 thousand tonnes of millet from an area of 80.6 thousand hectares (54% of the forecast); 46.8 thousand tonnes of buckwheat from an area of 36 thousand hectares (46%); 1.98 million tonnes of sunflower seeds from an area of 1.2 million hectares (19%); 217.9 thousand tonnes of soybeans from an area of 123.7 thousand hectares (9%). As reported by Ukrinform, the Ukrainian Agribusiness Club (UCAB) downgraded its forecast for the gross yield of late crops in 2020. In particular, the forecast for the corn harvest was reduced from 35.1 million tonnes to 32 million tonnes. According to the State Statistics Service, Ukraine harvested 35.8 million tonnes of corn for grain in 2019. iy Independent Cuban journalist Roberto de Jesus Quinones has at last been reunited with his family after a year of undue suffering as a prisoner of conscience in Cuba. While relieved at his release, the United States repeats its strong condemnation of his unjust imprisonment for the simple act of doing his job, said Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in a statement. On August 7, 2019, the Cuban regime convicted Quinones on dubious charges of resistance and disobedience and sentenced him to one year in a labor camp. His detention and trial were marked by flagrant disregard for legal norms. Cuban authorities did not inform Quinones of the charges against him until minutes before the trial and did not permit him legal representation in the courtroom. The regimes prosecutors prevented Quinones from presenting evidence of his injuries at the hands of the police who arrested him. In March, he was denied parole. It is disgraceful that the Cuban regime incarcerated a journalist whose only crime is working for a more transparent society, said Secretary Pompeo. It is also unsurprising. The regime uses any excuse to silence its critics and to violate human rights, including the rights to freedom of expression and to fair trial guarantees. Cuba remains the most restricted climate for the press in the Americas, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists. The same organization ranks Cuba among the top ten most censored countries. Print and broadcast media are wholly controlled by the Cuban Communist government and, by law, must be in accordance with the goals of the socialist society. The United States calls on its democratic partners across the globe to make respect for human rights, including freedom of the press, a prerequisite for any dealings with Cuba. Year-Over-Year Trends Restaurant sales improved again in August. But even though Augusts same-store sales growth is the best result for the industry since February, it revealed a slowdown in the pace of restaurant recovery. This latest Black Box Intelligence data suggests that in upcoming months, and likely into 2021, the recovery will continue to look more like a sluggish climb instead of the rebound to pre-COVID sales levels wed all like to see. Although the economy is recovering, millions of people remain unemployed, extended government relief packages are still up in the air and consumer confidence continues to be extremely low. This combination of factors supports the notion that restaurant sales are not going to fully recover for quite some time. At least, not until these obstacles are eliminated. The current uncertainty caused by this unique environment is reflected in the latest guest sentiment numbers from Black Box Guest Intelligence. Despite the improvement in sales, guest intent to return sentiment indicates consumers are cautious and not ready to go back to restaurants at the same pace as before, even if they are having positive experiences when interacting with restaurants. Guest sentiment improved in August year over year based on restaurant food, beverages and ambiance. In the case of service, though faced with the many challenges of providing a good experience in the middle of a pandemic while juggling the heightened health and cleanliness concerns, restaurants have managed to keep their service sentiment less than one percentage point lower than it was in August of 2019. Not a small feat by any means in this environment. The only other area, besides intent to return, in which guest sentiment dropped in August was value. Restaurant average guest checks have been growing at an accelerated pace year over year since the beginning of the pandemic. Guests are noticing and letting their online voices be heard about it. Connecting the Dots Not surprisingly, service net sentiment in full-service restaurants dropped rapidly during the first months of the pandemic. At this point, restaurant operations focused almost exclusively on off-premise and the restaurant experience got relegated to curbside pickups and delivery. Naturally, more important concerns in light of the crisis, such as cleanliness and safety, took center stage in the mind of guests. But service sentiment has steadily been improving since then as dining rooms began to open. An important finding regarding these service scores is the gaps that exist at different levels of sales performance. In the case of top performing full-service restaurant companies, the 25% with the best same-store sales results during July and August, service net sentiment improved by 19 percentage points compared to their Q2 scores. Though also improving service sentiment, in the case of bottom performing companies (those with the lowest 25% of same-store sales growth) their service net sentiment improved by only 12 percentage points in July and August compared to their Q2 scores. In other words, those restaurant companies that are experiencing smaller losses in sales seem to have made the adjustments required by the new environment to allow for quicker improvements in their service perception by guests. Black Box Intelligence research in recent months has highlighted the improvement in ambiance scores driven mainly because an improvement in cleanliness scores. At the industry level, both sales and ambiance sentiment have improved. But what is the relationship at the brand level between sales performance and cleanliness perception? And does cleanliness have the same impact on sales for full-service and limited-service restaurants? By July, when dine-in operations were allowed for the vast majority of the country, the data showed that those restaurant brands in the top 25% of same-store sales performance had better cleanliness scores that those that were in the bottom 25% of sales. Furthermore, although this relationship held for both full-service and limited-service restaurants, the gap in performance was much higher in full-service. While top performing limited-service brands based on sales had cleanliness scores that were 2 percentage points better than those with the worst sales growth rates, the gap in cleanliness scores between top and bottom performers in full-service was a much larger 8 points. Given the nature of the restaurant experience when dining in at a full-service restaurant compared to the typical limited-service interaction, which more often than not is through a drive thru window or picking up food to go, guests ascribing a larger premium to cleanliness scores in top performers in full-service makes sense. Cleanliness is undoubtedly important, today more than ever, but guests seems to think it is even more important when sitting down inside a dining room for an extended period. Top DMAs From the list of the 25 largest markets in the country, the four that improved their restaurant same-store sales the most in August compared to Julys performance were New York, Philadelphia, Phoenix and San Francisco. And three of those DMAs are well represented as leading the country in terms of highest guest sentiment for each of the attributes of the restaurant experience. In the case of Phoenix, not only is it one of the DMAs that improved its performance the most, but it is also one of only 9 of those major markets that had same-store sales growth better than -10% during August. Restaurants in Phoenix seem to have been successful in meeting guest expectations and this superior sentiment appears to be rewarded with better sales. Guests in Phoenix had the highest sentiment based on the key attributes of service and intent to return, as well as beverages. San Francisco was the major market with the highest guest sentiment based on ambiance. In recent months improvements in ambiance have been driven by improvements in cleanliness scores, and thus is now considered to be a key attribute guests are considering when making their dining decisions. Philadelphia was the major DMA with best net sentiment scores based on restaurant value. On the other hand, things are not boding well for Cleveland. Of only four major markets in the country that saw their same-store sales worsen during August compared to Julys year over year growth, Cleveland was the one that suffered the largest loss in sales growth during the month. Meanwhile, guests in this market expressed the lowest intent to return sentiment during August. Unmet guest expectations there could spell continued difficulties in weeks ahead for those restaurant companies operating in Cleveland. Sales Impacted by Cleanliness and Service Restaurants with better sales results seem to be managing service expectations rather well, especially considering the current landscape. Challenges for operators abound, but those who remain vigilant about maintaining consistency in their restaurants, especially in regard to cleanliness and service, will continue to receive online praise and support from their guests, and much needed incremental sales. The Restaurant Guest Satisfaction Snapshot is produced by data from Guest Intelligence, a Black Box Intelligence Product. Guest Intelligence is tracking over 192 brands to benchmark customer satisfaction and is the only online tool that integrates with operational performance data to validate the impact on financial performance. The algorithm determining ranking brands is based on sentiment and determined by Black Box Guest Intelligence. Brands included in this monthly snapshot must have a total of at least 250 mentions for the month. Restaurants must have a minimum number of units to be eligible as well. DMA rankings consider only the largest 25 areas. Black Box Intelligence (formerly TDn2K) is the leading data and insights provider of workforce, guest, consumer and financial performance benchmarks for the hospitality industry. The Black Box Intelligence product suite is the industry standard for operators seeking to achieve best-in-class performance results. With the largest and most reliable set of real restaurant data in the marketplace, Black Box Intelligence currently tracks and analyzes more than 290 brands, 2.5 million employees, 50,000 restaurant units and $76 billion in annual sales revenue. Black Box Intelligence is also the producer of the Global Best Practices Conference held annually in Dallas, Texas. Without a doubt, all the reports are true. Without a doubt, President Trump called soldiers who volunteer for combat and get killed or captured losers and suckers. Trumps comments, first reported by The Atlantic, have been confirmed by numerous outlets, including Fox News. The White House has issued vehement denials, denouncing reporters for relying on anonymous sources. The stories would certainly be stronger if those sources would identify themselves publicly. But there are plenty of on-the-record quotes that verify and validate the basic thrust of all these reports, and they come directly from the president himself. Stories that say Trump disparaged the concept of service and sacrifice ring totally true, because they fit completely with his worldview: that there are winners who game the system and enrich themselves, and losers who fail to put self-interest first. Take Trumps obsession with the late John McCain, who was shot down over Vietnam, spent five and a half years as a prisoner of war, suffered permanent damage to his arms and shoulders, and ran for president against Barack Obama in 2008. In 2015, Trump told a conservative audience in Iowa, He lost, so I never liked him as much after that, cause I dont like losers. He then went on: Hes not a war hero. Hes a war hero because he was captured. I like people that werent captured. Chuck Hagel, a Nebraska Republican who served with McCain in the Senate and then became Obamas defense secretary, told ABC News: Lets go back and look at Mr. Trumps words himself, coming out of his own mouth ... what he said about John McCain and what he continued to say about McCain. How he degraded the service of Gens. (James) Mattis and (H.R.) McMaster and most recently Gen. (John) Kelly. ... Hes on the record with saying things himself over the past few years, said Hagel. And that makes the article, including the anonymous comments, more and more credible. In fact, this president is so undisciplined that he keeps reinforcing Hagels point, adding fuel to the flames that are licking at his own campaign. The Pentagons top brass, he told a press conference, want to do nothing but fight wars so all of those wonderful companies that make the bombs and make the planes and make everything else stay happy. Really? The generals want to send young soldiers to die in the name of corporate profit? This is a classic case of projection, because thats what Trump would do if he was a general or an arms maker. Trumps towering disdain for anyone who serves a goal other than personal promotion is pretty clear. We know what he is, who he is and how he views others. In their bestselling book, A Very Stable Genius, Washington Post reporters Carol Leonnig and Philip Rucker document a briefing at the Pentagon where Trumps advisers tried to educate him about the mission and mindset of the military. It ended in disaster with the president saying to a fleet of generals, I wouldnt go to war with you people. Youre a bunch of dopes and babies. Since The Atlantics bombshell detonated, fresh reporting has only bolstered the storys credibility. David Ignatius, a Post columnist with excellent military sources, wrote: The quotes were anonymous, but it has been an open secret in Washington that many prominent retired four-stars have regarded Trump with growing horror as he assaulted the traditions of discipline and professionalism that are bedrocks of military life. Jennifer Griffin, who covers the Pentagon for Fox, weighed in with a series of tweets largely confirming The Atlantics theme. Here is just one of them: According to one former senior Trump administration official: When the president spoke about the Vietnam War, he said, It was a stupid war. Anyone who went was a sucker. The president, who avoided service in Vietnam by fabricating a problem with bone spurs on his heels, responded by urging Fox to fire Griffin. The Post added another detail: In one account, the president told senior advisers that he didnt understand why the U.S. government placed such value on finding soldiers missing in action because they had performed poorly and gotten caught and deserved what they got, according to a person familiar with the discussion. Sure, journalists and voters alike would be better off if unnamed sources came forward and spoke on the record. But the president himself has confirmed the story many times, and in many ways. Steven Roberts teaches politics and journalism at George Washington University. He can be contacted by email at stevecokie@gmail.com. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 The doctor declined to comment when contacted and the Herald has chosen not to name him without his consent. According to the documents, the saga dates back to early 2019 when an unwell baby girl presented to the emergency department. An X-ray showed she had a type of suspicious fracture seen nearly exclusively in babies being shaken, which requires that the infant must not be sent home while an urgent referral to child protection services is made. However, the doctor did not check the X-ray and the child was discharged without follow up. "As a consequence, the opportunity to investigate the reason for the non-accidental fracture was missed and the child subsequently died," the documents said. The Herald has established the identity of the 11-month old Aboriginal girl, but her family declined to comment. Her death is under investigation by NSW Polices child abuse and sex crimes squad. An investigation by NSW Health, known as a root cause analysis, concluded that systemic failings at the hospital were to blame for the unchecked X-ray, according to the legal documents. In a letter dated August 2019, the hospital was ordered to address the problems. A spokeswoman for the Western NSW Local Health district said there was "no doubt that the health system failed [the baby]". They blamed a "gap in the electronic medical record system process" which meant the X-ray was not reviewed in a timely manner and the fracture was not detected when it was reviewed. The spokeswoman said interim measures were immediately put in place and all of the investigation's recommendations had since been implemented, including a daily review of results by a senior consultant and the escalation of any abnormal results from the radiologist. "These actions mean that all reports and diagnostic results are reviewed and actioned daily," she said. However three months after the NSW Health investigation findings, the doctor became concerned test results were still not being checked by registrars, locums, GPs, consultants and junior medical officers. During a shift in November the doctor allegedly discovered between 1500 and 2000 results had gone unchecked in a month. He spent three hours working through the unchecked results, contacting patients about weeks-old missed fractures and incorrect antibiotics. "It is embarrassing both personally and for the Health Service," he wrote in a complaint to management. Loading Alluding to the death of the baby girl, he added: "Unfortunately we are all well aware of what can happen when results are not followed up". One resident, who asked not to be named, told the Herald she spent three weeks chasing her MRI results after presenting to Dubbo Base Hospital with numbness down one side. When she finally got hold of the results after "numerous requests", she discovered shed suffered a stroke. "I think its pretty poor," she said. The doctor posted his concerns to a WhatsApp chat group involving about 40 hospital staff, writing: "sigh This why I keep banging on about checking results [sic]". He warned that if he was called to give evidence in court he would have to state doctors who hadnt checked results "had not met the expected standard of care and were negligent". Several participants agreed the unchecked results were alarming, one blaming understaffing and lack of orientation training for juniors. Others became defensive, complaining the discussion group no longer felt like a "safe, judgment-free platform". When a hospital manager discovered the WhatsApp conversation a staff email was sent out saying it did not meet NSW Health Code of Conduct standards. "All doctors who work here, at any level of seniority, should be assured that the hospital executive will support you at all times and in all circumstances," the manager said. Loading The doctor apologised for expressing his frustration on social media but stressed the matter was serious and warranted attention. He said while most doctors were diligent, "a small but significant number" continually failed to check results despite repeated requests to do so. "I am upset and very sorry that my comments have been interpreted as being unsupportive of junior staff," the doctor said, adding he always did his best to support the development of the junior staff in their difficult roles. "If our juniors do the right thing or even make a genuine mistake the Health Service and myself will back them to the hilt." But The manager accused the doctor of "egregiously" breaching the code of conduct. "I am amazed and concerned that you think your comments could be interpreted, by the staff in training, as supportive," the manager said, informing him of the immediate termination of his contract. The doctors lawyers argued there had been a complete lack of procedural fairness in the termination. In response to questions about the termination, a spokesperson for the Western NSW Local Health District said only that the doctor no longer worked at the hospital "under mutual agreement". A severed head and torso discovered by horrified telecoms workers in a quiet village by horrified telecoms workers were left in the same spot for 'several years,' police have said. Workers at a field in Frankley, Worcestershire, called police after the grisly discovery on Thursday morning. Police cordoned off the site, while a forensic archaeologist was called in to examine the site. No cause of death has been established, while officers say identifying the remains could be a 'lengthy process'. Police cordoned off a field in Frankley, Worcestershire, yesterday after a severed human head was found - a body was found in a bush nearby. Officers now believe the body was there for 'several years' Officers closed Egg Hill Lane, where the remains were found, yesterday as they investigated the grim find. A post mortem expected to take place on the remains. Detective Inspector Lisa Duncan said 'I can confirm that the remains appear to have been in their location for several years. However, at this time we are keeping an open mind as to the cause of death as the investigation is in the very early stages. 'I would like to thank the local community for their patience and understanding as there is still a local road closure (Egghill Lane) and an increased police and media presence in the area. We hope to reopen the road soon. 'If anyone has information they think could be helpful to our investigation, please call 101 and quote incident number 00206i of 10 September 2020. The identity of the remains has not yet been established, with local police saying it could be a 'lengthy process' Locals have been left stunned by the discovery. One resident, who did not wish to be named, said: 'We've never seen anything like this here, there were police everywhere. 'They have searched a huge area of the countryside around it and everyone is in shock. We heard it was a severed head that was found and then cops found the body. 'You can only imagine what it was like finding that if that is the case, it doesn't bear thinking about.' The scene is close to where searches were previously carried out in the high-profile case of murdered estate agent Suzie Lamplugh, who disappeared aged 25 in 1986. The county also recently saw a dig undertaken in relation to the murder of businessman Jesse Richards, 40, who was killed in Evesham in July 2009. Another local resident John Caswell, 47, added: 'All I know is that they found a body in a bush next to a path, which is horrible. 'We have very little trouble here and you don't expect it. We've had our fair share of murders in surrounding areas but never this close to home.' Locals say workers set up their own barrier to shield passers-by from the grisly discovery, before police later raised a cordon Speaking yesterday, Detective Inspector Mark Walters said: 'We are in the very early stages of an investigation and our inquiries are just getting under way. 'We are currently treating this as an unexplained death and no identification has yet been made. 'While this could be a lengthy process, we will update the public in due course.' The discovery was made in Frankley, a quiet village in Worcestershire, near Birmingham, on Thursday on morning Local resident Frank Edgar told The Sun: 'My wife and I were on our way back from Halesowen and the road was closed.' 'I'm told some builders working further up Egghill Lane found a body up there. 'They actually put up their own makeshift barriers to stop others going up there and rang the police.' Halle Berry has claimed that studios were too scared to support a James Bond spin-off based on her character Jinx. The Oscar-winning actress played NSA agent Jinx Johnson in the 2002 007 film Die Another Day, which starred Pierce Brosnan, 67. as the British spy. Producer Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson lobbied for the character to get her own movie, although MGM were put off by an $80 million price tag, a decision Halle branded as 'disappointing' in a cover interview with Variety. Bond girl: Halle Berry, shown in May 2019 in New York City, has claimed that studios were too scared to support a James Bond spin-off based on her character Jinx In the interview, she said: 'It was very disappointing. 'It was ahead of its time. Nobody was ready to sink that kind of money into a black female action star. They just weren't sure of its value. That's where we were then.' The Ohio native instead took on the title role of Catwoman in the 2004 superhero film after winning the Academy Award for Best Actress for her work in the 2001 romantic drama Monster's Ball. 'People said to me, ''You can't do that. You've just won the Oscar'',' Berry said. 'Because I didn't do Jinx, I thought, ''This is a great chance for a woman of color to be a superhero. Why wouldn't I try this?''' Spy film: The Oscar-winning actress played NSA agent Jinx Johnson in the 2002 film Die Another Day, which starred Pierce Brosnan, 67. as the British spy James Bond Berry said the 'story didn't feel quite right' with its shaky plot involving a conspiracy behind a dangerous cosmetics product. 'I remember having that argument: ''Why can't Catwoman save the world like Batman and Superman do? Why is she just saving women from a face cream that cracks their face off?'' But I was just the actor for hire. I wasn't the director. I had very little say over that,' she said. Catwoman was widely panned and is considered one of the worst films of all-time. Spin-off talk: Pierce Brosnan and Halle are shown in a still from Die Another Day Halle also opened up about becoming the first black woman to win the Best Actress Oscar for her role in Monster's Ball. She remains the only black female to land the top accolade and admits she 'doesn't have the answer' about why other black actresses haven't had the same Oscar success. She explained: 'It's one of my biggest heartbreaks. The morning after, I thought, 'Wow, I was chosen to open a door'. 'And then, to have no one ... I question, 'Was that an important moment, or was it just important for me?' Oscar history: Halle, shown in June 2019 in Los Angeles, also opened up about becoming the first black woman to win the Best Actress Oscar for her role in Monster's Ball 'I wanted to believe it was so much bigger than me. It felt so much bigger than me, mainly because I knew others should have been there before me and they weren't.' Berry thought that her Oscar win would open doors for her in the movie industry but felt things actually became 'harder'. She said: 'Just because I won an award doesn't mean that, magically, the next day, there was a place for me. I was just continuing to forge a way out of no way. 'I think it's largely because there was no place for someone like me. It actually got a little harder. They call it the Oscar curse. You're expected to turn in award-worthy performances.' .... living in the state, no matter who they are or how they got there, will get one. That will be followed up with professionals telling all of these people, many of whom have never even thought of voting before, how, and for whom, to vote. This will be a Rigged Election. No way!" TARIN KOT, Afghanistan Hundreds of thousands of Afghans have managed to access healthcare by traveling from the patches of Taliban-controlled countryside to towns and cities led by the Afghan government. But Shah Wali, 25, is not so lucky. He is walking 50 kilometers with his sick wife to seek treatment in a remote part of Uruzgan, a rural province in southern Afghanistan. Days after his wife fell ill, Wali decided to make the arduous journey by foot from his village in the Chinarto district to a hospital in the provincial capital, Tarin Kot, this week. He is forced to walk on neglected, mine-riddled paths after the Taliban refused to allow them to use the only road connecting Chinarto to Tarin Kot. The hard-line group says the closure is part of their war effort, and the three-month closure of this 55-kilometer dirt track has resulted in a crippling Taliban siege of Chinarto. No one can imagine the difficulties we are struggling with, Wali told Radio Free Afghanistan about life behind the Taliban blockade. We are facing great dangers just to see a doctor. Wali is among an estimated 6,000 Chinarto residents the United Nations says cannot access medical services and face food shortages because of the road closure. The siege has led to the death of more than 20 civilians, most of them women and children, according to locals. Earlier this month, at least one civilian was killed and another injured when they stepped on a landmine on a mountain path out of Chinarto, according to residents and government officials. Mohammad Essa, a tribal leader in Chinarto, says the cordon has turned their homeland into hell for up to 30,000 residents. In the absence of an accurate government census, estimates for rural populations vary considerably among residents, aid agencies, and government officials. We are desperate. Diseases and hunger are killing our elderly and children, he told Radio Free Afghanistan. Those attempting to break the siege by using unfrequented paths face the danger of being blown up by landmines, he added. Essa says that in addition to the recent landmine blast another improvised explosive device killed two men attempting to transport food supplies to their families last month. He says tribal leaders have repeatedly pleaded with the Taliban to lift the siege, with no success. If they are fighting against the government, then why have they have besieged civilians? he said. Even the wealthy locals are running out of food supplies to help the poor. A major humanitarian catastrophe is looming, he warns. Very soon, the world will witness a disaster here, he said. Many people, particularly women, children, and the elderly, will die of hunger. He sees no logic behind the siege of Chinarto. I want to plead with the Taliban to stop destroying civilian lives, he said. We call on the government to either act to open the road or send us supplies by aircraft. Mohammad Omar, another Chinarto resident, says the government food aid they have received in the form of wheat flour will run out soon. He says local civilians attempting to use motorcycles or cars to travel have faced the Talibans wrath. They confiscate your vehicle and tell you to leave forever, he said of the stark punishments meted out locally. We want them to show some compassion by opening this road. As New Jersey vape shop owners decried lawmakers' efforts to ban the sale of flavored e-liquid last year, they often repeated the same claim: Our products arent the cause of the mysterious lung illness sweeping the country. A new study from the Yale School of Public Health may vindicate them. Researchers found states with higher e-cigarette use and legal marijuana sales actually had fewer cases of vaping illness, EVALI, than their stricter counterparts. If e-cigarette or marijuana use per se drove this outbreak, areas with more engagement in those behaviors should show a higher EVALI prevalence, Abigail Friedman, the studys author, said in a statement. This study finds the opposite result. Alongside geographic clusters of high EVALI prevalence states, these findings are more consistent with locally available e-liquids or additives driving the EVALI outbreak than a widely used, nationally-available product. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention opened an investigation into the illness in 2019 and ultimately confirmed 2,800 cases and 68 deaths associated with vaping. But in February, the CDC also deemed a vitamin E acetate commonly found in illicit marijuana vapes as the main cause. Officials had already taken steps to curtail vaping in New Jersey, passing a law banning the sale of flavored vaping products. Some lawmakers said they hoped the rule would keep vapes out of the hands of children (those under 21 were ineligible to purchase the products already). Vaping advocates say the approach had the opposite of its intended effect. Next door in Pennsylvania, Gov. [Tom] Wolf wisely saw this for what it was the end result of prohibitionist policies on marijuana and called for the legalization of marijuana to combat toxic black market products, Gregory Conley, president, American Vaping Association, said in a statement. Regrettably, Gov. [Phil] Murphy and his staff ignored the illicit THC issue and instead used these illnesses and deaths to campaign for bans on legal nicotine products that have been shown to help adult smokers quit. We remain hopeful that studies like this will convince elected officials and Gov. Murphy that new policy is needed, as the current policy has only led to the shuttering of businesses and adult consumers purchasing online or from Pennsylvania and Delaware, Conley said. Vape shop owners and former cigarette smokers condemned the ban from the beginning and fought unsuccessfully for months to block it. Many say flavored vapes, which still contain nicotine, helped them to quit pack-a-day habits that had severely threatened their health. Shop owners said a ban would turn people to unregulated products that might prove more harmful. The Yale study backs them up. It found the first five states to legalize adult-use marijuana (Colorado, Oregon, Washington, California and Alaska) had less than one case of vaping illness per 100,000 residents. Conversely, the states with the highest rate of cases (Utah, North Dakota, Minnesota, Delaware and Indiana) did not allow adult-use. The authors argue that well-developed and regulated markets likely drove out the riskier products, and that legislation banning such items could subject vapers to more risks. Redeemed as vape shop owners may be, theyre still suffering. Adam Mitrani, owner of Darth Vapor, had to shutter his shops Riverdale location weeks before the ban went into effect. His East Hanover shop has lost about 35-40% of its business, he estimated, although they have pivoted to sell hookahs, more CBD products and other smoking devices to counter the loss. I was sort of wanting to promote non-smoking and the health benefits of quitting smoking, he said. The government has forced me to sell smoking products. Mitrani said he believes the ban likely did nothing to curb youth use, and that he would rather have seen increased enforcement of the 21+ rule at shops. Now, he suspects, his former customers have turned online to order products, or may even be purchasing black market vapes, hurting small businesses and the government. They dont pay taxes. Its unregulated, he said. I think marijuana is a good example of that, and shows us what happens when we leave things in the shadows. Sheryl Agro, owner of Wrightstown Vapes, said the flavor ban cut her business in half and forced her to lay off two employees. She said her shop used to garner some $4,000 a month in taxes on e-liquid sales. In August, that number dropped to around $6. My monthly revenue is just going down every single month that goes on, said Agro, a former cigarette smoker herself who used vaping to quit. Its a shame, because it truly is a life saving product. The more you see whats happening in the state of New Jersey, makes you question how much government is really for public health. In May, a lawmaker introduced a bill that would modify the ban, allowing licensed businesses to sell flavors including, but not limited to, tobacco under tightened restrictions. It has not yet moved through committees in either the state Assembly nor state Senate. Its not yet clear how the ban would impact a legal marijuana industry, as it currently does not encroach on medical marijuana vapor products. But the study is still one to watch: Friedman, the studys author, also found a correlation between states with high rates of EVALI cases and harsh rules in their medical marijuana program that forbid smokable marijuana. If this policy led some recreational marijuana smokers to switch to vaping THC, perhaps in order to avoid detection, it would have increased their likelihood of exposure to contaminated e-liquids when those came on the market, she said. This may have contributed to the higher EVALI prevalence in those states. A version of this story previously ran in NJ Cannabis Insider. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Amanda Hoover may be reached at ahoover@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @amandahoovernj. Martin Lewis has criticised the UK's politicians for scaring teenagers and putting them off going to university with talk of student debt after an 11-year-old girl admitted she's already looking for a job to help with tuition fees. Speaking on the Martin Lewis Show on ITV last night, the financial expert pleaded for teenagers not to be put off by politics when considering higher education. He reassured the unnamed girl, who appeared via video link with her mother, that she would be able to afford the university tuition since it is paid for by the government until you earn enough to pay it back. Martin was visibly outraged after hearing that the pupil was afraid she would not be able to afford to go to higher education, so had started looking for a job. An impassioned Martin pleaded for children not to be scared by 'the fight in politics,', explaining: 'You won't have a big debt over your head. University is only going to cost you a fortune if you're earning a fortune afterwards.' Twitter users were quick to praise the financial expert, while admitting they found it troubling that an 11-year-old would be worrying about the affordability of university before even finishing school. Scroll down for video Martin Lewis (pictured) has criticised the UK's politicians for scaring teenagers and putting them off going to university with talk of student debt after an 11-year-old girl admitted she's looking for a job already to help with tuition fees The young girl, 11, whose mother was a Mrs Brady, asked Martin how soon she would be able to get a job. Speaking on the show, a shocked Martin said: 'Working at 11 is quite difficult and there are [good] reasons for that... we don't want them working. Is there something behind this?' The youngster explained that she was worried about how she would be able to afford university tuition fees in the future and wanted to start saving already. Reassuring her that she would have a chance at higher education, Martin said: 'That's very interesting. Let me say something to you. You will not have to pay for university tuition unless they change the system. Speaking on the Martin Lewis Show on ITV, the financial expert pleaded for teenagers not to be put off by politics when considering higher education. He reassured the young British girl, who appeared via video link with her mother (pictured), that she would be able to afford the university tuition since it is paid for by the government until you earn enough to pay it back 'When and hopefully you will go to university, your tuition fees will be paid for you. You don't have to pay for them upfront. You'll get a student loan for them, which sounds very scary but when you leave afterwards you only have to start repaying that if you earn enough.' He added: 'If you don't earn enough, you don't have to repay it. So don't worry too much about that and if you haven't got much family money, funnily enough the biggest problem when you're a student is actually what you're going to live off. 'I can see mum's getting a bit panicked about this now. If you haven't got cash and income, which I'm guessing is the point, then you get the full maintenance loan. 'It's actually those who've got more money that have to contribute. So the state gives you money to live off.' The presenter pleaded with teenagers not to be put off by politicians and their talk of student debt. How do student loans work and how are they repaid? Student Finance England offer a tuition fee loan for first-time undergraduates which is paid directly to the university and students will not have to repay until they leave their course. Student Awards Agency Scotland, Student Finance Wales and Student Finance Northern Ireland offer similar funding and a maximum of 9,250 per year can be paid on behalf of the student. Students will not have to start repaying their student loan until they are earning over 26,575-a-year, which is referred to as the repayment threshold. The repayment threshold for students in England and Wales who took out loans after 1 September 2012 is 26,575. The repayment threshold for students in Scotland and Northern Ireland or English and Welsh students who took out their loans before 1 Sept 2012 is 19,390. The repayment threshold for students in England and Wales who took out loans after 1 September 2012 is 26,575. For students in Scotland and Northern Ireland or English and Welsh students who took out their loans before 1 Sept 2012 its 19,390. Graduates will be required to pay back 9 percent of anything they earn above these amounts every month. As the money is automatically taken from wages, those who are not self-employed will not have to do anything. Students in Scotland and Northern Ireland or English and Welsh students who took out their loans before 1 Sept 2012 will have their loans written off after 25 years. For students in England and Wales who took out loans after 1 September 2012 the write off period is 30 years. Students in Scotland and Northern Ireland or English and Welsh students who took out their loans before 1 Sept 2012 currently pay interest of 1.1% . The interest rate charged is either the Retail Price Index or the Bank of England base rate plus 1%, whichever is lower. For students in England and Wales who took out loans after 1 September 2012 the interest rate is currently 5.6%. This is made up of the Retail Price Index (RPI) plus 3%. RPI is currently set at 2.6%. From the April after students leave or finish study the interest rate paid depends on income Maintenance loans are also available for those who require help paying for everyday living costs and unlike the tuition fee loan, it is paid directly into the students bank account, according to UCAS. While everyone can apply for this loan, the amount a student receives is dependant on household income, where they are studying and whether or not they are living at home while attending university. Advertisement 'Don't be put off going to university by the political spittle and the fight that goes in politics trying to scare children off, that you've got a big debt over your head,' he said. 'You won't have a big debt over your head... it's only going to cost you a fortune if you're earning a fortune afterwards. 'If you're not earning a fortune afterwards, it won't cost you very much. If you don't earn much at all, it won't cost you anything. You can go to university, those fees will be paid for you.' A visibly moved Martin continued: 'The best thing you can do right now, sorry you're 11 and I'm a dad, I have to think of that... is go to school, work really hard and go do some reading about finance. I'd love you to tool up more but go and get those good grades.' A stream of Twitter users praised the financial expert, while admitting they found it troubling that an 11-year-old would be worrying about the affordability before even finishing school. Reaction: A stream of Twitter users praised the financial expert, while admitting they found it troubling that an 11-year-old would be worrying about the affordability before even finishing school One person wrote: 'Good God I love Martin Lewis. I hope some politicians were watching what he had to say about government disenfranchising kids about their chances to go to universities if they want to. Awful that an 11-year-old thinks she needs a job now to pay for it.' 'Martin Lewis hitting the nail on the head. Do NOT be put off going to university because of "being in debt" like politicians seem so keen on portraying. I nearly fell into this trap myself,' another said. A third added: 'No 11-year-old should have to be worried about their tuition fees and want to work now to save up. 'This is the problem with the current system, we are raising a generation of young people not wanting to aspire in fear of the 'debt' that is attached if they do #MartinLewis'. Tamara Bobb, Epidemiologist in the Ministry of Health, did not hide the fact that SVG has had a large increase in dengue cases in a very short space of time. (Photo Credit: VC# Round Table Talk) As of September 3, 2020, children between the ages of 0-5 years old accounted for 45% of the 185 laboratory confirmed cases of dengue here. This was disclosed by Tamara Bobb, Epidemiologist in the Ministry of Health, Wellness and the Environment, as she spoke as a guest on the VC3 Televisions Round Table on Thursday 3. Bobb shared that the number 185 represented an astronomical increase of 111 over the 74 cases that were recorded by August 25, 2020. This is by far the highest increase for a nine-day period when compared to previous years (2010 and 2014) of dengue outbreaks in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. And as of September 3, 62% of the cases have been hospitalized, with two cases of dengue haemorrhagic fever among that number. Given the rapid rise in cases, the Ministry of Health has stepped up its fogging schedule, since this is the most effective communal manner to combat the mosquito which carrries the dengue virus. These mosquitoes are known to breed in and near homes. Accordingly, the Ministry of Health is appealing to households here to cover or empty all containers so as to decrease likely habitats for the dengue virus carrying mosquitoes. According to the Mayo Clinic, USA, mild dengue fever causes a high fever, rash, and muscle and joint pain. A severe form of dengue fever, also called dengue haemorrhagic fever, can cause severe bleeding, a sudden drop in blood pressure (shock) and death. After the Congress and Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) condemned the lathicharge on farmers in Kurukshetras Pipli on Thursday, many leaders of the ruling BJP-JJP government have come out in support of the protesters and demanded a fair probe into the incident. Former finance minister and senior BJP leader Captain Abhimanyu tweeted: I was very disappointed after seeing the pictures from Kurukshetra where police restored to lathicharge on farmers. I hope Haryana chief minister and home minister will solve this issue. BJPs Hisar MP Brijendra Singh said farmers have the right to raise their own issues and that he was disappointed with the Kurukshetra episode. I condemn the attack on farmers by police, who resorted to lathicharge to disperse the mob in wake of Covid-19. I hope a thorough probe will be done and the government will resolve the issue after talking to farmers, he said. Haryana Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Om Prakash Dhankar described the police action as uncalled for. The police and the administration should have exercised restraint, he said. Dhankar also chastised the farmers, saying they should have given preference to dialogue instead of confrontation to resolve the matter. He said the rumours about the government stopping MSP and closing grain markets were baseless and that the state will procure every grain. He has also constituted a three-member committee comprising Bhiwani MP Dharambir, Kurukshetra MP Nayab Saini, and Hisar MP Brijender Singh to hold talks with the farmers. The Jannayak Janata partys Badhra MLA Naina Chautala, her son Digvijay Singh Chautala and Barwala MLA Jogi Ram Sihag also condemned the attack on farmers and demanded a probe into the incident. Wrestler Bajrang Punia and boxer Vijender Singh also extended their support to the farmers and slammed the BJP-JJP government for curbing the voice of farmers. The farmers were protesting against three ordinances promulgated by the central government. These bills include: The Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Ordinance; the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Ordinance; and the Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Ordinance. Wisconsin Elections Commissioner Meagan Wolfe said Thursday, just prior to the courts order, that some clerks may have already mailed ballots without Wests and Hawkins' names on them. If West or Hawkins ends up getting on the ballot, the clerks would likely send voters a new ballot, Wolfe said. Voters would also likely receive instructions telling them that their first ballot would still count unless they mailed in the second one, she said. AIADMK founder and former Chief Minister M G Ramachandrans nephew M C Chandran, who was treated for coronavirus has succumbed to the illness here on Friday, the party said. The AIADMK said 75-year old Chandran is the son of MGRs elder brother M G Chakrapani and he was treated at Rajiv Gandhi Government General hospital in Chennai for COVID-19. We were grieved to learn that he has passed away not responding to the treatment," AIADMKs coordinator and co- coordinator, O Panneerselvam and K Palaniswami said in a party release. Extending condolences to the bereaved family, the top party leaders said they prayed to the Almighty to rest his soul in peace and give the family the strength to bear the loss and grief. Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam chief TTV Dhinakaran was among others who condoled Chandrans death. M G Ramachandran, popularly known as MGR founded the AIADMK in 1972 and he was the Chief Minister between 1977-87. MGR died on December 24, 1987. Faced with plummeting donations during the COVID-19 pandemic, some charities are calling for changes that would make it easier for them to support themselves through running for-profit businesses. And while WE Charity came under withering scrutiny this summer for those kinds of business relationships, other non-profits say thats partly because the current rules are unnecessarily rigid. On Wednesday, WE Charity said it would be shutting down its operations in Canada following months of political scandal and dealing with the pandemics fallout. Advocates in the charity sector are left wondering how public trust might be impacted by the WE Charity affair, and are struggling with how to move forward in their missions as a new economic reality looms. The answer, some say, may lie in loosening restrictions around letting charities run for-profit businesses. However, critics warn that relaxing the rules too much could make it easier for people to use the cover of a charity to set up businesses that dont pay taxes. As it stands, setting up a for-profit entity as a charity can be complicated and expensive. Charities can run businesses if they are related to their stated purpose although there are strict rules on how to do this and they can run unrelated businesses as long as they are 90 per cent staffed by volunteers. For example, some non-profits, like museums, are able to run gift shops that contribute revenue to the non-profit side, but that could be considered a related business. Some in the sector say its time to review these laws and make it easier for a charity to run a business, giving it more opportunities to generate income outside of donations and government funding. Boyle Street Community Services assists homeless people in Edmonton through drop-in and outreach services. It used the social-enterprise model for Boyle Street Ventures, a for-profit business that it operates separately from the charity while creating opportunities for the homeless: a group that cleans up garbage downtown, a moving company that employs youth, even a bank that makes it easier for them to set up a chequing account. Social enterprises are for profit in the sense that they make money, said Elliott Tanti, Boyle Streets communications and development manager, but that money goes back into things like paying a living wage. The employees, who sometimes also access the charitys services, get work that considers their individual needs and the community receives benefits like cleaner streets. But setting up a separate entity can be expensive and cumbersome for smaller charities, he said. The rules also make it harder to receive donations, he said. If someone wanted to donate $50,000 to help get the moving company off the ground, Tanti said they couldnt give that person a tax receipt, since the donation isnt technically going to the charity. But that $50,000 donation is going to start a business thats going to help people, he said. Its no less beneficial than our mental health services. Some of the conversation around the WE Charity scandal this summer involved its structure. WE Charity is separate from ME to WE, a for-profit social enterprise that sells leadership training and travel experience. The ventures website says it donates 90 per cent of its annual profits to WE Charity. When co-founders Marc and Craig Kielburger testified before a parliamentary committee in July about the WE Charity controversy, they said restrictions around social enterprises in Canada contributed to WE Charitys overly complex organizational model. In June, WE Charity was awarded a deal from Ottawa to deliver $544 million in grants to student volunteers as part of a pandemic relief program. The agreement was abandoned when financial ties were revealed between the charity and family members of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as well as ties to Bill Morneau, who resigned as finance minister in the wake of the scandal. Now, advocates say theres anxiety throughout the sector that the WE Charity scandal could give people pause before donating to any charity, adding to the fears that donations could soon dry up. Sen. Ratna Omidvar has been calling for a review of the legislation governing non-profits and charities since last summer. Social enterprise needs to find a way to work with charities and charities need to find a way to work with social enterprise without these convoluted arrangements, she said. Im not sure they do anything to protect the public interest. Omidvar helped lead a Senate committee looking at the charitable sector before it put out a report in June 2019. One of the suggestions was for the Canada Revenue Agency to run pilot projects to see if charities that run businesses lose sight of their overall missions. It seems to me to be completely unfair to strangle the future of charities by not looking at this law again and taking the lid off these restrictions, she said. Omidvar said there should still be some barriers in place, like not sharing directors between the charity and for-profit side. But lawyer Mark Blumberg with Blumberg Segal LLP, a firm that advises charities, argues that the rules dont need to be revisited and that giving charities more leeway to set up businesses could actually hurt the sector. Anything that a charity does as a business is tax free, basically, he said. Do we want certain charities to basically be able to take over whole businesses that right now are paying hundreds of millions in taxes, potentially? That could mean fewer tax dollars collected to support government services, he noted. You have to draw a line somewhere, he said. If the rules were changed to allow charities to run any business they want, Blumberg said he can imagine conversations like this: Oh, you want to set up a business? Now, do you want to pay tax on that business, or not? Just let me know what you want. Oh, you dont want to pay tax? OK, lets set it up as a charity. As charities deal with the impacts of the pandemic, Blumberg said the government should provide more funding for those that are struggling, not change the rules across the board. We just dont want to encourage every business person to suddenly setup in the charitable sector because its a great tax-free haven, he said. Read more about: - David Etale had a close relationship with the late Kevin Opiyo Oliech - The former Tusker FC striker painfully narrated how Kevins passing affected him - Kevin passed away on August 16 after a battle with cancer - According to Etale, he would have traded, or at least shared the cancer with his late friend if he had the ability PAY ATTENTION: Click 'See First' under 'Follow' Tab to see Tuko.co.ke news on your FB Feed Former Tusker FC and KCB attacker David Etale broke down in tears as he spoke of his deep-rooted friendship with the late former Mathare United attacker Kevin Opiyo Oliech Opiyo, the younger brother to former Harambee Stars captain Dennis Oliech had been battling cancer for the last few years before succumbing to it on August 16 in Germany. READ ALSO: Cristiano Ronaldo: Portuguese star smashed 10 records at concluded season aged 35 It turns out Etale was one of the people who were with Kevin in his last days and he would drive for over 16 hours to go and visit Opiyo in the hospital. The two have been friends from their playing days and even after they quit playing they remained tight until the former Harambee Stars striker closed his eyes, for one last time. David Etale (right) discussing the late Kevin Opiyo. Photo: Tuchapiane. Source: UGC READ ALSO: Liverpool players dominate PFA team of the year after extraordinary 2019/20 season The former KCB man has now spoken of the tight friendship they shared. He says Opiyo was a true friend who he could have easily helped Kevo (Kevin Opiyo) was a warrior, if there was a way as a friend or as a brother I would help Kevo carry cancer, I would have helped him because he helped me so many times, he was always there for me. He has sorted me out so many times, he said during the Tuchapiane show on Wednesday evening. The kind of friendship I shared with him, I would do anything to ensure that I am close to my brother, he was everything to me. Described by many as friendly, kind, and generous, Opiyo played for Securicor FC, Mathare United, Tusker FC, Nairobi City Stars, Thika United and Nakumatt FC during his bright days. He also played for the national team Harambee Stars but unlike his older brother Dennis, he did not have a glamorous career in national colors and he featured in a handful of matches before exiting the national scene. READ ALSO: Lionel Messi gifts 10-year-old visually-impaired Arsenal fan KSh 600k high-tech glasses Etale has a history of his own. During an earlier interview, he revealed how he had ventured into crime before a police officer who knew him closely warned him that he faced execution over his involvement in the vice. The former striker helped store guns that were used to steal and kill from Kenyans around Nairobi. He later moved to the UK and joined the British Army. Three years into military service his world was shattered following an attack by the Taliban in Afghanistan and his leg had to be amputated. He had to quit the military and nowadays he is a motivational speaker. Story by Yunasi Kimutai, TUKO.co.ke correspondent Do you have an inspirational story you would like us to publish? Please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690 and Tuko news Married women should not seek advise from single ladies -Christine Odhiambo on marrying a conductor: Source: TUKO.co.ke Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden (L) and U.S. Vice President Mike Pence (R) greet each other during a 9/11 memorial service at the National September 11 Memorial and Museum on September 11, 2020 in New York City. Vice President Mike Pence and former Vice President Joe Biden greeted each other with an elbow bump Friday at the 9/11 memorial service in New York City, a moment reflecting the risks of a coronavirus pandemic whose death toll every month dwarfs the fatalities from the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks. The friendly physical exchange between Pence and Biden at Ground Zero was also a solemn, brief pause of what has been a bitter campaign between President Donald Trump and Biden, the Democratic nominee looking to win the White House this fall. Trump did not attend the event. Biden also elbow bumped Pence's wife, Karen Pence. Biden's wife Jill likewise exchanged similar bumps with the Pences at the event, held at the lower Manhattan site of what had been the World Trade Center's iconic Twin Towers before they were toppled by two hijacked planes 19 year ago. The Bidens, Pences, former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and other attendees at the memorial event for the 19th anniversary all were wearing masks as a precaution against transmitting Covid-19. Bloomberg, who had sought the Democratic presidential nomination this year, became mayor four months after the terror attacks, succeeding Rudy Giuliani, who now serves as Trump's personal lawyer. As of Friday, there have been nearly 6.4 million confirmed cases of coronavirus in the United States. And more than 191,800 Americans have died from the virus. On Sept. 11, 2001, a total of at least 2,977 people were killed in the terror attacks in New York, at the Pentagon in northern Virginia and at Shanksville, Pennsylvania, where Flight 93, one of four planes hijacked that day by Islamic extremists, crashed to the ground. Most of the deaths occurred in New York. South Africa: MEC bemoans senseless killings in Polokwane Limpopo MEC for Social Development, Nkakareng Rakgoale, has sent her condolences to the family of the mother and daughter, who were killed along the R37 road outside Polokwane. According to the police, businesswoman Lizette Deacon, 55, and her 70-year-old mother, Hettie, were reported missing from their home in Welgelegen, next to Cycad, on Thursday. Deacon is said to have been the owner of Ocean Basket franchises in the city. "This latest attack on women comes on the very day we were discussing GBV as government during the virtual imbizo on gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF), Rakgoale said on Friday. The police have since launched a manhunt for the suspects. It is alleged that the victims neighbour went to visit the Deacons just after 6pm on Thursday, police spokesperson, Brigadier Motlafela Mojapelo, said. However, the neighbour was shocked when he found blood traces in the house and the occupants missing. "The police were called and a search operation was immediately launched," Mojapelo said. The bodies were found with several stab wounds, tied inside their motor vehicle, which was abandoned along the R37 road next to Kushcke off-ramp. Mojapelo said the motive for the killings is still unknown at this stage. But robbery cannot be ruled out, the police said. The violent manner in which the pair was attacked tells us that there is more that still needs to be done in protecting the rights of the vulnerable people of our society," said Rakgoale. She said her office has dispatched social workers to the family and two restaurants owned by Deacon to provide psychosocial support. We are confident that the police will arrest these senseless killers, who have a total disregard for the law," Rakgoale said. This week, the Limpopo COVID-19 Command Council urged law enforcement and social workers to play their part in helping to prevent the GBV in the province. This comes after a recent spate of killings of young women, reportedly by their lovers. Two cases of murder and house robbery have been opened. Anyone with information is requested to contact Colonel Linkie Mathebula on 064 756 8218 or Crime Stop on 086 001 0111. SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2020-09-11. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-11 13:43:12|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close by Xinhua Writers Yao Yuan and Ren Wei YINCHUAN, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- Wearing a bright red dress, a mottled cappa and dainty makeup, Yang Huiqin is setting a first for women in a village in northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. "Before we had tourism, women in the village never wore dresses or silk stockings, let alone lipstick," said the 43-year-old owner of a cave-style family inn in Longwangba Village. The village lies in Xiji County, one of China's last 52 counties that are yet to shake off poverty. Prior to the turn of the century, the county had been plagued by extreme drought and grinding poverty. In recent years, China's poverty-reduction campaign has transformed Longwangba into a tourist boomtown with rustic family inns and terraced fields of flowers. Along with a better environment and rising prosperity has come a psychological revolution. Once a potato farmer that was barely able to feed her family, Yang now rents out her four rooms while working as a manager at another family inn, earning over 60,000 yuan (about 8,766 U.S. dollars) a year. "I used to ask my husband for money whenever I wanted to buy something. Now I earn money so I feel free to buy things for myself," Yang said, brandishing an iPhone 8 she bought last year. Jiao Jianpeng, director of the villagers' committee, said Longwangba was once so poor that "no non-local women would marry into the village." But when he opened a family inn to kick-start local tourism in 2015, none of the locals, including his own parents, were impressed. "I had difficulties even hiring a waiter because villagers thought it was demeaning to serve customers," Jiao said. "They also believed tourists were idle men and women who would only bring trouble." Only after witnessing Jiao's success did more villagers follow suit. Now 35 local families run family inns and the village, with a traditional rural ambiance and cool summer weather, received 180,000 visitors last year, generating an income of 18 million yuan. UNLEASHING "ENDOGENOUS MOMENTUM" China is in the homestretch to eradicate absolute poverty by the end of 2020, after slashing its rural poor population from 98.99 million at the end of 2012 to 5.51 million at the end of 2019. The historic anti-poverty campaign has also seen a mentality shift among the once deprived rural population, making them more open-minded and proactive in the pursuit of wealth. "Villagers nowadays are occupied with improving their lives. As a result, trivial squabbles among villagers have declined," said Wei Tingfeng, Party chief of Malian Township in Xiji County. This stronger urge to make a fortune is palpable in the country's last strongholds of poverty, where the efforts to reduce poverty have long been impeded by residents' lack of incentives to cast off poverty through hard work, even with supportive policies in place. Facilitating this change are many "pioneers in achieving prosperity" like Jiao. In many places, this honorary title brings favorable subsidies as officials expect their success to set an example for others. In June, the State Council Leading Group Office of Poverty Alleviation and Development said China had nurtured at least three such trailblazers in each impoverished village while planning to further increase the number. Yang testifies to the power of a paragon. A year after Jiao's family inn proved a commercial success, Yang opened her own with a government subsidy of 40,000 yuan. "I saw his success and asked myself: If others can do it, why can't I?" she said. "Then the subsidy helped me make up my mind." Officials in Xiji said a considerable portion of their poverty-relief funds is now used to encourage deprived farmers to start a business or expand production. "If an impoverished farmer wishes to start rearing cattle, he or she can purchase the first head of cattle easily with interest-free loans and subsidies. From then on, the more the farmer rears, the more subsidies we'll give," said Wang Xuejun, Party chief of the county. "The goal is to spur the 'endogenous momentum' of impoverished families," he said, referring to the urge to work out of poverty rather than lean on government assistance. Apart from the increasing number of successful villagers and favorable policies, a legion of grassroots officials, including many assigned to villages from towns and counties, are working diligently to boost this momentum. In Jiashan Village, northwest China's Gansu Province, local residents were once reluctant to change the status quo, even as abject poverty and poor infrastructure rendered most villagers illiterate and ruled out the possibility of developing profitable industries. "Poverty has been a norm in the village since ancient times. Besides, villagers were scattered in the mountains and rarely traveled outside, so they couldn't visualize a better life," said Gao Yali, a township official assisting the village's poverty relief. So while introducing new industries and building concrete roads, Gao and her colleagues made extra efforts to motivate villagers by visiting their homes and convening whole-village meetings. In a campaign to eradicate "visual poverty," local officials renovated dilapidated public spaces and gifted new furniture to villagers, so as to impress them with visible improvements in their lives. "It's important for villagers to have 'endogenous momentum' to pull themselves out of poverty," Gao said. "After 2020, it's such momentum that will keep villagers moving forward along the path of prosperity." Enditem President Donald Trump nominated for Nobel Peace Prize for historic Middle East deal Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment President Donald Trump was nominated Wednesday for the Nobel Peace Prize, considered the world's most prestigious prize awarded for the preservation of peace. The nomination for the 2021 prize was made by Christian Tybring-Gjedde, a member of the Norwegian Parliament, who cited the presidents work in helping to broker a historic peace agreement between Israel and the United Arab Emirates. Today I have nominated US President Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize, Tybring-Gjedde announced on Facebook, highlighting the peace agreement. The agreement can open for lasting peace between several Arab countries and Israel, he said. It is now to hope that the Nobel Committee is able to consider what Trump has achieved internationally and that it does not stumble in established prejudice against the US President. In his will, Alfred Nobel set three criteria to qualify for the Nobel Peace Prize. Donald Trump satisfies all three. NOMINASJON AV PRESIDENT TRUMP TIL NOBELS FREDSPRIS Jeg har i dag nominert USAs President Donald Trump til Nobels... Posted by Christian Tybring-Gjedde on Wednesday, September 9, 2020 Speaking with Fox News about his nomination of President Trump, Tybring-Gjedde said he believes the president deserves the award more than most other recipients of the prize. For his merit, I think he has done more trying to create peace between nations than most other Peace Prize nominees, the Norwegian lawmaker said. According to the United Nations, Alfred Nobel, the famous chemist and philanthropist after whom the prize was named, was inspired by belief in the community of man as outlined in his will made in 1895. The Peace Prize was to be awarded to the person who had done most for "fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses." In a joint statement last month, President Trump, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed said the parties had agreed to the full normalization of relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates. After 49 years, Israel and the United Arab Emirates will fully normalize their diplomatic relations. They will exchange embassies and ambassadors, and begin cooperation across the board and on a broad range of areas, including tourism, education, healthcare, trade, and security, Trump would say later at a press briefing. This is a truly historic moment. Not since the Israel-Jordan peace treaty was signed more than 25 years ago has so much progress been made towards peace in the Middle East. By uniting two of Americas closest and most capable partners in the region something which [they] said could not be done this deal is a significant step towards building a more peaceful, secure, and prosperous Middle East. During his press briefing in August, Trump also pointed out how crucial it was for people of all faiths to come together to fight Islamic extremism. This deal will allow much greater access to Muslims from throughout the world to visit the many historic sites in Israel which the Muslims want to see very badly and have wanted to see for many, many decades and to peacefully pray at the Al-Aqsa Mosque, which is a very special place for them, Trump said. My first trip as President was to Saudi Arabia in May of 2017. In my speech to the assembled leaders of 54 Muslim countries every single one was by their leader, their number-one leader. It was an amazing really, an incredible event. A very important event. I made clear that the problems of the Middle East can only be solved when people of all faiths come together to fight Islamic extremism and pursue economic opportunity for people of all faiths. Israel is expected to join the United Arab Emirates at a White House ceremony on Sept. 15 to sign the historic agreement, Fox News reported. Tybring-Gjedde previously nominated the president for the Nobel Peace Prize along with another Norwegian official in 2018 after Trumps Singapore summit with Kim Jong Un. Japans prime minister reportedly did the same, according to Fox News, but the president did not win. The Norwegian lawmaker argued that this time around he hopes the Nobel Prize selection committee will look at the facts. Im not a big Trump supporter, Tybring-Gjedde told Fox News. The committee should look at the facts and judge him on the facts not on the way he behaves sometimes. The people who have received the Peace Prize in recent years have done much less than Donald Trump. For example, Barack Obama did nothing. In 2009, just nine months into his presidency, Obama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for what the committee called his "extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples." Only three other U.S. presidents have received the award: President Theodore Roosevelt in 1906 for having negotiated peace in the Russo-Japanese war; President Woodrow Wilson in 1920 for being the leading architect of the League of Nations; and President Jimmy Carter in 2002 for his decades of untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts. The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed many shortcomings of the national and global economy. The GDP contraction in many countries will be proof of the impacts of this crisis. However, key sectors for global growth have started to see recovery. This is the case of mining. "According to the 2020-2024 Multiannual Macroeconomic Framework (MMM), published by the Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF) , the metal mining sector's GDP will show a contraction of 10.9% this year. However, a strong recovery is expected in 2021, with a positive variation of 15.1%," the government official stated. NEW DELHI: India and United States have asked Pakistan to act on the perpetrators of the 26/11 Mumbai and Pathankot terror attacks and make sure its soil is not used by terror groups. The joint statement released after the third US-India Counter-Terrorism Joint Working Group and Designations Dialogue said, "Two sides underlined the urgent need for Pakistan to take immediate, sustained, and irreversible action to ensure that no territory under its control is used for terrorist attacks" and to "expeditiously bring to justice the perpetrators of such attacks, including 26/11 Mumbai and Pathankot." More than 170 people died in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks perpetrated by Pakistan-based United-listed terror group Lashkar-e-Toiba. During the talks, US reiterated its support for the people and government of India in the fight against terrorism. The talks were led by Joint Secretary for Counter-Terrorism in the Ministry of External Affairs of India Mahaveer Singhvi and US State Department Coordinator for Counterterrorism Ambassador Nathan A. Sales. During the talks, both sides denounced the use of terrorist proxies and strongly condemned cross-border terrorism in all its forms and emphasized the need for concerted action against all terrorist networks including Al Qaeda-, ISIS/Daesh and Pakistan-based terror groups Lashkar-e-Toiba, Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) and Hizbul Mujahideen. The focus of the two sides was also on procedures for pursuing sanctions and designations against terrorist groups and individuals. US played a key role in listing of Masood Azhar as a designated terrorist by the UN Security Council 1267 Committee in the aftermath of Pulwama attack of 2019. Like many families with frail elderly parents, I have been watching the unfolding COVID-19 crisis in aged care with concern. My mother died following a major stroke in January this year but that hasnt stopped me wincing at the stories. It is too easy to underestimate aged care, and this is partly because our society often views ageing only in terms of diminished capacities. Credit:Illustration: Kathy Westfold When, at the age of 92, my mother moved into aged care, I seesawed between relief and regret. For years Id supported her quest to stay living independently, but it unravelled with Alzheimers which by definition can be a disease you dont recognise you have. Mum agreed, and then forgot shed agreed, to the necessity of going into care. My brother and I arranged for her to be admitted to a nursing home that was in the outer east of Melbourne where shed spent much of her life, where shed be not too far from people she knew and where one of her oldest friends was a resident. Although this softened the blow, Mum insisted that she should have continued in her independent living unit. She never got over the fact that she hadnt been allowed to age in place. I was visiting Mum early one morning at the nursing home when a staff member came through on her medication rounds. I witnessed an interaction of such emotional intelligence and agile problem-solving that I felt humbled. A combination of kindness and skill was shown when Mum couldnt swallow properly, when she couldnt remember what the tablets were for or why she needed to go through the bother of it. Restoration works will be completed in November, the contractor says. Berdyansk, the Gyurza-M-class small armored artillery boat involved in the November 2018 incident near the Kerch Strait where Russian forces attacked and captured several Ukrainian Navy vessels, has been launched after dock repair works. That's according to the press service of Ukroboronprom, Ukraine's defense giant. "The boat, whose hull was shot through amid Russian aggression in the Kerch Strait in November 2018, has already been launched," the statement says. Read alsoUkraine Marines get new armored artillery boat (Photo)The damaged sections of the hull have been cut out and transferred to the National Military History Museum of Ukraine. "Specialists at the Mykolaiv Shipyard continue works to restore the interior, vessel systems, and devices. According to the plan, the repair of the Berdyansk boat will be completed in November," the report reads. Kerch Strait attack in 2018: background By PTI NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday that school students should have a new curriculum, which is in sync with the new National Education Policy, by 2022 when the nation celebrates its 75th year of Independence. Noting that marksheet has become "pressure sheet" for students and "prestige sheet" for families, the prime minister said the new policy aims to remove this pressure. The NEP will reduce the syllabus and make learning a fun-based and complete experience, he said. The new curriculum framework will be developed and be ready by 2022 when the nation celebrates its 75th year of Independence, he said addressing the "School Education Conclave" organised by the Ministry of Education. The new curriculum will be a future-ready and scientific. It will have new skills to promote critical thinking, creativity, communication and curiosity, Modi said. The prime minister noted that the Ministry of Education has received over 15 lakh suggestions from teachers on the implementation of NEP within a week through the MyGov portal. Advocating teaching up to class 5 in mother tongue, the prime minister said language is just a mode of study and not a study in itself. THE HAGUE, Netherlands - In an action streamed live on Facebook, a group of activists took a Congolese funeral statue from a Dutch museum, saying they were recovering art looted during the colonial era. The activists were quickly arrested and the statue returned undamaged, the museum said Friday. The Afrika Museum said in a statement that the statue was removed Thursday from the museum located in Berg en Dal, near the eastern Dutch city of Nijmegen. One of the Black rights activists, Mwazulu Diyabanza, said in a post on Facebook that the removal of the statue was part of the recovery of our artworks that were ALL acquired by looting, robbery, violence in colonial times. The incident came amid continuing anger at symbols of colonialism and slavery in the United States and Europe after George Floyds death while in police custody led to global protests against racial injustice. The statue action in the Netherlands came the day that prosecutors in neighbouring Belgium said that a tooth presumed to be from Congolese independence hero Patrice Lumumba would soon be handed back to his relatives after years of lobbying efforts. In June, five protesters, including Congo-born Diyabanza, were stopped before they could leave the Quai Branly Museum in Paris with a 19th century African funeral pole and placed under investigation by French prosecutors. The Dutch museum said that to avoid a conflict that could have caused damage to the statue, its security officers did not prevent the activists from leaving the building with the artifact as they knew police were nearby. The Facebook livestream ended with police handcuffing one of the activists on a road near the museum. Diyabanza did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment that was left on his cellphone voicemail Friday. The Afrika Museum is part of a group of Dutch museums that last year published a set of principles for handling claims on cultural objects in their collections. A spokesperson for the museums could not immediately be reached for comment. When Chinese foreign minister Huang Hua met Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on June 29, 1981, the two agreed that unless the boundary question is settled, it would be difficult to maintain friendship and goodwill between the two neighbours. More than 39 years later, the Peoples Liberation Army and the Chinese foreign ministry appear to be on different pages. The PLA is hard at work in its single-minded effort to reach to the Green Line defined by a 1959 map by then Chinese Premier Chou En-Lai while the foreign ministry is talking about building bilateral economic ties, which over the years, did strongly tilt towards Beijing. Much as State Councillor and foreign minister Wang Yi tried to gloss over a near war-like situation in Ladakh during his two-hour-long meeting with his Indian counterpart S Jaishankar, the fact is that the 1981 parallel track policy of working to build on harmonious ties even as the two countries sort out the boundary issue has not paid any dividends to India. ALSO WATCH | India, China formulate 5-point peace plan during Jaishankar & Wang Yi meet Instead, India has lost territory since then, letting 65 patrolling points defined by the China Study Group in 1976 turn into the de facto Line of Control (LAC) in Ladakh. The patrolling points are well within the Indian perception of the LAC but the movement of the Indian forces to these points has been curtailed by the presence of Chinese troops, face-offs with PLA patrolling parties and on occasions, the harsh weather and mountainous terrain. As Wang and Jaishankar arrived at a five-point consensus in Moscow to first disengage, and then de-escalate in Ladakh, the Communist Party of China mouthpiece Global Times continued to play up its war-mongering editorial. Also Read: India, China troop disengagement in Ladakh is first step before de-escalation If India wants peace, China and India should uphold the LAC of November 7, 1959. If India wants war, China will oblige, the tabloid, considered an extended arm of the Chinese government, says. It claims that India does not want to implement the 1959 LAC as it is holding a grudge for its failure in 1962 war. It is this 1962 mindset that pervades the regime of Xi Jinping. President Xi, who evidently sees himself as a true successor to Mao Zedong, decided to target India in 1962 by creating an impression that India was out to occupy Tibet. The aggressive line projected by the partys mouthpiece is totally at odds with what State Councillor Wang Yis stand at his meeting with Jaishankar where the Chinese side did not appear to acknowledge the role that the PLA had played to spike tensions. As one diplomat put it, it was as if the build-up and the friction in Ladakh was an act of God. Given the Chinese expansionist plans to make unilateral cartographic changes in Ladakh, the disengagement process will not be easy as the PLA wants to reach the 1959 Green Line and push Indian Army troops beyond the self-designated line. This is completely in violation of the 1993 Peace and Tranquillity Accord, which talks about mutual and equal security on the border for both sides. Under the circumstances, India will have to wait for PLA Commander-in-Chief and President Xi Jinping to give instructions to his western theatre command troops to go back to barracks if Beijing is seriously interested in rolling back the aggression. While the Chinese political mindset has not changed since 1962, the Indian mindset changed in 2014. Beijing must take this into account before making the next move. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON WASHINGTON A visibly agitated and angry President Donald Trump on Thursday defended his decision to intentionally mislead the public about the lethality of the novel coronavirus by saying he had an obligation as the nations leader to prevent panic. Staring down reporters at a White House news conference in the wake of revelations from Bob Woodwards new book, Rage, Trump cast his deception as a virtue a president instilling calm to protect the people. I dont want to jump up and down and start screaming Death! Death! because thats not what its all about. We have to lead a country, Trump said. He added, There has to be a calmness. Trump evidently did not feel the same presidential obligation to imbue serenity a few hours earlier, however, when he sounded the alarm on Twitter about a number of other topics. If I dont win, Americas Suburbs will be OVERRUN with Low Income Projects, Anarchists, Agitators, Looters and, of course, Friendly Protesters, Trump tweeted Thursday morning. In another morning tweet, he wrote, Sending out 80 MILLION BALLOTS to people who arent even asking for a Ballot is unfair and a total fraud in the making. Look at whats going on right now! Throughout his five years on the national political stage, Trump has used fear to acquire and keep power. Scare tactics are the hammer and screwdriver of his tool kit. Trump famously launched his presidential campaign in 2015 with dark warnings that immigrants from Mexico were rapists and bringing drugs and bringing crime. READ MORE: Trump knew coronavirus was deadly and worse than flu while intentionally misleading Americans, new book reports As president, he has warned darkly and with considerable hyperbole of dangers he sees everywhere. At first, it was citizens of majority-Muslim countries bringing terror to the shores of the United States. Then it was MS-13 gang members overtaking tranquil communities. Then it was caravans of illegal aliens traveling through Central America toward the U.S.-Mexico border. Then it was un-American Democrats trying to steal everyones guns, obliterate the economy and destroy the country by instituting socialism. This summer, as polls have shown Trump trailing Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden, the president has warned of a RIGGED 2020 ELECTION IT WILL BE THE SCANDAL OF OUR TIMES! as he put it in an all-caps tweet on June 22. And he has sounded urgent calls for LAW AND ORDER, as he has tweeted time and again. He also has warned that the radical left seeks to endanger families and wipe out livelihoods in suburbs everywhere, as he claimed in his address last month when he formally accepted the Republican presidential nomination. No one will be safe in Bidens America, Trump declared. Instilling calm, this is not. His political campaigns branding strategy is panic. They should put PANIC on a red hat, said Tim Miller, a longtime GOP strategist who advises Republican Voters Against Trump. FAQ: Your coronavirus questions, answered. Miller said Trumps assertion that he played down the threat of the novel coronavirus because he did not want to panic the public was an absurd defense. The person warning about the end of suburbia and migrant caravans looting and raping your daughters, the idea that hes somebody who wants to turn down the temperature and breathe calm is absurd, Miller said. Ruth Ben-Ghiat, a historian at New York University and author of a forthcoming book, Strongmen, described Trump as a chaos agent and said his strategy of using fear to encourage dependence on him as a leader fits a global pattern. All leaders of authoritarian tendencies use methods of psychological warfare on their people by creating environments full of uncertainty, Ben-Ghiat said. You never know what to expect from the leader, you never know when hell be angry or whom hell victimize. They use bureaucratic chaos and create uncertainty to keep people divided, too frightened from mobilizing. At Thursdays news conference, Trump argued that he waited many weeks to share what he knew about the virus being airborne and deadlier, far more lethal than the flu, because he did not want to create panic in the public. I want to show a level of confidence and I want to show strength as a leader and I want to show that our country is going to be fine, one way or the other, Trump said. Asked why he did not level with the American people by calmly presenting information about the virus in real time as, for instance, German Chancellor Angela Merkel had done Trump was defensive. He said coronavirus outbreaks across Europe were much worse than the numbers here, which is false. He also argued that the United States has rounded the final turn, an assessment in conflict with much of the data. White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany bolstered Trumps defense by telling reporters Wednesday, This president does what leaders do good leaders: Its stay calm and resolute at a time when you face an unsurmountable challenge. But reporting at the time revealed Trumps motivations for wanting to avoid panic in January and February to be far more nuanced. The president was fixated during that time not on leadership virtues but on the stock market, which he has long seen as a barometer of his reelection chances. He was strongly averse to any government announcement that might scare investors into a sell-off, his advisers explained. Trumps critics said the president has been misguided, stoking fear where little exists while trying to instill calm when his silence has had deadly consequences, with the coronavirus death toll now nearing 200,000. When we talk about what our real threat is, its clearly not the child thats locked up in a detention center. Its not the mother displaced in asylum or the people trying to cross the border. Our clearest danger right now is the president of the United States, said Maria Teresa Kumar, president of Voto Latino, a grassroots political group. On Thursday at the White House, Trump lashed out at a pair of reporters who questioned why he hadnt been truthful with the public about the lethality of the virus. He effectively said that any suggestion that he should have was nonsense. Were leading a great country and were doing a great job, Trump said. The people that have done such a good job should be given the kind of credit that they deserve. Some CEOs have exhibited a callous indifference to the plight of their employees during the pandemic-related economic crisis, continuing to collect massive paychecks as workers were laid off or furloughed. Executives at Hertz and J.C. Penney took home multimillion-dollar bonuses right before their companies entered into bankruptcy protection. CEOs might claim its their fiduciary responsibility to cut payroll and force workers to take the brunt of sacrifice so that their businesses can survivebut it doesnt have to be that way. Advertisement All companies are governed by legal documents, such as articles of incorporation and bylaws. A clause in these governing documentscall it a parity pillcould automatically redistribute part of top earners compensation when a crisis occurs. The funds could be used to prevent layoffs or bolster the paychecks of the most economically vulnerable workers, and would incentivize leaders to avert the crises they can. Parity pills would give unions and activists against income inequality a tangible reform to push for. It would also bestow reputational advantages on companies that voluntarily adopt thema pro-worker perk to go with good benefits and office amenities. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement My idea of the parity pill is modelled on the poison pill, a common mechanism in governing documents that offers a public company some protection from being the target of a hostile takeover. In one version of the concept, once an adverse party acquires a certain percentage of all the outstanding stock, the poison pill is triggered and waters down the would-be acquirers stock by offering all other shareholders the option to buy more stock at a reduced price. What poison and parity pills share in common is that they could be automatically triggered by criteria set ahead of time. Advertisement Advertisement Like income in general, corporate compensation has become shockingly concentrated at the top of some organizations. In 1965, the ratio between CEO pay and the typical workers compensation was 20 to 1. Now it is at least 221 to 1. At media company Discovery Inc., for instance, the total compensation for just five named executive officers was $84,204,174 in 2019. That year the company had approximately 9,200 full-time and part-time employees. The median workers pay at Discovery Inc. is $79,343, making the CEO-to-median salary ratio 578 to 1. If those top five earners took a 50 percent pay cut during a yearlong recession, it could provide the lowest paid 46 percent of employees at the company an additional $10,000 each in salary and benefits. The same five-person pay cut at the top could spare the entire bottom 10 percent of earners from layoffs (assuming each made $45,760 or less in salary and benefits). Imagine the potential to prevent layoffs or boost the income of the lowest earners if the entire top 1 percent of the corporationroughly 92 employeestook a pay cut during a recession. Advertisement Advertisement Once in place, parity pills could be activated by external situations, such as an economic downturn, or something internal to the companyfor example, if the pay of the top 1 percent of employees rose above some multiple of the average salary. Advertisement Advertisement Using economic triggers to redistribute income isnt an outlandish idea. The House Budget Committee has been considering automating spending for benefit programs like Medicaid, unemployment insurance, and food programs during economic downturns. A related idea is the so-called Brandeis Tax, which would raise the top marginal tax bracket if inequality within all of America rose beyond a set threshold. While these related ideas are largely expounded by Democrats, theres no reason to think that lower wageearning Republicans would automatically be against them. Advertisement Advertisement Parity pills, however, are more immediately promising in part because they do not require an act of Congress or a presidents signature. Any company can quickly implement a parity pill on its own, just as the CEOs of Marriott and Dicks Sporting Goods have announced that they will forgo much or all of their salaries for the year due to the economic downturn. The government could always encourage parity pills by offering companies that adopt them a lower corporate tax rate during periods of noncrisis. Advertisement Advertisement Every company could tailor its parity pill as appropriate, determining which of its highest earners should contribute, how much, and for how long. Further, plans could be put into place to determine how the money should be usedto prevent layoffs, bolster the incomes of the lowest paid, or both. Advertisement For example, in a mild recession, a large corporation might not lay off those who are often paid the least, such as individuals who keep buildings clean and cafeterias open. Yet if a pandemic hits and buildings close, those same individuals might be the first to lose their jobs, all while everyone else does their work from home. Some firms might thrive during a recession yet still want to redistribute income with the understanding that their lowest paid workers might be feeling the pinch because of the effects on their households. Advertisement The parity pill would offset some of the most pernicious developments in corporate incentives. The parity pill would offset some of the most pernicious developments in corporate incentives. Performance-based restricted stock and stock options linked to returns encourage executives to think short term, take on more risk, and when coffers are full, to buy back stock rather than raise wages. If the executives gambles pay off, they primarily benefit as opposed to their employees; if their speculations fail, their employees take the hit. Parity pills would force executives to absorb some of the pain in bad times and encourage them to do their best to prevent crises. Advertisement Advertisement While numerous heads of nonprofits have voluntarily reduced their salaries or donated money to their organizations during the COVID-19 pandemic, parity pills could also benefit the nonprofit sectors, including hospitals and universities where top leaders earn large salaries. The idea could even be applied to government officialsfor example, Ithaca, New Yorks mayor, Svante Myrick, has taken a 10 percent pay cut to stem layoffs of city employees because of a coronavirus-related budget shortfall. CEO pay has risen dramatically over the past decades, while union membership has fallen precipitously. Parity pills can help society demand protections for those that CEOs too often deem expendable. Some students in the Kpalba circuit in the Saboba District of the Northern Region fear being unable to sit for the 2020 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) due to the flooding issue in the area. According to the BECE candidates, centres where they are supposed to write the exams have become impassable due to the floods. The about 200 candidates who are to sit for the BECE beginning Monday, September 14, 2020, fear they may not be able to participate in the final examination if the flood does not recede. They are thus calling on the government to either provide them with means of crossing over to Saboba, should the situation persist, or allow them to take the exams in their schools. We are afraid of the water bodies here. How are we going to write our first paper on Monday? We are pleading with the District Assembly to either find a means to get us to Soboba or allow us to write in our school, one of the students pleaded. We cannot cross the water and go and write the exams. If WAEC does not allow us to write in our school, we will miss out on the BECE, another candidate said. What happened? Torrential rainfall in the Northern part of Ghana coupled with spillage from the Bagre Dam in Burkina Faso left hundreds of farmlands submerged. The bridge was flooded to the waist level covering over 1-km stretch of road. Six lives have been lost due to this. Almost every year, the flood gates of the Bagre dam are opened and this usually affects residents along the White and Black Volta rivers. Spillage of excess water from the dam is as part of a routine safety measure to ensure that the water is kept below the safe operating level of the dam in order to prevent it from collapsing. citinewsroom The art season is here and raring to go Following the lull of the lockdown, art galleries are back with shows in the virtual and physical space. Here are Lounges picks of the season BYRNE: PLANE IN SIGHT advertisement advertisement AKARA ART, MUMBAI There is a sense of solitude in George Byrnes photographs of vibrant landscapes bereft of habitation. The quietude of the streets and the emptiness of the strip malls and second-storey car parks bring back the sense of eerie isolation that pandemic-induced lockdowns created in urban spaces around the world. The images seem akin to an abstract painting, with clear geometric shapes juxtaposed against one another. A sense of fantasy leaves you wondering if the landscapes are real. He also references the New Topographics photography movement via a subject matter firmly entrenched in the urban everyday, states the curatorial note. advertisement advertisement These works by Byrne, an Australian photographer who lives in Los Angeles, are part of his first solo show in India, at Akara Art, Mumbai. This is the gallerys second physical show after Horescope, an exhibition of Somnath Hores works, in July. The physical viewing is by appointment only and we are staggering the visits, says Puneet Shah, director, Akara Art. Transparent Billboard. He first came across Byrnes photographs online; and they evoked a strong response. There was a very modernist painterly quality in his photographs, he says. The photographers gaze scans streetscapes like a flaneur, collecting fragments of the urban landscape. Returning to his studio and to his computer, he then laboriously sifts through these sharp, contrast-heavy images, and choosing elements from these images he starts to meddle, using photographic software to cut, paste, re-colour, and edit the final image, explains the note. advertisement advertisement 71st St, Miami. The works for the show have been chosen to appeal to the aesthetic of younger collectors. The exhibition can be viewed till 24 October at Akara Art, Colaba, Mumbai. Phone: 022-22025550 APPROPRIATION DISINFORMATIONNATURE AND THE BODY POLITIC TARQ, MUMBAI Geneva-based artist Apnavi Makanjis drawings and installations have always added a layer of meaning to archival material, creating complex constructs informed by botany, memory and displacement. In their new series, Makanji has taken archival material from a French atlas, Atlas International Larousse Politique Et Economique, dating back to the 1950s, and layered it with collages of fictitious dead and decaying monsters made with found pages of a magazine. By taking this atlas, she has looked at tools of capitalism and proof of systematic violence. The atlas also lists the materials that came from the colonies. Hence the work examines the injustice of resource distribution, says gallerist Hena Kapadia, who is showing these works as part of the show Appropriation DisinformationNature And The Body Politic, at Tarq, Mumbai. These collages were shown earlier this year at the Dhaka Art Summit as part of the exhibition Seismic Movements, curated by Diana Campbell. advertisement advertisement This is the first time works are being shown in India These collages are not only a representation of what has been forgotten, buried or annihilated, they also stand in for a subconscious that is mutant and diseased, says the curatorial note. The series seems particularly relevant at a time of geopolitical flux. It looks at how much colonialism has shaped our lives, adds Kapadia. The exhibition can be viewed by appointment at Tarq, Mumbai, till 30 September. Phone: 022-6615 0424 FUTURE IS NOT FIXED NATURE MORTE AND VADEHRA ART GALLERY, DELHI Alongside Masking-Shell, a watercolour and charcoal on paper work created earlier this year, one can read artist Anju Dodiyas words about the process of creating it: The great Venetian painter Tintoretto died in a plague pandemic and Munch survived the Spanish flu. I can only laugh at my audacity in February, when I had told a friend that I was planning to do some joyous paintings. What the hell are joyous paintings? Munch gives me joy, most Italian pietas make me sing and the bleak wartime still-lives of Picasso are sumptuous. So will we sustain our joy? What lies ahead? advertisement advertisement Dominus Aeris Coleus XIV by Thukral & Tagra. Her work is part of a virtual exhibition, The Future Is Not Fixed, organized by two Delhi-based galleries, Nature Morte and Vadehra Art Gallery. The title of the show, featuring 24 artists like Dodiya, Bharti Kher, Dhruvi Acharya, Gigi Scaria and Jitish Kallat, mirrors the nebulous times we live in. None of us ever had a fix on the future but we liked the illusion that we did. But now even that illusion has come crashing down, says Arjun Sahwney, the curator. Everyone is mulling over this at different levels. As he wondered how this period would be documented by the visual arts, the galleries approached him separately for a show on these lines. When they realized both had a similar idea, they volunteered to collaborate on a single show in which the artists illustrate these thoughts and feelings, he adds. Every work on display is accompanied by an artists note on their interpretation of this period. advertisement advertisement In addition, Vadehra Art Gallery has started an initiative called Fresh to support young, emerging artists. The first in the series is an online showcase of Shrimanti Sahas works, Fire In The Greenhouse And Other Stories. The artist draws heavily on myths, pop culture, Company paintings and science fiction, creating dreamlike vistas and dystopian landscapes. It was more important than ever during a time like this to support emerging artists. Shrimantis work is also extremely evocative and interesting for young collectors, says Roshini Vadehra, gallery director. Future Is Not Fixed can be viewed on NatureMorte.com and VadehraArt.com till 20 September, and Fire In The Greenhouse And Other Stories can be viewed on VadehraArt.com till 30 September. advertisement advertisement SEEDS ARE BEING SOWN SHRINE EMPIRE GALLERY, DELHI The Shrine Empire Gallery in Delhi has an earthy smell floating around its newest exhibition. The smell of tite-pati, a healing herb, envelops the senses. At the entrance, images from the Gorkhaland Picture Archive come into view. Artist Aqui Thami has presented a collection of striking images from newspaper archives recounting the often invisibilized movement of the people of Gorkhaland. There is a deeply personal element to this work as Thami presents images of the curfews and communication blackouts she witnessed while growing up in Darjeeling. And there is the ceremonial smell of tite-pati, which her parents have sent from back home, says Shaunak Mahbubani, who has curated the show, Seeds Are Being Sown, for the Prameya Art Foundation. This is the second physical exhibition in the Capital, open to visitors by appointment. advertisement advertisement Falani by an anonymous artist from Kabul; and (below) Haya by Arshi Irshad Ahmadzai. The themes of hybridity and resistance to diverse voices and cultures run through works by feminist artists such as Tehmeena Firdos, Baaraan Ijlal, Arshi Ahmadzai and Anna Ehrenstein. This is the third part of the series, Allies For The Uncertain Futures, being curated by Mahbubani. One of the core threads that emerges within this assemblage of feminist artists is the practice of conscious commemoration, of a listening and holding space for those who have faced great losses in struggles for identity and self-determination, says the curatorial note. Mahbubani, who witnessed protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act in Delhi last year, has used the past couple of months to reflect on conversations with artists in the context of questions of citizenship, who belongs and whose voices will be heard and whose images will get invisibilized. Artists have come from these experiences or have been involved in moments of resistance, says Mahbubani. Last years experiences prompted them to give free rein to artists. Each voice is important in its own space, they say. For instance, Tehmeena Firdos small-scale sculpture refers to the emotional uncertainties of families living in the area where anti-CAA protests took place. Firdos new body of work, created in the lockdown period, carries heavy residues of violence but also contains important markers of directions ahead, such as Dr (B.R.) Ambedkars emblematic pointing finger coming together in the word sabr (patience) painted on one of the sculptures, says the note. Then there is Baaraan Ijlals Change Room project, which holds space for multiple voices that have experienced conflict and abuse. It features a testimony of a woman from Ahmedabad who got relocated from her home. It circles around the violence and how life changed after moving from one locality to anotherit looks at the residue of the violence, says Mahbubani. They are happy to be back in the gallery. Its about re-engaging with multiple senses after the isolation of the pandemic, they say. The exhibition can be viewed at Shrine Empire Gallery, Defence Colony, Delhi, till 24 October.Phone: 011-41327630 Azad was the senior-most leader among the 23 dissenters who had last month written a letter to Sonia Gandhi seeking changes in the party leadership Sonia Gandhi on Friday brought about a major reshuffle in the ranks and file of the Indian National Congress, days after news of differences amidst senior leaders had rocked the party. Among the most notable changes, former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Ghulam Nabi Azad has been removed from his post of Congress general secretary. Azad was one of the senior-most leader among the group of 23 who had written a letter to Sonia expressing dissatisfaction with the way party affairs were being managed, following which the signatories had faced backlash from within the party. Apart from Azad, other senior leaders who were removed as general secretaries Friday night were Motilal Vora, Ambika Soni, Luizinho Faleiro and Mallikarjun Kharge. Soni, however, has been included in the special committee formed to assist Sonia in organisational matters. The other leaders on the six-member special committee include Sonia loyalists such as AK Antony, Ahmed Patel, Randeep Surjewala and KC Venugopal. The only dissident leader to have gotten a seat on the special advisory panel is Mukul Wasnik. Wasnik has also been made AICC general secretary incharge for Madhya Pradesh. AICC General Secretaries as appointed by Congress President Smt. Sonia Gandhi. pic.twitter.com/MyLVgg6ukU Congress (@INCIndia) September 11, 2020 Another dissident who seem to have been given a promotion of sorts was Jitin Prasada. He has not only been granted charge of the key poll-bound state West Bengal, but has also been given a permanent spot on the All India Congress Committee. Prasada, until now, was a special invitee to the AICC. From the 'group of 23' leaders, who had written letter to Sonia seeking Congress' overhaul, Azad, Wasnik and Anand Sharma continue to be regular members of the CWC. Arvinder Singh Lovely, also one of the signatories of the letter, has been accommodated as a member of the Central Election Authority. Faleiro, Vora, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury and Tamradhwaj Sahu have been dropped from the CWC. In their place, Sonia has appointed P Chidambaram, Randeep Surjewala, Tariq Anwar and Jitendra Singh as its regular members. While Chowdhury has been made a permanent invitee of AICC, the other three have been dropped from all central posts. The organisational changes bears the stamp of Rahul Gandhi, with majority of the new appointees known to be his close aides. Some of the young leaders considered close to him have been given key organisational roles as incharge of various states and figure in the reconstituted CWC as permanent and special invitees. Sonia appointed general secretaries and state in-charges of the All India Congress Committee (AICC). Surjewala, Jitendra Singh and Ajay Maken have been appointed as new general secretaries for Karnataka, Assam and Rajasthan, respectively, according to News18. Vivek Bansal has replaced Azad as general secretary in-charge of Haryana. Anugrah Narayan Singh, Asha Kumari, Gaurav Gogoi and Ram Chandra Khuntia are among those dropped by the Congress as its incharge for states. There is no change in the role of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra who will now be the AICC general secretary incharge for Uttar Pradesh. She was earlier general secretary for Uttar Pradesh East, but was practically taking care of the entire state after Jyotiraditya Scindia, who was general secretary for Uttar Pradesh (West), quit and joined the BJP. The Congress president also reconstituted the party's Central Election Authority appointing Madhusudan Mistry as its chairman of CEA while Rajesh Misra, Krishna Byre Gowda, S Jothimani and Arvinder Singh Lovely as members. The CEA will elect the new Congress president. The aforementioned letter by party insiders called for full time and effective leadership apart from elections to the Congress Working Committee (CWC) and an institutional leadership mechanism aimed at the partys revival. The letter also stated that CWC meetings are now convened only according to political developments, apart from Sonias customary address and obituary references. The reshuffle also comes amid backdrop of a supposed divide within the Congress ranks, with younger members pushing for the return of Rahul Gandhi while the old guard maintaining that they weren't opposed to the proposal but needed more clarity from the Gandhi scion on the direction he wishes to take after assuming charge of the party. The Congress was toppled into a leadership crisis after Rahul had quit the Congress top post following party's debacle in the 2019 general elections the second time in a row. Sonia had stepped in to take over the role in the interim till the party decided on a new presidential candidate. But over a year later, there seems to be no agreement on a non-Gandhi member heading the grand old party. With inputs from PTI The fact that Ayushmann Khurrana is versatile is nothing new. He is blessed with an amazing script sense and he never shies away when it comes to experimenting with his characters. And now, he has added one more feather in his cap. He has been roped in by UNICEF India as a celebrity advocate who will work towards ending violence against children. Ayushmann will be promoting rights #ForEveryChild. In the video he shared on Instagram, he said, I am very pleased to partner with UNICEF as a celebrity advocate. I believe that everyone deserves the best start in life. As I watch my children play in the safety and happiness of our home, I think about all the children who never get to experience a safe childhood and grow up with violence at home or outside. Dr. Yasmin Ali Haque, the UNICEF representative in India, said: "I am delighted to welcome Ayushmann Khurrana as a UNICEF celebrity advocate. He is an actor who challenges the boundary of every role he plays and will bring sensitivity, passion, and a powerful voice for every child. Ayushmann joins us to support efforts towards ending violence against children." Haque added: "His support will help increase awareness about this important issue, especially now with Covid-19 heightening the risk of violence and abuse against children due to the extended lockdown and the socio-economic impacts of the pandemic." Ayushmann also wrote beautiful poem after he got appointed as celebrity advocate for UNICEF, India. Fans are proud to see that Ayushmann has joined the great initiative. Instagram/Ayushmann Khurrana Instagram/Ayushmann Khurrana We wish him all the luck in achieving great success with UNICEF in the new role. MONTREAL, Sept. 10, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- GHGSat, the global leader in high-resolution greenhouse gas monitoring from space, today announced it has successfully completed the first tranche of Series B funding, raising US$30m and more than doubling the total amount raised since GHGSat was founded to over US$55m. This latest funding has secured the growth trajectory of the company, enabling it to accelerate construction of its unique fleet of emissions detecting satellites and deployment of analytics to key markets. Raising US$30m, GHGSat has successfully completed 1st tranche Series B funding, accelerating the build of its #emissions satellite constellation and analytics services. Led by the Government of Quebec's Investissement Quebec, the participants in the investment tranche also include OGCI Climate Investments, Business Development Bank of Canada, Fonds de solidarite des travailleurs du Quebec (FSTQ), Space Angels, and Schlumberger. The additional funding will support the build and launch of three high-resolution satellites plus a sensor based on the company's space technology but tailored for use in aircraft. It will also enable GHGSat to expand its analytics capability in Canada and open a new global intelligence centre in the UK; this will investigate man-made greenhouse emissions in territories around the world, excluding North America. GHGSat is the only emissions monitoring company with its own satellites. Utilising patented technology, GHGSat's satellites can detect methane emissions from sources 100 times smaller than any other system, and with a resolution 100 times higher than those systems. That means GHGSat can image and identify methane emissions from point sources as small as oil & gas wells. No other commercial operator or state-funded space organisation can do this. Demand for accurate, cost-effective monitoring is growing as awareness of the impacts of methane increase. It has a global warming potential c. 84 times greater than that of carbon dioxide over 20 years and is responsible for c.25% of man-made global warming. However, it is also a potentially valuable resource that can be harnessed to provide energy. GHGSat's space-based data and analytics enables regulators and sectors such as oil and gas, waste management, mining, energy and agriculture to properly assess and track emissions and take prompt action to address emissions. Pierre Fitzgibbon, Minister of the Economy and Development explains: "Quebec can count on its growing spatial industry, including a dynamic aerospace sector, where innovative new companies like GHGSat are making their mark globally. This investment represents the Government of Quebec's commitment to the export of our engineering expertise and contribution to a transition towards a greener economy. GHGSat provides an innovative high-precision solution that enables the detection of greenhouse gas emissions worldwide. The Government supports forward-thinking projects like GHGSat's as these opportunities are beneficial to both the economy and the environment." "Internationally recognised, Quebec's aerospace industry presents unique expertise. To maintain our position as global leaders, Investissement Quebec endorses promising new projects such as GHGSat. This engagement is a perfect reflection of Investissement Quebec's mission: to help maintain a strong aerospace industry, promote investment opportunities in Quebec and favor the development of a low-carbon economy," said Guy LeBlanc, President and Managing Director of Investissement Quebec. The investment precedes the successful launch of the company's second satellite, "Iris", on 2nd September 2020 and means GHGSat can now fast-track the deployment of the rest of its constellation. A third satellite, "Hugo", is currently in final testing and is due to launch by the end of the year, to be followed by further launches in the next two years. Stephane Germain, CEO, GHGSat said: "The success of this round is built upon ongoing partnerships and we thank our investors for their enthusiasm and trust in GHGSat. Despite this year's global pandemic and related economic setbacks, we continue to see growing demand from our target markets. Our team is fully engaged worldwide and focused on delivering global emission monitoring solutions for our customers." For further information, interviews and imagery please contact [email protected] or [email protected] Notes to Editors GHGSat uses its own satellites and aircraft sensors to measure greenhouse gas emissions directly from industrial sites; providing actionable insights to businesses, governments, and regulators. With proprietary remote-sensing and patented technology, GHGSat enables strategic decision making through monitoring and analytics services, with better accuracy, more frequently, and at a fraction of the cost of other technologies. www.ghgsat.com Related Images ghgsat-series-b.jpg GHGSat Series B Raising US$30m, GHGSat has successfully completed 1st tranche Series B funding, accelerating the build of its #emissions satellite constellation and analytics services. Related Links GHGSat Satellite Launch, 3 Sept 2020 SOURCE GHGSat Related Links http://www.ghgsat.com Turkey on Friday branded as "biased" a statement by southern European leaders threatening sanctions against Ankara in its standoff with Greece over eastern Mediterranean energy and maritime rights. "The expressions in the joint communique... are biased, disconnected from reality and lack a legal basis," the foreign ministry said after a summit French President Emmanuel Macron hosted on Thursday. France has thrown strong support behind Greece, sending warships and fighter jets in an escalating row over hydrocarbon resources and naval influence in the eastern Mediterranean. After talks with the leaders of Italy, Malta, Portugal, Spain, Greece and Cyprus, Macron said the leaders wanted to re-engage in a dialogue with Turkey "in good faith". But the leaders' final statement said sanctions were possible if Turkey failed to end its "confrontational actions". The European Union "is ready to develop a list of further restrictive measures" that could be discussed at the European Council on September 24-25, the statement said. Turkey has sent a natural gas exploration vessel and warships to waters claimed by Greece, but which Ankara views as its own. It has also repeatedly said it was ready for dialogue with Greece without "preconditions", although efforts by Germany to mediate between the two NATO neighbours have so far failed to bear fruit. "We invite Greece to give up its illegal and maximalist claims over maritime zones," the foreign ministry said in its statement, calling on EU countries supporting Greece's claims to "abandon their one-sided approach". Search Keywords: Short link: A group of men have been captured on CCTV dragging a girl towards a dark corner in the grounds of an Italian villa shortly before two British teenage girls were raped. Two of the men are said to have gained the trust of one of the underage girls during a party at the villa in Marconia di Pisticci, southern Italy. Before then, the victims and alleged perpetrators did not know each other. It is claimed that the group of men gate-crashed the party and then forced the girls into a dark, hidden part of the villa's garden. Four men, reportedly aged between 19 and 23, have so far been arrested over the alleged gang-rape of the two British, with four more people suspected to have been involved. Angelo Onorati, a Matera prosecutor, said the arrests and custody of the men were ordered because of the 'brutality, severity and savagery of the violence committed, in devious ways, that could be repeated against other women'. This frame grab made from video surveillance released by Italian police today shows a group of people walking towards a dark corner of a garden of a villa The assault is said to have taken place at a villa in the small seaside town of Marconia di Pisticci in southern Italy, in a region that is one of Italy's most popular tourist destinations. Investigators said that the girls attended the party with the older sister of one of the two girls, but soon after they arrived they were approached by two of the suspects. Authorities are investigating reports that a group of uninvited boys then forced their way into the party and attacked the girls. 'On the night between 7-8 September, in Marconia di Pisticci, sexual violence was committed against two foreign minors who were at a party in a villa,' local police said in a statement on Thursday. 'The investigative unit of Matera police headquarters has begun investigations in coordination with the public prosecutor's office.' Four people have been arrested in connection with the alleged gang rape. Above, police officers are pictured taking a youth in custody According to local media reports, the two girls were punched and kicked before being raped by more than one person. News website Sassilive said the attack took place in the early hours of Monday, when the girls were attacked by a herd of eight boys behind a bush near the place where the party took place. The girls were able to make it back to their accommodation where they told the older sister about what had happened. Police were alerted and they were then rushed to a hospital in Matera, around 40 miles away. There, they were treated for shock and were found to have marks on their bodies. They have since been discharged from hospital, according to local reports. Four people have been arrested after the alleged rape of two British girls - believed to be teenagers - on the night of 7 September. The assault occurred at a villa in the small seaside town of Marconia di Pisticci in southern Italy (pictured) One of the girls is said to have relatives from England living in the area after they moved to Italy several years ago. A lawyer for the girls, Giuseppe Rago, said the violence committed against them was 'unprecedented'. 'They are girls with a strong character, they have been heartened by their families and are confident in the work of justice. They hope to soon recover and forget what happened we would never have thought that such wickedness could happen here,' he told Adnkronos news agency. The 12,000 residents of Marconia are in deep state of shock, according to local paper La Gazetta Del Mezzogiorno which called it an 'extremely shameful' case. Viviana Verri, the mayor of the town, said in a statement: 'This is the moment in which the spirit of our community must emerge strongly, a healthy community that cannot and must never get used to such episodes. 'For this reason [witnesses] cannot afford to keep silent [and must] help investigators to put an end to this affair.' The Pisticci State Police Commissioner is leading the investigation and few details have been released due to young ages of the alleged victims. Brahma Chellaney, a professor of strategic studies at the Center for Policy Research in New Delhi, said there was nothing new in the statement, as in the pledge announced in June, that directly addressed Indias accusations that China has seized new territory. The lesson from the collapse of the accord was that China was willing to defuse tensions if India would accept the new facts on the ground, he said. The clashes began in May after India accused soldiers of the Peoples Liberation Army of advancing beyond the de facto border in the Ladakh region, which borders Tibet. China has, in turn, accused India of building roads and defensive structures that pose a threat to the status quo in the region, which was the site of a bloody war in 1962. In June, a brawl broke out in a narrow gorge called the Galwan Valley, with soldiers fighting hand to hand or with improvised clubs. The fight killed 20 Indian soldiers and a number of Chinese, though officials in Beijing have not disclosed an official count. In August, a soldier belonging to a secretive force of Tibetan refugees who work with the Indian army died after he stepped on a land mine along the frontier. Both sides have rushed in reinforcements, backed by artillery, tanks and fighter jets and helicopters. In recent days, the Indian Army has deployed thousands of troops to places they have never been sent before; local volunteers have been helping shuttle in food supplies, sometimes walking miles to new army outposts. The two countries have also released photographs and videos showing clashes along the border that support their respective versions of events, though it is difficult to independently verify claims given the remoteness of the region. The self-described co-moms of Moms, chefs Kelly Ijichi and Randi Howry, last had a home at Politan Row, the recently reopened food hall in the West Loop. I adored their katsu sando there, a puffy winter coat of a fried pork sandwich, but a seasonal ube cream puff even more. Our moms now make seasonal doughnuts, and have landed at Marz, the brewery taproom in Bridgeport. Whatevers on the weekly changing menu, get the milk bread doughnut, like the summery corn and blueberry creation. I had wished their previous musubi packed more flavor, and my wishes have been granted with the new iteration, gilded with crisp tempura crumbles. This bird eye view shows the coral reefs in China's Xisha Islands, South China Sea, June 1, 2011. [Photo/Xinhua] State Councilor and Defense Minister Wei Fenghe said on Friday that maintaining stability in the South China Sea is a shared responsibility of China and the Philippines, and called for closer communication and proper dispute management among countries within the region. He made the remarks during a meeting with Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte in Manila, according to a release from China's Ministry of National Defense. Duterte said that the delegation led by Wei is the first high-level delegation to visit the Philippines since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, which shows that China attaches great importance to the bilateral relations. Duterte stressed that maintaining peace and stability in the South China Sea serves the common interests of all countries in the region. He said he hopes that all parties could resolve disputes and differences through friendly consultation based on respecting international laws so as to jointly realize lasting peace and stability in the region, according to the release. Duterte congratulated China's victory over the pandemic under the leadership of President Xi Jinping and sincerely appreciated Chinese government and military for providing a large amount of assistance to the Philippines after the outbreak of the pandemic. Wei said that the two countries have supported each other in the face of the COVID-19 epidemic, reflecting the friendly bilateral relationship. He said the Chinese military is ready to carry out more practical cooperation with the Philippines. On Friday morning, Wei also talked with his Philippine counterpart Delfin Lorenzana and exchanged views on the issues including the international and regional situation, bilateral relations and the South China Sea. CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Sept. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- LabCentral, the launchpad for high-potential biotech startups, is hosting a special virtual panel focused on biotech innovation in space featuring experts from NASA and the manager of the International Space Station (ISS) U.S. National Laboratory. The discussion will highlight the features and capabilities of the ISS, a one-of-a-kind space laboratory and the value it brings to the biotech and life sciences research community and the general public. What: Lessons in Biotech and Scientific Innovation from the International Space Station Attendees will learn about the research opportunities and facilities aboard the space-based research laboratory, which represents one of humankind's greatest technical achievements. Representatives from NASA's ISS Program Research Office and the ISS U.S. National Laboratory will discuss how hundreds of researchers are taking advantage of the lab to further scientific knowledge. NASA Astronaut and Medical Doctor Serena Aunon-Chancellor will share her experiences living and working aboard the orbiting laboratory, along with what it is like to facilitate life science investigations in microgravity. She will also discuss these challenging times, given the COVID-19 pandemic, and how NASA and its partners are working to ensure continued research and operations in space. Yusuf Erkul, M.D., co-founder and CEO of Kernal Biologics, a biotech company at LabCentral that is developing messenger RNA (mRNA) therapeutics for leukemia and lung cancer, will discuss the goals of its research project, which will be sent to the ISS on the next NASA-funded commercial resupply mission (Northrop Grumman CRS-14, slated for no earlier than September 29, 2020). When: Tuesday, September 15, 2020 from 1 p.m. 2 p.m. ET Where: Register to attend for free at http://labcentral.site/space Who: Moderated by Amirah Al Idrus, Editor of FierceBiotech's Life Sciences Group, the panel will include: Serena Aunon-Chancellor, M.D., NASA astronaut David Brady , Associate Program Scientist, NASA's International Space Station Program , Associate Program Scientist, NASA's International Space Station Program Christine Kretz , VP of Programs and Partnerships on behalf of the International Space Station U.S. National Laboratory , VP of Programs and Partnerships on behalf of the International Space Station U.S. National Laboratory Yusuf Erkul , Co-Founder and CEO, Kernal Biologics The session marks the thirteenth in LabCentral's "Innovation and Biotech in the Time of COVID-19" webinar series, which brings together a wide range of experts to explore the impact of the novel coronavirus on various aspects of the biotech and life sciences field. To view past webinars in LabCentral's COVID-19 series, visit: https://labcentral.org/news-events/past-events About LabCentral A private, non-profit institution, LabCentral was founded in 2013 as a launchpad for high-potential life-sciences and biotech startups. Operating a total of 100,000 square-feet in the heart of Kendall Square in Cambridge, Mass., LabCentral offers fully permitted laboratory and office space for as many as 70 startups comprising approximately 500 scientists and entrepreneurs. More information is available at www.labcentral.org. SOURCE LabCentral Related Links http://labcentral.org On a misty morning, the Council Bluffs Fire Department Honor Guard marched to the bell tower at headquarters station, carrying the American, Iowa and department flag to commemorate their brethren that died on Sept. 11, 2001. During the memorial Friday, Asst. Chief Chris Sorensen told the story of Daniel Suhr, the first firefighter to die that day in New York City. Suhr -- the son and brother of firefighters -- and his Engine 216 mates were among the first on the scene after an attack on the World Trade Center. "He was a big, brave man, who could get gushy over his 2-year-old daughter," Sorensen said. "He was called Captain America, perhaps because he looked the part, also because because he had a habit of pointing out the exits and designating a rendezvous everywhere he went." "They had just arrived, setting up at World Trade Center Plaza," Sorensen continued, "when Suhr was struck and killed by a jumper from Tower Two." Sorensen told the crowd of about 30 people that firefighters from Engines 216 and 205 took Suhr's body to an ambulance blocks away. Shortly after, World Trade Center Tower Two collapsed. "Engine 216 and Engine 205 members feel Suhr saved their lives because Danny gave his own," Sorsensen said. "Telling the story of an individual that was there, that makes it resonate still, that we have enemies and some of them want to hurt us," Fire Chief Justin James said afterward. "We need to remember the sacrifice." Capt. Jim Maaske also took to the podium. "There are many amazing stories that emerged in the aftermath of Sept. 11, 2001," Maaske said. "Stories of bravery, sacrifice and service. Above and beyond the call of duty. As has been the custom of our nation throughout its history, weve allowed triumph to come out of tragedy." "'Lord take me where you want me to go. Let me meet who you want me to meet, tell me what you want me to say, keep me out of your way.' What a better prayer could any of us pray on a daily basis?" Maaske asked. The Honor Guard concluded the ceremony by ringing the bell at the station in a 3-4-3 pattern in honor of the 343 firefighters that died that day. "It's always an eerie day, 9/11," James said. "It's important to these guys. They know, they understand the sacrifice." "We want people to remember the 343 firefighters (that) sacrificed their life that day," Sorensen said after the memorial. "And since that time, many more responders -- police, fire, EMS, workers that went down and tried to affect rescues -- have died from the after effects of cancer and other diseases." A 24-year veteran with the department, Sorensen remembered eating breakfast with Capt. Mike Mattox that morning, watching the daily news before a scheduled hazmat training scenario. "I remember Katie Couric announcing that a plane had hit one of the World Trade Center towers," he said. "I remember there was footage up as they continued to talk about things, what this possibly couldve been. And watching as the second plane came in and hit the tower." Fire Chief Justin James had just ended a shift that morning at 7 a.m. and made it home around the time the first plane hit. "I think everyone remembers, at least here and in New York, it was beautiful out," he said. "It was an eerie feeling, not hearing any planes in the sky." "It's something that hopefully the country never forgets. It's interesting, it was (George W.) Bush's first term and the amount of unity the country had at that moment was pretty strong. I think we need to take a reality check and figure out that we're all still on the same team. We might not agree on everything, but we're on the same team. Because if we don't, the enemies will win eventually." In the aftermath of the Sept. 11 attacks, James said the effect on the Council Bluffs Fire Department was one seen across the country. "It changed the country, to realize firefighters and police officers are the front line, even in an attack," James said. "I think they realized, hey it isn't the military that's going to come save you. The federal government will show up, but all emergencies are local." The federal government started to increase spending on existing training for police and fire to defend the country against things that were normally a military operation -- chemical and biological warfare. "There was a right turn there. That did change drastically," James said. The fire chief noted the Council Bluffs department is one of three, along with Des Moines and Davenport, that serve as weapons of mass destruction teams for the State of Iowa. "All that originated and was funded after 9/11," he said, noting that nine Council Bluffs firefighters are part of the federal Urban Search and Rescue team out of Lincoln, Nebraska. "They train on a lot of things firefighters faced in those two collapsed buildings. How do you go rescue people when it's not a heavy machinery operation? "It also woke everyone up to the sacrifices of both law enforcement and fire. And just pure utter bravery, to trounce up 50 or 60 flights of stairs thinking you're going to put a fire out. Listen to the radio traffic, they had every intent of putting that fire out and it being OK." Another aftereffect, Sorensen said, was more people looking to the fire service as a career option. "I think the lasting impact that (the attacks) had on this department, since that time weve had people that joined this department that maybe the fire department wasnt their choice of career, that decided after that day that they wanted to serve in some capacity and chose the fire department," the assistant chief said. "And for that were blessed." Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Biological sex differences are observed in genes that are involved in many functions, including how women control blood sugar levels during pregnancy, how people respond to medication, how cancer develops and how the immune system functions. Sex also plays an important role in how genetic variation between individuals affects their gene expression levels. Sex differences exist for many human traits and disease characteristics. They have been previously attributed to sex chromosomes, hormones, and differences in behavior and environmental exposures. In this study, scientists investigated sex differences in the human transcriptome. Human transcriptome is the sum of all RNA transcripts in a cell. Scientists used 44 types of healthy human tissue from 838 individuals. For every gene, the scientists focused on whether they could find differences in the amount of gene expression between males and females. They found that 37% of the human genes were expressed at different levels in males and females in at least one type of tissue. Although these effects were abundant, the amount that gene expression differed was mostly small. The scientists discovered 58 previously unreported links between genes and complex traits such as cholesterol levels, blood pressure, body fat percentage, and breast cancer. The study also reported that a portion of previously reported gene-trait links was true only for a single-sex. The findings indicate the importance of sex as a variable in human genetics and genomic studies. Differentially expressed genes represented diverse biological and molecular functions. These genes are relevant in disease and clinical traits. They suggest a link between a genetic variant and a trait. "Finding these links helps us to understand the biology underlying the trait," Stranger said. "If we understand the biology of a trait, we can try to use that information for diagnostics, drug development and predicting outcome." In women, the genetic regulation of CCDC88 expression is strongly associated with breast cancer progression. The finding could enable researchers to assess whether gene expression of CCDC88 is a potential biomarker for cancer progression in women. In women, the gene HKCD1 is associated with birth weight. HKCD1 could impact birth weight by altering glucose metabolism in the liver of a pregnant woman. In men, DPYSL4 is associated with body fat percentage and CLDN7 with birth weight. The genetic regulation of C9orf66 in men is associated with balding patterns. Before this study, little was known about the gene. With this discovery, researchers can design experiments to better characterize the role of this gene in balding patterns in males. If specific genes contribute differentially in males and females, these genes could be used as sex-specific biomarkers. These factors may play a crucial role in personalized medicine in the future. Considering males and females in a single study group would be obscured. The study has some limitations. The researchers note that despite sex differences, the majority of human biology at all levels is common to both males and females. The findings are based on mostly older individuals. The analysis also does not account for sex differences that occur during different developmental stages or in specific environments. Source: Medindia Gene expression is the amount of product created by a gene for cell function. President Trump at a 19th anniversary observance of the 2001 terrorist attacks, at the Flight 93 National Memorial in Shanksville, Pa. (Associated Press) President Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden both marked the 19th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks on Friday with visits to a memorial in Pennsylvania, a battleground state in the presidential race, although they didn't cross paths. Trump came first, attending a morning ceremony in the southern Pennsylvania field where a hijacked jetliner crashed after passengers overtook terrorists seeking to fly the plane into the U.S. Capitol in Washington. Trump mourned the 40 "precious and beautiful souls" who died on United Airlines Flight 93, among the nearly 3,000 who perished that day at the World Trade Center in New York and at the Pentagon, in a speech extolling the courage of those who stormed the cockpit. "The heroes of Flight 93 are an everlasting reminder that no matter the danger, no matter the threat, no matter the odds, America will always rise up, stand tall and fight back," Trump said. Biden, who has criticized Trump for his indifference to the pain and loss of Americans on multiple fronts, told reporters as he boarded a plane to a ceremony at the National September 11 Memorial in New York that his campaign had suspended all advertising to honor the anniversary. Former Vice President Joe Biden and his wife, Jill Biden, during the pledge of allegiance at a 19th anniversary ceremony Friday at New York's National September 11 Memorial. (Associated Press) "I'm not going to be making any news today," he said. "I'm not going to talk about anything but 9/11 .... Im not going to be holding press conferences. It's a solemn day. We took all our advertising down; well get back to the campaign tomorrow." In a conversation at the memorial with a 90-year-old woman whose son had died in his 40s, Biden talked about the death of his son Beau, then 46, in 2015. "It never goes away," he said, handing the woman a white rose, an exchange captured on a reporters video. After attending the ceremony, where he crossed paths and touched elbows with Vice President Mike Pence, Biden and his wife, Jill, flew to Shanksville, Pa., to pay their respects to the victims of Flight 93. Story continues During Trump's visit, a bell was rung twice as each victim's name was read aloud, as in years past. Those in the small crowd allowed to attend were required to sit six feet apart, a vivid reminder of the COVID-19 pandemic that has killed more than 190,000 Americans this year, nearly 64 times the total mourned every year on Sept. 11. The 9/11 attacks, carried out by 19 skyjackers loyal to Al Qaeda, initially brought about a unifying period of shared national mourning and anger. But the sentiment faded as the "global war on terror" led to expanded surveillance of U.S. citizens, a war in Iraq based on faulty intelligence, and torture at secret CIA prisons. In contrast, Americans have viewed this year's confluent catastrophes of a deadly pandemic and economic nosedive through a political and cultural kaleidoscope, with little sense of collective grief or sacrifice. Those who have died from COVID-19 have inspired little of the public outpouring of support seen after 9/11. The rising death toll already nearly half the total number of Americans killed in World War II has been startlingly abstract to many not directly affected, while the virus has disproportionately ravaged poorer, Black and Latino communities. With few searing images as stark as the collapse of the World Trade Center's twin towers, the tragedy has often been overshadowed by other tumult a deep recession, rising tensions over racial injustice and police brutality, and, on the West Coast, vast wildfires that have devoured a parched landscape and forced hundreds of thousands of people to evacuate across several states. Trump, who has repeatedly cited the protests against police brutality in Portland, Ore., has said almost nothing about the historic fires in the state. Oregon Gov. Kate Brown, a Democrat, said Thursday that Trump had not returned her phone call seeking federal assistance in combating the fires. During his remarks in Shanksville, Trump vowed the country would "never forget" those who perished on 9/11, expressed gratitude for all who enlisted in the military in response and gave their blood on distant battlefields and recalled the brief moment of national unity. "Citizens of all faiths, backgrounds, colors and creeds came together, prayed together, mourned together and rebuilt together," Trump said. Trump's willingness to express a nation's shared grief for victims of an attack nearly two decades ago stood in clear contrast to his reluctance to acknowledge the far greater suffering and death taking place on his watch. Under fire this week for telling author Bob Woodward in March that he was intentionally playing down the danger of the coronavirus, Trump claimed that he was only projecting calm to keep the country from panicking. He likened his leadership to that of British Prime Minister Winston Churchill during World War II, a comparison historians dismissed as ludicrous, noting that Churchill, far from downplaying the Nazi threat, steeled his nation's will with sobering speeches framing the fight as a battle for civilization itself. Trump had an opportunity to bring Americans together after the pandemic hit, but largely failed, said Timothy A. Naftali, a presidential historian at New York University. Presidents Franklin Roosevelt and George W. Bush should have been better prepared for Pearl Harbor and 9/11, respectively, he said, but "they responded to the surprise by recognizing it as a moment for national unity and national resolve and they came out of it with the support of most Americans," Naftali said. On Friday, the day of remembrance offered a rare detente in campaign hostilities between Trump and his Democratic rivals, but it was short-lived. By midday, Trump, whose campaign did not pause its attack ads, was back in the Oval Office to tout a diplomatic breakthrough in the Middle East. By the afternoon, he was back to berating Democrats on Twitter. Biden, after visiting the memorial in Shanksville, stopped at a nearby firehouse to deliver beer to first responders. For the record: 1:38 PM, Sep. 17, 2020: An earlier version of this article referred to Flight 93 as an American Airlines flight. It was a United Airlines flight. Family members look in the coffin that contains the remains of Manuela Chavez who died from symptoms related to the new coronavirus at the age of 88, during a burial service in the Shipibo Indigenous community of Pucallpa, in Peru's Ucayali region, Monday, Aug. 31, 2020. The Shipibo have tried to prevent COVID-19's entrance by blocking off roads and isolating themselves. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd) As COVID-19 spread quickly through Peru's Amazon, the Indigenous Shipibo community decided to turn to the wisdom of their ancestors. Hospitals were far away, short on doctors and running out of beds. Even if they could get in, many of the ill were too fearful to go, convinced that stepping foot in a hospital would only lead to death. So Mery Fasabi gathered herbs, steeped them in boiling water and instructed her loved ones to breathe in the vapors. She also made syrups of onion and ginger to help clear congested airways. "We had knowledge about these plants, but we didn't know if they'd really help treat COVID," the teacher said. "With the pandemic we are discovering new things." The coronavirus pandemic's ruthless march through Peruthe country with the world's highest per-population confirmed COVID-19 mortality ratehas compelled many Indigenous groups to find their own remedies. Decades of under-investment in public health care, combined with skepticism of modern medicine, mean many are not getting standard treatments like oxygen therapy to treat severe virus cases. In the Ucayali region, government rapid response teams deployed to a handful of Indigenous communities have found infection rates as high as 80% through antibody testing. Food and medicine donations have reached only a fraction of the population. Many say the only state presence they have seen is from a group responsible for collecting bodies of the dead. Gravedigger Rider Sol Sol pushes a wheelbarrow filled with dirt in the cemetery created to bury people who have died from the new coronavirus, along a remote road known as "Kilometer 20," on the outskirts of the Shipibo Indigenous community of Pucallpa, in Peru's Ucayali region, Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2020. These days, with the death count lower, the 48-year-old gravedigger is the only man working most days. "I give thanks to God that I have a job," he said. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd) At a spot known as "Kilometer 20" near the city of Pucallpa, a new cemetery has sprung to life with the remains of about 400 people. "We've always been forgotten," said Roberto Wikleff, 49, a Shipibo man who turned to Fasabi's treatments to help treat his COVID-19. "We don't exist for them." Peru is home to one of Latin America's largest Indigenous populations, whose ancestors lived in the Andean country before the arrival of Spanish colonists. Entire tribes were wiped out by infectious diseases introduced by the Europeans. Today many live and work in urban areas, but others reside in remote parts of the Amazon that have few doctors, let alone the capacity to do complex molecular testing or treatment for the virus. Wikleff said the 10 doctors, nurses and aides who usually staff a nearby clinic abandoned their posts when the coronavirus arrived. The Shipibo had tried to prevent COVID-19's entrance by blocking roads and isolating themselves. But in May, he and others nonetheless came down with fevers, coughs, difficulty breathing and headaches. Passengers arrive in a public taxi boat to the Shipibo Indigenous community of Pucallpa, located along the Ucayali River in the Amazonian rainforest of eastern Peru, Thursday, Sept. 3, 2020, amid the new coronavirus pandemic. Transportation is one of the biggest hurdles in treating indigenous groups, some of which can only be reached by helicopter or an eight-hour boat ride. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd) A month later, he was still feeling ill and turned to Fasabi, who along with 15 other volunteers had set up a makeshift treatment center. "I was taken there in agony," he recalled. The Shipibo highlight the use of a plant known locally as "matico." The buddleja globosa plant has green leaves and a tangerine-colored flower. Fasabi said that by no means are the remedies a cure, but their holistic approach is proving effective. Unlike in hospitals, volunteers equipped in masks get close to patients, giving them words of encouragement and touching them through massage. "We are giving tranquility to our patients," she said. Juan Carlos Salas, director of Ucayali's regional health agency, said efforts to expand hospital capacity have proven only marginally successful. The region of about a half million people located along a winding river had just 18 ICU beds at the start of the pandemic and today has around 28. A shortage of specialists means they have not been able to staff all the beds. Family members mourn the passing of Manuela Chavez, who died from symptoms related to the new coronavirus at the age of 88, as a government team prepares to remove her body from inside her home, in the Shipibo Indigenous community of Pucallpa, in Peru's Ucayali region, Monday, Aug. 31, 2020. While the lucky are cured with ancestral ailments, the less fortunate often die at home. A government team travels from one spartan, thatch-roofed home to the next, removing the dead from their homes where they took their last breaths. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd) At the peak of the outbreak in May and June, around 15 people were dying a day, he said. Overall, about 14,000 cases have been diagnosed, likely a vast undercount. "We didn't have a way of tending to patients," he said. "We couldn't accept more." He said transportation is one of the biggest hurdles in treating Indigenous groups, some of which can only be reached by helicopter or an eight-hour boat ride. Pucallpa's bustling port where wood, bananas and other fruit are loaded onto ships for export is believed to be one main source of contagion. Of about 59,000 rapid antibody tests, some 2,500 were administered to Indigenous groups. "We were surprised," Salas said. "The majority had been infected." Lizardo Cauper, president of the Interethnic Association for the Development of the Peruvian Rainforest, said that of about 500,000 Indigenous people living in the Amazon, his group estimates that 147,000 have been infected by the virus and 3,000 have died. Comando Matico volunteers Isai Eliaquin Sanancino, left, and Mery Fasabi, collect the leaves of a plant known locally as matico, in the Shipibo Indigenous community of Pucallpa, in Peru's Ucayali region, Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2020. As the new coronavirus spread quickly through Peru's Amazon, the indigenous Shipibo community decided to turn to the wisdom of their ancestors, gathering herbs, steeping them in water and breathing in the vapors. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd) Mery Fasabi, left, and Isai Eliaquin Sanancino, carry a pot of herbs steeped in boiling water to the home of a woman infected with the new coronavirus, in the Shipibo Indigenous community of Pucallpa, in Peru's Ucayali region, Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2020. Fasabi, along with 15 other volunteers have set up a makeshift treatment center known locally as Comando Matico that takes the holistic approach to treating the virus. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd) Sara Magin, who suffers from COVID-19 symptoms, sits inside a tent constructed from a bedsheet as she receives an herbal vapor therapy, at the Comando Matico headquarters, in the Shipibo Indigenous community of Pucallpa, in Peru's Ucayali region, Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2020. Volunteers have set up the makeshift treatment center that takes the holistic approach to treating the virus. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd) Comando Matico volunteer Isai Eliaquin Sanancino, treats Sara Magin, who suffers from COVID-19 symptoms, applying an ancestral practice of the Indigenous Shipibo, in Pucallpa, in Peru's Ucayali region, Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2020. Unlike in hospitals, volunteers equipped in full protective gear, get close to patients, giving them words of encouragement and touching them through massage. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd) Comando Matico volunteers Mery Fasabi, left, and Isai Eliaquin Sanancino, heat an herbal remedy for a neighbor who has been suffering from COVID-19 symptoms, in the Shipibo Indigenous community of Pucallpa, in Peru's Ucayali region, Monday, Aug. 31, 2020. Roberto Wikleff, a Shipibo man, said the 10 doctors, nurses and aides who usually staff a nearby clinic abandoned their posts when the new coronavirus pandemic arrived. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd) Boys watch as a government team disinfect the body of their relative Manuela Chavez, who died from symptoms related to the new coronavirus at the age of at the age of 88, after removing the body from inside her home in the Shipibo Indigenous community of Pucallpa, in Peru's Ucayali region, Monday, Aug. 31, 2020. In the Ucayali region, government rapid response teams deployed to a handful of indigenous communities have found infection rates as high as 80% through antibody testing. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd) Julia Lina who has been suffering from COVID-19 symptoms, rests in her bed enclosed in mosquito netting after receiving an herbal treatment from Comando Matico volunteers, in the Shipibo Indigenous community of Pucallpa, in Peru's Ucayali region, Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2020. Decades of underinvestment in public health care, combined with skepticism of modern medicine, mean many are not getting standard treatments like oxygen therapy to treat severe virus cases. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd) Art professor Iveri Sanchez and her students ready for their Amazonian street dances which they perform at a traffic light in hopes of receiving tips from the drivers, in the Shipibo Indigenous community of Pucallpa, in Peru's Ucayali region, Monday, Aug. 31, 2020, amid the new coronavirus pandemic. Peru is home to one of Latin America's largest Indigenous populations, whose ancestors lived in the Andean country before the arrival of Spanish colonists. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd) A homeless man sleeps against a wall adorned with a mural featuring a Shipibo Indigenous girl and Amazon rainforest animals, in Pucallpa, in Peru's Ucayali region, Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2020. Peru is home to one of Latin America's largest Indigenous populations, whose ancestors lived in the Andean country before the arrival of Spanish colonists. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd) A Shipibo Indigenous youth lugs a stalk of bananas at the port in Pucallpa, in Peru's Ucayali region, Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2020, amid the new coronavirus pandemic. Pucallpa's bustling port where wood, bananas and other fruit are loaded onto ships for export is believed to be one main source of contagion. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd) A government team removes the body of Manuela Chavez, who died from symptoms related to the new coronavirus at the age of 88, from inside her home and places her in a casket, in the Shipibo Indigenous community of Pucallpa, in Peru's Ucayali region, Monday, Aug. 31, 2020. At the peak of the outbreak in May and June, around 15 people were dying a day, said Juan Carlos Salas, director of Ucayali's regional health agency. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd) A government team prepares to remove the body of Susana Cifuentes who died in her home from symptoms related to the new coronavirus at the age of 71, in the Shipibo Indigenous community of Pucallpa, in Peru's Ucayali region, Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2020. While the lucky are cured with ancestral ailments, the less fortunate often die at home. A government team travels from one spartan, thatch-roofed home to the next, removing the dead from their homes where they took their last breaths. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd) Children watch a government team remove the body of Susana Cifuentes, who died from symptoms related to the new coronavirus at the age of 71, in the Shipibo Indigenous community of Pucallpa, in Peru's Ucayali region, Monday, Aug. 31, 2020. The Shipibo had tried to prevent COVID-19's entrance by blocking off roads and isolating themselves. But in May many came down with fevers, coughs, difficulty breathing and headaches. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd) The cell phone of gravedigger Rider Sol Sol rests on a white cross marking the grave of a person who died from the new coronavirus, in a cemetery recently developed to bury victims of COVID-19, along a remote road known as "Kilometer 20," on the outskirts of Pucallpa, in Peru's Ucayali region, Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2020. The 48-year-old father of four said he and a crew of gravediggers buried up to 30 people a day at the height of the new coronavirus pandemic. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd) Liliana Blas fries a batch of potatoes for lunch next to the coffin that contains the remains of her grandmother Susana Cifuentes, who died at the age of 71 from symptoms related to COVID-19, inside her house in the Shipibo Indigenous community of Pucallpa, in Peru's Ucayali region, Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2020. Decades of underinvestment in public health care, combined with skepticism of modern medicine, mean many are not getting standard treatments like oxygen therapy to treat severe virus cases. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd) Covered in a disinfectant mist, the body of Susana Cifuentes, who died in her home from symptoms related to COVID-19 at the age of 71, is propped up on a chair as a government team prepares to remove her body, in the Shipibo Indigenous community Pucallpa, in Peru's Ucayali region, Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2020. In the Ucayali region, government rapid response teams deployed to a handful of indigenous communities have found infection rates as high as 80% through antibody testing. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd) Government team members prepare to remove the body of Cruz Amanda Vargas, who died from symptoms related to the new coronavirus at the age of 84, from inside her home, in the Shipibo Indigenous community of Pucallpa, in Peru's Ucayali region, Monday, Aug. 31, 2020. At the peak of the outbreak in May and June, around 15 people were dying a day, said Juan Carlos Salas, director of Ucayali's regional health agency. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd) Family members weep during the burial of Manuela Chavez, who died from symptoms related to the new coronavirus at the age of 88, in the Shipibo Indigenous community of Pucallpa, in Peru's Ucayali region, Monday, Aug. 31, 2020. The Shipibo had tried to prevent COVID-19's entrance by blocking off roads and isolating themselves. But in May many came down with fevers, coughs, difficulty breathing and headaches. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd) The body of Susana Cifuentes who died in her home from symptoms related to COVID-19 at the age of 71, sits on bed wrapped in a black bag and secured by tape, as a government team prepares to remove it, in the Shipibo Indigenous community of Pucallpa, in Peru's Ucayali region, Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2020. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd) While the lucky recover with ancestral remedies, the less fortunate often die at home. A government team travels from one spartan, thatch-roofed home to the next, plucking the dead from the beds and chairs where they took their last breaths. The poor are taken to the COVID-19 cemetery and interred in the burnt-orange dirt. Rider Sol Sol, 48, said he and a crew of gravediggers buried up to 30 people a day at the height of the pandemic. The father of four had been out of work before getting this gravedigger's job. "I give thanks to God that I have a job," he said. These days, with the death count lower, he is the only man working most days. Alone amidst rows of white crosses, he tries not to let his mind drift toward the what ifs. The bodies come with a name and a number and he does not ponder their stories. He keeps his mask on, digs into the earth and drinks from a bottle with matico. Explore further Follow the latest news on the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-11 22:06:25|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close HANOI, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- Vietnam reported one new case of COVID-19 infection on Friday, bringing its total confirmed cases to 1,060 with 35 deaths from the disease so far, according to its Ministry of Health. The new case is a 21-year-old man recently returning to the country from abroad and being quarantined upon arrival, said the ministry. The ministry also announced that nine more COVID-19 patients have been given all-clear, raising the total cured cases in the country to 902 as of Friday. Meanwhile nearly 35,800 people are being quarantined and monitored in the country, according to the ministry. Following the positive news on the COVID-19 epidemic situation, localities in Vietnam have started to ease restrictions against the epidemic. Central Da Nang city, once a COVID-19 epicenter, has allowed the reopening of restaurants and eateries on condition that preventive measures are ensured including the requirements for staff to wear face masks and keep a distance with customers, Vietnam News Agency reported on Friday. The city also allowed its schools to reopen starting from Sept. 14, the news agency reported. Earlier, other localities including northern Thai Binh province, southern Ho Chi Minh City and central Phu Yen province also allowed to resume non-essential services. Enditem WASHINGTON, Sept. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- NASA astronaut and biologist Kate Rubins is participating on Friday, Sept. 25, in a final round of media interviews before her October launch to the International Space Station, the second space mission of her NASA career. The satellite interviews, live from Star City, Russia, will air on NASA Television and the agency's website from 7 to 8:30 a.m. EDT, preceded at 6:30 a.m. by video highlights of her previous spaceflight and training for her upcoming mission. To schedule an interview with Rubins, media must contact Sarah Volkman no later than 5 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 23, at [email protected] and tune into NASA TV's Media Channel (NTV-3) during the event. Satellite tuning information is available at: http://go.nasa.gov/1pOWUhR Rubins' launch is planned for Oct. 14 aboard the Soyuz MS-17 spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan with her Expedition 63/64 crewmates, Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Sergey Kud-Sverchkov. The first person to sequence DNA in space (during her 2016 mission), Rubins will work on a cardiovascular experiment that builds on an investigation she completed during her first space mission and conduct research using the space station's Cold Atom Lab. She'll also be aboard the station for the arrival of NASA's SpaceX Crew-1 mission and Boeing Orbital Flight Test-2. On Nov. 2, Rubins will celebrate with her crewmates the 20th anniversary of continuous human habitation of the space station two decades of science and technology research and breakthroughs that are furthering America's return to the Moon and human exploration of Mars. Follow Rubins and other NASA astronauts on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. Learn more about space station activities by following @space_station, and @ISS_Research on Twitter, as well as the ISS Facebook and ISS Instagram accounts and the space station blog. SOURCE NASA Related Links https://www.nasa.gov Rottnest Island resort is only able to accept applicants from Western Australia Jobless Australians are turning down roles on an idyllic island resort offering cheap food and free rent at multi million-dollar venues. The dream jobs are being offered by Discovery Parks in some of Australia's most sought-after locations. Destinations include Byron Bay and Forster in northern New South Wales, Rottnest Island in Western Australia, and Lake Bonney in South Australia. Despite the picturesque beaches and spectacular sunsets at both locations, resort bosses say they've only had international and interstate applicants - many have been rejected due to border closures. The dream jobs are being offered by Discovery Parks in some of Australia's most sought-after locations, including Rottnest Island (pictured) Forster (pictured) is another location in northern New South Wales looking for workers The Rottnest Island resort, 34km off the coast of Perth, is only able to accept applicants from Western Australia due to the state's closed borders. But resorts at Byron Bay, Forster and Lake Bonney are open to residents from other states. Immediate opportunities are available for chefs, kitchen hands, housekeepers and waiters who can earn up to $35 an hour with free or heavily discounted meals, accommodation and ferry passes. Discovery Parks founder and chief executive Grant Wilckens told Daily Mail Australia that applicants could be offered as job 'we soon as they fill out the paper work'. Pictured: A woman playing with a quokka on Rottnest Island - one of the locations where jobs are being offered The Rottnest Island resort (pictured), 34km off the coast of Perth, is only able to accept applicants from Western Australia due to the state's closed borders The company has even offered to pay for interstate applicants to quarantine in hotels. 'I've been running this business for 17 years and I've never seen a shortage like this,' he said. 'Usually we have people from overseas filling these roles, but with the pandemic, Australians just aren't applying.' Mr Wilckens explained that while he believes the JobSeeker and JobKeeper welfare benefits were a 'fantastic' way to help people during business closures, but added 'we need to be encouraging people back into the work force'. 'We've got free accommodation across most of our network, and some are in regional places like Byron and Rottnest, subsidies on food, and then subsidies on ferries and transport as well.' The company has even offered to pay for interstate applicants to quarantine in hotels. Pictured: A Discovery Park resort in Lake Bonney, South Australia MasterChef Australia star and Pinky's Beach Club executive chef Karl Wulf (pictured) fears he won't have any workers when the resort reopens in seven days He acknowledged that some potential workers might be concerned about COVID-19, but explained the company records customers' phone numbers and has a plan in place to ensure the safety of employees and patrons. MasterChef Australia star and Pinky's Beach Club executive chef Karl Wulf fears he won't have any workers when the resort reopens in seven days. Mr Wilckens said the company is looking for qualified chefs with experience to work along side Wulf, but all other staff don't need experience. 'All you need is a positive attitude and we can teach you the skills.' 'A lot of 18-year-old's want to take gap years overseas, but they can't do that this year, so why not see some beautiful parts of the country?' Black women are most likely to mobilize and to vote this nation forward. So we thought it was important to create a space to address these issues, panelist Marcelia Nicholson says On September 10, Biden for President Wisconsin hosted Sister to Sister, a voter registration organizing event focused on informing Black women about registering to vote, absentee ballots, and the importance of voting. The event panelists included Donna Brazile, Rep. Gwen Moore, Alderwoman Chantia Lewis, Tiffany Henry and supervisor Sequanna Taylor, and was facilitated by Milwaukee County Board Chairwoman Marcelia Nicholson. Read More: Anita Hill pledges to vote for Joe Biden and work with him on gender issues Black women are most likely to mobilize and to vote this nation forward. So we thought it was important to create a space to address these issues and talk about the plans that Democrats have to solve them, Nicholson said. Sister to Sister is that space, according to its organizers, where Black women to build unity and address issues, interests and needs unique to them. The panel offered a chance for Black women in Wisconsin to amplify their experiences as a community and engage in several political topics. U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore (D-WI) speaks during the Democratic National Convention at the Wisconsin Center on August 17, 2020 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Morry Gash-Pool/Getty Images) Brazile emphasized that this election is about our future. In Wisconsin, you can start voting in person as early as October 20, but you have to make a plan to vote, Brazile added. We cant get the things we want unless we get the right people in the office. Power concedes nothing without a demand. So we have to demand what it is that were looking for. That demand, to me, is our vote, Henry, who leads the Milwaukee Urban League of young professionals, said. In the panel, Lewis reminded viewers that Black women are always known to stand for the challenge. They have to continue to be the leaders as they push for the Biden Harris presidency, Lewis stressed. Story continues We need to get out and vote as Black women because it affects our everyday life and situation, she said. Theres no one who can mobilize and move things better than Black women can do that, you know, this is a perfect time to support each other, Moore added. Throughout the event, panelists also offered insight on educating younger voters about the importance of voting and how it will affect them locally and nationally. Taylor explained that we must remind the youth that, You have a voice in this. You have to fight in this. You are leaders, whether you have a title or not. We need to start tapping into Gen Z because they are, who we are passing that baton to, Lewis added. The panelists encouraged all listeners to share the insight they gained with people in their communities and to make it known that November 3 is coming. Read More: US Intel bulletin warns Russia is amplifying claims of mail-in voter fraud November 4 is the day where we have to either say we did our best or we stayed at home. Hopefully, were all standing up and saying that we did our part, and we did to reclaim our time, Brazile said. The next event panelists encouraged voters to attend is the Southeastern Milwaukee County Weekend of Action from September 12 to 13, where they will be calling voters in Milwaukee to make sure folks know how to vote safely and request absentee ballots. Have you subscribed to theGrios new podcast Dear Culture? Download our newest episodes now! The post Donna Brazile, Gwen Moore and Wisconsin leaders host Sister to Sister voter registration event appeared first on TheGrio. Kate Winslet regrets working with directors Woody Allen and Roman Polanski. (Photo: C Flanigan/Getty Images) Kate Winslet regrets a couple of the credits on her extensive acting resume: Wonder Wheel, the 2017 film directed by Woody Allen, and Carnage, Roman Polanskis 2011 dramedy. Its like, what the f** was I doing working with Woody Allen and Roman Polanski? Winslet said in an interview published Thursday in Vanity Fair. Its unbelievable to me now how those men were held in such high regard, so widely in the film industry and for as long as they were. Its f****** disgraceful. And I have to take responsibility for the fact that I worked with them both. I cant turn back the clock. Im grappling with those regrets but what do we have if we arent able to just be f****** truthful about all of it? (L-R) Justin Timberlake, Kate Winslet, Director Director Woody Allen, Juno Temple and Jim Belushi attend the NYFF premiere of "Wonder Wheel". (Photo by Todd Williamson/Getty Images for Amazon Studios) Allen was first accused of sexually abusing his adopted daughter, Dylan Farrow, during his relationship with actress Mia Farrow in 1992. Hes always denied the allegation and said he avoids thinking about it. Rosemarys Baby director Polanski fled the country in February 1978, 11 months after having sex with a 13-year-old girl, who said that hed raped her after a photo shoot. He pleaded guilty to a charge of unlawful sex with a minor in August 1977 and had been awaiting sentencing. Read more: 'Avatar 2' set photo reveals Kate Winslet amid underwater filming In Winslets interview, she said both the Me Too movement and her latest film, Ammonite, centred around the love story of two women, helped her come to that conclusion. Its while working on the film, in which she plays 19th century British paleontologist Mary Anning, that she began noticing things such as the difference in how same-sex couples are presented and the reaction. (She noted that, while promoting the film, shes repeatedly been asked what it was like to kiss co-star Saoirse Ronan.) And the way that, when a woman taking the lead in a movie is always feisty and taking control, rather than just someone who knows what she wants. Ammonite has made me really aware of being even more committed to honouring what women want to be saying for themselves in films and how we really want to be portrayed, regardless of sexual orientation, Winslet said. Because life is f****** short and Id like to do my best when it comes to setting a decent example to younger women. Were handing them a pretty f***** up world, so Id like to do my bit in having some proper integrity. Story continues In some ways, the experience angered her. It made me feel a little bit mad at myself that maybe I havent taken enough responsibility for how I might have allowed a character to be portrayed in heterosexual relationships onscreen in the past, Winslet said. I feel so fortunate to have been in a position for a good many years where I could hold my own, keep my head down and try and produce decent work but its easy to lose ones voice along the way and to lose sight of the responsibility that comes with that. And I dont want to f*** that up. I know that I can always do better. PARIS, FRANCE - NOVEMBER 20: Kate Winslet and Roman Polanski attend the premiere of ' Carnage' at Cinema Gaumont Marignan on November 20, 2011 in Paris, France. (Photo by Francois G. Durand/WireImage) The Contagion star said that something else shes realised as of late is that she cant go back to living the Hollywood lifestyle after the pandemic. She vowed to repeat the dresses she wears on the red carpet and be more conscious of travel. Ive said to the people who help me with press, If any of the bans are lifted anytime soon, and the requests come in for me to fly places, can you apologise and say I wont be doing that because its a waste of air travel? Winslet said. Its appalling putting ourselves into the sky left, right and centre. Theres only so much a person can stomach before your morals come into play. Alana Washington was 'cut down in a hail of bullets' Two men accused of killing a seven-year-old girl followed her family home from a local market before 'she was cut down in a hail of bullets.', police said. Antonio Robinson, 22, and Jarvis Baker-Flanders, 23, are accused of killing Alana Washington in a drive-by shooting outside her home in Brownsville, Florida, on July 25. Three other people, including a two-year-old, were injured as the family returned from a trip to a flea market. Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle told a news conference yesterday that Robinson and Baker-Flanders followed the family home before unleashing 27 rounds of ammunition. Surveillance footage released Thursday showed the pair walking around at the flea market on Northwest 27th Avenue, as well as their car pulling out behind the family as they left, NBC Miami reported. Jarvis Baker-Flanders, 23, (left) and Antonio Robinson, 22, are accused of killing Alana Washington in a drive-by shooting outside her home in Brownsville, Florida, on July 25 Alana's brother is believed to have been their intended target after he was involved in some kind of dispute with the suspects, Fernandez Rundle said. 'She was cut down in a hail of bullets clearly intended to settle a grievance, to settle a score, to make a point,' the State Attorney said. 'Her death is senseless.' Baker-Flanders was the shooter and Robinson the driver, she added. An anonymous tip-off led to their arrests. Surveillance footage released Thursday showed the pair at the flea market on Northwest 27th Avenue, as well as their car pulling out behind the family as they left Robinson was arrested in South Florida and faces one charge of second-degree murder and three counts of attempted first-degree murder. Baker-Flanders, detained in Georgia, faces one count of second-degree murder, three counts of attempted first-degree murder, one count of throwing or firing a deadly missile, one count of discharging a firearm from a vehicle and one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Authorities in Shanghai are moving ahead with the prosecution of a citizen journalist who reported on the emerging coronavirus epidemic in the central Chinese city of Wuhan earlier this year. Zhang Zhan, who lives in Shanghai but who traveled to Wuhan in early February, was taken away from Wuhan's Caiguang Hotel near Hankou railway station on the night of May 14. She was held by police near her home in Shanghai's Pudong district on suspicion of "picking quarrels and stirring up trouble," a charge frequently used to target peaceful critics of the ruling Chinese Communist Party. Zhang was then formally arrested on that charge on June 19 on the orders of the Pudong state prosecutor, and is currently being held in the Pudong Detention Center. She recently dismissed her defense attorney, Ren Quanniu, who had been hired by her mother, her mother told RFA in a recent interview. Zhang is currently being force-fed in detention after she started a hunger strike to protest against her treatment. "I dont know what to do now," her mother told RFA. "Only Ren can take this case, although he's from out of town and it's a long way for him to come." "This will affect Zhang Zhan's whole life," she said. "I am worried that things could get serious if this goes on for a long time." However, she declined to comment on Zhang's hunger strike. Zhang's father declined to comment when contacted by RFA. "I can't talk right now: I am driving and I am on the expressway," he said. Pressured by police Ren said the family is currently under pressure from state security police in Shanghai. "Zhang Zhan's mother didn't want to end my instruction, but ... the state security police were putting pressure on her, so it was hard for her to decide," he said. He said he had been told "don't come any more," by state prosecutor Zhao Xing of the Shanghai municipal procuratorate, who said the decision to fire Ren had come from Zhang's family. Zhao told him that another lawyer had been hired by the authorities to replace him. "I will continue to act as [an informal] representative," Ren told RFA. A friend of the Zhang family surnamed Wang said Shanghai police had initially tried to have Zhang Zhan committed to a psychiatric hospital, but the family refused to allow this, so the plan was dropped in favor of pressing criminal charges. Solidarity with Hong Kong Zhang, 40, was detained by police in Shanghai in September 2019 for holding up an umbrella in solidarity with the Hong Kong pro-democracy movement on the streets of Shanghai, and demanding an end to Communist Party rule. She was released after 65 days in detention, during which time she went on hunger strike twice. Zhang moved to Shanghai from the northern province of Shaanxi in 2010, and formerly worked as a lawyer before official retaliation took away her license to practice. In Zhang's last YouTube video posted on May 13, she had reported on the impact of a huge fall in passenger numbers on the livelihoods of Wuhan's taxi drivers, as well as loss of employment in the wake of the lockdown among the city's residents. She also spoke out against the intimidation of local people by the urban management police, or chengguan, and about a sense of despair at life in China. The Chinese government has targeted thousands of people for speaking out about the coronavirus epidemic in the country since it began in late December in the central city of Wuhan. Between Jan. 1 and March 26, nearly 900 internet users were penalized by police for their online speech or info-sharing about the coronavirus epidemic, across almost every province, region, and municipality in China. Charges used to question, detain, and arrest people included "rumor-mongering," "fabricating false information," sowing panic, disturbing public order, and "breach of privacy." Reported by Qiao Long for RFA's Mandarin Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie. This article is part of the On Tech newsletter. You can sign up here to receive it weekdays. Apps like Uber and Instacart took the concept of freelancing and made it bigger, broader and more visible than ever. But now, new and proposed laws and regulatory challenges threaten the whole business model. Gig economy companies like DoorDash, Lyft and Handy hire contractors as professional drivers, personal shoppers and home cleaners. These workers arent classified as employees but as independent contractors who in theory have the flexibility to accept or reject jobs at will, but who arent entitled to standard employment protections such as a minimum wage and paid sick days. Whether you think gig work is great or exploitative, the reality is that a bunch of app-based companies started in the last decade probably cannot exist without it, or at least not in their current form. Their businesses rely on contract worker rules that more lawmakers, regulators and lawyers say should not apply to them. So, yes, the gig economy might be risky for workers. But now it looks as if its a huge risk for the app companies, too. Michael Reinoehl, who was shot and killed by officers in Washington as they moved in last Thursday night to arrest him on a murder warrant stemming from a fatal shooting in Portland, died from gunshot wounds to the head and upper torso, according to an autopsy. Thurston County Coroner Gary Warnock said emergency medical services were called at 6:55 p.m. and the time of death was about 7 p.m. Thursday. Warnock did not say how many times Reinoehl was shot. Reinoehl, a self-described anti-fascist who said he provided security for Black Lives Matter protests, was wanted in connection with the fatal shooting of Patriot Prayer supporter Aaron Jay Danielson, 39, on Aug. 29 shortly after a pro-Trump caravan drove through downtown Portland. Patriot Prayer is a loosely organized right-wing group based in Vancouver that has often come to Portland to clash with left-wing, antifa opponents. Last Thursday afternoon, a Multnomah County judge had signed a warrant for Reinoehls arrest on charges of second-degree murder with a firearm and unlawful use of a firearm. Four officers from several Washington law enforcement agencies assigned to the U.S. Marshals Pacific Northwest Violent Offender Task Force were serving the arrest warrant when they shot and killed Reinoehl outside an apartment complex in the 7600 block of Third Way SE outside of Lacey, Washington. The four officers are from the Pierce County Sheriffs Office, Lakewood Police Department and the Washington Department of Corrections. Thurston County Sheriffs Lt. Ray Brady said Reinoehl had a semiautomatic handgun, but he has not said whether Reinoehl had pulled the gun on officers or fired any shots. We are still working to determine if this firearm was fired during this incident or what actions were taken by the deceased with this firearm, Brady said in a statement Thursday. The Thurston County Sheriffs Office is the lead agency investigating the shooting as part of Washingtons Region 3 Critical Incident Investigation Team. The team anticipates that its investigation may take several months to complete, Brady said. The night of the shooting, the U.S. Marshals Service issued a statement that said, Initial reports indicate the suspect produced a firearm, threatening the lives of law enforcement officers. Task force members responded to the threat and struck the suspect who was pronounced dead at the scene. Nate Dingess, a resident of the apartment complex where the shooting occurred, said in a statement released by his lawyer that he never saw a handgun on Reinoehl or saw him reach for anything before he was shot. Other witnesses told The Olympian the night of the shooting that Rienoehl had a gun, and they reported hearing dozens of gunshots fired before Reinoehl lay dead in the street. An officer was caught on one witness' video doing CPR on Reinoehl as he was motionless in the street. Anyone who witnessed the shooting or has video of any portion of the incident and has not been contacted by police is encouraged to contact the sheriffs office lead investigator, Det. Mickey Hamilton, by email at mickey.hamilton@co.thurston.wa.us. -- Maxine Bernstein Email at mbernstein@oregonian.com; 503-221-8212 Follow on Twitter @maxoregonian Subscribe to Facebook page Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. Fire is seen in Salem City, Oregon, U.S., September 8, 2020, in this picture obtained from social media. Picture taken September 8, 2020. Police and local officials on the West Coast are battling multiple raging fires. They're also fighting a wave of misinformation from false rumors spread in neighborhood Facebook groups and on far-right websites that antifa activists were setting the blazes. At least six groups have issued warnings about the false rumors, including some pleading with the public to stop sharing the misinformation. Rumors spread just like wildfire and now our 9-1-1 dispatchers and professional staff are being overrun with requests for information and inquiries on an UNTRUE rumor that 6 Antifa members have been arrested for setting fires in DOUGLAS COUNTY, OREGON, the Douglas County Sheriff's Office wrote in a Facebook post on Thursday. The false claims also became fodder for the now-sizable online QAnon community, which began amplifying various false reports earlier in the week. Read more from NBC News: COVID-19 has killed dozens of 9/11 first responders 7 deaths confirmed as wildfire rages in Northern California; at least 12 dead in state Democrats are nervous about Trump's persisting edge over Biden on the economy The sheriffs in Jackson County, Oregon, and Mason County, Washington, posted similar warnings, begging locals to stop spreading unsubstantiated claims. A firefighters union in Washington state called Facebook an absolute cesspool of misinformation right now, in a post that sought to quell more rumors about the fires origins. Antifa has emerged in recent months as the focal point of far-right paranoia, fueled by evidence-free accusations from President Donald Trump and other government officials that the loosely knit anti-fascist organizations that make up antifa are behind everything from violence during protests to plots to invade suburban neighborhoods. The Medford police debunked the antifa rumor along with a separate, less viral false claim that the fires were a result of arson by the Proud Boys, a far-right group whose members describe themselves as western chauvinists and have been an antagonistic mainstay of Black Lives Matter protests. A fire in Ashland, Oregon, is being investigated as arson, but The Oregonian reported Ashland Police Chief Tighe OMeara as saying, One thing I can say is that the rumor it was set by Antifa is 100% false information. The dozens of fires burning across California, Washington and Oregon, which have killed at least 20 people, started in a variety of ways, mostly by people, though not intentionally. Lightning, faulty or knocked-down power lines and accidents, like the El Dorado fire in California ignited by a pyrotechnic device during a gender-reveal party, are some of the reported causes of this years wildfires. Despite protestations from law enforcement, rumors have spread through far-right Facebook groups and news websites like Gateway Pundit and the Post Millennial in stories alleging without evidence that Jeff Acord, a 36-year-old man arrested on charges of starting a fire in Puyallup, Washington, was an antifa militant. The Post Millennial later changed the story to call Acord a BLM activist. Some articles that have pushed misinformation about the fires have gained traction on Facebook. An article from the far-right website Law Enforcement Today claimed without evidence that the wildfires were a coordinated and planned attack. It attracted more than 330,000 comments, likes and shares on Facebook, according to data from CrowdTangle, a Facebook-owned social media analysis tool. Late Thursday night, Law Enforcement Today topped the story with an update stating that suggestions that Antifa members have been arrested are unfounded, but left the article up. In response to fact checks debunking the antifa rumors, Facebook was reducing its distribution and showing strong warning labels for people who see it, try to share it, or already have, according to Facebook spokesperson Andy Stone. One of the earliest claims of antifa involvement came from Paul Romero, a former Republican candidate for U.S. Senate in Oregon, who said in a viral tweet that Douglas County police had arrested six antifa arsonists. Romero stood by his tweet in a phone interview on Thursday, calling the fires a coordinated intentional attack, by antifa but providing no evidence for the claim, saying he heard about the arrests from sheriff's deputies that have been talking. Romeros post was further spread by followers of QAnon, a conspiracy movement based on the idea that Trump is leading a secret war against a group of political, business and Hollywood elites who, the theory posits, worship Satan and murder children. The leader of the movement, an anonymous figure who posts to a message board as Q, included Romeros tweet in a post early Thursday. Some users responding to Romeros posts said they were sent there by Q and pushed false QAnon talking points that the fires were part of an elaborate political plot. According to data gleaned from the disinformation analytics tool Hoaxy, most of the traffic to Romeros post came after Qs post, almost a full day after Romero had posted it. Antifa, a loose network of autonomous groups of radicals who rely on direct action rather than the police or the court system to shut down the far right and perceived fascism, has been increasingly blamed for unrest during Black Lives Matter protests and become the subject of unfounded rumors that the group would arrive in white suburbs by the busload to loot homes and destroy town centers. Those false rumors have often led to standoffs between local Black Lives Matter protesters and armed militias who come to guard their towns from a suspected mob that never arrives. Justin Yau, an independent journalist covering the fires, tweeted on Thursday from Molalla, Oregon: We were approached by an armed group telling us to leave, they are wary of outsiders based on rumors of arsonists starting fires in the area. In May, Trump tweeted that he would designate antifa as a terrorist organization and has made the group a major target in campaign ads and texts since. ANTIFA THUGS WILL RUIN SUBURBS! the Trump campaign texted supporters on Thursday. Subscribe to CNBC on YouTube. Lasartes comments on religious persecution in China come at a time when Pope Francis and the Vatican are attempting to broker a deal with the up-and-coming superpower in an attempt to reconcile decade-long tensions. The deal has been criticized by those who fear that the Catholic Church will, in the name of diplomacy, be unwilling to hold China accountable for its actions. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-11 21:44:49|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close TEHRAN, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- Iran's Foreign Ministry on Friday denied that the Islamic republic is meddling in the U.S. upcoming presidential election. "The United States is leading active misinformation campaigns against other countries," Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said. "The U.S. has interfered for decades in the elections of other countries including Iran," Khatibzadeh added. Earlier, the U.S. company Microsoft claimed that it had detected some countries including Iran, attempting to target "people and organizations involved in the upcoming (U.S.) presidential election." Khatibzadeh said that Tehran has no interest in the outcome of U.S. elections. "As we have reiterated over and over, it does not matter who is the president in the White House for Tehran." What matters is that "Washington should abide by international law, regulations and norms and stop interfering in other countries and honors its commitments," he said. Enditem It is essential to pass the appropriate laws by the end of September. The World Bank has called on Ukraine to speed up the adoption of the laws required for the launch of the farmland market, which is expected to be open in July 2021. Regulations By the most conservative estimates, the needed regulations, institutions and implementation could take at least nine months. "So, it is essential to pass the appropriate laws by the end of September, at the very latest. If this deadline is missed because of entirely avoidable delays, there is a real risk that on the date the land market opens, Ukraine will miss this golden chance," reads a statement by Arup Banerji, the World Bank Regional Country Director for Eastern Europe (Belarus, Moldova, and Ukraine), published on the World Bank's website on September 9. Even more, there is the danger that opening the land market in the absence of these strong legal and regulatory safeguards will result in an echo of the 1990s privatization leaving the market vulnerable to the powerful and well connected and actually worsening land-related corruption and inequality. Read alsoZelensky enacts law on farmland sale in Ukraine from July 2021Land reform By World Bank calculations, for Ukraine as a whole, this can permanently add almost one percentage point a year to economic growth. "This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to unlock the sector's growth potential through investment in high value-added crops and agri-processing and, most important, to transform the welfare of millions of Ukrainians. Ukrainian parliamentarians and policymakers have to ensure that we do not miss it," Banerji said. Farmland market in Ukraine will be launched on July 1, 2021 (the previous draft set the date for October 1, 2020). Land market The Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine's parliament, at a special meeting overnight Tuesday, March 31, passed a bill launching the farmland market in the country. Main provisions of bill No. 2178-10 are the following: Two brothers were indicted on first-degree murder counts Thursday in connection with a drive-by triple shooting in Algiers in May that left a 3-year-old boy dead. An Orleans Parish grand jury handed up the indictment against brothers Rodney and Ronjae Steadman, 23 and 19, who are in custody. State prosecutors said they expect to charge a third man, Razaq Adekunle, when hes apprehended. Investigators allege that the Steadman brothers and Adekunle, 19, helped plan and carry out the shooting, which happened in the 2000 block of Lebouef Street about 7:20 p.m. on May 11, 2020. Prosecutors say they drove up and unleashed gunfire on James Estem, 23, and his young brother, 3-year-old Isaha Adams. Estem and Adams were killed, and their 48-year-old mother was shot in the leg as she tried to rush her toddler to safety. The death of a toddler in front of his mother drew condemnation from city leaders and pleas from police for tips. The attackers peeled away in a GMC truck in the aftermath of the shooting, but driver Ronjae Steadman crashed his vehicle into a utility pole, according to police. The alleged attackers then bailed out and stole another mans vehicle at gunpoint, according to police. Top stories in New Orleans in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up Ronjae Steadman was arrested in Algiers on the night of the shooting and his brother was tracked down in Houston days later. However, Adekunle remains at large. The Steadmans face possible life imprisonment on two counts of first-degree murder, one count of attempted first-degree murder, one count of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder and one count of second-degree kidnapping. Orleans Parish District Attorney Leon Canizzaros office said it will not seek the death penalty. Two months after Isaha Adams was killed, another young boy was shot dead on a New Orleans street. Nine-year-old Devante Bryant's life ended in the 7th Ward on July 13. No suspects have been arrested in connection with his death. The Department of Health has confirmed 88 new cases of Covid-19 in Northern Ireland over the past 24 hours. There have been no further deaths due to the virus, with the death toll remaining at 568. Read More In total 8,123 people have tested positive for the virus since the pandemic began. On Thursday 8,142 tests were carried out on 4,691 people. Over the past seven days 577 new cases of Covid-19 have been confirmed, with 174 in the Belfast council area and 76 in Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon. There are currently 17 Covid-19 inpatients in Northern Ireland's hospitals, with 1 in an intensive care unit. Hospital beds are currently at 88% occupancy, while 13 intensive care unit beds remain free. Since the start of the pandemic 1,587 people have been discharged from hospital after recovering from the virus. In Northern Ireland's care homes there are currently 22 active outbreaks of Covid-19. It comes as SDLP MLA Justin McNulty expressed concern after reports of positive Covid-19 cases among medical staff at Daisy Hill Hospital. The Newry and Armagh MLA said he had been contacted by staff within the Newry hospital and advised that two members of a medical team within a ward had tested positive for Covid-19. Mr McNulty said the staff members involved were now off work and self isolating. It follows three separate outbreaks of the virus at Craigavon Area Hospital. The SDLP MLA said he was concerned "there are some members of staff on the same ward and indeed patients and their families who have not been advised of this development". "I understand that no extra cleaning of the ward or wards concerned has taken place. When staff raised concerns, I am told they were advised that they were ok because they were wearing PPE," Mr McNulty said. He said he had spoken with Southern Trust Chief Executive Shane Devlin who advised him on the process the trust has followed. "I was advised that staff, patients or the public do not need to be informed or traced where they came into contact with the staff members who tested positive if the staff member was suited out in PPE at the time," Mr McNulty explained. "This is concerning and I believe it could add to the anxiety and confusion in our community. I would have thought it would have been prudent and reassuring to test all staff and patients who the staff members came into contact with whether they were wearing PPE or not. It has since been announced that visiting relatives in Daisy Hill has now been suspended. I know that some staff feel let down and they are scared." Read More Follow our live blog below: New Delhi, Sep 11 : A Delhi court on Friday convicted nine persons in a case of conspiracy hatched by banned terror outfit ISIS to establish its base in India by recruiting Muslim youth through social media platforms. The convicts, namely Nafees Khan, Abu Anas, Najmul Huda, Afzal, Suhail Ahmed, Obedullah Khan, Mohammed Aleem, Mufti Abdul Sami Qasmi and Amjad Khan, had voluntarily pleaded guilty before the court on August 6. Special Judge Parveen Singh of Patiala House Court convicted them for criminal conspiracy under the Indian Penal Code and various sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and Explosive Substances Act. The court will now hear arguments on the quantum of sentence on September 22. The case was registered on December 9, 2015. During the course of investigation, the National Investigation Agency conducted searches in various cities and 19 accused were arrested. A charge sheet was filed against 16 persons in 2016-2017. It was revealed that the accused persons had formed an organisation, named Junood-ul-Khilafa-Fil-Hind, a group seeking to establish a Caliphate in India and pledging allegiance to ISIS, to recruit Muslim youth to work for ISIS and commit acts of terrorism in India at the behest of Yusuf-Al-Hindi who is based in Syria and is purportedly the ISIS media chief. According to the NIA, this is the first case in which the conspiracy of this magnitude involving online radicalisation was effected on cyberspace in the aftermath of declaration of an Islamic Caliphate by ISIS chief Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi in 2014. "No terror organization prior to the emergence of ISIS had used ICT (Information Communication Technology) on such a large scale to scout, recruit, train and motivate its cadre for the acts of terror. Utmost precaution was taken by them by using encrypted tools to keep the communication among the ISIS handlers and potential recruiters, both in India as well as abroad, secret," the agency had said in a statement. By Express News Service KOLKATA: Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh said coronavirus is gone and Mamata Banerjee was only pretending the virus is around and imposing lockdown for the sole purpose of blocking BJP rallies in poll-bound West Bengal. The saffron camps Bengal chapter chief made the statement at a time when the country is hitting record spikes in Covid-19 positive cases as the number of new infected cases crossed 96,500 in last 24 hours. Corona chole gechhe (Coronavirus is gone). Didimoni (Mamata Banerjee) is pretending and imposing lockdown with only one goal that is now allowing the BJP to organise meetings and rallies in the state before the next years elections. No one can stop us. Where BJP stands, meeting and rallies start from there, said Ghosh while addressing a rally on Thursday in Dhaniakhali in Hooghly. India has already crossed 45 lakh Covid-19 cases with 96,551 new cases of infections, a record till date. West Bengal already recorded more than 3,700 death and reports of 3,000 new Covid-19 positive cases are recorded on an average every day. Ghoshs comments drew flak on several occasions but the BJP state chief was found continuing headlines with his remarks. Taking a jibe at Ghosh, Trinamool MP Kalyan Banerjee said, He must go to a doctor. I have no doubt he has got something wrong with his brain. Otherwise, no one could think what he said publicly. India insisted on 'complete disengagement' in all its talks with China on eastern Ladakh row: Govt Military commanders of India-China to meet soon, discuss complete disengagement India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Sep 11: The foreign ministers of India and China underlined the importance of disengagement at the Line of Actual Control as the first step towards deescalation of tensions. The military commanders of India and China will meet in the next couple of days to discuss disengagement from friction points along the LAC. While no date has been fixed as yet, sources tell OneIndia that there are some issues under discussion before the military commanders could meet. Officials say that the military commanders would work out the process to disengage. China's Foreign Minister, Wang Yi and his Indian counterpart S Jaishankar agreed that the de-escalation should follow comprehensive disengagement. Aggressive PLA behaviour along LAC shows complete disregard for protocols: India tells China India told China that the massing of Chinese troops along the Line of Actual Control is a cause of grave concern. Beijing was told that the provocative behaviour by the Chinese along the LAC showed complete disregard for bilateral agreements and protocols. When Yi said that the bi-lateral ties should continue on a parallel track, Jaishankar reminded him about the immense build up of Chinese troops. China has deployed 50,000 men, tanks, missiles and 150 aircraft. India-China agree to disengage | The 5-point plan | Oneindia News While Yi spoke about thinning of troops, he had no clear answer about the massive troop build up. Jaishankar however added that while India is all in favour of bi-lateral ties, this could work well only if the borders were peaceful. Yi said that it was important to move back all personnel and equipment that have trespassed. The frontier troops must completely disengage so that the situation may de-escalate, China also said. The Ministry of External Affairs(MEA) issued a joint press statement early on Friday featuring five points which were agreed by both the sides at the "frank and constructive" discussions by the two ministers. To resolve border row Jaishankar-Wang Yi agree on 5 point plan "The two foreign ministers agreed that the current situation in the border areas is not in the interest of either side. They agreed, therefore, that the border troops of both sides should continue their dialogue, quickly disengage, maintain proper distance and ease tensions," it said. The joint statement said Jaishankar and Wang agreed that both sides should take guidance from the series of consensus reached between leaders of the two countries on developing India-China relations, including not allowing differences to become disputes. This assessment was a clear reference to decisions taken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping at their two informal summits in 2018 and 2019. "The two ministers agreed that both sides shall abide by all the existing agreements and protocol on China-India boundary affairs, maintain peace and tranquility in the border areas and avoid any action that could escalate matters," the joint statement said. Imperative is to immediately stop provocations, China tells India At the talks, Jaishankar and Wang agreed that as the situation eases on the border, the two sides should expedite work to conclude new confidence building measures to maintain and enhance peace and tranquility in the border areas. The joint statement said the two sides also agreed to continue to have dialogue and communication through the Special Representative(SR) mechanism on the India-China boundary question. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Friday, September 11, 2020, 11:45 [IST] (MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images) Microsoft has said that foreign groups are once again targeting the 2020 presidents election in order to disrupt its results. The company says that it has seen evidence of attacks originating from Russia, China, and Iran. The groups have attacked both the Biden and Trump campaigns. The Russian group Strontium has attacked over 200 organizations including political campaigns, advocacy groups, parties and political consultants, it said in a blog post. Strontium, which is also known as Fancy Bear, was identified in Robert Muellers report on interference in the 2016 election, and was primarily responsible for the attacks on the DNC. According to Microsoft, the group is harvesting peoples log-in credentials and attempting to compromise their accounts in order to aid their intelligence gathering. It has evolved its tactics since the 2016 election to include new reconnaissance tools and new techniques to obfuscate their operations, Microsoft says. The technology giant also said that it has been monitoring the attacks for several months, but can only now attribute the activity to Stronium with high confidence. Zirconium, which is a Chinese operation, has targeted high profile individuals including those working for Democratic candidate Joe Bidens campaign and prominent leaders in the international affairs community. This group unsuccessfully targeted non-campaign accounts of people working for Mr Biden, and one prominent individual formerly associated with the Trump administration. However, Microsoft says that it has detected thousands of attacks between March and September 2020. The hackers are doing this through URLs sent via email or text messages, using hidden code to check if a user attempted to access the website which is controlled by the hackers. This is used to see if the account is active or inactive. From Iran, a group called Phosphorous, has continued to attack accounts of people associated with Donald Trump. Phosphorous attempted to access both work and personal accounts of those working on the US election. Story continues Between May and June 2020, it unsuccessfully attempted to log into accounts associated with Mr Trump and his campaign staff. In response to the report, China and Russia denied any activity interfering with the 2020 election. Dmitry Peskov, a spokesman for President Vladimir Putin, said that Russia had never tried to interfere in other countries elections, according to the BBC. Microsoft "should not make accusations against China out of nothing", said Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian. A spokesperson for the Iranian foreign ministry also denied the report, saying it was basically inadmissible and absurd. "United States of America has interfered for decades in the elections of other countries including Iran ... US is leading disinformation campaigns against other countries. Therefore US is not in a position to have such claim," foreign ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said, as reported by CNN. Read more Trump administration accused of siphoning money away from 9/11 fund Google's new autosuggestion rules stop 'biased' US election searches - no matter if true or false Twitter's new misinformation rules will see tweets that 'undermine faith' in election removed The statue of Winston Churchill, after it was vandalised with the words Is a racist sprayed in yellow paint on the plinth, in Parliament Square (PA) Ten days of Extinction Rebellion demonstrations in London ended with naked protests and an arrest over graffiti daubed on a statue of Sir Winston Churchill. At least 648 people have been arrested during the environmental action, including one man on Thursday on suspicion of causing criminal damage to the statue of the former prime minister in Parliament Square. Yellow graffiti was daubed on its plinth, including the words is a racist. London mayor Sadiq Khan said: This appalling vandalism is completely unacceptable. It will be fully investigated and the statue will be cleaned as quickly as possible. Expand Close An Extinction Rebellion protester in a police van outside the Houses of Parliament (Victoria Jones/PA) PA / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp An Extinction Rebellion protester in a police van outside the Houses of Parliament (Victoria Jones/PA) The Metropolitan Police confirmed protesters had dispersed after 7pm, in line with conditions imposed on the event. Earlier, a group of semi-naked protesters who chained themselves to railings surrounding Parliament in a bid to expose what they called the bare truth about the climate crisis were arrested. At least 13 topless women attached themselves to the outside of the Palace of Westminster, with bike locks around their necks. They were part of a larger group from the XR campaign, which have used attention-grabbing techniques to highlight their concerns about the threats facing the planet. Expand Close A protester standing on the roof of a car in Parliament Square (Luciana Guerra/PA) PA / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp A protester standing on the roof of a car in Parliament Square (Luciana Guerra/PA) The women wore masks with 4C written on them, and with words including drought, starvation and wildfires written on their chests to highlight the anticipated consequences of global warming. A banner read: Cant bare the truth? Sarah Mintram, a teacher who took part in the action, said: Now weve got your attention. By neglecting to communicate the consequences of a 4C-world war, famine, drought, displacement the Government are failing to protect us. Officers removed the D-locks from their necks and took the women to police stations in four vans as supporters cheered them on. Although the XR protests have won some public support as they marched on cities across the UK in the past year, Home Secretary Priti Patel has described the activists as so-called eco-crusaders turned criminals, and pledged to prevent anarchy on our streets. Prime Minister Boris Johnson also criticised their completely unacceptable action in blocking the delivery of some of the UKs major newspapers earlier in the week. Member of Parliament for Kumbungu constituency in the Northern region says he has nothing personal against dancehall artiste, Charles Nii Armah Mensah Jr. aka Shatta Wale. The Member of Parliaments Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has questioned the management of Ghana Exim Bank over the alleged payment of GH2 million to Shatta Wale to promote Made-in-Ghana products. Ras Mubarak says he will be tendering in evidence to support his claim after the bank denied the payment insisting that the service of the artiste was sought through a third-party media consultant. Speaking in an interview on Kumasi-based Hello FM, Ras Mubarak said he has nothing personal against Shatta Wale and that he is only after accountability. "This is not to say Shatta Wale is not good at what he does but as Members of Parliament our interest is the criteria and whether the procedure was followed . . . Shatta Wale is a fantastic artiste. I've known him since Bandana days so it's not personal . . . I never said Shatta Wale was not suitable for being a brand ambassador but what criterion was used for the selection. You can't say you've used our money to pay an artiste and we don't know the details," he stated. Listen to him 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. Featured Video Bangladesh: Blockchain set for Bangladesh aquaculture launch by Rob Fletcher September 11,2020 | Source: The Fish Site ByteAlly has partnered with the USAID initiative Feed the Future - Bangladesh Aquaculture and Nutrition Activity (BANA) for the trial, which aims to implement a blockchain-based system to trace the journey of a new high-yield carp variety from farm to plate. The project will actively promote the food traceability system and its benefits to seafood stakeholders in Bangladesh. "By reducing the timeframe to trace the origin of a given food to a matter of seconds, were able to solve three of the core consumer concerns that deter them from enjoying seafood: safety, sustainability, and authenticity, explains Rajendra Rao, general manager of the IBM Food Trust. The $24 million BANA project, which launched in 2018, has already developed a new, high-yield variety of carp that can grow to market size in about 18 months, instead of 24, leading to a substantial increase in incomes for farmers who raise the new variety. Given BANA's focus on improved nutrition and profitable agriculture to provide it, there is a high interest in moving these fish into the market more quickly. BANA wants to use a blockchain system to track and trace this carp's journey through the value chain - to establish trust, manage risk, and ensure the quality of the product. Technology ByteAlly will be using IBM Food Trust blockchain, combined with the following components built by themselves. - Cloud-based ERP - to replace the paper-based processes and to manage the farm operations. It will act as the data source from which data will be uploaded to the blockchain. - Android application - for the participating stakeholders to upload traceability information from their smartphones. - GS1 EPCIS API - to format the data received from multiple sources (software systems, mobile apps, IoT, etc) into interoperable data (GS1 EPCIS compliant). GS1 EPCIS is a standard developed by GS1 for interoperability within supply chains. IBM Food Trust - Blockchain requires the uploaded data to be in GS1 EPCIS standard. - IoT cloud Infrastructure - to receive data from IoT sensors and transmit them to the blockchain network. "This is the first large scale food traceability blockchain focusing on aquaculture in the region. It will demonstrate the ability to track the provenance of the fish and ensure food quality, thus yielding a higher selling price for the fish farmers," Anand Sukumaran, VP of growth at ByteAlly, explains. Stakeholders involved The first phase of the project will involve hatcheries, nurseries, and grow-out operations fish farms from the Jessore district of Bangladesh. The second phase will involve distributors, processors and retailers. WASHINGTON Presidents over the decades thought they could manage Bob Woodward and many, as Karl Rove put it this week, came to regret it. Then came Donald J. Trump, who being Donald J. Trump thought so much of his powers of persuasion that he opened up to Mr. Woodward not once or twice but an astonishing 18 times. So President Trump may have 18 times as many reasons for regret, as the latest blockbuster from Mr. Woodward reveals a president who privately understood how deadly the coronavirus really was even as he was telling the public the opposite. With an election 53 days away, perhaps no other president who talked with Mr. Woodward did as much to undermine himself. The question consuming Washington this week is why did he talk in the first place? Why give so much access to a journalist who made his reputation taking down a president during Watergate? And the answer is: because he is Donald Trump. He has infinite faith in his ability to spin his own story. He is forever seeking approval and validation from celebrity and establishment figures like Mr. Woodward. And as much as he likes to excoriate the fake news, he is drawn irresistibly to the spotlight. He cant help himself, said Timothy L. OBrien, who experienced it firsthand in writing his own book on Mr. Trump during his business days. Hes profoundly addicted to public attention and the media is his vehicle for making sure he gets it. His view is he can live with negative coverage and positive coverage. He cant live with no coverage. So he constantly puts himself in the cross hairs. India successfully tests hypersonic missile technology India today successfully flight-tested a Hypersonic Technology Demonstrator Vehicle (HSTDV), demonstrating the nations capabilities for highly complex technology that will serve as the building block for NextGen hypersonic vehicles in partnership with industry. The hypersonic air-breathing scramjet technology has been indigenously developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). DRDO successfully carried out the test-flight of the Hypersonic Technology Demonstration Vehicle at 1103 hours from Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Launch Complex at Wheeler Island in Balasore, off the Odisha coast. The hypersonic cruise vehicle was launched using a proven solid rocket motor, which took it to an altitude of 30 km, where the aerodynamic heat shields were separated at hypersonic Mach number. The cruise vehicle separated from the launch vehicle and the air intake opened as planned. The hypersonic combustion sustained and the cruise vehicle continued on its desired flight path at a velocity of six times the speed of sound, ie, nearly 2 km/second for more than 20 seconds. The critical events like fuel injection and auto ignition of scramjet demonstrated technological maturity. The scramjet engine performed in a text book manner, the DRDO stated in a release. The parameters of launch and cruise vehicle, including scramjet engine, was monitored by multiple tracking radars, electro-optical systems and Telemetry Stations. The scramjet engine worked at high dynamic pressure and at very high temperature. A ship was also deployed in the Bay of Bengal to monitor the performance during the cruise phase of hypersonic vehicle. All the performance parameters have indicated a resounding success of the mission. With this successful demonstration, many critical technologies such as aerodynamic configuration for hypersonic manoeuvres, use of scramjet propulsion for ignition and sustained combustion at hypersonic flow, thermo-structural characterisation of high temperature materials, separation mechanism at hypersonic velocities etc were proven. Defence minister Rajnath Singh congratulated DRDO on this landmark achievement towards realising Prime Minister Narendra Modis vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat. He also spoke to the scientists associated with the project and congratulated them on this great achievement. India is proud of them, he added. Secretary Department of Defence R&D and chairman DRDO, G Satheesh Reddy congratulated all the scientists, researchers and other personnel related with HSTDV mission for their resolute and unwavering efforts towards strengthening nations defence capabilities. On this successful demonstration, the country enters into the hypersonic regime paving way for advanced hypersonic vehicles. AAAED 46th National Conference and Annual Awards Ceremony We are delighted to honor such outstanding icons of social justice, diversity and equal opportunity, said Dr. Richard Anthony Baker, president of AAAED. The American Association for Access, Equity and Diversity (AAAED), an organization of equal opportunity, diversity and affirmative action professionals, announced its 46th National Conference and Annual Awards honorees for 2020. Themed Turning Obstacles into Opportunities, the 46th National Conference and Annual Awards Ceremony is also acknowledging the 30th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. We are delighted to honor such outstanding icons of social justice, diversity and equal opportunity, said Dr. Richard Anthony Baker, president of AAAED. The two-day conference will include presentations by agency officials including Janet Dhillon, Chair, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC); Robert Gaglione and Patricia Davidson, deputy directors, Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP); and staff of the Office of Disability Employment Programs (ODEP), U.S. Department of Labor. The program will also include discussions about current issues including Artificial Intelligence has Landed in HR: The Legal Landscape and Risk Mitigation Strategies for Hiring in the Digital Age, led by Michelle Duncan, Esq., of Jackson Lewis PC; Complexities of Addressing Issues of Free Speech and Bias post-George Floyd, led by members of AAAED and hosted by the Fund for Leadership, Equity, Access and Diversity. This workshop will be moderated by Scott Jaschik, editor of Inside Higher Ed. Lastly, the controversial Title IX regulations on sexual harassment at colleges and universities, promulgated by the U.S. Department of Education, will be the subject of a panel about challenges academic institutions have had in complying with the regulations made effective on August 14, 2020. During the Awards Ceremony on October 8th, the association will acknowledge civil rights, equal opportunity and diversity leaders. It will also honor those who have passed away in the last year, including Rep. John Lewis, Rep. Elijah Cummings, Rep. John Conyers, Rev. C.T. Vivian and others. The AAAED 2020 Award Honorees are: 1. The Drum Major for Justice Award The Drum Major for Justice is the highest award the association confers. The Award is a special acknowledgement of the extraordinary contributions that an organization or individual, including a public servant or one who has held an elective office or appointment to public service, has made to the cause of access, equity and diversity. Previous recipients include Rev. Dr. CT Vivian (2018), Dr. Shirley A Jackson (2017), Rep. G. K. Butterfield (2016), and Representatives August F. Hawkins and Parren Mitchell (deceased) (2008), for whom the award was established. The 2020 AAAED Drum Major for Justice Award Honoree is The Honorable Robert Bobby Scott, Chair of the Committee on Education and Labor, U.S. House of Representatives. Congressman Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (D-VA) has represented Virginias third congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives since 1993. Prior to his service in Congress, he served in the Virginia House of Delegates from 1978 to 1983 and in the Senate of Virginia from 1983 to 1993. Congressman Scott has the distinction of being the first African-American elected to Congress from the Commonwealth of Virginia since Reconstruction and only the second African-American elected to Congress in Virginias history. In this capacity, he is advancing an agenda that improves equity in education, frees students from the burdens of crippling debt, protects and expands access to affordable health care, ensures workers have a safe workplace where they can earn a living wage free from discrimination, and guarantees seniors have a secure and dignified retirement. Chairman Scott is the third African-American chair of the Education and Labor Committee and the second to receive the AAAED Drum Major for Justice Award. Rep. Augustus F. Hawkins, for whom the Drum Major Award was created in 2008 to honor him posthumously, was the second African-American Committee Chair. The first was Rep. Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. (1908 1972). 2. The Arthur A. Fletcher Lifetime Achievement Award Named for the Father of Affirmative Action, former Assistant Secretary of Labor Arthur A. Fletcher, who established the Revised Philadelphia Plan requiring goals and timetables in the construction industry - the precursor for what became Affirmative Action, the Arthur A. Fletcher Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes a career devoted to promoting and advocating for affirmative action, EEO and diversity. The 2020 AAAED Arthur A. Fletcher Lifetime Achievement Award Honoree is Attorney Clarence Dunnaville, Jr. of Virginia. Clarence M. Dunnaville, Jr., Esq., was born during the Great Depression in the city of Roanoke, Virginia and grew up during the Jim Crow era. He fought segregation as a child by refusing to use segregated toilets or to sit in the back of the bus. Determined to escape segregation, he excelled at school, skipped two grades and graduated from Lucy Addison High School in Roanoke when he was just 16. Upon graduating from High School, Dunnaville left his ancestral home in Southwest Virginia to attend college as far north as his limited funds would take him to escape segregation. He made it to Baltimore, Maryland where he attended Morgan State College. In 1965, he became the first black attorney for AT&T. Dunnaville, now a Richmond, Virginia lawyer, has devoted his life to civil rights. He served as a volunteer attorney with the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law in Mississippi in 1967, while on leave of absence from AT&T. While in Mississippi, seeking to enforce a black citizens rights, he was driven out of Marks, Mississippi by a white law enforcement official who brandished him with a shotgun, and he was subjected to many other indignities. Still active with the Lawyers' Committee today, Dunnaville received its Segal Tweed Founders Award for his lifetime achievements and devotion to fighting for civil rights. 3. The Cesar Estrada Chavez Award The award is named for Cesar Estrada Chavez, an American labor leader and civil rights activist who, along with Dolores Huerta, co-founded the National Farm Workers Association (later the United Farm Workers union, UFW) in 1962. The Cesar Estrada Chavez Award recognizes an individual who has demonstrated leadership in support of workers' rights and humanitarian issues. The 2020 AAAED Cesar Estrada Chavez Award Honoree is Dr. Juan Sanchez Munoz, Chancellor, University of California, Merced. On May 20, 2020 the University of California Board of Regents approved Dr. Juan Sanchez Munozs appointment as UC Merceds fourth chancellor. Dr. Munoz goes to UC from the University of Houston-Downtown (UHD), where he served as president since 2017. Dr. Munoz is a first-generation college graduate. Having dedicated my career to student success and creating access to the transformational power of higher education across racial and social lines, Im excited to continue that work at the University of California, a world-renowned public institution. During his first year at UHD, Dr. Munoz launched the universitys largest capital campaign and led the institutions recovery efforts after Hurricane Harvey. Munoz also presided over UHDs increases in enrollment, retention and graduation, in addition to new degree programs including a bachelors of science in nursing and data science; awards from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board for the universitys model success programs; and a $1 million grant from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute the only university in Texas to receive the award in 2018. Dr. Munoz earned his B.A. in psychology from UC Santa Barbara, an M.A. in Mexican American studies from California State University, Los Angeles, and a Ph.D. in education at the University of California, Los Angeles, where he studied curriculum & instruction in the Division of Urban Schooling. 4. The Rosa Parks Award Named for the civil rights icon who refused to surrender her seat to a white passenger on a segregated bus and sparked not only the Montgomery Bus Boycott but the ultimate end of racial segregation of public facilities, the Rosa Parks Award recognizes an individual who serves as a role model and leader for others through his or her personal achievements, excellence in a chosen field; commitment to human, civil rights and social issues and contributions to the betterment of society. The 2020 AAAED Rosa Parks Award Honoree is the Honorable Maxine Waters. Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA) is considered by many to be one of the most powerful women in American politics today. She has gained a reputation as a fearless and outspoken advocate for women, children, people of color and the poor. Congresswoman Waters made history as the first woman and first African American Chair of the House Financial Services Committee. An integral member of Congressional Democratic Leadership, Congresswoman Waters serves as a member of the Steering & Policy Committee and is the Co-Chair of the bipartisan Congressional Task Force on Alzheimers Disease. She is also a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, and member and past chair of the Congressional Black Caucus. 5. The Edward M. Kennedy Community Service Award Named for the former Senator from the State of Massachusetts who was a lifetime champion of civil rights, disability rights and other issues on behalf of disadvantaged persons, the award is presented to an individual or organization demonstrating outstanding community service. The 2020 AAAED Edward M. Kennedy Community Service Award Honoree is Disability:IN. The Disability:IN story started with the common misperception that people with disabilities could not work. Our roots stem from government, with ties to the Americans with Disabilities Act, but we soon realized without an active collaboration with corporate America, people with disabilities would never be able to participate fully, nor meaningfully, in business. Disability:IN, formerly the US Business Leadership Network (USBLN), has since become the leading nonprofit resource for business disability inclusion worldwide. Disability:IN represents a new era for disability inclusion in business. At the same time, the organization remains committed to building a stronger bridge between business and the disability communities. With more than 220 corporate partners, 27 Affiliates, and enduring alliances with LGBTQ individuals, Women, and People of Color, Disability:IN aims for the day when the organization is no longer needed. 6. The Roosevelt Thomas Champion of Diversity Award This award was named after the late R. Roosevelt Thomas Jr., known for developing and implementing innovative concepts and strategies for maximizing organizational and individual potential through Diversity Management. The award is therefore given to an organization or corporation for outstanding achievements in promoting diversity in the workforce. The 2020 AAAED Honoree of the Roosevelt Thomas Champion of Diversity Award is PepsiCo. PepsiCo has a strong legacy of leading in diversity practices, starting in the 1940s as a pioneer in hiring African American salespeople, in the '50s as among the first major companies to have a woman on its Board, and into the '80s as a vanguard of multicultural marketing. Together, with their different perspectives, experiences, and backgrounds, PepsiCos people are building on this legacy and creating a future across the more than 200 countries and territories in which it operates. Since 2016, PepsiCo has made external commitments around gender parity, pay equity, and prosperity for all of its communities, and each year the company continues to celebrate champions of diversity and inclusion with the Harvey C. Russell and Steve Reinemund Awards. 7. The Emerging Leader Award This award is given to an individual who is becoming a leader on the national stage and who has demonstrated excellence in his/her workplace and/or community. This is the first year that the award will be conferred. The 2020 AAAED Emerging Leader Award Honoree is Dr. Nicholas Hartlep, Berea College, Kentucky. Nicholas D. Hartlep (Ph.D., University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee) is the Robert Charles Billings Endowed Chair in Education at Berea College where he Chairs the Department of Education Studies. Founded in 1855, Berea is the first interracial and coeducational college in the South and consistently ranks among the nations leading liberal arts colleges. Before coming to Berea College, Dr. Hartlep Chaired the Department of Early Childhood and Elementary Education at Metropolitan State University, an Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution (AANAPISI) in St. Paul, Minnesota. While there he also served as the Graduate Program Coordinator. Dr. Hartlep has published 22 books, the most recent being (2019) What Makes a Star Teacher? Seven Dispositions that Encourage Student Learning, which was published by the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. His book The Neoliberal Agenda and the Student Debt Crisis in U.S. Higher Education, with Lucille L. T. Eckrich and Brandon O. Hensley (2017) was named an Outstanding Book by the Society of Professors of Education. In 2018, the Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) granted Dr. Hartlep the John Saltmarsh Award for Emerging Leaders in Civic Engagement Award. 8. The AAAED Presidents Awards The Presidents Awards are given to AAAED members who have made outstanding contributions to the Association. The 2020 Presidents Award Honorees are: Sharron G. Gatling, CAAP, College of William and Mary, Conference Co-Chair and Board Member Sandra K. Hueneman, Sr. CAAP, Manchester Consultants, AAAED Treasurer and Webinar Administrator Jerry Knighton, M.P.A., Clemson University, AAAED Conference Planning Committee Marilynn Schuyler, Esq., Schuyler Affirmative Action Practice, AAAED Sponsorship Chair and Board Member Tonisha Thorpe, University of Arkansas, AAAED Conference Committee 9. The AAAED Special Appreciation Award This Special Appreciation Award is given to Craig E. Leen, Esq., Director, Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs, U.S. Department of Labor. This Award is to acknowledge Director Leen for his leadership in advancing the rights of individuals with disabilities in the federal contractor labor force. The AAAED 46th National Conference and Awards Ceremony is open to the press. For more information or to register for the Conference, go to: http://www.aaaed.org/conference, Email: virtualconference2020@aaaed.org. Founded in 1974 as the American Association for Affirmative Action (AAAA), AAAED is a national not-for-profit association of professionals working in the areas of equal opportunity, compliance and diversity. AAAED has 46 years of leadership in providing professional training to members, enabling them to be more successful and productive in their careers. It also promotes understanding and advocacy of affirmative action and other equal opportunity laws to enhance the tenets of access, inclusion and equality in employment, economic and educational opportunities. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has proposed that the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) hold an international forum in Ukraine. Kuleba said this at a meeting with Secretary-General of the World Tourism Organization Zurab Pololikashvili in Spain, according to the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry. According to the report, Kuleba proposed holding an international forum of the World Tourism Organization in Ukraine dedicated, in particular, to the topic of domestic and green tourism in the world. "I have no doubt that Ukraine will become a new territory on the map of world tourism, which foreigners will be happy to discover as something new. The development of domestic tourism is a priority for President Volodymyr Zelensky and the Government of Ukraine. I want us to unite efforts with the WTO to achieve this goal," he said. According to Kuleba, it is worth actively looking for new forms and methods of tourism development without waiting for the end of the coronavirus pandemic, given the importance of the tourism industry for the world economy. During the meeting, both parties discussed prospects for Ukraine's cooperation with the UNWTO and the involvement of the organization's mechanisms in the development of Ukraine's tourism industry. "The interlocutors focused on the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic for the tourism industry, its adaptation to new realities. Dmytro Kuleba noted that the pandemic has not only obvious negative consequences for tourism, but also unexpected new opportunities. In particular, such circumstances in Ukraine gave impetus to domestic tourism and aroused people's interest in traveling in their own country," the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said. Pololikashvili noted that today this trend is observed everywhere, and the organization sees in it new opportunities for the global development of domestic and rural tourism. op Through a unique research collaboration, researchers at the University of Helsinki have exposed major changes taking place in the insect communities of the Arctic. Their study reveals how climate change is affecting small but important predators of other insects, i.e. parasitoids. "Predators at the top of the food web give us a clue to what is happening to their prey species, too. These results increase our understanding of how global warming is changing nature. At the same time, they suggest new inroads for finding answers to big questions in the field of ecology," says Professor Tomas Roslin from the University of Helsinki and the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU). The researchers' main discovery was that clear traces of climate change can already be seen in arctic insect communities. "In areas where summers are rapidly warming, we find a higher proportion of cold-sensitive predators than we might expect based on the previous climate," Roslin notes. The study joined research teams working in Greenland, Canada, Russia, Norway, Finland and Iceland, which together compared regions where the climate has changed at different rates and in different ways in recent decades. Parasitoids are fierce predators but sensitive to changes in climatic conditions "The climate of the Arctic is currently changing about twice as fast as the global average. Therefore, the Arctic region provides an important laboratory when we try to understand the effects of climate change on nature," says Tuomas Kankaanpaa, lead author of the study and active at the Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry, University of Helsinki. "To distinguish the key consequences of climate change, we have focused on some of the most important predators in the Arctic, parasitoid wasps and flies. These parasitoids are predators whose larvae develop on or within a single host individual and usually kill it in the process. And now we have found that climate change is dramatically affecting the relative dominance of different types of parasitoids." The researchers found that the changes particularly affect the ratios between parasitoids adhering to different lifestyles. On the other hand, different parasitoid species use different hosts. In the Arctic, Lepidoptera i.e. butterflies and moths and Diptera such as flies and gnats are the largest host groups of the parasitoids. Diptera are more dominant towards the north, while the species richness of Lepidoptera increase towards the south. "We have found that the proportion of parasitoids preying on warmth-loving butterflies is especially in areas where summer temperatures in particular have risen in recent decades. By contrast, winter-time warming is reflected in a large representation of parasitoid species feeding on Diptera," says Kankaanpaa. Cunning koinobionts and greedy idiobionts "Beyond their host species, parasitoids can also be classified into two other groups based on how they use their host. Koinobionts are the true masters of the parasitic lifestyle and manipulate their host with surgical precision. Females lay their eggs in the host's egg or larva, where the parasitoid larva then waits patiently until the host has grown larger. To do this, the koinobiont must skillfully manipulate the host's immune defense to survive. The second group, idiobionts, are more reminiscent of classic predators. The larvae of idiobionts start eating the host as soon as they hatch," says Kankaanpaa. "These different strategies are directly reflected in the sensitivity of the two groups to climatic conditions. Koinobionts can wait until the host has retreated to sheltered conditions to hibernate before killing it. Thus, they get protection from the worst frosts. Idiobionts lack this advantage, and often paralyze the host where found, having to then live in it at the mercy of the weather." New approaches bring synergies "In our project, we have harnessed the ratio between parasitoids of Lepidoptera and Diptera, and between koinobionts and idiobionts, into a sensitive barometer of the effects of climate change, Kankaanpaa says. To this end, we have adopted a number of effective solutions. A common approach to predicting the effects of climate change is to compare contemporary communities of organisms in different climates. We then assume that communities in cold areas will eventually begin to resemble their current counterparts in warmer regions as the climate warms. The time dimension of change is thus replaced by distance, in what is called a space for time substitution. Now, however, we can already compare areas where the climate has changed in different ways. This is especially true in the Arctic, where change, and at the same time regional disparities, are large," says Kankaanpaa. Professor Tomas Roslin has been the supervisor of Tuomas Kankaanpaa and is equally enthusiastic about new ways of research - and also points out another advance. "For studies like this, we are also cooperating in a new way. This allows us to ask questions that would otherwise be too expensive, difficult and logistically challenging to address. If one research team was to send its members around the world, it would cost hundreds of thousands of euros. But by collaborating with other scientists across the Arctic and asking them for a few working days, everyone can provide their piece of the bigger puzzle, as collected using uniform methods. This is how we put together the full picture with realistic resources. And I am convinced that this kind of collaboration will pave the way for new breakthroughs," Roslin says. Fantastic parasitic beasts and where to find them With their clever and slightly macabre lifestyles, parasitoids have inspired us humans as well. The monsters in the Alien movies are classical parasitoids which, just like some parasitic flies, leave their eggs waiting for a passing host. Due to their cruel appearance, parasitoid wasps are often despised. But at the same time, we have the parasitoids to thank for our crops and gardens. Parasitoids are among the main enemies of herbivorous insects, and without them much of the world's greenery could disappear into smaller mouths. In the Arctic, the parasitoids are, in fact, the most numerous and species-rich predators. ### NEW DELHI: Talks between Indian foreign minister S Jaishankar and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi seem to have set the stage for a temporary truce between the two countries which have seen tensions at an unprecedented high since May. Analysts have advocated a wait-and-watch approach cautioning that the respite could be momentary with the real impact of the Jaishankar-Wang talks on Thursday expected to play out in the coming days. The two and a half hour India-China discussions on Thursday took place in Moscow on the sidelines of a Russia-China lead regional meet. It resulted in a five point joint statement the first since tensions rose in May. Made public on Friday, the statement described the exchange as frank and constructive." Key among the agreements reached were that the current situation in the border areas is not in the interest of either side." Jaishankar and Wang therefore agreed that the border troops of both sides should continue their dialogue, quickly disengage, maintain proper distance and ease tensions." The two ministers also concurred that India and China abide by previous pacts signed in 1993,1996, 2005 and 2012 to maintain peace on their borders and avoid any action that could escalate matters. Dialogue, they agreed, would also continue at the level of special representatives tasked with resolving the border dispute as well as diplomats besides military commanders. Jaishankar and Wang also agreed that as the situation eases, the two sides should expedite work to conclude new Confidence Building Measures to maintain and enhance peace and tranquility in the border areas," the statement added. The joint statement came on a day brigade commanders from India and China met to rein in tensions in an area south of Pangong Tso lake, one of the key friction points in Ladakh. A person familiar with the developments said Jaishankar made it clear that the recent incidents in eastern Ladakh .... inevitably impacted the development of the bilateral relationship. Therefore, an urgent resolution of the current situation (of tensions) was in the interest of both nations." The immediate task is to ensure a comprehensive disengagement of troops in all the friction areas" Jaishankar is said to have told his counterpart. That is necessary to prevent any untoward incident in the future," the person said that the minister had told Wang. Conveying Indias strong concerns" at the amassing of troops on the border since May, Jaishankar also made it clear that China had not provided a credible explanation for the deployment of hundreds of thousands of troops in Ladakh. The provocative behavior of Chinese frontline troops at numerous incidents of friction along the LAC showed disregard for bilateral agreements and protocols," Jaishankar told Wang, the person said. Indian troops had scrupulously followed all agreements and protocols pertaining to the management of the border areas," the person said. This is seen as an apparent response to China blaming Indian troops for what it describes as provocative behavior to which it responded. A second person familiar with Thursdays talks said that Wang had noted that it was normal" for India and China to have differences. What is important is to put these differences in a proper context vis a vis the bilateral relations," Wang told Jaishankar, the second person said. As two large developing countries emerging rapidly what India and China need right now is cooperation not confrontation," the person said. Wang outlined Chinas stern position" on the border issue emphasizing that the imperative is to immediately stop provocations such as firing and other dangerous actions," the person said. It is also important to move back all personnel and equipment that have trespassed (from the Indian side.)" According to General Deepender Singh Hooda, while it was good" that the two ministers talked and reached consensus on several points, the problems remain, including the lack of clarity on how the disengagement will happen. The decisions regarding the principles on which the disengagement takes place should be taken at the political level, he said. "The military commanders can then work out the modalities," he said, adding unless disengagement happens, military tensions will remain high. Even if there is agreement on disengagement, the whole Line of Actual Control (LAC) dynamic has undergone a change." In this context, Hooda welcomed the idea of new confidence building measures noting that the old agreements had been broken. The new ones would have to focus on conflict prevention he said, than maintaining peace as in the past. Srikanth Kondapalli, a professor of Chinese Studies at the New Delhi-based Jawaharlal Nehru University, said the Jaishankar Wang talks seem to have bought India and China some breathing space" given that China is grappling with tensions in the South China Sea and East China Sea and India is dealing with the covid-19 pandemic and economic challenges. The good thing is that concerted action by India (in Ladakh) has yielded results" bringing China to the negotiating table, he said. The asymmetry in power argument," often used to describe the China-India equation doesnt hold any more," he pointed out. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Never miss a story! Stay connected and informed with Mint. Download our App Now!! Topics Martin Eden, directed by Italian filmmaker Pietro Marcello, is a valuable adaptation of Jack Londons well-known 1909 novel, transposed to mid-20th century Italy. As of today, it will be available online. Marcello (born 1976, Lost and Beautiful, 2015) stays true to the essential content and critique of the novel, in some ways improving upon Londons narrative, or at least avoiding some of its detours and occasionally grandiloquent tone. Luca Marinelli in Martin Eden (2019) The work concerns a phenomenon that was to have extraordinary relevance to the development of literature and art generally in the 20th century: the rise and fall of a working-class artist, who experiences great popular and financial success but succumbs to toxic individualism, turning his back on the suffering and oppressed. Martin (Luca Marinelli), accustomed to a rough-and-tumble existence in an unnamed Italian port city (apparently Naples), earns his living as a sailor, although he already has certain aesthetic or intellectual proclivities. When he encounters Elena Orsini (Jessica Cressy), from a wealthy, liberal, cultured family, a new world opens up before his eyes. London writes: And then he turned and saw the girl [Ruth in the novel]. The phantasmagoria of his brain vanished at sight of her. She was a pale, ethereal creature, with wide, spiritual blue eyes and a wealth of golden hair. He did not know how she was dressed, except that the dress was as wonderful as she. He likened her to a pale gold flower upon a slender stem. No, she was a spirit, a divinity, a goddess; such sublimated beauty was not of the earth. Or perhaps the books were right, and there were many such as she in the upper walks of life. Martin sets out to better himself, to eradicate what is rude and uncouth from his behavior, studies indefatigably and, ultimately, determines to be a writer. Elena would prefer if he had a steady job and emulated her father and his friends. But Martin struggles, sacrificing health and nearly starving, in his quest to become a published author. In the course of his efforts, although he has encountered socialism and left-wing ideas, and toyed with them, Martin comes across the works of Herbert Spencer, the reactionary Social Darwinist, and consciously adopts the latters conceptions. Spencer (1820-1903) and others mechanically and self-servingly transposed Darwins theories of natural selection and survival of the fittest to the study of social life, justifying inequality and the unbridled exploitation of the lesser beings on the bottom rungs of the social ladder. Martin Eden Elena breaks with Martin, under pressure from her respectable family. Martin has denounced her father and his friends at a dinner party. Eventually, he achieves great success and becomes the toast of the town. War threatens. Martin publicly rails against the poor, in fact, he calls for their destruction. There are clearly echoes of Benito Mussolini, a one-time socialist, and that trend in the Italian art world that rallied to war and nationalism before 1914. However, for all his good fortune, Martin feels sick at heart. The bitterness of his travails and his resentment against official society poisons his being. Life disgusts me. When Elena attempts to renew their relationship, he angrily turns on her and drives her out. In the novel, Martin demands to know why his former love had not come to him before, when he had no job and was hungry. You see I have not changed, though my sudden apparent appreciation in value compels me constantly to reassure myself on that point. What puzzles him, he explains, is why she and everybody else want him now. Surely they dont want me for myself, for myself is the same old self they did not want. Then they must want me for something else, for something that is outside of me, for something that is not I! Shall I tell you what that something is? It is for the recognition I have received. That recognition is not I. It resides in the minds of others. Then again for the money I have earned and am earning.And is it for that, for the recognition and the money, that you now want me? Pietro Marcellos Martin Eden There is no happy ending possible for him. London explained to fellow writer (and fellow socialist) Upton Sinclair that one of my motifs, in this book, was an attack on [Nietzschean] individualism (in the person of the hero). I must have bungled, for not a single reviewer has discovered it, although the work is a little more ambiguous on this score than London suggests. The writers pleasure in his own success and talent at times crowds out or overshadows other concerns. In any event, it is not possible to miss this motif in Marcellos well-scripted and well-performed film version. (Sidney Salkow directed a version of the novel, The Adventures of Martin Eden, released in 1942, with Glenn Ford and Claire Trevor.) Marcello told an interviewer for Cineuropa: We read Martin Eden as a portrait that could anticipate the perversions and troubles of the 20th century. The relations between the individual and society, the role of mass culture, class struggle. And further: Martin is a victim of his own success, from the moment he begins to get published, his symbolic ship sinks. Its the story of Jack London like it is that of Michael Jackson or [R. W.] Fassbinder. Artists who lost touch with everyday life. His betrayal of the class to which he belongs makes him the victim of that system. Marcellos Martin Eden is one of the better Italian films in recent years. The DRMNA Yahoo Group was started by DRM enthusiasts in October 2006. We are not affiliated with the Digital Radio Mondiale consortium (but we call them friends!) We want DRM for North America! Join us at our Discussion Group for current North American (and worldwide) DRM discussion. Originally slated for January 31 at the Crypto.com Arena in downtown L.A. formerly the Staples Center - the 64th Annual Grammy Awards have been rescheduled and will now broadcast live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas ... Please enable cookies on your web browser in order to continue. The new European data protection law requires us to inform you of the following before you use our website: We use cookies and other technologies to customize your experience, perform analytics and deliver personalized advertising on our sites, apps and newsletters and across the Internet based on your interests. By clicking I agree below, you consent to the use by us and our third-party partners of cookies and data gathered from your use of our platforms. See our Privacy Policy and Third Party Partners to learn more about the use of data and your rights. You also agree to our Terms of Service. If you havn't done it yet,to get one of the fastest volcano news online: SERNAGEOMIN and SEGEMAR reported that elevated seismicity (continuous tremor) at Copahue was recorded on 16 July and accompanied by ash emissions observed by local residents. Sulfur dioxide emissions were anomalous on 4, 6, and 20 July; values were 2,100 and 1,713 tons per day on 2 and 4 July, respectively, on the high end of normal values. On 20 July residents of La Araucania described an odor indicating hydrogen sulfide gas emissions. ... According to SERNAGEOMIN seismicity of the volcano remains unstable during the past weeks. ... The activity of the volcano has remained essentially unchanged characterized by continuing minor grey ash emissions and seismic unrest. ... SERNAGEOMIN reported continuing activity at Copahue during 16-31 August. Webcams recorded gas-and-ash plumes rising as high as 1.7 km, sometimes associated with nighttime crater incandescence. The plumes drifted in multiple directions as far as 4.3 km N, 9 km NE, 8 km E, 4 km SE, 4 km SW, 9 km W, and 4.4 km NW. ... The activity of the volcano continues with increasing ash emissions that become near-continuous. A selection of images taken during our photo tour on Santorini . We offer customized small-group photography tours and workshops on the beautiful island of Santorini. A physically active tour to visit and climb some of Indonesia's most active and famous volcanoes: Papandayan and Galunggung in West Java, Merapi in Central Java, Kelud, Semeru, Bromo, the Tengger caldera, and Ijen in East Java. We have traveled all over Greece, in particular on its active volcanic areas such as Santorini, Nisyros, Milos, Methana. Santorini is one of the most beautiful islands in the world, famous for its breathtaking sea-filled caldera and picturesque villages. Discover its fascinating natural and cultural history on a relaxed walking study tour with us. Support us - Help us upgrade our services! Maintaining our website and our free apps does require, however, considerable time and resources. We're aiming to achieve uninterrupted service wherever an earthquake or volcano eruption unfolds, and your donations can make it happen! Every donation will be highly appreciated. Improved multilanguage support Tsunami alerts Faster responsiveness Earthquake archive from 1900 onwards Detailed quake stats Additional seismic data sources Download and Upgrade the Volcanoes & Earthquakes app to get one of the fastest seismic and volcano alerts online: Android | IOS to get one of the fastest seismic and volcano alerts online: We truly love working to bring you the latest volcano and earthquake data from around the world.We need financing to increase hard- and software capacity as well as support our editor team.If you find the information useful and would like to support our team in integrating further features, write great content, and in upgrading our soft- and hardware, please PayPal or Online credit card payment )., these features have been added recently: Former Punjab director general of police (DGP) Sumedh Singh Saini has moved the Supreme Court, seeking anticipatory bail in a case related to the alleged abduction and disappearance of a junior engineer, Balwant Singh Multani, in 1991. Saini, who is likely to be represented by senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, moved the apex court on Thursday evening after the Punjab and Haryana high court on Tuesday dismissed his bail plea. Punjab Police too filed a caveat requesting the Supreme Court to hear it before any order is passed in the case. The matter is likely to come up for hearing next week, lawyers from both sides said. Saini, a 1982-batch Indian Police Service officer, who was the youngest DGP in the country, was booked along with six others on May 6 at Mataur police station in Mohali for the alleged kidnapping of Multani in 1991. Murder charge was invoked in August after two of the accused policemen turned approvers. Multani worked with Chandigarh Industrial and Tourism Corporation (Citco) and was picked up by the police after a terrorist attack on Saini, who was then Chandigarh senior superintendent of police. Saini was injured in the attack and three policemen were killed. Saini retired in 2018 after 36 years of service. POLITICALLY MOTIVATED CONSPIRACY Saini claims that the case against him is an example of politically motivated conspiracy by the Capt Amarinder Singh-led Congress government in Punjab. He says he was granted bail by the trial court after the registration of the FIR, hence, it should continue. In 2008, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) also registered a case against him that was later quashed by the Supreme Court. This is another argument put forward by Saini who added that when Covid-19 was at a peak, under a politically motivated conspiracy, an FIR was registered against him on the same facts by the state machinery. Saini was part of the then director general of police KPS Gills team that helped eliminate terrorism in the state. His bail petition mentions his outstanding service record. When the state of Punjab was going through a difficult period, he took active part in counter terrorism and anti-insurgency operations. The applicant is a decorated officer and was awarded the Presidents Police Medal for gallantry and The Wound Medal (now referred to as Parakram medal). He has been a target of anti-national and terrorist elements, the petition said. The petition also said that after abatement of terrorism in Punjab, the applicant has been involved in unearthing scams and scandals. He served as head of the state Vigilance Bureau from 2007 to 2012 and during his tenure a number of criminal cases were registered against members of the political party, which is now in power in the state of Punjab, the main reason Saini mentions in his plea on the registration of the FIR. On September 8, the high court dismissed his anticipatory bail plea, observing that the same cannot be allowed as there is every likelihood of Saini stifling fair investigation and trial. The investigating agency has woken up and gathered courage to investigate its own officer and therefore, the vital pieces of evidence which would come handy in leading to various leads would inch towards unravelling this puzzle, which too has baffled the citizenry who are looking upon the justice system as a last resort to get justice, the high court bench of justice Fatehdeep Singh observed on why Sainis custodial interrogation is warranted. According to Punjab Police, Saini has Z category security cover but his whereabouts are not known for nearly a week now. Rhea Chakraborty was arrested on Tuesday by the Narcotics Crime Bureau in a drug probe linked with the death of Sushant Singh Rajput. Mumbai sessions court on Friday rejected the bail plea of Rhea Chakraborty, along with her brother Showik and four others, reports Press Trust of India. PTI tweeted the development Court rejects bail pleas of Rhea Chakraborty and her brother Showik in drugs case Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) September 11, 2020 Their bail applications were rejected by judge G B Gurao of the special court hearing cases filed under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. Special Public Prosecutor Atul Sarpande had opposed their bail saying Rhea and Showik financed and arranged drugs. Lawyer Satish Maneshinde, who is representing Chakraborty, said they will decide on approaching Bombay High Court after procuring a copy of the order. Satish Maneshinde (Representing Rhea Chakraborty): Once we get a copy of the order, we will decide next week on the course of action, about approaching the Bombay High Court #RheaChakroborty #RheaChakraborthy #JusticeForRhea #JusticeForSSR #SatishManeshinde Bar & Bench (@barandbench) September 11, 2020 In her bail application, Chakraborty had alleged that during her interrogation by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), she was "coerced" into making "self-incriminating confessions." She also claimed that she has not committed any crime whatsoever and has been falsely implicated in the case. The plea said that "the actor has formally retracted all such incriminating confessions." In the plea, she also said that her arrest is "unwarranted and without any justification." "The actor's liberty has arbitrarily been curtailed," it added. The plea also said that no female officer was present during her interrogation. Chakraborty, who was arrested in Mumbai by the NCB on Tuesday, filed this plea after a magistrate court rejected her bail application on the same day. The actress was arrested in a drug case linked to her boyfriend and actor Sushant Singh Rajput's death. Besides Rhea and Showik, the NCB had also arrested Sushant's house manager Samuel Miranda, and Abdul Basit, Zaid Vilatra and Dipesh Sawant on drug supply charges. The NCB is probing the drug angle in this case under criminal sections of the NDPS Act after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) shared with it a report following the cloning of two mobile phones of Rhea. Various angles surrounding the death of the Rajput are being probed by three federal agencies, the NCB, the ED, and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Rajput was found dead at his Bandra flat on 14 June. (With inputs from Press Trust of India) * A collection of Suicide prevention helpline numbers are available here. Please reach out if you or anyone you know is in need of support. The All-India helpline number is: 022 2754 6669 A six-member team from the Centre on Friday visited parts of east Vidarbha, which were affected by floods, following incessant rainfall last month, an official said. Several villages in five districts including Nagpur, Chandrapur, Bhandara, Gadchiroli and Gondia in Nagpur division were flooded due to water released from nearby dams and rivers. The Central team is on a three-day visit and on Friday it took stock of the damages at villages of Kamptee, Parseoni and Mauda talukas and also villages in Chandrapur district, after a review meeting at Nagpur Divisional Commissionerate, a release stated. During the inspection, residents of the affected areas apprised the Central team about damages to farmlands, cattle and property, it was stated. According to the release, nearly, 88,864 hectares of farmland in 34 talukas of Nagpur division have been affected due to floods, while 23,000 houses have also been damaged. (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.) Bahia, a Brazilian state has signed an agreement to conduct Phase III clinical trials of Russia's Covid-19 vaccine Sputnik V , according to a Reuters report. Along with that, the state also aims to buy 50 million doses to market in Brazil, officials said. Russia will sell up to 50 million doses of its COVID-19 vaccine, known as Sputnik-V, to Brazil's Bahia State, RDIF said in a statement. The country last month entered an agreement with the Brazilian state of Parana to test and produce the vaccine. The update comes in the backdrop that Russia earlier announced that it has successfully fast-tracked its recently launched Sputnik V vaccine and is most likely to release the vaccine for civilian use soon, according to a report. Governor Rui Costa said an agreement was signed this week to undertake the trials and Bahia will receive an initial 500 doses as soon as Brazil's health regulator Anvisa approves the protocol for testing. First supplies are due to start in November pending approval by Brazil regulators "with the consideration of results of post-registration trials", RDIF added, as per Reuters reports. Sputnik V Covid vaccine, which is developed by Gamaleya Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology under the Russian Health Ministry, may be granted permission to release a batch of its vaccine for civilian use, the institutes deputy director for research, said associate member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Denis Logunov, according to a report. A Phase III trial is a large-scale one involving thousands of people - in Russia, 40,000 - over a longer stretch of time. If the trials that are expected to start in October are successful, Bahia will look to market the Russian vaccine in Brazil through its pharmaceutical research center Bahiafarma, said Fabio Vilas-Boas Pinto, Bahia state Health Secretary. Brazil is the world's third-hardest-hit country by coronavirus, with more than million confirmed cases. A separate Phase III trial will also be conducted on 10,000 volunteers in Brazil in 2021, the technology institute for the state of Parana said last week. Parana's Technology Institute, known as Tecpar, will be using imported doses for the tests, but will start producing the vaccine for Brazil's market in the second half of next year. RDIF has already signed two deals to export the vaccine abroad. Kazakhstan is set to buy more than 2 million doses initially and could later increase the volume to 5 million doses. It has also agreed to sell 32 million doses to a private company in Mexico, Landsteiner Scientific. RDIF said this week it expects to supply up to 100 million doses of the vaccine to Latin America, around a fifth of what it expects to be able to produce annually through global manufacturing partnerships. India will be producing 300 million doses of the vaccine. CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) Kirill Dmitriev told Sputnik that the clinical trials in Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates (UAE), the Philippines, India and Brazil will begin this month. "The post-registration studies involving more than 40,000 people started in Russia on August 26, before AstraZeneca has started its Phase 3 trial in the US with 30,000 participants. Clinical trials in Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates (UAE), the Philippines, India and Brazil will begin this month. The preliminary results of the Phase 3 trial will be published in October-November 2020," said Dmitriev. Three Moscow outpatient clinics have received the first batch of a covid vaccine against the coronavirus for post-registration trials, news agency TASS reported, citing Deputy Moscow Mayor Anastasia Rakova. Moscow residents can apply to participate in the study and be the first to obtain the vaccine, the deputy mayor said. On August 11, Russia became the first country to license a Covid-19 vaccine, calling it "Sputnik V" in homage to the world's first satellite, launched by the Soviet Union. But western experts have warned against its use until all internationally approved testing and regulatory steps have been taken. The vaccine is undergoing Phase 3 trials. The vaccine vaccine produced an antibody response in all participants in early-stage trials, according to results published earlier by The Lancet medical journal that were hailed by Moscow as an answer to its critics. The results of the two trials, conducted in June-July this year and involving 76 participants, showed 100% of participants developing antibodies to the new coronavirus and no serious side effects, The Lancet said. With inputs from agencies Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Never miss a story! Stay connected and informed with Mint. Download our App Now!! Topics Jameela Jamil says that surviving her suicide attempt seven years ago has proved to be 'the most extraordinary gift'. The Good Place star, 34, took to Instagram on Thursday to mark World Suicide Prevention Day, expressing her joy at having survived, while she gushed about the things in her life she now gets to enjoy including her romance with James Blake. Nothing that she can now help others, Jameela wrote: 'Surviving suicide has been the most extraordinary gift to me in being able to still be here and remind the people I love that sometimes it's just a particularly overwhelming hour, day, week or month. Survivor: Jameela Jamil says that surviving her suicide attempt seven years ago has proved to be 'the most extraordinary gift'. Pictured in 2019 'And that it can and normally will pass, and that with even small incremental changes and reaching out to even just one person for help, life really can get better. Please hang on. #suicidepreventionday.' The British beauty also shared a black-and-white snap of herself posing with her 31-year-old musician beau James and their beloved pet pooch. Stressing her happiness in the photo, the presenter-turned-actress added to the snap: 'I have everything I need.' Telling all: The Good Place star, 34, took to Instagram on Thursday to mark World Suicide Prevention Day, expressing her joy at having survived the harrowing ordeal She further captioned the heartwarming image: 'Glad I stuck around in the end. Got to meet my two Favourite lads. #suicidepreventionday.' In 2019, Jameela revealed that she had attempted her own life six years prior, noting that she was 'lucky' to be alive. She wrote on Twitter at the time: 'Today is #WorldMentalHealthDay. This month, six years ago, I tried to take my own life. Im so lucky that I survived, and went on to use EMDR to treat my severe PTSD.' Jameela's post comes after she used a speech at the Edinburgh TV Festival to criticise the BBC for broadcasting the N-word live on air. Just the three of us: The British beauty also shared a black-and-white snap of herself posing with her 31-year-old musician beau James and their beloved pet pooch The former T4 star who made it big in America said the corporation had 'tremendous blind spots' and acted with 'reckless abandon' when social affairs correspondent Fiona Lamdin repeated a racial slur which was used during a crime. More than 18,000 people complained to the BBC over a news report which contained a racist term, according to figures from the broadcaster. Jameela also said she was happy to 'rub people up the wrong way' and recommended 'very good therapy' to help activists cope with the stresses of airing their opinions. And she accused media outlets of trying to 'terrify' activists into silence by reporting on objections to what their opinions. Slammed: Jameela's post comes after she used a speech at the Edinburgh TV Festival to criticise the BBC for broadcasting the N-word live on air She said: 'They want to terrify us about speaking out because, especially post-MeToo, we've seen the tremendous power of when women come together.' 'If you are going to be someone who speaks out, you have to understand you're going to rub people up the wrong way, people who are on the opposition, as well as people on your own side, because there is a weird amount of competition in activism, that I don't understand.' 'And you have to protect yourself. I am someone who is incredibly lucky to have... a loving household that I live in with friends and a boyfriend, but also I have access to very good therapy.' She also said that 'I'm a scary prospect for the patriarchy in this industry. I'm potentially inspiring other women to speak out.' Speaking out: The former T4 star who made it big in America said the corporation had 'tremendous blind spots' and acted with 'reckless abandon' (pictured in 2019) On the BBC broadcast of the N-word, she said: 'It has taken so long for us to get here to the point where we're having this conversation and you know, we are still up until the last couple of weeks dealing with situations of such tremendous blind spots. 'Among members of the BBC for example and decisions they've made around words that they are using on mainstream television with reckless abandon, so there's a lot to undo. 'There's a lot to do but I definitely feel as though this conversation is starting to happen in a more meaningful way than ever before because the one thing weve never had was social media. 'And we never had a generation other than Gen Z before who mobilise and make their point so eloquently and powerfully before, so I think this is the beginning of true systemic change, I hope anyway.' Talk: The screen star spoke with Afua Hirsch while calling for more diversity in the TV industry She added: 'Part of what makes me dangerous to oppressive systems is I have nothing to lose. Im willing to walk away from this industry rather than compromise my integrity. Ive shed that fear I had when I first came in.' Speaking about her friendship with Afua Hirsch, she said: 'It's so funny that you bring up the way that the rhetoric has changed since George Floyd. 'The way that you and I started to become internet friends... we were both called racists for calling out the racism that is rampant within our media. 'And that is because we were a culture that was more afraid of being called racist than racism itself, which now is a very normalised rhetoric. Speaking out: She also said, 'I'm a scary prospect for the patriarchy in this industry. I'm potentially inspiring other women to speak out' (pictured in 2019) 'A year ago when you and I were sticking up for Meghan Markle, when other people weren't, I'm very glad to see a lot of people start to back pedal and start to register that there is a serious problem here and that we're not going to get away with it.' She also called for greater representation of genders, ethnicities and disabilities in TV. She said: 'I would love for our television industry, for our film industry to embrace south Asians for example, I don't think we are diverse enough, I still think we are incredibly ableist, we do not have anywhere near enough disability representation. 'We are improving over the last couple of years and it would be wrong for me to deny that, I've definitely seen a significant improvement, but really the problem is systemic. 'As David was talking about, you know, there aren't enough people on the inside. I don't think I've ever had a black or brown director or producer in all of my years over in the UK... Woke: Jameela also said she was happy to 'rub people up the wrong way' and recommended 'very good therapy' to help activists cope with the stresses of airing their opinions 'I think I had one executive producer who was a south Asian woman and she was fantastic and a massive part of why I was even able to start my career in television, because she rallied for me. Otherwise I may well have been replaced with another white person. 'Even just having her there made such a difference to my career - we as minorities do not feel safe in a room where we do not recognise ourselves, where we do not feel like anyone in that room has our shared experience. 'And so you know I think it's really systemic on the inside where people are just casting people who look like themselves, or whose stories that they can relate to and therefore we're denying ourselves so much colour and so many interesting and diverse stories. 'We're denying ourselves the chance to learn about other groups and learn about each other and you know we have this unbelievably politically divisive moment and we have the opportunity within media to remedy that. 'To deny that art has a huge impact on the way that we feel about each other is so shortsighted, and so I do think that where we need immediate change is making sure that we are hiring people who are marginalised. 'That doesn't just mean racially diverse it also means diverse in sexuality and gender and it massively means in disability, because we're just not showing a world on screen that reflects the world we walk around in, especially in somewhere as cosmopolitan as the UK.' Bob Woodwards new book Rage said Secretary of Defense James Mattis was so fearful of a nuclear confrontation with North Korea in 2017 that he took to sleeping in his gym clothes and having a flashing light and bell installed in his bathroom in case a missile alert happened when he was in the shower. There are so many bombshells in Bob Woodwards new book, Rage, due out September 15, 2020 many are already finding themselves buried by a news cycle that has been unrelenting. One of the biggest nightmares was how close President Trump came to triggering a nuclear war with North Korea during his threats back and forth with the countries dictator Kim Jong Un. During an interview with Woodward for his book Secretary Mattis told the veteran reporter and author about the possibility of a nuclear exchange with North Korea Youre going to incinerate a couple million people. No person has the right to kill a million people, as far as Im concerned. Yet thats what I have to confront. In Woodwards book he describes some of the ways in which Sen. Lindsey Graham, former Defense Secretary James Mattis and others tried to rein Trump in on foreign policy to prevent the unthinkable. Woodwards allegation of just how close we came in 2017 to a nuclear war with North Korea was previously reported by The New Yorker which included how Mattis played a key part in preventing the U.S. and North Korea from entering a war footing... "According to multiple senior officials, in early January the President asked his staff to present him with a range of evacuation plans for the approximately two hundred thousand American civilians who live in South Korea. (On TV, Senator Lindsey Graham was calling for dependents of U.S. soldiers there to be brought home.) Any evacuation would send a profoundly alarming signal to South Korea, and inevitably put the U.S. and North Korea on a war footing. McMaster and his staff dutifully began gathering options for the President. The deliberations were scuttled only after Mattis and Kelly intervened". There was also a subsequent New Yorker article that expanded on this reporting: "In the fall of 2017, McMaster was planning a private session to develop military options for the possibility of conflict with North Korea: a war game, with Trump in attendance, at the Presidential retreat in Camp David. McMaster asked Mattis to send officers and planners. Mattis ignored him. He prevented the thing from happening, the former senior Administration official told me. Later, Mattis kept General John Nicholson, the commander of American forces in Afghanistan, from meeting with Trump". "Administration officials speculate that Mattis was trying to avoid a war, or that he simply wanted to control the flow of information, so that the President could not make ill-advised decisions. There are a lot of people in the Administration who want to limit the Presidents options because they dont want the President to get anything done, the former senior Administration official told me". "Mattis declined to comment for the record, but a former senior national-security official told me, without confirming any incidents, that a strategy had evolved. The President thinks out loud, he said. Do you treat it like an order? Or do you treat it as part of a longer conversation? We treated it as part of a longer conversation. By allowing Trump to talk without acting, he said, we prevented a lot of bad things from happening. In 2017, Mattis and his staff helped forestall a complete withdrawal of American forces from both Afghanistan and Syria". Trump to Kim: My nuclear button is 'bigger and more powerful' - BBC News Rajasthan's Department of Industries and will work together to provide financial, technical, marketing and export support to in the state, Industries Minister Parsadi Lal Meena said on Friday. The Small Industries Development Bank of India (Sidbi) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the to develop the MSME ecosystem in the state. Meena said the MSME Act was amended to promote industries and exempt such businesses from all kinds of permissions and inspections for three years. Now, the establishment of large industries will also become easy with the coming of a single window one-stop shop, he said in a statement. Meena said micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) provide maximum employment opportunities and also have an effective share in exports. In such a situation, the state government is taking steps to understand and solve the problems of The agreement with is also a growing step in this direction, he added. Principal Secretary (Industries) Naresh Pal Gangwar said innovative cluster based thinking will be promoted in the state with the help of The agreement was signed by Commissioner Archana Singh on behalf of the Department of Industries and General Manager Balbir Singh on behalf of Sidbi. (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.) Yard signs for President Donald Trump are seen during a Republican voter registration in Brownsville Yard signs for President Donald Trump are seen during a Republican voter registration in Brownsville, Pennsylvania on Sept. 5, 2020. Credit - Andrew Caballero-ReynoldsAFP/Getty Images This article is part of the The DC Brief, TIMEs politics newsletter. Sign up here to get stories like this sent to your inbox every weekday. Four years after Russian agents launched a sweeping, multifaceted operation targeting the 2016 presidential elections through a hacking and disinformation campaign, the Pentagon is pressing ahead with a cyber strategy to ensure the nation is better defended this time around. General Paul Nakasone, who is both the militarys top commander for cyber-operations as head of U.S. Cyber Command (CYBERCOM) and director of the National Security Agency, says the U.S. has deployed forces to eastern Europe in order to thwart any attempt to interfere in elections or other cyberattacks. We realized that Cyber Command needs to do more than prepare for a crisis in the future; it must compete with adversaries today, Nakasone writes in a recent op-ed for Foreign Affairs along with his senior advisor Michael Sulmeyer. Inaction poses its own risks. Last year, CYBERCOM and NSA formed a unit called the Election Security Group. Teams of American on so-called hunt forward missions are working to uncover adversaries techniques and tactics before they go after U.S. systems. As a result of the new groups findings, the Department of Homeland Security has already hardened election infrastructure security and the FBI is better positioned to counter foreign trolls on social media platforms, Nakasone writes. For months, intelligence agencies have warned that Russia is again attempting to disrupt the November election. The latest sign of trouble came Thursday when Microsoft announced the Russian military intelligence unit that attacked the Democratic National Committee in 2016 was now attempting to hack email accounts of people affiliated with both the Democratic and Republican presidential campaigns. Story continues The threats emanate beyond Moscow: China, Iran, North Korea and others also have the capability to degrade their ability to interfere in American elections. But analysts agree Russia poses the greatest threat, a fact that the Trump Administration has allegedly tried to play down. A newly released whistleblower complaint alleges that political appointees directed the Department of Homeland Securitys top intelligence analyst to downplay Russian election interference efforts and instead focus on attempts by Iran and China. Last year, TIME was part of a small group of reporters that received a rare invitation to visit the militarys new Joint Operation Center at CYBERCOM at Fort Meade, Md. An immense screen on the front wall registered cyber activity in real time as row upon row of intelligence analysts watched the incoming data, all while communicating with federal agencies, foreign allies and overseas military personnel. Come Tuesday, November 3, this operations floor will serve as a nerve center in defense of Americas national elections. CYBERCOM, created in 2009, has played a larger role in election defenses since 2018 after the Trump Administration granted its commanders new authority and Congress quietly issued a declaration defining online operations as a traditional military activity. That same year, the U.S. military deployed cyber operators to Ukraine, Macedonia and Montenegro to counter Russian attempts to disrupt the midterm elections. Montenegro has faced increased harassment from Russia since joining NATO in 2017, and the Cyber Command team was there to investigate signs that hackers had penetrated the Montenegrin governments networks, Nakasone writes. Working side by side with Montenegrin partners, the team saw an opportunity to improve American cyber defenses ahead of the 2020 election. That campaign, dubbed Operation Synthetic Theology, included attacking and taking offline an infamous troll factory in St. Petersburg, otherwise known as the Internet Research Agency, which has mounted propaganda and disinformation campaigns in both the 2016 presidential and 2018 midterm elections. In 2020, CYBERCOM has established on-call defensive cyber teams that are ready to respond to foreign adversaries if agencies like DHS or FBI need them. For all their power and results, however, cyberspace operations are not silver bullets, Nakasone writes. To be most effective, they require much planning and preparation. Make sense of what matters in Washington. Sign up for the daily D.C. Brief newsletter. NEW DELHI : In the single largest foreign investment in Indias clean energy space, ORIX Corp. is set to invest $980 million in Greenko Energy Holdings; the Japan financial services firm said in a statement. The deal will also add 873 MW of Orix operating wind assets to Hyderabad-based Greenkos portfolio, and will contribute $100 million to Greenkos EBITDA in the first year. The deal will also peg GIC Holdings Pte. Ltd and Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA) backed Greenkos equity and enterprise value at $5.75 billion and $10.2 billion respectively. EBITDA is earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization. Greenko posted a revenue of $661 million for the year ended 31 March, 2020. ORIX is a major player in the renewable energy business in Japan which includes solar, wind, biomass, power trading and retailing. With 1 GW portfolio, it is also one of the largest corporates in the Japanese solar power generation market. The two sovereign funds GIC and ADIA have so far infused $2.2 billion into Greenko, which was founded by Mahesh Kolli and Anil Kumar Chalamalasetty. While GIC and ADIA currently hold 65.8% and 16.5%, respectively, in Greenko, Kolli and Chalamalasetty own the remaining 17.7%. Post the transaction, ORIX will have a 17% stake, with GIC and ADIA stake coming down to 56% and 14% respectively. Kolli and Chalamalasetty stake will also come down to around 13%. The transaction is expected to be completed by the end of the year. In addition to acquiring Greenkos issued shares from the founders group, ORIX will integrate its entire wind power generation business in India into Greenko in exchange for Greenkos new shares," the Orix statement said. The Economic Times newspaper on Friday reported about the deal. The addition of these wind projects that NYSE listed Orix had acquired from bankrupt Infrastructure Leasing and Financial Services (IL&FS), will take Greenkos portfolio near-term capacity to 6.5 gigawatt (GW). In addition to an existing total capacity of about 4.4 GW operating renewable portfolio in Indiasuch as solar, wind, and hydro, Greenko recently announced a 1.2 GW hydro asset acquisition and has additional capacity under construction and in development of over 8 GW," the Orix statement said. ORIX, one of the worlds largest diversified financial services groups based in Japan, has been a significant shareholder in IL&FS since 1993. IL&FS sold its 51% stake in seven operating wind power assets, with 874 MW of generation capacity, to ORIX for Rs806 crore. In 2016, ORIX entered Indias wind power business (with a total facility capacity of 873 MW) through a joint investment. The assets were fully acquired by ORIX in 2019," the statement added. The deal comes at a time when Indias clean energy space is going through a churn with power procurement curtailment and tariff shopping by discoms. Also, Indias clean energy tariffs have been very low with solar power tariffs hitting a record low of 2.36 per unit. Greenko is building power storage projects with total capacity of 7.2 GW across six states in India as part of its plan to provide on-demand power from wind and solar projects, and is also partnering with state run NTPC Ltd to develop round-the-clock power supply. Greenko is focused on building integrated renewable energy projects (IREP), business which supplies electricity from renewable sources that is not affected by the weather at costs equivalent to thermal power stations and similar facilities. This is achieved by combining renewable energy sourcessuch as solar and wind powerwith pumping-storage hydro," the statement said. Greenko Group also wants to be present in the electricity distribution scape and submitted non-binding offer to buy Reliance Infrastructure Ltds Delhi electricity distribution businesses. Enel Group of Italy and Torrent Power Ltd also submitted their non-binding offer for the same. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Never miss a story! Stay connected and informed with Mint. Download our App Now!! Topics CHICAGO, Sept. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ --According to the new market research report "Specialty Fats & Oils Market by Type (Specialty Fats & Specialty Oils), Application (Chocolate & Confectionery, Bakery Product, Processed Food, Animal Nutrition, Dairy Product, and Infant Nutrition), Form (Dry & Liquid), & Region - Global Forecast to 2026", published by MarketsandMarkets, the global Specialty Fats & Oils Market size is estimated to be USD 12.6 billion in 2020 and is projected to reach USD 19.8 billion by 2026, at a CAGR of 7.8% during the forecast period. One of the major factors driving the specialty fats & oils industry is the increasing gap between cocoa butter demand & supply. Also, the increase in the consumption of confectionery and processed foods and rise in the demand for clean label food products have been driving the growth of this market. Download PDF Brochure: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=11304130 The supply and demand for specialty fats & oils in the global market has shifted as a response to the coronavirus crisis, with an increasing uncertainty related to prices. Palm oil, which is the largest type of oil produced globally, faced the impact as demand dropped across the world, trade was disrupted, and production got hampered in Indonesia and Malaysia, according to the top producers of the vegetable oils such as Wilmar International and Mehwah Group that operate in the region. Efforts were being made in many countries to maintain stability in the market. According to the Indonesian Palm Oil Producers Association (GAPKI), exports to China plunged by as much as 57% in January. Governments from countries such as India, China, and the US made exemptions for the sector to continue their businesses with minimal capacity amid the lockdowns; thus, as the production continued, these companies were able to mitigate the considerable impact by the continuity of operations. Browse in-depth TOC on "Specialty Fats & Oils Market" 266 Tables 60 Figures 284 Pages The chocolates & confectionery segment, by application, is projected to dominate the market during the forecast period. One of the driving factors for the increasing use of specialty fats is their enhanced rheological properties such as viscosity, which facilitates efficient production of confectionery products. Thus, specialty fats & oils contribute significantly to the overall acceptance of confectionery products, which has led to their increased popularity in chocolate & confectionery products. Owing to the wide functionalities of specialty fats & oils in chocolates & confectioneries, this segment is projected to dominate the market. However, according to the International Cocoa Organization (ICCO), there has been a deficit in the demand and supply of cocoa globally. Due to this, there is a rise in the need for substitutes for cocoa butter, which is strongly driving the use of specialty fats & oils in the chocolates & confectionery segment. The cocoa butter improver segment, by type, is projected to witness the highest growth in the specialty fats market The cocoa butter improver segment is projected to grow at the highest rate during the forecast period since there are used extensively for improving soft cocoa butter. It also shows compatibility with cocoa butter and shares similar crystallization and melt profiles. Cocoa butter improvers can be used to provide cost reduction as a replacement for cocoa butter at any ratio, with added heat resistance and melting characteristics. Cocoa butter improvers (CBI) are characterized by a high content of StOSt, which helps increase the solid fat content and finally results in the enhancement of melting points while enabling the hardness of the chocolate. Chocolates with CBIs have better resistance to softness and fat bloom at higher ambient temperatures and in countries with tropical climates such as Mexico, Malaysia, and Indonesia, among others. Request for Customization: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestCustomizationNew.asp?id=11304130 Asia Pacific is estimated to be the largest market. The Asia Pacific region is estimated to account for the largest share of the global specialty fats & oils market in 2020. The rising income, purchasing power, rapid growth of the middle-class population, and consumer demand for processed products present promising prospects for growth and diversification in the region's specialty fats & oils sector. The application of specialty fats is estimated to increase at a higher rate due to the demand from the chocolate & confectionery industry. Countries such as China and India recorded the highest vegetable oil consumption. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), in 2017, China consumed about 35 million tons of vegetable oil, whereas India consumed about 23.8 million tons. The major vendors in the global specialty fats and oils market are Cargill Incorporated (US), Wilmar International (Singapore), Bunge Limited (US), Mewah International (Singapore), and AAK AB (Sweden). Related Reports: Food Coating Market by Ingredient Type (Batter, Flours), Application (Bakery, Snacks), Equipment Type (Coaters & Applicators, Enrobers), Form (Dry, Liquid), Mode of Operation (Automatic, Semi-Automatic), and Region - Global Forecast to 2023 https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/food-coating-ingredients-market-168532529.html De-oiled Lecithin Market by Source (Soy, Sunflower, Rapeseed, and Egg), Application (Food (Bakery Products, Confectionery Products, Convenience Foods, and Dairy & Frozen Desserts), Feed, and Healthcare), and Region - Global Forecast to 2023 https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/de-oiled-lecithin-market-89222733.html Browse Adjacent Reports: F & B Ingredients Market Research Reports & Consulting About MarketsandMarkets MarketsandMarkets provides quantified B2B research on 30,000 high growth niche opportunities/threats which will impact 70% to 80% of worldwide companies' revenues. Currently servicing 7500 customers worldwide including 80% of global Fortune 1000 companies as clients. Almost 75,000 top officers across eight industries worldwide approach MarketsandMarkets for their painpoints around revenues decisions. Our 850 fulltime analyst and SMEs at MarketsandMarkets are tracking global high growth markets following the "Growth Engagement Model GEM". The GEM aims at proactive collaboration with the clients to identify new opportunities, identify most important customers, write "Attack, avoid and defend" strategies, identify sources of incremental revenues for both the company and its competitors. MarketsandMarkets now coming up with 1,500 MicroQuadrants (Positioning top players across leaders, emerging companies, innovators, strategic players) annually in high growth emerging segments. MarketsandMarkets is determined to benefit more than 10,000 companies this year for their revenue planning and help them take their innovations/disruptions early to the market by providing them research ahead of the curve. MarketsandMarkets' flagship competitive intelligence and market research platform, "Knowledge Store" connects over 200,000 markets and entire value chains for deeper understanding of the unmet insights along with market sizing and forecasts of niche markets. Contact: Mr. Aashish Mehra MarketsandMarkets INC. 630 Dundee Road Suite 430 Northbrook, IL 60062 USA: +1-888-600-6441 Email: [email protected] Visit Our Web Site: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com Research Insight: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/ResearchInsight/specialty-fats-and-oil-market.asp Content Source: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/PressReleases/specialty-fats-and-oil.asp SOURCE MarketsandMarkets Police in the central province of Quang Binh detained two people on Thursday for allegedly smuggling 17 Vietnamese citizens to Indonesia before crossing the sea to Australia, charging $15,000-$30,000 each. Phan Van Muoi, 44, and Vu Thi Van, 40, are being investigated for "organizing for others to flee abroad," police said. Investigators said the duo established contact with a foreigner only identified as Rosier in Indonesia last March to organize emigration for 17 Vietnamese to Indonesia on tourist visas. In Jakarta, the duo collected $2,000 each as deposit and carried them to Makassar City in Indonesia to travel by boat to Australia. However, due to the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic and lack of a big boat, six of the 17 gave up the chance of proceeding to Australia and returned home. The remaining agreed to take a small boat to reach Australia, but it broke down and drifted into East Timorese waters, where it was seized. Investigators said that after taking the 17 Vietnamese citizens to Indonesia, Muoi and Van returned to Vietnam, but didn't reveal details how they were arrested. Since 2015, Australia has returned 113 Vietnamese nationals from three vessels intercepted at sea, an AFP report says. As of last year, there were more than 260,000 Vietnamese people living in Australia, according to official figures. Thank you for reading! Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading. U.S. Senator Kelly Loeffler U.S. Senator Kelly Loeffler Toni L. Sandys-Pool/Getty Images) Sen. Kelly Loeffler, the appointed Georgia Republican who faces a tough election race this fall, helped her company establish a Cayman Islands offshore tax dodge months after the Great Recession hit. This allowed some of the world's biggest banks to avoid paying U.S. taxes on their risky Wall Street bets including on the financial instruments that were key contributors to the global economic collapse. Loeffler, the wealthiest member of Congress, at the time served as the top communications and marketing officer for Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), where she helped market a new program called ICE Clear Credit. That was a credit default swap (CDS) clearinghouse that included a Cayman Islands corporation that would allow its clients, including some of the biggest banks in the world, to dodge U.S. taxes. That CDS clearinghouse, by far the most dominant in the world, is still in action. Loeffler stepped away from the company last year after being appointed to a vacant U.S. Senate seat by Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, but still holds millions of dollars in the company, according to financial disclosures. Loeffler drew scrutiny this spring for controversial stock trades she made after a private Senate briefing on the new coronavirus. Shortly after that news broke, her husband Jeffrey Sprecher, who is chairman of the New York Stock Exchange, made a $1 million donation to the pro-Trump America First Action PAC, according to a Federal Election Commission filing. The Justice Department opened an investigation into the trades but dropped it shortly thereafter, finding no wrongdoing on Loeffler's part. According to the New York Times, upon accepting her Senate appointment in January, Loeffler appears to have received stock and other contributions from ICE worth more than $9 million, on top of her 2019 salary and bonus of about $3.5 million. The company told the paper that it did not want to "discourage" her from serving in the Senate. Story continues In 2008, high-risk derivatives trading brought down the global financial system. The complex and multilayered financial instruments included credit default swaps in which lenders essentially sell someone else the risk that a borrower will default on their loan. When financial institutions began to collapse, CDS trades had become so popular and spread out so far that they set off a brutal chain reaction around the world. Following the Great Recession, ICE created an offshore CDS clearinghouse for what was essentially a coalition of all the largest banks in the U.S., as well as foreign banks Deutsche Bank, UBS and Credit Suisse. A clearinghouse adds stability and an extra layer of protection to CDS trades: If one major buyer or seller in the coalition fails, the clearinghouse theoretically shields the rest. Clearinghouses make money mainly by selling and leasing memberships and charging transaction fees. U.S. companies want to access profits that their foreign subsidiaries make overseas, but may be eager to avoid paying the 35% tax when they bring those profits back home. To get around this, they put the money in offshore holding companies. ICE Clear Credit holds money that banks put up as collateral for CDS trades. But because that money is taxable under U.S. law, American banks with foreign subsidiaries worried that they would be taxed when they returned their profits to U.S. markets. To get around the tax law, ICE added a Cayman Islands offshore account, called ICE US Holding Company LP, to the structure. Now banks trading foreign earnings can still use the clearinghouse, and execute CDS trades, without having to pay U.S. taxes. The Cayman-based ICE company merged with a group called the Clearing Corporation, registered in Delaware, whose members are some of the biggest banks in the world: Citigroup, Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase, Merrill Lynch, Morgan Stanley and Bank of America (which owns Merrill Lynch), as well as Deutsche Bank, UBS and Credit Suisse. With that setup, ICE helped these banks make risky Wall Street bets while dodging U.S. taxes. This all happened in 2009, mere months after credit default swaps predicated on subprime mortgages knocked the legs out from under the global financial system, setting the U.S. on a deeply painful course that would take years to fully reverse. But while the new system was structured to address the massive problems that CDS trades created in 2008, critics have argued that such clearinghouses are too opaque and give big banks too much influence. That marketplace "adds up to higher costs to all Americans," Gary Gensler, former chair of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, which regulates most derivatives, told the New York Times. The banks need more oversight, he said. Loeffler played no small role. While the system was being constructed amid the wreckage of a global collapse she served as vice president of investor relations at ICE. Transcripts obtained by Salon show her participating in several company calls during which the new clearinghouse (which contained the offshore tax dodge) was discussed. As stated above, Loeffler is by far the wealthiest member of Congress. She holds up to $25 million in ICE stock, according to federal financial disclosures, and Loeffler herself once circulated an article claiming that she and Sprecher have a combined net worth of $800 million. In a December 2019 radio interview, a few weeks after Kemp appointed her to fill the Senate seat left vacant by the retirement of Sen. Johnny Isakson, Loeffler nodded to her company's offshore system while praising President Donald Trump's 2017 tax bill. "I think President Trump's tax cuts were incredibly helpful in making America more competitive from a business perspective," she said. "When you look at the ability of companies to repatriate money into the United States that they were having to keep offshore for unreasonable tax implications, all of these things add up and have created more jobs." In fact, the year after the tax bill passed, U.S. corporations brought only $665 billion of their offshore profits back to the U.S. not even one-quarter of the $4 trillion that Trump had predicted. That might have worked in Clear Credit's favor. The company dominates its market precisely because it found a way to profit from offshore holdings: If those banks could return foreign funds to the U.S. without fear of high taxes, Clear Credit's offshore Cayman Islands structure would no longer be useful. In fact, critics of the tax bill have argued that it created a permanent incentive for multinationals to move not just profits overseas, but also investments, which could impact U.S. workers' wages. "The law has several provisions to try to limit the damage this basic incentive could cause, but still leaves in place a large incentive to shift profits offshore," Chye-Ching Huang, senior director of economic policy at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, told Congress in 2019. ICE Clear Credit is the largest CDS clearinghouse in the world, in 2016 clearing up to 98% of all CDS transactions. Loeffler faces a strange special election this November, in what's known as a "jungle primary," where a large group of candidates run against each other regardless of party. Loeffler has been forced to tap her personal funds to supplement her anemic fundraising, and her chief challenger, Rep. Doug Collins, a Republican closely allied with President Trump, has seized on her wealth to paint her as out of touch. "Raising money especially from small donors is a great barometer of support and it is clear that Doug has a dedicated grassroots army marching with him," Collins' campaign spokesperson Dan McLagan told ABC News in July. "Kelly Loeffler is mainly supported by Kelly Loeffler, her super wealthy stock-exchange-owning husband and a bunch of lobbyists. She leads a very small and lonely parade." Collins had also argued for the 2017 tax breaks that would benefit multinationals, however, suggesting that the "international side" of the tax bill could be expanded. Between 2014 and 2016, Collins voted against multiple efforts to close offshore tax loopholes, including an amendment that would make it harder for companies to invert their residence to a low-tax country. The Loeffler campaign did not respond to Salon's request for comment. Related Articles SPRINGFIELD Local first responders and area officials paid tribute to the public safety heroes of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks Friday, saying the bravery that day is never forgotten and remains a commitment 19 years later. Col. Tom Bladen, the new commander of the 104th Fighter Wing at Barnes Air National Guard Base in Westfield, said the actions of 9/11 taught us that in tragedy we can preserve our republic. The 104th is among the units nationwide that defend the homeland every day, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, he said. Just like the first responders, the 104th commits itself to continue to stand the watch, Bladen said. You are our neighbors, you are our friends, you are our families, and this is our country," Bladen said. And we have your backs." In a country built on the ideals of freedom, and liberty and prosperity, Bladen said, 9/11 taught us that even amongst unfathomable tragedy, we can preserve our public if we have unity, if we have security. The attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City, the Pentagon in Washington and an airliner that crashed in Pennsylvania killed nearly 3,000 people. At the time of the attacks, Bladen was an F-15 fighter pilot on active duty in Florida. He and other pilots were armed to fly air patrols over major U.S. cities. He said his first flight on 9/11 was surreal," with commercial flights grounded. Fridays ceremony, he said, served to remember our fallen and to celebrate the great rising of the American spirit out of the ash and twisted metal, shattered glass and concrete foundations turned to dust. The ceremony was held at Springfields September 11th Monument at Riverfront Park, where the gathering was limited to about 50 people due to the coronavirus pandemic. The event was a collaborative effort of the citys police and fire departments and the Spirit of Springfield. Local public safety officials including Police Commissioner Cheryl C. Clapprood and Fire Commissioner Bernard J. Calvi also spoke of their personnels dedication to duty, and willingness to endanger their own lives to preserve public safety. Clapprood said the terrorists tried to disrupt our way of life" and instill national fear, but the bravery that day instead instilled a sense of pride and patriotism. She and Mayor Domenic J. Sarno said the nation is now rocked by the coronavirus pandemic and social and racial unrest, but can unite. It is not the uniform that unites police, Clapprood said. What unites us is our mission, she said. A burning sensation to serve. Sarno said the sense of unity after the 9/11 terrorist attacks was seen in American flags flying outside homes. We need that unity more than ever as we move to defeat this COVID-19 coronavirus and as we move to unite together in mutual respect to combat the social unrest, Sarno said. While everyone else is running out from buildings during emergencies, first responders rush in to save lives, "putting their lives on the line day in and day out, Sarno said. Patrick Pickering, regional director for American Medical Response, also spoke of the bravery and the lives lost and illnesses caused by the terrorist attacks. Political consultant Anthony Cignoli served as the master of ceremonies. Vanessa Ford of Springfield sang the National Anthem, and the program also included the posting of colors, an invocation by the Rev. Gary M. Dailey, the laying of a wreath at the monument, a rifle salute, the ringing of a fire bell, and roll-out of emergency vehicles and sounding of sirens. Related Content: At the online working session (Photo: VNA) HCM City HCM City and Busan city of the Republic of Korea (RoK) are to establish a virtual inter-sector working group to bolster bilateral cooperation. The idea was put forward during an online working session between Chairman of HCM City Peoples Committee Nguyen Thanh Phong and Acting Mayor of the RoK city Byeon Sung-wan on September 10. Leaders of the cities agreed that the online session demonstrates both sides determination in boosting the cooperative ties in the year marking the 25th anniversary of HCM City-Busan friendship. Along with preventive measures to curb the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic in the community, HCM City is rolling out measures for economic recovery in two phases, Phong said. The city has been aiding local businesses and working with partner countries to resume economic and tourism activities at an appropriate time in the future. The Vietnamese Government has created favourable conditions for foreign entrepreneurs, experts, engineers and workers, including those from Busan, to safely enter Vietnam, the official said, adding that HCM City has set up a working group addressing difficulties in this field. He also highly valued the online trade programme between ASEAN and Busan, slated for September 23, saying it is a new helpful channel providing information for participants to seek partners amid the pandemic. Vietnam plans to re-open six international air routes this month, including the HCM City-Seoul service, thereby helping cooperation activities between the two countries gradually recover. In reply, the Acting Mayor of Busan pledged to share experience and support HCM City in battling COVID-19 and consider the citys specific needs in official development assistance. Byeon also asked HCM City authorities to assist Busan entrepreneurs in travelling to the city as well as work for the resumption of the air route linking the two localities and the successful organisation of the upcoming ASEAN-Busan online trade programme. Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has pledged to enlist as many staff as needed to deal with border exemption applications as senior Morrison government ministers described her as cold-hearted for blocking grieving people from skipping quarantine. Queensland already has about 80 officials to grant or deny quarantine exemption applications from people seeking to travel from interstate COVID-19 hotspots, but the Premier flagged those numbers could increase. Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk during Question Time on the last sitting day of Parliament before the October 2020 election. Credit:Matt Dennien The state's border stance has come under fire after officials denied 26-year-old Canberra nurse Sarah Caisip's plea to leave hotel quarantine and attend her father's funeral with her grieving mother and sister. Prime Minister Scott Morrison urged the Premier to intervene on Thursday in a private phone call. The Premier then publicly accused the Prime Minister of bullying. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 11) - The Commission on Audit (COA) has flagged the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) after it issued a notice to proceed (NTP) to Kaliwa Dam projects Chinese contractor, despite its pending compliance with environmental guidelines and failure to secure consent from affected indigenous peoples (IP). In the 2019 annual audit report on MWSS, COA said the water agency has issued an NTP to the contractor China Energy Engineering Company, Inc. for the detailed engineering and design and construction of Kaliwa Dam despite the noncompliance with the requirements under the loan agreement. The New Centennial Water Source- Kaliwa Dam project is a 12.2-billion deal seeking to build a water reservoir bordering Rizal and Quezon provinces. Included in the preconditions of the loan agreement is the receipt of copy of the environmental compliance certificate (ECC). State auditors said the ECC has 17 environmental management conditions and four general conditions. It noted that the following conditions must be complied first by the contractor before implementing the project. Furthermore, the ECC stated that no project shall commence until the proponent has complied with the requirements of the National Integrated Protected Areas System Act, and the necessary certifications from the National Commission of Indigenous Peoples, including the Certificate of Precondition (CP) after the Free and Prior Informed Consent (FPIC) is obtained from affected indigenous cultural communities or groups. In the report, the MWSS responded that the CP attesting to the FPIC, is still a work-in-progress" and the memorandum of agreement with the concerned IPs in Quezon and Rizal are underway. The MWSS also said that it has formed an environmental unit to ensure the compliance with the conditions in Environment Impact Statement and ECC as it is expected to submit a Compliance Monitoring Report to Environmental Management Bureau. However, COA pointed out that there were no documents presented that will prove the compliance with requisites stated in the conditional ECC, nor reports on the status of compliance with documentary requirements. Such failure of the agency to produce proofs that it has satisfied all the requirements under the ECC renders the issuance of the NTP questionable, stated COA. Dubious consent COA also noted that the Resolusyon ng Pagpayag (RP) of the Dumagat/Remontado Tribe of General Naka, Quezon, submitted by MWSS, showed deficiencies which cast doubts on its validity. In the submitted resolution by MWSS, state auditors said it does not mention the name of the tribal leaders or elders who would attest to the identity of the IP member who signed it. The resolution also does not indicate the date when the purported IPs signed the document. COA also noted the resolution was not notarized. With this finding, the state auditors said the dubious and questionable character of the consent from IP members is bolstered by the fact that during the Senate hearing on Jan; 22, 2020, when several stakeholders and groups from various sectors including tribal groups, raised concerns over the legitimacy and representation of the indigenous were disputed. Within these groups include residents who argued that they were neither consulted nor informed on the implementation of the project. The same group also claimed that they were disregarded in the dialogues conducted during the community assemblies, said COA. They even questioned the eligibility of the members who signed the IP. In response, MWSS said that the FPIC for the Kaliwa Dam project was hampered by protest staged by different interest groups. It added that the agency and NCIP are in the process of securing the CP through the conduct of two FPICs among IP communities in General Nakar, Quezon and in Tanay, Rizal. In December, President Rodrigo Duterte promised that the government would pay and relocate affected residents near the project sites of Kaliwa Dam and the Wawa Dam. Bahrain has joined the United Arab Emirates in striking an agreement to normalise relations with Israel, President Donald Trump said on Friday, a dramatic move aimed at easing tensions in the Middle East. Trump tweeted out the news after he spoke by phone to both Bahrains King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the White House said. A joint statement issued by the three leaders said they had agreed on establishment of full diplomatic relations between Israel and the Kingdom of Bahrain. This is a historic breakthrough to further peace in the Middle East. Opening direct dialogue and ties between these two dynamic societies and advanced economies will continue the positive transformation of the Middle East and increase stability, security, and prosperity in the region, the joint statement said. The Israel-UAE accord, announced Aug. 13, is to be signed on Tuesday at the White House. The statement said Bahrain accepted Trumps invitation to join Israel and the UAE at the signing ceremony. It said Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Abdullatif Al Zayani of Bahrain will be signing a historic Declaration of Peace at the event. The parties will continue their efforts in this regard to achieve a just, comprehensive, and enduring resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to enable the Palestinian people to realize their full potential, the joint statement said. Congress leader Ajay Maken on Friday challenged the Supreme Courts August 31 order for the demolition of slums along railway tracks in Delhi, calling it inhuman. Maken pleaded that no slum dweller should be evicted without alternative housing as per the Delhi Slum & Jhuggi Jhopri (JJ) Rehabilitation and Relocation Policy, 2015. The policy provides for the rehabilitation of slum dwellers before such demolitions. Makens lawyers have sought an urgent listing the plea as the Railways has issued demolition notices for 48,000 slum clusters with plans to carry out the demolition drive from Friday to Monday. Also Read: Life a struggle, cant SC rethink decision, ask residents of Delhi slums along railway lines The Supreme Courts order barred any court in Delhi from issuing a stay on the eviction proceedings after Railways complained of political interference in the past over the removal of slums and gave the Railways three months for the completion of the proceedings. Justice Arun Mishra, who has since retired, led the three-member bench that passed the order. Chief Justice of India SA Bobde will have to constitute a new bench to hear Makens application. Maken said the order violated the principles of natural justice as the affected slum dwellers were not heard individually or collectively. He added the order violated a ruling of the courts Constitution Bench in Olga Tellis v Bombay Municipal Corporation (1986), which held there can be no justification for denying slum dwellers living on pavements or public properties an opportunity to be heard. Also Read: When Covid-19 enters Indias slums The direction ordering that no court shall grant stay amounted to grave obstruction in the Right to Access to Justice, the plea said. It highlighting the consequences of the order. The order itself is inhuman and against public policy as lakhs of children, women and elderly, currently residing in the large slum clusters alongside the railway tracks, will be left without a roof on the streets.even a small percentage of the displaced population if affected by COVID-19, then the same will prove to be a recipe for disaster. The plea said the Centre and Delhi administration kept the court in the dark about the protocol for evicting slum dwellers, which the Delhi high court approved on March 18, 2019 in response to a petition Maken filed. The municipal corporations, Delhi governments Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board, Railways, and Union urban development ministry prepared the protocol. The protocol said all slums in Delhi that came into existence prior to January 1, 2006, and hutments built there before January 1, 2015, shall not be demolished without providing alternative housing. Maken said the 48,000 slum clusters sought to be demolished have been in existence for 30-40 years and are home to over 240,000 people. The high court last year noted that those living in the slums contribute to the citys social and economic life by working as sanitation workers, garbage collectors, domestic help, rickshaw pullers, laborers. It added they provide a wide range of services indispensable to a healthy urban life and hence they have the right to housing. Maken said the railways accepted the Supreme Courts judgment and did not file an appeal against it. He added it has now circumvented the high court ruling by directly approaching the Supreme Court without mentioning the norms laid down for the demolitions. Even the Master Plan for Delhi 2021 provides for in-situ rehabilitation of slum dwellers wherever possible and relocation of slum dwellers in other cases. The Rajiv Awas Yojna, renamed as the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojna, also aims towards slum-free India by 2022 and the scheme also provides for either in-situ rehabilitation or relocation in exceptional cases, Makens plea said. These facts were not brought to the notice of the Court before passing the August 31 order. UW Waits for Testing Data, Moves Toward Resumption of Fall Return Plan The University of Wyoming is awaiting results of its bridge testing of on-campus employees and students this week, but no students have tested positive for COVID-19 at the UW Student Health Service clinic since Tuesday. As a result, the total number of active cases among the UW community today (Thursday) stands at 66 -- 13 students living on campus, 50 students living off campus and three employees living off campus. About 2,000 saliva samples from UW employees and students -- including about 400 students who moved into the residence halls over the weekend -- have been submitted as part of UWs bridge testing program through Vault Health this week. But few results have been reported back to the university at this point, due to the Labor Day holiday; theyre expected to begin arriving in the next day. Other laboratories were closed for the Monday holiday as well, although UW Student Health Service was open. Meanwhile, Student Health Service and other local providers continue to conduct tests of students reporting symptoms of COVID-19, and of people whove had contact with infected individuals. The 15 rapid tests conducted by Student Health Service Wednesday all were negative for the virus; the clinic also received 29 negative test results Wednesday night from the Wyoming Department of Health. While the results of the bridge testing through Vault Health could change the picture, UW leaders are moving toward a resumption of the universitys phased fall return plan on Tuesday, Sept. 15. We extended our pause to give us more time to gather data, and that clearly is necessary because of the delay in receiving results from Vault Health, says UW epidemiologist Brant Schumaker, who is directing the universitys testing program. However, were encouraged by the drop in positive tests of symptomatic students by Student Health. We hope thats a sign that our students, both on and off campus, are adhering to the pause restrictions. UW President Ed Seidel Wednesday extended the pause through Monday to allow time to make sure no significant new outbreaks are taking place. The pause was triggered by positive COVID-19 test results of seven students who were exhibiting symptoms of the infection Sept. 2. As of mid-afternoon today, some 136 people -- 23 on campus and 113 off campus -- remain in 14-day quarantine because they were in close contact with people who tested positive. The total number of COVID-19 cases among UW students and employees since the pandemic began is 141. Barring a significant increase in cases, Seidel says he intends for the university to move to Phase 2 of its fall return plan on Tuesday. That would involve a shift from online to face-to-face instruction for UWs first-year seminars for freshmen, as well as some pharmacy courses. Students on campus would include all those from Phase 1, along with all first-year students in the residence halls; freshmen taking face-to-face first-year seminars; all law students; students in the Literacy Research Center and Clinic; and first-year pharmacy students. Random-sample testing would continue in this phase, and campus buildings would further reopen gradually. Under the plan, Phase 3 would begin Sept. 28, with all students welcomed to campus and courses delivered with a mixture of in-person and online instruction. In-person student activities would be expanded, and many campus buildings would be open. The university is preparing to operate a surveillance testing program for that phase under which all students, faculty and staff who come to campus would take saliva tests at least once a week. Meanwhile, during the extended pause, details of which may be found here, the university is taking steps through Monday that include: -- Instructing students in UW campus housing and others in Laramie to shelter in place. -- Delivering all courses online. -- Directing 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 are instructed to have contact with only members of their pods during a pause. For a student in UWs residence halls, a pod consists of all students on that students floor. For students living off campus or in UW apartments, a pod consists of those living together in the same dwelling. No on-campus visits or hosting are allowed by students, employees or researchers during the pause. Most campus facilities are closed, with these exceptions: the Early Care and Education Center; the Wyoming State Veterinary Laboratory; the Speech, Language and Hearing Clinic in the Health Sciences Building; and the Psychology Clinic in the Biological Sciences Building. Additionally, UWs Student Health Service (307-766-2130) continues to operate, including testing of students. And the Wyoming Union remains open for the universitys bridge testing program, as UW is continuing its surveillance testing of students and employees on campus during the pause. All members of the community are still expected to complete the COVID Pass daily. More information about the pause is available at www.uwyo.edu/campus-return, which is being updated as information becomes available. During the pause, the university plans to provide daily email updates on the latest developments. Those with questions may also call 307-766-COVD (2683) or email COVID19@uwyo.edu. KALAMAZOO Activists in Kalamazoo are planning a protest of the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety following the departments handling of rallies and protests that happened in Kalamazoo over the summer. Several activists will meet Saturday at the Kalamazoo County Courthouse at 227 W. Michigan Ave, from 5-9 p.m. Saturday, TC Custard, one of the protest organizers, told MLive on Friday, Sept. 11. The response comes after KDPS on Wednesday released 10 videos that showed clashes between protesters, and the police response, when Proud Boys rallied in Kalamazoo last month. The Kalamazoo Public Safety chief has come under scrutiny, including facing calls for her resignation, over her departments handling of the Proud Boys rally and counterprotest that occurred Saturday, Aug. 15, in downtown Kalamazoo. Related: Rally turns violent as Proud Boys met by counter-protesters in downtown Kalamazoo You dont support us, you blame us, you put us down, you dont protect us, were nothing but vigilantes to you, so thats why we feel like we have to go to the measurements were at now. Were done, Custard said. Anybody can wear that badge but not everybody honors it, and thats the problem. So many hate the police right now. We dont hate you. We hate the injustice and the inequality that you serve to us. From being among those pepper-sprayed in Bronson Park on June 2, to watching the Proud Boys leave town without any facing arrest on Aug. 15, Custard said she is angry about a lack of ownership from police over what they need to do better. Custard said many public safety officers in Kalamazoo have shown a lack of cultural competence and need to learn how to interact with their own residents. That starts from the top, she said. Related: Activists say Kalamazoo blew it with preliminary report on police response to Proud Boys rally We get you cant fix everything overnight, but itemize what it is you are working on, so we can figure out how to help you," Custard said. "Theres a lot that needs to be fixed. But we were made a mockery. A representative from Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety could not immediately be reached for comment Friday. Also on MLive: Vice mayor, activist husband use life experiences to push for systemic change Kalamazoo police release videos from Proud Boys protest to the public Kalamazoo police chief responds to criticism of handling of Proud Boys rally Orasis Pharmaceuticals, a Herzliya, Israel-based ophthalmic pharmaceutical company focused on developing an innovative pharmaceutical solution for the treatment of presbyopia symptoms, closed a $30m Series C financing. The round was co-led by new investor Bluestem Capital and returning investor Visionary Ventures, with participation from other returning investors Sequoia Capital, SBI (Japan) Innovation Ventures, Maverick Ventures Israel, LifeSci Venture Partners and additional investors. Tyler J. Stowater, partner and vice president of Bluestem Capital, will join the Orasis Board of Directors in conjunction with the financing. The company intends to use the funds to advance its lead eye drop candidate for the treatment of presbyopia symptoms through completion of its Phase 3 clinical trials and for pre-commercialization activities ahead of potential product launch. Led by Elad Kedar, chief executive officer, Orasis is an ophthalmic pharmaceutical company committed to making near vision clear again for people with presbyopia. Its novel proprietary formulation, designed to achieve an optimal balance between efficacy, safety and comfort, has the potential to position the company as an emerging leader in the presbyopia space. FinSMEs 10/09/2020 A free trade agreement between the UK and Japan has been secured in principle. The International Trade Secretary Liz Truss said it is Britains first major deal as an independent trading nation and it will increase commerce with Japan by an estimated 15.2 billion. The UK-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement was agreed in principle by Truss and Japans foreign minister, Motegi Toshimitsu, in a video call on Friday. Truss said: This is a historic moment for the UK and Japan as our first major post-Brexit trade deal. The agreement we have negotiated in record time and in challenging circumstances goes far beyond the existing EU deal, as it secures new wins for British businesses in our great manufacturing, food and drink, and tech industries. "From our automotive workers in Wales to our shoemakers in the North of England, this deal will help build back better as we create new opportunities for people throughout the whole of the UK and help level up our country. "Strategically, the deal is an important step towards joining the Trans-Pacific Partnership and placing Britain at the centre of a network of modern free trade agreements with like-minded friends and allies." The agreement is a major milestone for the UK. Talks had been fraught as both sides fought over issues like tariffs on Stilton cheese. Talks began earlier in the summer with around 100 negotiators from the UK side taking part in negotiations by holding video conferences with their Japanese counterparts every day. UK trade with Japan was worth more than 30 billion last year, with 9,500 companies exporting goods to the Asian country, according to Government figures. Former Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday said that Sushant Singh Rajput's death case was not an election issue in Bihar but a common man's issue, and asserted that his party would ensure justice to the telented actor. The Bharatiya Janata Party will not rest till justice was done in the case, Fadnavis, who is party's Bihar election in-charge, said. He played down reports of "rift" within National Democratic Alliance in the backdrop of Lok Janshakti Party president Chirag Paswan's frequently takings potshots at chief minister Nitish Kumar, saying there are three parties in the coalition and all of them have their own point of views on different issues, but "its not a big problem and we will solve everything through talks." The senior BJP leader was talking to reporters after inaugurating party's media centre set up in Patna keeping in mind the assembly polls due in October-November. The Maharashtra leader arrived in Patna on a two-day visit hours before visit of BJP president J P Nadda to speed up party's preparation for the polls. With the Patna-born actor's premature death becoming a sentimenatal issue for the people of Bihar in particular and expected to have resonance during election campaign, Fadnavis, said "political parties are mirror of peoples feelings and hence we will not spare any efforts to ensure justice to the late Bollywood hero". With the 34-year-old actor's death turning out to be an issue between the states of Bihar and his native Maharashtra in the wake of probe done by the Bihar police into an FIR lodged by the actor's father K K Singh in Patna suspecting foul play, Fadnavis dismissed his appointment as the party's election in-charge for the state was to do anything with it. "Before the issue had cropped up I was told by the party that I have to work in Bihar during polls," he said. Rajput's death by suicide on June 14 in his Mumbai residence had taken political overtones after Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar handed over the probe into the FIR lodged at Rajiv Nagar police station here to the CBI. The Shiv Sena heading the coalition government in Maharashtra had attributed this to polls in Bihar. The state government came in support of prime accused Rhea Chakraborty who had approached the Supreme Court questioning jurisdiction of Bihar police to probe the matter. Their petitions were, however, dismissed by the apex court which allowed the CBI to inquire into the case. Coming down to upcoming elections in Bihar, Fadnavis exuded confidence that people of Bihar will once again elect NDA government with a "historic majority" which will work in tandem with the central government to roll out development schemes meant for the people. On tussle between the LJP and the Janata Dal-United which reflected fissues within the coalition ahead of the polls much to the glee of the opposition, Fadnavis said it was "not a big issue and the problem will be resolved through talks." "There are three parties in the coalition having their own point of views on different issues. Had there been one thinking among all there would have been only one party and not three...nobody is going to separate from us and we will sort ouy the differences through talks." "I am quite confident that people of Bihar will repose faith in the NDA government and elect it once again with a historic majority which will work in tandem with the central government to roll out development schemes meant for the people," he said. Making a scathing attack at the Mamata Banerjee government, he said due to its confrontionist approach farmers of West Bengal are the worst sufferers as they were deprived of benefits of the Prime Minister Kisan Nidhi due to failure of the state government to provide the list of beneficiaries, Fadnavis said. Fadnavis was accompanied by Bihar BJP chief Sanjay Jaiswal, Union minister Nityanand Rai, states health minister Mangal Pandey, former Union minister Ram Kripal Yadav and state BJPs media department head and MLC Sanjay Mayukh during the inauguration of the media centre. The NDA government in Bihar is doing a very good work in the state, Fadnavis said and asserted that "figures clearly tell the development story of the state if we compare it with the Lalu Raj (rule)." Schemes like Atmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India) and Atmanirbhar Bihar (self-reliant Bihar) will turn the challenges into opportunities after coronavirus phase, the former Maharashtra CM said adding Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been able to translate all his promises into realities since 2014 unlike the previous governments which used to make tall claims and announcements only on paper. "The future of the youths lies in the hands of PM Narendra Modi for which NDA government is needed in Bihar to work for its speedy and all round development", Fadnavis said. Speaking on the occasion, Jaiswal asserted that NDA will win more than three-fourth of seats in the assembly. I am confident that NDA will create a history this time. Jaiswal said Nadda will address party workers and leaders Saturday, where he will share the broad outline of how the state will be in the next five years if the NDA continued. Nadda will also launch raths Saturday from the state headquarters which will go to different districts to solicit suggestions as what people want from the NDA government, he said adding the party will prepare its manifesto based on peoples suggestions. ANSONIA Specials Open House at the General David Humphreys House, 37 Elm St. Sept. 19, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. $5. 203-735-1908, derbyhistorical.org BRIDGEPORT Films Art-inspired film series presented by the Housatonic Museum of Art and curated by Connecticut Film Festival, online through Nov. 6, Fridays only 7 p.m. Line-up: IRWIN & A Story In Stone, Sept. 18; Actually Iconic: Richard Estes, Sept. 25; Double Take: The Art of Elizabeth King, Oct. 2; Nothing Changes: Art For Hank's Sake, Oct. 9; Curious Worlds: The Art & Imagination of David Beck, Oct. 23; The Original, Oct. 30; With Dad, Nov. 6. For film links visit housatonicmuseum.org Specials Downtown Bridgeport Farmers Market, McLevy Green, corner of State St. and Main St. Through Oct. 8, 10:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Mask required. lauren.dssd@infobridgeport.com Connecticuts Beardsley Zoo, 1875 Noble Ave. Two daily sessions allowing up to 500 guests per session. Hours: 9 a.m.-noon, close for cleaning; re-open, 1 p.m.-4 p.m. close. Guests must wear a mask. New online ticketing system. $15 adult, $13-$10 child and seniors, children under 3 free. beardsleyzoo.org Visual Arts Scream and Shout, the art of Carlos Bautista Biernnay, absurd fiber art influenced by the artist's personal reactions to events on 9/11 in the United States and in Chile, City Lights Gallery, 265 Golden Hill St. Through Nov. 2. Gallery hours: Wed-Fri, noon-5 p.m., Sat noon-4 p.m. Online exhibit will go live, Oct. 1 on the City Lights website. citylightsgallery.org The Roots of Abstraction, Housatonic Museum of Art on the Housatonic Community College Campus, 900 Lafayette Blvd. New exhibit on view through Aug. 31, 2021. An appointment to visit the museum is necessary, and visitors must be prepared to comply with social distancing rules and wear protective face masks. Housatonic Museum of Art will also make the exhibit available as a slideshow, virtual tour and as a print-on-demand catalog. 203-332-5052, housatonicmuseum.org Connecticuts Beardsley Zoo online Zoo Photography Exhibit, Photography Goes Wild. beardsleyzoo.org BRISTOL Specials Wine, Women & Watches, virtual fundraiser hosted by The American Clock & Watch Museum, Sept. 17, 7 p.m. $40. Tickets at clockandwatchmuseum.org/events CENTERBROOK Specials Autumn Arts Festival in Madison, seeks representational and abstract painters, collage artists, photographers, potters, glass, wood and fiber artisans and jewelry designers for Outdoor Arts Festival on the Madison Town Green, Boston Post Rd./Route 1 and Copse Road. Oct. 10, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Oct. 11, noon-5 p.m. Rain date, Oct. 12, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Artists participating on the Green can submit to a 6-week show, At Spectrum Gallery: The Autumn Arts Festival Exhibit, at Spectrum Gallery, 61 Main St., Centerbrook, Sept. 18-Nov. 8. spectrumartgallery.org 860-767-0742. EAST HAVEN Lectures Churchill, online presentation hosted by Hagaman Memorial Library on Zoom, Sept. 23, 2 p.m. Sign up on Eventbrite or contact Fawn Gillespie at fgillespie@hagamanlibrary.org 203-468-3890 EAST WINDSOR Connecticut Trolley Museum, 58 North Road. Trolley ride is included with admission. Social distancing and designated marked areas for music. Guided tour of the Main Hall, trolleys housed in Kelly Storage Barn. 860-627-6540, ct-trolley.org ESSEX Specials Connecticut River Museum, 67 Main St. Onrust, a re-creation of the vessel Adriaen Block built in 1614, hosts public cruises on the Connecticut River Thurs-Mon through mid-October, $33 sunset, $28 daytime. 860-767-8269, orgctrivermuseum.org Visual Arts Connecticut River Artisans Co-op is hosting an Open House, 55 Main St. Sept. 20, 1-4 p.m. 860-767-5457. Essex Art Associations virtual exhibit, Art in Isolation, on view. Submissions on a rolling basis accepted. essexartassociation.com FAIRFIELD Books The Kid: the Immortal Life of Ted Williams by Ben Bradlee, Jr., Virtual book discussion concludes with Part 2, Sept. 22, 7 p.m. Register and receive log on visit fairfieldpubliclibrary.org Comedy Fairfield Comedy Club hosts outdoor Comedy with Voodoo Ranger CT Comedy Festival, Circle Hotel backyard patio, Sept. 19, 5, 7 p.m. $25, $39 VIP lawn seats. Masks and social distance required. fairfieldcomedyclub.com Specials Tee Up for Connecticuts Beardsley Zoos Annual Golf Outing, Brooklawn Country Club, Sept. 21. To register a foursome or sponsor a tee, contact Jessica Taylor at jtaylor@beardsleyzoo.org or at 203-394-5522. Fairfield Museum and the Fairfield Chapter of the National Charity League are accepting vendor sign-ups for the Holiday Pop-Up Market, that takes place at the Fairfield Museum and History Center, 370 Beach Road., Nov. 14, 15, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Space is limited and tables reserved on a first-come, first-served basis. Call or visit the website to reserve your space. 203-259-1598, fairfieldhistory.org FARMINGTON Music Playhouse on Parks From the Porch Music with Among the Acres Sept. 18, 6-8 p.m. Hill-Stead Museum, 35 Mountain Road. $20. Tickets at playhouseonpark.org. No tickets sold at the door. Bring your own beverages, food, chairs/blankets and masks. hillstead.org. Stage Playwrights on Park Series: Play Reading of GRIT by Nick Malakhow, Hill-Stead Museum, 35 Mountain Road. Sept. 23, 6:30 p.m. Rain date, Sept. 24. $25. No tickets sold at the door. Tickets at playhouseonpark.org, by phone at 860-523-5900, ext. 10, or in person at 244 Park Road, West Hartford. GROTON Visual Arts Open Air: An Exhibit of Sculpture and Installation Art, Alexey von Schlippe Gallery at UConn, Avery Point, through Sept. 30. Open Air by Day, an exhibit of outdoor sculpture and installation art on the grounds, and Open Air by Night, a series of outdoor art film and video art projections onto the facades of the historic Branford House and Avery Point Lighthouse. All exhibits and events are free. openair2020.art.uconn.edu GUILFORD Specials Henry Whitfield State Museum, 248 Old Whitfield St. is open outside. The public is welcome on the museum grounds to see the historic buildings in person, explore the sites history through new interpretive signs, figure out the three Visitor Center What Is It? window displays, and play a scavenger hunt and submit answers for a chance to win a prize at the end of the year. Outdoor visitors are also encouraged to picnic, play catch, read, paint, etc. Social distancing required. Online offerings with photos, videos, and historical information on social media, a museum collections database , and a Whitfield House virtual tour. Parking is free. 203-453-2457 or e-mail whitfieldmuseum@ct.gov. HAMDEN Films Black Film Series, on the lawn at Spring Glen Church, 1825 Whitney Ave. 42-The Jackie Robinson Story, Sept. 17; Brown Sugar, Sept. 25; Do the Right Thing, Oct. 3. Movies start promptly at 7:30 p.m. with discussion to follow. Free. Registration is not required but an RSVP is appreciated. Please RSVP to facebook.com/events/343965793629296/ HARTFORD Lectures Outdoor Art Talk: Conserving Bronze, Sept. 19, noon; Online Lecture: Ice Cream in the Age of Enlightenment, Sept. 21, 5 p.m. Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, 600 Main St. Music Free Outdoor Concert & Film: Music: Erica T. Bryan and The New Mosaic, Movie: Standing in the Shadows of Motown, Real Art Ways, 56 Arbor St. Sept. 19, 6 p.m. realartways.org Specials Old State House Farmers Market, 800 Main St. Through Oct. 30. Tues, Fri, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Masks required to enter. Social distancing and one-way foot traffic will be followed. 860- 522-6766, cga.ct.gov/osh/farmersmkt.asp Visual Arts Manufacturing Victory: The Arsenal of Democracy, Fighting on the Home Front: Propaganda Posters of WWII, A Vote of Her Own: The Long Fight for Woman Suffrage, Connecticut Historical Society, 1 Elizabeth St. All In-person exhibits on view through Nov 30. Tue-Thu noon-5 p.m., Fri-Sat 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Free with museum admission. 860-236-5621, chs.org Sculpture in the City a cityscape-focused program activating the works of sculpture and architectural design on the grounds of the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art and Main St. Related outdoor Art Talk: Conserving Bronze, Saturday, Sept. 19, noon. Advance registration required via thewadsworth.org. LITCHFIELD Visual Arts Nigerian Refugees photographer Lee Cantelon in-house exhibit of Nigerian Refugees, Wisdom House Spiritual Retreat and Conference Center, 229 E. Litchfield Road. Exhibit runs thru Nov. 15. Face masks and registration required. 86o-567-3163, wisdomhouse.org LYME Visual Arts Point of View: The 99th Annual Elected Artist Exhibition,and Animal Kingdom, Lyme Art Association, 90 Lyme St. Through Oct. 1. Wed-Sun, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., or by appointment. 860-434-7802, lymeartassociation.org MADISON Books RJ Julia Booksellers hosts author events via Zoom: Michael Ian Black, author of A Better Man, Sept. 17, 7 p.m. Ticketed virtual event. Order your Ticket and Book from RJ Julia Booksellers and receive a copy signed by the author while supplies last. Purchase tickets on our website; Well Read Black Girl Book Club: Luster by Raven Leilani, Sept. 19, 3 p.m.; Real Change Book Club: webinar with Sharon Salzberg, author of Real Change, Sept. 20, 3 p.m. Ticketed virtual event, $30. Purchase tickets on our website. 203-245-3959, rjjulia.com Visual Arts Susan Powell Fine Art, 679 Boston Post Road. Summer in New England, through Sept. 26. 203-318-0616, susanpowellfineart.com MERIDEN Specials Stanley's Kitchen Series Schnitzel Dinner served with spaetzle and red cabbage, Meriden Turner Society, 800 Old Colony Road. Sept. 24, 7 p.m. $12. Reservations in advance required by Sept. 20. Outdoor social distance seating under the pavilion will be observerd and we will continue to do to-go orders for pickup. Reserve at reservations@meridenturnersociety.com or phone 260-341-2542. MILFORD Perform The MAC: Recreated, a slate of online outdoor events. 203-878-6674, milfordarts.org Specials Spirits of Milford Ghost Walks, through Nov. 14. Walk starts at Hotchkiss Bridge, Factory Lane. Online ticket price $18 per person, $23 walk-up ticket per person exact cash only. To ensure health, and safety walk is strictly limited to no more than 25 people. Advance tickets recommended. 203-214-7554, spiritsofmilford.com Visual Arts Milford Arts Council is accepting submissions for its next exhibit The Story of Women. Digital submissions due, Sept. 25. Exhibit runs Oct. 15-Nov. 19. 203-878-6674, milfordarts.org MORRIS Music College Street Music Hall presents Twilight Concerts on The Farm: Citizen Cope, South Farm, 21 Higbie Road. Sept. 18, 8 p.m. $120. collegestreetmusichall.com MYSTIC Visual Arts Sailor Made: Folk Art of the Sea, Mystic Seaport Museum, 75 Greenmanville Ave. New exhibit opens Sept. 18, C.D. Mallory Building A Way with Wood: Celebrating Craft, exhibit on view in Collins Gallery. 860-572-0711, mysticseaport.org NEW BRITIAN Specials Downtown Car Show, Sept. 19, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Show takes place at Central Park in front of City Hall and from Chestnut St. o Columbus Blvd. and from West Main St. at High St. to Bank St. Masks and social distancing. 860-229-0878, newbritaindd.com NEW HAVEN Music New Haven Symphony Orchestra presents Alternative Programming online and social media: NHSO @Home Series: NHSO musicians and guest artists perform music from home; Instrument Selection Resource Center; and Listen Up! Podcast Series. newhavensymphony.org Specials Elm Shakespeare Company launchs an online Teen Troupe for ages 13-18 on Zoom. Rehearsals are Saturdays beginning Sept. 19, with the final performance intended for Halloween Night. $350 payable online or via check. Registration on the Elm Shakespeare Company website or by e-mail to registration@elmshakespeare.org New Haven Museum: Documenting the COVID-19 Crisis, an effort to collect stories and photos of life in New Haven during the coronavirus quarantine. Also virtual offerings. newhavenmuseum.org Beinecke Library at Yale University digital exhibits: 1917 Silent Protest Parade Fifth Avenue, New York City, Protest Culture in Peril: Frigidaire under Threat in Italy Today, Carl Van Vechtens Harlem Renaissance Portraits, America and the Utopian Dream, Making the Medieval English M anuscript. beinecke.library.yale.edu Visual arts Surface Rising by Michael Pressman; New Documents by Sven Martson, Kehler Liddell Gallery, 873 Whalley Ave. Through Oct. 25. Gallery hours: Fri, Sat 1 a.m.-2 p.m. or by appointment. 203-389-9555, kehlerliddellgallery.com The Landscape, Real and Imagined, City Gallery, 994 State St. Through Sept. 27. Sat-Sun, 2-4 p.m., and by appointment. Meet the artist, Sept. 26, 2-4 p. Limited to six visitors at a time. Masks must be worn. 203-782-2489, city-gallery.org Seeing Nature Through Art, exhibit features 30 works of art created by the instructors of Yale Peabody Museums Natural Science Illustration Program, now online. peabody.yale.edu NEW LONDON Music Soundscape Eastern Connecticut Symphony Orchestra small ensemble performance with ECSO bassists, Kohei Yamaguchi and Jordan Calixto, Hygienic Art Park, Sept. 18, noon-1:30 p.m. Free. Visual Arts Stains Remain Works by Michael Harvey, Lyman Allyn Art Museums Glassenberg Gallery, 625 Williams St. Through Nov. 1. Galleries and general gathering areas have social distancing procedures and safety measures. Peter Antons Sweet Dreams: Confectionary Sculpture, through Oct. 18. 860-443-2545, lymanallyn.org NORWALK Educational Focus on Fiction:Adult Writing Program, hosted by Norwalk Public Library on Zoom, Through Nov. 30, 10:30 a. m.-noon. Sessions: Sept. 21, Oct. 5, 19, 26, Nov. 2, 9, 16, 23, 30. Registration required at clahey@norwalkpl.org Lectures East Meets West: From Japonism to Impressionism, virtual ArtScapades lecture hosted by Norwalk Library on Zoom, Sept. 23, 6:30 p.m. Register at clahey@norwalkpl.org. Organization and Time Management series that begins with Had it with Being Disorganized? How to Get Organized & Stay that Way, virtual series with professional organizer Ronni Eisenberg hosted by Norwalk Library on Zoom, Sept. 23, 30, 11 a.m.-noon. Registration required for each workshop at cfriedman@norwalkpl.org Music Wall Street Theater presents a Drive-In Concert with Mullett on the rooftop of The SoNo Collection, 10 N. Water St. Sept. 18, 6:30 p.m. $120. Rain date Sept. 20. 203-299-0701 Outdoors Keep America Beautiful TrashDash, Mill River Park, Washington Blvd. Sept. 20, 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. $25 adults. Children 14 and under, students, and healthcare workers are free. 203-659-3044, act.kab.org Seaport Association dock, 4 N. Water St. Cruises through Sept. Sat, Sunday noon, 3 p.m.; sunset cruises Wed-Sun, 6 p.m. Weekday cruises Wed, 11:30 a.m.; Thur, Fri, 11:30 a.m., 2 p.m. $30, $18 ages 12 and under, and $75 family pack. Sunset cruises are $30 per person. All ticketing contactless. 25 passengers limit, masks required. 203-838-9444, seaport.org Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk, 10 N Water St. Norwalk Islands Cruises: Through Sept. 27. Daytime schedule: Fri, Sat, Sun, 1:15 p.m. Evening schedule: Sept. 17, 24, 6 p.m.; TGIF Cruises, Sept. 18, 25, 6 p.m.; Sunset Cruise, Sept. 26, 5:30 p.m. $31.50, $26.50 members. Educators will discuss the histories of the islands and Norwalks three lighthouses, while also pointing out birds and other natural sights. Advance reservations required. 203-852-0700, ext. 2206; maritimeaquarium.org Specials Old Fashioned Flea Market, hosted by Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum, will be held virtually, Sept. 18, 9 a.m.-Sept, 20, 8 p.m. Includes White Elephant items ranging from $3-$50. 203-838-9799, lockwoodmathewsmansion.com Living Lights, Maritime Aquarium, 10 N. Water St. Exhibit features creatures that have the unique ability to glow in the dark, through fluorescence or a natural process called bioluminescence. Daily 10 a.m.-5 p.m., through Dec. Limited guest capacity, masks required, ticket sales online with timed entries. $26.95, $24.95 age 65+, $19.95 ages 3-12. Free with admission. 203-852-0700, maritimeaquarium.org Visual Arts City of Norwalk Parking Authoritys Maritime Garage Gallery is holding its second virtual exhibit to promote voting in the upcoming November election. The exhibit, entitled Voice, will include artwork that shows how everyone has a voice and can use that voice through the power of voting. Exhibit runs through Nov. 3. 203- 831-9063, norwalkpark.org/public-art SoNo Art Cares, ten local artists will paint live at the The SoNo Collection Mall, one artist featured per week at different locations around the Mall, Fri-Sun 1-4 p.m. Paintings will then be on display in the People's United Magnificent Room through Oct. 3, then will be offered for bidding in a silent auction, and in a live online auction, Oct. 3. thesonocollection.com Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum, 295 West Ave. is open daily from noon-2 p.m. The exhibit, About Women, in collaboration with Silvermine Arts Center will mark the physical reopening of the galleries, and will run through Jan. 3. $10. 203-838-9799, lockwoodmathewsmansion.com Marine & Coastal Art, exhibit by members of RAC, Rowayton Arts Center, 145 Rowayton Ave. On view through Oct. 10. Gallery hours: Tue-Fri noon-5 p.m.; Sat 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Online submissions being accepted in an open call to artists for the Autumn Juried Show that will run Oct. 18-Nov. 14. Submit at website by Sept. 18. 203-866-2744, ext. 2; rowaytonarts.org ORANGE Specials Historical Societys Academy Museum and Antique Shop, 605 Orange Center Road, Sat, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Masks required. 203-795-3106. RIDGEFIELD Films Best in Show, Ridgefield Playhouse, 80 E. Ridge. Sept. 17, 8 p.m. $12-$10; Pink Floyd: The Wall, Sept. 18, 8 p.m. $12-$10; Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets, Sept. 19, 2 p.m. $12-$10, under 12 free; Shaun of the Dead, Sept. 19, 8 p.m. $12-$10; Just Mercy, Sept. 23, 7 p.m. Free. Tickets must be reserved in advance. Masks and social distance required at all times. 203-438-5795, ridgefieldplayhouse.org Stage National Theatre of London in HD: King Lear, Ridgefield Playhouse, 80 E. Ridge. Sept. 20, 2 p.m. $25, $20 members & seniors, $15 students, free children 18 & under. Purchase touchless print at home ticket go online to ridgefieldplayhouse.org, visit or call the box office. 203-438-5795. Visual arts Exhibit Frank Stella's Stars, A Survey, on view in the Sculpture Garden and in the galleries starting Sept. 20.Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum, 258 Main St. In-Person exhibits: Rudy Shepherd: Somebodys Child, through Nov. 29. Timed-entry tickets or reservations required. Twenty Twenty, exhibit through Jan. 3. aldrichart.org SIMSBURY Books In-Person Book Discussion of Guts: the Endless Follies and Tiny Triumphs of a Giant Disaster by Kristen Johnston, hosted by Simsbury-based nonprofit, A Promise to Jordan, and the Town of Simsbury Department of Community and Social Services, Simsbury Public Library Program Room, 725 Hopmeadow St. Sept. 23, 6-8 p.m. If the library is not re-opened, or if some individuals are not comfortable with in-person meetings due to the risk of COVID-19, the discussion will also be offered virtually via Zoom. For information and to register visit apromisetojordan.org Simsbury Art Trail is open to the public. The outdoor exhibit commemorates Simburys 350th Anniversary with bronze sculptures placed throughout town. On display through Sept. 29. simsburyarttrail.com STORRS Specials Out of the Shadows: the Henson International Puppet Festivals, virtual Fall Puppet Forum offered by The Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry, via Facebook Live, Sept. 17, 7 p.m. facebook.com/BallardInstitute STRATFORD Specials National Helicopter Museum at Railroad Station (east bound), 2480 Main St. By appointment only. Masks required. Free admission, parking. 203-375-8857, nationalhelicoptermuseum.org TORRINGTON Visual Arts Here and Hereafter, solo exhibit of mixed media painting and works on paper by Housatonic Community College studio art adjunct professor Lydia Viscardi, Five Points Gallery, 33 Main St. Through Oct. 3. Hours: Fri-Sun 1-5 p.m. and by appointment. Virtual Tour of the exhibit available on the website when the show opens. Artists Talk via Zoom in mid-Sept. 860-618-7222, fivepointsgallery.org UNCASVILLE Comedy Tom Papa, Comix Roadhouse at Mohegan Sun Resort & Casino, 1 Mohegan Sun Blvd. Sept. 17, 8 p.m.; Sept. 18, 7 p.m.; Sept. 19, 7, 9:30 p.m. $65-$25; In the Comedy Club: Spinnatos Comedy Magic Show, Sept. 19, 4 p.m., Sept. 20, 5 p.m. $15, $10. comixroadhouse.com mohegansun.com WASHINGTON Visual Arts Washington Art Association issues a call for entries for its Post Pandemic Exhibit that will be on view in 2021. COVID-19 global pandemic is an unprecedented event and presents a unique opportunity for artists to discover themselves. Participants are invited to submit up to three original 5 x 7 (postcard sized) works to be selected for inclusion in a group show that highlights each artists experience, impressions, and processes during the pandemic. info@washingtonartassociation.org. WATERBURY Visual arts Reception and talk for artist Moises Suriel, Mattatuck Museum Arts & History Center, 63 Prospect St. Sept. 17, 5:30 p.m. Exhibit of his work will be at Rose Hill. Reception will be held outdoors on the grounds of Rose Hill with scheduled timeslots to to view the works in the gallery. mattmuseum.org WATERFORD Stage Eugene O'Neill Theater Center announced its Summer season will be held entirely online. theoneill.org WEST HARTFORD Dance Ballet Theatre Company offers Keep Dancing At Home Guide. Ballet fun with Movement Monday, Technique Tuesday, Workout Wednesday, Theraband Thursday, Fun Friday, Stretch Saturday, Sharing Sunday. dancebtc.org Playhouse on Park choreographer Darlene Ponist Zoller offers daily dance classes and workouts on Facebook. Stage Kennedy: Bobbys Last Crusade by David Arrow, virtual streaming production runs through Oct. 4. playhouseonpark.org Visual arts West Hartford Art League exhibit CT+6 Regional Juried Exhibit. Show will run through Oct.11. westhartfordart.org WEST HAVEN Specials West Haven Veterans Museum & Learning Center, 30 Hood Terr. is open Fridays & Saturdays, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Guided tours available. 203-934-1111, whmilmuseum.org The Indian Institute of Science (IIS), Bengaluru and Indian Institute of Technology in Gandhinagar were among 31 organisations worldwide that will receive more than $8.5 million from Google to aid in Covid-19 response. Three of these organisations will also receive the pro-bono support of Google.org Fellowship teams, Google said in a statement. The funding is part of Google.org's $100 million commitment to Covid-19 relief. The Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar will get the funding for modeling the impact of air pollution on Covid-related secondary health exacerbations. The Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru has been chosen for mitigating the spread of Covid-19 in India's transit systems with rapid testing and modified commuter patterns. The funding focuses on four key areas where new information and action is needed to help mitigate the effects of the pandemic: Monitoring and forecasting disease spread; Improving health equity and minimizing secondary effects of the pandemic; slowing transmission by advancing the science of contact tracing and environmental sensing and supporting healthcare workers. "Together, these organizations are helping make the community's response to the pandemic more advanced and inclusive, and we're proud to support these efforts," Google said. Covid-19 has had a disproportionate effect on vulnerable populations. To address health disparities and drive equitable outcomes, Google is supporting efforts to map the social and environmental drivers of Covid-19 impact, such as race, ethnicity, gender and socioeconomic status. "In addition to learning more about the immediate health effects of COVID-19, we're also supporting work that seeks to better understand and reduce the long-term, indirect effects of the virus-ranging from challenges with mental health to delays in preventive care," the company said. COLUMBIA, Md., Sept. 11, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- W. R. Grace & Co. (NYSE:GRA), the leading independent supplier of polyolefin catalyst technology and polypropylene (PP) process technology, congratulates its UNIPOL PP process technology licensee, Braskem, on the successful launch of commercial production at its newest, world-class polypropylene production line in La Porte, TX. We are proud to be Braskems technology and catalyst partner on the largest polypropylene production line in the Americas, said Graces Laura Schwinn, President, Specialty Catalysts. We have and will continue to provide Braskem with onsite support during the startup phase and, as always, we will continue to work together on the broad range of resins they plan to produce. In addition to using Graces UNIPOL PP Process Technology and state-of-the-art catalyst systems, Braskem has invested in the UNIPOL UNIPPAC Process Control Software, providing Braskem with better control and optimization of the plant. Using the full breadth of our licensing portfoliofrom our process technology to our catalysts to our plant monitoring softwaregives Braskem the advantage when it comes to cost, quality, and product differentiation, David Hartill, Vice President, Licensing and Global Services commented. It will also provide them with the edge they seek in meeting the demands of the North American polypropylene industry. Grace's all gas-phase UNIPOL PP Process Technology provides the broadest range of PP homopolymers, random copolymers, and impact copolymers in the industry. This process technology, without any moving parts inside of the reactor and requiring less equipment than any alternative, is a reliable, safe, and stable operation that leads to lower capital, operating, and maintenance costs. Visit Graces website for more information about Grace polyolefin catalysts and process technology . About Graces UNIPOL PP Process Technology Grace is the leading supplier of polyolefin catalyst technology and has the broadest portfolio of polyolefin catalyst technologies of any independent polyethylene/polypropylene catalyst producer. Grace is an industry leader in offering UNIPOL PP Process Technology, 6th Generation non-phthalate CONSISTA catalysts and donors, and UNIPOL UNIPPAC Process Control software. About Grace Built on talent, technology, and trust, Grace is a leading global supplier of catalysts and engineered materials. The companys two industry-leading business segmentsCatalysts Technologies and Materials Technologiesprovide innovative products, technologies, and services that enhance the products and processes of our customers around the world. With approximately 4,000 employees, Grace operates and/or sells to customers in over 60 countries. More information about Grace is available at grace.com. This announcement contains forward-looking statements, that is, information related to future, not past, events. Such statements generally include the words believes, plans, intends, targets, will, expects, suggests, anticipates, outlook, continues, or similar expressions. Forward-looking statements include, without limitation, statements regarding: expected financial positions; results of operations; cash flows; financing plans; business strategy; operating plans; capital and other expenditures; competitive positions; growth opportunities for existing products; benefits from new technology; benefits from cost reduction initiatives, plans and objectives; succession planning; and markets for securities. For these statements, Grace claims the protections of the safe harbor for forward-looking statements contained in Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Exchange Act. Grace is subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from its projections or that could cause other forward-looking statements to prove incorrect. Factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements include, without limitation: risks related to foreign operations, especially in areas of active conflicts and in emerging regions; the costs and availability of raw materials, energy and transportation; the effectiveness of Grace's research and development and growth investments; acquisitions and divestitures of assets and businesses; developments affecting Graces outstanding indebtedness; developments affecting Grace's pension obligations; legacy matters (including product, environmental, and other legacy liabilities) relating to past activities of Grace; its legal and environmental proceedings; environmental compliance costs (including existing and potential laws and regulations pertaining to climate change); the inability to establish or maintain certain business relationships; the inability to hire or retain key personnel; natural disasters such as storms and floods; fires and force majeure events; the economics of our customers industries, including the petroleum refining industry; public health and safety concerns, including pandemics and quarantines; changes in tax laws and regulations; international trade disputes, tariffs, and sanctions; the potential effects of cyberattacks; and those additional factors set forth in Grace's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, and current reports on Form 8-K, which have been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and are readily available on the internet at www.sec.gov. Grace's reported results should not be considered as an indication of its future performance. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on Grace's projections and forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the dates those projections and statements are made. Grace undertakes no obligation to release publicly any revisions to the projections and forward-looking statements contained in this announcement, or to update them to reflect events or circumstances occurring after the date of this announcement. Media Relations Rich Badmington T +1 410.531.4370 rich.badmington@grace.com User reports estimate the perceived ground shaking intensity according to the MMI (Modified Mercalli Intensity) scale Contribute: Leave a comment if you find a particular report interesting or want to add to it. Flag as inappropriate. Mark as helpful or interesting. Send your own user report! Translate Zografos, Nomarchia Athinas, Attica (52.7 km ESE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s I was half asleep, felt the bed shake, checked the app, and sure enough it was reported already! Great app! Fast response! Gives you a sense of security to know what's happening or what just happened! | 4 users found this interesting. (reported through (reported through our app / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s Vyronas, Nomarchia Athinas, Attica (52.3 km ESE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt Slept through it. (reported through (reported through our app / not felt Neochori, Ilia Prefecture, West Greece (175.7 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt (reported through our app / not felt near Lygourio, Argolis, Peloponnese (54.3 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 5-10 s Kallithea, Nomarchia Athinas, Attica (49.6 km ESE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) (reported through our app / Moderate shaking (MMI V) Kallithea, Nomarchia Athinas, Attica (48.7 km ESE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) (reported through our app / Light shaking (MMI IV) Darjeeling (6099.7 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) : Very slight near Lygourio, Argolis, Peloponnese (54.4 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging Athens, Nomarchia Athinas, Attica (51.1 km ESE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) Vouliagmeni, Greece (62.6 km ESE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 10-15 s Kazantzaki 20 (45.5 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s Psychiko (53.1 km ESE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) Near smyrni, Athens (50.6 km ESE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) Melissia, Nomarchia Athinas, Attica (57.3 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) Keratsini, Nomos Piraios, Attica (43.2 km ESE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) (reported through our app / Moderate shaking (MMI V) Vari, Nomarchia Anatolikis Attikis, Attica (63.8 km ESE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s Agia Varvara, Nomarchia Athinas, Attica (45.5 km ESE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) (reported through our app / Weak shaking (MMI III) Korydallos, Nomos Piraios, Attica (43.8 km ESE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s (reported through our app / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s Pefki, Nomarchia Athinas, Attica (54 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) Salamina, Nomos Piraios, Attica (36.5 km ESE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) (reported through our app / Light shaking (MMI IV) Piraeus / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 20-30 s : It felt like a long and quite strong vibration on the 5th floor I live. I woke up to my bed shaking and my small furniture rattling but no one else woke up in the household. | One user found this interesting. Loutraki / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 5-10 s : I woke up and felt it for around 5 seconds. My partner stayed sleeping. By the time I woke him, it had stopped! | One user found this interesting. Pefki / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single vertical bump / 2-5 s Athens, Paleo Faliro / Light shaking (MMI IV) : I was awakened because my bed was shaking strongly, in a horizontal way. Athens / Light shaking (MMI IV) : It woke me up and the building shook for a few seconds. Pefki / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single vertical bump / 2-5 s PENTELI / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / 1-2 s Loutraki / Moderate shaking (MMI V) Voula / Weak shaking (MMI III) Isthmia / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single lateral shake / 5-10 s Koridallos / Light shaking (MMI IV) : Felt for approx 4 seconds Children are the most vulnerable to conflicts. (Photo: Pinterest) New York Vietnam voiced concern over an increase in attacks against schools and use of schools for military purposes during a UN Security Council (UNSC) Open Debate on Children and Armed Conflict on September 10. The attacks have kept children away from schools and accessing basic services, Ambassador Dang Dinh Quy, Permanent Representative of Vietnam to the UN, told the debate. He underscored the role of every country in stepping up protection of children, saying specific measures are needed to address these issues, rebuild damaged schools and ensure children living in conflict have access to education. The Vietnamese diplomat called on the international community to strengthen commitments to and mobilise resources for protecting children and schools. He also reiterated that Vietnam gives top priority to protection of children and wishes to cooperate with other countries in this matter. In her remarks at the event, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict Virginia Gamba cited a fact that attacks against schools and use of schools for military purposes are on a rise. On the contrary, there seems to be an emerging tactic of war, particularly in the Sahel, where schools are targeted precisely because they are schools, and even more if they cater to girls. Other parts of the world, such as Asia and Latin America, also see an increase in school attacks in indigenous communities, she added. As a result, parents are fearful of sending children to school, teachers leave schools due to insecurity and children are denied an education, Gamba continued. The present pandemic has made things worse. Closed schools and crumbling economies generate push and pull factors that favour recruitment and use, sexual exploitation and child marriage. Schools must remain safe havens where girls and boys can obtain education, without discrimination and without fear, she said, urging all parties to conflict to better protect students and education personnel and to respect the civilian nature of school infrastructures. UNSC member states all welcomed the adoption of the UNSC Presidential Statement on Children and Armed Conflict. THE NINE LIVES OF PAKISTAN BY DECLAN WALSH 368pp, 799; Bloomsbury The demise of Pakistan a country with a reputation for volatility, brutality and radical Islam is regularly predicted. But things rarely turn out as expected, as journalist Declan Walsh knows well. Over a decade covering the country, his travels took him from the raucous port of Karachi to the gilded salons of Lahore to the lawless frontier of Waziristan, encountering Pakistanis whose lives offer a compelling portrait of this land of contradictions. He meets a crusading lawyer who risks her life to fight for societys most marginalised, taking on everyone including the powerful military establishment; an imperious chieftain spouting poetry at his desert fort; a roguish politician waging a mini-war against the Taliban; and a charismatic business tycoon who moves into politics and seems to be riding high till he takes up the wrong cause. Lastly, Walsh meets a spy whose orders once involved following him, and who might finally be able to answer the question that haunts him: why the Pakistanis suddenly expelled him from their country. Intimate and complex, unravelling the many mysteries of state and religion, this formidable book offers an arresting account of life in a country that, often as not, seems to be at war with itself.* CASTE BY ISABEL WILKERSON 496pp, 999; Penguin Randomhouse The hierarchy of caste is not about feelings or morality. It is about power - which groups have it and which do not. Beyond race or class, our lives are defined by a powerful, unspoken system of divisions. In Caste, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Isabel Wilkerson gives an astounding portrait of this hidden phenomenon. Linking America, India and Nazi Germany, Wilkerson reveals how our world has been shaped by caste - and how its rigid, arbitrary hierarchies still divide us today. With clear-sighted rigor, Wilkerson unearths the eight pillars that connect caste systems across civilizations, and demonstrates how our own era of intensifying conflict and upheaval has arisen as a consequence of caste. Weaving in stories of real people, she shows how its insidious undertow emerges every day; she documents its surprising health costs; and she explores its effects on culture and politics. Finally, Wilkerson points forward to the ways we can - and must - move beyond its artificial divisions, towards our common humanity. Beautifully written and deeply original, no one can afford to ignore the moral clarity of its insights, or its urgent call for a freer, fairer world.* HELLFIRE BY LEESA GAZI 399; Westland For the sisters Lovely and Beauty, home is a cage. Their mother Farida Khanam never lets them out of her hawk-eyed gaze. Leesa Gazis Hellfire opens with Lovelys first ever solo expedition to Gausia Market on her fortieth birthday. There will be many firsts for her today, but she mustnt forget the curfew Farida Khanam has ordained. As Lovely roams the streets of Dhaka, her mothers carefully constructed world begins to unravel. The twisted but working arrangements of a fragile household begin to assume a macabre quality as the day progresses. Told in stark, taut prose, this grisly tale of a family born of a dark secret is one of the most scintillating debuts in contemporary Bengali literature. *All copy from press releases To strengthen corporate governance practices and disclosure requirements, Sebi on September 11 proposed that listed companies should disclose the financial results to the exchanges within 30 minutes of approval by their boards. At present, such disclosures need to made within 30 minutes from the conclusion of the board meeting. This comes after industry chamber Ficci suggested that disclosure of financial results should be made within 30 minutes from the conclusion of the discussion on the agenda, rather than the conclusion of the board meeting. In addition, the regulator proposed that the top 1,000 listed entities based on market capitalisation (calculated as on March 31 of every financial year) will formulate a dividend distribution policy which will be disclosed in their annual reports and on their websites. Currently, this is applicable for top 500 listed companies. To ease the compliance burden on listed companies, Sebi in a consultation paper has proposed that newspaper advertisement on notice of the board meeting to discuss financial results and quarterly statement of deviation or variation will no longer be required. According to Sebi, all the filings made by listed entities under the LODR regulations are available on the stock exchange website, in addition to the entity's website, which is accessible anywhere, anytime at free of cost. Hence, a separate newspaper advertisement on notice of the board meeting to discuss financial results, quarterly statement of deviation or variation is an additional burden on listed entities, it added. Besides, Sebi suggested where it is not possible to use electronic mode of payment, 'payable-at-par' warrants or cheques will be issued. Under the proposal, the listed company will issue quarterly report to the stock exchange(s) on loss of share certificates and issue of duplicate certificates. The regulator has sought comments from public till October 11 regarding the proposed amendments to LODR (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) Regulations. The final norms will be put in place after taking into consideration views of all the stakeholders. Besides, the regulator has aligned disclosure regarding to resolution plan/restructuring of loan or borrowings from banks/financial institutions with the changes made by Reserve Bank of India (RBI). Corporate Debt Restructuring scheme has been withdrawn by the apex bank and has been replaced with the Reserve Bank of India (Prudential Framework for Resolution of Stressed Assets) Directions, 2019. My Facebook page is awash in "I told you so" posts from liberals pointing to a study purportedly showing that the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in South Dakota was a "super-spreader" event that resulted in an additional 250,000 Wuhan virus cases. What they don't realize is that there's not a word of truth in that "study." It's made up entirely of extrapolations from distantly related and erroneous facts. As of September 2, NPR was reporting that, more than two weeks after an event that attracted almost 500,000 people, there were over 260 cases tied to the Sturgis Rally. (The phrase "over 260" probably means about 261.) Sadly, one man who was older than 60, meaning he was in a dangerous demographic, died. Although NPR managed to sound upset by those data, what it reported was good news: after the two-week incubation period had ended, there was a 0.052% infection rate and an 0.0002% fatality rate from the virus. Those were the facts. Just five days later, though, the Democrat media were proclaiming that the Sturgis motorcycle rally was a "super-spreading event," with a $12.2-billion price tag: Sturgis Motorcycle Rally was "superspreading event" that cost public health $12.2 billion: analysis https://t.co/Xnu4bvvIhJ pic.twitter.com/krMuy3ZAtC The Hill (@thehill) September 8, 2020 The Hill said that more than 266,000 cases came from Sturgis, and The Hill was not alone in saying this. Similar reports came from multiple media outlets, including, I'm disappointed to say, Fox News. How in the world did the media get from 260 reported cases to 250,000 cases, a number equal to more than half the attendees? The media did it by looking to a single study that relied on hypothetical numbers drawn from extrapolated data, all of which were wrong. Reason.com explains the con: To get to the astronomical number of cases allegedly spread because of the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, the researchers analyzed "anonymized cellphone data to track the smartphone pings from non-residents and movement of those before and after the event," notes Newsweek. "The study then linked those who attended and traveled back to their home states, and compared changes in coronavirus trends after the rally's conclusion." Essentially, the researchers assumed that new spikes in cases in areas where people went post-rally must have been caused by those rally attendees, despite there being no particular evidence that this was the case. The paper, which has not been peer-reviewed, failed to account for simultaneous happenings like schools in South Dakota reopening, among other things that could have contributed to coronavirus spread in some of the studied areas. The researchers also assumed a $46,000 price tag for each person infected to calculate the $12.2 billion public health cost of the event but this figure would only make sense if every person had a severe case requiring hospitalization. You can read the rest here. There are two more points to make: first, this should remind you of the left's passion for false hypotheticals from supposedly "expert" studies. The entire Wuhan virus lockdown that's devastated vast swaths of the American economy resulted from the claim by Neil Ferguson, a British epidemiologist, and famed hysteric, that 2,200,000 Americans would die from the virus. And then there's climate change, a fantasy predicated on computer models that perfectly represent the GIGO principle (garbage in, garbage out). Second, it's important to note that, as best as I can recollect, not a single mainstream media outlet reported on a similar study from the myriad Black Lives Matter protests and riots, all of which occurred when the virus was still peaking in America. If sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander, the opposite is true, too: since the scientific and media establishments aggressively refused even to consider that saucy BLM goose, anything they have to say about the robust Sturgis gander is unacceptable. Image: Main Street Sturgis 2010, by Catherine Taylor. CC BY-ND 2.0. A third of UK homes are now multi-generational, but rather than the traditional granny flat it is now mainly due to adult children living with their parents, new research has revealed. Equivalent to nine million homes in the UK, these households are classed as adults from different generations living together at the same address. Whilst more people moved in with other family members when lockdown was enforced, this only accounts for a small proportion of multi-generational homes, according to data from Aviva. The combining of households has seen a surge in popularity for so-called 'granny flats' - annexes attached to homes to provide more space for accommodation. A third of homes are multi-generational, mainly due to adult children living with their parents In Aviva's How We Live report, the insurer compiles views of more than 4,000 adults across the UK. It found that the most common type of household in the multi-generational category is one where adult children are still living at home with parents, accounting for nearly two in five multi-generational homes. Many young adults move back home with their parents are graduating from university, hoping to save money for a house deposit. Known as 'Boomerang' children, they account for 11 per cent of people in multi-generational homes. A further 11 per cent of adult children are living with their parents while they study at university or college. Although many children moved in with their parents during lockdown, this accounted for just 3 per cent of multi-generational homes. Similarly, only one per cent of households took in an elderly relative to support them during this time. However, there are also a considerable number of older relatives who live with their families normally, usually for health or financial reasons. While the proportion is much lower, older relatives account for 14 per cent of all multi-generational households, equivalent to 1.28million homes across the UK. A similar Aviva study from 2016 found that older relatives accounted for just 9 per cent of multi-generational households, indicating a dramatic increase of this type of set-up. PERCENTAGE OF GRANNY FLAT OWNERS Granny flat / annexe designed with following inhabitants in mind: Percentage of householders who have or plan to develop a granny flat or annexe choosing this option: Older relative (e.g. elderly parent) 27% Grown-up children 25% Rented out as short home-stay / holiday let 24% Other relative 19% Rented out to lodger 16% No one in particular 7% Other 2% Source: Aviva Gareth Hemming, MD Personal Lines, for Aviva said: 'While lockdown led to some new multi-generational households, this type of arrangement is already the norm in millions of UK homes, for a multitude of reasons. 'Many young people are living with parents to save for a house deposit or "boomeranging" back after university, while some older people are living with their families for health or financial reasons so this is simply a way of life for these households. 'This type of set-up could be set to grow further still. Our data suggests that the number of older people living in multi-generational households has increased over the past four years, and there is no one-size-fits-all approach to modern living.' The study also found that as many as one in eight homes could soon include additional accommodation in the form of granny flats and annexes. Some 5 per cent have such a space already with converted garages, cellars and separate outbuildings providing extra accommodation. A number of young adults move home to their parents so they can save money for a deposit A further 7 per cent of householders say they have plans to develop this type of space. Regionally, granny flats are the most popular in London with up to a fifth of homes having or planning conversions. This is likely due to the expense of living in London, meaning the more people under one roof, the cheaper the mortgage for residents. The North East and West Midlands also saw a large number of properties with granny flats or planning to install one, at 17 per cent and 12 per cent, respectively. Traditionally, 'granny flats' were created with older relatives in mind, hence the name. However, the study suggests younger people are almost as likely to reside in this type of accommodation as older generations with 27 per cent of people in this group making plans for older relatives, compared to 25 per cent for grown-up children. However, some homeowners have commercial motives with 24 per cent who have or plan to develop granny flats intending to rent them out as holiday lets, while 16 per cent are thinking of taking in lodgers. Gareth Hemming adds: 'The events of this year have focused many people's minds on the home. 'Lockdown changed the make-up of some households, as young people returned home from university and older people joined support bubbles, so it's possible that this has helped to crystalise people's ideas for family accommodation. 'It's important that people inform their home insurer if they are planning to make changes to their properties, before and after the developments are completed, particularly if they are adding new buildings or changing the use of accommodation. 'This will help to ensure homes are covered during and after any building works, providing peace of mind for everyone at that address.' BEIJING, Sept. 10 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese Foreign Ministry on Thursday issued the Position Paper of the People's Republic of China on the 75th Anniversary of the United Nations (UN), expounding on China's position and proposals on various issues, including the UN's role, the international situation, sustainable development and cooperation on COVID-19 response. The paper points out that the 75th anniversary of the UN presents important opportunities, and the international community should jointly uphold the outcome of World Anti-Fascist War and reject unilateralism, hegemonism and power politics. Rather, the international community should champion multilateralism, safeguard the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, and defend the UN-centered international system and the international order based on international law, according to the paper. China is ready to work with all countries to build a community with a shared future for humanity, the paper says. Full text of China's position paper on UN's 75th anniversary Bobby Taubman became the CEO of Taubman Centers, Inc. (NYSE:TCO) in 1990, and we think it's a good time to look at the executive's compensation against the backdrop of overall company performance. This analysis will also assess whether Taubman Centers pays its CEO appropriately, considering its funds from operations growth and total shareholder returns. See our latest analysis for Taubman Centers Comparing Taubman Centers, Inc.'s CEO Compensation With the industry According to our data, Taubman Centers, Inc. has a market capitalization of US$3.4b, and paid its CEO total annual compensation worth US$1.4m over the year to December 2019. That's a notable decrease of 26% on last year. While this analysis focuses on total compensation, it's worth acknowledging that the salary portion is lower, valued at US$120k. For comparison, other companies in the same industry with market capitalizations ranging between US$2.0b and US$6.4b had a median total CEO compensation of US$5.4m. In other words, Taubman Centers pays its CEO lower than the industry median. Moreover, Bobby Taubman also holds US$49m worth of Taubman Centers stock directly under their own name, which reveals to us that they have a significant personal stake in the company. Component 2019 2018 Proportion (2019) Salary US$120k US$120k 9% Other US$1.2m US$1.7m 91% Total Compensation US$1.4m US$1.8m 100% On an industry level, roughly 15% of total compensation represents salary and 85% is other remuneration. It's interesting to note that Taubman Centers allocates a smaller portion of compensation to salary in comparison to the broader industry. It's important to note that a slant towards non-salary compensation suggests that total pay is tied to the company's performance. Taubman Centers, Inc.'s Growth Over the last three years, Taubman Centers, Inc. has shrunk its funds from operations (FFO) by 7.9% per year. Its revenue is down 4.8% over the previous year. Story continues Few shareholders would be pleased to read that FFO have declined. And the impression is worse when you consider revenue is down year-on-year. These factors suggest that the business performance wouldn't really justify a high pay packet for the CEO. Moving away from current form for a second, it could be important to check this free visual depiction of what analysts expect for the future. Has Taubman Centers, Inc. Been A Good Investment? Since shareholders would have lost about 19% over three years, some Taubman Centers, Inc. investors would surely be feeling negative emotions. So shareholders would probably want the company to be lessto generous with CEO compensation. To Conclude... As we noted earlier, Taubman Centers pays its CEO lower than the norm for similar-sized companies belonging to the same industry. FFO growth has failed to impress us, and the same can be said about shareholder returns. We can't say the CEO compensation is high, but shareholders will be cold to a bump at this stage, considering negative investor returns. It is always advisable to analyse CEO pay, along with performing a thorough analysis of the company's key performance areas. In our study, we found 3 warning signs for Taubman Centers you should be aware of, and 2 of them don't sit too well with us. Arguably, business quality is much more important than CEO compensation levels. So check out this free list of interesting companies that have HIGH return on equity and low debt. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com. Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - September 11, 2020) - Pancontinental Resources Corporation (TSXV: PUC) ("Pancon" or the "Company") fully subscribed its previously announced concurrent brokered and non-brokered financing. A private placement brokered by Paradigm Capital Inc. (the "Agent") issued 14,967,000 units (each, a "Unit") of the Company at a price of $0.12 per Unit, for gross proceeds of $1,796,040 (the "Brokered Offering"). The Company issued a further 10,533,000 Units for aggregate gross proceeds of $1,263,960 through non-brokered efforts (the "Non-Brokered Offering"). Together, the Brokered Offering and Non-Brokered Offering had aggregate gross proceeds of $3,060,000 through the issuance of 25,500,000 Units (together, the "Offering"). Each Unit consists of one common share in the capital of the Company (a "Common Share") and one-half of one common share purchase warrant (each whole warrant a "Warrant"). Each Warrant will entitle the holder thereof to purchase one Common Share at a price of $0.18 for a period of two years following the Closing Date, subject to acceleration in certain circumstances. Pancon President and CEO, Layton Croft, stated: "Pancon's work to date at our flagship Brewer Gold Project and our surrounding Jefferson Gold Project has identified multiple strong geophysical anomalies and drill targets below the former shallow mined pits and to the northwest, west, southwest and south of the former mine. Funds from this financing will allow us to drill approximately 10,000 meters of core in our upcoming diamond drill program. Of the approximate 1,000 historic drill holes at Brewer, almost exclusively targeting shallow oxide gold mineralization, only 9 holes went deeper than 200 meters below surface. Our initial diamond drill program will test targets down to 600 meters below surface." As consideration for the services provided by the Agent in connection with the Brokered Offering, the Agent was paid a cash commission of 7% of the gross proceeds of the Brokered Offering, and was issued 1,047,690 non-transferable broker warrants (the "Broker Warrants"), representing 7% of the total number of Units sold pursuant to the Brokered Offering. Each Broker Warrant entitles the holder thereof to purchase one Common Share at an exercise price of $0.12 for 24 months from the closing of the Offering. In connection with the Non-Brokered Offering, the Company issued a total of 206,360 finder's warrants (the "Finder Warrants") and paid a cash commission of $24,763.20. Each Finder Warrant entitles the holder thereof to purchase one Common Share at an exercise price of $0.12 for 24 months from the closing of the Offering. The Common Shares and Warrants issued pursuant to the Offering will be subject to a hold period of four months plus a day from the date of issuance and the resale rules of applicable securities legislation. The net proceeds from the Brokered Offering and Non-Brokered Offering will be primarily used for exploration and development, and general working capital purposes. The securities offered have not been registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of the securities in any State in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. About Pancon Pancon is a Canadian junior mining company focused on exploring the prolific and underexplored Carolina Slate Belt in the southeastern US. In January 2020, Pancon won the exclusive right to explore the former Brewer Gold Mine in Chesterfield County, South Carolina. Between 1987-1995, Brewer produced 178,000 ounces of oxide gold from open pits that extended to 50 meter depths, where copper and gold-rich sulphides were exposed but could not be processed by the oxide heap leach processing facility. Brewer is a high sulphidation system driven by a sub-volcanic intrusive as indicated by: widely known prospective geology, including diatreme breccias; associated high sulphidation alteration; gold and copper mineralization; and geophysics (Schmidt, R.G., 1978, The Potential for Porphyry Copper-Molybdenum Deposits in the Eastern United States, U.S. Geological Survey). Pancon's 100%-owned Jefferson Gold Project nearly completely surrounds the former Brewer Gold Mine. Both Jefferson (1,00 acres) and Brewer (1,500 acres) are located 12 km along trend northeast from the producing Haile Gold Mine, which produced 146,100 ounces of gold in 2019. In addition, Pancon has four nickel-copper-cobalt exploration projects in Northern Ontario, surrounding or near producing or former mines in proven and safe mining districts. The Company cautions that the mineralization at the former Brewer Gold Mine is not necessarily indicative of the mineralization that may be identified on the Company's ongoing and upcoming exploration work. For further information, please contact: Layton Croft, President & CEO or Jeanny So, Manager, External Relations E: info@panconresources.com T: +1.647.202.0994 For additional information please visit our new website at www.panconresources.com and our Twitter feed:@PanconResources. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release contains forward-looking information which is not comprised of historical facts. Forward-looking information is characterized by words such as "plan", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur. Forward-looking information involves risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events, results, and opportunities to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from such forward-looking information include, but are not limited to, changes in the state of equity and debt markets, fluctuations in commodity prices, delays in obtaining required regulatory or governmental approvals, and other risks involved in the mineral exploration and development industry, including those risks set out in the Company's management's discussion and analysis as filed under the Company's profile at www.sedar.com. Forward-looking information in this news release is based on the opinions and assumptions of management considered reasonable as of the date hereof, including that all necessary governmental and regulatory approvals will be received as and when expected. Although the Company believes that the assumptions and factors used in preparing the forward-looking information in this news release are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on such information. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, other than as required by applicable securities laws. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/63634 Australians could soon be paid to eat in restaurants for free as struggling businesses try to bounce back from COVID-19. Every household in Victoria could receive a $100 meal voucher for a restaurant or pub of their choice under the new proposals. Restaurant and Catering Australia is pushing Dan Andrews' government to bail out the struggling industry with the $650million plan. Similar schemes have been rolled out in the UK, where 40 million meals were offered at half price, and Tasmania, on Monday. Melbourne has been under Stage Four lockdown since August 2, the state's second round of restrictions since March. Residents are under an 8pm to 5am curfew, can only travel 5km for shopping or exercise and restaurants and cafe's are takeaway only. Australians could soon be paid to eat in restaurants for free as struggling businesses try to bounce back from COVID-19. Pictured: A pub closed during Melbourne lockdown Every household in Victoria could receive a $100 meal voucher for a restaurant or pub of their choice under the new proposals. Pictured: Melbourne before the lockdown Wes Lambert, CEO, of Restaurant and Catering Australia told radio station 3AW it is the fastest way to get businesses back on their feet. 'It's time for Dan to pay for his plan,' he told listeners. 'Until we get bums back on seats in Victoria, into restaurants, there will be no recovery.' Mr Lambert has suggested a meal voucher of up to $100 be distributed to every Victorian household after the curfew is lifted. The Tasmanian government launched 'Make Yourself At Home' on Monday which saw $7.5million dollars worth of vouchers snapped up in 40 minutes. The $100 accommodation and $50 experience vouchers are designed to encourage people to travel and eat out again. The Restaurant and Catering Australia is pushing Dan Andrews' government to bail out the struggling industry with the $650million plan Residents are under an 8pm to 5am curfew, can only travel 5km for shopping or exercise and restaurants and cafe's are takeaway only Diners in the UK were offered half-price meals from Monday to Wednesday in August as part of 'Eat out to help out'. 'Nearly 40 million meals were subsided by the UK government to bring the restaurant industry in the UK out of the brink,' he told listeners. He said it can be hard for state and federal governments to implement a new scheme quickly - so the industry would follow either Tasmania or the UK if necessary. 'This is the fastest and best way to help the hospitality industry get back on its feet and to get consumers back and dining,' Mr Lambert said. At 9:03 a.m. on Friday, a bell pealed at the Judson High School stadium, and about two-dozen first responders paused, breathing heavily from exertion, and closed their eyes. Some of the Converse firefighters pressed their hands to their chests, sounding a safety alarm used only when their comrades are in danger - a noise that blared 19 years ago on 9/11 after hundreds of firefighters were trapped trying to rescue people in the terrorist attack on New York Citys Twin Towers. I cant imagine standing there and looking up at that the buildings on fire, Converse Fire Chief Luis Valdez said. And the bravery and courage it took to go inside and to keep going inside, and keep pushing forward, trying to get as many people out of that building and save as many lives as possible. Each bell chime Friday morning signified the time when another building was struck during the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, where 2,997 people died, 343 of them firefighters and 70 law enforcement officers. The first struck at 8:46 a.m. the North Tower. Then 9:03 a.m. the South Tower. To honor the fallen first responders, police and firefighters climbed 2,500 stadium stairs - roughly the equivalent of the 110 flights of stairs at the former World Trade Center. San Antonio police and firefighters also commemorated the anniversary at the public safety headquarters. Hundreds of first responders usually climb the stairs at the Tower of the Americas on Sept. 11, but the event was changed because of the pandemic. On ExpressNews.com: San Antonio, area first responders climb Tower of the Americas Instead, San Antonio 110, a group dedicated to the 9/11 commemoration, live-streamed the public safety ceremony downtown. After a rifle salute, a prayer, a poem and music by the San Antonio Police pipe and drums band, two first responders a firefighter and a police officer climbed the iconic tower. In Converse, firefighters wore up to 65 pounds worth of gear on their climb, equipped as they would be if they were entering a place on fire. They made three loops around the stadium seats, twisting up and down through each staircase. On the opposite side of the stadium, police officers did the same. They all paused when the bell chimed. Its 9:37, the Pentagon has been struck, said a voice over the loudspeakers as the officers knelt in silent prayer, gathering their breath before heaving up their equipment again and slapping their shoes on the silver stairs. Converse Police Chief Ruben Saucedo said he tells his 15-year-old daughter about this day every year. I tell her about it because I dont want her to forget that there was a sacrifice for us to continue our way of life, he said. Our freedom was attacked and we had to defend it. Each officer wore a tag with the name and photo of a first responder who died in the attack. Valdez climbed in honor of Dennis Carey, who worked in Hazardous Material Company 1. Valdez read up about Carey. He was 51, a good cook who shared his culinary concoctions with his team members. Carey was off-duty on 9/11. His body was found Sept. 30, trapped in a stairwell in the North Tower with his chief where they were rescuing survivors. Today Im thinking about him. Today Im thinking about his family and praying for them, Valdez, a firefighter of 26 years, said. This is a tough day for them, this is a tough day for all folks who lost someone. It was heart-wrenching when it happened 19 years later, it still feels fresh. It still feels important. Silvia Foster-Frau covers immigration news in the San Antonio, Bexar County and South Texas area. To read more from Silvia, become a subscriber. sfosterfrau@express-news.net | Twitter: @SilviaElenaFF The arts center includes 38 loft apartments, with artist preference for residents; 19 classrooms and 10 group classrooms. Overall, it has 25,000 square feet for the school for performing arts and 8,000 square feet of rehearsal space for the Paramount Theatre. When it opened in May 2019, it scheduled 40 summer camps for children age 6 months to 19 years old during the summer, and looked eventually at having as many as 250 students at a time. XUZHOU, China, Sept. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- XCMG(SZ:000425) has sent off four multi-function emergency and fire rescue vehicles to Golmud, Qinghai Province a week ago, the emergency response vehicles developed by XCMG Research Institute opens a new chapter for the commercial application of emergency rescue solutions. Since 2016, XCMG has made the development, application and promotion of emergency fire and rescue vehicles a priority. Taking part in key state projects to research basic theories, core technologies and equipment design, XCMG has managed breakthroughs in improving poor manoeuvrability, low efficiency and the single function limitation of emergency rescue equipment to improve China's public safety capabilities. A total of 10 emergency rescue vehicles were delivered to six demonstration bases. The four vehicles en route to Golmud are the JY18 and JY20 emergency rescue fire engines, QC700 fire-fighting equipment truck and JY10 rescue vehicle. The JY18 is an all-rounder equipped with XCMG's self-developed, highly manoeuvrable duo-bridge, all-terrain chassis and is suited for the emergency rescue from natural disasters including earthquakes, landslides, floods and mudslides. The JY10 is a strong model designed for equipment storage transportation and is equipped to tackle hazardous chemical leaks with dry sand as extinguishing agent. The QC700 can carry more than 700 pieces of rescue equipment from 120 categories. "The design and production of safety industry equipment has always been part of XCMG's strategy and mission to shoulder social responsibly. The safety industry is fundamental and integral to economic development, and XCMG is actively sharing knowledge through mutual learning, including hosting fires rescue drills and setting the industry standards." said Wang Min, chairman and CEO of XCMG and President of the China Safety Industry Association. XCMG is committed to providing emergency rescue relief and support and has participated in major rescue and disaster-relief projects worldwide, including the dam disaster in Brumadinho, Brazil last year as well as earthquake and flood rescue missions in China. About XCMG XCMG is a multinational heavy machinery manufacturing company with a history of 77 years. It currently ranks fourth in the world's construction machinery industry. The company exports to more than 187 countries and regions around the world. For more information, please visit: www.xcmg.com, or XCMG pages on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn and Instagram. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1252610/XCMG_Emergency_Fire_Rescue_Vehicles.jpg Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-11 13:48:04|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close WASHINGTON, Sept. 10 (Xinhua) -- The ongoing coronavirus pandemic, with the requirements for social distancing, will alter in many aspects Friday's annual remembrance of the terrorist attacks 19 years ago on the United States. In New York, duel ceremonies will be held on Friday at the memorial plaza and a corner nearby. Instead of stages set up on the occasion this year, hand sanitizer stations installed by crews in masks will dot the grounds in Lower Manhattan, local media reported. "It was, how we could do it safely, that became a question for us," said 9/11 Memorial and Museum Director Alice Greenwald. "We've always had a stage. And we've seen too many examples of when you have a stage, people naturally gather." Family members have pre-recorded victims' names, which will be streamed online Friday morning, according to an NBC News report. Victims' families can still gather in person at the memorial but NYC Fire Commissioner Daniel Nigro said in a memo last month that the department "strongly recommends" firefighters not participate in 9/11 observances this year. The ringing of bells, signifying each attack on Sept. 11, 2001, will still ring out too, complete with honor guard. The 9/11 Memorial and Museum will open Friday for family members after being closed for six months. Public can visit on Saturday with timed tickets and all social distancing rules in place. Concerns over the coronavirus at first canceled The Tribute in Light, the beams of light that soar into the air. But Memorial officials, with state and donor support, have finally worked to make sure the production crew are safe. In Pentagon, this year's ceremony will be held without victim families' attendance, and their loved ones' names will be recited also by a recording, rather than readers on-site, AP reported. The victims' relatives can visit the Pentagon's memorial in small groups later Friday. U.S. President Donald Trump and his Democratic rival Joe Biden plan to attend a truncated ceremony at the Flight 93 National Memorial near Shanksville, Pennsylvania. The Flight 93 memorial is trimming its usual 90-minute ceremony, partly by eliminating musical interludes. Memorial spokeswoman Katherine Cordek said the names of the 40 people killed there would be read, but by one person instead of multiple family members. Biden's campaign said on Thursday that the former vice president has pulled its TV ads off the air for Friday to commemorate the anniversary. "On September 11th, Vice President Biden will commemorate the anniversary of the attack on our country and will honor the incredible bravery, tragedy, and loss we experienced on that day," Michael Gwin, deputy rapid response director for Biden for President, told The Hill in a statement. As of Thursday night, the United States has reported nearly 6.4 million confirmed coronavirus cases, with more than 191,000 fatalities, according to the Johns Hopkins University tally. On Sept. 11, 2001, the United States came under multiple terrorist attacks, after four civilian aircraft were hijacked and steered toward prominent U.S. buildings. Three of the planes hit their targets in New York and Washington D.C., while the fourth crashed en route to Washington as its passengers battled for control of the aircraft with the hijackers. The attacks left nearly 3,000 killed or missing, and were the largest terrorist attacks on U.S. soil in history. Enditem El presidente del Consejo de Ministros, @WalterMartosR, junto a los titulares del @Minsa_Peru y de @viviendaperu, viaja a La Libertad para supervisar el desarrollo de la operacion Tayta y liderar reunion de coordinacion con autoridades locales y congresistas de la region. pic.twitter.com/I0bYejjwVs Missouri S&T was ranked No. 1 among Missouri colleges for return on investment by Smart Asset and Business Insider. Missouri S&T was ranked No. 1 among Missouri colleges for return on investment by Smart Asset and Business Insider. ROLLA, Mo., Sept. 11, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Missouri University of Science and Technology recently earned top rankings from two organizations that focus on students return on their investment in a college education. Financial planning website Smart Asset ranked Missouri S&T No. 1 for best value in the state of Missouri, beating out Washington University at No. 2 and Saint Louis University at No. 3. Smart Asset looked at five factors to determine the ranking, including student living expenses, tuition, scholarships and grants awarded, retention rate, and starting salaries for new graduates. S&T was ranked No. 21 nationally in the listing. Smart Asset showed the average starting salary for students who graduate with an S&T bachelors degree at $67,300, and tuition at the university was listed as $9,246 with students receiving an average of $8,274 in scholarships and grants. Students are well-prepared to excel in often high-paying careers when they graduate from Missouri S&T, said Chancellor Mo Dehghani. Not only do they gain practical hands-on experience in their fields, but they also build a network of industry contacts through co-ops, internships and our alumni at major companies throughout the nation. Missouri S&T was also rated No. 1 in the state by Business Insider, a financial and business news website. Business Insider ranked Missouri S&T No. 8 in the nation for return on investment. The website used data from the U.S. Department of Education to find out which colleges give students the best return on investment based on post-grad salaries and tuition figures. Business Insiders calculation indicated that S&T has an 80.9% return on investment. The website reported median earnings of $71,200 for S&T graduates after 10 years and put the average cost of attendance at $22,012. Story continues About Missouri University of Science and Technology Founded in 1870 as the University of Missouri School of Mines and Metallurgy, Missouri University of Science and Technology (Missouri S&T) is a STEM-focused research university of more than 8,000 students and part of the four-campus University of Missouri System. Located in Rolla, Missouri S&T offers 99 different degree programs in 40 areas of study, including engineering, the sciences, business and information technology, education, the humanities, and the liberal arts. Missouri S&T is known globally and is highly ranked for providing a high return on tuition investment, exceptional career opportunities for graduates, and an emphasis on applied, hands-on learning through student design teams and cooperative education and internship opportunities. For more information about Missouri S&T and to apply, visit www.mst.edu and apply.mst.edu. Attachment CONTACT: Sarah Potter Missouri University of Science and Technology 573-341-4994 news@mst.edu After an apparent truce between AAP and the BJP following the Delhi polls, sparks are flying once again. Radhika Ramaseshan reports. IMAGE: Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal at a meeting in February 25, 2020, to discuss the riots in Delhi. Photograph: Press Information Bureau Just when it appeared that the Aam Aadmi Party-Bharatiya Janata Party equations were headed towards conciliation after the formers victory in the Delhi polls, incipient signs of a potential confrontation are visible. Our differences are over issues and not personalities, said Adesh Gupta, who was recently appointed the BJPs Delhi unit president. We do not want to provoke but when the AAP challenges, we are forced to respond, said Ramesh Bidhuri, South Delhi MP. The first incitement came shortly after the February communal violence when the BJP sought to paint the Arvind Kejriwal government into a corner after Tahir Hussain, an AAP councillor, was charged with the murder of an Intelligence Bureau staffer, Ankit Sharma, during the clashes. The AAP suspended Hussain and hoped the move would dampen the BJPs offensive. The Delhi governments decision to appoint its special prosecutors to argue the violence-related cases in the Delhi high court and the Supreme Court was overturned by Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal. In the distribution of powers, unique in a quasi-state like Delhi, the police are under the LGs jurisdiction but approval of the state government is mandated for the appointment of prosecutors. When the high court heard a petition filed by a human rights activist, Harsh Mander, seeking directions to lodge FIRs against BJP leaders who allegedly abetted crowds to attack the minorities, Tushar Mehta, solicitor general, argued on behalf of the police and the Delhi government, claiming he had been authorised by the LG. The state governments standing counsel, Rahul Mehra, objected and contended the LG could not act unilaterally, except on the aid and advice of the Delhi Cabinet. It later emerged that Satyendar Jain, Delhi home minister, had endorsed Mehtas appointment as special public prosecutor, which Mehra then confirmed in the court. The AAPs flip-flop was evident. It could not make up its mind on how to handle the riots because of the fear of polarising Hindus and losing its votes in the coming elections, a BJP source said. While the strife over the prosecutors appointment remained inconclusive, with the AAP blowing hot and cold at the LG, other disputes surfaced. Days after 50 Muslims -- some of whom were purported organisers of the Shaheen Bagh sit-in that was decried by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his Delhi election speeches -- joined the BJP, the AAP assailed its opponent. Saurabh Bharadwaj, AAP spokesperson and legislator, demanded a thorough probe into the antecedents of the inductees and accused the BJP of having engineered the Northeast Delhi conflict by spreading disaffection among Hindus and Muslims. Gupta answered back, alleging, The AAP is directly connected with the riots. Its preparations began before the elections. Kejriwal, so far, has refused sanction to prosecute the rioters because he wants to protect his minority votes. In July, the AAP accused the BJP-dominated municipal corporations of corruption and took to the streets to agitate against the tax hikes by the South Delhi Municipal Corporation. The supposedly cash-strapped SDMC had brought in a professional tax, imposed 1 per cent levy on property transfers, and augmented duty on commercial properties. The AAP asked why the municipal corporations had not paid salaries to doctors and paramedics of Kasturba Gandhi and Hindu Rao hospitals during the Covid19 pandemic. Soon enough, the BJP found a stick to beat the AAP with. On August 20, the Delhi Police arrested two businessmen on charges of donating Rs 2 crore to Kejriwals party through a shell company allegedly used for money laundering and entry operations. The episode prompted Gupta to dash off a missive to Anna Hazare, who had spearheaded an anti-corruption crusade against the United Progressive Alliance government in 2011. Kejriwal was a close Hazare associate. Hazare has since retreated into a shell but Gupta nudged him to come out of it and tell the people of Delhi that Kejriwal was mired in corruption. His probity is a sham. Hes in the business of helping businessmen turn black into white. I called on Hazare because only he can credibly demolish his protege, said the state BJP chief. What do the skirmishes signify? Stressing that a distinction must be drawn between the government and the party, an AAP functionary explained, The AAP and the BJP have always had an acrimonious relationship. There was an attempt on the Delhi governments part to be conciliatory towards the Centre because there was a pandemic and we needed help. But local politics kicks in because the civic elections are coming. Though the civic polls are scheduled in early 2022, the AAP is making efforts to break the BJPs long stranglehold over the three bodies. The BJP used these to create entrenched networks of patronage, said the AAP source. On the other hand, the BJP believes Kejriwals larger ambitions have got rekindled. He had immersed himself in Delhi after failing to make a mark outside. But now he senses there is a space thats being emptied by the Congress and likely to be filled by regional entities. Thats why the AAP is making a noise about the Delhi riots to revive the secular card, a source said. Reconcilement over, are the sparks about to fly again? Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-12 03:08:40|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close CAIRO, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi praised on Friday a peace agreement reached between Israel and Bahrain under U.S. sponsorship. "I have followed with great interest the tripartite joint statement issued by the United States, Bahrain and Israel regarding the agreement to establish diplomatic relations between Bahrain and Israel," Sisi posted on his official Facebook page. Sisi said he valued this important step toward establishing stability and peace in the Middle East, in a way that achieves "a just and permanent settlement of the Palestinian issue." Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement Friday that Israel has reached a peace agreement with Bahrain. A joint statement of Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, Netanyahu and Trump was released by the White House hailing the "historic breakthrough." The announcement comes just days before Israel is to sign an accord with the United Arab Emirates in the White House. A representative of Bahrain is also expected to attend the signing. Egypt similarly signed a U.S.-sponsored peace treaty with Israel in 1979. Enditem K ate Winslet has admitted she regrets working with Woody Allen and Roman Polanski, describing Hollywoods regard for the directors as disgraceful. Allen, 84, was accused of molesting his adopted daughter, an allegation he vehemently denies, while Polanski pleaded guilty to the rape of a 13-year-old girl. Polanski, who fled the United States in 1978, won the best director Oscar in 2003 and was given a standing ovation in his absence. British actress Winslet, 44, has worked with both men, starring in Allens 2017 drama Wonder Wheel and in Polanskis 2011 black comedy Carnage. Former colleague: Winslet worked with Allen as recently as 2017 / ANDER GILLENEA/AFP via Getty Images Speaking to Vanity Fair, Winslet said: Its like, what the f*** was I doing working with Woody Allen and Roman Polanski? Its unbelievable to me now how those men were held in such high regard, so widely in the film industry and for as long as they were. Its f****** disgraceful. Kate Winslet Red Carpet Looks - In pictures 1 /26 Kate Winslet Red Carpet Looks - In pictures 2016 Kate Winslet attends the 88th Annual Academy Awards Getty Images 2015 Kate Winslet attends "The Dressmaker" premiere during the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival Getty Images 2014 Kate Winslet attends "Divergent" Premiere at Regency Bruin Theatre in Los Angeles, California Getty Images 2017 Kate Winslet attends the "Wonder Wheel" screening at Museum of Modern Art Getty Images 2017 Kate Winslet attends "The Mountain Between Us" premiere during the 2017 Toronto International Film Festiva Getty Images 2016 Kate Winslet attends the 22nd Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards Getty Images 2016 Kate Winslet attends the EE British Academy Film Awards at the Royal Opera House Getty Images 2016 Kate Winslet attends the 73rd Annual Golden Globe Awards held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel Getty Images 2016 Kate Winslet attends the 27th Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival Awards Gala Getty Images 2015 Kate Winslet attends the UK premiere of "A Little Chaos" Getty Images 2015 Kate Winslet attends "The Dressmaker" premiere during the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival Getty Images 2014 Kate WInslet attends the European premiere of "Divergent" at Odeon Leicester Square Getty Images 2014 Kate Winslet attends the "A Little Chaos" premiere during the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival Getty Images 2012 Kate Winslet attends the "Titanic 3D" World Premeire at the Royal Albert Hall Getty Images 2011 Kate Winslet attends the 'Carnage' premiere during the 68th Venice Film Festival at Palazzo del Cinema Getty Images 2011 Kate Winslet attends the "Mildred Pierce" premiere during the 68th Venice Film Festival at Palazzo del Cinema Getty Images 2007 Kate Winslet, nominated for an Oscar for best actress in a leading role for her work in "Little Children," arrives for the 79th Academy Awards AP 2006 Kate Winslet attends the premiere of the movie " Little Children" held at the Odeon West End Getty Images 2004 Kate Winslet (wearing a dress by designer Ben de Lisi) pictured attending the UK charity premiere of Finding Neverland, in aid of Great Ormond Street Hospital Children's Charity (GOSHCC), at the Odeon Leicester Square, London Dave Benett 1998 Kate Winslet arrives at the 70th annual Academy Awards at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles Reuters And I have to take responsibility for the fact that I worked with them both. I cant turn back the clock. Im grappling with those regrets but what do we have if we arent able to just be f****** truthful about all of it? Polanski, 87, was expelled by the film academy in May 2018, following Hollywoods #MeToo reckoning. French-Polish director Polanski has continued to release films since leaving Hollywood in the late 70s / AFP via Getty Images Winslets latest film is the romantic drama Ammonite, inspired by the life of British palaeontologist Mary Anning. It tells the story of Annings romantic relationship with Charlotte Murchison, played in the movie by Irish star Saoirse Ronan. Ammonite has made me really aware of being even more committed to honouring what women want to be saying for themselves in films and how we really want to be portrayed, regardless of sexual orientation, Winslet told Vanity Fair. Additional reporting by Press Association The Delhi government has written to the Northern Railway, urging it to not demolish slums situated along the citys railway tracks without first rehabilitating its dwellers. The letter, from the governments Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB), said the slum dwelling units, which the rail utility is set to demolish in pursuance of a Supreme Court order, are protected under the provisions of the NCT of Delhi Laws (special provision) Second Act, 2011. It is clarified that as per provisions of ...of the NCT of Delhi Laws (special provision) Second Act, 2011,... JJ (jhuggi jhopri) bastis which have come up before 01.01.2006 are protected and shall not be removed without orderly arrangement for relocation and rehabilitation of JJ dwellers and the jhuggi jhopri clusters in the NCT of Delhi in accordance with the provisions of the DUSIB Act, 2010, read the letter. Accordingly, you are requested not to demolish the jhuggis situated on railway land without providing alternative accommodation as per provisions of the Delhi Slum and JJ Rehabilitation and Relocation Policy, 2015, it further said. The contents of the letter dated September 10, a copy of which was seen by HT, was approved by DUSIB vice-chairperson and urban development minister Satyendar Jain. DUSIB also mentioned that the slum dwellers are eligible for alternative housing under the Delhi Slum and JJ Rehabilitation and Relocation Policy, 2015. The letter cited these rules while referring to the eviction notices sent by the Northern Railway to slum dwellers over the past few days. The action by the Northern Railway came after the Supreme Court, on August 31, ordered the removal of 48,000 slum dwellings situated along railway tracks within three months. To ensure compliance with its order, the top court also stopped all other courts from issuing a stay order on their removal. In its letter, the Delhi government also attached a list of 45,857 flats constructed by DUSIB under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM), which it has now offered for rehabilitation of slum dwellers, though at a cost. It stated that the Railways, which is the land owning agency in this matter, will have to pay the cost of construction of alternative dwelling units; the cost of land, as per the institutional rate at which DUSIB purchased the land; and the cost of relocation. According to the Delhi Slum Rehabilitation Policy, the relocation charges range from 7.55 lakh to 11.30 lakh per flat, depending on the location of the flat. Of the 45,857 flats, 29,257 are ready to move in units located in areas such as Sultanpuri, Savda Ghevra, Bhalswa, Bawana and Narela. The remaining 16,600 flats are located in Tikri and Pooth Khurd, the government said, and these will be ready by December 2021. The DUSIB, however, said some of the funds given by the Central government for construction of flats could be adjusted towards the amount payable by the land owning agency (Railways). Repeated calls and text messages to the spokesperson of the Northern Railway for a comment on the matter went unanswered. According to the Delhi Slum Rehabilitation Policy, DUSIB is the nodal agency for rehabilitation and relocation of slums with respect to the lands belonging to the municipal corporations and the Delhi government and its departments and agencies. The policy insists on in situ rehabilitation of slum dwellers in which the DUSIB has to either provide alternative housing on the same land or within a 5km radius of the original habitation. In exceptional circumstances, however, the DUSIB can also relocate inland, beyond the 5km radius, with prior approval from its board. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Analysts and industry watchers expect the demand for Samsung Electronics Co. manufactured Exynos chipsets to grow next year. The Korean manufacturer aims to increase its share of the application processor (AP) market, next year. Samsung is developing a new high-end Exynos chipset, codenamed Olympus. This new Exynos chipset will boast upgraded performance and competitive pricing. Historically, Samsung Electronics Co. has designed and manufactured Exynos chipsets for mostly its own consumption. As such, the Korean manufacturer had its own custom central processing unit (CPU) development, team. Advertisement Samsung manufactures around 150-200 million Exynos chipset units each year. Unsurprisingly, a majority of these Exynos chipset units end up in Samsungs Galaxy range of devices. Actually, Samsung has used both, Qualcomm and Exynos chipsets, in its Galaxy and Note series of smartphones. The Exynos models have been used for the Asian markets, while the Qualcomm devices have been sold to US consumers. In fact, several Chinese manufacturers Xiaomi, Vivo, and Oppo also use Exynos chipsets in their smartphones. Advertisement However, as per the latest reports, Samsung has retired its own customer central processing unit (CPU) development team. The new Exynos Olympus chipset will use ARM-designed cores instead. This is a major move for the Korean manufacturer and is expected to help them bridge the gap with Qualcomm. Interestingly, the new Exynos Olympus chipset also boasts an AMD graphics processing unit (GPU). Advertisement Samsung Exynos Chipsets have lagged behind Qualcomm in performance. Unfortunately, Exynos chips have lagged against the market leader Qualcomm in performance benchmarks since 2017. Qualcomm, an American public MNC, is a manufacturer of semiconductors, and chipsets. In fact, Qualcomm is the de-facto leader in the manufacturing of application processor (AP) units for mobile devices, globally. Samsung has always played catch-up in this market to Qualcomm. Unfortunately, Samsungs in-house CPU design team has let Samsung down with the Exynos 990 as well. In fact, customers have reported heating issues with the Samsung Exynos 990. Advertisement As such, it makes sense for Samsung to ditch its in-house team in favour of core design market leader ARM. In fact, Samsung had shut down development work on its custom Mongoose CPU last year itself. Till last year, Mongoose CPUs had powered the Exynos chipset series. Samsung Exynos chipsets to be on par with Qualcomm next year Analysts. Analysts and Industry watchers hold the upcoming Exynos Olympus series in high regard. The industry expects Samsung to narrow down the performance gap with Qualcomm from next year. Analysts expect the US ban on Huawei to favorably impact Samsungs Exynos shipments as well. Also, Qualcomm has raised the price of its mobile AP chipsets. This hasnt gone down well with manufacturers. Many are expected to switch their loyalties to Samsung Exynos instead. San Antonio's annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day march will take place virtually in 2021. The city's MLK Commission voted in August to cancel next year's in-person march on the East Side due to COVID-19 concerns, according to Texas Public Radio. Dr. Keely Petty, chair of the commission, told KSAT that the decision came down to the safety of the people that attend the event each year. "At the end of the day, I will be accountable for persons becoming infected and I say we are not going to do that. I believe Dr. Martin Luther King would do virtual if he were here," Petty said. "He would have enough sense and enough love for the brethren to say, hey, we are going to do something different." Petty consulted medical officials, including Metro Health Director Dr. Colleen Bridger, and noted that the virus has had a disproportionate affect on African-Americans. The virtual event will include speakers, scholarship recipients, and opportunites for the community to donate to support the 2022 march. Last January, more than 100,000 people marched along Martin Luther King Jr. Drive during the event, believed to be the largest in the nation. WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - The Department of Justice has announced nearly $50 million in grants for safety measures in and around primary and secondary schools and school grounds in the country. The 160 awards announced Thursday can be used for coordination with law enforcement; training for local law enforcement officers to prevent student violence; metal detectors, locks, lighting, and other deterrent measures; technology for expedited notification of local law enforcement during an emergency; and other measures that provide a significant improvement in security. The DoJ's Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) is disbursing up to 75 percent funding for school safety measures through its School Violence Prevention Program (SVPP). In addition to the school safety grants, the COPS Office School Safety Working Group has identified 10 essential actions that can be taken by schools, school districts, and law enforcement agencies to help prevent critical incidents such as school shootings and student suicide. The Students, Teachers, and Officers Preventing School Violence Act of 2018 (STOP School Violence Act of 2018) gave the COPS Office authority to provide awards directly to states, units of local government, Indian tribes, and public agencies (such as school districts and law enforcement agencies) to improve security at schools and on school grounds in the jurisdiction of the grantee through evidence-based school safety programs. 'With the new school year underway, the safety of our nation's students remains paramount,' said COPS Office Director Phil Keith. 'Although this school year may look different at the start, now is the ideal time to make preparations to enhance school safety for when all of our children are back in the classroom,' he added. 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. There are many ways Toronto could be made an affordable place to live for low-wage earners. What the COVID-19 virus may have done, many experts say, is inoculate the city from any careless notion that it shouldnt be. They are the fabric and connective tissues that hold (the city) together, says Michelle German, vice-president of policy and strategy at Torontos WoodGreen Community Services. And were at a pivotal moment, says German, who like so many has changed her vocabulary from low-wage to essential when describing such workers in the face of their pandemic heroics. As we move, fretfully at first, into a new decade, there is little doubt that Toronto 2030 will need many more of the low-wage earners who help run our hospitals, nursing homes, coffee shops and grocery stores yet increasingly cant afford to live here. The solutions both obvious and doable are to make their wages higher and their housing costs lower. German and many others have plans on how to do so. Indeed WoodGreen in co-operation with TD and the Toronto Region Board of Trade is in the process of releasing a trio of studies with detailed plans to accommodate low-wage workers, including what would happen if we dont. The first instalment, released in January, was called Housing a Generation of Workers. And without using the (post-COVID-19) word essential, we essentially looked at what is going to happen to our city if we dont remain affordable for essential workers, she says. It was about what is workforce housing and why do we need it. The reason we need it, according to Ryerson Universitys Cherise Burda, is largely to avoid disaster. What weve been witnessing in global cities like Toronto is that as housing prices rise, the workforce (and) the diversity of the workforce we need for our cities to function cant actually afford to live there, says Burda, executive director of Ryersons City Building Institute. And if we dont have people living here to do the diversity of jobs that we need in a functioning city, then were all in trouble, she says. The second and third instalments of the WoodGreen studies, to be released in October and early January, have been relabelled Housing a Generation of Essential Workers to reflect this newly kindled line of thinking. The October study will look at effective and scalable ideas from around the world on how to build low-cost housing, German says, and the January instalment will look at the social and economic costs of housing. First of all, we believe that employers and affordable-housing providers have a role to play in creating and maintaining affordable housing for essential workers, German says. And theres no need to start from scratch, there are several promising models from abroad as well as in our own backyard, that can be replicated, she says. From these examples, the study distilled six principles that would provide the foundation of a made in Toronto model for workforce housing that is both effective and scalable, German says. The first principle called purposeful building would ensure that some housing be built not for an investor looking to make money, but for the people who would live there, she says. So purposeful housing for us is about the end user, the person who will live there. The second dubbed land maximization would ensure that every city acre that could host government and other low-cost housing projects would be used to their maximum capacities. Its important that developers maximize as much of the land as available in order to save on costs and provide for affordable housing when looking at a projects success, German says. The third principle was called financial scalability and keys in on the imperative to build equity for a project through the use of government grant combinations, flexible funding mechanisms and charitable contributions. In a world where its too expensive (to build housing) all the time, how do we use free or close-to-free public land and then stack in all of the different financial incentives or tax benefits possible. In a city increasingly jammed with condos and office towers and developers bidding any open land through the roof, the concept of free public land may seem fanciful. But German says new library, school or recreation centre projects could be combined with low-cost housing, and that it could also be built around transit properties and other public amenities. In our eyes, every single parcel of land that is government owned has the opportunity through creative partnerships and maximizing what you can do out of them to produce something that may be a new library with housing on it and community-shared space, German says. The fourth principle long-term affordability would ensure that whatever is built remains affordable for the foreseeable future. One huge failure in the past has been when housing is built and the affordability period is 10 or 15 years, you can move an essential worker in, German says. But after years their rent just goes up or they get kicked out, its a huge problem. The fifth principle model replicability would ensure that successful housing models would be reused over and over. Because we need a lot of this housing we really need to look at the economic model that works that can be replicated in many different places, German says. So its easy for other organizations and developers to do. Principle six strategic partnerships would ensure that proposals would look as much as possible to aggregate public, charitable and private money into new housing projects. For example, WoodGreen, were the second largest housing provider in the city of Toronto, German says. And we recently partnered with The Daniels Corporation and Sun Life to produce about 34 affordable units for workforce and workers in Regent Park. But building new housing is only part of the solution. Perhaps more important, says Burda, is keeping the affordable housing we already have both up, and affordable. This almost invariably means rental supply. And the supply of rental units in the city has turned overwhelmingly to the secondary condo rental market, where tenants are renting from unit owners who bought the properties as investments. Between 2007 and 2016, condo units provided 97 per cent of the new rental supply in the GTA, Burda says adding these are largely beyond the means of most low-wage workers. What is often within their means are the vast number of slab apartment towers that were built here in the 1960s and 70s as purpose-built rental properties. But these, too, are under pressure, Burda says. The challenge with those is how do we make sure that that stock is in a state of good repair and that they dont become financialized and then upgraded and renovicted, she says. By letting a property run down with broken elevators and tattered common spaces these towers can lose essential workers to the suburbs and beyond, Burda says. On the other hand, allowing them to be purchased and turned into bits of stock portfolios can see them renovated to the extent that old tenants have to leave a renoviction so that higher paying ones can be brought in. So we need to make sure that the rental stock we have is protected (from that), Burda says. And we need to find ways to upgrade a lot of these towers where, even in the best of times before COVID, elevators werent working, or things were broken or (people were) living without heat, she says. The question, Burda says, is how to upgrade this critical stock of tower apartments without jacking up rents and forcing low-wage tenants out. One way is to get Ottawa involved by making the buildings part of the national housing strategy, she says. Another is to place rent controls on the unit, rather than on the tenants, to maintain the affordability of the dwelling. The way that landlords get around rent control is to jack up the price once somebody moves out, Burda says. So there are a lot of these solutions that require a carrot and a stick how do you make it possible to upgrade and maintain (adequate) rents for landlords and protect this housing stock from becoming upgraded (to) generate market rent. To increase affordable housing stock, Burda also suggests looking at the conversion of hotels, many of which will be under severe pandemic pressures for the foreseeable future, to rental properties. As well, says the University of Torontos Susannah Bunce, the variety of alternatives to market-oriented housing should include a renaissance of co-op housing and the introduction of community-land trusts. Under this arrangement, which is gaining popularity in the U.S., non-profit and non-governmental organizations hold lands in trust for community members, primarily at the neighbourhood scale, says Bunce, co-lead of the affordable housing challenge project at the U of Ts School of Cities. The idea behind the community land trust model is that it focuses on community land stewardship and thinking about the needs of community members, she says. Historically this has always been centred on the need for affordable housing. Should the land trust organization choose to sell affordable housing, it would sign a contract with the buyers that no profits be made from future resales of the housing. The idea is to keep housing affordable in perpetuity, Bunce says. As for Toronto Community Housings current housing stock, it has to be preserved and improved, German says. If we dont protect all of our current stock then were essentially taking on water in a boat with a hole in it, she says. This will only work if there is an ongoing investment to maintain both community housing as well as naturally affordable housing. But affordable housing is only one end of the equation, says Carlo Fanelli, co-ordinator of York Universitys work and labour studies program. What you also need is higher wages. And one way to do this is to raise the minimum wage, Fanelli says. But as Doug Fords Conservative government showed in repealing a proposed $15 minimum wage that was to have kicked in this January, such changes can be ephemeral, he says. Whats needed more is to reestablish the unionized labour clout that Canadian workers once wielded, Fanelli says. If history is an indication of these things, strengthening employees ability to unionize at their workplaces has been far and away the best remedy, he says. For many low-wage workers, changes to the labour act would allow for improved union access making make it easier for employees at smaller job sites, such as coffee shops, to organize. Fare-free public transit, as seen in several European jurisdictions, would also help matters for low-wage workers, many of whom have to travel long distances to and from work. But importantly, Fanelli says, the pandemic has made it clear that ingrained ideas about the primacy of free-market solutions to all economic problems and inequities have been misplaced. And its increasingly the idea that these previously so-called unrealistic proposals are the only ones that stand a realistic chance of making a difference, Fanelli says. That includes things like improvements in employment standards legislation, paid sick days, holidays (and) improvements to the minimum wage. In the end, Burda says, Toronto needs workers for the city to function. And after COVID-19, well surely owe them a place to live in that city. Adds Bunce: Governments have a public obligation to make sure that people who are on low incomes are able to stay in place. Theyre able to remain in the place that they grew up in the city, theyre able to age in place and not feel pressure to leave the city because they cant afford to live here. On Friday, Hamilton County Mayor Jim Coppinger and the Chattanooga Area Regents Council, National Society Daughters of the American Revolution commemorated a defining moment in national and local history, 9/11. The Chattanooga Area Regents Council is comprised of the leaders of Chattanoogas five NSDAR chapters: Chickamauga Chapter, Nancy Ward Chapter, Judge David Campbell Chapter, Chief John Ross Chapter and Moccasin Bend Chapter and each chapter observes the three major goals of the NSDAR, education, historic preservation and patriotism. The council reminds us that On September 11, 2001, the national and world attention turned to New York City, Washington, DC and rural Pennsylvania as the horror of the day unfolded. In Hamilton County, individuals and families gathered before their televisions as the news of a terrorist attack on our nation spread quickly. Business and civic meetings were suspended. School leaders called special assemblies where the news was shared and parents arrived to gather their children. The memories of the fear, the spontaneous prayer groups and the unchecked tears will remain with us. The reality is that few who were over the age of five will ever forget where they were when they heard the news; for the 21st century, 9/11 would become the emotional touchpoint that the Kennedy assassination and Pearl Harbor had been for earlier generations. We will not Forget has become a familiar refrain as we mourn the deaths of the almost 3000 people killed during the attack by nineteen militant extremists. Mayor Coppinger, in the 9/11 Proclamation, noted, Whereas, I, Jim Coppinger, Mayor of Hamilton County, join the Chattanooga Regents Council, Daughters of the American Revolution, in honoring the memories of the souls lost on September 11, 2001, and paying tribute to all of the patriots who have sacrificed their lives in defense of freedom. We pray for the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines, and Coast Guardsmen currently serving our Nation in harms way. We thank the dedicated men and women who keep our homeland safe and secure. We pray for peace and the preservation of our nations ideals of liberty, equality and justice for all. The Chattanooga Area Regents Council members are Susan H. Harris, Chickamauga Chapter Regent, Linda Crawford, Nancy Ward Chapter Regent, Marie Wingate, Judge David Campbell Regent, Linda Moss Mines, Chief John Ross Regent and Jan Miller Elliott, Moccasin Bend Regent. New Delhi, Sep 11 : The Economic Offences Wing of Delhi police has arrested two persons, CMD Sanjay Bhati and Director Rajesh Bhardwaj of M/S Garvit Innovative Promoters on the charge of cheating people out of approximately Rs 42,000 crore in different states on the pretext of good returns through a ponzi scheme 'Bike Boat'. The Enforcement Directorate has also been roped in to investigate the case looking as the massive scale of the scam. The EOE arrested Bhati and Bhardwaj for inducing their victims to invest Rs 62,000 for a two-wheeler for an assured return of Rs 9,500 per month, including the principal amount and rental income on the bike, for one year. They duped a number of people who invested their hard-earned money in this scheme. In January 2019, the company also launched an e-bike scheme, wherein an investment of Rs 1.24 lakh for a motorcycle would get a return of Rs 17,000 per month for one year. The accused initially paid the assured amount to the investors to win their trust, but later defaulted on payments and absconded. Many cases stand registered in Uttar Pradesh and other states on the basis of complaints by their victims. A number of persons had filed police complaints against Bhati, whose company had a registered office at Plot No. 1, Chiti, Dadri, Gautam Buddh Nagar district, Uttar Pradesh. "During the course of investigation, we found that approximately 8,000 complainants from Delhi were cheated out of around Rs 250 crore. The Reserve Bank of India had informed us that the said firm was not registered with the apex bank as a NBFC and thus not authorised to collect money from the public," said OP Mishra, Joint Commissioner of Police (EOW). The account details of M/S Garvit Innovative Promoters Limited were obtained from IDBI Bank Yamuna Vihar, Delhi, ICICI Bank Pallavpuram, Meerut/Khurja and Noble Co-operative Bank, Noida. The EOW said that a number of properties worth hundreds of crores of rupees connected to the case were identified and a verification of the same was on. It further said that the Directorate of Enforcement, Lucknow Zonal office, was investigating this case. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov held discussions on India-Russia cooperation in nuclear and space sectors on Thursday, September 10. The two ministers held talks on the sidelines of the eight-member Shanghai Cooperation Organisation's foreign ministers meeting in Moscow. As per reports, Jaishankar said the talks represented the Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership between India and Russia. India and Russia to enhance their partnership During a virtual media briefing on Thursday, MEA spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said, On the sidelines of Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) meeting, EAM has had bilateral meetings with Foreign Ministers of member countries. He met the Russian FM on September 9 and as you know we have a special and privileged strategic partnership with Russia. He added, This year marks the 20 years of our strategic partnership. This was the first physical meeting after the covid situation and there was excellent discussion on bilateral matters, regional developments and international issues of concern. Read: COVID-19 Vaccine: Russia Begins Inoculating Volunteers With 'Sputnik V' As per the MEA, both the ministers followed up on outcomes of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Vladivostok for the fifth edition of the Eastern Economic Forum. Detailing on the topics of discussions, Srivastava said, In this meeting, bilateral, economic issues and cooperation in the development of far eastern region of Russia was also discussed. We also discussed cooperation in nuclear and space sectors. The two ministers agreed to work closely in UNSC during Indias forthcoming tenure as non-permanent member. Read: Russia Says West Trying To Victimize Moscow Over Navalny The MEA spokesperson added that ways to enhance the partnership between two countries were also kept in focus. Srivastava informed that the External Affairs Minister has also had bilateral meetings earlier with Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. Today morning, EAM had bilateral meeting with Uzbekistan and Kazakhastan before he joined the CFM meetings. CFM meeting reviewed preparation for the forthcoming summit which is scheduled in the near future and exhanged views on regional and international issues. This meeting was followed by lunch of RIC Foreign Ministers, said the MEA spokesperson. (With ANI Inputs) Read: After Rafale Jets, Dassault Aviation Interested In Dealing With India For More Aircraft Also Read: 'We Support Indias Candidacy For UNSC': French Defence Minister At Rafale Induction New Delhi: Islamist charities operating in the western countries are receiving huge funds and also found to be engaged in anti-India activities in the United States and European countries. Sam Westrop, Director of the Islamist Watch - Middle East Forum has revealed that there are hundreds of Ismalist charities in Western countries. However, two are the most prominent ones: Islamic Relief - set up by the Muslim Brotherhood, and Muslim Aid - set up by Jamaat-e-Islami. According to the Islamist Watch, Both these charities receive tens of thousands of dollars by the Western governments. Muslim Aid is not just funding proxies on Kashmir but is also directly funding Jihadis in Kashmir, Ghaza Strip, and all over the world. In the last few years, we are seeing that they are getting actively involved in politics and promoting radical Islamist groups in the West. Some of those like Omar Suleiman has also been invited by Nancy Pelosi to address the US Congress. Salafis and Deobandis have grassroots powers, they are the congregation of mosques. In Texas, there is a considerable network that is pushing the Kashmir agenda. Not just politicians, but also the family members of Kashmiri terrorists are joining the events. These whole new groups are being set up to demonise India and provoke terrorism. said Sam Westrop. Speaking in a webinar on Islamizing the West: Muslim Brotherhood, Jamaat-I-Islami, and Tablighi Jamaat, Sam Westrop said that Charity is a key to advancing ideology. Helping Hands for Relief and Development has also organised events with LeT. India finds groups like Helping Hands and Muslim Aid not just on the Pakistani side of the LOC, but also within India itself. Abha Shankar, the Director of Research at the Investigative Project on Terrorism revealed that the first major oganisation is the US Council of Muslim Organisations (USCMO) - an umbrella group of Islamist organisations across the US. It was launched in 2014 and has a political agenda. Every year it organises Muslim advocacy day and raises issues like Kashmir to Palestine and launches related campaigns. Many investigations and studies have exposed ties between USCMO and Turkey. After the abrogation of Article 370, a delegation of USCMO met PoJK President Sardar Masood Khan and pledged their support to Pakistans stand. It also met the OIC and the UN in New York and urged to pressurise India to remove the lockdown as well as carry out plebiscite in the region. They have also reached out to Congressmen to take cognisance of alleged violence in CAA riots and Muslim pogrom in the Delhi riots. In fact, both the Hindus and Muslims were killed in the Delhi riots. Abha Shankar also added that another important group is the Council on American Islamic Relations, founded in 1994. The organisation operates under the guise of human rights. It has roots in the Palestine Committee, set up by Hamas and Muslim Brotherhood in America. Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development is another Islamic charity organisation operating in the US that has been working for radical Islamists. Another problematic organisation is the Centre for Islam and Global Affairs (CIGA). It has been organising events on the Kashmir issue; Many anti-India voices including Hafsa Kanjwal have been invited and have spoken in events of CIGA. Turkey has always supported the organisation and has close ties with it. Clifford Smith, Director of the US-based think tank, Washington Project - Middle East Forum argued that there are three broad categories of anti-India forces in the US. First, there are groups of Indian-Americans Islamists. Second, are the South Asian Islamist groups like the Islamic Centre in North America and Helping Hands - they have an Islamist ideology. Third, you have the Middle Eastern Islamist groups, generally anti-Israel. The hard-left tends to align with all of the above groups. This is not new to America. Jamaat-e-Islami in Pakistan held a military rally where Palestinian flags were posted on Facebook with the caption - We are all Hamas. So this is not only in the US but all over the world. This has a real-world effect on Congress and in the US. The views of these Islamists are going to take every grievance against India. There is a reason why there was a hearing on South Asian Human Rights - which was largely focused on the Kashmir problem. said Clifford Smith. The webinar was organized by Usanas Foundation and moderated by Abhinav Pandya. Two Connecticut men were arrested Thursday in an attempt to purchase a $70,000 Corvette by using forged documents with someones stolen identity, police said. Tavon Moyer, 38, of West Street in Stratford, was charged with criminal attempt to commit first-degree larceny, identity theft and forgery. Akil Jones, 38, of Dover Street in Bridgeport, was charged with conspiracy to commit first-degree larceny. According to Plymouth police, information was received that a man was attempting to make an online purchase of a Corvette valued at $70,000 from Terryville Chevrolet with documents that appeared to be forged. As officers investigated the complaint, they identified the victim who lived in Delaware and whose name and personal information was used to purchase the vehicle, police said. Officers and detective from the Plymouth Police Department along with members of the Connecticut State Police Statewide Narcotics Task Force were able to set up in the area and observe the suspects, police said. Once the main suspect entered the dealership, he was taken into custody without incident. The second party involved was apprehended without incident inside his vehicle at the IGA parking lot. According to Chevrolet, the starting price for a 2020 Corvette is $58,900. Moyer was held on $200,000 bond. Jones was held on a $25,000 bond. They were scheduled to be arraigned in New Britain Superior Court on Friday. Police said the case provides a teachable moment for all of us regarding identity theft. First, lets keep our cars locked. Simple car breaks ins usually start the identity theft process as personal information gets stolen. Second, dont ever give someone personal information over the phone. If you get a phone call and they ask for SSN #, DOB etc. it will probably be a scam. Dont give this information out to anyone. If you think its a scam call the police to confirm. Third, sign up for a credit monitoring company or keep up with companies that monitor credit scores. If someone opens a credit card or account in your name, you will catch it with one of these companies. Canadians want to see businesses shift focus from shareholders and profits and instead prioritize their employees and the broader community, according to a new survey. The survey was conducted by the Canadian Centre for the Purpose of the Corporation (CCPC), which has a goal of helping businesses meet Canadians expectations. It surveyed 3,000 Canadians from July 6 to 11, 2020, with a fair split of region, age and gender to reflect StatsCan data. Statistical margins of error are not applicable since the survey was conducted using an online methodology. Its findings showed that for an overwhelming majority of Canadians the top three issues at the front of mind are wealth and income inequality, environmental and climate issues, and discrimination. It is quite remarkable, Brian Gallant, the CEO of CCPC, said in an interview with the Star. In the middle of a global health pandemic and in a time where theres lots of economic uncertainty, that they placed [these issues] as the top three most frequently named challenges before the economy and well before health care. Survey responses are still in line with topics of conversation that have been drawing more attention in the last few years. While the COVID-19 pandemic has dominated the public discourse this year, issues of race, anti-Black racism and discrimination have become a widespread topic of discussion and protest. And almost one year ago, many environmental activists took part in the Global Climate Strike. Individual Canadians seem ready to commit to change, even if it costs. Gallant pointed out that the data showed that Canadians are interested in working for businesses that are doing more on the social front. About 55 per cent of Canadians said theyd be willing to take a lower salary with an organization that planned to make these changes. I think its pretty clear that businesses should step up on this. Because collectively if they dont, Canadians, we believe based on this data, will grow more frustrated, Gallant said. Sixty-five per cent of people surveyed agreed that currently, Canadian corporations prioritize profits for their shareholders over the well-being of their stakeholders, and only about 30 per cent get the impression that Canadian corporations are concerned with their impact on society. Rusul Alrubail is the executive director of Parkdale Centre for Innovation, a startup incubator in Toronto. She said Parkdale Centre often sees entrepreneurs and new businesses that have a social impact purpose. This is likely because we support a majority of Black, Indigenous, people of colour, and newcomer businesses that are often working to solve direct problems they see to exist in their communities, Alrubail said in an email to the Star. For businesses that do not already have those ideas embedded in the mandate of the company, she said they should consider the leadership driving them. One challenge is that often the leadership of corporations lacks representation from communities theyre serving, Alrubail said. Its important to have decision-makers at the table that understand the majority of the challenges Canadians are facing and to address them. Alrubail also reiterated that change will take more initiative. The recent racial reckoning has stirred some response, but she challenges organizations to do more. Its not enough now for companies to put D&I (diversity and inclusion) or Corporate and social responsibility as an added tab on their website, she said. They have to do the real work in understanding the role they play in upholding power structures and racial bias within their organizations and work to dismantle those barriers theyve been benefiting from. I have high hope in the new generation of entrepreneurs and small businesses that are working hard to not only dismantle those barriers, but to build businesses that centre communities, the environment and the people, Alrubail said. Jamile Cruz, founder of I&D 101, which provides consulting to companies about inclusion and diversity, said that for organizations to respond to these changing public values, they have to invest. Its really a change of culture, she said. Changes come at a price. You cant have change without a certain level of investment, commitment and a plan on how to measure progress, Cruz continued. Additionally, the survey found over 70 per cent of Canadians also believe capitalism should be reformed so that it is more inclusive, fairer and more sustainable (55 per cent), if not completely replaced (17 per cent). Cruz noted there are people who would want to maintain the status quo. The current systems do benefit a portion of the population, she said. People question how much am I losing to be able to give this space, which comes from this place of scarcity, which is not really the reality. If we all shared a portion of the pot wed be in a better place. Just under half of those surveyed believe Canadian corporations are a force of good within society. Still, more than three-quarters of Canadians surveyed think that our businesses should contribute more to the betterment of society. Angelyn Francis is a Toronto-based reporter for the Star covering inequity and inequality. Her reporting is funded by the Canadian government through its Local Journalism Initiative. Reach her via email: afrancis@thestar.ca Frederick Harold Houser was born on January 3, 1953, to Willie James and Nannie Ford Houser in Chattanooga, Tennessee. He peacefully made his heavenly transition on September 6, 2020, at his home in Athens, Georgia. Affectionately known by all who loved him as Butch, he left the same lasting impression on everyone who came before his presence. He was truly a people person and a lifelong follower of Christ. Ordained as an elder in February 2019, he served as an active member and leader at Timothy Baptist Church in Athens. He was also an ordained minister. Fred was a proud Howard High School Tiger and remained very active with his beloved Class of 1970 who recently celebrated their 50th class reunion. Following high school, he attended The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga where he was a proud member of the Cheerleading Team and he carried that level of enthusiasm and zeal for life wherever he went. He earned a bachelors degree in Human Services Management. Thereafter he went on to earn a Master of Science in Public Management from Cumberland University. He lived by the motto, If I can help somebody then my life will not be in vain and as such spent his days in service to others. He was admired as a key player in the transformation of Chattanooga, from the revitalization of the MLK area in the 1980s to addressing inner city gang violence from 2005-2013 in his role as the citys Associate Gang Czar and Outreach Coordinator. In addition to serving his local community, he also served as a missionary in Costa Rica, together with his sister, prayer partner and best friend, Joan. In October of 2019, Fred reconnected with a high school classmate and found in her true happiness and a refuge he wholeheartedly desired. Fred and T as he lovingly called her, enjoyed a wonderful courtship and became engaged at 12:01 a.m. on Jan. 1, 2020. Fred was preceded in death by his parents, Willie and Nannie Houser. He leaves to cherish his memory a son, Daniel Jackie Houser and a daughter Juliene Houser Williams (Frank), three sisters, Cynthia Woodruff, Anita Faye Sorrells and Joan Houser Stevens, seven grandchildren, a special nephew, Felix Mayes and a host of other relatives, friends and even brief acquaintances who are forever positively affected by his very special presence. The master was full of praise. Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Lets celebrate together! Matthew 25:21 NLT An Osun State Magistrate court sitting in Osogbo has remanded an ex-convict, Idowu Wahab and his brother Opeyemi Popoola for assault and stealing. The police prosecutor, Inspector Olayiwola Razaq told the court that they committed the offence on 8th and 9th of September, 2020 at Oja Oba Police Station. Inspection Olayiwola Razaq said Idowu attacked ASP Adeleke Adewale while performing his lawful duty. The prosecutor also told the court that the second accused person, Opeyemi Popoola stole four singlets valued N 1,200 property of Francis Ezekwere while the two threatened to eliminate him. The prosecutor stated that the offence committed the accused persons was contrary to and punishable under Section 516, 356(5), 390(9), 86(1) and 451 of the Criminal Code Cap 34 vol.II Laws of Osun State Nigeria, 2002. The accused persons pleaded not guilty to the offence leveled against them. The Defence Counsel, Kehinde Adepoju applied for his client's bail in the most liberal terms. The Magistrate, Ishola Omisade remanded the the accused persons in Ilesa correctional center till 16th of September, 2020. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-11 15:45:53|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close PHNOM PENH, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia had received 1.2 million international visitors during the first seven months of 2020, down 68.7 percent from 3.84 million over the same period last year, said the latest report released by the Ministry of Tourism on Friday. China, Vietnam and Thailand were the largest sources of foreign travelers to the Southeast Asian country during the January-July period this year, the report said. It said some 283,063 Chinese, 179,784 Vietnamese, and 171,677 Thais visited the kingdom during the first seven months of this year, down 81 percent, 62 percent, and 14 percent, respectively compared to the same period last year. In July alone, Cambodia welcomed only 20,689 foreign visitors, a 96-percent drop from 502,421 over the same month last year, the report said. The huge slump in the number of international arrivals to Cambodia was due to the COVID-19 pandemic that forced the country to impose entry restrictions for all foreign travelers since March. Tourism Minister Thong Khon has predicted that Cambodia could lose about 3 billion U.S. dollars in tourism revenue this year due to the decline in the number of international visitors. "For 2020, due to the COVID-19 crisis, the number of foreign tourists to Cambodia can drop by 70 percent," he said. Enditem CROMWELL Nineteen years later, Cromwell remembers. Almost two decades since still-shocking terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, town officials and representatives from the fire and police departments held a brief ceremony Friday to honor the nearly 3,000 people who died that day. Also remembered during the ceremony, held in the park at Frisbie Landing, were the many hundreds of first responders who have died since the attacks. They are the men and women who worked on The Pile, the debris field created by the collapse of what were the World Trade Centers twin towers in New York. Mayor Enzo Faienza said the way in which the nation rallied together in the aftermath of the attacks can provide a template for how Americans can respond to the coronavirus pandemic. State Sen. Matthew Lesser and state Rep. Christie Carpino, whose districts include Cromwell, joined Faienza, Town Manager Anthony J. Salvatore, members of the Town Council and police and fire personnel during the ceremony, which began at 8:30 a.m. Participants, including the Cromwell Police Department Honor Guard, wore masks throughout the abbreviated ceremony, which ended just before 8:47 a.m., when the first jetliner, an American Airlines flight bound for Los Angeles, slammed into the North Tower. The Fire Departments oversized presentation flag flew from the departments ladder truck, parked on the bank of the Connecticut River. Despite the passage of time, Faienza said the shock of the attacks and enormity of the lives lost has not lessened. But he also remembers the next day, Sept. 12th, when this country came together. There were no Blacks or whites, or people with different accents. We were all united, and we were doing it for our fellow human beings, he said. That, Faienza said, can and should be the message now as the country continues to grapple with the pandemic. The day has particular relevance for Carpino, who grew up on Long Island. The twin towers always signified a sense of security to me, Carpino said following the ceremony. The day they fell and the plane (UAL Flight 93) went down in [Shanksville] Pa. and the Pentagon was struck that was the day the world changed, she said. We should never forget that day, when thousands of innocent people lost their lives for no other reason than they were Americans, she said. I remember that day as if it was yesterday, Cromwell Fire Chief Michael Terenzio said. I was still on the job in Stamford, which isnt that far from the city, referring to New York. He and his fellow firefighters made a pact to never forget the destruction of the towers or the terrible loss of firefighters. The ceremony ended as Terenzio rang a bell four times, for the two planes that struck the towers, the one that crashed into the Pentagon, and Flight 93. The passengers on board that flight fought the hijackers to prevent them from following through on what is believed to have been an intended attack on the U.S. Capitol. Im glad to see that Cromwell continues to remember that day and to show its respect to those who died on that day and to those who continue to pass away as a result of their work trying to recover the victims, Salvatore said. The Never Forget Project is dedicated to preserving the memory of the hundreds of New York City firefighters killed that day and assisting their families. According to the Project, respondersworked in a wildly toxic environment made up of more than 2,500 contaminants including glass, lead and mercury. Reflecting on the day, Carpino said, Nineteen years should have taught us that were always stronger when we stand together as Americans. Our flag represents the best of who we are as a nation, she said, gesturing toward the Fire Departments flag. The tragedy that was 9/11 and the patriotism of 9/12 are key to who we are a country, Carpino said. jmill@middletownpress.com MONTREAL, Sept. 11, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- PyroGenesis Canada Inc. (http://pyrogenesis.com) (TSX-V: PYR) (OTCQB: PYRNF) (FRA: 8PY), a high-tech company, (the "Company", the Corporation or "PyroGenesis") that designs, develops, manufactures and commercializes plasma atomized metal powder, plasma waste-to-energy systems and plasma torch products, issues this press release in response to a sudden decline in its stock price this afternoon. Given the recent decline, and inquiries from investors, the Company confirms the following: Everything material has been disclosed by the Company in either its press releases or financial reports. PyroGenesis further confirms that none of the contracts press released are at risk. Last but not least, the Company wishes to reassure PyroGenesis shareholders that we remain on track with our current and prospective projects. There seems to be an indication that certain comments made by a fund manager in the course of an interview lead to this decline. In the interview it appears that one could conclude that he suggested that he did not expect more than 1 to 2 torches to be sold by PyroGenesis within the next 3-6 months, said Mr. P. Peter Pascali, CEO and President of PyroGenesis. Although I respect analysis done by third parties, I am also aware of the challenges that this presents to these same very same analysts who, by the very nature of the job, are always on the outside looking in. This is also exasperated by the pressure they have of providing insight within sound bites. Having said that I can confirm that the Company has visibility on more torch orders than that alluded to in the interview. In fact, I can confirm that the current status of torch negotiations with various clients anticipate closing more than 1-2 torch deals in well under 3 months, let alone 3-6 months. These comments are not meant to reflect badly on the analyst in question, but merely to provide additional insight that only a CEO with full information can, and which I felt, under the circumstances, was necessary. About PyroGenesis Canada Inc. PyroGenesis Canada Inc., a high-tech company, is the world leader in the design, development, manufacture and commercialization of advanced plasma processes and products. We provide engineering and manufacturing expertise, cutting-edge contract research, as well as turnkey process equipment packages to the defense, metallurgical, mining, advanced materials (including 3D printing), oil & gas, and environmental industries. With a team of experienced engineers, scientists and technicians working out of our Montreal office and our 3,800 m2 manufacturing facility, PyroGenesis maintains its competitive advantage by remaining at the forefront of technology development and commercialization. Our core competencies allow PyroGenesis to lead the way in providing innovative plasma torches, plasma waste processes, high-temperature metallurgical processes, and engineering services to the global marketplace. Our operations are ISO 9001:2015 and AS9100D certified, and have been since 1997. PyroGenesis is a publicly-traded Canadian Corporation on the TSX Venture Exchange (Ticker Symbol: PYR) and on the OTCQB Marketplace. For more information, please visit www.pyrogenesis.com . This press release contains certain forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, statements containing the words "may", "plan", "will", "estimate", "continue", "anticipate", "intend", "expect", "in the process" and other similar expressions which constitute "forward- looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements reflect the Corporation's current expectation and assumptions and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties including, but not limited to, our expectations regarding the acceptance of our products by the market, our strategy to develop new products and enhance the capabilities of existing products, our strategy with respect to research and development, the impact of competitive products and pricing, new product development, and uncertainties related to the regulatory approval process. Such statements reflect the current views of the Corporation with respect to future events and are subject to certain risks and uncertainties and other risks detailed from time-to-time in the Corporation's ongoing filings with the securities regulatory authorities, which filings can be found at www.sedar.com, or at www.otcmarkets.com. Actual results, events, and performance may differ materially. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. The Corporation undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward- looking statements either as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities laws. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange, its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) nor the OTCQB accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release. A view of the empty Woodlands Causeway between Singapore and Malaysia after Malaysia imposed a lockdown on travel due to the COVID-19 outbreak on 18 March 2020. (PHOTO: Reuters) Malaysia is looking to fully reopen its border with Singapore in January, said Malaysian Health Minister Adham Baba on Friday (11 September), according to a report by The Star. The recovery movement control order period over the next four months would be an important time for Malaysia as it would determine the possibility of fully reopening the border with Singapore, Dr Adham said. A more systematic approach is required in areas such as border control and physical distancing, the minister said. We cannot use a trial-and-error approach, he added, according to the report. The decision whether to reopen the border would have to consider people's livelihood, which had been hurt by the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr Adham said. We must find a balance as both the economy and health are very important matters, he said at an event to pay tribute to frontliners in Johor Bahru. He added that his ministry was looking at doubling its capacity to do swab tests for travellers under the Reciprocal Green Lane (RGL) and Periodic Commuting Arrangement (PCA) schemes. Speaking at the same event, Johor Chief Minister Hasni Mohammad said the state government would continue to push the federal government to open up the border with Singapore as soon as possible. Johor wants the border to be fully open for daily commuters and not just with the RGL and PCA Prior to RGL and PCA, there was already movement between the two countries, with Malaysia sending cargo containing medical and food supplies, he said. As of 31 August, 320 individuals had travelled to and from Singapore under RGL and another 8,270 under the PCA, according to Hasni. Stay in the know on-the-go: Join Yahoo Singapore's Telegram channel at http://t.me/YahooSingapore More Singapore stories: COVID-19: Singapore confirms 87 new cases, 33 from Avery Lodge dorm Singapore, Japan to set up green lane travel arrangement from 18 Sept Initiative to help vulnerable families tackle dengue threat gets support from 7 MPs Find all of the most important pandemic education news on Educating N.J., a special resource guide created for parents, students and educators. With thousands of people begging him to reverse course, Gov. Phil Murphy said Thursday night that state leaders are searching for a way to save a decades-old, nationally renowned mental health counseling program in New Jersey schools that is poised to be eliminated because of state budget cuts. The School-Based Youth Services Program operates inside of 100 school districts across the state, and educators and students say it has saved lives. This is one of the things that wed like to try to find a way to get back in the budget, Murphy said during his regular call-in radio show. This is one that I think theres a broad agreement and support to try to find a way to get back in. Ive just got to make sure we have the money to pay for it. But theres no question its something we should do everything we can to get that in and it does an enormous amount of good, he added. Murphys revised state budget proposal calls for $1.5 billion in cuts to help fill a $5.6 billion hole because of tax revenue losses amid the coronavirus pandemic. The cuts include the $11 million needed to run the mental health program. The Democratic governor and Democratic-controlled state Legislature have until the end of the month to reach an agreement on a final spending plan. That means they have only a few more weeks to negotiate and make changes. Supporters of the program have been lobbying to save the free mental health program, which includes therapy, recreational and club activities, and assistance to apply to college. A petition to save the program has garnered 35,000 signatures at change.org as of Thursday night. They say the program is needed more than ever because depression, anxiety and teen deaths by suicide are on the rise. 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, state Sen. Anthony M. Bucco, R-Morris, said. Many of those kids dont have access to mental health services and are at an impressionable age when it comes to experimenting with drugs. Keep up with the latest in N.J. schools coverage. Sign up with your email here: Currently, Murphys budget proposal which he unveiled late last month zeroes out $11 million state funds for the program. That, in turn, would forfeit $11 million in matching federal funds. At the same time, the governors administration is re-allocating $45 million within the state Department of Children and Families' 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. A spokesman for the Department of Children and Families told NJ Advance Media earlier this month that there are now plenty of services available to take the programs 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, department spokesman Jason Butkowski said in a statement. 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, Butkowski added. 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." NJ Advance Media staff writer Susan K. Livio contributed to this report. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Brent Johnson may be reached at bjohnson@njadvancemedia.com. Have a news tip or a story idea about New Jersey schools? Send it here. Union Minister Kiren Rijiju said that the Chinese Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) would hand over the youths, who had gone missing from Arunachal Pradesh, on Saturday at a designated location. China will hand over the five Indian nationals at Wacha near Kibithu border personnel meeting point, said Army sources later. The PLA had earlier confirmed that the missing youths were found by their side and that the modalities on the handover process were being worked out. The development came after Rijiju said the Indian Army had sent a hotline message to the establishment of PLA at the border point. The Chinese PLA has confirmed to Indian Army to hand over the youths from Arunachal Pradesh to our side. The handing over is likely to take place anytime tomorrow i.e. 12th September 2020 at a designated location," Rijiju said in a tweet on Friday. The Chinese PLA has confirmed to Indian Army to hand over the youths from Arunachal Pradesh to our side. The handing over is likely to take place anytime tomorrow i.e. 12th September 2020 at a designated location. https://t.co/UaM9IIZl56 Kiren Rijiju (@KirenRijiju) September 11, 2020 Earlier on Saturday, a senior Arunachal Pradesh police officer had said that the cops had launched a probe after reports stated that five people, who had gone hunting in a forest in Upper Subansiri district on the Sino-India border, were allegedly kidnapped by the Chinese military. The incident occurred last Friday in Nacho area of the district. Two others, who were in the group, managed to escape and informed police. Those reportedly kidnapped have been identified as Toch Singkam, Prasat Ringling, Dongtu Ebiya, Tanu Baker and Ngaru Diri. All of them belong to the Tagin community. Their relatives who are living at district headquarters Daporijo, said that some of their relatives had left for Nacho Saturday morning to discuss the matter with the Indian Army. Nacho is around 120 kilometers from the district headquarters. The incident comes at a time when the Indian army has heightened its deployment along the 3,400 km-long Line of Actual Control (LAC) amid tensions at the border with China in eastern Ladakh. Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian told a media briefing in Beijing that Chinas position on the east sector of the China-India boundary, or Zangnan (the southern part of Chinas Xizang (Tibet) ), is consistent and clear." He added that the Chinese government has never recognised the so-called Arunachal Pradesh". THE approval of plans to build 43 flats on the site of a Henley office block has made a mockery of neighbourhood plans, say town councillors. Chaskel Rand and Joel Sofer, from London, have been granted planning permission to demolish two-storey Andersen House in Newtown Road and build two blocks of flats. Each block would be up to four storeys with 221 sq m of commercial space to address concerns about the loss of employment land. The application was approved by the planning committee of South Oxfordshire District Council, the planning authority. But the decision has angered Henley councillors, who spoke against the plans at the meeting. They say: The site wasnt earmarked for housing in the joint Henley and Harpsden neighbourhood plan, which states that the Newtown industrial estate should remain a key employment centre. The development will have only eight affordable flats but the district councils own policy on new schemes is that 40 per cent of units should be affordable, in this case 17. The district councils own local plan, which is due to be adopted by the end of this year, asks Henley to find a hectare of employment land in the updated version of the neighbourhood plan yet this development will result in the loss of commercial space. Mayor Ken Arlett, who is a member of the district councils planning committee, told the meeting: The application is destroying everything that neighbourhood plans stand for. Why are we wasting time on these plans when were not going to adhere to them? The land is not in the joint Henley and Harpsden neighbourhood plan, its not even in the review. We just dont need any more of these so-called reasonably priced flats which go for 480,000/ 500,000. I can tell you, I live in the town, theres no need for this number of flats. Theres a need for small units in town for commercial use and thats what needs to take place there. Why ask us for another hectare of commercial land and in the next breath take some away for some flats? Really that doesnt make any sense at all. Town and district councillor Stefan Gawrysiak told the meeting: We should be able to decide whether we lose or gain employment and whether we lose or gain housing. He said the industrial estate was a main employment centre in Henley and the Andersen House site should be used for high quality office or workshop accommodation only. Cllr Gawrysiak said: Right next door is a garage that is servicing motor cars, across the road is a place bolting tyres on to cars. Theres also a unit for storage. There are four other office buildings on this industrial estate that, if this planning permission goes through, could fall to housing. Councillor Lorraine Hillier, a member of the committee, said that approving the application would make a mockery of all neighbourhood plans. Kate Gregory, a Liberal Democrat councillor for Thame, said: We spend a lot of money and time on our neighbourhood plans and to have a development this large just going against that is ridiculous. Paula Fox, the district councils development manager, said that just because the site was not in the neighbourhood plan didnt mean the application should be automatically refused. Planning officer Amanda Rendell, who recommended approval of the application, said that not all the employment space would be lost and there was likely to be demand for the new offices. She said that while the site was not allocated for housing in the neighbourhood plan, it would provide much-needed affordable homes and contribute to the councils required provision. The meeting heard that the site had been vacant for 10 years since it was vacated by digital signage firm Onelan and marketed since 2017 without success. Lucy Anderson, of planning consultants Boyer, said the scheme would be an exciting regeneration of a brownfield site with high quality flats and modern office space ideal for small businesses and start-ups. She said the number of affordable units complied with the policy because the applicants were permitted to trade off these against the proportion of commercial space as the building was vacant. Ms Anderson added that the development would include green space, a play area, new planting and additional landscaping. There would also be 47 parking spaces for residents and visitors. Councillor Peter Dragonetti, who represents the Green Party in Kidmore End and Whitchurch ward, said development would be in a sustainable location and there were no strong planning reasons to refuse the application. If we refuse it and it goes to appeal well be an absolute laughing stock, he added. He proposed acceptance and was seconded by Cllr Jo Robb, who represents the Green Party in Woodcote and Rotherfield ward. The application was appoved by six votes to four with one abstention. After the meeting, Michelle Thomas, who chairs the town councils planning committee, said the decision undermined neighbourhood plans and rode roughshod over all the work done on them. The message they are sending out to developers is that neighbourhood plans have no weight, she said. She called on the Lib- Dem/Green coalition, which controls the district council, to come up with a suitable policy to unite behind every neighbourhood plan in the district. Andersen House is near the site of the former LA Fitness gym, which was converted into the Henley Manor care home despite objections, and the former RPS Energy building, which was converted into 22 flats. The building was named by Keith Barker, founder of Videcom, which used to be based there, after Californian Charles Andersen, the European vice-president of Ampex Corporation, who lived in Henley. Meanwhile, the town council has recommneded that a plan for a series of alterations to a listed property in Thames Side is refused planning permission. Marisa Bucknell wants to alter an existing modern extension to the rear of the building, widen its footprint and convert it from a single storey to two. She also wants an adjacent single-storey glass extension. Cllr Gawrysiak said it would mean placing a huge slab of glass on a listed building. Members unanimously recommended refusal due to the impact on a listed building, light overspill from the proposed construction affecting neighbours and the lack of respect for the character of the building. What do you think? Write to: Letters, Henley Standard, Caxton House, 1 Station Road, Henley or email letters@henleystandard.co.uk I was a graduate student in Oxford when the planes crashed into the Twin Towers in New York. After hearing the news, I met up with a friend. We had been planning to attend a book reading, but instead, we held each other tightly and sobbed. At that moment, I did not understand that I was about to face even more heartbreak. In the ensuing days, Americans of Muslim, Arab and South Asian backgrounds who were still grieving for their compatriots were themselves assaulted, killed and blamed for the attacks. On the 19th anniversary of that devastating day, a similar tragedy is unfolding for Americans of Chinese and East Asian ancestry. These communities are facing the challenges and uncertainties of the global pandemic compounded by a second pandemic of anti-Asian violence. Almost 2,600 incidents were reported between March and early August, including attempted murder, death threats, verbal assaults, and a huge spike in online racism across the United States. During this pandemic, 31 percent of Asian Americans report being the subject of slurs or jokes and 26 percent worry about being threatened or physically attacked. These numbers are higher than for any other racial group. Just as September 11 prompted a resurgence of Islamophobia, the pandemic has catalysed a new wave of Sinophobia. Historians have chronicled American Sinophobia dating back to the 1850s and its government sanction in numerous laws including the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act. While much has rightly been made of US President Donald Trumps jingoistic emphasis on the origin of the coronavirus and the tepid response of the Justice Department to anti-Asian violence, focusing solely on these actors detracts from an uncomfortable truth. Millions of liberals and conservatives across the country consciously or unconsciously harbour anti-Chinese sentiments. They view those of Chinese ancestry and other Asian Americans, as competent and hard-working but also cunning, unidimensional and clannish. After all, if the virus had originated in Sweden, would we be seeing the same kinds of attacks on Scandinavian Americans? The prevalence and intensity of Sinophobia has shifted with the changing political, economic, and social relationship between the US and China. According to a recent report from the Pew Research Center, 73 percent of Americans hold an unfavourable view of China, up from 47 percent in 2018. The escalating trade war, Chinas human rights abuses, and Trumps rhetoric have triggered the shift. Given the longstanding perception of Chinese Americans as alien, policy positions against China often lead to negative actions against Americans of Chinese ancestry. A similar fate plagues other immigrants and people of colour who are considered perpetually foreign, despite their allegiance to and investment in the US. One of the most egregious examples is that of the 120,000 Japanese Americans who were interned during World War II due to suspicions about their loyalties. Sinophobia is a byproduct of a racialised state. While the history and experience of the Chinese in America is different from other racial groups, anti-Asian sentiment forms a powerful, self-perpetuating foundation that undergirds the violence we are witnessing today. Most of us readily denounce anti-Asian bias, but we have not acknowledged our tacit complicity in it. Nor have we taken seriously the power and responsibility we have to prevent it. Acknowledging Sinophobia cannot come at the expense of the overdue focus on anti-Black racism. Addressing both of these as part of a broader agenda exposes the shared origins of racial oppression. It also cuts against the dominant narrative that pits minority groups against one another rather than uniting them in solidarity. Confronting bias against Asian Americans or any other racial minority is a daunting task. Doing so requires three things: acknowledging biases and recognising that they can be altered; engaging friends, family, and co-workers who make disparaging remarks and confronting hate in public settings; and identifying institutional racism and demanding changes from schools, media organisations, and employers. As the events of the last few months have so tragically demonstrated, racially-based violence remains pervasive in the United States. Not all forms of racism are the same, but they share a goal to subordinate and dehumanise a group of people. It is time to recognise and confront the forces that seek to perpetuate inequality, regardless of the group affected. This requires us to end the silence at our dinner tables, in our classrooms, and at the (virtual) water cooler. As risky as it feels to step into the fray, our continued inaction is even riskier. The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial stance. India insisted on 'complete disengagement' in all its talks with China on eastern Ladakh row: Govt We will continue to deal with Chinese PLA in firm, resolute manner: Army chief Aggressive PLA behaviour along LAC shows complete disregard for protocols: India tells China India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Sep 11: India told China during the meeting of the foreign ministers that the massing of Chinese troops along the Line of Actual Control is a cause of grave concern. External Affairs Minister, S Jaishankar met with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi at Moscow on Thursday on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO). Beijing was told that the provocative behaviour by the Chinese along the LAC showed complete disregard for bilateral agreements and protocols. The Ministry of External Affairs(MEA) issued a joint press statement early on Friday featuring five points which were agreed by both sides at the "frank and constructive" discussions by the two ministers. Also Read: "The two foreign ministers agreed that the current situation in the border areas is not in the interest of either side. They agreed, therefore, that the border troops of both sides should continue their dialogue, quickly disengage, maintain proper distance and ease tensions," it said. India-China agree to disengage | The 5-point plan | Oneindia News The joint statement said Jaishankar and Wang agreed that both sides should take guidance from the series of consensus reached between leaders of the two countries on developing India-China relations, including not allowing differences to become disputes. This assessment was a clear reference to decisions taken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping at their two informal summits in 2018 and 2019. "The two ministers agreed that both sides shall abide by all the existing agreements and protocol on China-India boundary affairs, maintain peace and tranquility in the border areas and avoid any action that could escalate matters," the joint statement said. At the talks, Jaishankar and Wang agreed that as the situation eases on the border, the two sides should expedite work to conclude new confidence building measures to maintain and enhance peace and tranquility in the border areas. The joint statement said the two sides also agreed to continue to have dialogue and communication through the Special Representative(SR) mechanism on the India-China boundary question. New York, Sep 11 : Children born to mothers who had diabetes during pregnancy may age faster biologically and be at an increased risk for obesity and high blood pressure, say researchers. The study, published in the journal Epigenetics, explored how more than 1,000 children born to mothers in China aged on a cellular level. In the US, between two percent to 10 percent of pregnancies are affected by the condition annually, according to the National Institutes of Health. Researchers examined their exposure to gestational diabetes in utero and their DNA methylation, or epigenetic age, which indicates how experiences and exposures reflect true biological age even in early childhood. Accelerated aging, which can be determined by evaluating if a person's estimated DNA methylation age is greater than their chronological age, has been shown to be associated with cardiovascular risks and poor health outcomes later in life. The researchers measured the epigenetic age of 1,156 children who were ages 3 to 10 in Tianjin, China, to see how it differed from their chronological age. They found that children born to mothers who had diabetes while pregnant had a higher epigenetic age -- or were "older" than their actual age -- and that this epigenetic age is associated with higher weight, body mass index, body fat percentage, upper-arm circumference and blood pressure. "These findings suggest that gestational diabetes may have long-term effects on epigenetic aging in offspring and lead to poorer cardiometabolic health outcomes," said lead author Stephanie Shiau from the Rutgers Unviversity in the US. The findings support the need for further studies using longitudinal samples to evaluate the association between epigenetic age and later onset of adult metabolic diseases. The EU will play hardball with Boris Johnson - and Brussels is serious about international legal action. That takes us some distance further towards a no-deal outcome - with a return to the brinksmanship which characterised much of 2019. Yet the sadder part is that this time the risks, not least because of repetition, are far more real. All levels of the European Union are united in fury at Johnson's bid to break the Withdrawal Agreement - including guarantees of the special trade status for Northern Ireland which avoids a return of the Border on this island. The threat of international legal action against the London government may to the ordinary citizen seem a little exaggerated. In the first place such processes take a long time, and offer no timely remedies to avoid a no-deal calamity at the end of this year, costing tens of thousands of Irish jobs, among more widespread consequences across the EU. For another thing, since the UK is three-quarters-way out the EU gate, how real is a threat of international legal action - including an EU Court of Justice case? Read More Comparisons with an errant absconding schoolboy, discounting disciplinary threats from the headmaster whom he sees as history, spring to mind. But the Johnson happy-go-lucky runaway schoolboy analogy, while understandable for obvious reasons, is also entirely misplaced. One senior Brussels diplomat quickly scotched the "home-free schoolboy analogy" in three simple sentences. "The European Union is a community based on law. One member state, albeit a very difficult member state and on the point of leaving, cannot be allowed to just willy-nilly break an international treaty. Talk of legal action is serious and a signal to everyone, including the United Kingdom, that we take all this very seriously," one senior EU official told the Irish Independent. But it is equally clear the EU is not going to allow Johnson "an internal British propaganda coup". Brussels' chief negotiator Michel Barnier kept his post yesterday at the conclusion of round eight of struggling talks with his London counterpart David Frost, on a future EU-UK trade deal in a post-Brexit world. This happened as another EU emissary hit London via the Channel Tunnel. Commission vice-president Maros Sefcovic met UK Brexit minister Michael Gove to convey the EU's dismay at developments. There followed a very rare hard-hitting statement from the entire Commission threatening legal action against London. But the Brussels view is also that parallel talks on a trade deal will continue. Johnson's latest gambit, however, clearly militates seriously against his stated goal of getting an EU-UK trade deal comparable with that given Canada. Taoiseach Micheal Martin is right to assert that a no-deal end to all of this is increasingly likely. It is clear Johnson, in serious trouble over the mishandling of Covid-19, is trying to pivot back to the safer domestic political ground of Brexit. He affects to be ready to go for "no-deal" - blamed on Brussels - which might not be too noticeable among the other coronavirus economic fallout. The domestic criticism from eminent lawyers and former PMs Theresa May and John Major is being discounted as predictable. But he cannot shake criticisms - augmented by Speaker of the US House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi - that other future trade deals are unlikely if London now breaks the terms of a partially concluded EU deal. Many see Johnson's move as an attempt to put pressure on the EU to concede ground. But this will not succeed. The reality is that Johnson himself negotiated the current deal 11 months ago - with a lot of help from then-Taoiseach Leo Varadkar. He later rammed it through the London parliament without too much scrutiny and vaunted it to voters in last December's successful general election as "oven-ready". Now he is suddenly saying the Withdrawal Agreement - which entered into force on January 31 last as the UK left the EU on a political level - is deficient. He is even trying to say he did not understand it last autumn and winter as he signed it and put into force. Surely that is a resigning issue of itself. It puts Johnson in the fool or knave bracket. It will be hard for him to back down once more. EU ambassadors were circulated with a briefing document which outlined grounds for legal action against London. It stipulated that the EU Commission had four years to take action for alleged breaches of the Withdrawal Agreement during the current interim period. That could be either before the EU Court of Justice in Luxembourg or an independent panel of arbitrators. Both options could lead to heavy fines against the UK. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-12 02:41:28|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close JERUSALEM, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement Friday that Israel has reached a peace agreement with Bahrain. The agreement was announced simultaneously by Netanyahu and U.S. President Donald Trump. A joint statement of Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, Netanyahu and Trump was released by the White House hailing the "historic breakthrough." The announcement comes just days before Israel is to sign an accord with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in the White House. A representative of Bahrain is also expected to attend the signing. "This is a new era of peace," Netanyahu said in the statement. "These agreements come after years of concerted work behind the scenes." Israeli Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi said in a statement that the relations between Israel and Bahrain are "strategically and economically significant". "We can continue combining our efforts to preserve regional stability and achieve accomplishments for both of our countries and for the welfare of our citizens," said Ashkenazi. The deal is expected to normalize diplomatic, commercial, security and other relations between Israel and Bahrain. It makes Bahrain the fourth Arab country to have a peace deal with Israel after Egypt, Jordan and the UAE. The agreement with Bahrain and the previous one with the UAE are seen as part of Trump's push to improve Israel's international standing and its position in the Middle East. Enditem Britain will retain its ability to wage war as a tier one power, the Defence Secretary insisted yesterday. Ben Wallace said the Armed Forces had the strength to fight another Falklands alone and would invest heavily in electronic warfare. However the Ministry of Defence is preparing for its funding to be further cut due to the financial fallout from the pandemic. A review, which is due to be published in November, is examining ways to save cash and modernise at the same time. Armed forces minister Ben Wallace, pictured, said: 'We should always plan to rely on different allies, but we should also be able to fight a war where we can do things on our own' In an interview with the Daily Mail, Mr Wallace outlined his ambitions, saying: We should always plan to rely on different allies, but we should also be able to fight a war where we can do things on our own. We are never going to give up our ability to provide for ourselves a long-range UK sovereign capability to cover a range of scenarios. He said he would not delude the Armed Forces by telling them they would not be able to fight a Falklands again: Obviously how we would do the Falklands, it would probably be different to how we did it last time. The UK would still use submarines, planes, probably an aircraft carrier and infantry, he confirmed, adding: We will keep all of that. It is our intention still to be a tier one power, but we have to be a modern power. He said lessons had to be taken from countries that had failed to update their military doctrines. But armour will still be important: We are not scrapping all the tanks. We will still always have a requirement at the moment until technology changes for elements of armour, both heavy and light. Mr Wallace said Britain would 'do the Falklands different to last time' Mr Wallace said an armoured division today would be different from one in the 1980s but must still provide a lethal force and mobility. Paving the way for cuts he questioned whether an army of the future needed massed units if it had already softened up the enemy by using long-range and deep fires. This was a reference to artillery, warplanes and naval bombardment tactics deployed by Russia in its attack on Ukraine. He said: Theres no point us trundling along if the Russians can pick us off in the way they picked off the Ukrainians, with deep fires, deep artillery, 50, 60, 70km away. That means more investment in electronic warfare, more investment in signals intelligence cloaking, hiding yourself. We know if we can be found, a lot of us can be killed, so weve got to be careful. Mr Wallace was speaking on a visit to Qatar and Oman, where he announced a further 24million investment in a logistics hub at Duqm. The move will triple the size of the UK base, which will be used by Royal Navy aircraft carriers. Concord RecordsElvis Costello has released the fourth advance single from his upcoming studio album, Hey Clockface, which is due out on October 30. The track, "Hey Clockface/How Can You Face Me?," is available now as a digital download and via streaming services. As with the other three previously issued songs from the album, a companion animated lyric video for the latest tune has debuted at Costello's official YouTube channel. "Hey Clockface/How Can You Face Me?" is one of nine songs from the upcoming album that Elvis recorded in Paris, accompanied by an ensemble called "Le Quintette Saint Germain" that included his longtime keyboardist, Steve Nieve, as well as a horn player, a cellist, a reed player and a drummer/percussionist. "This is a song about picking an argument with time, the very clock face, either running too fast or too slow, depending on the company you keep," Costello explains of the gypsy jazz-influenced tune. The nine songs from the Paris sessions were recorded over a two-day period. "I sang live on the studio floor with the ensemble playing everything I wanted to hear and nothing that I didn't," recalls Elvis. As previously reported, Hey Clockface also features songs that Costello recorded in Helsinki, Finland, and remotely with musicians in New York City. The three previously released tracks -- "We Are All Cowards Now," "Hetty O'Hara Confidential" and "No Flag" -- are all from the Helsinki sessions. Here's the full Hey Clockface track list: "Revolution #49" "No Flag" "They're Not Laughing at Me Now" "Newspaper Pane" "I Do (Zula's Song)" "We Are All Cowards Now" "Hey Clockface/How Can You Face Me?" "The Whirlwind" "Hetty O'Hara Confidential" "The Last Confession of Vivian Whip" "What Is It That I Need That I Don't Already Have?" "Radio Is Everything" "I Can't Say Her Name" "Byline" By Matt Friedlander Copyright 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-11 18:05:04|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close TEHRAN, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- A total of 397,801 positive cases of COVID-19 among the Iranians were reported on Friday, including 2,313 new patients overnight, according to Iran's health ministry. During the past 24 hours, 1,253 Iranians were hospitalized due to complications from COVID-19, Sima Sadat Lari, spokeswoman for Iran's Ministry of Health and Medical Education, said at her daily briefing. The pandemic has so far claimed 22,913 lives in Iran, up by 115 in the past 24 hours, said Lari. Besides, 342,539 people have recovered and been discharged from hospitals while 3,753 remain in intensive care units. The spokeswoman said that 13 Iranian provinces are still in high-risk condition. 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 GRAND JUNCTION, Colo., Sept. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- SummitWest Care, a non-profit home care agency servicing rural regions across Colorado, announced today the launch of a Telehealth and Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) program. In partnership with Health Recovery Solutions (HRS) and Colorado Mesa University, SummitWest will extend care services to chronic care patients and provide advanced screening and monitoring of college students to ensure a safe return to school in the midst of the COVID pandemic. As the coronavirus continues to spread across the country, it presents multiple challenges to the US healthcare system, including further limiting access to care in rural communities and placing an additional strain on provider resources. In coordination with local hospitals, SummitWest will enroll COVID positive patients in the telehealth and remote monitoring program following hospital treatment. SummitWest will also target post-surgical patients and chronic care patients including those with COPD, CHF, and hypertension. In addition, as students return to school, ensuring the safety of students and staff is the top priority for colleges and universities. SummitWest's partnership with Colorado Mesa University, will include comprehensive screening of vitals and symptoms, and allow for immediate triage of symptomatic students and staff. Through the Telehealth platform, patients will have access to a COVID Care Plan , providing them with COVID-specific resources, from educational videos to a symptom self-management tool. Once enrolled in the Telehealth and RPM program patients receive a 4G tablet and Bluetooth biometric monitoring devices. Patient tablets include customizable care plans and medication reminders as well as disease-specific symptom surveys and educational videos. Each day, patients record their vital signs using the biometric devices and answer condition-specific symptom surveys, providing SummitWest's nursing team with a comprehensive view of their health and wellbeing. The SummitWest team can monitor patients' health status 24/7 and leverage risk alerts to identify exacerbations. When a risk alert is received, SummitWest nurses can immediately connect and triage patients through video conferencing available via the telehealth platform. Through early identification and triage, SummitWest's team can prevent adverse health outcomes that would normally lead to a costly hospital readmission and ED visit. Telehealth and RPM capabilities will allow increased access to care with more personal attention between in-person visits. For many elderly and chronic care patients in rural communities, loneliness and social isolation severely impact their mental and physical health. SummitWest will now offer virtual visits to connect patients with their providers and with their family and loved ones. "We see telehealth and RPM as an essential service for chronic care patients, post-surgical patients, patients with a high fall risk, and patients at-risk or recovering from the Coronavirus," said Charleen Raaum, CEO of SummitWest Care. "Our mission has always been to help patients recover in the comfort of home, surrounded by their loved-ones. The telehealth and RPM program will allow us to offer personalized care to our patients and track their recovery 24/7, ensuring they're receiving the care they need, when they need it." In Colorado, nearly one million residents live in rural communities with limited access to healthcare services. Since 2002, SummitWest has been committed to bringing affordable, quality care to their surrounding communities. To further expand care services, SummitWest will offer telehealth and remote patient monitoring as a private program, offering patients and families remote audio/video check-in, medication management at an affordable price. This private program will allow patients throughout the community to benefit from telehealth and RPM. "SummitWest Care is at the forefront of telehealth innovation, as they partner with hospitals, nursing homes, and Colorado Mesa University. They are setting the standard for care delivery, using telehealth and RPM to protect patients, students, and the larger community from the virus," added Health Recovery Solutions CEO, Jarrett Bauer. "We're excited and proud to partner with SummitWest as they launch this new service for patients and students in their region." About SummitWest Care SummitWest Care is a not-for-profit, free-standing agency that has been delivering quality home care services since 2002. SummitWest Care's primary functions are to provide people of all ages with choice skilled home health, in-home services with personal care to preserve dignity and help people maintain a good quality of life, education on safety and health information to improve optimal self-care and prevention of social isolation. SummitWest's mission and commitment to our clients is "You Matter, We Care" ensuring client centered care based on dignity, respect and compassionate care. SummitWest Care offers medical services, now with Telehealth and Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) to increase access to care, In-Home Support services and Wellness Programs. To learn more about SummitWest Care, visit www.summitwestcare.com . About Health Recovery Solutions Health Recovery Solutions (HRS) supplies leading health systems with the most advanced remote monitoring platform and technology-enabled management services focused on changing patient behavior to reduce readmissions and improve clinical outcomes. HRS' disease-specific telehealth solutions are customized with educational videos, care plans, and medication reminders while also integrated with Bluetooth peripherals to engage patients. For clinicians, HRS' software allows for the management of high-risk patients and provides seamless communication with them through video chat, wound imaging, and text messaging. For family members and caregivers, HRS' software gives them the ability to be fully involved in their family member's care and well-being. To learn more about Health Recovery Solutions, visit www.healthrecoverysolutions.com or call (347) 699-6477. SOURCE Health Recovery Solutions Related Links http://www.healthrecoverysolutions.com WATERLOO REGION Overdue bills, a rise in bankruptcies and a lengthy disconnection ban could mean increased electricity and natural gas rates for customers down the road. The Ontario Energy Board (OEB) is allowing rate-regulated electricity and natural gas utilities to record all costs associated with the COVID-19 pandemic in a new deferral account. A deferral account allows utilities to track costs so that they can later apply to the OEB for approval to recover them through rates, said board spokesperson Mary Ellen Beninger. This includes costs associated with the extension of the winter disconnection ban to July 31. She said the regulator is currently consulting with stakeholders on the rules that will apply to this new deferral account, while also compiling information about the financial impact of COVID-19 to ensure there is no impact on reliability or continued service. Every year, utilities are barred from disconnecting residential services in the winter between Nov. 15 and April 30. This year, the OEB extended the length of the residential disconnect moratorium by three months to July 31st and added small commercial businesses to the list. Some electricity distributors are choosing to maintain a voluntary moratorium on disconnection for nonpayment, said Beninger. But with thousands of families living month-to-month on government assistance during the pandemic, utilities are facing an unprecedented dilemma as the regulator urges them to find solutions for customers. From a financial perspective we have been and continue to try and work with our customers on payment arrangements, said Barbara Shortreed, vice president of customer care and communication with Cambridges Energy+ Inc. She said money owed by customers ultimately becomes a bad debt that costs all customers. For that reason, she said it is important for the utility to maintain its collection procedures in the interest of fairness and consistency. Any overall increase in operating expenses can have an impact on future rates, she said. The province has announced $9 million for the COVID-19 Energy Assistance Program to help residents struggling with payments, and an additional $8 million for the COVID-19 Energy Assistance Program for Small Business. A Low-Income Energy Assistance Program is also available to customers who have fallen behind on their bills and face disconnection. Residents can also reach out to their utility directly to ask to set up a personalized payment plan. Helping customers pay their bills in turn helps manage utilities losses as well, said Ministry of Energy, Northern Development and Mines spokesperson Natasha Demetriades. The government is keeping a close eye on the financial stability of Ontarios energy system and will ensure that customers continue to receive the safe and reliable energy they expect. At Waterloo North Hydro, the first disconnection of 2020 didnt take place until the week of Aug. 24 after the three month extension. Crews now have just over two months before the next moratorium begins on Nov. 15 to meet the backlog. We will have more details in the coming months on the financial outcomes from COVID-19 and changed business processes, said spokesperson Jeff Quint. Quint said he expects to see an increase in the number of customers unable to pay their bills and bankruptcies in the coming months. Read more about: One the worst cyberattacks yet against Connecticuts capital city forced officials to postpone the first day of school Tuesday, disrupting the day for thousands of families as city computer experts rushed to restore systems vital for school operations. Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin said the hacker or hackers indicated it was a ransomware attack, but only left an email address to contact and made no specific ransom demand. The problem was discovered Saturday and numerous systems were affected, including one used to communicate transportation routes and live information to school bus drivers. Tuesday was supposed to be the first day of school for the district of about 18,000 students. Both in-person and remote learning were postponed to Wednesday, officials said. We are often the subject of cyberattacks, Bronin said at a news conference. This was, however, the most extensive and significant attack that the city has been subject to certainly in the last five years. Much of the damage had been repaired by Monday night, and work on critical systems was completed Tuesday. The citys $500,000 worth of cybersecurity improvements implemented last year prevented officials from being locked out of the citys systems, Bronin said. Superintendent of Schools Leslie Torres-Rodriguez announced the school opening postponement early Tuesday morning and said officials were checking to see if any school staff computers were affected by the attack. We are heavily relying on all of our technology and on our staffs ability to access technology in order to deliver remote instruction, given that more than half of our student population has elected to learn remotely, she said. The team is trying to assess the impact throughout all of our 40 schools. Torres-Rodriguez said city schools were ready to open with a variety of coronavirus precautions. School officials said pre-kindergarten through ninth grade were to be fully in person, while a hybrid system of in-school and remote learning will be used for grades 10 through 12, under the currently low virus rate of fewer than 10 new cases per 100,000 population over a seven-day average. Many parents took to social media Tuesday to express disappointment over the first day of school being postponed, with their children looking forward to returning to classes and seeing their friends. Some also were upset at what they called last-minute notice of the delay, noting officials knew about the problem since the weekend. Kate Court said her 13-year-old son was already dressed and ready to go to the bus stop when she discovered the postponement. A New Britain resident and shipping warehouse worker, Courts teenager attends a Hartford magnet school and her 8-year-old son goes to a Hartford elementary school. I didnt get the message until 6 a.m., she said. Its pretty ridiculous. Im a lucky one in that my mom was home to watch them. If not, I would have had to miss work. This is crazy, she said Were looking for normalcy again, whatever that may be. School officials said that while most of the computer systems were restored by Monday night, they did not learn until early Tuesday morning that the bus transportation system was still down. Ransomware attacks targeting state and local governments have been on the rise, with cyber criminals seeking quick money by seizing data and holding it hostage until they get paid. City officials say it wasnt clear how the hacker or hackers gained access to city systems or if the attack was aimed at delaying the opening of school. Bronin said it appeared no sensitive personal or financial information was stolen in the attack. More than 200 of the citys 300 computer servers were disrupted. Besides the schools, the police department systems for report writing and video cameras also were affected, but there were no problems with the 911 system, Police Chief Jason Thody said. City police were working with the FBI to try to identify who was behind the attack. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Cyber A 62-year-old retired Navy officer was beaten up by alleged Shiv Sena workers in Mumbai after he forwarded a cartoon on Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray on WhatsApp on Friday, the police said. The incident took place around 11.30 am in Lokhandwala Complex area in suburban Kandivali, an official said. "Retired Navy officer Madan Sharma had forwarded a cartoon on Thackeray on a WhatsApp group. Some Sena workers went to his house and beat him up. Sharma sustained an eye injury and is being treated at hospital," he said. A case under IPC section 325 (causing grievous hurt) and provisions related to rioting was registered against six persons though no arrest has been made so far, the official informed. Nothing is more beautiful than a full fridge when you have a case of the munchies. But while it might feel tempting even right to inhale every snack in sight each time youre high, you may actually be depriving yourself of the highest quality high by doing so. How? Take it from the experts. In 2015, a study published by the American Journal of Translational Research showed that pairing foods rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, certain types of terpenes, and/or cannabinoids with cannabis actually boosts THC absorption in the bloodstream. Since then, these kinds of foods have also been proven to enhance the effects of CBD, according to a study by the University of Minnesota. What this means for you is simple if you want to get the most out of your high (or CBD regimen,) its time start strategizing your munchies. Always here to serve, weve done the grunt work for you. Here are the top 5 foods (and drink) to improve your high: 1) Nuts Among their many nutritional benefits, nuts contain high levels of healthy (i.e. unsaturated) fats. These fats help the body absorb more THC, faster, which significantly increases the intensity of your high, according to Clinical Nutritionist and Author Kelly Dorfman. Grab a handful of them after eating an edible, and you can speed up the time it takes THC (or CBD) to pass through the blood-brain barrier and start working its magic. CBD and THC compounds are fat-soluble, so fat is their medium, Dorfman told GreenState. If you consume them with foods that contain fat, they will absorb better just like vitamin E generally absorbs better if it is taken in the oil form. For best results, Dorfman recommends sauteing your nuts in some good n fatty butter. Eating nuts before consuming marijuana (which has been proven to slow the heart rate of some individuals) can also help those with cardiovascular issues do so more safely. According to the Harvard School for Public Health, walnuts are especially effective in decreasing inflammation associated with heart disease, reducing blood clot risk, and preventing erratic heart rhythms. RELATED: Heart Risks of Marijuana Use Need More Research 2) Sweet Potatoes These scrumptious roots are good for more than roasting in brown sugar on Thanksgiving. Theyre packed with vitamins and minerals that boost your mood by increasing serotonin production in the brain. When these vitamins (especially vitamins E and B) and minerals interact with cannabinoids, they can heighten the euphoric effects of THC, producing a happy and alert high particularly beneficial to those using cannabis as a treatment for depression. As with nuts, Clinical Nutritionist and Author Kelly Dorfman suggests lathering your sweet potato with some fatty acid-rich butter, making it easier for your body to absorb THC and, subsequently, making your sweet potato-infused high a little bit sweeter. RELATED: Which Strain is Better for Productivity? 3) Tea Feeling tense? Take high tea. Not only is the act of sipping tea soothing, but tea itself is full of antioxidants. When antioxidants attach to cannabinoids, they can enhance the sedating effects of THC, leaving you with an ultra-mellow high beneficial to those using marijuana for insomnia. For maximum chill, medical cannabis experts recommend pouring a cup of herbal tea (ideally peppermint, chamomile, or lavender) just after a smoke, or mixing your herb and herbs together in a quality cannabis tea. Clinical Nutritionist and Author Kelly Dorfman told Greenstate that some in the cannabis industry believe tea may also be able to increase the lifespan of your high, as well as strengthen the chemical compounds CBD and THC. While this theory has yet to be definitively proven, the concept is nothing new. Cannabis tea has been used as a medicinal treatment in India for over 1,000 years, and is widely consumed there to this day to remedy fever, indigestion, and sunstroke. In Jamaica, it has even been used to cure asthma. If the healing properties of cannabis are, in fact, stronger in this form, cannabis tea might help medical marijuana patients experience stronger, faster relief. RELATED: What to Do When Youre Too High 4) Mangoes While theres little research on the subject, its virtually common knowledge in the cannabis world that eating a mango before consuming weed seems to increase the psychoactive effects of THC. Some cannabis doctors believe myrcene, a terpene found in mangoes, is the reason for this. Since numerous studies have shown terpenes can effect on the way we experience marijuana, these doctors believe its possible that, if myrcene is in the body prior to consuming cannabis, it can quickly carry THC and CBD through the blood-brain barrier and increase the number of cannabinoids in your brains CB1 receptor. Want to test this theory? Try eating a mango one to two hours before you take your next hit. RELATED: Terpenes: What Are They and What Do They Do? 5) Broccoli Finally, try eating your greens before you smoke them. Broccoli contains a high amount of a natural cannabinoid called beta-caryophyllene, which interacts with the cannabinoid receptors in the brain. The result is a reduction in pain and inflammation, and many veggie-loving cannabis consumers say it can also produce an increased sense of calm when paired with THC. Theres nothing proven, but some experts believe the natural effects of beta-caryophyllene may grow stronger when working with the cannabinoids found in cannabis. If this theory is true, the sudden decrease in inflammation in the body would trigger a deep sense of relaxation one that could be extremely beneficial for medical cannabis patients and those using marijuana for mental health. Youve probably noticed by now that each of these foods will affect your high in a different way. Thats why its important to know how your body responds to cannabis before getting fancy with your munchies. As a general rule, steer clear of mangoes if you tend to get anxious while high, and away from broccoli and tea if you tend to become too sedated. Now, eat up. Elissa Esher is Assistant Editor at GreenState. Her work has also appeared in The Boston Guardian, Brooklyn Paper, Religion Unplugged, and Iridescent Women. Send inquiries and tips to elli.esher@hearst.com. BALDWINSVILLE, N.Y. A group photo of Baker High School seniors posing together on the first day of school with no masks or social distancing is sparking concern among some parents and district officials. The photo, shared on Facebook and Instagram before people posting it took it down, shows 48 smiling Baldwinsville district students posing next to each other under a pavilion at a park Wednesday morning. No one is wearing masks, and no one is distanced in the photo. The caption on one post said the photo was taken at Kerri Hornaday Park in Baldwinsvilles Radisson development and reads; First Day of School ... Senior Breakfast. Let the traditions begin. High school students gathering for a group photo does not appear to be an isolated incident. Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon at his daily briefing Thursday expressed his concern after seeing a similar group photo from a different district that county officials did not identify. The students gathering without masks or social distancing comes the same week that most schools in Central New York and across the state are trying to reopen classrooms amidst the coronavirus pandemic. Schools have dramatically changed with students and staff wearing masks, and people being spaced apart in classrooms and on buses in an effort to prevent the spread of the virus. Hybrid schedules with some in-person and some distance learning are being used in most districts because there isnt enough room for everyone to be in a classroom with people safely distancing from each other. Baldwinsville school officials said Thursday the senior breakfast where the photo was taken was not a school-sanctioned event and was not on school grounds. The photo was brought to the administrations attention by concerned parents. Superintendent Matthew McDonald said in a statement in response to questions from Syracuse.com | The Post-Standard that he is concerned and is addressing the situation with the high school leadership team. "We cant control how students behave outside of school, but we hope that they will make better choices,'' McDonald said in the statement. My goal is to keep our students safe and keep them in school. Asked if the students will be allowed to attend classes after gathering so closely, district officials said the district doesnt disclose personal student information. The administration at Baker High School will be addressing our concerns about this type of behavior with students and families," the statement said. "The district will continue to educate all its students on safe choices and the impact their actions have on their own well-being and the safety of others. We have to work together. Baldwinsville parent Eric Willis, who said his son was part of the gathering at the park, defended the students, saying the kids shouldnt be bullied on social media for posing for the photo. "The senior class does this once a year at that park,'' he said. They didnt realize it was going to have the turnout that it did. It usually is a small group from the neighborhood and then more kids showed up. The seniors are already dealing with a year unlike any other, Willis said, with many seniors events likely to be canceled. Willis said the teens are responsible people who were just excited to get a class picture on the first day of school. (Under Baldwinsvilles hybrid schedule, some students started Wednesday; others start next week.) "They are kids,'' he said. They didnt do the right thing, and maybe they made a bad decision, but they are kids and they just wanted a photo of their class. Some parents on social media expressed surprise and dismay at the students gathering so closely for the photo, and worried that it will jeopardize students' in-person instruction. Gina Tonello, the mother of a junior, said she is upset that this endangers other kids and could jeopardize the in-person instruction. "The school has been so good and is trying so hard,'' she said. This undermines all that. Elizabeth Doran covers education, suburban government and development, breaking news and more. Got a tip, comment or story idea? Contact her anytime at 315-470-3012 or email edoran@syracuse.com. MORE STORIES ON EDUCATING CNY CNY schools open with masks, temperature checks, small classes, no hugs; the new normal NY says schools can get rid of snow days this year (Wearing your pajamas inside out wont help) Will CNY schools shut down if a student gets the coronavirus? A look at the rules 9 things to know about New Yorks move of HS football, volleyball from fall to spring Masks, air purifiers could slash odds of coronavirus spread in classrooms: SU report As the calendar ticks closer to the start of a new school year in west-central Illinois, unique this August because it will mark the first time teachers and students have met in person since mid-March, the only certainty is uncertainty. School administrators have been working for the past month to adapt guidelines created by the Illinois State Board of Education and the Illinois Department of Public Health. Many of the checklists of items to help prevent COVID-19 can be done now, such as moving desks to create more separation and doing deep cleaning and disinfecting in buildings, but the larger challenge will come when students, faculty and staff members return to the classrooms. Since March 17, the 4,266 public school buildings across the state have essentially been ghost towns. Gov. J.B. Pritzker directed the nearly 3 million students in 1,070 school districts to switch to remote learning as the pandemic started to spread in Illinois. Online learning has its limitations, though, and Pritzker said at a news conference in June that classroom learning provides necessary opportunities for our students to learn, socialize and grow. That is a message reiterated by the American Academy of Pediatrics, which said in a statement that the goal is having students physically present in school. Studies have indicated depression and feelings of isolation can result from extended time away from the support network schools can provide because it is difficult for schools to identify and address important learning deficits as well as child and adolescent physical or sexual abuse, substance use, depression and suicidal ideation. The classroom will be significantly different this year, though. Students and teachers will be screened for coronavirus symptoms each day and will be required to wear face coverings. Gatherings of more than 50 people in classes and hallways will prohibited. The same limit applies to extracurricular activities although field trips are discouraged and although playgrounds can be open, schools are urged to consider whether to allow use of playground equipment. Beyond handling the logistics of the guidelines, some are questioning whether they will be enough to prevent an outbreak in schools. The Illinois Education Association and Illinois Federation of Teachers have expressed concerns about having the resources and being able to reduce class sizes enough to ensure safety. On Monday, the Illinois Federation of Teachers urged state officials to keep classes online this fall. Were in the worst crisis in at least 100 years. As much as anybody, we want to be back with our students, [but] at this time, the safest option is not in-person teaching, federation President Dan Montgomery said during a news conference. Journal-Courier readers who took part in a non-scientific survey about having students return to the classroom largely supported in-person classes resuming, with 50% in favor, 37.5% opposed and 12.5% undecided. Im at a quandary as to physically how it could be done, one person responded, but I do know anyone anywhere close to being at risk will fall off the cliff. Single-parent households with students too young to stay home alone while the parent works will be placed in a tremendous bind. But all those who responded believed there was a risk to students and teachers. The majority, 42.9%, believed the risk was significant. About 29% considered the risk marginal, and the same percentage felt there would be some risk involved. No one responded that there would be no risk, which raised concern among a few respondents. One death is too many, one person commented. A fourth of those who took the survey did not believe there needed to be any safety measures enforced, while most 37.5% said social distancing requirements would be important. Twenty-five percent said schools needed to screen students, faculty and staff each day, and 12.5% said face coverings should be required. At the same time, the majority of those responding did not think remote learning negatively impacted the childs education (50%) or mental well-being (62.5%). More respondents believed there had been a negative impact to education (37.5%) than to well-being (25%). I'm more concerned with the social and physical education disruption. I am lucky enough that my child adapts quickly and is a quick learner, but realize others are not as lucky, one parent said. I think some of the hands-on learning that has really helped kids develop and learn will also take a hit. I do not envy the teachers and administration staff. As many as 139 people in Uttar Pradesh were slapped with the National Security Act (NSA) this year and 76 of these cases are related cow slaughter, a statement by Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Awanish Kumar Awasthi has revealed. According to a report in Indian Express, till on August 31 the Bareilly police zone alone accounted for 44 of the total cases. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has directed that the NSA be slapped in case of crimes which may affect public order so that there is a feeling of fear among criminals and a feeling of safety among the public, Awasthi said in the statement. The latest arrest under the NSA for cow slaughter was reported from the Gorakhpur police zone on September 6 against a man named Israel who was accused of being involved in the act in Bahraich. He has also been booked under the Goonda Act. Israel was arrested in July after a huge quantity of beef was recovered from him. Following the incidents of cow slaughter, the law and order situation in the area remained sensitive, said Additional Superintendent of Police Ashok Kumar. In 2020, the police invoked the stringent legislation against six people over crimes against women and children, 37 for heinous crimes and 20 for other offences. Thirteen of the arrests under the Act are linked to the anti-Citizenship (Amendment) Act protests early this year. Till August 26, 1,716 cases were filed under the Uttar Pradesh Prevention of Cow Slaughter Act and over 4,000 people arrested, the report said. Of the 139 people booked under the National Security Act, 76 are accused of cow slaughter, six are involved in crimes against girls, 37 in serious crimes and 20 in other crimes," Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Awanish Awasthi said in a statement issued here. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has directed that the NSA be slapped in case of crimes which may affect public order so that there is a feeling of fear among criminals and a feeling of safety among the public," Awasthi said. 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. What is an astrophysicist to do during a pandemic, except maybe daydream about having a private black hole? Although it is probably wishful thinking, some astronomers contend that a black hole may be lurking in the outer reaches of our solar system. All summer, they have been arguing over how to find it, if indeed it is there, and what to do about it, proposing plans that are only halfway out of this world. The speculation began back in 2016 when Michael Brown and Konstantin Batygin, astronomers at the California Institute of Technology, proposed that the weird motions of a few ice balls billions of miles beyond Pluto could be evidence of a previously unknown and unsuspected object way, way out there in the dark. According to their calculations, that object would be roughly 10 times as massive as Earth and would occupy an egg-shaped orbit that brought it as near as 20 billion miles from the sun several times the distance from the sun to Pluto and took it as far as 100 billion miles away every 10,000 to 20,000 years. A thug who brutally bashed his pregnant wife before crashing his car through the front of a service station as she attempted to hide from him could be released early from prison. Didier Lam Kee Shau, 39, of Coburg in Melbourne's north, was sentenced to five years in jail, with a non-parole period of three-and-a-half years, over the sickening attack. Three of those years were for the charge of recklessly causing injury to his wife, whom Daily Mail Australia has chosen not to name. Didier Lam Kee Shau drove his car into a Caltex service station after savagely bashing a woman up outside. The attendant was injured in the attack, which lefts tens of thousands of dollars worth of damage to the business Didier Lam Kee Shau was captured on CCTV from the Caltex service station punching, dragging and kicking his victim. She escaped into the service station before Shau drove his car into it Carnage: A Honda SUV driven by Didier Lam Kee Shau remained lodged in the service station after he drove it at speed into it. Shau had bashed a pregnant woman outside moments earlier On Friday, Supreme Court of Victoria Justice Phillip Priest said if he had sentenced the thug, he would have given him even less. 'It struck me immediately as stern,' he told the court. Shau has appealed his sentence on the grounds the sentencing judge, County Court of Victoria Judge Richard Smith, gave him an excessive sentence for the brutal crime. He had pleaded guilty to one charge of recklessly causing injury to the woman and one count of conduct endangering life over his attack on the servo. The horrific service station bashing that shocked Australia A woman driving Didier Lam Kee Shau pulls up and makes a run for it Shau grabs her and repeatedly punches her before dragging her and beating her again He returns to his car for some unknown reason Shau returns moments later and bashes the woman again Eventually she escapes inside and collapses near a fridge Unable to get in, Shau gets in the car and drives it into the servo The attendant jumps out of the way and the smashed counter almost hits the pregnant woman Police arrive and arrest him Advertisement Shau had received three years for the assault and an additional three for the conduct charge - only two of which was added to his head sentence. The sickening attack happened in the early hours of September 17, 2018 after the pair attended Shau's niece's first communion celebration in Carrum Downs - in Melbourne's southeast. Harrowing CCTV footage taken from the Caltex service station on Blackburn Road, Glen Waverley, caught the woman's desperate attempts to escape Shau. She had been 18 weeks pregnant at the time. Footage shows the car door fling open and the bloody woman run for the service station doors. 'Help me please,' she shouted. The attendant would later tell police he was in such a state of panic that he couldn't remember the triple-zero number to call police. Video captured Shau repeatedly punching his wife to the ground before dragging her by the hair and pounding her head into the ground repeatedly. At one point she is seen rolling into a ball and trying to protect her baby. 'I'm probably going to die today,' she thought. Amazingly, prosecutors did not proceed with charges of intentionally causing serious injury, which carries a 10-year maximum sentence instead of five. Eventually, the attendant managed to open the door and she staggered inside. Shau tried to get in as the battered woman crawled to a fridge to hide. He is seen walking back to the Honda SUV where he gets in and lines up the attendant's booth. Shau puts his foot down and crashes the car through the wall, sending the attendant flying back into cupboards in an explosion of debris. He was represented in the Court of Appeal by respected barrister Paul Smallwood, who argued the sentencing judge had failed to take into account his client's early plea, prospects of rehabilitation and otherwise good character. Didier Lam Kee Shau is pictured in a court sketch The pregnant woman stumbles onto the floor of the service station near an ice-cream fridge after being savagely bashed outside. Didier Lam Kee Shau drove his car into the servo moments later Didier Lam Kee Shau drags the pregnant woman along the road before repeatedly stomping on her head. When she escaped inside he returned to his car and drove it through the service station Mr Smallwood said his client had shown deep remorse for his actions and claimed the attack had been the very first instance of domestic violence in his client's relationship. He suggested Shau's sentence ought be reduced by anywhere up to six months. 'It goes beyond stern,' he said. Shau has already spent close to two years behind bars. Crown prosecutor Jeremy McWilliams argued the sentencing judge was well within range with his final sentence. 'I don't say it's stern,' he said. 'It's a bad case of recklessly causing injury.' Justice Priest said while he acknowledged the attack was brutal, he needed to put aside any emotional response to it. 'One has got to be objective,' he said. 'Views will differ. That is what we're here for.' Justice Priest said he would have been 'more comfortable' if Judge Smith had sentenced Shau to a non-parole period of three years. While Justice Priest said he would have sentenced Shau differently, he acknowledged the sentence imposed may not be ruled excessive by the Court of Appeal. 'Some might say he got 40 per cent change. That is 40 percent less than the five year maximum,' he said. The Court of Appeal reserved its decision for a date to be fixed. A Caltex service station attendant attempted to call the police but couldn't remember the number. Didier Lam Kee Shau drove his car into him seconds later Didier Lam Kee Shau stalks the pregnant woman outside the service station doors, which had been locked by the attendant. Shau returned to his car and drove through the building In sentencing Shau last year, Judge Smith said he accepted Shau had hit the woman 'as hard as he could'. 'It was a brutal assault by you on a five-month pregnant woman,' he said. 'It's all but miraculous she was not more seriously injured ... she was the softest of targets for your aggression.' Judge Smith said the attendant was also lucky not to be seriously injured and it was only a split-second decision by him to move right that saved him. The court heard Shau had a prior conviction for being drunk in public and assaulting police. Judge Smith said it was an aggravating factor that Shau committed his 'vicious' crime in an act of domestic violence. And although he was unable to sentence Shau for the higher offence of 'intentionally' causing injury, he deemed the attack at the 'high-end' of the offence he pleaded guilty to. The Caltex service station on Blackburn Road where a woman was savagely bashed. Didier Lam Kee Shau then drove his car into it, injuring the attendant Didier Lam Kee Shau drove his car into a Caltex service station after brutally bashing a pregnant woman outside. He was sentenced to jail over the horrific crime registered its highest single-day spike of 1,344 cases in the last 24 hours, said a release by the state health department on Friday evening. It took the case tally in the state to 1,10,971, the release said. 16 COVID-19 patients died in the state during this period, taking the death toll to 3,183, it added. 1,240 patients were discharged from hospitals in the last 24 hours, taking the total recoveries to 91,470. Surat district registered 275 new cases while Ahmedabad was in the second spot with 174 new cases. Other districts where significant number of new cases emerged included Rajkot (150), Vadodara (132), Jamnagar (116) and Bhavnagar (45). Of the 16 persons who succumbed to the infection during the last 24 hours, five died in Surat, three in Ahmedabad, two each in Bhavnagar, Rajkot and Vadodara, and one each in Gandhinagar and Banaskantha. With over 71,600 tests conducted in 24 hours, the daily per million test average has gone up to 1,102.58. has conducted over 31.45 lakh tests so far. Of 16,318 active cases, 94 patients are on ventilator. With 91,470 patients discharged so far, the recovery rate now stands at 82.43 per cent, the release said. COVID-19 figures are as follows: Positive cases 1,10,971, new cases 1,344, death toll 3,183, discharged 91,470, active cases 16,318, and people tested so far 31,45,202. (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.) Steve Buscemi is known as one of Hollywoods great character actors. But before he was an actor, he was a firefighter in New York. When his acting career started picking up he left his post at the fire department. Then on 9/12/2001, he returned to his old position. Steve Buscemi | Kevin Winter/Getty Images Steve Buscemi the firefighter From 1980 to 1984, when he was in his early 20s, Buscemi fought fires in Little Italy at 363 Broome Street in downtown Manhattan. The actor was part of the engine company after taking the civil service test a few years prior. Its very chaotic. Theres lots of noises, you hear glass being broken, you have a mask on so you cant really see a lot, Buscemi told CBS of his time as a firefighter in New York. Its very hard to describe but all your senses are going. Your adrenaline is pumping and your mind is trying to stay focused. Buscemi says he was nervous as a young firefighter. I was, like, the quietest guy in the firehouse for a long time, he said. The firefighter-turned-actor went on to say that it was a difficult job, but made easier by the people he worked with. Its all about bringing in a hose and putting water on the fire, he said. You know when you have a job a few blocks away because theres a certain smell. It always helps that you have people surrounding you that help you through it. For a while, Buscemi pursued his acting career while simultaneously fighting fires. But after he got his role in 1986s Parting Glances, he became an actor full-time. The day after 9/11, Steve Buscemi rejoined his old company in New York Though it had been years since Buscemi donned his flame-resistant uniform, the day after 9/11/2001, the actor returned to his unit. He worked 12-hour-days for a week aiding his fellow firefighters, four of whom lost their lives to the tragedy, search for survivors and carry away the dead. In total, almost 3,000 lives were lost, 343 of which were firefighters. Other times Steve Buscemi ditched Hollywood to return to his role as a firefighter Buscemi didnt suit up just when tragedy struck on 9/11. Through the years, hes helped where he could. In 2003, he was arrested at a union rally to protest for more pay and against fire station closures. In 2012, he re-joined the FDNY to help with clean-up after Hurrican Sandy. Steve Buscemi's Post-9/11 Heroics as a NYC Firefighter Were As Inspiring As It Gets https://t.co/9SKYKsGDBQ pic.twitter.com/lyDgQHziDw Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) September 11, 2020 RELATED: Steve Buscemi Reveals What Filming His Final Take of Boardwalk Empire Was Like In 2014, Buscemi produced a documentary called A Good Job: Stories of the FDNY. But, overall, hes been pretty quiet about his involvement with the FDNY since his time as a firefighter in his early 20s. It was only when someone wrote on the Brotherhood of Fire Facebook page about Buscemis involvement with the department that people realized how he helped after 9/11. He wasnt there for the publicity, wrote Jonathan Lusk. Once a brother, always a brother! A police officer has been airlifted to hospital after suffering severe burns to his arms and legs. The attack took place at around 10.20am today in Newquay, Cornwall. A 30-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of the attempted murder of a police officer in Newquay, Cornwall. The officer was taken to hospital with severe injuries that are not believed to be life-threatening. The man remains in police custody. Several emergency services vehicles were seen attending the scene near Tretherras School. The incident is not believed to be related to the school. A police officer has been airlifted to hospital after suffering severe burns while responding to an incident in Newquay A 30-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of the attempted murder of a police officer in Newquay, Cornwall Several emergency services vehicles were seen attending the scene near Tretherras School. The incident is not believed to be related to the school A witness told CornwallLive they saw a man being restrained by officers. They said: 'There are lots of police, air ambulance and fire fighters near Newquay Tretherras School. 'A man is being restrained by police in plain clothes with body armour and guns, with the incident taking place in a field opposite the school.' A spokesperson for Devon and Cornwall Police said: 'Police were called to Trevenson Road, Newquay at around 10.20 am today following reports of a male behaving aggressively. 'Whilst at the scene an officer has been assaulted and sustained a number of burns to his arms and legs the officer has severe injuries but they are not currently believed to be life-threatening. 'He has been taken to Treliske hospital by air ambulance and his next of kin have been informed. 'A 30-year-old man, from Newquay, has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder of a police officer and remains in police custody at this time.' We stumbled across a troubling anomaly in CalPERS annual financial and investment reports, its Comprehensive Annual Financial Reports, in public pension speak are called CAFRs. One of CalPERS most visible outside advisors is its private equity consultant Meketa Investment Group. Reports to the board about CalPERS outside contracts showed payments to Meketa of over $1 million across the last two fiscal years. Yet CalPERS CAFRs for those two years showed payments to Meketa of only $78,000 in one year, the fiscal year ended June 2019, and none the previous year, even though Meketa received fees from CalPERS in both years. And as well soon show, CalPERS efforts to splain itself only wound up digging its bad accounting hole deeper. Not only did CalPERS admit to vastly bigger expenditures for Meketa than it had ever disclosed before, but it said it had buried the cost by improperly classifying it as an in-house investment expense, a violation of the accounting standards it uses. Francine McKenna, an accounting expert and adjunct professor at American University in Washington D.C., confirmed our concerns about the misclassification of the Meketa charges: Its either intentional manipulation of the books or a level of incompetence and sloppiness that is inexcusable for an entity of this size with so many highly paid professionals and consultants involved. If this excuse for the inability to track the Meketa payments is accurate, its an admission that CalPERS has been making false accounts, which is a violation of the California Penal Code section 424. Given the magnitude of either the omission or the deliberate misclassification in combination with the fact that CalPERS is rated by Moodys, which presumably relies on the information in the CAFR, this abuse could rise to the level of a fraud.1 This reporting deficiency is troubling since it calls into question the integrity of CalPERS accounting and record-keeping. But perhaps this is not surprising. Most of the CAFR, including the Other Supplementary Information section in which outside vendor costs and CalPERS investment overhead fall, is unaudited. As we have pointed out, the entire investment section of CalPERS financials, including the valuation of its assets, is not audited either (see the auditors letter starting on page 17 to confirm). CalPERS Reports Only Some Investment Consultant Expenses to the Board and the Public CalPERS staff customarily provided the board every September with various financial reports from the fiscal year just ended (June 30). That information winds up in the draft Comprehensive Annual Financial Report which goes to the board in November, and the final is normally released later the same month. One of the September reports to the Investment Committee is the Investment Controls report, which contains the annual account on the so-called spring-fed pool contracts.2 Here are the reports that contain Meketa for the fiscal years ended June 30, 2018 and 2019. Note that the latest year is not yet included in a CAFR, since that wont come out till later this year, but you can see the latest report to the board here, starting on page 17. We are including a Pension Consulting Alliance contract in the excerpt below because if you look at the report for fiscal year ended June 30, 2020, that contract is now reported as a Mekata contract. The merger between Meketa and Pension Consulting Alliance closed in March 2019. Here is the year ended June 2019: If you look at the same report for the quarter ended June 2017, you can see Meketa had billed only $159,690 from the inception of their private equity contract to the end of that fiscal year.3 So for the two fiscal years ended June 30, 2019, you have: Meketa Infrastructure $181,500 Meketa Private Equity $989,476 Pension Consulting Alliance [later Meketa] $112,500 So depending on how you classify the third contract, the payments to Meketa for the spring-fed pool contracts for the two years were either $1,170,976 or $1,283,476. Former board member JJ Jelincic pointed out that Meketa had also been assigned to be CalPERS real estate consultant, yet it wasnt listed in that section of the spring-fed pool report, even though other Real Assets Investments Consulting firms like Bard Consulting were. Note also that while CalPERS didnt provide the board with a spring-fed pool report that covered the full fiscal year ended June 30, 2018, we can see from the June 30, 2018 Investment Compliance report that the third contract was already at $112,500 of spending as of March 314 and the other two had healthy levels. The Supplementary Information section of CAFR contains literally hundreds of names of vendors and how much CalPERS paid to each, including in the fiscal year ended June 30, 2019, a $1000 refund from Summit Financial Printing, LLC. The CAFR includes a section listing investment consultants such as Hamilton Lane, Mercer and SRI. In the fiscal year ended June 30, 2018, Meketa was not mentioned anywhere in the CAFR. Pension Consulting Alliance was there, showing a credit (not an expense) of $24,000. For the next fiscal year, ended June 30, 2019, Meketa was included in the Investment Consultant section with an expense of $78,000. $78,000 over a two-year period versus a bare minimum of $1,170,976 per CalPERS own reports to its board is nearly $1.1 million of under-reporting of expenses across the two years. Moreover, the disparity calls into question the integrity of CalPERS published reports. Showing lower expenditure totals to the board than appears in the end in the CAFR could be due to omissions or miscategorizations that were caught in the year-end review. But having expenses you clearly know about because youve presented them in public then omitted from the year-end accounts looks like a dangerous level of incompetence or chicanery. As McKenna put it: Its so brazen. This is a public entity that reports frequently to its board and the public in detail. To publish financial accounts that dont match those reports, thats ridiculous. CalPERS must believe no one is paying attention. I e-mailed CalPERS Deputy Chief Executive Office describing how it appeared that CalPERS had seriously under-reported its spending on Meketa in the CAFR. Pachecos explanation raised even more red flags: The Meketa contracts that you are referencing have been included in the Internal Investment Personal and Administrative Expenses category of the CAFR since 2015-16. At that time, it was determined that this categorization was most appropriate given the Boards consultants unique role in providing independent investment evaluations, opinions and recommendations to the Board. While the CAFR includes the amount as part of a larger line item, the Board consultant expenses are tracked separately. Here is a summary of the Meketa contract expenses as reflected in recent CAFRs (as well as for 19-20): Internal Investment Personal and Administrative Expenses Meketa 17-18 $76.1 Million $1.635 Million 18-19 $78.8 Million $1.957 Million 19-20 $89.0 Million $2.062 Million For example, see page 94 of the most recent published CAFR: https://www.calpers.ca.gov/docs/forms-publications/cafr-2019.pdf Its hard to state clearly how obviously bogus from an accounting and intellectual honesty standpoint this characterization is.even assuming that all those Meketa expenses really were dumped in the Internal Investment Personal [sic] and Administrative Expenses bucket. Here is how it appears in a screenshot of the bottom quarter of that page 94: There is no breakdown whatsoever of that $78.8 million total. Youd expect at a a bare minimum to see salaries and bonuses separated from other overheads. By contrast, as we pointed out, the CAFR lists external vendor fees down to as little as $1000 of spending. Here is a partial list of why any CalPERS beneficiary should be alarmed by Pachecos statements. CalPERS is violating the accounting standards it claims to use, Global Investment Performance Standards, or GIPS. GIPS does have a category of Administrative Fees but that is clearly for outside charges. From the CFA Institute GIPS glossary: All fees other than trading expenses and the investment management fee, administrative fees include custody fees, accounting fees, auditing fees, consulting fees, legal fees, performance measurement fees, and other related fees. Internal Investment Personal [sic] and Administrative Expenses in the CalPERS CAFR is clearly the overhead of operating its investment office. CalPERS motive for a deliberate accounting misclassification is unclear but the treatment is at best inaccurate and obfuscatory. It is even more egregiously inaccurate to classify a consultant to the board as if it were an internal unit reporting to the Chief Investment Officer. Or Pacheco telling us that is how it really works? CalPERS never disclosed that it changed its accounting presentation. Changes in accounting treatment need to be presented so that readers can make adjustments from the prior treatment. Note that it decided to bury its payments to Meketa and Wilshire Associates after two years of particularly poor investment returns. For fiscal year ended June 30, 2015, CalPERS earned 2.2% and in fiscal year ended June 30, 2016, it was a mere 0.5%. The numbers Pacheco admits to for Meketa are far higher than staff has presented to the board, when the board mistakenly believes it gets a full accounting of all significant external vendor payments. Recall that the most we could attribute to Meketa for the two fiscal years ended June 30, 2018 was $1,283,476. Pacheco says the number included in the Internal expense catchall bucket for those years was $3.59 million, nearly three times a much. The fact that most of Meketas payments have been hidden from the board suggests a conflict of interest. Meketa gets paid mainly on a special project basis. Are its fee numbers so much higher than anything told to the board because the total includes assignments for staff? The board needs to get to the bottom of the spending on Meketa. If Meketa is also working for staff, it should have advised the board and gotten a conflicts waiver. Failure to do so should be grounds for ending the board relationship with Meketa and finding a new consultant. The expense misclassification is so egregious that it raises concerns about fraud. Accounting expert McKenna reacted strongly and negatively to the CalPERS claims: The first thing I thought of is that CalPERS is hiding work done for or on behalf of someone with a conflict of interest. The second thing I thought of is that hiding on the CAFR could suggest its numbers are padded with non-work payments or even kickbacks. The third is that putting third party fees in an internal category is that CALPERS own staff are acting as a consultants to the own agency and being paid via a contract with these consultants. Pacheco doesnt explain the $78,000 listed for Meketa in the fiscal year ended June 30, 2019: Meketa is part of the category Investment Consultant Fees. Did this $78,000 just leak out? Is it double counting? Pacheco simply cant carry off his pretense that the Meketa fees are all tidily hidden in the investment office overheads. CalPERS deliberate and incorrect treatment of the Meketa expenses is a misappropriation of public funds, a crime, and may also be a fraud. CalPERS may argue that its misclassification of Meketa (and Wilshire Associates) expenses is not material from an accounting standpoint. The California Penal Code Section 424 has no materiality carveout. Boldface ours: California Penal Code 424. (a) Each officer of this state, or of any county, city, town, or district of this state, and every other person charged with the receipt, safekeeping, transfer, or disbursement of public moneys, who either: 1. Without authority of law, appropriates the same, or any portion thereof, to his or her own use, or to the use of another; or, 2. Loans the same or any portion thereof; makes any profit out of, or uses the same for any purpose not authorized by law; or, 3. Knowingly keeps any false account, or makes any false entry or erasure in any account of or relating to the same; or, 4. Fraudulently alters, falsifies, conceals, destroys, or obliterates any account; or, 5. Willfully refuses or omits to pay over, on demand, any public moneys in his or her hands, upon the presentation of a draft, order, or warrant drawn upon these moneys by competent authority; or, 6. Willfully omits to transfer the same, when transfer is required by law; or, 7. Willfully omits or refuses to pay over to any officer or person authorized by law to receive the same, any money received by him or her under any duty imposed by law so to pay over the same; Is punishable by imprisonment in the state prison for two, three, or four years, and is disqualified from holding any office in this state. (b) As used in this section, public moneys includes the proceeds derived from the sale of bonds or other evidence or indebtedness authorized by the legislative body of any city, county, district, or public agency. (c) This section does not apply to the incidental and minimal use of public resources authorized by Section 8314 of the Government Code. This violation becomes more serious in light of the fact that CalPERS had a rating from Moodys for the purpose of acting as a financial guarantor after this practice started. That means its accounting chicanery has far more serious legal ramifications than just misleading beneficiaries and the legislature. We need to stress that we did not go looking to find dodgy accounting. Weve stumbled across three serious examples by sheer happenstance: Randle Associates, Meketa, and Wilshire Associates, whose charges CalPERS has also improperly shifted into the internal expense bucket. We have not had the opportunity yet to dig into Wilshire, but its fees are certain to be considerably higher than Meketas, yet they are not disclosed to the board in any periodic reviews of contacts and their costs, nor is there any disclosure in recent CAFRs. Perhaps these are all coincidences, but they are far more likely to be the tip of a very dirty iceberg. _____ 1 CalPERS is engaged in similar misleading/abusive reporting for what is certainly its biggest investment consultant, Wilshire Associates. But by virtue of the lack of any reporting of Wilshire expenses to the board, versus partial via the so-called spring fed pool reports for Meketa, we are less far along with them and so limited this post to Meketa. However, there are no expenses identified for Wilshire in the last two CAFRs, when Wilshire is certain to bill more to CalPERS than Meketa does. 2 The concept of the spring-fed pool has been bastardized over time. It was originally meant to allow CalPERS to pre-qualify service providers, including pre-authorizing certain levels of spending, who had capabilities that staff did not have and were believed to be too costly or too intermittently needed to justify building up internal skills. But now the spring-fed pool seems to be just a device for hiring outside vendors whether or not CalPERS could do the job. Note the Investment Committee sometimes gets interim quarterly updates on the investment-related spring-fed pool contracts. 3 4 Par for CalPERS, you need to look at the column header to learn that the expenses are as of March 31, 2018 even though the report is dated June 30, 2018. Authorities found seven bodies in Northern California on Thursday as firefighters battled multiple ravaging wildfires, raising the total number of victims in the state to 10. At least five others have been killed in Washington state and Oregon this week amid a series of out of control wildfires. The deadly, fast-moving wildfires ravaging across multiple West Coast states on Thursday have forced about 500,000 people in Oregon to flee their homes, state officials said. The Oregon Office of Emergency Management estimates that about half a million people -- more than 10% of the states population, according to the Census Bureau -- have been evacuated and that number continues to grow. (CNN) Featured stories Trump says he misled on virus to instill calm. But hes governed with scare tactics (Washington Post) Coronavirus news: US daily death toll from COVID-19 shoots back up over 1,000 (ABC News) Russia, China and Iran hackers target Trump and Biden, Microsoft says (BBC) Federal judges rule Trump cant exclude people in U.S. illegally from congressional redistricting (NBC News) False rumors that activists set wildfires exasperate officials (New York Times) National news Houston Police chief Art Acevedo on Thusday announces the department's findings in an April 21 officer-involved fatal shooting of Nicolas Chavez. (Godofredo A. Vasquez, Houston Chronicle via AP) 4 Houston police officers fired after fatal shooting (CBS News) Ex-cops blame one another, seek own trials in Floyds death (Associated Press) Fauci says U.S. needs to hunker down for fall and winter (NBC News) At least 3 teachers have died from Covid-19 complications in recent weeks (CNN) Senate fails to advance coronavirus stimulus bill as stalemate drags on (CNBC) Over 600 University of Alabama students sanctioned for breaking coronavirus rules (NBC News) San Francisco salon owner closes shop after Nancy Pelosi face mask controversy (Sacramento Bee) Treasury Department says Ukrainian linked to Rudy Giuliani is Russian agent (ABC News) Portland mayor bans cops from using tear gas during protests (Associated Press) Hurricane season peaks today, and the Hurricane Center is watching 7 systems (CNN) World news Book: Kim Jong Un told Trump about killing his uncle (Associated Press) Far-right Norwegian politician nominates Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize (Associated Press) Brexit: EU ultimatum to UK over withdrawal deal changes (BBC) U.S. could restrict funds for malign activities over Navalny poisoning (Reuters) Expert on Amazon tribes killed by arrow from uncontacted group (The Guardian) China, India agree to disengage troops on contested border (Reuters) Belarus opposition politician told she would be deported alive or in bits (BBC) Animal populations worldwide have declined nearly 70% in just 50 years, new report says (CBS News) Protesters regroup in Colombian capital for protest against police brutality (Reuters) At a time when NSW is battling a global pandemic and the first economic recession in three decades, the last thing we needed was the crisis manufactured by NSW Nationals leader John Barilaro this week about the minutiae of the states policy on koalas. Mr Barilaro threatened to withdraw from the Coalition over a State Environmental Planning Policy (SEPP) designed to protect the states koalas, which he claimed was a nail into the coffin of regional Australia. He said he would pull the Nationals' 19 MPs out of the Coalition and stop attending Coalition leadership meetings unless the perceived restrictions were reversed. Similar brinkmanship and hyperbole have sometimes worked for Mr Barilaro in the past, winning him concessions on issues from water rights to land clearing to electricity privatisation. But on this occasion, Premier Gladys Berejiklian wisely decided to stand firm and gave the volatile Deputy Premier an ultimatum: if he did not reaffirm his support for the Coalition by 9am on Friday morning, she would announce a new cabinet devoid of any Nationals. Earlier today, Apple revised its App Store guidelines to give companies such as Microsoft and Google a way to offer their video game streaming platforms on iOS, but did so with a major caveat. Apple said those companies could release catalog-style apps that collect and link to games iOS users would have to download individually through the App Store. Microsoft, which will launch its xCloud streaming service on Android devices on September 15th, has now come out against the policy. This remains a bad experience for customers, a spokesperson for the company told The Verge. Gamers want to jump directly into a game from their curated catalog within one app just like they do with movies or songs, and not be forced to download over 100 apps to play individual games from the cloud. Were committed to putting gamers at the center of everything we do, and providing a great experience is core to that mission. Microsoft did not go on to say whether it will rework xCloud to comply with Apples new policy. A significant point of contention for Microsoft is that Apple does not require companies like Netflix and Disney to offer every single movie on their respective streaming platforms through individual apps. Were Microsoft to rework xCloud to comply with the new policy, every game offered through the service would be subject to the 30 percent cut Apple takes from in-app purchases. The fee is at the center of the companys ongoing legal feud with Epic. In August, Apple said it had to limit game streaming services because it would have to review and approve each title individually. According to the company, the advantage of this approach is that each game would show up in the App Store charts and be easily searchable. It would also give iOS users the opportunity to rate and review each title, as well as manage them individually through ScreenTime. Of course, having to download each xCloud game that you want to play would, in a way, ultimately defeat the purpose of the platform. With Democrat threats to further undermine the presidential election process, the best thing average patriotic Americans can do to combat this is to vote in person. We need to have overwhelming numbers of Americans in line to fill out their ballots on Election Day. Crowds of Trump-supporters are the only force that can surpass the Democrats' plans to cheat through mailin voting. And guess what: our numbers will also be a show of protest against these internal enemies of America. Conservatives rarely take to the streets to protest. We have families to take care of, careers, and bills to pay. However, when liberty is threatened and government overreaches, the signs and flags of conservatives will rise high in protest and in great numbers. This Election Day is our time not only to redress government abuses at all levels, but also to protest the attempts of Marxist radicals (and their supporters in the Democrat party and mainstream media) who are trying to foment a civil war. Why should you be worried about Joe Biden winning the presidency? There are many reasons, but let's focus specifically on his mental faculties. It is quite obvious to a growing number of Americans that Biden's shelf life has expired in the form of advancing senility. He is simply not up to rigors of the presidency, and even half of Democrats polled don't believe he will finish his term if elected. Democrats will be voting for a figurehead, but it will be an unaccountable person or persons running things in a Biden administration who will not be subject to public scrutiny. This will make a mockery of the term "representative government," about which the donkey party could not care less. Just remember the deeds of the Democrats since March; their actions have shown they are more concerned with political expediency than serving their constituents. When the Wuhan virus was growing into a major crisis, who told people in San Francisco and New York that it was safe to attend Chinese New Year celebrations and take public transportation? Oh, yes, that would be Democrat speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, and New York City mayor Bill de Blasio. Who called Trump's plans of travel restrictions related to China xenophobic? You guessed it: Joe Biden. Who circumvented President Trump's plans of a temporary shutdown to flatten the curve and applied even more drastic lockdowns to their citizens and economies? Look no farther than Democrat governors like Gavin Newsom, Andrew Cuomo, Gretchen Whitmer, J.B. Pritzker, Jay Inslee , Phil Murphy, Kate Brown, and Tom Wolf and Democrat mayors like Eric Garcetti, Bill de Blasio, Ted Wheeler, and Lori Lightfoot. Just think these examples of feckless and vindictive leadership are also the Democrat bench in upcoming national elections. Can you imagine any of these incompetent tyrants in the White House? Let us not also forget how these Democrat leaders pledged allegiance to the Marxist groups known as Black Lives Matter and Antifa and how these office holders allowed their cities to be looted, vandalized, and burned, all in the name of "mostly peaceful protests." Coincidentally, Democrats have lately condemned the rioting after crashing poll numbers indicated that Americans were blaming Democrats for the violence. Not a single selfless leader exists in the examples given above. Each one of these leftist office-holders is a narcissist more in love with power and prestige than with the privilege of serving. What else can be said about "leaders" who would allow suffering to their constituents in the form of destroyed livelihoods, violence, and racial division? And let us not forget how some of these office-holders are defunding their police departments in the name of so-called rampant police brutality. Talk about jumping on the bandwagon. These Democrat governors and mayors are not statesmen, but mere agents of sabotage in the left's efforts to hurt the country so Biden can win. If you are one of the gullible who think these mini-tyrants will temper their policies with a Biden victory, I have some prime real estate in Death Valley that I would like to sell to you. While the rest of us live in the United States, the Democrats are united with the worldwide left in their hatred of President Trump, the people who voted for him and America as founded. Democrats have an endgame strategy of pushing Biden over the finish line whether he wins or loses. This strategy has been voiced by leftist stalwarts like Hillary Clinton, who urged Biden not to concede, and media platforms like Axios, which recently predicted that what looks like a Trump victory on election night will be overturned in the ensuing weeks with mail-in ballots. And how about the latest Democrat talking point of using the military to remove Trump from the White House if he doesn't concede? Sure sounds like subversion to me with the seeds being planted for us to expect a Trump loss after a vote count that could take weeks. As is always their modus operandi, the Democrats use repetitive talking points to legitimize a sleazy political tactic they are planning. The Democrats have amassed an army of lawyers dedicated to litigating the results of the 2020 presidential election until Biden is the winner. This can only be pulled off if the race is close. However, they can't cheat if it is not close and one way of insuring this is to have lines of Trump voters around the block in every state. Our numbers have to be so large that the media will not be able to ignore us and an added benefit will be screwing up the exit polls that news outlets love to use to discourage Republican turnout. Unprecedented and historic are two words that have come to annoy me because of overuse in the media. Yet we, as a nation of patriots from every skin color, every religion and every creed, have an opportunity to take to the polls and vote in person in unprecedented and historic numbers on November 3. Plug your ears to the echo chamber of the propaganda media telling you to stay home. Tell your like-minded friends, neighbors and family to get out and save America by voting to reelect President Trump, take back the House and hold the Senate. If you are worried about your health and safety, wear a mask or travel in numbers. You could even wear Biden t-shirts and other Democrat paraphernalia if you want to vote undercover. Be creative, but make sure you have boots and shoes on the ground at your local polling place. Let us make this the election where the sleeping giant awakens and makes its presence known. This scenario gives the left nightmares which is why it is so invested in keeping you scared and at home come Election Day. Don't fall for the threats, punch the Democrats in the mouth with your vote that is. Dex Bahr is the author of the book No Christian Man is an Island. He is also a freelance writer and lecturer. Photo credit: Tom Arthur, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license. The Pakistan Army on Friday opened heavy fire and shelled mortars at forward areas along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmirs Poonch district, officials said. This is the third consecutive day that Pakistani troops have targeted areas along the LoC. At about 0830 hours, Pak initiated unprovoked ceasefire violation by firing with small arms & shelling with mortars along LoC in Mankote sector in district Poonch, a defence spokesman said. The Indian Army retaliates befittingly, he added. On Thursday, the Pakistan Amy had opened fire with small arms and shelled mortars along the LoC. On Wednesday, they had targeted Malti and Degwar sectors along the LoC in Poonch with mortar bombs. On September 2, a JCO was killed in a ceasefire violation by the Pakistan Army along the LoC in Keri sector of Rajouri.. A company that murder suspect Chris Obure has leadership authority in paid for a Galana Suites apartment and cars belonging to the deceased Kevin Omwenga, police have testified. In an affidavit to oppose Obures bail, Sgt Bashir Boya said investigations have revealed that Obure and the deceased were acquaintances even though the suspect denied knowing Omwenga. Investigations and documentary evidence have shown that although Obure had denied having any business or a strong relationship with the deceased, there is strong evidence that Omwengas apartment and vehicles he claimed to own were fully paid for by Global Jet a company that Obure has leadership authority in, the affidavit reads in part. The court also heard that Obure is a team leader with aspects of leadership at Global Jet International and has his offices at Senteu Plaza where police believe he exercises full decision making responsibility. According to Sgt Boya, Obure and his bodyguard Robert Bodo acted jointly in the murder of Kevin Omwenga given that Obure allowed Bodo to access his firearm in a safe in his office. The state seeks to have both Obure and Bodo denied bail on grounds that they will interfere with witnesses who are employees of Global Jet. Meanwhile, the prosecution added more charges against Chris Obure over his firearm. In a charge sheet presented before the court, Obure is accused of failing to secure a firearm contrary to the firearms act. It is claimed that on August 21 this year at Senteu Plaza, while being a licensed firearm holder, he unlawfully allowed his firearm to be used by Robert Bodo to advance the cause of murder. Obure also faces another count of failing to secure the ammunition. Robert Bodo has also been charged with two counts; possession of a firearm without a certificate and being in possession of ammunition. Obure did not appear in court to answer to the charges on Thursday. The court heard that he had been taken for a COVID-19 test. The businessman is expected to be availed in court today for plea taking. The authorities warn of possible limits and new duties from the New Year if the EU and UK fail to reach an agreement. Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled The Financial Administration has launched a "Brexit" page on its website. Taxpayers can find all customs- and tax-related information about the arrangements between the EU and the UK as of 2021. Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement Skryt Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement At the end of this year, the transition period between the EU and the UK expires and Brussels and London are still in talks about how future relations will be set up, the Tax Administration spokesperson Ivana Skokanova said, as quoted by the TASR newswire. Tax oversight and controls Taxpayers should be ready for changes in the rules as of January 1, 2021 in the event the UK and the EU do not reach an agreement. Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Friday said that torrential rainfall and floods during the last week of August resulted in a loss of Rs 9,500 crore to the state adding that the same was communicated to a central team which arrived in MP on Thursday to assess the damage. Extremely heavy rainfall and flooding caused Rs 9,500 crore loss as crops, houses, livestock and roads suffered damage, Chouhan told reporters after meeting the central team. He directed the central team to tour affected areas, speak to those who suffered losses and then prepare the damage assessment report. The chief minister also said that crops over an area of 11.30 lakh hectares were destroyed, leaving 11.34 lakh farmers affected, while around 60,000 houses were damaged. Chouhan pointed out that though the crop insurance scheme was helping the farmers, central aid was also required to compensate the damage caused by insects. Also read: Flood batters Madhya Pradesh; 8 killed, over 9,000 moved to relief camps Insects have caused immense damage to crops and the Centre should send a separate team to assess it, he said. Madhya Pradesh during the last week of August witnessed heavy downpour which caused flooding in several districts. Teams from the Army, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) were deployed to rescue people from inundated areas. On August 29, Chouhan chaired a high-level meeting to assess the rain and flood situation in the state. He directed officials to pay close attention to the Narmada River and its tributaries as heavy rains will hit the state in the next 48 hours and also urged people living in affected areas to move to safer places. (With inputs from PTI) She is one of the world's most iconic supermodels. And Kate Moss proved her sartorial prowess as she stepped out for a shopping trip at Liberty London in Soho. The model, 46, looked effortlessly chic in a pair of flared denim jeans which she teamed with an unbuttoned silk black shirt casually tucked in. Effortlessly chic! Kate Moss proved her sartorial prowess as she stepped out for a shopping trip at Liberty London in Soho Adding some chic touches to her ensemble, Kate layered her look with a black silk floral-designed kimono. Kate finished her outfit with a pair of black heeled cowboy boots, Hermes Birkin handbag and stylish cat eye sunglasses. The model styled her signature blonde locks into a loose tousled look and added a slick of radiant make-up. Kate was seen arriving at the iconic British store via a chauffeur-driven black car and was later seen leaving with the signature purple carrier bag. Style: The model, 46, looked effortlessly chic in a pair of flared denim jeans which she teamed with an unbuttoned silk black shirt casually tucked in The star returned to London last month after she had been isolating in her Cotswolds mansion with her daughter Lila, 17, alongside Kate's long-term partner Count Nikolai von Bismarck, 33, and her half-sister Lottie, 22. The troupe were also joined by Kate's hairdresser friend James Brown. A source told MailOnline: 'Kate and James have been friends their entire careers, they're like family. They're very comfortable living together. 'It's an added perk that James is a hairdresser and has been able to lend his hand when it comes to overgrown roots and out of control hair. Shopping trip! Adding some chic touches to her ensemble, Kate layered her look with a black silk floral-designed kimono 'Lottie, who's dyed her hair pink in lockdown, has also formed a close bond with James and regularly shops with him when getting food for the house.' After putting her boozy benders behind her years ago, Kate recently said she now prefers to balance her life with yoga and enjoys watching Netflix before bed. Two years ago, she told NBC's Megyn Kelly: 'I take care of myself now, I'm a good girl. I go to bed, I drink lots of water, not too much coffee, and I'm trying to cut down on cigarettes.' In the mid-90s, the mother-of-one spent her days moving from the catwalk to the bar, with The Groucho Club, The Ivy and her friends' luxurious pads in NW1 all second homes. After attending a week-long detox in Turkey back in June 2015, the runway sensation wound up being escorted off an easyJet flight home after her airport drinking session took a heavy turn. Last month she told Elle: 'I hit the sack at 11pm-ish and watch Netflix before I go to sleep. I deal with stress by doing yoga. It helps me concentrate on the here and now.' Riley Keough was spotted watching her husband surf from the beaches of Malibu, marking the first time she's been seen since the aftermath of her brother Benjamin's death, DailyMail.com exclusive photos show. The mourning 31-year-old actress' new tattoo of an inscription of Benjamin's name was peeking out from under her shirt collar as she headed back to her car with husband Ben Smith-Petersen on Tuesday morning. Benjamin, 27, died after he shot himself while at a joint birthday party for his girlfriend and brother-in-law at his mother Lisa Marie Presley's Calabasas home on July 12. On Monday, Keough marked two months since his death, sharing a photo that showed the duo goofing around and pulling faces. 'Two months without you. I would give anything for 1 more minute with you little brother,' she captioned the image. Riley Keough was spotted watching her husband surf from the beaches of Malibu, marking the first time she's been seen since the aftermath of her brother Benjamin's death, DailyMail.com exclusive photos show The mourning 31-year-old actress' new tattoo of her younger brother's name was peeking out from under her shirt collar on Tuesday morning On her collarbone was the recent tattoo she got to honor Benjamin - inscribed with his name 'Benjamin Storm'. Benjamin had her name tattooed in the same spot Benjamin, 27, died after he shot himself while at a joint birthday party for his girlfriend and brother-in-law at his mother Lisa Marie Presley's Calabasas home on July 12 Keough was seen walking down to the beach with her Australian husband Ben Smith-Petersen On Tuesday, Keough bundled up in a large hoodie, sweatpants with her hair tied back as she accompanied her stuntman husband to the beach, giving him a quick peck in the parking lot. She sat on a towel laid out on the sand as she listened to music and watched him surf. Keough tied her hoodie around her waist while walking back to the car with Australian-born Smith-Petersen, who she married in 2015. On her collarbone was the recent tattoo she got to honor Benjamin - inscribed with his name 'Benjamin Storm'. Benjamin had her name tattooed in the same spot. Benjamin's family and girlfriend Diana Pinto have been devastated by his death, with both Keough and Pinto regularly posting tributes to him on their social media pages. Keough previously shared a slideshow of images of the pair - who are both the children of Lisa Marie Presley and Danny Keough - on Instagram, and said she 'can't believe' her sibling is gone. Riley and Ben shared a sweet lip lock before he went off to surf in Malibu Riley sat on a towel laid out on the sand as she listened to music and watched her husband surf On Tuesday, Keough bundled up in a large hoodie, sweatpants with her hair tied back She accompanied her stuntman husband to the beach, giving him a quick peck in the parking lot Benjamin's family and girlfriend Diana Pinto have been devastated by his death, with both Keough and Pinto regularly posting tributes to him on their social media pages She wrote alongside the pictures: 'Mornings are the hardest. I forget you're gone. I can't cry because of the fear that I will never stop. A pain that's new to me. 'You. There are no words for you. Angel is the closest I could think of. Pure light. Baby brother. Best friend. Wild man. Intellectual. Witness to my life. Twin soul. Protector. 'Too sensitive for this harsh world. I hope you give me strength to endure the giant hole you've left in my heart. I hope you give me the strength to eat. I hope you're cradled in love. I hope you feel my love. I hope you feel god. You are god. 'I can't believe you've left me. Not you sweet Ben Ben. Anyone but you. I guess this is true heartbreak. I hope we meet again. (sic)' His passing was officially ruled a suicide, with the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner confirming he died from a self-inflicted 'intraoral shotgun wound'. Following Benjamin's death, a spokesperson for Lisa Marie - who has 11-year-old twins Finley and Harper with her fourth husband Michael Lockwood - said: 'She is completely heartbroken, inconsolable and beyond devastated but trying to stay strong for her 11 year old twins and her oldest daughter Riley. 'She adored that boy. He was the love of her life.' Following Benjamin's death, a spokesperson for Lisa Marie - who has 11-year-old twins Finley and Harper with her fourth husband Michael Lockwood - said: 'She is completely heartbroken.' Pictured: Lisa Marie with her four children On Monday, Keough marked two months since his death, sharing a photo that showed the duo goofing around and pulling faces while enjoying some family time together Lisa Marie, 52, reportedly has no plans on returning to the $1.8 million home where Benjamin shot himself, finding a new place to stay after initially staying at a hotel in Beverly Hills in the days after his death. His grandmother Priscilla Presley, 75, who was married to Elvis Presley from 1967 to 1973, gave an emotional statement to fans shortly after his death via her official Facebook page. 'These are some of the darkest days of my family's life,' the statement began. 'The shock of losing Ben has been devastating. Trying to put all the pieces together of all the possible whys has penetrated my soul. 'Each day I wake up I pray it will get better. Then, I think of my daughter and the pain she is going through as she was a doting mother. Ben's father, Danny, who is completely lost, as Ben was his only son. 'Riley, so loving and so close to him; Harper and Finley, who absolutely adored Ben. Navarone, who struggles deeply with loss and death. Rest In Peace Ben, you were loved,' the statement concluded. Ankita Lokhandes boyfriend Vicky Jain has come out in support of her after her verbal duel with Shibani Dandekar. Ankita was accused by Shibani of not dealing with her own relationship issues with Sushant Singh Rajput and seeking two seconds of fame by targeting Rhea Chakraborty. Vicky, without taking any names, took to Instagram stories to share a quote which read, Theres a difference between being liked and being valued. A lot of people like you. Not many value you. Be valued. Ankita shared it on her own Instagram stories with an applause emoji. Shibani has been crusading for justice for her friend, Rhea, who is the prime accused in Sushants death case. Several Bollywood celebrities, including Kareena Kapoor Khan, Vidya Balan and Sonam Kapoor, showed support by trending the caption on the T-shirt worn by Rhea, the day she was arrested by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) on drugs-related charges. Roses are red, Violets are blue, Lets smash the patriarchy, Me and you, the quote read. In an open letter on Wednesday night, Ankita questioned Rheas alleged procurement of drugs for Sushant. On one hand, she says she was coordinating with all the doctors for his betterment of health on request of SSR, and on the other hand, she was coordinating drug logistics for him. Would anyone, who claims to have loved someone so deeply, allow the other person to consume drugs claiming to know his mental state and condition?, she asked. Shibani called Ankitas open letter grotesque and accused her of trying to get two seconds of fame by encouraging the harassment of Rhea. No one has more hate in their heart(?) than you, she wrote in an Instagram post. Also read: From being asked to serve food to Ayushmann Khurrana to getting groped at 12, Tahira Kashyap opens up on need to smash patriarchy In another post, Ankita wondered if she was called attention-seeking by Shibani because she was considered a television actor. I have been an ACTOR in Television & Bollywood for the past 17 years & now, when I am trying to support justice for my late friend, a view has been expressed that I am seeking JUSTICE because I need 2 seconds of fame and cheap publicity! I cannot fathom as to why any person would take such a stand. Is it because I have worked mostly on television and not in Bollywood? Is that why you would take a stand for the person with whom you have had a relationship for almost a decade?, she questioned. Stop looking down on we television actors, if that was your reason for describing my words as GROTESQUE . It takes an equal amount of hard work and dedication for the actors in the television industry as it would take in Bollywood. I am proud to be a television actor. And if not for anything, I shall always raise my voice for the people I love and care about, she concluded. Follow @htshowbiz for more The Afghan government and the Taliban will this weekend begin talks to end nearly two decades of war, though few expect a peace deal any time soon. The two sides will meet in the Qatari capital Doha from Saturday, six months later than planned owing to bitter disagreements over a controversial prisoner swap. The US-backed talks mark a major milestone in Afghanistan's 19-year conflict, but a peaceful outcome -- or even a ceasefire -- is far from guaranteed as negotiators grapple with wildly divergent goals. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who is attending the talks' opening ceremony, said they represented a "truly historic" opportunity. The two sides must flesh out "how to move their country forward to reduce violence and deliver what the Afghan people are demanding - a reconciled Afghanistan with a government that reflects a country that isn't at war," Pompeo told reporters as he flew to Qatar. President Donald Trump, up for re-election in November, has pushed hard to bring home troops and end America's longest war, which began nearly 20 years ago when Washington invaded Afghanistan and ousted the Taliban following the September 11 attacks. Vanda Felbab-Brown, an Afghanistan expert and senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, said negotiations could last years, "with many stops and halts, sometimes perhaps for months as fighting goes on". Any deal will depend on both sides' willingness to tailor their competing visions for the country and the extent to which they can share power. The Taliban, who have refused to recognise President Ashraf Ghani's government, will push to reshape Afghanistan into an Islamic "emirate". Ghani's administration will seek to maintain the Western-backed status quo of a constitutional republic that has enshrined many rights including greater freedoms for women. So far, the Taliban have only made vague pledges to protect women's rights through "Islamic values", and many Afghans fear any partial or full return to power would herald a resumption of previous policies such as executing women accused of adultery. Story continues "As much as we want peace, we also want the achievements of the past years kept," said Aminullah, a 35-year-old schoolteacher in Kunduz province. "I don't want my school closed, but peace is the priority now." - Claiming 'victory' - The Taliban, who ruled most of Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001, will assert a stronger bargaining position than at any time since they were ousted. They claimed victory in February after signing a deal with Washington that laid out a timetable for talks, which were supposed to start in March, and for foreign forces to withdraw by early next year. In return, the Taliban offered security guarantees critics said were vague. As soon as the ink dried on the deal, the insurgents unleashed fresh attacks on Afghan forces and have maintained a withering battlefield tempo. The deal does not require the Taliban to formally renounce Al-Qaeda, the jihadist group formerly led by Osama bin Laden, which enjoyed safe haven in Afghanistan while plotting 9/11. Instead, the Taliban must "not allow" such groups to use Afghanistan as a base. "Posturing from the Taliban... suggests they perceive their current position to be one of great strength," said Andrew Watkins, an Afghanistan analyst with the International Crisis Group. And while the Taliban have generally projected a unified front, the Afghan government has been riven by personal feuds and long-running rivalries. - Ceasefire - An immediate point of contention is expected to be the issue of stopping the bloodshed in a war that has killed tens of thousands of civilians and displaced millions more. The US deal insisted the Taliban include a permanent truce only as "an item on the agenda" in negotiations, but Kabul insists it wants to push for a ceasefire from day one -- something the Taliban have said is a non-starter. The Taliban "don't trust the United States or Afghan government enough to stop fighting, until peace talks reach a point that they believe their group may have genuinely secured their interests", Watkins said. Still, Felbab-Brown said the Taliban would prefer a peace deal to having to fight for the rest of Afghanistan, particularly Kabul. Even if the Taliban and the Afghan government eventually strike a deal, what comes next is an open question. The US has stressed Afghanistan's future is now in Afghan hands and suggested that if a peace process breaks down and chaos ensues, so be it. "Let's be clear: this isn't negotiating about peace. This is about the US getting out," said Christine Fair, a South Asia expert at Georgetown University. wat-emh/qan President Cyril Ramaphosa has given Defence Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula 24 hours to write a detailed report on circumstances that led the minister to share a flight to Zimbabwe with a seven-member delegation of the African National Congress (ANC), which was expected to discuss the political and economic crisis in the country with Zanu PF and other stakeholders. In a statement following a public outcry over the use of state resources by the ANC delegation to resolve Zimbabwean issues, Ramaphosa said there is need for the minister to provide urgent details of the trip. The President notes the public discussion that has been generated around a flight to Harare by Minister Mapisa-Nqakula, who had permission to travel to Zimbabwe to meet her counterpart to discuss defence-related matters in the region following a recent SADC summit. In the interest of good governance and the prudent and ethical use of state assets, the President has directed the Minister to provide a report within 48 hours that will set out the circumstances around the flight and the passenger list. The President welcomes the interest shown by South Africans in this matter as an indication of the nations vigilance against allegations of improper deployment of public resources. Senior ANC officials who traveled to Harare aboard a South African Defence Forces jet are secretary general Elias Ace Sekgobelo Magashule, Lindiwe Zulu, Gwede Mantashe, Tony Yengeni, Enock Gondongwana, Nosiviwe Nqakula, Nomvula Mokonyane and Dakota Lekgoete. The opposition Democratic Alliance attacked Minister Nqakula for giving a lift to the ANC officials when they were not on state assignment. Zulu told a local newspaper that they decided to use the jet because weve got issues of national importance here. This is one thing that needs to be understood and be understood very clearly when there is a problem that has a negative impact on us as a nation What is happening is not an impact on the ANC, its an impact on our people and our economy. Zulu and her colleagues returned to South Africa a few hours after they landed in Zimbabwe where they were widely expected to hold meetings with various political parties, church groups and some people about the deteriorating political and economic situation in Zimbabwe. The leader of the delegation, Magashule, said they had frank discussions with representatives of Zanu PF and promised to engage other stakeholders within the next three weeks. Zimbabwe maintains that there is no political crisis in the country though civic society groups and opposition parties claim that over 60 people have been arrested following the July 31 proposed anti-corruption protest that was thwarted by state security agents. Zulu told another newspaper that they pressed Zanu PF to give details on many issues of local interest. She was quoted as saying, We have told Zanu-PF that what we see and what we hear does not really represent ourselves, including them, from the point of view of what we need to do as governing parties in creating a conducive environment for our people and running our economies to the point where they benefit our people. Zulu, Magashule and defence ministry officials were unavailable for comment. Two Indian Army personnel, including a Major, were injured in an explosion along the Line of Control (LoC) in Nowshera sector of Jammu divisions Rajouri district on Thursday, officials said. A major and a JCO (junior commissioned officer) were injured when they inadvertently stepped on to a landmine along the LoC in Nowshera sector on Thursday morning. They were on a patrol in a forward area, said a defence official. Also Read: Pakistan violates ceasefire along LoC yet again The injured have been shifted to Command Hospital in Udhampur for treatment. They are stable, he added. Usually, landmines, which are light in weight, drift away during monsoon and pose a threat to the security personnel on patrol duty. Pakistan-based terrorists with the assistance of Pakistani Army also plant such landmines on Indian soil in a bid to grievously hurt Indian security forces along the LoC. Business is business, and business waits for no man or virus. Even during the corona crisis, companies were conducting IPOs, moving from the fully private sector to the public trading sphere. And Wall Streets best analysts have wasted no time getting the word out on which of these companies are worth an investors second look and which are too risky. Making stock selections from the recent IPOs can take a little more homework than investors may be used to. The established companies have a history and a track record that can guide investors. The newer IPOs have yet to build that up, and so the professional analysts opinions take on added importance. With this in mind, weve delved into three newly public names two that the analysts say are worth the risk, and one they tag as best left alone. Using TipRanks Stock Comparison tool, we lined up the three alongside each other to get the lowdown on what the near-term holds for these rookies. IBEX, Ltd. (IBEX) Is the first stock our list a mountain goat from the Spanish stock index? Not at all IBEX is an elite name in the customer experience world, working with its clients to improve their own brand engagement. With brand management, customer lifestyle and experience solutions, and digital marketing services, IBEX brings all the necessities for effective end-user engagement into one package. The company, based in Washington DC, premiered on the trading floor on August 7, with shares priced at $19. One month later, the stock is down 48% despite upbeat forecasts for 2020 growth. Those projections include revenue growth of 9%, to $402 million for this year, and a switch from an annual net loss to a full-year profit between $6.1 million and $7.6 million. Seth Weber, 5-star analyst with RBC Capital, believes that IBEX will live up to its forecast potential, writing, We view revenue outperformance as evidence that IBEX's solutions/services are differentiated, including a portfolio of proprietary technology toolsets and third party integrations driving value-added insights and quantifiable benefits to customers. With evidence of sustained HSD/LDD organic revenue growth and continued EBITDA margin expansion, we expect shares to rise/valuation gap to close. Story continues Webers optimism supports an Outperform (i.e. Buy) rating on the stock, and his $23 price target suggests a powerful upside potential of 137%. (To watch Webers track record, click here) Overall, its clear that Wall Streets analysts agree with Weber. IBEX shares have a Strong Buy consensus rating, based on a unanimous 5 Buy reviews. Share are selling for $9.70 and the average price target of $21.80 implies a 124% potential upside. (See IBEX stock analysis on TipRanks) NetSTREIT Corp. (NTST) Based in Texas, NetSTREIT is a real estate investment trust focused on retail properties. The companys portfolio includes 163 properties across 34 states. The company stock started trading on August 13 priced at $18. The initial public offering included 12.5 million shares, and after four weeks on the market, the trading remained range bound. In the week after the IPO, the company announced its first quarterly dividend as a public firm. The dividend is set for payment on September 25, with a record date of the 15. At the current rate, NTSTs payment annualizes to 40 cents and gives a yield of 2.2%, slightly higher than the average found among S&P-listed companies. BTIG analyst Michael Gorman likes the fundamental of this newly public REIT, writing of the company, NETSTREIT's existing portfolio includes 163 properties with 64% exposure to investment grade tenants, but we expect the asset base to expand materially in the coming years. We think the combination of the company's potential for external growth and the quality of its inplace portfolio augur well for the shares. The company's portfolio quality has shown through during the COVID-19 pandemic where collections have been strong. To this end, Gorman rates the stock a Buy along with a $21 price target. This figure implies a 16% upside going forward. (To watch Gormans track record, click here) The Strong Buy analyst consensus rating on NTST shares is based on 7 reviews, including 6 Buys and 1 Hold. The stock has an average price target of $21.21, suggesting an 18% one-year upside from the current share price of $17.94. (See NTST stock analysis on TipRanks) BigCommerce Holdings (BIGC) Last on our list is an e-commerce company that rivals Shopify in the online retailer space. BigCommerce offers customers a SaaS platform for cloud-based retail operations and cross-channel commerce, scalable to fit with business growth. BigCommerce is a big deal in e-commerce, and the lead-up to the IPO reflected that. The company originally was set to offer 6.85 million shares priced between $18 and $20 but the IPO closed at nearly 10.4 million shares of common stock, sold at $24 per share. The offering raised well over $164 million. The stock has been volatile since it opened, more than tripling to its peak value and then sliding back down to a net gain of 15% in its first month of trading. Covering the stock for Raymond James, 5-star analyst Brian Peterson advises caution. While there is nothing fundamentally wrong with BIGC, the sees the surge in value after the IPO as overvaluing the stock. While we believe that the company has a number of fundamental tailwinds and is well positioned to gain share, we're also in an uncertain macroeconomic period, while software multiples are at all time highs. Given this dynamic, we would encourage investors to wait for a more attractive entry point, Peterson opined. Peterson is ranked among the best of Wall Streets analysts; when he talks, investors listen. And in his caution on BIGC, he rates the stock a Market Perform (i.e. Hold), without suggesting a price target. (To watch Petersons track record, click here) Wall Street agrees with Peterson, that investors should approach BigCommerce with caution. The stock has 8 recent reviews, including 1 Buy, 6 Holds, and 1 Sell, making the analyst consensus rating a Hold. The shares sell for $83.16, and the $100 average price target implies an upside of 20% for the coming year. (See BIGC stock analysis on TipRanks) To find good ideas for IPO 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. EDINBURG A federal magistrate judge has paved the way for former MyPayrollHR CEO Michael Mann to sell his Great Sacandaga Lake home. The disgraced executive pleaded guilty last month to 12 felonies involving a decade-long financial fraud that could land him in federal prison for three decades. Mann, 50, is also facing more than $100 million in restitution payments to his victims, as well as tens of millions of dollars more in civil judgments. Mann had put the Edinburg home up as collateral for his bond so that he could be released from federal custody after his arrest last year on bank fraud charges. Mann has admitted to bilking several banks out of tens of millions of dollars in loans by falsifying business records. When his scheme was uncovered a year ago, his Clifton Park payroll processing firm, MyPayrollHR, collapsed, leaving more than a thousand business clients scrambling to pay their employees. Mann and his wife, Kim, who has not been accused of any wrongdoing, purchased the lakefront home in 2015 for $375,000. The town of Edinburg values the home at $549.000. The couple financed the purchase with a $300,000 mortgage from Pioneer Bank. In a ruling earlier this month, U.S. Magistrate Judge Daniel J. Stewart allowed Mann to swap his house at 287 South Shore Road with his parents' Pennsylvania home as collateral for the $200,000 bond. Any potential profit from the sale of the house would first be used to pay off the mortgage. Mann's wife would be entitled to half of what remained. Paying restitution to victims can be a long and slow process that doesn't really begin until defendants begin their sentences. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. Mann has already agreed to forfeit roughly $14.5 million held in three Bank of America business accounts, along with a black 2020 Jeep Gladiator and 30,000 shares of Pioneer Bancorp stock. Pioneer Bancorp is the holding company of Pioneer Bank of Colonie, which provided Mann and his companies with a $42 million line of credit just three months before the collapse of his businesses. Shares of Pioneer Bancorp are trading currently for about $8.50, which means Mann's holdings are worth about $255,000. The price of the shares has actually dropped significantly since Mann bought them through MyPayrollHR in 2019, so Mann has actually lost money on the investment so far. Mann also had business accounts in the name of his various businesses, some of which didn't actually have any legitimate operations, and Pioneer Bank also financed Mann's purchase of legitimate companies, including a 51 percent share of an Oklahoma payroll company called Southwestern Payroll. Mann is scheduled to be sentenced in December in federal court in Albany. WISCONSIN - Days before the deadline of mailing ballots, the Supreme Court of the State of Wisconsin ordered on Thursday that they cannot mail out the absentee ballots until they decide whether to add the presidential ticket of the Green Party to the ballot. 1,850 municipal clerks need to mail out the absentee ballots on its September 17 deadline going to Wisconsin voters who asked for one as it is set in the state's law. The Wisconsin Supreme Court had split the decision into 4-3 among partisan lines, three liberal justices dissented while the other four conservative justices agreed that mailing out the ballots should be paused. Addition of Green Party Candidate may Change Course of Election Green Party presidential candidate Howie Hawkins' possible inclusion on the general election ballot could tip the scales of the razor-thin presidential race between Democratic nominee Joe Biden and current President Donald Trump, CNN reported. In Wisconsin, voting during this time of pandemic has already been the focus of legal fight as the Republicans insisted on keeping the April 7 schedule of the state won two of their legal battles in the spring, as the state Supreme Court blocked the bid of the Democratic Governor Tony Evers to delay voting until June but the United States Supreme Court reversed the lower court's ruling, giving voters six more days to bring back their ballots by mail. The health department of the state of Wisconsin later that month shared that at least 19 of people in the state who stated that they will be voting in-person or worked the polls tested positive with COVID-19. Read also: Russian, Chinese, and Iranian Hackers Target Presidential Election Candidates, Microsoft Observes According to the chief election official for the state of Wisconsin who spoke to the reporters via media call when the court order came down, Meagan Wolfe, requested ballots in the state of Wisconsin were around 1 million and more than 300,000 of those requested ballots have already been prepared by the clerks in the local level to go out to voters. Reporters also asked the chief election official if what would happen if the court justices order the addition of the other candidate to the ballots even after it was already printed. According to NBC New York, the chief election official responded that it would be difficult and incredibly complicated for them as clerks who are coming from small jurisdictions all over the state most likely have sent a portion of the ballots to some of their voters but the exact number of sent ballots were not confirmed by Wolfe. The high court of the said state mentioned that the Wisconsin Election Commission must inform the court before the day ends on Thursday despite absentee ballots have been mailed. The court requested for the names and addresses of everyone on the list who had received the absentee ballot on their mail, together with the date when the ballot was mailed. Aside from that, the court also ordered the commission to give out the names of the officials who requested the ballots to be printed along with the exact date and time when those requests were made. Related article: Biden, Trump Shares Similar Perspectives in Dealing With China on International Stage @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. By Lambert Strether of Corrente. Patient readers, I got my 9/11 links all tangled up with my 2020 links, and so stumbled about for a bit. More shortly! lambert UPDATE All done. OBL won, didnt he. #COVID19 At reader request, Ive added this daily chart from 91-DIVOC. The data is the Johns Hopkins CSSE data. Here is the site. Here are the United States regions (with positivity): Again, if the curves continue like this for another couple weeks which they may not Ill conclude we dodged a bullet on school re-openings, horrid anecdotes aside. And the Midwest looks a lot better in the aggregate. And here are world regions: Monroe Doctrine not looking so good, here. * * * Politics But what is government itself, but the greatest of all reflections on human nature? James Madison, Federalist 51 They had one weapon left and both knew it: treachery. Frank Herbert, Dune They had learned nothing, and forgotten nothing. Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Perigord The electoral map. July 17: Georgia, Ohio, ME-2 move from Leans Republican to Toss-up. Continued yikes. On July 7, the tossup were 86. Only July 17, they were 56. Now they are 91. This puts Biden at 278, i.e. over 270. August 18: Still no changes. August 31: Indiana moves from Likely to Safe Republican. September 9: No changes. Despite the sturm and drang, and the polls, the consensus on the electoral college remains the same: Biden ahead, Trump within striking distance. Click the map to create your own at 270toWin.com So, taking the consensus as a given, 270 (total) 204 (Trumps) = 66. Trump must win 66 from the states in play: AZ (11), FL (29), MI (16), NC (15), PA (20), and WI (10) plus 1 to win not tie = 102. 102 66 = 36. So if Trump wins FL, MI, NC, and PA (29 + 16 + 15 + 20 = 80), he wins. Thats a heavy lift. I think Ive got the math right this time! Time to restore the election countdown: Here, however, is an early voting calendar. * * * 2020 UPDATE Biden (D)(1): Biden says US must maintain small force in Middle East, has no plans for major Defense cuts [Stars and Stripes]. Former Vice President Joe Biden said Thursday that he supports drawing down troops in the Middle East but if elected president would keep a small force there to prevent extremists from posing a threat to the United States and its allies. These forever wars have to end. I support drawing down the troops. But heres the problem, we still have to worry about terrorism and [the Islamic State], Biden told Stars and Stripes in a telephone interview. He also said he does not foresee major reductions in the U.S. defense budget as the military refocuses its attention to potential threats from near-peer powers such as China and Russia. Fundamentally, nothing will change. UPDATE Biden (D)(2): Biden lavishes time and money on key industrial states, but hasnt locked them down yet [Los Angeles Times]. The Democrats presidential nominee is showering money, staff and time over [Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin] the blue wall that crumbled when Donald Trumps victories by tiny margins in all three propelled him to the White House. By this weekend, Biden will have made five trips to those battleground states in less than two weeks. Biden has yet to lock down those crucial states. He has held a consistent polling lead over Trump in each of them, but not enough to feel confident. Trump and Biden have been shadowing each other in campaign appearances across the region. Some Democrats have downplayed the importance of the region, arguing that the partys best path to victory runs through diverse Sun Belt states that could be flipped from the GOP rather than recovering lost ground among the white working class in the Midwest. Bidens campaign has tried to do both, making some efforts to compete in states like Florida, Arizona and Georgia that Trump won in 2016. Trump (R)(1): Trumps Strength With Military Households Persists in Wake of Atlantic Report [Morning Consult]. Morning Consult daily tracking conducted Sept. 6-8 found Trump leading Biden by 10 percentage points, 52 percent to 42 percent, among 2,711 likely voters in military households those who said they are, or live with, an active-duty service member or veteran. But his advantage with the group has decreased since the 2016 election, when he won military-affiliated voters by 18 points, 57 percent to 39 percent, according to Morning Consult exit polling. With fewer undecided voters this year, Biden is currently polling 7 points ahead of where Clinton was with likely voters in military households at a comparative point in the race four years ago. His standing is consistent with his average deficit to Trump among the group since The Associated Press first reported the Russian bounty program at the end of June. Trumps strength with the demographic has proven durable. * * * UPDATE I want to be in the Trump party: GOP rides voter registration surge in key state [Politico]. President Donald Trump has trailed Joe Biden in virtually every poll in Pennsylvania this year. But theres a more tangible piece of data in the state that tells a different story: Since 2016, Republicans have netted nearly seven times as many registered voters here than Democrats, The GOP has also seen a larger boost in registrations than Democrats in three critical areas across Pennsylvania: Erie, Luzerne and Northampton counties, all of which helped Trump flip the state by backing him after supporting former President Barack Obama in 2012. Overall, registered Democrats now make up 47 percent of the states electorate, down from 49 percent in September 2016. Republicans comprise 39 percent, up from 38 percent four years ago. Many party officials credit Trump himself for narrowing the gap. While they have lost ground statewide, Democrats have netted more registered voters in the last four years than the GOP in Philadelphias suburbs. In fact, Montgomery, Chester, Delaware and Bucks counties, along with the city of Philadelphia, are the top five areas where they have seen a registration boost. I think people confuse Trumps dysfunction with dysfunction in the Republican party machinery. That certainly wasnt true in 2016, and I dont think its true today. UPDATE Amid Flood Of News, Voters Appear Locked In On Their Presidential Choices [NPR]. But NPR interviews with voters across the country around Labor Day weekend found that most are locked into their support for either President Trump or Democratic nominee Joe Biden. The small contingent of undecided voters said they are unenthusiastic about their choices Sheri Holman, a Michigan union member who is among a bloc in the state who abandoned Democrats for Trump in 2016, is sticking with the president, even though she admits she doesnt like him personally. Hes a strong hes got a strong backbone, she said. But she isnt convinced that after Election Day the country will move past the intense partisan split. Im sure therell be riots no matter which way it goes , she says. I wonder if that sentiment is prevalent in Michigan The Neglect of Latino Voters [The Atlantic]. During the Democratic primary, Latino groups praised the Sanders campaigns outreach strategy as a model for other candidates. Early in the campaign, Sanderss team placed staff and poured historic amounts of cash into California, Nevada, and Texas, in an attempt to show the campaigns cultural competency and commitment to Latino communities. But Bidens campaign has repeated some of the same mistakes as past presidential candidates, ramping up its outreach only in the past three months after Latino leaders scathingly criticized its primary strategy. The Biden campaign has hired new staff, rolled out its agenda for the Latino community, and announced new ad buys in key states that will micro-target Latinos based on ethnicity (and even music taste). The campaign has also tried to capitalize on Kamala Harriss support among Latinos in California, debuting a Spanish-language ad highlighting Bidens selection of Harris as his running mate.. Bidens investment comes as the Trump campaign more aggressively courts conservative Latino support with digital and TV advertising that paints Biden as incompetent, radical, and antibusiness. Well see, I suppose UPDATE Ad spend: Fascinating detail on TV ad spending in battleground states (Aug 10-Sept 7): Florida: Biden $20.5 million; Trump $7.8 million Michigan: Biden,$9.3 million; Trump $560,000 Pennsylvania: Biden, $17.7 million; Trump, $6.1 millionhttps://t.co/JONY9Y9hp7 Bill Grueskin (@BGrueskin) September 11, 2020 9/11 Readers know Im not big on anniversaries. And I was far away in Philly when I turned on the TV and saw the Twin Towers burning. But 9/11 seems a little bigger this year, so herewith (and more shortly): Cheney Waits Until Last Minute Again To Buy Sept. 11 Gifts [The Onion]. No, Cheney continued. No, 9/11 is about the warm feeling you get when you help an elderly woman cross the street and then whisper to her that the terrorists can strike at any moment. 9/11 is about the satisfaction of telling people to do things and then them doing itnot because they want to, but because they are afraid to do otherwise. 9/11 is about removing Saddam Hussein from power. But most of all, 9/11 is about love.' Oh. UPDATE This is wild. Thread: Overall, Americans took 9/11 pretty calmly. Notably, there wasn't a mass outbreak of anti-Muslim sentiment and violence, which could all too easily have happened. And while GW Bush was a terrible president, to his credit he tried to calm prejudice, not feed it 2/ Paul Krugman (@paulkrugman) September 11, 2020 I find it really hard to wrap my head around this. Pretty calmly? From what I remember, the country went absolutely batshit. Remember Freedom Fries? Freedom toast? Heres a thread on the cray cray: Post 9/11 thread for people to post the wildest shit they remember from 01 to 06 I'll start: People thought Osama had an entire mountain hollowed out that he was using as his base and that's why AQ was hard to find and that somehow a group of like 30 dudes arranged this. pic.twitter.com/IPGVQ1xfhs grimm (@mugrimm) September 11, 2019 Whos lost their minds, here? Me, or Krugman? Listen to [9/11 week] Bush Did 9/11 (Part 1) from TrueAnon on Apple Podcasts (podcast) [TrueAnon]. A re-upload from earlier this year and the first of a multi-part podcast. I wouldnt take anything causal from this, but the podcasters are really fun, the atmosphere of the time is captured very well, and there are thumbnail portraits of a lot of the players, some well-known, some not. UPDATE Gitmo Soldiers Get 9/11 History Lessons [ProPublica]. From 2013, still germane: Young soldiers at Guantanamo Bay would have been in grade school when the 9/11 attacks occurred. But the government is making sure the terrorist attacks are fresh in their minds. The FBI now holds briefings for military personnel stationed at Guantanamo about the attacks and their connection to the island prison. We received eight pages of the FBIs 17-slide PowerPoint presentation after filing a Freedom of Information Act request. We filed the request after a Huffington Post report cited the briefings, saying they left many participants in tears.' Remember when [genuflects] President Obama promised to close Gitmo? Good times. Warning: No yarn diagrams! * * * Another 9/11: On Sept 11 1973, a CIA-backed coup overthrew Chile's democratic socialist president Salvador Allende & worked to install Gen. Pinochet's brutal dictatorship, who killed thousands, tortured tens of thousands & imprisoned over 130,000. pic.twitter.com/pjaEme54qF American Values (@Americas_Crimes) September 10, 2020 2016 Post Mortem Sigh: None of this is normal, and confronting climate change is on the ballot this year. Vote, as early as you can, for a habitable planet. pic.twitter.com/lFfLFeB7iG Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) September 10, 2020 Our Famously Free Press UPDATE Adolph Reed on American Affairs: Here's the Reed clip that's caused the stir check out @kthalps's whole interview at https://t.co/Jd5lnw5r9l pic.twitter.com/eXrIaDC3CW Carl Beijer (@CarlBeijer) September 10, 2020 FWIW, I put American Affairs in the American Conservative bucket, not the Breitbart bucket (Take what you like, and leave the rest, as AA has it). An as far as American Affairs using Nagle and Tracey for shit-stirring purposes, that shit needed to be stirred. Heres the full interview. Realignment and Legitimacy Re-Appraising The West Wing: A Multi-Season Hyperreal Clinton Sobriquet-Cum-Apologia For ThermidoR [Counterpunch]. The West Wing is the cornerstone of a hyperreal simulation and simulacrum created by the conglomeration of NBCUniversal and Warner Bros. Television to obfuscate the neoliberal Thermidor within the Democratic Party that has taken place in the past half century. The interplay between the nonfiction simulation on its news broadcast platforms and the simulacrum on its fictional broadcasts creates a wraparound ideological assault that hinders the base constituencies of the Democratic Party from recognizing the leadership superstructures abandonment of the Keynesian social contract and their targeted evisceration of the welfare state. This particular serial had antecedents, no doubt, but what Aaron Sorkin created here was a text functioning in multiple dimensions so to maintain the hegemony of the neoliberal status quo during the consolidation of its Thermidor. French cultural and media philosopher Jean Baudrillard wrote Today its not just about buying signs of power, its about controlling the code the process of signification. The elite are not separated from the rabble by purchasing power alone, but by their exclusive and privileged access to signs and by being at the top end, a perfect description of how this program operates within the larger simulation/simulacra system. Whoever is operating QAnon has read their Baudrillard UPDATE And heres the West Wing version of the Bush administration on 9/11. UPDATE Congressional Standoff Over Coronavirus Relief Likely To Last Until November [HuffPo]. Erika Feldstein of Atlanta worked as a freelance producer of TV commercials until March 13, when everything closed and gigs dried up. She remained current on her bills until August, when Congress dropped the $600 weekly supplement it added to state unemployment benefits earlier this year. Ive never been in this position in my life before. I like to work and I cant, Feldstein, 49, said in an interview. I hope our Congress had a nice break, enjoyed their multiple homes and vacations near and far.' Quotes like that are why I filed this story under Realignment and Legitimacy. UPDATE Vulnerable Dems anxious over stalled Covid talks [Politico]. I think they will come back again, Schumer said of the White House, according to three Democratic sources on the call. The weaker they are, the better off we are. And that means the more heat they get and the more that Mnuchin is able to persuade Trump, * * * UPDATE A million mail-in ballots could go uncounted this fall. The USPS may not be to blame [Los Angeles Times]. [E]xperts say recent controversies surrounding the post office and Trumps campaign of disinformation about mail-in voting are mostly sideshows. The bigger dangers for voters predate this administration and involve election officials in the states . Wowsers. Who knew? More: Missing the deadline for ballots to be delivered to election officials was the main reason that about 1% of all mail ballots were tossed in 2016. Amid this years rapid shift toward mail voting, the percentage has surged higher in some states. More than 5% of mail votes were thrown out during this years primary in Virginia, for example, according to figures reported by National Public Radio. Even if all voters sent ballots in by mail in this years general election, delivering them would be no problem for a Postal Service that handles 3 billion cards and letters a week during a typical holiday season, said Mark Dimondstein, president of the American Postal Workers Union. The key is that voters have to allow enough time for their ballots to arrive, and states need to provide accurate information about the deadlines. One of the things I hope the Postal Service [controversy] has done is convince everyone that if they want to vote by mail, they should do it as early as possible, he said. That message is especially important in states that dont have much experience with widespread mail-in voting. In New York City, for example, more than one in five ballots were rejected in this Junes primary. Until this year, voting by mail had accounted for just a small share of ballots cast in the state, and election officials were overwhelmed by a ten-fold increase. Stats Watch At reader request, I added some business stats back in. Please give Econintersect click-throughs; theyre a good, old-school blog that covers more than stats. If anybody knows of other aggregators, please contact me at the email address below. Inflation: August 2020 CPI: Year-over-Year Inflation Rate Grows to 1.3% [Econintersect]. According to the BLS, the Consumer Price Index (CPI-U) year-over-year inflation rate was 1.3 % year-over-year (up from the reported 1.0 % last month). The index for used vehicles was the reason for the month-over-month increase of the CPI-U. Medical care services cost inflation changed from 5.9 % to 5.3 % year-over-year. Rail: Rail Week Ending 05 September 2020 Improvement This Week Mostly Due To Holiday Mismatch [Econintersect]. Week 36 of 2020 shows same week total rail traffic (from same week one year ago) grew according to the Association of American Railroads (AAR) traffic data. Total rail traffic has been mostly in contraction for over one year and now is recovering from a coronavirus pandemic. This weeks improvement was mostly due to a holiday mismatch. Total rail traffic has two components carloads and intermodal (containers or trailers on rail cars). Container exports from China are now recovering, container exports from the U.S. declined and remains deep in contraction. This week again intermodal continued in expansion year-over-year and continues on a strengthening trendline. However, carloads remain deep in contraction. * * * Retail: A Covid Mystery: the Terrified, Treat-Yourself Consumer [Bloomberg]. At the moment, we need all the dopamine we can get. Perhaps, thats why we are mashing the buy button so hard and so often. A day doesnt go by of late without another boffo shopping report beating expectations. At a frenetic pace, we are snatching up cars, homes, home improvement gear, laptops, flowers, treadmills, guns, golf clubs, and video games, to name but a few categories. Best Buy cant keep up with gadget demand. Nintendo just posted a historic billion-dollar profit. And Target sales tripled in the recent quarter. Congress, the Federal Reserve, and a wave of stimulus money has financed much of this spending spree. Pent-up demand is no doubt playing a part as well. When it became clear the zombie apocalypse wasnt nigh, we suddenly needed a new deck and a Stihl chainsaw, Recession be damned. Consumer spending rose 2% in July, according to data released Friday, its third consecutive monthly increase. Meanwhile, consumer confidence is at a six-year low, an incongruous data point that suggests theres something deeper and weirder going on. Specifically, the entire notion of discretionary spending is in flux. Tech: Facebook Announces New Campus Pages To Connect College Students Amid Coronavirus [Forbes]. Facebook launched a new Facebook Campus feature Thursday that aims to connect college students with their campus communities, returning the social network to its initial college-only roots as students across the country contend with virtual learning and decreased opportunities for face-to-face socializing amid the continuing Covid-19 pandemic. Facebook invents Facebook! * * * Todays Fear & Greed Index: 56 Greed (previous close: 59 Greed) [CNN]. One week ago: 60 (Greed). (0 is Extreme Fear; 100 is Extreme Greed). Last updated Sep 11 at 12:37pm. Where is the Greed of yesterweek? The Biosphere Cascading Risks of COVID-19 Resurgence During an Active 2020 Atlantic Hurricane Season [JAMA]. Population protection from hurricane hazards revolves around evacuation and sheltering (ie, transporting and gathering people together in groups). In contrast, effective approaches to slow the spread of COVID-19 are physical distancing and stay-at-home orders (ie, separating and keeping people apart). The inherent incompatibility of these strategies can exacerbate harm in 2 ways. First, when COVID-19 is actively circulating in the community, citizens may fail to heed evacuation orders, increasing the risk of severe injuries and drowning from direct exposure to hurricane hazards that will require emergency rescues and care in already over-full health care facilities. Second, based on the evolving understanding of the transmissibility of COVID-19, asymptomatic persons who are infected and actively shedding virus may transmit COVID-19 to others during the course of evacuation and sheltering because community members are placed in close proximity in congregate or household settings, and may remain confined indoors for an extended duration. What do readers in on the Gulf and East Coasts think? Health Care China Starts Testing Covid-19 Nasal Spray Vaccine [Bloomberg]. The newest Covid-19 vaccine candidate to start human testing is the first where volunteers wont get a painful injection. Instead, theyll receive a spray through the nose. China on Wednesday approved phase I human testing for the nasal spray vaccine, which is co-developed by researchers at Xiamen University and Hong Kong University, as well as by vaccine maker Beijing Wantai Biological Pharmacy Enterprise Co. Intranasal spray has previously been developed as a vaccine for the flu and is recommended for use among children and adults who want to avoid the more common needle injection. While it is not the most frequent choice for delivery, scientists around the world are working to develop sprays as an alternative to muscle jabs for all sorts of vaccines. Speak softly to scatter fewer coronavirus particles, say researchers [Straits Times]. More quiet zones in high-risk indoor spaces, such as hospitals and restaurants, could help to cut coronavirus contagion risks, researchers have said, after a study showed that lowering speaking volume can reduce the spread of the disease. In efforts to rein in transmission, a reduction of 6 decibels in average speech levels can have the same effect as doubling a rooms ventilation , scientists said on Wednesday (Sept 9), in an advance copy of a paper detailing their study. The results suggest that public health authorities should consider implementing quiet zones in high-risk indoor environments, such as hospital waiting rooms or dining facilities, wrote the six researchers from the University of California, Davis. Another victory for introverts Thought leader leading where? It is the right time to examine employer based health care. It no longer fits with who we are. Thanks @USofCare. Lets tie health to existence not employment. https://t.co/9v5wVFpLqn Andy Slavitt @ (@ASlavitt) September 9, 2020 Since Slavitt opposes #MedicareForAll, its hard to know what his alternative is. Something overly complicated, presumably means-tested, with complex eligibility requirements, and preserving a role for the health insurance companies. I know! Germany but without the regulation part! Screening Room The people freaking out about Cuties should try it. They might find a lot to like. [Alyssa Rosenberg, WaPo]. This is very much a film about what happens to kids when their parents arent physically or emotionally present in their lives. Its highly skeptical of social media platforms and what sexualized mainstream culture teaches children about what behavior is normal or desirable. Though its characters post provocative dance videos and wear revealing costumes, Cuties doesnt present their actions as liberated or admirable: Instead, the movie repeatedly shows other characters reacting with sadness or disgust when these girls try to act like grown women. Rosenberg gives a shout-out specifically to Pretty Babies [Rod Dreher, The American Conservative]. The film centers around Amy, an 11-year-old girl living in immigrant housing in Paris. Her family is from Senegal, and are devout Muslims. When the film opens, her father has gone back to Senegal, and her mother is awaiting his return. We discover that he has gone to their homeland to take a second wife. Amy watches her mother grieve this, and try to be okay with it, because it is permitted in their traditional Islamic culture. An older Senegalese woman in the community, her auntie, is an enforcer of tradition. A Muslim would no doubt see this film differently, but I sympathized strongly with Amys rebellion against this cruel culture. The problem is that Amy has nobody to talk to about it. She falls in with some bad girls at school bratty, highly sexualized kids who have formed an amateur dance troupe (The Cuties), and are trying to win a competition. Amy eventually wins acceptance in the group, and steals her cousins smartphone so she can become part of their culture. In what I think is the most important part of this movie a theme that a better film could explore without descending into the filth it ostensibly criticizes is the role that technology plays in corrupting these girls. There is no dirty old man who trains these kids to dress and act like sluts. They self-exploit through the smartphone and social media. Heres a scene from when Amy is just beginning to hang out with the Cuties. They are in the girls bathroom at school. The Cuties are watching hardcore porn on a smartphone, and commenting on it in revolting detail. Black Injustice Tipping Point The Racial Disparity in Unemployment Benefits [The RAND Blog]. Unemployment insuranceas 40 million Americans have started to discover during the pandemic shutdownsis not a single public program, but a set of 53 distinct programs. Each state (plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands) has its own method for defining a workers past earnings, its own formula for determining how much of that income will be replaced by unemployment insurance, and its own cap on benefits. Its the federal governments intention that at the end of all those calculations states replace about half of a workers lost wages. So a worker earning $50,000 a year, at 50 percent replacement, should get $481 per week. This is no problem in Massachusetts, the most generous state, where benefits are capped at $823. But in Mississippi, the least generous state, the cap is $235. Instead of getting 50 percent replacement, that worker would get 24 percent. This drastic state variation is where the difference between the Black and white benefit comes from. The Black population in the United Statesand by extension, the Black labor forceis not evenly distributed across the country. Six states have a near-zero percentage of the countrys Black workforce: Maine, South Dakota, Idaho, Vermont, Wyoming, and Montana. Another dozen states have fewer than 0.5 percent each. On the other hand, one in four Black workers lives in just three states: Texas (8.5 percent), Florida (8.1 percent), and Georgia (8.0 percent). Black workers are less financially supported in unemployment than white workers simply by virtue of where they live. The problem is that, overall, the states with more Black workers have less generous unemployment benefits. That Black workers live in less generous states is not an accident of modern policymaking. The reason unemployment is administered by states at allunlike Social Security, which is federally operateddates back to the New Deal in the 1930s. That was no typo: The median net worth of black Bostonians really is $8 [Boston Globe]. The median net worth for non-immigrant African-American households in the Greater Boston region is $8, according to The Color of Wealth in Boston, a 2015 report by the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, Duke University, and the New School. This Spotlight seven-part series which began Sunday tackles the citys most vexing question: Does Boston deserve its racist reputation? Im guessing yes. Class Warfare A reader throws this mailing from Stephanie Bastek, DC DSA (Stomp Out Slumlords), over the transom: We got some pretty incredible news from Park 7 todaya rent forgiveness offer that is the most robust weve seen yet!! This is a vindication of our entire vision for the pandemicChris Donatelli caved to this because of economic disruption, the rent strike, the threat of unrest, protests at his house, the rally, and all the insanely bad press hes been getting because of this tenant movement were building. But we also cant underplay the importance of the federal eviction moratorium (which we won for the same reasons!!), which truly forced landlords to confront the weakness of their position. Theyre practically begging us for the rent. We have flipped the tables on them, and this is a really. big. deal. Were going to meet with the Park 7 tenants to talk through this and what moves they want to makeconditions and managements treatment are still a huge bone of contentionbut goddamn does this feel glorious. I dont think this is either the last or the best payment plan well see, but for now, here are the highlights: * all rent payments through December 2020 are doubled, and can be partial (so $1500 knocks out $3000 of the balance, but $100 knocks out $200 as well) * allows partial payments and doesnt have a hard start date * if tenants pay their rent on time and in full through February 2021, any remaining balance is totally wiped out (!?!) * requires no documentation or proof from anyone, just happens automatically * doesnt preclude a rent strike starting March 2021 either Ill keep seeing you in the streets Are readers aware of similar efforts, successful or not, in their own areas? Marx, Race, and Neoliberalism [Adolph Reed, New Labor Forum]. Race is a taxonomy of ascriptive difference, that is, an ideology that constructs populations as groups and sorts them into hierarchies of capacity, civic worth, and desert based on natural or essential characteristics attributed to them. Ideologies of ascriptive difference help to stabilize a social order by legitimizing its hierarchies of wealth, power, and privilege, including its social division of labor, as the natural order of things. Ascriptive ideologies are just-so stories with the potential to become self-fulfilling prophecies. They emerge from self-interested common sense as folk knowledge: they are known to be true unreflectively because they seem to comport with the evidence of quotidian experience. They are likely to become generally assumed as self-evident truth, and imposed as such by law and custom, when they converge with and reinforce the interests of powerful strata in the society. Race and gender are the most familiar ascriptive hierarchies in the contemporary United States. Its High Time We Tell the Truth about the Evils of Marx and Marxism [National Review]. As for my insults and dismissals of an infantile, deadly ideology, I plead doubly guilty, again without apology. Let us say this candidly: Marxism is obviously unworkable and astonishingly asinine on its face. Its about time we stop hemming and hawing and hand-wringing and say so. Why treat with kid-gloves something so ridiculous and destructive and deadly? Lets finally admit and shout at the top of our lungs that Marxs ideology doesnt merely distort markets, but creates mass poverty, despair, and death. Lets quit treating it like just another belief system and show it for the evil that it is. Not like capitalism! News of the Wired Did Megaproject Research Pioneer Behavioral Economics? The Case of Albert O. Hirschman (PDF) [Bent Flyvbjerg, in The Oxford Handbook of Megaproject Management (2017)]. In the world of civic projects, the first budget is really just a down payment. If people knew the real cost from the start, nothing would ever be approved. The idea is to get going. Start digging (Brown 2013). Willie Brown here expresses the essence of Albert O. Hirschmans famous principle of the Hiding Hand : If people knew the real costs and difficulties from the start, nothing would ever be approved. Therefore it is good they dont know, because we need to get things going, to start digging. This point of view is also the oldest and most common justification of why low-balled cost estimates and optimistic business cases are considered acceptable in large projects (Flyvbjerg 2009). Following this idea, a certain amount of ignorance Hirschman called it providential ignorance (Alacevich 2014: 157) is desirable when beginning new projects, because without it projects would not get started. And starting projects is good, according to both Hirschman and Brown. * * * Readers, feel free to contact me at lambert [UNDERSCORE] strether [DOT] corrente [AT] yahoo [DOT] com, with (a) links, and even better (b) sources I should curate regularly, (c) how to send me a check if you are allergic to PayPal, and (d) to find out how to send me images of plants. Vegetables are fine! Fungi and coral are deemed to be honorary plants! If you want your handle to appear as a credit, please place it at the start of your mail in parentheses: (thus). Otherwise, I will anonymize by using your initials. See the previous Water Cooler (with plant) here. Todays plant (JU): JU writes: Its all about the whims of the winds in a wildfire and the west side of the Sierra sucks, but luck was with us in the far east as the view of Mt Whitney (center peak) and surrounding cirque had quite a crispness that was unexpected in the summer where we took up smoking. We didnt quite drive as fast as Bogart in High Sierra, no need to rush as the road to the portal was closed except for those fetching one of around 20 cars, waiting for backpackers to come down from on high. * * * Readers: Water Cooler is a standalone entity not covered by the annual NC fundraiser. So if you see a link you especially like, or an item you wouldnt see anywhere else, please do not hesitate to express your appreciation in tangible form. Remember, a tip jar is for tipping! Regular positive feedback both makes me feel good and lets me know Im on the right track with coverage. When I get no donations for five or ten days I get worried. More tangibly, a constant trickle of donations helps me with expenses, and I factor in that trickle when setting fundraising goals: Here is the screen that will appear, which I have helpfully annotated. If you hate PayPal, you can email me at lambert [UNDERSCORE] strether [DOT] corrente [AT] yahoo [DOT] com, and I will give you directions on how to send a check. Thank you! The shamed boss of Rio Tinto could be paid more than 3,000 a day for another year despite being forced out over the destruction of sacred Aboriginal caves. Jean-Sebastien Jacques, who has racked up more than 17m in pay and perks during his four years at the helm, was axed yesterday as the mining giant faced a mounting backlash over the scandal. But he may not leave until March next year and could stay on his 1.16m salary for another 12 months. Out: Jean-Sebastien Jacques lost his job with the mining giant after protests over Juukan Gorge And he could collect millions more in long-term bonuses from previous years which have not yet been paid out. The French-born British citizen has faced a global backlash including condemnation from Aboriginal elders and the Church of England, whose pension fund has a small stake in Rio since the Anglo Australian mining giant blew up two ancient caves in Pilbara, Western Australia, in May. The Juukan Gorge rock shelters, which date back around 46,000 years, were cleared away by Rio so it could dig up 8m tonnes of high-grade iron ore worth around 75m that lay beneath. The FTSE100 firm has been desperately trying to repair its relations with aboriginal communities, shareholders and politicians with Australia's parliament holding an inquiry into its actions. This has included slashing payouts for executives, and docking Jacques' annual bonus, which was worth 1.7m last year. But this has not proved enough to mollify its critics. Following a board meeting on Thursday, the miner announced yesterday that Jacques and two other executives iron ore boss Chris Salisbury and corporate relations head Simone Niven would step down. Protest: The FTSE100 firm has been desperately trying to repair its relations with aboriginal communities, shareholders and politicians In order to ensure a smooth transition, Jacques will stay on until March 31 next year or until a replacement is found whichever is earlier. Rio Tinto chairman Simon Thompson said: 'We have listened to our stakeholders' concerns that a lack of individual account ability undermines the group's ability to rebuild that trust and to move forward to implement the changes identified in the board review.' Jacques, 48, who receives a basic salary of 1.16m, is contractually entitled to 12 months' notice. This means he could receive around just under 3,200 a day for another year, even when he is no longer working. Commentators, however, were more focused on the wider impact of their departure. Mining industry expert Ben Cleary, a partner at Tribeca Investment Partners, said the clear-out at Rio could bring a halt to or slow down some major mining projects. He said: 'For the chief executive and a couple of senior management to go over an ESG [environmental, social and governance] issue, it's just going to reverberate through board rooms throughout the sector.' Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-12 02:54:57|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close ANKARA, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- Turkey Friday called on Greece for unconditional and direct talks aiming at the resolution of a dispute in the Eastern Mediterranean. Turkey calls on Greece to "drop its maritime boundary claims that run counter to international laws," Hami Aksoy, spokesperson of the Turkish foreign ministry, said in a written statement. "For de-escalation, it is imperative for Greece to withdraw its military vessels deployed nearby our seismic survey vessel Oruc Reis, to support NATO's de-confliction initiative," said the statement. Seven Mediterranean states on Thursday urged Turkey to resolve territorial disputes with Greece and Cyprus through negotiation, warning of "further restrictive measures" if Turkey does not halt its "unilateral activities." "We reiterate our full support and solidarity with Cyprus and Greece in the face of the repeated infringements on their sovereignty and sovereign rights, as well as confrontational actions by Turkey," said leaders from France, Italy, Malta, Portugal, Spain, Greece and Cyprus, a group dubbed MED7, in a joint declaration after their meeting in France. Tensions flared up between Turkey and Greece over energy explorations in the Eastern Mediterranean waters in recent weeks. NATO secretary general initiated de-confliction talks between Ankara and Athens and the military delegations met in NATO headquarters on Thursday. Enditem A man who tried to snatch a four-year-old girl in front of her mother at a South African restaurant was wrestled down to the ground. Shocking footage shows the 24-year-old man grab the girl by her neck in front of her horrified mother. The man tried to take her at Bella Napoli in Florida, Roodepoort, Guateng, at around 5pm on Thursday. A man who tried to snatch a four-year-old girl in front of her mother at a restaurant in Roodepoort, South Africa, was wrestled down to the ground by the shop owner As the man grabs her child, the mother jumps over the table to grab hold of her and stop him from taking her away In the video, two women sit talking to the child when a man suddenly appears outside the pizza restaurant. As the woman wearing a black jacket turns, the man leaps over the railings into the seating area. He heads straight for the child, walking past both women at pace, and grabs her by the neck, before one of the women leaps across the table to stop him. The restaurant owner holds down the 24-year-old attacker in a leg lock until police arrive to arrest him As the women turn their heads, the attacker leaps over the rails of the restaurant and jumps in to snatch the child She is pulled across the table by him as she holds on desperately to the child and the other woman tries to stop the attacker. The restaurant owner grabs hold of the attacker and pulls him down to the ground, holding him down in a leg lock. More people come from off the street to help pin the attacker down as the women and child run away to safety. Two police officers arrive and pull the owner restraining the attacker off so they can arrest him, still lying on the ground. The mother was dragged across the table by the attacker as she desperately clung to her child Florida Police confirmed the man was arrested after the attempted kidnapping at the pizza restaurant. Sergeant Mpho Mpre told News24: 'The complainant was at the [restaurant] with her four-year-old child when an unknown man came and grabbed the child by the neck as if he wanted to take her. 'The mother and the child screamed and with the help of the shop owner and the community, the suspect was apprehended.' The 24-year-old appeared in Roodepoort Magistrates Court on an assault charge this morning. The company logo for pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca is displayed on a screen on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, N.Y. on April 8, 2019. (Brendan McDermid/Reuters) No Final Diagnosis Yet for Ill COVID-19 Vaccine Recipient: AstraZeneca AstraZeneca said on Sept. 9 that there is no final diagnosis for the single COVID-19 vaccine trial participant who has developed a potentially unexplained illness, causing the company to temporarily halt for the second time its late-stage Phase Three trial for its vaccine candidate. A spokesperson for the company said in a statement Wednesday that reports claiming to be made by AstraZenecas CEO, Pascal Soriot, saying that he confirmed the participant presented adverse symptoms are incorrect. Reports claiming to be based on comments made earlier today by our CEO stating that we have confirmed that a participant in our clinical trial suffered from transverse myelitis are incorrect, the spokesperson said. He stated that there is no final diagnosis and that there will not be one until more tests are carried out. Soriot had said during a private conference call with investors on Wednesday morning that one trial participant was experiencing undiagnosed neurological symptoms, which were said to be consistent with a rare but serious spinal inflammatory disorder known as transverse myelitis. It link between the symptoms and the vaccine are unclear. The spokesperson said that tests from the ill patient will be sent to be reviewed by an independent safety committee to establish a final diagnosis. It is not clear how long the clinical trial will be paused for. AstraZeneca also confirmed that this is the second time the COVID-19 vaccine trial has been temporarily halted over safety concerns in recent months. A review found that a previous case of illness was not related to the vaccine. There was a brief trial pause in July while a safety review took place after one volunteer was confirmed to have an undiagnosed case of multiple sclerosis, which the independent panel concluded was unrelated to the vaccine, the spokesperson said. The announcement comes after the company said on the evening of Sept. 8 that its standard review process triggered a pause to vaccination to allow review of safety data, without elaborating. At the time, health news site STAT reported that the pause was prompted by a potential side effect for a patient in the United Kingdom. The pause applies to all the trial studies AstraZeneca is running in the United States and other countries. The company began recruiting 30,000 participants in the United States in August. Thousands of people in Britain, Brazil, and South Africa are also part of the trial. Moderna and Pfizer are also conducting large-scale final-stages trials in the United States for vaccines that work differently from AstraZenecas. Moderna and Pfizer have recruited roughly two-thirds of the needed participants. The World Health Organizations chief scientist, Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, said the U.N. health agency is currently not too concerned about the pause. The scientist described it as a wake-up call to the global community about the inevitable ups and downs of medical research. AstraZeneca boss Soriot said Thursday that, should the vaccine trials safely resume, it should still be feasible to make its COVID-19 vaccine available by the end of the year. Soriot said that if the independent review allows global trials to restart, the company remains on track for submitting data to the regulator by year end. Then, of course, it depends on how fast the regulator will review and give approval, so we could still have a vaccine by the end of this year or maybe early next year, he said during an event held by Tortoise Media. He noted that it is normal for vaccine trials to be halted and restarted to conduct safety reviews. The difference with other vaccine trials is the world is not watching them, of course. They stop, they study, and they restart. Ivan Pentchoukov contributed to this report. Vice President Mike Pence traded an elbow bump with the Democratic nominee for president, Joseph R. Biden Jr., Friday morning when the two attended a ceremony in Lower Manhattan marking the Sept. 11 attacks. The two men, both wearing masks, were photographed with their elbows touching, a greeting aimed at avoiding a handshake to stop the spread of the coronavirus, before the event at the National September 11 Memorial & Museum began. They did not appear to speak for long. The New York event had a complicated overlay of political relationships. Mr. Pence drifted away and chatted with Michael R. Bloomberg, the former mayor of New York City, who also ran for president in some early Democratic primaries this year. Mr. Biden stood with his wife, Dr. Jill Biden, and Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo of New York. Mr. Cuomo has had blistering criticism of the Trump administrations response to the coronavirus in New York, and Mr. Pence upbraided Mr. Cuomo in return in an interview last month. But Rwandan authorities accuse him of supporting the armed wing of his opposition political platform, which has claimed responsibility for deadly attacks inside Rwanda. They point to a video posted online in 2018 in which he expresses support for the National Liberation Front and says the time has come for us to use any means possible to bring about change in Rwanda, as all political means have been tried and failed. Tunis, Tunisia (PANA) - The National Union of Tunisian Journalists (SNJT) has called on the Tunisian Prime Minister's Office to change its information policy and cultivate the right of journalists to have access to information while being protected ENCINITAS, CA / ACCESSWIRE / September 11, 2020 / Lighting Distinctions, a well-known San Diego specialty lighting company, announced that they have recently finished a lighting project for the local Paws for Purple Hearts facility in Penngrove, CA. Paws for Purple Hearts is a dedicated team of service dog trainers that provide these incredibly dedicated and smart animals to veterans who have been wounded in combat to help them recover. With the high demand for these therapy dogs, the facility needed to be able to extend their training hours, but they had no capacity to do so at night because they lacked proper outdoor lighting. In stepped Lighting Distinctions with a well-designed solution. Best of all, they donated their services for the entire project. Joel Barnett, the owner of Lighting Distinctions, says, "Every once in a while, a business will come upon a project that they feel is very close to their heart. That is 100% the case with the recent Paws for Purple Hearts lighting project that we just completed. Others and I at our company felt so strongly about the good that this facility does, we wanted to help them achieve their dog training quota in any way possible. With the outdoor lighting solution that we created for them, they can now train these amazing animals during both the day and evening hours. Now more of our cherished veterans that have been wounded in combat can always benefit from having a dedicated furry friend with them. We were extremely honored to donate our services and get them lit up!" The company owner went on to say that the project was not without its challenges. They had to do such things as carefully consider what type of lights to use, how many lights were needed to do the job, and the placement of the lights to help create the proper nighttime dog training atmosphere. He stated among the biggest challenges they faced on the project was the fact the building was only being rented by the organization. This necessitated that they did not damage the structure of the building. Barnett added that both those at Paws for Purple Hearts and his professional lighting crew were very happy with the way that the project turned out. He said this is evidence that even a "simple" lighting project has a better result from careful thought and planning that's gained through our team having so much expertise in the outdoor lighting field. A spokesperson for Paws for Purple Hearts said, "THANK YOU! We love our new lighting and are so grateful for your support." The spokesperson added that they will now be able to help even more veterans on their road to recovery with their canine-assisted warrior therapy program. This indoor and outdoor lighting company is also very highly rated by those that have used their services. Mitch Adler stated, "Wow, Lighting Distinctions handled everything from A to Z! Our home looks simply gorgeous! Joel and his team knew where to place the lights to get the desired effect and what they created made our home look like a grand showcase! They were a delight to work with. We could not be happier!" This is one of 26 reviews found on their Google Maps Listing and all of them rate the company 5 out of a possible 5-stars. Those who would like to read more reviews or view photos of recent projects can view the company Facebook page. For those that would like more information on the amazing lighting creations that the company designs, they can contact Lighting Distinctions. ### For more information about Lighting Distinctions, contact the company here: Lighting Distinctions Joel Barnett (760) 525-4405 joel@joelbarnett.com 270 N El Camino Real suite O, Encinitas, CA 92024 SOURCE: Lighting Distinctions View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/605738/San-Diego-Outdoor-Lighting-Company-Completes-Project-for-Paws-for-Purple-Hearts She rang in her 25th birthday with a getaway in the Scottish Highlands last week. Yet Kady McDermott kept the celebrations going as she also enjoyed a lavish dinner with gal pal Joanna Chimonides, 23, on Thursday. The Love Island beauties had all eyes on them as they made a glamorous arrival to the Ivy Asia St Paul's in London. Fun times: Kady McDermott kept the celebrations going as she also enjoyed a lavish dinner with gal pal Joanna Chimonides, 23, on Thursday Kady was a vision of beauty in a burnt orange mini dress with a plunging neckline that offered a look at her ample cleavage. The thigh-skimming garment also showcased her tanned and toned pins, which were elongated with a pair of gold barely-there heels. Kady completed the look with an oversized black clutch bag and styled her glossy locks in a voluminous high ponytail. Joanna looked equally as glamorous for the night out as she slipped into a baby blue mini dress layered beneath an oversized blazer. Turning heads: The Love Island beauties had all eyes on them as they made a glamorous arrival to the Ivy Asia St Paul's in London The girls' night out came after Kady returned from a weekend away in Scotland. The influencer documented her romantic stay in Glasgow after being whisked away by on/off boyfriend Myles Barnett, 26. She recently left fans confused after announcing she is still with Myles and they will live in their new home 'as a couple', weeks after confirming yet another 'break-up'. The brunette previously took to social media to confirm she will be living in her renovated bungalow with former TOWIE star Myles, 26, when it is finished. The duo bought a Hertfordshire property together in April 2019 with plans to completely transform it into a two-storey house. The brunette blamed their split on the pressure of the build which caused them to argue, as she joked that their renovation has been more stressful than having a baby. Staycation! Love Island star Kady celebrated her 25th birthday by travelling to the Scottish Highlands for a luxurious lodge break She wrote: 'Just to stop all the personal dms because we are literally get one every single minute, which is understandable. 'Me and Myles are will both be living in this house as a couple, couples do argue. It is a very exciting time for us both but also ridiculously stressful. 'Me and Myles can't wait to live in our forever home and will continue to share our journey with you.' 'Now I understand when people say renovating/moving home is more stressful than having a baby.' (sic) Advertisement For the study, 71 people were enrolled. Half of them were binge-drinkers while the other half were not. The binge-drinkers were sober during the study. Their brain activity was observed using fMRI while undertaking a pain perception task.The participants were shown an image of a limb being injured and then asked to imagine the body part as being either theirs or that of another person. They were then asked to state how much pain was associated with the image.When the binge-drinkers were asked to imagine the injury happening to their own body, their pain estimate was similar to that of non-binge-drinkers.On the other hand, the binge-drinkers struggled more than their non-binge-drinking counterparts while gauging another person's pain. It took more time for them to respond, and brain scans revealed that their brains had to work harder. Binge-drinkers had to use more neural resources to appreciate how intensely another person would feel pain.There were high levels of widespread activity in a visual area of the brain, called Fusiform Body Area, that is used to recognize body parts among binge-drinkers when asked to empathize. Among non-binge drinkers, this widespread dysfunction was not observed.When the binge-drinkers were asked to imagine the injured body part in the picture as their own, their pain estimate was not different from that of their non-binge drinking counterparts.It is known that binge-drinking is associated with brain dysfunction in areas supporting self-control and attention. But the recent study has shown that binge drinkers need to work their brain more in order to feel empathetic towards others in pain.Reduced empathy in binge-drinkers may further encourage drinking as it can blur the perception of the suffering during a drinking session.Dr. Charlotte Rae from the School of Psychology at the University of Sussex said,Binge-drinkers have to put more brain resources in order to feel empathy.Source: Medindia By Nick Parker parkerni2@grinnell.edu Poweshiek County is gearing up for its first general election during the COVID-19 pandemic. Across Iowa, many county officials are worried that increased absentee voting as a result of the pandemic could create logistical hurdles ahead of the November election. Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate said that he easily could see 80 percent of the people casting their ballot in the fall election [using] absentee, during an online webinar on Wednesday. Despite statewide uncertainty, election officials in Poweshiek County dont expect to receive a significantly higher number of absentee ballots this election cycle. Currently were at about 3,500 requests received to date In 2016, we had 4,700 absentee ballots, said Missy Eilander, Poweshiek County Auditor. I think it will probably be pretty comparable, [maybe] more We have the majority of them already, I would say. Absentee ballots cant be mailed to voters until Oct. 5, but residents of Poweshiek County can still place their order for one. Youll need to fill out the absentee request form, said Eilander, That gets submitted to our office. We get that and enter it in, and from there we can mail the ballot out. The absentee ballot request form is available until Oct. 24. The form itself can be found on both Poweshiek Countys website and the Iowa Secretary of States website. You can also call the County Auditors office and request one directly. All forms must be printed out and either physically returned or mailed to the Auditors office. To successfully complete the request form, voters must provide their name, birthdate, which election theyre requesting the ballot for and their Poweshiek County address. If a voters current residence is outside of Poweshiek County, they can provide a separate mailing address, which can include residencies outside of Iowa. The form also requires an Iowa drivers license number, non-operator ID number or the 4-digit pin from a Voter Identification Card. All registered voters in Iowa who dont have a valid Iowa drivers license should have received a Voter ID card when they registered to vote. For Grinnell College students living outside of Iowa, their Voter ID card will be an essential part of requesting a ballot in Poweshiek County. Those who cannot find their Voter ID card can call the Auditors office and request a new one. If Im a student from Illinois going to Grinnell College, said Eilander, and I register to vote but dont have an Iowa drivers license, Im going to need a Voter Card with a 4-digit pin, because I wouldnt be in the Iowa [Department of Transportation] system. Once the request form is signed and dated, voters mail it back inside of a signed affidavit envelope. Actual absentee ballots will begin arriving to residencies Oct. 5. No witness is required for the ballot to be completed, and voters can select their candidates and mail the ballot back as soon as they receive it. The Auditors office will accept all returned ballots that arrive before Nov. 9, provided they are postmarked before election day (Nov. 3). Any ballot received after Nov. 9, or mailed in after Monday, Nov. 2, will not be counted. The Auditors office will also be open for anyone who wants to physically drop off their absentee ballot. Between Oct. 5 and Nov. 2, any registered voter can stop by the Auditors office to receive their absentee ballot and fill it out in-person. This service will also be available on the last two Saturdays leading up to election day. President Muhammadu Buhari has approved an additional N8.9 billion for COVID-19 hazard allowances for all health workers in Nigeria. The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, made this known at the bi-weekly Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 (PTF) briefing on Thursday. He said the procurement of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for hospitals and isolation centres will also be prioritised moving forward. I am pleased to announce that Mr. President has graciously approved additional N8.9bn for COVID-19 hazard allowance to all medical health workers. In addition, the procurement of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for hospitals and isolation centres will be given priority, Mr Mustapha said. Hazard pay, a wage supplement paid to workers who do dangerous jobs, has been at the centre of the grouse of Nigerian health workers since the emergence of the coronavirus pandemic. Health workers, being the first respondents to patients, face exposure to the coronavirus and as a result, more than a thousand have tested positive for COVID-19. The Nigerian government had promised a special COVID-19 hazard and inducement allowance of 50 per cent of Consolidated Basic Salary to health workers in federal health institutions and designated COVID-19 centres. Prior to this, health workers received N5,000 as hazard pay across board. But doctors, under the aegis of the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) downed tools on Monday over the governments failure to fulfil its promises. They have repeatedly protested the lack of access to full Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and life insurance especially for their members on the front line who die while treating people suffering from COVID-19. The association, however, called off the four-day-old strike on Thursday following a heated meeting with government officials a night before. It said the decision to suspend the strike was taken in order to give the federal government time to address their demands. This, the association said l, will be reviewed in two weeks time. The doctors had in June downed tools for one week over same outstanding demands. Pandemic Mr Mustapha, who doubles as the chairman of the PTF, said the coronavirus pandemic has negatively impacted all aspects of life including the economic and finances of the government. He said this development has made it imperative for all citizens irrespective of their professions and particularly health workers to reawaken their sense of humanity and patriotism. He noted that industrial actions on the part of the health workers could threaten gains already made in the fight against COVID-19 in Nigeria. The health and survival of our dear nation is important and we should eschew any action that will diminish the gains made in the containment of the pandemic so far, he said. Ankara, Sep 11 : Turkish authorities on Friday launched a series of operations across the country to detain at least 130 suspects over their alleged links to a network believed to be behind the 2016 failed coup attempt. Following the orders of the Chief Public Prosecutor's Offices in Istanbul, Ankara, Balikesir, and Konya, police launched simultaneous operations in 45 provinces, Xinhua news agency reported. The suspects, including military personnel, lawyers, and police officers, allegedly contacted the network headed by the US-based Turkish cleric Fethullah Gulen via various means. Since the beginning of August, Turkish prosecutors had ordered the detention of at least 373 suspects, including soldiers on active duty. The government blames Gulen and his network for masterminding the coup bid in July 2016, in which 250 people were killed, and has been pushing for his extradition. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Health Minister on Thursday inaugurated 'Lohitanjali', a week-long plasma donation drive at the Guwahati Medical College and Hospital in The drive was organized by the Junior Doctors' Association along with the National Health Mission (NHM) "Several junior doctors and jawans in the Assam Rifles had contracted the virus. Many have recovered and are now coming to donate plasma. Assam is reporting about 2,500 new cases so I am very grateful to these youngsters for their initiative," Sharma told ANI. Dr Kumar Jyoti Deka, a member of the Junior Doctors Association, said plasma therapy had become quite effective in treating patients with moderate symtoms. "Plasma therapy has become quite effective in the treatment of milder cases. We have all come out here today to spread awareness about plasma donation and to encourage more people to come out," Deka said. "I have come here with my fellow jawans to donate plasma after recovering from COVID-19. I commend this initiative by the young doctors and the government and am excited to be a part of this drive. It will make us very glad if our small donation saves even one life," Pankaj Chhetri, a jawan from the Assam Rifles said, adding that he was accompanied by 13 other jawans. With 2,265 new COVID-19 cases reported in the last 24 hours, Assam now has a total of 29,166 active cases. The state has witnessed 1,03,504 recoveries and 396 deaths due to COVID-19. (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 U.S. Department of Education will review employee activities and trainings to comply with a government-wide directive against programs that include anti-American propaganda, Politico reported Wednesday. That directive , sent by the White House Office of Management and Budget last week, instructs heads of all federal agencies to identify all contracts or other agency spending related to any training on critical race theory/white privilege, or any other training or propaganda effort that teaches or suggests either (1) that the United States is an inherently racist or evil country or (2) that any race or ethnicity is inherently racist or evil. The directive comes as President Donald Trump makes his positions on race and the teaching of American exceptionalism in schools part of his re-election push . He has pushed back on affordable housing initiatives, saying they would harm suburban housewives. And, over the weekend, Trump tweeted that the Education Department would strip schools of their funding if they teach a curriculum based on the 1619 Project, published by the New York Times Magazine, which examined the impact of slavery in America. (Trump does not have authority to pull federal funding over the issue.) Representatives for the Education Department did not respond to questions about how the agency will carry out the White House memo or about Trumps tweets. Citing an internal email, Politico reported the agency will examine internal employee activities, including book clubs, to look for discussions of issues like white privilege. It will also explore external contracts for trainings on such issues, which have been popular in the private sector amid ongoing protests over racial injustice around the country. The White House memo details the presidents concerns with such trainings: For example, according to press reports, employees across the Executive Branch have been required to attend trainings where they are told that virtually all White people contribute to racism or where they are required to say that they benefit from racism, the memo says. Advocates for equity training in schools point to racial disparities in things like school discipline rates and educational outcomes. Helping teachers explore their own internal biases and experiences can help improve the school environment for all students, they say. The memo apparently applies to internal agency activities conducted by federal employees and not to schools that recieve grants from the agency. Follow us on Twitter @PoliticsK12 . And follow the Politics K-12 reporters @EvieBlad @Daarel and @AndrewUjifusa . Portland Police responded to a pedestrian struck on Interstate 5 south, mid-span on the Interstate Bridge. Reports of the crash came in just before 8 a.m. Friday. The Portland Police Bureau Major Crash Team is responding. Interstate 5 is closed southbound from the bridge to the Marine Drive exit. Traffic is being diverted to SR 14 eastbound. Police expect the road to be closed until about 10 a.m. No information was immediately released about those involved with the crash. *** INTERSTATE BRIDGE 8:35 a.m.: An fatal crash has closed I-5 southbound at Jantzen Beach. Traffic is being taken off the freeway at the Jantzen Beach exit and returned via the onramp. Expect long delays. Update 11:50 a.m.: All lanes southbound I-5 over the Interstate Bridge are now open. #pdxtraffic Traffic situation in #VanWa due to the crash on SB Interstate Bridge. Wait it out if you can. pic.twitter.com/Wd7vWOB54N PDX Traffic Alerts (@TrafficPortland) September 11, 2020 *** Fire crews continue to work along U.S. 101 north of Lincoln City, but the interstate is now open for travel. Oregon wildfires have closed numerous major routes through the state. But U.S. 101, which had been closed for evacuations, reopened late Thursday. Travelers should expect delays and rapidly changing conditions. Travel Oregon asks visitors to not travel if you dont have to. Response personnel and those evacuating need clear access to roadways. Oregon 18 remains closed between U.S. 101 and milepost 6, east of Rose Lodge. There is still active fire fighting happening in the area. Driving in smoky conditions can be hazardous. Slow down, turn on headlights, reduce distractions, close windows and stay in your lane as much as possible. Avoid areas where active wildfires are known to be burning. Roads may be closed in these areas. The Chehalem Mountain-Bald Peak Wildfire Level 3 evacuation area (shown in pink on map) is closed. Washington County Roads Department asks travelers to stay out of the area unless absolutely necessary. Drivers should not interfere with or block emergency vehicles. Map of wildfire area on Chehalem Mountain, Friday, Sept. 11, 2020Washington County Roads The planned closure of the northbound lanes of the Interstate Bridge has been postponed to a later date. The closure was scheduled to begin midnight Friday, but the Oregon Department of Transportation wants to keep highway systems as clear as possible for wildfire evacuees. No new date for the closure had been announced as of Friday morning. Regionally continued large blazes have major routes closed, especially in the central Cascade Range and western foothills. OR 226, three miles west of Lyons at milepost 22 OR 22 both directions seven miles west of Mehama. The closure extends to the Santiam Pass OR 224 Eagle Creek to Ripplebrook mileposts 18-50 OR 211 between Estacada and OR 213 just west of Molalla OR18 intersection with U.S. 101, mileposts 0-6 OR 99 between north Ashland and south Medford OR 138E from Glide east to the junction of U.S. 97 OR 62 north of OR 234 and closed north and east of U.S. 97 U.S.199/Redwood Highway three miles north of Oregon - California border mileposts 39-42 Check back throughout the morning for the latest commuting updates and follow us on Twitter: @trafficportland Panaji, Sep 11 : The thought of returning home from abroad after losing jobs amid the Covid-19 pandemic continues to be a key concern for Indian expatriates, said Shubham Singh, Protector of Emigrants for Karnataka and Goa region. "The major issues faced by emigrants during the pandemic relate to job losses, often because their employers have shut down businesses, and safe return to India. These are primary concerns of a large number of emigrants," Singh told IANS. "In most cases, their employers and recruitment agencies aid and assist affected individuals to return to India. In some cases, if the recruitment agency refuses to do so, we can step in and ensure that the agencies do the needful. We work along with the Embassies concerned to facilitate their safe return to India, if they so wish," he said. The POE functions under the Emigration Act, 1983, with an objective to protect the interest of and aid and advice Indian emigrants going abroad or presently working abroad, and is also responsible for granting emigration clearance to prospective emigrants as per the procedure. Singh said that one of the mandates of his agency was to track down and probe illegal overseas recruitment agencies, which dupe aspiring emigrants seeking green pastures abroad. And Goa, the top official said, also had its share of unregistered agents, many of whom are under investigation. "There are eight registered recruitment agencies in Goa. We are presently investigating complaints received against 32 unregistered agencies and individuals in Goa," Singh said. "In my experience working as Protector of Emigrants, the common cases of fraud are related to payments made by candidates to overseas recruitment agencies, but failed to receive any job offers. Or instances wherein a specific job position or salary was promised by the recruitment agency, but a candidate learns on arrival at his or her overseas destination that the job profile or salary is not as promised," he said. Goa Director General of Police Mukesh Kumar Meena, Singh said, had assured to work closely with the POE to track down fraud agents in the state. Goa has a large expat population working mainly in the oil-rich Middle East as well as on board cruise liners, he said while adding that there has been a line of outreach for emigrants headed for or residing in that region. "We advise people that they should be aware of local laws of the land where they are looking to seek employment. They should also acquaint themselves and be aware of their rights as Indian citizens and that they can approach the offices of the POE for any grievances they may have which will be taken up with the offices concerned," he said. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text GRIDLEY, Calif. - A Northern California wildfire became the states deadliest of the year Thursday when authorities announced seven more deaths, bringing the total to 10 and there was the unnerving prospect the toll would climb as searchers looked for 16 missing people. Butte County sheriffs deputies and detectives found seven bodies on Thursday, a day after three other victims were discovered. Among those unaccounted for are Sandy Butler and her husband, who called their son to say they were going to try to escape the flames by finding shelter in a pond. Were still hoping and praying for good news, said Jessica Fallon, who has two children with the Butlers grandson and considers them her own grandparents. Everything is replaceable, but not my grandparents lives. Id rather lose everything than those two. They kind of held the family together. More bodies could be found as crews manage to make their way into devastated areas. A team of anthropologists from Chico State University were helping in the search, sheriffs Capt. Derek Bell said. The weeks-old fire was about 50% contained when winds thrashed it into explosive growth on Tuesday, driving it through rugged Sierra Nevada foothills and destroying much of the town of Berry Creek. More than 2,000 homes and other buildings had burned in the lightning-sparked collection of fires now known as the North Complex burning about 125 miles (200 kilometres) northeast of San Francisco. Forecasters said there was some good news on the weather front: winds were expected to remain lighter this week in the fire area, while dense smoke actually knocked down the temperature slightly and was expected to kept the humidity somewhat higher. The fire is among five this year that have set records for the most land ever burned, including a blaze that broke the mark Thursday as the largest ever. More than 4,800 square miles (12,500 square kilometres) have burned so far this year more land than Rhode Island, Delaware and Washington, D.C., combined and fall is typically the worst season for fires. Nineteen people have been killed and nearly 4,000 structures have burned across the state. The fires, fed by drought-sapped vegetation amid warming temperatures attributed to climate change, have spread at an alarming rate and given people less time to flee. Hundreds of campers, hikers, and people spending Labor Day weekend at mountainside reservoirs and retreats had to be evacuated by military helicopter when they got stranded by a fast-moving fire that broke out in the Sierra National Forest in the centre of the state during record-setting high temperatures. President Donald Trump spoke with Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday to express his condolences for the loss of life and reiterate the administrations full support to help those on the front lines of the fires, according to White House spokesman Judd Deere. The North Complex fire is the 10th largest in the record books and growing as firefighters try to prevent it from advancing toward the town of Paradise, where the most destructive fire in state history two years ago killed 85 people and destroyed 19,000 buildings. Authorities lifted an evacuation warning for Paradise on Thursday, the day after residents awoke to similar skies as the 2018 morning when a wind-whipped inferno reduced the town to rubble. Under red skies and falling ash Wednesday, many chose to flee again, jamming the main road out of town in another replay of the catastrophe two years ago. About 20,000 people were under evacuation orders or warnings in three counties from the fire. Some 14,000 firefighters continued to try to corral 29 major wildfires from the Oregon border to just north of Mexico, though California was almost entirely free of critical fire weather warnings after days of hot, dry conditions and the threat of strong winds. Smoke blew into vineyards in wine country north of San Francisco, and rose above scenic Big Sur on the Central Coast and in the foothills and mountains of Los Angeles, San Bernardino and San Diego counties in the southern part of the state. Numerous fires continued to burn in Washington and Oregon, as well, and dense smoke blanketed much of the West Coast on Thursday morning, darkening skies with hazardous air pollution. A fire raging along the Oregon border destroyed 150 homes near the community of Happy Camp and one person was confirmed dead, the Siskiyou County Sheriffs Office said. About 400 more homes were threatened. The fire that roared into the hamlet of Berry Creek, with a population of 525, incinerated countless homes and largely destroyed Camp Okizu, a summer getaway for children with cancer. A crew fighting the fire was overrun by flames when winds shifted and its members escaped with only minor injuries after deploying emergency shelters. It was the second time in two days that firefighters in California had to take the rare last-ditch effort to save their lives. Fallon, who had driven from the San Francisco Bay Area after hearing the Butlers were missing Wednesday morning, waited with her toddler son and 2-year-old daughter with dozens of evacuees gathered at a fairgrounds in the small city of Gridley, trembling in morning cold. Among them was Douglas Johnsrude, who packed up his eight dogs and fled his home in the community of Feather Falls on Tuesday. Johnsrude said he assumed his house trailer burned, which would be the second time hes lost his home in a fire. He inherited his mothers house after her death, but it was destroyed in a 2017 fire. The reason I havent rebuilt up there is because I knew it was going to happen again. And guess what? It happened again, he said. Seeing the smoke and the flames and everything else, its unreal. Its like an apocalypse or something. Butte County spokeswoman Amy Travis described the evacuation centre as a staging area while officials line up hotel rooms for families displaced by the fire amid the COVID-19 pandemic. COVID has changed the way we do sheltering, she said. We dont have a lot of hotel rooms here in Butte County, and a lot of them are definitely busy with people that have already made their own hotel arrangements for evacuations. Fallon said shed been peppering hospitals with phone calls in search of her grandparents. Her daughter, Ava, doesnt understand whats going on. She thinks theyre camping. The girl typically speaks with her great-grandmother two to three times a day. Im tossing and turning. I have just such bad anxiety. Im just really worried about my grandparents, Fallon said. Im hoping that theyre up there sitting in some water waiting to be rescued. ___ Melley reported from Los Angeles. Associated Press writers John Antczak in Los Angeles contributed to this report. Participating in Al Gore's Climate Reality Leadership Corps Training Posted on 11 September 2020 by BaerbelW It finally happened: about 13 years after first watching Al Gores documentary An Inconvenient Truth (AIT) in 2007 when it became available in Germany, I recently completed the Climate Reality Leadership Corps Training! Participating in this particular training had been on my to-do list for quite some time but it hadnt worked out thus far for different reasons: I didnt want to apply for one of the earlier trainings offered around the world as these would have meant having to fly there for a 3-day event which I didnt want to do. Then, when an event was scheduled to happen in Berlin in 2018, it unfortunately didnt work out timewise for me. However, due to COVID-19 the trainings were moved to an online format in 2020 and when I noticed, I immediately applied for the first virtual session planned to happen in July. Not too surprisingly, the training team got too many applications for the event (over 10,000!), so I ended up in the second round happening from August 28 to September 3. The training was structured into five modules: Introduction, Science, Solutions, Social change, Skill building and Taking it home. Four live broadcast sessions featuring Al Gore giving his presentation divided into four parts made up the focal points. Each of these sessions was followed by additional shorter panel discussions and wrapped-up by live virtual table discussions under the guidance of a mentor with a group of 10 to 20 trainees. In addition, several on-demand sessions were available from which we had to at least watch four from a wide variety of topics. I picked sessions about Ensuring a healthy future for all, Youth Leadership, Mastering the presentation and Engaging an Online Community. Last but not least we also had to write Our Climate Story and about an example for impacts or solutions to climate change, ideally from our own neck of the woods. Here is the link to My Climate Story. The live broadcasts were offered at three different times to cater to different timezones. By default, trainees were put into the group fitting their country so I would have ended up in the one for Europe/Africa where the broadcasts and subsequent table-discussions then happened between 18:00 and 20:30 my time in Germany. This however didnt suit my daily routine well, so I asked whether I could do the sessions with Asia/Pacific instead. Thanks to the flexibility of the organizing team, this was possible and I watched the sessions starting at 11:00 my time and then joined Table-001 mentored by Glen Garner and with about a dozen table mates based in Sydney. These discussion sessions were fun to join and provided an opportunity for sharing information about our various backgrounds and activities tackling climate change. Many new connections were forged across the globe thanks to these online meetings. One aspect of the training which really amazed me, was how current the slides presented by Al Gore during the live broadcast sessions were: they for example already included footage from recent extreme weather events around the globe. He also paid tribute to climate scientist Koni Steffen who died on August 17 while doing research on Greenland. Really impressive and moving! Directly after completing the training and joining the ranks of Climate Reality Leaders, we got access to Al Gores slides - all told, almost 600 of them! These will become a very valuable resource to make use of in my own presentations, especially as we are allowed to include selected slides within our own material and not only use them when we do a signature Climate Reality presentation. We are however strongly encouraged to do at least one of them within the next twelve months. The general expectation is that Climate Reality Leaders complete at least 10 Acts of Leadership within a year. These dont all have to be presentations but can also include activities like writing a blog post (check!), writing a letter to the editor (Im sure, Ill find a reason for one), meeting an elected official (should happen sooner rather than later due to my involvement with Citizens Climate Lobby and Burgerlobby Klimaschutz in Germany) or attending a relevant event (the next global climate strike on Sept. 25 will take care of that!) to name just some of them. On Monday evening I joined a European meet-up where we learned about the projects structure in Europe. This was attended by a large number of trainees, reaching almost 600 participants at one time (and without crashing Zoom!). Shortly after the meeting I got an email from a longtime online friend who was also participating in the training and he mentioned being surprised to see my face instead of Al Gores, a comment I couldnt really place right away. All was revealed the following day when a table-mate resolved the mystery by sharing this screen-shot he had captured while waiting for the broadcast session to start: On Thursday, the final live broadcast was titled Taking it home and it featured a Q&A-session where questions submitted throughout the training from several tables were shared via messages recorded by the respective mentors. Al Gore moderated the session and Dr. Henry Pollack, professor emeritus of geophysics at the University of Michigan as well as Dr. Marshall Shepherd, Professor of Geography and Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Georgia provided answers. This was followed by Al Gore presenting the short and to the point Truth in 10 which is a very condensed version of his presentation fitting within about 10 minutes. An older version is available for download on the Climate Reality homepage. Next up was a real highlight when Al Gore introduced four very engaged Climate Reality Leaders and asked them questions about their first presentations, memorable feedback they received and related questions to lower the threshold any newly trained Climate Reality Leaders might have before giving their first presentations. Al Gore then had a big surprise - judging from their reactions - for the panelists: they were awared the Alfred Sirkis Green Ring for their outstanding engagement and contributions! Last but not least, Id really encourage anybody with an interest in climate change - and the already existing solutions to tackle it - to check out and then apply for the training. Once you join the Climate Reality Leadership Corps youll get access to a wealth of Al Gores slides and youll be networking with many other people across the globe as well as locally who share your committment to tackle climate change! Last week, when my kids and I were walking along the beach of Lake Erie at Long Point in southwestern Ontario, we accidentally moved into a poorly marked and overly vaunted private property and in a space of two minutes got ticked off by two white men. One said Can I help you with an unmistakable Get off my lawn vibe. Another man standing on the porch of his house not 100 feet away said. This is private property. Dont walk on our property. I said, OK. And he went, This is our property. Please. Dont. Walk. On. OUR property. Geez, I snapped. Were walking away, arent we? Id like to see how these entitled men, so upset at the sight of three people mistakenly encroaching on their land, would endure what the Haudenosaunee have, not for a summer or two or 10 but for centuries, some 50 kilometres east of them near the Six Nations of the Grand River, near what we now call Caledonia. Its a battle playing out in gigantic proportions, and violently, with Ontario encroaching on and supporting a proposed real estate development on traditional land in other words, creating more private property. Twenty-five years almost to the date since Ontario was shamed by the Ipperwash crisis when the provincial police shot and killed Anthony Dudley George, an unarmed Anishinaabe man, for occupying government-expropriated land were witnessing state violence in its various iterations on a different land reclamation in a long-standing dispute. That land is part of the Haldimand Tract that was granted in 1784 to the Six Nations of the Grand River who form the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, after they had allied with the British during the American Revolution. Through a series of colonial manoeuvres, the land is now slated for a housing development named McKenzie Meadows. On July 19 Six Nations members began a peaceful occupation to stop this development. The site of occupation was named 1492 Land Back Lane in reference to the year Christopher Columbus landed in the Americas, sparking off centuries of colonialization. Police, aided by court injunctions, have moved to get people off the land by shooting at them and arresting 26 people including at least two journalists and an academic researcher. A Toronto rally has been planned at 1 p.m. on Saturday at the Ontario Ministry of Indigenous Affairs on Bloor St. to protest this violence. On July 30, the Superior Court granted an injunction that called for the Six Nations members to leave the land and allowed the construction to continue. It extended that injunction on Aug. 7. Injunctions are a blunt weapon used to deny Indigenous jurisdiction, the First Nations-led think tank Yellowhead Institute said, in a statement on the arrests. Yellowhead research shows that almost one hundred per cent of injunctions filed against First Nations by industry and governments involve resource extraction or development and most are granted in their favour. What follows is the militarization of Indigenous lands and the criminalization of land defenders. On Aug. 5, the OPP attempted to clear the development and arrested nine people in a raid. The community responded by setting tires, train tracks and construction equipment ablaze and erecting a large barricade. The police tasered and shot at the demonstrators they say it was just one rubber bullet and that demonstrators threw rocks at them. However, one eyewitness told Oneida journalist Karl Dockstader of One Dish One Mic radio show on News Talk 610 CKTB, When bullets go whizzing by your head you wonder if you are thinking your last thoughts. Six weeks into his coverage on the action, Dockstader, an award-winning journalist himself, was arrested Sept. 2 and charged with mischief and failure to comply with a court order. He doesnt know which court order this was the charge sheet doesnt say. The arrest bans him from the site under threat of more charges. Dockstader told the Star he had met two officers on the site, given them his card and identified himself as a journalist. He had filed a report with the radio a day before his arrest, had taken video chronicling the events and live-tweeted them. This is standard journalism. Dockstader was also immersed in the culture, singing, water drumming and writing about it. I was open about the fact that I was playing lacrosse with people. I have a responsibility not to extract a story. For me, it was important to go there and give narrative sovereignty to the people that are there. To give them an opportunity to tell their story in their words. In any case, its not for the police to decide what constitutes journalism. What their action did was further blanket a situation already unfolding outside the gaze of major media. Its hard to separate my arrest with the criminalization of Indigenous people generally, Dockstader said. Ive worked in court for several years. Ive seen first hand how racist the system is. The next day, Sept. 3, Mohawk researcher Courtney Skye from Yellowhead Institute, whos also a freelance journalist, was arrested and slapped with the same charges while she was parked in a vehicle along the side of the Grand River. It was a difficult and traumatic experience, Skye said at a digital teach-in on Wednesday organized by Scholar Strike Canada, when university scholars embarked on a two-day strike to protest anti-Black, racist and colonial police brutality. This is my area of expertise, said Skye, whose work focuses on the intersection of gender, land reclamation and governance. I had come to peace with the understanding that Id eventually be criminalized for it. To be arrested on the banks of the Grand River, which is a territory that was promised for Mohawk safety, is still difficult to kind of digest. Independent media outlet Azaadi Now said one of its production members was similarly charged on Sept. 9. Land defenders are calling for support and action across the country on Oct. 9, Skye said. Thats the date of a court hearing when Skyler Williams, a Six Nations member, has to respond to a court injunction that named him as the sole defendant in the case brought by the developer. He was named based on his Facebook post that detailed police action on the land. In the 1995 Ipperwash tragedy, then premier Mike Harriss racist demand rang across the province: I want those f--ing Indians out of my park. Ontario leaders today are nowhere near that rhetoric but provincial actions suggest that the end goal remains the same. Correction Sept. 11, 2020: This article has been updated to correct the planned day of action to Oct. 9 Britain struck its first post-Brexit trade deal with Japan on Friday, hailing the agreement as a historic moment, just as it is struggling to clinch a deal with its closest trading partners in the European Union. Britain said the deal, which had been agreed in principle, meant 99% of its exports to Japan would be tariff-free. Digital and data provisions in the agreement went far beyond those in the EUs trade deal with Japan, helping British fintech firms operating in the Asian country, it said. Financial services firms, food producers, coat-makers and biscuit bakers - as well as cheese producers - would benefit from the agreement which represented an important step towards Britain joining the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) in the Asia-Pacific region. Major Japanese investors in the UK such as Nissan and Hitachi would benefit from reduced tariffs on parts coming from Japan and streamlined regulatory procedures, the British trade department statement said. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said Brexit gives Britain the freedom to strike trade deals with other countries around the world. Critics say such agreements are unlikely to replace exports lost to the EU if a deal cannot be struck with Brussels. The EU has ordered Britain to scrap a plan to break their divorce treaty, but Johnsons government has refused, potentially sinking four years of Brexit talks. Japan wanted to reach broad consensus with Britain on trade this week before a change in government in Tokyo which could have caused the negotiations to drift. Japans ruling party will choose a new leader next Monday to succeed Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who is stepping down for health reasons. His successor will become the next premier and form a new cabinet. The political changes could include replacing Japans Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi, who leads on trade negotiations. Motegi said on Friday the aim was to have the trade deal with Britain come into force in January. Japan will submit the agreement to its parliament, which is expected to be convened later this year. Ukraine has slightly reduced its own agricultural exports to the European Union during the coronavirus crisis, but retained its place among the top five largest agricultural exporters to European countries, according to a report posted on the European Commissions website. The top EU agri-food origins in the five months period include the UK, Brazil, USA, Ukraine and China. These countries have accounted for almost 40% of EU27 agri-food imports, reads the report on the results of EU agricultural trade in January-May 2020. According to the data provided in the report, Ukraine delivered 5.8% of total agricultural imports to the EU for a total sum of EUR 7,033 million in 2019 (compared to EUR 5,416 million in 2018). During the first five months of 2020, the volume of Ukrainian exports to the EU decreased by EUR 217 million (-7.3%) compared to the same period in 2019. At the same time, Ukraine is on the 15th position in the list of the largest consumers of European imported agricultural products with a rate of 1.4% of its total volume. In absolute terms, Ukraine imported agricultural products worth EUR 2,455 million from the EU in 2019 (EUR 2,039 million in 2018). Between January-May 2020, Ukraine consumed products imported from the EU for a total sum of EUR 1,147 million (up EUR 166 million compared to the same period last year, +16.9 %). According to the report, the total volume of trade in agricultural products in the EU, including export and import operations, reached EUR 128.5 billion (up 1.6 % compared to January-May 2019). iy Some 13,000 people living in the camp on the Greek island of Lesbos were left homeless by two consecutive fires. Thousands of protesting refugees left homeless on the Greek island of Lesbos after fires destroyed the Moria camp gathered on a road leading to the islands main town on Friday, demanding to be allowed to leave. Clapping and chanting songs, the protesters, most of whom appeared to be from African countries and from Afghanistan, were boisterous but peaceful. Some held up signs pleading for help from Germany, a common destination for many refugees and migrants who arrive in Greece by boat from the nearby Turkish coast. The nearly 13,000 people who had been living in and around the notoriously overcrowded Moria camp have been left homeless by two consecutive fires on Tuesday and Wednesday night. Greek officials say the blazes were deliberately set by camp residents angered by isolation orders issued to prevent the spread of the coronavirus after 35 residents were found to have been infected. The camp had been under a lockdown due to last until mid-September. Thousands of former camp residents slept in the open for a third night on Thursday, some cutting down reeds and using salvaged blankets to make rudimentary shelters to protect them from the night-time chill and the scorching day-time sun. We have spent three days here without eating, without drinking. We are in conditions that are really, really not very good, Freddy Musamba, a former camp resident from the Gambia, told The Associated Press. I want to speak about the European Union, who abandoned us, who left us here like this, Musamba said, calling on the EU to come and support us, to not leave us. We are like abandoned children. We have endured things we didnt know could happen. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said Greek authorities have moved very fast and are working on a temporary facility to shelter the residents from the gutted camp. Relocation Aid organisations have long warned about dire conditions in the camp, which had a capacity of about 2,750 people but was housing more than 12,500 inside and in a spillover tent city that sprang up in an adjacent olive grove. The situation has led to spiralling tension, among the refugees and migrants inside the camp and with local residents who have long called for Moria to be shut down. 200911091407621 Speaking from Lesbos, Al Jazeeras John Psaropoulos said that since the tents set up around the main camp were also destroyed in the fire, the entire area had become uninhabitable. With the government providing fresh water, some people have returned, he said, adding that the next step was to provide some 10,000 to 12,000 refugees with shelter. Psaropoulos confirmed that while more than 400 unaccompanied minors had been flown to the Greek mainland on Wednesday night and temporarily housed in hotels and other facilities, Greek authorities have not yet allowed other asylum seekers to be relocated from the island. With the island considered a COVID-19 high-risk area if people are relocated to mainland Greece, they can end up infecting others, he said. Overcrowding at Moria Moria houses people from Africa, Asia and the Middle East who crossed from Turkey fleeing poverty or conflict in their homeland. Under a 2016 deal between the EU and Turkey, those arriving on the Greek islands would remain there pending either their successful asylum application, or deportation back to Turkey. But a backlog in asylum applications, combined with continued arrivals and few deportations, led to significant overcrowding in Moria and camps on other eastern Aegean islands. The overcrowded camp and its dire conditions have been held up by critics as a symbol of failures in the EUs migration and refugee policy. 200910183715614 Moria is a sharp reminder to all of us for what we need to change in Europe, European Commission Vice President Margaritis Schinas, who also handles migration for the 27-nation bloc, said. The clock has run out on how long Europe can live without a migration policy, said Schinas, who was in Greece to discuss the Moria fire with Greek officials. The EUs executive commission plans to present a new pact for migration and asylum on September 30, he said. According to Schinas, the pact will foresee agreements with migrants countries of origin and transit to persuade people not to embark on the voyage to Europe, as well a robust system to manage the EUs external borders, including a new European border and coastguard, with many more staff, boats, instruments and tools. It will also include a system of permanent, effective solidarity in shouldering the responsibility of asylum among EU countries, Schinas said. EU support On Thursday, French President Emanuel Macron announced that France and Germany were in talks to take in some of the unaccompanied minors who had been living in Moria. German Interior Minister Horst Seehofer said on Friday that 10 EU countries had agreed to participate in taking in unaccompanied children from Moria and that talks were ongoing with other countries. He said Germany and France would take the largest share, about two-thirds of the 406 teenagers and children who had been living at the camp without parents or guardians. German officials identified the other countries as Belgium, Croatia, Finland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovenia, and Switzerland. Richard Seaberry, Albert Petrocelli, John Knox, Arthur Lacker and Edward Doty were among the dozens of first responders who answered the call during one national tragedy only to die in another. Image: FDNY EMT Richard Seaberry (Courtesy FDNY) And as New York and the nation Friday marked the 19th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks while in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, the ranks of the nearly 200,000 Americans who have died from COVID-19 have been filled by dozens of heroes like these who risked their lives to save others when the twin towers fell. Gross undercount were the words New York City attorney Michael Barasch used in a recent interview in which he revealed that 22 of the 20,000 9/11 first responders and survivors he represented with ground zero-related illnesses had died of COVID-19. Since then, Barasch has learned that five times more 9/11 first responders died of the coronavirus than he first thought. Of these individuals, more than 100 have died of COVID-19 because of ground zero-related diseases," Baraschs spokeman, Patrick Rheaume, said Friday in a statement. As many as 68 types of cancers and dozens of respiratory ailments reported by many 9/11 first responders left them "uniquely vulnerable to an illness that attacks the lungs and the immune system, Rheaume added. John Feal, a demolition supervisor at ground zero who runs the Fealgood Foundation, which advocates on behalf of the first responders, said he knows of at least four dozen who came down with the disease and more than a thousand who have tested positive. And hes one of them. In March, we put out a video telling our people to take this seriously, and then a week later I got it, Feal told NBC News. To this day, I dont know how I got it. I just know that I never experienced pain like that before. Feal, who lost part of his left foot after a 4-ton steel beam fell on it at ground zero, said he felt like his body was on fire and, at the same time, it was so hard to breathe he felt like he was drowning. I dont scare easily but this scared me, he said. Story continues Knox, 84, a former New York City firefighter who came out of retirement to help search for bodies at ground zero, died in March. Seaberry, 63, a veteran EMT from Queens who also took part in the rescue and grim recovery efforts, died in April. Lacker, 72, a construction worker who toiled in the pit for two years, also died in April. Petrocelli was 73 when he, too, died in April. He was a New York City Fire Department battalion chief on 9/11 and, along with his firefighter son, Albert Jr., responded to the burning World Trade Center where his other son, a commodities trader named Mark, was trapped on the 93rd floor of the north tower. They never found Marks body. Libeskind's Design Officially Chosen for WTC Site (Mario Tama / Getty Images) While America mourned 9/11, the coronavirus death toll rose by 1,249 to 193,186 and the number of confirmed cases climbed to nearly 6.5 million - both world-leading numbers, the latest NBC News figures show. President Donald Trump, accused of lying to the American public about the severity of the pandemic while privately admitting to journalist Bob Woodward that the coronavirus was deadly stuff, headed to Shanksville, Pennsylvania, on Friday for the ceremony at the Flight 93 National Memorial. While Trump has repeatedly praised his administrations response to the pandemic, the United States now accounts for over a fifth of the worlds more than 910,000 coronavirus fatalities and 28 million confirmed cases, according to the Johns Hopkins University COVID-19 dashboard. Feal said he steadfastly tried not to pick a political side when he battled the George W. Bush administration after 9/11 to get help for the first responders, and last year when he successfully lobbied Congress with the comedian Jon Stewart to renew funding for the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund. But Feal admitted that as he watched Trump depart for Shanksville on Friday, he found himself wadding-up pieces of paper into balls and throwing them at the TV screen. The response to the pandemic by the federal government has been a disaster, just atrocious, Feal said. Theres all this bragging about what a great job were doing with the pandemic while at the same time were normalizing people dying. Were losing touch with humanity. We have failed. And Im not alone in thinking that. In other coronavirus news: YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 11, ARMENPRESS. The Air Defense units of the Armenian Armed Forces held exercises as part of the Joint CIS Air Defense System combat readiness drills launched in seven CIS countries. Shushan Stepanyan, a spokesperson for the Armenian military, told ARMENPRESS that the exercises comprised several phases including the detection and elimination of simulated enemy air targets. Attack aircraft, anti-aircraft troops and technical troops were involved in the exercises, Stepanyan said. She said the troops completed the exercises on high level. Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan I first wrote about Rick Rescorla in 2003 after finishing James Stewarts Heart of a Soldier, the book based on Stewarts New Yorker article The real heroes are dead. (The real heroes are dead is what Rescorla would say in response to recognition of his heroism on the battlefield in Vietnam.) Its a good book that touches on profound themes in a thought-provoking way: life and death, love and friendship, heroism and sacrifice, destiny and fate, mans search for meaning, all fall within the books compass. Rescorla was a British native who moved to the United States to join the Army and fight the Communists in Vietnam. Rescorla was inspired to move to the United States in part by his friendship with Dan Hill. Their friendship is the one constant theme of the book. Hill and Rescorla had become friends in Rhodesia; they consciously modeled themselves on the characters of Peachy and Dravot in Kiplings story The Man Who Would Be King. Later they both served as officers in Vietnam, where in 1965 Rescorla saw harrowing combat in the Ia Drang Valley. In April 2001, thanks to Hills efforts, Rescorla was inducted into the Armys Officer Candidate School Hall of Fame for his service in Vietnam. The famous photo at the left (taken by UPI reporter Joe Galloway) depicts Rescorla in action in the Ia Drang Valley It is moving to read of the officers who sought Rescorla out to shake his hand and have him autograph their copies of We Were Soldiers Onceand Young, in which Rescorla plays a key role. Rescorla died a heros death saving his charges at Morgan Stanley in the south tower of the World Trade Center on 9/11. Rescorla was head of security for the company; he directed the evacuation in which he had long drilled the companys WTC employees. He knew that a terrorist attack on the WTC was coming and he knew what had happened as soon as the building was hit. His message was one of resolve. Using a bullhorn, he shepherded his charges into the towers one usable fire escape and exhorted them that it was a day to be proud to be an American. The book closes with the words of Hill, the man who remained Rescorlas best friend until his death. His haunting words pay tribute to Rescorla: One of my lifes biggest regrets is that I couldnt have been with Rick at the moment of his great challenge and crisis of his life. Then again, maybe it was so destined, because if I didnt survive, there would be nobody left to tell the story. Kipling wrote that all men should count with you, but none too much. I failed there. Rick counted as the world to me. Somebody cautioned that if a person or thing means the world to you, and you lose that person or thing, then you have lost the world. I lost the world when Rick died. First posted 9/11/2005. UPDATE 9/11/2011: The San Francisco Opera debuted Heart of a Soldier, an opera composed by Christopher Theofanidis to a libretto by Donna DiNovelli, based on Stewarts book. Cori Ellison provided a preview in the New York Times article Opera recalls a heros life, love and song. The Daily Mail recounted Rescorlas story in an article full of good photos. One final note. You may want to take the time to check out the 10-minute American Veterans Center video on Rescorla (below). The United States will reduce the number of its troops in Afghanistan to 4,000 in a very short period of time, President Donald Trump said Thursday as he announced withdrawal of forces from other countries as well. "A lot of progress is being made in Afghanistan. But we'll be down to 4,000 soldiers in a very short period of time," Trump told reporters at a news conference at the White House. Likewise, in Iraq, the US will be down to about 2,000 soldiers in a very short period of time. In Syria, US troops are only guarding oil. "I think a small number -- but they're guarding the oil. We're helping the Kurds, and we're making their lives much more pleasant because of the fact that we have the oil, said the president. Trump also announced that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will be departing this evening on a historic trip to Doha for the beginning of intra-Afghan peace negotiations. The start of these negotiations beginning September 12 follows intense diplomatic efforts, including the US-Taliban Agreement and the US-Afghanistan Joint Declaration, which were agreed to in February. "We've been negotiating with them for quite some time, getting along with them, moved a lot of soldiers out, he said. Afghan negotiations, he said, are a result of a bold diplomatic effort on part of his administration in recent months and years. "The United States will play an important role in bringing the parties together to end the decades-long war; it's been going on for almost 20 years, long before I got involved, I can tell you that, he said. The parties are together right now, and we're negotiating, and we're really making tremendous progress, he added. In a separate statement, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo welcomed the announcement that Afghanistan peace negotiations will begin on September 12. The start of these talks marks a historic opportunity for Afghanistan to bring an end to four decades of war and bloodshed, he said. Noting that the people of Afghanistan have carried the burden of war for too long, he said that they yearn for peace. Only through an Afghan-owned, Afghan-led political process -- one that respects the views of all Afghan communities, including women and ethnic and religious minorities -- can the parties achieve a durable peace, he said. Observing that this opportunity must not be squandered, Pompeo said that immense sacrifice and investment by the United States, its partners, and the people of Afghanistan have made this moment of hope possible. "I urge the negotiators to demonstrate the pragmatism, restraint, and flexibility this process will require to succeed. The people of Afghanistan and the international community will be watching closely. The United States is prepared to support as requested, Pompeo said. The United States recalls the commitment by the Afghan government and the Taliban that terrorists can never again use Afghan soil to threaten the United States or its allies. Now is the time for peace for Afghanistan, he said. Meanwhile, Trump nominated William Ruger as the next US Ambassador to Afghanistan. A police stands near a climate activist who locked herself topless against the railings of the Houses of Parliament, during an Extinction Rebellion (XR) protest, in London, Thursday, Sept. 10, 2020. (AP) London: Thirty bare-chested women locked themselves to the railings outside Britains Houses of Parliament on Thursday in an Extinction Rebellion protest to demand action against climate change. The women carried a large banner reading Cant bare the truth? and had words painted on their chests representing predicted consequences of global warming such as war, drought, starvation, wildfires, violence and famine. Some of the women used metal D-locks normally used to lock up bicycles to attach themselves by the neck to the parliamentary estates railings. The women called on the government to inform the public about the risks of allowing average global temperatures to rise by 4 degrees centigrade, which Extinction Rebellion says is what will happen by 2100 unless countries take action now. The activist group restarted its protests in Britain last week following a long lull due to the coronavirus pandemic. On Saturday, Extinction Rebellion protesters blockaded two printworks to disrupt the distribution of newspapers the group accuses of failing to accurately report on climate issues. On Tuesday, Home Secretary (interior minister) Priti Patel described the group as eco-crusaders turned criminals whose guerilla tactics must be stopped. I refuse point-blank to allow that kind of anarchy on our streets, she said of the printworks protest. Yes Bank has fully repaid Rs 50,000 crore to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) it borrowed under the SLF (special liquidity facility) window. The private sector lender took the money amid the crisis faced earlier this year. Addressing the bank's shareholders at its annual general meeting (AGM) held virtually on Thursday, chairman Sunil Mehta said that the entire payment was made well ahead of the due date as the private sector lender received strong customer inflows. He also cleared the air regarding Yes Bank's merger with the State Bank of India (SBI), clarifying that there were no such plans. Also Read: Yes Bank to raise ESOP pool to 225 million; fixes MD-CEO's remuneration at Rs 2.84 cr Mehta further stated that FY21 will be a year of transition for the bank, which has just come out of an unprecedented Rs 10,000 crore bailout led by SBI after setbacks received under the founding team. The government and RBI had replaced the entire board of the lender in March this year and also stopped depositors from accessing their funds for a few days. A new management was installed, restrictions were lifted and it also completed a Rs 15,000-crore capital raise during the pandemic. "I am pleased to report that the bank has fully repaid SLF of Rs 50,000 crore to the RBI on September 8, well before the due date," Mehta told shareholders. "FY 2020-21 will be a year of transition, as we battle the health and economic impact of COVID-19 and simultaneously re-invent ourselves as a nation," he asserted. Strong governance is one of the three key pillars of sustainable growth the bank is working on, Mehta said. Also Read: CRISIL, Ind-Ra upgrade Yes Bank's ratings on improvement in funding, liquidity profile There were allegations of corporate governance lapses and other practices at Yes Bank which led to financial losses. "We must continue to strengthen and augment our oversight along with governance and risk management practices," Mehta said, acknowledging that strong corporate governance is key to the success of an institution. The bank's new board has put in place a framework to ensure risks are identified, evaluated, and addressed appropriately, he said, making it clear that much of the work undertaken is not only to meet regulatory requirements but to make the lender stronger, agile and efficient."The other key pillars for sustainable growth are driving operational excellence through digitisation, strong governance, and risk frameworks," he said. Courtesy photo Greetings from the Greatest Noon Lions Club in the World! It was nice getting back together and breaking bread in person again. It proves the point that in person human interaction will never be replaced by online interaction. We had an amazing speaker this week named Dr. Vincent Nguyen who gave our club a breakdown of generational names given to each generation from 1883 to 2025. It was very eye opening to see the stereotypes given to each generation some of which are accurate and some, not so much. The meeting opened as always with our tradition of God Bless America, the pledge to the United States flag and Texas flag, our invocation, and our Smile song. A tradition like this must remain in order to remind us of our past, present, and future. Following these club staples our very own Lion Gail Cain helped us sing Happy Birthday to President Ralph Perez and Lion Tamer Craig Moore. Next up, we had Lion Bryan Rennell introduce our special guests. Thank you Mike, Bobby, Ama, and Alice for joining us this week! We then had Lion James Boyd receiving his blue badge after completing his new member requirements. Also, big congrats goes out to the following lions who have had perfect attendance! Amanda Anders 1 year; Inge Merle 8 years; and Ladoris Cates 25 years! Credit: Shutterstock Astronomers know all too well how precious and unique the environment of our planet is. Yet the size of our carbon footprint might surprise you. Our study, released today in Nature Astronomy, estimated the field produces 25,000 tons of carbon dioxide-equivalent emissions per year in Australia. With fewer than 700 active researchers nationwide (including Ph.D. students), this translates to 37 tons per astronomer per year. As a point of reference, the average Australian adult was responsible for 26 tons of emissions in 2019, total. That means the job of being an astronomer is 40% more carbon-intensive than the average Australian's job and home life combined. While we often defer to governments for climate policy, our global carbon footprint can be dramatically reduced if every industry promotes strategies to reduce their own footprint. For individual industries to make progress, they must first recognize just how much they contribute to the climate emergency. Where do all the emissions come from? We found 60% of astronomy's carbon footprint comes from supercomputing. Astronomers rely on supercomputers to not only process the many terabytes of data they collect from observatories everyday, but also test their theories of how the Universe formed with simulations. Frequent flying has historically been par for the course for astronomers too, be it for conference attendance or on-site observatory visits all around the world. Prior to COVID-19, six tons of annual emissions from flights were attributed to the average astronomer. An estimated five tons of additional emissions per astronomer are produced in powering observatories every year. Astronomical facilities tend to be remote, to escape the bright lights and radio signals from populous areas. Antennas of CSIROs ASKAP telescope at the Murchison Radio-astronomy Observatory in Western Australia. Credit: CSIRO Science Image Some, like the Parkes radio telescope and the Anglo-Australian Telescope near Coonabarabran, are connected to the electricity grid, which is predominately powered by fossil fuels. Others, like the Murchison Radio-astronomy Observatory in Western Australia, need to be powered by generators on site. Solar panels currently provide around 15% of the energy needs at the Murchison Radio-astronomy Observatory, but diesel is still used for the bulk of the energy demands. Finally, the powering of office spaces accounts for three tons of emissions per person per year. This contribution is relatively small, but still non-negligible. They're doing it better in Germany Australia has an embarrassing record of per-capita emissions. At almost four times the global average, Australia ranks in the top three OECD countries for the highest per-capita emissions. The problem at large is Australia's archaic reliance on fossil fuels. A study at the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy in Germany found the emissions of the average astronomer there to be less than half that in Australia. The difference lies in the amount of renewable energy available in Germany versus Australia. The carbon emissions produced for each kilowatt-hour of electricity consumed at the German institute is less than a third pulled from the grid in Australia, on average. The challenge astronomers in Australia face in reducing their carbon footprint is the same challenge all Australian residents face. For the country to claim any semblance of environmental sustainability, a swift and decisive transition to renewable energy is needed. Taking emissions reduction into our own hands A lack of coordinated action at a national level means organizations, individuals, and professions need to take emissions reduction into their own hands. For astronomers, private arrangements for supercomputing centers, observatories, and universities to purchase dedicated wind and/or solar energy must be a top priority. Astronomers do not control the organizations that make these decisions, but we are not powerless to effect influence. The good news is this is already happening. A recent deal made by Swinburne University to procure 100% renewable energy means the OzSTAR supercomputer is now a "green machine". CSIRO expects the increasing fraction of on-site renewables at the Murchison Radio-astronomy Observatory has the potential to save 2,000 tons of emissions per year from diesel combustion. And most major universities in Australia have released plans to become carbon-neutral this decade. As COVID-19 halted travel worldwide, meetings have transitioned to virtual platforms. Virtual conferences have a relatively minute carbon footprint, are cheaper, and have the potential to be more inclusive for those who lack the means to travel. Despite its challenges, COVID-19 has taught us we can dramatically reduce our flying. We must commit this lesson to memory. And it's encouraging to see the global community banding together. Last year, 11,000 scientists from 153 countries signed a scientific paper, warning of a global climate emergency. As astronomers, we have now identified the significant size of our footprint, and where it comes from. Positive change is possible; the challenge simply needs to be tackled head-on. Explore further Australian telescope finds no signs of alien technology in 10 million star systems This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Ender's Game, Shot Caller, Die Hard 2. Take your pick from criminals, killers, spies and savants as TopFilmTip brings you the best films on TV for Friday, 11 September. Some films may require a Sky subscription. Boer war veteran faces clash between his duty and conscience after capturing accused and innocent Maori man in grizzled Kiw-estern Tracker 11:05am Sony Movies Action English society is thoroughly explored through the life of a Navy ship from docks to ocean floor in David Leans In Which We Serve 2:30pm BBC Two Accidentally heroic, monologuing frontiersman and journal junkie befriends Sioux in sweeping ballad of mutual respect Dances With Wolves 3:05pm Sony Movies Action Child-prodigy/tactical-genius trains to battle Xenocidal aliens' onslaught in morally complex, cerebral and sublime imagining of strategic sci-fi classic Ender's Game 6:45pm Film4 Jason Statham in a still from The Mechanic. (Millennium Films) Drug lord drowning boss killer Jason Statham trains orphan-man in art of autoerotic asphyxiation assassination The Mechanic 9:00pm SyFy Delinquent becomes bespoke-suited gadgeting gentleman spy in viscerally violent riotous fun Kingsman: The Secret Service 9:00pm Film4 Matchstick counting savant is exploited by greedy brother before he learns fraternal love in Oscar-winning drama Rain Man 9:00pm 5 Star Serial killing inner-monologuing man murderer feeds his homicidal compulsion with scaffolding, ocular icicles, engines and jet fuel in Die Hard 2: Die Harder 9:00pm Sony Movies Jake Gyllenhaal and Robert Downey Jr. in Zodiac. (Warner Bros.) Tenacious journo dedicates decades to discovering cryptic killer's identity in obsessive, handwriting analysing thriller Zodiac 10:45pm BBC One Bank-burgling hostage-takers discover vengeful suicide-inducing ghouls in safe-housing cellar in off-kilter crime-horror The Vault 10:55pm Horror Channel Plans within intricate plans as master thieves execute the perfect plot. David Mamets superbly taut, tight and twisty treat Heist 11:25pm Sony Movies Middle class family man endures unending prison under white-power gangs yoke: astonishing, intricate character study Shot Caller 11:40pm Film 4 Story continues Brutal detective turns neo-nazi contract killer into organised crime informant in hard boiled, bullet bathed, deep southern drama Bad Country 1:45am Sony Movies Lives of failed luchador, awfully tattooed criminal and regretful mother collide amid human trafficker's organ harvesting scheme in anarchic Tarantino-esque crime caper Lowlife 2:00am Film 4 Everything new on streaming in September: The films premiering on Sky Cinema and Now TV in September The best new films coming to Disney+ in September Everything coming to Netflix UK in September Everything coming to Amazon Prime Video in September A special court in Mumbai on Friday rejected the bail pleas of Rhea Chakraborty and her brother Showik, arrested by the Narcotics Control Bureau in connection with a drugs-related case pertaining to the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput. IMAGE: Rhea Chakraborty was arrested by the NCB on Tuesday. Photograph: Mitesh Bhuvad/PTI Photo The court also rejected the bail pleas of four other accused in the case. Special Judge G B Gurao, presiding over cases under the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, rejected their bail applications. All the accused are currently in judicial custody. Special public prosecutor Atul Sarpande, appearing for the Narcotics Control Bureau, welcomed the decision and said the court, while rejecting the bail pleas, has accepted the contentions of the prosecution that the investigation is at a crucial stage. Rhea's lawyer Satish Maneshinde said they would decide further course of action after perusing the court order. "Once we get a copy of the order passed by the special NDPS court, we will decide next week on further course of action and about approaching the Bombay high court," he said. In her bail plea, Rhea had claimed that she was falsely implicated in the case. Rhea had also retracted the confessional statement recorded by the NCB when she was questioned for three days. She had claimed that the NCB officials had coerced her into making self-incriminating statements. The NCB had strongly opposed the bail pleas and said that Rhea was conscious of the fact that Rajput was consuming drugs, but despite that she continued procuring and making payments for drugs. The NCB had said that although the quantity of banned drugs seized in the case was small, it was still a commercial quantity and worth Rs 1,85,200. "Rhea Chakraborty and Showik Chakraborty financed an arranged drugs for Sushant Singh Rajput and at his instructions," the NCB had said in its affidavit responding to the bail pleas. It added that as per the statement given by co-accused and Rajput's domestic help Dipesh Sawant, he used to procure drugs from other accused in the case on the instructions of Rajput and Rhea. "The financial transactions were handled by Rhea and sometimes Rajput. Dipesh Sawant used to procure drugs along with co-accused Samuel Miranda (former house manager of Rajput) for Sushant Singh Rajput's consumption," the affidavit said. The NCB had further said that if the accused are released on bail, they may tamper with evidence and try to intimidate key witnesses in the case. The NCB began its investigation after the Enforcement Directorate, which was probing money laundering charges linked to the case, shared the social media chats retrieved from Rhea's mobile phone, hinting at the use of banned drugs. Rajput was found hanging in his residence in suburban Bandra on June 14. The Central Bureau of Investigation is separately probing a case against Rhea and others for allegedly abetting the 34-year-old actor's suicide. An expert panel advising the Japanese government has yet to approve a plan to add Tokyo to the "Go To Travel" campaign from October. In a panel meeting on Friday, the experts agreed to make a final decision on the matter based on the situation of coronavirus infections in late September. The government launched the campaign in July. It offers subsidies to domestic travelers to shore up the tourism industry, which was hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic. But trips to Tokyo and travel by Tokyo residents were excluded as the number of infections was on the rise in the capital at the time. New Delhi: Today, i.e, January 13 marks the festival of Lohri, a harvest festival that is celebrated across India. Though, this festival has got different names like Bihu, Pongal and Makar Sankaranti, it populary celebrated as Lohri in North India. While Lohri is celebrated with great fervour and gaiety, adding on to the festivity is the Punjabi touch of the festival. Apart from the bhangra beats, dance, bonfire and all the fun, what adds to the beauty of this winter festival is the vibrant and attractive attire of Punjabi wome So as the nation gears up for the festival, we bring you five tips which will help you rock the Punjabi look; 1. Patiala Suit and Phulkari One of the best ways to get the perfect Punjabi look is to go for a colourful Patiala suit. Going by the recent trend, it is advisable to choose bright colors for your dress. Pair it with a heavy phulkari duppatta. 2. Jewellery Punjabi look is incomplete without heavy jewelleries. So you can opt for a maching earrings and maang tikkas. 3. Punjabi Jutti Wearing Punjabi jutti not just add on to the beauty of the Punjabi look but it is also comfortable to wear and dance all night in a wedding function. Interestingly, Punjabi juttis also come in vibrant colours and different desings like intricate embroidery, beeds work, stone work, ghunghroos and colorful embellishments to choose from. 4. Paranda Paranda is one of the key elements that can give you a Punjabi look in seconds. It is a hair accessory worn by Punjabi women in their braids and has beautiful mirror and beads tassels at the end. 5. Jhanjhar and Bangles You can complete you Punajbi look with a beautiful pair of Jhanjhar and colourful bangles matching your suit. EDWARDSVILLE Multiple statements related to the Ninian Edwards statue and the plaza in which it stands were submitted by citizens to city council prior its meeting last week. Out of 11 emails and one voicemail submitted, not all of the statements were read aloud during the public comment portion of the meeting on July 7. Four of the 11 emails were read during the meeting and all 12 submissions fell on the side of the tearing down the statue of the former political figure and slave owner and renaming the plaza in which it stands at the corner of St. Louis and W. Vandalia streets as well as relocating the statue to a local museum. Since last month, the movement has seemingly lost steam after meetings with city leadership and at least one historian. Two individuals also offered their opinions in person at city council. Both stated they were against the removal of the statue. Let us not be swayed by a few names on a petition. If you want to know how all 26,000 Edwardsville residents feel, put it on a November ballot and let all of us decide, lifelong resident and former alderman Richard Rezabek said. Resident Kieth King said Edwards was governor before Illinois was a state and those for the removal should look at their own history. Theyre teaching people the history of something that they never knew anything about until this was brought up, King said. The email correspondents consisted of city residents, including assistant professor at the Department of Sociology at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, Dr. Corey Stevens. As an educator at SIUE, I believe that we should be having conversations about Ninian Edwards and his problematic legacy as an advocate for slavery and the genocidal removal of Native Americans, Stevens wrote. However, because of his role in perpetuating slavery and killing native people, I do not believe he deserves a place of honor in the center of our town. Its important that Edwardsville takes ownership of our problematic history and agrees to move forward towards a more just and equitable future for all our citizens. I am asking you to relocate the Ninian Edwards statue from its current location downtown to an appropriate educational setting and to rename the plaza, Ezra Temko said in the single voicemail received. In addition to the 12 comments received by Edwardsville City Clerk Emily Bates, a proposal submitted by retired city administrator and former police chief Ben Dickman was shared with five of the seven aldermen. Dickman was part of the team that led the statue project in 2006 and 2007. Personally, I favor removing all statues of confederate leaders and placing them in a museum, Dickmann wrote in his proposal. According to Dickmann, his proposal suggesting the removal of the statue was not discussed during the meeting. As for the emails, Bates said the process is routine as many of the emails shared not only the same message but also similar points of view. I picked ones that had some variety from one to the next, Bates said. Bates said the seven alderpeople were given the information and minutes after the meeting and were able to view the same material just before the meeting. Alongside Dickmann, retired parks and recreation director Bob Pfeiffer was involved in the statue project as well as the 2007 city council. Former mayor Gary Niebur also spearheaded the project. Pfeiffer declined to comment further. According to Intelligencer records, the project was initiated by the city to bring different art aspects to the downtown area. The city purchased the property through an anonymous donation through the Greater Edwardsville Area Community Foundation (GEACF) and paid for the improvements to the ground from a grant from the state of Illinois secured by State Representative Jay Hoffman, a September 2008 Intelligencer article states. While Dickmann proposed the removal of the statue, he also noted that he understands the historical aspect. It is for that reason he also suggested if the council does not want to remove the statue then a plaque or marker should be placed to tell the whole history of Edwards. He said statues are used as a reference, not worship. Since the statue was not on the agenda, no action was taken but some ideas were discussed. The retired police chief also believes that the process of correcting any wrongs does not stop with the statue. Removing and destroying statues means nothing if we fail to ensure a better life for the overall black community of our nation, Dickmann told an Intelligencer reporter. He said he supports better police training and has made contact with those it affects. Altering priorities in police budgets is clearly worthy of discussion, Dickmann said. While the budget discussion is needed, he said it is a slippery slope. And, while more funds need to be directed to help our disadvantaged populations, generally defunding the police to find those funds for softer and badly needed programs is simply stupid. Web Toolbar by Wibiya The global pandemic has changed a lot of industries and the publishing industry isnt left out. The coronavirus outbreak has made a huge impact on how authors write, what editors are willing to publish, and how book sales are made. With stores being closed for weeks and some slowly reopening, small scale publishers fear that the pandemic might run them out of business. However, going digital has always been the safest and most profitable option. For authors, publishers, artisans and entrepreneurs in Canada looking to make sales during this pandemic, the Ottawa Book Expo would be launching a first of its kind virtual book and entrepreneurs fair. This grassroots-oriented virtual marketplace will leverage on cutting-edge technology to deliver a unique experience to all exhibitors and attendees. The virtual book fair is a great opportunity for authors, publishers, artisans and entrepreneurs to boost the commercial success of their work and showcase the diverse literary culture of Ottawa and Canada in general. Here are reasons why you should consider becoming a vendor at the Ottawa Book Expo 2020/2021: 1. Cheaper than in-person events Becoming a vendor at a tradeshow, especially one that is quite pronounced, can be expensive. From the cost of renting booth space to acquiring the necessary furniture, employee time, travel expenses, meals, accommodation costs and many more, can add to a huge bill for vendors. However, the Ottawa Book Expo provides a unique virtual experience of Lansdowne Park, providing a 24/7 virtual marketplace for vendors to showcase their work without having to pay for most of these costs. Becoming a vendor at this virtual fair would mean saving more money and still achieving better results. 2. Better networking and sales opportunities The Ottawa Book Expo is a great opportunity to learn more about local Ottawa and Canadian writers while networking. Also, it provides an avenue to discover new ways to improve your writing skills, collaborate better with other writers, learn more about people from different cultural backgrounds, and discover a wide variety of book publishing services. This virtual fair allows vendors to make more sales and generate quality leads through a wide range of available solutions such as a live video or text chat. This way, vendors can forge stronger relationships with artists, technicians and authors from different cultures. 3. More brand exposure Unlike tradeshows which are over after a few days, the Ottawa Book Expo would feature a virtual marketplace that would be available to buyers and sellers 24 hours everyday and 7 days every week. This means that your brand would continue to get regular exposure as visitors would be able to visit your virtual booth at any time, to either request for more information or make direct purchases. 4. Better visitor management Exhibitions can easily become chaotic with many people in attendance. This can be a bit of a disadvantage for exhibitors as theres a high chance of vendors missing someone important or spending too much time trying to control the amount of traffic at their booth. At this virtual fair, it is easier to track visitors at your booth, what they were interested in and equally, determine the right approach and solution for each one of them. 5. Reaching a global audience The Ottawa Book Expo is targeted at a global audience in and out of Canadaas the virtual marketplace is accessible to visitors from all over the world. For vendors, this is a huge advantage for them to meet readers from different backgrounds and showcase their work to a larger audience. This virtual fair is a non-discriminatory way to create social networking opportunities among publishers, readers, writers and/or entrepreneurs. Vendors can get their work in front of a worldwide audience without spending money and time attending exhibitions abroad. English actress Diana Rigg poses for a photo session at Cannes film festival in April 2019 in southern France. (Joel Saget / AFP via Getty Images) It is the rare artist who is known for and cherished, equally and by substantially different audiences, for the first and last big things in her career. Diana Rigg Dame Diana, if you please who died Thursday at the age of 82, was that rare artist. In between "The Avengers," which made her famous at the age of 27, and "Game of Thrones," which made her famous at the age of 75 and before and after, as well there were many other jobs, from a straight-ahead American multi-camera sitcom, "Diana," to hosting the PBS series "Mystery!" But there is a point where an actor's own essence aligns and informs her characters' in a way that you can't talk about one without talking about the other. Rigg rappelled into American consciousness as Mrs. Emma Peel, the threat-removing partner of Patrick Macnee's John Steed in the British import "The Avengers," a spy adventure with science-fiction overtones that served largely as a space for British character actors to play their best eccentrics. She was the second woman to pair with the bowler-wearing, umbrella-toting Steed, and the first to be seen in the United States. (Honor Blackman, who preceded her, was best known here as Pussy Galore in the third James Bond film, "Goldfinger"; Rigg would appear opposite George Lazenby in 1969's "On Her Majesty's Secret Service." Its high rating among Bond connoisseurs surely has something to with the fact that Rigg was in it.) Patrick Macnee as John Steed was memorably paired with Diana Rigg as Mrs. Emma Peel in the 1960s TV series "The Avengers." The "Mrs." in Peel she was a widow, seemingly and a considerable difference in their ages kept romance out of the picture for Steed and Emma. (Their mutual respect is better than sex.) But it turns out that there really is a Mr. Peel, an aviator thought lost and suddenly found, and the brief scene in which Mrs. Peel makes her exit from the series it's really just the tag end of a regular episode, such a small deal did they make of it is electric, without being showy. "Always keep your bowler on in times of stress," she tells Steed. He calls her "Emma," maybe for the first time. Her "Goodbye, Steed" is delivered nearly as a whisper there was always a bit of a whisper in her delivery, even when Rigg turned up the volume, which she rarely needed to make a point. She seems to have been incapable of overacting in any case. Story continues It must have been my love of "The Avengers" that led me to watch Peter Hall's 1968 hippie-mod pastoral film of "A Midsummer Night's Dream" when it aired here on CBS in February 1969, so I suppose I have Rigg to thank for Shakespeare as well. (Her costars include Helen Mirren, David Warner, Ian Richardson, Ian Holm and Judi Dench as a half-naked, body-painted fairy queen.) Rigg plays Helena, superficially the sad sack of the piece, an anomalous role for her. And yet, among the human lovers, she is perhaps the most active, from when she betrays her friend to score points with Demetrius, her formerly requiting unrequited crush. "Diana," her 1973 American multi-camera adventure you can find at least one complete episode online is basically a "Mary Tyler Moore," single-gal-in-the-city knockoff, with more "sophisticated" situations. The material is standard "classic," if you prefer and Rigg is very good; multi-camera comedy is just theater with cameras, after all. The Jazz Age-set "The Mrs. Bradley Mysteries" finds her as a posh Marple (with "Midsomer Murders'" Neal Dudgeon as her driver and leg man), perking up whenever a body is found. In Mackenzie Crook's great "Detectorists," and in the "Crimson Horror" episode of "Doctor Who," she plays the mother of her own actual daughter, Rachael Stirling. Rigg trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in the mid-1950s, was a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company for six years, up until going on the "Avengers," and afterwards, in the '70s, was a member of the National Theater Company. She played Shakespeare, Sophocles, Ibsen, Brecht, Albee, Racine, Williams, Chekhov, Coward, Shaw and Stoppard, creating lead roles in the last's "Jumpers" and "Night and Day." She never became a big-screen movie star, like Mirren, but she showed up in interesting places: Paddy Chayefsky's "The Hospital," with George C. Scott; the Vincent Price literary horror comedy "Theater of Blood," "The Great Muppet Caper." Diana Rigg as Olenna Tyrell in the "Game of Thrones" episode "The Queen's Justice." (Helen Sloan / HBO ) By the time we get to "Game of Thrones," which Rigg joined in its third season in 2013 as Lady Olenna Tyrell, the aptly nicknamed Queen of Thorns, she adds another quality, that of having seen it all. ("I'm thrilled young people identify with this naughty old bag I was playing," she said in a CBS interview.) Olenna is called "tart-tongued," but she is economically witty, not a quip machine like Maggie Smith in "Downton Abbey." If she is more a still than an action figure, she is always in control of the situation, even when she's being poisoned at the end of her run. She's been around too long to be fooled by anyone: "Put the pen down, dear," she tells Cersei Lannister (Lena Headey). "We both know you're not writing anything." Of course, Rigg could play all sorts of people; that's just what good actresses do. But her most notable creations do share certain qualities. They're intelligent, often the smartest person in the scene. They know their mind. They are unshockable, or if shocked, it is subtly and just for a second a quizzical raised eyebrow followed by a look that says, "I know what this is, and what to do about it." They are bored by inaction, impatient with indecision. Though a bona fide sex symbol a role that reportedly bemused her and certainly beautiful in her day, Rigg was seductive in a cerebral way. You could not call her kittenish: she was nobody's pet, nobody's plaything. The delicacy of her features somehow combined into an impression of strength. In a time when it could seem like a career goal, she did not have the air of being anyone's accessory. Long and lean, with a heart-shaped face, she was as physically perfect an emblem of swinging '60s Britain as Jean Shrimpton or Marianne Faithfull. At the same time she seemed a part and above all that. Whatever the costume designer had in mind, Emma Peel wore those leather catsuits for practical skulking and fighting reasons, not to look hot. (Though Rigg has said she was while wearing them hot.) The cancer that killed her was diagnosed only in March, and Rigg has left the building, having never retired. Two projects are left to appear, for the smaller and bigger screen: the BBC's "Black Narcissus," later this year, and Edgar Wrights film "Last Night in Soho" are still to come. I am tempted to write, "Ms. Rigg, you're still needed." But this will have to do. Highest among cleaners and acute medical and BAME staff Type of PPE worn may be key, say researchers Findings relevant for any second coronavirus surge and/or seasonal flu this winter Contrary to expectations, the risk of COVID-19 infection among hospital staff at the height of the coronavirus pandemic was lowest among intensive care clinicians, reveals a study of one major UK medical centre, published in the journal Thorax. Infection risk was highest among cleaners, acute and general medicine clinicians, and those of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) backgrounds at University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust (UHBFT). The findings prompt the researchers to suggest that the type of personal protective equipment (PPE) worn may be key to these differences, which are likely to be relevant for any second surge in COVID-19 and/or seasonal flu this winter. UHBFT is one of the largest hospital trusts in the UK, with over 20,000 employees caring for 2.2 million people every year. As lead study author Professor Alex Richter explains in a linked podcast, at the height of the pandemic, 5 patients with serious COVID-19 infection were being admitted every hour. At the time, there was no national NHS staff testing capacity, so no way of knowing who was infected, and therefore at risk of passing it on to patients, or who had already had the infection. "You've got to remember that we are all key workers, so travelling on public transport, and out and about," she says. To find out, she offered to test staff with no COVID-19 symptoms for both current (throat and nose swabs to detect antigen) and previous (blood test to detect antibodies) infection. "I've never recruited to a study so fast in my life. We recruited 545 staff in 20 hours," she comments. All the staff were at work over the course of 24 hours between 24 and 25 April 2020, around a month after the UK went into lock down. They were asked to report any illnesses consistent with COVID-19 that they had had in the previous 4 months. Information on ethnicity and department of work was also collected. Nearly 2.5% (13 out of 545) staff with no symptoms tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID-19 infection. Of these, 38% (5) subsequently developed COVID-19 symptoms. Around 1 in 4 (26%; 136) of the 516 for whom serum samples were available said they had previously had symptoms consistent with COVID-19 infection. Staff with previous symptoms were significantly more likely to have antibodies than those who hadn't had symptoms: 37% (of 136 staff) vs 17% (of 281 staff). And they had higher levels of antibodies. The overall prevalence of antibody positivity (seroprevalence) was 24% (126/ 516): this compares with 6% generally in the Midlands at the time. When the researchers looked at the figures by staff area, striking differences in antibody positivity emerged. Cleaners had the highest seroprevalence (34.5%; 10/29), followed by clinicians working in acute medicine (33%; 10/30) or general internal medicine (30%; 30/99). The lowest seroprevalence was found among staff working in intensive care medicine (15%; 9/61), emergency medicine (13%; 2/15), and general surgery (13%; 3/23). There was also an ethnic divide: workers of BAME backgrounds were nearly twice as likely to have already had the infection as their White colleagues. "We presumed intensive care workers would be at highest risk.. But workers in ITU are relatively well protected compared with other areas," explains Professor Richter. "The reasons underlying this are likely to be multifactorial: in accordance with national guidelines, intensive care units were designated high-risk environments and the use of enhanced personal protective equipment (PPE) including filtered face piece (class 3) respirators mandated. In contrast, fluid-resistant surgical masks were recommended in other clinical areas," note the researchers. This is an observational study, and not all participants provided all the information requested. Nor is it known whether symptomless infection among staff puts hospital patients at risk. "However, our data would support the assessment of widespread healthcare worker testing, including track and trace, on viral transmission during future waves of a pandemic," conclude the researchers. "All these factors are important for considering what's going to happen this winter," suggests Professor Richter. "Cases [of coronavirus] are on the rise. Are we going to have another surge? If there is one, how do we protect healthcare workers this winter?" she asks. "And let's think not just about SARS-CoV-2 and the lessons we can learn for other pandemics, but seasonal infection. Influenza has a massive impact on the NHS every winter," she adds. ### Externally peer reviewed? Yes Evidence type: Observational Subjects: Healthcare workers Terrorists killed almost 3,000 people when they slammed two hijacked airliners into the Twin Towers and another at the Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2001. The death toll would have been even greater if passengers of United Flight 93 had not sacrificed themselves to crash a fourth plane into a Pennsylvania field. Shards of Americas security were everywhere in the wreckage. The images were disorienting and a shock to the system. These kinds of violent assaults might happen in other countries but not here, not on U.S. soil. In less than two hours on that early fall morning, our world was turned upside down. The worldwide war on terror was launched in places where our combat troops are still fighting almost two decades later. Security measures changed not just how we passed through airport security checkpoints but what size liquid containers we could carry in our luggage and what we could do and say once we got onboard. Heightened security measures were extended to government and other public buildings as Americans tolerated a level of surveillance, state intrusion and other erosion of our civil liberties that would never have been permitted before. That unfortunately included government overreach, torture of prisoners, the misguided invasion and occupation of Iraq and other military operations that became forever wars. America became safer there have been no large-scale terror attacks on U.S. cities since but we also changed in ways that may be permanent. Nineteen years later, as we remember the 2,983 people killed in the Sept. 11 attacks and recall the pain and helplessness we felt as the Towers crumbled, the nation is facing another crisis. The COVID-19 pandemic has infected more than 6 million Americans and has claimed the lives of more than 190,000. As with 9/11, this attack caught us unprepared and vulnerable. But unlike the initial response in 2001, our response to the new coronavirus pandemic has been anything but swift and unified. Not only did President Donald Trump fail to rally us to the fight, he actively offered misleading information that left us divided on how seriously to take the threat and diluted the urgency we needed to prevent rampant spread. Some citizens who were willing to accept long lines and all but disrobing to pass through a TSA screening have recoiled at wearing a facial covering that protects the wearer as well as everyone breathing the same air. The patience for hunting down those responsible for the Sept. 11 attacks has been replaced by demands for an immediate return to normal life without mask mandates and crowd-size limits. No one can say for certain how long COVID-19 will remain a deadly threat. We are all hopeful that a vaccine will be found soon, but there is no reason to think this virus wont remain a threat for years to come. If this were a disaster movie, we might still be in the opening scene. The cycle of vigilance amid surges and then overconfident complacency amid progress is never-ending. Even as recent numbers show hopeful signs of decline in coronavirus infections, experts warn that a second wave could be coming if we let our guards down on the masking and social-distancing practices that are finally showing results. It is time to confront the fact that the pandemic has changed our everyday lives more than the terrorist attacks did. The question is which changes will be temporary and which will be permanent. Beyond how the nation reacts to the next pandemic, some long-lasting changes seem obvious. Handshakes and casual embraces may be gone from public encounters forever. Wearing masks, especially for those who are older and with underlying conditions, could become as standard as donning a hat when going outdoors. It was already common in other countries. Working from home or outside the office is likely to become more popular, if not mandated. Shopping for groceries, takeout and other items with home delivery is a trend that seems likely to grow. Businesses will adapt to meet the demand. More doctors may be making house calls, this time through Zoom, Skype and similar means, along with other technologies to help monitor patients health. This may be an improvement. On the other hand, the coronavirus has helped expose the limitations and inequalities of distance learning, especially for younger students. The pandemic should have increased our admiration for teachers as well as for schools and others that provide not just education but crucial services for young people to grow and thrive. More respect and resources for public education and child care would be a net-plus in the battle against COVID-19. We hope that more people also recognize the gaps and inequities in our health care system. Access to tests, treatment and doctors is crucial not only for the health of individuals but for all of society. Its time we viewed health care as a basic right, not a fringe benefit. Just as with 9/11, COVID-19 means change good and bad. The challenge is what lessons we learn, how we adapt and whether we emerge stronger from this crisis. The UK secured its first major post-Brexit trade deal on Friday after signing an agreement with Japan just as discussions with the European Union appeared to be teetering on the brink of collapse. The deal, which has so far only been agreed upon in principle and for which details are thin, will increase commerce with Japan by around 15 billion pounds ($19 billion), the UK said. The agreement we have negotiated in record time and in challenging circumstances goes far beyond the existing EU deal, as it secures new wins for British businesses in our great manufacturing, food and drink, and tech industries, said Britains international trade secretary, Liz Truss, who pointed to concessions on English sparkling wine and Wensleydale cheese. The government said UK businesses will benefit from tariff-free trade on 99% of exports to Japan and that it will give British businesses a gateway to the Asia-Pacific region. Overall, it said the deal with Japan, the worlds third-largest economy, will deliver a 1.5 billion-pound boost to the UK Britains Conservative government has said that one of the benefits of Brexit is that it allows the country to negotiate trade deals with whoever it wishes the EU negotiates trade deals on behalf of its members. Skeptics say the deal with Japan is little different to the one already in place via the UKs former membership of the EU. They also say that nothing can mitigate for the losses Britain would suffer in the event of a no-deal outcome with the EU. Such a scenario would see tariffs and other impediments imposed on trade between the UK and the EU. Though both sides would suffer from the new barriers to trade, most economists think Britain would be hit disproportionately. In 2019, the UK exported some 36.7 billion pounds of goods to Germany, Europes largest-economy, or 10% of its total. Exports to Japan were just 7.2 billion pounds, or 1.9% of the total. The talks with the EU have not collapsed yet and discussions are set to resume on Monday in Brussels. Though the UK left the bloc on Jan. 31, it is in a transition period that effectively sees it benefit from tariff-free trade until the end of this year. The discussions are about agreeing on the broad outlines of the trading relationship from the start of 2021. Concerns over a post-Brexit deal have heightened in the past few days since the British government said that new legislation breaches parts of the withdrawal agreement, which allowed for the countrys smooth departure from the bloc. The diplomatic shockwaves from the British announcement could derail any hopes Prime Minister Boris Johnson may have of negotiating a U.S. trade deal. The House of Representatives speaker, Nancy Pelosi, warned the British government that there will be absolutely no chance of a trade deal if the UK violates its international obligations as they apply to the peace process in Northern Ireland. Congress has to ratify all U.S. trade deals. Even before the current standoff, the trade discussions with the EU had made little progress, with the two sides wide apart on business regulations, the extent to which the UK can support certain industries and over the EU fishing fleets access to British waters. The renewed Brexit uncertainties come as the British economy gradually recovers from a deep recession caused by the shutdown of businesses during the coronavirus pandemic. The Office for National Statistics said the economy grew by a month-on-month rate of 6.6% in July as many sectors, including pubs and restaurants, started reopening. Despite the increase, the economy remains 11.7% smaller than it was in February. The looming end of a salary-support scheme that will likely see unemployment rise and the heightened Brexit uncertainties are expected to weigh on growth in the months ahead. Former Labour prime minister, Gordon Brown, urged the government to provide more support for those likely to be unemployed after the end of the Job Retention Scheme in October and to avoid a huge act of self-harm in its discussions with the EU. Weve got a cliff-edge on the furlough scheme on Oct. 31 and weve now got a cliff-edge on Brexit, he told BBC radio. By PTI MUMBAI: A special court here on Friday rejected the bail pleas of Rhea Chakraborty and her brother Showik, arrested by the NCB in connection with a drugs-related case pertaining to the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput. The court also rejected the bail pleas of four other accused in the case. Special Judge G B Gurao, presiding over cases under the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, rejected their bail applications. All the accused are currently in judicial custody. Special public prosecutor Atul Sarpande, appearing for the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), welcomed the decision and said the court, while rejecting the bail pleas, has accepted the contentions of the prosecution that the investigation is at a crucial stage. Rhea's lawyer Satish Maneshinde said they would decide further course of action after perusing the court order. "Once we get a copy of the order passed by the special NDPS court, we will decide next week on further course of action and about approaching the Bombay High Court," he said. In her bail plea, Rhea had claimed that she was falsely implicated in the case. Rhea had also retracted the confessional statement recorded by the NCB when she was questioned for three days. She had claimed that the NCB officials had coerced her into making self-incriminating statements. The NCB had strongly opposed the bail pleas and said that Rhea was conscious of the fact that Rajput was consuming drugs, but despite that she continued procuring and making payments for drugs. The NCB had said that although the quantity of banned drugs seized in the case was small, it was still a commercial quantity and worth Rs 1,85,200. "Rhea Chakraborty and Showik Chakraborty financed and arranged drugs for Sushant Singh Rajput and at his instructions," the NCB had said in its affidavit responding to the bail pleas. It added that as per the statement given by co-accused and Rajput's domestic help Dipesh Sawant, he used to procure drugs from other accused in the case on the instructions of Rajput and Rhea. "The financial transactions were handled by Rhea and sometimes Rajput. Dipesh Sawant used to procure drugs along with co-accused Samuel Miranda (former house manager of Rajput) for Sushant Singh Rajput's consumption," the affidavit said. The NCB had further said that if the accused are released on bail, they may tamper with evidence and try to intimidate key witnesses in the case. The NCB began its investigation after the Enforcement Directorate (ED), which was probing money laundering charges linked to the case, shared the social media chats retrieved from Rhea's mobile phone, hinting at the use of banned drugs. Rajput was found hanging in his residence in suburban Bandra on June 14. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is separately probing a case against Rhea and others for allegedly abetting the 34-year-old actor's suicide. 'There was no fight between the Shiv Sena and her.' 'But if she is still targeting the Shiv Sena, then only she can talk about the reason behind it.' IMAGE: Shiv Sena workers and supporters stage a protest against actor Kangana Ranaut as she arrives at Mumbai airport, September 9, 2020. Photograph: PTI Photo Bollywood actor Kangana Ranaut, who has been sparring with the Maha Vikas Aghadi government in Maharashtra, and especially the Shiv Sena, may not believe what a Shiv Sena minister in the government has to say about the police investigation launched against her in an old narcotics consumption case or the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation demolishing an allegedly illegal structure at her office. But senior Shiv Sena leader and Minister of Transport and Parliamentary Affairs in the state government, Anil Parab, states that the party is not targeting Ranaut for her twitter-sparring against the Sena. "I don't know about this old case is (about actor Adhyayan Suman, Kangana's then boyfriend, alleging in a 2016 interview that Kangana consumed drugs and forced him to do so too; the probe was ordered based on this interview) but since the Maharashtra home minister (Anil Deshmukh) has asked for an investigation, the Mumbai police will definitely look into it," Parab tells Prasanna D Zore/Rediff.com. "We are not targeting anybody," says Parab, "and if the BMC has demolished a section of her office, then it must have been done as per BMC's rules and regulations." "Why would the Shiv Sena target her?" he asks defending the Sena-governed civic body's action against the actor who in one tweet referred to it as the Babur Municipal Corporation. Ranaut, who was granted Y-Plus security by the Union home ministry this week, tweeted that she respects the late Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray. She also posted an old tweet of Thackeray where he raised fears about the Shiv Sena becoming like the Congress. The Sena seems in no mood to relent against Ranaut even as Parab maintains the party line to not comment on her statements on social media. "What can we do if she is now saying that she respects and admires Balasaheb Thackeray? She is free to admire or hate the Shiv Sena. Let her decide what she wants to do. We have no comments to give on what she tweets or says," says Parab. "She is free to say or tweet whatever she wants," Parab adds when asked about Ranaut expressing her admiration for the late Sena chief. The transport minister also refuses to say anything about Ranaut targeting the Sena. "How can I comment on why she is targeting the Shiv Sena or on whose behalf she is doing it? She has to answer that?" he says. "There was no fight between the Shiv Sena and her. But if she is still targeting the Shiv Sena, then only she can talk about the reason behind it," he says. Parab defended Shiv Sena workers's campaign against Ranaut for her one-sided spat with Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray. "If she attacks the Shiv Sena, our cadres are bound to get aggressive. How do you expect them to stay quiet when people attack our party?" asks Parab. A police station in Mumbai has registered a non-cognisable offence, without registering an FIR, against Ranaut for using foul language against the chief minister. "Let her decide what she wants to do," Parab says when asked if the Shiv Sena wants Ranaut to apologise to the people of Mumbai for comparing the Shiv Sena to the Taliban and the city to Pakistan occupied Kashmir. The Sena leader was on the defensive while asked why the BMC demolished Ranaut's office in 2020 when the complaint against the alleged illegal construction was filed by in 2019. "The BMC acts as per the law and the Shiv Sena should not be held responsible for the BMC's actions. Are you suggesting that the BMC should not act on a complaint if it is a year or two years old?" "The BMC will act against everybody who is involved in illegal construction." A distressed couple in Florida called 911 after spotting an alligator in their garage. When the police officer arrived for their help, what he discovered left him relieved and smiling. It turns out that the alligator was actually a pool floatie. The police officer posed with the floatie to get himself photographed. The incident happened in Floridas Polk County. Taking to Twitter, Polk County Sheriff posted the photograph of the officer with the fake alligator, along with a picture of the pool floaties lying in the garage. The caption with the picture said that the officer Deputy Trexler went to the storage shed after receiving an emergency call. It said, He came he saw he conquered the beast. He even knocked the wind out of it. Literally. The gator turned out to be a pool floatie. There were several hashtags on the Twitter post like #PCSO, #Crikey, #TheGatorHunter and #TuneInNextTimeWhenHeWrestlesAPoolNoodle. The phrase Crikey was mostly used by Australian TV star Steve Irwin, who was a crocodile hunter. He died in 2006 when a stingrays barb pierced his chest. Deputy Trexler went to a call about an alligator in a storage shed. He camehe sawhe conquered the beast. He even knocked the wind out of it. Literally. The gator turned out to be a pool floatie. #PCSO#Crikey#TheGatorHunter#TuneInNextTimeWhenHeWrestlesAPoolNoodle pic.twitter.com/5ZXRnG3tBW Polk County Sheriff (@PolkCoSheriff) September 9, 2020 As per Click Orlando, the woman living in White Haven called 911 on August 24 at around 1:40 pm when her husband spotted what he thought was an alligator. He was moving boxes when he saw it and asked his wife to call 911 for support. On the call, she shared whatever details her husband had given while also mentioning that their garage is close to the pool of the complex. When asked the size of the alligator, she said she hasnt seen it but the husband says its huge. Reacting to the funny incident, one user said, Heroism and humor. Our wonderful Polk County Sheriffs are the BEST! Heroism and humor. Our wonderful Polk County Sheriffs are the BEST! Rosa Krec (@RosaKrec1) September 9, 2020 Taking a dig at the officers, another user said, I hope he got a dozen donuts for his bravery! I hope he got a dozen donuts for his bravery! Karen Goodrich (@KarenGoodrich14) September 9, 2020 Another person said that it looks like this call went swimmingly. Looks like this call went "swimmingly" Big Kelly (@Bigk76zx14) September 9, 2020 There are 1.3 million alligators in the state of Florida. This is why alligator sightings are common in the state The government is planning incentives worth $23 billion to attract companies to set up manufacturing plants in the country. The production-linked incentives would be offered to automobile manufacturers, solar panel makers, consumer appliance companies, while textile units, food processing plants, specialised pharmaceutical product makers are also being considered. The incentive programme is modelled on the template of the production-linked incentives (PLI) scheme that the government implemented earlier this year. In response to the scheme, companies such as Samsung, Foxconn and Wistron pledged $1.5 billion of investments to set up mobile-phone factories in the country. "The move will definitely have a positive impact on manufacturing, especially for so-called booming sectors such as solar and electronics. It is a good way of attracting investments and has potential to make a difference in these sectors," Madan Sabnavis, chief economist at Care Ratings told Bloomberg. The government is also planning to introduce a phased manufacturing programme for other sectors to increase value-addition. This programme is currently implemented for components and accessories used for mobile phones. It is likely to be extended to furniture, plastics, toys and low-value consumer durables, most of which is currently imported from China, mentioned the news site. Details of both the programmes are being framed and would be up for approval of the Cabinet soon. Amid an economic slump -- GDP contracted 23.9% in Q1 -- the government is working to attract investments to revive the economy. Insolvency rules were also overhauled to improve ease of doing business and corporate taxes are too among the lowest in Asia. However, Vietnam continues to be the most favoured destination for manufacturers. Also read: Foxconn, Samsung, others target exports worth $100 billion from India Also read: Another blow to China! 24 companies plan to shift production units to India Sensationalism, yellow journalism, jingoism have been plaguing journalism for long. For Indian media, things have gone from bad to worse only. And recently the slump has been even more steep. A reporter was caught using expletives during live reporting, panelists on live debates use abusive language, everyone speaks at the same time, the civility of the debate has been lost. The flurry of reporters outside Rhea Chakrabortys house and then Kangana Ranauts demolished office in Mumbai grabbing almost everyone to speak on the issue show the sorry state of affairs. All this and much more could possibly be the reason that a person was compelled to write an obituary for journalism which got published in a leading English newspaper. The person was indeed surprised that the obituary for the media got published in a newspaper. Not sure if the newspaper saw what he was trying to say and published it deliberately or they too were confused by the smart wordplay. With profound regret we announce the demise of Ms M.E. Dia, beloved daughter of Mr E.E Dom (F.R.) and wife of Mr T.ruth in New Delhi on 8 September 2020. Mourned by family and friends." the obituary reads. For those of you wondering what the names mean, here it is. Ms M.E.Dia is media, Mr E.E.Dom (F.R.) is freedom and Mr T.Ruth is truth, not a hard guess on the last one. People are awed by the creativity of the obituary, even though Mr E.E.Dom (F.R.) confused a lot of people with its not-so-direct wordplay. But nonetheless, this obituary has its fans now! Just Brilliant chaordic123 (@ChaordicNow) September 11, 2020 Which edition? Which date?Bravo, by the way! Pankaj Sethi (@PankajSethi00) September 11, 2020 This is jokes. Well done! Latoya Ferns-Advani () (@LatoyaFerns) September 11, 2020 With Sushant Singh Rajputs suicide case, the media has been accused of diverting attention from more pressing issues like spike in coronavirus cases, slump in economy, standoff with China in Ladakh. Prime time debates are mostly about Rhea Chakraborty, her relationship with late Sushant Singh Rajput and even her personal chats from past few years. Few weeks ago, tongues clicked in condemnation as reporters hounded a delivery boy outside Rheas home asking him who had ordered the food and who had made the payment (as if all that was relevant to the case, even remotely). Her watchman was faced with questions too, so were other people living in her neighbourhood. When Kanganas office was being demolished in Mumbai, a man was surrounded by reporters asking him why the building was being razed. The questions didnt stop even when he repeatedly said that he is a postman. The show of TRP-thirst was out in open recently when Rhea was being taken for questioning. Mics and cameras followed her, reporters forced their way close to her for questions even as she raised her elbows to keep a safe distance. The frustration and disturbance was visible on her face. Gabe Nathan, a Herbie the Love Bug enthusiast and suicide awareness advocate, helped make this Herbie the Love Bug mural in West Philly a reality. Read more Three dozen people, a few dogs, and two Herbie the Love Bug replicas attended a dedication ceremony in West Philadelphia on Thursday for a new mural of Herbie that aims to raise suicide awareness and provide direct access to suicide prevention. Unveiled under cloudy skies on World Suicide Prevention Day, the Keep Going mural of the Volkswagen Beetle with a heart and mind of its own, from the 1969 Disney film The Love Bug, was the brainchild of Gabe Nathan, a suicide awareness advocate and epic Herbie fanboy who raised $12,000 for the project through crowdfunding this spring. The message I want to spread on World Suicide Prevention Day is to keep going, is persistence, Nathan, 40, told the crowd. Herbie lost two wheels, split in half, and still kept going. The heart of this little car is pretty powerful and pretty moving. Created by Kala Hagopian and Olivia Losee-Unger of Hagopian Arts in West Philly, the mural, at 434 S. 52nd St., across from Malcolm X Park, features Herbie in front of a tunnel with a light at the end and the words Keep going. Below the mural are QR codes that lead to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline and the Crisis Text line. Above the QR codes it reads: We lose over 47,000 Americans to suicide every year. If you are contemplating suicide and need to talk, with help comes hope. In crisis? Please scan here." Making the mural interactive was important for Nathan, of Wynnewood, who is editor in chief of OC87 Recovery Diaries, a website about mental health empowerment. Im very much about putting something into peoples hands. I want people to not just see it, I want them to have it, I want them to take it with them, he said. Nathan, whom the Inquirer profiled last year as part of its We the People series, is such a devoted Herbie fan that hes outfitted his own 1963 Beetle to look exactly like the famous car, except for one big difference a giant decal on the rear window that reads Drive out suicide and includes the number for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. It was Nathans aunt who introduced him to Herbie as a kid. Years later, when she took her own life, it was the stigma surrounding her death in part that made him want to speak out and help normalize discussions about suicide awareness and prevention. Using Herbie to help spread awareness seemed fitting, Nathan said, as Herbie is the only car in motion picture history that tries to take his own life, by attempting to drive off a bridge. It was a fellow Herbie enthusiast who suggested Nathan create an inspirational mural of the Love Bug. Not knowing where to begin, Nathan and Herbie started by driving around to check out different Philly murals. It was really wonderful exploring the murals, and as I took pictures, Id meet people, Nathan said. I met an old man in West Philly who was talking to me about how murals got started. That doesnt happen if youre not out. Nathan particularly loved the murals he saw from Hagopian Arts, so he reached out to Hagopian, who invited him to her West Philly studio. Hes just such a genuine, kind soul, you can read that from the get-go, Hagopian said. He has a vested interest in this, and it was really inspiring to us. But Nathan, being not a typical antique car owner," or in other words, a man of means, knew hed have to crowdfund the project. In just 10 days in May he was able to raise more than $12,000 from 78 donors, ranging from individuals to mental health organizations. Spak Realty donated the wall for the mural, which is near the entrance to Park Pizza. As Hagopian and Losee-Unger painted the mural over the last three months, they were constantly impressed by the number of people who were excited to see Herbie going up in their neighborhood. People were coming up and talking to us as if Herbie was a fixture in their childhood, Hagopian said. And people also understood the meaning of painting the little car in front of a light at the end of a tunnel, said Losee-Unger. That message of perseverance in dark times is more prevalent than ever now, she said. We wanted to translate these visions into something everybody could relate to, not just folks who know and love Herbie. Nathan said he wants the mural to make people feel warm when they see it. He hopes they smile and take pictures, but more important, he wants people to be curious enough to approach it. I hope they get up closer to it and read the text about the people we lose every year to suicide and make a decision not to be one of them," he said. "I hope it makes people feel like they want to keep on going. In this June 22, 2018, photo, Skydio head of marketing Patrick Stahl demonstrates using an R1 flying camera drone in Redwood City, Calif. Skateboarders, surfers and YouTube stars used to be the target customers for California drone startup Skydio, which builds sophisticated self-flying machines that can follow people around and capture their best moves on video. Now it's police officers and soldiers getting equipped with the pricey drones. U.S. political and security concerns about the world's dominant consumer drone-maker, China-based DJI, have opened the door for Skydio and other companies to pitch their drones for government and business customers. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu) Skateboarders, surfers and mountain bikers used to be the target customers for California startup Skydio, a maker of high-end drones that can home in on people and capture their movements on video all by themselves. Now police officers, firefighters and soldiers are interested in the self-flying machines. That's partly because U.S. national security concerns about the world's dominant consumer drone-maker, China-based DJI, have upended the market for small drones and opened the door to lesser-known companies pitching applications for government agencies and big businesses. Companies like Skydio are also tapping into a technological revolution that could do away with the need for human pilots to put drones through each one of their paces. Instead, advanced artificial intelligence is starting to power drones that can follow humans and other targets on their own. Robotics experts say Skydio's cutting-edge AI makes its drones appealing as reconnaissance tools, as does its made-in-America vibe. "There's a lot of anti-China rhetoric," said Vijay Kumar, a drone entrepreneur and the dean of engineering at the University of Pennsylvania. Years before President Donald Trump cited spying concerns in pushing to ban popular Chinese-owned apps TikTok and WeChat and ratcheting up sanctions against Chinese telecom giant Huawei, Shenzhen-based DJI was already under close watch as a potential national security threat. This June 22, 2018, photo shows a Skydio R1 drone in Redwood City, Calif. Skateboarders, surfers and YouTube stars used to be the target customers for California drone startup Skydio, which builds sophisticated self-flying machines that can follow people around and capture their best moves on video. Now it's police officers and soldiers getting equipped with the pricey drones. U.S. political and security concerns about the world's dominant consumer drone-maker, China-based DJI, have opened the door for Skydio and other companies to pitch their drones for government and business customers. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu) A document from U.S. customs authorities alleged in 2017 that DJI drones likely provided China with access to U.S. critical infrastructure and law enforcement data. DJI denied the allegation. As political concerns grew, its rivals have increasingly seized on the opportunity to pile on the anti-DJI sentiment. "Do you trust DJI drones?" said promotional material teasing the launch of a new product this summer from French drone-maker Parrot. "Don't trust Chinese drones," said another Parrot promotion. "They're the dominant incumbent and we're the scrappy American underdog," Skydio CEO Adam Bry said in an interview. "There's a real opportunity for U.S. companies to lead the way." The Defense Department in August gave a seal of approval to Skydio, Parrot and three other firms to supply U.S.-manufactured drones to agencies across the federal government. "We need an alternative to Chinese-made small drones," Mike Brown, director of the Defense Innovation Unit, said in a statement. In this June 22, 2018, photo, Brian Carpenter, Skydio manager of manufacturing and quality, holds a 2-axis gimbal camera that's part of the R1 flying camera drone, while being interviewed in Redwood City, Calif. Skateboarders, surfers and YouTube stars used to be the target customers for California drone startup Skydio, which builds sophisticated self-flying machines that can follow people around and capture their best moves on video. Now it's police officers and soldiers getting equipped with the pricey drones. U.S. political and security concerns about the world's dominant consumer drone-maker, China-based DJI, have opened the door for Skydio and other companies to pitch their drones for government and business customers. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu) DJI has referred to U.S. actions against it as "part of a politically-motivated agenda" to reduce market competition and support American technology "regardless of its merits." The attacks on DJI's reputation and bans on its use in the military and some other federal agencies have coincided with a lull in demand for pricey personal drones as their novelty wore off. Camera-maker GoPro abandoned its drone business in 2018 and other companies have struggled to build affordable devices. "Once you get one, it's not real clear what you do with it as a consumer," said tech industry analyst William Stofega of IDC. Stofega said that's one reason why drone companies are tailoring their products for government or commercial tasks such as inspecting pipelines, monitoring crops or police surveillance. Skydio last year hired a retired Southern California police captain to pitch its drones to law enforcement. In this June 22, 2018, photo, Adam Bry, founder and CEO of Skydio, holds the R1 flying camera drone while being interviewed in Redwood City, Calif. Skateboarders, surfers and YouTube stars used to be the target customers for California drone startup Skydio, which builds sophisticated self-flying machines that can follow people around and capture their best moves on video. Now it's police officers and soldiers getting equipped with the pricey drones. U.S. political and security concerns about the world's dominant consumer drone-maker, China-based DJI, have opened the door for Skydio and other companies to pitch their drones for government and business customers. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu) DJI has made a push to counter the security concerns, most recently with a Wednesday announcement that it will enable an internet "kill switch" on more drones so that commercial and government users can halt data transmission on sensitive flying missions. Its products, while off-limits to some federal agencies, are still favored by many local and regional governments in the U.S. "If an enemy of the United States wants to see me looking for someone on a mountain, so be it," said Kyle Nordfors, drone team coordinator for the mostly volunteer search-and-rescue crew of Weber County, Utah. "They can see how we take care of our own." Nordfors said he sometimes uses a Skydio drone to scout a riverbed or for other daytime tasks that require the drone to fly by itself without hitting a tree. Skydio, founded by engineers who worked on Google's delivery drone venture Wing, employs computer vision rather than satellite-based GPS to move its drones aroundenabling them to "see" and autonomously navigate around obstacles. This June 22, 2018, photo shows a Skydio R1 drone in Redwood City, Calif. Skateboarders, surfers and YouTube stars used to be the target customers for California drone startup Skydio, which builds sophisticated self-flying machines that can follow people around and capture their best moves on video. Now it's police officers and soldiers getting equipped with the pricey drones. U.S. political and security concerns about the world's dominant consumer drone-maker, China-based DJI, have opened the door for Skydio and other companies to pitch their drones for government and business customers. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu) But mostly Nordfors uses a remote-controlled DJI dronesuch as the one that helped his team track down a lost teenager this summer in Waterfall Canyon, a rugged hiking area north of Salt Lake City. "He was so thrilled," Nordfors said of the 19-year-old. "He was jumping up and down." At the Clovis Police Department in California's Central Valley, officers also have a choice of drones they can dispatch to be a "first responder" at crime scenesat least before the haze of nearby forest fires temporarily grounded them. The department doesn't have its own helicopter, but officers can get their eyes and ears out to a scene quickly by piloting the drones from atop a roof near the city's center, said Clovis police Lt. James Munro. He said the department typically uses its fleet of about a dozen DJI drones because of their durability and infrared night vision, but is also experimenting with a Skydio drone because of its ability to home in on an officer or suspect. In this June 22, 2018, photo, Skydio tech assembler Alex Nakmoto works on the R1 flying camera drones in a laboratory in Redwood City, Calif. Skateboarders, surfers and YouTube stars used to be the target customers for California drone startup Skydio, which builds sophisticated self-flying machines that can follow people around and capture their best moves on video. Now it's police officers and soldiers getting equipped with the pricey drones. U.S. political and security concerns about the world's dominant consumer drone-maker, China-based DJI, have opened the door for Skydio and other companies to pitch their drones for government and business customers. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu) In this June 22, 2018, photo, Adam Bry, founder and CEO of Skydio, is interviewed in Redwood City, Calif. Skateboarders, surfers and YouTube stars used to be the target customers for California drone startup Skydio, which builds sophisticated self-flying machines that can follow people around and capture their best moves on video. Now it's police officers and soldiers getting equipped with the pricey drones. U.S. political and security concerns about the world's dominant consumer drone-maker, China-based DJI, have opened the door for Skydio and other companies to pitch their drones for government and business customers. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu) In this June 22, 2018, photo, Skydio head of marketing Patrick Stahl holds his phone showing videography intern Henry Belcaster on the screen as they demonstrate using an R1 flying camera drone in Redwood City, Calif. Skateboarders, surfers and YouTube stars used to be the target customers for California drone startup Skydio, which builds sophisticated self-flying machines that can follow people around and capture their best moves on video. Now it's police officers and soldiers getting equipped with the pricey drones. U.S. political and security concerns about the world's dominant consumer drone-maker, China-based DJI, have opened the door for Skydio and other companies to pitch their drones for government and business customers. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu) "You can put a little dot on the person and the drone will follow them," Munro said. Kumar, the Penn engineering dean who also founded a startup that sends drones into mines, said it's not easy to shift from hobby drones to commercial applications. Aerial robots consume a lot of power, limiting how long their missions can lastone reason he said that payload-carrying delivery drone efforts spearheaded by Amazon and Google haven't yet taken off. Navigating safely with full autonomy is also difficult, he said. "Skydio has taken on this challenge of developing vision-only platforms in all kinds of conditions," he said. "That's really hard to do." DJI doesn't yet offer such autonomy, but Kumar said it won't easily be beaten. It was first to really capitalize on the consumer potential of drones and has built out a strong manufacturing and supply chain capacity. "It's amazing to me that we discriminate against DJI because we think that company can spy on us," said Kumar. "Are they a national security threat? I don't believe so. Are they innovative? Absolutely. Do they attract top talent? Absolutely. Some of my best students have gone to DJI." Explore further Amazon wins FAA approval to deliver packages by drone 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. France said Covid-19 hospitalisations are rising rapidly and Spain reported the highest number of coronavirus cases since April, signalling another worrisome turn in Europe. French President Emmanuel Macron was meeting officials on Friday to discuss how to curb the surge in infections without endangering economic recovery. France recorded close to 10,000 cases on Thursday, the most since the lockdown ended in May. Spain, which has the most cases in Europe, reported 4,708 new infections over 24 hours, the most since mid-April. Macron said his government has important decisions to make to contain the disease, which is circulating actively in major cities including Marseille and Lyon. The uptick led to Europe surpassing the US in daily cases and making it a global hot spot again. UK city tightens curbs Authorities in Birmingham announced new coronavirus restrictions on Friday as the UKs viral reproduction rate, or R number, exceeded 1.0 for the first time since March. From next Tuesday, more than 1.1 million people will be banned from mixing with any other household, after the rate of infection in Birmingham rose from 30 to 75 cases per 100,000 people over a week in August. US: North Korea issues shoot-to-kill orders North Korea has issued shoot-to-kill orders to prevent the virus from entering the country from China, according to the commander of US forces in South Korea. The North has not confirmed a single case of the disease that has swept the world since first emerging in China. Pyongyang closed its border with China in January. US Forces Korea commander Robert Abrams said that the border shutdown had increased demand for smuggled goods, prompting authorities to intervene. Abrams told a conference organised by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington on Thursday, Theyve got North Korean SOF (Special Operations Forces) out there. Strike forces, theyve got shoot-to-kill orders in place. COVID-19 positive students threw a party over Labor Day Oxford Police Department body cam footage provided to cleveland19.com Miami University students in Ohio threw a house party knowing they had COVID-19, according to police video given to local media. The body camera video shows a police officer telling the young men at the party that they are in violation of gathering ordinances. After the officer confronted one student who, according to a police department database, had COVID-19, the young man says that everyone at the party had it. Visit Insider's homepage for more stories. Police in Oxford, Ohio, cited six men who hosted or attended a Miami University party with COVID-19 when they were supposed to be in quarantine, according to Cleveland 19 News. Police provided the local television station body camera footage showing an officer confronting a group of young men, maskless, drinking, and listening to country music on a porch. After letting the group students at Miami University, according to Cleveland 19 know they were in violation of a public safety ordinance that prohibits gatherings of more than 10 people, he asked for the ID of a man who was leaving. He took the ID to his cruiser and learned that he had tested positive for COVID-19, the footage shows. "I've never seen this before. There's an input on the computer that you tested positive for COVID," he tells the student, who he called Zach. The student said "yes," and that he was "at my house" quarantining. "You have other people here and you're positive for COVID?" the officer asked. The student tells the officer that everyone at the party has COVID, as do the students who live across the street. About 20 people attended, another student told the officer. "This is what we're trying to prevent," the officer says. "We want to keep this town open." "I know, that's why I was staying home," the student responded. Story continues A spokeswoman for Miami University declined tell Insider whether the students at the party were disciplined, citing privacy laws, but but said that any student who violates a quarantine or isolation order or hosts a large gathering that violates the City of Oxford mass gathering ordinance will be punished. "We take these matters most seriously, and students can face suspension or dismissal for these types of violations," the email from spokeswoman Carole Johnson said. Five of the six people cited over Labor Day weekend lived in the home where the party was hosted, Cleveland 19 News reported. The fine for violating the ordinance is $500, the officer said in the footage. There are at least 1,037 active virus cases at the college, which about 20,000 people attend, according to the outlet. Despite that, the university announced this week that it will resume in-person and hybrid classes on September 21, "This decision was made after many lengthy discussions and consultation with public health experts," Miami University President Gregory Crawford said in the statement. "The health and safety of our students, faculty, and staff, as well as the Oxford community, is our top priority." Read the original article on Insider 19 June 2020, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania: Wild boars are standing in a game preserve. In the northeast there are too many wild boars according to the forestry authorities. Photo: Jens Buttner/picture alliance via Getty Images Europes biggest pork exporter could be facing widespread bans on its pork in Asia after the first case of African swine fever was discovered in the carcass of a wild boar in the state of Brandenburg, close to the Polish border this week. South Korea, which recorded a swine fever outbreak and carried out a large pig cull in 2019, announced on Thursday (10 September) that it was banning pork imports from Germany. If swine fever spreads into Germanys farmed pig population, China would no longer classify the country as disease free, which would have severe economic consequences for German pig farmers. Chinas pig population has been cut by half in the past two years, as it culled hundreds of millions of pigs to try and stamp out the disease. This in turn has been a boon for German pork exporters selling their products in the Chinese market. Chinas demand for pork from Germany last year was so great that it forced up domestic prices for German consumers. In October, the European pig-meat industry said in a letter to the European Commission that the recent sharp increase in the price of pig meat could be attributed to the surge in Chinese imports from Europe. READ MORE: Swine fever in China driving up sausage prices in Germany According to the German office of national statistics, the country exported around 158,000 tonnes, or 424m (392m, $502m) worth of pork to China between January and April 2020. Last year, German pork exports to China totalled around 1bn. Swine fever has not spread to the same extent in Europe, but there have been cases in around 10 European countries, particularly Poland. Earlier this year, 450 pig farms in the west of Poland were quarantined after the disease was discovered at one of the farms. Electric fences were erected between the German states of Saxony and Brandenburg to try and stop infected wild pigs coming across from Poland. There is currently no vaccine for African swine fever, which is deadly for pigs, but cannot be transmitted to humans. People walk through the Oculus transportation hub and mall on the first day of the reopening of malls to the public for shopping since the outbreak of COVID-19, in New York City, on Sept. 09, 2020. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images) Digital Food Shopping Boom Expected to Last Beyond Pandemic: Reports The pandemic has fueled an online-grocery movement, with analysts and executives predicting that it will last beyond the pandemic and Kroger Co. being the latest to join other major food retailers in reporting surging digital sales. The head of Whole Foods, which Amazon bought in 2017 for $13.4 billion in a bid to expand its brick-and-mortar footprint and gain an edge in the $700-billion grocery industry, said he believes the trend away from in-person shopping will persist even after the pandemic subsides. When things return to normal, there will be a lot of people who dont go back to shopping in-person, CEO John Mackey told The Wall Street Journal in an interview. He said that the grocery chain closed some of its stores to walk-in shoppers to meet the spike in demand for grocery deliveries amid the outbreak. People are purchasing differently, and thats partly because theyre not eating at restaurants as much, he said, adding that hes seen a tremendous increase in demand for all the animal proteins, while interest in prepared foods has dropped. Food retailer Kroger, meanwhile, reported strong second-quarter results on Sept. 11, with an operating profit of $820 million in the three months through Aug. 15, up 43 percent from the prior year. This was driven by a 127 percent year-over-year surge in digital sales. Excluding fuel, sales rose 13.9 percent to $30.5 billion compared to the prior year, while the companys adjusted earnings per share climbed 66 percent. Gary Millerchip, Krogers Chief Financial Officer, said he expects sales for all of 2020 to rise by over 13 percent, while next years results to exceed forecasts made before the outbreak of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) virus. For the full year 2020, we expect total identical sales without fuel to exceed 13% and we expect to achieve adjusted EPS growth of approximately 45% to 50%, he said in a statement. Relative to delivering on our total shareholder return growth targets as outlined at our November 2019 Investor Day, these factors also lead us to believe that our 2021 business results will be higher than we would have expected prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. The report of a surge in Krogers digital sales comes as other food retailers have posted extraordinary growth in online shopping. Amazon, in its second-quarter earnings report, saw online grocery sales triple year-over-year as virus concerns drove more customers get their groceries delivered rather than going to physical stores. As customers relied increasingly on curbside pickup or opted for home delivery, Walmart saw a 97 percent rise in e-commerce sales in the second quarter. Shopping for groceries online is part of a trend that is likely to last beyond the pandemic, with an April analysis from RBC Capital Markets noting an accelerated secular shift to online grocery shopping driven by the outbreak. Online grocery shopping is now a way of life for consumers, RBC analyst Mark Mahaney wrote in an analysis of online grocery trends. Pre-COVID-19, well over half of consumers bought groceries onlineand many are now willing to do so permanently, he wrote, adding, We believe that online grocery shopping may now be coming a habitual practice among shoppers. Two nuclear-capable US B-52 bombers flew alongside Moroccan F-16s and Tunisian F-5s over the Mediterranean this week in a joint military exercise intended to send a signal to Russia and China. The two US Air Force B-52 Stratofortresses intercepted the destroyer USS Roosevelt in a war simulation Monday and Tuesday, the US Africa Command said in statements. The exercise comes just two weeks after six US B-52s and aircraft from 20 allied nations flew over all NATO countries in a tour de force amid exacerbating tensions within the Western alliance. The flights were part of US-led bomber task force missions initiated in 2018 as the Pentagon sought to turn attention away from hunting Islamist insurgencies around the world toward deterring powers such as Russia and China. "Conducting these missions alongside our African partners shows the strategic reach of our joint force and our collective commitment to preventing malign influence in Africa," said Maj. Gen. Joel Tyler, AFRICOM's director of operations, in a statement Monday. "These missions are another tangible way we demonstrate our commitments to our African partners," Tyler said. There are fewer US troops in Africa than in other regional combatant commands areas of responsibility. AFRICOMs commander, Gen. Stephen Townsend, has sought to emphasize the continents importance to the Trump administrations new strategic priorities. Townsend appealed to Congress earlier this year, arguing that US military partnerships with African countries can help deter Russia and China from seeking to exploit local weapons markets and resources. Townsend also warned that Russias military presence in Libya on the side of Gen. Khalifa Hifter could develop into a security risk for NATO. The commanders testimony came amid Defense Secretary Mark Espers review of the distribution of US military assets around the world. An AFRICOM spokesman told Al-Monitor that this weeks joint exercise with Morocco and Tunisia was not specifically in response to Russias presence in Libya, but that the Kremlins foothold and Chinas ostensible ambitions in Africa remain a serious concern for Washington. North Africa is strategically located at the crossroads of the world. It watches over strategic chokepoints and sea lines of communication, including the Mediterranean Sea and the Strait of Gibraltar on NATO's southern flank, US Air Force Col. Christopher Karns told Al-Monitor via email. Earlier this year, Turkeys increased its military backing for Libyas United Nations-backed government in Tripoli, deploying thousands of Syrian opposition fighters. The move has been credited with helping to reverse Hifters offensive against Tripoli, but also appears to have prompted Russia to up its military support for Hifter, a process US officials have observed with growing concern. In May, AFRICOM released aerial footage showing Russia had introduced more than a dozen Mig-29 and Su-24 fighter aircraft to Libya, apparently to offer Hifters side air cover as Tripolis forces threatened to capture the coastal city of Sirte and s central air base at al-Jufra. Russia has also sent Pantsir mobile air defense systems to Libya, as well as at least one mobile radar. AFRICOM has not confirmed reports that a Russian S-300 long-range missile defense system has been spotted in Libya. The Kremlin currently has one Mediterranean naval base at Tartus in Syria, where it propped up President Bashar al-Assad in his nearly decadelong war against a widespread armed revolution. Though US officials have suggested Russias ambitions in Libya resemble its efforts in Syria, Gen. Kenneth Frank McKenzie, the head of the US Central Command, has expressed some doubt, calling the Kremlins interventions in the Mediterranean opportunist. Russia doesnt have the economic resources to come into the region in the way that China does, McKenzie said in June. I am not one of those people who thinks the Russians are master chess players and see four, five, six moves ahead, he said. Nonetheless, the US State Department has been pushing for a lasting cease-fire in Libya in hope that it could lead to stability that would allow foreign forces to eventually depart the conflict. If Russia secures a permanent position in Libya and deploys long-range missile systems, it will impact security for Europe, NATO and many Western nations, Karns told Al-Monitor today. The exercises also demonstrate our partnerships and commitment remain strong in Africa. If Russia and China notice, that's not a bad thing, Karns wrote. Tehran, Sep 11 : Iranians on Friday headed to polling stations to vote in the runoff parliamentary elections held across nine provinces. Authorities have issued directives to the voters for full compliance with health protocols due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, reports Xinhua news agency. The elections are being held in 3,100 polling stations in the provinces of East Azerbaijan, Isfahan, Ilam, Alborz, Zanjan, Khuzestan, Kurdistan, Kermanshah and Golestan for the 11 remaining seats in the 290-member Parliament. All polling stations were disinfected on the eve of the election. It is also obligatory for the voters to wear face masks and gloves and observe social distancing at the polling stations. Meanwhile, the runoff parliamentary elections in Tehran and two other cities will be held next year along with the nationwide presidential and city council polls. The first round of the parliamentary elections was held on February 21, and the runoff was initially slated for April 17 but was delayed because of the coronavirus pandemic. A grandmother in hotel quarantine has been left 'heartbroken' after her exemption to attend her grandson's funeral was denied just two hours before he was laid to rest. Sheryl Mulvey, of Victoria, applied for a border exemption and travelled to Townsville to attend 24-year-old Gage Hepburn's funeral after he suddenly died on August 31. She tested negative to COVID-19 and waited more than a week in hotel quarantine for an answer on whether she could attend. But just two hours before Mr Hepburn's service, Ms Mulvey received a knock at the door. She was be told she was unable to go. 'They gave me the option to go and have a viewing before the funeral, but I would have to wear a mask and all the precautionary gear,' she told the Townsville Bulletin. 'I couldn't do something like that without my family with me. 'I can't understand the lack of empathy these people have. They've taken away something I can never get back, to say goodbye to my grandson.' Sheryl Mulvey, of Victoria, applied for a border exemption and travelled to Townsville to attend 24-year-old Gage Hepburn's funeral after he suddenly died on August 31. Pictured: Ms Mulvery with her eldest grandson, Mr Hepburn Ms Mulvey, who has two daughters and a son in Townsville, was instead forced to watch her grandson's funeral via videolink on Wednesday. The whole ordeal had her feeling 'devastated', 'angry' and 'ignored'. 'This is so political. It sucks and is so not Australian,' she said in a Facebook post the day before. 'I realise I'm no one special but I am a special grandma to my first born grandson Gagey. 'I will never again get the chance to say goodbye to my grandson. 'I will never forgive these people. God help us Australia because no one else will.' Ms Mulvey shared her frustration from hotel quarantine on social media and said she was 'devastated and angry' she was unable to attend her grandson's funeral. Pictured: Mr Hepburn Ms Mulvey's situation has enraged the internet, with many labeling it as 'cruel', 'nonsensical', 'a slap in the face' and 'absolutely appalling'. 'This is criminal what they're doing and I hope they all go down as the tyrants they are ... especially that despicable Dan Andrews. They all make me sick,' one commenter posted on Ms Mulvey's post. 'Of course you are special - just not in Dan and Palaszczuk's eyes. My heart aches for you and I wish you strength during this difficult time,' another said. 'Just a disgrace ... my sincere condolences to you ... This government appears to destroy lives and cause undue stress to many families. They select at their own pleasure who to give exemptions,' a third commented. Ms Mulvey's situation has enraged the internet, with many labeling it as 'cruel', 'nonsensical', 'a slap in the face' and 'absolutely appalling'. Pictured: Comments under the grandmother's post Ms Mulvey's situation comes as a Port Macquarie and Sydney-based family were denied visiting a Brisbane-based cancer patient due to Queensland's strict border restrictions. Truck driver Mark Keans faced the prospect of dying of brain and lung cancer without seeing his four children under the age of 13, who live in Sydney. Queensland health authorities denied the children an exemption to enter the state, despite their 39-year-old father's imminent death. New South Wales officials proposed allowing one of the children to see Mr Keans for a supervised one-hour visit before being taken back across the border. Mark Keans - who has terminal cancer - pictured with his children (L-R) Noah 13, Caitlyn 11, Caleb 11, and Isaac, 7. His family have been quoted $16,000 in quarantine fees to travel to Queensland to say goodbye to him Mr Keans' father Bruce Langborne said Queensland authorities told him the children would be putting other cancer patients at risk if they all visited him one last time. 'They said we were being selfish,' he told Daily Mail Australia. The family has since been told they can drive into the state to visit Mr Keans but only if they pay for two weeks in hotel quarantine in Brisbane. The state's standard quarantine fees are $4,620 for two adults and two children. Mr Keans' sister said the family simply could not afford the cost involved in putting up 11 people in a hotel for two weeks All of Mr Keans' children are under the age of 13 and are 'desperate' to see him before he dies Ms Mulvey's situation also follows a woman missing her father's funeral, despite coming from COVID-free Canberra, quarantining in Brisbane and being near the service. Sarah Caisip, 26, was unable to grieve with her sister Isobel Prendergast, 11, and mother Myrna Prendergast at the service, and was only allowed to view her deceased father Bernard Prendergast if she wore personal protective equipment. Ms Caisip, whose father died from cancer on September 2, was also barred from talking to her sister as she arrived at the Mount Gravatt cemetery - 20 minutes after the funeral finished. Sarah Caisip (pictured), 26, was unable to grieve with her sister Isobel Prendergast, 11, and mother Myrna Prendergast on the day, and was only allowed to view her deceased father Bernard Prendergast if she wore personal protective equipment Ms Caisip was also barred from talking to her sister as she arrived at the Mount Gravatt cemetery - 20 minutes after the funeral finished. Pictured: Her sister Isobel Prendergast, 11, and mother Myrna Prendergast Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk on Friday claimed she felt the pain of cases like Ms Caisip's - a day after telling Parliament her case was determined by the state's Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young. 'I feel these issues personally just like everybody else does,' Ms Palaszczuk said. 'I am human just like everyone else. These people are human beings as well. Who wouldn't be touched by these cases? They are heartbreaking.' Ms Palaszczuk told Queensland's Legislative Assembly Prime Minister Scott Morrison's call to her, pleading for Ms Caisip to be allowed to attend her father's funeral, amounted to bullying. When four men charged in connection with the shooting deaths of two Glassboro residents appear for detention hearings later today, one of those watching the online proceeding will be Roxie Farrow, the sister of one of the victims. The bodies of Shantal Farrow, 36, and Manuel DelaRosa Jr., 26, were found in their Warrick Avenue residence on Aug. 19. They were killed in an apparent home invasion robbery. He was a light to this world and he touched a lot of people in the short time that he was here, Farrow said of her brother. I dont know why they did this at all, but hopefully they will be able to reflect about what happened and what they did. These are two good people who wouldnt harm anybody. Farrows younger sister recalled her brother, who went by Shaun, as a peaceful guy who loved helping his friends. Their parents are deceased and Shaun was the last member of her immediate family, Roxie Farrow said. We had a pretty hard background, but we survived and, because of that, Shaun decided he was going to help as many people as he came across, she said. Shaun was a person who always took care of others. In one of their last conversations, he told her he had opened his home to help friends in Glassboro who had fallen on hard times. He worked as a chef at Rowan University, where he was employed by the campus food service contractor, and he cooked for his friends. He took pride in his cooking, Roxie Farrow said. An entrepreneur, her brother founded a social media brand called Team No Sleep, she said, adding that he also appeared as a supporting actor on multiple episodes of the Amazon Prime TV series Chase Street, about life in Camden. She didnt think it was real when a close friend of her brothers called to tell her Shaun was gone. She tried contacting him by phone, email and social media before she got the official word from authorities. I was in shock for three days. I couldnt cry. I couldnt do anything, she said. Farrow is the mother of a 2-year-old and her brother was excited about being an uncle, she said. Now that relationship will never be able to flourish." He was a lifelong dog lover and had a chocolate lab named Victor. That was his son and that was my dog nephew, she recalled fondly. Though he was approaching 40, her brother was a kid at heart who loved video games. Born in Hawaii, he moved around a lot as a kid before coming to New Jersey several years ago. He was well-liked during his time in Glassboro, his sister noted. Nobody ever had anything bad to say about him, Roxie said. He didnt get into fights. A memorial service for her brother will be held in Washington, D.C., on Saturday. A GoFundMe campaign was established to help with his final arrangements. The four defendants remain jailed in the case. Evidence gathered by investigators includes cellphone data, surveillance camera footage and 30 hours of interview recordings. Devon J. Conover and Abdelgadi H. Hassan, both 19-year-olds from Trenton, and Daniel P. Hall, 23, of Teaneck, are each charged with two counts of murder, felony murder, conspiracy to commit murder and robbery, along with weapons offenses. Altaifjoe H. Hassan, 23, of Glassboro, is charged with two counts each of conspiracy to commit murder, conspiracy to commit felony murder and conspiracy to commit robbery. Conover admitted to investigators that he went to the Warrick Avenue home with the intent to rob the victims of money and marijuana, according to his affidavit of probable cause. The four are also charged in a Glassboro home invasion robbery that occurred the day before the killings. Shaun Farrow is shown with his dog, Victor.(Roxie Farrow) Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Matt Gray may be reached at mgray@njadvancemedia.com. New Delhi: The Election Commission (EC) on Friday (September 11) decided that candidates, as well as political parties, will publish details of criminal antecedents, if any, in newspapers and television thrice, regarding candidates nominated by them. "Commission decided to further streamline the instructions concerning the publicity of criminal antecedents by candidates concerned and by the political parties, who nominate them for elections," it EC statement said, adding "Commission has always emphasised on this moral yardstick for the overall betterment of electoral democracy." Articulating the specific manner in which it needs to be done, the EC said that the first publicity needs to be done within the first four days of the last date of withdrawal of candidature, while the second publicity must be done within the fifth to the eighth day of the last date of withdrawal. Highlights of the modified instructions: - First publicity: Within the first 4 days of the last date of withdrawal - Second publicity: Within 5th to 8th day of the last date of withdrawal - Third publicity: From 9th day till the last day of the campaign, i.e. two days prior to the date of poll This timeline will help the voters in exercising their choices in a more informed manner. Regarding the publicity by uncontested winning candidates as well as the political parties who nominate them, it is clarified that uncontested winner candidates, as well as the political parties who nominate them, shall also publicise the criminal antecedents if any, as prescribed for other contesting candidates and political parties. According to the Commission, a compendium of all instructions and formats issued so far, in this matter, is being published for the benefit of stakeholders. This will help in creating more awareness amongst the voters and other stakeholders. "All instructions, in this regard, must be complied by the contesting candidates with criminal antecedents and the political parties regarding their nominated candidates. These modified instructions shall apply with immediate effect," the EC said. Microsoft said Thursday it thwarted recent cyberattacks from China, Russia and Iran targeting both Republican and Democratic presidential campaigns, as technology giants scrambled to protect election security less than two months ahead of the US vote. The announcement came as Twitter said it would implement a policy next week to remove "false or misleading information intended to undermine public confidence in an election," including unverified claims of victory; and Google said it would take steps to ensure its "autocomplete" search feature doesn't make such misguided suggestions. Microsoft said that attackers have been targeting staff from the campaigns of President Donald Trump and his Democratic rival, Joe Biden. "In recent weeks, Microsoft has detected cyberattacks targeting people and organizations involved in the upcoming presidential election," said corporate vice president Tom Burt. It was clear that "foreign activity groups have stepped up their efforts targeting the 2020 election as had been anticipated," according to Burt. The attackers have targeted political operatives, think tanks, consultants and political parties in Europe as well, Microsoft said. It identified a Russia-based group called Strontium which Burt said "has attacked more than 200 organizations," and China-based Zirconium, which he said "has attacked high-profile individuals associated with the election, including people associated with the Joe Biden for President campaign and prominent leaders in the international affairs community." An Iran-based group dubbed Phosphorus has been targeting personal accounts of people associated with the Trump campaign, Microsoft said. The majority of those attacks were stopped by Microsoft security tools, and those targeted or compromised were alerted, according to Burt. Russia is trying to undermine voters' faith in the US electoral system and especially in voting by mail ahead of the November 3 election, according to a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) analysis. A statement in August from the National Counterintelligence and Security Center said Russia is actively working against Biden's candidacy, favoring Trump as it did in 2016. Microsoft's announcement affirms DHS warnings that "China, Iran, and Russia are trying to undermine our democracy and influence our elections," acting secretary Chad Wolf said in a prepared statement. China denied the allegation, accusing Microsoft of "fabrication" and "creating trouble" by raising the accusation. "The US presidential election is US' internal affair," said Zhao Lijian spokesman of the Chinese foreign ministry. "We have no interest to interfere in it, and we never interfered in it." - Twitter ramps up defense - Twitter policy taking effect September 17 bans "false or misleading information" about voting as well as "disputed claims that could undermine faith in the process itself," such as allegations of election rigging, ballot tampering, vote tallying or certification of election results. The move comes amid rising concerns about when results will be verified for the presidential election, in view of an expected large volume of mail-in ballots -- the integrity of which Trump has spent months attacking. The policy prohibits "misleading claims about the results" or interference with the electoral process such as "claiming victory before election results have been certified, inciting unlawful conduct to prevent a peaceful transfer of power or orderly succession." Some analysts have suggested that Trump may reject the election results or refuse to leave office if he loses, while Trump himself has spent months suggesting Democrats were attempting to "rig" the election and refusing to say whether he will accept the results. Both Twitter and Facebook have placed labels on Trump posts about on mail-in voting -- sent out to his tens of millions of followers. "We will not permit our service to be abused around civic processes, most importantly elections," Twitter said. Google announced separately it would tighten controls for its "autocomplete" search feature to guard against misinformation. "We will remove predictions that could be interpreted as claims for or against any candidate or political party," search vice president Pandu Nayak said. "We will also remove predictions that could be interpreted as a claim about participation in the election -- like statements about voting methods, requirements, or the status of voting locations --or the integrity or legitimacy of electoral processes, such as the security of the election." This will rule out predictions such as "you can vote by phone," Nayak said. Social media operators have been struggling with disinformation campaigns from Russia, China and other countries along with unverified claims by Trump on the vote process. Facebook said last month it was bracing for efforts by Trump or others to attack the integrity of the US election. This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Never miss a story! Stay connected and informed with Mint. Download our App Now!! Topics Photo: The Canadian Press Jean-Sebastien Jacques Rio Tinto chief executive Jean-Sebastien Jacques will leave the Anglo-Australian mining giant by March over the destruction of Australian Indigenous sacred sites to access iron ore, the company said on Friday. Significant stakeholders have expressed concerns about executive accountability for the failings identified, Rio Tinto said in a statement. By mutual agreement, Jacques will step down once a replacement has been appointed or on March 31, whichever happens sooner, the statement said. Executives Chris Salisbury and Simone Niven will leave the company on Dec. 31. Rio Tinto announced last month that Jacques would lose $3.5 million in bonuses and Salisbury and Niven around $700,000 each over the destruction in May of two rock shelters in Juukan George in Western Australia state that had been inhabited for 46,000 years. Rio Tinto concluded in an internal review last month that there was no single root cause or error that directly resulted in the destruction of the rock shelters. But internal documents revealed last week that Rio Tinto had engaged a law firm in case the traditional owners, the Puutu Kunti Kurrama and Pinikura people, applied for a court injunction to save the rock shelters The Western Australian government has promised to update Indigenous heritage laws that allowed Rio Tinto to legally destroy the sacred sites. Jamie Lowe, chief executive of the National Native Title Council, which represents Australia's traditional owners of the land, said he had called on Rio Tinto to take more action than cutting executive bonuses. Lowe welcomed the decision to replace the three executives. There needs to be a consistent theme of them showing that they are conscious of Aboriginal cultural heritage and its protection, Lowe said of mining companies. The rock shelters' traditional owners had no comment to make on the Rio Tinto leadership changes, Puutu Kunti Kurrama and Pinikura Aboriginal Corp. said. We will continue to work with Rio Tinto in the aftermath of the Juukan Gorge disaster. Our focus continues to rest heavily on preserving Aboriginal heritage and advocating for wide-ranging changes to ensure a tragedy like this never happens again," the corporation said in a statement. We cannot and will not allow this type of devastation to occur ever again, the statement added. Harris County Precinct 4 Commissioner Jack Cagle met with members of the Houston Northwest Chamber of Commerce Sept. 10 to discuss the work being done to mitigate flooding in the Cypress Creek watershed and combating effects of the pandemic. Business struggles during pandemic: Spring restaurant Brazilian Joes closing due to COVID-19 pandemic Cagle used various animals he saw on a recent camping trip as metaphors, comparing floods to dealing with jaguars. Like flooding, the chances of becoming prey to a jaguar are small but would be disastrous. It impacts us all, Cagle said about flooding. Our economy struggled, and struggles, and continues to struggle whenever we have these types of impacts that hit us. A hurricane that came straight through the Houston Channel would have disastrous consequences for not just the region, but the entire country, Cagle said. While northwest Houston doesnt touch the shore, Cagle said about 95 percent of businesses in the precinct are directly related to the success of the Houston port. On HoustonChronicle.com: Judge formally dismisses Harvey flood cases brought by property owners downstream of dams If we want to be protected in our neighborhoods, then we need to make sure we do what we can upstream from us and also do what we can downstream to make sure the water can drain, Cagle said. The county is in the process of getting a preliminary report for a potential pilot project that would slow down water upstream to give time for water to clear out downstream, potentially using the Katy Prairie to act as a big drainage site. About $90 million worth of repairs are being done currently in Harris County, Cagle said, including two large maintenance projects in the Cypress Creek watershed expected to go out to bid in the next couple weeks. Some work will also be done along TC Jester at Cypress Creek, as well as Ella Boulevard, building shallow detention ponds along the upper part of Cypress Creek. Cagle said they were also acquiring property along the Spring Creek Greenway to build detention ponds. A large detention site is being planned for where the Raveneaux Country Club is located currently, but Cagle said they are still in negotiations for further land acquisition at the site to build it. Harris County Flood Control District is also working with Hewlett-Packard, who have a campus in University Park, to potentially create some detention ponds nearby to help make the area more flood resilient. Cagle also said the county has hired a firm to create a capital improvement program specific to the Cypress Creek Watershed. A study is currently underway that would upgrade the previous plan drafted in 2003. Assistance programs Due to the passing of the federal CARES Act, Cagle said the county created some assistance programs to benefit the local economy using federal funds. One is a business loan program. Cagle said applicants could potentially receive up to $25,000 based on a random selection process. And if recipients comply with the conditions of the program, the loan is forgiven. Coming to Spring: Resort-style senior living community slated to open in April The second program is a rental assistance program. This program would allow tenants and residents to work together to potentially provide tenants in Harris County with up to $1,200 in assistance, and up to $2,112 in assistance to Houston residents. The acceptance of the funds means (landlords) will waive that condition to evict them, Cagle said. They get the money, the person gets to stay there, people get back into the rhythm and flow of life. paul.wedding@hcnonline.com Attorney General Kwame Raoul has joined a coalition of 18 attorneys general to defend Californias ban on large-capacity magazines holding more than 10 rounds of ammunition. In a brief filed with the U.S. Court of Appeals, Raoul and the coalition supported Californias petition for a review in Duncan v. Becerra, a case in which a divided three-judge panel struck down Californias ban. HAPPY VALLEY, Ore. - Wildfires across the West Coast have killed at least 19 people in California and have ravaged more than a million acres of land in Oregon, where dozens of people were missing and tens of thousands of residents evacuated their homes amid some of the most dangerous air conditions in the world. Oregon officials said they believe the wildfires could have claimed numerous lives because of how many structures have burned, but they said a death toll is unclear as they began to survey the destruction. Fires continued to rip through more than 1,500 square miles in the state on Friday. "We know we're dealing with fire-related death, and we're preparing for a mass fatality incident based on what we know and the number of structures that have been lost," said Andrew Phelps, director of Oregon's Office of Emergency Management. Phelps said he could not confirm how many deaths had occurred from the fires, but a state-run dashboard recorded at least five fatalities. After days of high temperatures and dry winds, cooler weather on Friday allowed firefighters to begin to contain some of the 16 fires across the state. But they had barely begun to make headway when dense smoke limited firefighters' ability to fly, said Doug Grafe, chief of fire protection for the Oregon Department of Forestry. Eight of the 16 fires will be on the map until fall rains arrive, Grafe said. A cluster of fires grew dramatically across a swath of 56 miles southeast of Portland, burning about 440,000 acres in an area of the state unaccustomed to wildfires of this magnitude, Grafe said. A blanket of smoke covered the sky even in downtown Portland, where officials opened up the Oregon Convention Center for evacuees. "We have not seen the likes of this fire in this state, this integrated with our communities, ever before," Grafe said. "We have a tremendous workload ahead of us." As fire officials expected the two massive blazes - the Riverside Fire and Beachie Creek Fire - to merge late in the week, the state evacuated than 40,000 residents. Officials also put about 500,000 residents - more than 10 percent of the state's population - under an evacuation order or warning. And here in Clackamas County, the state's third-most populous county, thousands of residents were thrown into confusion and chaos as they sought safe places to stay in the midst of a global pandemic. Some fled their homes to evacuation sites only to learn they had already been filled, or to later be evacuated from those shelters due to nearing fires. By Friday, scores of families continued to sleep in cars, RVs and tents in parking lots across the state, even as the temperatures dropped into the 50s and weather experts warned residents to stay indoors to escape dangerous air conditions. Among them were Maria Juarez, 74, and her daughter Guadalupe Juarez, 30, who sat in lawn chairs in the thick smoke in the parking lot of the Clackamas Town Center, an evacuation site just a half-hour outside of Portland. The two women, who are both on dialysis, fled their homes in Estacada on Thursday as fire officials warned the blazes were inching closer to their town. Along with Juarez's husband and other daughter, they rushed to a community college nearby serving as an evacuation site. But they were told they would have to go elsewhere, since those at the site had been forced to evacuate, too. "They threw us out, like cats and dogs," Juarez said. They almost slept in their cars in the parking lot at the Clackamas Town Center on Thursday night, until a stranger offered to unload his boat from his trailer so the family could sleep inside of it. The family had no way of getting to the evacuation site in Portland, because Juarez's husband had to use the family car to drive to work at a meat company on Friday. "I've lived in this country for three decades and I've never had something like this happen to me, in the street with no place to sleep," Juarez said, bundled under donated blankets. Guadalupe Juarez, who is partially blind, said she no longer trusts the government. She was convinced they might have to evacuate yet another parking lot. "It's like playing tag, or hide-and-seek," she said. "All we can do now is pray, pray that God hears us." Dozens of Oregonians were reported missing as the fires swept through communities, authorities said, including small towns in southern Oregon's Jackson County, which saw hundreds of homes and businesses destroyed by blazes early in the week. On Friday afternoon, Jackson County Sheriff Nathan Sickler announced arson charges against a 41-year-old man in connection to at least one portion of the Almeda fire that tore through the county. In Northern California, a wildfire that has burned through more than 250,000 acres of land has now killed at least 10 people. Butte County sheriff's officials confirmed seven additional deaths from the North Complex Fire on Thursday and said 16 people remain missing in the state's most deadly blaze this year. A total of 19 people have died in California wildfires in 2020, fire officials said Friday. President Donald Trump has approved Oregon's request for an emergency declaration, which will include federal aid from FEMA to provide temporary housing for displaced residents and additional firefighting resources. Oregon officials also found themselves battling misinformation about the cause of the blazes. Several law enforcement agencies went on social media to dispel rumors that far-left or far-right antagonists had purposely caused some of the outbreaks. "Conspiracy theories and misinformation take valuable resources away from local fire and police agencies working around-the-clock to bring these fires under control," the FBI in Portland tweeted Friday. Residents fleeing fires in Clackamas County said they struggled to find information about evacuation orders and sites, especially as they slept in cars in parking lots without access to their usual news outlets. At the Clackamas County Fairgrounds in Canby, which was accepting evacuees with livestock, families came and went Thursday in a state of uncertainty after an official incorrectly told reporters that the site was evacuating. Bill Kimball, 63, of Molalla, was staying with his family in an RV at the fairgrounds, which also housed their llamas, pigs and goats. He said he already had lost trust in his elected officials after seeing their response to the ongoing protests in Portland. "Even our government has no control over anything. Look at Portland, there's no control," Kimball said. " The covid thing turned us upside down, and now this." Sandra Contreras, 28, said she was worried about the rumors of looting back in Molalla as she walked around the Clackamas Town Center parking lot informing other evacuees that Taco Bell was donating food. She feared being separated from her family members, so she spent the past two nights sleeping in her car beside their packed RV. "It's been very confusing," Contreras said. "I feel like they haven't been telling us what's going on." A few rows away in the parking lot, Jordan Justice's children sat on the ground drawing and painting in coloring books; her 4-year-old daughter sat on the back of her car eating a plate of pancakes. Unable to find room for their 10 family members in a shelter the night before, the family stretched a tarp over their cars and created a makeshift tent. Justice and her sister huddled close with their six children, sleeping only on blankets on the ground. Justice cried on and off throughout the night, worried about her 5-year-old daughter with asthma, who was sleeping outside in the smoky air. As the temperatures dropped overnight, the children were shivering. On Friday morning, a stranger in the parking lot offered them a 10-person tent and told them: "Wherever you end up tonight, it's yours." In fear of being separated, the family planned to spend another night together in the parking lot. "This is our family. We don't have family to stay with . . . we don't have the luxury of renting an RV," Justice said. "We had nowhere to go." - - - Bella and Iati reported from Washington, D.C. During a virtual community town hall presented from Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital on Thursday, Sept. 10, the hospitals CEO and two of its physicians discussed the COVID-19 pandemic. Related: Katy ISD school nurse dies from COVID-19 Chris Siebenaler, regional senior vice president and CEO; Dr. Sarfraz Aly, infectious diseases physician; and Kabir Rezvankhoo, critical care and emergency medicine physician, each offered insight into how the pandemic has played out across the nation, Texas, Fort Bend County and Houston Methodist hospitals. Siebenaler said he had worked closely with Aly and Rezvankhoo to manage the pandemics impact at the hospital and keep the community healthy. He said Texas has experienced high case volumes, but the death rates have been less than expected. Nationally, he said of around 330 million people in the United States, there have been around 189,000 deaths from COVID-19. I highlight that because while there are things that were doing, washing our hands, potentially wearing a mask, just being very mindful what we should do and during flu season as well, perhaps not the social distancing you might see, but we should probably take more precautions during flu season than we historically have, Siebenaler said. And certainly COVID has shown us that if we wear masks and we social distance and we wash our hands, then we have an opportunity to keep things at bay. In Texas, he said there have been nearly 650,000 cases and roughly 14,000 deaths due to COVID-19, with most of the cases in larger cities like Houston, Dallas and San Antonio. He said Harris County had seen 112,000 cases and around 1,500 deaths, and Fort Bend County had seen 170 deaths. Siebenaler cautioned against saying there have only been 170 deaths because the numbers show there have been around 15,000 cases and that many of them were asymptomatic, spreading the virus and not knowing it. Sweet treat: Sweet Paris Creperie & Cafe set to open Sugar Land Town Square store Thats the kind of a red flag I would throw out there that the numbers are ultimately understated because we dont know whos had it and who might have passed it on, Siebenaler said. He mentioned a discussion he had with Houston Methodists chief data scientist, who said the near future of COVID-19 in the Houston area rides on what happens as some students have started in-person learning and as people gathered for Labor Day weekend. So far, he said the emergency room visits have not really gone up over the past week, but that may increase over the next two weeks. Whether people wear masks, socially distance and wash their hands will also be key factors, Siebenaler said. He said people gathering for post-graduation and summer events, marches and protests in late May and June led to a spike in cases at the Sugar Land hospital during July, followed by a greater push toward wearing masks and social distancing that drove the numbers back down. Siebenaler said when he goes out around the community now, more people are passing what he calls the H-E-B test, wearing their face coverings and keeping their distance at grocery stores. The Methodist Hospital system is now treating about 200 COVID-19 patients across the Houston area, whereas there were between 700 to 750 COVID-19 patients during the peak in July, Siebenaler said. On Sept. 10, he said there were 24 COVID-19 patients being treated at the Sugar Land hospital. Another important number Siebenaler mentioned is the Rt value, which at the time of the meeting for Fort Bend County was at .74, a positive sign because anything lower than 1 means that the virus is not as currently contagious. Job fair: Fort Bend County Virtual Job Fair looking for employers, candidates Aly said people with COVID-19 can range from asymptomatic to having severe respiratory failure that can end in death. Fever, cough, shortness of breath, body aches and fatigue can all be symptoms. Aly said people that are older tend to be hospitalized more. He pointed out that access to health care affects how well people fare with COVID-19. There are signs that people who have generalized accessibility to health care, have insurance, have many services and are able to get to the doctors, they do better. They see better outcomes, Aly said. He added that underlying conditions like heart disease, diabetes or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) can play a major role in how patients do. Rezvankhoo said currently the best sources of treatment options are from randomized controlled trials. He said supportive care is a dependable method. A 10-day course of steroids has given a 28-day decrease in deaths for the hospitals patients, he said. The medication remdesivir is also being used. Rezvankhoo brought up some myths about COVID-19. Some people believe that it is not any worse than the flu, but he said COVID-19 spreads easier. It becomes a super spreader, he said. So if you do become infected, you may go on up to a week of having no symptoms. And in that time period, you can potentially spread it to numerous people. Aly addressed the myth that wearing masks does not help. He said that by wearing them, people can greatly reduce the chances of transmitting the virus. Rezvankhoo said contrary to what some people are saying, wearing a mask will not elevate ones carbon dioxide levels or make a person sick. Related: COVID-19 testing facility opens to help keep Katy ISD employees healthy Siebenaler said over the past six months, Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital has treated patients with COVID-19 and adapted well to the situation through initiatives like taking temperatures of anyone who enters the building using an iPad and creating in-car curbside check-in for routine care patients. Weve been able to manage that at the same time of managing COVID patients. Thats something that I think our whole team should feel proud of that we were able to figure this out real time, Siebenaler said. tracy.maness@hcnonline.com TIFF 2020 kicks off on Thursday with in-person and drive-in screenings combined, for the first time in its history The 45th edition of the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), a pared-down version of North Americas biggest annual cinema showcase, kicks off on Thursday with in-person and drive-in screenings combined, for the first time in its history, with an online platform for the press and industry worldwide. The hybrid festivals opening night film, David Byrnes American Utopia, directed by Spike Lee, is intended to dispel a pandemic-hit worlds despondent mood. It brings to the screen Byrnes Broadway show that played from October 2019 to February 2020. The concert had the former Talking Heads frontman perform his most popular songs with 11 musicians from around the world. The focus of TIFF 2020, which runs from 10 to 19 September, is clearly on transcending cultural and geographical barriers and seeking global common ground as critics and film professionals are compelled to access its fare remotely from locations around the world. The festivals official programme has two Indian entries Chaitanya Tamhanes The Disciple and Mira Nairs A Suitable Boy, a lively six-part adaptation of Vikram Seths sprawling novel of the same name. TIFF lead programmer Geoff Macnaughton, in his write-up in the festivals digital catalogue, says of A Suitable Boy, Storytelling with a global reach has never been more important, and Mira Nair is an absolute master of it. A Suitable Boy is a BBC Studios production that has completed its television run and is set to land on Netflix soon. The series plays in TIFFs Primetime section devoted to television shows. What I have loved about directing A Suitable Boy, Nair says in the shows press kit, is reaping the great joy of telling a fantastic story with the finest actors we have in our country. The Disciple is in TIFF 2020s Special Presentations. Writing about the film, artistic director and co-head Cameron Bailey says: Tamhane displays an adept commitment to his own craft with The Disciple. The fidelity of this portrait of an artist is sure to resonate with audiences The Disciple, set in the world of Hindustani classical music, follows a young vocalist who struggles to reconcile the purity of his art with the demands of a fast-changing world. The festival opener, David Byrnes American Utopia, is expected to spread cheer in a time in which joy is in severe short supply. It is the second music documentary in two years to start off proceedings for TIFF. Last year, the festival opened with Once Were Brothers: Robbie Robertson and the Band, featuring interviews with Bruce Springsteen, Van Morrison, and Eric Clapton, among others. This years line-up of TIFF documentaries includes I Am Greta, in which Swedish filmmaker Nathan Grossman follows teenage climate change activist through an eventful year that saw the shy 15-year-old schoolgirl with Aspergers evolve from a puny protester in a sit-in outside her countrys Parliament to Time magazines 2019 Person of the Year. Another documentary with a pronounced newsworthy slant that will screen as part of TIFF 2020 is 76 Days, which is an account of the struggles of patients and frontline medical professionals battling the Covid-19 pandemic in Wuhan, ground zero for the outbreak. The film takes its title from the number of days the Chinese city of 11 million was under lockdown on 23 January onwards. The festivals Masters section has Notturno, a film by Gianfranco Rosi, a documentarian who has won both the Berlin Golden Bear (for Fire at Sea at 2016) and the Venice Golden Lion (for Sacro GRA in 2013). Notturno, filmed over a period of three years in Syria, Iraq, Kurdistan, and Lebanon, is about daily life in war-torn parts of the Middle East. It is about people going about their lives despite the violence around them. Benjamin, who takes several buses and trains to reach her clients' homes, said CTA rider limits imposed to prevent the spread of the coronavirus have made her feel safer. But she said she isnt getting enough support from her two employers a home health agency that pays $14 an hour, after Chicago raised its minimum wage, and a state agency that raised its pay to $14.50 thanks to contract negotiations. Through her union she has been fighting for more personal protective equipment and hazard pay. ASHLAND, Ore.: Arson investigators have opened a probe into the suspicious origins of a deadly Oregon wildfire that began in the town of Ashland and destroyed hundreds of homes in nearby communities, Ashlands police chief said on Thursday. The remains of two victims have been found in ruins from the blaze, which erupted on Tuesday and roared through a third day in the midst of a spate of wildfires across Oregon, according to a spokesman for the state fire marshal. More bodies are expected to be discovered as search teams comb through the wreckage of dwellings that were engulfed during a chaotic evacuation of populated areas along the path of the swiftly spreading flames, Ashland police chief Tighe OMeara said. We tried to get people out as fast as we could," OMeara told Reuters by phone. Chances are there are going to be bodies in some of those homes. The likelihood of much larger (fatality) numbers is significant." The blaze, dubbed the Almeda fire, originated Tuesday morning in Ashland, a city of some 21,000 residents in southern Oregon just 16 miles (26 km) from the California border that is home to Southern Oregon University and the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. The flames, driven by high winds, did relatively little damage to Ashland but quickly spread out of town and into neighboring communities along Bear Creek before roaring through the adjacent towns of Talent and Phoenix toward Medford, a city of 82,000 residents, OMeara said. He cited local news media estimates that roughly 600 homes were destroyed but added, easily hundreds of homes were lost." Reuters video footage from the fire zone showed miles of burned-out vehicles, flame-scorched ruins of gutted buildings and twisted debris lining state highway Route 99 in between Ashland and Medford. The area was off-limits to evacuees, but here and there individuals and couples were seen trudging along the roadway with arm loads of belongings they apparently had managed to salvage from the wreckage of their homes. Police in Medford as well as in Douglas County to the north cautioned against rumors that left-wing anti-fascists and right-wing Proud Boy extremists were starting the fires. Rich Tyler, a spokesman for the state fire marshals office, said separately that it was not immediately clear whether any of the fires raging across Oregon this week were deliberately set. Every fire is investigated for the possibility of arson so that we can either determine it is or rule it out," he said. OMeara said investigators of the Almeda fire, led by detectives from his department, were treating the blaze as suspicious, but declined to give further details. We have good reason to believe that there was a human element to it," he said. Were going to pursue it as a criminal investigation until we have reason to believe that it was otherwise." The Almeda fire was one of the most devastating of dozens of conflagrations that have burned through forests and communities across the western United States during the past few days, killing a total of at least nine people in northern California, Oregon and Washington state. [L1N2G72GT] In addition to the two bodies found in the Almeda fire, Oregons death toll included a 12-year-old boy and his grandmother who were believed to have perished in a separate blaze near Lyons, about 250 miles to the north. Some 500,000 Oregon residents - about a quarter of the states population - were under evacuation orders on Thursday, officials 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 PARIS France is facing a worrying surge of the coronavirus crisis, the government said on Friday, warning that the number of new cases was rapidly increasing and that hospitals were seeing an uptick in admissions. Many residents expected new restrictions, especially after the governments scientific council said earlier this week that authorities would have to take difficult measures. But the authorities did not announce new rules, vowing instead to improve the countrys vast testing program which has been plagued by delays in recent weeks and urging the French to continue social distancing measures. The number of new cases has soared recently in France, where nearly 31,000 people have died of the coronavirus so far. The country registered about 54,000 new cases over the past seven days less than Spain, but far more than other neighboring countries like Italy or Germany. The Philippines will have quick access to a Chinese coronavirus vaccine. Latin American and Caribbean nations will receive $1 billion in loans to buy the medicine. Bangladesh will get over 100,000 free doses from a Chinese company. Never mind that China is still most likely months away from mass producing a vaccine that is safe for public use. The country is using the prospect of the drugs discovery in a charm offensive aimed at repairing damaged ties and bringing friends closer in regions China deems vital to its interests. Take, for example, Indonesia, which has long been ... Find all of the most important pandemic education news on Educating N.J., a special resource guide created for parents, students and educators. As Lakewood school officials and union leaders continue to debate whether in-person classes are safe amid the coronavirus outbreak, a school bus driver who refused to wear a facemask while transporting elementary students on Wednesday has been taken off the job, the district said. 11.09.2020 LISTEN Families of the late Legendary Ghanaian Gospel musician Prophet Seth Frimpong are out with the funeral arrangements of their beloved. According to them; he will be laid in state on Saturday, October 3, 2020, at Akitibomo School Park after that a burial service will be showered on him, then his mortal remains will find it final resting place at Akitibomo Royal Cemetery. After his burial, the family will sit at Akitibomo School to perform his final funeral rite. On Sunday 4th of October, the family will then sit at the Akitibomo School Park. Thanksgiving service will be held at Upper Room Assemblies of God Church, Patasi Kumasi on Sunday 11th October 2020. Prophet Seth Frimpong died, after battling with a short illness earlier this year. His death caused a lot of sorrows to the Ghanaian gospel fraternity most especially the Nation's worshiper Brother Sammy who was very close to him before his death. He was fifty (50) years old. SeanCity Media sends our condolences to the family Yahoo Espana Originales Nunca se debe subestimar el poder de un animal carnivoro. Esto es lo que le sucedio a un pescador, que decidio comprobar la reaccion de unas piranas al recibir dos trozos de carne cruda. Y no tardo en darse cuenta. En el mismo instante que estas tocaron el agua, miles de ellas salieron a la superficie, muy agitadas y violentas para intentar hacerse con el botin. Un reflejo de la naturaleza de estos animales voraces que habitan en las aguas dulces de Sudamerica. La grabacion transcurre en el rio Parana, en su vertiente argentina. El peligroso plan, trazado por un pescador de avanzada edad, era demostrar el poder de estos animales, famosos por sus dientes afilados y su insaciable apetito por la carne. Como de costumbre, esta persona anonima se dirigio a su puesto de trabajo para realizar el experimento, pidiendo a un companero suyo que grabara la escena con el movil para dejar constancia de este momento. El individuo pretendia atraer a las piranas y para ello, se coloco en la orilla para arrojar los trozos de carne. Eso si, con mucho cuidado de no caer al agua para evitar acabar devorado. Manteniendo la distancia de seguridad, los lanzo y en menos de un segundo, las piranas se abalanzaron como locas para darse un festin. Un instante de incertidumbre e incluso terror ante la impaciencia de las mismas, por lo que el hombre tuvo que entregar otro pedazo mas para intentar separarlas, ya que se encontraban en una ferrea lucha por la porcion de comida. Se cree que la palabra Pirana proviene del guarani, donde pira significa pez y ana diablo. Es decir, pez diablo. Otras versiones afirman que este termino proviene del tupi, un pueblo amerindio que habita en Paraguay y Brasil y cuyo significado es pez dentado. De una forma o de otra, en la grabacion se demuestra de forma clara el fuerte caracter de esta especie, capaz de agitar hasta las aguas mas mansas. Maharashtra govt orders inquiry into drug use allegation against Kangana Ranaut India oi-Deepika S Mumbai, Sep 11: The Maharashtra government on Friday asked the Mumbai police to conduct an inquiry into the allegation that Bollywood actor Kangana Ranaut used banned substances and narcotics drugs, a senior police official said. The city police received a communication from the state home department in this connection, he said, adding that the crime branch will look into the matter. Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh had said on Tuesday that the Mumbai police will probe allegations by actor Adhyayan Suman that Ranaut took drugs. Adhyayan, the son of actor Shekhar Suman, was once in a relationship with Ranaut and had made the allegation in an interview, Deshmukh had said. Shiv Sena MLA Pratap Sarnaik had submitted a letter to the Home Department referring to the allegation in Adhyayan''s interview. Taking cognisance of the letter, the department asked the police to conduct an inquiry, the official said. Ranaut is locked in a public spat with the Shiv Sena, which heads the ruling coalition in the state, after her statement comparing Mumbai to "Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir" irked the party. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-11 14:53:22|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Wang Dewen does carpentry work in Wuzhou City, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, July 23, 2020. (Xinhua/Hu Jiali) by Xinhua writers Guo Yifan, Ma Xiaoran NANNING, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- Sitting in front of the camera, 63-year-old carpenter Wang Dewen, resplendent in his traditional Tang suit, meticulously turns the blade of a sharp knife to carve a wooden apple, an interlocking puzzle that uses no metal fasteners nor glue, together with his 2.7 million followers online. Wang's videographer is his 32-year-old son Wang Baocheng who encouraged the elderly craftsman to record the whole process of making the centuries-old carpentry and post it online in June 2018. Yet his appeal has transcended national boundaries, as his video clips have drawn over 200 million overseas views on YouTube. Dubbed the "21st Century Lu Ban" by his fans, referencing a legendary Chinese woodworker who lived around 2,500 years ago, Wang Dewen dedicated himself to sharing his work on video platforms under the moniker "Grandpa Amu," breathing new life into traditional Chinese carpentry skills. He is adept at designing modern works using the ancient woodworking skills of sawing, grinding, drilling and chiseling. A wooden Peppa Pig, a hand-driven bubble machine, an apple-shaped lock and a mini robot are all toys he crafted to bring joy to his grandson. Starting from the age of 13, Wang has spent decades mastering the techniques of mortise and tenon joints, learning from a skillful carpenter in his hometown, a small village in east China's Shandong Province. A tenon refers to a protruding piece of wood that slots neatly into a cavity known as a mortise after polishing. Wang said that it is a difficult skill in woodcraft to shave the wood surface to be as smooth as glass to ensure a tight joint. He began to work as a carpenter to make a living at 19. "My work was recognized by the villagers, and they often said that I had talent," said Wang. During the late 1980s, carpenters enjoyed a golden era benefiting from the reform and opening-up policy. As an increasing number of people became wealthier, the need for new furniture was on the rise, too. However, as Western-style minimalistic furniture grew in popularity, time- and labor-consuming wooden pieces with complicated techniques were increasingly seen as old-fashioned, losing their appeal especially among the young people. "Many of my farther's carpenter friends turned to other jobs, yet my father has stuck to it even though he earned much less than before," said the son. In 2017, Wang Dewen and his wife moved to Wuzhou, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, to live with their son and help take care of their grandson. He called on his carpentry skills to create toys for the newborn. Wang's son came up with the idea of sharing his father's ingenious woodworking and the first video went viral online, attracting over 1 million views within a day. "The chair made by 'Grandpa Amu' is like magic as it is a simple plank when held together, and a chair when opened up," said a comment under Wang's post. "We all need to pause to appreciate the skills this man has with simple hand tools and no electricity," one YouTube user wrote. "A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in." The elderly carpenter suggested that it was not he that had grown in popularity, but the wisdom of his ancestors, and he is "glad to be an inheritor of it." Enditem (Xinhua reporters Hu Jiali and Wu Sisi also contributed to the story) Weather conditions over a large part of the western United States will remain conducive for fueling wildfires, which will continue to spew out large plumes of smoke through early week. In California alone, more than 3.1 million acres have burned so far this year, which is a new state record. That total eclipsed the previous high for a single year, which was previously held by the 2018 season, during which over 1.9 million acres burned. Additional hundreds of thousands of acres will continue to burn in the western United States in the coming days. At least 100 large, active fires were burning across the western U.S. on Sunday, Sept. 13, 2020. (AccuWeather / Inciweb) Even though strong winds that stoked rapidly-spreading wildfires and caused new fires to ignite and explode in size have subsided, ongoing dry conditions and warmth will keep the fire risk elevated from California and Arizona to Nevada, Oregon and Washington, as well as in portions of Colorado, Utah and Idaho. CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP So much smoke has been dispersed into the lower and middle parts of the atmosphere that it would take a large rainstorm to remove the particulates from the air on a mass scale. President Donald Trump tweeted on Friday that he approved 37 Stafford Act Declarations, including Fire Management Grants, to thank the firefighters on the scene. Vast areas of smoke in the western United States and over the eastern Pacific were visible on this 9 a.m. PDT Friday, Sept.11, 2020, satellite image. The smoke has a brownish/gray color, while clouds appear as more white to gray. (CIRA at Colorado State / GOES-West) The intense concentration of smoke has kept temperatures 10-15 degrees Fahrenheit below average from Seattle to Portland and Medford, Oregon. Smoke and haze from wildfires partially obscures the view of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge along the Embarcadero in San Francisco, Thursday, Sept. 10, 2020. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu) While a slight breeze during the daytime hours may disperse some of the smoke, at night, as winds ease and fires continue to burn and release smoke, a temperature inversion, or temperatures that rise with altitude, will form. This phenomenon often sets up and can trap more smoke in the lower part of the atmosphere. Story continues In general, little, if any, improvement is likely in the West in terms of smoky conditions and poor air quality early this week. Smoke inhalation can make breathing difficult and can cause coughing, runny nose, bronchitis, wheezing and exacerbation of chronic diseases such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), according to Plume Labs, a company that monitors air pollution around the globe. Officials are warning people to avoid or limit spending time outdoors amid the hazardous smoky conditions. Residents across the western U.S. can monitor the air quality levels in their neighborhood with AccuWeather's Air Quality page, which includes detailed air quality forecasts. There are no signs of any rain relief arriving any time soon for much of California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah and Idaho. However, a storm over the northern Pacific may bring enough moisture to raise humidity levels and bring spotty rain to western Washington and parts of western Oregon and northwestern California to ease the fire risk a bit and be of assistance to firefighting crews Monday night through Tuesday. At least light winds in general over the region should help to limit the chaotic behavior of existing fires for crews in the field. Still, some of the larger wildfires can create their own local strong winds in rugged areas due to the amount of heat generated by these infernos. Forecasters say there do not appear to be any high wind events on the horizon through the week. As a new blast of chilly air is forecast to drop in from Canada, its aim appears like it will be more centered east of the Rockies, rather than over the Rockies. Gusty winds later in the week should be directed over the Plains and eastern slopes of the Rockies, as a result. The chilly blast that brought snow to the Rockies this past week produced an atmospheric pressure surge over the Great Basin and Sierra Nevada and Cascades which then drove strong winds all the way to the Pacific coast. Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios. A new national Reuters/Ipsos poll released Thursday found that 50 percent of Americans believe the reports that President Trump called U.S. soldiers who died in combat "losers" and "suckers," but most Republicans still hold positive views of Trump. While half of Americans found the reports credible, 37 percent did not, and 13 percent said they were unsure. Among Republicans and Republican-leading independents, 58 percent said Trump's alleged remarks had no impact on their decision to vote for him in November, while 18 percent said they were now more likely to cast their ballots for him, 14 percent said they were less likely, and 10 percent said they are not sure. The poll also records that 85 percent of Republicans have a favorable impression of Trump, which remains unchanged from a poll conducted last week, and 84 percent plan to vote for him. Just 8 percent said they are supporting Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden. Among all likely voters, Biden leads Trump nationally by 12 percentage points. The poll was conducted Tuesday and Wednesday, with 1,044 U.S. adults, including 855 registered voters, participating. It has a credibility interval of about 4 percentage points. More stories from theweek.com The true Election Day nightmare scenario The epistemic crisis of political polling Are the troops turning on Trump? We wonder, why wasnt the officer who killed Eric Sopp arrested? Sopp, 48, of Parkton, Md., was unarmed and suicidal when he was killed. It is partly because of the special rights under the LEOBR. Because Maryland was the first state to pave the way for this law, our state is also responsible for the lack of justice in the cases of Breonna Taylor in Kentucky and Blake, and so many others across the country. 100 years ago Movie ticket prices increase Due to the increased salaries of motion picture machine operators, Albanians would soon see an increase in admission to local motion picture houses. While none would go on the record with detailed statements of their individual raise in prices, they all agreed that there would be one, most likely 5 cents per admission. A few had already raised their rates on Labor Day, with the others soon to follow. Some of the movies currently playing throughout the city included, "Suds" and "Heart O' the Hills," both starring Mary Pickford, "The Mollycoddle" starring Douglas Fairbanks, "From Hand to Mouth" with Harold Lloyd and "For the Soul of Rafael," featuring then-superstar Clara Kimball Young. But in light of the raised ticket prices, the movie getting the most attention might be the one at Proctors' Harmanus Bleecker Hall: Tom Moore in "Stop Thief." Times Union, Sept. 12, 1920 50 years ago Demolition team called for bottles A bomb demolition team had been called to remove two bottles containing an unknown liquid, one in a paper bag and the other a box with President Nixon's name on it, found by Albany police officers beside a mailbox on the corner of Washington Avenue and Dove Street. Albany Police Chief Edward McArdle said both packages had been partially opened. The chief said witnesses reported the packages had been at the foot of the mailbox since the previous night. Traffic was diverted around the site for several hours, causing heavy congestion on side streets from 4 to 5 p.m. for homeward bound motorists. The U.S. Secret Service was investigating. Times Union, Sept. 12, 1970 Looking Back is compiled by C.J. Lais Jr. and Azra Haqqie. Contact Tim Blydenburgh at tblydenburgh@timesunion.com for information about this feature. LONDON: Demand for liquefied natural gas (LNG) is set to increase steadily for several decades helped by economic growth in Asia, industry executives told the Gastech summit this week, with the COVID-19 pandemic seen as only a short-term setback. While the world continues to grapple with the severe impacts of market demand and the impact of COVID-19, long-term fundamentals remain strong supported by growing population and energy demand," Irtiza Sayyed, president, ExxonMobil LNG Market Development Inc, said. Global gas demand is forecast to decline by around 3% in 2020 and make a robust recovery after that, according to International Energy Forum. With the world seeking cleaner energy sources to reduce pollution and CO2 emissions, gas and LNG are expected to provide the corridor to a net-zero future. LNG is and will remain a high-growth industry based on a growing economy worldwide, particularly in Asia, with a desire for secure, affordable and cleaner-burning fuels," Douglas Wharton, vice president, Cheniere Marketing Pte. Ltd., told Gastech. The global gas and LNG conference, launched in London in 1972, was held virtually this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It will be held in Singapore next year. Cheniere forecasts LNG trade demand will grow by an average 3.4% a year between 2019 and 2040, with additional supply required to achieve such growth. Some executives at the summit said that as coronavirus had reduced investment in new production, supply may not recover as fast as demand. Around two thirds of the growth in LNG demand in the next decade will come from China, India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, according to Wood Mackenzie. Industry executives from India and Taiwan said LNG demand in their countries is growing this year, while most speakers agreed China will be the key driving force for LNG demand in coming decades. Chinas gas demand is expected to exceed 600 billion cubic metres (bcm) per year by 2040, up from just over 300 bcm per year in 2020, according to Ming Cai, natural gas and LNG consultant at Poten & Partners. 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 Spanish governments politically criminal decision to reopen schools amid a massive wave of COVID-19 infections will lead to countless unnecessary deaths. Both ruling parties, the left populist Podemos and the social-democratic Socialist Party (PSOE), are acting with complete indifference to the health and lives of millions of teachers, children and their families. Spain remains the epicentre of the coronavirus resurgence in Western Europe. This weekend, the country reached a grim milestone, passing half a million infections after recording 26,560 new cases between Friday and Sunday. The officially tally now stands at 543,379. Friday also saw 184 new deaths, the highest number of daily fatalities since the end of May. While the manipulated official death toll stands at 29,516, analyses by major newspapers indicate that at least 45,000 people have died of the virus in Spain. A student studying (Credit: pixabay.com) The ruling class is gloating, however, that the school re-openings will allow them to implement its fascistic herd immunity policyallowing the virus to run its course through the population with no regard for the death and destruction that will follow. On Wednesday, the right-wing regional premier of Madrid, Isabel Ayuso, told Es Radio: It is likely that practically all children, one way or another, will be infected with coronavirus. Ayuso made clear her contempt to the fate of schoolchildren and their families. Perhaps they will become infected over the weekend at a family meeting, she stated dismissively, or in the afternoon in the park or catch it from a classmate. We just dont know, because the virus can be anywhere. Nevertheless, she stressed children must return to school, to be with children of their own age, get back to their routines, and be socialised. Aware of explosive opposition among teachers and parents, Ayuso arrogantly demanded that there be no strikes or threats, claiming that This is not the time for me, me, me from workers. Ayusos fascistic rant is, however, the key to understanding the policy of the PSOE-Podemos government. Speaking to the daily El Pais, PSOE Education Minister Isabel Celaa parroted anti-scientific, discredited claims that opening schools will not lead to an increase in infections. Today it is being established in the field of science that closing schools does not bring any benefit to the evolution of the pandemic in terms of the reduction of cases, she stated. And the benefits of school are far greater than the risks. In a separate interview with Radio Nacional de Espana (RNE), Celaa declared that for children, the safest place is at school, insisting that school re-opening will go ahead as planned against all scientific evidence and popular opposition. As long as there is no uncontrolled transmission, she stated, which will have to be determined by the Ministry of Health, schools must remain open because we are all living with the pandemic. On this basis, the PSOE-Podemos government is threatening to sue all parents who do not send their children to school to be infected with COVID-19. The Attorney Generals office announced on Thursday that it will initiate criminal proceedings against any parent of a child aged 6 to 16 who does not attend school. It declared that in-person school attendance is an inescapable obligation, accusing parents who wish to keep their children at home of neglect. It threatened that parental voluntary, unjustified and persistent neglect will lead to legal consequences stemming from their failure to fulfil the inherent duties of parental authority. The PSOE-Podemos government is acting with open disregard for the lives and health of teachers as well as of students and their families. Ayusos prediction that almost all Spanish children will contract COVID-19 testifies to a staggering contempt for the health and lives of not only their parents and older relatives, who more often contract deadly forms of the illness, but also of the children themselves. It is now scientifically documented that COVID-19 can frequently cause serious and lasting heart damage and diseases such as Kawasakis syndrome in children. Moreover, Spain has one of the highest proportions of older teachers in Western Europe, with 38.2 percent of teachers over 50 and with an average age of 46. There are 22,127 teachers over age 60 in Spain (nearly 5 percent of all education workers); nearly 2,000 of these are over 65. Thousands of educators are therefore being put in severe risk, as individuals above 60 are known to be one of the groups most vulnerable to dying of coronavirus. The virus is spreading rapidly across Spain. In an indication of the widespread community transmission in Spain, between 2,000 and 2,500 of the 67,000 educators tested (over 3.5 percent) came back with a positive antibody test. Those with a positive result now must be checked to ascertain whether they remain infectious. Limited measures that have been announced in some of Spains 17 regions, such as reducing class sizes, requiring children over age six to wear masks, and implementing social distancing measures, are derisory on the face of it, and in many cases have not even been implemented. Last week, Ayuso announced at the 11th hour that all teachers in the Madrid region should undergo a coronavirus antibody test before the start of term. Educators were summoned by e-mail on less than 24 hours notice to undergo testing, leading to chaotic scenes of thousands of people queuing on the streets of Madrid, with social distancing measures all but impossible. On Saturday, it was announced that 30 percent of classrooms in Catalan primary schools have as yet failed to meet class-size reduction policies, less than a week before schools are set to reopen. The government of Catalonia had pledged that no more than 20 pupils would be allowed in each classroom, but this ratio, in itself insufficient to prevent the spread of the virus, has not been met in many public schools. There is no pupil limit at all for secondary school classrooms. The Association of Families for a Safe Education Choice, a Catalan-based parents group, condemned the Catalan government for the lack of safety measures in schools, denouncing them for turning education centres into slaughterhouses. Schools, the Association declared, are the ideal setting for a new general outbreak in terms of public health, with the use of masks serving no purpose at all in enclosed, restricted spaces, without ventilation or cleaning equipment. Around 39,000 more teachers will be needed across the country to keep to the Ministry of Educations recommendation that class sizes should not exceed 20 children, according to Spains regional governments. The Workers Commissions (CCOO) union estimates this figure to be around 70,000. Many regions are far from reaching these hiring requirements. In an early indication of the disaster which is about to sweep across Spain as schools reopen, one nursery in Seville, in the province of Andalucia, has already been forced to close after a staff member tested positive. Sixty infants between the ages of zero and three who attended the nursery must now self-isolate at home. Parents who cannot work or bring in an income while their children are quarantining will receive nothing from the state. Despite previously pledging to cover sick leave costs for parents staying at home to care for quarantining or infected children, PSOE Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has now backtracked, declaring that parents would have to rely on existing unpaid sick leave programmes. On Friday, Sanchez declared that there is no zero risk with opening schools, but that he wanted to convey a message of reasonable safety to educators. Spains 17 autonomous regions must not close schools unilaterally, he stated, whatever the public health dangers. Teachers reacted angrily yesterday after being told their GCSE pupils will have to study poetry after all. They accused the countrys largest exam board, AQA, of giving in to demands of some celebrity poets by making the topic compulsory in next years exams. Last month exam regulator Ofqual said that as a result of lengthy school closures caused by coronavirus, pupils would be able to drop poetry from their GCSE English literature courses. Poet Laureate Simon Armitage (pictured) was one of the 'celebrity' poets who attacked Ofqual's decision that pupils would be able to drop poetry from their GCSE English literature courses Poet Laureate Simon Armitage and former childrens laureate Michael Rosen were among leading British poets who attacked the decision. And the AQA has now decided to make poetry study compulsory, alongside Shakespeare. The Association of School and College Leaders is calling for the proposals to be reconsidered. However the countrys largest exam board, AQA, has now decided to make poetry study compulsory, alongside Shakespeare General secretary Geoff Barton said: If this stands, it means that curriculum planning which took place over the summer will have to be revisited and plans redrawn. This is the last thing that schools need. One English teacher tweeted the AQA: Youve given in to the demands of some celebrity poets and enforced the poetry. 'This is disgusting treatment of already over-worked staff and stressed students. Last night Pauline McPartlan, of the AQA, said: Were taking another look at our GCSE English literature changes to see if we can do something closer to what schools were expecting. Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain The COVID-19 pandemic has provided new evidence of the impact of disinformation on people's behavior, according to a new report by researchers in the Department of War Studies, King's College London. They also argue there has been too much focus on blaming social media for spreading false content, whist neglecting the spread of misleading content in traditional media by domestic political actors. Disinformation is widely perceived as a significant threat to liberal democracies, with commentators blaming it for the election of Donald Trump, the Brexit vote, the rejection of climate science and the rise of anti-vaxxers. As part of a UK government research project with Ipsos MORI, Dr. Thomas Colley led a team of researchers to look at the societal impact of disinformation in the UK. Using insights from the project, they conducted new analysis examining disinformation's impact during the 2019 general election and the COVID-19 crisis. Normally, it is difficult to prove the effect of a given message on an individual's behavior, but according to the researchers the pandemic has provided clearer measures of the impact of disinformationthe deliberate spread of false or misleading information, and misinformationwhen false or misleading information is spread unintentionally. The World Health Organization early on declared that an 'infodemic' was taking place alongside the pandemic, following tragedies such as the 700 people in Iran who reportedly died of methanol poisoning because of misinformation that it could cure the virus. In the UK dozens of 5G phone masts were vandalized, after they were linked the spread of the virus. Ibuprofen sales declined and paracetamol sales increased after experts publicly questioned whether Ibuprofen was safe to treat symptoms. Studying these examples, researchers are able to draw greater conclusions about the ways in which disinformation spreads through society. They argue that whether information even registers with people is mediated by their interest in it and trust in the source. Because of this, some disinformation may be better ignored, rather than amplifying its reach through additional media coverage. Blaming social media ignores the importance of disinformation spread by domestic political actors and traditional media. Political leaders and even scientists in some countries have made misleading claims about supposed cures for COVID-19. The selective use of statisticsbe it economic projections or illness and death ratescan mislead citizens too. As Dr.Colley explains in an op-ed in the Independent, "Disinformation spreads through the interaction of many different information sources, not just social media. For British people, disinformation on social media may not even be the biggest issue. They overwhelmingly distrust social media news and rarely share it. Research shows they see disinformation from politicians and traditional media as more common and concerning." Dr. Francesca Granelli, interviewed for the Independent, said: "People are looking for information that reinforces their beliefs. Social media has been the focus [of anti-disinformation campaigns] but it's not the sole area where people get newsit might be their friends, parents, newspapers, celebrities or musicians. It's almost a perfect stormthe old gatekeepers have been removed and we haven't found the right way to replace them." The researchers conclude that counter-disinformation policies focusing solely on social media, false content, and external actors will have limited impact given the greater significance in many cases of misleading content in traditional media spread by domestic political actors. Going forward, the researchers hope that COVID-19 will generate a more nuanced and multidimensional approach to understanding and countering disinformation, recognizing the wide range of actors that spread it, including politicians, journalists, scientists, social media influencers and ordinary citizens. They argue that further research is needed to examine how disinformation affects society, including social cohesion, and how it spreads offline between people, be it at the dinner table, in the pub, or at the school gate. BEIRUT A huge fire broke out at Beiruts port Thursday, raising new panic among residents still struggling with the traumatic effects of the catastrophic explosion at the same site last month. Some sought safety in closed bathrooms or threw open their windows to guard against shattering glass in case of another blast; others piled into cars to flee the capital. No injuries were reported. Dark smoke and the smell of toxic fumes enveloped Beirut in the evening as army helicopters circled and sprayed water over the orange flames, helping firefighters on the ground. It was unclear what caused the blaze at the port, which was decimated by the Aug. 4 explosion when nearly 3,000 tons of ammonium nitrate blew up, sending out a shock wave that killed nearly 200 people and caused widespread damage. The Lebanese army said the fire started in the ports duty free zone amid containers of tires, oil and other flammable materials. Fabrizio Carboni, regional director for the International Red Cross, tweeted that the warehouse on fire is where his organization stores thousands of food parcels and oil, risking the serious disruption of humanitarian operations. Port director Bassem al-Qaisi told Voice of Lebanon radio that the fire started in a warehouse containing barrels of cooking oil and later spread to where tires were piled. He added it was too early to say if it began as the result of heat or some other mistake. In a sign of the ever-widening gulf of distrust after the explosion, many Lebanese accused politicians of deliberately trying to destroy evidence at the port that led to the blast. Thursdays fire was the second mysterious blaze there this week, following a small fire on Tuesday that also caused some panic but was quickly extinguished. Lebanon is gripped by an unprecedented economic crisis and financial collapse, blamed on decades of mismanagement and corruption by an entrenched political class. Last months blast is seen as the culmination of leaders unable to to manage the countrys affairs or protect its people. So far, authorities have been unable to provide answers about the explosion, and there has been no accountability for it. For Dana Awad, a mother of two girls, the fire brought back memories of the tremor that shook her Beirut neighborhood before the explosion. We opened all windows and are in the corridor right now, Awad said as they sought safety in a hallway. I am still feeling the earth shake. Living a flashback. Jennifer Moorehead, Save the Childrens country director in Lebanon, said the fire will inevitably bring back distressing memories to many Lebanese children who are still trying to recover from last months blast. Children in Beirut have experienced a terrible shock and they need time to recover; todays fire and panic will only make things worse, she said. Najat Saliba, a professor specializing in atmospheric chemistry at the American University of Beirut, tweeted warnings for the elderly and children to protect themselves or even to leave the city if possible until the smoke cleared. The raging fire and column of smoke was eerily similar to the one that preceded the devastating explosion. Back then, curious residents stood on balconies or behind windows in offices and homes to photograph the fire, compounding the injuries from flying glass when the gigantic fireball mushroomed across the city. On Thursday, panicked residents cracked open windows and called or texted warnings to each other. Local TV stations said companies with offices near the port asked employees to leave the area. Some hid in bathrooms, while others dropped what they were doing and rushed home. A video on social media showed port employees running from the fire, a chilling reminder of the dozens of workers and 10 firefighters who were killed in the blast. Lebanese troops closed the major road near the port and rerouted traffic. A highway that runs parallel to the port was blocked with cars, some with terrified-looking women and children trying to flee. Get out of my way! one woman screamed at others blocking her path. A woman sitting in the car next to her covered her ears with her hands, looking traumatized by it all. The panic was compounded by the fear that more chemicals could be in the wreckage of the port. Earlier this month, the army said it found more than 4 tons of ammonium nitrate in four containers stored near the port that it said were dealt with. French and Italian chemical experts working in the remains of the port identified more than 20 containers of dangerous chemicals. The army later said these containers were moved away from the port and stored safely. The Aug. 4 explosion, the single most destructive blast in Lebanons history, killed 191 people, injured about 6,500 and damaged thousands of buildings. Associated Press writers Hussein Malla and Bassem Mroue contributed. ELIZABETHTOWN, Pa., Sept. 10, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- On Sunday, Sept. 13, Elizabethtown College will participate in the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) virtual college fair event. Prospective students and their families can learn more about Etown and the college admissions process. "This is a perfect event for high school students or college students looking to transfer to learn more about the exceptional education and dynamic student life experience we offer at Elizabethtown College," Vice President for Enrollment Management John F. Champoli said. "Etown's enrollment has increased by more than 10 percent over the last year as our College is offering robust programs that provide students with the knowledge and highly-employable skills that lead to lifelong success." Elizabethtown College will host the following sessions at the NACAC college fair: Applying to College: Tips & Tricks Noon Blue Jay Ambassadors Ask Us Anything 3 p.m. Will My Credits Transfer to Elizabethtown College ? 5 p.m. Diversity & Inclusion at Elizabethtown College 7 p.m. A top-rated Best Value School by U.S. News & World Report, Elizabethtown College has launched new majors including Exercise Science, Robotics, Physician Assistant, Social Media and Media Analytics, Public Health, and a five-week accelerated RN to BSN program in addition to its already strong recognized majors like Occupational Therapy, Business, Engineering, Biology, and Biochemistry. "As students are beginning the college application process, we have dedicated admissions counselors ready to help families along the process," Elizabethtown College Senior Director of Admissions Adam Smith said. "We have campus tours and multiple virtual options for families to work with us directly on their timeline so we can make the college journey process easy to navigate. Prospective students can join Etown for its next Open House on Oct. 12. Discover more about Elizabethtown College at etown.edu. Elizabethtown College, located in southcentral Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, is a private institution offering more than 50 majors including health sciences, data analytics, public policy, technology, engineering, social media and media analytics, fine and performing arts, business, communications, education degrees and more. Experience Etown: etown.edu. Contact: Keri Straub Executive Director of Marketing & Communications Elizabethtown College (717) 725-6907 [email protected] SOURCE Elizabethtown College Related Links http://www.etown.edu Britain's government on Thursday defied threats from the European Union of legal action over contentious Brexit legislation, and pushed back against a brewing revolt within its own ranks for violating the binding divorce treaty. The UK bill has further complicated the already messy Brexit process, as Britain unpicks nearly 50 years of European integration, and European Commission vice president Maros Sefcovic rushed to London to demand clarification. The new bill's potential implications for Northern Ireland -- which is meant to enjoy a special status after Brexit -- also prompted a threatening reminder from powerful US Democrat Nancy Pelosi for London to uphold the troubled territory's peace process. Serving MPs and grandees of Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Conservatives, including former prime minister John Major and ex-party leader Michael Howard, issued their own sharply-worded reminders that the rule of law is sacrosanct. "How can we reproach Russia or China or Iran when their conduct falls below internationally accepted standards, when we are showing such scant regard for our treaty obligations?" Howard told the upper chamber House of Lords. At the meeting, Sefcovic told senior British minister Michael Gove that unless the measures were withdrawn "by the end of the month", Brussels would consider going to court. The European Commission warned that Britain "has seriously damaged trust between the EU and the UK", and scorned Downing Street's contention that the bill will preserve the peace in Northern Ireland. "In fact," the statement said, Brussels "is of the view that it does the opposite". The British government, however, signalled no retreat. "I made it perfectly clear to the vice president Sefcovic that we would not be withdrawing this legislation and he understood that. Of course he regretted it," Gove said. Asked about the mounting disquiet in Conservative ranks, he said all sides would get a chance to review the bill in parliament next week, and said it was "critical" for businesses and peace in Northern Ireland. Story continues - Rush job? - The bill would give British ministers unilateral powers to regulate trade among England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, once the force of EU law expires after a post-Brexit transition period at the end of this year. But under the EU withdrawal treaty, Britain is meant to liaise with Brussels on arrangements for Northern Ireland, which will have the UK's only land border with the EU, and where 30 years of bloodshed ended with a historic peace deal in 1998. France told Britain it was "unacceptable" to violate the EU treaty, and the pound slumped further on currency markets with businesses growing ever-more alarmed that the coronavirus-hit UK economy could fall off a Brexit cliff edge at the end of this year. Irish premier Micheal Martin, who spoke by phone with Johnson on Wednesday evening, said such an outcome would be "gross irresponsibility" on top of the economic havoc inflicted by Covid-19. EU officials -- and Johnson's opponents at home including in the UK's devolved governments -- have ridiculed Downing Street's argument that the treaty was written "at pace" and contained unforeseen problems relating to a protocol on Northern Ireland. But the British government published a legal position to spell out its belief that, notwithstanding any binding promises to the EU, "parliament is sovereign as a matter of domestic law and can pass legislation which is in breach of the UK's treaty obligations". - 'No chance' - Sefcovic and Gove met on the last day of a parallel track of talks in London this week over a future trading relationship between Britain and the European Union. EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier said Britain was still failing to move on key areas and "significant differences remain". His UK counterpart, David Frost, said its position had always been clear and it had "engaged in discussions in all areas". Both said they remained committed to securing a deal. Johnson's critics say the new bill is aimed partly at torpedoing the trade talks, so Britain can go its own way and forge other deals free from EU interference, not least with the United States. However, House of Representatives Speaker Pelosi gave short shrift to any hopes of Congress ratifying a future trade deal if Britain ploughs ahead with the new Brexit bill. The top-ranking Democrat said London must respect the EU treaty's Northern Ireland Protocol, which envisages borderless trade with EU member Ireland in compliance with the 1998 peace pact. "If the UK violates that international treaty and Brexit undermines the Good Friday accord, there will be absolutely no chance of a US-UK trade agreement passing the Congress," she warned. jit/ar/pvh Willo CEO Euan Cameron Willo, a Glasgow, Scotland, UK-based video interviewing startup, raised 250K in seed funding. Guernsey-based VC 1818 Venture Capital and board members made the investment. The company intends to use the funds to further grow internationally, begin a recruitment drive for 24 members of staff and advance product development. Led by CEO and founder Euan Cameron, Willo provides a SaaS platform for people to communicate on video for recruitment, reviews, training, learning and development. The solution is already used in more than 60 countries across the globe. Earlier this year, the company secured 20K in funding from Scottish Enterprise. In addition to more than 200k of VC investment, board members Steve Perry, Stefan Ciecierski and Peter Preston also contributed further funds to prepare the company for further growth. FinSMEs 11/09/2020 He had a long list of conquests during this season's Bachelor In Paradise. And now serial womaniser Ciarran Stott has his eyes on new Bachelor intruder, Bec Cvilikas. The 25-year-old British lad has already been checking out the 25-year-old's Instagram page, liking one of the bombshell's bikini pictures from back in February. He's at it again! Serial womaniser Ciarran Stott now has his eyes on Bachelor intruder Bec Cvilikas. The British lad has liked a bikini picture she shared back in February. In the photo, Bec flaunts her pert derriere in a g-string leopard print bikini bottoms paired with a white top as she soaks up the sun. She looks stunning makeup free and her blonde luscious locks down. Ciarran's apparent Instagram stalking was first noted by Bachiefunny, who wrote alongside their post: 'Didn't take long'. It was liked by Ciarran's Bachelor In Paradise ex Kiki Morris, who also commented 'Mate' with a laughing emoji. Interesting: The post was liked by Ciarran's Bachelor In Paradise ex Kiki Morris, who also commented 'Mate' with a laughing emoji Ciarran hooked up with several woman during his stint on the Channel 10 dating show. A love triangle quickly developed between Ciarran, Cass Mamone and Abbie Chatfield, but he eventually turned his attention to Jessica Brody, with the two sharing a steamy kiss. However, he later turned his attention to Kiki, and the couple vowed to give their relationship a go outside of the show. The pair broke up shortly after filming wrapped. History: Ciarran dated Kiki Morris (pictured) on the show and the couple vowed to give their relationship a go outside, but they broke up shortly after Meanwhile, Bec generated plenty of drama among the cast on Wednesday's episode of The Bachelor. The remaining women admitted they felt threatened by her presence, and Roxi Kenny even insinuated she wasn't there for genuine reasons. But, former Survivor star Locky chose to keep Bec at the first post-lockdown rose ceremony. Coming up roses! Bec's generated plenty of drama among the cast on Wednesday's episode of The Bachelor He instead sent home Nicole Campbell, whom he had previously given the triple threat rose at the first cocktail party. And, Thursday night's episode saw Roxi tearfully quit the show after a fiery stoush with co-star Juliette Herrera. The Bachelor continues Wednesday at 7:30pm on Channel 10 Two Illinois social workers who failed to respond to injuries seen on a five-year-old boy, shortly before he was killed by his parents, have been charged in connection with his death. AJ Freund died in April 2019 after years of abuse by his parents, in a case which has become emblematic of the systemic failures of the social services. JoAnn Cunningham, 37, pleaded guilty last year to killing her son and in July was sentenced to 35 years in prison for his murder. The court heard how she beat her young son for most of his life and padlocked him in his bedroom where he died alone in the dark, his head bearing the outlines of the shower head she struck him with. The boy's father, Drew Freund, 61, has been charged with murder and is in negotiations for a plea deal, his lawyers said. AJ Freund, five, died in April 2019 after years of abuse at the hands of his parents Carlos Acosta, 54, was arrested on Thursday on charges of child endangerment Andrew Polovin, 48, Acosta's former supervisor, was also arrested and charged Thursday On Thursday two Crystal Lake social workers were arrested on child endangerment charges, after a grand jury returned an indictment. Carlos Acosta, a 54-year-old McHenry County board member, was charged with two felony counts of endangering the life of a child and one felony count of reckless conduct. Cunningham, pictured at the time of her arrest last spring by Illinois police Andrew Polovin, 48, was Acosta's former supervisor, and was arrested on the same charges. Both men had their bail set at $20,000 and were expected to be arraigned on Friday morning at the McHenry County Jail in Woodstock, Illinois. The pair were placed on desk duties after the little boy's death. In December they were fired by the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS). DCFS employees are granted some immunity from civil and criminal charges under the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act. Illinois law clarifies that anyone making a report of child abuse or neglect is presumed to have done so in good faith. Both Acosta and Polovin were involved in an investigation into a large bruise spotted on the child's hip, four months before he was killed. Acosta and Polovin's 2018 investigation involving AJ's family also is the subject of a federal lawsuit in which both men are named as defendants. Both former employees are accused in court documents of conducting a 'sham investigation' and falsifying records. Tributes to murdered 5-year-old boy AJ Freund outside his family home in Crystal Lake, Illinois AJ, five, suffered a painful death at the hands of his mother in April 2019 AJ's body was found buried in a shallow grave in woodlands near the family home Acosta, who had been with the department for 25 years before his firing, has said he followed DCFS procedures during the 2018 investigation. 'I don't deny the fact that I was there four months before and that's something that I'm going to have to live with forever,' Acosta told Shaw Media Illinois in an interview late last year. 'And again, should have, could have, would have. 'Did I still follow the policy and weigh the evidence that I had at the time? Yes.' Polovin has not commented. Robert Diviacchi, the McHenry County state's attorney investigator, filed a search warrant affidavit in May this year requesting Polovin's personnel file, training transcripts and employee evaluations, the Northwest Herald reported. According to the affidavit, which also referenced Acosta, Polovin allowed protective custody of AJ to lapse before conducting a proper investigation. The paper reported that Polovin is also accused of failing to include a Crystal Lake police report, medical records and home safety checklist with AJ's December 2018 file. 'From the Inspector General's report, it is indicated that Mr. Polovin's lack of supervisory oversight was willful and [wanton], given the nature of the injury, the explanations that had been given and rejected by police and unsupported by medical examination,' Diviacchi said in his affidavit. Diviacchi claimed in his affidavit that Polovin failed to take a number of steps before allowing AJ to return home in December 2018. Those include examining AJ's home environment, interviewing AJ's father, obtaining and reviewing police reports and medical records, securing a second medical opinion and documenting the decision to return custody to AJ's parents. Photos of the Freund's home showed a state of disarray, with garbage and dog feces on floor Police in Crystal Lake described the house as looking like it was inhabited by hoarders AJ's case was originally referred to the DCFS in December 2018 by Crystal Lake police officer Kimberly Shipbaugh. She responded to a call at Freund and Cunningham's home on December 18 - the third full investigation involving Cunningham and her children. Cunningham was known to the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services long before AJ's fatal beating, the Chicago Tribune reported. A 2019 review by the paper found evidence of 10 hotline calls since 2012 regarding her care of children including her firstborn son and a foster son she raised for a short time from police, hospital staff, neighbors and even her own mother. Four of the 10 calls were before AJ was born. In December 2018 Acosta met with AJ at the Crystal Lake police department and asked him about the large bruise officers noticed on his hip. According to Diviacchi's affidavit, Acosta later described the injury 'by saying he had not seen bruising like it in his years as a child protection investigator.' The boy was returned to his parents, and would be killed four months later. Cunningham, who has been diagnosed with 'significant personality dysfunction' and has a long history of drug abuse, never detailed the circumstances surrounding the child's death. JoAnn Cunningham, pictured in court in July, has pleaded guilty to AJ's murder AJ's father, Drew Freund, is currently negotiating a plea deal over his murder charges AJ's father told authorities that Cunningham engaged in 'some hitting' and the boy was placed in a cold shower until he would admit the truth about hiding his soiled underwear. Freund described watching Cunningham question AJ in the shower as 'she was like taking the spray nozzle thing and putting it like right in his face. Sometimes lose his balance and fall in the tub'. Cunningham awoke Freund at 3am on April 15, 2019, to tell him AJ, who had been sent to bed earlier, was not breathing. The couple searched for information on child CPR on Freund's phone and, after realizing AJ was dead, Freund told Cunningham he would 'handle it,' placing AJ's body in a plastic tote in the basement and burying him days later. Freund called 911 early April 18, 2019, to report AJ missing. After a frantic six-day search, his battered remains were unearthed from a shallow grave about seven miles from his home in Woodstock. Cunningham pleaded for help finding the boy the day after he was reported missing. Judge Robert Wilbrandt, who sentenced Cunningham in July, told her that her actions were 'inhumane, repulsive and, frankly, shocking.' He said she lied, cheated and manipulated her way through life while 'terrorizing her small son.' A forensic pathologist who conducted the child's autopsy described fatal head injuries and cuts and bruises across his entire body and limbs. AJ inhaled his own blood before his painful death and had small, circular marks on his forehead consistent with the pattern of a detachable shower head. 'It's a pretty bad case,' testified Dr Mark Witeck, who estimated he has conducted some 7,000 autopsies throughout his career. 'Not the worse one I've seen but very bad.' Cunningham, with her attorney George Killis, pleaded on April 19, 2019 for help finding him 'It was a horrible death, preceded by a horrible life,' said Judge Wilbrandt. He added: 'Ms Cunningham was responsible for that life and now she must be responsible for his death.' The judge spared her the maximum 60 year sentence. AJ's family said they were disappointed at the sentence. 'We know that whatever the punishment, it will not ease the loss and pain we feel,' the statement said. 'AJ was an innocent, precious little boy whose life was taken from him after he endured, what we now know, was much pain and suffering. 'We had expected JoAnn would pay for that by spending her natural life in prison.' Cunningham has two other sons, 20 and 5, and a nearly 14-month-old daughter. 'I've always felt abandoned, unloved, insignificant, forgotten and rejected,' Cunningham told the judge at her sentencing in July. 'I've been mentally and physically abused, all without a single moment of encouragement, which slowly drained my heart of joy and peace.' She tearfully described herself as someone who was viewed as a throwaway in society or an outcast, spending her life on 'autopilot, hanging on by a thread.' 'Nobody will ever understand unless they've walked in my shoes or know the torment I've suffered,' she said. 'And I will try to rise above human scorn and judgment. I never thought of my own well-being and even if I did, I couldn't help myself. I was mentally unavailable even to myself. 'Unfortunately, I managed to dispel my anxiety, depression and pain with drugs.' Of the son she murdered, stopping short of apologizing, Cunningham said she loves and misses him. The mother said she is working to be a better person. 'I want my children to be proud of me,' she said. Rio Tinto announced the resignation of its CEO and two top lieutenants Friday over the mining giant's destruction of a 46,000-year-old Aboriginal site to expand an iron ore mine in Australia. The Anglo-Australian firm faced a growing investor revolt over the destruction of the sacred site in the Juukan Gorge in Western Australia's remote Pilbara region -- one of the earliest known locations inhabited by Australia's indigenous people. Following a board investigation into the May 24 incident, Rio Tinto said CEO Jean-Sebastien Jacques was stepping down "by mutual agreement" along with the chief of the company's core iron ore division, Chris Salisbury, and corporate relations head Simone Niven. "What happened at Juukan was wrong and we are determined to ensure that the destruction of a heritage site of such exceptional archaeological and cultural significance never occurs again at a Rio Tinto operation," chairman Simon Thompson said in a statement. The cultural importance of Juukan Gorge was confirmed by an archaeological dig carried out at one of the caves -- known as rock shelters -- a year after Rio Tinto obtained approval to blast in the area. The dig uncovered the oldest known example of bone tools in Australia -- a sharpened kangaroo bone dating back 28,000 years -- and a plaited-hair belt that DNA testing linked to indigenous people still living in the area. An internal company review in August determined that "a series of decisions, actions and omissions over an extended period of time" preceded the choice to go ahead with the Juukan Gorge blasting despite concerns over the fate of the sacred Aboriginal site. In an initial response, the company stripped millions of dollars in bonuses from the three executives. But the firm's shareholders and corporate responsibility bodies derided the move as insufficient and called for heads to roll. - 'Crucial first step' - The National Native Title Council, which represents indigenous landowners, welcomed what it called the "dismissal" of the Rio Tinto executives, but said such staff changes were "only the crucial first step". Story continues "We hope this will send a strong message to the whole mining sector: you need to join the 21st Century and start taking your environmental, social and corporate governance seriously," said NNTC chief executive Jamie Lowe. Jacques, who has been CEO since 2016, will remain in his role until a successor can be found or until March 31, whichever is sooner, and the other two executives will leave the company on December 31. In announcing their departure, Thomspon said all three executives would be paid undisclosed "separation terms" in line with their contracts, raising the spectre of significant payouts which quickly rankled investors. "We will ... be looking closely at the separation arrangements, with the expectation that any exit won't provide a windfall," said Louise Davidson, CEO of the Australian Council of Superannuation Investors. The Australasian Centre for Corporate Responsibility (ACCR) for its part expressed concern at how long it took Rio Tinto to act. "There are in fact two disasters: The first involves the tragic destruction of Juukan Gorge in May; the second is the dishonest malaise of Rio Tinto's board and senior management in the months since," said ACCR legal counsel James Fitzgerald. - 'Vast distance' - Rio Tinto initially defended its blasting in the Juukan Gorge as authorised under a 2013 agreement with the state government. But protests by Aboriginal leaders, who said they had not been informed of the planned blasting until it was too late to prevent it, led the company to issue an apology. Australia's parliament has been conducting its own inquiry into the Juukan Gorge incident, and Western Australia's state government is reviewing the laws governing mining operations near indigenous heritage sites. Western Australia Treasurer Ben Wyatt, who is Aboriginal, said Rio Tinto, with dual headquarters in London and Melbourne, had allowed "a vast distance" to develop between its leadership and the Pilbara "where they make 75 percent of their earnings". "There's no one on that board with any real understanding of the Aboriginal groups who own the country on which they operate," Wyatt, who is also the state's aboriginal affairs minister, told public broadcaster ABC. "That, for me, screams risk, and it's something I am stunned hasn't been picked up over the years." dm/arb/qan A loaded shotgun was discovered among a terrifying arsenal of weapons seized from a traveller site in one of Britain's biggest ever 'gun crime' stings. Hundreds of armed officers tore into a traveller site in Orpington, south-east London, at around 3am on Wednesday morning. Footage showed more than 30 police vehicles were involved, while specialist anti-terrorism officers and trained dog units also assisted. Seven people have been arrested, while two people are being supported by specialists from the police's Modern Slavery Team, say the Metropolitan Police. Scotland Yard has revealed officers found a loaded shotgun, homemade ammunition and 112,000 in a major haul. A total of 17 air weapons, including a musket and a BB gun, were also seized by police, along with a machete and CS gas. A loaded shotgun, homemade ammunition and 17 air weapons were all discovered during the huge raid at a traveller site in south east London in the early hours of Wednesday morning A number of caravans and quad bikes on the site have been identified as stolen, and around 112,000 in cash and Class A drugs has also been recovered, Met Police announced Commander Kyle Gordon, the Gold Commander for the operation, said: 'We have already found a number of weapons and other items of interest following this significant operation, and our searches at the site will continue. 'A firearm seized by police represents a weapon that is not in the hands of someone who might use it to harm others, and commit crime. 'Every officer across the Met from local neighbourhoods teams all the way up to our specialist crime investigators is focused on bringing those responsible for violence on the streets of London to justice, to keep our communities safe.' Air weapons seized in the raid are now being tested by Scotland Yard to ensure they have not been enhanced. A Met Police spokesman explained: 'Only air weapons that use, or are designed or adapted for use with a self-contained gas cartridge system are prohibited under the Firearms Act. 'Otherwise, they are legal to buy and own. Owners of air weapons of a certain power need to hold a firearms certificate.' Seven people were arrested on suspicion of offences including possession with intent to supply drugs, handling stolen goods and burglary while police say they have seized 17 dogs. One of the seven, a 59-year-old man arrested on suspicion of handling stolen goods, has been released, with no further action set to be taken. The rest have been released under investigation, with two facing charges. A 27-year-old faces a charge of possession of cannabis, while a 30-year-old man arrested on suspicion of burglary has been bailed, but charged with being a prohibited person in possession of an air weapon Police were seen carrying bags stuffed with cash from the scene of an armed raid on a traveller site in one of the UK's biggest ever 'gun crime' stings Piles of cash were seen stuffed into evidence bags after hundreds of armed officers tore into the traveller site at 3am on Wednesday in Orpington, south-east London This is the dramatic moment where hundreds of police officers raided a traveller site in a 3am bust - thought to be one of Britain's biggest ever gun crime stings Footage shows the massive police raid at a traveller site in Orpington, south-east London Seven people have been arrested during the raid, which took place in the early hours of Wednesday Footage shows police, including armed officers, sweeping the large traveller site in the early hours of Wednesday morning. Elite officers from the Met's Counter Terrorism Specialist Firearms team were also involved, as well as police dogs and specialist search units. Police are said to have used drones and stun grenades, also known as flash-bangs, during the raid. Officer say they used a number of 'distraction techniques' used to enter the site. One woman, who has lived in the area for around 16 years, said police helicopters regularly fly over the area and the traveller site is a regular source of trouble. The resident, who wished to remain anonymous, said: 'Some of them cause trouble and they get visitors coming up and acting tough. 'A lot of them are nice but a few spoil it for the rest. It's gotten worse over the years.' A second neighbour described frequent police activity in the area including what appeared to be a smaller-scale raid roughly two weeks ago. They said: 'I saw the meat wagons carrying armed police about two weeks ago and there were road closures that they said was for fly tipping but I think it was surveillance.' Police officers from the Metropolitan Police were seen around the site in Orpington on Wednesday Investigators will spend around two days searching the site, following intelligence about where guns might be hidden A line of police vehicles was seen near to the 22-pitch traveller site, in Star Lane, south-east London Police search teams were seen scouring the area throughout Wednesday. They are expected to carry out searches tomorrow as well An aerial view of the raveller site on Star Lane in Orpington, where police raided in the early hours of Wednesday Investigators have spent two days searching the 22-pitch site, on Star Lane, near Orpington, following intelligence about where guns might be hidden. Commander Gordon said: 'Tackling violent crime remains the Met's top priority and our efforts to prevent serious harm and loss of life on the streets of London have not wavered, including over the last few challenging months. 'This operation clearly demonstrates that every officer from local neighbourhood teams all the way up to our specialist crime investigators is focused on bringing those responsible for violence and organised criminality on the streets of London to justice, to keep our communities safe. 'This case was led by local neighbourhood officers in response to local issues, and its success would not have been possible without the support of partners and communities. 'This operation has targeted serious and organised crime head on, and will mean the surrounding communities are now safer for those living within them. 'Over recent months we have seen an increase in the number of firearms incidents across London and proactive operations like this are crucial to removing the availability of weapons and drugs on the streets. 'We have now seized dozens of lethal firearms and prevented them entering the hands of dangerous individuals.' Speaking on Wednesday, Superintendent Andy Brittain, from the Met Police's South Area Basic Command Unit, added: 'We've been listening to the concerns of the local community and I hope that today's activity shows how seriously we take your concerns and that we do act upon them. Footage shows police, including armed officers, sweeping the large traveller site in the early hours of Wednesday morning Elite officers from counter-terrorism units in the capital were also involved, while police are said to have used stun grenades, also known as flash-bangs, during the raid Meanwhile detailed searches of the site took place on Wednesday following the early morning raid Commander Gordon said: 'Tackling violent crime remains the Met's top priority and our efforts to prevent serious harm and loss of life on the streets of London have not wavered.' Pictured: Police at the scene 'This is a prime example of why we rely on intelligence and information so much from our communities. It helps us keep your streets safe. 'Local residents may see an enhanced police presence over the next few days and possibly some road closures whilst we carry out or searches. 'We are working with the local authorities to look after the safeguarding of residents and children that may be temporarily displaced whilst we do these searches.' Earlier this year Britain's biggest ever crime bust captured 746 crooked kingpins and foiled hundred of plots after raids by every UK police force, with 54 million of dirty cash, two tonnes of drugs and 77 firearms seized after an impenetrable phone network was smashed. A sting spanning the globe saw scores of raids carried out across the country in a major move in the battle against drugs, guns and illegal activity. During the two-month operation officers seized the illegal cash along with firearms including hand grenade and machine guns. But it was only made possible after the National Crime Agency and European forces managed to get inside a formerly secure phone system called EncroChat in an operation dubbed Operation Venetic. BIRMINGHAM: The haul from the nationwide sting found 54million in cash among drugs and guns It is a messaging system, which is similar to WhatsApp, and is only pre-loaded onto special phones which have to be specially bought. Criminals paid 1,500 for a six month contract to use them and could send a 'kill code text' which wiped everything on the customised Android handset. Experts in France and the Netherlands infiltrated the illegal communication network, which helped them understand what crimes gangs were planning, like in TV hit The Wire. In the show one of the police officers built up cases against crooks by using a device called the Triggerfish, which collected data from their phones. In the real world, investigators found 60,000 users worldwide and around 10,000 users in the UK alone on EncroChat the sole use was for coordinating and planning the distribution of drugs, guns, dirty cash, money laundering and plots to kill rival criminals. It was a treasure trove of evidence as top level criminals could be monitored speaking freely about their operations and plans, thinking their network could never be cracked. Sean Davis wont sugarcoat the state of Blue River, a once idyllic town in the heart of Oregons McKenzie River valley. It doesnt exist anymore, he said. Its just a name. The community of about 800 people was decimated early Tuesday as the Holiday Farm fire tore west along the McKenzie River and Oregon 126 in Lane County, ravaging forests, homes and mom-and-pop shops in Lane County. Davis, a resident of nearby McKenzie Bridge, which escaped total ruin, was forced to flee east to Central Oregon. But he returned to the area Thursday to survey some of the damage. Video of Blue River shot by Davis, which he provided to The Oregonian/OregonLive, offers the most comprehensive look to date of the towns devastation. I cant tell you how heartbreaking it was, he said, recounting the homes, businesses and public buildings destroyed. Wildfire tracker: See all fires in Oregon and across the nation Wildfires affecting tens of thousands of Oregonians have burned more than 1 million acres, or nearly twice the yearly average over the past 10 years, in just the past week, state officials said. The Holiday Farm fire grew to nearly 157,000 acres Friday, state officials said, and is now within several miles of Springfield and Eugene, two of Oregons largest cities. To date, only the Thurston area of Springfield is in a Level 1 evacuation zone, where people are told to Be Ready to leave. At least 4,700 Lane County residents have been displaced by blaze, nearly all of them residents of McKenzie River communities Walterville, Leaburg, Vida, Nimrod, Blue River, Rainbow and McKenzie Bridge. Its horrendous and a tragedy. But were optimistic, Davis said. Were going to rebuild. -- Shane Dixon Kavanaugh; 503-294-7632 Email at skavanaugh@oregonian.com Follow on Twitter @shanedkavanaugh Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. (Natural News) Chinas Jilin and Heilongjiang provinces face devastating floods after three typhoons hit the countrys northeastern region from August 27 to September 8. The Ministry of Emergency Management (MEM) said that the water levels of major rivers in Heilongjiang exceeded warning levels. Five of them went above their guarantee levels, which meant that embankment breaches could occur at any time. The ministry added that a similar situation was occurring in Jilin. Rainfall remains in the forecast until September 11. The floods destroyed crops and forced farmers to harvest those that have not yet been destroyed. Several villagers also had to evacuate their homes as flooding destroyed bridges and roads in rural areas. Although typhoons are not uncommon during this season in northeastern China, the region usually receives only one typhoon on average. Historic flooding in northeastern China On September 6, 23 local rivers in Heilongjiang experienced their worst flooding in the past five to 20 years. More rivers were flooded days later, with 25 reaching above warning levels. Jilin province also experienced heavy rain and more flooding. Authorities said that the soil in the province had already been saturated due to the deluge brought by previous typhoons. People who were forced to evacuate had to contend with the chilly weather and authorities warned that temperatures in northeastern China could drop to 50 degrees in the evenings. Meanwhile, farmers were forced to their fields earlier than the ordinary harvest time to sort through the damaged crops. Rice, corn and wheat are harvested in northeastern China between late August and early September. Soybeans, on the other hand, are typically harvested two weeks later. However, some farmers were not able to enter their fields because the floods were too severe. The floods may hurt Chinas crop output as Heilongjiang is one of the nations top producers of soybean, Japonica rice and corn. In response, the Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs issued guidelines on Monday outlining various concrete measures to ensure the stability of agricultural production. The guidelines also recommended that experts assess the extent of the damage and implement recovery measures. Meanwhile, the MEM met with the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters on September 8 to discuss flood response. At the same time, Heilongjiang, Jilin as well as the nearby Liaoning province were alerted to the possibility of more flooding and mudslides thanks to heavy rainfall that was expected to last until September 11. According to Dongbei Net, the three consecutive typhoons were deemed unusual as an average of 1.2 typhoons affects northeastern China annually. The typhoon series is also a first-ever recorded in the regions existing meteorological records. Experts said that the subtropical high pressure out east caused the three typhoons to move northward. (Related: China floods reach new high as officials issue grim warnings.) Other areas also experiencing heavy rainfall Several other areas in China, outside of the northeast, experienced flooding and mudslides due to torrential rains. In Gansu Province, rainfall triggered mudslides in the northwestern city of Longnan on September 7. Mudslides recently killed at least five people in the area. Meanwhile, heavy rain flooded the southern city of Xiamen in Guangdong Province and the southwestern city of Liupanshui in Guizhou Province. Floods took out the first floors of local stores and residential homes in Liupanshui. Flooding has been a perennial problem in China; many reservoirs, levees, dikes and dams were built on its seven major river systems over the last several years but the nation is still struggling with a surge in heavy floods. For example, the Yangtze River recently experienced its third flood peak of the year despite the presence of the Three Gorges Dam, the worlds largest hydroelectric dam. Collapse.news has more Chinas flooding problem. Sources include: TheEpochTimes.com ECNS.com Archive.is TimesofIndia.IndiaTimes.com Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-11 23:31:36|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close GABORONE, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- Botswana is working around the clock to put all the modalities in place towards adopting sentinel testing, as COVID-19 cases continue to rise in the southern African country, an official said Friday. Sentinel testing also known as surveillance testing include intensified community surveillance strategies, broadening the sample and trying to spot the outbreaks ahead of time, said Mosepele Mosepele, the deputy coordinator of the presidential COVID-19 taskforce team. "Botswana will adopt sentinel testing in the no distant future where point of care tests which are antigen based will be implemented," said Mosepele when virtually updating the nation about the measures being taken to curb the spread and transmission of the pandemic locally. Mosepele said point of care tests which are antigen based will release the results in 30 minutes or less, a development that will result in healthcare workers testing as many people as possible in a short space of time. The other thing that the health authorities will implement is the introduction of geo-fencing bracelets linked to the surveillance system to monitor the movement of those placed self-quarantine or isolation, he said. According to Mosepele, Botswana is implementing all these measures to curb the spread of the highly virulent disease since "we have over 500 active cases" as at of Thursday. The government is doing everything within its power to ensure that 80 percent of those tested get their results in 24 hours and also 80 percent of those infected should be quarantined and isolated within 24 hours, said Mosepele. Botswana's confirmed cases now stands at 2, 252 of which 1, 099 has been transferred out because they involved expatriates who either wanted to come into the country or on transit as of Thursday. At least 10 COVID-19 related deaths have been recorded in Botswana. Enditem NEW DELHI: British premium motorcycle brand Triumph Motorcycles on Thursday (September 10) launched its tourer model, the all-new Rocket 3 GT power cruiser in India priced at Rs 18.40 lakh (ex-showroom). It is priced Rs 40,000 higher than the regular Rocket 3 motorcycle which has been priced at Rs 18 lakh. The latest version of the Rocket 3 motorcycle looks to create 'excitement' in the market which has been reeling under the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. The Rocket 3 GT is the touring variant of the Rocket 3R which was launched in December 2019 and is powered by an all-new 2,500 cc engine, which the company claims is 'the world's biggest production motorcycle engine'. "We are focussing greatly on how to continue to create excitement in this industry. We all know we are stressed in the industry right now. The focus from our side is to continuously give reason for customers to come to our showroom and buy our products," Triumph Motorcycles India Business Head Shoeb Farooq told PTI. He said the company is focussing on bringing new products with 'aggressive pricing' in each segment in order to overcome the current headwinds faced by the industry, specially in the premium motorcycle segment. "We have launched the Rocket 3 GT at a very very aggressive pricing of Rs 18.40 lakh, which is Rs 40,000 more from the Rocket 3R that we already have. I am sure this is going to go very well with the current context of the situation in the industry," Farooq said. Globally, the price difference between Rocket 3 GT and the Rocket 3R could range between Rs 1-2 lakh depending on variant, he added. Stating that the Rocket 3 GT completes the Rocket range which has the roadster and touring variants, Farooq said,"This is another addition to our already robust BS-VI line-up. We are having the biggest line-up of BS-VI in the premium space. This is the 13th BS-VI motorcycle model we have launched in India." The company had started launching its BS-VI compliant models from January onwards though the last four-five months were turbulent. Triumph Motorcycles said with a weight saving of more than 40kg, the all-new Rocket 3 GT is more than 13 per cent lighter than the previous generation. It is also equipped with safety features such as optimised cornering anti-lock braking system (ABS) as standard on Rocket 3 GT to maintain optimum braking performance and hill hold control that prevents the bike rolling backwards. The model is also equipped with features such as turn-by-turn navigation system, cruise control, and keyless ignition. By Sonali Paul MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Four years after mining giant Rio Tinto swept out its veteran managers to make way for a new generation of business heads, its leadership team has come unstuck. The world's biggest iron ore miner is looking for a new chief and iron ore boss after they allowed the blasting of ancient Aboriginal rock shelters to expand a mine in Western Australia against the wishes of the traditional owners. Investors and analysts saw no clear internal candidates and said following the damage done to the company's reputation, it was likely Rio would tap an outsider to replace Frenchman Jean-Sebastien Jacques. "Clearly from the comments of the chairman they want to reset the culture, which would imply an external candidate would be more likely than an internal one," said Macquarie analyst Hayden Bairstow. Chairman Simon Thompson said on Friday the company was determined to "re-establish our reputation as a leader in communities and heritage management". Aside from repairing the company's community relations, the board will need to look for someone who refocuses on operations and building the copper business, areas neglected as Jacques stripped out layers of management and focused on capital allocation, two fund managers said. "Rio was the benchmark for operations, but in the last 18 months they've lost that title," said an investment manager who declined to be named. Potential external candidates that analysts and investors pointed to included Anglo American CEO Mark Cutifani, Orica CEO Alberto Calderon, former Fortescue Metals Group boss Nev Power, and ex-Shell Australia chair Zoe Yujnovich, who previously ran Rio's Canadian iron ore business. "Zoe has the relevant mining background, international management experience, government relationships, acute sensitivity to indigenous and remote community engagement, and strong Australian roots," said one analyst, who declined to be named as he does not cover Rio. If the company wants to overhaul its culture, it might be tough to turn to former Rio executives, although several were seen as potential candidates: Newcrest Mining Chief Executive Sandeep Biswas, Aurizon CEO Andrew Harding, OZ Minerals CEO Andrew Cole and Fortescue Chief Operating Officer Greg Lilleyman. Story continues One fund manager pointed to Rio's aluminium chief Alf Barrios as a potential candidate. However analysts said the company may want to look beyond mining expertise to set a new vision for the company. "You don't need to be able to do a mine plan for an iron ore pit to run Rio Tinto. Look at (former travel industry executive) Elizabeth Gaines' success at Fortescue," Bairstow said. (Reporting by Sonali Paul; Additional reporting by Melanie Burton; Editing by Richard Pullin) Holcomb, a Republican, last month announced a multi-step process to address diversity, inclusion and equity that included the creation of an officer who will focus on improving equity, inclusion and opportunity across all state government operations, the use of body cameras for every frontline Indiana State Police trooper by the spring of 2021 and a required third-party review of state police and law enforcement academy curriculum and training at the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy. Sinn Fein is tabling a Bill next week that would ban future rent increases for three years. The party said the Ban on Rent Increases Bill would also allow rent to fall during the same period. A temporary ban on evictions and rent increases was first introduced during the pandemic. Since the end of July, there has been a ban on evicting people who are not able to pay their rent because of the pandemic. The legislation, which is in place until January, also bans increases for renters receiving the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) or the wage subsidy scheme. Eoin O Broin, Sinn Feins housing spokesman, called for Fianna Fail and the Green party to back the Bill. Rents are too high. We have to stop them rising further. Next Thursday my Ban on Rent Increases Bill will be debated & voted on in the Dail. Its time to give renters at break. pic.twitter.com/V9JXbMzHQ2 Eoin O Broin (@EOBroin) September 11, 2020 The latest Daft.ie rent report in June showed that average new rents across the state were 1,412 euro per month, while in Dublin average new rents were 2,030 euro per month. This represents an annual increase of 1% and 0.2% compared with 2019. While the rate annually has slowed down, rents are still rising year on year, Mr O Broin added. This was a problem before Covid-19, but with people on PUP payments, on Wage Subsidy Schemes, or struggling with increased cost of living, its time for government to take action. The last Private Members Bill that we had passed was a rent freeze Bill that was passed with the support of Fianna Fail and the Green party. This Bill is slightly different in that it bans rent increases and it would allow rents to fall, and we would urge all TDs that are serious about helping renters to support the Bill. He pointed to an ESRI report published on Thursday which found that commuting longer distances for cheaper rental properties can harm mental health. High rents are forcing working people make to a Hobsons choice of either very long commutes for cheaper rental areas, or high rents and a lower standard of living, he added. He said the Bill would mean landlords could not increase rents for three years. Any professional landlord running a professional business is able to make a return on current rents, he added. The measures we are proposing provides certainty and stability. We are willing to go to the courts to stand by renters. While we believe this Bill is constitutional, if that wasnt the case or was challenged, we would defend that challenge. Thiruvananthapuram, Sep 11 : A 41-year-old woman CPI(M) worker C. Asha was found hanging inside a party building here on Friday. The police have initiated an investigation into the unnatural death and a suicide note has also been recovered from the spot. In the letter, the deceased has blamed two of her male party colleagues for causing her mental stress. Her relatives alleged that the police did not initiate any legal action after they filed a missing person complaint. The family members said that she was unhappy with the party, as she wished to contest the upcoming local body polls but the party was not very keen to field her. Local Congress leaders staged a protest on the street demanding a thorough probe into the incident. The ruins of a home in Brush Creek in Butte County smolder Thursday. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) A record-shattering rash of wildfires is continuing to take a devastating and deadly toll on California, even as crews report some progress in their battle against the largest firestorm in modern state history. The collective scale of the infernos that have scarred the state over the last month is staggering: at least 19 fatalities, tens of thousands of structures destroyed and more than 3.1 million acres burned the most recorded in a single year and all but 500,000 acres since Aug. 16. The loss has been most profound from the North Complex fire near Oroville in Butte County, which is now blamed for nine deaths, placing it among the deadliest wildfires in state history, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Among those killed were 16-year-old Josiah Williams and 77-year-old Millicent Catarancuic. Officials said Williams was believed to have been attempting to evacuate in his own vehicle and that Catarancuic had been aware of the fire but chose to stay. Officials revised the North Complex fires death toll Friday night from 10 to nine people. Butte County Sheriff-Coroner Kory Honea said deputies had found what they thought were burned human remains in a storage shed. Anthropologists later determined it was an anatomical model of a skeleton made of resin, and a resident who owned the property confirmed that he had used the model while studying anthropology. An additional 19 people have been reported missing in the area of the fire, which has burned more than 252,000 acres and was 21% contained as of Friday night. Steve Kaufmann, a spokesman for the fires response team, said Thursday that 2,000 structures have been destroyed or damaged, though that number may increase after crews further assess the area. A second death was confirmed Thursday near the community of Happy Camp in the burn area of the Slater fire, which has chewed through more than 136,000 acres in Siskiyou and Del Norte counties and across the border into Oregon. That blaze remains 0% contained. Story continues Cal Fire spokesman Daniel Berlant called the overall death toll "a very, very sad and tragic loss for all Californians." Officials also saw further growth in the monstrous August Complex fire, already the largest in state history. That blaze has now scorched more than 491,000 acres in a remote area in and around Tehama County. Abutting it to the north is the Elkhorn fire, burning in the Mendocino, Shasta-Trinity and Six Rivers national forests. It has charred 255,309 acres. For a time, online reports had combined the Elkhorn fire statistics with the August Complex fire umbrella resulting in a mammoth merger listed at more than 746,000 acres. But Kimberly Kaschalk, a public information officer for the August Complex response, said Friday morning that the combination was more a reflection of the unified command structure set up to manage all the blazes in the area, rather than an indication that the fires had physically combined. "I'm sure a lot of people are spitting out their coffee this morning when they see that," she said. The online August Complex acreage figures were revised downward later in the morning. The scope of this year's fire season has been both historic and horrifying. Six of the states 20 largest wildfires have started in the last month or so, according to Cal Fire. Within the last week, front-line firefighters have had to contend with a record-breaking heat wave and howling winds a noxious combination that fueled explosive fire growth statewide. Many officials and experts believe such extreme weather conditions are the result of climate change. "If you do not believe in science, I hope you believe in observed evidence," Gov. Gavin Newsom said Friday as he surveyed damage in the Oroville area. "You walk around this community, you walk around this park around Lake Oroville, you see the reality a reality that has set in in this state in very indelible ways. And that is, were in the midst of a climate emergency. We're in the midst of a climate crisis. We are experiencing weather conditions the likes of which weve never experienced in our lifetime. Were experiencing what so many people predicted decades and decades ago, but all of that, now, is reality." The repercussions of that reality, Newsom said, are that "the hots are getting a lot hotter, the dries are getting a lot drier, and the wets are getting a lot wetter." In California, he added, "we have to own that reality, and we have to own a response to that reality. This is a climate damn emergency, he said. This is real, and its happening. Despite the challenges, California fire officials say they have continued to gain ground amid weather conditions that are currently improving. "The smoke layer covering much [of] Northern California will help maintain cooler temperatures into the weekend, and an onshore [air] flow next week will help increase humidity," Cal Fire officials wrote in a situation report Friday. "In Southern California, desert regions will remain dry and warm, with the mountains and coastal regions experiencing an onshore flow that is helping with humidity recovery and seasonal temperatures." Though the near-term forecast is promising, officials warned that fire season is far from over. Roughly 14,800 firefighters are still battling 28 major wildfires burning statewide, according to Cal Fire. "Don't let these cooler temperatures fool you. Do not let your guard down," Berlant said Friday. "Historically, it is September and October when we experience our largest and our most damaging wildfires." There are signs of progress in some areas. The El Dorado fire near Yucaipa has burned almost 14,000 acres and was 37% contained as of Friday night. In San Diego County, the Valley fire near the Mexican border remains at 17,665 acres and is 55% contained, according to Cal Fire. All evacuation orders, evacuation warnings and road closures in the area of the Valley fire were lifted Friday afternoon. For the El Dorado fire, Yucaipa police also lifted the evacuation orders for all areas east of Jefferson Street and south of Carter Street. Officials are also now reporting 6% containment on the Creek fire, which has burned almost 176,000 acres and destroyed an estimated 369 structures in the Sierra foothills northeast of Fresno. The Bobcat fire burning in the San Gabriel Mountains above Monrovia is also now 6% contained. It has charred more than 26,000 acres. Smoke from that fire again blanketed parts of Los Angeles County on Friday, prompting air quality advisories for much of the region. Areas along the 210 Freeway from Pasadena to Rancho Cucamonga are likely to see the highest levels of particulate matter, according to the South Coast Air Quality Management District. Even in areas far from fires or areas not covered by a smoke advisory, if you can smell smoke or see ash from a wildfire, avoid or limit outdoor activities, the district said. In the San Francisco Bay Area, which has been socked in with smoke this week, local police departments sent alerts to residents about hazardous air quality. San Francisco opened relief centers for homeless people Friday and urged everyone else to stay inside with windows and doors shut. Air quality throughout much of the region was at very unhealthy levels Friday. Mary Ellen Carroll, executive director of San Franciscos Department of Emergency Services, said during an online news conference that older people, those with respiratory illnesses and children were especially at risk. She urged residents not to use leaf blowers, barbecues or hair spray, to avoid indoor painting and to use exhaust fans while cooking. We are asking people to stay indoors with windows and doors closed, she said. Times staff writers Hayley Smith, Maura Dolan, Colleen Shalby and Andrea Castillo contributed to this report. A Perth builder who allegedly made nine fake applications for the state government's $20,000 building bonus grant has been charged by police. The grants were introduced in June as part of an expedited scheme to stimulate Western Australia's building industry in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. The Perth builder is accused of submitting nine fake applications for the $20,000 building bonus. Credit:Joe Armao/File photo A person is eligible for the grant if they are building a new home or entering an off-the-plan contract to purchase a new home. A 39-year-old Scarborough man, who has an office in Subiaco, is accused of successfully making four applications, receiving $80,000, and lodging a further five. Growing your credit unions membership and revenue is an ongoing challenge. This is especially true given the dynamics of the current business climate such as: increasing pressure on net profit margin due to diminishing revenue opportunities; rising expenses related to operations, compliance, and technology expenses; and a highly competitive landscape which makes attracting and retaining members difficult and costly. How can your credit union facilitate growth despite these fundamental market challenges? An important strategy for credit unions that are focused on driving growth and overcoming environmental business issues is the implementation of a digital document and information management platform. Lets take a closer look at the specific key growth opportunities provided to credit unions by the use of this technology and the available solutions: 1. The ability to efficiently and profitably expand your service area. Credit unions across the country have significant market competition from other financial institutions and financial service providers. However, recent changes to the Field of Membership rules allow credit unions to expand the size and geographic characteristics of the populations they serve. These changes offer growth opportunities to credit unions if they can efficiently serve more members, particularly those in rural areas. However, in order to capitalize on such opportunities, the advantages of implementing a cloud-based document and information management platform across all areas of a credit union must first be realized. Without these efficiencies in workflow, elevated member service via collaborative information sharing and e-signature capabilities, and the benefits of remote staffing made possible by a digital document and information management platform, serving an expanded market area efficiently and competitively it is not possible. 2. Increased throughput of loan applications and member onboarding documentation. By its very nature, the right digital document management and information management workflow platform will enable your credit union to process more revenue-generating loan applications, retain existing business, and onboard new members faster. In comparison, credit unions trying to meet these goals and manage operational processes using traditional on-site paper-based workflow or maintain asynchronous documents using slow, on-site servers coupled with storage on local machines are at a distinct disadvantage when it comes to increasing their capacity for handling new business and effectively welcoming and serving new members. This is because working in the cloud enables a completely different and higher level of workflow efficiency, speed and security capabilities. For example, using a cloud-based document management system allows your credit union to adapt its workflow to meet increased volume generated by new business by setting up the structure of electronic files to be accessible by all pertinent departments, individual staff members as well as specific members to expedite processing. This technology also allows for all documentation requests and exchanges as well as required signature execution to be handled electronically. Another key benefit of a cloud-based document management platform which expedites the processing of transactions and member services is the ability to facilitate customized alerts and notifications which can be created for individual users further elevating efficiency and the client experience while reducing operational and human resource expenses. 3. Reduction of overhead costs freeing up operating capital and increasing net profit margins. In addition to enabling opportunities to achieve market expansion, using a cloud-based document management solution eliminates the expense and ongoing maintenance costs of maintaining an on-site server as well as providing inherent FINRA compliant features, thereby reducing compliance costs. This also eliminates the need to maintain a costly IT infrastructure because it meets the need for file encryption and other security requirements. Thus, the implementation of this technology creates significant relief of overhead costs and eases the downward pressure on your credit unions net profit margin. 4. The attraction of top-tier talent with remote work and access capabilities. Another often overlooked need connected to credit union growth is that of having additional staff. Hiring the best possible staff will allow your organization to increase its operational bandwidth while performing at a higher level. Using a cloud-based document and information management platform to enable remote work functionality allows your credit union to give employees the capability of performing all of their duties remotely. This not only saves money on office space and costly third-party systems such as a VPN, GoToMyPC or a hosted desktop environment, it also boosts productivity and allows your credit union to choose from a larger and more diversified pool of talent, rather than being limited by geographical constraints. Being able to have your key employees work effectively on a completely remote basis is also an increasingly important employee incentive and can help your credit union attract and retain top-tier talent. Choose the right digital document and information management partner to help you leverage growth opportunities. In todays business environment choosing the right digital document management solution is a fundamental driver of strategic credit union growth. Beyond the immediate benefits of cost and workflow efficiencies that implementing a cloud-based document management platform provides, the long-term growth opportunities made possible are an even greater incentive for doing so. While there are many cloud-based document management and information workflow systems available, your credit union should consider the overall feature and benefit set of any platform in the context of its ability to offer the maximum benefits of this type of technology. Fuel your credit unions growth with cloud-based document management. Cloud-based document management platforms must be deployed strategically and as efficiently and effectively as possible in order for your credit union to fully realize all of the opportunities and advantages available. This requires the full support of a vendor as an implementation partner. SmartVault helps credit unions leverage the benefits of overhead cost savings, workflow efficiency and new growth potential with a seamless, smooth and fully supported onboarding and implementation process. Regardless of the document management platform you choose, be sure that the vendor is willing and able to provide unlimited, customized support. Australia's chief scientist Dr Alan Finkel says he hopes both NSW and Victoria have learnt from roundtable discussions between the states over their responses to the pandemic. Some of the country's top health officials as well as military brass met in Sydney on Friday to discuss how each state has handled coronavirus. NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard said the day-long meeting at the NSW COVID-19 state emergency operations centre was not about NSW being a "fountain of wisdom". "It's a mutual sharing of information exercise, and we will both learn," he said on Friday afternoon. Louis Vuitton is launching a luxury face shield that provides a fashionable alternative to the traditional utilitarian form of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). The LV Shield, as its been called, can double up as a cap and costs 750. It will be launched worldwide on 30 October as a protective visor. Of course, this is no ordinary face shield. It is covered in golden studs that have been engraved with the French fashion houses iconic logo. Meanwhile, the shield is trimmed with Louis Vuittons famous monogram print. In a statement, Louis Vuitton describes the shield as an eye-catching headpiece, both stylish and protective. Louis Vuitton is not the only luxury brand to launch items designed to protect people during the pandemic. For example, in August, Burberry released a range of reusable and sustainable face masks in its vintage check print. The masks, which are available to shop online now, feature two different colourways of the Burberry check, one in beige and another in pale blue. The fashion brand said that the masks are sustainably produced from revalued cotton fabric, provide Particle Filtration Efficiency (PFE) and are enhanced with antimicrobial technology. The company did not provide additional details on the medical credentials of this technology. Its not the first time Louis Vuitton has made efforts to address the coronavirus pandemic, either. In March, Louis Vuittons owner, LVMH, committed to making hand sanitiser at its perfume factories in order to combat the shortage in France. At the time, the company stated that the gel will be delivered free of charge to the French health authorities and as a priority to the Assistance Publique-Hopitaux de Paris, a university hospital trust. "Given the risk of a shortage of hydroalcoholic gel in France, Bernard Arnault has instructed the LVMH Perfumes and Cosmetics business to prepare its production sites to manufacture substantialsubtsantial quantities of hydroalcoholic gel to be provided to public authorities, the statement read. Through this initiative, LVMH intends to help address the risk of a lack of product in France and enable a greater number of people to continue to take the right action to protect themselves against the spread of the virus. Since the Covid-19 pandemic exerted its sinister influence in spring, some political observers have missed Brexit. Compared with the virus, the chaotic departure of our troubled neighbour from the world's most prosperous trading bloc now seems relatively benign, even at times entertaining. Read More The legendary newspaper columnist Con Houlihan said of another less renowned member of his profession that he was "forgotten but not gone". The same could have been said of Brexit until this week, when it exploded back on the scene. Expand Close Caught short: Most of our loo paper comes from the UK so a no-deal Brexit could lead to another scramble to bulk-buy toilet rolls / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Caught short: Most of our loo paper comes from the UK so a no-deal Brexit could lead to another scramble to bulk-buy toilet rolls It is easy to forget that this time a year ago, we were fretting about the prospect of border posts, a rise in unemployment of a few percentage points, and tariffs as the words "Order! Order! Order!" were bellowed by speaker John Bercow amid chaotic scenes in Westminster. We may have tut-tutted and laughed at the discomfort of our neighbours and become exercised about a 'hard border', but who would have thought that a crisis much more severe would come along and eclipse Brexit, making it seem like a stale half-pint of Nigel Farage's warm beer? Never mind a hard border. We never thought that within a few short months, gardai would be stopping us travelling 2km down the road and that there would be border checks going into Offaly, Laois and Kildare, with unemployment soaring at one stage to 25pc. Now the Brexit beast is back and is threatening to cause havoc again, but persuading people to heed the warnings and be prepared is now difficult. It is a bit like watching a Harry Potter film after sitting through Nightmare on Elm Street. It is harder to scare us now with Brexit, even this week when Northern Ireland secretary Brandon Lewis stepped forward in the House of Commons to rip apart an agreement that the UK had signed with the EU over Northern Ireland. The withdrawal agreement negotiated last year in effect created a customs border in the Irish Sea. Boris Johnson has decided to change this so that British ministers decide what goods crossing the Irish Sea should be subject to customs checks. Expand Close 'Madman approach' to negotiation: Strategist Dominic Cummings and PM Boris Johnson / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp 'Madman approach' to negotiation: Strategist Dominic Cummings and PM Boris Johnson The Tories have always declared that they were leaving the EU in order to get rid of "barmy Brussels bureaucracy" and red tape. Yet they agreed a fiendishly bureaucratic agreement where the North was part of the British customs area, but was still subject to EU single market rules, and certain products travelling from Britain to the North would be checked. Lewis drove a tank through the agreement, promising to change some of these regulations and declaring: "This does break international law in a very specific way and limited way." It was a bit like a man politely ringing his local police station and announcing: "I'm just about to carry out a minor bank robbery." Some believe that Johnson and his strategist Dominic Cummings have adopted the 'madman' approach to negotiation, beloved of the late US president Richard Nixon. It involves winning concessions by convincing your adversary that you really would do something crazy. Whatever the tactics may be, economist Professor Edgar Morgenroth of Dublin City University believes that Ireland has to face up to the fact that a no-deal scenario is the most probable outcome on January 1, as the UK finishes its period of transition after leaving the EU. Alan McQuaid, another economist, is more optimistic about a deal, but believes Ireland is now "the hedgehog in the middle of the road". Expand Close Price warning: Professor Martina Lawless / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Price warning: Professor Martina Lawless Before an earlier Brexit scare, British customs officials prepared for the UK to crash out of the EU on D1ND (Day One No Deal). There were fears of 20km tailbacks of lorries at ports such as Dover, and shortages of food and medical supplies. So what can we expect on D1ND on January 1, if the talks end in failure. And what changes can we expect even if there is a deal? Price increases Huge price increases for many goods, including many of the most popular Irish grocery brands, are seen as likely if the UK crashes out, according to Professor Martina Lawless, an economist with the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI). If there is a hard Brexit, Ireland and the UK would be expected to trade under World Trade Organisation rules, and this would mean hefty tariffs on many goods coming in. Any delays caused by extra customs checks would also add to the cost of goods. Two years ago, the ESRI carried out a study and estimated that tariffs and other border red tape would add up to 1,400 in costs to the average Irish household. Lawless believes the price hike forecasts are likely to be broadly similar if we wake up on January 1 and there is no trade deal. The price of bread and cereals would soar by 30pc, coffee and tea by 20pc and meat by 24pc. Chocoholics are likely to curse Johnson and all his works as sugar, jam, chocolate and confectionery would rise in price by 27pc. Lawless says the sharpest price rises are likely to hit lower-income households the hardest. According to the ESRI, these households spend a greater share of their household expenditure on food products, many of which are imported from the UK and would be subject to tariffs. "These price rises could prove temporary, because many of these products are familiar brands that come from the UK," she says. "With time, they could be replaced by cheaper products from EU countries, but there would be costs involved in transport." In a no-deal scenario, clothes would rise in price by 6pc and shoes by 5pc, according to the ESRI predictions. On the other hand, the price of petrol and medical products would be unaffected and there would only small increases in drink prices. One under-reported prediction is that there are likely to be significant price hikes even if all is sweetness and light, and the UK and the EU reach a trade deal. These would be caused by the costs involved in customs checks and bureaucratic trading procedures. These would add just under 900 to the average Irish household's costs, with price increases of up to 30pc on eggs and dairy products, 15pc on meat and 21pc on bread and cereals. Crossing the border Ordinary punters should still be able to cross the border freely for work, rest and play because Ireland and the UK will still be part of a Common Travel Area (CTA). In May of last year, the Irish and British governments agreed a memorandum of understanding reaffirming the joint commitment of both governments to the CTA in all Brexit scenarios. If both parties plan to stick to the Northern Irish protocol, shoppers from the Republic should still be able to cross the border to towns such as Newry and fill their boot with cheaper groceries and alcohol for personal use without customs duties. However, if the UK fails to apply the protocol correctly, there is likely to be uncertainty about what would happen along the border. Morgenroth fears that if that happens, there could still be tariffs, because all bets would be off. Goods shortages in shops It may be time to stock up on toilet rolls and have a couple of sliced pans in the freezer. The pandemic lockdown and the 2018 snowstorm showed how panic buying during major events can disrupt supplies very quickly. Lawless of the ESRI says delays in moving goods through customs could lead to shortages of certain products even if there is a deal by January 1. A likely source of disruption and extra costs is the fact that so many goods come to Ireland across the UK land bridge because it is the cheapest and fastest way to transport them, she says. There are fears that when Britain is no longer covered by EU customs rules, there will be huge tailbacks of traffic in British ports. "The disruption will depend on how much Irish goods are tangled up in Dover. Some of the shortages could be short-term - there will be a lot of new procedures and paperwork to put in place," Lawless says. Keeping a store of toilet rolls may be advisable, as a large amount of our loo paper comes from the UK. Ireland also imports 42pc of its petrol and diesel from the UK. Perishable grocery products are regarded as particularly vulnerable to delays, either those coming directly from the UK, or through it from continental Europe. The booze cruise and duty-free shopping After decades when duty-free shopping was not allowed on flights between Britain and Ireland, it will now be revived. And it should be possible to go on a booze cruise from Dublin to Holyhead to take advantage of these savings. When Britain finishes its transition period on January 1, the allowable levels of duty-free imports will be 200 cigarettes, one litre of spirits, two litres of "intermediate products", four litres of wine and 16 litres of beer. Lawless says that while a shopping spree in the North for personal purposes will not attract customs duties at the border, shoppers heading to London or elsewhere in Britain could be hit with charges from January 1. According to the revenue.ie website, the allowance for those buying goods outside the EU and bringing them into the country is 430. Online shopping hikes The days when consumers could buy many of their earthly goods online without customs charges through sites such as Amazon in the UK may be over from January 1. The end of the transition period may also affect other consumer rights when buying goods online from the UK. As happens now with goods coming from the US, online shoppers buying from the UK could be hit with VAT charges on items valued at over 22, and customs duties would have to be paid on items over 150. Brexit has inevitably prompted fears that mobile phone users will again be hit by hefty roaming charges once they arrive in Britain, or when they drive over the border into the North. This is unlikely to happen, however. Both Three Ireland and Vodafone have said that they will not be reintroducing roaming charges after the transition period ends. So, you can still post selfies of yourself next to Big Ben without breaking the bank. Legally, however, phone companies could slap on roaming charges for calls to the UK at some point in the future. The effect on jobs With the pandemic causing soaring unemployment in Ireland and elsewhere, the prospect of a no-deal Brexit could not come at a worse time for the Irish economy. Lawless of the ESRI says that some sectors had proved resilient during the Covid crisis. These included agriculture, food and grocery sales. But she warned that this could change if there is no deal between Britain and the EU. The Irish food industry and agriculture are heavily dependent on exports to Britain, and it is likely that these goods would be hit by heavy tariffs. There could be an uneven regional split in terms of the impact. Rural areas, heavily dependent on agriculture and the food industry, could be hit harder than the Dublin area. Lawless says Dublin could even attract new jobs in financial services, but there is an element of uncertainty over that because of the effect of the pandemic on home working and the occupation of offices. Morgenroth has predicted that Monaghan will be the hardest hit country in a no-deal scenario. This is because 21pc of employment there is in agri-food. Tourism could also be hit even harder if sterling's value plummets, making Ireland a more expensive destination. By Jeff Fleischer Six months ago, when COVID-19 first upended all our lives, Youth Advocate Programs (YAP), Inc. provided needed PPE, internet, equipment, food and clothing to hundreds of New Jersey families. We are an essential service. Last week, my YAP colleagues and I learned that the Department of Children and Families (DCF), as reflected in the governors new budget, was cutting our services to New Jersey youth and families by 60%. This slashing is tantamount to the state divesting in a robust community-based continuum of care that its investments began creating four decades ago. YAP began providing services in New Jersey on behalf of the highest need, highest-risk young people and their families in 1978 in an effort to prevent the practice of separating children from their families and placing them in expensive institutions. That was a time when the child welfare system relied on removing children from their homes. Since then, our systems have learned that with the right support, we can address things like addiction, trauma and mental health challenges without resorting to institutionalizing children and separating families. New Jersey knows this best, as it led the nation in bringing young people home from out-of-state residential facilities. YAP helped make that happen. The cuts to YAP are a divestment in the deep end of the system, meaning New Jersey will actually spend more by placing youth -- especially youth of color -- in expensive, often faraway institutions or youth prisons, achieving poorer outcomes. We have become the go-to agency for DCF staff working with youth and families in crisis. Today we are in all 21 New Jersey counties, employ 236 employees and serve about 1,500 youth and their families. Seventy percent of individuals we serve are of color, and our staff is nearly 75% people of color. We have earned a favorable reputation among families we serve and frontline state workers who refer youth to us. Our mission and unique service delivery principles are consistent with the mission and goals of DCF, to ensure the safety, permanency, and well-being of children and support families. On call 24-hours, YAPs community-based advocates provide intensive, individualized strength-based, family-focused, trauma-informed, wraparound family support to fill critical gaps for youth with very complex individual and family challenges. The advocates address the root causes of parental and family struggles and through community partners, connect youth and their families with accessible educational, life skills and employment tools. We ensure that lack of food or shelter, transportation for court hearings, doctors' appointments, visits with incarcerated loved ones and other challenges dont impede progress. YAP advocates also provide needed respite for parents and guardians. Most important, YAP employees work to empower youth and families to have a voice and choice in developing their own individualized service plans, enabling them to be invested in making it work. More than four decades of practice, research and evaluation show that our approach works to keep families safe and together. It also makes systems stronger, more equitable and closer to achieving family stability, permanency and reunification. A recent outcome study by YAP of 323 New Jersey DCF youth served by the agency showed that nearly all 98% -- were living with their families, independently, or in stable foster family care when their time in our program formally ended. This 60% cut to our services is excessive as DCF is being asked by the governor to take a 15% cut. There was no transparency in how the decision to slash nonprofit budgets was made, nor were we involved in any process or dialogue regarding these cuts or how best to move forward on behalf of the youth and families we serve now and those who will need our services in the future. If these cuts are not stopped, the unintended consequence will be that the state will pay more over the long haul, with worse outcomes for the safety and wellbeing of young people who can least afford to suffer these consequences. In these uncertain times, everyone needs family and community more than ever. At YAP, we urge DCF to restore funding to YAP and other essential nonprofits and continue our partnership to keep families together and young people safely home. Jeff Fleischer is the CEO of Youth Advocate Programs (YAP), Inc. and board chair for the National Human Services Assembly. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Heres how to submit an op-ed or Letter to the Editor. Bookmark NJ.com/Opinion. Follow us on Twitter @NJ_Opinion and on Facebook at NJ.com Opinion. Get the latest news updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. Advertisement Double-decker sightseeing buses have long held a fascination. Classic tourist fare, but they offer a snapshot of a city without having to move a muscle and that's no bad thing when you're travelling with an 89-year-old. Noel is my father-in-law and we were in Stockholm pre-lockdown on the top deck of a 'hop-on, hop-off' bus with no intention of hopping anywhere until the 90-minute tour was over. Our fellow travellers who won't be there now were mainly Chinese. They weren't particularly interested in the commentary, and whenever the bus passed a landmark, they went to acrobatic lengths to get themselves in the picture. Colourful: Stockholm's old town, Gamla Stan, which the Daily Mail's Mark Palmer says has exquisite narrow streets We felt marooned in their selfie paradise. And what struck me was how diametrically opposite they were to the Swedes going about their lives with quiet decorum the Stockholm streets immaculately clean; the parks and forests within easy access of the city; water everywhere (the city is built on 14 islands); arguably one of the world's most beautiful opera houses; stately boulevards, exquisite narrow streets in Gamla Stan (old town) and the constant toing and froing of sea-worthy vessels of every kind. 'I would rather spend a weekend here than in Venice,' said Noel, who is not normally given to bold declarations. But he had a point. My wife, Joanna, thinks Stockholm is the perfect city and finds every possible excuse to return, not least for the shopping, which I impress upon her is expensive. 'I want to be Swedish,' she told the dishy waiter at the Radisson Blu Royal Viking Hotel, where we were staying within easy reach of all the attractions. 'I want to be Swedish,' she told the owner of an antique shop in the Old Town, who sold her a framed line-drawing of three men lying naked on rocks by the water's edge in the Stockholm archipelago. Stockholm's Vasa Maritime Museum. Mark says that even if you have no interest in maritime matters, you will come away mighty impressed 'I want to be Swedish,' she told an American artist with a smoky voice, whom we met in a cafe near the cathedral and with whom we ended up sharing a blanket while drinking hot chocolate as if taking part in an advertisement for the 'hygge' lifestyle. Fewer than one million people live in the capital, with its relaxed face-mask rules and social-distancing policies. As cities go, it's remarkably easy to navigate. You can walk everywhere, although we were tempted by the electric scooters that operate alongside pay-as-you-go bikes. And you must buy a Stockholm Pass which offers free entry to almost everywhere and is valid for 24, 48, 72 or 120 hours. Stockholm gives the impression of being comfortable with itself. Its people appear self-contained, polite, purposeful and we liked the way they welcome visitors genuinely and not just because we bring them business. We joined a tour of City Hall, where the Nobel Prize ceremony and banquet is held every December 10, and marvelled at the eight million bricks and craftsmanship that built this splendid building in the 'romantic style' in 1923, its Blue Hall designed to look like an indoor Italian piazza. Stockholm's Opera House, which Mark believes is arguably one of the world's most beautiful opera houses TRAVEL FACTS Double rooms at Radisson Blu Royal Viking start from 150 b&b (radissonhotels.com). BA (ba.com) London to Stockholm from 60 return. Advertisement Joanna has a fascination for the Swedish royal family and has watched the 2010 marriage ceremony of Crown Princess Victoria and her personal trainer husband Daniel Westling dozens of times on YouTube. At the time, it was significant that under the terms of the Swedish Act of Succession, Victoria who has admitted to an eating disorder and spent several months in America overcoming it was allowed to marry a commoner. The decision was greeted enthusiastically by the Swedish people, who lined the streets of the capital, as the couple said their vows in the light and airy cathedral, just off the main square. A similarly large crowd must have lined the waterfront in 1628 for the maiden voyage of the 64-gun warship Vasa. The King was there for what was to be a triumphant event, but he, like thousands of others, watched as the ship took on water and sank to the bottom of the Baltic Sea. In the 1960s after 333 years on the seabed the Vasa was salvaged and today the restored ship is the centrepiece of the Vasa Museum. Even if you have no interest in maritime matters, you will come away mighty impressed. Next morning, while Joanna headed for the NK department store, Noel and I took a 50-minute Royal Canal boat trip and listened to the erudite commentary. We learned that 7 per cent of Swedes own a boat; we were shown where Bjorn Borg has an apartment and where a member of Abba (no name mentioned) owns a canalside house. Just up from where we docked, and looking out to the magnificent Royal Palace, is the Opera House. Noel was getting weary so rather than paying for a tour, we blagged our way in to the ballroom where drinks are served during the intervals. 'Good gracious,' said Noel as we looked up at the huge 18th-century cut-glass chandeliers. And at that moment the sun fingered its way into the room triumphantly to start a dancing light show like no other. An inmate, Charlie Franklin Stevenson, at the Bradley County Jail has died after attempting suicide Wednesday evening. At approximately 8:45 p.m. Stevenson was found in his cell, suffering injuries from an apparent suicide attempt. He was found in this condition roughly 40 minutes after the pod officers cell check, which is conducted every hour on the hour. Immediately after discovering the inmates condition, the pod officer called for emergency assistance, receiving an urgent response from several corrections officers. Officers responded by calling 911, administering first aid and performing CPR until EMS approximately six minutes after being notified of the emergency. Stevenson was transported via EMS to Tennova Hospital, at which time, he had a pulse and breathing had returned. He later died. Sheriff Lawson had worked with judges in both sessions and criminal court to temporarily release the inmate from custody so that his family could be present. I came onto the scene at the jail as soon as I was informed what was happening, said Sheriff Lawson. I have reviewed the video footage and my officers reports and can confirm with 100 percent certainty that the corrections officers involved did their job to the best of their ability. I stand by them. Our thoughts and prayers go out to this inmate and his family. Stevenson was taken into custody by the Cleveland Police Department and booked at the Bradley County Jail at 1:58 a.m. on Tuesday. His charges include manufacturing/selling/delivering/possession of Schedule 2 (meth), possession of controlled substance with intent to manufacture/deliver, simple possession/casual exchange and possession of drug paraphernalia. He appeared in Sessions Court at 9 a.m. the same morning of his arrest, at which time the judge assigned a bond of $200,000. He was scheduled to appear in criminal court on Friday, Sept. 18; he was held on no bond for these charges. At the request of Sheriff Lawson, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation conducted an investigation. Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain Gwinnett County Transit driver Mikesha Walker talked to co-workers recently about whether they would participate in a COVID-19 vaccine research trial. They're ideal participants, many researchers say. They spend more time with the public, which puts them at greater exposure to the disease. Many workers are Black, a demographic that is not adequately represented in trials. However, Walker said the drivers are very reluctant to participate. Many feel underappreciated and underpaid for continuing to work during the pandemic. They're also aware of health studies done decades ago, such as the Tuskegee study, which intentionally misled Black male participants about the purpose of the research and the treatment they received. "They're not comfortable at all," said Walker, a union leader. "And it's bad timing with everything going on in the country with Black Lives Matter." Doctors, researchers and community organizations are intensifying their outreach efforts to get more people of color and those considered at greater risk of getting COVID-19such as bus drivers, cafeteria workers, police officers and even pastorsin vaccine treatment studies. A national group of religious and community leaders on Wednesday announced a faith-based initiative to build trust and engage diverse populations in clinical research. The initiative is a program of the COVID-19 Prevention Network, whose efforts will include TV ads encouraging Black and Latino people, among others, to enter the vaccine trials. CNN reported they would air on major television networks as well as BET, the Oprah Winfrey Network, TV One, Telemundo and Univision. Earlier, Emory University researchers held a virtual news conference with reporters Wednesday on the topic. There's scant data detailing the percentage of front-line workers or people considered to be at greater risk of getting the disease. Research shows the percentage of Black and Latino participants in vaccine studies is disproportionately lower in comparison to the rest of the nation. Moderna, the pharmaceutical company involved in vaccine research with Emory University and other organizations, announced last week it is slowing enrollment slightly in its large clinical trial to ensure it has sufficient representation of minority groups at greater risk for the disease. About one-quarter of Moderna's trial participants are Black or Latino, according to its website. In Georgia, Black and Latino people comprise 48% of COVID-19 deaths, according to data gathered from each state by the Kaiser Family Foundation, although these groups make up about 42% of the state's population. "The issue of minority participation in clinical trials is not just in vaccines, it really is in every clinical trial and the point is that the population that is most impacted and most affected needs to be represented in trials," said Dr. Carlos del Rio, an infectious disease expert and executive associate dean of Emory University School of Medicine at Grady Health System. In the Moderna trial the goal is to recruit 30% underrepresented minorities. Henry County-based physician Dr. Nathan Segall has contacted several local companies, the county government there and posted billboards to recruit more of these study participants. "Identifying these individuals and getting them to come in to get vaccinated sooner rather than later, we can save very important time for everyone," he said. DeKalb County resident Charles English is one of Segall's vaccine participants. He's 67, African American and has bronchitis. "I hit all the wrong, high buttons," English said. English received a text message about the study and decided to participate, noting the racial disparities in confirmed cases and deaths. English talked about the distrust many African Americans have about the studies, citing the infamous Tuskegee Experiment. "The minority community does not have a lot of faith in these vaccines because of certain things that have happened in the past," he said. "But we've got to be pioneers in this. We've got to be champions for our people." He's scheduled to receive the second of his two shots next week. For years, Dr. Jayne Morgan, a member of Piedmont Healthcare's Heart Institute Research leadership team, has been worried about the lack of racial diversity in clinical trial studies. The pandemic has heightened those concerns. She points to research showing just two of the 45 participants in an early phase of a COVID-19 vaccine study by Moderna were Black. Morgan said the gap stems largely from the lack of racial diversity in leadership roles among those involved in clinical research, which needs to change. Another recommendation is removing hurdles that make it difficult for many people of color and front-line workers to participate in studies, like lack of transportation, child care and inflexible work schedules. One suggestion is researchers should set up satellite locations closer to participants. Additionally, said Dr. Valerie Montgomery Rice, president and dean of the Morehouse School of Medicine, some minorities may face greater risks of contracting the disease because they may hold essential jobs in the service industries that are low wage and don't offer health insurance or paid sick time, making it more difficult to manage chronic diseases. "The absence of significant participation by Black patients creates not only a hole in the data, but can contribute to less effective treatments with little data on the impact on that specific population," she said. Susan Hurst recently joined an Emory vaccine study because, in part, she wants to do her part in finding a cure. The Marietta resident rattled off the names of several diseases that frightened the public decades agosuch as the measles and chickenpoxand the collective work by scientists and the public to create a vaccine. She has Type 2 diabetes, she's part African American, she's 57 and she's still been coming to work since the coronavirus pandemic began in March. "Those vaccines had to start somewhere, and they couldn't have started at all if there weren't people willing to help, to take the risk, willing to back up science," said Hurst, who received her final vaccine treatment Wednesday. "Worldwide, we all need to pull together and get this done because people are dying." There have been several COVID-19 outbreaks and deaths across the nation tied to church-related events. Although his services are online for now, the Rev. Kenneth L. Samuel, senior pastor of Victory for the World Church in Stone Mountain, considers himself at high risk because of his work. He was tested for COVID-19 after a church member came down with the virus. Samuel's test was negative. Still, he would consider participating in a trial to develop a vaccine. "It's really important for our people and for our community, so if I could do something to help with the process of developing a safe vaccine for our community, that might be a risk I'm willing to take." Samuel, 64, would also encourage his members to consider enrolling in a clinical trial. "I would encourage people, but I know everybody won't," he said. "It's like ingrained in the mindset of Black people when you consider the syphilis injections. Black folks don't want to be guinea pigs and we have been. Even in light of that, if the data is transparent, if the information makes sense, if the research is credible, then I think we can overcome that particular fear." Griffin Lotson hopes to participate in a clinical trial for the vaccine, but doesn't consider himself a hero for doing so. "Finding a vaccine seems to be our only way out," said Lotson, 66, who is Black and a member of the planning and zoning board for the city of Darien in McIntosh County on the South Georgia coast. "We have to slow it down or stop it, and if we don't get enough people to enter the trials, it's going to take that much longer." Lotson understands the need to get more diversity in clinical trials. He said when he went to fill out the paperwork for one trial, nearly everyone in the room was white. The process took hours. He was asked a lot of questions about his health history. He points to the number of African American and Latino people who are getting the virus and dying from it. "We need to make sure that when there is a cure, it's for everybody," he said. Lotson was diagnosed with bronchial asthma when he was younger. His last flare-up was when he was in his 30s and it nearly killed him. He knows he's at greater risk for serious complications, or even death, should he contract the virus. Not everyone supports his decision, including some family members. They raise the Tuskegee incident, but the way Lotson sees it, "that was in the past and these tests are different now in the 21st century." Explore further Follow the latest news on the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak More information: You can go to coronaviruspreventionnetwork.org to enroll in one of the clinical trials to find a vaccine for COVID-19. 2020 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Atlanta, Ga.) Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Neena Gupta got candid about finding love again at the age of 50. Explaining her reason for believing in destiny, she talked about meeting her husband Vivek Mehra on a flight, during a conversation with Neha Dhupia on her chat show No Filter Neha. Opening up about her first meeting with her husband, Neena said, "We met in the plane. He was coming from London, I was coming from London to Bombay. He's based in Delhi but he was coming to Bombay for some work. And, just imagine, that is why I believe so much in destiny and fate. I was in business class - Air India, upstairs. He was somewhere behind, but, one lady wanted him to change his seat and that's how he came and sat besides me. My life would have been so different." The couple wed in a secret ceremony in the US in 2008. Talking about how they tease each other, Neena said, "He keeps telling me all the time your are the one, now I do not fight about that. He says I tricked him and earlier I used to say that he tricked me into the relationship. Now I simply tell him 'Yes I tricked you. Leave if you are unhappy, stay if you are happy.'" On how her life changed after Vivek came into her life, Neena said, "Majorly, majorly (laughs). I've learned sign language because he is always busy on his conference calls. The adjustment took some time but it was very interesting that I let him be, he kind of tried to let me be but he had no alternative. In any case he didn't have time to interfere in my life so it was fine but whenever he got time, then he interfered which I decided I will not interfere. It was very interesting, it was very calming." Neena also shared that the lockdown was the first time she stayed with her husband for four months at a stretch. Talking about work, Neena made her OTT debut with the Netflix series Masaba Masaba, which also stars her daughter Masaba Gupta. The series is based on their lives. ALSO READ: Getty President Donald Trumps advisers warned him as early as late January that the coronavirus pandemic, then taking root in China, could cost countless lives in America. Despite this stark warning, revealed by Bob Woodward in his new book Rage and first reported by CNN, Trump downplayed the pandemicthe exact opposite of what any responsible leader should do, experts told The Daily Beast. As a result, tens of thousands of Americans have died unnecessarily, the same experts said. This will be case study for decades to come in schools of health for how things can go wrong, Anthony Alberg, a University of South Carolina epidemiologist, told The Daily Beast. He has blood on his hands, added Irwin Redlener, the founding director of Columbia Universitys National Center for Disaster Preparedness and a former adviser to Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden. Exactly what Trump understood about SARS-CoV-2, and when, has been the subject of intensive debate since the pathogen first appeared in Wuhan, China, back in December. Some observers assumed Trump truly didnt understand how dangerous the virus was. As recently as May, Trump claimed that the World Health Organization engaged in a cover-up that deceived his administration about the severity of the pandemic. In fact, Robert O'Brien, Trumps national security adviser, told the president the coronavirus could be the biggest national security threat of Trumps administration, according to Woodward. O'Brien's deputy, Matt Pottinger, explained that the virus could mirror the 1918 flu pandemic, which killed 50 million people worldwide. At the same time, OBrien told the public that the virus represented a low risk, we think, in the U.S. Trump did take action in the days following OBrien and Pottingers briefing, imposing some limits on travel from China to the United States. But that measure was pitifully inadequateand totally out of step not only with expert advice, but also with the response of other industrialized countries to the threat of the pandemic. Story continues While countries such as Germany, Taiwan and South Korea banned foreign travelers; mandated social distancing and masks; launched nationwide testing efforts; quarantined infected patients and traced their contact with other people, the U.S. government left public health policies to the stateswhile at the same time Trump actively discouraged social distancing and mask-wearing and publicly attacked public health experts in his own administration. Consider the consequences. Germany has lost 9,400 people to the coronavirus out of a population of 83 million. South Korea, a country of 52 million, has had fewer than 400 COVID fatalities. Taiwan has lost seven people out of 24 million. By contrast, the United States, with a population of 328 million, so far has suffered more than 190,000 COVID deaths. And the U.S. death rate remains high eight months after the virus reached American shores. The blame lies with Trump, Lawrence Gostin, a Georgetown University global health expert, told The Daily Beast. Its very clear what he should have done, Gostin said. He should have ramped up, immediately, our public health infrastructure with a national plan, which would have included surge capacity in hospitals for personal-protective equipment and ventilators. He shouldve, at the time, made sure that we had the capacity for massive testing, contact-tracing and isolation or quarantine, continued Gostin, who once served as an adviser to Hillary Clinton during her ill-fated health care push. And he should have been prepared, if necessary, to give guidance to the states on a national lockdown to keep the outbreak under control. And he should have surrounded himself with reliable, trusted public health experts. He did none of that, Gostin said. If Trump had listened to his advisers and pursued sound public health policies, he would have saved tens of thousands of lives, Redlener told The Daily Beast. If we had the leadership we needed, Im pretty certain we would have been under 100,000 fatalitiesand probably under 50,000 if we had been aggressive from the beginning, Redlener said. Redlener didnt just pull that number out of thin air. In a May study, Redleners Columbia University colleague Jeffrey Shaman and co-authors simulated aggressive, coordinated, counterfactual U.S. responses to the pandemic. They asked what might have happened if Trump had followed expert advice and locked the country down no later than early March. In that case, 35,000 American lives would have been saved through early May, Shaman and his team found. Redlener extended the same calculation through September. We had probably 150,000 potentially unavoidable fatalities because of the incompetence of Donald Trump, he said. The pandemic didnt have to be so bad. Other countries with better leaders avoided the worst outcomes. America has suffered among the worst possible outcomes because, in Trump, America has a weak, dishonest leader, Redlener said. He didnt care, he didnt read, he didnt listen to people. This is criminal negligence, Redlener said of Trump. If he didnt have this thing called sovereign immunity, I would see this as basis for being charged with criminal negligence. But Trump does benefit from sovereign immunity, the legal principle shielding elected leaders from certain kinds of prosecution stemming from actions they take in pursuit of official duties. That means justice should be electoral, not legal, Redlener said. I hope the jury will deliberate on this on Nov. 3. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now! Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more. China: US most dangerous factor working against peace in South China Sea Iran Press TV Thursday, 10 September 2020 7:15 AM China has censured the United States' intervention in territorial disputes in the South China Sea, saying Washington is fomenting tensions and is the "most dangerous" factor working against peace in the strategic region. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi made the remarks through video link with foreign ministers at the 10th summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on Wednesday. "Peace and stability is China's greatest strategic interest in the South China Sea. It is also the common strategic aspiration of China and ASEAN countries," Wang said. "China hopes that countries outside the region, including the United States, will fully respect the wishes and expectations of countries in the region, instead of creating tension and seeking profit from it," he added. Wang said that the US was constantly flaunting military force and strengthening presence in the South China Sea and was becoming the biggest driver of the militarization of the area and the "most dangerous" factor in damaging the regional peace. The top Chinese diplomat said the United States had interfered with the efforts of China and the ASEAN to resolve territorial and maritime disputes through consultation, provoking confrontations between countries in the region. Last month, the US administration blacklisted 24 Chinese companies and individuals over what it claimed were construction and military actions in the South China Sea. The restrictive measures were Washington's first against Beijing over the disputed strategic waterway. The South China Sea is a gateway to major sea routes, through which about 3.4 trillion dollars' worth of trade passes each year. China claims sovereignty over much of the strategic waterway and has since 2014 built artificial islands on reefs and installed military bases on them. Vietnam, Taiwan, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Brunei have overlapping claims with China to parts of the sea. The United States, which sides with Beijing's rivals in the maritime dispute, routinely sends warships and warplanes to the South China Sea to assert what it calls its right to freedom of navigation, ratcheting up tensions among the regional countries. China has constantly warned the US against its military activities in the sea, saying that potential close military encounters between the air and naval forces of the two countries in the region could trigger accidents. Diplomatic relations between Washington and Beijing have dropped to the lowest level in decades since US President Donald Trump came to power. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address BP has broken into the offshore wind market as it battles to go green. The oil major has signed an 850million deal with Norways Equinor (which is also behind the Arkona wind farm in the Baltic, pictured) to buy 50 per cent stakes in two wind farms being developed off the east coast of the US. BP boss Bernard Looney is kicking off a decades-long strategy to turn it into a green energy producer. BP has signed a deal with Norway's Equinor (who is also behind the Arkona wind farm in the Baltic, pictured) to buy stakes in two wind farms being developed off the east coast of the US He said the deal was an important early step in a strategy to increase the power it generates from renewables 20-fold over the next decade. The farms will be built off of New York and Massachusetts and together could generate 4.4 gigawatts, enough to power more than 2m US homes. Construction has not begun yet. The companies think Empire Wind, an 80,000-acre project 15 miles from Long Island, will be generating power in the mid-2020s. Beacon Wind, around 20 miles from Nantucket in Massachusetts, could take longer. MANILA, Philippines The Philippine defense chief told his Chinese counterpart on Friday that Manila will adhere without any possibility of compromise to a 2016 international arbitration ruling that invalidated most of Beijings rival claims in the South China Sea, according to a Philippine statement about the meeting. But the statement was later withdrawn and the contentious comment removed. RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA More Riverside County residents need to get tested for the coronavirus if they want to see increased reopening of local industry sectors. That was the underlying message Thursday from county health officials. "... increased testing supports moving into the next level of the states reopening plan ... that will allow more businesses, as well as schools and places of worship to reopen indoors," read a news release from Riverside University Health System - Public Health. People who don't show symptoms of the virus may not be inclined to get tested, but they are the ones who could influence the metrics used by the state to determine which counties can reopen. While several benchmarks are eyed under California's reopening framework, Riverside County remains in the state's most restrictive tier because of its higher COVID-19 case rate. Under the state's color-coded tiered framework, a COVID-19 case rate of more than seven positive cases per 100,000 population over seven days is too high to support further reopening of the local economy. State data show Riverside County with an 8.6 case rate (per 100,000 population). "Based on the states criteria, increased testing will result in a lower case rate ... ," the RUHS news release stated. Increased testing can also have an impact on the county's positivity rate, which is another metric the state uses to determine reopening. In order to move forward, Riverside County's positivity rate over a seven-day period must be below 8 percent. The county is at 7.8 percent. California's color-coded tiered framework. Riverside County is currently in the most restrictive purple tier. If a lot of residents start getting tested, and their results are negative, that would theoretically push the county's case and positivity rates down, leading to further reopening. (Read more here about which businesses can reopen when Riverside County moves into the red tier.) Story continues While Riverside County has the ability to test 4,000 people a day, only half that number have been getting screened at county and state testing sites in recent weeks, according to RUHS data. Health officials believe this is partly due to more private providers offering antigen and antibody testing, which is not calculated in the states testing metric for active infections, according to the county. Instead, only results from county- and state-operated testing sites are factored. "Thats per rules from the state," said RUHS spokesperson Jose Arballo. "We are actively asking the state to count all antigen tests, both positive and negative results." Antigen tests screen for active infection, while an antibody test may detect whether a person has been previously exposed to the virus. Kim Saruwatari, director of the Riverside University Health System - Public Health, said the county has made a lot of progress in slowing the coronavirus infection rate, but more testing will continue disrupting the spread. At the beginning of the pandemic Riverside County led the state in per capita testing," she said. "We need to pick up our testing again for both the purpose of isolating the sick and to help us safely reopen more parts of our community. Saruwatari said those with and without symptoms are encouraged to get tested, as well as younger people who traditionally have not gotten screened at the same rate as other groups. Testing is for everyone, regardless of immigration status or insurance, available for anyone with or without symptoms, and it is free, said Riverside County Board Chair and Fourth District Supervisor V. Manuel Perez. There are 13 testing sites spread throughout Riverside County, both walk-in and drive-up services. To find locations and make an appointment, go online to gettested.ruhealth.org. County health officials reported Thursday another 133 coronavirus cases and nine additional deaths. The cumulative number of COVID-19 infections recorded since the public health documentation period began in early March now stands at 54,868, along with 1,094 deaths, according to RUHS. There are now 189 patients hospitalized countywide for treatment of the virus, up four from Wednesday. That figure includes 57 people in intensive care units, or five less than the previous day. With coronavirus-related public health mandates keeping businesses closed and forcing changes in consumer behavior, the Inland Empire's business activity plunged 26.5 percent in the second quarter of the year, according to a report released Thursday by the UC Riverside Center for Economic Forecasting. "The second quarter's dismal numbers are largely the result of rigid health-mandated closures and restrictions," according to a statement released by the center, which posts its Inland Empire Business Activity Index on a quarterly basis. The 26.5 percent downward spiral is an annual comparison, based on commercial trade and spending from the same period in 2019. "Certain industries are being affected ... far more severely than others," UCR Center for Economic Forecasting Director of Research Adam Fowler said. "Industries that rely heavily on face-to-face interactions, particularly the leisure and hospitality sector, will continue to be especially constrained as long as control of the virus remains elusive." Throughout Riverside and San Bernardino counties, taxable sales revenue dropped nearly 10 percent between the beginning of April and the end of June, according to the report. The region's unemployment rate hit unprecedented levels in the current century during that time, peaking at 15 percent in May. The Inland Empire Business Activity Index revealed an "enormous strain being placed on families with lower incomes, and with parents who work in certain industries," particularly construction and manufacturing. "Single-parent households and two-parent households where only one parent works which respectively make up nearly 25 percent and 28 percent of all households with children in the region can be at a greater disadvantage because of characteristics surrounding their incomes, work environments and educational backgrounds," according to the report. The authors said they are "cautiously optimistic" about a pickup in business activity as 2020 draws to a close. "Despite the unprecedented declines, the center expects the Inland Empire's broader economic recovery to find its rhythm during the latter half of this year," the report stated. A gradual improvement in conditions can be anticipated because the "shock that set off the crisis" has passed, and "consumers and businesses (are learning) to adjust to the constraints" that are still in place, according to the center. This article originally appeared on the Temecula Patch Members of a LaPlace Knights of Columbus Council went to work Sept. 5 doing what theyre widely known for doing best in the wake of a disaster: cooking. Six members of Ascension of Our Lord Council 9623 left at 5 a.m., traveling to Lake Charles with all the pots and propane cookers, food and seasonings, utensils and serveware needed to put together the 510 hot meals of jambalaya and red beans they handed out to victims of Hurricane Laura. The region's strongest storm in more than a century, Laura made landfall as a category 4 storm with 150 mph winds Aug. 29 in Cameron, about 50 miles from Lake Carles. Its not the first storm-decimated city that council members have hurried toward. We went after Hurricane Michael (in 2018) to Panama City. After Harvey (in Texas in 2017), we went to Denton twice and to Port Arthur, said Lloyd Schexnayder, deputy Grand Knight. The flooding in Baton Rouge we went over after that and cooked. The state K of C Council finds out what people in affected areas need, he explained, and then calls in different councils from across the state to help. In true southeast Louisiana fashion, the LaPlace council has all the equipment, plus the know-how, for big-batch meals. They call us to cook, he said. Other members helping were Early Duhe Jr., Buddy Chauanel, Yancy Forsythe, Doug Hilburn and David Zinicki. On the way there, Schexnayder remembers passing a trailer park that set the tone for what they would be seeing. It was close to the Interstate, he said. Most of the roofs from the trailers were on other side of the Interstate, wrapped around trees in the woods. The group set up in the parking lot of St. Martin De Porres Catholic Church, in the southwestern part of the city. The lot was large and empty, but nearby, debris was everywhere; power lines down everywhere. A few houses had trees that fell on them, Schexnayder said. You could see the power company had trucks go through and start picking up the trees, and see people starting to work on their houses. There were a lot of people working around their houses. Those who came for the meals, which were advertised by radio, were a mix of St. Martin parishioners and others anyone who heard about it was welcome. They all seemed appreciative, but the impact of the disaster was clear. You could tell some were at wits end, and were really emotionally torn up by it, he said. LaPlace Grand Knight Michael A. Abbate Sr. said the group will likely be returning to Lake Charles toward the end of the month to cook, when more residents have returned to the city. Dhaka, Sep 11 : Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has said that her government does not spare anyone involved in crimes, in a bid to stop "the legacy of extra-judicial killings initiated by military dictator Ziaur Rahman and institutionalized by his wife Khaleda Zia". She also asked the nation in her speech in the parliament to remember that extra-judicial killings in Bangladesh started by Rahman as many military officials, Awami League leaders and activists went missing. And afterwards, the extrajudicial killing established in institutional shape, during the tenure of his (Ziaur Rahman) wife Khaleda Zia, Hasina said on Thursday. Hasina, also the Leader of the House said this in her valedictory speech in the 9th session of the eleventh National Parliament when Deputy Leader of the Opposition and Jatiya Party Chairman GM Quader drew her attention to the issue of extrajudicial killings. "You are telling about the extrajudicial killings. But who had initiated it? It started during the tenure of Ziaur Rahman as bodies of our many leaders and activists were not found at that time. And afterwards, it (extrajudicial killing) got institutional shape, during the tenure of his (Ziaur Rahman) wife Khaleda Zia. We tried to stop its continuation," the prime minister said. The sitting of the 9th session started on Thursday morning with Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury in the chair. The premier called upon all to be realistic and constructive in criticizing the law enforcers as they have been working to control drugs, terrorism and militancy by risking their lives, bearing in mind that they (law enforcers) do not lose their zeal in doing so. "At the same time, we have to think that the law enforcement agencies have been working tirelessly to control the narcotics, terrorism and militancy by risking their lives and they have achieved huge success to this end," she continued. She reminded all that her government is not sparing anyone if any (unexpected) incident takes place, saying that they have been taking appropriate measures against the wrongdoers. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text WASHINGTON The unfamiliar voice on my cellphone three weeks ago had the You have been selected greeting that usually signals someone trying to sell you something. But this was no telemarketer. I had been chosen, the woman said, to participate in the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine trial. She introduced herself as Hira Qadir, a clinical research coordinator at George Washington University. I was tediously stirring a roux for the seafood gumbo I was making for dinner, and her startling announcement stopped me cold. In an instant, a dozen emotions ran through me, chief among them fear. In late July, Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, the governments top infectious disease expert, had testified before Congress that volunteers were needed for vaccine trials that were continuing. I had gone to the website www.coronaviruspreventionnetwork.org and filled out the questionnaire with my medical history and personal information. I signed up for a Covid vaccine trial, I texted a group of friends, all reporters with smart mouths on them. But one response gave me pause. Pakistan has rejected India's request to let an Indian lawyer represent Kulbhushan Jadhav's case before the court. Pakistan has said that only 'locally registered lawyers' will be allowed to appear before the bench. Despite India trying to appoint a defence counsel for Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav using diplomatic channels, Pakistan has said that only locally registered lawyers will be allowed to appear before the bench. Geo News on Thursday reported Pakistan Foreign Office Spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri as saying that there was no other option for India but to cooperate with Pakistani courts, which only permitted the appearance of locally registered lawyers before the bench. This comes days after Pakistani media reported that the Islamabad High Court on Thursday gave India another opportunity to appoint a counsel for Kulbhushan Jadhav. The Islamabad High Court adjourned the matter till October 6. Last month, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) of India had said that it has asked Pakistan for Jadhav to be represented by an Indian lawyer for filing a review petition against his death sentence. MEA Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava had said during a virtual briefing that they were in touch with Pakistan through diplomatic channels, they believed in a free and fair trial in keeping with the letter and spirit of International Court of Justice (ICJ) judgment. He added that they had asked that Jadhav be represented by an Indian lawyer. Also read: Foreign Ministers of India, Russia discuss cooperation in nuclear, space sectors, agree to work closely in UNSC Also read: Rajnaths stern warning to China: Rafale induction a big message to those eyeing our territory He had said that however, it was important that Pakistan addressed the core issues and these core issues involved providing all the necessary documents in this case as well as providing unimpeded consular access to Jadhav. India has been asserting that the Pakistani side should provide for an unimpeded, unhindered and unconditional consular access and asked to ensure that the meeting should be held in an atmosphere free from fear of retribution and without the presence of any Pakistani official in the vicinity of Jadhav and the Indian consular officials. Pakistan has also been requested to not record (video and audio) the meeting. The spokesperson has said that any conversation between Jadhav and High Commission officials must necessarily take place in privacy and without the presence of any Pakistani official or recording by Pakistan. Pakistan claims that Jadhav was arrested from Balochistan in 2016 on charges of espionage. India has rejected Pakistans allegations and said he was kidnapped from the Iranian port of Chabahar. In early 2017, a Pakistani military court sentenced him to death. The ICJ upheld Indias claim that Pakistan has committed an egregious violation of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations on several counts. Also read: AstraZeneca CEO promises Covid-19 vaccine by year-end despite pause in trials Cambodia has arrested yet another rights activist for incitement as the United Nations and a major human rights group lambasted the countrys government Friday for repressing voices critical of Prime Minister Hun Sens leadership. Muong Sopheak, the brother of Khmer Student Intelligent League Association president Muong Sony, was arrested on Thursday following a court-ordered warrant and jailed on charges of incitement to provoke social unrest, Phnom Penh Municipal Police spokesman San Sokseiha told RFAs Khmer Service. San Sokseiha did not provide any details about what Muong Sopheak, 24, had done to prompt the arrest and charges. This is a normal procedurewe executed the courts warrant, arrested him, and sent him to the court right away, he said. Muong Sopheak had taken part in a protest organized by youth activists on Sept. 6 at Phnom Penhs Freedom Park and in petitioning the U.S. Embassy to intervene in the cases of other activists who are jailed on similar charges. Koet Saray, a Buddhist monk, and Mean Prommony, vice-president of the Khmer Student Intelligent League Association, were arrested that day, apparently in retaliation for planning a demonstration to call for the release of the president of the Cambodian Confederation of Unions Rong Chhun. Rong Chhun was arrested on July 31 and charged with incitement after publicly claiming that Cambodias government had ceded land to neighboring Vietnam amid a redrawing of their shared border. Muong Sony told RFA that his brother had been arrested without prior notice and that police had yet to officially inform the family. He said Muong Sopheak had broken no law and called his arrest yet another persecution against activists who raise concerns over social issues and demand justice, as well as a form of intimidation against youth campaigners. The arrest shows that the government is concerned, but it should not be because Cambodia is a democratic country, he said. Youths are advocating because they are also nationalists, they are working for the country. The government should have more patience and understanding and encourage them instead. Ny Sokha of local rights group Adhoc said Muong Sopheak had acted in line with the constitution and urged the authorities to stop arbitrarily arresting people who should be provided with the freedom to speak out against injustice. We have reiterated our appeals asking the government to consider releasing and dropping charges against all activists recently arrested and resume seeking solutions to resolve national issues such as land disputes, poverty, and social justice, he said. Government repression Muong Sopheaks arrest came as the U.N.s human rights agency issued a scathing indictment of the Cambodian governments repression of its citizens, calling on authorities to release those arrested for exercising their rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, and association in the country. In a statement on Friday, the Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet said it had documented the arrest of 24 human rights campaigners since Rong Chhun was taken into custody, including eight in September alone. While 13 were released after pledging to refrain from further rights activities, 12 remain in detentionmost of whom face charges of incitement to commit felony, including three environmental activists. Several people have reported receiving threatening phone calls, including death threats, if they dont end their activism, the statement said, while numerous rights campaigners are in hiding for fear of arrest. The Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights said it had documented unnecessary and excessive use of force by security forces against protesters on multiple occasions, as well as intimidation of those taking part in peaceful demonstrations. It also noted an ongoing crackdown against civil society organizations that has seen two groups shut down for incitement and unannounced visits to other by officials under the pretext of checking their registration. The current situation marks a deepening of the Governments intolerance to dissent and repression of the rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association, the statement said, noting that mostly human rights organizations, environmentalists, and human rights defenders have been targeted. We call on the Government to immediately and unconditionally release those detained for their exercise of these rights, and to bring an end to the intimidation of civil society actors. We call on the security forces to stop resorting to unnecessary and excessive force and intimidation against those engaged in peaceful protests. Call for UN resolution Also on Friday, New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) issued a statement calling on Cambodian authorities to immediately drop baseless incitement charges against 14 recently detained youth and environmental activists and unconditionally release them, referring to a group arrested since August that included 11 calling for Rong Chhuns release. The Cambodian authorities latest wave of arrests of activists shows a highly disturbing disregard not only for freedom of expression and assembly, but for land rights and the environment, said Phil Robertson, HRWs deputy Asia director. The authorities should stop misusing penal code provisions on incitement to prevent peaceful critics from making public demands of the government. HRW noted that Cambodia is currently detaining more than 50 people on politically motivated grounds, including activists from the banned opposition Cambodian National Rescue Party (CNRP), youth, environmental activists, and journalists reporting for independent media outlets. The group demanded that the government free all those wrongfully detained and called on Hun Sen to end what it said amounts to a de facto ban on critical protests in the capital. These recurring abuses make it all the more important that the U.N. Human Rights Council adopt a resolution that increases U.N. monitoring and reporting on human rights in Cambodia by the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, Robertson said. This month marked three years since the government ratcheted up a campaign of repression against the CNRP, arresting Kem Sokha in September and banning his party in November that year for its supposed role in an alleged plot to overthrow Hun Sen with U.S. help. The move to dissolve the CNRP marked the beginning of a wider crackdown by Prime Minister Hun Sen on the political opposition, NGOs, and the independent media that paved the way for his ruling Cambodian Peoples Party (CPP) to win all 125 seats in parliament in the countrys July 2018 general election. Reported by RFAs Khmer Service. Translated by Samean Yun. Written in English by Joshua Lipes. Hundreds of thousands of people have been forced to evacuate their homes on the West Coast as wildfires continue to ravage California, Oregon and Washington. Retailers and brands with stores, distribution centers and offices in the region, as well as employees and their homes, are among those affected by the widespread blazes, which federal officials said was caused by triple-digit temperatures, dry offshore winds and thunderstorms over the Labor Day weekend. We do know many families that have lost homes, said Adam Beck, CEO of Becks Shoes, a family-owned and -operated footwear retailer headquartered about seven miles southwest of San Jose, Calif., which is currently engulfed in smoke. Sales have slowed down again, but we continue to connect with our local communities to be a pillar of strength. Unfortunately, we have another couple months of fire danger unless rains come early. In the meantime, the executive chief added that the company is assisting in relief efforts by providing shoes, socks and insoles to those in need. Other businesses have also engaged in similar philanthropic moves: Today, designer John Elliott announced that his namesake brand would donate all proceeds of its made-in-Los Angeles Fire Relief T-shirts to CAL FIRE Strike teams in California as well as the nonprofit California Fire Fund. When I reached out to a lifelong friend, whos the captain of a strike team, we identified some ways to help, Elliott said in a statement. Through my conversation, I was incredibly inspired. Strike Teams, like the one hes currently leading at the border of California and Oregon, are our first line of defense. The heroes that comprise them are actively risking their lives and spending unimaginable time away from loved ones to protect and extinguish these fires. Meanwhile, a couple footwear companies with locations across the states have reported that, while theyre keeping a close eye on weather developments, no staffers, associates or employees that theyre aware of have been directly impacted by the flames. Story continues Its all so unnerving, said Megan Papay, co-founder and designer at Freda Salvador. [I] feel fortunate to share that no one on our team has been directly affected. It is hard to ignore the air quality and scary dark sky, but our heads are down and we are staying positive and focused on things and people that inspire us. The brand has two locations in California one on Fillmore Street in San Francisco and another on Washington Boulevard in Los Angeles. Papay added that the brand would continue with a scheduled launch tomorrow on the Freda Forum marketplace, while its fall collection is still scheduled for release next week. Similarly, Birkenstock Americas CEO David Kahan told FN, All are safe at this time. The shoemakers United States headquarters is based in Novato, Calif., which is currently foggy and seeing orange skies. (Temperatures in the city, however, reached Death Valley-levels of up to 114 degrees on Monday.) According to data from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, the fires termed the August Complex wildfire have spread across about 850,000 acres, making it the largest California wildfire in modern history. They were said to have originated as 38 separate fires, a result of lightning strikes from Tropical Storm Fausto on Aug. 16 and 17. On Aug. 21, Sole Desire Shoes president David Astobiza wrote to FN that the companys location in Northern California was on the states watch list for evacuation. I can tell you from experience that fires really affect business, he said. Evacuations place so many people in chaos, and its absolutely brutal for the communities and now with COVID-19, it makes it so much tougher staying in an evacuation camp or with friends or family. He added, Honestly, we are living a nightmare in California. Im mostly in shock and cant believe it keeps happening. We just have to keep pushing everyday and do our best. With contributions from Jennie Bell and Barbara Schneider-Levy More from Footwear News Sign up for FN's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Experimental and simulation study of the CM formation. Credit: Science (2020). DOI: 10.1126/science.aba8653 A team of researchers from China, the U.S. and Canada has developed a high-yield method for assembling targeted nanoparticle clusters. In their paper published in the journal Science, the group describes their method and possible uses for it. Oleg Gang, with Columbia University has published a Perspective piece in the same journal issue outlining this new effort. Over the past several decades, scientists have learned how to create nanoparticlesparticles of matter that are between 1 and 100 nanometers in diameterfor a wide variety of purposes. They are currently created using one of several techniques. The most popular are attrition, gas condensation, chemical precipitation, hydrothermal synthesis, ion implantation and pyrolysis. Each of these approaches follows similar recipes. Most use packing, in which the arrangement of tiny particles winds up determining the formation of the resultant cluster. For round nanoparticles, chemists use a ligand shell to determine the cluster's final shape. There are also modified packing approaches to create more complex products. In this new effort, the researchers have come up with a way to create targeted nanoparticle clusters that can be used to produce high-yield products. Their approach is based on the delocalized strategy, which means it uses polymer-mediated reactions and interactions as a means of binding the elements that are used to make the clustersin their case, two kinds of gold particles that are used to create spherical nanoparticles. It also involves grafting co-polymers (either base or acid) to the surface of the particles. Doing so allows for controlling the arrangement and number of reactive groups, and the addition of a chain on the exterior of the resultant cluster is used for repulsion between shells. Notably, the bonding process during synthesis is controlled by ligand length while the arrangement of the particles that are bonded is controlled by electrostatic repulsions. Both parameters can be fine-tuned to customize the clusters that are formed. Gang suggests the new method should allow for the assembly of desired classes of nanoparticles in a relatively easy manner. He also notes that the method can be modified for use in creating more complex clusters and thus nanoparticle-based materials. Explore further Cutting nanoparticles down to size More information: Chenglin Yi et al. Self-limiting directional nanoparticle bonding governed by reaction stoichiometry, Science (2020). Journal information: Science Chenglin Yi et al. Self-limiting directional nanoparticle bonding governed by reaction stoichiometry,(2020). DOI: 10.1126/science.aba8653 2020 Science X Network NC school removes Bible verses from student planners donated by local church Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment A public school in North Carolina stirred controversy after it removed Bible verses printed on the back of student planners that a local Baptist church paid thousands of dollars to have printed to give out to students for the 2020-'21 school year. The school district said it had no choice but to remove the verses because of the separation between church and state. Sulphur Springs Baptist Church in Hiddenite spent more than $2,000 printing planners for students at East Alexander Middle School. Originally, the planners featured two Bible verses on the lower part of the back covers. In an interview with The Christian Post, Sulphur Springs Baptist Associate Pastor of Youth and Children James Safrit explained that he decided to print the planners after speaking with EAMS Principal Kristie Love earlier this summer. Safrit said he always contacts the school, which is located near his church, at the beginning of the year to ask them if theres anything that we can do to help them. I called the middle school, talked to the principal, and she had a couple of requests for the school, he said. She requested flash drives for every student to transport work back and forth as well as the planners. Regarding the planners, Safrit maintained that Love told him that we could do whatever we wanted because we were providing them. Printed on the back covers were the words of Philippians 4:13 (I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me) and Jeremiah 29:11, where the Lord shares plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future. I didnt ask her if we could do a verse because at the time, we werent even thinking about putting a verse on there, he explained. When Safrit and the church decided to put Bible verses on the back cover of the planners, he didn't think there would be any impact. It wasnt a mandatory gift for every kid. It was just provided if they wanted it, the youth pastor said. But before distributing the planners to students, school personnel cut out the Bible verses, leaving a portion of the back covers missing. She didnt ask for a proof or anything to see what it looked like, Safrit added. In hindsight, I probably should have let her look at it before the planners were printed. Alexander County Schools defended its decision to remove the Bible verses from the student planners. It is an individual students right to share their beliefs religious or otherwise, but not the public schools role to indoctrinate them with any religious teachings, the school district said in a statement to local media outlets. In an interview with CBS News affiliate WBTV, Alexander County Schools Executive Director Alisha Cloer said separation between church and state prevented the school from distributing the planners with the Bible verses on them. We cant break the law, Cloer said. The decision comes as national secular legal organizations like Freedom From Religion Foundation and others have regularly threatened schools and government entities with lawsuits over perceived endorsements of religion. Sulphur Springs Baptist Church responded to the removal of the Bible verses in a statement on its Facebook page. As a church we understood we could provide planners for EAMS and could print our logo and an uplifting message, the statement reads. We realize there was a misunderstanding on our part as well as on Principal Loves part. We had no intentions of hurting our relationship with EAMS by putting the 2 Bible verses on the back of the planner. Sulphur Springs Baptist Church and EAMS are on the same team helping our communities in whatever way we can, the statement continued. We love Alexander County and the EAMS community. Safrit told CP that he's eager to put the misunderstanding behind them and maintain a really good working relationship with the school. As part of this relationship, Sulphur Springs Baptist Church also hosts a tutoring ministry for EAMS students. Weve been doing this for about a year-and-a-half now, the pastor explained. And so last year, we averaged about 50 kids from the school. In a subsequent Facebook post, the church announced that it would be resuming its tutoring ministry in two weeks. The ministry enables EAMS students to access help with homework and fast reliable internet every Wednesday from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. In addition to maintaining a relationship with the middle school, Sulphur Springs Baptist Church has also worked with the local elementary school. Every year I try to go to our local elementary school and middle school because theyre right next to our church, close by in proximity, Safrit said. Myself, as well as two other churches, provided all the school supplies for the local elementary school so none of the parents had to buy anything, he said. As a church and as churches, we were looking at ways that we could help out in our community. In the past, public schools have faced lawsuits from secular and atheist legal groups over the presence of religious displays on school grounds as those organizations contend that such displays violate the Establishment clause of the First Amendment. In 2014, a school in West Virginia painted over a Bible verse that was displayed on the walls of its gymnasium after receiving a complaint letter threatening a potential lawsuit from the Wisconsin-based FFRF. In 2017, an Indiana school district secretary was forced to remove a Bible citation from her email signature after FFRF sent a complaint letter demanding its removal. Earlier that year, A New Mexico public school painted over a mural that featured an inspirational verse from 'Hebrews 6:19 after a demand letter from FFRF. In 2012, a Rhode Island high school was forced to remove a prayer banner after a student at the school filed a joint complaint with the American Civil Liberties Union. The banner was later replaced by a secular mural. Authorities say the explosions occurred at a military warehouse where unuseable mortar bombs were being dismantled. A series of massive explosions rocked the Jordanian city of Zarqa early on Friday, but there were no initial reports of casualties and authorities said the blasts were probably caused by an electrical short circuit at a nearby military munitions depot. Huge orange flames lit the desert night sky after the explosions sparked a large fire east of Jordans second-largest city. The flames could be seen as far away as the capital, Amman, 35km (22 miles) to the southwest. Amjad Adailah, spokesman for Jordans government, said the blasts occurred in a warehouse containing unuseable mortar bombs belonging to the armed forces. .. # pic.twitter.com/cbwz1BC9La Khaberni (@khaberni) September 10, 2020 No injuries have been recorded so far, he said, adding that initial investigations show the explosion was caused by an electric circuit in army ammunition depots that are in an isolated and unpopulated area and under camera surveillance. However, an army source told Reuters news agency on condition of anonymity that some of the weapons at the site were precision-guided anti-aircraft missiles. Jordans army acknowledged that there had been an explosion in one of the ammunition depots which is being dismantled near the city of Zarqa. It added in a statement that a committee has been set up to determine the causes of the explosion. The desert area where the explosions took place houses several major US-equipped army bases including an airfield built in 2018. Following the explosions, security forces sealed off Zarqa, a sprawling industrial city of 1.5 million people, and prevented traffic from leaving or entering. Journalists wanting to travel through Zarqa to the blast site about 10km (6.2 miles) to the east were prevented from doing so. We felt like an earthquake had struck. Our windows shook and glass shattered. My kids started crying, Zarqa resident Nabila Issa told Reuters. Three of the men charged in the killings of two Glassboro residents will remain jailed pending trial, a Superior Court judge ruled Friday. Shantal Farrow, 36, and Manuel DelaRosa Jr., 26, were found shot to death in their Warrick Avenue residence on Aug. 19 and prosecutors say four defendants conspired in what began as a home invasion robbery. Devon J. Conover and Abdelgadi H. Hassan, both 19-year-old Trenton residents, and Daniel P. Hall, 23, of Teaneck, are each charged with two counts of murder, felony murder, conspiracy to commit murder and robbery, along with weapons offenses. Altaifjoe H. Hassan, 23, of Glassboro, is charged with two counts each of conspiracy to commit murder, conspiracy to commit felony murder and conspiracy to commit robbery. Conover told investigators that he went to the victims' home with the intent to rob the victims of money and marijuana, according to court records. Conover and the Hassan brothers appeared for detention hearings Friday afternoon and Halls hearing was moved to Monday. He remains jailed pending that appearance. During the virtual hearings, in which the defendants appeared from jails in Salem and Atlantic counties, Gloucester County Assistant Prosecutor Rex Utuk described evidence against the men, including cellphone location data, call records, photos recovered from cell phones of some defendants, surveillance camera footage and statements from witnesses. He cited the danger the defendants pose to the community if they are released, particularly to witnesses in the ongoing investigation. The four defendants are also charged in another home invasion robbery that occurred on Franklin Road in Glassboro the day before the killings. Two victims were assaulted by a pair of gun-toting men who made off with $700 in cash and a Movado watch. Authorities allege the Hassan brothers were the masked intruders in that case. Utuk noted that Conover admitted his involvement in both home invasions and pointed to cellphone records placing him in the area on the night of the killings. He also cited phone calls Abdelgadi Hassan made to Conover from jail, telling him to get rid of evidence. Surveillance footage placed a Ford Taurus registered to Abdelgadi Hassan on Warrick Avenue around the time of the crime. A revolver identified as a murder weapon in the killings was found in his home and masks, gloves and clothing matching what the intruders wore in the first home invasion were found in his car, Utuk said. Multiple photos found on a cellphone show Hall in the home of another of the suspects about an hour before the killings in possession of three firearms consistent with the weapons used the night of the homicide, according to his affidavit of probable cause. Hall was identified by a co-defendant as one of the shooters involved in the killings, his complaint states. Abdelgadi Hassans complaint mentions similar photos showing him in possession of two firearms, and both men are described as posing with a revolver thats consistent with the gun identified as the murder weapon. Utuk described Altaifjoe Hassan as the link between the victims in both cases and the co-defendants, saying that he was friends with the victims, according to multiple witnesses, and had exchanged text messages with one of the victims in the first home invasion hours before that crime. Altaifjoe Hassans vehicle, described as a black Honda, was seen on surveillance video near both crime scenes around the times of the incidents, Utuk added. Emeka Igwe, attorney for Altaifjoe Hassan, called the states case against his client weak. Unlike the other co-defendants, there are no incriminating pictures of my client, theres no incriminating jailhouse conversations, the search warrant did not have any items in my clients room, no murder weapon, no proceeds from the robbery, Igwe said. I think its clear that evidence against my client is certainly very weak at the most and were confident were going to prevail at trial. Hassan was a Rowan University student for three years, has no criminal record and has been a model citizen, Igwe said. The fact that he was a student at the university cuts both ways, Superior Court Judge Michael Silvanio observed, since he is the only defendant who lives locally and knew the victims. It appears as though hes the only one with actual contact or connection to the victims in this matter, which would lead one to believe that he was the impetus for setting up the incidents that occurred to all four of these victims by notifying his brother and the co-defendants and having them come down and help him ..." Obviously, hes not just an innocent bystander he actually has involvement, Silvanio said. Theres more than enough overwhelming evidence, at least at this time in this courts eyes, to connect him to both of these incidents. In arguing for pre-trial release, Abdelgadi Hassans attorney, Ross Gigliotti, said his client lives with his parents, works full-time as a truck driver and has no prior criminal history. Conovers attorney, Arun Lavine, said her client was a good student with strong family ties in Trenton, lives with his mother and step-father, and has no prior record, apart from a pending marijuana charge in municipal court. His mother vowed to keep a close eye on him if he is released, Lavine added. She said if he is released she will keep him under lock and key as if he is in jail in her house. Silvanio wasnt swayed by any of the arguments in favor of release for the three defendants, citing the strength of the states cases against the men and the potential for witness tampering if they are released. He also noted that, if convicted, Conover and Abdelgadi Hassan face life sentences and Altaifjoe Hassan faces a lengthy prison term, meaning they pose a flight risk. All three are slated to return to court Nov. 5 for pre-indictment conferences. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Matt Gray may be reached at mgray@njadvancemedia.com. While he wasnt held criminally responsible for starting more than a dozen fires in downtown Welland including one at city hall the suspicious fires stopped after the man was arrested, court heard Friday. The police said the fires around downtown Welland stopped, and it could be by coincidence, while Mr. Greenwood was in custody, assistant Crown attorney Holly Nickel said in Ontario Court of Justice in St. Catharines. Shane Greenwood, 33, was originally charged with two counts of arson. In court Friday he pleaded guilty to two counts of mischief under $5,000 and was placed on probation for 18 months. According to a news release issued by Niagara Regional Police at the time of his arrest, there were 15 emergency calls for fires at various locations in the Rose City from mid-June to early July. Court heard Greenwood is a homeless individual and is well-known to police. He has had some 248 recorded interactions with law enforcement. Emergency crews were called to city hall June 28 and found a small fire at the rear of the building. At the time of the fire, police determined, the defendant had been burning plastic covering and insulation from wires in order to sell the metal for scrap. Greenwood did the same thing the following week at the rear of a pharmacy. In that case, a pallet of aluminum tiles were set ablaze as he tried to strip the wires. At the time of the arrest, the deputy chief of the Welland fire department said the fires, which were all set within a few kilometres of the downtown core, could have had catastrophic consequences local business and vulnerable people living in the area. The answer can be found in the pages of Gunsmoke: An American Institution. The book was originally published in 2005 to commemorate the series 50th anniversary, but a special 65th anniversary edition is available this year through Story Monsters LLC. The updated version, which includes a summary of every episode, features fresh material from author and Gunsmoke historian Ben Costello. To learn more about the book or the author, visit gunsmokebook.com. In honor of the anniversary and the continuing presence of Gunsmoke (reruns air on MeTV and INSP; episodes are available on CBS All Access), here are 10 things you might find interesting in the book. 1. John Wayne introduced Gunsmoke to the world. He appeared in a segment prior to the premiere and said, Its the best thing of its kind to come along, and I hope youll agree with me. Wayne, who said he wished he was in Gunsmoke, told viewers there was only one man for the job and thats James Arness. Hes a young fella and may be new to some of you, but Ive worked with him and like him and I predict hell be a big star. So you might as well get used to him, like youve had to get used to me. And now Im proud to present my friend James Arness in Gunsmoke. The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has assured travellers of fair treatment under the new visa regime. NIS spokesperson, Sunday James, who disclosed this in a statement on Friday in Abuja, also promised to respect the fundamental rights of every traveller to the country. Mr James said that the service will continue to practise citizens diplomacy with the new visa regime. As a committed service, we will continue to practise citizens diplomacy both towards Nigerians and foreigners regardless of passport but on merit and integrity. The quality of a national passport is not only in good finishing and look, but what determines its acceptance to the global communities is more on the integrity of the citizens which rubs on the integrity of the passport they are holding. Acceptance evaluation of Nigerian passport as a travel document and citizens integrity determines how many countries will allow a Nigerian citizen entry into their country under which condition and for how long, he said. Mr James said that the NIS has uploaded 150,000 Stolen and Lost Travel Documents (SLTD) to the database of the International Police Global System (IPSG) as effort to checkmate visa crimes. In the light of the above, Mr James said that Nigeria has been rated the 1st country in Africa and 54th in the world to automate its uploading system. To have uploaded such quantity is an indication that the NIS is not resting on its oars and the information 24/7 centre of the service is working around the clock accessing diffusions from the INTERPOL General Assembly. This is to analyse, interrogate and interpret for domestic consumption and international actions to be taken. The result of such analysis, interrogation and interpretation is the upload of the 150,000 Stolen and Lost Travel Documents which by implication puts Nigeria on ascension on global podium of integrity, secured economy and safe for investment. This is also an indication that the NIS system is working to detect, identify and classify the various passports that were invalidated, stolen, lost, fake and tampered with, he said. Mr James said that the fight against identity theft was part of the reason for the change from the colonial passport, hand written, Machine Readable Passport (MRP) to the e-passport. He said that the enhanced e-passport has over 25 security features, among other factors. READ ALSO: According to him, this is to guarantee the safety of the holder and document in line with President Muhammadu Buhari on Feb. 4, officially presented the National Visa Policy 2020 (NVP) to the public at the State House, Villa. The new visa regime is aimed at creating new visa categories for ease of doing business. The NVP 2020 expands the classes of visa from six to 79, to accommodate additional travel requirements for expatriates intending to travel to Nigeria. The NVP 2020 classifies travelers to Nigeria into two broad categories: Visa Free / Exemption and Visa Mandatory. The new classes are categorised into Short Visit Visas (28 classes) which allow foreigners to visit Nigeria for a period of up to three months, for the purpose of tourism and short business meetings, amongst others. Other are Temporary Residence Visas (36 classes) which allow individuals to reside in Nigeria for the purposes of employment, accompanying employed migrants and schooling, amongst others. Another is the Permanent residence Visas (15 classes) which confer permanent residence status on spouses of Nigerian citizens, Nigerians by birth who have renounced their Nigerian citizenship, and their spouses, investors who import an annual minimum threshold of capital, highly skilled individuals and some classes of retirees. Photo: Chip Somodevilla via Getty Images On Tuesday, Facebooks Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg said in an interview with Axios on HBO that Apple has unilateral control of what gets on its App Store. Facebook CEO thinks that Apple deserve scrutiny as the unilateral control of the company over the App Store could damage competition. During the interview, Zuckerberg was asked whether Apples App Store is a monopoly or not. He replied that he certainly thinks that Apple has unilateral control over what gets on the iPhone in terms of applications.Zuckerberg said in the interview that it is probably nearly 50% of US citizens who own smartphones and a lot more individuals across the globe. He said that there are over one billion Apple devices. He added that he does think that there are questions that users should be looking into about that control of the company over its App Store. It is worth noting that Facebook as well as Apple are under antitrust investigation, and both Facebook CEO Zuckerberg and Apple CEO Tim Cook appeared before the United States House Judiciary Committee in July.When he was asked that if the App Store should be investigated, he replied that he thinks that he is not necessarily the person to answer this question. However, Zuckerberg said that he believes some of the behavior certainly raises questions and Apple deserves scrutiny.Then, Facebooks Chief Executive Officer praised Google allowing Android users to install applications from sources other than its own Play Store. He said that if a developer is not in the Play Store, they still have ways to get their application on the devices of people.Apple has been facing high-profile challenges during the past few months to App Store policies that force app developers to use Apples payments system for purchases made within the app. Apple charges a 30% commission on each in-app purchase, and Facebook publicly criticized Apple last month. On 14 August of this year, Apple refused to waive the commission for a new tool offered by Facebook aimed at helping small businesses. Then on August 27, the social media giant announced that the company tried to tell iOS users that Apple will take 30% of their payment in the new tool. However, Apple blocked this update too, and said that this new update had irrelevant information. Moreover, in August of this year, Facebook CEO stated in an internal company webcast said Apples App Store allows the company to charge monopoly rents.Read next: Facebooks New Initiative Will Help Improve Digital Literacy Among People Touting the success of the Paycheck Protection Program, officials with the U.S. Small Business Administration toured several Flagstaff businesses on Wednesday. The officials made stops at Proper Meats and Provisions, Lowell Observatory, Northland-Rural Therapy Associates and Aspen Veterinary Clinic, all part of a listening tour to hear how the program worked for businesses and what challenges businesses encountered. By the time the second phase of the program ended in early August, it had provided over $500 billion through 5.2 million loans to businesses across the country, many of which may be forgiven. Even so, $130 billion remaining in the program is ready for a potential phase three of the program should Congress give the OK. So the question is, are there more businesses that need it and, because it was supposed to be a temporary fix and [the pandemic] is going longer, are there businesses that might need a second bite at the apple? Michael Vallante, associate administrator for the SBA Office of Field Operations, said during the visit to Northland Therapy -- which provides therapy services to children and families with special needs and learning disabilities. Vallante said because the crisis has gone on for much longer than anticipated, it's likely a third infusion of money to businesses could be necessary. The U.S. economy has been improving somewhat, with decreases in the unemployment rate, but long-term effects of the crisis remain, Vallante said. And that's without considering the possibility of new outbreaks of COVID-19 forcing additional shutdowns. You know, the one quick shot of infusion was good, but [small businesses] are going to need something that's more sustained to get them adjusted to the new way they do businesses, Vallante said. When and if that occurs, the lessons learned when putting in place the Paycheck Protection Program earlier this year should mean a more smooth process for business owners, Vallante said. For example, Vallante said while small and local banks and credit unions really stepped up to provide loans to their communities, larger institutions were slower on the uptake. The program has also received criticism for the amount of money that ended up with large corporations that had not been significantly impacted by the pandemic, and for some instances of fraud. Northland-Rural Therapy Associates co-owner Tom Cosner said they received about $300,000 during the second phase of the program, with over 90% of that money being used to continue paying their 40 employees. That definitely was a huge, huge relief for us. And we were able to continue paying people probably longer than we would have initially intended, Cosner said, adding that because they work with schools, the summer months are already slow. Much of their business is done with schools and across the county and tribal lands. As the pandemic began, that business disappeared. Now, as school begins, Cosner said they have seen about 50% of that business return. Cosner said they got their loan, which they are now hoping to get forgiven, through Chase Bank. Listening tours such as the visit to Flagstaff will also help any future efforts, said Office of Rural Affairs and Regional Administrator Daniel Nordberg. Their Flagstaff listening tour is no anomaly either, Nordberg said. Across the country, SBA officials are visiting cities and touring businesses to hear from those who received loans. And Nordberg emphasized the achievement that the Paycheck Protection Program represented. Within just a matter of days, this multi-billion dollar loan program was up and running. This was done under the leadership of the Trump administration, in partnership with the leadership of the Congress, to help small businesses across this country retain their employees so that they can continue to serve the communities that they're integrally part of, Nordberg said. It is not an overstatement to say this is the most consequential economic rescue recovery package that the Congress has ever done. Love 1 Funny 1 Wow 1 Sad 1 Angry 2 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. European Stroke Organisation (ESO) and Stroke Alliance for Europe (SAFE) initiated the implementation phase of the Stroke Action Plan for Europe 2018-2030, with a virtual meeting of over 80 experts from 52 countries, each involved within their national scientific societies or stroke support organisations. The Stroke Action Plan sets targets for 2030 that include a major reduction in new strokes, stroke unit care as first level of care, and national plans for stroke services. At present, less than half of all patients with stroke in Europe receive appropriate care, with large inequalities between and within countries. By adopting evidence based principles of prevention and care, the burden of stroke in Europe can be substantially reduced with large cost savings for the society. In his introduction, ESO President Prof. Martin Dichgans, Munich reinforced the initiative's overall goal of creating a framework that will assist countries to improve stroke care across Europe. Only with the involvement, collaboration and joint effort of you, the representatives of national scientific societies and patient organisations, that this aim can be achieved." Martin Dichgans, President Professor, European Stroke Organisation The SAP-E Steering Committee presented detailed insights regarding the preparation work and achievements to date as well as an outlook for the upcoming years. Arlene Wilkie, SAFE Director General, identified the major unmet needs from the perspective of patients and carers in the different regions of Europe. Prof. Hanne Christensen, Copenhagen outlined how the Stroke Action Plan shall be implemented on a national level. "By signing a SAP-E declaration, Ministries of Health, Stroke Support Organisations and Stroke Scientific Societies commit to support and act proactively within the plan in their countries to reach the targets of SAP-E". Components of the plan include prevention, care, surveillance, and monitoring of key performance indicators across Europe. As a pan-European initiative, SAP-E will convene authorities, health care providers and patients together to reduce the burden of stroke by a collaborative and systematic effort. The SAP-E is the largest stroke project ever undertaken in Europe. WASHINGTON - Fearing a coming cash crunch, President Donald Trump's campaign has pulled back from television advertising over the last month, ceding to Democratic nominee Joe Biden a huge advantage in key states and sparking disagreements over strategy among the president's senior team. Republican officials have been inundated with calls from worried activists and donors who complain about constant Biden ads in their local media markets, with very few paid Trump responses, according to people familiar with the conversations. Some Republicans close to Trump have been baffled at the decision to sharply curb advertising and have told the president he should change course. The complaints have upended the dynamics that dominated much of the race so far. With less than eight weeks before Election Day, the once lean Biden campaign is flush with cash, while the massive Trump operation is facing tough budgetary decisions down the stretch that have increased tensions around the president. Among those worried is Republican National Committee Chair Ronna McDaniel, who recently told the president she was concerned his ads were not on television in states such as Michigan and Florida where Biden was blanketing the airwaves, according to people familiar with the conversation. The president shared the concern, according to the officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations. The decision to slash spending has been ordered by Trump's new campaign manager, Bill Stepien, who has been restructuring the budget since taking over the campaign operation in July, after it had already spent nearly $1 billion. Stepien has told others that cutting the ad budget was necessary because it was impossible to cut other spending, such as staffing or a campaign headquarters. He has described facing difficult choices, as he tries to save considerable money for the final 30 days before the Nov. 3 election. The moves have resulted in an enormous short-term advertising benefit for Biden, who maintains a polling lead in most of the battleground states. Between Aug. 10 and Sept. 7, Biden's campaign spent about $90 million on television ads, more than four times the $18 million spent by the Trump campaign, according to tracking by a Democratic firm. Trump-aligned outside groups made up some of the difference, spending an additional $28 million, compared with about $16 million by groups backing Biden. But the outside spending did not eliminate the Democratic advantages in competitive states. Even with the outside group spending, Democrats have been able to dominate the airwaves where the election will likely be decided. Between Aug. 10 and Sept. 7, pro-Biden efforts outspent pro-Trump efforts by a margin of $9.3 million to $560,000 in Michigan, $17.7 million to $6.1 million in Pennsylvania and $20.5 million to $7.8 million in Florida. Stepien, in a statement to The Post, dismissed complaints about his strategic decisions. "Four years ago, those of us on the 2016 campaign got used to tuning out the Beltway experts questioning why we were spending so much time in Scranton, why we were buying fewer ads on television and more on digital and why we were making one last trip to Wisconsin," he said. "We're pretty pleased with the outcome of those decisions and the President's team is similarly confident in our approach this time around." Trump campaign officials noted they have a far more robust ground game than Democrats and a candidate who travels far more often and generates far greater media interest, in their view lessening the need for paid advertisements. Republicans working on Senate and House races, however, have been alarmed, as they have seen Democrats take over the airwaves in parts of the country where lower-ranking candidates are depending on the president to carry them to victory. "There is actually a lot of frustration out there with the Trump campaign being dark, especially in places like Arizona and North Carolina," said a Republican strategist, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss private conversations. "Those two places have big Senate races." At the heart of the tension in Trump's orbit are disagreements over what share of campaign spending should go toward getting out the vote on the ground versus spent on television and how much money the campaign should expect to raise from donors in the final weeks of the campaign - along with how serious their financial problems could become. The president's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, a senior White House adviser, continues to oversee the campaign's major financial decisions, and has signed off on Stepien's new approach after previously backing spending sanctioned by his predecessor, Brad Parscale, who was demoted by Trump this summer. Parscale's planning had assumed a large influx of smaller, online donations at the end of the campaign, which Stepien is less certain will arrive, say officials familiar with the discussions. In August, Trump raised only $210 million compared with $364.5 million for Biden's operation. Parscale, who compared the campaign he built to the "Star Wars" Death Star, has told others the campaign has plenty of money and that he made spending decisions in conjunction with Kushner and the Trump family - and that they needed to spend money early to keep the president in the race. Parscale also argued that it was important to spend money early because so many Americans are voting by mail this year. A person familiar with senior campaign discussions said the disparity in television spending was the result of different electoral strategies between the two campaigns. "Our notion here is that we have twice as much television as we had last time, we have more on digital and because of all the money we have spent on data, we believe we will be much more efficient," the person said on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations. "The biggest difference between the Biden campaign and our campaign is we have a super aggressive ground game." The Trump campaign has opened more than 280 offices around the country, compared with no dedicated offices for the Biden campaign, though the Biden campaign has been doing similar work virtually. The president has been annoyed with some of Parscale's spending but has told other advisers he wants to keep Parscale on the team and doesn't want him to go "off the reservation," in the words of one senior campaign adviser. Republican officials have not said how much money the campaign currently has in the bank, but several said a significant war chest remains. "We have built the largest field operation in the history of politics during the pandemic. We haven't had to slow down. That alone speaks to the fact we're not worried about cash flow at the RNC," said Richard Walters, chief of staff at the RNC. But other Trump campaign officials said Stepien has been forced to clean up a disorganized accounting plan left behind by Parscale. They said Stepien did not know where all the money was going, and they had to spend weeks putting together a formalized budget. Stepien told others the campaign had wasted too much money on things that were not central to winning the election. Stepien, for his part, said he inherited "a strong team." "We will have the resources and plan we need to win," Stepien said. Trump's team has been playing defense between mid-August and early September, spending $3.8 million in Georgia and $1.4 million in Iowa, states recently won by Republicans where Democrats spent nothing. Biden, meanwhile, was up on the air in $2.7 million in Nevada, which has lately gone to Democrats, without opposition. Among hotly contested states, Biden spent more than six times as much as Trump in Arizona, and nearly three times as much in North Carolina during the same period, forcing Republican SuperPACs to come in to close the gaps. The disparity is set to continue going forward, as the Trump campaign has continued to pull down reservations in important states in recent weeks. Reservations reported Wednesday for the week of Sept. 15-21 projected more than $30 million in ads to help Biden, compared with $21 million in ads to help Trump. Trump continues to outspend Biden online, according to data collected by Bully Pulpit Interactive, a Democratic firm, spending $59 million on Facebook and Google between Aug. 8 and Sept. 5, compared with $43.3 million by Biden. But much of the digital spending for both campaigns is aimed at non-swing states like California, New York or Texas, suggesting the ads are focused on fundraising, not persuading voters or driving turnout. In a statement to The Post, McDaniel offered words of support for Stepien's oversight of the campaign. "Bill is doing an excellent job leading the campaign," she said. "His data-driven approach has put President Trump in a strong position to win." Democratic strategists believe that the Trump campaign's decision to pull television advertising in part reflects a calculation that more of Trump's voters will turn out on Election Day than Biden voters. Biden's strategists are more focused on driving early voting among his partisans. In a conference call last week, Biden campaign manager Jen O'Malley Dillon said the Biden campaign was planning to spend more resources earlier in the fall to encourage a surge of early and mail-in voting, departing from the strategy of a typical campaign which ramps up spending to peak just before Election Day. "This is an election unlike any other," she said. "We've really frontloaded a lot of our programming so that we are hitting voters now, we are hitting them assuming they are going to be voting early." The person familiar with senior-level Trump campaign discussions said the Democratic assumptions were accurate, and that Republicans expect most of their voters will vote later in the cycle. "Our people overwhelmingly want to vote in person, while you're going to see a lot of Democrats vote by mail," said Mike Reed, a spokesman for the Republican National Committee. OTTAWAWE Charity says it will hand over documents it promised to provide to a House of Commons committee whose investigation was disrupted when Prime Minister Justin Trudeau prorogued parliament amidst a conflict of interest controversy that has dogged his government. Conservative MPs on the finance committee that was studying the controversy have been pressing WE Charity to release the documents, which are expected to include among other things precise details on how much the Toronto-based organization paid members of Trudeaus family for appearing at its events. In an interview with the Star, Conservative MP Michael Barrett said he wanted to ensure that WE Charity submits all the documents it agreed to provide even after the organization announced Wednesday that it would shutter its Canadian operations. The decision came in the wake of a political firestorm over the governments decision to outsource the $544-million Canada Student Service Grant (CSSG) program to WE, despite the organizations ties to the families of the prime minister and his then-finance minister, Bill Morneau. The Commons ethics commissioner is now investigating both men under the Conflict of Interest Act a law that Trudeau has already broken twice as prime minister. Its clear that the CSSG, from its inception to its cancellation, has been a disaster, Barrett said. At this point, our focus remains getting answers for Canadians. We want to ensure that the documents that were committed by (WE co-founders Marc and Craig Kielburger) to committee, and documents that were requested from the Kielburgers by the committee that those are preserved and remitted to the House in a timely fashion, he said. Barrett and Conservative MP Pierre Poilievre wrote an open letter to the Kielburgers on Aug. 30 demanding the documents, which include according to a tally of what was promised crafted by independent public servants in the parliamentary library precise details of how much money WE has paid members of Trudeaus family to appear at its events over the years, as well as further details about communications between various government ministers and staff in the weeks before the grant program was awarded to the organization. At the time, The Canadian Press reported that a lawyer for WE appeared to reject the request, stating the committee studying the contract ceased to exist when Trudeau prorogued parliament on Aug. 18. On Thursday, however, a WE spokesperson told the Star by email that Yes, once there is a new committee, WE Charity will be pleased to provide the documents that have been requested. Liberal MPs on the committee including chair Wayne Easter did not respond to requests for comment from the Star Thursday about the future of its student grant investigation. In the wake of the news that WE Charity, will close its Canadian operations, Conservatives and New Democrats were quick to stress that they wont let the decision dampen the controversy. In a post on social media, Poilievre was combative. WE closure changes nothing, he wrote on Twitter. Finance Committee will resume once Parliament opens. You can run but you cant hide. In Brampton, on Thursday, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh alleged Trudeaus decision to prorogue parliament amid the WE controversy could jeopardize pandemic emergency benefits for more than 1 million people. The Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB), which pays people who lost work during the pandemic $500 a week, is set to expire on Oct. 3. The Liberals have pledged to replace the benefit for most recipients with a temporarily expanded employment insurance that can be created through regulatory changes. But the government also said it will need to introduce legislation to create three new benefit programs for as many as 1.5 million CERB recipients something that will only be possible if the government survives the vote on its throne speech. Singh called for parliament to resume earlier than Sept. 23 to ensure CERB doesnt expire without its replacement in place. Because the prime minister shut down Parliament, right now were up against a deadline where many people are going to lose their CERB, Singh said. Were calling on Prime Minister Trudeau to recall Parliament earlier so we can put in place legislation to help out those 1.5 million Canadians who will have no help. The Prime Ministers Office did not answer a question from the Star Thursday about whether the government would consider recalling Parliament before Sept. 23. Read more about: A police chief in Pakistan is facing a growing backlash after he seemed to blame the victim of an alleged gang rape because she was driving without a male companion at night. Lahore police chief Umar Sheikh repeatedly criticised the victim for failing to take a male friend. The victim was allegedly assaulted and raped by several men in front of her two children when she ran out of petrol outside of Lahore late on Wednesday. Police chief Umar Sheikh told AFP that no-one in Pakistani society would 'allow their sisters and daughters to travel alone so late.' He added that the woman, a resident of France, probably 'mistook that Pakistani society is just as safe' as her home country. Women protest against the alleged gang rape of a French woman outside Lahore, in Pakistan Pakistani politician, Shireen Mazari, the Human Rights Minister, has criticised his remarks. She said, according to AFP, that 'Nothing can ever rationalise the crime of rape.' Khadija Siddiqi, a lawyer and women's rights activist, told AFP that the police chief's comments were part of an unfortunate and very rampant culture of victim blaming in Pakistan. Sheikh's comments have sparked calls for his resignation and protests are planned in cities across Pakistan today. Nighat Dad, a women's rights activist and an organisers of an annual women's rights march in Lahore, added: 'We are angry, we demand his removal and we demand his apology.' Angry protesters took to the streets after the alleged assault and rape of a French woman in Pakistan A patriarchal code of honour governors much of Pakistan life which is in favour of the oppression of women by stopping them from doing certain things, like choosing their on husband. Deadly violence by men, usually male relatives, against those women who break the taboo have been attacked by activists. In Pakistan around 1,000 people, mainly women, are murdered yearly in honour killings for bringing shame onto a family. South Africa: SA COVID-19 recovery rate hits 88.9% South Africa's recovery rate has now jumped to 88.9% after 573 003 patients recuperated from COVID-19. Meanwhile, novel Coronavirus cases have hit 644 438 after 2 007 infections were identified on Thursday, while the death toll stands at 15 265. Of the latest 97 fatalities, 26 are from Mpumalanga, 21 from Gauteng, 17 from KwaZulu-Natal, 15 from the North West, seven from the Eastern Cape, six from the Western Cape, four from Free State and one from Limpopo. According to Health Minister Dr Zweli Mkhize, 3 863 453 tests have been conducted to date, 20 555 of which were performed in the last 24 hours. A Johannesburg-based General Practitioner (GP), Dr Karin van der Merwe, said it was a great relief to them that the COVID-19 case numbers were decreasing. It is also comforting that lockdown restrictions are being eased. One of the toughest parts of lockdown has been the prohibition on visiting family members, said van der Merwe. President Cyril Ramaphosa has given citizens the green light to visit family and friends under lockdown level 2, although only 10 people may gather. The reality is that many South Africans have already been visiting their families and this will become more common as restrictions are rolled back. Keeping elderly parents completely isolated from their adult children could be perceived as cruel and could lead to mental health issues, Van der Merwe said. The GP took part in the Health Department's #ListenToTheDoctor segment this week. Van der Merwe said while it may be tempting to go back to completely relaxed socialising, she has urged people to remain cautious to avoid the second wave of infections. So when you see your family, its still not advised that you hug and kiss. If children are involved, warn them in advance that they will not be allowed to hug their grandparents. We are hopeful that this will eventually change but for now, we must keep our distance. Ideally, a distance of at least one metre should be maintained at all times. Make sanitising hands upon entering your house a routine for all visitors. Try to visit in a well-ventilated area outside areas are ideal. A picnic is a fairly safe option, especially if each family stays on their own picnic blanket. She urged those preparing food to practice good hygiene and for everyone to wash their hands before a meal. Van der Merwe said there should be a sanitiser on the table for spraying hands when using communal items such as condiments and serving utensils. Keep visits relatively short, she said. She encouraged people to not drop their guard and keep the number of guests to a minimum. This all seems rather extreme but the safer we can make our level 2 meetings, the less likely a second surge of COVID-19 will be. Globally, there have been 27 738 179 confirmed cases of COVID-19 including 899 916 deaths reported to the World Health Organisation. SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2020-09-11. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. As wildfires continue to surge across the Willamette Valley, hospitals and clinics have relocated patients, shut down operations in some cases and kept a close eye on weather and wildfire reports as the ongoing calamity races ever closer to rural communities and suburban Portland. In the states capital, Salem Health hospital has cared for more than 40 people directly affected by wildfire smoke, according to a spokesman. It remains open despite the smoke. Elsewhere in Marion County, Legacy Health Systems has effectively closed health care facilities in Woodburn, Mt. Angel and Silverton in response to hazardous air quality there. Brian Terrett, director of public relations and communications for Legacy Health Systems, said the 48-bed Legacy Silverton Medical Center is still taking emergency patients or women giving birth. Everything else is out of commission. Terrett said the hospital transferred eight patients to other places, including Good Samaritan in Northwest Portland. Meanwhile, urgent care clinics in rural Willamette Valley communities are shuttered, too, he said. We have let our staff go to do whatever they need to do for their family and for their own safety, Terrett said, noting that many staff members live in rural areas in east Multnomah County or Clackamas or Marion counties. Legacy has canceled some elective surgeries at the Meridian Park and Mt. Hood hospitals in Tualatin and Gresham respectively due to staffing issues more so than air quality concerns, according to Terrett. Lisa Helderop, a spokesperson for Providence Oregon, said the health care giant is also taking precautions statewide. Providence Benedictine Nursing Center in Mt. Angel has evacuated and relocated more than 80 patients, others left with family and some 21 remain at the center. The health care system is closely eying the fires in Clackamas County and how they may affect the Milwaukie and Willamette Falls hospitals. Providences Ashland urgent care center remains closed. WILDFIRE TRACKER: See all fires in Oregon and across the nation Urgent care outpatient centers are closed in Molalla and Canby, according to Helderop. Telemedicine has really ramped up, she said, and thank God we have that. She said Providences Medford hospital saw a handful of people for smoke-related respiratory issues. Adventist Health has similarly closed clinics in Sandy, Damascus, Estacada and Clackamas county. A few patients have shown up at Sandy facilities with smoke-related illnesses. OHSU Portland officials said it had not hospitalized anyone due to wildfire injuries or smoke, though one person was treated and released in Hillsboro. Lauren Van Sickle, spokeswoman for Asante in Medford, said the health care system was initially concerned about its Ashland hospital, which has 49 beds and has been the primary COVID-19 hospital in the Rogue Valley. She said Asante stopped elective surgeries briefly there. At Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center in Medford, which sits on a key thoroughfare in town that was a demarcation line for Level 3 Go! evacuations to the south, operations continued as normal. The hospital has an "air scrubber' at the entrances, she said, which plays a critical role in keeping the air clean. One pediatric patient who has cancer was transferred to OHSU, she said, because providers wanted to ensure they didnt have any interruption in care. Medford medical providers have had to grapple with the loss of Internet access, she said, which continues to be an issue. Medical groups are going back to old school paper charting, not relying on electronic records she said. In the Eugene-Springfield area, which is also inundated with some from the nearby Holiday Farm fire, PeaceHealth medical group is also grappling with poor air quality and shuttered urgent cares. The RiverBend hospital in Springfield is open and fully functioning as are the other three hospitals in Lane County. But the medical provider closed most of its urgent care centers in Eugene, Springfield and Cottage Grove through the weekend. PeaceHealths Sacred Heart Medical Center near the University of Oregon in Eugene saw 50 patients due to what are likely smoke-related respiratory issues. It was not immediately clear how many went to the much larger RiverBend hospital in Springfield, which is closer to that countys blaze. All affected patients will be notified, the company wrote in a statement. Thank you for understanding. The health and safety of our patients and caregivers is our top priority, and we want to minimize exposure to the unhealthy air. -- Andrew Theen; atheen@oregonian.com; 503-294-4026; @andrewtheen New Delhi, Sep 11 : Delhi Police have arrested the driver of a Range Rover car which hit a cyclist on the Badarpur flyover in South East Delhi, resulting in the death of the vitim. The police arrested 28-year-old Sonit, who was going to his home in Greater Kailash I from Faridabad, and hit a cyclist on his way. Though the accused took the victim to the hospital, who was declared brought dead, he fled without providing complete information about the deceased or the place of the accident. "During interrogation, the accused disclosed that on September 7, he was returning to his home in GK-I from Faridabad on his Range Rover. At about 7.15 pm, he reached the Badarpur flyover. Suddenly a cyclist came in front of the car and was hit. Seeing his critical condition, he took him to the Moolchand Hospital on his car where he was declared brought dead," said R.P. Meena, DCP, South East Delhi. The police said that the accused got frightened and escaped from the hospital without disclosing his credentials to the hospital authorities. Moreover, as he didn't want to tell his family about his visit to Faridabad, he told the hospital authorities that the accident took place near the Okhla Mandi. The relatives of the deceased identified the victim in the hospital as Sanjesh Awasthi. While scanning the CCTV footage of the Moolchand Hospital, it was ascertained that the deceased was brought in a Range Rover SUV by a young person. On further investigation, it was found that the SUV was registered in the name of a private limited company located in Karol Bagh. The residential address of the owner of the offending vehicle was traced to GK-I, from where Sonit was arrested. The offending vehicle has also been seized. A COVID-19 case is discovered at a school. Daily case counts are in the double digits. Masks are mandatory at more places, including day cares for older children. Advisories about public exposure to the virus are routine. Manitobans are riding the next unpredictable wave of the coronavirus. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 10/9/2020 (497 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. A COVID-19 case is discovered at a school. Daily case counts are in the double digits. Masks are mandatory at more places, including day cares for older children. Advisories about public exposure to the virus are routine. Manitobans are riding the next unpredictable wave of the coronavirus. On Thursday, Manitoba extended the state of emergency under The Emergency Measures Act for another 30 days, and renewed a number of public health orders issued by provincial public health chief Dr. Brent Roussin. Other orders such as limiting employees to work at one personal care home to prevent the spread of the virus were renewed while others, such as the ban on residential evictions were not. At a media briefing Thursday, Roussin said 15 new cases of COVID-19 had been identified in Manitoba: nine in Winnipeg, two in InterlakeEastern Health region, two in Prairie Mountain and two in Southern Health. One case was removed when it was determined to be a duplicate and another when it was found to be from out of province, he said. Manitoba has 360 active cases, with 11 people in hospital, including three in intensive care. So far, 1,002 Manitobans have recovered from the virus. More cases are expected after two potential exposures to COVID-19 occurred: from Sept. 1-3 at the Lilac Resort on the Trans-Canada Highway near Ste. Anne and the other on a Sept. 5 Air Canada flight No. 295 from Winnipeg to Vancouver, in rows 19 to 25. Passengers who were seated in those rows should self-isolate for 14 days and monitor for symptoms, said Roussin. Others seated elsewhere on the plane need to self-monitor for symptoms, he said. RUTH BONNEVILLE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Manitoba's Chief Provincial Public Health Officer, Dr. Brent Roussin and Manitoba's Minister of Health, Cameron Friesen answer questions from the media during press briefing at the Legislative Building on Thursday. (Ruth Bonneville / Winnipeg Free Press) Not mentioned at the press conference was news that children aged nine and older who go to child-care facilities, including home-based child care, must wear a non-medical mask. The rule came into effect Sept. 8 and says child-care providers are also required 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. The order has caused some confusion for child-care providers, said Jodie Kehl, executive director at the Manitoba Child Care Association. "There are a lot of unknowns," said Kehl who was writing a letter Thursday to ask the Families department to spell out the rules for mask use in day cares. "Do we have to wear them outside? Do we have to wear them inside if we can maintain six feet of separation?" she asked. A circular provided by the province says it is the parent's responsibility to provide at least two masks a day, but Kehl said more information is needed, including whether the province will supply PPE to child-care programs if parents aren't able to. "They've continued to incur increasing operating expenses," she said of child-care centres. Starting Friday, COVID-19 cases in Winnipeg will be identified in 12 districts. Health Minister Cameron Friesen said at Thursday's media briefing that the geographical breakdown will be available on the province's online COVID-19 dashboard. carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca SPRINGFIELD A program run by the Brockton-based Old Colony YMCA that helps nonviolent criminal offenders reenter society is moving into the former Registry of Motor Vehicles building on Liberty Street, according to the buildings owner. The new office should be open in a matter of weeks, said Charles Irving, principal at Davenport Companies and the buildings owner. Davenport, which also owns Springfield Plaza, the CVS building near MGM Springfield, the Overland Lofts project at 151 Chestnut St. and a yet-to-be redeveloped building on Lyman Street, bought the former RMV site from the state in 2018 for $200,000. Davenport had already facilitated the move of the RMV out of the property. In 2017, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation moved the RMV offices into a Davenport-owned former movie theater at Springfield Plaza, 1250 Saint James Ave. Irving, who was in town this week to give city officials a tour of the Overland Lofts, said previous deals to redevelop the lot at 165 Liberty St. into a convenience store or strip retail center fell through due to the coronavirus pandemic and because Cumberland Farms was sold. He said Davenport renovated the building for the program called the Springfield Community Corrections Center and replaced air-handling filters. The Old Colony YMCA is taking only the first floor. Old Colony runs community corrections programs in Springfield, Pittsfield and other places where it doesnt have traditional YMCA programs, said Dexter Johnson, president and CEO of the YMCA of Greater Springfield. Old Colony YMCA has a $4.76 million contract with the state courts to run the program, according to the state comptrollers office. The program was once run by the Hampden County Sheriffs Department. Old Colony had been running the Corrections Center out of the former YMCA of Greater Springfield building 275 Chestnut St. The YMCA of Greater Springfield, meanwhile, has since shifted its child-care and fitness operations from that building into newly renovated facilities in Tower Square. At 275 Chestnut, Home City Housing has completed renovations to the residential portion of the building. The YMCA of Greater Springfield is in the process of selling the rest of the building and Johnson said he expects to finish the purchase and sale agreement next week. Motorists who are hunkering down because of social distancing are continuing to file fewer collision claims, but a rash of windstorms, hailstorms and wildfires in August may bring total auto property damage claims numbers almost to normal levels if the destruction continues, according to a report by CCC. Overall, the total number of repairable appraisals was 14.9% in August 2020 compared to August 2019. But excluding comprehensive claims, auto damage claims were down 20.5% from the prior August, compared to the 24.7% year-over-year decrease reported in July. CCC said severe weather associated with Hurricane Isaias, hailstorms in Minnesota and South Dakota and the derecho that blew 100 mph wind through Iowa led to an increase in comprehensive losses in the first half of the month. Losses from the wildfires in California and Hurricane Laura in Louisiana and Texas also continue to come in, the report by CCC analyst Susanna Gotsch says. Increases in comprehensive losses overall will help offset the decline in non-comprehensive losses and if September weather is as volatile, could result in claim counts for the year down only about 5%. Gotsch first reported the potential for a reduction in auto claims caused by the coronavirus pandemic in a report released in April. At the time, CCC had anecdotal data such as a reported28% drop in visits to Seattle shopping malls, a sharp reduction in vehicle traffic in China in January and a decline in retail gasoline purchases. Since then, CCC reported a 34.5% decline in damage claims in, compared to the prior May; a 25.7% drop in June and the 24.7 decline in July. August would have continued the trend of a modest to normal claims volumes if it had not been for the sharp jump in comprehensive claims. The number of auto damage claims in Iowa jumped 91 percent in August. CCC said comprehensive claims accounted for 70% of the total loss valuations and 55% of all repairable appraisals. This underscores both the severity of the storms and the fact that non-comprehensive losses overall remain down, the report says. A powerful derecho ripped through eastern Nebraska, Iowa and parts of Wisconsin and Illinois on Aug. 10, flipping cars and toppling trees. The National Weather Service reported a 100 mph wind gust west of Chicago. Iowa appears to have borne the brunt of the storm, judging by auto damage claims. Illinois saw a 5% reduction in total auto damage claims, Wisconsin 7% and Nebraska 19%. Elsewhere, collision damage claims remained much further below historic levels in areas that saw a summer surge of COVID-19 infections.San Francisco, Los Angeles, Dallas, Houston, and El Paso saw non-comprehensive appraisals down between 27% to 30%, while volume in other areas such as New York City, Chicago, Atlanta, Denver was down between 15% and 20%, CCC said. The company said government data showed that interstate miles driven on most road types remains below average in many cities. With the number of COVID-19 cases rising again as many return to school, and the approach of normal flu season, many companies plan to keep at least part of their staff remote through the remainder of the year, the report says. This will likely mean non-comprehensive may remain down -10 to -15% for full year 2020. CCC said claims volumes were down 35.2% for the third quarter so far, compared to the third quarter of 2019, and 21.8% year-to-date, compared to the first eight months of 2019. About the photo: A sign reading For Sale (Cheap) is seen on a damaged vehicle in Marion, Iowa, Thursday, Aug. 20, 2020, as trees a severely damaged by a an Aug. 10 derecho are cleaned up. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette via AP) 1. Well rethink Europe. Expect a cooling of the romance with Europes capitals and new affection for less-crowded cities with strong cultural offerings. Id keep an eye on Lyon and Hamburg, said UK-based travel writer Annie Fitzsimmons, who also predicts a rediscovery of less populated European islands. Among them: Germanys 38-kilometre-long island of Sylt, a Teutonic Nantucket. 2. Alaska will beckon. The pandemics searing impact will add a FOMO-like urgency to personal bucket lists. The fresh air appeal of Alaska and Montana will propel them into top spots, thinks Erin Francis-Cummings, CEO of travel data company Destination Analysts. 3. As will esoteric food. Legions more food travellers will seek out the Faroe Islands, predicts TV producer Irene Wong, who travels the globe filming cooking shows. A windy island chain between Scotland and Iceland, it offers a unique cuisine centred on seafood, dairy and hardy root vegetables Any place thats far and hard to get to is what gets people the most excited, said Ms. Wong. 4. Well eye quick check-in. In 10 years your face could be your airplane ticket, said Andrew OConnor, vice president, airports and borders, at SITA, a Swiss-based information technology provider. Biometric software installed in terminal video cameras will recognize and match your features to your flight while assessing your security and health risks, allowing most travellers to stroll unimpeded from check-in to gate. 5. Well pay for hygiene. Germophobic flyers might have the option to pay extra for Hygiene Class, a premium cabin that comes with a higher standard of cleanliness, according to Christopher Schaberg, author of Airportness, and, coming later this fall, Grounded: Perpetual Flight and Then the Pandemic. Though the air filters shared equally with economy will still do the real work to prevent illness, these higher-priced seats will come with more frequent sanitization and scented sprays. 6. Well cruise the Arctic. As pleasure ships steam past the pandemic and implement new health protocols, expect to see new destinations. Cruise industry specialist Clare Weeden sees massive growth in trips through Canadas Northwest Passage from passengers eager to view polar bears and other Arctic species before they vanish. 7. Alterna-tours will rule. City tour offerings with minority perspectives will flourish, predicts cultural travel consultant Norie Quintos. Black Panther Party tours in Oakland and explorations of Brooklyns Hasidic Jewish neighbourhoods will increase in number. Tours that make people think will only grow in popularity, said. Ms. Quintos. 8. Well tip robot-maids. Hotels will become airy places with AI behind the scenes, said Professor Stephani Robson of Cornell School of Hotel Administration. Open lobbies and guest rooms that allow the outside in will be the blueprint, with frump and fuss banished. Also booted: coffee makers and mini-bars. Anything hard to clean will be suspect in a post-pandemic-era room. Robots will be present but discreet, vacuuming hallways at 2 a.m. 9. Hover-bags will take off. Roam Luggage CEO Larry Lein imagines jets of air replacing the wheels on roller bags. Built-in tracking systems would pair the bag with your phone so the hovering luggage would tail you as you walked. 10. Leopards will matter even more. Peter Fearnhead, CEO of African Parks, a non-profit that manages 18 national parks and reserves, said countries combining good governance with conservation will become tomorrows stars. Two Mr. Fearnhead singles out: Benin and Malawi. The former, in West Africa, is developing Pendjari and W National Parks that feature elephants and lions, while Malawi, in southeastern Africa, is priming reserves with rhinos and leopards. A Special Court on Friday rejected the bail applications of actress Rhea Chakraborty, her brother Showik and four others accused in the drugs case filed by the (NCB), advocate Satish Maneshinde said. All the six accused are likely to move the Bombay High Court for bail, he added shortly after the ruling. "Once we get a copy of the NDPS Special Court Order, we will decide next week on the course of action about approaching the Bombay High Court," Maneshinde told media. Until further relief, Rhea, 28 -- who was arrested on September 8 and sent to judicial custody till September 22 -- will remain in the Byculla Jail. --IANS qn/dpb (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Not quite Panchsheel. But after four months of a tense and bloody border standoff, India and China have officially reached a five-point agreement to attempt de-escalation. That seems like a significant step forward. Yet, none of this is new. Clearly, theres not been any breakthrough, and neither was anyone expecting one. The outcome only has been to talk more, with all the established military and diplomatic mechanisms. Thats clearly not going to be enough to break the stalemate on the ground. On the ground, the Chinese are amassing more troops. There are now reports of soldiers from the Peoples Liberation Army swarming near the Finger 3 area on the north side of the Pangong Lake. After India took over some of the strategic heights on the south side, the Chinese are trying to do the same on the north side. So, on the ground, its a mad scramble to occupy vacant hilltops and ridges in a bid to gain an advantage over the enemy. The situation at the LAC is on a knife-edge. While the leaderships of both countries may not want a war, evidently neither side seems to be able to take the first step towards de-escalation. Also, the timing is complicated for Xi Jinping. Next month, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) will be holding a key plenum. Here Xi will announce year-long celebrations for the centennial year of the founding of the CCP. Xi wants to be seen as the leader next only to Mao in the pantheon of party luminaries. And he wants to project that he is at his strongest and China is at its strongest when the CCP celebrations begin. So, because of the timing, Xi can ill afford to be seen as making concessions or climbing down. One big disadvantage has also been the American preoccupation with its elections. Otherwise the United States could have acted as a buffer. All in all, it seems like a pessimistic future, at least in the near term. While neither side wants an all-out war, all indications seem to be that India and China are headed towards a limited conflict. SPRINGFIELD Will and Kankakee counties must lower their rolling COVID-19 test positivity rate by about one more percentage point before restrictions on economic activity can be lifted, Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced Thursday at a COVID-19 update in Chicago. Those counties, which make up Region 7 of the states reopening plan, had a 7.5% seven-day average positivity rate as of Monday, but it will need to decrease to 6.5% before coronavirus mitigations such as closures of indoor dining and drinking at restaurants and bars can be lifted. Region 4 of the reopening plan, however, continues to see its positivity rate increase, moving to 10.1% as of Monday. The only other region above 7% is north-central Illinois, which includes Peoria and several surrounding counties, which sat at 7.2% as of Monday. Last week I highlighted the trend over the previous two weeks that nine of our 11 regions had seen increases in positivity rates, Pritzker said Thursday. I'm pleased to say that over the last seven days, most of our regions have seen a slight decrease in their positivity rates, with only three seeing a statistically significant increase. Statewide, the positivity rate was 3.8% as of Thursday. Pritzker cited Dr. Anthony Fauci, an immunologist and director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, in justifying the 8% threshold as one needed to spur further state action in a given region. You can either close the bars or close the schools, Pritzker said, referring to Faucis previous comments about rate of increase. Pritzker said economic restoration cannot happen until the virus is under control. Unless we get it under control, either by people following the doctor's recommended mitigations or with an effective treatment or a vaccine, we will be fighting to save the Titanic with a plastic bucket, he said. Because there's no national strategy, it's up to us every individual and every city and every business in Illinois to slow the rate of infection across the state, wear a mask. Watch your distance, don't exceed capacity limits. The expansion of testing through a University of Illinois saliva-based testing program to other university campuses could take another 6 to 8 weeks, but will depend on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and manufacturing of equipment, Pritzker added. Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike once again noted the importance of the widespread use of face coverings. There is much we still need to learn about this virus, she said. We're still learning if a person can be reinfected, and if so, after what timeframe. We're still learning how much viral load is present before someone starts showing symptoms. We're still learning what medicines can be most effective to treat this virus. What is known, Ezike said, is that a person with the virus can spread it even if they are not experiencing symptoms. Masks can help prevent the spread of respiratory droplets that a person expels when talking, she said. Models do suggest that public mask-wearing is most effective at stopping spread of the virus when compliance is high, Ezike said. That means the vast majority of people need to be wearing the face covering. Illinoisans should also get their flu shot in the coming days as well, officials noted. IDPH announced 29 additional virus-related deaths over the previous 24 hours in people whose ages ranged from their 40s to their 90s. There were 1,953 new confirmed cases of the virus among 48,982 test results reported. That brought the total confirmed cases since the pandemic reached Illinois to 255,643 cases, including 8,242 deaths among more than 4.5 million recorded test results. At the end of Wednesday, the total number of persons hospitalized for the virus in the state grew to 1,609, including 346 in intensive care unit beds and 141 on ventilators. All numbers remained slightly above their pandemic lows and well off their highs. Employment developments Earlier in the day, Pritzker also announced the release of $16.6 million in federal funding to expand job opportunities for Illinoisans out of work due to COVID-19. The announcement came as both new unemployment claims and continued claims decreased in the state from a week prior, according to the Illinois Department of Employment Security. IDES reported there were 25,478 new unemployment claims for the week ending Sept. 5, which was a decrease of 716 from the week prior. The number of continued claims dropped by 6,215, according to IDES, to 552,436 for the week. Despite the decrease, the new claims are still more than three times the 7,180 recorded over the same time period last year. The decrease came as the number of new claims remained level at 884,000 nationally and the number of ongoing claims increased by 93,000 to 13.39 million, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. Pritzker was in Rockford Thursday to announce two new grants through the U.S. Department of Labor that will aim to place, train and hire nearly 1,300 residents for an array of jobs related to the ongoing pandemic response. The funding includes two separate grants each worth $8.3 million, one from the federal Disaster Recovery Grant Program and one from the Employment Recovery Grant program, both of which are part of the National Dislocated Worker Program. The jobs funded through the programs include temporary recovery-related jobs such as contact tracers, COVID-19 protocol workers, building sanitization workers, temperature screeners and food preparation and distribution workers, according to the governors office. Funding will be distributed to 12 Local Workforce Innovation Areas across Illinois representing employers, local government, community colleges and community-based organizations which partner with states Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. Training and hiring for new workforce programs are expected to begin this fall, and local agencies will prioritize applicants who have lost work during the COVID-19 crisis. Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service covering state government and distributed to more than 400 newspapers statewide. It is funded primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation. FICTION The Abstainer Ian McGuire Scribner, $32.99 Ian McGuires brilliant The North Water was a surprise literary and commercial hit in 2016. It was his second novel yet read like the work of a seasoned pro. Visceral, bloody and wilfully strange, it exuded confidence and style. It was the story of a 19th-century Irish ships surgeon caught up in a murder plot on a whaling expedition to the Arctic that becomes an increasingly surreal manhunt. Ian McGuire's follow-up to The North Water won't disappoint. McGuires follow-up, delayed by the pandemic, is worth the wait. We know from the electric opening that we are in capable hands with this taut and impressively researched historical thriller. The setting is Manchester in 1867 during the Fenian riots. In response to the Fenian Rising in Ireland, and disturbances in the city, three Irishmen have been hanged, the British authorities believing that this would act as a deterrent. In this file photo, a participant uses a laptop computer as he takes part in a cyber securities competition in Tokyo, on Jan. 28, 2017. (Tomohiro Ohsumi/Getty Images) UK to Provide Cyber Security Training for Health-care Businesses Amid Increased Threat Health-case businesses will be able to get government-funded training in order to boost their cyber-security and protect sensitive data, the UK government announced on Thursday. The move comes after cyber-attack campaigns targeted medical businesses, academic institutions, and government agencies in several countries, including the UK, during the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus pandemic. Matt Warman, the minister of digital, culture, media and sport, announced the 500,000-pound ($650,000) initiative as part of this years annual London Tech Week. The funding is to help those playing a vital role in the pandemic response to remain resilient, Warman said in a statement. On May 5, the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) and its U.S. counterpart, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), issued a joint warning about hacker campaigns against healthcare policy makers and researchers. Hackers frequently target organizations in order to collect bulk personal information, intellectual property and intelligence that aligns with national priorities, the NCSC and CISA advisory stated. In this file photo a woman points to the website of the NHS: East and North Hertfordshire notifying users of a problem in its network, in London on May 12, 2017. (Daniel Leal-Olivas AFP/Getty Images) According to the UK governments Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2020 (pdf), 46 percent of all businesses suffered a cyber breach or attack in the last 12 months, with 32 percent of them experiencing attacks at least once a week. The new initiative will provide small and medium-sized businesses, such as medical suppliers and primary care providers, with cyber-security training, including how to keeping devices up to date and use firewalls properly. They can also receive help to identify vulnerabilities in their IT systems. The training aims to help the businesses qualify for accreditation from the governments Cyber Essentials certification program. Paul Chichester, director of operations at NCSC, said protecting health-care had been the agencys top priority during the CCP virus pandemic. The initiative is one of the excellent ways for organizations to ensure they have fundamental security protections in place, even in the most challenging of times, he said. On July 22, UKs Foreign Minister Dominic Raab reiterated his concern over cyber-security, one day after the U.S. Department of Justice announced that two Chinese hackers had been indicted for targeting businesses and government agencies in several countries, including the UK, Belgium, Germany, the United States, Australia, and Japan, for stealing millions of dollars worth of trade secrets and other sensitive information, and attempting to steal research on COVID-19. The European Union on July 30 sanctioned cyber-attackers for the first time. Alexander Zhang contributed to this report Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-11 12:47:41|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi (R) meets with Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Moscow, Russia, Sept. 10, 2020. (Xinhua) MOSCOW, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- China is willing to continue its support for Pakistan in overcoming the COVID-19 pandemic, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Thursday. Wang made that remarks when meeting with Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Moscow. He said that the recently held SCO Foreign Ministers' Meeting has achieved positive results, especially in the face of headwinds of unilateralism and acts of bullyism. It has taken a clearer stand on adhering to multilateralism, maintaining the authority of the United Nations and international law, and jointly responding to various challenges, and has also fulfilled the international responsibilities of the SCO, Wang added. Wang said that facts have proved that the pandemic cannot stop China and Pakistan from striding forward hand in hand. China is willing to work with Pakistan to further promote the construction of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, including agricultural cooperation, to benefit people's livelihood, Wang said, expressing the belief that with joint efforts of both sides, the corridor will play a greater role in Pakistan's economic construction and people's welfare. China is willing to work with Pakistan to continue to firmly support each other on international multilateral occasions and safeguard international fairness and justice, he said. The year of 2021 marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of China-Pakistan diplomatic relations, Wang said, adding that both sides should carry forward traditional friendship, plan for the future, and push bilateral ties to a new level. Qureshi, for his part, said that the SCO Foreign Ministers' Meeting was very successful, sending a clear signal on safeguarding multilateralism and the core position of the United Nations. Pakistan and China have always trusted and supported each other, and Pakistan will continue to stand firmly with China and oppose any stigmatization and groundless accusation against China, he said. Pakistan is willing to work with China to advance the construction of the corridor, strengthen the exchange of experience in poverty reduction, actively carry out agricultural cooperation, and promote the continuous development of the China-Pakistan all-weather strategic cooperative partnership, Qureshi said. The two sides also exchanged views on Afghanistan and other issues. Enditem Wallace Allen Wright, 65, one of Bradley Countys Most Wanted fugitives, was located and taken into custody on Wednesday, thanks to a joint effort involving both fugitive detectives from the Bradley County Sheriffs Office and deputies from the Walker County Sheriffs Office in Georgia. Wright was wanted for possession of Schedule III for resale, Schedule VI drug violations, theft of property, unlawful carrying of a firearm, as well as driving while in possession of methamphetamine and unlawful drug paraphernalia. As Indias surging coronavirus caseload becomes an increasing worry for the globe, another health disaster is silently unfolding. The worlds strictest lockdown crippled both routine and critical health services. More than a million children have missed crucial immunizations and hospital births have shown a sharp decline, indicating many women may have gone through unsafe childbirth at home. Outpatient critical care for cancer plunged 80% from February levels, the latest government data show. But the biggest crisis is Indias longstanding battle with tuberculosis. The country has as many as 2.7 million TB patients currently, by far the most in the world, and the disease kills an estimated 421,000 Indians each year. The current gap in care could lead to an additional 6.3 million cases and 1.4 million deaths from tuberculosis by 2025, according to a study by Zarir Udwadia, a pulmonologist at Mumbais P D Hinduja Hospital and Medical Research Centre. Miss a few days of any other treatment and you may not be harmed, but gaps in TB treatment will amplify resistance, Udwadia said. Our lack of health infrastructure is the reason we have been floundering amidst the sea of Covid cases. Its the reason why we have not been able to make progress against traditional and old enemies like malaria, typhoid, dengue. The failure to control tuberculosis has long plagued successive governments in India, which spends just 1.28% of gross domestic product on public health. That has left the system ill-equipped to control deadly diseases such as coronavirus: The South Asian nation now has the second-highest Covid-19 infection tally in the world, trailing only the US. Healthcare Lockdown More than 65 million people in India live in densely packed and poorly ventilated slums like Dharavi in Mumbai, one of the biggest in Asia, which has long struggled with tuberculosis before it became a coronavirus hotspot. The fact that both TB and Covid-19 have a significant overlap in symptoms -- breathlessness, cough, fever -- make these areas critical to controlling both diseases. The strict stay-at-home orders the country enforced at the end of March shut down Indias giant tuberculosis program for almost three months. In April, one million fewer children received the BCG vaccine that prevents severe tuberculosis, government data shows. There shouldve been bi-directional screening from the beginning, because in checking for one you may be missing the other, said Chapal Mehra, a public health specialist and author of Tuberculosis -- Indias Ticking Time Bomb. India has ignored investing in health for three to four decades, and governments across the board have been guilty of this. We lack political will, we lack moral compulsions and we dont seem to value our citizens lives enough it seems. While Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been quick to laud front-line health workers, calling them coronawarriors, the federal government has only allocated an additional $2 billion to the fund the epidemics medical needs. That has sapped resources for non-virus related spending. A spokesman for Indias Ministry of Health did not immediate respond to requests for comment. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has said the government will be increasing investments in public health to be absolutely ready for such eventualities in future. But she mentioned no specific figure or timeline for this. Infect, Infect, Infect Indias health infrastructure is run down at the best of times, with understaffed public hospitals, chronic shortages of hospital beds, low intensive-care capacity and poorly trained staff. India has 1.7 nurses per 1,000 people, 43% less than the World Health Organization recommends, and a dearth of doctors as well. The pandemic has also exposed the fragility of under-resourced health systems around the region. Indias neighbor Pakistan had 40 million children miss their polio vaccination, while Nepal faced a 50% increase in stillborn babies. When the pandemic broke out in India, understaffed and overcrowded hospitals had patients sleeping on the floor until beds were freed up and multiple patients being serviced by a single oxygen station. Limited transport during and after the lockdown also restricted peoples access to primary health centers and pharmacies, resulting in interrupted treatment and delayed diagnoses. India takes no crisis seriously since it deals with so many, and government advisers struggled to mount an effective response to the coronavirus that would also ensure an ability to fight other diseases, according to T Jacob John, one of Indias top virologists and the former head of the Indian Council for Medical Researchs Centre for Advanced Research in Virology. The coronavirus is an enemy with just one trick -- infect, infect, infect, John said. Our war didnt succeed to slow down the enemy, but greater damage was done by friendly fire against immunization, tuberculosis, institutional deliveries and many more. ALLENDALE, MI Hailey Litwin describes two different groups of students at Grand Valley State University this fall: Those who are fearful of the coronavirus, and those who dont seem to take the health threat seriously. They either think, yeah, it may not kill us but well still take precautions because of the risks, and then theres another group that I feel like just doesnt care, Litwin, a freshman from Royal Oak, told MLive on Thursday. Whats more, Trumps admission to The Posts Bob Woodward that he knew that coronavirus was deadly and worse than the flu but deliberately minimized the danger (I wanted to always play it down) was a dereliction of duty. Covid-19 has killed at least 189,000 people in the United States. A family friend of more than 40 years who died last month from covid-19 might still be with us if Trump had only told the truth. At the time, Lightfoot said she didnt think her proposed rollback would weaken Chicagos lobbying rules. Lightfoot said the Ethics Board had expressed some concern that the original language of the ordinance that was passed last fall swept too broadly and extended to elected officials in other jurisdictions that were doing some business here in the city of Chicago. That wasnt our intent." Each year, the Oxford English Dictionary announces its Word of the Year, a word or expression that captures the prevailing mood and preoccupations of social life over the preceding 12 months. 'Fake news' and 'hashtag' have featured before, and if it weren't for all the talk of 'social distancing', and 'self-isolation', this year's word may well have been 'cancel culture'. Essentially, it's an updated version of 'PC gone mad', a catch-all phrase that's more harmful than the thing it's trying to criticise. On the opposite end of the spectrum - a spectrum that, admittedly, is more of a horseshoe shape, looping back around on itself, eventually leading to the same damaging conclusions - is 'stan culture'. If you know, you know; if you don't, then prepare to enter the world of fancams, Swifties, and develop newfound anxiety about 'doxxing'. Fandoms have always played a major role in the commercial success of pop artists. They're subcultural groups, usually made up of teenagers, who find community and a sense of belonging through a shared interest. It seems harmless, healthy even, for fans to gather online around their favourite artist. A teenager's passion for music - the obsession, the pain of that unrequited, parasocial adoration - is a pure and wholesome thing, something that many of us lose as we get older and more cynical. Fandoms provide community and shared interest for many who lack that kind of connection in their offline lives. A stan - so-called thanks to Eminem's 2000 hit of the same name - is the next step in this history of fandoms, referring to groups that harbour an unhealthy obsession with a pop star. The song chronicles a series of letters from a fan named Stan to the object of his obsession, Eminem. It ends with Stan killing himself and his pregnant girlfriend. The phrase lay low for a few years, then there was a reference to 'stans' in Nas's 2001 track Ether, and later a tweet by a Santigold fan is cited as the first use of the word as a verb: "I stan for Santigold". In recent years, however, Twitter has become a home for the ride-or-die stans who chronicle every movement and sighting of their idols on their feed; Ariana Grande's 'Arianators', Nikki Minaj's 'Barbs', and, of course, Taylor Swift's 'Swifties'. Expand Close Taylor Swift (Isabel Infantes/PA) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Taylor Swift (Isabel Infantes/PA) Stop-the-press event When Taylor Swift releases an new album, it's a stop-the-presses event. On July 23 this year, Swift took to Twitter to announce folklore just 16 hours before it was due to be released. That night, it hit streaming platforms across the world, and most publications had their four- and five-star reviews filed and published by morning. This is par for the course in pop music criticism these days - critics often have mere hours to file their first-reaction review. Across the critical divide, there was another group pulling an all-nighter for Swift's big release: Taylor Swift's legion of stans, the Swifties, who waited with bated breath for the critical reception which, as it happened, was overwhelmingly positive. Indie-rock tastemaker Pitchfork took a little more time to file its review of folklore, which was published on July 27. Jillian Mapes, senior editor at the publication, awarded the album an eight out of 10 - a high score by Pitchfork standards. Mapes's review benefited from taking more time with the record. It was a nuanced, primarily positive piece, comparing Swift to pop contemporaries Florence Welch and Lana Del Rey, as well as indie darling Sufjan Stevens. "At its best, folklore asserts something that has been true from the start of Swift's career," she wrote. "Her biggest strength is her storytelling, her well-honed songwriting craft meeting the vivid whimsy of her imagination; the music these stories are set to is subject to change, so long as it can be rooted in these traditions." However, the scoring was taken as a personal affront by many Swift stans, who flooded both Pitchfork's and Mapes's social media feeds with photos of Swift doctored to make her appear like some terrifying dark lord, and hexes written in runes which, when translated, read: "Anyone who comes after the Dark Queen, Taylor Swift, will die alone and burn forever." The satanic memes were the kind of over-the-top humour that is par for the course in fandom these days. But beyond the fun, there was a more sinister undertone to the stans' rage. For the crime of a less-than-perfect-score, Mapes was sent death threats, along with demands to revise her rating, with stans going so far as to 'dox' the reviewer. Doxxing - whereby a person or group collates personal information and releases it online with a view to causing fear, harassment and harm - is a tactic used often by hackers and the far right and left, politically. It is unusual, and frankly terrifying, to hear of it deployed against a music journalist for a review of a pop release. Video of the Day Jillian Mapes had her personal email, phone number, address and a photo of her home released on Twitter by a Taylor Swift stan, with the caption: "Just saw that folklore's rating dropped down from 94 to 89 and I'm about to doxx this bitch for real." "Contact info both old and current was leaked, down to a photo of my home," Mapes wrote on Twitter, where her account has since been set to private. "I've gotten too many emails saying some version of, 'you are an ugly fat bitch who is clearly jealous of Taylor, plz die' It sucks to be scared of every person milling about outside or feel like you can't answer the phone." This isn't the only instance in which stans have threatened music critics over pop reviews. Closer to home, there was a vicious response to a review of Dua Lipa's quarantine-album Future Nostalgia in The Irish Times earlier this year. However, it wasn't Dua Lipa fans who came for Irish pop critic Louise Bruton, but Lady Gaga's stans. who call themselves her 'Little Monsters'. Bruton opened her review by comparing the two pop stars: "Dua Lipa finds the sound that Lady Gaga has been chasing for years," she wrote. "Delivering bonafide pop bangers that are as sexy as they are abstract, Future Nostalgia is what would happen if St Vincent, Gloria Gaynor and Scissor Sisters broke the laws of science and teamed up to make a timeless pop record." The response to this, just one line in what was a considered, well-argued review of the record,was toxic. Bruton, like Pitchfork's Mapes, was forced to set her Twitter account to private and leave the platform temporarily. Later, when reviewing Gaga's album Chromatica for the same publication, Bruton wrote: "The last time I mentioned Lady Gaga in The Irish Times I experienced an onslaught of online abuse, including death threats, ableist slurs and suggestions to kill myself, from her fans, her Little Monsters." Personal identifiers The anonymity given to fans online, most of whom hide behind an avatar of their object of standom, with little-to-no personal identifiers, means that these threats are almost impossible to regulate. But music critics, whose personal Twitter accounts are, by necessity, open, enjoy no such anonymity. It is a risk for these writers to give anything less than a glowing review - even an eight out of 10 isn't enough to escape online threats. On the flip side, there are examples of stan culture being used as a tool for social justice activism. Earlier this year, fans of Korea's K-pop pop music scene, and some of the most active stans on social media, interfered with a police tip line, which was set up to identify and prosecute Black Lives Matter protesters in the city of Dallas, Texas. The stans flooded the tip app with fancams - close-ups of the pop groups, filmed by the audience during a live gig - of popular K-pop artists. The spam eventually led to the app being overrun, and the Dallas police department tweeting that it was experiencing technical difficulties and would be offline until fixed. K-pop stans continued to rally behind this cause when BTS, one of the few K-pop groups to break into America and the western music market, announced that they would be donating US$1m to the Black Lives Matter cause. In support, the BTS Army started a hashtag to match the donation, #MatchAMillion, which they easily surpassed. Throughout the protests, alt-right hashtags like #WhiteLivesMatter and #MAGA were derailed by the K-pop fandom, who flooded the feed with fancams, edits and photos of their pop idols. Editor and writer Laura Hudson wrote on Twitter: "K-pop fans are taking over M*GA and pro-police hashtags and crashing law enforcement snitch apps and it's beautiful." It's a moment of light in what has been a dark year for the stans, but we're not out of the woods yet. The folklore release has taught us that even a positive review can be met with threats and abuse, which begs the question: why bother critically engaging with pop music at all? It is up to artists, now, to condemn this behaviour, before pop critics are forced to close their doors on their work for good. One reason Brussels risks falling behind is that security remains the responsibility of individual member nations, not one ceded to the European Union, Ms. Schaake said. TikTok confronts Europe with the weaknesses of its digital and national security policies, she said. Europe is naive about certain of the technologies coming from China and the United States, and just says that anyone doing business in Europe has to respect our rights and regulations. After months of debate, some European leaders are coming around to views closer to those held in Washington, where President Trump has moved to try to force the sale of TikToks U.S. operations to an American company, charging that the companys Chinese ties present a national security threat. It has used the same argument against Huawei, the telecommunications giant, though both companies deny any explicit link to the Chinese government. In Europe, the American point of view on Huawei, backed by the threat of secondary sanctions, has gained ground, most recently in Britain, where a ban was adopted in July. But most Europeans mostly still see TikTok not as a security threat, but as a risk to privacy. Even if the White House-orchestrated TikTok sale goes through, the European operations will remain under the ownership of the Chinese parent company, ByteDance. TikTok uses both facial recognition and artificial intelligence, important technologies that are not regulated by the United States or the European Union. With the combination of competition, artificial intelligence and security, it makes sense why some policymakers are concerned, said Andreas Aktoudianakis, a digital policy analyst with the European Policy Center, a research institution in Brussels. FILE PHOTO: The logo of Amazon is seen at the company logistics centre in Boves By Aditya Kalra, Sankalp Phartiyal and Saeed Azhar NEW DELHI/DUBAI (Reuters) - India's Reliance Industries Ltd has approached investors in its digital business about potentially buying stakes in its retail arm, two sources with direct knowledge of the matter said on Thursday. The oil-to-telecoms conglomerate is looking to attract more investors to Reliance Retail as the business expands rapidly online to take on the likes of Walmart Inc's Flipkart and Amazon.com Inc's Indian arm. Earlier this year, Reliance, controlled by Asia's richest man Mukesh Ambani, sold nearly 33% of its Jio Platforms digital business, netting more than $20 billion from companies including Facebook , Alphabet's Google, KKR & Co and Silver Lake Partners. Mumbai-based Reliance has approached some investors from that deal to take stakes in the retail business, although "it is understood not all will participate", one of the sources told Reuters, asking not to be named as talks are private. The sources did not specifically name which companies Reliance had approached. Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) and Abu Dhabi state fund Mubadala Investment Company - both backers of Jio Platforms - are also weighing a potential investment, a third source said. "It is a strategic relationship that these funds have with Reliance which goes beyond one deal," said this source. PIF and Mubadala declined to comment. Reliance Retail, which has nearly 12,000 stores and sells everything from groceries to iPhones, acquired rival Future Group's retail arm last month. This week, it announced a $1 billion investment from U.S. private equity firm Silver Lake Partners. "We've received strong interest from strategic and financial investors in Reliance Retail," Ambani told shareholders at the company's annual meeting in July. Story continues AMAZON TALKS Bloomberg News cited on Thursday an unidentified person with knowledge of the matter as saying Reliance was offering to sell a roughly 40% stake in its retail arm, worth about $20 billion, to Amazon. Amazon has held talks about investing in Reliance Retail and expressed an interest in negotiating potential deals, but has made no decision, Bloomberg's report said. Reuters could not independently verify whether Amazon and Reliance were in fresh discussions. Last year, Reuters reported that Amazon had been mulling a proposal to purchase an up to a 26% stake in Reliance Retail. Earlier this year, the Economic Times reported that Amazon was in talks to buy a 9.9% stake in Reliance Retail. Amazon did not respond to a Reuters request for comment. Reliance said it did not comment on speculation and rumours, adding it "evaluates various opportunities on an ongoing basis." SHARES SURGE Shares in Reliance rose as much as 8.5% on Thursday, making it the first listed Indian firm to achieve a market capitalization of more than $200 billion. Ambani, the world's fifth richest man, is shifting his empire's focus towards retail after successfully building India's largest telecom network by customers in four years, hoping to take a dominant position as India's huge consumer market comes of age. For Reliance, a deal with Amazon could potentially leverage the e-commerce giant's global experience in technology, supply chain and logistics, as it aims to connect mom-and-pop stores across India digitally through its Jio telecoms network. For Amazon, a stake in Reliance Retail could give it access to the Jio telecoms platform and its vast retail footprint across India. It could also add more firepower to Amazon's local lobbying efforts, as the Ambani family is well-connected. The reported discussions come at a time when Amazon has been facing tighter regulatory scrutiny and anti-trust cases in India, with brick-and-mortar retailers alleging it uses unfair business practices to operate its online marketplace in the country, an allegation Amazon denies. (Additional reporting by Sachin Ravikumar in Bengaluru and Saeed Azhar in Dubai; Editing by Anil D'Silva, Patrick Graham and Mark Potter) ROME - One of Pope Francis top collaborators and a future papal contender, Filipino Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, has tested positive for the coronavirus, the Vatican said Friday. Tagle, who heads the Holy Sees powerful office in charge of mission territories, last saw the pope during an official audience on Aug. 29. He tested negative for the virus as recently as Sept. 7 but tested positive upon his arrival Thursday in Manila, the Vatican said. In a statement Friday, the Vatican press office said the 63-year-old cardinal doesnt have any symptoms and is self-isolating in the Philippines. In the meantime, the Vatican is tracing Tagles recent contacts. Francis brought Tagle, the former archbishop of Manila, to Rome earlier this year to take over one of the biggest and most important Vatican congregations. The Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples oversees the Catholic Church in Asia, Africa and other mission territories. Francis subsequently made Tagle a cardinal-bishop, a ranking that made clear the popes esteem for him. The promotions have boosted Tagles visibility within the church hierarchy and have given him experience working within the Holy See bureaucracy. Those two factors help make him a possible papal contender in a future conclave despite his relatively young age. Francis, 83, was 76 when he became pope The Vatican, a small city state in the centre of Rome, locked down along with the rest of Italy in early March, halting all non-essential meetings, audiences and travel. It has reported a dozen confirmed virus cases. Francis, who lost part of a lung to illness when he was a young man, last week resumed his general audiences before a limited crowd. This week, he was seen wearing a face mask for the first time. New Delhi: The MeToo wave hit Bollywood in 2018 after actress Tanushree Dutta alleged that senior actor Nana Patekar harassed her on their movie sets some years back. This opened a can of worms with several shocking stories coming to fore and many big names were exposed. One such popular name was that of filmmaker Sajid Khan. Sajid has once again been named and shamed as a sexual predator by an Indian model named Paula. The model took to Instagram recently and broke her silence. In her post, she alleged that Sajid Khan asked her 'to strip in front of him' just to get a role in his film 'Housefull'. Check her post here: Paula claimed that she was all of 17 when this happened and earlier didn't open up about it because of her family. Sajid Khan had midway stepped down as the director of 'Housefull 4' over sexual harassment charges levelled by a former assistant director. The director was accused of these charges by the victim who shared her #MeToo story on social media, leaving fans shocked and disgusted. Later on, more women came forward and shared their horrid stories accusing Sajid Khan of sexual harassment. In fact, the Indian Film and Television Director's Association (IFTDA) banned Sajid for a year after multiple women alleged the director of sexually inappropriate behaviour during India's #MeToo movement. The first Mekong-US Partnership Ministerial Meeting was held virtually on September 11 under the co-chair of Vietnamese Deputy PM and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh and US Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun (on behalf of US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo). Deputy PM and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh co-chairs the first Mekong-US Partnership Ministerial Meeting (Photo: VNA) The meeting also saw the participation of the Foreign Ministers of Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand, and the ASEAN Secretary-General. The meeting officially announced the upgrade of cooperation to the Mekong-US Partnership (MUSP) based on the successes of the Lower Mekong Initiative (LMI) established in 2009, laying a foundation for upholding potential of the partnership and effectively contributing to the sustainable development and prosperity in the region in the new period. It affirmed the good friendship and successes of cooperation between the Mekong nations and the US in sustainable management of water sources, environmental protection, response to natural disasters, healthcare, education and regional connectivity. For cooperation orientations in the upcoming time, the ministers held that amid challenges and opportunities the Mekong Sub-region is facing, the Mekong-US partnership should focus on the target of promoting peace, stability and prosperity in the region and supporting the realisation of the Sustainable Development Goals 2030 and the ASEAN Community Vision 2025. Regarding the principles of cooperation, the ministers affirmed that the Mekong-US partnership needs to heighten the principles of ASEAN as the centre, openness, equality, consensus, mutual benefit, transparency, respect for the nations sovereignty, non-interference, and respect for international law as well as regulations and laws of the member countries. The meeting also agreed to increase support and coordination with ASEAN and existing Mekong cooperation frameworks. The ministers emphasised the importance of sub-regional development to the ASEAN Community building process and welcomed the efforts to enhance cohesion between sub-regional cooperation and ASEAN. On the fields of cooperation, the ministers agreed that the Mekong-US partnership will focus on four major spheres: economic connectivity; sustainable management of water sources, natural resources and environmental protection; non-traditional security; and human resources development. Speaking at the event, Deputy PM and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh applauded the LMIs contributions to promoting sustainable development and building the ASEAN Community. He affirmed Vietnams commitment to cooperation between the Mekong nations and the US. As ASEAN is entering a new period of building the Community, the Mekong-US partnership is likely to contribute further to the sustainable development of the Mekong sub-region, helping the regional nations to narrow the development gap, seize new opportunities and overcome challenges, he said. For development orientations, Minh held that the Mekong-US partnership should closely follow the agreed common principles, towards assisting the nations in seeking solutions to development needs and ensuring interests of all members. Priority should be given to the cooperation fields that support economic growth and increase the participation of businesses, especially high-quality infrastructure development, management of Mekong water sources, and response to natural disasters and pandemics. At the meeting, the US Department of State announced that the US will earmark nearly 153.6 million USD for cooperation projects in the Mekong region, including 55 million USD for transnational crime prevention and control projects and 1.8 million USD for the Mekong River Commission to step up the sharing of water sources data to serve policy making and natural disaster management projects. US officials highly evaluate Vietnam's role US officials spoke highly of Vietnam's role in the world while attending a virtual ceremony held by the Vietnamese Embassy in the US on September 10 to celebrate the 75th anniversary of Vietnam's National Day (September 2). Ivan Kanapathy, vice director of the US National Security Council, acknowledged that Vietnam has successfully assumed the ASEAN Chairmanship amid increasing challenges in security and development. The US official also highly valued Vietnams contributions as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council (UNSC). He voiced his hope that US-Vietnam relations would continue to flourish and welcomed the signing of an agreement on English teaching within the Peace Corps programme on the occasion of the 25th founding anniversary of diplomatic ties, affirming that Vietnam continues to play a central role in the USs vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific. Meanwhile, Congressman Ted Yoho said Vietnam is among those economies worldwide experiencing dynamic development and boasting a friendly investment climate. He underlined that the development of bilateral ties in numerous fields over time can be attributed to mutual respect. For the US and Vietnam and other ASEAN countries, respect for international law is the most important factor in countries cooperating for shared prosperity. Images and documentaries featuring Vietnams proud achievements in various fields were screened, as well as the countrys efforts to contribute to peace, stability, and cooperation in the region and the world. Addressing the event, Ambassador Ha Kim Ngoc said that the historic moment giving birth to the Democratic Republic of Vietnam 75 years ago is a driving force for every Vietnamese to strive for independence, freedom, peace, and friendship with others. Formerly a colony and country ravaged by war, Vietnam has become a dynamic economy and trusted destination for investment, trade, and tourism. In 2020, as ASEAN Chair and a non-permanent member of the UNSC, Vietnam has been closely working with partners to sustain peace, security, stability, and a rules-based order in Indo-Pacific Asia and the world. The country is exerting every effort to build a cohesive and responsive ASEAN, raising the blocs central role in the regional infrastructure. The Vietnamese diplomat affirmed that Vietnam and the US respect shared values of humanity, which are independence and freedom. Since the normalisation of bilateral relations in 1995, the two have overcome challenges and posted remarkable results, he noted. The comprehensive partnership, based on respect for each others independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity, has blossomed in all spheres and addressed shared challenges in the region and the world. Artistic programmes featuring traditional Vietnamese musical instruments and artists were also part of the ceremony./.VNA Russia has detained Deputy energy Minister Anatoly Tikhonov on embezzlement (allegedly $7.9 million) allegations after a search of the ministry this week. Tikhonov will be jailed for two months while he awaits trial. Tikhonov is one of eight deputy energy ministers under Alexander Novak, and his arrest (in a country where corruption is endemic) will likely signal that he or whoever he is connected to has fallen from Putins good graces. As another part of the saga that never ends, Nigeria is asking a Milan court for an immediate advanced payment from Eni and Shell - a payment that would exceed $1 billion - in the corruption trial over the infamous OPL 245 oilfield. Nigeria, the largest oil producer in Africa, gets 86% of all export revenue from its oil and gas industry, yet the country is riddled with energy insecurity and corruption. Nigerias budget office warned that the country could fall into a recession in the third quarter on the back of low oil prices and the pandemic. Jordan is expecting to resume oil imports from Iraq this month to the tune of 10,000 bpd, after it had to suspend imports completely in August due to the pandemic. Jordan gets as much as 7% of its oil imports from Iraq, through a deal they forged last February. The current import deal is set to expire in November. Politics, Geopolitics & Conflict Jordan is expecting to resume oil imports from Iraq this month to the tune of 10,000 bpd, after it had to suspend imports completely in August due to the pandemic. Jordan gets as much as 7% of its oil imports from Iraq, through a deal they forged last February. The current import deal is set to expire in November. As another part of the saga that never ends, Nigeria is asking a Milan court for an immediate advanced payment from Eni and Shell - a payment that would exceed $1 billion - in the corruption trial over the infamous OPL 245 oilfield. Nigeria, the largest oil producer in Africa, gets 86% of all export revenue from its oil and gas industry, yet the country is riddled with energy insecurity and corruption. Nigerias budget office warned that the country could fall into a recession in the third quarter on the back of low oil prices and the pandemic. Russia has detained Deputy energy Minister Anatoly Tikhonov on embezzlement (allegedly $7.9 million) allegations after a search of the ministry this week. Tikhonov will be jailed for two months while he awaits trial. Tikhonov is one of eight deputy energy ministers under Alexander Novak, and his arrest (in a country where corruption is endemic) will likely signal that he or whoever he is connected to has fallen from Putins good graces. There was a fair amount of premature excitement over news of Hess (a mid-cap American oil company) possibly attempting to load a crude cargo at Libyas Es-Sider port this week. It was unlikely to happen. Nor did it. The Libyan NOC deemed it too dangerous for Hess to dock at the port. Hess is a partner in Libyas Waha concessions, with an interest in 13 oilfields in the Sirte Basin. Also in Libya, renewed incidents of armed clashes in the giant Al-Sharara oilfield have been reported by the NOC. As the stalemate continues between the GNA and Haftar backers, Sunday saw an armed group enter the field, resulting in a shootout leading to the death of one and wounding of another. It was unclear which armed group was behind the latest incident. The EU is reportedly drawing up a list of potential sanctions against Turkey, in an effort to get Ankara to tone down its gas exploration activities in the disputed areas of the eastern Mediterranean. Brussels may target individuals, ships or the use of European ports. In July, the EU agreed to bring financial and political sanctions against Turkey after repeated warnings that culminated in Ankara proceeding with drilling operations off Cyprus. At the same time, Turkey is making a loud deal about talks with Libyas GNA regarding oil and gas opportunities in the conflict-ridden country. Markets & Trends Tullow Oil reported a $1.3 billion loss for H1 after being the latest energy company to write down billions in assets as the bottom falls out of oil demand. This compares to a profit of $103 million last year. The explorer is $3 billion in debt and it is now trying to find new means of refinancing--a process that puts it at risk for being a going concern. Tullow also said that a farm-down process in Kenya has been suspended. Tullow is a joint partner in the project with Africa Oil Corp and French Total SA. Equinor is talking to BP to sell 50% of its interests in the Empire Wind and Beacon Wind projects in the United States in what would be a landmark renewable partnership between the two oil giants. Equinor will be the operator of the project. The wind projects span a total of 200,000 acres, boasting 10 MW of installed capacity capable of supplying power to more than a million homes. Deals, Mergers & Acquisitions Cairn Energy PLC has agreed to sell its 40% Rufisque Offshore, Sangomar Offshore, and Sangomar Deep Offshore stake in Senegal to Woodside Petroleum, after Woodside took advantage of its right to usurp Cairns sale to Lukoil. Lukoil had agreed to purchase Cairns stake in the RSSD production sharing contract in July for $300 million with contingent consideration of up to $100 million. Woodside, however, who will hold 75% once the deal is complete, agreed to the same terms. The deal should close in the fourth quarter. A year and counting now, all of Nigerias four state-run refineries are still shut down because the pipelines feeding them are damaged and essential maintenance has yet to be done. Nigeria is considering ditching its majority stake in its refineries because the years of maintenance that it would require to get them back up and running is too much for the state to take care of. High-profile and often combative hedge fund manager Paul Singer, through Elliott Management Corp, is attempting to derail the deal between Chevron and Noble that would see the larger acquire the smaller. The hedge fund has $40 billion under management and disclosed that it holds a stake of an unknown size in Noble Energy. Singer is known for his pro-Israel stance and funding pro-Israel causes, which is in line with Nobles involvement in the Leviathan gas field off Israels coast. Singer believes that the deal would not fairly compensate Noble shareholders and that they would not be able to benefit from the oil price recovery - whenever that will be. Noble is set to vote on the deal on October 2. Kosmos Energy will let go of some of its frontier exploration assets offshore Suriname, Namibia, South Africa, and Sao Tome & Principe for $200 million. The Shell subsidiary will pay $100 million upfront and $50 million upon each commercial discovery (with a $100 million cap) from the first four exploration wells drilled across the assets. Eni is in talks to build a $4 billion 300,000 bpd refinery in near Iraqs Zubair field, with the first phase--at a rate of 150,000 bpd--expected to be operational in 2025. Eni operates the Zubair oilfield (41.56% stake). Like other oil-rich countries such as Nigeria, the state is looking for foreign partners for the project because it does not have the resources to develop the project alone. Mexico has revised down energy giant Pemexs oil production target for next year by more than 8%. The government said it now expected Pemex to produce 1.857 million bpd in 2021, down from a projection of 2.027 million bpd made in April. Discovery & Development Exxon yet again has increased its recoverable resources offshore Guyana with a new Redtail-1 discovery. It is the supermajors eighteen discovery in Guyana. Exxons total finds from Guyanas Stabroek Block sits at 8 billion barrels of oil equivalent in recoverable resources. This Redtail-1 discovery is about 2.5 kilometers from its Yellowtail discovery. Exxons partners in the Stabroek project are Hess and CNOOC. Husky Energy is asking for federal and provincial help with financing a partially completed $2.2 billion West White Rose offshore oil project, after putting the project in review with a one-year delay as the low oil prices and pandemic seek to undermine the viability of oil developments around the world. Husky has stressed that its not looking for a handout, rather, a partner who would receive a return. There is precedent for such a collaboration, with Exxons Hibernia project, in which the government of Canada owns 8.5%. Enterprise Products Partners has canceled part of a Permian pipeline project--the Midland to ECHO 4 project--which would have carried 450,000 bpd of oil from Midland to Houston, where the ECHO 4 terminal is located. The project is the latest in a series of oil project delays and cancellations as oil prices remain low and the demand outlook is uncertain at best. Russia's natural gas monopoly Gazprom has increased its natural gas supply to China via the new pipeline Power of Siberia in July and August, compared to June. The supply of natural gas to China via the Power of Siberia rose to 12 million cubic meters per day in July and August, from 10 million cubic meters supplied in June Legislation & Regulation Fifteen states are the latest to sue the Trump administration for opening the ANWR up for oil and gas development. The suit follows others from environmental groups and indigenous groups. The latest lawsuit argues that the government did not look hard enough at the impacts of greenhouse gas emissions, climate change, and migratory birds. In a true shocker for the oil industry, the Trump Administration has extended a ban on oil and gas exploration along the coast in Florida, Georgia, and more. The move is definitely more political than practical, highlighting the critical importance of Florida in particular to Trump during the November election. A swing state upon which the entire Presidential election could hinge, Trump is reading the room and clearly banking on how important coastal tourism is for the state, while still not being seen as overly anti-oil. It was thought that Trump would let the ban expire as planned next year. In the second surprise anti-oil legislation move this week, Colorado regulators are now backing the infamous 2000-foot setback for oil and gas drilling. In fact, four of the five members of the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission supported the measure. The commission did agree, however, that there should be exceptions to certain projects that would allow oil and gas projects within that 2000 feet. The legislation is important because about one-third of all drilling applications over the last two years fell within that 2000 buffer. A ballot proposal in Colorado to extend the buffer to 2500 feet failed during the last election, with 56.75% against the legislation. The measure was hotly contested by Big Oil. Mexican authorities have given Pemex the green light to start drilling in seven deepwater blocks located in the Perdido Fold Belt with a total value of investment of $395 million. Amid the race to produce a potential vaccine for the novel coronavirus, Russia today announced that it will be able to vaccinate more than one billion people within 2020-2021, according to a report. The country's sovereign wealth fund said that more than one billion people would receive its COVID-19 vaccine "Sputnik-V" in the said period, reported Reuters citing the Interfax news agency. The Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) has already signed a deal to export the vaccine abroad and on the Brazilian state of Bahia. Along with that, the state also aims to buy 50 million doses to market in Brazil, officials said. Another agreement with Kazakhstan, which is set to buy more than 2 million doses initially and could later increase the volume to 5 million doses. India will be producing 300 million doses of the vaccine, according to reports. The update comes in the backdrop of Russia earlier announcing that it has successfully fast-tracked its recently launched Sputnik V vaccine and is most likely to release the vaccine for civilian use soon, according to a report. Sputnik V Covid vaccine, which is developed by Gamaleya Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology under the Russian Health Ministry, may be granted permission to release a batch of its vaccine for civilian use, the institutes deputy director for research, said associate member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Denis Logunov, according to a report. A Phase III trial is a large-scale one involving thousands of people - in Russia, 40,000 - over a longer stretch of time. Meanwhile, Russian children have returned to schools after attending classes online since the coronavirus pandemic swept the country in late March. To prevent another spike in cases, all teachers underwent mandatory virus tests before primary and secondary schools re-opened on 1 September. Temperature checks are conducted each morning and and school schedules were amended to reduce the number of students attending at the same time. Authorities also limited how many children can be together in school cafeterias and recreation areas is also limited. Moreover, three Moscow outpatient clinics have received the first batch of a covid vaccine against the coronavirus for post-registration trials, news agency TASS reported, citing Deputy Moscow Mayor Anastasia Rakova. Moscow residents can apply to participate in the study and be the first to obtain the vaccine, the deputy mayor said. On August 11, Russia became the first country to license a Covid-19 vaccine, calling it "Sputnik V" in homage to the world's first satellite, launched by the Soviet Union. But western experts have warned against its use until all internationally approved testing and regulatory steps have been taken. The vaccine is undergoing Phase 3 trials. The vaccine produced an antibody response in all participants in early-stage trials, according to results published by The Lancet medical journal earlier that were hailed by Moscow as an answer to its critics. The results of the two trials, conducted in June-July this year and involving 76 participants, showed 100% of participants developing antibodies to the new coronavirus and no serious side effects, The Lancet said. With inputs from agencies Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Never miss a story! Stay connected and informed with Mint. Download our App Now!! A man has been jailed after he crashed into two parked police cars in Sydney's north-west, leading to the discovery of hundreds of kilograms of crystal methamphetamine in the back of his van. Simon Tu, 28, was behind the wheel of a Toyota HiAce on the morning of July 22, 2019, when he drifted to the wrong side of the road and crashed into two cars parked outside Eastwood police station. CCTV footage captured the moment the van hit the police cars. He did not stop to provide his details and police went looking for him, finding him an hour later in the nearby suburb of Ryde. Tu was nervous, shaking and fidgeting as he told officers he had experienced a microsleep. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-11 17:01:31|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- A spokesperson for China's Permanent Mission to the United Nations on Thursday refuted U.S. ambassador Kelly Craft's remarks on China in a statement. Craft, the U.S.' permanent representative to the United Nations, "spread lies to smear China and intentionally created hostility, all for the purpose of domestic politics. China categorically rejects her remarks," the spokesperson said. The spokesperson said Craft's claim to differentiate the Chinese people from the Communist Party of China (CPC) was hypocritical. "The United States' gratuitous bullying has harmed the interests of all Chinese people, who are indignant. The attempts of certain American politicians to estrange the CPC and the Chinese people are doomed to failure. The Chinese people will not allow anyone, any force to separate them from the CPC." In the fight against COVID-19, China has been carrying out international cooperation in an open, transparent and responsible manner, said the spokesperson, adding that Craft's accusation against China and the World Health Organization (WHO) is totally groundless. China's sacrifice and contributions are recognized by the United Nations, the WHO and the international community. Political maneuvering and blame-shifting will not make up for wasted time and will not save lives, the spokesperson noted. The spokesperson asked the U.S. government to focus its time and energy on the protection of American lives and take leadership to overcome the crisis as soon as possible. China is firmly opposed to U.S. efforts to smear and stifle Chinese companies such as Huawei, said the spokesperson. Craft said her previous position as U.S. ambassador to Canada was focused on the arrest of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou, suggesting that Meng's case is of a political nature, said the spokesperson. "Until now, the U.S. claims about Huawei are not substantiated. Facts have proved that U.S. attempts to smear and stifle Chinese companies are out of its evil intention to suppress any challenge to its superiority," said the spokesperson. China will not allow any interference into its internal affairs, said the spokesperson. Issues in Taiwan, Xinjiang and Hong Kong have been fabricated by the United States in order to contain China's development, the spokesperson added. China's position remains firm in that no foreign government, organization or individual has the right to meddle with China's internal affairs, the spokesperson said, adding that Craft's remarks on Taiwan, Xinjiang and Hong Kong were groundless. In her remarks, Craft indicated that the United States would use every opportunity to attack China within the UN Security Council, said the spokesperson. The United States has violated rules and procedures and abused multilateral platforms for the needs of domestic politics, undermining UN work and damaging the atmosphere of cooperation within the Security Council, the spokesperson noted. This year marks the 75th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations, with multilateralism becoming international consensus. The deeds of the United States have proved that it has become the biggest saboteur of international order and is pulling the world back to the age of the law of the jungle, the spokesperson added. China is a staunch supporter of the United Nations and will continue to take up its responsibilities and work with the rest of the world to pursue and promote multilateralism, to safeguard the international system with the United Nations at the core and the rules-based international order, said the spokesperson. Enditem Tungan Maje, a community on the outskirts of Abuja, was thrown into pandemonium in the wee hours of Thursday as gunmen invaded the community and abducted 12 persons. Residents said the incident followed many unreported such cases along the Zuba/Gwagwalada/Lokoja expressway that links the Federal Capital Territory with Kogi State. Thursdays raid occurred at about 1 a.m and lasted over 40 minutes before the intervention of the police and local vigilante groups, the residents said. Frank Osas, whose family members were seized by the hoodlums, told PREMIUM TIMES that he was awakened by his wife to the sight of four men brandishing cutlass and guns outside his gate and demanding that they opened the gate. When I refused to open the gate for them, one of them jumped the gate and used his cutlass to destroy the padlock for others to enter, he told our reporter who visited the community a few hours after the attack. I opened the back door and jumped into the other compound before any of them could get to me, he said. He said the gunmen could not break his front door but managed to grab his wife and three children, who were among the 12 persons they abducted from the community. The assailants, said to be about 20, released five of their seized victims, including Mrs Osas and two of their children, but kept their 14-year-old son. Mr Osas said the assailants also let go of his neighbours pregnant wife when they were being chased by the communitys vigilante and the police. I heard one of them asking another in Hausa language if the sound of gunshots was from them or not, a resident, Olaiya Mike, said. He said he overheard the discussion between the gunmen while they were raiding his house. Speaking with PREMIUM TIMES behind his Nissan Almeria car whose windscreen and seats had been shattered by bullets, Mr Mike said the gunmen pulled his 17-year-old daughter, Mariam, through a window after forcing down his sitting-rooms burglary proof. Marian is among the seven victims still with the kidnappers. After they failed at opening my gate, they climbed in through the fence after cutting the barbed wire. If not for the timely intervention of SARS (polices special anti-robbery squad) which I called from my hiding place, those people would have raided many houses, he said. Mr Mike recalled that a similar incident had happened last month in a neighbouring community, Nagada, during which he said some residents had been killed in a kidnap operation that lasted four hours without police intervention. Police did not rescue us Victims Contrary to a statement by the police, one of the released abductees who asked not to be named said their release was not secured by the police. He also narrated how Mr Osas 14-year-old boy was made by the kidnappers to carry foodstuff and other items they had stolen through the forest. The police outstation in Tunga Maje, Zuba, is less than five minutes by a motorcycle ride from the raided houses. The officer-in-charge denied that his officers failed to react to distress calls from the residents, saying he was at the scene before anyone came to report at the station. I am the OC in charge here. Before they called, I was there already. Before someone came to report that there was shooting, I was already there. I called the DPO and he sent two vehicles. Go and ask the people. I went there with my team and we started firing before we went pursuing them into the forest. We started from 1 a.m to 3 a.m in search and rescued five of them, the officer said, showing our reporter a text message he sent to the Zuba divisional police officer during their engagement with the kidnappers. Mr Osas recalled seeing the police officer with a kerosene lamp at the station after escaping from his house. There was only one policeman on duty and I explained what happened to him. He told me to wait for him to call Iyabanga (vigilante group). He called them and they said they were coming before he later called the Zuba police division, he told PREMIUM TIMES. The identity of the kidnappers is yet to be determined. However, residents of several Nigerian states, including Kogi and Niger, both of which border Abuja, have been victims of armed kidnappers who retreat to nearby forests after their dastardly acts. Advertisements Also, a recent controversial memo, allegedly by a top Customs official, also suggested that the Boko Haram insurgents were regrouping around Abuja. Authorities are yet to confirm which group carried out the Abuja attack but the police have said they are on the trail of the kidnappers. Chinese expert reassures investors after patient in UK using similar drug falls ill CanSino Biologics' top scientist said on Wednesday that its vaccine candidate for COVID-19 is generally safe and effective, reassuring investors after clinical trials for the same type of vaccine developed in the United Kingdom were paused when a participant was suspected of having a life-threatening adverse reaction. On Wednesday, the Phase 3 clinical trials for the UK vaccine, developed by Oxford University and biotech company AstraZeneca, were shut down across the globe after a woman in the UK trial experienced symptoms similar to a rare but serious spinal cord inflammatory disorder called transverse myelitis, according to United States medical news website Stat News. The volunteer's diagnosis and the cause of the illness have not been confirmed, but she is reported to be improving and will be discharged soon, the outlet quoted AstraZeneca's CEO Pascal Soriot as saying. Meanwhile, an independent investigation is working out if there was any link between the disorder and the vaccine. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency in the UK will decide soon if the trials can be restarted. The candidate's trials in the UK, Japan, Brazil, South Africa and the US have been suspended. Zhu Tao, the chief scientist for CanSino Biologics, reassured investors in a meeting on Wednesday that the Chinese vaccine candidate jointly developed by the company and noted biomedical expert Chen Wei is generally safe and effective, and no serious adverse reactions that require medical attention have been reported. The Chinese recombinant adenovirus vector vaccine, dubbed Ad5-nCoV, uses a weakened and modified common cold virus as a vector to introduce parts of the genetic material of the novel coronavirus into the body, training it to recognize and fight off the disease. Zhu said the Chinese and British vaccine use the same technology, so people often compare the two, but there are subtle differences oblivious to the untrained eye. For example, the adenovirus for the Chinese vaccine came from a human, while the vector for the British vaccine came from a chimpanzee. The two viral vectors are highly similar, given human's genetic similarity to chimpanzee, but their differences are poorly understood and are still being studied. "It may ultimately come down to preference, cost and availability," said a Beijing biology professor who requested anonymity. "Scientists have long used the chimpanzee-derived viral vectors because humans have little exposure to these viruses, and thus our immune system will be less likely to attack these harmless vectors, ensuring the vaccine's potency." "On the other hand, human-derived viral vectors may be safer since they came from our body, but it also means more people may have immunity against these vectors. So the vaccine may not be as effective per dosage, and certain demographics, such as the elderly, may need booster shots," the professor said. Zhu said the Ad5-nCoV is expected to provide two years of protection, and current evidence said one dose is enough to trigger an adequate immune response, but two doses can further enhance protection. The target demographic for the current vaccine is above age 18, and they are also working on a version that can be given to the 6 to 18 age group. In response to concerns of the vaccine's safety, Zhu said some may have misread the Chinese findings as different vaccine developers are using different testing standards, definitions and viral strains, which can sometimes lead to confusion if not read carefully. According to the British medical journal the Lancet, the Phase 2 trials of the Chinese vaccine found 9 percent of the 253 volunteers who had received high dosages of the vaccine, as well as one person out of 129 volunteers in the low dosage group, reported having "Grade 3 severe adverse reactions". However, the Grade 3 category in the Chinese study mostly referred to fever so scientists could differentiate it from skin irritation and other minor reactions. The study said the Grade 3 reactions were "self-limited and resolved within three to four days without medication". In conventional clinical trials, side effects are graded on a scale from 1 to 5, with Grade 3 effects being severe reactions that require medical intervention, Grade 4 being life-threatening and needing hospitalization, and Grade 5 being fatal, according to the US National Cancer Institute. Jane Fonda might be one of Hollywoods biggest stars with an iconic history of modeling, acting, and activism. She spoke of some of her most favorite memories in an interview with The New York Times. Her experiences with fellow stars, both on and off set, are fascinating. But it was one memory that she recounted, of the legendary Marilyn Monroe, that piqued the most interest. It was a moment that, to Fonda, proved just how charming and charismatic the late Monroe really was. Jane Fonda | Theo Wargo/Getty Images A little flashback on Jane Fonda Jane Fonda, daughter of the acclaimed actor Henry Fonda, has enjoyed a long and successful career. She dabbled first in comedic roles and landed Academy Awards for more serious performances in Klute (1971) and Coming Home (1978). She also modeled for a bit and is famously remembered for her exercise videos of the 1980s. More recent projects include Youth, Grace and Frankie, and The Newsroom. Fonda has always been fierce and vocal in her beliefs. She is one of the loudest, prominent civil rights and anti-war activists out of Hollywood. In 1972, she was one of the Vietnam Wars harshest critics and traveled to North Vietnam in protest, according to Biography. It was a move so controversial, she was deemed Hanoi Jane, and considered an American traitor at the time. In more recent times, Fonda continues to fight for civil rights, womens rights, and social causes. Shes led a series of climate change protests in Washington, D.C. as recent as 2019, and is no stranger to being arrested for her activism. What Jane Fonda said about Marilyn Monroe Dont miss this call to action from @Janefonda, one of the most inspiring activists of our time, urging us to wake up to the looming disaster of climate change and equipping us with the tools we need to join her in protest. Get a signed copy here: https://t.co/3RIIJc9Dpl pic.twitter.com/QwmLIA2FcX Books-A-Million (@booksamillion) September 4, 2020 RELATED: Audrey Hepburns Most Iconic Role Was Almost Played by Marilyn Monroe Jane Fonda talked about being in an acting class with Marilyn Monroe during her interview with The New York Times. It was in Lee Strasbergs class where they first met, and according to Fonda, Monroe liked her. Fonda went on to describe one of Lee Strasbergs parties to which Monroe arrived late. Fonda said the party-goers were so excited at Monroes presence that they were physically shaking with enthusiasm. And it wasnt because Monroe was striking in any extraordinary way. In fact, it was more of a charming and charismatic glow about her that was so unbelievable, it had grown men and women shuddering. To Jane Fonda, it was a reaction she had never seen before. Marilyn Monroe continues to be a world-famous icon Marilyn Monroe was more than a big-screen icon. She continues to be a legendary name, well-known by almost everyone today, despite her death in 1962. She was young and only 36 years old when she died of a drug overdose. And its a saga contested by many conspiracy theorists still. She starred in films grossing more than $200 million and had high-profile relationships with Joe DiMaggio, Arthur Miller, and many believed she had an affair with President John F. Kennedy. Norma Jean Baker changed her name to Marilyn Monroe and dyed her hair blonde in 1946 upon signing her first movie contract, according to Biography. Her unique voice and hourglass figure made her a poster favorite of the day. But she was also talented as an actress in popular films like The Asphalt Jungle (1950), All About Eve (1950), Niagara (1953), and How to Marry a Millionaire (1954), opposite Lauren Bacall and Betty Grable. Theyd probably still be friends today Its clear from The New York Times interview that Jane Fonda held Marilyn Monroe in high regard. But comparing the experiences of the two Hollywood legends, its also clear they had a lot in common. Both came from dramatic life upbringings, Monroe in foster care, and Fonda with her mothers suicide. They both dabbled in modeling and were considered sex symbols. Both were passionate about their beliefs and activism efforts, as well. If Monroe were still alive today, it would be likely the two would still be close friends. Its hard to say where Marilyn Monroes career would have taken her. But she evidently made an impact on those who got to know her. Even the iconic Jane Fonda remembers their time together well and is grateful for it. With the presidential campaign entering its final two-month stretch, both President Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden are ramping up travel to battleground states this week. But the candidates have very different approaches to getting their messages out to supporters. By Express News Service September 21. That is from when schools can partially reopen, as per the Unlock 4.0 guidelines issued by the Centre. However, not all states are comfortable with the idea. Parents across the board are wary because of the pandemic though some senior students are upbeat. While Delhi and Congress-ruled Punjab turned it down, southern states like Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Telangana appear to be sitting on the fence for now. According to TN school education minister K A Sengottaiyan, any decision on reopening shall be taken only after there is some relief from the pandemic. Bihar and Madhya Pradesh, too, are yet to make up their minds. However, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Assam, Uttarakhand, Andhra Pradesh and Jharkhand are gearing up to open schools for students of classes 9-12. As for Kerala, it will take up the matter at a state cabinet meeting on September 16. According to experts, it is inevitable that schools will have to open soon. Online mode cannot replace the traditional classroom teaching method completely. Hence students, especially in higher classes, can be allowed to get guidance from teachers on an individual basis at schools, said noted educationist R V G Menon. Karnataka plans to announce its own guidelines shortly. According to S Suresh Kumar, minister for primary and secondary education, the state government has already taken steps for facilitating regular student-teacher interaction. Not just of 9-10, children of all classes are engaged through Vidyagama, he said. Vidyagama is a programme under which teachers meet students in their neighbourhood to conduct activities and clear their doubts. In Andhra Pradesh, the government is mulling whether to ask teachers of all subjects to come every day in the regular school hours or whether to have specific days for specific subjects, said Principal Secretary (Education) B Rajasekhar. "Neighbouring Telangana and Maharashtra are yet to take their call. A decision will be made based on the situation, said R Rohini, District Education Officer of Hyderabad. Odisha doesnt have plans to open schools anytime soon. All educational institutions in the state have been directed to remain closed till Durga Puja. Delhi, too, is wary. Many parents requested us not open schools. I want to assure all of you that schools will remain closed till we are fully in control of the coronavirus, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had said last month. There is no change in his position. According to Ashok Agarwal, president of the All India Parents Association, 80% of parents in Delhi are against school reopening. Though Rajasthan has not yet offered any official reaction, most teachers, students and parents dont want schools to re-start from September 21. Assam is planning informal voluntary classes for students above Class V from the last week of this month. Haryana will start classes for students of classes 10-12 in two government schools on a trial basis, as most parents have given their consent, said a state government official. Revised Central advisory on holding exams Ahead of the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test next week, the Centre on Thursday issued a revised SOP, which said that the discretion of whether or not to allow a Covid symptomatic candidate to write the test will lie with the examination authorities (With inputs from our bureaux in Bengaluru, TPuram, Bhubaneswar, Chennai, Hyderabad, Vijayawada, Delhi, Lucknow, Raipur, Patna, Chandigarh, Jaipur, Ranchi, Bhopal and Mumbai) Donald Trump has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for the second time in a week. Magnus Jacobsson, a member of the Swedish Parliament, announced on Friday that he was nominating the presidents administration alongside the governments of Kosovo and Serbia for brokering a peace deal between the two European nations. I have nominated the US Gov and the governments of Kosovo and Serbia for the Nobel Peace Prize for their joint work for peace and economic development, through the cooperation agreement signed in the White House, Mr Jacobsson, wrote on Twitter alongside his letter to the Nobel Committee. Trade and communications are important building blocks for peace, he added. Serbia and Kosovo announced that they have normalised economic ties as part of US-brokered discussions last week after two days of meetings with Trump administration officials. It is the second time this week Mr Trump has been nominated for the prize. On Wednesday he was nominated by a right-wing member of the Norwegian parliament for his role in brokering a different peace deal between Israel and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). For his merit, I think he has done more trying to create peace between nations than most other Peace Prize nominees, Christian Tybring-Gjedde told Fox News on Wednesday. Under Nobel Peace Prize rules, any member of a national parliament can nominate a candidate for the award. A host of other figures can also nominate a candidate for the prestigious accolade, including university professors, according to the Nobel Peace Prize website. Avdullah Hoti, the current prime minister of Kosovo, posted on social media to say that he was extremely grateful for the nomination. A decision by the Trump administration earlier this year to move the flag honoring missing war veterans from a prominent position atop the White House to a less visible spot on the South Lawn has angered some veterans and lawmakers, who see it as disrespectful and potentially illegal. The flag is dedicated to prisoners of war and service members who are missing in action. According to a White House video posted in June, it was relocated in a private ceremony with full military honours, months after President Donald Trump signed into law a bill requiring the flag to be flown at certain federal properties including the White House every day. The revelations come amid growing questions over Trump's respect for the military, after a report last week by the Atlantic magazine alleging that Trump had called fallen American soldiers "losers" and "suckers" sparked outrage and controversy. Trump denied the assertions, but has publicly disparaged the service of the late Senator John McCain, a war veteran, and was accused of criticising his own generals in excerpts of a forthcoming book titled Rage, by Bob Woodward. "It's bad enough that President Trump publicly ridicules American heroes like Senator McCain and others who were captured on the battlefield. He inexplicably promotes the Confederate flag but fails to fly the POW/MIA flag," said Democratic Senator Jack Reed, a co-sponsor of the bill. "It's part of a pattern of disrespect by President Trump toward those who honourably served our nation." Reed, and fellow Democratic Senators Elizabeth Warren and Margaret Hassan, who also co-sponsored the bill, sent a letter to the White House on Thursday requesting that it reconsider the flag's relocation. "This decision to abruptly move the POW/MIA Flag from atop the White House to an area that is apparently not visible to the public may violate federal law and does not appropriately honour the service and sacrifices of American prisoners of war, missing service members, and their families," the letter reads. Sen Hassan said that law was intended to pay tribute to the prisoners of war and those missing in action and called on the White House to reverse its decision. The White House defended the change of venue but did not offer a reason for it. "President Trump dedicated a POW/MIA memorial site earlier this year on the White House grounds to forever remember our heroic service members who were prisoners of war or missing in action," White House spokesman Judd Deere said. "The President selected a site on the Southwest corner of the South Lawn for this prominent and sacred memorial, which is visible to all those who visit the White House, that features the POW/MIA flag," he added. The black and white flag, which reads "you are not forgotten," depicts a man beneath a guard tower gazing down at a barbed wire fence. Roughly 82,000 American service members are still missing since World War Two. US law requires the flag to be displayed in a "manner designed to ensure visibility to the public." In its current position, it can be viewed from limited vantage points outside the White House complex. The American Ex-Prisoners of War group, which represents 10,000 former POWs and their families, said it was outraged last month when it learned of the move, calling it a "slap in the face." "While he touts his support for the US Armed Forces and their families, actions speak louder than words. And this action speaks of disdain for Prisoners of War and the Missing in Action," the group said. The bill, co-sponsored by Republicans including Senators Marco Rubio, Tom Cotton and John Thune, was signed by Mr Trump in November and sought to give the flag a lasting place of prominence. Over Memorial Day weekend this May, Mr Trump touted his signing of the law to representatives of Rolling Thunder, a veterans advocacy group. "In the months since, that righteous flag has proudly flown over the White House; you probably noticed it today," he told them. But its relocation prompted inquiries from veterans advocates, including Artie Muller, founder and executive director of Rolling Thunder, who said he "wasn't too happy" when he learned of the change. "It was supposed to be over the White House," he said, adding that he did not see it as illegal or disrespectful, but hoped it would be restored to its prior location to increase visibility. Ann Mills-Griffiths, chairman and chief executive officer of the National League of POW/MIA Families, said that "working-level White House staff members" had been made aware of the concern over the flag not being flown over the White House. For its part, the American legion said it was pleased that the flag "flies 24/7 at its own POW/MIA Memorial on White House grounds." Reuters 11.09.2020 LISTEN How quickly we forget that, only from the past hundred years that we allowed our women to vote, allow blacks to live as equals or gave attention for some rights to be established. We act as if we are all-knowing beings, yet there is much we fail at sea. We walk down the streets ignoring the little things, the eyes we stare, and the stories they share. Perhaps we feel we are not alone that we are part of the much bigger picture, but we failed to make the connection. We call other creatures stupid, yet we point to them to justify our actions. But why the killings? Is it simply because we can? Because we always have to make it right? Or does it show how little weve learned that we continue to act out of primary aggression rather than thionic compassion? One day, the sensation we call life will leave us. Our bodies will rot, our viable recollected and yesterdays actions only remain. Death constantly surrounds us, still, it seems so distant from our everyday reality. We live in a world on the verge of collapse, the wars of tomorrow will have no winners, for violence will never be the answer, it will destroy every possible solution. If we all look at our innermost desire, we will see our dreams are not so different. We share a common goal; happiness. But we tear the world apart, looking for joy without ever looking within ourselves. Many of the happiest people are those who own the least. But are we really so happy with our iPhone, our big houses or fancy cars? We have become disconnected, idolizing people we have never met. We witness the extraordinary on screens. But ordinary everywhere else, we wait for someone to bring change, without ever thinking of changing ourselves. Presidential elections might as well be a coin to us; it is two sides of the same coin. We choose which face we want, and the illusions of choice of change are created. But the world remains the same. We fail to realize that politicians dont serve us, they serve those who fund them into power. We need leaders, not politicians; but in this world of followers, we have forgotten to lead ourselves. Stop waiting for change and be the change you want to see. We didnt get to this point by sitting on the fence, the human race survives not because we are the fastest or the strongest but because we work together. We have mastered the act of killing, and now lets master the joy of living. This is not about saving the planet. The planet will be here, whether we are or not. Earth has been around for billions of years, each of us will be lucky to last eighty. We are a flashing time but our impact is forever. I often wished I lived in the age before computers, where we didnt have screens to distract us but I realized there is one reason why this is the only time I really want to be alive. Because alive here today, we have an opportunity we never had before. The internet. Its the power to share a message and to unite millions around the world, while we still can we must use our screens to bring us closer together, rather than further apart. Better or worst our generation will determine the future or life on this planet. We can either continue to serve the system of destruction until no memory of our existence remains. Or we can wake up, realize we all evolve backward or rather falling down. We just have a screen in our faces so we dont see where we are heading. This present moment is what every step, every breathe and every death is led to. We are the faces of all who came before us and now its our turn, you can choose to carve your own path or follow the road countless others have already taken. Life is not a movie; the script is not already written. We are the writers, this is your story, their story, our story. CREDITS ( AS TRANSCRIBED FROM THE EXCERPT OF SPENCER CATHCARTS ) Facing the music: Simon Tu, 28, accidentally rammed into two parked police cars in broad daylight while driving a car with $130million in methylamphetamine in the back 'Australia's dumbest criminal' has been jailed for up to six-and-a-half years after he was sprung running $130million in meth when he crashed his van into parked police cars. Simon Tu, 28, was cruising past a police station on Ethel St, Eastwood one Monday morning last July when he allegedly suffered a 'microsleep'. He ploughed his van into two stationary cop cars in broad daylight but kept driving until police caught up with the 'nervous' and 'fidgety' cafe businessman an hour later. Tu feebly claimed he was delivering 'food' around Sydney but police instead found cardboard boxes stashed with 260kg of crystal methamphetamine in the back. He has been locked up ever since and NSW District Court Judge Penelope Hock on Friday said Tu had admitted it was a 'wake up call'. The crash was 'most unfortunate for the offender but was of great benefit to the community in that an enormous quantity of prohibited drug was not able to be distributed'. Mr Tu's jailing was a 'wake up call' as he had witnessed some grim happenings behind bars, the court heard on Friday Judge Hock noted he was carrying more than 500 times the amount of what the courts consider to be a 'large' amount of the drug, known locally as ice. The street value of his drug shipment has been revised down from an initial police estimate of $200 million to a still-incredible $130 million. The court heard Tu has explained he was hoping to pay off several debts and business overheads by running the drug shipment. But the court heard he was just a courier and did not seem to be high up in the sinister drug syndicate. The operation involved him picking up the drugs from a Pizza Hut outlet but he has never explained from whom. He was a gambling addict who snorted cocaine and drank alcohol daily prior to the accident but has cleaned up his act behind bars, the court heard. Tu's own barrister, Phillip Boulten SC, described his execution of the crime as 'hopeless' earlier this week. Smashed up: Tu's spectacular crash destroyed the front of a police sedan parked out the front of Eastwood Police Station, in Sydney's north-west What was hiding in the back: Police found 260kg of crystal methylamphetamine in Tu's vehicle 'His driving is what gave it away, and his role was to drive,' Mr Boulten told the court. 'In some senses it was a hopeless execution of the task he was asked to perform,' he said, describing it as 'shambolic' and 'negligent'. After several tense moments holding onto his sides, Tu was on Friday granted a non-parole period of four years, with a maximum sentence of six-and-a-half years. A negligent driving charge was dealt with by conviction with no further penalty. He will be eligible for parole on July 21, 2023. BLOW-BY-BLOW: HOW SIMON TU WAS SPRUNG, ACCORDING TO COURT FACTS After crashing his car into the police vehicles at 10.36am on July 22, Tu drove his banged-up van for about an hour, court facts said, until police caught up with him. When officers pulled him over at Blaxland Rd, Ryde, Tu - dressed in a white business shirt, jeans and loafers - was 'nervous, shaking and fidgety'. He avoided eye contact when officers asked what had happened outside the police station. Tu said he had fallen asleep behind the wheel - veering onto the wrong side of the road - and only woke up when he rammed into the cop car, the court facts said. 'Driving and microsleep ... realised I fell asleep,' he said. Tu, who was being recorded by police body worn cameras, was then asked what he'd been doing in the suburb. Someone isn't going to be happy. You know how much it's worth? A detective speaking to Tu on July 22 He claimed that he was simply 'delivering food', having picked it up from a warehouse in Eastwood to run deliveries around Sydney. But police were suspicious of claims, the fact sheet said, because of his nervy demeanour and the fact he had driven off from a disastrous crash in broad daylight. Officers inspected the back of the van and found a series of Bunnings-branded cardboard boxes. What they didn't see was any food, the facts said. In the hour after the crash, a shaken Tu only managed to get from Eastwood to the nearby suburb of Ryde The court facts said the purity of the substance was between 71 and 81 per cent The cardboard boxes were loaded out of the van and meticulously pored through by gloved New South Wales police officers Police opened one of the boxes and found twenty resealable bags of a suspicious crystalline powder. There were 260 bags of the drug inside in total across 13 boxes. The detectives asked Tu what was in the bags, but he was evasive. 'Not sure,' he said, the court documents said. Then he made an intriguing admission. He claimed to have picked up the boxes from a Pizza Hut outlet an hour before - but wouldn't say who had given them to him. Officers also found a note with the address of the Eastwood, Balaclava Rd Pizza Hut in his jacket pocket. Daily Mail Australia does not suggest any wrongdoing by people involved in the business only that Tu claims to have allegedly collected the drugs from near there. The detective asked: 'Mate, we have a drug dog coming and it's going to be analysed. Is it drugs?' Tu shrugged. 'What is it ... ice?' the police officer asked. Tu shrugged again. 'Someone isn't going to be happy. You know how much it's worth?' 'A lot,' Tu admitted. 'What's the go, you owe people money or just wanted to make some quick cash?' 'Something like that,' Tu said. An address of a Pizza Hut outlet on Balaclava Rd (above) was found written on a note in Tu's pocket, court documents said. Daily Mail Australia does not suggest any wrongdoing by people involved in the business The agreed fact sheet said Tu has accepted he knew the boxes contained prohibited drugs and that they contained a 'large commercial quantity' - a critical legal definition which could have allowed prosecutors to jail him for life. But he didn't know the exact quantity of drugs in the car. 'There is no evidence ... the offender played any further role other than as the driver of the vehicle which was transporting the drugs at the time he was apprehended,' the agreed facts said. Tu's truck was fingerprinted extensively and his prints only turned up in the driver's seat and on the front of the truck, not the back, the facts said. He offered police a 'no comment' in an electronically recorded interview at the station. Tu's crash was one of the biggest - and easiest - drug hauls in the history of the New South Wales Police Force. On the wings is the cheerleader brigade, egging on these publicity princesses, milking the situation for all its worth The Rhea-bashers are swirling their glasses of wine in joyous celebration, little realising that she is bound to wriggle out of the tight position she currently finds herself in On one side, its a starlet embroiled in drug charges, while on the other is a motor-mouthed, self-proclaimed queen dishing out dirt at her fraternity. Rhea and Kangana are two sides of the same coin. While one remains in public eye, being blamed for supposedly plotting the death of her beau, the other thrives in the limelight by heading a determined campaign to expose what she calls the movie mafia. On the wings is the cheerleader brigade, egging on these publicity princesses, milking the situation for all its worth. The publics love or hate isnt going to cost them their peace. The Rhea-bashers are swirling their glasses of wine in joyous celebration, little realising that she is bound to wriggle out of the tight position she currently finds herself in, saying it was a forced confession! And Team Kangana, which has become a brand of its own thanks to the erratic and often provocative tweets, will move onto the next campaign as audiences will be fighting her leftover battles. The point is, to these two actors, any situation is momentary and will be used for garnering publicity of mammoth proportions. And both Kangana and Rhea are riding towards making the most of this publicity. Kanganas gutsy decision to step into Mumbai despite the backlash that her slicing tweets have been receiving goes to show that she has taken her movie titles too seriously. The supposed queen of Indian filmdom has now thrown herself in the thick of the political fracas. What they said Actress Khushboo Sundar seems to be as disgruntled with the state of affairs in the Indian airwaves. There are such pressing issues in our country today. COVID-19 and China are two Cs looming large. And our economy shows no signs of improvement. Yet, we are fixated on jarring headlines dissing one girl and hailing another, says Khushboo. According to Varun Sardesai, a policy advisor and political analyst Rhea has already been judged a criminal thanks to overzealous and crazy TV anchors. However, he doesnt think any of this will affect her later on. Once the next big thing on TV breaks, Rhea will be forgotten and eventually she will have movies and a career. There is a lot of sympathy for her now and a previously lesser-known actor will now gun for the big league, he points out. To be honest, though, at this point, Kangana sounds merely like a bag of sour grapes, who is ranting and raving to remain in the news. Neither her disclosures nor sensational TV interviews can implicate anyone. Courts go by solid proof, not a pretty damsel dishing out dirt. However, even as Sumithra Chauhan, BJPs firebrand leader from Haryana, shares her concerns for the Queen actress, she believes Kangana has a future. There is a lot of concern among the people about how the establishment in Maharashtra is bulldozing its way to destroy Kangana. Her voice and passion both are being received well. She has a future both in films and public life, adds Sumithra. Actress Varalaxmi Sarathkumar, who is known for her forthright views, appears nonchalant about the cycle of events. I feel these instances will be in public memory for a very short span. Each one of us tends to capitalise on the media attention and its natural, she states. If you didn't get a CAO offer, there are other options available to you. Stock image If you don't get a CAO offer, there are still other options available to you. Stock image If you don't get a CAO offer, there are plenty of career pathways still available in higher and further education, writes Aoife Walsh Choices Higher Education CAO Available Places It is still possible to make a CAO application through the Available Places facility on the CAO website, cao.ie. These are places that have not yet been filled and are available both to new applicants to the CAO as well as those who are already in the system. The list is updated as offers are accepted and declined, so check back regularly. It will re-open for applications from Monday, September 14. New applicants can apply for any listed course that interests them by making a CAO application for a fee of 45. Existing CAO applicants can add Available Place courses to their list of preferences for no fee. TU Dublin No points are required for a programme at TU Dublin, which comes with the guarantee of a place on a course of choice at the university next year for school-leavers and others who complete it. Applications are open until September 18 for school-leavers from disadvantaged communities, who may not have received a CAO offer for TU Dublins one-year Access Foundation Programme (AFP) . Private Colleges and direct entry courses There are approximately 75 direct entry courses available across private colleges as well as publicly-funded universities and institutes of technology in the direct entry section of careersportal.ie. Many of these courses are continuing to accept applications. Private colleges are the main providers of direct entry courses but they also have a large offering on the CAO, many of which will be listed on CAO Available Places, on cao.ie. These courses include psychology, business, acting, psychology, law and computing. Griffith College, with campuses in Dublin, Cork and Limerick, and Dublin Business School (DBS) are two long-established private colleges with courses across a wide spectrum, both on the CAO and through direct entry If students are interested in pursuing study via direct entry course at a private college they should contact the college. Fees are about 5,000 a year, however tax relief is available at 20pc. Given that the Student Contribution in publicly-funded colleges is 3,000, the private sector may be a realistic option for some families, particularly if it allows a student to stay at home, rather than incurring accommodation costs. Unfortunately, many of these courses do not qualify for the Susi grant, although some do. UCAS If you are willing to travel, you can still consider colleges in the UK, including Northern Ireland. If you have not already applied to UCAS the UK applications agency and wish to do so, you can go through a process called clearing. This is where unfilled places are available Clearing will remain open until October 20. Search ucas.com for more information. EU Some universities in the EU are still accepting applications, and they do not select on the basis of Leaving Cert points. These include Italys University of Bologna and University of Padua, and Polands University of Wroclawa. Places are available in areas such as Law, Business, Medicine. Physiotherapy, Psychology, Politics, Science and Veterinary Medicine. There are also programmes in a wide range of areas that have a second start date in February, in The Netherlands, Finland, Denmark and Germany, with application deadlines in November/December. EUNICAS, a support service for university applications to EU countries, provides updates on its website. Further Education and Training Further education and training (FET) covers a broad choice of post-school avenues, including post-Leaving Certificate (PLC) courses and other routes to valuable qualifications and skills development, such as traineeships and apprenticeships. PLCs Post-Leaving Cert (PLC) courses can be an end in themselves, in that they may lead directly to a job across a vast array of occupational areas, from accounting, to childcare, to fashion, to music, to sales, to veterinary. They can also act as a stepping stone to higher education, without worrying about Leaving Cert points. If a student completes a PLC programme with good results, they have a great chance of securing a reserved place on a third-level course. Along with more general courses, some have a very specific focus, such as Pre-University Science and Pre-University Law. Colleges of further education, which operate under the umbrella of education and training boards (ETBs) are the main providers, although about 25 second-level schools also offer some. They are generally of one years duration, but some extend to two years. The minimum entry requirement is five Leaving Cert passes and colleges will continue to accept applications and interview applicants until courses are filled. Apprenticeships An apprenticeship offers the opportunity to study for a qualification while also working in the relevant field, usually for two to four years. They are a great option for those who like a hands-on approach to building knowledge, while getting paid to do it. The variety is increasing all the time, with 56 different types currently available. Starting salaries vary, but they tend to be around 20,000. As well as long-standing apprenticeships in areas such as construction, engineering, motor and electrical, there are new options constantly being rolled out. One recent announcement was the degree-level Recruitment Executive apprenticeship, a three-year honours programme with the National College of Ireland in Dublins IFSC as the education partner. Other sectors where apprenticeships have emerged include biopharma, finance, hospitality, butchery, software developer, cybersecurity, logistics, auctioneering, See www.solas.ie. All apprenticeships lead to qualifications from NFQ (National Framework of Qualifications) Levels 6-9, or equivalent. Traineeships A traineeship is a bit like an apprenticeship in that it combines classroom-based learning and work experience, but is of shorter duration ranging from six to 20 months. Also, while apprentices are employees, trainees are students and access to a programme is via an education and training board (ETB). There are more than 75 programmes available nationally in a range of industries. At least 30pc of the learning is on the job and opportunities are available in areas as diverse as construction, ICT, logistics, fashion, engineering, business and finance. They lead to awards at Levels 4-6, Level 6 being the equivalent of having done two years on a post-Leaving Cert course (PLC). National Learning Network For young people who have just finished school and may be struggling with anxiety levels, the National Learning Network (NLN), the education and training division of the Rehab Group, offers an alternative pathway to further and higher education and jobs. NLN has 50 centres, catering for 16 to 65-year-olds, offering nationally recognised and accredited programmes from Level 1-Level 5. Level 5 is the same level as a post-Leaving Cert (PLC) course. Dubai Real Estate Institute (DREI), a unit within Dubai Land Department (DLD), recently the virtual UAE-KSA Real Estate post-Covid-19 conference that was organised in cooperation with the Smart Decision Training Center (SDTC) in Saudi Arabia. The objectives of the two-day conference included achieving coherence and communication among public and private sectors in the UAE and the KSA to develop real estate knowledge. The virtual conference witnessed the participation of more than 200 participants, along with a group of prominent speakers and experts in the real estate field from both countries to develop real estate knowledge, which represents an important aspect of joint cooperation, where challenges and innovative solutions for a better future for the real estate market were discussed to establish trust and happiness. The participants came up with many recommendations during their discussions of the various challenges in each of the seven tracks, including working to reduce procedures within an integrated system supported by legal procedures. Addressing the participants, CEO Hend Obaid Al Marri called upon them to benefit from the experiences of the renowned panelists and emphasised the importance of joint coordination with partners, experts, and real estate professionals backed by innovative technologies to help reduce the effects of the pandemic on real estate sector. "We realise the need to discuss the challenges and solutions faced by the sector and formulate appropriate tools to meet them, in order to ensure that the real estate market continues to progress and prosper," she added. Mohammed Ali Al Bur, CEO of SDTC, said: "The exchange of experiences and opinions represents one of the main pillars in business success, hence the idea of this conference to overcome current and future challenges in the real estate sector." "We have agreed on important steps in the distinguished alliances in the field of training and consulting, in cooperation with DREI," stated Al Bur. "Our conference represents the fruitful efforts made by both teams, which was strengthened with the participation of a group of specialised speakers who discussed its tracks, whereby several proposals and solutions were reached to help us overcome the current crisis," he added.-TradeArabia News Service STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The parents of the former Staten Islander suspected of killing his ex-girlfriend, Stephanie Parze, are under investigation in connection with the womans death, according to a report in the Asbury Park Press. Authorities said that John Ozbilgen, 29, acted alone when he killed Parze, 25, of Freehold, N.J., either late at night on Oct. 30, or early in the morning on Oct. 31, and dumped her lifeless body along a highway in New Jersey. Ozbilgen was found dead Nov. 22 after he hanged himself in the garage of his family home. Prosecutors confirmed in February that he left rambling suicide notes in which he apologized to his family and made a partial admission of guilt, but he did not reveal exactly how or why he killed Parze. However, during a virtual hearing Thursday, assistant Monmouth County prosecutor Caitlin Sidley said the investigation is still open with Ozbilgens parents, both former Staten Islanders, at the center of the probe, the Asbury Park Press reported. This is an active investigation, Sidley said, according to the report. Its an active investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death and disappearance of Stephanie Parze, as well as anyone who may have helped in the aftermath of that. Thursdays hearing was about a motion attorney Richard Incremona filed on behalf of Ozbilgens parents, Haken and Cynthia, to have cell phones, computers and other property seized from their Freehold home returned, the report said. Superior Court Judge David F. Bauman reportedly denied the motion, citing the ongoing investigation. My clients have done absolutely nothing wrong, Incremona told the Asbury Park Press. No matter how long they keep the phones, theyre not going to find any evidence of wrongdoing by Cynthia or Haken because they didnt do anything. The investment will support the further growth of DGS Group, a leading Italian information technology specialist H.I.G. Europe ("H.I.G."), the European affiliate of H.I.G. Capital, a leading global private equity investment firm with more than 34 billion of equity capital under management, announced today the acquisition by an affiliate of a controlling stake in DGS S.p.A. (the "Company"), a leading firm in the Italian information technology industry. With revenues above 115 million and 890 employees, DGS has, since its foundation in 1997, supported blue-chip customers in the design, integration and maintenance of complex IT systems with a specialization in digital transformation and cybersecurity services. The Company provides digital solutions (system integration on main ERP, CRM, PLM/SCM platform software and proprietary custom applications), the full spectrum of cybersecurity services (advisory, data protection, network protection, monitoring control services) and IT management consultancy. Leveraging its partnerships with leading global IT vendors and a specialized technical staff with 1,500 IT certifications, DGS offers customized solutions to a number of high-profile customers active in a diversified range of industries including public sector, energy, industrial manufacturing, financial services and telecommunications. H.I.G. has extensive experience in the IT industry, with over 30 transactions completed globally, and intends to support DGS in the next phase of development, with the aim of capitalizing on both organic and inorganic growth opportunities. Vincenzo Fiengo and Salvatore Frosina, founders, Co-CEOs, and current shareholders of DGS, will reinvest alongside H.I.G. and will continue to lead the Company. They commented: "The investment by H.I.G., a global private equity firm, is a recognition of the impressive growth potential of DGS, given its leading position in the market and its exposure to fast-growing segments such as digital transformation and cybersecurity. Backed by H.I.G., we believe the Company will be able to develop more quickly, pursuing a combination of organic initiatives and targeted acquisitions." Raffaele Legnani, Managing Director and head of H.I.G.'s office in Italy, added: "DGS brings a strong competitive positioning in Italy, as evidenced by its above market growth and an impressive track-record with its blue-chip customer base and advanced technical capabilities." About DGS Based in Rome, DGS has been active in the ICT industry for over 20 years. The Company specialises in providing solutions for digital transformation of business processes (including application system integration and proprietary custom applications), cybersecurity services and IT management consultancy. DGS serves large customers, leaders in their respective industries, ensuring high technical standards, with a staff of 890 employees with 1,500 IT certifications and long-lasting partnerships with the major global IT vendors. With the aim of further expanding its market reach and offering, DGS has recently completed the acquisition of two companies: Maneat, with a strong positioning in the automotive and aerospace industries, and Porini, which provides a range of proprietary custom applications addressing mainly the fashion industry. About H.I.G. Capital H.I.G. is a leading global private equity and alternative assets investment firm with over 34 billion of equity capital under management.* Based in Miami, and with European offices in London, Hamburg, Madrid, Milan, Paris, and U.S. and Latin American offices in New York, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Atlanta, Bogota, Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, H.I.G. specializes in providing both debt and equity capital to small and mid-sized companies, utilizing a flexible and operationally focused/ value-added approach: H.I.G.'s equity funds invest in management buyouts, recapitalizations and corporate carve-outs of both profitable as well as underperforming manufacturing and service businesses. H.I.G.'s debt funds invest in senior, unitranche and junior debt financing to companies across the size spectrum, both on a primary (direct origination) basis, as well as in the secondary markets. H.I.G. is also a leading CLO manager, through its WhiteHorse family of vehicles, and manages a publicly traded BDC, WhiteHorse Finance. H.I.G.'s real estate funds invest in value-added properties, which can benefit from improved asset management practices. Since its founding in 1993, H.I.G. has invested in and managed more than 300 companies worldwide. The firm's current portfolio includes more than 100 companies with combined sales in excess of 28 billion. For more information, please refer to the H.I.G. website at www.higcapital.com. Based on total capital commitments managed by H.I.G. Capital and affiliates. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200911005228/en/ Contacts: Raffaele Legnani Managing Director rlegnani@higcapital.com H.I.G. European Capital Partners Italy S.r.l. P +39 02 45 37 5200 F +39 02 45 37 5250 www.higcapital.com The entrepreneurial spirit is an attitude and perspective inclined to seek out change rather than just adapting to routines and strict plans. Regardless of one's educational backgrounds, the resources available to them or their respective fields of interest, the main factors that condition one's success are determination, hardwork, self-belief and no small amount of creative talent, staunchly believes the 32-year old successful businessman Mr. Harshavardhana Gourineni. Mr. Gourineni is the MD and CEO of Mangal Industries, a significant part of the Amara Raja Group of Companies whose flagship company Amara Raja Batteries Limited is well-known for the brand 'Amaron'. In a highly competitive multibillion-dollar industry, it is challenging to stand out amidst the noise. But by sticking to the company's ethos of functionality and authenticity, Mr. Gourineni is also responsible for 'Galla Foods' which deals with the manufacturing of Fruit pulp and Beverages. Adding to this, he is also the convener of the Amara Raja Corporate Council, the summit decision-making body of Amara Raja Group. Having been brought up in Chicago, Mr. Gourineni faced a lot of challenges when it came to adjusting with the culture, traditions and customs of a different country. Bridging the language gap, being called a product of nepotism are just a few of the many challenges that he had to face. However, his conviction, determination and vigorous efforts did not only prove to be profitable for the company but also prevented two of the business units from collapsing and thus overcoming the insurmountable odds. He is of the belief that no job is "just a job"; where you work and what you do is a significant part of your life at any given point in time. "Fundamentally, the foundation of any successful business is Honesty & Respect. One must be responsible for their words and must keep their promises. Labour assessments, financial criteria, etc. should be clear and transparent. A successful leader should enable and mould successful employees. You are not just responsible for yourself but also the team that works with you. It is essential to be a good team leader, to create an improved organisational structure and to keep doing the same." he says. In spite of being a prosperous business tycoon, Mr. Gourineni takes an equal interest in fitness and sports. He is of the belief that a healthy body makes a healthy mind. He is also assessing business opportunities in the fitness industry to channel his passion into a larger endeavour. Success depends on how one foresees things. One is bound to make mistakes but learning from them is the real ball game. [Disclaimer: This is a featured content.] Afghan Team, Taliban To Start Peace Talks On September 12 By RFE/RL's Radio Free Afghanistan September 10, 2020 KABUL -- Long-delayed peace talks between Taliban and Afghan government negotiators are set to kick off in Qatar on September 12, officials and the militant group say. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo welcomed the September 10 announcement and urged the sides not to squander the "historic opportunity for Afghanistan to bring an end to four decades of war and bloodshed." "This opportunity must not be squandered," he said in a statement. U.S. President Donald Trump later said that Pompeo would travel to the Qatari capital, Doha, to attend the intra-Afghan peace talks. Earlier in the day, Fawzia Koofi, a member of the Afghan government's negotiating team, told RFE/RL that they will travel to Doha on September 11 and that the opening ceremony for the negotiations was planned for the next day. The Taliban said in a statement it was ready to take part in the inauguration ceremony. The Qatari Foreign Ministry confirmed that it will host the peace negotiations starting on September 12, calling the talks "a serious and important step towards establishing sustainable peace" in the country. The negotiations are part of a landmark deal signed between the United States and the Taliban in February. Talks were initially supposed to start the following month but were delayed as the Taliban and the Afghan government completed a prisoner exchange. Under the U.S.-Taliban agreement signed in Doha in February, international forces should withdraw from Afghanistan by May 2021 in exchange for counterterrorism guarantees from the militant group, which pledged to negotiate a permanent cease-fire and power-sharing deal with the Afghan government. The deal promised 5,000 Taliban prisoners would be set free by the Afghan government ahead of the negotiations, in return for 1,000 members of the security forces held by the militants. The last Taliban prisoners were released last week, except the six who left Kabul on a flight to Doha on September 10, Afghan officials said, paving the way for the Doha talks to begin. The six prisoners, whose release was objected to by France and Australia because of their links to the murders of French and Australian civilians and troops in Afghanistan, are to be kept under supervision in Doha. "The six will remain in Qatar until the end of November and could be transferred back to Kabul," a government source told Reuters. In a statement, France's Foreign Ministry reiterated its "firmest opposition to the release of individuals convicted of having committed crimes against French nationals, in particular soldiers and humanitarian workers." The Taliban has blamed Kabul for delaying the negotiations, but presidential spokesman Sediq Sediqqi on September 10 accused the Taliban of stalling for time. "Reshuffling their peace negotiating team at the last minute indicates that they are still not prepared for the talks," Sediqqi said. In his statement, Pompeo urged the negotiators to "demonstrate the pragmatism, restraint, and flexibility this process will require to succeed." "The United States recalls the commitment by the Afghan government and the Taliban that terrorists can never again use Afghan soil to threaten the United States or its allies," he also said. "Now is the time for peace for Afghanistan." With reporting by Reuters, AFP, and Tolonews Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/six- taliban-prisoners-fly-to-doha-paving-way -for-peace-talks/30832066.html Copyright (c) 2020. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Mr. Michael Awuah, an automobile businessman based in Japan who also doubles as the NPP Japan branch 1st Vice Chairman has descended heavily on the NDC manifesto that promised to abolish the purported ban on salvaged cars. He said, in reality, the Customs Amendment Bill, 2020, has been withdrawn some months before the NDC flagbearer made the infamous announcement of lifting the ban on salvaged cars. This development was not known to the NDC because they do not read as is typical of them. The NPP government is a listening and sensitive government and would not do anything that will push people out of business. Having drafted the Ghana Automotive Development Policy (GADP) to make Ghana a fully integrated and competitive industrial hub for the Automotive Industry in the West Africa sub-region, the NPP government is by far the best political party that can achieve the industrialization agenda in the automobile sector. Mr. Awuah expressed optimism that the NPP government will protect the jobs of the spare parts dealers. Mr. Awuah, challenged the NDC to put forward their auto-policy to rival what the NPP government has begun. The only policy former President Mahama and his NDC government knows about is the reviewing of good policies leading to a total collapse or malfunction of existing systems. He urged the Abossey Okai and Suame Spare Parts Dealers Association to disregard the reviewing and malfunction policies of the NDC flagbearer since there is no ban currently in place. He also urged all Ghanaians to vote massively for the NPP government in the December polls to continue their good job. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 11) The mother of slain Filipino transgender woman Jennifer Laude said she was devastated by President Rodrigo Dutertes grant of absolute pardon to U.S. Marine Lance Corporal Joseph Scott Pemberton, her child's convicted killer. Julita Laude said the family did not expect such move from Duterte, whom they treated as an ally since he gave them financial aid and promised to not let Pemberton walk free under his watch. "Siya (Duterte) pa mismo nagbigay ng tulong pinansyal nuon dahil masaya raw siya na pinakipaglaban namin ang kaso," she said in a statement sent to the media by the family's lawyer, Virgie Suarez. "Sabi niya na hangga't siya raw ang nakaupo, hinding hindi niya papayagan na makalaya si Pemberton." [Translation: He even personally gave us financial help because according to him he was happy that we fought for the case. He said, as long as he is President, he will never ever let Pemberton be released from jail] Sabihin mo po sa media na sumama ang loob ko (Tell the media I was upset), Julita Laude said. Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque, who was a former lawyer of the Laude family, denied Duterte made such a promise. Roque did not confirm or deny that financial aid was given to the family. "No po. No such promise," he said in a text message. "She never met PRRD," he added, referring to the President's initials. RELATED: Roque believes Pemberton pardon was in exchange for US-made COVID-19 vaccine Early this week, Duterte surprised the nation by pardoning Pemberton in the midst of appeals filed in court by the Laude camp and even the Philippines' own Department of Justice to block the American soldier's early release on the basis of good conduct. The court credited to Pemberton more than four years worth of good conduct time allowance, a privilege given to detainees who exhibit exemplary behavior in prison. The Laude family, however, questioned the basis for Pemberton's good behavior since he has been all alone in his detention cell in Camp Aguinaldo, headquarters of the Armed Forces, in line with the Visiting Forces Agreement. Still, Duterte said it was unfair to keep Pemberton detained pending court resolution and that he should be given "the good character presumption." Ayos lang sana kung hindi siya nagbigay ng absolute pardon, para kahit papaano ay may laban naman kami (It would have been fine if he did not give absolute pardon so we could have had a fighting chance), Julita Laude said. Pemberton is set to fly back home to the US after less than six years in jail for Laudes slay. The Court of Appeals initially sentenced Pemberton up to 12 years of imprisonment for homicide, but this was later reduced to a maximum of 10 years. Julita Laude said a 10-year sentence is a slap on the wrist compared to the brutal killing. Sampung taong pagkakakulong lang sana ang hinihingi naming kabayaran para sa buhay ng anak ko, SAMPUNG TAON LANG SANA! Napaka iksing panahong kabayarang pagkakakulong para sa buhay ng anak ko, she said. [Translation: We were asking for only ten years in exchange of my child's death, just ten years! That's a very short period of imprisonment for my child's life.] Laude was found dead in an Olongapo City motel room after a night out with then 19-year-old Pemberton in October 2014. Laude's neck was blackened with strangulation marks, head rammed into a toilet, after Pemberton learned that she was transgender. The high-profile case raised emotions in the country from members and supporters of the LGBTQI community and from groups that criticize the perceived special treatment extended to American servicemen. READ: US officials asked about Pembertons release but were not pushing it envoy British holidaymakers face another race against time to get home before new quarantine rules on countries including Portugal and Hungary come into force. The British government announced on Thursday evening that Portugal, Hungary, French Polynesia and Reunion have been removed from the quarantine exemption list. UK Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said that travellers arriving in England from those countries after 4am on Saturday will have to self-isolate for 14 days. It comes as reports suggested ministers are divided over new social distancing rules in England that will limit social gatherings to groups of just six people both indoors and outside from Monday. On Thursday Scotlands First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced similar measures limiting indoor and outdoor gatherings to groups of six from two households, with a key difference that children under 12 would not be included. The Daily Telegraph reported on Friday that senior Tories also want younger children to be exempt from the so-called rule of six in England, while the Daily Mail claimed Health Secretary Matt Hancock was the only Cabinet minister on Boris Johnsons coronavirus strategy committee to support the plan at a meeting on Tuesday, the day before it was announced by the British Prime Minister. The latest quarantine measures were criticised as a major body blow to consumer confidence which left families in a race against time get home. Mr Shapps also tweeted that Sweden will be added to the exemption list meaning travellers entering England from there will not have to quarantine. He said: His tweet added: Data shows we need to remove Portugal (minus the Azores and Madeira), Hungary, French Polynesia and Reunion from the Travel Corridor list to keep everyone safe. Read More Joe Biden wary of baiting in debates with Donald Trump But World Travel and Tourism Council president and chief executive Gloria Guevara said: Taking Portugal and Hungary off the exception list has left families in a race against time to find flights and get home to avoid going into 14 days of isolation or cancel their already made plans. This depressingly familiar situation is a major body blow to consumer confidence to travel. In Scotland, the First Minister also announced changes for the hospitality sector, making it mandatory for customers to wear face coverings whenever they are moving around and not eating or drinking. Meanwhile Wales First Minister Mark Drakeford is expected to confirm on Friday that people will only be able to meet in groups of six or under indoors from Monday. But people will also still be able to meet up in groups of up to 30 outdoors, as long as they maintain social distancing. It comes as coronavirus rates continued to increase across parts of the UK with Leeds and Birmingham among areas at risk of further lockdown measures. The most recent data for the seven days to September 7 showed Birmingham had the second highest rate of new cases in the country at 85.4 per 100,000 people and 975 new cases while Leeds had 536 new cases and a rate of 67.6. The UK Treasury Select Committee is also warning that Chancellor Rishi Sunak risks mass long-term unemployment and putting hard-hit viable firms out of business if the furlough scheme comes to an abrupt end on October 31. In the second report of its inquiry into the economic impact of coronavirus the cross-party committee of MPs is recommending a targeted extension to the coronavirus furlough scheme. On Thursday Mr Hancock defended the British governments ambitious mass Covid-19 testing proposals in the face of laughter and heckling in Parliament. He hit out at the naysayers in the House of Commons when outlining the Operation Moonshot plans, which aim to see millions of UK-wide tests carried out daily with results available in 90-to-20 minutes but have been criticised as overly ambitious and relying on technology that does not yet exist. Leaked documents seen by the BMJ medical journal suggested the project could have a price tag of 100 billion close to that of the 114 billion budget given to NHS England in 2018-19. The latest Department of Health and Social Care figures revealed the number of close contacts of people who tested positive for Covid-19 in England reached through the test and trace system fell to its lowest level since the system was launched. Just over two thirds (69.2%) of close contacts were reached in the week ending September 2, down slightly from 69.8% in the previous week, and once again short of the governments 80% target. The figures also showed that the system recorded the highest weekly number of positive tests since it was launched at the end of May. The poverty alleviation campaign in east China's Fujian Province has been reaping dividends, as villagers living deep in the mountains continuously forge ahead in their efforts to revitalise rural areas. To find out how theyve achieved this, Peoples Daily Online took a special investigative journey to look into the methods the local people are using to make their lives better. Photo taken on Aug. 8, 2020 shows a bamboo raft drifting along the streams of Jiulixi in Chixi Village, located deep in the mountains of Fujian Province. (Photo: Wang Xian/People's Daily Online) Under-forest treasures Wuping county, located in the southwestern part of Fujian Province, pioneered reform of the collective ownership system for woodland. After allocating forestry assets to individual families, they soon started seeing the rewards. Villagers have made full use of the local areas rich forest resources, making remarkable efforts in developing the under-forest lingzhi mushroom industry. Li Guangjun is one of them. The income you get is very satisfying. I used to ride a motorcycle, and now Im driving my own car. Ive bought my own house, Li said. I wouldnt have been able to buy these things by being a migrant worker. Villagers have made full use of the local areas rich forest resources, making remarkable efforts in developing the under-forest lingzhi mushroom industry. Li Guangjun is one of them. (Photo: Lan Zhifei/People's Daily Online) Li used to be a migrant worker before the woodland reform. Back then, the forests were not contracted to villagers and the mountains were poorly developed, as villagers had to live off them by cutting down trees. After the reform was implemented, under-forest industries such as lingzhi mushroom cultivation and beekeeping began to flourish. Lingzhi mushrooms have a wide range of edible uses, and have valuable medicinal properties. They can also be used for skincare and beauty products. In 2019, the county fostered 110 new types of under-forest business entities, increasing the average incomes of about 30,000 households by about 50,000 yuan. Under-forest cultivation of bamboo fungus, nicknamed the queen of mushrooms, has boosted the incomes of farmers in Shunchang, another county in Fujian. Gao Yunwang, a technology consultant who has been stationed there for 36 years, has been using his expertise to help local farmers increase their bamboo fungus output. I feel the most pride when the farmers learn my techniques, and get a higher income and a higher yield, Gao said. Gao Yunwang, a technology consultant who has been stationed in Shunchang County for 36 years, has been using his expertise to help local farmers increase their bamboo fungus output. (Photo: Liu Ning/People's Daily Online) Xie Wudi, a farmer who grows bamboo fungus, is grateful to Gao for the experience she has gained from him. Thanks to Mr. Gaos innovative technique of moving the cultivation from the field to under the forest, weve managed to lower costs because theres no need for greenhouses, said Xie with a smile. I harvested about 160 kilos recently and sold all of it, she added. With her income from growing bamboo fungus, Xie is able to send her two kids to school. In the past, we could barely afford their tuition in college. Now, things are much better with higher yields and greater sales. We can easily afford it, she said. Im happy when they earn a good living, especially when their bamboo fungus sells for a good price and makes their pockets fuller. Its all worth it, no matter how hard I work, Gao said. Rural tourism and tea plantation create path out of poverty The residents of Chixi Village, located deep in the mountains of Fujian Province, suffered from extreme poverty 30 years ago. But the village has since been revitalized through the development of industries such as agriculture and rural tourism. To fully experience the villages booming rural tourism industry, visitors have to check out the bamboo rafts drifting along the streams of Jiulixi, as well as a high-altitude glass skywalk embedded on the mountain edge that will make anyones heart pound faster, even those not afraid of heights. Last year, Chixi received 270,000 visitors and earned more than 21.6 million yuan in revenue from tourism. The village's per capita net income rose from 166 yuan ($23.70) in 1984 to 22,698 yuan in 2019, and the village's collective income has reached 1.3 million yuan. Today, Chixi has been dubbed China's No.1 Poverty Relief Village, and set a remarkable example for China's efforts to lift all the poor out of poverty by 2020. Chixi has been dubbed China's No.1 Poverty Relief Village. (Photo: Wang Xian/People's Daily Online) About 200 kilometers northwest of Chixi is the mountainous township of Xiadang, which, until the late 1980s, was extremely hard to reach because of poor road infrastructure. Life without roads in Xiadang was like being a frog at the bottom of a well, or a bird in a cage. We couldnt see what was beyond the mountains, said 72-year-old villager Wang Guangchao in his tea house. Wang recalled the painstaking efforts involved in carrying large loads of tea leaves to sell. This often meant visiting three different markets, only to find that prices had dropped without warning. In 1989, Chinese President Xi Jinping, who was then secretary of the Communist Party of China Ningde Prefectural Committee, made his first trip to Xiadang, where he proposed making the building of a sealed road, a hydropower station and office building for the local government a priority. During the period when Xi was working in Fujian, he visited Xiadang three times to investigate and direct poverty alleviation work. Now, Xiadang has become easily accessible by road and has cultivated a brand new image, while local residents have a stronger sense of happiness and fulfillment. Now, Xiadang has become easily accessible by road and has cultivated a brand new image, while local residents have a stronger sense of happiness and fulfillment. Chixi has been dubbed China's No.1 Poverty Relief Village. (Photo: Wang Xian/People's Daily Online) President Xi cares about this place. He has always thought about Xiadang. Without his efforts, Xiadang would probably not have seen such a huge change, Wang said. The tea plantations that dot the subtropical highlands provide the main source of income for people in Xiadang. Meanwhile, the poverty alleviation campaign has paved the way for sales of local tea to other parts of the country. Now, we live fairly well-off lives here, said Wang Mingxiu, a returning entrepreneur in charge of a tea plantation agriculture cooperative in Xiadang. Whatever you do for a living, whether its working for other people or picking tea leaves, as long as you work hard and dont slack off, you can earn yourself a pretty decent living, Wang added. The harvest and fulfillment felt by local residents in Fujian are a perfect epitome of the well-earned happiness of Chinese people after so many years of relentless efforts and struggle for more prosperous lives. Their story presents vivid proof of the old adage: Weak birds take flight early, and constant dropping wears away a stone. The US Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) on Thursday (local time) sanctioned four Kremlin-linked individuals for their efforts to interfere in the country's Presidential elections. According to a press statement issued by the Department of State, "Treasury designated Andrii Derkach pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13848, for his efforts to influence the 2020 U.S. presidential election. Derkach maintains close ties to Russian intelligence and sought to influence the views of American voters through a Russian-directed covert influence campaign centered on manipulating the American political process to advance Russia's malign interests in Ukraine. This operation was designed to culminate prior to Election Day." It further read that the Treasury has sanctioned three Russian citizens for their link to the troll farm Internet Research Agency (also known as Lakhta Internet Research), owned and operated by Kremlin-linked oligarch Yevgeniy Prigozhin. "Treasury also designated three Russian nationals linked to the troll farm Internet Research Agency (also known as Lakhta Internet Research), owned and operated by Kremlin-linked oligarch Yevgeniy Prigozhin. Artem Lifshits, Anton Andreyev, and Darya Aslanova supported the Internet Research Agency's cryptocurrency accounts, facilitating the Internet Research Agency's malign influence campaigns targeting the American people," the statement said. This action sends a clear signal that the US stop at nothing "to use all tools of national power to respond to foreign actors that seek to interfere in or otherwise influence our elections by any means," the Department 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.) You are here: Business The State Council, China's cabinet, has detailed multiple reform measures to improve business environment and invigorate the market. While China's business environment has seen remarkable progress in recent years, operational barriers still exist in the country, according to a circular released by the State Council, which listed reforms in four areas to spur business vitality. China will push for adopting fully online procedures for starting a business in order to further reduce the time required for setting up an enterprise to no more than four working days, said the circular. The circular pledged to simplify regulation and approval procedures while calling for new breakthroughs in the business registration system. The power of approval for businesses related to five categories of products, including steel bars for construction purposes, will be decentralized to provincial-level market regulators. Local authorities are urged to firmly implement the tasks, according to the circular. ALTON As part of this years Mississippi Earthtones Festival, a group of local artists will pay homage to diversity with a public art installation on the grassy knoll overlooking the Alton Farmers and Artisans Market from 8 a.m. to noon, Saturday, Sept. 19. The Riverwork Project a textile art narrative conceived after events in Ferguson, Missouri gained national attention in 2014 stretches more than 300 feet with life- size letters that spell Sow Diversity. More than 60 artists participated in the project. Inspired by her 14-month-old in lockdown, Jana Leonard launched Baskiti, a range of hanging storage baskets for your veggies and more, in an attempt to keep their veggies away from her toddler's exploring little hands. Jana Leonard, founder of Baskiti When and how was the brand born? How did you come up with the name? Whats your vision for the brand? Tell us about your product offering. Are the products locally manufactured/produced in South Africa? What has your experience been like? Do you have any new products lined up? How long have your products been in the market? What are some of the challenges of getting your products out there? How can consumers get their hands on your products? This September, Jana Leonard shares more about the hanging storage baskets...It was during the 21 day Lockdown in South Africa that my (then) 14-month-old son felt he needed to embrace and fully express his love for sports by using our potatoes, sweet potatoes and onions as balls!Originally it was actually very funny and we laughed it off. However after a few days and many squishy potatoes, we knew there had to be a solution. Baskiti was born.Baskiti is a gorgeous range of handwoven hanging baskets delivering a solution to a problem no-one, including me, even knew existed. From there, it grew authentically into a larger brand with Baskiti accessories and another division, Baskiti Wall Hooks.Now, our customers include women, men and kids. The uses for our Baskiti hanging baskets are endless - from bath toys to hair straighteners to braai tongs! We love seeing our Baskitis in everyone's homes, we do a happy dance every single time.Baskiti roughly translates to Basket in Shona, the native tongue of our angel-nanny, Jacqueline. During lockdown, she wasnt with us for three months and let me tell you, it was so difficult running a business, being a present mom and keeping clients happy without any help. I realised how much we needed and missed her and I decided to launch the company in her honour by calling it Baskiti.I wanted to create a product that got the job done, while adding a decor element to your home. With lockdown and being in your home 24/7, excess in our homes were highlighted, so I wanted our Baskiti baskets to really make more space available while adding aesthetics value to an open wall for example.The brand almost followed suit. I wanted something that speaks to Trendy but sophisticated, Honest and easy-going, Luxury but accessible. I didnt want it to be an unapproachable brand. Our brand was designed by Nelia Kennedy in one single go.Baskiti is a range of handwoven hanging storage baskets, designed with a handle, a flat back and a big belly to house all your veggies or whatever you choose to use it for. We have seen so many interesting and creative ways in which our customers use it and we are obsessed!In addition, almost immediately, we launched the Baskiti Wall Hooks division within the Baskiti brand which is responsible for all our Wall Hooks. We have not sold one basket without one of our J-Hooks - customers have an option of raw/varnished. They are gorgeous, trendy, minimalistic and super strong. People are honestly in love with them.Under the Wall Hooks division, we also have our Coat Hooks, where you have the option to either add a ledge, or a ledge with mask hooks for your fabric masks. Our basket accessories also include the Baskiti Liner which goes into your basket for things like lego or onions as the holes have been made big for breathability for the veggies so things will fall through if they are small enough.We also have the Baskiti Veggie Tote for your Farmers Market shop, its big enough that you only need ONE and not 50!Our liners, J-Hooks, Wall Hooks and Totes are all locally produced. Our Wall Hooks were actually initially made in our garage! The Baskiti baskets are handwoven in Malawi, however we are working with our supplier to get our weavers to Cape Town so we can weave directly from here.Our supplier, however, is based in Cape Town and he has done some Baskitis for us as well. It has been an absolute breeze working with our team of suppliers - my father-in-law and husband does our Wall Hooks and Aitsa! does all our fabric work.Working with our Baskiti supplier has been challenging at times, because the demand for our Baskitis has been so high and the weaving process takes long, we are still figuring out how to manage stock as Baskiti is 100% self-funded.We do, we are working with our weaving supplier and Atrium Plants on hanging baskets specifically designed for your indoor plants!We opened for pre-orders in April of this year and went online with www.lmda.co.za in July. We sold out within a week! Its been a whirlwind ever since!I am extremely grateful that I have the skills, tools and contacts to have launched the Baskiti brand and products quite seamlessly. I specialise in PR so did all our copy, the narrative, pitching and securing of media coverage. My biggest challenge has been time!My friend, Nelia Kennedy did all our branding and logo design. www.lmda.co.za is an e-commerce platform focussing on local premium brands and has been a HUGE part of my business since launch day. They manage all our logistics and deliveries.The biggest challenge has been getting enough stock, but as my friend Chrizanda says, you cannot sell from an empty wagon!Customers can buy directly from us at az.oc.itiksab@sredro however we only offer collection in Durbanville, Cape Town. All other others go through our e-commerce partner, LMDA. Los Angeles County Public Health director Barbara Ferrer speaks as Mayor Eric Garcetti (R) looks on at a press conference in Los Angeles, Calif., on March 4, 2020. (Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images) LA County Schools Wont Open Doors Until After the Election: Health Director Schools in the second-largest district in America wont reopen until after the upcoming presidential election, Los Angeles County Health Director Barbara Ferrer said in a recent conference call. Ferrers comments were published by KFI AM 640, which obtained a recording of the call. We dont realistically anticipate that we would be moving to either Tier 2 [of the states reopening plan] or to reopening K through 12 schools at least until after the election, after, you know, in early November, Ferrer said. When we just look at the timing of everything, it seems to us the more realistic approach to this would be to think that were gonna be where we are now until we are done with the elections, she added. Critics said the timing seemed unusual. What does it have to do with the elections? one of the radio hosts said. That makes no sense, she just picked a date, the elections. The county health department responded to the leaked audio. Dr. Ferrers comment was related only to timing any expanded school re-openings to allow for enough time from the implementation of changes to assess impact prior to expansions, the department said in a statement to news outlets. Health officials will be working closely with schools providing services and supports to high need students over the next 6-8 weeks to implement and assess safety directives and strategies for ensuring infection control and distancing, it added. This information will be used to inform the timing of future activities at schools. Los Angeles officials have imposed some of the most draconian restrictions in the nation amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Health officials banned trick-or-treating this week before walking back the restriction a day later. President Donald Trump has alleged a number of times that officials are keeping harsh restrictions in place for political reasons. Its a shame whats going on, Trump said this week during a rally. On November 4th, every one of those states will be open. Theyre doing it for political reasons. The Los Angeles Unified School District serves approximately 735,000 students. The district previously announced students would have to attend classes remotely. But health officials on Sept. 2 said K-12 schools could officer in-school services for small cohorts of students who had individualized education plans, required instruction for English as a second language, or needed assessments or specialized in-person instruction. Schools that welcome back the small groups must abide by Ferrers reopening protocols. United Teachers Los Angeles, a teachers union, said two days later it opposed having teachers return to schools until it is safe to do so. Union President Cecily Myart-Cruz told members that it was not safe for the time being. How to Clip Click and hold your mouse button on the page to select the area you wish to save or print. You can click and drag the clipping box to move it or click and drag in the bottom right corner to resize it. When you're happy with your selection, click the checkmark icon next to the clipping area to continue. The MeT department on Friday said the skies over the capital will remain clear and no rains are likely till Tuesday. The mercury is expected to settle around 37 degrees Celsius. So far in September, the city has recorded just 20.9 mm against the normal of 66.4 mm -- a deficiency of 69 percent. Overall, it has recorded 576.5 mm precipitation against the normal of 590.2 mm since June 1, when the monsoon season starts. Earlier in the day, the IMD said monsoon is likely to stay longer in the capital and start withdrawing only in the "initial days of October". The wind system had reached on June 25, two days earlier than normal. Earlier this year, the MeT department had revised the date for the withdrawal of monsoon from from September 21 to September 25. (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| 2020-09-11 23:50:00|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close A Namibian delegation welcomes the pilot and crew of the Ethiopian Airlines flight that landed in Windhoek, Namibia, on Sept. 11, 2020. Namibia's flagship airport, Hosea Kutako International Airport began operations on Friday with the first international arrival to Windhoek being the Ethiopian Airlines, which was carrying 43 passengers and 11 crew members. (Photo by Musa C Kaseke/Xinhua) WINDHOEK, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- Namibia's flagship airport, Hosea Kutako International Airport began operations on Friday with the first international arrival to Windhoek being the Ethiopian Airlines, which was carrying 43 passengers and 11 crew members. Speaking at the welcoming arrival Namibia Airports Company Chairperson Leake Hangala said the arrival of the Ethiopian flight after a 6-month stoppage is a manifestation of the Namibian government's commitment to revive the economic opportunities. "It is also a concrete indication that airports are engines of economic growth, wealth and employment creation," he added. Hangala said with the gradual opening of Namibia's borders, other airlines such as Air Namibia, the national carrier, Lufthansa, Qatar have already expressed their readiness to resume flight operations. "This will positively increase passenger movements which will contribute meaningfully to the economic activities at the airport and the tourism industry in line with the objectives of the tourism revival initiative," he said. Speaking at the same occasion, area manager for Ethiopian Airways, Tsige Gebresilassie, said Windhoek is among the 62 destinations in Africa the airline has been serving. "We are very much grateful to the government of Namibia for giving us permission to reinstate the passenger services and we prefer to keep our scheduled flights intact and hope the government will continue its support to create a conducive environment. Since launching its first flight to Windhoek in 2016, Ethiopian Airways has been providing four weekly passenger services connecting Namibia to various countries in Africa and the rest of the world. Enditem Exactly 30 years ago today, on Sept. 10, 1990, Will Smith arrived in Los Angeles to sit on his throne as the Prince of Bel-Air. To celebrate, Smith, 51, gave fans a preview of the upcoming Fresh Prince of Bel-Air reunion special on HBO Max, posting pictures from the taping on Instagram. They revealed an unexpected development. The long-running feud between Will Smith and actress Janet Hubert, who played the original Aunt Viv, seems to be over. Both actors can be seen smiling in a photo from the special. Reunited and it feels so good, Hubert, 64, who lives in Montclair, said in an Instagram post, sharing the picture. She left the show in 1993 and was replaced by Daphne Maxwell Reid. Apparently, Smith and Huberts one-on-one reunion, filmed Wednesday, was a surprise to not only fans, but also the rest of the cast, according to an announcement from HBO Max. The cast of "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" came together for a reunion special that will air on HBO Max this fall.HBO Max Smith and Huberts meeting will be their first on-camera appearance together in 27 years. HBO Max promises that particular part of the special, set to air around Thanksgiving, will be an emotional reunion and candid conversation. Smiths career as a Hollywood superstar began with The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, a comedy that ran on NBC from 1990 to 1996. The series, which follows the everyday adventures and home life of Will and the Banks family, was one of HBO Maxs offerings upon the streaming services debut in May. In addition to Smith and Hubert, Alfonso Ribeiro (Carlton Banks), Tatyana Ali (Ashley Banks), Karyn Parsons (Hilary Banks), Joseph Marcell (Geoffrey), Daphne Maxwell Reid (Aunt Viv No. 2) and DJ Jazzy Jeff (Jazz) appear in the special on a set recreated to look like the Banks family home. James Avery, who played Uncle Phil, died in 2013. Smith is producing the special through his and Jada Pinkett Smiths Westbrook Media. But the reunion isnt the only Fresh Prince material headed our way. Bel-Air, a Fresh Prince drama inspired by Morgan Coopers viral parody trailer, is headed to NBCs streaming service Peacock, where its been picked up for two seasons. Smith and Morgan are executive producers of the series, which lifts the Fresh Prince character and his family out of the sitcom format and plants them in a drama. Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a voluntary subscription. Amy Kuperinsky may be reached at akuperinsky@njadvancemedia.com. Send a coronavirus tip here. Chirag Paswan is young. He is articulate. He has no political baggage. All he needs is Chanakya's blessing, observes Asmita Bihari. IMAGE: From left: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan, Lok Janshakti Party President Chirag Paswan and Union Home Minister Amit Anilchandra Shah. Photograph: PTI Photo There have been signs of late to suggest that Chirag Paswan could be the hidden card that today's Chanakya has up the sleeve of his handloom kurta for the land of the original Chanakya. The incessant targeting of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar by the Lok Janshakti Party and by the younger Paswan in the days leading up to the assembly election in the state have become vociferously pronounced. The LJP threat to contest the Bihar assembly election solo and not as part of the National Democratic Alliance, which includes Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal-United and the Bharatiya Janata Party, is the LJP's current writing on the wall. Working on a list of LJP candidates for 143 constituencies in Bihar is part of this strategy. A courageous and aggressive number considering the LJP only contested 42 seats in the 2015 assembly election. Historically, there has never been a pre-poll alliance between the JD-U and the LJP. Not in 2005, not in 2010, not in 2015. The JD-U has also categorically denied any alliance with the Paswans's party for the forthcoming assembly election. If you consider the voting pattern based on caste, Chirag seems to fit the bill for an alternate and opposing option to the BJP's core vote bank, upper caste Hindus. The Chanakya niti here would be to marry these two historically opposite ends of the caste spectrum. The timing of this will be crucial, as any pre-poll announcement based on this strategy may be detrimental to both sides. This may also be the reason for Chirag Paswan to cozy up to former chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi. Instructions have reportedly been issued to the LJP rank and file to refrain from attacking Manjhi, even though the senior Dalit leader returned recently to shelter under the JD-U umbrella. The chatter on the ground in Bihar favours the NDA, the anti-incumbency curse being shouldered by Nitish Kumar alone. There is a slight undercurrent in favour of a double-engine government sans Nitish Kumar. If not Nitish Kumar in that unlikely scenario, then who? There are the young guns, Tejashwi Yadav of the Rashtriya Janata Dal and Chirag Paswan. Tejaswi has brief experience in government; he has been leader of the Opposition in the Bihar assembly since Nitish Kumar broke the RJD-JD-U alliance and opted for the BJP. But the perils of the RJD jungle raj -- when Tejashwi's parents Lalu Prasad Yadav and Rabri Devi ruled Bihar -- has not been forgotten even after 15 years and Nitish Kumar leaves no opportunity to remind Biharis of the same. As he did when he launched his election campaign for Bihar 2020 on Monday, September 7. Which brings us to Chirag Paswan. Chirag's inexperience in holding government office takes nothing away from his potential. His father, after all, is Ram Vilas Paswan, the Great Survivor of contemporary Indian politics. An adroit practitioner of realpolitik, the elder Paswan is a rare Cabinet minister in both the Vajpayee and Modi BJP governments, the latter with only 6 LJP seats won in the 2014 Lok Sabha election and 2 seats won in the 2019 general election. As LJP president, Chirag has kept his political options open and held the cards close to his chest. Some political observers believe his recent griping against Nitish Kumar and his proclaimed plan to draw up a list of candidates for the assembly election is a gambit to get more seats for the LJP to contest. Unlike Tejashwi who still has the RJD poll machine at his command despite the recent defections by party MLAs to the JD-U, Chirag has a smaller political base to work with. If the BJP revisits its relationship with the JD-U, based on the numbers each party wins in the coming election and the numbers required to form a government, they could end up dumping Nitish Kumar -- who has a reputation for being an unreliable ally -- and have a chief minister that Chanakya can control. Chirag Paswan has a lot going for him in that eventuality. He is young. He is articulate. He has no political baggage. All he needs is Chanakya's blessing. Asmita Bihari is a non resident Bihari. Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com (CNN) Fires continue to rage at high levels through the Amazon in Brazil for the second consecutive year, raising concerns among scientists that the rainforest's destruction could eventually reach a point of no return. Since Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro took office, governmental measures to curb illegal fires have shown little impact, as flames and deforestation erase vast swathes of the world's biggest rainforest. Most fires in the Amazon are set by land-grabbers and wildcat ranchers, seeking to transform parts of the rainforest into their own lucrative agricultural enterprises. And this August was a particularly bad time for such fires: Preliminary data collected by the National Spatial Research Institute (INPE) show 29,307 fires in the Brazilian Amazon last month. However, due to a technical issue with the NASA satellite tracking fires, experts say that figure could be even higher. The final tally of fires recorded in August is expected to rise 2% above the August 2019 total, says Albert Setzer, INPE's senior scientist -- which would make this August the worst in 10 years. The more fires there are, the faster the rainforest is transformed into grasslands for illicit cattle and soy-growing operations. According to research from NGO MapBiomas, which tracks land use in Brazil, 95% of the deforested area in Brazil in 2019 wasn't authorized. "Most of (the fires) are illegal," said Tasso Azevedo, a former head of Brazil's forest service and coordinator of MapBiomas. Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon biome reached 1,830 square miles, an area bigger than Rhode Island state, in the period from January to July 2020,. August figures for deforestation are yet to be released. A tipping point? As the trend goes on, the Amazon is speeding toward a tipping point, when large areas of the rainforest will no longer be able to produce enough rain to sustain itself, according to Carlos Nobre, one of Brazil's leading climate scientists and researcher at the University of Sao Paulo. Once that happens, the rainforest will begin to die, eventually turning into savannah, said Nobre. The Amazon serves as an "air conditioner" for the planet, scientists say, influencing global temperature and rainfall patterns. And a healthy Amazon also absorbs carbon dioxide, while fires do the opposite, releasing massive quantities of heat-trapping carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. The Brazilian Amazon's deforestation has accelerated since Bolsonaro took office in 2019, and environmentalists accuse the president of encouraging development on protected lands. Pressure from international investors and companies this summer pushed the Brazilian President to issue a 120-day moratorium on July 15, banning fires in the Amazon and in the Pantanal, which is the worlds largest wetland area. However, INPEs data appears to show that the ban was utterly ignored. From July 15 to the end of August, the fires in Amazon remained at the same level (around 35,000) and almost quadrupled (from 2035 to 7320 fires) in the Pantanal, compared to the same period in 2019. Brazil also launched Operation Green Brazil 2 in May, which mobilized the Armed Forces to fight deforestation and fires in the Amazon together with the federal environmental agencies and local police forces. But they too failed to halt the Amazon's destruction, acknowledged Vice-President Hamilton Mourao, who led the operation. "We are late in the fight against deforestation," Mourao said in a Sept. 4 press conference, asking for more time to show results. The last frontier: Amazonas The Brazilian state of Amazonas is one of the last frontiers where forests remain mostly preserved. But even there, illegal operations of loggers and ranchers are expanding. Deforestation has grown 209% in Amazonas state since Bolsonaro took office -- erasing 844 square miles of forest in less than two years. Unregulated agricultural expansion drives local small farmers and ranchers further into the forest every year. "The lands that are closer to the main roads are more concentrated in the possession of a few big landowners, so landowners with less economic power are pushed further into the forest, whether by economic pressure, political pressure or by the use of violence," said Romulo Batista, senior forest campaigner of Greenpeace. The most degraded areas border two federal highways in the south of Amazonas. In the city of Apui, near to the junction of both roads, deforestation reached 110 square miles last year -- almost twice the deforestation of 2018. And every time the agricultural frontier is pushed inside the forest, the Amazon gets closer to its tipping point. One symptom of the accelerating deforestation is longer dry seasons, Nobre said. This will initially be felt in Brazil and elsewhere in South America, as the Amazon generates a great part of the rains for the rest of the country, and also affects the rains in neighboring Paraguay, Uruguay, and Argentina. And even farmers and ranchers will feel the consequences. "This 'savannah-ization' of the Amazon will lead to a reduction in rainfall that will affect especially the agricultural sector, which is driving deforestation further. It's a real shot in the foot," Batista said. If the Amazon one day disappeared altogether, Brazil's rainfall on average would be reduced by up to 25%, predicts one modeling exercise by researchers at Princeton University. Average temperatures would also be expected to rise 2 degrees in Brazil and 0.25 degrees worldwide. Nobre predicts that the tipping point for when the Amazon can no longer sustain itself lies between 20% and 25% of deforestation. So far, it has lost 17% of its original area, according to INPE. "It's hard to say when it's going to happen, but we are seeing that it is coming faster than we previously thought," Nobre said. This story was first published on CNN.com Tens of thousands of fires are pushing the Amazon to a tipping point A Dublin TD has claimed that children in her constituency are eating gummy bears and chocolate laced with cannabis. Dublin Mid-West Fine Gael deputy Emer Higgins said parents in her constituency have been contacting her about the "dangerous new trend". This issue was also identified to her by the Clondalkin Drugs Task Force which has spotted packaging in local parks in recent weeks. Speaking during a Dail debate on the national drugs strategy, Ms Higgins said that young people were "attracted to gummy bears and chocolate laced with cannabis" as it avoided the "foul taste of tobacco". "This is problematic for a number of reasons. First of all, the sugary taste of sweets and chocolate is clearly more attractive to children who may never experiment with cannabis," she explained. "Secondly it takes far longer for people to feel the impact when eating cannabis. "While the impact of smoking is immediate, the impact of eating cannabis is not felt for up to an hour. "Teenagers eat a square of cannabis-laced chocolate, feel no impact and then eat the rest of the bar. As a result, they accidentally over-consume dangerous amounts of the drug. By the time the effects are felt, the teenager is in over their head." Effects She claimed there was no antidote to consuming cannabis and that its effects were longer -lasting than smoking the drug and more damaging to health. "If the cannabis triggers psychosis or hallucinations, this will be hell for the teenager," she said. "This is why edible cannabis puts a disproportionate number of people in hospitals." She asked the Minister of State for Drugs Strategy, Frank Feighan, to raise awareness of the dangers of edible cannabis among young people. Meanwhile, Micheal Martin has been told to stop doing press conferences with Leo Varadkar because the Fine Gael leader is "running rings around him". During a robust Fianna Fail parliamentary party meeting, the Taoiseach came under fire for his failure to include his TDs and senators in government decision-making. Sligo-Leitrim TD Marc MacSharry said the relationship between the Taoiseach and his elected members was one of a "teacher and pupil". Mr MacSharry also said the Taoiseach should stop doing joint press conferences with Mr Varadkar. "He's running rings around you," he said. He added that the regular briefings on Covid-19 figures should end because they are "scaring the bejaysus" out of the public. Social Democratic Party (PSD) Chairman Marcel Ciolacu said on Thursday that the National Liberal Party (PNL) has returned to the "politics of the 1990s", more precisely it has moved the political struggle from Parliament, where politics is done, to the local administrations. "In fact, we return to the politics of the 1990s, this is what the PNL is doing at the moment, led by Prime Minister Ludovic Orban and the President of Romania, in his double capacity as President of Romania and leader of the PNL. The politics of the 1990s consisted in moving the political struggle from Parliament to the local administrations. Parliament is a fundamental state institution, eminently political, where politics is done. For one year their entire politics is directed against the administrations run by PSD. (...) Politics should not interfere and block the projects of the local administrations," said Ciolacu at the presentation event of the political program of the PSD candidate for Bucharest's District 5 mayoralty Daniel Florea. NEW YORK, Sept. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Statement from Kreindler & Kreindler LLP, Law Firm Representing 9/11 Plaintiffs in Federal Court: On the 19th anniversary of the worst attack on the United States in the nation's long history, there is an important development in the lawsuit brought by the 9/11 families against the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for its role in supporting the 9/11 attacks. Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Depositions of Former Ambassador and Saudi Royals On September 10, 2020, the Federal Court in the Southern District of New York made public its under seal August 27, 2020, Opinion & Order of Magistrate Judge Sarah Netburn, who has now issued a groundbreaking decision directing Saudi Arabia to produce 24 key Saudi government officials to provide sworn testimony. The Kingdom had strongly opposed the motion and sought to limit the testimony to lower level officials. Judge Netburn had previously heard arguments from counsel for Saudi Arabia and the 9/11 families at a four-hour-long May 2020 video conference attended by hundreds of 9/11 family members. The Court's order, just unsealed, holds that plaintiffs in the 9/11 lawsuit have the right to question under oath senior Saudi government ministers, including members of the Saudi Royal Family, about the roles of Saudi government officials in providing support to the 9/11 hijackers inside the United States. Among the Ministers who were cleared by the Court to testify are: former Saudi Ambassador to the U.S. Prince Bandar bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz ; bin ; former Saudi Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Fahad bin Abdulaziz - son of the former King, bin - son of the former King, Minister of Islamic Affairs Saleh bin Abdulaziz al Ash-Shaikh ; and, ; and, Embassy Chief of Staff Ahmed al Qattan According to Steve Pounian, the Kreindler & Kreindler attorney who argued the case on behalf of the 9/11 families, "No court has ever ordered a foreign nation to produce its highest-ranking ministers to provide testimony let alone members of a royal family." "This is a major development because until now, the Kingdom has produced very little actual documentation concerning its government officials working in the United States before the 9/11 attacks," said attorney James Kreindler. "The Saudi government assumed it could hide documents and protect key officials from being questioned. Given the August 27 order released today, that is clearly not the case." "Saudi Arabia thus far has not agreed to produce the witnesses identified in the order and may still challenge or seek to minimize the implications of the ruling," noted attorney Andrew Maloney. "Nonetheless, this is a major development in this case." Note to editors: A copy of the court order is accessible at: https://www.kreindler.com/USDC-SDNY-Saudi-Order-8-27-20.pdf SOURCE Kreindler & Kreindler LLP Related Links http://www.kreindler.com We highly appreciate our cooperation with British partners. The active cooperation of the cyber police of our countries deserves special attention. We are confidently ready to continue to counter the cybercrime challenges together, Avakov said. In addition, during the meeting, the parties discussed the implementation of a project aimed at the psychological rehabilitation of veterans and law enforcement officers serving in the combat zone. For her part, Simmons noted the effective work of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine and the State Customs Service of Ukraine. The changes involved the diplomatic corps in South Korea, Israel, and Kazakhstan. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has handled reshuffles among Ukrainian ambassadors to several countries. The relevant decrees were posted on the president's website. By decree No. 383/2020, Oleksandr Horin was dismissed as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine to the Republic of Korea. Read alsoUkrainian ambassador returns to Minsk after consultations in KyivBy decree No. 384/2020 Hennadii Nadolenko was dismissed as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the State of Israel. At the same time, by decree No. 385/2020, Yevhen Korniychuk was appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the State of Israel. In addition, by decree No. 386/2020, Petro Vrublevskiy was appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Republic of Kazakhstan. (Natural News) The wildfire that started it all in California was a gender reveal party gone wrong, according to reports. As ridiculous as it might sound, the fire currently burning near Oak Glen in San Bernardino County supposedly ignited after a smoke-generating pyrotechnic device exploded, setting ablaze the dry brush all around it. The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, also known as CAL FIRE, tweeted that the incident occurred around 10:23am on Sept. 5 in El Dorado Ranch Park, located in Yucaipa. The fire spread from the park to the north on to Yucaipa Ridge that separates Mountain Home Village and Forest Falls from the City of Yucaipa, the tweet added. CAL FIRE issued a subsequent reminder that the public needs to be extra careful in the dry conditions and critical weather to avoid setting off sparks that could lead to a catastrophe. Those responsible for starting fires due to negligence or illegal activity can be held financially and criminally responsible, the group added, noting that it doesnt take much to start a wildfire. Not long after this fire ignited, many others occurred all throughout California, including in the San Francisco Bay Area where the sky turned various hues of dark orange and red, almost like an apocalypse. Smoke and ash from these fires, which have since spread up into Oregon and even Washington, are now blanketing much of the West Coast, which has yet to even reach peak wildfire season. Videos show various scenes of the city cloaked in a red filter created by smoke particles in the atmosphere, which scatter blue light, and only allow yellow, orange, and red parts of the spectrum to reach the surface, reported National File. Dear parents: Stop setting off pyrotechnics to reveal your babys gender Interestingly, a similar fire caused by a gender reveal party occurred back in 2017 in Arizona, where pyrotechnics of blue were shot off to reveal that the baby of Dennis Dickey was going to be a boy. Known as the Sawmill Fire, this blaze ended up consuming some 47,000 acres of federal land after it quickly spread to extremely dry nearby grass. Dickey reported the fire to police and cooperated with authorities, only to later receive a bill for $300,000 in damages and five years of probation. Gender reveal parties are a modern trend, popularized through social media, where expecting parents inform friends and relatives of the gender of their unborn child through innovative means, some apparently featuring explosives and pyrotechnics, reports National File. Another culprit in all this appears to be former California Gov. Jerry Brown, who back in 2016 vetoed a bill that would have helped to minimize the spread of wildfires by mitigating the risks present in and around utility equipment. While this latest pyrotechnics-induced fire in Southern California may not have been started by mismanaged utility equipment, others around the state are more than likely much worse than they need to be due to aging utility equipment, not to mention poor forest management practices. Known as Senate Bill 1463, the bill that Brown vetoed would have mandated that the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) work directly with utility companies to move power lines underground if necessary, as well as engage other mitigatory measures. Setting off pyrotechnics in the Peoples Republic of Kalifornia during its worst drought in history is proof that people are dumber than average, wrote one National File commenter. But, but the governor explained that climate change is responsible for the fires and poor air quality, joked another. For more of the latest news about the West Coast wildfires, be sure to check out Collapse.news. Sources for this article include: NationalFile.com NaturalNews.com (Natural News) WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina, September 9, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) At a campaign rally where red hats outnumbered masks 100 to 1, President Donald Trump promised that if reelected, he would provide school choice to every parent in America. (Article by Doug Mainwaring republished from LifeSiteNews.com) Trump contrasted his pro-school choice views with those of his Democrat opponent at a rally in Winston-Salem, North Carolina on Tuesday night. Biden opposed school choice, said Trump. He opposes North Carolina opportunity scholarships and he has stated that if he is elected, charter schools are gone. He said theyre gone. Trump asserted that charter schools have been incredible. In a second term, Ill provide school choice to every parent in America, he declared. And well also take good care of our teachers. Our teachers are very, very important to me. Very important. Nothing more important. A vote for Republicans is a vote for safe communities, great jobs, and a limitless future for all Americans. While President Trump was speaking in the Tar-Heel State, North Carolina Congressman Dan Bishop introduced legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives that would fund students directly if their schools dont reopen in person amid the ongoing Chinese coronavirus shutdowns. The funding could follow the child to a private school, homeschool, or microschool. It would be 10% of the next stimulus funding amount. This is called the CHOICE Act. Corey A. DeAngelis (@DeAngelisCorey) September 9, 2020 Dubbed the CHOICE Act, H.R. 8182 would direct the Secretary of Education to establish a grant program to make grants to the parents of students served by local educational agencies that will not provide in-person instruction. The bill restricts the federal government from any influence over curriculum, creed, practices and admissions policy and forbids discrimination against private, religious or home education providers, according to a statement released by Rep. Bishops office. Last month, Kentucky Senator Rand Paul introduced similar legislation. S. 4432, known as the Support Children Having Open Opportunities for Learning (SCHOOL) Act, would allow federal education funds to follow a child to the public school, private school, or homeschool program of their parents choice. Read more at: LifeSiteNews.com and VoteRepublican.news. The Canadian government has announced four vaccine purchase deals and is negotiating more, while also funding local projects that are less advanced, and building new vaccine manufacturing capacity at a facility in Montreal. The exact timing of deliveries depends on the result of clinical trials, regulatory approvals and manufacturing capacity, the minister, Anita Anand, said. Should approvals come earlier than expected, the government will negotiate earlier deliveries, she added. "Make no mistake, suppliers are reserving manufacturing capacity to supply doses to Canada based on those aggressively negotiated delivery schedules," Anand said in a phone interview. Canada has agreements with vaccine makers Moderna Inc , Pfizer Inc, Novavax Inc and Johnson & Johnson. Anand did not say which company was scheduled to deliver first, but the Pfizer and Moderna vaccine candidates are among the most advanced. Late stage trials from Pfizer and Moderna involving about 30,000 subjects each are on track to be fully enrolled soon. Pfizer has said that a first analysis of their data could be available as soon as October. * Brazil, with the third worst outbreak of novel coronavirus, is still studying whether to join the COVAX Facility, a global COVID-19 vaccine allocation plan co-led by the World Health Organization (WHO), the acting health minister said on Thursday. Eduardo Pazuello said the decision was still under consideration, speaking by videoconference at a meeting of ACT, the global alliance to accelerate development, production and equitable access to COVID-19 tests, treatments and vaccines. "If we opt for membership, Brazil could be the biggest contributor," Pazuello, an active duty Army general, said. Brazil's was making available its "robust vaccine production capacity" and its experience with universal access to health services and vaccination of the entire population, he said. The decision on joining COVAX is up to President Jair Bolsonaro. The deadline is Sept. 18. * Turkey is considering a request from Russia to conduct Phase III trials of Russia's COVID-19 vaccine, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said on Thursday, adding a decision would be made in the next week. Speaking to reporters after holding talks with local health officials in southeastern Turkey, Koca said Phase III work had already started on a vaccine from China and Pfizer, and added that the Russian request was being evaluated. Russian regulators licensed the "Sputnik-V" vaccine for domestic use in early August after initial, small-scale human trials. It is now being tested on 40,000 people in Russia in a trial that launched on Aug. 26. Russia has said it expects to produce between 1.5 million and 2 million doses per month by the end of the year, gradually increasing production to 6 million doses a month. * United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres called for US$35 billion more, including US$15 billion in the next three months, for the World Health Organization's (WHO) "ACT Accelerator" programme to back vaccines, treatments and diagnostics against COVID-19. Some US$3 billion has been contributed so far, Guterres told an online event on Thursday, calling it "seed funding" that was less than 10% of what the WHO wants for the programme, formally called Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator. Financial support has, so far, lagged goals, as nations or governments including the European Union, Britain, Japan and the United States reach bilateral vaccine deals, prompting Guterres and WHO General Director Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus to plead to nations to contribute. * AstraZeneca's chief executive Pascal Soriot said on Thursday that it should know before the end of the year whether its experimental vaccine would protect people from COVID-19, if the British drugmaker is allowed to resume trials which were paused this week. It suspended the late-stage trials after an illness in a study subject in Britain. The patient was reportedly suffering from neurological symptoms associated with a rare spinal inflammatory disorder called transverse myelitis. Soriot said during a call on the vaccine, which the World Health Organization (WHO) has flagged as the most promising in combatting coronavirus, that it was very common for a trial to be suspended, the difference being that the world was watching. The CEO said AstraZeneca did not know the diagnosis for the volunteer in the trial, adding that it was not clear if they had transverse myelitis and more tests were needed. Soriot said the diagnosis would be submitted to an independent safety committee and this would usually then tell the company whether trials can be resumed. BUDAPEST, Hungary The number of new confirmed coronavirus cases spiked Friday in parts of eastern Europe, with Hungary and the Czech Republic registering all-time daily highs. Signs of the pandemics resurgence were also evident in Britain and the Netherlands. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said his government was drafting a war plan to defend against the second wave of the pandemic. The plans aim was not for everyone to stay at home and bring the country to a halt but to defend Hungarys functionality, Orban said. The prime minister said measures meant to protect the economy and spur growth would be introduced in the coming weeks. In the second quarter of the year, Hungarys gross domestic product fell 13.6%, the worst drop in the region. Orban reiterated the need to protect the elderly, one of the groups most at-risk during the pandemic, and authorities have banned most visits to retirement homes and hospitals to stem the spread of the virus. Wearing masks or other face coverings is mandatory on public transportation, in stores and in many public institutions. In Budapest, Hungarys capital city, people not wearing a mask on public transit or wearing one can be fined 8,000 forints ($26.50). While Hungary closed its borders to foreigners on Sept. 1, it has since announced several exemptions, including for people arriving from Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia, the three other members of Europes Visegrad Group, or V4. I believe that in the cross-European troubles, we can create a safe Central European island, within which and applying particular rules, movement and the possibility of a common life with the Slovaks, Czechs and Poles can survive, Orban said. Hungary reported 718 virus cases on Friday, 142 more than the countrys previous 24-hour record. The Czech Republic reported 1,382 cases, which was over 200 more than its previous daily high and led to the return of face masks being mandatory in enclosed public spaces. Poland also registered an increase in new confirmed cases, with 594 reported Friday. While that was well below the record 903 cases the country recorded Aug. 21, it was higher than the 400-500 new cases of the previous days. One possible reason for Polands overall decline in reported cases since last month is that the government has implemented a new strategy which focuses primarily on testing symptomatic patients. People quarantined after contact with an infected person, however, will no longer need to be tested. Montenegro, which in June the first European country to declare itself coronavirus-free, was also registering a spike in new cases, explained by the summer tourist season which saw little distancing at the beaches, restaurants and nightclubs. On Thursday, the small Adriatic state had 128 new cases, with nearly every fifth person tested found to be positive. AUSTRIA In neighboring Austria, the government announced that it would reimpose stricter measures to curb a rise in new infections, particularly in the capital, Vienna. Starting Monday face-masks will be mandatory again - in those areas where they are already mandatory right now like in public transport, supermarkets but additionally also in shops, services, in government buildings, in schools outside the classroom and in all forms of customer contact, Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said in Vienna. If you want to hear a prognosis, I dont expect the situation to improve in the coming weeks, Kurz said. We cant promise that other measures wont become necessary too. The goal is to prevent a lockdown. Austria reported 520 new cases on Thursday and 686 on Wednesday, considerably more than daily figures of less than 200 a month ago and a few dozen per day in May and June. SPAIN In Spain, the top coronavirus expert saw the countrys rate of new infections easing and possibly reaching a plateau after weeks of sharp increases that brought restrictions across the country. On Friday, Spains Health Ministry reported 4,137 new infections in 24 hours, taking the total tally in the pandemic to over 550,000, the highest in Europe. The countrys official death toll reached 26,699 on Thursday. In recent days, there is a slowdown in this increase and we are possibly seeing a stabilization, Dr. Fernando Simon, who heads Spains health emergency coordination center, said. We are starting to ease the rhythm (of the increase). For his part, Spains health minister reacted to President Donald Trumps comments Thursday at the White House claiming that the United States had done much, much better than the European Union regarding the pandemic. No one is in a position to give lessons, and with all due respect to the American nation, less so its current president, Salvador Illa told Spanish public broadcaster TVE on Friday. You have to be very careful when making international comparisons. Each country has its specificities when it comes to providing the data. BRITAIN AND THE NETHERLANDS Over the past week, the number of confirmed cases in the U.K. has spiked dramatically. The daily increase has been running at near 3,000 for much of this week, around double the number the previous week. The Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies, which advises the government on virus-related matters, said the virus transmission rate was likely increasing across the whole of the U.K. It said the reproduction rate is now between 1.0 and 1.2, meaning anyone with the virus is infecting, on average, a little more than one other person. The R number was largely flat or below 1 over the summer, meaning the epidemic was getting smaller. The Dutch public health institute said that 1,270 people tested positive for COVID-19 in the last 24 hours, the highest number since mid-April and the second time this week that Dutch daily infections have topped 1,000. The increase comes despite a bottleneck at testing stations around the country because of delays at laboratories that process the tests. FRANCE France also reported a large jump in new cases on Thursday, attributed in part to massive testing. The number of people in intensive care with the virus was at its highest level since June, but at 615 people nationwide, was still a fraction of the more than 7,000 ICU virus patients in the spring. French President Emmanuel Macron promised to unveil new virus restrictions Friday, but warned against ceding to panic. The virus is circulating widely, he acknowledged, but added that the new measures would be aimed at allowing the French to live with the virus including keeping children in school. PORTUGAL Like Hungary, Portugal has been put back on Britains quarantine list, meaning that starting Saturday people traveling from the southern European countrys mainland to Britain must remain quarantined for 14 days after their arrival. The Portuguese president criticized the rule, saying it punished his countrys tourism-dependent regions. We have a certain feeling of unfairness because we dont close our doors to entries, Portuguese public broadcaster RTP reported President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa saying late Thursday. There are other countries that have much more difficult and complicated situations. ___ Associated Press writers across Europe contributed to this report. ___ Follow AP pandemic coverage at http://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak Partnership Provides Greater Access to End-To-End Serialization and Track & Trace Solutions COLUMBIA, Md., Sept. 10, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Movilitas announced Pharmalutions Pte Ltd as its newest Movilitas.Cloud partner for the Asia-Pacific region. Under the partnership, Pharmalutions provides greater access to compliance-ready solutions with Movilitas.Cloud, a GAMP 5 validated software as a service solution (SaaS), and their all-European-made Serialization & Aggregation technologies dedicated to the pharmaceutical industry in the region. Their comprehensive portfolio enables companies to comply with global regulations while improving operational efficiencies to deliver safer pharmaceuticals to patients. Several countries in the Asia-Pacific region, such as Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia, have already established or announced the introduction of serialization regulations for medicines. As track & trace regulations further spread and evolve, this partnership ensures that safer products reach consumers. It makes compliance for life science manufacturers simple, offering a holistic solution connecting the serialization equipment on the shop floor with an out-of-box level 3-5 track & trace solution that is configurable for the specific needs of different participants in the supply chain. "We have been involved in product-serialization and aggregation since 2004," said Tilman Joerss, Founder and Director of Pharmalutions. "This is 15 years ahead of the EU-FMD deadline [February 2019], and it provided us with a valuable long-term perspective of the regulatory landscape and its evolutionary nature. Today, this broad experience serves our customers well in dealing with much faster approaching deadlines while safeguarding their long-run investments into product-traceability. Rapid deployment of future-proof technology. That is the key and why Movilitas.Cloud is a perfect match." To learn more about the Movilitas.Cloud solution, please visit: https://www.movilitas.com/solutions/movilitas-cloud/ About Pharmalutions Pte LTD Founded in 2010 in Singapore, Pharmalutions Pte Ltd is a specialist for multi-regulatory Track & Trace (T&T) based on product-serialization, with a distinct focus on pharmaceutical compliance. Pharmalutions evolved from Regional System Integrator to become a private-label in 2019. Today, Pharmalutions is an officially recognised GS1 Singapore Solution-Partner (SSP). A 10-years-history powers Pharmalutions with a unique long-term perspective on global T&T. Its deeply rooted network stretches from Europe to Asia-Pacific, across industries. For more information, visit Pharmalutions.net or LinkedIn About Movilitas Movilitas is a technology leader delivering the next generation of solutions and consulting services across multiple industries to advance smart supply chain ecosystems. We are recognized as a trusted SAP partner for digital supply chain transformation. We help businesses realize new growth opportunities, adapt to today's on-demand economy and maintain compliance. Through services, such as Movilitas.Cloud, or extensions and accelerators for SAP solutions, our clients unlock data to realize greater efficiencies and new revenue streams. For more information, visit movilitas.com, or LinkedIn, Twitter or Xing CONTACT: [email protected] SOURCE Movilitas Related Links http://www.movilitas.com Two years ago, when owner Doug Paul asked trainer Susanne Kerwood if she wanted to join him in the purchase of a trotting filly named Js Miracle Mass at the London Selected Yearling Sale, Kerwood said 'yes.' When the horse sold for a price that exceeded what she believed Paul intended to spend, she thought it was the end of the story. Until Paul said, 'Hello, partner.' I thought we didnt get her, Kerwood said. Doug said, We really liked her, and shes got a great family. So, thats how we became partners. Thats one thing about Doug and (his mother) Rosalind, they buy quality horses, horses that are out of great families. They have good people look at them, like Abe Stoltzfus and Larry Rathbone, who know what theyre looking at when theyre looking at yearlings. Theyre a very good team, thats for sure. Doug and Rosalind race as M And L of Delaware. They typically change the names of the horses they buy, with the colts getting a name that includes 'man' and the fillies getting one that includes 'lady.' Js Miracle Mass became Susies Lady. On Friday, Susies Lady will face the most difficult challenge of her career, as she is set to meet Ramona Hill in the second of two divisions of the Simcoe Stakes for three-year-old trotting fillies at Woodbine Mohawk Park. Ramona Hill is the No. 1-ranked horse in harness racings weekly poll and counts the Hambletonian Stakes, where she beat the boys, among her four wins from five starts this season. I would say were racing for second, Doug Paul said with a laugh. I think the whole field is racing for second. Ramona Hill is the 1-5 morning line favourite. Susies Lady is 15-1. Susies Lady, purchased for $65,000, is a daughter of Muscle Mass out of I Am Special. Her family includes High Sobriety, the dam of 2017 Horse of the Year Hannelore Hanover, as well as Marla Bar, the dam of Dan Patch Award winner Bar Slide. Shes got a lot of good qualities, Kerwood said about Susies Lady. Shes a really good-gaited filly and shes got a pretty good head on her shoulders. You can leave with her one week and the next week if you want to take her off the gate, you can take her off the gate. In a trotter, I find that a really good quality. Shes easy on herself, lets put it that way. Susies Lady has won seven of 18 career races and hit the board a total of 13 times, earning $69,296. She was found to be sick following a fourth-place finish in a conditioned race on August 8, but returned to action eight days later with a win in an Ontario Sires Stakes Grassroots division at Georgian Downs. The filly heads to the Simcoe off of a second-place finish in a division of the Casual Breeze Stakes on August 28 at Mohawk. Susies Lady finished one length behind McKees Angel, but made up more than four lengths in the stretch with a :28.1 final quarter. She raced super, Kerwood said. (Driver) Scott (Coulter) had to check her a couple times down the lane and lost some momentum, but she was closing hard. Shes a nice filly. And shes got a wonderful name. I love the name. Kerwood also trains a three-year-old pacing filly, Betalady, for the Pauls. The daughter of Bettors Delight-Lady Jake is 9-2 on the morning line in the first of two Simcoe Stakes divisions Saturday at Mohawk. Betalady is a two-time career winner on the Ontario Sires Stakes Gold circuit and has earned $143,019 lifetime. She was seventh in her Fan Hanover Stakes elimination on August 22, her only off-the-board finish in a span of six races, but returned with lasix for a Gold start on September 5 at Mohawk and won in 1:50.4. Shes a super-tough little filly, Kerwood said. You can race her every week and she keeps coming back. Im so disappointed we didnt make the final in the Fan Hanover, thats probably the first time she didnt race to our expectations. She wants to be a good horse, thats for sure. Shes got a great mentality. I think shes a good horse. To view the harness racing entries for Friday at Mohawk, click the following link: Friday Entries - Woodbine Mohawk Park. (USTA) Beijing: China on Friday staunchly defended Pakistans record in fighting terrorism, saying its all-weather ally has made tremendous efforts and sacrifices", countering calls by India and the US that Islamabad must ensure that its territory is not used for terror activities. India and the US in a joint statement after the 17th meeting of the India-US Counter Terrorism Joint Working Group and the third session of the India-US Designations Dialogue held on September 9-10, denounced the use of terrorist proxies and strongly condemned cross-border terrorism in all its forms. New Delhi and Washington Islamabad to expeditiously bring to justice the perpetrators of terrorist attacks, including the 26/11 Mumbai strike and the Pathankot airbase attack. Asked for his reaction, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian during a media briefing here said that terrorism is a common challenge faced by all countries and Pakistan has made tremendous efforts and sacrifices in fighting terrorism. The international community should fully recognise and respect that. China opposes all kind of terrorism. All countries on the bases of mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit engage in anti-terrorism international cooperation to jointly safeguard the international peace and security, he said. On the 19th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, Zhao said that the terror attack brought many challenges to global security. Now, the counter-terrorism situation is still severe and has posed risks to all countries, he said. China opposes all kind of terrorism and we believe that the UN should play a leading role and we oppose double standards on counter-terrorism and we oppose the attempt to link the terrorism to any specific country, he said. He emphasised that all countries should work together to prevent and fight terrorism and safeguard worlds peace and stability. So on this very special day, I would like to say that we hope the US wont forget terrorism and Covid-19 are common enemies to all mankind. And China and Pakistan are not the enemies of the US, he said. About the meeting between Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Moscow on Thursday on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), he said Wang assured that China will continue to provide Pakistan with anti-epidemic support until Pakistan completely overcomes the COVID-19 pandemic. China will like to work with Pakistan in advancing the construction of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and further agricultural cooperation, which will deliver benefits to people, Zhao said. India has objected to the USD 60 billion CPEC as it is being laid through Pakistan- occupied Kashmir (PoK). We believe that with the joint efforts of both sides, the corridor will play a greater role in Pakistans economic development and peoples welfare, he said. China will continue working with Pakistan, firmly supporting each other on international multilateral occasions to uphold international fairness and justice, he said. Next year is the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Pakistan. We will build on our friendship, plan for the future, and make new progress in our bilateral relations, Zhao said. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-11 13:07:01|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi (R) meets with his Uzbek counterpart Abdulaziz Kamilov on the sidelines of a foreign ministers' meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Moscow, Russia, Sept. 10, 2020. (Xinhua/Evgeny Sinitsyn) MOSCOW, Sept. 10 (Xinhua) -- China and Uzbekistan should accelerate bilateral cooperation to further promote bilateral ties, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Thursday. Wang made the remarks while meeting with his Uzbek counterpart Abdulaziz Kamilov on the sidelines of a foreign ministers' meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Moscow. Wang said Chinese President Xi Jinping and Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev have established strong friendship and mutual trust, which not only provides a solid political guarantee for the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries, but also injects strong impetus into the all-around cooperation between the two sides. Both countries should continue to implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries and lay out ahead of schedule and strengthen the planning, so as to accelerate bilateral cooperation and ties in the post-pandemic era, Wand noted. Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, China and Uzbekistan have carried out fruitful cooperation in fighting the pandemic, Wang said. China is willing to continue to provide anti-pandemic assistance to meet the needs of Uzbekistan, especially to build a China-Uzbekistan traditional medical center to play a positive role in fighting the pandemic and safeguarding people's health in the country, he said. He also noted that both sides should deepen cooperation in building the Belt and Road, actively discuss the construction of China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway in the spirit of openness and with a scientific attitude, strengthen communication and coordination on the Afghanistan issue and other flashpoints in the region, as well as promote new development of China-Uzbekistan relations in various fields. For his part, Kamilov said when Uzbekistan was confronting the COVID-19 pandemic, China was the first country to give a helping hand, recalling that China sent medical experts to Uzbekistan and selflessly supported its fight against the pandemic. He said Uzbekistan is committed to deepening a fruitful comprehensive strategic partnership with China, maintaining and strengthening communication and exchanges at all levels, and promoting joint building of the Belt and Road, especially the exchange of experiences in poverty reduction. Uzbekistan highly values and supports the foreign ministers' meeting mechanism between five Central Asian countries and China, and is ready to strengthen communication and cooperation with China on regional and international issues. Enditem CHICAGO, Sept. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- According to the new market research report "Ammunition Market by Application (Defense, Civil & Commercial), Caliber (Small, Medium, Large), Product (Bullets, Aerial Bombs, Grenades, Artillery Shells, Mortars), Component, Guidance, Lethality (Lethal, Less-lethal), Region - Global Forecast to 2025", published by MarketsandMarkets, the Ammunition Market size is projected to grow from USD 20.8 billion in 2020 to USD 24.9 billion by 2025, at a CAGR of 3.6% from 2020 to 2025. Factors such as the changing nature of warfare, the militarization of police forces, the increasing incidence of drug trafficking, and terrorist activities, and the modernization of armed forces are driving factors assisting the growth of the ammunition market. Apart from its use in defense forces, ammunition also sees increasing importance in civil and commercial applications such as sporting, hunting, and self-defense, among others. Ask for PDF Brochure: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=923 COVID-19 has affected the ammunition market growth to some extent, and this varies from country to country. Industry experts believe that the pandemic has not affected the demand for ammunition in defense applications. However, due to continuous lockdown and social distancing measures, there has been a decrease in the demand for ammunition in civil and commercial applications. For instance, hunting and sporting activities (which are a major driving factor for civil and commercial applications) have been reduced significantly. Increasing spending on the modernization of armed forces is driving the growth of the defense applications The defense segment of the ammunition market has been classified into military and homeland security. The growth of the defense segment of the ammunition market can be attributed to the increased spending of countries on military modernization programs, as well as the rise in terrorist activities and civil disturbances in several parts of the world. Based on caliber, the small caliber segment of the ammunition market is projected to witness the highest CAGR during the forecast period Based on caliber, the ammunition market has been segmented into small, medium, large, and others. The small caliber segment is projected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period. The growth of this segment can be attributed to increased use of small caliber ammunition by military and homeland security personnel, owing to less lethality of this ammunition. Moreover, open online marketplaces for small arms and ammunition and increased procurement of small caliber ammunition by the defense and homeland security sectors to curb rising instances of armed conflicts are also contributing to the growth of this segment. Aerial bombs segment of the ammunition market is projected to witness highest CAGR owing to increasing focus on upgrading of air force inventory by armed forces Based on products, the ammunition market has been segmented into bullets, aerial bombs, grenades, artillery shells, and mortars. The aerial bombs segment is projected to grow at the highest CAGR. In recent years, an increasing focus has been observed to upgrade air force inventory across the globe due to multiple reasons such as geopolitical tensions and air force applications. For instance, the US has ongoing F-35 fighter aircraft programs. Whereas the Indian air force is looking for multi-role aircraft to strengthen their armed forces, and hence new aircraft procurements will lead to an increased demand for related ammunition in the coming years. Hanwha Corporation (South Korea) and General Dynamics Corporation (US) manufacture aerial bombs for applications. Browse in-depth TOC on "Ammunition Market" 392 - Tables 107 - Figures 393 - Pages Inquiry Before Buying: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Enquiry_Before_BuyingNew.asp?id=923 The North America market is projected to contribute the largest share from 2020 to 2025 The ammunition market in the North American region has been studied for the US and Canada. Major factors that are expected to drive the growth of the market in the region include rising instances of terrorism, which have led to increased use of ammunition by armed forces and a growing number of drug cartels in Central America North American countries are awarding a number of contracts to major players of the ammunition market for the delivery of ammunition, thus driving the growth of the ammunition market in the region. For instance, In July 2020, Northrop Grumman Corporation secured a contract from the US Army to deliver the next-generation airburst cartridge for the 30mm XM813 Bushmaster Chain Gun. The Bushmaster Chain Gun will be installed on the Stryker Infantry Carrier Vehicle (ICV). Also, the company has secured a contract worth USD 93 million from the US Army for the manufacture of multipurpose munition technology for destroying targets such as lightly armored infantry fighting vehicles. The munitions are expected to be compatible with the M4A1 rifle. The ammunition market is dominated by a few globally established players such as Northrop Grumman Corporation (US), CBC Global Ammunition (Brazil), BAE Systems (UK), Thales Group (France), and General Dynamics Corporation (US), among others. Related Reports: Less Lethal Ammunition Market by End User (Law Enforcement, Military, Self Defense), Product (Rubber Bullets, Bean Bag Rounds, Plastic Bullets, Paintballs), Weapon Type (Shotguns, Launchers), and Region - Global Forecast to 2023 Automatic Weapons Market by Product (Automatic Rifle, Machine Gun, Automatic launchers, Automatic Cannon, Gatling Gun), End Use (Land, Airborne, Naval, Handheld & Stationary), Caliber (Small, Medium, Large), Type, and Region - Global Forecast to 2023 About MarketsandMarkets MarketsandMarkets provides quantified B2B research on 30,000 high growth niche opportunities/threats which will impact 70% to 80% of worldwide companies' revenues. Currently servicing 7500 customers worldwide including 80% of global Fortune 1000 companies as clients. Almost 75,000 top officers across eight industries worldwide approach MarketsandMarkets for their painpoints around revenues decisions. Our 850 fulltime analyst and SMEs at MarketsandMarkets are tracking global high growth markets following the "Growth Engagement Model - GEM". The GEM aims at proactive collaboration with the clients to identify new opportunities, identify most important customers, write "Attack, avoid and defend" strategies, identify sources of incremental revenues for both the company and its competitors. MarketsandMarkets now coming up with 1,500 MicroQuadrants (Positioning top players across leaders, emerging companies, innovators, strategic players) annually in high growth emerging segments. MarketsandMarkets is determined to benefit more than 10,000 companies this year for their revenue planning and help them take their innovations/disruptions early to the market by providing them research ahead of the curve. MarketsandMarkets' flagship competitive intelligence and market research platform, "Knowledge Store" connects over 200,000 markets and entire value chains for deeper understanding of the unmet insights along with market sizing and forecasts of niche markets. Contact: Mr. Aashish Mehra MarketsandMarkets INC. 630 Dundee Road Suite 430 Northbrook, IL 60062 USA: +1-888-600-6441 Email: sales@marketsandmarkets.com Visit Our Web Site: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com Research Insight: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/ResearchInsight/ammunition-market.asp Content Source: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/PressReleases/ammunition.asp Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/660509/MarketsandMarkets_Logo.jpg With Israel's prime minister lashing out at him nearly every day, the country's attorney general is pressing to sign a conflict-of-interest agreement barring him from influencing key appointments that could affect his corruption trial. Charged in a series of scandals, Netanyahu has long accused police, prosecutors and the media of trying to oust him in a deep-state conspiracy. Netanyahu has stepped up those attacks in recent days, following a pair of TV reports alleging cover-ups by police and prosecutors, including a case of possible conflict of interest by a police investigator. Is it possible the attorney general didn't know about this behavior? Netanyahu told his Likud Party on Wednesday, calling for an independent investigation. Is it possible the attorney general didn't approve this behavior? In a speech last week, Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit said the trial should take place in the courtroom, not in the public square, and warned against attempts to delegitimize the legal system. He reiterated his position that Netanyahu can remain in office while on trial, but only if there is a conflict-of-interest agreement that prevents him from any possibility of influencing his personal criminal issues by exercising his governmental powers. The Justice Ministry said Thursday that Netanyahu's legal team was discussing the matter with government lawyers. In the end, an agreement is expected to be signed to prevent a conflict of interest, it said. Netanyahu's Likud Party declined comment. Netanyahu faces charges of fraud, breach of trust and accepting bribes in a series of scandals involving wealthy associates and powerful media moguls. He denies wrongdoing and has repeatedly tried to use the platform of his office to challenge the allegations and turn public opinion against the country's legal system. Critics accuse him of threatening Israel's democratic institutions in a politically motivated campaign of self-preservation, even at a time when is dealing with a raging coronavirus outbreak. Channel 12 TV reported this week that police covered up knowledge of an investigator's romantic relationship with the sister of a key witness and defendant in one of the corruption cases. Netanyahu's rival and coalition partner Benny Gantz has vowed to support law enforcement, calling Netanyahu's repeated attacks a danger to Israeli democracy. This is not legitimate criticism; rather, it is purely an attempt to dismantle and to crush, Gantz said. Thousands of Israelis have been demonstrating weekly outside Netanyahu's official residence throughout the summer, saying he should resign while on trial and accusing him of failing to address the economic crisis caused by the outbreak. The Likud and Gantz's Blue and White formed their coalition in May after battling to a stalemate in three consecutive elections in under a year. Under the deal, Netanyahu and Gantz will rotate as prime minister, with Ganz's official title now being the alternate prime minister." There is deep distrust between the sides, and protracted paralysis has prevented the government from making key appointments, such as that of a national police chief. Critics believe that Netanyahu is eager to appoint supporters to these positions in hopes of delaying or even halting his trial, which after beginning with procedural hearings this year is set to kick into high gear in January with its evidentiary stage. (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.) An American newspaper says one of its journalists was detained and then expelled from Chinas Inner Mongolia region while covering tensions over a new policy that reduces the use of the Mongolian language in education. The Los Angeles Times said in a story published online Thursday that the reporter was interrogated at a police station, grabbed by the throat and pushed into a cell and held for more than four hours before being forced to leave the northern Chinese region. The incident comes amid broader tensions between the U.S. and China over journalists stationed in each other's country. The reporter was surrounded by plainclothes men at a school in Hohhot, the region's capital, and put into a police car to be taken to a police station, according to the account. It says she was not allowed to call the U.S. Embassy. One officer grabbed her throat with both hands and pushed her into a cell, the story says. Three government officials and a police officer went with her to a train station and stood at the window until the train left for Beijing, the Los Angeles Times said. The story did not identify the journalist, but the paper's Beijing bureau chief, Alice Su, confirmed that it was her. She declined further comment. The Hohhot city propaganda department did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The account came near the end of a story Su wrote on protests and class boycotts that have broken out in Inner Mongolia this week over a move to increase the use of Chinese at schools where Mongolian has been the main language of instruction. Inner Mongolia is a region of 25 million people that borders the country of Mongolia to the north. About 17% of the population is ethnic Mongolian while the Han make up 79%. Just before the new school year started this week, authorities announced changes for Mongolian-medium schools. Literature classes for elementary and middle school students will switch to a national textbook and instruction in Mandarin Chinese, and some other courses would follow in the coming two years. Opponents see the move as an attempt to force them to assimilate into China's majority Han culture. They fear their mother tongue could be wiped out over time. Separately, the U.S. has designated the American operations of several Chinese state media as foreign missions this year and put a cap on the number of visas for some, forcing them to reduce the size of their Chinese staff. China has retaliated by expelling American journalists working for three U.S. newspapers, and requiring several U.S. news bureaus including The Associated Press to file paperwork similar to what's required of foreign mission in the United States. Earlier this week, the Australian government said that Cheng Lei, an Australian journalist working for Chinese state television, is being held by authorities in China. It is unclear why she has been detained. Cheng is an anchor for the BizAsia program on CGTN, the English-language channel of China Central Television. She was born in China and worked in finance in Australia before starting a career in journalism with CCTV in Beijing in 2003. The 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP 15) is scheduled to be held between May 17 to 30 the next year in Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan province. The goals and methods of, as well as the cooperation on biological diversity, once again become a hotspot international issue. Biological diversity is a broad concept that describes the variety of the nature. It includes landscape diversity, ecological diversity, species diversity and genetic diversity. In recent years, the concept gradually expanded to human and cultural level, and ecological civilization has been put under protection mechanism. Last September, China's Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE) and the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity jointly unveiled the theme of the COP15 "Ecological Civilization: Building a Shared Future for All Life on Earth". The theme aims at guiding global ecological civilization, and stresses that human and nature belong to a community with a shared future. It holds that people shall respect, conform to and protect nature, and shall work to realize sustainable use and benefit sharing of biological diversity, as well as the Vision of Living in Harmony with Nature by 2050. China is one of the most biodiversity-rich countries in the world, and is home to all types of terrestrial ecosystems, including forest, bush, meadow, grassland, desert and wet land. Besides, it also possesses marine ecosystems in the Yellow Sea, East China Sea and South China Sea. Meanwhile, as an important source of rice and soybeans, China also boasts rich biological genetic resources. It ranks first in terms of plant cultivation and animal domestication. China ranks eighth among the 12 mega-biodiverse countries in the world. Other countries include Brazil, Columbia, Ecuador, Peru, Mexico, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Madagascar, India, Malaysia, and Indonesia. Yunnan province has various natural landscapes and a complete ecosystem ranging from tropical valley to alpine frigid zone. Housing rare, special and ancient species, it is known as a key area of biodiversity that bears global significance. That's why it has become the host for the COP15. In Sept. 2010, the United Nations General Assembly at its 65th session declared the period 2011-2020 to be the United Nations Decade on Biodiversity, hoping member states to take actions for realizing biodiversity goals by 2020. China is one of the earliest countries to join the Convention on Biological Diversity, and it took the lead to establish a national committee for biodiversity conservation for the planning of its biodiversity protection. It released an implemented the China National Biodiversity Conservation Strategy and Action Plan (2011-2030), as well as an action plan for the United Nations Decade on Biodiversity. The country's local governments and departments also incorporated biodiversity conservation into relevant planning. Chinese Vice Premier Han Zheng presided over a meeting of China National Committee for Biodiversity Conservation on Feb. 13, 2019. He stressed that biodiversity is a foundation of human survival and development. To enhance biodiversity conservation is an important part of ecological civilization, as well as a vital engine driving high-quality development. Noting that the COP15 will be held in China, he urged relevant departments to make full preparation and fulfill the responsibilities of a host country, so as to hold a successful meeting that has milestone significance. Ecological experts believe that the theme of the COP15 bears significant importance, as it will guide the international society to foster a strong political will to protect biodiversity, advance global ecological civilization, help realize sustainable use and benefit sharing of biological diversity, and reach the Vision of Living in Harmony with Nature by 2050. Meanwhile, China will also contribute its wisdom and power at the meeting to the conservation and sustainable development of global biodiversity. New Delhi: The joint statement and five-point consensus reached by both Chinese and Indian foreign ministers in Moscow marked a substantial step in cooling down the current border situation, exceeding the expectations of most international observers, Chinese mouthpiece Global Times reported. The report said the meeting creating favourable conditions for a possible future meeting between the leaders of the two countries, Chinese experts told the Global Times on Friday. "The successful implementation of the joint statement, however, depends on whether the Indian side can truly keep its word. Given the country's history, it is possible that the joint statement will end up as merely "paper talk" they warned," the report said. In the five-point consensus, Wang and Jaishankar agreed that China and India should follow the guidance of the consensus reached between leaders of the two countries, including that divergence should not be escalated into conflicts. The current conflicts in border areas do not serve the interests of either side. The border troops of the two countries should continue their current dialogue, disengage as soon as possible, maintain necessary distances and ease the current tensions. Qian Feng, director of the research department of the National Strategy Institute at Tsinghua University in Beijing, told the Global Times on Friday that the joint statement showed that under the current situation, the highest levels of the two governments are unwilling to further escalate conflicts as the de-escalation of tensions will be conducive to the two countries' interests. Qian noted that the five-point consensus - the short and concise agreement by the two counties - plans the direction for the next phase of discussions. "The consensus involves maintaining communication through meetings by the Special Representatives of India and China and expediting the completion of new measures to build mutual trust, marking an important step since the conflicts first took place," he added. However, Chinese experts continue to allege that given India's past history of breaking consensuses reached at such meetings, and stressed that it's still too early to pin high hopes on its implementation, Global Times said. While the joint press release looks fine on paper, the actual addressing of future border tensions remains unclear as India has a long history of breaking its promises, Hu Zhiyong, a research fellow at the Institute of International Relations of the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Friday. "We should not only observe what India says, but also what it does. For a country like India, the most important thing is how it acts," Hu said. In 2005, then Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao held important talks with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh before signing a joint statement by the two governments, in which both sides declared the establishment of a strategic partnership to promote peace and prosperity. The two governments also signed the Agreement on the Political Guiding Principles for Resolving the Boundary Issue between China and India, in which they pledged to reduce armed forces and maintain peace. Chinese experts are blaming PM Modi for the standoff. "However, since odi assumed power, the Indian government has totally neglected this joint statement. China has kept its word, but the Indian side has provoked the recent border clashes," Hu told the Global Times, stressing that this time China remains on high alert. "Given the country's sluggish economy and poor epidemic control, the Modi government will continue to try and stir up border tensions in an attempt to deflect the public's attention. Sadly, these border tensions are used as chips to fool the public," he noted as per Global times Analysts said that the agreement reached this time is also largely due to strong support from the Chinese military. The logistics support could guarantee PLA soldiers an advantage in potential military conflicts when the winter comes, and analysts said that the advanced equipment shown by the Chinese military overshadows that held by its Indian counterparts. "Only a strong military can wake up a sleepy India, words are not enough," Hu said. Qian said that peacefully resolving the border conflicts is important for India, as it would mean the government can then focus on addressing the country's other problems, which would bring real benefits for the people. He noted that as nationalism prevails in India, it becomes a true test of Indian top politicians' wisdom to not be misdirected. The Indian government should have the ability to restrain and prevent radical military action, as per Global Times. Washington, D.C.--(Newsfile Corp. - September 11, 2020) - The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced charges against five Atlanta-based individuals, including film producer Ryan Felton, rapper and actor Clifford Harris, Jr., known as T.I. or Tip, and three others who each promoted one of Felton's two unregistered and fraudulent initial coin offerings (ICOs). The SEC also charged FLiK and CoinSpark, the two companies controlled by Felton that conducted the ICOs. Aside from Felton, all of the individuals have agreed to settlements to resolve the charges against them. The SEC's complaint alleges that Felton promised to build a digital streaming platform for FLiK, and a digital-asset trading platform for CoinSpark. Instead, Felton allegedly misappropriated the funds raised in the ICOs. The complaint also alleges that Felton secretly transferred FLiK tokens to himself and sold them into the market, reaping an additional $2.2 million in profits, and that he engaged in manipulative trading to inflate the price of SPARK tokens. Felton allegedly used the funds he misappropriated and the proceeds of his manipulative trading to buy a Ferrari, a million-dollar home, diamond jewelry, and other luxury goods. In a settled administrative order, the SEC finds that T.I. offered and sold FLiK tokens on his social media accounts, falsely claiming to be a FLiK co-owner and encouraging his followers to invest in the FLiK ICO. T.I. also asked a celebrity friend to promote the FLiK ICO on social media and provided the language for posts, referring to FLiK as T.I.'s "new venture." The SEC's complaint alleges that T.I.'s social media manager William Sparks, Jr. offered and sold FLiK tokens on T.I.'s social media accounts, and that two other Atlanta residents, Chance White and Owen Smith, promoted SPARK tokens without disclosing they were promised compensation in return. "The federal securities laws provide the same protections to investors in digital asset securities as they do to investors in more traditional forms of securities," said Carolyn M. Welshhans, Associate Director in the Division of Enforcement. "As alleged in the SEC's complaint, Felton victimized investors through material misrepresentations, misappropriation of their funds, and manipulative trading." The complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, charges Felton with violating registration, antifraud, and anti-manipulation provisions of the federal securities laws. FLiK and CoinSpark are charged with violating registration and anti-fraud provisions. White and Smith are charged with violating registration and anti-touting provisions. Sparks is charged with violating registration provisions. The complaint seeks injunctive relief, disgorgement of ill-gotten gains, and civil monetary penalties, as well as an officer-and-director bar against Felton. Sparks agreed to disgorge his ill-gotten gains plus prejudgment interest, and Sparks, White, and Smith each agreed to pay a penalty of $25,000 and to conduct-based injunctions prohibiting them from participating in the issuance, purchase, offer, or sale of any digital asset security for a period of five years. The proposed settlements are subject to court approval. Three of Felton's family members and an LLC that he established were also named as relief defendants. The SEC's order against T.I. requires him to pay a $75,000 civil monetary penalty and not participate in offerings or sales of digital-asset securities for at least five years. The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Georgia brought criminal charges against Felton in a parallel action. The SEC's Office of Investor Education and Advocacy has issued an Investor Bulletin that cautions investors to be wary of celebrity endorsements and to always independently research investment opportunities. The SEC's investigation was conducted by Virginia M. Rosado Desilets and David H. Tutor, and supervised by John O. Enright, David A. Becker, Ms. Welshhans, and Cyber Unit Chief Kristina Littman. Nadia Brannon from the SEC's Office of Compliance, Inspections, and Examinations also assisted. The litigation will be led by Richard Hong. The SEC appreciates the assistance of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Georgia, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Australian Securities and Investments Commission. Chinese medical experts pose for photos with others at the King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on April 15, 2020. A team of Chinese medical experts arrived in Riyadh on April 15 to assist the kingdom in combating COVID-19. [Photo/Xinhua] President Xi Jinping reiterated the need for united action and coordination between different countries in the global fight against the COVID-19 pandemic as he spoke over the phone with the heads of state of Saudi Arabia and Uruguay on Wednesday night. In his phone conversation with Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saudthe third between the two leaders this yearXi underscored that China is willing to maintain close coordination and cooperation with Saudi Arabia, to enable the Group of 20 countries to work more closely together and help make COVID-19 vaccines a global public good. It is important to ensure all countries and all people can afford and have access to the vaccines, he said. China is willing to work with other G20 members to boost aid to developing countries, build an open world economy, safeguard the stability of global industry and supply chains and facilitate the orderly flow of personnel, he said. The G20 should lead the way in cooperation on digital economy and create an open, fair, just and nondiscriminatory digital economy environment, he said. Xi expressed China's willingness to use the 30th anniversary of China-Saudi Arabia relations as an opportunity to boost political mutual trust and continue to offer each other support on issues concerning respective core interests and major concerns. The Belt and Road Initiative can be better aligned with Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 to enable deeper and more concrete cooperation in various areas, he added. King Salman said Saudi Arabia hopes to deepen anti-epidemic cooperation with China, especially in the research and development of vaccines, and Riyadh is willing to maintain close coordination and communication with Beijing to strengthen unity and cooperation among the G20 members. Xi's conversation with Uruguayan President Luis Lacalle Pou was the first between the two leaders since Lacalle Pou was sworn in as Uruguayan president in March. As the world is undergoing profound changes unseen in a century, solidarity and cooperation should be pursued in the spirit of building a community with a shared future for mankind, Xi said. China will continue anti-epidemic cooperation with Uruguay, firmly support the leading role of the World Health Organization and strive for an early victory against the virus, he said. Hailing Uruguay as China's trustworthy friend in Latin America, Xi said China is willing to import more high-quality agricultural products and high value-added products that meet its domestic market demand. The two countries should work toward new growth areas in bilateral cooperation such as e-commerce and service trade and step up exchanges and cooperation in culture, education and sports, he added. Lacalle Pou said the Uruguayan side hopes that the complementary nature between the two economies can be fully exploited, and cooperation in areas such as agricultural products, infrastructure and innovation can be advanced. CANTON TOWNSHIP, Ohio A teen was killed Thursday when he lost control of his ATV and went off the road, crashing into a tree, the Stark County Sheriffs Office reports. Bryceton Jenkins, 18, was taken to Mercy Medical Center in Canton after the crash but died of his injuries, deputies say. The crash occurred on the 5400 block of Keiffer Avenue. Deputies and the Canton Metro Crash Team are continuing to investigate the crash. Anyone with information can contact the sheriffs department at 330-430-3800. More content on cleveland.com: 8-year-old girl shot in car in West Akron Attorney General Barr expected to appear at slain Cleveland officers funeral, sources say Two Baldwin Wallace students who were robbed Sept. 7 say suspects used handgun Man arrested in fatal shooting of girlfriend in Clevelands Broadway-Slavic Village neighborhood President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky said that the second visit of President of Poland Andrzej Duda to Ukraine in October 2020, is another proof of friendly and warm relations between the countries, and Ukraine is ready to join his proposed Plan of International Cooperation after the end of coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. "Andrzej Duda's second visit to Ukraine in October 2020 is yet another proof of friendly and warm relations between Ukraine and Poland. I am grateful for the support of our sovereignty and territorial integrity. Ukraine is ready to join your proposed Plan of International Cooperation after COVID-19 pandemic," he wrote on his Twitter on Friday. First-time buyers struggling to keep up with rising house prices may have been thrown a lifeline following an overhaul of the government's shared ownership scheme. Under shared ownership, buyers can purchase a small stake in their home and pay a subsidised rent to their housing association on the remaining portion. It's then possible to 'staircase' up the amount you own by gradually buying extra portions of the property. Rents consequently go down. Currently a buyer would need to buy a 25 per cent share to be eligible for the scheme. But the Ministry of Housing announced earlier this week that from April, this will drop to 10 per cent. This means that for example on a 150,000 property, a buyer would only need to stump up 15,000 to qualify, rather than 37,500 under the current rules. It comes as first-time buyers see their savings' purchase power eroded by rising house prices and access to finance restricted as lenders pull deals. Housing secretary Robert Jenrick revealed a raft of changes to the shared ownership scheme Homeowners will also be able to buy shares in their home 1 per cent at a time, rather than in increments of 10 per cent as they do under the current system. Landlords - almost always a housing association - will also have to pay for any repairs and maintenance on the property for the first 10 years under the new rules. However, none of this will apply for existing shared ownership users - only new applicants will benefit from the new scheme. This means take up of the scheme between now and April will likely be low as buyers wait to feel the full benefit of the new system. Will the new system work? The new rules were first proposed in September and were initially met with some confusion over how the scheme would work in practice. Under the current system, buyers purchase a small stake and then buy extra shares in the property until they own it outright - at which point they no longer have to pay any rent - in a process known as 'staircasing'. Government reveals new affordable housing drive The Government also announced that up to 180,000 new homes built over the next five years, around half of which will be affordable homes with the rest available for discounted rent. The move comes as part of a housing market shakeup which includes the largest proposed overhaul of the planning system in England since the Second World War. Nearly 7.5billion of funding earmarked for new affordable housing development will be delivered outside of London by Homes England, with the remaining 4billion allocated to the capital. While it varies from provider to provider, at present the system generally only allows for homeowners to buy these shares in 10 per cent chunks, which can be as much as 45,000 at a time dependent on a property's value. The Government is now proposing to allow shared ownership homeowners to staircase in 1 per cent portions instead - potentially making it easier and more affordable to build a stake. If, for example, a family in a 150,000 shared ownership property wanted to staircase at present they would have to pay off 15,000 at a time to increase their stake and decrease their rent an amount beyond the reach of many. Under the new scheme, they will only have to pay off 1 per cent at a time, or 1,500. But it's not as straightforward as it seems - at present there are several different additional costs that may make staircasing in smaller increments less affordable than it appears. A shared ownership loan is an equity loan, meaning that as the value of the home rises, the loan does with it. This means that a homeowner has to pay a surveyor to produce a valuation report to determine the value of the home every time they staircase. On top of this they will also have to pay legal fees. Housing associations don't take any share of the bill for conveyancers when a homeowner is staircasing. According to Homeowners Alliance, these extra costs typically add an extra 2,000 on top of the price of the shares themselves when staircasing. For the example above, this means that every time the family bought an extra 1 per cent share in their house for 1,500 they would have to pay an extra 2,000 in fees. The Government's announcement today says these fees will be 'heavily reduced' when the new scheme is introduced in April. The Ministry of Housing told This is Money: 'The new gradual staircasing option has been designed to heavily reduce mortgage administration and valuation fees. 'We have introduced free estimated valuations and prohibited providers from charging admin fees. Buying in 1 per cent instalments will also make it much easier to staircase without additional lending, enabling shared owners to avoid mortgage fees. 'Those staircasing in larger tranches of 5 per cent or more will still incur mortgage and admin fees. Legal and surveyor fees will not be reduced or subsidised.' So, under the new rules, those looking to staircase in very small amounts should be able to do so without incurring too many extra costs. Angela Kerr, director at Homeowners Alliance, said: Staircasing has been a major source of complaint about the scheme because it is very complicated, time-consuming and costly. Shared ownership buyers will be able to start with a 10 per cent share in the property Whether buying shares in your property at 1 per cent at a time makes financial sense for people remains to be seen, but the Government's efforts to reduce the fees will make a huge difference. We will be looking now to see what this means in practice and how mortgage lenders, surveyors and conveyancers will discount their fees. Potential users of the scheme should also be aware that all shared ownership properties are sold on a leasehold basis. Not only does that mean you'll have to pay an annual ground rent, but could potentially cause complications when it comes time to sell. You may also have to pay service charges, which aren't capped and can rise without your consent. Homeowners Alliance has a comprehensive guide to the fees and risks associated with shared ownership which you can find here. The Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal has addressed the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade students through virtual interaction. During this video conference, he has announced that the government is working with states and local bodies to deregulate and ease the process of starting a business. He also pointed out on India has significantly leveled up its rank on the ease of doing business over five years. Commenting on the country's mammoth potential, Piyush has said that the real unique selling point of India should revolve around high quality, good service, and affordable pricing. He states, "India should get recognized the world over for its quality and competitiveness. Quality will have to be integral for the planning of our future. We believe in transparent pricing, transparent trade, free market, no price controls, and no hidden subsidies." While talking about the concept of Aatmanirbhar Bharat, he says that it is not just closing the country's doors to international trade and engagement. But, it is actually opening it wider looking for greater engagement in terms of global trade. Using this opportunity, India could focus on engaging with global economies from a position of strength with highly cost-competitive products of high quality. Piyush has further indicated that India being massive and much-sought after market globally. Thus, its a market that businesses across the globe prefer to engage with. Therefore, the businesses would not just get a huge Indian market but could also leverage this market to get economies of scale. In addition, the trading relations between the two countries rest on the pedestal of high reciprocity and equilibrium, and many more countries are attracted towards balanced trade. Hence, India would also get to engage with various other countries to extend our trading relationships but on the strength of our own competitiveness. The other countries that prefer to access the market of 139 crore Indians, then they would also have to give fair access to their market. While India is not going to be a patient receiver of unfair trade practices says Piyush. Furthermore, he stated that the historical wrong would have to be corrected by our generation. The RCEP deal was not signed as it didn't meet the country's concern. India, Japan, and Australia, all the three democracies, trusted partners, and believers in rule-based trading have lately agreed to possess a supply chain initiative Flash Chinese Ambassador to Botswana Zhao Yanbo on Thursday handed over donations from China to Botswana to help the Southern African country fight against the deadly Coronavirus in Gaborone Botswana. Speaking during the handing over ceremony, Zhao said fighting COVID-19 is a major battle that concerns the health and well-being of all human being, including the peoples of China and Botswana. "Confronted by the ravages of the pandemic, our two countries have tackled the virus head-on and forged extraordinary solidarity in this fight with mutual support." For his part, Kabo Morwaeng, Minister for Presidential Affairs, Governance and Public Administration said the Chinese government is doing a great job for the nation of Botswana. On behalf of the President of Botswana Mokgweetsi Masisi, the government and the people of the Republic of Botswana I wish to express delight and sincere gratitude for the continued support extended to us by the People's Republic of China. "Botswana prides herself in the mutually beneficial relations with local and international communities of Chinese people who are always willing to extend a helping hand to Botswana. Without a doubt, our Nations have formed solid partnerships at many levels, and we cherish them all," added Morwaeng. B oris Johnson was today warned that silent loyalists in the House of Lords are preparing to block his Bill that seeks to over-ride the Brexit treaty he signed with the EU. Ex-premier Gordon Brown became the latest political grandee to speak out, warning that No10s tactics risked leaving the UK in a battle with Europe for years ahead when it should be focusing on repairing the economy. While Mr Browns outrage did not trouble Downing Street, it could not ignore former Conservative leader Lord Howard, who this morning said he would be very surprised if Mr Johnsons Bill got through the Lords. The Bill has been roundly condemned by the EU which last night threatened to call off talks on a free trade deal unless it was withdrawn by the end of the month. It now faces rebellions in both Houses, with Sir Bob Neill, the chairman of the Justice Select Committee, leading an amendment that would give Parliament a veto over future attempts by the Government to disregard or overturn parts of the Withdrawal Agreement (WA), the deal that Mr Johnson signed in January that set rules for Britains departure from the EU. Tory whips were arguing that Sir Bobs amendment was flawed and would not have the effect the rebels wanted. With a Government majority of 80, it would take 40 rebels for the Bill to be changed in the Commons. The focus was turning to the Lords where a series of grandees, including Brexiteers like Lord Howard and ex-chancellor Lord Lamont, have savaged the Bill. One peer said: My impression is that silent loyalists who never usually rebel are quietly planning to make a stand on this one, which means it must be in danger. The Internal Market Bill was published on Wednesday in what many MPs saw as a provocative act during fragile trade talks with the EU. Trade talks over the British exit from the European Union are resuming this week as the European Union's chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, visits London / Getty Images According to the Government, its purpose is to maintain smooth trade between England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland after the UK leaves the EU rules on December 31. However, the real purpose, MPs believe, is to wriggle out of the Prime Ministers promise to maintain at all costs an open border between Northern Ireland and Ireland, a concession that Mr Johnson may regret because it reduced his leverage in the talks. Lord Howard told Sky News: I think this makes a no-deal more likely. Former Tory leaders Sir John Major and Theresa May have also attacked the Bill. Mr Brown told Good Morning Britain he feared long-term consequences. My fear is not just a no-deal; my fear is well have such a minimal deal that well be in battle with Europe for years ahead and that really does not make sense if we want people to have jobs in our economy. Asked to explain the harms that could arise in Northern Ireland in future under the Withdrawal Agreement, the Business Department gave two examples to the Evening Standard of how diverging regulations in future could damage prosperity. In one example, the UK moves to regulate electricians, plumbers and technicians working in the construction industry, such as by requiring vocational training, but Northern Ireland introduces a different scheme. This could mean that skilled workers in Great Britain might not be recognised in Northern Ireland and vice versa, said the department. Therefore the Bill will maintain mutual recognition of qualifications. In the second example, professionals working in emerging industries such as Artificial Intelligence could begin to be regulated differently in the burgeoning AI cluster in Belfast. These variations could weaken investment and undermine the UKs competitiveness in a growing field. Business minister Nadhim Zahawi denied reneging on the WA. The Withdrawal Agreement and the Northern Ireland protocol we are absolutely committed to, he asserted on BBC Breakfast. Its not about if we implement the Withdrawal Agreement and the Northern Irish protocol, its how we implement it. The row overshadowed the first signing of a major post-Brexit trade deal this morning an agreement with Japan worth 15 billion. Loading.... International Trade Secretary Liz Truss said it was a historic moment that not only preserved current trade but added protection for music from piracy and more access for the City in Tokyo. The value is worth around 0.07 per cent of GDP. Side Gig Success Online Summit We strive to help people affected by the pandemic and have lost their jobs. We are looking for ways to support their reduced income. Our goal for the Side Gig Success Summit is to give attendees a shortcut to success. Charn Pennewaert, Founder of Media Stream, LLC Media Stream, LLC will host an online speaker summit on December 3rd with 45-minute pre-recorded interviews featuring twelve top industry founders, business leaders and speakers. The Side Gig Success Summit will offer registered attendees great tips on how to get started, how successful leaders drive sales, and which companies are offering the best commissions. The event is FREE to registrants before November 25th and still a great value at $99 after the promotion date. Attendees will register via EventBrite starting on November 6th. The first of the Q&A interviews will be released on December 3rd to registered attendees to access and additional interviews will be released each day for the next 10 days. Im delighted to join a roster of accomplished entrepreneurs in health & wellness to explore one of the most dynamic areas of personal economic growth in 2020. The key to success in launching a side gig is to bring a brand-focused mentality to your game plan, and I look forward to sharing marketing-based strategies and tips to help side gigs thrive. Fran Kelly, Founder, FSK Roundtable Collaborative PR Solutions Top independent representatives from Arbonne, Beauty Counter, Seacret Direct, Magnetude Jewelry, Vitalibis Full-Spectrum CBD, and doTERRA will be giving their best strategies for success. Each presenter will offer a special gift or promotion only available to registered guests. We strive to help people affected by the pandemic and have lost their jobs. We are looking for ways to support their reduced income. Our goal for the Side Gig Success Summit is to give attendees a shortcut to success. Charn Pennewaert, Founder of Media Stream, LLC "At my core, I love creating safe, effective products! When people experience value with products, they naturally share them with others. That's why we created Vitalibis with a peer-to-peer marketing program - so our most loyal Customers could enjoy our products, while also earning additional referral income. The gig-economy is thriving and we're proud to offer a robust option for those interested in being a part of our Brand Ambassador community." Steve Raack, CEO of Vitalibis. About Media Stream Media Stream is a premier digital marketing and creative design agency based in Orange County, California. From small Mom-and-Pops to thriving corporations, Media Stream has crafted a myriad of successful projects for its clients, including custom websites, targeted advertisements and other creative assets. Ransomware attacks grew by nearly 50 percent in the 2020 second quarter compared to the first three months of the year, underscoring the risks created by pandemic-related work-from-home requirements, a new Coalition report has determined. On top of that trend, new strains of ransomware attacks are causing particularly malicious damage, according to cyber insurance and security provider Coalition, which compiled the data based on incidents reported by 25,00 small and midsize business clients in the U.S. and Canada. Were in a heightened state of cyber vulnerability: human errors are more likely to be made remotely, new technology is being deployed on a daily basis to support remote work setups, and cybercriminals are taking advantage, Joshua Motta, CEO and co-founder of Coalition, said in prepared remarks. Coalition said that newer strains of ransomware, including DoppelPaymer and Maze, are particularly malicious. These strains are more complex, allowing them to demand higher ransoms, according to the company. For example, the average ransom demand for Maze ransomware is 6 times the overall average demand. Here are other Coalition findings: The average ransom demand amongst its policyholders grew 100 percent from 2019 through the 2010 first quarter, and another 47 percent from Q1 2020 to Q2 2020. Since the start of the pandemic, Coalition said its policyholders reported a 35 percent jump in funds transfer fraud and social engineering claims filed by its policyholders. Email attacks jumped 67 percent during the pandemic, again affecting Coalition policyholders. Ransomware, funds transfer loss and business email compromise were the most frequent types of loss, amounting to 87 percent of reported incidents and 84 percent of claims payout for the 2020 first half. Larger organizations in Coalitions sample, with revenues of $100 million to $250 million, were five times as likely to experience claims as small organizations, with revenues under $10 million. At the same time, loss severity often hit six figures, regardless of company size. Coalition cyber business is backed by Swiss Re Corporate Solutions, Lloyds of London and Argo Group. Source: Coalition Topics COVID-19 Cyber Now, I should say this is only a remote possibility. Theres zero indication Trump can win a majority of Hispanics nationally. Biden currently has about a 20-point lead among Latino voters nationwide. But the whole reason the thought comes to mind is that Biden is underperforming among the fastest-growing demographic group, even at a time when he is generally doing better than Hillary Clinton did in 2016 and has been holding a steady lead over Trump for months now. Advertisement Sharks up to five metres long have swarmed a popular NSW beach after a whale carcass washed up on the rocks leading to a mass feeding frenzy. Bulli and Sandon Point beaches near Wollongong on the state's south coast were closed on Thursday afternoon due to 'multiple large shark sightings'. A day later monster sharks were spotted across the coastline circling around boats as local fishermen watched on in horror. One of the huge sharks sunk its teeth into the motor of a local's fishing boat on Friday. Beaches were closed on NSW's South Coast due to multiple large shark sightings Jake Brisbane was out fishing with a friend in Bulli Beach on Friday morning when a shark leapt from the water and sunk its teeth into the boat's motor. 'One of the most insane mornings on the water I've ever seen,' Mr Brisbane said sharing a video to Facebook. He said another shark also appeared moments later hungry to find the whale. Two other fishermen spotted what they believed to be a great white bigger than their five-metre long dingy. In harrowing footage, the shark is seen cruising underneath their boat before circling around the area. Police have since launched an operation to drag the whale back to shore. The beaches are expected to be closed for another day to wait for the hordes of sharks to swim away. Great whites and tiger sharks have flocked to Bulli Beach after a dead whale washed up on the rocks on Thursday afternoon Locals have captured the huge beasts on film with one man estimating the shark was bigger than his five metre long boat Surf Life Saving Illawarra issued a stern warning to swimmers on Thursday. 'Surf Life Saving Illawarra is warning swimmers, surfers and divers not to enter the water at Bulli and Sandon Point beaches due to a significant number of large sharks in the area feeding on a dead whale carcass,' they tweeted. It's believed tiger sharks were also swimming at the area on Friday morning. Anthony Turner, duty officer for Surf Life Saving Illawarra said people should avoid getting up close with the sharks. The whale carcass is seen being dragged away by police on Friday afternoon. The carcass attracted suspected great whites and tiger sharks to Bulli Beach 'These sharks are quite large, they are larger than some of the boats we've seen on social media, under no circumstances should anyone be leaning or putting their body parts in the water,' he told The Daily Telegraph. 'Even people on the rock platforms, we don't want anyone getting too close, the last thing we want is someone falling into the water with all the predators out there,' he said.' The shark frenzy comes just days after a man was killed by a suspected great white on the Gold Coast. Nick Slater, 46, died after he was bitten in the leg while surfing at Greenmount Beach in Coolangatta on Tuesday. Surfers have since flocked back to the popular beach despite the horrific attack while helicopters and and jetskis patrol the area. The suspect's words about former president Leonid Kuchma and ex-Parliament speaker Volodymyr Lytvyn's involvement were allegedly cut out from the transcript, she says. Ukraine, including its Supreme Court, is misinforming the international community about the Georgiy Gongadze murder case, says lawyer Tetiana Kostina. Speaking at a press conference at UNIAN on September 11, Kostina claims the convicted ex-police general Oleksiy Pukach spoke of second president Leonid Kuchma and ex-chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Volodymyr Lytvyn's complicity in the crime, but the relevant words disappeared from the transcript of his testimony. The statement comes ahead of the 20th anniversary of the murder of Georgiy Gongadze, founder of the Ukrainian Pravda online outlet. The lawyer says justice has not yet been served to those who ordered his murder and those who stood behind the attempt on the life of the MP Oleksandr Elyashkevich and the abduction of and assault on journalist Oleksiy Podolsky, whose interests she represents. Kostina claims that, despite different executioners of the crimes mentioned, the person who ordered all of them is ex-President Leonid Kuchma. Read alsoCPJ concerned over life sentence appeal in Gongadze murder mediaKostina appealed to President Volodymyr Zelensky to ensure that the investigation puts those responsible on the dock, since all previous presidents, starting with Viktor Yushchenko (2005-2010), had failed to fulfill the relevant promises. She also added that with her appeal to Zelensky, she wants to draw attention to the systematic failure of Ukraine to fulfill its obligations regarding high-profile cases, in particular the Gongadze case, and report the falsification of this case to the Supreme Court. The lawyer explained that back in January 2002, by a parliamentary decree, Ukraine undertook obligations to unconditionally comply with the PACE resolution on the Gongadze, Podolsky, and Elyashkevich cases, but these obligations are yet to be fulfilled. According to her, in the Elyashkevich case, the obligations have not been fulfilled in full, and in the case of Gongadze and Podolsky, it's the main obligations to find masterminds of the crimes. "Who are reasonably connected with the then-President Leonid Kuchma," Kostina emphasized. She added that the "Melnychenko tapes" [recordings purportedly secretly made in Leonid Kuchma's office, leaked by Mykola Melnychenko, one of the President's guards] are far from being the only evidence of Kuchma's involvement in this crime. There is also such weighty evidence as testimony of the murder's executioner, General Pukach, the lawyer claims. Read alsoBody of Ukrainian journalist Gongadze finally buriedIn order to let Kuchma avoid being charged, the proceedings in Gongadze and Podolsky cases were classified in the court of first instance, so that the public could not monitor the progress of trial, Kostina said, adding that the only open session held in the case was when the verdict was handed down to Pukach. But even this court session saw falsification, she adds. "Pukach's words, heard all over the world, that he will comprehend the court verdict only when Kuchma and Lytvyn sit in the dock along with him, are now absent from the case file," the lawyer said. She stressed that these words were deliberately left out of the case file so that Kuchma and Lytvyn, who in 1999-2002 headed the Presidential Administration, could avoid responsibility. Also, Kostina accused the Supreme Court and the Ministry of Justice of disinformation provided about the case to the international community. "Inaccurate information is systematically sent to the Council of Europe, but hushing down or concealing systemic facts of falsification will not work out, since not only the Council of Europe is interested in this case, but also the Helsinki Commission of the U.S. Congress," the lawyer said. Also, according to her, when the case was heard in the appellate court, the hearings were held with flagrant violations, that is, without victims attending court sessions. Also, Valentyna Telychenko participated as widow Myroslava Gongadze's defense attorney, while her involvement in the case as a lawyer Kostina says was illegal. Kostina also recalled that in 2017, the Court of Cassation removed Telychenko from this case, but the judges of the Supreme Court never complied with the ruling, and Telychenko is still considered a defense attorney. She also noted that Myroslava Gongadze herself, as a victim, attended only one court session, and allegedly never studied case files. Kostina noted that in 2015, the court didn't bring Gongadze's daughters as victims after they turned 18, although judges were supposed to do so. The lawyer is convinced that all these procedural violations in courts of all three instances were committed with the sole purpose of "letting Kuchma avoid responsibility." In turn, former judge of the Constitutional Court and first prosecutor general of Ukraine Viktor Shishkin noted that in order to "whitewash" Kuchma, Podolsky was recently denied the status of victim in the Gongadze case. According to him, this was done so that he, as a victim, could not put forward petitions for the interrogation of former top officials as witnesses. Gongadze murder: background Trondheim, Norvege NorLit2021 The 16th biannual conference of the Nordic Association for Literary Research 79 December 2021, Trondheim, Norway Conference theme: Literature and space Over the past decade, we have experienced new developments in our cultural and political perceptions of space. What was believed, at the turn of the millennium, to be an irreversible movement of spatial expansion towards a postnational, globalized world, has proven to be far more complex and gritty. Recent political landscapes have been characterized by a countermovement of contraction, into a remobilization of nationalism, ideals of the nation state, and the preoccupation with borders. The refugee crises of the 2010s and the climate crisis are both embedded into an ideological conflict centring around the idea of geographical and political space as something precarious. The recent corona-virus crisis has reconfigured our perceptions of space in yet another way, in what could be described as a double movement of contraction and expansion: the use of isolation, quarantines, and so-called social distancing, the closing of borders and radical reduction of movement and travel, correspond to a contraction of our living spaces. At the same time, an opposite movement has taken place in the digital domain, in an expansion of our virtual spaces within culture, education, and commerce. These developments call for responses from the community of literary scholars on the relationship between literature and space, and, by extension, for reassessing the critical approaches in literary studies that have followed the so-called spatial turn of the humanities and social sciences. Although approaches to literature and space are as methodologically as they are thematically diverse, they share a conception of literature being important to how cultures perceive space, and of space being important to literary forms. The urgent questions now are how these approaches can help us understand the political and cultural developments of the new decade, and how these developments in turn can be used to rethink our critical approaches. Norlit21 invites scholars to examine the question of how space intervenes in literature and how literature produces and reconfigures perceptions of space. How can literature new and old help us think about the processes of spatial reconfiguration and conflicts of expansion/contraction? What new forms of cultural and literary spaces are currently emerging, be it in the literary form itself or in the spaces that produce, disseminate, and respond to literature? And what can a renewal in spatial approaches to literature give to the study of historical works, within established canons as well as the great unread? We wish to encourage papers covering a diverse array of fields and approaches, including, but not necessarily restricted to: digital humanities book history children- and youth literature literary didactics sociology of literature literary theory, -history, and criticism For the complete call for papers, konfirmed keynote speakers, and further information, please visit our web page: https://www.ntnu.edu/norlit2021/ Bahrain has become the latest Arab nation to agree to normalize ties with Israel as part of a broader diplomatic push by President Donald Trump and his administration to fully integrate the Jewish state into the Middle East. Trump announced the agreement on Friday, following a three-way phone call he had with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa. The three leaders also issued a brief six-paragraph joint statement, attesting to the deal. 'Another HISTORIC breakthrough today!' Trump tweeted. The announcement on the 19th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks came less than a week before Trump hosts a White House ceremony to mark the establishment of full relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates. Bahrain's foreign minister will attend the event. 'There's no more powerful response to the hatred that spawned 9/11 than this agreement,' Trump told reporters at the White House. 'The sand was loaded up with blood. Now it's loaded up with peace,' he said, in an apparent reference to the Middle East's deserts. It represents another diplomatic win for Trump less than two months before the the presidential election and an opportunity to shore up support among pro-Israel evangelical Christians. Just last week, Trump announced agreements in principle for Kosovo to recognize Israel and for Serbia to move its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Hailed a a big moment: Donald Trump called Bahrain recognizing Israel 'a historic breakthrough' Leaders' deal: Trump announced the agreement on Friday, following a three-way phone call he had with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (left) and Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa (right) Leaders' deal: Trump announced the agreement on Friday, following a three-way phone call he had with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (left) and Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa (right) Tiny kingdom: Bahrain is connected to Saudi Arabia by a land bridge and is the smallest of the Arab states. It is home to the U.S. Fifth Fleet Family affair: Donald Trump credited Jared Kushner for the agreement which will see Bahrain and the UAE recognize Israel 'This is a historic breakthrough to further peace in the Middle East,' Trump, Netanyahu and King Hamad said in the statement. 'Opening direct dialogue and ties between these two dynamic societies and advanced economies will continue the positive transformation of the Middle East and increase stability, security, and prosperity in the region.' Like the UAE agreement, Friday's Bahrain-Israel deal will normalize diplomatic, commercial, security and other relations between the two countries. Bahrain, along with Saudi Arabia, had already dropped a prohibition on Israeli flights using its airspace. Saudi acquiescence to the agreements has been considered key to the deals. Trump's son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner noted that the agreement is the second Israel has reached with an Arab country in 30 days after having made peace with only two Arab nations - Egypt and Jordan - in 72 years of its independence. 'This is very fast,' Kushner told The Associated Press. 'The region is responding very favorably to the UAE deal and hopefully it's a sign that even more will come.' Netanyahu welcomed the agreement and thanked Trump. 'It took us 26 years between the second peace agreement with an Arab country and the third, but only 29 days between the third and the fourth, and there will be more,' he said, referring to the 1994 peace treaty with Jordan and the more recent agreements.' The agreement will likely be seen as a further setback to the Palestinians who tried unsuccessfully to have the Arab League condemn normalization with Israel until they have secured an independent state. That was one of the few cards still held by Palestinians in negotiations as peace talks remain stalled. The joint statement made passing mention of the Palestinians, saying the parties will continue efforts 'to achieve a just, comprehensive, and enduring resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to enable the Palestinian people to realize their full potential.' The agreement makes Bahrain the fourth Arab country, after Egypt, Jordan and the UAE, to have full diplomatic ties with Israel. Other Arab nations believed to be on the cusp of fully recognizing Israel include Oman and Sudan. While tacitly blessing the deals Saudi Arabia, the regional power player, is not expected to move as quickly. Like the UAE, Bahrain has never fought a war against Israel and doesnt share a border with it. But Bahrain, like most of the Arab world, long rejected diplomatic ties with Israel in the absence of a peace deal establishing a Palestinian state on lands captured by Israel in 1967. Symbolic moment: The first flight from Israel to the United Arab Emirates landed at Abu Dhabi with the word peace in Arabic (top) and Hebrew (bottom) and the flags of the UAE, U.S., and Israel The agreement could give a boost to Netanyahu, who was indicted on corruption charges last year. Deals with Gulf Arab states 'are the direct result of the policy that I have led for two decades,' namely 'peace for peace, peace through strength,' Netanyahu has said. The Israeli-UAE deal required Israel to halt its contentious plan to annex occupied West Bank land sought by the Palestinians. Telephone calls soon began working between the nations as they continue to discuss other deals, including direct flights. While the UAEs population remains small and the federation has no tradition of standing up to the country's autocracy, Bahrain represents a far-different country. Just off the coast of Saudi Arabia, the island of Bahrain is among the worlds smallest countries, only about 760 square kilometers (290 square miles). Bahrains location in the Persian Gulf long has made it a trading stop and a naval defensive position. The island is home to the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet and a recently built British naval base. Bahrain is acutely aware of threats posed by Iran, an anxiety that comes from Bahrains majority Shiite population, despite being ruled since 1783 by the Sunni Al Khalifa family. Iran under Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi had pushed to take over the island after the British left, though Bahrainis in 1970 overwhelmingly supported becoming an independent nation and the U.N. Security Council unanimously backed that. Since Irans 1979 Islamic Revolution, Bahrains rulers have blamed Iran for arming militants on the island. Iran denies the accusations, though weapons experts suggest explosives found there bear similarities to others linked to Iran. Israel and Iran view each other as top regional enemies. Outside of those tensions, Bahrains Shiite majority has accused the government of treating them like second-class citizens. The Shiites joined pro-democracy activists in demanding more political freedoms in 2011, as Arab Spring protests swept across the wider Middle East. Saudi and Emirati troops ultimately helped violently put down the demonstrations. In recent years, Bahrain has cracked down on all dissent, imprisoned activists and hampered independent reporting on the island. While the Obama administration halted the sale of F-16 fighter jets to Bahrain over human rights concerns, the Trump administration dropped that after coming into office. Bahrains royal family and officials have come out in support of the Israel-UAE agreement. However, civil society groups and others have condemned the move and warned the monarchy not to follow in UAEs footsteps - despite Bahrains yearslong flirtation with Israel and Jewish leaders. Unlike the Emirates, Jews had a historical presence on the island and some still live there. In 2017, two prominent U.S. rabbis said Bahrains king told them he hoped the Arab boycott of Israel would end. An interfaith group from Bahrain that year also visited Israel, though the state-run Bahrain News Agency later said that it didnt 'represent any official entity' after an uproar erupted on social media. Bahrain has increasingly relied on support from other nations as it struggles with its debts, particularly neighboring Saudi Arabia. In that way, Bahrain has followed in lockstep with Riyadh, meaning any normalization with Israel likely got the kingdoms approval, though, Saudi Arabia has for its part remained silent since the Emirati announcement. Syracuse, N.Y. -- Auto dealer Billy Fuccillo is selling his two Kia dealerships in Florida for $36 million. LMP Automotive Holdings Inc. has agreed to buy Fuccillos dealerships in Cape Coral and Port Charlotte in Southwest Florida, according to an asset purchase agreement filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The sale includes 58 acres of facilities and property, South Florida-based LMP said in a news release. This is an important addition to our network given the 58 acres of vehicle fulfillment, reconditioning and service capacity it provides, Sam Tawfik, LMPs chairman and CEO, said in a statement. It will cost-effectively expand our free delivery radius and cut out multiple legs of costly transportation, logistics and reconditioning costs in one of the fastest growing and largest vehicle sales regions in the United States." The two Florida dealerships are among 27 dealerships owned by Adams-based Fuccillo Automotive Group. Twenty-four of Fuccillos dealerships are in Upstate New York, including three in Onondaga County -- Kia and Nissan dealerships in Clay and a Hyundai dealership in Syracuse. The sale of the two Kia stores in Florida will leave Fuccillo with one dealership outside of New York -- a Nissan dealership in Clearwater, Florida. Fuccillo Automotive Group did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Friday. The sale of the two dealerships comes as the auto industry is seeing major drops in vehicle sales during the coronavirus pandemic. Rick Moriarty covers business news and consumer issues. Got a tip, comment or story idea? Contact him anytime: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 315-470-3148 Gia Chacon speaks to a crowd gathered by her organization, For the Martyrs, to raise awareness about persecuted Christians worldwide, in Long Beach, Calif., on Sept. 5, 2020. (Jamie Joseph/The Epoch Times) Orange County Woman Helps Persecuted Christians Worldwide LONG BEACH, Calif.Gia Chacon, 23, grew up in a devout Christian household in Laguna Niguel, California, with one foot planted in the world and one foot planted in faith, she told The Epoch Times. She didnt always envision her life dedicated to humanitarian efforts, but that calling came to her during a trip to Egypt with her grandmother to provide aid to Christians persecuted for their faith. It was 2017, and she was feeling unfulfilled with her work in the cosmetics industry. She saw the Egypt trip as an opportunity to get out of Orange County and figure out her next steps in life. It ended up being a transformative experience that led her to start For the Martyrs, a nonprofit that raises awareness and funds for persecuted Christians around the world. It was the experiences not only in Egypt, but also with the Iraqi and Syrian refugees that had an effect on her, she said. She spent three years total in the region. According to the Open Doors Watch List, more than 260 million Christiansthats about 1 in 8 believersface high levels of persecution globally. Being able to sit with them, hear their stories, and understand firsthand the atrocities they face at the hands of extremismit changed my life completely, Chacon said. I really felt that the Lord was calling me to make an impact in the lives of the persecuted. She shared the story of a 19-year-old Iraqi woman she met and what her Christian family experienced living in Baghdad. Islamic militants came into her home, killed her brother in front of the family, and kidnapped her sister. The ISIS terrorist group often carries out such actions against Christian minorities and other religious groups in the region. The ISIS militants told the womans family they would be killed or forced to move if they were unwilling to convert to Islam. Her whole family left everything they knew; they left their home. They left their country, their jobs, everything, and fled to Jordan, because they were not willing to denounce or renounce the faith, Chacon said. What resonates so deeply with me is the faith of the young girl. Even though she had suffered so many atrocitiesshe lost everything, she lost her brother, her sister was kidnapped, and she had nothing living in Jordanshe still had hope. Even though they lost everything in this world, they know that going forward their reward is in heaven. Chacons grandmother, Dr. Michelle Corral, is the founder of Breath of the Spirit Ministries. Corral organized the 2017 trip to Egypt as part of her ministrys humanitarian work. In Egypt, about 90 percent of the population is Sunni Muslim, and about 10 percent is Christian, according to a 2019 U.S. Department of State religious freedom report. It noted that, although the countrys laws forbid discrimination of various kinds, human rights groups in the country report continued discrimination in private-sector hiring, and militants continue threats and violence against Christians. For the Martyrs raised over $17,000 in aid over the last three months for suffering Christians in Africa. The nonprofit also provides grocery programs for refugees in Jordan and a Bible-smuggling fund where hundreds of Bibles are sent to restricted nations. Gia Chacon speaks to a crowd gathered by her organization, For the Martyrs, to raise awareness about persecuted Christians worldwide, in Long Beach, Calif., on Sept. 5, 2020. (Jamie Joseph/The Epoch Times) Chacon said that the two leading factors of persecution are Islamic extremism and extreme nationalism. So we can take a situation like the Middle East where we have the systematic oppression of ChristiansChristians are seen as second-class citizens, she said. Christians are targeted in their businesses, when theyre going to buy homes, when theyre fighting their court cases. In China and North Korea, [there is] extreme nationalism, where its illegal to be Christiannot because you have to adhere to another religion, but because you have to worship the state as your God, she said. Chinese Christian leaders are often jailed and houses of worship are destroyed or indoctrinated with communist propaganda. Not only is this issue widely ignored by the media, oftentimes its widely unknown and untalked about within our communities of faith in the West, Chacon said. Chacon said her message to Orange County members of faith would be to not be afraid to lean in and understand about what our brothers and sisters are suffering around the world. Christian persecution is a difficult topic. Its difficult to hear about people dying and Christians being executed for our faith, but we have an obligation in the West to use our platforms, our freedoms, and our influence to raise awareness. March for the Martyrs raises awareness about the persecution of Christians worldwide, in Long Beach, Calif., on Sept. 5, 2020. (Jamie Joseph/The Epoch Times) On Sept. 5, Chacon organized a march in Long Beach, California, to raise awareness of Christian persecution. Hundreds showed up to rally, march, and worship. Chacon said her nonprofit has more programs in the works, along with a relief trip to the Middle East in the future. New Delhi: No-frill carrier SpiceJet Limited's chief of flight operations, Gurcharan Arora, has been suspended by aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) for a period of three months, two people with direct knowledge of the matter said. The latest development comes after the DGCA ordered a special audit for Indian carriers including Air India and SpiceJet in a bid to ensure that weak finances of airlines doesn't have any safety implications on their operations. A SpiceJet spokesperson said that the suspension of Arora was not related to the safety audit. However the spokesperson didn't reveal the reasons for suspension. There were some minor observations made by the regulator following an audit which are being addressed by the airline. We continue to work closely with the DGCA towards this objective," a SpiceJet spokesperson said. "At SpiceJet, the safety of our passengers, crew and aircraft is our topmost priority and we have taken multiple steps and implemented the best practices to ensure safe and secure flight operations," the spokesperson added without revealing the details on the reasons for suspension of the airline's chief of flight operations. Meanwhile, when contacted a senior DGCA official said that the agency has shared the findings related to the safety audit and asked the airline to set things right. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Never miss a story! Stay connected and informed with Mint. Download our App Now!! Topics Rhea's brother Showik was arrested by the NCB last week. He was denied bail too. Narcotics Control Bureau officers take Bollywood actress Rhea Chakraborty, who has been sent in judicial custody till September 22 by a local court, to Byculla women jail, in Mumbai, Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2020. (PTI) Actress Rhea Chakraborty will continue to remain in jail as a special court in Mumbai on Friday denied her bail. Her brother Showik's bail application too was rejected by the court. The siblings were arrested by the Narcotics Control Bureau in connection with a drugs-related case pertaining to the death of filmstar Sushant Singh Rajput. Their bail applications were rejected by judge GB Gurao of the special court hearing cases filed under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. The court also rejected the bail pleas of four other accused in the case. Special Public Prosecutor Atul Sarpande had opposed their bail saying Rhea and Showik financed and arranged drugs. It is to be noted that among other grounds, Rhea in her bail application had contended that she was coerced to give self-incriminatory confession. Similar allegation was made by lawyer of Zaid Vilatra, a co-accused and an alleged peddler, that his statement given to the officers of Narcotics Control Bureau was under pressure. Rhea, who was arrested by the Narcotics Control Bureau on Tuesday after three days of questioning, is currently in judicial custody. Showik and Rajput's house manager Samuel Miranda were arrested by the agency last week. The NCB is probing the drug angle in this case under criminal sections of the NDPS Act after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) shared with it a report following the cloning of two mobile phones of Rhea. Various angles surrounding the death of Rajput are being probed by the NCB, ED and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Many of these men and women are fresh out of high school and earning the first paychecks of their lives, an Army captain wrote to Representative Donald S. Beyer Jr., Democrat of Virginia, who represents Northern Virginia suburbs that are home to many civilian and military federal employees. The sudden influx of money, unexplained, will likely be spent very quickly by many of them, with little regard for later consequences. Many of the soldiers within the ranks live paycheck to paycheck, and if they are not aware that all of this money must be paid back next year, it could be ruinous to their financial health. Not all federal employees will be forced into the deferral. The chief administration of the House told members on Friday that it would opt out of the plan, having determined that implementing the deferral would not be in the best interests of the House or our employees. Mr. Trump has been fixated on the payroll tax throughout the pandemic. He pushed Congress early and often to temporarily eliminate the 15.3 percent tax on wages that helps fund Social Security and Medicare, which is split between employers and employees. The idea flopped with Republican and Democratic lawmakers alike, despite the presidents threats to veto any economic recovery package that did not include a payroll tax cut. Instead, lawmakers voted in March to allow companies to delay payment of their half of payroll tax liabilities for the year, with the money due in installments in 2021 and 2022. Stymied by Congress, and urged on by some of his outside advisers including the conservative economists Arthur B. Laffer and Stephen Moore, Mr. Trump signed an executive action on the payroll tax in August. He did not have the authority to eliminate the tax on his own, so instead, Mr. Trump ordered the Treasury Department to delay workers obligation to pay the tax through the end of the year, for employees earning up to $4,000 every two weeks. Larry Kudlow, the director of Mr. Trumps National Economic Council, told the Republican National Convention last month that the move essentially gave a pay raise to 140 million working Americans. That did not turn out to be the case. Last month, Treasury officials issued rules clarifying that companies could choose whether to withhold employees payroll taxes from September through the end of the year. It was a profitable Thursday for trainer Mandy Archer at Rideau Carleton Raceway as she celebrated a three-win performance on the 10-race card. Archer got the ball rolling with P H Impulse, who stepped to a 1:55.3 score in Race 2 for driver Pascal Berube. That duo then returned to victory lane in Race 6 thanks to a gate-to-wire triumph with Bettimontheriver in 1:57.1. The training hat trick was completed by Archer in Race 8 following Batting Stats wire-to-wire triumph in 1:58.4 with Berube again at the controls. Archer, who is in the midst of her best season to date, has racked up 16 victories this year while racking up purse earnings in excess of $77,000. To date, the conditioner has sent out 54 winners for purse earnings of close to $300,000. All of Thursday's highlights can be viewed below in this week's edition of 'Rideau in Ten': To view results for Thursday's card of harness racing, click the following link: Thursday Results Rideau Carleton Raceway. The Latest on wildfires in the U.S. West (all times local): 5:25 p.m. SALEM, Ore. -- Authorities in Oregon now say more than 500,000 people statewide have been forced to evacuate because of wildfires. The latest figures from Thursday evening come from the Oregon Office of Emergency Management. Thats over 10% of the states 4.2 million population. More than 1,400 square miles (3,625 square kilometres) have burned this week in the state. Authorities say the wildfire activity was particularly acute Thursday afternoon in northwestern Oregon as hot, windy conditions continued. At a news conference Thursday, Gov. Kate Brown said there have been fatalities but the exact number is not yet known. There have been at least three reported fire deaths in the state. ___ 5 p.m. WILSONVILLE, Ore. The Oregon Department of Corrections says it is evacuating a prison out of an abundance of caution as two large wildfires in the area appear to be merging. Authorities said Thursday afternoon they evacuated more than 1,300 adults in custody at the Coffee Creek Correctional Facility in Wilsonville, which houses mostly women. Officials say those evacuated are being relocated and not released. Wilsonville is about 16 miles (26 kilometres) south of Portland. Earlier this week, fires triggered evacuations at three other prisons near Oregons capital city of Salem. Oregon Gov. Kate Brown said Thursday afternoon that more than 80,000 people have had to evacuate because of wildfires burning across the state. ___ 3:30 p.m. SALEM, Ore. Oregon Gov. Kate Brown now says more than 80,000 people have had to evacuate because of wildfires burning across the state. Brown said on Twitter that the evacuations were ongoing. If youre advised to evacuate, do so immediately, she said. More than 1,400 square miles (3,625 square kilometres) have burned this week in the state. Authorities say the wildfire activity was particularly acute Thursday afternoon in northwestern Oregon as hot, windy conditions continued. At a news conference Thursday, she said there have been fatalities but the exact number is not yet known. There have been at least three reported fire deaths in the state. Brown said she had requested firefighting help from other states and the federal government. ___ 2:20 p.m. MALDEN, Wash. Wildfires have scorched nearly 937 square miles (2,426 kilometres) in Washington state this week, Gov. Jay Inslee said Thursday as he toured the devastated remains of the town of Malden. Weve had this trauma all over Washington, Inslee said, according to KHQ-TV. But this is the place where the whole heart of the town was torn out. Malden is a farm town set among wheat fields about 35 miles south of Spokane, Washington. Malden Mayor Chris Ferrell said residents only had minutes to get out of town Monday. No one was killed or seriously injured. Inslee has declared a state of emergency to free up cash assistance for families in need. More than 80% of the homes in Malden were destroyed by the flames. ___ 2:10 p.m. SACRAMENTO, Calif. The staggering scale of Californias wildfires in 2020 continues to grow. The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection says as of Thursday wildfires have scorched nearly 4,844 square miles (12,545 square kilometres) so far this year. Six of the top 20 largest fires in state history have occurred this year as well. California is now almost entirely free of Red Flag warnings for critical fire weather, but 14,000 firefighters remain on the lines of 29 major wildfires. ___ 1:20 p.m. SALEM, Ore. Oregon Gov. Kate Brown said more than 900,000 acres have burned across the state in the last several days nearly double the amount of land that usually burns in a typical year. At a news conference Thursday, she said there have been fatalities but the exact number is not yet known. There have been at least three reported fire deaths in the state. The governor also said up to 40,000 people had to evacuate because of encroaching flames. We have never seen this amount of uncontained fire across the state, Brown said. The windy, hot conditions will likely continue through Thursday, she said, continuing to hamper firefighting efforts. Brown said she had requested firefighting help from other states and the federal government. ___ 11:50 a.m. OROVILLE, Calif. California authorities say a wildfire that roared through foothills of the northern Sierra Nevada this week has destroyed or damaged about 2,000 structures, including homes and other buildings. The damage estimate Thursday follows two days of powerful winds that sent an 8-mile-wide (12.8-kilometre) front of the North Complex fire bearing down on northeastern Butte County. Cal Fire says there was major damage to communities including Berry Creek and Feather Falls. Winds have moderated but authorities say more than 22,000 structures are still threatened, including the city of Oroville. The improved weather is allowing more aggressive firefighting but heavy smoke is hampering use of aircraft. ___ 11:10 a.m. WILLOWS, Calif. A wildfire burning since last month in Northern California is now the states largest on record. The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection says the August Complex has scorched more than 736 square miles (1,906 square kilometres), centred in vast wilderness about 130 miles (209 kilometres) north of San Francisco. The blaze originated as 37 separate fires in the Mendocino National Forest on Aug. 17, when California was hit by thousands of lightning strikes. Many of the fires merged and others have since been added, and the complex now covers parts of Glenn, Mendocino, Lake, Tehama and Trinity counties. It has destroyed 26 structures as it consumes chaparral, timber and tall grass. The states second-largest fire is now the Mendocino Complex, which burned more than 717 square miles (1,857 square kilometres) in the same region in 2018. ___ 11 a.m. CASPER, Wyo. Park officials say a fire in Wyoming near Yellowstone National Park has grown to 5 square miles. The national park said in a statement Wednesday that hard frosts at night have killed plants and trees, which will aid the fires growth. The so-called Lone Star Fire started on Aug. 22. Officials say it is expected to be contained by Oct. 30. Firefighters are cutting down trees and heavy vegetation in the area to protect power lines, historic buildings and communication equipment. ___ 10:25 a.m. SPOKANE, Wash. The parents of a 1-year-old boy who died in a northern Washington state wildfire remained in critical condition Thursday in a Seattle hospital. Okanogan County Sheriff Tony Hawley said the boy died after his family was apparently overrun by flames while trying to flee the giant Cold Springs Fire this week. It was the states first death of this wildfire season. Gov. Jay Inslee said Thursday that he and his wife were heartbroken to hear about the childs death. Hawly said the family from the Seattle suburb of Renton was discovered by searchers Wednesday morning along the banks of the Columbia River. He said all were badly burned and the child was dead. Hawley said the parents Jacob Hyland, 31, and Jamie Hyland, 26, were flown to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle for treatment of third-degree burns. The hospital listed them in critical condition and in intensive care on Thursday. According to a GoFundMe page set up for the family, Jamie Hyland is pregnant. Former Minister Ntuthuko Dlamini (L) giving instructions to his legal representative Noncedo Ndlangamandla (R) before his brief appearance in the Manzini Magistrates Court on Wednesday morning. (File pic) MBABANE - Former Minister of Public Works and Transport Ntuthuko Dlamini has been swiftly removed from Zakhele Remand Centre for security and safety reasons. Dlaminis transfer from the remand centre comes after it transpired that there were relatives to one of the deceased men who were stationed there as warders. It is reported that among the warders stationed at the Zakhele Remand Centre is a son to one of the men who was reportedly killed by Dlamini using a firearm on Monday at Mhlabubovu. The name of the correctional facility, which Dlamini has been transferred to, will not be disclosed for security reasons. Coincidentally, when Dlaminis lawyer, Noncedo Ndlangamandla, went to the Correctional Services headquarters in Mbabane yesterday to make the request, it transpired that the institution was also discussing a similar predicament. Management According to impeccable sources, the management of the institution was also not comfortable with Dlamini being kept there as his brother is reportedly also stationed at the Zakhele Remand Centre. His Majestys Correctional Services Deputy Public Relations Officer Senior Superintendent Mandla Sibiya confirmed that Dlamini had been moved from the remand centre. I can confirm that Dlamini has been moved from the remand centre to a Correctional centre which will be safer for his stay and for security reasons, said Senior Superintendent Sibiya. The Correctional Services Act of 2017 allows the commissioner general of His Majestys Correctional Services to transfer a prisoner any time she deems fit. Section 17 (1) of the Act provides that: The commissioner general may order the removal to any Correctional centre of any offender on being sentenced or during the offenders confinement. Deceased Dlaminis lawyer said the Correctional Department did well to alert her client (Dlamini) about the relatives of the deceased at the Correctional facility. The former minister stands accused of allegedly killing two men and allegedly attempting to kill another. He made his first court appearance on Wednesday before Acting Magistrate Thami Ndlovu. He appeared in court after spending two days in police holding cells. Police heightened security during Dlaminis appearance and his relatives could not provide moral support to him as the armed law enforcers, who were deployed along the court corridors and entrance, turned them back when they tried to enter the courtroom. Meanwhile, armed police officers have been deployed at LaMgabhi and Mhlabubovu. LaMgabhi is where the former minister resides. Mhlabubovu is the area where two members of Luyengweni Royal Kraal Inner Council, Sikhulu Shongwe and Themba Tsabedze lost their lives after allegedly being shot by Dlamini. He is also accused of shooting Simon Dlamini, who is currently fighting for his life at the Mbabane Government Hospital. The trio was reportedly shot after the LaMgabhi Royal Kraal Inner Council allegedly tried to stop the Luyengweni Inner Council members from allocating land to people at Mhlabubovu. The Royal Eswatini Police Service deployed armed officers in the two areas soon after the shooting incident. This was during a fight which allegedly ensued after the LaMgabhi Inner Council purportedly stopped the Luyengweni Inner Council from allocating people land at Mhlabubovu. Mhlabubovu is an area, which had been claimed by the two chiefdoms over the years despite verdicts from the traditional authorities. Rebellion has mastered the rules so allowing it to surpass them. The first diving watch from the Swiss brand is just like all the collections timepieces: without compromise! It combines a strong aesthetic personality with reliable and robust mechanics. Always at the forefront of innovation, Rebellion offers a real instrument dedicated to underwater excursions, the Predator APNEA, which has all the essential assets to guarantee diving in the best possible conditions. Predator APNEA Rebellion LUMINESCENCE Three-dimensional luminescent elements, produced using machines that are unique in the world, have made it possible to create a spectacular three-dimensional display, as aesthetic as it is practical. As with any diving watch, the presence of a large black bezel also secures all dives with its scale of great clarity. Easy to handle, it allows the choice of calculating the elapsed immersion time or the remaining time. Hence, luminescent material is omnipresent on the new honeycomb dial of the Predator Apnea in order to guarantee optimal readability in all light conditions. As for elsewhere, the watch is adorned with XXL size numerals, inserts in the indexes and the date window, which moulded to form blocks of SuperLumiNova blue. Mouvement chronographe Rebellion A complex assembly of superimposed layers, the cases design is both robust and modular. Available in steel; steel and ceramic; red gold; red gold and ceramic. With the complex construction of its case in superimposed layers, the Predator is highly customisable. You can choose the colours of the dial. And even set or engrave the side plate at 9 oclock. MOVEMENT INSIDE This chronographs robust and accurate Swiss Made movement guarantees precise measurement of your performance, on and off the racing track. Titanium, Titanium black DLC, Carbon, and Gold 5N combine in superposed layers to give the watch its robust character and high performance capabilities. The large-dimensioned pieces are precision-machined with the logo-engraved bridge. Mechanical perfection is revealed through the large sapphire crystal back. Lindsay Lohan took to Instagram on Thursday to announce that she is launching her very own company. 'So excited to set up my own company in the UAE! My journey continues in this incredible country!' wrote the actress, 34, who has been living in the United Arab Emirates for the past six-years. Though Lohan was excited to announce the venture, she did not disclose her company's name or any details pertaining to its purpose in her post. New adventure: Lindsay Lohan took to Instagram on Thursday to announce that she is launching her very own company The Parent Trap star went on to thank company setup specialists Virtuzone for making the 'setup process so smooth.' 'If you are interested in setting up your own company here in the UAE, and looking to #BeYourOwnBoss then I recommend you get in touch with these guys,' concluded Lohan. Virtuzone, which was founded in 2009, states that their mission is to 'remove the complexities of company setup in the UAE so that our clients can focus 100% on running their businesses,' according to their official webpage. Excited: 'So excited to set up my own company in the UAE! My journey continues in this incredible country!' wrote the actress, 34, who has been living in the United Arab Emirates for the past six-years A little help: The Parent Trap star went on to thank company setup specialists Virtuzone for making the 'setup process so smooth' Later, Lindsay directly thanked her consultant George for personally guiding her through the set-up process on her Instagram Story. She included a heartwarming picture of herself posing in front of a #BeYourOwnBoss mural at Virtuzone's main office in Dubai. 'Welcome to the Virtuzone family @lindsaylohan! We are excited to have you on board and look forward to being part of your entrepreneurial journey,' commented Virtuzone on Lindsay's post. Personal message: Later, Lindsay directly thanked her consultant George for personally guiding her through the set-up process on her Instagram Story With a new business in the works, Lohan is clearly looking to secure her roots in Dubai, after having moved to the city in 2014. Lindsay opened up about her life in Dubai during a remote appearance on Lights Out With David Spade in April. 'I'm in Dubai. I'm kind of in the Wall Street area of Dubai, it's like Downtown,' explained the Mean Girls actress. 'It's a city built on desert, I came here in 2008 when they had just finished building the Atlantis hotel, and there was none of this here. I've been living in the UAE for six years, but I go back to New York a lot.' Life in Dubai: Lindsay opened up about her life in Dubai during a remote appearance on Lights Out With David Spade in April; Lindsay pictured in 2019 News of Lindsay's latest business venture comes after TMZ reported that she being sued by publishing company HarperCollins for failing to write a book despite being paid a handsome advance to do so. HarperCollins claim that Lohan breached a contract that she signed with them in March 2014, with a promise to turn in the title - rumored to be a tell-all biography - by May 2015, which never materialized. In legal documents filed by the publishing house, they claim Lohan was given a revised date of March 2017 to get it finished, and that they even paid her an advance of $365k against future royalties, TMZ reports. Despite a public outcry, Indias Supreme Court has convicted and sentenced prominent Indian lawyer Prashant Bhushan for contempt of court for having accused it of complicity in the far-right Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) governments assault on democratic rights. The courts victimization of Bhushan for his trenchant remarks is a gross attack on democratic rights. Indias highest court found Bhushan guilty of criminal contempt of court for two tweets the well-known Public Interest litigation and civil rights attorney made in late June that criticized the courts conduct and that of the Chief Justice of India. According to the Court, with his tweets Bhushan had sought to to scandalize the entire institution. In the run-up to last weeks sentencing hearing, the three-judge Supreme Court panel that had convicted Bhushan repeatedly threatened to jail him if he did not issue a grovelling apology. This Buhsan rightly refused to do, insisting he could not issue an apology for exercising his basic democratic right to free expression. In his written response to the courts threat to hold him in criminal contempt, he stated that if his tweets were regarded as a contempt, it would stifle free speech and would constitute an unreasonable restriction on the right of a citizen, as guaranteed under Article 19 (1) (a) of the [Indian] Constitution, to freedom of speech and expression. Under conditions where COVID-19 is raging across India, jailing the 63-year-old Bhushan would have placed his health and life in peril. Ultimately, the court backed down, and offered Bhushan a way of avoiding jail if he paid a token fine. His lawyer promptly did this. However, in passing sentence, Indias highest court continued to insist on its right to punish and jail those who criticize its actions. The Courts 82-page sentencing verdict conceded that Indias contempt of court law is vague and colonial. It also claimed there cannot be any compromise in upholding the Right to Free Speech and Opinions. But all this was just a crude attempt to give a veneer of legitimacy to a flagrantly anti-democratic judgement that is meant to silence opposition to the courts role as a resolute defender of Indian big business and accomplice of the Hindu supremacist BJP. The verdict proclaimed that when criticism of the Supreme Courts conduct goes beyond a permissible limit, it has a duty to act. The court must wield the strong arm of the law to strike those who challenge the supremacy of the law by fouling its source and stream that is, those who dare to criticize its anti-democratic actions. In this case, the court gave Bhushan the option of paying a 1 rupee (1.25 US cent) fine, but not without adding that if he failed to do so by Sept. 15, he would be imprisoned for three months and debarred from practising in this Court for a period of three years. What then, were the remarks made by Bhushan that so enraged Indias Supreme Court justices? On June 26, he tweeted: When historians in the future look back at the last 6 years to see how democracy has been destroyed in India even without a formal Emergency, they will particularly mark the role of the Supreme Court in this destruction, & more particularly the role of the last 4 CJIs (Chief Justices of India). In speaking of the last 6 years, Bhushan is referring to the rule of the Narendra Modi-led BJP government. The most powerful sections of Indian big business propelled the BJP to power in May 2014 in order to accelerate the pace of pro-investor reform and more aggressively pursue their great-power ambitions on the global arena, above all by integrating India more fully into Washingtons strategic offensive against China. In pursuit of this agenda, the Modi government has jailed opponents on trumped-up sedition and terrorism charges, turned a blind eye to Hindu supremacist violence, carried out a constitutional coup to strip Muslim-majority Jammu and Kashmir of its semi-autonomous constitutional status, and increased censorship of social media. Three days later, on June 29, Bhushan posted a second tweet: CJI rides a 50 lakh [rupee] motorcycle belonging to a BJP leader at Raj Bhavan, Nagpur, without a mask or helmet, at a time when he keeps the SC[Supreme Court]in Lockdown mode denying citizens their fundamental right to access Justice! Here Bhushan was pointing to the glaring contrast between the privileged life of Chief Justice Sharad Arvind Bobde, a supposed motorcycle enthusiast, who could afford, in the midst of COVID-19 lockdown, to check out a Rs. 5 million ($68,000) Harley Davidson motorcycle in the hope of buying one, even while the Supreme Court was shut down, purportedly due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result of the lockdown, numerous constitutional challenges to the Modi governments violation of basic democratic rights, including the imposition of an effective state of siege in Indian-held Kashmir, are in limbo. Bhushans post was also meant to draw attention to the chummy relations between Chief Justice Bhode and a BJP leader in Bhodes hometown of Nagpur. Under government pressure, Twitter denied access to both of Bhushans tweets in India in July, even before the Supreme Court had ruled that they constituted contempt of court. Time and again over the last six years, Indias Supreme Court has aided and abetted the anti-democratic and Hindu communalist actions of the Modi government. It legitimized the violent, decades-long agitation that the BJP and its Hindu supremacist allies have mounted to raze a famous mosque in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, and erect in its stead a temple to the mythical Hindu god Lord Ram. Although the Babri Masjid was destroyed by BJP-incited Hindu fanatics in 1992 in express opposition to the Supreme Courts own orders, the court handed the site over to the BJPs allies last November and ordered the government to supervise the construction of a Ram Temple. (See: Indias Supreme Court validate Hindu supremacist violence). The court has also repeatedly come to the governments support during the COVID-19 pandemic, defending its ruinous handling of the pandemic and threatening the media with fake news charges if it doesnt publicize government propaganda about the health crisis. (See: Amid Indias calamitous lockdown, Modi seeks to censor coronavirus reports) The most shameful example of the Supreme Courts complicity in the Modi governments attack on democratic rights has been its sanctioning of its coup against Kashmir. This began with the abrogation by executive fiat of Jammu and Kashmirs special constitutional status on August 5, 2019, and has involved mass detentions without charge, months-long curfews under the British colonial authored Article 144 of the Criminal Code, and the suspension, now into its 14th month, of internet access to the 7 million people living in the northern Kashmir Valley. With the intent of making it a fait accompli, Indias highest court has thus far flatly refused to take up any legal challenges to the change in Jammu and Kashmirs status and the imposition, via its division, into two Union territories, of permanent central government rule. For months, the court stalled hearing challenges to the suspension of internet service, at one point admonishing the editor of the Kashmiri Times to have faith in the claims of the government and intelligence services that it would soon be restored. Then in January, it issued a ruling that ostensibly established a constitutional right to internet access, yet gave the government a free hand to continue to deny internet access to Kashmiris. (See: Indias Supreme Court greenlights Modi governments internet shutdown in Kashmir) Indias judiciary, like all it state institutions, is increasingly staffed by outright Hindu communalists. Bhodes predecessor as Chief Justice, Ranjan Gogoi, was rewarded with a nominated-seat in Indias upper house of parliament, just five months after the court under his leadership had given legal sanction to the building of a Ram Temple on the site of the razed Babri Masjid. Gogoi, who had to step down as CJI last November when he reached 65, is reportedly going to be the BJPs Chief Minister candidate when Assam next holds state elections in 2021. The courts attack on Prashant Bhushan is all the more striking given his establishment connections. His father was the Law and Justice Minister in the Janata Party government of the late 1970s, and he himself was among the founders of the Aam Aadmi Party, which forms the government in the National Capital Territory, Delhi. Clearly his criticisms struck too close to home. While Bhushan draws a sharp contrast between the Supreme Courts conduct over the last six years and previously, the reality is Indias ruling elite, its parties and state institutions have been lurching sharply right for decades. Modi, his authoritarian measures, and foul communalist politics are the outcome of the Indian bourgeoisies three-decade drivelong spearheaded by the Congress Party and supported by the entire political establishment, including the Stalinist CPM and CPIto make India a cheap-labour haven for global capital and a junior partner of US imperialism. Moreover, this process is paralleled around the world. The various rival nationally-based bourgeois cliques, whether led, as in France, by the ostensible liberal Emmanuel Macron, the fascistic Donald Trump, or his Brazilian ally and acolyte, Jair Bolsonaro, are turning to authoritarian methods of rule to suppress mounting social opposition and cultivating the extreme right as shock troops against the working class. Democratic rights cannot and will not be defended, as the Stalinist CPM claims, by clutching to the tattered coattails of the secular Congress Party or the Supreme Court and the other putrefying democratic institutions of the Indian Republic. The struggle to defend democratic rights and defeat Modi and communal reaction must be based on the working class. It must be mobilized as an independent political force, rallying the toilers behind it, against all sections and parties of the ruling capitalist elite, and by fusing the defence of democratic rights to the fight for social equality, and against war and New Delhis alliance with US imperialism. Sonora, CA Over 9,000 PG&E customers remain without electricity after Tuesdays Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) event none of those still without lights are in the Tuolumne, Calaveras, or Mariposa counties. In all, the utility disclosed that preliminary data shows 52 instances of weather-related damage and hazards in the PSPS-affected areas. Some of the destruction found by crews included downed lines and vegetation on power lines. Additionally, wind gusts reaching 66 mph were recorded during the PSPS event, according to the company. PG&E justifies, If it had not de-energized power lines, these types of damages could have caused wildfire ignitions. There remain less than 1,700 customers in Butte, Humboldt, Plumas, Sierra, and Trinity counties without lights. The utility expects to have their power restored by 8 p.m. The reason for the hold-up according to company officials is that smoky and hazy skies delayed or paused some air patrols for the second day in a row. Ground patrols also faced challenging terrain in some areas where air patrols were grounded due to smoke. Ongoing threats from wildfires and first responder requests to keep power lines de-energized for firefighters safety and to assist fire suppression efforts have kept another 6,800 customers in Butte, Humboldt, Plumas, Trinity, and Yuba counties in the dark. Damage to electric equipment during the PSPS is also hampering power restoration to an additional 700 customers. PG&E says that it will restore power to these customers as soon as it is safe to do so. At the completion of the PSPS, the company is required to submit a report detailing damages from the severe weather conditions to the California Public Utilities Commission within 10 days. The Sept. 7th PSPS event affected nearly 172,000 customers in 22 counties: Alpine, Amador, Butte, Calaveras, El Dorado, Humboldt, Kern, Lake, Lassen, Mariposa, Napa, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Shasta, Sierra, Siskiyou, Sonoma, Tehama, Trinity, Tuolumne, and Yuba. Actor Kangana Ranaut, at the centre of a row with the Maharashtra government, on Friday turned her attention to Congress president Sonia Gandhi to say she must intervene and stop the harassment of women. Ranaut, whose comment likening Mumbai to Pakistan occupied Kashmir triggered a spat with Maharashtras ruling Shiv Sena as well as its coalition partners Congress and NCP, said history would judge Gandhis silence and indifference. Dear respected honourable @INCIndiapresident Sonia Gandhi ji being a woman arnt you anguished by the treatment I am given by your government in Maharashtra? Can you not request your Government to uphold the principles of the Constitution given to us by Dr. Ambedkar?" the actor posted on Twitter. You have grown up in the west and lived here in India. You may be aware of the struggles of women. History will judge your silence and indifference when your own Government is harassing women and ensuring a total mockery of law and order. I hope you will intervene @INCIndia Kangana Ranaut (@KanganaTeam) September 11, 2020 Ranaut, often in the news for her provocative statements, said Gandhi had grown up in the west and lived in India and must be aware of the struggles of women. History will judge your silence and indifference when your own Government is harassing women and ensuring a total mockery of law and order. I hope you will intervene @INCIndia," she added in another tweet. Ranauts office here faced action for illegal" alterations by Shiv Sena-led Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Wednesday. The 33-year-old actor has been aggressively criticising the Maharashtra government on Twitter since she returned to the city from her home state Himachal Pradesh on Wednesday, soon after the civic authorities demolished portions of her office. On Thursday, Ranaut took on the Maharashtra government by castigating Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray for misusing power and declaring that her voice wont be suppressed. The Queen actor, who has been given Y-plus category security, posted a series of tweets comparing the BMC to goons, terming the state government a milavat sarkar and recalling Marathi culture and pride.Later in the day, Union Minister Ramdas Athawale met Ranaut at her residence in Khar here and alleged that the BMC demolition drive at her bungalow in Bandra was carried out in a sentiment of revenge and the Maharashtra government, too, had a role to play. . A federal appeals court on Friday struggled with how to weigh North Carolina's history of discriminatory voting restrictions while examining the state's latest election law that requires voters to present photo identification before casting ballots. The new photo ID provision has been blocked by federal and state judges, and will not apply in the November election. Officials in the swing state began mailing absentee ballots last week. Ahead of oral arguments before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, Gov. Roy Cooper, D, urged the judges to prevent the measure, known as S.B. 824, from taking effect over objections from Republican legislative leaders. "Lifting the injunction now would be disastrous," lawyers for the governor told the judges in court filings. "The brunt would be borne by the same voters whom S.B. 824 targeted for disenfranchisement in the first place: minority voters who are both least likely to possess photo IDs that satisfy S.B. 824 and most vulnerable to COVID-19." The photo ID requirement is the latest in a series of North Carolina election measures scrutinized in court. The law was passed after the Fourth Circuit struck down a separate set of voting rules that the court said in 2016 deliberately undercut the political power of Black voters and "target African Americans with almost surgical precision." The three judges hearing the case - Pamela Harris, Julius Richardson and Marvin Quattlebaum Jr. - asked lawyers on both sides how they should account for the state's political past when considering the current law. "I understand that we can't just ignore that. At the same time," said Harris, a nominee of President Barack Obama, "the fact that a legislature passes one voter law with a discriminatory intent doesn't forever disable a legislature from passing a voter ID law." And she said: "This one is better. It has these ameliorative features that the prior law didn't have." Lawyers representing the North Carolina State Conference of the NAACP told the court that the state's "unprecedented recent history of racially discriminatory election laws casts a long shadow" over the new requirement. "This Court cannot shut its eyes to this sordid history" of barriers to voting, according to the NAACP, represented in court by John Ulin. The state board of elections and Republican legislative leaders defended the requirement, telling the court that the provision does not discriminate. The law "is a state-of-the-art voter ID law that seeks to secure the State's elections and bolster voter confidence while at the same time ensuring that all registered voters are able to cast a vote that will count, with or without ID," attorney David Thompson wrote on behalf of Senate President Phil Berger, R, and House Speaker Tim Moore, R. Olga Vysotskaya de Brito, the lawyer for the state board, said North Carolina's law is "lenient" compared with other similar laws upheld by courts in Texas, Virginia and South Carolina. Eighteen states, including North Carolina, ask for a photo ID to cast ballots, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Seventeen other states also accept non-photo identification such as a bank statement with a name and address. The Fourth Circuit, in Richmond, Va., is reviewing a district-court decision that said the North Carolina photo ID law would likely have a disproportionate impact on African American voters who "could be deterred from voting or registering to vote because they lack, or believe they lack, acceptable identification and remain confused by or uninformed" about the law. The 2018 law was enacted after a supermajority of the legislature overrode the governor's veto. North Carolina voters also approved a ballot measure creating a constitutional requirement that voters present a photo ID. The amendment did not specify the types of identification that would be accepted. There is disagreement between the two parties about the impact of the ID law on access. But civil rights groups estimate that hundreds of thousands of voters in North Carolina do not have qualifying IDs. Quattlebaum asked the NAACP's lawyer how the North Carolina law compares with others upheld in court. "Putting aside historical facts, it doesn't seem like you could really say this law would be unconstitutional," said Quattlebaum, a nominee of President Trump. "Am I right or wrong?" Ulin said other states, such as Virginia and Alabama, allow a far broader list of acceptable forms of identification, such as any student ID. Richardson, also a Trump nominee, expressed skepticism that the court could "infer some type of discriminatory intent" from North Carolina's decision to exclude local public housing IDs, which are not issued by the state and do not include a photo. Ulin said the way the legislature narrowed the list of permissible IDs had excluded those known to be disproportionately held by Black and Latino voters. Thompson, the lawyer for state lawmakers, emphasized that citizens without proper identification can cast provisional ballots and that free, no-documentation-required IDs are available throughout the state. But Harris seemed troubled that those additional steps could burden voters. "As a voter, it's obviously much easier to vote if you have an approved ID," she said. "It is an extra amount of work. If you have to go through that, you have made it harder to vote." Scientists from Florida State University have discovered a rare supernova explosion one-hundred million light-years away from Earth. In a new study published in The Astrophysical Journal on September 10, a 37-member international research team found an unusual supernova explosion from the unique star known as the supernova LSQ14fmg. The research was led by Florida State University Professor of Physics Eric Hsiao. Researchers, for the first time, were able to trace the origins of the group of supernovae and the origin of the solitary star that caused it. [First Moments of a Dying Star captured on Kepler space telescope. Credit: NASA] In a release published on the universitys website, the researchers explained that this supernova was different since its characteristics were unique. The supernova gets brighter extremely slowly, and is also one of the brightest explosions in its class unlike any other, the researchers found. Type Ia supernova, the exploding star involved in the formation of the supernova LSQ14fmg has been found to be the member of the star cluster known as the super-Chandrasekhar. The supernova was found to have been caused by the massive explosion of the low masses starts from the cluster. These stars, according to the researchers, are so powerful and bright that the team could observe them on Earth despite situated on a very unobservable realm of the universe. This was a truly unique and strange event, and our explanation for it is equally interesting, said Hsiao, the papers lead author in the release. Seeing how the observation of this interesting event agrees with the theory is very exciting, said Jing Lu, an FSU doctoral candidate and a co-author of the paper. Discovery of Type Ia supernovae is crucial for scientists as it reveals mysteries about the cosmic dark matter. While little has been known about the dark matter that causes the expansion in the universe, scientists found key details about supernova which were only previously known to be thermonuclear explosions of white dwarf stars. The team observed that the Type Ia supernova rises and falls over the course of weeks, and it was powered by the radioactive decay of nickel. Therefore, as the nickel becomes more exposed, the supernova would turn brighter and vice versa. In the release, scientists revealed that when this supernova eventually cooled down, nickel was reduced to cobalt and iron which produced carbon monoxide. Read: NASA's Hubble Telescope Captures Spectacular 'veil-like' Supernova Blast Read: NASA Releases Iconic Images Of Far-flung Stars, Galaxies And Supernova Explosion [Dark tangled supernova remnant, created after a massive star ended its life in a cataclysmic explosion and threw its constituent material out into surrounding space. Credit: NASA] [The still unraveling remains of a supernova. The bright ring formed consists of material ejected from the dying star before it detonated. The ring is being lit up by the explosion's shock wave. Credits: ESA/Hubble/ NASA] Asymptotic giant branch (AGB) star As observed from the data accumulated from telescopes in Chile and Spain, scientists concluded that the supernova was exploding inside an asymptotic giant branch (AGB) star and was carrying out the process to become a planetary nebula. Scientists concluded that the supernova explosion was caused by the explosion was triggered by the merger of the core of the AGB star and another white dwarf star which resulted in massive mass losses which created a ring around the star. This is the first strong observational proof that a Type Ia supernova can explode in a post-AGB or proto-planetary-nebula system and is an important step in understanding the origins of Type Ia supernovae, Hsiao said. After it exploded, the ring material appeared as seen in planetary nebulae due to extensive lightning. These supernovae can be particularly troublesome because they can mix into the sample of normal supernovae used to study dark energy. This research gives us a better understanding of the possible origins of Type Ia supernovae and will help to improve future dark energy research. Read: Supernovae Explosion May Have Caused Mass Extinction On Earth 359 Million Years Ago Read: NASA's Hubble Telescope Captures Spectacular 'veil-like' Supernova Blast Boost tourism, freeze debts and help the unemployed, National Reform Committee on Labour told in Phuket PHUKET: Issuing a moratorium on all outstanding debts, boosting efforts to bring tourists to Phuket and providing financial support to unemployed people in Phuket were three key requests strongly delivered to National Reform Committee on Labour Chairman Charin Chakkaphak during his visit to Phuket today (Sept 11). COVID-19Coronaviruseconomicstourism By The Phuket News Friday 11 September 2020, 05:32PM The high-powereed meeting at Phuket Provincial Hall this morning (Sept 11). Photo: PR Phuket Phuket Governor Narong Woonciew at the meeting at Phuket Provincial Hall this morning (Sept 11). Photo: PR Phuket Phuket Vice Governor Pichet said plainly that Phuket has been badly affected by the economic crisis. Photo: PR Phuket Mr Charin was joined by other members of the National Reform Committee on Labour on his visit to Phuket. Photo: PR Phuket Mr Charin at the high-powereed meeting at Phuket Provincial Hall this morning (Sept 11). Photo: PR Phuket The high-powereed meeting at Phuket Provincial Hall this morning (Sept 11). Photo: PR Phuket Mr Charin and his delegation arrived in Phuket this morning to hear directly from people in Phuket the key problems they are facing during the current economic crisis. Present at a meeting at the Phuket Provincial Hall where Mr Charon and his associates received the requests were Phuket Governor Narong Woonciew, Vice Governor Pichet Panapong, other relevant officers and local business owners. V/Gov Pichet explained that Phuket is badly affected by the current crisis. On behalf of the Phuket government, V/Gov Pichet delivered three requests already presented to the Senate Standing Committee on Tourism: extend the financial support by the Social Security Office for a further three months allow workers from other provinces to transfer their house registration to Phuket so the Phuket government can receive more budget funds to provide better care for them ask the Ministry of Labour to provide help to at least 1,000 unemployed in Phuket. We want the National Reform Committee to be a part of pushing forward our requests, V/Gov Pichet said. Further requests were presented by the private sector, including representatives from the Phuket Tourism Industry Council, Human Resources Club of Patong, the Phuket Chamber of Commerce, among others. The requests presented were as follows: issue a moratorium on all outstanding debts for business owners and employees relax soft loan conditions so that business owners can actually access the loans reduce utility expenses such as water and electricity suspend student loan debts for new graduates have officers from the Phuket office of the Department of Transport and the Department of Commerce strictly regulate prices of products and services in order to create a good image of Phuket Other requests presented at the meeting included one on behalf of Phuket residents for the government to encourage more Thais to travel to the island, and to support local business owners via social security funds and soft loans. The central government is paying much attention to Phuket and other places badly affected by the COVID-19 economic crisis, including Koh Samui, Mr Charin said. All the information received today will be presented to the Cabinet next Tuesday [Sept 15], Mr Charin added. After the meeting, Mr Charin and his delegation went to meet local hotel operators as well as workers at spa and massage centres in Patong. Tom Reed is right to be upset over the broken window at his campaign office in Corning recently. Vandalism is wrong. Period. But the histrionic and mendacious response by Reed supporters which seeks to blame a left-wing conspiracy both ridiculous and dangerous. Reeds paroxysms of outrage ring hollow compared to his lack of outrage over the 24 coronavirus cases in one day at an ice cream plant in his district. Where is his outrage and alarm over the Trump administrations mishandling of a pandemic that has killed nearly 200,000 people? Where is his outrage about an unarmed Black man shot seven times in the back by a police officer holding him by the shirt? Jim Wahlberg film 'What About the Kids' explores effects of opioid addiction, power of prayer Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment What About the Kids, the latest short film from writer and director Jim Wahlberg, highlights the devastating nature of opioid addiction and the role faith plays in recovery and healing. The film, which premiered virtually on Tuesday night, follows Chloe (Layla Scalisi), the 8-year-old daughter of drug addicts. After her mother dies from a drug overdose, shes sent to live with her grandparents. Though they love her, taking on the responsibility of a small child forces them to restructure their lives and future. In the face of struggles, Chloes grandmother, Debbie (Patti DArbanville), relies on her deep faith and prayer to carry her family. Meanwhile, while seeking treatment at a halfway house, Chloes dad (Caleb Scott) grapples with feelings of guilt stemming from his continued drug use, his wifes death, and the loss of his daughter. The poignant film drives home the fact that opioid addiction has far-reaching and costly effects yet redemption is always possible. Ahead of the premiere, Wahlberg, the executive director of the Mark Wahlberg Youth Foundation and head of Wahl St. Productions, briefly shared his own story of recovery. This is not stuff that I learned from a book, you know this is stuff that I learned from my life, Wahlberg, who shares his story in his book The Big Hustle, said. I had what I like to refer to as a tough paper route. You know I got started, very, very young. I started to experiment with drugs and alcohol at a very, very young age, and was out in the street. Now, we're making films about addiction from a faithful perspective, he continued. This film is a story about a faithful family and their struggles. Though Wahlberg has made over 10 films on addiction, What About the Kids is his first foray into the faith-based world, he said. He revealed that the storyline was inspired by the numerous grandparents hes met over the years forced to raise their grandchildren after losing a child to an overdose. Their stories moved me to a point where I knew the stories need to be told, Wahlberg said. I know lots of people that have had to bury their children. I know that this is a very different perspective, he said, "but its like a rock hitting water and the ripples are generational and will go on and on and on. For Wahlberg, highlighting the power of prayer amid addiction was of the utmost importance. Grandma is praying for her son to just pray, he said. That's it. Nothing else. She knows God will help him. She knows God will provide if he'll just take that step toward the Lord. A devout Catholic, Wahlberg said faith and prayer played a key role in achieving his own sobriety. My relationship with God is the priority, he said. I know if I make that first in my life, then there's nothing I can't do. I've tried recovery without God, and what I ended up [with] was no drinks, no drugs, no happiness, just miserable. I thought that the people around me that were talking about their relationship with God as it relates to their recovery were being disingenuous. Until I made a commitment, until I was dropped to my knees, it just wasn't happening for me, he continued. Now I'm blessed to have the undeniable presence of God in my life. Following the film's premiere, attendees viewed footage of families affected by opioid use and personal testimonies of pain and recovery. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a staggering one in 12 Americans struggle with a substance use disorder, and each year an estimated 47,500 people die from opioid overdoses. In light of these devastating numbers, reaching those lost in addiction with the hope of the Gospel is crucial, Wahlberg said. He hopes individuals around the country will host viewings in their community to create a discussion around substance abuse. It takes all of us on the ground to carry out Gods work," he said. In an interview ahead of the premiere, Wahlberg told The Christian Post that hes grateful God has taken the mess of his life and turned it into an asset to glorify Him. My experiences give me more ammunition to reach people that have been through similar circumstances; it gives my message a little more depth and weight than someone that learned answers and solutions from a book, he said. God saved me for me a reason. The best part is, it has nothing to do with me. Its all by the grace of God. Watch "What About the Kids" here. If theres one thing we can all agree on in the debate over police shootings, its the need to get rid of the bad apples. No corrupt or morally bankrupt cop who hides evidence or plants drugs, or who can kneel on a suffocating mans neck as he calls for his dead mother, should have a badge and a gun. Same goes for the cops who help enable and cover up such abuses. Thats the easy call, even if as a society were still struggling to make it. Then there are the hard calls. The ones involving seemingly good cops who make a terrible, deadly mistake. What do we do with officers who seem to behave with compassion and good intent, who clearly attempt to follow protocol and employ non-lethal weapons and de-escalation tactics but needlessly take someones life anyway? Thats the question that Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner and Police Chief Art Acevedo have been struggling with since the April 21 shooting death of Nicolas Chavez. On Thursday, they announced their decision. Four police officers, including one 11-year veteran and three rookies, were terminated for firing a combined 21 rounds at Chavez, whose death was captured by officer-worn cameras. A video, edited to include some of the bodycam footage and excerpts from 911 calls, was released Thursday. Chavez, a 27-year-old father of three with a history of mental illness and drug addiction, is seen engaging with officers in a 15-minute, expletive-laced encounter during which he stabs himself repeatedly with a sharp object and begs them to kill him. Chavez resists officers pleas to put down the weapon and let them approach. His agitation is hardly soothed by the flashing lights, blaring sirens and police surrounding him with guns drawn. Finally, after resisting the officers repeated appeals to calm down and let them approach, Chavez, on his knees and hobbled by a previous shot, hurled the sharp object at the officers and began pulling a discarded Taser toward him. The four officers opened fire. Acevedo said he couldnt defend the officers fatal shots, which he determined not objectively reasonable. You dont get to shoot somebody 21 times, Acevedo said. Because, at the time, Mr. Chavez was at his greatest level of incapacitation. The mayor, in tears and voice breaking, said at a press conference that he could not find any fault with the officers actions until the final seconds, when deadly force was used. Turner said he had repeatedly asked himself several questions while studying the footage. Namely, did Chavez, if he had the Taser in his hand, pose an immediate threat that would justify deadly force? In this case, I have concluded that there was no imminent threat to any police officer, and they could have returned home to their families, he said. Turner reiterated his respect for police but said the firings showed when you are wrong, there are consequences. The Houston Police Officers Union condemned the firings, calling them unjust and deplorable and accused their chief of bowing to prevailing political winds. It was clear when viewing the video that these officers did not want to shoot Mr. Chavez and did everything in their power not to, said Houston Police Officers Union President Joe Gamaldi. Hes right up to a point. Through most of the ordeal, the officers appear to respond to Chavezs insults and expletives with compassion, patience and respect exactly the kind of professionalism that protesters across the country and we on the editorial board have been calling for. The video reminds us not only of the vulnerability of someone in a mental health crisis but of the difficult, split-second choices facing officers who must balance their duty to protect the lives of others while safeguarding their own. Union officials say the shooting didnt have a racial element since three of the four officers shared Chavezs Latino ethnicity. They say the officers were justified in defending themselves from the Taser, which can cause serious bodily injury or death. Indeed, a 2019 Reuters investigation found the mounting number of people dying after being shot by the paralyzing electrical charge of a stun gun more than 1,000 deaths since 2000 has prompted some police departments to reevaluate the use of the weapon long touted as non-lethal. Clearly, Tasers can kill. Given the fact that the officers were trying to save Chavezs life through most of the videotaped encounter, one must ask: why would they abruptly kill him unless they genuinely feared for their own lives? Wed like to know whether a lack of training or clear Taser policy, and altered decision-making that can arise in high-stress situations, played a role. Union officials say only one officer knew the Taser was out of cartridges and shes the only one who didnt fire. Union officials also point out that the officers firings are at odds with the HPDs Administrative Discipline Committees conclusion, where six out of 10 members recommended no discipline. Its clear that the officers inability to neutralize the threat and get Chavez the help he needed is exactly why reformers are calling to redefine the role of police and reallocate funds to better address mental health, homelessness and other societal problems without use of force. We should be sending more mental health professionals to a psychiatric crisis, not just armed law enforcement officers, Houston city councilman Robert Gallegos said in a statement. We agree. Chavezs death was not a clear-cut case of police brutality. While we support the district attorneys plan to take the case to a grand jury, we do not believe, based on what weve seen, that the officers are guilty of a crime. We applaud Turner and Acevedo for wanting to send a clear message that everyones life in this city has meaning and that police conduct to the contrary wont be tolerated. Its exactly the kind of message lacking for so long in a country where police misconduct routinely escapes accountability. Elected leaders must also be careful not to send a demoralizing message to police that theyll be held to an impossible standard of perfection, especially in situations involving people in crisis where officers may lack experience, training or assistance from mental health professionals. This case shows that officers good intentions arent enough to avoid a tragic mistake. We must give them the support, training and tools they need to make the best decisions in the worst situations so that what happened to Nicolas Chavez never happens again. Thammasat bans Sept 19 rally BANGKOK: Thammasat University on Thursday (Sept 10) denied permission for an anti-government rally at its Tha Phra Chan campus scheduled for Sept 19. politics By Bangkok Post Friday 11 September 2020, 08:30AM Students leaders flash the three-fingers salute against dictatorship during a media conference on Wednesday at Thammasat University announcing a major anti-government rally on Tha Prachan campus. Photo: Wichan Charoenkiatpakul / Bangkok Post The university in a statement reasoned that the organiser had yet to comply with its guidelines on holding political activities on campus, reports the Bangkok Post. The rejection came a day after Parit Chiwarak, a core member of the students Free Youth group, unveiled details of the Sept 19: Return power to civilians rally while a group of alumni stepped up calls for the university administrators to veto the event. The universitys guidelines, which were issued on Sept 3, were designed to promote learning about civil rights, liberties and responsibility while obeying the law and the constitution and taking into account the safety of the students, according to the statement. The guidelines were signed by Thammasat rector Assoc Prof Gasinee Witoonchart and were issued following the Aug 10 rally at Thammasats Rangsit campus where student activists announced the controversial 10-point demand for the reform of the monarchy, which drew fierce criticism of the university administrators by ultra-royalists. Manit Suksomjit, a member of Thammasat Universitys council, said a group of alumni led by law academic Kaewsan Athibodhi would meet today at the Tha Phra Chan campus to discuss why the Sept 19 rally should not be allowed and propose their suggestions to the university administration. However, Mr Parit, also known as Penguin, was defiant after the university issued the statement. He posted a Facebook message saying that the rally would go ahead anyway. Although executives of Thammasat University will not allow the venue at Tha Prachan to be used for the gathering, we will still hold it at Thammasat because Thammasat belongs to the people, not to some dictators lackeys, he wrote. Mr Parit on Thursday turned up in Khon Kaen where he and five others, including student activist Jatupat "Pai Dao Din" Boonpattarasaksa, were summoned by Muang police station to answer charges in connection with the rally in the province several weeks ago. National police chief Pol Gen Chakthip Chaijinda said on Thursday Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha told the police to be patient and avoid the use of force, emphasising that police will do nothing to provoke a confrontation with demonstrators. He said that police will be responsible for maintaining peace and order at the rally when asked if troops would be mobilised given that the emergency decree is still in effect. Somchai Srisutthiyakorn, a former member of the Election Commission, said on Thursday he supported the students push for charter change but urged them to consider reviewing some activities planned for the rally. Meanwhile, the Free Youth movement on Thursday posted a message on Facebook denouncing police for allegedly summoning a 17-year-old student who joined the Aug 1 rally in Ratchaburi for questioning. The group claimed the student was among five people accused of violating the emergency decree and the law on public gatherings. Piyabutr Saengkanokkul, co-founder of the Progressive Movement, on Thursday denied allegations that he was pulling the strings behind the students rally. He said the students could think for themselves and their demonstrations were part of the democratic system. - Pope Francis has spoken on the need for people not to condemn sexual pleasures and food - The Catholic head said that they are from God; to live a healthy life and enjoy love - The pope added that frowning at them have caused more harm in the world PAY ATTENTION: Click See First under the Following tab to see Legit.ng News on your Facebook News Feed! Pope Francis has spoken on sex and eating as he called them divine pleasures from God. He made this known in a series of interviews with an Italian writer, Carlo Petrini. In the interviews that have collected into a book called TerraFutura: Conversation With Pope Francis on Integral Ecology, Pope said to enjoy those things are not sinful as many church leaders have told their members, New York Post reports. The Catholic head went further to say that eating is a healthy practice to the body. He said that the same thing can be said for sex as it is a good ingredient to make love beautiful and a means to continuous procreation. According to the 83-year-old man, laws, and opinions that frown gravely at such pleasures have caused more harm than good and their consequences could be seen around today. A Catholic critic, Peter Williams, said that he does not see anything bad for a pope to say what Francis said. He added that in tagging those pleasure divine, he is only showing that they are things that come from God. The author, Petrini, said the book is a robust response from the Pope on the issue of climate change and the need to tackle environmental injustices. A collage showing the Pope. Photo source: Getty Images Source: Getty Images PAY ATTENTION: Download our mobile app to enjoy the latest news Meanwhile, Legit.ng earlier reported that the Pope on Friday, May 15, said that the deadly coronavirus should make all of us look after those who are vulnerable among us, especially the sick and displaced. The public appeal is part of the message intended for the World Day of Migrants and Refugees which the Catholic Church celebrates every September 27. In other news, a man said that he met his beautiful heartthrob when he was an orange seller. As a child then, he said that the girl thought he knew how to peel oranges with a touch of creativity. His perceived skill drew her in and they became friends. Years after on Thursday, September 10, they got married in the US. We are not having sex before marriage - Ultimate Loves Jennykoko and Louis | Legit TV Source: Legit.ng Scotland, which sent students back in mid-August, has been similarly relieved so far. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said initial indications show that parents and teachers should not be unduly concerned about going back to school. Scotland hasnt seen the spike in infections it feared, and among those students who have tested positive for the virus, almost all contracted it outside the school setting. A pair of high schools in Glasgow, where the health board said there was evidence of transmission amongst a small number of cases, may be the exception. The Niger state government has sacked 80 civil servants over alleged fraud. Speaking with journalists on Thursday, in Minna, the state... The Niger state government has sacked 80 civil servants over alleged fraud. Speaking with journalists on Thursday, in Minna, the state capital, Salamatu Abubakar, the states head of service, said the affected workers fraudulently paid themselves salaries above their level. She said the fraud was discovered during the recent verification exercise for all civil servants. Abubakar said some of the sharp practices discovered was an office messenger receiving the salary of a high court judge and a fake commissioner of agriculture getting salaries for the office for two years. The head of service said the suspects were from different agencies and ministries, and that the health services management board had most culprits. Other ministries and institutions affected were schools of nursing and health technology, primary health care development agency, ministries of health, education, judiciary and school of midwifery. Haruna Dukku, the state commissioner of agriculture, said he would have been mistaken to be the one earning double salaries if not for the discovery. Somebody has been collecting the salary of the commissioner for agriculture in the last two years, he said. The person makes it to look as if I am collecting double salary. What will I say if at the end of my tenure, the EFCC comes knocking and this thing has not been discovered before then? Earlier in the month, the verification exercise committee uncovered a senior civil servant who smuggled his brothers name into the states payroll and received salaries for 11 years. In June, the Niger state government discovered monthly payment of over N672 million as salaries to ghost workers in the civil service. Authorities in North Korea are covering up an apartment building collapse that buried 70 residents in the coastal city of Wonsan, caused by heavy wind and rain as two typhoons tore through the city four days apart over the past week, sources in the country told RFA. North Korea had already been inundated after the longest ever period of continuous rain on the Korean peninsula in July and August, followed by flooding from Typhoon Bavi on Aug. 27. State media said Tuesday that in South Hamgyong Province 2,000 homes and public buildings were flooded or destroyed. Typhoons Maysak and Haishen, known locally as typhoons number 9 and 10, both came up the eastern coast of the peninsula from South Korea. Maysak made landfall on Sept. 3, followed by Haishen on Sept. 7 both slamming Wonsan, a coastal city of 360,000 people in North Koreas southeastern Kangwon province. An official of the province told RFAs Korean Service Wednesday the government was trying to hide the apartment collapse in Wonsan, which was caused by Maysak, because it wanted to get out of paying compensation to survivors. On the 3rd, an apartment building in Wonsan collapsed due to typhoon number 9. Around 70 apartment residents were buried under the rubble, said the official, who requested anonymity to speak freely. The casualties caused by the collapse of the building were reported to the Central Committee [of the Korean Workers Party] through the provincial party committee, but the Central Committee only ordered that the provincial and municipal authorities take care of the families of those who died, with no other support for survivors, said the source. The collapse was inevitable due to the buildings age and the governments weak enforcement of safety standards, laid bare when strong winds and heavy rains cracked walls and twisted window frames, the source said. The authorities did not report to the public that the apartment building was destroyed by typhoon number 9. They only reported that some roads and farmland were flooded, said the source, who declined to give a specific address for the collapsed building for security reasons. They are hiding the fact that more than 70 were killed or seriously injured is so they can cover up the incident to avoid having to pay compensation to the bereaved families, the source said. Double damage A resident of Kangwon, who requested anonymity for security reasons, told RFA that the two typhoons caused widespread damage in Wonsan, a city with seaside resorts as well as chemical and railway car manufacturing. About 40 single-story homes in Wonsan collapsed on the 7th due to heavy rain and strong winds from typhoon number 10. There were no casualties but residents who lost their homes are about to live on the street, the second source said. Wonsan was hit by typhoon 10 right after number 9. Farmlands as well as houses were flooded, so there are so many victims, said the source. But the Central Committee has not come up with any measures or alternative plans for the homeless and has only ordered the provincial party and its officials to set up substantial measures to recover from the typhoon damage, the Kangwon source added. Komdok first The second source said that even though the city suffered severe typhoon damage the government is prioritizing recovery other areas of the country it deems more important. Wonsan suffered casualties and property damage just as much as the Komdok area in South Hamgyong province, but the authorities are focusing on Komdoks restoration because it is more economically vital, the second source said, referring to the site of one of the worlds largest lead and zinc mines. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un described Komdok recovery efforts as a pressing task that should be prioritized for reviving the vital economic lifeline of the country, during a meeting of the Korean Workers Party Tuesday, according to the state-run Korea Central News Agency (KCNA). KCNA reported that Komdok had suffered severe damage with 2,000 homes and public buildings either flooded or destroyed, a transportation system crippled by roads that had washed away, in 45 places, and damage or destruction to 59 bridges. Additionally, several sections of railroads were damaged near the mines. The report said Kim ordered that homes, roads and rails be restored by Oct. 10, the 75th anniversary of the foundation of the Korean Workers Party, and 100 percent restoration of Komdok by years end. The Kangwon resident said the province is also expecting help from the national government. There are a lot of flooded houses and farmland in Kangwon province, so it is still hard to estimate the damage. Due to the limited capacity of the province to recover on its own, the provincial officials and residents expect support from the Central Committee, but no clear support measures have been started yet, the source said. Reported by Sewon Kim for RFAs Korean Service. Translated by Leejin Jun. Written in English by Eugene Whong. Pick any two Mayors in Massachusetts and chances are they might not be elected in exactly the same way. Take a look at us: Easthampton skips preliminary election for Mayor and City Council. Cities like Northampton and Boston have both a preliminary and a general. And other Mayors across the state are elected by their City Council, who in turn are elected in a dizzying combination of ways. Democracy has never been one size fits all. Weve always recognized that there are different avenues to achieve the same ideals. As voters feel increasingly exhausted by unprecedented levels of partisanship, money in politics, and leaders elected with barely 20 percent of the vote, more and more communities are turning to a common-sense improvement to our democracy: ranked choice voting. Now, Massachusetts has an opportunity to enact the same reform by voting yes on Question 2 on this years ballot. Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) is a commonsense change that would give voters the option to rank candidates for state and federal office in the order they prefer. This change would strengthen voters' voice when they cast ballots, guaranteeing that elected leaders have a true majority of support. Municipalities have been leading on this effort, but the benefits shouldnt stop at City Hall. Cambridge has used a form of Ranked Choice Voting for nearly 100 years. In Easthampton, we voted to adopt Ranked Choice Voting to elect our Mayor and district-level councilors starting in 2021. Northampton is taking a look at it as well. And we hope our local system is complemented by a statewide change. Critics of the ranked choice measure have claimed it complicates elections and will set off mass confusion among voters. Voters do not need to count the ballots; they simply need to rank their choices. Its really as simple as making things, 1, 2, 3. Moreover, this argument doesnt give voters enough credit. An exit poll after Maines 2018 general election showed that 60 percent of respondents were in favor of keeping or expanding the use of RCV and a League of Women Voters poll after the same election found that over 90 percent of Mainers reported their experience was either excellent or good. Among voters in Minneapolis, who have been using RCV since 2009, 92 percent of respondents to a survey conducted by Minneapolis City staff said they find voting with RCV simple. RCV is simple to implement and could prove to be a great new innovation for the American experiment. When one considers that 61 percent of Americans believe significant changes need to be made to the design and structure of government, there is an obvious misalignment between voters and their representatives that is in desperate need of repair. RCV can be a starting point to weld these deep rifts by ensuring the majority of Americans are satisfied with their leaders. We arent the only elected officials in the Commonwealth who support this, almost the entire Massachusetts Congressional delegation supports the reform and mayors across MA are solidly on board. More universal representation would more closely align the will of voters with the agenda of those who represent us in government. Candidates would need broader appeal and could no longer use division and pandering to campaign and govern their base of supporters. RCV would also increase the probability of winning for women and candidates of color. But most of all it would guarantee that public officials elected to represent us are those who can achieve the maximum universal appeal of their constituents. Nicole LaChapelle is Mayor of Easthampton. David Narkewicz is Mayor of Northhampton. Ron Tom/NBCU Photo BankThis is a story all about how The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air cast reunited for the sitcom's 30th anniversary. Will Smith shared photos of the one-time reunion special for HBO Max, which was recorded Thursday, exactly 30 years after the show's September 10, 1990 premiere. The reunion special, described as "a funny and heartfelt night full of music, dancing, and more special surprise guests," is set to air around Thanksgiving, according to HBO Max. The first photo, staged on a set recreating the Bank's home, features Smith, 51, with the entire cast of series regulars: Tatyana Ali, who played Ashley; Karyn Parsons, who played Hilary; Joseph Marcell, who played Geoffrey, the family's butler' Daphne Maxwell Reid, aka Aunt Viv; and Alfonso Ribeiro, who played Carlton. Also there is Smith's rap partner, DJ Jazzy Jeff. The one person missing, of course, is Uncle Phil himself, James Avery, who died in 2013 at the age of 68. A second photo features Smith in what appears to be a lively chat with Janet Hubert, the original Aunt Viv. Hubert played the character for the first three seasons before Reid took over. HBO Max says the the meeting is the first time Smith and Hubert spoke directly to one another in 27 years, sitting down for what's described as "a candid conversation." The two have famously been at odds since Hubert's departure from the show. The Fresh Prince featured Smith playing a fictionalized version of himself, a teen from West Philadelphia sent to live with his rich Uncle Phil and Aunt Viv in their Bel Air, California mansion with their children -- Hilary, Carlton, and Ashley. It ran for six seasons and airing 148 episodes before it ended in 1996. No word yet on when the reunion special will air on HBO Max. By Carson Blackwelder Copyright 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved. Sky: "It's All Digital Now" The distinction between pay TV and OTT has blurred even further during since the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in various levels of lockdown and shelter-in-place. Executives from Roku, YouTube, Sky Studios, and ViacomCBS agreed that the pandemic had rocketed video streaming habits with no going back. "This is not a linear versus digital war," said Jane Millichip, chief content officer at Sky Studios, a Comcast company. "It is all digital now." She was speaking on a Variety-hosted virtual panel, "Succeeding in the Global Streaming Economy" part of the IBC edition of Bitmovin's Bitmovin Live webinar series. Noting that linear TV viewing was also in high demand the past 6 months, Millichip argued that it will be a hybrid world for some time. "Sky saw a 240% increase in viewing across the board. Content is still king. During lockdown, news broadcasts and event programming really brought the nation together. On-demand is part of our evolution, but we do need to be mindful of the full viewership of all our customers and get relatable content to them in the most digestible, affordable form." "We host Netflix, Disney+, Spotify on our platform," she added. "Where we differentiate is we offer a frictionless environment for the consumer. We aggregate great content from multiple sources, and we originate great content too." ViacomCBS has a slightly different approach to aggregation. "The whole streaming industry was once forced into subscription on-demand but now you see AVOD, AVOD lean-back, free, some paid only," said Olivier Jollet, SVP of emerging business for ViacomCBS EMEA. "There's a variety of business models. We are trying to offer services for all those user cases." The media giant is expanding its international streaming service into a "super service" streamer to launch in Nordics, Australia and LatAm in 2021. Priced to take on Netflix and Amazon it will combine content from its brands including CBS, MTV, Comedy Central, Nickelodeon, its Paramount film studio and current SVODs Showtime and CBS All Access. Google's VP, YouTube and Video Global Solutions, Debbie Weinstein argued that YouTube's notion of primetime is personal. "The focus is on the user and how the user wants to spend time and the data we see is that we're serving content which is just right for them." She cited music fans turning to the platform to find virtual music venues in lockdown and the huge following that fitness instructor Joe Wicks gained in the UK this summer; plus huge interest in how-to content (such as how to cut your hair). "Brands are finding it hard to get to the users they want with traditional broadcast," she claimed. "If you're looking for urban demographics in Asia, for example, then marketers are spending more of their time with us alongside their traditional TV investment." Bitmovin CEO Stefan Lederer claimed that the initial spike in traffic earlier this year put a stress on networks. Governments, he said, required streaming service providers to dial down their bitrates to free up bandwidth. "We had a customer tasked with streaming live educational classes and this was gaining more impressions in minutes than the biggest U.S. news outlets. Similar examples apply to commercial services. What happened after the initial spike was that numbers [demand] plateaued at higher level than before, and the focus now has to be on making online streaming work from an economic perspective. The clear problem identified by CTOs of media companies that we surveyed is the cost of streaming." Yulia Poltorak, head of international content distribution, Roku, said, "We anticipated that 2020 was going to be the start of the streaming decade. What we didn't expect was that it would accelerate so much with COVID. We saw 65% growth YoY in Q2. Not only were streaming hours and engagement up, but so was the rise in active accounts being registered. What it signals to us is that there's no reverse." Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. Stepping away from the campaign trail on the 19th anniversary of 9/11, President Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden Friday paid tribute to the nearly 3,000 people killed in the deadliest terrorist attacks in U.S. history. During separate trips to Shanksville, Pennsylvania, a battleground state in the race for president, the two men honored the 40 passengers and crew members who died after battling hijackers aboard United Airlines Flight 93. Trump and first lady Melania Trump attended a morning memorial service at the Flight 93 memorial in Shanksville. In a speech, the president called the heroes of Flight 93 an "everlasting reminder that no matter the danger, no matter the threat, no matter the odds, America will always rise up, stand tall and fight back." More: 9/11 happened 19 years ago. Never forget. A couple hours later, Biden arrived at the same memorial for a less formal service. He placed a wreath of white flowers at the memorial marking the names of victims but did not give any public remarks. The Trumps took part in a separate wreath laying ceremony with Ed Root, the cousin of flight attendant Lorraine G. Bay. The former vice president spoke privately to family members of Flight 93 victims Bay, co-pilot LeRoy Homer and passenger Louis Nacke. Earlier in the day, Biden vowed he wouldn't "make any news today" and said his campaign took down all its advertising. "Its a solemn day, and thats how were going to keep it," Biden said. Trump and Biden did not cross paths in Shanksville. The site marks where Flight 93 crashed, preventing al qaeda-linked terrorists from reaching their planned target, the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. But earlier in the day Biden and Vice President Mike Pence touched elbows and greeted each other at New York City at the 9/11 Memorial & Museums 19th anniversary commemoration ceremony at the site of the World Trade Center attacks. It was unclear what was said. Trump did not attend the New York event. Story continues As the names of the 2,977 killed on 9/11 were read aloud in New York, Biden comforted an elderly woman in a wheelchair who was holding a picture of her son. She told Biden her son was 43 years old when he died. Biden took the photo, looked it over and reflected on losing his own son, Beau Biden, who died of brain cancer in 2015. It never goes away, Biden said. She repeated his words. 'It defies logic': 9/11 families urge Trump administration to drop deal to take Sudan off terror list In addition to Flight 93, al qaeda-linked terrorists hijacked three other flights from United and American Airlines, hitting the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon in Northern Virginia near Washington D.C. In Shanksville, Trump stood in front of flags representing the nationalities of those killed on Flight 93 as he delivered his remarks. He extended the "unwavering love, support and devotion of all Americans" to family members of 9/11 victims. He said the courage and resolve of those killed on Flight 93 was the "only thing that stood between the enemy and a deadly strike at the heart of American Democracy." President Donald Trump speaks at a 19th anniversary observance of the Sept. 11 terror attacks, at the Flight 93 National Memorial in Shanksville, Pa., Friday, Sept. 11, 2020. "When terrorists raced to destroy the seat of our democracy, the 40 on Flight 93 did the most American of things," Trump said. "They took a vote and then they acted. Together they charged the cockpit, they confronted the pure evil and in their last act on this Earth, they saved our Capitol." Trump went on to express the nation's "undying loyalty" to the nearly 6 million Americans who enlisted in the Armed Forces since the 9/11 attacks. "America will never relent in pursuing terrorists that threaten our people," Trump said. He singled out the killings last year of Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and Iranian major general Qasem Soleimani. Trump did not mention the killing of Osama bin Laden, the mastermind of the 9/11 attacks, who was killed during the Obama administration. Names of those killed in Shanksville were read aloud at the service. Upon landing in Pennsylvania, the Trumps held a moment of silence in the conference room cabin of Air Force One at 8:46 a.m. to commemorate the first plane that hit the World Trade Center. God bless America, White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows said when the moment of silence concluded. The president repeated, "God bless America. The National Park Service, which co-hosts the annual memorial event in Pennsylvania, planned a smaller private service this year to minimize the spread of coronavirus. The 2,200-acre memorial is in a field in western Pennsylvania. During the visit to the old World Trade Center site, Biden stood alongside New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo with New York Mayor Bill de Blasio and the state's two U.S. senators, Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, nearby. "I remember all my friends that I lost," Biden said when asked what the day means for him. It takes a lot of courage for someone that lost someone to come back today, the former vice president continued. I know from experience, losing my wife, my daughter, my son, you relive it, the moment as if its happening. Its hard. Its a wonderful memorial, but its hard. It just brings you back to the moment it happened, no matter how long, how much time passes. So I admire the families who come. In 2016, Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton each spent Sept. 11 in New York and each visited the ground zero memorial in lower Manhattan. In a prepared statement issued after his visit to New York, Biden said 19 years ago "our nation was tested by an unspeakable act of cowardice and hate." He said 9/11 "revealed the character of Americans" and also compared the tragedy to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic that has killed more than 190,000. "Like a generation once did in the wake of Pearl Harbor, this generation of Americans bore the burden that history placed on our shoulders that day," Biden said. "And this year, we mark the anniversary of 9/11 in the midst of another crisis that compels us to summon the best of the American people in the face of unconscionable, inconceivable loss a crisis that has already taken nearly 200,000 Americans, testing our resolve and character with each passing day." More: Bidens bring beer and baked goods on visit to Shanksville fire company Biden this week said Trump is to blame for thousands of deaths given what the president new about the severity of the pandemic in February, yet played it down publicly, according to audio recordings taken by reporter Bob Woodward for a new book. Sen. Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee for vice president, delivered a tribute to the 9/11 victims as well during a memorial ceremony Friday in Fairfax, Virginia, that she attended with her husband, Doug Emhoff. "Let us remember that honoring them is also about reminding us of who were are as Americans," Harris said, "because in times of tragedy, in times of despair, in times of suffering and pain, we by our very nature as who we are, we stand together. We stand together, understanding we are all in this together." Reach Joey Garrison on Twitter @joeygarrison. . This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: President Trump, Joe Biden visit 9/11 memorial in Pennsylvania BIG RAPIDS A virtual audience of about 100 Ferris State University faculty, students and staff members joined President David Eisler on Sept. 3, for his annual Founders Day address, "Adversity, Challenge and Opportunity." The institution's West Michigan presence began Sept. 1, 1884, when Woodbridge N. Ferris founded the Big Rapids Industrial School. Eisler meshed elements of Ferris' history with topics of today in his address, using a photo of the 1919-20 Ferris Institute preparatory class to seek a commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion from event participants. "There are 50 students in this picture, which includes women and African-Americans who were at Ferris to complete their high school education and to improve their skills, so they could pursue degrees and change their lives," Eisler said. "As early as 1906, Woodbridge Ferris had written that his institute would be 'thoroughly democratic, that is to say, it is a school for all people, regardless of their race or station.'" Eisler said a current challenge for the university is to serve as a touchpoint for change, as the appropriate response to the level of racial unrest and societal disharmony that exists. He presented images of the peaceful march and presentation held on the Ferris campus June 3, while encouraging a broader discussion and call to action for the Fall 2020 semester and academic year. "This is a time where we can make our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, both at Ferris and the Kendall College of Art and Design," Eisler said. "We will have professional development opportunities for all our employees, there will be a Campus Climate Team established to proactively respond to incidence of bias, and I invite each of you to sign our commitment to support these initiatives at Ferris." Eisler also encouraged participation in a universitywide initiative, "One Community: One Book" which will use the recently published work, "Haste To Rise: A Remarkable Experience of Black Education During Jim Crow," which was written by Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion David Pilgrim and Franklin Hughes, multimedia specialist. The book details Ferris' collaborative efforts with Hampton Institute in Virginia in the early 20th century. "I found this to be an astonishing, captivating book that included great detail on Woodbridge Ferris' commitment to support and develop each student," Eisler said. The president further noted the efforts of the university Re-entry Committee in its response to produce a successful conclusion to the Spring 2020 semester, along with readying the campus and university community for the Fall 2020 class schedule now underway. "There were hundreds, to thousands of actions taken to establish and seek to assure a safe and healthy campus environment," Eisler said. "We have begun COVID-19 testing and will look to increase this activity so that we can encourage the practices of good health for ourselves and others." Official enrollment figures were released the day following, but Eisler indicated that the university had produced its best result in five years in one category. Only 2.6% of those students categorized as continuing or recently enrolled and pursuing their education had not returned for fall 2020 studies. Eisler further talked about net price, the Tuition Incentive Program and more. "Our average net price dropped nearly 9% from 2009 to 2019, and we were the only state-funded university in Michigan to accomplish this," he said. "In the last several years, our growth in Tuition Incentive Program (TIP) students and our increase in students of Latinx heritage illustrate our focus on embracing opportunity and diversity in our campus community." Eisler indicated that the Now and Always Campaign, Ferris' first comprehensive appeal for student investment, program expansion and innovation and the building of partnerships had passed $100 million in donations and commitments. "I want to thank and congratulate everyone who has been engaged in this campaign," Eisler said. "We look forward to the excellence this can present from our students and programs as we continue toward a $115 million goal." The president's remarks concluded with an update on the Higher Learning Commission's process of continuing the university's accreditation; a virtual campus visit is scheduled for Oct. 5-6. "One representative of the HLC team will be on campus, the rest of the effort will be done virtually," Eisler said. "We have been gathered today and continued this annual event, thanks to technology. I often wonder what Woodbridge and Helen Ferris might think, if they were to see how we work now, to accomplish and advance their mission." Foreign Service Board did not recommend Mr Kalo Seule for position of Vanuatus Ambassador to China BAKU, Azerbaijan, Sept. 11 By Nargiz Sadikhova - Trend: Kazakhstan has exported 2,759 tons of petroleum gas and other gaseous hydrocarbons to Poland worth 900,444 euros in June 2020, Eurostat representative told Trend. In turn, overall 1H2020 petroleum gas and other gaseous hydrocarbons exports from Kazakhstan to Poland amounted to 11,409 tons worth 3.3 million euros. Thus, compared to May 2020 the export volume increased by 89.1 percent (1,459 tons), whereas compared to Jan. 2020 the volume increased by 70.4 percent (1,618 tons). The value of petroleum gas and other gaseous hydrocarbons export from Kazakhstan to Poland was 2.6 times more than in May 2020 (337,667 euros), and 41 percent more than in Jan. 2020 (638,588 euros). The value of trade turnover between Kazakhstan and Poland amounted to $360.4 million over 1H2020, compared to $390.5 million during the same period of 2019. Kazakhstans export to Poland amounted to $211.1 million over the period from January through June 2020, compared to $221.4 million during the same period of 2019. In turn, Kazakhstans imports from Poland stood at about $149.2 million over the reporting period, compared to $169.1 million during the same period of 2019. --- Follow the author on twitter: @nargiz_sadikh Donald Trump has listed all the FoxNews shows he enjoys watching despite having previously insisted that he barely watches TV due to his busy presidential schedule. Mr Trump, speaking at a press conference on Thursday while discussing the outcome of the Durham report into conduct during the Russia probe, went on to list all the Fox presenters he tuned into the night before. I watch some of the shows, he said. I watch Liz McDonald; shes fantastic. I watched Fox Business. I watched Lou Dobbs last night, Sean Hannity last night, Tucker last night, Laura. I watched Fox and Friends in the morning". The comments come as stark contradiction to the presidents previous insistence on a number of occasions that he does not watch much television due to his presidential commitments. in 2017, the president insisted that he doesnt get to watch a lot of television. Primarily because of documents. Im reading documents. A lot, he told reporters. People that dont know me, they like to say I watch television people with fake sources. You know, fake reporters, fake sources, he said. A month later, the president also hit out at a feature by The New York Times that suggested he watched a minimum of four, and sometimes up to eight, hours of television a day. People close to him estimate that MrTrump spends at least four hours a day, and sometimes as much as twice that, in front of a television, sometimes with the volume muted, marinating in the no-holds-barred wars of cable news and eager to fire back, the article claimed. Mr Trump was quick to condemn the report for the suggestion that he watches so many hours of TV, stating that he seldom watches any at all. Unsupported twitter embed Another false story, this time in the Failing @nytimes, that I watch 4-8 hours of television a day - Wrong! Also, I seldom, if ever, watch CNN or MSNBC, both of which I consider Fake News," he tweeted at the time. One of The Times articles authors, Maggie Haberman, was quick to point out the disparity in the presidents most recent comments following the press briefing on Wednesday. Old enough to remember an extensive freakout in 2017 when I said in interview that he watches a lot of TV, she tweeted. Also quick to pick up on the presidents admission of his favorite shows was Democratic presindetial candidate Joe Biden and his election campaign, who lashed out at Mr Trump for apparently consuming so much television amidst the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The Democrat estimated that if the president had watched all the shows he listed during the briefing in their entirety he would have consumed eight hours of TV over a 24 hour period. More than 1,000 people died from Covid yesterday. @realDonaldTrump watched eight hours of TV, Mr Biden posted on Twitter. If Im president, you might not always agree with me. But I promise you I will always show up and fight for you," he said. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Devendra Fadnavis on Friday accused the Shiv Sena of blowing the Kangana Ranaut issue out of proportion. Fadnavis took a jibe at Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackerays party, saying that while it ordered the demolition of the Bollywood actors office in Mumbai, it wont demolish fugitive underworld don Dawood Ibrahims home in the city. Kangana Ranauts issue was blown out of proportion by you (Shiv Sena). She is not a political leader. You dont go to demolish Dawoods home but you demolished her place, the former Maharashtra chief minister said. Watch l You dont demolish Dawoods house: Fadnavis slams Sena over Kangana case The action by the Sena-controlled Brihanmumbai Corporation (BMC) came in the backdrop of the partys recent war of words with the actor over her comments comparing Mumbai with Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). It has led to allegations that the demolition by the civic body was an act of witch-hunt. Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut, one of the key figures in the said faceoff, on Thursday dismissed these allegations, saying that the Maharashtra government has no connection with the action taken by BMC. Later, he also said the Kangana issue is now over for his party. Liam, your mission should you choose to accept it, is to help a, 53-year old women, retire in 7 years time, free of any financial worries, where she never has to work again. Im obviously plagiarising some of the text used in the mission impossible TV and film franchise, but I thought it was apt to use, because that was more or less the task an individual set me last month. I wasnt really sure whether it was going to be mission impossible or not, but I was going to find out. And Im pretty sure the woman in question didnt know either and Im always nervous when someone starts off a conversation telling me, how bad they are with money. Theyre great at spending it, but terrible at saving. And then follow up those comments, by telling me theyre hoping I can be their saviour and help them solve or achieve whatever it is they want to. And it always amazes me, the worse people say they are with money, the bigger their ask is. And this was a big ask. But she told me she was really committed to doing whatever was required, which I thought was good news. The bad news followed, when she told me she was, and I quote, prepared to take a star off the hotels I normally frequent when I go on holidays. God, she really was committed. I was impressed. I mean slumming it in a 4, rather than a 5-star hotel is really something. That was going to make all the difference. I needed to digest what she said for a moment because its difficult to write when both your fists are clenched incredibly tightly, so before I moved forward and started asking her about her finances, and what she had or hadnt in place. I wanted to dig a little deeper and find out what was the motivation behind wanting to retire at 60. And she gave me three reasons: 1. The pace at which shes working at and has been for a number of years is ferocious. Shes paid very well, the work is challenging, was enjoyable, but boy have they extracted their pound of flesh from her over the years. What they ask of her is very demanding and shes barely keeping pace as it is. 2. She has an underlying health condition which she expects will deteriorate further as she gets older and her ability to work will be impacted. 3. The majority of her friends and family have plans to retire at 60 and she doesnt want to be the only one, who has no freedom or control over what she does with her time. All good reasons, and nothing I havent heard before, but how good were her finances? Because unless they were in a place that allowed retirement at 60, it didnt matter how valid her reasons, or need to retire were. Okay, it was time to get down to business, and below is a high-level summary of her financial position: * She was single, earning a gross salary 106,000 * Savings 20,000 * Not a homeowner, renting at 1,500 per month * Owes 6,000 on a car loan * Pension contributions 5% her and 10% company * Pension fund 78,000 * Monthly income required at 60 was 4,500 * Expected future inheritance of c. 100,000 * Current monthly cashflow was break even i.e. income = outgoings She told me her pension was that amount because for about 7/8 years she was contributing nothing. She had racked up 30,000 on credit card debt and the majority of her income for a time, after paying rent, was going towards paying the amount she owed. I asked how she accumulated that much debt, and she told me it was racked up on jewellery purchases and holidays. Because she had very chunky loan repayments each month, it hindered her ability to save and make pension contributions. And because she was making no pension contributions, neither was her employer. I did a very quick calculation in my head and estimated the amount she lost out on was c. 85,000. So, as bad as the interest payments on her credit card were, they paled into insignificance when you look at the amount, she missed out on from lost employer pension contributions. Anyway, very long story short, lets get to the numbers. Based on her existing plan, at 60 she was going to have a fund that would generate a net monthly income of c. 734. She needed 4,500 to stop working entirely, so there was a gap of 3,766. So, what, if any were the solutions? If she re-located to Leitrim (apparently the cheapest place in Ireland to rent) the cost of a property to rent would be c. 550. And Ive looked at some of those properties for rent at that cost, and theyre not nice. And even if she decided to rent one, shed have 234 left to live off for the rest of the month, which meant shed have a daily budget of 7.69 to feed herself, pay utilities etc. So, it looked like that option was a non-runner. What if she took out a mortgage and bought a property? That would lower her income requirements in retirement. It would but wouldnt lower them enough. Sure, she could rent out a room in the property which would help, but if she borrowed for example 300,000, the total repayments over 7 years, would amount to c. 4,000, and no bank is going to give her money where the repayments are accounting for c. 75% of her net monthly income. So, buying a property wasnt going to work, she left it too late. Typically, the other options when there is a shortfall are contributing more to your pension fund in the interim, but again, even if she was going to make the maximum personal contributions allowable, each year for the next 7 years which averaged c. 2,870 per month, shed only end up with a net monthly income of 1,491 per month, still 3,009 short of her target number. Again, she left it too late. The good news was that she could retire at 60. The bad news was shed have to save an insane amount for the next 84 months, sell all her jewellery and then re-locate to Leitrim and make sure she doesnt spend more than 20 a day. The lessons learned from how she managed her finances was, by completely ignoring them, and not making provisions for the future, choosing short term gratification over longer term benefits, she was going to pay a very heavy price and unfortunately it could have been avoided. Im finding it hard to get an image of her out of my mind, where shes sitting with all of her jewellery on, warming herself alongside a gas heater, in the middle of nowhere with just coin inside her gold encrusted wallet, thinking how did I end up like this? How sad is that. Id say, dont let that happen to you. Take an active interest in your finances, get help, put a plan in place, buy a property, dont leave it too late, dont get into debt, take some personal responsibility, dont rely on others, dont think something magical will happen in the future that will solve all your problems, and dont think it will all work out alright, it mightnt. Liam Croke is MD of Harmonics Financial Ltd, based in Plassey. He can be contacted at liam@harmonics.ie or www.harmonics.ie A new study released by Houston Methodist takes researchers a significant step closer to developing a uniform, universal COVID-19 antibody test. The multicenter collaboration tested alternative ways to measure COVID-19 antibody levels that is faster and easier and can inexpensively be used on a larger scale to accurately identify potential donors with the best chance of helping patients infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus with convalescent plasma therapy. The findings will also have applications beyond determining who the best plasma donors are. The consensus among the study authors is that, following donor identification, it will most likely next be used in practice to establish target levels of COVID-19 antibodies individuals will need to be considered candidates for vaccines and passive immune therapies. Additional uses coming later that are likely to have the biggest societal impact, the researchers say, are to assess relative immunity in those previously infected by the SARS-CoV-2 virus and identifying asymptomatic individuals with high levels of neutralizing antibodies against SARS-CoV-2. It was also found that donors who experienced shortness of breath (or dyspnea) while infected with COVID-19 and those who were hospitalized or had severe disease were more likely to have a robust immune response and, thus, had higher levels of neutralizing antibodies in all the tests. In the absence of available testing, identifying such donor characteristics may be used as a contingency plan to determine which patients have developed higher antibody levels and inform efforts to recruit plasma donors for therapeutic purposes. In collaboration with Penn State, University of Texas at Austin and U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, study authors James M. Musser, M.D., Ph.D., and Eric Salazar, M.D., Ph.D., physician scientists at Houston Methodist, sought to find alternatives to measuring virus neutralization (VN) titers, which is the gold standard of COVID-19 antibody testing, as VN antibodies in the blood correlate with immunity. This kind of antibody testing, however, is not widely available, because it's technically complex, requires days to set up, run and interpret, and needs to be performed in a biosafety level 3 laboratory. This leads to most donor plasma virus antibody levels remaining unknown prior to transfusions, so an easier, more readily available method is needed to identify more suitable convalescent plasma donors. The research team, therefore, looked to another type of test, called ELISA assays, which can be implemented and performed with relative ease in a high-throughput fashion and are widely available and extensively used in clinical labs across the world. The ELISA tests, or enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays, look at whether antibodies against the SARS-CoV-2 proteins are present and produce a quantitative measure of those antibodies. The UT Austin research team developed the ELISA antibody test for SARS-CoV-2 and provided the viral antigens for this study. Specifically, scientists looked at the relationship of anti-spike ectodomain (ECD) and anti-receptor binding domain (RBD) IgG bloodstream antibody titers. The spike ECD and RBD proteins are physiological parts of the much-talked-about spike protein made by SARS-CoV-2 and critical to how the virus finds its way into the body, spreads and causes COVID-19 disease, so they are prime targets for antibody testing and vaccine development. The blood samples for the study were identified during an institutional surveillance program involving 2,814 Houston Methodist employees. The goal of the study was to test the hypothesis that anti-ECD and anti-RBD IgG bloodstream antibody titers are correlated with VN titer, making these more accessible, easier-to-perform ELISA tests a surrogate marker to identify plasma donors with titers above the recommended U.S. Food and Drug Administration threshold for convalescent plasma donation. In assessing the correlation between VN antibody levels and anti-RBD and anti-ECD ELISA protein titer data, the researchers found that the ELISA tests had an 80% probability or greater of comparable antibody level to VN titers at or above the FDA-recommended levels for COVID-19 convalescent plasma. These results affirm that all three types of tests could potentially serve as a quantitative target for therapeutic and prophylactic treatments. They also found that convalescent donors maintain high levels of immunity over the course of many weeks and that frequent plasma donations did not cause a significant decrease in antibody or virus neutralization levels. Perhaps most surprising is that they also identified 27 individuals from the surveillance cohort with high enough antibody titers across all three tests to indicate that some asymptomatic individuals may have plasma suitable for therapeutic use and may have a degree of relative immunity against SARS-CoV-2. Ultimately, the study successfully concluded that anti-RBD or anti-ECD IgG antibody titers can serve as a surrogate for VN titers to identify suitable plasma donors and that these alternate ELISA tests may provide critical information about COVID-19 immunity. Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 1 anno fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili. The Report Microgrid Market Analysis By Power Source (Natural Gas, Combined Heat & Power (CHP), Solar PV, Diesel, Fuel Cell), By Product (Remote, Grid Connected, Hybrid), By Application, And Segment Forecasts, 2018 - 2025 The global microgrid market is expected to reach USD 17.51 billion by 2025, growing at a CAGR of 17.0%, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. The improvement in manufacturing sectors of emerging markets including Mexico, China and India as a result of favorable government policies to attract investments is expected to promote market growth. Microgrid differs from conventional electrical distribution system as it acts a close proximity medium between the power generation and power consumption sources which results in increasing efficiency and reducing transmission losses. These systems perform dynamic control over energy sources by enabling autonomous as well as automatic self-healing operations. Rising importance of captive electricity generation as a key alternative to the regulated power supply by municipal regulators in mining and mechanical engineering sectors is expected to have a strong impact. Furthermore, rising production output of unconventional sources including shale gas in the U.S. and Canada as a result of high utilization of fracking technology is expected to ensure access of natural gas as a power source over the next eight years. Access Research Report of Microgrid Market@ https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/microgrid-market Further key findings from the report suggest: The global microgrid demand was stood at 1.48 GW in 2016 and is projected to reach 6.54 GW by the end of 2025, expanding at a CAGR of 16.3% from 2017 to 2025. Remote microgrid market demand was 568.2 MW in 2016. The segment is expected to foresee tremendous gains owing to the upcoming installation of new projects in Arctic circle, Russia Natural gas is expected to witness revenue growth at a CAGR of 18.1% from 2017 to 2025. The governments of Russia and Syria signed Russia-Syria Offshore Gas Deal which is aimed for exploration and production of natural gas in Syrian Coast. The abovementioned favorable trends in natural gas industry of Russia is expected to open new markets. Utility is projected to account for 9.6% of global volume share by the end of 2025 as a result of increasing power demand amid the inclusion of new HVAC and heavy load machinery in manufacturing sector North America is expected to account for 71.4% of global revenue by the end of 2025. The increasing number of new solar PV microgrids for utility in Northeast and West regions of the U.S. is expected to have a positive impact. Key vendors include Siemens AG, Exelon, GE, Lockheed Martin Corporation, Lockheed Martin Corporation, ABB Group, Power Analytics, Toshiba Corporation, Honeywell International Inc, ZBB Energy Corporation, Echelon Corporation and Schneider Electric. In November 2016, Exelon launched five new microgrids at USD 250 million through the assistance with Anarbic. This launch is anticipated to play a crucial role in increasing the market share of Exelon in global industry over the next eight years. Grand View Research has segmented the global microgrid market on the basis of power source, product, application, and region: Microgrid Power Source Outlook (Volume, MW; Revenue, USD Million; 2014 - 2025) Natural Gas CHP Solar PV Diesel Fuel Cell Others Microgrid Product Outlook (Volume, MW; Revenue, USD Million; 2014 - 2025) Remote Grid connected Hybrid Microgrid Application Outlook (Volume, MW; Revenue, USD Million; 2014 - 2025) Government Education Commercial Utility Defense Others Microgrid Regional Outlook (Volume, MW; Revenue, USD Million; 2014 - 2025) North America Europe Asia Pacific Central & South America Middle East & Africa About Grand View Research Grand View Research, Inc. is a U.S. based market research and consulting company, registered in the State of California and headquartered in San Francisco. The company provides syndicated research reports, customized research reports, and consulting services. To help clients make informed business decisions, we offer market intelligence studies ensuring relevant and fact-based research across a range of industries, from technology to chemicals, materials and healthcare. Actor-model Poonam Pandey has tied the knot with fiance Sam Bombay. The two shared pictures from their wedding ceremonies on their respective Instagram accounts. Sam Ahamad Bombay, 46, is a film director. Poonam shared a picture of them dressed as bride and groom and captioned it, Heres looking forward to seven lifetimes with you. While Poonam is seen seated on a chair in a navy blue embroidered lehenga with a huge mangtika and kaleere, Sam is in a colour-coordinated sherwani as he poses alongside her. She also shared a candid picture from their phera ceremony, with just a heart emoji in the caption. It shows Poonam in a lehenga, complete with a veil which fails to hide her laughter as Sam embraces her during the ceremony. Sam had also shared a picture with Poonam on his Instagram account. It is probably from their mehendi ceremony. While Poonam is seen in a pastel green lehenga with a fullsize jacket as she shows off her henna-decorated hands to the camera, Sam is seen in a black sherwani as he locks his hands around her while also holding a champagne. The couple had announced their engagement in July. Sam had shared a picture of them showing off their rings and had captioned it, We finally did it! Poonam had acknowledged his post with the comment, Best feeling. Also read: Sona Mohapatra shares the right way to smash the patriarchy, praises Anushka Sharma for backing women directors The two were earlier booked for lockdown violation by the Marine drive police in May. According to a Hindustan Times report, they were roaming around in their BMW, which was seized. The two were detained and then released after a notice. A case was registered against the two at Marine Drive police station under sections 188 and 269 of the Indian Penal Code and relevant sections of the National Disaster Management Act. Follow @htshowbiz for more SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Nicholas Motto/Getty Images/iStockphoto A 20-year-old man died while hiking in near 120-degree heat in Joshua Tree National Park on Saturday, the National Park Service said in a statement. The man, identified by KESQ as Benjamin Whittier, 20, of Yucaipa, was reported to be unconscious and unresponsive in the Turkey Flats area of Joshua Tree National Park by his hiking companion about 7 p.m. Saturday, the NPS said. Jurgen Klopp has once again refused to completely rule out a summer deal for Bayern Munich ace Thiago Alcantara. The playmaker has been linked with the Reds for the entirety of the summer, after expressing his desire to leave Bayern Munich and embrace a new challenge. And now, on the eve of the new Premier League season, Klopp has once again been asked about the chances of the Spaniard arriving at Anfield, and whether he could personally put an end to the speculation. On the eve of the Premier League opener, Jurgen Klopp did not rule out a move for Thiago The Bayern Munich midfielder has been linked with Anfield for the entirety of the summer Speaking to reporters in his pre-match press conference ahead of facing Leeds United, Klopp responded: 'If I could invent a word that would end speculation I think I could become really rich. 'I cannot end speculation as long as the transfer window is open so that's all really I can say.' Sensing that the topic was not about to go away, Klopp broke into a large grin before continuing to talk up the skill set of the midfielder. Klopp stressed the quality of the player and said it was 'nice' for Liverpool to be linked with him 'Did I mention Thiago Alcantara is a really good player? Long ago already! 'It's nice we are linked with him but that's pretty much all really. It's because he's a good player and Liverpool is big club so that's nice. 'But apart from that really nothing to say about it and unfortunately, or maybe good for you [media], I cannot end the speculations.' Liverpool have until October 5 to conclude any summer business, after which point the transfer window will officially close. The Reds have already completed the 11.75m signing of Kostas Tsimikas from Olympiacos, though are still understood to be in the market for central defensive cover. Klopp would also not be drawn on the subject of Rhian Brewster's Liverpool future Young striker Rhian Brewster continues to be linked with a move away from Anfield, either on loan or in a permanent deal. Addressing this point, Klopp said: 'I can't clear it up because there is nothing to say. 'He's a wonderful kid, big big talents but decisions for the squad and positions for who, they're just not finished yet, we don't know whats going on. 'We are really with him, thoughtful of his development and how we can help him. 'Who is going on loan where, nothing is decided, or they would be there already.' In November 2018, Jordan Eller got out her backpack, one of her favorite possessions, and traveled with a few friends to Koh Phi Phi, an island in Thailand. Ms. Eller, 25, lives in Denver and is a transportation-engineer-in-training at HDR, an engineering and architectural firm where she helps design a variety of structures like highway bridges and wheelchair accessible trails in the wilderness. One night on Koh Phi Phi, Philipp Leiminger, a welder and furniture designer from Germany who was also on a backpacking trip with friends, joined her group for drinks. Ms. Eller couldnt help but notice that he didnt notice her at all. Actually, he felt such a strong connection to her that he was afraid to make eye contact. Shes super open and not a fake person and super smart and so beautiful, said Mr. Leiminger, who is 25 and graduated from Staatliche Berufsschule 1 Deggendorf, a trade school in Deggendorf, Germany. It was overwhelming. That night they ended up dancing on the beach. He looked me straight in the eyes and told me he would marry me someday, Ms. Eller wrote in an email. Of course, I told him he was crazy. He didnt even know me yet, but I knew deep down I had just run into the love of my life. Seven dead in Colombia rioting over police killing A protester lies injured in demonstrations over the death of Javier Ordonez, who was apparently tasered repeatedly by police Seven people were killed and hundreds wounded after rioting broke out in the Colombian capital Bogota during protests over the death of a man repeatedly tasered by police, authorities said Thursday. Demonstrators took to the streets of the Colombian capital on Wednesday after video emerged of Javier Ordonez pleading with uniformed officers, who shocked him with the weapon at least five times as he lay on the ground. At least three of the victims died of gunshot wounds, including a 17-year-old, police told a news conference. "We are facing a massive act of violence," Defense Minister Carlos Holmes Trujillo said after several police stations were attacked and destroyed. The minister said he would bolster law enforcement in the city of more than seven million by sending in hundreds of soldiers and military police officers. Violent protests spread to the cities of Medellin and Cali. Bogota mayor Claudia Lopez said on Twitter 326 people had been wounded in clashes between riot police and protesters, including 114 uniformed police. Fifty-eight of those wounded had suffered gunshot wounds, Lopez said. "There is solid evidence of the indiscriminate use of firearms by the police," the mayor said. "What kind of training do they receive to have that absolutely disproportionate response to a protest?" Ordonez, a 46-year-old lawyer and father of two, is heard repeatedly crying "please, no more" in the widely circulated footage of his arrest, taken by a friend. He was taken to a police station and transferred to a local medical facility but died soon afterward. His family claim Ordonez was further assaulted after he was taken to the police station. Right-wing President Ivan Duque promised an investigation would be carried out "with total rigor in order to have absolute certainty about the facts." However, he said he would refuse to "stigmatize" the police "and call them murderers" because of the actions of a few officers. Story continues - 'Sorrow' - Smartphone videos taken by protesters and shared on social media show terrified demonstrators running from gunfire during Wednesday's clashes. One man in a crowd is heard shouting "he's been hit, he's been hit," as another, with bloodstained clothes, is dragged away by friends. The family of 23-year-old Frankpierre Charry said he was shot by police after he was caught up in the clashes in southern Bogota. "The doctors say (the police) shot him in the back, from very close range," his mother Blanca Clavijo told AFP. The bullet had "hit his stomach and damaged his intestines," leaving him fighting for his life in hospital, she said. The government said 56 police posts had been "vandalized" and 70 people arrested for "violence against public forces." The defense minister told a news conference that the officers who detained the victim had been immediately suspended. The police claim they had responded to a complaint of public drunkenness and that Ordonez had assaulted them, necessitating the use of a taser. "We express our sorrow for the death of Javier Ordonez and offer our solidarity with his family," Trujillo said. "The national government will continue to cooperate with the authorities so that the facts are established as soon as possible." Before the death toll rose to seven, the minister offered a reward for "the capture of the perpetrators of the murder of five people" during the unrest in Bogota and the neighboring municipality of Soacha. Lopez, the city's leftist mayor elected last October, said the case highlighted the need for "deep and serious restructuring within the police". She said 137 complaints of excessive use of force by the police had been made so far this year. "There is a structural problem of cases of police abuse and, in addition, impunity," Lopez said in a statement. For many Colombians, the case evoked the killing in the US in May of African American George Floyd, also 46, who suffocated after being pinned by the neck to the road under the knee of a white officer. Floyd's plea that "I can't breathe" has become emblematic of police brutality toward black Americans, burnished on banners and T-shirts at protests that continue to roil the US. vel/yow/db/ft According to several surgeons, robotic-assisted surgery can provide them with the ability to perform many types of complex surgical procedures with more precision, flexibility and control than traditional techniques. New Delhi, Sep 11 (IANS) Over the years, robotic-assisted surgeries (RAS) have made a significant contribution to the Indian healthcare industry. According to a Research and Markets report, the growth of the Indian robotic-assisted surgical technique is on the upward path, and a CAGR of 19.8 per cent is anticipated between 2019 and 2024. Shorter recovery period post-surgery, less pain and less blood loss are the features attributed to robotic-assisted surgeries. They are considered to be a better alternatives to open surgeries and laparoscopic surgeries where the incisions made are large and usually have longer recovery time. For instance, a 52-year-old patient diagnosed with prostate cancer was worried about the long-lasting side-effects like trouble with urination, bowel problems and erectile dysfunction. After undergoing robotic-assisted radical prostatectomy, he is living a normal life without any side-effects. Robotic-assisted surgeries came to the aid of critical patients, especially when elective surgeries were put on hold during the Covid-19 lockdown. Somshekhar, Chairman and Robotic Surgeon at Hipec Super Specialist Manipal Comprehensive Cancer Centre, said, "Hospitals kept non-Covid surgeries on hold at the start of the pandemic, fearing transmission of infection. But critical surgeries had to be completed quickly and RAS helped. We could complete over 350 surgeries using robots since the lockdown." Robotic-assisted surgeries have made an important contribution to India's patient and healthcare system, and it will be an important part of its future. The inauguration of the robotic-assisted surgery facility at the Safdarjung Hospital in the national capital by Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan in 2019 represented an important milestone for RAS in India. Anup Kumar, Head of Department, Urology and Renal Transplant at Safdarjung Hospital, said, "It is exciting to be a part of the growth journey of robotic-assisted surgery in India. Indian surgeons are now adopting to RAS primarily because of the promising results and the potential for good patient outcomes." Another such specialist, Kishore T.A. from the Aster DM Hospital, said that robotic-assisted surgery has been a huge advancement for urology and other surgical specialties. "In surgeries, I need a superior view of the operating area and robotic-assisted surgery offers a 3DHD image of the target anatomy, which helps us operate with precision. In smaller areas like the pelvis, the movement of the human hand can be restricted, but with robotic-assisted surgery, I can rotate the wristed instruments more than I can rotate my hand in an open surgery," he added. India is currently home to more than 500 robotic surgeons using da Vinci systems and more than 70 da Vinci systems have been installed at various government and private hospitals. These numbers are expected to grow substantially in the coming years, providing patients and surgeons with an alternative to traditional techniques. "The future of robotic-assisted surgery continues to be bright in India, as surgeons and patients are realising the positive clinical and patient outcomes, and there is an increased interest from both public and private hospitals to adopt robotic-assisted surgery," said Mandeep Kumar, Vice President and Country GM, Intuitive India. Intuitive began its direct operations in India in 2018, after realising the market potential and opportunity of robotic-assisted surgery. --IANS aka/arm Members of the public trained on how to collect health information in Ghana are enabling early detection and reporting of vaccine-preventable diseases such as measles, a study says. The system, called community-based surveillance, allows disease outbreaks to be picked up by eagle-eyed members of the public. "The community members, who may be professionals or otherwise, are engaged and trained to collect health information from their communities and report it for public health surveillance purposes," the study adds. "Community-based surveillance detected 26 per cent of all suspected vaccine-preventable disease cases that were reported," says the study, adding that within 48 hours of detection, 87 per cent of the health issues detected were responded to. This demonstrates that community-based surveillance is effective in capturing disease cases that may have been otherwise missed by the routine disease surveillance system." Sharifa Merali, Study Lead Author and Epidemiologist, Division of Viral Diseases, US-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention "It also demonstrates that the diseases detected through the surveillance were responded to rapidly, which reduces the potential for spread and more severe outcomes for those affected." Routine surveillance, often limited to healthcare facilities, is inadequate for patients who come to seek treatment. Community-based surveillance can capture disease outbreaks in hard-to-reach populations, Merali adds. Ghana implemented a modified community-based surveillance programme, and the evaluation data showed improved detection of vaccine-preventable diseases, according to the study published in PLOS One last month (11 August). "Community-based surveillance functions well as an early warning system that complements the existing routine surveillance system in Ghana," Merali tells SciDev.Net. "We found it pertinent to study how to build and improve surveillance capacity at the community level in Ghana to provide evidence for other countries to enhance these capacities." According to the study, community-based surveillance detected 317 cases that might otherwise have been missed by the routine surveillance system. Merali explains that the study occurred in two phases. Phase I took place in two districts between June 2017 and March 2018 and the second phase was implemented in 30 districts between June 2018 and March 2019. She tells SciDev.Net: "The WHO conducts joint external evaluations to assess country capacities to prevent, detect and rapidly respond to public health risks. Gaps revealed in Ghana's most recent evaluation are similar to those in most countries across Sub-Saharan Africa. "Recent public health happenings, including the 2014-2016 Ebola outbreak in West Africa as well as the current COVID-19 pandemic, have exposed the urgent need for countries to bolster their surveillance to include early warning and response mechanisms." Pauline Bakibinga, associate research scientist at Kenya-based African Population Health Research Center, says: "This is an important study as it focuses on community-based surveillance, an initiative that enables effective communication of unusual events or changes in the health status of community members to authorities for further action, there are lessons that can be used even in the current [COVID-19] pandemic crisis." Bakibinga calls for more concerted efforts in improving users' understanding of the value of reporting as well as accommodating them in the design of the study to aid better uptake of the innovation. This piece was produced by SciDev.Net's Sub-Saharan Africa English desk. Hess may attempt to load a cargo of crude oil from Libyas Es Sider port this week. If successful, the loading represents a glimmer of hope for oil-rich Libya who has had its oil production brought down to just 100,000 barrels per day amid port closures as a result of the civil unrest, from 1.2 million bpd at the start of the year. Libyas National Oil Company (NOC) said earlier this week that a warship had been staying at the Ras Lanuf oil terminal, adding that its oil terminals remain out of service. It is not exported any oil since January. Libyas National Oil Company declared a force majeure on Libyas oil portsincluding Es Sider, after the LNA blockaded the ports. A closure of all the oil ports in the Gulf of Sirte resulted in a wave of blackouts in the country, as condensate reservoirs filled up, leaving no room to house the associated gas that is produced alongside the condensate. It is this gas that fuels the power stations. Libyas oil industry is also battling a wave of Covid-19 infections, with Monday seeing the highest number of new cases since the start of the pandemic. The outbreak caused two NOC affiliates to send workers home and halt some work. A partner in Libyas Waha concessions since 1962, Hess is no stranger to Libyas unrest, with its interest in 13 fields in the Sirte Basin has fallen prey to civil unrest numerous times. At the end of August, unnamed sources suggested that two tankers were set to load oil for export at Libyas Brega portone of which was headed to Austrians OMV. It is unclear whether those shipments are still on the books. The blockade of the oil terminals has been disastrous for Libyas economy, depriving the nation of more than $8 billion in oil revenue. Julianne Geiger for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: A DUBLIN man has been sent for trial accused of manslaughter and arson following a blaze at a flat in which a man died. Dean Boland (32) is charged over the fatal fire that claimed the life of Ohari Cadio Viera (44) in 2018. He had a book of evidence served on him when he appeared in Dublin District Court today. Judge Miriam Walsh sent him forward for trial to Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Mr Boland, with an address at Hazelwood Student Village, Santry, Dublin, is charged with the unlawful killing of Mr Viera, as well as arson and burglary at Oaklands Terrace, Terenure at on August 21, 2018. Mr Viera, who was understood to be an Irish citizen but is not from Ireland originally, died following the blaze. Two other residents escaped the blaze uninjured. This morning, a state solicitor said the book of evidence was ready and the DPP was consenting to the accused being returned for trial to the next sittings of the circuit court. Judge Walsh gave the accused the formal notice that he had 14 days to provide the prosecution with details of any alibi he intends to rely on in the course of his trial. She asked if he understood this. Yes, your honor, he replied. The judge ordered the prosecution to furnish the defence with copies of Mr Bolands garda interview video. She granted free legal aid, to cover both junior and senior counsel and returned him for trial to November 11. He was sent forward on existing bail conditions and the judge asked him to acknowledge his signature on the new bond. The one I just signed? Yeah, he replied. The judge also asked if he understood the nature of the documents he had signed and the consequences of breaching the terms. He confirmed that he did. Mr Boland was charged in April. Gardai had questioned him in 2018 and following directions from the DPP, he was contacted again and attended Terenure Garda station by arrangement to be charged. At the time, Detective Garda John Walsh told a court Mr Boland made no reply to the charges after caution. A defence solicitor said Mr Boland had been interviewed previously, had known the case was coming yet he had not fled. Bail was set his own bond of 500 and an independent surety of 1,500. New Delhi, Sep 11 : A Delhi court has pulled up officials for using banned Chinese scanning application, Cam Scanner, for circulars, bail orders and daily orders, and ordered them to cease using it forthwith. "It has been noticed that some of the officials are forwarding scanned copies of circulars, bail orders, daily orders etc. which have been scanned with the help of Chinese scanning application like Cam Scanner, which is violation of directions issued by the the government of India," said District Judge (Commercial) Man Mohan Sharma of Tis Hazari court. CamScanner is among the several apps with links to China that were banned by the Centre for being prejudicial to the sovereignty, integrity and defence of the country. All officials of Delhi district courts have been directed to stop use of the banned Chinese applications in official work immediately. Non-compliance of the directions will be viewed seriously, said the judge, adding that it would invite disciplinary action against the erring official. "It has been also been noticed that some circulars and orders have already been uploaded on the official website, apparently scanned with the help of some of the banned Chinese applications," the judge said, directing officials dealing with the website of Delhi District Courts to find out all such documents and either crop them or reload them. On August 5, a Delhi court had asked a lawyer to avoid the use of banned CamScanner, used for scanning documents, in legal work. From model and socialite to magazine editor, author and reality star: Kelly Bensimon has worn many hats during her career. Come Thursday, amid the still ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Bensimon showed off her philanthropic side when she helped hand out food to those in need in the wake of massive unemployment and homelessness. And being an avid exercise queen, The Real Housewives Of New York City was still able to hit the streets of New York City afterwards and go for a run. Scroll down to video Break out: Kelly Bensimon hit the streets of New York City on Thursday for a jog and as a volunteer to help hand out food to those in need in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic Giving back: The Real Housewives Of New York City, 52, alum donated time at a pop-up food pantry event hosted by Food Bank For New York City The Illinois native, 52, volunteered for a pop-up food pantry event hosted by Food Bank For New York City at Barclays Center in the borough of Brooklyn. Dressed in a black 'I am for NYC' t-shirt and black jogging shorts, Bensimon was among the volunteers who distributed things like boxed meal and fresh produce, free of charge. In a show of just how much events like these are needed, people were lined up along barriers that were set up outside a number of storefronts that were used as storage spaces. Selfless: The Illinois native helped hand out fresh produce and boxed meals at Barclays Center in the borough of Brooklyn. In need: The food bank comes as millions of Americans face food insecurity due to the economic downturn caused by the coronavirus crisis The food bank event comes as millions of Americans face food insecurity due to the economic downturn caused by the coronavirus crisis. 'Amazing working with @foodbank4nyc today at the Barclays Center. We served over 500 meals to those in need. Donate today http://Foodbank4nyc.org,' Bensimon tweeted out following the event. Not wanting to miss out of a job on a late summer day, the reality star headed out for a jog while carrying her phone for music and a protective Vistaprint mask around her neck, for times when she came in the vicinity of people on the streets. Walking the talk: Bensimon showed her unity and fit figure by wearing an 'I am for NYC' t-shirt, running shorts and protective Vistaprint mask while volunteering Uncertain times: Bensimon helped hand out 500 meals to people in need Making a difference: The former model also helped register people to vote for the upcoming elections at the event At 5ft 10in, Bensimon began her modeling career in New York City, and went on to appear in such coveted fashion magazines as Elle, Cosmopolitan and Harper's Bazaar. She also was the founding editor of Elle Accessories, authored several books including In The Spirit of the Hamptons, American Style, and The Bikini Book, and wrote a column for Page Six Magazine called The Socializer: Kelly Bensimon. Bensimon has two daughters, Sea Louise, 22, and Thaddeus Ann, 20, that she shares with ex-husband and fashion photographer Giles Bensimon. Working it: After volunteering at the pop-up food bank, the reality star headed out for a jog while carrying her phone for music and a protective mask around her neck Beaming: The former Elle editor looked glowing after volunteering at the food bank event Officer Sean Peek of Bridgeton Police Department, New Jersey, is being remembered after he lost his life in a attempted river rescue. It was Sept. 6, and Peek, 49, was working night patrol at around 1:30 a.m. when he got a call of a suspect striking an ambulance with an unidentified object while it was leaving the Bridgeton Fire Departments EMT satellite station, according to NJ.com. While en route to investigate the disturbance, Peek witnessed the suspect, a woman, either fall or jump into the Cohansey River while running. The officer leaped in after her. Cohansey River in Bridgeton, N.J. (Tim Kiser/CC BY-SA 2.5) The suspect managed to cross the river and climbed out on the other side; however, Peek, weighed down by his gear, found himself in trouble. First responders rushed to assist the officer to the riverbank and out of the water. Peek was evaluated by Inspira Health Center in Bridgeton before being sent home to recuperate with instructions not to return to work until cleared for duty, NBC Philadelphia reported. Mere hours after his attempted river rescue, however, the officers family found him unresponsive at home. His official cause of death is pending autopsy. The 49-year-old, a 15-year veteran of the department, is survived by his wife, Megan Peek, and their 8-year-old daughter, Katherine. The fleeing suspect was apprehended after exiting the river and identified as 29-year-old Sarah Jeanne Davis of Canton, Connecticut. Davis faces multiple counts of burglarizing city-owned properties, including the fire departments, and is alleged to have caused over $1,000 worth of damage by breaking windows and wrecking equipment. Wallace Maines, a colleague and friend of the officer, praised him for setting the tone for the department, especially for up-and-coming law enforcement professionals. Meanwhile, Peeks wife, Megan, told WPVI that her husband was very hands-on and adored being a father. Now, she is channeling her efforts into staying strong for her daughter. Shes worried that, for me to go to sleep, that Im not going to wake up, Megan said. So she checks on me every morning. She added that her husband would have done anything to help the suspect, who plunged into the fast-moving Cohansey River. Even though she was doing things she wasnt supposed to, Megan added, he was worried that she was going to be in trouble. His decision to jump in regardless of the circumstances was one any officer would have taken in that situation, stated Police Chief Michael Gaimari. We are naturally devastated, Gaimari added. Sean was a fine officer and a friend to all, and always acted in an exemplary fashion when representing the department and the City of Bridgeton. We would love to hear your stories! You can share them with us at emg.inspired@epochtimes.nyc Does the September share price for Ibstock plc (LON:IBST) reflect what it's really worth? Today, we will estimate the stock's intrinsic value by taking the expected future cash flows and discounting them to today's value. We will take advantage of the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model for this purpose. Believe it or not, it's not too difficult to follow, as you'll see from our example! Remember though, that there are many ways to estimate a company's value, and a DCF is just one method. Anyone interested in learning a bit more about intrinsic value should have a read of the Simply Wall St analysis model. View our latest analysis for Ibstock The model We're using the 2-stage growth model, which simply means we take in account two stages of company's growth. In the initial period the company may have a higher growth rate and the second stage is usually assumed to have a stable growth rate. To start off with, we need to estimate the next ten years of cash flows. Where possible we use analyst estimates, but when these aren't available we extrapolate the previous free cash flow (FCF) from the last estimate or reported value. We assume companies with shrinking free cash flow will slow their rate of shrinkage, and that companies with growing free cash flow will see their growth rate slow, over this period. We do this to reflect that growth tends to slow more in the early years than it does in later years. Generally we assume that a dollar today is more valuable than a dollar in the future, so we discount the value of these future cash flows to their estimated value in today's dollars: 10-year free cash flow (FCF) forecast 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 Levered FCF (, Millions) UK43.7m UK52.9m UK59.5m UK65.0m UK69.4m UK72.9m UK75.8m UK78.2m UK80.1m UK81.9m Growth Rate Estimate Source Analyst x6 Analyst x5 Est @ 12.57% Est @ 9.16% Est @ 6.78% Est @ 5.11% Est @ 3.94% Est @ 3.13% Est @ 2.56% Est @ 2.15% Present Value (, Millions) Discounted @ 7.8% UK40.5 UK45.5 UK47.5 UK48.1 UK47.6 UK46.4 UK44.8 UK42.8 UK40.7 UK38.6 ("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St) Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = UK442m Story continues After calculating the present value of future cash flows in the initial 10-year period, we need to calculate the Terminal Value, which accounts for all future cash flows beyond the first stage. For a number of reasons a very conservative growth rate is used that cannot exceed that of a country's GDP growth. In this case we have used the 5-year average of the 10-year government bond yield (1.2%) to estimate future growth. In the same way as with the 10-year 'growth' period, we discount future cash flows to today's value, using a cost of equity of 7.8%. Terminal Value (TV)= FCF 2030 (1 + g) (r g) = UK82m (1 + 1.2%) (7.8% 1.2%) = UK1.3b Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= UK1.3b ( 1 + 7.8%)10= UK593m The total value, or equity value, is then the sum of the present value of the future cash flows, which in this case is UK1.0b. The last step is to then divide the equity value by the number of shares outstanding. Compared to the current share price of UK1.5, the company appears quite undervalued at a 40% discount to where the stock price trades currently. Valuations are imprecise instruments though, rather like a telescope - move a few degrees and end up in a different galaxy. Do keep this in mind. dcf Important assumptions Now the most important inputs to a discounted cash flow are the discount rate, and of course, the actual cash flows. You don't have to agree with these inputs, I recommend redoing the calculations yourself and playing with them. The DCF also does not consider the possible cyclicality of an industry, or a company's future capital requirements, so it does not give a full picture of a company's potential performance. Given that we are looking at Ibstock as potential shareholders, the cost of equity is used as the discount rate, rather than the cost of capital (or weighted average cost of capital, WACC) which accounts for debt. In this calculation we've used 7.8%, which is based on a levered beta of 0.952. Beta is a measure of a stock's volatility, compared to the market as a whole. We get our beta from the industry average beta of globally comparable companies, with an imposed limit between 0.8 and 2.0, which is a reasonable range for a stable business. Moving On: Whilst important, the DCF calculation is only one of many factors that you need to assess for a company. DCF models are not the be-all and end-all of investment valuation. Instead the best use for a DCF model is to test certain assumptions and theories to see if they would lead to the company being undervalued or overvalued. If a company grows at a different rate, or if its cost of equity or risk free rate changes sharply, the output can look very different. What is the reason for the share price sitting below the intrinsic value? For Ibstock, we've put together three fundamental items you should assess: Risks: Consider for instance, the ever-present spectre of investment risk. We've identified 1 warning sign with Ibstock , and understanding it should be part of your investment process. Future Earnings: How does IBST's growth rate compare to its peers and the wider market? Dig deeper into the analyst consensus number for the upcoming years by interacting with our free analyst growth expectation chart. Other High Quality Alternatives: Do you like a good all-rounder? Explore our interactive list of high quality stocks to get an idea of what else is out there you may be missing! PS. Simply Wall St updates its DCF calculation for every British stock every day, so if you want to find the intrinsic value of any other stock just search here. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com. Thats right: space, the final frontier, will be conquered by someone from Doms crew. This was first hinted at by Ludacris, in a July interview for SiriusXMs Jess Cagle show, when co-host Julia Cunningham hypothetically offered space as the next location for a FF adventure. Caught off guard, Ludacris confirmed a space scene and even went as far as to say that he was in it, though he had yet to see what it looked like.As it turns out, he wasnt fibbing. Michelle Rodriguez was on the same show the other day, when Cunningham approached the same topic as she did with Luda, directly asking her if she was going to space with him in Fast 9 . Michelles reaction, if not genuine, is proof that she really is a much better actress than many tend to give her credit for.Oh, no way!, she says in surprise. How did you guys find that out? See what happens? People start talking behind the scenes, man. When a movie doesnt come out and forget about it, things get out. Nobody was supposed to know that!Michelle went on to say that she wasnt in the space scene, and then tried to change the subject about how she was able to get a black female writer on the team. The idea, she added, was to add more depth to the female characters on the franchise, which was impossible before through exclusively through the male gaze.Again, if these two actors are deliberately lying about someone going to space on Fast 9, thats some serious acting happening right there. See it for yourself. The French director of the multinational mining company Rio Tinto and two other senior executives have resigned following an outcry over the destruction of sacred Aboriginal sites in Australia's northwest. Rio Tinto chairman Simon Thompson announced on Friday that CEO Jean-Sebastien Jacques was stepping down "by mutual agreement" along with the chief of the company's Iron Ore division, Chris Salisbury, and corporate relations head Simone Niven. The resignations follow a board investigation into an incident on 24 May 2020, in which the Anglo-Australian company blasted 46,000-year-old caves in the Juukan Gorge in Western Australia's remote Pilbara region, in order to expand an existing iron ore mine. In doing so, the company destroyed one of the earliest known sites which was extremely significant to the area's traditional owners, the Puutu Kunti Kurrama and Pinikura people. Cultural significance The cultural importance of the area was confirmed by an archaeological dig carried out a year after Rio Tinto obtained approval to blast in the area. The dig uncovered the oldest known example of bone tools in Australia -- a sharpened kangaroo bone dating back 28,000 years -- and a plaited-hair belt that DNA testing linked to indigenous people still living in the area. The board-led review found the company had obtained legal authority to blast the sites, as authorised under a 2013 agreement with the state government, but in doing so "fell short of the standards and internal guidance that Rio Tinto sets for itself". Protests by Aboriginal leaders, who said they had not been informed of the planned blasting until it was too late to prevent it, led the company to issue an apology. "What happened at Juukan was wrong and we are determined to ensure that the destruction of a heritage site of such exceptional archaeological and cultural significance never occurs again at a Rio Tinto operation," Thompson said in a statement. Bonuses withdrawn Frenchman Jean-Sebastien Jacques will remain in his role until a successor can be found or until 31 March 2021; the other two executives will leave the company on 31 December. The three executives were obliged to forfeit bonuses at the end of August, Jacques alone losing 3 million euros. Thompson said Friday that Rio Tinto would endeavor to regain the confidence of the indigenous communities of the traditional owners. The National Native Title Council (NNTC), the committee representing Aboriginal landowners, welcomed the layoffs but said that it is only a critical first step. We hope this sends a strong message to the entire mining industry: you must join the 21st century and start taking your environmental and social stewardship seriously, said Jamie Lowe, director of the NNTC in a statement. Traditional Owners are not anti-economic-development. They just want to be able to protect their most significant cultural heritage sites, he said. Draft bill to be discussed The Western Australian Aboriginal affairs minister, Ben Wyatt earlier this month presented a draft bill to change the state's Aboriginal Heritage Act, saying a complete overhaul was needed to avoid a repeat of the Juukan destruction. He explained that the explosion at Juukan was enabled under Section 18 of the 1972 Act, which excluded Aboriginal groups from having a voice and he was determined to change that. Briefings on the draft bill are set to be held with Aboriginal groups and industry stakeholders in the coming weeks. Iron ore is Australia's most exported natural resource, worth 47 billion euros in 2019, much of it from the Pilbara region. CHICAGO, Sept. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- This week marks six months of COVID-19 lockdowns. Americans, especially parents and women, are feeling its impact at a time when kids are returning to school unlike any year in our history, according to new research from Finn Partners. The research, conducted by Civis Analytics, looked at the emotional, behavioral, and relationship impact since COVID-19 was declared a global pandemic on March 11, 2020. What emotions have increased the most? Half of all Americans (50%) say anxiety, a third (32%) report more sadness, and one out of four say they're experiencing more fear (27%) and anger (25%), according to the report. The emotional burden appears to be greatest for women, who report experiencing higher levels of anxiety compared to men (56% to 43%), sadness (36% to 27%), and fear (29% to 24%). And it's parents who report the greatest impact on their relationships and their behaviors. Parents Impacted And What They've Been Doing About It Parents with kids at home appear to be bearing the brunt of the stress. The proportion of parents with children under 18 who say that their relationships with family are improving are roughly the same as those who say that these relationships are worsening. However, their relationships with nearly everyone else are worsening: friends (21% worsening compared to 16% improving); neighbors (17% vs 14%); co-workers (nearly 20% worsening compared to less than 10% improving). They're also reporting some positive behaviors during the pandemic. Overall, 38% of Americans say they're spending more time outdoors with family and friends. The difference is more pronounced for parents living with children at home (50%) compared to adults without children at home (32%). And parents with kids 18 and under in the house report feeling more connected to their social networks (44% compared to 28% of non-parents). And finally, 45% of adults with children at home are exercising more compared to 28% of adults without. "It's important to recognize the uncertainty Americans have been living with this year, and how anxiety stemming from COVID-19 can color all our usual emotions," says Dr. Catherine Belling, associate professor at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. "Still, it does appear from these results that parents in particular may be forced into finding positive ways of adapting, perhaps leading to healthier long-term changes." Parents aren't the only ones exercising more. Two out of five (40%) of respondents under 35 years old report they are exercising more and feeling more fit. They also feel equally more connected to their social networks (40%). Age Plays a Role in Emotional Drivers The survey also delved into factors that may negatively impact emotions over the coming three months. Nearly two in 10 Americans (18%) reported that concerns about their own health and the government response to the pandemic could be the top factors to negatively impact their emotions over the next three months. After that, it was ongoing wearing of masks, concerns about job loss and continued social distancing (12% each), schools being online this fall (10%), and continued working from home (5%). Age plays a significant role in responses, with seniors 65+ more likely to cite health (27%) and the government reaction (22%), compared to adults 18-34 (14% and 13%) and adults 35-49 (16% for each). And of course, remote schooling was cited as a major concern for 14% of Americans between 18 and 34 and for 12% between 35 and 49, which would impact many in this group as both parents and students. Interestingly, working from home is the least concerning issue with only 5% percent of respondents reporting this as having the greatest negative impact on their emotions from a list of 10 possible options. COVID's Toll on America's Mental Health is a survey conducted by Civis Analytic for Finn Partners, a global PR firm, which surveyed 3,552 respondents online between Friday, August 14 and Monday, August 17. For more information on the survey and topline findings, visit https://finnpartners.com/perspectives/research/study-covid-eys-toll-on-america-eys-mental-health.html. About FINN Partners, Inc. Founded in 2011 on the core principles of innovation and collaborative partnership, FINN Partners has more than quadrupled in size in eight years, becoming one of the fastest growing independent public relations agencies in the world. The full-service marketing and communications company's record setting pace is a result of organic growth and integrating new companies and new people into the FINN world through a common philosophy. With almost 800 professionals, FINN provides clients with global access and capabilities in the U.S., Europe, and Asia. In addition, FINN provides its clients with access to top tier agencies around the world through its membership in the global network PROI. Headquartered in New York, FINN's other offices are located in Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Hong Kong, Fort Lauderdale, Frankfurt, Jerusalem, London, Los Angeles, Munich, Nashville, Paris, Portland, San Francisco, Seattle, Shanghai, Singapore and Washington D.C. Find us at finnpartners.com and follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @finnpartners. SOURCE FINN Partners Related Links https://www.finnpartners.com In a televised Address to the Nation, the Head of State pointed out that this attempt comes from a group, which has clear subordinate interests and uses the same practices as did former intelligence service chief and currently imprisoned Vladimiro Montesinos in the 1990s , as it illegally obtained a private conversation where there is nothing illegal. "The only illegal thing here is the use of a clandestine recording presented in a staging prepared as in the best times of Vladimiro Montesinos ," he said. The top official did not deny the conversation, but explained that it was an "internal coordination that takes place in any institution," as a way to clarify what was happening within the framework of the investigations. "In that meeting, I must reaffirm that I pointed out 'let's tell the truth'," he expressed after wondering which forces had crossed the Government Palace's security checkpoint to illegally record the conversations of a President of the Republic. In this sense, he said he was aware that groups opposed to these decisions would look for opportunities and pretexts to attack him. "A new attempt occurred today," he insisted. Mr. Vizcarra mentioned that on July 29 a foreign press journalist had sent them information about the existence of the audio released earlier today, but his administration had never heard anything about the matter and calmly waited for it to be made public, because it was a work meeting with no illegal content. "Those characters are not interested in the sake of the country or democracy. They only want to take over the Government, to guarantee its control, until 2026. We are facing a plot against democracy," he said. The President also deemed as suspicious the fact that this recording was made public the day after he demanded Congress to approve the reform on the prohibition to nominate sentenced candidates, which was expected to be addressed at Parliament today. Likewise, he said that whoever presented the audios ( opposition Congressman Edgar Alarcon ) is a person whose parliamentary immunity the Prosecutor's Office had requested to be lifted in order to continue with the pending investigations over alleged crimes of illicit enrichment, fraudulent embezzlement, and falsification of documents, among others. "Those audios have been edited and maliciously manipulated; as you can see, they purposely seek to turn a job-related claim into a criminal or political act, wanting to take words out of context and intend to accuse me of non-existent situations. Nothing is further from reality," he stressed. "I have never denied knowing Mr. Richard Cisneros; what I have said and I confirm is that I have not intervened in the administrative processes of his hiring," he added. America can be proud of many things: our innovation, generosity and entrepreneurial spirit are unsurpassed. Yet when it comes to our nation understanding one of the greatest gifts ever given to humanitythe Biblewe're moving from dumb to dumber, and it's no laughing matter. Highlights MIUI 12 is arguably the company's best version of MIUI to date. MIUI 12 brings with itself a lot of privacy and security features. There are also a lot of visual upgrades that have been introduced with MIUI 12. Xiaomi recently announced the MIUI 12 update for its phones in India, and over the past few weeks, it has started to roll it out to more and more users across the country. While the operating system now finds a place on some of the more affordable devices in the company's portfolio -- including phones from sub-brand Redmi and Pocophone smartphones -- the Android 10-based UI has been available for some time on the company's current flagship, the Mi 10. This new version of Xiaomi's operating system for smartphones brings a number of upgrades, including visual changes and new features. Xiaomi appears to have built the code from the ground up, with the company spreading new animations and features throughout the user interface. The OS also brings with it improved performance with the Mi-Light Core Animation framework to improve the smoothness of the software. We've had the chance to spend some time with the operating system on the Mi 10. Here's our take on the upgrades and features it has to offer. MIUI 12 review: Focus on privacy Over the past few years, Xiaomi has had to face some difficult questions on the privacy and security front. However, with MIUI 12, the company appears ready to answer all these questions by launching what is arguably the most secure mobile operating system it has created to date. This is because, with MIUI 12, there is a serious focus on privacy. As part of the new privacy and security features, MIUI 12 can now notify users every time an app or game is accessing crucial information, such as access to the microphone, camera, storage, gallery, location. Interestingly, this was part of Android 10 but Xiaomi disabled it for MIUI 11, but the feature now finds embedded in the new OS. There's also a virtual identity feature in MIUI 12 which basically gives apps and websites a temporary ID, to ensure better security for the data that you feed them with. In essence, this is a feature that's similar to sign in with Google and makes for a welcome addition on the UI. Additionally, Xiaomi is also adding secure sharing options for photos that automatically removes location and metadata from images. MIUI 12 review: Revamped animations Apart from bringing in a number of security and privacy features, MIUI 12 also focuses on bringing in new visual elements in the form of animations to make the UI appear more fluid. One of the core reasons behind this is the updated rendering engine for showing smoother curves as well as real-world light and shadows, advanced colour mixing, real-time blur, better anti-aliasing rounded corners, and dynamic rounded corners. There's also a new physical engine that alters the animations based on the touch input. The app animations are so defined that users can also close and open an app midway during an animation. The new version of the OS also brings new device rotation animations which also have been refined. MIUI 12 review: Fresh design Another important thing to note with MIUI 12 is the reworked UI design. With MIUI 12 there are new Always On Display items, along with new wallpapers. In our time with the UI, we were left impressed with the dynamic wallpapers, which are essentially live wallpapers -- but with a lot more depth to them. Moving on, there's also a new Control Center, which is very similar to what we've seen on iOS before. It is pulled down from the top and provides easy access to toggles such as brightness slider, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and cellular data. Apart from this, MIUI 12 also brings with itself an app drawer, which is not activated by default, but can be enabled by going to Settings, then Home Screen, and then finally switching the toggle on for the setting. We were also quite impressed with the Dark Mode which is quite good on the device. MIUI 12 review: Floating windows and improved navigation gestures Xiaomi's MIUI also gets new navigation gestures, which allows the user to go back from a page when you swipe either from the left or right of the screen These gestures also include swiping up from the bottom of the screen to go to the home screen, and swipe up and hold from the bottom to bring up the overview pane. While these are basic gestures, that have been previously seen on other Android 10 devices, what's new here is that the device also gets Floating Window using the Floating Windows button overview pane. Although all apps aren't supported, others like YouTube and WhatsApp greatly benefit from this feature, as they can be opened whenever you want without first having to exit the current app you are in at the moment. MIUI 12 review: What's our take In our time using the MI 10 running MIUI 12, we've been very impressed with the user interface. Not only is it the most refined and feature-rich mobile operating system from Xiaomi to date, but it is also right there on top with some of the best custom takes on Android 10 available right now. From its revamped animations to privacy and data security, there's a lot to get excited about the MIUI 12. While the visual upgrades definitely make MIUI 12 great to look at, it's arguably the focus on improving security that makes this user interface great to use. New Delhi: Indian Army Chief General Bipin Rawat on Friday said that soldiers must raise their grievances internally rather than putting them up on social media. Addressing a press conference Rawat referred to BSF jawans video who had complained about poor food quality and near starvation situations faced by the troops. Whoever has any complaint can tell me directly, the Army Chief said. Grievance boxes have been placed in Army HQs, whoever has a complaint can submit there, we will address, he added. After BSF jawan Tej Bahadur Yadav put up a video on social media complaining about the alleged substandard food that is being given to troops, other personnel have also come forward reporting their plight. The Army Chief reiterated on using the suggestion and grievance boxes in the Army headquarters for any complaints. This press conference, which is held on eve of the Army Day, is very relevant to us, as I would like to reach every jawan through you (media). We are one team and we work as one force to ensure India is secure and peaceful, he said. He also stressed on the need to counter the enemy who will try their tactics to destroy Indias secular fabric. ALSO READ | Watch | BSF Jawan narrates agony on 'poor food', blames senior officials of persecution For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-11 16:21:46|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close SRINAGAR, Indian-controlled Kashmir, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- Troops of India and Pakistan Friday exchanged fire and targeted each other's positions on the Line of Control (LoC), dividing Kashmir, officials said. The two sides exchanged fire on LoC in Mankote sector of frontier Poonch district, about 180 km southwest of Srinagar city, the summer capital of Indian-controlled Kashmir. The firing started at 8:30 a.m. (local time) and the exchange of fire between the two sides was going on until last reports poured in. So far there have been no reports of any damage to the Indian or Pakistani side. Enditem The Perspective Atlanta, Georgia September 11, 2020 Introduction Recently, a lot has been said about salaries reduction, harmonization to include the twenty-Five percent cut in President Weahs salary as announced in his first state of the nations address and a proposal from Montserrado County Senator Darrius Dillon to create a law setting salaries for the Legislature. The pejorative or huge Salary payments to a few citizens while the majority lived in poverty are increasing concerns in Liberia. Despite existing statutes that determined salaries for President, Vice president, Speaker, members of the Legislature, the Chief Justice, Associate Justices and judges and despite the first branch of government having that conferring authority to determine its own and other officials salaries as unambiguously mandated by the 1847 and 1986 Constitutions to decide pay for services rendered to the Republic; that context that no salary should be self-executing neither by the President, Vice president, Speaker nor the Chief Justice, except by the expressed will of lawmakers is the constitutional directive and prescribed in statutes for salaries of these most senior officials. Hence, these pages comparatively try to look at the huge disapproving salaries of Liberias most senior officials against the voices of the statutes, especially the twenty-five percent deduction of the Presidents salary, decision to create a new law setting salaries for the Legislature amidst existing laws and to determine whether provided budgetary appropriated compensations are the required law as mandated by the framers. And if not what is the likely decision to protect public monies against individuals distributions outside the words of the constitution and statutes? So, from the above introductory comment, what do the laws say on the salaries of these officials? The salaries of Liberias presidency and vice presidency, the constitution, Article 60 Historically, the 1986 Constitution of Liberia is an offspring of the 1847 constitution which earlier decided salaries are paid to persons who performed services to the Republic. The 1986 constitution explicitly states that The President and the Vice-President shall receive salaries which shall be determined by the Legislature and be paid by the Republic . Such salaries shall be subject to taxes as defined by law and shall neither be increased nor diminished during the period for which the President and the Vice-President shall have elected. Article 60, Liberian Constitution, 1986. In devotion to this Constitutional directive, prior Legislatures of Liberia amended previous legislations; they determined salaries for the president and vice president of the Republic. That is, they enacted that the President of the Republic of Liberia shall receive as the salary, Thirty-Six Thousand ($36,000.00) Dollars per annum. Meaning, until amended or repeal, a sitting president of Liberia shall be paid by the Republic a monthly salary of $3,000.00. 1.2, Liberian Code Revised, Volume III, Executive Law, page 341, published July 10, 1975. For the Vice president, the framers also mandated that the Vice president of Liberia shall receive as the salary of Twelve Thousand ($12,000.00) Dollars per annum, a monthly income of $1,000.00. 1.2, Liberian Code Revised Volume III, Executive Law, page 341, published July 10, 1975. Salaries of the Speaker, and members of the Legislature: Constitution, Article 36 Concerning the speaker and members of the Legislature, their salaries are also not self-executory, they are determined by statute. That is to say, the framers of the constitution of Liberia wrote these words, The Senators and Representatives shall receive from the Republic remuneration for their services to be fixed by the law provided that any increase shall become effective at the beginning of the next fiscal year. In obedience to the constitutional provision, prior Legislature enacted legislation directing and determining salaries and allowances of the Speaker, President Pro-tempore, and members of the Legislature. For salaries to be fixed by the law, there is usually a legislative committee mandated by its plenary to present a proposal on remunerations and benefits, the proposal is debated and voted on and concurred with by the house from which a bill did not originates, signed by the president of Liberia and printed into handbills. It is from such statute, an operational document, called Budget; the Ministry of Finance uses to ensure that Senators and Representatives are provided salaries and allowances through annual budgetary appropriation. So, from the directive of the 1986 constitution, these mandatory words were enacted: salaries and allowances of members of the Legislature and its officers and employees shall be provided by annual budgetary appropriation. The salary of the Speaker of the House of Representatives shall be equal to the salary paid to the Vice president of Liberia. Salary of the President pro-Tempore of the Senate shall be one and one-half, or 50 percent more than, that of the other members of the senate. Section 32, Chapter 2, Liberian Code revised, Volume IV, Pages 385-386, 1957 The Speakers salary: Since the executive law, Liberian code Revised, Volume III section 1.3 sets the vice presidents salary at $12,000.00 and that Section 32, Chapter 2, Liberian Code revised, Volume IV, Pages 385-386, 1957 mandates that the Speakers salary be equal to that of the Vice President, the fact growing therefrom is, the Speakers salary by law is $12,000.00, the equivalent to Vice Presidents salary of $12,000.00. This is the law; until an amendment or a repealed statute is seeing. President Pro-Tempore's Salary: It shall be one and one-half, or 50 percent more than, that of the other members of the senate. From the provision above, deductive reasoning is that since the President Pro-Tempore's position is not co-equal to the positions of the Speaker and Vice president, his or her salary by law is less than $12,000.00. At most, Pro-Tempore's salary should be $11,999.99. Section 32, Chapter 2, Liberian Code revised, Volume IV, Pages 385-386, 1957 Senators salaries: From these obligatory words, the Pro-Tempore's salary, which shall be one and one-half, or 50 percent more than, that of the other members of the senate. The reversed will be the salary of a Senator. Meaning, an individual Senators salary shall be less than one and one-half or less than 50 percent of the President Pro-Tempore's salary. Hence, since the salary of the Pro-Tempore is not equal to the salaries of the Speaker and Vice President, the amount of $12,000.00 as set by law; the most likely of $11,999.99 being the Pro-Tempore's salary; 50 percent of that amount less the amount is the most likely salary of a Senator. That is to say, 50 percent of $11,999.99 a round-up figure of $6,000.00 per annum. Hence, the $6,000.00 less 11,999.99 which is $5,999.99 will most likely be the salary of an individual Senator by annum. Representatives salaries: using the same parity of reasoning that Representatives and Senators are co-equal for purposes of services rendered to the Republic for salaries, an individual Representative shall make a likely salary of $5,999.99 or less per annum until the law is changed. The Chief Justice and Associate Justices, Salary Article 72(a) Liberias Chief Justice, Associate Justices and judges, the 1986 constitution also directs that Justices of the Supreme Court and all other judges shall receive such salaries, allowances, and benefits as shall be established by law. Such salaries shall be subject to taxes as defined by law, provided that they shall not otherwise be diminished. Allowances and benefits paid to Justices of the Supreme Court and judges of subordinate courts may by law be increased but may not be diminished except under a national program enacted by the Legislature; nor shall such allowance and benefits be subject to taxation. Fulfilling the above constitutional provision, a statute exists to the effect that its printed into handbill and codified: the salaries of justices, judges, and stipendiary magistrates shall be fixed and shall be provided by annual budgetary appropriation. The salary to be provided for the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court shall be the same as that of the Vice President." Section 13.4, Title 17, Liberian Code Revised, 1956. Chief Justices Salary: Since the law says a Liberias Chief Justices Salary shall be the same as the salary of the Vice President, and that the salary of the Vice president is $12,000.00, that goes to say a Chief Justice of the Republic shall be provided a salary of $12,000.00 per annum, the same as that of the Vice president. From the facts and circumstances provided above, the following interrogations are necessary to be addressed for observation and recommendation: 1. Whether or not provided annual budgetary appropriations of salaries and benefits to senior government officials are salaries and benefits fixed by law? 2. Whether a sitting Liberian President has a duty to reduce or increase his salary why elected as president and whether a Chief Justice of Liberia has a similar right to reduce or acquiesced to salaries reduction of judges and Magistrates? 3. And whether the Legislature can create a new law amidst an existing law on the same subject, in this case, a salary? Addressing the first issue whether or not provided annual budgetary appropriations of salaries to senior government officials are salaries and benefits fixed by law? Its rightfully sound to wisecrack in the negative or by saying NO! No, provided an annual budgetary appropriation of a salary and benefits to any sitting President of Liberia, elected speaker, Chief Justice, et al is in an exclusive context of the meaning fixed salary and benefits by law. Providing salaries by budgetary appropriation is the action that follows after salaries are fixed by law. Section 13.4, Title 17 of the Liberian Code Revised, 1956, as read and cited above mandates that salaries to the President, Vice President, Speaker, Chief Justice, Associate Justices, Judges, president pro-tempore, and members of the Legislature shall be fixed by statute and be provided by budgetary appropriation. The interpretation of the mandated voice of the framers is that before salaries and benefits for these officials are provided (appropriated) by the Legislature and the finance authorities, The Legislature alone must first fixed salaries and benefits, creating a law. So, the Executive Law, Judiciary Law, and Legislative laws as enacted are the laws fixed determining salaries. And until amended or repealed, they are the laws on salaries for these officials. To emphasize, it is important to indicate for recognition that the coordinating conjunction and between the clauses of the provision, fixed by statute and be provided by budgetary appropriation, give a clearer meaning to the effect that the Ministry of Finance cannot appropriate salaries for these officials without an existing law as mandated by the Constitution of Liberia. Hence, anything to the contrary from these provisions by appropriating salaries to the named officials of government without statutory consideration is likely described as breaking the law or acting unauthorized against the constitution and laws. On the second issue whether a sitting Liberian President has any duty to reduce or increase his salary why elected as president and whether a Chief Justice has a similar right to reduce salaries of judges? Its also important to not answer in the affirmative because a sitting President who reduces or increases his salary why elected is in a clear violation of the Constitution and law on salary and benefits of a president fixed by law for services rendered to the Republic of Liberia. Hence, the twenty-five percent reduction announced in President Weahs first State of the Nations address was ill-advised and unlawful. Also in regards to a salary reduction or harmonization, theres information that the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Liberia acted or acquiesced for the Ministry of Finance to reduce the salary of judges of courts. This too is very likely unconstitutional and contradicts Section 13.4, Title 17 of the Liberian Code Revised, 1956. The Third issue whether a new law can be created without amending or repealing an existing law with the same subject? No, is the answer. Amidst an existing law, no new law with the same subject can be created except to amend or repeal. Recommendation Following the facts, circumstances, and laws provided, and with current domestic and global realities, the followings are recommended: Firstly, that Members of the National Legislature considers a review of the existing statutes on salaries of the President, Vice president, Speaker, Chief Justice, et al in full view of what the constitution says; Secondly, that the government of Liberia revert to existing laws in the payment of salaries of the concerns; thirdly, that the General Auditing Commission of Liberia conduct a special audit to ascertain whether salaries to senior government officials have been paid according to law. On the contrary, the Auditor-General must issue an advisory opinion on whether restitution for the extras are necessary. Lastly, that judges' salaries be reverted as the harmonization was likely contrary to law. Observations and Conclusion In the 2019 /2020 Budget, it is overwhelmingly observed that the president, Vice president, Speaker, President pro-tempore, the Chief Justice and Associate justices salaries are not statutory compliant. Observation further shows that officials are taking disapproving salaries: Like the President of Liberia, George M. Weah, instead of the fixed salary of $36,000.00; he has provided a salary of $2,852,019.00 budgeted for the Fiscal year 2019/2020; absence an amendment of the fixed statute. Also observed is that the Vice President, Madam Jewel H. Taylors salary for services rendered to the Republic, instead of the statutory amount of $12,000.00, she has provided, $1,890,841.00 for the fiscal year 2019/2020; this too is contrary to the statute and absence an amendment thereto. The speaker of the House of Representatives, it is observed that the Speaker instead of statutory determined Twelve Thousand dollars ($12,000.00) remuneration; he had provided in the 2019/2020 budget, a compensation for services provided the Republic, the sum of One Million Two Hundred Twenty-One Thousand One Hundred twenty-Three dollars ($1,221, 123.00). It is important to note that besides statutory compliance issues; the current budget lacks clarity as to Speaker Chambers actual salary. The lack of clarity, its worthy to further note a quotation from allafrica.com. The online media which quotes Speaker Chambers political Affairs and Communication officer, George D. Wilkins as saying, "Speaker Chambers and Deputy Speaker Moye, hereby make it unequivocally clear that they have already as of the passage of the budget, made individual cuts in their respective compensation lines by 31.9% and 35.6%." An amount of One Million Forty-Three Thousand two Hundred Sixty-Five dollars (US$1,043, 265); this quotation beside its contravention of the figure in the national budget, it reveals the arbitrariness of individuals deciding salaries for themselves or cutting salaries without Legislative approval. Same for members of the House of Representatives, they had provided plus Six-point Nine Million dollars ( $6, 860,856.00) in the 2019/2020 budget as salaries and benefits. This is also not explicitly provided by statute, a contradiction to the intent of the framers. In conclusion, comparing the facts, the circumstances, and the voice of the statute to current compensation and benefits of Liberias senior government officials, it is a conclusion that budgetary appropriation of salaries to the President of Liberia, Vice President, Speaker and members of the Legislature, Chief Justices, Associate Justices and Judges are contrary from existing statutes. And the argument that budgetary appropriation of salaries provided to these officials are the fixed laws the framers mandated, its a holding that this is unlikely. Hence, if Liberia is a country of laws and not men, and that these officials took a solemn oath or affirmation to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution and laws of the Republic, their enormous salaries and allowances contrary to what the laws say are justifiable, must be enacted; as any salary of these officials not fixed is likely a violation and an unprotected action which must be noted by the Auditor General, the International Community and Liberians as a whole. About the Author: James N. Jensen can be reached at: email:jjensen945@gmail.com RESIDENCE: PENNSYLVANIA, USA Constitutional language for the Legislative branch to enact a law on salaries; A mandate for Budgetary appropriation A constitutional language mandating a creation of a law on salaries A legislative language for annual budgetary appropriation Constitutional language mandating the Legislature to established a law before a budget providing salaries for the Chief Justices etal Ever since Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex stepped down from their roles as senior royals, it seems that they have constantly been making headlines. Just about everyone has shown a tremendous interest in all that they do, and fans have been going out of their way to follow the couples every move. Prior to Meghan and Prince Harry settling down in California, many people were constantly keeping up with the news to find out where they were considering moving to, what was happening in their relationship with other royals, and if they were spending time with the other family members. Prince William and Kate Middleton are one royal couple who are still on the move. They have been keeping busy even during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, and now that they are able to finally see Wills grandparents, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, we can only imagine that the Cambridge family is beyond happy. We have heard from Meghan and Harry a few times since they moved into their new Los Angeles digs, but one thing that we recently learned has many fans surprised. Lets talk about how Prince Harry reportedly has FOMO over Prince William and Kate Middletons summer trip. Duke of Sussex | Jeremy Selwyn/Getty Images Where are Kate and William right now? You're going to FREAK when you see how gorgeous Kate Middleton's new vacation spot is: http://t.co/vh56CTQ68O pic.twitter.com/pIlejRLHhe Cosmopolitan (@Cosmopolitan) August 2, 2015 The lockdown that people around the world have experienced has been stressful for everyone, including the royals. Working royals are used to spending the majority of their time meeting fans and coming face to face with people during official appearances. That all came to a sudden halt in recent months, when the coronavirus pandemic forced everyone to follow social distancing guidelines and work from home whenever possible. It meant that even members of one of the most famous families in the world couldnt spend as much time together as they usually did, and chances are, the queen was really missing her family as she was self-isolating. Luckily, William and Kate were recently able to head over with the kids to Balmoral to see her majesty and Prince Philip, according to Observer. Although everyone is still required to follow social distancing guidelines, most likely it was a happy reunion for the Cambridges, the queen, and the Duke of Edinburgh. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were supposed to join the Cambridges at Balmoral Kate Middleton and Prince William's latest vacation spot? This charming cottage close to home. https://t.co/tbe8EKyXEp Vogue Magazine (@voguemagazine) August 3, 2020 RELATED: Prince Harry Reportedly Felt the Palace Was Promoting Prince William Unfairly At the Cost of the Sussexes It turns out that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were supposed to make the trip to Balmoral as well, but unfortunately, it did not happen. The Sunday Times reports that the trip had actually been planned for quite some time, and Harry was really looking forward to it. Months ago, Harry, Meghan, and their son, Archie Harrison, had accepted an invitation to take the late-summer vacation with the royals, and at the last minute, the plans fell through. While there, the Sussexes were even planning to spend time with Harrys father, Prince Charles, and his wife, Camilla Parker-Bowles. How sad that the pandemic forced the trip to be canceled and that Harry cant make the trip across the pond for some quality time with his family. Prince Harry reportedly has FOMO over Prince William and Kate Middletons summer trip Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are being criticized for their Netflix deal, even though Kate Middleton and Prince William have made TV appearances in the pasthttps://t.co/jZhRV3jMHH pic.twitter.com/tY4kKFZzzZ Business Insider India (@BiIndia) September 6, 2020 It used to be that Harry could see his family just about anytime he wanted to, but things are a bit different these days. So much so that the prince reportedly has FOMO, or fear of missing out, over Will and Kates trip to Balmoral. According to Mirror, the trip is an annual event, and since Harry cant fly to the United Kingdom right now, he is frustrated about not being there. As for Meghan? Shes perfectly content to stay in Los Angeles. A source says that the duchess doesnt feel like shes missing out, since Shes been too busy decorating their new Montecito mansion. We can only hope that this pandemic is soon behind us, and things return to normal for everyone. Full Metal Jacket is one of the masterpieces by Stanley Kubrick. The 1987 war film was directed, co-written, and produced by Stanley Kubrick. It featured Matthew Modine, R. Lee Ermey, Vincent D'Onofrio and Adam Baldwin. The plot of the film revolved around a platoon of US Marines and Vietnam War. Full Metal Jacket movie enjoys a massive fan base all over the world. A lot of people are still curious about the Full Metal Jacket filming locations. For all the people who are wondering about where was Full Metal Jacket filmed, here is everything you need to know about it. Where was Full Metal Jacket filmed? According to movielocations.com, Full Metal Jacket was filmed in England. The first half of the training sequence on Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, South Carolina was shot at PEA Bassingbourn Barracks, Bassingbourn. It is located north of Royston on the A505 between Cambridge and Letchworth in Cambridgeshire. The barracks on the site of the former RAF Bassingbourn airfield were established in 1970. Bassingbourn was originally an RAF station which later became a bomber airfield of the Eighth Air Force, of the United States Army Air Forces during WWII. The B17 Flying Fortress known as 'Memphis Belle', flew on bombing raids in 1942-1943 from Bassingbourn. Also Read | Where Was 'The Boys' Filmed? Check Out The Shooting Locations Of The Series Also Read | Where Was 'Dune' Filmed? Know Filming Locations Of The Javier Bardem Starrer Full Metal Jacket filming locations The report also mentioned that the bombed-out city of Hue in Vietnam from Full Metal Jacket was filmed at the vast abandoned gasworks at Beckton. It is located at the north bank of the Thames just to the northeast of the current London City Airport. The industrial site was transformed to the Far East by designer Anton Furst. He is known for designing the Gotham City in 1989s Batman. It was also planted with palm trees. The area has been mostly redeveloped now. The popular industrial site was also used in other movies like Steven Spielbergs Empire Of The Sun and the 1981 Bond movie For Your Eyes Only among others. In Full Metal Jacket, the Delta helicopter scenes took place above the Norfolk Broads and not the Mekong River. Norfolk Broads is a network of rivers and lakes which extend into the county of Suffolk. It is locally known as the Broads and is a popular boating spot for tourists. Also Read | Where Was The Hit Musical The Grease Filmed? Know The Filming Locations Of The Movie Also Read | Where Was IT Filmed? Know The Filming Locations Of The Cult Horror Flick Full Metal Jacket shooting locations Image Credits and Promo Image Credits: A still from the Full Metal Jacket movie trailer 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. Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi persuaded the people of the country to fight against the coronavirus pandemic. Shah, the Lok Sabha member from Gandhinagar,inaugurated or performed ground-breaking ceremony for several projects in the district through video-conference. "The administration was in a state of standstill due to coronavirus. At that point, son of Gujarat's soil prime minister Narendra Modi led the country and pulled it out of this state. He persuaded people to fight coronavirus," Shah aid. "Unlike other countries, where only governments were involved in the fight against the pandemic, 130 crore citizens are working together with the government in India, and we are now seeing good results," he further said. He praised the Gujarat government and Chief Minister Vijay Rupani for "marching ahead in the times of coronavirus under the guidance of PM Modi". "I want to congratulate BJP workers of Gujarat and Gandhinagar for helping people in this difficult times, be it by distributing ration, masks or sanitizer. Though many contracted the virus and some even died, they never stopped their work," said Shah. People should take extra precaution until a vaccine for coronavirus is found, the Union home minister added. The projects inaugurated by Shah included four projects worth Rs 176 crore of the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation and 306 projects worth Rs 45.97 crore in rural areas of Ahmedabad district which fall under the Gandhinagar Lok Sabha constituency. The major projects included 240 affordable houses built in Bavla town under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojna, two new roads and 12 new school classrooms in rural areas. Projects in Ahmedabad city included two waterdistribution stations, a 23-km long water pipeline and beautification of a lake in Chandlodia area. Work on the construction of the National Cathedral is expected to resume in October following the easing of Coronavirus (COVID-19) restrictions in Ghana. Initial construction of the Cathedral was supposed to commence in April this year after the laying of a foundation stone on March 5 this year. However, a visit by the Daily Graphic in July to the 14.5-acre land next to the Parliament House established that the construction of the Cathedral had been halted as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. But Secretary to the Board of Trustees for the National Cathedral, Rev. Victor Kusi Boateng, in an interview on Citi FM, said the construction came to a standstill due to some complications. He explained, It had to be delayed because there were few complications with regards to the people who were going to be working on the project. According to Rev Kusi Boateng, most of the workers were outside the country, and because of the closure of borders, work on the Cathedral had to stop. If not for the COVID, it would have been middle of this year but because of the COVID, its been rescheduled to October now that the borders are open, he said. Rev Kusi Boateng also noted that the selection of a contractor for the project had almost concluded. By the grace of God, the contractor for the project has almost been approved and so by the first or second week of October, construction will start, he said. He also expressed optimism that the project would be completed on schedule. Weve made a lot of adjustmentsif all goes on then instead of four years, by the grace of God, in three years we will be near completion of the project. National Cathedral The National Cathedral of Ghana is an inter-denominational Christian church that is being built as part of the legacy to commemorate the countrys 60th anniversary. It was proposed by the government in March 2017 and is expected to be a physical embodiment of national unity, harmony and spirituality. The design for the cathedral was unveiled by the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, in March 2018. He said at the time that the construction of the cathedral was in fulfilment of a promise he made to God in the run-up to the general election in 2016. The cathedral will have a 5,000-seater capacity with chapels, a baptistery, a music school, an art gallery and a Bible museum. The site will also house a music school, an art gallery and a museum dedicated to the Bible. Construction work is expected to be completed within the next five years and is estimated to cost over $100 million. A board of trustees to supervise its construction was inaugurated in March 2017 and is chaired by a former Presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church of Ghana, Most Rev. Samuel Asante Antwi, with the Metropolitan Archbishop of Accra, the Most Rev. Charles Palmer-Buckle, as Vice-Chairperson, and the Founder and General Overseer of Power Chapel Worldwide, Prophet Kusi Boateng, as Secretary. It has a heavy representation of the heads of many churches, both orthodox and charismatic. Source: graphiconline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Federal Council Bern, 11.09.2020 - At its meeting on 11 September, the Federal Council decided on the quarantine rules for persons entering Switzerland from neighbouring countries: only those regions of neighbouring countries where the infection rate is over the limit will be added to the list of countries and areas with an increased rate of infection, not the entire country. Border regions may be exempted from inclusion on the list. In so doing, the Federal Council is responding to the rapid rise in infection numbers, while still taking account of the close interaction between Switzerland and neighbouring regions. The revised ordinance will come into force on 14 September. At the same time, the list of risk areas will be updated. Since 6 July, anyone entering Switzerland from a country or area with a high risk of infection has been required to go into quarantine for ten days. This Federal Council measure aims to prevent the import of the coronavirus into Switzerland and its spread within the country as far as possible. The Federal Council is now taking a region-based approach to neighbouring countries. Only specific regions of neighbouring countries will be included in the list of countries and areas with an increased risk of infection, in line with the practice in various other countries. Exemptions for border regions The border regions of neighbouring countries may be exempted from inclusion on the list. By allowing this exception, the Federal Council is taking account of the close economic, social and cultural exchanges that take place in the border regions. At the same time, the Federal Council is responding to the increasing numbers of infections in Switzerland and in various neighbouring countries, particularly in France. Since June, the number of new infections in Switzerland has been rising steadily. While 98 cases were reported in the first week of June, at the end of August the figure was 1844, i.e. 18-times higher. In France, the number of cases is increasing even more rapidly and the number of new infections over two weeks in almost all regions of France is considerably higher than the limit value of 60 per 100,000 persons (14-day incidence). In certain Austrian states, a rise in cases in excess of the threshold has also been recorded, as it has in several Swiss cantons. Taking a regional approach means that persons returning to Switzerland from risk areas will be required to go into quarantine, but not persons returning from regions on the Swiss border. In implementing this measure, the Federal Council is continuing to rely on members of the public to act responsibly. They should avoid travelling to risk areas if at all possible, or spend time in quarantine if they have travelled to these regions. Cross-border commuters are already exempted from the quarantine requirement. The majority of cantons have expressed their support for this approach. However, some cantons are concerned that the new exemptions for the border regions will lead to increased costs and may lead to lower levels of compliance with the quarantine rules. Exemptions from the quarantine requirement Under the new rules, creative artists returning from a cultural event, athletes returning from competitions and persons who have been attending professional conferences will be exempted from the quarantine requirement. However, this exemption only applies if precautionary measures have been planned and taken at the foreign event concerned. Also exempted from the quarantine requirement are persons who are required to travel without delay to a risk area for professional or medical reasons. The persons concerned must not remain abroad for more than five days, and precautionary measures must be planned and taken. In addition, the Federal Council has revised the calculation rules for quarantine in the COVID-19 Ordinance on International Passenger Transport Measures. This will allow the cantons to take account of time spent in a country where there is not a high risk of infection before entering Switzerland, and to reduce the length of time spent in quarantine in Switzerland accordingly. Coronavirus tests: Federal government reduces tariffs At its meeting, the Federal Council also decided to reduce the tariff for a molecular-biological analysis for Sars-CoV-2 (PCR test) from CHF 95 to CHF 82 and that for a serological analysis (antibody test) from CHF 39 to CHF 25. It has also specified the details of various procedures. Address for enquiries Federal Office of Public Health, Communications Infoline Coronavirus +41 58 463 00 00 Publisher The Federal Council https://www.admin.ch/gov/en/start.html Federal Office of Public Health http://www.bag.admin.ch General Secretariat DDPS https://www.vbs.admin.ch/ Federal Office of Sports http://www.baspo.admin.ch/ Federal Department of Foreign Affairs https://www.eda.admin.ch/eda/en/home.html A 17-year-old medical aspirant in Bihars Gopalganj district died after accidentally shooting himself in the head while trying to click a selfie with a firearm licensed to his father. The victim was identified as Himansu Kumar alias Kunal, a resident of Imalia village under the limits of Manjha Garh police station of Gopalganj district. The firearm belonged to the victims father, Omprakash Singh, a farmer-cum-BJP activist. Police said the deceased was studying in Kota, Rajasthan and had recently returned to his native place during the lockdown. Imalia village head Ranjan Singh said Kunal accidently pulled the trigger of his fathers gun while posing for a picture at his home on Friday morning. Kunals neighbour and former minister Ram Pravesh Rai said he called the police after hearing a gunshot. I heard a gunshot, and then I heard somebody screaming. I realised that somebody had been hurt. I called the police straight away and when they arrived, they found that he (Kunal) was still alive, Rai said. Kunal died at the Sadar hospital due to the bullet injury in his head. Following his death, family members and villagers accused the hospital of medical negligence and some relatives of the deceased allegedly attacked a few doctors and health workers at the hospital. A big contingent of police force was rushed to the spot to pacify the mob. Station house officer (SHO) of Manjha Garh police station Dinesh Kumar Yadav said all angles were being probed. Also Read: Over 3,000 doctors appointment cleared in Bihar, move to help fight Covid Though it appears that the deceased accidentally shot himself, we are investigating the case from all angles, including murder or death by suicide. Some of his family members are being questioned, said Yadav. Gopalganj SP Manoj Tiwari said further clarity in the case will come after the preliminary investigation. The family has claimed that the boy died while trying to take a selfie with his fathers gun. We will be able tell more after we conclude our preliminary investigations, he said, adding that the family was in a state of shock. Also Read: Noida police nab two men from Bihar for duping former state DGP of nearly 75,000 The state has seen a spate of incidents of people, especially teenagers and youth, dying in accidents while taking a selfie. Earlier on June 15, 2019, a 22-year-old youth from Bhagalpur, identified as Pawan Kumar, died in Sahebganj (Jharkhand) when a pistol went off while he was posing for a selfie with the illegal weapon during a wedding function. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Aam Aadmi Party leader Raghav Chadha on Friday said that the Delhi government has written to the Centre to urge it not to raze shanties in slums along the railway tracks in the national capital without first rehabilitating the residents. At a press conference, Chadha said that the Delhi government had written a letter on September 10 to the Indian Railways that removing people from a place without rehabilitation is "illegal and unconstitutional and we will not let it happen". The party spokesperson added: "We told them that if they cannot give houses to the slum dwellers, the Delhi government will do that. The city government has 45,857 houses to keep them. The BJP cannot take away the roof over their heads." "In the letter, we have also declared that the notices pasted on the slum houses for razing them are illegal," the AAP leader said. Raghav Chadha quoted an affidavit submitted by the Railways in the Supreme Court on August 18 in which it claimed that the "railway tracks are unhygienic due to the people living in slums along the rail routes and that they have been trying to raze them but due to the Delhi government, are not able to do so." "This is the same BJP which had sought votes from these inhabitants during the elections. After a few months of elections, on August 18, they submitted the affidavit in the Supreme Court saying that they want to raze them, and AAP is not letting us do it," said the AAP leader. "It clearly shows the BJP's mindset. Till the time Arvind Kejriwal is alive, we will not let any jhuggi-jhopri be razed. I want to tell the BJP that pasting of the demolition notices without rehabilitating the affected and threatening them with demolition is illegal and inhumane. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will not let this happen," added Chadha. The Supreme Court has ordered the removal of 48,000 shanties built along the 140-km-long railway tracks around Delhi within three months. A three-judge bench led by Justice Arun Mishra (since retired) had pointed out that they were encroachments within the safety zones of railways. Switzerland removes Mexico from list of high-risk Covid-19 countries Riviera Maya, Q.R. The Government of Switzerland has removed Mexico from its list of high-risk countries for coronavirus infection. The removal means people traveling to Switzerland from Mexico will not be required to quarantine. The Swiss government updated its list earlier this week. The Swiss Ministry of Health updates weekly according to the evolution of the pandemic in each country. The Swiss Ministry of Health still has 55 countries listed, some of which include Spain (with the exception of the Balearic Islands), Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, India, Peru and the United States. According to a statement issued by the Swiss Ministry of Health, travelers from the countries on the list who enter Switzerland must quarantine for 10 days. Those who fail to comply can be sanctioned with large fines. UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS, Ohio, Sept. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Muldoon Center for Entrepreneurship at John Carroll University has received a $50,000 grant from Verizon to support new programs and projects that empower middle school children and local residents to build a stronger, more connected community in Cleveland's Buckeye-Larchmere neighborhood. Recess, a Cleveland-based nonprofit program with a mission to "stimulate emotional growth, promote physical activity and increase community participation by throwing pop-up events in areas lacking safe places to play," will provide activity buckets to local families with materials for outdoor games, sports, and art projects. Another partner, Akron-based Art x Love, will engage kids through digital activity books that promote community discovery and creative expression. Digital submissions from young residents may inspire future art installations in neighborhood parks and public spaces. "The main goal is to enrich the experience of residents and business owners in the neighborhood by strengthening the social infrastructure," says Doan Winkel, the director of the Muldoon Center leading the grant project. "It's also a tangible opportunity for our students at John Carroll to apply the skills they are learning in the classroom in a meaningful way that will create lasting change in our community," Winkel added. Art x Love also will work with John Carroll's Social Entrepreneurship students to conduct a walkability assessment of the neighborhood. The study will document safety and accessibility concerns for residents using Geographic Information System software. Art x Love, John Carroll students, and residents will map out the neighborhood, identifying the quality of sidewalks, roadways, greenery, structures, and lighting so that the information can be shared with city and county leadership for infrastructure improvements. "Our street-level approach, in collaboration with John Carroll students and Buckeye-Larchmere residents, will improve learning about the neighborhood, encourage appreciation of the environment, and provide critical data to inform and guide neighborhood services and future investment," says Mac Love, co-founder of Art x Love. Following the audit, a portion of the grant will support a teen-run investment fund that teaches young residents to evaluate proposals from their peers on how to address the issues identified during the walkability assessment, and other potential community improvements. John Carroll students from the Social Entrepreneurship class will mentor the kids through the process, which includes a video submission outlining the idea, budget, projected impact, and action plan. "When trying to produce a positive, long-term, and self-sustaining impact on a traditionally underserved community with various socioeconomical stressors, it truly does take a village," says Josh McHamm, a longtime resident, business owner and activist who is helping the university build relationships in the Buckeye-Larchmere neighborhood. "The John Carroll-Verizon strategic partnership has adopted this old adage and has worked to bring the private and public sectors together to help give residents of the Greater Buckeye area more equity and access to the tools needed to build strong, healthy, beautiful neighborhoods." The projects will be a collaboration between John Carroll stakeholders, including the Muldoon Center, the Donnelly School for Leadership and Social Innovation, and the Boler College of Business, as well as Cleveland community leaders and neighborhood champions. The Muldoon Center's mission to give students the tools and resources to explore their own possibilities aligns with Verizon's mission to improve confidence in students from under-resourced communities, making it a natural partnership. "With the youth, it's really all about confidence," Winkel says. "In any neighborhood, kids have dreams. When poverty limits their activities and potential, they are less likely to see their dreams as being achievable. By giving the residents ownership in this process, these projects build the confidence that they can create positive change in their neighborhood together." The $50,000 grant is the second awarded to the Muldoon Center by Verizon, following a $120,000 grant for Muldoon to host a 3-week Verizon Innovative Learning camp this past summer. The camp was postponed for one year due to Coronavirus. For more information on the Muldoon and Buckeye-Larchmere partnership, contact Doan Winkel at [email protected]. ABOUT JOHN CARROLL UNIVERSITY: John Carroll University is located in University Heights, Ohio, a suburb of Cleveland. Its mission inspires individuals to excel in learning, leadership, and service in the region and around the world. One of 27 Jesuit colleges and universities in the United States, John Carroll University is recognized nationally for an exceptional four-year graduation rate, teaching excellence, and a commitment to living a faith that does justice. SOURCE John Carroll University Related Links http://www.jcu.edu Apply today for press credentials to cover the virtual ACS Clinical Congress 2020 CHICAGO (September 11, 2020): The first-ever virtual American College of Surgeons (ACS) Clinical Congress 2020 will convene October 3-7, offering surgeons and guest clinicians both live and on-demand sessions. The conference will offer the finest in continuing education for surgeons across all specialties and throughout all stages of their careers. This year's conference embraces a digital approach that will unlock new reporting opportunities for journalists everywhere who report on surgical issues. Research in progress reports from surgical care teams around the globe will be presented during the Scientific Forum abstract sessions and e-Poster sessions, and distinguished guest lecturers will deliver orations in the disciplines of cancer care, trauma, basic science, surgical history, and more. Other program highlights include panel sessions moderated by experts in the field on present-day surgical issues, and general sessions covering a wide range of current topics focused on helping surgeons provide the best possible care for their patients. View the conference agenda here. Some contemporary topics scheduled for presentation include: When and how to quit cigarettes, vaping, and marijuana use prior to surgery Well-being challenges during COVID-19 pandemic: preparing for the next crisis Bringing cancer genetic testing into the mainstream Putting data into action: updates on firearm injury prevention strategies and initiatives Finding balance between reducing opioid prescribing and patient reported pain management Members of the media, who meet the criteria set forth by the College, are encouraged to complete the ACS application to secure press credentials in advance to cover this virtual surgical conference from the convenience of their own remote locations. There is no registration fee for journalists or conference attendees. If you have any questions, please contact Sally Garneski or Dan Hamilton from the ACS Office of Public Information, email: pressinquiry@facs.org. About the American College of Surgeons The American College of Surgeons is a scientific and educational organization of surgeons that was founded in 1913 to raise the standards of surgical practice and improve the quality of care for surgical patients. The College is dedicated to the ethical and competent practice of surgery. Its achievements have significantly influenced the course of scientific surgery in America and have established it as an important advocate for all surgical patients. The College has more than 82,000 members and is the largest organization of surgeons in the world. For more information, visit http://www. facs. org . ### This story has been published on: 2020-09-11. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Asia Cement to purchase additional stake in Chiahui Power 11 September 2020 Japan-based Electric Power Development Co, also known as J-Power, is planning to sell its entire stake in Chiahui Power to Taiwans Asia Cement for TWD5.37bn (US$183m). The share sale is subject to the approval of Taiwans authorities. Asia Cement, by purchasing the 39.97 per cent share, will raise its stake in Chiahui Power to 99.7 per cent. J-Power initially acquired the Chiahui Power shares from Asia Cement in 2002 and invested around JPY8bn (US$7m) into the firm, making it its largest overseas investment project. Published under The aviation regulator, Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), has sought a report from budget carrier IndiGo on alleged violation of safety and social distancing norms related to the ongoing coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic by mediapersons on board a Chandigarh-Mumbai flight, where actor Kangana Ranaut was one of the passengers, on September 9. The IndiGo flight, 6E 264, which took off from Chandigarh on its scheduled time at around 12 noon, landed in Mumbai at around 2.15 pm on September 9. Also read: Kangana Ranaut episode is a closed chapter, no role in Mumbai civic corporations action, says Shiv Sena on demolition of part of actors office The flight had Ranaut on board, along with her sister, Rangoli, who has been in the news over the past few days after she had an argument with one of the members of Parliament (MPs) on social media. A few media persons were on the same flight to cover Ranauts movement. Ranaut has been at the centre of a controversy with the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi government, comprising allies Shiv Sena, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the Congress, over actor Sushant Singh Rajputs death probe. Ranaut, who has been provided Y+ security detail by the Union Ministry for Home Affairs (MHA) following her request, did not speak to any media person on board the flight. Also read: Complaints against actor Kangana Ranaut filed with Mumbai Police after derogatory remarks against Maharashtra CM However, the media persons allegedly violated social distancing norms as they kept on leaving their seats during the flight in a bid to get up, close and personal with Ranaut. An airline official said, The cabin crew kept on requesting the media persons on board the flight to remain seated. The pilot also announced not to use their camera phones or shoot on board. However, they refused to obey. Arun Kumar, director-general, DGCA, said, We have asked the airline to submit the report about the situation during the flight and the safety and social distancing norms violated by a few passengers. The report is expected soon. Responding, IndiGo said, We have given our statement to DGCA regarding the matter pertaining to flight 6E 264 from Chandigarh to Mumbai, on September 9, 2020. We would like to reiterate that our cabin crew, as well as the captain, followed all the requisite protocols, including announcements to restrict photography, follow social distancing and maintain overall safety. IndiGo also followed the requisite protocol of documenting this matter in its post-flight report. We are committed to providing a safe, hassle-free experience to our passengers. - Simz Ngema and Tino Chinyani have already had their baby boy and kept it a secret - The couple took to social media to officially introduce the world to their new addition - Little Tiyani Chinyani was born on 23 June and the couple could not be more grateful for him PAY ATTENTION: Click See First under the Following tab to see Briefly.co.za News on your News Feed! Simphiwe Ngema has revealed that she already gave birth to her baby boy back in June. The actress and her bae Tino Chinyani have finally let Mzansi in on their big secret. The couple took to social media a month ago to reveal that they were expecting a bundle of joy. A week later, they revealed the gender of the baby and they have now dropped a huge bombshell that they have already given birth. Wow! The couple shared a video on social media and introduced the world to Tiyani Kemorena Michael Chinyani. The doting couple have even gone as far as to launch a clothing brand named after the boy titled Tiyani Afrika. The beautiful Simz Ngema has already given birth to her baby boy. Image: @simzngema/Instagram Source: Twitter Taking to Instagram, Simz shared: On the 23rd of June 2020 we gave birth to a beautiful baby boy, Tiyani Kemorena Michael Chinyani and this ladies and gentlemen is his legacy. @tiyani_afrika clothing brand" Social media users congratulated the beautiful couple on their new addition. Insta user gina_mekgwe said: "I love this! Give it to us small small mama, we can't stomach all this at once." bongani9633 said: "I think I've watched this 50 times." marysekan said: "You got a good family & friends. Keep them close. It's rare nowadays to hold a secret. Congrats." angeldehwe said: "Congratulations mummy." pontshofox said: "Talk about keeping a secret, y'all are probably even married." READ ALSO: Cassper Nyovest asks Mzansi to help him find street kid who went viral In similar news, Briefly.co.za previously reported that actress Zenande Mfenyana has confirmed that she has given birth to her bundle of joy. This comes after months of speculation as the media personality left her fans on read when they asked her about when the baby was due. The proud mommy recently took to social media to share her parenting experience. The starlet said that she did not know that she could use both her hands efficiently until she had a daughter. "I didnt know I was ambidextrous till I had my daughter... I also didnt know that I can do soooo many things with one hand, and dont get me started on being fully functional on such little sleep. Amazing. Being a mother is magical." Enjoyed reading our story? Download BRIEFLY's news app on Google Play now and stay up-to-date with major South African news! Source: Briefly News U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement have removed from the country a previously deported Mara Salvatrucha criminal gang member, authorities said. Nelson Arturo Avalos, 32, a citizen of El Salvador and MS-13 member, was removed by Enforcement and Removal Operations San Antonio via an ICE Air Operations charter flight without incident. Once in El Salvador, ICE ERO officers turned Avalos over to law enforcement authorities in El Salvador. New Delhi: Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi took a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over Khadi Village Industries Commission (KVIC) replacing Mahatma Gandhis image with that of PM in its wall calendar and table diary for 2017. Rahul termed this as The Mangalayaan effect on his Twitter account, implying that PM Modi was trying to take credit for the promotion of khadi and village industries, which actually was the outcome of Mahatma Gandhis propagation of Khadi use in the country. When Mangalayaan, Indias first interplanetary mission had successful landing on Mars in its first attempt, Rahul had alleged that Modi tried to take the credit for it when all the work on the ambitious project was initiated by his predecessor Manmohan Singh. The Mangalyaan effecthttps://t.co/NnkbJ4i7vx Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) January 13, 2017 ALSO READ | Khadi workers: Not against PM Modi's pic on KVIC dairies and calendars, but pained not to find Gandhi's image Officials and employees of KVIC have also expressed thier displeasure over the move of excluding the image of Mahatma Gandhi from the cover of calendar and diary that now show Modi weaving khadi on a large charkha, in the same classic pose as Gandhijis. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Catholic priests in Hong Kong have been asked to avoid "instigating hatred and social disorder" by their bishop, as the local Catholic diocese appeared to signal it wouldn't oppose a draconian national security law imposed on the city by Beijing. A letter issued to priests by Cardinal John Tong Hon, the current administrator of the Hong Kong diocese, said priests should not use sermons to "convey the preachers personal views (such as his own view on a social or political issue) but Gods message," the Catholic newspaper The Tablet reported. "In a critical time like today, our faithful are hoping to hear something comforting, constructive and encouraging from the preachers during the liturgy," the paper quoted the letter as saying. The letter came after a group of Hong Kong Catholics dropped a planned fundraising campaign to buy advertising space to print a prayer for democracy in a local newspaper, after pressure from church leaders. Catholic Benedict Rogers, a human rights activist with the U.K.'s ruling Conservative Party and the founder of the rights group Hong Kong Watch, hit out at the Catholic Church's response to an ongoing crackdown on dissent in Hong Kong. "While many Catholics, and Christians of other traditions, have played leading roles in Hong Kongs movement for democracy, it is by now clear that the hierarchy in Hong Kong has kowtowed to the Chinese Communist Party," Rogers wrote in an op-ed for the Hong Kong-based Catholic UCA News website. "There is a shocking divide between those who would kneel and bow in prayer to God before fighting for justice, freedom and human dignity, and those who instead kneel and bow to Beijing," the article said. Church in Hong Kong divided The national security legislation, which was imposed by Beijing on the city without recourse to its Legislative Council (LegCo), has divided the Catholic Church in Hong Kong, The Tablet reported. While some figures like Cardinal Joseph Zen have spoken out against the law, which criminalizes speech and peaceful dissent, and said they are willing to risk arrest and prison, the diocese, which ministers to more than 500,000 Hong Kong Catholics, appears anxious to avoid offending Beijing, and has urged its schools to embrace China's insistence on "patriotic education." Ying Fuk-tsang, director of Christian Study Center on Chinese Religion & Culture at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, said the new law has sparked a culture of fear and denunciation in Hong Kong. "Now it's all about intimidation, or maybe naming or criticizing to make you feel that you should be afraid," Ying told RFA. "In the past, naming names wouldn't have mattered, because the national security law didn't exist," he said. "But now, it's pretty easy to accuse someone of breaching the law, and that's a pretty serious accusation." Not optimistic Protestant pastor Yuen Tin-Yau, former chairman of the Hong Kong Christian Council, said he isn't optimistic about the future of religious freedom in Hong Kong. "The Chinese Communist regime in mainland China doesn't have religious beliefs; totalitarian regimes usually don't," Yuen said. "There will be no problem as long as you don't oppose them, but if you criticize them, I don't think they will accept that. "I don't know how things will turn out in the future," he said, and urged caution, to avoid provoking the authorities. "I think that if you have something to say, you should of course say it; there is no need to avoid that," Yuen said. "But you should be very careful what you say." The Protestant Hong Kong Pastors' Network has been outspoken in its opposition to the national security law, and has already been accused of "secession and subversion of state power" by Beijing-backed newspapers the Wen Wei Po and the Ta Kung Pao, and at least two of their members have now reportedly fled the city. Article 32 of Hong Kong's mini-constitution, the Basic Law, states that Hong Kong residents shall have freedom of conscience, as well as freedom of religious belief and freedom to preach and to conduct and participate in religious activities in public. Reported by Man Hoi-tsan for RFA's Cantonese Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie. The government has extended the deadline for merchant bankers to bid for managing IRCTC stake sale by 4 days till September 14. The Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM) has initiated the process to sell 15-20 percent stake in Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corp (IRCTC) via offer for sale (OFS) and had last month invited bids from merchant bankers by September 10. The last date of submission of bids has been extended till September 14, the DIPAM, which manages the government share sale, said. The government currently holds 87.40 percent stake in IRCTC. To meet Sebi's public holding norm, the government has to lower its stake in the company to 75 percent. Shares of IRCTC closed at Rs 1,374.35 apiece, up 0.27 percent over the previous close on BSE. IRCTC the only entity authorised by Indian Railways to provide catering services to railways, online railway tickets and packaged drinking water at railway stations and trains in India had listed itself on the stock exchanges in October 2019. The company had raised Rs 645 crore through the IPO. IRCTC OFS would help the government inch forward in meeting the Rs 2.10 lakh crore disinvestment target. Of this, Rs 1.20 lakh crore will come from disinvestment of public sector undertakings and another Rs 90,000 crore from stake sale in financial institutions. The government has already concluded the OFS of Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) and Bharat Dynamics Ltd (BDL), which together has fetched around Rs 5,000 crore to the exchequer. The government is also looking at launching initial public offering (IPO) of Indian Railway Finance Corp Ltd (IRFC) and had in January filed draft red herring prospectus (DRHP) with Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) for IPO of over 140 crore equity shares. The Union Cabinet had in April 2017 approved listing of five railway companies. While four of them IRCON International Ltd, RITES Ltd, Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd and IRCTC have already been listed, IRFC is likely to be put on the block this fiscal. This aerial photo taken on Sept. 20, 2019 shows a giant Buddha on the Thai side of the Golden Triangle in Chiang Rai province. China wants to cut a canal through southern Thailand to build a bypass to the Strait of Malacca. (LILLIAN SUWANRUMPHA/AFP via Getty Images) Thailand Puts Chinas Plan to Bypass Strait of Malacca on Hold News Analysis An attempt by China to avoid having to send its shipping through the narrow waters of the Strait of Malacca by building a canal through Thailand has been halted for now, as the Thai governmentbecause of internal protestshas put the project on hold. Such a canal isnt a new proposalin the past, the British, Japanese, and French have wanted to build the canal, cutting through the skinniest portion of the Malay peninsula, starting at the isthmus of Kra. Plans have been debated since 1677 when King Ramathibodi III asked French engineers to research its viability. The Chinese were pushing the Thai government, under the Beijing regimes Belt and Road (BRI) Initiative, to build a bypass to the waterway, which bears almost half of the worlds total seaborne trade. Chinese analysts see the canal as a means to ensure energy security for China by reducing the need for Chinese-flagged oil tankers to transit through the Malacca Straits, which was controlled by the United States, according to a paper by Ian Storey, a senior fellow and editor of the journal Contemporary Southeast Asia at the ISEASYusof Ishak Institute. Keeping in mind the domestic, economic, and geopolitical factors, Thailand Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha was cautious in responding to the project, Storey said. Professor Bogdan J. Goralczyk, Polands former ambassador to Thailand, told The Epoch Times in an email that Chan-ocha had asked for a new feasibility study of the canal in January, and a discussion in the national assembly also was occurring. Meanwhile, some generals and representatives from southern Thailand were pressing for the investment. Location of Kra Isthmus on Thailand map. (NordNordWest/Creative Commons) China was intended to include the Kra Canal into its BRI vision, combining it with some investments in Myanmar and the Indian Ocean (e.g., a deep-sea port in Khawpheu), said Goralczyk, who is also the director of the Centre for Europe at the University of Warsaw. He added that while China and Thailand had held diplomatic talks, the pandemic had lessened the value of the project. However, in the past few weeks, the canal returned to the news because of increasing tensions between India and China. After the conflict on June 15 in Galwan, India, in which 20 Indian soldiers and an unknown number of Chinese soldiers lost their lives, India has deployed frontline vessels along the Strait of Malacca, and Indian media started talking about how the Thai canal would become a strategic and economic asset for China in the Indo-Pacific. During this time, intense protests by the Thai opposition Pheu Thai Party and the public, fueled by concerns that the 75-mile megaproject would threaten the sovereignty of Myanmar (also known as Burma) and Cambodia and increase Chinese interference in the region, convinced the Thai government to scrap the project on Sept. 3, Asia News reported. Thailand simultaneously also stepped back from the purchase of two Yuan-class S26T submarines from China worth $724 million. Ted Malloch, author of Trumps World: Geo Deus and other books, told The Epoch Times in an email that lucre would have been a good reason for the Thai canal project. [The fact] that one country and/or its financial institutions (state-backed or not) would try to finance big infrastructure projects like some latter-day Cecil Rhodes can only be objectionable if the appropriate measures of consent and respect for national sovereignty are not part of the package, Malloch said, referring to China. Chinas record so far is quite pushy, both on the project finance side and in the wider diplomatic disputeseven with countries like Thailand, who are essential to this kind of projects long-term future. Shankari Sundararaman, associate professor and expert on Southeast Asian Studies at Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi, told The Epoch Times in an email that its premature to think that the canal project has been completely scrapped. The current political situation in Thailand is not conducive to any megabillion-dollar deals. Both the submarine project and this canal are on hold, Sundararaman said. Thailands Minister of Transport Saksiam Chidchob last month said the Thai government is instead planning to build a land passageway that would connect two ports, one each on the Gulf of Thailand and the Arabian Sea. A $3.3 million study has been approved to study the bridges feasibility, the Thailand Construction News reported, citing Saksiam. The government of Thailand didnt immediately respond to a request for comment by The Epoch Times about the decision. While multiple feasibility studies about such a canal have been conducted in the past few centuries, growing public unrest in Thailand and the geopolitical situation that exists between China and the United States in the Indo-Pacific has given it new meaning. Thailands King Maha Vajiralongkorn (R) and Queen Suthida walk along the Yaowarat street during a visit to the Chinatown district of Bangkok, on Dec. 6, 2019. (Romeo GACAD/AFP via Getty Images) Thailands Internal Politics The Thai canal project was supported by former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who favored converting the major cities around the canal into major ports, like Singapore, Sundararaman said. However, with the opposition to Shinawatras brand of politics, in the aftermath of the 2006 coup detat in Thailand, the potential support for the canal reduced, Sundararaman said, adding that King Maha Vajiralongkorn has ostensibly supported the projects revival. Rather than seeing it as Chinas ability to intervene in Thai politics, it needs to be understood that Thai politics and crony capitalism are closely interlinked, leading to conglomerates pressing for the Kra canal project. The current king, Maha Vajiralongkorn, has recently been trying his best to get greater leverage over some projects, and the Kra canal could well be one of them, she said. Chan-ocha, on the other hand, says theres no possibility for the project going forward. However, if the King continues to push ahead on the basis of the business conglomerates, it may lead to further political instability in the country, where there is already a demand for change, Sundararaman said. Opposition to the project in the country has come from those who worry about the environmental degradation around the canal, while the supporters have said that the advantages of the project outweigh its disadvantages, she said. The actual threat would be to Thai sovereignty and the issues of strategic autonomy that each state must protect. The BRI is not merely an economic issue but had grave geopolitical implications that will impact small and medium countries far more than others, she said. Malloch says hes visited Thailand multiple times as a diplomat and greatly admires the country and its people. The last thing I would want is to have it ruined or overrun by the malevolent mercantilist and totalitarian one-party state of the CCP, he said. Thailands Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha speaks during the 7th ASEAN-US Summit in Bangkok on Nov. 4, 2019, on the sidelines of the 35th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit. (Lillian SUWANRUMPHA / AFP via Getty Images) Geopolitics Malloch said a Thai canal would lead to the Chinese navy battlegroup spilling across Thailand into the Indian Ocean. If you want the great balance of power angle, Bhutan, and Nepal are the only buffer states between China and India right now. There are problems there, but the strategic logicla raison detatof those buffer states is to oblige either power to invade a neutral country on their way across the Himalayas, he said. He said if the canal was built, it would have created a third buffer between India and China on the maritime frontier, in the way the other two exist along with the Himalayan mountain range. Sundararaman said the geopolitical shifts happening in the region have created a singular maritime system out of the Indian and Pacific oceans, and the Thai canal needs to be seen in that context. The reason for this new approach is that since the end of the Second World War, the U.S. has been one of the predominant powers in the larger system-level analysiswhich refers to the global order per se, she said, referring to the free and open Indo-Pacific strategy that the U.S. issued in 2017. She said that the continued dominance of the United States in the global order is now being challenged by China. What is more disconcerting is that as China rises, its approach to the international system and adherence to the rule of law seems to be shifting too. [Its] especially evident in the South China Sea, where China has been involved in the building of artificial islands and claiming its historical rights to the region, affecting the rights of other regional countries under international law, she said, adding that the United States and its allies are also keen to maintain the normative order. Particularly the questions of freedom of navigation and the respect for sovereignty, which puts stresses on all the regional countries. It would be imperative for the U.S. and its allies to address the divergences among the various players to find a more viable approach for the Indo-Pacific, she said. The Tanjung Pagar port terminal and Marina Cruise center are pictured in Singapore on June 17, 2020. (ROSLAN RAHMAN/AFP via Getty Images) Threat to Singapore Meanwhile, Singapore would be dealt a severe blow to its economic and geopolitical relevance if such a canal is built, Malloch says. Id be remiss not to mention Singapore again, they play the role in ASEAN that Luxembourg does in the European Union. Theyre in charge of keeping the long-term goals in lineSingapore is better at it than Luxembourg, he said. Insofar as this canal weakens Singapore, that could be a net negative for American interests and the interests of the democracies of the region. There are many members of the budding alliance of democracies who would be affected if this canal was built. The Malacca Strait and Singapore together create the worlds most important shipping waterways from an economic and geopolitical perspective and are listed in the list of high-risk areas by the Joint War Committee (JWC) of Lloyds Market Association (pdf). Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (Reuters) Beijing/New Delhi Fri, September 11, 2020 11:00 497 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c44351e0 2 World China-India,Ladakh,border-clash,Air-Force,Himalayas Free China and India said they had agreed to deescalate renewed tensions on their contested Himalayan border and take steps to restore "peace and tranquillity" following a high level diplomatic meeting in Moscow. Chinese State Councillor Wang Yi and Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar met in Moscow on Thursday and reached a five-point consensus, including agreements the current border situation is not in their interests and that troops from both sides should quickly disengage and ease tensions, the two countries said in a joint statement. The consensus, struck on the sidelines of a Shanghai Cooperation Organization meeting, came after a clash in the border area in the western Himalayas earlier this week. Shares of defense-related firms fell in China early Friday after the news, with the CSI National Defense Industry Index down 1.2 percent and on track for its steepest weekly decline since Oct. 12, 2018. Tongyu heavy Industry shares tumbled as much as 16.4 percent. China and India accused each other of firing into the air during the confrontation, a violation of long-held protocol not to use firearms on the sensitive frontier. Wang told Jaishankar during the meeting the "imperative is to immediately stop provocations such as firing and other dangerous actions that violate the commitments made by the two sides," China's foreign ministry said in a statement on Friday. Wang also told Jaishankar all personnel and equipment that have trespassed at the border must be moved and that frontier troops on both sides "must quickly disengage" in order to de-escalate the situation. The comments contrast with recent show of force by the Chinese military. China's Global Times, an influential tabloid published by the official newspaper of China's ruling Communist Party, reported on Wednesday the People's Liberation Army (PLA) were moving soldiers, bombers and armored vehicles into the border. Chinese state media also recently reported armed jump drills by PLA paratroopers in Tibet. The Global Times said in an editorial published late Thursday that any talks with India should be paired with "war readiness". "The Chinese side must be fully prepared to take military action when diplomatic engagement fails, and its frontline troops must be able to respond to emergencies, and be ready to fight at any time," the newspaper said. "India has an abnormal confidence in confronting China. It does not have enough strength. If India is kidnapped by extreme nationalist forces and keeps following its radical China policy, it will pay a heavy price." The historic diplomatic deal between Israel and the United Arab Emirates that was announced on August 13 added yet another layer of difficulty to the geopolitical relations in the Middle East. According to Oilprice.coms Simon Watkins, More than any other outcomes from this deal, the UAE wanted to put itself firmly in the U.S.s most-favoured allies for receiving future business and financing deals, as it suffered a big hit from the Saudi-led oil price war that just ended, and to be included in the U.S.-Israel intelligence and security network to protect itself from Iran,. And now, it seems that one or more countries in the region may soon join the diplomatic accord between Israel and the UAE. Addressing reporters on Thursday, U.S. President Donald Trump hinted at the participation of another nation in the peace deal. While Trump did not disclose the name of the country that might be the next to join, he suggested that Saudi Arabia may eventually join the pact. Reuters quoted the President as saying that Youll be hearing other countries coming in over a relatively short period of time. And you could have peace in the Middle East, The U.S. President emphasized that the U.S. is looking to bring the major players in the nation around the table, saying that he discussed the matter with his Saudi Arabian counterpart King Salman. I think what ultimately will happen is youre going to have quite a few countries come in. The big ones are going to be coming in. I spoke to the king of Saudi Arabia, so were talking. We just started the dialogue. And youll have them come in, he said. President Trump is expected to host a signing ceremony next Tuesday, which will be attended by delegations from Israel and the UAE. At the moment, it remains unclear whether other Arab nations such as Bahrain, Oman and or Kuwait will follow suit and normalize relations with Israel. Story continues By Tom Kool of Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Read this article on OilPrice.com Ankara calls on EU to stop siding with Greece over maritime border spat as seven nations warn of economic sanctions. Turkey has decried a statement by seven European countries threatening sanctions against Ankara, amid its standoff with Greece over Eastern Mediterranean energy and maritime rights. Turkeys foreign ministry said on Friday that France, Italy, Malta, Portugal, Spain, Greece and Cyprus had adopted a viewpoint that was disconnected from reality, biased, and lacked a legal basis. The ministrys backlash followed a summit hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday in Corsica, where leaders of the seven countries said they were ready to back European Union sanctions against Turkey if Ankara shunned dialogue. Greece underlined the prospect of sanctions earlier on Thursday, with PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis saying in an opinion piece on Thursday the EU must impose sanctions on Turkey unless Ankara pulls its maritime assets from disputed areas in the Eastern Mediterranean. If Turkey refuses to see sense I see no option but for my fellow European leaders to impose meaningful sanctions. Because this is no longer just about European solidarity. It is about recognising that vital interests strategic European interests are now at stake. If Europe wants to exercise true geopolitical power, it simply cannot afford to appease a belligerent Turkey, Mitsotakis wrote. Tensions have flared between the EU and Turkey, which like Greece is a NATO member, after Ankara sent a survey vessel to map out possible oil and gas drilling prospects in territorial waters claimed by Greece and areas claimed by Cyprus. Turkish Foreign Ministry Spokesman Hami Aksoy said that Greece should unconditionally sit at the negotiating table with Turkey, calling on Athens to withdraw its military ships from around Turkeys Oruc Reis survey vessel. We invite Greece to give up its illegal and maximalist claims over maritime zones, the Turkish foreign ministry said, adding that EU countries supporting Greeces claims should abandon their one-sided approach. In a joint statement, the seven EU Mediterranean states said the bloc would draw up a list of new sanctions on Turkey at the end of September unless Ankara negotiates to resolve the dispute with Greece and Cyprus. The EU is ready to develop a list of further restrictive measures that could be discussed at the European Council on September 24-25, the statement said. Macron stepped up anti-Turkey rhetoric on Thursday and opened a war of words, but eventually struck a softer tone and claimed that overall, the European leaders wanted to re-engage in a dialogue with Ankara in good faith. Al Jazeeras Natacha Butler, reporting from Paris, said: This summit was not only a show of solidarity with Greece. Macrons aim is to pressure EU leaders to take united and a tougher stance against Turkeys leadership and stop actions by Ankara that are deemed by France as an affront against the bloc. Pierre Haski, a Paris-based journalist, told Al Jazeera: The French analysis is that Turkey feels Europe is so weak and vulnerable that it can play the fait accompli, and it wont be able to react. Thats why I think France is trying to make Turkey a test for Europe as a power or not. LITCHFIELD Three well-respected local health agencies have joined forces to continue providing local, quality skilled nursing, therapy and home care services in the communities of Litchfield County, according to a statement. In January 2020, VNA Northwest in Bantam became a part of Foothills Visiting Nurse & Home Care in Winsted. They were joined by Salisbury VNA on Aug. 30, to form a new agency, Visiting Nurse & Hospice of Litchfield County. The newly-combined agency offers the resources, staff and skill of all three entities to continue providing comprehensive home health care services to all towns in Litchfield County, according to the statement. The existing offices and staff in Salisbury, Bantam and Winsted will continue to provide care in their respective area communities, and the Winsted office will also serve as headquarters. Michael Caselas, Executive Director of Foothills VNA, has assumed the position of the executive director of the combined agency. All three agencies have been caring for the residents of northwest Connecticut independently for a century or more. As community-based organizations, our missions and philosophies are the same, and there has been increasing overlap in our service areas, Caselas said. By working together, Visiting Nurse & Hospice of Litchfield County is even better equipped to provide the local, personalized services our families, neighbors, friends and we ourselves want. He continues, We intend to perpetuate the ideals that have made our individual agencies such vital contributors to our communities. That isnt changing. People come first, and we arent working together so much to change, but rather to sustain and extend the level of care with our combined talent and resources. Visiting Nurse & Hospice of Litchfield Countys primary services include: skilled home health care, hospice and home assistance programs. Northwest Corner Gives raises $635.28 K TORRINGTON From June 15 to July 31, more than 50 Northwest Connecticut nonprofits posted giving campaigns to www.northwestcornergives.org, a crowdfunding program of the Northwest Connecticut Community Foundation, to raise money to meet the challenges of operating amid social distancing and remote work requirements created by COVID-19. Local nonprofits received $635,280 in COVID-19 Relief. The Community Foundation guaranteed each participating nonprofit a grant for 50 percent of their fundraising goal, then matched dollar-for-dollar every gift until each goal was reached. Your support helped us obtain additional funds for our Chromebook/Distance Learning Project and will assist us in serving some of Northwest Connecticuts most vulnerable and disadvantaged young people as we strive to ensure equitable education for our students, said Daniel W. Rezende, Connecticut Junior Republic. With many of our programs transitioning for the time being to online formats, your support is so valuable. Thank you for believing in the power of the arts and assuring that classical ballet continues to thrive against all odds, said Victoria Mazzarelli, The Nutmeg Ballet Conservatory. All 53 Northwest Corner Gives campaigns met their fundraising goals and received their full dollar-for-dollar matches. Campaign totals: AHA (After School Program) - $2,750; American Mural Project - $10,100; Licia and Mason Beekley Library - $10,945; CAFTA - $17,270; Canaan Child Care Center - $9,100; The Cancer Care Fund of the Litchfield Hills - $12,182; Caring For Bethlehem - $6,550; Civic Life Project - $15,440; Community Mental Health Affiliates - $6,917; CT Junior Republic - $4,000; David M. Hunt Library - $3,500; ECAD - $11,090; EdAdvance - $20,175; Family & Childrens Aid - $12,000; FISH - $49,337; Fishes and Loaves - $5,000; Five Points Gallery - $10,615; Food Rescue - $8,917; Geer Memorial Hospital - $9,350 Greenwoods Counseling Referrals - $9,150; Grumbling Gryphons - $4,060; Harwinton Westside Fire - $3,000; Healing Hoofbeats - $4,690; Housatonic Child Care Center - $24,550; Housatonic Valley Association - $12,500; Housatonic Youth Service Bureau - $20,000; Joyful Noise - $4,180; Junior Achievement - $7,655; Kent Memorial Library - $6,300; KidsPlay Childrens Museum - $22,167; Litchfield County Fire Chiefs Emergency Plan - $15,000; Litchfield Montessori School - $15,025; Litchfield Performing Arts - $10,275; Little Britches Therapeutic Riding - $4,850; Maria Seymour Brooker Memorial - $27,892; Music Mountain - $12,595; New Beginnings (Gathering Place) - $15,833; New England Paralyzed Veterans of America - $10,000; New Opportunities - $22,942; Northwest Connecticut Arts Council - $4,525; Northwestern CT Community College - $15,000; Nutmeg Ballet - $6,000; Prime Time House - $11,957; School on the Green - $10,000; Sharon Playhouse (Tri-State Center For the Arts) - $10,000; Soar Enrichment - $6,700; Spirithorse Therapeutic Riding Center of Canton - $2,850; Supportive Housing Works - $32,457; Susan B. Anthony Project - $11,512; United Church of Christ - $2,500; Valley Thrift Shop - $5,185; Weantinoge Heritage Land Trust - $6,715; Winsted Area Child Care Center - $31,977 Northwest Corner Gives gift matches are made possible by gifts to the Northwest Corner Gives: Covid-19 Rapid Response Fund from community members, and anonymous, and discretionary Community Foundation funds along with campaign support from the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation. Established in 1969, the Northwest Connecticut Community Foundation serves 20 towns in Northwest Connecticut. Its total endowment, comprised of more than 280 funds, has grown from initial assets of $15,000 to almost $102 million. Business Classes to help navigate The New Normal WINSTED - Northwestern Connecticut Community College has added many new classes aimed at helping business and industry navigate the new workplace environment created by COVID-19, according to a statement. With the pandemic presenting numerous challenges for todays workforce, supervisors and employees have realized that how they previously did business may not be the same. The New Normal poses many questions for businesses including: How do you motivate virtual workers and also address the emotional needs of essential workers? How do you increase employee confidence and skills for conducting presentations when dealing with a host of new virtual platforms? How do you lead in uncertain times? All classes are available through the NCCC Workforce Development and Continuing Education office and will be conducted online with short-term and flexible scheduling. Northwestern is on the frontline of what we are calling new normal business training, said Jane Williams, NCCCs Workforce Development Director. We are prepared to address the needs of businesses with motivational, interactive, and practical on-line training. Course titles being offered include: A (WhatsApp) to Z (Zoom) Virtual Presentation Skills; Everyday Leadership during Pandemic Culture; The Upward Mobility & Supervisory Skills Toolkit; Emotional Intelligence on the Corona Coaster; and other titles. For a complete listing, go to The New Normal on the NCCC Business and Industry website at www.nwcc.edu/continuing-education/business-industry-services . We are hoping the business and industry sectors will take advantage of these online courses, which will help maximize their downtime, furloughs, and tele-work production, said Williams. We are also happy to customize a program that will meet the exact needs of the company. For more information or to talk about a customized program that exactly meets a companys needs, email Jane Williams at jwilliams@nwcc.edu or Gary Carra at gcarra@asnuntuck.edu. One day into the messy breakup of LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuittons $16.2 billion deal to buy Tiffany & Co. and the sparks continue to fly. LVMH said on Wednesday it was walking away from the deal following what it said was a request from the French government, which is mired in a trade dispute with Washington. But it changed the emphasis on Thursday, accusing the iconic American jeweler of dishonesty and mismanagement during the coronavirus crisis. More from WWD While Tiffany was clearly preparing for a case of cold feet from LVMH, which WWD reported in June was taking a fresh look at the deal, the French luxury giant took exception to the 114-page lawsuit Tiffany quickly filed against it in Delawares Court of Chancery on Wednesday. LVMH said the legal action was communicated in a misleading way to shareholders and is defamatory. The suit is aimed at compelling LVMH to abide by its contractual obligation under the merger agreement. LVMH said it was surprised by the legal action, which it deems totally unfounded. LVMH will defend itself vigorously. The long preparation of this assignment demonstrates the dishonesty of Tiffany in its relations with LVMH. This action is essentially based on the accusation by Tiffany that LVMH failed to take the reasonably necessary steps to obtain the various regulatory authorities approvals in a timely way, the statement said. This accusation has no substance and LVMH will demonstrate this to the Delaware Court. On this matter, the filing in Brussels [for the European Union] will take place, as expected, in the following days and this is simply the result of the planning fixed by the European Commission, about which Tiffany is completely aware. It is legitimate to expect this authorization will be obtained in October. LVMH also reiterated its disappointment in Tiffanys management during the coronavirus crisis, which has put a strong dent in luxury sales and consumer appetite, and vowed to challenge it and its board of directors on this failing. Story continues The first-half results and its perspectives for 2020 are very disappointing, and significantly inferior to those of comparable brands of the LVMH Group during this period, it said. LVMH considers, among other things, that this period is impacted by a Material Adverse Effect, that Tiffany did not follow an ordinary course of business, notably in distributing substantial dividends when the company was loss making, and that the operation and organization of this company are not substantially intact. Material Adverse Effect clauses are typical in large merger and acquisition deals in case a change in circumstances significantly reduces the value of a company. LVMH therefore confirms that the necessary conditions for the conclusion of the acquisition of Tiffany are not fulfilled, LVMH added. The tone has been sharp on both sides indicating what could be a knock-down, drag-out brawl (conducted in well-appointed suits and with white shoe lawyers). Tiffany chairman Roger Farah, who stepped into the role of negotiator when LVMH came calling last fall, did not appear to be pulling punches on Wednesday when the American company filed its suit and he addressed the notion that it was geopolitics over Frenchs digital services tax that was nixing his deal. This supposed official French effort to retaliate against the U.S. for proposed new tariffs has never been announced or discussed publicly; how could it possibly then be an effort to pressure the U.S. into revoking the tariffs? Farah said. Furthermore, as we are not aware of any other French company receiving such a request, it is all the more clear that LVMH has unclean hands. Multiple press accounts have cited French officials as saying the request sent to LVMH to delay closing of the deal until after the deadline was non-binding. The next shoe to drop would seem to be the LVMH countersuit. Shares of Tiffany stabilized Thursday, inching back up 0.4 percent to $114.36 as investors took measure of where the luxury battle lines were being drawn. Thats well below the $135 a share LVMH agreed to pay for Tiffany, but also seems to reflect a certain hope on the part of investors that some kind of deal could still get done either by LVMH or another suitor. Much will depend on the merger contract the two sides negotiated last year and how it is viewed through the lens of the courts, where potentially LVMH chief Bernard Arnault, Farah and other prominent names on both sides could be called on to testify. In its lawsuit, Tiffany builds an argument around what it says are LVMHs contractual obligations to seek the necessary regulatory approvals for the deal. Despite this express contractual obligation, as of Sept. 9, 2020 more than nine months after signing the merger agreement LVMH has yet even to file its formal requests for antitrust approvals in the European Union (EU) and Taiwan, and the transaction has yet to receive clearance in both Japan and Mexico as a result of LVMHs inexcusable delay in responding to the reviewing authorities requests for information in those countries, Tiffany argued. Tiffanys complaint has essentially sought to make the case that the alleged delays by LVMH in promptly applying for antitrust approvals shows the luxury company attempting to back out of the deal and perhaps renegotiate the price. Merger deals generally require the parties involved to make reasonable best efforts in reaching the closing deadline for the deal. In this case, the parties had aimed to close the deal by mid-2020, and the drop dead date under the merger agreement was moved to Nov. 24, according to the complaint. Whether the parties have reasonably acted to complete the transaction can be a question for the court, which will rest on its interpretation of some of the special contract terms at issue. Fundamentally, such arguments raise the question of whether a partys course of conduct in a case was in bad faith, which can involve a high burden of proof, said Alan Behr, partner at Phillips Nizer LLP, who is not involved in the case and spoke generally. That is the kind of claim that isheavily fact-based, involving a lot of discovery, and ultimately goes to trial, a lot of testimony, to prove or disprove an allegation that somebody was not behaving in the correct way anticipated by the parties in a good faith manner to conclude a transaction, Behr said. You would have to go back and look at what was committed to in writing that was in some way breached, he added. And that is so highly variable by deal, and that is something that will have to come out in the course of this litigation. Tiffanys suit seeks specific performance, that is, it is asking the court to compel LVMH to close the deal based on the purchase price that was agreed to in the merger agreement. If not, the company is seeking damages. In the meantime, more fireworks are expected. A mother has called for a boycott of Asda and branded the supermarket 'disgusting' for 'promoting paedophilia' by selling children's T-shirts with LGBTQ flag colours and naked trolls with the slogan 'everybody is free to love'. Sky Rodriguez was shocked when she discovered the slogan on tops while shopping at the St Austell Superstore in Cornwall on Monday. The events manager, 37, shared an image of the clothing, which is labelled for ages one to 14, on Facebook where other parents said it left them 'sickened' but Asda has defended the T-shirt as 'inclusive'. The top shows six naked trolls each with a different coloured hair, collectively making up the the colours of a version of the LGBTQ+ flag, underneath rainbow writing which reads: 'Everybody is free to love'. A mother has called for a boycott of Asda and branded the supermarket 'disgusting' for 'promoting paedophilia' by selling children's T-shirts with LGBT flag colours and naked trolls with the slogan 'everybody is free to love' Save Our Children activist Kiki Marriott believes the shirts 'promote paedophilia as a sexual orientation' because she claims the slogan is used by the 'love has no age' movement and those attracted to minors. The mother-of-one, 34, is so outraged she is calling for a boycott of the store as she claims selling the shirt 'normalises' the 'love has no age' movement. Both mothers complained to Asda and called for the T-shirts to be removed from sale - but Asda defended the slogans as 'fun and inclusive' words that 'celebrate LGBTQ+ culture'. It is the second time the supermarket giant has come under fire on the subject, after Baroness Nicholson complained to the chain for using the 'love has no age limit' slogan in home learning packs for primary school children in June. Save Our Children activist Kiki Marriott believes the shirts 'promote paedophilia as a sexual orientation' as she claims the slogan is used by the 'love has no age' movement and those attracted to minors. She is pictured with her 13-year-old daughter, Princess Sky, from St Austell, Cornwall, said: 'I was just shocked - I saw it, walked past and then I was like "no" and I went back and thought "I can't believe that" - that's when I took a photo. 'I've been following sex trafficking stuff online and it does make you more aware, but I think the T-shirt was just blatantly obvious and totally inappropriate. 'I think it's giving the wrong message to our children - it normalises not having boundaries and you don't want them thinking that it's okay. Sky Rodriguez (pictured) was shocked when she discovered the bizarre slogan on tops while shopping at the St Austell Superstore in Cornwall on Monday 'I shared it on Facebook because I felt that people should know - it's raising awareness and I want everybody to make a stand. 'I think if you see something that's not right like that you've got to do something - it's safeguarding children at the end of the day.' Campaigner Kiki was equally outraged as she claims the T-shirts 'normalise' the 'love has no age' movement and 'promote paedophilia as a sexual orientation'. Kiki, from south east London, said: 'I felt disappointed and a bit scared - it's scary how much they're trying to normalise this. Campaigner Kiki was equally outraged as she claims the T-shirts 'normalise' the 'love has no age' movement and 'promote paedophilia as a sexual orientation' 'It's scary how many people are not aware that by their children wearing these clothes, it's a sign to a very dark world - it is very worrying. 'The T-shirt says "everybody is free to love" - that is pretty much a slogan for the 'love has no age'movement and is the message of minor-attracted persons [MAPs], which is another word for paedophiles. 'At the moment there's loads of people coming out as MAPs and they're really trying to attach themselves to the LGBTQ community - that's why they're using the rainbow colours. 'The LGBTQ community are so against it, because no one in their right mind supports paedophilia.' Both concerned mums have complained to Asda and were horrified given the store had been criticised only in June for referencing 'love has no age limit' in their primary school packs. After Sky shared an image of the T-shirt to Facebook, dozens of parents commented their shock at the design Kiki said: 'I just think Asda should be boycotted because this is not the first instance where they've sold these types of products. 'We need to unite together and boycott them to show that we do not tolerate this and we will not be putting our children in these clothes. 'It's so important to me because I care for not just my own child, but for all children around the world - I care for their safety and 'love has no age' is not going to be part of their future. 'I'm not the only person that feels like this as there's a big group of us that are very passionate - we want Asda to be aware that we're coming for them and are going to campaign against them.' Sky added: 'I just think there's an agenda - obviously with the 'love has no age limit' packs they've sent out as well - why would you put that on a children's activity pack? It's just ridiculous. Asda came under fire in June when they backed home learning packs for children aged between three and 11 that were created with partner charity Diversity Role Models, which included the slogan 'love has no age limit'. Baroness Nicholson complained to the supermarket about the slogan and Asda's CEO Roger Burnley apologised for the 'clearly inappropriate' material 'I want better practice from Asda - I hope that they take them off the shelves, stop doing it and are more responsible.' Asda came under fire in June when they backed home learning packs for children aged between three and 11 that were created with partner charity Diversity Role Models, which included the slogan 'love has no age limit'. Baroness Nicholson complained to the supermarket about the slogan and Asda's CEO Roger Burnley apologised for the 'clearly inappropriate' material. An Asda spokesperson said: 'Our rainbow Trolls T-shirts feature fun and inclusive slogans and are part of our wider Pride range which celebrates LGBTQ+ culture. Sky (pictured) said the T-shirt is giving children 'the wrong message' as it 'normalises not having boundaries and you don't want them thinking that it's okay' Kiki (pictured) was outraged by the product and called for the supermarket to be boycotted, as 'this is not the first instance where they've sold these types of products' 'As an inclusive organisation that welcomes customers and colleagues from all backgrounds, we are proud to support Pride.' The red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and violet was designed by American artist Gilbert Baker's in the 1960s, and has become internationally recognised as symbol of the LGBTQ+ community. But in recent years many groups, including the London mayor's office, have added the black and brown stripes to the flags, adopting 'The Progress Flag' to acknowledge the struggles of people of colour and trans people. Although it was first designed by graphic designer Daniel Quasar in 2018, the flag has seen widespread coverage this year after many people used the rainbow flag to support the NHS amid the coronavirus pandemic. Using public transportation, visiting a place of worship, or otherwise traveling from the home is associated with a significantly higher likelihood of testing positive with the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, while practicing strict social distancing is associated with a markedly lower likelihood, suggests a study from researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. For their analysis, the researchers surveyed a random sample of more than 1,000 people in the state of Maryland in late June, asking about their social distancing practices, use of public transportation, SARS-CoV-2 infection history, and other COVID-19-relevant behaviors. They found, for example, that those reporting frequent public transport use were more than four times as likely to report a history of testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 infection, while those who reported practicing strict outdoor social distancing were just a tenth as likely to report ever being SARS-CoV-2 positive. The study is believed to be among the first large-scale evaluations of COVID-19-relevant behaviors that is based on individual-level survey data, as opposed to aggregated data from sources such as cellphone apps. The results were published online on September 2 in Clinical Infectious Diseases. Our findings support the idea that if you're going out, you should practice social distancing to the extent possible because it does seem strongly associated with a lower chance of getting infected. Studies like this are also relatively easy to do, so we think they have the potential to be useful tools for identification of places or population subgroups with higher vulnerability." Sunil Solomon, MBBS, PhD, MPH, study senior author, associate professor in the Bloomberg School's Department of Epidemiology and an associate professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins School Medicine The novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 has infected nearly 27 million people around the world, of whom some 900,000 have died, according to the World Health Organization. In the absence of a vaccine, public health authorities have emphasized practices such as staying at home, and wearing masks and maintaining social distancing while in public. Yet there hasn't been a good way to monitor whether--and among which groups--such practices are being followed. Solomon and colleagues, including first author Steven Clipman, a PhD candidate in the Bloomberg School's Department of International Health, quickly accessed willing survey participants via a company that maintains a large nationwide pool of potential participants as a commercial service for market research. The 1,030 people included in the study were all living in Maryland, which has logged more than 113,000 SARS-CoV-2 confirmed cases and nearly 3,700 confirmed deaths, according to the Maryland Department of Health. The researchers asked the survey participants questions about recent travel outside the home, their use of masks, social distancing and related practices, and any confirmed infection with SARS-CoV-2 either recently or at all. The results indicated that 55 (5.3 percent) of the 1,030 participants had tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 infection at any time, while 18 (1.7 percent) reported testing positive in the two weeks before they were surveyed. The researchers found that when considering all the variables they could evaluate, spending more time in public places was strongly associated with having a history of SARS-CoV-2 infection. For example, an infection history was about 4.3 times more common among participants who stated that they had used public transportation more than three times in the prior two weeks, compared to participants who stated they had never used public transportation in the two-week period. An infection history also was 16 times more common among those who reported having visited a place of worship three or more times in the prior two weeks, compared to those who reported visiting no place of worship during the period. The survey did not distinguish between visiting a place of worship for a religious service or other purposes, such as a meeting, summer camp or meal. Conversely, those who reported practicing social distancing outdoors "always" were only 10 percent as likely to have a SARS-CoV-2 history, compared to those who reported "never" practicing social distancing. An initial, relatively simple analysis linked many other variables to SARS-CoV-2 infection history, including being Black or Hispanic. But a more sophisticated, "multivariable" analysis suggested that many of these apparent links were largely due to differences in movement and social distancing. "When we adjusted for other variables such as social distancing practices, a lot of those simple associations went away, which provides evidence that social distancing is an effective measure for reducing SARS-CoV-2 transmission," Clipman says. The data indicated a greater adoption of social distancing practices among some groups who are especially vulnerable to serious COVID-19 illness, suggesting that they were relatively aware of their vulnerability. For example, 81 percent of over-65 participants reported always practicing social distancing at outdoor activities, while only 58 percent of 18-24 year olds did so. The results are consistent with the general public health message that mask-wearing, social distancing, and limiting travel whenever possible reduce SARS-CoV-2 transmission. The researchers suggest, though, that studies such as these, employing similarly rapid surveys of targeted groups, could also become useful tools for predicting where and among which groups infectious diseases will spread most quickly. "We did this study in Maryland in June, and it showed among other things that younger people in the state were less likely to reduce their infection risk with social distancing--and a month later a large proportion of the SARS-CoV-2 infections detected in Maryland was among younger people," says Solomon. "So, it points to the possibility of using these quick, inexpensive surveys to predict where outbreaks are going to happen based on behaviors, and then mobilizing public health resources accordingly." Solomon and his team are now conducting similar surveys in other states and are studying the surveys' potential as predictive epidemiological tools. "Rapid real-time tracking of non-pharmaceutical interventions and their association with SARS-CoV-2 positivity: The COVID-19 Pandemic Pulse Study" was written by Steven Clipman, Amy Wesolowski, Dustin Gibson, Smisha Agarwal, Anastasia Lambrou, Gregory Kirk, Alain Labrique, Shruti H. Mehta, and Sunil Solomon. Afghanistan Says It Has Arrested IS Militant Behind Clerics' Killings By RFE/RL's Radio Free Afghanistan September 10, 2020 KABUL -- Afghanistan's main intelligence agency says it has arrested a key member of the Islamic State (IS) extremist group's affiliate in the country who is said to be a mastermind behind the assassination of two prominent religious scholars in Kabul. The National Directorate of Security (NDS) announced on September 10 the capture of Obaidullah, also known as Akrama Madani, during a special operation. He was described as the head of IS operations in northern and northeastern Afghanistan. The militant group has not yet commented on the arrest. An NDS official told RFE/RL that the arrest took place in the Afghan capital. Video footage provided by the agency shows the alleged suspect confessing to being a former Taliban member who later joined the IS group. In a statement, the NDS said Obaidullah in 2012 joined the militant Haqqani network, which has ties with the Taliban, before turning to IS. It said he was planning a bombing attack on the Imam Sadiq Mosque in the northern city of Kunduz. The man was also one of the main masterminds behind the killing of well-known religious scholars Maulvi Mohammad Ayaz Niazi and Maulvi Azizullah Mufleh in two separate attacks in Kabul in June, according to the statement. Niazi, a prominent pro-government cleric, was killed in early June in a bomb blast at Kabul's Wazir Akbar Mosque, where he was leading Friday Prayers. Mufleh, another prominent cleric, was killed a week later in a similar attack at the Sher Shah Soori Mosque in Kabul. The Afghan affiliate of the IS claimed responsibility for both bombings. The militants have been active in the war-torn country since 2015, fighting the Taliban as well as Afghan and U.S. forces. They have also carried out deadly attacks against pro-government religious leaders, members of religious minorities, government officials, and media workers in Afghanistan. With reporting by TOLOnews Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/afghanistan- says-it-has-arrested-is-militant- behind-clerics-killings/30831984.html Copyright (c) 2020. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Los Angeles Urban League Letter to The Editor Another Police Killing On Monday, August 31, 2020, two Los Angeles County Sherriff deputies shot and killed Dijon Kizzee, a 29-year-old African American man from Lancaster, CA, visiting friends and family in the Westmont neighborhood of Los Angeles. Shortly after Mr. Kizzee was pronounced dead, community activists gathered at the sight of the shooting. They marched to the local Sheriffs station to protest the unnecessary murder of another Black man by those pledged to protect and serve. Protesters are rightfully outraged, and the family deserves answers and transparency. The following day, Sheriff Alex Villanueva expressed his frustration with the murder, but for another reason. The Sheriff criticized the activists for not protesting other homicides. Sheriff Villanueva expressly pointed out a recent murder in which the victim was beaten to death in the restroom of a supermarket in Lancaster about a month ago, Villanueva said. That name is already forgotten by people. The people on the streets are not saying his name. Sheriff Villanueva, please know that we mourn every death, we abhor every murderous act, and we detest the criminal who committed the murder that you chose to mention. But understand thisthat murderer did not take an oath to protect us; we did not pay taxes to recruit, train, and arm that murderer, we did not give that murderer special rights in the event of an investigation; that murderer does not work for us. On the other hand, you, Sheriff Alex Villanueva, and each of the Los Angeles Sheriffs Departments sworn deputies has taken an oath to protect the citizens of Los Angeles County, not kill us. ADVERTISEMENT Yes, we mourn every death, and we decry every murder, but we cannot quietly mourn the senseless murders that take place at the hands of the men and women employed by and sworn to protect us. We protest because you and the Sheriffs Departments men and women are accountable to us, the citizens of Los Angeles County. Sheriff Villanueva, if you do not understand the difference, you are not worthy of the title Sheriff. On behalf of the Los Angeles Urban Leagues men and women, I extend our deepest condolences to the Kizzee family and the entire Westmont community, which has endured too much violence over these past months. We mourn with you. We stand with you. With you in the movement, Michael A. Lawson President & CEO Los Angeles Urban League Two new cases of COVID-19 have been detected in Queensland overnight as Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk continues to defend the states border measures, saying "heartbreaking" consequences were being felt by many families. The two new cases were close contacts of previous confirmed cases in the state's existing clusters and both were in quarantine. One was the seventh in a single family to catch the virus. Ms Palaszczuk has faced a slew of questions about the border exemption regime following the case of Sarah Caisip, who was locked in quarantine while her father died. Ms Caisip's case sparked national outcry after the Canberra nurses plea to attend her fathers funeral in Brisbane was denied because she had to remain in hotel quarantine. Advertisement Joe Biden visited the Flight 93 National Memorial on Friday afternoon shortly after President Trump paid tribute to the victims of the 9/11 plane crash in Pennsylvania on the 19th anniversary of the terror attacks. Hours after attending a memorial service in New York City, Biden and wife Jill traveled to the memorial where the former vice president laid a wreath and greeted relatives of one of the slain crew members, First Officer LeRoy Homer. Wearing a mask and practicing social distancing, Biden greeted Homer's family with elbow bumps before going on to meet another family of a victim, as well as a young bagpipe player, whom he asked about her college plans. He spoke about his respect for the passengers on the flight that sacrificed themselves to help bring it down, and said sacrifices like theirs 'mark the character of a country.' 'This is a country that never, never, never, never, never, never gives up,' Biden said. Joe Biden and his wife Jill traveled to the Flight 93 National Memorial shortly after attending a 9/11 memorial ceremony in New York City, and Trump's speech in Shanksville Biden was seen laying a wreath under the name of one of the slain crew members, First Officer LeRoy Homer. The Democratic candidate pledged not to make any news during the day with the November 3 election now less than two months away Biden and his wife, Jill, greeted Camal Wilson and Cheryl Homer-Wilson after laying a wreath in front of her brother, Leroy Homer's name at the Wall of Names following a ceremony at the Flight 93 National Memorial Unlike the president, Biden did not deliver a speech at the memorial. The presidential candidate spoke with relatives of victims who lost their lives in the attack 'Don't ever underestimate one of the marks of being an American is understanding there's some things that are bigger and more important than yourself,' he added. The former vice president also met with the family of flight attendant Loraine Bay. Biden then visited the Shanksville Volunteer Fire Department, where he delivered a Bundt cake and pastries to a couple of firefighters. About two dozen community members were gathered to see the former Vice President and his wife. Biden said that the last time he was there, he said he'd bring beer - and he came through, presenting two six packs to a group of firefighters there. The volunteer fire department were among several rescue crews that responded to the site of the crash in a field in Shanksville 19 years ago. The Democratic candidate's interactions with families on Friday appeared to show Biden edging back into his element, as a politician who thrives on personal interaction and expressing empathy with fellow Americans. Biden earlier attended the 9/11 Memorial & Museum's annual commemoration at Ground Zero in New York, along with Vice President Mike Pence. Meanwhile, President Trump had traveled to the memorial site in Pennsylvania where he struck a somber tone as he paid tribute to the 40 passengers and crew killed aboard Flight 93. Despite the election being less than two months away, Biden pledged not to make any news during the day and insisted that he would steer clear of politics on a national day of mourning. Although the candidates and country were focused on the commemorations, the political significance of Trump and Biden's visits to Shanksville is hard to ignore, with Pennsylvania being a crucial battleground state. Biden spoke with Flight 93 victim Loraine Bay's family at the memorial. Earlier in the day the Bidens attended a remembrance ceremony at the September 11 National Memorial in New York City Man of the people: Biden's visit on Friday appeared to show him edging back into his element, as a politician who thrives on personal interaction and expressing empathy with fellow Americans The former VP visited the Shanksville Volunteer Fire Department, where he delivered a Bundt cake and pastries to a couple of firefighters Biden said that the last time he was there, he said he'd bring beer - and he came through, presenting two six packs to a group of firefighters there About two dozen community members were gathered to see the former Vice President and his wife While Trump and Biden's visit did not overlap, Pence and Biden's did. In a rare moment of detente, Biden was seen approaching Pence after arriving at the New York City ceremony and tapping him on the shoulder to say hello. Wearing masks, the current and former vice president then shared an elbow bump - the popular COVID-era handshake replacement - as did Biden and second lady Karen Pence. Victims' relatives gathered for split-screen remembrances, one at the September 11 memorial plaza at the World Trade Center and another on a nearby corner, set up by a separate organization. The Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation objected to the memorial's decision to forgo a longstanding tradition of having relatives read the names of the dead, often adding poignant tributes. Memorial leaders said they made the change as a coronavirus-safety precaution on the 19th anniversary of the deadliest terror attack on U.S. soil. At the September 11 Memorial and Museum, mourners stood silently as they listened to a pre-recorded reading of the names - a plan that organizers felt would avoid close contact at a stage but still allow families to remember their loved ones at the place where they died. Earlier, Joe Biden greeted Vice President Mike Pence, as Department of Homeland Security Acting Secretary Chad Wolf, far left, looks on at the National September 11 Memorial and Museum Friday morning In New York City, Democratic presidential candidate, Joe Biden and wife Jill, stood alongside Governor Andrew Cuomo during a pre-recorded reading of the names ceremony on Friday The Tunnel to Towers Foundation arranged its own, simultaneous ceremony a few blocks away, saying there was no reason that people couldn't recite names while keeping a safe distance. Reverence for the dead 'requires that we read these names out loud, in person, every year,' said foundation chair Frank Siller, whose brother Stephen was a firefighter. The readers stood at podiums that were wiped down between each person. Biden offered condolences to a woman he spotted crying in the crowd of hundreds, Amanda Barreto, who lost her aunt and godmother in the attacks. Barreto, 27, said Biden 'wanted to let me know to keep the faith' and 'wanted me to say strong,' telling her he understood what it meant to lose a loved one. His first wife and their daughter died in a 1972 car crash, and his son Beau died of brain cancer in 2015. Biden didn't speak at the ceremony, which has a longstanding custom of not allowing politicians to make remarks. He also told the reporters traveling with him what the day means to him: 'It means I remember all my friends that I lost.' 'It takes a lot of courage for someone that lost someone to come back today,' Biden continued. 'I know from experience, losing my wife, my daughter, my son, you relive it, the moment as if it's happening. It's hard. The president paid tribute to the 40 Americans who died on United Flight 93 when they brought down the plane in a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania before al-Qaeda hijackers could reach Washington U.S. President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump stood together during a ceremony at the Flight 93 National Memorial, remembering those killed when the hijacked flight crashed into an open field on September 11, 2001 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 'It's a wonderful memorial, but it's hard. It just brings you back to the moment it happened, no matter how long, how much time passes. So I admire the families who come.' Meanwhile, Pence went on to the Tunnel to Towers Foundation ceremony, where he read the Bible's 23rd Psalm, and his wife, Karen, read a passage from the Book of Ecclesiastes. 'For the families of the lost and friends they left behind, I pray these ancient words will comfort your heart and others,' said the vice president, drawing applause from the crowd of hundreds. In a sobering and patriotic speech at the national memorial in Pennsylvania, Trump praised the '40 towering patriots' who he said 'took charge and changed the course of history forever' as al Qaeda hijackers were flying the plane toward Washington. 'The heroes of Flight 93 are an everlasting reminder that no matter the danger, no matter the threat, no matter the odds, America will always rise up, stand tall, and fight back,' the president said. 'The only thing that stood between the enemy and a deadly strike at the heart of American democracy was the courage and resolve of 40 men and women.' 'Our sacred task, our righteous duty, and our solemn pledge, is to carry forward the noble legacy of the brave souls who gave their lives for us 19 years ago,' he said. 'In their memory, we resolve to stand united as one American nation, to defend our freedoms - to uphold our values - to love our neighbors - to cherish our country - to care for our communities - to honor our heroes - and to never forget.' After he spoke, he and first lady Melania Trump laid a wreath at the Flight 93 Memorial, which contains the names of those who died. A bag piper played 'Amazing Grace.' During his remarks, the president also paid tribute to the members of the military that lost their lives in the wake of the terrorists attacks. 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 President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump pause for a moment of silence on Air Force One 'More than 7,000 Military Heroes have laid down their lives since 9/11 to preserve our freedom,' Trump said. 'No words can express the summit of their glory or the infinite depth of our gratitude. But we will strive every single day to repay our immeasurable debt and prove worthy of their supreme sacrifice.' Trump also offered words to the unit the country on its day of mourning. 'We were united by our conviction that America was the world's most exceptional country, blessed with the most incredible heroes, and that this was a land worth defending with our very last breath. It was a unity based on love for our families, care for our neighbors, loyalty to our fellow citizens, pride in our flag, gratitude for our police and first responders, faith in God - and a refusal to bend our will to the depraved forces of violence, intimidation, oppression and evil,' he said. 'When terrorists raced to destroy the seat of our democracy, the 40 of flight 93 did the most American of things, they took a vote and then they acted,' Trump added. Trump's visit kicked off a day of memorial services expected to take place at the memorial sites of the 9/11 attacks in Pennsylvania, New York City and at the Pentagon in Washington, as well as across the country. Earlier, the president and first lady Melania Trump also observed a moment of silence aboard Air Force One at 8.46am, marking the time the first plane hit the World Trade Center 19 years ago. In short, the anniversary of 9/11 is a complicated occasion in a maelstrom of a year, as the U.S. grapples with a health crisis, searches its soul over racial injustice and prepares to choose a leader to chart a path forward. Still, families say it's important for the nation to pause and remember the hijacked-plane attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people at the trade center, at the Pentagon in Washington and near Shanksville on September 11, 2001 - shaping American policy, perceptions of safety and daily life in places from airports to office buildings. Around the country, some communities canceled 9/11 commemorations because of the pandemic, while others went ahead, sometimes with modifications. The Pentagon's observance was so restricted that not even victims families could attend, though small groups can visit the memorial there later in the day. The National Park Service, which co-hosts the annual Flight 93 memorial event in Pennsylvania, had originally said it was planning an abbreviated ceremony this year to minimize the spread of the coronavirus, with no keynote speaker or musical guests. But after Biden and then the White House announced their plans to visit, the agency's website was updated to reflect a new schedule that included remarks from Trump and the secretary of the interior. None of the appearances featured prominent political showmanship, though the ceremonies were closely followed by the media and gave the candidates what political scientist Robert Shapiro dubbed a chance to 'show their leadership and empathy.' The choice of Trump and Biden to both head to Pennsylvania, a vital election battleground state, illustrates the 'obvious calculations' their advisors have made, the Columbia University scholar said. In 2016, the 9/11 memorial events became a flashpoint in the presidential campaign after then-Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton abruptly left the Ground Zero ceremony and was seen stumbling as she tried to get into a van. Trump, who spoke repeatedly of that during the campaign, also spent the day in New York and paid his own visit to the memorial in Lower Manhattan. Friday was Trump's second time observing the anniversary in Shanksville, where he made remarks in 2018. Biden spoke at the memorial's dedication in 2011, when he was vice president. New Delhi: Aviation regulator DGCA has asked for a report from IndiGo airlines on the alleged violation of safety and social distancing protocols by mediapersons in its Chandigarh-Mumbai flight that had actor Kangana Ranaut as a passenger, sources said on Friday. "We have seen some videos wherein mediapersons are standing too close to each other in the 6E264 flight on Wednesday. It seems to be a violation of safety and social distancing protocols. We have asked IndiGo to submit a report on this incident," a DGCA official said. Another DGCA official confirmed that the regulator has asked for a report from the airline on this incident. Ranaut was sitting in one of the front rows of the Chandigarh-Mumbai flight on Wednesday, the official added. Many mediapersons were also onboard the same flight. As per the Civil Aviation Ministry's social distancing rules issued on May 25, "on arrival at the destination, the passengers should be allowed to exit (the plane) in a sequence so as to avoid any bunching". Kangana Ranaut, at the centre of a row with the Maharashtra government, on Friday turned her attention to Congress president Sonia Gandhi to say she must intervene and stop the harassment of women. Ranaut, whose comment likening Mumbai to Pakistan occupied Kashmir triggered a spat with Maharashtra's ruling Shiv Sena as well as its coalition partners Congress and NCP, said history would judge Gandhi's silence and indifference. Ranaut's office here faced action for "illegal" alterations by Shiv Sena-led Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Wednesday. The 33-year-old actor has been aggressively criticising the Maharashtra government on Twitter since she returned to the city from her home state Himachal Pradesh on Wednesday, soon after the civic authorities demolished portions of her office. On Thursday, Ranaut took on the Maharashtra government by castigating Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray for misusing power and declaring that her voice won't be suppressed. The Queen actor, who has been given Y-plus category security, posted a series of tweets comparing the BMC to goons, terming the state government a milavat sarkar and recalling Marathi culture and pride. Later in the day, Union Minister Ramdas Athawale met Ranaut at her residence in Khar here and alleged that the BMC demolition drive at her bungalow in Bandra was carried out in a sentiment of revenge and the Maharashtra government, too, had a role to play. Railway and aviation logistics giants and farm produce trading firms discussed cooperation Railway and aviation logistics giants and farm produce trading firms on September 8gathered at a roundtable to discuss improving the transportation links to better serve farm produce trade in the future. Strengthened hand-shakes in need Addressing the event, Tran Thanh Hai, deputy director of the Agency for Foreign Trade under the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) said that farm produce is one of the sectors that greatly contribute to the countrys total export turnover with many key export items such as rice, coffee, cashew nuts, pepper, and rubber, among others. In 2019, farm produce export turnover reached nearly $25.5 million, in which six out of the nine key staples reported an export turnover of over $2 billion each. He, however, said that in addition to the achievements, Vietnams farm produce exports are still facing some challenges, with logistics costs being the backstop holding back farm produce from increasing its competitiveness. Therefore, cooperation between railway and aviation firms and farm produce traders should be enhanced. According to a recent study on the means of transport for farm produce trading, roadways remain the top selection thanks to its flexibility and fast delivery, especially for exports to the countries which have borders with Vietnam. The runner-up is sea transportation because of its low cost and adaptability for exports to distant markets and to those with low seasonality. Meanwhile, railway and aviation are still on the bottom of the list due to their high costs. Railways also lack a link with other means of transport. Many participants agreed that the concentration on farm produce transport for exports by road has a measure of impact on the competitiveness of the products due to high logistics costs and traffic jams at border gates during peak periods. Meanwhile, railway and aviation have their advantages but have yet to be chosen by exporters and importers. In the first half of 2020, over 800,000 tonnes of fruits were exported via the Lao Cai and Dong Dang border gates. Of this, only 17,400 tonnes of farm produce were imported or exported by train. The facts prove that railway is a good choice for traders because of the capacity to transport huge volumes, possibly reaching 60,000 tonnes a day. Each carriage can handle 30 tonnes on average, while each train has about 18-21 carriages. Moreover, railway carriages offer better preservation capacity, more safety, and fast delivery. For example, international trains from Vietnam to Europe take 20 days, while normal trains take 40 days. The railway sector also provides formal import-export services such as customs clearance procedures at border gates, warehouses, and depots. Talking about the difficulties in cargo transport by air, Do Xuan Quang from Vietjet Air Cargo JSC said that domestic airlines have smaller scale than international players, despite recent developments and expansions. Moreover, domestic air carriers have yet to focus on freighters. They also lack qualified manpower for air cargo transport. Quang admitted that air fares are too high for cargo transport, while preservation capabilities for farm produce remain an unsolved problem. Due to this, farm produce transport makes up a minority share of the aviation sector. According to Nguyen Dinh Tung, general director of Vina T&T, which specialises in farm produce exports, said that his businesses have been using air cargo transport service for years. He, however, admitted that logistics cost remain high. On the other hand, freight rates are decided by international airlines when exporting to the US and Canada. Actions for future improvement Since the beginning of 2020, amidst the serious development of COVID-19 in Vietnam and globally, railways and aviation are amongst the hardest-hit sectors, reporting strong decreases in passenger volume. To partly cover the losses, the railway and aviation sectors are moving to upgrade infrastructure, increase service quality, and are opening new cargo transport services. In particular, airlines increase the use of passenger aircraft for cargo transport to increase cargo transport capacity, thus reducing logistics costs. Vu Tien Dung from Bamboo Airways said that Bamboo Airways planned to expand international flights in 2020. However, due to the pandemic, the airline focused on cargo transport. Vietjet Air Cargo also did the same. As expected, in the third quarter of 2020, Vietjet will put into use a cargo fleet. Nguyen Chinh Nam, director of the Planning and Business Department at VNR In the railway sector, Nguyen Chinh Nam, director of the Planning and Business Department at state-owned railway giant Vietnam Railways (VNR), said that it upgrades the quality of carriages, operates self-propelled cold containers, provides door-to-door services, and others. Recently, international cargo trains to countries via China are being put into operation, thus shortening transportation time, and speeding up formal customs clearance procedures at the border gate stations of Dong Dang, Vietnam and Pingxiang, China. Railway Transport and Trade JSC (Ratraco), a unit of VNR, is offering a discount of 15 per cent on freight rates for containers of farm produce on North-South trains from September 9 to December 31, 2020. To promote the exports and imports of farm produce by train, the railway sector is working with countries on possible solutions to increase connectivity, information exchange, freight rates, service fees, and others to provide more reasonable rates for customers. At the roundtable, railway and aviation logistics firms signed cooperation agreements with farm produce traders in a move to boost linkages. Anybody who doubts that American democracy could fall if President Donald Trump wins reelection should take it from someone who knows, John Dean says. He believes a budding dictator occupies the White House. I worked for the last authoritarian president, and he was dangerous enough, said Dean, the Watergate cover-up co-conspirator who served as chief White House counsel to Richard Nixon and testified against him during Senate hearings. Trump makes Nixon look like a choirboy. If we get four more years of him, Dean said, then our democracy will be gone. The notion of a U.S. president bringing about the nations downfall could be easily dismissed as breathless hyperbole, business as usual in Americas super-heated political climate. But Dean and other critics of the Trump administration former government officials, historians whove tracked the rise of dictatorships in other countries see an increasingly bleak future for America if voters dont come to terms with Trumps recent behaviour. The president has encouraged voters in both North Carolina and Pennsylvania to cast ballots twice, floated the idea of delaying the election something he has no legal authority to do and when Fox News anchor Chris Wallace asked whether hed accept the results if he loses, Trump answered, I have to see. Hes spread baseless theories about voter fraud and threatened to withhold aid to the U.S. Postal Service during an election year when tens of millions of voters are expected to cast their ballots by mail due to a deadly pandemic. Even with so many signs that Trump is operating out of bounds, Republican leaders and rank-and-file members often seem unwilling to stand up to him. It can be easy to view some of this as science fiction, doomsday stuff, but there is really something extraordinary and extraordinarily worrying going on, said Michael Waldman, president of the non-partisan Brennan Center for Justice at New York University School of Law. The checks and balances, the legal constraints, the unwritten norms theyre all under enormous pressure. Trumps attempts to sow distrust in the most basic functions of a democratic society in particular voting should give all Americans pause, Waldman said. Thats what a dictator does, he said. Its utterly foreign to the entire 244-year history of the country. Theres been ugliness. Theres been racism. But to have a leader try to undermine the vote, as a part of his core strategy, is something thats never happened. That is a sign of a shaky democracy. Trump hasnt just undermined the election process. Hes portrayed protesters against police brutality as thugs and domestic terrorists while defending armed supporters who demonstrated inside the Michigan statehouse over pandemic lockdown measures and those who went to Portland, Oregon, and Kenosha, Wisconsin, during civil unrest. Former CIA Director Michael Hayden, a retired four-star general, said he was especially stunned at Trumps threats to use the military to quell unrest, which have so far been rebuffed. Speaking by phone recently, Hayden said he could hardly stomach the sight of Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark A. Milley, the nations top military officer, standing with the president during Trumps Bible-holding photo op near the White House in June, moments after federal officers forcibly cleared the streets of peaceful anti-racism demonstrators. Hayden witnessed authoritarianism firsthand when he worked inside the Soviet Union. Now, he said, its the possibility that Trump will be reelected that gives him chills. Im going to be gone sooner or later, said the 75-year-old Hayden, who recently suffered a stroke. But I thought America would be OK. ... Im a little bit scared now. The same week that Trump accepted his partys nomination for reelection, Hayden voiced his concern to a panel of experts on democracy. If the president wins a second term, he told them, I dont know what will happen to the American republic. Grave warnings such as Deans and Haydens are notable because they dont just emanate from Trumps detractors on the left but in many cases from within conservative ranks and from people who served in Republican administrations. Hayden was one of 73 former national security officials from the Trump, Reagan and both Bush administrations who endorsed Biden in a letter in the Wall Street Journal. What also galls Hayden, who served as national security director under Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush before Bush appointed him to lead the CIA, are Trumps penchant for lying and his attacks on the free press. Hayden said the president has committed an abuse of power used by despots all over the world by trying to distort the nature of reality itself. Hayden recounted a dinner conversation he had with a military leader during the Cold War when he was a diplomatic attache in Bulgaria. The man explained his definition of truth. He said, Truth is what serves the party, Hayden recalled. I think about that time, and now my own government is doing something similar. Truth is what serves Trump. Dean has also been struggling to make sense of how the worlds most successful democracy, one thats championed the idea of free and fair elections, constitutional checks and balances, civil discourse and the idea that no one is above the law, could be threatened even more than during the Nixon administration. Those who say this election is a defining election, theyre not spoofing, Dean said. Its a shame that more people dont see it. In a book he co-wrote, Authoritarian Nightmare: Trump and His Followers, Dean tries to explain the appeal to some Americans of a president who has expressed good will and even praise for strongmen like North Koreas Kim Jong Un, Russias Vladimir Putin and Turkeys Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Trump went so far as to boast about his cosy relationship with Kim in recorded interviews with Bob Woodward for the veteran journalists upcoming book Rage. Its funny, the relationships I have, the tougher and meaner they are, the better I get along with them, Trump said of authoritarian leaders to Woodward. If Trump is reelected, Dean said, he would be like a toddler in the terrible twos with the keys to the tank and nobody restraining him. Democracy is fragile. There are traditions and norms and guardrails that have always been respected, and he just ignores them. Elaine Kamarck, a senior fellow in the governance studies program at the Brookings Institution, is taken aback by Trumps seeming affinity for autocrats and his attacks on the press, and said his attempts to undermine mail-in voting are just criminal. But Kamarck believes that even though Trump is the most authoritarian man weve ever had in this office, he may end up being more bark than bite a feckless and desperate leader who tweets conspiracies that have no merit and makes threats that he doesnt back up. The flip side of all of that is he has not, as far as I can tell, made any substantive legal changes to our system of checks and balances in spite of his rhetoric, said Kamarck, who served in the Clinton administration as leader of its reinventing government initiative. The press seems to be doing its job. The House of Representatives did go ahead and impeach him. The courts have consistently thwarted him, including his Supreme Court. The separation of powers is intact. So basically, hes a lot of bluster. Hes a TV performer not a doer, Kamarck said. In that way, the countrys lucky. Still, Trumps failure to respect democratic norms has become so routine, such a feature of his leadership style, that its easy to lose sight of the damage he can do to peoples faith in their power to check the government even if the rule of law survives his presidency, Yale historian Timothy Snyder said. If you go back to what the Founders were saying, it was that regular elections are like fresh air, said Snyder, whos an expert on the rise of tyrannical rulers. Theyre a way of keeping leaders honest and accountable. ... Messing with that is messing with something thats fundamental to democracy. Snyder said Americans should heed efforts in some states to close polling places and impose burdensome voter ID rules. No one should take the idea of a free and fair election for granted, he said. He agrees with Dean that it is voters who will decide whether America holds tight to its democratic values. If Trump persists in subverting the democratic process by interfering with the election or resists stepping aside if he loses to Biden Americans have to be willing to take to the streets in protest if need be, he said. Read more about: DARBY TOWNSHIP Commissioner Marvin Smith was removed from his position as police commissioner during a regular meeting of the board of commissioners Wednesday night. Smith came under fire last week after posting a meme to his personal Facebook page that featured an image of two Black men holding guns to the head of a white police officer with the text, Does it have to come to this to make them stop murdering and terrorizing us? The post was soon deleted, but drew sharp rebukes from law enforcement organizations including the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge #27 for Delaware County, the Delaware County Chiefs of Police Association and Delaware County Sheriff Jerry Sanders. The Daily Times will not publish the image because of its violent content. Township Manager Nicole Whitaker said during a video meeting Wednesday that Darby Township has been bombarded with phone calls and emails demanding Smiths removal or resignation. She read several emails from residents saying the post was disgusting, absurd and unacceptable including one police officer who feared the post had put a target on his back. FOP President Joseph Fitzgerald and Nether Providence Police Chief David Splain, who serves as president of the Police Chiefs Association, have also demanded Smiths resignation. Sanders and Delaware County Council issued statements condemning the post, but did not call for Smith to step down. The use of an image showing guns pointed at the head of a police officer only serves to create an environment of hostility towards the men and women who dedicate their lives to the safety and security of all of our residents, said Sanders in his release. In addition, it diminishes the respect that the public must hold for all good police officers by making them guilty by association with those few who have disrespected the rights of individuals, sometimes with deadly outcomes. Smith apologized on Facebook, saying the meme depicted the frustration of the community with the instances of rogue policing that have happened in cases like that of George Floyd and other instances that have caused our nation much discord. Smith, a Democrat who was elected to represent Darby Townships First Ward last year, said he supports and welcomes good policing of our communities and described himself as a zealous ally of our friends in blue who works with police on a daily basis. Our nation and more specifically our communities are hurting, he said. I regret and whole heartedly apologize if my sharing of that meme exacerbated any of the pain that individuals may be feeling. Perspective is everything and I stand before you with a more educated perspective and the intention to use that more educated perspective in my role as commissioner and my everyday role as your neighbor. Smith indicated the apology post would be the only statement he makes on the situation. Comments on that post were mostly supportive and indicated Smith had nothing to apologize for, though some acknowledged that elected officials should be held to a higher standard. I wonder if all the people who got so hurt by the post show the same energy about the systemic racism (and) social injustice that we face every day in our communities, said one commenter. They really think that we are just going to keep (letting) them kill us and we aint going to fight back. At some point s is going to hit the fan. Actually you shouldnt have (to) apologize, you stated truth and if that hurt some people then they need to get over it, said another. Police wouldnt have to be offended if they did their fing jobs right. Darby Township also issued a statement this week on behalf of the board denouncing the meme as out of line with the townships views and those of residents. We condemn all act(s) of violence and intimidation of violence against the police and citizens, the statement signed by board President Robert Gougler and Vice President John Lacey reads. Our Chief of Police, Mike Sousa and all of our officers have the full support of the Board of Commissioners. The township statement noted that many in the community have asked for Smith to resign, but explained that removing a sitting commissioner can only be accomplished by impeachment, an act of the governor upon address by the state Senate or following a criminal conviction. SAN FRANCISCO Jennifer Krasners 4-year-old daughter had been coughing for days. Krasner and her family live 20 minutes north of San Francisco, in Mill Valley, California, not close to any fire but wreathed in smoke nonetheless, with her house and car dusted with ash. I had to get her tested for COVID because shes been coughing so much, she said Thursday, but it turned out her lungs were just irritated from all the smoke. Across San Francisco Bay to the southeast, in Alameda, Monica Chellams daughter, also 4, asked Wednesday why it was so dark. I told her the sun was blocked by smoke, Chellam said. She turned to me and asked, Is this how the dinosaurs died? Children arent the only ones coughing. And theyre not the only ones with questions about the smoke that is spreading misery around the West. Here are some key facts and tips on what you can do. How much can smoke affect your health? The health effects of wildfire smoke are not fully understood, and the particles differ in some ways from other air pollution, which has been shown to cause disease. But wildfire smoke, which can include toxic substances from burned buildings, has been linked to serious health problems. When this is happening peoples health is suffering, said Sarah Henderson, senior scientist in environmental health services at the British Columbia Center for Disease Control. There is no doubt. Studies have shown that, when waves of smoke hit, the rate of hospital visits rises and many of the additional patients experience respiratory problems, heart attacks and strokes. Henderson said smoke exposure could have lifelong health implications for babies, though she said more research on the question was needed. This may do damage to the developing lungs that they may never recover from, she said. The risks are greater for people of color, who tend to live in areas already exposed to high levels of particulate pollution. According to a 2017 study, older Black people are three times more likely to be hospitalized for respiratory conditions because of smoke. Francesca Dominici, a professor of biostatistics at Harvard University and an author of the study, said, Underrepresented minorities are experiencing a much higher health burden from pollution and wildfire smoke and, now, COVID. The coronavirus pandemic, which has also hit people of color disproportionately, adds further problems. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has warned that people with COVID-19 are at increased risk from wildfire smoke during the pandemic. And the health effects of wildfire smoke dont go away when skies clear. A recent study on Montana residents suggested a long tail for wildfire smoke exposure. Erin Landguth, an associate professor in the school of public and community health science at the University of Montana and the lead author on the study, said research had shown that after bad fire seasons, one would expect to see three to five times worse flu seasons months later. The studys findings, she added, fit what is already known about pollution and disease. Decades of research have shown that elevated air pollution exposure is associated with a number of adverse health impacts, including compromised immune systems, Landguth said. Whats the climate connection? The underlying causes of the rising fire risks in the American West are complex. They include past forestry practices that created abundant fuel for fires and the expansion of communities up to the edges of forestlands. Underlying all of that, however, is climate change, which warms and dries out the vegetation fuel so that a spark whether from downed power lines, lightning or even a gender-reveal party gone terribly wrong can lead to a vast scorched landscape. Even with the most aggressive effort to fight global warming, the inherent lag time in the climate system means that worsening fires and their health effects will be with us for decades. With less vigorous action, the effects of warming will become even more disastrous. Into the climate future, were just going to keep seeing situations that set new records, Henderson said. Daniel Swain, a climate scientist with the Institute of the Environment and Sustainability at the University of California, Los Angeles, said that many of todays fires, even with a measure of containment, are going to be going for weeks, if not months, and are going to be generating smoke for weeks, if not months. Normally, Swain said, what finally extinguishes the fires are autumn rains and snowfall, which historically come in October or November. However, he added, recently, its been coming later than that, and climate change, again, appears to be part of the reason. Can you protect yourself? The CDC recommends limiting exposure to smoke by staying indoors with windows and doors closed and running air conditioners in recirculation mode so that outside air isnt drawn into your home. Portable air purifiers are also recommended, though, like air conditioners, they require electricity. If utilities cut off power, as has happened in California, those options are limited. If you do have power, avoid frying food, which can increase indoor smoke. Experts say it is especially important to avoid cigarettes. They also recommend avoiding strenuous outdoor activities such as exercising or mowing the lawn when the air is bad. When outside, well-fitted N95 masks are also recommended, though they are in short supply because of the pandemic. Some do-it-yourself options are available, Henderson said, noting that masks made from different layers of fabrics, particularly tightly woven cotton and silk together, can provide pretty good filtration if they are fitted closely to the face. Asked the best way to protect yourself in an area shrouded in smoke, Dominici said the question was a difficult one because many people dont have the ability to move or the luxury of choice about whether to work outside. But the safest option? I would just leave, she said. This article originally appeared in The New York Times. Standing about one block away from the Annville Township Police Department, Heather McLaughlin held a sign that read shes a proud mom of a Pennsylvania State Police trooper. I worry about him all the time, so much so that I call my youngest son by my oldest sons name by accident, McLaughlin said. She was one of roughly 80 people who participated in the Back the Blue Annville event that was held Thursday afternoon in Annville Square in Lebanon County. McLaughlin heard about the event on a Facebook page she operates for trooper moms and drove from Chester County to show her support for law enforcement. There are a few bad apples in every group, but you cant judge an entire group by those few bad apples, she said. They are human beings with mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, wives, children, grandparents, aunts, uncles, family that loves them tremendously. And, it hurts us to see them get spit at and have rocks thrown at them." Annville Township Chief of Police Bernard Dugan said the group was granted a permit for the days gathering. And, just like the recently organized Black Lives Matter protests over the past five months in the township, Thursdays event also is protected by individuals' First Amendment rights, he said. Many who drove through the square from truck drivers to minivans honked their horns to show support. Meanwhile, a few others who drove by shouted their support for Black Lives Matter. While many people stood around holding signs that read Back the Blue, others were holding American Flags. Only a handful of people were wearing masks. Several people held in tears as they talked about how they are disheartened by the current political climate surrounding police officers. They said as family members and supporters, they too have become targeted by those who object to their support for law enforcement. One person said they had a bracelet ripped off their wrist that showed support for police while another said they dont feel comfortable placing a bumper sticker on their car. Before the event in Annville Square manifested, it was being organized by a student. But after receiving pushback from some classmates, the student backed off running it, which is when locals said they wanted to still hold it. There was a rumor floating around that the event was connected to Act for America, which is listed as an anti-Muslim hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center. Act of America, which some say has a poor reputation for deciding the definition of hate, had nothing to do with the gathering, Bill Doughtery said. He did not organize the event, he said, but offered to support it. An image was taken from a Google search and it just so happened to have Act for America emblem on it, Doughtery said. It was used to promote the event. There is no hate in this group. For three hours the group stood in the square. This was the first of more gatherings to come in the next few weeks. Among the faces in the crowd was Lance Dunlop of Lebanon County. There are more good police officers than bad, Dunlop said. My uncle was the head of the New Jersey State Police, who just passed away last year. And, I have two sons: one who just joined the Marines and one who just joined the Air Force. So Im proud to be here. Dunlop said he doesnt spend time worrying because hes focused on all the good that they are going to do for their country, which may not ever receive praise. To anyone who disagrees with supporting the police, McLaughin said outdated ways of policing are catching up to modern-day expectations. The changes are something, she said, most people can agree with. When youre approached by a police officer or trooper, try to work with them, and just be respectful, she said. You should respect them and expect the same thing back from them. If your rights are violated, there are other ways to handle the situation rather than attacking them. LONDON Facebook on Friday launched legal action against Ireland's data regulator, in an attempt to halt a preliminary order that could stop the company from transferring user data from the European Union to the U.S. The social media giant has applied to seek judicial review of the approach used by Ireland's Data Protection Commission on the grounds it was premature for the IDPC to have reached a preliminary conclusion at this stage. "A lack of safe, secure and legal international data transfers would have damaging consequences for the European economy," a Facebook spokesperson told CNBC via email. "We urge regulators to adopt a pragmatic and proportionate approach until a sustainable long-term solution can be reached." The reported IDPC order came just a few months after the European Court of Justice ruled the data transfer standard between the EU and the U.S. doesn't adequately protect European citizen's privacy. The court, the EU's highest legal authority, restricted how U.S. firms could send European user data to the U.S. after concluding EU citizens had no eective way to challenge American government surveillance. U.S. agencies such as the NSA can theoretically ask internet companies like Facebook and Google to hand over data on an EU citizen and that EU citizen would be none-the-wiser. Flash U.S. President Donald Trump said Thursday that U.S. troops in Afghanistan and Iraq would soon be reduced to about 4,000 and 2,000 respectively. "A lot of progress has been made in Afghanistan, but we will be down to 4,000 soldiers in a very short period of time. Likewise in Iraq, we will be down to about 2,000 soldiers in a very short period of time," Trump said during the White House briefing. "We're pretty much out of Iraq and we're down to the smallest force that we've had, and we'll be very short late down to that number in Afghanistan," he added. The troop reduction plan that Trump revealed was a step further than the plan the U.S. military announced a day before. Commander of U.S. Central Command Kenneth McKenzie said Wednesday that U.S. troop presence in Iraq is scheduled to be reduced to 3,000 by the end of September, and that in Afghanistan will be decreased to about 4,500 by early November. Currently, there are over 5,000 U.S. troops deployed in Iraq to support Iraqi forces in battles against remnants of the Islamic State, mainly for training and advisory purposes. As the presidential election looms, Trump has made more effort to fulfill his campaign promise to bring troops home and pull his country out of "endless wars." Trump in the briefing also told reporters that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo would head for Qatar for the beginning of intra-Afghan peace negotiations. The government of Qatar announced on Thursday that a fresh round of Afghanistan peace talks will start in the Qatari capital Doha on Sept. 12, according to the Qatar news agency (QNA). Trump has sought a full withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan. The war in Afghanistan, which has caused about 2,400 U.S. military deaths, is the longest one in U.S. history. The Pentagon said in mid-July that the United States maintained its force level in Afghanistan at mid-8,000s, meeting the conditions of the U.S.-Taliban agreement signed in late February. The agreement also called for a full withdrawal of the U.S. military forces from Afghanistan by May 2021 if the Taliban meets the conditions of the deal, including severing ties with terrorist groups. But Trump cannot designate ANTIFA as a terrorist organization because antifa is not an organization. Rather, it is a politics of revolutionary opposition to the far right. There are antifa groups, such as Rose City Antifa in Portland and NYC Antifa, just as there are feminist groups, such as Code Pink. But neither antifa nor feminism is itself an organization. You cannot subpoena an idea or a movement. Thats not to say that antifa doesnt exist, of course. Antifa is very real, as Rep. Jim Jordan has argued, but not in the monolithic, hierarchical way in which he and many other Americans are accustomed to thinking of political associations. by Tom Pawlesh With the airshow season pretty much cancelled this year due to COVID-19, finding an aviation event to get excited about has been next to impossible. The weekend of August 29-30, 2020 should have been the Yankee Air Museums annual Thunder Over Michigan Airshow. The show was cancelled, but the museum did host Pete Lerro of Lerro Photography for an exciting vintage aircraft photo shoot. Pete Lerro, a commercial photographer, specializes in themed photo shoots and workshops including railroads, lighthouses, military reenactments and vintage aircraft. Having Pete do his workshop at the museum gave the volunteers a chance to get out and fly their aircraft. The Vintage Aircraft photo shoot took place on Saturday, August 29 and included four shoots, a morning air-to-air, afternoon reenactor shoot, evening air-to-air and night engine run. Tickets were sold al la carte, and I purchased the morning air-to-air, afternoon reenactor and night shoot. I have attended three of Petes railroad charters, and they are well done and professional so I was looking forward to an exciting day of aviation photography. My morning air-to-air shoot was postponed until Sunday morning due to weather, so I arrived at the Yankee Air Museum after lunch. Our IDs were checked and we filled out the usual waivers and COVID-19 health questionnaire. We were briefed on the afternoon reenactor shoot and where we could go while on the ramp. Pete posed the reenactors around the outside of the B-25 and B-17, and then inside the B-17. We took turns photographing the waist gunners, navigator, pilots and bombardier. Also on hand were a few pin-up girls and a young lady dressed as a WASP. When the afternoon shoot was over, those that had bought tickets for the evening air-to-air were briefed and boarded the C-47 Hairless Joe. The morning and evening air-to-air shoots were identical, we photographed the UH-1H Huey for 10 minutes, the B-17G Yankee Lady for 20 minutes and the B-25D Yankee Warrior for 20 minutes. Eight photographers, Pete and the crew chief were in the C-47s cabin, with the last three windows removed. Even so, the remaining windows were crystal clear and shooting through them was not a problem. The photographers were teamed up with a window buddy so two people could shoot through each window at a time. During the shoot, Pete rotated the group so everyone shot each aircraft from each window. After the air-to-air shoot, a box lunch was provided for dinner while Pete and his crew set up the lights for the night engine run. Pete always has a surprise and tonight the Ford Trimotor was added to the line up of B-25, B-17, C-47 and UH-1H. Our first aircraft was Yankee Warrior. Pete had arranged for an airport fire truck to soak down the ramp in front of each aircraft to create an evocative reflective environment. After engine-start, we had five minutes to photograph each aircraft, which was plenty of time to capture every angle. There was also time to get shots before the engines started. The Ford Trimotor sat parked next to the B-25, so we moved to that aircraft while Pete and his crew repositioned the lights and the fire truck hosed the ramp down. Next in line was the UH-1H Huey. After the pilots started the engines, they did a few turns in hover for the videographers which was another surprise. While we were photographing the Huey, the Yankee Air Museum crew moved the B-25 and Trimotor out, replacing them with Yankee Lady and Hairless Joe. We moved back to the original spot and took our photographs of the B-17 and then the C-47. The night shoot was well choreographed, and we were able to photograph all five aircraft in a short amount of time. After the C-47 engines were shut down, Pete had a group of paratrooper reenactors pose around the C-47. Pete Lerro and his crew did a fantastic job setting up all the photo shoots and taking care of many tiny details. The volunteers at the Yankee Air Museum were gracious hosts and worked tirelessly moving, fueling and flying their aircraft for us. A special thanks to the reenactors who gave their time to dress up in heavy, high altitude flying gear on a hot summers day to give extra life to our photography. Trinity River Conservation Camp crew members drown embers Friday in Oroville. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) Standing among charred trees in Oroville, Gov. Gavin Newsom insisted that California will do more to fight climate change and took the Trump administration to task for its policies that reduce environmental protections. "People that want to roll back vehicle emission standards so you could spend more money at the pump and produce more greenhouse gas emissions, to create more of what you see around me it's beyond the pale of comprehension," Newsom said. "We're fighting against that and will prevail as long as more people come to this cause." The governor warned that the problems facing California and states along the West Coast would soon be experienced across the country. "This is a climate damn emergency," he said. "This is real and it's happening." Newsom made a passionate argument for increasing efforts to address climate change as the number of acres that have burned in California so far this year topped 3 million and other state and foreign governments sent resources to battle major blazes statewide. The governor also signed legislation Friday that would make it easier for inmate firefighters to have their records expunged in order to continue fighting blazes in California upon release. The California Legislature approved Assembly Bill 2147, introduced by Assemblywoman Eloise Gomez Reyes (D-Grand Terrace), with the intent of allowing inmate firefighters who put their life on the line for very little compensation to have more opportunities to seek professional licenses and career paths. Existing law requires former inmates to complete parole before they can apply to have their records expunged. The new law, which takes effect in January, states that inmates who participate in a state or county fire camp would become eligible to have their record expunged once they are released. If they can successfully complete a process to have their record expunged, they would then be able to seek professional state licenses. Story continues "Rehabilitation without strategies to ensure the formerly incarcerated have a career is a pathway to recidivism," Reyes said in a statement. "We must get serious about providing real pathways to employment for those that show the determination and commitment to turn their lives around. Although advocates hailed Newsom's signature on the bill as a major first step toward providing more career opportunities to released prisoners, some are worried that former inmate firefighters could still struggle to find work because their criminal records would be expunged but not sealed, and therefore appear on background checks. The bill gained attention this year amid major wildfires and after Newsom approved the early release of thousands of inmates as COVID-19 spread through the state prison system. The decision left the state short of inmate firefighters who work on hand crews to dig lines around fires. Despite boosting funding in recent years to hire more firefighters, invest in vegetation control projects, buy helicopters and airplanes, and improve forest health, the coronavirus pandemic and resulting economic meltdown left little money in this year's state budget for new wildfire prevention efforts. Two last-minute attempts to free up millions in wildfire response and prevention funding fell flat in the California Legislature late last month. Newsom touted an agreement his administration made last month with the U.S. Forest Service, in which the federal government plans to match the state's goal of treating 500,000 acres of forest land per year by 2025. But even under the new commitments, it could take decades to treat millions of acres of unhealthy forests in California. When asked if the state was doing enough to prevent and fight fires, Newsom said the extreme weather in California and historic number of lightning strikes over the summer would have overwhelmed even the "most abundant and well-resourced" agencies. Newsom said he talked on the phone with President Trump for nearly 30 minutes on Thursday about California's fires, emergency declarations and federal wildfire aid. The governor credited Trump for being "proactive" in his efforts to provide assistance to the state and expects him to say more publicly about the fire emergency in the state. But in criticism that Newsom indicated was aimed not only at Trump, he encouraged people to vote for leaders who recognize the importance of the fight against climate change. "If people are still in denial and they're leading the charge of keeping you protected and keeping you healthy and safe ... they're not truly, I think, positioned to be the kind of leaders that we need for your community, for the state and our nation into the future," Newsom said. "This is that serious, and it requires a seriousness of purpose, a seriousness of understanding, a seriousness of consciousness around science and Mother Nature and the realities of the world that we're living in." Frustrated travellers rushed home to England cutting short summer holidays in Portugal on Friday to dodge a mandatory quarantine reimposed by London as coronavirus cases in the southern European nation continued to rise. British authorities announced on Thursday that anyone arriving in England from Portugal, excluding the Azores and Madeira archipelagos, after 4 a.m. (0300 GMT) on Saturday will need to self-isolate for 14 days. Its typical British arrogance, English tourist Jeremy Moore said as he waited at the check-in queue at Lisbon airport. I know how sloppy hygiene measures are in the UK where I live. Ilona Chylicka, a Pole who has lived in England for more than a decade, had to book a last-minute flight. It feels very safe here, she said. I dont see the reason why we should (quarantine) but obviously they are imposing those restrictions so we have to go back. Portugal spent only three weeks off the list of countries on Englands self-quarantine rule. It is annoying they keep changing it all the time, said English visitor Ellie Cook, who also had to change her travel plans. It wasnt very fair. Home to 10 million people, Portugal initially won praise for its response to the pandemic but cases have crept back up, with the health authority reporting on Thursday 585 new infections. British Ambassador to Portugal Chris Sainty said on Twitter he understood that the quarantine rule, which hit the tourism-dependent country hard, was disruptive but said the government took the decision to protect public health. Portugals Economy Minister Pedro Siza Vieira said the decision could strain relations between the two countries. It is a relationship we will try to maintain - in the best possible terms - but it is difficult given these changes in attitudes and behaviours, he said late on Thursday. (This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.) Follow more stories on Facebook and Twitter Many investors define successful investing as beating the market average over the long term. But its virtually certain that sometimes you will buy stocks that fall short of the market average returns. Unfortunately, that's been the case for longer term The Bank of Nova Scotia (TSE:BNS) shareholders, since the share price is down 28% in the last three years, falling well short of the market return of around 12%. The more recent news is of little comfort, with the share price down 26% in a year. Check out our latest analysis for Bank of Nova Scotia To paraphrase Benjamin Graham: Over the short term the market is a voting machine, but over the long term it's a weighing machine. By comparing earnings per share (EPS) and share price changes over time, we can get a feel for how investor attitudes to a company have morphed over time. Bank of Nova Scotia saw its EPS decline at a compound rate of 3.9% per year, over the last three years. This reduction in EPS is slower than the 11% annual reduction in the share price. So it seems the market was too confident about the business, in the past. The less favorable sentiment is reflected in its current P/E ratio of 9.60. The graphic below depicts how EPS has changed over time (unveil the exact values by clicking on the image). It's good to see that there was some significant insider buying in the last three months. That's a positive. On the other hand, we think the revenue and earnings trends are much more meaningful measures of the business. Dive deeper into the earnings by checking this interactive graph of Bank of Nova Scotia's earnings, revenue and cash flow. What About Dividends? It is important to consider the total shareholder return, as well as the share price return, for any given stock. The TSR 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. We note that for Bank of Nova Scotia the TSR over the last 3 years was -17%, which is better than the share price return mentioned above. And there's no prize for guessing that the dividend payments largely explain the divergence! Story continues A Different Perspective While the broader market lost about 2.6% in the twelve months, Bank of Nova Scotia shareholders did even worse, losing 22% (even including dividends). Having said that, it's inevitable that some stocks will be oversold in a falling market. The key is to keep your eyes on the fundamental developments. On the bright side, long term shareholders have made money, with a gain of 3.7% per year over half a decade. It could be that the recent sell-off is an opportunity, so it may be worth checking the fundamental data for signs of a long term growth trend. It is all well and good that insiders have been buying shares, but we suggest you check here to see what price insiders were buying at. Bank of Nova Scotia 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 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. To the Editor: Lets be perfectly clear. We, the members of Centros Board of Directors, emphatically and unanimously support Brian Schultz as the organizations Chief Executive Officer. As our Chairman Nicholas Laino has stated your publication, Mr. Schultz possesses the very qualities the board was looking for in a leader: transportation expertise, a deep connection to the communities Centro serves, a long-standing involvement as a community leader, and most importantly, a vision of how to improve Centro transit services. Under Mr. Schultzs direction, the organization is addressing the number one request of our riders - more frequent service on our busiest bus lines. This is something weve already discussed with community leaders. These additional buses would serve the neighborhoods that need them most, and it would be the largest service increase in nearly 20 years. Mr. Schultzs ambitious vision includes a Downtown Circulator bus to help the growing number of Syracuse residents easily move from one end of the city to the other, including service to the soon-to-be-opened Salt City Market. He has also set the organization on the path to offer mobile ticketing, making it easier and quicker for people to pay and board our buses. The staff has already started working on these initiatives. We are planning the Downtown Circulator route, for instance, discussing the path with community leaders, and Mr. Schultz has challenged the team to have these new services in place in 2021. Syracuse.coms recent coverage suggests Mr. Schultzs full schedule should somehow preclude him from being an exemplary CEO. We believe just the opposite. Most of us have served with Mr. Schultz on the Centro board for more than a decade. Weve seen his work ethic and commitment. In his 16 years serving on our voluntary board, including his role as chairman since 2012, hes been involved with a variety of issues from the New York State Fair to the future of Interstate-81. In late March of this year, Mr. Schultz jumped into the middle of the most unsettling times that any of us have known. When most of us were working from home, Mr. Schultz was one of only a handful of managers at the bus garage every day, holding operational meetings, talking with union representatives and determining protocols that secure the safety of both passengers and all our employees including drivers, mechanics and people who clean the buses. Around 2 a.m. Sunday, May 10, there was a shooting at the Regional Transportation Center. Mr. Schultz rushed to the scene, where he stayed for several hours, making sure the facility was secured, people were safe, and operations resumed as quickly as possible. These are not exceptions these are the rule when it comes to Mr. Schultzs commitment, work ethic and proven track record of delivering results. Weve seen it, and there is no one wed rather have leading us through these very difficult and uncertain times. Our leaders always say, Every day is a job interview. Every day for the past 16 years, Brian has proven himself. CNYRTA (Centro) Board of Members Read more Centros hiring of insider CEO walks fine ethics line (Editorial) Centro gives board chairman $172K top spot with no search. And he keeps other job New Centro boss draws 2 outside salaries while running public bus system Write us How to submit letters and commentary to Syracuse.com Civil defence vehicles leave for Amman - REUTERS/Muhammad Hamed A huge blast rocked a Jordanian military munitions depot early Friday morning, sparking a large fire. There were no initial reports of casualties at the base, which is situated in an uninhabited area. "An explosion occurred in the early hours of Friday ... in a warehouse containing unusable mortar bombs belonging to the armed forces," a government spokesman said in a statement. The blast happened in the city of Zarqa, 15 miles (25km) east of the capital Amman, where several Jordanian bases and depots are located. Images that swiftly spread on social media showed a huge ball of flame rising into the night sky, followed by the sound of several explosions. Huge explosion rocks Zarqa #Jordan, early reports indicates its a military depot near the city. pic.twitter.com/Wj6oJgzxJd ZaidBenjamin (@ZaidBenjamin5) September 10, 2020 Government spokesman Amjad Al-Adaileh said in his statement that "so far no injuries have been recorded". An initial investigation had determined that "the explosion was caused by an electrical short circuit in warehouses situated in an isolated and uninhabited area" that was under camera surveillance. The army acknowledged that there had been an explosion "in one of the ammunition depots which is being dismantled near the city of Zarqa". Story continues It added in a statement that "a committee has been set up to determine the causes of the explosion". Jordanian police have closed the highway between the Jordanian capital of Amman and the city of Zarqa - REUTERS/Muhammad Hamed Zarqa has witnessed several explosions in past years, mainly caused by old munitions and fires in warehouses because it is also home to many factories and a free trade area. India and the US have called on Pakistan to take immediate, sustained and irreversible action to ensure that Pakistani territory isnt used for terror attacks and to speedily bring to justice the perpetrators of the 2008 Mumbai and 2016 Pathankot attacks. The two countries also underscored the need for concerted action against all terrorist networks, including al-Qaida, Islamic State, Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) and Hizbul Mujahideen (HM). Also read: US keeps India on do not travel list over pandemic These issues figured in the 17th meeting of the US-India Joint Working Group on Counter-terrorism and the third session of the Designations Dialogue held virtually on September 9-10, according a joint statement. Both sides denounced the use of terrorist proxies and strongly condemned cross-border terrorism in all its forms. They also exchanged views on threats posed by United Nations (UN)-sanctioned terrorist entities, the statement said. The two sides underlined the urgent need for Pakistan to take immediate, sustained, and irreversible action to ensure that no territory under its control is used for terrorist attacks, and to expeditiously bring to justice the perpetrators of such attacks, including 26/11 Mumbai and Pathankot, the statement said. The 2008 Mumbai attacks, which were carried out by a 10-member team of the LeT from Pakistan, left 166 people dead, including six US nationals. Pakistani security agencies arrested seven men, including LeT operations commander Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, for allegedly planning, financing and supporting the attacks but there has been little progress in their trial in a counter-terrorism court. The 2016 Pathankot attack, blamed on JeM, targeted an Indian Air Force (IAF) base and resulted in the death of seven Indian troops. During the dialogue, India and the US also shared information about their priorities and procedures for pursuing sanctions and designations against terror groups and individuals, particularly in light of recent legislative changes in India, the statement said. There was a joint commitment to strengthen cooperation on information-sharing and other steps to disrupt the ability of international terrorists to travel, in line with the provisions and obligations outlined in UN Security Council Resolution (UNSC) 2396. Officials of the two sides highlighted their efforts to address some of the worlds most pressing counter-terrorism challenges, including countering the financing and operations of terrorist organisations, countering radicalisation and terrorist use of the internet, cross-border movement of terrorists, and prosecuting, rehabilitating, and reintegrating returning terrorist fighters and family members. The two sides also discussed mutual legal and extradition assistance, and bilateral law enforcement training and cooperation. The US reiterated its support for the people and government of India in the fight against terrorism. Mahaveer Singhvi, joint secretary for counter-terrorism in the External Affairs Ministry (MA), and Nathan A Sales, the US State Department coordinator for counter-terrorism, led the two delegations in what the statements described as a far-reaching conversation on counter-terrorism cooperation. The two sides also resolved to continue close coordination on this important element of the comprehensive global strategic partnership between India and the US. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Thanks to Bob Woodward, we now have audio recordings that prove what public records have shown: President Donald Trump deliberately played down the coronavirus as it swept through the United States. Trump says he did this to prevent a panic. But that excuse is even more damning, because its the same rationale he initially gave for Chinas censorship of information about the virus. Suppressing panic was the core of a corrupt alliance between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping. Advertisement The story Trump now tells, that the China virus caught him off guard, is a lie. He was well briefed and well aware, not just about the virus, but about Chinas deception. As Greg Miller and Ellen Nakashima reported months ago in the Washington Post, Trumps briefers warned him at the beginning of January that the virus was spreading in Wuhan and the Chinese government was working to conceal details of the outbreak. For weeks thereafter, he was told that China was suppressing information about the contagions transmissibility and lethal toll. Woodwards new book, Rage, reports that Trumps head popped up when he was advised, in a briefing on Jan. 28, that the virus would be the biggest national security threat of his presidency. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump could have warned Americans. Instead, he teamed up with Xi. On Feb. 7, he confided to Woodward what he had just learned from an overnight phone call with the Chinese president. Weve got a little bit of an interesting setback with the virus going in China, Trump told Woodward. It goes through the air, he said, and its also more deadly than even your strenuous flus. But in public statements that day, Trump didnt talk about setbacks. He said China was working smoothly with the U.S. government, was managing the virus really well, and would take care of it. He tweeted that Xi will be successful and the virus would soon be gone. Trump wasnt just defending Chinas censorship. He was saying he would have done the same thing. During their phone call, Xi suggested to Trump that in April, warm weather would kill the virus. Trump could have run that idea by his own health officials, all of whom thought it was a bad assumption. But he didnt. Instead, Trump began to peddle it as a talking point on Twitter, at rallies, and in speeches and interviews. It turned out to be fatally wrong. In late spring and summer, as states yielded to Trumps pressure and allowed bars and restaurants to reopen, the virus rampaged across the United States, causing tens of thousands of additional deaths. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Why did Trump parrot Xis assurances, defend the Chinese government, and join it in shading the truth? One reason is that the two leaders shared an interest in looking as though they had the crisis under control. Another is that Trump wanted China to give American scientists more data about the virus. But theres a third reason that goes to the heart of Trumps fraud as a China hawk: He had cut a deal with Xi to get Beijings help in the 2020 U.S. election. Advertisement Advertisement The evidence of this pact is straightforward. John Bolton, Trumps former national security adviser, directly witnessed Trump asking Xi for help in getting reelected through a trade deal that included Chinese purchases of American crops. Trump signed the deal on Jan. 15. On Feb. 10, three days after his call with Xi, Trump boasted at a campaign rally that the trade deal would defeat so many of our opponents. In the early months of the virus crisis, Trump referred constantly to the deal and hailed China as a benefactor. He didnt want to lose that income. Advertisement Advertisement Trump bent over backward to defend China, including its censorship of medical data. On Feb. 13, two days after another call with Xi, Trump gave a radio interview to Geraldo Rivera. We think, and we hope, based on all signs, that the problem goes away in April, said Trump, because heat kills this virus. Rivera asked him, Did the Chinese tell the truth about this? You never know, Trump replied, but if you were running it, youd probablyyou wouldnt want to run out to the world and go crazy and start saying whatever it is, cause you dont want to create a panic. Advertisement Advertisement Subscribe to the Slatest newsletter A daily email update of the stories you need to read right now. We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try again. Please enable javascript to use form. Email address: Send me updates about Slate special offers. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms Sign Up Thanks for signing up! You can manage your newsletter subscriptions at any time. Trump wasnt just defending Chinas censorship. He was saying he would have done the same thing. And for the next five weeks, he tried. He issued false assurances, told Americans not to believe alarming news reports, and bullied U.S. health officials into muting their concerns. On the morning of Feb. 26, he phoned Alex Azar, the secretary of health and human services, and threatened to fire Nancy Messonnier, the director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, for scaring the stock market by talking candidly about the crisis ahead. Advertisement Later that day, Trump seized control of briefings on the virus and, in his first move, withheld information he had just been given about its spread in the United States. Messonnier, for the first time, read from a script that praised Trump by name and included political talking points. And Azar, testifying before Congress hours after his phone call with Trump, argued that the president, in contradicting Messonniers previous warnings, was just trying to calm [the] public. The health secretary likened control of information in the United States to control of information in China. As we see in China, he cautioned, panic can be as big of an enemy as [the] virus. Advertisement Advertisement On March 19, Trump returned to the panic defense. But this time, instead of using it to justify Chinas censorship, he used it to justify his own. I wanted to always play it down, he told Woodward, referring to the virus. I still like playing it down, because I dont want to create a panic. On March 30, when Trump was asked on Fox News to respond to Chinese disinformation about the virus, he scoffed, They do it, and we do it, and we call them different things. He saw no difference between Chinese and American propaganda. If Xi was willing to fudge facts, so was Trump. Advertisement On Wednesday, as Woodwards tapes became public, Trump stood by his deceptions. I dont want to create panic, he said. We dont want to run around or jump up and down and start shouting that we have a problem. His words mirrored almost exactly what he had said seven months earlier in Xis defense. He even rationalized deceiving other governments, as Xi had done. Im not going to drive this country or the world into a frenzy, said the American president. When Trump blames China for unleashing the virus and lying about it, hes hiding his own complicity. He had a deal with Xi to get help in the election. To protect that deal, he worked with Xi to play down the virus. He adopted the Chinese presidents talking points, defended Chinese censorship, and tried, as far as he could, to emulate that censorship in the United States. Now Trump says he, too, was just trying to avert a panic. Hes not a victim of the Chinese Communist Party. Hes its apprentice. World Sepsis Day takes place on 13 September every year and is an opportunity for people worldwide to unite in the fight against sepsis. Sepsis is a life threatening condition and can occur when the body develops an infection which then affects the organs such as heart, lungs, brain and kidneys. If not treated quickly, sepsis can be fatal. There are around 15,000 cases of sepsis in Ireland each year. Karen Harris, Consultant in Emergency Medicine and Clinical Lead for Sepsis at Sligo University Hospital explains, Sepsis is a common time-dependent medical emergency which can affect a person of any age and can strike irrespective of underlying good health or medical conditions. However, early recognition and timely treatment can have a major impact and this is the message we want to get out, Think Sepsis. Sepsis awareness is an on-going project to increase awareness for all healthcare staff, patients and the wider community. Fidelma Gallagher, Group Sepsis Lead, Saolta Group, said, Globally sepsis is the biggest health threat; in 2017 sepsis affected a staggering 48.9 million people and claimed the lives of 11 million worldwide. Manifestations of sepsis and septic shock are frequently the final pathway for emerging infectious disease threats such as the COVID-19 pandemic contributing to the overall global burden of sepsis. Most deaths from sepsis can be prevented by simple measures of infection prevention, vaccination, clean care, and early recognition. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) can jeopardise clinical management of sepsis. In addition, the steadily growing threat of AMR contributes considerably to the enormous human, medical and economic burden of infectious diseases. Outbreaks in hospitals of infections with resistant microorganisms are increasingly common. Due to COVID-19, this years World Sepsis Day will be a little different. Sligo University Hospital will hold internal education sessions for staff to highlight further the importance of prompt recognition of the signs of sepsis which will assist with immediate medical action and better patient outcomes. Posters and pull-ups stands emphasising know the symptoms save lives will be displayed throughout the hospital and simulation sessions for treating patients with sepsis will be held for medical, surgical and ED staff. A man wearing a facemask walks past a sign encouraging people to complete the 2020 U.S. Census in Los Angeles, California, on Aug. 10, 2020. (Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images) Trumps Memo on Census Excluding Illegal Immigrants Is Unlawful, Judges Say A panel of judges have declared unlawful an order from President Donald Trump that excludes illegal immigrants from calculations used to apportion congressional seats based on the population survey conducted during the 2020 Census. The three judges for the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York unanimously ruled that Trumps presidential memorandum issued on July 21 is in violation of Congresss delegation of its constitutional responsibility to count the whole number of persons in each State and to apportion members of the House of Representatives among the States according to their respective numbers. The judges 86-page decision (pdf) said that federal law required the use of one set of numbers to count people for the census and in the process of redrawing congressional districts, known as apportionment. So long as the illegal immigrants are living in the United States, illegal aliens qualify as persons in a state' who should be counted, the judges wrote. The judges panel consisted of Circuit Judges Richard Wesley and Peter Hall, both appointed to the bench by Republican President George W. Bush, and District Judge Jesse Furman, an appointee of Democratic President Barack Obama. The decision can be appealed in the U.S. Supreme Court. Read More Trump Signs Order Excluding Illegal Aliens From Census Numbers Used for Congressional Districts President Donald Trump talks to holds up his face mask during a press conference in the Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House in Washington, on July 21, 2020. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) Trump on July 21 declared in his memorandum that it is the policy of the United States to exclude from the apportionment base aliens who are not in a lawful immigration status, citing the Immigration and Nationality Act. He ordered the Secretary of Commerce report from the 2020 Census two sets of numbers for each state: the total count of the population as determined in the 2020 census, and the total population minus the number of illegal immigrants. The latter number would be used to apportion congressional seats. The judges wrote in their decision that the second number, which omits the number of illegal immigrants, would not come from the census itself, as the 2020 census is not collecting information regarding citizenship status, let alone legal immigration status in this country. The judges granted an injunction prohibiting Trump from taking any further action to implement the memorandum, which prevents the Secretary of Commerce from reporting any information about illegal immigrants in its census count. Throughout the Nations history, the figures used to determine the apportionment of Congressin the language of the current statutes, the total population and the whole number of persons in each Statehave included every person residing in the United States at the time of the census, whether citizen or non-citizen and whether living here with legal status or without, the judges wrote. A worker gets ready to pass out instructions in how fill out the 2020 census during a town hall meeting in Lithonia, Ga., on Aug. 13, 2019. (John Amis, File/AP Photo) The judges declined to say whether the memo violated the Constitution, writing, Because the President exceeded the authority granted to him by Congress by statute, we need not, and do not, reach the overlapping, albeit distinct, question of whether the Presidential Memorandum constitutes a violation of the Constitution itself. The plaintiffs were 38 mostly Democrat-leaning states, cities, and counties, plus several immigrants rights nonprofits, that sued over the July memo, contending that it was motivated by discriminatory animus toward Hispanics and immigrant communities of color. Plaintiffs contended that the memo could leave millions of people uncounted and shift a few seats in the House, with California, Texas, and New Jersey most likely to suffer losses. The judges wrote that they didnt need to rely on speculations that a given state would possibly lose congressional seats over illegal immigrants being excluded in the apportionment process. They said that fear and confusion caused by the July memo served to create confusion among the illegal immigrants and deterred their participation in the census, and that the resultant harm to the census data was enough to justify the ruling, the judges wrote. The American Civil Liberties Unionone of the groups that challenged the presidential memowrote in a statement, We just beat Trumps latest attack on the Census and immigrant communities. The law is clear: Everyone gets counted in the Censusyou cant pick and choose. New York Attorney General Letitia James, who brought the challenge with the states, counties, and groups against the July memorandum, praised the ruling. President Trumps repeated attempts to hinder, impair, and prejudice an accurate census and the subsequent apportionment have failed once again, James said in a statement to Reuters. James noted that the federal court in New York had previously ruled against the Trump administration in its failed attempt to add a citizenship question to the 2020 census. That case went to the Supreme Court which blocked the citizenship question from being added. The courts have ruled in our favor on every census matter in the last two years and continually rejected President Trumps unlawful efforts to manipulate the census for political purposes, James told The Associated Press. The White House and the Department of Commerce, which oversees the census, did not immediately respond to requests for comment when reached by Reuters. The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report. Gov. Signs Bill Allowing Producers, Writers, Musicians and More to Remain Freelancers After months of uproar, harsh criticisms and biting commentary from advocates representing various industries, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed AB 2257 into law on Sept. 4. The legislation is an AB 5 amendment bill, and it will go into effect immediately. AB 2257 builds on the controversial worker misclassification law by clarifying which industries will be exempted from AB 5s restrictions. AB 5, which took effect in January of this year, reclassified millions of independent contractors in California to W-2 employees based on what the state calls the ABC test to comply with a 2018 state Supreme Court ruling called the Dynamex decision. ADVERTISEMENT Exempted industries will now instead be classified by legal criteria called the Borello standard, which previously allowed more workers to operate as independent contractors in the state. Professions added to AB 2257 exemptions include freelance writers, photographers, translators, visual artists, musicians, film support crews, real estate appraisers and insurance underwriters, among others. The bill also clarifies language regarding sole proprietors and adds new language regarding referral agencies. Assemblymember Lorena Gonzalez (D-San Diego), author of both AB 2257 and AB 5, said, AB 2257 represents a comprehensive framework for employment law that makes a clear distinction between employer-employee relationships and professionals that run their own independent businesses. Gonzalez said the amendment bill was based on long standing precedent developed in case law over the past 30 years. The legislation was a product of robust dialogue over the last year with workers and businesses from every part of the state and reflects the main principles found in the Dynamex decision, she added. Independent contractors and freelancers have been pushing back against AB 5 since it was first announced in 2019, prompting fear of job losses that were later exacerbated by the pandemic. Throughout the 2020 legislative year, Gonzalez had meetings with various industries regarding the bills exemptions. ADVERTISEMENT AB 2257 also ensures that workers who are subject to undue control and direction from their employer or could not satisfy the previous Borello standard are covered by the ABC test, according to Gonzalezs statement. Those workers who have been reclassified are now entitled to benefits, including workers compensation, overtime pay, paid time off, and more. Autumn is the perfect time of year to throw on your hiking boots, find a quiet trail and get back to nature. Its a great way to escape the humdrum of everyday life and get some exercise too. Thankfully, we live in such a beautiful country with plenty of jaw-dropping trails to choose from. We all know that a good hike requires nutritious, healthy snacks which is why weve teamed up with the new Muller Corner Icelandic Style Skyr. Muller Corner Icelandic Style Skyr comes with a side of whole delicious nuts and granola. Plus, it contains 13gs of protein in every pot. While we might not be able to explore far-flung countries like Iceland this year, dont worry there are plenty of stunning routes right on our doorstep. Ireland is bursting with beautiful scenery. So, whether youre a hiking expert or a humble beginner, weve rounded up some of Irelands most scenic trails. Where will you head to on your next hiking adventure? Take a look at this list before you make any plans. 1. Diamond Hill Galway Diamond Hill is a popular 7km trail through Connemara National Park. The route takes about two hours to complete and follows gravel paths, wooden boardwalk and steps up the slopes of the magnificent Diamond Hill. On a good day youll be treated to views of Connemaras coastline - including the idyllic islands of Inishturk, Inishbofin and Inishark and pretty Ballynakill Harbour so dont forget to pack your camera. 2. Slieve League Donegal Despite being almost three times higher than the cliffs of Moher, Slieve League is often overlooked by tourists and hikers alike. However, this jaw-dropping area is well worth a visit. You can start hiking from the cliffs car park. Simply follow the path built out of stones steps that leads from Bunglas viewpoint. From there, you can hike to the highest point of the cliffs where you can watch diving sea birds and mingle with the brave local sheep. Experienced hikers can continue this walk until it reaches Pilgrims Path (another nearby hiking route) but this should be planned well in advance and depends on the weather conditions. 3. Glendalough, Spinc Walk Wicklow Wicklow has some wonderful hikes but one of the most popular trails has got to be the Spinc Walk. This 10km loop starts and ends in the Glendalough car park which can get pretty busy, (especially on weekends) so arrive early to avoid disappointment. From there, the trail takes in Glendalough's world-renowned monastic site and Lower Lake, before steeply ascending beside Poulanass waterfall up to the towering Spinc cliffs. At the top, youll get some wonderful views of the Lower and Upper Lakes 300m below before heading back down. 4. The Divis Ridge Trail Antrim The Divis Ridge Trail is an approximately 7km walk from the Long Barn to the Black Mountain and the Mournes. Its a relatively easy jaunt with good surface underfoot which makes it great for a lazy Sunday morning. The route overlooks Belfast, with a 180-degree view of the city on one side, and of the Mournes on the southern side. At this time of the year, the landscape is covered in purple heather which adds to the wonderful views. 5. Coumshingaun Lake Loop Waterford Waterford has become a popular staycation spot thanks to the citys wealth of history and fantastic greenway. But no trip to the Crystal County is complete without a hike in the Comeragh Mountains. As the name suggests, this particular hike takes you up and around the picturesque Coumshingaun Lake. The hike up to the Lake starts at Kilclooney wood car park. From there, you take the trail through the woods for about five minutes until you reach the bottom of the lake where you can chose to hike to your left or right. The route takes about five hours to complete which will allow you plenty of time for photo stops and a snack break. The trail is mostly bog so good footwear is essential. Try the new Muller Corner Icelandic Style Skyr today! Muller Corner Icelandic Style Skyr is thick and creamy, packed with 13g of protein and combines great taste with delicious granola. With three flavours to choose from - Raspberry and hazelnut granola, Nuts and Chocolate balls granola and Banana and almond granola - youll be spoilt for choice. Muller and Muller Corner are registered trademarks of the Muller Group Expand Close Pic: Muller Corner / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Pic: Muller Corner Sponsored by Despite the typical busy summer tourism season being over, the Crush the Curve ambassador program will continue. Funded by Clifton Hills three main business owners, the initiative sees staff members in neon shirts reminding visitors to physically distance, hand out masks and sanitizers, and help to delegate lines and clean high-touch surfaces in the area. The program was a direct response to a viral YouTube video in July that showed hordes of people close to one another on Clifton Hill, with hardly anyone wearing masks. It gained national attention and led to a press conference at which Mayor Jim Diodati introduced the ambassador program. Niagara-on-the-Lake recently launched a similar pilot program that aims to welcome and educate visitors and residents prior to them entering Queen Street. Any good ideas need to be shared and thats how were going to collectively learn from each other and make good decisions, said Diodati. Were all borrowing from each other and its great when we can support each other. He said officials in Niagara Falls found the ambassador program to be effective, although there have been other recent videos and photos showing the presence of maskless, densely packed crowds on Clifton Hill. Diodati said more visitors are wearing masks since the ambassador program was launched, adding while Niagara has a mandatory mask-wearing bylaw for indoor places, face coverings are not mandatory outdoors. Its not that one thing will be the panacea, that will be the vaccine, he said. But between now and the vaccine, we need to use all the tools that we have. Diodati said he met with Clifton Hill operators on Labour Day and it was agreed the ambassador program will remain in place, but to what degree will depend on what kind of tourism numbers we get. He said while the busy season typically runs between the May 24 and Labour Day long weekends, this year has proven to be anything but typical. I think everybodys schedules have been disrupted, their routines have been thrown off kilter, so as a result, its very difficult to predict whats going to happen. We all said, lets keep it going, but lets gauge how many people are involved based on the numbers. Joel Noden, vice-president of marketing for HOCO, which owns most of the properties on the south side of Clifton Hill and is one of the businesses funding the ambassador program, could not be reached for comment. But in a recent interview, he said the initiative, along with Niagara Regions mandatory mask bylaw, has helped stabilize the area. Once the bylaw came into effect (July 31), it really made it a lot easier, said Noden. People were wearing masks, people were social distancing. Really, when youre trying to stop people coming up the hill and educate them, its like stopping the centre lane of the Gardiner Expressway during rush hour. In August, Noden said the number of ambassadors on the street increased during the busiest times Friday and Saturday nights. All members of the ambassador program are supervisors from various businesses along the street and are paid for their efforts. Clifton Hill also cordoned off parking spots along the street to open more room for pedestrians and brought in two paid duty officers with Niagara Regional Police for Saturday nights. A short drive from Chattanooga along I-24 W to exit 72 (South Pittsburg) towards Bridgeport, Alabama leads a traveler to Russell Cave National Monument on the left. It is an archeological site with one of the most complete records of prehistoric culture of a group of people in the Southeast. The monuments location in northeastern Alabama is closest to the former railroad town of Bridgeport. The National Geographical Society donated 310 acres to the American people which encompasses the area of the cave. The Society had previously purchased the site in 1956 from Oscar Ridley. With said donation the monument is now administered and maintained by the National Park Service. The original owner of the property was Major James Dorian who was the brother-in-law of Colonel Thomas Russell who was a veteran of the American Revolutionary War from North Carolina and for whom the cave is named. Starting in 1953, the Chattanooga chapter of the Tennessee Archaeological Society first recognized Russell Cave as an archaeological site. The National Geographical Society, as well as the Smithsonian Institute, conducted additional excavations along with the National Park Service. After the property had been donated to the United States government in 1961, President John F. Kennedy proclaimed Russell Cave a National Monument on May 11 of that year. The excavation work is ongoing and to date the teams have dug down more than 30 feet into the cave floor. Using carbon-14 testing to determine the ages of ancient campfire residue found, the teams have been able to surmise the age of the artifacts as being about 6500 years ago. However the ages of human remains also found suggest a much older date of occupation of possibly 10,000 years. The cave is believed to have primarily been used as a seasonal winter shelter based on the ability of the settlers to rely on the surrounding forest to grow produce and to hunt for game and fish in surrounding water sources of the Tennessee River. Russell Cave is the third-longest mapped cave in the State of Alabama and is ranked 90th on the United States Long Cave list and 314 on the World Long Cave List. Russell Cave continues to be an extremely important archaeological research site but has also become a popular tourist destination. The visitor center, which was dedicated in 1967, contains museum exhibits and documentary films about the lifestyles of prehistoric peoples. It was named after Gilbert H. Grosvenor who was the editor of the National Geographic Society Magazine from 1903 to 1954 and president of the National Geographical Society from 1920-1954. Recreational caving is no longer available but tours led by Park Rangers are free and there are two walking trails. Russell Cave is one of the most extensive cave systems in Alabama with more than seven miles of mapped passageways. It also contains five separate entrances into the cave. A rare specimen of a scorpion that has not been found anywhere else in the world has been found in the cave and is protected. Each year during the first weekend in May the Russell Cave National Monument has hosted a Native American Festival. The event includes Indian performances and the reenactment of a Cherokee encampment is conducted. A variety of demonstrations are held in wood carving, and pottery hand building. Easily located at 3729 County Road 98 outside Bridgeport, the cave site is open year around and admission is free to enter the park or tour the cave. A call to the monument office at (256)-495-2672 will connect you with courteous staff members who can provide you with up-to-date information about the site. If you want to make it an all day trip you can also continue up 98 until you see a sign on the right that will direct you to the abandoned railroad depot in the former mining town of Orme, Tennessee that is in Marion County, Tennessee. * * * Jerry Summers (If you have additional information about one of Mr. Summers' articles or have suggestions or ideas about a future Chattanooga area historical piece, please contact Mr. Summers at jsummers@summersfirm.com The technical committee of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec)+ cartel met last month to reaffirm the whopping crude oil supply cuts in the global pipelines to rebalance oil markets in view of the huge demand destruction unleashed by Covid-19. However, it is not enough to just manipulate supply. Global oil demand has to be nudged up if oil producers are to retain their respective market share in the face of altered realities. For a start, West Asian producers will have to do away with discriminatory pricing regimes that adversely affect major global consuming centres in Asia. Although Saudi Aramco, one of the biggest players in the market, has slashed its official selling price (OSP) for its October-bound crude exports to Asia, this has to become an institutionalised practice given tightened refinery margins in recent times. This has led to refiners scrambling to replace some barrels with cheaper oil from the West, and also procure from the heavily-discounted spot market. Historically, major West Asian producers, such as Saudi Aramco and the Iraqi State Organisation for Marketing of Oil (SOMO), have been providing hefty discounts to the United States (US) and Europe to gain market share with a differential pricing system by pricing the same grade of crude oil higher for Asian markets. Asian refiners have been protesting for decades, calling it the Asian premium. Kuwait, Iraq and the United Arab Emirates typically follow Riyadhs monthly pricing. This is declared around the fifth of every month, affecting about 12 million barrels per day (mb/d) of crude bound for Asian markets. According to Indian oil records, the Asian premium against the prices for US ports, for instance, in December 2019, and January, February and March 2020 was $5.1, $6.29 , $3.71 and $7.3 respectively per barrel. The Asian premium for Arab medium crude in September is $0.19 for the US and $2.79 per barrel for Europe. This eats into the gross refinery margins of Asian oil companies and makes them scout for cheaper alternatives. The premiums fell sharply during April to July this year when global demand for oil had sunk by about 14 mb/d and Russia and Saudi Arabia had unleashed a price war. Meanwhile, even with producing cheaper crude, companies such as Saudi Aramco are losing their market share to unlikely competitors, for instance, Russia. Ironically, US shipments from Saudi Arabia to American ports slumped from 371,000 barrels a day (b/d) in June to 271,000 b/d in July their lowest since 1986. August was even lower at 102,000 b/d. With the shale boom, the US has become the largest crude oil producer, overtaking Saudi Arabia and Russia. Crude from the US region has started flooding the Asian markets. For instance, the bilateral hydrocarbon trade between India and the US has touched $9.2 billion during 2019-20, marking a 93% increase compared to 2017-18 figures. India is now the fourth-largest export destination for US crude. Chinas crude import from the US surged 492.25% between June and July while it slumped a record 27.9% in July from Saudi Arabia pushing Riyadh behind Russia and Iraq as Chinas third-largest crude supplier. August saw about 21 million barrels of crude coming into China from US oil fields the largest volume for a month and, reportedly, a total of 80 million barrels over July through December to comply with the Phase-1 Beijing-Washington trade deal signed in January. Although, shale production in the US that reached a high of 13 mb/d in February, this year may have left its best production days behind, $35 per barrel is enough for many of the drilled-but-uncompleted wells, or DUCs, to kickstart into action. Another price rally facilitated by Opec+ will fortify competitors in the American Gulf coast region as well as Canada, Argentina and China which are expanding their own shale gambit. This does not sit well for the petro-states, many of whose budgets are solely dependent on oil exports. Last month, Aramco said that its second-quarter profits plunged a massive 73% due to strong headwinds from reduced demand and lower oil prices. Opec, in its latest monthly report, states that world oil demand will fall by 9.06 mb/d this year instead of a 8.95 mb/d decline predicted a month ago. While peak demand is a highly-contested subject, the emergent story is that renewables are finding capital much easier than fossil fuels, making them increasingly competitive. With near-saturation of demand in the US and Europe, West Asian producers should focus on natural markets in Asia. Though the West Asian region may remain the central bank regulating crude currency, simply providing a floor to crude prices may turn out to be a short-sighted move to retain its grip on the oil geographies. Shreerupa Mitra is the executive director of The Energy Forum The views expressed are personal Coronavirus antibodies significantly decline in the month after patients are discharged from hospital, a new study suggests. More than 80 per cent of recovered Covid-19 patients have varying levels of antibodies, but only a small portion created a potent response to the virus if reintroduced to it, researchers found. Scientists from Nanjing University Medical School in China monitored antibody responses in 19 non-severe and seven severe Covid-19 patients for seven weeks from the onset of their disease. They found that one in five patients did not have antibodies capable of fighting the virus upon being discharged from hospital. Furthermore, antibody levels in patients declined significantly between three and four weeks later. A better understanding of antibody responses against coronavirus will provide fundamental information for developing effective treatments and a vaccine, the authors said. It remains questionable whether recovered patients might be susceptible re-infection, they added. The study also highlights the importance of carefully selecting blood samples from recovered patients using antibody neutralisation assays prior to transfusion into other Covid-19 patients, the researchers said. It follows research at Kings College London which found that, while 60 per cent of infected people displayed an effective level of antibodies in the two weeks around the first sign of symptoms, this dropped to less than 17 per cent after three months. Professor Danny Altmann, British Society for Immunology spokesperson, said it remained unclear to what extent the research spelled bad news. "Studies like this are a vital part of the 'work-in-progress' to make sense of who has immunity and how long for, said Prof Altmann, of Imperial College London. He added: "Once again, evidence shows that the half-life of these antibodies in the blood is not particularly sustained. "We don't know to what extent this is bad news unless we know the extent to which the white blood cells that make the antibody (B cells) are up and ready to defend against any repeat attack." Dr Alexander Edwards, of the University of Reading, added that he did not view the study as a game changer. It certainly adds more data to existing studies, but nothing dramatically new pops out, Dr Edwards said. The study illustrates that there are multiple antibody measures and that these will change over time. We wouldnt expect antibody levels to remain high all the time, but the antibody memory would mean that although levels might be low, there may be some level of protection. This paper doesnt really answer that question. The study should be a reminder that antibody testing is far from perfect, Dr Edwards said, as people wont necessarily have the same levels of antibodies that know how to target and defeat different proteins such as the spike in the coronavirus. He added: Individual tests still cant tell us for certain how immune a person is against Covid-19, and only with longer, larger studies will we be able to answer the big questions like how antibody levels affect severity and reinfection." He reiterated that the study did not give any clearer indication as to whether having a lower level of antibodies leaves patients open to re-infection. The study is not able to or designed to correlate any particular antibody measurement with protection from re-infection or with disease severity, he said: The remaining unanswered question is still: how do these fluctuations in antibody levels affect both Covid-19 severity, and the chances of catching the same infection a second time. Additional reporting by Press Association Residents of Idleb, who are living in dire circumstances, are to receive aid from UN trucks, which crossed into the area from Turkey reports Zaman Al-Wasl. On Wednesday, the UN dispatched 29 truckloads of humanitarian aid for the needy in Idleb city. The supplies entered the Syrian city through the Cilvegozu border crossing from Turkeys southern Hatay province. The aid will be distributed among residents of Idleb and nearby rural areas. Syria has been ravaged by a civil war since early 2011, when the Assad regime cracked down on pro-democracy protesters. Hundreds of thousands of people have been killed and more than 10 million displaced, according to UN estimates. Idleb falls within a de-escalation zone forged under an agreement between Turkey and Russia. The area has been the subject of multiple ceasefire understandings, which have frequently been violated by the Assad regime and its allies. 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. Serum Institute of India that is producing the Oxford University-AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine has halted trials in the country after DCGI set the manufacturer a show-cause notice. "We are following DCGI's instructions... we are reviewing the situation and pausing India trials till AstraZeneca restarts the trials," said Serum Institute in a statement. The notice was sent to the company for not informing the drug regulator about AstraZeneca suspending clinical trials in other countries and also for not reporting the "serious adverse events". This might come as a dampener in the plans to develop a COVID-19 vaccine by the end of the year, as the AstraZeneca-Oxford University candidate was the frontrunner for a coronavirus vaccine. While AstraZeneca-Oxford candidate is the frontrunner, there are multiple COVID-19 vaccine candidates that have made significant headway. Also read: Serum pauses India COVID-19 vaccine trials till further instructions from DCGI Here's a lowdown on the other coronavirus vaccine candidates to look out for: 1. Bharat Biotech's COVAXIN: The first homegrown coronavirus vaccine in India COVAXIN is in the middle of trials. If the vaccine proves effective and safe, experts suggest that a million doses could be ready by 2021. Preliminary results show that the vaccine candidate is safe and has shown positive results, creates good immune response and has no critical side effects. Sanjay Rai, Professor, Community Medicine, and Principal Investigator for coronavirus vaccine trials at AIIMS has said that Phase 2 trials of COVAXIN would wrap up in October. 2. China's Sinovac: China-based Sinovac has received positive reviews for its efficacy. The vaccine is in Phase 3 of trials in Brazil, Mexico and Saudi Arabia. Brazil's Sao Paulo State governor said that the vaccine candidate is undergoing trials and that it has witnessed safe response. They are expecting the COVID-19 vaccine to be made available by early December. Also read: 'Excited, looking forward to Oxford University-AstraZeneca vaccine,' says Adar Poonawalla 3. Moderna: Another leading candidate for coronavirus is Moderna. The company said that it is talking to multiple countries for the rollout of the coronavirus vaccine. Moderna has said that it is committed to 'equitable access' of its candidate. The company was the first company to take its COVID-19 vaccine candidate to Phase 3 trials. 4. Novavax: Early trials of Novavax have shown that the coronavirus vaccine is safe and has shown positive response. The results were published in The New England Journal of Medicine. Eighty-three people have received the vaccine with adjuvant, an agent that boosts the body's immune response. Twenty-five more received the vaccine without the booster and 23 received the placebo. 5. China's CanSino: Pakistan's drug regulator last month gave the go-ahead for the country's first Phase 3 clinical trial for CanSino's candidate, Ad5-nCoV, which will be led by the government-run National Institute of Health (NIH) along with pharmaceutical company AJM - the local representative of CanSino. "We are planning to launch the project on September 20, or at the latest within this month," Hassan Abbas Zaheer, who is heading the trial for AJM. Also read: Coronavirus vaccine: Govt plans to manufacture Russia's Sputnik V in India Church Mutual Hires Claims Leader Church Mutual has appointed Becky Hudzik-Presson as chief claims officer. She will lead the entire claims organization for the Merrill, Wisconsin-based carrier, which specializes in religious institutions and nonprofits. She will report to Scott Names, senior vice president for shared services and chief information officer. Hudzik-Presson has 24 years experience in the insurance industry, starting as an office claims adjuster and moving up through increasing levels expertise and leadership, Church Mutual said in a press release. She worked for GMAC Insurance, Firemans Fund Insurance Co., Ace Insurance and Chubb Limited Insurance during her career. Hudzik-Presson holds a designation for Commercial Lines Coverage Specialist (CLCS) and a Six Sigma Blue Belt. Blank Rome Draws 3 Attorneys From Competitor The Blank Rome law firm announced that it has assigned three attorneys and a paralegal from another law firm to its insurance recovery group. Robert P. Jacobs joins the firm as a partner along with newly appointed Of Counsel Linda A. Powell, associate Allison Zamani and paralegal Lakisha Foster. All four previously were with Perkins Coie, where Jacobs was chair of the insurance recovery group. Jacobs, Powell and Foster will work in Blank Romes Washington, D.C. office; Zamani in San Francisco. Blank Rome said the three new team members add to a national policyholder practice that more than doubled when the firm added more than 100 attorneys from the Dickstein Shapiro law firms New York and Washington D.C. office in 2016. The law firm has added six partners, associates and of counsel to its insurance recovery group which is now comprised of 36 attorneys, 53 percent of whom are women. The new team has experience representing policyholders in insurance coverage disputes arising from such things as product liabilities, asbestos and other toxic tort claims, first-party property loss, business interruption, advertising liability, professional liability, kidnap and ransom losses, and various directors and officers-related liabilities, Blank Rome said. Freeborn & Peters Hires Litigator Attorney Ian J. Dankelman has joined the Freeborn & Peters law firms Tampa office as an associate in the insurance/reinsurance recovery team. Dankelman focuses his practice on complex commercial litigation, the law firm said. The Freeborn firm said in a press release that Dankelman previously worked for a national law firm that specialized in first-party property cases. He also served as a judicial law clerk for U.S. District Judge Elizabeth Kovachevich in the Middle District of Florida. He began his legal career as an assistant state attorney in Floridas Fourth Judicial Circuit, where he tried over a dozen jury trials to verdict, the law firm said. Dankelman received a Juris Doctor from the University of Florida Levin College of Law. He earned a bachelor of science from Florida State University. Tower Appoints MSA Business Development Executive Tower MSA Partners has appointed Craig Deneau as senior vice president of business development. Tower MSA, which assists clients with Medicare Secondary Payer Act compliance, said Debeau will seek new business opportunities and work with clients risk-management teams on Medicare set-asides and settlements. The firm, headquartered in Delray Beach, Florida, said Deneau has 28 years of experience in the workers compensation industry. He started as a senior case manager for Liberty Mutual and most recently was a national practice leader for injury triage services for Medcor. Deneua also worked for Willis, ManagedComp Inc. Regulatory Technologies and CorVel Corp. during his career. Deneau holds a bachelors degree from Southeast Missouri State University. (CNN) Twitter announced Thursday that it is expanding its policies against election-related misinformation, setting new rules that will likely force the platform to more aggressively fact-check President Donald Trump during the final months of the 2020 campaign. The social media giant rolled out the new policies in a blog post, which said that Twitter will either add fact-check labels to or hide altogether tweets that contain "false or misleading information that causes confusion" about election rules, or posts with "unverified information about election rigging." Twitter's porous and subjective policies have enabled Trump to spread a steady stream of misinformation about the election to millions of Americans. The company led the way for Big Tech when it rebuked Trump for a misleading tweet in May, but that watershed moment has ended up looking more like an outlier. Twitter only rarely applies fact-check labels to Trump's tweets containing false information about voting, and it's unclear how much labeling achieves. The new rules, which Twitter says will go into effect next week, explicitly prohibit a lot of the material Trump is prone to posting, putting the company on a collision course with Trump while it tries to help steer the country through an unprecedented voting and post-election process. The new rules include policies geared toward reducing potential post-election chaos, a major concern this year because of Trump's rhetoric and the influx of mail-in ballots, which will slow down vote-counting. Twitter will now prohibit "misleading claims about the results," premature claims of victory, or "inciting unlawful conduct" that prevents a peaceful transition of power. The company says it will "label or remove" posts that break the rules, but didn't spell out what process will be used to determine what is egregious enough to get removed instead of labeled. Just last week, Trump ran afoul of existing Twitter rules when he encouraged supporters to vote twice -- once by mail and again in-person, as a way of testing anti-fraud measures. Twitter hid the posts, while Facebook added a warning label, but neither noted that voting twice is illegal. Depending on how strictly Twitter implements the new rules, it could put more pressure on Facebook, which has been criticized for how it handles misinformation from the President. "The conundrum is that the platforms are terrified of being accused of political bias, when they enforce any sort of content moderation policy," said Joshua Tucker, co-director of the Center for Social Media and Politics at New York University. "The huge tech companies have a lot to lose if they alienate one side of the political spectrum. At some point, the other side will be in power." More Trump fact-checks? Social media companies have struggled with how to handle a President who eagerly shares rumors, unverified viral videos, and conspiracy theories. Facebook and Twitter promised earlier this year to crack down on misinformation, but their responses over the summer to deceptively edited political videos and harmful posts about Covid-19 were often lacking -- and too slow. Twitter says the new rules were needed to reflect "the changing circumstances of how people will vote in 2020." Because of the pandemic, a historic number of Americans are expected to cast mail-in ballots, a safe method of voting that has been used successfully in many states. But the sudden uptick in mail-in voting also gives Trump an opening to create chaos. He has already done so -- often on Twitter -- by spreading false claims that mail-in voting is massively fraudulent, and by preemptively questioning the validity of the results. Democratic nominee Joe Biden has openly questioned whether Trump will peacefully leave the White House if he loses. A Twitter spokesman declined to say whether previous Trump tweets of this nature would have qualified for fact-checking under the new rules. A close analysis of the rules -- which include broad prohibitions and specific examples of unacceptable material -- suggests that many of Trump's tweets about the election in the past few months would violate Twitter's new rules. The new policies from Twitter could put the company on a collision course with Trump, who often lashes out against tech companies whenever they sanction his tweets. Earlier this year, after Twitter fact-checked Trump for the first time, he signed a largely symbolic executive order that targeted social media companies, and he urged lawmakers to pass stricter Internet laws. Trump criticized Twitter on Tuesday, publicly questioning why the platform didn't censor an image of Senator Majority Mitch McConnell that was doctored to make him look like he was wearing a Soviet military uniform. Trump tweeted, "Stop biased Big Tech before they stop you!" One piece of the puzzle Misinformation spreads widely on Twitter and Facebook alike, and Facebook announced its own plans last week for how it will deal with misleading posts about the election this fall. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that the company won't accept new political ads during the final week of the 2020 campaign, and that the company will label misinformation about the election, including claims that people could get the coronavirus if they go to the polls. As a result, Facebook labeled Trump's misleading post last week about double voting. The company initially added a boilerplate label telling people to browse authenticated election resources. But after some backlash, Facebook updated the label language to say, "Voting by mail has a long history of trustworthiness in the US and the same is predicted this year." Facebook's new policies still allow politicians to run ads containing lies through Election Day. And even with seemingly strict rules on the books this year, Twitter repeatedly declined to take actions against brazenly false misinformation that could undermine public faith in the election. These weak spots and loopholes exemplified the balance that tech firms are trying to strike. This time around, Twitter says it's specifically on the lookout for threats coming not just from foreign actors who have aggressively meddled in recent elections, but also from Americans. "We will not permit our service to be abused around civic processes, most importantly elections. Any attempt to do so -- both foreign and domestic -- will be met with strict enforcement of our rules, which are applied equally and judiciously for everyone," the company said on Thursday. -- CNN Business' Donie O'Sullivan contributed to this report. This story was first published on CNN.com Twitter expands rules against election-related misinformation, setting up showdown with Trump How Struggling Small Venues Will Impact The Entire Music Industry [MARK MULLIGAN] Prior to the pandemic, music streaming and the rise of social media-driven music were poking holes in the traditional music success funnel that began in small venues and lead for a select few to gold and platinum albums. With these venues now struggling to survive a long term shutdown, this valuable path to success is threatened in ways that will reverberate through the entire music industry. By Mark Mulligan of MIDiA and The Music Industry Blog Prior to the dislocation caused by the pandemic, live music operated with a structure that gave artists a clear sense of where they were in their careers and where they could aim for next. Small clubs represented the starting point, before moving up a ladder of venue sizes to theatres, arenas and stadiums. Then along came lockdown, and the future of that lower tier of venues is now at risk. The plight of these smaller venues has had a fair amount of media attention, but the long-term impact of their potential demise will send shockwaves that will reverberate through the entire music business. Without this testing ground for emerging artists, an artist development gap is going to appear. One that could hold back the careers of the next generation of artists, affecting not just their live business but the entire spread of their careers with clear implications for labels and publishers. Streaming helped live, until it didnt. Even prior to COVID-19, a strange dislocation was happening between live music and streaming. Streaming had built a symbiotic relationship with live music, delivering more listeners to artists which resulted in more fans at concerts. It was this very relationship that enabled artists to not worry much about streaming royalties until live revenue stopped with lockdown and then the #brokenrecord debate kicked in. Alongside the previous, positive impact on live, there was a more insidious, unintended consequence: streaming was making a generation of artists less good at performing live. Skipping rungs on the ladder In the pre-streaming era, artist fanbases had growth guardrails that shaped how fast they could grow. If you wanted one million people listening to your music, on-demand, at home or on the go, then they had to buy your album. Selling a million albums is not something that many artists used to achieve, and it used to happen after a long, intense period of label marketing effort and TV and radio appearances. Now though, get picked for the right playlist and an artist could find themselves with a million streams under their belt overnight. Artists could look like superstars from stream counts long before they had comparable build-up. The reason this matters, is that successful streaming artists often found themselves skipping rungs on the live venue ladder and going straight into theatres etc. Fans arrived expecting a quality of live performance to match the artists stream count, but instead got something that fell short. It turns out that putting in those hard miles, touring the country in a beaten-up van to play half-empty small clubs on a cold, wet Wednesday evening are often the making of a live act. It is the equivalent of an athlete putting in all the training sessions before breaking through to the team. Not made for live Matters are compounded by the fact that much of the music that blows up on streaming relies heavily on production techniques and does not translate well to live environments. In fact, with many streaming-era artists focusing more time on the production of their music than the performance of it, live can sometimes feel like something that gets in the way. No surprise then that a number of artists Tweeted during lockdown that they were actually enjoying not being on tour and getting more time to write and produce. The missing steps Even though streaming distorted the path from studio to stage for many emerging artists, the importance of smaller venue tours is higher than ever. Yet these small venues are most at risk. Bigger live music companies and venues have access to bridge financing that will get them through the tough times, but smaller ones do not. Though some are getting state grants, many will struggle to generate profits with socially-distanced crowds their capacities are just too small to make the staff-to-audience ratios work. . So we could end up with a gap where the first rungs of the live ladder are meant to be. Short term this will mean more opportunity for bigger, older acts that typically play the larger venues (not that they were exactly struggling before). Mid-term, artists, labels and publishers are going to have a talent development problem on their hands. Changing cityscapes The outlook gets even more complex when you factor in the changing nature of cities. With fewer people commuting into city centres daily and more people now moving out of cities, footfall for venues will decline. This means that the business models of many venues will struggle. An opportunity exists to put venues in the new commuter hubs that will emerge over time, but by definition those population centres will be less concentrated and so have less footfall. This may make it harder to build a business case for smaller venues. Larger venues that put on tent-pole events that people will travel to will, if anything, benefit from these population shifts. So, long story short, unless the industry is careful, the bottom may be about to fall out of the live music business, and in turn the testing ground for tomorrows artists. Share on: The crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ekiti State has become deeper following the failure of Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State to resolve the crisis between former Governor Ayodele Fayose and Biodun Olujimis backed parallel executives. PREMIUM TIMES gathered that the crisis began when some loyalists of Mr Fayose supported Mrs Olujimi to win the Ekiti South Senatorial District seat in the 2019 National Assembly elections. While some members of the party felt Mrs Olujimi will provide quality leadership in Ekiti PDP, others felt she was trying to take away the powers of Mr Fayose in the opposition party. In August, the two rival groups elected separate officials for the PDP state working committee. While Mrs Olujimis faction produced a former member of the House of Representatives, Kehinde Odebunmi, as chairman, Mr Fayoses group produced a former commissioner for environment, Bisi Kolawole, as chairman. As the leader of the party in the southwest, Governor Makinde moved to settle the crisis rocking the opposition party in Ekiti but was rejected by Mr Fayose. The former governor on Wednesday said that Mr Makinde had no right to interfere in the crisis rocking Ekiti PDP. The fact that there is a sitting governor does not say I should go to another mans state. Nobody should come to my state; if you come to my state, I will face you squarely. I will continue to respect him because he is my brother, I love him so much and I was part of his emergence, he warned. Reacting to this, Mr Makinde through a statement by his Special Adviser on Strategy and Political Matters, Babatunde Oduyoye, on Thursday, said he would not stop trying his best to reconcile aggrieved members. We will strongly advise that stakeholders in the PDP whether in Ondo or Ekiti states should not allow themselves to be used by the opposition to distract Governor Makinde and derail the PDP, part of the statement read. We wish to advise that all stakeholders and lovers of the PDP should come to terms with the reconciliatory approach of Governor Makinde, which is aimed at bringing unity and more successes to the party that has suffered needlessly in the last few years. Also, Mrs Olujimi told the Oyo governor to ignore Mr Fayose, describing him as a political jobber. We stand by Makinde because nobody can rubbish him and wish him away. This is the best time South-West Zone needs the governor most when hijackers are trying to undermine the partys structure through egregious conspiracy, she was quoted by Punch at her faction political meeting on Thursday. She also said that Uche Secondus-led National Working Committee of the party, on Thursday, ratified Mr Kolawole -led state executive committee after Mr Fayose took the exco to the party secretariat in Abuja. Meanwhile, Mr Odebunmi-led faction had, on Thursday, been to the High Court sitting in Ado-Ekiti, to challenge the ratification of the Mr Kolawole-led executive committee of the PDP. Glass industry expert Pawan Kumar Shukla takes charge at the helm of SCHOTTs tubing plant in Gujarat SCHOTT AG, a leading international specialty glass and technology group, has announced Pawan Kumar Shukla as the new Managing Director for SCHOTT Glass India. Shukla brings over 25 years in the glass, lighting, pipes and electronics industry and comes with a strong background in techno-commercials. Prior to this role, he was the President Operations at Surya Roshni Ltd, an Indian multinational manufacturer for specialty glass tubing and lighting. An alumnus of the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, in ceramic engineering as well as material science and metallurgy, Shukla has also worked with Corning JV in the CRT Division as a manufacturing head for twelve years. Commenting on his new role, he said, India is a frontrunner of the global pharma industry and primary pharma packaging is one of the most vital components in the entire production chain. I am proud to be associated with SCHOTT, being one of the oldest and most trusted manufacturers of tubular glass worldwide. While the domestic market is our key focus, our India plant also caters to the Asian market, thereby contributing to the pharmaceutical industry and the Indian governments vision of becoming a global pharmaceutical hub. Presently, SCHOTT is delivering its highly specialised Fiolax glass tubes to leading pharma packaging players in India and abroad for preparing primary packaging products such as vials, syringes, etc. Supporting the worlds fight against COVID-19 with vials capable of holding up to 2 billion vaccination doses, the German leader has reached agreements and started supplying to leading pharmaceutical companies including key players in India. Given the exponential rise in demand for quality glass for pharma packaging, SCHOTT had inaugurated a new tank facility in its Jambusar plant, following an investment of 21 million in 2018. Even before the Coronavirus pandemic, the company had forecasted a rapid growth trend, and had thus committed additional investments of 26 million for yet another tank facility last year. With a combined investment of 47 million and two new plants, SCHOTTs India plant is well on track to double its production capacity, enabling supply of its FIOLAX glass tubing for both domestic and export demands. On September 11, 2001, militants associated with Islamic extremist group al-Qaeda hijacked four airplanes crashed two planes into the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York City, third plane hit the Pentagon and the fourth flight crashed near Shanksville, Pennsylvania. Some passengers and crew members who called from the aircraft using the cabin air phone service and mobile phones provided details of several hijackers who were aboard on each plane. (Image: Reuters) The attack resulted in deaths of around 3,000 people. Hundreds of police officers and firefighters who rushed to the scene of the attacks were killed. Not a single person of many who were aboard on those four planes survived the attack. The destruction of the World Trade Center and nearby infrastructure seriously harmed the economy of New York City and had a significant effect on global markets. (Image: Reuters) Large planes with long flights were selected for hijacking because they would be full of fuel. The first flight, American Airlines Flight 11: a Boeing 767 aircraft, departed Logan Airport at 7:59 a.m. en route to Los Angeles. The hijackers flew the plane into the northern facade of the North Tower of the World Trade Center in New York City at 8:46 a.m. (Image: Reuters) The second flight, United Airlines Flight 175: a Boeing 767 aircraft, departed Logan Airport at 8:14 a.m. en route to Los Angeles. The hijackers flew the plane into the southern facade of the South Tower of the World Trade Center in New York City at 9:03 a.m. (Image: Reuters) Third one, American Airlines Flight 77: a Boeing 757 aircraft, departed Washington Dulles International Airport at 8:20 a.m. en route to Los Angeles. The hijackers flew the plane into the western facade of the Pentagon in Arlington County, Virginia, at 9:37 a.m. (Image: Reuters) And the fourth flight, United Airlines Flight 93: a Boeing 757 aircraft, departed Newark International Airport at 8:42 a.m. en route to San Francisco. As passengers attempted to subdue the hijackers, the aircraft crashed into a field in Stonycreek Township near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, at 10:03 a.m. Investigators head into the debris field at the site of a commercial plane crash near Shanksville, September 11, 2001. (Image: Reuters) Along with the 110-floor Twin Towers, numerous other buildings at the World Trade Center site were destroyed or badly damaged, including WTC buildings 3 through 7 and St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church. (Image: Reuters) The Pentagon was severely damaged by the impact of American Airlines Flight 77 and ensuing fires, causing one section of the building to collapse. (Image: Reuters) Hundreds of thousands of tons of toxic debris containing more than 2,500 contaminants, including known carcinogens, were spread across Lower Manhattan due to the collapse of the Twin Towers. Exposure to the toxins in the debris is alleged to have contributed to fatal or debilitating illnesses among people who were at Ground Zero. (Image: Reuters) The anniversary of the September 11 attacks in New York and Washington will echo with silence for the moments the planes struck and when the buildings fell, and the reading of victims' names. Around 10,000 students will appear for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) at 17 centres in Noida, Greater Noida and Ghaziabad on Sunday. The National Testing Agency (NTA) has appointed eight centres in Ghaziabad, two in Noida and seven in Greater Noida. Jyoti Gupta, principal of DPS School, Sahibabad and city co-ordinator for Noida-Greater Noida chapter of NEET, said NTA has made elaborate arrangements to conduct the exam at these centres. The NEET will be held from 2pm 5pm. Around 5,000 students will appear in the exam in Ghaziabad and a similar number of students in Noida and Greater Noida. The NTA will ensure that entry is smooth and the candidates are checked through a metal detector which will be contactless, she said. Gupta said as per the guidelines of the Ministry of health and family welfare, students would need to mandatorily use face covers/masks and maintain social distancing at the exam centres. The important instructions for the exam and advisories regarding Covid-19 have also been issued to the candidates in their respective admit cards. The exam centres would allow entry from 11am onwards. The candidates have to report as per the staggered time slots given in their respective admit cards, to avoid crowding at the centres, Gupta said. The officials have also coordinated with local police and administration to ensure the exam is conducted well. Students must carry their admit cards and a government ID proof. They may carry personal, transparent water bottles, personal hand sanitizers, masks and gloves inside the exam hall. In Noida, Cambridge School in Sector 27, and Kendriya Vidyalaya in Sector 24 are designated NEET exam centres, while in Greater Noida, the exams will be held in DPS School, DPS World School, NIMT College, Ascent International School, Galgotia Engineering College, Blue Diamond Public School, etc. In Ghaziabad, Indirapuram Public School and Diamond Public School, are among the NEET exam centres. Rajesh S, deputy commissioner of police, Noida Zone 1, said the police have received information about the NEET exam in Noida. We have reviewed the centres and we will provide security personnel on the exam day, he said. Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) in a statement said the metro train services on Phase-III sections, which usually begin at 8:00 am on Sundays, will begin at 6:00 am this Sunday, on September 13, 2020. This arrangement is being made to facilitate candidates appearing for NEET 2020, the DMRC said. NEET, a pan India exam, will be held in 155 cities across the country on Sunday. Advertisement Fund managers in many sectors have earned their considerable salaries for those who kept faith with them since the turn of the millennium, data from an investment industry body suggests. Despite the growing popularity of cheap passive or tracker funds, managed investment vehicles have outperformed benchmarks in many sectors and regions as global markets have gyrated over the last 20 years, according to figures crunched for This is Money by the Association of Investment Companies. The data also reveals that it is investment trusts that outperform their open-ended fund rivals, particularly over 20 years. The AIC represents the universe of investment trusts - the stock-market listed funds that are also known as investment companies. But the AIC figures are backed up by separate data from investing platform Interactive Investor, which directly compared investment trusts with similar funds. (See tables below.) The AIC ran the numbers for investment trusts and funds over the last 10 and 20 years, using total returns with dividends reinvested. The table includes some stock market indices for comparison, and as an indication of what a pure index tracker would have earned. HOW INVESTMENT TRUSTS COMPARE TO OPEN-ENDED FUNDS AND BENCHMARK INDEXES OVER 10 AND 20 YEARS ASSET TYPE 1,000 LUMP: July 2010-July 2020 10 YEAR RETURN 1,000 LUMP: July 2000-July 2020 20 YEAR RETURN INVESTMENT COMPANY AVERAGE 2,575.72 157.57% 4,723.35 372.33% OPEN-ENDED FUND AVERAGE 1,991.91 99.19% 2,505.05 150.51% FTSE 100 TOTAL RETURN 1,830.99 83.10% 2,005.63 100.56% FTSE ALL-SHARE TOTAL RETURN 1,918.44 91.84% 2,241.97 124.20% S&P 500 TOTAL RETURN (GBP) 4,348.38 348.38% 3,286.63 286.63% FTSE ALL-WORLD TOTAL RETURN (USD) 3,058.52 205.85% 3,314.71 231.47% ASIA PACIFIC IT 2,609.03 160.90% 6,327.35 532.74% ASIA PACIFIC EX-JAPAN FUND 2,278.11 127.81% 5,195.10 419.51% EUROPE IT 3,092.86 209.29% 3,920.52 292.05% EUROPE EX-UK FUND 2,486.51 148.65% 2,908.82 190.88% EUROPE SMALLER CO.S IT 3,335.71 233.57% 4,509.47 350.95% EUROPE SMALLER CO.S FUND 3,225.91 222.59% 4,151.14 315.11% FLEXIBLE INVESTMENT IT 1,842.90 84.29% 3,000.98 200.10% FLEXIBLE INVESTMENT FUND 2,059.70 105.97% 3,047.22 204.72% GLOBAL IT 3,506.82 250.68% 4,822.38 382.24% GLOBAL FUND 2,771.46 177.15% 3,201.30 220.13% EMERGING MARKETS IT 1,639.58 63.96% 7,286.19 628.62% EMERGING MARKETS FUND 1,670.67 67.07% 4,550.03 355.00% GLOBAL EQUITY INCOME IT 2,690.36 169.04% 3,762.71 276.27% GLOBAL EQUITY INCOME FUND 2,416.60 141.66% 3,485.63 248.56% JAPAN IT 3,531.11 253.11% 2,571.56 157.16% JAPAN FUND 2,521.78 152.18% 1,757.46 75.75% JAPAN SMALLER CO.S IT 4,247.27 324.73% 2,630.28 163.03% JAPAN SMALLER CO.S FUND 3,324.71 232.47% 2,963.01 196.30% NORTH AMERICA IT 2,718.46 171.85% 4,999.00 399.90% NORTH AMERICA FUND 4,026.11 302.61% 3,417.05 241.70% NORTH AMERICA SMALLER CO.S IT 3,341.56 234.16% 5,509.40 450.94% NORTH AMERICA SMALLER CO.S FUND 3,581.67 258.17% 3,937.20 293.72% UK COMMECIAL PROPERTY IT 1,253.63 25.36% N/A N/A UK DIRECT PROPERTY FUND 1,441.61 44.16% 2,415.82 141.58% TECHNOLOGY & MEDIA IT 7,522.28 652.23% 4,372.53 337.25% TECHNOLOGY AND TELECOMMS FUND 5,550.38 455.04% 1,942.59 94.26% UK ALL COMPANIES IT 2,295.24 129.52% 3,030.66 203.07% UK ALL COMPANIES FUND 2,150.82 115.08% 2,733.62 173.36% UK EQUITY INCOME IT 2,036.51 103.65% 3,378.33 237.83% UK EQUITY INCOME FUND 1,959.31 95.93% 2,872.43 187.24% UK SMALLER COMPANIES IT 3,151.52 215.15% 5,318.96 431.9% UK SMALLER COMPANIES FUND 3,250.43 225.04% 5,005.97 400.60% Source: AIC/Morningstar, unweighted averages, total return with dividends reinvested. The average investment trust returned 157 per cent over 10 years and 372 per cent over 20 years, while open-ended funds earned 99 per cent and 150 per cent over the same periods. That compares to total returns for the FTSE 100 index of 83 and 100 per cent, and for the FTSE All Share of 91 and 124 per cent. Which is hardly surprising when you consider that the FTSE 100 index is currently trading about a thousand points below where it reached on New Year's Eve 1999. But the FTSE All World USD benchmark showed returns of 205 and 231 per cent, while the barnstorming S&P 500 shows returns of 348 and 286 per cent when translated back into sterling. So certainly, in 2010 one of the best things an investor in funds could have done would be to buy the cheapest S&P 500 tracker - and keep hold of it through thick and thin. In the North America sector, open-ended funds returned 302 per cent over 10 years, while investment trusts returned their holders 400 per cent over 20 years. In the North America Smaller Companies sector, trusts returned an even greater 450 per cent over the longer period. The fees charged by fund managers and investment houses eat into these returns - but in comparing trusts with funds the difference is slight, with the former on average thought to be slightly cheaper. It is passives and trackers that really win out on this count. But investors must pick their trackers - and betting on an index requires care, insight and luck. It is in allowing the home investor exposure to more unfamiliar sectors and geographies that funds and more particularly investment trusts tend to prove their worth - while absorbing and spreading the risks of holding individual company shares. Technology sector investment trusts have returned an eye-opening 652 per cent over the last 10 years. In the Emerging Markets sector, trusts earned 628 per cent over 20 years, while in Asia Pacific (ex-Japan) the figure was 532 per cent. It is worth noting in both these sectors, return for ITs over the last 10 years were substantially less impressive at 64 per cent and 160 per cent. OPEN-ENDED FUNDS vs INVESTMENT TRUSTS: 2020 SO FAR Fund Investment trust Fund performance in 2020 (%) * Trust performance in 2020 (%) Fidelity Special Situations Fidelity Special Values -25.11% -32.97% Baillie Gifford Global Discovery Edinburgh Worldwide 41.14% 37.24% JPM Europe Smaller Companies JPM European Smaller Companies Trust 6.97% 0.30% Troy Trojan Income Troy Income & Growth -12.19% -13.73% ASI UK Smaller Companies Standard Life UK Smaller Companies -5.18% -16.75% Janus Henderson European Focus Henderson European Focus Trust -0.69% -8.74% Janus Henderson UK Smaller Companies Henderson Smaller Companies Trust -16.24% -26.63% Lindsell Train UK Equity Finsbury Growth & Income -7.20% -6.28% Fidelity European Fidelity European Values 2.35% 2.53% Allianz UK Equity Income Merchants Trust -24.01% -32.41% *To 10 August 2020. Source: interactive investor, FE Analytics. Open-ended funds were more likely to match their trust cousins over 10 years, and won out in a few sectors for that timeframe. And separate data from Interactive Investor backs up the suggestion that investment trusts tend to pull away from funds with total returns over the longer term. Some investment trusts, the so-called Dividend Heroes, are particularly noted for their consistency in paying a substantial income - even when dividends in the companies they hold dry up - and that can boost returns significantly, especially over long periods. But because investment trusts are listed on the stock market, they are vulnerable to wider market sentiment and short-term volatility. Their share price can also diverge from their underlying or net asset value. The above table shows how 'mirror' funds and trusts, which are managed by the same team, performed this year up to 10 August. In all but three cases, the fund shows either a better return or a smaller loss. OPEN-ENDED FUNDS vs INVESTMENT TRUSTS: FIVE YEARS Fund Investment trust Fund performance over five years (%) * Trust performance over five years (%) Fidelity Special Situations Fidelity Special Values -0.44% -3.36% Baillie Gifford Global Discovery Edinburgh Worldwide 164.38% 177.15% JPM Europe Smaller Companies JPM European Smaller Companies Trust 76.38% 60.63% Troy Trojan Income Troy Income & Growth 17.10% 18.68% ASI UK Smaller Companies Standard Life UK Smaller Companies Trust 39.07% 68.72% Janus Henderson European Focus Henderson European Focus Trust 39.26% 27.59% Janus Henderson UK Smaller Companies Henderson Smaller Companies Trust 27.58% 33.43% Lindsell Train UK Equity Finsbury Growth & Income 54.17% 57.45% Fidelity European Fidelity European Values 59.23% 62.64% Allianz UK Equity Income Merchants Trust 4.75% 2.14% *To 10 August 2020. Source: interactive investor, FE Analytics. Over five years (above) the comparison varies more widely sector by sector - but the trust is ahead in six cases out of the 10. However, over 10 years the investment trusts pull away, with only the Baillie Gifford Global Discovery Fund outdoing its mirror Edinburgh Worldwide trust, as the table below shows. The Standard Life Smaller UK Companies trust returned 298 per cent to the ASI UK Smaller Companies fund's 176 per cent. Dzmitry Lipski, Head of Funds Research at Interactive Investor says that there is a 'growing body of evidence that shows they tend to outperformance over the long term'. 'The ability to gear, borrow money, is a structural advantage investment trusts have over funds which, for many, has turbo charged returns during the record- breaking bull market spanning over a decade,' he said. OPEN-ENDED FUNDS vs INVESTMENT TRUSTS: TEN YEARS Fund Investment trust Fund performance over 10 years* (%) Trust performance over 10 years (%) Fidelity Special Situations Fidelity Special Values 67.83% 105.16% Baillie Gifford Global Discovery Edinburgh Worldwide 503.50% 441.09% JPM Europe Smaller Companies JPM European Smaller Companies Trust 175.17% 221.58% Troy Trojan Income Troy Income & Growth 118.34% 120.88% ASI UK Smaller Companies Standard Life UK Smaller Companies Trust 176.11% 298.53% Janus Henderson European Focus Henderson European Focus Trust 165.97% 183.04% Janus Henderson UK Smaller Companies Henderson Smaller Companies Trust 212.19% 306.57% Lindsell Train UK Equity Finsbury Growth & Income 245.20% 261.95% Fidelity European Fidelity European Values 146.03% 225.41% Allianz UK Equity Income Merchants Trust 69.12% 73.25% *To 10 August 2020. Source: interactive investor, FE Analytics. 'Then Covid-19 pandemic happened, and the subsequent unprecedented lockdown measures enforced by governments over the globe sent markets into freefall. In falling markets, gearing, even a small amount, has the reverse effect: enhancing losses on the way down. 'Investing is intrinsically a long-term game, and as long as you have time on your side, you can ride out the inevitable bumps in the market for a smoothed return. This is not to say that investment trusts trump funds more broadly. Both instruments have their advantages and disadvantages and a place within a well-diversified portfolio.' Despite the financial upheaval that Toronto venues are experiencing during the pandemic, live music is quickly returning to the city. September seems to be the month despite the jump in COVID numbers over the past few days and the continuing provincial gathering restrictions that allow for crowds of 50 (indoors) and 100 (outdoors) when venues are rolling the dice and attempting to reopen after the lockdown that was forced upon them in mid-March. Last week alone, the El Mocambo officially reopened Thursday by hosting a Big Wreck concert, and the Horseshoe Tavern hosted a show by the Sadies on Saturday with both events set up for streaming online as well . These venues arent alone: on Sept. 3, the Rex Hotel reopened with two jazz performances nightly, with starting times spaced three and a half hours apart. The Rex joined jazz spots the Senator which spent most of the summer hiring musicians to serenade patio attendees from its balcony and the Jazz Bistro, which recently revived its nightly dinner service with live musical accompaniment. Other familiar venues have had to get more creative. The shuttered College St. mainstay Orbit Room is temporarily resurrecting itself by presenting music Monday to Wednesday at Peter Pan on Queen St. W. Meanwhile, as it searches for a temporary home or possibly even homes of its own, Hughs Room Live is taking up residence online with ticketed livestream concerts by Jeff Daniels (yes, the actor) on Sept. 16 and Tom Paxton on Sept. 30. Of course, the drive-in shows offered by Ontario Place and the newly established City View Drive-In at the foot of Polson Street have showcased such established acts as Deadmau5, DVSN, Jully Black and Sam Roberts between them, but with fans socially distanced from the act and each other, and confined to the view from the comfort of ones vehicle. Despite this uptick of activity, reality hasnt changed: many venues even those able to offer extended patio service with tables placed six feet apart are headed to extinction unless something drastically changes. Things are in a bit of a dire emergency, says Jeff Cohen, co-owner of the Horseshoe, Lees Palace and a principal of Collective Concerts. We havent been open since March 17, both venues and Collective Concerts but just thinking of the Horseshoe, its a bad situation. Most of the staff got laid off in March so theyve been existing on CERB (Canadian Emergency Response Benefit). Some middle management have been continuing because the Trudeau government came up with the CEWS (Canadian Emergency Wage Subsidy), which allows us to keep middle management on at 75 per cent (of their wage). But theres no effective income coming in. Using the Horseshoe as an example, Cohen says although he was able to open his small patio in June, that usually accounts for five per cent of his business, with the venues front bar figuring in an additional 25 per cent. The actual performance room that has hosted everyone from the Rolling Stones to the Tragically Hip accounts for 70 per cent of the equation. We participated in the CafeTO program, which allowed us to triple the size of the patio 10 people to 24 people, Cohen explained. That doesnt bring in the income. Cohen notes that he was able to expand his business to include the indoor bar at the front of the Horseshoe once restaurants were allowed indoor service, but says the capacity is still only 50 people. Our normal capacity is 490, he states, underscoring the numbers of patrons that packed the Horseshoe during happier, profitable times. He feels he could make the business work if the Horseshoe was allowed to operate at 30 per cent capacity, or 146 people. Before the Sadies show, which the venue pulled off successfully, Cohen looked at the Horseshoes presentation of that concert with a live audience of 50 and a target of 800 tickets sold to view the streaming version as an exception. Its going to make The Sadies some money, the Horseshoe some money and some staff will be gainfully employed for the evening. Its a win-win. But Cohen sees this as a blip and doesnt mince words when it comes to the financial vulnerability of his reality. The only reason we havent gone bankrupt is because of the landlord program, he notes. Rents are really high at the corner of Queen and Spadina, but we got the landlord to participate in that, the landlords been really cool and thats kept the Horseshoe operating. If it werent for the Ontario government social programs, wed be gone. The landlord program that Cohen is referring to is a much-needed lifeline for live-music venues that coincided with the arrival of COVID-19: The Creative Co-Location Facilities Property Tax Subclass. Under this expanded program, as reported by The Star on June 5, landlords whose Toronto-located buildings house live-music venues can apply for a 50 per cent property tax break and pass that savings to their club-owning tenants. For 2020, 45 city venues will receive a combined tax break of $1.7 million music to the ears of club owners who have been looking to reduce expenditures during this pandemic-induced crisis. And this program is permanent. Mike Tanner, music sector development officer for the city of Toronto, says the measure has been warmly embraced by panicked venue owners. People understand that its a game-changing measure for those venues that survive the pandemic, says Tanner. Of course, survival is the key. Tanner says venue owners hes talked with share a number of concerns, especially when it comes to trying to consider profitability while maintaining public-health protocols. Right now, a lot of music venues are trying to navigate that and figure out, OK, if I can open up with X capacity and Y processes and protocols and infrastructure around my reopening, is it really worth it for me? Is it feasible to reopen to something far less than what 30 per cent of my capacity would be, with the number of checks and balances that I have to go through? All the venues Ive talked to, 100 per cent of them, do not want to be vectors for the disease. Theyre very conscientious and careful about the communities that they serve and their staff and their performers. There could be some financial help around the corner, states Erin Benjamin, president of the Canadian Live Music Association. Benjamin says that $20 million of emergency relief earmarked for the live-music sector is set to be administered and distributed by FACTOR (The Foundation Assisting Canadian Talent on Recordings). The deadline for submissions was August 12 and were still waiting for disbursement to be made, said Benjamin, who added that the amount is part of the $500-million emergency fund allotted to the arts by the federal government. But that is in part because the Department of Canadian Heritage and FACTOR have a huge job in trying to figure out who should get what. Because the vast majority of applicants would have no pre-existing relationship with the department, its taking a little bit longer so they can assess the applicants Im optimistic well see money start to flow in the next week or two. Karina Moldovan, spokesperson for FACTOR, confirmed that the money is available to venues, festivals, artist managers, booking agents and concert promoters, the overall live-music sector and that a minimum of $5,000 will be distributed to each successful applicant. Moldovan said that FACTOR is working hard to review applications and distribute the funds by the end of September. Although Toronto venues can also apply for this particular funding, the $20 million is meant to cover all of Canada. Twenty million dollars is a really good start in terms of emergency relief, but its a stopgap for sure, says Benjamin, whose organization serves as the voice of the concert industry and regularly consults with the federal, provincial and municipal governments. What I would say and weve been in conversation with the department is that were obviously going to need some longer-term solutions. Benjamin suggests that future funding may need to be applicable to venues that dont fall within current government subsidy guidelines. Were really hoping that more of the outcome will be a complete rethink on what the funding framework needs to look like tomorrow to better accommodate the vital needs of the live-music sector, because many of them simply wont survive this and we cant let that happen. Because the impact for artists is exponential. As if the lack of business caused by pandemic-related restrictions isnt enough, another threat is looming on the horizon: a number of venues are finding it increasingly difficult to get their insurance policies renewed. Not being insured would be a breach of a lease, one club owner who wanted to remain anonymous due to fear of insurance company reprisal told The Star. My broker is giving me the story that theyre losing so much money, the owner continued. I told them, at least youre in a position to lose money. Im in a position where I cant make any. Despite these obstacles, Benjamin is convinced the live-music business will rebound at some point in the future. Live music will be here at the end of this, she declares. We will be here for fans and we will be here for artists. Our organization is going to do everything we can between now and then to make sure that as many of us are here as possible. Mike Tanner echoes her sentiments. Were dealing with a sector that has been catastrophically hit with the pandemic like maybe no other sector, he says. The pandemic and the isolation and the fear people have felt during this have, if anything, underscored how vital music is to us as individuals and as a society. It seems to be one of the things that comes up again and again at the top of the list of the things that we miss. (Bloomberg Opinion) -- Many Asian economies are suffering historic slumps. Its visible in the mothballed planes parked at empty terminals, the once-bustling central business districts that have emptied, and the rising number of boarded-up shopfronts. Just don't look for it in the regions unemployment figures. In some of Southeast Asias most important economies, jobless rates havent risen much above 5%: Its 2.9% in Singapore and 4.9% in Malaysia. That seems out of step with the severity of their economic contractions: Singapore's gross domestic product cratered 13.2% in the second quarter from a year earlier and Malaysia fell 17.1%. What explains this disparity? A major factor is the role of the state. Asia is often characterized as a beneficiary of global capital flows, free trade and foreign investment. Yet this view obscures the powerful role the public sector also plays. Intervention is most obvious in Communist nations like China and Vietnam. At the other end of the spectrum is the Philippines, where central authority is much weaker. Between these extremes are countries like Singapore and Malaysia. In both places, government agencies hold stakes in many of the biggest companies; the state is an integral component of wage-setting and often the arbiter over who gets hired and fired. In Singapore, protecting the labor market has been a key part of an aggressive response to the pandemic. The four stimulus packages it has announced include wage subsidy programs that encourage employers to retain staff as long as possible. Without this intervention, jobless ranks would surely swell; as it is, the government has made clear it can't save every job. Singapore Airlines Ltd., for example, said Thursday it will eliminate 4,300 positions after initially resisting cuts. When companies do consider layoffs, they are urged to keep Singaporeans as the core of their workforce. While the city-state likes to say its success is built on openness, and it has long courted multinational companies and global talent, the recession has changed some of those atmospherics. Story continues This outsize role in the labor market didn't begin with the pandemic. Intervention can be traced to the republic's earliest days when it was beset by industrial unrest. From that point, leaders understood that economic survival depended on curbing the more radical of Singapores unions. This means many employers and workers have long maintained a tacit trade-off between limited wage demands and job security. In Malaysia, meanwhile, laws mandate preferential treatment for the ethnic Malay majority in employment, education and company shareholding. Successive governments tried to pare back these benefits, but retreated in the face of political backlash. State companies are woven into the fabric of the country and its strategic goals. Petroliam Nasional Bhd., the energy monolith, is a classic example. It became an ATM over the decades for schemes hatched by politicians: The firm helped finance the signature twin towers that dominate the Kuala Lumpur skyline, as well as the administrative capital Putrajaya. Petronas dividends also underpin national budgets and underwrite an array of subsidies. The Philippines, by contrast, most closely resembles a Western model. The state plays little role, relative to some of its neighbors. Fiscal stimulus in response to the virus has been limited by regional standards, despite logging the biggest-ever contraction in the second quarter and a jobless rate that shot up to double digits. (This mirrors the unemployment trend in the U.S., though the economic damage there was much shallower.) While Singapore and Malaysia tried to protect local jobs well before the pandemic, the Philippines has long been happy to export its labor, from nannies and construction workers to health-care professionals and teachers. People always wondered what would happen if they came home. Now many are returning on mercy flights, just as locals are searching for work. One conclusion is that a strong government hand is a tremendous asset in bad times. You want the safety net, in terms of budget allocations and support programs, and some sense that national ambitions coincide with corporate decision-making. But a muscular state isnt necessarily a prescription for all seasons: The Philippiness economic growth in the few years before Covid-19 outstripped Malaysia and Singapore. On the flip side, the primacy of the public sector hasn't meant a mistake-free pandemic in Singapore. A powerful current of thought for much of the past few decades has been that an active state tended to be a liability; the idea that letting markets do more, slimming down the public sector and lightening the regulatory touch would pave the path to prosperity. The durability of the coronavirus will be the surest test of that model. This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners. Daniel Moss is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering Asian economies. Previously he was executive editor of Bloomberg News for global economics, and has led teams in Asia, Europe and North America. 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. After President Donald Trump announced via Twitter on Sept. 11 that Israel and Bahrain had agreed to establish diplomatic relations, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, I am thrilled to announce to you, Israeli citizens, that we will reach a peace agreement tonight with another Arab country, Bahrain. An agreement that joins the historic agreement with the United Arab Emirates. It took us 26 years to go from the second peace agreement with an Arab state [with Jordan in 1994] to reach a third peace agreement [with the UAE]. And it took us not 26 years, but 29 days to go from a third peace agreement with an Arab country to a fourth one. And there will be more. Referring to the peace-for-land formula used in the past in efforts to reach peace with the Palestinians, Netanyahu said the current agreement brings peace in exchange for peace. He said the two new agreements are expected to bring Israel great economic benefits. We have invested in peace for many years, and now peace will bring us investments, big investments for the Israeli economy, which is very important. All these agreements were reached through hard work behind the scenes for many years. They have turned into reality with the very significant help of our friend, US President Donald Trump, and I wish to thank him and his team for this very important assistance. Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi said Sept. 11, President Trumps announcement on the intention to establish full diplomatic ties between Israel and Bahrain constitute another significant landmark in the efforts to establish normalization between Israel and neighboring countries. Ashkenazi thanked the Bahrain's people and its leaders, saying he was looking forward to continue working together. He also said the engagement of the American administration has been able to bring about dramatic, strategic changes in the region. Bahrain is now expected to join the Sept. 15 ceremony at the White House set for the signing of the Israeli-UAE normalization agreement. The White House ceremony was scheduled so that Netanyahu and the delegation that will accompany him could be back in Israel before the Jewish New Year eve Sept. 18. Another time limitation is a two-week nationwide lockdown that will apparently be implemented in Israel by the end of next week. A senior delegation from the Emirates that was set to arrive to Israel on Sept. 22 to hammer out details of several bilateral agreements might be postponed if the lockdown is indeed declared. As gun violence in the city of Chicago reached the highest level in at least four years this summer, President Donald Trump has taken aim at the city as part of his law-and-order and openly anti-communist re-election campaign. Touting the success of the federal policing effort dubbed Operation Legend, Attorney General William Barr spoke at the Dirksen Federal Building in Chicago on Tuesday. Barr announced more than 500 people had been arrested in Chicago and 124 charged with federal crimes, including weapons possession. ABC 7 reported 300 arrests September 1. Attorney General William Barr (Credit: US Department of Justice) In introducing Barr, US attorney for northern Illinois John Lausch trumpeted the success of the Trump administrations intervention: Very clearly Operation Legend helped Youve seen the data. May, June, July, it was getting out of control. And it dropped in August. Barr said, I do think its a correlation and were seeing it across all our cities right now The results of those actions speak for themselves. Over the first five weeks of Operation Legend in Chicago, murders dropped by 50 percent over the previous five weeks. The Chicago Sun Times reported the murder rate fell by 40 percent from July to August, although the figure was still 35 percent higher than the rate of August 2019. According to Democratic Mayor Lori Lightfoot, a former federal prosecutor, Barr later toured strategic Chicago police facilities. ABC 7 reported Barr also toured parts of the city being targeted by police, accompanied by Chicago Police Superintendent David Brown. Operation Legend was launched by the Trump administrations Department of Justice, sending 1,000 federal law enforcement agents to Albuquerque, Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Memphis, Milwaukee and St Louis. Media reports indicate 400 federal agents were sent to Chicago this summer as Mayor Lightfoot announced a major organizational and tactical overhaul of Chicago, Cook County and Illinois State Police forces coordination and rapid response. This is in preparation for growing social opposition to the bipartisan consensus of austerity amid the unfolding social disaster triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic. While Attorney General Barrs appearance in Chicago was aimed at boosting Trumps campaign for police repression, analysts at the University of Chicago Crime Lab and a Northwestern University political scientist stated the facts do not support the claims made by Barr at his press conference. Northwestern Universitys Wesley Skogan told Chicago Public Radio, Its impossible in a short period of time in a summer with many, many things happening at the same time to parse out the effects of the federal intervention versus the local intervention versus the non-profit street-worker intervention. In a press conference this week, Lightfoot said of Barrs announcement, Its factually inaccurate The first federal agents from Operation Legend didnt even get here til August 3 and that was a trickle. And Im not even certain weve gotten a full complement of officers that were promised because I think some were sent to other parts of the country. Lightfoot then hastened to laud the Trump administrations intervention: Now to be clear we value our partnership with federal agents that have been in this jurisdiction literally for decadesFBI, ATF, DEA U.S. Marshals. The police department works hand in glove with them and those additional resources have definitely made an impact on longstanding investigations. Weve seen an uptick in federal prosecutions Let me thank John Lausch. But no one should be taking a victory lap. Lightfoot also held out hope for increases along the lines of Barrs plan: The cause and effect Attorney General Barr tried to make today, the facts just dont bear that out, not yet. Im hopeful these relationships and additional resources will really bear fruit. The mayors comments underscore the politically explosive situation in Chicago. Lightfoot, the Chicago Police Department, state and county police and myriad federal agencies are undertaking increasingly intensive collaboration and aggressive intervention into a highly unstable social situation in Chicago. In a city that was already defined by extreme inequality and generations of violence and abuse at the hands of the police and their Democratic Party leaders, the COVID-19 pandemic has produced a new wave of catastrophe for a majority of Chicago households. In a recent survey of major cities in the US conducted by National Public Radio, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Harvard Chan School of Public Health, half of Chicago households reported facing serious financial problems during the coronavirus pandemic, as did 59 percent of households with yearly incomes below $100,000. More than one in three (35 percent) reported using up all or most of their savings. Nearly three in ten (28 percent) reported serious problems paying their credit card bills, loans or other debt. One in four (25 percent) reported serious problems paying their mortgage or rent and more than one in five (23 percent) reported serious problems paying for their utilities. On Tuesday, Lightfoot also announced that she would carry out mass layoffs of city workers to make up for a 2021 budget shortfall of $1.25 billion. Although no numbers were stated, she said negotiations were underway with trade and public sector unions on cuts and concessions. Without federal revenue supporting cities and towns whose tax bases have been hollowed out by the pandemic and economic fallout, the mayor stated that both substantial cuts and tax increases are necessary. The aggressive policing under Lightfoot is being undertaken in preparation for explosive social conflicts. YUBA CITY, Butte County Family and friends begging for information on the whereabouts of 16-year-old Josiah Williams, a boy who was last seen at home just before the North Complex fires tore through his neighborhood in Berry Creek, got the bad news late Thursday night that he had died. We are at a complete loss for words right now, his aunt, Bobbie Zedacker, told The Chronicle. They had posted his photo on social media and pumped the Butte County Sheriffs Office for information, unable to reach the home between Brush Creek and Bean Creek Road to see if it burned. We dont know if he stayed and something happened, and we dont know if he made it out, Zedaker, who also lives in Berry Creek, said earlier Thursday before the family received the news. We have no idea whats going on. Thursday evening, Sheriffs officials said that the death toll from the fire grew to 10. Josiah was one of numerous people unaccounted for in the fires evacuation zone. Zedaker said she evacuated 20 minutes after the alerts were sent out Tuesday, at about 3:15 p.m. She said she contacted Josiahs dad, who said he was evacuating in a different vehicle than Josiah and his other 18-year-old son, and had left before them. Later, however, Josiahs brother told Zedaker that Josiah had stayed up there, Zedaker said. Fire Tracker Follow wildfires across the state Latest updates on wildfires burning across Northern and Southern California Josiahs mother, Jessica Williams, lives in Indiana and was scheduled to get into town Thursday, Zedaker said. The North Complex fires, in Butte, Yuba and Plumas counties, were among several major blazes burning across California this week. Megan Cassidy and Alexei Koseff are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: megan.cassidy@sfchronicle.com alexei.koseff@sfchronicle.com SALEM, Ore. Hundreds of firefighters battled two large wildfires Friday that threatened to merge near the most populated part of Oregon, including the suburbs of Portland, and the governor said dozens of people are missing in other parts of the state. The states emergency management director, Andrew Phelps, said officials are preparing for a mass fatality event and that thousands of structures have been destroyed. Gov. Kate Brown said more than 40,000 Oregonians have been evacuated and about 500,000 are in different levels of evacuation zones, either having been told to leave or to prepare to do so. She was dialing back on a statement late Thursday issued by the state Office of Emergency Management that said a half-million people had been ordered to evacuate statewide. Dozens of people are missing in Jackson County in the south and Marion County, where a fire continues to burn east of Salem, Brown told a news conference Friday. Also Friday, authorities announced that a man had been arrested on two counts of arson for allegedly starting a fire in southern Oregon on Tuesday. The Oregon Convention Center in Portland was among the buildings being transformed into shelters for evacuees. Portland, shrouded in smoke from the fires, on Friday had the worst air quality of the worlds major cities, according to IQAir. National Guard troops and corrections officers transferred about 1,300 inmates from a womens prison in a southern suburb of Portland out of an abundance of caution, the Oregon Department of Corrections said. Spokeswoman Vanessa Vanderzee said it took 20 hours to transfer the inmates Thursday to another prison in a safe zone. A change in the weather, with winds dropping and shifting direction and humidity rising, greatly helped firefighters struggling to prevent the two fires from advancing farther west into more-populated areas. The wind laid down quite a bit for us yesterday. There also wasnt that strong eastern wind that was pushing the fire more to the west, said Stefan Myers of the states fire information team. Winds coming from the Pacific Ocean also neutralized the fires advance and even pushed them back, Myers said. Almost 500 personnel were working on the fires, which were just a few miles (kilometers) apart, with rugged terrain between them that limits boots-on-the-ground efforts to keep them apart, Myers said. If they merge, they could generate such heat that it causes embers to fly thousands of feet into the air, potentially igniting other areas, Myers said. The high number of fires occurring simultaneously in the span of just a few days in Oregon was fueled by dry conditions, high temperatures and especially strong, swirling winds. Brown said Thursday that more than 1,400 square miles (3,600 square kilometers) have burned in Oregon over the past three days, nearly double the land that burns in a typical year in the state and an area greater than the size of Rhode Island. Oregon officials havent released an exact death count for the wildfires, but at least eight fatalities have been reported in the state. A 1-year-old boy was killed in wildfires in Washington. A Northern California fire that tore through several hamlets in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada this week killed 10 people, making it the deadliest of the year. In Oregon, evacuation centers opened across the state. Kim Carbaugh fled from her home in Lyons with her husband, two children and two horses Monday. When we were driving away and I could see actual fire, the red and orange flames, at the time I didnt feel scared, I had so much adrenaline we just had to leave, she said Friday from the livestock stables of the evacuation center at the State Fairgrounds in Salem. One fire approached Molalla, triggering a mandatory evacuation order for the community of about 9,000 located 30 miles (48 kilometers) south of Portland. A police car rolled through the streets with a loudspeaker blaring evacuate now. With the two large fires called the Beachie Fire and the Riverside Fire threatening to merge, some firefighters in Clackamas County, which encompasses Molalla, were told to disengage temporarily Thursday because of the danger. Officials tried to reassure residents who abandoned their homes and law enforcement officials said police patrols would be stepped up to prevent looting. The change in weather also aided efforts to contain a fire near Lincoln City, on the Oregon Coast, that according to an estimate has damaged or destroyed at least 100 structures. Thank God, we got a wind shift. The wind started coming from the west, pushing the fire back towards the east, and thats what kept it within its footprint and kept it from growing, fire spokesperson Ashley Lertora said. Oregons congressional delegation announced Friday that the White House has approved the states request for an emergency declaration that will help provide immediate assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Jackson County Sheriff Nathan Sickler said Friday that a 41-year-old man was jailed on two charges of arson for a fire that started Tuesday in the Phoenix area in southern Oregon. Sickler said the Almeda fire, which burned hundreds of homes, had ignition points in Ashland near the spot where a man was found dead, and in Phoenix. Authorities said the man was arrested at the second ignition point in Phoenix and that he denied starting the fire. Police are still investigating the first ignition point in Ashland. In southern Oregon near the California state line, much of the small town of Phoenix was wiped out. A mobile home park, houses and businesses were burned, leaving twisted remains on charred ground. Many of the residents were immigrants, with few resources to draw on. Artemio Guterrez, a single father of four, had been at work at a vineyard when he saw thick smoke spreading through Rogue River Valley. He snatched his kids to safety. They escaped with only the clothes they were wearing. Im going to start all over again. Its not easy but its not impossible either, said Guterrez. In a news conference Friday, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee noted that the amount of land burned in just the past five days amounted to the states second-worst fire season, after 2015. He called the blazes climate fires rather than wildfires. This is not an act of God, Inslee said. This has happened because we have changed the climate of the state of Washington in dramatic ways. ___ Associated Press writers Gillian Flaccus in Phoenix, Oregon and Lisa Baumann and Gene Johnson in Seattle contributed to this report. AP freelance photographer Paula Bronstein also contributed to this report from Talent and Phoenix, Oregon. (Newser) Bahrain has become the latest Arab nation to agree to normalize ties with Israel as part of a broader diplomatic push by President Trump and his administration to fully integrate the Jewish state into the Middle East, per the AP. Trump announced the agreement on Friday, following a three-way phone call he had with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa. The three leaders also issued a brief six-paragraph joint statement, attesting to the deal. Another HISTORIC breakthrough today! Trump tweeted. The announcement on the 19th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks comes less than a week before Trump hosts a White House ceremony to mark the establishment of full relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates. Bahrains foreign minister will attend the event. story continues below Theres no more powerful response to the hatred that spawned 9/11 than this agreement, Trump told reporters at the White House. It represents another diplomatic win for Trump less than two months before the presidential election and an opportunity to shore up support among pro-Israel evangelical Christians. Just last week, Trump announced agreements in principle for Kosovo to recognize Israel and for Serbia to move its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Like the UAE agreement, the Bahrain-Israel deal will normalize diplomatic, commercial, and security relations between the two countries. Bahrain, along with Saudi Arabia, had already dropped a prohibition on Israeli flights using its airspace. Saudi acquiescence to the agreements has been considered key to the deals. (Trump has been nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize for the UAE development.) On the eve of the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, a federal judge directed the Saudi Arabian government to make as many as 24 current and former officials available for depositions about their possible knowledge of events leading up to the airplane attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, which killed almost 3,000 Americans. Those officials include Prince Bandar, the former ambassador to the United States, and his longtime chief of staff. The order was immediately hailed by families of the 9/11 victims as a milestone in their years-long effort to prove that some Saudi officials were either complicit in the attacks or aware of the kingdoms support for some of the hijackers in the months before they hijacked four American airliners and crashed three of them into the World Trade Towers and the Pentagon. A fourth plane, whose presumed target was the U.S. Capitol, was commandeered by passengers and crashed in Shanksville, Pa., where President Trump and possibly Joe Biden are expected at memorial ceremonies Friday . The Towers of Light tribute marking the 19th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks. (Jose Luis Magana/AP) This is a game changer, Brett Eagleson, whose father was killed in the attacks on the World Trade Towers and who serves as a spokesman for the families, said of the ruling by Federal Magistrate Judge Sarah Netburn in New York. This is the most significant ruling weve had to date in this lawsuit. And to have this on the eve of the anniversary of 9/11, you couldnt script this any better. The families are elated. The effect of the ruling may depend on the willingness of the Saudi government to make its citizens available for testimony especially since it includes some high-ranking figures who no longer hold official positions and therefore cannot be compelled to testify. But any open defiance of the court ruling by the Saudis, or resistance from some of the figures named, could further exacerbate a relationship that has already been strained by the 2018 Saudi assassination of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi an act the CIA has concluded was likely ordered by the countrys de factor ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Story continues The question is especially fraught for Bandar, a member of the Saudi royal family who for years maintained a close relationship with senior U.S. government officials (earning him the nickname Bandar Bush because of his ties to the Bush family) and whose daughter, Princess Reema bint Bandar, serves as the current Saudi ambassador in Washington. If he chooses to thumb his nose at a U.S. court, you better believe there will be political fallout from that, said Eagleson. The Saudi Arabian Embassy in Washington, D.C. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) A lawyer for the Saudis did not respond to a request for comment Thursday night, and no evidence has surfaced in the case that establishes Bandar had personal knowledge of what the Saudi hijackers were up to. But during his tenure in Washington, from 1983 to 2005, he oversaw a sprawling embassy staff including some, especially those with responsibilities for Islamic affairs, who have been identified in recently surfaced FBI documents as suspects who may have helped provide support for the hijackers in the United States. The question of possible involvement in the 9/11 attacks by Saudi officials has been a subject of intense debate for years, dividing officials within the FBI and the U.S. intelligence community. The Saudis have consistently denied any connection to the 9/11 hijackers, telling the New York Times and ProPublica in January: Saudi Arabia is and has always been a close and critical ally of the U.S. in the fight against terrorism. But lawyers for the families of the 9/11 victims have been conducting a painstaking investigation that has developed a circumstantial case that two of the hijackers, Khalid al-Mihdhar and Nawaf al-Hazmi, received financial and other support from individuals associated with the Saudi government after they arrived in the U.S. after attending an al-Qaida planning summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. As reported by Yahoo News last May, previously undisclosed FBI documents show that a foreign ministry official within the Saudi Embassy, Mussaed Ahmed al-Jarrah, who had duties overseeing the activities of the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, had repeated contacts with two figures at the heart of the case and was even suspected of directing them to assist the hijackers. One was Fahad al-Thumairy, a Saudi Islamic Affairs official and radical cleric who served as the imam of the King Fahd Mosque in Los Angeles and met with the two hijackers there. The other was Omar al-Bayoumi, a suspected Saudi intelligence agent who directly helped the hijackers, finding them an apartment, lending them money and setting them up with bank accounts, after they flew into Los Angeles airport on Jan. 15, 2000. Al-Jarrah, who until last year served in the Saudi Embassy in Morocco, is among the current and former officials named in the order by Netburn, directing the Saudis to make available for testimony. Al-Thumairy and al-Bayoumi were also cited. But significantly, the list includes other high-ranking royals who still serve in the government, including Saleh bin Abdulaziz, who served as Minister of Islamic Affairs at the time and, according to the judges ruling, extended al-Thuimairys time in the United States and promoted him. In her discussion of Bandar, Judge Netburn noted that lawyers for the Saudi government had persuasively argued that no documents show that he directly oversaw the work of al-Jarrah and al-Thumairy in the United States. But, she added, court documents obtained during the course of discovery much of which remain under seal indicates that Prince Bandar likely has firsthand knowledge [of] the role that al-Thumairy was assigned by the Kingdom and the diplomatic cover provided to him. The judge also authorized the deposition of Ahmed al-Qattan, Bandars longtime chief of staff, noting that court documents show that he likely has unique firsthand knowledge of al-Jarrah and al-Thumairys relevant pre-9/11 activity and any post-9/11 ratification of their conduct. _____ Read more from Yahoo News: Toronto police have identified the victim in Thursday afternoons fatal shooting in the citys west end. Andre Rodriguez, 26, of Toronto, was shot and killed in the parking lot in front of Walmart at St. Clair Avenue West and Mould Avenue, near Runnymede Road. Officers responded to a call at around 1:40 p.m. and found Rodriguez, suffering from a gunshot wound, police said in a news release Friday. Paramedics attempted to save the mans life but he died at the scene. Police told the Star that they didnt have information on whether the victim and suspect knew each other. Investigators are encouraging anyone who knows Rodriguez and who have been in contact with him over the past week to contact police. Police on Thursday tweeted that a male suspect was seen driving in a white SUV, heading west on St. Clair. Anyone with information, or who was driving in the area of St. Clair and Mould between 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. on Thursday and who has dash cam footage, are asked to contact police at 416-808-7400 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-TIPS (8477). The Carrera GT was produced from 2003 to 2007 in 1,270 units with a V10 engine that only the Lexus LFA can match in terms of aural pleasure. The 5.7-liter lump can trace its roots back to a racing project that never materialized, but as fate would have it, the motor was adapted for a road-going car.Acquired through a German dealership and delivered to the first and only owner it had so far, the 2004 model in the photo gallery also happens to be a low-mileage survivor with only 27,253 kilometers on the clock. Regularly serviced by the selling dealer, the Carrera GT is now up for grabs for 695,000 euros ($823,000) as opposed to the original starting price of 464,100 ($550,000).Finished in metallic silver and presented in absolutely perfect condition according to PVS Automobile on the mobile.de marketplace, the car comes with an indoor cover, a luggage set, the Porsche Online Pro radio and CD player, Michelin tires, Xenon headlights, theft protection, and a strong battery. A license plate holder is also featured because cars sold in Europe require two plates as opposed to a rear plate as its the case in Arizona or Florida.612 PS and 590 Nm (603 horsepower and 435 pound-feet) are channeled to the rear wheels by a six-speed transmission with a ceramic clutch, a manual that dominates the cockpit with a beechwood gear knob. 8,400 revolutions per minute may not be as impressive as the Lexus LFA, but the Carrera GT still revs higher than the likes of the flat-plane crankshaft Shelby GT350.An impressive piece of automotive engineering to this day, the Carrera GT in such a perfect condition is more than a blue-chip collectible. Its a piece of Porsche history that wont be repeated, not when ever-stringent emissions standards hamper down on gas-guzzling engines. If youre curious how thirsty this V10 is, the EPA rated it at 11 miles per gallon on the combined cycle. Thats 9.1 gallons per 100 miles, translating to a total range of 264 miles. U.S. Gen. Robert Abrams, commander of the United Nations Command, Combined Forces Command, and United States Forces Korea, delivers a speech during the commemorating ceremony for the U.N. Forces Participating Day in the Korean War at the border village of Panmunjom in Paju, South Korea, Monday, July 27, 2020. North Korea has set up a shoot-to-kill zone along its border with China to prevent citizens from crossing into China and bringing the coronavirus back with them should they return, the senior U.S. commander on the Korean peninsula said this week. Gen. Robert Abrams, commander of the United States Forces Korea, told an online forum hosted by a Washington think tank Thursday that North Korea had taken drastic measures on its border to stop the COVID-19 pandemic from spreading among its malnourished population and decrepit healthcare system. North Korean smugglers have been trying to get across, and as a result, the regime issued out instructions. So now theyve got an additional buffer zone, 1-2 kilometers up on the Chinese border, he said. Theyve got North Korean SOF [special operations forces] out there manning these things, strike forces, theyve got shoot to kill orders in place, and this is fundamentally about preventing COVID from getting into North Korea, Abrams told the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies on-line panel. The severe border control policies described by Abrams, who commands the 28,500 troops based in South Korea under a longstanding defense treaty, are nearly identical to accounts shared with RFAs Korea Service last month in a series of reports from North Korean sources along their countrys 1,420-km (880-mile) border with China. On Aug. 26, RFA quoted sources in the North Korean military as saying that North Koreas top brass had that day ordered military and police units to shoot on sight anyone found within 1,000 meters (0.6 miles) of the Chinese frontier in the four border provinces of North Hamgyong, North Pyongan, Chagang and Ryanggang. A build-up of forces to fight the pandemic was also revealed in earlier RFA reports quoting sources in Ryanggang province that 1,500 Special Forces soldiers and border guards had been deployed in four layers along the Sino-Korean border to prevent illegal crossings during the pandemic and prevent smuggling by guards. North Korea and China suspended all trade and closed their border at the beginning of the pandemic in January. But the frontier had remained porous, because North Koreas nascent market economy depends on the smuggling of goods into and out of China. Smugglers skirt U.S. and UN sanctions aimed at depriving Pyongyang of cash and resources that could be funneled into its nuclear and missile programs. With COVID-19, that has accelerated the effect of sanctions on North Korea, said Abrams, who called the harsh border controls by Pyongyang understandable in view of their threadbare safety net for the population of 25.5 million people. They have a poor health system, 60 percent of their population is undernourished, they dont have the medical capacity, and a very large outbreak could be devastating. So they are taking those matters into their hand, the general said. Abrams said that North Korea was not showing any signs of lashing out at South Korea or Japan, or launching other provocations, prior to the November 3 U.S. presidential election. He said North Korea is focused on getting their country back together, referring to extensive damage caused by Typhoons Maysak and Haishen, which hammered North Koreas eastern provinces one right after the other over the past week. Abrams said the countrys current difficulties pale in comparison to the 1994-1998 North Korean famine that killed millions of North Koreans -- as much as 10 percent of its population by some estimates. North Korea has still not reported a single confirmed case of the coronavirus. Though the country maintains outwardly that it is virus-free, the government has announced in public lectures to citizens that the virus was in April spreading in three areas of the country, including the capital Pyongyang. Oil prices fell further on Friday and were on track for a second weekly drop after the US stock markets tumbled and US stockpiles rose unexpectedly. Brent fell 28 cents, or 0.7 per cent, at $30.78 a barrel by 12:10 GMT, and US crude was down 17 cents, or 0.5 per cent, to $37.13 a barrel. Both benchmarks were 6 per cent down for the week. Financial markets are continuing to set the tone, including on the oil market. The renewed slide on US stock markets dragged oil prices down with it, Commerzbank analyst Eugen Weinberg said. The three main US stock indexes ... New nano-microscope opens door to new materials and technology. Credit: David A. Broadway Australian researchers and their colleagues from Russia and China have shown that it is possible to study the magnetic properties of ultrathin materials directly, via a new microscopy technique that opens the door to the discovery of more two-dimensional (2-D) magnetic materials, with all sorts of potential applications. Published in the journal Advanced Materials, the findings are significant because current techniques used to characterize normal (three-dimensional) magnets don't work on 2-D materials such as graphene due to their extremely small sizea few atom thick. "So far there has been no way to tell exactly how strongly magnetic a 2-D material was," said Dr. Jean-Philippe Tetienne from the University of Melbourne School of Physics and Center for Quantum Computation and Communication Technology. "That is, if you were to place the 2-D material on your fridge's door like a regular fridge magnet, how strongly it gets stuck onto it. This is the most important property of a magnet." To address the problem, the team, led by Professor Lloyd Hollenberg, employed a widefield nitrogen-vacancy microscope, a tool they recently developed that has the necessary sensitivity and spatial resolution to measure the strength of 2-D material. "In essence, the technique works by bringing tiny magnetic sensors (so-called nitrogen-vacancy centers, which are atomic defects in a piece of diamond) extremely close to the 2-D material in order to sense its magnetic field," Professor Hollenberg explained. To test the technique, the scientists chose to study vanadium triiodide (VI3) as large 3-D chunks of VI3 were already known to be strongly magnetic. Using their special microscope, they have now shown that 2-D sheets of VI3 are also magnetic but about twice as weak as in the 3-D form. In other words, it would be twice as easy to get them off the fridge's door. "This was a bit of a surprise, and we are currently trying to understand why the magnetisation is weaker in 2-D, which will be important for applications," Dr. Tetienne said. Professor Artem Oganov of Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology in Moscow (Skoltech) said the findings have the potential to trigger new technology. "Just a few years ago, scientists doubted that two-dimensional-magnets are possible at all. With the discovery of two-dimensional ferromagnetic VI3, a new exciting class of materials emerged. New classes of material always mean that new technologies will appear, both for studying such materials and harnessing their properties." The international team now plan to use their microscope to study other 2-D magnetic materials as well as more complex structures, including those that are expected to play a key role in future energy-efficient electronics. More information: David A. Broadway et al. Imaging Domain Reversal in an Ultrathin Van der Waals Ferromagnet, Advanced Materials (2020). Journal information: Advanced Materials David A. Broadway et al. Imaging Domain Reversal in an Ultrathin Van der Waals Ferromagnet,(2020). DOI: 10.1002/adma.202003314 Sushant Singh Rajput Death Anniversary: A Timeline of the of events that have transpired so far At least 6 members of Sushant Singh Rajputs family killed in road accident in Bihar No bail, Rhea to remain in jail India oi-Vicky Nanjappa Mumbai, Sep 11: A special court in Mumbai has rejected Rhea Chakraborty's bail plea. She was held in a drug case linked to her boyfriend and actor Sushant Singh Rajput's death. Sushant Death Case: Rhea Chakraborty denied bail by a Mumbai court, will stay in jail|Oneindia News The court also rejected the bail plea of Rhea's brother, Showik and four others-Sushant Singh Rajput's house manager Samuel Miranda, house help Dipesh Sawant, Bandra residents Zaid Vilatra and Abdel Basit Parihar. All of them are likely to move the Bombay High Court in appeal against the order of the lower court. In her bail plea, she has alleged in her bail application that during her interrogation by the NCB, she was "coerced" into making "self-incriminating confessions". In the plea filed in a sessions court on Wednesday, Rhea also claimed that she has not committed any crime whatsoever and has been falsely implicated in the case. The actor, who was arrested in Mumbai by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) on Tuesday, filed this plea after a magistrate court rejected her bail application. The plea, filed by her lawyer Satish Maneshinde said, "During her (NCB) custody, the applicant (Rhea) was coerced into making self-incriminating confessions. The actor has formally retracted all such incriminating confessions." In the plea, she also said that her arrest is "unwarranted and without any justification". "The actor's liberty has arbitrarily been curtailed," it added. The plea also said that no female officer was present during her interrogation. Rhea was arrested after three days of questioning by the NCB. She is currently in judicial custody. Besides Rhea's, the bail pleas of other accused, including that of her brother Showik, who was arrested by the NCB last week, will also be heard on Thursday. Besides Rhea and Showik, the NCB has also arrested Sushant's house manager Samuel Miranda and others on drug supply charges. The NCB had earlier said that Rhea, in her statement revealed about her involvement in the procurement of drugs and financial transactions and also her instructions to other accused, Samuel Miranda, Sushant's domestic help Dipesh Sawant and Showik in this regard. "Therefore, it is clear from her statement that Rhea is an active member of the drug syndicate connected with drug supplies," the agency said. The NCB had said that the actress has revealed that she used to procure drugs for Sushant for consumption purpose. She also used to manage finances for drug procurement along with the late actor, it added. The NCB is probing the drug angle in this case under criminal sections of the NDPS Act after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) shared with it a report following the cloning of two mobile phones of Rhea. Various angles surrounding the death of the Sushant Singh Rajput are being probed by three federal agencies- the NCB, the ED and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Sushant Singh Rajput (SSR) was found dead at his Bandra flat on June 14. MILFORD - Students have felt excited, anxious and hopeful on the first day of school since the first bell ever rang. You can now add Superintendent of School Anna Cutaia to that list. All the anxietys, all the worries, were quickly set aside, Cutaia said at a press conference Thursday to talk about the reopening of 14 schools to the districts 5,500 students. I did car duty here at Pumpkin Delight and the kids were bouncing out of their cars, she said. They couldnt wait to come back to school, I heard shrieks and oohs and aahs. If we could have, there would have been a festival of hugs. Cutaia noted is has not been an easy six months since the closing of schools because of COVID-19, as we miss our kiddos; we miss our staff. To see them gather again, those (tough) times were washed away. It was a brilliant reunion, she said. We are a school community and I feel confident that we have taken the right protocols to keep us safe. Milford had five components in place on how to reopen: the decision of students coming back in person (82 percent), the number of staff members coming back for in-person teaching (99 percent), the social and emotional decision-making of what is best for students and staff, and academic priorities. Being back in school is the right thing as long as we can all be safe and we are doing everything we can to do that, Cutaia said. We know we are still in a pandemic crisis. It is still here and any time it can happen anywhere. We are going to respond as safely as possible. The school system took things case-by-case regarding teachers who wanted to opt out of in-person teaching. We had some requests, Cutaia said. There are different types of leaves a teacher can take if they arent comfortable coming in and there wasnt a distance learning opportunity for them based on the districts need. We do not have any full-time remote distance learning teachers. Any remote learning going on is being conducted by teachers who are inside our schools. That may change if there is a positive case. Milford Public Schools believe a key to holding COVID-19 at bay is having a cohort, which means keeping the same group of students together as much as possible throughout the day. Elementary and middle school classes have 16 to 18 students, with high school (in a larger space) potentially 25 to 30 students. All desks are socially distanced six feet apart. Elementary schools will be in cohorts 100 percent of the time and middle schools close to 100 percent. At the high schools, freshmen and sophomores will cohort as much as possible. Because of elective and specialized courses, a cohort for juniors and seniors is difficult. Milford staff also believe the district it is ready for the possibility of illness, officials said. Closing one of our schools if someone is infected, that decision is made with the Milford Health Department, Cutaia said. How we respond will come from understanding what degree that individual had contact with others. That will inform us whether we must shut down a classroom, a wing of a building or the entire school. It doesnt mean we would close indefinitely. It would be up to the Health Department to determine when we could come back safely. For example, she said, If it is a junior who is ill, it would impact every adult and young person that junior had contact with. If that junior contacts 10 teachers that day, and it is determined that those 10 teachers must be quarantined, then the junior class might go to all-online learning, Cutaia said. I dont have 10 teachers in the building to replace those sent home. We are writing the playbook as we plan. Changes Day 1 in 2020 was different than the past, from getting on and off buses to walking the halls and breaking for lunch. Buses have color-coded seating for riders to take each day so in case of illness it can be traced. There are one-way and two-way signs in the halls. Physical education and music teachers travel with carts to students. Cutaia said about lunch: It is not the days when we could all pile into the cafeteria and there was loud noise and kids are talking more than they are eating. We dont have that scene anymore. There are no large gatherings, rather for elementary we deliver lunch on a cart. For middle and high school, students pick up a lunch at grab-and-go and take it back to a classroom and eat with a teacher monitoring. There are new ways to teach. In middle school and high school, a teacher can be teaching two groups of students: one face-to-face in a group of 16 while the lesson is being livestreamed to another classroom either next door or down the hallway, with another adult monitoring those students. Cutaia praised teachers for their creativity. The first few weeks is always about routine and protocols, she said. You know, on the first day you see the younger kids in the hallway lining up. Well, I saw them being taught to stand against the wall and then make wall angels. They found that if you are touching someone at your side then you are too close. This year if a student is learning from home, they are livestreaming into a classroom where a teacher is giving the lesson. In many cases, those students are being buddied-up with in-person students to work together digitally. Pandemic costly Overtime costs, hiring more staff, buying PPE (personal protective equipment), additional cleaning supplies, and desks all are making an impact on the budget. In elementary school, we had moved to a model where students sat together at the same table, Cutaia said. Over the years, we removed all antiquated student desks. We had some in storage, but not enough. So, we ordered 800 student desks because each child needs their own space. Signs in the hallways and individual supplies for each student are added expenses. Every student also must have their own individual supplies and materials. On Wednesday, when students have a full day learning remotely, all schools are thoroughly sanitized and disinfected, Cutaia said. Staff comes in to clean on weekends, and when students leave our building we sanitize and disinfect. We had to increase our salary line in that area. Weve had to bring in more teachers, she noted. When you take your average class size from almost 21 elementary and 23 at middle and high school and you are reducing that to 16, now you have to add more adults and deploy them to young people in their cohorts. Substitute teachers in the past could be hired to work in more than one school as needed for $100 per day. With cohorts in place, teachers are being hired to work in only one building. Hiccups Because of the social distancing it is taking a little longer to get students into our buildings and to go home to their cars and buses, Cutaia said. Our ridership is down (55 percent to 60 percent) with more parents dropping the kids off. We thank the parents for their patience because pickup in the afternoon does take a little bit longer. william.bloxsom@hearstmediact.com; Twitter: @blox354 U.S. to reduce troop presence in Iraq, Afghanistan by November People's Daily Online (Xinhua) 09:11, September 10, 2020 WASHINGTON, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) -- Commander of U.S. Central Command Kenneth McKenzie confirmed on Wednesday that the United States would withdraw thousands of troops from Iraq and Afghanistan by November, U.S. media reported on Wednesday. The Politico reported that McKenzie, during a ceremony for Operation Inherent Resolve with the Iraqi minister of defense, said that U.S. troop presence in Iraq would be reduced to 3,000 by the end of September. The force reduction is due to "the great progress the Iraqi forces have made and in consultation and coordination with the Government of Iraq and our coalition partners," he said. Currently, there are over 5,000 U.S. troops deployed in Iraq to support Iraqi forces in battles against remnants of the Islamic State (IS), mainly for training and advisory purposes. McKenzie noted that the reduced size of U.S. military presence in Iraq would still be able to advise and assist Iraqi forces in rooting out the IS remnants in Iraq. The top U.S. general in the Middle East told several media outlets later in the day that U.S. troops in Afghanistan would be decreased to about 4,500 level by early November. The Pentagon said in mid-July that the United States maintained its force level in Afghanistan at mid-8,000s, meeting the conditions of the U.S.-Taliban agreement signed in late February. The agreement also called for a full withdrawal of the U.S. military forces from Afghanistan by May 2021 if the Taliban meets the conditions of the deal, including severing ties with terrorist groups. The numbers and time frame of the troop reduction plan that McKenzie disclosed on Wednesday were mainly in line with previous reports and discussions. The Wall Street Journal wrote in a late August piece that the Pentagon would reduce military presence in Iraq by roughly one-third over the next two or three months, bringing U.S. troop numbers down to 3,500. Pentagon chief Mark Esper also confirmed last month that U.S. troops in Afghanistan would be lowered to less than 5,000 by the end of November. As the presidential election looms, President Donald Trump has doubled down efforts to seek to fulfill his campaign promise to bring troops home and to pull his country out of "endless wars." During his meeting with visiting Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi last month, Trump reiterated his intention to withdraw troops from Iraq. Trump also has sought a full withdrawal from Afghanistan. The war in Afghanistan, which has caused about 2,400 U.S. military deaths, is the longest one in U.S. history. The troop reduction announcement came amid the development of a delicate relationship between Trump and the military. In Monday's White House briefing, Trump claimed senior leaders in the Pentagon probably didn't like him "because they want to do nothing but fight wars so that all of those wonderful companies that make the bombs and make the planes and make everything else stay happy." Army Chief of Staff James McConville on Tuesday defended military leaders to media outlet Defense One, saying "the senior leaders would only recommend sending our troops to combat when it is required in national security and a last resort." The news also came days after an article published in The Atlantic, quoting anonymous sources, saying that Trump disparaged slain U.S. service members by referring to them as "losers" and "suckers." Trump and White House officials have vehemently denied the report. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address The deal benefits British financial services and manufacturing firms, and helps Japanese carmakers bring parts to UK. The United Kingdom has struck its first post-Brexit trade deal with Japan, hailing the agreement as an historic moment, just as it is struggling to clinch a deal with its closest trading partners in the European Union. The UK said the deal, which had been agreed in principle, meant 99 percent of its exports to Japan would be tariff-free. Digital and data provisions in the agreement went far beyond those in the EUs trade deal with Japan, helping British financial technology firms operating in the Asian country, it said. Financial services firms, food producers, coat-makers and biscuit bakers as well as cheese producers would benefit from the agreement which represented an important step towards the UK joining the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) in the Asia-Pacific region. Significant Japanese investors in the UK such as Nissan and Hitachi would benefit from reduced tariffs on parts coming from Japan and streamlined regulatory procedures, the British trade department statement said. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said Brexit gives the UK the freedom to strike trade deals with other countries around the world. Critics say such agreements are unlikely to replace exports lost to the EU if a deal cannot be struck with Brussels. Narrowing window The EU has ordered the UK to scrap a plan to break their divorce treaty, but Johnsons government has refused, potentially sinking four years of Brexit talks. Japan wanted to reach broad consensus with the UK on trade this week before a change in government in Tokyo which could have caused the negotiations to drift. Japans ruling party will choose a new leader next Monday to succeed Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who is stepping down for health reasons. His successor will become the next premier and form a new cabinet. The political changes could include replacing Japans Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi, who leads on trade negotiations. Motegi said on Friday the aim was to have the trade deal with Britain come into force in January. Japan will submit the agreement to its parliament, which is expected to be convened later this year. (Natural News) While the broadcast networks (ABC, CBS, and NBC) were stoking fear of any coronavirus vaccine produced under Trumps presidency, they blacked out the nationwide outrage at ABC-owner Disney for giving a special thanks to the operators of Chinas Uighur concentration camps in the credits of their new movie Mulan. It was a missed opportunity for their competitors at CBS and NBC. (Article by Nicholas Fondacaro republished from NewsBusters.org) The Libertarian magazine Reason put it best in describing the disturbing situation with Disneys praise for the murderous Chinese regime. The new Mulan movie is facing a barrage of criticismand promises to boycottfor filming near Chinese concentration camps and then thanking the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) for the privilege, wrote Elizabeth Nolan Brown. Disneys outrageous actions even made its way on to Fox News Channels Special Report. In the credits of Disneys Mulan, the movies creature shot scenes in Xinjiang. And even thanked government agencies there, including one the Commerce Department sanctioned in October, the Turpan Municipality Public Security Bureau, reported State Department correspondent Rich Edson. Edson also read from the State Department report that detailed the horrific treatment of the Uighurs in the region Disney filmed: A recent State Department report says that the Chinese government is subjecting minority groups in Xinjiang to, quote, forced disappearance, political indoctrination, torture, physical and psychological abuse, including forced sterilization and sexual abuse, forced labor, and prolonged detention. So, what exactly was Disney thanking them for? Instead of reporting on this, the liberal broadcast networks were busy stoking fear of a coronavirus vaccine created under President Trump. AstraZeneca putting its vaccine trial on hold because of a suspected adverse reaction in a participant. It comes after an extraordinary pledge by drug company CEOs saying they wont rush clinical trials despite pressure from President Trump, announced NBC Nightly News anchor Lester Holt Meanwhile, on ABCs World News Tonight, correspondent Steve Osunsami poisoned the well by boosting the Biden campaigns attacks on the matter with a lie about what the President said: OSUNSAMI: For weeks now, the President keeps suggesting that a vaccine could be ready by election day. PRESIDENT TRUMP: So, were going to have a vaccine very soon. Maybe even before a very special date, you know what date Im talking about. OSUNSAMI: His critics say hes rushing things for political gain. SEN. KAMALA HARRIS (D-CA): I will not take his word for it. He wants us to inject bleach. No, I will not take his word. NewsBusters has long documented how ABC News was just a shill for their parent company, so its theres the reason they wouldnt cover the outrage. But there were no such obligations against CBS and NBC. On the other hand, NBC Universal might be doing their own filling in China. The network black out on Disneys praise for concentration camp operators was made possible because of lucrative sponsorships from Ancestry on ABC, Amazon on CBS Evening News, and HomeAdvisor on NBC. Their contact information in linked so you can tell them about what theyre funding. CBS Evening News has also asked people to text anchor Norah ODonnell at this number: (202) 217-1107. The transcript is below, click expand to read: An empty International Arrivals hall is pictured at Terminal Two of London Heathrow Airport in west London, on May 9, 2020. Britain's Heathrow Airport said passenger numbers in August were down 81.5% compared to last year, as it repeated its call for the UK government to introduce testing as an alternative to the country's 14-day quarantine rule. Heathrow, which before the COVID-19 pandemic was the busiest airport in Europe, said that North American passenger numbers were down 95% compared to last year as the 14-day quarantine rule deters long-haul travel. "Heathrow urges the government to introduce testing as an alternative to 14-day quarantine to protect millions of jobs across the UK and to kickstart the economic recovery," the airport said in a statement on Friday. WASHINGTON For California Sen. Kamala Harris, the start of the 2020 campaign trail is taking place where life for many Americans is right now behind a computer or a mask. The Democratic vice presidential nominee had her first boots-on-the-ground or, in her case, Chuck Taylors visits to swing states this week, as the campaign began in earnest after the party conventions and unofficial Labor Day kickoff. But the ways in which the coronavirus pandemic has transformed the presidential campaign were readily apparent, as Harris sported a face mask and bumped elbows at retail politicking stops, and traveled with only a small contingent of reporters serving as a pool for the broader media. And apart from her recent travels, most of Harris time since joining the ticket has been spent in Washington, fundraising through Zoom events and doing interviews with local media. Harris had two campaign trips this week. On Monday she went to the swing state of Wisconsin, where she met with the family of Jacob Blake, whose shooting by police in Kenosha set off protests against police brutality and racism as well as counter-messaging from Republicans portraying Democratic cities as lawless. She also toured an International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers training facility, held a roundtable with Black business owners, and went viral for wearing her signature shoe choice Converses Chuck Taylor All-Stars sneakers. On Thursday she and her husband, Doug Emhoff, traveled to Miami, where she focused on the Black community with a live-streamed conversation with local leaders, and Emhoff, who is Jewish, held a conversation with local rabbis. They also engaged in a bit of traditional retail politicking, with a surprise stop at a Venezuelan restaurant where, masks on, they elbow-bumped masked customers, took pictures and talked up the importance of voting. Foremost in Harris messaging across events was a call for early voting and a warning that, amid the pandemic, casting a ballot may be harder than ever. We encourage everyone to vote early, as early as the law allows you to do, Harris said at her Miami roundtable. I encourage people to sit back and ask, why are they putting so many obstacles in the way of my ability to vote? Why are they doing this? She continued with a reference to polling tests in the Jim Crow era designed to keep Black people from voting: From the days of asking how many jelly beans are in that jar ... I think the answer is very clear because they know when we vote, things change. And therein lies our power, which we should never let anyone take from us. Although the stops were a semblance of normalcy, it was a far cry from the type of campaigning vice presidential candidates would typically be engaged in. As a presidential candidate in August 2019, Harris was thronged by Iowans while making her way through the state fair. The visit was part of a days-long bus tour around the state that featured multiple stops for rallies, town hall meetings and individual interactions. This year, the fair was canceled for the first time since World War II, the Democratic National Convention was held virtually, and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden has only occasionally ventured outside his home state of Delaware. The decision to travel today was the decision based on the importance of being in Milwaukee and doing it in a safe way, so thats why the meetings that we had today were, as you can see, all of us wearing our masks, indoors, being at least 6 feet apart, not having as big of a group as we would have liked, Harris told a Milwaukee TV station during her Wisconsin visit. This is what we have to do in a COVID world. To reach cross-country audiences safely, Harris campaign has scheduled interviews with local media to coincide with online events with local politicians. She told a Twin Cities TV station that President Trumps ads in the state were underestimating the intelligence of the American people and Minnesotans, and talked with a Miami station about the importance of the Cuban American community. Ive been all over the country today in front of this camera, talking with at this point hundreds of people in various places around our country, Harris said during a Sept. 3 fundraiser on Zoom, one of three events that day that included audience members ranging from actors Kate Hudson and Sterling K. Brown to a Missouri school superintendent. On Tuesday, a single event that featured actor Billy Porter and TV host Padma Lakshmi raised $3 million, according to California Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, who introduced the candidate. Emhoff has also chipped in for the online fundraising. Instead of the couple having to fly across the country to make separate events, Emhoff shared a photo on Twitter that revealed their D.C.-based setup, showing Harris helping affix his microphone in front of the Biden-Harris backdrop both have been using for their events. Harris next virtual stop will be in Arizona on Saturday, when shell have an online conversation with Latino business leaders. And while it isnt noted on any of her daily schedules, the senator is also gearing up for her Oct. 7 debate with Vice President Mike Pence. Joe and I have a lot in common, and one of them is that we dont back down from a good fight if its a fight worth having, Harris said when asked about the upcoming debates on a fundraiser. I intend fully to treat (Pence) with respect and the respect his office deserves, but Im also not going to stand by quietly if he, in whatever tone of voice, delivers lies. Tal Kopan is The San Francisco Chronicles Washington correspondent. Email: tal.kopan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @talkopan WASHINGTON/MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia and China dismissed on Friday allegations by Microsoft Corp that hackers linked to Moscow and Beijing were trying to spy on people tied to both U.S. President Donald Trump and Democratic challenger Joe Biden. Advisers to both presidential campaigns are assessing risks from digital spies around the globe, as the two candidates face off on Nov. 3 in one of the most consequential U.S. presidential elections in decades. The Microsoft report, which also mentioned Iran, came as Reuters revealed one of Biden's main campaign advisory firms had been warned by the software giant that it was in the crosshairs of the same Russian hackers who intervened in the 2016 U.S. election. Speaking at a joint press conference in Moscow with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said China has never meddled in U.S. affairs. Lavrov, in turn, said accusations of Russia using hackers to meddle in the United States' internal affairs were "unsubstantiated". "Russia has not interfered, is not interfering and does not intend to interfere in anyone's internal affairs, or electoral processes," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters separately on Friday. The announcement by Microsoft's vice president for customer security, Tom Burt, said the group accused of breaching Hillary Clinton's campaign emails in 2016 - a Russian military intelligence-linked unit widely known as Fancy Bear - had spent the past year trying to break into accounts belonging to political consultants serving both Republicans and Democrats as well as advocacy organizations and think tanks. Burt also said Chinese hackers had gone after people "closely associated with U.S. presidential campaigns and candidates" - including an unnamed Biden ally who was targeted through a personal email address and "at least one prominent individual formerly associated with the Trump Administration." Story continues The Department of Homeland Security's top cyber official, Christopher Krebs, said Microsoft's warning was consistent with earlier statements issued by the intelligence community about Russian, Chinese, and Iranian spying on election-related targets. China's foreign affair ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said earlier on Friday that China has no interest in the U.S. election and has never interfered in it. The U.S. was an "empire of hackers," he said at his daily news briefing in Beijing. (Reporting by Raphael Satter; additional reporting by Joseph Menn in San Francisco, Michelle Nichols in New York, Vladimir Soldatkin, Alexander Marrow and Katya Golubkova in Moscow, and Gabriel Crossley in Beijing; Editing by Toby Chopra) Coronavirus will loosen its grip on society but Dr. Fauci says not until 2021 According to Dr. Anthony Fauci, it could be another year or so before our society gets back to normal. Fauci told Andrea Mitchell of MSNBC on Friday, if youre talking about getting back to a degree of normality which resembles where we were prior to COVID, its going to be well into 2021, maybe even towards the end of 2021. WASHINGTON, DC JUNE 30: Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, speaks during a Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee hearing on June 30, 2020 in Washington, DC. Top federal health officials discussed efforts for safely getting back to work and school during the coronavirus pandemic. (Photo by Al Drago Pool/Getty Images) Read More: Dr. Anthony Fauci says a coronavirus vaccine may be coming in 2021 There have been talks of a vaccine that could stop the spread of the virus since the spring but as of Friday the United States is one of the leaders in the number of coronavirus cases. The US has 6.3 million cases and 200,000 coronavirus deaths and the doctor says a vaccine could make all the difference in reducing those numbers. Read More: Trump retweets post calling for Dr. Anthony Fauci to be fired I believe that we will have a vaccine that will be available by the end of this year, the beginning of next year, he said. In the same interview he also told Mitchell he disagrees with President Trumps statement of saying we have rounded the final turn of the virus. Im sorry, but I have to disagree with that because if you look at the thing that you just mentioned the statistics, said Fauci, Andrea, theyre disturbing. The coronavirus has dramatically changed the way we live and operate on a day to day bases so society is ready to get back to normal. Many children are being homeschooled and droves of parents are being mandated to work from home. Most live events and social gatherings have been canceled and some health experts say sex with a mask is necessary. But according to Fauci, we will get back to normal. By the time you mobilize the distribution of the vaccinations, and you get the majority, or more, of the population vaccinated and protected, thats likely not going to happen to the mid or end of 2021. Have you subscribed to theGrios podcast Dear Culture? Download our newest episodes now! The post Fauci says life wont get back to normal until towards the end of 2021 appeared first on TheGrio. Unfortunately, the political and economic leaders of our state have failed, and continue to fail, to protect these individuals. For example, from the very start of the epidemic, Gov. Pete Ricketts has neither publicly shared information about the number of positive cases in specific plants nor utilized his authority to direct Nebraskas Department of Labor to periodically inspect the safety of these plants. Ricketts has made sure that the reputation and profits of his allies among the plant owners and managers would be prioritized over the welfare of the working people central to creating those profits. In addition, companies such as Tyson, JBS and Smithfield were slow in responding to the epidemic, to the detriment of their workforce. To this very day, they continue to fall short in ensuring that workers have enough PPE, that lines are slowed to ensure social distance or that workers receive adequate testing for COVID-19. Meatpacking workers continue to need our support and solidarity. This is especially the case when many are too fearful of losing their jobs if they raise too many complaints about their working conditions. Is the UKs first major trade deal as an independent trading nation, as the Department for International Trade described the deal with Japan announced on Friday morning, a cause for celebration? Is it a vindication of the economic merits of Brexit and a symbol of the clout of global Britain? The short answer is no. The full details have not yet been released but its already clear the agreement largely replicates the contents of the tariff-reducing deal that the European Union concluded with Japan in 2018. For UK firms trading with Japan this is treading water, not some kind of surge forward into unexplored oceans. And while the Trade departments press release highlights potential gains to the UK economy of 1.5bn over the long term, that represents less than 0.1 per cent of our economy. Moreover, this is a gain relative to a future in which the UK had no trade deal with Japan, not relative to the UKs current position as a participant in the EU-Japan deal. But its worth acknowledging that it could have been worse. There was a stage when it looked like the UK might not be able to roll over that EU-Japan deal or that Tokyo would use its leverage of UK ministers self-imposed race against the clock to extract considerably more favourable terms for them at the expense of British industry and agricultural producers. If progress is ultra-flexibly defined as not going backwards this agreement just about qualifies. Yet we really need to focus on the bigger picture. According to official UK data, Britains total trade with Japan in 2018 amounted to 29bn (14bn of exports and 15bn of imports). Our trade with the rest of the European Union, by contrast, was 650bn (290bn of exports and 360bn of imports). (Macrobond/Datawrapper) So as a trading partner the EU is simply twenty times more important. And when one considers that 0.1 per cent of GDP support from this Japan trade deal dont forget that the Governments own internal modellers who came up with that estimate also estimate that the long term damage of a no deal Brexit would be around 7.5 per cent of GDP. And a no-deal Brexit slouched alarming closer this week with Boris Johnsons government presentation of legislation that would effectively tear up our legally-binding commitments to the European Union over Northern Ireland in the Withdrawal Agreement. If the government is serious about concluding a free trade deal with the EU by the end of the year, as ministers insist, this is a bizarre way of showing it, to put it mildly. Many in Europe wonder if this was actually an attempt by Downing Street to sabotage those talks by provoking the EU to walk away. Whatever the truth, the likelihood of the UK falling out of the coverage of the EUs tariff-free customs union with no agreement to replace it has plainly increased sharply this week. This trade deal with Japan is, in some ways, a relief. But the simple fact is that its not big in Japan and it shouldnt be treated as big here either from an economic perspective. There are far larger matters at stake. US President on Thursday said US troops in and would soon be reduced to about 4,000 and 2,000, respectively. "A lot of progress has been made in Afghanistan, but we will be down to 4,000 soldiers in a very short period of time. Likewise Iraq, we will be down to about 2,000 soldiers in a very short period of time," Trump said during the White House briefing, Xinhua reported. The troop reduction plan that Trump revealed was a step further than the plan the US military announced a day before. Commander of US Central Command Kenneth McKenzie said Wednesday that US troop presence in is scheduled to be reduced to 3,000 by the end of September, and that in will be decreased to about 4,500 by early November. --IANS pgh/ (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.) Louth MEP Mairead McGuinness and First Vice-President of the European Parliament said she is 'honoured' to be nominated by Taoiseach, Micheal Martin, for the European Commission post, along with Andrew McDowell, former Vice-President of the European Investment Bank. 'I want to thank the Taoiseach Micheal Martin, Tanaiste and Leader of my party, Leo Varadkar, and leader of the Green Party, Eamon Ryan, for this expression of confidence in me,' she said. 'It's a great honour to be nominated as a candidate for a role that is so influential in the lives of citizens and businesses across Ireland and the entire EU, as it is to serve as I do as First Vice-President of the European Parliament.' She said this is the first step in the process which is in the hands of Commission President, Ursula Von der Leyen. The European Parliament is also involved in the ratification process. 'Andrew McDowell is someone for whom I have a great deal of respect, having worked closely with him at various junctures in the past,' she said. 'We await the decision of President Von der Leyen following the interview process. Meanwhile, I'm focusing on completing negotiations on EU Climate Law, which will enshrine in legislation the target of climate neutrality by 2050.' 'As lead rapporteur for the EPP Group, I am working with others to set ambitious and realistic targets to address the climate emergency and next week's vote in the Environment Committee will be a crucial one.' 'There are many challenges facing the EU in these unprecedented times with COVID-19 being but the latest - Brexit, climate change, trade challenges are just some of the top issues.' 'I will remain focused on contributing, regardless of position, to finding solutions and supporting the work of colleagues in the Parliament and Commission,' she concluded. Mairead McGuinness was re-elected First Vice-President of the European Parliament in July 2019 securing over 93pc of the votes in the Parliament. First elected as a Fine Gael MEP in 2004, she was re-elected for the fourth time in 2019, topping the poll in the Midlands North-West constituency. She has represented the European Parliament at the UN, G7 and other important fora. If she does secure the post, local councillor Colm Markey looks set to replace her as the region's MEP. At the last EU election, he was named as the next choice to fill the vacancy if one ever arose. Sources indicated this week that the Togher man would love to take on the challenge after spending 11 years as a councillor, one term as cathaoirleach. If that did arise, it would leave a vacant seat on the council on behalf of Fine Gael. Bogota, Sep 11 : At least seven people were killed in violent protests against police brutality in Colombia's capital Bogota, the police said. The protests were triggered after the death of a man at the hands of police on Tuesday, Xinhua news agency. Lawyer Javier Ordonez, a father of two, was repeatedly tasered by police before he died later in hospital, according to media reports. Addressing reporters on Thursday, deputy chief of police, Gustavo Moreno, accompanied by Defence Minister Carlos Holmes Trujillo, said that more than 140 people were injured in the protests -- 87 officers and 55 civilians-- while 70 others were arrested. Protesters set fire to 17 police stations and posts in different parts of the city, and vandalized 77 vehicles and 25 public transit buses, setting nine of them on fire, according to the authorities. Police motorcycles and patrol cars were also targeted, and various ATMs looted, they said. Trujillo said the government would beef up security by deploying hundreds of soldiers to the streets of Bogota. He called on citizens not to condemn the entire police force for the actions of two officers, who have been suspended. Protests also broke out in other major cities, such as Medellin and Cali. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-11 04:05:24|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close DOHA, Sept. 10 (Xinhua) -- The government of Qatar announced on Thursday that a fresh round of Afghanistan peace talks will start in the Qatari capital Doha on Sept. 12, according to the Qatar news agency (QNA). "The Afghanistan peace negotiations will commence in Doha on Saturday ... These vital direct negotiations between the different Afghan parties represent a step forward in bringing lasting peace to Afghanistan," QNA quoted a Qatari government statement. Mutlaq Al-Qahtani, special envoy of Qatar's Foreign Minister for Counterterrorism and Mediation in Conflict Resolution, said Qatar has always placed "great value" in the power of diplomacy and direct dialogue to resolve disputes. "We will continue our role to create stability in the region. We are thankful for the work and cooperation of all parties and international partners involved and their support," Qahtani was quoted in the statement. Enditem The Morton County Commission voted unanimously against creating a public mask mandate Thursday, after nearly a dozen people spoke out against the idea. There was little discussion among the five commissioners about a potential mandate itself, and the commissioners who did comment on the issue did not support a mandate. "Liberty and freedom are the foundation of our nation, and liberty and freedom, I believe, in this context, means choice," Commission Chairman Cody Schulz said, adding that he believes the government should instead persuade people to wear a mask. "I'm a mask wearing advocate but a mask mandate opponent," Schulz said. The Burleigh-Morton COVID-19 Task Force last Friday requested that local governments enact mask mandates and make guidelines for businesses requirements. The task force is working to address a spike in coronavirus cases in the region in the past couple of months. Commissioner Andy Zachmeier moved to deny a mandate on several points, including no proven state of emergency, no apparent public support for a mandate, no plan for enforcement and the belief that a mask mandate should come from the governor. Gov. Doug Burgum has rejected the idea of issuing a statewide mask mandate, instead urging personal responsibility. Twelve people spoke Thursday night during the opportunity for public comment, and all but one opposed the mandate. Mandan resident Andra Marquardt told the commission that individual people are best suited to protect their own health and safety and that of their families, businesses and employees. She also mentioned the strain that months of following safety guidelines has caused. "We are exhausted of the sacrifices we've had to make over the last six months, and we can't take any more," Marquardt said. Local business owner Jan Wangler said her business has struggled to retain clients during the pandemic and that small businesses don't need a mask mandate. "Please don't hurt the business community any more than you already have," she said. "Where there is risk, there must be choice." Custer Health Administrator Erin Ourada presented recent COVID-19 data for the region to the commission. Since schools started in Morton County, the COVID-19 cases she has seen have come from community transmission and not from the schools, she said. "All of the prevention methods in the world within the school setting won't be enough to stop an inevitable outbreak if we can't control community spread," Ourada said. "We need to do better in order to keep our children in school." Ourada emphasized going back to basics with the "three Ws" of wearing a mask, watching your distance and washing your hands. Schulz, who is a member of the Burleigh-Morton COVID-19 Task Force, said last Friday that he believed a mask mandate would have to be unanimous among Burleigh and Morton counties and the cities of Bismarck, Mandan and Lincoln. The Bismarck City Commission on Tuesday did not move to mandate masks. Mayor Steve Bakken encouraged residents to take personal responsibility for mask wearing. "Our citizens can make good choices for themselves without a mandate," he said. Bakken also said he wanted to let an information campaign to encourage voluntary mask wearing run its course. The task force has hired Agency MABU to conduct the campaign. The Burleigh County Commission meets Wednesday. Chairman Jerry Woodcox confirmed a mask mandate will be discussed. As of Thursday, the Mandan City Commission had no plans to discuss a mandate at its meeting next week, Mayor Tim Helbling said, though he added that could change after Friday's task force meeting. "I don't feel there's enough information on masks to bring the discussion to the commission," Helbling said. "We need more study and more information." Helbling also said it's a "tough situation" when a government enacts a mandate and he wants people to make their own decisions. Reach Sam Nelson at 701-250-8264 or sam.nelson@bismarcktribune.com. Concerned about COVID-19? Sign up now to get the most recent coronavirus headlines and other important local and national news sent to your email inbox daily. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Friday marks the 19th anniversary of one of the worst attacks even witnesses on the United States of America, the attack on the Twin Towers that took place on 11 September 2001 in New York. It began at 08:46 when the North Tower of the World Trade Center was first impacted by a passenger plane, and chaos ensued. **Timeline of events on 11 September 2001** Almost 3,000 people lost in 9/11 attacks As we found out later from the investigation that was launched after the terrorist attack, on that fateful September morning four planes, from American Airlines and United Airlines, were hijacked by a total of 19 Al Qaeda members. Of the four planes, two crashed directly into the Twin Towers, another ended up hitting one of the Pentagon buildings, and the other did not reach its target, ending up in an open field in Pennsylvania. The attack killed 2,996 people, including the 19 terrorists and the 24 victims whose remains have never been recovered. To date, only around 60% of the deceased have been identified, with five more added to the list in recent years thanks to advances in DNA extraction. President George W. Bush's reaction to the attack Around noon on 11 September, the then president, George W. Bush, declared the country was on "high alert" after stating that "terrorism against the nation will not survive." Later, he spoke defiantly to the nation from the Oval Office: Today, our fellow citizens, our way of life, our very freedom came under attack in a series of deliberate and deadly terrorist acts. The victims were in airplanes or in their offices: secretaries, business men and women, military and federal workers, moms and dads, friends and neighbors. Thousands of lives were suddenly ended by evil, despicable acts of terror. The pictures of airplanes flying into buildings, fires burning, huge -- huge structures collapsing have filled us with disbelief, terrible sadness, and a quiet, unyielding anger. These acts of mass murder were intended to frighten our nation into chaos and retreat. But they have failed. Our country is strong. A great people has been moved to defend a great nation. Terrorist attacks can shake the foundations of our biggest buildings, but they cannot touch the foundation of America. These acts shatter steel, but they cannot dent the steel of American resolve. America was targeted for attack because we're the brightest beacon for freedom and opportunity in the world. And no one will keep that light from shining. Today, our nation saw evil -- the very worst of human nature -- and we responded with the best of America. With the daring of our rescue workers, with the caring for strangers and neighbors who came to give blood and help in any way they could. Immediately following the first attack, I implemented our government's emergency response plans. Our military is powerful, and it's prepared. Our emergency teams are working in New York City and Washington D.C. to help with local rescue efforts. Our first priority is to get help to those who have been injured, and to take every precaution to protect our citizens at home and around the world from further attacks. The functions of our government continue without interruption. Federal agencies in Washington which had to be evacuated today are reopening for essential personnel tonight and will be open for business tomorrow. Our financial institutions remain strong, and the American economy will be open for business as well. The search is underway for those who were behind these evil acts. I have directed the full resources of our intelligence and law enforcement communities to find those responsible and to bring them to justice. We will make no distinction between the terrorists who committed these acts and those who harbor them. I appreciate so very much the members of Congress who have joined me in strongly condemning these attacks. And on behalf of the American people, I thank the many world leaders who have called to offer their condolences and assistance. America and our friends and allies join with all those who want peace and security in the world, and we stand together to win the war against terrorism. Tonight, I ask for your prayers for all those who grieve, for the children whose worlds have been shattered, for all whose sense of safety and security has been threatened. And I pray they will be comforted by a Power greater than any of us, spoken through the ages in Psalm 23: Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil for you are with me. This is a day when all Americans from every walk of life unite in our resolve for justice and peace. America has stood down enemies before, and we will do so this time. None of us will ever forget this day, yet we go forward to defend freedom and all that is good and just in our world. Thank you. Good night. And God bless America. BERLIN - A Berlin museum is set to return to Australia three sets of human remains, including a pair of child mummies, which officials believe were removed from burial sites against the wishes of Indigenous communities. The Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation, an authority that oversees many of Berlins museums, said Friday that its trustees agreed to a request made by the Australian government in February to repatriate the remains a set of human bones in a bark coffin, as well as the two mummified childrens bodies from the German capitals Ethnological Museum. The remains arrived at the German museum in 1880. The ancestral remains of all three persons come from burial sites, heritage foundation president Hermann Parzinger said in a statement. We presume that they were collected and removed against the wishes of the Indigenous communities affected. Therefore we wish to return them. We are pleased to be able to take this step toward righting the historical injustice that brought them to Berlin, Ethnological Museum director Lars-Christian Koch said. The announcement comes a week after the German foundation said it would return two mummified, tattooed Maori heads that were part of the same museums collection for more than a century to New Zealand. Read more about: The ninety three foot tower at at the Flight 93 National Memorial is seen from one of the U.S. Marine helicopters transporting President Donald Trump, White House staff, and press after the president attended the 17th annual September 11 observance at the memorial near Shanksville, Penn., on Sept. 11, 2018. (Kevin Lamarque/Reuters) Trump, Biden Visit 9/11 Memorials on Anniversary of Terrorist Attack President Donald Trump and his challenger Joe Biden visited separate memorials on Friday to honor those who were killed in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Trump and First Lady Melania Trump took part in a private ceremony at the Flight 93 National Memorial in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. A plane struck the ground there after dozens of passengers and crew members thwarted plans to ram it into the U.S. Capitol. The observance was scheduled to include remarks from Ed Root, cousin of flight attendant Lorraine Bay, who lost her life along with everyone else onboard the plane, along with Trump and Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt. Democratic presidential nominee Biden and his wife, Jill Biden, were set to visit the memorial later Friday. They first went to New York City to attend a commemoration ceremony at the 9/11 Memorial & Museum. President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump listen to the national anthem during a ceremony marking the 18th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, at the Pentagon in Washington on Sept. 11, 2019. (Nicholas Kamm/AFP via Getty Images) The memorial and museum mark the spot where terrorists flew two airplanes into the World Trade Centers twin towers. Biden told reporters at the New Castle Airport early Friday that he doesnt plan to make news, calling it a solemn day. Im not going to talk about anything other than 9/11. We took all our advertising down. Its a solemn day. Thats how were going to keep it, he said. The New York ceremony included family members of the victims but would adhere to state and federal guidelines regarding social distancing and other measures mandated during the COVID-19 pandemic, the memorial said. Typically, family members read the names of those who lost their lives, but this year people heard recorded readings of the names. Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), Bidens running mate, was traveling with her husband, Doug Emhoff, to Fairfax, Virginia. The couple was going to take part in a remembrance ceremony. Harris planned to deliver remarks there. After returning to Washington, Trump is slated to present the Medal of Honor to a sergeant major who served in Iraq. Democratic presidential nominee and former Vice President Joe Biden boards an airplane at New Castle County Airport in Wilmington, Del., on Sept. 11, 2020. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) Sergeant Major Thomas Payne will receive the Medal of Honor next week for his actions during a daring hostage rescue operation in Kirkuk Province, the White House announced. Trump told a rally in Michigan late Thursday that his administration will will strike down terrorists who threaten our citizens. He didnt appear to directly reference the 2001 terrorist attacks. Trump on Friday morning posted a picture on social media of he and the first lady at a previous Sept. 11 ceremony, using the hashtag #NeverForget. In another post, he added: In 2001, our Nation, united under God, made an unbreakable promise never to forget the nearly 3,000 innocent Americans who were senselessly killed on September 11th. On this sacred dayPatriot Daywe solemnly honor that commitment. Vice President Mike Pence and Second Lady Karen Pence joined the Bidens in New York, where they were scheduled to participate in a Tunnels to Towers Foundation ceremony. The ceremony featured the live reading of the names of the 2,977 killed in the attacks. The Pences also went to the memorial and museum, where the vice president greeted Biden. New Delhi: Senior Congress leader Ajay Maken moved the Supreme Court on Friday (September 11) seeking rehabilitation of slum dwellers prior to the removal of 48,000 dwellings alongside the railway tracks in Delhi. Earlier on August 31, the top court directed the removal of 48,000 slum dwellings along the 140 km length of railway tracks in Delhi within three months and said there shall not be any kind of political interference in the execution of the plan. The plea sought a direction to the Ministry of Railways, Delhi Government, and Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB) to rehabilitate the slum dwellers prior to eviction/ demolition of their dwellings. It also sought a direction to the Ministry of Railways, Delhi Government, and DUSIB to follow the Delhi Slum and JJ Rehabilitation and Relocation Policy, 2015 and the Protocol (for removal of Jhuggis) in letter and spirit. The petition filed through advocates Aman Panwar and Nitin Saluja said that subsequent to the August 31 order of the apex court, the Ministry of Railways has issued Demolition Notices and has fixed the demolition drive for September 11 and 14 in various slums in Delhi. "That, however, various policies of the Government of India and that of the Government of NCT of Delhi providing for prior rehabilitation/ relocation of slums dwellers, survey of the affected population are neither being followed by the respondent Railways nor have been brought to the notice of this Court," the plea said. Referring to the COVID-19 situation in the country, the plea said that in these circumstances, it would be highly risky to demolish the hutments/ jhuggis of more than 2,50,000 people without prior rehabilitation as they will be forced to move from place to place in search of shelter and livelihood. The plea said since the slum dwellers were not parties in the case, either directly or in a representative capacity, their stance and the relevant documents could not be brought before this Court for its kind consideration. It also referred to a 1986 Constitution bench verdict of the top court which held that there can be no justification for denying an opportunity of hearing to slum dwellers living on pavements/ public properties, a hearing ought to have been given to slum dwellers, either directly or in a representative capacity. Maken and co-petitioner Kailash Pandit said that they are filing the intervention application seeking additional directions for Rehabilitation of the affected population prior to their displacement. The plea said that the top court has not only directed the removal of about 48,000 jhuggis along-side the railway's line, but it has also directed that no court will grant stay in the said process which amounts to grave obstruction in the Right to Access to Justice. On August 31, the SC has directed that the slum dwellings will be removed in a phased manner, restraining any court from granting any kind of stay with respect to the removal of encroachments in the area. In case, any interim order is granted with respect to encroachments along railway tracks that shall not be effective, it added. The top court had said that 70 per cent of the requisite amount shall be borne by the Railways and 30 per cent by the state government and the manpower be provided by the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC), Railways and agencies available with the Government, free of cost, and they will not charge it from each other. On February 28, the top court had taken note of "heaps of plastic bags and garbage" lying on both sides of railway lines in the outer Delhi region and asked the Delhi government, civic bodies, and EPCA to make a concrete plan for its removal. Terming the situation as "pathetic", the apex court had taken cognisance of this issue and said steps have to be taken on a "war footing basis" so that no such garbage is dumped on the sides of the railway lines in the future. Meanwhile, the AAP on Friday claimed that the railways filed an affidavit in Supreme Court that 48,000 'jhuggis' adjacent to rail tracks were hindering the cleanliness process by the Centre. Calling the affidavit "irrefutable evidence" that showed the real wish of the BJP-led Centre, AAP spokesperson Raghav Chadha said it exposed the mentality of the BJP. The Delhi BJP, however, urged the AAP to stop "daily melodramas" to mislead slum dwellers and instead allot the over 55,000 Rajiv Ratna Yojna vacant flats to them. The BJP spokesman also said that "court records are there for all to see that after 2014, the BJP-led central government pressed for their rehabilitation even as the Kejriwal government remained silent in the court and never demanded a rehabilitation package". (With Agency Inputs) Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak, as part of the Ukrainian delegation, headed by Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for the Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories Oleksiy Reznikov, arrived in Berlin on Friday, where negotiations between delegations of the Normandy format member states are to begin at the level of political advisors to leaders of Ukraine, Germany, France and Russia. According to Yermak, the Ukrainian side once again emphasizes the great desire of the people of Ukraine to establish peace in their land, the press service of the Office of the President of Ukraine reported. "Ukraine has done everything possible to fulfill the agreements of last year's summit of the leaders of the Normandy Four in Paris. We provided our compromise proposals on each point," the press service of the President's Office quoted him as saying. Yermak noted: the armistice showed that everything is possible, if there is a desire. "The time has come for specific actions and concrete steps. The time has come to hold the next summit of leaders of the countries of the Normandy format," the head of the Office of the President of Ukraine said. Several Oregon police departments have aimed to debunk misinformation spreading on social media platforms this week, including Facebook Inc and Twitter Inc, blaming leftist and right-wing groups for wildfires raging in the state. Rumors spread just like wildfire and now our 9-1-1 dispatchers and professional staff are being overrun with requests for information and inquiries on an UNTRUE rumor that 6 Antifa members have been arrested for setting fires in DOUGLAS COUNTY, OREGON," read a Facebook post from the Douglas County Sheriffs Office in Oregon on Thursday. THIS IS NOT TRUE!" PolitiFact, one of Facebooks third-party fact-checking partners, wrote on Thursday on its website that dozens of posts blaming antifa for the wildfires had been flagged by the social media companys systems, and that collectively the posts had been shared thousands of times. Antifa, which stands for anti-fascist, is a largely unstructured, far-left movement whose followers broadly aim to confront those they view as authoritarian or racist. U.S. President Donald Trump and some fellow Republicans have in recent months sought to blame the movement for violence at anti-racism protests, but have presented little evidence. A Wednesday tweet from a self-described representative for conservative youth group Turning Point USA, which has been shared about 2,900 times, said the fires were allegedly linked to Antifa and the Riots." Around half a million people in Oregon evacuated as dozens of extreme, wind-driven wildfires scorched the U.S. West Coast states on Friday, destroying hundreds of homes and killing at least 16 people, state and local authorities said. Earlier this week, Medford police in Oregon also debunked a false post using the police departments logo and name suggesting that five members of the Proud Boys had been arrested for arson. The men-only, far-right Proud Boys group describes itself as a fraternal club of Western chauvinists." This is a made up graphic and story. We did not arrest this person for arson, nor anyone affiliated with Antifa or Proud Boys as weve heard throughout the day," the police department wrote in a Facebook post. The Jackson County Sheriffs Office in Oregon also posted on Thursday: We are inundated with questions about things that are FAKE stories. One example is a story circulating that varies about what group is involved as to setting fires and arrests being made." Climate scientists say global warming has contributed to greater extremes in wet and dry seasons, causing vegetation to flourish and then dry out in the U.S. West, creating fuel for fires. Police have opened a criminal arson investigation into at least one Oregon blaze, the Almeda Fire, Ashland Police Chief Tighe OMeara said. A Facebook spokeswoman said it had attached warning labels and reduced the distribution of posts about fires origins that were rated false by its fact-checking partners. A Twitter spokeswoman said it did not seem that the rumors violated the social media sites rules, saying in a statement: As we have said before we will not be able to take enforcement action on every Tweet that contains incomplete or disputed information." 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 (Natural News) Many Americans rely on tap water for their drinking water. Modern sanitation technologies made it possible to eliminate biological contaminants from public water systems, making tap water clean drinking. But another threat to safe water has emerged in the past years. Research found that domestic water systems in the United States are exposed to a lot of chemical contaminants, including lead and fluoride. Poor water health in the U.S. In Flint, Michigan, residents reported that their tap water tastes bad and was discolored. Flint residents initially got their tap water from the Detroit water system until the local government, in a cost-effective move, switched to the Flint River for its supply of drinking water. For more than a century, the Flint River has served as an unofficial waste disposal site for treated and untreated refuse from various local industries. It also received agricultural and urban runoff, sewage from the citys waste treatment plant and material from landfills. More than a year since Flints water system was piped into the river, residents complained of skin rashes, hair loss and itchy skin. A probe into the contents of the water showed that the levels of lead are above the federal standard. Flints water woes are not an isolated case. A 2015 report found that nearly 77 million Americans live in areas where the public water systems are in some violation of safety regulations, including the 1974 Safe Drinking Water Act. A study also revealed that the chemical pollutants in tap water could be the cause of 100,000 cancer cases in the country. Chemicals in U.S. water systems Lead and fluoride are two of the greatest offenders of water health in the United States. Lead leaches into water systems through old, corroded pipes. This heavy metal, which is used industrially to store corrosive liquids, is linked to decreased kidney function, reproductive problems and adverse cardiovascular effects. Studies also showed that a person doesnt need to ingest high levels of lead to experience its adverse effects. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said that low blood levels of lead in children can lead to behavioral and learning problems, hyperactivity, hearing problems, anemia and delayed growth. On the other hand, fluoride is present in a majority of the public water systems in the United States. In the 1960s, federal authorities recommended water fluoridation based on fluorides protective benefit against tooth decay. But even experts cast doubt upon this benefit; some studies argued that the modest protection afforded by fluoride is outweighed by its potential to cause major health problems, including diminished liver and kidney function among children. Fluoride has also been linked to lower I.Q. among male children. A study looked at pregnant women living in cities with and without fluoridated drinking water. Researchers found that if a mothers urinary fluoride levels increased by one milligram per liter, her sons I.Q. score dropped by about 4.5 points. Research also links fluoride to cancer, particularly osteosarcoma, a type of bone cancer that produces immature bones. A study experimented on rodents and found that fluoridated drinking water may cause osteosarcoma in male rodents. (Related: To Have Access to Clean Water, Make Water Filters a Priority.) Tap water can also be contaminated by other chemicals, including disinfectant by-products and radioactive elements. Water treatment facilities are dependent on industrial disinfectants, which churn intermediary products such as trihalomethanes, a class of chemicals linked to colorectal cancer, birth defects and miscarriage. Scientists also identified a 50 percent increase in bladder cancer risk in a group of subjects who ingested water with high trihalomethane concentrations. Radioactive elements have also made their way into tap water. A groundwater system in Miami was recently found with high levels of tritium, the radioactive version of hydrogen. Authorities suspected that the contamination was caused by seepage from underground cooling canals at a nuclear complex on Turkey Point. As water systems have become prone to contamination, water health in the U.S. poses serious questions on the reliability of tap water and current water treatment methods. Learn more about the dangerous chemicals lurking in your water at TapWater.news. Sources include: WakingTimes.com NRDC.org NYTimes.com EPA.gov ScienceMag.org Cancer.org Google will change its autocomplete predictions ahead of the US election. In an expansion of its policies, Google says it will remove predictions that could be interpreted as claims for or against any candidate or political party. The search giant also said it would be removing predictions which could be interpreted as a claim about participation in the election. This includes statements about voting methods and requirements, as well as suggestions about the integrity of legitimacy of the electoral process. Should a user search for donate to, for example, the autocomplete suggestion will not suggest a party or candidate. Users will be free to look for results related to their search, but Google will not provide them. However, Google is seemingly taking no stance on whether these statements are true or not. Predictions like you can vote by phone as well as you can't vote by phone, will not be used by Google. Despite the fact that citizens cannot vote by phone, Google is giving equal weight to both suggestions. The news comes as the integrity of the November president election is under question. President Donald Trump has suggested that his supporters commit voter fraud by voting twice in the presidential election, once by mail and once in person. Mr Trump said people should vote both by mail and in-person to check if their ballots are tabulated or if they are able to vote a second time. So let them send it in, and let them go vote. And if the system is as good as they say it is, then they obviously wont be able to vote, he said. Large technology companies are also acting to protect the election from interference. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said the company has learnt a lot about how politics works online since 2016, when data from the social media company was used to swing the election for President Trump. It, and Google, joined a coalition of other companies including Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and Reddit in order to stop foreign interference, which also affected the 2016 elections. The president has repeatedly threatened technology companies, including Google, for claimed bias towards Democrats, something the companies have often denied. Online Teaching: Japanese with Vyjayanthi Selinger Bowdoin News is publishing a series of stories about online classes, offering a glimpse into how faculty, staff, and students are adapting to the challenges of teaching and learning during a pandemic. Associate Professor of Asian Studies Vyjayanthi Ratnam Selinger says that language classes encapsulate the liberal arts experience. "Language classes are not what people think of when they think of the liberal arts," she said. "But they teach us to be human in a different language." The pace moves quickly in Vyjayanthi Selinger's online intermediate Japanese class. Each student is given frequent opportunities throughout the hour-long session to conjugate verbs, translate phrases, or ask questions. They're helped along with slides of animated characters and Japanese letters that Selinger shares on her screen. Despite teaching through a computer, Selinger manages to convey attentiveness and good humor as she corrects and encourages students. The synchronous sections of her online classwhen students all meet togetherare in some ways the easy parts of teaching for her, since they most approximate in-person classrooms. To develop the class's asynchronous offerings, when students engage with the course material independently, Selinger and her colleague, Senior Lecturer Hiroo Aridome, spent the month of August mastering new technologies and creating many interactive lessons, quizzes, and lectures for the three Japanese language classes they're teaching this semester: elementary, intermediate, and advanced. While she has less face-to-face time with her students, Selinger said she still hopes she can inspire them. "When we were meeting synchronously or in person, I was able to explain so many things to students in the moment, and communicate warmth and show them my passion for the subject," she said. "And I hope my students still see my passion for Japanese, and my care for themthat these are coming through, just expended in another way." Below is a sample of some of the tools Selinger is using this fall, both synchronously and asynchronously, to foster inspiration and ensure her students advance their Japaneseand to have some fun in the process. A recent Padlet screen from Jayanthi's class Synchronous Teaching Tools Though she has a knack for getting students to speak up in class, Selinger has adopted a few applications to enhance the live experience for them. Padlet: Padlet works like a digital corkboard, allowing students to post comments, GIFs, videos, images, links, and other media during classand to respond to other students' contributions. Because posting to Padlet is not totally spontaneous, shyer students tend to participate more. "I heard from people on Padlet I dont normally hear from because they had five minutes to compose their thoughts in writing," Selinger said. "And students are very good at 'liking' things, so we talk about the top five likes." Zoom polling: Selinger has also found a way to compensate for her difficulty assessing students' comprehension on Zoom. Normally, she and other teachers are adept at reading a class to see if their students are following the lesson. But this kind of scanning for confusion or uncertainty is near impossible in an online class when you're gazing at a screen of small faces. To check in with students as she's moving along, Selinger uses anonymous polling. She likes the built-in tool that Zoom offers, especially because it accepts Japanese. View image caption Zoom art from Niio Asynchronous Teaching Tools To incorporate other elements of teachinglike encouraging self-directed learning or fostering a sense of inclusion and connection among classmatesSelinger has turned to another set of tools. Because she believes "the beating heart of every class is community," she is trying different approaches to bring students together. One way is with an app called Spatial Chat, which is designed to recreate the experience of an in-person social gathering. Spatial Chat: Every participant in Spatial Chat is converted into a bubble that they can move around the "room" with their mouse to pop into conversations out of earshot of other groups. "It allows for the more natural gathering activity that usually happens," Selinger said. Upperclass students studying Japanese are using the program to organize trivia nights, movie nights, and study sessions so students can drop in for company or to do homework together. Flipgrid: Selinger is also asking students to use Flipgrid to share a bit of themselves with others. With Flipgrid, users make short videos that are organized into a grid. For the class's first assignment, the students were asked to describe their summer. Interactive videos: Selinger has developed a series of interactive instructional videos that she has programmed to pause at different points along the timeline to give students a chance to write in an answer to a question or take a quiz. Digital flash cards: Ella Jaman 22, the course TA, created online flash cards to help students memorize vocabulary. Selinger said she admires not only Jaman's creativity, but her efforts to create a more inclusive pack of cards. Selinger recalls an instance when Jaman was not content to follow a lesson plan that taught the word for a heterosexual couple. She asked if she could create a card for a homosexual couple, too. Online quizzes: At the end of some vocabulary lessons, students are prompted to take a quiz. Jaman came up with some novel ways that go beyond the standard multiple-choice option. For instance, instead of writing in the correct answer for "uncle," students can hover over the figure in a family tree. "She made vocabulary fun," Selinger said. Practicing writing. Writing Japanese letters: To provide students the opportunity to practice writing Japanese lettersto perfect both the strokes and the order in which they must be drawnSelinger likes the interactive Kakimashou.com site. Students can use their iPad stylus or computer mouse to write directly onto the screen, and get instant feedback on whether they're doing it correctly. "For East Asian languages, the shape and order in which you write characters is important, so this is a website that teaches correct stroke order," Selinger said. Faculty feedback: For some quizzes, students are instructed to use their iPad stylus to write answers directly onto the screen. Selinger then can see their answers and respond with her own iPad stylus right on the page. Video essays: After seeing last spring how adept students in her Japanese literature and film class (Gods, Goblins, and Godzilla: The Fantastic and Demonic in Japanese Literature and Film) were with Zoom, she offered them a chance to use it to create a video essay in place of a written essay. "Video essays require the exact same organization that written essays require," Selinger said, and similar"if not tighter"structure than papers. "Students amazed me with how much rehearsing they did to achieve a crisp presentation!" Plus, instead of having to describe a scene in words, they can play the clip to reinforce their analysis, as well as use Zoom's annotational tools to mark up the scene. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-11 22:51:54|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BERLIN, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- After a major fire at the refugee camp Moria on the Greek island of Lesbos, ten member states of the European Union (EU) vowed to take in 400 minors from the destroyed camp, German Minister of the Interior Horst Seehofer announced at a press conference on Friday. "Our contacts with the member states of the EU have to date resulted in the participation of ten member states in ... the resettlement of unaccompanied minors," said Seehofer. However, talks were still underway with other countries. The largest share would be borne by Germany and France, which would each take in 100 to 150 refugees, according to Seehofer. "An exact figure can only be given once the ongoing talks with the other EU states have been concluded." Seehofer said that Greece already presented on Thursday a list of things needed, for example how Germany could help the refugees left without shelter. The German government, in cooperation with German aid organizations, would plan to help as comprehensively as possible. According to an ongoing survey by market research institute YouGov, 54 percent of Germans supported taking in refugees while only 32 percent of Germans rejected the idea. On Wednesday and Thursday, several German cities had seen pro-refugee protests which called on Germany and Europe to take in refugees from the Greek camp. Enditem A teenager has been charged with criminal damage after the words "is a racist" were daubed on the plinth of the Winston Churchill statue in Parliament Square. Benjamin Clark, 18, of Hertford, is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates Court on Friday, 9 October. The statue was defaced with yellow graffiti paint on Thursday, on the final day of Extinction Rebellions climate protests in London. At least 680 people have been arrested in connection with the protests. Miranda Kerr is a top supermodel and a savvy businesswoman. She rose to fame rocking the runway for the lingerie brand Victorias Secret and has worked with many of the top names in the fashion industry. These days, Kerr is as busy as ever, although her daily routine is somewhat different. Kerr is a wife and mother to three young children and runs her very own skincare brand. As a force to be reckoned with in the beauty industry, Kerr has strong opinions about her own makeup and skincare routine, and once shared a very clever hack to get the most eye-catching lashes. Miranda Kerr | Anthony Harvey/Getty Images How did Miranda Kerr become famous? Miranda Kerr was born in Australia in 1983. Raised in a loving, close family, Kerr had a very normal childhood and spent a great deal of time outdoors, exploring nature. When she was a teenager, Kerr entered a modeling competition and before she was even fourteen years old, she started signing modeling contracts, according to IMDb. By the early 2000s, Kerrs face was seen in a number of advertising campaigns and her trademark dimples had begun earning her big bucks. In 2007, Kerr signed a deal with Victorias Secret and began getting even more press exposure. She was with the lingerie brand for years before eventually stepping away to work on her own projects. As one of the worlds highest-paid models, Kerr had her pick of projects, but she chose to focus her attention on developing her own skincare brand, KORA Organics. In the past several years, Kerr has also worked on writing projects and has even published a self-help book. Miranda Kerrs beauty routine RELATED: Do Katy Perry and Orlando Blooms Ex Miranda Kerr Get Along? Miranda Kerr has long been considered one of the most beautiful women in the world and is known for her glowing skin and her dimples. She has a passion for beauty and skincare, and in 2018, she opened up about her daily beauty routine to Vogue Australia. Kerr admitted that she uses the facial oil from her own skincare brand every morning and that she wouldnt be able to live without the product. When it comes to her makeup, Kerr stated that she likes to keep it natural and rarely does a full face of makeup when relaxing at home with her family. She revealed that a typical look for her when at home or during her off-time includes concealer, luminizer for a glowy finish, and lip balm. She also said that when she has time, she brushes out her brows and curls her lashes. When she does curl her lashes, Kerr doesnt reach for a common eyelash curler, which can pinch the eyelid and even rip out lashes, when used too roughly. Rather, Kerr has a special trick for getting long, curly lashes without any unfortunate side effects. What does Miranda Kerr recommend for long, curly eyelashes? Miranda Kerr loves the look of curly eyelashes, but not the damage that eyelash curlers can do to lashes and lids. So when she wants to enhance her natural lashes, she reaches for a metal spoon, according to Huda Beauty. To mimic Kerrs look, simply place the spoon over the lid, following the natural shape of your eyelid. Then, apply mascara, brushing upwards in smooth strokes. Not only does Kerrs eyelash hack keep lashes curly, but it protects them from damage and even ensures that lids stay clear of random mascara smudges. This tip wont give you Kerrs naturally long lashes, but it will definitely help to mimic their curl. You are here: Business Sales of new-energy vehicles (NEVs) in China posted robust growth in August, as the world's largest auto market steadily expands its recovery, industry data showed Thursday. About 109,000 NEVs were sold last month, up 25.8 percent year on year, according to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM). In the first eight months, about 596,000 NEVs were sold, down 26.4 percent year on year. CAAM data also showed China's auto market maintained its recovery momentum last month, as increasing demand and strengthening incentives have pushed positive market growth. The country's total automobile output hit 2.12 million units in August, up 6.3 percent year on year, while total sales hit 2.19 million units, up 11.6 percent year on year. China's auto market, hit by COVID-19, began to recover in April thanks to unleashed pent-up demand and encouraging policies, with sales rising 4.4 percent year on year. This ended a contraction streak over the past 21 months, according to CAAM. Chinese Regime Infiltrated US K12 Education Through Deep Collaboration With College Board: Report The College Board has partnered closely with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) for over a decade, allowing Beijing to influence Chinese language and culture teaching in K12 classrooms across the United States, according to a new report by the National Association of Scholars (NAS). The report released on Sept. 6 found that the College Board, a New York-based nonprofit best known for administering the SAT and AP standardized exams for college admissions, worked with the CCP to develop an AP (Advanced Placement) Chinese language and culture course for high schools, helped China gain control over training for Chinese-language teaching in the country, and strongly promoted Beijing-funded Confucius Institutes and Confucius Classrooms. Billed as Chinese language and culture programs, Confucius Institutes and Classrooms have drawn heavy criticism over its role in spreading Chinese propaganda and suppressing free speech on college campuses and K12 classrooms. China has managed to build out an entire educational system before the public caught on to what has happened, report author and NAS senior research fellow Rachelle Peterson said at the reports online launch hosted by The Epoch Times American Thought Leaders program. It co-opted a prestigious respected name, the College Board, gaining an access it could never have earned outright by working from within organizations that Americans knew and trusted, Peterson added. The findings come amid heightened scrutiny over the CCPs efforts to influence American universities, as well as its aggressive campaign to steal U.S. research and technology. According to the report, in 2003, the College Board worked with Beijing to formulate the AP Chinese-language course, with the Chinese government covering half of the $1.37 million development costs. In exchange, the regime was able to influence what was taught in the high school course, and push for instruction in simplified Chinese characters, Peterson said. After the CCP took power in China, it imposed simplified Chinese in the 1950s as part of an attempt to eradicate traditional culture embodied in traditional Chinese script. Traditional Chinese script is still used in Taiwan and Hong Kong. As a result, American students of Chinese would be unable to read the older, more traditional literature that [Party chairman] Mao [Zedong] had sought to supplant, Peterson said. The College Board also helped the CCP train American instructors who taught Chinese by partnering with it to host the National Chinese Language Conference, the largest annual gathering of Chinese-language educators in the country. The chief sponsor of the conference, organized by the College Board, is Hanban, an office with Chinas ministry of education that oversees Confucius Institutes around the world. Peterson described this partnership as perhaps one of the Chinese governments most effective investments in American education, and it has effectively cornered the market on Chinese language instruction at the K12 level in the United States. At the 2014 conference, College Board CEO David Coleman referred to Hanban as the sun whose light the College Board, the moon, was so honored to reflect, the report said. The Board also collaborates with Hanban on its Chinese Guest Teacher Program, which creates a pipeline of Chinese government-selected teachers flowing into American K12 schools, Peterson said. The visiting teacher program has brought more than 1,650 Chinese teachers to the United States since 2006. In addition, the Board sponsored 20 Confucius Institutes and Classrooms. As of 2019, there were more than 500 Confucius Classrooms across K12 grade schools, according to a U.S. Senate subcommittee report (pdf). There are currently around 67 Confucius Institutes at U.S. universities, according to the NAS estimates. The U.S. state department in August designated the Confucius Institute U.S. Center, a D.C.-based organization that promotes Confucius Institutes and Classrooms, a diplomatic mission, saying it formed part of the CCPs global influence and propaganda apparatus. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo recently expressed hope that all Confucius Institutes could be shut down by the end of this year. The Chinese regimes influence campaign involves offering huge sums of money to U.S. educational institutions, Peterson said. The College Board, colleges and universities, other institutions have found it incredibly convenient to be co-opted by the Chinese government because theyre being remunerated handsomely, she said. The College Board did not respond to a request for comment. The NAS urged Congress to require the Board to cut ties with the CCP as a condition of it receiving federal funding. The Board has received $116 million in federal funding since 2008, the report said. The report also called the closure of Confucius Classrooms, and the replacement of the AP Chinese Language and Culture Test and the National Chinese Language Conference. The NAS recommended the departments of education and defense to convene a working group to prepare an alternative Chinese language and culture test. The two departments did not specifically respond to a request for comment about these recommendations. Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister, Pema Khandu, recently, walked on foot for hours to meet the residents of a far-off remote village. CM Pema Khandu walked for over eleven hours to reach the Luguthang village, which is one of the remotest inhabited villages in the Tawang district. The village is situated at a height of around 14,500 feet above sea level and it's quite a herculean task to reach there. Khandu took to his Twitter and wrote, A 24 km trek, 11 hrs of fresh air and mother nature at her best; crossing Karpu La (16000 ft) to reach Luguthang (14500 ft) in Tawang district. A paradise untouched. The 41-year-old CM posted pictures and was seen walking through the beautiful terrain accompanied by just a guard and a village resident. Luguthang is a nomadic village with only 50 people and 10 households who are engaged in Yak-rearing. Prema Khandu/FB The CM spent two nights at the village and also had a review meeting with the residents. He wrote in a tweet, "Had a review meeting with Luguthang villagers to ensure that benefits of every flagship program reach the last man standing in forwarding areas. On his way back, the CM along with Tawang MLA Tsering Tashi along with villagers and monks of Twang monastery attended the consecration of Jangchup Stupa the next day. Prema Khandu/FB CM Pema Khandu has set a great example for all the leaders of our nation and we hope the Chief Ministers of all other states take a cue from this. We never wanted to blow up the coalition, Barilaro told reporters. But yesterday we had to do what we had to do to bring this high up on the agenda of the government. KNOWLTON, QUE.Louise Penny adores her adopted village of Knowlton in Quebecs Eastern Townships. And shes delighted that her Three Pines mystery series has inspired fans to make the trek southeast from Montreal, searching for sites mentioned in her books and hoping, magically, to stumble into the real Three Pines. In reality, Knowlton and surrounding towns seem more than happy to embrace the celebrity status gained via their most famous resident. Bienvenue a Three Pines, welcome signs on business doors say. Brome Lake Books, owned by Danny McAuley and Lucy Hoblyn, Pennys close friends, has become a first stop for visitors. The bookstore was smaller (it has moved and enlarged twice) and Knowlton was quieter when Penny published Still Life, the first book in the Three Pines series, in 2005. In it, a murder brought senior cop Gamache and his team, including right-hand man Jean-Guy Beauvoir, from Montreal to a tiny village in southeast Quebec, so far off the map that it was almost invisible, and filled with charming eccentrics and at least one killer. Minus the murder, the discovery was similar to Pennys own. Originally from Toronto and a former radio broadcaster, she moved to Knowlton with her husband, Dr. Michael Whitehead, who died in 2016 after battling Alzheimers. The village gave Penny the sense of community she had been looking for. I had spent a lot of time moving around, she said recently by phone from her cosy living room. Wanting nothing more than home and roots, I found that here, and that inspired the Three Pines community others now find so welcoming. Danielle Viau leads highly recommended tours of Three Pines, including sites mentioned in the books or ones Penny has said inspired her fictional locales. I started the tours in 2018 with the endorsement of Louise, Viau said by email. The idea came from the fact that no matter what day of the week, you would always see fans of Louise in the village. So I thought, lets do a tour to showcase the different sites that have inspired Louise to create this fabulous Three Pines. The tours immediately took off with great success. Ninety-six per cent of participants are fans from the States 26 different states last year then from Australia, Belgium, Peru, England, Canada, Viau said. Fans want to see it all and soak it all up. Some have arrived with T-shirts they had made specifically for the trip. A few have even cried, being so happy to see a site. On a day trip from Montreal last fall, two of us regretted not having time for the tour ($295 per person for a full day; threepinestours.com), instead covering as much ground as we could on our own. Our first stop was Brome Lake Books (Livres Lac-Brome, 42 Lakeside Rd.), an airy, wood-floored oasis that is three-quarters well-stocked independent bookstore and one-quarter everything Three Pines, including mugs, T-shirts and even licorice pipes, as sold in the fictional Bistro. The Louise Penny reading corner, with a guest book and comfortable rocking chair, is dedicated to Penny for her talent, inspiration and commitment to this community. (Vive Gamache, the sign concludes.) The bookstore sits on a stream that might be the Riviere Bella-Bella, the Beautiful Pretty River that runs through Three Pines and flooded disastrously in last years A Better Man. Its bridge is a perfect spot for picture-taking, as is the bench with the plaque Surprised by Joy, in memory of Pennys late husband. Across the parking lot from the bookstore, we followed a sign saying Bistro and wound up having a late breakfast at the Star Cafe, where Olivier and Gabri, proprietors of the Three Pines Bistro, were nowhere to be found, but the bacon was artisanal and delicious. We were too early for a blowout Sunday lunch at Le Relais in LAuberge Knowlton (286 Knowlton Rd.; aubergeknowlton.com), said to be an inspiration for the Bistro so pivotal to life in Three Pines. Knowlton also has tiny antiques stores, a bakery and a shop selling maple fudge. In the village park, three cut-out pine trees welcome visitors to another photo opportunity. The newly remodelled Brome County Historical Society (130 Rue Lakeside) houses the painting of a village fair created for the 2013 movie Still Life: A Three Pines Mystery, starring Nathaniel Parker as Gamache. Pick up a Three Pines Inspiration Map at the bookstore to trek farther on your own. But be aware, as locals will warn you, that some of these spots are farther afield than you might expect. For that matter, traffic makes the drive from Montreal to Knowlton take close to 90 minutes. To get the full experience, plan to spend at least one night; well do that next time. Consider, maybe, a sojourn at Hovey Manor in North Hatley, the spectacular inspiration for Manoir Bellechasse, where Armand and wife Reine-Marie spend their anniversary in A Rule Against Murder. Chances are very good that no corpses will turn up under fallen statuary. We did make it to Sutton, only 15 kilometres from Knowlton, a chic and busy little metropolis where La Rumeur Affamee (15 Rue Principale N) at least partly inspired Sarahs Bakery, seen in The Cruelest Month and other books. Enjoy the array of cheeses and the heady aroma of baked goods; take a butter tart or two home. If youre staying longer in the Eastern Townships, you can also hear Gregorian chants at the Abbaye du Saint Benoit-du-Lac on Lake Memphremagog. Penny called it Saint-Gilbert-entre-les-Loups in The Beautiful Mystery, in which Gamache and Jean-Guy investigated the murder of a singing monk. Cheeses are sold, but not, apparently, the books chocolate-covered blueberries. Back in bustling civilization, Gamache fans can also take a Bury Your Dead walking tour in Old Quebec, visiting spots mentioned as Gamache solves a murder and unearths a long-hidden mystery, at the Literary and Historical Society. ($44.99; toursvoirquebec.com) As long as youre in Quebec City, how about a side trip to Charlevoix and Baie-Saint-Paul, the artist enclave pivotal in The Long Way Home? The 17th-century village, about an hour away, is the home of both the Algonquin School of landscape painting and of Cirque du Soleil, and is full of art galleries and craft boutiques. The area also offers spectacular scenery, including cliffs and waterfalls. (tourisme-charlevoix.com) The Eastern Townships themselves are also beautiful, encircled by rolling, wooded hills that turn bright red and gold in autumn. (Late September and early October are the best times for fall colour.) We left feeling that we had missed a lot, while still loaded down with purchases from the bookstore and other shops, plus bags of pastries. In the newest book in the series, All the Devils are Here, set an ocean away from Three Pines, readers will travel to Paris with the Gamaches. The fact that were stuck at home makes this is a perfect time for this travel story, Penny said. Really, if you cant travel, dont you want to read about travel? she asked. We can travel in our imaginations. And in any case, Three Pines is above all a state of mind. Read more about: An ABC reporter who terrified viewers after appearing to break down live on air while discussing 600 job cuts at Australia's biggest meatworks has explained he lost his train of thought due to dehydration. Michael Rennie was reporting from Ipswich, Queensland, on Thursday morning when his live cross was interrupted, with the journalist struggling to speak and dropping his head in his hands. The broadcast was forced to return to ABC host Joe O'Brien in the newsroom. 'OK. We'll leave it there for the moment,' O'Brien said. 'We'll just make sure Michael is OK there. Um, so we'll get the cameraman to check on Michael and we'll get our bosses there right away to make sure he's OK.' Rennie returned to TV screens on Friday morning - after taking the rest of Thursday off to recover - to report on Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk's decision to deny a woman the chance to attend her father's funeral in Brisbane. Michael Rennie returned to TV screens on Friday morning (pictured) to report on Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk's decision to deny a woman the chance to attend her father's funeral The ABC reporter said he was dehydrated following a confronting live cross on Thursday Lisa Millar, from ABC's News Breakfast, said: 'It is terrific to hear from you. 'You gave us a bit of a scare yesterday but are you doing OK?' Rennie said he is 'doing much better now'. 'Drinking lots of water this morning and making sure I am staying hydrated,' he said. 'Got a little bit lost during a live cross but all good today.' Millar replied: 'It's great to have you back on the program'. Rennie was reporting live from JBS Dinmore in Ipswich, Queensland, on Thursday morning when the incident occurred (pictured) The job cuts at JBS Dinmore, which is the largest meat factor in the southern hemisphere, comes after the company failed to convince Federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg to make a JobKeeper exemption. Moments before the vision returned to the newsroom on Thursday, a sombre Rennie angled his head down and covered his face with his hand. The confronting moment quickly circulated on Twitter, with ABC viewers posting comments of support to Rennie. 'Hope you are OK there Michael! Love your work,' one person wrote. 'Take care of yourself Michael. You're doing a tough job. I admire you,' another said. Viewers also debated whether the TV reporter suffered a medical episode or if the news story had made him emotional. 'He started talking a bit strangely, like he'd lost his place, then when they crossed back to check he didn't seem able to talk,' one person said. 'I think he might have become emotional, which is totally understandable, but I hope it wasn't a medical issue.' ABC host Joe O'Brien (pictured) looked concerned and said: 'OK. We'll leave it there for the moment. Michael Rennie reporting there from Ipswich' Moments before the vision returned to the newsroom, a sombre Rennie (pictured) angled his head down and covered his face with his hand Another said: 'QLD reporter on TV just now - is he having a heart attack on live TV? Better check on him immediately.' A third added: 'What was up with that ABC News reporter? Was he crying?' O'Brien referenced the 'really concerning' incident moments later to reassure viewers. 'Now, just before we move on, that was really concerning seeing our reporter Michael Rennie there having some issues when he was doing that report,' he said. 'I want to assure our viewers that we're chasing that up right away and getting on top of that and making sure that Michael gets the support he needs at this moment.' Rennie was live in Ipswich as 600 jobs are cut from the largest beef processing plant in Australia (pictured, a tweet sent before the on-air incident) In a later update, O'Brien confirmed his colleague was 'OK' following a catch-up catch. 'Now, I just want to assure our viewers that our reporter Michael Rennie is OK. 'We were having a chat to him in the last five or ten minutes or so and he wasn't able to continue. Yeah, we were a bit concerned about him, but he is OK.' Rennie addressed the confronting vision just before 11am on Thursday and thanked viewers for their support. 'Thanks for all the concern about what happened on ABC news channel this morning,' he said on Twitter. Rennie explained he was dehydrated and lost his train of thought. 'But I'm fine and I'll be back at work tomorrow. Cheers,' he said. Rennie received numerous responses from followers who said they are 'glad' he is feeling better. Almost 600 workers at Australia's largest meat processing facility have lost their jobs as the company scales back its operations (pictured, Michael McCormack at the plant) The company does not qualify for the JobKeeper scheme as its turnover has only dropped 40 per cent this year, and not the 50 per cent required by large businesses. Bosses blamed JobKeeper for creating an 'inequity' in the market, with some companies propped up by handouts and others struggling to make ends meet. JBS Australia chief executive officer Brent Eastwood said it hadn't been an easy decision, but bosses had been left with little alternative. 'Already facing a severe livestock supply shortage following an extended period of drought, the COVID-19 crisis has significantly impacted the Dinmore business,' he told the Courier Mail. 'The situation has been further exacerbated by the market inequity created by the Federal Government's JobKeeper program. 'The market conditions mean there will be no work for around 600 full time jobs for the foreseeable future.' The job cuts at JBS Dinmore, which is one of Ipswich's largest employers, comes after the company failed to convince Federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg to make a JobKeeper exemption The pandemic has wreaked havoc on the company over the past few months, with shifts at the factory cut by 40 per cent and 1,700 workers stood down with no pay for two weeks. Due to the tumultuous few months, workers have lost more than 70 shifts this year and are classed as daily hire, meaning the minimum period of notice for termination is one day. Australasian Meat Industry Employees Union and Blair MP Shayne Neumann said it was one of the saddest cases Ipswich had ever seen. 'It's catastrophic for the Ipswich community and it's devastating for these local workers and families.' Smaller companies, those with an annual turnover of less than $1billion, must show their their turnover has fallen by 30 per cent to qualify. For bigger companies making $1billion or more annually, this must have dropped by 50 per cent. Two men who allegedly sexually abused children as young as one from the same town William Tyrrell disappeared from will be hit with 250 extra charges. Timothy Luke Doyle, 26, and Steven Garrad, 21, allegedly committed most of the offences at Kendall, along the New South Wales mid north coast, Port Macquarie Local Court heard on Thursday. Kendall is the same town that three-year-old William Tyrrell disappeared from in September 2014. Daily Mail Australia does not suggest Doyle or Garrad were in any way involved in the disappearance of William Tyrrell. Doyle and Garrad were arrested at Kendall and the nearby coastal town of Old Bar in June, Daily Telegraph reported. Two men who allegedly sexually abused children as young as one from the same town William Tyrrell disappeared will be hit with 250 extra charges (pictured, police carried out the arrest in June) Timothy Luke Doyle, 26, and Steven Garrad, 21, allegedly committed most of the offences at Kendall, along the New South Wales mid north coast, Port Macquarie Local Court heard on Thursday (pictured, officers arrest a number of men in June) Police seized a laptop as well as other electronic items during the raids. Garrad already faces six counts of sexual intercourse with a child under the age of 10 years - with the youngest child being a one-year-old. The offences allegedly took place between 2017 and 2020. He also faces one count of possessing child abuse material. Doyle faces two counts of sexual intercourse with a child under the age of 10 years, two counts of produce child abuse material and two counts of possess/control child abuse material using carriage service. Court documents allege a video was also made at a mid-north coast childcare centre. Both men are being held in custody and will front court in October. Garrad and Doyle were arrested as part of a wider police sting known as Operation Arkstone. Seven other people from New South Wales, Queensland and Western Australia have been arrested because of it. 'We are continuing to try to identify other children who we suspect were preyed on by individuals in the alleged network,' AFP Assistant Commissioner for ACCCE and Northern Command Lesa Gale said. 'It is heartbreaking to think of any child being sexually abused, but it strengthens our resolve to hunt down perpetrators and bring them to justice.' A laptop was seized during the arrest that officers carried out at Kendall in June this year The total number of coronavirus cases in Wyoming grew by 65 on Friday, with the number of confirmed cases rising by 46 and the number of probable cases rising by 19, according to the Wyoming Department of Healths daily update. A record 171 new coronavirus recoveries were also announced: 146 confirmed (also a record) and 25 probable. The previous records were 99 confirmed recoveries and 103 total recoveries on Sept. 4. There are new confirmed cases in Albany (three), Campbell, Carbon (two), Converse, Crook (two), Fremont (two), Laramie (eight), Lincoln (two), Natrona (11), Park, Platte, Sheridan (two), Sublette, Sweetwater and Teton (nine) counties. The department subtracted one confirmed case from Hot Springs Countys total. The states 10-day average of confirmed cases is now above 30 per day for the first time this month. The number of confirmed active cases, however, is below 400 for the first time since July 18. Numbers to know Active cases: 388 (498 including probable cases) Hospitalized patients: 12 (Friday numbers not updated) Deaths: 42 (none this week, five this month) Total cases: 4,264 (3,605 confirmed, 659 probable) Total recoveries: 3,724 (3,175 confirmed, 549 probable) Total tests: 126,331 (50,472 from state lab, 75,859 from commercial labs) Are we trending up or down?The states 10-day average is 32.3 confirmed cases and 39.8 total cases per day. A day ago, we were averaging 2.8 fewer confirmed cases and 4.1 fewer total cases per day. A week ago, we were averaging 3.9 fewer confirmed cases and 4.3 fewer total cases per day. A month ago, we were averaging 3.6 fewer confirmed cases and 9.4 fewer total cases per day. Where are the cases coming from? Albany (60), Natrona (43) and Laramie (37) counties have had the most confirmed cases over the past 10 days. Albany (32.8%), Crook (26.3%) and Sheridan (20%) counties have had the highest percentage of their confirmed cases come from the past 10 days. How do we compare nationally? Total cases: second fewest (fourth fewest in the last seven days) Cases per 100,000 residents: seventh fewest (14th fewest in the last seven days) Deaths: second fewest (tied for second fewest in the last seven days) Deaths per 100,000 residents: third fewest (fourth fewest in the last seven days) All numbers according to the New York Times, which includes probable counts where they exist. As Russian opposition leader Aleksei Navalny fights Novichok poisoning in a Berlin hospital, his teams are continuing their battle against election fraud in a series of municipal votes across Russia. Navalny was poisoned after campaigning in Novosibirsk, and his team there has also been attacked. T he reproduction number, or R value, of coronavirus transmission across the UK has risen above 1. Data released on Friday by the Government Office for Science and the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) shows the estimate for R across the UK is between 1.0 and 1.2. It comes after the Government announced a ban on social gatherings with more than six people from Monday while all of Merseyside was added to the local lockdown watchlist amid a surge in cases. The growth rate of coronavirus transmission, which reflects how quickly the number of infections is changing day by day, has increased slightly. For the whole of the UK, the latest growth rate is between minus 1 per cent and plus 3 per cent per day, a slight change from between minus 1 per cent and plus 2 per cent last week. The growth rate means the number of new infections is somewhere between shrinking by 1 per cent and growing by 3 per cent every day. The ONS said in recent weeks there has been an increase in the number of people testing positive for Covid-19 aged 17 to 24 years and 25 to 34 years. Coronavirus hits the UK - In pictures 1 /81 Coronavirus hits the UK - In pictures A deserted Westminster Bridge PA A man wearing a face mask or covering due to the COVID-19 pandemic, walks past customers sat outside a restaurant AFP via Getty Images Boris Johnson addresses the nation on the Coronavirus lockdown Andrew Parsons Runners pass cardboard cutouts of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II and Prince William during the London Marathon in London AP An empty escalator at Charing Coss London Underground tube station Jeremy Selwyn Electronic bilboards displays a message warning people to stay home in Sheffield PA A sign is displayed in the window of a student accommodation building following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Mancheste Reuters People take part in a 'We Do Not Consent' rally at Trafalgar Square, organised by Stop New Normal, to protest against coronavirus restrictions, in Londo AP People sing and dance in Leicester Square on the eve on the 10PM curfew Reuters Hearts painted by a team of artists from Upfest are seen in the grass at Queen Square, following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Bristol Reuters Graffiti reads 'good luck and stay safe', as the number of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases grow around the world, under a bridge in London Reuters A sign is pictured in Soho, amid the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in London Reuters Prime Minister Boris Johnson gestures, during a coronavirus briefing in Downing Street, London AP A person runs past posters with a message of hope, as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues in Manchester REUTERS Riot police face protesters who took part in a 'We Do Not Consent' rally at Trafalgar Square, organised by Stop New Normal, to protest against coronavirus restrictions in London AP An image of The Queen eith quotes from her broadcast to the UK and the Commonwealth in relation to the Coronavirus epidemic are displayed on lights in London's Piccadilly Circus PA Military vehicles cross Westminster Bridge after members of the 101 Logistic Brigade delivered a consignment of medical masks to St Thomas' hospital Getty Images Durdle Door in Dorset Reuters Captain Tom Moore via Reuters Mia, aged 8, and Jack, aged 5, take part in "PE with Joe" a daily live workout with Joe Wicks on Youtube to help kids stay fit who have to stay indoors due to the Coronavirus outbreak PA An NHS worker reacts at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital during the Clap for our Carers campaign in support of the NHS Reuters Goats which have taken over the deserted streets of Llandudno @AndrewStuart via PA Tobias Weller PA Novikov restaurant in London with its shutters pulled down while the restaurant is closed London Landscapes: Hyde Park and the Serpentine, central London. Matt Writtle A newspaper vendor in Manchester city centre giving away free toilet rolls with every paper bought as shops run low on supplies due to fears over the spread of the coronavirus PA Theo Clay looks out of his window next to his hand-drawn picture of a rainbow in Liverpool, as the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continue Reuters A young man cuts another man's hair on top of a closed hairdresser in Oxford Reuters General view of the new NHS Nightingale Hospital, built to fight against the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in London via Reuters Jason Baird is seen dressed as Spiderman during his daily exercise to cheer up local children in Stockport, as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues Reuters A woman wearing a face mask walks past Buckingham Palace Getty Images A man holds mobile phone displaying a text message alert sent by the government warning that new rules are in force across the UK and people must stay at home PA Medical staff on the Covid-19 ward at the Neath Port Talbot Hospital, in Wales, as the health services continue their response to the coronavirus outbreak. PA Prime Minister Boris Johnson taking part in a virtual Cabinet meeting with his top team of ministers PA A shopper walks past empty shelves in a Lidl store on in Wallington. After spates of "panic buying" cleared supermarket shelves of items like toilet paper and cleaning products, stores across the UK have introduced limits on purchases during the COVID-19 pandemic. Some have also created special time slots for the elderly and other shoppers vulnerable to the new coronavirus. Getty Images People on a busy tube train in London at rush hour PA Mia, aged 8 and her brother Jack, aged 5 from Essex, continue their school work at home, after being sent home due to the coronavirus PA Children are painting 'Chase the rainbows' artwork and springing up in windows across the country Reuters Social distancing in Primrose Hill Jeremy Selwyn A general view of a locked gate at Anfield, Liverpool as The Premier League has been suspended PA Homeless people in London AFP via Getty Images A piece of art by the artist, known as the Rebel Bear has appeared on a wall on Bank Street in Glasgow. The new addition to Glasgow's street art is capturing the global Coronavirus crisis. The piece features a woman and a man pulling back to give each other a kiss PA The Queen leaves Buckingham Palace, London, for Windsor Castle to socially distance herself amid the coronavirus pandemic PA A general view on Grey street, Newcastle as coronavirus cases grow around the world Reuters Matt Raw, a British national who returned from the coronavirus-hit city of Wuhan in China, leaves quaratine at Arrowe Park Hospital on Merseyside PA Britain's Chief Medical Officer Professor Chris Whitty (L) and Chief Scientific Adviser Patrick Vallance look on as British Prime Minister Boris Johnson gestures as he speaks during a coronavirus disease (COVID-19) news conference inside 10 Downing Street Reuters The ticket-validation terminals at the tram stop on Edinburgh's Princes Street are cleaned following the coronavirus outbreak. PA Locked school gates at Rockcliffe First School in Whitley Bay, Tyne and Wear PA A sign at a Sainsbury's supermarket informs customers that limits have been set on a small number of products as the number of coronavirus (COVID-19) cases grow around the world Reuters Jawad Javed delivers coronavirus protection kits that he and his wife have put together to the vulnerable people of their community of Stenhousemuir, between Glasgow and Edinburgh AFP via Getty Images A sign advertising a book titled "How Will We Survive On Earth?" Getty Images A man who appears to be homeless sleeping wearing a mask today in Victoria Jeremy Selwyn A pedestrian walks past graffiti that reads "Diseases are in the City" in Edinburgh AFP via Getty Images Staff from The Lyric Theatre, London inform patrons, as it shuts its doors PA A quiet looking George IV Bridge in Edinburgh PA A quieter than usual British Museum Getty Images A racegoer attends Cheltenham in a fashionable face mask SplashNews.com A commuter wears a face mask at London Bridge Station Jeremy Selwyn A empty restaurant in the Bull Ring Shopping Centre Getty Images A deserted Trafalgar Square in London PA Passengers determined to avoid the coronavirus before leaving the UK arrive at Gatwick Airport Getty Images But they said the number of people testing positive for Covid-19 aged 50 years and over appears to be stable or declining. Katherine Kent, co-head of analysis for the Covid-19 Infection Survey, said: Our results this week suggest that there has been an increase in Covid-19 infections in England during recent weeks with higher infection rates among 17-34-year-olds. These findings highlight how important it is that we continue to monitor Covid-19 infections in the country. We are grateful to our many participants who are continuing to make this survey possible. The survey has also begun in Northern Ireland and the ONS said estimates for there will be published when there is a sufficiently large sample. Work is also under way to set up the survey in Scotland. Meanwhile. evidence suggests the rate of new infections in private households in England has increased in recent weeks, the ONS said. An average of 3,200 people per day were estimated to be newly infected with Covid-19 between August 30 and September 5, the ONS said. This is up from an average of 2,000 people per day between August 19 and 25. PARIS: Frances foreign ministry on Thursday protested against the liberation by Afghan authorities of two Taliban prisoners who had killed two of its citizens. France reiterates its firmest opposition to the release of individuals convicted of having committed crimes against French nationals, in particular soldiers and humanitarian workers," the ministry said in a statement. The militant group has insisted that 5,000 prisoners be released, including six objected to by Western governments such as France and Australia for insider attacks on their forces. Six were released on Thursday. 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 Paying tributes to martyred forest officials, Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar on Friday came down heavily on sand mining mafia, saying attacks on revenue or forest officials will not be tolerated and strict action will be taken against the culprits. The remarks come on National Forest Martyrs Day observed for the first time by the environment ministry. Javadekar, in a virtual interaction, appealed to states to make stern laws to tackle sand mining mafia. In a stern message against the illegal practice, he said the situation will be reviewed and those found not abiding shall be punished. Expressing deep anguish over the death of a forest staff who was killed by sandalwood smugglers in Rajasthan's Alwar, the minister said amendments shall be made in regulations so that sandalwood can be cultivated more widely. Revenue or forest officials doing their duty are killed. Attacks on them will not be tolerated. We will make strict laws, there will be stringent punishment provisions. This is very important, otherwise our nature will be looted, rivers will dry up, he tweeted in Hindi. In another tweet he said, At @MOEFCC we observed the #ForestMartyrsDay at the national level for the first time, in recognition of forest personnel who sacrificed their lives for the protection of our environment, forest and wildlife. Forest home guard Kewal Singh was mowed down by a tractor when he along with his colleague tried to stop suspected members of mining mafia inside the Sariska Tiger Reserve in Alwar in July this year. The environment minister appealed to the state governments to take the issue of sand mining mafia seriously and impose strict laws to bring an end to the practice. He appealed that sustainable sand mining must be practised so as to prevent the depletion of natural resources from river beds, the ministry said in a press note. In order to prevent the river beds from drying completely, sustainable sand mining must be practised and killings of foresters or revenue staff working towards the initiative of sustainable sand mining is completely unacceptable and that steps will be taken to make sure the offenders are punished, the ministry said. According to the ministry, the minister also said that despite the new sustainable sand mining rules and regulations being passed, many states and regions are not abiding by the rules. This year, families of 25 martyred forest officials have been given the certificate of recognition, it said. As per the details shared by the ministry, in the year 2019-2020, 25 forest officials have been killed. The reasons for the killings include attack by poachers, sand mafia, mining mafia, leopards, elephants, tigers and sandal smugglers. Of the 25 deaths, over seven deaths have been reported from Kerala and Madhya Pradesh. Other states where forest officials, including forest watchers, forest guards, drivers, range officers and protection watchers lost their lives are Karnataka, Assam, Uttarakhand, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and UT Jammu and Kashmir. The West Coast is currently being plagued by ravenous wildfires that have burned more than 3.4million acres. And in wake of the devastation, Cobie Smulders, 38, announced on Wednesday that she has partnered with oatmilk brand Planet Oat on the Planet Oat Project. '#PlanetOatProject is committed to protecting our earths land, wildlife and waters,' wrote the How I Met Your Mother star, who celebrated the project's launch in Los Angeles. Planet Oat Project: Cobie Smulders, 38, announced on Wednesday that she has partnered with oatmilk brand Planet Oat on the Planet Oat Project Committed: '#PlanetOatProject is committed to protecting our earths land, wildlife and waters,' wrote the How I Met Your Mother star, who celebrated the project's launch in Los Angeles 'In celebration of National CleanUp Day on September 19th, we are joining forces with @cleantrails to help keep our community free of litter.' She concluded her post by urging her devout following to head over to the official Planet Oat website and collect their 'Clean Trails Kit to help beautify their community.' For the exciting launch, Cobie rocked a pair of distressed denim shorts and an official National CleanUp Day t-shirt. Camp counselor chic: For the exciting launch, Cobie rocked a pair of distressed denim shorts and an official National CleanUp Day t-shirt Natural beauty: The actress' brunette hair was styled into a ponytail and she showcased her glowing, barefaced complexion She had a flannel shirt tied around her waist and she kicked up dirt in a pair of black boots. The actress' brunette hair was styled into a ponytail and she showcased her glowing, barefaced complexion. Smulders adhered to California's strict mask mandate by rocking a floral cloth mask, during the outdoor event. Doing her part: Cobie, using a pair of silver tongs, picked up various pieces of trash in her immediate vicinity and placed them into a bright blue bucket Safety first: Smulders adhered to California's strict mask mandate by rocking a floral cloth mask, during the outdoor event She posed for various photos with the Planet Oat Project's Clean Trails Kit, which contains various cleaning supplies and helpful information. Cobie, using a pair of silver tongs, picked up various pieces of trash in her immediate vicinity and placed them into a bright blue bucket. Smulders' partnership with Planet Oat is no surprise, being that the actress frequently voices her love for nature on her various social media platform. Outdoorsy: She had a flannel shirt tied around her waist and she kicked up dirt in a pair of black boots Clean Trails Kit: She posed for various photos with the Planet Oat Project's Clean Trails Kit, which contains various cleaning supplies and helpful information When she is not busy giving back to her community or helping the environment, the Stumptown star is spending time with husband Taran Killam, 38, and their two daughters, Shaelyn and Janita. Cobie and Taran, who have been together for over a decade, have been quarantining at their home in Los Angeles home amid COVID-19. The couple were engaged in January 2009 and then made things official with a simple yet stunning Solvang, California wedding in 2012. How I Met Your Mother is available on Stan in Australia Technavio has been monitoring the scented candles market and it is poised to grow by USD 1.81 billion during 2020-2024, progressing at a CAGR of over 6% during the forecast period. The report offers an up-to-date analysis regarding the current market scenario, latest trends and drivers, and the overall market environment. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200910005636/en/ Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global Scented Candles 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- What are the major trends in the market? Increasing emergence of customized home fragrance candles is one of the major trends in the market. At what rate is the market projected to grow? Growing at a CAGR of over 6%, the incremental growth of the market is anticipated to be USD 1.81 billion. Who are the top players in the market? Bolsius International BV, Diptyque SAS, Godrej Consumer Products Ltd., NEST Fragrances, Newell Brands Inc., Reckitt Benckiser Group Plc, S.C. Johnson Son Inc., ScentAir Technologies LLC, The Bridgewater Candle Co., and The Procter Gamble Co. are some of the major market participants. What are the key market drivers and challenges? Increasing investment in household interiors is one of the major factors driving the market. However, the stiff competition from the unorganized sector restrains the market growth. How big is the North America market? The North America region will contribute 43% of market growth. The market is fragmented, and the degree of fragmentation will accelerate during the forecast period. Bolsius International BV, Diptyque SAS, Godrej Consumer Products Ltd., NEST Fragrances, Newell Brands Inc., Reckitt Benckiser Group Plc, S.C. Johnson Son Inc., ScentAir Technologies LLC, The Bridgewater Candle Co., and The Procter Gamble Co. are some of the major market participants. The increasing investment in household interiors 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. Scented Candles Market 2020-2024: Segmentation Scented Candles Market is segmented as below: Distribution Channel Offline Online Geography North America Europe APAC 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=IRTNTR41107 Scented Candles 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 scented candles market report covers the following areas: Scented Candles Market Size Scented Candles Market Trends Scented Candles Market Analysis This study identifies the increasing emergence of customized home fragrance candles as one of the prime reasons driving the scented candles 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. Register for a free trial today and gain instant access to 17,000+ market research reports. Technavio's SUBSCRIPTION platform Scented Candles Market 2020-2024: Key Highlights CAGR of the market during the forecast period 2020-2024 Detailed information on factors that will assist scented candles market growth during the next five years Estimation of the scented candles market size and its contribution to the parent market Predictions on upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior The growth of the scented candles market Analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information on vendors Comprehensive details of factors that will challenge the growth of scented candles market vendors Table of Contents: Executive Summary Market Landscape Market ecosystem Market characteristics Market Sizing Market definition Market segment analysis Market size 2019 Market outlook Market size and 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 Distribution channel Market segments Comparison by Distribution channel Offline Market size and forecast 2019-2024 Online Market size and forecast 2019-2024 Market opportunity by Distribution channel Customer landscape Geographic Landscape Geographic segmentation Geographic comparison North America Market size and forecast 2019-2024 Europe Market size and forecast 2019-2024 APAC Market size and forecast 2019-2024 MEA Market size and forecast 2019-2024 South America Market size and forecast 2019-2024 Key leading countries Market opportunity by geography Volume driver Demand led growth Market challenges Market trends Vendor Landscape Overview Landscape disruption Vendor Analysis Vendors covered Market positioning of vendors Bolsius International BV Diptyque SAS Godrej Consumer Products Ltd. NEST Fragrances Newell Brands Inc. Reckitt Benckiser Group Plc S.C. Johnson Son Inc. ScentAir Technologies LLC The Bridgewater Candle Co. The Procter Gamble Co. 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/20200910005636/en/ Contacts: Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 Email: media@technavio.com Website: www.technavio.com/ A Fort Bragg paratrooper who was killed in a training accident in Georgia earlier this week has been identified, US Army officials announced. Pfc. Jean Cruz De Leon, 20, of Marrero, Louisiana, serving with the 82nd Airborne Division, lost his life during jump training at Fort Stewart in Georgia around 7pm on Wednesday. Lt. Col. Mike Burns, a spokesman for Fort Bragg in North Carolina, stated to Stars and Stripes that Cruz De Leon's parachute malfunctioned during training. Fort Bragg has identified the paratrooper who was killed in a training accident on Wesnesday as Pfc Jean Cruz De Leon Cruz De Leon, a grenadier and radio-transmitter operator at Fort Bragg, died after his parachute malfunctioned at Fort Stewart in Georgia Cruz De Leon, a three-time volunteer, was assigned as a grenadier and radio-transmitter operator for 3rd Brigade Combat Team's Alpha Company at Fort Bragg. 'Pfc. Cruz De Leon was a dedicated Soldier who believed in continuously honing his craft and contributing every day to our mission. He was an outstanding Paratrooper and friend whose actions assisted with the success of our unit,' Lt. Col. Matthew Molly, commander of the 1st Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, said in a statement to WJCL. Cruz De Leon enlisted in the US Army in May 2019 and reported for duty at Fort Bragg last October. His awards and decorations include the Army Commendation Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Medal, Army Service Ribbon and the Army Parachutist Badge. Spc. Brandon Arnold, Weapons Squad Team leader, described the paratrooper as a great soldier who always made his comrades laugh when they were down. Cruz De Leon enlisted in the US Army in May 2019 and reported for duty at Fort Bragg last October. He was remembered by his superiors as a great soldier and an outstanding paratrooper Tyler Rodgers, Cruz De Leon's friend from Basic Training, posted a Facebook message reminiscing about his spirit and wisdom. 'He was happy. He was proud. As he shouldve been,' he wrote. 'Jean Cruz De Leon, you were my friend. I miss you. I wish I couldve talked to you one more time. I love you, brother. Til Valhalla.' The incident is currently under investigation, according to officials. The death comes just one day after the 82nd Airborne Division announced the death of another paratrooper, Sgt. David Eugene Hughes, who passed away on Friday in a tragic motorcycle accident. The death comes just one day after the 82nd Airborne Division announced the death of another paratrooper, Sgt. David Eugene Hughes, who passed away on Friday in a tragic motorcycle accident Hughes, 32, of Fresno, California was an unmanned aerial vehicle operator assigned to the divisions A Troop, 1st Squadron, 17th Cavalry Regiment. He crashed while riding his 2015 BMW motorcycle down Raeford Road just before midnight. 'The shock of his sudden passing has been felt throughout the formation,' Lt. Col. Margaret Stick, commander of the squadron, said. 'Although only with the formation for a few short months, his professionalism, competence and caring demeanor made him an invaluable member of the team a true friend and mentor. He will be greatly missed.' Vineet Upadhyay By Express News Service DEHRADUN: A recent study by Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, has revealed that Snow trout (Schizothorax richardsonii), the cold water fish species found in Himalayan rivers, will lose its habitat by 16 per cent in the next 30 years and by over 26 per cent by 2070 due to climate change factors. The study titled Is There Always Space at The Top and funded by the department of science & technology (DST) was published earlier this week in the Ecological Indicators, a journal of international repute based at the Netherlands. "The net habitat loss under three RCP scenarios (Representative Concentration Pathways) (RCPs 2.6, 4.5 and 8.5) was estimated to range from 7.41 per cent to 16.29 per cent for the year 2050 which would further increase in the year 2070 ranging from 9.46 per cent to 26.56 per cent, " said the study by the group of experts and scientists including Aashna Sharma, Vineet Kumar Dubey, Jeyaraj Antony Johnson, Yogesh Kumar Rawal and Kuppusamy Sivakumar. The experts stating in their analysis that the Himalayan region is predicted to be warming at a rate much higher than global average rate of 0.4 C, warned, "Mountain systems throughout the globe are conspicuously sensitive to on-going climate alterations. This condition is much more detrimental in the Himalaya, where the rate of warming and thus the glacier meltdown is much higher than elsewhere. The Himalayan coldwater species are concerningly most vulnerable to these changes because of their limited thermal range." The study recommends reducing the 'unsustainable harnessing of rivers' for hydropower development projects and energy efficiency by improving green energy potential advocating for regular 'state of art monitoring' of Himalayan rivers, the majority of which still stay unexplored along with regular monitoring of fish populations at the foothills of the Himalaya. The experts state in the study that 'a wide-ranging mid-elevation river network' is currently suitable for the snow trout in Himalaya and added that a significant part of its current distributional range would be lost over time. "Our results highlight that snow trout would expand their range upwards into the high-altitude streams with a concurrent predominant range contraction in most of their lagging edges, ultimately creating a high-altitude squeeze," said the study. The species which is listed as vulnerable in the IUCN Red List faces serious threats due to river valley modifications, destructive fishing practices and exotic salmonid introductions said the studies. The study which happens to be a part of the governments National Mission for Sustaining the Himalayan Ecosystem (NMSHE) to research the impact of climate change on the Himalayan ecosystem is aimed at evaluating the performance and response of topographic, hydrogeomorphic, and climatic variables and to quantify the future range shifts by using multi-projection ensemble for reducing the translocation uncertainties and an appropriate mitigation measure for species climate adaptations in future. Further adding that the species is likely to lose habitat which will force it to take refuge at high-altitude areas which would act as the 'only saviors' if suitable habitat connectivity is offered. The study also added that the current massive network of dams across the Himalayan rivers which is 'rampantly building up' poses a strong deterrent for the species to colonize the potential refugia at higher altitudes. "The situation in Himalaya can thus be grave with an existential dearth in the understanding of abundance and distribution patterns of the fishes. Our predictions also reveal that the high-altitude tributaries of Jhelum, Chenab, Satluj, Beas, and the upper Ganges basin would potentially contribute as snow trout refugia in the future environments," said the scientists in the study. The study said to be an 'ensemble of 72 statistical models across the Himalayas' also call for cooperation between India, Nepal and Bhutan to further broaden the scope of conservation and research. Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 1 anno fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili. A recent market study published by Future Market Insights on the Cannabidiol (CBD) Oil market offers global industry analysis for 2015-2019 & opportunity assessment for 20202030. The study offers a comprehensive assessment of the most important market dynamics. After conducting a thorough research on the historical, as well as current growth parameters, the growth prospects of the market are obtained with maximum precision. The global Cannabidiol (CBD) Oil market size is expected to reach US $ 4.9 Bn by the end of 2030. According to a report published by Future Market Insights (FMI), between 2020 and 2030 the market will grow at an impressive CAGR of 31.3 %. Competition Deep-Dive In this chapter, readers can find a comprehensive list of leading manufacturers in the Cannabidiol (CBD) Oil 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 CV Sciences, Medical Marijuana, Aurora Cannabis, Canopy Growth Corporation, Canntrust, Tilray, Kazmira LLC, Connoils, and Elixinol among others. Market Segmentation The global Cannabidiol (CBD) Oil market is segmented in detail to cover every aspect of the market and present complete market intelligence to readers. Product Type Application Distribution Channel Region Hemp Oil Marijuana Oil Pharmaceuticals Food & Beverages Gummies Chewing Gums Chocolate bars Candies Beverages Dairy Products Bakery Products Snacks Cosmetics Others Direct / B2B Indirect / B2C Hospital Pharmacy Retail Pharmacy Hypermarkets / Supermarkets Convenience Store Online Retail Others North America Latin America Europe East Asia South Asia Oceania Middle East and Africa Report Chapters Chapter 01 - Executive Summary The executive summary of the Cannabidiol (CBD) Oil market includes the market country analysis, proprietary wheel of fortune, demand-side and supply-side trends, opportunity assessment, and recommendations on the global Cannabidiol (CBD) Oil market. Download Sample Copy @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-11661 Chapter 02 - Market Overview Readers can find the detailed segmentation and definition of the Cannabidiol (CBD) Oil market in this chapter, which will help them understand basic information about the Cannabidiol (CBD) Oil market. This section also highlights the inclusions and exclusions, which help the reader understand the scope of the Cannabidiol (CBD) Oil market report. Chapter 03 - Market Background The associated industry assessment of the Cannabidiol (CBD) Oil market is carried out in this section. The macroeconomic factors affecting growth of the Cannabidiol (CBD) Oil market are provided in this section and the impact of these macroeconomic indicators on the Cannabidiol (CBD) Oil market is analyzed. The processing overview and technological advancements in the Cannabidiol (CBD) Oil market is also provided. Chapter 04 - Global Cannabidiol (CBD) Oil Market Value Chain Profit margins at each level of the Cannabidiol (CBD) Oil market are analyzed and readers can find detailed information on top importers and exporters as well as the value chain of the market. Chapter 05 - Global Cannabidiol (CBD) Oil Market Pricing Analysis The pricing of the Cannabidiol (CBD) Oil market by product type is analyzed in this chapter. The prices of different product types of Cannabidiol (CBD) Oil in every region is provided. Pricing break-up between different types of players involved in the Cannabidiol (CBD) Oil market, price forecast till 2030 and factors affecting pricing of Cannabidiol (CBD) Oil has also been provided. Chapter 06 - Global Cannabidiol (CBD) Oil Market Analysis and Forecast 2015-2030 This chapter includes detailed analysis of the historical Cannabidiol (CBD) Oil market (2015-2019), along with an opportunity analysis for the forecast period (2020-2030). Readers can also find the absolute $ opportunity for the current year (2020 - 2021) and incremental opportunity for the forecast period (20202030). This chapter provides details about the Cannabidiol (CBD) Oil market on the basis of type and application. In this chapter, readers can understand market attractive analysis for all segments. This chapter explains how the Cannabidiol (CBD) Oil market is anticipated to grow across North America, Latin America, Europe, East Asia, South Asia, Oceania, and Middle East and Africa. Chapter 07 - Global Cannabidiol (CBD) Oil market Analysis 2015-2019 & Forecast 2020-2030 by Product Type Based on product type, the Cannabidiol (CBD) Oil market is classified into hemp oil and marijuana oil. This part also offers market attractiveness analysis based on product type. Ask an Analyst @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/ask-question/rep-gb-11661 Chapter 08 Global Cannabidiol (CBD) Oil market Analysis 2015-2019 & Forecast 2020-2030 by Application Based on application, the Cannabidiol (CBD) Oil market is classified into pharmaceuticals, food & beverages, cosmetics and others. The food and beverages industry is further distinguished into gummies, chewing gums, chocolate bars, candies, beverages, dairy products, bakery products and snacks. This part also offers market attractiveness analysis based on application. Chapter 09 Global Cannabidiol (CBD) Oil market Analysis 2015-2019 & Forecast 2020-2030 by Distribution Channel Based on distribution channel, the Cannabidiol (CBD) Oil market is classified into Direct/B2B and Indirect/B2C. The B2C channel is further divided into hospital pharmacy, retail pharmacy, hypermarkets/supermarkets, convenience store, online retail and others. This part also offers market attractiveness analysis based on distribution channel. Chapter 10 Global Cannabidiol (CBD) Oil market Analysis 2015-2019 & Forecast 2020-2030 by Region This chapter explains how the Cannabidiol (CBD) Oil market is anticipated to grow across various geographic regions such as North America, Latin America, Europe, South Asia, East Asia, Oceania, and Middle East and Africa. Chapter 11 North America Cannabidiol (CBD) Oil Market Analysis 2015-2019 & Forecast 2020-2030 This chapter includes a detailed analysis of the growth of the Cannabidiol (CBD) Oil market in the North America region, along with a country-wise assessment that includes the U.S. and Canada. Readers can also find regional trends, regulations, and market growth based on application and countries in the North America region. Chapter 12 Latin America Cannabidiol (CBD) Oil Market Analysis 2015-2019 & Forecast 2020-2030 Readers can find detailed information about several factors, such as the pricing analysis and regional trends, which are impacting growth of the Cannabidiol (CBD) Oil market in the Latin America region. This chapter also includes growth prospects of the Cannabidiol (CBD) Oil market in leading LATAM countries such as Brazil, Mexico, Peru, Argentina, and Rest of Latin America. Chapter 13 Europe Cannabidiol (CBD) Oil Market Analysis 2015-2019 & Forecast 2020-2030 Important growth prospects of the Cannabidiol (CBD) Oil market based on its end user in several countries such as EU4, BENELUX, Nordic, Russia, Poland and Rest of Europe are included in this chapter. Chapter 14 East Asia Cannabidiol (CBD) Oil Market Analysis 2015-2019 & Forecast 2020-2030 This chapter offers insights into how the Cannabidiol (CBD) Oil market is expected to grow in major countries in the East Asia region such as China, Japan and South Korea, during the forecast period 2020-2030. Chapter 15 - South Asia Cannabidiol (CBD) Oil Market Analysis 2015-2019 & Forecast 2020-2030 This chapter offers insights into how the Cannabidiol (CBD) Oil market is expected to grow in major countries in the South Asia region such as India, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Rest of South Asia, during the forecast period 2020-2030. Request for Covid19 Impact Analysis: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/covid19/rep-gb-11661 Chapter 16 - Oceania Cannabidiol (CBD) Oil Market Analysis 2015-2019 & Forecast 2020-2030 This chapter includes a detailed analysis of the growth of the Cannabidiol (CBD) Oil market in the Oceania region, along with a country-wise assessment that includes, Australia, and New Zealand. Readers can also find regional trends, regulations, and market growth of countries in the Oceania region. Chapter 17 - Middle East and Africa Cannabidiol (CBD) Oil Market Analysis 2015-2019 & Forecast 2020-2030 This chapter offers insights into how the Cannabidiol (CBD) Oil market is expected to grow in major countries in the MEA region such as Turkey, GCC, South Africa and Rest of MEA, during the forecast period 2020-2030. Chapter 18 - Competition Assessment In this chapter, readers can find detailed information about tier analysis and market concentration of the key players in the Cannabidiol (CBD) Oil market along with their market presence analysis by region and product portfolio. Chapter 19 - Research Methodology This chapter helps readers understand the research methodology followed to obtain various conclusions, as well as important qualitative and quantitative information, on the Cannabidiol (CBD) Oil market. Chapter 20 - Assumptions and Acronyms This chapter includes a list of acronyms and assumptions that provide a base to the information and statistics included in the Cannabidiol (CBD) Oil report. Catholic and Public Schools Differ on Opening NEWS PROVIDED BY Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights Sept. 11, 2020 NEW YORK, Sept. 11, 2020 /Christian Newswire/ -- Catholic League president Bill Donohue comments on the new school year: For the most part, Catholic schools across the nation have opened normally. For the most part, public schools across the nation have opened abnormally (if at all). The contrast in administrative competence could not be more stark. Here is a representative sample. Atlanta Schools in the Archdiocese of Atlanta returned to in-person instruction August 12. The public schools opened August 24 with virtual learning. Boston All schools in the Archdiocese of Boston opened in September to in-person instruction. All public schools opened remotely. Chicago All schools in the Archdiocese of Chicago opened to in-person learning August 17. The public schools opened remotely September 8. Cincinnati All schools in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati are open to in-person instruction. The public schools resorted to distance learning for the first five weeks of the school year. Dallas The Diocese of Dallas opened to in-person learning September 2, six days before a start date ordered by Dallas County health officials. The public schools did not open to in-person learning until September 8. Denver The Archdiocese of Denver started August 24 with in-person learning. The public schools started the same day, but with remote learning; it continues until October 16. District of Columbia The Archdiocese of Washington schools opened as early as August 25, roughly half in-person. The public schools opened to distance learning August 31, and will continue that way until November 6. Houston Many schools in the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston opened August 13 to in-person learning; some elected to open remotely. Public schools opened September 8, all with remote learning. None will open in-person before October 16. Milwaukee The schools in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee opened in-person. The public schools opened remotely. New York City The Archdiocese of New York and the Diocese of Brooklyn opened to in-person learning five days a week on September 9. New York City public schools will not open until September 21, starting with three days a week. The teachers threatened to strike, which is illegal in New York. Philadelphia Schools in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia opened partly in-person and partly virtually. The public schools opened only to remote learning. Pittsburgh The Diocese of Pittsburgh opened to in-person instruction September 8. The public schools opened to distance learning the same day. San Diego All 39 schools in the Diocese of San Diego will have in-person learning by the end of September. Public school officials cannot agree when to reopen the schools (including distance learning). The teachers' unions are responsible for the stalling tactics, citing unfounded horror stories about COVID's effects on kids. Elementary and secondary schools have been open in Europe for weeks, if not months, without the kinds of calamities that American educrats have been predicting. Politics is also playing a role. The Los Angeles County Public Health Director reportedly told school officials and medical staff that the public schools will not open "until after the election, in early November." This is obviously being done to hurt President Trump at the polls. Meanwhile, Catholic schools have returned to normal in this country. One more reason why school choice makes eminently good sense. As usual, the biggest victimsminority students from low-income familiesare the ones being punished. Perversely, those who rhetorically champion their cause are responsible. SOURCE Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights CONTACT: 212-371-3191, pr@catholicleague.org Related Links catholicleague.org Share Tweet Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the conclave on School Education in 21st Century under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 at 11 am on Friday, through video conferencing. The Ministry of Education is organising the two-day conclave, which started on Thursday, as a part of the Shiksha Parv, the Prime Ministers Office (PMO) said in a statement. PM Modi had also delivered the inaugural address at the Conclave on Transformational Reforms in Higher Education under NEP-2020 on August 7 and addressed the Governors Conference on the policy on September 7. The Shiksha Parv is being celebrated from September 8-25 to felicitate teachers and take the New Education Policy forward. Various webinars, virtual conferences and conclaves on several aspects of the NEP are being organised across the country, the PMO said. The government has said that the NEP-2020 is the first education policy of the 21st century, which was announced 34 years after the previous NEP in 1986. The NEP-2020 is directed towards major reforms at both the school and higher education level. The new NEP aims at making the country an equitable and vibrant knowledge society. It envisions an India-centred education system that will contribute directly to transforming the country into a global superpower, the government has said. (With inputs from PTI) New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday issued notice to Odisha, Telangana, Delhi and West Bengal on a petition claiming that there is non-implementation of the Central government's Ayushman Bharat health scheme in these states and union territory. A three-judge bench, headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sharad Arvind Bobde, issued notices to the states and union Territory posted the matter for further hearing likely after two weeks. The petition, filed by one Perala Shekhar Rao thorough lawyers Hitendra Nath Rath and Shravan Kumar, said that the Union of India has been implementing 'Ayusman Bharat' health insurance scheme for 50 crore people of the country with an annual budget of 6,400 crore. "Under this scheme poor people are entitled to avail treatment for various health problems including the testing and treatment for COVID-19 pandemic," Hitendra Rath, for the petitioner, told the top court. "That except Telangana, Delhi, West Bengal and Odisha, all the States in the country are implementing/availing the Ayushman Bharat Scheme," the plea said. It said that this has resulted the denial of health insurance benefit provided by UOI to the people of four states which is contrary to Article 14 and 21 of the Constitution of India. "Due to non availability of Health insurance and lack of proper facilities in government hospitals, poor and middle class people are forced to pay huge money for the COVID-19 treatment in private hospitals," the petition said. "In these circumstances, the petitioner prays that a comprehensive scheme may be framed by UOI and National Health Authority to provide Ayushman Bharat Health Insurance Scheme for desiring/eligible people," it added. This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Never miss a story! Stay connected and informed with Mint. Download our App Now!! Topics That is according to the chief executive of the Restaurants Association of Ireland (RAI), Adrian Cummins. Last year, a record 21 restaurants on the island of Ireland secured or retained the prestigious Michelin status. Mr Cummins stated that Ireland has been punching above its weight in terms of Michelin starred restaurants in recent years. He stated: That is testament to the quality of chef, quality of premises and quality of food. He added: Michelin restaurants are at the top of their game but they are expensive to run due to the quality of their product. He stated that the sector was on course for a record year in 2020 before the Covid-19 impact, adding that a lot of Michelin restaurant operators are under extreme pressure due to the absence of the international and corporate clientele. Advertisement He stated: I feel that until we have an international and corporate market, you will see contraction in the Michelin sector. Underlining the challenges faced by the entire industry, Mr Cummins stated that bookings were down 68 per cent for all restaurants in Dublin 2 in August year on year. Mr Cummins stated that assistance from landlords is essential for Michelin restaurants to get through the impact of Covid-19. Chapter One on Dublin's Parnell Square is one of the countrys most celebrated Michelin star restaurants. New accounts filed by the company behind the Ross Lewis owned restaurant underline the buoyant year enjoyed by the sector last year pre-Covid-19. The cash pile at the company increased by 296,000 to 1.28 million in the 12 months to the end of February this year. Accounts for Lindley Ltd show that the company had an accumulated loss of 69,724 at the end of February 2020. This followed the firm having an accumulated profit of 67,705 at the end of February 2019- a negative swing of 137,429. However, this arose principally from a sharp pay hike in directors pay rising by 55 per cent from 328,225 to 509,267. Staff numbers remained static at 41 and salary costs for staff increased from 926,326 to 975,808. The accounts were only recently returned in recent days to the Companies Office but were signed off by the directors on March 18th- just as the entire restaurant sector was about to shut down due to Covid-19. This September 11 will be the nineteenth year since that horrible day in 2001. Shortly after 9/11, Americans had a sense of togetherness, with unity and patriotism, but much has changed since then. American Thinker interviewed someone who was just a child when he lost someone that day. Many think of the wives, mothers, fathers, and friends but rarely consider what a child had to go through. Matthew John Bocci wrote the book Sway as a way to sort out his feelings. He was nine years old when his father died during the collapse of the World Trade Center. It took one week for the family to find out his father was dead. "Even though I knew he was dead, I still needed to find out the how. I became obsessed. I wondered if he had jumped, since he worked on the 105th floor and I saw all the smoke. My thoughts were that if he had jumped, maybe I could see him looking out a window beforehand. Even though I found out my dad did not jump, when I see the footage, it brings a lot of sadness. I look at it and think my father was in that building and he never had a chance to get out. In the book, I wrote, 'What could you say, especially to a nine-year-old whose father was obliterated?'" He went on to say, "My dad was selfless. He actually called my mom two minutes after the plane hit the building to tell her he loved her and us. He said goodbye. I now try to look at the positives he left behind. He was honorable, put family first, and was very humble. I think how brave he was, smart, resourceful, funny, determined, hardworking, and caring." Because of his father's death, Matthew's life spiraled out of control. He searched for answers and a father figure. Unfortunately, his Uncle Phil filled that role. He took advantage of Matthew's grief by sexually abusing him. To cope, Matthew turned to drugs. But thankfully, after many years of drug abuse, he got himself straightened out, had his uncle arrested and convicted of child abuse, and is now five years sober. But before he decided to get his life on track, Matthew was unable to let go, always wondering if his father had suffered. Shortly after dropping out of business school, ten years after the horrific event, he found in his father's office a box containing "countless 9/11 artifacts. Near the bottom of the box, I found a thick manila envelope with a government seal on the front. Inside a plastic baggy was my father's wallet, money clip, several credit cards, and some other personal effects. The wallet was waterlogged and burned. Also in the box was a sheaf of loose papers from the City of New York. On the top was a death certificate. I later learned that the overwhelming majority of remains were so difficult to identify that the New York Medical Examiner listed all of the deaths at the World Trade Center as 'homicide due to blunt force trauma.' In another document I saw a sketch depicting which parts they found of my dad and that my dad was most likely in the building's stairwell when it collapsed. The M.E. brashly put it as 'Alive one minute, gone the next.' My thought process was that someday I would find a narrative of my father's story." How did he feel on May 2, 2011, when Osama bin Laden was found and killed? Matthew describes his feelings. "I was in college at that time. It was late at night, and while most celebrated, I walked over to the chapel and said a prayer. I wanted to feel some closure. I am thankful to all those who participated on that day." Americans need to understand that life has not been the same for 9/11 victims such as Matthew. The victims want the memory to stay in the minds of Americans. Yet the powers that be have another attitude. Using the excuse of COVID-19 they decided to cancel the New York commemoration of September 11. The memorial display featured twin beams of light to honor the fallen victims of the terror attacks. Also canceled is the in-person ceremony at Ground Zero, where, among others, family members read the names of the 9/11 victims. Was it done because among those honored were the 23 police officers of the New York Police Department (NYPD) and 37 police officers with the Port Authority who died that day attempting to save people they didn't know? Because of the outcry, both ceremonies were reinstated, with some changes: there will be a recording of the names broadcast in order. Matthew noted, "It was said they didn't want to risk it this year because of the virus, yet protests are going on. Just as they say they found a safe way to protest and express themselves, so can it be said for the 9/11 tribute. Is this a sign for what is going to come in the future? For me, the Tribute Lights are a way to remember my father in a positive way. The lights are powerful symbolism for me. They show a deeper meaning, how the people that perished that day are now in heaven. The lights go up to infinity." Regarding the name readings, Matthew said, "It represents how we are able to show resilience and strength to come together as one. Usually at that time my family and I go to our own service that also has a name reading. Saying the name out loud has a profound meaning because the names of those that died live on forever." Matthew and others worry that as the years pass, 9/11 will be less and less in the minds of Americans. There has now been a whole generation born after it happened. To keep the memory alive, Matthew wants to speak at schools. "I want to discuss the true sadness of those that experienced loss of life. Those people who died had families and were not just a number. It is important that it stay fresh in people's minds and should be an integral part of any school's curriculum, just as school-aged children study Pearl Harbor. I never want to cease talking about it." Twenty twenty has been a very divisive year. This September 11, Americans should look back on those early days when everyone came together as one and vowed to never forget. The author writes for American Thinker. She has done book reviews and author interviews and has written a number of national security, political, and foreign policy articles. Image: Cliff via Flickr, CC BY 2.0. (Photo : REUTERS/Michele Tantussi) An employee uses a Huawei P40 smartphone at the IFA consumer technology fair, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Berlin, Germany September 3, 2020. (Photo : REUTERS/Valentyn Ogirenko/File Photo) A man uses his smartphone next to the Xiaomi brand's store in central Kiev, Ukraine February 11, 2020. Experts claim that smartphones, laptops, and other devices using blue light, could damage your skin just like the Sun. They said that people should wear sunscreen when spending hours in front of their devices. Also Read: EasyJet Viral: Pilot 'Ambushed' Asthmatic Man to Wear Mask Despite Condition, Gave Him 2 Seconds to Decide This is a serious matter since researchers said blue light could cause skin aging, hyperpigmentation, and mottling. Dr. Shyamalar Gunatheesan, a dermatologist in Melbourne, warned people to lessen their screen time to prevent irreparable skin damage. "It's (blue light is) quite short, it's powerful. It gets through your skin right away, and it's everywhere," she said. Also Read: COVID-19 Vaccine Update: AstraZeneca Chief Says Oxford Vaccine Might Still Be Released This Year "Exposure to blue light, especially long, prolonged periods, you do get a bit more hyperpigmentation, so that brown discoloration that can happen," she added. Aside from tinted sunscreen, Gunatheesan also explained that people should also use makeup with iron oxide since it is the "best visible light blocker." The public warning comes after Unilever researchers studied the effects of electronic devices' blue light on the skin, discovering it can lead to premature aging. Exposure to blue light for five days, at least six hours each day, is equivalent to spending 25 minutes under the Sun without any cream or sunscreen. Dr. Gunatheesan said that it takes around seven minutes to get a tan, which means that using your phone for a week could tan your skin more than three times. Blue light could also affect your sleep The research also found out that screen use alone is already a big problem since 60% of people are now using their devices more than six hours a day. The Melbourne dermatologist said that her patients are now concerned with blue light's long-term effects on their skin. However, the exact amount of blue light exposure that can cause severe skin damage is still unclear. Another problem is only two out of three people are unaware of the effects of blue light. Aside from your skin, blue light could also affect your sleep patterns. Experts said that it could increase the risk of damage to eyesight, making it harder for people to fall asleep. Dhruvin Patel, the leading optometrist of the study, said that sunscreen is not the only way to prevent blue light's effects. Looking away for 20 seconds, every 20 minutes of screen use, could reduce eye damage. Doing this will help your visual system and eye through any extended periods of screen work. For more news updates about health studies, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes. Also Read: North Korea Orders Shoot-to-Kill to Stop Virus Spread, Says Report This article is owned by TechTimes, Written by: Giuliano de Leon. 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. SOCOTRA, YEMEN In the wake of the recent normalization of ties between Israel and the United Arab Emirates in August, it is becoming increasingly clear that Tel Aviv is set to take on an increasingly active role in the war on Yemen, a war that the UAE together with Saudi Arabia launched over six years ago. Yemens strategic islands, particularly the sparsely populated archipelago containing Socotra located at the mouth of Gulf Aden in one of the worlds busiest shipping lanes, is of particular importance. Often a flashpoint for tensions between Iran and the United States, Yemen and the Saudi Coalition, and a major chokepoint for much of the worlds maritime transit, the waters surrounding Yemen, particularly the island of Socotra, have become a much-vaunted prize for regional intelligence and security apparatus. Now, both the UAE and Israel are working to establish military and intelligence centers on Socotra, which lays some 240 kilometers east of the coast of Somalia and 380 kilometers south of the Arabian Peninsula. According to one Yemeni source, the United Arab Emirates and Israel have already completed logistical operations to establish intelligence-gathering bases and new military facilities on the island. A presence on Socotra will not only allow the new alliance to establish a foothold against Yemens Houthi-led opposition, but will allow it to conduct surveillance on Oman, Iran, Pakistan, and China, who, in recent years, has established a presence on the nearby horn of Africa. Last week, an Emirati ship arrived on Socotra laden with personnel from the UAE and Israel and transporting weapons and communication equipment according to a local source on the island. Even before the UAE-Israel normalization deal was announced, the two countries were sending delegations to Perim Island, known as Mayyun in Arabic, a volcanic island in the Strait of Mandeb at the south entrance to the Red Sea. In Socotra, locals report that the same Emirati-Israeli team arrived on an Emirati aircraft various times throughout the year to examine locations in the Momi district on the east of the island and the Qatnan locality on its western coast. Issa Salem Bin Yaqoot al-Soctari, the head of indigenous tribes on the island, said in a statement recently that the UAE has brought Israel to Socotra and that both sides have already started building new bases there. With much consternation, al-Soctari complained of the UAEs policy of repression, starvation, and intimidation against the islands residents. Mirroring Israels policy in Palestine, al-Soctrai also accused Emirati forces of intentionally changing the Islands demographics by housing foreigners on the island en masse. Israel has few friends in Yemen Israel is far from a welcome presence in Yemen and local support for the Palestinian cause is nearly universal. Large demonstrations have already taken place in Abyan, Taiz, and Shabwah against the normalization of ties with Israel and against any Israeli presence in Yemen. In early September, a meeting of high-ranking officials was held, headed by the prime minister of the National Salvation Government in Houthi-controlled Sanaa, Dr. Abdulaziz bin Habtoor, in which a council affirmed support for the preparation of lawsuits to be filed with international courts against the presence of foreign occupiers. All of Yemens political parties, including local tribes allied with the Saudi-led Coalition, staunchly reject the presence of Israel in Socotra. or any place in Yemen for that matter, yet of all Yemens myriad political forces, the Houthis are likely the most willing to take preemptive action against Israeli ambitions in the country. Sources in Ansar Allah, the political wing of the Houthis, reported that plans are already being made to use ballistic missiles and drones to destroy any intelligence-gathering and military facilities belonging to both Israel and UAE. Officials in Yemens easternmost province of al-Mahrah told MintPress that the security cooperation between UAE and Israel is being actively supported by Saudi Arabia and aims to help the Saudi-led coalition carry out its long-held goal of tightening control over the province by gathering intelligence on the ground. Intelligence gathering operations on Socotra would also cast neighboring Oman under UAE and Israeli radars. Oman enjoys long borders and solid relations with Yemen, and much to the dismay of Saudi Arabia and the UAE, it also enjoys cordial relations with Saudi Arabias arch-rival Iran, a relationship that the Coalition is eager to undermine. Socotra has been a prize for the UAE, and indeed for Israel, for years. The Emirati-backed separatist militant group, the Southern Transitional Council (STC), has already effectively captured Socotra and established a secret relationship with Israel following talks with officials in Tel Aviv sponsored by the UAE. In fact, the UAE has had its grip on the island archipelago since 2018 and has already built military bases, installed communications networks, and used its considerable oil wealth to purchase thousands of hectares of private land from locals. The Chinese connection The establishment of a strong central intelligence-gathering facility on the Yemeni islands not only has local and regional implications but, supported by the United States, represents a bold bid for Israels geopolitical and strategic dominance in the region and could pay off for the U.S.-Israeli axis along with its newly minted Gulf Arab allies. Israeli and UAE radars on Socotra, located at the mouth of one of the worlds busiest shipping lanes, could not only examine sea and air traffic in the region but also could help Israel, a strong ally to India, monitor Pakistan, a country which Israel views with animus and one that is strongly opposed to normalization. Both the UAE and Israel and more importantly the United States could also keep a close eye on the Gwadar Port of Pakistan. The Gwadar Port is still under development. A jewel in Chinas Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) crown, once complete, the port is slated to compete directly with Dubai and would allow China to export goods should the United States decide to block China from access to the straits of Malacca. Yemenis are concerned that the presence of Israel on Socotra not only could pose a security risk but could also undermine Chinas efforts to develop Yemens economy under the Belt and Road Initiative. Both Yemen and China support the inclusion of Yemen into the BRI. Chinese officials have stated that they stand ready to participate in the economic reconstruction of Yemen and officials in Sana`a are working hard to join the BRI as they hope it will present an opportunity to reconstruct the infrastructure that has been destroyed by six years of Saudi-Colation bombing. Feature photo | Hadibu city on the capital island of Socotra. Mohamed al-Sayaghi | Reuters Ahmed AbdulKareem is a Yemeni journalist. He covers the war in Yemen for MintPress News as well as local Yemeni media. At least 1,165 people were killed in violent attacks in the Northwestern region of Nigeria between January and August this year, according to a report. No fewer than 113 people were also kidnapped in the region in the last eight months, a report by a non-governmental organisation, Nigeria Mourns, obtained by PREMIUM TIMES Friday shows. In its latest report, the group which tracks incidents of violent killings across the nation, said the cases in the Northwest were recorded in seven states. The group uses newspaper reports, police and family sources to gather its findings. The latest report shows that Kaduna, Katsina and Zamfara states recorded the highest numbers of killings in six months. The report listed the casualty figure for each of the seven states as follows: Kaduna 468, Katsina 376, Zamfara 204, Sokoto 96, Kano 10, Jigawa 10 and Kebbi 1. The report states that 1,068 persons were killed by suspected armed bandits, five by Boko Haram/ISWAP, 73 by armed herdsmen, six died in isolated attacks and 13 from extrajudicial killings. The report also listed the monthly abductions in the region. January 11, February 21, March 18, April 8, May 7, June 14, July 14 and August 10. Earlier reports by the organisation and published by PREMIUM TIMES showed that 415 people were killed in July in violent crimes across Nigeria, 731 in June and 356 in May. Amidst all these, President Muhammadu Buhari in his address at this weeks retreat held for cabinet members admitted his government needed to do more to address security challenges across the country. We have to address emergent cases of insecurity and insurgency in the country with innovative approaches such as Operation Safe Corridor, which de-radicalize, rehabilitate, and reintegrate willingly surrendered Boko Haram members into the larger society, Mr Buhari said on Tuesday. The president listed northwestern states as part of the places where the governments fight against insecurity is yielding the desired results. Our security operations in the Niger Delta, North Central and North Western States are yielding desired results. We hope to get rid of bandits, kidnappers and other criminal elements in these regions, he said. Reacting to this latest report, a security expert, Akeem Olunode, told PREMIUM TIMES that the figures are scary. He then called on federal government to strengthen security operatives. Certainly, this country is not secured. We are currently dealing with coronavirus but insecurity kills more than the pandemic. The only solution to this crisis is for the authorities to strengthen our security operatives. We cant run away from our problems. The airport in Ayodhya will be named after Lord Ram and will now have an international status. According to official sources, the Yogi Adityanath government has set the December 2021 deadline for completion of the airport. The government believes that there will be a huge tourist traffic both domestic and international in Ayodhya when the construction of grand Ram temple is completed. The airport will further facilitate this," said an official spokesman. The spokesman said that a proposal for granting international status to the airport will soon be prepared and forwarded to the concerned authorities. Sources said that a survey for landing of larger aircrafts have already been done in May. RELATED NEWS Yogi Thanks PM Modi as Centre Issues 250 Crore for Ayodhya International Airport The Yogi government has approved a sum of Rs 525 crore for the airport construction and a sum of Rs 300 crore has already been spent. The process of acquiring more land for the project is underway," said Uttar Pradesh minister for Civil Aviation Nand Gopal Nandi. Along with a remodelled railway station, authorities are planning for an International Airport in Ayodhya and direct connectivity to highways. So far, the state authorities have connected Ayodhya to Purvanchal Expressway for direct access to Lucknow and Varanasi airports. And a 192-km highway is also being constructed, connecting holy cities- Kashi and Ayodhya. Also Watch: Apart from this, authorities have decided to construct the traditional 84 kosi parikrama area for devotees visiting the temple. Hinting towards a structured Ayodhya, Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the ceremony had said that the Ram Temple will not just provide opportunities for the people but will also change the economical anatomy of the entire region. Similarly, CM Yogi Adityanath had said that he would establish Avadhpuri as the most prestigious and prosperous city in the world. Once developed, the temple town of Ayodhya will have the biggest statue of Lord Ram along with Queen Ho Memorial, digital museum, interpretation center, ramlila center, ramkatha gallery, auditorium, etc, to amaze the tourists from all across the world. It is being speculated that around 70 to 80 per cent of the tourism project budget would be spent on developing Ayodhya for the next five years. With inputs from IANS The National Tax Service has fined 18 individuals and corporations W12.4 billion for failing to report offshore bank accounts in the first half of this year. It also filed criminal complaints against nine of them whose unreported offshore accounts hold more than W5 billion each, according to a press release Thursday (US$1=W1,188). Residents must report to the tax office by June the following year if the total balance of their offshore accounts exceeds W500 million on any single day in a month. The obligation has been in effect since 2011. If they fail to do so, they can be fined up to 20 percent of the unreported amount, and if it exceeds W5 billion, criminal charges can be brought and their names made public. According to the NTS, 2,685 individuals and corporations reported W59.9 trillion in 18,566 overseas bank accounts in the first half of the year. Their number increased a whopping 24.9 percent on-year, but the total amount dwindled by W1.6 trillion. Their number rose because the threshold for account holdings that must be reported was lowered from W1 billion to W500 million. Most of the individuals' money was in the U.S. with W3.3 trillion, followed by Japan (W1.5 trillion) and Singapore (W700 billion). But among corporations most of the money was in Japan with W15.3 trillion, followed by China (W7.6 trillion) and Hong Kong (W5.1 trillion). Another driver's name has been added to the short-list at Haas for 2021. Sergio Perez claims he only found out about his Racing Point-Aston Martin ousting on Wednesday, meaning he is joining the 'silly season' notably late. But that is still extra competition for Haas' nervous current drivers, Kevin Magnussen and Romain Grosjean. "I don't know what it will mean for Perez to be on the market now," Magnussen told BT newspaper at Mugello. "I don't worry much about it but there is fierce competition in the driver market at the moment and you can never be sure of anything in Formula 1." Haas boss Gunther Steiner does not hide that the small American team has "a lot of options" for 2021, having already said the three Ferrari juniors are among them. But there is also Perez, Nico Hulkenberg, Daniil Kvyat and others - Steiner says his list now includes "almost ten" drivers overall. When asked about Racing Point refugee Perez on Thursday, Steiner said: "We talk to everyone. There were already many names on the table and the table is getting fuller every day. "It's always good to have a choice." Team owner Gene Haas, who does not attend many races, was at Monza a week ago and Magnussen revealed that the American will also be at Mugello. "We have not scheduled a definite meeting yet," said the Danish driver, "but I think we should get started soon. "I think the team knows what I can do, so this race will probably not be so crucial. But I always have to do well, and of course that's what I intend." Meanwhile, Dr Helmut Marko denied that Perez is a candidate for either of the Red Bull teams, amid rumours of contact with Perez's manager Julian Jakobi. "Christian Horner is in constant contact with Julian Jakobi," Marko admitted to motorsport-magazin.com. "But that is because Jakobi also works with our simulator driver Sebastien Buemi. "We are not looking for a new driver at the moment," he added. "As long as Albon continues to progress, we don't need a new driver." (GMM) HONG KONG : Gwadar has long been touted as the site for a Chinese base suitable for People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) operations. However, it is certainly not inevitable that Gwadar will become a PLAN base, even though its location has a lot going for it from a Chinese perspective. China pursues a "strategic strongpoint" concept whereby strategically sited foreign ports containing terminals and commercial zones operated by Chinese firms can be used by its military. Of course, high-level coordination between Chinese officials, state-owned enterprises and private firms makes this concept workable, especially when there are connecting infrastructures such as railways, roads and pipelines. Such "strongpoints" offer the potential for China to form a network of supply, logistics and intelligence hubs, and there is certainly a nascent network along the perimeter of the Indian Ocean. Gwadar is important to Beijing for two reasons. One is establishing direct transport links to the Indian Ocean via the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). In this respect, China does not need its Gwadar investment to create a monetary return, for it is a strategic investment. The second factor is that Gwadar helps anchor or stabilise western China, a region where Beijing feels vulnerable to Islamic agitation. The dusty fishing town of 90,000 inhabitants in Pakistan's remote and volatile Balochistan is strategically located on the Arabian Sea. Gwadar is just 400 km from the important Hormuz Strait, through which 40 per cent of Chinese imported oil flows. China has been Gwadar's chief promoter and investor since 2002, with the port beginning operations in 2008. Commercial activity in Gwadar is quite limited with minimal vessel traffic and tenuous road transport links for the USD 248 million port project (of which China provided USD 198 million). China's solitary military base in the Indian Ocean region is in Djibouti, commissioned in August 2017. Its creation followed many years of commercial investment there, although China does not have to necessarily follow the Djibouti model when setting up more overseas bases. Yet Gwadar remains an "exit to the sea" for China, a key differentiator of Gwadar compared to Djibouti. Berthing space for three ships of 200m length and 50,000-tonne deadweight is present in Gwadar, and a turning basin permits a ship of maximum 295 m length. Its designed annual capacity is 137,000 TEU (containerised cargo) plus 868,000 tonne of general and bulk cargo. The port lease gives 91 per cent of income to the China Overseas Ports Holding Company, Pakistan (COPHC). In fact, cargo throughput has decreased since COPHC started running the port in 2013, and only USD 2.26 million in revenues had been generated by 2019. In other words, Gwadar port sits idle most of the time, with just seven container ships arriving in 2019. Three quay cranes arrived in July 2019, but no better utilisation of the port is on the horizon. An associated 2,281-acre free zone is part of the development, but demand has been insipid. Phase 2 development will add another nine ship berths (including a container terminal with four berths, a grain terminal, a bulk terminal and two oil terminals). If road infrastructure can be firmed up, Gwadar will give China continental access to the Indian Ocean. It would thus provide an alternative to the "Malacca Dilemma", where China's sea trade must pass through the constricted waterway near Singapore. Chinese companies started building an enlarged airport at Gwadar last year, destined to be the second largest in Pakistan. On August 1, the China Maritime Studies Institute (CMSI) of the US Naval War College published an insightful report entitled Gwadar: China's Potential Strategic Strongpoint in Pakistan. Authors Isaac B. Kardon, Conor M. Kennedy and Peter A. Dutton concluded, "Work to date has yet to meaningfully connect the port to inland transport networks ... The lack of high-capacity transport infrastructure greatly limits the potential for Gwadar's commercial development. The Balochistan hinterland is insufficient to realise the grand regional ambitions for Gwadar. However, the long-term nature of China's interest in Pakistan's development cautions against ruling out the eventual development of a viable transport network." They added, "The commercial prospects for the Chinese projects at Gwadar are uncertain in significant part because of the local security situation. Terrorism, in particular, poses a direct threat to Chinese workers and projects, which have been targeted by Baloch nationalist groups hostile to China's presence. This risk has not, however, deterred Chinese investment in Pakistan - in fact, perhaps counterintuitively, it may have spurred increased investment since bringing about a more secure and stable Pakistan through development is the underlying strategic motivation." Undeniably, the security situation in Balochistan does present risks to Chinese projects and personnel. The most glaring question is whether China is already using Gwadar for military purposes. The CMSI report definitively answers, "Gwadar is an inchoate 'strategic strongpoint' in Pakistan that may one day serve as a major platform for China's economic, diplomatic and military interactions across the northern Indian Ocean region. As of August 2020, it is not a PLA base, but rather an underdeveloped and underutilised commercial multipurpose port built and operated by Chinese companies in service of broader PRC foreign and domestic policy objectives." The academics describe reports of Chinese military use of Gwadar as "premature". "...There have been no PLA deployments to Gwadar to date, nor even a single observed PLAN port call." Nonetheless, the American authors contend, "Chinese analysts view Gwadar as a top choice for establishing a new overseas strategic strongpoint, owing to its prime geographic location and strong China-Pakistan ties. Many PLA analysts consider Gwadar to be a suitable site for naval support." Certainly, the US government recognises the possibility of Gwadar becoming a Chinese military base. The Pentagon's most recent annual report, Military and Security Developments involving the People's Republic of China 2019, observed, "A more robust overseas logistics and basing infrastructure would allow China to project and sustain military power at greater distances. China's leaders may assess that a mixture of military logistics models, including preferred access to overseas commercial ports and a limited number of exclusive PLA logistics facilities, probably collocated with commercial ports, most closely aligns with China's overseas military logistics needs." In addition to Djibouti, the Pentagon predicts, "China will seek to establish additional military bases in countries with which it has a longstanding friendly relationship and similar strategic interests, such as Pakistan, and in which there is a precedent for hosting foreign militaries ... International press reporting in 2018 indicated that China sought to expand its military basing and access in the Middle East, Southeast Asia and the western Pacific." Pakistan denies any such plan. In January 2018, Pakistan's Foreign Office spokesman Mohammad Faisal stated, "There is no proposal of building any Chinese military base near Gwadar. This is all propaganda against the development of CPEC and the strengthening of relations between Pakistan and China." Yet by leading with a commercial presence, China can forge permissive conditions for future decisions supporting military utilisation of Gwadar. Under what circumstances could China request to use Gwadar militarily? China has a growing need to protect citizens, investments and supply lines in far-flung areas of the world. Chinese warships operating near the Persian Gulf (e.g. escorting commercial ships in the Gulf of Aden) could call in there for rest and replenishment, plus Gwadar could support the logistics base in Djibouti. It would take PLAN ships about 10 days to travel from China to Gwadar, so stronger logistic support in the Indian Ocean would be helpful. If Gwadar's infrastructure projects mature, it could become a key peacetime replenishment or transfer point for PLA equipment and personnel. Prepositioning parts, supplies and other materials would beneficially leverage the port and airport. Prepositioned supplies would help optimise loadouts for naval task forces sallying from China. In fact, merchant vessels could ferry supplies from Gwadar to at-sea warships, thus reducing international criticism. Incidentally, COPHC is legally obliged to support overseas PLA operations under Article 38 of the National Defense Transportation Law. Gwadar would simultaneously diversify political risk of access, in case another host country limited Chinese activity. The airport would also be useful too, its 12,000-foot runway long enough to host any PLA aircraft. A Y-20 transport aircraft could fly from Chengdu without any refueling, for instance, thereby inflowing troops, fuel, equipment or vehicles into the region. The US Naval War College said, "While there is no evidence as yet to demonstrate that the PLAN intends to use Gwadar as a logistics hub, the possibility bears careful observation." A terrorist incident or a crisis in the Strait of Hormuz, could also propel Beijing forward along such a trajectory and offer a raison d'etre for such a deployment. Gwadar could be used by large PLAN ships, even the new 235 m-long Type 075 amphibious assault ship. Even an aircraft carrier could call in, though this would depend on tidal variation, wind and atmospheric pressure at the time because of under-keel clearances. Beyond the currently existing pier, a sizeable laydown yard could be used to marshal military equipment. Empty warehouses in the adjacent free zone could also be converted to military use. "Especially given low levels of commercial utilisation, Gwadar could provide a number of regular services to naval ships operating in the theater without much economic disruption to the terminal," the CMSI report said. A lack of commercial activity would also assist with military secrecy, and the port's isolation makes it more secure. Gwadar is already home to PNS Akram, a modest Pakistan Navy (PN) base set up in 1987, while the 500-man 3rd Marine Battalion was commissioned there in 2013. Pakistan already has two naval bases farther east - Karachi and Port Qasim - that are well connected to urban areas, but Gwadar's distance from Karachi gives strategic depth against Indian attack. Task Force-88 was activated there in December 2016 to protect the port and adjacent sea lanes, and the Pakistan Maritime Security Agency bases 600-ton Hingol-class patrol vessels there. A surveillance station monitoring the North Arabian Sea is present at Gwadar as well. The PN has been promised 600m of berthing space, and a combined facility with the Chinese is a possibility. Because Pakistan and China are such close security partners, and because Islamabad depends on Chinese goodwill and investment, Pakistan would likely seek more substantial cooperation with the PLA. As Pakistan inducts more Chinese-built naval vessels, including four future Type 054A frigates and eight S-20 submarines, the PN will rely heavily on Chinese technical expertise and personnel. PLAN ship stops in Gwadar could leverage this local Chinese technical know-how. Significantly to date, the PLAN has shown a preference for Karachi for port calls for either diplomacy or joint exercises. Joint exercises could utilise Gwadar in the future, as bilateral cooperation continues. In relation to establishing new overseas bases, the Pentagon report on China noted, "China's overseas military basing will be constrained by the willingness of potential host countries to support a PLA presence." Indeed, China and Pakistan are surely cognisant of Indian and the US sensibilities. Thus, would Beijing sacrifice its relationship with India for the sake of a single military base to marginally improve its naval posture? Then again, deteriorating relations with India and the US may push Beijing to proceed, with an attitude that it has little more to lose. The CMSI authors assessed, "Still, the most critical factor limiting the basing option at Gwadar (or Karachi, Jiwani or elsewhere in Pakistan) is the apparent lack of political commitment between China and Pakistan to provide mutual military support during times of crisis or conflict. More likely in the short- to medium-term is a fuller realisation of the dual-use potential of the facility." While Gwadar could evolve to become a key peacetime logistics hub for the PLA, "establishment of a base from which the PLAN could undertake naval operations throughout the Persian Gulf and the Indian Ocean during periods of conflict is unlikely. Ultimately, the militarisation of China's Gwadar port facility requires a strategic decision in both Beijing and Islamabad that will not come without significant trade-offs." Yet vigilance is necessary. As one PLA officer said of the PLAN's option for using Gwadar as a base, "The food is already on the plate; we'll eat it whenever we want to." Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Never miss a story! Stay connected and informed with Mint. Download our App Now!! Topics More than 15 phones belonging to the investigative team of then-Special Counsel Robert Mueller were wiped before they were handed over to the Office of the Inspector General to be examined for proof of potential bias. Mueller and his team were investigated by the Department of Justice for alleged biased in its pursuit of any proof that Trump or his administration colluded with Russia. The investigation concluded that there was no bias but as part of it, Mueller's team was told to hand over cellphones. Many had been wiped of their data. Among the reasons given was that people had forgotten their passcodes, there was irreversible screen damage or people had lost them. Andrew Weissman, Mueller's deputy, 'accidentally wiped' his phone on two occasions after entering the wrong passcode too many times in March 2018, and lawyer James Quarles' phone 'wiped itself' without his intervention, the documents claim. A phone belonging to FBI lawyer Lisa Page - who was caught exchanging anti-Trump texts with FBI agent Peter Strzok - had also been wiped by the time it was handed over. The wiped phone information emerged in newly released documents from the DoJ at the request of Judicial Watch, a conservative group. Scroll down for video Andrew Weissman and FBI lawyer Lisa Page were among those on the team whose phones had been wiped before they handed them over to the Department of Justice At least 15 phones belonging to Mueller's team had their information 'wiped' before handing them over to the Inspector General newly released documents reveal Attorney Greg Andres also had a phone that was wiped because of a forgotten passcode. Records indicate that the phones of both Kyle Freeny and Rush Atkison were wiped accidentally after the wrong passcode was entered on too many occasions. Records claim Lawyer James Quarles' phone 'wiped itself' without his intervention Other officials had their names redacted but made claims that they unintentionally restored their phones to their factory settings, which deleted all information pertaining to communication. One redacted person's phone was 'in airplane mode, no passcode provided, data unable to be recovered so had to be wiped.' The OIG opened the investigation into possible bias in the origins of the Russia Investigation, determining that while there was 'significant concerns' with how the investigation was conducted, the FBI did compile with policies when they launched the probe. The report found that there was no intentional misconduct or political bias surrounding the probe's launch and efforts to seek a Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) warrant to monitor Carter Page, Trump's former campaign adviser. It did find, however, that the FBI took part in a number of errors when in the application process. This included at least 17 'significant inaccuracies and omissions' in the Page applications. Attorney General Bill Barr has publicly disagreed with Inspector General Michael Horowitz's findings. Prior to the 2016 presidential election, Page had exchanged anti-Trump texts with the ex-FBI head of counterintelligence Peter Strzok during an extramarital affair. The texts were seized upon by Trump as evidence of alleged political bias. Trump has long decried Mueller's investigation into him as a baseless witch hunt designed specifically to take him down. Ukraine occupies 131st position in Economic Freedom ranking 16:40, 11.09.20 1215 The model among the post-Soviet countries is Estonia, which has been in the most economically free group since 2000. ORLANDO, Fla. Saying the president had exceeded his authority, a panel of three federal judges on Thursday blocked an order from President Donald Trump that tried to exclude people in the country illegally from being counted when congressional districts are redrawn. The federal judges in New York, in granting an injunction, said the presidential order issued in late July was unlawful. The judges prohibited Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, whose agency oversees the U.S. Census Bureau, from excluding people in the country illegally when handing in 2020 census figures used to calculate how many congressional seats each state gets. According to the judges, the presidential order violated laws governing the execution of the once-a-decade census and also the process for redrawing congressional districts known as apportionment by requiring that two sets of numbers be presented one with the total count and the other minus people living in the country illegally. The judges said that those in the country illegally qualify as people to be counted in the states they reside. They declined to say whether the order violated the Constitution. Throughout the Nations history, the figures used to determine the apportionment of Congress in the language of the current statutes, the total population and the whole number of persons in each State have included every person residing in the United States at the time of the census, whether citizen or non-citizen and whether living here with legal status or without, the judges wrote. Opponents of the order said it was an effort to suppress the growing political power of Latinos in the U.S. and to discriminate against immigrant communities of color. They also said undocumented residents use the nations roads, parks and other public amenities and should be taken into account for any distribution of federal resources. The lawsuits challenging the presidential order in New York were brought by a coalition of cities, civil rights groups and states led by New York. Because the lawsuits dealt with questions about apportionment, it was heard by a three-judge panel that allows the decision to be appealed directly to the U.S. Supreme Court. The judges agreed with the coalition that the order created confusion among undocumented residents over whether they should participate in the 2020 census, deterring participation and jeopardizing the quality of the census data. That harm to the census was a sufficient basis for their ruling and they didnt need to rely on the speculation that a state would be hurt by possibly losing a congressional seat if people in the country illegally were excluded from apportionment, the judges said. The head count of every U.S. resident, which which helps determine the distribution of $1.5 trillion in federal funding as well as apportionment, is set to wrap up at the end of September. This is the most blatantly unconstitutional act Ive ever encountered in years litigating the federal government, Dale Ho, director of the ACLUs Voting Rights Project, one of the groups that challenged the order, said in an interview. New York Attorney General Letitia James noted that the federal court in New York also had ruled against the Trump administration in its failed attempt to add a citizenship question to the 2020 census. That case went to the Supreme Court which blocked the citizenship question from being added. The courts have ruled in our favor on every census matter in the last two years and continually rejected President Trumps unlawful efforts to manipulate the census for political purposes, James said. After Trump issued the order in July, around a half dozen lawsuits around the U.S. were filed by states, cities, immigrant advocates and civil rights groups challenging its legality and constitutionality. The New York case is the first to get a ruling, but there are other issues the New York judges didnt address that could be addressed in the other court cases. Those include whether the order violated governmental administrative procedures and whether the Census Bureau will have to use a statistical method to calculate who is in the country illegally. The Supreme Court has ruled that method, sampling, cant be done for apportionment numbers. The lawsuits said there was no reliable method for counting people in the U.S. illegally and the order would have diminished the accuracy of the census. An analysis by Pew Research Center showed that California, Florida and Texas would end up with one less congressional seat if people in the country illegally were excluded from apportionment. Alabama, Minnesota and Ohio would each keep a congressional seat they most likely would have lost if the presidential order were enforced, according to the Pew analysis. The Commerce Department didnt respond to an emailed inquiry. ___ Mike Schneider of The Associated Press wrote this story. Follow Schneider on Twitter at https://twitter.com/MikeSchneiderAP A six-day Director General-level meeting between Bangladeshi and Indian border forces will be held here from September 13 during which the two sides are expected to discuss a host of issues related to crimes at their frontiers and other security challenges, officials said. The biannual talks between Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) director-general Major General M Shafeenul Islam and his newly appointed Indian counterpart Border Security Force (BSF) Rakesh Asthana will take place at BGB's Pilkhana headquarters. The BGB's operations director Lieutenant Colonel Fayzur Rahman said Bangladesh always laid high importance to violence on the borders. The BGB operations director said cross-border smuggling particularly drug smuggling, construction of different structures like barbed wire fencing and other installations, toxic water flow from upstream India were others issues to be discussed in the meeting. Border killing is an important issue for us, the state-run BSS news agency quoted a BGB official as saying. The official said that until August this year, 33 Bangladeshis were killed along Bangladesh-India frontiers. Rahman, however, described the upcoming meeting as a routine one when the two sides would discuss ways to improve relations between the two border forces, alongside other issues of mutual interest. Diplomatic sources suggested cattle smuggling, fake currency business and human trafficking are likely to be major issues for the BSF side during the talks. They said alongside the BSF sector commanders, officials of India's Narcotics Control Bureau and representatives of External Affairs Ministry and other agencies concerned would accompany Asthana in Dhaka. Officials said the BGB and the BSF chiefs were likely to sign a joint record of discussion at the end of the talks, the 50th at the level of director-general since 1975. The DG-level talks between the BGB and the BSF started in 1975 and are generally held twice a year, once in Dhaka and once in Delhi for the management of porous 4,096 km long frontiers. The BGB-BSF director general-level talks are set to be held days ahead of a planned foreign minister-level Joint Consultative Commission (JCC) meeting using virtual media to be hosted by Dhaka later this 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.) SHARLENE Cartwright Robinson attended the official swearing-in of prime minister for Jamaica, Andrew Holness, virtually on Monday (September 7). An invitation was extended to the premier to attend the official streamed ceremony, which was held at Kings House in Kingston Jamaica. The premier sent a letter from the Government and the people of the TCI to congratulate the prime minister on his victory in the Jamaica 2020 general elections. "My Government welcomes the opportunity in the near future, for open discussions and the sharing of ideas that will foster and strengthen socio-economic relations between our countries, she said. Get access to everything we publish when you sign up for Outside+. It was hot. I was thirsty. Extremely hot. Extremely thirsty. I had already sucked dry the dual soft flasks mounted in the front of my Ultimate Direction Adventure Vest and was miles to go until I would be in a place to refill. And then, lo and behold, the trail I was running on came across a small, percolating stream. When the wells run dry, we know the worth of water, Benjamin Franklin once said, though Im quite sure he wasnt referring to hydration pack while out on a trail run. What happened next was a no-brainer. I opened the bottle top of one of the flasks, dipped it into the fast-flowing current and held it there until it was full. And in one fluid motion, I held it up to my parched lips and drank the entire contents in one satisfying motion. Whooosh! Instant gratification! Gulping down that fresh, cold and presumably clean water was precisely the refreshing burst of liquid-y goodness that I needed to quench my immediate thirst. Do you always drink from streams? my trail running partner asked as I repeated the process. Arent you worried about getting sick? Are you afraid youll get Giardia or Crypto or something like that? Do you always drink from streams? my trail running partner asked as I repeated the process. Arent you worried about getting sick? Are you afraid youll get Giardia or Crypto or something like that? Yes, I do drink water from streams when I am out on the trails. And, no, Im not particularly worried about getting sick. But I know many, or most, trail runners are. To each their own. I dont drink wild water frequently, but I never hesitate whenever its necessary and there is a clean water source. And by when its necessary, I mean when its hot, Im out of water and plan to be out on the trails for another hour or more. And by clean water source I mean a flowing stream without obvious contaminants. My theory is that its better to hydrate in the moment when its necessary and avoid a major bonk than to avoid it and deal with a headache or other, much worse dehydration-related ailments later. And, yes, those other ailments can be horrible. Giardiasis and Cryptosporidiosis are intestinal infections caused by microscopic parasites that can thrive in what appear to be freshwater sources, often related to heavy animal traffic (wildlife or livestock) upstream. There can also be various strains of fecal coliform and other pathogens lurking in the water. Those nasty, impossible things can lead to fatigue, nausea, cramping, gas, bloating, vomiting and, uggh, diarrhea (a word I dont like speaking, let alone writing). A quick Google search will quickly produce over-the-top graphic phrases about this subject, warning of crippling cramps and explosive diarrhea that could last for months. YUCK! Anyone who has suffered from those maladies knows theyre not pleasant. Fortunately, Ive never gotten sick from any of the hundreds of times Ive used a cold mountain stream as a personal aid station for rehydrating on a trail run. But I definitely not cavalier or defiant about it. I tend to drink from streams that are up high (typically above 12,000 feet above sea level) and I distinctly avoid slow-moving creeks, standing water or any place where I know livestock is grazing or there is significant runoff from mine tailings. Fortunately, Ive never gotten sick from any of the hundreds of times Ive used a cold mountain stream as a personal aid station for rehydrating on a trail run. But I definitely not cavalier or defiant about it. Truth be told, I might have been sick twice from drinking water, but both times were in different countries where water is treated differently. One was clearly a case of Montezumas Revenge after I fell a plate of tasty fish tacos and a cold Coke served with ice cubes at a small shop adjacent to the Puerto Vallarta airport. (Beware the ice cubes!) It didnt hit me until I was back home, fortunately, but lets just say I spent the first several hours of my return in the closed quarters of a bathroom. The other time was running up Pico Turquino, the highest mountain in Cuba. We had refilled our bottles from a spigot at a national park camp lodge, mostly because it was the only source of water we could find. In that scenario, I threw up repeatedly for three hours but recovered without problems to run 11 miles the next day. (Though, in hindsight, my ensuing illness might not have been from water I drank, but instead a case of food poisoning from the sandwich made from a recently slaughtered pig at a roadside stand that I was encouraged to eat at the day before.) But, no, Ive never once gotten sick from drinking water from open streams. And, yes, I realize I have been extremely lucky and perhaps, as some might say, foolish, too, knowing that thousands of people die every year from drinking contaminated water. There is a chance, too, that I have developed an immunity to Giardia, though thats a complicated subject to be sure. The reason I started trail running in the first place was to escape the overcomplicated world and just run free. With all of the other stuff I wear or carry or eat on a long trail run, drinking water from a stream seems feels like an authentic and organic connection to the natural world I can experience out on the trails. Although I know there are plenty of smart, outdoorsy types and government organizations that recommend otherwise, I tend to trust that the water in the natural world that comes from rain, snowmelt and dewy condensation is probably healthy enough for me to drink. Considering all of the other contaminants I knowingly put into my body on a regular basissugar, caffeine, alcohol, artificial colors and flavors and various preservatives in processed foods, to name a fewuntreated water seems fairly benign. And, OK, I know it is easy enough to carry a Katadyn bottle-top filter or a LifeStraw or SteriPen to greatly lessen the chances of catching a waterborne bug. Sometimes I doif I remember to pack one of those gizmosbut mostly I dont worry about it too much because I actually enjoy the pure and primal feeling of drinking from streams. That all might sound naive and foolhardy, but as I said, I dont drink from streams frequentlyonly twice this summerand its always only when I have to. (OK, time out! You might be reading along wondering if Im making a case not to wear a mask amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Im not at all. While ignoring informed advice for the sake of the self-indulgent personal freedom to drink from a stream and not wear a mask in public sound similar, I wear a mask in public because it protects those around me. Drinking water from a stream doesnt impact those around me, except for allowing me to keep up on a long trail run.) The reason I started trail running in the first place was to escape the overcomplicated world and just run free. With all of the other stuff I wear or carry or eat on a long trail run, drinking water from a stream seems feels like an authentic and organic connection to the natural world I can experience out on the trails. Brian Metzler was the founding editor of Trail Runner magazine and now serves as a contributing editor and columnist. There is something grotesque in the worst week of Donald Trumps collapsing presidency ending on a Friday marking the 19th anniversary of the September 11 attacks on the United States. As the sitting president, it meant that Trumps assigned role on the anniversary is to speak piously on behalf of all Americans lamenting the loss of 2,977 innocent lives at the hands of terrorists. Obviously, the death of three thousand people is a tragic waste although nearly two decades later, that number should be placed in some context. A recent study by Brown University in the U.S. estimates that at least a half-million people have died in wars in Iraq and Afghanistan triggered by U.S. military intervention in retaliation for the 9/11 attacks. But that 2,977 death toll from September 11, 2001, is striking in another incredible way. It is less than half the number of Americans who have died from the COVID pandemic in the past week alone as the overall U.S. death toll approaches 200,000. More poignantly, according to a book about to be published by celebrated Washington journalist Bob Woodward, as many as half of those lives could well have been saved had Trump acted earlier on the basis of what he knew but kept secret from the public. This has been a devastating week for Trump in a presidency that seems to be spiralling out of control. With Democratic challenger Joe Biden ahead of him in the polls, what is now so politically damaging for Trump is that he is risking the support he has from his base particularly military and working-class families as well as older voters affected by the pandemic. Before the highlights of Woodwards book became known on Wednesday, Trump had to deal with a firestorm ignited earlier in the week by a story written by respected journalist Jeffrey Goldberg in The Atlantic magazine. It quoted unidentified senior Trump staff as saying that the president had frequently referred to Americans who died in war as losers and suckers. The story revealed the genuine contempt that Trump has for the U.S. military in spite of his public posture of being pro-military. Even though Trump denied these allegations, they were consistent with many of his earlier comments, including calling former senator John McCain a loser. It was also striking that no high-level military officer spoke out in his defence. However, it was the Woodward book that turned the screws on Trump. Although it will be released next Tuesday, its highlights became known this week. As part of the fabled Washington Post duo with Carl Bernstein, he brought Richard Nixon down during the Watergate scandal in the 1970s, and Woodward himself has written numerous books about other U.S. presidents. His latest, titled Rage, is based on 18 on-the-record interviews Woodward conducted with Trump between last December and July. It is a withering indictment of how Trump has handled the pandemic. In interviews as early as the first week of February, Trump was privately telling Woodward that the coronavirus was deadly stuff and far more serious than what he had been saying publicly: You just breathe the air and thats how its passed Its also more deadly than even your strenuous flu. Woodward revealed in his book that on Jan. 28, Trumps national security adviser Robert OBrien told Trump: This will be the biggest national security threat you face in your presidency. This is going to be the roughest thing you face. In spite of all that, Trump spent February and much of March dismissing the threat in his public statements, admitting to Woodward that I wanted to always play it down. It is not only remarkable that Trump would make these revelations to Woodward. It is astonishing that they are all recorded on audio tapes that are gradually being made public. In another stunning disclosure, Woodward writes that Trumps former national intelligence director, Dan Coats, still has deep suspicions that Russian President Vladimir Putin had something on President Trump. In Coats view, there is no other explanation for Trumps persistent determination to defend and excuse Putins behaviour. The impact of the Woodward book is still too early to assess, although his interview this Sunday on CBS 60 Minutes will undoubtedly get considerable attention and it is hard not to assume that Trumps already-faltering popularity will take another hit. So, if his election chances continue to collapse, what might he do then? Obviously, no one knows but Michael Cohen, Trumps former lawyer and fixer, has one theory. In interviews this week publicizing his own new book, Cohen said that Trumps greatest fear is going to jail. If Trump loses the election, Cohen said that my suspicion is that he will resign as president, he will allow Mike Pence to take over, and he will then go ahead and have Mike Pence pardon him. Trumps reality show is far from over. Tony Burman, formerly head of CBC News and Al Jazeera English, is a freelance contributing foreign affairs columnist for the Star. He is based in Toronto. Follow him on Twitter: , formerly head of CBC News and Al Jazeera English, is a freelance contributing foreign affairs columnist for the Star. He is based in Toronto. Follow him on Twitter: @TonyBurman Read more about: A social media influencer on Tuesday filed a private complaint for alleged breach of trust against a talent management firm whose founders include musician A R Rahman. The Madras High Court on September 11 issued a notice to renowned Oscar-winning music composer AR Rahman over allegations of tax evasion. This followed an appeal by the Income Tax Department alleging that Rahman had evaded tax by routing his income of over Rs 3 crore via his charitable trust, says a report by The Times of India. The tax department had moved the high court in connection with over Rs 3 crore in remuneration received by Rahman in the assessment year 2011-12. This was for his three-year contract with UK-based Libra Mobiles, wherein he was exclusively composing ringtones for the company. This part of Rahman's income comes under the purview of taxable income, However, the I-T department alleged that he evaded paying tax on it by asking the British company to directly transfer the remuneration into the account of his charitable trust. As per the tax department, this income should first be received by Rahman, which can later be transferred to the trust after deduction of due taxes. However, this is not the first time the award-winning music composer has found himself amid a tax controversy. Earlier in February this year, the Madras HC had stayed the operation of a notice issued by Goods and Services Tax (GST) authorities demanding service tax for permanent transfer of copyrights of his musical works to producers of such movies. UN secretary-general calls for $15bn across next three months to fund global collaboration on vaccine, treatments. The United Nations has called for an immediate quantum leap in funding to fight the new coronavirus six months after a pandemic was declared, and as at least 900,000 people were confirmed to have died of the disease. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged countries to find $15bn during the next three months to fund the ACT-Accelerator programme, a global collaboration to hunt for a vaccine and treatments led by the World Health Organization (WHO). Either we stand together or we will be doomed, Guterres said, calling the virus the number one global security threat. We need a quantum leap in funding to increase the chances of a global solution to get the world moving, working and prospering again, he said. The UN appeal came as countries in Europe move to tighten measures against the virus after sharp increases in the number of daily cases, with France confirming nearly 10,000 daily cases on Thursday. Guterres said the near $3bn contributed so far had been critical but $35bn more was needed to shift from start-up to scale-up beginning with $15bn in the next three months. Typical aid budgets would not cover the costs, the UN chief added, urging donors to go deep into money set aside for combating coronavirus. The spike in new infections, has prompted countries to tighten restrictions that had previously been relaxed. The number of people in France who have died from COVID-19 infections rose by 37 to 30,999. The cumulative number of cases now totals 395,104 [File: Charles Platiau/Reuters] Portugal has limited gatherings to 10 people rather than 20 previously, and banned the sale of alcohol from 8pm, while the United Kingdom will impose a ban on gatherings involving more than six people from Monday. In the Balearic Islands region of Spain, a popular holiday destination, 20,000 people in four areas of the Palma de Mallorca will be confined to their homes from Friday night except to go to work or school or seek medical care. The French government will meet on Friday to consider new measures, and the possibility of smaller, local lockdowns. Wake-up call COVID-19 was first detected in Wuhan in central China late last year and has now been diagnosed in nearly 28 million people around the world, leaving 906,195 people dead. The WHO declared the outbreak a pandemic in March. Scientists have been working around the clock to develop better treatments for the virus, and a vaccine that would enable people to return to normal life. According to the WHOs latest overview, 35 candidate vaccines for the virus are being tested on humans, of which nine have reached phase three trials where they are tested on tens of thousands of people. This week, AstraZeneca, which is developing a vaccine with Oxford University, put its trials on hold after one of its volunteers in the UK developed neurological symptoms. Soumya Swaminathan, the agencys chief scientist, sought to reassure on Thursday. This is a wake-up call to recognise that there are ups and downs in clinical development and we have to be prepared, she said. We do not have to be discouraged. These things happen. A further 145 candidate vaccines are in earlier testing phases. Typically only about 10 percent of candidate vaccines succeed. WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus hailed the speed at which vaccines, diagnostics and treatments were being developed but said more needed to be done. We need to rapidly scale up our clinical trials, manufacturing, licensing and regulation capacity so that these products can get to people and start saving lives, he said. Fully financing the ACT-Accelerator would shorten the pandemic and pay back this investment rapidly as the global economy recovers. Strongly vouching for the use of mother tongue as the medium of instruction in schools, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday that people trapped in bookish knowledge often fail to grasp that language is a way to communicate knowledge but not the entire knowledge in itself. Speaking at the Shiksha Parv, an event organised by the Union Education ministry, Modi also sought to make it clear that while local languages were being promoted in the new National Education Policy (NEP), there was no bar at all on the teaching of English or any other language that can be helpful on the global stage. He also said the new National Curriculum Framework (NCF) would be ready by 2022 when the country celebrates its 75th year of independence. After the NEP came, there has been much discussion on what will be the language of instruction. Here we have to understand one scientific fact that language is the medium of education, not entire education itself. People caught in too much of bookish knowledge often fail to grasp this distinction. Whatever language the child can learn easily in should be the medium of instruction, he said. He said it should be seen if the child can grasp what is being said in the class. And if she can, how effortlessly that is happening. It should not be that more effort of the child goes into just understanding the language rather than the subject, the prime minister said. Top ranking countries, like Estonia, Ireland, Finland, Japan, Poland and South Korea in the global assessment, PISA, impart primary education in the mother tongue, he said. The language which the children hear at home is the language in which they learn the fastest, Modi said. Learning in another language can be quite stressful for children, he added. The prime minister said that in rural areas, parents cannot even remain connected to their childs school education when the mother tongue is not the medium of instruction. So, till grade 5, the medium of instruction should be the mother tongue or the local language according to the NEP, he said. I see many people are under a wrong impression on this count. There is no bar on teaching or learning any language, be it English or any global language, that helps on the world stage, the prime minister said. But Indian languages will also be promoted, he added. Modi said the NEP also addresses another problem, that of education being marksheet-based rather than learning-based. Often, even parents ask their children how much they scored than what they learnt. Marksheets have become prestige sheet for the parents and pressure sheets for the children. To bring students out of this pressure is a major aim of the NEP, Modi said. Students cannot be assessed on the basis of one exam only. That is why, there is the concept of holistic report card in the NEP, he added. The prime minister said the NEP meant paving the way for the future, as in the past three decades, the world has changed immensely. Changing the old education system was as important as was replacing a faulty board, he said. Modi said after the new NEP, over 15 lakh suggestions had been received on the MyGov portal. Playful education in pre-schools was till now restricted to urban centres only. It will now reach the poor as well as the rural areas, he said. Foundational literacy and numeracy has been given special emphasis. Modi suggested use of innovative methods to teach children. He said as Gujarat chief minister, he had run a scheme in which the students were told to identify and celebrate the oldest tree in the village. That way, the children learnt not only about their environment but also about the locality they lived in, he said. He said that every region has a specialty, for instance, the sarees of Bhagalpur in Bihar. Students should be encouraged to understand and learn, Modi said. There can be demonstrations of pottery etc; he added. The prime minister also suggested that the children should be encouraged to interact with rickshaw drivers who ferry them to schools. This will help them appreciate more the role that workers play in building their future. He said students should be taught 21st-century skills like Artificial Intelligence, Cloud technologies and coding etc. The previous policy had also imposed many constraints on the students, he said. It was believed that an arts students could not study sciences. Many children even dropped out because of that, he said. But in reality, all fields are inter-connected. The NEP allows freedom to students to choose any field. Now students dont need to fit in any bracket, Modi said. Even before the coronavirus pandemic swept through the country, India was at a crossroads. Its sustained economic expansion, accelerated by pathbreaking reforms in 1991, slowed significantly. Convulsions around religion and citizenship roiled domestic politics under Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Meanwhile, the aspirations of international leadership that India has harboured since independence remain unrealised. For all its recent shortcomings, however, India should not be counted out. At a time when Chinas myriad pathologies have left many countries thirsting for an alternative exemplar, India could again become the worlds fastest-growing free market democracy. But it will need a new approach to revive its hopes of joining the league of great powers. Can India grow fast enough? Indias economic growth has contracted since 2018, alongside a larger global slowdown driven by falling commodity prices, declining international trade, intensifying U.S.-China tariff wars, and decreasing manufacturing output across the developed world. If these cyclical factors alone accounted for Indias weakening performance, New Delhi could get by on provisional remedies while waiting for global conditions to improve. The unpalatable reality, however, is that the Indian economys structural weaknesses intensified these cyclical headwinds. Investments slowed because heavily indebted Indian companies left Indias major public sector banks saddled with huge non-performing loans and other Indian financial intermediaries fell victim to bad investments, thus bringing credit expansion to a halt. The resulting contraction compressed consumer spending at a time when the global slowdown was also pushing down exports. Additional government spending could not compensate because falling revenues and the costs of debt restructuring had aggravated the governments fiscal burden. The coronavirus pandemic only intensified this problem, forcing the Indian government to expend resources to save lives and livelihoods at immediate risk. While all these challenges contributed to Indias recent drop-off in growth, they do not sufficiently account for it. The deepest underlying cause one only now receiving a serious response by the government is Indias failure to complete the programme of reforms begun in 1991, which liberalised commodity prices, removed production constraints, and reopened India to international trade. Those measures did not do enough to subject land, labour, capital, and enterprise to the rigors of a genuinely free market. The necessary follow-on reforms on this count were put off largely out of fear that voters would penalise political leaders for the difficult decisions involved, after having come to view high growth rates produced by the initial reforms as a new birthright. The consequences have been onerous. Acquiring land in India today, for example, remains an arduous and distasteful enterprise that deters all but the most intrepid or the most corrupt. Labour in the organised sector can be hired but not fired, because current law is indifferent to market conditions and firm needs. Labour productivity growth in the informal sector where most Indians are employed is abysmal. Indias public sector banks dominate the nations financial capital, directing it toward the wealthy and the powerful often at the governments behest with limited regard for viability. And red tape, corruption, arbitrary taxation, and unpredictable policies continue to sap both foreign investment and domestic entrepreneurship. Even as India struggles to reform these conditions, it has focused more resolutely on expanded distribution rather than growth. To attack inequality, the Indian state has tried to provide the disadvantaged segments of its population with subsidised food, medical services, electricity, and cooking fuel. These are commendable initiatives, but they ultimately must be paid for through accelerated economic growth. Yet this is precisely where India has faltered: without the structural changes that deepen markets, improve regulatory capacity, and expand human and physical capital through targeted investments, India will struggle to regain growth rates of 7 per cent and above the minimum level necessary to sustain its development and its great power ambitions. Modis government has initiated important reforms under the pressure of the coronavirus crisis. Modi has encouraged states ruled by his party to institute land and labour reforms, even as the central government has begun to transform policies for agriculture and other industries to attract investments leaving China. Whether these efforts will produce lasting success, only time will tell. But India historically has only pushed forward with reforms when its back is to the wall and, today, it is. Between the coronavirus pandemic and the heightened security threats from China, India needs to revive its economic growth in a hurry. The current crises may tip the balance in favour of the decisions necessary to free up the countrys substantial untapped capacity and master its myriad challenges. Can India play a meaningful global role? Indias economic performance remains its best instrument to shape the international system. But its role in international trade, its defence investments, and its conception of the global order also affect its rise to power. The coronavirus pandemic has unfortunately added momentum to the backlash against international trade, but jumping on the protectionist bandwagon in pursuit of self-sufficiency would provide India only illusory benefits. There is no way that India can reach its ambitious growth goals without expanded exports, which have recently been the fastest-growing slice of its economy. Those exports often depend on foreign inputs and cannot be sustained if India suppresses imports through higher tariffs, localisation requirements, and other trade barriers. Rooting for trade expansion at least among friends, if not beyond offers the greatest opportunities for Indian leadership and revived growth. But New Delhis inability to conclude even a modest trade truce with the United States, let alone integrate itself into the wider Asian economic system, is not reassuring. Defence investment presents parallel challenges. Indias slowing economy has constrained its defence spending especially planned expenditures on modernisation at a time when frontier security remains a major preoccupation. Any state seeking to become a great power, however, must influence outcomes beyond its immediate borders. Yet the economic downturn has left India without the necessary resources to expand its reach. Now that Chinese military assertiveness along Indias borders promises to bring new troubles, the financial constraints on Indias defence modernisation could prove especially costly. The persistent obsession with indigenising defence production will not help matters either. The belief that a country of Indias size should not import advanced weapons extensively is driven by sentiment at the expense of rational calculations about domestic capacity and economies of scale. Instead, India should import as needed to equip its military with the best operational capabilities while nurturing the development of critical components, subsystems, and technologies that can be integrated into global defence supply chains. This strategy offers better prospects than self-reliance for both securing cutting-edge technologies and stimulating domestic manufacturing. In recent years, Indias deepened strategic engagement with partners such as Australia, France, Israel, Japan, Singapore, and the United States has given it more room to play on the global geopolitical stage. Through better access to more advanced technology, increased exercises with highly proficient foreign militaries, and greater diplomatic coordination with other regional partners, Indias influence continues to enlarge, making it a stronger counterweight to troublesome challengers such as China. Ironically, Indias economic weakness has diminished its capacity to control its own neighbourhood even as it has fortified other global ties. And New Delhis policies on global issues such as data management, international trade, and sometimes even religious freedoms put it at odds with its Western partners, reminding the world more of Indias extant infirmities than of its growing strengths. Indias own conception of global order centered on preserving a diverse, non-violent, non-discriminatory, polycentric state system is not inherently incompatible with liberal internationalism. Consequently, there is no reason why India should not defend the liberal order more vigorously, both at home and abroad, despite its colonial history and its occasional disagreements with the West on norms such as the responsibility to protect. Can India remain a liberal democracy? Unlike China, India has seen its rise widely welcomed: it proved that rapid growth could occur even in a liberal democratic society marked by sharp demographic heterogeneities and severe developmental challenges. In fact, the United States and many other Western powers jumped at the prospect of aiding Indias ascent, presuming that it would not misuse its power against its own citizens or its neighbours. Yet a recent wave of policies widely perceived to be illiberal has eroded this confidence. Critics within and outside India point to many developments such as the revocation of Jammu and Kashmirs autonomy, the passage of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, and the possibility of implementing a National Register of Citizens as evidence of a weakening commitment to liberalism. The governments defences of these moves have not satisfied Indias minority groups or others concerned about Indias direction. But more than government policy is at issue here: key Indian institutions are weakening dangerously, and important segments of the population appear disenchanted with their countrys liberal inheritance. The community of liberal democracies internationally stands to lose if domestic unrest fuelled by confrontational politics stymies Indias growth or if India enlarges its material capabilities only by sacrificing its liberal character. Either outcome would dilute the Wests eagerness to partner with India. To be sure, Indias relevance in the Indo-Pacific will survive, thanks to the exigencies of balancing China. This ensures continued engagement by the United States and other powers, but a constrained acquiescence to partnership is a poor substitute for the enthusiastic boosting of India that would otherwise occur if its liberal credentials were not contested. For all its difficulties, India is by no means out of the great power game. It possesses vast and still largely untapped potential. But realising that potential will require New Delhi to deepen its economic reforms in order to expand its national power, use that power to strengthen the liberal international order in partnership with its fellow democracies, and remain a credible example of how liberal politics can advance development in large, diverse countries outside of the West. On each count, India will have to meaningfully correct course if it is to achieve these ambitious aims. (Ashley J. Tellis holds the Tata Chair for Strategic Affairs and is a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. This essay was first published as a part of Carnegies digital publication, The Day After Navigating a Post Pandemic World.) The views expressed are personal. Jon Gosselin has vehemently shot down claims he's being investigated for child abuse, telling DailyMail.com exclusively: 'It's not true, I would never hit Collin, ever. I love him with all my heart.' Collin Gosselin, 16, claimed in a now deleted Instagram post that his father Jon, 43, kicked and punched him during a violent altercation earlier this month. And on Thursday Jon's ex Kate waded in telling People magazine she had been notified by the County of Berks, Pennsylvania Child & Youth Services that Jon was under investigation over the incident. But DailyMail.com has learned that while it's true the police and CYS looked into what happened at Jon's home in Pennsylvania on Wednesday last week, the matter was shelved within 24 hours. Jon says his troubled teenage son, who is dealing with mental health issues, made a false report to police because he wasn't getting his way. What's more his teenage daughter Hannah, also 16, witnessed the whole thing and has confirmed to DailyMail.com she told investigators her dad never hit Collin. Upset Jon said: 'I really didn't want to have to come out and talk about this for Collin's sake, but when Kate is in the media attacking me, calling me a child abuser, I have to defend myself. I love my son and I would never hurt him.' Jon Gosselin has shot down claims he's being investigated for child abuse, telling DailyMail.com exclusively: 'It's not true, I would never hit Collin, ever. I love him with all my heart.' Pictured: Jon with Collin, daughter Hannah and girlfriend Colleen Conrad Collin Gosselin, 16, claimed in a now deleted Instagram post that his father Jon, 43, kicked and punched him during a violent altercation earlier this month He wrote to his 21,000 Instagram followers: 'Yesterday he beat me up and thought nothing of it, he punched me in the face and gave me a swollen nose and I started bleeding. He then continued to kick me in the ribs after I was on the floor. He is a liar' Jon found fame alongside Kate on the Jon & Kate Plus 8 reality show featuring their life with eight children; set of twins Mady and Cara, both 19, and sextuplets Collin, Hannah, Leah, Alex, Aaden and Joel, all 16. Collin and Hannah live with Jon, while the other children stay with Kate. Jon explained it started out as a typical day on September 2 and he had taken Collin and Hannah for a dental appointment. But in the car on the way home the two teenagers began to fight in the back and the verbal spat escalated when the family arrived home. 'It was just like sibling rivalry stuff, but when we got home things escalated into something different,' Jon explained. 'Collin got very upset and started acting out so I intervened. He started throwing stuff at my car, denting it and shouting f**k you. 'I was angry and I confronted him and then he threatened to run away. We've had problems with Collin in the past running away and I was worried, he was upset so I restrained him. 'I didn't punch or kick him, I restrained him, which he obviously wasn't happy about. He's 16, he's a 16-year-old boy. 'I restrained him and then I backed away, because you never want to restrain your kids, it's the most heart-wrenching thing you ever have to do.' Jon said soon after he drove away from the house to give Collin some space to calm down. But his daughter called minutes later. 'Hannah called me and said Collin's going to call the police. So I turned around, I came back and he called the police,' Jon recalled. Upset Jon said: 'I really didn't want to have to come out and talk about this for Collin's sake, but when Kate is in the media attacking me, calling me a child abuser, I have to defend myself. I love my son and I would never hurt him' On Thursday Jon's ex-wife Kate waded in telling People magazine she had been notified by the County of Berks, Pennsylvania Child & Youth Services that Jon was under investigation over the incident. Pictured: Kate with her and Jon's children, twins Mady and Cara (back row); sextuplets Collin, Leah, Hannah (l-r middle row), Aaden, Joel and Alexis (l-r front row) 'He told them I punched him in the face and kicked him in the ribs. And I was like, I didn't do any of that stuff. 'He was just p***ed off because he didn't get his way. He was out of line and he's just making stuff up.' Jon says an officer arrived soon after and interviewed him and Collin and also Hannah who witnessed the incident. 'Hannah saw the whole thing and she gave her statement and I gave my statement,' Jon said. [Collin] threatened to do an IG post if I don't give his stuff back... I said, 'I don't care, I'm still gonna discipline you'. 'Hannah told them I didn't hit Collin and the police could see there were no marks or bruises on him.' Jon said the police officer accepted Jon and Hannah's version of events, but as a mandated reporter he was required to report the incident to CYS. 'I get it, the police have to do their job,' Jon conceded. 'The CYS came out and interviewed us and they also spoke to Collin's mother Kate and his other siblings and that was the end of it, the claims were unfounded.' The former reality star says he was told by his lawyer the following day that any CYS investigation had been dropped and no further action would be taken by the police. Berks County District Attorney John Adams has confirmed no charges or citations were issued as a result of the incident. The morning after the incident, as a punishment for Collin's shocking behavior, Jon decided to take the boy's Xbox and some other stuff out of his room. 'You can't just go about doing things without consequences,' Jon said. 'But then he threatened to do an IG post if I don't give his stuff back. So now he's using leverage. 'I said, "I don't care, I'm still gonna discipline you". I told him I loved him, but it's just the way it's got to be.' Jon explained it started out as a typical day on September 2 and he had taken Collin and Hannah for a dental appointment. But in the car on the way home the two teenagers began to fight in the back and the verbal spat escalated when the family arrived home. 'It was just like sibling rivalry stuff, but when we got home things escalated into something different,' Jon explained. Pictured: Jon with Collin and Hannah In an exclusive interview with DailyMailTV in September 2019 Jon, who has sole custody of Collin, lambasted Kate, 45, as being the root cause of their son's troubles. He slammed her for sending Collin away to a special needs institution aged 11 when he didn't suffer from anything more serious than common ADHD. Jon claimed his ex-wife mentally tortured Collin and his sister Hannah Collin went ahead with the post anyway. He wrote to his 21,000 Instagram followers: 'Yesterday he beat me up and thought nothing of it, he punched me in the face and gave me a swollen nose and I started bleeding. He then continued to kick me in the ribs after I was on the floor. He is a liar.' Jon said his sister-in-law saw the post and immediately called Collin and told him to take it down, explaining how it could cause irreparable harm to the family. 'It was deleted about three minutes later, but obviously someone saw it,' Jon said. Two days after the incident, Collin was in better spirits and updated his Instagram followers with a selfie of his new haircut and said he was 'better than ever'. But the damage had already been done. A media storm around Collin's post erupted and on Thursday Jon's ex wife Kate spoke out in People magazine slamming Jon for the alleged abuse. Jon hit back: 'The article was wrong, it said there was an ongoing investigation which there isn't and they only took Collin's words from the police report. Kate was fueling it, sticking the boot in. 'She hasn't seen Collin in five years and now she's going to try to come out as the caring mother when in fact the reason Collin is struggling with mental illness is because she abused him. 'He has PTSD because of her. So I'm not going to sit back and not defend myself or my family.' Jon says Collin's troubles are such that the incident last week wasn't the first time he has had to restrain the teenager. In an exclusive interview with DailyMailTV in September 2019 Jon, who has sole custody of Collin, lambasted Kate, 45, as being the root cause of their son's troubles. He slammed her for sending Collin away to a special needs institution aged 11 when he didn't suffer from anything more serious than common ADHD. Jon claimed his ex-wife mentally tortured Collin and his sister Hannah. Collin has been living with his father full-time since February 2018, along with his sister Hannah. The other four sextuplets: Alexis, Aaden, Joel and Leah, and twins Mady and Cara, 19, live with their mother, Kate Jon and Kate divorced in 2009 after 10 years of marriage, and found huge fame thanks to their reality series Jon & Kate Plus 8 He said that while Collin was 'caged' for three years at the institution, his mother only visited him three times for less than two hours total, all while refusing to tell Jon where Collin was being kept. Jon has been dealing with the fallout ever since. 'Dealing with a child with mental health issues is taxing, I'm taxed,' the IT consultant admitted. 'But I love my son. I will not give up. I go to therapy, we all go to family therapy, to deal with having a son that has been traumatized and abused by his mother. 'It's very difficult for me. I'm trying to learn how to handle Collin, I have my own demons as well, but I never punched him or kicked him or anything like that. Jon added: 'None of this is Collin's fault. He's 16. He's got a lot of issues to work through and we're here to help him.' Collin has been living with his father full-time since February 2018, along with his sister Hannah. The other four sextuplets: Alexis, Aaden, Joel and Leah, and twins Mady and Cara, 19, live with their mother, Kate. Jon and Kate divorced in 2009 after 10 years of marriage, and found huge fame thanks to their reality series Jon & Kate Plus 8. The former couple first welcomed their twins in 2001; the sextuplets followed in 2004. Most recently Kate starred in the reality dating series, Kate Plus Date, in 2019. Tuolumne County Public Health View Photo Sonora, CA Tuolumne County Health Officials reports one new case today and the individual is in isolation. One individual has moved from isolation to recovered and two are currently hospitalized. Public health now includes 14 inmate cases in their total COVID-19 positive case count which is 212. Our update from the Department of Corrections about the Sierra Conservation Center from September 1st is here, their total number remains unchanged since September 1st with 15 inmates listed as resolved and 2 released. Those released may not be living in Tuolumne County and their COVID-19 case would be managed by the county they live in. Public Healths count of 14 total positive inmate cases is the most current and accurate count. The CDCR lists 31 total staff members at SCC confirmed COVID-19 positive and 28 who have returned to work. That is 5 new staff members identified and 10 more back to work since our last report on September 1st. Only staff members who live in Tuolumne County are counted as Tuolumne cases. The total known number of tests in Tuolumne is 10,706. The 14 inmate cases will not be included in community data used to calculate Tuolumne countys case rate or to determine our Tier status. Tuolumne County is in Tier 3, the Orange and Moderate Risk category of the four-tiered, color-coded system for reopening businesses with Yellow being the 4th and least restrictive. For a current status map of every county in California click here. The tier status will be reviewed updated weekly. Daily COVID-19 Cases County Active Date New Today Hospital/ ICU Alpine 0 9/3 0 0 Amador 5 9/10 0 1 Calaveras 31 9/8 13 2 Mariposa 2 9/10 0 1 Madera 397 9/10 15 14 Merced 743 9/10 47 67 Mono 0 9/10 0 0 San Joaquin 962 9/10 64 87/29 Stanislaus 583 9/10 64 144/41 Tuolumne 8 9/10 1 2 Totals (Cumulative) COVID-19 Cases County Recovered (increase) Total Positives Deaths Alpine 2 (+0) 2 0 Amador 221(+1) 241 15 Calaveras 253(+39) 286 2 Mariposa 70 (+0) 74 2 Madera 3,624(+24) 4,079 58 Merced 7,618(+35) 8,487 126 Mono 160(+1) 162 2 San Joaquin 17,183(+90) 18,528 383 Stanislaus 14,863 (+112) 15,749 303 Tuolumne 187(-1) 212 3 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. This site provides more detailed information on the criteria used to determine the tier into which a county is placed and how counties can move from one tier to another. 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 and essential workers are encouraged to get tested every two weeks. 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. Thank you for your support and efforts to protect the safety and health of our community West Coast plagued by raging fires; churches' relief efforts complicated by COVID-19 lockdowns Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment West Coast city skylines are orange and besotted with ash as fires set by arsonists continue to rampage across the land and churches respond to those who've been displaced. Since the blazes began, approximately 2.3 million acres have been consumed, around 20 times what burned in 2019, according to California Gov. Gavin Newsom. Some residents of the San Francisco Bay area are likening the conditions to "a scene from Mars," NBC News reported. As a result of weeks of fires, "no sunrise was visible as a mix of fog and smoke ... enveloped towns and cities in a haze that resembled perpetual predawn light," NBC News added. In southern Oregon, which has also been affected by the fires, some churches are coordinating relief efforts. Pastor Lee Gregory of Medford Neighborhood Church said in an interview with ABC News affiliate KDRV that his congregation is restarting a previous campaign called "I C.A.R.E" to assist displaced residents. Gregory drove near the Phoenix area on Wednesday morning and saw the destruction caused by the Almeda Drive Fire. Gregory said he's working with local churches and asked that they open their parking lots to people who've escaped the fires and are now living in RVs and trailers and need a place to stay. "I just want you to know we're going to have a lot of displaced families," he said. "I pledge every penny will help those who are displaced by this fire." The pastor is a native of Paradise, California, a town in the northeastern Sacramento valley that was almost totally destroyed during wildfires in 2018. The current fires are endangering the town yet again, the Los Angeles Times reports. "It's a bit of a nightmare repeating itself," Gregory said, recalling having to relocate his relatives to escape the fires. Before-and-after satellite images released Thursday show the Jackson County, Oregon, towns of Talent and Phoenix nearly destroyed by the fires. The difficulty in distributing aid to displaced people has been compounded due to ongoing restrictions due to the COVID-19 lockdowns. Mike Bivins, the director of disaster relief for the California Southern Baptist Convention, told Baptist Press on Thursday that teams are providing meals to families in Monterey who had to evacuate and they're offering personal property recovery services to over 1,000 homeowners in the Napa area. With limited face-to-face communication, it is difficult to assess needs and communicate the love and hope of Christ, Bivins said. One of California Southern Baptists best resources is our local churches, he added. Many of our churches located near the fires are preparing and responding to the immediate needs of evacuees by providing water, snacks, gift cards, temporary evacuation points and coordinating with other organizations active in disaster. Equipped with a mobile kitchen that is on standby if needed, Bivins said local churches are already sharing the responsibility of preparing and delivering meals for those affected by the Creek Fire as it continues to spread. Holly Brown is among the tens of thousands of Californians displaced and has found refuge outside the Clovis Hills Community Church, a Baptist Church in Clovis, which is just northeast of Fresno. Brown fled the flames of the Creek Fire with her mother, brother, and four dogs. Clovis Hills Church has been distributing food and providing items for evacuees from donations. Our entire community is gone,'' Brown told USA Today. "Everyone is evacuated. We could hear the trees exploding as this red glow came up over the hillside." Shawn Beaty, senior pastor at Clovis Hills said in an interview with ABC30 Action News the community support has been "astounding." (Natural News) On Thursday, #CancelNetflix trended on Twitter amid a new wave of calls to boycott the streaming service after a scene from the movie Cuties went viral. (Article republished from TruePundit.com) The movie, about a group of eleven-year-old girls who form a twerking dance group, previously sparked controversy due to the sexualized poster used by Netflix to promote the movie. Now, following its Netflix release, a scene from Cuties showing the girls dancing in a sexualized manner for an audience of adults has led to new calls for a boycott. So, I thought the Cuties/Netflix thing was being sensationalized but the IMDB trigger warning literally describes "female breast nudity of a minor(!!!)" If you had that on your computer, you're going to jail. If it's on Netflix, it's art??? pic.twitter.com/0eu8dZDX5j Cabot Phillips (@cabot_phillips) September 10, 2020 Critics accused Netflix of publishing soft-core child pornography, and said the movie was even worse than previously expected. "Cuties" just released and it's WAY worse than anybody expected. Netflix just published soft-core child pornography, and they'll probably get away with it. Kyle Hooten (@KyleHooten2) September 10, 2020 Read more at: TruePundit.com and Trafficking.news. 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. Bachelor winner Anna Heinrich announced in April that she is expecting her first with husband Tim Robards. And on Friday, she was enjoying a babymoon in Bryon Bay, showing off her blossoming bump in a bikini. Anna, 33, posed in mismatched swimwear consisting of a black top and black and white bottoms. Baby mama: Bachelor winner Anna Heinrich (pictured) announced in April that she is expecting her first with husband Tim Robards. And on Friday, she was enjoying a babymoon in Bryon Bay, showing off her blossoming bump in a bikini She covered up with an open white shirt and wore sunglasses on her famous face, her hair worn in a loose ponytail. The glowing mother-to-be appeared to go makeup free and was absolutely beaming as she revealed her growing belly. She captioned the photo simply: 'Sun seeker'. Anna also shared a photo of herself with husband Tim, 37, as they posed together at the The Farm Byron Bay. Getaway: Anna also shared a photo of herself with husband Tim, 37, (pictured) as they posed together at the The Farm Byron Bay It comes after former Bachelor Tim announced he is leaving Neighbours, just two years after joining the show. Tim, who plays wealthy businessman Pierce Greyson in the soap, was originally scheduled to film his final scenes in September - news that hadn't been announced until Wednesday. However, due to COVID-19 travel restrictions, he will wrap up four weeks early so he can return to Sydney for the arrival of his first child with wife Anna. Out: It comes after former Bachelor Tim announced he is leaving Neighbours, just two years after joining the show. Tim said he had finally been forced to choose between his career and his responsibilities as an expectant father New chapter: Due to strict COVID-19 lockdown travel restrictions, Tim will wrap up four weeks early so he can return to Sydney for the arrival of his first child with Anna After spending most of Anna's pregnancy in Melbourne, where Neighbours is filmed, Tim said he had finally been forced to choose between his career and his responsibilities as an expectant father. 'I made the gut-wrenching decision to depart Neighbours early as my responsibilities as a husband and father have to take precedence,' he said. 'If I've learnt anything in this pandemic it's that the health and wellbeing of my family has to come first.' South Africas intelligence chief Ayanda Diodlo has said that her government is taking very, very seriously the threat in northern Mozambique. South Africa is considering a military intervention, despite a warning from ISIS that it would open up a new front inside South Africa if this happens. by Vijay Prashad Three years ago, on October 5, 2017, fighters with the Al Sunnah wa Jamaah (ASWJ) entered the town of Mocimboa da Praia in northern Mozambique. They attacked three police stations, and then withdrew. Since then, this groupwhich has since proclaimed its allegiance to the Islamic Statehas continued its battle, including capturing the port of Mocimboa da Praia in August 2020. Mozambiques military has floundered. Under pressure from the International Monetary Fund, Mozambiques government has cut the salaries of government employees, including the military. It now relies on private security companies hired by multinational corporations to do its fighting; this outsourcing of defense is permitted by the IMF and the wealthy creditors. That is why Mozambiques Ministry of Interior has hired the South African Dyck Advisory Group (DAG), the Russian Wagner Group, and Erik Princes Frontier Services Group. Colonel Lionel Dyck, the head of the Dyck Group, recently told Hannes Wessels that The Mozambican Defence Forces are unprepared and under-resourced. Dyck, Wagner, and Frontier Services Group are joined in northern Mozambique by a range of other mercenary security forces (such as Arkhe Risk Solutions and GardaWorld) hired by the French energy company Total and the U.S. energy company ExxonMobil. Both firms have interests in the gas fields in Area 1 and Area 4 of Mozambiques Rovuma Basin, which increases the countrys natural gas reserves to 100 trillion cubic feet (third only to Nigeria and Algeria in Africa). These firms are to invest more than $55 billion in the extraction of natural gas and in the construction of liquefaction plants. Total, the French firm, and Mozambiques government signed a deal to create a joint force to provide security to these gas fields. Mozambiques minister of mineral resources and energyMax Tonelasaid that this deal reinforces security measures and efforts to create a safe operating environment for partners like Total. The narrative fed by Total, Mozambiques government, and the private security firms is that the conflict in northern Mozambique is authored by the Islamists, and that all measures must be taken to thwart this three-year-old insurgency. The Forgotten Cape This area of northern MozambiqueCabo Delgadois known colloquially as the forgotten cape or Cabo Esquecido. A study of government statistics shows that the people of this part of Mozambiquewhere the anti-colonial war against the Portuguese broke out on September 25, 1964experience all the traps of poverty: low income, high illiteracy, and low morale. Lack of opportunities alongside social aspirations led to the emergence of various forms of economic activity, including artisanal mining for rubies and trafficking of Afghan heroin toward South Africa. The arrival of Islamism simply provided another outlet for the deep frustrations of sections of the population. It is called the forgotten cape because not much of Mozambiques social wealth has come into the communities of the region; it is not forgotten by the oil and gas companies. These companiesand their predecessors such as Texas-based Anadarkoas well as the other large multinationals such as Montepuez Ruby Mining (owned by the UK-based Gemfields) have participated in the eviction of thousands of people from their homes and livelihoods. Given permission by the government in Maputo to settle the land to remove the rubies and the natural gas, these firms have returned little to the people of the north. The Phantom of ISIS Theres nothing like the appearance of Islamist groups that fly the flag of ISIS to allow Western firms to set aside their own role in the creation of poverty. Everything becomes about terrorism. In June 2019, two Mozambican scholarsMohamad Yassine of the Higher Institute of International Relations (ISRI) and Saide Habibe, who co-authored a 2019 study on Islamic radicalization in northern Mozambiquesaid that ISIS will not find fertile ground in northern Mozambique; this is largely because the Muslim population in that region is small. These so-called Islamists, Habibe said, are better known for their role in the illicit trades than in the creation of an Islamic State. A French NGOLes Amis de la Terre Francepublished a report in June 2020 that made the point that the insurgency was built on a tangle of social, religious, and political tensions, exacerbated by the explosion of inequalities and human rights violations linked to gas projects. The militarization of the conflict to protect the gas installations, the NGO argues, contribute[s] to fuel the tensions. Indeed, Human rights violations are on the increase in [these] communities, caught between insurgents, private military and paramilitary forces, multinationals or their subcontractors. South Africas Institute for Security Studies published a report in October 2019 called The Genesis of Insurgency in Northern Mozambique. The institute is known to be quite hawkish when it comes to security issues. But reality is too difficult to avoid. This report cautions that a lasting solution to the extremist violence in Cabo Delgado cannot be brought about by hard power and military might. Social inequality is the main problem. The introduction of the energy firms, rather than bringing prosperity to the people, says the institute, appears to have brought discontent. Interventions Just off the coast of Mozambique is the island of Mayotte, which is a French possession with a French military base (and which is facing unrest). The governments of France and Mozambique are considering a maritime cooperation agreement, which could eventually allow direct French intervention to protect Totals investments. At a briefing on drug trafficking in Africa, U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Heather Merritt said that the issue of the heroin trade is very significant, and that the U.S. is willing to assist the government in Mozambique in any way. South Africas intelligence chief Ayanda Diodlo has said that her government is taking very, very seriously the threat in northern Mozambique. South Africa is considering a military intervention, despite a warning from ISIS that it would open up a new front inside South Africa if this happens. Such interventionsby France, the United States, and South Africawill not solve the problem of northern Mozambique. But they will certainly provide a reason for Western countries to create a military foothold on the continent. Meanwhile, for the people of Mocimboa da Praia, it would be business as usual. This article was produced by Globetrotter, a project of the Independent Media Institute. Vijay Prashad is an Indian historian, editor and journalist. He is a writing fellow and chief correspondent at Globetrotter, a project of the Independent Media Institute. He is the chief editor of LeftWord Books and the director of Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research. He is a senior non-resident fellow at Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies, Renmin University of China. He has written more than 20 books, including The Darker Nations and The Poorer Nations. His latest book is Washington Bullets, with an introduction by Evo Morales Ayma. Advertisement Businesses in Crawley fear thousands of job losses at Gatwick Airport could cripple the town centre and devastate their livelihoods. Analysis by the aviation union Unite predicts more than 6,000 people based at the airport - employed directly by the airport, airlines, or in supply chains - have already lost their jobs or are at risk of redundancy since the beginning of the pandemic. It warns the nearby town of Crawley could be adversely affected without urgent government support if Gatwick continues to be left a 'ghost town'. Many workers at the major international airport live just three miles south in the West Sussex town and could move elsewhere when seeking a new job. Pub owner Tania Lawrence told MailOnline she has been forced to make seven staff redundant as footfall continues to plummet. Sweet shop owner Janet Ashby said job cuts had 'hit the town hard', adding: 'There's nothing in it for us anymore so we've been left with no choice but to close.' Shuttered shops in the town: Laura Ashley is among the leading brands to have closed Several stores in Crawley's shopping centre have the shutters down, having suffered massive losses throughout lockdown Elsewhere in the town centre, 13 shops are sitting empty with stalwarts like Game, Carphone Warehouse and Mothercare all moving out and not yet replaced Unite warns nearby West Sussex town of Crawley could be adversely affected without urgent government support if Gatwick continues to be left a 'ghost town' Ghost town: The once thriving streets now have dozens of boarded-up shop fronts Pub owner Tania Lawrence told MailOnline she has been forced to make seven staff redundant as footfall continues to plummet Virgin Atlantic axes 1,000 jobs hours after announcing 1.2billion rescue package in another death knell to Gatwick Airport Just days ago, Virgin Atlantic revealed it is set to axe another 1,150 more jobs as it struggles to recover from the coronavirus pandemic. The British airline, based at Gatwick, announced a huge cull just hours after Sir Richard Branson's firm had a 1.2billion rescue package approved by the High Court. It is less than four months after Virgin Atlantic said it would close its headquarters at Gatwick and axed 3,150 jobs. The news means the airline's workforce would have nearly halved - from 10,000 - since before Covid-19 struck. The airline had already cut more than 3,500 jobs out of the 10,000 employees it had at the beginning of the year. Advertisement Inside the town's shopping centre County Mall, there are already seven empty units with shutters permanently down on big names like Laura Ashley. Fashion brands Monsoon, Accessorize and Moss Bros all also remain temporarily shut with no indication of when they will open due to the pandemic. Elsewhere in the town centre, 13 shops are sitting empty with stalwarts like Game, Carphone Warehouse and Mothercare all moving out and not yet replaced. And local business owners fear the sight of vacant shop fronts will become even more common as Gatwick slash its staff. Crawley MP Henry Smith, who also chairs the cross party Future for Aviation group, said: 'Crawley is going to be one of the worst affected communities nationally because of its heavy reliance on the aviation industry which was one of the first to be affected (by Covid-19) and will be one of the slowest to recover. 'Job losses have been and will be for a while significant. 'And I do think sadly we are going to have a second wave of aviation redundancies. 'We've had an eneamic at best summer period which has kept some jobs in the industry going and of course the coronavirus job retention scheme which comes to an end in October. 'But I think we will see, as we go into the lower season for aviation and furlough coming to an end, further redundancies which will of course have an impact on the town. 'If people are out of work, they've got less money to spend and won't be going out as much frequenting retail outlets.' Mr Smith has spoken to local businesses with job vacancies and believes people made redundant may need to explore different lines of work. He added: 'For some people it might mean reskilling away from jobs in the aviation sector to different kind of work. 'The number of work coaches at Crawley job centre has been more than doubled to give really specific training and employment advice. 'Never the less that's only going to help so much.' The Future of Aviation group is advocating a ten point plan of recovery and support for the aviation sector, with one request being that furlough continues for workers within the industry until next March. Mr Smith continued: 'To be fair to the government they are facing an unprecedented challenge. 'Their package of measures is greater than any other European nation but that being said, there are still some jobs that will be very difficult to save. 'If people aren't flying because they arent able to or are too afraid, the airlines will and are finding it very hard to keep staff on. 'That's why the group I chair is calling for an industry specific extension to the furlough scheme.' The manager of the White Hart pub is used to witnessing bustling Tuesday nights on the High Street when staff at Gatwick would hit the town for their weekly drinking session. Tania Lawrence, 47, said: 'We rely on the airport for our business. Tuesday nights used to be mad and for my 29 years working in bars it was always classed as airport night. 'Staff would come out in huge numbers and let their hair down but now it's deadly quiet as they just aren't working. There will be even less staff when these cuts come in. The high street is filling with desolate shop fronts in the wake of the pandemic Sweet shop owner Janet Ashby said job cuts had 'hit the town hard' Analysis by the aviation union Unite predicts more than 6,000 people based at the airport - employed directly by the airport, airlines, or in supply chains - have already lost their jobs or are at risk of redundancy since the beginning of the pandemic. Pictured, the quiet departures area at Gatwick Unite said: 'The huge job losses are now causing a domino effect with non-aviation employers in Crawley and the surrounding area being affected, which is likely to lead to further job losses.' Local business owners fear the sight of vacant shop fronts will become even more common as Gatwick slash its staff The manager of the White Hart pub is used to witnessing bustling Tuesday nights on the High Street when staff at Gatwick would hit the town for their weekly drinking session Heathrow boss warns quarantine is 'strangling' the economy as passenger numbers fall 81% Heathrow has warned that the Government's quarantine policy is costing jobs 'every day' after recording an 82% decline in passenger numbers last month. The west London airport wants testing to be permitted as a way of reducing the 14-day coronavirus quarantine requirement for arriving travellers. Just 1.4 million people travelled through the airport in August, compared with 7.7 million during the same month in 2019. Mainland Portugal, Hungary, French Polynesia and Reunion were removed from the Government's quarantine exemption list for England on Thursday. Travellers have until 4am on Saturday to return before the new rules are implemented. For holidaymakers scrambling to return from Portugal's Algarve to London on Friday, British Airways had flights to Heathrow costing 494, while easyJet had a flight to Gatwick for 286. More than half of the passengers who used Heathrow in August were travelling to or from the European Union. Demand for North American routes was down 95% year on year. Heathrow said more than 30 airports around the world are already using coronavirus testing of travellers as a way of reducing quarantine requirements. One of those airports, Germany's Frankfurt, has overtaken Heathrow in terms of passenger numbers. Advertisement 'And the job losses at Gatwick have already impacted footfall. The town's dead and it's going to affect it really badly. 'If you work at Gatwick, you probably live in Crawley. So we will probably have a lot of people moving away from the area soon. 'I think a lot more shops are going to close. We're losing a few already in the Mall with Debenhams going. 'Plans to open a nightclub have been shelved and two High Street restaurants and a bar have already shut. We are all suffering. It's quite sad really. 'It's all business and if you haven't got the customers, then you don't need the staff. We've had to make seven of our staff redundant.' Janet Ashby opened P & J Sweets Delight with her husband Paul five and a half years ago but will be shutting up shop for good on September 13. She said: 'Coronavirus has hit us very hard. It has been so quiet and we've just had no customers coming in. 'There's nothing in it for us anymore so we've been left with no choice but to close. 'A lot of people working at the airport live in the town so losing all those jobs is going to be devastating for businesses in Crawley. 'I can see even more shops closing because of it. 'We are not going to be the last to shut especially with Gatwick making more cuts. 'It's going to hit the town hard.' Owner of the Love Bean Cafe Ivona Mihalova, 44, believes the town is yet to feel the full impact of the airport's job cuts and the worst is yet to come. She said: 'At the moment we haven't felt too much of a difference from what's going on at Gatwick. 'Many workers are still on furlough but when that ends in October and the cuts come in, we will see just how hard it will hit us. 'We are getting by at the moment but I think when these jobs are lost, it may be devastating. 'Thousands of people may no longer be residents of Crawley and might not be popping into their local cafe before or after work. 'It will definitely make footfall in the town decrease a lot in what is already a hard time for us all.' Gatwick Airport already announced plans to axe up to 600 jobs last month in a 'significant 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. Unite regional officer Jamie Major said: 'Prior to the pandemic Gatwick was a thriving community but unless the government provides direct support the airport faces becoming a ghost town. 'The huge job losses are now causing a domino effect with non-aviation employers in Crawley and the surrounding area being affected, which is likely to lead to further job losses. 'Even where work has been preserved many employers have cut hours or rates of pay creating further misery. 'Responsible employers have introduced temporary measures while the unscrupulous have made such cuts permanent, in the expectation this will boost profits when the industry recovers. 'If the government does not provide long-promised financial support to the sector further job losses are inevitable.' Gatwick Airport Chief Executive Officer Stewart Wingate said at the time: 'If anyone is in any doubt about the devastating impact COVID-19 has had on the aviation and travel industry then today's news we have shared with our staff, regarding the proposed job losses, is a stark reminder.' KENNESAW, Ga. -- Alexandra Bialik, of Morley, recently was named to the President's List at Kennesaw State University. Bialik was among the more than 900 Kennesaw State students honored for academic excellence in the Summer 2020 semester. To be named to the President's List, each student must have satisfactorily completed at least 9 semester hours with a term grade point average of 4.0. Kennesaw State University offers more than 150 undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees to its about 41,000 students. With 11 colleges on two metro Atlanta campuses, Kennesaw State is a member of the University System of Georgia and the third-largest university in the state. Samford University this week announced its highest enrollment ever, with 5,729 students enrolled for the fall. Thats the 12th year in a row of record enrollment, but this year theres a twist: what happens when some of those students test positive for COVID-19? Since July 9, there have been 212 cases reported among on-campus students and employees, with 52 in the past seven days, according to the universitys COVID-19 dashboard. Random testing continues. Samford students not studying online were required to be tested within 14 days of entering campus. Employees were required to be tested before returning to campus. Sixty of 4,939 student re-entry tests were positive; 14 of 1,145 employees tested on re-entry were positive. That was anticipated, which is why Samford went out and bought 15 modular units hoping to separately house students who test positive. That plan had to be abandoned when the Homewood Planning and Zoning committee voted against allowing the installation of modular units. Those units, already purchased and in storage, will not be used by the school. We will sell them, said Samford Universitys Chief Strategy Officer Colin Coyne. In the meantime, Samford went to its backup plan of emptying a dormitory to use for COVID-19 positive cases. That forced housing reshuffling across campus. Students who test positive are encouraged to isolate at home, and parents typically pick them up immediately, Coyne said. The enrollment record includes 3,576 undergraduate students, including 971 entering freshmen. There are 2,153 graduate students. The school attracts students from 48 states, the District of Columbia and 30 countries. It is gratifying to see the hard work and resilience of our faculty and staff and their steadfast commitment to making this a place of superior learning and extraordinary personal development, said Samford Vice President of Student Affairs and Enrollment Management R. Philip Kimrey. There is no doubt these efforts, combined with the innovative work of our admissions team, hugely impacted the growth of our student enrollment this year. We are grateful for each student and family who chooses to invest their future at Samford. In the spring, Samfords Office of Admission developed virtual adaptations of recruitment events including an Admitted Student Day, campus visits, college fairs, a series of informative webinar-style topical conversations, and personalized individual meetings and appointments. That approach resulted in a record-high attendance of more than 1,000 families at virtual Bulldog Days, the universitys new student orientation. Beginning Sept. 25, the office will begin hosting Senior Days, on-campus experiences for high school seniors to tour campus in small groups. Samford faculty prepared during the summer to deliver classes in several different ways for the fall semester, including in-person, online and a combination of the two, with a commitment to maximizing the number of in-person learning experiences. Approximately 86% of fall courses include some elements of in-person learning across all courses in all undergraduate and graduate degree programs; an estimated 52% of courses are face-to-face, and 34% of courses are hybrid, involving online modules offered along with in-person classes. The record fall enrollment comes at a time of growing national recognition and expansion across all ten academic schools at the university. Samfords strategic plan outlines ambitious goals for enrollment, retention, and student engagement. Samford is regularly recognized as one of the top Christian universities in the United States and consistently receives high marks for value. Most recently, Samford was named #3 nationally for student engagement by The Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education. In its annual ranking of the best colleges, U.S. News & World Report ranks Samford 40th in the nation for best undergraduate teaching, making it the only Alabama university included in the list. The university was recently ranked #34 nationally among private universities on Kiplingers Personal Finances Best College Values list. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-11 17:29:13|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Dr. Henry Chan, a Singaporean visiting scholar and current affairs commentator, said he was deeply touched by China's great spirit of battling the COVID-19 epidemic as the country's model virus fighters were accorded grand state honors. Chan said the award highlights Chinese scientists' contribution to the control of the pandemic in the fight against the COVID-19, and is a great testament to the country's belief in and respect for science. A Mumbai special court rejected the bail pleas of actor Rhea Chakraborty and her brother Showik Chakraborty today. Their bail applications were rejected after judge GB Gurao of the special court heard arguments of both the prosecution and defence lawyers. The court also quashed the bail pleas of four other co-accused in the case -- Samuel Miranda, Dipesh Sawant, Abdul Basit and Zaid Vilatra. Their bail was opposed by the Special Public Prosecutor Atul Sarpande, saying Rhea and Showik financed and arranged drugs for them. In her bail plea, Chakraborty stated that she is innocent and alleged the NCB was "falsely implicating" her in the case. She also stated she was "forced into making self-incriminatory confessions" on the day of her arrest. Rhea will be in judicial custody till September 22. The NCB argued the quantity of the entire contraband seized from all accused becomes commercial as per law, in which case, the offence is non-bailable. The NCB also arrested Rhea and Showik in the drug case angle in the Sushant Singh case and charged them under various sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. After her arrest, the 28-year-old received immense support from Bollywood as several celebrities who came in her support. Labelling Chakraborty's arrest a witch hunt, celebs such as Vidya Balan, Sonam Kapoor, Taapsee Pannu, Anurag Kashyap, Shibani Dandekar, Radhika Madan and Raveena Tandon, among several others demanded justice for Rhea. Also read: Sushant Singh Rajput case: Rhea Chakraborty faces charges that can land her in jail for 10 years Also read: Rhea Chakraborty's bail plea to be heard today: All you need to know OnePlus is expected to launch a new wearable. The device is tipped to sport a circular display. Reports suggest that the device could simply be called the OnePlus Watch OnePlus might soon be entering the wearable market. Previous leaks have suggested that the company has been developing its own wearable for quite a while now. Tentatively called the OnePlus Watch, the latest leak hints at the shape of the dial. According to tipster, @MaxJmb, OnePlus will opt for a circular display rather than squarish-shape found on some wearales like the Apple Watch. Many dont seem to understand it so I clarify it. The Watch is circular. WOTCH https://t.co/HkevfvMfgT Max J. (@MaxJmb) September 10, 2020 Late last month, multiple reports popped up that seemingly confirmed the existence of the OnePlus Watch. First, a device called the OnePlus Watch appeared on the website of Indonesias regulatory body. The device reportedly had the model name W301GB. A few days later, a former OnePlus employee also said that the company has been considering the release of a smartwatch for quite a while now. While details of the device are not yet known. It would be a safe bet to assume that the OnePlus Watch will offer hardware that is similar to the recently launched Oppo Watch. As such, the upcoming device may also run on Googles WearOS platform and feature Qualcomms Snapdragon Wear chipset. Besides OnePlus, Vivo is also tipped to launch a wearable simply called the Vivo Watch. The wearable is expected to sport a circular dial with an AMOLED panel. It is also tipped to offer a stainless steel body and a leather strap. The device is expected to offer water resistance of up to 5ATM and sport sensors to track heart rate, blood oxygen content and more. It is also tipped to feature NFC for contactless payments. Instead of WearOS, the Vivo Watch is expected to run a forked version of the companys FunTouchOS, which itself is based on Android. The report adds that the Vivo Watch is tipped to offer a battery life of 18 days and should be priced at around 1000CNY, which is about Rs 10,700. The 7-by-8-foot cell is mostly vacant. Theres a mat on the floor, a bin and a tiny table with a tray and mug on top. But in that cramped space, Nelson Mandela was held for 18 of his 27 years of imprisonment during his campaign to abolish apartheid in South Africa. And now this replicaof his cell from Robben Island rests in the Holocaust Museum Houston along about 40 artifacts, several video displays, photographs, signs and posters part of a new exhibition, Mandela: Struggle for Freedom, that explores Mandelas fight for human rights and justice in South Africa. The exhibit, which was developed by the Canadian Museum for Human Rights and the Apartheid Museum in Johannesburg, is scheduled to be on view until Jan. 3, starting on Friday when it will make its premiere in the United States, according to museum officials. Its very powerful, Mayor Sylvester Turner said Thursday after walking through the display, calling it timely. With all of the trauma and the tension thats existing right now in our country, this is a very healing exhibition in a place that knows quite about healing. The display starts with a section on apartheid, black-and-white photographs hanging on the walls next to signs with messages such as For European Children Only and Blacks Only. Another room nearby contains a tall Wall of Laws, highlighting rules that were developed based on the color of peoples skin and placards segregating people. There are signs parting people at public swimming pools, bathrooms and more generic notices, like a copper-red rectangular signboard with the text Non-Whites next to a hand with an extended finger pointing away. The exhibit also features a jumbo, yellow armored vehicle 22 feet long and 9 feet tall like the ones that drove through South African streets in the 1980s, dispatched to quell demonstrations. Reproductions of anti-apartheid posters cluster a section of one wall while numerous relics and symbols of history line other surfaces, including a notepad that Mandela used and a photograph of him voting in 1994, the year the nation held its first democratic elections. Short videos and interactive digital displays fill the rooms with sounds of the fight for freedom. Dr. Kelly J. Zuniga, the museums chief executive officer, first saw the exhibition two years ago at the opening of the Canadian Museum for Human Rights in Winnipeg. We just thought it was a remarkably well done story about Nelson Mandela, Zuniga said in an interview next to the cell. So Zuniga and other museum officials encouraged the curators in Canada to bring the exhibition to Houston. The timing, in the wake of a series of deaths in police custody throughout several cities across the US including of former Houstonian George Floyd that have prompted the latest denouncements of systematic inequality and demands for change, was simply a coincidence. The multi-modality of the exhibit with interactive displays, unique artifacts as well as videos and films like an interview of Mandela underground shortly after his acquittal in a treason trial provides an opportunity for people to see things that they may never see otherwise, Zuniga said. Its not just a story, it has a message, Zuniga said. When you walk out of here, you remember not only the success, the healing and the going forward that Mandela was able to achieve but you also say, My goodness, human rights are extremely important we have to hold those dear. alejandro.serrano@chron.com In what is being seen as a veiled threat following attack on Bollywood actress Kangana Ranauts office in Mumbai, the BJP womens wing chief in Himachal Pradesh it can happen here too" hinting at an attack on Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadras house near here. Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur was quick to condemn this. State BJP Mahila Morcha chief Rashim Dhar Sood courted controversy following her threat to bulldoze Priyankas bungalow. In her video message, she spoke about launching a campaign against the Shiv Sena for demolishing Ranauts office. If need be, we will not even spare Congresss daughter Priyanka Gandhi who has also built a house in Shimla. We will promise to demolish her house too," she said. Activists of the Mahila Morcha on Thursday staged a protest here against the demolition of Kanganas office. Rising above party lines, Thakur clarified that it was wrong to demand demolition of Priyanka Gandhis house. I condemn action against Kangana and the manner in which Himachals daughter is being targeted by the Maharashtra government. But I do not endorse the remarks (of the Mahila Morcha chief)," the BJP CM told the media here. Neither the government nor the party shares the views that Priyanka Gandhis house should be demolished," he said, clarifying it was the governments duty to ensure her safety. At the same time, state Congress President Kuldeep Rathore clarified that Priyankas house was made as per the laws. Priyankas five-room cottage with wooden frames and shingled exteriors and a sloping tiled roof was completed recently. It is located at a height of more than 8,000 feet amid thick forests of pine and cedar in Chharabra, some 15 km uphill from Shimla. Ahead of the Covid-19 pandemic, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, along with her children and mother Sonia Gandhi, had been regularly visiting to inspect the construction work of the two-storey house on a four-bigha plus agricultural plot that was purchased in 2007. Congress leader and former Cabinet Minister Vidya Stokes had played an important role in helping Priyanka Gandhi buy a three-and-a-half bigha (one bigha is 0.4 hectare) agricultural plot for around Rs 47 lakh in 2007. The then Congress government in the state had relaxed norms to let the Vadras buy the land. The plot is close to The Retreat, the summer holiday resort of the Indian President. Oberoi Groups luxury spa Wildflower Hall also lies close to Priyanka Gandhi Vadras cottage. The Congress leader is one of the most high-profile people to build a house in Himachal Pradesh, years after former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee chose Kullu Valley for a cottage. The then Himachal Pradesh government had relaxed land rules under Section 118 of the Land Reforms and Tenancy Act to facilitate the sale for the Gandhi family. The law prohibits outsiders from buying land in the hilly state and those who wish to buy land for non-agricultural purposes have to seek a relaxation from the government. Aztec Completes First 5 Holes of Phase 1 Drill Program on the Tombstone Property, Tombstone Silver Mining District, Arizona Posted by Publisher Internet Aztec Minerals Corp. (AZT: TSX-V, OTCQB: AZZTF https://www.rohstoff-tv.com/mediathek/unternehmen/profile/aztec-minerals-corp/ ), announces that the first 5 holes totaling 843 meters of the current 2,900 metre, 20-hole Phase 1 reverse circulation (RC) drilling program at the Tombstone Property have been completed.? Drill samples were shipped to and received by Bureau Veritas Minerals laboratory for geochemical analysis and results are anticipated in the next three weeks.? Four holes were drilled in a ?spoke pattern? to test the central segment of the north-trending main Contention Structure which hosts the historic underground and open pit Contention mine. All four holes intersected old mine workings and pervasively oxidized and hematite-rich, silicified hydrothermal breccias composed of quartz feldspar porphyry dike and Bisbee Group clastic sedimentary fragments, typical of the Contention Mine mineralization. Manganese-rich quartz veins and breccias and limestone recrystalized and altered to hornfels and weak skarn were also intersected. The deepest hole was drilled to 230m (200m vertical) and remained in oxidized rocks the whole way. An additional hole was drilled southeast of the main Contention Pit to test for parallel mineralized zones and intersected two separate structures with quartz-carbonate alteration. Aztec holds an option to acquire a 75% interest in the Tombstone property, which includes many of the original patented mining claims in the district.? The main target of the current RC drill program is to test for shallow, bulk tonnage, heap leachable, epithermal gold-silver oxide mineralization adjacent and below the previously mined Contention pit.? Aztec also announces that it has re-engaged Commodity-TV and Rohstoff-TV (C&R-TV) for a subsequent three-month period to assist with Aztec\-\-s investor relations activities. Pursuant to an agreement commencing September 1, 2020, Aztec will pay C&R-TV 9,000 euros, plus expenses. C&R-TV is based in Switzerland and will introduce Aztec to its European investor network by recording, translating, broadcasting and disseminating on its digital platforms Aztec news, articles, interviews and webinars. Tombstone Project Overview The Tombstone project is located 100 kilometers (km) southeast of Tucson, Arizona. The historic Tombstone silver district is renowned for its high grade, oxidized, silver-gold-lead-zinc-copper epithermal and CRD mineralization hosted in veins, mantos, pipes and disseminated orebodies that were mined in the late 1800?s and early 1900?s. Although the historic silver mines at Tombstone were generally small but high grade, Aztec believes they could be related to much more extensive epithermal and CRD mineralization. Since 2017, Aztec has completed geological mapping, geochemical sampling and geophysical surveying to identify the most prospective areas for epithermal gold-silver mineralization around and below the Contention open pit.? Tombstone Project Highlights Well located property on patented land (164 hectares), covers much of the historic Tombstone silver mining district, great infrastructure, local town, road access, full services, water, power Historic silver district produced 32 million oz silver from 1878-1939 in high grade, oxidized, silver-gold-lead-zinc-copper vein and CRD deposits, followed by small open pit heap leach production in late 1980?s for open pit, heap leach, epithermal gold-silver oxide ore Seven prospective targets in Cretaceous and Paleozoic rocks related to major NW and NNE trending structures hosting porphyritic intrusions crosscutting a possible caldera ring structure Distinct magnetic anomalies confirm multiple target areas, Contention pit hosts dikes along strongest structure, excellent potential for CRD deposits Distinct NSAMT anomalies indicate discrete sub-horizontal conductors at depths of 600 and 700m in the south half of the Contention Pit and are interpreted to represent massive or semi-massive CRD sulphide bodies and occur well below any historic mining or drilling Aztec high-grade samples in Contention Pit, grade up to 3,178 gpt silver and 23.5 gpt gold, epithermal stockwork mineralization open along strike. Out of 94 samples collected from within the pit, silver assays ranges from <0.1 to 3,178 gpt (114.5 average) and gold assays range from ?<0.005 to 23.5 gpt (1.60 gpt average) *Historic drilling by USMX aimed at exploring for shallow epithermal gold-silver mineralization around the Contention pit in 1993, well after the mine had closed. Their result returned multiple intersections including 1.61 gpt Au, 91.2 gpt Ag over 44.2m.? USMX drilled 7,350 m in 86 shallow RC holes at the north end of the pit to delineate shallow, bulk tonnage, heap leach, epithermal gold-silver mineralization.? Historic drilling highlights were as follows: *44.2 m @ 1.61 gpt gold and 91.2 gpt silver in hole TR-01 *68.6 m @ 1.42 gpt gold and 28.6 gpt silver in hole TR-02 *38.1 m @ 1.73 gpt gold and 35.3 gpt silver in hole TR-08 *35.1 m @ 1.54 gpt gold and 24.1 gpt silver in hole TR-12 *30.5 m @ 2.65 gpt gold and 37.6 gpt silver in hole TR-41 *41.1 m @ 1.20 gpt gold and 49.1 gpt silver in hole TR-70 These USMX drill intercepts indicate the presence of bulk tonnage, epithermal oxide gold-silver mineralization around the center and northern part of the Contention pit and much of the remainder of the pit remains undrilled. This drilling campaign will attempt to verify the historic results by twinning some of their drill holes in addition to drilling new and un-explored areas. *Aztec will attempt to verify these historic results with this drilling campaign. ? Aztec has in its possession the historic drill logs, maps and reports but does not have any information on the quality assurance or quality control measures taken and recognizes these results are non NI-43-101 compliant. Joey Wilkins, B.Sc., P.Geo., the VP Exploration & Chief Geologist of Aztec, is the Qualified Person and is conducting oversight on the Tombstone exploration program. Aztec is conducting reverse circulation (often referred to as percussion drilling) at Tombstone and collecting 5 feet (1.52m) samples in all drill holes. All holes contain certified blanks, standards, and duplicates as part of the quality control program. Mr. Wilkins reviewed and approved the technical disclosures in this news release. ?Simon Dyakowski?? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Simon Dyakowski, Chief Executive Officer Aztec Minerals Corp. About Aztec Minerals ? Aztec is a mineral exploration company focused on the discovery of large polymetallic mineral deposits in the Americas. Our core asset is the prospective Cervantes porphyry gold-copper property in Sonora, Mexico. The historic, district-scale Tombstone properties host both bulk tonnage epithermal gold-silver as well as CRD silver-lead-zinc mineralization in Cochise County, Arizona. Aztec?s shares trade on the TSX-V stock exchange (symbol AZT) and on the OTCQB (symbol AZZTF). Contact Information For more information, please contact: Simon Dyakowski, CEO or Bradford Cooke, Chairman Tel: (604) 619-7469 Fax: (604) 685-9744 Email:? simon@aztecminerals.com Website: www.aztecminerals.com In Europa: Swiss Resource Capital AG Jochen Staiger info@resource-capital.ch www.resource-capital.ch Neither the TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. No stock exchange, securities commission or other regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained herein. Forward-Looking Statements: Certain statements contained in this press release may constitute forward-looking statements under Canadian securities legislation.? Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as ?expects? or ?it is expected?, or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results ?will? occur. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from results contemplated by the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements.? Accordingly, the actual events may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements.? When relying on forward-looking statements to make decisions, investors and others should carefully consider the foregoing factors and other uncertainties and should not place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements, except as may be required by applicable securities laws. CHICAGO, Sept. 11, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- FourKites , the #1 real-time supply chain visibility platform, today announced the recipients of its annual Golden Kite Awards. The Golden Kite Awards recognize companies that are leveraging real-time visibility to achieve greater results in five categories: Customer Experience, Green Earth, Supply Chain Excellence, Collaboration & Globalization, and Crisis Management. This years Golden Kite Award recipients include Canfor, Baxter Healthcare, Schreiber Foods, Kraft Heinz and Serta Simmons Bedding. Canfor , a leading integrated forest products company, received the Golden Kite Award for Customer Experience in recognition of its use of FourKites to continuously improve customer service. By leveraging FourKites dashboards and embedding dynamic ETAs throughout its TMS and ERP systems, Canfor made the shift from time-consuming, manual processes to automated, real-time freight status reporting for its priority customers a win for Canfor and its customers, alike. The award was accepted by Senior Supply Chain Planner Daniela Camacho. a leading integrated forest products company, received the Golden Kite Award for Customer Experience in recognition of its use of FourKites to continuously improve customer service. By leveraging FourKites dashboards and embedding dynamic ETAs throughout its TMS and ERP systems, Canfor made the shift from time-consuming, manual processes to automated, real-time freight status reporting for its priority customers a win for Canfor and its customers, alike. The award was accepted by Senior Supply Chain Planner Daniela Camacho. Baxter Healthcare , a global innovator in renal care, was awarded the Golden Kite Award in the Green Earth category, which recognizes customer achievement in using FourKites to identify and attack sustainability initiatives. FourKites is an integral part of Baxters global initiative to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from product transport by 10% per ton-km by 2025, and the companys goal to achieve net-zero emissions globally no later than 2050. The award was accepted by Senior Manager of Transportation John Revenaugh. , a global innovator in renal care, was awarded the Golden Kite Award in the Green Earth category, which recognizes customer achievement in using FourKites to identify and attack sustainability initiatives. FourKites is an integral part of Baxters global initiative to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from product transport by 10% per ton-km by 2025, and the companys goal to achieve net-zero emissions globally no later than 2050. The award was accepted by Senior Manager of Transportation John Revenaugh. Schreiber Foods won the Golden Kite Award for Supply Chain Excellence, which recognizes achievement in using FourKites to take supply chain visibility to new levels. Schreiber implemented a new facilities detention approval process, using FourKites location data to back up carrier requests. To date, enhanced visibility has reduced Schreibers detention requests by 15% as carriers now look at real-time visibility data to back up their claims. The award was accepted by Sourcing Analyst Marisa Dempsey. won the Golden Kite Award for Supply Chain Excellence, which recognizes achievement in using FourKites to take supply chain visibility to new levels. Schreiber implemented a new facilities detention approval process, using FourKites location data to back up carrier requests. To date, enhanced visibility has reduced Schreibers detention requests by 15% as carriers now look at real-time visibility data to back up their claims. The award was accepted by Sourcing Analyst Marisa Dempsey. Kraft Heinz , one of the worlds largest food and beverage companies, won the Golden Kite Award for Collaboration & Globalization that recognizes achievement in using FourKites to expand and integrate visibility strategies with new stakeholders and/or regions. Kraft Heinz leveraged the FourKites platform to provide in-progress shipping information to customers, as well as to a nationwide network of food banks the company supports through the hunger prevention initiatives of Feeding America. Feedback from customers and partners has been overwhelmingly positive. The award was accepted by Senior Manager of Customer Service Ryan Main. , one of the worlds largest food and beverage companies, won the Golden Kite Award for Collaboration & Globalization that recognizes achievement in using FourKites to expand and integrate visibility strategies with new stakeholders and/or regions. Kraft Heinz leveraged the FourKites platform to provide in-progress shipping information to customers, as well as to a nationwide network of food banks the company supports through the hunger prevention initiatives of Feeding America. Feedback from customers and partners has been overwhelmingly positive. The award was accepted by Senior Manager of Customer Service Ryan Main. Serta Simmons Bedding , the largest American producer of mattresses, won the Golden Kite Award for Crisis Management. This award recognizes customers who are using FourKites to react quickly to disruptions within the supply chain. Serta leveraged FourKites real-time logistics tracking and exception management to manage Sertas donation of 10,000 mattresses to New York City hospitals and temporary medical facilities to fight the COVID-19 pandemic during its early stages. Armed with in-transit ETAs and arrival times, Serta logistics, supply chain and customer service teams were able to provide critical intel to customers during a time of high strain on supply chains. The award was accepted by Outbound Logistics Manager Andy Tingle. The global pandemic, widespread civil unrest and extreme weather events have made 2020 a year of unprecedented challenge and disruption for global supply chains, said FourKites Founder and CEO Mathew Elenjickal. And yet every day, countless companies and workers from long-haul drivers to logistics teams, yard workers, merchandisers and many more met these unprecedented challenges with true courage and grit. Were humbled to honor this years Golden Kite Award recipients for their determination and ingenuity in leveraging real-time visibility to keep goods flowing, and to help their companies and partners run more efficient and effective operations. In the year since Visibility 2019, FourKites has experienced unprecedented growth in its network, including a 65% growth in load volume, and now sees up to 1 million loads and $1 billion in freight under management at any given time. In addition, FourKites introduced several industry-first innovations, including Dynamic ETA for LTL ; a Sustainability Dashboard to help reduce the supply chains carbon footprint; Appointment Manager for integrated appointment scheduling; a live Network Congestion Map to provide visibility into port and border crossing delays; a host of new collaboration and paperless document processing capabilities to speed up shipments and processing in a touchless environment; Dynamic Yard , which gives enterprises the ability to proactively manage all of their facilities based on real-time in-transit and in-yard freight data and analytics; and, most recently, multimodal purchase order (PO) tracking , which gives shippers, carriers and receivers the power, flexibility and granularity to track shipments using their associated PO numbers. 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 tracks loads in 80+ countries and 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 (650) 468-3263 mvyridi@bigvalley.co A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/e6d97acb-c3c6-45c2-a876-bc913b253198 By William James, John Chalmers and Kate Abnett LONDON/BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union stepped up planning for a "no-deal" Brexit on Friday after Prime Minister Boris Johnson's government refused to revoke a plan to break the divorce treaty that Brussels says will sink four years of talks. Britain said explicitly this week that it plans to break international law by breaching parts of the Withdrawal Agreement treaty that it signed in January, when it formally left the bloc. Britain says the move is aimed at clarifying ambiguities, but it caused a new crisis in talks less than four months before a post-Brexit transition period ends in December. European Parliament lawmakers said on Friday they will not approve any new EU-UK trade deal unless Britain fully implements its earlier divorce deal. The chamber must approve any such trade deal for it to be enacted. If the UK authorities breach the divorce deal, or threaten to do so, then "the European Parliament will, under no circumstances, ratify any agreement between the EU and the UK," the parliament's Brexit group and the heads of the parliamentary political groups said in a statement. Investment banks have increased their estimates of the chances of a messy end to Britain's exit from the EU. Sterling dipped to 5-1/2-month lows on Friday. A deputy head of the bloc's executive, Maros Sefcovic, said on Friday that "it is now up to the UK government to re-establish trust". Sefcovic spoke after informing EU lawmakers of his unsuccessful talks the previous day in London where he demanded that Britain scrap by the end of this month the plan to breach the divorce treaty. Britain has refused, saying its parliament is sovereign above international law. "As the United Kingdom looks to what kind of future trade relationship it wants with the European Union, a prerequisite for that is honouring agreements that are already in place," said Pascal Donohoe, chairman of euro zone finance ministers. As the atmosphere soured between London and Brussels, Japan and Britain said they had reached agreement in principle on a bilateral trade deal that meant 99% of the Britain's exports to Japan would be tariff-free. Story continues NO DEAL EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier said on Thursday the bloc was increasing its planning for a no-deal Brexit at the end of this year after trade talks made little progress. "The UK has not engaged in a reciprocal way on fundamental EU principles and interests," Barnier said. "Nobody should underestimate the practical, economic and social consequences of a 'no-deal' scenario." Britain rejected Barnier's view. "We don't recognise the suggestion that we've not engaged, we've been engaged in talks pretty consistently for many months now," a British source said. "The problem is the EU seems to define engagement as accepting large elements of their position rather than being engaged in discussions." The government said parliament would debate the contentious Internal Market Bill on Monday. The bill will face opposition in both houses of parliament as many senior British politicians have expressed shock that London is explicitly planning to breach international law. "I don't think this will get through the Lords, in its present form," said Norman Lamont, a Brexit supporting member of the House of Lords, the upper chamber. "It is impossible to defend. They'll have to think again." (Writing by Guy Faulconbridge, Additional reporting by Elizabeth Piper, Gabriela Baczynska and Kate Abnett; Editing by Michael Perry, Timothy Heritage and Frances Kerry) Mumbai, Sep 11 : Kangana Ranaut has now hit out at Congress President Sonia Gandhi, whose party is part of the Shiv Sena-led coalition government in Maharashtra. The actress said history will judge Gandhi for her silence and indifference. Kangana on Twitter wrote: "You have grown up in the west and lived here in India. You may be aware of the struggles of women. History will judge your silence and indifference when your own Government is harassing women and ensuring a total mockery of law and order. I hope you will intervene @INCIndia" She added: "Dear respected honourable @INCIndia president Sonia Gandhi ji being a woman arn't you anguished by the treatment I am given by your government in Maharashtra? Can you not request your Government to uphold the principles of the Constitution given to us by Dr. Ambedkar?" Kangana also took a dig at Shiv Sena by invoking the example of late Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray. "Great Bala Saheb Thakeray one of my most favourite icons, his biggest fear was some day Shiv Sena will do Gutbandhan and become congress @INCIndia I want to know what is his conscious feeling today looking at the condition of his party?" Kangana on Thursday night shared that she doesn't have money to renovate her office, after the BMC demolished part of her office building. "I had my office opening on 15th Jan, shortly after corona hit us, like most of us I haven't worked ever since, don't have money to renovate it, I will work from those ruins keep that office ravaged as a symbol of a woman's will that dared to rise in this world #KanganaVsUddhav", she wrote. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson meets with Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe in 2019. Photo: Andrew Parsons/Pool via Reuters The UK government has announced it has secured a trade deal with Japan, in a breakthrough welcomed by British business leaders. The UK-Japan comprehensive economic partnership agreement was agreed in principle on a video call between Britains international trade secretary Liz Truss and Japans foreign minister Motegi Toshimitsu. The government said in a press release it marked a step towards the UK joining a wider trade bloc in the Asia-Pacific region. The deal agreed with Japan will see tariff-free trade on 99% of UK exports to the country, with officials predicting a 1.5bn ($1.9bn) boost to the UK economy in the long run. UK manufacturers, financial services firms, food and drink firms and tech companies are among those set to benefit, according to the government. Watch: Yahoo UK Finance Reporter Edmund Heaphy explain what a no-deal Brexit actually means, and its potential consequences... This is a historic moment for the UK and Japan as our first major post-Brexit trade deal, said Truss. The agreement we have negotiated in record time and in challenging circumstances goes far beyond the existing EU deal, as it secures new wins for British businesses in our great manufacturing, food and drink, and tech industries. Strategically, the deal is an important step towards joining the Trans-Pacific Partnership and placing Britain at the centre of a network of modern free trade agreements with like-minded friends and allies. Carolyn Fairbairn, director-general of the Confederation of British Industry, said: The signing of the UK-Japan trade deal is a breakthrough moment. It will be welcomed by businesses across the country. The Japan deal can be the first of many. Dr Chris Brown celebrated turning 42 on Friday. And the veterinarian shared a throwback photo of himself on holidays in South Africa to Instagram to mark the special occasion. In the picture, Chris showed off his muscular build as he posed shirtless on the sand alongside two penguins. Memories! Dr Chris Brown (pictured) showed off his muscular build as he shared a throwback photo while on holidays in South Africa to mark his birthday on Friday He wore patterned shorts and a fitness tracker on his wrist while he knelt on the sand and smiled for the camera. 'Thanks for all the birthday love in these slightly weird and distant times. Despite not being able to travel and see friends, I'm still peng-winning,' he captioned the post. Chris' post comes after he reportedly split from his latest girlfriend, Brooke Meredith, after less than six months of dating. Single? Chris' post comes after he reportedly split from his latest girlfriend, Brooke Meredith According to Woman's Day, Chris is now back on the market after cryptically hinting at his split from the 29-year-old model on Instagram. 'Over the last few months there's been no more dependable partner in the pandemic than a face like this,' he wrote alongside a photo of his cat. The couple have also not been spotted together since May, when they were pictured holding hands during a romantic beach stroll. Over already? Chris (left) and his model girlfriend, Brooke Meredith (right), are believed to have split after less than six months together In April, reports surfaced that Chris was dating the glamorous model. According to Woman's Day at the time, the couple all but confirmed their romance by getting cosy while shopping for cleaning supplies at a Bunnings Warehouse in Randwick, Sydney. 'They looked very much like a couple,' an insider told the publication. Grassley Presses for Answers on iPhones Wiped by Mueller Staff Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) on Friday requested records and answers from the heads of the Justice Department and the FBI about the wiping of data from a large number of smartphones used by members of the special counsel team run by Robert Mueller, who was investigating alleged collusion between the Trump 2016 campaign and Russia. It appears that Special Counsel Muellers team may have deleted federal records that could be key to better understanding their decision-making process as they pursued their investigation and wrote their report. Indeed, many officials apparently deleted the records after the DOJ Inspector General began his inquiry into how the Department mishandled Crossfire Hurricane, Grassley wrote in a letter to Attorney General William Barr and FBI Director Christopher Wray in reference to the investigation opened by the FBI that was taken over by Mueller. Moreover, based on this new information, the number of times and the stated reasons for the deletions calls into question whether or not it was a widespread intentional effort. The Department of Justice released 87 pages of documents on Thursday as a result of a Freedom of Information Act request brought by Judicial Watch. The documents include a log of dozens iPhones used by members of the special counsels office with notes taken by an official who reviewed each device when it was turned in to determine if it contained government records. The log shows that data was completely wiped from 22 iPhones, including at least two which were wiped twice. On 11 occasions, special counsel employees said they wiped the data on their phones by accident. On seven other occasions, employees wiped their devices claiming they input the wrong password too many times causing the phone to wipe itself. The FBI and the DOJ did not respond to requests for comment. Grassley is asking the DOJ to provide an unredacted version of the documents released on Thursday. He is also requesting all of the records from government phones used by Muellers staff and any records relating to the explanation for why each employee deleted the data from their phones. The senator is also inquiring if the matter is under investigation and whether the DOJ has attempted to forensically recover data from the phones. The Department of Justices (DOJ) Office of Inspector General (IG) had in 2018 detailed an extensive effort to recover the text messages from the special counsel phones used by FBI Deputy Assistant Director Peter Strzok and FBI attorney Lisa Page. The phones had both been wiped before the IG investigators found them. Page and Strzok texted each other about their hatred of Trump, wanting to stop him from becoming president, and an insurance policy in the event he was elected. Strzok was removed from the special counsels office when the IG informed Mueller about the messages. With the exception of Pages phone, all of the phones were wiped in the months after the messages between Page and Strzok were made public in early 2018. The wiping of so many phones by employees working on what was at the time the highest-profile investigation in the United States is sure to raise concerns that the deleted data may have contained evidence of improper or criminal conduct. One FBI attorney who was discovered to have sent text messages that were biased against President Donald Trump has since pleaded guilty in federal court to a false statement charge in connection to an email he forged. Congress and the American people are owed answers regarding Special Counsel Mueller and his team, Grassley wrote. Correction: a previous version of this article incorrectly state the number of phones used by the Mueller team which were wiped prior to a records review. At least 22 phones were wiped. The Epoch Times regrets the error. Rising Covid-19 cases are again striking older age groups after it emerged 27 of the people newly diagnosed with the virus yesterday are over 65. The virus has been slowly encroaching among vulnerable older age groups and in the last two weeks 89 of those infected with the virus were over 75 - a doubling of the number infected in the previous fortnight. The increasing impact on susceptible older people - who have been largely spared from the virus over the summer - comes as 196 new cases of the virus were diagnosed yesterday and HSE Covid-19 testing services came under pressure, forcing it to pause screening of workers in meat plants until next week. It had led to the first walk-in testing centre in Rathkeale in Limerick where people can attend for a Covid-19 test without an appointment. Read More Dublin remained the worst hit yesterday with 107 new cases, followed by 12 in Waterford, 11 in Limerick, 8 in Wicklow, 7 in Meath, 7 in Kildare, 6 in Laois, 6 in Westmeath, and the remaining 32 new infections located in Cavan, Clare, Donegal, Galway, Kilkenny, Leitrim, Longford, Louth, Mayo, Monaghan, Offaly, Roscommon, Tipperary and Wexford. Acting chief medical officer Dr Ronan Glynn expressed concern about the number of infections in older people and also warned that 37 of yesterday's new cases were due to community transmission where the source could not be found. He said: "By limiting our contacts, we limit the opportunity Covid-19 has to spread through the community and ultimately we protect our families, our communities and those who are most vulnerable to the severest impacts of the disease." Earlier, a row broke out over the HSE's decision to park until next week the surveillance testing of meat plant workers - the scene of major outbreaks in the midlands -because of a surge in referrals of people for Covid-19 checks by GPs. HSE chief Paul Reid said it had to prioritise people with symptoms of Covid-19 and on Monday more than 13,000 were tested, more than double a normal day. On Tuesday, another 8,000 tests were carried out. They included children in classes of over 30 in some cases, and people in north Dublin. "We have to take the public health approach to prioritising our capacity on a daily basis towards testing symptomatic people," he insisted. The HSE currently has a capacity to test 100,000 people a week but this may have to be increased if the spread of infection deteriorates. Around 30 swabbing centres have now been opened across the country. Speaking in the Dail, Tanaiste Leo Varadkar said the abrupt halt at meat plants was a temporary measure to address a surge in tests being sought by members of the general population. He said there had been 13,000 test requests from members of the public on Monday, along with 3,000 from hospitals that day, leading to a total of 16,000. The national test capacity was 15,000, meaning the meat plant tests could not go ahead, he said. But testing in meat plants was due to resume next week, he added. Read More Pearse Doherty of Sinn Fein said the cancellations were "reckless, short-sighted and need to be rectified". Meat plants were hotspots for Covid-19 because of the "poor working conditions" and status of employees, he said, leading to increased transmission in communities. There were four existing meat and food plant outbreaks in the State, he added. Workers at one plant in Tipperary had received text messages saying testing was ceasing with "immediate effect". Mr Doherty said Health Minister, Stephen Donnelly had not mentioned the move, despite being specifically asked about meat plants in the Dail on Wednesday. Mr Varadkar said it was right that people with symptoms would be prioritised. But Mr Doherty said the highest rate of tests, 70,000 a week, had been done only last week. Five persons have been rushed to the Baptist Medical Centre at Nalerigu in the Northern Region after a building collapsed on them during a heavy downpour on Friday, September 11. The five three women and two children are currently receiving treatment. They were said to be in their rooms at Namangu, a farming community near Langbinsi in the East Mamprusi District when the incident occurred. The North East Regional Director of the National Disaster Management Organization, John Kweku Alhassan who confirmed the incident to Citi News called on residents to move to safer grounds. Mr. Alhassan also cautioned travellers against plying major roads like the Tamale-Bolgatanga highway and the Nakpanduri-Gbintiri road until the floodwaters recede. The Pwalugu bridge is flooded. Yesterday the North-East Regional Minister tried to cross, it is really serious. As of now, there is a bridge between Nakpanduri and Gbintiri, the road has been disconnected. We advise the public to stay away from the water because you may be carried away if you try crossing. citinewsroom Actor Aftab Shivdasani took to his Twitter page on Friday (September 11, 2020) to share the news that he has tested positive for the novel Coronavirus. Talking about the symptoms, the actor began his note by writing, "Hello everyone, hope you are all fit and fine, and are taking care of yourselves. Recently, I started showing minor symptoms of a dry cough and a mild fever and I got myself tested for COVID-19. Unfortunately, the results came out positive and under the medical supervision of doctors and the authorities, I have been advised home quarantine." Further, Aftab also requested everyone who recently may have come in contact with him, to get themselves tested. He continued in his note, "I request all those who may have come in contact with me recently to please get yourself tested just to be safe." "With your support and good wishes, I will recover soon and be back to normal. I can't emphasis more the need to socially be distant, use masks and sanitisers as much as possible as it can save lives. We will win this together," Aftab concluded his post on a positive note. Speaking about his personal life, the Hungama actor and his wife Nin Dusanjh welcomed a baby girl last month in London. Aftab had shared the happy news on his social media page and written, "'A little bit of Heaven has been sent to Earth'.. With God's blessings, @nin_dusanj and I are elated to announce the birth of our daughter.. we are proud parents and a family of three now." Recently, Aftab flew down to Mumbai to resume shooting for his upcoming web show Poison 2. ALSO READ: Dream Girl Director Raaj Shaandilyaa Tests Positive For Novel Coronavirus ALSO READ: Rapper Raftaar Tests COVID-19 Positive; Says Waiting To Be Tested Again MATHS teachers will tell you five into one doesnt go but not in the Sheehans case. Jake Morris Sheehan became the fifth generation of the family to attend the Model school on OConnell Avenue. The school dates back to 1832 and the Sheehans have been taught there since the early 1900s. Jakes grandmother, Louise Sheehan, said her grandfather, Jack Hayes was the first in the family to go there. He hailed from the county but married and settled in Donnellans Buildings off Edward Street. Next was Louises late father, Billy Sheehan. He learned his sums and alphabet in the fifties. It was Louises turn in the early 80s. The Model is a fabulous school. I was lucky enough that when I was there they built the new school so I was in the old and the new, said Louise, from the Rosbrien Road. Her son Nathan, now aged 23, became the fourth generation to go in and around 2002. And making it five of the branches of the family tree was Nathan and Emmas boy Jake Morris Sheehan last Thursday. There definitely was no tears with Jake! He was all excited. He couldnt wait to go. He was jumping for joy, smiled Louise, who said she wouldnt have missed it Jakes first day for the world. And there are many more members of the family who have been in the Models classrooms. All my sisters went to the Model. Their kids went to the Model. My mothers sisters would have went to the Model. There has been a lot of us down through the years. I think it is unusual in this day and age that there would be generations from the one family going back so far. I am very proud of it. It is an Irish speaking school as well. Its important to us that we keep the tradition going, said Louise. (Newser) It's the 19th anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks, and Democratic presidential contender Joe Biden is marking the occasion by pulling all his television ads for the day. Politico says presidential contenders have long gone dark on the 9/11 anniversary, hitting a bit of a pause on their campaigns for the day. Both Biden and President Trump are expected to visit Shanksville, Pennsylvania, for an event to commemorate the anniversary near the site where United Airlines Flight 93 crashed. The Washington Post notes that the two rivals being in the same location on the same day is "a rare occurrence," though Trump plans to be there in the morning and Biden in the afternoon, after a morning visit to New York for another memorial ceremony. (Read more Election 2020 stories.) Lightscamera action Brand new #TopGear, coming soon with a socially distanced twist. Yep, the audience are still here, and were still at Dunsfold. Just outside, hoping that for once the British weather commits to the forecast. Coming soon to @BBCOne and @BBCiPlayer pic.twitter.com/rEoTN6q9yd Top Gear (@BBC_TopGear) September 9, 2020 As anyone whos watched a single episode of the original Top Gear knows, the formula is simple: theres a studio with some cars in it and a live audience, and the three hosts walk around the cars, stop to talk about them and watch pre-recorded segments . Given the restrictions imposed by the ongoing health crisis, this recipe was no longer viable.Unless, of course, producers could somehow bring the entire studio outside and make sure members of the audience would maintain social distancing rules. Drive-in movie theaters offered inspiration for the new format, which has the same members of the audience bring their own cars to an outdoor studio.Photos from the most recent shooting have been posted to the official Twitter channel, and responses in the thread indicate the new format is already a hit. It looks like both the hosts (Chris Harris, Paddy McGuinness, and Freddie Flintoff) and the audience had a blast.In fact, those lucky attendees who got to take their car to the taping suggest producers consider extending this format when (if, better said) all this blows over and were allowed to host large parties indoors again. There is one possible but major obstacle to a plan like this, and the producers are well aware of it: weather in the UK isnt exactly known for being too encouraging of outdoor activities, unless you prefer them wet and freezing.The audience are still here, and were still at Dunsfold, the producers write in the caption on Twitter. Just outside, hoping that for once the British weather commits to the forecast.Fingers crossed for good weather in Dunsfold. Top Gear returns in late 2020 or early 2021. Trial of businessman Ponomarev charged with tax evasion to start on September 16 RAPSI, Vladimir Burnov 11:13 11/09/2020 MOSCOW, September 11 (RAPSI) - A court in Solnechnogorsk, a town near Moscow, will begin hearing on the merits of a case over tax evasion and attempted fraud against businessman Konstantin Ponomarev already convicted of false denunciation on September 16, his attorney Vladimir Postanyuk has told RAPSI. On September 10, the court conducted preliminary hearing on the case. Defense insisted on the businessmans innocence and did not petition for the case transfer to another court, Postanyk said. Investigators believe that after one of the victories in court against IKEA Ponomarevs company received 25 billion rubles from the furniture corporation and the businessman transferred the money to his own bank account. In this situation, he was to pay income taxes and VAT but failed. Thus, the total amount of unpaid taxes was estimated as 9.7 billion rubles, according to the investigation. Ponomarev and his defense insist in turn that the company did not simply transfer the funds but transferred them in accordance with a custodial services contract. Therefore, an income tax must not be demanded by officials. A second count is related to the lend lease of diesel generators for prime power organization in Crimea. Investigators claim that the entrepreneur demanded over 5.4 billion rubles in court from lease takers. This is the second case against Ponomarev. On July 9, 2019, a court in Lyubertsy, a town in the Moscow Region, found Ponomarev guilty of false denunciation and passed the sentence on him. His lawyer Maxim Zagorsky received 7 years and 8 months behind bars. He was also banned from practicing law for 3 years. A judge held that the defendants committed several crimes related to evidence simulation. The attorney was an organizer of the criminal group, the ruling read. In mid-October 2019, the Moscow Regional Court recalculated the term of actual punishment given to Ponomarev and reduced it by 6.5 months. Actual punishment of Zagorsky in the case was also recalculated. The sentence came into force. The trial of Ponomarev and Zagorsky began in December 2018. Investigators considered initiation of criminal proceedings by a private person on Ponomarevs appeal as false denunciation. The defendants pleaded not guilty and insisted on acquittal. Ponomarev was embroiled in a long-standing dispute with IKEA that opted to rent diesel generators to power its shopping malls in St. Petersburg. Five criminal cases were opened against the businessman at the request of the Swedish retailer. However, a probe over alleged fraud found nothing, and the cases were dropped. The businessman believes that the false denunciation case was resulted from the conflict with IKEA. Ponomarev claims that the company thus wants to stretch the time and siphon assets in order to avoid paying a multibillion debt to him. Rating: Once was enough The mariachis have returned to Mi Tierra downtown. The lines are forming again at the bakery case. Mexican Elvis is back in the building. And theres something else: Pizza. You can still get a Deluxe Mexican Dinner and chile con queso, but now you can order from a separate menu inside Mi Tierra called Zapatas Pizza, with 10 specialty pies ranging from El Clasico with cheese and pepperoni to a free-for-all Parrillada Pizza with all the meats and a cheese-stuffed chile relleno on top. I love a Mi Tierra margarita and a round of Cascabel from the roving mariachis, even with their face masks and plastic shields. I love watching the tourists come back, gazing up at the pinatas on the ceiling like they were skyscrapers in Manhattan. I love hot flour tortillas and chilaquiles with carne guisada. Pizzas obviously a Hail Mary to generate new business. I love the spirit behind it, and I understand the necessity. But if pizzas a prayer, sometimes the answers no. There are so many reasons to love Mi Tierra. Pizza isnt one of them. On ExpressNews.com: Review: Mi Familia de Mi Tierra at The Rim has better food than the original downtown Mike Sutter /Staff Best pizza: Give Mi Tierra credit for infusing the menu at Zapatas Pizza with Mexican flavors even as it tries to emulate an Italian staple. A pie called El Tapado ($18 for a 16-inch pie) came the closest to bridging the gap, dressed with tender chunks of carne asada, crumbles of housemade chorizo for spice, cilantro for zest and roasted peppers with mushrooms to round out the package. But the crust is forever 50 percent of a good pizza, and Zapatas crust a generic, half-thick, American delivery style with too much shine and not enough lift couldnt even meet it halfway. Other pizzas: Given pineapples ascendance or possibly just acceptance as a pizza topping, the Michoacana ($18 for a 16-inch pie) made sense, combining the sweet tanginess of pineapple with the lush fattiness of pork carnitas and chorizo for hybrid kind of al pastor experience. But when does fat go from charming, glossy indulgence to just plain greasy? Here. The Pesto Pizza ($15 for a 16-inch pie) with grilled chicken rang with the promise of salsa verde pesto but delivered an overwhelming sweetness like balsamic vinegar instead. On ExpressNews.com: 5 great Mexican restaurants for birria tacos in San Antonio Mike Sutter /Staff The E for Effort prize goes to the Esquites Pizza ($16 for a 16-inch pie) for trying to re-create the alchemy of Mexican street corn with grilled corn, chile-lime salt, slices of fresh lime for spritzing and rich scoops of ricotta cheese perfumed with chipotle. But it missed the target by leaving off the mayo listed on the menu, and its the mayo that gives street corn its signature twang. Zapatas Pizza Location: Inside Mi Tierra Cafe y Panaderia, 218 Produce Row, 210-225-1262, menu at doordash.com Hours: 8 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday-Thursday; 8 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday-Saturday Takeout/delivery: Dine-in, curbside and DoorDash delivery available See More Collapse A few of the other pizzas left off ingredients as well. Mayo here, Cotija cheese there, cilantro somewhere else. They make a difference when youre trying to match the green, white and red of the Italian flag to the same colors on the Mexican flag. 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 Trump bragged to author Bob Woodward that he protected Saudi crown prince after 2018 assassination of Khashoggi. President Donald Trump boasted that he protected Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) after Jamal Khashoggis brutal murder, Bob Woodwards forthcoming book says, according to a new report. Trump bragged that he protected the Saudi crown prince from consequences in the United States after the assassination of Khashoggi in October 2018, the news outlet Business Insider reported on Thursday. I saved his a**, President Trump said about the US outcry about Khashoggis killing, according to Business Insider, quoting from a copy of Woodwards book. I was able to get Congress to leave him alone. I was able to get them to stop, Trump said. New from myself and @sonam_sheth: 'I saved his a': Trump boasted that he protected Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman after Jamal Khashoggi's brutal murder, according to Woodward's new book https://t.co/JmMFqIhJDE via @businessinsider John Haltiwanger (@jchaltiwanger) September 10, 2020 An opinion columnist for the Washington Post newspaper who was living in the US, Khashoggi had travelled to the Saudi consulate in Istanbul to obtain a licence for his upcoming marriage to fiancee Hatice Cengiz. He was 59 at the time of his murder inside the consulate. Hatice Cengiz told a Turkish court Khashoggi was lured to his death at the consulate with betrayal and deception [Murad Sezer/Reuters] The president told Woodward he did not believe that MBS had ordered Khashoggis murder, although US and other foreign intelligence services have reportedly concluded that MBS directed the killing. After Khashoggis death set off outrage among US legislators from both parties, Trump bypassed Congress to sell roughly $8bn in precision-guided missiles and other high-tech weapons to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Trump vetoed three resolutions passed by Congress rebuking him for the sale and blocked a War Powers Act resolution to end US military support for the UAE-and-Saudi-led war in Yemen. 200908165901641 Woodwards upcoming book, Rage, is to be released on September 15. Woodward conducted 18 interviews with the president for the book. Audio recordings of Trumps remarks to Woodward released on Wednesday reignited a political controversy in the US about his handling of the coronavirus pandemic. Woodward wrote that Trump called him on January 22 shortly after attending the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. During the conversation, Woodward pressed the president about Khashoggis gruesome murder, according to Business Insider. Khashoggi was killed and dismembered by a team of Saudi agents while his fiancee waited for him outside the consulate building. A Saudi consulate worker in Istanbul told a Turkish court on July 3 he was asked to light an oven less than an hour after Khashoggi entered the building. Zeki Demir, a local technician who worked for the consulate, gave evidence on the first day of the Turkish trial in absentia of 20 Saudi officials for Khashoggis killing. There were five to six people there They asked me to light up the tandoor [oven]. There was an air of panic, said Demir. On Monday, a Saudi Arabian court overturned five death sentences for the killing of Khashoggi. Bridgeport Police Chief Armando A.J. Perez and David Dunn, the citys acting personnel director, face multiple charges, including lying to investigators. Armando A.J. Perez has been arrested for allegedly manipulating the hiring process leading to his appointment as police chief in Bridgeport, Connecticuts largest city. After his arrest, Armando A.J. Perez (above) resigned as Bridgeport police chief. Mayor Joe Ganim has appointed Assistant Chief Rebeca Garcia as acting chief. (NBC News) Perez and David Dunn, Bridgeports acting personnel director, have been arrested. The men are facing multiple charges, including wire fraud, lying to investigators and conspiracy to commit wire fraud. The United States Attorneys office issued a statement accusing the two of joining forces to help Perez cheat on his 2018 police chief exam, what they call defrauding the purportedly impartial and objective search for a permanent police chief. Read More: Virginia passes police reform, no-knock warrant bills in wake of Taylor death Chief Perez and Personnel Director Dunn schemed to rig the purportedly impartial and objective search for a permanent police chief to ensure the position was awarded to Perez, and then repeatedly lied to federal agents in order to conceal their conduct, said Audrey Strauss, acting U.S. attorney, in a statement. Their indictment accuses Perez of persuading officers to write the written portion of his exam and requesting that one enter headquarters for stolen confidential information. It also alleges that Dunn persuaded a panelist to rank Perez in the top three candidates for the final stage of the hiring process. Read More: Andrew Gillum recalls infamous night in hotel: I was lying in my own vomit Bridgeports citizens and police officers deserve leaders with integrity who are committed to enforcing, not breaking, the law, said Strauss, and we thank the FBI for their partnership in investigating and uncovering the scheme alleged. Perez, 64, and Dunn, 72, have both been charged with one count of wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, which carries a maximum of 20 years in prison. Perez also faces two counts of making false statements to federal investigators while Dunn faces a single count of the same crime. These each carry a maximum prison sentence of five years. Story continues Read More: Biden pledges to be totally transparent about health if elected Both men are set to appear before Judge William I. Garfinkel in federal court today. After his arrest, Perez resigned as Bridgeport police chief. Mayor Joe Ganim has appointed Assistant Chief Rebeca Garcia as Bridgeports acting police chief. Have you subscribed to theGrios Dear Culture podcast? Download our newest episodes now! The post Connecticut police chief arrested for allegedly rigging process to get hired appeared first on TheGrio. Two developments in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic in the past two days have come as a rude shock to many. The first is the suspension of Phase-III trials being conducted by AstraZeneca-Oxford University for the vaccine that they are jointly developing. The other is the revelation that plasma therapy to treat seriously ill patients does not produce the kind of results that it was initially believed to deliver. The news on the vaccine front has caused concern worldwide. Although some experts are not surprised at the development as they say such adverse results are quite natural in the process of developing a vaccine, the pessimistic view is to point out that so far no vaccine has been developed against HIV. Whatever it is, the pause in the vaccine trial marks a setback, however temporary. The onus is now on the researchers to set at rest all doubts about the vaccine candidates safety. The vaccine pause only underlines the fact that there can be no shortcuts. Many experts had warned about the alacrity with which researchers and drug companies were going about the task. Although there is no time frame, it is believed that it takes a minimum of two years to develop vaccines. But most companies, driven partly by the potential financial windfall and partly by public pressure, promised to come up with a vaccine by the year end or early next year. An ugly race to be the first began worldwide, including in India, where the Indian Council of Medical Research, the governments apex research body, asked Bharat Biotech to be ready with a vaccine by Independence Day on August 15. There is no doubt the pandemic has played havoc. Millions have lost their livelihoods, companies are struggling to survive and many Covid patients are suffering from side effects even after recovery. But this does not mean there should be undue haste. Politicians and governments need to be cautious to not raise public hope unnecessarily. The public too needs to play its part. It takes little effort to practice physical distancing. It costs the bare minimum to buy a disposable mask. But the price to pay for irresponsibility can be steep. - Sarkodie has dropped official statement after receiving a fake UN award - In his latest single, the rapper regretted wasting his time on Dr. UN - He also threatened to beat Dr. UN for giving him a fake award Our manifesto: This is what YEN.com.gh believes in Ghana's highest rapper, Michael Addo, popularly known as Sarkodie has admitted receiving a fake UN award. The renowned rapper has regretted wasting his time with Dr Kwame Fordjour, also known as Dr. UN, on a new single, he titled Gimme Way. The song, which features Prince Bright of Buk Bak fame, talks about his reign in the rap fraternity in Ghana show business but he chipped in the embarrassment he endured in the hands of Dr. UN. Sarkodie admits receiving fake UN award from Dr UN (Photo credit: Modified by author) Source: Instagram READ ALSO: Vivian Jill: 9 photos of Kumawood actress as she celebrates her birthday After Ghanaian social media users investigated the award and realised it was fake, Sarkodie responded on Twitter saying: By the suit, we shall know them. Now, the BET award-winner has taken things a bit further after expressing his disappointment. In Gimme Way, he addressed the issue, saying he regrets spending his time with Dr. UN instead of his wife Tracy Addo. READ ALSO: Andrews Mensah: Kumawood actor reportedly shot by unknown gunmen He described the accolade he received as an empty bottle and further threatened to beat him up when they cross path; this appeared to be a joke. Na me fii se meye hard guy/Until Dr UN de empty bottle bemaa me award/But anyway that was a bad situation/Eda a mehyia no egye me taa ne kon akyi/Se me calculate time nkoaa a mawaste/When I could be making sweet love to Tracy, Sarkodie fired on the song. Meanwhile, Sarkodie has dropped a new photo after deleting one with his 'fake' UN award. READ ALSO: Veteran actor Akrobeto turns pastor in latest photo; fans shout The latest photo of the Oofeetsor crooner saw him posing with some stunners over his eyes and a short-sleeved shirt. He appeared dapper as usual and looked away from the camera although with a straight face as the photo was being taken. Sarkodie was adorned with what appeared like a diamond-crusted necklace and wrist chain to complement his looks. After posting the nice photo of himself on his official Instagram handle, Sarkodie captioned it: "About that Time" Have national and human interest issues to discuss? Know someone who is extremely talented and needs recognition? Your stories and photos are always welcome. Get interactive via our Facebook page. Source: YEN.com.gh Disney's Beauty and the Beast will embark on a major new UK and Ireland tour from next May, it has been confirmed. With music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Howard Ashman and Tim Rice, and book by Linda Woolverton, the stage production is based on the award-winning animated film of the same name. The piece follows a petulant prince cursed to resemble a beast unless he can find true love. The Olivier Award-winning musical had its UK premiere at the Dominion Theatre in 1997, while the piece's Broadway run lasted from 1994 to 2007 (the tenth-longest running production in Broadway history). The piece then had a UK tour from 2001. This 2021 tour will commence at Curve Leicester, where the piece reportedly plays for five weeks. Tour stops from there are to be revealed. In a statement the team said: "Disney's Beauty and the Beast will begin a UK and Ireland tour at Leicester Curve in May 2021. The production will bring together the original creative team from the Broadway production. Further information and all tour dates will be announced in the autumn." He remains embroiled in the highly publicized aftermath of his last marriage, which ended in 2016. But Brad Pitt didn't let any of those stresses show in the new Autumn/Winter 2020 photo campaign for Brioni, the Italian menswear couture house. In the crisp and classic images released Thursday, the Hollywood leading man, 56, proved he still has charisma to spare as he appeared in a tuxedo as well as other assorted formalwear. Leading man vibes: Brad Pitt didn't let any of his stresses show in the new Autumn/Winter 2020 photo campaign for Brioni, the Italian menswear couture house The scruffy and handsome actor, who won his first Academy Award for acting earlier this year, wore his hair long in the quartet of black-and-white images, along with a salt-and-pepper goatee. The Ad Astra star wrapped himself in a sweater and light wool coat in one closeup image, while in another he modeled a charcoal grey overcoat with a lighter textured suit on underneath. Brad also showed off an expensive-looking wristwatch and chunky ring in one image, where he donned a suit and dark necktie in an ensemble that looked right out of Mad Men. Classy and classic: In the crisp and classic images released Thursday, the Hollywood leading man, 56, proved he still has charisma to spare as he appeared in assorted formalwear Luxe: The Ad Astra star wrapped himself in a sweater and light wool coat in one image, while in another he modeled a charcoal grey overcoat with a lighter textured suit on underneath The elegant images come as the actor, who launched to fame in 1991's Thelma And Louise, is experiencing renewed tensions with ex-wife Angelina Jolie. Relations between the former couple who share six children have deteriorated to the point where they are no longer engaging in family therapy ahead of a custody trial slated for next month, UsWeekly reported Thursday. 'Tensions have escalated between Brad and Angelina, with family therapy no longer taking place,' a source exclusively told that outlet. He's still got it: Brad showed off an expensive-looking wristwatch and chunky ring in one image, where he donned a suit and necktie in an ensemble that looked right out of Mad Men Pitt and Jolie, 45, had appeared to reach a cordial understanding about co-parenting their kids, with the Once upon A Time... In Hollywood actor spotted leaving the actress' LA home in June after spending time with the children. However, UsWeekly claims they are now at odds again over how much time they each get with Pax, 16, Zahara, 15, Shiloh, 14, and 12-year-old twins Knox and Vivienne. Eldest child Maddox, 19, is allowed to choose his own timetable and is rumored to no longer have any contact with his father. Tensions: The elegant images come as the actor is experiencing renewed tensions with ex-wife Angelina Jolie regarding custody of their children; Jolie seen in September 2016 in London 'Brad wants 50/50 joint physical and legal custody of the kids. Angelina has been unagreeable to those terms,' a source told UsWeekly. The insider added that Jolie 'will only agree to talk about an agreement if the home base for the children isn't Los Angeles. The younger kids are in school in Los Angeles, which Angelina has always been opposed to.' It's previously been suggested that Jolie wants to relocate to the UK and base the children with her there. 'Brad wants 50/50 joint physical and legal custody of the kids. Angelina has been unagreeable to those terms,' a source has said; Pitt seen in July 2016 in New York City The reports of renewed friction between the exes come after Pitt visited Chateau Miraval at the end of August with rumored new girlfriend, German model Nicole Poturalski, 27. A trial has been scheduled for October in Los Angeles, California, where a judge will adjudicate on the child custody and support issues that remain unresolved between Jolie and Pitt. DailyMail.com has reached out representatives for Pitt and Jolie seeking comment. South Africa: Efforts to finalise SAA business rescue process ongoing The Department of Public Enterprises (DPE) says efforts to finalise the South African Airways (SAA) business rescue process and the restructuring of the airline are ongoing, and a decision on the sources of funding will be announced soon. In line with the directive of Cabinet for the DPE and National Treasury to mobilise funds for the new SAA, the DPE said the two departments have been working hard under the guidance of the Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) on SAA. The IMC is entrusted with the responsibility of oversight of the restructuring process. The DPE also welcomed the decision of the Business Rescue Practitioners (BRPs) to keep the creditors informed about the process and the likelihood of a meeting of the creditors' committee. This is in accordance with their fiducial responsibility to the creditors to inform them on the progress with the business rescue process, and source the creditors consent on the way forward. The department said it remains confident that a solution will be found in time to avoid liquidation of SAA, as per the 26 July 2020 Cabinet statement. DPE, with the transaction advisor Rand Merchant Bank (RMB), continues to assess the unsolicited expressions of interest for the new SAA from the private sector funders, equity investors and strategic partners. A number of engagements have been undertaken with the potential partners and the interest is encouraging that a suitable long-term investor will be found to enable the relaunch of the airline and its subsidiary businesses and divisions, the department said. The department said it believes that the restructuring process, which is contained in the SAA Business Rescue Plan, is fundamental and will create a solid base for the emergence of a competitive, viable and sustainable national airline for the Republic of South Africa. SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2020-09-11. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 11) Malls are now focused on assuring customers that their stores are safe as they look to bring them back to shop and dine in person. "The feedback that we've been getting is that they (shoppers) already miss going back to the malls," Jennylle Tupaz, president of Ayala Malls, told CNN Philippines' The Exchange on Friday. "They are eager to do so as soon as the pandemic is under control." Malls were forced to shut when lockdowns were enforced mid-March as the government sought to contain COVID-19 infections, except for essential stores like groceries, pharmacies, banks, and restaurants offering takeout and delivery meals. The COVID-19 task force eventually allowed malls to reopen for shoppers in May, but they are far from recovering sales and profits. Even the Philippine Retailers Association (PRA) knew it was a tall order, as the general fear of catching the virus has kept people planted at home. "The priority for retailers is to prove to consumers that we have created a safe shopping environment for them," PRA chairman Paul Santos said. "Among the concerns during this pandemic is their fear about losing their sources of income and the safety of going out to shop.." he said. "We can certainly control or to a great extent, influence how safe shoppers can do their shopping in our stores." READ: Return of foot traffic in malls key to survival for some SMEs For Tupaz and the Ayala Malls chain, the past months have been spent on retrofitting mall spaces to factor in social distancing and other health protocols. Chairs and tables at restaurants are spaced out, foot traffic along corridors and nooks are policed, while more diners now prefer al fresco or open-air dining to reduce the risk of infection. "What we are seeing in the mall is a gradual increase in foot traffic, which we anticipate to improve as we go further into the Christmas season," Tupaz added, noting that Ayala has resorted to toned-down decor to bring some cheer in their usually packed and busy properties. Masks and face shields are required prior to entry, alongside temperature checks, hand sanitizers, foot baths, and the filling up of health declaration and contact tracing forms. The Ayala Group has also rolled out virtual shopping assistant services to keep sales up. For PRA, member stores are now trying to jump to e-commerce, while stressing the need to access low-cost loans to help businesses rebuild and reopen. President Rodrigo Duterte's economic team has called on the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases to allow more industries to reopen to usher in faster economic recovery and get more Filipinos back to their jobs. Premium online access is only available tosubscribers. If you have an active subscription and need to set up or change your password, please click here New to PW? To set up immediate access, click here. NOTE: If you had a previous PW subscription, click here to reactivate your immediate access. PW site license members have access to PWs subscriber-only website content. If working at an office location and you are not "logged in", simply close and relaunch your preferred browser. For off-site access, click here. To find out more about PWs site license subscription options, please email Mike Popalardo at: mike@nextstepsmarketing.com. Four suspects held two people at gunpoint when they stole a white Honda Civic at about 7 p.m. Thursday in Brampton, Peel police said. One man was physically assaulted and has minor injuries, said police Const. Heather Cannon. Police are unsure of the victims relationship to each other, she added. The incident took place in a transit station parking lot near Bleasdale Avenue and Commuter Drive. Officers are searching for suspects wearing dark clothing and masks, she said. Peel police are not sure if the suspects were wearing medical or non-medical masks, said Cannon. They received a phone call at 7:07 p.m. and arrived on scene shortly after, she added. Central Robbery Bureau has taken over the investigation, and will be interviewing the victims, said Cannon. Manuela Vega is a breaking news reporter, working out of the Star's radio room in Toronto. Reach her via email: mvega@thestar.ca Read more about: Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-11 17:47:08|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close NANNING, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- Four people were killed, and one went missing after a rain-triggered flood battered Sanjiang Dong Autonomous County in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, local authorities said on Friday. The accident happened on Friday morning in Tangshui Village, which falls under the Bajiang Township. The flood has ruined a wooden house in the village. Rescue work is still underway. Enditem Standard Bank has announced that it will stop issuing cheques at the end of 2020. In a mail sent to clients, the bank said that due to the migration to digital payments and the advent of COVID-19, it has decided to discontinue cheques completely. In recent years, the use of cheques has declined significantly, largely driven by a consumer shift towards the safety and convenience of digital payments, Standard Bank said. In response, and due in part to the physical nature of the product, now exacerbated by the impact of COVID-19, the South African banking industry as a whole has embarked on a journey to phase out cheques completely. The first step in this process is the discontinuation of special clearances on all cheques, which will take effect on 1 September 2020. From this date, all cheques deposited into clients accounts will be subject to a mandatory seven-day clearance period. Important dates The bank noted that there are two important dates related to the discontinuation of cheques which clients should note. The first is 1 October 2020, which is when Standard Bank will stop ordering and issuing new chequebooks. You will still be able to use cheques as a payment mechanism until your current stock of cheques runs out, or until 31 December 2020, whichever comes first, the bank said. The second important date is 31 December 2020, which is when Standard Bank will stop processing cheques entirely. We will allow 21 days post 31 December 2020 to process any cheques issued by our clients if the cheque is presented for processing on or before 31 December 2020, Standard Bank said. The bank encouraged clients to switch to digital payments, citing the convenience and cost-effectiveness of these avenues. What Is KhaaliJeb App? How to Download and Install It? News oi-Abhinaya Prabhu The advanced digital payments and online money transfer in a few clicks is definitely a boon. It is quite convenient as we need not visit the bank and stand in huge queues to transfer money. As the digital payments market is growing, several players have entered this space and are successful including Google Pay, Paytm, PhonePe, etc. These payment apps offer users rewards in the form of scratch cards, cashback and more. And, these hold a major share of the digital payments market in India. In attempt to compete against these apps, an Indian app called KhaaliJeb. Though it is the latest entrant to this space, it does offer some exciting features. What Is KhaaliJeb App? KhaaliJeb is a free payment app developed by IIT Allahabad alumni. The app is powered by Kotak Mahindra Bank and allows UPI-based payments. With this app, users can send and receive money via UPI with the help of either a UPI ID or a mobile number and a UPI PIN. Likewise the other such apps, KhaaliJeb also lets users recharge their mobile or DTH, pay bills and pay merchants by scanning the QR code or using the UPI ID. Users can add multiple bank accounts to the app and check their bank balance as well. The app lets users transfer up to Rs. 1 lakh. What's interesting is that KhaaliJeb lets users make payments to users on other UPI apps such as Paytm, Google Pay, PhonePe, etc. KhaaliJeb: Useful Features While the above-mentioned features of KhaaliJeb are common to all UPI payment apps, the main attraction is its Student Discount Program. This program lets users to get exclusive discounts and other benefits from various brands, provided they are under 29 years of age. For verification, users need to enter their name, gender, DOB, and ID of verification. Also, it will ask for their mark sheets and other documents. The other interesting feature is gaming. The 'Play and Earn' section lets users to play games within the KhaaliJeb app and earn rewards. This feature is powered by Gamezop.com and directs users to the website from where they can play several games and earn money. How To Download And Install? For now, KhaaliJeb is available only for Android users. It is soon expected to be launched for iOS. To download the KhaaliJeb app, you need to follow the below-mentioned steps. Firstly, head on to the Google Play Store Search for KhaaliJeb app Hit Install and download it on your phone That's it! You can enjoy using the KhaaliJeb app for money transfers and earn rewards. Best Mobiles in India Facebook, To stay updated with latest technology news & gadget reviews, follow GizBot on Twitter YouTube and also subscribe to our notification. Allow Notifications Global COVID-19 Death Toll Surpasses 900,000 By VOA News September 10, 2020 With the global death toll from COVID-19 pandemic now over 900,000, the top infectious disease expert in the United States says that drugmaker AstraZeneca's suspension of final global trials of its experimental vaccine points to the effectiveness of the safeguards that have been incorporated into the trials. "It's important to point out that that's the reason why you have various phases of trials, to determine if, in fact, these candidates are safe," Dr. Anthony Fauci, the head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said in an interview with CBS This Morning Wednesday. The British-Swedish pharmaceutical giant paused the trials because a volunteer participant became ill after receiving the experimental drug. "It's unfortunate that it happened, and hopefully they'll be able to proceed along with the remainder of the trial," Fauci said. "But you don't know. They need to investigate it further." The company issued a statement Tuesday saying the pause in testing is a "routine action, which has to happen whenever there is a potentially unexplained illness in one of the trials, while it is investigated, ensuring we maintain the integrity of the trials." AstraZeneca developed the vaccine, AZD1222, in cooperation with Britain's University of Oxford. The vaccine is being tested in large-scale Phase 2 and Phase 3 trials in several nations, including the United States, Britain, Brazil, South Africa and India. AZD1222 is one of three COVID-19 vaccines in late-stage Phase 3 trials in the United States. The company did not disclose the nature of the participant's illness, but The New York Times reports the volunteer, based in Britain, was diagnosed with transverse myelitis, an inflammatory syndrome that affects the spinal cord and is often sparked by viral infections. But the Times said it is unknown whether it is directly linked to the AZD1222 vaccine. This is the second time AstraZeneca has paused large-scale testing of its experimental vaccine after a volunteer became ill after being inoculated. The scientific journal Nature says the trial was halted in July after another participant in Britain also developed symptoms of transverse myelitis. The individual was diagnosed with an "unrelated neurological illness." AstraZeneca is one of nine pharmaceutical giants pledging not to seek approval from U.S. government regulators for any vaccine until all data showed it was safe and effective. The nine companies, including Johnson & Johnson, Merck, Moderna and Novavax, as well as those heading two joint vaccine projects, Pfizer and BioNTech, and Sanofi and GlaxoSmithKline, made the pledge in a statement released Tuesday, hours before AstraZeneca announced it was pausing its widespread testing of its vaccine. The unusual joint pledge was aimed at alleviating growing fears by health experts that pharmaceutical companies are under considerable political pressure to quickly develop and introduce a COVID-19 vaccine. U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly suggested that a successful vaccine could be ready before November 3, the date of the U.S. presidential election. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced Wednesday his government will launch an ambitious program to test at least half a million people daily for COVID-19, with the results back within minutes. The prime minister said he hoped the "moonshot" program -- a reference to the 1960s-era American manned lunar program -- will be in place before the end of the year, and would return Britain to some sort of normality and grant more freedom to those who test negative for the coronavirus. Johnson coupled the announcement of the mass testing initiative with a new order limiting the number of people taking part in most social gatherings to six, from the current 30. The new limit would take effect next week, as Britain is enduring a surge of nearly 3,000 new daily COVID-19 cases in recent weeks, the highest daily figure since May. Britain's Chief Medical Officer Chris Whittey says the new "rule of six" restrictions are likely to remain in place for the next several months. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address This classroom in Burbank Middle School in Los Angeles has been prepared to receive students safely with social distancing and other measures, but it remains unclear which students could be returning and when. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) No campus in Los Angeles County will be allowed to reopen to all K-12 students until at least November, although schools can begin to offer small in-person classes for children with special needs at no more than 10% of capacity at one time, county Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said Thursday. The news will be a blow to students, parents and educators who have been hoping that progress against the coronavirus might allow for campuses to reopen on a faster tract. However, the small in-person classes for children who need special services, announced last week, could allow at least 200,000 students back to campus across the county. No districts are currently required to offer in-person services to students and officials with both the L.A. Unified School District and the district's teachers union have said they are opposed to any full campus reopenings at this time, citing safety concerns. Some smaller school districts and private schools had hoped to open elementary campuses through a state-permitted waiver process, but Ferrer said that the county would not grant waivers. State guidelines allow for such waivers to help young students who have particular difficulties with online learning. Ferrer explained the county's new policies in two calls Thursday with school and district leaders. One was a health department briefing; the other was a briefing arranged by the L.A. County Office of Education, which provides support services to the county's 80 school districts. The Times was able to listen to both briefings. As Ferrer explained, the county's approach is part of a multipronged state and county effort to open schools safely. First, small groups can begin coming to campuses as soon as Monday and no approval from the county is required provided that schools attest that they are following required safety guidelines. The students who come back must be defined as having special needs. Top priority will be given to students with disabilities and students who are learning to speak English. Schools and school districts have flexibility to identify which students need in-person instruction. Students who need in-person assessments also will be prioritized. Story continues Students can meet one-on-one with a teacher or another staff member or in groups as large as 12 with as many as two adult supervisors or teachers. A campus cannot be at more than 10% of capacity at any given time. However, there is no defined limit on how many students can be served over multiple days. For example, one group of students could be served on campus two days a week and another group on a different two days. Such a plan could add up to a lot of students, close to 100,000 in Los Angeles Unified alone, for example. School leaders on the call with Ferrer expressed some excitement about the possibility of bringing some students back potentially with minimal delay. It was an opening for which they had been waiting. In a snap poll of 50 district leaders on one call, 72% said their school system would definitely or probably reopen for small groups; 24% were undecided, and 4% said probably not. No one chose definitely not. It was not clear which of the county's 80 school districts were on the call. But district leaders also expressed concern about winning necessary support from employee unions. If confronted by teacher opposition, Ferrer suggested that, at the least, students could be brought to campus for services that did not involve teachers. Some advocacy groups want the L.A. district to push harder toward opening campuses for students with special needs. But parents throughout the county are divided over the pace of reopening. Burbank PTA President Wendi Harvel says the No. 1 feedback shes received from parents is return to campus only when its safe. There are a few parents Ive spoken to who do want to get back to school soon, but the majority are being cautious and want to see conditions improve, said Harvel, whose children are taking their high school and middle classes online. In a Facebook video last week, L.A. teachers union President Cecily Myart-Cruz said the union would block any return to campus by students or teachers. On Thursday, the union clarified that stand, saying that Myart-Cruz spoke forcefully because she wanted to ease the concerns of members who'd just learned about the state clearing the way for small groups at schools some teachers feared being forced back to campuses immediately. Were not opposed to a safe reopening of our schools for a small targeted population of students," said Gloria Martinez, a vice president for United Teachers Los Angeles. "However, at this point were concerned about whether the district has the appropriate funding and resources to ensure the safety of our students and members. If the district thinks it is in a position to open campuses safely for this purpose, we are open to meeting with them. Some of the students targeted for help in the small-group plan, such as English learners, live in parts of the district that have the highest COVID-19 infection rates, which complicates efforts to provide face-to-face assistance. L.A. school officials had no immediate comment Thursday. The county plans to study data from this smaller-scale start-up over the next six weeks before making any conclusions about a broader school reopening, Ferrer said. That's why a general reopening won't happen until at least November. Several months ago, officials had planned for campuses to reopen in the fall, but this target was pushed back indefinitely by Gov. Gavin Newsom in July. Now, school reopenings are based on a county's pandemic health status or the approval of the waiver applications for elementary schools. L.A. County is in the highest tier for danger from the pandemic, which means a general reopening of schools is not currently permitted under state orders. Long Beach Unified, the county's second-largest school system, told parents Thursday that the district would continue online-only instruction through the winter break to provide instructional stability. Supt. Jill Baker said, in a video broadcast, that there is a higher likelihood of contributing to the spread of a communicable disease when large groups of adults and students are at one location. And pending the availability of a vaccine, surges in infections could perpetuate "a cycle of opening and closing classrooms." Both Long Beach and L.A. school systems are working on plans to provide help for students with special needs. Times staff writer Andrew J. Campa contributed to this report. 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 10. "In the past day, September 10, Russian Federation's armed formations three times violated the ceasefire agreements reached on July 22," 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 11, 2020. In particular, the enemy opened fire from rifles on Ukrainian positions near the village of Shumy where the so-called "one-time inspection," including an inspector representing Russia-backed forces, had to take place. What is more, two enemy attacks were recorded near the town of Zolote. At first, the enemy used a tracer bullet to set fire to the grass, and then used rifles to shoot at Ukrainian positions there. Read alsoDonbas war: Russian proxy forces open fire at site of "joint inspection" after move called offThe Joint Forces did not return fire. No casualties were reported in the past day. Since Friday midnight, no attacks by Russian Federation's armed formations have been recorded, the JFO HQ said. A landmine clearance operation is under way. More than nine hectares in the frontline zone have been cleared with 206 landmines and improvised explosive devices sent for disposal. Also, Joint Forces personnel are engaged in repairing and rebuilding houses and other facilities of civilian infrastructure. Eighteen facilities were fully repaired in the past 24 hours. The situation is under full control of the Ukrainian military, the JFO HQ said. Latest developments in Donbas For our free coronavirus pandemic coverage, learn more here. Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size On October 19, 1957, at the cliff edge of Govetts Leap in the NSW Blue Mountains, one of the worlds most famous archaeologists disappeared. Vere Gordon Childe, 65, was the just-retired director of the University of Londons Institute of Archaeology, and arguably the founder of modern archaeology. He was so famous that a generation later, the action hero Indiana Jones was partly modelled on Childes round-spectacled, bow-tied, tweed-waistcoated persona. When he failed to return from his walk that day, the alarm was raised, and a search quickly revealed his glasses, pipe, compass and hat gathered in a tidy pile near the edge of the cliff. His body was found soon afterwards, 150 metres down. As author James Suzman writes in his new book Work: A History of How We Spend Our Time, the coroner swiftly ruled his death a tragic accident: the short-sighted professor had taken off his glasses, lost his footing and fallen. This verdict was wrong. On the morning of his death, Childe had written and posted a letter to his successor at the institute, Professor William Grimes, including a covering note asking him not to open the contents for a decade. The letter was eventually published in 1980. In it, Childe calmly described his plan to end his own life. The British prejudice against suicide is utterly irrational, he wrote. To end his life deliberately is in fact something that distinguishes Homo sapiens from other animals An accident may easily and naturally befall me on a mountain cliff. Life ends best when one is happy and strong. His reason for dying was simple. As one grows older, he wrote, useful work becomes impossible, and without work, life is meaningless. Those who cant work, in fact, are simply a horde of parasites that should be disposed of. I have always considered that a sane society would disembarrass itself of such parasites by offering euthanasia as a crowning honour, or even imposing it in bad cases, he explained. Before he died, Childe was reportedly concerned about his health; his finances were precarious; he had no partner or family. But, as his own words tell us, central to everything was his certainty that his life was pointless without work. For myself I dont believe I can make further useful contributions to prehistory, he explained. I am beginning to forget what I laboriously learned New ideas very rarely come my way. I see no prospect of settling the problems that interest me most [and] I have no wish to hang on the fringe of learned societies or university institutions I have always intended to cease living before that happens. Advertisement From a distance, such a solution seems outrageous. But up close, it makes you wonder. How many of us live as if we believe what Childe did: that our life revolves around work; that our jobs are the most important things about us; that what we do is integral to who we are? How many of us, in fact, behave as if we believe that without work, life is not worth living? Archaeologist Vere Gordon Childe who died in 1957. He believed those who cant work are simply a horde of parasites that should be disposed of. Credit:National Library of Australia There is, of course, an alternative to this view. These days referred to by the (admittedly annoying) phrase work/life balance, this is the idea that we should all find some ideal middle ground between what we do for a living, and actual living. It originates from the ideas of famous developmental psychologist and psychoanalyst Erik Erikson. In the 1950s, Erikson began developing a theory that we face a tension between work and life that, unless resolved, leads to conflict, stress, and a phrase he coined identity crisis. The richest and fullest lives, Erikson wrote, attempt to achieve an inner balance between three realms: work, love and play. Almost a century later, Western societies are still struggling to find this balance. In capitalist systems, theres an almost universal assumption that work equals money equals happiness. The inference? The more you work, the happier youll be. Work to live, or live to work? That is the question. Anon Of course, most of us know by bitter personal experience that this isnt true. But the system has an answer to this, too. If were not happy expending the best of ourselves time, attention, creativity on work, its our own fault, because we simply havent found a profession we feel passionate about. If we had, wed be happy to work 12-hour days and take work home and give up holidays. All of which, it turns out, were already doing. Advertisement Until recently, many Australians were working harder than ever. A survey in 2018 of more than 11,000 respondents in 19 countries revealed that Australians had the third worst result in the world for taking available annual leave (behind only Japan and Italy), and that the number of our unused holidays had almost doubled in the previous decade, from three and a half to six days per year. In 2019, a separate report calculated that Australians had accrued 146 million days of annual leave, or just over 16 days for every full-time worker. Not only are we not taking holidays; were in the office till all hours. Only last year, the Centre for Future Work at the Australia Institute reported that Australians work an average of six weeks unpaid overtime a year. According to the OECD Better Life Index, this puts us in the bottom quarter (31st of 40) of countries for work-life balance. Australians like to think we know how to switch off: how to relax and enjoy life and as our ur-Australian cliche Paul Hogan once put it throw another shrimp on the barbie. But what these statistics tell us is that were obsessed with work. Whatever we might like to believe, as a nation, weve become much more Vere Gordon Childe than Crocodile Dundee. And then came the coronavirus. David and Michelle Slack-Smith know very well that work is not life. But until March this year, the problem was proving it. As a senior executive at health insurance company NIB, with teams and clients all over the country, 46-year-old David spent more time travelling than he did at home in Sydneys Lilyfield; and Michelle, 44, had her own role as NSW head of talent management with travel giant Flight Centre. The couple have two primary school-aged daughters. Life was just crazy, recalls David. Wed be turning up at daycare before it opened every day; going off to get a coffee while we waited for the staff to arrive. Advertisement We had a lot of near misses, agrees Michelle. School pick-up and both of us in the air; one of the girls getting chickenpox and Im in Brisbane, Davids in Melbourne. But pre-COVID-19, the options for more flexible working were limited. My boss was fantastic, Michelle recalls, and the company, too. They let me create a job share; they bent over backwards for me. But there was still a bravado about office culture: being there, working late. If I left at 4pm in my running gear because that was the fastest way home, a few people would look at me like, Whats she doing? And I was like, Actually, stuff you! Ive been here 20 years; I dont need to sit here till 9pm to prove myself. I mean, we were running a diversity and inclusion program! But if youre a mum, training for a marathon, needing to work from home for a few hours, forget it. No inclusion for you! This kind of workplace culture is by no means unique to Flight Centre, which as Michelle points out did its best to give her options within the traditional office framework, even as equally traditional office culture took its toll. Another constraint also common to big corporations was the fact that for her career to progress, Michelle would ultimately need to move to the company HQ, in this case in Brisbane. This was untenable, so in the end Michelle left and set up her own travel business working from home with hours she could set herself. Loading But life was still far from ideal. As country kids themselves, the Slack-Smiths had always dreamt of moving to the country, but we just could not figure out how to make it happen, says David. Were not farmers; our careers are in the city. Even after Michelle left work especially then! we needed my income. So you just go on doing the same old thing, because theres really nothing else to do. Then came the global pandemic. And that, as Michelle puts it, stopped everything in its tracks. Since the world ground to a coronavirus halt, something unexpected has happened to work. For arguably the first time since the Industrial Revolution, people are being forced to rethink the way it operates, and the role it plays in our lives. Of course, having a job matters more than ever as economies collapse but how fundamentally important are KPIs when people are losing their jobs regardless of performance?; how important is schmoozing your boss when your loved ones lives are in danger? And on a different, but for many people more immediate level how important is the office when youre suddenly asked to do your job from home and realise that you can? Advertisement Until March of this year, only around 5 per cent of Australians worked from home every day. But when the pandemic began, close to half of workers in Sydney (40 per cent) and more than a third in Melbourne (39 per cent) suddenly found themselves doing exactly that. The numbers are smaller in regional areas, but even so, when surveyed in June, one-third of working Australians were toiling away from home. In the beginning, this seemed like just a momentary disruption of our daily commuter lives. I think people found it quite exciting and novel, says Anastasia Panayotidis, general manager of clinical services at Relationships Australia Victoria. Most people leaned into it: I think they were grateful to still have their jobs, to be able to look after kids and family. And of course, were all conscious of doctors and teachers and delivery people and grocery store workers, who were making life possible for the rest of us. Not to mention the people whove lost their jobs. In that context, working from home felt lucky; even liberating in a way: you were still working, and you were safe. And it wasnt going to last forever. But now, perhaps, it might. If wed just had the first lockdown, and then the bounce back to normal working patterns, then it might not have had any long-lasting effects, says associate professor Anya Johnson, deputy head of discipline in work and organisational studies at the University of Sydney Business School. But, in fact, the disruption is big enough that I think it will change culture: it will re-craft what work means, and how we work. Companies such as Twitter, Google, Microsoft, Optus and Westpac have all said they plan to make some version of working from home an ongoing feature of employee life. As Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey put it, hes happy for his employees to keep working from home forever. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has also declared that remote working will let his companies access greater diversity of talent by hiring outside the major cities. Less expansively, hes admitted that future remuneration may be tied to peoples locations if you live in Idaho, dont expect a Silicon Valley salary. Remote working might also improve productivity and staff retention. A 2019 Harvard Business Review study of US Patent Office workers found their output increased by 4.4 per cent when they worked from home, with no significant decrease in quality, and a Stanford study of 16,000 Chinese travel company employees found remote working improved job satisfaction and halved attrition rates. Im on this call, but when I hang up, I can open that door and my familys there. Increased productivity, wage savings, lower corporate rents: working from home could provide enormous benefits for business. But significant numbers of workers perhaps more than 80 per cent are also enjoying working from home, and want to keep doing so in some fashion. Theyre enjoying the lack of commute, the flexibility of working hours, the savings that come from no transport, food or incidental costs, and more time with their families. Advertisement Several law enforcement agencies in Oregon said they had been flooded with inquiries about rumors that activists were responsible. On Thursday, several journalists reporting on fires near the city of Molalla, Oregon, said they had been confronted by a group of armed people who were worried about unverified reports of arsonists in the area. Actor Ritika Anand, who makes her production debut with web series JL50, has said the Abhay Deol starrer was made with an aim to create a very desi, Indian science-fiction film and create a genre, different from how the west makes science fiction films. Ritika plays a pilot in the series that was originally made as a film with Abhay Deol, Panja Kapur and Piyush Mishra essaying the lead roles. JL50 finally released on Sony Liv last week and has received wide critical acclaim. Crediting her writer-director for the concept of fusion between science fiction and Indian mythology, Ritika said in an interview with Hindustan Times, The concept is all his (Shailendra Vyas) - I only told him that I wanted a sci-fi and a very desi one at that. Elaborating on the idea of introducing Emperor Ashoka to the concept, Ritika said, There was a point in the story where he (Shailendra) wanted to associate Indian mythology but we could not think of anything. He wanted to bring this aspect because we believed people can identify with the film as their own and feel a sense of pride if we bring in some Indian-ness to the concept. While researching, I came across a few lines about emperor Ashoka and I told him about it. He found a way to fit it into the story in the right manner.The way he has presented this is all his vision. Asked about her response when JL50 was slated for an OTT release, Ritika said, I wish the whole planet could time travel and get rid of this pandemic. With the pandemic adding to it all, every filmmaker can now share the stage with the bigwigs and that is a great thing to happen. I am grateful it is releasing now. I am relieved of that pressure - where the weekend ticket collection decides whether I have made a good film. Theatrical releases are like having your school exam results displayed on the notice board for everyone to see while OTT is like receiving that result in your personal email. JL50 was originally made as a film four years ago and was recently released as a web series. Parts of the entire crews hearts broke when we had to release it on OTT because it was made as a film but given the circumstances, it was the best decision to release it on online, she added. Also read: JL50 review: Abhay Deol, Pankaj Kapurs sci-fi mystery gets a smooth landing Ritika also elaborated on a possibility of a sequel and said, When we wrote it, we wanted to leave it open ended as we are taking this bold step of introducing desi sci-fi. why not end it on a note where if someone wants to take it up - a prequel or sequel can be built. Now with all the responses, that can be thought about, this time it will be written and conceived as a series. That end was created with this to keep the possibility open. Interact with the author @swetakaushal Follow @htshowbiz for more SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Footage of the likeness of a Hogwarts-style castle appearing to float in the sky has caused a sensation on Chinese social media. The ghostly image of what looked like Harry Potter's school was spotted hovering above modern buildings in Shandong Province in eastern China this morning, according to accounts. Local media reported that the sight was a natural phenomenon called a mirage. Trending footage purports to show the image of an ancient European-style complex with three pointy turrets towering over three office blocks in Jinan, eastern China, on Friday morning Amazed web users have compared the scene to Hogwarts, the school of witchcraft and wizardry from Harry Potter films (above). One wrote: 'Is this the Shandong branch of Hogwarts' The footage was filmed at around 11am in Jinan, the capital of Shandong Province, according to an influential Chinese blogger who released the clip. The footage purports to show the image of an ancient European-style complex with three pointy turrets towering over three office blocks. Users of Weibo, the Chinese equivalent to Twitter, were awe-struck by the scene. Many compared the building in question to Hogwarts, the school of witchcraft and wizardry from Harry Potter films. One person wrote: 'Is this the Shandong branch of Hogwarts?' Another fan joked: 'How can muggles see Hogwarts?' A third viewer commented: 'Has Hogwarts finally come to China to recruit students?' Some people also related the scene to Hebei Academy of Fine Arts, a college in northern China that bears a striking resemblance to Hogwarts. One Weibo, the Chinese equivalent to Twitter, one viewer commented: 'Has Hogwarts finally come to China to recruit students?' Footage of the 'floating Hogwarts' has gone viral online Some people related the scene to Hebei Academy of Fine Arts, a college in northern China that bears a striking resemblance to Hogwarts. The above picture shows the college in 2019 The spectacle was believed to be a mirage, a form of illusion that is common in humid weather, The Paper reported. The phenomenon normally appears when moisture in the air becomes warmer than the temperature of the water below. As the rays of sunlight cross from the colder air into the warmer air, it is 'bent' or refracted - creating a reflection in the air. The patterns in the mirage are typically blurred and shimmering with a resemblance to human structures. They are similar to a reflection seen in the water. Some locals believed that the 'floating Hogwarts' was the reflection of a residential estate situated two kilometres (1.2 miles) away. The community consists of buildings in a similar architectural style. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday launched the website of Aero India 2021, which will be held between February 3-7, 2021. A total of 61 aircraft had participated in the event. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday launched the website of Aero India 2021, which will be held between February 3-7, 2021. Office of Defence Minister said in a tweet that Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh launched the website of Aero India 2021 at South Block today, the Aero India Show was scheduled from 03 to 07th of February, 2021 in Bengaluru. Aero India 2021 was also discussed at India-UK Defence Equipment Sub-group Meeting. Principal Spokesperson, Ministry of Defence, said in a tweet that Aero India-21 was discussed at India-UK Defence Equipment Sub-group Meeting, UK was keen to attend Asias Largest Aeroshow. India hosted the 12th edition of Aero India 2019 at Air Force Station, Yelahanka, Bengaluru, (Karnataka) from February 20 to 24, 2019. A total of 61 aircraft had participated in the event. Several seminars were conducted by a host of agencies including the Ministry of Civil Aviation, Skill Development Ministry, state governments and industrial associations in addition to the Ministry of Defence. Also read: Serum Institute pauses Covid-19 vaccine trials after show-cause notice by DCGI Also read: With highest single-day spike of over 96,000 cases, Indias Covid-19 tally crosses 45L mark The first three days at the show earmarked exclusively for business visitors saw a footfall of approximately two lakh, according to a Defence Ministry release. The air show saw a lot of activity from a business point of view and witnessed several round table meets. Aero India is a biennial air show and aviation exhibition that is held in Bengaluru at the Yelahanka Air Force Station. It is organised by the Defence Exhibition Organisation under the Ministry of Defence. Also read: Sushant Singh Rajput death case LIVE news updates: Court rejects bail pleas of Rhea Chakraborty and others accused Indian army vehicles move along a highway leading to Ladakh, at Gagangeer some 81 kilometers from Srinagar, the summer capital of Indian Kashmir, Sept. 7, 2020. EPA The British Motor Museum. Photo: Roy Thole. Next weeks Gaydon Gathering event at the British Motor Museum has been postponed following the Governments recent announcement concerning coronavirus. The event had been due to take place on Tuesday (15 September), but the first Gaydon Gathering will instead now take place on Tuesday 13 October. Jeff Coope, managing director at the British Motor Museum, said "Safety is our number one priority and we feel that, given these recent developments, the responsible approach is to delay the launch of this exciting new format until October. The event will remain free but admission will be by ticket only, with limited numbers to ensure everyone's safety. We appreciate the support we have received and hope that everyone who was due to attend will understand our decision. We look forward to welcoming our visitors instead on Tuesday 13 October. This new, informal event will be held outdoors on the Museums arenas. Updated details will be available on the British Motor Museum website where visitors will also be able to book their October Gaydon Gathering free ticket. Tickets are subject to availability and can be booked up to 12noon on the day. There will be no admission without a ticket. The Museum will continue to monitor the Government advice and keep visitors informed of any changes. Names and contact details will be taken at the time of booking to comply with NHS Test and Trace and visitors will be required to observe social distancing. For more information on the October Gaydon Gatherings please visit https://www.britishmotormuseum.co.uk/whats-on/gaydon-gathering-october ANN ARBOR, MI Its been four days since University of Michigan graduate students began striking for more COVID-19 transparency and protection, and their efforts have had a trickle-down effect to other groups, including residence hall and dining staff, who are now voicing their concerns. More than 200 people representing various parts of the UM community came together Friday afternoon, Sept. 11, in a virtual speakout to share experiences, discuss concerns and think about what steps are next. For Yael Kenan, a member of the Graduate Employees' Organization, the message to university administration is clear. The university has said time and time again that they are creating a public health-informed fall semester. This is not what a public health-informed semester looks like," Kenan said. This is what a financial-needs and financial austerity-informed semester looks like. The meeting consisted of opening remarks from Kenan, resident assistant Soneida Rodriguez and nurse Anne Jackson. All three talked for a few minutes about their experiences and the issues surrounding UMs plan to contain COVID-19 before everyone broke into small groups for discussion. Members of the media were allowed to listen in on the opening remarks, but the rest of the meeting was closed to the public. Nurses have been fighting for safety since the pandemic began, Jackson said, including asking for proper personal protective equipment, such as N-95 masks. They even filed a complaint with the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration, she said. There is also a lack of transparency from UM about when it is safe to work if someone has been exposed to COVID-19, Jackson said. Now, as we are continuing to add community spread of COVID-19, our employer does not seem to see the need to use best practices, only restricting folks from work if youre positive and symptomatic, Jackson said. But when youre waiting for test results and have been exposed, you can still work. Student workers in the residence halls also have concerns about being safe, and Rodriguez said its not uncommon for resident assistants to be the last to know about policies or be removed from the decision-making process altogether. The university is focused on making decisions that sound effective on paper but provide little support when implemented, Rodriguez said. An example is requiring each student to have a negative coronavirus test when they move into the dorms, Rodriguez said. Without the presence of any sort of organized system for residents to submit their test results, it became clear that there was no form of accountability to follow through with this promise, Rodriguez said. All the groups' demands are simple, straightforward and necessary, Kenan said, adding its obvious the university should have a robust testing and contact tracing plan, be transparent and defend and protect marginalized communities of color from an armed campus. If this past summer hasnt clarified that to (UM President) Mark Schlissel and to everyone in leadership at this university, then lets hope that this strike will because folks are tired of fighting, but they are so proud of this fight, and they will do so for as long as necessary, Kenan said. READ MORE: University of Michigan graduate students reject initial offer, will continue strike Potential emergency shelter on University of Michigan campus to be discussed by City Council Coronavirus cases at Grand Valley State surpass all other universities in Michigan Inis Oirr relies heavily on tourism for its economic survival. In March, many felt that given the unique acute risk posed by Covid to an island community, there was little hope of reopening at all in 2020. However, all that changed suddenly on June 29, and despite significant concerns, the island reopened and experienced record numbers of visitors throughout July and August. While some welcomed the move, it created anxiety and unease for others. Maire Ui Mhaolain is the manager of the Community Development Co-op on Inis Oirr. She believes the islanders' views weren't taken on board. "The lockdown itself was OK here. We are so used to being isolated during the winter, I suppose. As summer was approaching, people were getting very anxious," she said. Expand Close Shopkeeper Susan Conneely / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Shopkeeper Susan Conneely Read More A survey found 91pc of residents on Inis Oirr favoured keeping the island closed with a few exceptions. "People were keen to open up to our habitual visitors, our family and friends that come every year - especially older people who hadn't seen their children, grandchildren, and siblings," Maire said. "The island was fairly strongly in favour of not opening up to visitors. And we did communicate that to our politicians and everyone else, but we really were not listened to. Expand Close Maire Ui Mhaolain / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Maire Ui Mhaolain "We had 3,000 people arriving some days and 2,700 on other days." Inis Oirr has managed to remain free from coronavirus, but the threat still looms large in islanders' minds. "There are many people, older people, and vulnerable people, who still haven't used the shop. "There was a lot of panic at the beginning, but we are probably in more danger now because we are more relaxed." With a deep sigh, Maire says that if the coronavirus was to reach the island and spread, "it doesn't even bear thinking about". "We are such a tight-knit community here, when we lose somebody it can be really, really hard. We have been lucky so far." Susan Conneely (29) works at the only shop on Inis Oirr, and she spent the first three months of lockdown organising supplies for the entire island. She had not expected the island to reopen and believes it was the busiest summer she can remember. "It was all staycations, and there were easily 3,000 people arriving some days. We were just constantly on the go," she said. "Inis Oirr is here for its beauty, and it needs to be kept like that. It's all right to come for a day, but we are the ones left behind to live with it." Trevor McHale from Mayo arrived on Inis Oirr 13 years ago. He said it was "fishing and ladies" that brought him to the island. He is a tour guide and transports visitors around the island in a traditional pony and trap. He was glad the island reopened. "Six months ago, we were in total lockdown. There was supposed to be no boats or nothing," he said. "We started again the last week of June, and we have been tipping away ever since. "It was all Irish on staycations. The people coming here would usually go to Spain. "I found them very good, very generous too. I am happy we reopened, and I got some bit of a season. "It's long hours, but it was a short season, and we are lucky to be here at all." Padraig O Conghaile, the owner of Tigh Ned's pub, said the decision to reopen his business had been "very difficult". "We wondered would it be worth our while at all, and then the next thing we got crazy busy. "We hadn't enough staff because we didn't know from one day to the next what to expect. Everything is twice as much work as before. You could clean the same table 20 times in an hour. "On fine days, we do grand because we have 12 tables outside, but we only have eight tables inside on wet days. And then you have somebody standing outside for an hour in the rain." Padraig said he remained very concerned over the threat posed by Covid to his fellow islanders. "Every time the phone rings, you were dreading the thought of somebody saying there was a case," he said. "If there were a case on the island, it would be all over. "This year was just pressure. Pressure when you are not open and pressure when you are." Al-Qaeda has threatened French satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo with a repeat of a 2015 massacre of its staff, after it republished controversial cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed. Al-Qaeda in its publication One Ummah has warned that Charlie Hebdo would be mistaken if it believed the 2015 attack was a 'one off', after the magazine printed the 'contemptible caricatures' in a defiant issue that marked the start of the trial in Paris of suspected accomplices in the attack. The comments came in an English edition of the Al-Qaeda publication that purported to mark the anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States carried out by the terror network. It said it had the 'same message' for the France of President Emmanuel Macron as it did for his predecessor Francois Hollande who was president at the time of the 2015 attacks. It said France under Macron 'gave a green light' to the republication of the cartoons. This file photo taken on January 7, 2015 shows a general view of firefighters, police officers and forensic investigators gathered in front of the offices of the French satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo in Paris, after the brothers Kouachi stormed the offices leaving twelve dead A video provided by the SITE (The Search for International Terrorist Entities) Intelligence Group shows Al-Qaeda's chief Ayman al-Zawahiri at an undisclosed location in 2013 making an announcement in a video-relayed audio message posted on jihadist forums In this Sept. 11, 2001, file photo, smoke rises from the burning twin towers of the World Trade Center after hijacked planes crashed into the towers, in New York City. The threat to Charlie Hebdo was published in an issue of Al-Qaeda's online magazine, One Ummah, which purportedly marks the anniversary of the twin tower attacks today Twelve people, including some of France's most celebrated cartoonists, were killed on January 7, 2015, when brothers Said and Cherif Kouachi went on a gun rampage at the offices of Charlie Hebdo, whose no-taboo style, including publishing cartoons of the prophet, had divided the country. The brothers identified themselves during the attack as members of Al-Qaeda. The trial, which began on September 2 and is expected to continue until November, sees 14 suspected accomplices face justice even though all the perpetrators were killed in the wake of the attacks. It had reopened one of the post painful chapters in France's modern history which heralded a spate of jihadist attacks on its territory that have claimed more than 250 lives. Charlie Hebdo's director Laurent Sourisseau, known as 'Riss' and who was himself badly wounded in the shoulder in the attack, told the court this week that there was nothing to regret in publishing the cartoons. French President Emmanuel Macron looks on during the closing press conference of the seventh MED7 Mediterranean countries summit, in Porticcio, Corsica, France yesterday 'What I regret is to see how little people fight to defend freedom. If we don't fight for our freedom, we live like a slave and we promote a deadly ideology,' he said. Charlie Hebdo's republication of the cartoons drew new condemnation from states including Iran, Pakistan and Turkey. But Sourisseau, who now lives under round the clock protection, said it had to republish them. 'If we had given up the right to publish these cartoons, that would mean that we were wrong to do so' in the first place, he said. FILE PHOTO: The Turkish drilling vessel Yavuz is seen being escorted by a Turkish Navy frigate in the eastern Mediterranean off Cyprus By Noemie Olive AJACCIO, France (Reuters) - The European Union will draw up a list of new sanctions on Turkey at the end of September unless Ankara comes to the negotiating table to resolve a territorial dispute with Greece and Cyprus, the EU's Mediterranean states said on Thursday. Tensions flared between the EU and NATO member Turkey after Ankara sent a survey vessel to map out possible oil and gas drilling prospects in territorial waters claimed by Greece and areas claimed by Cyprus. The seven EU members with Mediterranean coastlines gathered for a summit in Corsica, France, said in a joint communique they reiterated their "full support and solidarity with Cyprus and Greece in the face of the repeated infringements on their sovereignty (...) as well as confrontational actions by Turkey". "We maintain that in the absence of progress in engaging Turkey into a dialogue and unless it ends its unilateral activities, the EU is ready to develop a list of further restrictive measures that could be discussed at the European Council of Sept 24-25." The position of the seven EU states does not necessarily reflect the stance of the whole bloc. Cyprus' proposal in June to impose EU sanctions on more Turkish companies and individuals has not been approved as many EU states, including Germany, want to defuse the Turkey stand-off through dialogue. Speaking at a news conference at the end of the Corsica summit, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said Ankara still has time to end its exploration activities in non-demarcated maritime zones before the EU summit later this month. "We will avert Turkey's attempt to divide Europe," he said, adding that Greece has been fulfilling its duty in protecting EU borders and expects solidarity in return. Earlier on Tuesday, French President Emmanuel Macron said the problem was not with the Turkish people, for whom he had great respect, but with the government of President Tayyip Erdogan. Story continues In response, Omer Celik, a spokesman with Erdogan's ruling AK Party, wrote on Twitter that Macron was deploying a "colonialist" game by trying to drive a wedge between Erdogan and the Turkish people. "The country against which you are using threatening language is Turkey. Turkey will give you the most appropriate response. Mr Macron, do not get us confused with those tribal states that you can easily trick. Nobody has the power to separate the elected president of this country and its people," Celik wrote. (Additional reporting by Renee Maltezou in Athens, John Irish and Jean-Philippe Lefief in Paris, Crispian Balmer in Rome, Tuvan Gumrukcu in Ankara, Ingrid Melander in Madrid and Victoria Waldersee in Lisbon; Writing by Benoit Van Overstraeten and Christian Lowe in Paris; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Jonathan Oatis) The possibility of an unresolved presidential election this fall giving way to a winter of uncertainty, chaos or even political violence has sent many Americans scurrying to the history books in search of a precedent. Never before has an incumbent president sought to hold onto power despite an apparent loss in his bid for reelection, as President Donald Trump has indicated he might. Yet there have on occasion been lingering doubts long after Election Day about who the winner actually was. Most recently, the 2000 election wasn't resolved until mid-December, when five Republican-appointed justices on the Supreme Court put a stop to the recount of votes in Florida, thus handing the election to George W. Bush. But there is a more frightening example of a contested election: 1876. This deadlock came remarkably close to plunging the United States into another civil war, barely more than a decade after the close of the first one. It suggests that today we need not only fear potential violence but should also worry about what policies and principles even well-meaning political leaders might be willing to compromise on to avert it. In 1876, the United States marked its 100th birthday. What ought to have been a moment of celebration instead turned into one of anxious hand-wringing and morose contemplation. Might the Civil War start again? Had constitutional breakdown become the new American normal? Despite heroic attempts to reconstruct it on a broader and sturdier foundation, the Union again seemed to totter. "The chances are by no means inconsiderable," one Democrat mused, "that our form of govt may not survive another 4 of July without serious modification, the results of a perhaps bloody strife." Fatefully, the North had never managed to consolidate its victory. President Andrew Johnson, the Tennessee enslaver whom the late Abraham Lincoln had adopted as his 1864 running mate precisely to reward his wartime loyalty to the Union, now sided openly with those who had fought to destroy it and with the white supremacist principles they continued unapologetically to espouse. To guarantee the fruits of victory, and for the protection of formerly enslaved people, the Republican-dominated Congress imposed a strict military occupation of the rebel states. The South would be remade at the point of a gun. Or not. Advances toward multiracial democracy were swiftly met with armed resistance by roving bands of murderers and marauders like the Ku Klux Klan, who preyed on Black politicians, voters or any formerly enslaved person who acted, as one woman put it, "like they thought anything of themselves." Ulysses S. Grant, Johnson's Republican successor, prosecuted some of the terror groups and drove them underground. But after a series of political scandals and a financial panic in 1873, Republicans lost their majority in the House of Representatives. Many White Northerners began to lose interest in Reconstruction, while White Southerners, back in control of the Democratic Party, redoubled their efforts to reclaim political power and racial dominance, including through increasingly vicious campaigns of anti-Black violence. The 1876 presidential contest pit Samuel Tilden, New York's Democratic governor and a wealthy corporate lawyer, against Rutherford B. Hayes, Ohio's governor and a decorated Union general wounded five times in battle but a dull, uninspiring figure. Riding voter discontent with a still-sluggish economy and the Grant administration's shameless corruption, Tilden won the popular vote and, seemingly, the electoral college. But when Republican officials in three Southern states - Louisiana, South Carolina and Florida - invalidated Democratic votes because of outright fraud and violent voter intimidation, Hayes seemed headed for the White House. The New York Historical Society/Getty Images Hardcore Democrats, especially those from the South, refused to accept the results and rallied around the ominous slogan, "Tilden or War." Fifteen years out of power, the party was desperate to retake the presidency and return the country to the status quo antebellum: a federal union founded and perpetuated on the basis of white supremacy. Rumors circulated that if Hayes was declared the winner, Tilden would hold a counterinauguration in Manhattan, seize the federal treasury building and fund a shadow government through customs revenue. Democratic state militias would invade Washington and send Hayes back to Ohio to rule over a rump Midwestern republic. Tilden had friends in high places, some of whom seemed willing to put such a wild plan into effect. George McClellan, the popular Union general and 1864 Democratic candidate, stumped the country for Tilden before Election Day and rallied veterans to support him. Any attempt to prevent Tilden from taking office would be "revolutionary + must be met by force," McClellan told his mother. The general's vast network of ex-military admirers encouraged him to take action. One suggested "a little bit of war to inaugurate Mr. Tilden would do us no harm." Hiding out in his Gramercy Park study, Tilden held aloof from such plans. He knew, however, as a supporter told him, that "well armed men" were ready to march on Washington and install him in the White House. Heeding his supporters (though he had his doubts), Tilden announced that the inauguration of a "usurper" as president would justify violent resistance. Democrats weren't the only ones preparing for war. A Hayes supporter from Texas pledged "hundreds + thousands" of ex-soldiers would fight for the Republican candidate. Grant, who feared his legacy of ending one civil war would be ruined by his failure to prevent another, ordered troops to surround the Capitol and restaffed Washington-area forts abandoned since Appomattox. William Tecumseh Sherman, Grant's successor as top general, feared the military would "be put into a position to choose between two presidents." Just five weeks before Inauguration Day, Democrats and Republicans in Congress, pressured by business executives who disliked the uncertainty, agreed to form a 15-person commission - composed equally of senators, representatives and Supreme Court justices - to sort through the disputed votes. Tilden wondered whether the Democrats' participation suggested preemptive capitulation. "Why surrender now?" he asked. "Why surrender before the battle, for fear you may have to surrender after the battle is over?" In an 8-to-7 party-line vote, the commission gave every disputed vote to Hayes. Democrats in the House threatened to block certification of the results to force a new election. In a literally smoke-filled room at Wormley's Hotel in Washington, party bigwigs agreed to a now-infamous compromise: Democratic submission to Hayes's inauguration in exchange for the withdrawal of federal troops from the last Republican redoubts in the South (Louisiana and South Carolina, where they were propping up besieged governors). The deal brought to a symbolic close the 15-year effort to enforce the Constitution in the South. Stock Montage/Getty Images Wounded by war, devoted to profit rather than principle, grown "tired of the Negro," as the New York Herald coldly stated, White Northerners were relieved to give up on Reconstruction and leave White Southerners in charge. They had fought once to save the Union but wouldn't do so again to preserve the newly won rights of Black people. Indeed, the new sectional bargain affirmed the South's long-standing contention that union was possible on no other terms. Georgia's Robert Toombs, a former Confederate general and Cabinet official, said he would "face thirty years of war to get rid of Negro suffrage in the South." No white Northerner would endure the same to keep it in place. Even former abolitionists sighed that the "social, and educational, and moral reconstruction" so desperately needed in the South could "never come from any legislative halls." The essence of the "devil's compromise," as some Black Americans called the deal, was a national recommitment to white supremacy, the oldest and strongest union bond of all. The compromise of 1877 effectively voided the Union victory in the Civil War - except for the abolition of slavery, and even then, the system that replaced it often closely resembled actual bondage. Military withdrawal brought lynchings, voter suppression and segregation. Southern Blacks became ensnared in what historian Eric Foner, in his landmark history of Reconstruction, calls "a seamless web of oppression, whose interwoven economic, political, and social strands all reinforced one another." That web, in a sense, was the Union itself. Bettmann/Bettmann Archive The truly terrifying legacy of the 1876 electoral standoff isn't only how close the crisis came to triggering a new outbreak of catastrophic violence but the solution American politicians came up with to avoid it: to avert another constitutional breakdown and resort to arms, the greatest advances for liberty and equality in human history were all but repealed. A renewal of the founding bargain - Northern silence in exchange for Southern allegiance - endured and underwrote America's rise as a world power. What deals might today's political leaders ink to end a similar crisis this time around? It may not be too soon to ask. As in 1876, constitutional breakdown would be disastrous, but so would a desperate, panicked insistence on compromise at any cost. - - - Kreitner is the author of "Break It Up: Secession, Division, and the Secret History of America's Imperfect Union" (2020), from which this essay has been adapted. DARWIN, Australia The caves, set deep in a desert gorge, had yielded a treasure trove of artifacts tracing Aboriginal peoples long history in Australia: a 28,000-year-old kangaroo bone sharpened into a blade; a 4,000-year-old plait of human hair believed to have been worn as a belt. Underneath the caverns sat millions of dollars worth of high-grade iron ore, in a country where mining is king. In May, the minerals giant Rio Tinto decided to blow up the caves to get at the riches below. But on Friday, it became clear that Australias most powerful export industry had met a force it could not bulldoze: the global movement for racial justice. The company announced that its chief executive, Jean-Sebastien Jacques, would step down after a shareholder revolt over its destruction of the prehistoric rock shelters in the Juukan Gorge, which are sacred to two Australian Aboriginal groups. Finding an unwanted guest in your home isnt ideal, least of all when its a masked intruder - a raccoon. A video of police in Tampa, Florida removing this intruder from the home has since caught the attention of netizens. In a post shared on Facebook, Tampa Police Department explained the incident involving the masked bandit and shared a video of the chase that ensued. The post details how a homeowner dialled 911 after she heard noises coming from her closet. It turned out to be a raccoon. After much effort, coordination and chasing the masked bandit around the home, the raccoon finally ran out, says the post. The video of the chase, caught on body cam, has also been shared on Facebook. It shows the cops using brooms to chase the animal out of the house. One officer was nipped in the hand, but is doing okay, the post says further. Take a look at the video below: The video has since prompted several reactions on Facebook. My worst fear! posted an individual. Another brave Tampa police officer going above and beyond, wrote another praising the efforts. Thank you officers for not hurting the animal and helping the lady, stay safe and thank you for your service, shared a third. What do you think about the video? SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ArcelorMittal Poland has denied accusations from local trade union Sierpien 80 that it was abandoning plans to relight blast furnaces in its Krakow plant, saying that operations in the steelworks hot area will be resumed but only when it is economically viable, a company spokesperson said on Wednesday September 9. The steelmaker has postponed the restart of the blast furnace (BF) and steelmaking operations in Krakow, originally planned for March 2020, due to concerns about the Covid-19 pandemic. In a press release published on Wednesday, Sierpien 80 said that it has received information indicating that the blast furnace in Krakow will not be launched any more. The key reason for this was said to be the increasingly suicidal climate policy of the EU, according to the release. In particular, the trade union criticized the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS). This allows carbon-emissions permits to be purchased, but it is regularly cited for increasing production costs, which make domestically produced steel uncompetitive against imports which do not face such costs. ArcelorMittal Poland has denied that suggestion. The BF and the steelmaking equipment in Krakow will be put back into operation when it is economically viable, which is not the case at the moment, Marc De Pauw, chief executive officer and chairman of the board of directors at ArcelorMittal Poland, said in a statement seen by Fastmarkets. The company has admitted, however, that the ETS results in an additional financial burden for EU mills, because competitors from outside the trading bloc do not have to bear similar costs. This is why, for a few years now, ArcelorMittal has been calling for the introduction of the carbon border adjustment, which would provide a level playing field and enable the decarbonization of the sector, ArcelorMittal Poland said. Additionally, in Poland, we are faced with high electricity prices, which are bound to go up further when the capacity market is introduced early next year, which will again negatively affect our competitive position, it added. ArcelorMittal Europe has committed to reducing its CO2 emissions by 30% by 2030, and intends to be carbon-neutral by 2050, in line with the EUs Green Deal and the Paris Agreement. In the meantime, European flat steel market fundamentals began to improve in mid-August on tighter availability and a lack of import offers. Consequently, local steelmakers have gradually begun to bring online capacities that had been idled due to the effects of Covid-19 on demand. In August, Liberty Ostrava and Voestalpine began to relight blast furnaces idled in spring this year. Also in August, ArcelorMittal restarted BF No3 at its Dunkirk flat steel plant in France. In addition, in September, ArcelorMittal started preparations to relight blast furnaces at its Asturias plant in Spain and at Fos-sur-Mer in France. Fastmarkets daily steel hot-rolled coil index, domestic, exw Northern Europe was calculated at 476.25 ($561.71) per tonne on September 9, up by 8.30 per tonne from 467.95 per tonne on Tuesday September 8. The index was also up by 19.90 per tonne week on week and by 62.08 per tonne month on month. Wednesdays index was based on a deal heard at 470-490 per tonne ex-works and workable prices reported at 470-480 per tonne ex-works. The regions steelmakers have pushed their official offers for HRC up to 500-530 per tonne ex-works, with ArcelorMittal offering the material at 520-530 per tonne ex-works in Northern Europe. These offers were not included in the index, however, because no deals have been confirmed in that price range yet. The domestic price rise was driven by a combination of an absence of import offers in the EU market and long lead times from European mills, along with the effects of capacity closures across the EU during the Covid-19 lockdown. Market sources expected domestic transaction prices to continue to rise in September-October, Fastmarkets understands. Import offers have been limited due to tougher safeguard measures and an anti-dumping case being opened into Turkish HRC entering Europe, as well as prices being higher in traditional outlet markets for Turkeys HRC exports. Additionally, demand from the automotive sector has improved in the past couple of weeks, sources said, with steelmakers redirecting some volumes from the spot market to fulfil long-term contracts, further reducing the volumes available in the market. Maria Tanatar in Dnipro, Ukraine, contributed to this report. The Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has reiterated that the Akufo-Addo government's commitment to ending the perennial flooding in the Upper East and North East regions. Many communities in these regions have over the years suffered from devastating flood, as a result of the annual spillage of the Bagre Dam in Burkina Faso, and President Akufo-Addo promised to build a dam in Pawlugu to contain the situation. This year's havoc, which hit the regions this week, has been more devastating as a result of combined factors of the Bagre Dam spillage in Burkina Faso and days of heavy downpour in northern Ghana, resulting in 10 people losing their lives and farmers losing their crops and animals. Addressing the press during an assessment visits to the Kubore Zebila-Bawku road, which has seen parts washed away by the heavy flood on Thursday, 10th September, 2020, Dr. Bawumia said the flood has been devastating communities for years and there has to be a permanent solution to it, hence the Akufo-Addos government's decision to invest massively in the Pawlugu Dam to help address the problem. "At the end of the day, this is a problen that we have kept experiencing year after year and the question I am sure is in the minds of every Ghanaian is what are we doing about it?," Dr. Bawumia said. "We have basically understood that to deal with this problem fundamentally, we have to have a flood control in the context of the Pawlugu Dam." "That is the most important antidote to all of these. That is why we have moved to secure the Pawlugu Dam project, and this project is the biggest dam project we have in the northern region." "It is the single biggest investment in northern Ghana since independence; it is about $1 billion dollars and the contractors are on site." The Vice President said prior to the flooding, the contractors had already commenced work by clearing the site up to the river. He added that with the flooding, the contractors would have to wait for the flood to subside and then they will divert the water for work to continue. "On the washing away of the portion s of the Kubore road making it inaccessible, the Vice President said the Ghana Highway Authority is waiting for the water to subside before contractors move on site to fix the bridge and reconnect the road." Government sympathies to victims Dr. Bawumia expressed the government's condolences to families of the ten people who perished, and farmers who lost their livestock and crops. "It is a disaster and a very sad situation. We have unfortunately lost lives, about ten people, I am told, have lost their lives. On behalf of the President, I express the government's commiseration to families of the victims," said the Vice President. Dr. Bawumia added: "Many farmers have lost their livestock and crops. They have lost a lot of their crops and for farmers when you lose your crop, that is a year's income so we have to find a way of cushioning these farmers. We have to find a way to provide relief for the farmers to help them." Dr. Bawumia is on a working tour of the northern regions of Ghana and he has halted his origional programme for his first day in the Upper East Region on Thursday September 10, 2020, to tour affected areas and people for first-hand knowledge on the extent of the disaster. The Vice President was accompanied by the Upper East Regional Minister, Patience Tangoba Abayege, Minister for Interior Ambrose Derry, Deputy Minister of Roads and Highways Anthony Karbo as well as National and Regional Directors for NADMO. Jessica tells DailyMail.com how her independent local business is recovering in a post COVID-19 world and what customers want now Jessica tells DailyMail.com how her independent local business is recovering in a post COVID-19 world and what customers want now Jessica tells DailyMail.com how her independent local business is recovering in a post COVID-19 world and what customers want now Jessica tells DailyMail.com how her independent local business is recovering in a post COVID-19 world and what customers want now The new stunning space is designed by Manhattan based company Mythology who have also worked with Warby Parker, Allbirds, Away and Sonos The new stunning space is designed by Manhattan based company Mythology who have also worked with Warby Parker, Allbirds, Away and Sonos It is also frequented by the best makeup artists in the industry like Meghan Markle's close friend Daniel Martin, Romy Solemani and Katie Jane Hughes It is also frequented by the best makeup artists in the industry like Meghan Markle's close friend Daniel Martin, Romy Solemani and Katie Jane Hughes Jessica Richards has opened a new location of Shen, the chic Brooklyn beauty store loved by Gwyneth Paltrow, Rachel Weisz, Daniel Craig and Carolyn Murphy Jessica Richards has opened a new location of Shen, the chic Brooklyn beauty store loved by Gwyneth Paltrow, Rachel Weisz, Daniel Craig and Carolyn Murphy A clean beauty expert beloved by celebrities like Gwyneth Paltrow and Rachel Weisz has spoken out about New York's treatment of small businesses amid the pandemic, insisting that they have been 'left in the dust' and 'forgotten' while 'large corporations' have been 'taken care of'. Jessica Richards, the owner behind Brooklyn based beauty company Shen, was due to open her new Brooklyn store back in March - before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, forcing to shelve her plans completely. Now, the entrepreneur has revealed to DailyMail.com the many challenges she faced while fighting to keep her popular business afloat during the pandemic - which has seen dozens of companies forced to shut up shop - while detailing how she went back to the drawing board to re-design her store in order to make it safer for socially-distanced shopping. Design delight: The stunning new 1550 sq ft. space on Court Street in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn, was created by leading design collective Mythology who were inspired the unpretentious nature of Jessicas low-key "in-the-know" approach to beauty and shopping services The re-imagined space is a haven to shop, escape and renew with a vast range of clean beauty products available plus it also features treatment rooms offering the best skincare services Relax: The treatment menu includes the latest innovations in microblading, facials, waxing, brows, makeup artistry and lash services. 'When people visit the new Shen space, I want them to feel a sense of calm, a sense of escape and a sense of community' explains Jessica Team work: The Shen beauty experts include lash, brow and microblading specialists, make up artists and licensed estheticians The new 1550 sq. ft space in Cobble Hill, which was created by leading design collective Mythology, opened its doors earlier this month, having had its layout and overall design tweaked to reflect the safety measures put in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Over the last decade Shen has cemented itself as a Goop-like destination for New Yorkers to discover the best clean beauty products on the market. Well-known brands like Tata Harper, Westman Atelier, fur, Goop, Kjaer Weis, Dr. Barbara Sturm and Mason Pearson stock the shelves, sitting side by side with independent names like Ilia, Kosas, Lanolips, Haoma, Pai and May Lindstrom. But it was time for the store itself to undergo a makeover and Jessica teamed with Mythology - who have also worked with Warby Parker, Allbirds, Away and Sonos- with the intention of relocating and reopening at a glossy new Court Street location by April 1st. Then the COVID-19 crisis hit and the government mandated shut downs of businesses and construction, meaning that everything had to stop and the open date was pushed back to September. Jessica and celebrity favorite Dr. Barbara Sturm pose at an event before Covid-19 'The timeline was not the only change,' explains Jessica. 'The design of the space was always a major consideration but now even more so. 'I knew I wanted it to be beautiful as the next chapter in the Shen journey, but of course, we needed to allow people an easy marker for social distance shopping so the bays are 6.5 feet apart, weve added a sink in the store for clients to wash hands upon entering, weve created our own Shen Hand Sanitizer with 80 per cent alcohol (which exceeds the CDC requirements of only 75 per cent) and we have UV lights which run through the space each evening.' Just walking through the store will make you feel cleansed thanks to the neutral palate of the sustainable plywood which wraps the entirety of the space. Re-purposed 1950s Thonet stools, sconces by lighting designer Lindsey Adelman and bespoke hand-painted murals by Petra Borner continue the chic aesthetic. Ted Galperin, a partner and Director of Retail at Mythology, explains the design process: 'Shen Beauty came to us due to our experience with creating highly functional, but beautiful retail spaces that embody brand. Looking at our previous experience with brands like Warby Parker, Allbirds and Sonos, we understand how to strike the right balance between extraordinary customer experience and judicious store efficiency. 'We designed the store to focus on supporting around their extensive product line, full makeup and brow bar and four treatment rooms, as well as a place to host beauty insider events. Our goal was to create a retail space that had many different functions but felt totally unified. 'Since the store is in a residential neighborhood of Cobble Hill, Brooklyn, there is a community of local beauty cognoscenti that has made the brand so successful over the past decade and for whom we wanted to maintain a level of understated panache.' In uncertain times it is even more important for beauty lovers to escape and renew explains Jessica: 'When people visit the new Shen space, I want them to feel a sense of calm, a sense of escape and a sense of community. Our clients come here seeking advice on which products their skin will love and what services they should treat themselves to, to feel better, healthy and more vibrant.' Tried and tested: Shen stocks more than 100 brands including Tata Harper, Westman Atelier, fur, Goop, Kjaer Weis, Dr. Barbara Sturm and Mason Pearson Carefully curated: Independent brands like Ilia, Kosas, Lanolips, Haoma, Pai and May Lindstrom also feature on the shelves Not always so zen: 'The challenges far exceeded what I could have imagined: from laying off staff, to construction delays, to the pandemic and all the uncertainty around timelines and reopening requirements. It was overwhelming at times, but here we are,' says Jessica Things haven't always been so zen however. During the pandemic like all independent businesses Jessica faced unprecedented challenges: 'The challenges far exceeded what I could have imagined: from laying off staff, to construction delays, to the pandemic and all the uncertainty around timelines and reopening requirements. 'It was overwhelming at times, but here we are and I think its even better than I could have imagined. Being a single mother of two boys and maintaining some sort of normalcy for them while the world is collapsing is not something I would wish on anyone.' With the brick-and-mortar side unable to open, Jessica had to adapt: 'I had to pivot and adapt to the complete uncertainty. We amped up our focus in online shopping, invested in the website and connected with clients on social. As soon as I could, I offered curb side pick up for my clients and whenever possible, would email and be in touch to ensure that community connection continued to be strong and consistent. 'I honestly could not have done all of this without my loyal clients and the larger Brooklyn community who continues to show its love for independent business owners.' She may have been grateful for her loyal customers, but as a small business owner Jessica didn't feel supported by the State. 'I pay a fortune in taxes and feel like small business owners have been left in the dust and the large corporations have been completely taken care of, or rather profiting from all of this,' she explains. 'Its really sad as we are the lifeblood of nation and yet the first ones to be forgotten.' Pre-COVIDevents: Jessica takes a selfie with wellness guru Gwyneth Paltrow and writer Emily Dougherty following a Shen skincare Q&A on Facebook live But now, with a shiny new space, Jessica is looking forward to the future and giving her customers what they want. Although unsurprisingly the new bestselling beauty product is now... hand sanitizer. 'Any type of hand sanitizer has been the number one most requested so I made my own,' she says. 'Im really excited to debut the Shen Hand Sanitizer ($10), which I formulated myself (I believe Im the first retailer to formulate one vs. just carrying another brands offering). It meets all the CDC guidelines, there is no scent and of course, it is an essential for the retail shopping experience and when you head out the door.' It's also no surprise that clients are also seeking help for bad skin: 'Acne, which is often driven by stress and of course, now with the constant need to wear a mask, has (unfortunately) become a big issue for a lot of clients,' explains Jessica. Thankfully, when it comes to battling blemishes and maskne, the beauty guru has plenty of products on-hand to make the fight easier. 'The Skin Design London On the Spot Superstar Serum ($125) can be used all over, on a targeted area or as a spot treatment,' she explains. 'Definitely one I recommend to many Shen clients, and use myself. 'Also definitely seeing an uptick in at-home treatments such as Hair Masks, Facial Masks and people have become obsessed with tools! We offer the Shen Facial Tool ($56) to help clients sculpt contours and promote circulation between facials (which has been quite the stretch since March!).' And what advice would Jessica give to other small businesses trying to navigate in these tough times? 'Perseverance is critical. When you think youve gotten knocked down, know it will come again. Each time it doesnt get any easier, but if you want it bad enough youll find a way to make it happen.' Advertisement A history teacher has become the first Who Wants to be a Millionaire winner in 14 years - just 12 months after his brother walked away with 500,000. Donald Fear, 57, went the full distance tonight in just 20 minutes, answering almost every question without the slightest hesitation. Mr Fear, who still had three of his lifelines left at the last hurdle, said he was able to answer the 1million question 'In 1718, which pirate died in battle off the coast of what is now North Carolina?' before he'd seen it properly, because he'd taught piracy one year as a special unit and was very good with dates. The contestant, who teaches at Jeremy Corbyn's former school, whizzed through the questions in just 20 minutes - which is believed to be record time for the show. Describing himself as 'a bit of a democratic socialist', Mr Fear said he planned give at least 70 per cent of his winnings to members of his family and spend the rest on a 'comfortable retirement'. Speaking to The Mirror, Donald said: 'To be honest if I had a million pounds, I wouldn't have a clue how to spend it. I could buy an Aston Martin for instance, but I could get into the thing, but I could never get out of it. I'm fat! 'The only other thing you could possibly spend that sum of money on would be moving house but I am very happy with our house. 'It is in a lovely area and we have been there 27 years and we have lovely neighbours, so why move somewhere else? So I would rather keep the money and give it away to people I love. 'A motor home is the only purchase on the horizon. Things may occur to me and I can waste money for Britain but on small, trivial things.' His older brother Davyth had also been a contestant on the programme last year - but fell at the final hurdle, walking away with 500,000 on September 1. Donald Fear, 57, from Shropshire, scooped the 1 million prize during a sensational run on last night's show, on which he only used one of his lifelines and knew the winning answer within a 'microsecond' Donald Fear is pictured with host Jeremy Clarkson winning the highest prize on Who Wants to be a Millionaire He said he was able to answer the 1million question 'In 1718, which pirate died in battle off the coast of what is now North Carolina?' before he'd seen it properly Donald Fear spotted in public for the first time as he returns home from work, where he works as a geography teacher. Donald's brother won 500k last year on Who wants to be a millionaire and 12 months later Donald is the first person in 14 years to win the million. Hours before the show is due to air! His mother and father posed with him and his youngest daughter as they settled down to watch the episode on Friday night Donald's brother Davyth (pictured above) walked away from an 'easy' 1million question on a previous Millionaire appearance Millionaire winner Donald Fear vows to buy a motorhome after scooping the jackpot before giving 70% of his winnings away to his family The first contestant to win Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? in 14 years vowed to give 70 per cent of his winnings to his family and stay in his teaching job until the end of term despite scooping the 1million jackpot. History and politics teacher Donald Fear, 57, who lives in Telford, correctly answered the final 15th question about the death of a famous pirate in 1718. The father of four, who has been married to his wife, Debs, a nurse, for 33 years, is the sixth champion in the ITV programme's 22-year history. The lucky streak runs in the family as his elder brother, Davyth, last year won 500,000 as a contestant on the same programme. Mr Fear has revealed that he plans to buy a motor home with his winnings, but he said that he will give 70 per cent of the jackpot to members of his family and spend the rest on a 'comfortable retirement'. 'I'm not going to be a millionaire for very long because I'm giving loads of it away!,' he said. Following his win, Mr Fear and his wife embarked on a caravan trip along the Northumberland coast. 'We went on holiday to Whitley Bay in a caravan the day after the show. We went to an Italian restaurant and lashed out on a bottle of Prosecco in the restaurant!,' he said. They previously planned to visit Santander, Bilbao and Pamplona in Spain before heading for the Pyrenees, but were thwarted by Covid-19. Asked how he would be spending his next holiday, Mr Fear revealed he intended to buy a motor home and visit 'wonderful Britain'. He said: 'Much as I'd love to jump on the next plane to the States or something like that, it's just not an option. 'So for the moment it's wonderful Britain, probably Wales first of all - so a motor home in Wales is what I'm going to spend my million pounds on.' Advertisement But as a history buff, Donald, from Shropshire, knew the answer to his question instantly. 'The first thing I spotted was that there was a date in there then a microsecond later I saw that it was 1718,' he said. 'Then synapses went, 'That's got to be Blackbeard'. That was the only thing it could be. I'm a dates man.' The day after his win in the recorded show, Mr Fear handed in his notice as head of history at Haberdashers' Adams grammar school in Shropshire, which the former Labour leader attended. He will see out the school term, then begin his retirement two years earlier than planned. 'I resigned the day after the show, the rules are you have to go at the end of the term, but I'd never investigate the possibility about whether it was possible to not go back at all,' he told the Mirror. 'How unfair to my A level students would thay have been? They are amazing people and that would have been totally letting them down. So what I have said is I will do this term and I will make sure my year 13 students don't miss out in any way shape or form. And I'll make sure the twelves are launched. It never crossed my mind to not to come back at all.' Following his victory, Mr Fear said he went on holiday to Whitley Bay in a caravan the next day. 'We went to an Italian restaurant and lashed out on a bottle of prosecco in the restaurant,' he said. When asked if his pupils had a nickname for him, Mr Fear said: 'None that I know of, though I bet I might be called various things behind my back. I am unmercifully teased by my Politics students who think they know my political leanings!' He intends to give 70 per cent of his winnings away to family members and to charity and leave himself with just enough for a 'comfortable retirement'. 'I'm not going to be a millionaire for very long because I'm giving loads of it away,' he said. 'I am deeply conscious of the incredibly distinguished list of previous winners - Eggheads, World Quiz Champions, Mastermind Champion, Brain of Britain, a barrister, a top civil servant...and me! 'I feel I'm flying the flag for the teaching profession, redbrick universities - I went to Swansea - and historians!' The father-of-four and grandfather hesitated on only two questions, using his 50/50 lifeline for one of them. 'I was so fortunate,' he said. 'Of the 15 questions, I probably knew 13 immediately before the options appeared.' He added: 'A quiz is very easy if you know the answers and I did know the answers.' He said he is 'happy' in the house he shares with Deb, his wife of 33 years. The couple are parents to Kat, 31, Ali, 30, Izzy, 26, and 22-year-old Chris. The last 1million winner on the show was retired civil servant Ingram Wilcox in 2006. When Mr Fear was speaking with host Jeremy Clarkson after reaching the 1,000 milestone, he spoke of his brother Davyth's time on the programme. 'When I applied to the show I didn't know how much he won,' Mr Fear said. Mr Fear, who has been a teacher for more than three decades, said he had been inundated with support from his students who heard he was on the show, but hasn't let on about his big win Mr Fear, who is currently Head of History at Haberdashers Adams Grammar school in Shropshire, handed in his notice a day after his win but will see out the school term He described himself as 'lucky' and said he wouldn't have known a question about This Morning which came up in the previous episode 'I said my aim is to get one step further than my brother has. When I found out where he got to I thought ah, maybe not.' Speaking of when they would play from home, he added: 'He has three years on me, I would say Dave would win 90 per cent of the time.' During Mr Fear's 20 minutes on the programme - thought to be a possible new record - Mr Clarkson said it was like 'sitting next to the internet in a pink shirt'. Just before answering his final question, Mr Fear said: 'I taught piracy one year at a special unit. 'I do remember Blackbeard died in 1718 off the coast of North Carolina. Blackbeard, final answer.' Mr Clarkson then announced: 'Donald fear, you've just won a million pounds!' The contestant, who still had three lifelines left, responded: 'That was absolutely incredible, how easy was that!' When asked how he knew the answer, Mr Fear said: 'Well I taught it!' Mr Clarkson said: 'You've beaten your brother - how does that feel?' Mr Fear said: 'He'll be very pleased for me, that's the sort of person he is.' Mr Fear said that he plans to give 70 percent of his winnings away to family members and to charity and leave himself with just enough for a 'comfortable retirement' The contestant, who still had three lifelines left, said upon winning: 'That was absolutely incredible, how easy was that!' Following his win, Mr Fear and his wife embarked on a caravan trip along the Northumberland coast. They previously planned to visit Santander, Bilbao and Pamplona in Spain before heading for the Pyrenees, but were thwarted by Covid-19. Asked how he would be spending his next holiday, Mr Fear revealed he intended to buy a motor home and visit 'wonderful Britain'. He said: 'Much as I'd love to jump on the next plane to the States or something like that, it's just not an option. 'So for the moment it's wonderful Britain, probably Wales first of all - so a motor home in Wales is what I'm going to spend my million pounds on.' The show's host, Jeremy Clarkson, said Mr Fear was like 'having the Encyclopaedia Britannica sitting opposite me' and added: 'It's Google, in a head'. After winning the second Fastest Finger First round of Friday's show, Mr Fear said he was 'in the zone immediately'. However, he admitted: 'Then my next thing to negotiate was getting on the chair because I was a bit worried I was going to fall off... because I've got quite short legs. 'I was concentrating, I was sitting as absolutely still as I can, so this thing about (me being) cool and calm is actually me trying not to make a complete idiot of myself on national television.' The final question he answered correctly was: 'In 1718, which pirate died in battle off the coast of what is now North Carolina?' The answer was: Blackbeard. 'I'm a dates man,' he said. 'You don't be a history teacher for 33 years without knowing a few dates, and the date 1718 and Blackbeard leapt out at me instantly.' Mr Fear only used one of his lifelines, 50:50, to win the jackpot, leaving his two Phone A Friend options and Ask The Host unused. The episodes were pre-recorded without a studio audience due to Covid-19, with contestants given the option of a double Phone A Friend in place of asking the audience. Haberdashers' Adams Grammar shared their congratulations on Twitter. A message said: 'Wow what a performance from as cool as a cucumber Mr Fear! Congratulations from everyone at Adams! 'I taught it to Year 8 kids!'' Mr Fear celebrated his win with his brother, who he claimed was the more intelligent sibling. He said: 'He is so pleased for me. 'We went to spend a night in a hotel with our wives last week and got absolutely plastered and he kept poking me saying how pleased and how overjoyed he was by it.' Ingram Wilcox was the last winner of the top prize, going all the way in 2006. In all, five contestants previously won the 1 million prize on the UK version of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? The first was Judith Keppel in November 2000. For her final question, then-host Chris Tarrant asked: 'Which king was married to Eleanor of Aquitaine?' Ms Keppel correctly answered Henry II. Mr Fear admitted he had practiced the Fastest Finger First round by 'button-pressing in the air' while watching dozens of old programmes. He said he was 'bitterly disappointed' when he realised his mother and father would not be able to watch him in the hotseat, due to the lack of live audience. When asked if the 15 questions passed him by quickly, he said: 'Looking back I wished I'd expanded a bit more on some of my answers, particularly the 500,000 one. I was desperate though to ensure that the other contestants got a go too.' Mr Fear's retired pharmacist father and previous contestant brother were his chosen lifelines. When asked what questions he would have needed their help on, he said: 'Dad is a retired pharmacist with the most amazing scientific knowledge of anyone I know. Anything body-related, diseases etc would have been referred to him. 'My brother was the back-up Phone a Friend and he was there for basically anything! My other Phone a Friend, Terry, was for the popular culture, sport and celebs questions.' Brother of tonight's winner had previously scooped 500,000 on Who Wants to be a Millionaire Last year Davyth Fear, 60, from Caernarfon, Wales, who flew through the questions and secured an impressive 500,000 with his phone-a-friend lifeline still available, was left stumped when reaching the final round by a question dubbed as 'easy' by fans of the quiz show. The retired geography teacher - whose episode first aired in September 2019 - decided to walk away with half a million pounds - and says that helping his family out with his winnings has been 'the best bit.' Speaking of the first thing he spent his money on, Davyth exclusively told FEMAIL: 'I helped my family out. I've got a brother, two sisters, nephews and nieces and helped them. I gave them a cash sum.' 'One of them spent it on new windows for his new house, I've got one in university and they're keeping it safe for afterwards just in case, while my sister likes diving, so spent it on a motor home.' He continued: 'I'm not interested in big cars, or fancy watches. I bought myself a nice camera. The money takes the pressure off. 'We'd already bought a house and so on, so I didn't need to prove anything by buying this, that and the other. It's just a matter of being able to enjoy life and not necessarily spend stupidly and enjoy what we have.' 'My life isn't too different to anyone else I would think, since we've all been in lockdown.' 'I'm enjoying being at home and taking the dog for a walk in the morning, not meeting anyone else. We had three months of glorious sunshine, so I've been spending time in the garden. But while he hasn't splashed his cash on materialist items, Davyth, who has always loved travelling, did take a dream trip to Uganda. 'My wife needed a new hip and two new knees,' he explained. 'She had the hip done but is still waiting for her two knees, so I did go on holiday to Uganda to see the chimpanzees. 'I went by myself to see the gorillas and so on because you're in the mountains she wouldn't have been mobile enough to make it.' 'Which of these people was born the same year as Queen Elizabeth II?' host Jeremy Clarkson (pictured) asked before presenting Davyth with the options: 'Audrey Hepburn, Judy Garland, Julie Andrews and Marilyn Monroe.' Retired geography teacher Davyth Fear, from Caernarfon, Wales, flew through the questions - securing an impressive 500,000 with his phone-a-friend lifeline still available. But he was stumped when reaching the final round by a question dubbed as 'easy' by fans (above) As for the future, he added: 'I've always liked travelling. It's not on the agenda for the next year or so because my wife still needs two knee operations, but she's always wanted to go to Antarctica, so we would like to go on the cruise to see the penguins.' 'My wife also wants to go to Canada to see polar bears, so perhaps that'll happen in the next couple of years.' Davyth went on to explain that he retired full-time as a teacher around four years ago, and was a supply teacher from then on. 'I was thinking about giving up being a supply teacher anyway last year, but after winning all this money, I didn't need to make that decision, did I?' he said. However, after the episode aired last night, Who Wants To Be A Millionaire viewers were left 'screaming at the TV' after Davyth walked away from an 'easy' 1million question. Speaking of the viewers reaction, Davyth said: 'It's easy if you know it. I was guessing at the 2, 000 and 4, 000 question. 'The question about goosebumps I didn't know and that was probably the hardest question for me. I didn't want to risk a lifeline and I didn't know the answer. It was an educated guess.' Jeremy Clarkson read the question: 'Which of these people was born the same year as Queen Elizabeth II?' before presenting Davyth with the options: 'Audrey Hepburn, Judy Garland, Julie Andrews and Marilyn Monroe.' Davyth won the 500,000 after using his second to last lifeline and asking the audience for help with the penultimate question (seen above) Having thought the correct answer was Audrey Hepburn before ringing a friend who claimed it to be Judy Garland, Davyth decided not to risk it and walked away with half a million. Queen Elizabeth II was born in 21 April 1926, which was the same year as Marilyn Monroe. Judy Garland was born four years earlier in 1922, while Audrey Hepburn came along in 1929 - making Julie Andrews the youngest with a birth date of 1 October 1935. Viewers watching the episode yesterday were left sunned with the uncomplicated question, worth 1million. One person wrote: 'Easy question for the 1million,' while another said: 'Screaming at the TV! For a million pounds!' A third boasted: 'When you get a million pound question right before the answers are revealed!', as a fourth viewer added: 'I knew the answer to the million pound question before the options came up.' Davyth was a contestant on the 4th episode of the 33rd Series of the UK version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? and the 10th contestant to win 500,000. He was praised by the audience at home for his intelligence after flying through the first couple of questions without assistance. Advertisement So can you answer the 15 questions that earned him a fortune? 1 (100) Q:In the UK, the abbreviation NHS stands for National 'what' Service? Humanity / Health / Honour / Household 2 (200) Q: Which Disney character famously leaves a glass slipper behind at a royal ball? Pocahontas / Sleeping Beauty / Cinderella / Elsa 3 (300) Q:What name is given to the revolving belt machinery in an airport that delivers checked luggage from the plane to baggage reclaim? Hangar / Terminal / Concourse / Carousel 4 (500) Q: Which of these brands was chiefly associated with the manufacture of household locks? Phillips / Flymo / Chubb / Ronseal 5 (1K) Q: The hammer and sickle is one of the most recognisable symbols of which political ideology? Republicanism / Communism / Conservatism / Liberalism 6 (2K) Q: Which toys have been marketed with the phrase 'Robots in Disguise'? Bratz Dolls / Sylvanian Families / Hatchimals / Transformers 7 (4K) Q: What does the word 'loquacious' mean? Angry / Chatty / Beautiful / Shy 8 (8K) Q: Obstetrics is a branch of medicine particularly concerned with what? Childbirth / Broken bones / Heart conditions / Old age 9 (16K) Q: In 'Doctor Who', what was the signature look of the fourth Doctor, as portrayed by Tom Baker? Bow-tie, braces & tweed jacket / Wide-brimmed hat & extra long scarf / Pinstripe suit & trainers / Cape, velvet jacket & frilly shirt 10 (32K) Q: Which of these religious observances lasts for the shortest period of time during the calendar year? Ramadan / Diwali / Lent / Hanukkah 11 (64K) Q: At the closest point, which island group is only|50 miles south-east of the coast of Florida? Bahamas / US Virgin Islands / Turks and Caicos Islands / Bermuda 12 (125K) Q: Construction of which of these famous landmarks was completed first? Empire State Building / Royal Albert Hall / Eiffel Tower / 'Big Ben' Clock Tower 13 (250K) Q: Which of these cetaceans is classified as a 'toothed whale'? Gray whale / Minke whale / Sperm whale / Humpback whale 14 (500K) Q: Who is the only British politician to have held all four 'Great Offices of State' at some point during their career? David Lloyd George / Harold Wilson / James Callaghan / John Major 15 (1M) Q: In 1718, which pirate died in battle off the coast of what is now North Carolina? Calico Jack / Blackbeard / Bartholomew Roberts / Captain Kidd ANSWERS 1: B, Health 2: C, Cinderella 3: D, Carousel 4: C, Chubb 5: B, Communism 6: D, Transformers 7: B, Chatty 8: A, Childbirth 9: B, Wide-brimmed hat & extra long scarf 10: B, Diwali 11: A, Bahamas 12: D, 'Ben' Clock Tower 13: C, Sperm whale 14: C, James Callaghan 15: B, Blackbeard Advertisement Entrepreneur Morgan DeBaun told CNBC on Thursday that more funding can make its way to Black founders if venture capitalists recast some aspects of their investment criteria and recognize their own biases. "You have to remember that a lot of young Black founders, we tend to look a little bit different than your typical pattern and in Silicon Valley, people often engage in pattern matching," DeBaun said at CNBC's Inclusion In Action Forum, which aimed to focus on actions to improve diversity in corporate America. Many in the U.S. business community have pledged to step up their efforts to address racial inequality following the wave of demonstrations sparked by the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis earlier this summer. There are racial disparities at the C-suite level just four CEOs of Fortune 500 companies are Black, for example all the way down to who receives venture capital funding. According to the Transparent Collective, a nonprofit that helps minority founders, less than 1% of start-up creators who receive backing from VC firms are Black. DeBaun, a St. Louis native who serves as CEO of Blavity, a media company for Black millennials, said she falls outside the typical background of someone who may be receiving a lot of investment interest. "I'm from the Midwest. I don't have a technical degree. I didn't go to Stanford, and this was my first company so I was first-time founder. My pitches may have sounded differently," said DeBaun, who majored in political science at Washington University in St. Louis. She co-founded Los Angeles-based Blavity in 2014, after beginning her tech career at Intuit a year prior, according to her LinkedIn. According to TechCrunch, Blavity has raised at least $11 million in venture capital funding so far, including from Comcast Ventures. DeBaun said that as investors seek to evaluate pitches from Black founders, it's critical to remember the opportunity that may be present by working with people who have a different background. "Just understanding that own bias for wanting to match a pattern that you're used to seeing and realizing and accepting that you may be a little uncomfortable, but this is actually how innovation is made when you go outside of the immediate opportunity and you really think about, 'Wow. Maybe because this young person is standing in front of me, despite the odds, this is a bet that I want to make,'" said DeBaun. As for Black founders who are weighing whether to pursue venture funding, DeBaun expressed confidence, saying "this is your time." "There's never been a better time to raise money for your company," she said. "Everyone is looking to have diverse companies, portfolios, and to make sure that they're actually targeting diverse audiences as well when it comes to the market opportunity of the future of this country." Disclosure: Comcast owns CNBC's parent company, NBCUniversal. Foreign Minister, Kang Kyung-wha / Korea Times file The foreign ministry failed to fairly handle allegations that a senior diplomat sexually abused a local embassy employee in New Zealand, and even included officials directly under him in an internal probe team, the state human rights watchdog said Friday. The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) released a 25-page report outlining its findings into the allegations that the senior Korean diplomat groped a New Zealand employee at the embassy in Wellington multiple times when he was stationed there in 2017. The case has made headlines in both countries after New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern raised the issue in phone talks with President Moon Jae-in in July. The NHRC report revealed that when the embassy formed an internal disciplinary panel in January 2018, the then-ambassador was the only person superior to the accused diplomat, suggesting that it would have been difficult for the junior officials to question the senior diplomat. "Regardless of the outcome, questions could arise about its fairness and there is considerable concern that it would have worked very much against the petitioner," the NHRC report said of the disciplinary panel and its investigation. The ministry also responded poorly by letting the embassy have both the diplomat and the petitioner work in the compound for four days after the victim returned from special leave in early 2018, the report said. Based on the statements submitted by both sides, the watchdog determined that the diplomat's physical contact with the employee constitutes sexual assault. But it added that there was no evidence to prove the victim's claims that the diplomat had touched his genitals. The NHRC recommended that the diplomat pay the victim 12 million won (US$10,095) in compensation and that the ministry establish a manual to ensure fairness in probing sexual misconduct cases and to help victims. After New Zealand, the diplomat in question was assigned to a new post in the Philippines in 2018 and was later disciplined with a reduction in salary for a month. He returned home last month at the ministry's order after the case resurfaced. The foreign ministry has said it is considering resuming arbitration to settle the case after recently receiving a request from the complainant. (Yonhap) Williamstown DIRE Committee Pushes for Transparency on Town, Police Issues WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. The Diversity, Inclusion and Racial Equity Committee on Wednesday voted to call on the town to update the Police Department's policy in an effort to increase transparency. It also filed a few requests for public record, including the committee's second request for access to the town's personnel policies and procedures. Andrew Art, who has taken the lead in drafting the committee's requests for information from the town, told his colleagues Wednesday that while the DIRE Committee has received information on policies specific to the Williamstown Police Department, its inquiries for more general personnel policies have gone on answered. "The upcoming information requests are going to reiterate our asks under the public record law," Art said. "If we don't receive information, there's an enforceable mechanism under the law to get what we're asking for. I hope it doesn't come to that. It would be sad if it does. "We haven't received anything other than on the police." A careful reading of those police policies prompted the committee to pass its third resolution of the summer. This resolution calls on the town to update Williamstown Police Department policy ADM 4.01, titled "Professional Standards and Internal Investigations" because the existing policy is not consistent with case law in the commonwealth. "The current policy has some out-of-date language with respect to internal affairs cases," Art said. "There have been cases that have found certain internal affairs records are not exempt under the Massachusetts public records act. Those records should be available to the public if requested as public records." Art also informed his colleagues on the committee about several new requests for information that he drafted on behalf of the panel. The first seeks any correspondence between the town manager and the Select Board regarding a 2018 Massachusetts Department of Labor Relations arbitration between the town and an employee in the Department of Public Works. "The request for correspondence is to look and see whether the Select Board was made aware of this Department of Labor Relations action," Art said. The issue of involving the Select Board, which oversees the town manager, in litigation involving the town has become one area of inquiry in the weeks since a Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination complaint against the town has come to light. The chair of the Select Board is on record that the panel did not know about the allegations in a federal lawsuit that grew out of the MCAD action until the suit was filed on Aug. 12. But the town's bylaw gives the Select Board the power to control "litigation or claims" against the town. The DIRE Committee also is requesting: the amount of any settlement from the 2018 arbitration; the "identification of any litigation and administrative proceedings" involving the town and employees or former employees since Jan. 1, 2010; a list of any settlement amounts greater than $5,000 between the town and current or former employees in that time span; internal affairs reports since Jan. 1, 2010; and the Williamstown Police Department Annual Reports required by department policy for the last 10 years. "It says that every year the chief shall publish an annual report that includes 'complaint statistics (both citizen complaints and internal investigations), including the number of complaints filed (by type of complaint) and the outcome of the investigations undertaken (by outcome classification)," Art said. Art also for the first time presented an information request that goes beyond the town line, asking the Berkshire County District Attorney's Office to identify any employees of the WPD who currently are on the DA's "Brady list." "The purpose of a Brady list is to identify, for court proceedings, individuals who may have incidents in the past that indicate they may not be truthful," Art said. "In a court proceeding, it's a disclosure that's made to the defense so you're provided with information about past potential untruthfulness that may have a bearing on your case. "There's various standards for how [Brady lists] are compiled, which is not uniform. My understanding is the Berkshire County DA's office is in the process of compiling their list. This request asks if there are any Williamstown Police Department officers currently on the list." While the Brady list addresses the potential credibility of individual officers, the credibility of the WPD as a whole remains a point of concern for some in the community. On Wednesday, Jeffrey Johnson broached the subject of how the DIRE Committee might hold a dialogue with the local police -- not to address issues that officers cannot talk about because they are part of the litigation against the town but to discuss broader issues, like the role of police on school campuses. That concept prompted a comment from Margot Besnard, a member of the town's Racial Justice Police Reform Group. Besnard referenced an iBerkshires.com article covering a June " Coffee with a Cop " webinar hosted by the town in an effort to promote a community dialogue. She quoted Lt. Michael Ziemba, who appeared with Chief Kyle Johnson at the June 3 event and said at the time that unlike in Minneapolis [site of the then-recent killing of George Floyd], Williamstown's small police force could more easily weed out a "problem child." "If whatever dialogue you hold -- if you do hold one -- turns into a commercial for the Police Department I'm not interested in it," Besnard said, going on to cite allegations from the Aug. 12 federal lawsuit filed by WPD Sgt. Scott McGowan. "Their lack of action or lack of discipline or consequences for an officer -- and this is not an allegation -- who had a photo of Hitler in his locker and a dispatcher who said the 'N word' to a Black college student If those don't meet Ziemba's or Johnson's definitions of being a 'rogue officer,' I'm actually even more concerned in hindsight that that's part of the culture of the Police Department. "I think any dialogue, if you do choose to have one with the Police Department, needs to start off with some kind of shared truths that were missing in June, which is: Racism does exist in the Police Department." DIRE Committee member Bilal Ansari agreed. "The only thing that is going to save [the WPD] is new leadership, based on accountability, transparency and truth," Ansari said. "Once that happens we are ready to start a dialogue. But they have to purify. There has to be a purification." Trump supporters were out on Main Plaza Thursday evening as organizers of the Trump Train group were being honored at a Comal County Republican event at the city's civic center. Centre asks states to comply with SC directive to set up panels for ad content regulation The centre has asked state governments to constitute state-level committees to monitor and regulate content in government advertisement as directed by the Supreme Court lest it may construed as contempt of court. As per directions of the Supreme Court, states are mandated to set up three member committees on content regulation of government advertisements. Karnataka, Goa, Mizoram and Nagaland have already constituted state-level three member committees. The government of Chhattisgarh has given its consent to the central committee to monitor the content of their government advertisements. The 19th meeting of the Supreme Court -mandated Committee on Content Regulation in Government Advertising (CCRGA) held (virtually) on 4 September, took a serious note of the fact that other states have yet to constitute their respective state level Committees. The CCRGA was of the view that some state governments delay in setting up the state-level committees may be construed as contempt of the Supreme Courts order. The CCRGAs attention was also drawn to the fact that some respondents were yet to furnish their replies to the notices issued to them in response to the complaints received by the committee. In view of the current Covid19 pandemic the committee decided to allow further time to respondents to furnish their replies to the notices in all the pending complaints lodged with the committee. The CCRGA felt that non-compliance of its decisions was a serious matter. It was of the considered opinion that in the event of any non-compliance of CCRGAs orders, the committee may be constrained to put embargo on issue of further advertisements by nodal agencies of concerned governments, which come under the purview of this committee. The committee may, if necessary, also decide to summon the concerned official of the government agencies dealing with release of advertisements in the event of undue delay in responding to committees notices. It may be recalled that as per the directions of Supreme Court on 13 May 2015, the Government of India on 6 April 2016 set up a three-member body consisting of persons with unimpeachable neutrality and impartiality and who have excelled in their respective fields, to look into content regulation of government funded advertisements of all media platforms. Under the Supreme Courts guidelines dated 13 May 2015 the content of government advertisement should be relevant to the governments constitutional and legal obligations as well as the citizens right and entitlements. Advertisement materials should be presented in an objective, fair and accessible manner and designed to meet the objectives of the campaign, the Supreme Court observed. Also, it said, Advertisement materials should be objective and not directed at promoting political interests of ruling party. Advertisement Campaigns be justified and undertaken in an efficient and cost-effective manner and Government advertising must comply with legal requirement and financial regulations and procedures. The meeting, chaired by Om Prakash Rawat, former Chief Election Commissioner of India, was attended by two other members, Ramesh Narayan of Asian Federation of Advertising Associations and past President, IAA and Ashok Kumar Tandon, part-time member, Prasar Bharti board. The committee is empowered to address complaints from the general public on violation of the Supreme Courts guidelines and make suitable recommendations. Complaints may be filed before the committee on its address: The Member Secretary, Committee on Content Regulation in Government Advertising (CCRGA), Room No 469, 4th Floor, Soochna Bhawan, CGO Complex, Lodhi Road, New Delhi-110003 (Contact No. 011-24367810, whatsapp No. +91 9599896993) or to its email: ms.ccrga@gmail.com . UW College of Business Recognizes Cheyenne Accounting Firm as Gold Level Partner University of Wyoming College of Business representatives recently honored the Cheyenne certified public accountant firm of McGee, Hearne and Paiz LLP as the UW College of Business first Business Partners Recognition Program Gold Level partner. (Amy Stinson Photo) The Cheyenne certified public accountant (CPA) firm of McGee, Hearne and Paiz (MHP) LLP is the University of Wyoming College of Business first Business Partners Recognition Program Gold Level partner. MHP is currently the only Gold Level partner for the academic year among the 200 College of Business partners. The new Business Partners Recognition Program was introduced last spring to thank employers for their involvement with the College of Business and to provide engagement opportunities for new partners that are interested in hiring UW College of Business students. Details of the Business Partners Recognition Program can be found here. Employers earn points based on the previous years engagements on and off campus; investments in the College of Business; and successful hiring outcomes. The previous years engagements determine employer standing for the following year, including friend, bronze, silver and gold levels. Partners at each level are rewarded with unique opportunities to enhance their future engagement with College of Business students. MHP set the bar high during the last academic year by meeting with UW College of Business students on and off campus multiple times; hiring several UW students and interns; and investing in the Peter M. and Paula Green Johnson Student Success Center remodel, says Steve Russell, the director of the colleges student success center. MHP has set a great example for employers who are interested in strengthening their relationship with the College of Business and providing valuable employment opportunities for our students, Russell says. The College of Business team is thankful for these partnerships, as they provide learning experiences for students and a strong pipeline of graduates for employers. Ken Dugas, a CPA for MHP, says the firm appreciates its partnership with UW. We enjoy working together with the College of Business toward producing the best and brightest accounting and business students possible, he says. MHP will attend the virtual event Meet the Firms Monday, Sept. 28. Students may register for the event here to network with MHP and more than 20 other firms. For more information, call Kaley Holyfield, the Peter M. and Paula Green Johnson Student Success Center employer relations coordinator, at (307) 766-8249 or email kholyfi1@uwyo.edu. DENVER Early cold temperatures and snow in Colorado may have destroyed millions of dollars worth of outdoor plants, cannabis and hemp companies said. The drop of about 70 degrees Fahrenheit (21 degrees Celsius) occurred too early in the growing season for farmers to harvest the plants, Marijuana Business Daily reports. Jon Vaught, CEO of a cannabis biotech firm Front Range Biosciences, said the temperatures below freezing Tuesday and Wednesday combined with snow were catastrophic for growers. Nick Drury, director of cultivation at Denver marijuana company Lightshade, said the decreased supply from the outdoor crops is likely to result in less lower-grade competition for indoor growers, while the price for extract materials could increase. At the PotCo outdoor marijuana farm outside Pueblo, co-owner James Lowe said he was ready for low temperatures but unprepared for up to 9 inches (23 centimeters) of wet snow. The farm has about 7,000 plants trellised together and the heavy moisture collapsed much of the canopy over them. The losses could reach between $4 million and $5 million, he said. We were on pace for the largest harvest weve ever had, Lowe said. The weight of it was what ended up being the problem. New Delhi, Sep 11 : Aam Aadmi Party leader Raghav Chadha on Friday said that the Delhi government has written to the Centre to urge it not to raze shanties in slums along the railway tracks in the national capital without first rehabilitating the residents. At a press conference, Chadha said that the Delhi government had written a letter on September 10 to the Indian Railways that removing people from a place without rehabilitation is "illegal and unconstitutional and we will not let it happen". The party spokesperson added: "We told them that if they cannot give houses to the slum dwellers, the Delhi government will do that. The city government has 45,857 houses to keep them. The BJP cannot take away the roof over their heads." "In the letter, we have also declared that the notices pasted on the slum houses for razing them are illegal," the AAP leader said. Chadha quoted an affidavit submitted by the Railways in the Supreme Court on August 18 in which it claimed that the "railway tracks are unhygienic due to the people living in slums along the rail routes and that they have been trying to raze them but due to the Delhi government, are not able to do so." "This is the same BJP which had sought votes from these inhabitants during the elections. After a few months of elections, on August 18, they submitted the affidavit in the Supreme Court saying that they want to raze them, and AAP is not letting us do it," said the AAP leader. "It clearly shows the BJP's mindset. Till the time Arvind Kejriwal is alive, we will not let any jhuggi-jhopri be razed. I want to tell the BJP that pasting of the demolition notices without rehabilitating the affected and threatening them with demolition is illegal and inhumane. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will not let this happen," added Chadha. The Supreme Court has ordered the removal of 48,000 shanties built along the 140-km-long railway tracks around Delhi within three months. A three-judge bench led by Justice Arun Mishra (since retired) had pointed out that they were encroachments within the safety zones of railways. According to a press release published on September 11, 2020, Swedish Company Saab has received an order from its German partner Diehl Defence for the RBS15 anti-ship missile for provision to the German Navy. According to a press release published on September 11, 2020, Swedish Company Saab has received an order from its German partner Diehl Defence for the RBS15 anti-ship missile for provision to the German Navy. Follow Navy Recognition on Google News at this link Corvette GAVLE firing an RBS15 anti-ship missile. (Picture source SAAB) This order is part of a framework agreement between Saab and Diehl Defence, which offers the possibility for additional procurement in the future, where Saabs share is up to approximately 1.5 BSEK. The agreement allows orders to be placed until the end of 2024. The RBS15 missiles and launcher systems provided in this order will be placed on the German Navys Braunschweig Class Corvettes. In addition to the missile systems, the order also includes associated equipment and services. The German Navy has been a user of RBS15 since 2011. We are proud to continue to support the German Navy with additional RBS15 systems. This framework agreement is an important milestone in our long-standing cooperation with Diehl Defence and our relationship with Germany. We look forward to continue building our partnership and supporting the German Navys capability with our state-of-the-art anti-ship missile systems, says Micael Johansson, President, and CEO of Saab. The new contract award is a sign of confidence from the German Navy and government authorities toward Diehl Defence and its strategic cooperation with Saab in the field of modern weapon systems destined for the Navy, added Helmut Rauch, CEO and President of the Corporate Division Board of Diehl Defence. RBS15 provides naval operators with a long-range all-weather anti-ship and sea denial capability and is designed to overcome the challenges of the modern naval battlespace. Built for deployment on multiple platforms, the RBS15 missile system currently serves with the armed forces of several nations around the world. The RBS15 Mk3 surface-to-surface missile (SSM) was developed jointly by Diehl BGT Defence and Saab Bofors Dynamics. It is the latest variant of the RBS15 anti-ship missile family. It is a fire-and-forget, subsonic cruise type missile launched from ships and trucks. The missile can be used for anti-ship missions and land strikes. The RBS15 Mk3 missile has a length of 4.35 m, a fuselage diameter of 0.5 m, and a wingspan of 1.4 m. The launch and in-flight weights of the missile are 800 kg and 650 kg respectively. It can strike targets within the range of 200 km while traveling at a subsonic speed of 0.9 Mach. By Akbar Mammadov Azerbaijan has established an Economic Council to protect the countrys macroeconomic stability and accelerate the socio-economic developments, the presidents press service has reported. The council will make proposals to determine the direction of the economic policy and reforms aimed at preventing possible external and internal influences in the countrys economy. President Ilham Aliyev signed the relevant decree on the creation of a new management framework for economic policy and economic reforms in Azerbaijan on September 9. With this decree, the previous decree signed the president dated July 15, 2016 On Establishment of the Financial Stability Board of Azerbaijan has been annulled. The Economic Council will be chaired by the countrys Prime Minister. The council will also make proposals for the formation of economic policy for the current and medium-term by studying the processes taking place in the global and national economy, including the fiscal and monetary sectors, as well as the financial and banking sector. The reasons to establish the Economic Council is the new strategic policy challenges for the Azerbaijani economy that have been cause by decline in potential economic growth in the world economy in recent years, a significant increase in price volatility in commodity markets, increased fragility of global financial stability, in particular, the coronavirus pandemic. Presidential Administration Department Heads of Economic Affairs and Innovative Development Policy and Economic Policy and Industry, Assistants to the First Vice President, Ministers of Economy, Finance, Labor and Social Protection, Chairman of the Central Bank and Executive Director of the State Oil Fund have been appointed members of the council. The newly-set up council held its first meeting on September 10. Prime Minister Ali Asadov noted during the meeting that the Economic Council is an advantageous institution for collegial discussion of the most difficult tasks in the difficult period for the world and national economy to come to a common opinion. It should be noted that the Economic Council has all organizational, economic and financial capabilities to perform the tasks set by the decree of the president. Moreover, Asadov stated that on behalf of the head of state, the Economic Council should create a program on the economic policy framework. It was noted that the main direction of the new periods economic policy should be parallel to the state investments and the attraction of private local and foreign investments. In addition, the leading role of the private sector should be ensured, serious and radical steps should be taken to improve the investment environment. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Penn State University freshmen move their belongings to their resident hall on the University Park campus on Aug. 18, 2020. Freshmen were assigned a specific day and time for their move-in due to Covid-19 restrictions. CRAIG HOUTZ / For the Inquirer Read more TL;DR: Outbreaks on college campuses are leading to spikes in Pennsylvania college towns, and in New Jersey, infections among teenagers and young adults are on the rise. And in Chester County, a bold new antibody testing program that cost millions ended after just a few weeks. Allison Steele (@AESteele, health@inquirer.com) What you need to know: No Eagles fans will be allowed inside Lincoln Financial Field until there is a significant" drop in Philadelphias coronavirus cases, Pennsylvania health officials said. Anthony Fauci, the nations leading infectious disease expert, said many Americans may not get access to a COVID-19 vaccine until the end of 2021. Adults who tested positive for COVID-19 were about twice as likely to have eaten at a restaurant before contracting the virus, according to a new CDC study. International flights from countries hit hard by the pandemic will be allowed to land in Philadelphia next week for the first time since March. Whats going on in your county? We organized recent coverage of the coronavirus pandemic by local counties mentioned in the stories to make it easier for you to find the info you care about. Local coronavirus cases The coronavirus has swept across the Philadelphia region and cases continue to mount. The Inquirer and Spotlight PA are compiling geographic data on tests conducted, cases confirmed, and deaths caused by the virus. Track the spread here. Campus outbreaks are contributing to spikes in college towns like State College, and Pennsylvania Health Secretary Rachel Levine said young people need encouragement, not scoldings, to start taking precautions against the virus. Her statement came after college administrators across the country have admonished students for partying at reopened campuses. Despite hundreds more cases, Penn State officials said they would not cancel in-person classes. While there have been some cases at elementary, middle, and high schools that have reopened in Pennsylvania, Levine said the most significant increases are among college students between the ages of 19 and 24. That holds true in New Jersey as well, where people between 19 and 24 have the states highest percent of positive cases. Chester County planned to test blood from about one million essential workers, in hopes of detecting antibodies and better understanding the coronavirus. But the program ended after a month, after millions were paid to a politically connected biotech firm, and a former county health official now says the tests may have been generating inaccurate results. Helpful resources You got this: Tell the difference between COVID-19 and the flu With cold and flu season on the horizon, science reporter Tom Avril talked to local experts about how to tell the difference between seasonal illnesses, allergies, and a possible coronavirus infection. Theres even a handy chart listing the symptoms. A new Herbie the Love Bug mural in West Philly has a driving purpose suicide prevention. The pandemic caused a seed shortage. Heres how you can help by saving yours. After Habitat for Humanity repaired his home, a West Philly veteran in recovery opened his doors to other struggling veterans to help them find peace and sanctuary. Have a social distancing tip or question to share? Let us know at health@inquirer.com and your input might be featured in a future edition of this newsletter. What were paying attention to When COVID-19 hit, the United States was ranked first in its ability to handle the outbreak. Time magazine looked at why those perceived strengths turned out not to matter in the face of the nations weaknesses. The New Yorker explores: What role did the trafficking of elusive pangolin creatures in Africa play in the origin of COVID-19? A psychiatrist wrote for the New York Times about being the lone person to wear a mask at a birthday party in Pennsylvania, and the social minefield created by our new normal. Enjoy getting our journalism through email? You can also sign up for The Inquirer Morning Newsletter to get the latest news, features, investigations and more sent straight to your inbox each morning Sunday-Friday. Sign up here. A mother from south London has been charged with the murder of her five-year-old daughter. Sayagi Sivanantham was stabbed at her home in Mitcham at the end of June, and died in hospital despite being rushed for emergency treatment. This morning, the Metropolitan Police said her mother, 35-year-old Sutha Sivanantham, has been charged with the murdering the young girl. She is due to appear via videolink at Wimbledon Magistrates' Court this morning for a preliminary hearing, when her case will be sent to a Crown Court. The mother was also seriously injured when the alarm was raised at the family home on June 30, and her daughters lifeless body was discovered. Neighbour Elsa Gonzales, 47, said she saw the aftermath of the stabbings, telling the Standard at the time: There was blood everywhere. I looked on the bed and saw the girl, she was covered in a blanket." Speaking about the family, originally from Sri Lanka, she added: "It's really breaking my heart, the child was a smart kid, she was always smiling. She was a cheeky little girl, always playing with the neighbourhood kids. "To see her so lifeless, it's like my heart is bleeding." Sivanantham, from Mitcham, has not yet entered a plea to a single charge of murder. By PTI NEW DELHI: Sixty per cent of the daily new COVID-19 recoveries in India are coming from Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh, which also account for 57 per cent of the new cases, the Union Health Ministry said on Friday. Total COVID-19 recoveries in the country have surged to 35,42,663 as on date with a total 70,880 recoveries being registered in a span of 24 hours of which Maharashtra alone contributed to more than 14,000 and Andhra Pradesh more than 10,000. Of the total 96,551 new cases being reported in a span 24 hours, Maharashtra alone has more than 23,000 infections and Andhra Pradesh more than 10,000, the ministry said. Sixty per cent of the new recovered cases are being reported from five states -- Maharashtra (20.1 pc), Tamil Nadu (14.2 pc), Andhra Pradesh (9.9 pc), Karnataka (8.7 pc) and Uttar Pradesh (6.5 pc) taking the national recovery rate to 77.65 per cent, it highlighted. "Nearly 57 per cent of the new cases are reported from only five states. These are the same states that are also contributing 60 per cent of the new recovered cases," the ministry underlined. CLICK HERE FOR COVID-19 LIVE UPDATES There are 9,43,480 active cases of COVID-19 in the country which comprises 20.68 per cent of the total caseload, the data updated at 8 am stated. Maharashtra is leading this tally with more than 2,60,000 cases followed by Karnataka with more than 1,00,000 cases. Nearly 74 per cent of the total active cases are in nine most affected states--Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Assam, Odisha and Chhattisgarh. Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh contribute more than 48 per cent of the total active cases, the ministry said. As many as 1,209 deaths have been registered in a day. Maharashtra has reported 495 deaths followed by Karnataka with 129 deaths, whereas Uttar Pradesh has logged 94 deaths, the ministry stated. India's COVID-19 caseload mounted to 45,62,414 and the death toll climbed to 76,271 with a record 96,551 infections and 1,209 fatalities being reported in a day, while the recoveries have surged to 35,42,663, the data updated at 8 am showed. ALSO WATCH: Addressing the session, Ambassador Dang Dinh Quy, head of the Vietnamese permanent mission to the UN, held that the resolution should be fully implemented through the effective response to the call for ceasefire by the UN Secretary-General and the resolution. It is necessary to focus on protecting people in countries experiencing conflicts and humanitarian crisis, along with the strengthening of solidarity and coordination of efforts at national, regional and global levels as well as relevant parties during the preparation, response and recovery after the pandemic ends. He stressed the need to maintain peacekeeping operations in the new normal situation, contributing to the long-term solutions to maintain sustainable peace and development. Resolution 2532 was adopted by the UN Security Council on July 1, 2020 with 15/15 votes. It calls for the ceasefire in all countries included in the councils agenda, while supporting the UN Secretary-Generals call for global ceasefire to create favourable conditions for the control of COVID-19 pandemic. At the session, UN Under-Secretary-General Rosemary DiCarlo held that COVID-19 pandemic has caused risks of erosion of trust in public institutions, the aggravation of certain human rights challenges during the pandemic, which in turn can fuel conflict, and impacts on political and peace processes. She underlined the significance of Security Councils decisive engagement in follow up to the ceasefire call. Meanwhile, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Mark Lowcock said that alongside assistance from humanitarian agencies, others, in particular the international financial institutions, have an important role to play in helping the most vulnerable countries cope through the crisis. He held that beyond the economy, the biggest indirect effect of the virus is on public services, especially health and education. Members of the UN Security Council called on all parties involving in conflicts to fully implement Resolution 2532, while effectively responding to the UN Secretary-General ceasefire call, and supporting and giving humanitarian assistance to countries with conflicts. They also lauded UN efforts to adjust the operations of peacekeeping missions to maintain their operations, support the host country and protect themselves. Motorists driving into Austin, Texas are now greeted by series of billboards warning: 'Austin Police Defunded, Enter At Your Own Risk!' The signs have been placed at the entrances to the city by the Texas Municipal Police Association. It came after Austin's City Council voted to cut the police budget by $150 million - about 34 per cent of its current total. One of the billboards is placed on the west side of I-35, facing north, and another on the south side of the road. Kevin Lawrence, executive director of the association, said the decision last month to shift money away from policing and into mental health and social services was putting citizens at risk. Last week Greg Abbott, the governor of Texas, said he would consider putting the police department under the control of the Texas Department of Public Safety in response to the defunding decision. Two billboards have appeared at the entrance to Austin, warning of police defunding The billboards have appeared alongside the Interstate 35, heading north and south Protesters in Austin call for the defunding of police on July 26 at a rally Protesters had been gathering in Austin demanding the defunding of the police department In June demonstrators gathered outside City Hall in Austin to demand the change 'The safety of Austin citizens and visitors has never been more at risk from dangerous policies propagated by their own locally elected officials,' said Lawrence. 'We applaud Governor Abbott's consideration of a legislative proposal that would put the control of the Austin Police Department under state authority.' After the death of George Floyd, a black man killed by white Minneapolis police officers on May 25, long-simmering demands for a reassessment of policing budgets nationwide took center stage. Austin is one of at least 13 cities to vote to defund the police, according to a tally by Forbes - following the leads set by New York City, Los Angeles, Seattle, San Francisco, Baltimore and Washington DC. In Seattle the police chief, Carmen Best, resigned after a vote last month to cut $3.5 million from the police budget and reinvest over $17 million of their annual funding. In Austin, of the $150 million cut, $21 million will be invested in emergency medical services, domestic violence shelters and programs for the homeless. About another $80 million will go into a 'Decouple Fund' that will transfer many civilian services, like forensic sciences and victim services, outside of the police department. The rest of the money, about $49 million, will go into a 'Reimagine Safety Fund'. The fund is intended, under the council's plan, to 'divert dollars from the fund toward alternative forms of public safety and community support, through the yearlong reimagining process.' In response to the move by Austin - a decision strongly opposed by the Republican governor - Abbott announced that Austin, and other cities that follow suit, will be barred from raising property taxes. 'When crime is on the rise, the last thing we should do is defund the police,' said Abbott, making the announcement at the Bob Bolen Safety Complex - the training facility and headquarters for the Fort Worth fire and police departments. Greg Abbott, pictured Tuesday in Fort Worth, announced a proposal to discourage defunding Abbott, in a wheelchair since 26, said cities that defund police couldn't raise property taxes He added that any city in the state that defunds police departments will have property tax rates frozen at their current level, according to Fox 26 Houston. Texas attorney general Ken Paxton said that Austin bowed to 'cancel culture' in its decision to defund law enforcement. 'The unwarranted attack by the Austin mayor and City Council on their police department's budget is no more than a political haymaker driven by the pressures of 'cancel culture,'' Paxton said in a statement. 'Unfortunately, the targets of this 'canceling' are the brave men and women who selflessly put their lives on the line to keep our families safe.' Austin has struggled to control crime, violence and homelessness, and the mayor and council disregarded the safety of the capital, the people who live there and the guests who visit, Paxton said. Austin police, pictured August 1, have had their budget cut by $150 million Steve Adler, the Democrat mayor of Austin, defended the council's move, saying it reflected the wishes of the famously liberal city's residents. 'This budget responds to concerns expressed all over the community and embodies our values as a city.' he said. 'New investment is focused on the underlying causes of crime.' Adler told CBS News that Austin is the safest big city in Texas. 'I mean you could have a 50 per cent increase in homicides in Austin and you still wouldn't get up to where Fort Worth is, a smaller city than we are,' he said. The period of January through June this year saw roughly the same amount of crime as last year in Austin. The Austin Justice Coalition reported that the number of crimes in Austin declined around 4.1 per cent in 2020, compared to the first half of the previous year - from 52,323 reported in 2019, to 50,170 in the first half of 2020. In August the Wall Street Journal reported that Austin had the biggest increase nationwide in homicides during the pandemic. The Justice Coalition said there had been a 'slight uptick' in violent crimes during the studied period from 1,694 between January and June 2019 to 1,819 in the same period this year but said it was statistically not overly concerning. The increase represented a 7.4 per cent rise, or a numerical increase of only 125 instances, Patch reported. They argued the increase in a city of nearly a million people was nominal. 'When crime is low and there are very few crimes in total, a small numerical increase can result in what looks like a big percentage jump,' Austin Justice Coalition officials noted. 'In fact, these numbers tell us that violent crime remains low in Austin. It is also worth noting that violent crime makes up less than 4 per cent of all crime in Austin.' Copyright 2020 Albuquerque Journal The Village of Los Lunas is accepting applications for a small business grant program funded by the federal CARES act, a news release said. Los Lunas $335,475 grant will fund two rounds of grant applications for qualified businesses. One will allow businesses to apply for funds to cover expenses incurred since March 1 until now, while the other will fund expenses incurred through December 30. Those can include business continuity expenses, business redesign expenses and all expenses that fit into the following categories: non-owner employee payroll, rent, scheduled mortgage payments, insurance, utilities, marketing, reconfiguring physical space, installing plexiglass barriers, purchasing web-conferencing or other technology to facilitate work-at-home, and PPE for employees, the release said. Applicants may apply for grants of up to $10,000. Businesses must be registered within the Village of Los Lunas, have no more than 50 full-time equivalent employees who are employed in New Mexico and be headquartered in New Mexico. They also must have had an annual income of $2 million or less before the pandemic, and must either have been forced to close or to scale back operations as a result of public health orders from the state. The first round of funding is open through Oct. 2. The second round will run from Oct. 2 to 16, the release said. More information is available at www.loslunasnm.gov. New Delhi: India is a land of unity in diversity and it is evidently observed during the festivals. Each festival in the country is celebrated with utmost fervour and gaeity. One such festival is Makar Sankranti, which is celebrated across the country with different names but with a common purpose. Celebrated as a harvest festival, Makar Sankranti is a day to thank mother nature for all the natural resources and the production. Besides, it is the biggest festival dedicated to the Sun God. So as India celebrates the beginning of the harvest season, we bring you some interesting facts about Makar Sankranti: 1. Signifance of the name Makar Sankranti marks the transition of the sun into the zodiacal sign of Makara on its celestial path, which is the first change in the zodiac after the winter solstice and is the first day of the month of Magha. It also signifies the return of longer days. 2. One festival different celebration Makar Sankranti is celebrated in different ways with different names across the country. In north India, it is celebrated as Lohri; in Bihar and Jharkhand, peopl prefer taking holy dip in rivers to wash away their sins, while the day is celebrated as a kite flying day in Gujarat. In fact, International Kite Festival is also celebrated on this day in India. 3. A day of til and gud Though Makar Sankranti is celebrated with different names across India, one thing is common in the celebration - jaggery or gur. Several dishes are made of jaggery and til (sesame seeds) to keep the body warm in winter. Till ke laddu (seasame) made with jaggery is prepared on this occasion and it is the speciality of this festival. Everyone says til-gul ghya ani gud gud bola which means eats these sesame seeds and jaggery and speak sweet words. 4. Makar Sankranti Mela Several fairs are organised in different parts of the country to mark the festival of Makar Sankranti. The popular Kumbh Mela, which is held after every 12 years begins on this day, whereas in West Bengal the Gangasagar or Sagardweep mela begins where pilgrims take a dip in the holy river water to wash off their sins. 5. Makar Sankranti is also known as Thanksgiving Day Makar Sankranti draws parallel with the Thanksgiving festival, as both festivals mark the beginning of the harvest season and are celebrated to show our gratitude towards food and a noble excuse to spend a good time with family and friendsone that weve lost in the hustle and bustle of city life. For all the Latest Lifestyle News, Others News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Take away all of the flowery language in the news release issued Wednesday and this is what have: Premier Brian Pallister has hired two people with no experience in public administration or executive-level management to oversee two of the largest departments in government with budgets totalling more than $3 billion. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 10/9/2020 (497 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Take away all of the flowery language in the news release issued Wednesday and this is what have: Premier Brian Pallister has hired two people with no experience in public administration or executive-level management to oversee two of the largest departments in government with budgets totalling more than $3 billion. The first appointment of note is Tracey Maconachie as the new deputy minister of Economic Development and Training, the province's primary department for attracting new businesses, creating jobs and overseeing post-secondary education. It is the fourth-largest department in government with a budget of $970 million. For anyone coming in from outside government, a department of this size and scope would represent an enormous challenge. But it may be even more daunting for Maconachie, given that she has never worked in government and never held an executive-level management job. Immediately prior to this move, Maconachie, who in the 2016 election was the Tory candidate in River Heights, was president of the Bioscience Association of Manitoba, an industry lobby. She also received two patronage appointments from the Pallister government to Crown boards: Research Manitoba and the Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries Corp. Most of her working life was spent in sales and middle-management at Merck, the pharmaceutical multinational. Notwithstanding the assertions made by the premier's spokesman, there is little precedent in this or any other government for hiring candidates with so little experience in government and departmentspecific subject matter. Similar questions no doubt await Kathryn Gerrard who, up until this week, was director of Mental Health Transformation a low-level political staff position with the Priority and Planning secretariat of the Pallister government a job she held since May 2019. She is now the deputy minister of Families, one of the largest and costliest departments in government, with thousands of employees and a budget of $2.1 billion. Prior to her decision to join government, Gerrard had a long career at Bell MTS, serving as director of sales and, later, general manager of AAA Security, now known as Bell MTS Smart Home. The premier also took the unusual step of moving one of his senior-most political staffers into the deputy minister ranks. Elliot Sims, formerly the director of legislative affairs for the Pallister government, is now the deputy minister of regulatory accountability and associate clerk of the executive council for legislative and regulatory affairs. Sims does have nearly a decade of experience in legislative affairs and made a short stop to serve as the Manitoba director of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business. However, the decision to make him a deputy minister is odd because he does not have a department to oversee. And because his role as deputy clerk is normally contained within the confines of political staff. How is the government justifying these moves? A spokesman for the premier noted that all of the new deputy ministers got their positions after a full competition that involved, at its conclusion, an assessment by four current deputy ministers. The final decisions were based in part on recommendations by that panel. On Gerrard, the spokesman said that despite having spent just one year in that job, and having no background in mental health or family services, she "oversaw the implementation" of 30 initiatives across the departments of Health, Justice and Families. As for Maconachie, the spokesman said her experience working for a pharmaceutical company, and her continuing work linking government, post-secondary institutions and the private sector, make her a good fit for the new role in Economic Development and Training. Notwithstanding the assertions made by the premier's spokesman, there is little precedent in this or any other government for hiring candidates with so little experience in government and department-specific subject matter. But then again, this is a government that has been accused previously of politicizing senior positions normally reserved for career public administrators. For anyone coming in from outside government, a department of this size and scope would represent an enormous challenge. But it may be even more daunting for Maconachie, given that she has never worked in government and never held an executivelevel management job. David McLaughlin, the current Clerk of the Executive council, went from being Pallister's two-time campaign manager to the highest-ranked and paid civil servant in Manitoba. The NDP did on at least one occasion promote a political staffer as clerk (Paul Vogt) but it's still a very rare strategy. McLaughlin has a wealth of experience working on the political side of this and other governments in Canada. But that doesn't mean he isn't an awkward fit in a role filled by people who spend years preparing for the role. What does it all mean? There are a number of obvious conclusions to be drawn and none of them are particularly flattering to career public administrators in the Pallister government. Hardcore Tories will argue the culture and mindset of career public administrators is part of the problem they are trying to fix. Government is too expensive, taxes are too high and people who have made their living from the provincial treasury simply do not know how to get value for taxpayer dollars. But is the antidote hiring people who do not have subject-matter expertise or experience managing large organizations? It would be hard to find examples in the private sector where someone without training or experience in executive-level management would be given an executive-level job, particularly if they couldn't demonstrate fluency with the core business. In both the public and private sectors, senior-most leaders spend years training to take over entities the size of these two government departments. That kind of experience simply does not appear to have been a consideration this time around. If the ultimate concern here is value for taxpayer dollar, then hiring the wrong person for the job, even though they might know the right people, can hardly be considered an improvement. dan.lett@freepress.mb.ca Dan Lett | Not for Attribution A weekly look at politics close to home and around the world that is sent every Tuesday. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Objectivity and balance have been held up as a gold standard for journalists seeking to tell stories impartially and fairly. The concept of objective reporting came as a response to the unconscious biases of journalists, Roy Peter Clark and Stuart Adams write in Journalism, The Democratic Craft. Objectivity called for journalists to develop a consistent method of testing information ... precisely so that personal and cultural biases would not undermine the accuracy of their work, they state. Yet objectivity has come under fire as an excuse for mealy, middle-of-the-road journalism that does a disservice to facts and the truth. Now several powerful essays should give journalist and editors fresh cause to re-examine not only how objectivity is applied but underlying newsroom attitudes that are a roadblock to journalists of colour and a multitude of stories that need to be told. The essays by journalists Wesley Lowery in the New York Times, Radiyah Chowdhury in the Toronto Star and Pacinthe Mattar in The Walrus come a time of reckoning for media outlets on issues of race and diversity. Lowery noted that the mainstream has allowed what it considers objective truth to be decided almost exclusively by white reporters and their mostly white bosses. And those selective truths have been calibrated to avoid offending the sensibilities of white readers, he wrote. The views and inclinations of whiteness are accepted as the objective neutral. When black and brown reporters and editors challenge those conventions, its not uncommon for them to be pushed out, reprimanded or robbed of new opportunities, he said. Chowdhury wrote how objectivity is in fact tailored. Its just easier to appear objective if the norm is white and the people doing the work are white. The truth about Canadian media is that fairness and accuracy, while honourable things to aspire to, arent being upheld, she wrote. Mattar highlighted the double standards in newsrooms that is revealed in a lack of trust toward Black, Indigenous, and racialized people whose stories we are supposed to cover as a reflection of the world we live in. Then there is the mistrust of the Black, Indigenous, and other racialized journalists who try to report on those stories. Our professionalism is questioned when we report on the communities were from, and the spectre of advocacy follows us in a way that it does not follow many of our white colleagues. A study by the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism at the University of Oxford on talent and diversity in newsrooms found that having a diverse staff does not automatically result in more diverse content or better representation of society as a whole if working routines and habits within the newsroom remain the same. New journalists are often automatically and implicitly socialized into the existing rules and routines of a newsroom, it found, citing research that it takes a critical mass within a newsroom for minority perspectives to be acted on. Brian Daly, Atlantic director at the Canadian Association of Black Journalists (CABJ), acknowledges that the current focus on diversity has put long-held journalism concepts under the microscope. Ill be honest. I struggle with the principles I have lived by during my career, that I was taught in journalism school and have lived my entire career by, the idea of the journalist as the neutral observer, Daly said. I see that some news organizations are starting to revisit their ethical frameworks in light of inclusion. Im uncomfortable with that. There are ethical standards in our industry that are really sacrosanct to me and shouldnt be toyed with, he said in an interview. But Im also a Black man and I also see that there are those ... long-standing stereotypes that are difficult to break in terms of how we cover communities, he said. I feel there needs to be a balance struck between maintaining our distance to be able to present the facts to the audience but yet I think we still need to be able to see the humanity of the situation, he said. The true solution, he says, lies in recruiting, training and promoting journalists of colour. Earlier this year, the Canadian Journalists of Colour and the CABJ laid out a call to action to boost newsroom diversity. The Star acknowledged that newsroom barriers exist with the appointment of Shree Paradkar, its race and gender columnist, as an internal ombud. She will support BIPOC journalists and all journalists with concerns around editorial-related discrimination and bias, editor Irene Gentle told the newsroom in a memo. The goal, Gentle said, is, developing structures to ensure Black, Indigenous and journalists of colour have a way to be safely and clearly heard by colleagues, decision makers and leaders. The aim is stronger, more relevant and insightful journalism that makes a difference, as well as making our newsroom a better place to work. Its not enough to make the newsrooms more diverse, though that is the foundation of lasting change. The culture within them must change as well. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-11 10:13:03|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close SYDNEY, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- Jean-Sebastien Jacques, chief executive of mining giant Rio Tinto, will resign from his position following mounting pressure over the destruction of ancient Aboriginal sites by the company in May. The iron ore miner said in a statement on Friday that the decision was made by "mutual agreement" following the destruction of the Juukan rock-shelters in the Pilbara mining region of Western Australia, which were believed to hold 46,000 years worth of human history. Two other senior executives will also step down, according to the company statement. Rio Tinto has been under mounting pressure to sack the three executives by Aboriginal groups and top shareholders, with hefty fines imposed on the three deemed inadequate and a failing of executive accountability "What happened at Juukan was wrong and we are determined to ensure that the destruction of a heritage site of such exceptional archaeological and cultural significance never occurs again at a Rio Tinto operation," Rio Tinto Chairman Simon Thompson said. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-11 16:36:04|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close CANBERRA, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- Australia has signed a landmark deal with Germany to explore the potential for future hydrogen exports. The Australian government said on Thursday that it will begin a feasibility study with Germany into a hydrogen supply chain between the two countries. The deal is a major boost for Australia's hydrogen industry, which experts say could be worth between 11 and 26 billion Australian dollars (about 8 to 19 U.S. dollars) per year by 2050. Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment Simon Birmingham said the partnership was "critical" to developing "Australia's future as a powerhouse in clean energy exports." "Exploring opportunities for future collaboration on commercial-scale operations and investments in hydrogen production is vital if Australia is to realize the significant economic benefits and job creation opportunities hydrogen brings," he said in a statement. "This study gets the ball rolling on the development of future hydrogen supply chain with Germany which could lead to billions of dollars in export earnings for Australia and help them meet their future clean energy ambitions." Germany has committed to becoming carbon neutral by 2050 and is aiming to reduce its emissions by 55 percent by 2030. "This agreement will open up another new market for our resources and potentially create thousands of new job opportunities for Australians well into the future," Minister for Resources Keith Pitt said on Thursday. "Clean hydrogen is a transformational fuel that can be used to power vehicles, generate heat and electricity, and as a chemical feedstock in major industrial applications." Enditem Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 11) There's "very low" risk for security breaches and spying as China-backed Dito Telecommunity has been allowed to set up cell towers inside military camps, the Armed Forces of the Philippines said Friday. AFP Spokesperson MGen. Edgard Arevalo said the military sees low risk in letting the third telecommunications player put up cell sites inside military camps, adding that this was thoroughly studied by information and communications technology experts thoroughly studied by information and communications technology experts part of the country's forces. "Low threat in terms of 'yung sinasabi na concerns about spying, concerns about listening devices or eavesdropping. Pinag-aralan na po natin 'yan," Arevalo told CNN Philippines' The Source. "I just cannot mention everything because those are part of matters also of national security... May mga expert tayo na nakakaintindi rin diyan." [Translation: There's a low threat in terms of concerns about spying, listening devices or eavesdropping. We have studied that. I just can't mention everything because those are part of matters also of national security... We also have experts who can understand that.] Foreigners, which may include Chinese experts who will work on the towers inside military compounds, will also be allowed to enter after screening. "If its part of the maintenance and putting up, I understand they may be allowed but subject to stringent security and identification requirements," Arevalo said, adding that any installation or repair works will be accompanied by technology experts from the AFP as well as from the National Telecommunications Commission and the Department of Information and Communications Technology. The AFP official added that they also drew confidence from the endorsement of Dito's towers by the National Telecommunications Commission and the Department of Information and Communications Technology, as well as an approved franchise by Congress. Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana announced earlier this week that he has signed a deal with Dito allowing them to put up towers inside camps. In a separate statement on Sunday, Arevalo said the number of cell sites to be put up has yet to be determined, adding Dito will still send their proposal which the FP will vet and decide on. "The intent of the MOA to allow Dito to collocate their facilities in AFP Camps is necessarily subject to situations and limitations unique in every military installation. Therefore, notwithstanding the letter and intent of the MOA, there is a tedious process that is required and the AFPs concurrence, as the host, will have to be secured first," he said. READ: Allowing China-backed Dito to build cell sites in military camps a dumb move as security concerns hound PH Carpio Dito is a mobile services provider slated to rollout early 2021, backed by businessman Dennis Uy's Udenna Corporation and China Telecom. The Chinese government corporation invested $5.4 billion (about 60 billion) in Dito after it was named as the third major player. Tower plan long submitted The joint venture plans to put up 10,000 cell towers in the next five years, and promises to provide internet speeds of at least 27 megabits per second to more than a third of the population on its first year of operation. In a public advisory, Dito said the locations of its cell towers, base stations, and other structures were part of the plan it submitted to authorities before it secured a license to operate in July 2019. Four companies namely Huawei, ZTE, Nokia-Huaxin, and Uy's Udenna Infrastructure have been tapped for land acquisition and lease agreements. The statement, issued by site acquisition legal officer Atty. Karen Santos and retired MGen. Rodolfo Santiago, said only the four vendors and their agents are authorized to execute deals on Dito's behalf, adding that they can only provide up to three months' worth of advance rental fees to landowners. Santiago is Dito's chief technology officer and was the commandant of the AFP's Command and General Staff College before he retired in 2016. Separately, the AFP said it found no issues with the cell tower deal so far. "The reason why he (Sec. Lorenzana) signed it already is because na-satisfy naman siya sa pinresent ng [he was satisfied with what was presented by] AFP in terms of what preparations, what measures have been instituted to ensure that national security will be protected," Arevalo said. "We already addressed that, very low ang risk na magkaroon ng ganoong possibility [the risk for that possibility is very low]... We think this is not a cause of major concern," he added. RELATED: NTC extends Dito Telecommunity deadline to deliver on technical audit requirements 'Revoke cell tower deal' Cagayan de Oro Representative Rufus Rodriguez rejected Lorenzana's decision. "Whatever risk there, even if its low, we have to be on the side of safety, we have to be always on the side of national security and sovereignty. If they admit that theres a risk, then why should we allow that to happen?," Rodriguez said, warning that the Chinese firm could easily slip listening devices or cameras on its tower equipment. He pointed out the problem in giving Dito the same leverage as Globe and Smart, as the latter did not pose security risks as these were fully owned by Filipinos. "We have a conflict. Why will we allow a company with Chinese interest in our military camps?," Rodriguez said, referring to the territorial dispute in the South China Sea. READ: House OKs on third reading bill granting franchise to DITO telco Senator Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan also wants the contract revoked amid fears of security and data breaches. In a statement on Sunday, Bayan Muna Chairman Neri Colmenares also said putting the towers on camps was a threat to the country's safety and sovereignty at risk. "We have a dangerous dispute with China in the West Philippine Sea and allowing China entry into our strategic industries, like the telecommunication industry, constitutes a grave threat to the Philippines. China poses a military threat to the Philippines not only in the South China Sea but also through its control of key and sensitive Philippine industries such as the telecommunications sector," he said. Colmenares also called for the abrogation of the AFP MOA with DITO and the withdrawal of Lorenzana's approval of DITO towers in military camps Arevalo said the camps where the towers will be put up have not yet been identified as the agreement has just been signed. However, Rodriguez said the Department of National Defense should already rescind the agreement for the sake of national security. "Be that as it may, magpapatuloy ang ating ginagawang pag-evaluate ng ating telecommunications [we will continue evaluating our telecommunications] to make sure ang ating national security will be protected," the AFP spokesman assured, adding that no other country can say they are fully protected against any security issues. He added that military officials are very particular against spying, saying they leave cell phones off and outside conference rooms during important meetings. LEHI, Utah, Sept. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Young Living, the global leader in essential oils, today announced recent award honors that highlight the company's efforts in championing the employee experience. The company is recognized for its dedication in addressing its employees' ever-changing needs, especially as work dramatically shifts due to the coronavirus. Details of the awards include: Forbes Best Employer by State: Young Living was named as one of the Best Employers in the state of Utah . Forbes surveyed over 80,000 Americans to rate employers on a variety of criteria, including safety of work environment, competitiveness of compensation, opportunities for advancement and openness to telecommuting. Young Living was named as in the state of . Forbes surveyed over 80,000 Americans to rate employers on a variety of criteria, including safety of work environment, competitiveness of compensation, opportunities for advancement and openness to telecommuting. Stevie Awards for Great Employers: The 2020 Stevie Awards for Great Employers recognized Young Living in two categories including winner of the Silver Stevie Award for the Most Innovative Work-From-Home Plan and the Bronze Stevie Award for the Most Valuable HR Team. The Stevie Awards for Great Employers honors the world's best employers and the human resources professionals, teams, achievements and HR-related products and suppliers who help to create and drive great places to work. More than 90 professionals worldwide participated in the judging process to select this year's Stevie Award winners. At the beginning of the pandemic, Young Living was one of the first Utah-based companies to implement a work-from-home policy that transitioned 95% of the company's employees to work remotely until the end of the year. Overall, the company saw positive results evidenced by the 25% increase in productivity within the IT department and the 13% increase within sales. The remote transition plan included a multipronged approach that addressed the physical and mental health of all employees during the global crisis. Initiatives included the following: Virtual Fitness Classes: Access to daily meditations, mid-day stretches or a full-length virtual class for the whole family. Access to daily meditations, mid-day stretches or a full-length virtual class for the whole family. Bi-weekly Virtual Happy Hour: Includes fun conversations, games, contests and more for employees and their families. Includes fun conversations, games, contests and more for employees and their families. Virtual Live and Learns: Provides tips on how to "survive" working from home and unique DIY project ideas. Provides tips on how to "survive" working from home and unique DIY project ideas. YL Alert : An internal app to keep US employees informed about company news. The app also features CDC news, FAQs and tips to give employees real-time crucial updates. : An internal app to keep US employees informed about company news. The app also features CDC news, FAQs and tips to give employees real-time crucial updates. Online Resources and Channels: Providing homework help for kids and enhanced resources for therapy and counseling services. Providing homework help for kids and enhanced resources for therapy and counseling services. Executive Town Hall Meetings: Executives share updates, discuss changes, and provide information and resources for those working on-site and at home. "Shifting a company of this size to remote work was a massive undertaking that was masterfully met by our human resources department," said Shante Schroeder, vice president of brand marketing. "These awards are indicative of the incredible team and leadership we have at Young Living that worked tirelessly to make sure that the employees' diverse needs were being addressed during such a critical time." About Young Living Essential Oils Young Living Essential Oils, LC, based in Lehi, Utah, is the world leader in essential oils, offering the highest quality oil-infused products available. Young Living takes its industry leadership seriously, setting the standard with its proprietary Seed to Seal quality commitment, which involves three critical pillars: Sourcing, Science, and Standards. These guiding principles help Young Living protect the planet and provide pure, authentic products that its members can feel confident about using and sharing with friends and family. Young Living's productswhich all come from corporate-owned farms, partner farms, and Seed to Seal-certified suppliersnot only support a healthy lifestyle but also provide opportunities for over 6 million global members to find a sense of purpose and whole-life wellness by aligning their work with their values and passions. For more information, visit YoungLiving.com, follow @youngliving on Instagram, or like us on Facebook. SOURCE Young Living Essential Oils Related Links https://www.youngliving.com But Mr. Biden may not be able to count on the same level of support that Democratic candidates received in 2018. Some of the groups that swung hardest in Democrats direction that year have been slow to warm to Mr. Biden. Compared with an authoritative study of the 2018 midterm electorate released this week by the Pew Research Center, recent polls show the partys presidential nominee lagging behind the rates at which certain key demographics broke for the Democrats two years ago. To conduct the study, Pew used its American Trends Panel, which tracks a nationally representative sample of Americans and allows researchers to re-contact the same voters over time. Because of its large sample size and because it used a method called voter validation checking panelists responses against publicly available voter files to confirm that they participated when they said they did Pews study is considered more reliable than the national exit polls, which are conducted quickly on the day of the election and undergo minimal adjustments afterward. Midterm elections after a new president has taken office always tend to be tough for the presidents party. Yet midterm voters also tend to skew slightly more affluent and conservative than general-election voters. So the surge in Democratic votes across the board, particularly among key groups, appears to tee up Mr. Biden for a strong showing. Latinos, white suburbanites and young voters swung especially hard in Democrats favor in 2018, as the Pew study reflected, sometimes even more starkly than the exit polls. Heres a look at what the Pew study tells us about those groups, and at where things stand now. Young voters Youth enthusiasm and participation ran low in the 2016 general election, but voters under 30 grew heavily involved in 2018 doubling their participation rate from the previous midterms, according to an analysis by the United States Elections Project at the University of Florida. No other age group jumped by as much. the teenager was killed when his motorbike crashed into a car outside RAF Croughton in Northamptonshire in August last year - PA Harry Dunn's killer is 'willing to consider' a virtual trial in the UK, sources say. Anne Sacoolas was charged with causing the 19-year-olds death by dangerous driving in August last year and went on to claim diplomatic immunity following the crash, allowing her to return to her home in the US. It is now understood that she would not be opposed to the idea and wishes to speak to the British authorities to find a way forward. On Thursday night Ms Sacoolas's lawyers admitted that she drove on the "wrong side of the road for 20 seconds" before the fatal crash. The concept of a virtual trial already has support from Harry Dunns parents, the Attorney General, the Director of Public Prosecutions. Last week Boris Johnson also indicated his support for the idea, saying: I think the best thing that I can say is, I will support anything that helps to bring justice for Harry Dunn and bring some sort of closure for his family because they have suffered for a long time." The US State Department has already refused an extradition request from the Home Office, in a decision it described as final. Last night the State Department did not indicate whether they would support a virtual trial, with US legal experts suggesting there was little the US government could do to stop Ms Sacoolas from participating if she wished. Scott Anderson, a former US diplomat and foreign relations law expert at the Brookings Institution, said: "The one thing they could say [to Mrs Sacoolas] is, 'look if you submit yourself to this and you're found guilty then we're going to feel like we have to comply with the extradition request'. That's the one point of leverage they have over her. But I don't see it being very likely that they would actually pursue that. "Otherwise there's no direct ability as far as I'm aware that they can prevent her from participating in this sort of thing. Story continues "I get the sense that the US government is maybe being quiet about it but hasn't raised serious objections to her because it is a way to resolve what has been an ongoing point of friction in the relationship." A State Department spokesperson said: "Since the tragic accident occurred, the United States has been closely engaged with the UK government, and we have been transparent about our positions on legal and diplomatic matters concerning this accident. The United States Government again expresses its profound condolences and sympathy to the Dunn family for the loss of their son." In a statement released on Thursday, Ms Sacoolas's lawyers said he "instinctively" began driving on the right-hand side, and blamed not seeing Mr Dunn on her vision being blocked by "the crest of a small hill". "Anne did everything she could to assist Harry," her lawyers said. "After the accident, she ran from her car and tried to help him. "Anne then saw another motorist approach and flagged her down for more support. The other motorist immediately called for the emergency services and Anne made calls to alert the police from the nearby air force base. "The base police arrived quickly and assisted Harry. "Tragically, it took over 40 minutes for the ambulance to arrive and nearly two hours passed before Harry was admitted to the hospital. " Anne did not leave the scene until she was instructed to do so by the UK authorities." Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who has been repeatedly questioning the Centre on the issue of Chinese aggression across the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh, on Friday took to Twitter to once again take a jibe at the government. The Chinese have taken our land. When exactly is GOI planning to get it back? Or is that also going to be left to an Act of God? the former Congress president asked on Twitter. The Chinese have taken our land. When exactly is GOI planning to get it back? Or is that also going to be left to an 'Act of God'? Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) September 11, 2020 He was referring to finance minister Nirmala Sitharamans recent remark that Covid-19 was an act of God which may result to contraction of the economy this fiscal. Gandhis tweet comes after external affairs minister S Jaishankar met his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on Thursday evening on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Moscow. At the meeting between the two leaders, India and China reached a five-point consensus on easing border tensions in Ladakh. Last week, defence minister Rajnath Singh, too, had met his Chinese counterpart, General Wei Fenghe, in the Russian capital. An employee promotes cosmetic products via livestreaming at a shop in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province. China will take steps to boost new types of consumption by supporting new business forms and models with a view to promoting economic recovery, the State Council's executive meeting chaired by Premier Li Keqiang decided on Wednesday. The meeting noted that consumption, as a key engine of growth, has been significantly affected by COVID-19 this year and has become a drag on economic recovery. However, new forms and models of business based on the internet and digital technologies have generated rapid growth in new types of consumption despite the overall downward trend and have demonstrated enormous potential. "COVID-19 has made a big impact on consumption," Li said. "For China to achieve positive growth this year, boosting consumption is vitally important. Efforts should be made in line with our own national conditions to expand channels of consumption and stimulate domestic demand." New types of consumption need to be expanded and upgraded, the meeting agreed. Zero-touch consumption will be promoted, online courses and internet diagnosis and treatment will be encouraged, and online and offline services in the fitness and tourism sectors will be better integrated. New retail forms such as grocery stores with automated checkout systems will be explored. Infrastructure supporting new consumption types need to be built at a faster pace. Central business districts, industrial parks and transportation hubs will be prioritized in planning 5G and internet of things networks. Traditional ways of consumption will be better leveraged. Support will be given to brick-and-mortar companies in opening online businesses and to internet platform companies in offline development. Businesses will be encouraged to carry out online promotion in a bid to boost offline consumption. "It is all the more important to nurture new growth drivers and promote economic restructuring by leveraging the growth of new consumption based on new forms and models of businesses," Li said. Tax policies that support the growth of new business forms and models will be introduced to boost new types of consumption. Financial institutions will be encouraged to adopt new steps to reduce the cost of mobile payment. Measures will be taken to extend social security cover to people working in new forms and models of businesses, and strengthen protection for flexible employment. The transformation of government functions will be enhanced to foster a safe and trusted environment for consumers. Joint Forces Command of the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen: Interception, Destruction of Bomb-Laden (UAV) in Launched by Terrorist, Iran-Backed Houthi Militia Toward the Kingdom Saudi Press Agency Thursday 1442/1/22 - 2020/09/10 Riyadh, September 9, 2020, SPA -- Statement by the Official Spokesman of the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen COL Turki Al-Malki "Joint Coalition Forces have intercepted and destroyed this morning (Thursday) a bomb-laden UAV Launched systematically and deliberately by the terrorist Houthi militia to target civilians and civilian objects in Najran." --SPA 05:47 LOCAL TIME 02:47 GMT 0028 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address A 50-year-old woman was arrested this week at a Beaverton apartment, accused of having ties to one of Polands most notorious gangs and wanted in her native country on a 12-year-old warrant charging her with extortion involving death threats. Ana Netzky is being held at the Multnomah County Detention Center. Shes been a fugitive since the Regional Court in Katowice, Poland, issued a warrant for her arrest on Feb. 26, 2008, according to documents filed in U.S. District Court in Portland. Poland alleges that Netzky used the organized criminal gang Pruszkow to extort money from the owner of a Polish boarding house, according to Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey A. Barrow. Netzky used the Polish mob to threaten to kill the owner and her family and to burn down the womans boarding house when she failed to pay inflated debt from loans that Netzky had made to her, Barrow said. Netzky is accused of telling the woman, identified only by initials E.J., that the loan money had been borrowed from the mob and if she didnt repay it, mobsters would take care of her family, according to court records. One member of the gang confronted E.J., waving a pistol in front of her as he told her he would shoot her and her family dead, according to court documents. Netzky is accused of extorting $47,000, or 200,000 in the official Polish currency zloty, from the boarding house owner, according to the prosecution. Jail records show Netzky was arrested Tuesday by the U.S. Marshals Service at an apartment in the 2100 block of North Quatama Road. Poland has asked the United States to return Netzky in accordance with the countries' extradition treaty. Barrow urged a judge to hold Netzky without bond, arguing shes a danger to the community and she may flee if released considering the seriousness of the allegations. According to Polish authorities, she fled to avoid prosecution in Poland, Barrow said. Having fled once and now having been apprehended, she has an incentive to flee if released again. Barrow argued that probable cause exists to support the allegations, noting that Polish authorities obtained statements from the alleged victim, two witnesses and former alleged co-conspirators. One of the alleged co-conspirators identified Netzky as the leading figure in commissioning the extortion," Barrow wrote to the court. But Assistant Federal Public Defender Ryan Costello said the idea that Netzky would uproot her disabled husband and 10-year-old daughter to try to flee the country during a pandemic is not an option for her." Netzky is the caretaker for her 65-year-old husband, who suffers from diabetes and is disabled from a broken back. They live in a mobile home and Netzky does some house-cleaning work. She has no prior criminal record, her lawyer said. The alleged crime occurred in 2000 and 2001, and Netzky left Poland in 2006 to join her husband in the United States two years before a warrant was issued and she was charged with a crime, Costello said. Theres nothing in the complaint that says she had any knowledge of a criminal investigation at that time, Costello said. She moved to Michigan initially. The couple changed their last name around 2010 because most Americans couldnt pronounce it, not to avoid detection, Costello said. Netzky also is a permanent legal resident of the United States, her lawyer said. If Ms. Netzky was such a danger to the community, how come it took 20 years to prepare an extradition proceeding to get her? Costello asked. Ms. Netzky is not looking to run. According to her lawyer, Netzky had been involved in an abusive relationship when she worked with an alleged co-conspirator for a company known as Roller in Warsaw. When she tried to leave her abusive partner, she hid in a church but he tracked her down and made her come back, Costello said. He also argued that even if Netzky had ties to the so-called Polish mob, those connections occurred 20 years ago in Poland." From his research, Costello said, the Polish gang "has been almost all but disintegrated by the Polish police and insiders turning in their leaders. U.S. Magistrate Judge Stacie F. Beckerman said she would consider the arguments but wanted until Monday or Tuesday to make a decision on whether to keep Netzky in custody. She invited Costello to respond in writing to the prosecutors argument. A tentative extradition hearing was set for Oct. 16. If a judge decides at that hearing that Netzky can be sent to Poland on the allegations, the matter will be forwarded to the U.S. State Department and Netzky would be surrendered to Poland. -- Maxine Bernstein Email at mbernstein@oregonian.com; 503-221-8212 Follow on Twitter @maxoregonian Subscribe to Facebook page Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. At least ten European Union Member States have agreed to take in some 400 unaccompanied minor migrants from Greece after fires destroyed the Moria camp on September 8. Greece had earlier called for action after it struggled to provide shelter to the displaced migrants from the camp. Germany and France have agreed to take in the bulk of these 400 minor refugees with German Chancellor Angela Merkel urging other countries to assume "shared responsibility". Read: EU Stands United As Brexit Trade Talks Unravel Further Fires have destroyed Moria camp, which was one of Greece's largest migrant camps, leaving at least 13,000 people without shelter. EU Commission's vice-president Margaritis Schinas on Friday together with Germany's Interior Minister Horst Seehofer announced that the bloc will work with the Member States to ensure 400 new pledges to relocate minors. Margaritis Schinas also announced the camp will be replaced with a modern facility. Together with H. Seehofer, debriefed on my visit to #Lesvos and announced that we will work with Member States to ensure 400 new pledges to relocate minors. #Moria must serve as a sharp reminder: On migration, the clock has run out on how long we can live in a house half-built. pic.twitter.com/d03EVIfhTU Margaritis Schinas (@MargSchinas) September 11, 2020 Read: Central European Leaders Discuss Belarus, Fighting COVID-19 EU home affairs commissioner Ylva Johansson informed on September 9 that all 400 unaccompanied children and teenagers have been flown to mainland Greece adding that the safety and shelter of all people in Moria is the priority. People displaced from the camp are reportedly taking shelter on roads, car parks, fields, etc. Some of them are also COVID-19 positive, which one of the main concerns of the Greek authorities. 1/2 My thoughts and sympathies are with the people of #Lesbos and in particular the migrants and staff working in #Moria. I am in contact with the Greece Minister and local authorities about the fire.... Ylva Johansson (@YlvaJohansson) September 9, 2020 Read: UK Announces New Points-based Visa Route For Global Students After Leaving EU As per reports, Germany and France will take in 100-150 migrants each, while the Netherlands will accept 50. Finland is also expected to take in 11 minors with countries including Switzerland, Belgium, Croatia, Slovenia, Luxembourg, and Portugal taking the remaining. Meanwhile, Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia have refused to take any migrants, which sheds light on the European Union's outdated migrant policy. Read: European Union Leaders Urge Turkey To End "illegal Activities" In Mediterranean Sea Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-11 13:23:02|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close ISLAMABAD, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- Pakistan Friday welcomed the announcement of the intra-Afghan negotiations starting in Qatar on Saturday. The Afghan government, the Taliban, the United States and Qatar announced Thursday night that the talks between the Taliban and a team of the Afghan government will start on Saturday. "Pakistan welcomes the announcement of the start of historic Intra Afghan Negotiations on 12 September in Doha," Pakistan's Special Representative for Afghanistan Mohammad Sadiq said Friday. "We hope these negotiations would lead to sustainable peace in Afghanistan, which would bring prosperity to the country. Our strong support to the process would continue," Sadiq said on Tweet. Enditem South Africa: International commercial rhino horn trade remains prohibited International commercial trade of rhino horn and derivatives remains prohibited in terms of the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and the South Africas CITES regulations (2010). International commercial trade in rhino horn is and remains prohibited in terms of the CITES regulations and as such, could not be authorised in terms of any domestic legislation, Environment, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Barbara Creecy said in a statement. Creecy said any claims to the contrary are a misrepresentation of the facts regarding commercial international trade in rhino horn, and any planned commercial trade of rhino horn by private rhino owners could possibly be for domestic trade only. South Africa cannot, therefore, issue permits for international commercial trade of rhino horn or derivatives. Trying to sell rhino horn internationally for commercial purposes would be in violation of the CITES regulations and the National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act (NEMBA), said the Minister on Thursday. The Minister said the domestic trade in rhino horn is subject to the issuance of the relevant permits in terms of NEMBA, its regulations and applicable provincial legislation. Any other international activity involving rhino for non-commercial purposes is subject to the CITES provisions and relevant NEMBA regulations, Creecy said. In terms of NEMBA, a permit is required to among others possess, transport and trade in rhino horns and any derivatives or products of horn. The Minister also emphasised that the High Level Panel is reviewing among others, policy and practice matters of trade, breeding, hunting and handling of rhinos in South Africa and the panel will make recommendations to her on such. The department maintains an electronic database that captures extensive details on all individual rhino horns in private and government owned and continues with its verification programme to ensure that DNA samples have been taken, and that all horns have been measured, weighed, marked, microchipped and captured on the national database. This supports our ongoing efforts to ensure that the department has full and accurate information on the number of horns in South Africa at any given time and the registered owner of each horn. This is vital to prevent the smuggling of horn out of the country, the Minister said. SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2020-09-11. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. EAST HAVEN Police arrested two men during a traffic stop Thursday who allegedly robbed a bank unarmed the day before. Timothy Foye, 32, of New Haven and John Thomas, 47 of Meriden were both charged with second-degree-robbery and second-degree larceny, as well as conspiracy to commit both offenses. Police said at 1:42 p.m. Wednesday they were notified of a silent alarm activated by a bank teller at the Peoples United Bank inside the Stop & Shop on Hemingway Avenue. A man, later identified as Foye entered the bank and demanded money from a bank teller, without displaying a weapon, Captain Joseph Murgo said. Foye fled the bank with an excess of $4,000.00 and fled in a red Ford F-150 pickup truck waiting for him in the area of 55 Messina Drive, Murgo said. Thomas was behind the wheel, police said. The truck was seen heading West on Main Street towards New Haven. After the department publicized surveillance photos of the vehicle and two men online, tips came pouring in immediately, Murgo said, and police were able to identify the two men. They were taken into custody without issue after patrol officers initiated a motor vehicle stop on the suspect vehicle, early Thursday, Murgo said. Both men are being held on $50,000 bond and are due to appear in New Haven court Friday. Zhao Leji, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and secretary of the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, attends a symposium to commemorate the 100th birth anniversary of late Chinese military leader Yang Baibing in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 9, 2020. Zhao met with Yang's family before the symposium. (Xinhua/Ju Peng) BEIJING, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) -- A symposium was held in Beijing on Wednesday to commemorate the 100th birth anniversary of late Chinese military leader Yang Baibing. Zhao Leji, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and secretary of the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, attended the symposium and met with Yang's family. Yang served as director of the now-defunct general political department of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, a member of the Central Military Commission (CMC) of the People's Republic of China, and secretary-general of the CMC of the CPC. Yang was also a member of the Secretariat of the 13th CPC Central Committee and a member of the Political Bureau of the 14th CPC Central Committee. Commemorating Yang's great contributions to the Party, country and military, Zhang Youxia, vice chairman of the CMC, called for learning from Yang's firm belief, Party loyalty, sense of responsibility, hard work, and strong self-discipline. In a fascinating new medRxiv* preprint paper, researchers from the University of Nevada, Reno demonstrate the power of cobalt-functionalized titanium dioxide nanotubes by selectively detecting the spike glycoprotein of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in less than 30 seconds. The relentless pandemic of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), caused by SARS-COV-2, resulted in a disruption to society not experienced since the 1918 influenza pandemic. One of the reasons for such rapid spread of the virus is the asymptomatic clinical presentation in many infected individuals, which contributes to involuntary transmission. Consequently, consistent surveillance and quarantining of not only infected individuals but also asymptomatic ones could provide a somewhat effective measure to curtail further spread of SARS-CoV-2. Nonetheless, methods that are currently being used for SARS-CoV-2 diagnosis are time-consuming, expensive, and require trained personnel albeit certain inexpensive solutions are obtaining approvals for emergency usage. Schematic of Co functionalized TNT based sensing platform for the detection of SARS-CoV-2. The promise of electrochemical biosensors Electrochemical biosensors are a favorable choice for sensing biomolecules due to their propensity to detect biomarkers with adequate accuracy, high sensitivity, and specificity. As a result, they have been used to detect influenza viruses, enteroviruses, and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV). The functionality of such electrochemical biosensors can be additionally improved by nano-structuring the electrode since this step increases the electrochemical reaction rate by increasing the electrode surface area to analyte fluid volume. This is why researchers from the University of Nevada in Reno, hypothesized that SARS-CoV-2 could be detected through complexing of functionalized nanoparticles with characteristic viral proteins. SEM micrographs of (a) TNTs post-annealing. Inset shows sidewalls of TNTs and (b) Co-functionalized TNTs showing the Co(OH)2 precipitate. Inset shows an EDS map of Co confirming its uniform distribution. Synthesizing titanium dioxide nanotubes This group of researchers, led by Dr. Bhaskar Sravan Vadlamani, developed a cobalt-metal functionalized titanium dioxide nanotubes (Co-TNT) as a sensing material for electrochemical detection of SARS-CoV-2 by detecting the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of spike glycoprotein. More specifically, titanium dioxide nanotubes (TNTs) were synthesized by electrochemical anodization of titanium sheet. The annealed TNTs acquired from the furnace were functionalized with cobalt by employing an incipient wetting method, i.e., a wet ion exchange process. The morphology of the TNTs and Co-TNT was then examined with the use of Dual Beam Scanning Electron Microscopy. Moreover, the spike-RBD protein, the aforementioned biomarker for SARS-CoV-2 detection, has been characterized via sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) under denaturizing conditions. The ability of Co-TNT to sense spike-RBD protein of SARS-CoV-2 was determined by carrying out an amperometry experiment at -0.8 volts. Finally, the electrochemical sensing was performed with the use of a custom-built Co-TNT packaged and printed circuit board setup. SARS-CoV-2 concentration and detection time The study has shown that the sensor detected the spike-RBD protein of SARS-CoV-2 even at very low concentrations (ranging from 14 nM to 1400 nM). Furthermore, a linear response in the detection of viral protein with concentration has been demonstrated. Importantly, the time needed for detection was very short (approximately 30 seconds), confirming the possibility of using this technology to develop a rapid diagnostic assay that can be exploited as a point of care diagnostics for rapid SARS-CoV-2 detection. Also, the average sensor response time (defined as the time needed to reach the peak current) was found to be approximately 2 seconds. This is very short in comparison with earlier studies from the same authors on the sensor for colorectal cancer, as sensor response time there was 100-fold higher. Scalable diagnostic platform "Our report demonstrates the development of a simple, inexpensive, rapid, and non-invasive diagnostic platform that has the potential of detecting SARS-CoV-2 on clinical specimens including nasal, nasopharyngeal swabs or saliva" study authors summarize their findings. "Moreover, the developed approach has the potential for diagnosis of other respiratory viral diseases by identifying appropriate metallic elements to functionalize TNTs," they add in this medRxiv preprint paper. Advantageously, the sensor readout is an electrochemical signal gathered through a potentiostat or galvanostat, which can be adopted for smartphone applications and point of care diagnostics for COVID-19. Finally, the sensor sensitivity may also be improved by using longer Co-TNT, since higher surface area provides a better reaction rate. As a result, higher sensor response current can be reached even at lower protein concentrations. All of this makes this technology a potentially useful addition to our diagnostic armamentarium. *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. PHOENIX Four staff members at a Phoenix adult care facility have been accused of abusing a female resident and falsely reporting about it, police said Thursday. They said 55-year-old Stephanie James, 59-year-old Rodina Bailey, 54-year-old Tena Martinez and 30-year-old Kristen Emerson were taken into custody without incident Wednesday and booked into jail. It was unclear Thursday if any of the four women have a lawyer. All four certified medical professionals are accused of vulnerable adult abuse and false reporting to authorities. Staff members from a Phoenix adult care facility called police on Aug. 24 to report a 34-year-old resident had assaulted staff and another resident. Police said there was no information to corroborate the staff members allegations and surveillance footage couldnt immediately be accessed. The next day, a director for the care home reviewed the video footage and gave it to police. It reportedly shows the female resident being forced to the floor and held down. Police said the case is being forwarded to the Arizona attorney generals office for review. Yesterday (September 10), popular comedian Vadivel Balaji passed away due to cardiac arrest. The 45-year-old actor was admitted to a private hospital in Chennai. He had suffered a heart attack 15 days ago after which he got paralyzed. Reportedly, Vadivel Balaji was shifted to the government hospital as his family couldn't pay for the private hospital. Well, Vadivel Balaji's demise is indeed a big loss for the Tamil film industry. He is survived by his wife, a son and daughter. Vadivel Balaji's funeral took place at his residence in Chetpet, Chennai yesterday, where Vijay Sethupathi paid his last respects to the comedian. Interestingly, after learning about his family's struggle, the Super Deluxe star has reportedly helped them financially. Apart from Vijay Sethupathi, Vadivel's dear friend and actor Sivakarthikeyan has promised to take care of the education the late comedian's children. Kalakka Povadhu Yaaru director Thomson shared that the Remo actor spoke to him over the phone and informed about the same. For the unversed, Sivakarthikeyan and Vadivel Balaji have worked together for the show Adhu Idhu Yedhu. While remembering his late friend, Sivakarthikeyan told Times of India, "You can put him in any stage and he will make the crowd instantly laugh to his jokes. I met him at a wedding some time ago. I will always remember his laughter." Also Read : Famous Comedian Vadivel Balaji Passes Away At 45 Vadivel Balaji was famous for mimicking and imitating legendary comedian Vadivelu. He had worked in a lot of Tamil films, but had shot to fame with Vijay TV's show Kalakka Povadhu Yaaru. May his soul rest in peace! Bexar County commissioners have decided to spend $150,000 in stipends to recovered COVID-19 patients who donate their plasma to help others fight the disease. Donated plasma from recovered patients includes antibodies to the virus and has been approved as a treatment for the disease. It isnt a cure. Even though more than 40,000 San Antonians have recovered from the coronavirus, County Commissioner Justin Rodriguez said less than 5 percent of them have donated plasma. The Metropolitan Health District reported 69 new cases of COVID-19 Thursday, a significant drop from Wednesdays 151 cases, continuing a trend that has seen a decline in cases for several weeks. With fewer cases and hospitalizations, Metro Health this week dropped the local risk level to the green safe zone, a far cry from the severe risk to the city in July. The improving fortunes are due to several factors, including a two-week decline in cases, a robust testing capacity, the doubling time of cases that now is at 65 days, and a moderate rate of positive cases. Rodriguez thanked residents for their perseverance and for taking precautions to stem the pandemic, such as wearing masks and not gathering in large groups. The total number of cases since March has edged up to 47,956. Metro Health also verified nine deaths Thursday that occurred since the start of September, bringing the citys death toll to 990. The health department is investigating almost 200 more deaths found on death certificates recorded by the state but have not yet been verified by Metro Health. There also are 284 coronavirus patients in San Antonio hospitals 14 fewer than Wednesday with 33 of those being new admissions. A large number of the patients 128 are being treated in intensive care units, with 80 of them on ventilators. San Antonio got another state-funded coronavirus testing facility Thursday at Las Palmas Library at 515 Castroville Road. The testing site will be open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. seven days a week and no appointment is required. More of these testing sites are coming soon to the city, Mayor Ron Nirenberg said. With the November election approaching, Bexar County is also sending vote-by-mail applications to residents over age 65. To make in-person voting safer, the county is planning on using larger centers and providing more locations for early voting with extended hours of operation. Of course were doing everything we can to make sure that these sites are safe and as accessible and convenient as possible, Rodriguez said. Nirenberg also reiterated that schools are not required to post infections data on their websites but are required to report COVID-19 positive staff and students to Metro Health within 24 hours, as well as weekly data to the Texas Education Agency. Parents can view districts COVID-19 statistics on the Texas Education Agency website. On ExpressNews.com: San Antonio COVID-19 progress continues as schools reopen According to Bob Woodwards new book, Rage, and various audio recordings released from his interviews, President Donald Trump downplayed the danger of the coronavirus to the nation earlier this year, while telling Woodward he knew the virus was deadly. Asked to respond, Nirenberg said: The only thing were concerned about is to make sure people have the facts. We have not sugarcoated the situation that were in and I believe that its that kind of transparency and data and access to information thats helped protect our community and kept us one of the lowest rates of infection of any big city in the state. Area report The city of Laredo on Thursday confirmed one new death, a woman in her 70s, bringing its death toll to 261. Laredo also has reported 12,464 coronavirus infections, with 813 of those still active. More than 90 percent of the citys COVID-19 patients have recovered. Officials in Laredo also reported 115 hospitalizations, with 55 people in intensive care. Comal County reported 12 new cases of coronavirus Thursday, bringing the county total to 3,128. The county also had one deatha man in his 70sbringing its death toll to 114. More than 85 percent of the patients in Comal County have recovered from the disease, but it still has 308 active cases. There are six COVID-19 patients in Comal County hospitals, with two in intensive care and one on a ventilator. 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 The Hut Group faced fresh questions over governance after the company revealed one of the country's best-known private equity barons would be overseeing its pay policy. The Hut, which will float on the London Stock Exchange this month with a value of 5.4billion, has already raised eyebrows in the City for allowing its founder Matthew Moulding to benefit from an unusual and generous incentive scheme. The revelation that Dominic Murphy, a former partner at private equity giant KKR, would be chairing The Hut's remuneration committee set heads shaking yet again. Revelation: The Hut Group owns brands such as the cosmetics seller Lookfantastic and is one of Britain's biggest online retailers Private equity firms are well known for seeking to wring as much money from a company as they can, to boost their own partners' pay and the returns for their investors. The Hut's current pay policy has raised red flags with governance experts for its 'egregious' generosity. It will see Moulding's 17 per cent stake, worth 918m, bumped up to 25 per cent if The Hut's valuation climbs to 7.25m in the next two years. Experts are now worried that Murphy a long-time associate of the company who helped broker KKR's investment in 2014, and owns a 1.5 per cent stake worth 54m will fail to keep a lid on boardroom pay. Peter Parry, of the UK Shareholders' Association, said: 'Private equity is known for wanting to stoke up short-term performance, which might not be good for long-term investors, and take their rewards while they're at it. 'We all know there's a pretty aggressive remuneration plan in place which will make some people very rich. 'I'm all for rewarding good performance but when you put in place these really aggressive policies, you get all sorts of unintended consequences as managers desperately try to hit their targets.' Sources close to The Hut pointed out that Murphy has experience on the boards of large public companies, as he is an independent director of Boots owner Walgreens Boots Alliance. And Moulding has agreed to donate his base salary and bonus, worth around 4.7m last year, to charity 'for the time being'. The Hut has tried to wave away the governance criticism being levelled against it by promising to appoint an independent director. But Andy Agathangelou, founder of the Transparency Task Force, said: 'This person would require superhuman skills to avoid the inevitable biases and relationship - based influence on judgement which would be rife on a board of long- standing friends and associates.' MONTREALVoters will get a glimpse at how incoming federal Conservative Leader Erin OToole fares on a tightrope when he holds his introductory meeting with Quebec premier Francois Legault on Monday. Over the first weeks of his leadership, OToole has sounded determined to break with some of the ways of his predecessors. Stephen Harper never wanted to be pinned down on his views on abortion and Andrew Scheer could never reconcile his social conservative credentials with his assurance that he had no plan to reopen the abortion debate. OToole, by comparison, has repeatedly introduced himself to voters as a pro-choice politician. In Quebec, that makes him a mainstream leader. Since his leadership victory, he has also spent more time telling Canadians what a Conservative government would do for them beyond sending the Liberals back to opposition than pouncing on the perceived sins of the Trudeau team. In this fashion in his address to the Conservative caucus on Wednesday, OToole barely mentioned Trudeau by name and spent no time on the WE Charity scandal and the prorogation of Parliament. He is starting to sketch out the agenda of a government-in-waiting. That is not to say that the Conservatives are about to drop the WE issue from their fall lineup but rather that their new leader sounds more interested in auditioning for the job of prime minister than for that of leader of the official opposition. Given that various ethics-related investigations are ongoing, it is not as if the controversy that has dogged the Liberals throughout the summer is about to die a quick and quiet death. But if prosecuting the incumbent for alleged or verified ethical breaches was a recipe for Conservative electoral success, Scheer might be prime minister. That being said, not all edges can so easily be blunted and a major one at least as far as Quebec is concerned is almost certainly bound to resurface on the occasion of Mondays meeting. It is not that Legaults agenda is particularly adversarial. One of the main issues the Quebec premier plans to bring to the table is his contention that the federal government should raise its contribution to the financing of the health-care system. It may be hard for OToole to score points at Trudeaus expense on this particular demand. The prime minister has already agreed to hold a virtual first ministers conference on health-care funding. Moreover, it was Harper who set the annual increase in the federal health transfer at three per cent annually. At the time, the then-prime minister presented the premiers with a fait accompli. But the real albatross around the Conservative leaders neck in Quebec has to do not with abortion rights or medicare financing but with pipelines. OToole says he raised the issue of Western alienation with the prime minister over the course of their very first post-leadership conversation. These days, part of that alienation is grounded in the perception that Quebec in particular is either hostile or indifferent to the regions economic well-being. Given that, it will be hard for the Conservative leader to avoid the issue of pipelines and the role as seen from Western Canada that Quebec is playing in thwarting Albertas energy ambitions. Although Legault has become more diplomatic in his language since he famously talked of not wanting dirty oil to transit through the province, his opposition to the resurrection of the defunct Energy East pipeline has not wavered. If anything, the premiers interest in involving his government in fossil-fuel related projects in general has cooled since he came to power two years ago. This is one area where he and OToole would be hard-pressed to find a lot of common ground. When it comes to pipelines, Quebec and the federal Conservative party remain on a collision course. If the first face-to-face meeting between Legault and OToole does not highlight the fact, one can count on the Bloc Quebecois to do so. More so than anywhere else in Canada, OToole is an unknown quantity in Quebec. In a Leger poll published earlier this week, 59 per cent declined to express an opinion about the new Conservative leader for lack of knowing who he was. OToole may find solace in the fact that while Trudeau hardly suffers from a similar lack of recognition, he elicited the highest disapproval rating (54 per cent) of all the federal leaders. But heres the rub. In Quebec as opposed to Ontario and Atlantic Canada the Conservative battle is not mainly a duel with Trudeaus Liberals but rather a bare-knuckle fight with the Bloc Quebecois. Both opposition parties court the same francophone voters, almost always in the process splitting the opposition vote to the benefit of the Liberals. Thats why so far polls that show an uptick in Conservative fortunes in Quebec since OTooles leadership victory inspire more relief than concern in the provinces Liberal circles. Chantal Hebert is an Ottawa-based freelance contributing columnist covering politics for the Star. Reach her via email: chantalh28@gmail.com or follow her on Twitter: @ChantalHbert Read more about: He shed an impressive two stone during a two-week juice retreat last month. And James Argent enjoyed a paddle boarding session as he headed back to Jason Vale's Juice Oasis resort in Portugal for his second visit this summer on Friday. The former TOWIE star, 32, went shirtless in a pair of bright orange swimming shorts as he soaked up the sun. Fun in the sun: James Argent went shirtless in orange swimming trunks during a paddle board session on his juice retreat in Portugal on Friday Showing off his slimmed down physique, Arg practiced his technique out on the water while topping up his tan. However at one point he lost balance and fell head first into the refreshing waters. The reality star - who was 18st 7lb at his heaviest - also kept up his fitness regime with a hike around the grounds of the resort later in the day. Concentration: Showing off his slimmed down physique, Arg practiced his technique out on the water while topping up his tan Holiday: Arg headed back to Juice Oasis resort in Portugal for his second visit this summer on Friday Balance: Arg kneeled on his paddle board as he manoeuvred himself on the water during the session Exercise: Arg showed off his impressive tan after having spent most of his summer in Marbella and Portugal He looked casual in a navy blue t-shirt, shorts and black Nike trainers as he worked up a sweat and took in the scenic views on the walk. Arg revealed he transformed his eating habits and lost two stone when he went on Jason Vale's retreat in Portugal in August after randomly bumping into the health and fitness guru, 51. The TV star told The Sun on Sunday: 'I met Jason on the off chance and he called my bluff when I said I'd book in. So the next day I bought my flights and flew to his resort in Portugal. All I drank for a fortnight was juices. Hard work: The paddle board session proved to be a challenge as he used his muscles to push through the water Whoops: However at one point the star lost his balance and fell head first into the refreshing waters Face plant: He fell into the water at one point during the session when he lost balance on the board Taking a dip: Arg pulled himself out of the water via some stairs after his session came to an end Making a splash: Arg showed off his impressive balance during the session in Portugal 'I feel incredible and I'm determined to lose even more weight. I saw pictures of myself on the beach when lockdown ended and I came to Spain. I was shocked by how I looked. Now I just never want to go back to feeling that way.' 'It was the best thing I've ever done. I've struggled with my weight for years but this has really changed my outlook. I'm free from drink and drugs still, which is a huge achievement. And making sure I lose weight and get healthier is an ongoing goal.' The media personality had previously insisted the secret behind his epic five-stone weight loss earlier this year was low-calorie curry. In we go! Arg was assisted by an instructor as he got into the water to begin his session on the board Stroll: The former TOWIE star, 32, went shirtless in a pair of bright orange swimming shorts as he soaked up the sun Practice makes perfect: Arg looked tentative at first but then got into the swing of the technique Best foot forward: The reality star - who was 18st 7lb at his heaviest - also kept up his fitness regime with a hike around he grounds of the resort later in the day Last year, James suffered two near-fatal overdoses at his home, with his then-girlfriend Gemma Collins calling emergency services after his family feared he was dead. The Essex native turned his life around and is continuing his recovery after he flew to Thailand earlier this year to go to rehab for his drug and drink addiction. Things for James haven't been as promising in the romance department as he broke up with his partner Gemma, 39, earlier his summer after she revealed a string of abusive messages, purportedly sent to her by him prior to their split. Stroll: He looked casual in a navy blue t-shirt, shorts and black Nike trainers as he worked up a sweat Walk: Arg took in the beautiful views around the resort during his hike where he listened to music on his headphones Fitness: Arg appeared to be taking his weight loss seriously as he worked up a sweat on his hike It's understood the Jump star had made derogatory remarks abut her weight after she suggested that he had bought another woman dinner. The self-proclaimed diva decided to take some time off social media, citing that she was 'devastated' and 'heartbroken' by the exchange. However after returning to the UK from her own Tenerife getaway, Gemma apologised to her former beau for releasing the messages. Refreshing: At one point during the session James took a swim in the cool waters Tired: At the end of the class he wearily made his way back to shore with the help of his instructor Day out: Arg revealed he transformed his eating habits and lost two stone when he went on Jason Vale's retreat in Portugal in August Holiday: James Argent enjoyed a paddle boarding session as he headed back to Jason Vale's Juice Oasis resort in Portugal for his second visit this summer on Friday Views: Arg took a scenic hike through the Portuguese countryside on Friday Channel Seven star Larry Emdur and his wife Sylvie have quietly put their two Bondi investment properties on the market. Despite the COVID-19 recession having an impact on the Sydney housing market, The Morning Show host, 55, decided to list the properties on the back of his real estate agent son's recent success in the suburb. Jay Edmur set a building record with the $1.36 million sale of a two-bedroom apartment located on Ramsgate Avenue in North Bondi, and now he is hoping to do the same for his father. Selling up: Channel Seven star Larry Emdur and his wife Sylvie (both pictured) have quietly put their two Bondi investment properties on the market Trust: Despite the COVID-19 recession having an impact on the Sydney housing market, The Morning Show host, 55, decided to list the properties on the back of his real estate agent son Jye's (pictured) recent success in the suburb '[Larry's] had Bondi investments for 30 years and hes looking to do other investments down the track rather than one-bedroom or two-bedroom units,' Jye told Realestate.com.au. 'So weve got them on the database and weve got some who missed out on Ramsgate Avenue looking, and a few others have been through.' The first property listed is a one bedroom apartment located on Brighton Boulevard. North Bondi: The first property listed is a one bedroom apartment located on Brighton Boulevard Modern interior: It features a renovated kitchen and bathroom, and is just a short walk from famous Bondi Beach The couple purchased the property for $318,000 in 2001 and it currently rents for $600 per week. It features a renovated kitchen and bathroom and is just a short walk from the famous Bondi Beach. The second property is a larger two-bedroom apartment that the couple bought for $400,000 that same year. Investment: The second property is a larger two-bedroom apartment that the couple bought for $400,000 in 2001 The apartment is located on Glenn Street and is renting for $850 per week. According to the publication, Jye expects that his father will put both apartments on the general market. And, it is reported that the apartments could sell for up to $1 million each. Luxurious: The apartment is located on Glenn Street and is renting for $850 per week. It is reported that the apartments could sell for up to $1 million each Back in February, Larry and wife shelled out $1.1 million for a holiday home in Berowra Waters, New South Wales. They purchased the luxurious property as a getaway from their current home in upscale Bondi. 'The magical bay is much quieter than Bondi,' Larry told The Daily Telegraph this Sunday. Two bedrooms, an art studio and sweeping river views: Back in February, Larry and wife shelled out $1.1 million for a holiday home in Berowra Waters, New South Wales Plenty of room! The home offers a lot of space with spacious, light-filled living areas and a gourmet kitchen The property is only accessible via a boat, and boasts sweeping views across the river and national park. It features two large bedrooms, with the main featuring a full bathroom, walk-in robe and a large balcony, along with a large open plan living area. Larry and Sylvie have amassed a large property portfolio around Sydney in recent years. They sold his impressive Dover Heights clifftop mansion for $11.5 million to celebrity Anthony Bell in November, 2017. In June of that year, the pair nabbed a $3.09 million three-bedroom apartment in The Rocks. The couple shelled out a further $1.08 million for a three-bedroom, one bathroom unit in affluent Bellevue Hill, earlier this year. Floral fashion and girl-next-door styles are here to stay as Bollywood divas simply cant have enough of them. Those looking to upgrade their impeccable wardrobe this fall season can take a leaf out of Rockstar actor, Nargis Fakhris book or rather social media posts. Printed florals, tie-straps, tiny ruffles and flared hemlines are definitely dominating the mood this season. Treading the same lines, our September uniform looks sorted courtesy Nargis, who set the fall trend in a tiered maxi dress. While actor Disha Patani earlier flooded our feeds with her breesy look in a white and blue mini tie-strap dress, Nargis recently grabbed our attention as she romanced the golden hour in a Bohemian maxi dress at the Joshua Tree National Park in the US. Sharing pictures of her first trip to the desert, Nargis left the fashion police impressed with her stunning look in Caressa tiered maxi dress. The picture is proof that love of blooms and sunset swirls are all we need to lift our spirits. Nargis captioned the pictures, Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; remember what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for. -Epicurus..Be Grateful -......First time visiting (sic). While the skirts four simple tiers are lightly shirred individually, a raw-edged ruffle trim above the smocked bodice completes the look. The chic ensemble is from LoveShackFancy, a New York City-based lifestyle brand and costs $395 or 29,035.46 on their website. The dress is made from cotton with a ditsy floral colour-blocked patchwork motif and has straps that tie in bows at the shoulders. Follow more stories on Facebook and Twitter STATEN ISLAND, N,Y. -- A large red banner -- announcing Century 21 coming soon -- still covers the entrance of the former Sears store in the Staten Island Mall, which reopened Wednesday after being shuttered for nearly six months due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. But the 60-year-old popular designer retailer -- where you can get everything from Gucci handbags to Prada shoes for drastically reduced prices -- announced Thursday it will close all of its stores and file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The retailer, with stores in New York, New Jersey Pennsylvania and Florida, is the latest -- and one of many national and chain stores -- to shutter during the coronavirus pandemic. Mall management said they were unaware of the bankruptcy as of Wednesday, and said they were not yet ready to comment about the space. Century 21 announced it was opening a permanent 49,000-square-foot store on the first floor of the New Springville shopping center right before the pandemic hit. The retailer said the decision to shutter its 13 stores follows nonpayment by the companys insurance providers of approximately $175 million due under policies put in place to protect against losses stemming from business interruption, such as those experienced as a direct result of the current health crisis. While insurance money helped us to rebuild after suffering the devastating impact of 9/11, we now have no viable alternative but to begin the closure of our beloved family business because our insurers, to whom we have paid significant premiums every year for protection against unforeseen circumstances like we are experiencing today, have turned their backs on us at this most critical time, said Century 21 co-CEO Raymond Gindi. While retailers across the board have suffered greatly due to COVID-19, and Century 21 is no exception, we are confident that had we received any meaningful portion of the insurance proceeds, we would have been able to save thousands of jobs and weather the storm, in hopes of another incredible recovery," he added in a statement. But most business interruption insurance policies do not cover losses from the shutdowns caused by the coronavirus pandemic, Michael Barry, a spokesman for the industry trade group Insurance Information Institute, told CNN. Since 1961, when Al and Sonny Gindi opened what was then a small store in Downtown Manhattan, we have been proud to provide shoppers with unmatched access to designer brands at amazing prices, said Century 21 co-CEO IG Gindi. While we wish that Century 21 could continue to be a must-see shopping destination for so many, we are proud of the pioneering role it has played in off-price retail and the iconic brand it has become. It has been a true honor for us to be part of the vibrant New York City fashion scene and to serve millions of locals, tourists, and celebrities, side by side. STORE WAS TO BE TAILORED TO STATEN ISLAND COMMUNITY In March, right before the global lockdown, Century 21 Stores told SILive.com/Staten Island Advance that its new Staten Island Mall store, which was supposed to open later this year, would stock merchandise specifically curated to the buying habits of Staten Islanders. Were thrilled to have the opportunity to open a new store in the Staten Island Mall, said Michael Kustermann, chief marketing officer of Century 21, in early March. As a destination for fashion off-price, our new store format will provide our loyal Staten Island customers an opportunity to shop real designer brands at amazing prices. This is not the first time the department store brand was available in the Mall. A pop up Century 21 EDITION opened in 2018, offering a large selection of womens accessories -- mainly high-end designer handbags. The retailer had partnered with LXRandCo to offer shoppers an assortment of vintage designer bags, accessories, jewelry and watches from top brands such as Gucci, Louis Vuitton and Hermes. THE DEMISE OF SEARS The Sears closure was the result of Sears Holdings filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in October 2018. At that time, only the lower level was still occupied by Sears. Primark -- a 50-year-old company founded in Dublin -- opened one of its first U.S. stores in the second-floor space formerly occupied by Sears in 2017. Primark saw an opportunity to expand in the United States as part of Sears' downsizing operation. The retailer occupies 55,000 square feet -- the entire second floor of the former Sears -- in the Mall. Sears first started its downsizing in the Mall when it closed its auto body shop in 2016, which had been open since March 1973. The 23,000-square-foot space became the new home of a Container Store, which opened in May 2016. *** CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE COVERAGE OF CORONAVIRUS IN NEW YORK *** FOLLOW TRACEY PORPORA ON FACEBOOK and TWITTER Councillors in the Shetland Islands have voted overwhelmingly to pursue ways of gaining independence from Scotland, giving Indy Ref-backing First Minister Nicola Sturgeon the dilemma of how to keep her country together while fighting to split the UK apart. Islanders want to investigate the possibility of being governed as a Crown Dependency, such as Jersey, rather than setting themselves up as an independent nation. But that would still mean they would keep the revenues from oil in their waters - dealing a blow to the finances of a would-be independent Scotland. In a debate lasting more than an hour, members argued decision-making has become increasingly centralised and public funding for the islands has been cut under the SNP Government. Councillors voted 18 to two in favour of a motion to formally explore options 'for achieving financial and political self-determination'. Shetland Islands Council has voted overwhelmingly to start looking at ways to become financially and politically independent from Scotland The motion, signed by council leader Steven Coutts and convener Malcolm Bell, said: 'We are concerned that this ongoing situation is seriously threatening the prosperity and even basic sustainability of Shetland as a community.' Any move for Shetland to become self-determining would need to be supported by an island-wide referendum across the 23,000-strong population, councillors stressed. Mr Coutts suggested devolution has not benefited Shetland famous for its Up Helly Aa fire festivals, in which Viking ships are burned and said the Scottish parliament feels 'remote' to islanders. He claimed the levels of funding for ferries 'negatively impacts on Shetland and everyone of Shetland', although the Government said it has provided more than 15million for ferry services over the past three years. The Shetland West councillor referenced the 2013 Lerwick declaration by former First Minister Alex Salmond, when he announced plans to decentralise power to the islands. Councillors voted 18 to two in favour of a motion to formally explore options 'for achieving financial and political self-determination'. Pictured: Attendees at Shetland's Up Helly Aa fire festival Council leader Steven Coutts claimed the levels of funding for ferries 'negatively impacts on Shetland and everyone of Shetland'. Pictured: Town of Scalloway and its harbour in the Shetland Islands Quoting Mr Salmond's statement 'we believe that the people who live and work in Scotland are best placed to make decisions about our future', Mr Coutts said: 'Replace Scotland with Shetland that's the motion here today, and I encourage you to support it.' Ahead of discussions with the UK and Scottish Governments, Mr Coutts said: 'I hope they recognise the challenges of living in Shetland, like the high cost of living, but also the incredible opportunities political and financial self-determination could bring.' Responding to the vote, Islands Minister Paul Wheelhouse said Shetland had not submitted any request for further powers under new regulations introduced last year. He said: 'It is the responsibility of local authorities to manage their own budgets and to allocate the resources available to them on the basis of local needs and priorities.' The Shetland West councillor referenced the 2013 Lerwick declaration by former First Minister Alex Salmond, when he announced plans to decentralise power to the islands. Pictured: Incumbent First Minister Nicola Sturgeon Any move for Shetland to become self-determining would need to be supported by an island-wide referendum, councillors stressed The council is not seeking to form a separate country but is instead hoping to become a self-governing Crown dependency similar to that of the Isle Of Man, Guernsey and Jersey. It believes that Shetland would thrive on the wealth generated through its flourishing high-tech industries - as Scotland battles the highest public spending deficit in Europe. Unst, one of the Shetland islands, has been selected as the location of a spaceport as well as the UK's first commercial rocket launch anticipated for next year. Hundreds of jobs in the area will be generated as a result if planning permission is given the go ahead. Similarly the discovery of North Sea oil in the 1970s significantly boosted the area's economy, employment and public sector revenues. Residents in Scotland's Northern Isles have traditionally been hostile toward a Scottish Independence. And if Shetland lays claim to the oil in their waters, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon's economic case for the second referendum will be delivered a devastating blow. Council members argued decision-making has become increasingly centralised and public funding for the islands has been cut under the SNP Government. Pictured: Ceremony at at Shetland's Up Helly Aa fire festival The Government said it had provided more than 15million for Shetland's ferry services over the past three years. Pictured: Fishing boats in the waters around the islands Before the first independence referendum in 2014 the MPs and MSPs on the Shetland islands demanded that they should be given an opt-out option if the Scottish mainland voted to split from the UK. Later, in 2017, it was also suggested by the former Tory Chancellor Lord Lamont of Lerwick that the islands could become a British overseas territory if Scotland were to become independent. It comes as Ms Sturgeon continues her own plans for a second Scottish independence referendum in the wake of Brexit. Earlier this year she told the BBC's Andrew Marr that she believed the SNP's handling of the coronavirus pandemic had been an example of 'show don't tell' for independence. She claimed that support for Scotland leaving the UK had increased in recent months. Russian Interior Ministry to ask Germany for permit to Navalny investigative actions RAPSI 16:33 11/09/2020 MOSCOW, September 11 (RAPSI) Investigators of Russias Interior Ministry will ask their German colleagues for the admission to investigative activities related to an incident with Alexey Navalny, the press service of the Siberian Federal District transport police reported Friday. Russian police continue a preinvestigative check over the incident. Investigators have questioned 5 out of 6 person accompanying Navalny in his trip. However, one more person residing in the UK Marina Pevchikh avoided interrogation, according to the statement. Law enforcement try to establish her location. On September 4, the Basmanny District Court of Moscow found no act of omission of Russias Investigative Committee failing to open a criminal case over an incident involving Alexey Navalny. Lawyers for Navalnys foundation claimed it had been a while since they had notified investigators of the incident. Lawyer Vyacheslav Gimadi has filed an application over attempted murder of the blogger. The application was forwarded to the Siberian Federal District transport police. In late August, investigators of the Siberian Federal District transport police started a pre-investigation check over hospitalization of Navalny in Omsk on August 20. As part of the probe, the police searched a hotel room where Navalny stayed and examined objects and sites on his route. Over 100 items which may be evidence were seized; video records were analyzed. More than 20 criminal examinations are conducted including medical forensic, biological and physical and chemical evaluations. By today, no potent or narcotic substances were found, the police statement reads. On August 20, a plane departed from Tomsk to Moscow with Navalny onboard urgently landed in Omsk after the blogger became heartily sick. He was taken to a hospital in coma. Later, he was transported to Berlin. Russian medics said no poison was found in the bloggers body. The carcass of an alligator killed during a fire in the Pantanal wetlands, Mato Grosso State, Brazil, on August 27, 2020, picture in a handout image released by Projeto Solos on September 9 .Fires raging in the Pantanal, the biggest tropical wetlands on Earth, are threatening a nature reserve known as the home to the world's largest jaguar population, Brazilian authorities said on September 8, 2020. The Pantanal, the world's biggest tropical wetlands, is burning at record-shattering pace this year as drought-fueled fires devastate its vegetation and celebrated wildlife in an environmental catastrophe. The region, which sits at the southern edge of the Amazon rainforest, is known for its immense biodiversity, drawing wildlife lovers from around the world with its jaguars, jabiru storks, giant otters, caimans, toucans, macaws and monkeys. But in recent months, the images emerging from the region have been of charred animals' corpses and flames stretching clear across the horizon. "I've been here 20 years, and this is the worst situation I've ever seen," Felipe Dias, head of the environmental group SOS Pantanal, told AFP. Stretching from Brazil into Paraguay and Bolivia, the Pantanal is criss-crossed by rivers, swamps and marshes. More than 2.3 million hectares (5.7 million acres)an area 388 times the size of Manhattanhave gone up in flames in the region so far this year, according to the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. There have been 12,567 fires in the Brazilian Pantanal in 2020, setting a new annual record for the number of fires less than nine months into the year, according to satellite data collected by Brazil's national space agency, INPE. Fire raging in the Pantanal wetlands, Mato Grosso State, Brazil, on August 28, 2020, in a handout image picture released by Projeto Solos Fires raging in the Pantanal, the biggest tropical wetlands on Earth, are threatening a nature reserve known as the home to the world's largest jaguar population, Brazilian authorities said on September 8, 2020. The damage is "irreparable," and especially devastating for animals, said Juliana Camargo, head of wildlife conservation group AMPARA Animal. "Very few animals survive. The ones that do often suffer very severe effects. They're burned to the bone, they often have to be euthanized, or die of hunger and thirst," she said. "The worst part is when the people on the ground fighting the fires tell us, 'There's nothing we can do, everything is going to burn.' The only hope is for it to rain, but that's not expected until November." Wetlands running dry Local volunteers have rushed to help the teams of soldiers and firefighters deployed to battle the flames. Many of them depend on the region's ecotourism industry, which has been battered by the twin crises of the coronavirus pandemic and the fires. This week the flames reached a nature reserve known as the home to the world's biggest jaguar population, Encontro das Aguas State Park. A raccoon killed during a fire in the Pantanal wetlands, Mato Grosso State, Brazil, on August 27, 2020, in a picture released by Projeto Solos The disaster is being driven by extreme drought. As it happens, the world's biggest tropical wetlands are not that wet these days. Rainfall in the Pantanal plunged by half for the period from January to May this year, usually the height of rainy season. Many areas that typically flood with the rains were left dry. High temperatures and strong winds have fueled the fires. But there are other factors in play, too. Farmers and ranchers are increasingly introducing non-native crops to the region, which burn more easily than native vegetation, said forestry engineer Vinicius Silgueiro of the Life Center Institute (ICV). Some clear their land using the slash-and-burn method, lighting fires that can then grow out of control. Far-right President Jair Bolsonaro's government has meanwhile failed to crack down on the problem, environmentalists say. "There's a widespread sense of impunity, a weakening of environmental protection agencies and a reduction in funding" for environmental programs, said Silgueiro. Biologists hold a raccoon rescued from a burning area of the Pantanal wetlands, Mato Grosso State, Brazil. Fires raging in the Pantanal, the biggest tropical wetlands on Earth, are threatening a nature reserve known as the home to the world's largest jaguar population, Brazilian authorities said on September 8, 2020. Aerial view showing large scale forest fires in Pocone, Pantanal region, Mato Grosso State, Brazil on August 1, 2020. 'New normal'? Bolsonaro, who took office in January 2019, faces criticism for presiding over a surge in fires, not only in the Pantanal but in the Amazon. Studies show deforestation in the Amazon is having an impact on rainfall in other regions of Brazil by shrinking the rainforest's so-called "flying rivers": vast clouds of mist that are carried by the wind and dump water across a large swathe of South America. "It's too early to know if the droughts in the Pantanal in recent years are directly linked to that," said Silgueiro. "But there's no denying things are different from before. I'm from this region. I remember when it used to rain in August and September. This year, it hasn't rained since June." Droughts like this year's risk becoming the "new normal," said Tasso Azevedo, the coordinator of Mapbiomas, a collaborative research group that tracks environmental data. "That would be really tragic," he said. "Because in the Pantanal, if you have fire after fire in the same place, the vegetation can't grow back." Explore further Fires triple in Brazil's Pantanal wetlands in 2020 2020 AFP Local jazz pianist Nat Phipps will receive a Lifetime Achievement Award from the First Reformed Church of Schenectady, home of the music series Jazz Vespers, this Sunday, Sept. 13, at 5 p.m. As he has since 2008, Phipps will perform, along with bassist Pete Toigo and drummer Pete Sweeney. Beginning as a teenager, Phipps began playing in local bands in his native Newark, New Jersey, as well as the jazz clubs of New York City, in the 1950s, eventually opening for the likes of Lionel Hampton, Little Jimmy Scott and Nat King Cole. He counted saxophone player Wayne Shorter among his friends. His band won the amateur competition at the Apollo Theater in Harlem for three consecutive weeks. Frank Calabria became the CEO of Origin Energy Limited (ASX:ORG) in 2016, and we think it's a good time to look at the executive's compensation against the backdrop of overall company performance. This analysis will also evaluate the appropriateness of CEO compensation when taking into account the earnings and shareholder returns of the company. See our latest analysis for Origin Energy How Does Total Compensation For Frank Calabria Compare With Other Companies In The Industry? At the time of writing, our data shows that Origin Energy Limited has a market capitalization of AU$8.4b, and reported total annual CEO compensation of AU$5.1m for the year to June 2020. That's a notable increase of 11% on last year. While this analysis focuses on total compensation, it's worth acknowledging that the salary portion is lower, valued at AU$1.8m. In comparison with other companies in the industry with market capitalizations ranging from AU$5.5b to AU$16b, the reported median CEO total compensation was AU$4.6m. This suggests that Origin Energy remunerates its CEO largely in line with the industry average. Moreover, Frank Calabria also holds AU$3.7m worth of Origin Energy stock directly under their own name. Component 2020 2019 Proportion (2020) Salary AU$1.8m AU$1.7m 35% Other AU$3.3m AU$2.9m 65% Total Compensation AU$5.1m AU$4.6m 100% Talking in terms of the industry, salary represented approximately 72% of total compensation out of all the companies we analyzed, while other remuneration made up 28% of the pie. Origin Energy sets aside a smaller share of compensation for salary, in comparison to the overall industry. It's important to note that a slant towards non-salary compensation suggests that total pay is tied to the company's performance. Origin Energy Limited's Growth Origin Energy Limited has seen its earnings per share (EPS) increase by 83% a year over the past three years. It saw its revenue drop 10% over the last year. Story continues Overall this is a positive result for shareholders, showing that the company has improved in recent years. The lack of revenue growth isn't ideal, but it is the bottom line that counts most in business. Moving away from current form for a second, it could be important to check this free visual depiction of what analysts expect for the future. Has Origin Energy Limited Been A Good Investment? Since shareholders would have lost about 33% over three years, some Origin Energy Limited investors would surely be feeling negative emotions. This suggests it would be unwise for the company to pay the CEO too generously. To Conclude... As we touched on above, Origin Energy Limited is currently paying a compensation that's close to the median pay for CEOs of companies belonging to the same industry and with similar market capitalizations. At the same time, the company has logged negative shareholder returns over the last three years. However, EPS growth is positive over the same time frame. Overall, we wouldn't say Frank is paid an unjustified compensation, but shareholders might not favor a raise before shareholder returns show a positive trend. CEO pay is simply one of the many factors that need to be considered while examining business performance. That's why we did our research, and identified 5 warning signs for Origin Energy (of which 1 is a bit concerning!) that you should know about in order to have a holistic understanding of the stock. Switching gears from Origin Energy, 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. SHOTLIST LESBOS, GREECESEPTEMBER 11, 2020SOURCE: AFPTV 1. Mid shot demonstrators holding protest signs which read "We don't want a new camp, we want freedom" LESBOS ISLAND, GREECESEPTEMBER 11, 2020SOURCE: AFPTV 2. Mid shot two women demonstrating3. Tracking shot riot police moving through the crowd of demonstrators4. Close-up Authorities unloading tents from a helicopter5. Wide shot Greek authorities putting up tents 6. SOUNDBITE 1 - Nasrulah Paiwandi, Migrant from Afghanistan (male, 20 years old, English, 15 sec): "You can see there, they are building a new camp. And this new camp is very, very badder from Moria. There is Corona. " 7. Cutaway: Wide shot a Chinook helicopter carrying personnel arrives while migrants watch 8. Cutaway: Wide shot a Chinook helicopter carrying personnel arrives while migrants watch 9. SOUNDBITE 2 - Nasrulah Paiwandi, Migrant from Afghanistan (male, 20 years old, English, 9 sec): "Please forgive us because there is Corona and we will die in this new camp." 10. Cutaway: Wide shot Greek authorities putting up tents 11. Cutaway: Wide shot A Chinook helicopter carrying people to build tents 12. Close-up a Chinook helicopter carrying personnel arrives while migrants watch ///-----------------------------------------------------------AFP TEXT STORY: newseriesGreece ramps up emergency effort after Lesbos migrant camp fire By Marina RAFENBERG with Helene COLLIOPOULOU in Athens =(Graphic+Picture+Video)= ATTENTION - UPDATES throughout ///Lesbos Island, Greece, Sept 11, 2020 (AFP) - Greek security forces arrived en masse on the island of Lesbos on Friday to help build a new shelter for thousands of migrants left homeless by fires that destroyed their camp this week.Many desperate families wandered listlessly in the streets of the island's main town after spending a third night sleeping out in the open, on the sides of streets, parking lots or even at petrol stations."We've suffered here for three days," Congolese asylum seeker Patricia Bob told AFP on the side of a road, sitting on a piece of cardboard serving as her mattress."We are hungry and thirsty, we have no toilets or showers."The Greek miltary began helping to set up a replacement site on a hilltop army firing range near the burnt-down camp, but had to use helicopters to bypass roadblocks set up by locals opposed to rehousing the migrants on the island.Some 11,500 asylum seekers including 2,200 women and 4,000 children are without adequate shelter, the UN refugee agency said Friday, following the fires on Tuesday and Wednesday that gutted the Moria camp.- Charities squeezed - Eleven police vehicles -- some stopping the migrants from reaching a nearby port -- and two water cannon boosted the heavy presence seen on the island since the devastating blazes.The heavy police presence has complicated efforts by volunteer groups to give the hapless asylum seekers assistance. "The police blocked several roads... there is no clarity in the government's plan and the situation remains chaotic," Faris Al-Jawad, a spokesman for medical charity MSF, told AFP."We started cooking pasta, and at the same time a small car with Spanish volunteers came with 300 packages of food," added Salam Aldeen of Team Humanity."They told us they had to smuggle themselves in and it took hours... we had very hard time to get the aid in."The additional police forces are also there to prevent local hardliners from causing trouble. In February, efforts to build a new camp on Lesbos sparked days of clashes.Officials have blamed migrants for the fires, the first breaking out shortly after 35 people tested positive for coronavirus and were facing isolation measures.The government is desperate to prevent a more widespread infection among the island of 85,000 people. Only eight of the positive cases have been tracked down so far. - Germany plea - The plight of the stranded families has prompted other European countries to offer to take in hundreds of asylum seekers, particularly unaccompanied youngsters.The Moria camp, one of dozens built in Greece following the influx of people to Europe in 2015, was notoriously overcrowded -- often housing more than four times its intended capacity -- and became a lightning rod for local discontent.Greece has long complained that, aside from providing funds, its EU partners have done too little to help.An EU-wide asylum system fell apart under the strain of hundreds of thousands of arrivals, with other European nations accepting only a trickle of refugees, leaving thousands remaining trapped in Greek camps.Germany has used the fire to call for more solidarity in Europe and along with France agreed an initiative on Thursday for EU states to share out the roughly 400 unaccompanied children and young people from the camp."As a preliminary step we are offering to Greece to accept refugees who are minors -- other steps must follow," German Chancellor Angela Merkel told a panel discussion in Berlin.The European Union must "assume more shared responsibility" for migration policy, Merkel said, addressing longstanding complaints of Greece and other southern nations.While several EU states have agreed to take in the young migrants, including Germany, France, the Netherlands and Finland, Belgium refused and Denmark said it would send money instead.European Commission vice-president Margaritis Schinas, who visited Lesbos on Thursday, said additional ships financed by the EU would provide shelter to those most in need.Greece's conservative government has toughened its asylum restrictions, slashing cash benefits and accommodation provisions to discourage further migration.The government has also passed a law aiming to limit the access of NGOs and charities to the camps and boost official control.mr-hec/jph/jxb/txw ------------------------------------------------------------- The Trump-Russia investigation effectively ended on July 24, 2019, the day special counsel Robert Mueller testified on Capitol Hill. Muellers halting presentation of his 400-plus-page report troubled both Republicans and Democrats. But of greater concern was this fact: After two years of investigating, with all the powers of law enforcement at his command, Mueller failed to establish that Russia and the Trump campaign conspired to fix the 2016 election. It was the central allegation the special counsel was hired to investigate, and he could not establish that it ever took place. As I report in my new book, Obsession: Inside the Washington Establishments Never-Ending War on Trump, for a while after Muellers testimony, some Hill Democrats struggled to keep alive the idea of impeaching President Trump over the Russia affair. The number of House Democrats who supported impeachment actually increased after Muellers testimony. But their plans changed as others in their party whipped up excitement about a new line of attack against the president the Ukraine matter, which became the basis of the partisan impeachment of the president in December 2019. But now, believe it or not, Russia is back. Two new books Donald Trump v. the United States: Inside the Struggle to Stop a President by New York Times reporter Michael Schmidt, and True Crimes and Misdemeanors: The Investigation of Donald Trump by CNN analyst Jeffrey Toobin revive the Russia allegations against Trump. Both begin with the assumption that Trump was guilty in the Russia matter a highly questionable way to start and then ask why Mueller, with all his resources, was unable to bring the president down. The Schmidt book made news by claiming that the Justice Department forbade Mueller and the FBI from probing Trumps decades-long personal and business ties to Russia. The result, Schmidt said, was that Mueller never fully investigated Trumps own relationship with Russia, even though some career FBI counterintelligence investigators thought his ties posed ... a national security threat. Thus, investigators never found the fabled evidence that might have proved Trumps guilt. Thats the ticket! Even though the FBI and special counsel investigated Trump for three years, he was never really investigated! No less than Andrew Weissmann, the top Mueller deputy known as the special counsels pit bull, shot down Schmidts claim. For his part, Toobin argues that Mueller was simply too principled and upstanding to go after Trump. To Toobin, Muellers big failures were 1) not demanding to examine Trumps tax returns and 2) not issuing a grand jury subpoena to force Trump to testify. These two decisions are the most revealing, and defining, failures of Muellers tenure as special counsel, Toobin wrote. Mueller was too reticent and rule-following, Toobin concluded, and his report was a surrender. A third book, by fired FBI official Peter Strzok, the man made famous by his anti-Trump texts with girlfriend and fellow FBI official Lisa Page, says that no matter what Mueller found, Trump was a national security threat. Even if the president did nothing illegal, Strzok claims, he was unpatriotic. (Strzok appears not to have thought deeply about whether it is a good idea for the FBI to investigate a major-party presidential candidate based on a subjective notions of patriotism.) Strzok and the FBI, the book suggests, were forbidden from getting the facts about Trump. Indeed, in best conspiratorial fashion, the Atlantic magazine speculated that Strzok was fired because he was getting too close to the truth. The bottom line: Schmidt, Toobin and Strzok are all trying to convince Americans that Trump was really guilty, that collusion was really a thing, and that law enforcement and journalists were right to obsess about Russiagate for three straight years. But to repeat, heres the problem: The Trump-Russia affair was about one big allegation that the Trump campaign and Russia conspired to fix the 2016 election. There was a huge investigation. It could never establish that the crime even took place, much less who might have committed it. Every other problem Mueller and Democrats faced stemmed from that one failure. Trumps defense team knew that from Day One. Read Obsession and youll learn some of the extraordinary things that went on behind the scenes. But as you hear some voices now trying to revive collusion, remember: Weve been there and done that. Byron York is chief political correspondent for The Washington Examiner. Opinion Policies Editorials are longer opinion pieces that are written by a group of community members recruited across campus who address relevant issues on a local, national and international level. Editorials are research-based. The purpose of the Editorial Board is to promote discussion concerning relevant issues in the community while advising on possible solutions. Topics are chosen via relevancy and interests of the members, which are then discussed by the Editorial Board in order to reach a general consensus concerning the topic or issue. Feedback policy If you have a grievance concerning the content or argument of the Editorial Board, please contact either Opinion Editor Peyton Hamel (peyton.hamel@iowastatedaily.com) or the Editorial Board as a whole (editorialboard@iowastatedaily.com). Those wanting to respond to editorials can also submit a letter to the editor through the Iowa State Daily website or by emailing the letter to Opinion Editor Peyton Hamel (peyton.hamel@iowastatedaily.com) or Editor-in-Chief Sage Smith (sage.smith@iowastatedaily.com). Column Policy Columns are hyper-specific to opinion and are written by only columnists employed by the Iowa State Daily. Columnists are unique because they have a specific writing day and only publish on those writing days. Each column undergoes a thorough editing process ensuring the integrity of the writer, and their claim is maintained while remaining research-based and respectful. Columns may be submitted from community members. These are labelled as Guest Columns. These contain similar research-based content and need to be at least 400 words in length. The following requirements should be met: first and last name, email and relation or position to Iowa State. Emails must be tied to the submitted guest column or it will not be accepted or published. Pseudonyms are prohibited and the writer will be banned from submissions. Read our full Opinion Policies here. Updated on 10/7/2020 Video conferencing app Zoom has added two-factor authentication (2FA) as a new layer of security following its soar in popularity during the current pandemic. The log-in standard requires users to provide an additional piece of information, such as a pin code sent via text message, as well as a password. Zoom said the optional feature would help users protect against hackers taking control of accounts, which can lead to identity theft and security breaches. The video calling app has seen huge growth in its user base this year due to social distancing rules, forcing millions of employees to work away from their colleagues. But the firm has been rolling out new features meant to rectify security lapses that have allowed issues like 'Zoombombing', where uninvited users crash a video chat. Zoom has also recently released its first ever physical product, the $600 Zoom for Home' touchscreen device. Scroll down for video Zoom is rolling out new features meant to rectify security lapses that have allowed things like 'Zoombombing' where uninvited users crash a video chat HOW TO ENABLE ZOOM 2FA To enable Zooms 2FA at the account-level for password-based authentication, account admins should: 1. Sign in to the Zoom Dashboard. 2. In the navigation menu, click Advanced, then Security. 3. Make sure the Sign in with Two-Factor Authentication option is enabled. 4. Select one of these options to enable 2FA for: a) All users in your account: Enable 2FA for all users in the account. b) Users with specific roles: Enable 2FA for roles with the specified roles. Click Select specified roles, choose the roles, then click OK. c) Users belonging to specific groups: Enable 2FA for users that are in the specified groups. Click the pencil icon, choose the groups, then click OK. 5. Click Save to confirm 2FA settings. Advertisement 'Zooms enhanced two-factor authentication (2FA) makes it easier for admins and organisations to protect their users and prevent security breaches right from our own platform,' the firm said in a blog post. 'With 2FA, organisations can reduce the risk of identity theft and security breaches by adding an extra layer of security that prevents bad actors from accessing accounts by guessing passwords or gaining access to employees or students devices.' 2FA for Zoom identifies online users by requiring them to present two or more pieces of evidence, or credentials, that authenticate their ownership of the account. This includes a piece of information that the user knows, such as a password or pin, something the user owns, like a smart card or mobile device, or something the user has, like their fingerprints or voice. The video conferencing app came to prominence during the coronavirus lockdown as millions turned to the service to help communicate with colleagues while working from home. Zoom previously said in April that it has around 300 million daily Zoom meeting participants globally. While in the UK, user numbers rose from 659,000 UK users in January to 13 million in April, according to Ofcom. However, security and privacy flaws were found within the app, including incidents of 'Zoombombing', where strangers were able to force their way into calls, often sharing harmful content to those present. 2FA requires users to provide an additional piece of information, such as a pin code sent via text message, as well as a password In response, Zoom launched a major overhaul of its security features and has rolled out a number of updates to the app to better protect users. Among new features revealed back in April were the ability to lock meetings and prevent other users from joining, the ability to remove participants in the meeting and greater control over screen sharing. The company also turned on passwords for Zoom conferences by default and allowed business users to have an IT administrator set the password strength. In May, Zoom purchased security and encryption company Keybase in an effort to address its high-profile security issues and bring expertise to its increasingly popular platform. Pictured is the 27-inch Zoom for Home touchscreen device (left) next to a laptop. It can be used for presenting and annotating information on-screen, and can be used independently of a computer And in July, Zoom unveiled its dedicated video-conferencing device aimed specifically at home workers and retailing for $600 (about 475). 'Zoom for Home', made by US-based firm DTEN, has a 27-inch touchscreen with three wide-angle cameras for HD video calls, integrated speakers and an eight-microphone array for clearer audio. The device can be used independently of a computer, as well as being a second screen during Zoom meetings, and dwarfs a standard laptop. The device is already available to US customers and will come to Europe 'later in the year'. The firm said the 'Zoom for Home' name will apply to a whole new category of hardware devices to support remote working, meaning more Zoom devices will be revealed at a later date. NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the conclave on 'School Education in 21st Century' under the National Education Policy 2020 at 11 am on Friday (September 11) through video conferencing. The Ministry of Education is organising this two-day conclave, which started on September 10, as a part of the 'Shiksha Parv', the Prime Minister's Office said in a statement. The Shiksha Parv is being celebrated from September 8-25 to felicitate teachers and take the New Education Policy forward. Various webinars, virtual conferences, and conclaves on various aspects of National Education Policy 2020 are being organised across the country. PM Modi had delivered the inaugural address at the conclave on 'Transformational Reforms in Higher Education' under NEP-2020 on August 7. He also addressed the Governors' conference on the NEP on September 7. The government had said that the NEP-2020 is the first education policy of the 21st century which was announced after 34 years of the previous National Policy on Education 1986. The NEP-2020 is directed towards major reforms in both school and higher education level. As per the NEP 2020, at the school level emphasis is to be given to the universalisation of Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) for children up to the age 8; 10+2 structure of school curricula is to be replaced by a 5+3+3+4 curricular structure; development of new comprehensive National Curricular Framework for school education; assessment reforms and 360-degree holistic progress card of a child. The release stated that NEP is targeted to bring about a 'paradigm shift' in the country's education system and create an 'enabling and reinvigorated' educational ecosystem. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-11 09:20:31|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close MOSCOW, Sept. 10 (Xinhua) -- China and India agreed on Thursday that the border troops of the two sides should continue their dialogue, quickly disengage, maintain proper distance and ease tensions. The consensus was reached during talks between Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his Indian counterpart S. Jaishankar on the sidelines of a foreign ministers' meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Moscow. Enditem India tells France, have the political will, ability to counter misadventure by China From renaming places to hoisting the flag: Chinas psy ops in full glare Boy goes missing from Arunachal Pradesh: India reaches out to China Indo-China face-off: Additional reinforcements made in hill tops India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Sep 11: The Indian Army has further bolstered its dominance over a number of strategic heights overlooking key Chinese-held positions around Pangong lake area in eastern Ladakh even as brigade commanders and commanding officers of the two militaries held separate talks to cool tensions in the region, government sources said. They said additional reinforcements have been made in hill tops and strategic locations around Pangong lake to keep a hawk-eye vigil on Chinese-held position of Finger 4. The mountainous spurs in the area are referred to as Finger. China has been holding onto Finger 4 to 8 on the north bank of Pangong lake, the sources said. To resolve border row Jaishankar-Wang Yi agree on 5 point plan India-China agree to disengage | The 5-point plan | Oneindia News The Indian Army has occupied several key heights in the strategically located Rezang-La and Reqin-La areas on the southern bank of the lake since the end of August. The sources said the two armies held separate talks at brigade commander-level as well as between commanding officers in the general area of Chushul. "The focus was to bring down the temperatures," said a source. Tension escalated manifold in eastern Ladakh following fresh face-offs between Indian and Chinese troops in Mukhpari area of Rezang-La ridgeline on Monday evening. The Indian Army on Tuesday said Chinese troops attempted to close in on an Indian position near the southern bank of Pangong lake in eastern Ladakh the previous evening and fired shots in the air, a first such instance of bullets being used along the LAC after a gap of 45 years. The Army said this in a statement after the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) late on Monday night alleged that Indian troops crossed the LAC and "outrageously fired" warning shots near the Pangong lake. Jaishankar meets Wang Yi in Moscow amid border tensions in Ladakh The incident of Monday evening was considered serious as the previous instance of shots being fired at the de-facto border was in 1975. Provisions of an agreement of 1996 and another signed in 2005 mandate the two sides not to use firearms during any confrontation. MEA Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava at a media briefing on Thursday reiterated India's position that it is committed to resolve the current situation through peaceful negotiation. "Both India and China are in regular touch through diplomatic and military channels to resolve the situation. This was the consensus when the two defence ministers met," he said. The border situation deteriorated again after China unsuccessfully attempted to occupy Indian territory in the southern bank of Pangong lake on the intervening night of August 29 and 30. India occupied a number of strategic heights on the southern bank of Pangong lake and strengthened its presence in Finger 2 and Finger 3 areas in the region to thwart any Chinese actions. China has strongly objected to India's move. However, India has maintained that the heights are on its side of the LAC. India has also rushed in additional troops and weapons to the sensitive region following China's transgression attempts. Following China's fresh attempts to change the status quo in the southern bank of Pangong lake, India has further bolstered its military presence in the region. One of the most popular couples in Tollywood, Suriya and Jyotika are celebrating their 14th wedding anniversary today (September 11). The duo got married in 2006 after dating for several years. Suriya and Jyotika first met in 1999 on the sets of Poovellam Kettuppar. At that point, the stars were struggling to succeed in the Tamil film industry. During the filming, Suriya got impressed with Jyotika's dedication towards learning Tamil for the film, as she hails from Mumbai and didn't know the language then. Later, Suriya and Jyotika became good friends and started meeting each other quite often. After seeing Suriya's performance in Nandha (2001), Jyotika recommended his name to Gautham Menon for the film Kaakha Kaakha (2003). While shooting for the film, love blossomed between them and they started dating each other since then. Suriya and Jyotika got engaged and took time to convince their parents, after which the adorable couple tied the knot on September 11, 2006, in Chennai. After the wedding, Jyotika took a sabbatical from acting for a few years. The duo was blessed with a baby girl Diya in 2007 and completed the family by welcoming son Dev in 2010. Suriya and Jyotika's wedding anniversary is indeed a celebratory moment for their fans, as they have started trending #14YearsOfAdorableSuJo by sharing some cute moments of the couple on Twitter. Let's have a look: Suriya fans club "Happy 14th Wedding Anniversary Suriya Sivakumar #Jyotika #SuJo #14YearsOfAdorableSuJo #RelationshipGoals." Rahul Nath C " Happy Wedding Anniversary To The Most Adorable Sweet Couple In K-Town #SuJo @Suriya_offl annan #Jyothika Anni Wishing you Both All The Love & Happiness Forever!! #14YearsOfAdorableSuJo | #SooraraiPottru | #SooraraiPottruOnPrimeOct30." Suman Vignesh "The greatest wealth a man can have is an understanding wife #cute couples #Dream couples Love you jo and Suriya annan #14YearsOfAdorableSuJo #SooraraiPottru | @Suriya_offl." ALBIN EAPEN "Happy Wedding Anniversary To The Most Adorable Sweet Couple In K-Town #SuJo @Suriya_offl & #Jyothika Wishing you Both All The Love & Happiness Forever!! #14YearsOfAdorableSuJo." Well, the fans can't stop showering love on Suriya and Jyotika. On the professional front, the actor is all set to release his upcoming film Soorarai Pottru on October 30 on Amazon Prime Video. Apart from that, hubby dearest also produced his wife Jyotika's last film Ponmagal Vandhal (2020), which was released on Amazon Prime Video. Filmibeat wishes Suriya and Jyotika a happy wedding anniversary! Actor Rhea Chakrabortys lawyer said on Friday they would decide about moving the Bombay High Court next week after a local court in Mumbai rejected her bail plea. She has been arrested by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) over drugs charges linked to its probe into the Sushant Singh Rajput case. The special court rejected the bail plea of Rhea, her brother Showik and other accused----Abdul Basit, Zaid Vilatra, Dipesh Sawant and Samuel Miranda--in the case. Once we get the order copy. We will decide next week on the course of action on approaching the high court, Satish Maneshinde said, according to news agency ANI. Rhea had said in her plea that she was innocent and falsely implicated. Both Rhea and her brother have been booked under section 27A of the NDPS act, which provides for punishment for financing illicit traffic and harbouring offenders. The defence raised the issue of applicability of charges of Section 27A of the NDPS Act against the two. In Rheas plea, the defence stated, The allegations against the present accused would at the most make out a case of purchasing small quantity of drug, which is in essence a bailable offence. There is not a shred of evidence to connect the applicant with financing any illicit traffic or harbouring any offender, and hence the ingredients of Section 27A of the NDPS Act are not made out in present facts and circumstances. The defence also alleged that even though the role attributed to Rhea and her brother Showik is identical to that of another accused, Kaizan Ebrahim, NCB selectively invoked charges of Section 27A only against Rhea and Showik. Ebrahim was released on provisional cash bail on the very first day of his remand by the magistrate court, the defence pointed out. The pleas were opposed by the prosecution, claiming that all the persons accused are connected and each case cannot be looked at in isolation. The agency said that the quantity of the entire contraband seized from all the accused persons, as per law, becomes commercial, in which case, the offence is non-bailable. The first named victim of a devastating California wildfire that has so far killed 10 is a 16-year-old student who was 'supposed to leave with his brother' but couldn't escape the flames. Josiah Williams, 16, died in the North Complex fire that ripped through the community of Berry Creek in Butte County, California, this week. His devastated family broke their silence to announce his death after several fraught days searching for the teen culminated in the discovery of his body. This comes as the West Coast continues to be ravaged by almost 100 major wildfires that have scorched almost 4.4 million acres and killed at least 23 across 12 states. The North Complex fire is now California's deadliest blaze of the year with 10 people confirmed dead after Butte County sheriff's deputies found seven bodies Thursday - one day after three other victims were discovered. Fears are mounting that the death toll will continue to rise as officials warned at least 16 people are currently unaccounted for. The first named victim of a devastating California wildfire that has so far killed 10 has been identified as 16-year-old student Josiah Williams (pictured) who was 'supposed to leave with his brother' but couldn't escape the flames Josiah's distraught family was notified about the 16-year-old's death Thursday, his aunt Bobbie Zedaker told The Sacramento Bee. She said authorities confirmed his identity using his brother's DNA after 10 bodies were found in the aftermath of the North Complex fire. Zedaker said the family were struggling to come to terms with his death as the 'outgoing' and 'kind' high school student was supposed to flee the area with his brother. 'He was supposed to leave when his brother did, but he didn't. I have no idea why,' she told the Bee. Family members had been searching for Josiah for days and posted messages on social media asking for help in locating the missing boy who was last seen at the family home on Bean Creek Road. Josiah's mom Jessica Williams wrote on Facebook Wednesday that her son had not been seen since other family members escaped the blaze earlier in the week. 'I'm asking for all the prayers to find my son Josiah Williams who is in the fire in butte county california he didn't leave with his brother or dad and now berry Creek is burned where my sister is also stuck but please everyone my son is Missing and not to be found so please dear God help my family and find my son,' she wrote. BUTTE COUNTY, CALIFORNIA: A scorched car rests in a clearing following the Bear Fire late Wednesday morning - part of the North Complex Fire. Josiah's devastated family broke their silence to announce his death after several fraught days searching for the teen BERRY CREEK, CALIFORNIA: A Butte Sheriff officer checks on a vehicle that was burned in the Bear Fire near Lake Oroville in Northern California on Thursday BERRY CREEK, CALIFORNIA: Flames consume a home and car as the Bear Fire burns through the Berry Creek area of Butte County, California, on Wednesday Zedaker told the Bee Williams was flying out to California from Indiana Friday morning. The grieving aunt paid tribute to her nephew as 'a very smart kid.' 'He was adventurous, he was very outgoing, he was very kind,' she said. She also recounted how she had just minutes to evacuate her own home in nearby Hidden Springs Road when authorities told residents to flee the escalating blaze Tuesday. 'We had like 20 minutes after they sent out the alerts,' she said. Her home was also destroyed in the fire along with all her belongings. Authorities have not publicly identified the victims. More than 2,000 homes and other buildings have been scorched in the North Complex blaze - which is now the deadliest fire the state has encountered this year. Josiah Williams, 16, died in the North Complex fire that ripped through the community of Berry Creek in Butte County, California, this week The blaze in Butte County was first known as the Bear Fire before being renamed the North Complex West Zone as it grew and ravaged several communities. Now the 10th largest in the record books, the North Complex was about 50 per cent contained when winds thrashed it into explosive growth on Tuesday, driving it through rugged Sierra Nevada foothills and destroying much of the town of Berry Creek. The North Complex fire was advancing more slowly Friday after the winds eased and smoke from the blaze shaded the area and lowered the temperature, allowing firefighters to make progress, authorities said. The blaze is just one of around 100 major fires burning through the West Coast and killing at least 23, with California, Oregon and Washington state hardest-hit. California residents are comparing the Bay Area's apocalyptic orange skies to scenes from Blade Runner 2049 while Los Angeles is suffering the worst smog in 26 years and its air quality has plummeted to the poorest in the world. More than 500,000 Oregonians - 10 percent of the population - have been forced to evacuate after 1,400 square miles were scorched statewide in the last week alone causing the major city of Portland to declare a state of emergency. BERRY CREEK, CALIFORNIA: A hand crew clears vegetation from around a barn as the Bear Fire burns through the Berry Creek area of Butte County, California, on Wednesday BERRY CREEK, CALIFORNIA: A hand crew works to save a home as the Bear Fire burns through the Berry Creek area of Butte County, California, on Wednesday The National Youth Organiser of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), Lawyer Henry Nana Boakye (Nana B) has torn into pieces, the manifesto promise of the NDC to absorb 50% of fees of tertiary students for the 2020/2021 academic year and has labeled it as big scam, backing it with facts and figures. According to Nana B, the promise was made whimsically devoid of any serious thinking and analysis as evident in the inability of the NDC to tell Ghanaians the number of prospective beneficiaries, the financial cost involved and the source of funding. On Metro TVs late night show, Good Evening Ghana, the National Youth Organizer of the NDC, George Opare Addo couldnt provide figures on the total number of tertiary students in Ghana and the average fees paid by all categories of students at the tertiary level when asked by the host, Paul Adom Otchere. However, Nana B who appeared to on set fully prepared and on top of the issues, disclosed that the NPP youth had done a thorough job to ascertain the total number of tertiary students in Ghana and the average fees each category pays and that he can confidently say that Mahama simply set out to scam Ghanaians. According to data from the National Council for Tertiary Education, the total number of tertiary students in Ghana is 433,360 Nana B has said. Giving a breakdown of the figures, Nana B said the total number of Full-Time Public University Students is 213,315 with an average fees of Ghc1,500 whereas the total number of Public Distant Education Students is 87,186 with an average fees of Ghc3,000. Again, the total number of Sandwich Students - Public Universities is 16,540 with an average fees of Ghc1,600 whiles Technical Universities Students and Private University Students are 56,610 (with an average fees of ghc1,300) and 59,709 (with average fees Ghc2,00) respectively. Therefore, 50% of fees of the about 433,360 tertiary students wont be less than Ghc415,430,000 and we can boldly conclude that, Mr. Mahama cannot do this - he want to scam us - judging from his track record Nana B asserted. Justifying these assertions, Nana B added that Mr. Mahama canceled trainee allowance because his government was unable to find Ghc300 million to sustain the payment of the allowance. He asked Tertiary students to foot utilities bills that hitherto were paid by government. He couldnt even find a little below Ghc1 million to pay the feeding grant of schools up north in that the schools had to close down for weeks in the beginning of every term. Again, he couldnt pay even a cedi out of the Ghc37 million total cost associated with the shambolic Progressively Free Education he started in 2014. Now tell me, where will the incompetent Mahama find over Ghc500 million to fulfill this promise when he couldnt pay the utility bills of tertiary students and asked them to pay; when he couldnt pay trainee allowance; when he couldnt buy common chalks for teachers, when he couldnt pay Research and Book allowance; when he couldnt pay feeding grants etc? Mahama cannot be trusted according to Nana B. Note that this figure doesnt include the cost associated with Colleges of Education Students although they have assumed tertiary status. Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video A Singapore man has received a sobering sentence for his involvement in the theft of S$365,000 (US$267,097) in cash meant for a bitcoin purchase. As reported by The Strait Times on Friday, Jaromel Gee Ming Li, 29, was sentenced to three years in prison and 12 strokes of the cane on Thursday. Gee pleaded guilty to one count of engaging in a conspiracy to commit robbery with the aid of two other men, Mohd Abdul Rahman and Syed Mokhtar, both 39 years of age. According to the report, Gee was engaged in bitcoin brokerage and organized transactions between parties seeking to buy and sell bitcoin. Gee solicited Abdul Rahman to assist him with transactions that generally involved potential buyers of bitcoin for larger sums of cash, but in April 2018 they reportedly switched tactics to rob prospective buyers. Hearing that Pang Joon Hau, a Malaysian man, had arrived in Singapore for a bitcoin purchase with the S$365,000 in cash, Gee directed Abdul Rahman and Mokhtar to locate the investor in his hotel and rob him on April 8. Abdul Rahman and Mokhtar proceeded to physically assault Pang and another bitcoin investor, Teo Chern Wei, in their hotel room before running off with a backpack containing Pangs cash. Gee was arrested on April 18, 2018. It is unclear how authorities discovered Gees involvement in the robbery. Abdul Rahman was arrested days after the attack and his case is still pending; Mokhtar pleaded guilty to a robbery charge on Wednesday, The Straights Times reported. Rahmans ex-wife, Yogeshwry Raman, was also in court Thursday facing charges shed received stolen goods such as a S$45,800 (US$33,000) Rolex watch bought with proceeds from the robbery. We're working on making sure the Android 11 update is compatible with Indian ecosystem requirements, and expect it to begin rolling out next week, said the spokesperson. A recent report pointed out that Pixel smartphone users in India wont be getting the Android 11 OS update along with everyone else in the world. Some users confirmed this on the Googles support forum as well. But now it has been confirmed that Indians might not have to way for a long time. Rather, they will be receiving it by next week. This was confirmed by a company spokesperson in a statement. It was added that Google was working on making Android 11 compatible with Indian system requirement due to which it took some extra time. We're working on making sure the Android 11 update is compatible with Indian ecosystem requirements, and expect it to begin rolling out next week, said the spokesperson to Android Central. At the time of the roll out Googles OTA images page mentioned that the Android 11 update is available for all carriers except in India. 11.0.0 (RP1A.200720.011, Sep 2020, all carriers except EMEA, SG, and IN), Google wrote in the notes for a Pixel 4a model. A similar note is available for Pixel 4 XL, Pixel 4, Pixel 3a XL, Pixel 3a, Pixel 3, Pixel 3 XL, Pixel 2, and Pixel 2 XL smartphones. That said, Google today unveiled Android 11 (Go Edition) for entry-level smartphones. The new Android 11 (Go edition) will launch apps 20% faster that the previous Android 10 (Go edition). It also comes with features that were introduced for Android 11. This includes clubbing all notifications from different messaging apps under one dedicated space in the notification section. Besides this, Android 11 (Go edition) is getting enhanced security features. Users can grant apps one-time permissions for specific sensors like the phones microphone, camera or location. It will also pause permissions for apps that havent been used for a long time. Google will notify users of the change, and permissions will have to be re-granted when that app is opened. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-11 17:46:37|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close WELLINGTON, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- New Zealand confirmed one new community case of COVID-19 in Auckland on Friday. The new case has an epidemiological link to an existing case and is associated with the Mt Roskill Evangelical Fellowship bereavement events group in Auckland, according to the Ministry of Health. There are a number of inter-related cases and contacts who may have been involved with both the Mt Roskill Evangelical Fellowship sub-cluster, and the bereavement sub-cluster, the ministry said in a statement. There are currently three people in hospital with COVID-19, with two in ICU. With Friday's new case and seven additional recovered cases, the total number of active cases is 114. Of those, 39 are imported cases in managed isolation facilities, and 75 are community cases. The country's total number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 is now 1,442, which is the number reported to the World Health Organization, according to the ministry. New Zealand has been controlling the second wave of COVID-19 starting in August, requiring all transport users except children to use face coverings such as masks on buses. Enditem A Merrillville committee Friday recommended that 10-year property tax abatements be granted for a new 208,000-square-foot warehouse to be constructed at the Ameriplex at the Crossroads, bringing in in about 50 new jobs, and a longtime auto dealership in town that is looking to move and remodel. Microsoft said that Russia, China, and Iran have sent out hackers to target high-profile individuals involved in the 2020 United States presidential elections, including Donald Trump and Joe Biden. Foreign interference The tech giant said that the Russian cybercriminals responsible for the attack during the 2016 Democratic campaign are part of the recent endeavor. Microsoft stated that there was enough evidence to support that foreign entities have begun to scale up their activities in targeting the general elections. According to BBC, the massive tech firm noted that the two presidential candidates, Trump and Biden, are potential targets for cybercriminals. A statement from Microsoft wrote that Russian hackers from a group known as Strontium are known to have targetted more than 200 organizations, the majority of which are connected to American political parties, and do not discriminate whether they were Republican or Democratic. Microsoft also said that the same hackers also set their sights on British political parties but did not reveal details on which ones. The Strontium group is also known as Fancy Bear, a cyber-hacker unit that was allegedly connected to the Russian military intelligence unit, the GRU. The tech giant added that similar to what was observed in 2016 during the cyberattacks on the Democratic campaign; Strontium is believed to have conducted similar campaigns to gain access to log-in credentials or compromise accounts. Also Read: Senator Ted Cruz Accuses Facebook of Manipulating American Votes With New Political Ad Ban Compromising elections The vice-president in charge of customer security and trust of Microsoft, Tom Burt, said that the attempts were made to aid in gathering intelligence or conduct disruption operations. Microsoft said Chinese hackers conducted focused cyberattacks on individuals linked to Democrat Biden's campaign and Iranian cybercriminals carried out attacks targeting Trump's campaign and the people associated with it. Despite the number of threats, Microsoft said that the majority of the cyberattacks were not successful. The firm also noted that the attacks did not target groups that were in charge of voting systems. Thursday's report also comes after the White House announced it would be scaling back security briefings on congressional security. It also came shortly after a former official claimed that Trump's administration withheld information about the threat of foreign interference, as reported by Business Insider. Microsoft has continued to monitor hacking attempts through its security products, including the "Defending Democracy" program from 2018 that focused on political organizations. The tech company revealed it had notified concerned parties of the cyberattack attempts. The company noted that recent attacks had been conducted on a much larger scale compared to recent years. The hacking unit connected with China, Zirconium, appeared to have targetted Biden's campaign and was unsuccessful in its attempts. The group has also tried to compromise one high-profile individual previously linked with Trump's administration. According to Deutsche Welle, officials of Trump's campaign said they were not surprised by the hacking attempts because the Republican's efforts made him a big target. Trump campaign's communications director, Tim Murtaugh, said that President Trump will win over Biden in a fair fight and does not need or want to rely on foreign interference. While neither the Chinese and Iranian governments commented on the incident, the Russian embassy press secretary, Nikolay Lakhonin, said that U.S. officials have yet to provide sufficient evidence to support accusations of Russian interference on the elections. Related Article: United States Officials Reveal No Signs of Foreign Interference in Mail-In Voting @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Bollywood actor Kangana Ranaut on Friday asked Congress president Sonia Gandhi to take note of the harsh treatment being meted out to her by the Maha Vikas Aghadi government, in which Congress is a coalition partner. In a series of tweets Kangana Ranaut also appealed to Sonia Gandhi to intervene as she alleged that the Shiv Sena-led government is harassing women and has made a total mockery of law and order. She also said that history will judge her for her silence and indifference. She wrote, Dear respected honourable president Sonia Gandhi ji being a woman arent you anguished by the treatment I am given by your government in Maharashtra? Can you not request your Government to uphold the principles of the Constitution given to us by Dr. Ambedkar? In another tweet, she further added,You have grown up in the west and lived here in India. You may be aware of the struggles of women. History will judge your silence and indifference when your own Government is harassing women and ensuring a total mockery of law and order. I hope you will intervene. The 33-year-old actor has been at loggerheads with the Maharashtra government after the Shiv Sena-led Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation razed alterations made to her bungalow in Bandra. She levelled allegations of misuse of power against the chief minister Uddhav Thackeray in a video posted on Twitter. She came to Mumbai on Thursday after being granted a Y+ security cover and met union minister Ramdas Athawale who said that the Maharashtra government had a role to play in the demolition drive. As missions like NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, TESS and Kepler continue to provide insights into the properties of exoplanets (planets around other stars), scientists are increasingly able to piece together what these planets look like, what they are made of, and if they could be habitable or even inhabited. In a new study published recently in The Planetary Science Journal, a team of researchers from Arizona State University (ASU) and the University of Chicago have determined that some carbon-rich exoplanets, given the right circumstances, could be made of diamonds and silica. "These exoplanets are unlike anything in our solar system," says lead author Harrison Allen-Sutter of ASU's School of Earth and Space Exploration. Diamond exoplanet formation When stars and planets are formed, they do so from the same cloud of gas, so their bulk compositions are similar. A star with a lower carbon to oxygen ratio will have planets like Earth, comprised of silicates and oxides with a very small diamond content (Earth's diamond content is about 0.001%). But exoplanets around stars with a higher carbon to oxygen ratio than our sun are more likely to be carbon-rich. Allen-Sutter and co-authors Emily Garhart, Kurt Leinenweber and Dan Shim of ASU, with Vitali Prakapenka and Eran Greenberg of the University of Chicago, hypothesized that these carbon-rich exoplanets could convert to diamond and silicate, if water (which is abundant in the universe) were present, creating a diamond-rich composition. Diamond-anvils and X-rays To test this hypothesis, the research team needed to mimic the interior of carbide exoplanets using high heat and high pressure. To do so, they used high pressure diamond-anvil cells at co-author Shim's Lab for Earth and Planetary Materials. First, they immersed silicon carbide in water and compressed the sample between diamonds to a very high pressure. Then, to monitor the reaction between silicon carbide and water, they conducted laser heating at the Argonne National Laboratory in Illinois, taking X-ray measurements while the laser heated the sample at high pressures. As they predicted, with high heat and pressure, the silicon carbide reacted with water and turned into diamonds and silica. Habitability and inhabitability So far, we have not found life on other planets, but the search continues. Planetary scientists and astrobiologists are using sophisticated instruments in space and on Earth to find planets with the right properties and the right location around their stars where life could exist. For carbon-rich planets that are the focus of this study, however, they likely do not have the properties needed for life. While Earth is geologically active (an indicator habitability), the results of this study show that carbon-rich planets are too hard to be geologically active and this lack of geologic activity may make atmospheric composition uninhabitable. Atmospheres are critical for life as it provides us with air to breathe, protection from the harsh environment of space, and even pressure to allow for liquid water. "Regardless of habitability, this is one additional step in helping us understand and characterize our ever- increasing and improving observations of exoplanets," says Allen-Sutter. "The more we learn, the better we'll be able to interpret new data from upcoming future missions like the James Webb Space Telescope and the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope to understand the worlds beyond on our own solar system." ### The following information was provided by police unless otherwise noted Trenton Dope Bust: Efrain Rodriguez, 30, was charged with drug offenses and ticketed for being on the steps of a condemned home. Officers patrolling Federal and Turpin streets saw three men sitting on a porch of an abandoned home on the 100 block of Turpin Street. Cops saw dope when Rodriguez opened his satchel to get his ID. They also seized $500 in cash. Peed Himself: Andres Torres, 41, was popped for driving under the influence. Cops saw a smoking minivan and went to help. Torres was drunk behind the wheel while officers helped him get out of the car. He peed his pants. Officers found an open container in the burning vehicle, which was towed. Torres refused a breathalyzer test to determine his blood-alcohol level. He also had seven warrants out for his arrest. Road Rage: Ernest Prescott, 31, was charged with aggravated assault and terroristic threats. Cops responded to the 400 block of Chestnut Avenue for a reported gunman. The victim said he was cut off by a white Chevrolet and the driver got out of his car, opened a back door, and pointed a handgun at the victim, saying, Do you want me to shoot you? Officers stopped the suspect vehicle on the 600 block of Chestnut Avenue. The victim identified Prescott as the perpetrator. Officers did not recover a handgun. Pot Bust: Arkee Jordan, 44, was pulled over for a motor vehicle violation when officers smelled burnt pot inside the car. Officers found pot inside backs contained in a red Pringles tube. Officers recovered 79 grams of weed. Jordan was charged with drug offenses and issued tickets for motor vehicle violations. Robbery: Jahmeere Bing, 31, was charged with robbery and burglary. Bing and a group of people bum-rushed the victim. Bing knocked on the vehicle and jacked $300 from him, along with the keys to his apartment. The victims ex-girlfriend, Janice Anderson, was also allegedly involved in the robbery. Warrants were issued for her arrest, but she remains on the lam. Cocaine Kingpin: Walter Rivas, 33, was charged with drug offenses after cops found him with cocaine and crack cocaine after a car stop. Rivas was ordered out of the vehicle after shoving something into the center console. Cops also seized $6,600 in suspected drug proceeds. Drugs and a Gun: Caliph Stroman, 20, was charged with weapons and drug offenses, receiving stolen property, and issued motor-vehicle tickets. Cops pulled over Stroman in the 100 block of South Cook Avenue. Stroman was ordered out of the vehicle after cops smelled pot inside the car. Officers discovered a stolen handgun in a satchel, along with Percocets, pot, and Promethazine. Two Caught with Gun, Drugs: Justin Hill, and Maurice Leonard Jr., both 32, were nabbed with a gun inside a black Jeep following a car stop, near Walnut and Chambers streets. Hill reached down toward the counsel as cops approached. Cops found an open bottle of Remy Martin, smelled pot, and recovered 15 grams of crack cocaine. Officers seized more than $5,000 from the men. Busted Up: Tiquan Singletary, 29, was arrested after the victim told cops she was fighting a woman when a man intervened and punched her in the face. Singletary was identified as the perpetrator. He was taken into custody Sept. 4. Domestic Violence: Jaquai Smith, 26, was charged with aggravated assault and simple assault after he punched and strangled his girlfriend. She broke loose and ran to a neighbors house. Smith fled the house. The victim went to police headquarters and got a restraining order. Cops issued warrants and picked him up this week. He was also charged with resisting arrest and had eight warrants out for his arrest. A general view shows check-in counters in a terminal at the airport in Zurich ZURICH (Reuters) - Switzerland has added the regions around Paris and Vienna to its list https://www.bag.admin.ch/bag/en/home/krankheiten/ausbrueche-epidemien-pandemien/aktuelle-ausbrueche-epidemien/novel-cov/empfehlungen-fuer-reisende/quarantaene-einreisende.html of areas with high COVID-19 infection rates requiring incoming travellers to enter quarantine for 10 days. The government said it was adopting a regional approach for neighbouring countries for the measures which will come into force on Sept. 14. As part of this, it named Ile de France and the Vienna region as areas with a raised risk of infection. The government also put the Czech Republic and all of Spain on its list of entire countries with a quarantine requirement, which already includes the United States, India and Brazil. "It is not a good idea to go to high-risk areas," Health Minister Alain Berset told a media conference, advising Swiss travellers to steer clear of places on the list. Switzerland, which has had quarantine restrictions since July 6, said it was responding to a spike in infection numbers in the country. Switzerland reported 528 new cases of the coronavirus on Friday, the highest daily rise in infections since early April. As part of its new approach, the government said only regions of neighbouring countries where the infection rate is above its limit of 60 cases per 100,000 people will be added to the list, rather then the entire country. Border regions may be exempted from the list to take into account the close interaction with neighbouring regions, it said. Thousands of workers cross Switzerland's borders with France, Germany and Italy daily to work in Geneva, Basel and the southern canton of Ticino. (Reporting by John Revill; Editing by Michael Shields) The ABC's flagship radio news and current affairs programs are set to be permanently presented from areas outside of Sydney, Melbourne or Canberra for the first time. Journalist Sabra Lane has been hosting mornings program AM from Canberra for three years. In January, she will relocate to Hobart and continue to host the show from there but she will relinquish her role as the president of the National Press Club. AM host Sabra Lane giving Prime Minister Scott Morrison a socially-distant 'elbow bump' greeting earlier this year. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen Lane, who was 7.30's political editor before making the switch to radio, said she has wanted to move to Tasmania for some time. "A couple of years ago I fell in love with Tasmania and its glorious native forests and had a dream to move there," she said. "I asked if it was possible to present AM from Hobart and was delighted the answer was yes. I'll still be keeping a ferocious eye and ear on federal politics and national affairs." Imran Khan recently claimed that there is no crackdown on the press in the country. However, the arrest of editors and threats of violence against journalists clearly show the stark reality of the situation in Pakistan. Prime Minister Imran Khan recently claimed that there is no crackdown on the press in the country. However, the arrest of editors and threats of violence against journalists clearly show the stark reality of the situation in Pakistan. I dont mind criticism but there is blatant propaganda against the government. Unfortunately, it is the government who feels unprotected, not the media, Khan told Al Jazeera. There are many who disagree. As per an article by Brad Adams, director of the Human Rights Watch in Asia, Mur Shakilur Rehman, the editor in chief of the Jang group, has been in pretrial detention since March 12 after being arrested in Lahore by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) pertaining to a 34-year-old property transaction. Also read: Pak must ensure its territory is not used for terror attacks: US & India Also read: India-China reach five-point consensus on LaC while tensions still simmer at LaC Rehman had requested bail on account of ill-health but was denied by the Lahore High Court. However, the Supreme Court Bar Association and the Pakistan Bar Council termed the ruling as disappointing and painful. The NAB has been widely criticised as being used for political purposes and its evident that the charges against Rehman were politically motivated. Rehmans ordeal epitomizes the fast-shrinking space for dissent and criticism in Pakistan, wrote Adams. The article further cited the Jang Groups allegations of its reporters, editors, and producers receiving dozens of letters of critical reporting of the NAB. GEO TV, a private channel of the group was forced off the air and audience access restricted as punishment for editorials criticising the government. Pakistani authorities frequently use prolonged pretrial detention as a form of punishment and intimidation. The United Nations Human Rights Committee, which monitors state compliance with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, has stated that pretrial detention should be an exception and as short as possible, the Asia director for Human Rights Watch wrote further. In Pakistan, arbitrary arrest, detention, and baseless criminal prosecutions are used as instruments of press censorship. So long as Rehman and others in the media are punished for practising journalism, Prime Minister Khans statement that I dont mind criticism is not worth the paper it wont be printed on, Adams wrote. The United Nations Human Rights Office on Tuesday expressed its concern over the increasing instances of threats of violence against journalists and human rights activists in Pakistan. We have followed with increasing concern numerous instances of incitement to violence online and offline against journalists and human rights defenders in Pakistan, in particular against women and minorities. Especially worrying are accusations of blasphemy which can put accused individuals at imminent risk of violence, said a spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Rupert Colville in a briefing. Pakistan is ranked 145th out of 180 countries in RSFs 2020 World Press Freedom Index, three places lower than in 2019. Also read: Pakistan dismisses Indias request for Indian lawyer to represent Kulbhushan Jadhavs case The delegations of the Libyan High Council of State and the Tobruk Parliament announced on Thursday in Bouznika, at the end of their meetings as part of the Libyan dialogue, that they reached a comprehensive agreement on the transparent and objective criteria and mechanisms to fill the positions of Sovereignty. The two parties to the dialogue called on the UN and the international community to support Moroccos efforts to create the right conditions and appropriate climate conducive to achieve a comprehensive political solution in Libya. They reiterated in this vein their thanks and gratitude to Morocco and to King Mohammed VI for their support and assistance to overcome the Libyan crisis and achieve the Libyan peoples aspirations to build a civilian and democratic State where peace, security and stability would prevail. The two sides also affirmed that their meetings, which took place in a friendly and fraternal atmosphere marked by understanding and consensus, were held as a result of their awareness of the current situation in the country, at different levels, an extremely dangerous situation threatening the security, territorial integrity and sovereignty of the State. They insisted that this situation was created by negative foreign interventions that revive wars, ideological alignments, and regional instability. Both parties also stressed that these meetings take place in application of Article 15 of the Libyan political agreement reached in Skhirat, Morocco, and in confirmation of the conclusions of the Berlin conference, which both support a political solution. The dialogue was also held in line with the relevant Security Council resolutions, and was dictated by the two sides awareness of the dangerous repercussions arising from the prevailing political and institutional division in the country. This division has created poor living conditions for the people of Libya and weakened Libyans confidence in the countrys legislative, executive, and monitoring institutions. The High Council of State and the Parliament of Tobruk met in Morocco from Sept. 6 to 10, with the aim of overcoming their differences, sustaining the ceasefire announced on Aug.20 and putting an end to institutional divisions. Robert Irwin broke more than a few hearts when he wished actress Emmy Perry a happy birthday on Instagram on Friday. Fans were quick to speculate about whether the 16-year-old wildlife conservationist is dating the former Glee star after he shared a series of photos of them together at Disneyland. 'Happy birthday @emmyperryxo! We're thinking of you today and sending koala cuddles from Australia Zoo!' he wrote. Heartbreaker: Robert Irwin (right) broke more than a few hearts when he wished actress Emmy Perry (left) a happy birthday on Instagram on Friday 'I hope it's a wonderful celebration. Can't wait for another Disney day with you guys when the world opens back up again!' Emmy, 16, shared his post on her own Instagram Stories, including a GIF of Winnie-the-Pooh blowing a butterfly off his nose. 'Thank you so much! I can't wait for the world to open up and get those koala cuddles in person! And there will be more Disney days for sure!' she commented. Sweet! 'Happy birthday @emmyperryxo! We're thinking of you today and sending koala cuddles from Australia Zoo!' he wrote Are they or aren't they: Fans were quick to speculate about whether the 16-year-old wildlife conservationist is dating the former Glee star after he shared a series of photos of them together at Disneyland But fans were distraught at the idea of Robert dating the American actress, leaving heartbroken comments on his post. 'Oh um well I guess I'll just cry on the floor,' commented one devastated fan, while another wrote, '"Alexa play That Should Be Me by Justin Bieber"'. Added another: 'I have never seen so many heart broken [sic] girls in one comment section'. Pals: 'I hope it's a wonderful celebration. Can't wait for another Disney day with you guys when the world opens back up again!' he wrote Devastated: Fans were distraught at the idea of Robert dating the American actress, leaving heartbroken comments on his post Stepping out: Robert was first linked to Emmy in May last year, when they attended the Steve Irwin Gala Dinner together in Los Angeles Robert was first linked to Emmy in May last year, when they attended the Steve Irwin Gala Dinner together in Los Angeles. The young stars posed for photos together on the red carpet, with an onlooker telling Woman's Day at the time that 'sparks were flying between them'. Like Robert, Emmy is also a keen animal conservationist, launching her own wildlife charity, Emmy's Hope, when she was just 11. Taken? However, Emmy was most recently linked to actor Jack Dylan Grazer, 17 (pictured) Sweet: Although the pair have not confirmed their relationship, they have shared cosy photos on Instagra, However, Emmy was most recently linked to actor Jack Dylan Grazer, 17, with the pair reportedly dating since February. Although the pair have not confirmed their relationship, they have shared cosy photos and exchanged 'I love yous' on Instagram recently. OTTAWA The Manitoba Metis Federation is launching a human rights complaint against the provinces top doctor and the Pallister government, claiming both have discriminated against Metis people in their response to COVID-19. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 11/9/2020 (497 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. OTTAWA The Manitoba Metis Federation is launching a human rights complaint against the provinces top doctor and the Pallister government, claiming both have discriminated against Metis people in their response to COVID-19. "The fact is that they have, and continue to, ignore the Metis," reads a letter obtained by the Free Press, which initiates a formal complaint against Manitoba Health Minister Cameron Friesen and chief provincial public health officer Dr. Brent Roussin. Metis leader David Chartrand complains of unequal treatment. In a letter dated today, the MMF asks the Manitoba Human Rights Commission to investigate its complaint of discrimination. The letter is the first step in the complaints process. The tribunal will assess whether the alleged discrimination falls under its jurisdiction. Chartrand accused the government of ignoring Metis people out of spite, given the MMF has clashed with Premier Brian Pallister on issues such as the construction of flood-prevention outlets and a cancelled Manitoba Hydro compensation deal. The government has insisted it wants to protect all Manitobans. The letter claims the pair ignored multiple requests from the MMF to enter a data-sharing agreement, similar to deals Manitoba has signed with First Nations and Inuit organizations. The Pallister government says its open to such an arrangement but the MMF claims it only heard from officials this week. The MMF also laments Roussin consulting with First Nations in implementing northern travel bans, but not with communities that have Metis populations. "If somebody dies in our community, were going to hold you accountable because of your failure to help us know where it is, so we can jump in to help out," MMF president David Chartrand said Thursday. "Why would he choose one Indigenous people to not work with?" This week, the MMF sent a tiny home to a Metis nurse who worked at a Flin Flon care home where a colleague tested positive for COVID-19. The nurse feared transmitting the novel coronavirus to an immunocompromised relative at home, and needed a place to self-isolate. Chartrand said the MMF was lucky to have heard of the situation through the grapevine. He argued an information-sharing protocol might have flagged a possible exposure in an area with many Metis people. "We have all these tools we cant even use, unless we find out about (situations) on our own," he said. On April 3, Manitoba public health nurses started asking those testing positive for COVID-19 if they identify as First Nations, Metis or Inuit. Later that month, the province signed an information-sharing agreement with the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs, which governs how the province and AMC publish information on how many First Nations have caught the virus and where they live. Officials signed a similar agreement with the Manitoba Inuit Association at some point this year; there are fewer than 1,000 Inuit in Manitoba, according to census data. The Metis are a distinct group who founded the province of Manitoba, and inhabit communities across the province, especially towns in the North. Provincial officials have never explained when asked why theyve never inked a similar agreement with the Metis. The MMF says it first asked to collaborate on data sharing in April. A June follow-up letter from the organizations lawyer warns allowing people to self-identify as Metis could lead to inaccurate data. An August letter from the lawyer accuses Manitoba of violating its own Path to Reconciliation Act commitments by not collaborating with the Metis. On Thursday, moments after the Free Press asked about these letters, Friesens office sent a response to the MMFs lawyer, saying the minister had already responded in June about a possible data-sharing agreement and remains open to it. The June 18 letter claims, "The MMF was contacted to participate in this work through a number of avenues, but declined to be involved at that point." Stay informed The latest updates on the novel coronavirus and COVID-19 delivered to your inbox every weeknight. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Chartrand said the MMF has no record of receiving that June letter or any other communication from Friesens office. It is unclear why Friesens office had not responded to the MMFs Aug. 7 letter, in which the organization says it had never received a response. In a letter dated Friday, the MMF is asking the Manitoba Human Rights Commission to launch a formal complaint on the basis of discrimination against Metis people. The letter is the first step in the complaints process. The tribunal then assesses whether the alleged discrimination falls under its jurisdiction. Chartrand accused the government of ignoring Metis people out of spite, given the MMF has clashed with Premier Brian Pallister on issues such as the construction of flood-prevention outlets and a cancelled Manitoba Hydro compensation deal. The government has insisted it wants to protect all Manitobans. dylan.robertson@freepress.mb.ca A man inspect a neighborhood after wildfires destroyed an area of Phoenix, Ore., on Sept. 10, 2020. (Carlos Barria/Reuters) Half Million Oregonians Evacuate as Death Toll in West Wildfires Rises to 16 Around half a million people in Oregon evacuated as dozens of extreme, wind-driven wildfires scorched U.S. West Coast states on Friday, destroying hundreds of homes and killing at least 16 people, state and local authorities said. Since Monday 11 people have died from fires in California, while four were killed in Oregon and a 1-year-old boy died in Washington state, police reported. In Oregon alone the number of people under evacuation orders climbed to some 500,000about an eighth of the states total populationas Portland suburbs came under threat from the states biggest blaze, the state Office of Emergency Management said. Thousands more were displaced north and south in the neighboring states of Washington and California. Buildings are engulfed in flames as a wildfire ravages the central Oregon town of Talent near Medford, Ore., on Sept. 8, 2020. (Kevin Jantzer via AP) Oregon bore the brunt of nearly 100 major wildfires raging across Western states, with around 3,000 firefighters battling nearly three dozen blazes and officials saying about twice as many people were needed. Police have opened a criminal arson investigation into at least one Oregon blaze, the Almeda Fire, which started in Ashland near the border with California and incinerated several hundred homes in adjacent communities along Bear Creek, Ashland Police Chief Tighe OMeara said. The Oregon blazes tore through multiple communities in the Cascade mountain range as well as areas of coastal rainforest normally spared from wildfires. In eastern Washington state a fire destroyed most of the tiny farming town of Malden. Dora Negrete is consoled by her son Hector Rocha after seeing their destroyed mobile home at the Talent Mobile Estates, in Talent, Ore., on Sept. 10, 2020. (Paula Bronstein/AP Photo) In central Oregon search-and-rescue teams entered devastated communities in the Santiam Valley to look for missing people. To the south, a string small communities along Interstate 5 near Medford were reduced to ashes after embers from a wildfire blew for miles. Firefighters said unusually hot, dry winds out of the east supercharged blazes, spreading flames from community to community, and then from house to house. Burned car is seen in a neighborhood after wildfires destroyed an area of Phoenix, Ore., on Sept. 10, 2020. (Carlos Barria/Reuters) Oregon Governor Kate Brown said some 900,000 acres had burned, dwarfing the states annual 500,000-acre average over the past decade. At least four Oregon police departments warned of fake online messages appearing to be from law enforcement that blamed left-wing anti-fascists and right-wing Proud Boy activists for starting the fires. Two of Oregons largest fires, burning around 20 miles southeast of downtown Portland merged, leading to a major expansion of evacuations in densely populated Clackamas County, In California, the United States most populous state, wildfires have burned over 3.1 million acres so far this year, marking a record for any year, with six of the top 20 largest wildfires in state history occurring in 2020. In this image taken with a slow shutter speed, embers light up a hillside behind the Bidwell Bar Bridge as the Bear Fire burns in Oroville, Calif., on Sept. 9, 2020. (AP Photo/Noah Berger) About a third of evacuees were displaced in Butte County alone, north of Sacramento, where the North Complex wildfire has scorched more than 247,000 acres and destroyed over 2,000 homes and structures. The remains of 10 victims have been found in separate locations of that fire zone, according to a spokesman for the Butte County Sheriffs Office. Another person died in Siskiyou County in far northern California, state fire authority CalFire reported, providing no further details. By Carlos Barria and Adrees Latif The European Union on September 10 decided to extend sanctions against Russia for a further six months for undermining or threatening Ukraine's territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence, according to the website of the European Council. "Today the Council decided to extend the sanctions targeting persons and entities that continue to undermine or threaten the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine, for a further 6 months until 15 March 2021. The existing restrictive measures provide for both travel restrictions and the freezing of assets, and will continue to apply to 175 persons and 44 entities. The decision was adopted by the Council by written procedure. The legal acts will be published in the Official Journal on 11 September 2020," the statement reads. Restrictive measures in respect of actions undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine were first introduced on March 17, 2014. Other EU measures in place in response to the crisis in Ukraine include economic sanctions targeting specific sectors of the Russian economy, currently in place until January 31, 2021, and restrictive measures in response to the illegal annexation of Crimea and Sevastopol, limited to the territory of Crimea and Sevastopol and currently in place until June 23, 2021. The list of sanctioned persons and entities are kept under constant review and subject to periodic renewals by the Council. op Nearly 60% of the Coronavirus disease (Covid-19) cases in India are from five states, according to the Union health ministry. Maharashtra alone has contributed 23,000, and Andhra Pradesh 10,000 to date. The number of active cases in the country stands at 919,018. Close to 75% of the active cases are in the nine worst hit states. Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh presently contribute about 49% of the active cases. Maharashtra is leading the tally with about 250,000 cases, whereas Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh follow with about 97,000 cases each. On an average, at least 1,000 deaths also continue to get reported each day, with about 1,172 deaths reported on Thursday from across the country. With that, the number of deaths in the country has reached 75,062 and the death rate is at 1.68%. About 70% of the total deaths are being reported from five states. The infection and deaths are limited to certain states and the government is making all efforts, including rushing central teams for assistance on ground, to assist in the worst affected states, said the ministry. The five worst affected states in terms of Covid-19 related deaths are Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Delhi and Andhra Pradesh. The first death due to Covid-19 in India was reported on March 12 from south India. Meanwhile, Covid recoveries in India have also seen a steady growth, with at least 100% increase in patients recovered and discharged in the past three weeks, from about 1.6 million on August 13 to about 3.4 million recoveries on September 10. Speaking during the 73rd session of WHO South East Asia Region on Indias public health measures to prevent and contain spread of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19, Union health minister Harshvardhan had, on Thursday, outlined the pre-emptive and proactive measures undertaken by the Indian government much before the epidemic reached the country. The measures included issuing of travel advisories, creation of facilities for quarantine of persons returning from countries that reported Covid -19 cases, issuing of guidelines for community level surveillance and also scaling up of testing facilities, and tracking and testing of all suspect cases. He also talked about establishment of the three tier health infrastructure in the form of Covid Care Centres, and Dedicated Covid Health Centres for asymptomatic and mild to moderate cases, and Dedicated Covid Hospitals for serious and critically ill patients. India has increased domestic production capacity of personal protection equipment (PPE), ventilators and other medical items required for treatment of Covid-19 patients which has resulted in Indias resilience in the health sector. India has developed guidelines for infection prevention and control, testing protocol, clinical management and biomedical waste management as well as the guidelines to be followed by Covid-19 and non-Covid health facilities, he said. India focused on three key interventions that has resulted in the rate of growth of positive cases and deaths to one of the lowest in the world. The measures include scaling up testing in a short span of time, effective clinical management, and providing non-Covid essential health care. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-11 16:11:40|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close PHNOM PENH, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- Mosques in Cambodia reopened their doors to worshippers on Friday after a six-month closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Health Minister Mam Bunheng said in an earlier statement that the mosques are allowed to reopen every Friday for the first four weeks before going daily if the situation of COVID-19 remains under control. He said worshippers must strictly follow the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health. "They must wear face masks, have their body temperature checked, regularly wash hands with soap or alcohol- and gel-based sanitizers, and keep social distancing of at least 1.5 meters between each other," Bunheng said. "Muslims should bring their own prayer mats from home, as children and ill people are not allowed to enter the mosques," he said. Attendees are refrained from shaking hands, and they can greet each other by raising hands and saying "Salam", he added. The move was made after the situation of COVID-19 in the kingdom is under control. According to the Ministry of Health, the Southeast Asian nation has recorded a total of 274 confirmed COVID-19 cases to date, and all of the patients have recovered. Enditem A gas explosion ripped through a hotel in southern China on Friday, leaving at least three people injured, authorities have said. The blast this morning in the province of Guangdong also destroyed multiple shops and residential buildings nearby, local officials confirmed. Footage has captured the moment the explosion rocked the building in the city of Zhuhai after passersby had gathered to observe plumes of black smoke billowing into the sky. Footage has captured the moment the explosion rocked the building in the city of Zhuhai, China, after passersby had gathered to observe plumes of black smoke billowing into the sky Three people were injured in the incident and no one died, according to an official statement Authorities said multiple shops and residential buildings nearby were destroyed by the blast One clip, released by Zhuhai Channel, shows terrified onlookers fleeing for their lives as a massive fire erupted from the site. Another video from the same outlet shows the hotel seriously damaged and the street covered by debris following the blast. Police officers can be seen helping one person who appears to be injured. The blast took place at 9am in Tenghu Hotel in the city's district of Doumen, officials announced on social media. Zhuhai is a major export hub in southern China and borders Macau. It has a population of around two million. A picture taken after the explosion shows the street covered by debris in Zhuhai city, China Three people were reported to be injured, including two with minor injuries and one with burns A statement posted by the Doumen District Propaganda Department claimed that rescuers attended the scene at the earliest possible time. The blaze was said to be put out at around 10am. No one was trapped in the building, the authority said. Three people were injured, including two with minor injuries and one with burns, it added. In a follow-up statement, the propaganda officials stated that a total of nine people had been rescued. The blast damaged around 150 square metres (1,614 square feet) of the hotel. It remains unclear whether or not there were guests staying in the hotel at the time of the incident. Local officials said 19 fire engines and 95 firefighters had been involved in the rescue efforts The incident took place at 9am today in the district of Doumen (seen in May) in Zhuhai city The authority said that six fire-fighting teams, equipped with 19 fire engines and 95 firefighters, had been involved in the rescue efforts. Officials also criticised allegations that 255 people had been taken to the hospital by ambulances. They confirmed that the number had been input into the registering system for casualties, but claimed it was an 'improper operation' by relevant staff. The Jelly Belly Candy Company wants to clear up the misconception that its giving away a candy factory as the grand prize for a gold ticket treasure hunt. A company spokesperson said The company is in no way affiliated with David Kleins treasure hunt, nor is a Jelly Belly factory being given away. Jelly Belly Candy Company said in a statement: Due to confusion in the marketplace, Jelly Belly Candy Company would like to take this opportunity to clear up the misconception that it is involved with a contest that purportedly offers a candy factory as its grand prize." The statement says, "Jelly Belly Candy Company, formerly known as Herman Goelitz Candy Company, has candy making roots back to 1869. It was founded by brothers Gustav and Albert Goelitz and remains family owned and operated today. David Klein, the sponsor of the treasure hunt contest gaining attention within the media this weekend, is not associated with Jelly Belly Candy Company, its brands, or products," the statement added. In 1976, Mr. Klein, an independent third party, came up with the name Jelly Belly and other novel marketing ideas, but according to the statement, "Jelly Belly Candy Company has not had a relationship with Mr. Klein since 1980 when it acquired the trademark. The misconception occurred when a press release that was provided by Tricky Treasures, announced the treasure hunt, and identified David Klein as Jelly Belly founder. As the Jelly Belly statement indicates, Klein, known as The Candyman, has not been associated with Jelly Belly for decades. READ MORE: A former aide who helped ex-Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh fraudulently sell her self-published childrens books to nonprofits was sentenced Friday to more than two years in federal prison. Gary Brown Jr. apologized for his actions and expressed regret for bringing shame to his family and friends before U.S. District Judge Deborah Chasanow sentenced him to 27 months. In February, Chasanow sentenced Pugh to three years in prison for her role in the scheme to profit from sales of her Healthy Holly books. The judge said the scams victims extended beyond the organizations that Pugh and Brown defrauded. The victims are all of us who have lost some faith in our institutions, Chasanow said. Brown, 38, pleaded guilty in November to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, two counts of conspiracy to defraud the U.S. government and filing a false tax return. The judge ordered him to report to prison by Nov. 2. Brown abused his position as a public servant through an eight-year pattern of nonstop criminality, federal prosecutors said in a court filing last month. They described him as Pughs go-to man, her confidante and partner in crime as they pitched her books to companies and organizations with ongoing or pending government contracts. Between 2011 and 2019, Brown worked as Pughs legislative aide in the state Senate before becoming deputy director of special events in the mayors office. While on the government payroll, he served as Pughs right-hand man from start to finish on the fraudulent book sales, prosecutors wrote. Brown and Pugh, 70, raised more than $850,000 from the sale of more than 132,000 books, although fewer than 74,000 copies of the paperbacks were printed, according to prosecutors. They described Pugh as the face of the company, luring customers while Brown oversaw operations and received sales commissions. Chasanow said Brown played an essential role in the scheme. Without him, this doesnt happen, added the judge, who also ordered him to pay $14,000 in restitution. Defence attorney Barry Pollack described Brown as a dedicated public servant who was Pughs minion, not an equal partner. He wanted to serve his community and wanted to serve Mayor Pugh, Pollack told the judge, seeking a sentence of home detention. In June, Pugh began serving her sentence at a prison in Aliceville, Alabama. During her sentencing hearing, Pugh apologized through tears and said she accepted full responsibility for her actions. Browns sentencing guidelines called for a prison term ranging from 33 to 41 months. Prosecutors recommended a prison sentence of 33 months, saying it would serve as an adequate and just punishment while deterring other government corruption. Another former Pugh associate, Roslyn Wedington, awaits sentencing for her guilty plea in November to related charges. Pugh was elected mayor in 2016 and resigned under pressure in May 2019 as authorities investigated her book sales. Pugh was a member of the board of directors of the University of Maryland Medical System, which paid a total of $500,000 for 100,000 copies of Pughs books. They were meant to be distributed to schoolchildren, but about 60,000 of those books were sent to a city warehouse and a Pugh office before going to other customers, and she never delivered the other 40,000 copies to the health system, prosecutors said. In late 2016, Brown was appointed to fill the state House of Delegates seat vacated by Pughs mayoral election. However, before Brown could be sworn into office, Gov. Larry Hogan rescinded the appointment after Brown was indicted by a Baltimore grand jury on charges he violated state campaign finance laws during Pughs campaign. Brown and Pugh used money from the book business account to fraudulently inflate the amount of political contributions made to her mayoral campaign, giving her an unfair advantage over competitors, according to federal prosecutors. They said Brown illegally converted checks from book sales into untraceable cash to fund tens of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions in the names of straw donors. In 2017, Brown reached a plea deal in the case brought by the Maryland State Prosecutors Office without implicating Pugh. Pugh kept him on her staff for two more years, prosecutors said. Brown also pleaded guilty last year to separate federal charges that he operated a fraudulent tax preparation business and that he abused his position as board chairman of the Maryland Center for Adult Training Inc., which employed Wedington as its executive director. For five years, prosecutors said, Brown helped Wedington evade payroll taxes on her $80,000 annual salary. ___ Associated Press writer Regina Garcia Cano contributed to this report. Birth of Rare Orca Calf Brings Hope Great news: Tahlequah, the mother orca who carried her dead calf for 17 days and 1,000 miles in 2018, has given birth again this time to a healthy newborn. Southern Resident killer whales are a critically endangered population of orcas on the West Coast. The scarcity of the salmon they eat plus pollution, noise and disturbance from boats has driven them to the edge of extinction. Tahlequah's new calf brings their known population to just 73 whales. For almost two decades, the Center for Biological Diversity has been working to save these killer whales. Last week we launched a lawsuit against the planned expansion of Seattle Harbor, which would hurt the orcas through more ship activity and dredging up toxic contaminants as the channel is enlarged. Tahlequah's baby inspires us to keep fighting for these rare animals. You can support this work with a donation to our Saving Life on Earth Fund. FREELAND, MI -- President Donald Trump touted the large number of supporters who came out to see him in Freeland on Thursday as evidence of his strength in Michigan, a key battleground state. This is not the crowd of a person who comes in second place, you know that right?" Trump said. Fifty-four days from now, were going to win Michigan. An estimated 5,500 people packed into a warehouse structure at the MBS International Airport in Freeland to see Trump speak. Trumps visit to Freeland brought supporters from across Michigan and other states, and hundreds more remained outside the venue after it reached capacity shortly after 5 p.m., two hours before the president was scheduled to speak. Trump said the Nov. 3 election is a choice between two opposing visions for the country. He attacked Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden for supporting the North American Free Trade Agreement, saying Biden surrendered your jobs to China. Trump claimed he brought so many damn car plants back to Michigan, but didnt specify what facilities he was referring to. In November, you better vote for me, Michigan, Trump said. Manufacturing jobs in Michigan dropped by 55,100 from when Trump took office in February 2017 to February 2020, before coronavirus outbreaks caused business closures, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. As of July, Michigan manufacturing jobs declined 10% from the previous year. Motor vehicle and vehicle parts manufacturing jobs dropped by 19,400 from when Trump took office to July of this year. Most of those jobs were lost during the last several months, according to federal data. Inside the hangar, which included outdoor seating and standing room inside the open hangar, some attendees wore masks while many others didnt. Some wore masks into the event, but later took them off. There was virtually no social distancing at the event, as attendees were packed closely together. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer issued executive orders limiting the size of indoor and outdoor gatherings, but those orders include an exemption for activities protected by the First Amendment. The governors office did not respond to a request for comment Thursday afternoon. The MBS International Airport is named for Saginaw, Midland and Bay counties, all three of which Trump won in 2016. Trump won Michigan by only 10,704 votes, a narrow margin that makes swing counties critical to the presidents hopes of winning the state again in 2020. Saginaw and Bay counties are among a dozen that Trump flipped in 2016 after they previously supported the Obama-Biden ticket twice. Trump was the first Republican to win Saginaw County since 1984. He increased turnout compared to the previous election, but he benefitted from a larger drop in Democratic votes for Hillary Clinton, winning the county by 1 percentage point. Saginaw County Republican Party Chair Steve Gerhardt said Trump rightly chose to come to the center of the universe in Michigan politics. If youre going to win Michigan, this is where you come, Gerhardt said. This is where he made a difference, this is where the economy has gotten better because of him. It will get better once all this mask-wearing and virus stuff itll get better. Trump was greeted on the tarmac by U.S. Rep. John Moolenaar, R-Midland, Republican U.S. Senate candidate John James and Michigan Republican Party Chairman Laura Cox. Former Attorney General Bill Schuette was also in attendance. READ MORE ON MLIVE: Trump and Biden back-to-back visits show Michigan is still a 2020 battleground Joe Biden meets with Detroit-area steelworkers during campaign swing through Michigan Trump fans camp overnight to see president speak in Saginaw County Saginaw County gears up for President Trump visit A Vietnamese woman has been sentenced to three-year probation by a court in Ho Chi Minh City for assisting her child and grandchild, aged 11 and 6, in an attempted group suicide. The Family and Juvenile Court under the Ho Chi Minh City Peoples Court tried Nguyen Thi Thao, 49, on Thursday. According to the indictment, Thao, her 11-year-old child H. and her six-year-old grandchild T. live in a rented room in Tan Binh District. On the afternoon of May 1, 2019, Thao asked H. to go out and buy her alcohol as she was seeking relief from stress caused by work and life problems. After drinking, Thao sent H. out again to buy some sleeping pills. She took ten pills in a row in a suicide attempt. Upon learning of Thaos intention to take her own life, H. and T. became emotional and even offered to die with Thao. Considering that the kids would have no one to take care of them after she died, Thao asked H. to buy more sleeping pills and told the two kids to take them so the three of them could die together. The trio was found by relatives and neighbors while they were embracing each other on the floor, waiting for the pills to take effect. They were rushed to the hospital and saved by doctors. Thao was on Thursday found guilty of assisting others in an attempted suicide and handed three years of probation. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! By Matt Agorist As the media frenzy around 9/11 reminds us today to never forget there is some crucial information that the establishment absolutely wants all Americans to forget the overwhelming abundance of evidence that pokes serious holes in the official narrative of what happened that fateful day. On September 11, 2001, at 5:20 p.m., World Trade Center Building 7 suddenly collapsed into its own footprint, falling at free fall speed for 2.5 seconds of its seven-second complete destruction. WTC 7 was not hit by a plane. After it collapsed, Americans were told that office fires caused a unique never before seen complete architectural failure leading to the building collapsing into its own footprint at the rate of gravity. Despite calls for the evidence to be preserved, New York City officials had the buildings debris removed and destroyed in the ensuing weeks and months, preventing a proper forensic investigation from ever taking place. Seven years later, federal investigators concluded that WTC 7 was the first steel-framed high-rise ever to have collapsed solely as a result of normal office fires. Naturally, skeptics have been questioning the official story for some time and after moving from the realm of conspiracy theory into the realm of science, this extensive university study has found that the official story of fire causing the collapse is simply not true. As TFTP reported in April, Architects & Engineers for 9/11 Truth announced the completed partnership with the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) in their final report of an in depth four-year study on what they say actually brought down WTC 7. According to the press release, contrary to the conclusions of NIST, the UAF research team finds that the collapse of WTC 7 on 9/11 was not caused by fires but instead was caused by the near-simultaneous failure of every column in the building. Our study found that the fires in WTC 7 could not have caused the observed collapse, said Professor Leroy Hulsey, the studys principal investigator. The only way it could have fallen in the observed manner is by the near-simultaneous failure of every column. The extensive four-year study was was funded by Architects & Engineers for 9/11 Truth (AE911Truth), a nonprofit organization representing more than 3,000 architects and engineers who have signed the organizations petition calling for new investigation into the destruction of the three World Trade Center towers on 9/11. We are proud to have supported the University of Alaska Fairbanks and Professor Leroy Hulsey in conducting a genuinely scientific study into the reasons for this buildings collapse, said Richard Gage, president and founder of AE911Truth. It is now incumbent upon the building community, the media, and government officials to reckon with the implications of these findings and launch a new full-scale investigation. According to the studys authors: The UAF research team utilized three approaches for examining the structural response of WTC 7 to the conditions that may have occurred on September 11, 2001. First, we simulated the local structural response to fire loading that may have occurred below Floor 13, where most of the fires in WTC 7 are reported to have occurred. Second, we supplemented our own simulation by examining the collapse initiation hypothesis developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Third, we simulated a number of scenarios within the overall structural system in order to determine what types of local failures and their locations may have caused the total collapse to occur as observed. After conducting comprehensive modeling and studying countless scenarios, the studys authors, J. Leroy Hulsey, Ph.D., P.E., S.E., UAF, Zhili Quan, Ph.D., Bridge Engineer South Carolina Department of Transportation, and Feng Xiao, Ph.D., Associate Professor Nanjing University of Science and Technology Department of Civil Engineering, concluded the following: Fire did not cause the collapse of WTC 7 on 9/11, contrary to the conclusions of NIST and private engineering firms that studied the collapse. The secondary conclusion of our study is that the collapse of WTC 7 was a global failure involving the near-simultaneous failure of every column in the building. The results of this study cannot be dismissed. It completely destroys the narrative that has been shoved down the throats of Americans for nearly two decades. Whats more, this study backs up thousands of other researchers, scientists, and engineers who have been pointing this out for years. As TFTP reported last July, history was made in regard to 9/11 as New York area fire commissioners called for a new investigation into the tragic events that unfolded that day. The resolution called for a new investigation due to the overwhelming evidence that pre-planted explosives . . . caused the destruction of the three World Trade Center buildings. On July 24, 2019, the Franklin Square and Munson Fire District, which oversees a volunteer fire department serving a hamlet of 30,000 residents just outside of Queens, New York, became the first legislative body in the country to officially support a new investigation into the events of 9/11, according to Architects and Engineers for 9/11 Truth. The resolution calling for a new investigation was drafted by Commissioner Christopher Gioia and it was immediately and unanimously approved by the five commissioners. Were a tight-knit community and we never forget our fallen brothers and sisters. You better believe that when the entire fire service of New York State is on board, we will be an unstoppable force, said Commissioner Christopher Gioia, adding, We were the first fire district to pass this resolution. We wont be the last. Source: The Free Thought Project Matt Agorist is an honorably discharged veteran of the USMC and former intelligence operator directly tasked by the NSA. This prior experience gives him unique insight into the world of government corruption and the American police state. Agorist has been an independent journalist for over a decade and has been featured on mainstream networks around the world. Agorist is also the Editor at Large at the Free Thought Project. Follow @MattAgorist on Twitter, Steemit, and now on Minds. At your kids return to school your desktop or laptop is going to come under increasing pressure to serve as the main portal for research, email, and creating documents, spreadsheets, and presentations. While sharing is a noble concept, when it comes to a computer there are significant risks. All of your personal documents and emails will be viewable by anyone using the computer and one of your children, or a partner, could open a malicious email attachment or install malware that could destroy all of your irreplaceable files or render then useless. Luckily a Windows 10 computer has several levels of protection which will allow it to be shared securely with several people. Each user will have their own desktop, settings, and files but they will not be able to see your or any other users files, install software, or make any changes to the computers operating system. If you are the only user of the computer you are probably the administrator. Click on the Start button in Win 10, then the little gear icon for Settings, and open Accounts. In Your Info you will see your details and, if you do not use a login to access the computer, create one by clicking on Sign-in Options. You have the choice of using a PIN, password, phrase, or drawing a pattern on a touch screen. Keep your password or PIN absolutely secure and record it since if you forget it youll be locked out of your own computer. Your next step is to create a Standard user account for each of the other people who want to use the computer. A Standard user gets a personal desktop and the ability to run most of the computers programs. However, they will be blocked from accessing anything stored in your personal documents, video, music, pictures, or downloads folders, seeing and using your bookmarks, making any changes to the computer, and installing programs or downloads. As an administrator you will be able to access their files, authorize the installation of programs, and ultimately ban them from the computer. Open the Accounts settings, select Family and Other Users, and then Add Someone Else to this Computer. When asked to enter the users email or set up a Microsoft account click on I Dont Have This Persons Sign-in Information and then give the user a sign-in password, which you will know and record. When the computer is booted each user can select their account on the sign-in screen, log in, and use the computer. Some computer experts advocate giving yourself a Standard user account and using it instead of your admin account since it will prevent you from doing something horrible to your own computer, such as downloading malicious software or opening an evil email attachment. If you attempt to install anything youll have to enter your admin password first. There are comprehensive parental controls in Windows 10 which will let you control a childs access to the internet, block websites, enforce time limits, and view a detailed log of the childs activity on the computer. The catch is that its complicated to set up. Not only must you be logged in to the computer with a Microsoft Account but each child must have an email address and Microsoft account, which some parents may find objectionable. If you want to proceed, visit the Microsoft Family website (https://account.microsoft.com/family) and create a family group; youll be called the Organizer. In the computers Account settings choose Add a Family Member and go through the process of creating a Microsoft account, login name, and password for each child. The child will receive an invitation via email to join the Family Group, although you can bypass this process. Need help? The Microsoft Family website has video and written instructions. There are other things to consider when setting up accounts, such as requiring the user password to wake the computer from sleep or screen saver mode. Luckily there are detailed instructions for every aspect of setting up Accounts in Win 10 at the Windows Central website (https://tinyurl.com/y9qnbgbn). Nearly 20 years of war has led to the deaths and injury of an estimated 300,000 Iraqi and Afghan people. As the United States marks the 19th anniversary of the deadliest attack on American soil, President Donald Trump seeks to fulfil his pledge to end the countrys post-9/11 forever wars, drawing down troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. The troop withdrawals come as the US-supported government of Afghanistan prepares to begin talks with the Taliban on Saturday aimed at bringing an end to almost two decades of bloodshed that followed the al-Qaeda attacks on the US on September 11, 2001. The US invaded Afghanistan and drove the Taliban from power in retaliation for the September 11 attacks, which had been planned while al-Qaedas leader, Osama bin Laden, was living in the country under Taliban protection. Nearly 20 years of war in both countries has led to the deaths and injuries of an estimated 300,000 Iraqi and Afghan people, according to the United Nations Mission in Afghanistan, and Iraq Body Count. Donald Trump speaks during a ceremony at the Flight 93 National Memorial, remembering those killed when the hijacked passenger jet crashed into an open field on September 11, 2001, near Shanksville, Pennsylvania [Jonathan Ernst/Reuters] The Congressional Research Service reported in June that the US had suffered approximately 2,400 military fatalities in Afghanistan, and that US Congress had appropriated some $137bn for the countrys reconstruction since 2001. Marine General Frank McKenzie, commander of US Central Command (Centcom), announced on Wednesday that troop numbers in Iraq will be cut to about 3,000, from roughly 5,200. The decision was a clear demonstration of our continued commitment to enabling Iraqi forces to secure the country without external assistance, McKenzie said. The US invaded Iraq in 2003, ostensibly to put an end to an alleged weapons of mass destruction programme, removed the governing infrastructure of dictator Saddam Hussein, and left an occupying force in the country until 2011. In 2014, American troops were re-deployed to Iraq as the ISIL (ISIS) armed group overran large parts of the country. Troop numbers in Afghanistan are also coming down. Were on a glide slope to be at 4,500 by the November timeframe October, late October, November timeframe, McKenzie said, according to Centcom officials. Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden said he supports President Donald Trumps push to withdraw US troops from Iraq and Afghanistan, though not completely. These forever wars have to end. I support drawing down the troops, Biden told the newspaper Stars and Stripes. But heres the problem, we still have to worry about terrorism and [ISIL]. I think we need special ops capacity to coordinate with our allies, Biden said, adding that a maximum of 1,500 to 2,000 soldiers should remain. The cuts in Afghanistan are part of the conditional deal the US struck with the Taliban, signed in Doha where the group has a political office on February 29, to reduce troops to zero by May next year. There are now 8,600 US soldiers in Afghanistan, down from about 13,000 before the agreement. The talks, laid out in the deal and set to begin on Saturday, are an historic milestone as all parties to the long war are exhausted by the unrelenting violence, which the Taliban has escalated against Afghan forces and civilians since the February 29 agreement as it sought to prove its military strength, analysts said. Afghan security personnel inspect the site of a car bomb on an intelligence compound in Aybak, northern Afghanistan [File: AP Photo] The Doha deal obliged the Taliban to curtail attacks against US forces, and vice versa, though it appears to have little impact on Taliban attacks against Afghan forces and civilians. The UN mission in Afghanistan reported in May that there had been a 13-percent drop in the number of Afghan civilians killed 1,282 and wounded 2,176 in the first half of 2020, compared with the same period a year earlier. The fall was partly attributed to the reduced activity of international forces, it said. I am 32 years old and have never known peace in my own country, said Nesar Fayzi, a Kabul business owner. Because of the war, people are not being educated, they are getting poorer by the day, and will kill each other just for a mobile phone. I want the violence to end. I am willing to accept the Taliban as part of the government because I want peace. I am confident that they will include women, that women will be able to go to school and work, Fayzi said. Many Afghan people worry about what Taliban involvement in the governance of their country could mean notably women, human rights activists, journalists, and young people accustomed to a modern lifestyle. During the Talibans hardline rule from 1996 to 2001, women were confined to their homes, girls were not permitted to go to school, television was banned and the only radio station broadcast religious programmes. Stefano Pontecorvo, NATOs senior civilian representative in Afghanistan, said that despite reservations, Afghan people want an end to the violence, which has continued almost unabated since a Soviet invasion of the country in 1979. Afghan people, of all walks of life, say they may or may not like the process, but they are as close now as they have ever been to a peace deal, he said. A survey by the Asia Foundation in 2019 found overwhelming support 89 percent for efforts to negotiate peace with the Taliban. As if to underline concerns, a Taliban spokesman tweeted late on Thursday that the group was entering the talks to establish durable peace and a pure Islamic system within the framework of Islamic values & the highest interests of our country. 2-1 . Dr.M.Naeem (@IeaOffice) September 10, 2020 Taliban leaders have not renounced their ties to al-Qaeda, according to the UN Security Councils Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team, despite agreeing to do so as part of the deal with the US. This enduring relationship and the fact that the Taliban do not recognise the Kabul governments legitimacy have raised concerns in the Afghan government and its international supporters that the Trump administration has conceded too much in its rush pull out. Its a very unfortunate situation in which the US has been giving more away than its been getting, said a senior Afghan security official in Kabul, speaking on the condition of anonymity. He expressed fears that the rapid US troop withdrawal could see the Taliban take on a role in the government without renouncing its ties to al-Qaeda. Michael Rubin, a scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, said the bilateral US-Taliban deal had effectively kneecapped the elected Afghan government and ignored the role of Pakistan in supporting the Taliban. It very much may lay the groundwork to 9/11, version 2.0, Rubin said. The Taliban have shown zero good faith or goodwill in its implementation. Nor would their commitments to sever ties with al-Qaeda mean much even if they were serious. After all, for the Taliban to break with al-Qaeda isnt just to break a political connection; in many cases, it is to break from fathers, brothers, and cousins. That was never realistic in the context of Afghan society. US Secretary of Defense Mark Esper, left, secretary-general of NATO, Jens Stoltenberg, right, at a joint press conference in Brussels, Belgium [File: Dursun Aydemir/Anadolu] McKenzie and NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg have noted the Talibans enduring ties with al-Qaeda, while referring to the Doha deal as conditions-based, and hinting that the continued withdrawal of troops could be halted at any time. An international diplomat based in Kabul, speaking anonymously, said however that the US had built mechanisms into the agreement to ensure that the Taliban held to their pledge not to allow Afghanistan to be used by violent organisations to plot attacks on the US. These monitoring mechanisms could be applied to a ceasefire, he said. We are all under-estimating the importance of having the Taliban in a relationship with the United States, the diplomat said. The Taliban are where they are now because of the United States and the Taliban want to retain the legitimacy they have gained from this process. If it doesnt work because of Taliban behaviour, then the US has the ways and means of making life very difficult for the Taliban, he said. Several Churches At the Same Address A few weeks ago, I celebrated my 29th anniversary as pastor of Brentwood Baptist Church. The church, since its founding in 1969, has had two pastors -- Bill Wilson, the founding pastor, and me. Bill, who was a great friend and mentor, and I used to joke with each other that we were the only two members of a very select fraternity guys who had been pastors of Brentwood Baptist Church. Its not a bad club to be in. As I start my 30th year of ministry at Brentwood Baptist Church, people have been asking me to tell them the secret of a long-term ministry. Honestly, I dont know. I didnt set out to have a 30 year plus ministry here. I kept showing up to work, and there was always something to do. I would do that, and then, wed move on to the next thing. Before I knew it, 30 years had slipped away. I will say this. I dont pastor the same church I came to in 1991. In fact, I dont pastor the same church I was leading in 2000, 2010 or 2015. I have led five or six different churches during my career. Theyve just been at the same address. Every time the church faced a new opportunity, the church would have to change something about the structure or ministry programming to meet the new challenge. Not only did the church have to change, but I had to change, and I had to change first. Before the church could change, I as pastor had to change. The first challenge we faced was how to handle the growing pastoral care needs of the church. I love visiting hospitals and ministering to people in the crisis moments of their lives. Now, there were just too many people for me to care for them adequately. Like the first century church, we had to find a new way to take care of our members, and again, like the first century church, the deacon ministry saw what was happening to me, and the church and stepped up. They set up a care structure to take over ministering to the pastoral care needs of our church. And take over they did. I was told if I was making hospital visits, then they werent going to make them, and if the deacons made them, then there was no need for me to make them. For a while, I worried they wouldnt do as well as I would have in taking care of our people. I neednt have worried. The deacons did an amazing job. Its not unusual for our deacon ministry to make in excess of 15,000 pastoral care contacts in one year! Our deacon team covers every hospital almost every day. Their deacon badges have become well known in our local hospitals, and its not uncommon for a nurse to ask one of them to step in and pray with someone who may not have any family support. Heres what I didnt expect. Our church grew to love our deacons in ways they used to love me. It wasnt unusual for someone to stop me after worship services and tell me about when they were in the hospital, the deacons had visited them, prayed for them and stayed in contact with them. Then, they would tell me how much they loved the deacons. They used to love me. Now, they loved the deacons. This was a little harder to take than I thought it would have been. The deacon ministry wasnt the only ministry that stepped on my turf. Administratively, I was pushed out of more and more meetings and processes. In my early days, I had been part of every meeting of every committee. I knew everything that was going on. Now, the church was too large for me to handle all of the administration required for our multi-dimensional congregation. We hired an executive pastor and a business administrator to take care of the details. I was given reports, but there were whole areas of the church I didnt touch any more. I had to give up being involved in everything. I had to do this in order for the church to grow. Heres what Ive found out. For a church to grow, the pastor has to grow first. This growth requires both letting go of some areas of ministry and learning how to do new things. Letting go means grief. I miss some of the things I used to do. It also means discipline forcing myself to learn new things that may be uncomfortable or even difficult for me to do. Most of the time, when a church reaches one of these opportunities or seasons, they will change their pastor, or the pastor will choose to move on. The church will need a different kind of pastor for the next season of their ministry. Some pastors know their season. They know what skills and experience they bring to a church and have a well-defined understanding of their ministry. Some are church planters. They love getting a church started from nothing. Others are healers and love going to a wounded church and guiding them back to health. Eventually, they will sense theyve accomplished their mission and look for a new place to do their work. On the other hand, there are some pastors who refuse to grow. They dont learn new skills or keep up new opportunities. They find one or two things they do well, and then, thats all they do. Its not the church thats afraid of growing. Its the pastor. Like a bad parent, some pastors refuse to let their churches grow because they fear the church will outgrow their skill set or not need them anymore. A growing church will always demand their pastor to be the first one who grows. After all, no organization, not even a church, can ever outrun its leader. On this anniversary of the day that changed the course of American history, I must reflect on how September 11, 2001, changed me both as a person and a businessman. Seventeen years ago, I was running my first business, AbraCadabra Digital Printing on the 18th floor of the World Trade Centers South Tower in New York City. Business was booming. We were generating about $4 million a year with 30 employees and five locations across New York and New Jersey. I was finishing up a meeting with my business manager when the first plane hit the North Tower at 8:46 a.m. Seventeen minutes later, we were standing on the streets of New York as the second plane crashed into the building where we had just stood. Following the events of 9/11, my once thriving business suffered as many others did at the time. My sales plummeted to $600,000 in 2003. I finally sold the business in 2004 for $325,000. Seeing so many lives destroyed and losing my business was a major setback for me both professionally and personally that, ultimately, taught me a number of enduring lessons about perseverance, rebuilding from the ashes and the importance of consistently reinvesting in myself. Although it is hard for anyone who was not there to relate to the extreme tragedy experienced on 9/11, the lessons I learned can apply to turning around any struggling business and to every entrepreneur looking to start again with a new venture. Related: Entrepreneurs Changed By 9/11 Recognize when its time to let go and start over. Business in New York was dead after 9/11. Our most profitable branch had been destroyed and the business was suffering immensely. I had a family to care for and had to let go employees who Id been working with for years. When my business revenues dropped to just 30 percent of what theyd been just years before, I knew it was time to let this venture go. Business owners and business persons alike often make the mistake of holding on to what they know, when letting go could be their best shot at future success. As a business owner, when you see your business is failing and know the chances of it improving in the foreseeable future are slim, its imperative to know its time to move on. This means reinventing yourself and reinventing your business -- not quitting entrepreneurship for good. Stay in the same field of business if thats what youre passionate about, but find that new sweet spot with a brighter, clearer future that gets new energy moving and reignites the excitement behind the business. When I decided to sell AbraCadabra Digital Printing and join Cartridge Word, I was entering into somewhat unknown territory. Id known very little about franchising, advertising such products, the top competitors in the industry, etc., but I made the bold move to purchase the franchise rights to Cartridge World when there were zero U.S. locations. Now there are 287, of which 70 are mine. Sometimes letting go of smaller ventures can lead you to greener pastures. Related: Why None of Us Can Afford to Forget 9/11 Reinvest in yourself. As an entrepreneur, you are your biggest asset. You are the driving force behind the business; therefore, you should always seek to learn as much as you can about your business and industry for when big decisions need to be made. Make the time to take additional courses throughout the year to learn and grow. Whether it be a business course on the latest techniques or technology, or a marketing and advertising course covering modern trends and creativity, always work to reinvent yourself and grow your knowledge base. I typically allott five to 10 days a year to attend a courses so I keep growing and widening my capabilities. Furthermore, have a mentor to help guide you and advise you during your business journey. As your interests or field of business change, seek new mentors who can guide you along the way. In my experience, those whove made it, so to speak, are typically happy to help others make their dreams come true. Do your best to return the favor. Meet with fellow entrepreneurs, learn their stories and share your own. Networking is fundamental to growing your business. Related: Franchise Players: After 9/11, This Franchisee Sold Everything to Reboot His Career Take responsibility for your business. Whether times are good or bad, you need to realize that the state of your business is a reflection of how you, and you alone, are running the business. If times are bad, but you insist on running your business like youve done for the past 10 years, you cant expect anything to change. If catastrophe strikes like it did on 9/11, be prepared to make major changes and adapt, even if that means leaving one venture behind and starting a new one. To run a successful business, you need the energy, goals and dedication to self-improvement to keep it running and thriving. All businesses can get stale, but it is up to you as the backbone behind the company to make changes and keep the energy high. When I decided to take one of my Cartridge World locations back to the new World Trade Center, I was the only business tenant pre-9/11 to return after the attacks. I knew this was a bold move, but a move that ignited my spirits and in turn, my business. Related: I Survived 9/11 but My Business Didn't. This Is What I Learned From Rebuilding. Why None of Us Can Afford to Forget 9/11 After a Post-9/11 Slump, an Entrepreneur Turns to Franchising Copyright 2020 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved India and China have agreed that their troops should 'quickly disengage' from a tense border standoff that has lasted months. The two countries' foreign ministers agreed to maintain proper distance and ease tensions in the Ladakh region where the two nuclear armed nations in June had their deadliest clash in decades. India's S. Jaishankar and China's Wang Yi met in Moscow on Thursday night and concurred that 'the current situation in the border areas is not in the interest of either side,' according to a joint statement issued Friday. Since last week, the Asian giants have accused each other of sending soldiers into rival territory and firing warning shots for the first time in 45 years, threatening a full-scale military conflict. The foreign ministers did not set any timeline for the disengagement of tens of thousands of soldiers who have been locked in a standoff since May. They did agree that 'both sides shall abide by all the existing agreements and protocol on China-India boundary affairs, maintain peace and tranquility in the border areas and avoid any action that could escalate matters.' The disputed 3,500-kilometer (2,175-mile) border separates Chinese and Indian-held territories from Ladakh in the west to India's eastern state of Arunachal Pradesh, which China claims in its entirety. India's Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar, left, Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, and China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi, pose for a photo together on Thursday, the day an agreement was made between China and India to disengage troops from the tense border standoff The current standoff is over portions of a pristine landscape that boasts the world's highest landing strip and a glacier that feeds one of the largest irrigation systems in the world. Both sides accuse the other of provocative behavior including crossing into each other's territory, and both have vowed to protect their territorial integrity. Earlier this week, Jaishankar described the situation along their shared boundary, known as the Line of Actual Control, as 'very serious' and said the state of the border cannot be separated from the state of the bilateral relationship. On Thursday, the two countries agreed that as the situation eases, they should expedite work to conclude 'new confidence-building measures to maintain and enhance peace and tranquility in the border areas.' In a separate statement, Wang said 'China-India relations have once again come to a crossroads.' That statement said Wang 'outlined China's stern position on the situation in the border areas, emphasizing that the imperative is to immediately stop provocations such as firing and other dangerous actions that violate the commitments made by the two sides.' 'It is also important to move back all personnel and equipment that have trespassed. The frontier troops must quickly disengage so that the situation may de-escalate,' it quoted Wang as saying. India did not release a statement of its own, but an official with the External Affairs Ministry said Jaishankar told Wang that India expected full adherence to all agreements on management of border areas and would not support any attempt to change the status quo unilaterally. An Indian army convoy moves on the Srinagar- Ladakh highway at Gagangeer, northeast of Srinagar, Indian-controlled Kashmir, Wednesday. Tensions have been mounting between the nuclear armed nations since a melee between troops ended with 20 Indian soldiers killed Members of the Tibetan Youth Congress participate in a July street protest calling for the boycott of Chinese goods in Dharmsala, India, amid mounting tensions between the nations. India's economy relies heavily on Chinese goods, which have faced a backlash The official said Jaishankar said the immediate task is to ensure a comprehensive disengagement of troops at all flash points to prevent any incidents, with details of how that is to be done worked out by military commanders. The official was not authorized to speak publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity. The two ministers met in Moscow on the sidelines of a gathering of the foreign ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. The group comprises China, India, Pakistan, Russia, Kazakhstan, Krgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. On Friday, Wang held talks with Russia's foreign minister in Moscow and later told reporters that India had expressed a wish to ease tensions through diplomatic and political channels. Wang said the top priority now is to not break past agreements, including one not to open fire at the border. At least 20 Indian soldiers, including a colonel, were killed in June during a mass brawl at the border, which reportedly involved clubs. Officially no shots have been fired in the area since 1975 when four Indian troops were killed in an ambush Armed with spears: Chinese troops near the disputed Himalayan border with India earlier this week where gunfire is banned but soldiers fought in deadly hand-to-hand combat in June 'Also, we should withdraw the personnel and equipment completely from the front line. In this way, we can implement the consensus and restore peace and stability along the border,' he said. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said he was very pleased that the Moscow venue enabled the foreign ministers of China and India to have a substantive meeting on deescalating their border tensions. In India, Vinod Bhatia, a retired Indian army general, said resolving the ongoing impasse will be a long process. 'Disengagement is the first and the most important step that will guide the de-escalation process. The two armies will work out a mutually acceptable methodology for de-escalation,' Bhatia said. He said 'there is a political will and direction now to resolve the crisis.' Indian traders burn Chinese products and a poster of China's president Xi Jinping during a protest in New Delhi, India. Since last week, the Asian giants have accused each other of sending soldiers into rival territory and firing warning shots for the first time in 45 years Indian army officers walk past the pyre of their colleague Colonel B. Santosh Babu, who was killed during a clash with Chinese soldiers in Ladakh region The two nations fought a border war in 1962 that spilled into Ladakh and ended in an uneasy truce. Since then, troops have guarded the undefined border area, occasionally brawling. They have agreed not to attack each other with firearms. Rival soldiers brawled in May and June with clubs, stones and their fists. A clash on a high ridge on June 15 left 20 Indian soldiers dead. China reported no casualties. After that clash, both sides disengaged from the site in Galwan valley and at least two other places, but the crisis continued. On Tuesday, Chinese troops were seen lined up with spears on the Himalayan border with India. Indian soldiers responded with warning shots after China's forces gathered menacingly with 'rods, spears and sharp weapons' on the disputed border between the nuclear-armed rivals. The Chinese troops were 'expecting close combat with the Indian Army soldiers', Indian media suggested - raising fears of a repeat of the deadly clash in June. China also allegedly fired warning shots in what Beijing called the first exchange of gunfire along the frontier for 45 years, which both sides blamed on each other. Officially no shots have been fired in the area since 1975 when four Indian troops were killed in an ambush. Lily James has been spotted on-set for the first time filming BBC's latest adaptation of Nancy Mitford's sweeping romance novel The Pursuit of Love. The actress, 31, was transformed into a 1940s beauty as she filmed at the Dinton Park and Philipps House in Salisbury for the series which tells the comedic story of an upper-class English family coping with life between the First and Second World War. Lily will star alongside Fleabag's Andrew Scott, Emily Beecham and Dominic West in the series which will focus on two cousins with increasingly different views on love and their dream partner, causing friction during a time of political unrest. Screen siren: Lily James, 31, has been spotted on-set for the first time filming BBC's latest adaptation of Nancy Mitford's sweeping romance novel The Pursuit of Love Lily was transformed into a young 20th Century beauty as she styled her brunette tresses into neat curls while dressed in a brown midi skirt and cream blouse. The Mamma Mia star was seen chatting to the cast as they prepared to film more scenes outside the county house, with some actors dressed in traditional Second World War uniform. Stopping for lunch, Lily was seen carrying takeout boxes to some of the crew members as they relaxed outside the house. New show: The actress was transformed into a 1940s beauty as she filmed at the Dinton Park and Philipps House in Salisbury Prim and proper: Lily styled her brunette tresses into neat curls while dressed in a brown midi skirt and cream blouse Lavish: The Mamma Mia star was seen chatting to the cast as they prepared to film more scenes outside the county house Star-studded: Lily will star alongside Fleabag's Andrew Scott, Emily Beecham and Dominic West in the series Back to work: As the cast stopped for lunch Lily was seen chatting to her co-star, who donned a smart brown skirt suit Lily will star in the series as Linda Radlett, the stunning daughter of a rich family who suffers a turbulent journey to finding her true love during the interwar years. First falling for a snooty Tory politician, she then forms a romance with a stanch Communist, followed by a French duke. Meanwhile her cousin Fanny Logan, who is played by Emily in the series, is keen to find a steady life by settling down with a reliable husband. Exciting: Lily will star in the series as Linda Radlett, the stunning daughter of a rich family who suffers a turbulent journey to finding her true love during the interwar years Love drama: First falling for a snooty Tory politician, she then forms a romance with a stanch Communist, followed by a French duke Conflicting views: Meanwhile her cousin Fanny Logan, who is played by Emily Beecham in the series, is keen to find a steady life by settling down with a reliable husband At odds: The pair's varying views on love and relationships sees their lives head in different directions, at a time when the nation is becoming more and more politically divided Classic novel: The Pursuit Of Love was penned by Nancy Mitford in 1945, and she went onto write two sequels, Love in a Cold Climate in 1949 and Don't Tell Alfred in 1960 The pair's varying views on love and relationships sees their lives head in different directions, at a time when the nation is becoming more and more politically divided. The Pursuit Of Love was penned by Nancy Mitford in 1945, and she went onto write two sequels, Love in a Cold Climate in 1949 and Don't Tell Alfred in 1960. Filming for the series had originally to begin in the spring, but was delayed due to the COVID-19 crisis. Eventually production resumed in July in Somerset, with Bridget Jones's Diary's Dolly Wells, White House Farm's Freddie Fox and Penny Dreadful's Shazad Latif joining the cast. On hold: Filming for the series had originally to begin in the spring, but was delayed due to the COVID-19 crisis SALEM Sandi Elwood couldnt get on the phone with her mother, who had refused to leave her Detroit home even as wildfires rampaged out of control nearby. Chris Lyon, 71, wouldnt go even when a deputy knocked on the door and told her she had to head out, Elwood said. Elwood got increasingly anxious as she thought of Harry Truman, the man presumed to have died after ignoring evacuation orders for Mount St. Helens. Her moms cellphone was going straight to voicemail. I just really thought she wasnt leaving, said Elwood, 51. Finally, when a handful of other stubborn Detroit residents decided it was time to decamp, did her mother clear out with only a blanket, pillow, her dog and dog bed. Everything else in the home and the home itself are now gone, along with most of the rest of Detroit, Elwood said. Sandi Elwood grew up in Detroit, Oregon and went back on Wednesday, September 9, the day after a destructive wildfire nearly leveled the town where her mom stills lives. Her mother escaped before the flames burned her entire home. "It didn't sink in to anyone that it was really happening," Elwood said of the wildfire which took out most of her hometown.Brooke Herbert/The Oregonian The town of about 210 east of Salem is one of multiple towns destroyed in the historic wildfires that have spread across western Oregon, forcing thousands of evacuations, turning thousands of homes to smoldering ashes and blanketing much of the region with smoke. About 900,000 acres were on fire as of Thursday evening and at least three people have died. The day after Elwood got a call from a friend saying her mother had left town, she decided to see for herself if her childhood home was still standing. She wanted to know whether her mother had a place to return to. The town she saw as she drove in was barely recognizable. Just two buildings the post office and one store stood. Small flames and smoke rose from the remains of buildings, Elwood said. The church she used to go to was gone, the bar where she once worked was destroyed as were the marina where she spent her summers and countless homes including her mothers. She was numb, she said, as she drove through and documented on video what was destroyed and what was left. She grasped the scope of the destruction only after she parked, watched the video she had just taken and cried. I thought, What did I just see? Elwood said. Now, its her mother who is numb. But it will be hard for Lyon to understand the scope of the destruction until she sees it for herself, Elwood said. The reality will probably hit her when shes standing on her property, Elwood said. For now, Elwood has been overwhelmed in a good way with calls and messages from friends grateful for the video she took. They now have closure, she said. They can start moving on to the next process. Fedor Zarkhin fzarkhin@oregonian.com| 503-294-7674| @fedorzarkhin Brooke Herbert bherbert@oregonian.com|@abrookeherbert According to the various timelines related to the passage of new coronavirus economic relief legislation throughout the summer, the IRS should have been authorized by now to send a second stimulus check, payment, or prepaid debit card to millions of eligible Americans Yet, it hasnt been, and now that Labor Day has come and gone, most signs point to the idea that it may never be. Thats because members on both sides of the aisle within the U.S. Congress have failed to reach anything close to an agreement regarding another coronavirus economic relief package, and the latest bad news on that front came Thursday. Senate Democrats scuttled a scaled-back GOP coronavirus rescue package on Thursday as the parties argued to a standstill over the size and scope of the aid, likely ending hopes for coronavirus relief before the November election, The Associated Press writes. The mostly party-line vote capped weeks of wrangling that gave way to election-season political combat and name-calling over a fifth relief bill that all sides say they want but are unable to deliver. The bipartisan spirit that powered earlier aid measures is all but gone. One senator, Republican Pat Roberts of Kansas, said negotiations are a dead end street, and very unfortunate." Lawmakers are feuding over how much money another stimulus package would cost and also what causes it would support, which is why the negotiations on the bill have stalled, even if President Donald Trump and lawmakers who are Republicans and Democrats have shown interest in passing something that includes another stimulus check, payment, or direct deposit. Its becoming plain that all Congress will do before the Nov. 3 election is pass legislation to avert a government shutdown, the AP writes. The outcome of the election promises to have an outsize impact on what might be possible in a postelection lame-duck session, with Democrats sure to press for a better deal if Democrat Joe Biden unseats President Donald Trump. For those who want to be optimistic, however, it continues to be likely that, if another economic relief package is magically passed, it will include up to a stimulus payment of up to $1,200 for those who are eligible based on a sliding adjustable gross income scale and money for dependents, as well, just as the CARES Act did back in March. Of course, that will all need to be debated, too, in terms of who is eligible (anyone with a social security number vs. anyone with a taxpaper identification number) and also how much each dependent is worth ($1,200 or $500) and how many can be claimed (three vs. more or less). Thats because the HEROES Act, which passed the U.S. House back in May, calls for different terms compared to the U.S. Senate proposed HEALS Act. Another bit of good news is that the U.S. House is back next week, and so lawmakers will have one final chance to find common ground and strike a deal that Trump will approve before the October election break begins. Time will tell, but if youve been counting on another payment, its time to extinguish those hopes for now. MOSCOW, Sept. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), Russia's sovereign wealth fund, and the State of Bahia (Brazil), through its Health Secretariat have signed a cooperation agreement to supply up to 50 million doses of the Russian vaccine Sputnik V, the world's first registered coronavirus vaccine, to Brazil. Deliveries are expected to start in November 2020 subject to approval by Brazil's regulators with the consideration of results of post-registration trials. The agreement will also enable the parties to distribute the vaccine across Brazil in the future. The agreement underlines that many countries recognize the importance of having a vaccine based on a human adenoviral vector platform in the coronavirus vaccine portfolio. The human adenoviral vector platform is a well-researched vaccine platform that has been proven safe over decades including through 75 international scientific publications and in more than 250 clinical trials. On September 9, RDIF and the pharmaceutical company Landsteiner Scientific announced an agreement for the supply of 32 million doses of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine to Mexico, which would help vaccinate 25% of the population. Deliveries are expected to start in November 2020 subject to approval by Mexico's regulators. On August 11, the Sputnik V vaccine developed by the Gamaleya National Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology was registered by the Ministry of Health of Russia and became the world's first registered vaccine against COVID-19 based on a human adenoviral vector platform. Detailed information on the Sputnik V vaccine, the technological platform of human adenoviral vectors, and other details are available at sputnikvaccine.com On September 4, a research paper on the results of Phase I and Phase II clinical trials of the Sputnik V vaccine was published in The Lancet, one of the leading international medical journals. Phase I and Phase II trials demonstrated no serious adverse events and a stable immune response in 100% of participants. Post-registration clinical trials of the Sputnik V vaccine involving 40,000 volunteers are currently ongoing. The preliminary results of these trials are expected to be published in October-November 2020. Kirill Dmitriev, CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, said: "Russia is a leader in the development of vaccines against coronavirus and uses safe technologies proven over time. Sputnik V is based on a proven human adenoviral vector platform while other coronavirus vaccines use novel platforms, namely monkey adenoviral vectors or mRNA. The recent developments in the global pharmaceutical industry with suspended trials of an experimental coronavirus vaccine show the importance of a diversified approach to vaccine supplies. The signings of agreements to supply Sputnik V internationally demonstrate many countries recognize that human adenovirus-based vaccines are an absolute must-have for their national drug portfolio, as this platform has proven safe and effective over decades. Clinical trials of the Russian vaccine have shown no serious adverse events, with Sputnik V generating a stable humoral and cellular immune response in 100% of participants in the clinical trials. In contrast, vaccines based on novel platforms have yet to prove their safety and currently have no data on carcinogenicity or effects on fertility. We are pleased to make such an important contribution in the fight against the pandemic through providing the safe and effective Sputnik V vaccine to our partners in Brazil." Aleksandr Rumyantsev, President of Dmitry Rogachev National Research Center, Russian Academy of Sciences academician, Doctor of Medical Sciences, professor, said: "Unlike many innovative foreign technologies, the Russian-produced vaccine differs favorably in terms of using a human adenovirus platform that has been tested over time, has proven to be sound, and whose history covers dozens of years of study and use. And this is the key moment when the issue arises of what to select: either a carrier that has been successfully used for a long time, and proven its worth, or a new technology (for example, a monkey adenovirus) that requires making exhaustive observations of those that have been vaccinated, and then waiting for it to stand the test of time." Dr. Fabio Vilas-Boas Pinto, Health Secretary of the State of Bahia, said: "The Government of the State of Bahia, in Brazil, is very pleased with the agreement signed with the Sovereign Wealth Fund of the Russian Federation, which will guarantee access to the Sputnik V vaccine for the Brazilian people, as soon as it is approved by the Brazilian national regulatory authorities. As it is a vaccine built using human adenovirus, which is one of the safest and most effective vaccine development platforms in the world, we believe that the results of the ongoing phase 3 clinical trials will confirm the data observed in phases 1 and 2." An op-ed by RDIF CEO Kirill Dmitriev on advantages of human adenoviral vectors platform compared to other vaccine production technologies is available at: https://sputniknews.com/columnists/202009071080382164-questions-on-russias-sputnik-v-vaccine-answered/ Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) is Russia's sovereign wealth fund established in 2011 to make equity co-investments, primarily in Russia, alongside reputable international financial and strategic investors. RDIF acts as a catalyst for direct investment in the Russian economy. RDIF's management company is based in Moscow. Currently, RDIF has experience of the successful joint implementation of more than 80 projects with foreign partners totaling more than RUB1.9 tn and covering 95% of the regions of the Russian Federation. RDIF portfolio companies employ more than 800,000 people and generate revenues which equate to more than 6% of Russia's GDP. RDIF has established joint strategic partnerships with leading international co-investors from more than 18 countries that total more than $40 bn. Further information can be found at www.rdif.ru Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1140939/Russian_Direct_Investment_Fund_Logo.jpg Related Links http://www.rdif.ru SOURCE Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) (Photo : Maja Hitij/Getty Images) GRUENHEIDE, GERMANY - SEPTEMBER 03: Tesla head Elon Musk talks to the press as he arrives to to have a look at the construction site of the new Tesla Gigafactory near Berlin on September 03, 2020 near Gruenheide, Germany. Musk is currently in Germany where he met with vaccine maker CureVac on Tuesday, with which Tesla has a cooperation to build devices for producing RNA vaccines, as well as German Economy Minister Peter Altmaier yesterday. (Photo : Twitter) screenshot of Monica Lewinski's tweet (Photo : Subaru ) A family SUV that can take you to the outdoors (Photo : Charlie Deets/Unsplash) Tesla sells only electric vehicles Monica Lewinsky tweeted her interest to buy a new vehicle but was torn between Tesla or Subaru, CEO Elon Musk gave her a money-back guarantee. Lewinsky tweeted: "so very me. can't decide between a subaru or a tesla." Soon, Musk replied urging her to get a Tesla while offering a sweet deal. "Try a Tesla & you're welcome to give it back if you decide you prefer a Subaru," he said. Producer Peter O Riordan replied to Musk regarding his offer. "This offer extend to everyone?" he asked, but it seems Musk just ignored him. Tesla sells only electric vehicles while Subaru runs in gasoline, although it offers hybrid models that can switch between gasoline engines and a rechargeable battery. Read also: Tesla China offers wrapping services; Elon Musk Tweeted Giga Berlin Will House "World's Most Advanced Paint Shop" Tesla versus Subaru Lewinsky's post triggered a Twitter debate on which manufacturer is better. Formula 1 racing executive Mark Gallagher gave Lewinsky his advice urging her to get a Tesla. He tweeted: "Better to be electrifying than a fossil." Another Twitter user agreed, although he did not like Musk. "Tesla. I know Elon is a nut but it is a great car and never getting gas is nice," Justin Satzman tweeted. Meanwhile, a user posted of the road while the car was on auto-pilot mode. @Marge also said that there are lots Tesla users who are willing to answer Lewinski's questions to help her decide. "The Tesla community is great!" Tesla is amazing, you will not regret it if you choose Tesla pic.twitter.com/zzseAnWpA9 Marge (@Manic_Marge) September 10, 2020 For "Team Subaru," author Jon Ronson who owns a Subaru explained to Lewinsky why he loves the car. Ronson tweeted: "I have a Subaru and everyone I pass look impressed! I love it." He added that the car speaks much about the owners' character. "It tells the world that we are sensible and we have a very small amount of style." If it helps, I have a Subaru and everyone I pass look impressed! I love it. It tells the world that we are sensible and we have a very small amount of style. jon ronson (@jonronson) September 10, 2020 In reply, Lewinski tweeted that she once had a Subaru outback back in college, which was later sold in parts for $1200. While others support Tesla's environmental benefits, they just do not like Musk's character. Also, they like the outdoor character of a Subaru car and the much lower price, too! Kevin Corke tweeted: "Subaru, hands down." He also advised Lewinski to ask Colorado drivers, which @Max agreed. Marx compared the cost difference of the cheapest Tesla, which is still "$10,000 dollars more than the most expensive Subaru." He said the extra cost can buy 4,000 gallons of gas at $ 2.50/gallon, which can run at least 100,000 miles. I agree w/ Kevin. When you factor in the cost difference the least expensive Tesla is $10,000 dollars more than the most expensive Subaru. 10,000 will buy 4000 gallons of gas (2.50$ gallon) giving you @ 100,000 + miles of gas. Max (@H_Max_C) September 10, 2020 Meanwhile, a Twitter user Christina Balan who claims to have worked for Tesla battery and interiors as an immigrant woman engineer said that the EV carmaker "hates smart women" as she was called "a wild mustang" at work. She also offered to provide "the truth about Tesla" to help Lewinsky decide. Read also: Tesla Stocks Suffer Worst Day at the Market After Elon Musk's Net Worth Had Historic $16.3 Billion Plunge Elon Musk: A "modern-day robber baron" Early this week, Musk had a Twitter feud with ex-Labor Secretary Robert Reich who called him a "modern-day robber baron" for cutting Tesla employees' salaries by 10% between April and July. Tesla's stocks surged by 300% and Musk's wealth reached more than $100 billion amid the coronavirus pandemic. In reply to Reich's tweet, Musk said that all Tesla workers get company shares, so their compensation also increased as the company's stocks soared. "You are a modern-day moron," he said. Meanwhile, Tech Times reported that Tesla stocks went down by around 21% on September 8 after the company did not make it to S&P 500, a list of major U.S. companies with the highest market value. Accordingly, Musk's net worth dropped by $16.3 billion on the same day. Read also: Elon Musk Lashes Out at Ex-Labor Secretary Robert Reich Who Called Him a "Modern-Day Robber Baron" This is owned by Tech Times Written by CJ Robles 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. US president Donald Trump on Thursday said that no one should underestimate the North Korean leader Kim Jong Un as he is in good health. Trump wrote in a tweet, Kim Jong Un is in good health. Never underestimate him! Several media outlets had reported in the months of April and May, that the North Korean leader Kim Jong Un had undergone a heart surgery and speculations arose regarding his health. There were reports that his sister Kim Yo Jong was being prepped for taking his position. Kim made two appearances in the public after these reports had surfaced but speculations regarding his health remain. Trump posted several tweets after excerpts from Washington Post associate editor Bob Woodwards book Rage came out in the public. The book is a sequel to Fear: Trump in the White House. Woodwards book revealed that Trump believed that when he met Kim Jong Un for the summit, he lent legitimacy to the North Korean autocratic leader, according to a report by the Associated Press. Trump also believes that intelligence officials have wrongly assessed that Pyongyang would never give up its nuclear weapons. It takes me two days. I met... I gave up nothing, they just cant sell it, US president told Bob Woodward during an interview. The book also highlights how Kim Jong Un gave a graphical account to Trump about how he got his uncle killed. US president Donald Trump has come under huge criticism after the book revealed that he downplayed the effects of coronavirus. The revelations have come out in the public eight weeks before United States goes into polls. Advertisement President Donald Trump compared his downplaying of the coronavirus to the actions of the great leaders of World War II, Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Winston Churchill, to calm their nations in a new defense of not telling the truth about the pandemic. At a campaign rally in Michigan Thursday night, Trump defended himself after coming under fire when revelations in Bob Woodward's upcoming book 'Rage' showed he privately acknowledged the dangers of COVID while publicly telling Americans the situation was under control. Trump argued he was trying not to cause panic - a theme he kept up Thursday night, this time comparing himself to Roosevelt and Churchill, who became icons for their leadership in the United States and the United Kingdom during the war with Nazi Germany. But his comparisons were flawed both in the historical sense and in his presentation of them - Roosevelt and Churchill famously leveled with the public about the challenges their countries faced during Depress and war while Trump said everything would be fine during the growing threat of the pandemic, which has killed almost 200,000 Americans. 'As the British government advised the British people in the face of World War II, 'Keep calm and carry on.' That's what I did,' Trump told the crowd in Freeland, Michigan, airport - a claim which was itself untrue; the phrase was never deployed by Churchill and only a handful of posters with the logo were displayed in wartime. President Donald Trump compared his response to the coronavirus to the actions of the great leaders of World War II: Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Winston Churchill Trump has long sought to compare himself to Winston Churchill, the prime minister who led the United Kingdom during World War II President Trump also quoted FDR's famous line: the only thing we have to fear is fear itself IN THEIR OWN WORDS... WHAT WINSTON CHURCHILL TOLD THE BRITISH PEOPLE 'We have before us an ordeal of the most grievous kind. We have before us many, many long months of struggle and of suffering. You ask, what is our policy? I will say: It is to wage war, by sea, land, and air, with all our might and with all the strength that God can give us; to wage war against a monstrous tyranny never surpassed in the dark, lamentable catalog of human crime. That is our policy. You ask, what is our aim? I can answer in one word: It is victory, victory at all costs, victory in spite of all terror, victory, however long and hard the road may be.' May 13, 1940 WHAT FRANKLIN DELANO ROOSEVELT TOLD THE AMERICAN PEOPLE 'Let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itselfnameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance. In every dark hour of our national life a leadership of frankness and vigor has met with that understanding and support of the people themselves which is essential to victory.... Values have shrunken to fantastic levels; taxes have risen; our ability to pay has fallen; government of all kinds is faced by serious curtailment of income; the means of exchange are frozen in the currents of trade; the withered leaves of industrial enterprise lie on every side; farmers find no markets for their produce; the savings of many years in thousands of families are gone. More important, a host of unemployed citizens face the grim problem of existence, and an equally great number toil with little return. Only a foolish optimist can deny the dark realities of the moment.' Inaugural address, March 4, 1933 WHAT TRUMP TOLD THE AMERICAN PEOPLE 'It's going to be fine' February 10 'We have very few people with it. They're all getting better.' February 25 'Its going to disappear. One day, it's like a miracle, it will disappear.' February 28 'We've stopped it.' March 12 'It will go away, and we're going to have a great victory' March 30 'Coronavirus numbers are looking MUCH better, going down almost everywhere. Big progress being made!' May 11 2020 AND WHAT HE TOLD BOB WOODWARD 'It's also more deadly than even your strenuous flu. This is deadly stuff.' February 7 I wanted to always play it down. I still like playing it down because I don't want to create a panic March 19 'Now it's turning out it's not just old people, Bob. But just today, and yesterday, some startling facts came out. It's not just old, older. Young people, too, plenty of young people.' March 19 Advertisement Most of the attendees were not wearing face masks and there was no social distancing. Trump then attacked Woodward, to whom he gave 18 on-the-record interviews for his book. 'This wack job that wrote the book he said, well Trump knew a little bit. They wanted me to come out and scream 'People are dying. We're drying,'' he said. 'We did it just the right way. We have to be calm. We don't want to be crazed lunatics.' He then compared his actions to those of Churchill. 'When Hitler was bombing London, Churchill, great leader, would oftentimes go to a roof in London and speak. 'And he always spoke with calmness. He said, 'We have to show calmness.' No we did it the right way,' he said. The president also repeated his argument that the United States has done the 'best job, certainly of any major country' on the pandemic. And invoked Roosevelt in his argument. 'America will prevail over the China virus. As Franklin Delano Roosevelt said 'the only thing we have to fear is fear itself.' That's it. We're doing well,' the president said. But his argument contained flaws. While Churchill did take to the rooftops of London during World War II to watch bombing raids, he never gave a speech from there. And Churchill's speeches during the war were often grim with their realism of the challenges ahead. 'We have before us an ordeal of the most grievous kind. We have before us many, many long months of struggle and of suffering,' he warned the British people in 1940, when the country stood alone, and faced the prospect of invasion from a rampant Nazi Germany. Historian Jon Meacham, in response to Trump's remarks, pointed to this Churchill quote, tweeting it out: 'The British people can face any misfortune w/ fortitude & buoyancy as long as they are convinced that those in charge of their affairs are not deceiving them, or are not dwelling in a fool's paradise.' And FDR's quote about 'nothing to fear' came from his inaugural address, when he went on to list the country's woes: mass unemployment, those in jobs struggling to survive, a banking crisis and a government with no money. 'Only a foolish optimist can deny the dark realities of the moment,' he said, setting the tone for the fireside chats which went on to define his presidency. In contrast Trump has defended himself for 'downplaying' the virus, not denying what he told Woodward but instead arguing he was trying not to cause a panic. 'The fact is, there has to be a calmness. You don't want me jumping up and down screaming there's going to be great death. Really causing serious problems for the country,' he said at a White House press conference on Thursday before his rally. Trump also denied he lied to the American people when asked about discrepancies in his conversations with Woodward and what he was saying in public at the time. 'This is deadly stuff,' the president told Woodward in February during one of their 18 interviews. 'You just breathe the air and that's how it's passed,' he said. 'And so that's a very tricky one. That's a very delicate one. It's also more deadly than even your strenuous flus.' But while Trump admitted privately to the dangers of COVID, just three days later, he struck a far rosier tone in an interview with Fox Business: 'I think the virus is going to be - it's going to be fine.' Trump said his public words were not a lie. 'There is no lie here. What we're doing is leading,' he said at his press conference. But the phrase Trump cited during his rally - 'Keep Calm and Carry On' - while popular today was never used during World War II. Trump's comparisons were flawed both in the historical sense and in his presentation of them - Roosevelt and Churchill famously leveled with the public about the challenges their countries faced during the war while Trump said everything would be fine during the growing threat of the COVID pandemic President Trump returned the bust of Winston Churchill to the Oval Office after Obama replaced it with a bust of Dr. Martin Luther King; above Trump shows the bust to then-British Prime Minister Theresa May during her January 2017 visit to the White House HE DIDN'T SAY KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON - HE DID TELL THE TRUTH: CHURCHILL'S WAR Winston Churchill did take to the rooftops of London during World War II to watch bombing raids but he never gave a speech from there. The famous Keep Calm and Carry On poster was not what he preached - in fact it dated from before the war, was never distributed and rediscovered in 2000. Churchill's message was not to keep calm - it was to brace for the worst and to sacrifice to fight back. 'We have before us an ordeal of the most grievous kind. We have before us many, many long months of struggle and of suffering,' he warned the British people in May 1940, when the country stood alone as France crumbled. The next month, after the British army retreated from Dunkirk, France, in an improvised evacuation on civilian boats, he warned Nazi invasion was a real danger, summoning a fighting spirit with the words: 'We shall go on to the end. We shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be. We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender.' Hitler began pounding Britain from the air in September in raids known as the Blitz, with London the worst hit but almost every British city suffering too. Churchill toured bomb sites with his trademark cigar, rather than hiding from the damage. He flashed his V for victory sign to keep up morale but he did not sugarcoat what was happening. On September 11 he told the nation there was a 'cruel, wanton, indiscriminate bombing of London' and warning Hitler's campaign was 'killing large numbers of women and children.' Historians say there had been signs of cracked nerves among the public but Churchill would not relent: 'We can take it!' Morale-raising messages did not shy away from the truth: 'All the world that is still free marvels at the composure and fortitude with which the citizens of London are facing and surmounting the great ordeal to which they are subjected, the end of which or the severity of which cannot yet be foreseen.' London took it; so did the country and by December Roosevelt was also leading a nation at war, with the UK no longer standing alone. Advertisement Britain's Ministry of Information came up with phrase during the war - even producing posters with it - but internal politics kept the posters from being made public. Most of the posters were destroyed but, in 2000, the owners of Barter Books in Alnwick, a town in northeastern Britain, came across one. They hung it on the wall and it became so popular they reprinted it and sold. The logo is now common t-shirts, posters and coffee mugs. Trump, a longtime Anglophile whose mother was a British citizen, has long sought to tie his presidency to Churchill's tenure as prime minister. One of his first acts as president was to restore the bust of Churchill to the Oval Office after President Barack Obama replaced it with a bust of Dr. Martin Luther King. Obama moved the Churchill bust to a place outside the Treaty Room of the White House, a move that sparked outrage from the British across the pond and from many conservatives in America. Churchill was given an honorary American citizenship, only one of eight people to receive one. Trump brought the Churchill bust back to the Oval, placing it on the table near his desk and moving the King bust to a side table. Additionally, White House staff have tied the president to the prime minister at other points in his presidency. When Trump was criticized, during Black Lives Matter protests in June, for walking across Lafayette Square to St. John's Episcopal Church to hold up a bible in front of it as a photo-op, the White House said it was something Churchill would do. The square was damaged during the protests that sprung up in the wake of George Floyd's murder and there was a small fire in the church basement ahead of Trump's visit. The church, which sits across from the White House, is known as the church of presidents. 'Through all of time, we've seen presidents and leaders across the world who have had leadership moments and very powerful symbols that were important for our nation to see at any given time to show a message of resilience and determination,' White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said at the time. 'Like Churchill, we saw him inspecting the bombing damage and it sent a powerful message of leadership to the British people,' she said. Additionally, during his June 2019 state visit to London, Trump toured the Churchill War Rooms with his family. It was in the labyrinthine bunker that Churchill and his war cabinet plotted war strategy that ultimately led to the Allies' victory. The underground location kept them safe from German bombing raids. President Trump and his family toured the Churchill War Rooms during the June 2019 state visit to London Trump's children posted pictures of the tour to social media 'Darling it's so sad': Trump tells huge Michigan rally how Melania reacted when she saw Biden on TV, warns 'far-left lunatics' will run the government if he wins and says the murder rate in Chicago and Baltimore is 'higher than in Afghanistan' President Donald Trump told a large Michigan crowd Thursday night that First Lady Melania Trump thought Joe Biden looked 'sad' when she watched him during a Democratic debate before claiming that 'far-left lunatics' will run the government if the former vice president wins the November election and that the murder rate in Chicago and Baltimore is 'higher than in Afghanistan'. The president arrived at the MBS International Airport in Freeland, Michigan, where he was met by a cheering crowd of several thousand, packed shoulder-to-shoulder, mostly without masks. 'This is not the crowd of a person who comes in second place,' Trump declared to cheers before criticizing Biden's performance during the Democratic debates. 'The first lady actually came in... and she watched the debate and she watched Joe and she said, "Darling, it's so sad,"' Trump claimed, before taking aim at Biden's running mate, Kamala Harris, who he called the 'most liberal person in the USA'. The mention of Harris brought on boos and jeers from the crowd. 'On November 3 Michigan you better vote for me! I got you so many damn car plants,' Trump said as the crowd cheered while waving 'Make America Great Again' signs. Trump then claimed that Biden is trying to 'eliminate new jobs and open your borders'. Scroll down for video President Donald Trump told a Michigan crowd Thursday that First Lady Melania Trump thought Joe Biden looked 'sad' when she watched him during a Democratic debate before claiming that 'far-left lunatics' will run the government if the former vice president wins the November election and that the murder rate in Chicago and Baltimore is 'higher than in Afghanistan' The president arrived at the MBS International Airport in Freeland, Michigan, where he was met by a cheering crowd of supporters Trump was seen waving as he stepped off Air Force One upon arrival for a campaign rally at MBS International Airport in Freeland, Michigan, on Thursday Later Thursday night, Trump tweeted: 'When we win I, as your President, will totally forgive ALL deferred payroll taxes with money from the General Fund' 'He's promised to flood your states with refugees,' Trump said. 'He would open up the floodgates amid a pandemic and by the way the wall is over 311 miles long right now. 'The murder rate in Democrat-run cities like Chicago, Baltimore, New York [and] so many others is higher than in Afghanistan, yet Biden supports imposing these failed policies nationwide. You will have crime like you've never seen it before,' Trump insisted. 'If Joe Biden is elected far-left lunatics won't just be running frail Democrat cities, they'll be running the Department of Justice, the Department of Homeland Security and the US Supreme Court, and we can't let that happen. 'No city, town or suburb will be safe. On November 3 your vote will save America. Remember it's the most important elect we've ever had,' Trump added. At one point, Trump brought up Antifa and asked the crowd: 'Does anybody want to have somebody from Antifa as a member and as as a resident of your suburb? He then made up a bizarre scenario, saying: 'Say Darling, who moved in next door? Oh, it's a resident of Antifa. No thank you...Let's get the hell out of here, darling...Ahh, I wish Trump were president.' Later Thursday night, Trump tweeted: 'When we win I, as your President, will totally forgive ALL deferred payroll taxes with money from the General Fund. I will ALWAYS protect Seniors and your Social Security! Sleepy Joe Biden will do the opposite, he will raise your taxes and DESTROY our Country!' Trump arrived in Michigan for the rally despite pushback from officials worried that his rallies are growing in size and flouting public health guidelines intended to halt the COVID-19 spread. Michigan's Democratic Gov Gretchen Whitmer raised alarms earlier on Thursday about the rally. Whitmer did not try to scuttle the rally, but warned that such events 'threaten all that sacrifice that we've made'. 'If the rallies are like those he's held in recent days in other states, with lots of people close together without masks on projecting their voices, I'm concerned about it,' she said at a news conference Thursday morning. 'This is not a partisan observation. We are in a public health crisis. We all want to get out of this public health crisis. Its going to take every one of us doing the right things to get out of it together, to make this as short as possible.' Michigan currently caps outdoor events at 100 people and mandates that attendees wear masks if they cannot consistently stay 6 feet away from people who are not part of their households. There is an exception, though, which states that nothing in the order can 'abridge protections guaranteed by the state or federal constitution under these emergency circumstances'. This week, the state of Nevada became the first to scuttle his plans for rallies initially set for Las Vegas and Reno. Trump's arrival in Michigan comes as he grapples with the fallout from new book 'Rage' by Washington Post journalist Bob Woodward. Trump arrived in Michigan for the rally despite pushback from officials worried that his rallies are growing in size and flouting public health guidelines intended to halt the COVID-19 spread Several thousand people came out to hear from the president on Thursday during his campaign rally MBS International Airport in Freeland, Michigan on Thursday Many supporters were seen wearing hats 'MAGA' hats as they waited to hear from the president on Thursday 'If Joe Biden is elected far-left lunatics won't just be running frail Democrat cities, they'll be running the Department of Justice, the Department of Homeland Security and the US Supreme Court, and we can't let that happen,' Trump told his supporters (pictured) A Trump gestures during a campaign event at the MBS International Airport, in Freeland, Michigan, on Thursday In a series of 18 interviews with Woodward, the president spoke frankly about the dangers posed by the virus - even as he downplayed them publicly - and admitted he had tried to mislead the public. The book, based on recorded phone interviews, has refocused attention on Trump's handling of the virus, a subject he has tried to shift away from less than two months before Election Day. Before departing the White House Trump denied he had lied to the nation and highlighted a surge in virus cases in Europe to contend that the United States is faring well. 'I really do believe we're rounding the corner,' he asserted. 'Donald Trump knew all along just how deadly this virus is,' Biden said in a virtual fundraiser. 'He knew and purposefully played it down because all he was concerned about was his reelection, didn't want to affect economic growth.' Congress' top Democrats, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer, set the party's theme on the subject: 'Trump lied and people died.' But Trump, answering questions at the White House, insisted 'there was no lie' in his often-dismissive public comments about the virus last February and March. He noted that he had limited travel from China, where the virus apparently originated, 'so, obviously, outwardly I said it's a very serious problem. ... That doesn't mean I'm going to jump up and down in the air and start saying "people are going to die, people are going to die." No, no, I'm not going to do that. We're going to get through this.' In a burst of tweets earlier Thursday, Trump said that if his comments about playing down the danger of the virus were so bad, why didn't Woodward report them at the time 'in an effort to save lives? Didn't he have an obligation to do so? No, because he knew they were good and proper answers. Calm, no panic!' Woodward has defended his decision to hold off by saying he needed time to make sure Trump's private comments were true. Meanwhile, Trump is resuming an aggressive campaign schedule, despite growing resistance from local leaders who have expressed alarm at his insistence on holding large-scale rallies during a pandemic. While the rallies so far have been held in airport hangars open to the air, they have been drawing thousands of supporters despite local restrictions. And the majority of attendees have refused to wear masks, even when mandates are in place. Trump has characterized the rallies as 'peaceful protests' and White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany said attendees were exercising their First Amendment rights. This week, Nevada pulled the plug on rallies set for this weekend, citing the state's ban on gatherings of more than 50 people, drawing fury from Trump's campaign. The Reno-Tahoe Airport Authority warned a company that planned to host the campaign rally for 5,000 people at a private hangar that it would be in violation of the governors restrictions and the terms of the companys lease for the hangar. 'You are hereby advised that you may not proceed with the proposed gathering,' the letter states. Trump spoke until nightfall in Michigan before boarding Air Force One to head back to Washington, DC The president is seen waving at his supporters as he boarded Air Force One in Freeland, Michigan, on Thursday Trump is seen speaking to a crowd of several thousand supporters on Thursday night before heading back to DC Meanwhile, Trump's son, Donald Trump Jr, addressed a crowd during a Make America Great Again campaign event at Point Lookout Vineyard in Hendersonville, North Carolina, on Thursday Trump Jr is seen greeting US Congressional Candidate Madison Cawthorn during a Make America Great Again campaign event for his father at Point Lookout Vineyard in Hendersonville, North Carolina on Thursday 'Outrageous!' tweeted Adam Laxalt, Trump's Nevada campaign co-chair. 'This is unprecedented - to cancel an incumbent president's campaign stop inside 60 days of a major contested election in a swing state. This isn't over!' In North Carolina, Trump held a rally this week that drew a mostly mask-less crowd of thousands. While an executive order currently limits outdoor gatherings to 50 people and mandates masks in public, the rally was technically legal under state pandemic rules that exempt certain gatherings where people exercise free speech, a spokeswoman for North Carolina's governor said Wednesday. Still, the spokeswoman, Dory MacMillan, said: 'When elected leaders violate the White House coronavirus guidelines surrounding masks and social distancing, especially with large mask-less crowds that sit and stand closely together for hours, they put peoples health at risk.' Michigan is a vital Electoral College battleground, which Trump won by only 10,704 votes in 2016, helping him breach the Democrats' 'blue wall' and putting him in office. While Trump aides had all but written off the state earlier this summer, they now say they have seen a tightening in recent weeks and believe they are in a better position than they were in 2016. But Democrats see optimism, too, having made major gains there in the 2018 midterms, winning every major statewide office and a handful of congressional seats as well. Both candidates have been paying frequent visits, with Biden traveling to suburban Detroit on Wednesday to make a direct appeal to blue-collar workers who might have voted Republican four years ago but now regret it. The chairman of The Woodlands Storm Drainage Task Force has announced plans to expand the scope of the group formed in 2016, adding the issues of surface and ground water access and supply to the duties the nearly 40-member committee advises on and discusses. The Woodlands Township has virtually no role or authority in flooding issues, storm water drainage or surface and ground water supplies. That lack of authority has frustrated local elected officials for years as a series of massive flooding events has battered the region since 2015. After three incidents in a one-year span the Memorial Day floods of 2015 and 2016 and the Tax Day floods of 2016 officials created the local task force as a way to brain storm ideas and discuss flooding mitigation efforts. Related: Public officials discuss role, importance of Woodlands drainage task force Now, Chairman Bruce Rieser wants to expand the scope of the task force beyond storm water drainage and into the murky waters of aquifer pumping and surface water access in Montgomery County. I had gotten calls in the last week from two or three people; several task force members called me and said, maybe we should be looking at issues beyond storm flooding. All this stuff storm water, ground water and surface water is all connected. Instead of just talking about drainage, we should look at the bigger picture, Rieser said. I kind of felt we were unofficially doing that already, but why not formalize it and say we are looking all of these issues? If we decide to pump a lot more ground water, and we blow up the bonds on the surface water plant on Lake Conroe, thats not good. Well need to re-tool our wells. It is time to talk about water holistically. The Storm Drainage Task Force is comprised of nearly 40 members from a wide range of entities. The meetings are often hosted every two months, with some instances of more frequent gatherings on a monthly basis. The committee usually hears a wide range of reports, news tidbits and updates from member and partner entities as well as other governmental presentations on regional water issues such as flooding, drinking water and subsidence. Rieser said the idea to widen the focus of the group will be discussed at their Sept. 22 meeting where he expects to receive support or the proposal. In revealing the plans during the end of the township board meeting on Thursday night, he said his goal was to raise awareness something others in the community have called for in recent weeks as the landscape in regard to drinking water changes and morphs. Related: Woodlands board gets update on drinking water, subsidence issues I just wanted to make sure everyone knew where we were going. Well probably bring it back to the (township) board for a full endorsement, that is only if the task force members agree with it. I think they probably will, Rieser explained. I dont know if well do a formal vote on it. Well have a robust discussion talking about issues beyond drainage. I want to take this in a different direction, if there are objections, lets talk about it. In the end, this is a working task force, not really a voting board. It is (about) how we manage this and what makes sense for the entire county. The task force has grown over the past three years, with new members from local municipal utility districts, the San Jacinto River Authority, the Harris County Flood Control District and other partners joining. The success of the group spurred Montgomery County Judge Mark Keough to form a county-focused flood task force in December which is still in the development stages. Just as important as oil The township has put increasing focus on water issues in recent years, and not just flooding concerns from the series of storms and hurricanes that have lashed the Houston region over the past five years. There is growing concerns about subsidence the depression of land due to lost pressure in underground aquifers as well as merely accessing drinking water in the years to come as the population of the township and county surges. In late August, the board heard a report from Jace Houston, the general manager of the SJRA, about drinking water challenges on the horizon as well as legal battles over the use of ground water from wells and surface water from Lake Conroe. After Houston explained that drinking water projects can take several decades before they go online, Rieser said more attention is needed on water. Related: Judge dismisses San Jacinto River Authority suit against Conroe and Magnolia Rieser has long advocated for a Texas state water czar, frequently discussing his proposal with the committee and in township meetings where water issues are being discussed. There needs to be somebody in Texas in charge of water, all the water. It is just as important as oil, and we do not have anyone doing it, Rieser added. We have an alphabet soup of organizations that are in charge of bits and pieces of (water). The MUDS, the river authorities and the flood control districts. It goes on and on and on. There needs to be someone (a czar) who is saying, this is good idea, or this is a really bad idea. I would love to see the state take it more seriously. The subsidence issue is of heightened importance, Rieser added, explaining that there are many fault lines in The Woodlands and evidence exists that pumping ground water from wells causes problems with subsidence. Subsidence is a suspected cause of recent slab cracking and unevenness at The Woodlands Fire Station No. 5, which at minimum requires signficant repairs to flooring and the base foundation. I was once a subsidence skeptic initially. But there is way too much evidence. You cannot ignore it. You cannot afford to be wrong about it, because you cannot fix it. You cannot reverse subsidence effects, he said. Id like to (get a representative) from the Lone Star Groundwater Conservation District, and they can talk about what they are trying to accomplish. And we have other people trying to talk abut what theyre trying to accomplish, and maybe well actually find a consensus. jeff.forward@chron.com A huge blast rocked a Jordanian military munitions depot early Friday sparking a large fire, but there were no reports of casualties at the base situated in an uninhabited area. An explosion occurred in the early hours of Friday in a warehouse containing unusable mortar bombs belonging to the armed forces," the government spokesman said in a statement. The blast happened in the city of Zarqa, 25 kilometres (15 miles) east of the capital Amman, where several Jordanian bases and depots are located. Images which swiftly spread on social media showed a huge ball of flame rising into the night sky, followed by the sound of several explosions. Government spokesman Amjad al-Adaileh said in his statement that so far no injuries have been recorded". An initial investigation had determined that the explosion was caused by an electrical short circuit in warehouses situated in an isolated and uninhabited area" which was under camera surveillance. The army, which swiftly closed off the area, acknowledged that there had been an explosion in one of the ammunition depots which is being dismantled near the city of Zarqa". It added in a statement that a committee has been set up to determine the causes of the explosion". Zarqa governorate, which has a population of about 1.5 million people, has witnessed several explosions in past years, mainly caused by old munitions and fires in warehouses as it is also home to many factories and a free trade area. The explosion comes only days after the Hashemite kingdom announced it was reinstating military service for unemployed men between the ages of 25 to 29. Jordan abolished compulsory military service in 1991, three years before signing a peace accord with neighbouring Israel. But the country and its 10 million people, ruled by King Abdullah II, have been hit hard by restrictions imposed to stop the spread of the coronavirus. Unemployment rose to 23 percent in the first quarter of 2020, according to official figures, up from 19 percent for the same period last year. Issa Rae in a scene from "Coastal Elites." (HBO) COVID-19, corrupt politics, the reemergence of Jim Crow-era racism, climate change and practically everything else in the news feels as if it were ripped from a dystopian Ray Bradbury novel. And many of us have coped with the horror of 2020 by venting to one another: Like-minded family and friends have kept this nation afloat, albeit divided, through the worst year since 2019, when we thought things couldnt get any worse. Now HBOs channeled all that raw anxiety into Coastal Elites, a five-part, 120-minute special presentation built around intimate testimonials from five fictional characters who are based in Los Angeles and New York. Call them liberals, Democrats, anti-Trumpers or just plain fed up. Theyre losing their minds and this awkward, uneven, funny and sometimes moving program from satirist and playwright Paul Rudnick and director Jay Roach (Recount, Bombshell) attempts to capture the progressive zeitgeist. Starring Bette Midler, Dan Levy, Issa Rae, Sarah Paulson and Kaitlyn Dever, and premiering Saturday on HBO, "Coastal Elites" opens with a self-description that demonstrates the unconventionality of our times and this production. Bette Midler in a scene from "Coastal Elites." (HBO) The words "Five heart-tugging monologues," are typed out, then struck through. "Five unhinged rants" is also floated, then deleted. The show settles on: "Five desperate confessions from people barely coping with the new normal." Shot during this summer's stay-at-home orders to slow the spread of the coronavirus, Coastal Elites is part theater, part video conference. Each character sits alone in a room and speaks directly into the lens, addressing an invisible listener on the other end of the camera as they recount whatever Trumpian misdeed drove them to spill their guts. Their stories seem unrelated to one another other until a great reveal at the end that ties the narrative together, but it takes some work getting there. The production, or special presentation, is as clumsy as it is poignant. Each segment was of course shot separately due to the restrictions of the pandemic, and while that setup lends an authentic quality to some of the confessionals, it makes others feel forced by comparison. Story continues Part one, Lock Her Up, features Miriam Nessler (Midler), a politically engaged widow who ends up in police custody. Sitting at a desk, a plain room behind her, the longtime teacher in the New York City public school system explains that shes never broken the law before. Its the state of the country, under Trump, that drove her to the brink. She's going to bed in a "rage" and waking up in a "panic attack." She's lived through plenty (Watergate, for example) and never felt disdain for the folks in the middle of the country. Maybe we werent buddies, but we didnt despise each other. Thats what he did. While her vitriol is believable Im Miriam of Arc because I stand for something! she often presents like a shallow composite of a feisty Jewish grandma. She loves the theater, hates Trumps ugly buildings, brags about her lawyer son and lives for the print edition of the New York Times. Dan Levy in a scene from "Coastal Elites." (HBO) The same goes for aspiring actor Mark Hesterman (Levy). He's based in L.A., of course, and is the subject of the second interview, Supergay. Like the production's other segments, his words are prompted by troubling remarks delivered by members of the Trump administration. Marks chat with his psychotherapist is an indirect reaction to homophobic comments made by Vice President Mike Pence. The performer has just tried out for a role as the first major gay superhero in a Hollywood feature, an avenger who fights racists, sexists and homophobes. But the problem with Mark is that his dialogue dips into diatribe too often, diluting the first-person delivery. His session ends with a powerful message of resilience, however, and it's aimed at the Oval Office: You have no idea what youre up against. The best segment of "Coastal Elites" is The Blonde Cloud," starring Rae as Callie Josephson. She's a well-connected philanthropist chatting via FaceTime with a former prep school classmate, discussing a recent encounter with another former student, Ivanka. Its the show's best piece of writing, and performance. Callie recalls her early impressions of Trump's daughter: At first I thought she was a floral arrangement a floating princess. Then, when she describes a recent visit to the White House with her own very rich father, she says the place felt abandoned, like a bankrupt casino and that Ivanka greeted her with the perfect air hug. Essentially, Callie provides perspective on the Trump family obsession with media optics, which often end up highlighting their white privilege in the process: [He says hes] done more for Black people than any other person in history. What does he want? A thank-you note? The humor throughout "Coastal Elites" saves it from becoming too strident, because, really, the last thing we need is more partisan misery porn about the hopelessness of 2020. Sarah Paulson in a scene from "Coastal Elites." (HBO) Paulson plays YouTube personality Clarissa Montgomery, who is live-streaming the 28th episode of her "Mindful Meditations" show. She hopes her words will soothe and enlighten you, and allow you to watch CNN without screaming at your partner. But despite the new-age music and digital backdrop of a flowery meadow, she succumbs to her own rage over the upcoming election, her Republican familys support of Trump, and their refusal to believe the coronavirus is real. It's hilarious and biting, and the hippie pacifist ends up lionizing John McCain. The finale features a young nurse from Wyoming who flies to New York to volunteer at a hospital at the height of the areas COVID-19 crisis. Sharynn Tarrows (Dever) is exhausted after a 14-hour shift, and her testimony is so moving it redeems some of the weaker aspects of Coastal Elites. Theres of course nothing fair and balanced about the perspective of this HBO special. Its an indictment of Trump through and through, one meant as a cathartic outlet for those whove run out of fresh ways to express their exasperation, fear and dismay in the darkest of times. Can you blame them? Iran's fully domestic semi-heavy submarine 'Fateh' (conquerer) took part in Zolfaqar-99 Maneuver staged by the Iranian Army, Trend reports citing IRNA. According to the army's Public Relations Department, the all-Iranian submarine 'Fateh' (conquerer) was used in the war game for the first time. The reconnaissance and operational patrolling in the general zone of the Zolfaqar-99 and presence in distant waters in the North Indian Ocean (up to 10 degrees orbit) were among the operations carried out by Fateh submarine during the exercise. Fateh submarine is the first of its kind which was built in Iran and joined the southern fleet of the Navy in Bandar Abbas earlier in 2019. Iranian Army is conducting main phase of Zolfaqar-99 maneuvers in the Sea of Oman, southern Iran, as of Thursday. The three-day joint war game is being carried out by young air and naval forces with the motto of "sustainable security under the shadow of deterrent power". The drills are being held in a two-million-square-meter area to east of southern strategic Iranian part of Strait of Hormuz and Sea of Oman, and north of Indian Ocean. Implementation of tactical plans, pursuing test of surface-to-surface cruise missiles, surface-to-air missiles, rocket launchers, drones, etc. are the main aims of the Army maneuver to defend territorial waters. Another aim behind conducting Zolfaqar-99 maneuver is to monitor national airspace and the drills' area in order to face hostile targets. A protester is detained in Los Angeles in late May. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) A lawsuit alleging a brutal and unconstitutional crackdown by Los Angeles police during protests this summer potentially the largest and most expensive case of its kind in city history is expected to take years to resolve, even if a settlement is reached along the way. The discovery process, in which both sides solicit and collect evidence, is only just beginning. Thousands of records must be collected and dozens of stakeholders must be deposed, including Mayor Eric Garcetti and LAPD Chief Michel Moore but also individual protesters who suffered injuries, attorneys for both sides said in a joint report filed in U.S. District Court last month. Presiding U.S. District Judge Consuelo B. Marshall has set a tentative date for a trial, but not for another year and a half on April 26, 2022. The city could agree to settle the lawsuit instead, making that schedule moot, but such a decision would almost certainly be followed by protracted negotiations over what is owed to those with claims against the city. "It's complicated," said Carol Sobel, an attorney for the plaintiffs, who include Black Lives Matter Los Angeles, the Los Angeles Community Action Network and other individual protesters. The activist groups and individuals allege that the LAPD violated protesters' constitutional rights by arresting them, at times on infractions that only warranted street citations, and then subjecting them to horrible conditions including leaving them handcuffed on buses for more than 12 hours without access to bathrooms or water. They also allege the LAPD used projectiles and batons in brutal ways, not only to disperse crowds but to wound and harm protesters who pushed back when the department unilaterally declared the gatherings illegal. Many protesters were injured, some with serious wounds to the head and face, according to an investigation by The Times. The activist groups and protesters want class status in the case, which would allow them to wrap together claims from thousands of protesters all at once and demand damages commensurate with the size of the broader collective. Story continues In response, LAPD officials and city attorneys have maintained that police reacted in a reasonable way to dangerous street gatherings where individuals were committing crimes, including assaulting officers and lighting fires. In the recent joint report, city attorneys said police were responding to "coordinated mass looting" and "unprecedented lawlessness and chaos." City attorneys have argued against class status in the case, suggesting protesters should argue their claims individually. In the filing last month, they said the city is already facing at least two other lawsuits and 45 tort claims related to the LAPD's handling of the protests many of which are likely to turn into lawsuits, as well. They also said they expect more claims to be filed before the statute of limitations runs out near the end of the year. Sobel, who has litigated major class-action lawsuits against the LAPD before, said she has been in talks with City Atty. Mike Feuer's office this week about how to start moving forward with discovery, but expects roadblocks. "Police are going to assert all sorts of protections" against the release of information, Sobel said, "and we're going to be fighting for a while to figure out what happened." Police referred questions about the case to Feuer's office, which declined to comment. Among other things, Sobel said the protesters want to know how top-level decisions were made around deployments and the use of tactical weapons. She said they want text messages, emails and other communications not only between top city officials like Garcetti and Moore, but also between them and other major stakeholders like Rick Caruso, the billionaire mall magnate and owner of the upscale Grove complex, which was threatened by individuals starting fires and burglarizing stores after one of the largest protests, at nearby Pan Pacific Park, spiraled out of control on May 30. The protesters also want "all City documents and communications regarding the protests, the use of force at the protests, dispersal orders, the arrests and other activities related to the protests," according to the recent filing. The LAPD, the City Council, and the National Police Foundation working on behalf of the Police Commission are all conducting reviews of the events, which Sobel said could also inform the lawsuit and bolster it if problems with the official response are found. It is a high-stakes process for a city already struggling to pay its bills under a coronavirus-related economic slump. Sobel said the case is likely to produce "the largest damages class ever in a protest in the country," and in their recent filing, she and other attorneys for the protesters projected that damages could easily reach into the tens of millions of dollars. As just one example, they argued that "several thousand" arrestees may have a claim of $12,000 each for being subjected to unconstitutional conditions in detention. Sobel said that could be nearly 4,000 arrestees which, at $12,000 a piece, would approach $50 million in damage claims. In addition, protesters who were detained on infractions that normally merit just a citation on the street and protesters who were injured have their own claims. The protesters also are seeking an injunction against the LAPD using projectile weapons and batons on protesters moving forward. The city has paid out tens of millions of dollars to settle claims in past cases where police cracked down on protest crowds, but never in a case so large. The current case deals with allegations spanning multiple days and nights, in various neighborhoods and involving thousands of people. Money aside, it's clear both sides also view the lawsuit as one with the potential to reshape LAPD policy for crowd control at future protests. The protesters and activist groups in the case argued in the recent joint filing that the "key legal issues" to be considered are "the basis of the arrests and the conditions of confinement on buses," the legality of arresting people for infractions that merit street citations only, and the use of batons and projectiles on protesters. Also at issue, they argued, is "the general question of the lawfulness of the actions in suppressing peaceful protests through the use of curfew orders, failing to provide sufficient notices to disperse and opportunities to disperse, and suppressing First Amendment activity of protesters based on the purported actions of a small number of individuals not representative of the overall character of the protests." Of particular interest to the plaintiffs, Sobel said, will be the decisions that led to the department deploying 40-mm projectile launchers, which she said are not designed to disperse protesters but to "incapacitate" people. The city's attorneys argued in the same filing that the key issues are "whether there was probable cause to arrest" the protesters after curfew violations and "failures to disperse," and, once they were arrested, whether the conditions they were subjected to were a violation of their due process rights. Also key, city attorneys said, is the question of whether police were justified, "under the totality of the circumstances," in using batons and projectiles to disperse the crowds. To receive Steve Gutterman's Week In Russia each week via e-mail, subscribe by clicking here. As usual, there was talk to the effect that Russia might get through the month of August without any momentous events this year. After all, hadn't enough already happened in 2020, not just in Russia but around the world? As usual, anyone who predicted a reprieve was wrong: Russia experienced at least two big August events whose repercussions will remain long after the summer is over -- one of them in Belarus. That, of course, is a reference to the disputed August 9 election, in which President Alyaksandr Lukashenka claimed a sixth term with more than 80 percent of the vote -- a claim that seemed untenable given the massive show of support for opposition candidate Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya in the weeks before the balloting -- and to the harsh government crackdown that has followed as protests persist more than a month later. Shortly after the election, some observers -- call them optimists, perhaps -- made an assessment that may be perfectly sound. One was that the Kremlin, which remained relatively silent for a spell after the Belarusian vote, is not wedded to Lukashenka: He has been a prickly partner for Moscow for years, seemingly resisting pressure for closer integration with Russia and often lashing out publicly at its government. Plus, the personal relationship between Russian President Vladimir Putin and a leader who is his junior in age but has been in power since Putin was a virtually unknown local bureaucrat is said to be one of substantial mutual distaste. Moreover, none of Lukashenka's main rivals -- neither those who were barred from the ballot and jailed or pushed into exile nor Tsikhanouskaya (who was not barred from the ballot but was swiftly pushed into exile after the election) -- are anti-Russia figures. Still Standing So, the thinking went, Moscow might be happy with someone else in power in Minsk, and might even work with the West to find a mutually acceptable solution along those lines. Nevertheless, weeks after the election, Lukashenka is still in power -- just as Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, to whom the Kremlin was said countless times not to be wedded, is still in power. How much power Lukashenka will retain if he stays on much longer, and how much sovereignty Belarus may cede to Moscow, is another question. Ahead of the election, analysts said that Russia wanted Lukashenka to emerge victorious but weakened, making him more susceptible to control from the Kremlin and pressure for closer integration of Belarus with Russia, a huge eastern neighbor with a population some 15 times larger. On the surface, at least, that scenario seems to be playing out. Putin has spoken to Lukashenka several times since the election, repeatedly hinting that Russia could intervene with force on his behalf if and when it saw fit to do so, and is scheduled to host him in the Black Sea resort city of Sochi on September 14 for their first known in-person meeting since the vote. After seeming to waver, Russian state media outlets are lending Lukashenka support, and both Moscow and Minsk are casting the West as an aggressor out to engineer regime change in Belarus -- a substantial shift from the year or two ahead of the election, at least for Lukashenka, who had courted the United States and Europe and repeatedly suggested that Russia was a potential assailant eager to swallow up the smaller country to its west. How much influence Moscow may gain over Minsk in the medium term and beyond remains to be seen -- potentially, Putin may be able to boast of roping the country of nearly 10 million into Russia's orbit for the foreseeable future. But he may not -- and already it's clear that in at least two ways, the the developments that have thrown a spotlight on Belarus are a blow to Putin and he Kremlin. Minsk Messages Moscow For one thing, Moscow's support for Lukashenka and the clampdown on hundreds of thousands of Belarusian citizens -- some of whom have been arrested, abused, and allegedly tortured has added to the already severe strains in Russia's relationship with the West. More of a concern for Putin, maybe, is the signal sent by the widespread show of support for Tsikhanouskaya ahead of the Belarusian election and the persistence of popular protests -- in the face of a chilling clampdown -- in the weeks after the vote. While the circumstances are different in Belarus, for Russia, and other former Soviet republics for that matter, the message is clear: If a leader overstays his welcome, he could face powerful pressure from protesters in the street. It's hard to see the other big August event -- the poisoning of Aleksei Navalny -- outside the context of what's been happening in Belarus. Navalny, an opposition politician who has harried Putin and the Kremlin by issuing reports on alleged corruption among numerous top officials, came in second in the race for Moscow mayor in 2013. He was barred from the ballot in the 2018 presidential election -- in which Putin secured a fourth term, one fewer than Lukashenka had served before the August 9 election in Belarus -- on the basis of criminal convictions he and his supporters contend were fabricated for that purpose: to keep him out of electoral politics. And now, it's unclear if he will be able to run in any future election. 'Major Turning Point' On August 20 -- as the extent of anger among Belarusians over an election that many believe was rigged to give Lukashenka more than 80 percent of the vote and Tsikhanouskaya just over 10 percent was becoming increasingly clear -- Navalny fell gravely ill on a flight to Moscow after drinking tea at an airport cafe in the Siberian city of Tomsk. On September 2, German authorities said toxicology tests provided "unequivocal evidence" that Navalny was poisoned with a substance from the Novichok group of military-grade nerve agents developed by the Soviet Union and Russia, a development that was widely seen as making Russian state involvement almost certain. There are indications that the agent used on Navalny -- who is hospitalized in Germany -- may have been substantially more potent than the version used in the March 2018 poisoning of former Soviet intelligence officer Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia, in the English city of Salisbury. Another difference: Skripal and Aleksandr Litvinenko, a Putin critic who was fatally poisoned with radioactive polonium-210 in Britain in 2006, were "former Russian security service members and could be seen by the special services as traitors who should be punished," Aleksandr Baunov, the editor in chief of the Carnegie Moscow Center think tank's website, tweeted on September 3. "Navalny is an opposition figure who acts openly. His poisoning eliminates the division previously admitted by Putin between enemies and traitors, according to which enemies should be treated with respect," Baunov wrote. "If this difference has gone, it means that the regime -- or the most hard-line parts of it -- feel more endangered than ever." Like the Skripal attack, though, Navalny's poisoning has already done serious additional harm to already badly strained relations between Russia and the West, and the extend of the damage is not yet clear. Ties with Germany, which Putin appears to consider particularly important, could be among the hardest hit. "Major turning point: German-Russian relations are fast going down the drain. Historical reconciliation is becoming history itself," Dmitry Trenin, director of the Carnegie Moscow Center, wrote on Twitter on September 9. "Marching back to the future?" Authoritarian Anarchy? With all that has happened since August 1, something that happened on July 1 may seem lost in the mists of the past. But that was the day Putin -- through a weeklong nationwide vote whose results Navalny denounced as "a fake and a huge lie" -- secured constitutional changes allowing him to run for reelection in 2024 and again in 2030 if he wishes, potentially keeping him in the Kremlin until 2036. That's another piece of context framing the fate of Navalny, who has been his most prominent foe for at least five years -- since another opposition politician, Boris Nemtsov, was shot dead near the Kremlin in 2015. And yet another is the situation in the Far Eastern city of Khabarovsk, where the focus of protests that have persisted since July 9 has shifted from anger over Putin's dismissal of the popular regional governor to dismay at his continued rule. An opinion poll conducted from July 13 to August 8 -- in the weeks between the constitutional vote and the Belarusian election and Navalny's poisoning -- casts a stark light on how Russians saw the state of affairs in their country. One journalist said the survey by the independent Levada Center gave off "last days of Rome vibes." Asked to choose from several phrases to describe the situation in Russia, 38 percent of respondents picked "the loss of order and the growth of anarchy" -- the largest proportion and far more than at any time since Levada began conducting the poll in 2005. Meanwhile, 17 percent said the country was headed toward authoritarianism and dictatorship, while 22 percent -- fewer than ever before -- chose "the development of democracy." The ex-wife of a district court judge will not receive a cent from her former partner's $6million estate while his third wife and widow will receive the bulk of it. Therese Ryan attempted to claim $2.36million from Brian Harrison's estate following the death of the Cairns District Court judge in October last year. Ms Ryan had been divorced from Mr Harrison since 1993 and said she suffered from anxiety and depression after she claimed her former partner was 'violent' and possessive. She has been living on a disability support pension and claimed Mr Harrison had a 'strong moral obligation' to support her, Courier Mail reported. However Justice Glenn Martin ruled that Ms Ryan should not be considered a 'spouse'. He said the bulk of the estate would instead go to Mr Harrison's former carer and housekeeper Rampai Harrison - who he married in 2018. Instead, Ms Ryan has been ordered to cover the estate's costs of the proceedings. The ex-wife of a district court judge will not receive a cent from her former partner's $6million estate while his third wife and widow will receive the bulk of it. Pictured: Therese Ryan with Brian Harrison Therese Ryan attempted to claim $2.36million from Brian Harrison's (pictured) estate following the death of the Cairns District Court judge in October last year The decision comes after the Queen's Counsel for the estate Rebecca Treston told the court in August that Ms Ryan was not entitled to any provision from the state as a former spouse. She argued Ms Ryan was not a dependent receiving maintenance at the time of Mr Harrison's death. Ms Ryan's counsel, Gerard Forde, said Ms Ryan did not apply for further maintenance in court before the judge's death as she 'feared for her safety'. Ms Ryan claimed in an affidavit that she divorced Mr Harrison following 'extremely violent' behaviour. 'After our marriage the deceased became very controlling and abusive on all levels; financially, emotionally, psychologically and physically,' Ms Ryan said in the affidavit. 'This was my first experience with domestic violence and it devastated me and resulted in my lifelong symptoms of depression, anxiety and mental torture for me.' Ms Ryan said Mr Harrison 'would erupt into one of his wild, violent and dangerous rages' if he did not approve of something she did. She confirmed in the affidavit he had deliberately set their house on fire on June 2, 1991 - and alleged lawyers colluded to cover up the blaze, which Mr Harrison was not charged over. Though Justice Glenn Martin decided last Tuesday Ms Ryan was not considered to be a 'spouse' and that the bulk of the estate would go to Mr Harrison's (left) former carer and housekeeper Rampai Harrison (right) - whom he married in 2018 Earlier this month, ABC printed details from court documents revealing Ms Ryan alleged her then husband 'controlled every aspect' of her life, including paying her a wage she could only spend on 'household expenses, including groceries'. The documents revealed she felt 'worthless, powerless, depressed and in a constant state of anxiety because if I ever did something he didn't approve of, he would erupt into one of his wild, violent and dangerous rages'. 'I often saw Therese with bruises and a swollen nose and believed at the time that she was clearly a victim of domestic violence,' Helen Jarvis, the couple's housekeeper from 1990 to 1992, wrote in an affidavit. Benjamin Ryan, a pathologist and one of Ms Ryan's sons from another marriage, said in an affidavit earlier in August: 'He would push her into walls and punch her about the head and face and when sometimes she fell to the floor, he would kick her in the stomach.' I hope I dont get baited into getting into a brawl with this guy, Biden told attendees of a campaign fundraiser. Its going to be hard, he said. Election Day 2020 is rapidly approaching. The first presidential debate is just over two weeks away in Cleveland, where Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden said Thursday he is looking forward to going one-on-one against President Donald Trump. Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden talks with journalists Wednesday before departing the Detroit metro area. He had been campaigning in Michigan, which President Donald Trump won in 2016 by less than 11,000 votes, the narrowest margin of victory in states presidential election history. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) He said their Sept. 29 face-off, a 90-minute session moderated by Fox News Sunday anchor Chris Wallace, will allow him to hold Trump accountable. I think I know how to handle bullies, Biden told attendees of a campaign fundraiser Tuesday. Well find out. He said his strategy that night includes appealing directly to voters, pointing out promises Trump failed to keep. Read More: Trump says he doesnt feel the need to understand Black pain at all I hope I dont get baited into getting into a brawl with this guy, Biden said. He said that he wants to avoid a shouting match, but contended that its going to be hard because I predict hes going to be shouting. Part of Trumps approach since 2016 has been labeling competitors with derogatory nicknames to attract voters. Trump has repeatedly referred to Biden as Sleepy Joe, or Slow Joe. His campaign has also tried to cast doubt on the former vice presidents mental acuity. Biden told The Columbus Dispatch in March that his age and mental acuity should not be a concern for voters. Im in better shape than most people, he said. Read More: Trump to resign, request pardon if he loses election: Cohen Biden, who overcame a severe stutter as a child, highlighted the challenges he previously had with giving speeches during the Democratic National Convention when 13-year-old Brayden Harrington explained how the vice president helped him with his stutter. The moment was one of the most emotional of the four-night event. Story continues On Oct. 7, eight days after Biden and Trump exchange their arguments, Vice President Mike Pence is due to debate Sen. Kamala Harris in Salt Lake City, an event for which the Democratic vice presidential nominee said she has been preparing. I am looking forward to being able to talk with him and the American people, Harris said at the campaign fundraiser, and make our case about what we see as the right path forward for our country. Have you subscribed to theGrios Dear Culture podcast? Download our newest episodes now! The post Biden says hes ready to debate Trump: I know how to handle bullies appeared first on TheGrio. HOUSTON Four Houston police officers have been terminated after an internal investigation determined they did not use reasonable force when they fired their weapons 21 times at a man who had been experiencing a mental health crisis, killing him in April after he was already injured and on the ground, the citys police chief announced Thursday. During a news conference, Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo presented video footage from body cameras that showed 27-year-old Nicolas Chavez, who had already been shot and was bleeding, kneeling on the ground and grabbing a stun gun that had been dropped when the four officers shot him. Acevedo said although Chavez had picked up the stun gun, the officers had plenty of time to back up and take cover. Investigators later determined the stun gun Chavez grabbed was empty as both of its cartridges had been discharged. The officers indicated they werent aware it was empty at the time of the shooting, Acevedo said. Chavez was already injured, having been hit by gunfire earlier in his standoff with police. Officers had also fired bean bag rounds and stun guns at him before he was killed, Acevedo said. Quite frankly, its inexplicable to me when they had plenty of opportunity to back up and continue to be doing what they were doing for them to stay the line and shoot a man 21 times, Acevedo said. I cannot defend that. Acevedo said Chavez was not a threat to the 28 officers who were at the scene. An autopsy showed that Chavez had 29 total entry and exit wounds, many the result of bullet fragments created when rounds hit the pavement and broke apart. It also showed he had methamphetamine, amphetamine and ethanol in his system. Leaders with the Houston Police Officers Union denounced the firings, saying the officers followed their training and tried to de-escalate the situation but were forced to shoot Chavez when he pointed the stun gun at them. It was clear these officers did not want to shoot Mr. Chavez and did everything in their power not to, said union president Joe Gamaldi. Leantha Chavez, Nicolas Chavezs mother, said she was pleased that the officers had been fired. However, it doesnt change how my heart feels. Its very hard to be happy and sad about something so tragic, she said. Now its time to move on to the next step, which is charging them. Leantha Chavez has been one of many people who attended protests earlier this year calling on authorities to take action in her sons shooting. His shooting is still being investigated by the Harris County District Attorneys Office and was set to later be presented to a grand jury. I met with the mother, father and wife of Nicolas Chavez to listen to their concerns and personally assure them that our Civil Rights Division prosecutors will conduct a thorough, independent review of all the evidence in his death, Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg said in a statement. Those fired were identified as: Officer Patrick Rubio, who had been with the department since May 2018; Officer Luis Alvarado, with the department since March 2019; Officer Omar Tapia, with the department since March 2019; and Sgt. Benjamin LeBlanc, with the department since October 2008. Before body camera footage was released on Thursday, cellphone video of the shooting taken by a bystander had been circulated widely online in the week after the April 21 shooting. Chavezs shooting followed a 15-minute confrontation with police. Officers were responding to a call about a possibly suicidal man who was running in and out of traffic. Chavezs family has said he had a history of mental illness. In a video presentation of the body camera footage that was narrated by Acevedo, portions of 911 calls made the night of Chavezs shooting can be heard where callers tell operators that a man is running around and having a mental breakdown. In the video footage, officers can be heard telling Chavez, Hey buddy, hey bud, were here to help you, man and just relax. No one is shooting and were trying to help you man. Chavez, who can be heard cursing at officers, could be seen wildly flailing his arms and legs. Officers fired bean bag rounds from shotguns at Chavez and deployed their stun guns, but it had little affect on him. At one point in the video, an officer said Chavez had a knife. Officers told him to put it down. Investigators later determined that Chavez had a piece of metal that he used to cut himself. Before Chavez was fatally shot, two officers had fired three times at him when Chavez had come toward officers, injuring him. Acevedo said those discharges of officer weapons were justified. The action being taken today does say in our city, we hold everyone accountable, said Mayor Sylvester Turner. Gamaldi said the fired officers used every non-lethal option available to them to subdue Chavez, but that he refused to surrender. These officers were distraught over having to take a life out there, said Doug Griffith, the unions first vice president. While Griffith said the shooting was found to be justified by the citys independent police oversight board, Acevedo disputed that claim. Acevedo declined to comment further, citing confidentiality. Chavezs shooting took place about a month before George Floyd died in Minneapolis after an officer pressed his knee into his neck for nearly eight minutes. Floyds death sparked protests worldwide, including in Floyds hometown of Houston, against racial injustice and police brutality. The police union suggested the firings in Chavezs case were the result of political pressure following the marches for police reform. Chavezs death was the first of six fatal shootings involving Houston police over several weeks in April and May. Activists in Houston had earlier called on Acevedo to release body camera footage from Chavezs shooting as well as the other recent ones. ___ Follow Juan A. Lozano on Twitter: https://twitter.com/juanlozano70 The long-awaited peace talks between the Taliban and the Afghan governments negotiating team are to begin on Saturday in the Gulf Arab state of Qatar, the Taliban and Qatars foreign ministry said Thursday. The talks known as intra-Afghan negotiations were laid out in a peace deal that Washington brokered with the Taliban and signed in February, also in Qatar, where the Taliban maintain a political office. At the time, the deal was seen as Afghanistans best chance at ending more than four decades of relentless war. Shortly after the announcement, President Donald Trump said US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo would travel to Qatar, to attend the start of the negotiations. Sediq Sediqqi, spokesman for Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, confirmed in a tweet that their delegation will be in Qatars capital of Doha for the talks and said the president wished the negotiating team success. Pompeo issued a statement welcoming the start of negotiations and saying they will mark a historic opportunity for Afghanistan to bring an end to four decades of war and bloodshed. The people of Afghanistan have carried the burden of war for too long, Pompeo said. That deal Washington signed with the Taliban aims to end Afghanistans protracted war and bring American troops home while the intra-Afghan talks are to set a road map for a post-war society in Afghanistan. The negotiations are expected to be a difficult process as the two sides struggle to end the fighting and debate ways of protecting the rights of women and minorities. The Taliban have promised women could attend school, work and participate in politics but stressed that would all be allowed in keeping with Islamic principles without saying what that might mean. The Taliban have also said they would not support a woman becoming president of Afghanistan and that while they would allow for women to judges, a woman could not serve as a chief justice. Meanwhile, Kabuls reconciliation council has an array of disparate figures, including hard-liners such as Abdul Rasool Sayyaf, a former warlord who served as the inspiration for the Philippines Abu Sayyaf militant group, and Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, a one-time U.N.-listed terrorist. Both espouse deeply restrictive interpretations of Islam. Hekmatyar in an earlier interview with The Associated Press also rejected women serving as chief justice. Afghanistans Parliament has so far been unable to ratify a Violence Against Womens bill because it is feared that hard-line lawmakers would defeat any such legislation. The governments negotiation team includes several women who will carry a heavy burden to defend and protect rights for their gender, analysts say. The Taliban have no women on their team. The fate of the tens of thousands of armed Taliban, as well as militias loyal to government-allied warlords, will also be on the agenda, along with constitutional changes for Afghanistan. Theres also the issue of power sharing. While the Taliban have said they do not want to monopolize power, the suggestion of an interim administration has largely been rejected by Kabul. Deep mistrust also exists on both sides Washingtons peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad, who negotiated the US-Taliban deal signed on Feb. 29, has been in Doha for the past week, trying to push the talks forward. The withdrawal of US troops are not dependent on the success of the upcoming negotiations but rather on commitments taken by the Taliban under the deal with the US to fight other militant groups, most specifically the Islamic State group, and to ensure that Afghanistan is not used as a staging ground for attacks on the United States or its allies. Washington and NATO have already begun withdrawing troops and by November America expects to have less than 5,000 troops still in Afghanistan. The start of negotiations had been plagued by delays as the two sides squabbled for months over the release of prisoners until the exchange was complete earlier this month 5,000 Taliban freed by the Afghan government and 1,000 government and military personnel who were released by the Taliban. The prisoner release was also set in the US-Taliban deal as a prerequisite for the start of the intra-Afghan negotiations. However, the negotiations will begin under difficult circumstances, marred by stepped up attacks on Afghan forces by the Taliban, target killings and attempted assassinations. Scores of civilians have died in the crossfire. There have also been attacks on released Taliban prisoners returning to their homes and accusations by the insurgents of being attacked inside their homes with their families. Abdullah Abdullah, the head of Afghanistans High Council for National Reconciliation, the body that is overseeing the negotiations on behalf of the government, will attend the opening of the talks but the day-to-day negotiations will be carried out by a team headed by Mohammed Masoom Stanikzai, a former intelligence chief. Abdullah was appointed head the council as part of a power-sharing agreement with Ghani to end a political standoff between the two following last years controversial presidential elections. The countrys election commission declared Ghani the winner while Abdullah claimed he had won and went on to self-declare himself president. The impasse lasted for months also delaying the start of the intra-Afghan negotiations before the US negotiated a power-sharing deal under which Abdullah joined the government. The Talibans 21-member negotiation team is headed by their chief justice Abdul Hakim and includes 13 members of the insurgents leadership council. Pompeo in his statement warned both sides against squandering this opportunity to hammer out a negotiated end to the fighting. This opportunity must not be squandered, Pompeo said. Immense sacrifice and investment by the United States, our partners, and the people of Afghanistan have made this moment of hope possible. I urge the negotiators to demonstrate the pragmatism, restraint, and flexibility this process will require to succeed. The people of Afghanistan and the international community will be watching closely. Also Thursday, Trump, who promised in the 2016 presidential campaign to bring US troops home from Afghanistan, announced he has picked William Ruger, vice president for research and policy at the Arlington, Virginia-based Charles Koch Institute, as the next ambassador to Kabul. Picking Ruger, a veteran of the war who advocates withdrawing US forces from the country, is seen as a way for Trump to underscore his desire to do just that. There are those who would like to see us remain at war in Afghanistan long into the future, Ruger has said. But the president should not allow a withdrawal deal to be bogged down by conditions that arent necessary for Americas safety. Trump has a narrow window to get Ruger confirmed by the Senate, which is set to recess in mid-October before the US presidential election in early November. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Over the years, North Koreas Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un has become a familiar face in global politics. Infamously named as the Little Rocket Man by the President of the United States of America, Donald Trump, Kim is known for threatening the West with nuclear warfare and news of his cruelty towards his own people has leaked out from the highly militarized borders of the state, from time to time. Rumours and reports of how Kim killed his own family members have been well documented online but barely scratch the surfaces of his cruelty. Here are some of the most horrible things Kim Jong Un has done to his own people of North Korea: 1. Shooting People To Pieces With Anti-Aircraft Guns Kim Jong Un executes political dissidents using leveled anti aircraft weapons. https://t.co/3XVBAQtlY8 Cormac (@RealCormacE) September 10, 2020 While executions have become a norm under Kims rule in the state, the death of North Koreas Defence Chief Hyon Yong-chol is specifically spine-chilling. According to BBC News, Kim had an anti-aircraft gun shred a government official into pieces in front of hundreds of people. The reason for the execution? Hyon Yong-chol fell asleep during an event attended by the Supreme Leader. North Korea defector Hee Yeon Lim even confessed to The Mirror that she once had to see 11 musicians get blessed by anti-aircraft guns for making a pornographic video. 2. Ordered Shoot-To-Kill To Prevent Covid-19 Spread is this true? if its true i feel bad for north korean citizen..if they have catch a Covid19 they are going to shoot to kill them? its an order from Kim Jong Un their president https://t.co/Ln9cXW9RKd Kaondice (@KaoJingjjang) March 14, 2020 Ever since December 2019, when the Coronavirus first began to spread all over the world, North Korea has reported zero positive cases in the country. On July 26, they had closed their borders to the world after rumours of the first infected suspect illegally entering the country began to arise. Since then, reports suggest that North Korean authorities have given shoot-to-kill orders to their Special Forces as a preventive measure against the Coronavirus pandemic. 3. Execution By Flamethrower This sounds like how someone from North Korea talks about Kim Jong Un when they dont want their whole family sent to a labor camp,or murdered by a flamethrower or blown up by an anti-tank missile. Nathan Rauscher (@Nate6908) December 22, 2019 South Koreas leading newspapers, The Chosun Ilbo reported in 2014 that Kim had O Sang Hon, the deputy public security minister, was executed by a flamethrower. According to the report, the execution took place after Kim shut down the Workers Party department which was once led by Jang Song-taek, Kims uncle who was also rumoured to be assassinated by the Supreme Leader. 4. Plucking Teenage School Girls As Sex Slaves Relieved to hear that Kim Jong Un isn't dead and he was just holed up fucking sex slaves. Ali Lerman (@AliNotAlli) May 1, 2020 Hee Yeon Lim, the North Korean defector, who used to be in the inner circle of the neo-monarch, told The Mirror how Kim, despite being married and a father to three children, used to pluck teenage school girls. She said: Officials came to our schools and picked out teenage girls to work at one of his hundreds of homes around Pyongyang. They take the prettiest and ensure they have straight, good legs. They learn to serve him food like caviar and extremely rare delicacies. They are also taught how to massage him and they become sex slaves. Yes, they have to sleep with him and they cannot make a mistake or object because they could very easily simply disappear. 5. Exporting Forced Labour For Profit You lambast Kim Darroch for a few uncomfortable words, and yet praise Kim Jong Un despite the fact he puts millions of people in forced labour camps. Are you getting your Kims mixed up, Trumpy? spirit1000 #FBPE (@NMJ10000) July 10, 2019 Not only is Kim picking helpless teenage girls to be his sex slaves only to disappear one day, he is also forcefully sending people of his own state to countries all over the world including Russia, China and Poland, according to a Reuters report. While these workers work for 10-12 hours a day for six days a week, 90% of their salaries goes into the North Korean leaders pocket. The families of these workers are held hostage in North Korea and if any of these forced labourers defer, their wives and kids have to face some sort of punishment. Last month, embattled Postmaster General Louis DeJoys House Oversight Committee hearing was in its fifth hour when Rep. Katie Porters five minutes to ask questions arrived. Mr. DeJoy, thank you for being with us today, Porter, D-Calif., began. What is the cost of a first-class postage stamp? DeJoy knew the price of the stamp 55 cents but was unable to answer Porters questions about the cost to mail a postcard, priority mail shipping rates and the number of Americans who voted by mail in the last presidential election. Im glad you know the price of a stamp, but Im concerned about your understanding of this agency, Porter said as she moved the questioning to her real concerns after that opening salvo. And Im particularly concerned about it because you started taking very decisive action when you became postmaster general. You started directing the unplugging and destroying of machines, changing of employee procedures and locking of collection boxes. DeJoy said the changes that had caused slowdowns in mail delivery started before he took over the agency, and Porter turned to questions about who had ordered the changes (he didnt know), whether hed reverse them (no), whether he would commit to resigning if the inspector general found evidence of misconduct with his other businesses (he wouldnt) and if he had any financial interests in Amazon (again, no). The Aug. 24 hearing was the latest example of a trend that congressional observers have noted this term: Junior representatives like Porter and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y. are using their time to ask hard questions of witnesses, seeking actual answers, while more senior members are more inclined to play to the cameras, delivering speeches or lectures. Rep. Katie Porter at a House Financial Services Committee hearing with Facebook chairman and CEO Mark Zuckerberg in 2019. (Erin Scott/Reuters) Savvy observers have learned that the best time to listen to congressional hearings is toward the end, when the lower-ranking members get their time to ask questions. The postal chief was only the latest in a group of witnesses who found themselves under uncomfortable scrutiny from Porter, a freshman representing Orange County. A former student of Sen. Elizabeth Warren at Harvard Law School and law professor herself at the University of California- Irvine, Porter wrote the textbook Modern Consumer Law and served as Californias independent bank monitor before she won a seat in her generally Republican district in 2018. Story continues Porter told Yahoo News that she has already had a few colleagues ask for advice on her approach to preparing for hearings. She said the most important thing is to define what you want to learn. What do you want to know from this witness? she said. It could be whether they understand a certain thing or whos responsible for something, what their opinion is. ... Start with the outcome you want to get to. And then you come up with lines of questioning that will get you there. That can look different depending on what youre trying to get. Porter also recommends the judicious use of props such as a whiteboard to illustrate her points, helping both the witness and observers follow her line of questioning. Make sure youre asking questions, she continued. I know that sounds silly but many, many of my colleagues will spend between two and four and a half minutes giving a speech, and theyll wrap up their speech and theyll say, Do you agree? Well, with what? Youve been talking for four and a half minutes. Rep. Jamie Raskin, a second-term Democrat from Maryland, said the debate over which questioning strategy to employ has come up in caucus seminars, which he helps arrange as a representative of the junior classes. Pre-COVID, I was doing monthly meetings on different subjects of interest to junior members, and I had a special seminar on asking effective questions in hearings, Raskin told Yahoo News. All of the people I asked to speak agreed that making a speech is the least effective way to go. We have lots of opportunities to make speeches [on the House floor]; there are different opportunities to orate. I have seen some effective speeches where people will use their time to express outrage about this or that, outrage committed by the administration, but the problem is that people quickly experience outrage fatigue. I think it fails to work more than it works. The people higher up on the dais can make speeches expressing outrage early on during the hearing, and its not so wearying, but [if] you get a speech like that an hour or two into it, it falls on deaf ears. Rep. Jamie Raskin questions Postmaster General Louis DeJoy in August. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc. via Getty Images/Pool) Raskin noted that the hearings in Washington are a completely different art form than his experience as a Maryland state senator. In Annapolis, there was no limit on time, and hearings were designed to aid in the writing of legislation, while the hearings in the U.S. Congress are either meant to draw battle lines or meant to unearth damaging facts about how government is working. Its a very tough thing to change public understanding and perception in five minutes, especially when youre interrupted and its over the course of a very long day, so its a rare art form, Raskin said. Katie Porter is special because she has the ability to ask deceptively simple questions that expose entire systems of thought and power. In March, Porter pushed Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Scott Redfield to commit to free coronavirus testing for all Americans while working out the total cost of testing on a whiteboard as she asked her questions. (Some Americans are still being billed for the testing, an issue on which Porter has continued to push the administration.) A video of the exchange that was posted to Porters Twitter account has nearly 30 million views and has helped to further elevate her profile. If you havent watched this video, please do, wrote actor Chris Pratt to his 7 million followers in a retweet of the video. Ive never heard of this woman before. But Im damn glad shes up there doing her job for all of us. The objects of Porters high-profile grillings include Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Director Kathy Kraninger, during which Porter used her own textbook as reference. Porter said one line of questioning she was particularly proud of was the April 2019 hearing with JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon, in which the billionaire was unable to answer her questions about how a full-time employee at one of his banks would be able to make ends meet. That prompted a lot of discussion about who I was representing, said Porter. I question on behalf of a worker, and that began a powerful conversation about whose perspective do we bring to this hearing. Of course, we always bring our own perspective as part of it, but to say how would someone in this situation deal with it is different from saying, Heres what I as a representative experience. Rep. Katie Porter, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images,Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call/Bloomberg via Getty Images) Porter attributed part of her early success in hearings to her experience on the other side of the room in her time as a witness advocating for consumer protections and dealing with lengthy speeches that barely qualified as questions from the sitting legislators. I had been a witness testifying before Congress, so I had a little more familiarity with that part of the work, and so I went into it really thinking it was important that I ask good questions, Porter said. And having been a witness, I had been on the receiving end of these five-minute speeches or questions that had been asked of prior witnesses so why are you asking again? I had a sense in the way these hearings werent effective, and having been a witness, I felt like I wasnt able to get important information across to the committee that they needed to know. I think for too long people have not been willing to call out special interests, to call out those in power, to ask questions in a fair but tough way, Porter continued when asked if it was frustrating that some witnesses hadnt seemed to take the time to properly prepare for their appearances. I think that hopefully this trend is going to help people [realize] that theyre not just speaking to congresspeople, theyre speaking to the American people when they testify before Congress. ... In a democracy, whether youre appointed or elected, you should have a lot of respect for those that youre serving, and that includes preparing and being honest. Porter isnt the only freshman representative who has made an impact with her questioning. Ocasio-Cortez has already made headlines and racked up millions of views for her questioning of Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg over the sites willingness to allow misinformation, confronting of an FBI official about the labeling of white supremacists as terrorists and having Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell agree with her that the countrys monetary policy kept too many people unemployed. Last month, the Fed announced a major policy shift in its approach to inflation tied to Powells comments. Ocasio-Cortezs five minutes also led to the opening of a fraud investigation into President Trumps businesses. In February 2019, the congresswomans second month in office, she walked Trumps former personal attorney Michael Cohen through explaining how the Trump Organization allegedly committed fraud by inflating the value of assets for insurance and loan purposes. In August, New York State Attorney General Letitia James filed legal action against Trumps businesses to investigate those claims. James said they began looking into the Trump Organization in March 2019, following Cohens testimony. Ocasio-Cortezs legislative team told Yahoo News that for House Financial Services hearings they coordinate with other progressive legislators, including Porter and Reps. Rashida Tlaib, Ayanna Pressley and Chuy Garcia, to ensure no overlap in topics. For Oversight, its a team effort on each hearing from the start. Following the DeJoy hearing last month, Ocasio-Cortez used Instagram to explain her process of preparing for a House Oversight hearing, showing off the collection of Post-it notes she uses to arrange potential paths of questioning. The psychology of my witness shapes my style and approach for the day, Ocasio-Cortez said. I study them throughout the hearing or in their previous videos. I adapt my words and vibe to complement the situation. The goal is not to yell or make a point. Its to get desired results. The congresswoman attributed her performance in the setting to one of her prior professions. Where did I learn and refine this psychological skill set? Ocasio-Cortez continued. Bartending. The dais is a literal wood bar between me and the witness. Social media is a relatively new factor that legislators from both sides of the aisle can take advantage of, as news outlets, staff members and activists from across the political spectrum can quickly cut clips of questioning and get them posted to platforms in a matter of minutes. I think there are more ways for people to watch in real time or after the fact than there were 20 or 30 years ago, when they were simply broadcast on C-SPAN, Porter said. When you think back further than that, the best you could get is to read about it later, maybe, in the Congressional Record or the Federal Register. So I do think theres an increased opportunity for the American people to watch their representatives fight for them to watch their representatives do the work of oversight, to do the work of gathering information that helps them make better law. I think its a positive thing that more people are able to watch that. Leadership in Congress, particularly in the House Democratic caucus, could be viewed as a gerontocracy. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is 80 years old and has served in the House since 1987. Her chief deputy, Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, is 81, and the majority whip, Rep. James Clyburn, is 80. Their relatively moderate views, and those of most committee chairpersons, set the legislative agenda, but the five minutes of questioning allotted to each committee member at hearings allow other viewpoints to be expressed, leveling the ideological playing field. You know as a freshman, there is so much in Congress, particularly in the House, that is driven by seniority, and different limits that come from what committees youre on, what caucuses youre in, even what states you represent, Porter said. The hearing is really the great equalizer. Everybody gets five minutes. The most senior member, the most junior member. So while it was clear I wasnt going to be presiding over the caucus or necessarily getting every legislative opportunity, every single hearing gives me an opportunity to do work for Orange County. The raising of a profile via congressional hearings is not limited to the House, as another Californian serving her first term in Washington, D.C., found out over the past four years. Sen. Kamala Harris was first elected in 2016, but her path to the vice presidential spot on the 2020 Democratic ticket was smoothed by her incisive questioning of Trump appointees, including Attorneys General Jeff Session and William Barr. Her most memorable conflict came in the contentious confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, during which her line of inquiry made an impression on at least one prominent figure in American politics. So I was a little surprised he picked her. Ive been watching her for a long time, and I was a little surprised, President Trump said after Joe Biden announced Harris as his running mate. She was extraordinarily nasty to Kavanaugh Judge Kavanaugh, now Justice Kavanaugh. She was nasty to a level that was just a horrible thing, the way she was, the way she treated now Justice Kavanaugh. And I wont forget that soon. _____ Read more from Yahoo News: Property tycoon Ren Zhiqiang, who was detained and expelled from the ruling Chinese Communist Party after penning an article highly critical of general secretary Xi Jinping, was planning to plead not guilty at his trial on Friday, sources told RFA. Ren opted to defend himself at the Beijing No. 2 Intermediate People's Court, where he faced charges of bribery and abuse of power. "He didn't request a defense attorney, but defended himself," a family member of another dissident told RFA on Friday, adding that there weren't many places available to family members to sit in the gallery during the trial. "Ninety-nine percent of the small number of places for family members were taken up by officials from the court, prosecution, and other departments," the family member said. Veteran political journalist Gao Yu confirmed the report. "Ren Zhiqiang had no lawyers, and he has declared he will conduct his own defense," Gao said. She said a prison term for the former boss of the Beijing Huayuan property group was a foregone conclusion. "I think we are looking at 5-10 years, or maybe even more," Gao said. Sources told RFA Ren Zhiqiang has refused to "confess" or plead guilty to the charges against him since the start of the investigation. A person who witnessed the trial said Ren appeared to be in good spirits during the proceedings, which lasted through the morning and afternoon. The prosecution made its case in the morning session, detailing its evidence, much of which was based on company accounts and documents, the source said. The trial was adjourned at 3.00 p.m. Police checkpoints, tight security Security was tight outside the court building, with police setting up a cordon and checkpoints in the streets outside from around 6.00 a.m., eyewitnesses said. Only those with special invitations were allowed inside the building, one eyewitness said via social media. A Beijing resident surnamed Wang said Ren's trial occupied a similar level of concern among the Communist Party leadership as that of Nobel peace laureate and political dissident Liu Xiaobo. "You couldn't get anywhere near [the court]," Wang said. "There was a lot of attention to Ren's case from foreign embassy and consular staff, who normally follow the cases of dissidents in China." Chongqing-based journalist Zhang Ying said there was a strong police presence on the streets outside the court. "They fortified the gate of the No. 2 Intermediate Court, and nobody could get near it," Zhang told RFA. "There were a large number of police, both plainclothes and uniformed." "Ren Zhiqiang's trial has attracted a lot of public attention inside China, because he is a princeling who dared to oppose [Xi]," Zhang said. "He's obviously a man of conscience." Zhang said Ren is unlikely to get off lightly for his open show of opposition to Xi, who is currently serving an indefinite term in office. Sources said European, U.S., Australian, and Japanese diplomats had all been denied access to the court. Expelled from the party The Xicheng district branch of the ruling Chinese Communist Party's disciplinary arm, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) in Beijing, said in July that it had expelled Ren from the party and handed over the case materials to the municipal prosecutor's office for prosecution. Ren was expelled for "violations of party discipline and the law," and had "brought country and party into disrepute," exhibited disloyalty to the party, and behaved in a dishonest manner, resisting investigation, it said. "Ren ... used his power for personal gain, wining and dining on public funds in violation of regulations," the CCDI said. He had also caused "major losses" to state coffers, it said, adding that at least some of Ren's assets were being confiscated. Ren, 69, was probed by the CCDI after writing an open letter about Xi's responses to the coronavirus epidemic, the Sino-U.S. trade war and the Taiwan elections. Sources have said investigators handled the letter, which took the form of a long and highly critical essay, as an instance of "internal strife" within the ruling party. Act of defiance Xi was reportedly furious at the letter, saying Ren was "incorrigible," and designated Ren's letter an "act of defiance against me." The letter attributed to Ren doesn't mention Xi by name, but criticizes his policies, including the president's insistence that the media are part of the same family as the ruling party, and must always represent its interests. "When the media have the same name as the party, it's the people who are left out," the letter said. "The coronavirus epidemic in Wuhan has shown us just how true that is." The article, titled "The lives of the people are ruined by the virus and a seriously sick system," doesn't mention President Xi by name, but it takes aim at decisions made under his direct command, including the decision to go ahead with a mass Lunar New Year banquet for thousands of people that resulted in a huge cluster of COVID-19 cases in the weeks that followed. Xi has ordered China's media to follow the party line, focus on "positive reporting," and "speak the party's will and protect the party's authority and unity." Ren was berated by state media in 2016 for causing chaos and for failing to stand up for the party, and for "pursuing Western constitutionalism." Reported by Qiao Long and Lau Siu-fung for RFA's Mandarin and Cantonese Services. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie. Ministers vow to fight for Peel bank branch The decision to close two branches of Isle of Man Bank have been branded a mistake and a travesty by two government ministers. Its after news yesterday that the buildings in Castletown and Peel will shut for good early next year (7 January 2021). Geoffrey Boot and Ray Harmer are the Keys representatives for Peel and Glenfaba, as well as members of the Council of Ministers. They told Local Democracy Reporter Chris Cave they will do all they can to ensure the west doesnt lose a vital facility: Media Geoffrey Boot and Ray Harmer on IOM Bank The Bagre Dam which was constructed in 1992 at Bagre a village in Burkina Faso with huge economic potentials to the good people of that country, continues to cause a lot of perineal havoc in some villages, Districts, and Regions of Ghana. The Northern belt including Bawku West, Nabdam, to parts of Northern and North East, pays a heavy price from the spillage. One area that has always been at the center of the discussion is the Kobore bridge which connects the Bawku West District to the Bawku municipality. The bridge and parts of the Bolga Bawku roads are always submerged whenever there is spillage from the Bagre dam, thereby making it difficult for commuters and transport operators to crossed to and fro from Bawku to Bolga through Zebilla. The yearly loss of life, properties, and farm produce since the construction of the Bagre dam and constant spillage is disheartening. The current situation has let to portions of the roads near the Kobore bridge to leaving many transport operators and passengers stranded. The situation is even dire as passengers traveling to neighbouring Burkina Faso and Niger through Bakwu are equally stranded. The devastating impacts on farmers and village settlers are becoming unbearable, as the stand aloof and look helpless, with their farm produce and animals been carried away by the running water. The scenes currently at the site have been long queues of passenger and goods vehicles far away from the bridge. The alternative to access Bawku Municipality from South or any parts such as Tamale, Bolga, Zebilla is to pass through Nalerigu Gambaga en route to Bawku, with exorbitant transport fare. It would be more revealing to make an in-depth analysis of the socio-economic effects of the Bagre dam spillage. If we take a cursory look at the annual ritual of the spillage and its effects one can wonder the rate of devastation since 1992. For instance, let say every year we lose about 10 people; for 28 years now we can say the life lost only could be about 280 people and counting. This is highly unacceptable. The cost of destructions of farm produces, housing, farm animals and other valuables cannot be overemphasis. Focusing on the loss of life, the Ghanaian government has done lips service in investing in interventions that would make it more efficient to contain or easily manage the spillage from the Bagre dam. For almost three decades one would pounder why there is less commitment from our government to addressing this perennial disaster? Although, the current government has cut the sod for the construction of the Pwalungu Multi-purpose dam to help in containing the spillage of the dam, the politics, and reference of government similar initiatives such as the mockery 1 village one dam policy makes the project interventions highly questionable. Though it is a refreshing intervention; a change in government could further defeat the interventions since there is no commitment from the other party. The timing of such a proposal by the government could just be a hoax to secure more votes from the good people of the Upper East Region. We cannot continue to watch helpless and allow our people to die from the spillage of the Bagre Dam. We must as a country demonstrate commitment in allocating more money to addressing the issues of the spillage havoc. We have buried 100s of people since the yearly experience of the spillage, and for that matter, the lives of our people must be prioritized. We must hold the government more accountable and the need to fix the Bolga- Bawku- Pulmakom road and the execution of the Pwalungu Multi-Purpose to contained excess water from the Bagre Dam spillage. This must be of topmost demand and priority to the good people of the affected Region in gauging political parties commitment going into the election 2020. If the government of Burkina Faso a fourth world country could implement such a multi-million-dollar project, a middle-income country like Ghana cannot have an excuse in carrying out a similar or more advance multi-purpose dam project. We have failed the current generation and as we preach sustainable development, let strive to salvage the future generation by correcting the wrongs of today. In the meantime, we must continue to adhere to early warning signs from NADMO, the Media, and allied agencies that are responsible for raising the RED alert to warn of transport operators, farmers, and village settlers along the banks of the river. We must all get involved to minimize the risk of the havoc. #FixedBolga-Bawku-PulmakomRoadNow Author; Tahiru Lukman Youth Activist, Devt Consultant & Pan- African Author Email: [email protected] Tel: 0209154057 / 0551018778 Three personnel of Kolkata Police, including a senior lady officer, was killed when the car by which they were travelling rammed into a stationary truck in West Bengals Hooghly district early on Friday morning. Also read: Facebook alert saves man after suicide bid The dead have been identified as Debasree Chatterjee, Tapas Burman and Manoj Saha. While Chatterjee was the commandant of the Kolkata Polices 12th battalion, Burman was her security guard and Saha was the driver. Around 6.30 am when the vehicle was heading towards Kolkata from Burdwan district, it rammed into a truck from behind. The truck was parked on a side of the Durgapur Expressway, said a police officer. The injured were rushed to a state-run hospital where they were declared dead. The accident took place more than 60 kilometres north of Kolkata. Police said that the truck was parked on the side of the expressway, which did have a metal surface coating, after one of the vehicles tyres had burst. We are trying to find out what caused the accident. It could be that the driver had fallen asleep at the wheel or there could be some malfunction in the car. A forensic analysis will be done, said an officer. Union minister and senior Bihar BJP leader Nityanand Rai on Friday asserted that the NDA will form the government in the state, winning 220 out of the 243 seats in the assembly elections, which are due in October- November. I am confident the NDA will win 220 seats and form the government under the leadership of (Chief Minister) Nitish Kumar," Rai, convenor of the newly-constituted 70- member Bihar election steering committee, told repoters here. A meeting of the committee on Friday was attended by BJP national president J P Nadda, former Maharashtra chief minister and Bihar election in-charge Devendra Fadnavis and Bihar BJP chief Sanjay Jaiswal, among others. Various issues relating to the state and the assembly elections were discussed at the meeting, Rai said. People from all walks of life, especially farmers, the poor and women have immense faith and trust in Prime Minister Narendra Modi We will be fight the polls on the basis of this trust that people have reposed in the PM and the development work done by the state government," he said. Rai, the Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, also said the Bihar governments health department headed by Mangal Pandey has made all arrangements for tackling the COVID-19 pandemic. Technavio has been monitoring the test preparation market in US and it is poised to grow by USD 10.72 bn during 2020-2024, progressing at a CAGR of over 6% during the forecast period. The report offers an up-to-date analysis regarding the current market scenario, latest trends and drivers, and the overall market environment. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200911005025/en/ Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Test Preparation Market in US 2020-2024 (Graphic: Business Wire) Although the COVID-19 pandemic continues to transform the growth of various industries, the immediate impact of the outbreak is varied. While a few industries will register a drop in demand, numerous others will continue to remain unscathed and show promising growth opportunities. Technavio's in-depth research has all your needs covered as our research reports include all foreseeable market scenarios, including pre- post-COVID-19 analysis. Download a Free Sample Report on COVID-19 Impacts Frequently Asked Questions: What are the major trends in the market? Technological advances in test preparation services is a major trend driving the growth of the market. Technological advances in test preparation services is a major trend driving the growth of the market. At what rate is the market projected to grow? The year-over-year growth for 2020 is estimated at 5.75% and the incremental growth of the market is anticipated to be 10.72 bn. The year-over-year growth for 2020 is estimated at 5.75% and the incremental growth of the market is anticipated to be 10.72 bn. Who are the top players in the market? ArborBridge Inc., Cengage Learning Holdings II Inc., Club Z! Inc., Edgenuity Inc., Instructure Inc., Kaplan Inc., McGraw-Hill Education Inc., Pearson Plc, Providence Equity Partners LLC, and TPR Education IP Holdings LLC., are some of the major market participants. ArborBridge Inc., Cengage Learning Holdings II Inc., Club Z! Inc., Edgenuity Inc., Instructure Inc., Kaplan Inc., McGraw-Hill Education Inc., Pearson Plc, Providence Equity Partners LLC, and TPR Education IP Holdings LLC., are some of the major market participants. What are the key market drivers and challenges? The use of analytical tools in test preparations is one of the major factors driving the market. The use of analytical tools in test preparations is one of the major factors driving the market. How big is the University Exam market? The University Exam market will contribute 34% of the market share The market is fragmented, and the degree of fragmentation will accelerate during the forecast period. ArborBridge Inc., Cengage Learning Holdings II Inc., Club Z! Inc., Edgenuity Inc., Instructure Inc., Kaplan Inc., McGraw-Hill Education Inc., Pearson Plc, Providence Equity Partners LLC, and TPR Education IP Holdings LLC. are some of the major market participants. The use of analytical tools in test preparations 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. Test Preparation Market in US 2020-2024: Segmentation Test Preparation Market in US is segmented as below: Product University Exams Certification Exams High School Exams Elementary Exams Other Exams End-user Higher Education K-12 Learning Model Blended Online 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=IRTNTR43435 Test Preparation Market in US 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 test preparation market in us report covers the following areas: Test Preparation Market in US Size Test Preparation Market in US Trends Test Preparation Market in US Industry Analysis This study identifies technological advances in test preparation services as one of the prime reasons driving the Test Preparation Market growth in US 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. Register for a free trial today and gain instant access to 17,000+ market research reports. Technavio's SUBSCRIPTION platform Test Preparation Market in US 2020-2024: Key Highlights CAGR of the market during the forecast period 2020-2024 Detailed information on factors that will assist test preparation market growth in US during the next five years Estimation of the test preparation market size in US and its contribution to the parent market Predictions on upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior The growth of the test preparation market in US Analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information on vendors Comprehensive details of factors that will challenge the growth of test preparation market vendors in US 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 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 University exams Market size and forecast 2019-2024 Certifications exams Market size and forecast 2019-2024 High school Exams Market size and forecast 2019-2024 Elementary exams Market size and forecast 2019-2024 Other exams Market size and forecast 2019-2024 Market opportunity by Product Market Segmentation by End-user Market segments Comparison by End-user Higher Education Market size and forecast 2019-2024 K-12 Market size and forecast 2019-2024 Market opportunity by End-user Market Segmentation by Learning Model Market segments Comparison by Learning Model Blended Market size and forecast 2019-2024 Online Market size and forecast 2019-2024 Market opportunity by Learning Model Customer Landscape Volume driver Demand led growth Market challenges Market trends Vendor Landscape Vendor landscape Landscape disruption Vendor Analysis Vendors covered Market positioning of vendors ArborBridge Inc. Cengage Learning Holdings II Inc. Club Z! Inc. Edgenuity Inc. Instructure Inc. Kaplan Inc. McGraw-Hill Education Inc. Pearson Plc Providence Equity Partners LLC TPR Education IP Holdings LLC 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/20200911005025/en/ Contacts: Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 Email: media@technavio.com Website: www.technavio.com/ mocktails, DIY spa treatments, an organic body polish recipe, and more Spa enthusiasts can now pamper themselves at home with an exclusive El Grito body polish recipe honoring Mexicos Independence Day (September 16th). The DIY treatment is part of a lineup of new Vegan Spa offerings available at SE Spa at the AAA Five Diamond Grand Velas Riviera Maya that also includes mocktail recipes and organic treatments, recently introduced. El Grito is known as The Cry of Dolores, which occurred in Dolores, Mexico, on September 16th, 1810. The occurrence marked the beginning of the Mexican War of Independence. Created by spa director Leticia Fernandez to honor the holiday, the El Grito Organic Body Polish incorporates regionally sourced products from Mexico, such as rose petals, coconut, and aromatic herbs. Along with the El Grito recipe, spa-loving travelers at home can enjoy the below DIY spa treatments and mocktails from Fernandez, featuring healthy ingredients like organic honey, soothing aloe vera, calming lavender, and anti-inflammatory oatmeal, all found at local health food stores. El Grito Organic Body Polish: Ingredients: 1 C crushed rose petals 2 C sugar 2/3 C oil of choice (Fernandez suggests coconut, almond, or lavender) 2 C fine herbs (Fernandez suggests dry rosemary, rue, or basil) Instructions: 1. Combine crushed petals with sugar in a bowl. 2. Add oil of choice and fine herbs. Mix together. 3. Apply to the body with hands in a circular motion. 4. Allow it to stay for 3 minutes then rinse with warm water. Aloe Vera Lemonade Mocktail: Ingredients: 1 leaf Aloe Vera 1 L water 1 T dried oatmeal 5 lemons, juice only 1 peach Instructions: 1. Wash the Aloe Vera leaf. Cut off the spiky edges on the top and alongside the plant and slice off the skin on the flat side. Make sure to wash the skin thoroughly to remove any dirt, debris and latex. 2. Cut into 2 inch pieces. 3. In a blender, pulse Aloe Vera into pulp. Add water, lemon, and oatmeal. 4. Blend until completely mixed then serve. For complete relaxation, one can try out the resort collections Spa Atelier at home. DIY Mandala Workshop aims to inspire individuals to lead a more focused, present life. Using Bougainvillea leaves and aromatic essential oils enhance the experience and encourage ultimate relaxation. Instructions for the workshop can be found here. Inspired by the jungle and natural water pools of the Yucatan Peninsula, SE Spa at Grand Velas Riviera Maya is 90,000 square feet with 40 spa suites. The stone, plants and streams specific to the Riviera Maya landscape were incorporated into the curved, organic design of the two-level spa, set just below ground level to allow a living rock wall with plants and flowers, and even a small stream, to form part of its structure. Included with any treatment 50 minutes or more, the Grand Velas Riviera Maya Water Journey is composed of seven different water experiences, including a sauna, color therapy steam, clay room, ice room, experiences showers, polar pool and experience pool with various water elements. For additional information on Grand Velas Riviera Maya, visit https://rivieramaya.grandvelas.com. About Grand Velas Riviera Maya The AAA Five Diamond Grand Velas Riviera Maya in Mexico is an ultra-luxury all-inclusive. Guests can choose accommodations among oceanfront, ocean view and a Zen-like setting, embraced by the flora and fauna of the Yucatan Peninsulas jungle and mangroves. All 539 suites are more than 1,100 sq. ft., with balconies and some with private plunge pools. Eight restaurants, including five gourmet offerings, present a tour through Mexico, Europe and Asia. Cocina de Autor, at the hands of world-renowned celebrity chefs Bruno Oteiza and Mikel Alonso, holds the AAA Five Diamond Award, the first all-inclusive restaurant in the world to win this prestigious distinction. Included on Forbes Travel Guides list of The Worlds Most Luxurious Spas, SE Spa is known for its authentic Mexican treatments, offerings from around world and signature seven-step Water Journey. Other features include 24-hour Personal Concierge; 24/7 in-suite service; three swimming pools; two fitness centers; water sports; innovative Kids Clubs and Teens Club; and Baby Concierge. The resort offers more than 46,660 square feet of indoor meeting space plus outdoor areas for events. Eduardo Vela Ruiz, founder and president of Velas Resorts, operates Velas Resorts with brother Juan Vela, vice president of Velas Resorts, by his side. Explore tips, recipes, lifestyle and travel trends, and the latest news about Velas Resorts on the digital mag: http://www.velasmagazine.com. Parties and social gatherings could be limited to household members only under the most severe restrictions proposed in the draft Irish Examiner plan, the Living with Covid-19 can reveal. The new plan, due to be unveiled next week, will have five levels of restrictions, with the most severe seeing Ireland returning to full lockdown. It proposes: level 5, the most severe limitations, will see people in the affected area ordered to stay at home and exercise within 5km of their home, similar to the early parts of the national lockdown; level 3 rules would include religious services moving online in the affected area; level 1 would be introduced in areas with low instances of Covid-19 in the community, permitting gatherings in private homes of no more than 10 visitors from three households. The details of the long-awaited nine-month Living with Covid-19 plan were revealed in a document entitled Review of Public Health Measures ahead of its launch next week. It is understood the documents contain 19 separate headings as to how the regulations would operate at different restriction levels. These include social/family gatherings, exercise and sporting events, and religious services. For example, at level 3, religious services would have to move online and places of worship could remain open for private prayer only. At level 1, bars, cafes, restaurants, and wet pubs can open with protective measures, with maximum numbers in restaurants and cafes linked to the capacity of the establishment, with wet-bar capacity limited and robust protective measures in place. At level 5, the document states that pubs can only provide takeaway food or delivery only: wet pubs closed. Dr Ronan Glynn, Acting Chief Medical Officer, Department of Health and Professor Philip Nolan, Chair of NPHET Irish Epidemiological Modelling Advisory Group. Picture: Colin Keegan, Collins Dublin The details emerged as the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) yesterday recommended a reduction in the number of social visitors to people's homes in Dublin to permit only six visitors from two other households, rather than three other households as is currently the case. Government sources said the plan is for the Cabinet to consider NPHETs advice next Tuesday in the context of the new plan. It came as 196 new cases of Covid-19 were notified to the Health Protection Surveillance Centre yesterday. No new deaths were reported. Of the new cases, 107 are in Dublin, 12 in Waterford, 11 in Limerick, eight in Wicklow, seven in each of Meath and Kildare, and six in each of Laois and Westmeath. Acting chief medical officer, Dr Ronan Glynn, urged people to take care to reduce the spread of the virus. By limiting our contacts, we limit the opportunity Covid-19 has to spread through the community and ultimately we protect our families, our communities, and those who are most vulnerable to the severest impacts of the disease, he said. Read More Coronavirus: 196 new cases in Ireland with 107 in Dublin Meanwhile, three new pop-up Covid-19 test centres have been opened in Dublin and Limerick following a surge in referrals from GPs from an average of 5,000 a day previously to 13,000 on Monday and 8,000 on Tuesday. In scenes reminiscent of the early days of the virus, long queues were spotted at the Dublin test centres, as the numbers seeking tests increases. President of the Irish College of General Practitioners, Dr Mary Favier, said GPs have been very busy since schools reopened, with back-to-school runny noses, temperatures, and coughs, but she said most of those tests have come back negative. Separately, a new study by researchers at Nanjing University Medical School in China suggests that the antibody response in patients who have recovered from coronavirus is not typically strong, and declines sharply one month after hospital discharge. Danny Altmann, professor of immunology at Imperial College London, said: Once again, evidence shows that the half-life of these antibodies in the blood is not particularly sustained." The requested page is currently unavailable on this server. Back to [RTHK News Homepage] One of Oregons largest wildfires has grown to over 130,000 acres and is now burning a half-mile outside of Estacada, officials said Friday morning. The Riverside fire one of five Oregon blazes larger than 100,000 acres has prompted immediate evacuation orders for over half of Clackamas County. Residents of Estacada, a small city about 30 miles southeast of Portland, are among those that have been told to leave. The Riverside blaze, like many of the other largest fires burning throughout the state, is uncontained. It has not yet merged with the Beachie Creek fire, which is burning in neighboring Marion County. Marion County Sheriff Joe Kast confirmed Friday that the fire had killed a total of two people, including a 13-year-old boy, his 71-year-old grandmother and two people whose identities have not yet been confirmed. Doug Grafe, chief of fire protection at the Oregon Department of Forestry, said Thursday that authorities fully expect the Beachie Creek blaze to combine with the Riverside blaze. Officials in Lane County confirmed the Holiday Farm fire burning near the McKenzie River had killed at least one person in Vida. Meanwhile, evacuation orders for the fires throughout the state remain in place. During an afternoon news conference Friday, Gov. Kate Brown said more than 1 million acres had burned across the state. She said the deadly wildfires are still raging throughout Oregon, but she also announced the first good fire-related news in days: The weather conditions that fueled the fires' rapid spread have broken, and firefighters report they can tell the difference. However, she said first responders are dealing with reports that dozens of Oregonians are reported missing in Jackson, Lane and Marion counties. Brown clarified that the states assertion that 500,000 people have had to evacuate was wildly inaccurate. The half million figure applies to people in households under any kind of evacuation order, including the mildest Level 1 rating. Fewer than 100,000 Oregonians have been told to evacuate their homes, she indicated. Doug Grafe, chief of fire protection at the Oregon Department of Forestry, said firefighting teams are still battling 16 large fires. Cooler temperatures and more moisture in the air are helping them succeed, he said. He said the better weather is projected to continue for three days and improve even more early next week. Also Friday, the Oregon Public Utility Commission said it will investigate all reports from fire managers regarding power lines being linked to some of the fires. At this point the PUC has no information attributing any specific wildfire to any specific Oregon utility, said PUC Chair Megan Decker. As with every major fire, full investigations will deliver the facts that we need to determine root causes, including information about whether utility lines were a primary ignition source. Decker said the PUC is communicating with fire officials and that utility service providers are working to restore services to Oregonians "where it is safe to do so. Here is the latest on wildfires burning throughout Oregon. This report will be updated as new information emerges Friday. Burned acreage abounds Statewide, the rash of wildfires has burned more than 1 million acres, about twice the yearly average over the past 10 years. Wind and unstable air conditions had made it impossible for firefighters to begin to contain many of the most threatening fires, but a break in the weather Friday started to help in the effort. We have never seen this amount of uncontained fire across our state, Brown said Thursday. Air quality deteriorates Portlands air quality has deteriorated to downright dangerous levels in the past 24 hours -- making it the worst among major cities across the globe. Other parts of Oregon are hampered by heavy smoke, as well, including Lincoln City, Medford, Roseburg, Eugene and Salem. Officials are advising all residents to stay indoors unless absolutely necessary. Clackamas County A wide swath of Clackamas County, including Estacada, is under a Level 3 (go now) evacuation order. The rest of the county, which is reeling from the 130,049-acre Riverside fire, is under less immediate evacuation orders. The fire had moved to a half-mile outside Estacada by Friday morning but remains southeast of the junction of Oregon 211 and 224. Officials said the main head of the fire is six miles southeast of Molalla. Spot fires are also about half-mile from Colton, though the main fire remains four miles away. Resources as of Friday morning were keeping up with new fire growth, said officials, who dont anticipate any changes to evacuation levels though warned the situation remains extremely fluid. Officials said they have received additional resources and, with the way the weather and the winds are behaving, have been able to keep up with new fire growth Friday morning. Firefighters Thursday afternoon had to pull back completely from the blaze for their safety for more than four hours. At that point, the fire was less than two miles away from Estacada. Marion County Two major fires straddling Clackamas and Marion counties are still expected to merge as hot and dry conditions persist, a spokesman for the Oregon State Fire Marshal said Friday. But the spread of the fires near Santiam Canyon has slowed, spokesman Stefan Myers said. On Thursday, firefighters in southern Marion County were able to switch from evacuating people and protecting homes to trying to stop the spread and will continue that work Friday, Myers said. Firefighters have been able to protect historical structures in Silver Falls State Park, he said. The main danger for now is on the north side of the Beachie Creek fire, which is moving toward the Riverside fire in Clackamas County. The area between the two fires has a lot of hot, dry fuel, Myers said, and the two are expected to merge. Firefighters are searching for people who might need to evacuate. The Beachie Creek blaze now covers 182,324 acres and is uncontained. The Lionshead fire, meanwhile, has burned 131,110 acres. Its 5% contained. Residents of Gates, a city of 500 near the border of Marion and Linn counties, said their hometown was all but destroyed. The towns school, as well as the mayors house, were leveled. Mill City, Mehama, Lyons and Detroit are among the areas that have also seen significant damage. A grandmother and grandson who lived near Lyons are the first Oregonians known to have died as a result of the recent wildfires. Wildfire tracker: See all fires in Oregon and across the nation Jackson County Fifty people remained unaccounted for Friday in the aftermath of the Almeda and South Obenchain wildfires burning in Jackson County. Rich Tyler, spokesman for the Oregon State Fire Marshal, stressed the number is fluid and subject to change as officials work to track down displaced residents. This is a snapshot in time, Tyler told The Oregonian/OregonLive on Friday morning. They are still working through the list. This is dynamic. This snapshot in time is going to change in the next hours and as they make phone calls and are in communication with people. Later Friday, a top state official acknowledged that Oregon is preparing for a mass fatality incident. But Andrew Phelps, head of the state Department of Emergency Management, said he had no idea yet of the scope. Firefighters are still working to evacuate people and start to control the fires. Our firefighters are focused on saving lives and we want them to stay focused, Gov. Kate Brown said. Heavy smoke hung like an acrid fog over southern Oregon as the region continues to confront wildfires still burning in the area. Tyler said the Almeda fire, which leveled neighborhoods in Phoenix and Talent, is now 50 percent contained. South Obenchain continues to burn unchecked near the rural communities of Butte Falls and Shady Grove, he said. Wildfires affecting tens of thousands of Oregonians have burned more than 1 million acres, or nearly twice the yearly average over the past 10 years, in just the past week, state officials said. Brown this week warned people to expect massive loss of homes, businesses, other property and human lives. Statewide, it is unclear how many people are unaccounted for as a result of the fires. Seven people have been confirmed to have died. U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden said he has been asking local officials across western Oregon about the number of missing, injured and dead, but has not heard any specifics yet. One of the first steps is identifying the people who simply stayed the night at somebody elses house and are not actually in danger. People obviously are still in the pretty early stages of trying to locate people, Wyden said at the Salem Fairgrounds, one of his stops on a tour of the states fire-stricken areas. At every stop, we are inquiring about that. The Jackson County Sheriffs Office said in a news release Friday afternoon that a southern Oregon man is accused of arson in connection with one of the regions fires. Michael Jarrod Bakkela, 41, has arrested on two counts of arson, 15 counts of criminal mischief and 14 counts of reckless endangerment. The fire Bakkela set is considered to be one of two origins of the Almeda fire, said Oregon State Fire Marshals office spokesman Rich Tyler. The two fires quickly merged, Tyler said. On Tuesday evening, a resident of Phoenix saw a person, later identified as Bakkela, lighting a fire behind their house on Quail Lane, officials said. Because there was an impending blaze, the residents who saw him set the fire had to flee their home, officials said. Fueled by strong winds, the ferocious Almeda wildfire this week torched a path from Ashland through Talent and Phoenix and into the edge of Medford. Officials in Phoenix estimate the fire destroyed 1,000 residences, a mix of mobile or manufactured homes, apartments and homes. Several miles south on Oregon 99, the community of Talent lost an estimated 600 homes. In all, leaders say more than 2,000 residents, many of them elderly and low-income, lost their homes this week. Josephine County The Slater fire has grown to an estimated 140,000 acres as of Friday evening, and has led to evacuations of residents along the Redwood Highway near the California border, as well as all areas of the Oregon Caves National Monument. As of Friday evening, firefighters had made progress in keeping the fire away from towns like Cave Junction and Kerby, but parts of those towns are still under some level of evacuation order. The Josephine County Fairgrounds, at 1451 Fairgrounds Road in Grants Pass, is serving as a temporary evacuation point. Residents of Josephine County can view an evacuation map on the county websites emergency management page. Lane County The Holiday Farm fire has decimated Blue River, where about 800 people live, and ravaged countless other buildings and dwellings along Oregon 126. The fire covers over 156,780 acres and is completely unchecked as of Friday morning. When fire crews went to survey damage near Vida Friday, they discovered a body inside a home on Goodpasture Road, the sheriffs office said. Washington County Fire crews have moved to the mopping up phase in their battle against the Chehalem Mountain/Bald Peak fire in Washington County. The fire is 70% contained, said Cassandra Ulven, spokeswoman for Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue, the lead agency fighting the blaze. Things have significantly improved. Between 500 and 1,000 people left their homes Tuesday and early Wednesday as fierce winds fueled the fire and pushed it south and west. Officials issued a Level 3 mandatory evacuation order early Tuesday evening then were forced to issue a second, expanded order as the fire grew. As the wind has stilled and temperatures dropped largely due to the thick layer of smoke the fires momentum also dropped. Firefighters will continue to work the fire, likely for days. Ulven said. But its mostly mopping up at this point, finding and extinguishing hot spots. Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue had, at the peak, 170 firefighters working the Chehalem Mountain-Bald Peak blaze. As the fire has diminished, the agency has reassigned two crews 12 people and three engines to help in Clackamas County, which is fighting the 130,000 acre Riverside fire. The fire was first reported to have begun near Midway, a tiny, unincorporated area in the heart of the agricultural belt south of Beaverton and Hillsboro. Officials have since determined it started well to the south of Midway closer to the top of the ridge that separates Washington and Yamhill counties. Likewise, officials first estimated that the Chehalem Mountain-Bald Peak fire had scorched 2,000 acres. That number has since been adjusted downward to 875. The cause of the fire remains unknown, Ulven said. Firefighters also continue to make progress on a separate blaze, the Powerline fire near Hagg Lake in western Washington County. Some evacuated residents have been allowed back into their homes, said Sgt. Danny DiPietro, with the Washington County Sheriffs Department. Washington County has significantly stepped up patrols in the vicinity of the PowerLine fire out of concern that thieves could break into empty homes. There are lot of evacuated homes out there, DiPrieto said. Deputies came across men in the vicinity that apparently fueled concerns, DiPrieto said. Its unclear whether deputies suspect them of breaking into unoccupied homes or businesses or whether they were taken into custody. Douglas County: After two days of explosive growth, the Archie Creek fires westward expansion has slowed. The blaze has burned more than 115,000 acres since it was first reported Tuesday. It grew only 8,000 acres last night, which firefighters considered a victory. The tiny city of Glide, population about 2,000, seems to have won a reprieve. Authorities evacuated the community and its immediate environs when it seemed Archie Creek was headed right toward it. Friday, the Douglas County Sheriffs office was lowering evacuation orders and allowing some Glide residents back in their homes. Residents of the Rock Creek area, in the countys northeast, may not be so lucky. The fire went right through there, said Bureau of Land Management spokesperson Cheyne Rossbach. The fire team has no confirmed information about the number of structures damaged or destroyed in the fire. Likewise, it is unclear at this point whether anyone has been injured or killed. Lincoln County: Nearly 240 firefighters worked through the night to gain some control of the Echo Mountain fire in Lincoln County just miles from the Oregon coast. Officials claimed some progress was made as they held the fires perimeter overnight and lifted some evacuation orders in Lincoln City. But the fire remains 0% under control. The east wind that was pushing the fire rapidly on Tuesday has given way to a west wind, which has been very helpful to fire crews," said Ashley Lertora, spokeswoman for the Oregon Department of Forestry, which is leading the effort. The Echo Mountain blaze got started just four miles east of Lincoln City in the rain-soaked Coast Range. The fight has been complicated by the presence of private homes in the area. In the first 24 hours after the blaze was first reported to authorities late Monday, their priority was protecting homes. Lertora said she didnt know whether any homes had been damaged by the blaze. Read more: Jim Ryan and The Oregonian/OregonLive staff Kale Williams, Noelle Crombie, Shane Dixon Kavanaugh, Jayati Ramakrishnan, Mike Rogoway, Sam Swindler, Mark Graves, Dave Killen, Jeff Manning, K. Rambo, Maxine Bernstein and Jamie Goldberg of The Oregonian/OregonLive contributed to this report. In a recent Missouri City press release, Mayor Yolanda Ford blasted Austin news reports and social media comments that detail allegations of financial mismanagement now the focus of a forensic audit by Hutto city officials as appalling and reckless, saying criticism leveled at former Hutto city manager Odis Jones, who now serves as city manager for Missouri City, was part of a smear campaign of politically and racially-motivated attacks directed at Jones because hes Black. The news release came on the heels of recent discussions by Hutto Mayor Doug Gaul and the City Council questioning at least 15 severance agreements with former and current city employees totaling roughly $400,000 made under Jones leadership at Hutto from December 2016 to December 2019. Mayor Ford contends the allegations are baseless and unfair. MORE FROM KRISTI NIX: Missouri City Manager Odis Jones directs criminal investigation into alleged financial misconduct These reports and postings are appalling as the City of Missouri Citys executive search firm Baker Tilly conducted a thorough background check on City Manager Jones prior to Council approving his appointment and all accusations were vetted and disproved, Mayor Ford said in the Sept. 1 release that read: over the past two months, some media outlets and social media networks have reported false, reckless and irresponsible allegations regarding operational, financial and budget decisions City Manager Odis Jones made while he was CEO in Hutto, Texas. Mayor Ford and the City Council approved a hiring agreement naming Jones as Missouri Citys eighth city manager via a narrow four-three vote last July. Controversy fueled by debate over severance agreements The question of whether the severance agreements were authorized by Mayor Gaul and the Hutto City Council has been fiercely debated among Hutto City Council members, some of whom werent yet elected when most or all of the agreements were signed between 2017 and 2019. Jones contends the agreements were approved as part of Huttos budget amendment process. MORNING REPORT: Get the top stories on HoustonChronicle.com sent directly to your inbox I would like to reiterate again that any operational decisions I made while honorably serving the City of Hutto were done with the knowledge and approval of the City Council. This includes all severance agreements, budget amendments and strategic initiatives. I take my oath and ethical obligation as a City Manager very seriously and am offended by these ongoing untruthful and unjustified attacks, Jones said. Jones statement was backed up by now-former city council member Tom Hines who said he had knowledge of the agreements and maintained other members were also aware. I just want everybody to know that Council was aware of these [agreements], Councilmember Tim Hines said during the Aug. 29 council meeting, We were informed. The City Manager and City Attorney were conducting day-to-day business. We did approve all of these through budget amendments throughout the year. MORE FROM KRISTI NIX: Divided Missouri City Council hires new city manager Just two days after Mayor Fords statement was released, Hines unexpectedly announced he was resigning from the city council due to family reasons. My wife has some issues and some challenges, and I need to spend more time with her and help her through those challenges, and dont feel that leaves me enough time to do the duties of the city council, Hines said in a statement released Wednesday, Sept. 3. The Sugar Land Sun reached out to Hines, Mayor Gaul and other members of the Hutto City Council via email Wednesday, Sept. 3, and invited each to respond to the Missouri City press release and Mayor Fords comments. Officials were also encouraged to share their thoughts on a Letter of Recommendation cited in the release sent on Jones behalf as part of the Missouri City hiring process. Signed on Dec. 9, 2019 by then-current Councilmember Hines who at the time served as Mayor Pro Tem and Councilmember Scott Rose along with former Councilmembers Nate Killough and Tim Jordan, the letter offers effusive praise for Jones and his abilities. Mr. Jones performance can only be described as exemplary with unquestionable ethics. As a result of his leadership, work ethic, public finance experience and collaborative consensus building skillswe as a City was able to renew financial stability to local government, acquire a water system for the City that will supply the City with water for the next 100 years, stimulate an explosion of economic growth within the City, and rebuild a Police Department that has endeared trust within our community, the letter said. MORE FROM KRISTI NIX: Congressman Al Green calls for new investigation into deputy-involved shooting Note: Mayor Gaul and other council members did not respond to our request for comment. However, Councilmembers Mike Snyder and Tanner Rose reached out by phone to answer questions but declined to comment for this article. Letter of recommendation triggers heated response Hines sudden resignation left only Councilmember Scott Rose to face the heated and sometimes tearful response from those who spoke and sent emails to be read during the Hutto City Council meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 8. The Missouri City press release and the attached recommendation letter was for many a bombshell revelation as both residents and council members who spoke were seemingly unaware of Councilmember Rose and the others recommendation letter, now widely shared by Hutto residents via email and social media. Do you really think he (Jones) did a great job? Hutto resident Robin Sutton asked, directing her comments toward Rose. We are broke, we are running out of water, this is all a frickin lie...you need to respect the citizens of this town and say Im sorry Im not qualified to do this job anymore. Jones was Huttos city manager until December 2019 when he parted ways with city officials to pursue other opportunities. Because his termination was without cause, the city was obligated to pay Jones a severance worth more than $400,000. In the months that followed, Jones severance payout likely contributed to $2.1 million unplanned budget shortfall that led city officials to lay off one-third of the citys employees. In June, Mayor Gaul and the council approved a $108,000 contract with the accounting firm of Eide Bailley to conduct a forensic audit. A forensic audit is a specialized accounting audit often used to gather evidence from financial records for legal proceedings of various types, including potential criminal charges involving alleged financial mismanagement or suspected illegal activities among other things. Employee layoffs and severance contract payouts paired with new knowledge of Councilmember Roses support for the former city manager triggered outrage during public comments from Hutto resident Jackie Corbiere, who quoted a phrase from Jones recommendation letter and asked Rose why he and the others felt entitled to speak on behalf of city residents. There was no We as a city with anything that went into the decisions made during the time Odis Jones spent demolishing our city. What right did any of you that signed that letter have to represent We as a city? Corbiere asked. Why was Odis Jones put on Administrative leave with pay in December? Jones said he wanted to pursue other opportunities and felt his work in Hutto was done. He was done all right. He was done bankrupting us. Then he walked away with a $412,000-separation package for being done with us. Do you know how many salaries $412,000 pays of the 40 something workers Hutto laid off? MORE FROM KRISTI NIX: Richmond hospital battles COVID-19 to save 'sickest of the sick' Others voiced similar criticisms, including two of Roses fellow council members. Knowing your background with several years in the military and as a livelong public servant, and then discovering youd signed a letter after hearing about some of the things that were done is disappointing, Councilmember Tanner Rose said, directing his comments to Scott Rose. I agree with the citizens that say its time you should resign and do the honorable thing because the black eye that is coming upon us because of some these things, is Im at a loss for words, he said. Councilmember Mike Snyder also voiced harsh criticism. This letter is reckless at best, and at worst is the work of those I call the Hutto Cabal. These four people were on the dais when some of worst decisions in the citys history were made, Snyder said. Currently we are spending hundreds of thousands of dollars trying to right the ship. Councilmember Scott Rose responded by announcing his resignation from the city council as he recanted his support for Jones and apologized for his part in sending the letter of recommendation to Missouri City officials. I signed a letter, and all I can do is own it. I owe an apology to the citizens . . . I let everybody down, Scott said. Mayor: Critics led a politically, racially-motivated 'smear campaign' Continued criticism leveled against Jones and allegations of wrongdoing by Hutto residents and others are now being repeated within the online Missouri City community via various local Facebook pages such as Missouri City Concerns among others. On HoustonChronicle.com: 4 officers fired as HPD releases footage of fatal shooting of Nicolas Chavez Mayor Ford contends the allegations are irresponsible and unfounded. The statements about these merit-less issues are irresponsible and destructive to the lives of many innocent people, including Mr. Jones. The public needs to understand that the Hutto City Council voted unanimously to approve organizational changes that were made under Mr. Joness leadership and those votes included severance packages associated with organizational changes that Councilmembers had full knowledge of. It is completely irresponsible for individuals to continue to make disparaging remarks about Mr. Jones and their actions impact other employees who are still with the city, Ford said the in the Sept. 3 press release, which also contained a section titled: Frequently Asked Questions: Baseless Claims Against City Manager Odis Jones, In the FAQ, city officials dismiss claims a new investigation was warranted. Despite City Manager Jones results-oriented and nationally recognized efforts as a collaborative and seasoned executive with more than two decades of expertise in managing complex governmental operations and economic development organizations, a number of factions, including some in Hutto, have criticized his administration with erroneous and misleading claims and several have urged Missouri City to investigate the allegations, the release said. When Mr. Jones was appointed as City Manager of Hutto in 2016, he became the first African-American CEO of the municipality and was immediately faced with multiple challenges including: an IRS review, an insolvent utility fund, a lack of development in the area, a water crisis and a City that had not balanced its checkbook in seven months, the release said. Missouri City doesnt need to launch an investigation into this unsubstantiated and unfounded smear campaign against City Manager Jones, Mayor Ford said in the release. He has repeatedly been exonerated of these false allegations and it is disturbing that the politically motivated campaigns continue and, for the record, they have been called racially motivated by former and sitting Councilmembers in Hutto. BREAKING NEWS: Get email alerts from Chron.com sent directly to your inbox Fords assertions Jones was the target of politically and racially motivated attacks were repeated by former councilmembers Tom Hines and Scott Rose and others who signed Jones letter of recommendation. Mr. Jones was hired as a change agent by us and during his tenure in this position, Mr. Jones performance can only be described as exemplary with unquestionable ethics. As a result of his leadership, work ethic, public finance experience and collaborative consensus building skillswe as a City was able to renew financial stability to local government, acquire a water system for the City that will supply the City with water for the next 100 years, stimulate an explosion of economic growth within the City, and rebuild a Police Department that has endeared trust within our community. Unfortunately, during his tenure Mr. Jones has also come under political attack as the Council has flipped and the political adversaries of his previous City Council is now in control. He has gracefully took a lot of flak of which has been politically and sometimes racially motivated because of his ethnicity, the letter said. To read the full contents of the Missouri City press release detailing extensive background information including a link to the 2019 letter of recommendation, visit https://www.missouricitytx.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=1276 knix@hcnonline.com LONDON: Oil prices fell for a second day and were on track for a second weekly fall after U.S. stock markets tumbled and U.S. stockpiles rose unexpectedly. Brent was down 12 cents, or 0.3%, at $39.94 a barrel by 0841 GMT, after falling nearly 2% on Thursday, while U.S. crude dropped 3 cents, or 0.1%, to $37.27 a barrel, having fallen 2% in the previous session. Both benchmarks were 6% down for the week. Financial markets are continuing to set the tone, including on the oil market. The renewed slide on U.S. stock markets dragged oil prices down with it," Commerzbank analyst Eugen Weinberg said. Heavyweight tech-related stocks resumed their decline on Thursday as the number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits remained high. Stock markets dived, oil followed, and Brent lost 15% of its value in five trading sessions as money managers liquidated," oil broker PVMs Tamas Varga said. Also dampening the market mood, the U.S. Senate killed a Republican bill that would have provided around $300 billion in new coronavirus aid. Fears about an oversupply also added to the general feeling of uncertainty, Weinberg said. In the United States, stockpiles rose last week, against expectations, as refineries slowly returned to operations after production sites were shut down due to storms in the Gulf of Mexico and the wider region. U.S. crude inventories rose 2 million barrels, compared with forecasts for a 1.3 million-barrel decrease in a Reuters poll. [EIA/S] [ENERGYUSA] In a further bearish sign, traders were starting to book tankers again to store crude oil and diesel, amid a stalled economic recovery as the COVID-19 pandemic continues. Increasing stockpiles are likely to be a subject at a meeting on Sept. 17 of the market monitoring panel of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and allies including Russia. The group known as OPEC+ has been withholding supply to reduce stockpiles, but analysts say the meeting is likely to focus on compliance among members, rather than seek deeper cuts. Following Saudi Arabia, Kuwait also lowered its official selling price to Asia for October, to counter slower demand. 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 federal government announced on Friday that it will fund a $14-million facility in Toronto for people who have COVID-19 who cant isolate at home. The isolation site has been developed and will be operated by Toronto Public Health, and is funded for a year of operations. It can house 140 people at a time, who can isolate for a period of 14 days or longer, as needed. It will open Saturday in a part of the city where people have experienced an elevated risk of exposure, said Dr. Eileen de Villa, Torontos Medical Officer of Health, speaking at a press conference in Toronto. She declined to provide further details, citing privacy concerns for the people who may stay there. Establishing this site marks an important milestone, said de Villa. Its a critical part of our resurgence planning for fall and winter to limit the virus spread and keep residents safer, as we live with COVID-19. Preventing people from transmitting the disease to others in their own homes will also reduce transmission in the broader community, de Villa said. The number of daily new infections in Toronto has been climbing slowly since Stage 3 of reopening began on July 31. The city is preparing for a resurgence of the illness in the fall, as more people move indoors and school resumes. The virus also moves easily between people in the same household. Data has shown that lower-income neighbourhoods have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19, in part because they may live in multi-generational households or homes where there isnt enough space to isolate from others. We know that there are many homes in the city of Torontowhere self-isolating is something that is very difficult to achieve if not impossible, said Mayor John Tory. Eligibility will be determined by Toronto Public Health as part of the contact-tracing process, said de Villa. Admission is voluntary. The facility, in a hotel TPH has taken possession of, is the first of its kind in Canada, said Coun. Joe Cressy, chair of Torontos board of health. The model has been successful in U.S. cities and in China. The Toronto site is expected to follow in the footsteps of a COVID-19 isolation facility in Chicago, set up in a hotel setting and overseen by the Chicago Department of Public Health. Clients experiencing a relatively mild case of COVID-19, who lack an appropriate setting in which to isolate and recover, and who are not in need of additional medical or behavioural health support are given private isolation rooms with bathrooms, television and Wi-Fi. Daily meals are delivered to their door at no cost. The Toronto facility will be open to people who are awaiting results of COVID-19 testing, who have been diagnosed with the disease or are living in circumstances where they cannot isolate from someone in their household who has it. Laundry and cleaning services will also be provided at the Toronto facility. Weve tried to create a comfortable, secure environment so we can help people recover properly from COVID-19, said de Villa. City council approved the creation of a COVID-19 isolation site in July, and sought funding for the facility from Health Canada. Federal health minister Patty Hajdu announced the funding, saying that all levels of government, across party lines, have been working closely together, throughout the pandemic. The goal has been to keep Canadians safe no matter where they live, said Hajdu, adding that the service will be available to other cities as well. Francine Kopun is a Toronto-based reporter covering city hall and municipal politics for the Star. Follow her on Twitter: @KopunF The Bridge at Ooltewah is gearing up for National Assisted Living Week, a week of special activities, from Sept. 13-19. The National Center for Assisted Living sponsors the week each year to celebrate assisted living communities and their residents and associates. This years theme is Caring is EssentiAL. Each day will have a different theme and accompanying programming: Sunday, Sept. 13 Caring through Culture with the launch of a Walk Across America walking program to engage residents and staff in moving and encourage exercise as they track their steps and travel across America. Monday, Sept. 14 Caring through Connection will give residents the opportunity to see and connect with their families and friends with a family parade and much-needed hugs through a Cuddle Curtain, which will provide safe and protective interaction. Tuesday, Sept. 15 Caring with Courage will give residents and staff opportunities to show appreciation to frontline care providers and first-responders. Wednesday, Sept. 16 Caring with Commitment will relaunch the Going the Extra Mile customer service program and focus on celebrating staff members who go above and beyond to fulfill Century Parks mission: to create a fulfilling lifestyle for our residents and a rewarding work environment for our valued associates. Thursday, Sept. 17 Caring through Communication will give residents educational opportunities to learn how to communicate with their loved ones in a virtual world, including Zoom, Google Hangouts, FaceTime and social media. Friday, Sept. 18 Caring with Confidence will focus on provider relationships and the quality care The Bridge at Longmont offers its residents. Saturday, Sept. 19 Caring with Compassion will focus on staff and resident relationships as everyone gathers to end the week on a celebratory note with an outdoor movie, hot dogs with all the fixings and Smores. For more details about the events planned for National Assisted Living Week, call The Bridge at Ooltewah at 423 760-8540. The Bridge at Ooltewah is at 5901 Snow Hill Road. An ordinance is a temporary law made by the President of India (on the advice of the central government) when Parliament is not in session. An ordinance becomes a permanent Act (the law of the land) on being approved by Parliament within six weeks of reassembly. As Parliament convenes amid the Covid-19 pandemic from Monday, it will need to consider and approve ordinances promulgated over the past six months. Since March 24, when the lockdown was imposed, 11 ordinances have been signed by the President. With every session, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is brazenly rewriting the rules of Parliament. Cancel Question Hour, so the Opposition isnt given a chance to hold the government accountable. Slash Zero Hour time by half, from 60 minutes to 30 minutes, to deprive the Opposition of raising issues of importance. Misuse a constitutional tool such as an ordinance to mock Parliament, in a way it hasnt been done in 70 years. Five of the 11 ordinances are broadly related to the outcome of Covid-19, coupled with two in the health sector. All the other ordinances are unrelated to the pandemic, including the Banking Regulation (Amendment) Ordinance, and the three ordinances related to agriculture.These are the 11 ordinances that Parliament will be required to approve in the coming fortnight. Many previous Presidents have raised questions about individual ordinances. The current President, in his wisdom, prefers to go ahead without asking questions. Unchecked, the BJP government has embraced an unfortunate culture of ordinances. Some statistics are revealing. In the first 30 years of our parliamentary democracy, there was one ordinance promulgated for every 10 Bills introduced in Parliament. In the following 30 years, the ratio was two ordinances for every 10 Bills. In the 16th Lok Sabha (2014-19), the number jumped to 3.5 ordinances for every 10 Bills. In the current Lok Sabha it is, so far, 3.3 ordinances to every 10 Bills. Look at it another way. Between 1998 and 2004, when the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance was in office, the government promulgated 9.6 ordinances a year. Between 2004-09 (United Progressive Alliance-I), 7.2 ordinances were issued a year and for UPA-II, it was down to five a year. Between 2014 and 2019, in the first term of the Narendra Modi government, the number shot up to 10 ordinances a year. About 10 ordinances were issued on the eve of the 2019 general election. Clearly, the BJP has a preference for short-circuiting democracy. Ordinances have to be approved by Parliament within six weeks of reassembly. So, is there really a problem, or are we in the Opposition only being sticklers? No, there is a problem. In fact, two problems. One, the BJP government thinks nothing of re-promulgating ordinances that have lapsed. This is a breach of convention and extremely undemocratic. But the Modi government has done it more than once. Two, a bill that seeks post-facto approval for an ordinance is often rushed through the House. The deliberation and fine-tuning, the pre-legislative stakeholder consultations and the committee scrutiny, are important stages in the passage of a law. Ordinances that hurriedly become Bills and then Acts bypass this process. Is the BJP government guilty of pushing laws that it wants in place without adequate parliamentary discussion or scrutiny by Parliament committees? Or while the country is distracted by a pandemic? Consider a few of the recent ordinances. The Banking Regulation (Amendment) Ordinance is a response to the Punjab and Maharashtra Cooperative Bank scandal. There have been two parliamentary sessions since the scandal became public knowledge, and no draft bill was introduced. Similarly, permitting corporate farming, and liberalising agricultural trade regimes as well as produce movement to benefit big retailers, should have been preceded by adequate parliamentary debate. These are significant and controversial decisions. Has care been taken to address the information asymmetry between farmers who sell and big traders and corporations that buy? This could have been scrutinised by a parliamentary committee. The ordinance glosses over it passing itself off as either pandemic relief to farmers or an economic reform. It is neither. The timing of such ordinances is very odd and no coronavirus-related gap is being filled. This problematic ordinance culture has extended to BJP-run states as well. During the lockdown, BJP governments in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat issued ordinances diluting labour laws, without consulting worker unions and civil rights groups. Even the International Labour Organisation advised caution. On March 15, just before the lockdown, the Uttar Pradesh Recovery of Damages to Public and Private Property Ordinance was promulgated. It sought to impose punitive fines on those who damaged public and private properties during protests. This is a law reminiscent of the colonial era. To support and enable the implementation of the Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Ordinance, the central government is pushing states to amend their Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee Acts. This will minimise the role of state market committees and risk creating agricultural cartels of big food businesses and retailers. Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, and Karnataka have acted as per command and promptly promulgated ordinances. Where will this stop? Post Script: There are only three parliamentary democracies in the world that permit the ordinance route India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. The practice in India was adopted from the Government of India Act, 1935, where the viceroy could do as he pleased. In every other country, Parliament has to be convened in order to get a law passed. Derek OBrien is the parliamentary leader of the Trinamool Congress in the Rajya Sabha The views expressed are personal SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Her seemingly endless legs helped catapult her to supermodel status during her illustrious career on the catwalk. And on Thursday Alessandra Ambrosio showed she can still turns heads with her gams when she donned a pair of Daisy Dukes while out taking care of some errands in smoky Beverly Hills and Brentwood. With the remnants of a heatwave and wildfires burning across California apparent in the sky, the Brazilian beauty appeared to be on a mission to update her passport now that she's officially a US citizen. Scroll down to video Leggy: Alessandra Ambrosio Turned heads in Daisy Dukes while out on an errand run in Beverly Hills and Brentwood on Thursday Ambrosio, 39, was spotted walking into at a local passport photo business not too far from from her home in the Brentwood neighborhood of Los Angeles. Along with her Daisy Dukes, she showed off her fashion sense in a white lace patchwork blouse and stylish sandals. Her long brown tresses flowed to the middle of her back with plenty of volume and a center part as she carried a small brown leather purse over her shoulder. And in accordance to health and safety protocols amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the GAL Floripa lifestyle brand co-founder wore a protective mask whenever she was in the vicinity of people. Stunner: Along with her Daisy Dukes, the former supermodel showed off her fashion sense in a white lace patchwork blouse and stylish sandals Making it legal: The Brazilian-born beauty stopped by a local passport business, which comes six days after she reportedly became a US citizen Safety first: The 39-year-old also wore a protective mask whenever she was in the vicinity of people on the street, in accordance to COVID-19 protocols It appeared as though Ambrosio was updating her passport identification documents, perhaps with a new photo, six days after she reportedly became a US citizen that included a trip to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services in Downtown LA. She later celebrated by buying various red-white-and-blue party favors for a party at her home which is near the beaches of Santa Monica and Malibu. The longtime Victoria's Secret Angel has lived in the States for about two-decades, having had to move to New York City to kick off her successful modeling career as a teenager. Catwalk queen: Ambrosio was a longtime Victoria's Secret Angel Business suave: The GAL Floripa lifestyle brand co-founder has transitioned into a successful entrepreneur Errand run: Eventually Ambrosio hopped into her SUV and was on her way to another stop Ambrosio's Thursday also included working out her famously fit figure during a hike along some woodsy trails, despite the dangerous air quality warnings in LA. 'My face at 10:43,' she wrote across a quick video she shared on her Instagram Story, in reference to the morning hour. For the clip, she had a cartoon finger added in to point at herself and her #Together mask. Lung-damaging ozone pollution reached its highest levels in a generation over the Labor Day weekend due to the combination of the major wildfires burning and the extreme heat of late, according to the Los Angeles Times. Working it: Ambrosio's Thursday also included working out her famously fit figure during a hike along some woodsy trails, despite the dangerous air quality warnings in LA President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump walk with Ed Root and his wife, Nancy, to lay a wreath at a 19th anniversary observance of the Sept. 11 terror attacks, at the Flight 93 National Memorial in Shanksville, Pa., on Friday. Ed Root's cousin was flight attendant Lorraine Bay. Read more NEW YORK Americans commemorated 9/11 on Friday as another national crisis, the coronavirus, reconfigured ceremonies and a presidential campaign carved a path through the memorials. In New York, victims' relatives gathered Friday morning for split-screen remembrances at the World Trade Centers Sept. 11 memorial plaza and on a nearby corner, set up by separate organizations that differed on balancing tradition with virus safety. Standing on the plaza, with its serene waterfall pools and groves of trees, Jin Hee Cho said she couldnt erase the memory of the death of her younger sister, Kyung, in the 2001 terrorist attack that destroyed the trade centers twin towers. Its just hard to delete that in my mind. I understand theres all this, and I understand now that we have even COVID, said Cho, 55. But I only feel the loss, the devastating loss of my flesh-and-blood sister. Around the country, some communities canceled 9/11 ceremonies, while others went ahead, sometimes with modifications. The Pentagons observance was so restricted that not even victims' families could attend, though small groups could visit its memorial later in the day. On an anniversary that fell less than two months before the presidential election, President Donald Trump and Democratic challenger Joe Biden both headed for the Flight 93 National Memorial in the election battleground state of Pennsylvania at different times of day. Biden also attended the ceremony at ground zero in New York, exchanging a pandemic-conscious elbow bump with Vice President Mike Pence before the observance began. In short, the 19th anniversary of the deadliest terror attack on U.S. soil was a complicated occasion in a maelstrom of a year, as the U.S. grapples with a pandemic, searches its soul over racial injustice and prepares to choose a leader to chart a path forward. Still, families say its important for the nation to pause and remember the hijacked-plane attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people at the trade center, at the Pentagon outside Washington and in a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, on Sept. 11, 2001 shaping American policy, perceptions of safety, and daily life in places from airports to office buildings. People could say, Oh, 19 years. But Ill always be doing something this day. Its history, said Annemarie DEmic, who lost her brother Charles Heeran, a stock trader. She went to the alternative ceremony in New York, which kept up the longstanding tradition of in-person readers. Speaking at the Pennsylvania memorial, Trump recalled how the planes crew and passengers tried to storm the cockpit as the hijackers as headed for Washington. The heroes of Flight 93 are an everlasting reminder that no matter the danger, no matter the threat, no matter the odds, America will always rise up, stand tall, and fight back, the Republican president said. Biden visited the memorial later Friday, laid a wreath and greeted relatives of victims including First Officer LeRoy Homer. Biden expressed his respect for those aboard Flight 93, saying sacrifices like theirs mark the character of a country. This is a country that never, never, never, never, never, never gives up, he said. At the Sept. 11 memorial in New York hours earlier, Biden offered condolences to victims' relatives including Amanda Barreto, 27, and 90-year-old Maria Fisher, empathizing with their loss of loved ones. Bidens first wife and their daughter died in a car crash, and his son Beau died of brain cancer. Biden didnt speak at that ceremony, which customarily doesnt let politicians make remarks. Pence went on to the separate ceremony, organized by the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation, where he read the Bibles 23rd Psalm. His wife, Karen, read a passage from the Book of Ecclesiastes. For the families of the lost and friends they left behind, I pray these ancient words will comfort your heart and others, said the vice president, drawing applause from the audience of hundreds. Formed in honor of a firefighter killed on 9/11, the foundation felt in-person readers were crucial to the ceremonys emotional impact and could recite names while keeping a safe distance. By contrast, recorded names emanated from speakers placed around the memorial plaza. Leaders said they wanted to keep readers and listeners from clustering at a stage. As in past years on the plaza, many readers at the alternative ceremony added poignant tributes to their loved ones' character and heroism, urged the nation not to forget the attacks and recounted missed family milestones: How I wish you could walk me down the aisle in just three weeks, Kaitlyn Strada said of her father, Thomas, a bond broker. One reader thanked essential workers for helping New York City endure the pandemic, which has killed at least 24,000 people in the city and over 190,000 nationwide. Another reader, Catherine Hernandez, said she became a police officer to honor her familys loss. Other victims' relatives, however, werent bothered by the switch to a recording at the ground zero ceremony, which also drew hundreds. I think it should evolve. It cant just stay the same forever, said Frank Dominguez, who lost his brother, Police Officer Jerome Dominguez. The Sept. 11 memorial and the Tunnel to Towers foundation also tussled over the Tribute in Light, a pair of powerful beams that shine into the night sky near the trade center, evoking the twin towers. The 9/11 memorial initially canceled the display, citing virus safety concerns for the installation crew. After the foundation vowed to put up the lights instead, the memorial changed course with help from its chair, former Mayor Mike Bloomberg, and Gov. Andrew Cuomo. The lights again went on at dusk Friday. Tunnel to Towers, meanwhile, arranged to display single beams for the first time at the Shanksville memorial and the Pentagon. The anniversary has become a day for volunteering, with the 9/11 National Day of Service and Remembrance organization encouraging people this year to make donations or take other actions from home because of the pandemic. ___ Contributing to this report were Associated Press journalists Alexandra Jaffe and Ted Shaffrey in New York, Darlene Superville in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, and Mark Scolforo in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The love child of the former king of Belgium is seeking the same rights and titles as her father's legitimate children via the courts. Delphine Boel, 52, is the child of the former Belgian King Albert II. The ex-royal admitted he was her father in January of this year after he had fought the paternity claim for over a decade. The mother of artist Delphine, Baroness Sybille de Selys Longchamps, claims that she had an affair with Albert, 86, before he became king. Delphine Boel, the love child of the abdicated Belgian king, Albert II, who is asking the courts to grant her the same rights as his other children The former Belgian King Albert II who is the father of the artist Delphine Boel Rumours of a royal scandal first sprang up in 1999 due to claims of an illegitimate child in an unauthorised biography about Albert's wife, Queen Paola. The former king had never made any public statement on the allegations, except for a cryptic statement in his 1999 Christmas message in which he said he and Queen Paola lived through a 'crisis' in the late 1960s that almost wrecked their marriage, but that 'a long while ago' they overcame their marital problems. The BBC said that Miss Boel initially alleged on record that King Albert was her biological father in 2005 during an interview. After that, she repeatedly stated that she was the King's daughter and used it as a theme in some of her professional artwork. While Albert was on the throne, he could not be compelled to appear in court - limiting Miss Boel's chances of proving her case. However, she began court proceedings in 2013 when he abdicated from the throne and lost his royal immunity. Miss Boel's lawyer, Marc Uyttendaele, said on Thursday that she is seeking the same rights as Albert's three other children - Philippe, now King of Belgium, Prince Laurent and Princess Astrid. Mr Uyttendaele told the BBC: 'Delphine's position isn't that she wants or doesn't want to be princess. 'She doesn't want to be a cut-price child, she wants to have exactly the same privileges, titles and capacities as her brothers and her sister.' A previous lawyer said that Miss Boel was not motivated by money, since she was better off as a Boel - an family of industrialists worth around $1billion. Delphine Boel (centre), the love child of Belgium's former king, is seeking the same rights as Albert II's other children Baroness Sybille de Selys Longchamps, mother of Delphine Boel, with Baron Dieter von Malsen Ponickau King Philippe of Belgium who followed his father onto the throne Princess Astrid, daughter of the former king Albert II, and his youngest son Prince Laurent Lifeline of of the former King Albert He was born in 1934 as the second in line to the throne, the son of the wartime King Leopold III and Swedish princess Astrid. Astrid died in a car crash when Albert was 15 months old, and Albert fled the country when it was occupied by the Nazis during World War II, eventually returning to Belgium in 1950. In 1959 he married the Italian Donna Paola Ruffo di Calabria and the pair remain married to this day despite Albert's acknowledgement of marital difficulties between the two. They have three children together: Philippe, Astrid and Laurent, and Albert finally admitted earlier this year that Delphine Boel is his biological daughter. Albert ascended to the throne in 1993 after the death of his brother King Baudouin, who had no children with his wife Queen Fabiola. He served as monarch of Belgium for two decades, mostly occupying a ceremonial role although stepping in with a constitutional role during Belgium's long political stalemate in 2010-11. In 2013, he handed over the throne to his son Philippe, saying his age and health meant he could not properly perform his duties. Advertisement It has been suggested that if the court rules in her favour that Miss Boel's children will be eligible for a royal title. But Albert's legal team claim that Miss Boel can only be given the title princess by royal decree and not by a court. Baroness Longchamps says that her affair, with the then Prince Albert of Liege, started in 1966 and ran until 1984. She adds that he was a regular presence during the early years of Miss Boel's life. Longchamps divorced the claimant's legal father, Jacques Boel, in 1978 and Belgian media reports claimed that he had disinherited his daughter because of the embarrassment that the scandal had caused to the family. Albert married Queen Paola, or Paola Ruffo di Calabria as she was then known, in 1959 and the Italian princess was long seen as bringing a dash of glamour to the Belgian royal family. On one occasion she was not allowed into the Vatican in 1969 because she wore a miniskirt, while in Rome she was seen driving around on motor scooters. Albert only came to the Belgian throne following the unexpected death of his brother King Baudouin in 1993 aged 62. A renowned bon viveur, he was popular with both people and politicians for his easy going style and was seen as a unifying factor in the linguistically divided country. He remained on the throne until he cited ill health in July 2013 and abdicated in favour of his son Philippe. In 2018, a Brussels court ordered Albert to submit to a genetic sample in order to finally decide the matter. He finally submitted to the test in 2019 after he was faced with fines of 5,000 (4,600) for every day that he refused to comply. In January 2020, Albert's lawyer revealed the test results - which proved the former King was Miss Boel's biological father. Miss Boel's lawyer said at the time that 'her reaction was one of relief, emotion but also shows a wound that will not heal.' He told RTL television that: 'Her life has been a long nightmare because of this quest for identity.' Delphine Boel and her solicitor Marc Uyttendaele outside court following the latest hearing The King of Belgium is a constitutional monarch who largely plays a ceremonial role in affairs. However, he was forced to make rare political interventions during a long period of political stalemate in the country in 2010 and 2011. The royals have also faced criticism especially when it emerged that Queen Fabiola, the widow of Baudouin, had planned to pass on an estate in Spain using a trust to avoid paying tax. The reports caused the Belgian government to reform the system of allowances and taxation for members of the monarchy. Queen Paola, now 83, has also had a less public role since Albert abdicated in Philippe's favour. King Philippe is seen by many as a more reserved character than his father. He told a Belgian astronaut in 1992 that he should address him simply by his first name. 'I think there is absolutely no protocol in space,' he said. Next in line to the throne is 18-year-old Princess Elisabeth, daughter of Philippe and Queen Mathilde. The royal family announced this year that Elisabeth would enter the Royal Military School in Brussels to help prepare her for royal duties. She was previously studying in Wales at the Atlantic College in the Vale of Glamorgan, taking an International Baccalaureate. New Jersey officials on Friday reported nine more deaths attributed to the coronavirus and 518 new positive tests, marking the second straight day the state announced more than 500 new cases in one day. The states rate of transmission dropped slightly, to 1.08, but remained above the critical benchmark of 1 that shows the outbreak is expanding. Of the newly reported deaths, four occurred in the last five days, while the other five happened more than two months ago and have just been confirmed, Gov. Phil Murphy said as he announced the new figures during his latest coronavirus briefing in Trenton. Murphy released the numbers on the same day the nation is commemorating the 19th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Those attacks killed 2,753 people in New York City and 2,977 overall, when hijacked planes slammed into the twin towers, the Pentagon and a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania. Among the victims were 704 New Jersey residents. We were knocked down 19 years ago today, but we got back up and showed the world how our nation even when in shock and stricken with grief comes together, Murphy said. And perhaps, with everything we have been facing over these past six months, this is the most pertinent of anniversaries, because we are now forced to marshal that inner strength again. New Jersey, a densely populated state of 9 million residents and early coronavirus hotspot, has now reported 195,888 total coronavirus cases out of more than 3.11 million tests in the more than six months since the state announced its first case March 4. Thats the eighth most of any U.S. state. The state has reported 16,023 deaths related to COVID-19 14,234 lab-confirmed and 1,789 considered probable in that time. New Jersey has the nations highest COVID-19 death rate per 100,000 residents. More than 34,200 residents have recovered from the illness, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University, though the actual number is likely much higher. New Jersey has seen its daily numbers drop significantly since peaking in April, when officials regularly announced hundreds of new deaths and thousands of new cases a day. The state has seen new deaths hover around 10 and new cases in the 300s or 400s over the last few weeks. But Thursday marked the first time official reported more than 500 new cases since Aug. 12. The number of deaths in New Jersey related to COVID-19 could surpass the 16,200 annual deaths from cancer the state has averaged which would make the virus the states No. 2 killer, after heart disease, according to mortality data from the state Department of Health. Deaths this year in four New Jersey counties have already exceed those typically seen in an entire year. TRANSMISSION RATE New Jerseys 1.08 transmission rate is slightly down from the 1.09 announced Thursday. The number has been above 1 for a week but has dropped the last two days. Any number above 1 means each newly infected person, on average, is spreading the virus to at least one other person. Any number below 1 means the virus is decreasing. The states most recent daily positivity rate the percentage of residents who test positive in a single day was 2.6% on Sept. 7, the date with the most recent available data. Murphy called on people to cooperate with contact tracers because the state is still seeing hundreds of cases a day. While were generally still among the very best states in America, we are not out of the woods, he said. The daily positivity for tests from September 7th was 2.6%. The statewide rate of transmission is 1.08. pic.twitter.com/PxhMj3Nl22 Governor Phil Murphy (@GovMurphy) September 11, 2020 HOSPITALIZATIONS There were 482 patients with COVID-19 or under suspicion for it across New Jerseys 71 hospitals Thursday night. Thats 47 more than the night before. Of those patients, 240 tested positive for the virus, while 242 were under investigation while awaiting results. Meanwhile, 81 of those patients were in critical or intensive care (19 more than the night before), including 36 on ventilators (the same as the night before). New Jerseys COVID-19 hospitalizations have dropped dramatically since the states peak in mid-April, when there were more than 8,000 patients. CONCERN ABOUT CASES AMONG YOUNG PEOPLE Officials said theyre concerned about cases climbing among younger residents, with those aged 19 to 24 now having the states highest positivity rate 6%, state Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli noted during Fridays briefing. The second-highest, she said, is residents aged 14 to 18, at 4%. Persichilli said the reason may be summer parties and back-to-school parties. Theyre helping to drive transmission, she said, while also noting that there are increasing cases among college students, largely from those who have returned to off-campus housing. We know young people want to socialize, Persichilli said. But it must be done safely. This comes just after a new academic year started in New Jersey, with some K-12 schools having in-person classes, others being all-remote, and some having a mixture. At least three public school districts had to change plans for in-person classes due to student infections. Persichilli said the state is not aware of any COVID-19 cases that have been transmitted in K-12 schools. Though some students and staff have tested positive for the virus, Persichilli said, it is not related to school attendance. On average, the virus has been more deadly for older residents, especially those with pre-existing conditions. Nearly half the states COVID-19 deaths have been of residents 80 and older. Broken down by age, those 30 to 49 years old make up the largest percentage of New Jersey residents that have caught the virus (31.2%), followed by those 50-64 (26.8%), 18-29 (15.6%), 65-79 (13.4%), 80 and older (9.3%), 5-17 (2.9%), and 0-4 (0.6%). But, on average, the virus has been more deadly for older residents, especially those with pre-existing conditions. Nearly half the states COVID-19 deaths have been of residents 80 and older (47.1%), followed by those 65-79 (32.3%), 50-64 (15.9%), 30-49 (4.3%), 18-25 (0.4%), 5-17 (0%), and 0-4 (0%). At least 7,127 of the states COVID-19 deaths have been of residents and staff members at nursing homes and other long-term care facilities. Still, officials warn that younger people could still pass the virus to older residents. CORONAVIRUS RESOURCES: Live map tracker | Newsletter | Homepage New Jersey is currently in Stage 3 of its gradual reopening from coronavirus restrictions, with gyms, movie theaters, indoor performing arts venues, and indoor dining at bars and restaurants permitted to reopen last week with capacity limits and restrictions. Murphy has said hes watching the states numbers closely in the wake of those steps and has said he could tighten guidelines if there are sustained increases or if businesses and patrons dont comply with the rules. The virus has taken a major toll on the states economy. More than 1.56 million residents have filed for unemployment, businesses have lost untold revenue, and numerous businesses have closed permanently. Meanwhile, New Jersey is still calling on travelers from 34 states and one U.S. territory that qualify as coronavirus hotspots to voluntarily self-quarantine for 14 days after arriving. That includes residents returning home from a trip. CORONAVIRUS CASES IN EACH COUNTY Here are the latest county-by-county breakdowns of confirmed cases and fatalities as of early Friday, according to the state coronavirus tracking website: Atlantic County: 3,849 positive test results (9 new), 242 confirmed deaths, 11 probable deaths Bergen County: 21,894 positive test results (40 new), 1,797 confirmed deaths, 243 probable Burlington County: 6,641 positive test results (23 new), 446 confirmed deaths, 39 probable Camden County: 9,413 positive test results (34 new), 542 confirmed deaths, 53 probable Cape May County: 949 positive test results (3 new), 87 confirmed deaths, 7 probable Cumberland County: 3,663 positive test results (14 new), 149 confirmed deaths, 8 probable Essex County: 20,591 positive test results (23 new), 1,892 confirmed deaths, 229 probable Gloucester County: 3,945 positive test results (43 new), 216 confirmed deaths, 7 probable Hudson County: 20,329 positive test results (27 new), 1,352 confirmed deaths, 160 probable Hunterdon County: 1,245 positive test results (8 new), 71 confirmed deaths, 54 probable Mercer County: 8,455 positive test results (17 new), 597 confirmed deaths, 36 probable Middlesex County: 18,703 positive test results (54 new), 1,221 confirmed deaths, 202 probable Monmouth County: 11,043 positive test results (52 new), 768 confirmed deaths, 92 probable Morris County: 7,603 positive test results (15 new), 686 confirmed deaths, 145 probable Ocean County: 11,598 positive test results (56 new), 970 confirmed deaths, 64 probable Passaic County: 18,579 positive test results (28 new), 1,105 confirmed deaths, 143 probable Salem County: 1,003 positive test results (0 new), 83 confirmed deaths, 6 probable Somerset County: 5,508 positive test results (16 new), 494 confirmed deaths, 74 probable Sussex County: 1,416 positive test results (0 new), 161 confirmed deaths, 37 probable Union County: 17,267 positive test results (32 new), 1,188 confirmed deaths, 166 probable Warren County: 1,412 positive test results (1 new), 158 confirmed deaths, 13 probable GLOBAL NUMBERS As of early Friday afternoon, there have been more than 28.26 million positive COVID-19 tests across the world, according to a running tally by Johns Hopkins University. Almost 911,200 people have died, while more than 19.04 million people have recovered. The United States has the most positive tests in the world, at more than 6.41 million, and the most deaths, at more than 192,300. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Brent Johnson may be reached at bjohnson@njadvancemedia.com. Len Melisurgo may be reached at lmelisurgo@njadvancemedia.com. It was the second day of school. Until 3pm it had been a good day, everything had gone well, remembers the principal of the Republica del Uruguay public school in Madrid, who preferred not to give his name. When he opened the doors of the school, which had been closed for nearly six months due to the coronavirus pandemic, he knew that sooner or later something could happen. The school is located in the southern district of Latina, very near Carabanchel, which is one of the areas hardest hit by the Covid-19 crisis in Madrid. The 14-day cumulative incidence of the virus in Carabanchel is at 779.5 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, significantly higher than the citys average of 590.4 cases. On any given day, one of the 500 infant and primary school children, or the 30-something teachers at the center, could contract Covid-19. What I wasnt expecting is that it would happen so soon, nor was I expecting the tremendous irresponsibility of the parents, he says. They [parents] have brought children to school with lice, with a fever, directly from the hospital but I didnt expect a mother to bring her daughter to school knowing that she was waiting for the results of a Covid-19 test and knowing that it could be positive. The mother was completely aware, explains the principal, who has been in charge of what he describes as a troubled school for two years. He thought that by now he could no longer be surprised by parents' actions, but he was wrong. On both days, the students temperature was taken, but she had no symptoms at all According to the principal, when the mother came to pick up her daughter at 3pm, she did not tell him that her child had tested positive for Covid-19, but instead spoke to the cafeteria monitor. She told her [the cafeteria monitor] that her daughter was not going to class the next day because she had just found out that she had the coronavirus, he says. When the school principal called the mother, he was shocked by what she said. The mother confessed that her daughter had been tested for Covid-19 because the girl had been living with positive cases. How could you bring the girl to school in these circumstances? he asked the mother. According to the principal, she replied: Well we didnt know for sure if she had it, it could have gone either way. The girl, whose grade wont be revealed to protect her privacy and that of the other students affected, went to school on the first and second day of class with complete normality. On both days, her temperature was taken, but according to the principal, she had no symptoms at all. No testing The principal immediately called public health and inspection departments, as well as the head of DAT Sur, which oversees education matters in the schools area. According to the public health office, it wasnt necessary to put the class in quarantine, given that our groups are in bubbles, we meet all the regulations and it is a very isolated and controlled case. But the department left it up to the principal to make the final call: I made the decision, I quarantined the class, he says. The Covid-19 coordinator at the school was tasked with calling all the affected parents to explain the situation. Only 16 to 17 students are in each class and many parents are not bringing their children out of fear, says the principal. As for whether the classmates have also been tested, he replies: We have given all their information to the public health department and thats where our role ends. Two teachers at a school in Vallecas recently tested positve for Covid-19 A spokesperson for the Madrid health department said that the parents of the infected students classmates would be contacted and given an appointment to take their children to the doctor for a PCR test. But Nuria, the mother of one of the children affected, told the Spanish radio station Cadena SER that her child had not been tested for Covid-19 even though its stipulated in the protocol. They just told us to stay at home and to notify them if the children have any compatible symptoms, she said. Another parent confirmed that nobody had given them an appointment for a PCR test, either. The school principal confirmed that the teacher of the girls class has not been told to quarantine or even been tested. They [health services] say that since he was wearing a face mask at all times, and was washing his hands..., he says, adding that he personally believes the teacher should be off work. This is the first known case of a student with a confirmed coronavirus infection in Madrid since schools began to reopen last Friday. It comes after a primary school class at the French Lyceum was quarantined as a preventive measure due to a suspected coronavirus case; and news that a principal of a childrens school, as well as two teachers at a school in Vallecas, had tested positive for Covid-19. According to Spains Education Minister Isabel Celaa, 53 cases have been detected in 28,600 educational centers across the country. The principal, who spoke to EL PAIS at 8.30am on Thursday, as students were arriving at school, did not know how parents were going to react to the news. There are television cameras at the school gates, and he fears that tension will be running high. When I spoke to a mother yesterday to tell her she had to bring her son to school or he would be marked absent, she asked me if I wanted to kill her child. So imagine what it might be like today. What does the protocol say The decision to quarantine a class depends on how it is configured. The protocol sent to schools differentiates between stable groups (a maximum of 20 students, who do not interact with other groups) and unstable groups (more than 20 students, but separated by more than 1.5 meters). If a coronavirus case is confirmed in a stable group, the class must be quarantined for 14 days. If it is an unstable group, the quarantine will only affect close contacts (except for those that have contracted Covid-19 in the past six months). The rest of the class will continue as normal. A close contact refers to any student who, two days before the infected individual began to experience symptoms and up until their isolation, was within two meters of them, without a face mask, for more than 15 minutes. In the case of children aged between six and 11, all students are considered close contacts regardless of whether they were wearing masks. With respect to teaching staff, the decision to quarantine is made on a case-by-case basis. A student must quarantine for 14 days, starting from the last day of contact with the infected case, even if they test negative. A coronavirus outbreak at a school is defined as three or more related cases. If outbreaks are detected in several classrooms, or if there is a degree of uncontrolled transmission between different groups, an entire grade or the whole school could be closed. English version by Melissa Kitson Indian and Chinese armies are expected to hold Corps Commander-level talks early next week with a focus on implementing provisions of a five-point roadmap agreed by the two countries to ease tensions and speed up the disengagement of troops in eastern Ladakh, government sources said on Friday. India and China reached an agreement to resolve their border row at a meeting between External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Moscow on Thursday evening on the sidelines of a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation meet. The sources said the Indian Army will keenly observe Chinese military's overall approach along the Line of Actual Control in eastern Ladakh in the next few days to make an assessment of their seriousness in easing tension in sync with the agreement on five points. The agreement included measures like quick disengagement of troops, avoiding action that could escalate tensions, adherence to all agreements and protocols on border management and steps to restore peace along the LAC. It also mentioned that the two sides should expedite work to conclude "new confidence building measures" to enhance peace and tranquillity in the border areas. However, the agreement has not mentioned any timeline for disengagement of troops. It is learnt that Chief of Army Staff Gen MM Naravane deliberated on the overall situation in Ladakh as well as on the provisions of the agreement with top military officials in the Army headquarters. Separately, the two armies held another round of Brigade Commander-level talks in Chushul from 11 am to 3 pm on Friday with a focus on bringing down tensions in the face-off sites, sources said. "The Corps Commander-level talks are expected to be held early next week. It will definitely discuss the new agreement on resolution of the border row," said a source. The five-point consensus came days after a fresh confrontation between the two armies earlier this week in eastern Ladakh triggered a massive military build up by both sides in almost all friction points along the LAC. The Indian Army and the Chinese People's Liberation Army have been locked in a tense standoff in multiple areas along the LAC in eastern Ladakh since early May. Shots were fired across the LAC on Monday for the first time in 45 years with the two sides accusing each other of firing in the air. In the five rounds of corps commander-level talks, the Indian side has been insisting on immediate restoration of status quo ante in all areas of eastern Ladakh prior to April. The face-off began on May 6. The sources said India will not lower its guard and will maintain the current state of very high-level of combat readiness in eastern Ladakh till there are visible changes in the ground situation. Separately, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and top military brass on Friday deliberated on the agreement reached at Jaishankar-Wang talks. The deliberation was attended by National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Chief of Defence Staff Gen Bipin Rawat, Gen Naravane, Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria and Navy Chief Admiral Karambir Singh among others. The meeting also carried out a comprehensive review of the security scenario in eastern Ladakh in view of fresh confrontation by two sides in the southern bank of Pangong lake earlier this week. At the Jaishankar-Wang talks, the Indian delegation highlighted its strong concern over amassing of troops and military equipment by China along the LAC besides referring to "provocative behaviour" by Chinese army personnel at numerous incidents of friction, government sources said. They said the Chinese side could not provide a credible explanation for the troops buildup. The Indian side insisted that the immediate task is to ensure a comprehensive disengagement of troops in all the friction areas and that it is necessary to prevent any untoward incident in the future, the sources said. In the last few days, the Army further bolstered its dominance over a number of strategic heights overlooking key Chinese-held positions around Pangong lake area. The sources said additional reinforcements have been made in hill tops and strategic locations around Pangong lake to keep a hawk-eye vigil on Chinese-held position of Finger 4. The mountainous spurs in the area are referred to as Finger. China has been holding onto Finger 4 to 8 on the north bank of Pangong lake, the sources said. New Delhi: A court here has directed Delhi Police to sensitise investigating officers (IOs) about the diligence to be maintained in riots cases after a factually false statement was submitted before it in a case related to the communal violence in northeast Delhi in February. The false statement was filed by an IO in his reply to a bail application of a man arrested in the case related to ransacking of a shop during the riots in Jyoti Nagar area. The police had stated in its reply that there was an eyewitness who had seen accused Yogender Singh at the scene of the crime, but the court found from the charge sheet that the witness nowhere has identified Singh at all and only Head Constable Ravinder identified him. Additional Sessions Judge Amitabh Rawat granted bail to Singh on furnishing a bail bond of Rs 30,000 with a surety of like amount and said the IO has to be careful in what he wrote. The reply of the IO had stated that Aslam was an eye witness who has given a statement under section 161 (examination of witness by police) Code of Criminal Procedure that he has seen accused Singh at the scene of the crime while entering his house. The assertion in the reply is factually false as reflected in the charge sheet. The Investigating Officer has to be careful in what he writes. Copy of this order be sent to the Joint Commissioner of Police (Eastern Range), Delhi, so that the Investigating Officers are sensitised about the importance of the reply and the diligence to be maintained in all cases and particularly in riots cases, the court said in its order passed on September 10. It further said complainant Gulfam, whose shop was allegedly ransacked by the mob of rioters, was not an eyewitness to the incident. The prosecution has relied upon the statement of an eye witness Mohd Aslam, identifying Singh, however on perusal of the charge sheet, the witness nowhere has identified the present accused at all. Only Head Constable Ravinder has identified him. Considering the period of incarceration, the fact that the charge sheet has been filed and in the totality of the facts and circumstances of the case, bail application stands allowed, it said. It further directed Singh to not leave the jurisdiction of Delhi/NCR or indulge in any kind of criminal activity. The court said Singh should not tamper with evidence and attend court on every date of hearing or as directed. During the hearing, Singhs counsel Bilal Anwar told the court there was no incriminating evidence against him in the case and was falsely implicated. Special Public Prosecutor Rajeev Krishan Sharma, appearing for the state, opposed the bail plea saying witness Mohd Aslam had seen Singh at the scene of the crime while entering his house. 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.. KYODO NEWS - Sep 11, 2020 - 14:35 | All, World, Coronavirus, Japan Japan will resume short-term business travel with Singapore from Sept. 18, marking the first time that Tokyo has decided to allow the entry of businesspeople without requiring a 14-day self-isolation period amid the coronavirus pandemic, Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said Friday. "It will be an important step forward as Japan gradually resumes international travel," Motegi said at a press conference. "There have been great business needs for travel between Japan and Singapore, such as in areas of finance and logistics." The business exchanges will be allowed under conditions such as pre-departure and post-arrival coronavirus testing, presentation of an itinerary of their stay, limitation of their travel to between where they are staying and the workplace and not using public transportation, the Japanese Foreign Ministry said. The resumption was announced in a joint statement by Motegi and his Singaporean counterpart Vivian Balakrishnan, in which they said it will help "restore connectivity and support economic recovery" for the two countries. Japan has already restarted travel for expatriates and other long-term residents with Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam. But in the arrangements, they will have to stay at home or a designated location for 14 days after arrivals. Japan is also in talks with Australia, Brunei, China, Hong Kong, Macau, Mongolia, New Zealand and South Korea to ease travel restrictions. Transmitted-light image of a cordierite crystal containing two monazite inclusions. Alpha particles emitted from the monazite grains have created radiation damage in the surrounding cordierite, seen from the yellow defect colouration. The monazites themselves show merely moderate radiation damage. Several minerals suffer radioactive self-irradiation and hence experience long-term changes of their properties. The mineral monazite virtually behaves "just alike Camembert cheese in which holes are drilled": Existing radiation damage heals itself. An international research team led by Lutz Nasdala, Institute of Mineralogy and Crystallography, University of Vienna, conducted an ion-irradiation study that has unravelled the causes of the self-healing of monazite. In nature there are quite a few minerals that incorporate uranium and thorium in their crystal structure. This causes radioactive self-irradiation that, over geologic periods of time, may destroy the crystal and transform it into a glassy form. As early as in 1893, the Norwegian mineralogist and geologist introduced the term "metamict" to describe this glassy state. Self-irradiating minerals are currently in the focus of international research. This is because structural radiation damage may affect significantly the physical and chemical properties of minerals. Understanding the causes of these property changes is crucial for the Earth sciences one of the most important technique to determine ages of minerals and rocks is based on the radioactive decay of uranium and in materials sciences, as radioactive minerals are analogues of host ceramics for the immobilization of radioactive waste. Monazite heals itself So far it was not understood why some minerals (such as zircon, ZrSiO4) are often found in nature in an irradiation-vitrified state, whereas other species (such as monazite, CePO4) in spite of even higher self-irradiation never become metamict but, rather, are always observed in a moderately radiation-damaged state. This is first of all explained by insufficient stability of the monazite structure, resulting in inability to accumulate damage over geologic periods of time. Lutz Nasdala elucidates this, greatly simplified, by a comparison with cheese: "It is easily possible, using a pencil, to prick a hole into a hard ('stable') Emmentaler cheese, whereas analogously produced holes in a soft Camembert cheese would 'heal' in no time", Nasdala said. Helium ions create and heal radiation damage It has been supposed in the past already that partial self-healing of monazite is not only caused by the low thermal stability of this mineral, but also related to the action of natural alpha particles (that is, energy-rich helium cores that are emitted by an unstable nucleus in an "alpha-decay event"). The latter, however, was in apparent contrast to the observation that crystalline monazite is prone to alpha-irradiation damage. In the new study the research team could unravel the causes of the self-healing by conducting irradiation experiments. Helium ions with energies of millions of electron volts (analogues of natural alpha particles) create structural damage in crystalline monazite. In contrast, the same helium ions cause structural recovery of radiation-damaged monazite. Hence crystalline monazite would correspond to "Emmentaler cheese" whereas radiation-damaged monazite becomes "Camembert cheese". Such strong dependence of mineral properties on small changes in the structural state has never been described before. One consequence for Earth sciences research is that experiments with synthetic (that is, non-radiation-damaged) monazite may yield results that are not necessarily relevant for the behaviour of this (always moderately radiation-damaged) mineral in the Earths interior. (Bloomberg) -- ByteDance Ltd. is increasingly likely to miss a Trump administration deadline for the sale of its TikTok U.S. operations after new Chinese regulations complicated negotiations with bidders Microsoft Corp. and Oracle Corp., according to people familiar with the matter. ByteDance probably needs beyond the U.S. executive order ban on Sept. 20 to nail down an agreement with either party because of the regulatory review, said the people, asking not to be identified because the matter is private. In preliminary talks with Chinese officials, ByteDance has been told any proposal must be submitted for approval with detailed information about technical and financial issues, and the review will be substantial and take time, one of the people said. The officials havent been willing to give specific guidance on what kind of deal would work, the person said. Donald Trump said Thursday in the U.S. there would be no extension of the deadline. Microsoft and Oracle, which had submitted proposals before the Chinese regulations hit, both continue to be interested in buying the U.S. arm of the hit video app and have not been dissuaded by Beijings involvement, the people said. The bidders have asked ByteDance to get as much clarity as possible from Beijing on the new regulations, which prohibit the export of certain artificial intelligence technologies that TikTok uses, they said. The parties are still racing to present a preliminary deal to the White House before this months deadline, though no agreement could be finalized before Beijings signoff. Its also possible that ByteDance pulls out of a sale altogether if it determines it cant satisfy both governments, the bidders and its own shareholders. A company representative offered no immediate comment. ByteDance founder Zhang Yiming has been caught in a clash between the worlds two preeminent powers. The serial entrepreneur has been reluctant to give up U.S. TikTok from the start because he sees the business as a viable long-term competitor to Facebook Inc. and Google. He came under pressure to cede control when the Trump administration said it would ban the app and his own venture investors pressed for a sale to salvage some value from the operation. Story continues The Trump administration had been considering whether to give more time, but the presidents comments appeared to put an end to such deliberation. Well either close up TikTok in this country for security reasons, or it will be sold, he told reporters Thursday before boarding the presidential aircraft for a campaign trip to Michigan. There will be no extension of the TikTok deadline. The specific deadline for ByteDance to act remains an open question in the U.S. due to a confusing series of Trump statements and orders. While Trump has said he wants a deal by Sept. 15, the ban on TikToks U.S. operations that he signed last month in a bid to force a sale requires the company to act by Sept. 20. A separate decision by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, or CFIUS, requires a sale by mid-November. ByteDance has sued in the U.S. to block the executive order ban, arguing that putting it out of business without adequate notice and a fair chance to respond deprives it of its due-process rights in violation of the Constitution. The Beijing-based company has also denied its app represents a security threat and said no data from American users is shared with China. In negotiations earlier this year, ByteDance had attempted to work out a U.S. sale that would allow it to retain a substantial interest in the American operations, but the Trump administration has pushed back on that idea. Zhang would still like a small slice of the operation, the people said. But Microsoft and its partner in the deal, Walmart Inc., want full ownership of the business, one person said, while Oracles stance isnt clear. Analysts and bankers have estimated TikToks U.S. business is worth at least $20 billion, although the price would vary widely depending on what is included with the sale. The specific offers from Microsoft, which is teaming up with Walmart Inc., and Oracle, which has won support from venture backers such as Sequoia Capital, could not be determined. China made its 11th-hour entry into the TikTok process the last weekend of August, just as ByteDance had two offers in hand and planned to review them in hopes of making a final decision by the close of Sunday, a different person said. Beijings move blindsided the company, this person said. Without any discussion or public announcement, China posted notification of new restrictions on the export of artificial intelligence technologies, including speech recognition and techniques for personalizing content. The aim of the rules is not necessarily to block a sale of the U.S. operations, but to ensure Beijing is actively involved and to slow down the process, one person said. The review may well push finalization of any agreement beyond the U.S. elections in November, the person said. TikToks algorithms are not a big sticking point for the bidders, the second person said. Both Microsoft and Oracle have the technical chops to build their own algorithms and would get data to fine-tune them, the person said. ByteDances regulatory team and deal negotiators have discussed whether its still possible to craft a sale that can win approval from both governments, an acquirer, venture investors and ByteDance itself. Zhang is still operating from a position of strength. Privately held ByteDance is already worth $140 billion, according to startup tracker CB Insights, and is said to have generated more than $3 billion of net profit on more than $17 billion of revenue in 2019. Investment bankers have begun pitching Zhangs team on going public in China or Hong Kong, even amid growing scrutiny in the U.S., and demand for initial public offerings from technology companies in the market is surging. Zhang stands to make billions no matter what happens with Trump and TikTok U.S. (Updates with Trumps comments from third paragraph) For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com Subscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source. 2020 Bloomberg L.P. Survivors of the 2015 terrorist attack on the offices of the French satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo recounted their experiences in court this week, with some expressing frustration over a lack of support from the media in the aftermath of the attack. We are living under siege, in Paris, in 2020, Fabrice Nicolino, a journalist whose legs were wounded in the attack, said to fellow reporters present in the court room, according to the New York Times. He accused reporters who were covering the trial of not caring that the paper now works in a building with six armored doors, metal detectors, airlock rooms and police escorts who point their guns at surrounding windows when he walks in the street. What we are enduring, you arent interested in it, he said. Two brothers armed with assault rifles attacked the weeklys offices in Paris in January 2015 to avenge the Prophet Muhammad for satirical cartoons of him Charlie Hebdo had published. The gunmen killed 12 people in one minute and 49 seconds. Nicolino, who was also injured in another Islamist attack an explosion at a Jewish film festival in 1985 called Islamism a form of totalitarianism and said French intellectuals who called Charlie Hebdo racist and Islamophobic are not the direct cause of the attack, but they prepared the ground for it. I will never, never, never forgive them. Cartoonist Laurent Sourisseau, now the weeklys editorial director, echoed Nicolinos sentiment, adding that people were not combative enough in defending freedom of expression and that the weekly was innocent. If you dont live freely, what is the point of living, he said. He added that moving forward, the attack raised a political problem: would we let a newspaper disappear because of a terrorist attack? The newspaper had to come out, not only for the memory of the victims. Even if we were wounded and exhausted. It was the moment of truth in the history of the paper, he said, according to the Irish Times. Story continues When asked if he regretted the publication of these cursed caricatures that created a catastrophe, Sourisseau said no: Either you fight for liberty or youre a slave. Thats all. For me, the fight for liberty is a fight for life. There can be no regretting. Before the trial began, Charlie Hebdo reprinted cartoons about the Prophet Muhammad and Islam. Fourteen people accused of providing logistical aid to the attackers are on trial in the case that is expected to last until November. Cherif and Said Kouachi, the brothers who perpetrated the attacks, died in a shootout with security forces two days after the attack, while a third attacker, Amedy Coulibaly, killed a police officer in a Parisian suburb and four Jewish hostages in a kosher supermarket before dying when police swarmed the building. Wounded staffers took the stand one by one and recounted memories of the attack. The weeklys webmaster, Simon Fieschi, spoke about damage to the vertebrae in his spine so severe that he was left almost three inches shorter and with heavily impaired motor functions. His ribs and shoulder blade were also shattered in the attack. I have no desire to offer up my pain to all of those who inflicted it upon me, he said. At the same time, I dont want to hide the consequences of these acts. The lack of support from the media was demonstrated in internal emails from Al Jazeera leaked to National Review in 2015, in which some reporters and editors at the Qatar-based news organization were overtly critical of Charlie Hebdo for publishing the cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad. Then-English editor and executive producer Salah-Aldeen Khadr wrote in one email, Defending freedom of expression in the face of oppression is one thing; insisting on the right to be obnoxious and offensive just because you can is infantile. Baiting extremists isnt bravely defiant when your manner of doing so is more significant in offending millions of moderate people as well. And within a climate where violent response however illegitimate is a real risk, taking a goading stand on a principle virtually no one contests is worse than pointless: its pointlessly all about you, he added. More from National Review US Congress Members Honor 9/11 First Responders While Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) honored first responders with a moment of silence ceremony on the steps of the U.S. Capitol building where members of the House gathered at 9 a.m. Friday, other lawmakers made public statements remembering the sacrifice that Emergency Medical Technicians, paramedics, firefighters, and police made on 9/11. Today, and every September 11, we come together as a nation to remember the fallen and gain inspiration from the resilience and patriotism that Americans showed at one of our darkest hours, Pelosi said in a written statement Friday. On the morning of September 11, 2001, our nation witnessed an unfathomable act of terror that killed 3,000 precious souls, shattered countless lives, and stole the innocence and sense of security of a generation. It has been Nineteen years since the day terrorist plotted and carried an attack which took down New Yorks Twin Towers, when the Pentagon was hit and when Flight 93 was forced down in a field in Pennsylvania, possibly foiling the terrorists plan and saving lives. Yet, due to the extraordinary heroism of our firefighters, police officers and first responders who rushed into danger, September 11 does not belong to fear, but rather to courage, patriotism, and compassion, Pelosi added. First responders were exposed to a whole host of toxins at the ground zero sites in New York City, the Pentagon, and Shanksville, Pennsylvania. Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.) established the World Trade Center Medical Monitoring Program, which later evolved into the World Trade Center Health Program (WTCHP), which revived and strengthened the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund (VCF), all in an effort to get first responders compensation for their efforts. As we mark another year gone since September 11, 2001, we remember all those who lost their lives to hatredthose who perished that fateful day & the survivors & first responders who became sick from the toxins at Ground Zero, the Pentagon, and the Shanksville crash site, Rep. Carolyn Maloney said in a tweet early Friday. Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) also had a message to honor those lives lost on 9/11, along with the brave firefighters and police. Once a yr. on 9/11 media runs pictures from that day of destruction Its a horrible thing to think about those deaths but also gives us the opportunity to remember the sacrifice of all the first responders + their families & all the 3k who died from that horrible terrorist attack, Chuck Grassley. In 2010 Grassley cosponsored legislation to keep the 9/11 terrorist from being tried in civilian courts on U.S. soil, instead of in a military tribunal, and prohibited the use of federal funds for civilian trials of the 9/11 terrorists. In support of the bill, Grassley said, Congress set up Military Commissions exactly for these very circumstances. By trying known terrorists in civilian courts, were giving them more Constitutional rights than our own military men and women who might be court marshaled. Its not fair to the men and women who are in harms way to protect America. Its just ludicrous. Meanwhile, Senator Mark Warner (D-Va.) highlighted the 9/11 National Memorial Trail resolution which commemorates the historical significance of the September 11th National Memorial Trail, a 1,300-mile network of roads and paths that connect significant 9/11 memorial sites. Warner wrote, While we can never repay the sacrifices of our first responders or their families, the 9/11 National Memorial Trail, which was unanimously passed in the Senate, provides an opportunity for every American to remember the courageous individuals who sacrificed so much that day. Legislation securing full benefits for first responders and their families by fully funding the 9/11 Victims Compensation Fund until 2090 was signed into law by President Donald Trump in July 2019. The bipartisan bill was passed in the Senate with a vote of 97-2, earlier in July. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) who supported the passage of the bill, sent a tweet Friday honoring the first responders. Nineteen years ago, thousands of Americans were murdered by terrorists. National landmarks burned. Brave first responders put their lives on the line to save strangers. May we never fail to honor them. And may we never tire of our pledge: Never Again, wrote McConnell. When Rice University in Houston said it would construct outdoor classrooms for in-person fall courses, the announcement drew national attention with many wondering how students and faculty would handle the Texas heat. But Rice had that, and more, covered. Five large open-air archways, built by Utah-headquartered company Sprung Structures, provide shade in grassy areas on campus for people to congregate. And four 50-by-90-foot enclosed high performance tensioned fabric buildings serve as high-tech classrooms. MORE FROM BRITTANY BRITTO: Quanell X calls for HCC Chancellor Cesar Maldonado's resignation over racial discrimination lawsuit Fixed with doors and concrete floors, these semi-permanent, dome-like structures have full lighting; an audio and visual system, including projectors and cameras that can record, pan and zoom in on certain sections of the room for those learning remotely; and yes, air conditioning. This is a fantastic location for me, said Rice engineering professor David Van Kleeck. Now Playing: Rice University builds tent-like temporary structures for classrooms to help with coronavirus social distancing requirements on campus. Video: Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle Staff Photographer The new facilities for in-person classes are more spacious and have both better lighting and technology than the on-campus classrooms where he normally taught, Van Kleeck said. Im extremely comfortable with what Rice has done to make it safe for us, he said, adding that the university requires faculty members teaching in-person to be tested for coronavirus weekly with results coming in within 24 hours. I love being in the classroom with students. I can deal with Zoom stuff, but I like having one-on-one discussions. TOP HITS: Get Houston Chronicle stories sent directly to your inbox Students said they are also glad to be back inside a classroom working with others. I like the outdoor buildings. I think theyre a cool, controlled space to be in, sophomore Emily Ellison said. At first, I was wondering if it was a tent. Like, what is that going to be like? But theres a lot of technology. Its air-conditioned, which is a big deal. Its a really cool space to work in. Freshman Juan Garza agreed, emphasizing the importance of being able to interact with others. You can still tell its the pandemic, but as a freshman, Garza said, I dont know what Im missing. There have been some modifications. Inside the sterile-looking structures, pandemic rules and complications still apply. Maximum occupancy is typically 51 people, but Rice has designated only 25 students are allowed inside each outdoor classroom. Masks and social distancing are still required, which can present some challenges, students and faculty said. Brett Coomer, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer For example, in one engineering class, instead of the standard all-hands-on-deck approach for a group project, professors urged students to work together while staying 6 feet apart. The assignment: construct a device that would lower a ping pong ball to the floor in the allotted amount of time using school supplies. 'AN INVESTMENT IN HOUSTON'S FUTURE': $100 million grant could help Rice University discover the next 'buckyballs' Students got innovative chiming in with suggestions through muffled masks and drawing pictures on computer paper and virtual whiteboards as one group member built a device. Freddy Angarita, a sophomore transfer student, said the masks can make it difficult to hear. And Ellison, who was working with one student in-person and three who were tuning in from Zoom, experienced challenges of her own. It is hard to remember to keep our distance, she said. We had to be reminded, and it was a challenge making sure we could hear each other over Zoom. Ellison, however, remains optimistic. Theres a learning curve to it, she said. Its going to take a bit more organization to get the kinks fine-tuned. And as faculty and students come up with new tweaks like using a Bluetooth speaker for groups with a mix of in-person and remote students, or adjusting the sound system many consider whether this could be a reality for schools moving forward. We should be doing this with every school in general, said Jim Avery, a vice president at Sprung Structures, which built similar structures for Harvard Business School, Tesla in California and Tulane University long before the pandemic. Brett Coomer, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer The fabric buildings are spacious, easy to clean, energy efficient, can be customized in days and built in weeks, Avery said. They can also cost up to half of what it costs to construct a brick and mortar building, he added. Rice officials declined to comment on the cost of the outdoor structures. COVID Q&A: Coronavirus expert Dr. Peter Hotez reveals when we can expect a vaccine Avery said he didnt know the full cost of the Rice structures but estimated that one of the buildings could cost between $150 and $200 per square foot once systems like HVAC, audio and visual, lighting, insulation and more are installed. That means Rices structures could cost anywhere from $675,000 to $900,000 each and $2.7 million to $3.6 million in total a hefty investment that some colleges might be hesitant to make. Since the start of the pandemic, Avery said, there havent been many schools or universities building Sprung Structures on their campuses. Instead, he said, the company has seen requests from hospitals, homeless shelters and churches. But agreements with some colleges are in the works, he added. I think what were finding is that with a lot of schools with September start dates, theyre still trying to figure it out as it goes, Avery said, but hes confident that once colleges get better acclimated and assess their needs, the high-tech and easy-to-build structures could be the future. You really cant lose, he said. brittany.britto@chron.com CARROLLTON Greene County reported its third COVID-19 death late Thursday. The death was related to an outbreak at an unidentified long-term care facility, according to the Greene County Health Department. Other details were not released. Greene Countys total coronavirus case count rose to 181 on Thursday with the addition of 19 positive tests. Forty-nine of those cases are active and 129 have recovered, according to the health department. The Greene County Health Department and the Illinois Department of Public Health will open a free COVID-19 testing site today at the Illinois Department of Corrections Greene County Work Camp in Roodhouse. Face masks will be required, but no appointment is needed for the testing. Those with or without symptoms who are at least 6 months old will be tested between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. today through Sunday. Tests will be done with a nasal swab and results can take up to seven days to be returned, according to the health department. Those being tested must have a valid phone number to be contacted with the results. Editor's Note: This editorial originally ran Sept. 11, 2016, in The Southern. A great people has been moved to defend a great nation. Terrorist attacks can shake the foundations of our biggest buildings, but they cannot touch the foundation of America. These acts shatter steel, but they cannot dent the steel of American resolve. America was targeted for attack because we're the brightest beacon for freedom and opportunity in the world. And no one will keep that light from shining. Today, our nation saw evil the very worst of human nature and we responded with the best of America. With the daring of our rescue workers, with the caring for strangers and neighbors who came to give blood and help in any way they could. President George Bush, in his speech after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks Sept. 11, 2001, was a dark day in our history. Only Dec. 7, 1941, the attack on Pearl Harbor is comparable. But, like they say, its always darkest before dawn. Theres no need to recap what happened that Tuesday morning in New York. But, what happened afterward was a show of American resolve. This nation came together like it has never done before. We rallied, bringing people together from disparate backgrounds. Theres no denying that President Bush was a lightning rod for criticism during his eight years in office, but he never stood taller than in those days following the attack on the Twin Towers. The nation needed someone to rally around. Someone to supply the right amount of American pride, yet a pride tempered by reality and compassion. Fast forward to today, and its safe to say those lessons Bush taught us have faded. Sure, its here in bits and pieces a little here, a little there. Patriotism is alive and well in the United States. Since the attack on the Twin Towers, it seems American flags have been omnipresent. But, we need to remember the entirety of what President Bush showed us. The past couple of years have been tough on our resolve. There have been numerous terrorist acts that have tried to tear the people of this country apart. And, it seems we have drifted away from some of the core concepts of America. You know the acts were talking about. Theres no need to recap all the negativity this country has endured in the past several years. Bush finished his speech on that fateful day with this: This is a day when all Americans from every walk of life unite in our resolve for justice and peace. America has stood down enemies before, and we will do so this time. None of us will ever forget this day, yet we go forward to defend freedom and all that is good and just in our world. No, the attacks of 9/11 did not break the United States of this country, but they have had negative effects. We, as a nation, have not succumbed to foreign powers, but we have, in too many instances, turned against ourselves. Too many of us seem to have forgotten that within a week of the attacks President Bush appeared at the Islamic Center in Washington. Again, he uttered some of the most profound, most healing words of his presidency, Like the good folks standing with me, the American people were appalled and outraged at last Tuesdays attacks. And so were Muslims all across the world. Both Americans and Muslim friends and citizens, tax-paying citizens, and Muslims in nations were just appalled and could not believe what we saw on our TV screens The face of terror is not the true faith of Islam. Thats not what Islam is all about. Islam is peace. These terrorists dont represent peace. They represent evil and war. In light of the political mood in our country today these words seem almost foreign. As a people, as a country, we need to get back to believing that America is stronger because of its diversity, its acceptance of religious liberty. Stop the hate. We need to regain our bearings, be proud of the liberties guaranteed in the Constitution and Bill of Rights. It shouldnt take a national tragedy to bring the people of this country together. We should want to do it. Its who we are or, at least who we are supposed to be. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 NEW DELHI: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday held a high-level meeting to review the situation at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) amid heightened border tensions with China. NSA Ajit Doval, Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat and the three services chiefs and top Defence Ministry officials are attending the high-level meeting at the South Block office. The meeting also coincides with India, China Brigade commanders-level interaction which is underway at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh since 11 am on Friday (September 11, 2020) morning. The interaction has been happening on a daily basis since last many days except with an interlude on Monday and Tuesday when the Chinese side allegedly indulged in provocative action around Rezang La at LAC. According to a source, the aim of the talks is to "exchange views on daily activities so that there are no misunderstandings and make sure the communication lines are open". During the ground commanders interaction earlier this week, both sides decided to hold Corps commanders' levels talks. While the date and time of the meet is yet to be decided, it will be the sixth such meet since June. Live TV So far, five Lt Gen-level or Corps Commander talks have taken place between the Indian and Chinese armies on June 6, 22 and 30; July 14 and August 2. Hopes are high that after India, China Foreign Ministers' joint statement calling for disengagement at the border will ease things on the ground. India has marked its presence on the south bank of Pangong lake and several dominating heights close to China's existing positions at Finger 4, north bank of the lake. The Chinese have occupied Finger 4 to Finger 8 in the north bank of Pangong lake and as part of disengagement, India has repeatedly asked Chinese forces to go on its side of LAC and vacate the area. Meanwhile, the foreign ministers of India and China held a nearly 2-hour-30-minute long meet in Moscow on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Foreign Ministers' meet. Issuing a joint statement on the matter, the countries asserted that the five-point statement will "guide their approach to the current situation". Both countries also agreed that border troops of both sides should continue their dialogue, quickly disengage, maintain proper distance and ease tensions. A GoFundMe has been set up for the family of an 8-year-old girl who was killed in a Hoover crash that also left her brother in critical condition. The Jefferson County Coroners Office on Friday identified the victim as Serris Prude. She was 8 and lived in Hoover. Serris was killed and four others injured including her 11-year brother Thursday morning on U.S. 31 in Hoover. Police and fire medics responded to the wreck at 7:44 a.m. in front of the Hoover Square shopping center, where a 1996 GMC C6 heavy-duty truck was going southbound when it struck a 2010 Honda Fit from behind that was stopped in traffic, according to Hoover police Capt. Gregg Rector. The Fit then struck a 2017 Lexus GX460, which was also stopped in traffic. The Lexus then hit a 2018 Ford F-150 stopped in traffic. Serris was taken to Childrens of Alabama where she was pronounced dead at 8:50 a.m. Her brother was also in the rear passenger seat in the Fit, was transported to Childrens with critical injuries. A 13-year-old boy sitting in the front passenger seat sustained minor injuries and was also taken to Childrens. The driver, the childrens 35-year-old mother, was taken to UAB Hospital with minor injuries. A 22-year-old man driving the Lexus was taken to UAB Medical West in Hoover with minor injuries, while the driver of the Ford -- a 51-year-old man -- was not injured. A 46-year-old man driving the GMC and his 38-year-old passenger were also uninjured, Rector said. Hoover police are working to reconstruct the wreck to determine what caused the accident along with any contributing factors to the crash. This what was written in the GoFundMe for the family: Raising money for the burial of my best friends 8 year old daughter, Serriss, who was killed in a car wreck this morning. One son, Emrhye, is in critical condition at Childrens and the other son, Zye, is safe with a family member. Anything will help. The upcoming months will be full of burial and life expenses that need to be covered. I dont have the words at this time to express the pain they are feeling, but please donate, share, and pray. Natashah Prude, the mother of Serriss, Emrhye, and Zye of has been set up as the beneficiary to receive the funds, and will be using them for burial expenses, bills, medical bills, and day to day living while they are out of work. The GoFundMe has raised nearly $20,000 in just 24 hours. Donations can be made here. Hoover City Schools released a statement on Prudes death. We were incredibly saddened to learn of the passing of one of our students this week, the statement read. We extend our heartfelt condolences to this family as they begin to process this unspeakable loss. As with any tragic situation involving a student, we have school counselors on hand to assist those who may need help processing the loss of a friend. We ask everyone to respect this familys privacy during this incredibly difficult time. Also Friday, Birmingham attorney Courtney French said he has been retained by the family. Please pray for the 11 year old who is in critical condition and his loved ones during this tough time, said French. We are committed to getting answers and providing closure for a family that is grieving the death of one child and clinging to hope that another child survives. Reporter William Thornton contributed to this report. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas condemned the U.S.-brokered Bahrain-Israel agreement, as his office issued a statement, saying the Palestinian leadership see this as a betrayal of the Palestinian issue, of Jerusalem and of the al-Aqsa mosque by Bahrain. Why it matters: The Bahraini decision to follow the Untied Arab Emirates and normalize relations with Israel is a further blow to the Palestinians, who are losing Arab support. Earlier this week, the Palestinians failed to get the Arab League to back them in condemning the Israel-UAE agreement. What they're saying: The statement by Palestinian leadership also noted that Bahrain is legitimizing the crimes of the Israeli occupation against the Palestinian people, and called on the Bahraini government to reverse its decision to normalize relation with Israel. PLO secretary general Saeb Erekat said: The UAE and Bahrain are contributing to Trump's presidential campaign at the expense of the inalienable rights of the people of Palestine. The normalization race is not the answer to the achievement of Palestinian freedom and independence. The impact: Palestinian foreign minister Riyad Al-Maliki announced that he will recall the Palestinian ambassador in Manama as a protest to the Bahraini move. I mages have been released showing the scale of boats used by migrants to cross to Dover in recent months. Rows of dinghys thought to have been used to cross the channel have been pictured at a facility in Dover. Over 5,600 migrants have made it to the UK by boat in 2020, according to analysis by the PA agency. It comes after ten people were arrested following demonstrations in Dover last Saturday, which brought a dual carriageway to a standstill. Small boats thought to be used in migrant crossings across the Channel are pictured at a storage facility in Dover, Kent / PA Rival protests took place in the Kent town just days after a record 416 migrants made it to the UK after crossing the English Channel. The Home Office, which has come under fire for its attacks on activist lawyers, has insisted that it will make the sea route unviable. 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 / PA Concerns have also been raised over the deportation of 11 Syrians from the UK when it emerged that they had been left confused and distressed when they ended up alone on the streets of Madrid, last week. When their UK Government-chartered flight touched down in Spain authorities declined responsibility for them, and they were left alone until an aid group picked them up. Theres a new player in the local university research game. "For a liberal arts school like Westfield State University to get a grant of this magnitude is almost unheard-of,'' biology professor Kristen Porter said after learning shed been awarded a $750,000 state grant to research to paths to personalized medicine in womens health. Funding from the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center (MLSC) Womens Health Program will allow Porter to study the creation of bioprofiles for women in the field of reproductive healing. Shell research possible demographic or genetic similarities that, once established, would better allow women to obtain individualized treatment that address specific needs. The research is targeted to study healing of the reproductive system after circumstances such as sexual assault, trauma or surgery. It will not address conventional reproduction. A Westfield State professor since 2016, Porter will continue teaching during the three-year term of the grant. Her past includes interaction with one of Americas superstars of science: Anthony Fauci, who has served as the director of the National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Diseases since 1984. Faucis role on the White House Coronavirus Task Force places him in rarefied company. Like Jonas Salk and C. Everett Koop but very few others, Fauci is a name and face in the health and science field that average Americans recognize. "Before coming to Westfield State, I worked under Tony at the Institute,'' said Porter, who downplays their professional connection but understands its significance. The research grant was a prize Porter earned on her own. To be named as one of five recipients included in the MLSC Womens Health Programs $8.3 million funding package, Porter first had to pass an initial review, then make a presentation that was done by Zoom this year. The final step required her to answer questions about her project. Porter will do the vast amount of research by herself, with some help on the analytics side in particular. She has had experience with grant proposals before, but on the other end of the process. At the National Institutes of Health, Porter was a program officer who oversaw grants for the HIV prevention process. The MLSC funding is not a training grant, so students will not be involved in the research. She says they will still benefit from what is learned. "Personalized medicine for women is the ultimate goal. Do healing rates correlate with demographic and genetic differences? The research will put them in similar groups and correlate (those groups) to outcomes,'' Porter said. Different aspects of her research have been explored previously, but not in relationship to one another. "What we havent seen is a combination of systems put together for a fuller picture,'' Porter said. The goal of our work is to use cutting-edge microscopic imaging and computational modeling to determine if there are enough similarities between groups of women, that they can be placed into categories we call bioprofiles.' These bioprofiles can be used to determine the prognosis and success of various treatments for women within that bioprofile. The MLSC funding will help foster collaboration between Westfield State researchers and Cambridge, Mass.-based IOMICS Intelligent Analytics to address an understudied area in womens health. Trauma to the female reproductive tract - whether it be from endometriosis, uterine surgery, childbirth, or assault - requires healing of wounded tissue. Porter said that considering all women are different and heal at different rates, they will also vary in their response to therapeutics or surgical interventions, making it difficult for physicians to create the most effective treatment plan. Shes thrilled by the personal opportunity offered through the grant, but equally proud for her university. Westfield State facilities are being adapted to a type of work that allows the university to enter a new and exciting frontier. "This is quite an achievement for Westfield State. Its a feather in our cap,'' Porter said. The NSW Department of Education will stop training teachers in a reading program used by three in five public schools after a review found it overlooked key research on effective ways to teach literacy. The move comes less than three years after the Reading Recovery program based on similar principles was axed because it was "largely ineffective". The NSW Department of Education will stop training teachers in the L3 reading program. Credit:Michelle Mossop The Learning, Literacy and Language, or L3 program, was originally targeted at kindergarten in schools identified as needing extra support because of low NAPLAN results. But when rules limiting its use to those schools alone were dropped 10 years ago, it became regarded as a program all schools could use and there was a "perception that L3 was rigorous and endorsed by the department", the review said. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (Agence France-Presse) New York, United States Fri, September 11, 2020 13:06 497 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c443b814 2 Entertainment vinyl,music,vinyl-records Free Vinyl records are outselling compact discs in the United States for the first time in more than 30 years, according to an industry report released Thursday. Music fans dropped $232.1 million on records in the first half of 2020, according to the Recording Industry Association of America, far surpassing the $129.9 million spent on CDs. Vinyl sales contributed 62 percent of total physical music media revenues -- which dropped 23 percent year-on-year, a decline the RIAA attributed to the coronavirus pandemic's shutdown of music venues and stores. Read also: UK label to release limited edition Jaipongan vinyl album Nevertheless vinyl's numbers marked a turning point for the retro darling whose resurgence was fueled for years by collectors and hipsters nostalgic for side A and side B. But physical records remain niche: the RIAA said streaming accounted for 85 percent of revenue in 2020's first six months, much of which saw most Americans holed up at home to halt the spread of COVID-19. Streaming music revenue spiked 12 percent to $4.8 billion in the first half of 2020, the RIAA said, as platform users appeared increasingly willing to pay for subscription services. The number of paid subscriptions at services including Spotify, Apple Music and Amazon soared to 72 million, up 24 percent compared to the first half average for 2019. San Diego, CA -- (SBWIRE) -- 09/11/2020 -- An investor, who purchased NYSE: BAK shares, filed a lawsuit against Braskem S.A. over alleged violations of Federal Securities Laws. Investors who purchased shares of Braskem S.A. (NYSE: BAK) have certain options and for certain investors are short and strict deadlines running. Deadline: October 26, 2020. NYSE: BAK investors should contact the Shareholders Foundation at mail@shareholdersfoundation.com or call +1(858) 779 - 1554. Brazil based Braskem S.A., together with its subsidiaries, produces and sells thermoplastic resins. On April 2, 2019, media sources and, later, Braskem S.A., disclosed that the Company had been sued by local authorities in connection with a geological event it had purportedly caused in the state of Alagoas, Brazil. Specifically, Braskem S.A.disclosed, in relevant part, that the Company "ha[d] become aware, through the media, of a lawsuit filed against it by the Public Prosecutor's Office and the Public Defender's Office, both of the State of Alagoas." Braskem S.A.disclosed that the lawsuits were "requesting the freezing of amounts and assets in a total of approximately R$6.7 billion [i.e., 6.7 billion reais] to guarantee any potential damages owed to the general public affected by the geological phenomenon which occurred in districts near the rock salt extraction area in Maceio." Then, on January 3, 2020, Braskem S.A. disclosed that it had executed an agreement related to the aforementioned geological event that subjected the Company to further liabilities. Specifically, the Company disclosed that on January 3, 2020, it had executed an agreement with the Alagoas State Public Defender's Office ("DPE"), the Federal Prosecution Office ("MPF"), the Alagoas State Prosecution Office ("MPE"), and the Federal Public Defender's Office ("DPU") "to support the relocation and indemnification of residents of the areas at risk located in the districts of Mutange, Bom Parto, Pinheiro and Bebedouro of Maceio, Alagoas, as established in the agreement, which will be submitted to judicial ratification." Among other conditions, the Company advised that preliminarily estimates for the relocation established in the agreement involve approximately 17,000 people, with estimates to be recognized as provisions at approximately R$1.7 billion for the implementation of the relocation, and R$1 billion to close the Company's salt wells. Finally, on July 9, 2020, during pre-market hours, Braskem S.A. disclosed that authorities in northeastern Brazil had advised the Company that the geological damage from its salt mining operations was more widespread than initial estimates. Specifically, among other things, 1,918 properties needed to be evacuated because of the geological event associated with Braskem's mining operations, and Braskem estimated that moving the residents would cost the Company an additional R$850 million in possible payments to those residents, with another additional R$750 million in expenses to "definitively" shut down Braskem's salt mining operations. The plaintiff claims that between May 6, 2016, and July 8, 2020, the Defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that Braskem's salt mining operations were unsafe and presented a significant danger to surrounding areas, including nearly two thousand properties, that the foregoing foreseeably increased the risk that Braskem would be subjected to remedial liabilities, including, but not limited to, increased governmental and/or regulatory oversight or enforcement, significant monetary and reputational damage, and/or the permanent closure of one or more of its salt mining operations, that accordingly, earnings generated from Braskem's salt mining operations were unsustainable, that Braskem downplayed the true scope and severity of the Company's liability with respect to its salt mining operations, and that as a result, the Company's public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times. Those who purchased shares of Braskem S.A. (NYSE: BAK) have certain options and should contact the Shareholders Foundation. Contact: Shareholders Foundation, Inc. Michael Daniels 3111 Camino Del Rio North - Suite 423 92108 San Diego Phone: +1-(858)-779-1554 Fax: +1-(858)-605-5739 mail@shareholdersfoundation.com About Shareholders Foundation, Inc. The Shareholders Foundation, Inc. is a professional portfolio monitoring and settlement claim filing service, , which does research related to shareholder issues and informs investors of securities class actions, settlements, judgments, and other legal related news to the stock/financial market. Shareholders Foundation, Inc. is in contact with a large number of shareholders and offers help, support, and assistance for every shareholder. The Shareholders Foundation, Inc. is not a law firm. Referenced cases, investigation, and/or settlements are not filed/reached and/or related to Shareholders Foundation. The information is provided as a public service. It is not intended as legal advice and should not be relied upon. Leader of opposition in Assam assembly and senior Congress leader, Debabrata Saikia, has filed a public interest litigation (PIL) in Gauhati high court against hospitals in the state for allegedly refusing treatment to patients who fail to produce Covid-19 negative reports. Citing several newspaper reports of how patients in need of critical and immediate medical care have died in the state due to hospitals refusal to treat them without Covid negative certificates, the petitioner stated it was a violation of fundamental right of citizens. Such people include accident-related critically injured cases, in which urgent medical care is vital and of paramount importance. Resultantly, many people succumbed to their injuries sustained during the accidents, the PIL stated. The plea claimed that even pregnant women are not admitted to hospitals without furnishing a Covid-19 negative certificate and cited four instances of patients dying due to lack of medical care. The petition stated that such actions by hospitals were in violation of a directive issued in April by the union health ministry asking hospitals not to insist on Covid test before providing services and not to deny essential critical services to those in need. The PIL states that the actions of the respondentsgovernment of India, Assam government and the state health and family welfare department--were malafide and violated fundamental rights of the petitioner as guaranteed under articles 14 and 21 of the constitution. Also Read: Infant dies at Panchkula hospital, family allege medical negligence It requested the court to direct the authorities to ensure admission of all patients in hospitals without production of non-Covid certificates. It also requested magisterial inquiries into any such deaths caused due to non-admission of patients and punishment for the culprits as per law apart from adequate compensation to families of the deceased. The PIL, filed on August 14, was heard by a division bench comprising chief justice Ajai Lamba and justice Manish Choudhury on September 8 through video conference. Also Read: FIR lodged against makers of audio clip on Mohali Civil Hospital: Dayalan At this juncture, when approximately 1 lakh cases a day of Covid positive patients are being detected, we would not like to take up the issue, the bench stated in its order while listing the matter for October 19. Last month, a 36-year old woman in Tinsukia district, who suffered a brain stroke, died after several hospitals including a government hospital allegedly refused to treat her since the family couldnt produce a Covid negative certificate for the victim. An Oregon man who threatened on Twitter to kill 100 YouTube employees if they didnt return his YouTube channel was sentenced Thursday to a year and four months in federal prison. William Gregory Douglas, 38, of Cave Junction, made the threats to shoot YouTube employees at the companys San Bruno, California, headquarters after his account was removed for violating the video-sharing platforms terms of service. He pleaded guilty to making interstate communications with the intent to extort in U.S. District Court in Medford. In at least four Twitter posts on Aug. 28, 2018, Douglas expressed frustration that YouTube had banned his channel. In each, he used an alias, "LiamXmaiLRevolutionX,'' according to FBI agent Jeffrey M. Gray. In one, he was accused of writing, "no more warning expect mass casualties.'' In another, he was accused of writing, "Return my channel you low life ...before someone else comes and shoots more of your employees...'' On Sept. 17, 2018, Douglas posted a threatening message on Twitter to @SusanWojcicki, YouTubes chief executive officer, writing," Im coming for you today #pray," according to a federal complaint. Wojcicki immediately alerted her security detail, the complaint says. Douglas also sent an email containing videos in which he ranted about being "shadow-banned'' from YouTube, promised to visit a YouTube campus in Mountainview, Calif., and said he was going to set up a "Revolutionary Donut'' shop on the Redwood highway between Portland and San Francisco, the complaint says. The FBI received screenshots of the Twitter messages, and traced the Twitter user to Douglas in Cave Junction. -- Maxine Bernstein Email at mbernstein@oregonian.com; 503-221-8212 Follow on Twitter @maxoregonian Subscribe to Facebook page Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. By Paulina Duran and Byron Kaye SYDNEY (Reuters) - Rio Tinto's decision to part ways with its CEO and two senior executives reflects heightened investor concern over social issues and the loss of "social licence" to operate, governance groups and investors said. The global miner said on Friday chief executive Jean-Sebastien Jacques and two other executives would step down following an outcry over its decision to detonate part of an ancient gorge that showed 46,000 years of human habitation. The move comes as investors are demanding increased transparency in how companies manage environmental, social and governance (ESG) risks, said Danielle Welsh-Rose, Aberdeen Standard Investments ESG Investment Director, Asia Pacific. "The leadership changes at Rio Tinto today are significant in many ways, including showing that investors and other stakeholders will hold companies to account on their ESG performance," she said. Rio had been slow to recognise the importance of ESG issues following recent banking scandals in Australia, said Vas Kolesnikoff, Australian head of governance adviser ISS. "This is the social licence to operate. If you don't adhere to appropriate conduct and standards you're going to fall foul of investors," he said. Ben Cleary, a partner at Tribeca Investment Partners said the Rio departures were a big moment for the mining industry. "For the CEO and a couple of senior management to go over an ESG issue, it's just going to reverberate through board rooms throughout the resource sector," he said, adding that it could slow down the sector. Rio's detonations, which allowed it to access higher grade ore, also came amid a wider movement in Australia focused on the treatment of Aboriginal groups, who fall behind the general population on markers ranging from child mortality to literacy. Land rights barrister Greg McIntyre said it was too early to say whether Rio's move signalled a turning point in relation to dealings with Aboriginal groups. "What it does indicate is that this issue is being taken seriously, which is a positive development, but it's not a solution to the problem." (Reporting by Paulina Duran and Byron Kaye; additional reporting by Sonali Paul; writing by Jonathan Barrett; editing by Richard Pullin) Judge Michael Walsh returned him for trial to the Central Criminal Court. A MAN has been sent for trial accused of killing a father-of-two in a fatal stabbing on a south Dublin street. Andrew Lacey (33), who is charged with the murder of charity volunteer Derek Reddin, had a book of evidence served on him when he appeared in Dublin District Court today. Judge Michael Walsh returned him for trial to the Central Criminal Court. Mr Lacey, of Riverside, Loughlinstown in south Dublin was remanded on continuing bail. Mr Reddin (31) died from stab wounds following a row at Loughlinstown Drive on October 15 last year. At the time, gardai and emergency services attended the scene but Mr Reddin, of Watson Drive, Killiney, was pronounced dead a short time later. He had worked as a volunteer with the charity You're Not Alone, which helps people who are sleeping on the streets. Today, a state solicitor told Judge Walsh the book of evidence had been served on Mr Lacey and the DPP was consenting to him being returned for trial to the next sittings of the Central Criminal Court. The judge gave Mr Lacey the formal notice that he had 14 days to furnish the prosecution with details of any alibi he intends to rely on in the course of his trial. Asked if he understood this warning, he replied: "yes." Judge Walsh noted that the accused had been granted bail at the High Court in July, in his own bond of 400 and with an independent surety of 10,000. The accuseds mother was present in court to stand surety and defence solicitor Niall OConnor asked her to confirm her details to the judge. She also confirmed that she understood her sons bail terms and Judge Walsh advised her that if she had any concerns in relation to his compliance with them, she should notify the gardai. The judge granted free legal aid to cover senior and junior counsel at trial. He also ordered the prosecution to supply copies of Mr Lacey's garda interview video to the defence. Judge Walsh said the accused would be notified about his trial date in due course. Patna: Senior Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Raghuvansh Prasad Singh who remains hospitalized in Delhis All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) for Coronavirus-related complications, on Thursday tendered his resignation from the party saying he had had enough of the RJD after being a member of it for long 32 years. Singh, who had been a loyal soldier of the party led by its founder Lalu Prasad Yadav and his wife Rabri Devi and then forced to pledge his allegiance to the duos son and party heir-apparent Tejaswi Yadav, in a hand-written letter to the party chief, wrote in Hindi that he stood by him for the last 32 years following the death of former Chief Minister and veteran socialist Karpoori Thakur but no more. I have received a lot of love and support from the party so please forgive me (for leaving the party), he further said in his resignation letter written from his hospital room. As noted, it is the election season in Bihar and party-hopping and issuing political bluff is not uncommon during this period. Earlier, former Janata Dal - U leader Shyam Rajak left his party to go back to his original party of Lalu while Chandrika Rai, life-long RJD leader and father-in-law of Lalus son Tej Pratap Yadav, left the party and joined Nitish-led JD-U saying RJD, under the leadership of Lalus two sons, was a spent force and had no future in the progress of Bihar. Meanwhile, the RJD chief who makes a Ranchi jail his home for the last few years for his conviction in the multi-crore rupees fodder scam, upon hearing the news of Raghuvansh Prasad Singhs sudden resignation, sent a reply to him insisting he was not going anywhere. I dont believe you are leaving us. Please get well and come home and we will sit down and talk about everything. You are not going anywhere, Yadav reportedly said in his letter. Sources, however, said that there was a strong likelihood of Singh joining JD-U after being discharged from the hospital as he had no intention to remain in the party with Tejaswi Yadav being the face of it. As reported, Singh was rushed to the AIIMS after his condition suddenly deteriorated last Tuesday. It is said that Chief Minister Nitish Kumar took personal interest in Singh and made arrangements to shift him to AIIMS in Delhi without wasting any time. Supernatural's cast and crew shared their emotional day on social media Thursday as cameras rolled on the series of the last time. Stars Jared Padalecki, 37, and Jensen Ackles, 42, led the way in commemorating the occasion, each taking to Instagram with detailed posts about their feelings on the day. Padalecki shared a selfie from his vehicle, giving fans a thumbs up in sending off the show, which the cast and crew had to quarantine for prior to production kicking back up in Vancouver last month amid the COVID-19 virus. Supernatural's Jared Padalecki, 37, and Jensen Ackles, 42, led the way in commemorating the occasion, each taking to Instagram with detailed posts about their feelings on the day 'Well, here goes... I write this as I head to my last day of #Supernatural,' he wrote of the series, which has spanned 15 seasons since 2015. 'My last day with #SamWinchester. 'Obviously, my head is spinning and my emotions are stratospheric, but theres still a bit of time left on the clock.' Padalecki sent gratitude to his fans for 'the incredible amount of love and support thats been headed our way, in these final hours,' adding, 'Its definitely been felt.' Ackles, in his post said his 'alarm went off with a heavy tone' when he woke up this morning ahead of the final filming. Moving: Ackles, in his post said his 'alarm went off with a heavy tone' when he woke up this morning ahead of the final filming Other stars on the show including Felicia Day, Misha Collins and Madison McGlaughlin paid homage to the end of the series 'Today is the final day of a 15 year journey. One that has changed my life forever,' he wrote. 'To those I have worked with on this journey and to those who have watched and supported...you will never understand my great appreciation for you. '"Thank you" doesnt cover it. There just arent words. Im so grateful for these memories that I will carry with me forever. What a ride it has been. And what a run.' A number of other cast and crew members took to Twitter to mark the day of the final filming. Eric Kripke, who created the series, shared a GIF of the first scene in the show that aired back in 2005, paying memorial to producer Kim Manners, who passed away in 2009. 'This was the first #Supernatural scene we shot. Today will be the last. I'm grateful & love you all beyond words,' he wrote. 'But it's only over when you say it is, #SPNFamily. In the words of Kim Manners (RIP): Kick It In The A**.' Cast members Briana Buckmaster and Matt Cohen shared social media posts on the sentimental occasion Creator Eric Kripke and producer Sera Gamble left messages marking the end of the series Other stars on the show including Briana Buckmaster, Matt Cohen, Felicia Day, Misha Collins, Madison McGlaughlin and Jim Beaver paid homage to the end of the series. Collins said the show 'changed [his] life in so many ways and ... changed the world for the better,' while Beaver said he had 'deep feelings' of sentiment as the show was going off the air. The last season of of Supernatural is slated to air on The CW from October 8 through the November 19 finale. In addition to the money, the winner will receive ongoing support and mentoring" from the universitys faculty and alumni. Photo: Getty A UK university has launched a fund that will award 5,000 ($6,400) to the student who can come up with the best idea that will change the world. The University of Law, which has 10 campuses across the UK and one in Hong Kong, is encouraging students to submit ideas about how they can enact change in the world be it through lobbying, charity work, or a business venue for the chance to win a 5,000 investment in their initiative. Just one winner will be chosen by a panel, chaired by the universitys CEO and vice-chancellor Professor Andrea Nollent. READ MORE: 'Conditional unconditional' university offers banned until September 2021 In addition to the money, the winner will receive ongoing support and mentoring from the universitys faculty and alumni, the institution said. The fund is a response to research by the university, which found two in five young Brits believe money is the biggest inhibitor to them being able to help causes they are passionate about, while nearly half (46%) said their generation simply isnt listened to. Over four out of five (84%) of 18 to 25 year-olds claimed they dont have the money or expertise to do more to change the world despite nearly 47% agreeing their generation is the one that can make the most difference. READ MORE: University apologises for setting up segregated online sites The Change the World Fund aims to encourage students to use their voices to share thoughts and ideas about how to tackle important issues, such as climate change and gender quality, the university said. Professor Nollent said: Our research has highlighted how important issues like racism, climate change and poverty are to our younger generation. Yet this generation clearly feels as though they dont have a voice or a platform to make a change. Were hopeful that we can find some creative and innovative people and ideas from our campaign and, working together, we can change the world. PHOENIX Democratic Senate candidate Mark Kelly apologized Thursday for making an offensive joke while speaking to a group of Boy Scouts two years ago. Kelly, a retired astronaut was discussing the physiological changes that his twin brother, who is also an astronaut, experienced while living in space for a year. The experience changed Scott Kellys DNA and took a toll on his body, Mark Kelly told his audience. I think the word hasnt gotten out how bad it is for him, Kelly said. You know, its gotten so bad that we recently had to release him back into the wild. Hes like halfway between an orangutan and a howler monkey. Weve even changed his name to Rodrigo. He lives in the woods. The video was shared on Twitter by Moses Sanchez, a Republican who ran unsuccessfully for Phoenix mayor in 2018. Shameful video of Mark Kelly making a racist joke to an all-white crowd, Sanchez wrote. He must think people named Rodrigo look like monkeys. Kelly made the joke when he was a featured speaker at a dinner hosted by the Boy Scouts of Americas Northern New Jersey Council. The council posted a video of the event on YouTube in 2018. My brothers year in space was really hard on him and we tried to bring some light to his difficult ordeal, but this comment does not do that and I apologize and deeply regret it, Kelly said in a statement. Kelly is facing Republican Sen. Martha McSally in one of the most closely watched 2020 Senate races, which will help determine which party controls the U.S. Senate. Polls have consistently shown him with a narrow lead. Sometimes what makes America great happens completely out of sight. Consider an anonymous federal employee who toils in obscurity, endeavoring at every turn to do the right thing by his country, without fear or favor, without any thoughts of politics or partisanship. He, and countless other men and women throughout the federal bureaucracy in a similar mold, are an integral part of what has always made America great. But there are times when someone who was theretofore unknown feels the need to step forward when he sees something rotten on the inside that cannot be silently abided. A recent example: Brian Murphy, a senior official at the Department of Homeland Security who was in charge of intelligence and analysis, found information that Russia was working, again, to interfere in our nations presidential election, and sought to raise a red flag. And got shut down, informed not to report things that make President Donald Trump look bad. Really. At the Department of Homeland Security. But, rather than simply shrugging and moving on, accepting that politics sometimes informs reality, Murphy instead decided, at great risk to his career, to stand up and blow the whistle. There are many words for this sort of behavior, but one that immediately leaps to mind is heroic. The news of Murphys doings broke on Wednesday. Just a day later, Microsoft announced that the same Russian spy unit that interjected itself into our nations 2016 presidential campaign is once again up to its old tricks. Oh, and China and Iran also have their hands in our electoral process. Feeling confident about the well-turning wheels of democracy? With real reservations, perhaps. As the old saying has it: There are two kinds of people in the world -- those who accept that Russia worked to put Trump in the White House in 2016, and those who believe only in what this administration has called alternative facts. Though some who have planted their flag resolutely in the latter camp are never, ever going to recognize the truth, even if it is shown to them plainly, detailed step-by-step, and comes from an unimpeachable source, one might rationally hope that this crowd would diminish, at least a bit, over time. Because in the real world, where facts are still facts, and facts still matter, a Homeland Security analyst isnt working for a political campaign. Rumor mill: Now that Microsoft has finally revealed the all-important price and release date of its next-gen consoles, were waiting for Sony to do the same. According to a new rumor, the Japanese firm is responding to the Xbox Series X/S unveiling by dropping the price of its PS5 machines. Its long been rumored that the price of the PS5 has been a sticking point for Sony, with the expensive components pushing the MSRP higher and higherone analyst claimed it would be $100 more than the Xbox Series X. It had even been reported that the expense could lead to Sony limiting the consoles initial production run. Backing up some of those claims is Gamereactor, whose anonymous source says the PS5 was considerably more expensive than Microsofts rival machine. Check out: Xbox Series S vs Series X spec-by-spec comparison With the Xbox Series X/S prices now unveiled, Sony has reportedly decided to cut the cost of both its machines. The discless PS5 could now arrive at $399, which is still more than the $299 all-digital Xbox Series S, while the standard version of the console will be $499, the same as the Xbox Series X. Anonymous sources are far from reliable, so this should all be taken with a massive grain of salt, but tech firms altering the price of unreleased products based on the competition is nothing new. We know the Xbox Series X has the PS5 beat when it comes to raw power, but Sony has lauded its custom SSD, which can shift compressed data at a maximum of 9 GB/s and 5.5 GB/s once decompressed, as truly special. Specs alone dont sell a console, of coursefactors such as exclusive titles play a big part. According to a recent survey, 84% of gamers are more excited about the PS5 than the Xbox Series X. How much the price affects peoples opinions remains to be seen. Vlanc+Piur hand sanitizer should no longer be used, must be immediately removed from store shelves and should no longer be offered for sale, according to a press release from the state of Michigan. The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development issued stop-use and stop-removal orders on Friday, Sept. 11 against the hand sanitizer brand after testing revealed the products dont meet state standards. Hand sanitizers have become one of the critical tools for preventing COVID-19, said Craig VanBuren, MDARDs Laboratory Division Director. They must have a minimum of 70 percent isopropyl alcohol or 60 percent ethyl alcohol to be considered effective. Despite the label boasting 70% ethyl alcohol, testing found it contained less than 60% alcohol. MDARD is testing various hand sanitizer brands to make sure they meet state standards. Vlanc+Piur hand sanitizer should no longer be used or sold, state officials said. Vlanc+Piur hand sanitizer should no longer be used or sold, state officials said. The orders are effective immediately, meaning no Vlanc+Piur hand sanitizer can be sold in Michigan on Friday and beyond. They should be returned to their place of purchase or properly disposed of. People whove been using the brand should monitor their health and get tested for COVID-19 if symptoms develop, said Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, chief medical executive and chief deputy for health, in a state news release. COVID-19 PREVENTION TIPS In addition to washing hands regularly and not touching your face, officials recommend practicing social distancing, assuming anyone may be carrying the virus. Health officials say you should be staying at least 6 feet away from others and working from home, if possible. Use disinfecting wipes or disinfecting spray cleaners on frequently-touched surfaces in your home (door handles, faucets, countertops) and carry hand sanitizer with you when you go into places like stores. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has also issued executive orders requiring people to wear face coverings over their mouth and nose while in public indoor and crowded outdoor spaces. See an explanation of what that means here. Additional information is available at Michigan.gov/Coronavirus and CDC.gov/Coronavirus. For more data on COVID-19 in Michigan, visit https://www.mlive.com/coronavirus/data/. RELATED STORIES 7 factors that will determine how Michigans economy fares this fall Six months ago coronavirus changed everything Outdoor visits allowed at Michigan nursing homes starting next week Aeromexico inaugurates new Guadalajara-Cancun route Cancun, Q.R. With the goal of reinforcing connectivity between two of the most important tourist destinations in Mexico, Aeromexicos Vice President of Global Sales, Giancarlo Mulinelli, inaugurated the Guadalajara-Cancun route, which will operate with seven flights a week. At a press conference held in Terminal 4 of the Cancun International Airport, the executive stated that it is an honor to present one more achievement, for me and for all of us who collaborate in Grupo Aeromexico, with this flight that will also connect us with the entire west coast through our operations in Guadalajara with markets such as Fresnillo and Sacramento. The inaugural flight, he said, is 100 percent occupied, which has been achieved with the great collaboration between Aeromexico, the government of Quintana Roo, the Ministry of Tourism and Grupo Asur. With this opening, we will be offering to Cancun more than 80 weekly flights from our three main centers of operations, Mexico City, Monterrey and Guadalajara. In this way, we will continue working with the commitment to continue connecting Cancun with the world and the world with Cancun under the highest safety standards, he said. During the conference, Giancarlo Mulinelli thanked authorities of the state of Quintana Roo for the support provided for this achievement. We are sure that we will continue working hand-in-hand to offer travelers more and better options to fly. Kim Chong-in, interim head of the main opposition People Power Party, speaks at a press conference at the National Assembly in Seoul, Sept. 3, to mark his 100th day since taking the post. / Yonhap By Park Han-sol The main opposition People Power Party (PPP) is striving to attract young people, mainly in their 20s and 30s, to shed its image of being "old boys" representing those with vested rights. The PPP has been given an opportunity to attract young members as the younger generations are becoming increasingly disgruntled with the ruling bloc in the wake of a sluggish job market and several scandals involving ranking officials which they see as unfair. The PPP currently has around 320,000 members who pay party membership dues and hold the right to vote in party affairs. The number is less than half of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea's (DPK) 800,000. The conservative PPP hopes to raise the figure to 1 million by next year especially by targeting the younger generation and centrists. Kim Chong-in, head of the party's emergency committee, has emphasized the role of young party members since taking the post in late May. "The party must connect with the younger generation and foster young politicians through training programs," Kim said at a press conference in June. As a way to appeal to such a population, the main opposition plans to launch a sub-group comprised of young members at the end of this year, which will be modeled on Germany's Young Union, a youth organization of the two conservative parties the Christian Democratic Union of Germany and the Christian Social Union in Bavaria. Membership of this group will be limited to individuals below the age of 39. The organization will be given autonomy to some extent, with its own rights to draw up a budget and carry out projects. "There exists a unique cultural consensus among young people, in which they have their own language and memes. The young group will seek to deliver a message that actually resonates with the younger generation and address the real-life problems felt by those in their 20s and 30s, which the ruling bloc has failed to accomplish," Kim Jae-sub, the PPP's emergency committee member in charge of the organization's launching preparation, told The Korea Times. It will also establish its own independent think tank separate from the PPP's existing Yeouido Institute, as a stage for political training and education programs for the youth. Kim Jae-sub highlighted the significance of online platforms to encourage the political participation of the younger generation in the contactless era. "Most people in their 20s to 40s are busy working in their own fields, which does not give them much time or space to take part in political activities. By taking advantage of the coronavirus era and a boom in contactless technology, our online platforms can be a window for the political voice of the young working population." Some political watchers viewed the PPP's efforts as an expression of its willingness to reflect young people's voices within the party. "For example, when looking at already established policies, young people may be able to see them with different eyes from those of older-generation members. In that way, young members can bring an original and fresh perspective to the party," Shin Yul, a political science and diplomacy professor at Myongji University, told The Korea Times. It may be the right time for the PPP to attract young people, who used to be one of the major support bases for the liberal ruling bloc, as they have shown disappointment recently with the DPK and the Moon Jae-in administration over multiple issues which they believe damaged the idea of fairness. Earlier this year, the government announced the Incheon International Airport Corp. would bring on subcontracted security workers as regular employees to realize the administration's pledge for "zero irregular workers." But this brought criticism from young people who claimed it deprives many jobseekers of opportunities. The ruling bloc is also engulfed in growing allegations that Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae exercised influence to help her son get special treatment during his mandatory military service from 2016 to 2018. Apparently affected by the allegations, the job approval rating for Moon and the support rate for the DPK among people in their 20s, men and the student population have seen large declines in recent opinion polls. Fealy said his group organizes the World Trade Center Stair Climb as well as other fitness events, mainly in the Crown Point area. "We strive to create fun fitness for family and friends," Fealy said. He came up with the stair climb idea last year as a result of a conversation with a friend. "The anniversary still plays an important role in our lives, remembering the events of the day and how we felt. But, if you are a high school senior, you weren't even born yet. We worried there may come a day when the day won't seem as important as time passes," Fealy said. He thought the stair climb was a way to memorialize the date and to honor those heroes who gave their lives. "There were 1,980 stairs in each of the two main towers that fell. So we have participants climb the same number at the grandstand as a tribute. We also have a shorter Statue of Liberty climb (354 steps) for those who don't want as big of a challenge but still want to participate," Fealy said. To help with social distancing, the grandstand will be split in two with an east and west side, Fealy said. Amid the India-China faceoff, Congress former President Rahul Gandhi for the first time attended the meeting of the Standing Committee on Defence on Friday. Rahul Gandhi has been a vocal critic of the government policy on China. After being criticised by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for not attending the meetings, this was the Congress leader's first appearance since he was nominated to the Committee. Rahul Gandhi in a tweet said, "The only 'talk' to have with China is about restoration of 'Status Quo Ante' as of March 2020. PM & GOI refuse to take responsibility for pushing China out of our land. All other 'talk' is worthless." The only talk to have with China is about restoration of Status Quo Ante as of March 2020. PM & GOI refuse to take responsibility for pushing China out of our land. All other talk is worthless. Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) September 11, 2020 Rahul Gandhi had slammed the government's China policy. "The Chinese have taken our land. When exactly is GOI planning to get it back? Or is that also going to be left to an 'Act of God'?" Sources said in the meeting NCP leader Sharad Pawar sought a detailed presentation by the government on the India-China faceoff at the Line of Actual Control in Ladakh. Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat also attended the meeting. The BJP had criticised Rahul Gandhi for not attending the panel meetings. Meanwhile, the military representatives of India and China met on Friday to ease the tensions at the border where both countries' troops are only metres apart, ready to take on each other. The military delegates talks have been taking place continuously since September 7 when the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) tried to occupy Indian territory at the LAC in eastern Ladakh and it was thwarted by the Indian Army. India then took pre-emptive action to occupy Rezang La, Rechen La, Blacktop, Goswami Hill and some other heights near Chushul to thwart the Chinese army. The Chinese have made multiple attempts to dislodge the Indian troops from the mountain heights. The Brigade Commander level meeting is happening in Chushul and has remained inconclusive so far. A senior Indian Army officer said that the talks will eventually ease tensions but it is a tedious process. In Delhi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held a crucial meeting with Chief of Defence Staff Bipin Rawat and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval along with the service chiefs on the LAC situation. Bollywood actor John Abraham is extremely fond of bikes and cars. The actor is often seen riding his fancy vehicles in Mumbai. However, recently he took a step that is bound to win hearts of his fans all over again. The ace model and actor has donated one of his first vehicles, the Maruti Suzuki Gypsy to an Animal non-profit organization named Animal Matter To Me (AMTM). This news was shared by the organisation on its social media handle. Captioning the photo in which John can be seen handing over the car keys, AMTM said, @amtmindia gets prized possession of @thejohnabraham for our kolad animal sanctuary. Last 5 years he has been a rock solid support of Amtmindia. His kindness continuesThis 44 beauty will be used for rescues, treatments & medical logistics from mumbai to kolad and vice versa. We are super grateful for his kindness as always and we will do our best in the coming years. For the unversed, Animal Matter To Me was founded by Mumbai-based philanthropis Ganesh Nayak. The organisation works for the benefit of stray and abandoned animals, birds and reptiles. Especially, during this time of pandemic, the non-profit organisation has increased the frequency of its food drives. This has been done as stray animals have been increasingly facing trouble in terms of finding food. Also Watch: Meanwhile, it must be noted that Johns garage is quite rich and has a variety of cars and motorcycles. Some of them are actually exotic too. His fleet of cars include Lamborghini Gallardo, Audi Q7 and the Nissan GT-R apart from many other luxury cars. The actors love for motorcycles is more than evident. As a result, a fancy collection of bikes comes as no surprise. Some of his high-end two-wheelers include the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-14R, Aprilia RSV4 RF, Yamaha the YFZ-R1, Ducati Panigale V4, MV Agusta F3 800 and Yamaha Vmax. Moncks Corner, SC (29461) Today Periods of light rain and drizzle. Areas of freezing rain possible. Temps nearly steady in the mid 30s. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%.. Tonight Freezing rain. Significant icing possible. Low 26F. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precip 90%. Muzaffarpur boiler explosion: PM Modi announces ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh each for kin of deceased Makes me feel better: 84-year-old Bihar man claims to have taken 11 Covid vaccine shots Shiv Sena accuses BJP of politicising Sushant Singh Rajput's death for upcoming Bihar polls India oi-Ajay Joseph Raj P Mumbai, Sep 11: In what comes as a recent development, the Shiv Sena has accused the BJP of politicising actor Sushant Singh Rajput's death case for the upcoming elections in Bihar saying votes of a particular caste matters. Shiv Sena, in its mouthpiece "Saamana" urged BJP to focus on matters of importance saying, "if the itch of politics has subsided, then politicians should pay attention to the issues of national interest, national security, and the livelihood of the people." Shiv Sena turning into 'Sonia Sena' for power, says Kangana Ranaut; Attacks BMC over demolition Accusing China of crossing the 'Laxman Rekha', the editorial said, "China has invaded our borders and is not ready to retreat even an inch. Aren't these just attempts to break the Laxman Rekha?" Sushant Death Case: Rhea Chakraborty denied bail by a Mumbai court, will stay in jail|Oneindia News "The declaration of self-reliant India is exciting but even today we need Rafale to fight China and Pakistan and we are spreading red carpet for foreign investment in the defense industry," it said. It can be seen that Shiv Sena's accusation are made after senior Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury accused the BJP of using Sushant Singh Rajput's death case as a "political trump card" for the upcoming Bihar assembly elections. Order on bail plea filed by Rhea Chakraborty expected today He further said that BJP is trying to portray that only it can deliver justice to people of Bihar. "The BJP is using Sushant Singh Rajput's death as a major political trump card for the upcoming Bihar elections. Rhea Chakraborty is being persecuted on different charges without proof. They are trying to portray that only BJP can deliver justice to Biharis," Chowdhury said at a press conference. Saying that the late actor represented the entire county and not only the state of Bihar, Chowdhury said it would be better if people refrain from labelling the film star as Bihari or Bengali. Shiv Sena had earlier targetted the BJP opposing the Y-plus security cover provided to Kangana Ranaut. Each year, an average of 50 children and an estimated 1,100 pets die in hot cars, according to statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Blazing Texas summers can be deadly- the state has the highest hot-car related deaths in the country. Harris County ESD 48 is committed to seeing those numbers decline, and through a new initiative, the emergency service agency hopes to educate the public on the dangers of hot cars. Through a program funded in part by Toyota of Katy, HCESD 48 will set up a display in public locations around Katy that shows how hot the inside of a car can get in the heat. MORE BY CLAIRE GOODMAN: Katy-based children's book series benefits conservation charities The display will show the atmospheric temperature, and a sensor inside a car will show the correlating interior temperature. The goal is to illustrate how much hotter the inside of a car gets even when outside temperatures are tolerable, explained Jason Tharp, Division Chief of Community Risk Reduction for HCESD 48. Hot car deaths are so tragic, and during the summer, we start getting calls at least once a day, sometimes more, for children locked in cars, said HCESD 48 Chief Jeff Hevey. A lot of times its by accident because people just forget they have kids in the car, but other times its because people think its OK to leave kids in a car for a brief time. But in just a few minutes, they can have a very sick child. Tharp believes that education is the key to reducing hot-car related deaths. Its just not always intuitive to people, Tharp said. Were hoping that by putting up this display around in shopping centers, people will take greater caution when getting out of their cars. On Sept. 11, HCESD 48 unveiled their new program at Toyota of Katy as the dealership handed over a check for $2450 - half the cost of the display. On HoustonChronicle.com: There's a frantic global race for a COVID vaccine, and Houston hopes to be an ultimate winner We all love children and animals, and we hear these stories about these really tragic deaths in hot cars, said Michael Hartmann, general manager of Toyota of Katy. We want to do anything we can to help prevent that. The display is still being manufactured, but Tharp hopes it will be completed by mid-October. Changing the behavior of people to where theyre more aware of these dangers may take time. It may not be until a year from now or even two years that we see a difference, Hevey said. But if it saves even one life, it was worth it. claire.goodman@chron.com Shares in Warhammer maker Games Workshop soared as it said it had beaten forecasts again. The retailer, which makes models and figurines that can be collected and painted, has had a stellar year after it found success with adult fans looking for hobbies they could do during lockdown. Sales in the three months to August hit 90million, compared with 78million in the same period of last year, it said in a trading update. Games Workshop, which makes models and figurines that can be collected and painted, found success with adult fans looking for hobbies they could do during lockdown Online and trade sales are strong at the Nottingham-based group though the business shops are still recovering. Operating profit is expected to be around 45million, up from around 38million, and it will dole out a 50p-per-share special, one-off dividend, worth 15million. Longtime investors have benefited from a soaring share price, which has risen 60 per cent this year and 172p since its low in March. AJ Bell investment director said there is no question that Games Workshop is a winner on the stock market. Yesterday it jumped 11.8 per cent, or 1025p, to 9750p. Stock Watch - Gfinity Esports group Gfinity rose 4.1 per cent, or 0.15p, to 3.79p after it was put in charge of a knockout gaming tournament organised by chocolate-maker Cadbury. The group will run the Cadbury Heroes Parents League, held at the Gfinity Arena in London in November. The tournament will pit 12 two-person teams against each other. Each pair will feature a gaming influencer those watched by millions as the play video games online and one of their parents. This means the company is now valued at 3.2billion making it worth more than the likes of Marks & Spencer (down 2.1 per cent, or 2.3p, at 105.45p) and Tui (up 4.9 per cent, or 16.8p, to 356.9p. Another big winner on the stock market was TT Electronics, following the launch of a 20-second coronavirus test it has manufactured. The small-cap group has worked with private technology group iAbra to develop the Virolens test, which uses a holographic microscope to examine saliva samples from a mouth swab. The almost instantaneous results caught the eye of Heathrow early on and it has now been endorsed and trialled by Europes busiest airport, which is keen to roll out mass Covid testing so that regular flying can start up again. Because the devices use microscope technology, the makers claim the results are close to 100pc accurate and better at detecting asymptomatic carriers than the usual NHS swabs. Hartlepool-based TT Electronics has already received 2million of orders from iAbra which will sell the testing kits and cartridges on to customers including Heathrow and a division of the US defence behemoth Lockheed Martin but around 280million of orders could be in the pipeline. Shares surged 40.5 per cent, up 77p, at 267p. In other Covid news, Astrazeneca boss Pascal Soriot insisted that his company could still deliver a vaccine by the end of this year, maybe early next year, despite a late-stage clinical trial being temporarily halted because a patient fell ill. Shares in Astrazeneca, the FTSE 100s largest company, fell 0.6 per cent, or 51p, to 8335p. The wider market also finished in the red, as traders fretted about disagreements over Brexit terms between the UK and EU. The FTSE 100 closed 0.2 per cent lower but managed to stay above the psychologically significant 6000-mark. It fell by 9.52 points to 6003.32, while the FTSE 250 slid 0.1 per cent, or 20.98 points, to 17573.95. Grosvenor Casino and Mecca Bingo operator Rank Group bosses struck an optimistic note, with chief executive John OReilly saying it is well-equipped to return to full strength, despite plunging to a 22million loss and cutting its dividend. Shares climbed 0.3 per cent, or 0.4p, to 125p. Cineworld (down 6.1 per cent, or 3.23p, to 49.55p) languished near the bottom of the FTSE 250 leaderboard after Morgan Stanley trimmed back the target price on its shares from 60p to 45p. Pub group Fullers, meanwhile, rose 5.1 per cent, or 28p, to 578p, after reporting it has reopened more than 90 per cent of its pubs and hotels. It said it got a welcome boost from the Governments Eat Out To Help Out scheme. The Chief and people of the Batuisa community in the Builsa South District of the Upper East Region, have appealed to government for boreholes to bring relief to residents. The residents, who do not have a source of potable water, depend on rivers and streams, which usually dry up during the dry season. Nab Adindiok Ateng, the Chief of the community, made the appeal on behalf of his people at a Social Auditing forum, organized by the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) with funding from the European Union (EU). The forum on the theme Citizens for Transparency and Accountability, was part of the Anti-corruption, Rule of law and Accountability Programme (ARAP). The Chief noted that it would be a relief if the government through the Builsa South District Assembly or benevolent organizations could assist the community with boreholes. Apart from the issue of potable water, Nab Ateng mentioned the development needs of the community, which needed attention to improve the livelihoods of the people. He appealed for the completion of a daycare nursery centre, electricity, Community-Based Health Planning and Services (CHPS), and expansion of the Livelihoods Empowerment Against Poverty Alleviation Programme (LEAP) to cover more vulnerable groups in the area. Abdul Mumuni Adams, the Assemblyman for the Batuisa-Naadema Electoral Area, pledged to convey some of the concerns raised by the chief and people of the area to the District Assembly for redress. Alhaji Alhassan Bukari, the District Director of NCCE, explained that the Social Auditing programme was to promote community ownership of development projects and policies. He said the programme was also to create awareness on the operations of the Local Government Act and to empower the Citizenry to demand accountability from duty bearers. Alhaji Bukari schooled the community members on the need to demand accountability from duty bearers to ensure that government resources were used judiciously. He explained that Social Auditing was not an event but a process towards achieving a good result. Social Auditing will help community members to know the plans, policies and programmes of the District Assembly so that their activities can be monitored closely and make sure that developmental projects are executed effectively, the District Director stressed. Through the efforts of the NCCE, a five-member Community Implementation Committee was formed to work with relevant stakeholders to address the community development needs. Source: GNA Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-11 16:29:37|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close ULAN BATOR, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- Mongolia reported one more COVID-19 case in the last 24 hours, bringing its national caseload to 311, the country's National Center for Communicable Diseases (NCCD) said Friday. The latest confirmed patient is a 53-year-old Russian transport driver who had recently entered Mongolia via the Altanbulag border point, Dulmaa Nyamkhuu, head of the NCCD, said at a daily press conference. All of Mongolia's confirmed cases were imported, mostly from Russia, according to the center. No local transmissions or deaths have been reported in the country so far. Enditem The effort made to define the larger picture by focussing on history and the wish not to turn differences into disputes and conflicts is welcome. In the obtaining circumstances today, nothing more could have been possible, observes Ambassador T P Sreenivasan. IMAGE: External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar meets with Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation meeting in Moscow, September 10, 2020. Photograph: China Daily/Reuters The white smoke that emanated from the Moscow parleys between External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on September 20, 2020 may yet be illusory, considering the distrust between the two countries and the deep Chinese conspiracy which created the incendiary situation along the Line of Actual Control. But there is reason to believe that India's three-pronged strategy of dialogue, military preparation and economic action has halted Chinese adventurism for the time being. The roaring of the Rafale jets, the Indian occupation of a few commanding heights on the southern bank of the Pangong Tso, setting up of the barbed wire 'Lakshman Rekha' and the deployment of the Tibetan forces may well have prompted the Chinese to grasp 'the last chance for a peaceful resolution', as they called the Moscow meeting. Dialogue, Disengagement and Distancing envisaged in the Joint Statement have been promised before, but this is the first time that pen has been put to paper on the subject ever since May 2020 when it all began. Though it is no guarantee of implementation, an actual document may have a greater chance of success than assurances received in virtual conferences. The Chinese also have a sense of history of past negotiations, however old they may have been. A record of the 'frank and constructive discussion' in Moscow with the apparent blessings of Russia and Iran has a chance of implementation, though the text has the potential to be interpreted in different ways. Significantly, Wuhan and Mamallapuram suddenly made an appearance at a time it appeared that they were thrown to the winds by the Chinese when they planned the incursions. Prime Minister Modi and President Xi Jinping had appeared to be engrossed in each other and no one believed that those conversations would be in vain. Modi was accused of misreading Xi even after fifteen meetings with him. We do not know the nature of the 'consensus' reached between the leaders, but certainly the reset was not to have a bash at each other on the border. To say that 'the current situation in the border areas is not in the interest of either side' is to acknowledge the obvious. It is logical, therefore, to continue the dialogue, quickly disengage and maintain proper distance, as the pandemic has taught us to avert danger. The word 'disengagement' is crucial as the Chinese believe that they have disengaged enough and it is India which has to disengage from the Chushul area. This determination is as hard as determining the border and the process may go on till the winter and beyond, leaving the situation favourable to the Chinese, who seem to have accomplished their mission already. We have acquired a few bargaining chips by our action in Chushul, but the Chinese have many more of them along the LAC and that explains their reluctance to agree to restoration of the status quo. The consensus to abide by all the agreements, including the agreement of 1993 to maintain peace and tranquillity is mandatory and logical, but China is a habitual violator of this obligation and the way it has been written this time is simply a reminder of the violations that have taken place. Agreements are meant to be followed and not to be flouted. IMAGE: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh meets with Chinese Defence Minister General Wei Fenghe on the sidelines of the joint meeting of defence ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, Commonwealth of Independent States and Collective Security Treaty Organisation in Moscow, September 4, 2020. Photograph: Kind courtesy RMO India/Twitter The agreement to continue the dialogue through the mechanism of the Special Representatives and the Working Mechanism for consultation and coordination is welcome, but without a commitment to move to a time bound programme to conclude these consultations, such an agreement is redundant. The Chinese seem to consider the negotiations on the border endless till they have sorted out the LAC to their complete satisfaction. Such a dual path is fraught with dangers as the process of sorting out of the LAC is pure banditry and lawlessness. The Joint Statement ends with a call to conclude new and undefined Confidence Building Measures, making enhancement of peace and tranquillity in the border areas conditional to the CBMs. This amounts to a rewriting of the agreement of 1993 and makes violations legitimate in the meantime. It was feared that the Moscow meeting would end in a fiasco in which China would give an ultimatum to India to withdraw from Chushul and India would insist on restoration of the status quo as in April 2020, leading to a conflict situation. The Joint Statement has averted such a disaster for the time being. When India is battling COVID-19 and the looming economic crisis, any respite is welcome and China itself is facing serious international hostility for flexing its muscles in multiple areas. At best, the Moscow consensus is a breather for the two countries only to be tested in the process of implementation. China has not given any explanation for its initial moves, though the changes in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh have been cited as a possible provocation. Such a reason, if raised, would be disastrous for India-China relations in the long run. The present consensus makes it possible to veer away from such a fundamental position and to stay close to the delineation of the border as the core issue. Scepticism is the prevalent mood in the country and the Joint Statement has many elements in it to make anyone sceptical. But the effort made to define the larger picture by focussing on history and the wish not turn differences into disputes and conflicts is welcome. In the obtaining circumstances today, nothing more could have been possible. At least the vicious circle of Chinese incursion, discussion and partial withdrawal has been broken and attention has turned to long term solutions rather than short term gains. T P Sreenivasan, (IFS 1967), is a former Ambassador of India and Governor for India of the IAEA. Ambassador Sreenivasan is a frequent contributor to Rediff.com and his earlier columns can be read here. Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com Flash China urged the United States to stop slandering and lying, discard bullying acts and respect the freedom of the press with practical actions, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Thursday. Spokesperson Zhao Lijian made the remarks at a news briefing when answering a question regarding U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's complaint that People's Daily, one of the major media groups in China, refused to post an article written by U.S. Ambassador to China Terry Branstad. Zhao pointed out that the content of the article was seriously inconsistent with basic facts, and was full of loopholes and filled with malicious smears and attacks on China. "If the Chinese government, as the U.S. did, provided you with an article that seriously distorted the facts and attacked your country, and requested you to reply the next day and promise to post it without any changes, could you do it?" Zhao asked reporters attending the news briefing. He said that what the United States did "had nothing to do with freedom of the press, but was a well-designed frame-up." The Chinese ambassador to the United States has always been committed to promoting friendly exchanges and cooperation between the two countries and the two peoples, never creating and spreading rumors against the U.S., never attacking and defaming the U.S. system, and never interfering in the internal affairs of the country, said the spokesperson. He said some U.S. politicians, on the one hand, were arbitrarily suppressing Chinese media, calling them "propaganda machines" of the Communist Party of China (CPC). But these same politicians demanded that the "propaganda machines" maliciously attack the Chinese government. "Their behavior is both illogical and insolent," he said. "Just like any other U.S. media outlet, People's Daily has the right to decide whether or not to publish any submitted article and when to publish it, and is entitled to make necessary changes and edits to any article. It's also entitled to reject publishing an article with factual mistakes and filled with prejudice. This is in line with the professional practice of the media industry, as well as international norms," Zhao quoted the People's Daily's statement, adding that China urges the United States to stop slandering and lying, discard bullying acts, and respect the freedom of the press with practical actions. Ayodhya: The saint community of Ayodhya and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad is reportedly upset with Maharashtra Chief Minister and Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray over recent developments concerning Bollywood actress Kangana Ranaut and announced that he "is no more welcome in Ayodhya." Mahant Raju Das, the priest of the Hanuman Garhi temple, questioned the Mumbai civic body BMC`s demolition of Ranaut`s office at Pali Hills and said, "Uddhav Thackeray and Shiv Sena are no more welcome in Ayodhya. Now, the Maharashtra Chief Minister will face stiff opposition from seers of Ayodhya if he comes here." Targeting the Uddhav government, Das further said, "The Maharashtra government acted without wasting any time against the actress. But the same government is yet to take action against the killers of two seers in Palghar." Meanwhile, Sharad Sharma, regional spokesperson of VHP, said, "It is very clear that the Shiv Sena is deliberately targeting the actress because she is supporting nationalist forces and has raised her voice against drug mafia of Mumbai." He said that the Maharashtra government was acting with malafide intention against Kangana Ranaut. Mahant Kanhaiya Das, head of the Ayodhya Sant Samaj, also accused the Maharashtra government of shielding those who are involved in anti-social activities and warned the Maharashtra Chief Minister against coming to Ayodhya. "Now, Uddhav Thackeray is no more welcome in Ayodhya. Why is the Shiv Sena is attacking Ranaut? Everyone can understand. It is not a mystery. The Shiv Sena is not the same what it used to be under Balasaheb Thackeray," said Mahant Kanhaiya Das. It may be recalled that Uddhav had visited Ayodhya on November 24, 2018, then on June 16 last year and again in March this year after becoming the Chief Minister of Maharashtra. Severe weather events have hit Alberta hard over the spring and summer months. Four events from April to August brought the insured damage total for natural catastrophes in the province to $2 billion, based on surveys from to Catastrophe Indices and Quantification Inc. (CatIQ). Two storms have most recently contributed to this total over the summer. A storm that hit the Calgary, Drumheller, Airdrie and Strathmore areas on July 24 topped $135 million in insured damages and resulted in over 10,000 claims. A storm that occurred over the August 2 and 3 caused an additional $58 million in insured damages, bringing the insured cost of the two summer storms to more than $190 million. Weather has hit our province hard this year, said Celyeste Power,vice president, Western, Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC), adding that the insurance industry is working to process the nearly 100,000 claims. These recent storms are just part of the challenging summer that has struck Alberta in 2020 and they bring total insured damages to date just shy of the $2 billion mark. April: Fort McMurray flooding $522 million June: Calgary and surrounding area hailstorm $1.2 billion July: Calgary hail and flooding $135 million August: Central Alberta hailstorm $58 million Strong thunderstorms developed across south-central Alberta on the afternoon of July 24. Several of these strong storm cells crossed through the Calgary area before combining into a larger cluster and crossing over Drumheller. Very large hail was reported in southeast Calgary and east of the city. Damage to buildings and cars was reported. Road flooding was also reported in the region, including in Calgary and Drumheller. The storm over the August 2 and 3 weekend brought hail and damaging winds. Damage was reported from Cremona to Drumheller and as well in western Saskatchewan. Between 1983 and 2008, the average yearly total for insured damage related to severe weather across Canada was $422 million. From 2009 to 2019, Canada-wide severe weather losses averaged about $1.9 billion annually. This year insurers are expecting Alberta alone to exceed that number. The amount of insured damage is an estimate provided by CatIQ under licence to IBC. Topics Claims Windstorm Canada A man suspected of leading security officers on a wild chase through Outlet Collection at Niagara mall, then using a knife to threaten a woman and drive off in her car, has been arrested near London, Ont. Niagara Regional Police said officers were called to the mall on Taylor Road in Niagara-on-the-Lake Tuesday at about 5:30 p.m. Police said security officers had arrested a man suspected of committing criminal acts but during a struggle the man broke free and ran. At some point he flashed a knife and threatened the security officers who were trying to apprehend him. Police said the man ran into the parking lot and tried to break into several parked vehicles. He opened the door of a Mercedes and threatened the female driver with the knife. She escaped without injury, and a bystander stepped up to help the security officers contain the man in the Mercedes. After trying to use the knife on the Good Samaritan, the man fled in the car, damaging it as he left the lot. Police said soon after, another member of the public reported his car had been broken into and his credit cards were used to make purchases at the mall. The next day, Wednesday, OPP arrested a man on Highway 401 near London, operating the stolen Mercedes. Michael Leroy Barrett, 28, of no fixed address was charged by Niagara police with theft under $5,000, three counts of assault with a weapon, possession of a dangerous weapon, robbery, dangerous operation of a motor vehicle and failure to comply with a probation order. The OPP laid more charges: dangerous driving, prohibited driving, failure to remain at the scene of an accident, resisting arrest and driving while impaired by drugs. Barrett was returned to Niagara. Detectives are hoping to speak with anyone who witnessed the incidents at the mall, and can be reached at 905-688-4111 ext. 2200. (TNS) On a family vacation in Virginia in 2017, Democratic Maryland state Del. Charles E. Sydnor III was driving in the left lane on a nearly empty, unfamiliar highway when a state trooper pulled him over.Sydnors wife and three daughters ages 9, 10 and 13 were in the car.Are you going to jail? one of his girls asked.The trooper said Sydnor, who is Black, had been driving too slowly. A new Virginia law made driving slowly in the left lane a primary offense, meaning an officer could pull over and ticket the motorist. Sydnor, then 44, explained he was following his sister and her family in the car ahead and was about to make a left turn. He had seen a 45 mph speed limit sign in a school zone so had slowed down from 55.The trooper proceeded to educate Sydnor on the law, saying the speed limit was 45 only if the signs lights were flashing, which they were not. White officers stopping Black motorists for routine traffic violations can have deadly results for Black men, and Sydnors mind flashed to how this one might go horribly wrong.The trooper had this attitude. It felt as though he wanted to show he was in charge in front of my wife and daughters, Sydnor said in an interview. I wasnt disrespectful to him. He didnt need to talk to me like that.The trooper let him go with a warning, and Sydnor was glad the Maryland legislature had recently defeated a similar bill, which he believed would have given officers too much leeway in deciding whom to stop.State legislators, local officials, civil rights advocates and law enforcement personnel have grappled for decades with complaints that traffic stops unfairly target minority motorists. The George Floyd killing in May and demonstrations added pressure for change, and states and localities now are exploring new ways to reduce or eliminate pretextual, or pretext, stops.In a pretext stop, an officer pulls over a motorist for a minor traffic or equipment violation and then uses the stop to investigate a more serious crime.Police insist the stops are useful for investigating drugs and weapons possession, human trafficking and drunken driving, among other crimes.But Black motorists, especially young men, have long noted how often they get stopped for petty traffic or equipment violations failure to signal, broken license plate light, tinted windows and the like.As part of the movement to curb police brutality, theres renewed interest in reducing, or eliminating, pretext stops, which studies have shown to be racially biased. Police stop and search Black motorists more often than drivers of other races with little effect on crime, studies show.Traffic stops are the most common interaction Americans have with police. On a typical day, police pull over more than 50,000 drivers more than 20 million people a year.Police have enormous discretion in making traffic stops, said Farhang Heydari, executive director of the Policing Project at the New York University School of Law, a public safety think tank.If youre driving, its impossible not to break a traffic law there are so many of them, he said. Police are always going to have a reason to pull you over.White drivers were about 20 percent less likely to be stopped than Black drivers as a share of the population, according to a study released last year.The team of researchers from Stanford University and New York University analyzed a dataset of nearly 100 million traffic stops across the country over nearly a decade. White drivers, they found, were searched 1.5 to 2 times less often than Black drivers, but were more likely to have drugs, guns or other contraband.Black drivers were less likely to be stopped after sunset, when a veil of darkness masks ones race, suggesting bias in stop decisions, researchers reported.The federal government trains law enforcement agencies to use pretext stops in high-crime areas, and they are often perfectly legal.In 1996, a unanimous Supreme Court ruled in Whren v. United States that pretext stops are constitutional as long as police officers identify an actual violation of traffic law, regardless of their motivation.However, states and localities can limit the infractions police can use to stop motorists and what they do during stops, and more are doing so, through the courts, by law and local ordinance.The Oregon Supreme Court ruled last November police could no longer pull someone over for a broken taillight or failure to signal, then ask unrelated questions, such as asking for consent to search the car for illegal drugs or guns.The Virginia legislature is considering limiting traffic stop violations as part of a sweeping criminal justice package. Texas Democratic lawmakers plan to introduce a wide-ranging criminal justice package that includes banning pretext traffic stops altogether when the legislature convenes in January.One of the things the George Floyd killing and other instances have made clear is police intervention can be highly problematic, especially for minority populations, Virginia state Sen. Scott Surovell, a Democrat who chaired the committee that drafted the criminal justice package, said in an interview.Our legislative aim is to reduce the opportunity for law enforcement of minor infractions, he said.On Aug. 28, the Virginia Senate passed on party lines a bill to end citations for a broken license plate light, objects dangling from the rearview mirror, exhaust noise, tinted windows and the odor of marijuana unless an officer has cause to stop or arrest the motorist because of another suspected violation. In addition, the bill prohibits law enforcement officers from searches or seizures based solely on the odor of marijuana.Among the Republicans voting no was state Sen. William M. Stanley Jr., who has practiced law for 26 years and has represented thousands of criminal defendants in rural Virginia. He has defended so-called driving while Black cases, but he said, I dont see it happening all the time.Still, Stanley recognizes the racial disparities on minor violations: My son can have a graduation tassel on his rearview mirror, but other people cannot, he said.Im not for pretext stops, Stanley said, but he thought Democrats shouldnt have lumped so many potential violations into the bill.Tinted windows, for example, are a real safety issue, he said, and its a problem when police cant see a license plate because the light is out. He slammed Democrats as hypocritical for previously making primary offenses of holding cellphones or failing to wear seat belts.A similar measure is pending in the House.Pretext stops can be fatal. In 2015, Sandra Bland, a 28-year-old Black woman, was found hanged in a Texas jail cell, three days after being pulled over on suspicion of failing to use her signal to change lanes. Her death was ruled a suicide.The Texas legislature enacted the Sandra Bland Act two years later. The final version was largely a mental health and data collection law. Many policing provisions in the House bill were jettisoned after opposition from law enforcement groups and senators.Sponsors vow to bring the policing measures back in January in a bill named for George Floyd, a Houston native.Among its provisions, the bill would ban pretext stops and investigatory stops, often known as stop and frisk.Im not saying it will be a slam-dunk, but we have a better opportunity with George Floyd being from Texas and my district, said state Rep. Garnet Coleman, a Democrat from Houston, chair of the House Committee on County Affairs and a nearly 30-year veteran of the legislature, in an interview.People were sitting at home because of COVID-19, watching the George Floyd killing over and over on TV, he said. We saw a man die unnecessarily. It was unconscionable. People cant get it out of their minds.But Kevin Lawrence, executive director of the Texas Municipal Police Association, which represents more than 30,000 police officers in the Lone Star State, said: We will be opposed to it. We think its bad public policy.He cited a famous traffic stop case from 25 years ago: Timothy McVeigh, the Oklahoma City bomber, was stopped 90 minutes after the bombing, in 1995. McVeigh was pulled over for not having a license plate.It happens every day we find drugs, evidence of other crimes, Lawrence said. We use the traffic stop as a pretext. Its a very valuable tool.Several cities and counties have moved to separate police and traffic stops.Since 2018, Oakland, California, has deliberately reduced the number of police discretionary traffic stops by not stopping low-level offenders.Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel E. Bowser, a Democrat, last year transferred operation of the citys automated speed, red light and stop sign cameras from police to the transportation department.The Berkeley (California) City Council in July approved a policing measure that includes eventually transferring traffic stops from the police to unarmed civilian employees of a to-be-created BerkDOT transportation department.Police unions and Mothers Against Drunk Driving oppose the change, and the mayor has said it could take a year or more to get the new department up and running.Cambridge, Massachusetts, is considering removing traffic stops from police control.In Montgomery County, Maryland, where Black residents are 18 percent of the population but were 32 percent of 2018 county police traffic stops, the County Council is studying the feasibility of installing automated traffic cameras to replace in-person stops.Its a ready solution for bias in policing as long as the cameras arent deployed disproportionately in communities of color, County Councilmember Hans Riemer, a Democrat, who commissioned the study, said in an interview. The switch may require state legislative approval, he said.In San Diego, Jerry Sanders, the citys former Republican mayor and former police chief, drew media attention in June with an op-ed saying, Police need to stop pretext stops and the overuse of stop and frisk.I was a cop for 26 years. I understand both sides, but I really think we need to be fundamentally rethinking the way we police, Sanders said in an interview. When you look at the stats, they dont make sense.An analysis of 260,000 San Diego traffic stops from 2014 and 2015 found only 1.3 percent led to arrests.That shakes the foundation of what were talking about, Sanders said. That really does change it.Joshua Chanin, an associate professor in the School of Public Affairs at San Diego State University, led the study. Police dismissed his 2016 reports recommendation to minimize equipment stops and the City Council shelved the report, he said, but times may have changed.Theres a new chief of police, a new City Council and political motivation that didnt exist four years ago, Chanin said.In Maryland, Sydnor, now a state senator representing Baltimore County, earlier this year cross-filed a House bill in the Senate to end traffic stops of motorists simply because their license frame covers part of the plate. The measure was enacted.His wife was recently stopped in Maryland and given a warning for having clear vinyl over her license plate.I asked police and they said, Oh, yes, we can stop someone for that, he said.Sydnor is weighing whether to introduce a bill next year to change that law.Being pulled over for something like that? he said. It doesnt fly. Jennifer Risher took a job in campus recruiting at Microsoft in 1991. She was 25 and given stock options worth several hundred thousand dollars. While working there, she met her husband, David, who had more stock options than she did. He later left to work for Amazon when it was still just selling books and got even more valuable options there. In a few years, they were worth tens of millions of dollars and on their way to a comfortable life. When Ms. Risher looks back, was it luck or good decisions that helped her land that Microsoft job? She poses that question and others in her book, We Need to Talk: A Memoir About Wealth, which is out next week. They are an effort to prompt critical thinking about money and the status and power that are accrued from it. Wealth doesnt look anything like what Hollywood is selling us, Ms. Risher said. I want to demystify wealth an experience millions of people have but cant talk about. Theres a normalcy to it when all your friends are similarly wealthy. LONDON, Sept. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The chief executive officer of Albania's Intesa Sanpaolo Bank Albania has received two honours in the 2020 Business Worldwide Magazine (BWM) CEO Awards. Silvio Pedrazzi was named 'Best CEO in Albania's Banking Industry' and 'Most Innovative CEO of the Year - Albania' for his pioneering work in digital banking. The BWM 2020 CEO Awards seek to identify and honour the Most Respected C-level executives across the globe from a variety of different sectors. The awards themselves do not focus on a company's success, as many do, but the spotlight is on the success of individuals who make the corporations tick- namely senior executives such as CEOs, Managing Directors, Directors and senior-level management. Our intention is to give a worthy individual the recognition he/she deserves as well as to use their example to inspire other companies and business leaders to achieve similar success. Intesa Sanpaolo Bank Albania, part of Intesa Sanpaolo Group is a leading bank in Albania serving small and medium sized businesses, corporates, individual customers and high net worth clients with an extensive offering of innovative products and services. The company is leading the way in Albania's cutting-edge banking solutions, and Silvio is in turn setting the bar for others in his field. It's been a trying time for Albania, with a devastating earthquake followed by the advent of COVID-19, but Silvio and his team have been able to support customers through financial challenges by offering a range of revolutionary banking solutions. Supporting families and businesses in times of crisis is important to the bank, which initiated an Earthquake Relief and Support Plan for those affected by the disaster. This is clearly a company that clearly sees Corporate Social Responsibility as much more than just a box ticking exercise; the bank quickly reached out to those affected by the earthquake and offered financial assistance to those in need. It also provided humanitarian aid in different ways, directly supporting displaced families as well as organising donations for employees who had also been affected. And in response to the global endemic, the company's smart working platform enabled staff to work from home and deliver a seamless service to customers. The bank has a reputation as being a forward thinking, customer centric financial organisation, and Silvio is dedicated to changing the face of banking within Albania. In an interview with BWM, he talked about his mission to create sustainable value for all stakeholders: "We believe we can only achieve this goal by applying the highest ethical standards and the best international practices, promoting innovation as well as developing a sound dialogue with the different components of our society." For further information on Intesa Sanpaolo Bank Albania's' range of products, digital banking and services visit https://www.intesasanpaolobank.al/ An article on the company can be found on the BWM website: https://www.bwmonline.com/2020/08/17/intesa-sanpaolo-bank-albania-new-skills-new-roles-for-a-digital-transformation/ 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: david@bwmonline.com VV Balakrishna By Express News Service HYDERABAD: If there is no power supply beyond a specific duration, you will receive a compensation from the Discom concerned. You will also get a compensation for the number of interruptions in power supply beyond the limit specified by the State Electricity Regulatory Commission (SERC).Apart from this, consumers can claim compensation for delay in issuing a connection, disconnection, reconnection and shifting, according to the Draft Electricity (Rights of Consumers) Rules, 2020 issued by the Ministry of Power. Also, the State Commissions will shortly fix timelines for tasks such as changing consumer category, load and consumer details, replacing defective meters, and resolving voltage- and bill-related complaints. If discoms fail to adhere to these timelines, consumers can claim compensation. According to the draft rules, the distribution licensees, within six months from the date of notification of the regulation commission, shall create an online facility on which consumers may register and claim compensation. The payment shall be adjusted against current and/or future electricity bills within a stipulated timeframe. A dedicated 24X7 toll-free call centre, too, should be set up for consumers. While other modes paper application, email, mobile and website to provide services may continue, the licensees shall endeavour to provide all services through a common Customer Relation Manager (CRM) System to get a unified view of all the services. The CRM will send SMS/email alerts to consumers. In case of unplanned outages or faults, consumers should be intimated through SMS or any other electronic medium, along with the estimated restoration time. The Ministry, which has proposed a grievance redressal mechanism, has sought comments from the public on the draft rules by September 30. Boeing Co said late on Thursday it was in discussions with U.S. safety regulators about a manufacturing issue found last year in its 787 Dreamliner. KOMO News Radio in Seattle reported the issue involved the vertical tail fin on the 787, citing federal records, and could affect 680 airplanes. It was the fourth reported production issue disclosed in recent days involving the 787. Asked about the latest issue, the Federal Aviation Administration reiterated on Thursday it "is investigating manufacturing flaws affecting certain Boeing 787 jetliners" but had made no decisions whether to issue new airworthiness directives. KOMO said the issue involved excessive gaps that could pose a safety concern and cause strain on the structure of the plane over time. Boeing said in a statement the newly reported "issue was found in late 2019" and had been addressed in production. It added its engineers determined "it did not immediately affect the safety of flight and no immediate action is required." The largest U.S. airplane manufacturer added it was "working with the FAA to finalize guidance for the in-service fleet. Our expectation is that this will require a one-time inspection during regularly scheduled maintenance. Boeing said on Tuesday it learned during fabrication of the 787 horizontal stabilizer that some components were clamped with greater force than specified, which could result in improper gap verification and shimming. A person briefed on the matter said the horizontal stabilizer issue could require inspecting as many as about 900 airplanes. On Monday, the FAA said it was also investigating two other manufacturing flaws in some 787s. Boeing said in August that airlines had removed eight 787s from service as a result of two distinct manufacturing issues in fuselage sections. Boeing said on Monday that some airplanes had shims that were not the proper size, and some airplanes had areas that did not meet skin-flatness specifications. Shims are used to close tiny gaps in joints. Boeing identified the shimming issue in August 2019. "Individually these issues, while not up to specifications, still meet limit load conditions. When combined in the same location however, they result in a condition that does not meet limit load requirements," Boeing said. Also read: Boeing detects new flaw with 787 aircraft; deliveries to be delayed Also read: COVID-19 impact: Singapore Airlines to fire 4,300 employees (Photo : Pixabay) (Photo : Pixabay) (Photo : Pixabay) (Photo : Pixabay) The United States' condition for allowing TikTok's reign to remain its operation in America is nearing its September 15 deadline, and ByteDance seems to make no progress, in addition to a new Chinese regulation that may slim down the chance of its sale to US corporations. ByteDance faces doom on nearing TikTok ban in the country's 100 million users. Following President Donald J. Trump's threat to ban TikTok's operation in the United States, ByteDance sought out American corporations to buy the short video streaming application's operation rights. TikTok may be permitted by the US President, provided that it will be managed and be owned by an American corporation. The US President fears that TikTok and ByteDance possess sensitive information about Americans and have control over the privacy of more than 100 million Americans who use the application.TikTok would have been banned in August, but President Trump gave a new deadline that asks the Chinese application to be sold to American companies and give a small percentage to the US Treasury. Microsoft is the first company to present its interest in acquiring TikTok's US, Canada, and New Zealand operation's rights. Twitter follows with expressing its intent to purchase the application and is succeeded by Oracle, a multinational technology company. As September 15 approaches, ByteDance, LLC, is nowhere near an agreement with the three of these corporations who presented their intent to purchase the operation rights, yet another wall impedes TikTok's sale. A new Chinese regulation requires a stake in the paperwork and agreement before proceeding to the actual sale. ALSO READ: TikTok Bans Users Who Share Video of a "Man with a Beard" Who Took Suicide While on Facebook Live Chinese Regulation: Why is it prohibiting TikTok? According to The Edge Singapore, the Chinese government's new regulation presents a significant roadblock to ByteDance's TikTok sale to US corporations. The report also speculates that ByteDance may miss the September 15 deadline and may result in the application's ban on US soil. Certain Chinese officials are reportedly requiring ByteDance to submit its proposal to the reviewing party to review the sale's technical and financial issues before handing it over to the interested American companies. The said Chinese officials' review will be substantial and take an extensive amount of time before approval, not to mention the possible rejection or revisions for the paperwork. The Chinese officials did not give specific guidelines on how to draft would be approved and what deal would be deemed fit to go underway. Microsoft and Oracle's proposals were submitted right before the said regulations have taken effect. However, this does not guarantee that the requests sent by the American companies would not go under strict regulation. Will ByteDance Miss the Deadline and have TikTok Banned? According to the report, ByteDance will surely miss the September deadline due to the nature of the regulation's timeframe. This happening presents an impending doom on TikTok's operations in the country as a fierce ban will threaten its existence and usage. Washington and the POTUS are silent about the TikTok sale and the issue of the ban, despite the approaching deadline. TikTok influencers are also worried that this ban will take a toll on them as their efforts to migrate their followers and viewers to similar applications such as Instagram face austerity. ALSO READ: [LEAK] 'Apple One' Bundle Discovered in Android; iOS Users To Share The Same Package, October Plans Confirmed This article is owned by Tech Times Written by Isaiah Alonzo 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., Sept. 10, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CTO Realty Growth (NYSE American: CTO) (the Company) today announced the closing of the sale of a property located in Jacksonville, Florida leased to PDQ (PDQ), for a sales price of approximately $2.5 million, reflecting an exit cap rate of approximately 6.1%. The property is currently under a ground lease to PDQ with 6.9 years remaining on the initial term of the lease. The proceeds are expected to be part of a future Section 1031 like-kind exchange. The Company estimates a gain on the sale of approximately $128,000, or $0.02 per share, after tax. Including this transaction, the Company has over $12 million of proceeds held in 1031 restricted cash accounts. Year to date, the Company has completed the sale of seven single-tenant net lease properties and one multi-tenant retail property, for an aggregate sales price of more than $51 million. About CTO Realty Growth, Inc. CTO Realty Growth, Inc. is a Florida-based publicly traded real estate company, which owns income properties comprised of approximately 2.3 million square feet in diversified markets in the United States and an approximately 23.5% interest in Alpine Income Property Trust, Inc., a publicly traded net lease real estate investment trust (NYSE: PINE). Visit our website at www.ctorealtygrowth.com . We encourage you to review CTOs most recent investor presentations which are available on its website at www.ctorealtygrowth.com . SAFE HARBOR Certain statements contained in this press release (other than statements of historical fact) are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Words such as believe, estimate, expect, intend, anticipate, will, could, may, should, plan, potential, predict, forecast, project, and similar expressions and variations thereof are intended to identify certain of such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the dates on which they were made, although not all forward-looking statements contain such words. Although forward-looking statements are made based upon managements present expectations and reasonable beliefs concerning future developments and their potential effect upon the Company, a number of factors could cause the Companys actual results to differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements. Such factors may include general adverse economic and real estate conditions, the inability of major tenants to continue paying their rent or obligations due to bankruptcy, insolvency or a general downturn in their business, the loss or failure, or decline in the business or assets of PINE or the Land JV, the completion of 1031 exchange transactions, the availability of investment properties that meet the Companys investment goals and criteria, the uncertainties associated with obtaining required governmental permits and satisfying other closing conditions for planned acquisitions and sales, as well as the uncertainties and risk factors discussed in our (i) Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019, and (ii) Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2020, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. There can be no assurance that future developments will be in accordance with managements expectations or that the effect of future developments on the Company will be those anticipated by management. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this release. Story continues Contact: Lisa M. Vorakoun, Vice President Chief Accounting Officer lvorakoun@ctorealtygrowth.com Phone: (386) 944-5641 Facsimile: (386) 274-1223 The Diocese of Kwito-Bie in Angola, this week, celebrated the end of year-long festivities marking the 80th anniversary of its establishment. English Africa Service -Vatican City & Anastacio Sasembele - Luanda The responsibility of evangelisation must be assumed by all those who are baptised, declared the Bishop of Kwito-Bie Diocese, Jose Nambi. The Bishop was speaking, this week, at the closing ceremonies of the year-long 80th diocesan anniversary. He underscored the importance of ongoing evangelisation in a society and Church that is continually changing. Evangelisation not the sole preserve of the clergy Bishop Nambi told the faithful of the Diocese of Kwito-Bie that the responsibility for evangelisation was not the exclusive preserve of the clergy but preferably one that should be embraced by all baptised Christians. Let us all be united and work together as one people. That way, our diocese will become more and more a place that fulfils its mandate of facilitating Salvation for humankind ... the diocese was created in 1940 with the view to better evangelise the people of this region, said Bishop Nambi. Speaking on behalf of the local diocesan clergy, Father Alberto Sambuale, who is Rector at Kwito Seminary, reiterated the importance of unity among a clergy united with the people of the diocese. Government considers diocese a partner The occasion was graced by the presence of various civic leaders led by Provincial Governor, Pereira Alfredo. He congratulated the Diocese on its milestone and said he hoped that the Catholic Church would continue to be a vital government partner in the social sector. Diocese was first known as the Diocese of Silva Porto Erected on 4 September 1940 by the Papal bull, Sollemnibus Conventionibus, of Pope Pius XII, the Kwito-Bie Diocese is a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Huambo, in Angola. It was first established as the Diocese of Silva Porto from the Diocese of Sao Paulo de Loanda in 1940. On 16 May 1979, it was renamed as the Diocese of Kwito-Bie. The Ovimbundu ethnolinguistic group The Diocese of Kwito-Bie covers an area of 70,000 km. It is in central Angola and serves the entire Province of Bie. The population of the diocesan territory comprises various ethnic tribes though the Ovimbundu speaking people, who inhabit the Bie Plateau, are the majority. The Ovimbundi are, inicidentally also, the largest ethnolinguistic group in Angola. They speak Umbundu. DETROIT -- Detroit Police are asking the public for any information that might help find a man who dropped off a newborn baby with a random stranger outside Sinai Grace Hospital Thursday. According to Fox 2 Detroit, the man who brought the baby to the hospital asked someone who was walking in to hold the baby while he parked his car. However, the man never returned to the stranger and left the baby behind. The man is described as a black male in his late 40s or early 50s, who is approximately 5-foot-10 and was seen at the hospital around 9:27 a.m. He was wearing a light-colored hat, light-colored short sleeve-shirt and light-colored pants. His vehicle is an older silver Dodge Durango silver with a gold-colored rear hatch. Police want to contact the man because while it is legal to give up a baby in Michigan, the man did not do so properly. Under the Safe Delivery law, parents can legally give up a newborn baby within three days of its birth. But the baby must be given to uniformed, on-duty official who works for a hospital, fire department, police station, an emergency medical technician or paramedic by calling 9-1-1. The baby is then placed in the system for adoption. Police are also concerned about the well-being of the mother as the baby appeared to be just hours old and she was not with the man when the baby was dropped off. READ MORE Man running naked along I-94 hit and killed, police investigating Cold case: Car of man missing since 2011 turns up in northern Michigan Friday, Sept. 11, coronavirus data by Michigan county: 12 counties now in the green zone Grand Rapids doctor pleads guilty on federal drug trafficking charges Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-11 11:28:32|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi (R) meets with Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar on the sidelines of a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Council of Foreign Ministers in Moscow, Russia, on Sept. 10, 2020. (Xinhua/Bai Xueqi) The two foreign ministers agreed that the border troops of the two sides should continue their dialogue, quickly disengage, maintain proper distance and ease tensions. MOSCOW, Sept. 10 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his Indian counterpart S. Jaishankar reached a five-point consensus on the developments in the border areas as well as on bilateral relations, according to a joint press statement released here on Thursday. The two foreign ministers, the statement said, agreed that both sides should follow the series of consensus reached between the two countries' leaders on developing China-India relations, including not allowing differences to become disputes. Noting that the current situation in the border areas is not in the interest of either side, they also agreed that the border troops of the two sides should continue their dialogue, quickly disengage, maintain proper distance and ease tensions. They said that both sides shall abide by the existing agreements and protocol on bilateral boundary affairs, maintain peace and tranquillity in the border areas and avoid any action that could escalate matters. Meanwhile, the two sides will continue dialogue and communication through the Special Representative mechanism on the China-India boundary question, while the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on China-India Border Affairs should also continue its meetings. The two ministers agreed that as the situation eases, the two sides should expedite work to conclude new confidence building measures to maintain and enhance peace and tranquillity in the border areas, the statement added. United Nations, Sep 11 : India has called for action against terrorist groups by countries in order to meet their obligation to protect children and schools as required by the Security Council. "Member States need to demonstrate the greater political will to hold the perpetrators of terrorism and their collaborators and sponsors, especially those sanctioned by the Council, to account, to fulfil Council's child protection obligations," India said in a written statement to the Security Council on Thursday. "Terrorist outfits and individuals proscribed by the Council are directly or indirectly responsible for abusing child rights," India said. Although India did not name any country, the remark appeared to be directed against Pakistan, where Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, which are proscribed by the UN operate openly. "In order to advance child protection agenda of the Council, its synergies with counter terrorism need to be translated into action," India said. It noted that as "terror networks spread their tentacles across borders," it is children who "are worst affected as they live with looming sense of fear and uncertainty and are often deprived of their right to education." "There should be greater recognition and comprehensive action to counter threats to children posed by terrorist groups in different parts of the world," India said. India called on Council to "do all that is possible to support efforts of governments to protect schools and other learning spaces, students and teachers to ensure uninterrupted education for children." UN peace operations, both political and military, should be given clear mandates to protect children and educational institutions and be provided the resources needed to meet the challenges, India said. Although the Council resumed limited in-person meetings under the presidency of Niger, direct participation was limited because of the Covid-19 precautions to its members during its debate on "Children and Armed Conflict: Attacks against Schools as Grave Violation of Children's Rights." Other countries had to submit written statements that were placed on the record of the Council proceedings. India expressed concern that "education facilities are often used as vehicles for radicalisation and indoctrination to violent extremist ideologies." It said that a "lack of access to schools and treacherous learning environments lend children vulnerable to exploitation and recruitment by terrorists and other non-state actors." Speaking to the Council through a video link, UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore said that last year there were 494 verified attacks on schools. "These attacks are seemingly designed with one purpose in mind -- to rob children, communities and countries of any semblance of safety, optimism or hope for the future," she said. Schools in the Sahel region of Africa were highly vulnerable. She said that one-fifth of the verified attacks took place in that region. The UN Secretary-General's Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, Virginia Gamba, said that the terrorist attacks on schools "are seemingly designed with one purpose in mind - to rob children, communities and countries of any semblance of safety, optimism or hope for the future." India took note of the Sahel situation and said in its statement that given the complex situation in the Sahel, "we believe that a military response to the situation can only bear desired results if these are integrated with inclusive regional and national strategies towards security, governance, development, human rights and humanitarian issues and ownership by the governments especially in upholding rule of law." (Arul Louis can be reached at arul.l@ians.in and followed on Twitter at @arulouis) -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text I hope we can dig deep within to bring out the resilience, dedication and fortitude and use them to fight the pandemic of COVID-19 and its side effects, and the pandemic of systematic racism and racial arrests that have defined this year, he said. 3 1 of 3 Kayci Zinkgraf / Kayci Zinkgraf Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Kayci Zinkgraf / Kayci Zinkgraf Show More Show Less 3 of 3 When Jared Anderson wanted to help small businesses in Brenham, Round Top and Bellville impacted by the pandemic, Houston artists answered the call. Along with his wife, Kathleen Matthews a former baker for Uchi and Fluff Bake Bar Anderson owns Ballad of the Bird Dog, a lifestyle shop in historical downtown Brenham. In the early weeks of the pandemic, he came up with an idea to offer aid for rent and utilities for businesses in the tiny towns that he knew were crippled by the health crisis. A middle-aged police officer collapsed and died on Wednesday, September 9 while chewing miraa at a secluded place in Malava shopping center in Kakamega North Sub-County, Kenya. Constable Remko Madowo, who had recently been transferred from Kabras Police Station in Kakamega County to Kongit police post in Bungoma County, had come from receiving his belonging and redeployment letter, when the incident occurred. A report filed under the OB Number 44/09/09/2020 at the Kabras Police Station at 10:15pm Wednesday said Madowo had earlier that night gone to Malava trading center, where he bought miraa and started chewing while seated in a secluded place. He was joined by unknown African male adult. He (Madowo) asked him why he had come to join him. Immediately, the officer slapped the man twice. The man, thereafter, walked away, telling the officer that he would report the matter at Kabras Police Station the following day (Thursday, September 10), says the report. The officer, thereafter, collapsed and fell on the ground. He was rushed to Malava Sub-County Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival. Madowos body was taken to Kakamega County Teaching and Referral Hospital morgue awaiting postmortem. Follow Us on Facebook @LadunLiadi; Instagram @LadunLiadi; Twitter @LadunLiadi; Youtube @LadunLiadiTV for updates RAMALLAH, West Bank Furious that Israel was about to annex large swaths of the West Bank, the Palestinian Authority president, Mahmoud Abbas, took the painful step in June of refusing to accept taxes collected by Israel that account for more than 60 percent of the authoritys budget. Then last month, Israel suspended the annexation plan as part of its agreement to normalize relations with the United Arab Emirates. Because annexation remains a possibility, though, Mr. Abbas is still refusing to accept the money, in what some Palestinian officials privately say is more an attempt to save face than to force further changes in Israeli policy. So while Mr. Abbas looks for some kind of gesture from Israel that he can hold up as a victory, and Israel refuses to commit to dropping annexation permanently, salaries in the territory are not being paid, families are enduring hardships, and the Palestinian Authority is careering toward bankruptcy. Late Friday, the Palestinian leader suffered another setback when a second Gulf state, Bahrain, announced it, too, would normalize relations with Israel. With this, Bahrain defied Mr. Abbass longstanding demand that Arab countries normalize ties with Israel only after the establishment of a Palestinian state. Hamilton police have charged a 62-year-old personal support worker from Ajax with sexually assaulting a female resident at a local nursing home. Detectives believe there may be more victims and have taken the step of releasing Angus Njokus picture. Police did not name the specific Hamilton nursing home where the alleged sexual assault took place to protect the identify of the victim. However, police believe there may be more victims at other nursing homes as Njoku worked for a temporary staffing agency. Detectives from Hamiltons sexual assault unit began their investigation after a female nursing home resident came forward to report an incident from August 2020 when the accused man worked at the home where she lived. On Sept. 9, police arrested Njoku. He is charged with sexual assault and fail to comply with an undertaking. Anyone with information is asked to call Det. Ryan Moore at 905-546-4614 or Det. Sgt. Tammi Ewart at 905-546-4962. To remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or crimestoppershamilton.com. Gov. Greg Abbott and the Texas Department of Transportation announced Thursday that TxDOT has won a federal grant to help transform an intersection on I-20 in Midland to ease congestion and save lives. Through its Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) Transportation grants, the U.S. Department of Transportation awarded TxDOT $25 million for the I-20 and Cotton Flat Road interchange near Midland, according to a Governors Office. The Permian Strategic Partnership is thrilled USDOT is recognizing the importance of the Permian Basin to our state, nation and world by awarding BUILD Grant funds to this TxDOT project, said Midlands Don Evans, the chairman of the Permian Strategic Partnership in an email. We are proud to have played an important role in the selection of Permian Basin BUILD projects in 2018, 2019 and now in 2020. Evans stated the Permian is one of the most strategically important oil producing regions in the world, and it is critical we continue to invest in the regions priority infrastructure projects to fully realize its potential a sentiment that Abbott also stated in the press release. "Improving the infrastructure in the Permian Basin is critical to the movement of people and goods that support the largest source of oil and gas production in this country," Abbott stated. "I thank the U.S. Department of Transportation and Secretary Elaine Chao for recognizing the vital role that this region continues to play in our nations energy independence. Working together with TxDOT, the federal government continues to show its commitment bettering the roads and bridges across Texas." The project is set to demolish the current overpass over I-20 and build a new one, so the interstate goes over Cotton Flat Road, according to the Governors Office. This will eliminate the possibility of bridge strikes that caused lengthy traffic delays and posed a serious safety risk. Between 2015 and 2018 there were seven reported bridge strikes at this location. "We are grateful to Secretary Elaine Chao, Sen. John Cornyn and Congressman Mike Conaway for their leadership in securing these funds for our great state," said Chairman J. Bruce Bugg Jr. in the press release "Interstate 20 is a vital energy trade corridor not only for Texas, but for the entire United States. This BUILD grant is a huge boost in our efforts to increase safety along this corridor and to connect the Permian Basin energy sector to global markets." The continued increase in energy activity is creating significant damage to roads from water, sand, equipment and big trucks, creating a safety issue for all drivers in those areas, according to the Governors Office. As such, TxDOT announced a historic investment throughout the Permian Basin over the next 10 years through its Unified Transportation Program. The Commission approved more than $600 million more funding for improvements in the UTP for the Permian Basin in 2019. "Following my meeting in the Permian Basin with Chairman Bugg and other transportation stakeholders last year, Im proud to announce another federal investment in the regions infrastructure, said Cornyn, who sent a letter to the U.S. Dept. of Transportation in support of this project. "This grant will streamline the interchange and allow for safer, more efficient travel in West Texas." Conaway added that I-20 is an essential corridor for both travel and trade in our community. Not only does it support our critical energy sector, but it is also a vital east-west corridor for the agriculture, mining, trucking, construction, and manufacturing industries. Energy production in the Permian Basin is projected to more than double over the next four years. There is an urgent need to maintain and improve existing rural infrastructure in the area and this grant will help make sure production continues while also easing its impacts on local residents, the Governors Office reported. "Safety is our top priority and we appreciate the assistance from our federal partners to address a booming area that not only benefits the citizens of Texas, but the nation as a whole," TxDOT Executive Director James Bass stated in the release. Evans added that the Midland community was instrumental in advocacy process and the award would not have been possible without the efforts of Cornyn, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, Conaway, Abbott, Bugg, state Sen. Kel Seliger, state Reps. Tom Craddick and Brooks Landgraf, the Permian Basin MPO, Midland County, Mayor Patrick Payton, the Midland Development Corp. and the Midland Chamber of Commerce. MUNICH (dpa-AFX) - MAN Group (MAGOF.PK) announced Friday key terms of a comprehensive realignment of its main operating unit MAN Truck & Bus SE. The planned fundamental restructuring of the business will result in up to 9,500 job cuts in Germany and Austria and worldwide across all areas of the company. Under the intended realignment process, the development and production network will be reorganized. The company also has planned a partial relocation of some of the development and production processes to other sites. The production site in Steyr and the plants in Plauen and Wittlich are up for discussion. MAN SE, in which TRATON SE holds around 94.36% stake, expects the realignment to achieve an operating return on sales of 8% in 2023. For this purpose, the company has planned a package of measures intended to improve operating result by around 1.8 billion euros. The company currently expects the personnel measures planned to cause restructuring expenses within a medium to upper three-digit million euro range. MAN Truck & Bus SE's Executive Board will enter promptly into negotiations on the realignment with the employee representatives. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de Kody Brown of TLCs Sister Wives has always been open about the fact that each of his relationships with his four wivesMeri, Janelle, Christine, and Robyn Brownis unique in its own right. When Kody met his fourth wife, Robyn, she was divorced and wary of having her heart broken againand he fell in love right away. Kody and his first wife, Meri, shared a sweet, youthful romance. Meanwhile, Kody and Janelle were friends first before their bond grew into something more romantic. But when Kody married his third wife, Christine, things between them werent all hearts and flowersat least not on their wedding day. In the Browns 2012 memoir, Becoming Sister Wives: The Story of an Unconventional Marriage, Kody and Christine actually admit that their wedding day left something to be desired. Janelle, Kody, and Christine Brown | Gabe Ginsberg/FilmMagic Christine was head over heels for Kody right away While Christinewho met Kody, Janelle, and Meri through their shared faith, a sect of fundamentalist Mormonism known as the Apostolic United Brethren, or AUBhad a crush on Kody right away, his affections for her seemed to develop more slowly. Christine has always been open about flirting with Kody frequently and hoping that he would choose her to be his third wife. When the Sister Wives stars began courting, Christines family was overjoyed. His father immediately granted his blessings to the union, letting Kody know that his daughter loved his future son-in-law deeply. In fact, Kody wrote in Becoming Sister Wives, Christine had already pushed all other boys to the sidelines in favor of [him] by the time they began dating. RELATED: Sister Wives: Christine Browns Daughter Says Shes Too Selfish for Polygamy Kody admitted he wasnt ready to marry Christine right after their engagement Not long after they began courting, Kody and Christine got engaged. But, while Kody wanted to prolong the engagement, Christine wanted to get married right away. She insisted on setting a wedding date as quickly as possible, Kody wrote of Christines rush to get married in Becoming Sister Wives. She believed that a long courtship would be inappropriate and unfair on her new sister wives. She didnt want to be running around with a married man. In addition to her fears that Meri and Janelle would get jealous of Christine and Kodys courtship, his newest wife-to-be also felt shed waited long enough. After all, she and Kody had been close friends for three years. Kody explained that he wasnt quite ready to marry her, but they ultimately decided to tie the knot just six weeks after he proposed. RELATED: Sister Wives: A Breakdown of the Browns Tangled Family Tree Christine thought her husband looked morose on their wedding day Although Kody and Christine did go through with their wedding, it wasnt exactly the day Kodys third wife had dreamed about. Kody admitted that hed acted too quickly and felt in over [his] head almost immediately after he proposed to Christine. After all, Janelle was already pregnant with the Brown familys first child, and Kody was just 25 years old with two wives at home. More importantly, Meri and Janelle had a tumultuous, often contentious, and tense relationship. Theyd never gotten along, and Kody wasnt sure how Christine would fit in with her sister wives. The stress at home, combined with Kodys pressure at a difficult job and the financial struggles of polygamy, left him feeling less than excited on the day of his wedding to Christine. He worried that Christine would be disappointed in their relationship, especially because shed only known him as a fun, outgoing guy at church. Im afraid I showed up at our wedding with what Christine calls a thousand-yard stare, Kody wrote in Becoming Sister Wives. Suddenly, I felt the weight of the world on my shoulders. I was nervous and apprehensive. As for Christine, she was heartbroken by Kodys attitude on their big day. I was shaken when Kody showed up at our wedding with that look on his face. He was morose, the Sister Wives star wrote sadly. RELATED: Sister Wives: Christine Brown Reveals This 1 Aspect of Polygamy That Can Feel Like Mind Games The couple said their romance took time to blossom The new couples honeymoon wasnt much more romantic than their wedding. Christine had had to plan the entire wedding herself, and Kody hadnt put any effort into organizing a honeymoon trip. They simply drove to Montanaand it was more awkward than either of them had imagined. It was a tense trip, and I have to admit that I wasnt my most cheerful self, Kody wrote. Christine and I had gone from being buddies to being married. We hadnt had time to get used to each other, and I hadnt prepared myself for the transition of adding a new wife to my family. Kodys third wife admitted she was devastated that her husband hadnt planned a romantic getaway for them. The tense drive to Montana made things even more realand a lot less idealizedfor her. Watching him drive with that look on his face made me unbearably sad, Christine confessed, adding later: I never doubted that Kody was the man of my dreams, but I began to worry that Id married him too soon. Eventually, however, the Sister Wives couple worked out their issues and learned to communicate. In Becoming Sister Wives, Kody gushed over Christines fun-loving, peaceful personality, writing that it added greatly to the happiness and overall balance of their home. Meanwhile, Christine said that her romance with Kody was a slow burn, but well worth the wait. They're been enjoying the sunshine in Italy during the Venice Film Festival. And James Norton and his girlfriend Imogen Poots certainly put on a cosy display as they enjoyed dinner in the Italian city on Thursday. The actor, 35, donned a protective face mask as he headed to the eatery with the Vivarium star, 31, before they settled down for a drink together. Happy: James Norton, 35, and his girlfriend Imogen Poots, 31, put on a cosy display as they enjoyed drinks in Venice on Thursday James was suited and booted following his appearance on the red carpet for the premiere of his new film Nowhere Special at the festival. He and Imogen took the weight off their feet in a nearby bar as they enjoyed a drink together. Imogen sported a chic printed shirt dress as she posed for a selfie with beau James in their matching masks, reminding their fans to wear face coverings during the COVID-19 crisis. Relaxed: The couple headed into the eatery following his appearance on the red carpet to promote his newest film Nowhere Special Stay safe! Imogen sported a chic printed shirt dress as she posed for a selfie with beau James in their matching masks, reminding their fans to wear face coverings Nowhere Special is an upcoming 2020 internationally co-produced drama film, written, directed, and produced by Uberto Pasolini. James, who plays window cleaner John, dedicates his existence to his three-year-old son after his mother left them soon after she gave birth. But when John is given just months to live, he sets out to find a perfect family for his little boy once he is gone. Say cheese! Both James and Imogen documented their trip to Italy after he travelled to Venice for the film festival Casual: James was later spotted wearing a low-key ensemble of white jeans and a patterned T-shirt Greetings! James appeared in good spirits as he waved to photographers and fans Amid frenzied speculation about who will be the next to play Bond, with stars including Richard Madden and Idris Elba being linked with the role, a source told the publication both sides were trying 'to get a deal signed off'. 'Producers wanted a Brit and James ticks all the boxes - tall, strapping, physically fit and, of course, looks great in a dinner jacket. 'Everyone is hoping to get the deal confirmed and signed off, with an announcement in the summer.' Dapper: The star finished his low-key look with a pair of stylish black sunglasses Busy bee: He jetted into Venice earlier this week for the Film Festival Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-11 03:51:21|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 10 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese envoy on Thursday called for international efforts to protect schools from attacks and to unlock children's potential for the future. Zhang Jun, China's permanent representative to the United Nations, expressed concern over the alarming number of cases where students and education personnel were killed and injured in attacks on schools in the situations of armed conflict. He further emphasized the necessity of education, not just for children themselves, but also for breaking the recurring cycle of violence. The red line of international humanitarian law prohibiting attacks on schools cannot be crossed. The civilian nature of schools must be fully respected. Any attacks on schools, students, and education personnel, as well as the military use of schools, should be condemned in the strongest terms and put to an end immediately, he told a Security Council open debate on attacks against schools. Education must remain a priority with more input from the governments. It is imperative to improve school infrastructure and enhance its endurance. Legal and administrative means should be used to prevent schools from being targeted by armed forces, said Zhang. Immediate measures should be taken to reconstruct school facilities to restore a secure environment for children's return to school. Digital technology is a useful means to facilitate more learning opportunities and minimize the negative impact of school closure, he said. The disruptive effects of COVID-19 on children in conflict should continue to be addressed, and measures need to be taken to mitigate the impact of unilateral sanctions on children, he said. The fundamental approach to protecting children from the harm of armed conflict is to stop and resolve armed conflicts. China urges all parties to conflict to heed the UN secretary-general's appeal for a global cease-fire as soon as possible, and create a peaceful and stable environment for the growth of the younger generation, said Zhang. China takes education as a top priority and attaches great importance to providing educational assistance to other developing countries. Over the past five years, China has helped build 123 schools and vocational training centers in developing countries. China stands ready to work with the international community to make every effort to ensure that every child has access to education and is given a brighter future, he said. Enditem Video meet app has introduced Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) for additional security, making it easier for admins and organisations to protect their users data and prevent security breaches. To enable Zoom's 2FA at the account-level for password-based authentication, account admins sign-in to the Dashboard. "In the navigation menu, click Advanced, then Security. Make sure the Sign in with Two-Factor Authentication option is enabled. Select one of these options to enable 2FA for: All users in your account: Enable 2FA for all users in the account," the company said in a statement on Friday. One can choose users with specific roles and users belonging to specific groups too. With 2FA, organizations can reduce the risk of identity theft and security breaches by adding an extra layer of security that prevents bad actors from accessing accounts by guessing passwords or gaining access to employees' or students' devices. "Implementing 2FA helps organizations meet compliance obligations for sensitive data and customer information," said. For small businesses and schools, it can be expensive to pay for an SSO (single sign-on) service. According to the company, Zoom's 2FA provides a free and effective way to validate users and protect against security breaches. With Zoom's 2FA, users have the option to use authentication apps that support Time-Based One-Time Password (TOTP) protocol (such as Google Authenticator, Microsoft Authenticator, and FreeOTP), or have Zoom send a code via SMS or phone call, as the second factor of the account authentication process. --IANS na/ (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) COLUMBIA South Carolina's capital will get help testing people for COVID-19 from a federal "surge" team, a top White House official overseeing the nation's response to the pandemic said Thursday, even as she praised the University of South Carolina's handling of cases. As part of a federal initiative for getting hotspots under control, a "surge testing team" will descend on Columbia by early next week in an effort to diagnose more people who have the disease but show no symptoms. Over the past two weeks, Richland County has South Carolina's highest rate of new cases and the third highest positive test rate, according to state public health data. We want to ensure that cases are found because people will be enormously responsible if they know that theyre positive and they will do the actions that they need to protect others, said Dr. Deborah Birx, the lead coordinator for the White House coronavirus task force. The federal team will provide all of the testing supplies and lab work for up to 5,000 tests daily for two weeks, Marshall Taylor, interim director of the state Department of Health and Environmental Control. That should allow for a quick turnaround. A national shortage of supplies caused lab backlogs in July that delayed test results for a week or more. The two sites in Columbia where the testing will be available has not yet been determined, he said. "It's a great resource, and we're really appreciative of them bringing that to South Carolina," Taylor said. The number of people getting tests has dropped in recent days, despite hundreds of free test sites set up around the state. Taylor attributed that at least partly to testing fatigue, along with people not wanting to undergo the discomfort of having a swab stuck deep up their nostril. But testing numbers should go back up as those tests are replaced by widespread saliva tests, like those USC offers all students and employees for free on campus, as well as swabs that don't go "all the way up in the nasal cavity," he said. "The times of the uncomfortable tests are hopefully soon behind us," he said, adding, "I think there are a lot of asymptomatic people walking out with the disease who dont have symptoms who dont think they need to get tested. And those are the people we really want to get tested so they can take the appropriate steps to protect their family and friends." DHEC is working with USC on rolling out saliva testing beyond the school's main campus, starting with a limited event in Aiken last week. It could be weeks before the tests, which involve spitting in a tube, are available statewide, Taylor said. "I do think saliva testing is the testing of the future," he said. Visiting USC's campus Thursday, Birx praised the school's leadership, saying the state's largest college "tackled a very difficult issue head on with a very dynamic plan." USC has among the most COVID-19 cases of any college campus in the country. The state's flagship college reported its lab has diagnosed 1,904 students and employees since Aug. 1. School administrators continue to plead with students to be responsible by avoiding mass gatherings at off-campus parties and inside bars. So many students needed to go into quarantine that USC rented all rooms at a hotel near campus for a month. More than half of the 20 houses in the Greek Village are under quarantine. Dr. Brannon Traxler, a DHEC consultant, told the agency's governing board Thursday the state is no longer on a downward trend in cases. She said the peak in mid-to-late July was followed by at least five weeks of dropping numbers. "We've recently started to see a little increase," Traxler said. "It's too early to say whether it will be significant. We want to encourage everyone to do what they were doing. We were seeing that steady decline. As we go into flu season, also please get your flu shot." Birx warned the virus is spreading from neighborhood and family gatherings, where people assume they are safe because they know the other people and do not think they have the virus. "I want to tell you, you can't tell," Birx said. "So if, over Labor Day, you had a family gathering and you had your mask off and you were close together, please go tested." Students' return to campus at both of South Carolina's two biggest colleges, USC and Clemson University, has been met with images of crowded bars and large gatherings, with some students dismissing the threat due to the lower risk of complications among young, healthy people. COVID-19 cases tripled at Clemson in the past two weeks. USC president Bob Caslen said in a statement that he was "honored" to host Birx on campus. "We remain committed to testing as much as we can in order to identify all our positive cases, take care of them, and get them back into the classroom as soon as possible," he said. Later Thursday, Gov. Henry McMaster and DHEC held a joint news conference to assure residents that whenever a vaccine is available, they'll be ready to distribute it. But there won't be enough in the first shipment for widespread vaccination. Priority must go to people at most risk of contracting the disease and getting seriously ill or dying from it, including medical personnel, nursing home residents and first responders, said Stephen White, DHEC's director of immunizations. "There are many months to go before the vaccine will be available in mass quantities," he said. Andy Shain contributed to this report. Bad news for Democrats and fact-checkers who have spent months disputing President Trumps incorrect statements about the dangers of voting by mail: His disinformation is affecting some California Latino voters. Researchers and Democratic leaders say that not only are Trumps comments giving some Latinos pause, but so are comments from politicians of all parties about the U.S. Postal Services ability to safely deliver ballots in time to be counted. They have had both a confusing effect and a chilling effect, said Francisco Pedraza, professor of political science and public policy at UC Riverside, who based his comments on focus groups he has conducted across California with Latino voters. Trump has seized on the increased need for mail-in voting because of the coronavirus pandemic to call into question a system that he himself has used. He has repeatedly and falsely referred to voting by mail as fraudulent and rigged. This month he told supporters in North Carolina to cast ballots by mail and in person which is illegal as a kind of combined election insurance and test of the system. Let them send it in and let them go vote, and if their (mail) systems as good as they say it is, then obviously they wont be able to vote, Trump said. If it isnt tabulated, theyll be able to vote. There is virtually no evidence of fraud in the states that have conducted mail-in voting for years, including Utah, which is run almost entirely by Republicans. In California, every active voter will receive a ballot in the mail for the November election. People can return a ballot by mail, at a drop box or at a voting site, where they can also cast their ballot in person instead. Democrats in particular worry that the presidents confusing message has the potential to suppress the Latino vote at time when enthusiasm is high. A survey of registered Latinos in California released this month by the Latino Decisions polling firm found that 73% planned to vote in November. In the Bay Area, the figure was 78%. The survey also found that 7 in 10 of those surveyed intended to vote by mail and nearly 6 in 10 had done it before. But Pedraza saw a red flag in the focus groups he led as part of a project on improving turnout among infrequent voters in California, which he conducted with UC Riversides Center for Social Innovation and Common Cause. Paul Chinn / The Chronicle Latinos in particular were affected by the litany of disparaging comments Trump has made about immigrants and the need to build a wall along the southern border, in addition to his disparagement of mail voting, Pedraza said. That isnt divorced from ... other considerations and evaluations they bring to the table about government, Pedraza said of infrequent voters. Those who dont regularly participate become reluctant, cautious when the president sounds a warning about voting, he said. And when they see a land mine of risks in trying to become civically engaged, they oftentimes respond by pulling back and not voting, Pedraza said. The California Democratic Party is also worried about turnout among Latinos. Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden is in no danger of losing the state, but there are several competitive congressional races in which the party is counting on Latino voter enthusiasm. Latinos could also be a key voting bloc for Proposition 16, which would overturn the states ban on preferences by race, ethnicity and gender in public university admissions and government contracting and hiring. The state Democratic Party has endorsed Prop 16. Were concerned, and were doing something about it, said Yvette Martinez, the partys executive director. The state party has created a truth squad of 200 volunteers and field organizers focused on explaining to voters how to cast ballots in the new system. It also has a voter protection hot line that is available online and via 877-321-VOTE. The misinformation could affect local races as well. Elisha Crader, a 24-year-old first-time candidate running for the Hayward City Council, worries about turnout in a city that is 40% Latino and where more than one language is spoken in 58% of households. She thinks Trumps rhetoric about mail balloting is sinking in. When you see something come in the mail, some people wonder, Should I be putting my information down? You start to feel scared, said Crader, a Hayward native who is Latina. There is a lot of fear when it comes to status. Even when you have this right, this right to vote, there is fear. She added, People might be thinking, I know Im registered to vote, but what if there is someone living in my house who is not (living in the U.S. legally), can this hurt them? I know this may sound illogical to some people, but this is scary to a lot of people. There are already indications that not everyone is adapting to widespread mail balloting. A study of California counties that have already gone to near-universal mail elections found that participation dropped among foreign-language registrants, renters, new voters, younger voters, and Latino and Asian American registrants. There needs to be extra outreach to those communities to make sure they know about the change, said Eric McGhee, a senior fellow at the Public Policy Institute of California, the nonpartisan group that did the study. McGhee said California is still better prepared than other states to vote by mail this year. Thats backed up by a Latino Decisions survey last month of 1,552 registered voters in the battleground states of Arizona, Florida, Colorado, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Texas. The studys authors found that while Latinos hold a range of views regarding vote by mail, many want to know more about vote by mail, but currently do not fully trust the process. Only 35% of the respondents said they were very confident in voting by mail, and 37% did not trust the U.S. Postal Service to deliver their ballots to elections officials. Part of the reason for that skepticism, according to the survey, goes back to messaging: Only 60% have received adequate information on how to request vote by mail ballots. Joe Garofoli is The San Francisco Chronicles senior political writer. Email: jgarofoli@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @joegarofoli NEW DELHI - The Indian and Chinese foreign ministers agreed that their troops should disengage from a tense border standoff, maintain proper distance and ease tensions in the Ladakh region where the two countries in June had their deadliest clash in decades. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 10/9/2020 (497 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. CAPTION CORRECTS DATE In this photo released by the Russian Foreign Ministry Press Service, India's Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar, left, Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, and China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi, pose for a photo on the sidelines of a meeting of Foreign Ministers of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, Commonwealth of Independent States and Collective Security Treaty Organization Member States in Moscow, Russia, Thursday, Sept. 10. 2020. (Russian Foreign Ministry Press Service via AP) NEW DELHI - The Indian and Chinese foreign ministers agreed that their troops should disengage from a tense border standoff, maintain proper distance and ease tensions in the Ladakh region where the two countries in June had their deadliest clash in decades. Indias S. Jaishankar and Chinas Wang Yi met in the Russian capital on Thursday night and concurred that "the current situation in the border areas is not in the interest of either side," according to a joint statement issued Friday. Since last week, the Asian giants have accused each other of sending soldiers into rival territory and firing warning shots for the first time in 45 years, threatening a full-scale military conflict. The foreign ministers did not set any timeline for the disengagement of tens of thousands of troops who have been locked in a standoff since May, but agreed that "both sides shall abide by all the existing agreements and protocol on China-India boundary affairs, maintain peace and tranquility in the border areas and avoid any action that could escalate matters." The disputed 3,500-kilometre (2,175-mile) border separates Chinese and Indian-held territories from Ladakh in the west to Indias eastern state of Arunachal Pradesh, which China claims in its entirety. The current standoff is over portions of a pristine landscape that boasts the worlds highest landing strip and a glacier that feeds one of the largest irrigation systems in the world. Both sides accuse the other of provocative behaviour including crossing into each others territory, and both have vowed to protect their territorial integrity. Earlier this week, Jaishankar described the situation along their shared boundary, known as the Line of Actual Control, as "very serious" and said the state of the border cannot be separated from the state of the bilateral relationship. In this photo released by China's Xinhua News Agency, India's External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, left, and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi pose for a photo as they meet on the sidelines of a meeting of the foreign ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in Moscow, Russia on Sept. 10, 2020. The Indian and Chinese foreign ministers have agreed that their troops should disengage from a tense border standoff, maintain proper distance and ease tensions in the Ladakh region where the two sides in June had their deadliest clash in decades. (Bai Xueqi/Xinhua via AP) On Thursday, the two countries agreed that as the situation eases, they should expedite work to conclude "new confidence-building measures to maintain and enhance peace and tranquility in the border areas." In a separate statement, Wang said "China-India relations have once again come to a crossroads." That statement said Wang "outlined China's stern position on the situation in the border areas, emphasizing that the imperative is to immediately stop provocations such as firing and other dangerous actions that violate the commitments made by the two sides." "It is also important to move back all personnel and equipment that have trespassed. The frontier troops must quickly disengage so that the situation may de-escalate," it quoted Wang as saying. India did not release a statement of its own, but an official with the External Affairs Ministry said Jaishankar told Wang that India expected full adherence to all agreements on management of border areas and would not support any attempt to change the status quo unilaterally. The official said Jaishankar said the immediate task is to ensure a comprehensive disengagement of troops at all flash points to prevent any incidents, with details of how that is to be done worked out by military commanders. The official was not authorized to speak publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity. The two ministers met in Moscow on the sidelines of a gathering of the foreign ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. The group comprises China, India, Pakistan, Russia, Kazakhstan, Krgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. On Friday, Wang held talks with Russia's foreign minister in Moscow and later told reporters that India had expressed a wish to ease tensions through diplomatic and political channels. Wang said the top priority now is to not break past agreements, including one not to open fire at the border. "Also, we should withdraw the personnel and equipment completely from the front line. In this way, we can implement the consensus and restore peace and stability along the border," he said. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said he was very pleased that the Moscow venue enabled the foreign ministers of China and India to have a substantive meeting on deescalating their border tensions. In India, Vinod Bhatia, a retired Indian army general, said resolving the ongoing impasse will be a long process. "Disengagement is the first and the most important step that will guide the de-escalation process. The two armies will work out a mutually acceptable methodology for de-escalation," Bhatia said. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. He said "there is a political will and direction now to resolve the crisis." The two nations fought a border war in 1962 that spilled into Ladakh and ended in an uneasy truce. Since then, troops have guarded the undefined border area, occasionally brawling. They have agreed not to attack each other with firearms. Rival soldiers brawled in May and June with clubs, stones and their fists. A clash on a high ridge on June 15 left 20 Indian soldiers dead. China reported no casualties. After that clash, both sides disengaged from the site in Galwan valley and at least two other places, but the crisis continued. - Associated Press journalists Aijaz Hussain in Srinagar, India, and Vladimir Isachenkov in Moscow contributed to this report. The thought of returning home from abroad after losing jobs amid the Covid-19 pandemic continues to be a key concern for Indian expatriates, said Shubham Singh, Protector of Emigrants for Karnataka and Goa region. The major issues faced by emigrants during the pandemic relate to job losses, often because their employers have shut down businesses, and safe return to India. These are primary concerns of a large number of emigrants," Singh told IANS. In most cases, their employers and recruitment agencies aid and assist affected individuals to return to India. In some cases, if the recruitment agency refuses to do so, we can step in and ensure that the agencies do the needful. We work along with the Embassies concerned to facilitate their safe return to India, if they so wish," he said. The POE functions under the Emigration Act, 1983, with an objective to protect the interest of and aid and advice Indian emigrants going abroad or presently working abroad, and is also responsible for granting emigration clearance to prospective emigrants as per the procedure. Singh said that one of the mandates of his agency was to track down and probe illegal overseas recruitment agencies, which dupe aspiring emigrants seeking green pastures abroad. And Goa, the top official said, also had its share of unregistered agents, many of whom are under investigation. There are eight registered recruitment agencies in Goa. We are presently investigating complaints received against 32 unregistered agencies and individuals in Goa," Singh said. In my experience working as Protector of Emigrants, the common cases of fraud are related to payments made by candidates to overseas recruitment agencies, but failed to receive any job offers. Or instances wherein a specific job position or salary was promised by the recruitment agency, but a candidate learns on arrival at his or her overseas destination that the job profile or salary is not as promised," he said. Goa Director General of Police Mukesh Kumar Meena, Singh said, had assured to work closely with the POE to track down fraud agents in the state. Goa has a large expat population working mainly in the oil-rich Middle East as well as on board cruise liners, he said while adding that there has been a line of outreach for emigrants headed for or residing in that region. We advise people that they should be aware of local laws of the land where they are looking to seek employment. They should also acquaint themselves and be aware of their rights as Indian citizens and that they can approach the offices of the POE for any grievances they may have which will be taken up with the offices concerned," he said. PHOTO: An Orange County deputy sheriff was arrested for allegedly burglarizing a home after responding to the death of an elderly man. (Orange County Sheriff's Department) A California sheriff's deputy has been arrested and placed on administrative leave for allegedly burglarizing a home after responding to the death of an elderly man. Steve Hortz was a 12-year veteran of the Orange County Sheriff's Department prior to his arrest on Thursday, the police department said. In late July, Hortz responded to a call in Yorba Linda regarding an elderly man who died from apparent natural causes. On Wednesday, an attorney representing the family estate called the police department to report some items missing from the home and shared home surveillance video that depicted Hortz entering the property at least three times and "exiting with stolen property," according to a police statement. Video: California couple files civil rights lawsuit after confrontation with police In the first instance on July 27, Hortz entered while in uniform. He returned on Aug. 10 and Aug. 16 while in civilian clothes and stole weapon safes, ceiling fans and other boxes with unknown contents, authorities said. Following an investigation, Hortz was arrested Thursday, placed on leave and has been booked into the Santa Ana Jail on suspicion of burglary. PHOTO: An Orange County deputy sheriff was arrested for allegedly burglarizing a home after responding to the death of an elderly man. (Orange County Sheriff's Department) MORE: Devastating wildfires, extreme weather raise concerns about lack of preparedness for climate change The local sheriff pledged that Hortz would be held accountable and said his actions "undermine the good work" of the Orange County Sheriff's Department. PHOTO: An Orange County deputy sheriff was arrested for allegedly burglarizing a home after responding to the death of an elderly man. (Orange County Sheriff's Department) "The suspected criminal actions of this deputy are a violation of public trust, are inexcusable and intolerable," Orange County Sheriff Don Barnes said in a statement. "This deputy will be held accountable through a swift and thorough process including a full criminal and internal administrative investigation." MORE: 500,000 evacuate wildfires in Oregon as death toll climbs "As your Sheriff, I want you to know that these criminal actions by a member of my staff will not be tolerated and are not indicative of the service we provide to Yorba Linda, or any other contract city," Barnes added. It was not immediately clear if Hortz had obtained an attorney. The Association of Orange County Deputy Sheriffs union did not immediately respond to ABC News' request for comment Friday morning. California cop allegedly burglarized home after responding to death of elderly man originally appeared on abcnews.go.com The economic misadventures that began with the introduction of 2011-12 GDP series in January 2015, using deeply flawed database (MCA-21) to raise GDP growth, and continued with the demonetisation in November 2016 and GST in July 2017 - both without thinking, planning or preparing - continued right into the pandemic-induced lockdown and subsequent unlocking of the economy, worsening the health and economic crises in the process. Here are some of these economic misadventures. GDP back-series: Niti Aayog's data fudging to lower UPA-era growth When the new GDP series (2011-12 base) was released in January 2015, the back-series data was not released, which is a normal practice and critical for comparative analysis. The back-series data was released three years and 10 months later on November 28, 2018. It stopped at 2004-05 because the data and methodology it used could not be worked back to 1950-51, the usual practice, thus robbing its long-term value and would be junked from a long-term perspective. Also Read: Rebooting Economy XXV: How a series of economic misadventures derailed India's growth story This back-series cut down the growth rate of the UPA era - reproduced below. The dotted line shows the UPA era growth rate in the 2004-05 series. By this time (November 2018), it had come to public notice that Niti Aayog had twice rejected the earlier back-series calculations of government-run agencies for showing a higher UPA era growth than that of the NDA-II. Niti Aayog did so, first under vice chairman Arvind Panagariya and then Rajeev Kumar, even though it has neither domain expertise nor locus standi. (For more read " GDP base year row: What's the problem with re-basing India's growth calculations ") This blatant data fudging continues through a series of retrospective revisions in GDP, often lowering the previous year or quarter data to artificially raise the current growth rate. Thus, the GDP data no longer reflects the actual ground realities. The last retrospective revision was on February 28, 2020 when the growth rate of Q1 of FY20 (constant prices) was pushed up to 5.6% - from 5% declared on November 29, 2019. Simultaneously, the Q2 of FY20 growth was pushed up from 4.5% to 5.1%. Such data manipulation has reduced India's economic statistics into a vanity project. For example, the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) of 2017-18 was first junked when its content leaked out in January 2019 showing a 45-year-high unemployment rate and then released in May 2019 after NDA-II had secured a second term in office. Again, the Household Consumer Expenditure Survey of 2017-18 was junked for showing that 'real' household consumption expenditure had fallen for the first time in 40 years - from Rs 1,501 in 2011-12 to Rs 1,446 in 2017-18, in a leaked report - and remains so now. What this survey conveyed is that the economic health of Indian households is going down. This was confirmed by a Niti Aayog report of December 2019 which showed poverty, hunger and income inequality had grown in 22 to 25 states and union territories, of the 28 it mapped in 2019 from its baseline index of 2018. (For more read " Budget 2020: Niti Aayog shocker; Poverty, hunger and income inequality up in 22 to 25 States and UTs ") COVID-19 strikes: Unthinking locking & unthinking unlocking The graph below maps the exponential growth in COVID-19 cases in India and the total case counts on the day of the lockdown on March 25 and the subsequent unlocking phases. Do India's decisions to lockdown and unlocking make sense? India locked down when the total caseload stood at 657 and started unlocking when the number had risen to 198,370. The Unlock 4.0 started from September 1 when the total cases were 3.8 million. On July 27, 2020 Prime Minister Narendra Modi told the nation that India was better placed than any other country in fighting the pandemic because it took right decisions at right time. A fortnight later, Nobel laureate Abhijit Banerjee countered, saying that India erred in entering and exiting the lockdown hastily. On September 3, 2020, India's total cases stood at 3.85 million, new cases at 82,860 and death count at 67,486. The total cases are likely to be far more because India's test per million people is among the lowest at 2,788 (on September 3), while the US and Brazil have a testing rate of 18,986 and 18,802, respectively. India is the only known country in the world that does not disclose its total virus count. It reveals the daily count and replaces it every single day to make it impossible to know the total, even when the world knows it is contributing the maximum to new cases and death counts in recent weeks. After the Q1 of FY21 data was released on August 31, showing a steep fall to minus 23.9%, and it turned out to be worse than all major economies in the world; the Chief Economic Advisor Subramanian Krishnamurthy put the blame on (i) exogenous shock (pandemic) and (ii) more intense lockdown than other major economies. Also Read: Rebooting Economy XXII: Why is India reluctant to provide unemployment allowance? Both the latest GDP numbers and the COVID-19 numbers demonstrate that Krishnamurthy couldn't be farther from the truth. Krishnamurthy also kept repeating that India would witness a V-shape (quick) recovery. Just six days earlier, the RBI had released its 2019-20 annual report warning of darker days ahead with facts and figures. It said the upticks seen in May and June (part of the Q1 of FY21) in some economic activities "appear to have lost strength in July and August...suggesting that contraction in economic activity will likely prolong into Q2". The actual drop in Q1 of FY21 is likely to be far worse since the quarterly GDP estimates are based on the organised sector indicators (except for agriculture), largely ignoring the unorganised sector that contributes 47% to the GDP (as assumed while finalising the 2011-12 GDP series) and took a bigger hit - for the third time since the demonetisation and GST fiascos. Response to COVID-19: No plan, no vision, no effort The Centre's response to the pandemic reflects incompetence in managing it. The sudden lockdown from the midnight of March 24-25 caused millions of job losses overnight, especially for causal and self-employed workers, just as did the demonetisation in 2016. It also immediately choked airports and railway stations with people desperate to reach their destinations, spreading the virus rather than containing it. Implementing the lockdown was for the state governments, but they were not consulted. It was the same old routine of declaring a lockdown at 8 pm enforceable four hours later at 12 pm (midnight) with no planning, no preparation and no warning - just like the demonetisation. States were pounded by a flood of instructions and notifications covering every aspect of managing their affairs. And then came a shocking leak in May 2020. It revealed what was known from anecdotal accounts but not in magnitude: More than 1.5 million international incoming passengers had slipped through the central government-controlled airports between January 18 and March 23 with little testing, quarantine or tracking. Also Read: Rebooting Economy XXI: Will NEP 2020 bring quality and equity in education? The Centre's letter to Chief Secretaries of states had passed on the responsibilities to track and manage them. The letter was dated March 26, 2020. The Centre had failed in its job it claimed to be doing with due diligence. Not just that. By forcing migrant workers to stay put for months in urban centres, which are more prone to getting infected by the COVID-19 virus from international incoming passengers, and then letting them go en masse to the hinterland, the Centre helped spread the virus far and wide. That is not all. India isn't tracking job loss caused by the lockdown. Millions of jobs and livelihood sources have disappeared. Private estimates paint a scary picture, but the Centre is unmoved. It has no estimate of job loss because it is not tracking it. The consequences of its unthinking, unplanned and unprepared responses to the pandemic are borne by millions of hapless Indians. India has no plans to protect its workers either. All major countries, for example the 36 members of the OECD club have saved 50 million jobs through "job retention (JR) schemes during the pandemic. An OECD report of August 3, 2020 said: "By May 2020, JR schemes supported about 50 million jobs across the OECD, about ten times as many as during the global financial crisis of 2008-09. By reducing labour costs, JR schemes have prevented a surge in unemployment, while they have mitigated financial hardship and buttressed aggregate demand by supporting the incomes of workers on reduced working time." (For more rad "Rebooting Economy XXIII: What stops India from taking care of its crisis-hit workers? ") India does not have such a scheme, is not even planning and can't claim to have saved one single job. India is unmoved by another threat: millions are likely to be pushed back into poverty. Multi-lateral agencies are regularly warning about it but India has made no effort to find out, much less remedy it. A July 2020 study by King's College London and Australian National University estimated that the COVID-19 pandemic is likely to impoverish 114.9 to 525.8 million Indians. (For more, read " Rebooting Economy VIII: COVID-19 pandemic could push millions of Indians into poverty and hunger ") As for the Rs 21 lakh crore relief package announced by the government, there is very little fiscal spending in it and hence unlikely to stimulate recovery or growth. It relies overwhelmingly on supply side management, mainly by extending credit facility (liquidity supply) while month after month the finance ministry data shows that demand has collapsed, leading to a fall in capacity utilisation and industrial production, much before the pandemic hit. Also Read: Rebooting Economy XX: Do developed economies depend on private schooling and funding for quality education? The RBI data too shows there are few takers of the liquidity. Its latest report of August 25 admits "appetite for investment is anaemic" and yet the response remains firmly rooted on the supply side. The excess liquidity is ending up with the RBI's own reverse repo account where it has no business to do. (For more read " Coronavirus Lockdown XIX: Where is excess liquidity generated by RBI going? ") Hounding Muslims, banging 'thaali' and other diversions Blaming Nehru (first prime minister who died in 1964), the Mughals (who ruled before the British) or the Congress for all that is wrong with the Indian economy is routine. When the pandemic hit, a fresh round of attacks began on Muslims. This time the target was Tablighi Jamaat, an Islamic missionary whose members had gathered in Delhi, as they do in March every year, with full government knowledge. Yet they were hounded for spreading the virus deliberately to harm India. Overnight, police fanned out the entire country, numbering them, filing FIRs, arresting, putting them in jail and filing charge sheets in double quick time. Many foreign members were blacklisted and deported. By the August-end, at least three high courts had dismissed their criminal prosecution and blasted police and their political bosses. The Mumbai High Court said that the (Maharashtra) police acted "after getting directions from central government", with "no record...to make out prima facie case". It said the Centre's own records submitted to the court showed such activity (annual gathering in Delhi) "was going on for more than 50 years". It called out the Centre for deliberate and malicious targeting of Muslims: "The record of this matter and the submissions made show that action of central Government was taken mainly against Muslim persons who had come to Markaz Delhi for Tablighi Jamaat. Similar action was not taken against other foreigners belonging to other religions." Also Read: Rebooting Economy XIX: How India relies on low-paid ad hoc teachers for schooling children It concluded: "Thus, there is smell of malice to the action taken against these foreigners and Muslims for their alleged activities." The Madras High Court said prosecuting Muslims was "unreasonable, unjust and unfair". The Karnataka High Court quashed FIRs against the Jamaat's foreign members, but not for the Indian members. Meanwhile, the Indian middle class were engaged in various entertaining activities on their balconies. On quite a few evenings (and days) the Indian middle class gathered on their balconies to clap hands, bang 'thaalis' (utensils) or lit candles after switching off electric bulbs to show respect for the medicos fighting the pandemic even as thousands of migrant workers walked past in sheer desperation, covering hundreds of miles to home, having lost jobs, shelters and hope for survival. India's Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat, a four-star general, also jumped in. He told Indians how he is arranging to shower rose petals on the medicos from the sky to honour them. Naval ships were rushed to coasts; helicopters were sent flying all over the country. Medicos were made to line up in the sun for hours to get showered with rose petals. Also Read: Rebooting Economy XVIII: Does quality education really matter to India? During those days if the medicos complained about lack of safety gear for them, they were routinely abused, some soundly thrashed and all were trolled online for their lack of patriotism by many who would have participated in the balcony events. It was later revealed that while General Rawat and his men were planning and executive aerial rose petal shows in May 2020, the Chinese army was collecting at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh, crossing over to grab a fair bit of land on India's side at several places and where they are believed to remain. General Rawat continues to serve India as its Chief of the Defence Staff. The art of "misdirection" "Misdirection" belongs to the world of performing magicians. It is a technique magicians use to entertain spectators, though it would perfectly fit into some of the activities in India during the pandemic and earlier. Long ago, Nevil Maskelyne and David Devant explained what it involves in their 1911 classic book "Our Magic: The art in magic, the theory of magic and the practice of magic" and is worth reading. Also Read: Rebooting Economy XVII: Why governments promote shadow banking Here it goes: "It consists, admittedly, in misleading the spectator's senses, in order to screen from detection certain details for which secrecy is required. It militates against the spectator's faculties of observation, not against his understanding. Broadly, it may be said to comprise three general methods, viz. - Distraction, Disguise, and Simulation. Every means employed by magicians for misdirecting the senses of an audience will be found allied to one or other of those elementary principles." The problem with "misdirection" is that it is meant for entertaining spectators, not governance and certainly not fighting health or economic crisis. When governments indulge in misdirection, governance is more likely to be a casualty and crisis more likely to worsen. No more encore please. THE State is now facing a potential lawsuit for tortious assault and battery by a family that was tear-gassed by police while at the Queens Park Savannah in Port of Spain last Sunday. Acting Police Commissioner McDonald Jacob has been given 28 days within which to provide specific pieces of information to attorneys representing the family or, in default, a civil claim will be filed at the High Court, the familys attorneys warned yesterday. Five French Rafale Fighter Jets Formally Join Indian Air Force's Golden Arrows Squadron Sputnik News Aakriti Sharma. Sputnik International 06:07 GMT 10.09.2020(updated 06:33 GMT 10.09.2020) Amid border tensions with China, India has urged France to ramp up the delivery of five Dassault Rafale jets in June, when it was expected to be delayed due to COVID-19. However, France fulfilled its commitment and provided three single-seater and two twin-seater fighter jets by 29 July. India on Thursday formally inducted five Rafale fighter jets into the 17th Squadron at Ambala Air Station along the western border. The Squadron is known as the "Golden Arrows" and is the first Indian Air Force squadron to be equipped with the Rafales. Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and French Armed Forces Minister Florence Parly were joined by Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat, Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria and Defence Secretary Ajay Kumar at the induction ceremony. The induction ceremony included the unveiling of the Rafale aircraft and a traditional Sarva Dharma Puja (inter-faith prayer) followed by an air display by Rafale and Tejas aircraft as well as by the Sarang Aerobatic Team. Sarang is the helicopter air display team of the Indian Air Force and they fly four modified HAL Dhruv helicopters. The new birds in the Indian Air Force arsenal reached India from France on July 29 and have been involved in extensive training exercises, mainly in the mountainous terrain in Himachal Pradesh and Ladakh. The fighter jets, acquired in a government-to-government deal in 2016 at a cost of $8.7 billion, fill the gap for long-range weapons and sensors in the Indian Air Force. Out of the 36 Rafales specified in the deal, India has only received the first batch, and the second batch of four jets is likely to be delivered by October. The Rafale jets add strategic depth and strength to India's air combat capabilities with their multi-role capacities, including electronic warfare, air defence, ground support, and in-depth strikes. India's induction of French jets comes in the wake of a border stand-off with China along the 4,057 km Line of Actual Control. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-12 00:19:09|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- The State Council, China's cabinet, plans to conduct an inspection to ensure the implementation of major policies ranging from COVID-19 prevention and control to different aspects of economic development. The inspection, scheduled for mid- and late October, will be performed on site in 14 provincial-level regions and at the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps. Inspectors will focus on the implementation of policies aimed at stabilizing employment, improving people's living standards, supporting market entities, expanding domestic demand, stabilizing foreign trade and investment, and improving the business environment through further reforms in streamlining administration and delegating power. The inspection will also stress COVID-19 prevention and control in the autumn and winter, as well as the fishing ban in the Yangtze River basin. Enditem Gettyimagesbank A man on Friday received a prison sentence for hitting and injuring a child with his car, becoming the first driver to be punished after the laws mandating heavier punishment for car accidents within school zones came into force in March. The Incheon District Court's Bucheon Branch sentenced the 39-year-old man to 1 1/2 years in prison for violating the so-called Min-sik's laws on road safety. His girlfriend, only identified as a 26-year-old, was sentenced to a fine of 5 million won (US$4,206) for attempting to pretend to be the driver. The prosecution detained and indicted the driver in August over a car crash involving a 7-year-old child who was crossing the street in a school zone in Gimpo, just northwest of Seoul, on April 6. He was driving with a suspended driver's license faster than 40 kmh, over the speed limit of 30 kmh, when the accident happened. "Had the defendant not violated the speed limit within the school zone, the accident would not have happened or become a minor fender bender," the court said. "The victim almost flew ten meters after the car hit him." The court said that the defendant "deceived the victim and his family as if his girlfriend drove the car" and "hid his wrongdoing until it was revealed through closed-circuit TV footage." The defendant's past criminal histories, including drunk driving, were factored in when sentencing, the court said. For the girlfriend, it took into consideration that she had no criminal record, among other things. Min-sik's laws were named after a nine-year-old boy who died in a car crash in September last year in front of an elementary school in Asan, some 85 kilometers south of Seoul. They were designed to protect children in school zones, with the speed limit capped at 30 kmh or slower and various safety tools, such as speed cameras and speed bumps, put in place. The laws require tougher punishment of up to life imprisonment when an accident leads to death. In case of injuries, a driver can be imprisoned for up to 15 years and fined a maximum of 30 million won. (Yonhap) Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-11 03:47:21|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close A woman walks with a baby stroller in front of the United Nations (UN) headquarters in New York, the United States, July 20, 2020. (Xinhua/Wang Jiangang) The UN Security Council reiterated its strong condemnation of attacks as well as threats of attacks against schools, children, teachers and other persons entitled to protection who are connected to schools. UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 10 (Xinhua) -- The UN Security Council on Thursday voiced grave concern about the significant increase of attacks on schools in recent years and the resulting alarming number of children denied access to quality education. In a presidential statement, the council reiterated its strong condemnation of attacks as well as threats of attacks against schools, children, teachers and other persons entitled to protection who are connected to schools. It urged all parties to armed conflict to immediately cease such attacks and threats and to refrain from actions that impede children's access to education. The Security Council expressed deep concern at the military use of schools, recognizing that such use may render schools legitimate targets of attack, thus endangering children's and teachers' safety as well as children's education. The council expressed concern that girls and women may be the intended victims of attacks targeting schools. People react in front of the private school Colegio Cervantes de Torreon after a shooting at the school in Torreon, Mexico, Jan. 10, 2020. (Str/Xinhua) It condemned the lack of accountability for violations committed against children, teachers and other persons entitled to protection. The Security Council urged UN member states to develop effective measures to prevent and address attacks and threats of attacks against schools, and encouraged them to ensure that national strategic frameworks include comprehensive measures to prevent attacks against schools. The council called on member states to ensure that their armed forces and security forces integrate or continue to integrate practical measures for the protection of schools, children, teachers and other persons entitled to protection. The Security Council emphasized the need for member states to facilitate the continuation of education during armed conflict. A medical student who lost her husband two days back jumped off the third floor of a shopping mall in Madhya Pradeshs Indore city on Friday morning. She survived the suicide attempt but has sustained serious injures, police said. The couple had been married for just about a fortnight. Her husband, Subham Khandelwal, a contractor in Ujjain district about 50 km away, had died by suicide on Wednesday, leaving behind a note that blamed two engineers of the local municipal corporation for his death. Sania Khandelwal, who is in her early 20s and studying medicine at a private college in Ujjain, is hospitalised in Indores MY hospital. She has suffered injuries in her head and legs and is under observation of doctors in an intensive care unit (ICU), police said. Sania had come to Indore with her father who had came to take her home to Haryanas Faridabad after hearing about his son-in-laws death. She was to accompany her father to Faridabad on the outskirts of national capital Delhi. They were staying in a hotel in Indores Sarvate bus stand area and were scheduled to catch a flight on Friday afternoon. Early on Friday, Sania stepped out of the hotel, telling her father that she was going to get herself some fruit juice. But she reached the shopping mall in Vijay Nagar about 5-6 km away and jumped off the third floor, a police office said. She was rushed to a nearby hospital by some mall employees from where she was referred to MY hospital. Police said they found a note in which she said she wanted to be with her husband. Prima facie, it is a case of attempt to suicide. The woman has been hospitalised. We are looking into the matter, Indore city superintendent of police, Rakesh Gupta said. Sanias attempted suicide in Indore on Friday morning put the spotlight on the circumstances that led to her husbands death. Within hours, the Ujjain Police registered a case against two junior engineers of Ujjain Nagar Nigam - Naresh Jain and Sanjay Khujeni and another person named Chinnu - for abetment to suicide, said police. Subham Khandelwal had been found injured in his car that had met with an accident near Nalwa locality in Ujjain on Wednesday night. He died. Police initially treated his death as a case of suicide but later found a note in which he had said that he was committing suicide due to harassment by the three persons. Police said he had consumed some poisonous substance. Police said they were still investigating the 32-year-old contractors death. Rupesh Dwivedi, the additional superintendent of police, Ujjain, said Shubham Khandelwal prima facie had committed suicide. A suicide note was found from his possession which is being examined. Some other evidence has been collected from the spot. An FIR has been lodged against two junior engineers of Ujjain Nagar Nigam - Naresh Jain and Sanjay Khujneri and one Chinnu under sections 306 and 34 of Indian Penal Code, Dwivedi said, adding that no arrests had been made. The banking sector needs to increase focus on the strategy, data management, internal digitisation, talent creation and developing safe systems, the Institute for Development and Research in Banking Technology (IDRBT) said on Friday. Established by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in 1996, IDRBT spearheads efforts in providing state-of-the-art technologies for the country's banking and financial sector. Underlining the role and potential of AI in transforming India's BFSI sector, IDRBT released a 'white paper' titled "AI in Banking: A Primer" in association with Microsoft India at an event on Friday. BFSI stands for banking, financial services and insurance. The paper aims to support in their AI journey, recommends a framework and strategy for the successful adoption of the technology. It stresses the urgent need for to assess their AI readiness using an AI maturity model and increase focus on the AI strategy, data management, internal digitisation, talent creation, and developing safe systems. It also introduces an AI maturity assessment model developed by Microsoft. IDRBT in association with Microsoft has worked out a framework and strategy for the successful adoption of AI for accelerated innovation and growth, according to a statement. "IDRBT urges the BFSI organisations to increase focus on the AI strategy, data management, internal digitisation, talent creation and developing safe systems to improve their AI readiness," it said. AI is the collection of data, algorithms, and computing power to enable machines to emulate human capabilities and act with higher levels of intelligence. IDRBT Director A S Ramasastri said that in the coming years, in banking is expected to be as normal as using any office productivity tools. "AI in combination with cloud computing, IoT (internet of things), blockchain, 5G and emerging technologies will increase customer experience and agility in product release. We are confident these technology collaborations will draw synergies across stakeholders," Ramasastri said. In the foreword to the paper, Microsoft India President Anant Maheshwari said the new normal has accelerated data and AI adoption manifold, and this has clearly shown the benefits of investing in a tech-enabled future. This is enabling organisations, individuals and governments across the country and the world to not only rebound stronger from the crisis, but to reimagine a new future. "The banking and financial services industry has been at the heart of this change. A critical determinant of India's economic success, we've seen the sector embrace large-scale digital transformation in the past few months, paving the way for the future of banking in India," he said. Maheshwari further said creating an AI-ready ecosystem that enables everyone to leverage the technology for productivity and growth is an imperative for India to leapfrog into the future. AI in banking also showcases successful use cases of public and private in the country that are already deploying the technology effectively. These include State Bank of India, Punjab National Bank, Bank of Baroda, ICICI Bank, HDFC Bank, and Citi Bank, the release said. AI is demonstrating a huge impact for the early adopters at three fundamental levels the processes they adopt, their products and services and user experience, it added. The paper said there are some challenges that need to be addressed to increase the adoption of AI in the Indian banking and industry. These include training existing manpower in new skills, making the current banking processes adaptable with AI, increasing the capacity of customers to use AI systems, and ensuring data protection and privacy. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) More than 2K Christians gather in worship protest after they are shut out of Seattle park Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment More than 2,000 Christians gathered in the streets of Seattle in a worship protest Monday in defiance of public officials, who shuttered a local park to prevent them from participating in a prayer rally organized by missionary and political activist Sean Feucht. The rally was supposed to take place in Gas Works Park by Seattle Parks and Recreation but officials abruptly announced the park would be closed all day Monday due to anticipated crowding that could impact the public health of residents. Despite efforts to keep the rally from happening, Feucht announced on Facebook Tuesday that their worship session led to miracles and baptisms in a session that lasted about two hours. They shut the park, so we took the WORSHIP PROTEST to the streets!! The church of Seattle WILL NOT be silenced! Over 2000 took to the streets and GOD LIT THE PLACE UP with miracles, baptisms, salvations, racial reconciliation (with the police!) and HOPE!! Feucht wrote. Feucht, who has helped local pastors host 19 prayer rallies in defiance of coronavirus guidelines in 19 cities over the last eight weeks, told KIRO 7 that he believes the shuttering of the park to his gathering was blatant discrimination. If this was about COVID that would be one thing, he said. But this is about a blatant discrimination against Christians because the same questions were not asked and are still not asked about protesters. Park officials explained in a statement Friday that the decision was made to shutter the park because they anticipated that people would gather and flout social distancing protocol. Previous attendees at Feuchts rallies reportedly did not wear masks or practice social distancing. Out of concerns for the safety of all those who visit Gas Works Park we have opted to close the entire park for the day, park officials said. One man who attended the rally but did not give his name to KIRO 7 agreed that Seattle officials were not being fair when they shuttered the park to the Christian group. The opposite side of it is the CHOP, he said. They open it up and let them do whatever they want but they dont let Christians come here and peaceably assemble. I dont understand the hypocrisy of that. Kelly Seiben told KOMO News that she believes the city was targeting Christians, and others like Joyce Seiben agreed. We were not there to cause any harm but just to lift the name of Jesus, Seiben said. Pastor Michael Lee, who leads All Nations Community Church in Bellevue, said regardless of the actions of protesters, Christians needed to do the responsible thing and not gather in large numbers. I feel like its a responsible thing to do for a Christians to minimize the spread and risk of COVID," said Lee. You can do all of those things in smaller group contexts. Montgomery attorney Julian McPhillips and three former Selma police officers he represents are pushing for resolution of a two-year old case in which the former officers are accused of lying to state investigators. The state alleges the officers tried to disrupt a joint state-federal investigation into firearms stolen from the Selma Police Departments evidence room. McPhillips held a press conference today with former Selma Police Sgt. Jeffrey Hardy, one of the three who stands accused. McPhillips gave out copies of correspondence with Attorney General Steve Marshall, including a letter dated today asking Marshall to either dismiss the charges or stop efforts by his office to have a second African American judge recused in the case involving the three Black defendants. McPhillips said prosecutors have not provided the defendants an adequate explanation of the charges and said the states call for Circuit Judge Marvin Wiggins to recuse is racially motivated. It just stinks to high heaven, McPhillips said. Its just insane. And its a huge waste of taxpayers' money. Marshalls office declined comment about the press conference and offered for reference its motion asking Wiggins to recuse, filed on August 25. The motion says the defendants engaged in a concerted effort to disrupt the investigation of the Selma Police Department by state and federal agents by various means, including, but not limited to, providing false statements in furtherance of their efforts to discredit the joint investigation. A Dallas County grand jury indicted Hardy, former Lt. Tory Neely, and former Sgt. Kendall Thomas in November 2018. In May 2019, Dallas County Circuit Judge Collins Pettaway Jr. dismissed the indictments over the states objections. The state then presented evidence to another Dallas County grand jury, which issued the same indictments against the three men in June 2019. The state sought Pettaways recusal from the case, but he declined to recuse until he was ordered to by the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals in July of this year. The state is now seeking the recusal of Wiggins, who is the presiding judge of the Fourth Circuit, which includes Dallas County. In the states motion to recuse filed on August 25, Assistant Attorney General Andrew Arrington wrote that Wiggins should recuse, in part, because he had personal knowledge of disputed facts in the case. According to the motion, Wiggins called a meeting in August 2017 about the defendants' failure to produce items for evidence for several capital murder cases. That was after the state and federal agents took over the investigation into guns stolen from the evidence room. The Defendants stated during this meeting, that they were not allowed to re-enter the evidence room until they received permission from the Attorney General, Arrington wrote. Secondly, that the evidence room was left in disarray by state and federal agents after the inventory. Both statements by the Defendants were patently false and misleading. McPhillips said it was only from that portion of the motion to recuse that he was able to determine exactly what the defendants are accused of saying that was false. So they have indicted these guys two years ago for just junk thats frivolous, frivolous to the Nth degree, McPhillips said. I mean its a matter of opinion whether the evidence room was in disarray or not in disarray. The states motion for Wiggins to recuse says that the investigation into the theft of guns from the evidence room started in April 2017 and that state and federal investigators took over in May 2017. It says the state and federal agents immediately experienced resistance to their investigation of the theft of firearms in the form of a lack of cooperation from Selma Police Department personnel. Then-Selma Police Chief Spencer Collier gave state and federal investigators control of the evidence room to conduct an inventory in June 2017, the motion says. State and federal agents returned control of the room to Selma police on June 30, 2017, after completing the inventory, the motion says. Hardy said the last two years have been tough and he had to withdraw his retirement savings to support his family. Its not only affected me, its affected my family, as well as the other two, its affected their families, their wives, their kids," Hardy said. Its just been tough. It proves something to me that youve got a felony hanging over your head and you havent even been convicted of it. Hardy said potential employers back away because of the pending charge. Me being in law enforcement over 25 years, I never thought something like this would happen. But, Ill say this. God lets his best people go through the toughest situations because he knows that we know we can stand and just hold out till the end. And thats what were going to do. Were not going to give up. The former officers have filed a civil suit against the city of Selma, McPhillips said. On Sept. 1, McPhillips filed a court motion for a speedy trial in the criminal case. It has now been nearly two years since the State initially indicted each named Defendant, and each Defendant claims the great length of this delay is unfounded, greatly prejudicial, and causing each Defendant to suffer enormous and substantial hardship, McPhillips wrote. Jury trials in Alabama have been suspended because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but the suspension ends Monday. Jury trials can resume then at the discretion of each judicial circuit to do so safely within social distancing guidelines. What Did Absalom Do? Now Absalom, Davids son, had a beautiful sister, whose name was Tamar. And after a time Amnon, Davids son, loved her (2 Samuel 13:1). Absalom rebelled out of revenge for his sister, Tamar, who was raped by his half-brother, Amnon. The story unfolds in 2 Samuel 13:2: And Amnon was so tormented that he made himself ill because of his sister Tamar, for she was a virgin, and it seemed impossible to Amnon to do anything to her. Amnon schemed a fake sickness to lure Tamar to his bedside, dismissed everyone else in the room and then raped her. After he got what he wanted, Scripture says: Amnon hated her with very great hatred, so that the hatred with which he hated her was greater than the love with which he had loved her (2 Samuel 13:15). King David was furious when he learned what had happened, and poor Tamar - shamed and disgraced - went to live with her brother Absalom, who hated Amnon, because he had violated his sister Tamar (2 Samuel 13:22). Two years later (2 Samuel 13:23), Absalom schemed to murder Amnon for raping his sister, and he was successful (2 Samuel 13:23-29). Eastons Bible Dictionary explains that David mourned his absent son, now branded with the guilt of fratricide. You could tell by looking at Absalom that he had made up his mind to do this from the time that Amnon raped his sister Tamar, 2 Samuel 13:32. This verse recorded Jonadab, the son of Davids brother Shammah, reporting from the scene of Amnons murder. The author of 2 Samuel wrote, David mourned a long time for his son Amnon; but when he got over Amnons death, he was filled with longing for his son Absalom (2 Samuel 13:39). Absalom fled to Geshur, where his mothers father was king (1 Chronicles 3:1-8; 2 Samuel 13:37). Eventually, David allowed him to come back to Jerusalem. But for two years, he was forbidden to be in the presence of his father, the king (2 Samuel 14:1-28). Eventually, Absalom got what he wanted, and he came to the king and bowed himself on his face to the ground before the king, and the king kissed Absalom (2 Samuel 14:33). For the next four years, however, he launched a conspiracy against King David, which culminated in a battle, and Absaloms death (2 Samuel 15-18). Photo credit: Getty Images/master1305 WASHINGTON In July, New York filed a plan with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services revealing its goals for coronavirus testing this fall. The target is consistent: 220,000 diagnostic tests per month executed in September, October, November and December outside of New York City in other words, not including New York City, 2 percent of the state population would be tested per month, the minimum required by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's guidance. Those monthly goals are the same that the state Department of Health set for May, June, July and August, even though in July, the state was outstripping the goal and testing about 8 percent of the state population. At present, the amount of coronavirus testing in New York is exceeding the fall targets, data published by the state shows. The state conducted more than 220,000 diagnostic tests by Sept. 5. If testing continues this month at the same rate it was during the first week of September, New York will have tested about 12 percent of the 11 million people who live outside the New York City metro area. Although federal guidelines refer to the testing numbers supplied by states as "targets." New York, where Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo has touted the testing program as the best in the nation, apparently has made its goal to test the minimum number. The 20-page plan written by the state Department of Health pledges to do at least 220,000 diagnostic tests or 2 percent of the population (excluding New York City which has a separate plan) until federal testing money runs out or the CDC directs otherwise. But it also states that diagnostic testing rates "may decline in the future if disease incidence continues to decline." "We continue to ramp up our efforts, with the goal of testing as many New Yorkers as possible," said Jonah Bruno, a spokesman for the health department. "The goals outlined in the testing plan are appropriate. Fortunately, we have been able to exceed them as testing increases throughout the state." According to the Harvard Global Health Institute and the Brown School of Public Health, which have analyzed state testing throughout the pandemic, New York is one of just a few states nearing a testing system that would actually suppress the virus: proactively identifying cases and isolating new cases before the start of a wider outbreak. "New York continues to test a very high per capita rate as well, about 426 tests per 100,000 so above mitigation levels and effectively approaching suppression levels of testing" said Thomas Tsai, professor of health policy and management at the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health and a surgeon at Brigham and Womens Hospital. "The test positive rate is about 0.8 percent in New York," he said, noting the state had made "remarkable progress in more wide-scale testing over the last few months." The state testing plan, made public by HHS last month, was required of New York in exchange for receiving millions in coronavirus testing money from the CDC this spring. It lays out the state's strategy to expand testing capacity, target testing at high-risk populations, obstacles to expanding testing and any supplies needed. In lieu of one national testing strategy, the plans show that the nation has 64 unique testing schemes governing every state, territory and some cities. Each plan was created by state and local officials with guidance from the U.S. Department of Heath and Human Services and CDC. "Each jurisdiction must ensure their testing plan provisions are in place to meet current and future surge capacity testing needs, federal support for point-of-care testing in nursing homes and any other tactics in place designed to maximize the entire testing ecosystem," said Mia Heck, a spokesperson for HHS. "In addition, a multidisciplinary team of experts from HHS has completed a technical review for each jurisdictions' plan to ensure that it is sufficient to mitigate the spread of the virus, protect vulnerable groups, and account for adequate testing supplies and reagents to reach jurisdiction testing goals." The nation is at a "critical moment" for testing, Tsai said. It finally has the resources to shift from a reactive testing strategy testing the symptomatic only to a proactive strategy that layers on asymptomatic testing. It's a "paradigm shift" in thinking from a focus on simply testing more, to deciding who to test, when to test them and with what tool. How to test and who to test has at times been the subject of conflict between the federal and state governments. In late August, the CDC changed its testing guidelines to say people who have been in close contact with an infected person may not need to be tested if they do not have symptoms of COVID-19. That was a reversal of the CDC's earlier guidance that close contacts should be tested even if asymptomatic. Cuomo said New York would not follow the new CDC recommendation, calling it "reckless" and not science-based in a joint statement with the governors from Connecticut and New Jersey. On Thursday, the Trump administration's testing czar, Adm. Brett Giroir, assistant secretary for Health at the US Department of Health and Human Services, also contradicted the CDC guidelines and told CNN: "We do need to test asymptomatic people. There is no doubt about that. Full stop. State testing can be limited by the availability of testing supplies, the capacity of laboratory machines that run the tests, transportation time for samples and the ability to pay for it all. Manufacturing shortages and expense both play a key role, said Ben Linville-Engler, industry and certificate director at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, who's been involved in analyzing coronavirus testing with Harvard Global Health Institute, among other work on the coronavirus supply chain. Whos paying for the testing? Theres CARES Act funding but theres not necessarily confidence that more funding is going to get passed and so states have to figure out how they are going to utilize that money through the rest of the year," he said. "What other funds can they draw on? Thats where the connection to this economic impact were having is really hitting cities and counties really hard. The budgetary shortfalls for cities and counties across the U.S. for sales tax is going to be huge. These places arent in a position to throw large amounts of money into increasing testing unfortunately. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. HHS is sitting on more than $8 billion in funding Congress earmarked for coronavirus testing, said U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., who oversees appropriations for the agency. If HHS is not going to use those funds to support testing, the department should distribute those funds to the states, she said. HHS responded that the agency has obligated over 90 percent of $100 billion in coronavirus funding it received. As of September 8, only $265 million out of $10.25 billion made available to states for testing purposes has been drawn down by the states, said HHS spokeswoman Kate Migliaccio-Grabill.The agency has used $8.3 billion in flexible funding to make testing and supplies available to states, nursing homes and vulnerable populations. HHS continues to strategically and responsibly hold some funds in reserve to support any emergent needs or new technologies, especially as we head into flu season, Migliaccio-Grabill said. The CDC awarded New York $746.8 million in coronavirus testing money, which the state used to buy COVID-19 testing equipment and supplies, recruitment of technical staff to support sample collection, testing, contact tracing, surveillance, and information technology and support for BioReference laboratory, a major contractual partner performing COVID-19 testing for the state's drive-through testing sites and other state sampling, Bruno said. The federal government supplied New York with "large amounts" of swabs and coronavirus testing media, Bruno said, which at times have been in short supply, limiting test capacity. "HHS and FEMA are meeting all state needs for COVID-19 testing supplies like swabs and media," Heck said. "As of Sept. 2, the federal government has distributed 80 million swabs, 66 million media and over 40 types of other resources." The state testing plan said one "barrier" to more testing was the transportation of samples from the point of collection to the laboratory that will analyze them. State and local police have at times been used to drive the specimens from one place to another, the plan said. Investigators with the state Health Department's Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement have also been used to move samples. The state Health Department is also preparing a request for proposals to solicit applications for developing a courier service to move testing samples around the state, Bruno said. The state plan prioritizes testing for nursing homes, group homes, adult care facilities, prisons and other "high risk settings" that may be added as the state reopens. The health department has targeted outreach at "at risk populations" and communities of color, the plan says. The plan also highlights the emphasis New York has placed on serology testing, blood tests used to identify whether a person has antibodies for the virus. The plan sets targets of 220,000 serology tests a month across the state the same as the number of diagnostic tests. Many other states set serology testing goals much lower than diagnostic test goals. Nebraska's planned for no serology testing and a few states plans said they were still determining how to use serology testing. New York's plan explains that its goal for serology testing is to identify potential plasma donors. People who have recovered from coronavirus can donate plasma to be used a therapy for others sick with the virus, the Food and Drug Administration has approved. The state is also using serology tests to check specific populations, like health care workers, and the general population to assess exposure to the virus. As of mid-June, the state public health laboratory in Albany had completed 53,452 bloodspot-based serology assays, Bruno said, including random grocery store patrons, first responders, health care workers and essential state employees. Private labs have tested more than 3.3 million New Yorkers for antibodies to date, Bruno said. A Labor Day weekend camping trip to Mammoth Lake Reservoir in the Sierra National Forest of California for a mother, her boyfriend and family turned into a nightmare in a matter of minutes. Preparing for the worst as the couple became trapped along with more than 200 others by a raging wildfire, Christina Lopez sent a desperate message to her family to tell them she loved them. Lopez shared the background story for footage she had captured during the couple's harrowing escape of the Creek Fire with AccuWeather National Reporter Bill Wadell in a video interview. The day started out like a normal holiday weekend away, but it will be a day Lopez will never forget. Creek Fire survivor Christina Lopez recalling what happened the day of the rescue. (AccuWeather / Bill Wadell) "We saw the fire up on the hill to the left of us. We had asked about it, and they told us that it was fine that the fire was being put out and not to worry," Lopez said. After gathering their belongings to go down to the nearby lake area, which was about 10 minutes from the campground, Lopez said they saw flames on the other side of the body of water. However, at that time, they were still told everything was OK, she recalled. The campers didn't realize how quickly conditions were about to change. "Ten minutes later, we were told that we were being evacuated. So we grabbed our stuff, ran to the campground," Lopez said. When the couple reached the campground, the fire was already beginning the char the area. The campers were able to gather most of their stuff but had to leave behind R.V.'s, A.T.V.'s and tents because they were told to immediately flee. And, the only way out was a narrow one-way road. "The whole left side of the road ... was completely blocked by fire and trees had fallen down completely blocking any way out," Lopez said. "So at that time, we were told to seek refuge at the lake, and, if need be, jump into it." Story continues When Lopez and her family started to make their way down the road, it looked as if they were driving straight into the inferno. "I think some people started to get scared so they started making U-turns and blocking the road. I had a big jeep so we were able to go off to the side and get around those people and get down to the lake. I believe that's why some people burned. They got trapped. Trees fell on their cars," Lopez said. Gabe Huck, right, a member of a San Benito Monterey Cal Fire crew, stands along state Highway 168 while fighting the Creek Fire, Sunday, Sept. 6, 2020, in Shaver Lake, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez) As the fire was igniting everything around Lopez, and cars started blocking the route to safety, she came to a grim realization: They were trapped in all directions. That was when she knew she had to send one last message to her loved ones. "I had messaged my family, my children and my sister, and I had told them that I was trapped by fire on all sides and that I loved them," Lopez tearfully recalled to Wadell. "And after that, I lost service for about three hours." Finally, Lopez and others made it to the lake, where they just were 20 minutes prior. However, by then, it was almost completely engulfed in flames coming from every direction, she said. "We saw fire tornadoes. There's big embers falling down. Nobody could get out of their cars during that time. It seemed like the wind was fire. It was like Armageddon," Lopez said, adding that their car windows were hot to the touch as the flames surrounded them. Lopez's boyfriend suggested they wait until everything calmed down once the fire had incinerated all of the trees and brush. So, they waited for a period of time that Lopez believes lasted about 40 minutes to an hour. When people were able to emerge from their vehicles, that's when Lopez, who is a nurse, jumped into action to triage people that had been hurt, including some who had been badly burned. "I started trying to help people, but, you know, we only had emergency kits and each kit has a limited amount of things," Lopez said, adding that she saw some people "who were really badly burned." At least two people had suffered severe injuries. Plus, Lopez was worried someone was going to suffer an asthma attack or a heart attack due to the thick smoke. "I set up on a flatbed of someone's truck and everyone kept bringing me their medical kits and some pain medication to help treat the people. But at the end, I ended up having to use napkins and stuff to dress wounds," to shield them from smoke and other debris, Lopez said. Lopez recalled her fear that one girl would go into shock, a condition which she said she didn't have enough supplies to treat. "I always have support and have things I need, so to be in the situation where I didn't have enough to treat people was hard," Lopez said. With no I.V. fluids to administer, she reminded people to drink fluids to prevent people from suffering shock or becoming dehydrated. And, besides the physical injuries, many were dealing with a range of emotions from the trauma. "We had been told it was going to be a couple of days until we were going to be rescued because of the conditions," Lopez said. Then, the group heard the sounds of helicopters, and when they came into view everyone began to cheer. A helicopter prepares to drop water at a wildfire. (AP Photo/Ringo H.W. Chiu, File) The California National Guard Black Hawk and Chinook helicopters flew in and out three times to rescue everyone that had been trapped. All told, more than 200 people were airlifted to safety in the nighttime rescue mission. "Everybody came together and helped. And we were just such a cohesive group. It was almost like we became a family at that moment," Lopez said. The Creek Fire has burned more than 175,000 acres since igniting on Sept. 4. Five days later, the blaze was 0% contained and had destroyed hundreds of homes and businesses in Fresno and Madera counties. Lopez's near-death experience will definitely shape her actions in the future, she said. For one thing, she and her family will likely never camp again. "I don't think we'll be camping anymore," Lopez said. "Not unless there's an easy way out. We'll be looking for escape routes at all times in the future, and I definitely will have a lot more medical supplies on me at all times now." Lopez is thankful for the "true heroes" for everything that they did and for being so strong, kind and compassionate. In this Saturday, Sept. 5, 2020, photo released by the California National Guard, shows the view from a Cal Guard Chinook helicopter rescuing people trapped after the Creek Fire in central California left them stranded. (California National Guard via AP) "We know how much they put their lives at risk to save us that day. And the amount of effort ... We have never been prouder to be Americans in the moment we saw them," Lopez said. "That's what America's about, those kind people who come in and selflessly risk their lives to save others and give them compassion and kindness. It was amazing." Reporting by Bill Wadell. Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios. Israir became the first Israeli airline to announce the first direct route to the (UAE) after the two countries reached a historic agreement last month to normalise relations. In a statement on Thursday, the company said that it will operate direct flights from the Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv to the Abu Dhabi Airport, reports Xinhua news agency The flights will take about three and a half hours, with ticket prices starting from $299. Israir said it will also offer a package of flights and hotel stays in the UAE capital city. Last week, Saudi Arabia agreed to allow Israeli planes to fly over its territory, paving the way for the operation of the direct flights to the UAE. Because of low Covid-19 morbidity in the UAE, passengers returning to will not be required to take a 14-day quarantine. Last week, Israeli flag carrier El Al announced it would operate weekly indirect cargo flights to Dubai via the Belgian city of Liege. El Al said the new route is expected to operate on a weekly basis, with a regular flight departing from Tel Aviv to Dubai on Wednesdays and returning on Fridays. On September 7, El Al operated the first-ever commercial flight between and Abu Dhabi. Aboard the plane, Israeli and American delegations flew to Abu Dhabi in the wake of a US-brokered agreement between the UAE and on August 13 to normalise relarions. --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.) SHANKSVILLE, Pa. - One spent time quietly consoling families. The other proclaimed Americas might. President Donald Trump and his Democratic rival, Joe Biden marked the 19th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks on Friday at memorial services where their differences in style couldnt have been more sharply on display. As Biden approached those whod lost loved ones at Ground Zero and shared the pain of his own losses, Trump vowed that America will always rise up, stand tall and fight back, speaking at the Shanksville, Pennsylvania, site where hijacked Flight 93 crashed after passengers rushed the cockpit. Biden also visited Shanksville later in the day, laying a wreath at the memorial and meeting with families, but the two did not cross paths. And while Americans were focused on the commemorations, the political significance of the visits to Shanksville was hard to ignore: Pennsylvania is a crucial battleground state in the 2020 election. Trump won there by less than 1 percentage point four years ago, and Democrats hope they can return it to their column this year. Biden insisted that he would steer clear of politics on a national day of mourning taking place in the midst of another unfolding tragedy, the pandemic. Im not gonna make any news today. Im not gonna talk about anything other than 9-11, Biden told reporters. We took all our advertising down, Its a solemn day, and thats how were going to keep it, OK? The Trump campaign did not follow suit, in a break with tradition, and was quick to point out Biden ads that were still running Friday. Bidens campaign said that any airings had been inadvertent and that they were reaching out to affiliate stations for an explanation and to remedy. In Shanksville, Trump shared the story of Flight 93, which officials say had been headed for Washington, D.C. until passengers teamed up against the hijackers, memorably declaring lets roll as they took them on mid-flight. The heroes of Flight 93 are an everlasting reminder that no matter the danger, no matter the threat, no matter the odds, America will always rise up, stand tall, and fight back, Trump said as he voiced empathy for the families of the victims, singing out several by name and telling them their pain is the shared grief of our whole nation. Trump also noted that the country had come together after 9-11, which was a striking contrast to the stark divisions on display today as the nation grapples with the pandemic, economic turmoil and a reckoning over race and police violence. It was a unity based on love for our families, care for our neighbours, loyalty to our fellow citizens, pride in our great flag, gratitude for our police and first responders, faith in God and a refusal to bend our will to the depraved forces of violence, intimidation, oppression and evil, Trump said. It was a different scene in Lower Manhattan as Biden attended the 9-11 Memorial & Museums annual commemoration at Ground Zero, along with Vice-President Mike Pence. In a rare moment of detente in a vitriolic campaign, Biden approached Pence after arriving and tapped him on the shoulder to say hello. The current and former vice-presidents then shared an elbow bump the popular COVID-era handshake replacement as did Biden and Karen Pence. Bidens running mate, Sen. Kamala Harris, spoke at a memorial ceremony in Northern Virginia, a few miles from the Pentagon where terrorists crashed yet another plane on Sept. 11, 2001. While public officials were not part of the official program in New York, Biden spent time at the ceremony consoling families in attendance. At one point, as the names of victims were being read, he spotted a woman crying in the crowd. Amanda Barreto, 27, of Teaneck, New Jersey, lost her godmother and aunt in the 9-11 attacks. She said Biden wanted to let me know to keep the faith. He told her he knows what it means to lose someone. He wanted me to stay strong. And hes so sorry for my loss. She said she appreciated his comments and would be voting for him this fall. Biden also spotted 90-year-old Maria Fisher, who lost her son in the attacks. He told her he, too, had lost a son, a reference to his son Beaus death from cancer. It never goes away, does it? he lamented, and handed her a rose. It takes a lot of courage for someone that lost someone to come back today, Biden later told The Associated Press. I know from experience, losing my wife, my daughter, my son, you relive it, the moment as if its happening. Its hard. ... So I admire the families who come. In Shanksville later Friday, Biden laid a wreath at the memorial and greeted the families of several victims, voicing respect for the sacrifices theyd made. He then paid a visit to the Shanksville Volunteer Fire Department, delivering a Bundt cake, pastries and refreshments. Biden said the last time hed visited, hed promised to bring beer and he came through, presenting two six-packs to a group of firefighters, to cheers. The National Park Service, which co-hosts the annual Flight 93 memorial event in Pennsylvania, had originally said it was planning an abbreviated ceremony this year with no speakers to minimize the spread of the coronavirus. But after Biden and then the White House announced their plans to visit, the agencys website was updated to reflect a new schedule that included remarks from Trump. In 2016, the 9-11 memorial events became a flashpoint in the presidential campaign after then-Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton abruptly left the Ground Zero ceremony and was seen stumbling as she tried to get into a van. Trump, who spoke repeatedly of that during the campaign, also spent the day in New York and paid his own visit to the memorial in Lower Manhattan. ____ Jaffe reported from New York and Colvin from Washington. Associated Press writer Deb Riechmann contributed to this report. APs Advance Voting guide brings you the facts about voting early, by mail or absentee from each state: https://interactives.ap.org/advance-voting-2020 Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Editorial Board (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, September 11, 2020 09:12 497 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c442f1b3 1 Editorial Kompas,jakob-oetama,#Editorial,New-Order,journalism,press-freedom,journalist Free Some of us may not know Jakob Oetama, who died at the age of 88 on Wednesday. But we know his legacy, which is Kompas, the leading national daily, and his business conglomerate Kompas Gramedia Group. It was his journalistic style that was the key to his success in turning Kompas into the huge media-based empire it is today. He laid the foundation for safe journalism, which allowed Kompas to survive and thrive during the Soeharto dictatorship and remain effective in voicing the peoples aspirations. In the coming years, Kompas will likely continue to do so. Many of us, particularly those with liberal minds, would have been impatient with this style, but under Jacob, it worked and thats what mattered. Kompas could have been more hard-hitting, but it would not have survived and grown this big. While championing good journalism, with its obvious option for the weak, poor and marginalized, Kompas developed the art of criticizing without attacking, rooted in the Javanese culture, which Jakob and many of his proteges rose from. This subtle, sophisticated way of criticizing was an effective mechanism to deal with a regime that had no hesitation to stifle the press. But even such an approach could not save Kompas from a press ban. In 1978, the daily, along with many other media outlets, was banned for criticizing then-president Soeharto who was bidding for a new term. Jakobs defense of press freedom, however, was unquestionable. In his testimony in court, he denied a claim by theninformation minister Harmoko that the government had consulted the Press Council before banning Tempo, Editor and Detik in 1994 for their coverage of the purchase of warships from former East Germany, which offended Soeharto. In fact, journalism for Jakob was not just about having the guts to be critical of the powers that be. As one of his journalists recalls, journalism is a matter of putting issues into context to enable people to know what the problem really is. Started by a Catholic foundation, Kompas under Jakob and his friend PK Ojong was smart in not turning it into a Catholic newspaper. In specific, Jabob intentionally opened a big space for Islamic voices as an attempt to help moderate Islam to develop and grow in Indonesia. Indeed, he once shocked many when he appointed a Muslim to succeed him as Kompas chief editor. Kompas serves a wider audience across the political, ethnic and religious divides, which in Jakobs view are bound by humanity. As we see today, pluralism, humanity and compassion are among the messages Kompas and its affiliated media TV, radio and news portal wish to share with the public. In this sense, this nation is indebted to Jakob. SHANKSVILLE, Pennsylvania - Jason Thomas of Columbus wasnt planning to be part of a presidential speech when he donned his Marine Corps uniform to pull survivors from the World Trade Centers wreckage after Islamic militants crashed a pair of hijacked planes into them on September 11, 2001. But 19 years after Thomas helped rescue Port Authority police officers John McLoughlin and Will Jimeno from the ruins after hours of digging, President Donald Trump singled out his heroism during a speech to mark American courage and sacrifice in a Pennsylvania field where one of the four hijacked planes crashed after its crew and passengers charged the cockpit. After Trump praised the valor of the United Airlines Flight 93 travelers who challenged the hijackers, Trump applauded Thomas for racing into the nightmare of ash and debris at the World Trade Center in search of survivors. Trump told how Thomas and a fellow Marine at the site began calling out: United States Marines! United States Marines! If you can hear us, yell, tap. Do whatever you can do. Were the United States Marines. They heard a shout from help from two police officers trapped beneath 20 feet of rubble, and dug for hours on end knowing that, at any moment, the wreckage could come down on them, crushing them alive, Trump said. At one point, someone told Jason to stop. Jason replied, Im a Marine. I dont go back. I go forward." Trumps speech noted that Thomas didnt publicize his actions after the tragedy but decided to meet the officers again after seeing the rescue recounted on television. One gave him a steel cross made from a beam that Thomas helped lift to free them from the hell on Earth, which Thomas said means a lot to him as a symbol of what we are as Americans. Because that day, we all came together and stood as a nation, as Americans, Trump quoted Thomas saying, as he thanked him for bearing witness to the nations good character. "It didnt matter what race you were, what religion you were. It didnt matter. We all came together to help one another. Id die for this country. Id die for this country. Jason Thomas, of Columbus poses during a visit to New York in 2006. Thomas helped rescue Port Authority police officers John McLoughlin and Will Jimeno. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews)ASSOCIATED PRESS In an interview after Trumps speech, 46-year-old Thomas told cleveland.com that he was heading to classes at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York when he learned of the hijackings, while dropping off his child off to be babysat at his mothers house on Long Island. Instead, of going to classes, he headed to the World Trade Center to see if he could be of assistance. I had my military uniform in the trunk, said Thomas. I just ran to the trunk of my car and put that on and responded. He said the site of the disaster wasnt cordoned off, so would-be rescuers who showed up could help out. He and another Marine he met on site, David Karnes, began yelling down holes they saw in the debris until they heard the police officers calling for help. He said one of the trapped officers discussed amputating his own leg so rescuers could reach his comrade, but it wasnt necessary. I let them know that I wasnt going to leave them, that was a big thing, said Thomas. I wanted to comfort them. The experience was more traumatic for him than anything he saw while deployed in Iraq or Afghanistan, because it turned familiar sights into an environment that appeared to be a combat zone. It is something I live with every day, he says. Some smells will bring me back. When the time reads 9:11 on my watch, it brings me back to that day, whether it is in the morning or the evening. It is something I live with on a daily basis. Thomas said he didnt seek publicity for going to the disaster site because his parents raised him not to leave anyone behind, and he felt that is just what everyone did. He had five young children to raise, and wanted to focus on them. The incident inspired him to join the Air Force and become a medic, because he felt he could have done more to help at the World Trade Center site if he had medical training. He is currently works at Daytons Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, and learned that he might figure in Trumps speech when he received a series of text messages about it from his commanders. He said he considered attending the event a commemoration of the tragedy rather than an expression of support for a particular candidate in the upcoming presidential election. He said he did not get to meet Trump, but was honored to be able to share my story, share some of my experiences that occurred that day. I figured the president would keep it about 9-11 and shed light on it, said Thomas. We have a new generation of men and women who have come of age and are detached from what occurred. He shared a couple of stories to bring some light to that day. Read more: CMHA gets $8.2 million federal grant to help homeless during coronavirus pandemic Greater Cleveland RTA gets $15 million federal grant to buy new railcars Ohio Senators Portman and Brown divided over new coronavirus bill that would pay unemployed $300 a week Global warming and development contribute to more frequent Northeast Ohio floods, experts say Sherrod Brown faults the CFPB and banks for not letting borrowers know about mortgage relief during coronavirus pandemic Rep. Jim Jordan probes DC drive to rebrand public facilities named for officials criticized as racist Sen. Sherrod Brown seeks Treasury Department sanctions against Russia for trying to undermine Joe Biden in 2020 election Cuyahoga and Summit county airports get federal grants to improve runways Sen. Sherrod Brown questions whether HUD Secretary Ben Carson violated the Hatch Act Rep. Jim Jordan questions DC mayors response to crowd that swarmed Sen. Rand Paul outside the White House EPA weakens Obama-era wastewater discharge regulations for coal-fired power plants Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine seeks Defense Department agreement to address PFAS contamination at Wright Patterson Air Force Base Ohios Rob Portmans among Republicans defending Postmaster General Louis DeJoy at Senate hearing Jim Jordan defends President Trumps call to boycott Goodyear and says the company, not Trump, is engaging in cancel culture Post Office says it will hold off on changes until after November election By Express News Service BENGALURU: Former minister and Chamarajpet MLA BZ Zameer Ahmed Khan on Friday filed a police complaint against Prashanth Sambargi, who had allegedly made derogatory statements against him. Police registered an FIR against Sambargi. Earlier, police had registered a non-cognisable report based on Khans complaint. However, the MLA approached a court and filed a private complaint, seeking directions to the police to register an FIR and take legal action against Sambargi. When the 24th Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) court ordered that police must register an FIR, Chamarajpet police registered a criminal case against Sambargi.Police said they will question Sambargi in connection with the case soon. It may be recalled that Sambargi, an activist, had alleged that actress Sanjjanaa Galrani, arrested in the Sandalwood drug racket case by the CCB police, had links with Zameer Ahmed Khan and they had gone to Sri Lanka together. Meanwhile, the CCB probing the Sandalwood drug racket issued notice to Prashanth Sambargi to appear before them. The notice was issued on Friday, and he was asked to appear before CCB officers on Saturday and share all the information he has regarding the drugs case. The CCB had summoned film director and journalist Indrajit Lankesh, for questioning. She made a name for herself playing the first Chinese resident on Coronation Street. Now Elizabeth Tan, 30, is a world away from the cobbles of Weatherfield in ITVs sumptuous new Sunday night period drama which starts tomorrow. She stars alongside David Morrissey, Jane Horrocks and Charles Dance in The Singapore Grip, a six-part adaptation of JG Farrells 1978 satirical novel mocking British colonial attitudes. Elizabeth Tan, 30, is a world away from the cobbles of Weatherfield in ITVs sumptuous new Sunday night period drama which starts tomorrow Her character Vera Chiang is a Chinese refugee who arrives in wartime Singapore under mysterious circumstances and finds herself moving among the expat set. Veras a wonderful example of a three-dimensional female character, said London-born Miss Tan, who has family connections in Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia. In a period drama, its rare to find someone like that from an East Asian background. Since her big break as Xin Chiang in Coronation Street in 2011, the actress has starred in other TV series including the BBCs Waterloo Road and Top Boy on Netflix. But she hopes her latest primetime role will pave the way for other young actresses of East Asian descent. It means a lot to them seeing a person of Chinese heritage on TV, she has said. However, some critics fear that because the storyline focuses mainly on British characters, the drama could be accused of displaying a colonial mindset. New role: With Charles Dance in The Singapore Grip. She hopes her latest primetime role will pave the way for other young actresses of East Asian descent Regarding U.N.: Increased warming near agreed limit (Sept. 10): Residents in California who have been experiencing wildfires and drought-like conditions during recent years dont need to be convinced about the reality of climate change. And for millions of people across the globe, a United Nations report that our planet is is getting closer to passing a temperature limit set by global leaders five years ago, and may exceed it in the next decade or so, merely reflects the challenging weather conditions they have also been experiencing. The decision by President Trump to withdraw the U.S. from the Paris climate accord is surely one of the worst of his presidency, and reflects his desire to prioritize short-term business profits while neglecting the long-term health of our environment. Anthony DeGuzman, Daly City Dystopian daylight While looking at the front page of The Chronicle featuring a pedestrian standing under smoky orange-hued clouds with the headline Surreal Sky, Surreal Year (Sept. 11), I immediately thought of a work of fine art. Its a painting by the Norwegian artist Edvard Munch, which also features orange skies. However, the individual in his composition has an unmasked look of horror and expresses the deep anxiety that many of us were feeling when daylight was obscured. The title of this famous painting is The Scream. Charles Carrington, San Francisco Trumps negligence So, President Trump admitted to journalist Bob Woodward that he knew the seriousness of the coronavirus early in 2020, but chose to downplay it because he didnt want to cause a panic? Well, this self-described stable genius was elected to serve as a commander-in-chief, not as Americas cheerleader. Citizens deserve honest leadership, and should have been advised to take every necessary precaution to avoid contracting the very contagious COVID-19 virus as soon as it began to spread across the U.S. Trumps admission to Woodward is like pleading guilty to gross negligence in court. And thousands of American families who needlessly lost loved ones to this awful virus due to such negligence might now believe this president is also guilty of involuntary manslaughter. Agatha Abernathy, Palo Alto Art classes will continue Concerning Easels, kilns and other art equipment from City College of SF approved for disposal (sfchronicle.com, Aug. 29): I was extremely disappointed to read your recent article regarding surplus art equipment at City College of San Francisco. Notably absent from the article is any mention of the colleges careful and thoughtful planning that ensures art classes will continue at our Ocean Campus and Chinatown Center. It is true that the process a public institution must follow for disposing of surplus property is esoteric, and not worth expanding upon here. Instead, your readers should know the college worked with art department faculty leadership to retain all equipment necessary to continue teaching art classes. The remaining equipment was placed on the surplus property list, and next steps will be managed by a third party. So far, none of the items have been sent to a landfill, as your article suggested its much too soon to make that determination. And were it not prohibited by policies governing public agencies, we gladly would have provided the older adult community with some of these items. The decision to relocate classes from Fort Mason was not easy. But I want to assure the community that we will continue offering art classes at our other locations when in-person instruction is allowed to begin. Rajen Vurdien, Ph.D., Interim Chancellor, City College of San Francisco, San Francisco Challenge economic Regarding Time for well-off to bear more of burden (Sept. 7) and Boosting workforce by banding together (Datebook, Sept. 7): I much agree with what Otis R. Taylor Jr. says about our income inequality. However, Taylor argues for concessions by the wealthy a very unlikely occurrence. I grew up in the 1950s and repeatedly heard about South American countries with such serious income inequality that they seemed in perpetual insurrection. I also learned in school how, after World War II, we avoided the same fate by taking steps to build a strong middle class. We did so with the powerful voice of labor and with a very progressive income tax. Since then, however, most of this has been dismantled (e.g., by the massive alteration of the tax code beginning in former President Ronald Reagans years and by decades of relentless assaults on labor unions). This has resulted in our current inequality, but why should the wealthy give up their victory? The same issue of The Chronicle carried an interview with Jane McAlevey about her book A Collective Bargain: Unions, Organizing, and the Fight for Democracy. Her answer is to challenge our current economic structure. If we care about a recognizable America (that is fast vanishing), we must listen to voices like hers. So much is at stake. Anthony Mountain, Jenner, Sonoma County GOPs scathing message Concerning GOPs targeted virus aid not enough to Dems (Sept. 9): Its incomprehensible that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who is up for re-election along with President Trump, would refuse to submit a new coronavirus relief package containing enhanced unemployment benefits for millions of citizens who cant pay their bills or are facing eviction. And by also denying federal aid to city and state governments that have been severely impacted during this pandemic, McConnell and his GOP cohorts are basically sending a two-word message to everyone outside of the halls of power in Washington, D.C.: Drop dead! Representative image live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Moody's Investors Service on September 11 revised Bharti Airtel's credit outlook rating to stable from negative on account of easing of competition in the telecom sector, increase in 4G customer base and mobile services rates from December. It also considered options given to the company to make payment of pending adjusted gross revenue in installments while revising the outlook. "Moody's Investors Service has affirmed Bharti Airtel Ba1 corporate family rating and senior unsecured rating as well as the backed senior unsecured notes issued by Bharti's subsidiary, Bharti Airtel Int'l (Netherlands) B.V. At the same time, Moody's has changed the rating outlook to stable from negative," Moody's said in a statement. Credit rating indicates ability of a company to pay back debt. "The ratings affirmation and change in outlook to stable reflect improving profitability at Bharti's core Indian mobile business, because of a moderation in industry competition, an increase in its 4G customer base, and a tariff hike from December 2019," Moody's Senior Vice President Annalisa DiChiara said. The Supreme Court earlier this month granted 10 years time to Airtel and other companies to clear their AGR dues to the government, starting next fiscal year, instead of 20-year period that was approved by the Cabinet. "The staggered payment resolution related to Adjusted Gross Revenue (AGR) liabilities is also a positive development. Overall, the company's operating flexibility is improving and will benefit from a gradual expansion of profitability, which will provide a buffer against any material deterioration in credit measures and support a steady deleveraging," DiChiara said. According to the Department of Telecom, AGR liability on Bharti Airtel stood at around Rs 35,586 crore. The company has paid around Rs 13,004 crore in AGR dues and additional Rs 5,000 crore as an ad-hoc payment. Moody's said it could upgrade Bharti's ratings if its operating performance improves such that its consolidated leverage is sustained below 2.5 times, which needs to be achieved in conjunction with a material expansion in profitability at its core Indian mobile business. Also Read | Vodafone Idea plans to raise Rs 35,000 crore; share trades in the red The downward ratings pressure of Bharti Airtel would arise if its debt reduction fails to materialise, earnings and cash flow deteriorate further, or its market share (on a revenue basis) contracts materially, Moody's said. The notion of the Paris-Delhi-Canberra axis was first articulated by French president Emmanuel Macron in Sydney back in May 2018 On Wednesday, India, France and Australia as the headline suggests held the inaugural trilateral dialogue on the Indo-Pacific with a view to "[underscoring] the goal of guaranteeing peace, security and adherence to international law in the Indo-Pacific by drawing on the excellence of bilateral relations between France, India and Australia". So what happens to the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue? Are India's better served by this dialogue mechanism? Won't this trilateral dialogue have the Chinese up in arms? These questions and a handful more will be examined in due time. Attended via teleconference by co-chairs Francois Delattre (secretary-general of the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs), Frances Adamson (secretary of the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade) and Harsh Vardhan Shringla, Foreign Secretary of India, this first trilateral dialogue witnessed discussions on "geostrategic challenges, [the countries'] respective strategies for a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific, and prospects for cooperation in the region, especially in the context of the public health crisis." In addition, the countries "expressed their shared will to successfully conclude concrete cooperation projects in the maritime sector and those promoting global commons (climate, environment and biodiversity, health). The three countries also discussed the challenges and priorities of multilateralism, as well as upholding and reforming it." Pourquoi la France? The document 'The French Strategy in the Indo-Pacific' points out, "A nation of the Indo-Pacific, France has large territory in the region (Mayotte and La Reunion islands, Scattered Islands and French Southern and Antarctic Territories, New Caledonia, Wallis and Futuna, French Polynesia and Clipperton), including 93 percent of its exclusive economic zone, home to a population of 1.5 million French citizens. France also maintains a strong military presence of 8,000 troops while French trade heavily relies on the 7,000 subsidiary companies and the 150,000 French expatriates who have settled in the area." Historical imperative aside, President Emmanuel Macron has over the course of his presidency built on key defence deals signed by his predecessor Francois Hollande in 2016 with India (Dassault Rafale jets) and Australia (submarines). In Sydney in May 2018, he declared, "We're not naive: If we want to be seen and respected by China as an equal partner, we must organise ourselves... This new Paris-Delhi-Canberra axis is absolutely key for the region and our joint objectives in the Indo-Pacific region." His thinly-veiled reference to China as a hegemon naturally did not go down well with the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs that treated the world to yet another whinge, courtesy spokesperson Hua Chunying's warning to Macron: "Before making such comments or groundless accusations, you should clarify these facts." And when the MoFA's at it, can Chinese State propaganda machinery media be far behind? Dubbing his speech 'baffling', a Global Times op-ed suggested, "The only explanation is that as France is in decline, opportunism is rising within its diplomacy. France can hardly play a big role in the Indo-Pacific region either politically or militarily." Nevertheless, the three countries persisted with the Paris-Delhi-Canberra axis (hereby referred to as the Axis), resulting in the first meeting in this context being held on Wednesday. What about the Quad? The popularisation of the term 'Indo-Pacific' the integrated theatre that combines the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean, and the landmasses that surround them, as per think-tank IDSA can ostensibly be attributed to US president Donald Trump. But it was his predecessor, Barack Obama, whose policy turned the region into a key focus of US foreign policy. His government's 'pivot to Asia' saw the US engage in a deeper capacity with the Asia-Pacific (as it was then called) in terms of trade (mobilising the now-scrapped Trans-Pacific Partnership) and security (joining the East Asia Summit). It could be argued that the Indo-Pacific of today represents more of a geopolitical and geostrategic region than the Asia-Pacific, which is more of a geographical description of the same area. Back in 2011, it was Obama's secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, wrote, "The Asia-Pacific has become a key driver of global politics. Stretching from the Indian subcontinent to the western shores of the Americas, the region spans two oceans the Pacific and the Indian that are increasingly linked by shipping and strategy." Additionally, in a landmark joint statement in January 2015, Obama announced the US' intention to partner with India in the region. This would act as a catalyst for the coming together of the Quad an India, Australia, Japan and US partnership originally pitched by former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe in 2007 as the 'democratic security diamond' as an informal strategic forum. The Quad, it should be noted, is by no means an exclusive grouping (China may disagree) and its members have recently held 'Quad-plus' consultations with representatives from South Korea, Vietnam and New Zealand. The stirring to life of the Axis is not expected to have any bearing on the Quad, which may well in time absorb other countries like France into its fold. However, this will make for a very oddly-shaped quadrilateral and the name will have to change, but that's neither here nor there. The difference between a US-led and a France-led grouping The Quad may have started off as Abe's vision, but in 2020, it is well and truly a US-led initiative. And while the Quad and the Axis have a variety of interests, their widely-stated common priorities are peace, security and adherence to international law in the region. However, if we're looking for where these two groupings differ aside from their membership, a glance at the American and French approaches to the Indo-Pacific is most instructive. An early paragraph in the US document, titled 'A Free and Open Indo-Pacific: Advancing a Shared Vision', published in November last year states, "Today, Indo-Pacific nations face unprecedented challenges to their sovereignty, prosperity, and peace. The US National Security Strategy, released in December 2017, recognises that the most consequential challenge to US and partner interests is the growing competition between free and repressive visions of the future international order. Authoritarian revisionist powers seek to advance their parochial interests at others' expense." Compare that with the French document, where a key paragraph reads, "This strategy aims to strengthen France's presence and activities in the region in the political, strategic, economic and environmental spheres, by consolidating our strategic partnerships non-exclusively but standing by our principles. In an international context marked by uncertainties and rising unilateralism, our priority is to propose an alternative aimed at promoting a stable, law-based and multipolar order in the Indo-Pacific." In addition to the confrontational wording and adjective-laden swipe at "authoritarian revisionist powers" and their "repressive visions", the American document refers to China only when pointing out where it is wrong and in one instance, when noting that US FDI in ASEAN countries is higher than that of China's. Meanwhile, the French document, on the other hand, makes multiple mentions of China two of which refer to its assertive behaviour, while the rest speak of deeper engagement and improving relations with the Middle Kingdom. In short, the US approach to the Indo-Pacific appears to be that of a confrontational world power that seeks to compete with and counter China in the region. In contrast, the French approach feels like that of a middle power that acknowledges China's behaviour but seeks a multipolar and cooperative solution to the issues that affect the region. China and the way forward China is unlikely to be impressed by any efforts to intrude on what it sees as its turf and its right to act as it desires while hiding behind the fig leaf of "But the US did it first". The key for New Delhi is not to spend too long thinking about what Beijing has to say and instead to look at the opportunities the Axis presents. For starters, it provides a chance for India to deepen its own engagement with this very crucial region (the country's 'Look East' and 'Act East' policies are proof enough of its importance). Being part of the East Asia Summit, Indian Ocean Rim Association and BIMSTEC gave India a variety of multilateral mechanisms through which to engage with the countries in the region, but the emergence of bilateral, trilateral and quadrilateral mechanisms offers India a host of new perspectives on the region. And there's no shortage of takers, particularly European ones, for this sort of mechanism. A few months before Macron's call for the Axis, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and then-British counterpart Theresa May signed off on a joint statement that, among other things, spoke of a "secure, free, open, inclusive and prosperous" Indo-Pacific, pledging that "The UK and India will also work together to tackle threats such as piracy, protect freedom of navigation and open access, and improve maritime domain awareness in the region". The following year, the two countries held Foreign Office consultations, resolving to enhance their cooperation in the Indo-Pacific. Earlier this month, Germany that lacks any significant history in the region entered the fray with an Indo-Pacific strategy of its own, titled 'Germany-Europe-Asia: Shaping the 21st century together' (full text in German). Global Times was quick to dismiss Berlin by stating, "Due to the lack of both hard power and a will to intervene forcefully in the Indo-Pacific region, Germany may only offer symbolic support to the US." Participating in these ventures must certainly go hand-in-hand with deepening ties with ASEAN countries, but getting on board with these strategies is a great way for India to add layers to its engagement with the region... and China. The Oswego refugees had promised to return to Europe. Yet a vast majority had nothing to return to. In late 1945, despite most Americans disapproval, President Harry S. Truman issued a directive requiring that existing immigration quotas be designated for war refugees. He specifically directed that Fort Ontarios guests be given visas. So in early 1946, groups of the Oswego refugees climbed onto school buses, drove to Niagara Falls and formally registered at the Canadian border. They then returned as official American immigrants, eventually dispersing to 20 states. After the war, Mr. Alaloufs family found a dingy, mouse-filled apartment in Brooklyn, which he remembers happily as home. His fathers first job outside the shelter was selling Nathans Famous hot dogs in Coney Island, and his mother sold artificial flowers near their home. His brother was drafted to fight in Korea in 1951. In fifth grade, Mr. Alalouf formally changed his name from Benkl to Ben. When he was in junior high school, Ben Alalouf became a shoeshine boy in the subway. I appreciate everything that I have in my life, said Mr. Alalouf, now 79. My parents are the ones who sacrificed. Im living off those sacrifices. Elfis family moved to Manhattan, and at 18, she married her Oswego sweetheart, David Hendell. Ten years later, after having two children, they divorced. Elfi, known as Elfi Hendell, attended graduate school and has been a psychotherapist for most of her adult life. As the world has grappled with the coronavirus, Ms. Hendell spent four months quarantined alone in her Washington Heights apartment, where she has lived for 33 years. This July she finally traveled to Vermont to visit with her daughter, granddaughter and great-grandchildren for a week. Im fairly careful, she said. But I got through World War II, I cant keep worrying about this. She thinks back occasionally on her life during the war, before she arrived in the United States. She remembers her and her sister as little girls in Italy fleeing the Nazis, hiding in a convent in Rome under a fake identity, but it feels like someone elses life, like remembering scenes from a movie. A merchant ship carrying jet fuel to Libya from the United Arab Emirates was stopped and inspected by European Union authorities on Thursday to determine whether the vessel had breached a United Nations arms embargo, EU officials said. Two frigates stopped the Royal Diamond 7 roughly 150 kilometers north of the Libyan city of Derna in the Mediterranean Sea, according to a statement from the EUs naval mission monitoring Libya, Operation Irini. The ship had left from the Emirati port of Sharjah and was en route to the Libyan city of Benghazi carrying a cargo of jet fuel, likely to be used for military purposes in violation of the UN embargo. The UN Panel of Experts on Libya alerted the EU naval authorities of the suspicious nature of this cargo," and after the initial inspection, the Royal Diamond 7 was diverted to an EU port for further investigation. Irini is tasked with enforcing the UN arms embargo thats been in place since Libyas longtime dictator Moammar Gaddafi was toppled in 2011. Since beginning its work in May, the EU operation has monitored suspected vessels at more than 10 ports and landing points and detected 80 flights suspected of carrying military cargo to and from Libya. For the past six years, Libya has been embroiled in a civil war pitting two rival administrations, their foreign backers and proxy fighters against each other. The internationally recognized Government of National Accord (GNA) is supported militarily by Turkey, and Gen. Khalifa Hifters eastern-based Libyan National Army counts the United Arab Emirates, Russia and Egypt among its patrons. Foreign governments have flooded the oil-rich country with illegal arms. Last week, UN acting Libya Envoy Stephanie Williams warned that the build-up of advanced weaponry and influx of mercenaries is further complicating local dynamics and chances of a future settlement. Earlier this year, a UN report said as many as 1,200 military contractors from Russian private security firm Wagner Group were operating in Libya to bolster Hifters forces. A recent US government watchdog report found Turkey had sent at least 5,000 mercenaries from Syria to fight on behalf of the GNA. Amid nationwide protests after the May 25 death of Black Minnesota resident George Floyd at the hands of a white police officer, the marchers were demanding the resignation of St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson for reading aloud via livestream the names of protesters who were urging her to defund the St. Louis Police Department. Krewson later apologized for doing so, though she noted the names and addresses were public information. CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said on Friday that a "U.S. spy" was captured while spying on the largest refining complex in the country, which is going through a severe fuel shortage crisis. In a live broadcast on state television, Maduro said the man was arrested on Thursday in the northwest state of Falcon where he was spying on the Amuay and Cardon oil refineries. They captured "a marine, who was serving as a marine on CIA bases in Iraq," Maduro said. "He was captured with specialized weapons, he was captured with large amounts of cash, large amounts of dollars and other items." Maduro did not give further details, but said the detainee was giving a statement in custody. Neither the U.S. State Department nor the White House immediately responded to requests for comment. Amuay and Cardon make up the Paraguana Refining Center, which has a nominal processing capacity of 971,000 barrels per day. Both have experienced multiple outages in recent years that the opposition blames on mismanagement and lack of maintenance. Word of the alleged U.S. spy came after a Venezuelan court last month sentenced two former U.S. Green Berets to 20 years in prison for their role in a failed incursion in May. Separately during Friday's broadcast, Maduro said that in recent days security forces had also foiled a plot to cause an explosion at another oil refinery, El Palito in Carabobo state. He did not elaborate. Hit by U.S. sanctions that have exacerbated acute fuel shortages, the government on Friday announced a new fuel distribution initiative and said it was planning new refining projects, without providing further details. (Reporting by Sarah Kinosian; Editing by Daniel Wallis) The EU has given Boris Johnson 20 days to back down on his plans to alter the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement or risk collapsing trade talks and face legal action for breaking an international treaty. Government plans to override elements of the divorce deal over Northern Ireland the Prime Minister signed in January constituted an 'extremely serious violation', negotiators from Brussels said today. But despite the threat of tearing up large amounts of progress with less than four months until the end of the transition period, Michael Gove promised that the UK 'will not back down'. Brussels has given the Prime Minister until the end of the month to scrap his controversial proposals to override elements of the Withdrawal Agreement. The bloc said it will 'not be shy' in launching legal proceedings against Britain if the PM fails to change tack as it said negotiations over a trade deal are 'at risk'. But Mr Gove said the UK 'could not and would not' retreat on the issue as the chances of the two sides parting ways at the end of the transition period in December without a trade accord increased dramatically. Asked if he was willing to swear on his job as Minister for the Cabinet Office that the Government will not back down, Mr Gove replied: 'Yes.' The trading of barbs came after Mr Gove met with European Commission vice-president Maros Sefcovic for showdown talks in London at lunchtime. But rather than reduce tensions the meeting appeared to have deepened the divide between the two sides. Post-Brexit trade deal talks are set to continue next week, however, despite the UK rejecting the EU's ultimatum to scrap plans to override the withdrawal agreement. Mr Johnson is said to be facing a revolt by up to 30 Tory MPs, including Brexiteers, over the plans which have caused discomfort in Parliament. The rebels have tabled an amendment that would bar the government from overriding the withdrawal agreement without support from parliament. A government source told The Times that MPs rebelling on the Internal Market Bill would not have the whip removed, unlike those who voted against Mr Johnsons Brexit deal last year. And the government is also facing opposition from peers, with Lord Michael Howard, a prominent Brexiteer, becoming the third former Tory leader after Sir John Major and Theresa May to criticise the move. Former Chancellor Lord Norman Lamont said there was 'no way' that the legislation would pass through the Lords. Michael Gove today guaranteed the UK will not agree to EU demands for Boris Johnson to drop plans to tear up parts of the Brexit divorce deal Brussels has given the Prime Minister until the end of the month to scrap his controversial proposals to override elements of the Withdrawal Agreement. Pictured: EU Chief Negotiator Michel Barnier heads to his hotel after a day of negotiations The trading of barbs came after Mr Gove met with European Commission vice-president Maros Sefcovic for showdown talks in London at lunchtime. Pictured: Mr Sefcovic leaves EU House in central London Why is the EU so angry about Boris Johnson's Brexit plans? What is the row about? Ministers are acting unilaterally to 'clarify' how parts of Boris Johnson's Brexit deal will operate in Northern Ireland. This involves legislating to tie up 'loose ends' on issues like state aid, tariffs and the paperwork faced by businesses trading with the rest of the UK. Is the PM tearing up the deal he negotiated last year? Downing Street yesterday said the PM would implement the Withdrawal Agreement and the so-called Northern Ireland Protocol regardless of whether or not a trade deal is struck. It was designed to prevent the need for a hard border in Ireland. But some details were left unresolved. They have been the subject of negotiations by a joint EU-UK committee. But, with the UK's departure now approaching fast, ministers decided to act unilaterally on 'minor' issues to prevent 'legal confusion'. These include state aid, tariffs and the paperwork businesses should face. What does the EU say? The bloc is furious at the suggestion that the UK should be able to act unilaterally on certain issues. European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said sticking to the letter of the deal was a 'precondition' for any trade agreement. Dutch PM Mark Rutte said it was 'not very reassuring' and warned a deal looked 'very difficult'. But there was no immediate move to halt trade talks. Why is this happening now? Downing Street says it is the last chance to clarify the situation in law before the end of the year when the Brexit transition period will expire. Some Tories believe the timing of the move is part of a broader tactic designed to put pressure on the EU to cut a deal now or risk the UK acting independently in even more areas. What is the UK proposing on state aid? Under the terms of the Withdrawal Agreement, Northern Ireland will effectively remain in the EU customs union and single market when the rest of the UK leaves. This means that EU state aid rules will continue to apply in Northern Ireland. Ministers feared that the Commission could try to extend its jurisdiction to British firms with links to Northern Ireland. Under the new provisions, Business Secretary Alok Sharma will decide whether or not a subsidy has to be reported to the EU. Will firms in N. Ireland face extra paperwork? They had been braced to have to make export declarations on goods shipped to the rest of the UK. Boris Johnson last year told firms there they should put any forms 'in the bin'. Ministers have now ruled unilaterally that export declarations will not have to be made. Will goods shipped there face EU tariffs? One of the EU's biggest concerns is that Northern Ireland could become a 'back door' for British goods entering the single market. The Withdrawal Agreement sets out plans to create a list of goods travelling from Britain to Northern Ireland which are 'at risk' of entering the single market via Ireland. These would then face EU tariffs. Under the changes, UK ministers will now decide which exports should be placed on the 'at risk' list. Advertisement The EU said in a statement that if the Government goes ahead with its plans to row back on commitments made in the Withdrawal Agreement it would 'constitute an extremely serious violation' of the treaty and of international law. It demanded Number 10 scrap its proposals 'in the shortest time possible and in any case by the end of the month' as it said the UK had 'seriously damaged trust' between Britain and Brussels. The bloc said 'it is now up to the UK government to re-establish that trust' as it warned there will be consequences if Mr Johnson does not perform a U-turn. The statement said Mr Sefcovic told Mr Gove 'the Withdrawal Agreement contains a number of mechanisms and legal remedies to address violations of the legal obligations contained in the text which the European Union will not be shy in using'. The EU said it 'does not accept' the UK's argument that the PM's proposals are necessary in order to protect the Good Friday Agreement and actually believes Mr Johnson's approach 'does the opposite'. Michel Barnier and his British counterpart Lord Frost wrapped up the latest round of Brexit trade talks this afternoon, with gloom growing about the prospects of a breakthrough. Mr Barnier said while the EU had 'shown flexibility' on the UK's red lines, the UK had 'not engaged in a reciprocal way'. He said the two negotiating teams will 'remain in contact' but insisted the EU is 'intensifying its preparedness work to be ready for all scenarios on 1 January 2021'. Officials from the bloc have been briefing that they believe the UK is deliberately trying to blow up the process, and has already decided there will not be a deal. The Government yesterday published its UK Internal Market Bill which ministers have admitted will break international law but insist is necessary to protect the Northern Ireland peace process. The Bill would see the UK unilaterally decide key details relating to the Brexit divorce deal. Brussels is adamant the details, which include customs arrangements between mainland Britain and Northern Ireland, must be settled by a joint committee comprised of people from both sides. Mr Gove said the UK Government will not be agreeing to the EU's demand to withdraw the legislation. 'The UK Government is committed to the implementation of the Withdrawal Agreement and the protocol,' he said. Vice-president Sefcovic also requested that the UK withdraw its Internal Market legislation. I explained to vice-president Sefcovic that we could not and would not do that and instead I stressed the vital importance of reaching agreement through the joint committee on these important questions. Asked if he was willing to swear on his Cabinet role that the Government will not back down, Mr Gove said: 'Yes. I made it perfectly clear to vice president Sefcovic that we would not be withdrawing this legislation and he understood that, of course he regretted it. But we also stressed the vital importance of making progress. Ministers today signalled their intention to crash the legislation through the House of Commons over the next two weeks. Downing Street did not reject the claim that it was seeking to fast track the laws through Parliament. The Prime Minister's Official Spokesman suggested the swift timetable was necessary to 'ensure it is on the statute book by the beginning of 2021'. The Government published its legal argument for breaking international law shortly before Brussels issued its demands. The Government argued that while countries are obliged to discharge treaty obligations 'in good faith' the UK is facing 'difficult and highly exceptional circumstances' and 'it is important to remember the fundamental principle of Parliamentary sovereignty'. 'Parliament is sovereign as a matter of domestic law and can pass legislation which is in breach of the UKs Treaty obligations,' the Government said. 'Parliament would not be acting unconstitutionally in enacting such legislation.' No chlorine chicken in any US deal, junior minister says The Government would not allow chlorinated chicken or hormone-injected beef to be sold in the UK as part of any future trade deal with the US, a junior minister has said. David TC Davies said it was against the current law for either of these products to be sold in Britain and food hygiene standards would not be watered down post-Brexit in pursuit of any international trade deals. There are fears the Internal Market Bill would prevent devolved administrations from legislating on food safety and could see them having to accept lower standards set by the UK. The junior Wales minister told the Welsh Affairs Committee the Government had no intention of changing the law to allow US-produced chlorinated chicken and hormone-injected beef to be sold in the UK. 'This cannot happen under existing legislation,' he said. 'If we wanted to do that, we don't, but if we did we would have to come forward with legislation and there would be a big debate about it. 'I can guarantee there would be a lot of noise but we don't intend to do that and therefore we could not sign a trade deal with anyone, even if we wanted to, that would allow hormone-injected beef or chlorinated chicken without changing the law. 'We're not going to change the law and I found that privately there seems to be an acceptance of this.' The minister said Environment Secretary George Eustice had made the same points when he addressed the 1922 Committee of backbench Conservative MPs on Wednesday. Advertisement But Labour's shadow attorney general Lord Falconer said the Government had offered 'no justification whatsoever for the UK acting in breach of the Northern Ireland protocol and there is no justification for breaking the terms of that agreement'. The Liberal Democrats urged ministers to listen to the EU's ultimatum and accused the PM of 'playing fast and loose with the rule of law'. 'No one can really be surprised that the measures the UK Government have brought forward have put the likelihood of a trade deal in jeopardy,' the party's Brexit spokesman Christine Jardine said. 'This proposal undermines trust and the UKs standing on the world stage. 'The Government must now act swiftly to erase anything that violates international law or that could undermine the Good Friday Agreement. 'For the sake of the future of our country the Government must stop playing fast and loose with the rule of law.' Remain campaigners accused Mr Johnson of 'painting the entire country into a very small corner'. Best for Britain CEO Naomi Smith said: 'The international reputation of brand Britain is being shredded, our chances of desperately-needed trade deals with the EU and US which he promised us are shrinking by the hour, and the country is still trying to fathom how to cope with Covid-19, never mind recover from its impact.' Mr Johnson is also facing a growing Tory rebellion on the issue amid considerable backbench disquiet over the decision to pursue a strategy which will leave the UK in breach of international law. Lord Howard today became the third former leader of the Conservative Party to criticise Mr Johnson as the PM was accused of putting the UK's global reputation as a trustworthy nation at risk. The peer, who served as Tory leader from 2003 to 2005, told a Government minister in the House of Lords: 'Does my noble and learned friend simply not understand the damage done to our reputation for probity and respect for the rule of law by those five words uttered by his ministerial colleague in another place on Tuesday? Words which I never thought I would hear uttered by a British minister, far less a Conservative minister. How can we reproach Russia or China or Iran when their conduct falls below internationally accepted standards when we are showing such scant regard for treaty obligations.' Sir John Major and Theresa May had both already criticised Mr Johnson. Michel Barnier, pictured in London this morning, today concluded the latest round of Brexit trade talks with British counterpart Lord Frost without a breakthrough European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said she was 'very concerned' following the tabling in Parliament of the UK Internal Market Bill Lord Howard joins Theresa May and Sir John Major in criticising Boris Johnson's plans Lord Howard today became the third former leader of the Conservative Party to criticise Boris Johnson over his plans to tear up parts of the Brexit divorce deal. The peer said the UK will no longer be able to criticise Russia, China or Iran for flouting international rules if the Government shows such 'scant regard' for the treaties it signs up to. Theresa May and Sir John Major have already savaged Mr Johnson over his decision to override the accord struck between Britain and Brussels at the end of last year. A furious Lord Howard, who served as Tory leader from 2003 to 2005, told a Government minister in the upper chamber: 'Does my noble and learned friend simply not understand the damage done to our reputation for probity and respect for the rule of law by those five words uttered by his ministerial colleague in another place on Tuesday? Words which I never thought I would hear uttered by a British minister, far less a Conservative minister. How can we reproach Russia or China or Iran when their conduct falls below internationally accepted standards when we are showing such scant regard for treaty obligations.' Advertisement Sir John yesterday warned: 'For generations, Britain's word solemnly given has been accepted by friend and foe. Our signature on any treaty or agreement has been sacrosanct. 'Over the last century, as our military strength has dwindled, our word has retained its power. If we lose our reputation for honouring the promises we make, we will have lost something beyond price that may never be regained.' Mrs May said on Tuesday: 'The United Kingdom Government signed the Withdrawal Agreement with the Northern Ireland protocol. This Parliament voted that Withdrawal Agreement into UK legislation. The Government is now changing the operation of that agreement. 'Given that, how can the Government reassure future international partners that the UK can be trusted to abide by the legal obligations of the agreements it signs?' Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis sparked outrage earlier this week by bluntly admitting that the measures proposed by Mr Johnson will breach international law. And Downing Street claimed yesterday that the Withdrawal Agreement was 'not like any other treaty' because it was sealed 'at pace in the most challenging possible political circumstances'. Mr Johnson said at PMQs that his first responsibility was to protect the Peace Process. 'My job is to uphold the integrity of the UK but also to protect the Northern Irish peace process and the Good Friday Agreement,' the PM said. 'To do that we need a legal safety net to protect our country against extreme or irrational interpretations of the protocol, which could lead to a border down the Irish Sea in a way that I believe and I think members around the House believe would be prejudicial to the interests of the Good Friday Agreement and prejudicial to the interests of peace in our country. That has to be our priority.' The Internal Market Bill, published yesterday, would unilaterally decide details that Brussels insists must be settled by the joint committee, including customs arrangements between mainland Britain and Northern Ireland However, the PM's approach has spooked some US politicians who have warned there will be no chance of a trans-Atlantic trade deal if the UK does anything to undermine the Northern Ireland peace process. Nancy Pelosi, the US Speaker of the House, underlined the high stakes as she delivered a stark warning. She said last night that there was 'absolutely no chance' of Congress passing an American trade deal with the UK if the Good Friday Agreement was 'imperilled'. In a statement Ms Pelosi said: 'The Good Friday Agreement is the bedrock of peace in Northern Ireland and an inspiration for the whole world. 'Whatever form it takes, Brexit cannot be allowed to imperil the Good Friday Agreement, including the stability brought by the invisible and frictionless border between the Irish Republic and Northern Ireland. 'The UK must respect the Northern Ireland Protocol as signed with the EU to ensure the free flow of goods across the border. 'If the UK violates that international treaty and Brexit undermines the Good Friday accord, there will be absolutely no chance of a US-UK trade agreement passing the Congress. 'The Good Friday Agreement is treasured by the American people and will be proudly defended in the United States Congress.' A statement issued by the Chinese Foreign Ministry said that the two sides, India and China have reached a five-point consensus regarding the current situation after a full in-depth discussion. After a two-hour-long meeting between Indian and Chinese foreign Ministers in Moscow, the two sides have reached a five-point consensus regarding the current situation after a full in-depth discussion, says a statement issued by Chinese Foreign Ministry. The Chinese Foreign Ministry said that Wang outlined Chinas stern position on the situation in border areas, emphasising that the imperative was to immediately stop provocation such as firing and other dangerous situation that violate the commitments made by the two sides. The statement further said that it was also important to move back all personal and equipment that have trespassed, the frontier troops must quickly disengage so that situation may de-escalate. China further emphasised that it is willing to support enhanced dialogue between the frontier troops on both sides to resolve specific issues. The statement read that the Chinese side would stay in touch with the Indian side through diplomatic and military channels and be committed to restoring peace and tranquillity in the border areas. The statement issued by China after talks also highlighted points made by the Indian side. Also read: AstraZeneca CEO promises Covid-19 vaccine by year-end despite pause in trials Also read: Foreign Ministers of India, Russia discuss cooperation in nuclear, space sectors, agree to work closely in UNSC The Foreign Ministry said that the Indian side does not consider the development of India-China relations to be dependent on the settlement of the boundary question and India does not want to go backwards. It said that the Indian side was prepared to work with China to ease tension on the border through dialogue and negotiation and to restore and maintain peace and tranquillity in the border areas. Also read: Rajnaths stern warning to China: Rafale induction a big message to those eyeing our territory BOISE - Students at 118 schools across Idaho will receive free, fresh fruit and vegetables during this school year thanks to a state-administrated grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Idaho Superintendent of Public Instruction Sherri Ybarra recently announced. Among the local school districts receiving grants are Culdesac, Kamiah, Lapwai, Lewiston, and Orofino. The Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP) provides children in participating elementary schools with a variety of fruits and vegetables during the school day. Under the National School Lunch Act, schools with the highest enrollment of students identified for free and reduced-cost meals are given priority for participation. This selection criterion ensures that the program benefits children who generally have fewer opportunities to eat fresh fruit and vegetables on a regular basis. We love administering this program, and children love the wide variety of fruits and veggies, Superintendent Ybarra said. This is an effective, creative way of introducing healthy snack options for schoolchildren throughout our state. A list of local school districts and schools that will receive grants can be found below: Culdesac Joint School District Culdesac School - $4,125 awarded Kamiah Joint School District Kamiah Schools - $12,525 awarded Lapwai School District Lapwai Elementary School - $15,225 Lapwai Jr/Sr High School - $3,075 Lewiston School District McGhee Elementary School - $20,775 Orofino Joint School District Orofino Elementary School - $25,650 Peck Elementary School - $900 Salmon River Joint School District Nobody wants a dead phone in the middle of the day, but todays time-limited deal packs everything you need to keep your mobile devices juiced up. Anker via Amazon is throwing a 24-hour sale on chargers and cablesRemove non-product link. The deals end just before midnight on Friday Pacific time. We sifted through all the deals to identify our top picks from the sale. First up, we have Ankers 43.5 watt 4-port Quick Charge 3.0 for $17.49. This charger is usually $28 and todays price is the all-time low. It has one Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0 port for compatible devices. The other three use Ankers PowerIQ technology to charge up all devices as quickly as possible. Next is the 15W Anker Wireless Charger for $26, down from the usual $40. This square puck-shaped device is Qi certified, and it uses a USB A to C cable to connect between the device and the wall. This charger can support up to 10 watts for Samsung devices, and up to 7.5 watts for compatible iPhones. It doesnt come with a wall adapter. Finally, weve got a three pack of AnkerPowerline Plus USB-C to standard USB cables in red for $14. Thats $5 off the usual price, and a good price for a bunch of handy cords. The pack has cords with three sizes including 3, 6, and 10 feet. There are several other chargers and cables on sale today, so be sure to check out the full sale before midnight. [Todays deal: One-day Anker chargers and cables sale at Amazon.Remove non-product link] On Tuesday, despite the schools efforts, only 66% of Ellington students attended classes. The list of absent students surpassed 150, and each day a student is absent, they get a phone call. By Friday, Scott said the running list was down to 72, and she was optimistic about the next week, given families were still picking up Chromebooks. The school, which had 440 students last year, has given out nearly 400 devices and many hotspots so far. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-11 20:38:31|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese Ministry of Culture and Tourism on Friday issued a notice advising Chinese citizens to avoid tours to the Czech Republic due to the impact of COVID-19. The ministry said that recently the epidemic signals a rapid rebound in the country. Enditem A new generation of activists has led a charge against Christophe Girard, the former deputy mayor of Paris accused of sexual abuse and criticized for his support of the pedophile writer Gabriel Matzneff. In a country where the #MeToo movement was slow to take off, the case has become emblematic of a divide between older, establishment feminists and their younger, more radical peers. Above, a protest at Paris City Hall. One critic said younger feminists were too quick to confront powerful men. Younger feminists say focusing on violence against women is central. Were always asked to reaffirm that were not angry, said Alice Coffin, a city councilor and activist in the newest wave of feminism. But, me, Im very angry. Heres what else is happening Beirut port fire: A large fire erupted in the port on Thursday, terrifying residents still recovering from a horrific explosion that devastated entire neighborhoods last month. The fire appeared to have started in a warehouse owned by a company that imported cooking oil. Charlie Hebdo trial: Witnesses and survivors of the January 2015 massacre at the newspapers office took center stage at a courthouse in Paris this week, days into the trial that is expected to last until November. A maintenance worker recalled how his hands were covered with so much blood that he couldnt unlock his phone to call for help. Kathmandu, September 10 Owing to concerns expressed by stakeholders, the government on Thursday has removed a ceiling it had set on the number of flight passengers coming to Nepal. Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Minister Yogesh Bhattarai says the limit that only up to 800 passengers come to Nepal a day has been removed. With the decision, around 2,000 to 3,000 Nepalis can come back home on a daily basis, expects Bhattarai. As per the decision, airline companies can take as many passengers as they wish where Nepal has already resumed regular flights from and to. Bhattarai says the ministry will issue permits in such cases. Earlier, Deputy Prime Minister Ishwar Pokharel, Foreign Affairs Minister Pradeep Gyawali, Labour and Employment Minister Rameshwar Raya Yadav, and Minister Bhattarai had held a meeting in this regard today, Bhattarai informs, adding Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has also been consulted. Rules regarding the requirement of PCR tests and quarantine, however, are intact. When there are information asymmetries, market participants need some minimum level of assurances provided and enforced by a credibly independent arbiter, such as the government for markets to function. If you dont trust the party on the other side of a transaction not to cheat or otherwise harm you, youll be less likely to engage in the transaction. (This observation is not original to me; an economics Nobel was awarded for it two decades ago.) - Tilly Lockey lost her hands at the age of 15 months after suffering Meningococcal Septicaemia - The 14-year-old is the first British child to have 3D-printed bionic arms - At her tender age, the gorgeous girl will be hosting the For Your Information (FYI), a childrens current affairs show on Sky News PAY ATTENTION: Click 'See First' under 'Follow' Tab to see Tuko.co.ke news on your FB Feed Whoever said that disability is not inability must have been very right and all that one needs to do is embrace and love themselves. Tilly Lockey who uses bionic arms after she lost her hands to meningitis as a baby recently landed a TV presented job. READ ALSO: Vera Sidika poses for photo with rarely seen handsome brothers READ ALSO: Nairobi engineer lands multi million project after getting referral from guard he gave a lift The 14-year-old is the first British child to have 3D-printed bionic arms. She will be hosting the For Your Information (FYI), a childrens current affairs show on Sky News. According to The Sun UK, the teenager will be interviewing celebrities and politicians and report on issues affecting youngsters. READ ALSO: Little girl sells mum out in hilarious video, melts hearts online Tilly Lockey lost her hands to Meningitis while she was a baby. Photo: Tilly Lockey. Source: Instagram The media house announced that Lockey will be joining the team through Twitter on Sunday, September 6. "Meet our new recruit to the FYI gang - Tilly! @GiveTillyaHand we met her when we reported on her amazing bionic arms and love her so much she is now joining the gang to help us investigate the big issues on the news for and by kids on Sky Kids & http://first.news/FYI," tweeted @FYI_SkyTV. READ ALSO: Benjamin Chepkwony: Uasin Gishu county ready to airlift Kenyan athlete stranded in Laos Republic The 14-year-old suffered Meningococcal Septicaemia when she was one year and three months old something that saw her hands and tips of her toes amputated. Despite her condition, the brilliant girl plays the piano and has won awards for the inspirational way she has dealt with her disability. READ ALSO: Pasta ampiga risasi na kumuua mke wake kazini Earlier on, TUKO.co.ke reported the story of 20-year-old Paloma Lopez who lost both her arms and legs as a child to a merciless illness. Paloma was determined to still do the thing that she loved doing - make-up. Not only did she teach herself very complex skill, but she also mastered it. She applies flaw-less makeup on herself using only her stumps and she also creates make-up tutorials for her 7,000 followers who are undoubtedly inspired by her deep-rooted passion. "Growing up, not having limbs affected me, but now I am lucky. I study, I exercise, I swim, I surf, I put on my make-up and I am making my tutorials, which generate a big network," said Paloma. 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. Tanasha Donna: I would have been famous with or without Diamond | Tuko TV Source: TUKO.co.ke Members of the royal family have a large number of people who work for them from chefs to chauffeurs to maids and butlers. Of course they give members of their staff rules to follow, but its been reported that Prince Charles demands are so over the top that his staffers have dubbed him the pampered prince. Here are some of his specific daily demands and the outrageous thing he has his staffers do with everything he wears. Prince Charles | Paul Grover WPA Pool/Getty Images Prince Charles has to have his toothpaste put on his toothbrush for him The Express noted that royal reporter Clive Goodman claimed that Prince Charles does nothing for himself. The Prince of Wales, he doesnt lift a thing, Goodman said. He gets up in the morning, his bathrobe is there waiting for him; he walks into the bathroom, the bath is drawn for him already. Even when he gets out of the bath, the towel is folded in a special way so he just has to sit in it and wrap it around himself. Princess Dianas friend and former butler Paul Burrell backed up those claims as well explaining that the prince has grown up in such a privileged lifestyle that he doesnt have the mechanics to choose for himself anymore. Absolutely everything is done for him. Burrell added that the future king actually has his attendants squeeze just the right amount of toothpaste out of the tube for him saying, [Charles] has his valets squeeze one inch of toothpaste onto his toothbrush every morning. Prince Charles | Ben Birchall -WPA Pool/Getty Images RELATED: Prince Charles Refusal to Eat 3 Meals a Day Creates Problems for His Staff The prince makes his staff do this with every single thing he wears The prince has outlandish demands when it comes to his wardrobe as well. He reportedly has to have his pajamas pressed every morning and his shoelaces ironed. Yes, you read that correctly. But thats not all, the heir apparent also makes his aides hand wash every article of clothing he and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall wear. The Daily Mail noted that in his book Not in Front of the Corgis: Secrets of Life Behind the Royal Curtains, royal biographer Brian Hoey wrote that their clothes can never touch a washer machine. So every single thing Charles and his wife wear must be washed by hand. Camilla had her own outrageous demand when she traveled abroad Over the years, Camilla picked up some rules and guidelines from her husband that she has her hosts abide by when she travels overseas. This includes giving them a list of what she prefers to eat and what she doesnt. But her most over-the-top demand came when she was on a royal tour in the Middle East in 2007. The duchess was missing a pair of high heels she thought were packed and wanted to wear to dinner. When she discovered that they were back at her Highgrove residence in Scotland, she ordered the shoes be flown over 3,600 miles to Kuwait. They were, but Camilla decided not to wear them at the last minute. The palace later tried to explain the situation saying that The duchess did not ask for the shoes to be sent, but a member of her staff did arrange for them to be flown over to her after they realized that they had forgotten to pack them. They were not specially couriered, but were sent along with a number of items and paperwork as is often the case on royal tours. Three people have died from COVID-19 in Jersey County, raising total deaths in the county to nine, according to Jersey County Health Department. The county also has received confirmation of nine new positive tests, bringing its total case count to 333, with 172 recoveries. Jersey and Greene counties will find out today whether they will remain on the states list of counties at increased risk of coronavirus transmission. The Illinois Department of Public Health updates the list every Friday. There were 19 new diagnoses and one death reported Thursday in Greene County, which has seen 181 cases total. The Greene County Health Department and the Illinois Department of Public Health will open a free COVID-19 testing site today at the Illinois Department of Corrections Greene County Work Camp in Roodhouse. Face masks will be required, but no appointment is needed for the testing. Those with or without symptoms who are at least 6 months old will be tested between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. today through Sunday. Tests will be done with a nasal swab and results can take up to seven days to be returned, according to the health department. Those being tested must have a valid phone number to be contacted with the results. Two additional cases were reported Thursday in Morgan County, involving a man in his 40s and a man in his 60s, according to a daily briefing by the Morgan County Department of Public Health, Jacksonville/Morgan County Emergency Management, Memorial Health System, county commissioners and the city of Jacksonville. The countys total case count is 601, with 541 people released from restrictions. There have been 21 coronavirus deaths in the county. Five tests were positive in Cass County, involving a man in his 50s, three women in their 50s and a woman in her 60s, according to Cass County Health Department. Cass Countys overall case count is 344, with 305 recoveries and 11 deaths. Total cases in other west-central Illinois counties as of Thursday were: 26 in Brown County (unchanged); 450 in Macoupin County (up 15); 2,088 in Sangamon County (up 28); 53 in Scott County (unchanged); and 32 in Schuyler County (unchanged), according to individual county health departments. Statewide, 1,953 new cases of coronavirus disease and 28 deaths were reported Thursday, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health. There have been 255,643 cases in Illinois and 8,242 deaths. London, UK and Paris, France, 11 September 2020- The Student Loans Company (SLC) has appointed Atos, a global leader in digital transformation, to support the delivery of improvements to SLC's customer interface and the associated technology infrastructure. Atos will support the development of its Customer Enablement Services, with focus on application development. This is the first stage of a multi-part procurement process to engage strategic partners across SLC's technology group. In February, as part of its on-going commitment to improving its service to customers, SLC launched a competitive procurement process to deliver a new strategic partner model. The new approach will see the organisation working with a small number of partners to develop, deliver and support its technology estate and digital services to customers. The ambitious programme will transform the commercial framework and delivery models leveraged across SLC's technology estate when working with strategic partners, developing enhanced capabilities while delivering better value for public money. Stephen Campbell, Chief Information Officer at SLC said: "We were greatly encouraged by the range and strength of responses from bidders in the first round of this procurement process. The appointment of Atos is the first stage in this process as we undertake an ambitious approach to work with a small number of strategic partners to develop, deliver and support our technology estate and digital services. "This process reflects our commitment to improving the experience for our customers and we look forward to progressing with further procurements in the months ahead." Clay Van Doren, CEO, Atos UK and Ireland said: "We are excited by the prospect of our new strategic partnership approach with Student Loans Company to deliver the customer interface systems transformation it is seeking. This will elevate its service and overall offering while also ensuring that value is consistently delivered." Working in conjunction with its partners in the Department for Education, Devolved Administrations and the Cabinet Office, SLC has developed a procurement strategy that provides the most appropriate, compliant, public sector route to market for each lot within the programme, based on the complexity and stability of the in-scope services. The second procurement is expected to be released to the market later in September 2020. ### For further information contact the Student Loans Company press office on 0141 306 2120 / press_office@slc.co.uk Notes to editors The procurement exercise to appoint the first partner was conducted via the Crown Commercial Services' (CCS) ePortal on Lot 4a of the CCS's Technology Services 2 (TS2) framework agreement. The Student Loans Company: - administers student finance on behalf of the UK Government and the Devolved Administrations of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland - has 9.4 million customers and manages a loan book in excess of 156.5 billion - processes almost 2 million applications for student finance every year - paid out 9.4 billion in loans and grants to new and existing students, as well as 10.5 billion in tuition fees to higher and further education providers in the last year - employs over 3,400 staff across sites in Glasgow, Darlington and Llandudno Junction About Atos Atos is a global leader in digital transformation with 110,000 employees in 73 countries and annual revenue of 12 billion. European number one in Cloud, Cybersecurity and High-Performance Computing, the Group provides end-to-end Orchestrated Hybrid Cloud, Big Data, Business Applications and Digital Workplace solutions. In the UK & Ireland Atos delivers business technology solutions for some of the country's largest public and private sector organisations The Group is the Worldwide Information Technology Partner for the Olympic & Paralympic Games and operates under the brands Atos, Atos|Syntel, and Unify. Atos is a SE (Societas Europaea), listed on the CAC40 Paris stock index. The purpose of Atos is to help design the future of the information space. Its expertise and services support the development of knowledge, education and research in a multicultural approach and contribute to the development of scientific and technological excellence. Across the world, the Group enables its customers and employees, and members of societies at large to live, work and develop sustainably, in a safe and secure information space. Press contact For more information, please contact Helena Shadbolt at helena.shadbolt@mhpc.comor on +44or on +44 (0)20 3128 8897 Attachment M Sabari By Express News Service SALEM: With Coronavirus spreading its tentacles far and wide, a few private hospitals and laboratories in Salem district are allegedly cashing in on the scare of the people. State President of Tamil Nadu Makkal Urimai Katchi, Poomozhi, claimed that private laboratories are hand in glove with private hospitals in the district and are issuing fake Corona positive results to those who are suffering from fever, cough and cold. They are preying mostly on people belonging to upper middle class. The private hospitals are sending the swab samples of these people to private laboratories so that they could get a fake positive result. Based on these results, the private hospitals admit the patients and are collecting lakhs of rupees as treatment charges , she said. Sources said that the number of Covid-19 positive cases in the district has crossed 13,000. Salem has four private laboratories and one government lab at Salem Government Mohan Kumaramangalam Medical College Hospital. Speaking to Express, State General Secretary of Federation of Consumer Organizations of Tamil Nadu, A Ashokan said that of late complaints started pouring in against many private labs in the State. Recently a lab in Tiruchy district was sealed for issuing wrong results." A health official, on condition of anonymity, said that they are taking around 4,000 swab samples a day from those who have symptoms. Around 20 per cent among them test positive. But private labs are taking only a few hundreds swabs and the positivity rate is 33 per cent. Its due to this that the number of postive cases is on the rise in the district. Collector S A Raman said he had already given instructions to private labs. Stern action will be taken if any of the private laboratories is found guilty, he warned. A murder investigation has begun after a man stabbed in Pinner died of his injuries. Daniel Bytyci, 18, man was found stabbed at Montesole Playing Fields, in Harrow, just after 6pm on August 26. Members of the London Ambulance Service attended and he was taken t hospital. However, Mr Bytici died on Thurdsay September 10. His family have been informed. A post-mortem is due to take place. Two 15-year-old boys were charged with attempted murder at Willesden Youth Court on August 31 in connection with the incident. They will appear at the Old Bailey on Monday, 14 September. Another two men aged 22 and 24, who were also arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, have been bailed until a date later in September. Detectives from the Specialist Crime Command are investigating led by Detective Inspector Claire Hine. DI Hine said: I would appeal to anyone who was in Montesole Playing Fields that evening and saw this incident, or the events leading up to this incident, to contact police. While enquiries remain ongoing to establish the motive to Daniels murder, there is nothing at this time to suggest it is gang related. Anyone with information that could assist police is asked to call 101 or tweet @MetCC and quote CAD5906/26Aug. Alternatively, contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. Will Smith posed with the cast of the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air in a group shot from the show's reunion to coincide with the 30th anniversary of the show originally airing. Smith, 51, took to Instagram writing, 'Today is exactly 30 YEARS since The @FreshPrince of Bel-Air debuted! So were doin something for yall a for real Banks Family Reunion is comin soon to @HBOmax!' In a group shot, Smith posed with co-stars Alfonso Ribeiro, Tatyana Ali, Karyn Parsons, Joseph Marcell, Daphne Maxwell Reid and DJ Jazzy Jeff. Time flies: Will Smith, 52, posed with the cast of the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air in a group shot from the show's reunion to coincide with the 30th anniversary of the show originally airing Smith, who starred on the show amid its six-year run, also remembered late actor James Avery, who died in 2013 at the age of 68. He wrote, 'RIP James' in memory of the actor, who played the role of Uncle Phil. Smith also shared a shot of himself and Janet Hubert, who played Aunt Viv until she was replaced by Reed amid bad blood with Smith and producers. The two chat about their past problems in the special, HBO Max said, as they spoke for the first time in more than 25 years. Reunited: Smith also shared a shot of himself and Janet Hubert, who played Aunt Viv until she was replaced by Reed amid bad blood with Smith Hubert last month took to Instagram to deliver a challenge to the show in its reunion Hubert last month took to Instagram to deliver a challenge to the show in its reunion. She wrote, 'It's the 30th anniversary a Fresh Prince. And they want to start a war. Well here is my challenge - we can either keep this war going for another 30 years but I'm not going to, or you can sit down with me and talk to me and not about me Mr. Smith then let's do it. 'Can you only sit and talk about your strange unsavory problems in front of the world?' She added, 'Accept my challenge or shut up! Either you're telling the truth and the BLACK MEN of the cast are telling the truth or I'm telling the truth. And only YOU and I... and quite a few others, know the truth let's do this do YOU have the courage? #seeyouinseptember.' HBO Max said the show will be a 'funny and heartfelt night full of music, dancing, and more special surprise guests.' The special is slated to be directed by Marcus Raboy and air later this autumn. NEW YORK - The Latest on the 19th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks (all times local): 7:30 p.m. NEW YORK The skies where the twin towers of the World Trade Center formerly stood are once again being lit up with the Tribute in Light. The annual display sends up two powerful beams that can be seen from miles around from dusk to dawn, in memory of those lost in the Sept. 11 attacks 19 years ago. The tribute had almost been put aside this year, as its display was initially cancelled by the National September 11 Memorial & Museum over concerns for the safety of the installation crew from the coronavirus. That caused an outcry, and the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation pledged to put the lights up nearby, until the memorial got support from its chair, former Mayor Mike Bloomberg and Gov. Andrew Cuomo to have the lights shine. Tunnel to Towers also arranged to display single beams for the first time at the Flight 93 memorial in Pennsylvania and the Pentagon. ___ 2:05 p.m. SHANKSVILLE, Pa. Former Vice-President Joe Biden laid a wreath under First Officer LeRoy Homers name at the Flight 93 memorial, before going to greet some of Homers family members with elbow bumps. Biden went on to greet another family of a Flight 93 victim, as well as a young bagpipe player, whom he asked about her college plans. He spoke to a few people gathered about his respect for the passengers on the flight that sacrificed themselves to help bring it down, and said sacrifices like theirs mark the character of a country. This is a country that never, never, never, never, never, never gives up, he said. Biden then visited the Shanksville Volunteer Fire Department, where he delivered a Bundt cake and pastries to a couple of firefighters. About two dozen community members were gathered to see the former Vice-President and his wife. Biden said that the last time he was there, he said hed bring beer - and he came through, presenting two six packs to a group of firefighters there. President Donald Trump delivered a speech at a commemoration event in Shanksville earlier Friday. ___ 2:05 p.m. FREEPORT, Maine The three women dubbed the Freeport flag ladies came out of retirement on the 19th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Decked out in red, white and blue, Elaine Greene, Carmen Footer, and JoAnn Miller joined Friday in a commemoration in their hometown. Our country is going through so much right now. If we can just bring them back to the day after 9-11, when everyone came together, Greene said. No one was red and blue. We were red, white and blue. There was not any political ideologies. We were all Americans. The women waved their flags on Main Street after the 9-11 attacks, and it became a weekly ritual over the next 18 years. They officially ended the weekly tradition last year, citing health concerns. They range from 75 to 84 in age. Several dignitaries, including Republican Sen. Susan Collins, joined them for the event on Friday. Flags were at half-staff across the state. Maine Gov. Janet Mills said the terrorist attacks united the nation. While terrorists that day took from us our loved ones, including cherished members of our Maine community, they also revealed the unshakable character and strength of the American spirit, she said. ___ 11:30 a.m. NEW YORK Former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani said its disgraceful that the official 9-11 commemoration event features only prerecorded name readings. If I were the mayor of this city you wouldnt be allowed to hold a ceremony with prerecorded names, Giuliani told reporters before a separate ceremony nearby ground zero. Id take the recording and burn it. Sept. 11 memorial plaza officials said they made the change as a coronavirus-safety precaution. The separate ceremony held near the memorial included people reading victims names aloud. I find it disgraceful that their names are being recited, prerecorded. I see that, whether its witting or unwitting, as part of the movement of denial, Giuliani said. Giuliani, who was widely lauded for his empathetic response to the attacks, said he promised that day never to forget. I dont mean to be divisive or anything else, but I remember who killed them. I remember who did it. I remember the movement that did it, he said. And unlike some people who practice denial, I know they want to come here and kill us again. ___ 11:30 a.m. NEW YORK Jin Hee Chos younger sister, Kyung, died in the Sept. 11 attacks. She worked on the 99th floor of the north tower of the World Trade Center complex and had just turned 30. Cho, 55, said she feels immense loss at the annual event at the memorial plaza. She said she cant shake the thought of her sister dying, taken back to that day as she stands amid a rebuilt tower, memorial pool, a museum and extravagant transit hub. When the tower went down, its just hard to delete that in my mind. I understand theres all this, and I understand now that we have even COVID, she said. Its weird but I only feel the loss, the devastating loss of my flesh and blood sister. I just cant delete that and in my mind. I understand its been 19 years and all the changes, but that devastation of the loss, its still there. I cant delete it. I tried. I just cant. Cho attended the annual ceremony on the memorial plaza and said she wasnt aware of the simultaneous event run by the Tunnel to Towers Foundation. She said the day remains profound to families of people who died that day, even if is fading from prominence among the greater populace. You really have to know the true feeling of the loss, Cho said. If youre not family, I understand they try to support you as best as they can, but if youre not a family member, its hard to understand that the true depth of the feeling. ___ 10:55 a.m. SHANKSVILLE, Pa. President Donald Trump marked the 19th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terror attacks on Friday with a patriotic message for the world: No matter the threat. No matter the odds. America will always rise up, stand tall and fight back. Trump delivered a sobering speech in rural Shanksville, Pennsylvania where Flight 93, hijacked by terrorists, crashed in a field, killing all 40 aboard. Former Vice-President Joe Biden is to visit Shanksville later Friday after attending the 9-11 Memorial & Museums annual commemoration at ground zero in New York. Trump paid tribute to the nearly 3,000 people who died in Shanksville, New York and at the Pentagon. To the family members of Flight 93, today every heartbeat in America is wedded to yours, Trump said. Your pain and anguish is the shared grief of our whole nation. ... While we cannot erase your pain, we can help to shoulder your burden. Trump also noted that America came together after 9-11. It was a unity based on love for our families, care for our neighbours, loyalty to our fellow citizens, pride in our great flag, gratitude for our police and first responders, faith in God and a refusal to bend our will to the depraved forces of violence, intimidation, oppression and evil. ___ 10:50 a.m. NEW YORK At the World Trade Center memorial plaza, Michael Brady said he wasnt going to let the coronavirus deter him from honouring his brother this year. Bradys brother, David, had a breakfast meeting on 9-11 atop one of the fallen towers. This years scaled-down ceremony includes a recorded roll call of victims instead of the usual custom of family members reading them aloud. Michael Brady said thats OK with him and his family. We just want to hear his name, said Brady, who has been a name reader at past 9-11 ceremonies. The Wyckoff, New Jersey resident said his brother, who had four children under nine when he died, was the focal point of the family. He is still desperately missed. When you come every year you see a lot of the same faces, he said We still get the same text messages from the same people every year thinking about David, and no, people dont forget at all. ___ 10:30 a.m. SHANKSVILLE, Pa. In a speech marking the Sept. 11 attacks on America, President Donald Trump said that the victims will forever be a reminder that no matter the threat, no matter the odds, America will always rise up, stand tall and fight back. Trump is delivering a sobering, patriotic speech in rural Shanksville, Pennsylvania where Flight 93, hijacked by terrorists, crashed in a field, killing all 40 on board. Former Vice-President Joe Biden is to visit Shanksville later Friday after attending the 9-11 Memorial & Museums annual commemoration at ground zero in New York. Trump said that during the attacks, which killed nearly 3,000 people in Shanksville, New York and at the Pentagon, the world witnessed American courage and sacrifice. He is honouring first responders and said that the deadly strike at the heart of American democracy was the courage and resolve of 40 men and women the amazing passengers and crew of Flight 93. ___ 9:55 a.m. SHANKSVILLE, Pa. President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump are attending the ceremony to remember the 40 passengers and crew who died after terrorists commandeered Flight 93 on Sept. 11, 2001. The Flight 93 National Memorial near Shanksville in western Pennsylvania marks the spot where the plane crashed in a rural area at 10:03 a.m. Before stepping off the plane, the president and Melania Trump observed a moment of silence at 8:46 a.m., marking the time the first plane hit the World Trade Center 19 years ago. ___ 9:30 a.m. NEW YORK Vice-President Mike Pence and his wife, Karen, read Bible passages at the 9-11 commemoration organized by the Tunnel to Towers Foundation. Before the beginning of the ceremony at nearby ground zero, Pence and Joe Biden greeted each other with an elbow bump. Both men wore face coverings. ___ 9:05 a.m. ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE President Donald Trump and the first lady observed a moment of silence aboard Air Force One at 8:46 p.m., marking the moment the first plane hit the World Trade Center 19 years ago. Some reporters travelling with the president were invited to join the couple in the planes conference room. Everyone stood. The president was en route to Shanksville, Pennsylvania, where he is scheduled to speak at the annual event commemorating the site where the hijacked Flight 93 crashed in a field, killing all on board. Trumps 2020 Democratic rival, Joe Biden, will be visiting the site late Friday. ___ 8:46 a.m. NEW YORK The chime of a bell at the World Trade Center memorial plaza has signalled the start of commemorations of the 19th anniversary of the 9-11 terror attacks. New York is observing a citywide moment of silence to mark the moment a hijacked plane struck the Trade Centers north tower. Five more moments of silence will follow in the ceremony. They recognize the moments when other aircraft struck the second tower, the Pentagon and a Pennsylvania field, and when each Trade Center tower collapsed. A dispute over coronavirus precautions means there are two commemorations in New York Friday. At the official ceremony on the memorial plaza, organizers concerned about bringing too many people together are playing a recording of people reading the names of the nearly 3,000 people killed in the attacks. At a simultaneous ceremony up the street, loved ones will continue the tradition of having those names read in person. ___ 8:25 a.m. WASHINGTON Vowing to never forget the nearly 3,000 people who died on 9-11, President Donald Trump headed on Friday to Shanksville, Pennsylvania. His Democratic challenger Joe Biden was travelling to New York, saying that he will be taking a break from politics to mark the anniversary of the 9-11 attacks. Trump tweeted that the United States is honouring a commitment made in 2001 to always remember the nearly 3,000 innocent Americans who were senselessly killed. Biden told reporters before boarding a plane in Wilmington, Delaware, headed for New York that his campaign has taken its advertising down and wont be holding any press conferences. The former vice-president plans to visit Shanksville later in the afternoon. ___ 8:25 a.m. NEW YORK Kathy Swift, 61, arrived early to the Tunnel to Towers ceremony. Swift, of Jersey City, wore a T-shirt honouring her brother Thomas Swift, who was 30 and working for Morgan Stanley when he died in the South Tower. A dispute over coronavirus-safety precautions is leading to two simultaneous remembrances Friday, one at the Sept. 11 memorial plaza at the World Trade Center and another on a nearby corner, held by the Tunnel to Towers Foundation. Another brother, Patrick Swift, will be among the readers. Weve still gotta come, Kathy Swift said. We still have to remember ... The whole countrys going downhill. Its one thing after another, and now with the COVID. Im glad theyre still having this, though, Tunnel to Towers. - 1:30 a.m. On the anniversary of 9-11, Bernard Kerik, Former NYPD Commissioner and a member of the Advisory Board of Donald J. Trump For President Inc., issued the following statement on behalf of the Campaign: Today we honour the memories of the nearly 3,000 Americans who perished on September 11, 2001 at the hands of radical Islamic terrorists. Those Americans will be forever remembered. Nor shall we forget the extraordinary heroism of our first responders and the ordinary Americans who gave everything to save others on that terrible day. We are also eternally grateful to the brave men and women of the U.S. Armed Forces who sacrificed their lives in defence of our freedom and flag since then. ___ 1 a.m. Americans are set to commemorate the 19th anniversary of the 9-11 terror attacks with tributes altered by the coronavirus. President Donald Trump and Democratic challenger Joe Biden both plan to visit the Flight 93 National Memorial in Pennsylvania Friday, though not at the same time. In New York, a dispute over coronavirus precautions is leading to separate remembrances. The National Sept. 11 Memorial & Museum cancelled its tradition of having relatives read the names of the dead aloud. It will offer a recording instead to those gathered at the World Trade Center site. Some victims relatives felt the change robbed the observance of its emotional impact. A different 9-11 group, the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation, set up a simultaneous ceremony. Vice-President Mike Pence plans to attend both events. Biden will also attend the main New York observance before heading to Pennsylvania. Concern about her two grandchildren prompted Brenda Silveira to join about 30 people to protest Niagara Regions mandatory face covering bylaw. Its going to instill fear in those kids, Silveira said outside the municipalitys Thorold headquarters. Theyre going to be afraid to go near people. Once you get fear in you, you cant get rid of it. Once youre brainwashed, youre done. These poor kids. How can they do this to our kids? Thursdays demonstration was the first of several planned by Hugs Over Masks Niagara, a local chapter of an international grassroots movement that opposes restrictions and mask requirements implemented all over the world in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Sandor Ligetfalvy, who organized the event, said participants hoped to draw attention to their concerns also about the Regions declared state of emergency in advance of the Sept. 17 council meeting when politicians are expected to consider extending the mask bylaw that expires at the end of the month. A second protest at Region headquarters is scheduled for noon Saturday. Kyle Marinucci argued the bylaw isnt working if Niagara is still reporting new cases of COVID-19. If numbers are going up and the masks dont work, why are they being mandated? the restaurant worker said. When you just look at it without any conspiracy, just look at it from a logical perspective, it does not make sense. Marinucci said none of the protesters gathered Thursday are against wearing masks if an individual chooses to put one on. But anyone being forced to wear it, were against it, the Niagara Falls resident said. Beth McLaughlin said she has no problem with people wearing masks, either. But it should be a matter of choice. McLaughlin said she understands people who cannot wear masks are not required to do so, and the bylaw does not require them to show proof. However, she said not wearing a mask in public places results in some dirty looks cast her way. I always respect social distancing when I go into a place and Im not wearing a mask, I always stay far enough away from people, she said. Silveira was one of several protesters who compared the current situation regarding the pandemic with George Orwells dystopian novel 1984. Boy, thats whats happening right now, Silveira said. Big Brother has taken over. If people roll over and let it, were all going to lose our jobs, our freedom and everything. Ligetfalvy, who was charged with mischief a month ago after removing social distancing directional arrow stickers at a Shoppers Drug Mart in Niagara Falls, said another protest will be staged next Wednesday at the CKTB radio building, the office of Niagaras daily newspapers, and St. Catharines city hall in the hope of challenging local media on their editorial choices regarding the pandemic. Politicians will do as the media sways, Ligetfalvy said. The media will do everything it can through its incentives, Im not saying its a nefarious conspiracy, but through its incentives the media will drum up as much fear as possible, which puts pressure on the politicians to do the safe bet. A Standard photographer said she experienced some of that animosity towards the media during the protest. Although Hugs Over Masks event participants were for the most part peaceful and respectful Thursday, photographer Julie Jocsak said she was threatened by one who told her he would smash her camera if she took his picture. Ligetfalvy responded to a social media post about the incident, saying you know full well that doesnt represent the spirit of our event. RELATED STORIES Niagara Region Niagaras regional council passes mandatory mask bylaw He confirmed the incident did occur, and the protester who he said owes Jocsak an apology will not be welcome at future events. Dr. Mustafa Hirji, acting medical officer of health for Niagara, said there were no regional councillors at headquarters Thursday. As a result, he said, the rally wasnt getting the audience to which it could have had an impact. But Hirji did see the demonstration outside his office window and wished the group had spaced themselves out more. In general, I think we are always supportive of people engaging in democratic debate on issues that are of public importance and of public interest. People are welcome to go practise that debate and make their views known, he said. The one thing that I would hope is that if they engage in that, they would do so in a way that theyre minimizing their risk of infection, he said. If this is a group that doesnt believe in wearing face coverings, they should be trying to make sure that they space everybody two metres apart and that should be particularly easy if theres only 25 to 30 in the group. Hirji said physical distancing is always the first line of defence against COVID-19. Disney-Star India has sold 128 per cent of the ad inventory on TV for the broadcast of the 13th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), highly placed sources close to the development have confirmed to Adgully. It has signed on Dream11, PhonePe, Amazon and BYJUs as Co-Presenting sponsors and Coca Cola, Polycab, United Spirits, Kamala Pasand, RummyCircle, Gillette, Mondelez, ITC, AFMI and Dailyhunt. Also read: Star India signs Amazon, PhonePe and Dream11 for IPL 2020 Last year, Hotstar had sold most of the tournament inventory, including digital sponsorships, in a combined package deal. This year, there is less ad inventory on Disney+ Hotstar, besides the VOD service was unable to renew key digital distribution partnerships from last year like its association with Jio Platforms that exposed it to a potential 400 million viewers. Whats more, Disney+ Hotstar will air the livestream of the tournament behind a paywall and viewers will only be able to watch 5 minutes of the live feed before being prompted to subscribe. In earnings call for the quarter ended June 2020, The Walt Disney Company reported that Disney+ Hotstar had 8.63 million subscribers in India. According to media pundits, this would mean that at best not more than 30-40 million viewers would be exposed to the tournament via its digital platforms. Compare this to last year, where a total of 300 million viewers logged into Hotstar to watch the 12th edition of the tournament. A senior industry source informed Adgully that despite the less inventory, digital ad spends on IPL 2020 is set to see a growth of at least 3-4 times over last year. With 128 per cent of the TV ad inventory sold, the excess is most likely to see a diversion from TV to digital this year. Meanwhile, it is learnt that there is a price increase of as much as 20 per cent in Disney+ Hotstar IPL inventory, which will be implemented for premium advertisers coming onboard after September 19, 2020. A professor at a Nigerian State University has been caught pants down for allegedly demanding for sex from a married female student. The Imo State University professor, Emmanuel Agumuo, had allegedly made the sex demands after is seen initially collecting a bribe of 150,000 naira. In a video which has since gone viral, he is seen completely naked as he is been handcuffed by security officers in a room. Reports say the female student who set him up had issues with her results and approached him for help. He initially demanded a sum of 150,000 which was provided, reports say. However, the student was shocked when the Head of Department (HOD) demanded sex as an additional payment for better grades. Reports say the student pleaded with Agumuo and it fell on deaf ears. The professor rejected the girl's plea that she was married. The girl then played along with the aid of security men. The don was arrested naked in a room with the girl. Of course, the nude video is all over the Internet. In response to the viral video, Public Relations Officer of the university, Ralph Obinjoku, has indicated that the school's management was not taking the development with kid gloves. The school's management announced the indefinite suspension of the accused professor. Watch the video of his arrest below A Chattanooga man was sentenced Wednesday to 295 months in federal prison for a multitude of drug and firearms-related offenses. Samuel Weaver, 62, was sentenced by Judge Curtis Collier. Agents said Weaver fired on members of the Chattanooga Police Departments SWAT team when they attempted to serve a search warrant at his residence, which contributed to his lengthy sentence. Officers received information that Weaver was a large-scale drug dealer who was storing drugs in his residence on Noah Street in Chattanooga. A search warrant was issued for Weavers home and the SWAT officers were called to assist the Drug Enforcement Administration with the search of the residence. On Feb. 7, 2019, at least 20 SWAT officers arrived to serve the search warrant at daybreak. The Chattanooga SWAT unit Commander testified that multiple sirens were activated for at least 10-12 seconds, and announcements were made over a PA system notifying the occupants of the residence that police were present to serve the warrant. After law enforcement took steps to notify anyone in the home of the police presence and intentions, officers approached the front door. Weaver then fired a shot from within the home in the direction of the front door. Fortunately, the bullet lodged in the door frame and did not break through and strike any officers. Weaver then attempted to flee out the back of the residence but was apprehended by SWAT officers. Distribution quantities of heroin, fentanyl, pure methamphetamine, and crack cocaine, and over $27,000 in cash were found in Weavers bedroom, along with various items used for the manufacturing and distribution of narcotics. A loaded rifle and handgun were also located inside the residence, and a loaded handgun was recovered in Weavers parked vehicle. This was not Weavers first encounter with the criminal justice system, prosecutors said. Weaver was released from federal prison in 2015 after being caught with nearly a kilogram of cocaine in his trunk and being sentenced to serve 60 months. Weaver also had multiple burglary convictions from Hamilton County. United States Attorney J. Douglas Overbey praised the hard work of the prosecution and law enforcement teams involved in the case, saying, Our offices immediate concern was for the safety of the police officers involved. These officers put their lives on the line every day to protect our community from those who seek to perpetuate drug use and abuse. Drawing a hard line sends a message to all drug dealers that those who attempt violence against our police officers will not get a slap on the wrist. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Frank Clark and Luke A. McLaurin represented the United States. Trump Knew of COVID Danger But Downplayed It, Book Recounts By Ken Bredemeier, Patsy Widakuswara September 10, 2020 U.S. President Donald Trump knew in early 2020 how deadly the coronavirus could be in the United States, but he intentionally misled the American public about the severity of the disease to avoid panicking people, according to a new book by journalist Bob Woodward. As the virus started to sweep from China throughout the world, national security adviser Robert O'Brien told Trump in a January 28 White House meeting, "This will be the biggest national security threat you face in your presidency," according to the book, Rage. "This is going to be the roughest thing you face," Woodward, a Washington Post associate editor, quoted O'Brien as saying, an assessment deputy national security adviser Matthew Pottinger agreed with. 'Very tricky' Trump publicly minimized the threat. Ten days later, he called Woodward and said he thought the situation was far more frightful. "You just breathe the air and that's how it's passed," Trump said in a February 7 call. "And so, that's a very tricky one. That's a very delicate one. It's also more deadly than even your strenuous flu." "This is deadly stuff," the president repeated for emphasis. Publicly, Trump was telling Americans that the virus would soon disappear and that it was no worse than a seasonal flu. He insisted the U.S. government had it under control. In one of 18 calls recorded by Woodward, Trump admitted March 19 that he had deliberately minimized the danger. "I wanted to always play it down," he said. AThe White House has not challenged the accuracy of the quotes, but as copies of Rage circulated Wednesday, White House spokeswoman Kayleigh McEnany tried to minimize the political damage. She said Trump wanted "to keep the country calm. That is what leaders do." "This president has done an unprecedented job in dealing with COVID," McEnany said. "He was always clear-eyed about the lives we could lose. Again, from this podium, he acknowledged that this was serious back in March, that 100,000, 200,000 lives could be lost." On Thursday, Trump said on Twitter, "Bob Woodward had my quotes for many months. If he thought they were so bad or dangerous, why didn't he immediately report them in an effort to save lives? Didn't he have an obligation to do so? No, because he knew they were good and proper answers. Calm, no panic!" The revelations came less than eight weeks before the November 3 presidential election between Trump and his Democratic challenger, former Vice President Joe Biden. Biden, on a campaign trip to the Midwestern political battleground state of Michigan, assailed Trump's performance in dealing with the coronavirus, which has now killed nearly 190,000 Americans and infected more than 6.3 million. Both figures are the biggest national totals across the globe. "He knowingly and willingly lied to the American public about the threat posed to the country for months. ... He failed to do his job on purpose," Biden said. "It's beyond despicable." Health experts now say one projection shows that 410,000 Americans could die by early 2021. Political management professor Todd Belt at George Washington University said revelations from the book about Trump's response to the coronavirus could provide political ammunition for both Republicans and Democrats. 'Partisan lenses' "Of course, the Republicans will say, 'Look, he was providing leadership. He didn't want people to panic,' " Belt said. "Whereas the Democrats will say, 'Look, this was a poor decision, and it made the problem worse.' So, I think people will probably interpret this part through the same partisan lenses." Woodward is best known in American journalism for joining Post reporter Carl Bernstein in uncovering the Watergate political corruption scandal in the 1970s that led to President Richard Nixon's resignation. The new Woodward book tracks the Trump administration's missteps in dealing with the pandemic and touches on numerous other controversies during Trump's nearly four years as president. "Trump never did seem willing to fully mobilize the federal government and continually seemed to push problems off on the states" to deal with the pandemic, Woodward writes. "There was no real management theory of the case or how to organize a massive enterprise to deal with one of the most complex emergencies the United States had ever faced." Woodward said infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci, often the administration's public face answering questions about the COVID-19 disease, at one point told others that Trump "is on a separate channel" and unfocused in meetings, with "rudderless" leadership. "His attention span is like a minus number," Fauci said of Trump, according to Woodward. "His sole purpose is to get reelected." In one Oval Office meeting Woodward cited, after Trump had made false statements in a news briefing, Fauci said in front of him, "We can't let the president be out there being vulnerable, saying something that's going to come back and bite him." Woodward describes Fauci as particularly disappointed in Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law and a White House adviser, for talking like a cheerleader, as if everything was great about the administration's response to the coronavirus. As the virus spread across the country, Kushner said of Trump, "The goal is to get his head from governing to campaigning." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Amid ongoing border tensions with China, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Indian Air Forces (IAF) Central Air Command, Air Marshal Rajesh Kumar met chief minister Uttarakhand Trivendra Singh Rawat on Friday evening. Kumar and CM Rawat discussed the requirement of land for Advanced Landing Ground (ALG) and setting up air defence radar facilities in the state. According to the statement released by the CMs office, Air Marshal Kumar, while discussing the requirement of land for the aforementioned requirements with CM Rawat, stated that considering the present circumstances, establishing air defence radar systems and air-strips in a border state like Uttarakhand is vital. Air Marshal Kumar said, Like the states of North East India, establishing radar facilities in states bordering districts of Chamoli, Pithoragarh and Uttarkashi will help the IAF. During the meeting, the senior IAF officer, who was accompanied by two other IAF officers, also urged the CM for the expansion of Pantnagar, Jolly Grant and Pithoragarh airports and provide land for Choukhutia airport in the state. Also read: India-US statement panned Pak over terror. China rushes to its defence In response, CM Rawat assured him all possible support from the state government to its requirements including land for ALG and radar facilities. On the demand for the land of ALG and radar facilities, the CM said the appointment of nodal officers at IAF and government level will jointly earmark the land as per the requirements as soon as possible, the statement stated. The people of Uttarakhand have always been contributing to the armed forces and will be more than happy to support the IAF in its requirements here, the statement added. After using a time-travelling bedroom closet to tackle the taboo of self-harm, an acclaimed British filmmaking duo shine a light on sexuality among disabled teens in their latest project. The short film S.A.M., which has its British premiere at the Iris Prize LGBT+ Film Festival in Wales in October, tells the story of a budding love affair between two boys, both called Sam, one of whom has Downs syndrome. The award-winning writing and directing team, Neil Ely, 38, and Lloyd Eyre-Morgan, 32, said they were keen to make a film about the rarely discussed topic as both minorities are under-represented in British film and television. Youre still seeing actors portraying people with disabilities that dont have a disability, said Eyre-Morgan, adding they did not ask the sexuality of their two lead actors. Yet there are so many brilliant actors out there that do have a disability and theyre not getting a look in. One of the Sams is 19-year-old George Webster, who is an actor, dancer and student with Downs Syndrome, as well as an ambassador for Mencap, a charity that supports people with learning disabilities. We kind of felt there was a voice that wasnt being heard, Ely told the Thomson Reuters Foundation in a joint interview. It was our responsibility to use our small platform to get that message out there. Statistics on LGBT+ disabled people in Britain are scarce but about 14 million Britons are disabled and almost 7% are non-heterosexual, government data shows, suggesting an LGBT+ disabled community of nearly 1 million people. Films are gradually becoming more inclusive, with LGBT+ characters in a record 19% of 118 major studio releases in 2019, according to American LGBT+ media monitor GLAAD - but only one film featured a character with a disability. But filmmaking and the acting profession often remain closed doors for disabled and LGBT+ people, Eyre-Morgan said. For us, its very important to bring people into the film industry that maybe dont have the opportunities to get involved, he said. QUEER CHARACTERS Eyre-Morgan and Ely first met in 2012 at Queer as Fringe, a collection of 15-minute LGBT+ plays staged in the northern English city of Manchester - where S.A.M. was more recently shot on a shoe-string budget. We really hit it off, Ely said. And we very quickly established that we are passionate about telling the same stories. The stories so far have included a string of short films predominantly based on queer characters, Ely said, including the award-winning 2016 short Closets, which was shown in schools and later adapted into a musical. Closets centres around Henry, 16, who in 1986 is struggling with his sexuality and homophobic bullying. He goes inside his closet and time travels to 2016 where he meets Ben, 16, living in his bedroom and dealing with similar issues. Eyre-Morgan and Ely are not worried about being pigeonholed as LGBT+ directors. A friend of mine said to me, Why do you always watch gay films? and I said to him, Why do you always watch straight films? Ely said. The majority of things we see are about straight, white people and I just enjoy telling queer stories. Their eyes are firmly on expanding S.A.M. into a feature-length film, despite the challenges posed by the new coronavirus pandemic, which led to the cancellation of the films initial premiere in London in March, with other festivals going online. Ultimately, both directors hope S.A.M. will kickstart a discussion around issues of sexuality and disability. Hopefully, this film will show that people with disabilities can have relationships, Eyre-Morgan said. They can love, they do have a sexuality thats what we wanted to do with the film. (This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.) Follow more stories on Facebook and Twitter SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-11 14:08:27|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close A man watches the wildfire in Angeles National Forest, Monrovia, Los Angeles, the United States, Sept. 10, 2020. Wildfires have scorched a record 3.1 million acres (12,525 square km) of land in the U.S. state of California since August, authorities said Thursday. (Xinhua/Gao Shan) LOS ANGELES, Sept. 10 (Xinhua) -- Wildfires have scorched a record 3.1 million acres (12,525 square km) of land in the U.S. state of California since August, authorities said Thursday. The previous record of 1.9 million acres (7,689 square km) was set in 2018. There have been 12 fatalities and over 3,900 structures destroyed so far this year, said the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection in a daily update, adding that approximately 14,000 firefighters remain on the line of 29 major wildfires burning across the state. The August Complex Fire, a combination of 37 fires sparked by lightning on Aug. 17 in Mendocino National Forest in Northern California, is now the largest blaze in the state's history. Officials noted that although multiple new fires were sparked Wednesday, firefighters contained most of them quickly with two growing to large wildfires. The department stated that while wildfires are natural part of California's landscape, the fire season in the state and across the west is starting earlier and ending later each year. Officials noted that climate change is considered a key driver of the trend. Photo: The Canadian Press Raj Grewal RCMP say they've charged former Liberal MP Raj Grewal with fraud and breach of trust. They allege the former MP for Brampton East took millions of dollars in personal loans without telling the federal ethics commissioner, and that he used his political position to solicit those loans. They also say he used his government-funded constituency office budget for his own benefit. Grewal was a rookie MP when he left the Liberal caucus in 2018, amid the beginning of the police investigation, for what he said were personal and health reasons. The Prime Minister's Office said at the time that he was seeking treatment for a gambling addiction, and Grewal later posted a video acknowledging he'd built up millions of dollars in debt but saying he had paid it all back. Grewal didn't run for re-election in 2019. New Delhi, Sep 11 : Ever since the Supreme Court struck down Article 377, we as a culture, as a country, and as citizens do not view it as a "Western" phenomenon. While more and more people open up about their sexuality, allies have played an important role in creating a safe environment for them to do so. With a more equal society built to whatever extent it has till today. Ramkrishna Sinha, who identifies himself as a gay person, says, "A lot of LGBTQ people grow up thinking that they are the only ones like that. It's a very isolated feeling and also you have to constantly hide. And you struggle to find someone who understands you and gets you." He adds: "But when I know that there's that one person that gets me it makes a very big difference. It has saved life too. It is very important to be an ally and that too a visible one." LGBTQ allies: Driving change in society To make a difference in the society towards the community, the community has to speak for itself. But beyond that, it is very important that when we are in a position and have the privilege of being in the majority, we should use that voice to support each other. Anjali Gopalan, who is a renowned LGBTQ+ ally in India, who initiated and won the battle against Section 377 in 2009, says: "They (allies) speak about what we need to do to bring about a change in the attitude of people towards the community." She adds: "We need people to accept the community and that's a very slow process. We also need strong laws that will protect people. Whatever you do a strong law is helpful. For example, if you look at something like dowry, it has not stopped because they have anti-dowry law, but it has improved because of the way its implemented." Gopalan recalls: "I remember when I was in university in the 70s, one would constantly hear of women being burned to death. The media would tell me stories about women being burned to death. We don't hear so much of that happening now. So the fact that we have a strong dowry law has helped in some way even though it doesn't completely change the situation. And allies have a huge role to play." It's only exposure that changes our way of thinking and that is what an ally can do, says Gopalan, founder and Executive Director of The Naz Foundation (India) Trust. "They can always engage in the discussion and make people understand why or how it is possible to see an issue through a different lens. No one can force you but they can definitely convince you and make you understand why we're taking the stand that they're taking. And often when that happens, we do understand and we do change our attitudes and our way of thinking. And that is the role that an ally can play." Sinha, co-founder of Pride Circle that ideated the #21DaysAllyChallenge initiative and mobilized more than 14,000 people to become ally, feels that people still have misinformation regarding the community which needs to be cleared off. And an ally may be instrumental in driving this change. He believes: "Visibility leads to familiarity, familiarity leads to conversation, conversation leads to understanding and understanding leads to acceptance. When you are able to have a conversation that's when changes takes place." However, now we have to start looking at the rights for the community, says Gopalan, "It's something that we need to talk more and more about and that is where the most pushback is going to happen here. Example, if we start talking about the right to marry. If you do believe in rights, you will believe that everyone in this country should have the same rights." (Puja Gupta can be contacted at puja.g@ians.in) As the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic was receding in mid-May, some 1.3 million working-age adults reported being home sick with symptoms they attributed to the coronavirus. A new analysis finds that, compared to those still working or those absent with other illnesses or disabilities, the adults home sick with COVID-19 had lower incomes, were more likely to be racial/ethnic minorities, and had less education -- national-level evidence of the disparate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic that bolsters other studies based on diagnosed cases and deaths. The study, published September 10 in the Journal of General Internal Medicine, also found that these adults had very high rates of uninsurance and food insecurity that could compound the health harms of the pandemic, findings with relevance to ongoing debates over coronavirus relief legislation in Washington. The researchers analyzed the Census Bureau's Household Pulse Survey, a new survey that provides information on the health and financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the U.S. Using data from two weeks of the survey conducted in April and May, the researchers identified working-age adults who reported being out "sick with coronavirus symptoms" (previous research has found that some 83.0% of Americans correctly identify the leading coronavirus symptoms). Compared to those at work the previous week, researchers found that these individuals were more likely to be Black (24.2% vs. 11.5%), Asian (11.7% vs. 5.6%), and Hispanic (26.5% vs. 17.2%). The study authors observed similar patterns when comparing the adults home sick with coronavirus to those not working because of a non-coronavirus illness or disability. Those reporting coronavirus symptoms also had lower incomes and less education, and tended to live in larger households and states with high levels of COVID-19 incidence. The researchers additionally found that those out sick with coronavirus symptoms had disturbingly high levels of social vulnerability: 29.2% of these individuals were uninsured, compared to 8% among the two comparison groups; and 36.2% reported not being able to obtain enough food, compared to 7.5% of those working and 20.8% of those out of work for another illness or disability. "We know that Black and Hispanic communities have been the hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, as measured in diagnoses and deaths," noted study author Dr. Steffie Woolhandler, distinguished professor at City of University Hunter College and a Lecturer at Harvard Medical School. "But our study suggests that the disparate impact is larger yet, because many people recover at home without ever being diagnosed. Our study also reveals remediable social vulnerabilities -- lack of health insurance and food insecurity -- that could further compound the inequitable health impact of the coronavirus," she added. The study builds on previous studies from this research group. An earlier study, also published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine using data that predated the pandemic, found that some 18.2 million adults who were at increased risk of severe COVID-19 because of age or chronic disease were either uninsured or underinsured, and that these individuals were disproportionately people of color and lower income. In another study, published in JAMA: Internal Medicine, the researchers identified a historic rise in work absence for illness of any cause, with a disproportionate impact on immigrants, in April. "The COVID-19 pandemic has been a disaster for working class Americans of all backgrounds, and for Black and Hispanic communities in particular," noted study author Dr. Adam Gaffney, a pulmonary and critical care physician at Harvard Medical School and the Cambridge Health Alliance. "But in so many ways, this disaster has been manmade. The high levels of uninsurance and food insecurity we observed in those reporting coronavirus symptoms is not an act of nature -- it could be solved today by action from Washington. Universal health coverage, and economic aid to American workers, is an urgent necessity." ### The study will be posted on the Journal of General Internal Medicine after 8:00 pm ET on Thursday, Sept. 10. Reporters can request an advance copy of the study from Clare Fauke, clare@pnhp.org. Home Sick with Coronavirus Symptoms: a National Study, AprilMay 2020, by Adam W. Gaffney, MD, MPH, David Himmelstein, MD, David Bor, MD, Danny McCormick, MD, and Steffie Woolhandler, MD, MPH, Journal of General Internal Medicine, September 10, 2020. DOI: 10.1007/s11606-020-06159-5 A federal law permanently barring gun ownership for anyone who has been found mentally ill and dangerous, and committed to a mental hospital has been upheld by a federal appeals court in San Francisco over emphatic dissents by seven appointees of President Trump, who said it violates the constitutional right to bear arms. By upholding the law, the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals advances an extraordinarily sweeping view of government power, Judge Patrick Bumatay, writing for the dissenters, said Thursday. In a separate dissent, Judge Lawrence VanDyke, joined by Bumatay, said the former mental patient who was prohibited from acquiring a gun is another innocent casualty of this courts demonstrated dislike of things that go bang. He criticized the Ninth Circuits 2015 ruling upholding a ban on large-capacity gun magazines in the South Bay community of Sunnyvale and said the court treats the Second Amendment like a second-class constitutional right. Both VanDyke and Judge Bridget Bade, who joined Bumatays dissent, were on a list of 20 potential Supreme Court candidates that Trump released on Wednesday. VanDyke, the most recent of Trumps 10 appointees to the Ninth Circuit, was confirmed by the Senate last December despite an American Bar Association evaluation that found him unqualified and closed-minded. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., quoted VanDyke as saying in 2014 that all gun-control laws were misdirected. The case involves a Seattle man, Duy Mai, who was committed to a mental hospital for nine months in 1999, at age 17, after threatening violence against himself and others. Mai, who was born in a refugee camp in Thailand and came to the United States with his family at age 2, has turned his life around since his hospitalization. He obtained a college degree and a masters in microbiology, works as an immune monitoring specialist at a research center in Seattle, and, as Bumatay described his record, has had no recurrence of mental illness and no criminal convictions. Washington state officials concluded in 2014 that Mai posed no serious risk to society and would not be prohibited by state law from possessing firearms. But he remains barred by federal law, which denies gun ownership to anyone who has ever been involuntarily committed to a mental hospital and found to be both mentally ill and dangerous. The federal law exempts former patients who have been cleared by state laws that set similar standards. But Washingtons law does not meet those standards, and federal records indicate that Mai would be in the same situation if he lived in California. Mais challenge to the federal law was rejected by a federal judge and by a Ninth Circuit panel in March. In the panels 3-0 ruling, Judge Susan Graber said the law serves the governments laudable goal of preventing gun violence. One study found that mental patients who had been committed to mental hospitals against their will were 39 times as likely as others to commit suicide, Graber said, and other studies confirm that suicide risk remains extremely high for those with a history of mental illness. Mai asked the full appeals court for a new hearing before a larger panel, but won support Thursday from only eight of the courts 29 judges: Trump appointees Bumatay, VanDyke, Bade, Daniel Collins, Danielle Hunsaker, Mark Bennett and Daniel Bress, and Judge Sandra Ikuta, appointed by President George W. Bush. Under the courts ruling, Bumatay said, the government may forever deprive a person of the individual right to bear arms if that person spends even one day committed involuntarily, even as a juvenile, and no matter the persons current mental health soundness. When the Second Amendment was added to the Constitution in 1791, he said, temporary mental illness didnt lead to a permanent deprivation of rights. Mais lawyer, Vitaliy Kertchen, said he would appeal to the Supreme Court. The Ninth Circuits denial was disappointing, Kertchen said, but he was very encouraged by the fact that there were a number of spirited dissents. Adam Skaggs, chief counsel for the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, said the dissents showed judges falling over all themselves to audition for promotion to the Supreme Court. Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @BobEgelko Donald Trump called journalist Bob Woodward whose latest book Rage is the result of a series of wide-ranging interviews with the president a wack job following the release of audio excerpts in which the president admits to concealing the deadly threat of the coronavirus more than a month before the crisis was declared a pandemic. At a campaign rally in Michigan, the president invoked the British World War II slogan keep calm and carry on as he defended his effort to downplay Covid-19s threat to the US. The posters carrying the slogan were never actually released. As the British government advised the British people in the face of World War II, keep calm and carry on, he said. "That's what I did." The slogan, which has seen a revival in pop culture and memes within the past decade, was rarely used after designs emerged from government offices in the late 1930s, becoming instead an ironic lost message from a period of chronic unease. On 7 February, the president told Woodward that the coronavirus is deadly stuff and far deadlier than the flu contradicting public messaging that the virus would disappear and amplifying false comparisons between flu infections and Covid-19. The following month, he told Woodward that he wanted to always play it down to prevent panic as his administration faced intense scrutiny for failing to adequately respond to the looming public health crisis throughout the entire month of February. They wanted me to come out and scream, people are dying. No, we did it just the right way, the president told his supporters in Freeland, Michigan. We have to be calm. We dont want to be crazed lunatics. We have to lead." The president compared himself to Winston Churchill and falsely claimed that he would oftentimes go to a roof in London and speak to the country during the Blitz bombings, which began 80 years ago this month. While Churchill would sometimes watch the raids from the roof of the Treasury to the alarm of this bodyguard he did not broadcast to the nation from there. And he always spoke with calmness, the president said. "He said, 'We have to show calmness.'" Prosecutors said Brown also engaged in other schemes as well, as part of an eight-year pattern of nonstop criminality, as they put it in court papers. It extended from 2011 to 2019. Some of the crimes involved Pugh and others did not. FREELAND, MI -- President Donald Trump made a variety of big boasts during his first Michigan campaign rally in 2020, touching on issues ranging from the auto industry to violence in the streets. An estimated crowd of 5,500 supporters packed into an aircraft hangar owned by Avflight Saginaw at MBS International Airport on Thursday evening. The rally was Trumps first campaign visit to Michigan, a key battleground state, this year as the COVID-19 pandemic temporarily halted most in-person political events for six months. The president spent most of his speech focusing on his economic achievements, but Trump hit a wide range of topics over the course of nearly 90-minutes. Here are a few notable claims Trump made Thursday in Freeland. President Donald Trump arrives in Freeland, Mich. for a campaign rally on Thursday, Sept. 10, 2020. Nicole Hester/Mlive.com I got you so many d--- car plants The president brought up Michigans auto industry several times, leaning on familiar talking points on trade that were a favorite topic during his underdog 2016 campaign. Trump said hes ushered in a resurgence in auto jobs throughout the state. On Nov. 3 Michigan, you better vote for me, Trump said. I got you so many d--- car plants. The crowd erupted into chants of we love you and four more years. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles announced one new Jeep assembly plant on Detroits east side, but there havent been any other new plants announced in Michigan since Trump took office. Automakers have announced investments in existing Michigan facilities during the presidents first term. I got you a lot of plants. Have you seen what were doing here?" Trump said. All the plants that have been built, are being built and what about the plants that have been expanded? They dont want to give you credit for that. Trump said five new car companies are coming to Michigan the day after he had a conversation with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Its not clear what Trump was referring to, as there havent been any such announcements publicized, though Japanese automaker Toyota announced investments in existing plants around the same time as a 2019 conversation between Trump and Abe. President Donald Trump motions to his supporters after a campaign rally in Freeland, Mich. on Thursday, Sept. 10, 2020. Nicole Hester/Mlive.com I saved the US auto industry Trump tried to take a line Biden has used in Michigan by claiming he saved the auto industry through his policies on trade. Biden meanwhile, has said his work to oversee the 2009 bailout of General Motors and Chrysler means he saved Michigans auto industry. Michigan lost 19,400 jobs in motor vehicle manufacturing and parts manufacturing from the time Trump took office to July, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The industry dropped 2,000 jobs from February 2017 to February 2020, before COVID-19 outbreaks caused a recession. Michigan auto jobs grew by 55,300 from February 2009 to February 2017, according to federal data. Lincoln Club President David Trott presents a framed Gettysburg Address to Donald Trump, keynote speaker, at the annual Oakland County Lincoln Day Dinner poses with school children from Detroit Country Day School. The event is a major Republican gathering in its 124th year, Tuesday night, May 21. (Tanya Moutzalias | MLive.com) Michigan Man of the Year Trump said he was honored with the Michigan Man of the Year award several times at campaign events in the last four years, repeating the claim Thursday. MLive and other news organizations have found no evidence such an award exists, but the claim can probably be traced back to a 2013 speech Trump made at the Oakland County Republican Party Lincoln Day Dinner. Photos from the event show former Congressman David Trott handing Trump a framed copy of Lincolns Gettysburg address, a statuette of the 16th president and a tie. Trump said he was honored with the award by somebody after giving a speech about how auto companies are leaving the country. Read more about the event here. Some foreigners entering Vietnam on commercial flights resumed this month will be required to undergo centralized quarantine from five to seven days. Vietnam is expected to resume commercial flights from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to Guangzhou, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan from September 15, and Laos and Cambodia starting September 22. Around 20,000 passengers are scheduled to arrive in the country each month, Government Office Chief Mai Tien Dung said at a meeting Friday. Passengers would include Vietnamese citizens, foreigners carrying diplomatic and official passports, experts, managers, high-skilled workers, investors, and their family members. The flights are not opened to tourists yet. Under the Transport Ministry's proposal, there would be two weekly round trips on the HCMC-Guangzhou route, two weekly services on the Hanoi-Tokyo and HCMC-Tokyo routes as well as four trips from Hanoi and HCMC to Seoul, and four weekly trips to Taipei. Dung said passengers must furnish a certificate showing they tested negative for the novel coronavirus within five days before boarding the flight. Upon landing in Vietnam, they would have to undergo centralized quarantine from five to seven days and would be tested for Covid-19 twice using the real-time reverse transcriptionpolymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Those reporting negative results would remain at home or their place of work until they complete the 14-day quarantine period as per health ministry protocol under supervision of local authorities. Those showing signs of infection will have to continue the centralized quarantine. Since the Covid-19 pandemic broke out in Vietnam last January, the country required those coming from abroad to be quarantined at centralized facilities for 14 days. Foreign passengers, including Vietnamese returning from abroad would have to pay for all quarantine and testing expenses. Costs for PCR testing in Vietnam are proposed at VND 1.2 million ($52) per person. During their stay, passengers will be required to install Bluezone, a Bluetooth-based app that helps determine if a person has come into close contact with a Covid-19 patient. At the meeting, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said Vietnam had brought the second outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic under control since the country has experienced eight clean days without new domestic infections. "It must be ensured that foreign arrivals cause no new outbreaks," Phuc stressed. Vietnam suspended all international flights on March 25. Many foreigners who have been kept out of the country due to travel restrictions have pleaded with the government to reopen the borders and resume international flights so they could reunite with their families. The country has recorded 1,059 Covid-19 cases, 128 of which remain active. So far, 35 people have succumbed to the pandemic, many of them elderly patients suffering underlying conditions like diabetes and/or kidney failure. Love Unbroken: an intelligent and potentially transformational collection of inspirational, encouraging devotionals. Love Unbroken is the creation of published author, Emily G. DeWitt. DeWitt writes: Fear can be crippling. Bitterness can take root in your heart. Discouragement knocks on the door to your mind. In a tangled web of searching for joy, you trip over past hurts that haunt your present state. We can bury these negative aspects from others, or at least attempt to, but when we are honest with ourselves, we need to find healing. Love Unbroken: A Simple Word is a chance. A chance to find some hope in the middle of your dark day. A chance to find healing in the midst of brokenness. A chance to challenge your perspective while growing your faith. The answers lie in the love God has for us that cannot be broken. Intentionally kept simple, these devotionals are for anyone who just needs a short word of encouragement. Published by Christian Faith Publishing, Emily G. DeWitts new book is a collection of dozens of encouraging devotionals. This wonderfully thoughtful and compassionate book is rife with inspirational wisdom and thought-provoking insights and is sure to serve each of its readers not merely as a source of consolation and encouragement but as an armoury to which they might return for the emotional and psychological wherewithal needed to negotiate and overcome whatever challenges life may lay in their path. View a synopsis of Love Unbroken on YouTube. Consumers can purchase Love Unbroken at traditional brick & mortar bookstores, or online at Amazon.com, Apple iTunes store, or Barnes and Noble. For additional information or inquiries about Love Unbroken, contact the Christian Faith Publishing media department at 866-554-0919. I do worry about that and the fact there are these correlations between what schools are doing and students' backgrounds, said Jon Valant, a senior fellow focused on education at the Brookings Institution. Which is not to say necessarily that anyone is making the wrong decisions. It suggests that we need to be seriously thinking about major public investments to try to mitigate some of the harm from all of this. The Philippines will have quick access to a Chinese coronavirus vaccine. Latin American and Caribbean nations will receive $1 billion in loans to buy the medicine. Bangladesh will get more than 100,000 free doses from a Chinese company. Never mind that China is still most likely months away from mass-producing a vaccine that is safe for public use. The country is using the prospect of the drugs discovery in a charm offensive aimed at repairing damaged ties and bringing friends closer in regions China deems vital to its interests. Take, for example, Indonesia, which has long been wary of Beijing. Chinas leader, Xi Jinping, assured the nations president, Joko Widodo, in a call last week: China takes seriously Indonesias concerns and needs in vaccine cooperation. Read: Health official tries to reassure public that science will set Covid-19 vaccine approval Xi hailed the two countries cooperation on developing a vaccine as a new bright spot in relations, according to a statement from Chinas Foreign Ministry. Together, China and Indonesia will continue to stand in solidarity against Covid-19, he promised. Chinas vaccine pledges, on top of earlier shipments of masks and ventilators around the world, help it project itself as a responsible player as the United States retreats from global leadership. Beijings moves could also help it push back against accusations that the ruling Communist Party should be held responsible for its initial missteps when the coronavirus first emerged in China in December. The ability to develop and deliver vaccines to poorer countries would also be a powerful signal of Chinas rise as a scientific leader in a new post-pandemic global order. People are very willing to take a Chinese vaccine, said Ghazala Parveen, a senior official at the National Institute of Health in Pakistan, where two Chinese vaccine-makers are conducting trials. In fact, we are being asked by people to have the vaccine ready as soon as possible. By some measures, China is leading the global race for a Covid-19 vaccine. It has four candidates in the last phase of clinical trials, more than any other country. Also Read: Covid-19 vaccine confidence volatile, vulnerable to misinformation, global study finds The United States has three vaccine candidates in late-stage trials, with Pfizer saying it could apply for emergency approval as early as October and Moderna saying it hopes to have a vaccine by the end of the year. AstraZeneca, a British-Swedish company that received US government funding to develop its vaccine, paused its late-stage global trials this week because of a serious suspected adverse reaction in a participant. China has approved at least two experimental vaccines under an emergency use program that started in July with soldiers and employees of state-owned companies and has quietly expanded to include health care and aviation workers. Its vaccine-makers have built factories that can produce hundreds of thousands of doses. Xi has declared that China would make domestically developed vaccines a global public good, though his government has provided few details. China has long viewed contributing to global health as an opportunity to build its soft power. Also Read: WHO says $700 million raised so far for Covid-19 vaccines initiative for poor The government definitely would like to see that China is successful in producing a good vaccine and that many countries want it, said Jennifer Huang Bouey, an epidemiologist and China expert at the RAND Corp. Its beneficial for its diplomacy and changing the narrative on Covid. But Chinese vaccine companies that have gone abroad to conduct clinical trials have generated controversy amid fears that local residents are being treated like guinea pigs. And with so much still unknown about the coronavirus, the vaccines could make it to the last stage of trials only to stumble. Despite the uncertainty, Beijing has pushed its prospective vaccines with confidence and has used them to help smooth over frictions. Last month, Premier Li Keqiang met with officials from Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam to damp criticism that China had contributed to a devastating drought in the Southeast Asian nations. He also offered Chinese vaccines a proposal that was well received. In a speech during the same summit, Prime Minister Hun Sen of Cambodia, a staunch supporter of China, singled out Beijing for praise, saying he would like to give a high appreciation of efforts of our friend China in producing a vaccine. In the Philippines, where China is competing with the United States for influence, President Rodrigo Duterte told lawmakers in July that he had made a plea to Xi for help with vaccines. He also said he would not confront China over its claims to the South China Sea. Track live updates on coronavirus here A day later, Wang Wenbin, a spokesman for Chinas Foreign Ministry, said China was willing to give the Philippines priority access to a vaccine. Chinese leaders have made similar offers to countries in Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean, the Middle East and South Asia regions where Beijing has sought to expand its influence. We pledge that once the development and deployment of the Covid-19 vaccine is completed in China, African countries will be among the first to benefit, Xi told a meeting of African leaders in June. The Chinese foreign minister, Wang Yi, promised in July that China would extend $1 billion in loans for vaccines to Latin American and Caribbean countries, according to the government of Mexico. For all its talk of providing vaccines as a public good, China seems determined to do so only on its own terms. It has been reticent on whether it plans to join Covax, a World Health Organization-backed mechanism that aims to help countries distribute a coronavirus vaccine equitably. (The Trump administration has flat-out rejected the initiative.) In fact, we have already cooperated with some countries, Hua Chunying, a spokeswoman for Chinas Foreign Ministry, told reporters last week. China always keeps its word. If China wins the race for a vaccine, it will owe its success to some of these countries, which have played an indispensable role by providing Chinese vaccine-makers with human test subjects. Also Read: Will know Covid-19 vaccine results by year-end if trials resume: AstraZeneca Chinese drugmakers have taken their research abroad because the outbreak at home has been under control for months. In Bangladesh, Sinovac Biotech, a vaccine-maker based in Beijing, is testing its vaccine on 4,200 health care workers in Dhaka, the capital. The Chinese company has agreed to provide more than 110,000 free vaccine doses to the country, according to Dr. John Clemens, executive director of Bangladeshs International Center for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, which is helping conduct the trials. That is a tiny fraction of the 170 million residents of Bangladesh, one of Asias poorest countries. And despite their participation in the Chinese clinical trials, Bangladeshis fear that the vaccines that result may be priced out of the reach of most of the countrys citizens. If any person in the world gets deprived of their right to a Covid-19 vaccine because of patent rights and profitability, this would be the biggest injustice in this century, said Md. Sayedur Rahman, a professor of pharmacology at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University in Dhaka. The Foreign Ministry in Beijing has emphasized that China will not seek to establish a monopoly on vaccine supply. State news media reports have also rejected accusations that China is using vaccines as a diplomatic tool, while government-backed academics assert that the provision of vaccines is altruistic. There will certainly be no strings attached, said Ruan Zongze, executive vice president of the China Institute of International Studies. Since it is going to be a global public good, adding any conditions would arouse suspicion from the other party. But China is already drawing concern in countries on the receiving end of its overtures as well as from regional powers that view Beijing as encroaching on their spheres of influence. In Nepal, where China would like to conduct clinical trials on 500 workers in a cement company, politicians have raised questions about the safety of the vaccines and the lack of transparency. Covid-19 Pandemic Tracker: 15 countries with the highest number of coronavirus cases, deaths Shouldnt we be assured about its side effects? Prakash Sharan Mahat, a former foreign minister of Nepal and a leader of the countrys main opposition party, Nepali Congress, said in an interview. India, which is wary of Beijings intentions in South Asia, has responded to Chinas offers of vaccines for Bangladesh and Nepal with its own pledges to provide its allies with vaccines. Some countries may have few alternatives to China. Indonesia has started a last-stage clinical trial for Sinovac on 1,620 volunteers and has signed an agreement with the Chinese company for 50 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine concentrate that would allow an Indonesian state-owned vaccine-maker, PT Bio Farma, to produce doses locally. Some political experts in Indonesia worry about the leverage that China would wield over the country, but they acknowledge that Indonesia has little choice. Should we be suspicious, or should we be grateful? asked Muhammad Zulfikar Rakhmat, an academic at Universitas Islam Indonesia, who researches Chinas foreign policy in Indonesia. I think both. Kenyas anti-graft agency has put the Council of Governors (CoG) on the spot over their decision to deny Nation Media Group any advertisement. County bosses on Wednesday resolved to block adverts with the media group accusing it of painting governors as corrupt. CoG Chair Wycliffe Oparanya cited an article NMG published titled, Eight governors on graft hit list. There has been a deliberate effort to portray Governors as corrupt, inept and unable to run their counties especially by NMG as evidenced in the Daily Newspaper headline of 8th September 2020 captioned Eight Governors on graft hit list. It was resolved that henceforth, no county government shall advertise with the Nation Media Group merchandise until the situation is rectified, Oparanyas memo read. EACC CEO Twalib Mbarak responded to the decision on Thursday warning the Council of Governors that their declaration is unlawful. it offends the Constitution and relevant laws that govern acquisition of goods and services by public entities, he said in a letter to Oparanya. Any accounting officer or any other public officer who may proceed to implement such unlawful instructions will be held personally liable. Noting that CoG violated article 10 and article 227 (1,3 and 21), Mbarak added: Your letter, therefore, amounts to unlawful instructions and the contemplated action by county government could render all culpable persons liable to the applicable legal consequences including criminal prosecution. The Media Council of Kenya, Media Owners Association and Kenya Editors Guild also condemned the council. We take great exception to this unilateral and hurried move by the CoG that has the potential of setting a bad precedent in the engagements between public institutions and the media, Media Owners Association said. The statement by CoG has the potential of singling out journalists for potential intimidation, harassment and denial of access to important county offices and functions, MCK CEO David Omwoyo added. Three senior Congress leaders, including former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee president Kumari Selja and party spokesperson Randeep Surjewala, held separate press conferences in Kurukshetra on Friday to extend support to farmers who are protesting against the Centres agriculture ordinances. The leaders also condemned the BJP-JJP government for police action against the agitating farmers at Pipli. While interacting with mediapersons, former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda extended his support to the farmers, who have threatened to launch a statewide stir if the cases registered against them are not withdrawn in the next 10 days. He flayed the Bharatiya Janata Party and Janayak Janata Party leaders for depriving the farmers of their fundamental rights. Though it is a farmers movement, the Congress will continue to support them, Hooda said. He said the police action against farmers reminded him of the Kandela episode. The BJP-JJP will have to face severe consequences for using force on farmers, he added. The former CM said the Congress will also hold a state-level rally in support of farmers at Pipli in the near future. Kumari Selja, who was the first to reach Kurukshetra along with an injured farmer, said this incident has exposed the anti-farmer policies of the BJP-JJP government. She said the ordinances were framed to benefit the corporate houses by forcing farmers to sell their produce according to prices set by them. Selja also alleged that the governments ordinances will promote contract farming. She has demanded that the government should withdraw the FIRs registered against the protesters. Meanwhile, Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said the farmers will never forget the brutal action on them and the BJP-JJP will have to pay for it in the future. He also demanded an investigation into the incident. Credit: China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation In the near future, launch facilities located at sea are expected to be a lot more common. SpaceX announced that it is hoping to create offshore facilities in the near future for the sake of launching the Starship away from populated areas. And China, the latest member of the superpowers-in-space club, is currently building the "Eastern Aerospace Port" off the coast of Haiyang city in the eastern province of Shandong. This mobile launch facility is being developed by the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), the country's largest aerospace and defense contractor. Once fully operational, it will be used to launch light vehicles, as well as for building and maintaining rockets, satellites, and related space applications. As China's fifth launch facility, it will give the country's space program a new degree of flexibility. The addition of a sea platform will also help mitigate the risk to populated areas. At present, all of China's other launch facilities are located inland at Jiuquan (northwest China), Taiyuan (north), Xichang (southwest), and the coastal site at Wenchang (south) on the island of Hainan. Launches from these locations often result in spent stages falling back to Earth, which requires extensive safety and cleanup operations. The addition of a floating spaceport is also in keeping with the expansion in launch services that China has seen in recent years. In the last 20 years, the country has seen an exponential increase in launches made using the Long March rocket family. In 2001, the CNSA performed only one launch using a Long March 2F. That number increased to 37 by 2018, using a combination of the Long March 2, 3, 4, and 11 models. Chart showing the number of launches per year for China. Credit: M. Williams/Data: Jonathans Space Page/Graphics: Visme.co The agency has managed to conduct 26 launches so far this year, in spite of the limitations imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. It's also hoped that the addition of the spaceport just off the coast of the Shangdong Peninsula will lead to the development of an aerospace and industrial manufacturing cluster in the region, which includes the construction of a commercial launch complex near the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. Much of this growth is due to large-scale projects, which include the third iteration of the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System. In addition, China has announced its intention to create constellations supporting satellite internet, as well as and other space-related "infrastructures" that will support its growing national space program and burgeoning commercial space industry. A good deal of this growth can also be attributed to the political reforms that have taken place in China's aerospace sector in recent years. In 2014, the federal government opened the sector to private investment for the first time. In early August, CAST also underwent an internal merger where some of its institutes came together to create the new Remote Sensing Satellite General Department. Three weeks ago, CASC signed an agreement with its fellow state-owned aerospace and defense company and contractor, the China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation (CASIC). The agreement calls for an increase in cooperation to bolster China's competitiveness in the international arena and foster the development of military and national strategic capabilities. The first launch of a Long March 11 from the Eastern Aerospace Port took place on June 5th, 2019which transported seven satellites to orbit. Another Long March 11 was launched for the first time from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center on Thursday, May 24th, which carried two technology-demonstrator satellites to orbit. The crews at are hoping to mount a second launch with the Long March 11 before the end of 2020, with an early launch possibility in the next few weeks. The site was also visited recently by Wang Xiaojun, the head of China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT), which is overseen by CASC, who indicated that they were making "substantial progress" on the facility. These and other advancements are part of China's evolving 14th Five Year Plan (2021-2025), which is expected to include the launch of all the components that will make up the Chinese Large Modular Space Station from 2021 to 2023. China also plans to send three sample-return missions (Chang'e-5, 6, and 7) to the Moon as part of the Chinese Lunar Exploration (Chang'e) program. Explore further China eyes July 20-25 launch for Mars rover Hollywood commemorated 9/11 Friday, on the 19th anniversary of the attacks. Amid a year filled with national crises including the coronavirus pandemic, heightened racial tensions and now wildfires raging across the US, several stars took a moment to remember the thousands of lives lost on September 11 2001. Actor Chris Pratt took to social media to mark the day, writing, 'May we honor the fallen with our continued defense of liberty, one nation, under God, indivisible. May we continually pursue a more perfect union. 'We will never forget': Chris Pratt was one of many stars that commemorated 9/11 on Friday, the 19th anniversary of the attacks 'And may we never forget, not only the fallen, but the values for which we stand, lest their death be in vain. #911 #september11 #unitedwestand' the Guardians of the Galaxy star added. Chris' tribute came alongside an image of the Manhattan skyline at night with two beams of light (Tribute in Light) shining up into the sky in the place where the two World Trade Center towers once stood. Over the image are the words 'We will never forget'. Hollywood remembers: The Guardians of the Galaxy star, as well as Reese Witherspoon, shared 9/11 tributes on social media 'Today we honor': Reese made a tribute post with an image of the 9/11 memorial at the base of where the World Trade Center towers stood before the attacks Honoring those we lost: Mark Wahlberg also shared an image of the Manhattan skyline and wrote a touching tribute Remember: Michelle Pfeiffer shared a message along with a snap of the twin towers before the attacks on September 11 2001 19 years: Bravo host Andy Cohen also shared a snap of the towers as they stood prior to the attacks The September 11 attacks were a series of four coordinated terrorist attacks by the Islamist terrorist group al-Qaeda against the United States on the morning of Tuesday, September 11, 2001. 2,977 people lost their lives at the trade center, at the Pentagon in Washington and near Shanksville, Pennsylvania. It is the single deadliest terrorist attack in human history. Reese Witherpoon also made a tribute post, writing, 'Today we honor and remember the fallen victims and heroes of 9/11. My thoughts are with all the families and friends who experienced unimaginable loss.' Looking forward: Justin Theroux posed with his dog under the Freedom Tower, One World Trade Center, which is the main building of the rebuilt World Trade Center complex Chills: Actress Kaley Cuoco encouraged people to go and visit the museum The Departed star Mark Wahlberg also shared a tribute to Instagram, writing, 'Today, we honor those we lost on 9/11 and all the first responders, including civilians, who risked their lives to help their fellow citizens. 'Let's try to remember that feeling of unity in our country during these difficult times. #UnitedWeStand #NeverForget.' Actress Michelle Pfeiffer posted a sunset snap of Manhattan with the Statue of Liberty in the foreground. Pfeiffer included a quote in her tribute, '"If we learn nothing else from this tragedy, we learn that life is short and there is no time for hate." - Sandy Dahl, wife of Jason Dahl, pilot of Flight 93. Love and light: Kim Kardashian shared a message to her Instagram stories on Friday while her sister Khloe urged 'may we never forget' Poignant: Reality star Teddi Mellencamp posted a transcript from the phone call from victim Brian Sweeney to his wife before the plane he was in hit the south tower of the WTC Looking up: Model Heidi Klum shared a black and white snap of the twin towers and wrote 'I love you New York City' 'We remember the innocent civilians and first responders who lost their lives on this horrific day 19 years ago.' the Batman Returns star wrote. Kim Kardashian shared a snap of the twin towers to her Instagram stories with the message, 'Never forget 9/11. Sending Love and Light to everyone today. Her sister Khloe shared a similar post which simply said, 'may we never forget' and '19 years later we remember'. New York residents Alec and Hilaria Baldwin also commemorated the day, just as they brought home newborn son Eduardo. Hilaria shared a photo of the family of seven snuggled up on the sofa as she wrote about teaching her children about the significance of 9/11. 'Teach peace and love': New York resident Hilaria Baldwin posted a message of positivity Next generation: The mother-of-five followed up with a family snap as she talked about telling her children about the significance of 9/11 United we stand: Singer Ciara shared a patriotic image of the American flag over a photo of the New York skyline with a simple '9.11' caption 'Yesterday, when we got home with Edu, after the initial wildness of meeting him, we watched a movie of their choice. Two tired parents, all of our Baldwinitos together...hearts full. 'Today we wake up to 9/11 and I think about my little New Yorkers, my little beings of this next generation. We talk to them about the significance of today, in different ways to each, as they are different ages. 'We remember, we mourn, and we honor. As their mother, I meditate on how I can raise them to make this planet more peaceful, more respected, and safer.' Modern Family actress Sarah Hyland, who was born in Manhattan, wrote about how people came together on 9/11. 'Innocent lives lost': Model Olivia Culpo paid tribute to the victims of the atrocity 'Never forget': Kelly Ripa shared a snap, presumably of the view from her NYC pad The 29-year-old actress, who would have been 10 at the time of the terrorist attacks, wrote, 'My heart is with my hometown today. Its with all the lives lost and their families, all of the first responders who fearlessly ran in to a building of uncertainty, and every single New Yorker that lived to tell that day. 'We came together not only as a city, but as a nation. We were united. I remember every single detail of September 11th. A day I will #neverforget'. Another New York native, Kerry Washington, told of her pride at how the city has overcome it's darkest days. 'I'm from New York. I was built by New York. I love New York. 9/11 is always a reminder to me why I love this city and what #NewYorkStrong actually means. This year more than ever this city has had to covercome so much & the people never fail to make me proud. #NeverForget' the Scandal star wrote. To New York: Anne Hathaway reflected on how the world changed on that day in 2001 'We came together': Sarah Hyland, who was born in Manhattan, remembered the tragic day and the lives lost 'New York strong': Another New Yorker, Kerry Washington, wrote about her love and pride for the city Around the country, some communities have canceled 9/11 commemorations because of the pandemic, while others are going ahead, sometimes with modifications. In New York, victims' relatives gathered Friday morning for split-screen remembrances, one at the September 11 memorial plaza at the World Trade Center and another on a nearby corner, set up by a separate 9/11-related organization. Memorial leaders said the change for the 19th anniversary of the attacks was a coronavirus-safety precaution. 'Take a moment to remember': Alex Rodriguez talked about the surreal events of that day in history European Economy Commissioner Paolo Gentiloni, Eurogroup President Paschal Donohoe, European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde, and European Stability Mechanism Managing Director Klaus Regling attend a news conference during the Informal Meeting of Ministers for Economics and Financial Affairs in Berlin, on Sept. 11, 2020. (Hannibal Hanschke/Reuters) Euro Zone Ministers Pledge Lasting Fiscal Support for Economy BERLINEuro zone finance ministers pledged continued fiscal support on Friday to get their economies running again after the COVID-19 crisis, chairman of the Eurogroup Paschal Donohoe said after they met in Berlin. At their first in-person meeting since February, finance ministers from the 19 countries that share the euro talked informally about the fiscal response to the pandemic that has savaged the European economy since March. There will be no sudden stop, no policy cliff-edge, and overall budgetary policy will continue to support the economy, Donohoe, who is Irelands finance minister, told a news conference after the meeting. Eurogroup President Paschal Donohoe attends a news conference during the Informal Meeting of Ministers for Economics and Financial Affairs in Berlin on Sept. 11, 2020. (Hannibal Hanschke/Reuters) While the ministers did not pledge any addition to the vast sums already promised to keep the economy going, they made clear there would not be fiscal tightening any time soon and that they would keep their foot on the accelerator as long as needed. European Union governments have already announced more than 3.7 trillion euros in various support measures for their economies since the pandemic started and the bloc has added another 1.3 trillion euros that could be tapped over time. The latter includes a recovery package of 750 billion euros in grants and loans that the EU as a whole will borrow on financial markets and spend over the next three years to boost growth. The package is now going through the European Parliament and is expected to be ready by Jan. 1. In total, government support in various forms is almost 36 percent of EU gross domestic product, on top of unprecedented European Central Bank support measures. This is boosting European public debt levels, but growth is now the ministers priority. Concerning the fiscal stance for 2021, given the current high level of uncertainty a premature withdrawal of support would put the fragile recovery in jeopardy, EU Economics Commissioner Paolo Gentiloni said. If we miscalculate the timing of this landing, we risk damaging the European economy. Ministers also expressed support for pushing forward with stalled projects such as the EUs banking union, which still lacks a common deposit guarantee scheme. The European Commission expects the EU economy to shrink by an unprecedented 8.3 percent in 2020 after 1.5 percent growth in 2019 because of the economic disruption caused by the pandemic. Nationals leader John Barilaro's abandoned threat to bring down the Berejiklian government over koala habitat protections was just the latest in a series of clashes involving environmental issues. National parks remain central to many of the spats, particularly between Mr Barilaro, who is also Deputy Premier, and Energy and Environment Minister Matt Kean who has pledged to expand the national park estate by 200,000 hectares, a target that will soon be surpassed. Frequent battles: NSW Environment Minister Matt Kean (left) has repeatedly clashed with Nationals leader and Deputy Premier John Barilaro. Credit:Janie Barrett The matters remain potential flashpoints even if Mr Barilaro loses his party leadership role after his backdown on Friday. Murray Valley National Park Amongst the UKs current Conservative Government, rhetorically invoking the body politic is common practice. For example, in 2019 Number 10 Special Advisor Dominic Cummings argued that a European reformist faction within the Tory party should be treated like a metastasising tumour and excised from the UK body politic while UK Prime Minister (PM) Boris Johnson deployed the metaphor as a means to characterize Parliament during Brexit as a blocked artery at the heart of the British body politic. In the same speech, Johnson suggested that said blockage was preventing the democratic delivery of the will of the people. Neither Cummings nor Johnson is a medical professional; yet they each speak knowingly of the body and its workings. In fact, they seem to share between them a common (mis)understanding of bodily health that they mobilize with dangerous effects as they do the work of international politics. In this blog post I demonstrate how particular, exaggeratedly masculinised, and outdated, enlightenment era and dualistic knowledge about bodies internalised by British elites and PM Johnson has reverberated around the body politic and materialises as policy responses to COVID-19 which individualise and blame particular bodies for failing to stay strong and protect the NHS to the very detriment of the health and thriving of the community of bodies comprising and indeed materialising as the collective body politic. As a metaphor, the body politic is a rhetorical device used to make political communities knowable and intelligible as a particular kind of human being. In this way alone, the thinking and practice of national and indeed global politics is already profoundly embodied, with the international system populated by these bodies politic and littered with body parts. As Stefanie Fishel has already highlighted, one can find bodies in the very words of IR: organs of the United Nations, the family of nations, and head of state (2017: 25). To add to the list of limbs we referred to regularly in international politics, did you know the word parliament refers to the feet? Then of course there is the public eye and the arm of the army while, during the COVID-19 pandemic the UKs National Health Service (NHS) has been (re)constructed as the heart of the British body politic. Bodies politic have all of these things and more and beyond; their limbs and organs are uniquely collective and profoundly embodied in the form of human beings. However, I expect Cummings and Johnson are unaware of metaphoricity: the power of metaphor through which the body politic entails the physical body underlying the body politic [1] [2] performatively materializing as such. Thus, what is written and known about the physical body in general, as common sense, plays out at the level of the body politic[3] [4] . Rosemary Shinko has made this connection well and explains clearly how particular this common-sense bodily knowledge comes to matter at this higher and collective level of embodiment: the body is the site around which and on which meaning is made and attached. This meaning reverberates throughout the entire body politic and thus the point is to provoke a struggle over the meaning and import of bodily enactments because writing the body is writing the ethico-political history of our present. (2010: 17) From Shinkos and indeed my perspective, the metaphor of the body politic comes to be with material effects according to the particularities of the body on which the materialising metaphor is based; thus, the particularities of the body at the source of the metaphor the body politic really matter. In 2005, Johnson, then editor of The Spectator magazine, referred to himself in a news article as a mere toenail in the body politic. Johnson was paraphrasing Shakespeares Coriolanus, wherein Shakespeare mobilizes his own background notion of a hierarchy of body members through an insult dished out by the character Senator Menenius at the end of the Act I (Mussloff, 2020: 26). Johnson called himself a toenail in response to criticism that he was combining politics and journalism by sitting as Member of Parliament (MP) for Henley upon Thames and being lined up for a front bench position while still sitting as editor of The Spectator. Certainly, as PM, Johnsons public and globally-facing body and image are imbued with state power coming to symbolize the formal institutions of the state he presides over as PM playing a vital role in re-shaping national identity and with material effects at the personal-local-national and international levels. State leaders masculine bodily prowess is a well examined trait of 20th- and 21st-century fascism and J.A. Mangan (1999 2014) has extensively chronicled the fetishization of the intensely masculinized body as a hallmark of the fascist state and governance. Meanwhile, Feminist International Relations scholarship has thoroughly traced how norms of exaggerated masculinity and other gendered discourse circulated through leaders body language and gait (see for example Dean 2002, Shepherd 2006) to inform, be projected on to, and shape state identity and international relations in gendered ways. However, as I detail in the following section, as the COVID-19 pandemic went on, not only did Johnson become more overtly bodily and macho-presenting himself but this logic about his own and other bodies and, most importantly, the body at the source of the metaphorical body politic reverberates around the body politic. These longer and stronger reverberations came to (re)shape and move bodies comprising the collective body politic, materializing and demonstrating the metaphoricity of the body politic and, in this case the unhealthy body at its source. The English Patient I dont particularly care for PM Johnson or anything he stands for but when I heard he had been transferred into St Thomas Hospitals intensive care unit (ICU) on 6th April, I was concerned. I felt on edge for the three nights he would spend in the ICU as if Johnson surviving or succumbing to the virus would have a significance beyond the addition of one more to the tally of survivors or victims. The updates from Number 10 were curt and daily: The Prime Ministers condition is stable and he remains in intensive care for close monitoring. He is in good spirits. (07/04/2020); The Prime Minister continues to make steady progress. He remains in intensive care. (08/04/2020). In the days following the PMs hospital admission, well wishes began to fly in. United States President Trump described Johnson in the past tense as a really good friend. Hes been really something very special. Strong. Resolute. Doesnt quit. Doesnt give up. Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab MP, by now standing in for Johnson, took it upon himself to reassure the nation, saying: Im confident hell pull through because if theres one thing I know about this Prime Minister: hes a fighter. The PMs aged father, Stanley Johnson, also weighed in: Boris is not just a classicist but a countryman and that will give him a lot of strength at this time. He is not just rus in urbe but rus in rus, meaning he is a countryman to bootOurs was not a household that had dinner parties, we were not hunting, shootingBoris was there, mucking in at all times. A part of the very person he is, optimistic, determined, resilient, came from this Exmoor valley. (Bhatia 2020) Here, Stanley Johnson connects his sons body to the very land of England, suggesting that Boriss rural upbringing makes him superiorly embodied then his urban counterparts and even those urbanites claiming to be of country stock the rus in urbe. In doing so, the elder Johnson and Boriss other well-wishers demonstrate their devotion to an exaggerated masculinity. However, their ideas about a correlation between hard work, fighting, and determination and COVID-19 recovery are misguided as theres not evidence of a correlation between work ethic, determination, and likelihood of recovering from the virus. PM Johnson did not speak to the press or send out any tweets from hospital. However, in the absence of any statement from the ailing PM, others attempted to speak for him, including his biographer Sonia Purnell: [H]e has a weird attitude to illness. He was intolerant of anybody who was ill. Until now, he has had a very robust constitution. He has never been ill until now, and this will be a huge shock to him. His outlook on the world is that illness is for weak people (Mendick and Yorke 2020) Former Secretary of State for Work and Pensions and current backbencher Sir Ian Duncan Smith released a similarly telling statement upon hearing the news, saying: I know him very well so I am deeply saddened really that it should come to this. He has obviously worked like mad to try and get through this but its not good enough so far. In fact, those claiming to know the PM project the same misguided bodily and medical knowledge on to the PM. Perhaps more troublingly, those close to Johnson appeared to be correct about the PMs views on the relationship between physical strength, vulnerability, and susceptibility to COVID-19. Meanwhile, inside St Thomas hospital, PM Johnson would, if conscious, be experiencing first-hand what it means to fight COVID-19. Particularly clear would be the collective nature of the effort required to keep Johnson alive, which also required the PM to give up any sense of control to those around him. In a July 17 New Yorker article on the realities of life inside a COVID-19 ward, Dr of Internal Medicine Ricardo Nuila described exactly how patients are treated and provides particular details on a procedure known as proning, which involves: carefully flipping an unconscious, paralyzed patient can require as many as six peoplenurses, assistants, therapists, and sometimes doctors, each gowned in [personal protective equipment]to coordinate their efforts, as though they are moving a large sculpture. On being discharged, the PM duly conceded that he did indeed, like all bodies, require substantial support from others in order to recover from COVID-19 and referenced what may well have been his own proning by nurses in the St Thomas ICU: the reason in the end my body did start to get enough oxygen was because for every second of the night they were watching and they were thinking and they were caring and making the interventions I needed. Quite. The notion of the independently sovereign body is a naive fiction inexcusable and rather dangerous for those in positions of power and influence to be espousing and bringing into being through policy and practice. Bodies rely existentially and ontologically on one another in order to first be to exist and then to be healthy. However, the PM emerged from the ICU even more steadfast in his commitment to exaggerated masculinity as prophylaxis. Moreover, continued reliance on Cartesian dualism and steadfast commitment to individualism attempt to force independent, sovereign, strong, masculinized, Leviathan bodies into existence. Further, the emphasis on this type of body has a moral dimension, wherein responsibility, like agency, is located in the apparently rational, bounded, individual who, as the sole master of their body, can then be blamed for having failed to stay strong. Prior to his positive COVID-19 diagnosis, Johnson did other things to indicate he shared his fathers and others beliefs. For example, Johnsons persistent hand-shaking, even with hospitalized COVID-19 patients during spring 2020, which continued even after the UK Governments own appointed Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) issued guidance against the act only reconfirms the PMs steadfast belief in at least keeping up appearances of strength. It was clear that Johnson wanted to be seen shaking hands and indeed was heard bragging about it afterwards to the press: I was at a hospital the other night where I think there were a few coronavirus patients and I shook hands with everybody, you will be pleased to know, and I continue to shake hands. As the pandemic went on and the UK Government were able to catch their breath in the post-peak lull of June and July, Johnsons bodily logic continued to prevail even and especially as it was found to have failed as the PMs campaign of pandemic hand-shaking demonstrates well. Indeed, by mid-July, the UK had the highest excess death rate in Europe and over 45,000 of those deaths had been attributed to COVID-19. However, coming to form the centrepiece of the UK Governments response to the first wave of the pandemic was not a relief package for the fledgling National Health Service or measures to tackle inequality (given how the virus exacerbated and afflicted the most deprived British communities the most severely), but a host of interventions into the individual physical bodies of those comprising the body politic. These interventions were aimed at exactly (re/dis)embodying the British populace in the image of the now slimmer and hegemonically and militarily masculinized PM. Where before, Johnson had seemingly cared little about his appearance, declaring Im fat! while speaking at an event about body positivity in 2006,[1] on his release from hospital the PM became more self-consciously bodily. Claiming in a post-ICU interview with the Mail on Sunday to be fit as a butchers dog Johnson went as far as asking do you want me to do some press-ups to show you how fit I am? before getting down on to his office floor to prove that he was over the virus by doing the exercise.[2] Johnsons personal experience and very body then came to provide the blueprint for a UK Government policy launched on Monday 27th July and hinted in the PMs 24th July interview with the BBCs Laura Kunessberg to mark his first year in office where he explains, using himself for reference, how being overweight can interfere with individuals ability to withstand the virus: One thing by the way that I think did make a difference and for me and for quite a few others is the issue of frankly being overweight and thats why we need to tackle our national struggle with obesity If were fitter and healthier and we lose weight well be better able to not only individually withstand the virus but well be better places to protect our NHS and thats why were bringing forward an obesity strategyWe will bounce back stronger than before. Johnsons logic here is unchanged, seeing that he failed to defeat the virus on his own because he was not fit and strong enough. However, the PMs reference to us and we in the above begins to hint at and expose the contradiction within dominant discourse and the inability of an individual such as Johnson himself to beat it alone, without help, and not from friends or family, but from the NHS, crucially. The official launch of the Better Health strategy the following day saw Johnson describing his body in detail in a promotional video, apparently filmed mid-dog walk and released on Twitter through the @BorisJohnson personal prime ministerial account rather than through @Number10 or a Government Department account or platform: Im more than a stone down Im only about five foot ten he tells the audience. Indeed the Better Health launch was framed very much as a personal and paternal message and instruction from the PM to the public and saw the UK executive moving from conservatism towards a more typically fascist fixation on the body of the leader and his post-COVID hyper-masculinization. During the week of the Better Health launch members of the cabinet appeared in public and were made visible following Johnsons advice to work on their bodies, with for example Health Secretary Matt Hancock doubling down on the PMs performance of press-ups for a photo shoot and multitasking by jogging while being interviewed by The Sun newspaper.[3] Further, and while being encouraged to Eat out to Help Out the UKs hospitality industry, the Better Health strategy focused on promoting weight loss via fitness and food-tracking programs. For example, under the Better Health strategy, the UK Government issued guidance for restaurants to begin listing the calories contained in each item listed on the menu, banning sweet displays at store checkouts and buy one, get one free promotions on crisps and chocolate and junk food adverts being shown on TV and online before 9PM.[4] Measures aimed at individuals are listed on the public facing Better Health website and include a host of resources and services including: online fitness programs and classes, free and paid apps for members of the public to download including Couch to 5K, a Food Scanner to check items for calories before purchase, a BMI calculator to track Body Mass Index, and various links to weight loss company sites and apps including Weight Watchers and Slimming World.[5] On top of this, the Government has specifically asked the overweight British public to lose five pounds in order to save the NHS one hundred million pounds. By forcing Johnsons body upon the British nation through a campaign of fat-shaming and by pressuring people to lose weight, the UK government equated weight loss with a moral responsibility to stay healthy and not use the NHS. Thus, the underlying aim of the Better Health strategy at the level of the body politic itself is to keep the next wave of COVID-19 infected bodies out of hospital beds and relieve the extra pressure on the NHS. Indeed, the case explored in this piece demonstrates the consequences of an outdated and unwell body lying at the source of the metaphorically materializing body politic as enlightenment era ideas about strong, sovereign, and individual bodies have re-shaped not only the PMs body but national Government policy and in turn the bodies comprising the collective body politic. With specific reference to the COVID-19 outbreak and responses to it globally, this is extremely pertinent as outdated ideas about what it means to be a strong, weak, and/or vulnerable bodies continue to circulate and shape policy responses to the pandemic as it endures. As immunologist Samantha Le Sommer attempted to clarify in a tweet responding to common explanations for why some bodies catch the virus on 30th March: Immunoscense & weak immune systems arent the same thing this idea of a weak immune system is a myth, its dysfunctional immune system. From the PMs very own (re/dis)embodiment through the spring and into the summer of 2020 through his diagnosis, hospitalization, and discharge, to the press-ups performed in public by a lighter Johnson telling the British public to lose 5 pounds in preparation for a second wave of COVID-19 and the launch of the UKs Better Health strategy what the responses to COVID-19 discussed in this post reveal is twofold. Firstly I have demonstrated that the persistence of outdated bodily metaphors used within policy circles to (mis)explain the threat of COVID-19 are acutely problematic at the level of the bodily health of the individuals as bodies including the PMs have been placed in danger by attempting to work on and through COVID-19 with a false sense of immunity conflated with exaggerated masculinity facilitating this. However, secondly, this post also underlines how the outdated and indeed unwell body at the source of the metaphor the body politic forcibly materializes, as an apparently strong and independent body politic that the COVID-19 pandemic reveals is actually inherently vulnerable and precarious unable and ill equipped to cope with COVID-19 and accordingly facing economic, social, and political crises of an entirely new order. Indeed, it is perhaps more important than ever to return to Michel Foucaults observation (1980: 58), that one needs to study what kind of body the current society needs especially as the COVID-19 death toll hovers at 65,000 at the time of writing and during the second wave those bodies deemed responsible for their own infection (the overweight) are being threatened with house arrest in the name of protecting the NHS and facilitating the continued flow of capital via the circulation of bodies deemed healthy and strong according to what has been found to be severely outdated criteria. Moreover, as the UKs not unique experience of the onset of COVID-19 demonstrates, the apparent Leviathan bodies materializing through such thinking are outdated and unfit for the purpose of facilitating good, supported lives and any local, national, let alone global thriving. Kandida Purnell is Assistant Professor of International Relations at Richmond, the American International University in London. Having previously published on the body politics of COVID-19, the Global War on Terror, war commemoration, and army/artist collaboration, Kandidas monograph Rethinking the Body in Global Politics is due for publication 1st April 2021 (Routledge Interventions). Kandida is also continuing to collaborate with Natasha Danilova and Emma Dolan on the Carnegie-funded War Commemoration, Military Culture, and Identity Politics in Scotland project while her solo research into Feeling COVID-19 and Bringing Bodies Back: Repatriation and War Performance within Forever War are ongoing.. Twitter: @KandidaPurnell Notes [1] See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OD_Gl96hzOM&feature=youtu.be. [2] The number of press ups Johnson completed is unknown and with many thanks to Benjamin Nutt for making me aware of this event. [3] See Sabey, 25/07/2020 [4] See Brown, 27/07/2020. [5] See https://www.nhs.uk/better-health/?WT.mc_ID=Google&gclid=CIq5ka6q9-oCFRVjGwod2F0BnA Works Cited BBC Politics. 15/11/2019. Parliament is like a blocked artery at the heart of the British body politic PM Boris Johnson says the majority of the UK can see that its time to deliver the will of the people and sort out Brexit, Tweet: https://twitter.com/BBCPolitics/status/1195323258242883584 Bhatia, Shekha, 07/04/2020. He is optimistic, determined and resilient: Boris Johnsons father Stanley believes PM has the strength to beat coronavirus as he reveals he is being kept in the dark about his sons condition, Mail Online, URL: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8197073/Boris-Johnsons-father-Stanley-believes-PM-strength-beat-coronavirus.html Brown, Faye. 27/07/2020. Overweight people told to lose 5lb to save NHS 100,000,000, Metro, URL: https://metro.co.uk/2020/07/27/overweight-people-told-lose-5lb-save-nhs-100000000-13041685/ Dean, Robert. D. 2002. Masculinity as Ideology: John F. Kennedy and the Domestic Politics of Foreign Policy, Diplomatic History, Vol22(1): 29-62. Fishel, Stefanie. R. 2017. The Microbial State: Global Thriving and The Body Politic, Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press. Fixter, Alyson. 16/11/2005. Boris: Times report fanciful, Press Gazette, URL: https://pressgazette.co.uk/boris-times-report-fanciful/ Hossein-Pour, Anahita. 27/03/2019. Vote Leave boss Dominic Cummings blasts Tory eurosceptics as metastasising tumour in call for new Brexit party, Politics Home, URL: https://www.politicshome.com/news/article/vote-leave-boss-dominic-cummings-blasts-tory-eurosceptics-as-metastasising-tumour-in-call-for-new-brexit-party Johnson, Boris. 27/03/2020. PM video message on coronavirus: 27 March 2020, gov.co.uk, URL: https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/pm-video-message-on-coronavirus-27-march-2020 Johnson, Boris. 16/04/2020. Prime Ministers statement on coronavirus (COVID-19): 16 March 2020, Gov.uk, URL: https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/pm-statement-on-coronavirus-16-march-2020 Johnson, Boris. 27/07/2020. Losing weight is hard but with some small changes we can all feel fitter and healthier. If we all do our bit, we can reduce our health risks and protect ourselves against coronavirus as well as taking pressure off the NHS. Our Better Health Strategy https://nhs.uk/better-health/, Twitter, URL: https://twitter.com/BorisJohnson/status/1287649130655997959 Kuenssberg, Laura. 07/04/2020. Coronavirus: Boris Johnson moved to intensive care as symptoms worsen, BBC News, URL: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-52192604 Le Sommer, Samantha. 30/03/2020. Immunoscense & weak immune systems arnt the same thing. Cytokine storms can occur in anyone, this idea of a weak immune sytem is a myth, its dysfunctional immune system. The only people who really have weak immune systes are those with severe genetic immunodeficencies, Tweet, URL: https://twitter.com/curexcomplex/status/1244636092848123904 Mason, Rowena. 05/05/2020. Boris Johnson boasted of shaking hands on day Sage warned not to, The Guardian, URL: https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/may/05/boris-johnson-boasted-of-shaking-hands-on-day-sage-warned-not-to Mendick, Robert and Yorke, Harry. 06/04/2020. The inside story of Boris Johnsons coronavirus battle, The Telegraph, URL: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2020/04/06/inside-story-boris-johnsons-coronavirus-battle/ Nuila, Ricardo. 17/07/2020. To Fight Coronavirus You Need An Army, The New Yorker, URL: https://www.newyorker.com/science/medical-dispatch/to-fight-the-coronavirus-you-need-an-army?utm_social-type=owned&utm_brand=tny&mbid=social_twitter&utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social OCarroll, Lisa. 06/04/2020. Iain Duncan Smith, a friend and colleague of the prime minister, has said he is shocked with the news. He has told the BBC, BBC Coronavirus Live blog, URL: https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2020/apr/06/coronavirus-live-news-boris-johnson-admitted-to-hospital-as-trump-again-touts-hydroxychloroquine?page=with:block-5e8b86348f08c35a1d11b2b6#block-5e8b86348f08c35a1d11b2b6 Office for National Statistics. 23/06/2020. Deaths involving COVID-19, England and Wales: deaths occurring in May 2020, ONS, URL: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/deaths/bulletins/deathsinvolvingcovid19englandandwales/deathsoccurringinmay2020 Sabey, Ryan. 25/07/2020. FIT FOR PURPOSE Matt Hancock works out with The Sun as he vows to get Britain in shape, The Sun, URL: https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/12225924/matt-hancock-works-out-britain-in-shape/ Schofield, Kavin and Honeycombe-Foster, Matt. 07/04/2020. Dominic Raab says he is confident that fighter Boris Johnson will beat the coronavirus, PoliticsHome, URL: https://www.politicshome.com/news/article/dominic-raab-says-he-is-confident-that-fighter-boris-johnson-will-beat-the-coronavirus Shaw, Neil. 27/07/2020. New food laws unveiled on Monday in bid to cut obesity, EssexLive, URL: https://www.essexlive.news/news/uk-world-news/new-food-laws-unveiled-monday-4366617. Shepherd, Laura. 2006. Veiled References: Constructions of Gender in the Bush Administration Discourse on the Attacks on Afghanistan post 9/11, International Feminist Journal of Politics, Vol. 8:1: 1941. Shinko, Rosemary. E. 2010. Ethics after Liberalism: Why (Autonomous) Bodies Matter, Millennium Journal of International Studies, Vol. 38(3): 1-23. Sibley, John. 28/07/2020. Fit as a butchers dog, UK PM does press ups to show coronavirus recovery, Reuters, URL: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-britain-johnson/fit-as-a-butchers-dog-uk-pm-does-press-ups-to-show-coronavirus-recovery-idUSKBN23Z0FB Trump, Donald. 07/04/2020. Remarks by President Trump, Vice President Pence, and Members of the Coronavirus Task Force in Press Briefing, Whitehouse.gov, URL: https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/remarks-president-trump-vice-president-pence-members-coronavirus-task-force-press-briefing-21/ Share this: Share Email Facebook Twitter Reddit Tumblr LinkedIn [view academic citations] [hide academic citations] Meet Our New Faculty Muhlenberg College welcomes six new full-time faculty members this fall. By: Kristine Yahna Todaro Thursday, September 10, 2020 00:16 PM Hailing from around the country as well as our home state, Muhlenberg's new educators and scholars bring a variety of experiences and areas of expertise. Gregory Collins, Assistant Professor of Business Collins is from Allentown and holds a Ph.D. in education policy analysis from the University of Pennsylvania and Masters degrees in business from Lehigh University, applied statistics from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, earth science from Penn State University and curriculum instruction from Kutztown University. His areas of study include organizational efficiency, school finance, and applied quantitative methods. Previously, Collins was an instructor of quantitative methods for education research at University of Pennsylvania and prior taught high school economics, physics, and earth science. Mark Emerick, Assistant Professor of Education Emerick is joining our tenure-track faculty following two years as a visiting assistant professor and a part-time lecturer in the Education Department since 2011. He has also been an adjunct instructor at Lehigh University and Temple University. Emerick has a M.Ed. in curriculum and instruction as well as a B.A. in English, both from Kutztown University. He completed his Ph.D. in Education with a concentration in Applied Linguistics from Temple in 2019. He began his career as a high school and middle school English as a Second Language (ESL) teacher in the Allentown School District. Joseph Helsing, Assistant Professor of Computer Science From Denton, Texas, Helsing was a lecturer in the Department of Computer Science at the University of North Texas, where he earned both his Ph.D. and M.S. in computer science and engineering. His B.A. in computer science is from Austin College. Helsings primary responsibility has been as an undergraduate instructor in computer science, computer engineering and information technology. He has been involved with course design and development for both in-person and asynchronous, online computer science courses. Jennifer Richardson, Lecturer of Biology Richardson, from Emmaus, has an M.S. in biology from Portland State University and a B.A. from the University of Virginia in sociology. She was previously an assistant professor and lead full-time faculty of anatomy and physiology courses at Northampton Community College, Monroe Campus. In addition, she has been an adjunct instructor of biology at NCCs main campus, Lehigh County Community College, Clark College in Vancouver, Washington, and Portland Community College in Oregon. Richardson is in the process of acquiring an NCC Diversity and Equity Certificate that involves inclusive approaches to teaching, retaining and supporting diverse student populations. Sarah Runcie, Assistant Professor of History Runcie joins Muhlenberg from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette where she was an assistant professor in the Department of History, Geography, and Philosophy. She earned her Ph.D. in African history from Columbia University where she also received an M.Phil. and M.A. in history, and an M.A. in health education. She also holds a Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service in international history from Georgetown University School of Foreign Service. Runcies research focuses on the entanglements of modern West and Central African history and global histories of medicine. Harry Simon Salazar, Assistant Professor of Media & Communication Simon Salazar, who joins the College from Southern California, has a Ph.D. in communication, an M.A. in Latin American studies and a B.A. in ethnic studies from the University of California, San Diego. His most recent appointment at UCSD was as lecturer in Latin American studies, co-designing and teaching the new Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion course, and lecturer and researcher in the Department of Communication, Methods of Media Production. Simon Salazar published the book Television, Democracy, and the Mediatization of Chilean Politics in 2018. About Muhlenberg College Founded in 1848, Muhlenberg is a highly selective, private, four-year residential, liberal arts college offering baccalaureate and graduate programs. With an enrollment of approximately 2,200 students, Muhlenberg College is dedicated to shaping creative, compassionate, collaborative leaders through rigorous academic programs in the arts, humanities, natural sciences and social sciences; selected preprofessional programs, including accounting, business, education and public health; and progressive workforce-focused post-baccalaureate certificates and masters degrees. Located in Allentown, Pennsylvania, approximately 90 miles west of New York City, Muhlenberg is a member of the Centennial Conference, competing in 22 varsity sports. Muhlenberg is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. A Department of Homeland Security watchdog has found that a Secret Service agent acted reasonably when he 'choke-slammed' a Time Magazine photographer during a Donald Trump campaign rally in 2016. The DHS inspector general has cleared Agent William Figueroa of wrongdoing after conducting a two-year investigation into the incident, which went viral at the time and sparked outrage among members of the press. Politico first reported on the conclusion of the investigation on Friday after obtaining documents from the federal agency through a Freedom of Information Act request that was submitted back in 2018. Video from the February 29, 2016, campaign event of then-presidential candidate Trump at Radford University in Virginia shows Time photographer Christoper Morris venturing out of a press pen to take pictures of Black Lives Matter protesters. The DHS inspector general has cleared Secret Service Agent William Figueroa of wrongdoing for choke-slamming Time photographer Christopher Morris in 2016 (pictured) Morris, 60, was covering a Trump rally in Virginia when he had some words with Figueroa after stepping out of the press pen. After being slammed onto a table, Morris briefly grabbed the agent by the throat Figueroa and Morris have a brief verbal exchange, during which the photographer tells the Secret Service agent, 'f*** you.' That is when Figueroa grabs Morris by the neck, lifts him in the air and slams him onto a table in a move resembling the pro-wrestling 'choke-slam' maneuver. Later in the video, Morris is seen kicking at the agent from a defensive position on the ground and then briefly grabbing him by the throat. During the investigation by the DHS Office of Inspector General, Figueroa denied that he intended to choke Morris, arguing that any contact with the photographer's throat was accidental. DHS officials interviewed witnesses and eight law enforcement training experts on the agent's use of the choke-slam move before concluding their investigation. 'We thus find that [the agents] use of force was reasonable based on the totality of the circumstances [and] was in keeping with USSS use of force policies and training tactics,' the watchdog office's report stated. In justifying Figueroa's use of force, the Office of Inspector General cited the fact that Morris was in possession of a camera that he might have used as a weapon. The DHS watchdog has concluded that Figueroa's use of force against the photojournalist was justified Morris and press advocates sharply criticized the findings outlined in the report, arguing that the use of the choke-slam was unjustified, and that the notion that a 60-year-old, 135-pound photographer could pose a threat to a 33-year-old Secret Service agent was laughable. 'In recent years theres been a disturbing pattern of some law enforcement agencies and some officers neither appreciating nor respecting the constitutionally protected role of the press,' Senator Patrick Leahy, a Democrat from Vermont who has long defended photojournalists. In his first public comments since the incident, Morris told Politico that the report from the DHS watchdog was riddled with inaccuracies, but he admitted that it could be in part due to the fact that on the advice of a Time lawyer, he declined to speak to the investigators. Then-candidate Donald Trump was speaking at Radford University in Virginia on February 29, 2016. The event attracted by BLM protesters 'They say I chest bumped him. I did not. I was stepping up to talk to him,' Morris said. 'He said, "What did you say to me?" I said, "F*** you! And he slams me. The only thing I did was I assaulted him with my voice.' He added, referring to Figueroa: 'this guy did not fear me. This guy hated me.' He also claimed that Figueroa was trying to physically block him from taking photos of protesters decrying Trump at the event. Neither Figueroa nor Morris were criminally charged in connection to the altercation, even though the photographer claimed that the lead Secret Service agent at the rally threatened him with 18 years in prison as he was being led away. Clinical studies have found that bone mineral density in patients with anxiety or depression is lower than in ordinary people. The brain, commander of the body, receives and processes external signals, and then sends instructions to peripheral bones. But how does anxiety induce a decline in bone mineral density? Researchers from the Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology (SIAT) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and their collaborators now have an answer. They found that a central neural circuit from the forebrain to the hypothalamus mediates chronic stress-induced bone loss via the peripheral sympathetic nervous system. Their study was published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation on September 10. The researchers found that isolation can significantly increase anxiety levels, thus inducing bone loss in human subjects. Biochemical analysis showed that prolonged isolation increases the concentration of norepinephrine and decreases osteogenic markers in serum. These changes were consistent with the observation of elevated anxiety and reduced bone formation in subjects. In order to identify the neural mechanism underlying chronic stress-induced bone loss, the research team used a mouse model where mice were subjected to unpredictable chronic mild stress. They found that after four to eight weeks of chronic stress, the mice displayed significant anxiety behaviors. The bone mineral density of the mice in the stress group was significantly lower than in the control group. These results confirmed the correlation between stress-induced anxiety and bone loss in experimental animals, and provided a good animal model for follow-up neural mechanism analysis. Through extensive experiments, researchers identified a population of inhibitory neurons expressing somatostatin in the brain nucleus that are known as the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) in the forebrain. These neurons were activated when animals showed anxiety behaviors and transmitted "anxiety" information to the neurons in the ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH). "Activating the BNST-VMH neural circuit can simultaneously induce anxiety-like behaviors and generate bone loss in the mice, whereas inhibition of this circuit can prevent stress-induced anxiety and bone loss at the same time," said Prof. YANG Fan from SIAT, the co-first and co-corresponding author of the study. Furthermore, the researchers discovered that glutamatergic neurons in nucleus tractus solitaries (NTS) and the sympathetic system were employed to regulate stress-induced bone loss. "This study provides a new perspective for the systematic study of the regulatory mechanism of brain homeostasis on metabolism and endocrine function of the body in special environments," said Prof. WANG Liping, Director of the Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute of SIAT. ### FILE PHOTO: Cars are parked in the courtyard of Skoda Auto's factory as the company restarts production after shutting down last month due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Mlada Boleslav PRAGUE (Reuters) - Volkswagen's Czech unit Skoda Auto plans to shift production of some high-earning models to other VW group plants in other countries, the carmaker's trade union boss said in an article on Thursday. A Skoda spokeswoman declined to comment. Skoda is the central European country's biggest exporter, but its success has sometimes caused friction within Volkswagen, whose labour boss has accused it of cannibalising sales. Jaroslav Povsik, Skoda's trade union chairman and supervisory board member, said the company planned to move production of the luxury Skoda Superb and SUV Skoda Kodiaq to Slovakia and Germany respectively, while another SUV, Seat brand's Ateca, was set to go to Spain. "Isn't this campaign against Skoda enough? Do we have to strip Skoda of all that is good and excellent that we have now?" Povsik said in a front-page article in the union's weekly bulletin, Skodovacky Odborar. "We will fight on all fronts - in the press, with the government, via the public, at Volkswagen, everywhere," he said. Last year, Skoda made 29,298 Superbs, 101,586 Kodiaqs and 98,370 Seat Atecas at its plants in the Czech Republic. Globally, the company delivered 1.24 million cars in 2019, with China and Germany as its top markets. Like other carmakers, Skoda is battling to get back from shutdowns due to the coronavirus crisis and now faces uncertainty over demand. Volkswagen group Chief Executive Herbert Diess told Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ) in July that Skoda - one of VW's 12 brands - needed to do more to compete with South Korean and French rivals. (Reporting by Robert Muller; editing by Philippa Fletcher) GRAND RAPIDS, MI A 16-year-old has been charged as an adult in the non-fatal shooting of a 12-year-old boy. The drive-by shooting happened Monday, Sept. 7, during what police call an unprecedented summer of violence. Willie Lee Bledsoe, 16, was arraigned Thursday, Sept. 9, in Grand Rapids District Court on charges of assault with intent to commit great-bodily harm, firearms discharge from a vehicle causing injury and receiving and concealing a stolen vehicle, Grand Rapids police said. He is also a suspect in other crimes in Kent County involving stolen vehicles and business break-ins, police said. The shooting happened Monday evening near Calvin Avenue SE and Adams Street, police said. Police say it stemmed from an earlier altercation but did not say if the boy was targeted. Police are concerned about frequent shootings this summer. Homicides are up. So far, 22 people have been killed this year, surpassing last years 17. Police have solved 80 percent of the homicides this year. Our solve rate and this recent arrest (in the 12-year-olds shooting) are a testament to the work our officers continue to do in our community and our commitment to holding criminals accountable, Police Chief Eric Payne said in a statement. Police have responded to 474 reports of gunshots through June. Last year there were 871 reports of gunshots, which was a 28-percent increase over 2018. Much of the gun violence we are seeing is the result of inter-group conflict individuals who are seeking street justice against someone they have had a prior confrontation with, Payne said. In other words, these crimes are not random. Payne said police and the community need to build on mutual trust and respect to prevent and solve crimes. This has been a challenging year with COVID-19, Payne said. Our community just like so many across the country has been hit by job losses, a sense of isolation among some residents and other disruptive impacts to our day-to-day lives. We know this can translate to an uptick in crime. However, we remain committed to partnering with the community to make Grand Rapids the safest mid-sized city. He said everyone should be concerned about gun violence. He plans to seek funding for a gun buy-back program through the citys Safe Alliances for Everyone (SAFE) Task Force. Its very concerning to me and its the reason I am implementing neighborhood-based policing and stepping up our patrol efforts. This violence has touched practically every segment of our city, and we are not alone this surge in crime is a national trend. He said that using a Cure Violence or similar program in neighborhoods could help address systemic issues in historically marginalized neighborhoods, often caused by factors related to adverse socio-economic conditions. Read more: Coronavirus brings troubled times for youth, increase in gun violence, other crimes Police need to keep opposing protest groups separated, experts say after Proud Boys rally Kalamazoo police release videos from Proud Boys protest to the public The two sides shared views on the positive progress in ASEAN-New Zealand cooperation over the past 45 years since their dialogue relationship, especially in five years from the formation of their strategic partnership. ASEAN foreign ministers spoke highly of New Zealand maintaining regular high-level visits and ASEAN-New Zealand dialogue as well as the countrys support and cooperation for ASEANs peace and security. Both sides emphasised their commitment to further strengthening partnership cooperation for full and effective implementation of the ASEAN-New Zealand Action Plan 2016-2020 and the two key strategies of "The people" and "Prosperity". The ASEAN-New Zealand Ministerial Meeting was held online within the framework of the 53rd ASEAN Ministerial Meeting (AMM-53) and related meetings. (Photo: VNA) ASEAN continues working closely with New Zealand as well as the international community in the overall post-COVID-19 recovery plan, while getting ready for future public health crises. ASEAN foreign ministers appreciated New Zealand's support for the ASEAN COVID-19 Response Fund. They also welcome New Zealand for contributing 37 million NZD to the Global Partnership Project to enhance access to COVID -19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator, and 7 million NZD to the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI), thereby supporting fair and transparent distribution of COVID-19 vaccines. Addressing the event, Vietnamese Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Quoc Dung highly valued New Zealand's efforts in curbing the COVID-19 pandemic, expressing his hope the country will share its experience and practical lessons in fighting the disease and support ASEAN in its post-pandemic recovery plan. ASEAN's highest priority now is economic stability, Dung said, emphasising ASEAN and New Zealand need to strengthen cooperation and upgrade the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement, towards the signing of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP). Dung also praised New Zealand for granting 6 million NZD to the initiative on building capacity for the Mekong Research Institute and 5.5 million NZD to dam safety in Vietnam, thus improving disaster risk management. Regarding international and regional situation, Dung thanked New Zealand for supporting ASEAN's efforts in maintaining and promoting peace, stability, maritime security and safety, and freedom of navigation and aviation in the East Sea. ASEAN's principled stance is clear and consistent, Dung underlined, requesting the parties to enhance trust, refrain from the acts that further complicate the situation and from militarisation, and settle disputes in line with international law, including the 1982 UNCLOS. ASEAN commits to fully and effectively implementing the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) and negotiating for the early finalisation of an effective and practical Code of Conduct in the East Sea./. On this 9/11 anniversary, these are the top stories from select sources around the world. Analysis: Trumps historic dereliction of duty laid bare It matters who the president is. Millions of lives and livelihoods depend on the person in the Oval Office whatever their party or ideology. But President Donald Trump as he devastatingly revealed in his own voice to Bob Woodward met the great crisis of his age with ineptness, dishonesty and an epic dereliction of duty. This is what the Bay Areas skies looked like today during the wildfires The Bay Area in California awoke Wednesday to a scene straight out of Mars. Bollywood actress arrested on alleged drug offenses following media firestorm over famous boyfriends death A Bollywood actress has been arrested on alleged drugs offenses in the latest development of an ongoing celebrity saga that has transfixed the Indian public and dominated headlines for months. Whistleblower alleges top Trump appointees abused authority by telling officials to alter intelligence to match Trump claims A whistleblower is alleging that top political appointees in the Department of Homeland Security repeatedly instructed career officials to modify intelligence assessments to ensure they matched up with misleading public comments from President Donald Trump about Antifa and anarchist groups, according to documents reviewed by CNN and a source familiar with the situation. Pretty cool. Right? Unfiltered moments from Trumps 18 interviews with Bob Woodward Author and veteran journalist Bob Woodward conducted 18 interviews with President Donald Trump for his new book, Rage. The wide-ranging conversations are a fascinating glimpse behind the scenes. White House and Trump campaign scramble to respond to Woodward revelations Journalist Bob Woodwards new book Rage sent shockwaves across Washington on Wednesday that left the White House, Trump campaign and congressional Republicans scrambling to react to revelations that President Donald Trump concealed what he knew early on about how dangerous and deadly the coronavirus was. A magical force: New Trump-Kim letters provide window into their special friendship Bob Woodwards new book Rage provides a fascinating window into one of the strangest diplomatic relationships of the 21st century between President Donald Trump and North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un. Woodward gained access to 25 never-before-seen letters Trump exchanged with Kim, and CNN obtained transcripts of two of the letters. Serena Williams reaches US Open semifinals after rallying against Tsvetana Pironkova A fellow mom gave Serena Williams all she could handle at the US Open but it was the legendary American who battled to another comeback win to keep her hopes of tallying a record 24th Grand Slam title alive. Ukrainian church leader who called Covid-19 Gods punishment for same-sex marriage tests positive for virus Patriarch Filaret, head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church Kiev Patriarchate, made headlines in March when he told a Ukrainian TV channel that the Covid-19 pandemic was Gods punishment for the sins of men, the sinfulness of humanity. Coronavirus update: Latest news from around the world Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden said it is disgusting and almost criminal that US President Donald Trump knew of the serious risk posed by the coronavirus in February and then downplayed its threat in March. Wildlife in catastrophic decline, report warns Wildlife populations have fallen by more than two-thirds in less than 50 years, according to a major report by the conservation group WWF. The report says this catastrophic decline shows no sign of slowing. And it warns that nature is being destroyed by humans at a rate never seen before. George Bizos: Anti-apartheid lawyer who defended Mandela dies aged 92 After the end of white minority rule, Mr Bizos helped to write South Africas new constitution, and represented families of anti-apartheid activists who had been killed during apartheid at the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. How Sudans rebel deal offers lifeline for peace Sudans peace agreement signed last week finally promises to end the devastating wars in Darfur, South Kordofan and Blue Nile that have cost hundreds of thousands of lives, but as Alex de Waal and Edward Thomas explain, it comes with a huge price tag . World vaccine delivery will need 8,000 jumbo jets Shipping a coronavirus vaccine around the world will be the largest transport challenge ever according to the airline industry. The equivalent of 8,000 Boeing 747s will be needed, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) has said. There is no Covid-19 vaccine yet, but IATA is already working with airlines, airports, global health bodies and drug firms on a global airlift plan. Lucid Air finally unveils what that 517-mile battery range will cost you The long-awaited Lucid Air electric sedan is finally here. At a virtual event Wednesday evening the Air was introduced as a premium, powerful EV to take on Teslas Model S even though the companys CEO told us earlier this year he definitely doesnt consider Lucid a Tesla killer. How freakish weather just came alive in the West Over Labor Day weekend, the National Weather Service posted footage of a parade of tumbleweeds vigorously blowing through Idaho. In much of the Western U.S., the weather has been extreme and fiery over the last few days. The $80,000 Lucid Air: Itll be nice when we can drive it Lucid they may be, but theyre not exactly transparent. The buzzworthy Bay Area car company, which makes engines for electric Formula One racing, appears to have leapfrogged Elon Musks line of Tesla electric cars. The Lucid Air EV unveiled in a Wednesday afternoon livestream (and finally price-tagged at $80,000) has an EPA-reported range of 517 miles, instantly turning the 400-mile-range Tesla Model S into yesterdays news. FaZe Clan, Jeffree Star, and MrBeast received coronavirus relief loans A number of high-earning online figures received federal relief loans designated for helping small businesses to get through the pandemic, including MrBeast, Jeffree Star, and FaZe Clan. Companies belonging to YouTubers MrBeast and Jeffree Star were approved for Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans this spring, per ProPublicas searchable database. Netflixs The Social Dilemma clip offers an unsettling look into how closely were tracked online Stories about social media privacy breaches and user data being pinched during massive hacks are pretty much ten a penny these days. But if those havent been enough to put you off ever doing anything on the internet again, Netflixs new documentary The Social Dilemma is here to really send you running. Immense Dune trailer takes us to the desert planet Arrakis The planet Arrakis is in for quite a shake-up. The first trailer for the upcoming sci-fi movie Dune, adapted from the 1965 novel by Frank Herbert, is an impressive and immense-feeling look at the first of two parts of the space epic. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Budi Sutrisno (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, September 11, 2020 16:19 497 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c44498a8 1 World KOICA,UNDP,Indonesia,Timor-Leste,electricity,solar-power,water-access,clean-water-project,clean-water,COVID-19,renewable-energy Free The Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), in collaboration with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), has launched a US$18 million project to provide access to solar power and clean water in remote parts of Indonesia and Timor-Leste. The four year project, called ACCESS (Accelerating Clean Energy Access to Reduce Inequality), was funded by KOICA and will benefit about 20,000 people living in the targeted areas of the two countries. KOICA Indonesia country director Jeong Hoe Jin said the agency was committed to completing the project to ensure access to clean energy and tackle the issue of energy inequality. Under the framework of South-South and Triangular Cooperation between Timor-Leste and Indonesia, we will work with the governments of the two countries to create common goals so that the project can make meaningful progress, he said in a statement on Thursday. UNDP Indonesia acting chief representative Sophie Kemkhadze said the project would change the lives of thousands of people in remote areas of Eastern Indonesia and Timor-Leste who did not have access to reliable or affordable electricity. This project exemplifies the commitment of UNDP, together with KOICA, to reach out to the most deprived populations and reduce inequalities, Kemkhadze said. It is also a climate action, with clean and renewable electricity generated from solar panels, she added. Read also: RI, UNDP, South Korean aid agency launch solar power plant project in four provinces More than 10 million Indonesians and some 37,000 families in Timor-Leste lack access to reliable electricity. In Indonesia, ACCESS will reach 23 villages in West Sulawesi, Southeast Sulawesi, East Nusa Tenggara and Central Kalimantan through the construction off-grid solar-PV power plants with a total capacity of 1.2 MWs. In Timor Leste, the program aims to reach 25 villages in the municipalities of Dili, Manatuto and Bobonaro through the deployment of about 1,000 high-efficiency solar-PV lamps and 10 solar-PV water pumps to provide clean water access. Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry renewable energy and energy conservation director general FX Sutijastoto commended the project, noting that ACCESS would support the governments efforts to accelerate electricity development in remote areas. This is a strategy to promote new and renewable energy development in line with Indonesias target to increase the share of renewables in the national energy mix to 23 percent by 2025, he said. He added that the directorate general was committed to developing technical cooperation with Timor-Leste. Timor-Leste State Administration Minister Miguel Pereira de Carvalho said electricity should no longer be considered a luxury but rather a basic need for citizens in both urban and rural areas. Read also: From colonial rule to Jokowi administration, clean water is still not for all It is a great pride to see electric power development underway in Timor-Leste. I would like, on behalf of the government of Timor Leste, to thank KOICA for the spectacular gesture of solidarity for the people of Timor-Leste through this outstanding initiative, he said. KOICA Timor-Leste country director Kim Sikhyun said ACCESS would benefit both the citizens of Timor-Leste and the countrys diplomatic relations. ACCESS is a meaningful and timely project for Timor-Leste, contributing to peoples welfare in the country, Kim said. Internationally, this project will be a small stepping stone to heal the history of the past and enhance the friendly relations between Timor-Leste and Indonesia. Also, I hope this can be a catalyst for Timors long-cherished wish to join ASEAN. UNDP Timor-Leste chief representative Munkhtuya Altangerel said communities in the most remote and deprived areas of Timor-Leste had faced persistent challenges in accessing electricity and clean water over the past years due to climate change. The project, she said, would provide timely support to the people living in remote parts of the country, especially during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, where hygiene and sanitation were crucial. Alexander Soule / Its been a while since Wilton was hit with the massive power outages and road closures brought by Tropical Storm Isaias, but if that proved anything, its disasters like that can be right around the corner. To help people better prepare, Wiltons police and fire departments will join with Wilton Library in a Zoom presentation, Disaster Preparedness: Plan Ahead, from 5 to 6 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 17. Investors can contact the law firm at no cost to learn more about recovering their losses LOS ANGELES, Sept. 10, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Portnoy Law Firm advises Encore Capital Group, Inc. ("Encore" or the "Company") (NYSE: ECPG) investors that the firm has initiated an investigation into possible securities fraud, and may file a class action on behalf of investors. Investors are encouraged to contact attorney Lesley F. Portnoy , by phone 310-692-8883 or email : lesley@portnoylaw.com, to discuss their legal rights, or click here to join the case via www.portnoylaw.com . The Portnoy Law Firm can provide a complimentary case evaluation and discuss investors options for pursuing claims to recover their losses. The investigation focuses on whether Encore issued misleading and/or false statements and/or failed to disclose information pertinent to investors. On September 8, 2020 a complaint was filed by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau ("CFPB") against Encore and its subsidiaries. It is alleged in this complaint that the Encore violated a consent order "by suing consumers without possessing required documentation, using law firms and an internal legal department to engage in collection efforts without providing required disclosures, and failing to provide consumers with required loan documentation after consumers requested it." Shares of Encore fell sharply over the next two trading sessions based on this news. Please visit our website to review more information and submit your transaction information. The Portnoy Law Firm represents investors in pursuing claims arising from corporate wrongdoing. The Firms founding partner has recovered over $5.5 billion for aggrieved investors. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes. Lesley F. Portnoy, Esq. Admitted CA and NY Bar lesley@portnoylaw.com 310-692-8883 www.portnoylaw.com Attorney Advertising Regular church attendance lowers chances of 'deaths from despair': Harvard study Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment A study of the well-being of healthcare workers in the United States found that those who regularly attend worship services are at a lower risk of deaths related to alcohol, drugs, or suicide, collectively known as deaths from despair. Researchers with the T. H. Chan School of Public Health at Harvard University had a study published last week in the journal JAMA Psychiatry titled Religious Service Attendance and Deaths Related to Drugs, Alcohol, and Suicide Among US Health Care Professionals. The research drew from a sample of 66,492 female registered nurses via the Nurses Health Study II of 2001-2017 and 43,141 male healthcare professionals drawn from the Health Professionals Follow-up Study from 1988-2014. According to the researchers, women who attended religious services at least once per week had a 68% lower hazard of death from despair compared to peers who did not, while men who attended worship at least once a week had a 33% lower hazard compared to men who never attended. this study suggests that religious service attendance was associated with lower risk of deaths from despair among both men and women, accounting for a wide range of potential confounders (including other aspects of social integration), stated the Discussion section of the study. Findings of this study were congruent with previous evidence suggesting that religious service attendance was inversely associated with all-cause mortality and various factors associated with despair positively associated with psychosocial well-being outcomes, such as greater purpose in life and often more strongly associated with subsequent health compared with other aspects of social integration. In noting its limitations, the researchers cautioned that their study examined a section of the country with higher than average educational background and that other religious practices were not considered. The convergence of shared beliefs and enhanced social connection may be associated with health benefits, the researchers added. However, other aspects of religious involvement also merit investigation, especially for religious traditions that do not convene congregational meetings on a regular basis. They also noted that for religiously unaffiliated individuals, other avenues of social integration may likewise be pursued. Although the magnitude of health associations may not be as substantial, other forms of social integration are also associated with health and well-being, they added. Ying Chen of Harvards Institute for Quantitative Social Science and lead author of the study, told The Harvard Gazette that the results were especially striking amidst the present COVID-19 pandemic. They are striking in part because clinicians are facing such extreme work demands and difficult conditions, and in part because many religious services have been suspended. We need to think what might be done to extend help to those at risk for despair, said Chen. Over the past several years, several studies have been published indicating mental and physical health benefits for individuals who regularly attend worship services. In 2018, researchers with the University of Texas at San Antonio found that people who attend religious services and pray often typically sleep better than their less religious peers. More religious adults in particular tend to exhibit healthier sleep outcomes than their less religious counterparts, explained the Abstract of the study, which was published by Sleep Health: Journal of the National Sleep Foundation. This general pattern can be seen across large population-based studies using a narrow range of religion measurements and sleep outcomes. On September 11, 2020, this report was posted online as an MMWR Early Release. Reports suggest that children aged 10 years can efficiently transmit SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) (1,2). However, limited data are available on SARS-CoV-2 transmission from young children, particularly in child care settings (3). To better understand transmission from young children, contact tracing data collected from three COVID-19 outbreaks in child care facilities in Salt Lake County, Utah, during April 1July 10, 2020, were retrospectively reviewed to explore attack rates and transmission patterns. A total of 184 persons, including 110 (60%) children had a known epidemiologic link to one of these three facilities. Among these persons, 31 confirmed COVID-19 cases occurred; 13 (42%) in children. Among pediatric patients with facility-associated confirmed COVID-19, all had mild or no symptoms. Twelve children acquired COVID-19 in child care facilities. Transmission was documented from these children to at least 12 (26%) of 46 nonfacility contacts (confirmed or probable cases). One parent was hospitalized. Transmission was observed from two of three children with confirmed, asymptomatic COVID-19. Detailed contact tracing data show that children can play a role in transmission from child care settings to household contacts. Having SARS-CoV-2 testing available, timely results, and testing of contacts of persons with COVID-19 in child care settings regardless of symptoms can help prevent transmission. CDC guidance for child care programs recommends the use of face masks, particularly among staff members, especially when children are too young to wear masks, along with hand hygiene, frequent cleaning and disinfecting of high-touch surfaces, and staying home when ill to reduce SARS-CoV-2 transmission (4). Contact tracing* data collected during April 1July 10, 2020 through Utahs National Electronic Disease Surveillance System (EpiTrax) were used to retrospectively construct transmission chains from reported COVID-19 child care facility outbreaks, defined as two or more laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 cases within 14 days among staff members or attendees at the same facility. EpiTrax maintains records of epidemiologic linkage between index patients and contacts (defined as anyone who was within 6 feet of a person with COVID-19 for at least 15 minutes 2 days before the patients symptom onset) and captures data on demographic characteristics, symptoms, exposures, testing, and the monitoring/isolation period. A confirmed case was defined as receipt of a positive SARS-CoV-2 real-time reverse transcriptionpolymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test result. A probable case was an illness with COVID-19compatible symptoms, epidemiologically linked to the outbreak, but with no laboratory testing. For this report, the index case was defined as the first confirmed case identified in a person at the child care facility, and the primary case was defined as the earliest confirmed case linked to the outbreak. Pediatric patients were aged <18 years; adults were aged 18 years. Persons with confirmed or probable child care facilityassociated COVID-19 were required to isolate upon experiencing symptoms or receiving a positive SARS-CoV-2 test result. Contacts were required to quarantine for 14 days after contact with a person with a confirmed case. Facility attack rates were calculated by including patients with confirmed and probable facility-associated cases (including the index patient) in the numerator and all facility staff members and attendees in the denominator. Overall attack rates include facility-associated cases (including the index case) and nonfacility contact (household and nonhousehold) cases in the numerator and all facility staff members and attendees and nonfacility contacts in the denominator; the primary case and cases linked to the primary case are excluded. During April 1July 10, Salt Lake County identified 17 child care facilities (day care facilities and day camps for school-aged children; henceforth, facilities) with at least two confirmed COVID-19 cases within a 14-day period. This report describes outbreaks in three facilities that experienced possible transmission within the facility and had complete contact investigation information. A total of 184 persons, including 74 (40%) adults (median age = 30 years; range = 1978 years) and 110 (60%) children (median age = 7 years; range = 0.216 years), had a known epidemiologic link to one of these three facilities with an outbreak; 54% were female and 40% were male. Among these persons, 31 confirmed COVID-19 cases occurred (Table 1); 18 (58%) cases occurred in adults and 13 (42%) in children. Among all contacts, nine confirmed and seven probable cases occurred; the remaining 146 contacts had either negative test results (50; 27%), were asymptomatic and were not tested (94; 51%) or had unknown symptoms and testing information (2; 1%). Among the 101 facility staff members and attendees, 22 (22%) confirmed COVID-19 cases (10 adult and 12 pediatric) were identified (Table 2), accounting for 71% of the 31 confirmed cases; the remaining nine (29%) cases occurred in contacts of staff members or attendees. Among the 12 facility-associated pediatric patients with confirmed COVID-19, nine had mild symptoms, and three were asymptomatic. Among 83 contacts of these 12 pediatric patients, 46 (55%) were nonfacility contacts, including 12 (26%) who had confirmed (seven) and probable (five) COVID-19. Six of these cases occurred in mothers and three in siblings of the pediatric patients. Overall, 94 (58%) of 162 contacts of persons with facility-associated cases had no symptoms of COVID-19 and were not tested. Staff members at two of the facilities had a household contact with confirmed or probable COVID-19 and went to work while their household contact was symptomatic. These household contacts represented the primary cases in their respective outbreaks. Tourists visiting the Maldives often take advantage of their time there to see the whale sharks common to the region. However, this tourist got a particularly close-up view of the species, the largest fish in the sea. Rizkhan Mohamed of Shadow Palm Tours in the Maldives captured the footage during an underwater excursion with tourists to the area, first posting it to social media on March 7. National Geographic notes that while whale sharks may be massive, the filter feeders are docile and even occasionally allow swimmers to hitch a ride. Credit: shadowpalmmaldives via Storyful Washington: US Vice President Joe Biden has singled out Pakistan along with Russia and North Korea and others for making counterproductive moves that only heightened the risk of nuclear weapons being used in a regional conflict. Not just North Korea, but Russia, Pakistan, and others have made counterproductive moves that only increase the risk that nuclear weapons could be used in a regional conflict in Europe, South Asia, or East Asia, Biden said in his remarks on nuclear security. Working with the Congress, the next administration will have to navigate these dangers and continue leading the global consensus to reduce the role of nuclear weapons in our world, Biden said a week before the end of eight years of the Obama administration. Nuclear weapons, the proliferation of this deadly knowledge to more nations, and the possibility of a terrorist obtaining nuclear materials, remain among the most pressing security challenges, he said. Even one nuclear bomb can still cause hideous damage. Thats why, from the moment President Obama and I took office eight years ago, reducing the threat of a nuclear attack has been a chief national security priority, he said adding that thanks to Americas leadership, the international community is newly focused on preventing nuclear terrorism. We know that terrorists have both the capacity and the goal of transforming nuclear materials into weapons to sow havoc. And we know that no nation acting alone can defeat this threat, he said. Referring to the series of steps taken by the Obama administration in last eight years, Biden said these efforts have reduced the supply of nuclear weapons-usable material. And weve not only stepped up the physical protection of facilities where nuclear materials are stored weve greatly improved our ability to detect and seize unregulated nuclear and radiological materials being smuggled in secret, he said. Biden said as North Koreas nuclear and ballistic missile capabilities continue to expand, it poses a growing threat to international security and our own national defense. Thats why weve been so vigilant in keeping the international community united to raise the costs on North Korea for its flagrant violations of nuclear norms, he said. Just last year, in response to two illegal nuclear tests by North Korea, the United Nations Security Council including China and Russia unanimously adopted two resolutions imposing the most far-reaching and comprehensive sanctions on North Korea to date, he said and called for enforcing these sanctions to ensure North Korea understands that we will continue to impose costs for their illegal behaviour. North Koreas growing capability is one of the most significant challenges the next administration will face. There are no simple solutions. But any viable path forward must include standing with our Asian allies to send a clear message to Pyongyang: Attempts at coercion or intimidation will fail, Biden said. Security and international respect cannot be attained through illegal weapons. And as long as that is the choice North Koreas leaders continue to make, their country will remain economically isolated and an international pariah, he said. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. On August 31st, US Army veteran Ronnie McNutt took his own life while streaming live on Facebook. The stream has since been taken down, but not before the video was reposted and shared on other sites, ultimately going viral on TikTok earlier this week. Combine Facebooks inability to stop the stream and TikToks struggle with viral content, and its clear that their efforts at stopping harmful content from spreading isnt working. The issue originated with Facebook, according to McNutts friend Josh Steen, who is currently leading a #ReformForRonnie campaign to hold social media companies accountable. Steen told Snopes that he had reported the livestream to Facebook while McNutt was still very much alive, but did not hear back from the company until it was too late. Even then, he received an automated response that stated the video did not violate community standards. Ronnie had been deceased for almost an hour and a half when I got the first notification from Facebook that they werent going to take down the video [...] what the hell kind of standards is that? Steen told Snopes. Earlier this week, Facebook issued the following statement: We removed the original video from Facebook last month on the day it was streamed and have used automation technology to remove copies and uploads since that time. Bangkok, Thailand - August 22, 2019 : iPhone 7 showing its screen with TikTok and other social media application icons. Later, on September 10th, the company informed Snopes that the video was up on the site for two hours and 41 minutes before it was removed. We are reviewing how we could have taken down the livestream faster, it said in a statement. Those two hours and 41 minutes, Steen told Snopes, isnt fast enough of a response, and is completely unacceptable as friends and family were impacted by the video. During that time, the video was reposted on other Facebook groups and, according to Vice, spread to fringe forums like 4chan. Users of those sites then reshared the video on Facebook, as well as other places like Twitter and YouTube. But it is on TikTok where the video really went viral. Story continues One of the potential reasons for this spread is TikToks algorithm, which is also often credited for the apps success. TikToks main feature is its For You page, a never-ending stream of videos tailored specifically for you, based on your interests and engagement. Because of this algorithm, its often possible for complete unknowns to go viral and make it big on TikTok, while they might have trouble doing so on other social networks. In a blog post published this June, TikTok said that when a video is uploaded to the service, it is first shown to a small subset of users. Based on their response -- like watching the whole thing or sharing it -- the video is then shared to more people who might have similar interests, and then that feedback loop is repeated, leading a video to go viral. Other elements like song clips, hashtags and captions are also considered, which is often why users add the #foryou hashtag in order to get on the For You page -- if people engage with that hashtag, then they could be recommended more videos with the same tag. Tyumen, Russia - January 21, 2020: TikTok and Facebook application on screen Apple iPhone XR In other words, by using certain popular song clips, hashtags and captions, you could potentially game the TikTok algorithm and trick people into watching the video. Though TikTok hasnt said thats what happened in this case, thats certainly a possibility. Its also entirely possible that as the story of the video got around, people might have simply searched for the video on their own to satisfy a morbid curiosity, which in turn prompts it to get picked up on the For You page again and again. TikTok, for its part, has been working to block the video and take it down since it started cropping up on Sunday. In a statement it said: Our systems, together with our moderation teams, have been detecting and removing these clips for violating our policies against content that displays, praises, glorifies, or promotes suicide. We are banning accounts that repeatedly try to upload clips, and we appreciate our community members who've reported content and warned others against watching, engaging, or sharing such videos on any platform out of respect for the person and their family. If anyone in our community is struggling with thoughts of suicide or concerned about someone who is, we encourage them to seek support, and we provide access to hotlines directly from our app and in our Safety Center. But the company is having a difficult time. Users kept figuring out workarounds, like sharing the video in the comments, or disguising it in another video that initially seems innocuous. At the same time, however, TikTok has seen a surge of videos that aim to turn people away from the video. Some users as well as prominent creators have taken to posting warning videos, where they would say something like if you see this image, dont watch, keep scrolling. Those videos have gone viral as well, which the company seems to support. As for why people stream these videos in the first place, unfortunately thats somewhat inevitable. Everything that happens in real life is going to happen on video platforms, said Bart Andrews, the Chief Clinical Officer of Behavioral Health Response, an organization that provides telephone counseling to people in mental health crises. Sometimes, the act is not just the ending of life. Its a communication, a final message to the world. And social media is a way to get your message to millions of people. People have become so accustomed to living their lives online and through social media, said Dan Reidenberg, the executive director of suicide non-profit organization SAVE (Suicide Awareness Voices of Education). Its a natural extension for someone that might be struggling to think thats where they would put that out there. Sometimes, he said, putting these thoughts on social media is actually a good thing, as it helps warn friends and family that something is wrong. They put out a message of distress, and they get lots of support or resources to help them out. Unfortunately, however, thats not always the case, and the act goes through regardless. It is therefore up to the social media platforms to come up with solutions on how to best prevent such acts, as well as to stop them from being shared. Facebook is unfortunately well acquainted with the problem, as several incidents of suicide as well as murder have occurred on its live streaming platform over the past few years. Angry reactions are seen on local media Facebook live as Palang Pracharat Party leader Uttama Savanayana attends a news conference during the general election in Bangkok, Thailand, March 25, 2019. REUTERS/Soe Zeya Tun Facebook has, however, taken steps to overcome this issue, and Reidenberg actually thinks that its the leader in the technology world on this subject. (He was one of the people who led the development of suicide prevention best practices for the technology industry.) Facebook has provided FAQs on suicide prevention, hired a health and well-being expert to its safety policy team, provided a list of resources whenever someone searches for suicide or self-harm, and rolled out an AI-based suicide prevention tool that can supposedly detect comments that are likely to include thoughts of suicide. Facebook has even integrated suicide prevention tools into Facebook Live, where users can reach out to the person and report the incident to the company at the same time. However, Facebook has said it wouldnt cut off the livestream, because it could remove the opportunity for that person to receive help. Though thats controversial, Andrews supports this notion. I understand that if this person is still alive, maybe theres hope, maybe theres something that can happen in the moment that will prevent them from doing it. But unfortunately, as is the case with McNutt, there is also the risk of exposure and error. And the result can be traumatic. There are some instances where technology hasnt advanced fast enough to be able to necessarily stop every single bad thing from being shown, Reidenberg said. Seeing these kinds of videos is very dangerous, said Joel Dvoskin, a clinical psychologist at the University of Arizona College of Medicine. One of the risk factors for suicide is if somebody in your family [died from] suicide. People you see on social media are like members of your family. If somebody is depressed or vulnerable or had given some thought to it, [seeing the video] makes it more salient as a possibility. A man is silhouetted against a video screen with an Facebook logo as he poses with an Dell laptop in this photo illustration taken in the central Bosnian town of Zenica, August 14, 2013. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic (BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA - Tags: BUSINESS TELECOMS) As for that AI, both Reidenberg and Andrews say that it just hasnt done a great job at rooting out harmful content. Take, for example, the failure to identify the video of the Christchurch mosque shooting because it was filmed in first-person or simply the more recent struggle in spotting and removing COVID-19 misinformation. Plus, no matter how good the AI gets, Andrews believes that bad actors will always be one step ahead. Could we have a completely automated and artificial intelligence program identify issues and lock them down? I think well get better at that, but I think therell always be ways to circumvent that and fool the algorithm, Andrews said. I just dont think its possible, although its something to strive for. Instead of relying solely on AI, both Reidenberg and Andrews say that a combination of automated blocking and human moderation is key. We have to rely on whatever AI is available to identify that there might be some risk, Reidenberg said. And actual people like content moderators and safety professionals at these companies need to try to intervene before something bad happens. As for newer social media companies, they too need to think proactively about suicide. They have to ask how they want to be known as a platform in terms of social good, Reidenberg said. In TikToks case, he hopes that it will join forces with a company like Facebook which has a lot more experience in this area. Even if the video was streamed on Facebook, it didnt go viral on Facebook because the company managed to lock it down (The company couldve still done a much better job at being more proactive at taking it down much earlier than it did). TikTok closeup logo displayed on a phone screen, smartphone and keyboard are seen in this multiple exposure illustration. Tik Tok is a Chinese video-sharing social networking service owned by a Beijing based internet technology company, ByteDance. It is used to create short dance, lip-sync, comedy and talent videos. ByteDance launched TikTok app for iOS and Android in 2017 and earlier in September 2016 Douyin fror the market in China. TikTok became the most downloaded app in the US in October 2018. President of the USA Donald Trump is threatening and planning to ban the popular video sharing app TikTok from the US because of the security risk. Thessaloniki, Greece - August 1, 2020 (Photo by Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto via Getty Images) Any new platform should start from the lessons from older platforms. What works, what doesnt, and what kind of environment do we want to create for your users, Andrews said. You have an obligation to make sure that you are creating an environment and norms and have reporting mechanisms and algorithms to make sure that the environment is as true to what you wanted to be as you can make it. You have to encourage and empower users when they see things that are out of the norm, that they have a mechanism to report that and you have to find a way to respond very quickly to that. The answer might also lie in creating a community that takes care of itself. Andrews, for example, is especially heartened by the act of the TikTok community rising up to warn fellow users about the video. Its this wonderful version of the internets own antibodies, he said. This is an example where we saw the worst of the internet, but we also saw the best of the internet. These are people who have no vested interest in doing this, warning others, but they went out of their way to protect other users from this traumatic imagery. Thats why, despite the tragedy and pain, Andrews believes that society will adapt. For thousands of years, humans have developed behavior over time to figure out what is acceptable and what isnt acceptable, he said. But we forget that technology, live streaming, this is all still so new. The technology sometimes has gotten ahead of our institutions and social norms. Were still creating them, and I think its wonderful that were doing that. In the U.S., the National Suicide Prevention Lifelines # is 1-800-273-8255. Crisis Text Line can be reached by texting HOME to 741741 (US), 686868 (Canada), or 85258 (UK) Our notion here is that we have twice as much television as we had last time, we have more on digital and because of all the money we have spent on data, we believe we will be much more efficient, the person said on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations. The biggest difference between the Biden campaign and our campaign is we have a super aggressive ground game. WOODLAND PARK, N.J. In the weeks leading up to the 9/11 terror attack, a little-known Saudi diplomat made a special trip to Jersey City. The official purpose of the visit by Mussaed Ahmed al-Jarrah was to deliver a $1 million gift from a Saudi prince to the Al-Tawheed mosque on Jersey Citys West Side Avenue. But now, advocates for 9/11 victims are asking whether the trip and $1 million donation are linked to the deadliest terror attack on American soil, which took place 19 years ago. In a court filing earlier this year, the FBI disclosed that al-Jarrah, who was assigned to the Saudi Embassy in Washington, D.C., was one of a handful of Saudi officials who provided money, lodging and other help during the summer of 2001 to the 9/11 jihadists before they crashed hijacked commercial jetliners into the World Trade Center in lower Manhattan, the Pentagon and a farm field in Pennsylvania. It was the first time that al-Jarrah had been linked to the 9/11 plot in any way. Left unresolved was whether al-Jarrah's visit to the mosque in Jersey City with a $1 million donation was linked to 9/11. Areas in northern New Jersey linked to the 911 hijackers. This is part of the Al Tawheed Islamic Center on West Side Ave, in Jersey City. The $1 million represented a massive donation for almost any religious group under any circumstances. But it was especially significant for a relatively unknown mosque in one of Jersey Citys most economically disadvantaged neighborhoods. The donation did not get substantial media coverage. Only the Qatar-based Islamic news service, Al Jazeera, reported on the $1 million gift. Questions about the gift were not even raised in 2003, when the mosques imam, Alaa Al-Sadawi, was convicted on federal currency manipulation charges after he was caught raising money for a questionable charity that reportedly helped support Osama bin Ladens al-Qaida network, which carried out the 9/11 attacks. Now, however, questions are mounting. Lawyers representing the families of thousands of 9/11 victims in a massive, slow-moving lawsuit against the Saudi government plan to investigate whether the Jersey City trip and perhaps the $1 million gift were actually part of a secret effort by Saudi officials to assist the team of militant Islamists who carried out the 9/11 attacks. Story continues That lawsuit being heard in federal court in lower Manhattan took a dramatic turn late Thursday when the magistrate judge hearing the case released a witness list that includes two dozen Saudi officials, among them several members of the royal family who may have known about the trip to Jersey City. Al-Jarrah was also approved to be a witness who can be interrogated by lawyers for the 9/11 families. The 40-page ruling by Magistrate Judge Sarah Netburn, dated Aug. 27 but released on the eve of the 9/11 anniversary, is considered a major legal victory by the lawyers for the families. Netburn rejected arguments by the Saudis that their officials had diplomatic immunity. But her ruling does not necessarily mean depositions will take place soon. The Saudis are expected to mount additional challenges to the witness list. The potentially explosive allegation about the Jersey City mosque is yet another in a series of charges surfacing in recent months that some Saudi officials not only knew about the 9/11 plot but actively assisted the team of 19 operatives from al-Qaida before the attack took place. In March, this columnist reported that lawyers for the 9/11 victims approached dissident Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi a year before he was killed by Saudi operatives in Istanbul. The revelation about Khashoggi possibly assisting with the 9/11 victims' lawsuit emerged during a court hearing in which the victims' lawyers also claimed that some of the witnesses in their case had been threatened. In this Feb. 1, 2015, file photo, Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi speaks during a press conference in Manama, Bahrain. A pro-government Turkish newspaper on Wednesday, Oct. 17, 2018 published a gruesome recounting of the alleged slaying of Saudi writer Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul, just as America's top diplomat arrived in the country for talks over the Washington Post columnist's disappearance. (AP Photo/Hasan Jamali, File) Lawyers for the Saudi government denied that any potential witnesses were threatened. They also said Khashoggi's death was not linked to the 9/11 lawsuit. Meanwhile, the Trump administration stepped up efforts to block the 9/11 families from gaining access to secret FBI and CIA investigations about possible Saudi links to 9/11. The debate sparked a new onslaught of questions about the alleged Saudi links to the 9/11 attacks. More recently, the revelations about al-Jarrah have added to those questions. Al-Jarrahs trip to Jersey City coincided with the arrival in New Jersey of two key members of the 9/11 plot, Khalid al-Mihdhar and Nawaf al-Hazmi, who had been in California. Also arriving in New Jersey was 9/11 ringleader Mohamad Atta, who flew in from Florida. Al-Mihdhar and al-Hazmi stayed for a short time at the Congress Inn, a motel on Route 46 in South Hackensack, according to the FBI. Atta took up residence at the Kings Inn, a motel on Route 46 in Wayne. Areas in northern New Jersey linked to the 911 hijackers. This is the Kings Inn in Wayne where 9/11 Ringleader, Mohamed Atta stayed. Did the hijackers meet with al-Jarrah? FBI officials wont say one way or the other. And an examination by The Record, NorthJersey.com and the USA TODAY NETWORK New Jersey of a now-declassified FBI chronology of the hijackers' movements before the attacks offers no indication of any such meeting. For lawyers representing 9/11 victims, the coincidence is alarming and intriguing. Is it a coincidence that Atta, Mihdhar and Hazmi are in the neighborhood? said Andrew Maloney, a former federal prosecutor who is now part of the legal team representing the 9/11 victims' families in their lawsuit. Maloney added that he believes its highly likely that Atta, Mihdhar and Hazmi visited the Al-Tawheed mosque in Jersey City, though he has no firm evidence. These guys have their support networks, Maloney said. How safe are we?: Like 9/11, COVID-19 has stripped away Americans' sense of security Khalid al-Shamma, the chairman of the board of directors at Al-Tawheed, could not be reached for comment. The mosque said he was traveling in Egypt. But Kamel Hadd, the Al-Tawheed manager, said in an interview that the mosque was not linked to the 9/11 plot and that the $1 million donation was strictly used to expand the mosques floor space and build a school. This million dollars was in the news a long time ago, Hadd said. He added that Al-Tawheeds main mosque, which had been financed by the $1 million gift, was heavily damaged by a fire in 2014. A new mosque, with two minarets, is now under construction at another site a block away on West Side Avenue. Hadd said he was unaware of recent revelations that al-Jarrah may be linked to the 9/11 plot. Jersey City Public Safety Director James Shea, a former deputy chief of New York Citys police department, also said he was unaware of the possible Saudi link to 9/11 plotters through the mosque. He wondered, however, whether some members of the Al-Tawheed community or even the larger Muslim community of North Jersey may have helped the hijackers without knowing it. Could people have helped them and not realized it? Shea asked. I could see that happen much more than I could see any intentional aid. The question that Shea asks has infused the 9/11 narrative almost since the day of the attacks, and when America began to understand what had taken place. How had 19 militant Islamists 15 of them Saudi citizens slipped into the U.S.? With most unable to speak English, how did they manage to rent cars, take flying lessons, open bank accounts and find lodging in motels? 9/11 hijackers' movements in North Jersey The FBI chronology of the 9/11 hijackers' movements shows them going about their business in North Jersey as if they had lived here for years. Consider some of the exploits of one hijacker, Hani Hanjour, who was at the controls of American Flight 77 when it crashed into the Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2001. On May 29, 2001, Hanjour visited Air Fleet Training Systems at Teterboro Airport. According to the FBI, Hanjour met with a flight instructor. Then the two took a check ride on a Hudson tour. The next day, Hanjour withdrew $101 from an ATM in Little Ferry. A week later, Hanjour, after withdrawing $161 from the Sovereign Bank in Fairfield, rented a plane at the Caldwell Flight Academy at Essex County Airport. What Hanjour did was replicated by other members of the 9/11 plot. By tracing credit cards, bank deposits, car rental receipts and motel reservations, the FBI established an extensive history of how the hijackers made their home in New Jersey, Florida, California and Northern Virginia. What the FBIs chronology does not show, however, is whether the hijackers received any help from local residents even unwittingly. That question lies at the center of the lawsuit by 9/11 families against the Saudi government. The FBI found that al-Mihdhar and al-Hazmi two known al-Qaida operatives tracked by the CIA received extensive help from two Saudi-linked officials when they arrived in Los Angeles. In one of the most controversial pieces of the 9/11 story, the CIA acknowledged that it did not tell the FBI when al-Mihdhar and al-Hazmi landed in Los Angeles. Otherwise, the FBI might have been able to monitor their activities. A 2012 report by the FBI indicated that another, more influential Saudi official oversaw the operation in Los Angles. But the FBI did not disclose that officials name until earlier this year. They revealed that it was al-Jarrah. The court filing with the revelation, first reported by Yahoo News, was quickly withdrawn by the FBI. It has since been described as a mistake that an FBI official made in submitting court papers. With al-Jarrahs name suddenly public, questions mounted about his role in the 9/11 plot. Al-Jarrahs whereabouts are unknown. The Saudi Embassy did not respond to requests for comment. But the revelation of al-Jarrahs trip to Jersey City in August 2001 has raised even more questions about his role and whether he may be called as a witness in the lawsuit by the 9/11 victims' families. I would say that its a big mystery, said James Kreindler, one of the chief attorneys for the victims. The problem, said Kreindler, is whether he can continue to bring pressure on the Saudis and on U.S. authorities to release more documents that may offer insight on the whole 9/11 story. When the handwriting is on the wall and political pressure mounts, he said, were going to break through. Mike Kelly is an award-winning columnist for NorthJersey.com. Follow him on Twitter: @mikekellycolumn This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: 9/11 victims' families still seeking answers, could NJ have them? RCMP are asking for help from the public in a fraud investigation after arresting three men from Quebec in Norway House. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 11/9/2020 (496 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. RCMP are asking for help from the public in a fraud investigation after arresting three men from Quebec in Norway House. According to a release Friday, three suspects arrived in Winnipeg from Montreal by plane on Aug. 5. The following evening, Norway House RCMP responded to calls about a suspicious vehicle travelling through the community's COVID-19 checkpoint. The occupants of the vehicle a rented white Nissan Kicks SUV with Manitoba licence plate KGS 345 reportedly did not seem to know where they were going and refused to answer several of the checkpoint questions, RCMP said. The Manitoba RCMP were not available Friday to clarify whether the men had been asked to self-isolate upon arriving in Winnipeg. After an investigation, RCMP found the vehicle and conducted a traffic stop, leading to the seizure of more than 70 counterfeit IDs, a large quantity of cash, multiple cellphones and pepper spray. Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Beni Gileza, 23, and Sekou Toure, 19, both of Chateauguay, Que., were arrested alongside Wesnerlens Jordonne, 22, of Mercier, Que. All three suspects face 31 counts of identity theft, as well as several fraud charges and possession of property obtained by crime, RCMP said. Manitoba RCMP are looking for further information about the suspects' movements between Aug. 5 and 6. It is thought that the men travelled to Swan River, Sapotaweyak Cree Nation, Moose Lake, The Pas, and Norway House, visiting several businesses along the way and obtaining Visa prepaid cards through allegedly fraudulent means, RCMP said. One suspect, Beni Gileza, is thought to have been in the Selkirk area in January, police said. All three suspects were arrested on Aug. 6 and have been released with a court date of Oct. 7. Anyone with information about the suspects' movements is asked to contact local police or anonymously through Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or www.manitobacrimestoppers.com. julia-simone.rutgers@freepress.mb.caTwitter: @jsrutgers Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 1 anno fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili. lobal Forklift Truck Market was valued US$ 24Bn in 2017, and is expected to reach US$ 43Bn by 2026, at CAGR of 7.56% during forecast period. Forklifts are rated for loads at a specified maximum weight & a specified forward centre of gravity. This information is located on a nameplate provided by the manufacturer, and loads must not go above these specifications. In many influences, it is illegal to alter or remove the nameplate without the permission of the forklift manufacturer. Request for Report Sample: https://www.trendsmarketresearch.com/report/sample/6044 Some of the driving factors behind forklift truck market globally are, increasing E-commerce growth, rising construction sector spending, expansion of warehouse space, an upsurge in industrialization and economic growth, expansion of logistics industry and increasing application in manufacturing industries. Key trends and developments in the market are, increasing M-Commerce, growing penetration of Internet of Things (IoT), increasing technological advancement, improved automation of entire material flow, increasing demand for environmentally friendly vehicles and purchase of low-cost forklift trucks in emerging markets. Retail & wholesale and logistics segment are anticipated to register the highest CAGRs of 6.7% and 8.2%, respectively. Moreover, retail & wholesale was the highest revenue-generating segment in 2017, accounting for US$13.6 billion. Based on class, class IV generated the highest revenue, during the forecast period. Owing to the increasing demand for electric trucks for manufacturing and warehouse activities. However, class II segment is anticipated to witness a fastest growth rate of 9.1% to reach US$7 billion by 2026. Region-wise, The Asia-Pacific dominates the global forklift truck market due to increasing urbanization and industrialization. Furthermore, Japan, India and China are the major economies in Asia-Pacific that contribute to the adoption of forklift trucks. Also, Chinas fast-growing e-commerce sector drives the demand for forklift trucks. North America stands to be the third largest market for forklift trucks after Europe and Asia-Pacific regions. Though, in 2017, the region has had an impressive sales profile dedicated to strongly enlivening economy in the United States and Canada. Key players operating in global forklift truck market, Anhui Heli Co Ltd, Clark Material Handling Company, Crown Equipment Corporation, Doosan Corporation Industrial Vehicle, Ep Equipment Co Ltd, Godrej & Boyce Manufacturing Company Limited, Hangcha Group Co Ltd, Hyster-Yale Materials Handling Inc, Hyundai Heavy Industries Co Ltd, Jungheinrich Ag, Kion Group Ag, Komatsu Ltd, Lonking Holdings Limited, Mitsubishi Logisnext Co Ltd, and Toyota Industries Corporation. Request for Report Discount: https://www.trendsmarketresearch.com/report/discount/6044 Scope of Global Forklift Truck Market Global Forklift Truck Market, by Product Type Warehouse Counterbalance Global Forklift Truck Market, by Power source Internal Combustion Engine Electric Motor Global Forklift Truck Market, by Class Class I Class II Class III Class IV Class V Global Forklift Truck Market, by End user Transportation and Logistics Retail and wholesale Industry General Manufacturing Construction Food & Beverages Industry Automotive Others Global Forklift Truck Market, by Region North America Europe Asia Pacific Middle East and Africa South America Key players operating in Global Forklift Truck Market Anhui Heli Co Ltd Clark Material Handling Company Crown Equipment Corporation Doosan Corporation Industrial Vehicle Ep Equipment Co Ltd Godrej & Boyce Manufacturing Company Limited Hangcha Group Co Ltd Hyster-Yale Materials Handling Inc Hyundai Heavy Industries Co Ltd Jungheinrich Ag Kion Group Ag Komatsu Ltd Lonking Holdings Limited Mitsubishi Logisnext Co Ltd Toyota Industries Corporation UniCarriers Americas Corporation Hyster-Yale Materials Handling, Inc Mitsubishi Nichiyu Forklift Co., Ltd. Godrej & Boyce Manufacturing Hangcha Group Ltd Hyundai Heavy Industries More Info of Impact Covid19@ https://www.trendsmarketresearch.com/report/covid-19-analysis/6044 Federal Department of Foreign Affairs Bern, 11.09.2020 - Switzerland and Uzbekistan have signed a framework agreement with a view to the restitution of confiscated assets to Uzbekistan. The agreement relates on the one hand to assets of some USD 131 million already definitively confiscated in one of the criminal proceedings in connection with Gulnara Karimova, daughter of the former Uzbek president. On the other hand, it also relates to any further assets that may be definitively confiscated in the future under the still ongoing criminal proceedings. The agreement sets out the principles and stages for the restitution. The assets shall be used for the benefit of the people of Uzbekistan. The head of the Directorate of International Law, Ambassador Corinne Ciceron Buhler, has signed a legally non-binding framework agreement approved by the Federal Council. This agreement has been concluded with a view to the restitution of illicitly acquired assets confiscated in Switzerland. In 2012, the Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland froze assets of around CHF 800 million within the framework of criminal proceedings in connection with Gulnara Karimova. Approximately USD 131 million of this was definitively confiscated in 2019. The signed agreement sets out the framework for returning this amount to Uzbekistan. It states the process and principles for the restitution. The main principles to be observed are: - Transparency and accountability in the restitution process; - Use of the assets to improve the living conditions of the people of Uzbekistan; - Investment of the funds in projects which support sustainable development (in accordance with the UN's 2030 Agenda and Uzbekistan's development strategy); - Establishment of a monitoring mechanism; - Potential involvement of non-state actors. Following the framework agreement, negotiations on legally binding agreements between Switzerland and Uzbekistan are set to begin in the near future. In this context, it will be stated that the entire sum of approximately USD 131 million will be returned by Switzerland. Moreover, the specific modalities of the restitution will be determined. Assets in excess of CHF 650 million remain frozen within the framework of the ongoing criminal proceedings in connection with Gulnara Karimova. The signed framework agreement will also apply to the restitution of any further assets that may be definitively confiscated in the future as part of these criminal proceedings. The framework agreement is in line with Switzerland's strategy on freezing, confiscating and returning illicitly acquired assets of politically exposed persons (Asset Recovery). Address for enquiries FDFA Communication Federal Palace West Wing CH-3003 Bern, Switzerland Tel. Communication service: +41 58 462 31 53 Tel. Press service: +41 58 460 55 55 E-mail: kommunikation@eda.admin.ch Twitter: @SwissMFA Publisher Federal Department of Foreign Affairs https://www.eda.admin.ch/eda/en/home.html A movement to make Indigenous First Nations names an official part of Australian postal addresses could change the way mail is sent and received around the country. Gomeroi woman Rachael McPhail told the ABC shes been speaking with Australia Post to normalise the use of traditional names on address labels. Ms McPhail is already adding the traditional names herself. I live in a town called Coolamon [southwest NSW], which is located on Wiradjuri Country, she wrote on Instagram. A woman is pushing for Australia Post and other businesses to acknowledge Indigenous First Nations addresses. Source: AAP (file pic) When I place an online order, or have to write down my address for something, I have started to add in Wiradjuri Country in the second address line. Adding in the nation or Country that you are on is something easy that all Aussies can do to be more inclusive of our Indigenous history. I would love for @auspost to make the original place name a standard part of address information in Australia, the same as your house number and postcode. Ms McPhail found out about her heritage when she was 30 and is pushing for the change in honour of her great-great-grandmother. "She didn't tell anyone she was Aboriginal because she was protecting her family, so I celebrate my Aboriginal heritage for her because she wasn't able to," she told the ABC. She is hoping if Australia Post takes her advice on, large corporations such as PayPal, Star Track, Uber and other businesses will follow suit. An Australia Post spokesperson told news.com.au people are welcome to include the traditional name on their parcels and envelopes. We recommend the traditional name is included below the recipient's name but above the street address, the spokesperson said. Ms McPhail is in talks with AusPost about how the idea can be promoted. Indigenous place names (according to Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies) Sydney - Eora Adelaide - Kaurna Melbourne - Woiworung Perth - Wajuk Brisbane - Yuggera Story continues Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and download the Yahoo News app from the App Store or Google Play. The detainees sent to Farmville were kept apart from the rest of the detainee population for 14 days, Bennett said. But at the end of that period, the number of cases at the facility exploded, with 339 inmates having tested positive by early July. That was more cases reported than at any other immigration jail until early this month, when officials said there were 366 at La Palma Correctional Center in Arizona. Police investigating robbery and rape of woman after her car broke down on the highway in Punjab province. Karachi, Pakistan Police in Pakistan have arrested 15 people believed to be linked to the rape of a woman on a major highway, an incident that has attracted national outcry with demands for greater justice for victims of sexual violence. The woman was attacked when her car broke down in the early hours of Thursday while she was driving from the city of Lahore, capital of Punjab province, to Gujranwala with her children. Unidentified assailants attacked her as she stopped her vehicle, smashing her car window before raping her in a nearby field and robbing her of cash and jewellery. Local media reported that her children were made to watch. None of the 15 people arrested is believed to be part of the group that attacked her, police told the Associated Press. On Friday, provincial police said the newly constructed highway did not have any police deployed to protect travellers, and that they would be commencing those duties. Protesters condemn violence against women and girls during a demonstration in Karachi, Pakistan [Akhtar Soomro/Reuters] Victim blaming outrage Shortly after the incident, Lahore police chief Umar Shaikh became the subject of national outrage when he appeared to blame the victim for the rape, saying the woman should not have been travelling alone at that time. Shaikh, newly appointed to the post after some political controversy, is facing demands to resign. Such statements from people in charge should start with an apology in failing to protect citizens of Pakistan, Khadija Siddiqui, an activist and lawyer who was stabbed 23 times in an attack in 2016, told Al Jazeera. They should apologise that women in this country have to suffer every day, she said, adding that police officers who dealt with gender-based violence were often part of the problem. They are complicit. Such people shouldnt be in these posts in the police sector where we expect them to be protectors of the state. Tahira Abdullah, a veteran human rights defender, was also angered by the incident. This is just the tip of the iceberg of violent crimes committed against women and girls which never get reported, especially in our rural [areas], said Abdullah. However, she said: It is a positive sign that this particularly heinous, barbaric gang rape and robbery case is receiving a lot of publicity, which just might lead to concrete action. Pressing for drastic police reform on gender-based violence cases, Abdullah said there is a need for carefully designed training to inculcate the spirit of community-friendly policing. Each province needs a gender crimes unit staffed by specially trained women, along with hotlines, crisis shelters, immediate medico-legal aid, DNA testing, help in registering the case at the nearest police station, and longer-term PTSD trauma counselling and therapy. Widespread condemnation Prime Minister Imran Khans office said the protection of women was a priority for the government, adding that such brutality and bestiality cannot be allowed in any civilised society. Such incidents are a violation of our social values and a disgrace to society. Pakistans human rights minister, Shireen Mazari, strongly criticised Shaikh for blaming the victim. For an officer to effectively blame a woman for being gang raped by saying she should have taken the GT Road or question as to why she went out in the night with her children is unacceptable & have taken up this issue. Nothing can ever rationalise the crime of rape. That's it. Shireen Mazari (@ShireenMazari1) September 10, 2020 According to the Punjab police, there have been at least 2,043 registered cases of rape and 111 cases of gang rape in the province this year. Harris Khalique, secretary-general of the independent Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), said violence against women and children has increased over the last few years, during which HRCP has registered an average of 10 cases of gender-based violence a day, including sexual assault and the rape of minors. The gravity of the situation of the incident on the highway is the woman begging the police for the case not to be made public, said Khalique. Stigma is attached to it and the victim is blamed. A woman is raped in front of her children, and the police chief of Lahore has the gall to say why she was driving late at night on her own. Legal and policy measures need to be taken. The attitude change in society has to be brought, the increasing misogyny and intolerance of difference of opinion are all linked to each other, said Khalique. No evacuation orders have been issued for Multnomah County, but residents in Portland and Gresham are already taking action as neighbors in Oregon City and Estacada flee from approaching wildfire. As of Thursday afternoon, evacuation orders were in effect for all of Clackamas County, including Level 3 go orders for the east side of the county and Level 2 be set orders for Oregon City and Canby. The rest of the county remains under Level 1 orders, telling residents to prepare for possible evacuation if flames from the Riverside fire come any closer. That includes towns on the outskirts of Portland like Lake Oswego, Milwaukie and Oak Grove, and emotionally those orders have crossed into Multnomah County as well. Meg DesCamp, a freelance writer who lives in Lake Oswego, said shes prepared herself and her two cats, Dave and The Loaf, to escape town, if necessary. Shes also spent the day checking in on some of her older neighbors, seeing if they need help getting ready. I have a bag packed for myself at the front door. The cat carriers are at the front door, she said. Were still just in that Level 1 and Im hopeful thats not going to suddenly shift. Because wildfires can grow quickly and without warning, emergency officials urge people to prepare to evacuate at a moments notice. People under evacuation orders should arrange for a place to go, and pack a bag with clothes, toiletries and medications, as well as other emergency supplies and important documents. If theres time, you can consider packing irreplaceable or sentimental objects, but know that you may ultimately not have time to carry much out of your home. Evacuation notices may be new for many Oregonians, especially those in Portland area, but its been a constant reality for those who live in more fire-prone areas like northern California. Kathleen Swain, who lives with her husband, Bob, in Oak Grove, said shes been getting flashbacks to days evacuating from the couples former home in northern California. The Swains moved to Clackamas County in May, after going through years of wildfires in Mendocino County. Psychologically we already were sort of prepared, but it is stressful because this is bringing back a lot of what weve been through, Swain said. We know about urban wildfire and what it can do. Swain said she and her husband went through three evacuations in Mendocino. The first time, they were skeptical and didnt take any action, and the order was called off. The second time, they arranged to stay with a friend nearby, but it fizzled out again. The third time, they had to leave so fast they found themselves floundering trying to figure out what to pack and what to leave behind. Thats what it came down to, what can you replace what can you not replace, Swain said. Youre probably not going to have time, and even if you do, its how do you make decisions? How to you prioritize? In the end, they packed some clothes in a suitcase and drove off, navigating around highways cloaked in flames, taking back roads to reach the Sacramento airport to leave town. Its not hard to imagine a similar scene playing out in Portland, though Multnomah County officials reiterated Thursday that no evacuation orders are currently in place. Kate Yeiser, a communications coordinator for Multnomah County, said that if people are asked to leave, evacuation centers will be established around the area, and details about those places will be released to the public. Anyone without transportation should start coordinating with family and friends, or else consider using public transportation to leave the area. For people who need more time to evacuate, they should not wait until law enforcement issues an order, Yeiser said. Multnomah County has in the past coordinated outreach and relocation assistance in areas where people are specifically at risk. Potential evacuation should be the top priority for Multnomah County, officials said, but its far from the only concern as wildfires continue to rage all around us. Dr. Jennifer Vines, health officer for Multnomah County, said beyond evacuation, people need to take action to protect themselves from worsening air quality, as winds push more wildfire smoke toward Portland, as well as he continual threat of COVID-19. Wildfires have only added new wrinkles to containing the global coronavirus pandemic. The concern now is that people evacuating with family and friends will find themselves in close quarters indoors, helping the virus spread even more than it already has. Vines said different households sheltering together should make sure to wear face coverings, but should also stay indoors as long as the air quality remains poor. If youre in any kind of shelter its better to be inside, she said. Multnomah County has provided online resources on current air quality, evacuation notices and power outages at multco.us/fires2020. While many residents are preparing for the worst, not everyone is panicked. Will Clark, who lives with his wife and two kids in a corner of unincorporated Clackamas County just outside of Lake Oswego, said hes unconcerned about the approaching fires. Its kind of silly that were in evacuation orders, Clark said. Im very obviously cognizant of how dangerous wildfires are, but thats a level of risk that seems quite low. Clark, his wife and two children live more than 20 miles from the edge of the closest fire, which would also need to cross the Willamette River to reach them. He sees that as a comfortable buffer, for now. Thats not to say Clark doesnt recognize danger when it comes. His parents live in Oregon City, he said, and this week hes been urging them to pack up and leave. On Thursday, all of Oregon City entered a Level 2 evacuation. When it was as close to them as it was, they kind of immediately jumped into action, Clark said. That kind of quick action may become necessary if the flames come much closer to Multnomah County. While county officials have announced no intentions to order evacuations, the possibility looms over local residents, as neighbors in nearby towns begin to flee. The Swains, who have plenty of wildfire experience from their years in California, have fallen on the side of precaution. I can understand how people here might even be lackadaisical, Swain said of the wildfires. But we know how that can go from being far away, to overnight being right next door. -- Jamie Hale; jhale@oregonian.com; 503-294-4077; @HaleJamesB HBO will air Paul Rudnick's new comedy Coastal Elites, directed by Jay Roach, on Saturday, September 12 at 8pm ET. Originally conceived for the Public Theater, Coastal Elites leapt from stage to screen at the beginning of the pandemic and evolved in real time as the unprecedented events of 2020 unfolded. The film spotlights five distinct and impassioned points-of-view across the United States. When the shutdown forces these characters to cope in isolation, they react with frustration, hilarity and introspection. Today, we bring you a clip of cast member Kaitlyn Dever as Sharynn Tarrows, a young nurse from Wyoming who flies to New York to volunteer at a hospital at the height of the area's COVID-19 crisis. MOGADISHU, Somalia - A Somali police officer says a suicide bomber attacked a mosque in the southern port city of Kismayo as Friday prayers ended, killing two people. Sahal Nur told The Associated Press that the bomber detonated his explosives belt near the gate of the mosque as worshippers were leaving after prayers. Six people were hurt, he said. Abdinasir Ali, a local official, said the bomber appeared to be targeting the head of the regional chamber of commerce, who was wounded. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack. However, the al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab group often carries out such attacks. Attacks on mosques are uncommon in Somalia. Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner on Thursday announced the firing of four Houston police officers over the shooting death of Nicolas Chavez. Officers Benjamin LeBlanc, Luis Alvarado, Omar Tapia and Patrick Rubio were "indefinitely suspended" over the shooting of Chavez after the Houston Police Department concluded its investigation into the incident. All four officers have filed appeals, according to NBC affiliate KPRC. "No one should conclude that the dismissal of these officers is an indictment on [the Houston Police Department], of the 5,300 police officers," Turner said at a Thursday press conference. "But when you are wrong, there are consequences." Officers shot Chavez a 27-year-old father of three who reportedly had a history of mental illness after locals called 911 on April 21 to report a disoriented person who was apparently endangering himself by stepping into highway traffic. Nicolas Chavez with his son. (Courtesy of Joaquin Chavez) After officers arrived, a standoff ensued and Chavez appeared to harm himself with a sharp object, according to video and police accounts. Officers pleaded with him, deployed tasers and shot him with bean bag rounds. They then shot 24 rounds of live ammunition into him, the police investigation found. Of the 24 shots, only the first 3 were found by the police investigation to be justified because Chavez allegedly grabbed a taser gun after pulling it toward him by its electrode wire. The final 21 shots, the report concluded, were not reasonable because they were fired after Chavez was incapacitated by electric shocks, bean bag rounds and three live rounds. In a nearly 17 minute-long video that was edited and narrated by the Houston Police Department, officers are seen from multiple angles throughout the incident. The video was released after HPD's investigation concluded. A bystander video of Chavez's shooting was released soon after he was killed on April 21. In it, Chavez appeared to be kneeling before officers in the moments before he was shot and killed. Story continues After his father, Joaquin Chavez, saw the video in April, he described it to NBC News as "an execution." "He was on his knees, already wounded," Joaquin Chavez said, calling at the time for police body camera videos to be released. "He wasn't a threat to anybody at that point." Im thrilled, Chavez told NBC News on Friday. Thrilled that chief Acevedo made the decision to terminate the officers who killed my son and that were finally getting some justice in this whole situation. In my mind, this is just the beginning. Chavez said he believes each of the officers who fired on his son at the end of the encounter should face criminal charges. I feel for them, Chavez said. I get that this is hard for everyone. But at the end of the day, they get to go home, and my son is dead. The Houston Police Officers' Union called the firings "unjust and deplorable" and accused Chavez of forcing "our officers into a suicide-by-cop scenario," according to NBC affiliate KPRC. Douglas Griffith, vice president of the Houston Police Officers Union, said his organizations attorneys will represent the four officers at their arbitration, whose initial date has yet to be set. We look forward to the day when they get their jobs back, Griffith told NBC News. Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg said in a statement that she met with Chavez's parents and promised that the Civil Rights Division prosecutors would "review all evidence in his death." "Once we complete our review, we will present the case directly to a grand jury," Ogg said. "That grand jury will determine whether the Houston Police officers who shot Nicolas Chavez were justified or whether they committed a crime." Ladies and Gentlemen, 1. To this day, the coexistence and complementarity of central bank and commercial bank money as settlement assets has structured the payment landscape and preserved the stability of the monetary system. Yet this structure is increasingly being questioned. Our payment landscape is based on the coexistence and complementarities of central bank money and commercial bank money as settlement assets. Their respective roles are clearly assigned: central bank money ensures the stability of the financial system while the multiplicity of issuers of commercial bank money preserves competition and innovation in the provision of financial services. Their interplay and their interchangeability at par value ensures the safety and efficiency of the financial system. However, the balance between these two forms of money cannot be fixed once for all, as it depends on changes in payment habits, the evolution of the financial ecosystem and the emergence of new technologies. In the retail space, the digitalisation of the economy and the development of cheap, highly effective digital payment solutions displaying innovative features (e.g. they are instantaneous and more user-friendly) undergo (i) a decline of the use of cash in transactions, which puts into question the availability of central bank money for the public, and (ii) an increase of cashless payments which leads to a wider use of commercial bank money. This trend has apparently accelerated since the outbreak of the Covid-19 crisis. Besides, increased reliance on digital payment solutions also exposes how our European ecosystem has become critically dependent on non-European players (e.g. international card schemes and Big Techs), with little control over business continuity, technical and commercial decision-making, as well as data protection, usage and storage. Meanwhile, the development of crypto-assets and of so-called "stablecoins" aims to create a new category of settlement assets. Stablecoins in particular may compete against both commercial and central bank money, even though they do not offer the same guarantees in terms of credit risk, liquidity, service continuity, and neutrality. These trends at stake bring both benefits and risks, and we must consider them as a whole. We must acknowledge that there are inefficiencies in the current payment arrangements, in particular - but not only- in the cross-border context, and that some innovations will help address them, if we do not strongly commit to fix the roots of inefficiencies. This leads me to my main argument: we in Europe face urgent and strategic choices on payments that will have implications for our financial sovereignty for decades to come. I see it as a "strategic square", the four parts of the system to be solved for delivering a European strategy: i) Cross border payments shortcomings, ii) BigTech's global projects in the financial sector (including stablecoins), iii) The developing European Payment Initiative and iv) The potential Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC). Indeed, the current digitalization triggers at least two important risks. o The risk (in red) that BigTechs, leveraging on their global reach, will build private financial infrastructures and "monetary" systems, competing with the public monetary sovereignty since they will position themselves as issuers and managers of a universal "currency". CBDC could then be issued but at the "backend" of this "currency". o The symmetric risk (in blue) that some jurisdictions judge that the only way to respond to the otherwise overwhelming private payments' wave would be to issue and spread on a domestic but also a global basis, "their" CBDCs. This could, if not sufficiently coordinated within the global financial community, set precedents as to the features of the CBDCs and their articulation with the private projects, with no say for other central banks. The way forward for Europe (in green) could be different and could rather disseminate central bank money in a retail form with the intermediation of the private sector and ensure interoperability between EPI and other non-European payment solutions. 2. In this fast-changing environment, public policies should be agile and should help build innovation and growth The success of the payment services directives (PSD1&2) has illustrated that the European legislation can accompany new trends and trigger innovation. With new settlement assets such as Global Stablecoins, the adaptation of existing regimes will have to fit into a larger regulatory framework, to be adopted at a global level. Central banks need to have an in-depth understanding of innovation and souldn't be afraid to "learn by doing". The Banque de France is now engaging with the innovators from the private sector to conduct a program of 8 experiments, with a view to integrating a wholesale CBDC into innovative procedures for exchanging and settling tokenized financial assets. The expansion of the BIS Innovation Hub with the establishment, in Paris and Frankfurt, of the Eurosystem Centre will definitely accelerate the collaboration among central banks in innovative financial technologies. We, the ECB and the Eurosysteme, may decide to issue a money in digital form. Let me be clear: we cannot allow ourselves to lag behind on CBDC. That may mean that we create if necessary a retail CBDC, in order to ensure the accessibility of central bank money for the general public, in particular in countries where the use of cash in payments is declining. And/or it may mean that we Europeans may decide to issue a wholesale CBDC, with the aim of improving the functioning of financial markets and institutions. Within the Eurosystem, the ECB has established a high-level task force to prepare a comprehensive analysis of the possible benefits and challenges related to retail CBDC, to be discussed in coming weeks within our Governing Council. In this journey, we must set up appropriate synergies between public and private actors. Unequivocal support should be given to the European Payment Initiative (EPI): this project is essential for the safety, the rapidity and the European sovereignty of payments. Success of EPI is determined by (i) access to a large customer base, (ii) adherence of large merchants, and ultimately interoperability should EPI have ambitions to develop outside of Europe. Let me stress there is no contradiction, as sometimes feared by commercial banks, between considering a euro-CBDC and supporting EPI. We may probably need both, and build complementarity. My preference would be to seek a renewed public / private partnership for the dissemination of central bank money in a retail form. Possible impacts on the banking sector could be reduced with different tools: for instance, limiting the quantity of digital euro in circulation would prevent excessive shifts of commercial bank money into digital euros. For the Eurosystem, this strategy would imply to clarify the interplay we would like to put in place between EPI and the CBDC, thus validating an intermediated model while providing enough customer proximity and value added to intermediaries (like front-end solutions). ** Since we are in Berlin, allow me to conclude with a European perspective: Europe has not developed global social networks like some important countries. This raises the stakes for the European authorities, if they want a stronger, more autonomous and more innovative European financial sector, to succeed in developing a coherent strategy. We do not have much time to decide this consistent European payment strategy, including EPI and a possible CBDC: one to two years. This makes our today's discussion still more welcome. THE DICKENS BOY by Thomas Keneally (Sceptre 20, 400 pp) THE DICKENS BOY by Thomas Keneally (Sceptre 20, 400 pp) Edward Bulwer Lytton Dickens was just 16 when his famous father, Charles, sent him alone to Australia to 'apply himself'. Beloved as a boy, and nick-named 'Plornishmaroon-tigoonter' shortened to Plorn the teen was a disap-pointment to the distinguished author, a fact the fictional Plorn is initially unaware of in Keneally's genial, wry recreation of his time in remote New South Wales. Sweet, sensitive Plorn, who has never read a word of 'The Guvnor's' work, heads to the outback, determined to make a success of life as a sheep farmer. But he is constantly approached by a beguiling assortment of characters who can recite whole passages of the 'great magician's' books. Keneally's approach to Plorn is kindly, as the forlorn boy reassesses his unquestioning devotion to his dad, and carves out his own life amidst colonists, convicts and the Paakantyi tribe. THE ABSTAINER by Ian McGuire (Scribner 14.99, 368 pp) THE ABSTAINER by Ian McGuire (Scribner 14.99, 368 pp) Taut and tense, Ian McGuire's thriller plunges into the murk of Manchester's back streets in 1867, as James O'Connor, a policeman on secondment from Dublin, faces a turbulent political situation and a life without whisky. He's an uncertain outsider grieving for the death of his wife and child, and must find out as much as possible about the Irish insurgents determined to end British rule in their home country. The book opens with the hanging of three 'rebels' and heads into the shadows of spies, informers, agitators and an American Civil War veteran who adds chaos to an already volatile situation. Matters are complicated further by the arrival from the U.S. of O'Connor's gauche nephew, whom James recruits to infiltrate the Fenian Brotherhood. In lean, atmospheric prose, McGuire unspools a bloody tale of revenge and retribution. THE EVENING AND THE MORNING by Ken Follett (Macmillan 25, 832 pp) THE EVENING AND THE MORNING by Ken Follett (Macmillan 25, 832 pp) Follett's easy, breezy prose style manages to make the 800-plus pages of his latest epic an effortlessly engaging and entertaining read. It's a prequel to the bestselling The Pillars Of The Earth, and heads back to the Dark Ages, when Vikings are rampaging along the coast of England, Wales is in uproar, and the future of the Kingdom looks uncertain. In these tumultuous times, three vivid characters navigate the perils of daily life, while striving against poverty, sexism and the wily machinations of power-hungry enemies. Edgar is an 18-year-old boat builder, whose carpentry skills will change his fate. Lady Ragna is whip-smart and wealthy, but hampered by society's restrictions; while learned monk Aldred takes a stance against the machinations of the powerful, but immoral and duplicitous, Bishop Wynstan. Eliminate unpaid internships and low-paying apprenticeships. Too many organizations rely on exploitative labor practices that condition young theater workers to devalue their personal and professional worth. If theaters truly want to cultivate a diverse work force, they need to make sure early career opportunities arent limited to the most wealthy and privileged candidates. LAUREN HALVORSEN, dramaturge and writer Its time to reopen. More people are flying because they have friends who have flown and lived to tell about it. Compelling discounts at first. A credible testing system in place. Masks. Selling every other seat for a month or two. Intrepid New Yorkers will be the first, as they were after 9/11. Then the more watchful New Yorkers. Then the tourists. People need to see other people entering and leaving the theaters. Little by little this will seem normal, not frightening. ROCCO LANDESMAN, producer Assuming that theater as we know it still exists, I would love to see more small, community-focused theaters getting funding and media attention. The primary impact of Covid-19 will be to worsen the already unacceptable inequalities of our society, and our current elitist pipeline shouldnt be treated as the only valid form of theater in this country. YOUNG JEAN LEE, playwright I hope to see and be part of more works that are made to span traditional theater venues, digital media and the streets. Performances that might have components designed specifically for the theater and for our TikTok feeds, or a musical that spills out into the streets as a protest. NIEGEL SMITH, artistic director, the Flea Police are trying to identify a trio they say broke into the East Pennsboro Area High School early Wednesday and stole school district property. East Pennsboro police said the break-in took place around 12:17 a.m. Three people were seen on surveillance cameras wearing masks and very distinct sweatshirts, police said. Anyone who knows the identities of these individuals is asked to contact East Pennsboro police at 717-732-3633, or submit a tip through CrimeWatch. This is the second time in the past several months that an East Pennsboro school has been broken into. In early July, police said someone spray painted the outside of East Pennsboro Elementary School, as well as the schools administrative building sign. READ MORE: Fatal crash after police pursuit in Lower Paxton came after chase policy was loosened Joe Paternos son-in-law charged in connection with crash that killed Centre County man 11-year-old girl shot in face as she answers door at Pa. home, police say In a meeting that lasted two and a half hours in Moscow, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar told his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi that the recent incidents in eastern Ladakh have inevitably impacted the development of bilateral relations, and therefore, an urgent resolution of the current situation was in the interest of both nations, sources told CNN-News18. However, the Chinese side issued a statement saying that the Indian side does not consider the bilateral relations to be dependent on the situation at the border". Though it did acknowledge that the two are large developing countries" so what China and India need right now is cooperation not confrontation." This is a point India has been trying to drive through. Sources pointed out that while India recognized that a solution to the boundary question required time and effort, it was also clear that the maintenance of peace and tranquility on the border areas was essential to the forward development of ties. Also significantly, India issued a joint press release, unlike China. It said that the current situation is not in the interest of either side, and the border troops should continue dialogue, quickly disengage, maintain proper distance and ease tensions. As per sources, the Indian side expressed its strong concern at the massing of Chinese troops with equipment along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). India stated that the presence of such large concentration of troops was not in accordance with the 1993 and 1996 Agreements and created flash points along the LAC. Sources said the Chinese side has not provided a credible explanation for this deployment. The Chinese side said that foreign minister Wang Yi said it was normal for India and China to have differences as neighbours and that relations have once again come to a cross roads. But challenges can be overcome. But it appears China still tried to take a position on the current crisis as one where they have been wronged as their note said that Wang outlined Chinas stern position on the border situation and said it is imperative that provocations should be stopped including firing. However, India confronted China over these allegations. The Indian side said that the provocative behaviour of Chinese frontline troops at numerous incidents of friction along the LAC also showed disregard for bilateral agreements and protocols. The Indian side clearly conveyed that it expected full adherence to all agreements on management of border areas and would not countenance any attempt to change the status quo unilaterally, as per sources. The two sides agreed that once the current situation eases they should expedite work to conclude new confidence building measures to maintain peace and enhance peace and tranquility in border areas. (Image Courtesy of KCET) KCET, a producer of award-winning and diverse original content for public media, announced today the premiere of a new documentary called 187: THE RISE OF THE LATINO VOTE. The 90-min. film, directed by Dignicraft film and art collective, chronicles Proposition 187, a California ballot measure passed in 1994 that sought to deny public services to undocumented immigrants. While the initiative was meant to keep the immigrant threat at bay, it mobilized non-immigrants and immigrants in Latino communities as well as their allies across the state. The political awakening of this powerful group would dramatically change the states electoral politics, transforming the state into a Blue and progressive state for the first time. Proposition 187 created new and enduring political faultlines across California and across the nation as well as molded the political careers of a new generation of leaders. 187: THE RISE OF THE LATINO VOTE premieres in Southern California on Tues., Oct. 6 at 8 p.m. PT on KCET and encores on Thurs., Oct. 8 at 8 p.m. on PBS SoCal, as well as Sun., Oct. 11 at 6:30 p.m. ET/PT on Link TV nationwide (Dish Network 9410 and DirecTV 375). This pivotal moment in California history unfolds through more than 20 interviews with major political figures, artists and thinkers from across the state including California State Senator Maria Elena Durazo, former California State Senator and current LA City Councilmember Gil Cedillo, former California State senate President pro tempore Kevin de Leon, Mexican American Legal Defense & Education Fund (MALDEF) president Thomas Saenz, California State Assembly speaker emeritus Fabian Nunez, the first Latina in history to be elected to the California State Legislature Gloria Molina, former California State Senate Majority leader and member of the California State Assembly Richard Polanco and more. This important documentary stemmed from Somos California (We Are California), a group of Latino leaders in Southern California originally formed to coordinate activities commemorating 25 years since the passage of Proposition 187. The overarching goal of this committee and project is two-fold: 1) generating awareness around the 25th Anniversary of Prop 187 - its passage, repeal, and impact - and 2) utilizing lessons learned 25 years ago to drive action today. Somos California has since continued its work by focusing on emerging issues affecting Californias Latino communities. A complete lineup of extended interviews will be made available at kcet.org/187 with subjects providing oral histories, which help build a more holistic view of the prime movers, major events and other factors that influenced this pivotal moment in history. The new documentary 187: THE RISE OF THE LATINO VOTE is part of a programming lineup focused on this election cycle, where PBS SoCal and KCET explore the past, present and future of democracy. KCET and PBS SoCal are committed to bringing viewers a broad array of initiatives as part of a VOTE 2020 campaign. With both national and locally-produced programming, online content (including the always popular Props in a Minute) and virtual local events focused on this election cycle. Programming includes NewsHour's unbiased coverage of the conventions and the debates, FRONTLINE's investigative reports on the candidates and Washington Week's analysis, as well as all-new KCET Original documentaries that spotlight California's changing population, values and social movements. Local election coverage both on-air and online deciphers the issues that viewers will find on the ballot and how they will impact the city and state. Finally, a partnership has been formed this year with the nonpartisan organization I Am A Voter to highlight the civic responsibility of voting. For more election-related content and news articles go to kcet.org/vote2020 and pbssocal.org/vote2020 This program was made possible in part by We Are CA, Somos CA Committee with funding provided by LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes Eastside Arts Initiative, California Community Foundation, Weingart Foundation and the Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation. Join the conversation on social media using #Prop187 ABOUT KCET KCET is on-air, online and in the community, and plays a vital role in the cultural and educational enrichment of Southern and Central California. KCET offers a wide range of award-winning local programming as well as the finest public television programs from around the world. Throughout its 54-year history, KCET has won hundreds of major awards for its local and regional news and public affairs programming, its national drama and documentary productions, its quality educational family and children's programs, its outreach and community services and its website, kcet.org. For additional information about KCET productions, web-exclusive content, programming schedules and community events, please visit kcet.org. Select original programming from KCET is also available for streaming on Apple TV, YouTube, Amazon and Roku platforms. For more information please visit kcet.org/apps. U.S. Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden says if he is elected he will maintain a small troop presence in Afghanistan and Iraq to help battle terrorism in the war-ravaged countries. Biden said he supports a reduction of troops in the country, "but heres the problem: We still have to worry about terrorism and [the Islamic State]." Biden was speaking in a phone interview with Stars and Stripes, the U.S. military newspaper, published on September 10. The newspaper said it has also requested an interview with President Donald Trump. "I think we need special ops capacity to coordinate with our allies," Biden told the newspaper, adding that he envisioned 1,500 to 2,000 troops as the maximum number. He did not list the specific numbers for each country or for those in neighboring Syria, where U.S. troops are also deployed. Biden added, though, that the military should not interfere in the political affairs of the countries where troops are deployed and should coordinate with allies to train and lead to take out terrorist groups who are going to continue to emerge. The Pentagon earlier this week said that U.S. troops in Iraq would be reduced from just over 5,000 to about 3,000 this month. Trump has said he will cut the number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan from 8,000 to 4,000-5,000 by Election Day on November 3. Biden also said he does not plan to slash the U.S. defense budget in the face of potential threats from countries such as Russia and China. Trump has said repeatedly that he wants to end America's longest war, which began in Afghanistan after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in the United States. Long-delayed peace talks between Taliban and Afghan government negotiators are set to kick off in Qatar on September 12. The negotiations are part of a landmark deal signed between the United States and the Taliban in February. Talks were initially supposed to start the following month but were delayed as the Taliban and the Afghan government completed a prisoner exchange. Under the U.S.-Taliban agreement signed in Doha in February, international forces should withdraw from Afghanistan by May 2021 in exchange for counterterrorism guarantees from the militant group, which pledged to negotiate a permanent cease-fire and power-sharing deal with the Afghan government. With reporting by Stars and Stripes and RFE/RL's Radio Free Afghanistan FreightCar America announced today it is closing its Colbert County manufacturing plant and plans to have all of its production shut down by January. The majority of layoffs are expected to happen in December. The factory, in Cherokee, will continue to produce railcars through the end of the year. After that, production will shift to the companys Castanos, Mexico operation. The company, in its announcement, attributed the moves to the COVID-19 pandemic and its effects on railcar demand. FreightCar America expects to save more than $20 million in costs with the move. The efforts of our Shoals' team helped us to reduce our breakeven production levels by roughly one-third since the start of the plan," CEO Jim Meyer said. "However, the ongoing impact of the industry downturn has been further intensified by the COVID-19 pandemic and required an additional and significant response to both protect our franchise and reposition the business for immediate success post-downturn. FreightCar America designs and builds several types of railcars. Opened in 2008, the Cherokee facility has seen operations by FreightCar since 2013, when it subleased 25 percent of the plant from Navistar. In 2018, FreightCar announced the acquisition of Navistars assets. Last year, the company closed its Roanoke, Va. plant and shifted the work to Cherokee. The company is negotiating its exit with the Shoals facilitys owner and landlord, the Retirement Systems of Alabama, the company said. The factory encompasses 2.2 million square feet. We owe our Shoals' team a great deal of gratitude and thank them for everything they have done for the company, Meyer said. We will provide transition assistance for them as part of the planned shutdown. One hundred percent of the money raised at Pink Pint Night directly impacts local uninsured women, providing free screening mammograms and saving lives through early detection. Charlotte Radiology today announces their 9th Annual Pink Pint Night on September 24th benefiting Levine Cancer Institute: Project PINK. This years Pink Pint Night (PPN) Virtual Edition will raise funds to provide over 1,000 low-income, uninsured women in the greater Charlotte community with access to screening mammograms and related breast services. In partnership with NoDa Brewing Company, Pink Pint Night Virtual Edition will include community education about the impact of LCI: Project Pink as well as a guided NoDa Brewing Company craft beer flight tasting, a feature band, and online auction. Each year, Pink Pint Night is a highly anticipated event that brings our Charlotte community together for a great cause. While well miss seeing our friends, neighbors, and supporters in person this year, we remain committed to our fight against breast cancer and providing essential screening services to Charlotte communities in need, said Charlotte Radiology Chief Executive Officer Lindsay Muns. One hundred percent of the money raised at Pink Pint Night directly impacts local uninsured women, providing free screening mammograms and saving lives through early detection. Project Pink Addresses Health Disparities in Our Community Breast cancer does not stop for pandemics and the need for funding this year is more important than ever, as many state and local resources for essential health screening programs have been reprioritized to help with the COVID-19 response. Project Pink serves the same at-risk populations impacted by coronavirus at a time of critical need. We know that many people have concerns about visiting healthcare providers during the COVID-19 pandemic. But it is essential that women make appointments for vital health screenings because early detection saves lives, said Dr. Amy Sobel, Section Head for Charlotte Radiologys Breast Services. Women served by LCI: Project Pink will experience the same high quality, safe, and caring environments for their breast services whether seen in one of our breast centers or during a mobile screening event. We encourage all women to seek out screening mammography because it could save their life. Event Details Pink Pint Night: Virtual Edition will be broadcast on September 24th starting at 6pm ET. It can be viewed on the Charlotte Radiologys YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/user/CharlotteRadiology and the link will also be available on their Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/CharlotteRadiology/). Visit http://www.charlotteradiology.com/pinkpintnight/ for event updates and to learn more about ways you can participate. Those who cant attend the event but wish to make a donation can visit Atrium Health Foundations Pink Pint Night fundraising page to donate directly to Project PINK. #FightwithaFlight: Gose Pink or Go Home! Hosted by media journalist, social creator, and kindness advocate, Kristen Hampton, the signature event at PPN will feature NoDa Brewing Companys Head Brewer, Chad Henderson, hosting a digital flight tasting including our ninth annual distinctive Pink Pint Night brew called, Gose PINK or Go Home! To participate, supporters can pre-order a PPN Host kit (flight tasting for two, including t-shirts) online via Instabuy at http://www.qtego.net/qlink/pinkpintnight2020 before midnight Sunday, September 15th. PPN Host kits are then available for pick up at NoDa Brewing during a Brew-Thru on September 19th and 20th between 3pm-5pm or September 21st thru September 23rd between 5pm-7pm. In lieu of pre-ordering, a limited supply of PPN Host kits will be available at the NoDa Brewing taproom located at 2921 N. Tryon Street, Charlotte NC 28206. PPN also includes a live auction (open now), also available at http://www.qtego.net/qlink/pinkpintnight2020, and Charlotte Radiology encourages tax deductible donations and crowdfunding by teams, which can be coordinated via Atrium Health Foundations dedicated website for Pink Pint Night and LCI: Project Pink: http://www.atriumhealthfoundation.org/pinkpintnight. About Breast Cancer: 1 in 8 women in the US will be diagnosed with breast cancer. 1 in 6 diagnoses will occur in women age 40-49. Breast health experts recommend screening mammography every 12 months beginning at age 40. 75% of women diagnosed with breast cancer DO NOT have a family history. Early detection is key. Annual screening mammograms have reduced breast cancer deaths by 40%. Most insurance plans cover annual screening mammograms 100%. Visit http://www.charlotteradiology.com to schedule a mammogram through our new online scheduling tool or call (704) 367-2232. About Charlotte Radiology Breast Centers Charlotte Radiology is one of the largest radiology groups in the country and has served Mecklenburg and surrounding counties in NC and SC since 1967. Charlotte Radiology owns and operates 15 breast center locations and a mobile breast unit and serves more than 100,000 women each year. All breast centers are accredited by the American College of Radiology, certified by the FDA and recognized as a Breast Imaging Center of Excellence. For more information: http://www.charlotteradiology.com. About NoDa Brewing Company Opening its tap room doors in 2011, NoDa became one of Charlottes first craft breweries. Three short years later, Hop Drop N Roll their most popular IPA took home the World Beer Cup Gold Award in the competitions largest category. This recognition propelled the brewery onto a national stage, and attributed to the quick expansion from a 15-barrel brewhouse in the NoDa neighborhood to a 60 barrel brewhouse in nearby North End. Today, NoDa Brewing Company continues to brew award-winning beers, stand as a pillar of creativity and connection in the community, and add to the states thriving craft beer economy. Connect with NoDa Brewing Company at http://www.nodabrewing.com, or on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter @nodabrewing. R io TInto's Jean-Sebastien Jacques is to quit as CEO after bowing to pressure over the mining giant's destruction of an important Aboriginal site. The Anglo-Australian company has faced widespread condemnation for the loss of the ancient indigenous rock shelters in the iron ore-rich Pilbara region of Western Australia. Rio Tinto said the decision for Jacques to go was by mutual agreement as the world's second biggest miner looks to rebuild trust in the wake of the incident in May. He will remain in his role until March 31, unless a replacement is found before then. As well as Jacques, who has been in charge since 2016, Rio said iron ore head Chris Salisbury and corporate affairs chief Simone Niven would leave by the end of the year. Rio Tinto chairman Simon Thompson said: "What happened at Juukan was wrong and we are determined to ensure that the destruction of a heritage site of such exceptional archaeological and cultural significance never occurs again at a Rio Tinto operation. He added that the company was also determined to regain the trust of the Puutu Kunti Kurrama and Pinikura people as well as other Traditional Owners. The company has been criticised by stakeholders over a lack of individual accountability, which they said undermined the group's ability to implement changes recommended in a recent review. Keren Adams, legal director at the Human Rights Law Centre, said while the removal of the three senior executives was an important first step it must not be the last. At last we are seeing some proper accountability at the top for Rio Tinto's destruction of Juukan Gorge. The companys initial response of docking executives bonuses was patently inadequate given the significance of the site. But this is only the first step. The company must now follow this action up with proper reparations to the Traditional Owners and start walking the talk on human rights and cultural heritage protection. The National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) called off its strike on Thursday, four days after it began. The association in a statement made available to PREMIUM TIMES said its National Executive Council resolved to suspend the strike with effect from Friday by 8 a.m. It said the decision was taken in order to give the federal government time to address its demands. The new development, the association said, will be reviewed in two weeks. The doctors union, however, said local chapters of its association that are not satisfied with the conditions of service are allowed to continue the industrial action at their respective states. NEC resolved to suspend the ongoing indefinite nationwide strike action from tomorrow 11th of September 2020 by 8am However local chapters where the conditions of service have not improved should continue on the industrial action at the respective states until their demands are met to be reviewed in 2 weeks time, the statement said. Resident doctors are certified doctors undergoing residency to become consultants. They make up a large percentage of doctors in Nigerias tertiary hospitals. PREMIUM TIMES reported how the doctors began a nationwide indefinite strike on Monday amid Nigerias continued fight against the deadly coronavirus pandemic. The doctors are protesting the non-implementation of life insurance for those of them treating COVID-19 patients; the non-funding of their residency programme, hazard allowances and some unpaid arrears. The doctors had in June downed tools for one week over the same outstanding demands. In its initial response to the doctors decision on Monday, the government said the doctors have no reason to down tools as more than half of their demands had been addressed. Government has already addressed six out of the eight demands listed by the Association. With such a high percentage of the Associations demands already addressed the NARD had no reason to embark on an industrial action, the minister of labour, Chris Ngige, had said. The minister then called for a meeting to resolve the grievances of the doctors. At he meeting between the two parties which held on Wednesday in Abuja, the government threatened to revoke the residency programme which is also a bone of contention. Demands Health workers, being the first respondents to patients, face exposure to coronavirus and as a result, more than a thousand have tested positive for COVID-19. They have repeatedly protested the lack of access to full Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and life insurance especially for their members treating people suffering from COVID-19, a rare strain of coronavirus that has killed over 900,000 people globally. The Nigerian government had promised a special COVID-19 hazard and inducement allowance of 50 per cent of Consolidated Basic Salary to health workers in federal health institutions and designated COVID-19 centres. Prior to this, health workers received N5,000 as hazard pay across the board. The government had also promised frontline health workers life insurance, but this promise has not been kept, according to the president of the NARD, Aliyu Sokomba. Following its decision to suspend the industrial action, Mr Sokomba appealed to relevant stakeholders to ensure that the government keeps its side of the bargain. September 10, 2020 News By David Vergun , DOD News Defense.gov Ethics Play Important Part in AI Development, Vice Chairman Says Artificial intelligence can be tremendously beneficial for society. However, AI in the hands of America's adversaries could pose a national security threat, the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said in prepared remarks. Therefore, the Defense Department has a keen interest in taking the lead in AI research and development, said Air Force Gen. John E. Hyten, who spoke yesterday at the 2020 Department of Defense Artificial Intelligence Symposium and Exposition. When most people think about how AI is created, they think it's all about the algorithms, he said. While algorithms are critical, they are just one of the seven building blocks that comprise AI, the others being data, software, computing, ethics, engagement with industry and international cooperation. "Algorithms, to me, are actually one of the easier problems to solve," Hyten said. "But algorithms without the other building blocks are useless, especially when it comes to data and computing." The department has an enormous amount of data in a number of different structures and formats, he said, noting that this is not necessarily a problem. "I watched a company in California take data in a format that they'd never seen before and they did not try to reformat the data," he said. "They just taught the machine how to look at the data, understand the data, put it in their construct so they could apply their algorithms to that data, and with a couple of weeks and just a couple hundred thousand dollars they delivered a capability." The amazing thing about AI, Hyten said, is that the computer can have a variety of sensors connected to it that can collect real-time data, learn from the data and discover new information. When you integrate the sensing capability with the data, now, if you apply computing in the right way, you can accomplish just amazing things," Hyten added. "So you see, computing, algorithms and data are all part of the same puzzle. They can't be looked at separately. They have to be looked at together." To process and manipulate all of the data that exists and that is to be discovered into something useful for the warfighter requires a fast and powerful computer, he said. Algorithms are another critical component, he said. "The data is kind of an enabling capability. The computer is the machine. The algorithms are the magic. And the software that puts it all together is going to be the key," Hyten said. The department is not good at software development, he said. "When it comes to AI, we had better figure out how to do it in a modern, quick way," he said. "In order for us to stay abreast of our adversaries and move ahead of our adversaries, we have to be able to move faster than our adversaries." One way the department can move faster in software development is to put together small and nimble teams instead of having hundreds of people writing code at the same time on a single project, he suggested. Ethics also plays an important part in AI development because ''there's a lot of challenges about what we do with artificial intelligence in warfare,'' he said. Decisions about whether or not to engage in armed conflict should always be made by this nation's leaders, not by AI, he said. If leadership decides to use armed forces to achieve political objectives, then AI should be fully utilized as a tool of warfare under the control of humans. Since the commercial sector is leading so far out in front with AI development, it is incumbent on the department to engage with industry and cut through the red tape and paperwork, Hyten said. Allies and partners are also investing heavily in AI, so it's essential, as well, to reach out to friends and bring them aboard as partners, he said. "We want peace on this planet. We want peace to be the world that our children live in. That's the world we want. That's what we need to use all of our capabilities for, and artificial intelligence is one of those," Hyten concluded. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Boris Johnsons plan to reform social care has been delayed again, leaving families continuing to face sky-high bills for the foreseeable future. Insiders say no details will be released until Chancellor Rishi Sunaks Autumn Statement in late November or even later. It is understood that Downing Street has gone back to square one after cooling on the idea of a cap on the costs of care. The Prime Minister is now looking at a new plan based on the pensions system, with people getting basic care for free but with the ability to pay more for better care. Families continue to face sky-high bills for the foreseeable future. Under Englands broken social care system, people pay the full cost of their care until their assets including the value of their home fall to below 23,250 Under the scheme, championed by Theresa Mays former deputy Damian Green, the elderly would pay more via their savings or housing wealth if they wanted larger rooms in a care home, more appetising meals or more frequent trips. Earlier this week Health Secretary Matt Hancock was asked by MPs when the plan for social care would be published and he refused to give an answer. Last night charities said the further delay was gut-wrenching for families. Under Englands broken social care system, people pay the full cost of their care until their assets including the value of their home fall to below 23,250. It leaves many parents unable to pass on much of an inheritance to their children. It had been thought that No 10 was close to announcing a version of economist Andrew Dilnots care cap, which would see everyone paying a maximum of 40,000 towards their care, with the state stepping in to pay the rest. But senior figures are believed to be cooling on this idea, partly because it would not guarantee that people would not have to sell their homes to pay for care. This is because the Dilnot scheme sees people having to pay hotel costs for bed and board of up to 10,000 a year. And the 40,000 cap would not be a significant help to people in some northern areas where house prices are much lower. Downing Street is now looking at other models, including one promoted by Mr Green for a system based on pensions. Everyone would get a guaranteed basic level of social care for free, just as they get a state pension. But they would have to pay more if they wanted better care, in the same way as people can take out private pensions. Boris Johnson is now looking at a new plan - with people getting basic care for free but with the ability to pay more for better care The system could see them having the option of paying a lump sum of 10,000 or 20,000 on retirement for the promise of better care should they need it. The Daily Mail has campaigned to end the injustice of families of patients with dementia and other illnesses having to spend billions on care. Mr Johnson claimed when he entered No 10 in July last year that he already had a plan to end the social care crisis once and for all. But in the many months since he made that confident announcement, no information has been forthcoming. Caroline Abrahams, charity director at Age UK, said: Social care was in desperate need of refinancing and reform before the pandemic and six months later the red warning lights are now flashing brighter than ever. Given everything else going on, a further delay is not surprising but it is gut-wrenching. But the million or so mainly Muslim migrants who came in the following months split Europeans. Some welcomed the refugees. Others were frightened or repulsed by them, fearing that they threatened their way of life. Germans started marching in protest in such cities as Dresden. A right-wing and xenophobic party called the Alternative for Germany, which in the early summer of 2005 had been close to dissolving, suddenly soared in the polls. The backlash dominated politics in Germany and all of Europe. STUART, Fla., Sept. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Construction Journal announced today it has expanded its cloud-based regional specific platform service into Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin. Construction Journal's software as a service (SaaS) enables users to identify, efficiently track, and manage preconstruction project phases to create revenue for businesses with its' robust data, tools, and analytics. Construction Journal collaborates with Architects, Engineers, Owners, and Construction Managers (CM's), General Contractors (GC's), and Public Agencies to provide comprehensive, accurate, and timely construction project information. Construction Journal clients can track projects and companies, identify key contacts, access project plans, specifications, and addendums, all within a user-friendly platform. Now, the teams at Construction Journal are pleased to offer complete and expanded project coverage to the counties and states of Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin, in addition to the other 30 states currently covered. "We look forward to serving businesses in the construction industries in the great states of Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin," said owner and Chief Executive Officer, Rich Goldman. We offer thousands of current projects in the conception, design & bidding stages of a construction project. Our customers have access to many advanced features, including searching of all plan documents. Our customers can also track and receive alerts when projects and companies are updated to follow projects and stay ahead of their competitors. We offer our service for a fraction of the price if our customers were to gather this information on their own, plus we back up our highly rated SaaS platform with an elite customer success team based in the United States. Construction Journal has a diversified workforce located in over 25 states with physical offices in Burlington, VT, and Stuart, FL. About Construction Journal Headquartered in Stuart, Florida, Construction Journal empowers its users through its network to quickly find relevant and timely data, forge essential relationships, and pursue opportunities leading to increased revenue. Construction Journal is a leading provider of actionable construction information through its powerful and easy-to-use platform. For more information on how to join our team of professionals, visit www.ConstructionJournal.com. Media Contact: [email protected] SOURCE Construction Journal Related Links https://www.constructionjournal.com LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / September 11, 2020 / Compare-autoinsurance.org (https://compare-autoinsurance.org/) announces a new blog post, "How to Obtain Cheaper Car Insurance for New Drivers?" Compare-autoinsurance.org has launched a new blog post that explains who is considered a new driver by car insurance companies and how new drivers can gain better deals. For more info and free car insurance quotes online, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.org/how-to-obtain-cheaper-car-insurance-for-new-drivers Car insurance companies consider that a new driver is anyone without a recent driving record, no matter what age that person has. Most new drivers are teenagers, but there are other categories of new drivers. Older drivers who are immigrants, foreign nationals and US residents who haven't yet driven or they have a large coverage lapse are considered to be new drivers. Obtaining affordable car insurance is not easy for any of these categories. New drivers should consider following the next recommendations: New drivers who are under 25 years old. From this age group are the most drivers that are more likely to cause an accident. For this reason, insurance companies will charge more on coverage for drivers that are younger than 25. Drivers from this category can save money on car insurance by joining the family policy. The family policy insurance rates will go up, but the overall costs will be less than having two separate policies. Also, insurers are offering a series of discounts for young drivers. These discounts are offered to good students, young drivers that enroll in a UBI program, or drivers that graduate a defensive driving course. Immigrants or foreign nationals . US insurance companies can only access domestic driving records. For this reason, foreigners that have good driving records in their home countries will be considered as new drivers in the US. Getting insurance without a US driver's license is quite hard. The easiest method to get insurance is to rent a car and use the rental car company's coverage. Foreigners who are planning to stay for a long period in the US should consider applying for a driving license. In some states like California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, or Maryland, even undocumented immigrants can get a license. Drivers with driving or coverage gaps. Drivers that don't have a driving history that can be checked will be treated as new drivers. Also, drivers without continuous coverage will be placed in the high-risk category. In both cases, shopping for cheaper insurance is hard. In most cases, drivers can find affordable coverage on the non-standard insurance market. Many small carriers are specialized in dealing with high-risk drivers. Story continues For additional info, money-saving tips, and free car insurance quotes, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.org Compare-autoinsurance.org is an online provider of life, home, health, and auto insurance quotes. This website is unique because it does not simply stick to one kind of insurance provider, but brings the clients the best deals from many different online insurance carriers. In this way, clients have access to offers from multiple carriers all in one place: this website. On this site, customers have access to quotes for insurance plans from various agencies, such as local or nationwide agencies, brand names insurance companies, etc. "Finding cheap car insurance in the US when you are considered to be a new driver, can be a hassle for many. Even so, several methods can help new drivers obtain affordable coverage.", said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company. CONTACT: Company Name: Internet Marketing Company Person for contact Name: Daniel C Phone Number: (818) 359-3898 Email: cgurgu@internetmarketingcompany.biz Website: https://compare-autoinsurance.org SOURCE: Internet Marketing Company View source version on accesswire.com: https://www.accesswire.com/605724/How-To-Get-Cheap-Car-Insurance-For-New-Drivers Take irreversible action against terror groups, India-US tell Pakistan India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Sep 11: India and the United States have called on Pakistan to take immediate, irreversible and sustained action to ensure that its territory is not used for terror attacks. Further Pakistan has also been told to speedily bring to justice the perpetrators of the Mumbai 2008 and Pathankot 2016 attacks. Further the two countries also sought for concerted action against terror groups such as the Lashkar-e-Tayiba, Jaish-e-Mohammad, Al-Qaeda and Hizbul Mujahideen. The issue was raised in the 17 meeting of the US-India Joint Working Group on Counter-terrorism and the third session of the Designations Dialogue that was held virtual on September 10 and 11, a joint statement said. Paks terror policy allowed JeM deposit Pulwama attack money in 2 of its largest banks Sushant Death Case: Rhea Chakraborty denied bail by a Mumbai court, will stay in jail|Oneindia News The use of terrorist proxies were denounced by both sides and India and the US condemned cross border terrorism in all forms. "The two sides underlined the urgent need for Pakistan to take immediate, sustained, and irreversible action to ensure that no territory under its control is used for terrorist attacks, and to expeditiously bring to justice the perpetrators of such attacks, including 26/11 Mumbai and Pathankot," said the statement. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Friday, September 11, 2020, 13:51 [IST] After its successful premier last week, "Power Book II: Ghost" is returning for its second episode this Sunday, September 13. Season 1 Episode 2 of the Starz network show is titled "Exceeding Expectations." It will pick up where things left off in the opening episode, which primarily featured the son of James St. Patrick, Tariq (Michael Rainey Jr.), and his new life in Stansfield University. Power's first spinoff also saw Tasha (Naturi Naughton) dealing with the ghost of "Ghost" in Episode 1. In the opener, Tasha dealt with the legal repercussions of the death of James as she defended that her involvement was only self-defense. What Is Power Book II: Ghost About? As mentioned, the new drama is a spinoff of the long-running show "Power" in Starz network. In a press release for the upcoming episode, Starz hinted about the complications that Tariq will face as he gets to know his father even more and what he is to the people around him. Per Starz: "Haunted by the legacy of his father, Tariq tries to understand who James St. Patrick was to the people in his life, how it's shaped Tariq's own life, and how the memories of James St. Patrick and Ghost define the man Tariq wants to become. Carrie and Jabari's past entanglements complicate how they counsel Tariq through this pivotal moment in his life. And as Tariq gets acquainted with Zeke's aunt, Monet, Tasha is concerned with her son's path, questioning how he's paying for the expensive services of her new defense attorney, Davis MacLean.' For the uninitiated, James St. Patrick is the protagonist in "Power." Also known as "Ghost," he is a nightclub owner with involvement in drug trades in the show. What To Expect in Episode 2 Based on a short clip shown to the media, Tariq will be meeting with the attorney Davis MacLean, played by Clifford Smith Jr. a.k.a Method Man. In the said short clip, Atty. MacLean was seen talking with Tariq about the case of his mother. It is particularly noteworthy when MacLean noted their plan to show the violent and dangerous side of James St. Patrick in order to sway the jury to rule in Tasha's favor -- if ever the case ends that way. Where To Watch "Power Book II: Ghost" Episode 2 The episode will air on September 13 at 8:00 p.m ET/PT. It will be available on STARZ, the STARZ app, and STARZ On Demand. READ MORE: Cancel Netflix: Media Giant Gets Major Backlash (Again) Over Inappropriate Show BRIDGEPORT The citys mayor declined to answer questions Friday morning regarding whether he was questioned by the FBI in connection with the arrest of the citys former police chief and the citys acting personnel director. Armando Perez resigned as chief Thursday after federal authorities announced his arrest and the arrest of David Dunn, whose status with the city was unclear Friday morning. Perez and Dunn were each charged with wire fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud and lying to the FBI in connection with the 2018 police chief search in Bridgeport. If convicted, Dunn could face up to 40 years in prison, Perez a maximum of 50. Mayor Joe Ganim announced in a video via social media late Thursday afternoon that Assistant Chief Rebeca Garcia would take over the reins as acting chief of police. I think it is important that the city was able to move quickly in response, Ganim reiterated when approached by a Hearst Connecticut Media reporter on Friday. We look forward to moving forward with our new acting police chief but its a very difficult, disappointing situation. He started walking faster and declined to answer repeated questions on whether he was questioned or interviewed by the FBI regarding the allegations against Perez and Dunn. Thats all being done through the city attorneys office and I cant answer, he said. Ganim served time himself in federal prison. He resigned as mayor after being convicted on felony corruption charges and mounted a successful reelection to return to City Hall after his release from prison. On Friday, the mayor declined to answer whether he had directed, asked or suggested to Dunn that Perez should be one of the three finalists for chief. Dunn falsely denied to a FBI special agent and a United States Attorneys Office investigator that he had told a panelist, who was responsible for ranking the candidates in the final stage of the examination for the police chief, that the Mayor of Bridgeport wanted Perez to be ranked among the top three candidates, the complaint states. Hours after Perez resigned, Ganim urged members of the police department to embrace their new acting chief. Even now more than ever, Id ask you to make sure that you commit your support to her as acting police chief, Ganim said in his Thursday video. And certainly, if theres direction given, and its lawful and ethical and its based on her experience, Id ask you to follow that, OK? So that we can move this department forward and keep it steady and do the job that you certainly all signed up for at some point. Garcia was welcomed by a round of applause before the video cut out. Her swearing in was not shown. She has yet to make a public statement on Perezs arrest. She has also not responded to a request for comment from Hearst Connecticut Media. While Perez had been the center of various controversies during his time as acting and permanent chief of the citys police force, the citys new acting chief is also no stranger to controversy. Garcia is the subject of a pending lawsuit, filed by three city police captains and a deputy police chief who contest her qualifications to be assistant chief. The suit is scheduled to be heard next month in state Superior Court. On Thursday afternoon, Perez, 64, and Dunn, 72, were arraigned before U.S. Magistrate Judge William Garfinkel via video conference. Dunn, dressed in a yellow T-shirt and blue jeans, sat in a barred cell during his hearing while Perez, dressed in a blue suit and face mask, sat beside his lawyer, Robert Frost, in what appeared to be an office. Both men were released after posting $150,000 bonds. Garfinkel continued the cases to Sept. 24 for a probable cause hearing. Dunns lawyer, Frederick Paoletti, declined comment. Frost did not return calls for comment. Chief Perez resigned, effective today, Ganim told members of the City Council, staff and police department on Thursday night, according to a video posted by the city. He can state his reasons but theres plenty information out in the news that may be a part of that. Rowena White, the mayors spokesperson, said late Thursday night that additional changes in leadership are forthcoming, and Ganim briefly addressed that when he spoke with several departments about the appointment of a new acting chief. He said other than ensuring the police department has strong leadership, he also plans to take deliberate actions to ensure there is committed leadership in civil service or other departments where needed. White said city officials only learned of the allegations against Perez and Dunn on Thursday. The city of Bridgeport Attorneys Office is in receipt of the sealed complaint filed by the U.S. Attorneys and is currently reviewing the information and charges, White said. That 25-page complaint details the charges against Perez and Dunn, allegedly that they devised a scheme to embezzle confidential information from the city of Bridgeport relating to the open and competitive examination ... to select the new permanent police chief. The complaint also alleges that the two deceived the city into ranking Perez in the top three candidates, and ultimately awarding him the five-year contract under false and fraudulent pretenses. The complaint states Perez convinced Dunn to help him and two officers, including one who resigned from the department because of racist emails, to write his application and provide him with draft answers for the test. Since the beginning of this pandemic, doctors and health care professionals have been denied personal protective equipment, hazard pay, and basic workplace protections. Many have been forced to choose between keeping their jobs and keeping their families safe. On top of all this, a new generation of doctors-to-be are expected to undertake the risk of coronavirus exposure just apply to medical school. Thousands of prospective doctors have shown up over the past few months for the Medical College Admission Test (commonly known as the MCAT), the primary exam required for the majority of medical schools. Advertisement As the COVID pandemic triggered national shutdowns in early March, the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), which administers the MCAT, responded by briefly canceling the exam due to the danger that sitting in a room with others for hours and hours posed to prospective students (a danger thats higher for Black and Latino students, who are more likely than other groups to contract and die from COVID). But in May, the test-taking started up again. The AAMC recently doubled down on the need for in-person examseven as there continued to be tens of thousands of new coronavirus cases recorded nationally each day. While there are minor safety measures in place, like limiting the number of test-takers and shortening the famously long exam, the advocacy group Students for Ethical Admissions told the New York Times that there is inconsistent masking among test-takers, among other issues. Unsurprisingly, there are reports of test-takers getting sick. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement No one should risk their life to take a standardized testespecially one that doesnt provide a good way to screen how capable someone will be as a doctor in the first place. Its time medical schools stop treating students as expendable and scrap the MCAT. Not just while coronavirus infection rates are high, and not just until theres a vaccinefor good. The MCAT is steeped in a history of racism and white supremacy. The ideological father of the MCAT, Abraham Flexner, neither a physician nor a scientist, spearheaded a national campaign to reform medical education by targeting Black physicians and Black medical schools. The Flexner report, released in 1910, codified his agenda by standardizing national medical education, using all-white schools as a model. This closed more than 70 percent of Black medical schoolsleaving only Howard and Meharryand pushed medical schools across the country to adopt standardized admissions exams. The AAMC argued in its recent open letter that waiving the MCAT now will introduce inequity into the review process, as some students have already completed the exam. But, as we know from history, the MCAT has always been inequitable. Advertisement The MCAT, like many standardized tests, is to some extent a measure of wealth rather than ability. Research shows that white students statistically do better on the MCAT because they attend wealthier colleges with more expansive curriculums, can afford expensive test prep and multiple retakes, and have the luxury of being able to pay to reschedule an exam if they feel they could use more time to study. The MCAT is expensive, costing upward of $320 for a single test alone. Thats on top of all the other costs of applying to medical school: There are the medical school application fees themselves ($170 for the first school and $40 for each additional school), then the school-specific supplementary applications ($100 on average per school), and then interview attire and the cost of traveling for interviews. While the AAMC does have a fee assistance program that can help cover the cost of MCAT registration, study materials, and medical school application costs, it is difficult to qualify for. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Proponents of the MCAT will ask how medical schools will screen applicants for admissions without a standardized exam. But its already happening. Several medical schools, such as those at Stanford, the University of Minnesota, and the University of Washington, have already waived the MCAT for this year. They are taking a more holistic approaches to evaluating application materials, which include college transcripts, essays, interviews, track records of volunteering, leadership, and research involvement. The truth is the MCAT is just not a good judge of whether someone will be a good doctor. As Iris Gibbs, the associate dean for medical admissions at Stanford, said recently, Medicine is a profession that relies on more than whether someone can take a test and regurgitate knowledge. Advertisement Part of what medicine relies on is doctors being able to understand and empathize with their patients. We need to be supporting potential students who come from diverse backgrounds, not filtering them out with the MCAT. Only 5 percent of doctors are Black, and just 5.8 percent are Latino. Thanks in part to this abysmal representation, health care disparities abound in this country. Black women die at record rates during childbirth. Black people have a higher chance of dying early from heart disease. COVID-19 has decimated Black, Latino, and Native American communities. And health care remains out of reach for millions of Americans. We desperately need more doctors of color; currently, racism is baked into the very fabric of medicine. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the midst of a pandemic and a national reckoning on racism in America, its never been more important to have a critical mass of doctors and diversity in medicine. Medical schools have a choice. They can embrace what has always beena test and admissions system steeped in racism that endangers us allor they can change. They can decide whether the health of students and their families is worth risking or if its just as important as the health of their future patients. Ultimately, medical schools cannot lament the lack of Black and Latino doctors while actively putting those students at greater risk in this pandemic in order to continue to embrace a testing approach with racist roots. Rather than just paying lip service to diversity in medicine, they must actively tear down monuments to racism in medicine. The MCAT is a great place to start. Sydney-based fund manager Pallas Capital and its development offshoot Fortis have snapped up more than $100 million in Melbourne and Sydney city-fringe commercial properties during the pandemic. Fortis director Charles Mellick said the properties would have an end value of around $400 million after redevelopment. "We still see people moving out of the CBD, he said. The Appel family sold their South Melbourne office at 18-22 Thomson Street. Credit: The latest acquisition was the Appel familys South Melbourne office building at 18-22 Thomson Street which transacted for $6.9 million. The three-level 1970s-era office building sits on a 496 square metre site, one block back from Albert Park Lake. The property is not far from Pallas new headquarters on Palmerston Crescent and neighbours include Tim Gurners 10-level 74 Eastern apartment project. Announcements Supplemental food available to seniors Rocky Mountain Development Council, Inc. will have supplemental foods available to qualified Helena and East Helena area senior citizens. East Helena Monday, Sept. 21, from 23:30 p.m. at the United Methodist Church, 50 Prickly Pear Ave. Helena Wednesday-Thursday, Sept. 23-24, from 8-10:30 a.m. at Helena Food Share, 1616 Lewis St. Foods consist of canned fruit, vegetables, meats, juice, cereals, dry milk, evaporated milk, cheese and peanut butter. Persons 60 years and older will be certified to receive the food by categorical income, and residency eligibility. For further information or questions, call Rocky at 406-447-1680 or Helena Food Share at 406-443-3663, or visit our website at www.rmdc.net. New parenting classes held at Helena College Florence Crittenton has announced a series of new parenting classes that are available to all parents in the Helena community. This array of classes provides the necessary education, tips, and tools we all can learn from to raise, healthy, happy, responsible children. Classes are held at Helena College, University of Montana and our sliding fee scale means they are available to everyone regardless of their ability to pay. Classes are for anyone in any kind of parenting or care-giving role, whether that be a parent, foster parent, grandparent, teacher, daycare provider or caring family member. Class sizes are limited to a maximum of 12 and masks and social distancing are required. All curriculum is taught by our trained parenting experts in a non-judgmental, supportive environment with the goal being to support each other in finding solutions to the challenges we all face when raising children. Classes include Love & Logic, a hands-on parenting tips class; Circle of Security looks into attachment and exploring our childs emotional needs; Nurturing Parenting is specifically designed for parenting struggling with substance use; and Loving Your Baby from the Inside Out a prenatal and birthing preparation class for first time moms. For more information and to register for a class, visit www.florencecrittenton.org or call Florence Crittentons admissions department at 406-442 6950 ext. 307 or email isabelleh@florencecrittenton.org. Life Covenant Church offers after-school program As an outreach to the community of Helena, Life Covenant Church, 800 North Hoback St., located a few blocks north of the Helena Middle School, is offering free after-school program for middle school students in sixth through eighth grades on Mondays. Any middle school students in Helena and the surrounding area who needs a safe place to do homework, play games and participate in monthly workshops are welcomed. The program is from 1:45-6 p.m., followed by youth group from 6-8 p.m. Light snacks are offered at 1:45 p.m. and dinner is offered at 6 p.m. Anyone with questions regarding this outreach, can contact Jolanda Songer, the EnFuego Middle School Youth Group Director at 406-437-8158. Virtual educational series geared to seniors The Area IV Agency on Aging of Rocky Mountain Development Council, Inc. has launched a virtual education series for seniors called PopKnowledge. PopKnowledge is set to take place on Wednesdays from 1-2 p.m. and is designed to combat the social isolation senior citizens may be experiencing during concerns of COVID-19. The series will take place of Zoom Conference software and feature educational presentations by Montana residents. For more information about PopKnowledge and the Area IV Agency on Aging, please contact Maria Murphy at mmurphy@rmdc.netor call 406-457-7376. Red Cross seeks blood donations The American Red Cross has a continued need for donors to ensure blood is on the shelves for hospital patients. Donation appointments can be made for the coming days and weeks by downloading the free Blood Donor App, visiting RedCrossBlood.org, calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767). Upcoming blood donation opportunities: Helena Sept. 16: 9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m., Capitol Building, Capitol Building, 1301 E. 6th St. Sept. 17: noon-5:30 p.m., The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1610 E. 6th Ave. Sept. 18: 9:30 a.m.-3 p.m., St Peter's Health, 2475 Broadway Sept. 23: 10 a.m.-3 p.m., Opportunity Bank, 1400 Prospect Donations needed for Red Scarf Project The Department of Public Health and Human Services and Reach Higher Montana are partnering on the annual Red Scarf Project to support Montanas youth in foster care in their efforts to attain postsecondary education. This fall, Reach Higher Montana will be working with the Montana Chafee Foster Care Independence Program of DPHHS to collect and deliver homemade red scarves to include in care packages for youth in foster care during the holiday season. The scarves will be included in care packages along with other personal care items for all Montana youth currently or previously in foster care who are now pursuing their postsecondary education and receiving Educational Training Voucher funds. Those interested in participating are encouraged to send homemade red scarves no later than Oct. 23, 2020 to Reach Higher, 40 W. 6th Ave, Helena, MT 59601. The scarves should be roughly 60-inches long and between 5 and 8 inches wide. They should be gender neutral and tie with ease. The scarves may include other colors, but should be primarily red. It is also encouraged to include a special note or tag, for example Made with Care for You, or something similar. If you have any questions or would like more information, contact Tessa Littlefield, Programs Coordinator at Reach Higher Montana at 406-422-1275 ext. 802. The City of Helena has board openings ADA Compliance Committee: One city resident, representing a medical field. One city resident, representing the disabled community. The ADA Compliance Committee will act as an advisory committee to assist in determination of reasonable accommodations. The committee may review requests for reconsideration of complaints forwarded by the ADA coordinator, may make determinations as to the validity of complaints, and my provide descriptions of the resolution of those grievances that have been appealed. The committee may recommend priorities for making structural changes to public facilities, offer suggestions on how to achieve program accessibility, and review and make recommendations on employment practices and accommodations for compliance. Business Improvement District: One citizen to serve on the Business Improvement District. Applicants must be the owner of property within the BID District or be the owners personal representative, agent or guardian. Per Resolution 19766 the BID was created to promote the health, safety, prosperity, security, and general welfare of the inhabitants of the city of Helena and the proposed district. Board of Adjustment: Two city residents, one to serve as a full board member, and one to serve as an alternate member. The alternate member will be called upon to serve on the commission when any full member is unable to attend a meeting of the commission. Ordinance 1766, amended by Ordinances 2384 and 3097, established the Board of Adjustment to act on variance applications as detailed in Chapter 11-5 of the Helena City Code. Membership to include the following: One a member of the city commission and four citizen members. Citizen Conservation Board: One city resident, to act as a representative from an environmental organization. Term will begin upon appointment with no specific expiration date, per Resolution 20375. The Citizen Conservation Board will support, recommend, report on, and monitor sustainability measures undertaken by the city of Helena. Lewis And Clark County Heritage Preservation Tourism Development Council: One city resident, to serve as an at-large member representing the city of Helena. The Memorandum of Understanding and By-Laws of the Lewis and Clark County Heritage Preservation and Tourism Development Council were adopted by the Helena City Commission and the Lewis and Clark County Commissioners, March 2012. The Council shall consist of seven members who have a demonstrated interest in protecting or promoting the heritage resources of the city and/or the county. City Zoning Commission: One city resident to serve as an alternate board member. This member will be called upon to serve on the Commission when any full member is unable to attend a meeting of the commission. The City Zoning Commission was re-established by the Helena City Commission on June 4, 2001. The Zoning Commission shall have five members and one alternate, all of whom must be residents of the city of Helena. Terms are three-years. Those individuals who have previously applied for any of the listed board vacancies are encouraged to reapply. Applications are available at: www.helenamt.gov/government/departments/city-commission/city-boards-committees. Unless otherwise stated, you must be a City resident in order to participate on a City of Helena board or committee. You may view a map of the City limits at the following link: www.lccountymt.gov/fileadmin/user_upload/GIS/CompPlanMaps/PDF/Getting-Around/CityofHelena2020StreetsandTrails36x48NOINDEX.pdf Request the application by email to dmclayborn@helenamt.gov or by calling 447-8409 and can be submitted electronically or mailed to the City Clerks Office, 316 N. Park Avenue, Room 323, Helena, MT 59623. The deadline for all board applications is 4:00 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 24, 2020. Student news Students explore health careers during camp High school juniors and seniors from across Montana participated in the Billings MedStart Camp, July 26-30. This five-day camp encourages students to pursue their interest in a variety of healthcare careers, learn about college life, and realize they can pursue higher education. Morgan Gregg of Helena was one of 25 campers who attended. The Eastern Montana Area Health Education Center and RiverStone Health hosted the Billings MedStart program. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Sajin Shrijith By Express News Service Though it was shot with a minimal crew, many who saw C U Soon (on Amazon Prime Video) wondered whether it was relatively more difficult to shoot than a conventional film. Its director, Mahesh Narayanan, certainly felt so. Though the crew members were less, the execution was very difficult, he says, adding that a lot of tweaking was needed to see if the correct emotions were being registered or not, or to give some clarity on what exactly was happening in each scene. Mahesh wasnt initially sure if the material would be apt for a short or a feature-length film considering its length. He told Fahadh as much. With my other films, I could judge the length. One page is one minute, normally. This, however, was different. Mahesh also found the screen life format tricky to pull off given its limitations. Some of the omitted details in between, such as the backstory preceding a video call, bothered him. He also expected people to make comparisons to Aneesh Chagantys Searching when the trailer came out. But now that CU Soon is out, sensible film buffs who have seen Searching find the comparison unfair. When you look at Searching, some additional tools were used for accessibility and convenience, but Ive tried to avoid that as much as possible, says Mahesh. Though Mahesh had a good understanding of screen-based films, he couldnt figure out how to go about it until he had some footage in his hands. There was no storyboarding here. I told Fahadh that well first film something of the other two characters (Roshan Mathews Jimmy and Darshana Rajendrans Anumol), take a break to edit it, and then inform him. There was no guarantee of anything. It was almost like filming audition tapes of these actors. Since the actors and crew members were living under the same roof multiple flats were rented out in Fahadhs apartment complex everyone could communicate with each other with ease. It was the most challenging for Fahadh because I couldnt shoot his reaction footage without shooting the others portions, continues Mahesh. After all, it was about trying to make a human story more than an investigative one. For the IT-related stuff, Mahesh sought the help of his wife, an IT expert herself; for the actors playing Arabs, Mahesh contacted a few guys who had been part of Take Off; for the locations, he used Kochis Grand Hyatt and Aster Medcity to stand in as the interiors of the offices and airport interiors in the Middle East. As there was no room for cuts, the actors had to perform the entire scenes, such as the beginning to the end of a video call. They also found it challenging to work with only a single lens. Later, on the editing table, Mahesh got to tinker with the footage to give it a more cinematic language, like panning and tilting as seen in conventionally shot films. The advantage of shooting in 4K is the option of digital zoom and creating individual shots, he says. Sabin Uralikandy shot the live footage while Mahesh worked on the virtual cinematography. Since music plays an integral part in the storytelling, I ask if Mahesh had ever envisioned the film without music. No, I felt it was necessary because we are narrating a dramatic story. Music, to me, is a form of writing. There was a theme for the Jimmy-Kevin interaction, a theme for the Kevin-Anumol interaction, and so on, he explains. While making the music decisions with Gopi Sundar (composer), Mahesh used Johnson masters music as one of the references, like the romantic tunes from Padmarajans Namukku Paarkaan Munthirithoppukal. Mahesh was also concerned whether audiences, especially non-Malayalis, will be able to follow the Manglish text messages on the screen and the corresponding subtitles (created by Vivek Ranjit) at the same time. Because of this, he didnt want the film to be streamed in full screen. Having black bars below the frame gives you an advantage as you can place the subtitles on it. This is one of the reasons why CU Soon is best suited for an OTT release as people have the option of rewinding and checking again what they may have missed on the initial glance. When I sent the footage to foley artists (sound creators), I included subtitles with the content as they were not Malayalis. While working on it, they found it too quick to follow and asked me if we could slow it down a little. Asked about writing additional characters in the film, like that of Kevins girlfriend Sanjana (played by Amalda Liz) or Dr Prasanth (Saiju Kurup), Mahesh tells us that he wouldnt have created these characters without finding a purpose for them. This story wouldnt have worked without them. Theyre unavoidable characters. I like giving purpose for these characters. One fascinating character detail was that of Kevin, an IT expert, sleeping with his wallet and electronic devices open. I know people like that. As for the guy who comes to clean his house, there is already an arrangement with him. Kevin knows that he wouldnt steal anything, he laughs. Some viewers also brought up doubts like the possibility of Google Duo working in Dubai. Well, people use VPN (Virtual Private Network), even for making WhatsApp calls. Its a reason why I set the film in 2019 because Zoom was not in vogue then. Mahesh reveals that a feature-length version of CU Soon will be made and released in theatres soon. He clarifies that it wont be a remake or sequel. This would be a first, at least for Malayalam cinema. In that, Kevin may have a smaller presence. That version will fill all the missing blanks. It will be simply an extension of this one, he shares, adding that he is not interested in doing another screen-based film like CU Soon again. Making this film was an exhausting process. I dont think I can even remake it. I did this out of excitement and, in the process, made some mistakes and rectified them. But I cant do the same thing twice. So, is there any other storytelling format that Mahesh would like to try sometime? I would like to do something like Damien Chazelles The Stunt Double (the vertical cinema which the Whiplash director shot on iPhone recently). But whatever format it is, I have to study it thoroughly before doing it. We may see more vertical films in the near future. Who knows? DUBLIN, Sept. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The "North America Creatinine Measurement Market Forecast to 2027 - COVID-19 Impact and Regional Analysis by Product; Type; Sample Type; End-User, and Country" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The North American Creatinine Measurement Market is expected to reach US$ 269.75 million in 2027 from US$ 148.79 million in 2019. The market is estimated to grow with a CAGR of 7.8% from 2020-2027. The US registered as the fastest-growing region in the North American creatinine measurement market. The growth of the market in the US is attributed due to rising support from the government, increasing geriatric population, implementation of strategic marketing policies by major players, and increasing incidence of chronic kidney diseases. Various companies are focusing on the advancement of the Creatinine Measurement market. For instance, Abbott, Danaher, Siemens Healthineers, and Diazyme Laboratories, Inc. have done recent developments for products. The growth of the creatinine measurement market is attributed to the increasing prevalence of chronic kidney disorders, growing geriatric population, and others. In recent years, the developments in the biotechnology sectors have accelerated due to the expansion of technological and engineering applications. The growth in biotechnology industry has enabled launches of various products based on bioengineering concepts. Thus, innovations have supported the introduction of various technically advanced systems and have enabled to improve healthcare facilities. Thus, technological factors are likely to foster the growth of the North America creatinine measurement market during the forecast period. The Jaffe's Kinase method segment held the largest market share in the North American creatinine measurement market, which is attributed to the increasing adoption of this method due to extended range of advantages. Moreover, increasing prevalence of chronic kidney diseases coupled with growing awareness and availability of the product in considerable margins are projected to drive the growth of the segment during the forecast period. Key Topics Covered: 1. Introduction 1.1 Scope of the Study 1.2 Report Guidance 1.3 Market Segmentation 2. Creatinine Measurement Market - Key Takeaways 3. Research Methodology 4. Creatinine Measurement - Market Landscape 4.1 Overview 4.2 PEST Analysis 4.2.1 North America 4.3 Expert Opinion 5. Creatinine Measurement - Key Market Dynamics 5.1 Market Drivers 5.1.1 Increasing Prevalence of Chronic Kidney Disorders 5.1.2 Growing Geriatric Population 5.2 Market Restraints 5.2.1 Shift Toward Novel Biomarkers 5.3 Market Opportunities 5.3.1 Emerging Markets in Developing Countries 5.4 Future Trends 5.4.1 Point-of-Care Renal Functioning Testing 5.5 Impact Analysis 6. Creatinine Measurement Market - Regional Analysis 6.1 North America Creatinine Measurement Market Revenue Forecast And Analysis 7. Creatinine Measurement Market Analysis - By Product 7.1 Overview 7.2 Creatinine Measurement Market Revenue Share, by Product (2019 and 2027) 7.3 Kits 7.4 Reagents 8. Creatinine Measurement Market - By Type 8.1 Overview 8.2 Creatinine Measurement Market, by Type, 2019 and 2027 (%) 8.3 Enzymatic Method 8.4 Jaffe's Kinetic Method 9. Creatinine Measurement Market - By Sample Type 9.1 Overview 9.2 Creatinine Measurement Market, by Sample Type, 2019 and 2027 (%) 9.3 Blood or Serum 9.4 Urine 10. Creatinine Measurement Market Analysis - By End User 10.1 Overview 10.2 Creatinine Measurement Market, by End User (2019 and 2027) 10.3 Hospitals 10.4 Diagnostic Laboratories 10.5 Others 11. Creatinine Measurement Market - Regional Analysis 12. Creatinine Measurement Market- Industry Landscape 13. Creatinine Measurement Market - Key Company Profiles Abbott Beijing Jiuqiang Biotechnology Co., Ltd. Beijing Leadman Biochemical Co., Ltd. Cayman Chemical Danaher Dialab GmbH Diazyme Laboratories, Inc. F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd Fujifilm Wako Pure Chemical Corporation Randox Laboratories Ltd Shanghai Fosun Pharmaceutical Group Co., Ltd. Shenzhen Mindray Bio-Medical Electronics Co., Ltd. Siemens Healthineers AG Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/whl6uw Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research. Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 SOURCE Research and Markets Related Links http://www.researchandmarkets.com BEIJING, Sept. 10 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese military will send personnel to Russia's Astrakhan Region to participate in the Kavkaz-2020 strategic military drills scheduled for Sept. 21-26, China's Ministry of National Defense announced on Thursday. The participating Chinese troops, mainly from the Western Theater Command, will carry wheeled equipment and light weapons. They are expected to be delivered by China's new transport aircraft, according to the ministry. Armenia, Belarus, Iran, Myanmar, Pakistan and other countries will also take part in the drills. At an important moment when the world is joining hands to fight the pandemic, China's participation in the drills aims to further develop the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era, deepen practical cooperation in military training between the two militaries, and enhance the capacity of multinational forces to jointly respond to security threats and safeguard regional peace and stability, the ministry said in a statement. The drills do not target any third party and are not related to any regional situations, it noted. UM-Dearborn Education Lecturer Angela Capuano says there are a number of reasons why the sudden spring transition to remote K-12 education was particularly hard for children with special education needs. Capuano, whos a clinical psychologist and board certified behavior analyst, says the sheer upset of a routine can be a far bigger deal for kids with neurodevelopmental disabilities like autism. And many students rely on their schools not just for more personalized in-person instruction, but access to behavior therapies that have a big impact beyond their education. Now, after finally getting settled into new summer routines, special education students are set to navigate a new disruption a back-to-school transition thats anything but typical this year. To give families a leg up, Capuano and some colleagues from universities across Michigan put together a guide thats packed with useful tips whether a family is embarking on a fully remote learning experience or sending a child back to a school that now has lots of new health and safety rules. Each district is approaching things a little differently, but Ive seen some where the majority of students are doing online instruction, but special education students are allowed to go back and meet with their teachers and therapists, Capuano says. That seems like a really encouraging model, because for a student with special needs, you cant just sit them down in front of a computer and expect them to pay attention for hours at a time. Plus, there are fewer of them, so they can really spread out and take advantage of all that space. Capuano says along with those potential benefits come some new challenges. New safety routines like handwashing, mask wearing and social distancing could be difficult for many special education students to adjust to. Her recommendation? Practice those skills at home during the lead-up to school and in those first few weeks so kids can get comfortable with the news rules. For example, Capuano encourages parents to experiment with different kinds of masks to see which fabrics are most comfortable for kids to wear during hours-long school days. Whether a student is learning in-person or online, Capuano says reestablishing a routine is probably one of the biggest ways to help students. Even for remote learning, the expectations are going to be different than the spring, she says. I know some schools are requiring students to be online at a certain time every day and even be dressed, as in, no pajamas. So if thats the expectation, its going to be really helpful for families to practice a regular bedtime, wake-up time or breakfast time. It reinforces that learning is a separate part of the day even if every part of the day is probably still happening at home. Despite the stresses the pandemic has placed on the education system, Capuano says shes encouraged by the resourcefulness of many families. Some have taken advantage of the pleasant summer weather and created more outdoor nature-based learning experiences. And she loves that neighborhoods are banding together, creating sidewalk obstacle courses or window displays so that kids can have new learning experiences every time they head out for a walk. I think the important thing to remember is education is more than just school, and kids are pretty resilient and adaptable. Adults have to model and lead the way, but a lot of the kids Im working with are really surprising me with how quickly they can adapt to these new situations. Being younger, they have fewer expectations, and in some ways, I dont think this is as disruptive to the kids as it is to the grown-ups. So I make sure to tell everyone I see that if youre doing the best you can, thats enough. Source: UM-Dearborn At a time when small businesses are increasingly pessimistic about their ability to survive without additional support, we are now faced with the very real prospect in fact, the likelihood of no further relief from Congress until after the election, said John Lettieri, the president of the Economic Innovation Group, a think tank that has led a collection of advocacy groups in pushing for long-term, low-interest loans to keep small companies afloat. That is malpractice, plain and simple. Top lawmakers insisted that a bipartisan agreement remained possible, although recent phone calls between Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Mr. Mnuchin have failed to yield a breakthrough. And after Democrats unanimously blocked the Republican measure from advancing, their leaders counseled rank-and-file lawmakers to remain united behind demands for a much larger package. We dont want to go home without a bill, but dont be a cheap date, Ms. Pelosi told House Democrats on a private call after the vote, according to two people who described the remarks on condition of anonymity. She added, When you are in a negotiation, the last place to get weak knees is at the end. Mr. Trump, leaving Washington for Michigan on Thursday, told reporters, Nancy Pelosi and Schumer dont want to pass a stimulus bill because they think that helps me in the election. The president has attempted to act unilaterally to assist the recovery and has recently held out the prospect of more executive actions, including perhaps redirecting federal funds to send direct payments to individual Americans. But economists and Mr. Trumps own recent history suggest that any significant aid to the economy before the election would need to be provided by Congress, which controls federal spending. On Thursday, the Federal Emergency Management Agency said that supplemental relief checks for unemployed workers, instituted by Mr. Trump in an executive memorandum last month, would soon end. The payments of $300 or $400 per worker per week, depending on a state contribution level, will have lasted only six weeks for participating states. Only 18 states have begun making the payments, according to Michele Evermore, senior researcher and policy analyst at the National Employment Law Project. After swiftly approving several rounds of aid totaling nearly $3 trillion last spring, lawmakers and administration officials have failed to bridge deep divisions over another relief package. India is preparing to offer incentives to producers of high-efficiency solar photovoltaic (PV) modules and battery storage as part of moves to attract global firms that are planning to shift manufacturing out of China, said a person aware of the development. The move will help global manufacturing companies that are exploring a China plus one strategy for production. While a package for 18,000 crore is in the works for battery storage manufacturing over the next six years, the government is also looking at a similar 4,500 crore scheme to attract solar PV makers. A recent meeting of group of secretaries took place to suggest a plan to attract companies to set up manufacturing units in the country. Mint had reported on 21 July citing economic affairs secretary Tarun Bajaj that the government will extend the production-linked incentive (PLI) it announced in March for electronics production to some more sectors soon. The Centre last month received applications from top global and domestic mobile phone makers such as Samsung, Pegatron, Wistron, Foxconn, Rising Star, Lava, Micromax, among others, under the PLI scheme. Currently, Apple and Samsung together acco-unt for nearly 60% of global sales revenue of cell phones and with this scheme, these firms are looking to expand their presence in India. Under the PLI scheme, the government plans to give 4-6% incentive to eligible electronic companies on incremental sales (over base year) of manufactured goodsmobile phones and electronic components such as printed circuit boards, sensors, among othersfor a period of five years. The base year over here is 2019-20. The incentives are applicable from 1 August. Over the next five years, the scheme is expected to lead to a total production worth 11.5 trillion, out of which more than 60% will be contributed by exports. The scheme will bring additional investment in electronics manufacturing to the tune of 11,000 crore and create 300,000 direct jobs. India is putting the final shape on a plan to build at least four Tesla-style giga factories to manufacture batteries with an investment of around $4 billion, as the country prepares to switch to electric vehicles to curb pollution and cut its dependence on foreign oil. India also plans to offer land near its ports to companies for building solar equipment factories, as it seeks to attain self-reliance and challenge Chinas dominance. The plan follows the governments decision to impose tariff and non-tariff barriers to put a check on imported solar cells and modules that will make their sourcing from China costlier. Gireesh Chandra Prasad & Shreya Nandi contributed to this story. utpal.b@livemint.com Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Never miss a story! Stay connected and informed with Mint. Download our App Now!! Topics Teaching history is one thing, but what if you could educate your students from the place where a historic event actually happened? Westlake High School AP U.S. history teacher Cathy Cluck had the same thought, and after getting the green light from her school's principal, she set out to make it happen. Cluck is back in Austin now, but a week ago, she embarked on the #GreatAmericanHistoryRoadTrip a 15-day journey across the country to virtually teach from some of the places her students will be learning about throughout the school year. Gettysburg, the Lincoln Memorial, Colonial Williamsburg, the Washington Monument and the site of the Alexander Hamilton-Aaron Burr duel all served as backdrops for her teaching lessons to kick off the school year. "It was so random," Cluck said. "I was just trying to figure out what I could do to make this year fun, something that I wouldn't be able to do otherwise. And I teach American history, so I just got the idea, what if I went to the place where it happened?" BACK TO SCHOOL: Students at multiple Houston-area school districts head back to class Cluck said the experience was a great chance for her students to get to know her, since they haven't been able to engage face-to-face just yet. "One of the most important components of being a good teacher is building relationships, and I think that got accomplished. They now have a really good sense of who I am," she said. Cluck will revisit the history lessons with her students as the school year continues (she has tons of pictures and videos to share along the way), but in terms of just "a weird way to start the school year and have them get to know a little bit about me," she definitely believes her journey was successful. "We are in such a weird world and everything looks so different," she said. "It's stressful for everyone. I wanted to make sure they understood that it's OK not to be OK, and instead of looking at things negatively, take it as an opportunity to figure out a way to do things you can't normally do. It's okay to embrace change." During her journey, Cluck said she felt it was also important for her students to see some of the mistakes she was making. From getting a screw stuck in her tire to teaching her first period class from the side of the road in Jamestown, Virginia, she wanted to give students a chance to see that other people are struggling during the COVID-19 pandemic, too. "I couldn't have done this if it weren't for the people I work with," Cluck said. "It really did start to feel like a group effort. So many people were checking in on me and encouraging me, and especially with education and online learning, it was a reminder that we're all working really hard to make this work." There are a few other history-enriched Southern states Cluck has her eyes on for more distanced learning journeys, so be on the lookout for part two of her education vacation. Mumbai: Late Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajputs girlfriend and actress Rhea Chakraborty, her brother Showik and four others, who are accused in the drugs case filed by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), are likely to approach the Bombay High Court next week after the Mumbai session court rejected their bail application on Friday. Rhea Chakrabortys lawyer Satish Maneshinde said this outside the court while speaking to reporters. All the six accused are likely to move the Bombay High Court for bail, he added shortly after the ruling. "Once we get a copy of the NDPS Special Court Order, we will decide next week on the course of action about approaching the Bombay High Court," Maneshinde told reporters waiting outside the court complex. Until further relief, Rhea, 28, who was arrested on September 8 and sent to judicial custody till September 22, will remain in the Byculla Jail. Rhea has been charged under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act for her alleged role in the drugs angle that emerged during the investigation into the death of Sushant. She was arrested on Tuesday after a three-day rigorous interrogation session by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) while her brother Showik was taken into custody last week along with two of Sushant's close aides. Rhea Chakraborty had earlier submitted a bail application in a local court claiming that she is being falsely implicated in the case. The NCB has launched an investigation after it received official communication from Enforcement Directorate (ED), in which there were various chats related to drug consumption, procurement, usage and transportation in connection with the Sushant Singh Rajput case. Various angles surrounding the death of the Sushant Singh Rajput are being probed by three federal agencies- the NCB, the ED and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Rajput was found dead at his Bandra flat on June 14. COLUMBUS, Ohio - The number of newly reported coronavirus deaths increased by 49 Friday, according to the Ohio Department of Health, to a total of 4,403. Fridays deaths are more than double the 21-day rolling average of 21. Newly reported deaths have been over the 21-day average since Tuesday. Gov. Mike DeWine last week said new cases could be attributed to children and college students returning to classrooms. At least three teachers have died across the country of coronavirus in recent days. For perspective, 155 people have died with COVID-19 in the last week, which is the highest since 169 for seven days ending Sept. 1. But in Ohio, there were 218 and 212 deaths for the seven-day periods ending Aug. 1 and Aug. 2 respectively. In May, deaths averaged in the mid-300s. Cases Newly reported cases increased by 1,240 on Friday, to a total of 135,326 since the pandemic began in Ohio. Fridays new case numbers are a 16% increase over the 21-day rolling average of 1,061. Fridays 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. The Ohio Department of Health says 112,140 people are presumed recovered from COVID-19. Testing Over 2.5 million coronavirus tests have been performed in Ohio, an increase of 28,813 since Thursdays report. The figure is for all tests conducted. Some people get more than one test. But if a person is positive more than once, they are counted as one case under the states system. Positivity rate The positivity rate for Wednesday, the most recent day for data, dropped to 3.6%. The seven-day positivity average has been 4%. The rate is considered relatively low. The World Health Organization doesnt recommend governments reopen unless they have a positivity rate of 5% or lower for the past two weeks. Besides Ohio, only 19 other states, plus Washington, D.C., have met this threshold. Hospitalizations Six hundred fifty people were hospitalized in Ohio on Friday, including in intensive-care units and 131 on ventilators. The total hospitalizations number is the lowest since June 28. Beyond Ohio About 28.3 million COVID-19 infections have occurred worldwide, with 911,000 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins Universitys Center for Systems Science and Engineering. The U.S. has had 6.4 million cases and 192,000 deaths. After the U.S. in the number of total cases: -India with 4.5 million cases -Brazil with 4.2 million -Russia with 1 million -Peru with 710,000 -Columbia with 694,000. Rich Exner contributed to this report. Other coverage: Summit back as a red county on latest coronavirus advisory map Ohio has 1,121 new coronavirus cases, as Gov. Mike DeWine urges flu vaccines: Thursday update Columbus Police arrest couple at state lawmakers house in connection to May slaying Its just garbage, Gov. Mike DeWine denies FEMA camps Police violently attacked demonstrations held last Sunday in Hong Kong over the delay of the citys Legislative Council (LegCo) elections. Protesters also denounced the new national security law passed at the end of June, which is designed to further clamp down on free speech and democratic rights in Hong Kong. Police responded by arresting at least 289 people. The LegCo general election was originally slated for Sunday, but was postponed for one year at the end of July, with the government claiming it was necessary in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. The delay was clearly a political decision, made over concerns that the pan-democrats, an election bloc of the citys official political opposition, might win a majority. In local district elections last November, the pan-democrats took 347 out of 452 district council seats and 17 of 18 councils. Twelve opposition candidates had also been barred from contesting the election prior to its postponement. The protests were promoted by anonymous online activists. While the organizers exact affiliations are unknown, undoubtedly there are many in Hong Kong concerned about the growing attacks on democratic rights who supported the call to demonstrate but feared that voicing their feelings openly could lead to arrest. The organizers hoped to gather 50,000 people, but the demonstrations were smaller than those in the recent past. Protests began in the Jordan neighborhood of Kowloon before spreading to Yau Ma Tei and Mong Kok. Some participants chanted, Liberate Hong Kong, revolution of our times, a slogan popularized by right-wing localist groups. In response, the authorities mobilized 2,000 heavily armed riot police, with water cannons and armored vehicles on standby. Despite the relatively small numbers involved, police violently assaulted demonstrators with pepper spray and pepper balls. Protesters were hit with batons and knocked to the ground, including a 12-year-old girl whose mother said she was not involved in the demonstration. Police targeted journalists, threatening them with arrest for covering the rally and the violent response of the police and claiming that they could be considered protest participants. At least one photographer was detained. Senior Police Superintendent Li Kwai-wah used the pandemic to justify the assaults and the arrests. If you organize, incite or participate in such gatherings, you are breaking the law and will be arrested, Li stated. Under COVID-19 restrictions in the city, public gatherings of more than two people are banned. The majority of those arrested were accused of illegal assembly. Others were detained for disorderly conduct, obstructing police officers, or for failure to produce identity cards. One woman was held for supposedly chanting pro-Hong Kong independence slogans, a violation of the national security law. The last mass arrest of protesters was on July 1 when 370 people were detained. League of Social Democrats (LSD) members were among those arrested, including Leung Kwok-hung (also known as Long Hair), Raphael Wong, and Figo Chan. The LSD is a middle-class protest group founded in 2006 by Leung and Albert Chan, a former Democratic Party member. It uses radical-sounding slogans and phrases combined with support for the pan-democrats in the LegCo as a means to prevent workers and youth from breaking with the political establishment. Tam Tak-chi, a leader of the People Power group, which is allied with the LSD, was also arrested on Sunday for uttering seditious words and accused under a British colonial era law. Tam had set up street booths between June and August where he criticized the governments COVID-19 response. The fact that the protests have dwindled in size is not only due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. It is a result of the politics of the pan-democrats as a whole. The bloc is a collection of capitalist parties, though some like the LSD attempt to appear more radical, which fear that a genuine united movement of workers and youth fighting for democratic and social rights will threaten the pan-democrats privileged positions within Hong Kong society. This layer of the political establishment gives voice to elements within the Hong Kong bourgeoisie that are concerned about Beijings encroachment on their business interests and appeal to US and British imperialism to pressure the Chinese government in their defense. As a result, they were largely absent from the protest movement last year when it was at its height. When those protests erupted in June 2019 against legislation that would have allowed extradition of Beijings political opponents to the mainland, there was far more behind the movement than simple opposition to the bill. Hong Kong is one of the most unequal cities in the world. It is home to the sixth largest number of billionaires on the planet, while one-fifth of the population lives below the official poverty line. Workers wages have stagnated and safe and affordable housing is extremely difficult to find. This economic discontent was reflected in August and September last year when tens of thousands of workers participated in strikes, demonstrating that there are deeper political, social, and economic issues at work. The entrance of the working class into the struggle sent waves of fear through the ruling class. The movement, however, lacked a revolutionary socialist and internationalist perspective and the pan-democrats and their allies were able to corral the protest movement behind right-wing and pro-imperialist appeals to the US or the UK for aid or even to liberate Hong Kong. This cut the working class off from the broader protest movement, creating the situation in which Beijing and the Hong Kong ruling elites could recover and launch this years attacks on democratic rights. Hong Kong workers and progressive youth must not place any faith in the pan-democrats regardless of their rhetoric. Those genuinely motivated by a desire to defend democratic and social rights must fight for the unity of the working class in the city and throughout China and fight for their political independence and for international socialism. H EATHROW lost its crown as Europes busiest airport to Frankfurt over the summer after passenger numbers bounced back more quickly at the German hub. Just 1.42 million people passed through Londons biggest airport in August, down 81.5 per cent on last year, compared with 1.51 million handled by its arch-rival, latest figures show. It is believed to be the first time in 70 years that Heathrow has not been at the top of Europes aviation league table. Heathrow boss John Holland-Kaye said that the Governments refusal to approve testing of arriving passengers for coronavirus, which could allow quarantining rules to be lifted, was holding back a return to flying and damaging the British economy. He said: They have testing in Germany and Frankfurt has been able to recover much more strongly. Its not necessarily a permanent change but it will be if we dont do something to save aviation. Mr Holland-Kaye said that Heathrow was not viable at the current level of traffic. The airport has facilities ready to be used for testing 14,000 passengers a day. There are currently 20,000 passengers arriving daily, about half of whom are not required to quarantine for 14 days. Meanwhile official data showed that the UKs GDP rebounded 6.6 per cent in July, the month that pubs and restaurants were allowed to reopen. However, output is still 11.7 per cent below where it was in February before the start of the lockdown that sent the British economy into the deepest recession for a century. Chancellor Rishi Sunak said: Many people are rightly worried about the coming months or have already had their job or incomes affected. Thats why weve outlined a comprehensive Plan for Jobs to ensure nobody is left without hope or opportunity. The GDP rise was slightly weaker than had been hoped for in the City. Thomas Pugh, UK economist at Capital Economics, said:July was probably the last of the big step-ups in activity and a full recovery probably wont be achieved until early 2022. Now that most sectors are up and running again there is little scope for further large rises in monthly GDP. On top of that talk of tax rises at the next Budget, a further deterioration in the Brexit negotiations and a worrying rise in the number of virus cases and tighter social distancing restrictions will all conspire to slow the recovery even further. Mel Stride, chairman of the Commons Treasury Committee, called for a targeted extension of the furlough scheme. Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW), the global platform for accelerating sustainable development, will be held from January 18 to 21, 2021 and reimagined virtually. Ensuring the safety of all participants, ADSW 2021 and related high-level events during the week are set to take place virtually. In addition, partners including its host Masdar will collaborate on all events, including the ADSW Summit, reported Emirates News Agency WAM. The ADSW Summit hosted by Masdar will be held on January 19. Dedicated to ensuring a green recovery, the summit will feature three sessions of speeches, presentations and panel debates, reaching a global audience across multiple time zones. Dr. Sultan bin Ahmed Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and Chairman of Masdar, said: "Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week embodies the UAEs proactive and forward-thinking approach to sustainability and its commitment to furthering our understanding of the major social, economic and technological issues shaping the world today. "Holding ADSW in a virtual format in 2021 will allow us to continue to drive the sustainability agenda forward in the line with the vision of the UAE, ensuring that the worlds attention remains focused on the actions required to achieve a healthier, safer and more sustainable future for all." ADSW 2021 will reinforce the message that a decade of concerted action is required to deliver on the Sustainability Development Goals, and that the unprecedented challenges of Covid-19 have further illustrated the critical importance of achieving a truly sustainable recovery for all one that combines the commitment, ambition and collaboration of governments, businesses and community stakeholders. Meanwhile, the International Renewable Energy Agency (Irena) Assembly takes place each year in the context of the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week. Irena Director-General Francesco La Camera said: "The annual Assembly is the supreme decision-making body of IRENA, tasked with addressing the most pressing matters on the global energy agenda and establishing the Agencys priorities. As ever, the Agency remains responsive to the needs of its global membership. Despite the exceptional circumstances, we are confident that the next Assembly will embody the inclusiveness and transparency that has come to define it, while ensuring that Irena retains a position at the forefront of a sustainable recovery and the broader global energy transformation. The 2020 edition of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week hosted around 45,000 attendees from 170 countries, with more than 500 high-level speakers from around the world. Identity management software firm Okta plans to hire someone to help shift to a "dynamic work" model, in which more people are hired to work in locales besides its main San Francisco office. Question-and-answer social platform Quora is hiring a "head of remote work" after 60 per cent of employees said they'd rather work from home even after the pandemic is no longer a threat. "You need somebody with an HR background, but they also need to be really strong at [communication skills] and to be pretty adept, or at least knowledgeable, about technology," says Quora CEO Adam D'Angelo, who oversees about 200 employees. 'This pandemic has forced us to just flip a switch.' Adam D'Angelo, Quora CEO "This pandemic has forced us to just flip a switch and now this is suddenly a role a lot of companies need." Job sites such as Glassdoor and LinkedIn say they are not yet seeing much in the way of listings for similar job titles, though Murph, who is something of an evangelist for the role, says he is talking to more companies about adding such a job. "What ends up happening is they realise it's too big for their current staff and there's no one who has a universal level of expertise to do this job," he says. GitLab likes being transparent about what it's learned as an all-remote company, he says (there are no GitLab offices) but it also sells a tool for online remote project collaboration. He compares a "head of remote" set-up to adding a chief diversity officer, someone held accountable for keeping equity and inclusion issues at the forefront when decisions are being made about policies, hiring, retention and benefits across big companies. Company culture-keeper In practice, Murph says the job could include writing guidelines for things like reducing meetings and navigating time zones, acting as a liaison to legal teams thinking through tax issues for employee moves, planning online events to keep the company culture from fading and advocating for remote employees when planning benefits. "You have to re-architect or at least rethink every element of how you work, from [technology] tools to 'Do we have set working hours?'," he says. "Some people have access to an on-site gym ... do we now have a wellness credit for those that don't?" Some companies are giving the job to cross-company teams or executives with other jobs rather than hiring or promoting someone new. At Hewlett-Packard, the 60,000-plus employee tech firm has 10 senior executives from real estate, human resources, IT and communications working on its approach to remote and on-site work, though Dave Antczak, HPE's vice president of global real estate, says it won't rule out naming a single person to lead the effort in the future. 'Building new habits' Others have assigned the role to longtime employees who know the culture well. At Slack, customer experience vice-president Ali Rayl, an eight-year employee of the messaging company, has taken on efforts to transition the company to remote work. She thinks it's likely to be a short-lived role. "This is something that is temporal. It's changing how our companies work; it's building new habits of practice," she says. "And then that's just how it is." However it's set up, or however long it lasts, says Prithwiraj Choudhury, a Harvard Business School professor who has been studying "work from anywhere" companies and has written a case study about GitLab, one key to such roles is that the CEO must also lead the initiative and should also work off-site at least as much as other employees. "If the whole company is working remotely but the C-suite is working in an office, then middle managers will just line up to get face time," he says. 'Hybrid' workplace Liz Burow, the former vice-president of workplace strategy at WeWork and now a Minneapolis-based consultant, says she too believes more companies will put someone in charge of co-ordinating remote work, or name someone to lead a "hybrid" workplace where some are in the office and others are not. In her work, she says, much of her discussions have to do with, "Will we or won't we need real estate?", she says. Another Tory MP has followed the intrepid Nadine Dorries in warning David Cameron that he is in danger of the sack. David Davies, MP for Monmouth (not to be confused with the better known former minister David Davis), has told his local newspaper, the South Wales Argus: "David Cameron needs to change his tack very rapidly, otherwise he's not going to be in position for very long." He also wrote a letter for publication in the same paper that said: "May I also offer my apologies to those who feel the Conservative-led Coalition has let them down. I must acknowledge there has been incompetence at the highest levels of government over the last few months in a number of departments. "Meanwhile, there has been an emphasis on issues such as gay marriage and reform of the House of Lords, at the expense of explaining the financial situation; a failure to deport dangerous terrorists because of concerns about human rights; and an apparent unwillingness to listen to the concerns of electors." Far be it from me to fight David Cameron's corner for him, but he has hardly put an "emphasis" on gay marriage. He defended his belief in it in his speech to the annual party conference in October, and in April he told church leaders that he did not want to fall out with them over it. If he has said anything else about it in public in the past 12 months, I confess I missed it. Mr Davies, on the other hand, has nothing on the home page of his website about the economy, but a whole page of the site is devoted to explaining his opposition to gay marriage. Which just goes to show that the people most obsessed by gay marriage are those who oppose it. British boldness rubs off on Obama Barack Obama's decision to back gay marriage puts a story from David Cameron's visit to Washington in a new light. As Mr Cameron waited to step out on to the White House lawn with the President, a guest told him how much he admired him for daring to speak out on gay marriage at all, almost as if he was hoping some of the boldness of the British Prime Minister would rub off on the President. Now it has. The madness of the Mogg Jacob Rees-Mogg is another Tory MP on a mission to pull his party to the right. Last night he called for a return to "full-blooded Toryism", which would include making no further financial contributions to the EU, cancelling all foreign aid, and ending the commitment to reducing carbon emissions a proposition encapsulated in the slogan "put people before polar bears". The Mogg is an articulate advocate of the free market, and I would not want to indulge in the floccinaucinihilipilification of his opinions, but his proposals are hardly realistic for a party that has not won a general election for 20 years. A Lying B'stard for every city? Oh dear. The only success last week for David Cameron's campaign to have a "Boris in every city" was when the good people of Bristol voted Yes to a directly elected mayor, when everywhere else they were voting no. Now Eric Mutch, a Bristol cafe worker, is threatening to reduce the election to a farce. He has announced that he is putting himself forward as a candidate, after changing his name by deed poll to "Mr Corrupt Self-serving Lying B'stard". Osteoporosis, a bone disease linked to ageing, is characterised by a loss of bone density, micro-architectural deterioration of the bones and an increased risk of fractures. With one third of postmenopausal women affected, it is a major public health problem. Through epidemiological analyses, laboratory experiments and state-of-the-art metagenomic and metabolomics tools, a research team from the University of Geneva (UNIGE), in Switzerland, has observed that exposure to warmer ambient temperatures (34 C) increases bone strength, while preventing the loss of bone density typical of osteoporosis. Moreover, this phenomenon, linked to a change in the composition of gut microbiota triggered by heat, could be replicated by transplanting the microbiota of mice living in a warm environment to mice suffering from osteoporosis. Indeed, after the transplant, their bones were stronger and denser. These results, to be discovered in Cell Metabolism, make it possible to imagine effective and innovative interventions for prevention and treatment of osteoporosis. Many biologists are familiar with Allen's Rule, from 19th-century naturalist Joel Asaph Allen, according to which animals living in warm areas have a larger surface area in relation to their volume than animals living in colder environment. Indeed, a larger skin surface allows better evacuation of body heat. "In one experiment, we placed newborn mice at a temperature of 34 C in order to minimise the heat shock associated with their birth. We found that they had longer and stronger bones, confirming that bone growth is affected by ambient temperature," explains Mirko Trajkovski, Professor at the Department of Cell Physiology and Metabolism and at the Diabetes Centre of the UNIGE Faculty of Medicine, who led the study. But what about adulthood? Consistent epidemiological data By placing several groups of adult mice in a warm environment, the scientists observed that while bone size remained unchanged, bone strength and density were largely improved. They then repeated their experiment with mice after an ovariectomy modelling post-menauposal osteoporosis. "The effect was very interesting", says Claire Chevalier, then a researcher in Professor Trajkovski's laboratory and the first author of this work. "The simple fact of warming the living environment of our mice protected them from the bone loss typical of osteoporosis!" What about human beings? The research team analysed global epidemiological data on the incidence of osteoporosis in relation to the average temperature, latitude, calcium consumption and vitamin D levels. Interestingly, they found that the higher the temperature, the fewer hip fractures --one of the main consequences of osteoporosis-- regardless of other factors. "We found a clear correlation between geographical latitude and hip fractures, meaning that in the northern countries the incidence is higher compared to the warmer south", says Mirko Trajkovski. "Normalising the analysis of the known players such as vitamin D or calcium did not modify this correlation. However, when we excluded the temperature as the determinant, the correlation was lost. This is not to say that calcium or vitamin D do not play a role, either alone or in combination. However, the determining factor is heat -or lack thereof." How the microbiota adapts Specialists in the microbiota, the Geneva scientists wanted to understand its role in these metabolic modifications. To this end, they transplanted the microbiota of mice living in a 34 environment to osteoporotic mice, whose bone quality was rapidly improved. "These findings may imply an extension to Allen's rule, suggesting elongation-independent effects of the warmth, which predominantly favours bone density and strength during adulthood through microbiota alterations", says Mirko Trajkovski. Thanks to the state-of-the-art metagenomic tools developed in their laboratory, the scientists then succeeded in understanding the role played by microbiota. When adapts to heat, it leads to a disruption in the synthesis and degradation of polyamines, molecules that are involved in ageing, and in particular in bone health. "With heat, the synthesis of polyamines increases, while their degradation is reduced. They thus affect the activity of osteoblasts (the cells that build bones) and reduce the number of osteoclasts (the cells that degrade bones). With age and menopause, the exquisite balance between the osteoclast and osteoblast activity is disrupted," explains Claire Chevalier. "However, heat, by acting on the polyamines, which we found to be partly regulated by the microbiota, can maintain the balance between these two cell groups." These data therefore indicate that exposure to warmth could be a prevention strategy against osteoporosis. Developing new treatments The influence of microbiota on metabolism is being better understood. However, in order to be able to use this knowledge to develop therapeutic strategies, scientists must identify precisely the role of particular bacteria in particular diseases. In the context of their work on osteoporosis, Professor Trajkovski's team has been able to identify certain important bacteria. "We still need to refine our analyses, but our relatively short-term goal would be to identify candidate bacteria, and develop several 'bacterial cocktails' to treat metabolic and bone disorders, such as osteoporosis, but also to improve insulin sensitivity, for example," the authors conclude. ### Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-11 09:48:17|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close PHNOM PENH, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia's Ministry of Health (MoH) said Friday that all of the 274 COVID-19 positive patients in the kingdom had recovered, as the country had detected no new cases since the end of August. The last recovered patient is an 18-year-old Indonesian man, who arrived in Cambodia on July 30 from Indonesia, the MoH said in a press release, adding that he was discharged from the Khmer-Soviet Friendship Hospital in Phnom Penh after he had been tested negative twice for the virus. "The recovery rate for COVID-19 patients in Cambodia stands at 100 percent with all 274 COVID-19 infected persons cured," the MoH said. The MoH also continued to call on people to remain extra-vigilant although the Southeast Asian nation had found no new cases of the virus for the last 11 days. Enditem Credit: CC0 Public Domain Cutting-edge artificial intelligence technology for diagnosing neurological disease such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's from eye scans will be tested and scaled in the NHS. The Newcastle University-led project working with partners at the RVI in Newcastle part of the Newcastle NHS Foundation Trust and Sunderland Eye Infirmary is one of the first winners of the AI in Health and Care Award sharing part of 50m. Neurological diseases like Parkinson's and Alzheimer's affect over one million people in the UK. As they are progressive it is important to diagnose them as soon as possible. Anya Hurlbert, professor of visual neuroscience at Newcastle University is leading the Octahedron project and explains: "The retina at the back of the eye is basically an outpost of the brain and the only part of the central nervous system we can see directly from the outside. We know that in Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease the retina is affected." Using optical coherence tomography, OCT scanning, which is quick and cheap and increasingly available at high street opticians, incredibly detailed images of the retina can be captured. However, getting information out of the scans needs further development. AI tools have already been developed to interpret the OCT images and detect common eye diseases. AI tools are going to be further developed by the Octahedron team to capture signs of neurological disease, using the vast quantities of OCT scans required. "The aim of the project is to use NHS data to teach computers how to detect early signs of neurological disease via retinal imaging. Ultimately, the project will help to catch those at risk earlier, before other symptoms develop," added Professor Hurlbert. "All of a sudden, I couldn't dance" Charlotte Allen from Durham, lives with Parkinson's as a patient and carer, and recalled when she first noticed something was wrong: "I went to a friend's wedding reception and all of a sudden, I couldn't dance. I think this study to me is extremely important being able to spot Parkinson's earlierthat is an amazing thing to think about." Russ Bradford also has Parkinson's and alongside Charlotte has set up Parkinson's Concierge, an organization which works to improve the quality of life of all those affected and living with the disease. He stated: "We are so passionate about helping with Parkinson's Research, that Charlotte and I have dedicated the rest of our lives to doing this. We do this for the benefit of the global community, currently 10 million people around the world are living with Parkinson's." The Octahedron projectwhich involves colleagues from FMS and SAgE in computing, neuroscience, vision science and agingis part of a wider commitment by the NHS to becoming a world leader in the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning and harness the benefits on offer from the technology that range from faster and more personalized diagnosis to potential efficiencies in screening services. AI revolution Today's announcement supports a range of technologies at different stages of development, from concepts to first real-world tests to the scaling of AI products to a number of NHS sites to generate further evidence for potential adoption in the NHS. Each product will undergo robust testing and independent evaluation to ensure they are effective, accurate, safe and value for money. Sir Simon Stevens, NHS Chief Executive, said: "The NHS is determined to take advantage of the artificial intelligence revolution and ensure we are harnessing the latest and best technologies to improve care and save more lives. The technologies we're funding today have the potential to transform how we deliver services such as screening tests, cancer treatment and stroke care for thousands of patients right across the country." Matt Hancock, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, said: "AI has huge potential for transforming healthcare and freeing up medical professionals' timethese awards are just the start of an exciting pipeline of new technology that will identify new ways to diagnose, screen and treat illnesses ranging from dementia and sepsis to antibiotic resistant infections and problems in pregnancy." The AI in Health and Care Award forms part of the NHS AI Lab and is managed by the Accelerated Access Collaborative in partnership with NHSX and the National Institute for Health Research. Matthew Gould, chief executive of NHSX, said: "We have seen through the NHS response to COVID how the adoption of new technology can transform and open up the NHS from increasing use of video and online consultations to the significant rise in the use of 111 online and other digital services. Through the NHS AI Lab we want to see this transformation continue with the safe adoption and spread of state of the art data driven technologies that will save the NHS money through better internal systems and enhance the care our clinical teams can provide to patients." Lord Darzi, chair of the Accelerated Access Collaborative, said: "The AAC and the AI in Health and Care Award are helping to cement the UK's international reputation as the perfect location to trial and test new technologies. Today we have backed a range of innovators from academia, industry and the NHS to develop and deliver AI tools and products that can transform our health system and ensure we continue to be a world leader in medical science and research." The NHS AI Lab, announced by the Prime Minister last year, is a key part of the health services' efforts to drive up the use of innovative new technologies. As part of the selection process each applicant had to commit to complying with the laws and regulations that protect health and care data as well as the NHS's Code of Conduct for data-driven technologies. This is ensuring that AI is developed in a safe, ethical, evidenced and transparent way that puts patient privacy first. Explore further New book details roadmap to prevent and treat Parkinson's The European Union stepped up planning for a no-deal Brexit on Friday after Prime Minister Boris Johnsons government refused to revoke a plan to break the divorce treaty with a Bill that Brussels says will sink four years of talks. Britain said explicitly this week it plans to break international law by breaching parts of the Withdrawal Agreement treaty it signed in January, when it left the bloc. The EU has demanded that Britain scrap by the end of this month the plan to breach the divorce treaty. Britain has refused, saying its Parliament is sovereign above ... New Delhi: Sixty per cent of the daily new COVID-19 recoveries in India are coming from Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh, which also account for 57 per cent of the new cases, the Union Health Ministry said on Friday. The COVID-19 case fatality rate has further dropped to 1.67 per cent while the recovery rate was recorded at 77.65 per cent. Total COVID-19 recoveries in the country have surged to 35,42,663 as on date with a total 70,880 recoveries being registered in a span of 24 hours of which Maharashtra alone contributed to more than 14,000 and Andhra Pradesh more than 10,000. Of the total 96,551 new cases being reported in a span 24 hours, Maharashtra alone has more than 23,000 infections and Andhra Pradesh more than 10,000, the ministry said. Sixty per cent of the new recovered cases are being reported from five states -- Maharashtra (20.15), Tamil Nadu (14.2%), Andhra Pradesh (9.9 %), Karnataka (8.7 %) and Uttar Pradesh (6.5 %) taking the national recovery rate to 77.65 per cent, it highlighted. "Nearly 57 per cent of the new cases are reported from only five states. These are the same states that are also contributing 60 per cent of the new recovered cases," the ministry underlined. There are 9,43,480 active cases of COVID-19 in the country which comprises 20.68 per cent of the total caseload, the data updated at 8 am stated. Maharashtra is leading this tally with more than 2,60,000 cases followed by Karnataka with more than 1,00,000 cases. Nearly 74 per cent of the total active cases are in nine most affected states -- Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Assam, Odisha and Chhattisgarh. Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh contribute more than 48 per cent of the total active cases, the ministry said. As many as 1,209 deaths have been registered in a day. Maharashtra has reported 495 deaths followed by Karnataka with 129 deaths, whereas Uttar Pradesh has logged 94 deaths, the ministry stated. India's COVID-19 caseload mounted to 45,62,414 and the death toll climbed to 76,271 with a record 96,551 infections and 1,209 fatalities being reported in a day, while the recoveries have surged to 35,42,663, the data showed. BANGALORE, India, Sept. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The major factors driving the polypropylene market size's growth are the rising demand for Polypropylene in emerging markets due to their versatility. Polypropylene is one of the most flexible polymers used in almost every industrial industry. Polypropylene provides chemical and extreme temperature resistance and is widely used in packaging, vehicles, building & design, healthcare, and electronics. The Global Polypropylene Market size is expected to grow from USD 68,488.02 Million in 2019 to USD 93,586.40 Million by the end of 2025 at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 5.34% during the forecast period. Get Detailed Analysis of COVID-19 Impact on Polypropylene (PP) Market: https://reports.valuates.com/request/sample/360I-Auto-3M317/The_Global_Polypropylene COVID-19 EFFECT ON POLYPROPYLENE MARKET With the magnitude of the pandemic lessening in many countries, polypropylene consumer sentiment is continuing to increase. As polypropylene feedstock costs are set to return to baseline levels, consumers are showing less pessimism and more optimism. The demand for exports of Polypropylene has resumed, and the production of polypropylene processors has increased, particularly in countries such as the USA. TRENDS INFLUENCING THE POLYPROPYLENE MARKET SIZE The increasing demand from end-use industries such as packaging, automotive, design & manufacturing, etc., is the primary driver for Polypropylene Market size. Polypropylene is a low-cost material with excellent mechanical properties and moldability. Because of this, Polypropylene is over half the plastic used in the automotive industry. Polypropylene is used primarily for injection molding and is mostly used in pellet form. Recent advances in the injection molding technique, such as multi-component injection and microinjection, coupled with advanced injection molding machines, resulting in better and more effective end products. Thus increasing the use of advanced techniques will, in turn, increase the Polypropylene Market size. Another factor driving the growth of the polypropylene market size is the growing use of packaging in the food and beverage industry. Food and beverage packaging materials are experiencing rising demand across the world. Polypropylene helps to reduce the potential for food degradation and has excellent resistance to moisture, increasing its acceptability for efficient food packaging solutions in the food and beverage industries. Growing information about plastics use and replacing sustainable packaging solutions is likely to hamper polypropylene growth in the coming years. But manufacturers are focused on developing competent bio based Polypropylene that is expected to offer enormous market opportunities. View Full Report: https://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/360I-Auto-3M317/the-global-polypropylene POLYPROPYLENE MARKET SHARE ANALYSIS North America is expected to hold the largest Polypropylene Market share during the forecast period. Polypropylene's dominance is attributed to the increasing use of packaging in the food and beverage industry in countries such as the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. Moreover, growing numbers of R&D centers and increased market demand for lightweight automotive components and electronic products drive demand in the region. The Asia Pacific is expected to witness the highest growth during the forecast period. This rapid growth is due to the increasing demand for polymers in the automotive and construction industry. Based on Geography, the Polypropylene Market studied across Americas, Asia-Pacific , , Europe , , Middle East Africa Inquire for Regional Data: https://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/360I-Auto-3M317/the-global-polypropylene POLYPROPYLENE MARKET SEGMENTATION Based on Type, the Polypropylene Market studied across Copolymer Homopolymer Based on Application, the Polypropylene Market studied across Blow Molding, Fiber & Raffia, Film & Sheet, Injection Molding. Based on End Use, the Polypropylene Market studied across Automotive, Building & Construction, Electrical & Electronics, Medical, and Packaging. THIS REPORT ANSWERS QUESTIONS SUCH AS: What is the market size and forecast of the Global Polypropylene Market? What are the inhibiting factors and impact of COVID-19 shaping the Global Polypropylene Market during the forecast period? Which are the products/segments/applications/areas to invest in over the forecast period in the Global Polypropylene Market? What is the competitive strategic window for opportunities in the Global Polypropylene Market? What are the technology trends and regulatory frameworks in the Global Polypropylene Market? What are the modes and strategic moves considered suitable for entering the Global Polypropylene Market? Buy Now for Single User: https://reports.valuates.com/api/directpaytoken?rcode=360I-Auto-3M317&lic=single-user Buy Now for Enterprise User: https://reports.valuates.com/api/directpaytoken?rcode=360I-Auto-3M317&lic=enterprise-user SIMILAR REPORTS The global Polypropylene Catalyst market size is projected to reach USD 1260.8 Million by 2026, from USD 1028.1 Million in 2020, at a CAGR of 3.5% during 2021-2026. This report focuses on Polypropylene Catalyst volume and value at the global, regional, and company levels. This report represents the overall Polypropylene Catalyst market size by analyzing historical data and prospects from a global perspective. In 2019, the global Polypropylene Carbonate (PPC) Market size was USD 206.4 Million and it is expected to reach USD 318.6 Million by the end of 2026, with a CAGR of 6.6% during 2021-2026. In 2019, the Biodegradable Plastics Application segment held the largest market share, taking up 92.24% of sales volume in the global market. The global polypropylene and polypropylene composites market for injection molding was valued at USD 41,944 Million in 2017 and is projected to reach USD 84,419 Million by 2025, growing at a CAGR of 8.3% from 2018 to 2025. The Global Bio-Based Polypropylene Market is expected to grow from USD 35.36 Million in 2019 to USD 56.88 Million by the end of 2025 at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 8.24%. ABOUT US: Valuates offers in-depth market insights into various industries. Our extensive report repository is constantly updated to meet your changing industry analysis needs. Our team of market analysts can help you select the best report covering your industry. We understand your niche region-specific requirements and that's why we offer customization of reports. With our customization in place, you can request for any particular information from a report that meets your market analysis needs. To achieve a consistent view of the market, data is gathered from various primary and secondary sources, at each step, data triangulation methodologies are applied to reduce deviance and find a consistent view of the market. Each sample we share contains detail research methodology employed to generate the report, Please also reach to our sales team to get the complete list of our data sources CONTACT US: Valuates Reports [email protected] For U.S. Toll-Free Call 1-(315)-215-3225 For IST Call +91-8040957137 WhatsApp : +91 9945648335 Website: https://reports.valuates.com Twitter - https://twitter.com/valuatesreports Linkedin - https://in.linkedin.com/company/valuatesreports Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/valuatesreports SOURCE Valuates Reports By Cassandra Garrison BUENOS AIRES, Sept 10 (Reuters) - Argentina's government said on Thursday that it will abstain from voting - and called on other countries to do the same - in the upcoming election of a new president at Latin America's main financing institution. Argentina said holding the vote on Sept. 12 runs the risk of "deepening the division" in the region, in a statement shared by the Casa Rosada presidential palace. The South American nation is among several Latin American countries that called for an election delay after President Donald Trump put forward senior adviser Mauricio Claver-Carone, who is poised to win as the first candidate from outside the region. "By stating our position and inviting the rest of the member countries of the IDB to exercise in the same sense their abstention in the next assembly, we also echo the inappropriateness of holding the event in the midst of a pandemic that has not allowed an adequate and settled debate on the future of the IDB," the statement said. Argentina's decision to abstain underscores its opposition to Claver-Carone, known for his tough stance on Venezuela and Cuba, as head of the IDB, responsible for some $12 billion in financing last year. The bank has been helmed by Latin American leaders since its inception in 1959. Argentina, Chile, Mexico and Costa Rica, which had all publicly opposed the Sept. 12 election date, had appeared close to having the 25% vote needed to prevent a quorum and delay the vote. Some countries, however, have privately conceded they did not garner enough support to block the vote from happening. (Reporting by Cassandra Garrison Editing by Shri Navaratnam) Photo: Pixabay - file photo Thousands of students across British Columbia headed back to class Thursday, carrying books, pencils, and likely a bit of apprehension. Parents across the province have expressed concerns with sending students back to school, as COVID-19 cases climb to unprecedented levels in B.C. On Thursday, Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry acknowledged there will likely be cases of the virus found among school children, but she says there are plans in place to prevent widespread outbreaks. We know that there are likely both adults and children right now, because we have transmission in our community, who may have the virus and may develop the symptoms and become sick when they're attending school, or at home before they go into school, she said, stressing the importance of screening students daily for symptoms before they attend class. We know that we'll have cases that pop up and we've seen that in other provinces where school has started as well. She added that if a student tests positive for the virus, but is not believed to have been exposed to other students, that won't be considered a school case. Local health officers will be working with every school, so that every school community is aware that there may be a case in their school, Dr. Henry said. It may not require anybody else to stay home. If there is a possible exposure, it may be that some of the learning group may have to be quarantined for a period of time, depending on what type of exposure happened, how many people had close contact. An outbreak, meanwhile, would be declared when transmission between people is discovered within the school. Dr. Henry said they would issue a public notice only in the event of an outbreak. There's a couple of scenarios where we may have to see schools, or groups of people, having to self isolate or close, she said. The scenario that I could see happening would be if there's multiple exposures or transmissions between adults in a school setting and there wasn't sufficient staff left to safely operate the school. That's what we'll be focusing our measures on, making sure we prevent [outbreaks] from happening. Castanet took a tour of Rutland Secondary School this week to see the COVID-19 measures in place there. But some parents were less than impressed with the measures in place at their schools when they dropped off their kids Thursday morning. Lindsay Lohan is being sued over a book she never finished. The 'Parent Trap' star is being taken to court by publishing company HarperCollins, who have alleged the actress signed a book deal with them back in 2014, but never delivered the manuscript that was part of their contract. In court documents obtained by TMZ, HarperCollins claim they paid Lohan a $365,000 advance against future royalties for the book, which her production company promised would be completed by May 2015. HarperCollins alleges the deadlines came and went with Lohan not submitting any manuscripts to the publishing house, who eventually informed her in September 2018 that the book deal was off. The publishers insist they asked Lohan for the money back due to the breach of contract, but they claim the 34-year-old actress refused to comply. According to TMZ, HarperCollins is now suing Lohan for the $365,000 plus interest and legal fees. The news comes on the same day that Lohan announced she is launching a new business venture in the United Arab Emirates, where she has lived for the past six years. Lohan didn't divulge many details about her new company, but did reveal the name of the business will be #BeYourOwnBoss. She wrote on Instagram: "So excited to set up my own company in the UAE! My journey continues in this incredible country! Thanks to @virtuzone for making my company setup process so smooth. If you are interested in setting up your own company here in the UAE, and looking to #BeYourOwnBoss then I recommend you get in touch with these guys. (sic)" The 'Mean Girls' actress moved to Dubai in 2014 and travels between the Middle East and her family home in New York, but hasn't been back to her old home in Los Angeles in 10 years after the paparazzi scared her off. She said: "I live here, yep, I have been here for about six years. But I go to New York a lot to see my family ... and I was in London before this. I haven't been to LA in over 10 years. "The paparazzi definitely scared me a lot [in LA], but I haven't had any real reasons to [come back] recently." Distressing video has emerged from last year's shooting of a 15-year-old music student at the hands of a suburban Chicago police officer who had pursued a bank robbery suspect into a rehearsal room. Rylan Wilder was working as an intern at the Chicago music school Upbeat Music and Arts on November 19, 2019, when he was shot in the elbow and abdomen by a Des Plaines, Illinois, police officer. Video from inside the business released to WGN by the attorney representing Wilder's family shows the unnamed uniformed officer storming into the music school in hot pursuit of an armed man suspected to robbing a bank in Des Plaines and carjacking a getaway car that day. New video released this weeks shows the moment a Des Plaines, Illinois, officer pursuing a bank robbery suspect stormed into a Chicago music school and opened fire last November The officer encountered 15-year-old school employee Rylan Wilder, pictured in a brown coat and apparently shot him A wounded Wilder got out of the officer's way as he continued firing on the suspect A lawyer for the Wilder family said the cop was armed with his personal military-style assault rifle (pictured) The officer is seen brandishing what has been described by lawyer Timothy Cavanaugh as his personal assault-style rifle. As the robber runs toward the back of the rehearsal room lined with pianos, he crosses paths with Wilder, who tries to seek refuge in a side room. The officer unleashes a barrage of bullets at the fleeing suspect and apparently strikes Wilder, who ducks into the adjoining room clutching his severely injured elbow as students and a teacher there take cover and shut the door. The suspect, identified as Christopher Willis, was shot in the head and killed at the scene. Federal prosecutors said Willis and an accomplice, Maurice Murphy, carried out an armed bank robbery in Des Plaines, stealing more than $15,000. Another camera at the Upbeat Music and Art school captured students cowering in fear in the adjacent room Murphy, who was acting as the getaway driver, was arrested shortly after the robbery, but Willis escaped and stole a car and led local police and FBI agents on a high-speed chase into Chicago. The officer shot and killed Christopher Willis, suspected of robbing a Des Paines bank at gunpoint and committing a carjacking Chicago police were waiting to take over the pursuit as Willis exited Kennedy Expressway at Irving Park Road, but for some unexplained reason, at least one of the Des Plaines cops continued the chase, following the suspect into the music school with his assault rifle drawn, according to Cavanaugh. The attorney said Rylan, who until the shooting excelled at playing the piano and guitar, suffered injuries similar to those seen in war casualties. 'The bullet that went through his arm blew away muscle and arteries and veins,' Cavanaugh told ABC 7 Chicago. Over the past nine months, the teen has undergone 14 surgeries to repair extensive damage to his arm and abdomen. Despite doing physical therapy four hours a day, he still cannot play instruments as he did before the shooting. Wilder and his parents, Lucia Morales and Tom Wilder, said no one from the Des Plaines Police Department has reached out to them to apologize for what happened. Wilder suffered gunshot wounds to the elbow and abdomen, which his attorney likened to injuries seen in war casualties The boy's parents, Tim Wilder and Lucia Morales, in November 2019 filed a civil lawsuit against Willis' surviving accomplice and the Des Plaines Police Department Just days after the deadly officer-involved shooting, the Wilder family filed a lawsuit, naming the surviving bank robber, the Des Plaines Police Department and the officer who opened fire as defendants. Morales and Wilder said at the time they hope the lawsuit will help answer some questions concerning the Des Plaines' officer presence in Chicago and his choice of a weapon. 'Why is he using his own weapon in the pursuit and why is it a military weapon, AR-15, that caused damage commensurate with a war victim?' Cavanaugh inquired in an interview with NBC Chicago. 'Why is the Des Plaines Police Department involved in a police pursuit in the city of Chicago?' The lawyer claimed that the Des Plaines Police Department has a policy that prohibits its officers from crossing into another jurisdiction if there are two or more officers from that jurisdiction. Wilder, who until last November excelled at playing the piano and guitar, has undergone 14 surgeries. His daily routine includes four hours of physical therapy 'We know that there were about 20 squads outside of Upbeat that night, so unless they got approval from a supervisor, Des Plaines was not supposed to be there,' he argued. The Des Plaines police chief defended his officer's actions, saying that an independent investigation has found that the cop was in compliance with all department policies and acted reasonably. The Cook County States Attorneys office has not commented on the case, citing an ongoing review. Seven men in northern Lao Cai Province are being probed for having trafficked 41 women and children to China since 2018. Sung A Cho, 29, Thao Seo Hoa, 44, Chang A Vuong, 33, Thao Seo Ao, 25, Ly Seo Phan, 24, Sung A Tung, 21, and Chang A Lu, 24, are being investigated for "human trafficking" and "trafficking of a person under 16," Nguyen Minh Thang, head of the Lao Cai police, said Thursday. Cho, married with kids, traveled to China for work in 2015. There, he became acquainted with a fellow compatriot who asked him to help traffic Vietnamese women across the border for money, police news portals reported. Using stolen police photos as their Facebook profile pictures, the duo subsequently tricked many unsuspecting victims and trafficked them to China with promises of a better future. The ring later expanded to include the other six men, commencing operations in March 2018 when it first trafficked two 18-year-old girls across the border. One managed to escape back to her family, though the other remains in China. Between late June to early July this year, police succeeded in arresting Cho, Hoa, Ao, Vuong and Lu. Phan turned himself in in mid-July. Tung was finally caught on August 5. Seven men arrested for trafficking 41 women from northern Vietnam to China from 2018. Photo courtesy of the police. The ring confessed to have trafficked a total 41 women and children from Lao Cai, Yen Bai, Dien Bien, Son La, Lai Chau and Bac Kan, all in Vietnam's northern mountainous region, to China since 2018, earning 12,000-20,000 ($1,755-2,925) per victim. Vietnam recorded over 3,400 victims of human trafficking between 2013 and 2019, over 90 percent of them women, children and people from ethnic minority communities. Eighty percent of victims end up in China, which suffers from one of the worst gender imbalances due to its former one-child policy and illegal abortion of female fetuses by parents who prefer sons. This had lead to increased trafficking of Vietnamese women and baby girls to the country. In the first half of 2020, Vietnam reported 60 human trafficking cases, with 90 victims, mainly women and children, sold to foreign countries. Traffickers typically persuade their victims to go to foreign countries for part-time work with high bonuses and then subject them to either forced labor and/or prostitution. Traffickers mainly target women and children in rural and mountainous areas near the border where they live in poverty and get little access to education and social media, activists said. PRAGUE -- A leading Belarusian opposition official has called on the European Union to live up to its commitment to support democracy and announce that it will stop recognizing the rule of strongman Alyaksandr Lukashenka at the end of a three-month transition period. It is a very important and necessary signal to Belarusian society. The time for the declaration has already passed. Actions are needed, Paval Latushka, a former insider turned opposition activist, told RFE/RL's Belarus Service in an interview in Prague on September 10. Latushka, who said he slipped through Belarusian border guards in a diplomatic car, met in Prague earlier in the day with the Czech Republics foreign minister to discuss n EU declaration. The former Belarusian ambassador is a member of the seven-person presidium of the Coordination Council, which was set up last month with the goal to facilitate a peaceful resolution to the political crisis gripping Minsk following the August 9 presidential election. The Coordination Council wants the European Union to end its recognition of Lukashenka after November 5. Lukashenka, who has ruled Belarus for 26 years, claimed to win the presidential election with 80 percent of the vote. The opposition said it was rigged in his favor. Latushka said Poland and Lithuania have already backed such a declaration, and he said he thinks that the Czech Republic is ready to support it as well. However, he hinted the EU is not yet unified on the position because of the geopolitical concerns of third countries," a possible reference to Russia, which backs Lukashenka. The European Union taught us! Taught us democracy! Now it is time to help, he said with apparent frustration. He questioned how many acts of violence are still required against Belarusian civil society before the EU will act. Hundreds of thousands of Belarusians have taken to the streets since August 9 to protest the outcome of the election, which handed Lukashenka another five-year term. The protesters are demanding he step down, release all political prisoners, and hold free and fair elections. Lukashenka has unsuccessfully sought to smother the daily protests with arrests and vicious beatings. Police have detained thousands of protesters over the past month and tortured hundreds. Among those arrested are members of the Coordination Councils presidium. Most recently, Maryya Kalesnikava was snatched off the street in Minsk by masked men on September 7 and later arrested on charges of "public calls for seizing power in the country." Most of the presidium's seven members have either been arrested or forced to leave the country. Latushka had been questioned by Belarus's Investigative Committee. The 47-year-old Latushka, who also served as a spokesman at Belarus's Foreign Ministry and as the country's culture minister, told RFE/RL he decided to join the opposition after seeing images of the tortured protesters. The civil servant's move angered Lukashenka, who indirectly called him out for crossing a red line. Latushka expressed little hope that Lukashenka would leave office peacefully. He said the recently published photographs of Lukashenka brandishing weapons during the protests was meant to show he will fight for power, including by using violence. However, he said Lukashenka's recent comments about implementing constitutional changes -- even if he has no intention of carrying through on them -- showed that the protests were having an impact on the authoritarian leader. Latushka also claimed that Lukashenka's recent visit to the prosecutor's office is a sign that the president is concerned about the strength of his support inside the government. "He clearly understands that the government apparatus today is against him," Latushka said. The opposition leader said he was surprised that many government officials were not afraid to send him text messages of support or call him. Lukashenka, however, continues to receive critical support from Russia, the nation's ally. Latushka said he was disappointed that Russia did not express outrage over the beatings of protesters nor respond to outreach from the Coordination Council. He hinted the Kremlins policy of backing Lukashenka would fail in the long run. "Russia needs to understand that if it has strategic interests, medium-term interests in Belarus, it needs to speak with those who will be in power tomorrow. They know well that Lukashenka's time has passed," he said. President Trump Proclamation For Patriot Day, September 11, 2020 In 2001, our Nation, united under God, made an unbreakable promise never to forget the nearly 3,000 innocent Americans who were senselessly killed on September 11. On this sacred day Patriot Day we solemnly honor that commitment. As the bells toll, we call by name those who perished in the terrorist attacks in New York, New York; Arlington, Virginia; and Shanksville, Pennsylvania. In cities and towns across our great country, we stand in solidarity to remember the victims and mourn their stolen hopes and dreams. On a day that began as ordinary as any other, terrorists carrying out a sadistic plan murdered thousands of our fellow compatriots. With shock and disbelief, we watched our first responders, encumbered by heavy equipment and hindered by debris and smoke, rush with conviction and courage into the void to rescue those in despair. With pride and sorrow, we felt the tremendous bravery of those aboard Flight 93, who summoned the courage to charge the terrorists in a counterattack that saved countless American lives. As the day closed, America steadied its resolve to hold accountable those who had attacked us and to ensure it would never happen again. The courage, heroism, and resilience Americans displayed on 9/11, and in its aftermath, are perpetual testaments to the spirit of our country. While our Nation was anguished by this attack, the grit displayed that day the very essence of America was a reminder that our citizens have never failed to rise to the occasion. Heroes sprang into action in the face of great peril to help save their fellow Americans. Many laid down their lives. As we reflect on the events of that September morning, let us recommit to embrace the stalwart bravery displayed and reaffirm our dedication to defending liberty from all who wish to deny it. To fulfill our collective promise never to forget, we impart the memory of that fateful day to our children and grandchildren. The smoke that rose from the Twin Towers, the Pentagon, and the Pennsylvania field carried away the souls of innocent Americans. As we recall the images of our American Flag raised from the ashes of Ground Zero and the Pentagon, we are reminded that good triumphs over evil. We recommit ourselves to fortifying our cherished American values so that future generations will know in their souls that the United States is the land of the free and the home of the brave. This Patriot Day, we commemorate the lives of those who perished on September 11, 2001, we pray for the families who carry on their legacies, and we honor the unmatched bravery of our Nations first responders. We also commend those who, in the days and years following the attack, answered the call to serve our country and continue to risk their lives in defense of the matchless blessings of freedom. By a joint resolution approved December 18, 2001 (Public Law 107-89), the Congress designated September 11 of each year as Patriot Day. NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim September 11, 2020, as Patriot Day. I call upon all departments, agencies, and instrumentalities of the United States to display the flag of the United States at half-staff on Patriot Day in honor of the innocent people who lost their lives on September 11, 2001. I invite the Governors of the United States and its Territories and interested organizations and individuals to join in this observance. I call upon the people of the United States to participate in community service in honor of the innocent people we lost that day and to observe a moment of silence beginning at 8:46 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time to honor those victims who perished as a result of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this tenth day of September, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-fifth. Fort Bend County officials and faith-based organizations teamed up with the American Red Cross to provide relief and resources to Hurricane Laura survivors. Donations from area residents, collected over the past week, were loaded onto Fort Bend transit vehicles ready to be shipped off to East Texas and Louisiana. Our Interfaith Council set up collection centers, we are using our transit authoritys vehicles to take it to Red Cross who are going to be our distribution channel, said County Judge KP George. To continue, please log in, or sign up for a new account. We offer one free story view per month. If you register for an account, you will get two additional story views. After those three total views, we ask that you support us with a subscription. A subscription to our digital content is so much more than just access to our valuable content. It means youre helping to support a local community institution that has, from its very start, supported the betterment of our society. Thank you very much! (Bloomberg) -- Apple Inc. Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook and his top deputies are focusing greater attention on developing a new generation of leaders to eventually run some of the iPhone makers most important divisions such as hardware development, services and marketing. As Cook begins his 10th year at the helm, his management group is filled mostly with senior vice presidents who have worked at Apple for more than two decades, made tens of millions of dollars and are at or near the ages of 55 to 60 when many previous executives have stepped aside. That, along with typical corporate planning, has spurred the Cupertino, California-based company to cultivate its next class of top managers, said people familiar with the matter who asked not to be identified talking about internal company discussions. Apple declined to comment. Cook, who took over from Steve Jobs in August 2011, has led Apple to become the worlds most valuable company and the first in the U.S. with a market capitalization that topped $2 trillion. Even with the companys success, the next group of leaders will need to navigate rising global antitrust concerns, build stronger relationships with app developers, reduce the reliance on Chinese manufacturing and find devices or new services to carry the company beyond the iPhone. The CEO has given no indication hes ready to retire, but if the 59-year-old Cook moved on tomorrow, look no further than Chief Operating Officer Jeff Williams, 57, to take over. Williams is seen as the heir apparent, having run the companys global operations under Cook for the past several years. In 2013, he took over development of the Apple Watch and Apples health initiatives, and last year, added oversight of hardware and software design. Read more: Apples Heir Apparent Is Much More Like Tim Cook Than Steve Jobs In many ways, Williams is seen as pragmatic as Cook and as someone who wouldn't let the company miss a beat. He is an operations-focused executive like Cook rather than a product visionary like Jobs or former design chief Jony Ive. With the companys decade of success under Cook, its unlikely the board would want to shift away from this proven formula. Story continues Below, Bloomberg takes a look at possible successors to the current executives in charge of each major Apple division. Marketing: Greg Joswiak, 56, took over for Phil Schiller as Apples senior vice president of worldwide marketing in August, but Schiller, 60, had been gradually handing off some responsibility for years, according to people familiar with the transition. At Apple, the product marketing organization is broader than ads, as the group helps choose which features to add to devices and helps manage product development. Joswiak joined Apple in the 1980s, and is just about three years younger than his semi-retired predecessor. The company has a list of potential successors to Joswiak, with the smart money being on newly appointed vice president of iPhone marketing Kaiann Drance, 42, to eventually take over, according to a person close to the company. Other potential contenders include Stan Ng and Susan Prescott. Ng, vice president of Apple Watch marketing, has been a mainstay in Apples marketing organization since the late 1990s, starting off on the Mac, transitioning to the iPod, and then working on the iPhone before the Watch. Prescott, 55, oversees marketing for apps and enterprise. Software Engineering: Craig Federighi, 51, is the youngest member of Apples executive team and is likely to remain in his role for several more years. But if he stepped down, Federighi has at least two key lieutenants that could fill the role. Sebastien Marineau-Mes, vice president of Intelligent Systems Experience, and Jon Andrews, who was named a vice president in charge of CoreOS last year, are seen by people close to Apple as most likely to be promoted if necessary. Andrewss CoreOS is the most fundamental component of Apples operating systems, the layer that handles underlying features like wireless networking and the file system. Marineau-Mes used to hold Andrewss role, but in 2016 was moved to oversee the Photos and Camera apps in addition to system security. More recently, Marineau-Mes was shifted to work on features like the new iOS 14 widgets. Marineau-Mes was hired away from BlackBerry Ltd. in 2014 after running the Canada-based companys software division, and Andrews joined Apple in 2006. Services: Services are one of Apples fastest growing segments and a key driver for device sales. Eddy Cue, 55, was named the senior vice president of the unit in 2011. Cue, who has worked more than 30 years at Apple, started at the company by managing customer service teams and now oversees Apple Music, Apple TV+, iCloud, Apple Maps, many of the applications that run on the companys devices and dealmaking for content. As for Cues eventual successor, Peter Stern, 48, is at the top of the short list. Stern, who joined Apple from Time Warner Cable in 2016, is a content dealmaker. He oversees the business side of Apples video efforts and leads work on Apple News, Apple Books, iCloud and the company's advertising platforms. He also helped handle the development of Apples upgraded TV app last year and is leading the charge on Apples push into services bundles. Operations: Apples operations division is perhaps the companys most important. The team is responsible for cranking out hundreds of millions of devices from Asia and shipping them across the world. The group also must develop manufacturing techniques, source components and strike deals with suppliers. Cook ran Apples operations before handing over that responsibility to Williams. Last year, Apple tapped Sabih Khan, 54, as senior vice president of operations. Beyond Khan, Apple has a team of several veterans such as operations executives Dan Rosckes, Rob York and Rory Sexton. But the most likely long-term successor, according to people familiar with the group, is Priya Balasubramaniam, head of operations for the iPhone. Balasubramaniam has been in her current role since 2014 and joined Apple nearly 20 years ago. She is in charge of the production, supply chain and repair network for Apples most important product as well as underlying components. In 2017, Balasubramaniam helped fix development challenges with the iPhone Xs facial recognition sensor at facilities in South Korea. The phone ended up shipping in time for the holiday season and helped lead to strong overall sales. Hardware Engineering: Dan Riccio, 57, has run Apples hardware engineering division since 2012 and oversees the hardware development of almost every Apple device. The group has several vice presidents who run different areas, but John Ternuss profile inside and outside of the company has steadily risen over the past several years. As a top lieutenant to Riccio, Ternus, 45, is in charge of hardware engineering for the iPad and Mac. He also contributes to the development of several other products. A person who knows Ternus called him a well-respected manager who understands the technology, and despite his rising profile, has remained unassuming all characteristics of a potential future division head or even CEO. Ternus recently supervised the development of the new iPad Pro design, an increased focus on the Mac after the company let several lines languish and has been key in the companys transition from Intel Corp. to its own Mac processors. Hardware Technologies: Johny Sroujis Hardware Technologies group has increasingly become one of Apples most important assets. His teams chips have powered the iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch with performance outpacing many rivals. The group is also developing chips at the core of Apples upcoming augmented-reality headset and glasses, cellular modems for future iPhones and processors to replace those from Intel in Macs. Srouji, 55, joined Apple in 2008 and was appointed to Apples executive team in 2015. He is a demanding leader who keeps a tight grip on a team that has a rising profile in the chip industry. None of his direct reports are seen as having Sroujis clout to run such a demanding division. Still, Sribalan Santhanam, 54, is most likely to take the role if Srouji were to step down or retire, people close to the company said. Santhanam, the companys vice president of Silicon Engineering, joined Apple in 2008 when his previous employer P.A. Semi, was acquired to kickstart Apples in-house chip efforts. His profile has risen lately after he announced the iPhone 11s processor and was one of the showmen of Apples Mac processor transition. Retail & Human Resources: When Angela Ahrendts left her post as Apples retail chief last year, Tim Cook tried something new: promoting an insider to the job. Cooks first choice as head of retail in 2012, John Browett, came from the outside and clashed with a culture of customer service, which triggered his departure after less than a year. While Ahrendts revamped the look and operations of stores, some employees and customers werent pleased with the changes. Read more: How the Apple Store Lost Its Luster Since taking over last year, Deirdre OBrien has pushed Apple retail online amid the Covid-19 pandemic and navigated opening and shutting locations on an ad hoc basis. If OBrien, 54, were to step down from her post as head of retail and human resources, Apple has a bench of lieutenants in place to take over. The company could consider again splitting the role into two positions, such as promoting a retail leader of a major geography in addition to having a standalone human resources executive. Apple could also look to hire an outsider as it did before. Chief Financial Officer, General Counsel and Machine Learning: About a year before the retirement of previous Chief Financial Officer Peter Oppenheimer in 2014, Apple hired current CFO Luca Maestri, 56, away from Xerox Corp. He served as corporate controller and vice president of finance before taking the CFO job. If Maestri were to leave Apple, its possible the company could once again look for an outsider to take the job. It could also consider Saori Casey, its current vice president of finance, who oversees the companys books and is responsible for putting together earnings reports. The company has also hired outsiders for its past two general counsels: the current holder of the job Kate Adams, 56, came from Honeywell, while her predecessor, Bruce Sewell, joined from Intel. Apples senior vice president of machine learning and AI strategy role was created specifically for John Giannandrea, 55, who earlier held a similar job at Google. Giannandrea does not have a clear top lieutenant, so if he were to depart Apple, its unclear who would replace him or if Apple would fold the unit back into the Software Engineering department. For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com Subscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source. 2020 Bloomberg L.P. Three Cleveland State Community College faculty members were recommended and approved to receive tenure from the Tennessee Board of Regents in 2020. Nine faculty members were also promoted by the college to assistant professor, associate professor or professor status this year.Marci Reiter, Laurie Rowland, and Wendy Santos received tenure and were promoted from instructor to associate professor at Cleveland State Community College.Marci Reiter, an associate professor this year, joined the Business Division at Cleveland State in 2015.She is currently an associate professor teaching cooperative education courses, first year students for the business learning community, and first year students for the Advanced Technologies Institute. Ms. Reiter works with students throughout the college giving them career-readiness skills and experiences through work-based learning opportunities. Ms. Reiter earned her bachelor of science degree from Eastern Illinois University and her master of arts degree from Webster University.Laurie Rowland, an associate professor this year, joined the Humanities Division at Cleveland State in 2014. She is currently an associate professor teaching fundamentals of communication, interpersonal communication, organizational communication, leadership development studies, and forensics. Ms. Rowland earned her bachelor of arts degree from Berea College and her master of education degree from Strayer University.Wendy Santos, promoted to associate professor this year, joined the Healthcare Division of Cleveland State in 2010. She currently instructs all levels of emergency medical services coursework. She spends much of her time working paramedic concentrations in the program. She previously helped instruct similar coursework at the college from 1994-94. Santos earned her associate of science degree from Chattanooga State Technical Community College.Receiving promotion within the faculty ranks at Cleveland State Community College in 2020 are Dr. Stephen Carmer, Dr. Bonnie Freeland, Travis Hayes, Dr. Verrill Norwood, Ms. Reiter, Ms. Rowland, Ms. Santos, Vickie Still and Shane Ware.Dr. Stephen Carmer, promoted to assistant professor this year, joined the Business Division at Cleveland State in 2016. Dr. Carmer teaches principles of accounting I and II, business calculations, personal finance, forensic accounting, and the accounting capstone course. Dr. Carmer earned his bachelor of science degree from Syracuse University, his master of accounting degree from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, and his doctorate in business administration from Walden University.Dr. Bonnie Freeland, promoted to professor this year, joined the Healthcare Division at Cleveland State in 2018. She is the lead instructor for pediatric nursing and nursing fundamentals courses. Dr. Freeland earned her associate of science and bachelor of science from Southern Missionary College, master of science in nursing from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, and her doctorate of nursing practice from the University of Tennessee, Memphis.Travis Hayes, promoted to assistant professor this year, joined the Business Division at Cleveland State in 2017. He currently teaches principles of macroeconomics and principles of microeconomics. Mr. Hayes earned his bachelor of science and master of business administration from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.Dr. Verrill Norwood, promoted to professor this year, joined the Science Division at Cleveland State in 2005. He currently teaches chemistry I, general chemistry, and organic chemistry. Dr. Norwood earned his bachelor of arts degree from the College of the Holy Cross and his doctorate degree from Utah State University.Vickie Still, promoted to assistant Ppofessor this year, joined the Healthcare Division at Cleveland State in 2012. She is the lead instructor for fundamental of nursing in the colleges nursing program. Still earned her associate of science degrees from Cleveland State Community College, her bachelor of science degree from East Tennessee State University, and her master of science degree from Tennessee Technological University.Shane Ware, promoted to associate professor this year, is a member of the Healthcare Division at Cleveland State. Mr. Ware instructs courses within the colleges emergency medical services program.Through August, 12 employees have been hired into new positions at Cleveland State Community College this year: Andrea Byerly, project coordinator, Workforce & Continuing Education; Carolina Roman, executive assistant to the president; Cate Green, director of Admissions, Recruitment and High School Programs; Larissa Coleman, Give Grant coordinator; Angi Hawn, financial aid specialist; Joel Nitsch, financial aid specialist; Lisa Sullens, enrollment specialist; Katie Brady, librarian 1; Lana Balan, enrollment specialist; Sara Amato, English instructor; Heidi McLean, medical assistant instructor/program director; and Matt Schaffner, music instructor. Amid busy construction crews racing to build an airport in Mexico, scientists are unearthing more and more mammoth skeletons in what has quickly become one of the worlds biggest concentrations of the now-extinct relative of modern elephants. More than 100 mammoth skeletons have been identified spread across nearly 200 excavation sites, along with a mix of other Ice Age mammals, in the area destined to become the Mexican capitals new commercial airport. Lead archeologist Ruben Manzanilla explained on Tuesday that around 24,000 years ago mammoth herds reached this spot where sprawling grasslands and lakes would have enticed them to reside. The image shows mammoth bones at Zumpango, near Mexico City, Mexico. (REUTERS) This place was like a paradise, he told Reuters, noting that as the last glaciers melted a wide range of mammals - including ancient species of camels, horses and buffalo - lived along what would have been an extremely muddy shoreline. Then over many years the same story repeated itself: The animals ventured too far, got trapped and couldnt get their legs out of the muck, said Manzanilla. He speculates that most of the mammoths died this way, though he adds that there is some evidence that around 10,000 years ago early humans may have also hunted the 20-tonne beasts with flint arrows and spears, or dug rudimentary shallow water pits to snare them. But the sheer amount of bones, including long, curling tusks - technically the animals front two teeth - have come as a shock. The image shows a worker of Mexico's National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) working at a site where more than 100 mammoth skeletons have been identified. (REUTERS) We had the idea that wed find mammoth remains, but not this many, he said. Once the excavations are finished, Manzanilla said the site, located about 30 miles (50km) north of downtown Mexico City, could rival others in the United States and Siberia as the planets biggest deposit of mammoth skeletons. He noted that a museum-style mammoth exhibit is being planned for the airports main terminal. The series of inter-connected lakes that once covered the Valley of Mexico were deliberately drained by Spanish colonial masters beginning in the 1600s in an effort to tame annual flooding. Today, the mostly dry landscape is dominated by the working-class neighborhoods and highways that spill out from Mexico City. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Spike Lee's version of David Byrne's American Utopia premiered at the TIFF 2020 at drive-in and online screenings. Spike Lee kicked off a unique Toronto film festival on Thursday with a tribute to black victims of police violence, as his latest movie premiered online and at drive-in screenings due to coronavirus. With a pandemic and a closed Canadian border forcing Hollywood stars and media to remain home, North America's biggest film festival has scrambled to find socially-distanced ways to present this year's line-up. Watch the video here Spike Lee and David Byrne introduce our #TIFF20 Opening Night Presentation, DAVID BYRNE'S AMERICAN UTOPIA screening at three outdoor venues across Toronto. pic.twitter.com/oFg59zYiWt TIFF (@TIFF_NET) September 11, 2020 Even directors have stayed away, meaning that David Byrne's American Utopia Lee's movie version of the Talking Heads musician's Broadway concert officially opened the festival by streaming on the web. The unusual format did not dampen reviews. Deadline Hollywood said the film "isn't just a concert doc, but also a life-affirming, euphoria-producing, soul-energizing sing-along protest film that's asking us to rise up against our own complacency." In the film, which meshes themes of community and battling injustice, Lee projects images of Eric Garner, Breonna Taylor and George Floyd all African Americans killed by police over a rousing protest song. The anthem features a call-and-response chant of "Say his name" for each black victim a theme veteran filmmaker Lee has covered extensively over his long career. "It feels like this year in particular, what he's been saying for decades is resonating with a lot more people," festival co-head Cameron Bailey told Agence France-Presse. "It does feel like it is exactly the film for the moment... it gives both David and Spike the opportunity to really focus the audience's attention on issues of anti-black racism, of the Black Lives Matter movement," he added. The Toronto International Film Festival typically draws half a million attendees to its celebrity-studded red carpets and world premieres, which include Oscars hopefuls and obscure arthouse flicks hoping to find distributors. This year due to COVID-19, only movie lovers who are already based in town can attend physical screenings at a dramatically pared-down festival boasting just 50 feature films on show compared with a typical 300-odd. On Thursday, small crowds gathered at drive-ins, a lakeside open-air screen, and a handful of limited-capacity indoor theatres to watch Lee's movie, as well as French debut feature Spring Blossom by Suzanne Lindon. In a separate online festival talk, Oscar-winning actress Viola Davis confronted racism and typecasting in Hollywood, telling audiences that films with black stars "don't always have to be a Boyz n the Hood." Her comments come days after the Academy changed best picture Oscar rules to require minimum levels of diversity. Davis noted that while in the 1960s "only one black actor had an agent, that was Sidney Poitier," today's trailblazers have benefited from diverse roles on streaming platforms and a cultural zeitgeist "screaming and absolutely demanding" more representation. In one of several films that premiered online to Canadian web users, legendary director Werner Herzog fresh from his on-screen role in Star Wars series The Mandalorian explores the real cosmos in meteorite documentary Fireball: Visitors from Darker Worlds. With the current pandemic shutting down other festivals including Cannes and Telluride, movie icons including Martin Scorsese, Anthony Hopkins, Nicole Kidman and Kate Winslet have been virtually called in to boost Toronto with online talks and galas, running through to 20 September. "We still wanted to do a festival," said Bailey. "It's important for our audience, and I think we just all need some inspiration that art can provide." (With inputs from Agence France-Presse) The Q4 shopping season, stretching from October until the New Year, has long been the most crucial and lucrative time of the year for retailers worldwide. This was never more true than in 2019, which found itself flaunting the distinction of being the first-ever trillion-dollar holiday shopping season. This year, with all of the uncertainty surrounding the global pandemic, many consumer markets are faced with the fear of steep declines of in-person shopping, thus leading to a potential downtick in sales. This may seem daunting, but it should also serve as ample inspiration to develop a Q4 retail strategy well in advance. Reduced foot traffic for in-store retailers may hamper the overall sales numbers posted in 2019. However, the rise in online shoppers a 25 percent increase compared to last year offers e-commerce retailers a key opportunity to refocus their Q4 retail strategies. While consumer habits and trends may have shifted, the key methods of attracting new and returning customers remain consistent. Here are a few of the top strategies to adopt as we look ahead to this years holiday shopping season. Schedule Your Promotions With the U.S. currently facing economic uncertainty and increased unemployment as a result of the pandemic, some retailers understandably are concerned that consumers will be hesitant to spend. There worries might be valid, but with the proper promotional schedule and strategy, companies can compensate for the current business climate and still surpass last years output. Despite the fact that shoppers may be less likely to spend frivolously, there is a higher appeal for them to get their holiday shopping done during a promotional period like Black Friday or Cyber Monday. Many understand Cyber Monday to be the online version of Black Friday, and while, traditionally, there is some soundness to that belief, this does not prevent businesses from offering promotions on their e-commerce sites for both Black Friday and Cyber Monday. In fact, by utilizing both, especially in 2020s climate, companies can increase the likelihood of connecting with consumers on at least one of these days. More promotions lead to an increased traffic to websites; and thus a higher hit rate for online sales. While in-store sales may not return in full this November, Cyber Monday sales this year are poised to grow even higher than the 19 percent increase we saw in 2019. With this incoming influx of orders, and potentially high rates of new customers, companies need to be prepared. For retailers, this means taking a minimum of 45 days in advance to plan. Now is the time to start taking stock, communicating with suppliers, and making a plan. For those businesses that have a multichannel marketing plan in place, it is important to have everything ready to deploy well ahead of the celebration date. Know Your Holidays While getting promotions in place for major sales days like Black Friday and Cyber Monday, takes some time, there are other Q4 holidays that require slightly less stress. For example, for holidays like Halloween and Veterans Day, two weeks should be enough time to prepare. Sure, Halloween may not bring in the type of revenue that Cyber Monday or Christmas might, but it does present the opportunity to introduce creative, holiday-specific marketing; and increase business. Meanwhile, regional and local holidays can also boost sales. If there is a special day or event specific to your home market, then show your customers that you are engaged in the community by having a sale or updating your homepage and social media with a fun marketing campaign. A D V E R T I S E M E N T Another way to boost holiday sales is to be hyperaware of days unique to Q4 2020. For example, November 3 is Election Day in the United States, a day that comes around only once every four years. While politics may be extremely polarizing at the moment, sites can still be patriotic without alienating any potential customers, if that is a concern. Christmas shopping can be a make or break event for Q4 sales. It is similar to Cyber Monday in the sense that it requires early planning. It is also key to remember that the Christmas shopping season doesnt end on the 24th. Businesses should plan for potential after Christmas sales or promotions to offset the inevitable returns coming from the folks who werent thrilled with the gifts they received. Christmas, along with other December holidays, can be a lifeline to many businesses. Although sales numbers and customer behavior are hard to predict for this year, Christmas provides certainty in an uncertain time. Despite many events being moved to different dates and foot traffic will likely be restricted, Christmas is not going anywhere. People have to do their shopping somehow, so this year is a massive opportunity for e-commerce sites. Strategic Discount Offers With your promotions planned and holidays marked on your calendar, the final crucial step to tailor an optimal Q4 retail strategy is to provide your consumers with the right discount. Too much of a discount and you hurt your business, too little and the customer may not see it as an incentive. However, it doesnt always come down to the discount percentage that is being offered. When it comes to discounts and promo codes, CouponBirds found that customers are increasingly interested in site-wide incentives. Meaning that in many cases, a 10-percent-off site-wide code will be used more often than a 15 percent discount on select items. Increased web traffic means more competition knowing a coupon is easy-to-use and applies to every purchase is essential. This allows consumers to shop for themselves and their loved ones in the easiest way possible. Fewer clicks and less time searching can translate to better shopping results. Setting the right discount can also be utilized to capture repeat business or as a means to acquire customer emails. Pop-ups on e-commerce sites that incentivize shoppers to submit their email in order to receive a discount code on their first purchase provide value to the shopper and the seller. When a consumer follows the prompt, this type of discount virtually guarantees a sale, gives you information about your client base, and provides a way to contact customers to keep them up to date on your business. Because of these benefits, providing a slightly higher discount amount is not detrimental, and in fact can result in higher ROI from that shopper as time goes by, from future sales. The unusual situation surrounding retailers in Q4 2020 can understandably cause some uncertainty. However, retailers need not fret. With the right discount strategy, coupled with promotional periods and holidays, e-commerce vendors can push last years sales records and set themselves up for long-term success in an online-first future. Despite the postponement of the Summer Mummers season due to the coronavirus, the show is going on, only this time it will be streamed. The melodrama will be streamed this Saturday on television station KWES, starting at 7 p.m. for a three-hour event. Summer Mummers board Vice President Jessi Willmann said the telethon will be used to help fund the Midland Community Theater. This is the first time in its history where weve had to cancel the live performances, she said. Its something we look forward to every single summer. Summer Mummers is a fundraiser for the Midland Community Theater, raising almost $500,000 a year for the operations budget of MCT. Willmann said the volunteers came up with 35 different ideas to raise funds, but due to logistics, MCT officials figured out a telethon would be the best way to perform and raise money. The melodrama got a makeover to make it shorter and provide it a pandemic plotline. Volunteers then whittled down the cast, wore masks while rehearsing, maintained 6 feet of distance between cast members and self-quarantined for two weeks before rehearsals started. We have been taking a lot of extra precautions, she said. A lot of costume cleanings that typically dont take place. Ben Spencer volunteered to write the new script, which is shorter and called Pandemic Plea for Pennies. The plot is a spoof about saving the Yucca Theater from the evil corona, Willmann said. The telethon is live with some pre-recorded elements, including parts of the melodrama and some olio skits. Support the MCT To donate visit https://mctmidland.org/ To watch the telethon visit www.newswest9.com See More Collapse Its kind of a neat thing because we have never been able to pre-record things before, she said. A lot of our telethon skits will be like Saturday Night Live (SNL) shorts. We are going to have live elements, and we will be interviewing a lot of longtime volunteers a bunch of volunteers people might recognize because they have been involved with Summer Mummers for 35 to 40 years. She said viewers can stop by the Yucca Theater before the show starts from 4-6 p.m. and volunteers will be giving out mugs and popcorn to people who make a donation. The telethon also will be an awareness event to inform viewers about the history and purpose of Summer Mummers. Volunteers also will serve as a live audience during the show while getting to enjoy the show they normally help put on. Normally we have more than 100 volunteers per performance at Summer Mummers, she said. A lot of Mummers arent getting the chance to volunteer this year because theyre not all actors. We have asked that they attend the telethon and they will serve as the live audience. The arts are a huge part of not only Midlands community but the nation, Willmann said. It is important for Midlanders to continue to support the MCT. We want to keep bringing quality arts to Midland, she said. Were the third-largest community theater in the nation, and we are a jewel in the desert because we operate more like a repertory or regional theater than we do a community theater. The show can be viewed on KWES website. Extra Summer Mummers snippets can be watched at www.facebook.com/summermummers. BAMBERG -- A German company will close the doors of its Bamberg plant by the end of the year. The closure will result in the loss of 40 jobs at Bambergs Tobul Accumulators, according to Freudenberg Sealing Technologies Director of Corporate Communications Cheryl Eberwein. "We did a very in-depth analysis of that facility as we do with all our facilities," Eberwein said. "We have more capacity than we can use in the accumulator industry at this point in time." "It was a question of balancing our customer demand capacity with our production capacity," she said. "We had more capacity than we could justify given the current market for accumulators in that region." The company will consolidate the accumulator business in facilities in Houston, Texas and Remagen, Germany. "The proximity to major transportation hubs, other Freudenberg Group businesses and company austerity measures have also played a role in reaching this decision," Eberwein said. "We are working with these employees from an HR perspective," she said. "This news saddens everybody." The company told employees about the closure Wednesday and met with them to answer questions. "We have a lot of different employees in that facility who are working in different capacities under different arrangements," Eberwein said. "HR has been working with individual employees to go over what options they have." Eberwein said when Freudenberg purchased Tobul six years ago, the outlook in that region was quite good. "Unfortunately, that has not materialized," she said. "That is the primary driver for us in making this decision: a difficult, difficult decision." Bambergs Tobul plant reached peak employment of more than 100 employees prior to Freudenbergs acquisition of the plant. Despite investments Freudenberg made in the facility, including a new production line in 2016 and SAP installation in 2019, the accumulator market has declined in North America as key industries, such as oil and gas, have softened, Eberwein said. "Employment reductions were required, and one way we achieved this was by not filling plant vacancies as they occurred," Eberwein said. The SouthernCarolina Alliance has asked Freudenberg to allow the building to be marketed to prospective companies as soon as possible, said Kay Maxwell, vice president of marketing for the alliance. Tobul manufactures piston and bladder accumulators for industrial applications, including hydraulic piston accumulators for blowout preventers that prevent an uncontrolled release of drilling fluid, crude oil or natural gas during the raw material extraction process. Tobul was established in 1980 by Jim Tobul. He chose Bamberg as a plant location back in 1987 due to the availability of an airport and the fact that he was impressed with Bamberg Countys professional proposal. Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley visited her hometown in March 2013 to celebrate the plants expansion to the CrossRhodes Industrial Park off of U.S. Highway 301 from its previous location on Accumulator Street. Bamberg County development Bamberg County's largest employer, Rockland Industries, announced in February it was closing its doors after 57 years, resulting in the loss of 133 jobs. The company is a maker of coated blackout window fabric. Last month, the company said it had never completely closed but had completed the first phase of its reorganization and was looking to secure new investment or financing, or to sell the company. The company says it has been operating with about 30 employees at the plant and hopes to ramp up employment, depending on market changes. Bamberg's bourbon barrel maker Black Water Barrels LLC announced plans to temporarily close its 3914 Main Highway office in November 2019. The closure was part of a restructuring effort and federal litigation with manufacturing equipment providers related to equipment performance and production. Maxwell said, "Black Water Barrels will make decisions about the future of the operation once the case has been resolved. They are optimistic about the future. They are not publicly discussing their plans at this time. Also, Masonite International Corporation, one of the county's largest manufacturers, closed its doors in the summer of 2019, resulting in the loss of 110 jobs. Masonite made doors at the facility. Pegasus Home Fashions announced last November it would locate in the Masonite facility with plans to invest $1.1 million and eventually bring in 113 new jobs. The New Jersey company makes bedding and home products. There was a delay in efforts to ramp up operations due to the coronavirus, but company HR assistant Denise Robinson said Thursday it has been operating since Aug. 5 and currently has 30 employees. It is also in the process of hiring sewers, baggers, packers and employees for its shipping and receiving departments. Maxwell noted that, Until the pandemic hit in March 2020, Bamberg County actually had its lowest unemployment rate in 20 years, with the unemployment rate at 4.4% in April 2019 and 4.6% as late as November (it was 3.9% in November 2000)." Phoenix Specialty in Bamberg and Innovative Poultry in Olar have recently announced expansion projects, she said. "Project activity is good, with prospective companies now looking at Bamberg County for location in the near future, and a quick look online this afternoon also shows that there are more than 1,000 jobs available within a 25-minute drive of Bamberg County right now," Maxwell said. "The key is for our communities to work together to create the best business environment possible while improving education and workforce training to offer the most attractive conditions to grow or expand industries." "For SCA, we will stay focused on recruiting new industries and assisting our existing industries with expansions where we can," she said. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 1 Sad 2 Angry 2 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. The Trump administration has been accused of siphoning almost $4m from a program that treats New York firefighters and medics suffering from 9/11 related illnesses. The Treasury Department stopped payments almost four years ago to the FDNY World Trade Centre Health Program, according to reporting by The Daily News, with no reason given. Payments to the program were authorised by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, but the Treasury began to keep some of the money. Dr David Prezant, the programs director and FDNYs chief medical officer, told the publication that there has been no official explanation as to why the payments were stopped and no notification that it was going to happen. He told The Daily News that approximately half a million dollars a year was missing in 2016 and 2017. That figure increased to about $630,000 in 2018 and 2018, and the in 2020 $1.447m was diverted away from the program by late August. Here we have sick World Trade Centre-exposed firefighters and EMS workers, at a time when the city is having difficult financial circumstances due to Covid-19, and were not getting the money we need to be able to treat these heroes, said Dr Prezant. Long Island Republican congressman Peter King took up the case and received a partial explanation that another agency in the city was in an unrelated feud with the federal government over Medicare bills. Why the FDNY program is suffering as a consequence of that remains a mystery. Representative King described the circumstances as disgraceful. I dont even care what the details of this thing is. That fund has to be fully compensated, fully reimbursed. I mean, this is absurd, he said. If anyone were true American heroes, it was the cops and firemen on 9/11, especially the firemen, and for even $1 to be being held back is absolutely indefensible. A letter from the congressman to treasury secretary Steve Mnuchin did not received a response. Mr King intends to confront vice president at Fridays 9/11 commemoration in New York. Democrat Senator Chuck Schumer is also outraged at funds being withheld. The Trump Treasury Department siphoning congressionally appropriated funds meant to pay for 9/11 workers' healthcare is an outrageous finger in the eye to the firefighters, cops and other first responders who risked their lives for us," Senator Schumer said. "This needs to stop forthwith and payments to the workers' health program must be made whole and now. Jake Lemonda, president of the Uniformed Fire Officers Association, said the withholding of funds was inexcusable after they had fought so hard for them. Its despicable," he said. The program has been able to keep going as FDNY is fronting the money and should be reimbursed by the federal government. A lack of reimbursement to date jeopardises the future of the otherwise cost-efficient program which is now at the brink of having to lay off staff and provide fewer services to patients. A White House official tells The Independent : Treasury adhered to its statutory obligations established by Congress regarding debts owed by New York, but we are also working with Congressman King and others to examine any potential authorities to provide relief in this case to support our nations 9/11 heroes. Where does that leave Silicon Valley and Wall Street? With U.S.-China relations deteriorating most recently over the erosion of Hong Kongs autonomy both need an alternative. In a billion-plus consumer market, even a $2 business holds the promise of future riches, and Reliance is demonstrating that it has more than one such opportunity. To get into bed with Facebook, Google, and possibly even Amazon at the same time takes some chutzpah, though. Chalk it up to Ambanis dominance of the market. Palestinians have long accused Israel of an undeclared, creeping form of annexation on the ground. Israel and the United Arab Emirates will sign their deal normalising relations at the White House on Tuesday. The agreement involves Israel shelving plans to annex parts of the occupied West Bank. And that has prompted protests from leaders of Israeli illegal settlements. But many of them could end up benefitting from the deal, as Al Jazeeras Harry Fawcett reports. WATERLOO A Waterloo agency that serves marginalized communities in the Sunnydale neighbourhood fears it could lose its neighbourhood hub location on Phillip Street by the end of the year if it doesnt get more funding. Adventure 4 Change, a charity that works with vulnerable groups in north Waterloo, has relied on foundation grants to do its work, but now with the COVID-19 pandemic many of those foundation dollars are going strictly to COVID-19 relief measures. At Adventure 4 Change, which operates on an annual budget of $300,000, it means they could lose their 1,400-square-foot space. Their lease ends in December. I dont know what we will do if this goes, Jeremy Horne, director at Adventure 4 Change, said in an interview from the hub on Friday. But Horne said the agency will continue its work with the community. We will definitely be here. We will keep readjusting, he said. The agency has been told they will get some funding, but it wont be enough, Horne said. Horne said hes met with City of Waterloo officials and hes hopeful there could be some city money to help with programming. Horne started Adventure 4 Change about 15 years and it recently became a charity, moving into the Phillip Street location two years ago. The agency serves many of the racialized families living in the nearby Sunnydale community, as well as neighbourhoods on Albert Street near Bearinger Road, and housing on High Street across from St. Davids High School. Many residents hail from Somalia, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Sudan and the Middle East, including Libya, Syria, Egypt and Iraq. Adventure 4 Change serves about 45 families with about 300 children. There are nearly 160 volunteers many of whom are the youth in the neighbourhood. The agency has five staff including three from the community it serves. The community has taken ownership of this space, said Heather Powers, family and community co-ordinator. There is a sense of place, she said. Families come to the centre for tutoring, afterschool programming, camp, nutrition planning and monthly meetings for mothers. Its also a space where families have held birthday parties and gathered to mourn the death of loved ones. Teenagers drop by and moms stop in on their way to Tim Hortons, Powers said. Both Horne and Powers say many of their racialized families were hurt by COVID-19. Families were isolated, and when children stopped going to schools many of them stopped learning. These vulnerable families became even more vulnerable, Horne said. No one engaged with these communities. As children were getting ready for the start of school, the principal at MacGregor Public School and Cedarbrae Public School, along with some teachers, gathered in a nearby park in Sunnydale so parents could understand when their kids could go to school or learn remotely. Many of the conversations were translated with the help of a translator, Powers said. Race is the unacknowledged theme of this U.S. presidential campaign. When Republican contender and current president Donald Trump talks of getting tough on urban crime he is not talking in the abstract. Rather, he is referring to the protests against police brutality that are sweeping American cities. In effect, he is raising a spectre of race-based violence that has long haunted white America. He is saying that only he has the fortitude to stand up to what he calls the forces of anarchy. There is nothing new about this strategy. In 1988, George H.W. Bush famously made use of this brand of dog whistle politics to successfully paint his Democratic opponent, former Massachusetts governor Michael Dukakis, as soft on Black crime. Bush did so with a television ad featuring a convicted Black criminal named Willie Horton. Horton had raped a white woman after being released early from jail on a Massachusetts furlough program. The message to white voters then, like Trumps today, was: Be very, very afraid. And it worked. Bush became president. Dukakis disappeared from political life. It could work again. True, this is a different time. True also, such dog-whistle politics didnt work for Trumps Republicans in the 2018 midterm elections. The Democrats easily captured the House of Representatives. But the violence that has swept cities from Portland to Kenosha is intense and unsettling. Moreover, anti-police protestors havent always helped their cause. Indeed, their eager embrace of identity politics has arguably made things worse. The problem with identity politics is that everything, both figuratively and literally, is either black or white. Black people are, by definition, victims of racism. White people are, by definition, perpetrators. There is no middle ground. An individuals actions are essentially meaningless. To exist is to be part of a racist system regardless of what you might do. To even question this all-enveloping notion of systemic racism is, as RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki found, forbidden. Those who disagree with this Manichaean approach are dismissed as either adherents of white privilege or sufferers of white fragility. It is a convenient world view for academic activists. But it is not always shared by the general populace. Many might wonder, for instance, why the phrase Black lives matter is considered socially acceptable but the phrase All lives matter is not. Others might wonder why it is deemed OK to mock assertive middle-class white women as Karens. Would commentators dare to criticize assertive women of colour in the same fashion? Still others might question calls to defund police. Is policing racist by definition? Or can it be fixed? Is it realistic to solve policing problems by slashing budgets? Identity politics provides few useful answers to these questions. It focuses attention on matters that are immutable, such as skin colour, instead of those that can be changed, such as income. In practice, that can lead to a dead end. The point is to acknowledge racism where it exists and fix it. The point is not to invent faux racism that is unfixable. In Canada, the focus on identity politics is, at worst, a waste of time. In the U.S., it is far more dangerous. Americans are riven by race. Trump, like Bush before him, is playing with fire when he campaigns on white fear. But so are the U. S. presidents critics when they play his game of identity politics. They forget that the point is to move beyond race. Racism of all sorts exists and must be fought. But the battle needs to be waged in a manner that doesnt make things worse. Thomas Walkom is a Toronto-based freelance contributing columnist for the Star. Reach him via email: is a Toronto-based freelance contributing columnist for the Star. Reach him via email: walkomtom@gmail.com Read more about: MUMBAI: Adani Land Defence Systems and Technologies Ltd, a step down subsidiary of Adani Enterprises, has bought 51% stake in the small arms business of Gwalior-based PLR Systems in an all-cash transaction. PLR Systems produces machine guns, carbines and other weapons for domestic and export markets. It was incorporated in 2013 and supplies indigenously manufactured defence equipment to armed forces. Israeli defence manufacturer IWI holds 49% stake in the company. The deal will help the Adani group company acquire capabilities ranging from unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to helicopter systems and major aero structures. In a stock exchange filing, Adani Land Defence Systems and Technologies Ltd said it has acquired 51% of shares of PLR Systems Private Ltd from Fouraces Systems India Private Ltd on Thur. The company said PLR will produce indigenous equipment to the 1.2 million army personnel and an equal number of para-military forces and state police forces and shall help achieve self-reliance aligned to the Make in India and Atma-Nirbhar Bharat initiative." Adani Defence said it has already received approval from the Ministry of Home Affairs for the acquisition. The Economic Times had reported in January that PLR Systems is poised to pick up major orders from the defence ministry, with final discussions underway for 16,400 light machine guns for which IWI is the lead contender while a larger competition for 41,000 guns is also underway. Besides, paramilitary forces and state police, too, have requirements for these small arms. In February, Adani Elbit Advanced Systems India Ltd, a joint venture between Adani Defence & Aerospace and Elbit Systems, Israel set up the first private UAV manufacturing complex at Adani Aerospace Park in Hyderabad to indigenize unmanned aerial platforms. The only Hermes 900 production facility outside Israel which inaugurated in December 2018, it has started exporting Hermes900 Unmanned Aerial Platform to international customers. Adani Defence & Aerospace and Elbit have agreed to set up a design and development center focusing on co-developing defence technologies aligned to the global requirements. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. By Express News Service VIJAYAWADA: Andhra Pradesh Government on Friday issued an order entrusting the investigation into the case of burning of the temple chariot of Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Temple, Antarvedi village, Sakhinetipalli Mandal, East Godavari District that occurred on the intervening night of September 5 and 6, to Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Thursday evening took a decision to this effect and following his directions, DGPs office wrote a letter to the Ministry of Home Affairs requesting a CBI probe. As per the order issued by the Principal Secretary (Home department) Kumar Vishwajeet, the case was entrusted to CBI under section 6 of the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act, 1946. The notification issued gave consent to the CBI to exercise powers and jurisdiction of the members of the Delhi Special Police Establishment in the whole of the State of Andhra Pradesh for the investigation into the case. WILLIAMSPORT - Two State College-area residents have won part of their federal suit against a Massachusetts man accused of placing spy cameras in the apartment they shared. U.S. Middle District Judge Matthew W. Brann Friday granted summary judgment on two of the three claims Matthew Crust and Tina Edelstein brought against Nils D. Knutrud, 29, whose last known address was Westborough, Mass. The judge noted Knutrud, who was charged criminally in Centre County, has not participated in the civil suit for more than a year. Brann granted summary judgment on claims intrusion upon seclusion and a violation of the federal wiretap law. He found Knutruds acts were so blatant, they do not merit extended discussion. Brann declined to grant summary judgment on the claim brought under the Stored Communications Act. He explained the plaintiffs have not alleged Knutrud transferred images he accessed on Edelsteins secure Apple iCloud account. That claim and the amount of damages owed Crust and Edelstein on those on which they were granted summary judgment will be decided at a trial, he said. In February Brann dismissed Knutruds counterclaim for damages because he failed to file the required documents or communicate with the court or Crust and Edelstein. Crust, Edelstein and Knutrud, all former Penn State students, knew each other for about two years before August 2017 when they began sharing an apartment on West Aaron Drive in Ferguson Twp. As a Christmas gift that year, Knutrud gave them a DVD player that he installed at the foot of their bed. Edelstein became suspicious because Knutrud would take the player to his upstairs bedroom at times. On May 24, 2018, Crust and she disconnected it but they claim Knutrud plugged it back in and aimed it at their bed. They also accused him of installing devices capable of capturing and storing audio, video and still images throughout the apartment including the bathroom. Branns opinion states Knutrud captured Crust and Edelstein in various state of undress and while engaging in sex acts. He also is accused of accessing and storing 27 nude or partially nude photograph of her she had stored on her Apple iCloud account. The recording equipment on one occasion captured Knutrud in the bedroom sniffing Edelsteins undergarments, Brann noted. Knutrud in December pleaded no contest to two counts of invasion of privacy but then withdrew his plea and is scheduled for trial in Centre County on the criminal charges. READ MORE: Counterclaims dismissed in State College area apartment spy camera case Spy cameras in State College area apartment result in criminal charges, federal lawsuit Borsa Italiana non ha responsabilita per il contenuto del sito a cui sta per accedere e non ha responsabilita per le informazioni contenute. Accedendo a questo link, Borsa Italiana non intende sollecitare acquisti o offerte in alcun paese da parte di nessuno. Sarai automaticamente diretto al link in cinque secondi. A newborn baby is fighting for life in hospital and her 25-year-old father has been charged over inflicting the injuries. The little girl was just 30 days old when her relatives found her with life-threatening injuries at her Gosnells home in Perth. She was rushed to Armadale-Kelmscott Memorial Hospital just before midnight on September 4. Police are still investigating exactly what happened to the child but her father, Juan Daniel Visagie, has been charged with causing grievous bodily harm. Juan Daniel Visagie (pictured) has been charged with grievous bodily harm over the injuries his daughter received Detectives said a medical examination showed the baby suffered severe injuries that doctors believe are life-threatening. Visagie's daughter is still in critical condition, a week after the attack. Western Australian Police confirmed a 25-year-old man related to the child has been refused bail. He appeared in Armadale Magistrates Court on Monday and is expected to be back on Friday. He is being held at Hakea Prison, in Perth's south, which is a minimum to maximum security prison for men who are waiting to appear in court. Lee Dong Wook has been a handsome businessman, a lawyer, a wealthy single guy, a grim reaper, and many more in K-dramas, but before we laid our eyes on his brand new character - a gumiho! - let's take a look at his previous onscreen roles that took our breath away. Watching dramas with Lee Dong Wook in it is like looking at art, not to mention his dramatic eyes, beautiful nose bridge, and kissable lips, making our knees weaken. Saying that Lee Dong Wook is gorgeous is most probably an understatement. With no further ado, get to know a few of his past K-drama characters and how he transformed through the years. Seol Gong Chan From "My Girl" Seol Gong Chan is a dandy businessman who is responsible and calm. He helps his grandfather to fulfill his dying wish to meet his granddaughter for the last time, so he hired a tour guide to take the place of his missing cousin, which eventually became his love interest. This 2005 hit drama boosted Lee Dong Wook's popularity and paved a way to more opportunities for him. Kang Ji Wook From "Scent of A Woman" Kang Ji Wook is a rich young man who is coldhearted and lifeless. He meets a woman who is terminally ill and falls in love with her. Together, they discover life's misadventures and bittersweet memories as Yeon Jae wishes to complete her bucket list within a timeline of six months. Lee Dong Wook showed his skills in dancing, charisma, and great physique (hint: shower scene)! The Grim Reaper From "Guardian: The Lonely and Great God" Lee Dong Wook played one of his unforgettable characters, together with Gong Yoo, Yoo In Na, and Kim Go Eun in 2017's "Guardian: The Lonely and Great God". He portrayed the grim reaper who has no trace of his past life. He is the unwelcomed messenger who gathers death souls who incurred grave sins from the past. His bromance with Gong Yoo received favorable response as two handsome actors who performed their scenes together so well. BONUS: Lee Dong Wook In "Because I Want to Talk" "Because I Want to Talk" is a Korean talk show hosted by Lee Dong Wook, which aired through SBS TV and ran from December 2019 to February 2020. It features how he is candid with his fans and gets to guest other stars as well. We can't wait to witness Lee Dong Wook transform into a nine-tailed fox in "Tale of The Nine-Tailed", set to premiere in October. And in case you haven't seen the trailer, check it out here! Bahrain is following the United Arab Emirates in normalizing ties with Israel, US President Donald Trump announced Friday, following a phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Bahraini King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa. Another HISTORIC breakthrough today! Our two GREAT friends Israel and the Kingdom of Bahrain agree to a Peace Deal -- the second Arab country to make peace with Israel in 30 days! Trump tweeted. Bahrains Foreign Minister Abdullatif al-Zayani will sign the deal with Netanyahu in Washington on Tuesday, according to a statement from the White House, which described the agreement as a historic breakthrough to further peace in the Middle East. The Emiratis will also formalize their agreement with Israel on Tuesday, just over a month after the Trump administration announced that the UAE would become the third Arab country, after Egypt and Jordan, to recognize the Jewish state. As part of the US-brokered pact, Israel has agreed to hold off annexing large portions of the West Bank in exchange for cooperation with the UAE on various issues, including tourism, direct flights and investment. During a press conference Thursday, Trump hinted that another country would be added into the signing ceremony. Bahrain, which has close ties with the UAE, was thought to be a likely contender. Bahrain shares a common enemy with Israel in Iran and was the first Gulf state to welcome the UAE-Israel accord after it was made public Aug. 13. As part of a Middle East charm offensive aimed at convincing other countries to establish ties with Israel, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met with Bahrains king last month. Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa told Pompeo that his government still adheres to the Arab Peace Initiative, which calls for recognition of Israel to be offered only in exchange for its complete withdrawal from the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967. But in a hopeful sign for American negotiators, Bahrain announced last week it would open its airspace to flights between Israel and the UAE. Saudi Arabia also said it would allow overflights from Israel. A deal with Bahrain is the latest diplomatic win for White House ahead of Novembers general election. Following meetings with their leaders last week, Trump announced Serbia and Kosovo will open embassies in Jerusalem. With 305 people testing positive for Covid-19 in the past 24 hours, the number of confirmed cases in Chandigarh went past the 7,000 mark on Friday. The Union Territory also recorded three casualties, taking the toll to 83. As many as 7,292 cases have surfaced so far, of which 2,606 (35%) are active. Also, with 269 people being discharged, the number of those cured has risen to 4,600. The pandemic has been surging with 40% cases reported in just 11 days this month. Among those dead is an 83-year-old woman from Sector 32, who had diabetes and hypertension. The other two, men aged 68 and 59, from Sectors 48 and 50, respectively, also had pre-existing health problems Kharar SDM tests +ve, Mohali count past 6K Kharar subdivisional magistrate Himanshu Jain is among 204 people who tested positive for Covid-19 in Mohali on Friday, taking the districts tally past 6,000. Also, one more person succumbed to the virus while 271 were discharged after being cured. The district has reported 6,060 cases so far, of which 2,067 remain active. While 3,867 people have recovered, 126 have died. The patient whose death was confirmed on Friday has been identified as a 66-year-old woman from Nayagaon, who was suffering from diabetes and hypertension. Meanwhile, confirming that the Kharar SDMs report has come positive, civil surgeon Dr Manjit Singh said he is in home isolation. Most people who tested positive today are asymptomatic, he said. Among the fresh cases, 79 are from Mohali city, 36 from Dhakoli, 35 from Gharuan and 27 from Kharar. Steepest single-day surge in Panchkula With 180 fresh cases, Panchkula district recorded its steepest single-day spike in Covid-19 infections. Also, two people died of the virus on Friday, taking the toll to 40. They have been identified as a 47-year-old woman from Sector 4 and a 60-year-old woman from Sector 20. Both had comorbidities. The district has reported 3,812 cases to date, of which 2,508 have recovered and 1,264 are still active. Amid the surge, the deputy commissioner has advised health workers to behave properly with Covid-19 patients and provide them better facilities in government hospitals. Also, a committee has been constituted to ensure proper care of patients in home isolation via a common control room. With Covid-19 putting an end to dreams of trips abroad, many holidaymakers are booking in for staycations instead. But while there are plenty of places in Britain that are well worth a visit, these hotels are unlikely to appear at the top of anyone's list. These five establishments have among the lowest visitor review scores on Booking.com and TripAdvisor for their respective cities, with several earning the unwelcome accolade of 'the worst hotel ever'. The issues raised are varied, from chest hairs on the bed to lumpy mattresses and missing pillowcases, but almost all visitors agree they would never stay at the hotel again. Here, a selection of the most blistering recent reviews... SWANSEA BAY HOTEL, SWANSEA Room for improvement: The Swansea Bay Hotel was criticised for out-of-date food, lumpy mattresses and a lack of amenities in scathing Booking.com reviews A guest photo of a twin bedroom in the Swansea Bay Hotel reveals basic accommodation A photograph showing a questionable tissue found underneath the bed at the Swansea hotel A photo of the communal area inside the Swansea Bay Hotel, complete with outdated furniture What the description says: Set in Swansea, Swansea Bay Hotel offers beachfront accommodation 1.6 km from Sketty Lane Beach and offers various facilities, such as a restaurant, a bar and a shared lounge. The Swansea Bay Hotel declined to comment when contacted by MailOnline. Rating: TripAdvisor: 1/5, Booking.com: 5.4/10 What the customers say: 'Butter was three months out of date', 'bed was appallingly creaky and uncomfortable', 'I checked out early and slept on a friend's sofa instead', 'pillowcase was not clean and mattress was lumpy' CITY VIEW HOTEL, LONDON No room to hide: Guests complained that the rooms were small at City View Hotel, London. Others took issue with the lack of windows... which is ironic given the establishment's name A twin bedroom at the City View Hotel where beds are positioned one in front of the other A view of a bedroom at the City View Hotel shows a single exposed bulb without a shade What the description says: City View Hotel offers affordable bed and breakfast accommodation 10 minutes walk from Bow Road Tube Station. Comfortable rooms include flat-screen LCD TVs and free Wi-Fi.Rooms have comfortable beds, a CD and DVD player, tea/coffee facilities and a seating area. Most have an individual private bathroom, with some sharing a bathroom. The City View Hotel did not respond to a request for comment. Rating: TripAdvisor: 2/5, Booking.com 5.5/10 What the customers say: 'No windows in your room, it feels like you're suffocating', 'the bed was covered in chest hairs', 'horrible humming sound that woke me up' WEASTE HOTEL, MANCHESTER 'Worst hotel ever': Guests have not held back when it comes to reviewing the Weaste Hotel, in Salford. One reported stains on the ceiling and another said the smell was 'unbearable' The dining area of the hotel features in several complaints from disappointed visitors What the description says: Weaste Hotel is located in Salford, just 5 minutes' drive from Eccles Rail Station and 10 minutes' drive from central Manchester. It offers en suite accommodation with free WiFi and free parking. All rooms at Weaste Hotel feature a flat-screen TV and tea/coffee making facilities. Free toiletries are also provided. A full English breakfast is available at the property for an additional cost. The Weaste Hotel did not respond to a request for comment. Rating: TripAdvisor: 1.5/5, Booking.com: 5.1/10 What the customers say: 'Water kettle had a mouldy fly in it', 'smell in the room was unbearable', 'upgraded to the "luxury room" but the toilet was covered in faeces' THE NORFOLK HOTEL, BIRMINGHAM Getting their money's worth: One customer reported being charged extra for toilet roll and an early check-in. Others complained of the noise from the corridor while they were sleeping One guest claims she checked in to the hotel and found the pillows without any covers What the description says: With over 100 en suite bedrooms, the 3-star Norfolk Hotel is situated on the A456 in Edgbaston, less than 10 minutes' drive from Birmingham city centre. It offers Wi-Fi access and free parking.Located next door to the hotel, the Headingley Restaurant offers international dishes for breakfast and dinner.Tea and coffee making facilities, Freeview TVs and a private bathroom feature in each modern room. The Norfolk Hotel did not respond to a request for comment. Rating: TripAdvisor: 1.5/5, Booking.com: 5.7/10 What the customers say: 'They tried charging for toilet roll', 'charged me 10 to check-in 20 minutes early', 'room lights weren't working', 'writing on the walls' ST ENOCH HOTEL, GLASGOW Taking no risks: One guest thought the St Enoch Hotel was so dirty she didn't take off her shoes One of the bathrooms at the St Enoch Hotel, Glasgow, looks rundown and dirty in this snap One of the bedrooms at the St Enoch Hotel where there are bunks to sleep at least 6 people What the description says: See why so many travellers make St. Enoch Hotel their hotel of choice when visiting Glasgow. Providing an ideal mix of value, comfort and convenience, it offers a budget friendly setting with an array of amenities designed for travellers like you. St Enoch Hotel did not respond to a request for comment. Rating: TripAdvisor: 2/5, not on Booking.com What the customers say: 'It looked like it hadn't been cleaned for weeks', 'I didn't risk taking my shoes off', 'do not book, it's disgusting' *** Sponsored Content *** Greg Zilberfarb During these unprecedented times, most agencies have made major shifts to employees now working remotely. Since TSN Communications inception over 20 years ago, our employees have always worked remotely. So, while others are trying to figure out the nuances of this new normal, weve had no shifts in priority, no learning curves needed to seamlessly continue to develop and execute communications plans for our clients. Its been business as usual. TSNs clients represent a wide variety of industries, including alternatively fueled vehicles; propane marketing and logistics; automotive engineering; agriculture; foodservice packaging; industrial lift trucks; retail products; and financial. But many of our clients are bigger agencies a partnership that benefits both parties* because TSN has: No retainers. Instead, we work on a project basis, which gives other agencies and our clients flexibility and saves budget. Instead, we work on a project basis, which gives other agencies and our clients flexibility and saves budget. Minimal overhead costs. Since our team works remotely (and without brick-and-mortar costs), we keep our costs down and pass those savings to our clients. Since our team works remotely (and without brick-and-mortar costs), we keep our costs down and pass those savings to our clients. Nimble structure. As a small PR and marketing agency, were nimble and can move quickly, helping clients get noticed immediately. Clients can modify strategy and tactics as needed to meet unexpected goals or last-minute changes to budgets. As a small PR and marketing agency, were nimble and can move quickly, helping clients get noticed immediately. Clients can modify strategy and tactics as needed to meet unexpected goals or last-minute changes to budgets. Top talent. All TSN team members are highly skilled in their area of expertise, meaning clients work directly with top talent, not assistants. All TSN team members are highly skilled in their area of expertise, meaning clients work directly with top talent, not assistants. We create a dynamic partnership with our clients where we become an extension of their teams.That also makes us the perfect complement to larger agencies that receive business requests from smaller clients. The foundation of all partnerships. Our clients talk a lot about that trust. Katey Evans, co-founder of The Frozen Farmer (seen on ABCs Shark Tank), says, TSN Communications unique structure gives me the most for my marketing dollar with a team of top experts that are results-driven, organized, creative and really great to work with. I trust them. Todd Mouw, the president of ROUSH CleanTech, credits TSN as a key partner in helping us promote our brand as the leader in the alternative fuel space. They work hard, get results and are very cost-competitive. Our trust with them has resulted in significant growth of our sales pipeline. Don Manfredi, mentor in residence at the University of Michigan Office of Technology Transfer, also talks about that trust: I have worked with the TSN team for years and they are an amazing group of talented and professional people that go the extra mile for their clients. I trust them. And Steve Ahrens, president and CEO of the Missouri Propane Gas Association, calls TSN a committed, caring and trusting partner in the health and success of the companies we represent, providing professional, flexible and responsive solutions. Big agencies value the top talent and low cost we bring to their smaller clients and leads. We specialize in getting brands noticed by their target audiences, quickly and effectively. We prioritize strategy and key messaging to help businesses reach their goals and achieve brand consistency. We focus on market research, strategy development, press release distribution, media outreach, content creation, social media management, creative design and video production. TSN team members communicate constantly with each other via multiple mediums, including a robust project management software system. We hire people who other team members refer, which helps to keep our dynamic culture strong and means weve never posted a want ad. We are located all over the nation (Arizona, Florida, Illinois, Missouri, Montana, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Texas), in addition to our headquarters in Virginia. Our staff retention has stayed consistently high, and clients are extremely loyal due to our dedication and service as an extension of their teams. And, we respect each other, plain and simple. We honor our team above any individual. We celebrate successes together. We keep our egos in check and focus on our stated values of respect, enthusiasm, excellence, integrity, collaboration, responsiveness and kindness. Our clients are the experts in their industry. We are experts in getting them noticed. TSNs unique strength is in our people and our process. In fact, TSN registered the phrase Were All About the Process because it reflects a core client value, a process-centric approach that ensures success with each project we touch. To learn more about partnering, contact me at greg@tsncommunications.com. To discover more about our expertise, read case studies and meet our team and inspirations, visit TSNcommunications.com. Heres to trust and partnership. *TSN provides a commission on the first six months of billable work with the leads or clients from bigger agencies. *** Greg Zilberfarb is President and CEO of TSN Communications. U.S. Senators Kelly Loeffler (R-Ga.) and Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) introduced a series of bills "to crack down on rioters wreaking havoc on American cities and communities." The Senators released the following statements on the legislative package: American cities, businesses and livelihoods are being destroyed as a result of violent rioters and looters, said Senator Loeffler. Enough is enough. The violence must stop, and it's time to hold these criminals and vandals accountable. This is a strong package of bills that puts us one step closer to ensuring our communities are safe and secure. Under lenient leftist policies, insurrectionists around the country continue to pillage America's communities, said Senator Cotton. Its past time we cracked down on their destructive actions. My legislation will incapacitate these rioters to prevent further destruction and increase their penalties, making the punishment fit their crimes. The three bills included in the package are: Lumber is in short supply across Canada, as any homeowner looking to build a deck or a shed right now can tell you. This shortage is adding time and costs to residential and commercial construction projects, hampering the addition of much-needed housing in the Greater Toronto Area. Governments need to prioritize the normalization of supply chains disrupted by the pandemic to ensure this situation doesnt compound the housing crisis in the GTA. Lumber is a key component in the construction of new homes and other buildings in Canada it is used in everything from framing to finishing. Without lumber and wood products, Canadas construction industry grinds to a halt. Unfortunately, a perfect storm of circumstances has disrupted the supply chain. The pandemic resulted in reduced operating capacity at mills and manufacturing facilities, as well as transportation challenges and shipping issues. Layered onto this are ongoing trade disruptions caused by the U.S./Canada softwood lumber dispute, resulting in price volatility and uncertainty around supply. Into this tight market, two additional factors have come into play. First, as the industry fully exited the work restrictions mandated by the pandemic emergency orders, the residential construction industry went into high gear and housing starts ramped up. In fact, housing starts across the country were up 15.8 per cent in July compared to June, according to the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, as industry and municipalities worked through the backlog and delays brought about by the pandemic. This increased demand for lumber. Second, many homeowners decided to use the COVID-19 stay-at-home period as an opportunity to improve their properties. This strong demand for lumber from the do-it-yourself market, as well as from professional renovators working on more substantial renovations, further stretched supplies. The result of these challenges is a dramatic increase in the cost of lumber, as well as shortages and delays. Combine that with the shortages of imported building products such as HVAC and air conditioning units, and garage doors and it becomes difficult for builders to deliver finished housing product to market. In a region already suffering from a housing supply shortage, this threatens to exacerbate the supply gap and further erode housing affordability. We need to address this growing threat to the recovery of the construction industry and our economy. Governments need to work with domestic lumber producers to increase production. They also need to further support back-to-work transition for workers. At the federal level, the government can assist by continuing to strive for avoidance of trade disputes or their timely resolution, and considering other ways to offset material shortages and rising construction costs. Winds that whipped some fires into deadly infernos earlier this week have calmed down and the smoke layer over much of the state is helping to keep temperatures down, although air quality is very bad. In a massive effort, Indian and Sri Lankan agencies have put out a fire on an oil tanker off Sri Lanka's coast without spilling any of the two million barrels of cargo it was carrying, averting a major environmental disaster. "This is a story of great coordination and superb multi-disciplinary efforts. Indian Coast Guard and Indian Navy alongside Sri Lankan Navy have successfully put out the fire on New Diamond vessel," said Shrikant Madhav Vaidya, Chairman of Indian Oil Corp (IOC). The very large crude carrier (VLCC), which was chartered by IOC to ferry oil from Kuwait to its Paradip refinery in Odisha, caught fire on September 3, about 65 kilometers off the east coast of Sri Lanka. Vaidya said the fire was extinguished two days back, without any impact on the oil that the ship was carrying. "The entire cargo was saved," he said. "Imagine the environmental disaster that would have happened if the two million barrels of crude oil on the ship would have caught fire or spilled into the sea". The coordinated fire-fighting and rescue effort helped avert a Mauritius-like disaster where a Japanese bulk carrier MV Wakashio struck a coral reef off the Indian Ocean Island on July 25, and began spilling oil August 6. "Thankfully, the cargo of crude oil is intact. We have averted an environmental disaster," he said. Vaidya said a salvage team is now inspecting the ship for the damage and would decide on the future course of action including towing the vessel to a location for the transfer of crude oil to another ship for onward movement to Paradip. Panama-flagged vessel MT New Diamond was loaded with 270,000 tonnes (2 million barrels) of Kuwaiti crude at Mina-Al-Ahmadi in Kuwait and was headed to Paradip. The vessel is owned by Proto Emporios Shipping Inc, Liberia while the technical and commercial operator is New Shipping Ltd of Greece. The vessel caught fire when it was at a distance of 38 nautical miles off the Sangamankanda Point. He said in a well-coordinated effort of the Sri Lankan Air Force and Navy, 19 crew members of the ship were first rescued. Later the master and two officers onboard were safely rescued. The assistance of the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) was sought by the Sri Lankan Navy for fire-fighting. ICG, in a swift sea and air-coordinated operation, immediately deployed ships Shaurya, Sarang and Sujoy and a Dorner aircraft for fire-fighting. On September 4, the mission was also joined by Indian Navy ships, Sahyadri and Shakti, and two Sri Lankan naval vessels. New Diamond was first towed away from the Lankan shore and the fire was doused using a combination of foam and fire-extinguisher powder. "Once the salvage team gives a go-ahead, a ship-to-ship transfer of crude oil will happen and the cargo will then head for Paradip for final discharge," he added. Data published by the Office for National Statistics found that suicides in England hit a record high in 2019. The figures found that nearly three quarters of the deaths were among men, with the most common age group affected being those aged between 50 and 54. In response to the statistics, Dr Elizabeth Scowcroft, head of research at charity Samaritans, stated: Every single one of these deaths is a tragedy that devastates families, friends and communities. Suicide is complex and rarely caused by one thing. World Suicide Prevention Day is an awareness day observed on 10 September every year. If you are worried about a person in your life whether they are a friend, family member or colleague you can make it clear that you are there for them by asking them to tell you how they are feeling and by encouraging them to speak to a Samaritans volunteer. Anne Gilchrist, a listening volunteer at the Samaritans Folkestone branch, spoke to The Independent about how people can look out for signs someone in their life is experiencing suicidal thoughts, how to start a conversation with them and actions they can take to help them find the support they need. What are potential signs of suicidal thoughts? A person who has already started having suicidal thoughts can appear depressed, withdrawn and increasingly unwilling to take part in social activities, Ms Gilchrist says. This can be because that person feels worthless, doesnt want to be a burden to friends and family, or simply feels there is no point in taking part because there is no future for them. Ms Gilchrist explains that a person may feel suicidal due to specific circumstances. They may be struggling to cope with unbearable pain and some may actually mention wanting to die, she states. Any catastrophic change in personal circumstances can cause a downward spiral in a persons thinking; suicidal thoughts can be triggered by the loss of someone close or the loss through suicide of a friend, relative or even an acquaintance. Not everyone experiencing suicidal thoughts will exhibit these signs, and people who do are not always suicidal. If a person believes someone is exhibiting signs of suicidal thoughts, how can they start a conversation with them about it? Offering to listen without judging is an amazing gift and anyone can do it. It allows the other person to verbalise what theyve been thinking, Ms Gilchrist states. Just being able to say things out loud can be immensely helpful in ordering thoughts and feelings. Sometimes fears can diminish once they are spoken about. The Samaritans volunteer outlines that demonstrating to a person that you genuinely care about their wellbeing by showing a sincere interest is a good first step. At Samaritans, we often start off a conversation with a very simple question how are you feeling? The listener doesnt need to hear about every single thing that has happened in that persons life the details are often not important but by exploring how that person feels now that initial expression of fear, anger, guilt, hopelessness, embarrassment whatever, can supply a big clue to the state they are in, she says. Its not necessary to offer sage advice or come up with pat solutions just listening and asking thoughtful, open questions shows you care and that often means a lot when someone feels desperately isolated and vulnerable. Are there any particular phrases someone would be advised to use if they dont know where to start? If you are unsure about how to start a conversation with a person in your life you are concerned about, there are certain phrases that you could use to demonstrate your sincere care and support, Ms Gilchrist says. Im here to listen. Friends sometimes find it difficult to actively listen without interrupting and offering their own stories or experiences and advice, she explains. A person with suicidal thoughts may not have the capacity to process your anecdotes and apply them to their own lives they just need someone to sit quietly and listen. I wont judge you. The Samaritans volunteer states that sometimes if a person is considering suicide, they may be reluctant to share their thoughts for fear that they are too shocking to share with others. They might be feeling ashamed or guilty or unable to shake off something thats happened in their past, they need you to be calm and measured and accept them for who they are, she says. I care about you you can trust me. Some people may be afraid that talking about their fears or deep concerns may make them seem weak and that others might seek to use that information to exploit them, Ms Gilchrist states. You can reassure them you dont want to gossip or spread rumours or post anything personal about them on social media. Are you thinking about taking your own life? Be direct, Ms Gilchrist advises. Its a way of giving someone permission to talk about the unthinkable and to get out in the open thoughts that may have been chasing round their head for the longest time. Its a myth that talking about suicide makes someone more likely to take their own life. Discussing the subject openly may help throw up other options. Should this conversation differ depending on the age of the person in question? Regardless of a persons age or background, any person who is contemplating suicide is an individual with a unique set of circumstances, Ms Gilchrist states. Whatever their age or life experience they deserve to be treated with respect and consideration. The Samaritans volunteer emphasises the importance of practising empathy, whether you are much older or much younger than the person youre trying to help. If you think theres a danger you might talk down to or dismiss someones experience, which is vastly different from yours, as irrelevant or silly, take a moment to reflect on how they might be feeling, she says. Try to imagine what it would be like to be that person and think their disturbing thoughts. What if someone is afraid of pushing the person away by talking to them about their concerns? A lot of friends and family who have lost someone through suicide say they wish theyd known, wish theyd been able to act in some small way to prevent it. Its unlikely youll push someone away by being caring and non-judgemental, Ms Gilchrist explains. It might be helpful to emphasise that if you can youll be available whenever the time is right for them to talk that this is not a one off opportunity, but that youll be gently, persistently checking in with them on a regular basis just to see how they are. Recommended How lockdown has impacted mental health Ms Gilchrist adds that it is important not to over-promise when you are speaking to someone you are concerned about. If its all getting too much for you, you can suggest that they ring or email the Samaritans for extra support or if, for some reason, youre not available, she says. In addition to speaking to them, what actions should a person take if they think someone they know is showing signs of suicidal thoughts? The Samaritans helpline is available to contact every day of the year for free every hour of the day, including on bank holidays and during the Christmas period, Ms Gilchrist states. The volunteer explains that if the person you are speaking to is in need of specific advice such as with regards to their finances or if they are in need of counselling or medical support, you could offer to source contact details of useful organisations for them. If they already know who they should speak to, you could offer to accompany them to an appointment or consultation, or ring to check how things went once its over, she adds. What should someone do if the person is reluctant to seek out or accept help? Persevere, even if they say theyre fine, follow your instincts and let them know you are still going to be there for them when they need you. This is not something they have to suffer alone. Youre not disgusted or horrified or ashamed of them, Ms Gilchrist states. The volunteer says that at this point, it may be a wise idea to create a mental health team, by gathering the contact details of close friends and family or medical professionals you could use in an emergency. You can think about making it harder for the person to harm themselves by taking away anything they might use, she adds. If you think someone is in immediate and serious danger, do not leave them alone and if necessary, call an ambulance. Does any of this advice change if the person has attempted suicide before? A person who has attempted suicide in the past might find they are not taken seriously and that a failed attempt is somehow downplayed and classed as a cry for help, Ms Gilchrist explains. Yet we know that people who do go on to kill themselves have often told someone that they do not feel life is worth living or that they have no future. Some may have actually expressed that they want to die. The Samaritans volunteer explains that if a person has attempted suicide in the past, this could be a really clear signal that this person is very familiar with and struggles with suicidal thoughts on a regular basis. Its really important to take seriously anyone who is clearly thinking about ending their life or has tried to do this in the past, she says. What resources are there for people who are concerned about someone? The Samaritans website has a section dedicated to advice for people wanting to offer help to someone who is feeling suicidal. For more information, visit the webpage here. What is the significance of 24/7 Samaritans Awareness Day? Samaritans offer a caring listening ear at a time when people feel alone, abandoned and unable to cope, Ms Gilchrist says. Its such a simple idea theres a danger that in a complex world with so many messages being thrown at us from every direction the straightforwardness of the Samaritans service might be overlooked or undervalued lost in the cacophony of modern life. The aim of 24/7 Samaritans Awareness Day is to remind people that Samaritans is always here, always ready to listen, always ready to stand beside you whoever you are, Ms Gilchrist says. Plus, its a great time to think about becoming a volunteer, so if you feel youre a good listener or would like to donate or help out, its a spur to contact your local branch for more information, she adds. You can contact the Samaritans helpline by calling 116 123. The helpline is free and open 24 hours a day every day of the year. You can also contact Samaritans by emailing jo@samaritans.org. The average response time is 24 hours. (This is part of an ongoing series that showcases some of the best food and drinks in Central New York that you probably dont know about. Do you have a hidden gem? Share your favorite by emailing me at cmiller@syracuse.com or texting me at 315-382-1984. I might even buy you lunch. If you want to know my next hidden gem before its published, join my text group for subscribers where I will announce it a day in advance. Thatll allow you to get there before everyone else.) **** Sennett, N.Y. We were nearing the highest point of Owen Orchards at 17 mph in a lively old Polaris Sportsman ATV when Gordon Tripp hit the brakes to take a look around. Auburn is to the left, Syracuse to the right. Below are 15,000 apple trees on 30 acres bursting with fruit. Thats when Gordon realized he needed to cut this ride short and get back to work. This was supposed to be a retirement hobby, said Gordon, whos days away from 78, before putting the Polaris back in gear. He has worked on the family farm since he was a child, but when he retired from his job at a power company, he upped his schedule to full-time. His son, David, recently retired from the Jordan-Elbridge School District at 55 and also came back. Davids son and daughter work here when theyre home from college. Central New York has blessed us with so many apple orchards. Not only do these farms put fruit in our pies, grow the appropriate gift for our childs teacher and keep the doctor away, they create memories during the too-brief autumn season. Owen Orchards is one of many in the area, but theres something about this place that makes it a hidden gem. It rests atop a hill on a busy Route 5 just west of the Onondaga County line past Elbridge. Unless you planned on coming here, youd probably keep driving. Owen Orchards in the Town of Sennett.Charlie Miller | cmiller@syracuse.com If you do stop, chances are youll end up staying awhile, and youll likely come back. We treat people here like guests, Gordon said. They can wander around and enjoy it. Take your time. Slow down. Pick some apples, any apples you like. You wont find a petting zoo or pony rides at Owen Orchards. You might walk into an occasional chicken barbecue, but this is little more than a vast working family farm with plenty of room to spread out and relax. Gordons grandfather, Charles Owen, founded the farm around 1930. As the fifth generation settles into working here, the business continues to grow, yet it remains a self-described down-home, old-fashioned farm. Picking apples here is the main attraction. You can ride on one of the four wagons that slowly take you through rows of trees until you find a spot you like. Because of the coronavirus pandemic, youll be spaced out on the wagon unless youre with family, and workers will wipe everything down between rides. (Be sure to bring a mask, too.) This week, I chose to walk the hills instead. You can pick any of the 25 varieties they offer, and most are reachable without a ladder. Right now, the apple ready for picking are: Blondies, Ginger Gold, Jonamac, Sansa, McIntosh, Gala, Honey Crisp and Cortland. They charge $1.10 per pound. Or you can fill one of their peck bags for $11 or a half-bushel bag for $22. The apples here are meaty, so youre going to fill the bags quickly. Owen Orchards in the Town of Sennett.Charlie Miller | cmiller@syracuse.com Among the varieties youll find in the store is the new Pink Luster apple created by Cornell professor Susan Brown. It combines the tastes of Honeycrisp and Gala apples. The last apples thatll be available this year at Owen are the Ever Crisp, a new creation born in the Midwest. Gordon said they kept a few crates from last years harvest in the cooler until January so the sugar could become more pronounced. You couldnt beat the flavor of those apples, he said. I think thats now my favorite. A crate full of Pink Luster apples, a new variety created at created by Cornell AgriTech. Owen Orchards in the Town of Sennett.Charlie Miller | cmiller@syracuse.com Owen Orchards doesnt sell their apples to area grocery stores; they do business at the Regional Market in Syracuse and the Westcott area farmers market. You must try ... Hard Pressed Cidery cider: Last year, David used some of his orchards unpasteurized cider to create hard cider, a semisweet cider with 6.44% alcohol by volume. The biggest difference youll notice about this cider is that we dont add a lot of sugar, David said. So youre not going to get that syrupy taste in the back of your mouth. You taste the actual apples. The Orchard Harvest Hard Cider is available on tap ($5 for a large cup) or in cans at the farm. Theyll also fill your growler. The Tripps are building a bar at the farm so they can serve their soft and hard cider, apple wine slushies, local beers and food to visitors. David Tripp, Gordon's son, created Hard Pressed Cidery at Owen Orchards in the Town of Sennett.Charlie Miller | cmiller@syracuse.com Cider donuts ($4.50 for six): Of course youre coming here for the apples, but you really should stop into the store and pick up some cider donuts. They come in three flavors: plain, cinnamon, and sugar. The folks in the back room churn these out nonstop on weekends. Theyll make upwards of 4,000 donuts in a day. But thats a good thing because when you walk in, youre going to get donuts right out of the fryer. Thats the best way to eat these things. (But theyre pretty darn good the next morning, Ill admit.) A hot fresh cider donut at Owen Orchards in the Town of Sennett.Charlie Miller | cmiller@syracuse.com If the line seems long, walk around the store. Youll find other produce, condiments and cheese from Owen Orchards and nearby farms. I sprung $5.95 for a 15-ounce jar of their hot apple salsa. They have milder varieties, but I couldnt pass up a salsa made with apples right outside the door mixed with habanero and jalapeno peppers. I also bought a peck (6 pieces) of Owen peaches for $4. Gordon said their peaches are unlike the fruit youll find in the stores because while theyre just as soft and velvety, the juice doesnt run down your chin when you bit into it. Hes right. Best peach Ive ever had outside of Georgia. Since the apple-picking season runs directly into the pumpkin season, this place has you covered. It has two pumpkin patches, one for pick-your-own, and one for the farmers to do the work for you. It looks like its been a good year for pumpkins. Right now, you can get a medium pumpkin for $5 or five of them for $20. Medium? Theyre pretty big. Owen Orchards in the Town of Sennett.Charlie Miller | cmiller@syracuse.com While the orchard has only been open a few weeks this season, Gordon can already see a difference in the business. Because of Covid-19, theyre not getting the school groups coming in for field trips. And thats too bad because a lot of kids never get to see a real working farm and experience something like this, he said. At the same time, hes seen more families stopping by. He figures the lack of a State Fair contributed to that uptick. The Details The venue: Owen Orchards, 8174 Grant Ave., Weedsport, 315-252-4097 Hours: 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. weekdays, 9-6 Saturdays, 9-5 Sundays. The store is open mid-August through mid-March. Credit cards? Yes Access to disabled? Yes Other Hidden Gems of CNY Charlie Miller finds the best in food, drink and fun across Central New York. Contact him at 315-382-1984, or by email at cmiller@syracuse.com. A new version of the third-grade math textbook no longer features images of girls in school uniforms on the cover. Meanwhile, the schoolboys' image has been kept untouched on the cover of the newly-published textbook for the new Iranian academic year. The previous version of the boom for the eight to nine-year-old students showed images of three boys playing along with two girls under a tree. Iran's decision to remove the girls' image has triggered a barrage of criticism on social media, including Instagram and Twitter, with some users calling the move "misogyny" and "gender discrimination. Private and public schools in Iran are legally bound to use textbooks approved by the Ministry of Education, and the textbooks' content must highlight so-called "Islamic values and lifestyles." Meanwhile, the Islamic Republic Supreme Leader's ultraconservative leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, have repeatedly insisted that girls' education should not be focused on subjects such as math and science. Nonetheless, Iranian girls have shown extreme interest in math in recent years, especially after their self-exiled compatriot, Maryan Mirzakhani, became the first woman to win Fields Medal, often referred to as the "Nobel Prize for mathematics." A Harvard University Ph.D., Mirzakhani died at age forty in 2017, three years after winning the prestigious award. She had already won other reputable prizes, including the Blumenthal Award (2009,) Satter Prize (2013), and Clay Research Award (2014.) The illustrator of the older version of the math textbook, Nasim Bahari, said in an Instagram post that apparently, since one of the girls on the cover looked as if she were running to hug one of the boys, Iranian authorities decided to remove the girls' images. A thorough revision of all textbooks in Iran began immediately after the pro-West monarch's downfall and the Islamic Republic's emergence, and attention has intensified on the subjectin recent months. In a note published in the IRGC-run Tasnim news agency on April 11, Ali Shirazi, an outspoken cleric who supervises Iran's Qods Force, blasted the Iranian authorities for permitting a reference to the UNICEF activities in a fourth-grade textbook. "The enemies of Islam are pursuing their aims through international and public educational institutions," Shirazi said. Shirazi has insisted that the United States vehemently wants to change the "lifestyle" in Iran and uses UNICEF as an instrument to achieve its ends. In a series of tweets last February, Adel Barkam, an expert in educational affairs, also shared that some of the topics related to Russia's historical crimes against Iran were removed from the second volume of the eleventh-grade Persian textbook. Barkam circulated images of the book's pages on Twitter and noted that not only some of the paragraphs related to Russia had been dropped, but others had also been edited. In the latest version of the textbook, Barkam noted that the word "Russians" has replaced the term "Russian Army." In another example, Barkam highlighted a paragraph in the older textbook that says, "Soon, the flag of Russians was raised over the soil soaked with the blood of innocent people." The sentence in the new edition of the book was changed to, "Soon, the Russian Army conquered the region." The apparent changes, all in favor of Russia, also triggered a barrage of criticism in Iran. Iranian officials have repeatedly played down the changes, dismissing them as "minor amendments. MUMBAI : Tata Technologies Ltd and Tata Hitachi Construction Machinery Company Pvt Ltd are first group businesses being put on the block for stake sale under Tata Motors deleverage plan, which aims to make the company debt free in 3 years, three people aware of the plans told Mint. Tata Motors has resumed talks with multiple stakeholders for potential equity stake sale in its software arm and in the Hitachi joint venture. The intent is to monetize non-core assets and the exercise has begun with these two companies," said the first person, requesting anonymity. Tata Motors (TML) was in talks with Warburg Pincus almost 3 years ago for a potential equity stake sale in Tata Technologies, which was founded as a business unit of TML in 1989. However, the deal was called off later. While TML has now called out these two companies first off the block, more non-core businesses would be opened up for stake sale soon. The company is also open to equity infusion by promoters towards reducing its debt," said the second person. The companys deleverage plan is critical for reducing its soaring net consolidated debt, which rose from 48,000 crore as of 31 March to 68,000 crore as of 31 July on account of extensive cash burn due to covid-19 led disruptions. There is nothing fresh to share beyond what was said in the AGM," a Tata Motors spokesperson said, declining to comment on the matter. Tata Motors Groups global vehicle wholesales for the June quarter, including volumes from its British subsidiary Jaguar Land Rover Plc (JLR), declined 64% year-on-year to 91,594 units. Low vehicle sales resulted in a sharp decline of 48% in consolidated revenue, which was at 31,983 crore, and a PBT loss of 6,184 crore for the June quarter. Addressing the shareholders in the annual general meeting last month, N Chandrasekaran, chairman, Tata Motors said that while the management plans to make the company debt free in 3 years, it is already taking action to generate free cash flows (FCF) across its India and JLR businesses. The TML Group will also look to unlock non-core investments," Chandra had said, adding that the overall investments of the group are reduced by 50% for the ongoing fiscal. Tata Motors has been implementing aggressive measures to control costs and save cash to generate FCF while shoring up liquidity to sail through the crisis. The companys cost and cash saving plans look to achieve cumulative savings of GBP 6 billion at JLR and 6,000 crore of cash savings in its India business by end FY2021. These include roll back of capex investments to GBP 2.5 billion (from GBP 4 billion earlier) at JLR and to 1500 crore (from 4500 crore) at its domestic business this fiscal. The management looks to make TML India business FCF positive by FY21, JLR by FY22 and passenger car business by FY23. While the latter is hived off to create a separate legal entity, Tata Motors has been in talks for strategic partnership as part of its deleverage plan. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Never miss a story! Stay connected and informed with Mint. Download our App Now!! Topics MBABANE The total number of COVID-19 related deaths has risen to 98 following another that was recorded yesterday together with 58 new cases. This is according to a statement released by Minister of Health Lizzie Nkosi. This means that the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases are 4 994. The reported death is of a 60-year-old female from the Manzini Region. She was diagnosed with COVID-19 symptoms, according to the minister. Meanwhile, there were 328 results that were received yesterday where 58 tests came back positive. Manzini had 27 new COVID-19 cases followed by Lubombo with 13, while Hhohho recorded 12 and six from the Shiselweni Region. Also, six of the cases were asymptomatic while 49 had mild symptoms and three had moderate symptoms. Youngest The youngest cases were two in the age group of zero to nine years while the eldest was 60 in the 60 to 69 years bracket. There were also 26 recoveries that were recorded yesterday, totalling to 4 103 in the country. This means that active cases are 883 in the country. The figures reflect a 3 220 difference between active cases and recoveries, in favour of the latter. Active cases are showing a slight increase in the past three day as a result of daily reported COVID-19 cases and a low number of recoveries. The minister also stated that they note with concern the increase in numbers of deaths of confirmed COVID-19 cases as a result of co-existing medical conditions such as diabetes mellitus, hypertension, cardiac disease and asthma. We therefore urge the public, especially males, to ensure that they do medical check-ups regularly, at least once a year and those diagnosed with a chronic illness should adhere to the treatment as advised by health workers, she said. IRVINE, Calif., Sept. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- With Inventory Management, Helium 10 is unveiling a powerful addition to its industry-defining suite of tools, providing Amazon sellers with an unparalleled ability to maximize inventory tracking, prevent stockouts and streamline the overall efficiency of their business operations like never before. John Gjeldum, Helium 10's VP of Product, explains, "The task of managing your inventory is complex whether you're a new seller or a mature brand." He continues, "We're excited to launch our new end-to-end Inventory Management solution to help sellers easily navigate this process. Our goal is to save sellers time, make managing their business more efficient, and ultimately help them become more successful." With Inventory Management, sellers can create dynamic forecasts for all their stock keeping units (SKUs) and stay up to date with Restock Suggestions to gain deeper insights into how much inventory to reorder at the necessary time. Sellers using Inventory Management can also create purchase orders and inbound Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) shipments all within Helium 10's Profits suite, which also includes advanced product and performance analytics. "A huge part of growing a profitable business on Amazon is maintaining proper inventory levels," explains Ryan Iyengar, Chief Revenue Officer at Helium 10. "With Helium 10's new Inventory Management capabilities, our customers can now make sure they're forecasting the correct inventory levels for the future, coordinate purchase orders and FBA shipments within the Helium 10 platform, and much more. Similar standalone inventory tools can be quite expensive, but we're offering this service included in any Helium 10 subscription, so sellers can continue to manage their business from the best all-in-one Amazon seller solution on the market today." About Helium 10 Helium 10 is the leading all-in-one software platform for Amazon merchants, delivering accurate, data-driven solutions to sellers. Helium 10 is headquartered in Irvine, California. Media Contact Matthew Sky [email protected] SOURCE Helium 10 When Randy Goldberg and David Heath, co-founders of popular sock brand Bombas, first met, socks were not among their shared interests. Entrepreneurship and companies with social missions were. In 2011, after Heath read on Facebook that socks were the most-requested clothing item at homeless shelters, the two began brainstorming. Heath says he didn't immediately think there was a business opportunity. "I just thought it was sad that a piece of clothing I only spend a few seconds a day thinking about is perceived as a luxury item for over 650,000 people living here in the U.S." But, he says, "We saw Toms donating shoes and Warby Parker donating glasses, and we thought, 'What if we donated socks?' " Two years later, the pair launched the direct-to-consumer retailer Bombas in New York City, with a simple mission: make high-quality socks, sell them online, and for every pair of socks sold, donate a pair to a homeless shelter. By its second year, Bombas was profitable. Goldberg and Heath told their founding story and talked about their company's brand-building strategy in a recent stream event with Lindsay Blakely, Inc.com managing editor. The reason for that early success? Staying focused. "We said, 'We're gonna be socks, and we're gonna be online,' " says Heath. Its narrow focus allowed Bombas's marketing, creative, and design teams to build energy and momentum behind the brand, and afforded the founders many PR opportunities, including an appearance on ABC's hit show Shark Tank and a campaign for clothing retailer The Gap. "It feels like you're saying no to a lot of things at the time," says Goldberg. "But when we look back on that moment, so many things happened at the same time that helped accelerate the business--all because we were able to stay focused." Bombas focuses much of its marketing on Facebook, with half of its marketing budget allocated to Facebook ads. While the social media platform has come under fire for not taking a firmer stance against users who spread false and hateful information, Bombas has stuck with it, even as companies like Chobani, &Pizza, and Verizon have pledged to stop advertising on Facebook until it changes its policies. With wildfires raging throughout the west coast and more than 2 million acres burned in California alone this year, New Jersey is sending more firefighters out west. Gov. Phil Murphy announced Friday that the New Jersey Forest Fire Service will deploy 10 additional firefighters, three fire engines and one support vehicle to California. They need every hand on deck and New Jersey will answer the call, Murphy said at his daily briefing. To Governor Gavin Newsom, New Jersey doesnt forget how California was there to help us during our most dire times this spring, and now were here for you. The NJFFS takes part in a resource-sharing program nationwide, where states can make requests for assistance and agencies can log what resources and manpower they have available to lend. This summer, NJFFS already sent crews and equipment to California, Wyoming, Nevada, Colorado and Montana. California has suffered the brunt of this years wildfire season with thousands evacuated and millions of residents breathing in toxic air. The resource exchange program works especially well for trans-coastal lending, as the Wests wildfire season extends late into summer, peaking in July, August and September, whereas New Jerseys season hits its peak in March and April. Timing-wise, for us, its a good opportunity then to do what we do, McLaughlin told NJ Advance Media, last week. As of Sept. 5, McLaughlin told NJ Advance Media that 51 New Jersey firefighters had been sent to western states over the prior six weeks. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, crews that travel west receive a COVID-19 test and do not check into a base camp, bringing all of their equipment, water and food with them. They often camp outdoors when they arrive. Murphy made the announcement on the 19th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, calling for New Jersey to stick true to its values in the face of another national emergency. This is a day when we celebrate the values that have carried our nation forward for nearly 250 years, Murphy said. Our New Jersey values remain as strong as ever. They are a reminder that we are all in this together pulling together, working side-by-side. 9/11 reminded us of the value of our New Jersey family. We are being reminded of that again, today. Lets all take care of each other. In that spirit, we are also keeping our fellow Americans in California in our thoughts as they fight against devastating wildfires, Murphy added. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Josh Axelrod may be reached at jaxelrod@njadvancemedia.com. The Department of Agriculture of Food and the Marine (DAFM) has drawn attention to the identification of African Swine Fever (ASF) for the first time in Germany. ASF which is a deadly disease of pigs and wild boar was confirmed yesterday in the eastern area of Spree-Neisse within a few kilometres of the Polish border. ASF virus, which is highly fatal for pigs and wild boar, does not affect humans and poses no food safety risk. Reports to date indicate that the infection involves a single wild boar which was found dead and there have been no reports of the disease in domestic pigs in Germany. The Department has confirmed that there has been no importation of live pigs from Germany into Ireland this year to date. ASF first entered Poland in 2014 and has been spreading in the wild boar population in the western part of the country since November of last year. EU legislation controls the movement of pigs and pig products from areas affected by ASF in Poland. Wild boar have played a major role in the spread of the disease in mainland Europe through their natural movements and interactions. Ireland does not have a sustainable wild boar population, but the virus can also be spread through other ways including contact with infected live pigs, contaminated clothing, footwear, vehicles and equipment and the consumption of infected food waste by pigs. The World Organisation of Animal Health (OIE) reported that ASF currently affects more than 50 countries in Europe, Asia and Africa including 12 EU Member States in 2020. ASF virus has had an enormous impact on the pig sectors of affected countries as a result of international trade restrictions being imposed. The importance of the pig sector in Ireland is recognised, with pigmeat exports estimated at 941 million for 2019 according to Bord Bia. The Department would like to take this opportunity to reinforce the message of the need for extreme vigilance on the part of all pig owners to ensure that robust biosecurity measures are implemented on their farms, to prevent pigs from accessing food waste and to ensure that pigs do not come into contact with contaminated clothing, vehicles, footwear or equipment originating in ASF affected areas of the world. Furthermore the Department once again reminds all travellers to avoid bringing back any pork or pork products from areas affected with ASF. A former San Antonio assistant city manager has been nominated to a vacancy on the San Antonio Water System board that the City Council wasnt able to fill last month when controversy erupted over who should represent the South Side. Ed Belmares, who now runs his own management consulting firm, was chosen after the councils Governance Committee met in executive session for 20 minutes. Councilman John Courage, who serves on the panel and has led discussions related to SAWS and its relationship with the city, said hes confident Belmares will win support of the full council on Thursday. Its always up to the council in its united wisdom to make final choices, Courage acknowledged, adding, I believe that the choice were putting forward right now, Mr. Belmares, is the best person to fill the job from the remaining applicants. On ExpressNews.com: Divided council defers back to committee on SAWS board appointment The committee last month recommended Robert Potts, former general manager of the Edwards Aquifer Authority, to fill the seat. But the council was twice split on the matter. The issue of racial equality on boards was raised, and some council members preferred businessman Fernando Reyes, who also applied for the post. Potts and Reyes both withdrew their names in the wake of the controversy. But Mayor Ron Nirenberg said the committee still was left with an incredibly qualified pool of candidates to choose from. As mayor, Nirenberg is a voting member of the SAWS board. Belmares, who is Hispanic, served as assistant city manager from 2011 to 2015, and previously was vice president of business operations with CPS Energy for three years. After leaving the city, he was chief operating officer of KFW Engineers & Surveying for four years. Since January 2019, he has been the owner of IConnect Management Consulting. In his application for the board seat, Belmares mentioned having a deep administration background with significant financial acumen and experience in human resources, business strategy and board governance issues. I have been civically engaged most of (my) adult life and seek to continue that service in a meaningful way, he wrote in the application. On ExpressNews.com: Three trustee finalists chosen for SAWS board When interviewed by the committee on Aug. 3, Belmares discussed an interest in keeping water rates affordable, encouraging infill development as a growth alternative to sprawl and improvements in SAWS water metering technology throughout its service area. Other finalists considered Friday were James Smyle, a natural resources management consultant currently serving on SAWS Rate Advisory Committee, and energy consultant Olufemi Osidele, who recently co-chaired a steering committee guiding the citys Climate Action and Adaptation Plan. The council last month approved the committees recommendations to appoint Jelynne LeBlanc Burley, a former deputy city manager who now is president and CEO of the Center for Health Care Services, as the new SAWS chairwoman, and former Councilwoman Leticia Ozuna as the trustee representing the Southeast quadrant. Burley, the first woman to lead the SAWS board, and Ozuna were sworn in at the Sept. 1 board meeting. If Belmares is approved by the full council, the seven-member board would include two white members, four Hispanics and one of mixed heritage. 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 A conspicuous missing-from-manifestos-clue, to the NPP/NDC duopoly's contempt for ordinary Ghanaians: failing to promise to swiftly pass new laws, empowering the Auditor General to prosecute, once they assume office - and ensure its passage by Parliament, and its accomplishment within their first 100 days in office. Does that missing-from-manifestos-clue, perhaps tell us something, one wonders: A harbinger of the egregious-rot to come, perhaps? The question discerning minds need to ponder over is: Does that perhaps show their determination to continue gang-raping Mother Ghana, and Mother Nature, anaaaaa - by cooking up yet more Assaaseyaa-Agyapaaapabi-capers? Yoooooo... Fellow Ghanaians, have we not all seen the ponderous pace, which a poorly-resourced Special Prosecutor, is forced to adopt? Perchance, is that outrageous situation, not an enforced-by-suspicious-circumstances-failing, which, alas, has been, and is, enabling and emboldening, rapacious-thieves-in-high-places? Yoooooo... And will their failure to promise to empower the Auditor General to prosecute thieves-in-high-places, not result in their ability to continue their rip-off of our country, and entrenching their personal-wealth-creation-duping-strategies, as well as their massive defrauding of the Ghanaian nation-state; and their impoverishing a hapless and thoroughly-fed-up-citizenry, by piling up yet more endless-debt, with total impunity, once in office, again? Yoooooo... Hmmmm, Oman Ghana, eyeasem, ooooo - enti yewieye paaa enei? Asem kesie ebeba debi ankasa, ooooo. Yoooooo... As macroeconomic numbers continue to disappoint, reaching pre-Covid level is unlikely in FY21. Among the top four players in the two-wheeler space, Hero MotoCorp and TVS Motor gained market share in August at the expense of Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India, and Bajaj Auto. However, this shift occurred at a time when the two-wheeler segment as a whole contracted 28.7 per cent in August, with sales at 898,775 units, down from 1,260,722 units the previous year. Though, sequentially, the drop was only 11.5 per cent. According to the Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA), Heros sales dropped to 328,068 units, from 428,227 units a year ago, but the companys market share rose to 36.50 per cent, from 33.97 per cent a year ago. TVS Motors market share increased to 15.57 per cent, from 15.11 per cent, while sales dropped to 139,936 units, from 190,520 units, a year ago. Meanwhile, Hondas market share dropped to 24.87 per cent in August, from 26.31 per cent the previous year. The Japanese automaker reported sales of 223,496 units, compared to 331,673 units, a year ago. Baja Autos market share also dropped, to 11.13 per cent in August, from 12.51 per cent a year ago, while sales dropped to 100,072 units, from 157,697 units. India Yamaha Motor and Royal Enfield saw marginal increase in their respective market shares. For Yamaha, market share rose to 3.99 per cent, from 3.67 per cent a year ago, but sales fell to 35,878 units, from 46,209 units. In the case of Royal Enfield, market share rose to 3.91 per cent, from 3.86 per cent a year ago, but sales declined to 35,105 units, from 48,627 units. According to CARE Ratings, pent-up demand from April, May, and June because of the lockdown is expected to be spread out over the second half of 2020. In an attempt to revive the economy, the government is gradually easing curbs on movement and gathering of people. Also, more employees are reporting back to their offices. This is expected to spur demand for private vehicles. As macroeconomic numbers continue to disappoint, reaching pre-Covid level is unlikely in FY21. "While volume pick-up is expected in H2FY21, full demand recovery is not expected until at least FY22. "The two-wheeler, passenger vehicle, and tractor segments shall witness faster recovery than the rest, said CARE Ratings. Photograph: Saumya Khandelwal/Reuters NSW Deputy Premier John Barilaro has claimed a win in the Coalition crisis, saying he has secured a commitment that the divisive koala planning policy would be debated at cabinet. But Premier Gladys Berejiklian had already agreed to that, and said earlier in the week that the "issue would be considered by cabinet in due course". NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian leaves the government's offices at Martin Place. Credit:Nick Moir Mr Barilaro told 2GB: "We've got the win there today" in reference to the policy going to cabinet. The Nationals leader earlier withdrew his threat to take his MPs to the crossbench, in a move that will keep the Coalition intact but may leave his leadership untenable. BEIJING, Sept. 10 (Xinhua) -- China has launched a new domestic cloud service platform CECloud, developer China Electronics Corporation (CEC) said. CECloud aims to provide cloud services with high security for government agencies, public services and state-owned enterprises. Based on the country's self-developed FT CPU and Kylin operating system, CECloud is safe and advanced, Chen Ximing of CEC said during the launch event Wednesday. Designed for government and enterprise customers, CECloud will help Chinese local governments and industries speed up digital transformation, said the company. CECloud is widely compatible with other software products to meet customers' computing demands, according to CEC. Shoulder cams, computerized explosions: How to teach labs during a pandemic Video bio: Jenny Rahn videotapes her gloved hands as they do an experiment with a shoulder-mounted camera as she narrates each step. Rahn manages 19 lab sections of BIOL 203, Introduction to Molecules, Cells, Development. Her approach is one of several being used by William & Mary STEM faculty this fall. Screen capture Photo - of - Hide Caption The labs must go on. Lingering concerns about COVID-19 during the autumn of 2020 brought a very different fall semester to William & Mary. Classroom instruction and discussion is being presented in a variety of forms, ranging from in-person lectures in de-densified classrooms to virtual pedagogy delivered in asynchronous and synchronous formats. University Registrar Sallie Marchello says that a total of 3,073 undergraduates are enrolled in 144 sections of teaching labs this semester. That total doesnt include lab-like classes, those that have a significant amount of out-of-classroom experience, or independent research and honors projects. William & Marys STEM faculty across several departments have some up with a variety of creative and even ingenious solutions to conducting lab sections in a pandemic. A pivot from old normal classroom instruction is relatively straightforward, compared to reorganizing a classs lab component, the whole purpose of which is to impart to the undergrad student some practical, hands-on experience in a laboratory environment. Dan Cristol, director of undergraduate research at the universitys Roy R. Charles Center, said that faculty have learned from the forced pivot after William & Mary went to an all-virtual delivery instruction format in mid-March. He said many faculty had to make sudden adjustments such as he did with BIOL 416, Ornithology, a lab course traditionally offered during spring semesters. I had to convert it in the middle of the semester without warning from a primarily lab class, where we do about 25 field trips, to one where the students weren't even on campus and didn't have binoculars anymore, Cristol said. That was really challenging, but this time around, Ill at least be able to plan it, which is really, really important. The summer gave faculty time to plan, prepare and consult with colleagues and with professionals from the universitys Studio for Teaching & Learning Innovation. They were able to sort through best practices, to figure out how their classes and labs would best fit within William & Marys Path Forward initiative, a collection of goals and strategies for operating the university during a global pandemic with minimal health risk. And so, the labs carry on. We have had a lot of meetings over the summer with all the faculty who are involved in labs to see what would be the safest way to do this, said Dana Lashley, senior lecturer in William & Marys Department of Chemistry. Ultimately, I reached out to all the big Virginia schools and asked them, hey, how are you guys delivering organic chemistry labs? Lashley is just one of several chemistry faculty teaching large-enrollment classes that come with a lab component. Classes in organic chemistry, the study of carbon compounds, always draw large enrollments, as orgo is essential for students aimed at careers in the sciences and the health professions. Lashley has two sections of organic chemistry classes this fall with a combined enrollment of around 250. She is delivering much of the class content asynchronously, recording lectures ahead of time. But she is doing one live video lecture per week. To my surprise it has been going rather well and even having 200 students in a Zoom video meeting does not slow down the quality of the presentation. I am rather impressed. Students seem to understand the etiquette and stay on mute, Lashley said. Live video lectures give them a chance to ask questions using the chat feature. She added that many students seem more willing to ask questions via Zoom chat than she saw in in-person orgo lectures. Organic Chemistry labs present a different set of circumstances, though. Chemistry labs always have been conducted with safety in mind. But even with pandemic-specific enhancements to the usual lab safety practices and PPE such as fume hoods and lab goggles, you can only de-densify a teaching lab so much. In a lab, unlike a lecture, you're not just sitting in one location and then carefully going out, but you're moving around, Lashley explained. In the first place, students work as partners in the same hood and Lashley said some lab procedures are four-handed, requiring two people. Another issue concerns how chemicals for the days work are dispensed. She said that there is a dispensing station where students go to measure out their reagents and other chemicals. Thats the equivalent of a restaurant buffet, Lashley said. Its a chemistry buffet. Everybody goes to pick up things where this chemistry buffet is set up. Everyone comes into close contact. She said the degree of close contact can only be reduced so far, considering the existing infrastructure and number of people in the labs: And the best way I can help somebody in the lab is by looking over their shoulder at the hood, she added. Moreover, Lashley pointed out that some people in the labs could be at higher risk of serious illness from a COVID-19 infection. It was just not worth risking anybody's health over that, she said. Luckily, recently, a lot of advances have been made in what's called virtual reality laboratories. The chemistry department will be using a virtual experience for both organic and general chemistry. Lashley demonstrated how the software, offered by a firm called Beyond Labz, works, performing a nitration experiment on interactive software that resembles a laboratory version of the familiar SimCity video game. Following the directions, Lashley mixes the chemicals, heats the mixture and tracks the reaction using thin layer chromatography all in an animated lab space. She noted that the virtual lab includes a lab notebook for students to record their results in. There are a number of realistic features baked into to the virtual experience, including the possibility that something blows up: Ooooh, I messed up! Lashley said, the overheated beaker exploding in a cloud of animated shards. The Department of Biology is faced with many of the same issues that their chemist colleagues must deal with. Jenny Rahn, biology laboratory coordinator, is managing 19 sections of the lab for BIOL 203, Introduction to Molecules, Cells, Development a total of 443 students. The enrollment is a bit higher than a typical year, she said, probably because offering this foundation course in remote-asynchronous format alleviates class-scheduling conflicts for freshmen trying to take chemistry with an associated lab. Fall 2020 will differ from the typical year in more important respects, too. In a typical year, the way I like to work this lab is to give students a sense for what it's like to do science in our environment, Rahn said. I like to structure experiments that have some elements of independent decision making. She said that each year, the lab begins with a set of introductions to basic lab practices and techniques, such as pipetting. Then she moves into an experiment chosen to give students an understanding of a method theyll be using. And then the following week, we would open it up and say, OK, now it's up to you come up with your own question, Rahn said. It's about the system that you just did an experiment on, but now it needs to be your question. So what else can you ask? Maybe you're curious about temperature, maybe you're curious about pH or concentration of salts or other ions. In this very different fall semester, Rahn says she understands shes not able to put a pipettor in somebodys hand or sit a student down in front of a microscope and show them that this is how you do it with 443 biology students. It has been very challenging, because I dont want this to be something thats just watching a video and answering a set of questions, she said. What I'm doing is emphasizing the ideas of interpreting data and talking about data and drawing conclusions. Those are really important skills that I think often get kind of glossed over when you're spending a lot of time focusing on techniques. She is instituting the practical aspect of a lab experience by creating a set of videos. She has a shoulder-perched video camera recording her gloved hands conducting the experiment of the day, while she narrates the process. The student will ask their own question, Rahn explained. Then they will watch the appropriate video. They will get the data from the experiment and its up to them to analyze it. Some of the videos incorporate a Choose Your Own Adventure aspect: Rahn will intentionally make a mistake in the video experiment : Then I will ask students, OK, here are the results from the experiment. Something went wrong. What went wrong? Not all lab experiences will be delivered online this semester at William & Mary. For instance, Rowan Lockwood, chair of the Department of Geology, said lab sections of some geology courses will be offered in person. Home-brewed PPE, de-densification and other creative approaches will make it possible, she said. The way our lab space works for some of our courses like Rock-Forming Minerals or Environmental Geochemistry, we actually can spread those labs out, Lockwood said. So we could have them and put half in one room half in a separate room, have them socially distance, have them wear their masks and gloves. She said that the geologists will pull out their old, but perfectly serviceable, microscopes from storage. The professors, wearing a face shield and other appropriate PPE, will move from room to room, and mentoring their masked students. We feel very, very strongly that that these labs are best taught in person, Lockwood said. There is no replacement for the microscope work, the rock analysis, the chemistry instruments that you get to work with in the labs there's really no replacement for it. Faculty agree with Lockwood on the value that comes from taking students out in the field or placing them in the lab. Rahn says she spends a lot of time pondering how to deliver some component of the in-person lab experience to her 443 biology students. A lot of students have contacted me, Rahn said. Theyre worried that theyre not going to be able to do X, Y or Z those procedures theyve seen me talking about on the videos. Rahn says that if pandemic conditions make it at all possible, she would like to have some sessions however informal for students to get some of the hands-on experience that lab sections were designed to provide. I want to put a pipettor in their hands, Rahn said. I want them to see what thats like and feel whats that like. Communications Minister, Mrs. Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, has allayed the fears of Ghanaians over the alleged interference of people's personal data. She has by this assured the public that government will continue to protect their private data in line with the laws of the country. She said the Government was not interested in interfering with the personal data of citizens and that every information collected by the Data Protection Commission (DPC) had been done in accordance with the law. I can understand people would be concerned that some actions may be taken that might flout their personal data. I can give the assurance that in so far as these agencies work in accordance with the law every step is taken to ensure that full compliance with the law is adhered to in all the actions we take, she said. Mrs Owusu-Ekuful gave the assurance when she appeared before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament to respond to queries directed at the Ministry of Communication and its agencies in the 2017 Auditor General's Report on Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MMDAs). At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic the Government issued an Executive Instrument (E.I.63) to allow DPC to access some data of citizens to help with COVID-19 tracking. Mrs Owusu-Ekuful explained that the Data Protection Commission and National Communications Authority (NCA) worked under the full ambit and control of the law and stuck strictly to the dictates of E.I.63 in the performance of their duties. She said the Ministry also exercised oversight responsibility for the DPC and the other agencies, all of which acted in full conformity with the laws of the country. In so far as it extends to the protection of personal data every step is taken to ensure no untoward activities is conducted in that respect, she said. Mr Samuel Nartey George, Member of Parliament (MP) for Ningo-Prampram, inquired from the DPC officials whether they had been able to protect the private data of citizens even as the government sought to implement E.I.63. Ms Patricia Adusei-Poku, the Executive Director of the DPC, explained that the Commission had worked with peer regulators involved in the processing of personal data and also liaised with the NCA and Ghana Health Service to help with COVID-19 tracking. She said though the NCA was the implementing agency for the E.I.63, the DPC had the power to consult and check them periodically to see if they were abiding by the regulations not to infringe on people's personal data. She gave the assurance that the DPC was working with other agencies to ensure the protection of private data of citizens throughout the pandemic. ---GNA Dora Negrete is consoled by her son Hector Rocha after seeing their destroyed mobile home at the Talent Mobile Estates, in Talent, Ore., on Sept. 10, 2020. (Paula Bronstein/AP Photo) Evacuate Now: Wildfires Grow in Oregon as 500,000 Flee PHOENIX, Ore.Deadly wildfires in heavily populated northwest Oregon were growing, with hundreds of thousands of people told to flee encroaching flames while residents to the south tearfully assessed their losses. People evacuated statewide because of fires had climbed to an estimated 500,00more than 10 percent of the 4.2 million people in the state, the Oregon Office of Emergency Management reported late Thursday. One fire approached Molalla, triggering a mandatory evacuation order for the community of about 9,000 people located 30 miles (48 kilometers) south of Portland. A police car rolled through the streets with a loudspeaker blaring evacuate now. Inmates were being moved from a womens prison less than a mile from Interstate 5 in Portlands southern suburbs out of an abundance of caution, the Oregon Department of Corrections said. Buildings are engulfed in flames as a wildfire ravages the central Oregon town of Talent near Medford, Ore., on Sept. 8, 2020. (Kevin Jantzer via AP) With two large fires threatening to merge, some firefighters in Clackamas County, which includes Molalla, were told to disengage temporarily because of the danger. Officials tried to reassure residents who abandoned their homes, and law enforcement said patrols would be stepped up to prevent looting. The local fire department said on Twitter: To be clear, your firefighters are still working hard on the wildfires in Clackamas County. They are taking a tactical pause to allow firefighters to reposition, get accountability & evaluate extreme fire conditions. We havent abandoned you, the fire officials said. Meanwhile residents of the small Oregon town of Phoenix, near the California state line along Interstate 5, walked through a scene of devastation after one of the states many wildfires wiped out much of their community. A mobile home park, houses, and businesses were burned, leaving twisted remains on charred ground. Many of the residents were immigrants, with few resources to draw on. The interior of a vehicle is melted among the ruins of the Coleman Creek Estates mobile home park in Phoenix, Ore., on Sept. 10, 2020. (Gillian Flaccus/AP Photo) Artemio Guterrez stood helplessly next to his pick-up, surveying the rubble of his mobile home. His children sat quietly in the truck bed and waited for him to salvage what he could. He was able to find a ceramic pot with a smiley face on it, some charred miniature houses from a Christmas-themed village, and a cross that formed when two pieces of glass melted together. Guterrez, a single father of four, had been at work at a vineyard nearby when he saw thick smoke spreading through Rogue River Valley. He raced home just in time to snatch his kids from the trailer park where they live alongside dozens of other Mexican families. They got out with just the clothes on their back. Im going to start all over again. Its not easy but its not impossible either. You have to be a little tough in situations like this, said Guterrez, who had just returned from his mothers funeral in Mexico. Entire mobile home parks with many units occupied by Mexican immigrants who worked in nearby vineyards or doing construction were reduced to ash in Phoenix and nearby Talent. Were kind of like a family. Weve known each other for years, since we came here or even before then, Guterrez said of his neighbors at Talent Mobile Estates. Were living day by day. Jon Marshall looks through the debris of his home among the at Coleman Creek Estates mobile home park in Phoenix, Ore., on, Sept. 10, 2020. (Paula Bronstein/AP Photo) As the fire approached Phoenix, Jonathan Weir defied evacuation orders, even as flames 30 feet (9 meters) high shot from trees. Fearing for his life, he drove his car to the entrance of a nearby mobile home park, where his tires began melting. His home was destroyed as the fire hopscotched through the town of 4,000 residents. There were flames across the street from me, flames to the right of me, flames to the left of me. I just watched everything burn, Weir told a reporter. The Federal Emergency Management Agency estimated that 600 homes were burned by the fire that started in Ashland and tore through Phoenix, the Mail Tribune of Medford reported. Oregon officials havent released an exact death count for the wildfires but at least four fatalities have been reported in the state. One person was killed in wildfires in Washington. Oregon officials were shocked by the number of simultaneous fires, which stood at 37 Thursday, according to the state Office of Emergency Management. Gov. Kate Brown said more than 900,000 acres (364,000 hectares)greater than the size of Rhode Islandhave burned in Oregon in the past three daysnearly double the territory that burns in a typical year. Back in Phoenix, Marty Curtis considered herself lucky. Her house was spared and she escaped with her cat, Louie. You could see the flames. You could hear things poppinggas tanks and propane tanks exploding, she said. I have my house. I have my life. I have my cat and I have my joband right now, thats all I need. By Gillian Flaccus and Andrew Selsky TOKYO, Sept. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- On September 10, Celsys opened the International Illustration Contest 2020 to artists worldwide to celebrate the release of Clip Studio Paint for Galaxy on August 21. The contest is open until October 7 with the theme "The cutest character in the Galaxy". Winners will receive cash and other prizes. Contest website https://www.clipstudio.net/en/galaxy/ Artists can enter using the contest hashtag on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Comic artist LavenderTowne will be a guest judge. Prizes include cash, tablets including Wacom Cintiq 22/Wacom One, and Clip Studio Paint copies. Both traditional and digital works can be submitted, with no software restrictions. International Illustration Contest 2020 Submission criteria Illustrations on Theme: "The cutest character in the Galaxy" Schedule Submission: September 10-October 7, 2020 (JST) Results: Early November 2020 Guest Judge Haley (LavenderTowne) draws webcomics and makes videos about art. LavenderTowne's YouTube channel is very popular with viewers for her cute and original art style. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCD4XIm3ZFhT72WjqhIXMN9w How to Apply Artists can enter using the contest hashtag on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. For further details: https://www.clipstudio.net/en/galaxy/ Operated by: CELSYS, Inc. Cooperation: Samsung Electronics Japan Co., Ltd. & Wacom Europe GmbH About Clip Studio Paint for Galaxy*1 Clip Studio Paint for Galaxy is an illustration, manga, and animation app. Clip Studio Paint for Galaxy is preloaded on Galaxy Tab S7 and S7+, the first Android devices with Clip Studio Paint, so that artists can start using the app immediately.*2 The app is compatible with the S Pen, taking advantage of pen sensitivity and Air actions.*3 If users don't have an S Pen, they can connect to a Wacom Intuos or Wacom One tablet. Galaxy Store https://apps.samsung.com/appquery/appDetail.as?appId=jp.co.celsys.clipstudiopaint.galaxystore *1 "Clip Studio Paint for Galaxy" in the Galaxy Store. *2 Preload availability may differ depending on regions. *3 Clip Studio Paint Air Actions are supported on Galaxy Note10, Note10+, Note20, Note20 Ultra, Galaxy Tab S6, Tab S7, and Tab S7+. CELSYS, Inc. Celsys provides solutions for content creation, distribution, and browsing, and supports creative activities through its illustration, manga and animation production software "Clip Studio Paint", web service "Clip Studio", and e-book solution, "Clip Studio Reader". Corporate site: https://www.celsys.co.jp/en/ Clip Studio Paint: http://www.clipstudio.net/en/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/clipstudioofficial/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/clipstudiopaint Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/celsys.clipstudiopaint/ Companies https://www.celsys.co.jp/en/clipsolution/ Press Release September 11, 2020 Dispatch from Crame No. 909: Sen. Leila M. de Lima's Further Comments on the Grant of Pardon to Pemberton 9/10/20 After repeatedly declaring himself free of American influence, the old man in Malacanang pardoned, absolved, and defended an American who killed a Filipino citizen. In spite of repeatedly asking Congress to restore the death penalty against heinous crime offenders, Mr. Duterte allowed a murderer to go free, well before his full sentence. In a big, "screw you" to the Filipino people, Mr. Duterte, yet again, took the side of a criminal. As with anything Mr. Duterte does under his administration, his grant of pardon to Scott Pemberton does nothing for the Filipino people - except to inflict further injustice. The Laude family, the LGBT community, and the whole Filipino nation opposed Pemberton's early release. The DOJ and the BuCor could not justify the grant of GCTA. And Pemberton's camp did not even apply for pardon, as reportedly and curiously, Duterte's decision was "solely his own" without even a request from the US government. The grant of GCTA to Pemberton is absolutely indefensible. The Olongapo Court has lost jurisdiction over the case and person of Pemberton after the latter's conviction attained finality. And, isn't it that the grant of GCTA remains suspended by the DOJ? There is no showing that Pemberton's camp followed the process in availing of the GCTA. Perhaps when informed that there are no legal grounds to support the grant of GCTA, Mr. Duterte, in his own twisted psyche, found this an opportunity to flex his presidential brattines to the detriment of our national interest. During the peak of the GCTA controversy, Mr. Duterte ordered the grantees to return to the correctional facilities. He offered a reward of one million pesos each for the capture of these grantees, dead or alive. Some of them died soon after they returned while waiting for the process of their GCTA anew. Mr. Duterte did not even spare them a thought. Then he freed murderer Pemberton. The Laude family cannot believe that Duterte can do this, after he told them to go on fighting for justice because supposedly he got their back. By now this word has been repeated much often by those who placed their hopes on Duterte's promises. NaDuterte. Defined, it means to be scammed, taken for a ride, lied to, and fooled, BIG TIME. NaDuterte ang mga Laude, naDuterte na naman ang mga Pilipino. ### (Access the handwritten version of Dispatch from Crame No. 909, here: https://issuu.com/senatorleilam.delima/docs/dispatch_909) Tributes have been paid to a renowned chef who died suddenly at the age of 51. Gerard (Gerry) Russell was the head chef, and partner, at Cafe Merlot at Blakes of the Hollow in Enniskillen for almost 20 years. He passed away on September 2. Originally from Belfast, Gerry's funeral took place earlier this week in Lurgan, where his family lives. Gerry's work at Cafe Merlot led to the well-known restaurant becoming one of the Irish Times' top 100 places to eat in Ireland. He also won a coveted Michelin rosette during his time there. Gerry's wide-ranging culinary career took him to South East Asia and Australia, working alongside greats such as Marco Pierre White and Gordon Ramsay. In particular, he ran a restaurant for 10 years in Perth, Australia, before moving back to Belfast where he became the executive chef for Wine Inns in the city. He then relocated to Enniskillen, running various successful restaurants throughout the town before moving to Cafe Merlot. Leading the family tributes was his sister, Maureen who said: "He was very quiet and unassuming gentleman. He didn't like recognition for what he had done. He would be the type of guy that would stay in the kitchen." "He is well known for his sheer talent. It is a great loss because he was so accomplished and he wouldn't shout about it," she added. Maureen also spoke of how difficult the funeral was due to current Covid-19 travel restrictions. "His eldest sister, Anne, couldn't attend as she lives in Australia. I have a brother Brian in Florida who couldn't attend either," Maureen said. Speaking about his talent, the proprietor of Blakes of the Hollow, Pat Blake, said: "Gerry was spoken of in the highest terms as an accomplished chef in the hospitality industry in Northern Ireland." "His cooking was described as being on a par with any Michelin-starred chef in the country. He was up at that level," Pat added. "Customers from across the country would've had the privilege of dining in Cafe Merlot under the expert eye of Gerry." Pat said Gerry's legacy at the restaurant will continue, with the staff he expertly trained up, continuing to run the kitchen. "He's a loss to our business in Enniskillen, the hospitality industry in Northern Ireland and to his family," Pat continued. Gerry, who lived in Monea near Enniskillen, is survived by his mother Bridie, children Mia and Oistin, and siblings, Anne, Jim, Brian and Maureen. - Chelsea released their teams shirt numbers on Thursday, September 10 - Timo Werner will wear the iconic number 11 kit - The Blues begin their campaign against Brighton and Hove Albion on Monday, September 14 All of Chelseas summer signings have been handed their official squad numbers ahead of the new 2020/2021 season. Chelsea have been exciting in the transfer market this season, and have made a staggering six signings worth nearly 200 pounds. READ ALSO: Liverpool players dominate PFA team of the year after extraordinary 2019/20 season READ ALSO: Newly promoted Leeds in pole position to sign PSG superstar The Blues will have a promising squad this season, having brought in talents including Kai Havertz, Hakim Ziyech and Timo Werner. Xavier Mbuyamba and Malang Sarr were also added to the squad but they are unlikely to feature this season as Sarr will be sent out on loan while Mbuyamba will try develop further with the under 23 squad. Five signings are, however, set to play a crucial role under Frank Lampard this season, and they have already been assigned some exciting shirt numbers. New signing Thiago Silva, who completed the move from Paris Saint Germain will wear the number six shirt at center-back, while another new defender in the form of Ben Chillwell, will wear the number 21 jersey, which is a bit different from the #3 he used to wear while at Leicester. The number 21 jersey was previously worn by Davide Zappacosta, who has since been told he has no future with the Blues. All the Chelsea squad shirt numbers. Photo: Chelsea FC. Source: UGC READ ALSO: Cristiano Ronaldo becomes 2nd player in history to score 100 international goals for country READ ALSO: Supercomputer predicts final Premier League table 2020/2021, claims Liverpool will fall short of title defence Former Ajax winger Hakim Ziyech will wear the number 22 shirt while Fikayo Tomori, will wear the number 14 shirt, previously donned by Tiemoue Bakayoko. Meanwhile, Kai Havertz will wear his preferred number 29 shirt and striker Timo Werner will wear the famous number 11 jersey, which has in the past been associated with legends such as Didier Drogba. New season new challenge? As the new season draws closer, Blues fans will be extremely optimistic their side will mount a serious challenge for the title. Last season, despite a transfer ban and a fairly inexperienced manager in the form of Frank Lampard, Chelsea somehow managed a fourth-placed finish despite the fact they were heavily relying on young talent for most of the campaign. READ ALSO: James Rodriguez finally joins Everton from Real Madrid for 22m This season might prove a bit different as not only has the club heavily invested in talent, but the squad also looks a lot promising in terms of depth. Chelsea begins their league campaign against Brighton and Hove Albion on Monday, September 14. Do you have an inspirational story you would like us to publish? Please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690 and Tuko news Tanasha Donna: I would have been famous with or without Diamond | Tuko TV : Source: TUKO.co.ke Ukraine will be able to receive vaccine doses for 20% of the population. Ukrainian Health Minister Maksym Stepanov has held a phone call with his German counterpart Jens Spahn to discuss issues of clinical trials and access to COVID-19 vaccines. "Ukraine is grateful to the European Union and Germany for their direct financial contribution and political support of the COVAX international initiative, thanks to which Ukraine will be able to receive vaccine doses for 20% of the population. However, over 30 million more people will need the vaccine [to be supplied] from other sources," the Ukrainian ministry's press service quoted Stepanov as saying on Facebook, September 10. Therefore, Ukraine will be looking for other sources of supplies to vaccinate all risk groups. Read alsoDaily COVID-19 spike in Ukraine hits new high with over 3,100 cases on Sept 11The Federal Minister of Health, in turn, says that Germany is ready to return to talks about Ukraine's access to the vaccine as soon as it becomes clear which vaccines will pass clinical trials. Spahn said the German side was pleased with bilateral cooperation. The minister also praised the implementation of rather ambitious healthcare reform in Ukraine. Stepanov added he hoped that the dialogue between the Ukrainian and German health ministries would continue. Quarantine in Ukraine: Background Both Joe Biden and Donald Trump visit a Pennsylvania memorial site on the 19th anniversary of the September 11 attacks. Joe Biden and Republican Vice Presidential candidate Mike Pence started the day in New York City at the 9/11 memorial museum at Ground Zero. Biden and President Donald Trump both visited the Shanksville, Pennsylvania memorial site. Kamala Harris spoke at a 9/11 remembrance ceremony in Fairfax, Virginia. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi presided over a moment of silence at the US Capitol building. Here are the latest updates: Friday, September 11 17:45 ET Top US prosecutor in Trump-Russia investigation resigns amid concern about political pressure: Report A top aide to US Attorney John Durham in his investigation of the origins of the Trump-Russia investigation, resigned from the probe at least partly out of concern that the investigative team is being pressed for political reasons to produce a report before the election, the Hartford Courant newspaper reported. Colleagues of Nora Dannehy, a respected former federal prosecutor, told the Connecticut newspaper she had been concerned for weeks about pressure from US Attorney General William Barr to produce results before the election. Trump has repeatedly claimed his 2016 campaign was illegally spied upon by the Obama administration. Durham had recruited Dannehy from private practice to look into those allegations. As an assistant US attorney in Connecticut, Dannehy had successfully prosecuted the states former governor and treasurer for public corruption in 2003-2004. 17:30 ET Trump awards medal of honour to US soldier President Donald Trump presents the Medal of Honour to Army Sgt Maj Thomas Payne for conspicuous gallantry during a hostage rescue mission in Iraq in 2015 at the White House on September 11, 2020. [Kevin Lamarque/Reuters] President Trump called Sgt Maj Thomas Payne one of the bravest men anywhere in the world for his actions under enemy gunfire to rescue dozens of hostages from a from a burning building who were set to be executed by Islamic State militants in Kirkuk, Iraq. Payne, like many American service personnel in the US armed forces today, was in high school on 9/11, and learned his classmates about the attacks from a teacher who solemnly relayed what had happened. In that moment, Pat was called to action, Trump said. He knew that his country needed him. 16:45 ET Deal in US Congress on coronavirus relief doesnt look good: Republican leader Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell cast doubt on Congress reaching agreement on a fifth coronavirus relief package after a failed vote in the Senate on Thursday and weeks of stalemate in talks between Democrats and the Trump White House, The Hill newspaper reported. Regretfully, I cant tell you today were going to get there. I wish I could tell you we were going to get another package but it doesnt look that good right now, McConnell, the No. 1 Republican in the US Congress, said during an event in his home state of Kentucky. 16:15 ET Kamala Harris pays tribute to first responders in Virginia Democratic vice presidential candidate Kamala Harris, center, speaks with Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Fire Chief John Butler, right, at a Fairfax 9/11 Remembrance Ceremony. [Jacquelyn Martin/AP Photo] Democratic vice presidential candidate and US Senator Kamala Harris delivered a tribute to the victims of the September 11 attacks and first responders in Virginia, who responded to the American Airlines Flight 77 crash at the Pentagon. Speaking at a memorial ceremony in Fairfax, Virginia, Harris said that the terrorist attacks served as a reminder of the countrys ability to unite in times of tragedy and crisis, The Hill newspaper reported. Let us also remember that honouring them is also about reminding us of who we are as Americans, Harris said. Because in times of tragedy, in times of despair, in times of suffering and pain, we, by our very nature as who we are, stand together. We stand together. 15:30 ET Kanye West will remain off Ohios fall presidential ballot after court ruling In a unanimous ruling, the Ohio Supreme Court found that Secretary of State Frank LaRose acted lawfully when he rejected nearly 15,000 signatures and other paperwork Kanye West submitted, the Associated Press news agency reported. The rapper is trying to run for US president. LaRose, a Republican, cited mismatched information on the signature-gathering documents. Attorneys for Wests campaign in Ohio had sued, arguing that it was LaRoses duty to accept any petition for an independent candidate as long as there is no protest filed against the petition and did not violate Ohio law. 15:15 ET Judges: Florida felons cant vote until they pay fines, fees William Freeman, 51, right, poses for a photograph with Arlene Ustin, of the League of Women Voters in Palm Beach County, left. Freeman recently registered to vote after serving three years for grand theft, his fourth prison stint. [File: Lynne Sladky/AP Photo] Florida felons must pay all fines, restitution and legal fees before they can regain their right to vote, a federal appeals court ruled Friday in a case that could have implications for the November elections, according to the AP. Reversing a lower court judges decision that gave Florida felons the right to vote regardless of outstanding legal obligations, the order from the 11th US Circuit Court of Appeals was a disappointment to voting rights activists and upheld the position of Republican Governor Ron DeSantis and Floridas Republican-led state legislature. Under a 2018 Florida ballot initiative, felons who have completed their sentences would have voting rights restored. But a legal dispute arose after Republican lawmakers stipulated that all legal financial obligations, including unpaid fines and restitution, would have to be settled effectively disqualifying many former convicts from being eligible to vote. 14:29 ET Biden greets families of victims of Flight 93 at 9/11 memorial Democratic presidential candidate and former Vice President Joe Biden speaks with family members of victims of Flight 93 during a visit to the Flight 93 National Memorial in Shanksville, Pennsylvania [Patrick Semansky/AP Photo] Biden laid a wreath of white flowers at the Shanksville, Pennsylvania, memorial marking the names of passengers and crew who died when hijacked Flight 93 crashed on September 11, 2001. He met with three families and, joined by his wife, spoke about his own losses, though most of his private comments were not audible to media travelling with the candidate. The grief of losing a loved one to tragedy never goes away, he said. A couple hundred spectators ringed the memorial and stood on the grass. There were a number of news reporters that stayed over from President Trumps earlier visit. Before leaving the memorial site, Biden answered questions from the public about September 11. 14:10 ET Trump threatens to put down any election night riots: TV interview President Trump told Fox News host Jeanine Pirro in a taped television interview set to air on Saturday night that he would direct federal law enforcement to very quickly put down protests in the streets should he win re-election. Well put them down very quickly if they do that, Trump said in an advance audio clip of the interview aired on the show Fox and Friends. We have the right to do that. We have the power to do that if we want. Look, its called insurrection. We just send in and we do it very easy. I mean, its very easy. Id rather not do that because theres no reason for it. But if we had to do that, wed put it down within minutes within minutes, Trump told Pirro. PART TWO: This morning, I joined @FoxandFriends to remember 9/11 and to honor all victims that we lost this day 19 years ago. Take a look. pic.twitter.com/QXDqrusnCB Jeanine Pirro (@JudgeJeanine) September 11, 2020 13:30 ET President Trump announces Bahrain to join UAE in recognising Israel After returning from a September 11 memorial ceremony in Pennsylvnia, Trump met with top aides in the Oval Office and tweeted that Bahrain will join the UAE in normalising relations with Israel. Another HISTORIC breakthrough today! Our two GREAT friends Israel and the Kingdom of Bahrain agree to a Peace Deal the second Arab country to make peace with Israel in 30 days! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 11, 2020 In a joint statement, the US, Bahrain and Israel said the agreement was reached after Trump spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Bahrains King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa on Friday. 13:03 ET Biden pays respects to 9/11 dead in NYC, Pennsylvania Joe Biden visited the Flight 93 memorial park in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, to honour the lives of 33 passengers and seven crew members who died in the plane crash. At an earlier ceremony in New York City, Biden commented on the depth of grief and pain family members and survivors feel. It takes a lot of courage for someone that lost someone to come back today, Biden told an Associated Press reporter travelling with him. I know from experience, losing my wife, my daughter, my son, you relive it, the moment as if its happening. Its hard. Its a wonderful memorial, but its hard. It just brings you back to the moment it happened, no matter how long, how much time passes. So I admire the families who come. Joe Biden attends the 19th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks at the National September 11 Memorial & Museum in New York City [Amr Alfiky/Pool via Reuters] 12:45 ET Trump campaign botches Facebook ad about Nobel Prize The Trump campaign misspelled Nobel in a Facebook advertisement about President Trumps nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize. The ad, claiming: President Trump achieved Peace in the Middle East! started running online on Thursday but was pulled early Friday. It cost a few hundred dollars and had a potential reach of 1 million users, according to Facebook. Trump was nominated on Wednesday by a far-right, anti-immigrant member of the Norwegian Parliament for his work to negotiate a recognition agreement between the UAE and Israel. Trump campaign ad on Facebook misspelling Nobel was paid for by the Trump Make American Great Again Committee 12 ET A rare moment of bipartisan warmth in politically polarised US Joe Biden and Vice President Mike Pence greet each other during the 19th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks at the National September 11 Memorial & Museum in New York City [Amr Alfiky/Pool via Reuters] 11:30 ET Trump administration seeks sweeping DNA collection from immigrants, US sponsors The Trump administration on Friday proposed an expansion of its collection of DNA and biometric data from immigrants to include US citizen sponsors, the Reuters news agency reported. The proposal vastly expands the biometric information that the Department of Homeland Security would collect beyond genetic material to include eye scans, voice prints, and palm prints, according to a notice in the Federal Register by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services. The plan is the latest move by President Trump, who won office with his anti-immigrant rhetoric, to make good on his campaign promises to remake the USs immigration system as he seeks re-election in November. 10:50 ET Moment of silence observed by lawmakers at the US Capitol Members of the US House of Representatives observed a moment of silence on the steps of the US Capitol at 8:46am local time, the time the first hijacked airplane American Airlines Flight 11 crashed into the north tower of the World Trade Center. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi carried a small bouquet of red roses and stood physically distanced from other lawmakers, all wearing masks because of the coronavirus pandemic. Today, and every September 11, we come together as a nation to remember the fallen and gain inspiration from the resilience and patriotism that Americans showed at one of our darkest hours, Pelosi said in a statement issued by her office. 10:45 ET Google adjusting election-related searches As tech giants grapple with the spread of political disinformation, Google announced they will change what shows up as suggestions in election-related searches. We expanded our autocomplete policies related to elections, and we will remove predictions that could be interpreted as claims for or against any candidate or political party, Googles Vice President of Search Pandu Nayak announced in a blog post. 10:25 ET President Trump delivers memorial remarks at site of Flight 93 crash President Donald Trump is speaking at the site of the crash for United Airlines Flight 93 near Shanksville, Pennsylvania. The president paid tribute to victims of the September 11 attacks. On that September morning when America was under attack, the battle turned in the skies above this field, Trump said at a ceremony in which the names of 40 passengers and crew killed in the crash were solemnly read out loud. They took a vote. And then they acted together. They charged the cockpit, they confronted pure evil and in their last act on this earth they save our capitol, Trump said. Donald Trump speaks during a ceremony at the Flight 93 National Memorial, remembering those killed when the hijacked passenger jet crashed into an open field on September 11, 2001, near Shanksville, Pennsylvania [Jonathan Ernst/Reuters] 10:03 ET Moment of silence observed at 9/11 Remembrance Ceremony for crash of Flight 93 in Shanksville, Pennsylvania Participants in the national September 11 Remembrance Ceremony at Ground Zero in New York City observed a moment of silence at the approximate time of the crash of United Airlines Flight 93 in nearby Shanksville, Pennsylvania. President Donald Trump is in Pennsylvania and preparing to speak at the site of the crash, now a national park, to honour the 40 passengers and crew who lost their lives. The plane crashed after four hijackers flying toward Washington, DC, were overcome by passengers who tried to regain control. 09:30 ET Biden backs Trumps push to withdraw troops from Iraq and Afghanistan Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden said he supports President Donald Trumps push to withdraw US troops from Iraq and Afghanistan, though not completely. These forever wars have to end. I support drawing down the troops, Biden told the newspaper Stars and Stripes. But heres the problem, we still have to worry about terrorism and [the Islamic State]. I think we need special ops capacity to coordinate with our allies, Biden said, adding that a maximum of 1,500 to 2,000 should remain. Members of the US military salute during the 19th annual September 11 observance ceremony at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, on September 11, 2020 [Erin Scott/Reuters] 08:53 ET Second ceremony, attended by Mike and Karen Pence, taking place A second independent ceremony not affiliated with the official ceremony takes place at Zuccotti Park near the 9/11 Memorial & Museum, an event organized by the Tunnel to Towers Foundation attended by Vice President Mike Pence and his wife, Karen Pence, and acting secretary of Homeland Security Chad Wolf. Karen Pence read a passage from Ecclesiastes 3: There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens. The vice president followed her with a brief reading from the Bible. For the families and loved ones and friends they left behind, I pray these ancient words will comfort your hearts, and ours, he said before reciting Psalm 23, which begins with The Lord is my shepherd. 08:45 ET Ground Zero ceremony begins A military guard carries the flag that flew at Ground Zero around the site, Vice President Mike Pence stood not far from Joe and Jill Biden, who were next to Governor Andrew Cuomo, for the moment of silence at the site. Soon after, recordings of the names of the dead were played and a bell rang out for each one. Everyone in the crowd appears to be masked, some are holding bouquets of flowers, many police, military and firefighters stand at attention. 08:10 ET Joe Biden has landed at Newark Liberty Airport en route to Ground Zero Before leaving for New York, Biden said he did not plan to make news, or hold any press conferences calling it a solemn day. Im not going to talk about anything other than 9/11. We took all our advertising down. Its a solemn day. Thats how were going to keep it. The 9/11 commemoration ceremony Biden and his wife will attend will be different from previous years with the names of those killed not being read out live, but pre-recorded because of coronavirus restrictions. Participants are required to wear face coverings and practice social distancing on the Memorial plaza where the World Trade Center towers once stood. Hello and welcome to Al Jazeeras continuing coverage of the US elections. This is William Roberts. Read all the updates from yesterday (September 10) here. Retake Roma's 15,000 volunteers work hard to tackle Rome's urban decay. Rome wasn't built in a day, and neither was Retake Roma. It was built up over 10 years, by thousands of people, in every district of the city. Ten years are not enough to change Rome, but 10 years are enough to make an extraordinary story, that of Retake. To mark the 10th anniversary of its foundation, Retake Roma organises a day of celebration dedicated to civic pride and the environment at the Parco degli Acquedotti on Saturday 19 September, from 15.00-19.30. The non-profit organisation, founded in 2010 by American long-term Rome resident Rebecca Spitzmiller, now counts more than 15,000 volunteers, divided into 70 neighbourhood groups, plus another 10 groups that carry out work with schools and social inclusion projects. Retake Roma is a voluntary, non-profit organisation engaged in the fight against degradation, in the enhancement of public areas, committed to improving the beauty of the capital's urban decor while spreading a sense of civic pride and responsibility. Retake operates by mobilising volunteers, tapping into residents' desires to improve their neighbourhoods, and working through educational projects and public-private partnerships, including with municipal refuse collection agency AMA. Last year Retake carried out 965 initiatives in the capital, with an average of 20 clean-up jobs a week. It all started a decade ago, by chance, when Retake founder Spitzmiller decided to take matters into her own hands after her condominium assembly refused to allocate funds to clean the vandalised facades of her apartment building. Together with her son she removed the graffiti herself, using oven cleaner. This led to a group of friends volunteering to tackle the city's urban decay and, importantly, the "inertia and indolence" which allowed the vandalism and neglect to take hold in the first place. It was supposed to be called 'Save Rome' but it sounded too patronising" - volunteers told Italian newspaper La Repubblica - "So we decided to look for something more energetic, positive and so 'Retake' was born." In 2018 the president of Italy honoured Spitzmiller with an Order of Merit in recognition of Retake's example of "civil commitment, dedication to the common good and testimony of republican values." On 19 September, volunteers from the 80 Retake groups will meet in Parco degli Acquedotti to celebrate Romans "taking back their city, step by step," challenging a culture of vandalism, neglect and apathy with a positive, responsible attitude in their efforts to make Rome a better place for us all to live and visit. For more details see Retake Roma website or Facebook page. New Delhi: After the dramatic Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) demolition drive at Kangana Ranaut's Pali Hill office created a furore, the actress not only visited her property a day back but also has been active on social media, expressing her views strongly. Kangana Ranaut in her recent series of tweets, addressed to the Indian National Congress party president Sonia Gandhi, wrote: Dear respected honourable @INCIndia president Sonia Gandhi ji being a woman arnt you anguished by the treatment I am given by your government in Maharashtra? Can you not request your Government to uphold the principles of the Constitution given to us by Dr. Ambedkar? Dear respected honourable @INCIndia president Sonia Gandhi ji being a woman arnt you anguished by the treatment I am given by your government in Maharashtra? Can you not request your Government to uphold the principles of the Constitution given to us by Dr. Ambedkar? Kangana Ranaut (@KanganaTeam) September 11, 2020 You have grown up in the west and lived here in India. You may be aware of the struggles of women. History will judge your silence and indifference when your own Government is harassing women and ensuring a total mockery of law and order. I hope you will intervene @INCIndia You have grown up in the west and lived here in India. You may be aware of the struggles of women. History will judge your silence and indifference when your own Government is harassing women and ensuring a total mockery of law and order. I hope you will intervene @INCIndia Kangana Ranaut (@KanganaTeam) September 11, 2020 After the BMC demolished her property, the actress released a video on social media alleging that Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has links with 'Bollywood Mafia'. On Wednesday, the Bombay High Court granted a stay on the demolition of Kangana Ranaut office, asking the BMC to file reply on actor's petition. Kangana approached the Bombay High Court on challenging the notice issued by the Mumbai civic body for 'illegal construction' at her bungalow and sought a stay on the demolition process. The court sought to know from BMC how it entered the premises and directed it to file an affidavit in response to the plea. Today, the Bombay High Court adjourned Kangana's office demolition matter till September 22, 2020. The BMC filed its reply meanwhile Kangana's lawyer Rizwan Siddiqui has sought time to respond to the affidavit. The demolition notice was issued by BMC on Tuesday under section 351 of the MMC Act and the civic body has given 24 hours to Kangana to respond to the notice. On Tuesday, Kangana took to her social media handles and shared the copy of the reply by her lawyer Rizwan Siddiqui to the BMC notice on the demolition of her property in Mumbai. Kangana got into trouble after her controversial Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (Pok) remark on Twitter against Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut's threat. She tweeted accusing Raut threatening the actress to not return to Mumbai if she has no faith in the police. The actress has been naming and shaming several big Bollywood celebrities for fanning nepotism and recently in the drug conspiracy related to Sushant Singh Rajput case. On Monday, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) granted Y category security to Kangana. Sources told Zee News that seven policemen will take care of Kangana's security. Officials of CRPF, Intelligence Bureau and Himachal Pradesh Police arrived at Kangana's Manali home on Tuesday to chalk out plans of the actress' security ahead of her visit to Mumbai on September 9. Chennai, Sep 11 : The Air India Express will get about $51 million towards the loss of its Dubai-Kozhikode aircraft in the accident in Kozhikode airport last month, a senior insurance industry official said. On August 7, the ill-fated Air India Express skidded off the runway of the Kozhikode airport and fell into a valley before breaking into two pieces, killing 18 persons and leaving scores injured. "The total claim amount to be paid to Air India Express for loss of aircraft/hull will be about $51 million. The aircraft has been insured for $50 million which will be paid as it is a total loss. A sum of $1 million will also be paid towards increased cost of working," the senior official with one of the four insurers told IANS preferring anonymity. According to the official, an interim payment or 'on account payment' is expected to be paid to Air India Express sometime next week. "The airline has to submit the necessary documents called for by the lead reinsurer. Once that is done the claim will be processed. The claim payment to Air India Express will be made by the lead primary insurer and recovered from the lead reinsurer," the official added. Adding further he said the claim is on track and most of the papers that have been called for have been submitted by the airline and the interim payment will be made soon. As a part of the claims procedure, the insurers/reinsurers will call for documents like the accident investigation report, aircraft maintenance log book and pilot log book, among others. A consortium of four public sector insurers a" New India Assurance, National Insurance Company Ltd, Oriental Insurance Company Ltd and United India Insurance Company Ltd -- has insured the fleet of about 170 aircraft belonging to Air India and its subsidiaries, including Air India Express. The airline has taken policies covering the aircraft or hull and liability for third party and passengers. The total premium earned from Air India was about $36 million. The share of New India in the premium and claims will be 40 per cent and the balance 60 per cent will be shared equally by National Insurance, Oriental Insurance and United India. Industry officials told IANS that the direct claim hit for the consortium of four insurers will be only about 10 per cent of the aircraft value. The balance value of the risk has been reinsured with Indian reinsurer GIC Re -- 5 per cent obligatory cession and 85 per cent with reinsurers with the lead underwriter, AIG, London. According to the official, the loss adjuster -- Charles Taylor Adjuster, London -- have to submit the accident survey report. The accident is under investigation and the final survey report may take some time. Out of its total fleet of 25 Boeing 737-800 NG aircraft (post crash 24 aircraft), Air India Express owns 17 aircraft (16 post crash) and the balance eight were taken on lease. A senior insurance industry official told IANS that the entire claim amount will be paid to the airline if it is an owned aircraft. If there is any loan taken on the plane then the financier will also have a financial interest in the crashed craft. All the owned aircraft of Air India Express underwent refurbishment of the cabin involving a change of seats, carpets and curtains. The airline had said the refurbishment project resulted in the empty weight of the aircraft reducing by about 800 kg due to the lighter weight of the new seats, resulting in the gain of additional traffic payload and revenue earning capability to that extent on every flight. As the aircraft is now a total loss, the scrap value will be calculated and adjusted against the claim amount. As regards the compensation to be paid to the legal heirs of passengers who had died in the accident and to the passengers who have injured, the matter is being handled by global law firm Clyde & Co headquartered in London, the insurance official said. Though the passenger liability is as per the Montreal Convention, the amount is the maximum compensation amount and not the minimum, the insurance official added. For working out the compensation for the dead and injured passengers, their profile had to be made taking into account their annual income, dependents, nature of injuries and others. Taking the above factors into account, the compensation to be paid to dead and injured passengers will be worked out and an offer would be made to the legal heirs and the injured passengers. Passenger liability also covers the baggage value. The insurance official said the total commercial aviation insurance market in India with about 510 aircraft will be about $90 million. "The risk is concentrated on a small base while the value is very high," the official remarked. Latest updates on Kerala Air India Plane Crash -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Youth Without Borders Ghana (YWB Ghana), with support from Youth Empowerment Synergy (YES Ghana), has launched a sanitation project themed: Reducing Insanitary Practices in Local Transport in Greater Kumasi. The project is part of the Youth Take Lead Local Actions on SDG 13 Project being implemented by various youth groups across the country. The project which is being implemented in collaboration with the Ashanti Regional Youth Network over a 3-month period commenced in August. The goal of Youth Take Lead project is for young people to take action in reducing the effects of climate change on society and contribute to global actions. Derived from the above goal, the aim of YWB Ghana's project is to reduce littering at local transport stations and the attitude of throwing waste overboard moving vehicles in urban transport in Ghana. The project targets in-city transport (trotro). Volunteers will hold dialogue sessions with the drivers to come to terms with the fact that they need to urge passengers to keep their waste in the vehicles to be disposed off upon reaching destination. Afterwards, the volunteers will sit in the trotro and talk to passengers not to throw waste overboard the vehicles, emphasizing that the drivers have been engaged to allow the waste in vehicles. As part of the project, stickers bearing inscriptions and images urging passengers to abstain from throwing waste around will be distributed to the transport stations that will be visited. Finally, the team will visit radio stations to continue the campaign. It was a morning many Americans will never forget. The horrible events of Sept. 11, 2001, would plunge the United States and many of its allies into two wars, one of which still rages 19 years later. Islamic terrorists hijacked four plans that Tuesday morning flying two of them into the World Trade Center towers, one into the Pentagon and another into a Pennsylvania field. One day later a still shocked America public awoke to a multitude of headlines, photos and stories amid a new uncertain future. The following show how America's news organizations covered the traumatic events un both special editions rushed to publication that same day, and fuller coverage in morning newspapers. For the better part of two decades since the Sept. 11 attacks, the specter of international terrorism dominated the national psyche. This year, the issue of international terrorism has all but faded away entirely, even within electoral politics. Threats from abroad have hardly factored into this election. Likewise, political leaders have shied away from talk of democracy promotion abroad. This is in stark contrast with every other election held after 9/11, including the one that brought Trump into office. The 2016 election was held in the wake of a series of deadly jihadi attacks in Europe and the United States, with ISIS still in control of much of Iraq and Syria. The GOP candidates competed for how tough they could sound on terrorism, a battle won by Donald Trumps vow to bomb the shit out of ISIS and bring back waterboarding. Hillary Clinton spent much of the campaign on the defensive for her handling of the Benghazi siege and the Obama administrations handling of ISIS. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Today, ISIS is a shell of its former self, and its leader has been killed. The military tide had already turned against the caliphate before Trump took office, but youd still think he would make a bigger deal about this considering what a major issue it was in his 2016 campaign. And yet, his 6,000-word hourlong speech at the Republican National Convention included just two sentences boasting of his counterterrorism victoriesone of which was about Iran. (There was also another odd section in which he said Joe Biden oversaw the rise of ISIS.) According to a Pew poll in 2016, over 80 percent of Americans said the issue of terrorism was very important to their vote, the second-highest number after the economy. In this years version of the survey, it didnt even make the top 12 issues listed. Only 21 percent of Democrats and 29 percent of Republicans see terrorism as a very big problem in the country today, a lower number than those who think the same of the budget deficit. To the extent that terrorism is an issue at all in this election, its the allegations that the Trump administration has downplayed the threat of white supremacist violence. Theres some logic behind this: As of last August, right-wing terrorists have killed more Americans on U.S. soil than jihadis have since 9/11. Meanwhile, when Trump talks about terrorists these days, hes more likely to be talking about antifa. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At the same time, the once-constant talk of spreading democracy has also quieted. In the name of fighting terrorism and promoting democratic government, George W. Bush, and to a lesser extent Barack Obama, violated international law and tolerated human rights abuses. But Trump has dropped even the pretense of championing democratic ideals abroad. The tolerance for wanton state cruelty and disdain for basic standards around human rights are now ends unto themselves. Advertisement Advertisement For years, the U.S. used counterterrorism to justify the violation of human rights norms, most famously through the torture of detainees by U.S. personnel. Likewise, Trump has made clear through his pardons of U.S. service members accused or convicted of war crimes, and his statements about those pardons, that he thinks Americans should be violating the human rights of detainees and civilians, that U.S. troops are killing machines. Advertisement Trump didnt exactly invent the idea that dictatorships with a tolerant attitude toward torture can be useful counterterrorism allies, even if he put it a lot more crudely than his predecessors did. The W. Bush administration also tolerated and even encouraged worse abuses by autocratic U.S. allies in the Middle East, like Egypt and Jordan. Many Republicans were appalled during the 2016 campaign when Trump defended Syrias Bashar al-Assad from criticism, saying he was killing ISIS. But 14 years earlier, the Bush administration transferred a dual U.S.-Canadian citizen to the custody of Assads regime for torture. Advertisement Advertisement Trump has not bothered to hide his interest in collaboration with authoritarian leaders. According to published excerpts of Bob Woodwards new book, the reporter at one point pressed the president about Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salmans role in the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Trump boasted, I saved his ass. I was able to get Congress to leave him alone, before referring to Saudi Arabias purchase of U.S. military hardware and its role as a U.S. ally in the Middle East. This comes a few months after former national security adviser John Boltons account of Trump telling Chinese leader Xi Jinping that building concentration camps for Muslims in Xinjiang was exactly the right thing to do. Advertisement Advertisement The Chinese government has justified the persecution of the Uighurs as a response to a number of terrorist attacks by Uighur separatists, at times using rhetoric that seems directly lifted from Americas global war on terror. Saudi Arabia, despite being the birthplace of Osama bin Laden and its decadeslong record of exporting extremism, has also touted itself as a key U.S. ally in fighting terrorism and, more specifically, Irannow viewed by many in Washington as the primary terrorist threat in the Middle East. Advertisement Advertisement The George W. Bush administrations emphasis of democracy promotion helped set the stage for Trumps open embrace of dictators. The militarized neoconservative approach to foreign policy and the catastrophic war in Iraq discredited the notion of democracy promotion for millions of Americans. Generations think of American democracy promotion and what comes to mind is not the Marshall Plan or the fall of the Berlin Wall but forever wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, and Libya. Its not surprising that Americans have little use for the promoting of freedom abroad given the mess the freedom agenda got us into. Trump has capitalized on this cynicism. In his rhetoric, human rights, international alliances based on shared democratic values, and international law are for suckers. This cynicism is not confined to the right, by any means. Left-leaning Democrats have only recently started to find a way to talk about global freedom and democracy without the taint of neoconservatism. Trump has managed to shed the lofty rhetoric of the post-9/11 era while preserving its embrace of violence and lawlessness. Its an attitude thats persisted even as the threat of international terrorism has faded. People wearing face masks walk on a trail along the Cheonggye Stream in Seoul, Sept. 10, 2020. EPA South Korea's new virus cases stayed below 200 for the ninth consecutive day Friday, but the country is still undecided over whether to extend enhanced virus measures in the greater Seoul area due to sporadic cluster infections and untraceable cases. The country added 176 more COVID-19 cases, including 161 local infections, raising the total caseload to 21,919, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC). Friday's tally marked a slight increase from the 156 and 155 cases reported on Wednesday and Thursday, respectively. South Korea, which even posted fewer than 10 daily cases in late April after suffering a record high number of infections in late February at 909, had been keeping the new virus cases at around 50 with some ups and downs. But on Aug. 14, the figure doubled from the previous day to reach a whopping 103. The recent spike was mainly attributable to cases tied to a conservative church in northern Seoul and an anti-government rally. To curb the spread of the virus, South Korea adopted the Level 2 social distancing scheme for other parts of the country in mid-August, under which indoor meetings of more than 50 people and open-air gatherings of over 100 people are banned. This will run through Sept. 20, though it could be extended. On the back of the efforts, the number of daily new cases has been gradually falling after hitting 441 additional cases on Aug. 27. The country adopted an enhanced version of a social distancing scheme for the capital area in late August, which will run through Sunday unless South Korea decides to extend it again. Under the updated measure, restaurants in the Seoul metropolitan area can operate normally from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. but then can only offer takeout after that time. Franchise coffee chains, bakeries and ice cream parlors can only offer takeaway around the clock. Health authorities have said a daily increase of around 100 COVID-19 patients is considered a manageable level under the current medical capability. But the prolonged social distancing scheme is heavily weighing down the livelihoods of private businesses. South Korea believes that while the number of new cases is showing signs of a slowdown, the country also needs to take various factors into consideration, including the reproduction rate, as well as the growing number of patients in critical condition. The number of patients in serious or critical condition came to 175, up six from the previous day. Health authorities are worried that the recent spike will lead to shortages in hospital beds, as well as more deaths, as most of them are seniors. Of the newly identified local infections, 61 cases were reported in Seoul and 47 from Gyeonggi Province that surrounds the capital. Other municipalities reported new infections, with the central city of Daejeon adding 10 cases and Incheon, west of Seoul, reporting eight new cases. South Chungcheong Province added 14 new patients. Cases traced to Sarang Jeil Church in northern Seoul, a hotbed of the recent spike in new infections, stayed unchanged for a second day at 1,167 according to the latest data provided Thursday. Those tied to the anti-government rally in Seoul on Aug. 15, however, reached 557, up six from the previous day. Other sporadic cluster infections continued throughout the nation. A Buddhist facility located in western Seoul has reported 20 patients. A logistics center of e-commerce giant Coupang located in eastern Seoul has reported 13 infections. Severance Hospital, one of the major general hospitals in Seoul, reported 10 cases. Hyundai Heavy Industries Co., the country's leading shipbuilder based in the southeastern industrial city of Ulsan, has 12 patients. The proportion of patients with untraceable infection routes over the past two weeks came to 22.9 percent, according to the latest data, also straining the country's virus fight. A whopping 39.3 percent were linked to cluster infections. The country, meanwhile, reported 15 imported cases. Three patients were from Australia. The Philippines, Uzbekistan and Indonesia accounted for two patients each. There were also cases from India, Qatar, Kazakhstan, Nepal and the United States. South Korea reported four more deaths, raising the total to 350. The fatality rate came to 1.6 percent. The total number of people released from quarantine after making full recoveries stood at 17,616, up 256 from the previous day. So far, 80.4 percent of the patients reported here have been cured. South Korea has carried out 2,119,211 COVID-19 tests since Jan. 3. The country reported its first case on Jan. 20. (Yonhap) His parents, Andrew Freund and JoAnn Cunningham, had a long history with DCFS and had temporarily lost custody of AJ after he was born with heroin in his body. Cunningham, 37, pleaded guilty to the boys murder and was sentenced to 35 years in prison earlier this summer. Murder charges are still pending against Freund, 61, who is due in court for a status hearing next week. His attorney has said he hopes to work out a plea deal rather than go to trial. JOHANNESBURG - Paul Rusesabagina sounded strained. The man who inspired the film Hotel Rwanda for saving people from genocide but is now accused of terrorism in Rwanda was speaking to his family for the first time since being paraded in handcuffs on Aug. 31. But something was wrong. With Rwandan authorities listening in, it was clear Rusesabagina wasnt allowed to speak openly on the phone call, said Brian Endless, part of the international team trying to defend him. It remains a mystery how Rusesabagina disappeared from a trip to Dubai late last month and appeared in custody in a country his family says he would never return to voluntarily. Paul briefly mentioned boarding a plane on the call, but this was strained and he cut off the discussion immediately after. We have no idea if this was Paul speaking freely or coerced, Endless told The Associated Press. In comments to the BBC, he said Rusesabagina mentioned waking up on the plane to find himself in Rwandas capital, Kigali. Endless said Rwandan officials also attended a meeting between Belgian officials and Rusesabagina, a Belgian citizen and U.S. permanent resident. The uncertainties around his arrest have led Human Rights Watch to assert that the 66-year-old Rusesabagina, long an outspoken critic of the Rwandan government, was forcibly disappeared. In a statement released late Thursday, the organization said Rwandan authorities should urgently explain how he was apprehended and taken to the East African country. The fact that Rwanda did not pursue Rusesabagina through lawful extradition proceedings suggests the authorities do not believe their evidence or fair trial guarantees would stand up to scrutiny before an independent tribunal, and so opted to circumvent the rule of law, the groups Central Africa director, Lewis Mudge, said. Rusesabaginas legal team, which has not been able to speak with him, believes he boarded a private plane operated by GainJet, which has been used by the Rwandan government and has an office in the capital, Kigali. The legal team points to publicly available flight records. It is not clear what the flight plan or passenger list say, and GainJets CEO Ramsey Shaban has not responded to a request for comment. Authorities in the United Arab Emirates, home of the Dubai city-state, have not responded to questions. Human Rights Watch asserted that Rusesabagina was in the custody of the Rwandans or their proxies as of the night of Aug. 27 but his detention was not acknowledged by the Rwandans until Aug. 31. Rwandan President Paul Kagame in a nationally televised interview Sunday indicated that Rusesabagina might have been tricked into boarding a plane to a country he hasnt lived in since 1996. It was actually flawless! Kagame said, suggesting that he brought himself even if he may not have intended it. Rusesabagina became famous for protecting more than 1,000 people as a hotel manager during Rwandas 1994 genocide in which some 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus were killed. For his efforts he was awarded the U.S. Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2005. But Rwandan authorities accuse him of supporting the armed wing of his opposition political platform, which has claimed responsibility for deadly attacks inside Rwanda. They point to a video posted online in 2018 in which he expresses support for the National Liberation Front and says the time has come for us to use any means possible to bring about change in Rwanda, as all political means have been tried and failed. Rusesabagina in the past has denied funding rebel groups and said he was being targeted over his criticism of Kagames government and alleged rights abuses. Rwandas government has changed its account of Rusesabaginas arrest and has not allowed him access to legal counsel of his choosing or any confidential consultations, Human Rights Watch said. The group for years has documented cases of critics of Rwandas government being killed overseas, apprehended under unclear circumstances or dying behind bars. In Rwanda, history over the past 20-plus years shows that there is unfortunately a wide variety of things that the Rwandan government can do beyond prison, said Endless, a U.S.-based professor. We are very concerned that Paul could be disappeared at any time or could suffer a health crisis manufactured by the Rwandan government. Rwandas government has long denied alleged abuses, and its supporters point to the countrys widely praised development and stability since the genocide. Rusesabagina has not appeared in court. His file was handed over to prosecutors on Wednesday. Rwandan law says a suspect can be in provisional detention for 15 days, renewable for up to 90 days. Rwandas prosecutor general, Aimable Havugiyaremye, told the AP that Rusesabagina is still being interrogated and a court date is yet to be announced. Rusesabaginas legal team has filed a complaint with the United Nations special rapporteur on torture, and the office is moving forward with their procedures, Endless said. The office told the AP it could not comment. ___ Ignatius Ssuuna in Kigali, Rwanda, contributed. TUPELO, Miss. (AP) Criminal charges have been dropped against a former Mississippi deputy sheriff, who was accused of falsifying time cards and threatening the sheriff. The indictments against former Lee County deputy sheriff Mike Mayhew were dropped Tuesday with prejudice, The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal reported. Mayhews lawyer Victor Fleitas said the charges were a purely personal and political prosecution by Lee County Sheriff Jim Johnson. Fleitas also said that Attorney General Lynn Fitchs office dropped the charges because the case lacked prosecutable merit. Mayhew worked for the sheriffs office for a decade. He was forced to resign from the department in 2017 after being charged with submitting false documents. Johnson previously said Mayhew defrauded the department several thousand dollars by submitting fake time cards. Mayhew was charged with threatening Johnson last year. Mayhew told another deputy that Johnson deserved a whipping after Johnson told state officials that Mayhew submitted time sheets for work he didnt do. The state considered the statement as a threat and filed charges. Mayhew said he was exercising his right to free speech. Shares of Vodafone Idea declined over 4 per cent in intraday trade on the Bombay Stock Exchange on Friday even after a report said that the telecom major was planning to raise Rs 35,000 crore. The cash-strapped telecom operator will raise Rs 25,000 crore through share sale and debt and Rs 10,000 crore via sale of fibre business and data centre. Last Friday, Vodafone Idea said in a regulatory filing that its board of directors had approved plans to raise up to Rs 25,000 crore through a combination of equity and debt instruments. Its board also decided to "issue of unsecured and/or secured, non-convertible debentures up to an aggregate amount of Rs 15,000 crore, by way of public offering or private placement basis or otherwise, in one or more tranches." "The total raising of funds shall not exceed Rs 25,000 crore," Vodafone Idea said in a BSE filing. The fundraising are subject to shareholders' nod and other requisite approvals. Also Read: Vodafone Idea stock is just Rs 12 and the firm has big plans! Should you invest? According to a CNBC-TV18 report, Vodafone Idea plans to raise another Rs 10,000 crore through the sale of fibre business and data centre and it has already cleared the appointment of merchant bankers for data centre sale. As per the report, the company wants to complete the sale of both the fibre and data centre assets by the end of the year. The funding will provide a lifeline to the debt-ridden telecom firm, which owes Rs 58,254 crore to the government in licence fee, spectrum usage charges, interest and penalties. Of this, the company has paid Rs 7,854 crore. In a recent ruling on the ARG case, the Supreme Court had asked telcom companies, including Airtel, Vodafone Idea and others, to pay 10 per cent of the AGR-related dues upfront and set a 10-year payment timeline for the rest of the amount. Also Read: AGR dues: Vodafone Idea's annual installment pegged at Rs 7,853 crore over 10 years According to SBICap Securities, debt-laden Vodafone Idea, which owes more than Rs 50,000 crore in AGR related dues, will have to pay annual AGR installments at Rs 7,853 crore for ten years. Given the fragile financial health of Vodafone Idea, it is going to be difficult for the operator to make 10 per cent upfront payment or annual installments over 10 years. The company's reserves and surplus account have been completely eroded by revenue loss in last one year. The country's third largest telecom operator posted a staggering net loss of Rs 73,878 crore in financial year ended March 2020, the highest ever by any Indian firm, followed by loss of Rs 25,460 crore in the first quarter ended June 30, 2020. Also Read: Vi to increase prices? Vodafone Idea CEO Ravinder Takkar says tariff hike important Meanwhile, shares of Vodafone Idea closed day's trade at Rs 11.13, down 2.54 per cent, against previous closing price of Rs 11.42 on the BSE. By Chitranjan Kumar Researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) have conducted a study that has determined the role that a critical protein plays in the development of hair cells. These hair cells are vital for hearing. Some of these cells amplify sounds that come into the ear, and others transform sound waves into electrical signals that travel to the brain. Ronna Hertzano, MD, PhD, Associate Professor in the Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery at UMSOM and Maggie Matern, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow at Stanford University, demonstrated that the protein, called GFI1, may be critical for determining whether an embryonic hair cell matures into a functional adult hair cell or becomes a different cell that functions more like a nerve cell or neuron. The study was published in the journal Development, and was conducted by physician-scientists and researchers at the UMSOM Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery and the UMSOM Institute for Genome Sciences (IGS), in collaboration with researchers at the Sackler School of Medicine at Tel Aviv University in Israel. Hearing relies on the proper functioning of specialized cells within the inner ear called hair cells. When the hair cells do not develop properly or are damaged by environmental stresses like loud noise, it results in a loss of hearing function. In the United States, the prevalence of hearing loss doubles with every 10-year increase in age, affecting about half of all adults in their 70s and about 80 percent of those who are over age 85. Researchers have been focusing on describing the developmental steps that lead to a functional hair cell, in order to potentially generate new hair cells when old ones are damaged. Hair cells in the inner ear To conduct her latest study, Dr. Hertzano and her team utilized cutting-edge methods to study gene expression in the hair cells of genetically modified newborn mice that did not produce GFI1. They demonstrated that, in the absence of this vital protein, embryonic hair cells failed to progress in their development to become fully functional adult cells. In fact, the genes expressed by these cells indicated that they were likely to develop into neuron-like cells. "Our findings explain why GFI1 is critical to enable embryonic cells to progress into functioning adult hair cells," said Dr. Hertzano. "These data also explain the importance of GFI1 in experimental protocols to regenerate hair cells from stem cells. These regenerative methods have the potential of being used for patients who have experienced hearing loss due to age or environmental factors like exposure to loud noise." Dr. Hertzano first became interested in GFI1 while completing her M.D., Ph.D. at Tel Aviv University. As part of her dissertation, she discovered that the hearing loss resulting from mutations in another protein called POU4F3 appeared to largely result from a loss of GFI1 in the hair cells. Since then, she has been conducting studies to discover the role of GFI1 and other proteins in hearing. Other research groups in the field are now testing these proteins to determine whether they can be used as a "cocktail" to regenerate lost hair cells and restore hearing. "Hearing research has been going through a Renaissance period, not only from advances in genomics and methodology, but also thanks to its uniquely collaborative nature among researchers," said Dr. Herzano. The new study was funded by the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) which is part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). It was also funded by the Binational Scientific Foundation (BSF). "This is an exciting new finding that underscores the importance of basic research to lay the foundation for future clinical innovations," said E. Albert Reece, MD, PhD, MBA, Executive Vice President for Medical Affairs, UM Baltimore, and the John Z. and Akiko K. Bowers Distinguished Professor and Dean, University of Maryland School of Medicine. "Identifying the complex pathways that lead to normal hearing could prove to be the key for reversing hearing loss in millions of Americans." ### About the University of Maryland School of Medicine Now in its third century, the University of Maryland School of Medicine was chartered in 1807 as the first public medical school in the United States. It continues today as one of the fastest growing, top-tier biomedical research enterprises in the world -- with 45 academic departments, centers, institutes, and programs; and a faculty of more than 3,000 physicians, scientists, and allied health professionals, including members of the National Academy of Medicine and the National Academy of Sciences, and a distinguished two-time winner of the Albert E. Lasker Award in Medical Research. With an operating budget of more than $1.2 billion, the School of Medicine works closely in partnership with the University of Maryland Medical Center and Medical System to provide research-intensive, academic and clinically based care for nearly 2 million patients each year. The School of Medicine has more than $540 million in extramural funding, with most of its academic departments highly ranked among all medical schools in the nation in research funding. As one of the seven professional schools that make up the University of Maryland, Baltimore campus, the School of Medicine has a total population of nearly 9,000 faculty and staff, including 2,500 student trainees, residents, and fellows. The combined School of Medicine and Medical System ("University of Maryland Medicine") has an annual budget of nearly $6 billion and an economic impact more than $15 billion on the state and local community. The School of Medicine faculty, which ranks as the 8th highest among public medical schools in research productivity, is an innovator in translational medicine, with 600 active patents and 24 start-up companies. The School of Medicine works locally, nationally, and globally, with research and treatment facilities in 36 countries around the world. Visit medschool.umaryland.edu A German federal court has rejected a former nurses appeal over his murder conviction and life sentence for killing 85 patients by deliberately bringing about cardiac arrests. Niels Hoegel was convicted by a court in the city of Oldenburg in June 2019. The Federal Court of Justice said it had thrown out his appeal, finding no procedural or other errors with the verdict. Hoegel injected patients with overdoses of drugs because he enjoyed the feeling of being able to resuscitate them. Sometimes he succeeded in bringing them back, but in at least 87 cases the patients died, making him what is believed to be modern Germanys most prolific serial killer. Expand Close Niels Hoegel was tried in Oldenburg on 100 counts of murder (Mohssen Assanimoghaddam/dpa via AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Niels Hoegel was tried in Oldenburg on 100 counts of murder (Mohssen Assanimoghaddam/dpa via AP) Last years verdict came on top of a 2015 conviction for two murders and two attempted murders, for which he was already serving a life sentence. The trial court noted in its verdict the particular seriousness of Hoegels crimes, a finding that all but ensures he will remain incarcerated after the 15 years of a life sentence typically served in Germany is up. Hoegel worked at a hospital in Oldenburg between 1999 and 2002 and at another hospital in nearby Delmenhorst from 2003 to 2005. The killings at issue in last years trial took place between 2002 and 2005. In all, Hoegel was tried in Oldenburg on 100 counts of murder, but the court found him not guilty on 15 counts for lack of evidence. Pleas are not entered in the German system but during the seven-month trial, Hoegel admitted to 43 of the killings, disputed five and said he could not remember the other 52. The federal court also rejected an appeal from a co-plaintiff against Hoegels acquittal in one of the cases where the court could not find sufficient evidence. BEIJING, Sept. 10 (Xinhua) -- A 100-episode documentary to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China (CPC) started filming in Beijing on Thursday. The documentary has selected 100 historical events over the course of China's revolution, modernization, reform, and rejuvenation to showcase the glorious history and achievements of the CPC. Jointly produced by the Institute of Party History and Literature of the CPC Central Committee, National Radio and Television Administration, and Jiangsu Provincial Committee of the CPC, the documentary is scheduled to be broadcast in April 2021. The production is expected to inspire the audience, especially the younger generation, to strive to realize the Chinese Dream of national rejuvenation, said Qu Qingshan, head of the institute. TORONTO, Sept. 11, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ascendant Resources Inc. (TSX: ASND) ("Ascendant" or the "Company) is pleased to announce the voting results of the Companys 2020 Annual Shareholders Meeting (the Meeting) held earlier today, September 11, 2020 in Toronto, Ontario. A total of 22,195,340 common shares were voted at the Meeting, representing 27.21% of the votes attached to all outstanding common shares of the Company. All matters presented for shareholder approval at the Meeting were duly authorized and approved as follows: To set the number of Directors to be elected at seven. Election of Directors. To re-appoint KPMG LLP as the Companys auditors for the ensuing year. Detailed voting results for the election of directors were as follows: Name Shares Voted For % Shares Withheld/Abstain % Mark Brennan 18,734,570 93.36 1,332,539 6.64 Chris Buncic 18,734,570 93.36 1,332,539 6.64 Stephen Shefsky 18,734,570 93.36 1,332,539 6.64 Robert Campbell 19,034,570 94.85 1,032,539 5.15 Petra Decher 19,042,770 94.90 1,024,339 5.10 Rui Botica Santos 19,044,503 94.90 1,022,606 5.10 Kurt Menchen 19,042,770 94.90 1,024,339 5.10 For further details regarding the voting results of the 2020 Meeting, please refer to the Companys Report of Voting Results filed on SEDAR at www.sedar.com . About Ascendant Resources Inc. Ascendant Resources Inc. is a Toronto-based mining company focused on the exploration and development of the highly prospective Lagoa Salgada VMS project located on the prolific Iberian Pyrite Belt in Portugal. Through focused exploration and aggressive development plans, the Company aims to unlock the inherent potential of the project, maximizing value creation for shareholders. Lagoa Salgada contains over 12.8 million tonnes of M&I Resources and over 10.3 million tonnes in Inferred Resources and demonstrates typical mineralization characteristics of Iberian Pyrite Belt VMS deposits containing zinc, copper, lead, tin, silver and gold. Extensive exploration upside potential lies both near deposit and at prospective step-out targets across the large 10,700ha property concession. The project also demonstrates compelling economics with scalability for future resource growth in the results of the Preliminary Economic Assessment completed in 2020. Located just 80km from Lisbon, Lagoa Salgada is easily accessible by road and surrounded by exceptional Infrastructure. Ascendant holds a 21.25% interest in the Lagoa Salgada project through its 25% position in Redcorp - Empreendimentos Mineiros, Lda, (Redcorp) and has an earn-in opportunity to increase its interest in the project to 80%. Mineral & Financial Investments Limited owns the additional 75% of Redcorp. The remaining 15% of the project is held by Empresa de Desenvolvimento Mineiro, S.A. (EDM), a Portuguese Government owned company supporting the strategic development of the countrys mining sector. The Companys interest in the Lagoa Salgada project offers a low-cost entry to a potentially significant exploration and development opportunity, already demonstrating its mineable scale. Ascendant Resources is also engaged in the ongoing evaluation of producing and development stage mineral resource opportunities. The Corporation's common shares are principally listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol "ASND". For more information on Ascendant Resources, please visit our website at www.ascendantresources.com. Neither the Toronto Stock Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. For further information please contact: VICTORIA - British Columbia's provincial health officer says she does not foresee a scenario where the entire public school system will have to shut down again because of COVID-19. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 10/9/2020 (497 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry answers questions during a press conference to update on the province's fall pandemic preparedness plan from the press theatre at Legislature in Victoria, Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chad Hipolito VICTORIA - British Columbia's provincial health officer says she does not foresee a scenario where the entire public school system will have to shut down again because of COVID-19. Dr. Bonnie Henry said during a briefing Thursday that local outbreaks may require individual schools or learning groups to stop classes and self-isolate, but a system-wide closure would only happen under severe circumstances. "That would mean that we were in dire straits in many other aspects of our community and that's what we're trying absolutely to avoid," Henry said. Henry made the comments as British Columbia reached a record of daily COVID-19 cases on the same day that schools reopened across the province. Officials announced 139 new cases for a provincial total of 6,830 since the pandemic began. There were no new deaths and the total number of fatalities remains at 213. Henry said she understands the first day of school can be an anxious event, especially this year during a global pandemic, but she adds that British Columbia's community transmission rate remains relatively low. She said public health teams are ready to support schools, which will be alerted as soon as there is a potential exposure. "Living with COVID-19 in our communities is the challenge we are going to face for the next months, maybe years, and we need to continue to find a balance," Henry said. "This is our time to be steady in our actions and ready for what lies ahead." The level of communication about a school case will vary based on transmission and the protocol for alerts will be posted on the B.C. Centre for Disease Control's website, she said. Health officials are expecting COVID-19 cases at schools, but not all will be considered outbreaks. "We know that we'll have cases that pop up and we've seen that in other provinces where schools have started," Henry said, adding that's why daily self-screening for symptoms is so important. If there's no transmission or exposure possibility at the school, then it's not considered an outbreak, she said. Local health officials will work with the school authorities to ensure families are aware of a possible case, but it may not require anyone else to stay home. If there is a possible exposure at a school, it could mean part of a learning group must self-quarantine depending on the type of exposure and number of people involved. The public will be alerted to any outbreaks in schools, she said. As an example of what might prompt a full school closure, Henry described a scenario where so many adults are sick or self-isolating that there isn't enough staff to safely operate it. "We've seen that happen with influenza outbreaks, we've seen that happen in other parts of the world where schools reopened," Henry said. "Those are the things we want to avoid." Hospitalizations for COVID-19 have also risen to 42, with 14 of those people in intensive care. Although the health-care system is well equipped to handle that number of cases, Henry warned that the rise in cases suggests more vulnerable adults are becoming infected. Provincial figures have shown the majority of British Columbians infected with COVID-19 are in their 20s and 30s. "As more people become ill with this, even if they're mostly younger, we are starting to see that spill over into long-term care homes where people work and have contact with older family members and others in our community," she said. Stay informed The latest updates on the novel coronavirus and COVID-19 delivered to your inbox every weeknight. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. "That is the warning sign for us, they go together." Health Minister Adrian Dix gave a guideline for social gatherings this fall, whether in restaurants or at home parties. "Stick to six," he said, adding the group should be even smaller for small apartments. "Remember to choose from the same six people, not multiple groups." By Amy Smart in Vancouver. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 10, 2020. Politicians love pretending theres no place for politics in pandemics. Except when they play politics. Most of the political players across the country are mostly doing the right thing whether right-wing, left-wing or down the middle. Yet its only too human for politicians to revert to their partisan and parochial instincts, even with COVID-19. Whether soothing us or scaring us, uniting us or upsetting us, its hard to take the politics out of the politician. That said, the most blatant example of parochialism trumping public safety came this week when Quebecs Francois Legault visited Premier Doug Ford in Toronto. Legault boasts one of the highest approval ratings among premiers, despite his province bearing Canadas highest rate of infections and deaths per capita. Perhaps thats because he knows how to play off Quebecs insecurities and blind spots belatedly embracing face coverings (medical masks) this year after bashing face coverings and head coverings (the hijab and niqab) last year. Ford had publicly urged his good friend Legault to embrace the COVID Alert contract tracing app for smartphones. Approved by privacy experts, its a no-brainer that should be pitched by every serious politician yet Legault wouldnt be caught dead trying to save lives this way. Exhausted by his exhortations, Ford quietly passed the microphone to Legault at their joint news conference and watched him duck rather than stick his neck out: For now, theres a kind of consensus at the National Assembly in Quebec that we don't want to go this way because of personal data, Legault mused. If there are genuine privacy concerns, why would Ontario and federal officials (not to mention their privacy commissioners) have given it the green light without complaint weeks ago? Legault had no good answer, because this is a question of Quebec chauvinism versus safety. In truth, the premier had pinned his hopes on a homegrown Quebec app that has been stalled by serious privacy problems. In the same breath as he erected barriers to COVID Alert, he waxed eloquent about the need to fight trade barriers across the continent. Tariff-free exports of Quebec products may be critical, but freer cross-border transmission of COVID-19 without the life-saving app is hypocritical. Never mind that Legault is the incoming chair of the Council of the Federation, a fancy title for the annual forum of provincial premiers that makes customary monetary demands of Ottawa. After shutting out the pan-Canadian COVID Alert, Legault reverted to shaking down the federal government for more health-care funding amid rising COVID-19 costs. Yet he inadvertently hurt his own case by reminiscing about how he used to compare notes on funding shortfalls with Ontarios Tony Clement when they both served as health ministers for their respective provinces. What he didnt say was that Clement went on to serve federally with former Ontario finance minister Jim Flaherty whereupon they both put a lid on federal transfers to the provinces. The point is that in all the sterile quarrels about who pays what, where you stand not only depends on where you sit, but where you run (for office). A similar blame game over funding shortfalls and political fundraising is taking place against the backdrop of back-to-school and the deadly serious work of protecting lives. Much has been written and there will be more to be said next week about the strengths and weaknesses of Ontarios plan. But how it looks depends on where youre watching from. Ontario NDP Leader Andrea Horwath has asked tough questions of Fords classroom plan fair enough, its part of her job description in the Official Opposition but that doesnt mean parents and teachers shouldnt also put her comments in context. Would an NDP government in Ontario do much better? One way to answer that question is to look at how B.C.s New Democrats have done in power not as strict on mandating masks, and not any better in terms of keeping teachers or parents happy. Equally, Ontario Liberal Leader Steven Del Duca has attacked the government for not adopting his own alternative plan, which calls for billions of dollars in additional funding. Whether or not theyd be any better in power than Fords Tories, its worth noting that Quebecs Liberals are seriously envious of Ontarios plan as evidenced by a tweet last month from MNA Gregory Kelley: Ontario is taking #backtoschoolsafely seriously, the Quebec Liberal observed. Ford is miles ahead of us in protecting kids, teachers & support staff. Money has been invested for distance learning, school ventilation and PPE for staff. Thats not to say Fords plan is perfect far from it, and very much a work in progress. Opposition critics have every right to point out the wrongs they see. Thats not making a mountain out of a molehill, but when you try to make mountains of money out of it, the context changes. Much like Fords Tories, all major parties are making increasingly blatant fundraising pitches and sending out emails urging people to write in with their concerns and reactions thus capturing their contact details for followup donations. That politicians are slowly returning to business (and fundraising) as usual isnt the end of the world. To the contrary, it may be a precursor to a post-pandemic world. Politics, like life, goes on. Read more about: US President Donald Trump on Thursday said that if he is re-elected in the November elections, Iran will ink a deal with him in the first month and Palestine will get back into the fold as he asserted that his second term will bring in lasting peace in the Middle East. Next week, Trump will host delegations from Israel and the United Arab Emirates for a signing ceremony of the historic peace deal between the two countries that establishes diplomatic ties among them. Encouraged by the Israel-UAE peace deal, countries in the region are lining up that want to go into it, he said. As you know, UAE is headed by a very, very highly respected gentleman and respected by everybody. And hes a warrior too. Hes a great warrior. And Mohammed is very excited about this. And youll be hearing other countries coming in over a relatively short period of time, he said. You could have peace in the Middle East. I think what, ultimately, will happen is youre going to have quite a few countries come in. The big ones are going to be coming in. I spoke to the King of Saudi Arabia, so were talking. Were starting a we just started the dialogue. And youll have them come in, he added. Trump said that two things are going to happen if he wins the elections in November. If we win the election, Iran will come and sign a deal with us very, very rapidly, within the first week, but lets give ourselves a month because their GDP went down 25 per cent, which is, like, an unheard of number, and theyd like to be able to get back to having a successful country again. So, I think, thatll happen, he said. And I think, very importantly, the Palestinians will get back into the fold. When they see all of these countries that, frankly, have been supporters of the Palestinians very big supporters and, certainly, financial supporters," Trump said. The US used to pay the Palestinians USD 750 million a year, he said, adding that he ended that some time ago on the basis that they didnt seem to want to make peace. We will think about it once we have a deal, but Ive ended that quite a while ago. Im frankly surprised they havent been to the table earlier," he said. But this is the best way. This is a way thats going to be great. This can really bring the Middle East together, Trump said. She announced her engagement to her boyfriend of five years, James Dunmore, on Tuesday. And Lucy Watson was still on cloud nine as she shared a bikini snap from the couple's romantic Greek getaway on Instagram on Friday. The former Made In Chelsea star, 29, displayed her washboard abs in a grey sequin two piece, while captioning the image: 'Sparkles to match my mood.' Cloud nine: Lucy Watson displayed her washboard abs in a grey sequin bikini as she shared a snap from the couple's romantic Greek getaway on Instagram on Friday The reality TV personality displayed her golden complexion as she reclined on a lounger under the Mediterranean sun. Earlier in the week, the brunette beauty shared a sweet image next to her beau, 31, on a romantic boat trip and wrote in the caption: 'heres to forever,' accompanied by an engagement ring emoji. Toasting to the occasion with glasses of champagne, the vegan restaurateur enthused she was having 'the best day ever' as they watched the sun set. Engaged! The former Made In Chelsea star, 29, got engaged during her romantic getaway to Greece - with her fiance James Dunmore, 31, popping the question earlier this week Lucy looked stunning in a brown bikini as she kissed and cuddled shirtless James on the watercraft. The reality star's younger sister Tiffany, 26, congratulated the pair on their holiday engagement, and commented: 'SO HAPPY. Congratulations both of you.' Her former MIC co-star Nicola Hughes, 30, added: 'Ive been ecstatic all day. SO HAPPY.' Where it all began: Lucy and James have been going strong since meeting on the E4 series in 2015 following her ill-fated flings with Andy Jordan, Jamie Laing and Spencer Matthews Lucy and James have been going strong ever since meeting on the E4 series back in 2015. Prior to her relationship with her husband-to-be, Lucy's ill-fated flings with Andy Jordan, Jamie Laing, Spencer Matthews and Oliver Proudlock all featured on the show. The loved-up duo left the show just a year after embarking on a relationship and bought their first home in London in August 2017. They spent nearly 12 months renovating their Victorian home, an experience Lucy previously insisted was 'great' for their romance. Indian and Chinese military commanders will meet in the next few days to discuss comprehensive disengagement from all friction points in Ladakh as the first step towards de-escalation. This is the crucial outcome of a terse meeting between external affairs minister (EAM) S Jaishankar and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi. The immediate task is to ensure a comprehensive disengagement of troops in all friction areas so that there are no untoward incidents in future. The final disposition of the troop deployment to their permanent posts and the phasing of the process is to be worked out by military commanders on the ground. That de-escalation should follow comprehensive disengagement was agreed to by State Councillor Wang Yi, said a senior government official. Also read | India forging key ties, with an eye on China While state councillor and Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi wanted the bilateral ties to continue on a parallel track with on-going border friction in East Ladakh, he had no answers to probing questions from EAM Jaishankar who asked him about the immense build-up by Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) in occupied Aksai Chin. At present, the PLA has deployed more than 50,000 men, 150 aircraft, tanks and missiles to pressurize Indian Army on the LAC. External affairs minister (EAM) held a detailed discussion with the state councilor and foreign minister of China Wang Yi in Moscow on 10 September 2020 on the current tensions in the India-China border areas. The meeting lasted two and half hours. Jaishankar underlined that since the resumption of Ambassadorial level relations in 1976 and holding of boundary talks since 1981, India-China relations have developed on a largely positive trajectory. While there have been incidents from time to time, peace and tranquility has largely prevailed in the border areas. As a result, India-China cooperation also developed in a broad range of domains, giving the relationship a more substantive character. While the Indian side recognized that a solution to the boundary question required time and effort, it was also clear that the maintenance of peace and tranquility on the border areas was essential to the forward development of ties. The recent incidents in eastern Ladakh, however, inevitably impacted the development of the bilateral relationship. Therefore, an urgent resolution of the current situation was in the interest of both nations. In the meeting, the Indian side highlighted its strong concern at the massing of Chinese troops with equipment along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). The presence of such large concentration of troops was not in accordance with the 1993 and 1996 Agreements and created flash points along the LAC. The Chinese side has not provided a credible explanation for this deployment. The provocative behavior of Chinese frontline troops at numerous incidents of friction along the LAC also showed disregard for bilateral agreements and protocols. The Indian side clearly conveyed that it expected full adherence to all agreements on management of border areas and would not countenance any attempt to change the status quo unilaterally. It was also emphasized that the Indian troops had scrupulously followed all agreements and protocols pertaining to the management of the border areas. At the end of their discussions, the ministers reached an agreement on five points that will guide their approach to the current situation. External affairs minister (EAM) held a detailed discussion with the state councilor and foreign minister of China Wang Yi in Moscow on 10 September 2020 on the current tensions in the India-China border areas. The meeting lasted two and half hours.Jaishankar underlined that since the resumption of Ambassadorial level relations in 1976 and holding of boundary talks since 1981, India-China relations have developed on a largely positive trajectory. While there have been incidents from time to time, peace and tranquility has largely prevailed in the border areas. As a result, India-China cooperation also developed in a broad range of domains, giving the relationship a more substantive character. While the Indian side recognized that a solution to the boundary question required time and effort, it was also clear that the maintenance of peace and tranquility on the border areas was essential to the forward development of ties. The recent incidents in eastern Ladakh, however, inevitably impacted the development of the bilateral relationship. Therefore, an urgent resolution of the current situation was in the interest of both nations.In the meeting, the Indian side highlighted its strong concern at the massing of Chinese troops with equipment along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). The presence of such large concentration of troops was not in accordance with the 1993 and 1996 Agreements and created flash points along the LAC. The Chinese side has not provided a credible explanation for this deployment. The provocative behavior of Chinese frontline troops at numerous incidents of friction along the LAC also showed disregard for bilateral agreements and protocols. The Indian side clearly conveyed that it expected full adherence to all agreements on management of border areas and would not countenance any attempt to change the status quo unilaterally. It was also emphasized that the Indian troops had scrupulously followed all agreements and protocols pertaining to the management of the border areas.At the end of their discussions, the ministers reached an agreement on five points that will guide their approach to the current situation. According to authoritative government sources, Jaishankar made it very clear to councillor Wang that positive bilateral ties in the past two decades were due to peace on the border and the PLA build-up had a direct implication on the relationship between two countries. Jaishankar put across to Wang that good things in bilateral relations were due to peaceful borders, just as the relations will deteriorate if the borders are not quiet, said a senior official. Although state councillor Wang could not explain the sudden PLA build-up in the area in contravention with the 1993-96 agreement, he only talked about thinning of troops in the depth areas. Also read | India bulks up amid provocation by Chinas Peoples Liberation Army The five-point joint statement are the issues on which the two sides agreed for disengagement on the border. The statement issued by the Chinese foreign ministry is their perception of the dialogue which was not agreed to by the Indian side. EAM Jaishankar said that the two sides should abide by the past agreements and protocols to make the border peaceful, said an official from Moscow. However, EAM Jaishankar was candid enough to tell his Chinese counterpart that there was no point of thinning troops in the depth areas when the front-line troops are at each others throats. The two ministers will now go back to the respective political leadership to get directions issued that comprehensive disengagement from all friction points will be the first step towards restoring peace to the border. Given the upgrade of Chinese infrastructure in border areas as compared to India, the mutual disengagement is a must before thinning in-depth or else the PLA will occupy dominant heights on Line of Actual Control (LAC) faster than Indian Army, said an official. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Air India is intending to operate a special evacuation charter flight to facilitate the return of stranded Indian nationals from Basra in Iraq to New Delhi on September 17 under the Vande Bharat Mission, the Indian Embassy in Baghdad said on Thursday. All stranded Indian nationals desirous of travelling to Indian are requested to register themselves with the Embassy afresh and forward the mandatory undertaking form by the evening of September 12, the Indian Embassy said in a statement. All the travellers are also required to visit https://www.newdelhiairport.in/airsuvidha/apho-registration to submit a self-declaration form at least 72 hours before the scheduled travel and https://www.newdelhiairport.in/airsuvidha/covid-19-exemption-international-passenger for applying for exemption from quarantine. The Indian Embassy said an update regarding the purchase of tickets will be made in due course of time. The Vande Bharat Mission started in early May to evacuate Indians stranded abroad due to coronavirus-induced travel restrictions. Currently, the sixth phase of the mission is underway from September 1 till October 24. (This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.) Follow more stories on Facebook and Twitter Rights group says the lack of lawful proceedings to arrest Paul Rusesabagina suggests lack of evidence against him. The shadowy arrest of a Rwandan government critic who inspired the Hollywood film Hotel Rwanda amounted to an enforced disappearance, Human Rights Watch (HRW) has said, demanding a full account of how he returned to the country. Paul Rusesabagina became famous globally after the 2004 Oscar-nominated movie depicted how he sheltered more than 1,000 Tutsis at a luxury hotel he managed during Rwandas 1994 genocide, in which some 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus were slaughtered. The 66-year-old moved abroad after the bloodshed and won worldwide acclaim and multiple honours. During that period, Rusesabagina whose father was Hutu but mother and wife were Tutsi became increasingly critical of the government of President Paul Kagame, who came to power in 1994 when he led troops into Rwanda to end the genocide. More than 10 days ago, Rusesabagina was suddenly paraded in front of media in handcuffs at the headquarters of the Rwanda Investigation Bureau in the capital, Kigali, accused of murder, terrorism and financing rebels. Rwandan police said Rusesabagina was arrested on an international warrant. His family disputed that, arguing he was kidnapped while on a trip to Dubai. Rwanda has an established track record of using unlawful, cloak-and-dagger methods to target those it perceives to be a threat to the ruling party, Lewis Mudge, Central Africa director at HRW, said in a statement on Friday. The fact that Rwanda did not pursue Rusesabagina through lawful extradition proceedings suggests the authorities do not believe their evidence or fair trial guarantees would stand up to scrutiny before an independent tribunal, and so opted to circumvent the rule of law. The New York-based rights group said that based on its research examining publicly available information, Rusesabagina was in the custody of Rwandan authorities or their proxies as of the night of August 27 but his detention was not acknowledged by the Rwandans until August 31 meaning he was forcibly disappeared, an international crime, for at least three days. But President Paul Kagame has denied Rusesabagina was kidnapped, suggesting he had been deceived into returning. He got here on the basis of what he believed he wanted to do and he found himself here, Kagame said on Sunday. It is like you are dialling somebody you want to talk to and find that youve called the wrong number. That is how it happened. It was actually flawless, he added. Appearing in a televised broadcast, the president suggested that Rusesabagina was told a story that met his expectations and ended up in Rwanda. How he got here was more to do with himself than anybody else, Kagame said. And he will say it; when the time comes, he will tell the people what happened. It is not clear when Rusesabagina will appear in court. Rwandan law says a suspect can be in provisional detention for 15 days, renewable for up to 90 days. Kagame said Rusesabaginas trial will be held openly and conducted fairly. We are obligated to do this, he said. We want to do things in a right way. Armed wing Kagame and some genocide survivors have disputed Rusesabaginas account of rescuing Tutsis or accused him of exploiting the genocide for commercial gain. Rusesabagina has denied exaggerating his role. A Belgian citizen who lived in the United States, Rusesabagina started an opposition group, the Rwandan Movement for Democratic Change (MRCD), which is said to have an armed wing called the National Liberation Front (FLN). In multiple speeches, Rusesabagina has expressed support for the FLN which has been linked to attacks and is described as a terrorist organisation by Rwanda but the extent of his involvement in its actions is unclear. In December 2018, Rusesabagina posted a video on YouTube denouncing Kagame. The time has come for us to use any means possible to bring about change in Rwanda as all political means have been tried and failed, he said. Rwandan people can no longer stand the cruelty. In its statement, HRW called for Rwanda to immediately grant him access to lawyers of his own choosing and to urgently provide a complete and corroborated account of how Rusesabagina was apprehended and transferred to Rwanda. The gravity of the charges against Rusesabagina do not give Rwandan authorities free rein to resort to the crime of enforced disappearance and ignore due process and international fair trial standards, said Mudge. In a 2017 report, HRW documented mulltiple cases of unlawful detentions and torture in military detention centres from 2010-2016, for those suspected of collaborating with so-called enemies of the Rwandan goverment led by Kagame. Would you be surprised to learn that some of Portlands tastiest fried springs rolls come from a new Senegalese food cart? Then you dont know nems. A legacy of French colonialism, spring rolls were brought to West Africa by the Vietnamese brides of Senegalese soldiers returning from the Indochina War. The crunchy snacks are now among the most popular street foods in Dakar. At Kabbas Kitchen, one of just a tiny handful of West African restaurants in Portland, chef-owner Kabba Saidikhan carries on this tradition, wrapping ground beef and chicken with glass noodles in egg roll wrappers (the see-through rice paper used in Senegal is a bit too sticky for the cart, she says), then deep fries each roll to a golden crunch. Saidikhan moved from Senegal to Vancouver, Wash. in 1996, back when Portlands most famous West African restaurant was the North Park Blocks' Baobab, which closed in the early 2000s. Urged on by friends, relatives and other fans of her cooking, Saidikhan decided to test out the food cart waters last year. Kabbas Kitchen opened on Northeast Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard in May. As it happens, the former cheesesteak cart Saidikhan bought sits on the same block as Akadi, Ivory Coast-born chef Fatou Ouattaras three-year-old restaurant. (Black Star Grill, a Ghanaian food cart formerly parked near Portland State University, is currently on hiatus as owner Enoch Aggrey looks for a new home). I had heard of the name Akadi, but i never really went there," Saidikhan says. "But once we bought the cart, and signed all the papers, I was introducing myself to one of the ladies that runs a cart here, Kee (Kees Loaded Kitchen owner Kiauna Nelson), and she says, 'Do you know theres a West African restaurant right there? And so we drove around the corner, and my husband goes, Look, theres the restaurant right there! Fataya and nems from Kabba's Kitchen.The Oregonian Theres some menu overlap between the two businesses, including a whole fish preparation (a signature at Akadi) and the Senegalese favorite mafe, a creamy peanut sauce tossed with beef (Kabbas is nice). But as Saidikhan points out, there are plenty of differences as well. We both serve West African. They serve Ivory Coast/Ghanaian. We serve Senegambian, Saidikhan says, combining Senegal and Gambia, her familys interlocking home countries. Africa is so big, you know, theres a variety of food. As for those fried spring rolls, Saidikhan hopes customers focus instead on another appetizer. She points to her fataya, a fried meat pie with ground meat, potatoes, onion, herbs and spices, which has deeper Senegalese roots. 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., Monday-Saturday; 3625 N.E. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.; 503-438-6770; https://kabbas-kitchen.business.site. 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. Students, parents and teachers across the country are all struggling to navigate school in the age of coronavirus. But for special education classrooms, including students with learning differences as well as developmental and physical disabilities, the challenges are even greater and sometimes, insurmountable. In March, when her 10-year-old son's school abruptly sent students home, Caren, a mom in Wayne, New Jersey, quickly realized she was in over her head. Her son Mark has cerebral palsy and a visual impairment and typically receives multiple therapies at school. Caren, a psychology professor who asked that her last name be withheld for family privacy concerns, didn't know where to start. special needs, special education, COVID-19 and schools (Photo by Paul Mango) "When we went to distance learning, I became the one-on-one (aide), I became the special education teacher, I became the speech therapist, the teacher of the visually impaired, the occupational therapist, the physical therapist, the orientation and mobility instructor," she told TODAY Parents. "I don't have training in any of those things. I became all of those literally overnight." Now, as students return to the classroom in person or virtually many parents and teachers worry that the plans just wont work for special education. Distance learning for special education For starters, while distance learning isn't ideal for many general education students, it is usually doable, at least. But many special education students like Mark rely on in-school services such as speech and physical therapy. Or they require hands-on instruction that makes Zoom lessons pointless. Part of what makes special education unique is that teachers create individualized education plans for each student. Thats harder to do when classes are held virtually; teachers have no choice but to turn to a one-size-fits-all model, according to Avram Rips, a special education teacher in Newark, New Jersey. Its going to be very hard for teachers to modify the lessons for one student, he said, adding that he is skeptical of the efficacy of virtual learning for special education in general. "I think administrators are jumping on this technology part rather than human interaction. You're not going to learn about a shape by playing a shape video." Story continues Some teachers told TODAY that their students need help using the bathroom or eating tasks that cant be done at a distance. Or that when their students realize congratulatory high-fives or goodbye hugs are no longer allowed, they'll be disappointed at best, distraught at worst. Consistency and routines are everything Hybrid schedules can prove problematic as well. Special education teachers explained that consistency is hugely important for their students' success. Some depend on routine so fervently that a schedule that asks them to go back and forth between home and school would be disastrous. Many of their parents have simply opted out, knowing that their children wouldn't be able to handle the stress. Add mandated mask wearing and the six-feet rule policies that are difficult enough to enforce with responsible adults, let alone special education students and, for some, the burden of returning to the classroom suddenly outweighs the benefits. "The anxiety alone just isn't worth those two days a week (of in-school learning)," said Rita Ann Molino, whose 18-year-old son, Scotty, has Angelman syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that causes physical and intellectual disabilities. Rita Ann Molino pulled her son Scotty, who has Angelman syndrome, out of school out of concerns related to the virus. (Courtesy Rita Ann Molino) Molino herself was a special education teacher who quit her job this summer when she realized she would need to be home with Scotty. Furthermore, she knew it wouldn't be safe for either of them to be in a school environment and risk contracting the virus. Scotty, like many people with disabilities, has a compromised immune system. If he gets COVID-19, there could be dire consequences. I cant even imagine what this virus would do to him, because I see what the common cold does to him, Molino said. These things that kids just go through and then theyre fine the cold, the flu, a tonsillectomy with kids like my son, we just pray that they wake up from the anesthesia, or that they dont contract some bizarre infection. Watch TODAY All Day! Get the best news, information and inspiration from TODAY, all day long. The fear of losing ground Other parents worry that the damage is already done, regardless of what schools do for fall. NBC News chief foreign correspondent Richard Engel reported last month about how his son Henry has regressed in the months that hes been home and missing therapies due to the coronavirus pandemic. Special needs children need practice to hold on to what theyve learned, he wrote in an essay for TODAY Parents. Without school and therapies, special needs kids are moving backwards. There is a danger COVID is going to set back a whole generation of special needs children. We see it with Henry. Caren shares those worries, as she has watched her son regress educationally and physically over the summer. And even though she knows she is one of the lucky ones her sons school is letting him return four days a week, which helps with routine she is still nervous about what that will look like. She thinks about what her son will do if another student gets too close to him without a mask, for example. Hes in a power wheelchair, so he doesnt have the ability to, say, turn around and run away from someone, she said. He has to physically put a lot of work into moving his arm to his joystick and turning his wheelchair around. But Caren is grateful for Mark to have at least a sliver of normalcy: He said, I want you to go back to being my mom. I dont want you to be my teacher. I said, I totally just want to be your mom, too. So I hope we can go back to that. In the summer of 1975, Gore Vidal was completing 1876, what would be the third novel in his seven-volume Narratives of Empire. He asserted, in the books afterword, that 1876 was probably the low point in our republics history quite a claim from a writer who regarded most of the republics points as being close to rock bottom, and whose readers had just lived through Watergate. His novel allowed Americans to view their bicentennial through the commemorative year of a century before; present-day readers, six years away from the semiquincentennial of the republic (if we can keep it), can discern some of their own grotesque times through the authors vision of 1876. Vidals narrator is the fictional Charles Schermerhorn Schuyler, a widower and very old, he tells us, at the age of 62. An illegitimate son of Aaron Burr (the hero of Vidals previous volume in the series), Schuyler is a diplomat long since turned writer who has spent the last 40 years in Europe. He is now returning to the States with his daughter a titled, 35-year-old widow named Emma because theyve gone broke in the speculative Panic of 73. Beset with heart, lung and mobility problems, Schuyler must hustle like a man decades younger. Just being the New York presss perennial authority on European matters will no longer be enough to keep him afloat. He now needs to chase after the big stories of his native land, from the Philadelphia Centennial Exhibition to the scandals of the Grant administration to the presidential hopes of New Yorks surprisingly honest Democratic governor, Samuel J. Tilden. If Schuyler succeeds pleasing editors and Tildens own circle with his commentaries he may wind up not only financially revived but as ambassador to France. If a year in the States also helps to find a proper new husband for Emma, his happiness will be complete. The real purpose of Schuylers fictional existence is to serve as Vidals eyes and ears, to notice the cultural changes that would strike a man who can remember shaking Andrew Jacksons hand in his youth. Hes aghast over the girth and beardedness and nasality of voice that has befallen the Yankee male. Even that subspecies potency has been sapped something tragical, an Irish prostitute tells Schuyler by the economic panic. Urchins swarm the sidewalks of New York, and dogfighting is a new, dreadful, illegal sport. The citizenry guzzles razzle-dazzle cocktails, and munches a new snack called popcorn. The protocol affectations of Mrs. Astors dinner parties bore Schuyler, but recent polyglot waves of immigration display to him a new world, more like a city from the Arabian Nights than that small staid English-Dutch town or village of my youth. Washingtons rapid modernizations include the finally completed Capitol, floating like a dream carved in whitest soap. Inside it, Schuyler finds the old red hangings and tobacco-stained rugs have been replaced by a delicate gray decor with hints here and there of imperial gilt ornamental foreshadowings of Vidals preoccupation with empire. But in 1876, the theme is corruption, the kind facilitated by the Senate cloakrooms informality: the practical tribune of the people prefers making himself easily accessible to those who want to give him money. The political class, more awash in cologne than soap, literally smells bad, and it howls whenever anyone is honest enough to notice its hands in the till. God save us! cries Mrs. Puss Belknap, the thieving wife of the thieving secretary of war. Vidal speedily animates a whole gallery of political figures the plumed Knight, James G. Blaine; the charmingly venal Chester Arthur; the nobly dyspeptic Tilden as they prepare for what will be the wildly disputed election to choose Grants successor. The contests defining elements the implacable partisan divide; the electorates inability to become aroused against plunder; racial division and anti-immigrant sentiment; the ineffectuality of the better sort of Republicans will hurl readers, allegorically, smack into the present. What citizens of our gerontocracy wont recognize is the general youthfulness of the novels key political figures. Nepal's ruling Communist Party on Friday resolved the protracted differences between Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli and his opponent Pushpa Kamal Dahal "Prachanda" by agreeing to a power-sharing deal, ending the months-long dispute in the party, according to a senior party official. The 13-member powerful Standing Committee meeting held at the Prime Minister's official residence in Baluwatar also decided to resolve the border issue between and India through political and diplomatic means, Communist Party of (CPN) spokesperson Narayan Kaji Shrestha said. During the meeting, the work division between Oli and Prachanda was settled. Prachanda will serve as executive chairman of the party with full power and handle the party's affairs, while Oli will focus on the government affairs, the official said. "The party will be run on the basis of its established guidelines. However, the government is required to hold consultation with the party while deciding on issues of national importance," said Shrestha, adding that the party leadership will not interfere in the day-to-day affairs of the government. It was decided to hold the Unity General Convention of the party in Kathmandu from April 7 to April 12 next year. A meeting of the party's Central Working Committee has been called for October 31. The meeting unanimously endorsed a 15-page proposal prepared by Oli and Prachanda aiming at resolving the intra-party feud in the CPN. The proposal for consensus was prepared by the duo on the basis of a report submitted to them by a party panel that was formed to resolve the internal dispute which had surfaced after the dissident group leaders, including Prachanda, demanded Oli's resignation. Prachanda and senior leader of the party Madhav Kumar had asked for Oli's resignation from both as the party's chairman and as Nepal's prime minister after he accused the dissident leaders of conspiring against him to topple his government. In June, Oli claimed that efforts are being made to oust him after his government redrew the country's political map by incorporating three strategically key Indian territories. India termed as "untenable" the "artificial enlargement" of the territorial claims by Nepal after its Parliament unanimously approved the new political map of the country featuring Lipulekh, Kalapani, and Limpiyadhura areas which India maintains belong to it. The meeting has also decided to resolve the border issue between Nepal and India through political and diplomatic means, Shrestha said. The CPN also decided to amend, and then endorse, the controversial Millennium Challenge Corporation deal signed between the governments of Nepal and the United States in 2017. The leaders of the CPN were divided on whether to approve or not the proposed USD 500 million grant that would be utilised to support the construction of 400 KV transmission lines in Nepal. Truepill, a San Mateo, Calif.-based company building patient experiences through its API-connected healthcare infrastructure, closed a $75m Series C funding. Backers included Oak HC/FT (lead), and existing investors Optum Ventures, TI Platform Management, Sound Ventures and YCombinator. The funds will be used to launch an at-home lab testing network a new service that will further expand the companys ecosystem of direct-to-patient capabilities, which includes Truepill Health telehealth network, pharmacy fulfillment, a custom-built EMR, and more. Led by Umar Afridi, CEO and Co-founder, and Sid Viswanathan, Co-founder and President, Truepill leverages APIs to provide customized B2B solutions for healthcare companies of all sizes, stages and specialties, including many direct-to-consumer health brands. As its customers expand product offerings and enter new markets, Truepill continues enhancing its platform. The company plans to launch its newest service, at-home lab testing, by end of year. By combining at-home testing with telehealth and prescription delivery, the company will enable the diagnosis and management of the largest chronic disease states, including diabetes, heart disease, chronic kidney disease, and more. Its owned and operated pharmacies are located in Hayward, CA, Brooklyn, NY, Redmond, WA, Alhambra, CA, Austin, TX and Manchester, England. Truepill accreditations include URAC accredited mail order pharmacy, URAC accredited specialty pharmacy, NABP, Digital Pharmacy Accreditation and LegitScript. FinSMEs 11/09/2020 For the first time doctors have shown that measuring changes in 24-hour heart rate can reliably indicate whether or not someone is depressed. In practical terms, this may give clinicians an objective "early warning" of potential depression, as well as a rapid indication whether or not treatment is working, so opening the way to more rapid and responsive treatment. Presenting results of this pilot study at the ECNP virtual congress, lead researcher, Dr Carmen Schiweck (Goethe University, Frankfurt) said "Put simply, our pilot study suggests that by just measuring your heart rate for 24 hours, we can tell with 90% accuracy if a person is currently depressed or not". Scientists have known that heart rate is linked to depression, but until now they have been unable to understand exactly how one is related to the other. In part this is because while heart rates can fluctuate quickly, depression both arrives and leaves over a longer period, with most treatments taking months to take effect. This makes it difficult to see whether or not changes in one's depressive state might be related to heart rate. "Two innovative elements in this study were the continuous registration of heart rate for several days and nights, and the use of the new antidepressant ketamine, which can lift depression more or less instantly. This allowed us to see that average resting heart rate may change quite suddenly to reflect the change in mood", said Carmen Schiweck. Ketamine has a history as both an anaesthetic and a party drug (a drug of abuse). However in December last year it was licenced to treat major depression in Europe, after having been introduced in the USA a few months earlier. Traditional antidepressants can take weeks to show an effect, in contrast ketamine is rapid acting, with results often being seen in minutes. As Carmen Schiweck said "We knew that something was going on to link heart rate to psychiatric disorders, but we didn't know what it was, and whether it would have any clinical relevance. In the past researchers had shown that depressed patients had consistently higher heart rates and lower heart rate variability, but because of the time it takes to treat depression it had been difficult to follow up and relate any improvement to heart rate. But when we realized that ketamine leads to a rapid improvement in mood, we knew that we might be able to use it to understand the link between depression and heart rate". Dr Schiweck performed this work in the Mind Body Research group at KU Leuven, Belgium, with Dr Stephan Claes as the principal investigator. The team worked with a small sample of 16 patients with Major Depressive Disorder, none of who had responded to normal treatment, and 16 healthy controls. They measured their heartrates for 4 days and 3 nights, and then the volunteers with depression were given either ketamine treatment or a placebo. "We found that those with depression had both a higher baseline heart rate, and a lower heart rate variation, as we expected. On average we saw that depressed patients had a heart rate which was roughly 10 to 15 beats per minutes higher than in controls. After treatment, we again measured the heart rates and found that both the rate and the heartrate fluctuation of the previously depressed patients had changed to be closer to those found in the controls". The most striking finding was that the scientists were able to use 24-hour heart rate as a "biomarker" for depression. Heart rates were measured using a wearable mini-ECG. The data was fed to an Artificial Intelligence programme, which was able to classify nearly all controls and patients correctly as being depressed or healthy. "Normally heart rates are higher during the day and lower during the night. Interestingly, it seems that the drop in heart rate during the night is impaired in depression. This seems to be a way of identifying patients who are at risk to develop depression or to relapse." said Carmen Schiweck. The team also found that patients with a higher resting heart rate responded better to the treatment with Ketamine, which may help identify which patients are likely to respond to which treatment. Carmen Schiweck said "We need to remember that this is a small proof-of-concept study: 6 of our of our 16 initial patients responded to treatment with at least a 30% reduction on the Hamilton Rating scale for depression, so we need to repeat the work with a larger, anti-depressant free sample. Our next step is to follow up depressed patients and patients who are in remission, to confirm that the changes we see can be used as an early warning system". Commenting, Professor Brenda Penninx of the Department of Psychiatry at Amsterdam University Medical Centre, said: "This is an innovative proof-of-concept study. My own group had previously studied short-term heart rate variability in over a thousand depressed patients and controls, and we did not detect a consistent differentiation, and found antidepressants to have more impact than depression status itself. However, this study monitored heart rate variability in the ambulatory setting for several days and nights, which gives unique night and day information on the autonomic nervous system. It needs to be examined whether these interesting findings hold in larger, more diverse treatment settings". Professor Penninx was not involved in this work, this is an independent comment. ### Funding: this research was funded by a TGO-IWT Grant from Belgium. KU Leuven worked with imec to use the heart monitor, but no funding was received from imec. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-11 22:45:38|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close TOKYO, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- Japan's outgoing Prime Minister Shinzo Abe Friday said the country will come up with a new missile defense plan by the end of 2020. The decision came after the government scrapped in June a plan to deploy the land-based Aegis Ashore missile defense system and started to consider an alternative to the expensive system. "I believe we must improve our deterrence and reduce our country's risk of attacks by ballistic missiles and other means," Abe said, pointing out that there is no change to Japan's exclusively defense-oriented policy. "While holding sufficient discussions with the ruling parties, (the government) will set an appropriate path within the year to deal with the difficult security environment surrounding Japan," he said in the statement released in his personal capacity without Cabinet approval. In a press conference later, Abe said that while his successor is not strictly speaking bound by the year-end deadline, he is sure they will continue debate on the matter. The Japanese government started full-fledged discussions in August on ways to counter ballistic missiles after a team of the Liberal Democratic Party called for the "possession of the ability to intercept ballistic missiles and others, even in the territory of an opponent." Defense Minister Taro Kono said Wednesday in an event with the Center for Strategic and International Studies that he and others at the National Security Council are discussing ways to make Japan's deterrence stronger. Enditem France has told Britain that it would be unacceptable to violate the terms of the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement, which British officials have admitted breaks international law. The European Union has threatened legal action unless the UK backs down on its plans to rewrite the divorce deal. "Unacceptable," was the term used by French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian to describe Britain's plans to tear up parts of the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement. Le Drian made the comments on the sidelines of a meeting on Iran with his British counterpart Dominic Raab, during a routine visit to London on Thursday, according to a statement from the French Foreign Ministry. The intervention shows the risk of the dispute over Brexit bleeding into other areas of UK diplomacy. It came after the UK government tabled legislation to alter key elements of the Withdrawal Agreement that Prime Minister Boris Johnson signed with Brussels earlier this year. The move has whipped up a storm of anger both at home and from the EU. Ultimatum deadlock During emergency talks Thursday, European Commission vice president Maros Sefcovic warned that unless the new British measures are withdrawn "by the end of the month", Brussels will consider taking legal action, saying the plans had "serious damaged trust". Senior government minister Michael Gove rejected the EU call, saying that the UK "would not and could not" withdraw the relevant parts of the draft law as requested. Despite the lack of progress, EU Chief Negotiator Michel Barnier insisted Brussels remains "determined" to find a deal. The draft Brexit bill at the centre of controversy would give British ministers unilateral powers to regulate trade among England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, once the force of EU law expires after a post-Brexit transition period at the end of this year. But under the EU withdrawal treaty, Britain is meant to liaise with Brussels on arrangements for Northern Ireland, which will have the UK's only land border with the EU, and where 30 years of bloodshed were ended with a landmark peace deal in 1998. Eyeing US trade EU diplomats -- and Johnson's many critics at home including in the UK's devolved governments -- have ridiculed Downing Street's argument that the EU treaty was rushed through and contained unforeseen problems relating to Northern Ireland. Critics reckon the new bill is aimed at torpedoing any future trading relationship with the EU after the transition period expires to allow Britain to forge ahead with other trade pacts, not least with the United States. However, House of Representatives Speaker Pelosi gave short shrift to any British hopes of Congress ratifying a future trade deal if it ploughs ahead with the new Brexit bill, warning it to honour its obligations to Northern Ireland. The House of Commons will have its first chance to vote on the bill on Monday, with further debates scheduled for September 15, 16, 21 and 22. Judge bans indoor services at John MacArthur's Grace Community Church Pastor blasts ruling as the 'very definition of tyranny' Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment A California court has issued a preliminary injunction against Pastor John MacArthur and Grace Community Church, banning them from conducting, participating in or attending any indoor worship services until the case is resolved. In what lawyers for the Sun Valley-based megachurch described as a setback, a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge on Sept. 10 granted the countys request for an injunction prohibiting Grace Community from holding indoor services in violation of county health orders. Judge Mitchell L. Beckloff ruled that the church must not conduct any outdoor worship services unless it fully complies with the countys mandates relating to physical distancing and face coverings, according to the nonprofit law firm Thomas More Society. In an 18-page ruling, Beckloff wrote that the county demonstrated a likelihood of success on the merits of its claims and found that the balance of harms tips in its favor. [T]he Court finds the balance of harms tips in favor of the County," the judge contends. "The potential consequences of community spread of COVID-19 and concomitant risk of death to members of the community associated and unassociated with the Church outweighs the harm that flows from the restriction on indoor worship caused by the County Health Order. MacArthur called the ruling inexplicable. [The] judge said the scale tipped in favor of the county. 1/100th of 1% of Californians with a virus apparently wins over the U.S. Constitution and religious freedom for all? the pastor asked. That is not what our founders said. Nor is that what God says, who gave us our rights that our government including the judicial branch is supposed to protect. The scale should always tip in favor of liberty, especially for churches. County officials have repeatedly tried to get a court order to shutter Grace Community Church, which has been holding in-person worship services since last month in violation of orders from Gov. Gavin Newsom. The governor has mandated that churches in some counties refrain from indoor services amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Previously, officials sent a cease and desist letter to the church and threatened MacArthur with fines and even possible arrest if his church doesnt comply with state orders. In August, Los Angeles County terminated a lease agreement for a parking lot the church has used for over 40 years. Last week, the county fined Grace Community $1,000 for violating a COVID-19 sign ordinance due to the placement of the sign. In a statement, Thomas More Society Special Counsel Jenna Ellis called the latest ruling a temporary setback. She said attorneys will continue to fight for Pastor MacArthur and Grace Community Churchs constitutionally protected right to hold church. While the judge did go out of his way to repeatedly state that he is not ruling on the merits, only a ruling at this very preliminary stage, Pastor MacArthur is still harmed because he has every right to hold church," Ellis explained. Church is essential, and no government agent has the runaway, unlimited power to force churches to close indefinitely, the lawyer added. The Countys argument was basically because we can, which is the very definition of tyranny. Without limiting governments power in favor of freedom and protected rights, we have no liberty. We will fight for religious freedom, as our founders did when they wrote the First Amendment. MacArthur recently told his congregation that there is no pandemic, referring to a recent report released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. I dont want to offer myself as any kind of an expert, but a rather telling report came out this week and for the first time, we heard the truth, he argued. The CDC said that in truth, 6% of the deaths that have occurred can be directly attributable to COVID, 94% cannot. Of the 160,000 people that have died, 9,210 actually died from COVID. While there has been some confusion over the CDC report, the CDC data indicated that 94% of deaths related to COVID-19 have had other underlying contributing health conditions that factored into death. In all of those cases, COVID-19 was still listed as a contributing factor. The data showed that only 6% of the deaths had only COVID-19 listed as a factor in the cause of death. In an earlier declaration, the theologian who hosts a syndicated radio program argued that the county is attempting to impede on his and his congregations free exercise of religion by criminalizing activity directly required by our faith. As a church, we have a moral and religious obligation to continue allowing our congregants to gather in our sanctuary to worship the Lord, MacArthur said, adding that the church is the core of life for thousands from nursery to seniors. According to Los Angeles County officials, over 6,000 people in the county have died from COVID-19. The head of New Jerseys prison system defended how he and his department responded to both the coronavirus pandemic and long-standing allegations of sexual abuse within the states womens prison before a skeptical group of bipartisan lawmakers Thursday. The hearing, which was videotaped, before the state Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee was ostensibly to discuss proposed funding cuts to the prison system and parole board, but lawmakers used it as an opportunity to grill Hicks on issues he rarely addresses publicly. I stand by the way in which the department handled the pandemic, Commissioner Marcus Hicks said about prisons with the highest coronavirus death rate in the nation. While he wished more testing had been available sooner, Hicks said, we did everything we possibly could given the circumstances. One senator questioned why he skipped hearings, most recently in May, about accusations of rampant and ongoing sexual abuse at the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women. For years, if not decades, there existed a culture in which the offender population at Edna Mahan were looked at as less than people, Hicks acknowledged, but he said they had made significant changes to address problems, including upping video surveillance, increasing training, making it easier to report abuse and hiring more women officers. Officials were also reviewing recommended reforms submitted earlier in the week by the U.S. Department of Justice, he said, but he declined to give many details. Hicks also endorsed closing a prison in Trenton and defended a proposal to slash tens of millions of dollars from halfway houses, cuts which some re-entry organizations have said will hinder their ability to help newly released prisoners. CORONAVIRUS RESOURCES: Live map tracker | Newsletter | Homepage Several lawmakers said they werent sold. Sen. Sandra Cunningham, D-Jersey City, said she had called the prison system at the height of the pandemic repeatedly for information on behalf of families, but nobody was answering," echoing concerns voiced to NJ Advance Media by dozens of inmates and family members. They feel the lack of caring, she said. The things that you have done, you need to improve and to do better." Hicks apologized and said the system had received a heavy volume of calls. The department has spent about $26.6 million so far fighting the coronavirus, Hicks said, including testing expenses and about $14.1 million in officer overtime. All of that should be reimbursed by the federal government, he added. A quarter would be covered by the CARES Act, and the other 75% would be paid back by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Sen. Mike Testa, R-Cumberland, who previously called on Hicks to resign, said the system took its time responding to the virus, especially by not suspending most transfers until April 8, weeks after the pandemic began. Testa asked how prisons were preparing for a possible second wave of the virus. Were going to do what weve been doing, Hicks said: Listen to experts, give out protective gear and continue testing. Testa also brought up an American Civil Liberties Union report giving New Jersey an F plus for its handling of the virus behind bars. Hicks declined to grade himself, but he noted the report gave most states failing grades. An NJ Advance Media investigation found the state failed to protect inmates and officers. At least 51 prisoners and several staff have died with the coronavirus, according to the corrections department. About 57% of the prisoners who died were Black, 29% were white, 6% were Hispanic, 4% were Asian and 4% did not fit one of the previous categories, Hicks said. Most were older than 60 and had other health problems, he said. Nobody had died since June 29, Hicks said, which showed testing was working. While more than 2,800 inmates and almost 1,000 staff initially tested positive, only 117 prisoners and fewer than 70 staff tested positive since late July, according to the department. Staff are now tested weekly and inmates every two weeks, Hicks said. Prisons would respond if infections spiked again, he said, but he did not have a specific number that would trigger renewed restrictions. Concerning the budget, Gov. Phil Murphy previously proposed cutting $54.4 million from the prison systems approximately $1 billion annual budget. About $20 million would be saved by closing the Central Reception and Assignment Facility in Trenton, Hicks said, while another $26 million could be cut from halfway houses. Hicks said the prison system purposely stopped sending inmates to halfway houses to minimize the spread of COVID-19. Overall capacity was now less than half, he said, and only about 1,153 of the states approximately 2,400 halfway house beds were in use. Organizations that run halfway houses have said proposed cuts threaten their ability to care for new releases. By cutting this, arent we ultimately cutting our noses off to spite our faces, asked Sen. Troy Singleton, D-Burlington. Almost a third of released inmates already end up back in prison, he said, and cutting money for halfway houses could both drive that number up and increase costs for prisons housing returnees. Hicks said he was confident existing re-entry services could effectively support former prisoners. Additional savings would come from paying $3 million less to Rutgers University Correctional Health Care, the group that provides medical care in the states adult and juvenile systems, Hicks said. Federal funding could save another $2.2 million while an additional $3.1 million would be cut through a workforce realignment of full-time employees. Corrections spokeswoman Liz Velez said later this did not mean layoffs, but she said the department would consider allowing some jobs to remain unfilled as staff leave and retire. Hicks also said there were ongoing discussions about possibly giving officers hazard pay, which was previously denied. Other policies and court orders have already helped to reduce prison populations there were about 16,600 inmates mid-June and a law taking effect early next year will likely speed up the parole process to drop numbers even more. Hicks said he wanted his performance to be judged on the reduction in the prison population and the ongoing coronavirus testing program. Very little time during the hearing was given to the parole board, whose workload will increase as more people are released. Near the end of the almost two-hour hearing, the committee chairman asked Parole Board Chairman Samuel Plumeri, Jr. if he had the resources he needed. Plumeri said hed previously raised the issue of new expenses, but he said their ranks would soon be bolstered by more than 20 people set to graduate soon from their academy, along with another class early next year. Several recruits were sworn in earlier in the summer, and they will be trained on the job over the next several months. Budget hearings are normally not in September, but the coronavirus pushed Murphy to pitch a new budget last month. The Legislature must finalize changes by the end of September. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Blake Nelson can be reached at bnelson@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @BCunninghamN. Have a tip? Tell us: nj.com/tips. Rio Tinto said on Friday its chief executive would step down in the wake of mounting dissatisfaction over the findings of an internal review into how the miner legally destroyed historically significant Aboriginal rockshelters. A process to identify a successor to CEO Jean-Sebastien Jacques was under way and he will continue in the role until a replacement is found or March 31 next year, whichever is earlier, the company said. Chris Salisbury will step down as chief executive of the iron ore division with immediate effect and leave Rio Tinto on Dec. 31, the company said, while Simone Niven would step down as group executive of corporate relations. CEO Jacques has apologized at an Australian Senate enquiry for the destruction that was against the wishes of Aboriginal traditional owners, saying there was no doubt the company could have made better decisions. After a board-led review of the legal destruction of the sacred sites in Western Australia in May for a mine expansion, Rio cut the short-term bonuses of some senior officials, including its chief executive, but activists and investors have said this was not enough. The inquiry is looking at how the culturally significant site came to be destroyed, the processes that failed to protect it, the impacts on Traditional Owners, and the legislative changes required to prevent such incidents from recurring. GRANTS PASS, Ore. Numerous wildfires burned in Oregons forested valleys and along the coast, destroying hundreds of homes and causing mass evacuations. Farther north, flames devoured buildings and huge tracts of land in Washington state. Officials said the number of simultaneous fires and perhaps the damage caused was unprecedented. Several deaths were reported, including a 1-year-old boy in Washington state. Oregon Gov. Kate Brown said communities have been substantially destroyed and warned there could be numerous fatalities. Because of its cool, wet climate, the Pacific Northwest rarely experiences such intense fire activity. But climate change driven by human-caused greenhouse gases is expected to keep warming the region, with most models predicting drier summers, according to the College of the Environment at the University of Washington. Brown said Oregon could see the greatest loss of life and property from wildfires in state history. The small towns of Phoenix and Talent in southern Oregon were heavily damaged. Another fire leveled most of the small farming town of Malden in eastern Washington burning down the fire station, post office, City Hall and library. In Washington state, a fire burned more than 480,000 acres of forest, brush and shrubland, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee said Wednesday after a 30-minute tour of the fire area in Sumner, east of Tacoma. Inslee said low humidity, high temperatures and winds combined to likely make the blaze one of the most catastrophic fires weve had in the history of the state. Fires erupted along Interstate 5 in Oregon, hitting towns and forcing a shutdown of the main freeway along the West Coast. U.S. Highway 101, the main coastal highway running through California, Oregon and Washington, was also impacted. At least three people in Oregon and the small child in Washington state were reported killed. In Oregon, authorities said one of the victims from Marion County near Salem was a young boy, whose remains were found alongside those of his dog. The extent of damage was unclear because so many of the fire zones were too dangerous to survey, said Oregon Deputy State Fire Marshal Mariana Ruiz-Temple. A mandatory evacuation was ordered in the northern half of Lincoln City, a vacation town of about 10,000 people on the Oregon coast. The fire is in the city, said county Emergency Management spokesman Casey Miller. Some buildings had been burned, Miller said, but he had no immediate details. Traffic snarled as people tried to drive south. An evacuation center was set up at a community college in Newport. In Talent, a mobile home park with more than 50 homes was turned into an empty lot except for one lone trailer, said Drew Cutler, who lives in nearby Ashland. In western Oregon, fire tore through Santiam Canyon and the Cascade Range foothills east of Salem, the state capital. People with animals sought shelter from the Red Cross at the fairgrounds Catherine Shields evacuated her home in Silverton with a menagerie of animals, assisted by neighbors and strangers. As smoke obscured the sun and ash fell from the sky, they helped load her and her partners three horses, a donkey, two llamas, a dozen sheep, geese, ducks, turkeys and dogs onto trailers and vehicles. As she walked one of the horses at the fairgrounds Wednesday, she marveled at how people were pulling together despite political divisiveness in the country. In the last 24 hours, we just felt people are doing their best, Shields said. With an expected break in the weather Thursday, Doug Grafe, chief of fire protection at the Oregon Department of Forestry, said firefighters are hoping to turn things around. Today marks the last day where we are witnessing this historic weather event, Grafe said. Officials said winds have slowed and cooler marine winds were expected. In Washington, a 1-year-old boy died after his family was apparently overrun by flames while trying to flee a wildfire burning in the northeastern part of the state, Okanogan County Sheriff Tony Hawley said Wednesday. KOIN reported that police confirmed that a boy and his grandmother died in a wildfire near Lyons, Oregon. The Mail Tribune in Medford, Oregon, reported that Jackson County Sheriff Nathan Sickler confirmed at least one death and a criminal investigation at the origin point of a wildfire that started near Ashland. Lloyd Dean Holland, a Vietnam veteran, barely escaped his home in Estacada on Tuesday night. Holland said Oregon State Police had warned him to leave earlier in the day, but the fire seemed far away and he decided to stay. Around 10 p.m., he said, his landlord came pounding on the door screaming at him to go. He left his rental house as flames exploded in cedar trees around him. He found his dog Gus waiting in his truck. He said his sole remaining possessions rifles, dentures and some clothing were also in the truck. Ive been through hell and high water but nothing like this. Ive been shot down and shot at but this last night, Im still not over it, Holland said. About the photo: Three chairs are all that remain at the Gates Post office in Gates, Ore., Wednesday Sept 9, 2020. The post office was destroyed along with several other buildings in the Santiam Canyon community as a result of the Santiam Fire. (Mark Ylen/Albany Democrat-Herald via AP) Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. The same sort of blindness is on display in the Woodward quotes. It was stupid of Trump to think he could downplay COVID-19 when he already knew it had the power of a pandemic. It was stupid to think the American people would panic if told the truth. It was stupid to talk to Woodward in the first place. Mumbai: Actress Kangana Ranaut, at the centre of a row with the Maharashtra government, on Friday turned her attention to Congress president Sonia Gandhi to say she must intervene and stop the harassment of women. Ranaut, whose comment likening Mumbai to Pakistan occupied Kashmir triggered a spat with Maharashtra's ruling Shiv Sena as well as its coalition partners Congress and NCP, said history would judge Gandhis silence and indifference". Dear respected honourable @INCIndia president Sonia Gandhi ji being a woman arnt you anguished by the treatment I am given by your government in Maharashtra? Can you not request your Government to uphold the principles of the Constitution given to us by Dr. Ambedkar?" the actress posted on Twitter. Dear respected honourable @INCIndia president Sonia Gandhi ji being a woman arnt you anguished by the treatment I am given by your government in Maharashtra? Can you not request your Government to uphold the principles of the Constitution given to us by Dr. Ambedkar? Kangana Ranaut (@KanganaTeam) September 11, 2020 Ranaut, often in the news for her provocative statements, said Gandhi had grown up in the west and lived in India and must be aware of the struggles of women. History will judge your silence and indifference when your own Government is harassing women and ensuring a total mockery of law and order. I hope you will intervene @INCIndia," she added in another tweet. Ranauts office here faced action for "illegal" alterations by Shiv Sena-led Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Wednesday. The 33-year-old actor has been aggressively criticising the Maharashtra government on Twitter since she returned to the city from her home state Himachal Pradesh on Wednesday, soon after the civic authorities demolished portions of her office. On Thursday, Ranaut took on the Maharashtra government by castigating Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray for misusing power" and declaring that her voice wont be suppressed. The Queen" actor, who has been given Y-plus category security, posted a series of tweets comparing the BMC to goons, terming the state government a milavat sarkar" and recalling Marathi culture and pride. Later in the day, Union Minister Ramdas Athawale met Ranaut at her residence in Khar here and alleged that the BMC demolition drive at her bungalow in Bandra was carried out in a sentiment of revenge and the Maharashtra government, too, had a role to play. This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Never miss a story! Stay connected and informed with Mint. Download our App Now!! Topics Lawyers acting on behalf of Harry Dunn's alleged killer Anne Sacoolas have said she drove on the "wrong side of the road for 20 seconds" before the fatal crash. Legal representatives for the 43-year-old issued a public statement on Thursday detailing her side of the story, in which they claim she was "otherwise driving cautiously and below the speed limit". According to her lawyers, Sacoolas "instinctively" began driving on the right hand side, and could not see Mr Dunn due to "the crest of a small hill". Reacting to the suspect's statement and speaking on behalf of the 19-year-old's family, their spokesman Radd Seiger told the PA news agency: "The parents have noted the statement issued this evening on behalf of Mrs Sacoolas. "Their position is that these issues should not be aired in any form other than a court of law. Anne Sacoolas (pictured) claimed diplomatic immunity following the collision in August 2019 that took the life of the 19-year-old The family of Harry Dunn (pictured) have been told that his alleged killer is willing to discuss taking part in a virtual trial in a UK court "Once again, they invite her to do the right thing and return to the UK to answer to the charges laid against her." It came as the Director of Public Prosecutions told 19-year-old Harrys parents on Wednesday he was actively considering a virtual trial for Anne Sacoolas, 43, in an unprecedented legal scenario. Yesterday, sources close to the mother-of-three said she wished to speak to British authorities to find a path forward. But it is understood she has not yet been formally approached. The teenage motorcyclist was killed in the crash outside RAF Croughton in Northamptonshire in August last year - a US military base where the suspect's husband worked as an intelligence official. The US authorities asserted that Sacoolas had diplomatic immunity and, according to her lawyers, "determined that it would be difficult for her and her family to remain in the small Croughton community". Mr Dunn's alleged killer returned to the US on a commercial flight after the US Embassy "informed the Foreign Office of this decision and instructed Anne to return home". Sacoolas was charged with causing death by dangerous driving in December but an extradition request submitted by the Home Office was refused in January. The US State Department have since said the decision to reject the request was "final". In a public statement, Sacoolas's lawyers said: "Anne did everything she could to assist Harry. After the accident, she ran from her car and tried to help him. "Anne then saw another motorist approach and flagged her down for more support. "The other motorist immediately called for the emergency services and Anne made calls to alert the police from the nearby air force base. "The base police arrived quickly and assisted Harry. "Tragically, it took over 40 minutes for the ambulance to arrive and nearly two hours passed before Harry was admitted to the hospital. "Anne did not leave the scene until she was instructed to do so by the UK authorities." Sacoolas's legal representatives also made an on-the-record statement regarding her position on the prospect of a virtual trial. They said: "We have been and remain willing to discuss a resolution, including the possibility of virtual proceedings, with the UK authorities. "Anne has never tried to avoid being held accountable for the tragic accident and she would like nothing more than to find a path forward and to provide the family some measure of peace." Harrys motorbike was hit by a car on the wrong side of the road outside RAF Croughton a US intelligence base in Northamptonshire last year. Mrs Sacoolas, who is married to a US intelligence officer, fled the UK controversially claiming diplomatic immunity. She was charged with causing death by dangerous driving in her absence last December. But Mr Max Hill QC, Director of Public Prosecutions, told Mr Dunns parents Tim Dunn, 50, and Charlotte Charles, 45, that he believed Mrs Sacoolas did not have diplomatic immunity when she left the UK. Mrs Sacoolas claimed she was immune from prosecution after her Volvo SUV collided head-on with 19-year-old Harrys motorbike in August 2019. The DPPs assessment of the position puts him at odds with the stance taken by Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, who told the Commons last October that Mrs Sacoolas did have immunity. File photo dated yesterday shows the family of Harry Dunn, mother Charlotte Charles (left) and father Tim Dunn (right) with their partners, arriving at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London, where they met with Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab In December, three months after she flew home to Virginia with her family, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) charged Mrs Sacoolas with causing the teenagers death by dangerous driving over the crash outside RAF Croughton in Northamptonshire. In response to the charge, Mrs Sacoolass US lawyer, Amy Jeffress, said her client would not return voluntarily to the UK over what was described as a terrible but unintentional accident. In January this year an extradition request submitted by the Home Office was rejected by the US State Department. Last month the Dunn family were informed that Attorney General Suella Braverman QC was examining the possibility of a virtual trial or a trial in the absence of Mrs Sacoolas. A letter sent by the CPS to the Dunns MP, Andrea Leadsom, this week described holding a virtual trial as an unprecedented legal scenario. It added: Before such a step could be even contemplated, a host of factors (both legal and diplomatic) would have to be considered. It is understood that Mrs Sacoolas has not yet been formally approached about the matter. Following Wednesdays meeting with Mr Hill, the Dunn familys spokesman, Radd Seiger, said the family had been told that the US Government would only agree to a virtual trial if it was under US law - something he surmised would be a show trial. Mr Seiger said the Dunn family would only accept a virtual trial if the suspect was tried under UK law. He added: Yesterday, Max Hill QC, the Director of Public Prosecutions, shockingly told us that the US administrations position remains that there are no circumstances in which Mrs Sacoolas would submit herself to the English legal jurisdiction. It now appears, if what is being said is true, that Mrs Sacoolas herself holds a different position. I would therefore urge the Attorney General to bypass the US administration and go straight to Mrs Sacoolass lawyers to make this possibility a reality. There can be no further delay for the sake of these parents - they are suffering intolerable pain. Destroyed: An aerial view of shelters following a fire at the Moria camp for refugees and migrants on the island of Lesbos, Greece. PHOTO: REUTERS Thousands of refugees and migrants left homeless on Lesbos by huge fires that destroyed their camp will not be evacuated from the island because the blazes were started deliberately, the Greek government said yesterday. Greek officials and senior firefighters claim the fires started in several different places at the same time and were deliberately lit by migrants protesting against the implementation of quarantine measures after around 35 of them tested positive for Covid-19. Stelios Petsas, the Greek government spokesman, said the asylum seekers who set the fires "did so because they considered that if they torch Moria, they will indiscriminately leave the island. We tell them they did not understand. They will not leave because of the fire. Some people do not respect the country that is hosting them". The announcement appeared to dash the hopes of charities and NGOs who are calling for the closure of the devastated Moria camp and the immediate transfer of all 12,500 asylum seekers to the Greek mainland and eventual settlement in EU countries. Humanitarian organisations say that with the camp burned to the ground, and islanders fiercely opposed to the building of a new facility, the only option is to move the migrants and refugees off Lesbos. Medecins Sans Frontieres called on the Greek authorities to "evacuate all these people to a safe place on the mainland or to other European countries." Refugees International said the Greek government should transfer people to the mainland, after which "EU member states must step up to relocate the asylum seekers". But Mr Petsas, the government spokesman, said the only migrants who would be allowed to leave were 400 unaccompanied children and teenagers who have been flown to Thessaloniki in northern Greece. France and Germany put forward a proposal for the 400 minors to be shared around EU member states. "We want to show solidarity with Greece that lives up to European values," said Emmanuel Macron, the French president. But so far there appears to be little appetite among EU member states to take in the newly homeless migrants. The Netherlands and Austria have ruled out taking any of those affected, and their plight is threatening to create a new divide within the bloc. Thousands were expected to sleep out in the open air for a third night, lying on the bare ground or pitching tents they had managed to salvage. The government said it would take days to find them new accommodation. "Our home burned, my shoes burned, we don't have food, no water," Valencia, an eight-year-old Congolese girl, told reporters. Both she and her mother Natzy Malala (30), who has a newborn infant, slept on the side of the road. "There is no food, no milk for the baby," Ms Malala said. After big blazes on Tuesday and Wednesday nights destroyed about 90pc of the camp, a third fire broke out yesterday, burning what was left of the sprawling facility. The Edo State Governor and candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Godwin Obaseki, has urged the electorate in the state not to sell their votes but turn out en masse on Saturday, September 19, 2020 to exercise their franchise for the right candidate who can take the state forward. Mr Obaseki who gave the charge at a meeting with party faithful in Ward 4, Benin City, expressed confidence that he will win the forthcoming election and retain his seat. According to him, I want to use this opportunity to thank you for coming out en masse when we rounded off our ward-to-ward campaign. You people made me proud; that rally is still being discussed. This election is about Ward 4 as the opposition have been lying that I have never won my ward. They are planning to buy votes here and in other wards; they want to induce you people with the sum of N10, 000 per voter. You know what to do; collect the money and still vote for the PDP. Collect their money and at the end we will rejoice over them. Mr Obaseki continued: They also said they are going to disgrace me at this ward. I came to tell you to prepare to go from one ward to the other, enlightening other eligible voters about the need to turn out to vote massively for the PDP. All of you should snap with your phones and post on the internet when the results are being announced. In Ward 4, we have a total of 13,000 registered voters and we must bring out 7,000 voters on that day for the PDP from this ward alone. I want Ward 4 to deliver the highest votes in the whole of Oredo Local Government Area of the state, Mr Obaseki added. On his part, Adams Otige, the ward leader, assured the governor of the support of the people, assuring to mobilise thousands of other voters in the ward to ensure the governors victory at the poll. MECOSTA COUNTY Health officials Friday confirmed 30 new coronavirus cases in Mecosta County, which is now the highest one-day spike for the county. Since Monday, the District Health Department No. 10 has confirmed 46 new cases of the coronavirus. Mecosta Countys new total is now 149 confirmed cases. On Thursday, Ferris State University confirmed 34 new cases on the Big Rapids campus. The university has confirmed a total of 53 cases since reopening. The university reports its numbers to the health department on a daily basis, however, Ferris only releases its COVID-19 update once a week. There is no specific day in which cases are added to the health department's total. As of Friday, Mecosta County has administered 9,920 diagnostic tests and 401 serology looking for antibodies tests, totaling 10,321 tests, according to michigan.gov. The DHD No. 10 serves residents in Mecosta, Crawford, Kalkaska, Lake, Manistee, Mason, Missaukee, Newaygo, Oceana and Wexford counties. This is Friday's breakdown of coronavirus numbers in the health departments jurisdiction: Cumulative total: 1,393 positive COVID-19 cases in the DHD No. 10s jurisdiction. 107 positive cases in Crawford County 62 positive cases in Kalkaska County 31 positive cases in Lake County 61 positive cases in Manistee County 113 positive cases in Mason County 39 positive cases in Missaukee County 295 positive cases in Newaygo County 475 positive cases in Oceana County 98 positive cases in Wexford County Deaths: 25 deaths from COVID-19 in the DHD No. 10s jurisdiction. Deaths are included in the positive cases listed above. 5 deaths in Crawford County 4 deaths in Kalkaska County 2 deaths in Manistee County 2 deaths in Mecosta County 1 death in Missaukee County 1 death in Newaygo County 6 deaths in Oceana County 4 deaths in Wexford County Recoveries: 1,114 recoveries from from COVID-19 in the DHD No. 10s jurisdiction (based on whether individuals are still alive 30 days past the confirmed date). 92 recoveries in Crawford County 37 recoveries in Kalkaska County 21 recoveries in Lake County 35 recoveries in Manistee County 92 recoveries in Mason County 64 recoveries in Mecosta County 26 recoveries in Missaukee County 262 recoveries in Newaygo County 449 recoveries in Oceana County 55 recoveries in Wexford County The state lists the total recovered at 80,678 cases, as of Sept. 4, which represents COVID-19 confirmed individuals with an onset date on or prior to Aug. 5. As of Friday, there are 110,382 confirmed cases and 6,578 confirmed deaths in Michigan. President Akufo-Addo, has cut the sod for the construction of an ultra-modern Accident and Emergency Complex at the Dormaa Hospital, in the Dormaa Central constituency of the Bono Region. The project is being funded by a 140 million facility secured by Government, not only for the construction of this Centre, but also for the construction of a new Hospital in Tema, the reconstruction of the Central Medical Stores, and the construction of a new 100 bed District Hospital at Nkoranza in the Bono East Region, whose sod was cut by the President on Wednesday. Speaking at the sod-cutting ceremony on Thursday, 10th September 2020, President Akufo-Addo stated that the people of Dormaa, with a population of some one million people, deserve a befitting, modern Accident and Emergency Complex to replace the existing one, to cater for emergency healthcare and trauma cases. Upon completion, the new forty-five (45) bed Accident and Emergency Centre will have a twelve (12)-bed Triage; thirty-three (33)-bed ward; surgical suite to include the main theatre, a procedure room, and a recovery room; imaging services to include X-ray and Fluoroscopy; laboratory; and plaster room and a laboratory. I am reliably informed by the Minister for Health that the entire Dormaa Hospital is in need of a major facelift, apart from what is being done today. You can be assured that the Minister will work to complete, in due time, what is being started today, he said. With the Accident and Emergency Complexbeing undertaken at great cost to the taxpayer, he appealed to the Chiefs and people of Dormaa to help ensure that the infrastructure and equipment are duly maintained appropriately for the benefit of all. On behalf of the Government and people of Ghana, the President expressed his gratitude to the Christian Health Association of Ghana (CHAG), who continue to partner the government to bring healthcare to the doorsteps of the ordinary citizen. I am very hopeful that, by the grace of God, we are on the threshold of something remarkable in Ghana, and, hopefully, with four more for Nana and the NPP, I expect that all of us, gathered here, will be present again, God-willing, for the commissioning of this project, once it is completed, he added. In conclusion, the President expressed his appreciation to the Chiefs and people of Dormaa for the strong support they have given his Government since he assumed office in January 2017. One of your own, your excellent Member of Parliament for Dormaa Central, Hon. Kwaku Agyemang Manu is the Minister for Health, who has conducted himself with great credit in the office, especially during this difficult period of the COVID-19 pandemic. He has been a true pillar of my Government, and I am happy that, under his watch as Health Minister, Dormaa Hospital is being fitted with this Centre, he added. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, September 11, 2020 09:17 497 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c442ff68 1 City COVID-19-Jakarta,PSBB,reimpose,large-scale-social-restrictions,IDI,partial-lockdown,Indonesian-Medical-Association Free The Indonesian Medical Association (IDI) has urged the Jakarta administration to extend the length of its partial lockdown, also known as large-scale social restrictions (PSBB), from the usual two weeks to three weeks. As Jakarta IDI chairman and IDI deputy, I suggest that the PSBB be enacted for three weeks minimum, Slamet Budiarto said on Thursday as quoted by kompas.com. Slamet said three weeks would cover the virus 14-day incubation period and an extra transitional week to completely curb transmission. Read also: What you need to know about large-scale social restrictions in Jakarta Moreover, the workers of the 11 business sectors [that are allowed to operate during the PSBB] are still going to do activities outside. Therefore, IDI advises at least three weeks for the PSBB, he said. Jakarta will reimpose PSBB measures on Monday after recording record daily increases of confirmed COVID-19 cases and deaths in the past several weeks. On Thursday, the capital recorded 1,274 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total tally to 50,671, according to Health Ministry data. (aly) (Bloomberg Opinion) -- The billionaire Patrick Drahi built his transatlantic telecoms empire on a mountain of debt that at times imperiled its survival. That hasnt dispelled his appetite for more. On Friday, Drahi made a 2.5 billion-euro ($3 billion) offer to acquire the roughly 47% of Altice Europe NV that he doesnt already own. Its an opportunistic move. The shares had lost half their value from a February peak. The continued low cost of debt means Drahi is likely able to fund the buyout with yet more borrowed cash. Shareholders might feel a little hard done by. Over the past few years, Drahi and his team have made significant progress. Theyve simplified the capital structure by separating the U.S. business from the European one centered on France, steadily grown earnings and sold stakes in lucrative network assets to infrastructure investors. Before the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic rattled equity markets, the stock was on the upward trajectory, hitting 6.74 euros. Drahis offer, worth 4.11 euros per share, is a premium to Thursdays closing price, but still significantly below that zenith. The operations have been affected by the virus, but the impact may be temporary. Revenue in the media and business-services divisions have declined, as advertising spending has fallen globally and the work-from-home trend keeps people out of offices. Investors might reasonably expect those operations to recover if a vaccine becomes available. Analysts predict a doubling of free cash flow next year. As well as giving Drahi full exposure to this potential upside, 100% ownership would strengthen his hand should the prospect of consolidation in France, where his SFR unit is the third-biggest operator of four, rear its head again. An earlier mooted combination with Bouygues SA's telecoms unit stumbled in part because Drahi sought a role operating the business even though he would have owned a minority stake in the new entity. While Altice had an enterprise value of 40 billion euros prior to Drahis offer, just 4.2 billion of that came from its market capitalization, with the rest of it debt. That means that its share moves have been particularly extreme. Indeed, Altice stock is twice as volatile as the average for European telecoms peers. Story continues Altice looks like it doesnt really belong on the public markets. Its indebtedness is outside stock-market investors comfort zone, yet it could take on more leverage if private. If Drahi can achieve the acquisition by borrowing against Altice, the companys effective net debt would rise to 6.6 times next years estimated Ebitda, up from the current 6.2 times. Its a blow to bondholders, who have been encouraged by the steady improvement of recent years, but only a mild one. This all assumes Drahi can persuade his minority investors to sell out at a price damaged by the pandemic. He certainly hasnt gone in with a knock-out bid. But with the shares trading only just above his offer, investors arent demanding one. This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners. Alex Webb is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering Europe's technology, media and communications industries. He previously covered Apple and other technology companies for Bloomberg News in San Francisco. 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. Atlantis Japan Growth Fund Limited (a close-ended investment companyincorporated in Guernsey with registration number 30709) LEI Number: 5493004IW0LDG0OPGL69 (The "Company") 11 September 2020 RESULT OF ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING At the Annual General Meeting of the Company held on 10 September 2020 all Resolutions set out in the Annual General Meeting Notice sent to Shareholders dated 7 August 2020 were duly passed. The Board is conscious that Mr Lamb has now served on the board for more than nine years, having joined the board on 1 February 2011. The Board seeks to balance the need for refreshment of its members with the value derived from experience and continuity, particularly in relation to investment experience of the Japanese equity market. In this regard, Mr Lamb has extensive knowledge of the Japanese smaller companies market though his background in investment management. Experience of investing in Japanese smaller companies is vital to the success of the Company and, as explained in the annual report, the Board follows the AIC Code of Corporate Governance and does not believe the length of service has a bearing on independence. As Chairman, Mr Lamb continues to provide a material contribution to the success of the Company. A further announcement will be made in due course following consultation with the relevant shareholders. Details of the proxy voting results which should be read along side the Notice are noted below: Ordinary Resolution For Discretion (voted in favour) Against Abstain 1 24,298,430 119,588 1,100 0 2 24,293,174 119,588 2,628 3,728 3 24,254,752 119,588 44,778 0 4 24,254,752 119,588 43,678 1,100 5 17,215,225 119,588 7,075,817 8,488 6 24,275,034 119,588 12,508 11,988 7 24,275,034 119,588 12,508 11,988 8 24,272,844 119,588 14,698 11,988 9 24,252,852 119,588 40,550 6,128 10 24,251,100 121,778 40,550 5,690 Special Resolution For Discretion (voted in favour) Against Abstain 11 24,223,332 121,778 62,458 11,550 Note -A vote withheld is not a vote in law and has not been counted in the votes for and against a resolution. The Special Resolution was as follows: Special Resolution 11 THAT the pre-emption rights granted to Shareholders pursuant to Article 11.3.1 of the Articles of Incorporation of the Company shall not apply in respect of the issue of up to 4,179,457 ordinary shares (representing 10% of the Company's issued ordinary share capital excluding treasury shares on 31 July 2020), issued at a premium to the then prevailing Net Asset Value, such authority to expire at the conclusion of the Company's AGM to be held in 2021 (save that the Company may prior to the expiry of such period make any offer or agreement which would or might require such ordinary shares to be issued (or sold from treasury) after such expiry and the Directors of the Company may issue (or sell from treasury) such ordinary shares in pursuance of any such offer or agreement as if the authority conferred hereby had not expired), unless such resolution is previously revoked by the Company's shareholders by further special resolution. Enquiries: Northern Trust International Fund Administration Services (Guernsey) Limited The Company Secretary Trafalgar Court Les Banques St Peter Port Guernsey GY1 3QL Tel: 01481 745001 END File photo of an Indian Zoroastrian or Parsi woman lighting an oil lamp at a sacred Well at the Parsi Dharmshala compound in Ahmedabad on March 26, 2009, on the occasion of Ava Yazad Parabh. (Sam Panthaky/AFP via Getty Images) SOLAR INCOME FUND INC., ALLAN GROSSMAN, CHARLES MAZZACATO, and KENNETH KADONOFF, File No. 2019-35 TORONTO, March 25, 2021 /CNW/ - Take notice that the hearing in the above named matter scheduled to be heard on March 26, 2021 will not proceed as scheduled. The hearing on the merits will continue on March 29, 2021 at 10:00 a.m. OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY GRACE KNAKOWSKI SECRETARY TO THE COMMISSION SOURCE Ontario Securities Commission Cision View original content: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/March2021/25/c7060.html Joe Biden will travel to New York and Pennsylvania on Friday to commemorate the 19th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks as he and President Donald Trump put forth radically different visions of what it means to comfort a nation in mourning. Biden and his wife, Jill Biden, will attend the National September 11 Memorial & Museums commemoration ceremony before travelling to Shanksville, Pennsylvania, where a campaign statement said that they would pay their respects to the victims of Flight 93, the plane that was hijacked and crashed into a field after passengers fought back. Vice President Mike Pence and his wife, Karen, are also scheduled to attend the ceremony in New York, as well as another ceremony there. Trump and his wife, Melania, are expected to attend the memorial service in Shanksville in the morning. Bidens running mate, Sen. Kamala Harris, and her husband, Douglas Emhoff, will attend a remembrance ceremony in Fairfax, Virginia, and Harris will speak. While Biden and Trump will each be honouring the Americans who died in the attacks, their sharply divergent approaches to showing empathy may be on display Friday. Biden, who has suffered a series of family tragedies, is perhaps at his best when comforting someone else grappling with grief, whether in a one-on-one conversation or while giving a eulogy. Trump, a lover of campaign rallies, is not known for those skills. Their appearances come against a backdrop of heated exchanges over honouring Americas war dead. Last week, The Atlantic reported that Trump had referred to American soldiers killed in combat during World War I as losers and suckers, among other instances of being dismissive of military service, assertions Trump has denied. Biden has expressed outrage over the reported remarks, declaring them to be disgusting, un-American and unpatriotic. Bidens late son Beau Biden, who died of brain cancer, served in the Iraq War. Biden has begun to travel more frequently, and Friday is another example of his stepped-up schedule of in-person appearances. He has visited Pennsylvania and Michigan this week, and he is scheduled to travel to Florida, Pennsylvania and Minnesota next week. The annual Sept. 11 ceremony at ground zero ended up being a heavily scrutinized moment in the last presidential race, as Hillary Clinton left abruptly and had to be helped into a van, a scene that was captured on video. Clinton had received a diagnosis of pneumonia two days earlier, but her campaign did not disclose it until hours after she left the ceremony. As deadline for cutting off chipset supply looms, Chinese tech giant takes further moves of reducing reliance on US technologies Photo: Courtesy of Huawei This might be one of the most difficult moments for Huawei, China's leading tech company that has been targeted by the US government for over a year. From cutting off chipset supply, restricting tech exports to arresting its senior executive, the US-initiated tech war against China has severely disrupted the global supply chain and led more industry representatives to take a deeper reflection on how to survive the crackdown and reduce reliance on US-made technologies. On Thursday, Huawei gave its response to this tech war: open up to worldwide developers and build the third largest mobile ecosystem, after Apple's iOS and Google's Android. "No pause, no stop. Let's play together" is the slogan for this year's Huawei Developers Conference 2020 (HDC2020), which kicked off on Thursday in Dongguan, South China's Guangdong Province. The event came along as the US government issued a new rule in mid-August that would prevent Huawei from acquiring chips developed or produced with US technology and software, which is widely seen as a death threat to Huawei's high-end smartphone business. The yearlong US ban also put the operating system of the Chinese firm in danger, as it could also cut Huawei from accessing Google's Android updates and security patches. A series of development in Huawei's self-developed operating system HarmonyOS, EMUI 11 and its own ecosystem Huawei Mobile Services (HMS) Core 5.0, is all considered the Chinese tech giant's direct response to the expanded ban from the Trump administration as the tech cold war between the US and China heats up and poses a severe threat to the global supply chain, particularly as September 15, the deadline for cutting off the supply of chipsets to Huawei, approaches. "If someone turns off the lighthouse, how could we navigate," Ren Zhengfei, the company's founder, who recently raised this question publicly, as the US moves are considered as not only escalating competition but also a warning shot to other Chinese tech firms, which have also been heavily dependent on US-made technologies. Close off or open up to the world amid growing uncertainties overseas? Richard Yu Chengdong, CEO of Huawei's consumer business, presented a slide show at the opening event of the HDC2020 showing that "no one could turn off all the star lights. Every developer represents a spark light," referring to "a single spark could start a prairie fire." a well-known quotation from chairman Mao Zedong. Photo: Courtesy of Huawei Chinese-made mobile ecosystem Huawei released the test version of its updated self-developed operating system HarmonyOS 2.0 to developers, and it is scheduled to release a version for mobile phone in December, Yu noted. "HarmonyOS will be used in smartphones in next year," he said. Following three rounds of US crackdowns, which aimed to hurt Huawei's mobile phone division much more, the firm's consumer division still recorded growth in both smartphone shipments and revenues from the consumer business division. The Chinese tech giant recorded 105 million smartphone unit shipments in the first half of 2020, with a total revenue of 255.8 billion yuan ($37.4 billion) for its consumer business, according to the senior executive. Also, since the US ban in May 2019, Huawei has been actively developing both an application and hard device ecosystem. It currently has 1.8 million developers and 490 million active users on its ecosystem, making it the third largest ecosystem, following iOS and Android, ecosystems built by US rivals Apple and Google, respectively. In the face of the US government's escalating crackdown, the only thing Huawei can do now is to confront this crucial reality and take in these unfair sanctions, meanwhile, launching its self-developed core technologies will help accelerate the restructuring of the new supply chain in high tech, Fang Xingdong, founder of Beijing-based technology think tank ChinaLabs, told the Global Times on Thursday. "We need to take a long-term perspective of this battle, five to 10 years. The coming years will surely be hard for Huawei, but by stepping up its efforts, the company, along with China's high-tech sector, will grow stronger," Fang said. The three-day HDC2020 invited developers from across the world to tap into various topics including the application development based on Huawei's HarmonyOS and the development of smart devices based on the operating system, in addition to topics such as the security and privacy of HarmonyOS and HMS and their ability to be used in foreign markets. Photo: Courtesy of Huawei Abandoning illusions In Songshanhu, Huawei's research and development (R&D) base a campus-like center built as a collection of replicas of European landmarks, young Huawei staff with the average age of 28 years old, most being technicians and programmers, have been working around the clock to catch up against the US ban. What if Google bans Huawei's access to Android's map, search and other services? While developing those services on its own operating system, its HMS aims to provide five major services including maps, search, payments, browsing and ads. And over the past nine months, Songshanhu center has become a major battleground gathering thousands of R&D staff across the country to achieve the goal of finding a solution amid the US ban. It's commonly seen at the R&D headquarters of the Chinese tech giant that 90 percent of office lights are on late at night, and some Huawei employees told the Global Times they often have online meetings with their colleagues overseas at midnight, such perseverance is a widely shared mindset among those employees, becoming a major reason why the US has not achieved its goal of "crushing" the Chinese tech giant. "We hope to win this battle, so we won't spare our efforts for our goal," a Huawei employee told the Global Times on Thursday, who was on early morning conference call even during their coffee break. Infographic: GT Accelerating development of its own operating system and mobile ecosystem, Huawei also has a bigger ambition of challenging the existing mobile system, which some senior executives consider as a monopoly by US firms. "We are building HMS and inviting more foreign developers to join our ecosystem, in order to break down this monopoly," Wang Yanmin, who is in charge of global ecosystem development for Huawei's consumer business, told the Global Times on Thursday. "For me, I don't see any deadline [for cutting off chipset supplies]," Wang said, noting that what Huawei employees can do now amid US pressure is do their job, build an open platform and let everyone play out their value. "The pressure always exists," he said. For some senior executives at Huawei, HarmonyOS 2.0 is an opportunity to bring together software developers, especially those in China, aiming to give a boost to homegrown software technologies. "At least we have this one only option if the US continues sanctioning us," Wang Chenglu, head of software at Huawei's consumer unit, told the Global Times. They offer free hayrides to the pumpkin patch weekends beginning Sept. 19. Saturdays the hayrides start at 10 a.m. with the last ride going out at 5:30 p.m. Sundays the hayrides start at noon with the last ride going out at 5:30 p.m. Guests must wear a mask while on the hayride and practice social distancing in the field picking pumpkins. EDWARDSVILLE The Gori Law Firm celebrated its 12th anniversary this summer and its new women-led leadership of Beth Gori, principal partner and owner, and Sara Salger, managing partner. Now one of the top filers of asbestos cases in the country, The Gori Law Firm has expanded throughout the St. Louis region but also into other markets, including Los Angeles, New Orleans, Orlando, Washington, D.C. and New York City. With nearly 200 employees, including 45 attorneys and approximately 150 support staff members, the firm has recovered more than $3 billion in settlements for clients across the country. I am so proud to be helping lead an organization like the Gori Law Firm which I believe employs some of the very best attorneys and staff in our field, Gori said. Like many businesses throughout the region, we are doing whatever possible to keep our staff employed at full capacity, this includes taking advantage of the Federally-funded PPP Loan program that helped so many businesses during COVID-19, allowing flexible time to work from home, flexible in-office hours, and shifting our practice to working with clients and the courts remotely where possible. In addition to expanding its footprint across the United States, The Gori Law Firm has also expanded its practice areas over the years to include personal injury, commercial litigation, medical malpractice, pharmaceutical litigation, workers compensation and real estate law. We are just like every other business in that payroll is a large percentage of our expenses and many of our people are irreplaceable so we are doing all we can to make the smartest decisions for the firm and our Gori Law family, Gori said. COVID-19 has taken a toll on the region in terms of unemployment so we are grateful that we were able to retain our full staff. Salger, one of the firms first attorneys when it was established in 2008, is now managing partner. The atmosphere at The Gori Law Firm has always been one focused on people, said Salger. By hiring and retaining the best team, we have found success and results for our clients. People like to feel cared for and respected and as a team we certainly respect our clients, the struggle they are going through and have the resolve needed to get them the financial compensation they deserve for the challenges they are facing. New Delhi: Delhi High Court on refused to stop Nursery admission process in Delhi schools. In its order, the high court said that the criterion of both government and private schools should be included in admission forms uploaded on website. The Delhi HC also issued notice to Delhi Development Authority (DDA), Delhi Government on schools and parents' pleas challenging the new nursery admission norms. Earlier on , another bench of the high court had pulled up the AAP government for coming out with nursery admission norms at the "eleventh hour" which has not only caused "chaos and confusion" but also wasted "valuable" judicial time. Also Read: Nursery admissions begin in Delhi amidst confusion over criteria in several schools Two groups representing private unaided schools have challenged a condition in the letter allotting DDA land to them under which admissions have been restricted to the locality where these institutions are situated. The two school bodies and some parents have also challenged the Delhi government's nursery admission norms which enforces the clause in the DDA allotment letter, thereby restricting admission in these institutions located on DDA land to their respective neighbourhoods. The Action Committee of Unaided Recognised Private Schools and Forum for Promotion of Quality Education, who have moved the court, argued that the neighbourhood restriction was?"not reasonable". More Read: Nursery admissions 2017: Delhi L-G nod to guidelines for schools on DDA They said that under the Right to Education Act of 2009, 25 per cent of the seats were reserved in private unaided schools for children belonging to poorer sections of society and disadvantaged groups who lived in the neighbourhood. It said that ever since this reservation under the Act has come into force, it "supersedes and subsumes within it" all prior contractual and other agreements, including the DDA allotment letter. "So there is no harking back to any letter of allotment," they contended. The parents have said that while they were not concerned with?the terms of the allotment letter, they were opposed to Delhi?government's decision as it restricted their choice or right to decide where to send their children for study. "This choice or right cannot be restricted by an executive order," they said. Meanwhile, Delhi government has said that by a circular of , they have extended that last date for submission of applications to from. The admission process had started from . 298 private unaided schools on DDA land were affected by the nursery admission guidelines which state that such institutes "shall not refuse admission to the residents of the locality". Defining what neighbourhood would mean, the guidelines say that students residing within one km of the school will be?preferred and if seats are not filled, preference will be given to students residing within 1-3 kms of the school. "Students residing beyond 6 kms shall be admitted only in case vacancies remain unfilled even after considering all the students within 6 km area," as per the guidelines. The first list of selected candidates, including those in the wait list, along with marks allotted under point system, will be announced by schools on , as per the admission schedule released by the Delhi government. With inputs from PTI For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. A man from Manipur, who was reunited with family in 2018 after he went missing for 40 years, was found dead at a bridge near his native village, sources said on Friday. The man was identified as Khomdram Gambhir Singh, 72, a resident of Khumbong Mamang Leikai in Manipurs Imphal West district, and was spotted by the joggers who passed the area early on Thursday morning, sources said. We received the information about the incident on Thursday morning, a police officer stationed at Patsoi police station under Imphal West district said. A team of police rushed to the spot followed by a team of mobile forensic team along with concerned officials for necessary procedure, the official added. At the request of Gambhirs family and subsequent submission of a declaration, no case was registered in connection with his death, the sources said. Also read: Bihar medical aspirant shoots self while taking selfie with fathers pistol Gambhir, a former member of paramilitary Manipur Rifles, had disappeared from his locality in the late 1970s. He was finally traced to the streets of Mumbai in April 2018 after a video of him singing a Hindi song in Mumbais Bandra locality was surfaced online. A warm welcome greeted the old man on his remarkable return to his native place on April 19, 2018, after the Manipur police team coordinated with their Mumbai counterpart. Since then, Gambhir had been staying with his younger brother. According to family sources, Gambhir had once expressed the desire to go out of the state. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON EVERY fall at the United Nations General Assembly for many years now, Canada has led a resolution condemning human-rights violations in Iran and urging a variety of remedies. The resolutions pass handily each year with almost the same wording, yet they ignore a massive violation which should be addressed: the 1988 massacre of 30,000 political prisoners. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 11/9/2020 (497 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Opinion EVERY fall at the United Nations General Assembly for many years now, Canada has led a resolution condemning human-rights violations in Iran and urging a variety of remedies. The resolutions pass handily each year with almost the same wording, yet they ignore a massive violation which should be addressed: the 1988 massacre of 30,000 political prisoners. In July 1988, the Ayatollah Khomeini issued a mass execution decree (fatwa) against these prisoners. He justified the murders by saying that the prisoners were "waging war on God," and that they were hypocrites. The Ayatollah entrusted the implementation of the execution decree to four senior officials an execution commission. He stated that "It is naive to show mercy to those who wage war on God." In August 1988, Ayatollah Montazeri, then the designated successor to Khomeini, summoned the members of the execution commission in order to protest the ongoing executions. Montazeri is recorded as saying: "In my opinion, the greatest crime committed during the Islamic Republic, for which history will condemn us, has been committed by you. Your (names) will in the future be etched in the annals of history as criminals. "So, now, without their having carried out any new activities (the prisoners), we go and execute them. This means that all of us screwed up, our entire judicial system is wrong... In Isfahan, they executed a pregnant woman. (In clerical jurisprudence) one must not execute a woman, even if she is a mohareb (enemy of God). I reminded (Khomeini) of this, but he said they must be executed. "(These) sort of mass executions without trials, particularly as it relates to prisoners and captives they are your captives, after all definitely over time will favour them and the world will condemn us... Killing is the wrong way to resist against a thought, an idea... Responding to a process, a logic, even a faulty logic, with killing will solve nothing. It will make it worse... How do you justify executing someone who was sentenced to something less than execution? Tomorrow, what answer can we give to their families? "One must respond to the wrong logic by presenting the right logic. One cannot resolve this through killing; killing will only propagate and spread it... We will not be in power forever. In the future, history will judge us." Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Shortly after this protest, in March 1989, Montazeri lost his position as deputy leader of the regime. In October 1997, he was placed under house arrest. He died in December 2009. His son released the recording of the August 1988 meeting almost 30 years later, in August 2016. The release of the recording gave impetus to a campaign for justice for families of the victims. In December 2018, Amnesty International produced a report, more than 200 pages, on these 1988 mass killings with a raft of recommendations. Yet this campaign is not reflected in the ongoing Canadian-led resolution in the United Nations General Assembly. The government of Canada and the co-sponsors of the resolution know that if they repeat the language they used in previous years, those countries that voted in favour of the resolution before will do so again. And they worry that with a change in the language, some votes may change. Yet the Iran resolution passed the General Assembly in 2019 with a vote of 81 in favour, 30 against and 70 abstentions. The resolution can afford to lose a few votes and still pass handily. The proponents of the resolution need to break out of their repetitive wording while the perpetrators are still alive and can be brought to justice. There are more recent concerns Iran has generated, but there is a direct link between immunity for the 1988 crimes and more recent wrongdoings. We should not be sending a message to Iran that cover-up and time are all that is necessary to avoid accountability for violations. We cannot hope for justice in the present if we ignore justice for past enormous crimes. The Canadian initiative at the UN this fall at the General Assembly should address the 1988 massacre. David Matas is an international human rights lawyer based in Winnipeg. Senate Democrats blocked the passage of the second stimulus bill in a procedural vote on Thursday. The second stimulus bill was rejected with a 52-47 votes. This reduces the possibility of Congress passing a measure providing a financial relief to Americans weathering the COVID-19 pandemic. Second Stimulus Bill Senate Republicans proposed a second stimulus bill named as a "skinny" bill, which includes funding for jobless aid, liability protections for businesses, and school funding among other measures. This also allows the U.S. Postal Service not to shoulder the previous loan set worth $10 billion from the earlier stimulus package. "Today we're releasing a targeted proposal that focuses on several of the most urgent aspects of this crisis, the issues where bipartisanship should be especially possible," Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said during his speech on the Senate floor on Tuesday. An additional funding assistance worth $20 billion was also slated to be given for farmers, ranchers, and other producers. The bill, however, did not contain funding for a second round of direct payments or stimulus checks to Americans. Many senators expressed skepticism that any movement would be done on a relief package before the election. "Along with the pandemic COVID-19, we have a pandemic of politics. It's a sort of a dead end street, and very unfortunate, but it is what it is," Sen. Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) said in a report. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) said that it appeared very unlikely more financial relief would be provided to Americans before November. Grassley noted that it looks like they do not want to get an agreement. "And if they don't want to sit down and talk, I think they think they're going to have a political victory, but it's going to be a loss for the American people," he said in a report. A Possibility of Second Stimulus Many are expecting to get a financial assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, it is unclear when Congress and the White House might agree on a relief package that will be signed into law. Congress is being pressured to pass a legislation that will prevent government shutdown by Oct. 1. Reports said that although the coronavirus aid package is separate, it is looking more likely that it will be tied in the government funding. There is still a change that Congress and the White House will be able to enact another recovery bill that includes a second stimulus check. However, the odds of that happening are quickly diminishing. Both political parties have shown an inclination to repeating direct payments. President Donald Trump has also expressed his favor of sending another round of stimulus checks. COVID-19 Aid Packages Democrats presented the HEROES Act in May. It passed in the House of Representatives but did not gain traction in the Senate floor. The $3 trillion bill would have allowed a repeat $1,200 payment for eligible adults, among other considerations. The $1 trillion package from Senate Republicans, known as the HEALS Act, provided a similar repeat of stimulus payments to Americans. It also includes eligibility for dependent children. Democrats have criticized the HEALS Act for not providing enough aid, and negotiations eventually stopped as parties could not agree on the right amount of a new stimulus package. Check these out: GOP Proposed New Stimulus Package. Who Will Be Included? Are You in the First Line of Receiving the Second Stimulus Check? Student Debts Excluded From Second Round of Stimulus Package, Should Be Scrapped STORRS A bar and restaurant popular with University of Connecticut students said it will temporarily close after two employees tested positive for COVID-19. Teds Bar and Restaurant, located just outside the Storrs campus, made the announcement on Wednesday. On Thursday, UConn said 17 more students have contracted the virus. Despite our best efforts following and enforcing the recommended guidelines, two members of our staff have tested positive for COVID-19, a post on the restaurants Instagram account said. Under an abundance of caution, and with our ongoing commitment to the health and wellbeing of our staff and guests, we have decided Teds will be temporarily closed, the post reads. The bar said it would work side by side with the local health department. A recorded message on the restaurants phone line said the bar hopes to reopen soon. The owners of the restaurant could not be reached for comment. On a popular subreddit for UConn students, posts and memes appeared shortly after commiserating the restaurants closure. The latest COVID-19 cases at UConn Storrs include two students living on campus and 15 off-campus students, university spokeswoman Stephanie Reitz said. Five of the off-campus students who tested positive were already in medical quarantine, she said. Regarding the off-campus positive number, is believed this pattern still reflects one roommate infecting other roommates in the same apartment or home, or the spread of the virus through small off-campus gatherings of students, Reitz said. The school has 34 active cases among residential students who have either tested positive or are suspected of having the disease. Seventy-two off-campus students have tested positive, along with three staff members. Shimla, Sep 11 : In what is being seen as a veiled threat following attack on Bollywood actress Kangana Ranaut's office in Mumbai, the BJP women's wing chief in Himachal Pradesh "it can happen here too" hinting at an attack on Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's house near here. Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur was quick to condemn this. State BJP Mahila Morcha chief Rashim Dhar Sood 'courted' controversy following her threat to bulldoze Priyanka's bungalow. In her video message, she spoke about launching a campaign against the Shiv Sena for 'demolishing' Ranaut's office. "If need be, we will not even spare Congress's daughter Priyanka Gandhi who has also built a house in Shimla. We will promise to demolish her house too," she said. Activists of the Mahila Morcha on Thursday staged a protest here against the demolition of Kangana's office. Rising above party lines, Thakur clarified that it was wrong to demand demolition of Priyanka Gandhi's house. "I condemn action against Kangana and the manner in which Himachal's daughter is being targeted by the Maharashtra government. But I do not endorse the remarks (of the Mahila Morcha chief)," the BJP CM told the media here. "Neither the government nor the party shares the views that Priyanka Gandhi's house should be demolished," he said, clarifying it was the government's duty to ensure her safety. At the same time, state Congress President Kuldeep Rathore clarified that Priyanka's house was made as per the laws. Priyanka's five-room cottage -- with wooden frames and shingled exteriors and a sloping tiled roof -- was completed recently. It is located at a height of more than 8,000 feet amid thick forests of pine and cedar in Chharabra, some 15 km uphill from Shimla. Ahead of the Covid-19 pandemic, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, along with her children and mother Sonia Gandhi, had been regularly visiting to inspect the construction work of the two-storey house on a four-bigha plus agricultural plot that was purchased in 2007. Congress leader and former Cabinet Minister Vidya Stokes had played an important role in helping Priyanka Gandhi buy a three-and-a-half bigha (one bigha is 0.4 hectare) agricultural plot for around Rs 47 lakh in 2007. The then Congress government in the state had relaxed norms to let the Vadras buy the land. The plot is close to The Retreat, the summer holiday resort of the Indian President. Oberoi Group's luxury spa Wildflower Hall also lies close to Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's cottage. The Congress leader is one of the most high-profile people to build a house in Himachal Pradesh, years after former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee chose Kullu Valley for a cottage. The then Himachal Pradesh government had relaxed land rules under Section 118 of the Land Reforms and Tenancy Act to facilitate the sale for the Gandhi family. The law prohibits outsiders from buying land in the hilly state and those who wish to buy land for non-agricultural purposes have to seek a relaxation from the government. Thousands of pensioners and pre-teen school children are being forced to endure back-breaking shifts in a North Korean mine so Kim Jong-Un's latest vanity project will be completed on time. Pupils from the country's elementary, middle and high schools in and around the town of Sijung along with pensioners up to the age of 75 are involved. They have been mobilised to the Sijung Mine, in the far north of the country, to collect calcium carbonate and grind rocks into powder, dissident media reports. The material is to be used to construct and paint the new Pyongyang General Hospital. Kim has demanded that the hospital be finished before October 10. This is a red letter day for the regime as it marks the 75th anniversary of the founding of the Workers' Party. Building work has slipped behind schedule due to the international sanctions imposed on North Korea because it refuses to halt the development of nuclear weapons and long-range ballistic missiles. North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un has mobilised pensioners and children to work in mines in order to build the Pyongyang General Hospital Managers in the Sijung area are desperate not to upset the North Korean leader, who revels in the title The Young General, and who has a reputation for sending those who displease him to re-education camps. So they have rounded up residents and families of officials at the mine and put them to work. A source in Chagang Province told the Daily NK web site: 'In early July, the Cabinet and Central Committee ordered Sijung Mine to produce 10 tons of calcium carbonate for the hospital project.' The Daily NK, has a series of underground 'reporters' in the North who use mobile phones to communicate with the world. The news company reported: 'The mine is currently operating at full capacity, with labourers working in 22-hour shifts every day under the supervision of the mines management. 'The mines party committee is ordering all families to come out and work.' Much of the hospital's construction work is completed but the final pieces, such as tiling and painting, are behind schedule. The official retirement age in North Korea is 60 but the party can raise that limit for state-related projects, hence men and women up to 75-years working in the mines. A source told Daily NK: 'Elderly people with poor eyesight and who cant even walk properly are worried that they are effectively being called to their own funerals. 'They are very upset and cursing the officials in charge.' Officials have stated that the workers need to collect 10 tons of calcium carbonate by the start of next month so that the finishing touches can be put to the hospital which is 200 miles from the mine. Residents in Pyongyang where the new hospital is being built The facility is to be only open to the elite of North Korean society. Kim is well aware that, like his grandfather and father before him, he needs the support of the upper classes in his Communist society to remain in power. He uses bribes, such as better health and recreational facilities, to guarantee the backing. The forced mine labourers have complained about about the dangerous working conditions and that they no longer have enough time to tend or gather the crops they will need during the winter months. The Daily NK source added: 'People need to tend their own plots of land with fertilizer to survive, but they are being mobilised instead. 'To add insult to injury, people forced to work in the mine are struggling because they are not able to acquire enough food.' Certain groups that are backed up by Russia, China, and even Iran have just recently launched cyberattacks that are targeting both Trump and Biden campaigns. These groups also target people and organizations that are involved in the upcoming 2020 race. Microsoft warned that these efforts were done to interfere with the upcoming election. Intentional targetting of the United States Tom Burt, the company's very own corporate vice president of the general customer security and trust, said in a recent blog post that the whole malign activity clearly shows that different foreign activity groups have definitely stepped up their own efforts that are targeting the upcoming 2020 elections. Tom Burt also noted that most of the attacks that Microsoft has detected have finally stopped. The revelation slowly comes after the official Treasury Department recently announced sanctions against four different people with certain links to Russia, including a particular Ukrainian lawmaker who actually met with Rudy Giuliani back in December. The sanctions were placed for attempting to strongly influence the upcoming United States presidential elections. Compromised Persons? The lawmaker is known as Andriy Derkach, who has been a certain "active Russian agent" for just over a whole decade and even "waged a covert influence campaign" that is designed to cultivate certain unsupported narratives that concern officials within the realm of the presidential election according to the department. The official United States intelligence community recently issued an assessment back in August that intentionally warned of the ongoing activist by Russia, China, and also Iran. Russia, according to the recent assessment, is actively doing what they can in order to "denigrate" Biden, while China also prefers that Mr. Trump loses the reelection. Iran, on the other hand, might actually try to "undermine" the United States democratic institutions and even the president through the use of certain online content. Read Also: NNSA Meets with US Arms Control to Discuss #Nuclear #Security Matters: Should We be Worried? Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency statements A certain Christopher Krebs, who works as the head of Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, recently stated that they are well aware of the different hacking attempts that Microsoft detected and they noted that the efforts did not actually involve the voting infrastructure or even the impact election systems. Krebs stated that the announcement is quite consistent with the statements that were recently given by the Intelligence Community regarding the range of different malicious cyber activists that are targeting the upcoming 2020 campaign and also reinforces that this is actually an all-of-nation effort in order to defend dear democracy. According to Krebs, everyone that is involved with the whole political process should strongly stay alert against the different sorts of attacks and that they are already releasing updated guidance for improving the whole cyber defences against the known account compromising attacks. It was also stated that Krebs encourages other people that experiences of a cyber incident come forward and report them to CISA and also the FBI. Read Also: Essay-Writing Robot that Acknowledges God's Existence Claims Human Destruction is "Not Avoidable": Why? This article is owned by Tech Times Written by Urian Buenconsejo 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Moch. Fiqih Prawira Adjie (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, September 11, 2020 18:13 497 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c444db2c 1 National national-holiday,Holiday,collective-leave,cuti-bersama,libur-nasional,2021 Free The government has finalized the list of public holidays and collective leaves for 2021. The list is stipulated in a joint decree signed on Wednesday by the Religious Affairs Ministry, the Manpower Ministry and the Administrative and Bureaucratic Reform Ministry. There will be 23 national holidays and collective leave days for 2021, Coordinating Human Development and Culture Minister Muhadjir Effendy said in a statement on Thursday. He said the government determined the holidays following several considerations, including maximizing regional revenue from tourism and planning around traffic congestion. September and November next year will be the only months without any public holidays, according to a list on the Cabinet Secretariats official website, setkab.go.id. Below is a list of public holidays next year as stipulated in the ministerial joint decree: National Holidays: Jan. 1: New Years Day Feb. 12: Chinese New Year March 11: Ascension Day of Prophet Muhammad March 14: Nyepi (Day of Silence) April 2: Good Friday May 1: International Labor Day May 13: Ascension Day of Jesus Christ May 13-14: Idul Fitri May 26: Waisak June 1: Pancasila Day June 31: Idul Adha (Day of Sacrifice) Aug. 10: Islamic New Year Aug. 17: Independence Day Oct. 19: Birthday of Prophet Muhammad Dec. 25: Christmas Day Mandatory collective leave days: May 12, 17-19: Collective holiday for Idul Fitri Dec. 27: Collective holiday for Christmas The Manpower Ministry is expected to issue a follow-up regulation stipulating mandatory collective leaves for private companies, while a regulation for civil servants would fall under a presidential decree. (mfp) New Delhi: The first 'Kisan Rail' from south India arrived in Delhi's Adarsh Nagar railway station on Friday (September 11) morning. The newly introduced train started from Anantapuramu on Wednesday (September 9) carrying 322 tonnes of fresh fruits and vegetables. The train was flagged off by Union Minister for Agriculture Narendra Singh Tomar and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Wednesday via a video link from New Delhi and Amaravati. The inaugural Kisan Rail was loaded with Tomato, Bananas, Sweet Orange, Papaya, Muskmelons and Mangoes which came from Andhra Pradesh. The rakewas loaded with 14 parcel vans 4 vans load meant for Nagpur and another 10 Vans load for Adarsh Nagar totaling 332 tonnes. Live TV The train provides fast transport connectivity between Anantapur to New Delhi as it covers a distance of 2150 Km in approximately 40 hours. Anantapur is the Fruit Bowl of Andhra Pradesh and more than 80% of the 58 lakh MT of fruits vegetables in the district is marketed out of the state, particularly to the north Indian states of Delhi, UP, Punjab, and Haryana among others. Earlier this was being transported by roadways which were not only time taking but also leading to a reduction in price realisation of the farmers due to en route damages. Transportation by railway provides safe, reliable, and fast transportation which will aid in better price realization for the farmers and thereby helping in better incomes for the farmers and traders. Notably, the Kisan Rail is planned to be run once a week now but as harvesting picks up after October, the frequency may be increased from January based on the demand. Trade minister says authorities were acting on evidence in relation to an investigation into foreign interference. Australia confirmed a raid on four journalists for Chinas state media and said security agencies were acting on evidence related to a foreign interference investigation in the June incident. The raid was revealed by Chinas foreign ministry this week, after two Australian journalists left China following questioning by Chinese police. The two sought diplomatic protection after the authorities turned up at their homes in Beijing and Shanghai. Relations between Australia and top trading partner China have deteriorated since Canberra called for an investigation into the origins of the coronavirus, angering Beijing. China has responded with trade reprisals on products including wine, while Australia has toughened national security tests for foreign investment. Trade Minister Simon Birmingham said Australian security agencies had acted according to the law. We appropriately respond in relation to any foreign interference concerns that are raised in Australia, he told the ABC News Breakfast television programme, when asked about the incident. We do it purely in relation to the evidence, he added. Australian citizen and television anchor Cheng Lei, who worked for Chinas state television CGTN and has been detained by authorities in China, in a still image taken from undated footage produced by Australia Global Alumni Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade [Courtesy of Australia Global Alumni Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade/via Reuters] ABC reported separately that the raids on the Chinese journalists in Australia were linked to an investigation into an alleged plot by the Chinese Communist Party to infiltrate the parliament of New South Wales, the countrys most populous state. Birmingham denied suggestions the June raid had provoked retaliation from Beijing, which saw exit bans placed on journalists from the Australian Broadcasting Corp and the Australian Financial Review newspaper in China last week, and the pair seeking consular protection. China has accused the Australian embassy of obstructing law enforcement when it sheltered the two journalists, Bill Birtles and Michael Smith. Last month, Cheng Lei, an Australian working as a business anchor for Chinese state television, was detained by the Chinese authorities in relation to alleged national security concerns. Birmingham denied any interference in the cases of Birtles and Smith and said Australian embassy officials had respected Chinas processes to negotiate an outcome. The embassy engaged diligently to ensure the safety of the two individuals concerned, but they also engaged cooperatively with Chinese officials to ensure the resolution of the matter, which included the opportunity for Chinese authorities to interview the individuals concerned, he told ABC radio. President Moon Jae-in takes off his mask before speaking at the eighth Emergency Economic Council meeting in Cheong Wa Dae, Thursday. Support rates for Moon and the ruling Democratic Party of Korea have dropped largely among young people and men, widely seen as a result of influence-peddling allegations surrounding Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae over her son's military service. Yonhap By Jung Da-min The growing allegations surrounding Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae over her son's military service are beginning to affect the approval ratings for President Moon Jae-in and the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), as support for the President and the party has dropped significantly among men and the younger generation. In a poll of 1,504 adults conducted by Realmeter from Monday to Wednesday, 45.7 percent of the respondents believed Moon was doing a good job, down 2.4 percentage points from a week before, while 49.5 percent disapproved of his job performance, an increase of 1.4 percentage points. The decline was large among people in their 20s, whose support for Moon dropped by 5.7 percentage points; among men, by 9 percentage points; and among students, 10.7 percentage points. Political watchers attributed the fall to growing public criticism over the allegations that Choo abused her power as head of the ruling party to help her son receive preferential treatment during his mandatory military service years ago, because the declines mainly came from groups sensitive to military issues. All able-bodied men are required to complete around two years of military service, with the majority electing to serve in their 20s, many of them while students. Justice minister apologizes over graft allegations surrounding her son Justice minister apologizes over alleged power abuse scandal involving her son Choo 'asked for special favors for her son' The decline was similar in the approval rating for the DPK, which fell to 33.7 percent, down 4.1 percentage points from a week before. The larger drops were also found among men, 8.9 percentage points down; among students, 6.5 percentage points down; and among those in their 50s whose children are in the age group for military duty, 11.1 percentage points down. Choo's influence-peddling scandal is snowballing, with opposition lawmakers disclosing military documents and testimonies against her. Although Choo denied the allegations, young people in Korea are growing increasingly angry over a series of scandals involving children of powerful political figures of the ruling bloc. Choo's predecessor Cho Kuk was also embroiled in allegations that he helped his children gain admission to prestigious universities; he stepped down from the minister post shortly after. Young people raised questions about the fairness heralded by President Moon, as the former and incumbent justice ministers were damaging the spirit of equality, fairness and justice, which the Moon government has pledged to pursue since its inauguration. E. Jean Carroll in June 2019. (Craig Ruttle / Associated Press) E. Jean Carrolls account of the time Donald Trump allegedly raped her in a department store in the 1990s is highly specific and amply corroborated. Its also harrowing. In her recent book, Carroll recounts her story with clinical precision. It happened in a department store, in Manhattan, in the lingerie section. She says he pinned her against the wall of a dressing room with his shoulder. She says he manipulated her clothing and her body, until she was able to knee him hard and run like hell. The logistics check out. The department store was laid out the way Carroll remembers it. The timing adds up. And two of her friends say she told them about the alleged rape contemporaneously. President Trump denies it all, claiming he has never even met Carroll, just as he has denied credible charges of sexual misconduct made by at least 21 other women. Not to shock you, but I think hes lying. A 1987 photo shows Trump and Carroll together. And as has been made painfully clear this week alone it was corroborated in books by Trump's former lawyer Michael Cohen and journalists Tony Schwartz and Bob Woodward Trump is above all a liar. He lies about his taxes, his money, his accomplishments, the coronavirus pandemic. According to the latest tally in the Washington Post, Trump has lied or distorted the truth on average 23 times a day since he has been in office. And yet Trump wants us to believe that its Carroll who is totally lying. When the president denied Carrolls allegations in June 2019, he also took potshots at her appearance and reputation from his bully pulpit including his revolting defense that Carroll is not my type. Carroll was forthwith fired from Elle, where shed been a columnist for 26 years. In November, Carroll sued Trump for defamation, seeking punitive damages for injury done to her reputation and her career. As part of the suit, she requested a DNA sample from Trump to compare with DNA found on the coat dress she was wearing at the department store. Story continues Trump has had his lawyers go through the usual bully moves to crush the litigation. They refused to hand over a DNA sample. They told various judges and courts that the lawsuit should be delayed or thrown out for jurisdictional reasons. The courts said no. Finally, the Trump team seemed to be licked. The case was moving forward. And then on Tuesday Bill Barr stepped in. The U.S. attorney general, who long ago forfeited his own reputation to play Trump's personal fixer, wrenched the case out of state court and made it federal, edging out Trumps private defense lawyers and replacing them with the Justice Department itself, and asserting that the government, not Trump, was the defendant. For now at least, the case that was known as E. Jean Carroll vs. Donald J. Trump can be docketed as E. Jean Carroll vs. the United States of America. This is a Hail Mary move by Barr to at least delay Carrolls case until after the election. But if Barr fully succeeds in converting this to a federal case, the lawsuit might disappear entirely, as no one can sue the United States of America for defamation. In the meantime, Barr has essentially conflated the whole country all of us citizens and taxpayers with the president and his sordid private debauchery. We the people have unwittingly become surrogates for a known misogynist, with a florid history of sexual impropriety, when he smeared a journalist because she had the temerity to speak up. Bigfooting Trumps defense in the Carroll case is just the latest phase of a Barr gaslighting operation that's meant to persuade people that the state is Trump. In the words of the Justice Department motion, Trumps demeaning of Carroll was within his scope of office as president. In other words, the harassment of women has become presidential. Or as Dahlia Lithwick and Mark Joseph Stern put it in Slate this week, The stuff that once horrified you in the Access Hollywood tapes four years ago? Now those kinds of comments could just be considered presidential acts. The Republicans used to claim they could separate Trump the president, a tax-cutting deregulator who appoints the right judges, from Trump the man, who boasted about committing sexual assault, joked about dating his own daughter, evidently paid hush money to a porn actress and made a mockery of his marriage vows. But if Trump was acting as president when he trashed Carroll, Trump the man cant be distinguished from Trump the president. Those Republicans have no theory left to hide behind. Barrs move hit American feminists like a punch in the gut. Sickening. And it should hit all Americans that way. When Carroll first brought her defamation case, she said, The lawsuit is for all women who have been harassed, who cannot speak up and dont have the money to sue. I am speaking out now for the women who have spoken out and have met their doom. Sometimes you speak out against a man in power and you lose your job. Thats right. As much as Barr might want to reverse things, if Carroll is telling the truth, her side, not the presidents, is we the people. Trump's mendacity and vulgarity have defamed the United States of America for too long. Its Carroll, with her courage and honesty, who has stepped up to defend us. @page88 Eight Security Council members called Friday for the Muslim Rohingya minority, victims in 2017 of what the UN calls a genocide, to participate in Myanmars upcoming elections. The statement, published after a closed-door video conference, is signed by Belgium, the Dominican Republic, Estonia, France, Germany, Tunisia, Britain and the United States. We recognize the efforts made by Myanmars government in the countrys democratization, the signatories emphasize. The elections on November 8 are an important milestone in Myanmars transition, which the international community has supported with funding and technical expertise, they added. The signatories underlines underlined their commitment to ensuring individuals from all communities, including Rohingya, were able to participate safely, fully, and equally in credible and inclusive elections. They expressed concern about continuing clashes in Myanmars Rakhine and Chin States, calling for an immediate cessation of hostilities. Since 2017, some 740,000 Rohingya have fled Myanmars military abuses and taken refuge in neighboring Bangladesh, where they are crammed into huge camps. The crisis has led Burma to be accused of genocide before the International Court of Justice, the UNs highest judicial body. The statement from the eight countries urges Myanmar to accelerate its efforts to address the long-term causes of the crisis in Rakhine and create conditions conducive to the safe, voluntary, sustainable, and dignified return of refugees. And it stresses the importance of holding accountable those responsible for the violence. A system that tracks referrals of patients for Covid-19 testing by GPs around Ireland has flagged Laois as one of the 'warm' counties for the coronavirus, according to a doctor who participates in the system. Prof Tom O'Dowd is one of the hundreds of family doctors around Ireland in the GPBuddy COVID-19 Community tracker which is the result of a collaboration between front line GPs, and GP IT and Data specialists. It collects data daily GPs and shares. Prof O'Dowd, who is attached to Trinity College's medical school, told Morning Ireland on RTE that based on Thursday's Buddy data, Laois is one of the 'warm spots' for new referrals from family doctors. Other counties include Carlow, Wexford and Wicklow. Prof O'Dowd said that the GPBuddy tracker has predicted the re-emergence of the virus as it has increased in recent weeks. Anybody with Covid-19 symptoms must first contact their GP. Not every patient will be referred to a test centre. Prof O'Dowd, who is vice-President of the Irish College of General Practitioners, said that of the seven patients who contacted him in his Dublin practice on Thursday, two ended up going for a test. After a turbulent August which led to new restrictions in Laois, the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) disease outbreak report said there were 20 new cases identified in Laois over the last week of August and the first week of September. The is an incidence of 23.6 per 100,000 of the population wich is lower than the 38 per 100,000 national average. After a number of days of no new cases, the HSPC confirmed on Thursday that six new cases had been identified bringing to 402 the total number of infections since February. The Laois Offaly Education and Training Board also confirmed on Thursday a case had been identified at the Dunamaise College secondary school in Portlaoise. After Arjun Kapoor was called a small-time actor on a news channel, Hansal Mehta and Pooja Bhatt came out in support of him. Hansal slammed the journalist for demeaning and abus(ing) the film industry. Nobody is a small-time actor. Get that straight f******d arnab. Enough of this demeaning and abuse of our profession, the filmmaker wrote on Twitter. Pooja backed Hansal and said, in a series of tweets, that such terms were used to dismiss and degrade artists. She also seemed to take a dig at Kangana Ranaut, who earlier referred to Taapsee Pannu and Swara Bhasker as B-grade actresses. I agree with @mehtahansal when he says Nobody is a small time actor. People use terms like the above & out of work actor, B or C grade actor as a means to dismiss & degrade.The joy & trial of being an actor/artist is that at some point you are going to be out of work, Pooja wrote. Thats what makes ALL artistes across board such courageous people. To constantly embrace uncertainty,to plod on & put your best face forward even after enduring failure. To follow your heart & hone your art no matter how average or brilliant people think you are-that takes guts!, she added. Pooja then saluted her colleagues in the industry and called everyone warriors. So heres to the artists,the makers,the entertainers,the believers. We are warriors! Our tools are our hearts, our senses. Our strength is our vulnerability,our capacity to fall & rise again. Success is temporary,failure guaranteed & we still do what we do. Not everyones cup of tea!, she wrote. Also read: From being asked to serve food to Ayushmann Khurrana to getting groped at 12, Tahira Kashyap opens up on need to smash patriarchy Arnab Goswami, on his show, was criticising the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporations (BMC) partial demolition of Kanganas office. He brought up examples of other actors who were served notices by the BMC and given enough time. There is one person called Arjun Kapoor.. I dont know, they say he is a small time actor. I dont know who he is. But this Arjun Kapoor, whoever this small-time actor is, Arnab said, talking about how Arjuns illegal terrace gym was demolished by the BMC a year after he was served a notice. Kangana, who has been critical of the ruling Maharashtra government, said that the demolition of her office is an attempt to silence her. She has challenged Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray to break my face and body, vowing to expose him and the Karan Johar gang. Follow @htshowbiz for more Yemen launches drone, missile attacks against Saudi capital; key target hit: Al-Masirah Iran Press TV Thursday, 10 September 2020 10:06 AM Yemeni armed forces have launched missile and drones strikes against a strategic target in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, as they step up their campaign of retaliation against the aggressor kingdom. Spokesman for the Yemeni Armed Forces Brigadier General Yahya Saree said Thursday that a domestically-developed Zofaqar ballistic missile and four Samad-3 drones were used to hit the "important target" in Riyadh, the al-Masirah television reported. He said Yemeni forces will keep up their retaliatory raids against sensitive and strategic targets on Saudi soil as long as Riyadh and its allies fail to end their military campaign and siege against Yemen. "We promise the criminal and aggressor Saudi regime painful operations as long as the aggression and siege continues," the military official said. The attack on Riyadh followed four consecutive days of Yemeni air raids against Abha International Airport located near Saudi Arabia's southwestern border with Yemen. The Saudi regime has not yet commented on the report, but it usually claims to have intercepted the drones and missiles fired from Yemen. Since early 2015, Riyadh and a coalition of its vassal states have been engaged in a military campaign against Yemen in a futile attempt to reinstall a Saudi-friendly government there. The Western-backed war, which has been accompanied by a crippling blockade of Yemen, has killed tens of thousands of people and afflicted the already-poorest Arabian Peninsula nation with the "world's worst humanitarian crisis," according to the UN. Backed by the armed forces and allied popular groups, the Houthi movement has been defending Yemen against the Saudi-led aggression, preventing the invaders from achieving their goals of war. The Yemeni forces have, in recent days, stepped up their defense campaign against Riyadh, which has tightened its siege of Yemen by blocking the entry of fuel and humanitarian supplies into the war-torn country. Yemen said earlier in the week that the Sana'a International Air Port was about to suspend its activities due to a severe shortage of fuel, leaving thousands of Yemeni patients in need of medical treatment abroad in limbo. The lack of fuel is also pushing all working health facilities in the Arab country toward total suspension, the Health Ministry has warned. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address GraphDB 9.4 now features SQL access to graphs over JDBC driver, visual interface for defining transformation of tabular data to RDF and mapping to existing graphs as well as RDF mapping API with streaming support for transforming tabular data into RDF SOFIA, Bulgaria, Sept. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Ontotext has released the 9.4 version of GraphDB with the main objective to lower the cost of creating and consuming knowledge graphs. Although the RDF data model is a powerful data model for sharing meaning, the task of developing good models is still perceived as intricate and laborious work. In GraphDB 9.4 this is now simpler and less error-prone. It also allows knowledge graphs to be accessed over SQL, vastly broadening the number of tools (e.g., BI) that can consume the data and eliminate the need for specific integration. Visual interface in OntoRefine to define transformation of tabular data to RDF and mapping to existing graphs In GraphDB 9.4 the visual interface of OntoRefine is now optimized for guiding the user in choosing the right predicates and classes, defining the datatype to RDF mappings and implementing complex transformation using OpenRefine's GREL language. OntoRefine is an extended version of OpenRefine, which is a data wrangling tool optimized to clean tabular data and connect it with datasets like Wikidata, via reconciliation services. It also allows the transformation of any structured data to RDF and mapping it to a locally stored schema in GraphDB. RDF mapping API with streaming support to transform tabular data Once the user creates a mapping in OntoRefine, using the visual interface or directly SPARQL, an efficient mechanism is needed to script and automate the updates. The new GraphDB 9.4 Mapping API supports "data providers", like an OpenRefine project or posted CSV data stream, and their automated transformation into RDF. This allows automation of extraction, transformation and loading (ETL) activities for building or updating knowledge graphs. The streaming API also guarantees no limitations on the size of the data. SQL access to GraphDB over JDBC driver GraphDB 9.4 adds important features to make it easier for business users and experts in big enterprises to consume unified information, addressing the challenges that only a handful of experts have a thorough understanding of the company's ecosystem of knowledge and data and the tooling support may not be adequate. GraphDB now supports accessing RDF models with any JDBC/ODBC compatible tool. The knowledge experts can define SQL views over any SPARQL query results. GraphDB supports full SQL language, via Apache Calcite, and some of the constructs will be pushed down to the SPARQL query for maximum efficiency. An immediate benefit of the JDBC driver is that knowledge graphs managed in GraphDB can be accessed from some of the most popular Business Intelligence tools (e.g. Power BI and Tableau) and ETL software packages require SQL access and cannot use SPARQL. Such integration will be demonstrated during the September 17th webinar "Hands-on with the JDBC Driver in GraphDB: Bridging relational queries to the graph world". Beyond GraphDB 9.4 GraphDB 9.4 is an important release because it lowers substantially the cost of integrating and consuming data. Our ambition is growing bigger with 9.5, adding No-ETL integration and data virtualization with relational-to-graph mapping (R2ML) and ontology-based data access (OBDA). By enabling the users to expose Oracle, PostgreSQL, IBM DB2, MySQL databases as virtual SPARQL endpoints, we will enable: (1) The easy synchronization of relational data with GraphDB trough loading the content of the endpoint; (2) The expansion of the query federation capabilities with data joins between RDF and relational databases. Last but not least, GraphDB 9.5 will include single sign-on functionality to lower the integration with the existing enterprise infrastructure and improve the overall system security. Download GraphDB Now About Sirma AI EAD, trading as Ontotext Ontotext is a global leader in enterprise knowledge graph technology and semantic database engines. Ontotext employs big knowledge graphs to enable unified data access and cognitive analytics via text mining and integration of data across multiple sources. Ontotext GraphDB?? engine and Ontotext Platform power business critical systems in the biggest banks, media, market intelligence agencies, car and aerospace manufacturers. Ontotext technology and solutions are spread wide across the value chain of the most knowledge intensive enterprises in financial services, publishing, healthcare, pharma, manufacturing and public sectors. Leveraging AI and cognitive technologies, Ontotext helps enterprises get competitive advantage, by connecting the dots of their proprietary knowledge and putting in the context of global intelligence. Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/448827/Ontotext_Logo.jpg Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1252138/Ontotext_GraphDB94.jpg TEL AVIV - Israel's ministerial committee for coronavirus, as expected, has proposed overnight a lockdown to deal with a peak in new infections registered over the past few weeks. The decision will be approved by the government on Sunday. The initial part of the lockdown will last for two weeks and will concern Rosh ha-Shana (Jewish New Year) and Kippur. If it will succeed in halting the spread of the virus, it will be gradually lifted. New infections registered over the past 24 hours in Israel were 4,038, 8.8% of tests, according to data released by the health ministry. A reported 146,542 people have been infected since the start of the pandemic. Currently 33,920 people are sick, including 982 who are in hospital. Serious cases were today 489: there were 419 last week. The overall death toll is 1,077. The start of the lockdown will be set by the government. According to media reports, it should be scheduled after Wednesday, when Premier Benyamin Netanyahu is scheduled to return from Washington where on September 12 peace accords between Israel and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will be signed. Once the lockdown will come into force, Israelis will not be allowed to strayaway from their homes for more than 500 meters. Schools will remain closed as well as private practices that don't provide essential services. Prayers will only be held outdoors or in spaces that have been deemed appropriate by healthcare authorities. Yesterday, before the ministerial committee decided on the lockdown, several hospitals told the government that they were strained, especially in areas most affected by the pandemic. Dozens of people wrapped in blankets and wearing lifejackets were seen being brought into the port of Dover in the UK, on Friday. After a lull in people attempting the dangerous crossing over the last few days, crossings resumed in large numbers amid low winds. It is reported that more dinghies believed to be carrying migrants remain in the Channel and are being monitored by the Coastguard. The latest arrivals come despite the UK's Home Secretary Priti Patel vowing to make the route unviable, and the continued row between the Home Office and the legal profession on how to tackle the crossings. French patrol forces are also active across the water border. One of the most innovative AI-power machine vision companies is closely linked with Lionel Messi, and now OrCam Technologies are attempting to make the lives of blind and visually impaired people happier. The goal is to make assistive sight technologies and raise awareness of the challenges that the blind and visually impaired community face on a daily basis. OrCam will organise meetings between dozens of visually impaired people from around the world and Messi himself, with the Barcelona forward helping to raise the profile of the technology as well as make a dream come true for a patient. Every year Messi will then be present to hand over a 'MyEye' device to somebody who is either blind or visually impaired. "I'm very proud to be an OrCam Ambassador because it's really going to make a difference," Messi confirmed. "We're looking at a device that will change the lives of its users. "It has been a really exciting process, meeting these people from all over the world has been a truly magical, inspiring thing." Approximately 300 million people around the world suffer with the aforementioned vision conditions, but the MyEye device would drastically improve their quality of life. Home > Archives (2006 on) > 2020 > De-iconisation of Pandit Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar | Pabitra Kumar (...) [Sept 26, 1890, is 200th birth anniversary of Iswarchandra Vidyasagar] by Pabitra Kumar Sarkar On March 2001, a group of Talibani terrorists blasted the majestic Buddhist statue at Bamian valley in Afganistan by charging powerful dynamite. It was one of the tallest such statues in the world. The historic statue which was 1500 hundred years old, was a unique artifice. Bamian is a heritage site of the UNESCO. The statue was chiselled out on the hill surface. But this sort of sculptural art is of no value to the senseless Islamic fundamentalists. The whole world was taken aback at this act of vandalism. Fifty-four Islamic countries including Pakistan condemned this gruesome act. At present the Govt. of Switzerland has taken the initiative of rebuilding the statue. The icon may be rebuilt but not the tradition. Fundamentalists of all hues, religious or political, are of same nature. In 1969-70 a group of Ultra-left Naxalites in the name of so-called peoples democratic revolution ruthlessly attacked the democratic values earned through reforms or the freedom movement. Mainly the youth and students of Kolkata and other cities of West Bengal became the bulwark of this revolution. They were against the tradition and cultural heritage of the country. They called Raja Rammohan Roy, Vidyasagar, Rabindranath and such others as Reactionary Bourgeosie and defaced their statues. Charu Majumder, Kanu Sanyal, Saroj Dutta and others were the leaders of this short-lived revolution. This kind of ultra-left tendency was termed as narodnism by Lenin. During the spell of Left adventurism perhaps Pandit Iswarchandra Vidyasagar was their prime target. On October 20, 1970, a group of Naxalites beheaded the statue of this great man at College Square in Central Kolkata. Incidentally, that was his 150th birth anniversary. Along with Iswarchandra, the great scientist Prafulla Chandra Roy had to face the same ordeal, his statue was also beheaded on the same day. What was the cause of the wrath against Vidyasagar? During the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857, Iswarchandra was the Principal of the Sanskrit College. The Naxalites alleged that he had hobnobbed with the British authorities to use the college as a military barrack. The military camped in the college and was later sent to suppress the Mutiny. Those who suffer from infantile Leftism are fond of such an easy equation. Vidyasagar worked under the British Govt. and he had no other option but follow the government dictum. It was quite unthinkable that he would revolt against foreign rulers all of a sudden and resign from his post. Even today in India several thousand Left and radical-minded persons are compelled to work for their livelihood under bourgeois Government which they oppose every now and then. Do they resign? They need not and for this compulsion, they can not be called reactionary. Fo the same reason, Vidyasagar was not a comprador of foreign rulers. If one wants to ignore the class limitation of a person and also the limitation of time it is nothing but mechanical determinism according to Marx. A small section of ultra-Left holds the opinion that in feudal India only those who supported and stood for the agricultural uprisings and revolt can be called real progressives. This is just a onesided mechanical view. In the dark age of feudalism, those who fought for social and religious reforms, womens emancipation and spread of education and stood for human rights and rationality helped in the positive historical development of the society. The cumulative effect of all these struggles had brought forth democratic values. During the period of Bengal Renaissance of the 19th century this type of development took place. Based on these criteria we should evaluate the role of Pandit Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar. He, undoubtedly, heralded modernity in Bengal. Almost five decades after the incident in 1970, the Vidyasagar statue had was again beheaded on May 14, 2019, at the premises of Vidyasagar College, which was founded by the great man himself. The BJP elements were allegedly behind this act, though as a party they strongly denied it. But Vidyasagars rationalist and liberal ideas were contrary to Hindu orthodoxy. Though he was born in a Hindu Brahman family, he fought Brahmanical Kulinism tooth and nail. While he was active in the reform movement by which he ushered in a formidable social change, the Hindu fundamentalists opposed him violently. Even the great novelist Bankimchandra Chattopadhyay, who reared socialist ideas, in the early part of his life was very much against Iswarchandra Vidyasagar. He remarked in the first edition of his famous novel Bishabriksha (poison tree), If Iswar Chandra is pedant, who else is a fool! According to Bankimchandra, Vidysagars campaign for the remarriage of Hindu widows, against child marriage and polygamy etc. would touch a very small section of the society. He even did not consider that Iswarchandra, a great writer. He ranked him as a primer writer. Due to the frontal attack of Hindu nationalists, Vidyasagars social reform activity lost its grit in 1880 onwards and he became a frustrated man. We find this great man has been the centre of attack of the Rightists and the ultra-left all along. At least the left ultras try to theorize their action, but the Hindu fundamentalists remain conspicuously silent on this issue and so does the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his govt. The PM has not said a single word as yet about observing the birth bicentenary of Vidyasagar which will close on Sept 26, 2020. I like to remind that in Gujarat the name of Vidyasagar figured prominently through translations of his books by Ramanlal Soni Medasa. The biography of Vidyasagar was written by Kalarthi Mukul in 1876; that means while Vidyasagar was alive. Not only in Gujarat but also in Karnataka, Maharashtra, Orissa, Assam, Vidyasagar influenced the social reform movement. It is true that Vidyasagar was able to carry on his social and literary activities with the support of the British rulers. His distinctive personality, his self-respect, his upright character and courage, determination, rational behaviour attracted the ruling class. The colonial rulers of Bengal from their own class position wanted to fight obscurantist ideas and customs and that was the common cause with Vidyasagar. There was not a single instance in which he unjustly compromised with the Britishers. He had, however, exposed the cruel and corrupt character of the colonial masters through his writings. This point is so far undiscussed in research articles. In his Banglar Itihas (History of Bengal), he wrote, Nabab Shiraj-ud-Dulla was the not least responsible for historical Blackhole Tragedy perpetrated on June 20, 1756. He was not even aware of the tragic incident. Manikchand who was given the charge of seized Fort was responsible for the death of 123 English soldiers due to suffocation. Vidyasagar pointed out how the-then Governor-General of Bengal Warren Hastings in connivance with the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, Eliajha Impey institutionalised a cut money raj in Bengal. A high ranking person of that time, Nand Kumar was hanged publicly just because he was opposed to the corruption of Hastings. In his other book Akhyan Manjari (buds of stories), he narrated at least four or five episodes exposing how cruel the colonial aggressors were. If these stories were read properly in time that could provide materials exposing the real character of colonialists. The Central Government led by Modi is over-active in erecting the Ram Mandir in Ajodhya. But we can analyse the real character of Ramchandra from Vidyasagars Sitar Banabas (forest exile of Sita) story. We find the magnanimous king Ramchandra was not hesitant to send his most beloved wife Sita, who was expecting, to a forest exile in order to avoid his subjects casting aspersion on his wife. Vidyasagar was a secular humanist in all respects. He did not go to any temple or a place of worship; not even did bow down before a God or Goddess. In his primers written for the children, he had not mentioned any Godly matter. Once he met the great religious reformer Shri Ramakrishna. Though they exchanged views on different matters, he did not make any commitment about his spiritual belief. Despite this Shri Ramakrishna was highly impressed by Vidyasagar and remarked with a tinge of humour "I have reached an ocean." Vidyasagar was in favour of modern education based on philosophy, science and rationality. His secular view was expressed in his planning of education. In a letter, dated 7th Sept, 1853, he remarked to Dr Mouat, the-then Secretary of the Council of Education, "That Vedanta and Sankhya are a false system of philosophy is no more a matter of dispute...whilst teaching these in the Sanskrit College we should oppose them by sound philosophy in the English course to counter their influence" In those days, to term Sankhya and Vedanta as false systems required courage which Iswarchandra had. When he was the Principal of the Sanskrit College caste distinction in admission was abolished. It was a significant social reform. During these years he wrote primers for the students of which Barna Parichay (introducing letters) was most important. Even today it is a largely circulated book, first published in 1855. Iswarchandra was engaged in multiple activitiesan energetic journalist, a homoeopathy doctor, an environmentalist. In latter part of his life he spent atleast 18 years among the aborigines at Karmator, now in Jharkhand. Iswarchandra was born in a very poor family in a remote village Birsingha now in West Midnapore. He changed the course of his life by perseverance and determination. Rabindranath evaluated him: "A study of Vidyasagars life repeatedly reminds us that he is not to be assessed as eminent Bengali or an impeccable Hindu for he was far greater than all that he was a man in the real sense of the term. The greatest glory of his life was the extraordinary abundance of this humanity." Vidyasagar passed away on July 29, 1891 at the age of seventy one. In 1905 Gandhiji wrote in his Indian Opinion paper "There have been few in this world like him. It is said that, had Iswarchandra been born among a European people, an imposing column .......would have been erected as a memorial to him." But unfortunately, in India Iswarchandra had to bear the disgrace of de-iconisation and now cold disrespect by the highest echelons. But he still retains deep respect in the minds of the countrymen. Scholars at the 2020 African Humanities Program Regional Assembly in Abuja, Nigeria (February 2020) "Supporting African Humanities Program scholars and the strong community of Africa-based academics built over the past decade is an important investment in the future of the humanities." - ACLS President Joy Connolly The American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) has named 44 African scholars as African Humanities Program (AHP) Fellows for 2020. They join 10 previous annual cohorts of awardees in an international network that works to reinvigorate the humanities in Africa. The program is supported by the Carnegie Corporation of New York and administered by ACLS. Meet the 2020 AHP Fellows. AHP supports early-career scholars with stipends of $20,000 that allow recipients an academic year free from teaching and other duties to focus on revising dissertations for publication or to advance their first major research project after the PhD. Fellows are also eligible for additional benefits such as residential stays at African institutes of advanced study for writing and research, manuscript development workshops, and publication support. The 2020 AHP Fellows represent a wide range of academic institutions in Sub-Saharan African countries. Their research topics include an examination of the power of humor and comedy as part of peacebuilding in post-apartheid South Africa; a study of masculinity and victimhood in northeast Nigeria; and a social history of the Konkomba, a historically marginalized people in northern Ghana, and their contributions to debates on mobility, marginality, and belonging in Africa. Supporting these scholars and the strong community of Africa-based academics built over the past decade is an important investment in the future of the humanities, said ACLS President Joy Connolly. Even in this time of global uncertainty, ACLS remains committed to advancing humanistic scholarship by amplifying innovative research and elevating emerging voices in fields that continue to gain influence around the world through their studies of human experiences of the past, present, and years to come. We are deeply grateful to the Carnegie Corporation of New York for their support of the groundbreaking program. Congratulations to all of this years fellows! Learn more about the African Humanities Program. The deadline for applications for the 2020-21 AHP competition is December 4, 2020. Apply now. Contact ahp@acls.org for more information. Formed in 1919, the American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) is a non-profit federation of 75 scholarly organizations. As the preeminent representative of American scholarship in the humanities and related social sciences, ACLS holds a core belief that knowledge is a public good. As such, ACLS strives to promote the circulation of humanistic knowledge throughout society. In addition to stewarding and representing its member organizations, ACLS employs its $140 million endowment and $35 million annual operating budget to support scholarship in the humanities and social sciences and to advocate for the centrality of the humanities in the modern world. Since 2008, the African Humanities Program (AHP) has worked to reinvigorate the humanities in Africa through fellowship competitions and related activities in Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, and Uganda. In partnership with Carnegie Corporation of New York, which has generously provided funding, AHP has offered African scholars an integrated set of opportunities to develop individual capacities and to promote formation of scholarly networks. The African Humanities Program has supported the Carnegie Corporations mission to develop and retain African academics at universities in Africa. In the preceding AHP competitions (2009-20), more than 400 early career Fellows received research support and more than 100 senior scholars served as peer reviewers and mentors. Ninh Thuan will receive a wind-powered water desalinisation plant financed by Belgian ODA and Smart Universal Logistics On September 10, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), the National Institute of Agricultural Planning and Projection, and Smart Universal Logistics (SUL) signed agreements on the implementation of the water-by-wind demonstration project using official development assistance (ODA) from the Belgian government in Ninh Thuan. This demonstration wind-powered water desalinisation plant will be located at An Hai commune, Ninh Phuoc district, Ninh Thuan, following previous successes reported by a similar project in the Mekong Delta region. Ninh Thuan has 1,000 hectares of agricultural land area, 50 per cent of which is poorer-quality sandy soil. Besides, the province lacks water for agricultural cultivation as it has been suffering severely from saltwater intrusion, making cultivation a mainstay economic activity feeding most households in the province even more arduous. Ninh Thuan to implement water-by-wind demonstration project According to the plan, the total cost of the demonstration project will be 1.2 million ($1.42 million), of which the Belgian government pays 700,000 ($829,430) and SUL will pay 500,000 ($592,450). The demonstration project will combine with four parts, including a floating part and a section to generate, store, and supply electricity, as well as a water production system and the central control unit. The floating part will be installed on a barge with the dimensions of about 60x20x5m to house the facility. The power generation, storage, and supply section will operate with wind turbines and solar photovoltaic panels with the designed capacity of about 90kW, making the plant self-sufficient and fully sustainable. The water production system consists of an intelligent pre-treatment unit and a reverse osmosis system with a membrane filter. The final part will be in charge of connecting and distributing electricity to the operating system. The entire system was designed to be easy to install, maintain, and operate by local residents. Paul Janssen, Belgian Ambassador to Vietnam said, We need to do everything we can to mitigate the effects of climate change. At the same time, we also need to take action to adapt to the new weather patterns and to protect the future of Vietnamese agriculture. This is exactly what this water-by-wind project aims to do. The pilot initiative, which is jointly financed by the Belgian government, private company SUL, and the MARD, is part of the projects implemented in the framework of the Belgium-Vietnam strategic partnership in agriculture, which was signed in Brussels in October 2018 during the visit of Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc. In the past nearly two years, this strategic partnership has been steadily gaining depth, with a growing number of initiatives. A Belgian instrument for small- and medium-sized enterprises aiming to support the export of innovative high-tech equipment is a good example of an approach that seems perfectly suited to support the current Belgian-Vietnamese cooperation. It is a new financial instrument that offers access to innovative Belgian technologies providing solutions to challenges in Vietnam such as climate change. In addition, the Smart cold cabin project in the province of Tra Vinh, also in the Mekong Delta, has been approved by the Belgian government. The project will help control the quality of fresh vegetables and fruits, especially for long-distance transportation. Besides, the Belgium-Vietnam academic cooperation has invested a lot and keeps investing in the sustainability of Vietnamese aquaculture together with ongoing Can Tho University research projects to adapt aquaculture to water with higher saline content. With the water-by-wind project, we aim to help rice farmers and facilities access freshwater, Janssen said. Samantha Armytage has slammed Annastacia Palaszczuk for 'playing the bullying card' after refusing the prime minister's desperate calls to let a young woman leave hotel quarantine for her father's funeral. The Sunrise host said she was 'astounded' by the Queensland border debacle as she was joined by One Nation MP Mark Latham and former premier of Victoria Jeff Kennett on Friday morning. 'I was astounded and I watched the news last night and I saw Annastacia Palaszczuk play the bullying card,' Armytage said. 'Scott Morrison got involved in this situation... He shouldn't have had to but he did.' Sarah Caisip is pictured with her father Bernard Prendergast, 11-year-old sister Isobel Prendergast and mother Myrna Prendergast Ms Palaszczuk (pictured) lashed out at Mr Morrison in Parliament after the phone call, claiming he tried to intimidate and bully her into bending the rules for Ms Caisip The prime minister called the premier to ask for an exemption to allow Sarah Caisip to join her family at her father Bernard's memorial service in Brisbane on Thursday. Despite Mr Morrison's input, the 26-year-old Canberra-based nurse was denied the chance to join her grieving family and instead had a private viewing on her own after the funeral. Ms Palaszczuk lashed out at Mr Morrison in parliament after the phone call, claiming he tried to intimidate and bully her into bending the rules for Ms Caisip. Mr Morrison responded to her claims on Sky News on Thursday night. 'I don't really care what they say about me,' Mr Morrison said. 'It's not about me. It's not about her. It was about Sarah. It was about Isobel. It was about Myrna. And and it was about Bernard [Ms Caisip's father]. That's the only stuff that mattered today. The Sunrise host (pictured) said she was 'astounded' by the Queensland border debacle as she was joined by One Nation MP Mark Latham Mr Prendergast's family and friends are seen at his funeral service in Brisbane on Thursday 'It wasn't about borders. It wasn't about whether they should be up or down. It wasn't even about jobs today. And jobs are incredibly important, as you know. But this was just one day I had hoped that something different could be done.' Armytage said it was 'beyond comprehension' that Ms Caisip was denied the chance to attend the funeral. 'The extra trauma that has been put on to that poor young woman, not only in losing her father during this time, but not being able to attend his funeral,' she said. 'I just feel so desperately for this girl and her family. 'It is beyond comprehension that this would happen here at in Australia.' Armytage said it was 'beyond comprehension' that Ms Caisip (pictured) was denied the chance to attend the funeral 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 Mr Latham said there was a 'shocking' double-standard in the premier's decision making. 'I find it hard to believe that governments can create a quarantine bubble for football players, for 400 AFL officials lounging by the pool on the Gold Coast,' he said. 'For Tom Hanks flying back into Australia, he brought COVID here once, he's coming back in, no quarantine. 'But we can't have a compassionate bubble arrangement so that a grieving daughter can go to her father's funeral, so that small children can visit their dying father in a hospital.' Mr Latham said the 'two sets of rules' - one for the 'rich elite' and the other for grieving families - needs to be corrected. The One Nation MP said the premier was not being bullied, instead claiming she was in fact a bully to grieving families. ACT remains a COVID-19 hotspot in the eyes of the Queensland government, despite no new infections in 60 days. Mr Kennett said Ms Palaszczuk was playing a 'political game' which would 'backfire'. 'I think the community will just see her as heartless, absolutely heartless. 'It's not what politicians are meant to be about, politicians are meant to be compassionate, they're meant to be able to represent their community.' THE HARPY by Megan Hunter (Picador 14.99, 256 pp) THE HARPY by Megan Hunter (Picador 14.99, 256 pp) The legendary harpy taloned, winged and mercilessly vengeful has long obsessed former Classics student Lucy. When she discovers her husband Jake has been having an affair, she hits upon a novel method of revenge. Channelling the spirit of the fearsome creature, she determines that she will hurt Jake three times in return, after which, and with his agreement, they will be even. The preposterousness of the solution is only momentarily distracting. It permits Hunter to write viscerally and incisively about her real themes: the taboos of female desire and rage; the loss of self that comes with motherhood; and the violence inflicted on women's bodies by both childbirth and men. As Lucy's anger becomes an energy, she begins to feel herself transforming. The momentum builds to a hallucinatory conclusion which sets this striking, pared-down modern myth apart from the mass of domestic noirs. PIRANESI by Susanna Clarke (Bloomsbury 14.99, 272 pp) PIRANESI by Susanna Clarke (Bloomsbury 14.99, 272 pp) The hermit-like Piranesi of this book isn't the 18th-century Italian artist, but he does inhabit the kind of fantastical, labyrinthine building that his namesake obsessively etched. Filled only with seabirds and marble statues, the 'House' is an edifice of enormous proportions, its rooms giant-size and its corridors endless. Piranesi's sole companion besides a small collection of human remains is 'the Other', a neatly bearded, stylishly suited scholar for whom Piranesi dutifully maps the House's countless halls. Mysteries teasingly mount up in this tale of academic obsession, false imprisonment and ancient magic from the author of the blockbusting Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell. It's a gently comic, thoroughly beguiling read, although in spite of a late twist that sheds new light on Piranesi's world, Clarke's plot never quite persuaded me. However, the 'House' its upper rooms lost in clouds, its lower chambers drowned by the sea will haunt my dreams. D (A Tale of Two Worlds) by Michel Faber (Doubleday 16.99, 304 pp) D (A Tale of Two Worlds) by Michel Faber (Doubleday 16.99, 304 pp) The heroine of this 'modern-day Dickensian fable' is schoolgirl Dhikilo, a refugee from little-known Somaliland who now lives in the fictional seaside town of Cawber-on-Sands with her adoptive mum and dad. Her dramatic backstory is, however, nothing compared to the adventure that awaits when the letter 'D' mysteriously disappears from the language. While Cawber residents seem oblivious, the eccentric Professor Dodderfield knows that the only way to get the stolen letter back is for Dhikilo to track it down in the fantastical, wintry land of Liminus. While D is part-affectionate homage, part-exuberant fan fiction a mash-up inspired not just by Dickens, but by Narnia, Alice In Wonderland and The Wizard Of Oz there's no mistaking its moral intent: this is a Brexit-era tale about the evils of racism and intolerance, and the importance of respect. YA readers will love it, but with baddies including the crone-like 'Magwitches', Faber's brio and bubbly ingenuity will delight adult readers, too. New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday said it has attached movable and immovable properties worth Rs 1.84 crore in a gold smuggling case under Prevention of Money Laundering Act. The attached immovable properties are in the form of a residential house, an apartment and land in Kerala`s Kozhikode in the name of P C Sabana wife of Faiz T K, Subair Y M and Abdul Rahim. The attached movable properties are in the form of Fixed Deposit in the name of Ashraf Kallunkal in Federal Bank Ltd, Kozhikode Branch. The ED registered a case on the basis of an FIR filed by CBI and chargesheet filed against C. Madhavan, former Deputy Commissioner Customs, PP Sunil Kumar, Faiz T K, Kallunkal, Subair Y M and Abdul Rahim and others. Live TV According to ED, on March 19, 2013, two lady carriers namely Arifa Haris and Asifa Veera were apprehended by Customs authorities and 20 kg gold was recovered from them. The two ladies had illegally carried 56 kg of gold from Dubai to Cochin during August-September, 2013. The ED said that these gold consignments were sent by Faiz T K using his contacts with Customs Officers for one Kallunkal who is a prominent businessman of Kerala. According to CBI charge sheet, by smuggling of gold worth Rs 17.86 crore, there was a wrongful loss on account of non-payment of Customs duty which was Rs 1.83 crore (10 per cent Customs duty and 3 per cent cess). "The money trail investigation carried out by ED revealed that Faiz and Kallunkal were the masterminds behind the gold smuggling. Faiz picked the lady carriers staying in Dubai with their family, who were in need of money and executed the smuggling," the official said. The official further said that Kallunkal was the main investor in the gold purchase and smuggled the same to India with the help of Faiz, who has good relationship with many prominent persons in Kerala. "Kallunkal and Faiz had accumulated the profit in Dubai and later transferred the same to their accounts in India. The proceeds of crime were placed in the form of immovable and movable properties," the official said. Money trail has also revealed the role of Rahim, a resident of Calicut and Subair Y M, brother of Kallunkal. "Subair was the recipient of gold on behalf of his brother Kallunkal and also benefitted," the official said. A desperate father is unable to see his young daughter battling cancer due to COVID-19 border battles among Australia's premiers. Brad Jones is trapped across the New South Wales border in Lismore while his youngest daughter Charlotte undergoes chemotherapy in Brisbane. Despite only being two hours away, he is unable to see her without paying for a two week stay in hotel quarantine across the border. He is among a growing group of frustrated residents calling for restrictions to be leased. A desperate father is unable to see his young daughter due to COVID-19 border battles among Australia's premiers Charlotte's mother Melissa is by her side in Brisbane, while Mr Jones remains in the New South Wales Northern Rivers to work and care for their other five children. He is begging Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk to loosen the restrictions so he can be by her side. 'Please Annastacia - have some compassion - I really want to see my daughter,' Mr Jones told Seven News. 'She's my little princess warrior.' 'I miss having her in my arms, trying to make her smile.' Charlotte's mother Melissa is by her side in Brisbane, while Mr Jones remains in the New South Wales Northern Rivers to work and care for their other five children (Pictured Melissa and Brad Jones with daughter Charlotte) Brad Jones is begging Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk to loosen the restrictions so he can be by his daughter's side A grieving mother has also hit out at the government for its lack of empathy in responding to a request to bury her son's body. Elena Turner, 72, had her request to travel into Queensland from New South Wales rejected to bury her son Wayne Turner, 49. She was seeking to travel to Logan from Gulmarrad in regional NSW which is not considered a hot spot. But she was told she would need to go into quarantine for 14 days, despite the fact southeast Queensland has active cases where Gulmarrad does not. 'Anyone from Logan can get to that funeral and they don't have any trouble. I would be less of a risk than anyone in the hot spots in Brisbane,' she told the Daily Telegraph. Elena Turner, 72, had her request to travel into Queensland from New South Wales rejected to bury her son Wayne Turner, 49 (pictured Wayne Turner with daughter Reanna) Ms Turner received the rejection in a series of emails from Queensland Health. 'Under the current funeral protocol, attendees who arrive from overseas or interstate are required to undertaken the 14-day period of quarantine prior to attending the funeral service,' the email stated. 'While I appreciate that this was not the answer that you were hoping for, the public health directions and other measures implemented to respond to COVID-19 have been critical.' Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk previously responded to criticism over strict border measures. 'We're dealing with a health pandemic,' she said. 'It is absolutely tragic. It is heartbreaking. Families are not together at the moment.' But she said the official directives were coming from the States's Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young, and she was unable to bend the rules. Remote sales are likely here to stay, and there's good news and bad news about that. The bad news is, those in-person interactions with customers won't be happening for the foreseeable future, and sales reps are limited to phone calls, emails, LinkedIn and Zoom meeting connections. The good news is everyone is in the same boat, and all that time saved by not traveling begets an opportunity to get creative. We have a chance to think outside of merely maximizing meetings and infuse some creativity into our processes. Here are some key factors to keep in mind. Your prospects will experience your pitch differently Take the time to understand how your pitch translates virtually. If you previously relied on your in-person charm to seal the deal, you may want to push prospects to have a video call with you versus a phone call. Do a practice run of your pitch and record it; this is valuable even for veterans. Bonus tip: People tend to be tuned into facial expressions during video calls, so you want to make yours match your words. Related: How to Transition Your Team to Remote Work Be intentional with your outreach If you're still batch-blasting mass emails to your prospects, it's time to change that habit. Sellers need to be able to analyze data, stay up to date on everything happening within the companies of their prospects and tailor their messages accordingly if they want to build top-of-funnel leads. According to Kyle Coleman, vice president of revenue and enablement for Clari, which helps companies streamline their revenue-generation, social media can be a powerful tool for this. "More and more, the lines between personal life and work life are blurring," he says. "And this includes the information that people are willing to share about themselves on professional networks. LinkedIn is no longer just a place to understand someone's 9-to-5 you can now get a great sense of a person's 5-to-9. Use these insights about the person to craft messaging that will best resonate with what they care about." This is especially important in a 100 percent virtual sales setting. A qualitative, not quantitative, approach helps customers take immediate action. More business hours to connect with prospects As Nir Goldstein, monday.com's vice president of sales, said in a recent interview on The Forecast, "You can speak with so many people throughout a single workday. You can start your day in the morning, speaking with a prospect in Australia, at noon, speak with prospects in the UK, France and Europe. And then in the evening, speak with another prospect in the U.S. It's so efficient and so scalable to run sales like that." Remote sales certainly cut down on travel costs and time, but only if you know how to get those meetings in the first place. Which brings us to the next bit of guidance.... Create a mutual plan with your prospects Once you have secured a pitch meeting with your prospect, give some structure to the proceedings. Remember, without that face-to-face interaction, you have to find unique ways of creating virtual milestones. In the aforementioned Forecast interview, Goldstein suggests developing a mutually agreed-upon course of action that both sides need to execute during the sales process. "It's just like a mutual project with all the different tasks that we need to run together," he says. "Each one has an owner and a timeline until you get the deal closed." After monday.com implemented this into their process, they increased their large deal commits by more than 40 percent and shortened their sales cycles by more than 15 percent, according to Goldstein. Related: These Founders Built a Perfect Remote-Work Product... Without Realizing It Have fun! Lastly, don't forget that people are stuck at home and bored out of their minds, making this the perfect time to experiment with something stimulating. You could offer a virtual happy hour and have a beverage company sponsor it by sending your guests a newly brewed beer (or for those who don't consume alcohol, you might find an alcohol-free alchemy spirit such as bonbuz). That energy will rub off on your prospects, and we all could use a little fun in our lives. Related: How This Parking-Spot App Beat Competitors... By Moving Slow 5 Signs It's Time for a Life Change Want Your Book to Land Bestseller Status? Follow These Steps Copyright 2020 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved Yasmin Le Bon looked effortlessly chic as she joined friend, jeweller Assia Webster, for a stroll in London on Thursday. The model, 55, who is married to Duran Duran star Simon Le Bon, sported noticeably greyer locks compared to her usual honey coloured tresses. Yasmin exuded style in a wide-leg denim jumpsuit with cinched in at the waist and had a button-down design. Chic: Yasmin Le Bon looked effortlessly chic as she joined friend, jeweller Assia Webster, for a stroll in London on Thursday The model teamed the items of clothes with a pair of navy and gold heels, pendant earrings and a purple handbag. Yasmin styled her locks into a sweptback hairdo and appeared to go makeup-free, adding a pair of oversized brown sunglasses. The model appeared in good spirits as she enjoyed a stroll and chat with friend Assia, who is married to fellow jeweller Stephen Webster. New look: The model, 55, who is married to Duran Duran star Simon Le Bon, sported noticeably greyer locks compared to her usual honey coloured tresses (left and pictured in February, right) Style: Yasmin exuded style in a wide-leg denim jumpsuit with cinched in at the waist and had a button-down design Yasmin is a fashion industry stalwart and was one of the world's highest paid models in the 1980s. It comes after the star previously revealed how she is determined to hold onto her 'rock'n'roll' style despite becoming a grandmother. Speaking to The Telegraph's Stella magazine, she said: 'I wear more miniskirts now than I did in my twenties and thirties. 'The older you get, the more you need to hold on to your rock'n'roll. I like labels that design for people like me - characters who just never want to grow up.' Details: The model teamed the items of clothes with a pair of navy and gold heels, pendant earrings and a purple handbag Good spirits: The model appeared in good spirits as she enjoyed a stroll and chat with friend Assia, who is married to fellow jeweller Stephen Webster Yasmin and Duran Duran frontman husband Simon welcomed their grandson, whose mother is their middle daughter Saffron, 28, in 2018. The model also revealed how she has embraced the changes she's seen in herself as she's entered her fifties. Although not 'ruling anything out' when it comes to having cosmetic procedures done in the future, the beauty did warn against fillers, thinking people should just use a great surgeon and 'save up for the face lift.' Looking back on her long career, Yasmin revealed that she's keen to recycle looks and revisit what she already has in her wardrobe. She said: 'I have no problem with wearing everything again' and is embracing her more 'flamboyant side.' The British-Iranian model, who celebrated 33 years of marriage to Simon, 61, on December 27, has three daughters Amber, 31, Saffron and Tallulah, 26. Chief U. Renee Hall of Dallas said she would leave the force in November after receiving heavy criticism for her officers response this summer to protests against racism in policing. And Chief LaRon D. Singletary of Rochester, N.Y., joined his entire command in stepping down amid intense backlash over his handling of the death of a Black man in police custody in March. Those resignations came about a month after a Black police chief, Carmen Best, announced she was leaving the Seattle Police Department because of budget cuts and restructuring to her force that she felt the citys political leadership executed without properly including her. While Ms. Best received heavy criticism for not reining in her officers aggressive response to protesters, some of her supporters said she faced discrimination from city leadership, which can be a roadblock for African-American police leaders. Ms. Best, the first Black woman to serve as the citys police chief, said she could not say whether her race or gender influenced how the City Council dealt with her. I dont think Ill ever know fully what was in the hearts and minds of the various council members, she said. But, she added, the efforts to defund the Police Department without having a conversation with the police chief, and being highly dismissive it does bring one to question what the motive was there. M. Lorena Gonzalez, the president of the Seattle City Council, said race played no role in the differences she had with the former chief. Rather, it was Ms. Bests failure to embrace transformational change, Ms. Gonzalez said. I know that self-proclaimed progressive police chiefs across the country pledge fidelity to reform but few operationalize those pledges or push reform beyond the edges, she said in a text message. That is in part because of the systemic oppression that pervades policing and even leaders of color within those systems are not immune from that oppression. Many Victorians agree with the points Morrison has been making about opening more quickly. Many are angry with Daniel Andrews, for stuffing up quarantine, for heavy-handedness, for dodging questions. But that doesnt mean that anyone just trying to make it through the day needed free assessments from a Prime Minister who lives elsewhere, hasnt offered a plan of his own, and who has been wrong about the virus at a reasonably frequent rate. There is a risk here that Morrison doesnt appear to have grasped. Much of the political discussion right now revolves around comparisons: is this leader worse than this one, who is more secretive, who is more arrogant? Andrews has lately lost ground in these comparisons, for good reason. But it doesnt follow that Morrison benefits. A prime minister sits at a different level in our nation, and in our national psychology. NSW Labor operatives learned this when they tore down Kevin Rudd as though he were just another premier. The more Morrison tries to place himself in contest with state leaders, the less he seems like the national leader we still need him to be. Morrison might have missed this because his concern isnt really Andrews himself. His concern is the national economy, the approaching budget, and constructing an alibi, beyond the virus itself, for the misery on its way. Of course Morrison, like everybody, wants case numbers in Victoria to fall. But politically he has positioned himself to be fine either way. If they rise, the shattered economy will be Andrews fault. If they fall, the stringent restrictions on businesses mean the shattered economy will be Andrews fault. This is part of the reason Anthony Albanese has now begun to talk about "the Morrison recession". Hes not so crazy-brave as to think he can deny reality: in the same speech, he described "the Morrison recession sparked by the coronavirus pandemic". In the short-term, its a weight of sorts against the governments implication that this is the Andrews recession. It is an attempt to remind voters of whose job it is to fix things. Mostly, its a long-term bet. In a month, blaming Andrews might still seem fair. But if the economy remains dreadful a year from now, "the Morrison recession" might start to bite. This week, the stock market stumbled. So far, though, those jitters have largely been a reminder of how fast its risen since earlier this year. A lot of people have made money. By now weve all heard about U-shaped and V-shaped recessions. In America, they have begun to talk about a K-shaped recovery, which goes in two different directions at once. For some of us, things get better. For others, they get worse. Morrison is positioning for a unifying budget, one of "hope", a word that has often lately tripped off his tongue. But it is his actions that will matter, and there is a real danger that Morrison decides to give some Australians more hope than others, entrenching the K-shaped recovery and reinforcing the gathering impression of a prime minister for some Australians and not for others. The main element the government has so far hinted at is bringing forward a tax-cut package. In a sense, this is minor: the cuts have already been legislated. Certainly it lacks imagination. But bringing them forward will cement them. Until now, opponents have had hope they might somehow never happen after all, theres another election before they kick in. Thats part of the reason theyve never received as much attention as they deserve. But they should, soon, because this is a genuinely radical tax plan, its third stage in particular. It doesnt just fiddle with a few percentages. Right now, there are staged brackets, with one large bracket between $90,000 and $180,000. The governments changes massively expand that bracket: it will stretch all the way from $45,000 to $200,000. The plan is so radical, in fact, that I suspect the government will find some way to sweeten the deal for lower-income earners. The aim will be to drown out any criticism. But we are still likely to end up with this fundamental structure. Loading This may pose the first sharp coronavirus policy test for Anthony Albanese. In early 2019, faced with the governments plan, Bill Shorten chose to oppose much of it. Later, when it came time to vote, Labor, by then under Albanese, voted for the cuts, as part of a broader package, knowing they were still some time away. It had little choice. But a decision to support them starting soon will frustrate Labor supporters and some MPs while opposing tax cuts in the middle of a recession would be a huge call. Thats a treacherous puzzle for Albanese. But if Morrison is thinking about the Opposition Leader at all, he is making the same mistake he is making with the premiers. When you are prime minister, the person with the greatest capacity to harm you, and save you, is always yourself. Last week, after telling us the country had almost broken apart, Morrison praised the national cabinet. It was, he said, precisely when "our frustrations have been greatest, and the tensions have been at their peak" that leaders had been reminded of how important it was to work together. Perhaps that was true before. It certainly isnt anymore. On Friday, Deputy Prime Minister Raluca Turcan sent a message on the 19th anniversary of the terrorist attacks in the United States of America on September 11, 2001. "Today marks 19 years since September 11, 9/11 as the Americans say. I remember watching on TV the images of a plane crashing into the landmark skyscrapers of the United States, the Twin Towers on fire, the panic and chaos in New York. A moment when you think you're watching a movie, that it is unreal, but you don't understand why it is on the news. After the astonishment, I felt fear and sadness, thinking of all those people who were fleeing for their lives and for the desperate relatives who were looking for them from all over the world, and this despair and then words like 'terrorism' or 'you are not allowed with liquids on the plane' or 'Osama bin Laden' have reached citizens all over the world. But something else was reached - an unprecedented lesson of solidarity, the American people's proof of patriotism, and a total rethinking of international relations. I am writing today, almost two decades later, in which we have seen a whole world change before our eyes, in another trying period worldwide. And I think again that in the most difficult moments we can go on only together," Turcan wrote on Facebook. United States President Donald Trump on Thursday announced the normalisation of ties between Israel and Bahrain, weeks after it brokered the peace deal between United Arab Emirates and Israel. Trump made the announcement of the agreement on Friday, following a three-way phone call he had with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa. The three leaders also issued a brief six-paragraph joint statement, attesting to the deal. "President Donald J. Trump, King Hamad bin Isa bin Salman al-Khalifa of the Kingdom of Bahrain, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel spoke together and agreed to the establishment of full diplomatic relations between Israel and the Kingdom of Bahrain," according to the statement tweeted by Trump. "The second Arab country to make peace with Israel in 30 days," he tweeted. For decades, most Arab states have boycotted Israel, insisting they would only establish ties after the Palestinian dispute was settled. Bahrain follows the lead of its neighbour, the United Arab Emirates, which reached the peace deal with Israel last month. Both historical agreements will be signed at the White House ceremony next Tuesday. "This is a historic breakthrough to further peace in the Middle East," Trump, Netanyahu and King Hamad said in the statement. "Opening direct dialogue and ties between these two dynamic societies and advanced economies will continue the positive transformation of the Middle East and increase stability, security, and prosperity in the region." Tuscan GP 2020 Mercedes AMG Petronas Motorsport Valtteri Bottas (1st, 1:16.989): "It's been a lot of fun today and I've enjoyed every single lap. The whole opening section with the high-speed chicanes and the second sector is just amazing and the car felt pretty good out there. I struggled with quite a lot of understeer in the first session and still in places in the second session, but it felt better. I think there's still quite a bit of lap time to unlock, both in the car and also as a driver. This track is definitely one of the most physically demanding. We'll only properly get to see the effects of that in the race distance, but even today, I could feel it and it's going to be tough for everyone on Sunday. It's also quite unforgiving, with little margin for error and that's how it should be." Lewis Hamilton (2nd, 1:17.196): "I have to say, this track is pretty intense - so fast and challenging, it's amazing to experience. I love it! There's no time to play around here and it's one of the most physically demanding that I've driven for a while. I've been trying to push it to the limit today, but I think there are a few sections where I can improve. I've got the last sector pretty sorted, but there's definitely more to come in the first and second sectors as Valtteri and Max were very quick through there. So, we've got some changes that need to be made and studying to do tonight. Hopefully we'll improve it for tomorrow. The tyres have felt quite strong and have been behaving well, but it's going to be difficult to look after them through those fast sections, particularly through 6, 7, 8 and 9." Andrew Shovlin: "It's great that F1 has created the opportunity to run here, it's such a unique track and so well suited to the current cars. Our morning was fairly smooth, we've had to adjust the car a fair bit to get the balance right and the drivers were finding a lot of time in themselves, but everything seems to be working well. The second session was interrupted a bit by the red flag, so our long runs weren't as long as we wanted. However, the tyres do seem to be holding up better than we expected. We seem a bit slow on the straights compared to some, but in terms of pace we look OK and degradation seemed competitive. There's a lot to learn with a new track, so we'll work hard overnight to make sure we've not missed anything. But it does look like we've had a solid start to the weekend." Scuderia Ferrari Charles Leclerc (10th, 1:18.400): "Driving an F1 car around this circuit is unbelievable. In all the fast sections it's pretty impressive. I think it's going to be quite a tough race, physically, as already in the long run we've done in FP2 the neck starts to feel it! The lack of run-off areas will also make it difficult, but I guess this is what we like as well. The first session went well but maybe where we ended up in the second one is a more realistic picture, when we struggled a bit on the hard tyre. We also need to work on the balance, as we are not really there yet. It's all very close but I think we can make a positive step tomorrow. I am optimistic." Sebastian Vettel (12th, 1:18.498): "It was an interesting day. Mugello is a very nice track which is very enjoyable for the driver, even if it is quite brutal on tyres. I'm still not happy with the balance of the car. We are working on it and there's still plenty to do, but it is Friday, and this is what Fridays are for. I think that there's the potential to find a better set-up on the car and that we will find some small things. I'm confident we can improve it for qualifying." Red Bull Racing Max Verstappen (3rd, 1:17.235): "We can be pretty pleased with how the car is behaving and I think it was a good first day at Mugello. We are not too far off Mercedes which is a good thing and also balance wise, there are always things that can be improved, but overall I was pretty pleased. This is a very cool track to drive in an F1 car with so many fast corners and to be able to take Arrabbiata 1 and 2 flat out easily is quite incredible and really enjoyable to drive. It is pretty physical and I felt alright today but of course 59 laps in a row in the heat is not going to be easy. I like a bit of a challenge and we shouldn't complain as we train hard to sit in these cars and we should just enjoy it. In terms of tyres, I expected it to be worse so let's see how they hold up over the rest of the weekend. The track is my type of track - really flowing with no slow corners, so I'm looking forward to doing more laps." Alexander Albon (4th, 1:17.971): "It's been a good day and this track is just so fun to drive. It's super quick and there's not much room for error, like we saw with Lando, which adds to the excitement as a driver. It's a high energy circuit and from Turns 1 to 15, the car is completely different. It's physical and you do feel it, especially through Turns 8 and 9, it's just pure neck and it's good fun. Performance-wise, I think we're relatively happy, of course there are still some areas to find a bit more balance in the car but coming from Monza where we were struggling, today has been good. The tyres seem to be holding up in the heat and the softs are performing well so it's looking reasonable out there but I think we're going to see a few pit stops across the field come Sunday." Renault Sport Formula One Team Daniel Ricciardo (5th, 1:18.039): "It's so good to drive at Mugello. On one lap it's fun but even on the long runs, which are normally a lot slower, there's no holding back as it's all high-speed. Turns 8 and 9 are nearly flat out on high fuel, so it's quick and keeps you on your toes. I felt we picked it up today quite well. There were a couple of things to improve on in the morning, but we managed that well into the afternoon session. It looks like both cars are in decent shape. The timesheets look okay and, if we put ourselves in that position in qualifying, we'd be very happy." Esteban Ocon (6th, 1:18.115): "It was a decent day for the team. It's a new track for everyone, and it's my first time here as well. It's a fantastic feeling to drive at Mugello and it didn't disappoint from expectation! When we walked the track yesterday, I just thought it's going to be awesome to drive. It's a great challenge for us drivers, quite physical, and it's also going to be particularly tough on the tyres. We have plenty of performance to unlock for tomorrow. For me, it's been probably one of the best Fridays of the year so far." Ciaron Pilbeam, Chief Race Engineer: "We try not to read too much into the times on a Friday, but it's been a good day generally. It's great to come to what is effectively a new circuit for us, but it doesn't really change what we do on a Friday, and we just put our heads down and got through what we needed to do. The short runs were okay, and the long runs also seemed to be good. We had a couple of interruptions with red flags in the afternoon session, but fortunately for us they came at times where it didn't affect out plans too much. As always, we've got a bit of work to do, but we don't have any major concerns; we just need to do our normal Friday homework and come in ready and prepared for Saturday." Haas F1 Team Kevin Magnussen (19th, 1:19.113): "This is a really cool track. It's extremely fast with lots of high-speed corners - it's really a pleasure to drive this track. Obviously, looking at the lap times, it could have been a better day, but at least I enjoyed driving the track. We just didn't seem to have great pace today. It's pretty physical here, pretty tough on the neck with all the high-speed corners. They're not totally straightforward so you can't just rest your head on the side like a lot of other fast corners at other tracks. It's going to be tough, but I'll manage. It's an old school track and that's a positive. There's no tarmac run-off anywhere, there are big consequences if you make a mistake. I think that adds to why this track is cool." Romain Grosjean (20th, 1:19.257): "I actually think we're in a decent place, there's potential in the car. We just need to work on three corners turns one, 12 and 15, that's where we weren't so happy, but the rest of the lap was pretty good. It was the same with the only lap I did in the afternoon, it was fast. It's obviously not ideal at a new circuit not to be able to do a long run or a quali sim though. I don't have much information for tomorrow. The circuit is good, really good in fact. It's very fast, flowing and for us as drivers, it's a pure pleasure. From a racing aspect, it could be trickier, but for now we don't care we're just going out there driving fast. I think we're something like five seconds faster than the last time I drove here. Every kind of corner you'd like to have on a circuit you have them here at Mugello." Guenther Steiner, Team Principal: "Our Friday started pretty well today. We did our program and we seemed to be in a better place than we've been on a Friday in the last two races we seemed to be a little more competitive. Then in FP2 the gremlins struck again. We had to stop Romain's car after he used his first set of tires because we had some issues with the electronics of the PU (Power Unit) we couldn't go out again. Kevin's just trying to get a handle on going around here. I'm sure tomorrow it will be better. It's a very fast track and he just needs to get the confidence and build on that one." McLaren F1 Team Carlos Sainz (13th, 1:18.651): "It's been a challenging Friday. We haven't quite managed to get the car in the sweet-spot and we've spent the whole day trying things and trying to achieve a better balance. At the moment we're struggling quite a lot with the changes of direction at the rear and being able to lean on it. We're braced for a challenging weekend, but if we manage to achieve a better balance tomorrow morning, our performance can improve considerably. We're going to work hard tonight and try to get it better." Lando Norris (14th, 1:18.658): "Tricky day. Obviously, I didn't end it in the best way over-pushing it a little bit. It's one of the first proper costly mistakes that I've made, almost since I started in F1. It's a bit frustrating, but at the same time it happens it happens to everyone. Not ideal but everything until then was going reasonably well. We made some improvements from FP1 to FP2 but we've got a lot of work to do. It's not been as straightforward as we were hoping for, and we're struggling a little bit more than we were expecting coming into the weekend. Rough start, but I'm confident we can make up for it tomorrow." Andrea Stella, Racing Director: "It's really interesting being back at Mugello with Formula 1 cars again and in particular with these super-quick cars. It's a fantastic track and a truly spectacular venue. The day wasn't as smooth as the Fridays we've enjoyed on previous weekends this year because we lost some time with Lando when he went off track and tagged the wall. On a more positive note, I think we've developed a good understanding of the tyres in preparation for the race, and we also understand where we have to focus to improve the car. There is some work to do, but we know the areas in which we should concentrate our efforts." Racing Point F1 Team Sergio Perez (7th, 1:18.198): "I've enjoyed driving around this track: there is no room for mistakes and that's really fun. The run-off here is very close to the track, so the pressure is on the drivers and that's how it should be! The car is feeling good and we focused a bit more on our race pace today. It was a shame to have had the collision with Kimi though. It's very tough to see another car when you're coming out of the pit lane and the angle to re-join the track is difficult too. I knew he was close, but it's very difficult to judge the distance between cars and I couldn't avoid him sadly. It just shows that it's going to be tricky on this narrow circuit this weekend and we know that track position is going to be very important here. We need to aim for a good result in qualifying first of all to make sure we're in a position to fight for good points on Sunday." Lance Stroll (11th, 1:18.462): "It was a positive day out there for us and the car is feeling good, so I'm happy with today's work. Mugello is such an impressive circuit in a Formula 1 car and the speed in some of the high-speed corners is amazing. I can't wait to tackle the circuit in qualifying on low fuel when we can really push hard. Qualifying is going to be so important here as I think the race will be largely dependent on track position because overtaking will be very difficult. We'll focus overnight on making sure we come back tomorrow ready to fight for a good starting spot and go from there. The long-run pace is looking positive, so now we need to show our one-lap pace." Alfa Romeo Racing Kimi Raikkonen (9th, 1:18.385): "It's nice to be back driving at Mugello, the track where I made my first laps in an F1 car, 20 years ago. Surely my neck feels a lot better now than it did at the end of my first day of testing! The track has the same feel, it's not much different with the exception of some kerbs. It's a difficult circuit, so finding a setup can be challenging, especially being here for the first time and with no data to use as a reference. It's quite a unique layout in many ways and it needs a different approach, which is why we need to keep working on the setup, both tonight and in FP3. You never run out of things to improve but we looked promising today, so let's see where we end up tomorrow." Antonio Giovinazzi (17th, 1:18.944): "It's nice to be on track in Italy again, and seeing some fans in the stands. We missed having spectators and hopefully they'll watch a nice race on Sunday. The track here in Mugello is amazing, especially with modern Formula One cars: it's just so fast, with many high-speed corners that really feel great in an F1 car even if the neck will really feel it on Sunday! The car felt really good from the start today, on both qualifying and race trim, so we can be happy about our first day. Unfortunately, I did a small mistake during my fast lap in FP2 so the times don't reflect how we really did, but tomorrow is when we really need to put together a good lap. I think we can do a good job; getting to Q2 is the target, then we can assess our chances. We saw already that following cars will be quite difficult, so it will be important to qualify as far high as we can, get a good start and build our race from there." Red Bull AlphaTauri Honda Pierre Gasly (8th, 1:18.244): "Overall, it was a strong Friday as we finished both sessions in the top 10. It was quite impressive and very enjoyable to drive these F1 cars on such a track with so many high-speed corners, it was very cool! I didn't feel fully comfortable in the car, so we'll make some changes for tomorrow to find a bit more performance and get more out of our package." Daniil Kvyat (15th, 1:18.736): "It was OK today. We're at a new circuit and it's definitely a cool track and it was great fun to drive. We were able to learn a lot and put a good number of laps in, trying to discover what's best for the car here, as you need a good car balance in order to have confidence. I think we have some room for improvement for tomorrow and we'll do our best to achieve it." Jonathan Eddolls, Chief Race Engineer: "We're at the third race of the triple-header which is hard on the team, although everyone received a massive boost with the fantastic result at the last event. The celebrations were fairly short-lived as we come to a new track in Formula 1 racing. We've never been to this track in this era of F1, so there was a lot of preparation to do in a short time between Monza and Mugello. We continued the AT01 development here, so compared to the car we had in Monza, we've got new components both on the aero and mechanical side. As this a new track, we aimed to give the drivers as much running as possible but that, combined with trying to evaluate our new components, made FP1 a busy session. We found a good compromise to gather all the data we needed, as well as giving the engineers time to find the optimum balance. FP1 was positive, we were fairly happy and everything appeared to be working as expected. FP2 was a bit more of a conventional session, ultimately it was about understanding Qualifying performance, but also evaluating the tyres over the long runs. Pierre had a positive session and showed good performance, while Dany struggled a little bit more with the balance and grip on his car, particularly on the option tyre. He wasn't able to extract the maximum potential neither over the short nor the long run, so we have a bit more work to do on his car to understand why he was struggling with the handling. We have a good amount of work to do tonight to give him a car that can be competitive and fight to get into Q3 tomorrow. We will also be focusing on tyre behaviour to allow us to make the best choice for the race strategy on Sunday." Williams Racing George Russell (16th, 1:18.843): "It was awesome out there today. It is always fun to come to a proper great circuit with lots of character, it's undulating and punishes you if you make a mistake. The speeds are very high, so it was good fun out there. The tyres are taking a pounding, so we have a bit of work to do to get on top of that. The race is going to be difficult yet exciting, as nobody knows how it will pan out. We have a good idea of how we need to get the car set up, so we shall see." Nicholas Latifi (18th, 1:18.983): "It was a pretty fun day. It is a very intense track with high speeds, which is what we expected. FP1 was tricky, the tyres were not working as expected and the car was sliding a lot. We managed to improve this for FP2, and the performance runs were not so bad. It will be hot over the weekend, and it is a very rough track with a lot of corners so I think tyre management will be key. It will be about weighing up how much you want to set the car up to preserve the tyres for all the high speed corners, but at the same time still have a car that you can race with if you have the opportunity to pass, which we know will be difficult at this track." Dave Robson, Senior Race Engineer: "Today was very enjoyable as we came to grips with the circuit here in Mugello. The car behaved well and both drivers did a very good job, gathering the data we wanted whilst also understanding how to get the most out of the car on this demanding circuit. Although there were a few interruptions during the sessions, we still completed a good number of laps and generated a lot of data. We have numerous things to go through and optimise ahead of tomorrow, but following a strong team performance today, we are in a good position to improve the car in both qualifying and race trim. The top teams have already started to move ahead, but the midfield is very congested, with a couple of tenths potentially accounting for numerous grid positions." European diplomats have begun keeping round-the-clock guard at the home of Belarusian opposition activist Svetlana Alexievich, who says masked men attempted to break into her apartment on Wednesday. Why it matters: The 72-year-old Nobel laureate is the sole original member of the opposition council formed to facilitate a peaceful transition in Belarus who has not been detained, exiled or disappeared. The big picture: Wednesday marks one month since President Alexander Lukashenko claimed victory in a blatantly rigged election, setting off a mass protest movement that has continued unabated even in the face of security crackdowns and a state media takeover by master propagandist Vladimir Putin. The state of play: The Lukashenko government has initiated a criminal case against the seven-member Coordination Council. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya: The 37-year-old presidential candidate and self-described "housewife" fled the country after being detained by Lukashenko's security services and forced to film a video calling for an end to the protests. She remains exiled in Lithuania and told BuzzFeed News that she is the "national, chosen president" of Belarus. The 37-year-old presidential candidate and self-described "housewife" fled the country after being detained by Lukashenko's security services and forced to film a video calling for an end to the protests. She remains exiled in Lithuania and told BuzzFeed News that she is the "national, chosen president" of Belarus. Maria Kolesnikova: Her lawyer says she was forced into a van by masked men and told she would leave Belarus "alive or in bits." She was driven to the Ukrainian border but avoided deportation by tearing up her passport and throwing it out the window. She's now jailed in Minsk. Her lawyer says she was forced into a van by masked men and told she would leave Belarus "alive or in bits." She was driven to the Ukrainian border but avoided deportation by tearing up her passport and throwing it out the window. She's now jailed in Minsk. Maxim Znak: The 39-year-old lawyer was dragged out of the council's building in Minsk on Wednesday by masked men. His whereabouts are unknown. The 39-year-old lawyer was dragged out of the council's building in Minsk on Wednesday by masked men. His whereabouts are unknown. Olga Kovalkova: The 36-year-old activist was removed from Belarus by masked men and is exiled in Poland. The 36-year-old activist was removed from Belarus by masked men and is exiled in Poland. Pavel Latushka: The former government diplomat joined the council after witnessing the police crackdown on protesters. He remains outside of the country and has been told he will be detained when he returns. The former government diplomat joined the council after witnessing the police crackdown on protesters. He remains outside of the country and has been told he will be detained when he returns. Sergei Dylevsky: The 30-year-old factory worker was sentenced to prison for organizing a strike. Go deeper: Svetlana Alexievich is not going anywhere (The New Yorker) (Natural News) The Black Lives Matter riots will continue as long as corporations keep pumping money into this destructive movement. The latest company to pledge money to the domestic terror network is Dr. Bronners, a family soap maker that has been around since 1858. These arent just one-time donations either. In 2020, Dr. Bronners has handed $100,000 to the Black Lives Matter network so far and has pledged to pay them another $1 million over the next decade. This is deeply concerning because Dr. Bronners is a company with a history of great products and good intentions. But now Dr. Bronners is naively giving away capital to a criminal network that has done nothing but spread its own brand of racism and violence, while demeaning the very heritage they are supposed to be representing. Yes, most people want to live in a more just society, where all men and women are treated equally regardless of their skin color, but the Black Lives Matter movement is the opposite of all that is just and fair. This movement is responsible for relentless attacks on law enforcement, business owners and innocent people. The BLM mob is a political tool of destruction and oppression, forging a society where anyone who disagrees with them is to be shouted down and beaten, their home and business set ablaze. Dr. Bronners states on their website: The ambitious and strategic vision of organizations and networks like the Movement for Black Lives to transform and end the systemic racism that pervades the police and criminal justice system today is of paramount importance to creating a better and more just world. We believe this movement will win. Dr. Bronners is complicit in BLMs destruction of America Dr. Bronner joins a growing list of companies that are complicit in the crimes and murders committed by the Black Lives Matter thugs who continue to destroy property and pillage innocent lives. AirBNB is donating $500,000 to BLM and has committed to match employee donations. The Ford Motor Company Foundation has financed BLM criminal activity to the tune of $100 million. The leaders of these companies are afraid they will be shamed as racists if they do not fund these Black Lives Matter networks. Consumed by white guilt, these companies are committing large sums of capital to a destructive movement, as if they are being emotionally extorted from. The death of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, Tony McDade, Dijon Kizzee are being dishonored by the Black Lives Matter movement. Not only that, but the deaths they riot for are being dwarfed by the number of deaths and the acts of malice that have taken the lives of law enforcement and other innocents. Some evil people in the BLM movement are even calling these deaths of innocents justified and necessary as the BLM continues to reap funds from corporations across America to continue on with their own killing spree. Boycott Dr. Bronners if they do not recommit their capital to a constructive cause If companies like Dr. Bronners want to support a world that respects equal treatment under the law, then they can start by supporting the rule of law, instead of pumping money into a movement that destroys lives through mob force, using false accusations, shaming tactics and deadly violence. If Dr. Bronners does not take a stand against the crimes committed by the BLM network; if they do not recommit their capital to constructive causes and real humanitarian missions, then Dr. Bronners should be boycotted at all costs. No one in their right mind should want to see America suffer over the next decade from continuous riots. Dr. Bronners must immediately pull all their support from BLM and recommit their capital to a cause of justice, not the destruction of human lives and the Marxist overthrow of America. Sources include: ZeroHedge.com DrBronner.com FoxNews.com CNN and Sesame Street team up this Saturday for a new Town Hall tackling all things back-to-school, from staying healthy in classrooms to making the most of remote learning. The hour-long special, The ABCs of Back to School, will be hosted by CNNs Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta and Anchor Erica Hill along with Sesame Streets Big Bird on Saturday, September 12 at 7.30 p.m. IST on CNN International, and CNN en Espanol. Sesame Street Muppets join school-aged children in a variety of learning environments, with Elmo going to preschool during the week, Big Bird in hybrid learning, and Rosita fully remote. The trio will be joined by Abby Cadabby and her brother Rudy, Super Grover, and other friends from Sesame Street, along with Sesame Workshops Vice President and Education Publisher for Sesame Learning Akimi Gibson. The special will stream live without requiring a log-in on CNN.coms homepage and across mobile devices via CNNs apps for iOS and Android. It can also be viewed on CNNgo (at CNN.com/go on your desktop, smartphone, and iPad and via CNNgo apps for Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire, Chromecast, and Android TV) and will be available on demand to subscribers via cable/satellite systems, CNNgo platforms, and CNN mobile apps. Funding for The ABCs of Back to School is provided in part by the Walton Family Foundation, a supporter of Sesame Workshops Caring for Each Other back-to-school resources. In order to determine whether this would be sound strategy for them, one needs to look at two issues: One, on the alliances being built globally between telcos, on one hand, and cloud service firms, on the other, especially with the advent of 5G; and two, how their business strategies in India will blend into with such a deal. IMAGE: Attendees at Amazon.com Inc annual cloud computing conference walk past the Amazon Web Services logo in Las Vegas, Nevada, US. Photograph: Salvador Rodriguez/Reuters Does it make business sense for Amazon Web Services (part of Amazon) and Verizon to buy a stake in cash-strapped Vodafone Idea? As the Vodafone Idea board met to discuss fund raising, there is speculation it has renewed talks with Amazon. Talks were suspended earlier, in anticipation of the Supreme Court verdict in the AGR (aggregate gross revenue) case. Whether the two global giants will bite the bullet is anyones guess. In order to determine whether this would be sound strategy for them, one needs to look at two issues: One, on the alliances being built globally between telcos, on one hand, and cloud service firms, on the other, especially with the advent of 5G; and two, how their business strategies in India will blend into with such a deal. At global level, Amazon, with its expertise in cloud, and Verizon, with its telecom network and customers, are waging a battle with the combined power of Microsoft and AT&T to provide cloud and edge computing solutions to enterprise customers, especially with the advent of 5G in the US. The aim is to provide them low latency, highly secure and high-speed services as numerous devices and machines get connected on the 5G network. And that is understandable as a substantial portion of the 5G revenue for telcos will come from non-mobile services. And for cloud companies, it is an opportunity to leverage this exponential increase in business and solutions. It will be no different in India, especially with telcos looking at alliances to offer cloud and data centres to increase their revenues from the enterprise business segment, which also provides healthy margins. One needs to look at Vodafone Ideas enterprise business, which, analysts say, is much smaller than that of Bharti Airtel. So for firms like Amazon (with or without Verizon as co-investor), which is currently the largest player in the cloud business in the country, picking up a stake could make sense. Telecom analyst Mahesh Uppal said: Its a perfect fit for companies like Amazon, Verizon or even Microsoft because they can tap new sources of revenues. Uppal pointed out the problem with Vodafone Idea was not about its telecom business, which is doing reasonably well or there is any quality issue. The problem is it huge debt. It makes sense for a company which has a ten-year horizon or which sees India as an important market, to buy into Vodafone. Remember, there was talk that Google was once interested. A senior executive of a rival cloud company, however, said: Amazon is in the cloud business but it does not know the complexities of running a telco. "So getting Verizon as a partner will be a key. But there is a catch. AWS in India has a tie-up with Bharti Airtel in the cloud computing and data centre space. Not only AWS, even Verizon too signed up with Bharti for offering its online video conferencing service, Blue Jeans, recently. But the play is bigger for AWS. According to Bank of America analysts, the company is locking horns with other global players in the Indian market. These players include Microsoft Azure (30 per cent share) and Google (with 10 per cent), which are far behind. Even Alibaba Cloud is present, with its investee firms like Paytm using its cloud infrastructure. The question is whether AWS will part ways with Bharti to tie the knot with another player. Or can it invest in both the companies, one through an alliance and the other through equity to further strengthen its hold in the Indian market? Many analysts say Reliance has shown the way with both Google and Facebook, which fight for the same advertising pie, becoming co-investors in Jio Platforms. What could make things more pressing for AWS is the fact that Microsoft recently tied up with Reliance Jio to bring its Azure suit of products to the customers and close the gap with Amazon. Jio and Microsoft have focused their energies in initially wooing 8-10 million small-scale enterprises, a segment that Amazon also seeks to capture. The Jio-Microsoft combine is using the pricing game to grab customers with offers as low as Rs 1,500 a month. This also comes with the advantage of bundled services like fixed broadband. Both Amazon and Reliance (Jio Mart) are getting into a battle to woo Indias 30 million kirana and small shops as partners. Those shops without PCs could be captured for the cloud services by offering them PoS machines. With a Vodafone Idea-Bharti alliance, Amazon would be in a strong position in the battle with Microsoft. What serves caution is the view that the roll-out of 5G services in India has been postponed with telcos left with little financial muscle to buy expensive spectrum. Experts say this uncertainty could be a deterrent for any investment in the future of cloud and enterprise business as that would need 5G for a big push. But the good news is the cloud business is expected to hit revenues of over $9 billion by 2022 from a mere $4 billion expected this year - and that makes it pretty attractive for anyone. The other issue is the history of Vodafone plc and Verizon. Vodafone pulled out of Verizon after lengthy negotiations but made good money So there is a close relationship. But Verizon has only played in the US market in the mobile space, so will it take a gamble in India? Will there be an alliance once again, with the US company becoming investor this time? Advertisement James May's 3million superhome is still under construction as builders continue putting the finishing touches to the west London property. The Top Gear host, 56, bulldozed two cottages on the existing site in order to build a space big enough to house his vast motorbike and luxury car collection. But the building work, which initially looked as though it would be completed before the end of lockdown, appears to have slowed down. James May's 3million superhome is still under construction as builders continue putting the finishing touches to the west London property The Top Gear host, 56, bulldozed two cottages on the existing site in west London to build a space big enough to house his vast motorbike and luxury car collection. Pictured: Plans outlined in red show the area of May's property that was bulldozed before the rebuilding job began Recent pictures of the site show that it is still decked out with numerous building materials despite brand new glass and brick work on show. May, who is worth an estimated 10million, bought the house in 2000 for 325,000 and the adjoining semi-derelict commercial property five years ago for 310,000, both of which were demolished for the build. It is still anticipated that the work will conclude later this year for May and his partner, dance critic Sarah Frater, to move back in. Recent pictures of the site show that it is still decked out with numerous building materials despite brand new glass and brick facade on show Plans approved by the council for May's new London home show it will be six per cent larger than the demolished old property, with an extra floor on the two side wings Timeline of construction at the impressive west London property Pictured: The Grand Tour host James May 2000 - James May purchased the main property, which he lived in until construction began 2013 - The Grand Tour host said he planned to embark on intensive improvements to his home in order to appease his partner, art critic Sarah Frater 2015 - May purchased a 'semi-derelict commercial property' next to his home in west London 2016 - Planning permission approved for plans to add an extra floor on two wings to his home 2019 - Properties demolished to make way for the build May 2020 - Work looked set to finish, with only final touches left to add Advertisement The 56-year-old moved all of his luxury cars and motorbikes around the corner from the site in a conservation area in Hammersmith, West London. He has 40 motorbikes, a Rolls-Royce, limited edition Ferrari 458 Speciale, Porsche 911 and Fiat Panda for running around town, which will all be kept at the new property. The new home will be six per cent larger than May's existing property with an extra floor on the two side wings. May, who is nicknamed 'Captain Slow' for his genteel driving style, lived up to his Mr Nice Guy image and avoided a bruising battle with his neighbours by constantly including them in the planning process. One previously said: 'I couldn't wish for a better neighbour than James. He is a delight and has involved us all at every step of the way. His next-door-neighbour Cathy Lewis agreed: 'James has been really good and given us lots of information. 'This will be really good for our street, will be a big improvement on what was there before and the designs are sympathetic to the area. 'We know it will take a long time with a lot of disruption, but so far, the builders have been great. 'The new house will look fabulous.' He held a consultation meeting with his neighbours in 2015 as he was finalizing the plans in order to appease any concerns they had around being overlooked as the new property has an extra floor on two wings and is six per cent larger all round. May had planning permission approved in 2016 and has put in a series of amendments since then to ensure residents' views were taken into account and to ensure the new property will fit in with a street where some homes were built in the 1840s. In 2013, May said he planned to embark on the improvements in order to appease his partner. 'The permanent and fragrant presence of Woman demands something a bit better,' he said. He also admitted he would save himself money as there is no VAT on new-builds. May's approved plans to the 1950s-home are to change use of one property from commercial use to residential, demolition of the properties to rebuild into one two-storey building with a garage on the ground floor. VANCOUVER, BC, Sept. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ - Hollister Biosciences Inc. (CSE: HOLL) (OTC: HSTRF) (FRANKFURT: HOB) (the "Company", "Hollister Cannabis Co." or "Hollister") a diversified cannabis branding company with products in over 230 dispensaries throughout California, and over 80 dispensaries throughout Arizona, is pleased to announce that it has retained the services of Renmark Financial Communications Inc. ("Renmark") to handle its investor relations activities. "We are pleased to announce that we have selected Renmark to reinforce Hollister's profile in the financial community and enhance the visibility of our company. We chose Renmark because its standards and methodologies fit best with the message we wish to communicate to the investing public," noted Alex Somjen, President of Hollister. In consideration of the services to be provided, the monthly fees incurred by Hollister will be a cash consideration of up to $8,000 CAD, starting October 1st, 2020 for a period of six months ending on March 31st, 2021 and monthly thereafter. Renmark does not have any interest, directly or indirectly, in Hollister or its securities, or any right or intent to acquire such an interest. About Hollister Biosciences Inc. Hollister Biosciences Inc. is a multi-state cannabis company with a vision to be the sought-after premium brand portfolio of innovative, high-quality cannabis & hemp products. Hollister uses a high margin model, controlling the whole process from manufacture to sales to distribution or seed to shelf. Products from Hollister Biosciences Inc. include HashBone, the brand's premier artisanal hash-infused pre-roll, along with concentrates (shatter, budder, crumble), distillates, solvent-free bubble hash, pre-packaged flower, pre-rolls, tinctures, vape products, and full-spectrum high CBD pet tinctures. Hollister Cannabis Co. additionally offers white-labeling manufacturing of cannabis products. Our wholly-owned California subsidiary Hollister Cannabis Co is the 1st state and locally licensed cannabis company in the city of Hollister, CA birthplace of the "American Biker". Website: www.hollistercannabisco.com The CSE, nor its regulation services provider, does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Forward-Looking Information: This news release includes certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements". The use of any of the words "anticipate", "continue", "estimate", "expect", "may", "will", "would", "project", "should", "believe" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes that the expectations and assumptions on which the forward-looking statements are based are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking statements because the Company can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct. Since forward-looking statements address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. These statements speak only as of the date of this News Release. Actual results could differ materially from those currently anticipated due to a number of factors and risks including various risk factors discussed in the Company's disclosure documents which can be found under the Company's profile on www.sedar.com SOURCE Hollister Biosciences Inc. The family of Daniel Prude wept during an event to celebrate his life on the Rochester street where he died. His relatives, visiting from Chicago and Florida, took part in the rally on Jefferson Avenue which included life music from soul singer Danielle Ponder and a full band. Demonstrators danced, sang, and demanded justice for Prude for the ninth straight night but unlike some of the other protests it passed off peacefully. The protests began last week after the Prude family released body camera footage from the arrest. The family of Daniel Prude (pictured) participated in a community celebration of his life in Rochester, New York, last night His relatives, visiting from Chicago and Florida, took part in the demonstration in his memory The demonstration took place on Jefferson Avenue, where he was arrested after his brother phoned 911 about his erratic behaviour It showed police putting a 'spit hood', designed to protect police from bodily fluids, over the 41-year-old black man's head. At the celebration of Prude's life, his brother Joe Prude said to the demonstrators gathered that 'police are afraid of people in power' according to the Democrat & Chronicle. The crowd welcomed Daniel Prude's father, Joe Cole, who wept as his son Joe embraced him. R&B soul artist Danielle Ponder sang at the event, and called it 'an opportunity for a breather' following days of protesting. Prude, from Chicago, died after an encounter with police in March, but news of the incident didnt come to light until September 2. Rochester erupted with protests last week after the Prude family released body camera footage from the arrest Prude's family wore t-shirts with his face on them and the Jefferson Ave street sign in the background Prude, who had mental health issues, died after being restrained by police. His family wore tops with writing about black mental health to bring attention to the issue It is now being investigated by the New York State Attorney General's Office. Protesters demanded justice for him for the ninth straight night in Rochester, and demonstrated peacefully on Thursday. Officers had responded to a 911 call made by his brother, seeking help for Prude's erratic behavior on March 23. Prude, who had mental health issues, was naked at the time of his arrest, and was handcuffed and pinned down to the pavement as officers restrained him. His family are demanding justice and took part in the peaceful demonstrations on Thursday Prude's family alleges there has been an internal cover up of his death in the police department He lost consciousness and died a week later after he was taken off life support. Mayor Lovely Warren has announced the suspension of seven officers involved in the arrest and promises reforms to the city's police department. A federal civil lawsuit filed from the Prude family against the City of Rochester alleges there was an internal cover-up, according to Rochester First. Tech company terminates agreement with Christian group over SPLC 'hate' group label MobileCause to review practice of relying on SPLC to determine which nonprofits it won't service Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment A California-based fundraising software company that serves nonprofits will no longer provide service to the national Christian conservative activist organization Family Research Council, citing the Southern Poverty Law Centers listing of the organization as an anti-LGBT hate group. But after pushback to its decision, MobileCause informed The Christian Post on Thursday that it will review its policy of referring solely to the far-left SPLC to determine which nonprofits it won't work with. FRC announced Wednesday that it was informed by MobileCause CEO Victor Limongelli that the text service provider agreement between the two entities was to be terminated one hour before the organization was set to host its Pray Vote Stand broadcast as part of its 2020 voter turnout initiative. The organization sought to use MobileCause to send out text messages to thousands of supporters during the event. According to a statement released by the advocacy group, the termination was based on the organizations religious views and prevented the broadcast from reaching thousands of Christian voters with information about the 2020 election. Tony Perkins, FRC president and a leading conservative evangelical activist in Washington, said that the termination represents another example of big tech censorship. He accused MobileCause of discriminating against his organization by censoring those they disagree with. Is it a coincidence that a big tech company pulled the plug on us one hour before the second installment of one of our most extensive evangelical voter education and mobilization efforts in this election cycle? Perkins asked. The big tech agenda is beyond obvious. MobileCause views evangelicals and conservatives as a political enemy that must be silenced, and so it timed its religious discrimination for maximum effect. CP reached out to MobileCause for comment on FRCs claims. In response, the company explained that it does not work with organizations listed by the SPLC as a "hate group." "MobileCause works with thousands of nonprofit organizations across the ideological spectrum. We have followed a very simple, straightforward practice. First, is the organization a nonprofit? We only work with nonprofits. Second, is the organization listed as a 'hate group' by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC)? If so, we dont work with the organization," a statement from MobileCause explains. "When MobileCause realized that the Family Research Council was listed as a 'hate group' by the SPLC, we followed our practice and terminated the relationship." A spokesperson for FRC told CP that the organization was in the third year of its agreement with MobileCause and the cancellation one hour before the event did not leave FRC with enough time to switch to a new vendor. "The Left's determination to silence voices with which they disagree should make clear to every evangelical voter what is at stake in this election and why they need to pray, vote, and stand! Perkins argued. Big tech, Hollywood, and the elites intend to decide this election, and they will resort to religious discrimination, censorship, and bullying to get that mission accomplished. We cannot, and we must not, allow them to succeed. FRC, along with dozens of other Christian and conservative organizations, have been labeled by the SPLC a far-left civil rights legal organization as hate organizations that are described by terms such as anti-LGBT, anti-immigrant, anti-Muslims and many others. Critics contend that SPLC's "hate" designation contributes to the "smearing" of conservative groups with "false charges of bigotry." The SPLC hate label almost turned deadly for FRC when a gunman shot up the FRC headquarters in Washington, D.C. in 2012 and later told FBI agents that he saw FRC on the SPLC website before targeting its location and wounding a security guard. He told investigators that he wanted to kill as many as possible. In its statement to CP, MobileCause said that it was not previously aware of criticism SPLC has received toward its use of the "hate" label or the 2012 FRC shooting. "We have been referencing the SPLC site as a readily and publicly available list, but given the new information that weve learned, were going to undertake an analysis of the SPLC list and the criteria it uses, and then make a determination as to whether we should rely solely on its list," the statement explains. Troy Miller, CEO of the National Religious Broadcasters, said in a statement that despite its legacy as a civil rights group that has stood in opposition to white supremacist groups, the SPLC has "devolved" and "become a hate group itself." SPLC is engaged in harmful defamation and vilification of mainstream conservative organizations," Miller said. "Media and tech companies such as MobileCause need to stop relying upon SPLCs inflammatory decrees. As reported by the Christian Broadcasting Network, MobileCause explained in a letter that it was warned on Aug. 27 that it received nearly 100 complaints of spam. However, an FRC spokesperson explained to the outlet that FRC was not notified about any spam related concerns until its agreement was terminated. Miller stressed that MobileCauses action against FRC is another indication of the power tech companies' hold to thwart the messaging of conservatives. NRB, an association of which FRC is a member of, has documented and monitored what it calls anti-Christian censorship and free speech violation on the internet for the past 10 years. Just like that, one company was able to prevent a broadcast with information about the 2020 election from reaching thousands of Christian voters, Miller explained. Tech companies are pushing conservatives out of the public square and silencing them under the guise of hate speech moderation. In reality, they are suppressing voices with which they disagree. In 2017, the leading charity rating website GuideStar added hate labels to the profiles of 46 conservative nonprofits, citing SPLC. After the backlash to their reliance on the SPLC "hate" designation, GuideStar removed the labels from the conservative groups. A big increase in the number of coronavirus cases in England was revealed today. An estimated 39,700 people had Covid-19 in the most recent week, up 12,600 from the 27,100 total a week earlier, according to the Office for National Statistics. The ONS estimates there were 3,200 new cases a day, up from 2,000 a day, as it warned that infections were on the rise again after several weeks of stability. The ONS weekly infection study is based on nose and throat swab tests undertaken in private homes rather than hospitals or care homes. It is different to the daily figures published on the Government coronavirus dashboard, which counts people who test positive, most of them after displaying symptoms. The ONS daily total for England is about 700 cases higher than the most recent figures on the coronavirus dashboard, though both counts are showing marked increases. The latest data, for the period August 30 to September 5, allowed the ONS to estimate that one person in 1,400 had Covid up from one in 2,000 a week earlier. Coronavirus: Areas in England with most new cases per 100,000 people It said there had been a marked increase in rates of positivity, in particular in people aged 17 to 34. In contrast, the number of people aged 50 and over who are testing positive appears to be stable or declining in recent weeks. Katherine Kent, co-head of analysis for the Covid-19 Infection Survey, said: Our results this week suggest that there has been an increase in Covid-19 infections in England during recent weeks with higher infection rates among 17-34 year olds. Loading.... These findings highlight how important it is that we continue to monitor Covid-19 Infections in the country. We are grateful to our many participants who are continuing to make this survey possible. We are currently sending new invitations to people across England, Wales and Northern Ireland to take part in the survey with work underway in Scotland. If you receive a letter from us, please do your bit and take part to help us get new information to help control the spread of this virus. The estimates for England during the latest six-week period are based on 183,994 swab tests, from which 89 people from 84 households tested positive. Such small numbers of positive cases means that there could be a sizeable degree of error in the estimates for the entire population. The ONS said there was some evidence that infection rates in London, the North West, and the South East may have increased in recent weeks. HOLLYWOOD, Fla., Sept. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- For years now, cyberattacks have been one of the biggest threats to businesses, big and small, around the world. These attacks have cost businesses billions of dollars in lost data, downtime, and bad PR. In 2020, with increased online activity and more people working from home during the COVID-19 global pandemic, these attacks have seen a dramatic increase. The FBI reports a 400% increase during the pandemic which resulted in up to 4,000 calls a day to their cybercrime division. MonsterCloud Ransomware is a particularly popular and destructive form of cybercrime that is on the rise in 2020. This is where hackers get into your network, usually through a user clicking on a malicious link, and take control of your company's sensitive data. They then demand you pay a ransom or your data gets published or you stay locked out forever. To help companies avoid these dreaded attacks, MonsterCloud reviews the top 5 ransomware removal tips for 2020. 1. Call MonsterCloud and Leave it to the Professionals A ransomware attack is a digital hostage situation and, like a hostage situation, you want to call in the professionals, not try to manage it yourself. MonsterCloud is available 24/7 to respond to attacks and can recover data and fix the security issue fast. They do this within 24-48 hours for over 97% of their clients. MonsterCloud also guarantees to recover your data or the service is free. MonsterCloud advises that victims of ransomware attacks not pay the ransom. When they do, there is no guarantee they will get their data back. And, even if they do, there is to guarantee the criminals won't simply attack their system again in the near future. This is why your first step in a ransomware attack should always be to call MonsterCloud. 2. Backups, Backups, Backups Always backing up your data is the easiest and most efficient way to prepare your company for a cyberattack. No one ever wants to discover ransomware on their system but, in the event you do, have a plan in place that includes the proper backups is critical and will determine how much time and money your business loses in the attack. 3. Train Employees to Recognize Phishing Attacks Phishing attacks, which use social engineering tricks to entice employees to click on malicious links are the number one way ransomware gets into systems. The first step to preventing this is to train people on what to look for, what to avoid, and how to identify suspicious emails. In 2020, many of the emails entice people to click with COVID-19-related topics. 4. Update Your Software Ransomware often takes hold by exploiting a security flaw or vulnerability in particular software. The companies that issue the software often realize this early on and issue a patch to fix the issue. However, that patch only works to protect your system if the user updates the software regularly. 5. Only Use Licensed Versions of Software This is important because bootleg versions of the software are often infected with viruses. During the pandemic, when more people are working from home, this is particularly prevalent as people are trying to download free, bootleg versions of videoconferencing, file sharing, and collaboration software. About MonsterCloud: MonsterCloud is a leading authority on ransomware with some of the world's most renowned ransomware removal experts. Our core specialties include removing ransomware, restoring encrypted files, and preventing organizations from becoming ransomware victims. MonsterCloud's global ransomware response team is standing by and ready 24/7 to help organizations in need. Ransomware removal is guaranteed. Don't pay the criminals. Get ransomware professionals involved. MonsterCloud Email: [email protected] Phone number: (844) 222-1221 Related Images monstercloud-reviews-top-5.png MonsterCloud Reviews - Top 5 Ransomware Removal Tips SOURCE MonsterCloud A financially strapped West Virginia hospital has agreed to pay the federal government $50 million to resolve claims that it improperly issued payments and kickbacks to physicians under the direction of management, the U.S. Justice Department announced Wednesday. The Justice Department announced the settlement involving Wheeling Hospital stemming from a whistleblower complaint filed in 2017 by Louis Longo, a former hospital executive vice president. Longo was allowed to share in the proceeds of the lawsuit and will receive $10 million, the department said in a statement. Longos lawsuit was filed in 2017 and unsealed in December 2018, when the Justice Department intervened. He asserted the Catholic hospitals physician compensation violated federal law by improperly paying millions in excessive compensation based on the volume or value of patient referrals. Some physicians received compensation totaling more than $1 million a year under the system, according to the complaint. Improper financial arrangements between hospitals and physicians can influence the type and amount of health care that is provided, said Jeffrey Bossert Clark, acting assistant attorney general of the Justice Departments Civil Division. The department is committed to taking action to eliminate improper inducements that can corrupt the integrity of physician decision-making. The government alleged the actions occurred from 2007 to 2020 under the direction of the hospitals prior management, R&V Associates Ltd., and Chief Executive Officer Ronald Violi, who retired in 2019. Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries trust that their healthcare providers will make decisions based on sound medical judgment, said U.S. Attorney Scott W. Brady of Pennsylvanias western district. Our office will take decisive action against any medical providers which betray that trust and make medical decisions based on their own financial interests. Our seniors deserve nothing less. The 223-bed hospital is owned by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston. It entered into a management services agreement last year with the West Virginia University Health System. In July, Wheeling Hospital announced unspecified staff reductions, giving employees the choice whether to participate in a severance plan. At the time, the hospital had a medical staff of nearly 300. CEO Douglass Harrison said in July that Wheeling Hospital suffered an $11 million loss in fiscal 2019 and had lost more than $18 million this fiscal year. Harrison said the hospital was continuing to look for a long-term strategic partner for its ultimate survival. In a statement Wednesday, Harrison said the settlement was in the hospitals long-term best interest. The hospital made no admission of wrongdoing. Prolonging the lawsuit would have paralyzed the ability of the hospital to attract the best physicians and to make the necessary capital improvements to ensure that the highest quality health care continues to be provided in the Upper Ohio Valley, Harrison said. Another Wheeling hospital, Ohio Valley Medical Center, and sister facility East Ohio Regional Hospital in nearby Martins Ferry, Ohio, closed last year. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Lawsuits Ohio Virginia Smotrytska Maria 11.09.2020 LISTEN Today at a broader diplomatic and strategic level, the BRI has become a symbol of China's growing importance in international affairs, changing regional dynamics in geographical areas close to or even within Europe. At the most basic level, the strategic implications of expanding China's policy in the EU stem not so much from a set of projects with a single link, but from its comprehensive nature. China-related initiatives, such as the AIIB and the BRI, it is ample clear have already changed the global financial development landscape. Similarly, in the sphere of security relations, there is a need to protect assets and citizens abroad leading to the securitization of Chinese BRI participation abroad, which is likely to significantly change China's role in the regions of European interests. Within Europe, and in conjunction with subregional mini-initiatives in China, such as CEE 16 + 1, the BRI also contributes to changes in the policy-making landscape in Europe and China. When analyzing China's relations with CEE countries in the framework of the BRI initiative, it should be noted that the initiative was put forward with the principle of mutual complementarity of economies, taking into account the differences between China and neighboring countries, as well as taking into account all existing shortcomings in the infrastructure of all prospective participants in this economic project. Such complementarity provides an important basis for long-term business cooperation between China and neighboring countries, and even the creation of the Eurasian Union could not affect the complementarity of the economic systems of China and neighboring countries, because only in the process of joint efforts to create the Silk Road Economic belt will it be possible to fully overcome the underdevelopment of infrastructure in this region. The Chinese government emphasizes that the One belt, One road initiative complements existing national and European plans (for example, the so-called Junker plan or plans promoted by individual EU member States) to develop infrastructure and expand connectivity in Europe and beyond. Most of the ambassadors in European countries note the importance of the BRI and its significance for the development of relations between China and European countries. Analyzing the role of CEE countries in the implementation of the Chinese One belt, One road initiative, it can be noted that the specifics of the region's countries are the potential for market development and geographical advantages. An important role is played by projects to create continental and Maritime transport routes that can transport goods between China and Europe. In developing cooperation, first of all, it is necessary to focus on market requirements, follow the principle of first simple then complex, avoid political risks, give enterprises a guiding role and take into account the leading role of important projects. It should also be underlined that in the format of the initiative, there are equal partnerships between all countries, it does not have strict mechanisms, and its structure allows for multi-level, multi-layered cooperation that covers all areas of collaboration, including politics, economy and humanitarian exchanges. This multi-functional format is useful for promoting bilateral relations between China and the CEE countries, and it can also play a stimulating role in the development of China Europe relations. At the same time , when building ties between within the 16 + 1 format and China EU cooperation, a number of questions arise that cause concern in the EU government circles about the role played by the PRC in the region. Today the CEE region is located at the junction of the Economic Belt of the New Silk Road and the Maritime Silk Road of the 21st century. Both routes connecting the markets of Europe and Asia sea and land-pass through it; it performs an important function of ensuring the passage of commodity flows. The CEE region has the advantage of location; through it, cargo is sent overland from Western China via Russia or Central Asia to Western Europe. China gains a strategic advantage from redistributing some of its Maritime supplies, reducing the use of the Strait of Malacca. In addition, there are commercial considerations: in terms of time, this overland route speeds up transportation twice as compared to the usual way of delivery by sea with reloading to the railway, and at a price it is much more profitable than air transportation. The sea route from China to the Greek port of Piraeus for the delivery of goods to the Balkan Peninsula, which lies at the intersection of transit communications in Europe, Asia and Africa, has great prospects. Currently, 80% of cargo from China to Europe goes through the Atlantic ocean to the ports of Northern Europe. The sea route through the Arabian sea and the Suez canal to the Balkans will reduce the transport time by 7 10 days: this is the shortest sea route from China to Europe. However, to do this, CEE needs to build transport infrastructure, which the region has a huge need for. This is especially true for the Balkan Peninsula, which has entered a period of stable development after riots and wars that caused serious damage to infrastructure. The membership of 11 of the 16 CEE countries in the EU is an advantage that provides system guarantees. EU members and candidates comply with European laws and standards, which reduces the risks for Chinese investment in infrastructure projects. According to the researcher, continuing economic growth and expanding market demand make the CEE region an ideal target market. Thus, political stability has bring results, and in the first decade of the XXI century many Central and Eastern European countries have gone from transition countries to European representatives of new markets. This is not only a transport corridor on the way to the core of traditional Europe, but also an increasingly important investment and consumer market in itself. It is attractive because the laws there are European, but land and labor are cheaper than in Western Europe. Based on the analysis of China CEE relations, it can be seen that cooperation between China, the EU and CEE countries can also contribute to the balanced development of Europe. The bilateral ties between China and CEE for 70 years have laid a solid Foundation for cooperation in the 16 + 1 format. The relationship is now entering a new era of multilateral cooperation that is not focused on a single European sub-region, but reflects Trans-regional characteristics. Thus, when analyzing the relations between China and the countries of the region, we should not limit ourselves to the regional level, but we should go to the Trans-regional and global scale. For example, the 16 + 1 initiative is an inter-regional cooperation in which China focuses on linking its efforts with those of Europe and considers rail links, ports and foreign direct investment as the basis for ensuring balanced development and social cohesion in European countries. For example, the construction of a railway between Hungary and Serbia was far more important for both countries than obtaining short-term economic benefits. It is part of an Express route connecting land and sea from the port of Piraeus across the Balkan Peninsula to the main corridor in Europe. In the future, the Express route will be extended to cover new areas near the three seas that wash the coasts of the CEE countries. However, the economic relations between China and the CEE countries are still underdeveloped, - as one of the most influential institutes from Eastern Europe, the Balkan-based IFIMES of Ljubljana constantly argues: Sino-Balkans relations have a great future due to the fact that China is one of the most important investors in Europe. Thus, it is worth noting that before the start of cooperation in the 16 + 1 format, Chinese investment and trade were not spatially balanced and were concentrated in the North Western part of Europe. Due to the poorly developed transport infrastructure, trade between China and the CEE countries was carried out through the ports and railways of Germany, Holland and France. More importantly, China has begun to develop cooperation with Central and Eastern European countries in the field of innovation. This is a very promising direction. At the summit in Dubrovnik in 2019, China and the CEE countries expressed the idea of building a bridge as a sign of strengthening cooperation between China and the EU, which would reflect the great potential of China and Eastern European countries as partners with the same level of development. The projects that China is able to offer are thought out comprehensively and can be effectively implemented with the participation of state corporations. They will help countries like Croatia achieve their goals faster and more effectively. In short, the 16 + 1 Initiative will help transform this region from a marginal region of Europe to a link between Europe and China. Cooperation in the 16 + 1 format is sub-regional in nature, but the PPI will help it become a Trans-regional way of developing connectivity on land, in the air, in the ocean, and on the Internet. Now even North Africa and the middle East can become part of this interface. Its results will be systemic in nature. The goal of China's cooperation with Central and Eastern European countries is not to continue to use CEE countries as a trade route, but to combine the industrial development needs of these countries with China's large production capacity, using the potential of Central and Eastern European countries in the Chinese market. If Chinese products are close to the Central European market, it is necessary to ensure the presence of high-tech products from CEE countries in the Chinese markets. Cooperation between China and CEE countries should reflect the future development trends. The interface includes not only traditional modes of transport, energy, labor and capital, but also digital infrastructure and data flows based on new technologies. There are huge opportunities for expanding cooperation between China, the 5G industry and service businesses. Cooperation with China is also intended to contribute to the economic revival of the Balkan region, the implementation of Internet and smart city projects. Small countries can play the role of connecting links between China and Europe. However, despite the positive aspect of the development of relations between China and CEE countries within the framework of the BRI initiative, they also continue to face new challenges and problems. 1. The first challenge is how to balance China and CEE relations with China's relations with the European Union. China, when developing relations with the CEE countries, now has to think about the concerns of the EU and some Western European countries. They fear that the countries of the Western Balkans that have not yet joined the EU will choose China and reject the EU, and the countries that have already joined the EU will move closer to China and away from Europe, which will lead to a split in Europe. 2. The second challenge is how long it will be possible to maintain China's economic advantages and how to make the development of economic cooperation sustainable. Thus, today the countries of Central and Eastern Europe are showing interest in cooperation with China, and after the financial crisis they wanted to get Chinese capital. However, the indispensability of Chinese investment for CEE is not so high. Mutual complementarity in trade and economic cooperation is increasing, but at the stage of the rise of the EU China proto-languages is also increasing. When the European and American economies recover after the crisis, there is a risk that Chinese investment in CEE will be in a state of fierce competition with investors from Europe and the United States. This is not only a question of the size and volume of investments, but also their competitiveness, degree of interdependence and attractiveness. In trade, the main partner for the CEE countries is Western Europe their mutual complementarity and mutual dependence is much greater than with China. 3. The third challenge is the asymmetry of the strategic needs of the two sides. There are no historical problems between China and the CEE countries, and there is no serious conflict of interests. Nor do they have a strategic mutual need for each other. Thus, in fact, there is not a single important issue where CEE countries need China's support (the problem of Kosovo is an exception for China and Serbia). 4. The fourth challenge is the issue of roads safety, caused by the unstable political situation in the Balkans, as well as the Eastern borders of CEE. Also problematic issues include the strained economic relations between the EU and the Russian Federation, which provoke difficulties in transporting goods across the borders of these countries. Central and Eastern European countries are closely monitoring China's position on this issue. They are concerned about security and are moving closer to NATO, and the growing level of Sino Russian relations may arouse suspicion in some EU states. In the construction of the One belt, One road, any traditional threats, especially security challenging geopolitical games, can have an impact on the participants. Therefore, China's reaction to the violation of international norms becomes an important criterion for psychological judgment in the development of CEE countries ' relations with China. Thus, according to the researcher, China, as a towering large state, should pay attention to not taking a position and not making statements that can give rise to security concerns and distrust in the CEE countries. 5. As a fifth challenge, we should point to the problem of the balance of large States and external pressure on the development of China's relations with CEE. Thus, after the end of the Cold War, the countries of Central and Eastern Europe became truly subjects of international relations with their own interests. The US does not want the deepening of CEE countries ' relations with China to harm their strategic interests in Europe. Russia also allegedly fears that China, relying on the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, will penetrate to its Western borders and take its place there. Therefore, in some areas and issues, these countries can put pressure on China and the CEE countries. 6. Wasted or misdirected investment should be considered as a threat as well. Thus, South East Europe Transport Observatory (Hereinafter SEETO Auth. said that the availability of Chinese funding can be an advantage and an opportunity. While the availability of Chinese funding might pose a threat on the EU financial institutions, which would have to compete with Chinese institutions for clients, alternative sources of financing might represent a positive development for the business sector or the countries accessing such sources (see Map 1 below). Map 1.: China`s 16+1 grouping built around EU`s newer, poorer members 55. Appendix 22 Chinese_investment_E_Europe_2 Source:IMF, FT research 7. The EU is also concerned at the potential dominance of rail transit by Chinese parties. The apparent implication was that this would give China market power over the EUs trade (For example Apple, Boeing, Google and Microsoft all originated in the USA, but this does not mean that the US Government manipulates access to their products to disadvantage the EU.). A large global economy such as China will almost inevitably gain market power through its economic size and its importance as a trading partner. 8. Another challenge can be new Chinese investments in transit countries. Thus, it is suggested that Chinese companies may begin production not only in north eastern China but also in transit countries such as Kazakhstan and Russia. This would make EU consumers more accessible to Chinese industry without making Chinese consumers more accessible to EU industry. Nonetheless, consumers in the EU would in principle benefit from wider choice or lower costs. The extent of this effect would, however, depend on the extent to which transit countries, or China itself, were open to inward investment from the EU. 9. Also there is a risk for the EU to ensure that transport infrastructure being developed not only in China but also elsewhere in Asia would meet the EUs needs. At the same time, a supplier of rail services outside the EU suggested that the focus of the TEN-T has been building the single market, and that it has not been sufficiently outward-looking. Thus there is an urgent need to upgrade the rail infrastructure in Belarus and Ukraine, which caters for transit traffic to and from the EU. And also conflicting views appeared on whether and how Chinese parties, and particularly contractors, would adapt to, and comply with, EU standards in areas such as construction. A related concern was that weak legislation in rail transit countries might permit environmental damage. The EU cannot impose higher standards on the construction or operation of railways in non-EU states such as Russia and Kazakhstan. There are, however, a number of mechanisms by which the EU can encourage higher standards: -through the terms and conditions of EU involvement in financing or supporting infrastructure projects; -through the supply of products compliant with (high) EU environmental standards; and -through operating, or encouraging other parties to operate, through rail services using locomotives and other equipment with a high environmental performance. An institutional stakeholder made the point that EU standards could always be imposed and, in principle, enforced if a project was funded by the EU, but that this was less likely to be possible if the same project was funded by China. 10. One the the challenges, which causes the emergence of many contradictory and negative opinions about the Chinese initiative in European political and business circles is primarily due to Europe's low awareness of the project, its main goals and structure. Thus, analysis found the the BRI is generally positively perceived, but differences are marked at the country level with some countries having negative perceptions. Figure 1.: Media sentiment for most positive countries Figure 2.: Media sentiment for most negative countries 59. Figure 5 6 Media Source : Bruegel based on https://www.gdeltproject.org/ Figure 1 and Figure 2 above further report the countries with the most positive and negative sentiments towards the BRI. The first impression is that Europe and Asia both extremes of positivity and negativity. That means China`s initiative has particularly penetrated the two regions, but is evaluated very differently by different countries and regions. Within Europe, BRI members tend to have a much worse view of China`s initiative (especially Bosnia and by Poland), compared to others, especially the Netherlands. Thus, China does not seem to be necessarily improving its image through efforts made under the auspices of the BRI projects or, at least, not when the way it is perceived in non-BRI countries. It is increasingly perceived by many on both sides of Atlantic as opaque, imitative, assertive and suddenly omnipresent as prof. Anis H. Bajrektarevic detailed in his luminary work The post-C-19 epilogue of Sino-American relationship. Thus, as a result of the analysis of China CEE relations in the framework of the BRI project, it can be concluded that there are both positive trends and possible challenges in China CEE relations and their role in China's relations with the EU. While the specific impact of the integrity of the BRI on European territory is still limited, new transport corridors are already emerging, and their frequency of use is growing rapidly. One is a rail link between China and Western Europe via Poland to Germany and beyond; the other is a North North corridor between Greece and the Baltic region through Central Europe, and Piraeus as a fastgrowing center in the Mediterranean, and actors in Italy are involved in expanding their profile as part of an expanding South North logistics network. At the same time, cooperation with third countries (Ukraine, Russia, Belarus) remains at very early stages, as the degree of readiness of European companies to participate in Chinese-led infrastructure projects outside Europe remains unclear. Abstract The article describes the place and significance of the CEE region in the Chinese Belt and Road Initiative. Drawing on the basics of Sino European political and economical cooperation and mutual infrastructural projects within BRI, author emphasized that initially focused on involving into the Chinese initiative the European countries, along with opportunities, has faced a whole range of legislative, economic and infrastructure challenges. About the author: Smotrytska Maria Senior research Sinologist, specialized in the Investment policy of China; BRI-related initiatives; Sino - European ties, etc. Distinguished member of the Ukrainian Association of Sinologists. PhD in International politics, Cental China Normal University (Wuhan, Hubei province, PR China) DALLAS, TX / ACCESSWIRE / September 11, 2020 / People are wisely choosing to help slow the spread of COVID-19 through social distancing, working from home, and self-isolating, all resulting in spending more time at home and online. With more time indoors and easy access to the couch and bed - many people may be experiencing more aches and pains that come with living a more sedentary lifestyle and spending more time in front of a screen. However, physical therapy treatment can help restore the body's function and movement while also promoting healing and pain relief. Physical therapy helps patients of all ages with medical conditions, illnesses, or injuries that limit their abilities to function normally. It also helps encourage an active and healthy lifestyle to maintain overall health and well-being. Incorporating stretching and strengthening movements each day will help relax tense muscles, reduce aches, make you feel better overall, and can help conquer virtual meeting fatigue. "Many people may find that they are spending more time in virtual meetings than ever before. During these unprecedented times, we have been able to keep working, laughing, sharing, learning, and connecting with others online via Zoom. It's important to know your Zoom limits and practice healthy habits because, like any good thing, you can Zoom too much," said Dr. Thomas Werner, from the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences. "To combat Zoom Doom' or virtual meeting fatigue, as well as other physical reactions to a less active lifestyle, it's important to keep moving, eat healthily, and get plenty of rest. As we learn to adapt to changes caused by COVID-19 around the world, we must remain vigilant in performing activities that have great benefit to our health." Here are a few valuable tips from Dr. Thomas Werner and other physical therapy professors from the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences, to help prevent "Zoom Doom" and alleviate common aches and pains caused by a somewhat sedentary lifestyle. Story continues 20-20-20 Rule. Remember that your eyes keep working, whether you are sitting or standing. To avoid eye strain, follow the 20-20-20 rule: Every 20 minutes, give your eyes a 20-second break by focusing on something at least 20 feet away. Good lighting and positioning when keyboarding. Check lighting frequently when working from home. Avoid bright lights near windows, which may cause excessive glare and low lights in interior rooms that may cause strain on the eyes. Select a keyboard with sharp contrasting colors on the keys to prevent squinting and excessive head flexion. Check your desk's ergonomics. Make sure your monitor is at eye level, and your chair height is positioned, so both feet touch the floor. Don't forget to adjust keyboard positioning, if able, to allow shoulders in a relaxed neutral position, elbows bent and supported on armrests, and wrists in a neutral position. Stretch your hamstrings to reduce back pain. Tight hamstring muscles are a frequent contributor to lower back pain. Hamstring muscles start at the hip and run down to the back of your knee behind each thigh. Stretching should be done twice daily and regularly for 30-60 seconds. This has been proven to be effective in alleviating back pain. Try to incorporate stretches into a daily routine, such as when getting up every morning and going to bed each night. You can do simple stretches at home with everyday household items, including the towel stretch, chair stretch, or wall stretch. Towel Stretch: Lay down on your back, hold each end of a rolled-up towel and wrap it behind your feet. Then pull your leg up in front of your body to feel a slight stretch in the hamstring muscle. Chair Stretch: Sit in a chair, place one leg straight out on another chair in front of your body. Reach your toes and stretch one leg at a time. Wall Stretch: Lie on the floor, with the buttocks against a wall and your legs against the wall. Try to push your knee as straight as possible. This stretch is gentle on the lower back because it places little stress on the low back, and your body is supported while lying down. Relieve neck pain with these three simple stretches: Neck Tilt - Sit in a chair, bring your chin to your chest, hold it there for five seconds, and then bring it back up. Repeat four more times. Side to Side Neck Tilt - Sit down, stretch your left ear to touch your left shoulder. Hold it there while counting to five, and then bring your neck back up. Do the same thing on the opposite ear. Repeat for a total of five times. Neck Stretch - Stand up straight, bring your chin forward and keep it there for five seconds. You should feel pressure in your throat. Bring your chin back to where you started, and then bring it backward and keep it there for five seconds. Repeat each stretch for a total of five times each. Get moving. If you can, go for a walk outside for 20-30 minutes each day - be sure to heed social distancing guidelines. Exercise improves cardiovascular health and mood and increases Vitamin D production. Further, it can reduce pain or stiffness perceived in muscles and joints. Consider telehealth physical therapy. Telehealth is becoming increasingly popular because it enables patients to see and talk to their health care providers, from the comfort and convenience of their own home. During a private telehealth appointment, you will work one-on-one with your physical therapist, without any distractions. If you would like, you can also involve family members or caregivers in your appointment. Manage your mental health. Depression and anxiety can increase the chances of developing chronic pain. To help reduce stress, prioritize self-care activities you enjoy, such as working out, connecting virtually with friends or family, reading a book, or making time for a new hobby. The tips listed above are not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. About University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences The University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences (USAHS) is a graduate institution that offers degree programs in physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech-language pathology, nursing, education, and healthcare administration, as well as continuing education programs. Founded in 1979, USAHS educates students through its network of campuses in San Marcos, California; St. Augustine and Miami in Florida; and Austin and Dallas in Texas. USAHS is regionally accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC), 985 Atlantic Avenue, #100, Alameda, CA 94501, (510) 748-9001, www.wascsenior.org, and depicts its commitment to social responsibility through its B Corp certification. For more information: www.usa.edu. Media Contact: Katie Mudd The Vokol Group on behalf of University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences katie@thevokolgroup.com 214-676-4254 SOURCE: University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences View source version on accesswire.com: https://www.accesswire.com/605743/Experts-from-University-of-St-Augustine-for-Health-Sciences-Share-Tips-to-Alleviate-Zoom-Doom Rajya Sabha is likely to elect its deputy chairperson on the first day of the monsoon session which begins on Monday. NDAs candidate, JD(U)s Harivansh Narayan Singh who is looking for his second straight term, is pitted against the candidate proposed by the opposition RJDs Manoj Jha. There are several reasons why the developments in the upper house of the Parliament on Monday will be interesting, despite a clear edge that Harivansh Singh has given as the numbers are stacked in his favour. Despite that, the contest will be watched keenly because both the candidates are from Bihar which is likely to go to polls within the next couple of months. Heres a look at their profiles: Harivansh Narayan Singh was a journalist by profession. He worked as an editor of Prabhat Khabar and served as the media advisor to the eighth Prime Minister of India, Chandra Shekhar Singh. He was born in village Sitab Diara, best known as the birthplace of socialist leader Jai Prakash Narayan, in June 1956. He graduated from the Banaras Hindu University. Singh is considered close to Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and was elected to the Rajya Sabha in April 2014. The senior JD(U) leader is a Rajput, and given BJPs hopes of gaining ground based on its campaign around another Rajput from Bihar, Sushant Singh, the candidature of Harivansh Singh will be seen as a clear signal by BJP+JD(U) to the Rajput community back in the poll bound state. This tokenism will be important given that of all the upper castes in the state, the Rajputs have so far not shown much keenness towards the NDA, and are still believed to be warm toward the RJD. Singhs nomination also works for the BJP in keeping its old Bihari ally, the JD(U), in good humour. From the point of view of the RJD, on the other hand, Manoj Jha, a suave Brahmin face, is a similar bet to reach out to the Brahmins in Bihar. Before Jha, the name of DMK MP Tiruchi Siva was doing the rounds as Oppositions candidate against Singh. However, the DMK is said to have backed out at the last moment, given RJD an opportunity to float the name of its Rajya Sabha member as the candidate. Jha has been serving as a professor in Delhi Universitys social work department since 2002. He is considered to be a good speaker and is said to have got the backing of NCP, Trinamool, BSP, DMK, apart from Congress and SP. However, at its peak, the opposition is not likely to come anywhere close to the halfway mark of 122 in the 244-member House. The NDA, on the other hand, is expecting to cross 140 mark in its support for Harivansh Narayan Singh. On its own the NDAs strength is at 113, which is much closer to the halfway mark. While Nitish Kumar called the Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, whose BJD has nine Rajya Sabha members, senior BJP leaders are believed to have dialed Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy and Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao, whose parties have six RS members each, to seek their support. Harivansh was elected to the post of Deputy Chairman last year when he took over from Congresss PJ Kurien. The former defeated BK Hariprasad, winning 125 votes. Is there any such thing as "the real Joe Biden" in the sense of an actual, breathing human being with enduring loyalties and principles? His long political record and recent behavior provide some idea. The choice of Kamala Harris as running mate is one indication. Harris has often been described as a "politician on the make," someone who will do whatever is expedient. Writing for RealClearPolitics, Debra Saunders calls Harris a "progressive opportunist." Yves Smith, looking through her less than progressive record as California prosecutor, would alter that to "opportunist to the core." Three months ago, Harris almost knocked Biden out of the primaries with her cunning debate performance now who cares if he opposed bussing? She gave every indication of thinking Biden was unfit for the presidency now she thinks he's perfectly fit. What she seems to care about is being one heartbeat away from the presidency with a president who might be in very poor health. So she's the perfect pick for Biden, who has shown himself to be just as much an opportunist as she is. In addition to being an opportunist, what stands out about Biden is that he's been consistently wrong on the issues throughout his career. As chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Biden oversaw the nominations of Robert Bork and Clarence Thomas, both of whom he opposed. The Thomas hearing was the worst debacle of its kind, up to the Brett Kavanaugh ordeal, during which Biden "released multiple statements in support" of Kavanaugh's accuser. So Biden was wrong about Bork, wrong about Thomas, and wrong about Kavanaugh. If elected, he may get to appoint as many as four Supreme Court justices. That's a chilling thought. While serving on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Biden opposed the first Gulf War in 1991, after Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait and threatened Saudi Arabia and its vast oil fields. Had he occupied Saudi Arabia and the other Arab states of the Persian Gulf, Saddam would have controlled half of the world's oil reserves at the time. Surely, that ought to have caused Biden to reflect on the consequences, but apparently it did not. Biden then supported the second Gulf War in 2002 but opposed the highly successful surge in 2007. When he and Obama prematurely withdrew troops from Iraq in 2011, it led to the immediate rise of ISIS and the murder of tens of thousands of Christians. Then, in 2015, Obama and Biden signed the Iran deal that sent $100 billion to Iran and legitimized Iran's building of nuclear weapons. Meanwhile, President Trump has destroyed ISIS, withdrawn U.S. troops from Iraq, brokered peace between Israel and the UAE, and begun to bring Iran to heel. There is no clearer contrast than in the foreign policy of these two candidates. Much is made of Biden's 1988 act of plagiarism of Labor leader Neil Kinnock an act that would have gotten him expelled from any decent university and of his many gaffes. But as an op-ed in Newsweek points out, it's not just that one instance of plagiarism; it's a pattern of "stealing" that continues to today, with Biden's "Made in America" stance stolen from President Trump. As the Newsweek op-ed goes on to say, Biden's "unity platform" is cribbed from Bernie Sanders, and his climate and education stances are taken from other left-wing sources. Even in law school, Biden was accused of cheating. The Newsweek op-ed is correct in stating that Biden's history of plagiarism shows that "neither he nor his political team have a clear, independent vision for the country" and that his inherent lack of principles is a "danger" to America. It was his lack of qualities or principles that made Biden an appealing running mate for Barack Obama. Obama did not want a strong personality competing with his own vision for the country. In Biden he apparently saw a politician who would go along with anything. Does the real Joe Biden really support Medicare for All? The question is moot because there is no "real" Joe Biden. Does he support defense cuts or increases? It depends on the polls. Does he support slavery reparations or federal spending on abortion? It depends on whether these stances add votes. Even questions of public support for one position or another are rendered irrelevant by the fact that Biden would likely be, and see himself as, a one-term president. As such, he would have free rein to support whatever positions he liked, however unpopular. But that raises the problematic issue of what Biden "likes." Other than a desire to become president, it's difficult to say. Voting for Biden is like voting for the wheel on Wheel of Fortune: no one knows just where the pointer will land except that it will land to the left of President Trump. As a Trojan horse progressive, Biden would impose large new taxes; end deregulation; cut defense spending; oppose gun rights and the right to life; expand affirmative action; bow to unions, trial lawyers, and environmentalists; and kowtow to minorities and gays. In other words, he would continue the longtime assault on mainstream America. Biden's policies would result in a stagnant economy, worse than the Obama years, and in an endless chipping away at our liberties. A Biden presidency, because of its very indefinability, would create chaos. It would also further divide the country as the political vacuum created by this Nowhere Man was filled with the adherents of all sorts of progressive causes and identity politics. Unlike Biden, those far-left activists know exactly what they want. They want a socialist totalitarian state. That really should terrify conservatives. Jeffrey Folks is the author of many books and articles on American culture including Heartland of the Imagination (2011). Image: Gage Skidmore via Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0. She has been lending a hand at her many NYC shoe stores amid the coronavirus pandemic. And Sarah Jessica Parker donned a sweet look in a grey midi skirt on Thursday as she headed in to help out. The Sex And The City actress, 55, teamed her skirt with a dark blue long sleeve V-neck and dark blue pointed toe stilettos. Day of work: Sarah Jessica Parker donned a sweet look in a grey midi skirt on Thursday as she headed in to help out, in New York City Sarah was spotted carrying large shopping and tote bags out of her Midtown store. She was sure to wear a dark reusable face mask for protection and following guidelines amid the pandemic. Keeping her hands free, and matching her dark blue theme, she wore a small clutch strapped to her chest using a large pink strap. To-go: Sarah was spotted carrying large shopping and tote bags out of her Midtown store Ensemble: The Sex And The City actress, 55, teamed her skirt with a dark blue long sleeve V-neck and dark blue pointed toe stilettos. Keeping her hands free, and matching her dark blue theme, she wore a small clutch strapped to her chest using a large pink strap Two-strap: For additional handsfree carrying, she also strapped a backpack to her shoulders as she headed home For additional handsfree carrying, she also strapped a backpack to her shoulders as she headed home. Looking summery fresh, her grey skirt featured laser cut detailing on the bottom hem and a tiered design. Her signature golden blonde hair was down in loose waves and parted in the center. Laser cut: Looking summery fresh, her grey skirt featured laser cut detailing on the bottom hem and a tiered design Signature: Her signature golden blonde hair was down in loose waves and parted in the center in a dark color at her roots Inside: Inside the shop she stood near a table display She promoted her appearance at the store on Instagram, sharing a photo standing in front of a red shoe table display. Sarah used shoe boxes to prop up a Macbook lap top with a ring light standing behind it. 'Dateline New York City,' she captioned the photo. '54th between 5th and 6th. I'm here until my parent/teacher conference.' Co-workers: She mingled with the workers of the shop and customers Helping: She made shoe selections for a customer and directed employees A dedicated business owner, she is said to make weekly visits to her stores to check in. Inside she was photographed helping a customer try on shoes and pick new styles from the large collection. Writing on Instagram recently she said 'It was a lovely day. So nice to be in the shop with our customers (safely, 6 feet apart and with a mask!).' Good choice: Alongside a customer she pointed out good shoe options Promoting: She promoted her appearance at the store on Instagram, sharing a photo standing in front of a red shoe table display. Sarah used shoe boxes to prop up a Macbook lap top with a ring light standing behind it Adding that she spoke 'to all those who called the boutique with questions and orders,' and even 'headed downtown' herself to deliver to a customer. 'We will continue to offer same day Manhattan delivery,' Sarah wrote. 'As well as offering virtual sales appointments for anyone who isn't in New York or may not yet feel safe visiting us in store.' Sarah has not let coronavirus completely stop her from expanding her shoe empire. No task is too small: Last month she shared a photo of herself going through her shoe inventory while standing upon a box in her heels The actress actually opened her flagship boutique last month, and was on hand once again to meet customers on the very first day. Precautions were taken to keep everyone safe, with only three shoppers allowed in at a time and hand sanitizer available. The SJP Collection was first launched in 2014, and not only includes footwear but handbags and fragrances. The government has announced a fourth supplementary budget of W7.8 trillion to finance coronavirus relief payouts (US$1=W1,188). President Moon Jae-in cited "fiscal difficulties" to explain why this is not being paid to everyone but only those who are hardest hit. But a closer look suggests that the handouts are anything but carefully tailored to those in need but are in fact a bribe for voters. The total number of recipients of one benefit or another stands at 57 million, which is more than the entire population of 51 million. How come? Because millions will qualify for more than one "tailored" handout. This suggest that the tailor's maxim "measure twice, cut once" has been turned on its head. Offering a one-off discount of W20,000 on mobile phone bills to all citizens over 13 years of age is tantamount to throwing cash at the public. Forty-six million Koreans qualify. The government initially wanted to give the discount only to people of prime working age between 35 and 49, but changed its mind under pressure from the ruling Minjoo Party, which feared that this would be unpopular. That ostensible generosity will cost taxpayers W900 billion. Moon referred to the phone bill discount as "some small consolation" from the government. But he is claiming credit at the expense of taxpayers. Will he take responsibility in the future for the almost W1 trillion in added fiscal burden to be shouldered by the public? Will he pay for it out of his own pocket? The money for the discount will end up directly in the pockets of big telecoms, nowhere else. The government claims that it will somehow aid citizens whose mobile phone fees have increased in lockdown, but in reality mobile communication spending shrank two percent on-year in the second quarter. This is pure pork-barrel politics. The Korea Taxpayers Association in a statement accused the government of "irresponsible and unethical" behavior by using future generations as collateral for loans to fund the payouts. Korea's sovereign debt ratio will soar from 36 percent to 46 percent during Moon's single, five-year term, and he has racked up a fiscal debt of W400 trillion. Yet Moon probably thinks that voters will choose the ruling party again in gratitude for its generosity with their money. (Alliance News) - Private equity firm Permira has called on experts as it plans a London listing for its Dr Martens footwear brand, Reuters reported on Friday. Permira has called on Lazard to help prepare for a listing for Dr Martens early next year. Reuters noted that US private equity firm Carlyle was also interested in buy the footwear brand before Covid-19 gripped the market. Sources told Reuters that Permira may also opt to restart negotiations with Carlyle. https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-permira-dr-martens-ipo/dr-martens-owner-picks-lazard-for-uk-float-in-early-2021-sources-idUKKBN2622L2 By Eric Cunha; ericcunha@alliancenews.com Copyright 2020 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. Hyundai Marketing Launches Hydrogen to You, or H2U SEE ALSO: The Auto Channel H2 News Library 1995-Present) H2U (Hydrogen to You) campaign launches today, underlining Hyundais commitment to a sustainable mobility for all Influencers and experts across various sectors will showcase the versatility of hydrogen as a sustainable emission-free energy source SEOUL/BERLIN, September 9, 2020 As part of its vision to facilitate Progress for Humanity, Hyundai Motor Company today launches Hydrogen to You, or H2U campaign, which will raise awareness of its leadership in hydrogen fuel cell technology and its vital role in the emerging ecosystem of sustainable mobility, infrastructures and lifestyles. H2U shines a spotlight on NEXO, the brands flagship hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) that produces zero emissions and purifies the air instead of polluting it. Working with Berlin-based H2U ambassadors, whose interests and talents span diverse aspects of everyday life, Hyundai takes them on a journey with NEXO and invites them to make hydrogen mobility personal. The campaign challenges the ambassadors to reflect on the industries they work in and demonstrate how hydrogen fuel cell mobility fosters a sustainable lifestyle and positively impacts their everyday life, fostering a healthy environment and improving the economy and society for a better future. This team of H2U ambassadors directly addresses consumers who have demanded new technologies and holistic solutions that do not require fossil fuels. Spanning music, fashion, science, photography and technology, these ambassadors include: World-renowned DJ Peggy Gou, who will provide a personal glimpse into her progressive lifestyle and take her followers on a journey with her NEXO into Berlins club scene Winner of Germanys Next Top Model Toni Dreher-Adenuga, who connects green mobility, fashion and her sustainable lifestyle Scientist and YouTuber Jacob Beautemps, who deciphers the dynamics of hydrogen power and fuel-cell technology in simple, approachable terms Photographer Konrad Langer, who looks through the lens of a new urban vision, where clean hydrogen power plays a central role Renowned journalist Don Dahlmann, who will join Mobile Geeks co-founder Nicole Scott to investigate how the fusion of fuel cell and green hydrogen can dramatically transform mobility and infrastructures Tech influencer AlexiBexi, who broadcasts a day in the life of hydrogen mobility, testing the range and refueling of the NEXO Car-tuning expert JP Kraemer, who questions his definition of adrenaline-fueled performance: can progressive fuel cell eco-mobility change the mindset of a true petrol head? What will the future definition of performance be in the context of sustainable mobility? The H2U ambassadors, consisting of lifestyle and technology-focused influencers, will underscore Hyundais leadership in intelligent innovation and forward-thinking sustainability. The H2U program is one expression of our company vision: Progress for Humanity, said Wonhong Cho, Executive Vice President and Global Chief Marketing Officer at Hyundai Motor Company. It is a platform to raise awareness of hydrogen technologys role in helping to overcome the environmental challenges of our time. H2U demonstrates Hyundais pivotal role in global societys transition to clean energy by helping make hydrogen an economically viable energy source. By building close relationships with leading mobility service providers and expanding its role beyond the automotive transportation sector, Hyundai strives to provide freedom of movement to everyone. H2U campaign intro film: https://youtu.be/v93hKrYmLFk Hyundai worldwide: https://www.hyundai.com/worldwide/ ### 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. facebook like button Tweet tweet button for twitter Published Sept. 10, 2020 The 2020 Fall Career Month is near and it's time for you to register! The ULM Career Center host the all majors fair every semester for current ULM Students and Alumni. Though Covid-19 has caused us to social distance, Handshake has provided the Virtual Career Fair Experience to ensure you all have an opportunity to explore possible careers and be recruited. The virtual career fair experience is new to us all, so it will be crucial for you to read all of the Career Center emails and watch any registration/recruitment tutorials provided by Handshake. Registration Information (Must Read): In order to register for the fair, you must log in to your Handshake account. The Career Fair will take place virtually in Handshake. If you haven't activated your account, you can click here ( Activate Handshake ) Sign up with your "Warhawk Email" only in the middle on the screen. Once you're logged in click on the "Events" tab, click on the "University of Louisiana Monroe - Virtual Fall Fair and register. Once you are registered, you can then start signing up for 1:1 sessions or group sessions with employers. Please watch 5min tutorial below for more assistance: Career Fair Ready: As you attend the Career Fair, there are several things you need to know to be career-ready: It is NOT a requirement, but you are highly encouraged to complete your Handshake Profile, especially since we are using the virtual platform this year. Employers can search/review your profile & resume on Handshake. Be sure to review the employer list and research the companies that you've signed up with before you meet with them Be sure to upload your Professionally Reviewed Resume to your Handshake profile or have it ready to send to employers by email, in case they ask for it. You can get your resume professionally reviewed by the ULM Career Center by appointment only, due to COVID-19 . Please be advised that September is our Career Month so our office hours may be limited due to events and workshops. DRESS CODE VIRTUALLY = BUSINESS CASUAL . Though you will be speaking with employers virtually, you want to dress and look the part. If your bottom half does not match the top half be mindful of your camera view. Limit all distractions. During your One-on-One sessions, make sure to have a clean background, limit noise, & make sure you have a good internet connection. If you have any questions about how to navigate your Handshake account or about the career fair, please call the ULM Career Center at 318-342-5338 or email careercener@ulm.edu Half a century after helping bring down one president with his reporting, iconic journalist Bob Woodward has produced a virtual bill of particulars against the current occupant of the White House. In the doing, in his latest book Rage, Woodward has crafted in many places using President Donald Trumps own words a portrait of cowardice, callousness and contempt. Its production alone is breathtaking. Trump was interviewed by Woodward 18 times, against the warnings of most of his advisers, and in conversations that were recorded. Not even through the verbal contortions and bald-faced lies of Trump shills or supporters can the veracity of the books contents be questioned. Why the president would willingly, in fact eagerly, slip his head into Woodwards noose is yet another matter for the psychiatric profession to assess. But its what Trump says that remains shocking, though, after four years its unsurprising. Perhaps the most nauseating sentence is one Trump uttered to Woodward in July after the journalist pressed him on his role and responsibility in Americas calamitously poor response to the coronavirus pandemic. The virus has nothing to do with me, Trump is quoted as saying. Its a sentence for the ages. It is Pontius Pilate for the 21st century. It should be inscribed on Trumps tombstone. At every turn, Donald Trump wants all glory. At any setback, he denies any and all responsibility. The man occupies the most powerful position on Earth. He is commander-in-chief of the planets richest and most powerful country. Yet a virus that has killed almost 200,000 of his citizens has, he claims, nothing to do with him. Had a man-child such as Trump been president 80 years ago, he might have said those Nazi death camps had nothing to do with him. Had he stood where Ronald Reagan did in the 1980s in Berlin, he might have said Mr. Gorbachevs wall had nothing to do with him. Had been a member of the New York Fire Department this time 19 years ago, he would likely have declared those burning towers had nothing to do with him. The virus has nothing to do with me. He is the antithesis of every value stoic courage, sacrifice, heroism, truth that Americans purportedly hold dear. The virus has nothing to do with me. He is a walking, whining violation of his oath of office. Other excerpts from Woodwards book show the depths of Trumps failings, his vulgarity, his unfitness. He makes crystal clear that he understood the threat of the coronavirus as early as February, yet for months in fact, even now continued to diminish it, mock attempts to contend with it, put economic interests and those of his re-election above the health and well-being of his people. To Woodward, Trump says this is deadly stuff. To his own partisans, he called the coronavirus a Democratic hoax that would disappear like a miracle. It is conduct that Carl Bernstein Woodwards Washington Post colleague in the 1970s Watergate reporting that brought down Richard Nixon has called homicidal negligence. An earlier, more urgent response to COVID-19 might have saved the lives of the majority of those who died, experts say, easily more than 100,000 American lives. The virus has nothing to do with me. In Woodwards book, former defence secretary James Mattis and former national intelligence director Dan Coats no liberals, to be sure variously describe Trump as dangerous, unfit, unable to distinguish between the truth and a lie. In the book, Trump, a man who concocted a debilitating case of bone spurs in order not to serve when drafted, insults Americas military leadership. And in the book, Trump demonstrated either contempt for or cluelessness about, the dominant issue of the day the ongoing systemic discrimination that serves as a knee on the neck of Black America. Woodward puts to the president the proposition that both of them are white men of privilege who have been oblivious to the anger and pain that Black people feel in this country. Despite the massive evidence compiled through his term of Trumps racism and eagerness to exploit racial division, the contemptuousness of his response still stops the breath. You really drank the Kool-Aid, didnt you? Just listen to you. Wow. No, I dont feel that at all. Black anger and pain, after all, has nothing to do with him. When Franklin Roosevelt took the oath of office in 1933, he said: For the trust reposed in me I will return the courage and the devotion that befit the time. I can do no less. In 1953, in his first inaugural, Dwight Eisenhower said: We must be willing, individually and as a nation, to accept whatever sacrifices may be required of us. A people that values its privileges above its principles soon loses both. In 1985, at his second inauguration, Ronald Reagan described what he called an American sound hopeful, big-hearted, idealistic, daring, decent and fair. Donald J. Trump? The virus has nothing to do with me. Come Nov. 3, Americans may decide that abdication has everything to do with their vote. Read more about: The terror attack in 2001 on one of the then iconic sites in New York, the World Trade Centre, shook the United States and had a huge impact globally. "Nineteen years ago, under clear blue skies, 102 minutes changed our lives forever. On Friday, September 11, we lead the nation and the world in observing the 19th anniversary of the 2001 attacks and ask you to join us in commemorating," 9/11 Memorial & Museum posted on Twitter. 9/11 attacks were one of the worst in history, which killed 3,000 Americans and others from different countries. Over 6,000 people were injured. The 9/11 Tribute in Light shines above the lower Manhattan skyline in New York City. The National September 11 Memorial & Museums annual Tribute in Light was initially cancelled this year due to the coronavirus pandemic. However, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo reversed this decision, announcing that the state will provide health personnel and supervision to maintain the light installation. Photograph: Michael M Santiago/Getty Images The double beams of light evoke the fallen twin towers in New York City. Photograph: Michael M Santiago/Getty Images People visit the light tribute to the 9/11 attacks on the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia. The display is part of a scaled back commemoration this year due to the coronavirus pandemic. Photograph: Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-11 13:16:47|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close ROME, Sept. 10 (Xinhua) -- Free trade and multilateralism are key to the recovery of Italy's exports in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, top politicians and economists said Thursday at the launch of a new report on the outlook for Italian trade in 2020-2023. The report, titled "Open (Again)" was published by SACE, which is Italy's export credit agency and wholly owned by Italy's state-owned investment bank Cassa Depositi e Prestiti (CDP). SACE works closely with and owns 76 percent of Simest, which is Italy's support agency for companies that want to export their products. "We need a more general return to open trade, because in the past three years especially, we have seen how certain trade tensions have generated uncertainties, which has also affected our exports," commented SACE Chief Economist Alessandro Terzulli. He was echoed by Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio, who said that "one of the fundamental messages of the (SACE) report is the maintenance of trade relations that are open and without barriers between the great powers." "We are convinced that a multilateral approach and dialogue with our partners are fundamental to coming out of this crisis," Di Maio said. "Italy needs international cooperation, not trade wars." PANDEMIC SHOCK Terzulli went on to describe the "pandemic shock" from COVID-19 as "a foreshadowing of a global economy that is becoming more and more fragile while it is more and more interdependent and interconnected. And while these factors have a series of positive aspects, it clearly also exposes (the global economy) to certain fragilities." "One thing is certain: this pandemic shock emerged within a risk picture that was already overcrowded," Terzulli said. He added that "we are now facing a heterogeneous and uncertain picture, with some economies undergoing a slow recovery and entire geographical areas that are still trying to contain the spread of the infection." Under the first baseline scenario in which "the pandemic is stopped or significantly reduced by the end of the current year," Terzulli said they "expect Italian exports to drop by 11.3 percent in 2020, but to effect a speedy recovery in 2021, with exports growing by 9.3 percent, and continuing to grow by around 5 percent in 2022 and 2023." "In Asia in 2021 ... the economies that will recover the fastest from the 2020 (pandemic) shock are those that have managed the pandemic crisis faster or better than others," Terzulli added. Terzulli pointed to "the great speed of recovery of China," adding that Italian exporters should "consider important opportunities in South Korea and Japan, but also in countries such as Vietnam." The two more negative baseline scenarios are based on another lockdown, or on an extension of current restrictive measures, should the pandemic not be brought under control. "We must try to transform adversity into opportunity," said SACE President Rodolfo Errore. Economy and Finance Minister Roberto Gualtieri cited a new report by the ISTAT national statistics institute, showing that Italy's seasonally adjusted industrial output index grew by 7.4 percent in July compared to June, although it dropped by 8 percent in July compared to the same month of last year. These numbers "confirm that the recovery of productive activities after the March-April lockdown is significant" and therefore "a pretty strong case can be made that Italy's gross domestic product (GDP) will make a double-digit comeback in the third quarter," Gualtieri said. "We face challenging months ahead (and) international trade doubtless represents a crucial and strategic sector for the Italian economy," Gualtieri said, pointing out that the government has put in place significant financial measures to support Italy's export-oriented companies. CHINA'S RECOVERY "Existing close trade relations with China will have an impact on growth in various economies, especially those in Southeast Asia, which are highly integrated into regional value chains and whose principal outlet market is (China)," the new SACE report said. SACE analysts wrote in the report, "the progressive recovery of the Chinese economy ... could guarantee them (meaning other Southeast Asian economies) a driver of recovery." As a consequence "this will reflect on Italian exports towards those markets, such as for example in the case of the Philippines and Myanmar, where our sales will contract by more than 20 percent in 2020, and in spite of a sound recovery expected next year (Italian exports to the Philippines and Myanmar) will not manage to return to pre-crisis levels before 2022," the report explained. "The contractions forecast for Italian exports towards (China's) Hong Kong and Indonesia are slightly under (20 percent), but in these cases the recovery next year will be more significant," the analysts wrote in reference to the Hong Kong and Indonesian economies. SACE added that "our exports towards Singapore and Thailand will largely return to 2019 levels in 2021, while in the case of Vietnam, they might even be surpassed." Enditem Good politics that puts the human person and the common good at its centre is possible, Pope Francis told the faithful gathered in the Vaticans San Damaso courtyard for the General Audience on Wednesday, 9 September. The Holy Father continued his series of catecheses on healing the world, with a reflection on a reading from the Gospel of Matthew on love and the common good (Mt 15: 32-37). The following is a translation of his words which he shared in Italian. Dear Brothers and Sisters, Good morning, The crisis we are living due to the pandemic is affecting everyone; we will emerge from it for the better if we all seek the common good together; otherwise, we will emerge for the worse. Unfortunately, we see partisan interests emerging. For example, some would like to appropriate possible solutions for themselves, as in the case of vaccines, to then sell them to others. Some are taking advantage of the situation to instigate division: by seeking economic or political advantages, generating or exacerbating conflicts. Others are simply not concerned about the suffering of others; they pass by and go their own way (cf. Lk 10:30-32). They are the devotees of Pontius Pilate, washing their hands of the suffering of others. The Christian response to the pandemic and to the consequent socio-economic crisis is based on love, above all, love of God who always precedes us (cf. 1 Jn 4:19). He loves us first. He always precedes us in love and in solutions. He loves us unconditionally and when we welcome this divine love, then we can respond similarly. I love not only those who love me my family, my friends, my group but also those who do not love me, I also love those who do not know me and I also love those who are strangers, and even those who make me suffer or whom I consider enemies (cf. Mt 5:44). This is Christian wisdom, this is the attitude of Jesus. And the highest point of holiness, lets put it that way, is to love ones enemies, which is not easy. Certainly, to love everyone, including enemies, is difficult. I would say it is an art! But an art that can be learned and improved. True love that makes us fruitful and free is always expansive and inclusive. This love cares, heals and does good. Often, a caress does more good than many arguments, a caress of pardon instead of many arguments to defend oneself. It is inclusive love that heals. So, love is not limited to the relationship between two or three people, or to friends or to family, it goes beyond. It comprises civil and political relationships (cf. Catechism of the Catholic Church [CCC], 1907-1912), including the relationship with nature (cf. Encyclical Laudato Si [LS], 231). Since we are social and political beings, one of the highest expressions of love is specifically social and political, which is decisive for human development and in order to face any type of crisis (ibid., 231). We know that love makes families and friendships flourish; but it is good to remember that it also makes social, cultural, economic and political relationships flourish, allowing us to construct a civilization of love, as Saint Paul VI loved to say(1) and, in turn, Saint John Paul II. Without this inspiration the egotistical, indifferent, throw-away culture prevails that is, to discard anyone I do not like, whom I cannot love or those who seem to me as not useful in society. Today at the entrance, a couple said to me: Pray for us because we have a disabled son I asked: How old is he? He is pretty old And what do you do? We accompany him, we help him. All of their lives as parents for that disabled son. This is love. And the enemies, the political adversaries, according to our opinion appear to be politically and socially disabled, but they seem to be that way. Only God knows whether they truly are or not. But we must love them, we must dialogue, we must build this civilization of love, this political and social civilization of the unity of all humanity. All of this is the opposite of war, division, envy, even wars in families: inclusive love is social, it is familial, it is political ... love pervades everything! The coronavirus is showing us that each persons true good is a common good, not only individual, and, vice versa, the common good is a true good for the person. (cf. CCC, 1905-1906). If a person only seeks his or her own good, that person is selfish. Instead, a person is more of a person when his or her own good is open to everyone, when it is shared. Health, in addition to being an individual good, is also a public good. A healthy society is one that takes care of everyones health. A virus that does not recognize barriers, borders, or cultural or political distinctions must be faced with a love without barriers, borders or distinctions. This love can generate social structures that encourage us to share rather than to compete, that allow us to include the most vulnerable and not to cast them aside, and that help us to express the best in our human nature and not the worst. True love does not know the throw-away culture, it does not know what it is. In fact, when we love and generate creativity, when we generate trust and solidarity, it is then that concrete initiatives for the common good emerge.(2) And this is true at both the level of the smallest and largest communities, as well as at the international level. What is done in the family, what is done in the neighbourhood, what is done in the village, what is done in the large cities and internationally is the same; it is the same seed that grows and bears fruit. If you in your family, in your neighbourhood start out with envy, with fights, there will be war in the end. Instead, if you start out with love, sharing love, forgiveness, there will be love and forgiveness for everyone. Conversely, if the solutions for the pandemic bear the imprint of egoism, whether it be by persons, businesses or nations, we may perhaps emerge from the coronavirus crisis, but certainly not from the human and social crisis that the virus has brought to light and exacerbated. Therefore, be careful not to build on sand (cf. Mt 7:21-27)! To build a healthy, inclusive, just and peaceful society we must do so on the rock of the common good.(3) The common good is a rock. And this is everyones task, not only that of a few specialists. Saint Thomas Aquinas used to say that the promotion of the common good is a duty of justice that falls on each citizen. Every citizen is responsible for the common good. And for Christians, it is also a mission. As Saint Ignatius of Loyola taught, to direct our daily efforts toward the common good is a way of receiving and spreading Gods glory. Unfortunately, politics does not often have a good reputation, and we know why. This is not to say that all politicians are bad, no, I do not want to say this. I am only saying that unfortunately, politics does not often have a good reputation. But we should not resign ourselves to this negative vision, but instead react to it by showing in deeds that good politics is possible, indeed dutiful(4), one that puts the human person and the common good at the centre. If you read the history of humanity you will find many holy politicians who trod this path. It is possible insofar as every citizen, and especially those who assume social and political commitments and positions, root their action in ethical principles and nurture it with social and political love. Christians, in a particular way the lay faithful, are called to give a good example of this and can do so thanks to the virtue of charity, cultivating its intrinsic social dimension. It is therefore time to improve our social love I want to highlight this: our social love with everyones contribution, starting from our littleness. The common good requires everyones participation. If everyone contributes his or her part, and if no one is left out, we can regenerate good relationships on the community, national and international level and even in harmony with the environment (cf. LS, 236). Thus, through our gestures, even the most humble ones, something of the image of God we bear within us will be made visible, because God is the Trinity, God is love. This is the most beautiful definition of God that is in the Bible. The Apostle John, who loved Jesus so much, gives it to us. With His help, we can heal the world working all together for the common good, not only for our own good but for the common good of all. Appeal Today for the first time the International Day to Protect Education from Attack in areas of armed conflict is being celebrated. I invite you to pray for students who are seriously deprived of the right to education due to war and terrorism. I urge the international community to do its utmost to ensure that the structures that must protect young students be respected. May efforts that guarantee safe environments for their education not wane, above all in situations of humanitarian crises. Special Greetings I cordially greet the English-speaking faithful. May the Lords grace sustain all of you in bringing the Fathers love to our brothers and sisters, especially those most in need. Upon all of you and your families I invoke the joy and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ. God bless you! Lastly my thought goes to the elderly, young people, the sick and newlyweds. Yesterday we celebrated the liturgical memorial of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. May her example and her maternal intercession inspire and accompany your life. 1 Message for the 10th World Day of Peace, 1 January 1977: AAS 68 (1976), 709. 2 Cf. Saint John Paul II, Encyclical Sollicitudo Rei Socialis, 38. 3 Ibid., 10. 4 Cf. Message for World Day of Peace, 1 January 2019 (8 December 2018). Jill Biden, wife of Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden, and Donald Trump Jr., son of President Donald Trump, are each expected to visit Michigan next week. Both campaigns announced the visits Sept. 11. Donald Trump Jr. is scheduled to visit Harrison Townships Bumper Land Boat Club at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 15. It was unclear where and when Biden will stop. The campaign said more information will be shared later. Both presidential nominees visited Michigan earlier this week. Joe Biden visited the UAW Region 1 headquarters in Macomb County. He addressed a small crowd of about a dozen people and a limited pool of reporters in the parking lot of the union headquarters. Related: Joe Biden meets with Detroit-area steelworkers during campaign swing through Michigan The former vice president unveiled his plan to restore American manufacturing jobs through a combination of tax hikes on companies that move jobs overseas and tax incentives for businesses that make investments in domestic job growth. Donald Trump Jr., and his girlfriend Kimberly Guilfoyle arrive before President Donald Trump speaks from the South Lawn of the White House on the fourth day of the Republican National Convention, Thursday, Aug. 27, 2020, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)AP Biden accused Trump of purposefully downplaying the threat of COVID-19. A day later, Trump held a sizable rally at an airport in Saginaw County. Both candidates visited swing counties that supported Trump after voting for the Obama-Biden ticket in 2008 and 2012. Related: Donald Trump celebrates Michigan rally turnout, slams Bidens jobs record An estimated 5,500 people packed into a warehouse structure at the MBS International Airport in Freeland to see Trump speak Thursday. His visit Freeland gathered supporters from across Michigan and other states, and hundreds more remained outside the venue after it reached capacity two hours before the president was scheduled to speak. Trump said the Nov. 3 election is a choice between two opposing visions for the country. He attacked Joe Biden for supporting the North American Free Trade Agreement, saying Biden surrendered your jobs to China. Trump claimed he brought so many damn car plants back to Michigan, but didnt specify what facilities he was referring to. In November, you better vote for me, Michigan, Trump said. Related: Saving the auto industry and so many car plants: Trump makes dubious claims at Michigan rally 18 Trump supporters gather outside the Flight 93 Memorial for a glimpse of the president Read more on MLive: Joe Biden says Trump betrayed Americans by downplaying threat of COVID-19 Donald Trumps Michigan rally draws estimated 5,500 supporters to crowded aircraft hangar Joe Biden meets with Detroit-area steelworkers during campaign swing through Michigan Donald Trump celebrates Michigan rally turnout, slams Bidens jobs record (Corrects to show Myanmar's General Administration Department is part of the civilian Ministry of the Office of the Union Government, not the military-controlled Home Affairs Ministry) By Poppy McPherson Sept 11 (Reuters) - Three years ago, Myanmars military burned the Rohingya village of Kan Kya to the ground and bulldozed over its remains. Last year, the government erased its name from official maps, according to the United Nations. About 3 miles (5 km) from the Naf River that marks the border between Myanmars Rakhine state and Bangladesh, Kan Kya was home to hundreds of people before the army chased 730,000 Rohingya out of the country in 2017 in what the United Nations described as "a textbook example of ethnic cleansing." The Myanmar military, now facing charges of genocide, said it was conducting clearance operations targeting militants. Where Kan Kya once stood, there are now dozens of government and military buildings including a sprawling, fenced off police base, according to satellite images publicly available on Google Earth and historical images provided to Reuters by Planet Labs. The village, in a remote region in the northwest of the country closed off to foreigners, was too small to be named on Google Maps. On maps produced in 2020 by the United Nations mapping unit in Myanmar, which it says are based on Myanmar government maps, the site of the destroyed village is now nameless and reclassified as part of nearby town Maungdaw. The unit makes maps for the use of U.N. bodies, such as refugee agency UNHCR, and humanitarian groups that work with the United Nations in the field. Kan Kya was one of almost 400 villages destroyed by the Myanmar military in 2017, according to satellite images analysed by New York-based Human Rights Watch. And it is one of at least a dozen whose names have been erased. Their intention is that we do not return, said religious leader Mohammed Rofiq, a former chairman of a village close to Kan Kya who now lives in a refugee camp in Bangladesh, referring to the Myanmar government. Story continues The Ministry of Social Welfare, which oversees Myanmars rebuilding activities in Rakhine state, declined to answer questions from Reuters about the erasure of village names or the governments policy concerning the return of Rohingya refugees. The ministry referred questions to the General Administration Department (GAD), which did not respond. A representative of the Myanmar government, led by state counselor Aung San Suu Kyi, also did not respond to a request for comment. The United Nations map department has produced at least three maps since the start of the year that show a number of Rohingya village names have disappeared or been reclassified by Myanmar. The United Nations said it removed some maps of Rakhine state from its website in June and started a study to assess the impact of the governments policies on villagers and returning refugees after the Arakan Rohingya National Organisation, a UK-based Rohingya rights group, complained to the United Nations about the removal of village names. The United Nations said the study has not reached any conclusion. Yanghee Lee, a former U.N. human rights envoy to Myanmar, said the government was purposefully making it hard for refugees to return to places with no name and no evidence that they ever lived there. This is a way of exterminating their basic identity, she said. Lee said the United Nations was complicit in allowing that to happen by not challenging the Myanmar government: There hasnt been any leadership that will say, Wait a minute, the buck stops here, were not going to let this continue. Several U.N. officials interviewed by Reuters declined to directly address why the United Nations had raised no objections or tried to stop it. Ola Almgren, head of the U.N. mission to Myanmar, said he had not raised the issue of erasing village names with the Myanmar government, but said he had urged the Myanmar government to create "conditions conducive" to the return of refugees. Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for the U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, said the reclassification of some villages as wards was a routine administrative procedure. The U.N. mapping unit utilizes the official government names of places so as to avoid confusion among aid workers and government officials in the field, he said. The standing U.N. practice worldwide is to employ officially designated place names for all publicly distributed maps and products. Dujarric said that changing the legal status of villages may become an additional layer of complexity in refugees reclaiming their former homes, without providing specifics. BUILDING QUICKLY Buddhist-majority Myanmar denies citizenship to Muslim Rohingya, whom many regard as interlopers from neighbouring Bangladesh despite their centuries-long presence in the country. Myanmar has said it is open to the return of Rohingya refugees who fled the crackdown in 2017, but said it must be done through an orderly process. Talks on that process between Myanmar and Bangladesh - where more than 1 million Rohingya live in refugee camps - have stalled. In recent months, the few dozen refugees who have tried to return have been arrested for illegal entry by Myanmar officials who cited concerns about refugees spreading the new coronavirus. Satellite images taken by Planet Labs, a San Francisco-based private satellite operator founded by former NASA scientists, and Google Earth show that Myanmar started building on the sites of at least a dozen destroyed villages soon after residents fled in 2017. Myanmar is constructing bases for the security forces, buildings for government departments and homes for Buddhists, according to people in the area. The satellite images show the base built on the site of Kan Kya doubled in size in the past year and two helipads were added. A new road has been built over the site of another razed village nearby called Gone Nar, which has also been reclassified as part of the expanded Maungdaw town. A spokesman for the military did not respond to a request for comment on the building of security bases on the sites of destroyed Rohingya villages. Local officials could not be reached for comment. In September 2019, an order by the GAD, part of the civilian Ministry of the Office of the Union Government, reclassified 16 villages, most of them formerly Rohingya, as wards of Maungdaw, according to the U.N. mapping unit in Myanmar. Six of the village names were retained in the names of the new wards they were reclassified as belonging to, but 10 village names disappeared from the maps, according to the United Nations. Five of these villages were destroyed in 2017. GAD figures show Rohingya, which it classifies as foreigners from Bangladesh, now account for about 60% of the Maungdaw population, compared with 93% in 2017, before the crackdown. Hundreds of other destroyed villages have not had their names changed or erased, according to U.N. maps. WALLS AND WATCHTOWERS The United Nations said 11 other villages had been reclassified over the last five years as wards of a new town named Myin Hlut, where one Myanmar government minister has proposed a beach and seafood tourist area. (Click for map https://tmsnrt.rs/3bn383q) These small villages along the coast were mostly destroyed in the 2017 crackdown, though two remained intact until authorities bulldozed them in 2018. Six new guard stations with watchtowers have been erected in the area, according to a satellite imagery analyst at Amnesty International. As the Rohingya villages disappeared from the maps, two villages for Buddhist settlers were added to U.N. maps in 2020. In Inn Din, a village where Myanmar soldiers killed 10 Muslim men in one incident during the 2017 crackdown, the 6,000 Rohingya people who lived there have all fled and their homes have been destroyed. (To read the Reuters SPECIAL REPORT on Inn Din, click here https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/myanmar-rakhine-events.) The Rakhine state government has built new dwellings for Buddhists in the area, Reuters reported in 2018. Satellite images show the site has expanded further since then, while in neighboring Kyauk Pandu, a Rakhine Buddhist settlement has doubled in size. Dujarric, the U.N. spokesman, noted that the International Court of Justice, which is investigating charges of genocide against Myanmar over the 2017 crackdown, has ordered the government to preserve any evidence related to the charges, which Myanmar has agreed to do. He did not say whether the United Nations believed the erasure of village names contravened that order or what the United Nations was doing to stop it. A Bangladesh official with knowledge of the process of repatriating Rohingya refugees told Reuters that Myanmar showed no change in its policy towards the Rohingya. In March, the official said, Myanmar sent to Bangladesh a list of names of 840 Rohingya it had approved to return to two areas in northern Rakhine: Hla Poe Kaung and Thet Kay Pin. But the refugees were not from that area, the official said, and the list included single members from large families including women unlikely to travel alone. A representative of Myanmars Ministry of Social Welfare told Reuters there were some gaps in communications between Myanmar and Bangladesh on the matter of returning refugees, which the representative blamed on the postponement of a meeting due to the coronavirus. Satellite images of the areas to which Myanmar proposed they return showed one large settlement ringed by walls and watchtowers and a smaller one nearby. Both were built on top of razed Rohingya villages. Rohingya leaders have said they will return only to original village plots where they can build their own homes, not to camps. In a closed-door address to the U.N. General Assembly last month, a transcript of which was seen by Reuters, the U.N. special envoy to Myanmar raised the issue of stalled repatriation of Rohingya refugees, saying greater confidence-building measures were needed to assuage refugee fears. "It's alarming," said Jafar Ahmed, another former resident of the area. "I don't know if we will ever get back our land." (Reporting by Poppy McPherson Additional reporting by A S M Suza Uddin in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, Michelle Nichols in New York, Stephanie Ulmer-Nebehay in Geneva and Simon Lewis in Washington Editing by Matthew Tostevin and Bill Rigby) Police officers walk by the defaced statue of Winston Churchill, in London, on Sept. 10, 2020. (Simon Dawson/Reuters) Churchill Statue Defaced Again in London 680 environmental activists arrested in 10 days A statue of Winston Churchill in Londons Parliament Square was branded with a racist label again on Thursday, this time by an environmental activist during the Extinction Rebellion (XR) 10-day protests. The statue was previously graffitied during a Black Lives Matter protest in June. During an XR protest on Thursday, an activist sprayed the words is a racist in yellow paint onto the plinth of the former prime ministers statue. The paint had been removed by Thursday, Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, said in an update on Twitter, noting that police had arrested a suspect. Khan said the appalling vandalism is completely unacceptable. The Metropolitan Police (MET) on Friday said that the suspect had been charged with criminal damage. Benjamin Clark, 18 is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates Court on Friday, 9 October, the MET said in a statement. This is the second time Churchills statue has been defaced in three months. In June, a Black Lives Matter sign was taped to the statue, which was also sprayed with graffiti, including the words was a racist, during one of the protests in the UK ignited by the death in police custody of George Floyd in Minneapolis in the United States. A worker cleans the defaced statue of Winston Churchill, which was spray painted with the words was a racist, in London, UK, on June 8, 2020. (Dan Kitwood/Getty Images) During XRs 10-day rebel, activists blocked roads and bridges, superglued themselves to Parliament building entrances and pavements, and disrupted the distribution of several newspapers. Thirty bare-chested women on Thursday locked themselves to the gates outside Parliament. The police arrested 680 people in London during the 10 days for a number of different offences, including obstructing the highway, criminal damage, and breaching the conditions set under Section 14 of the Public Order Act (1986), the MET said in a statement. MET Commander Jane Connors said the series of protest have been a significant challenge for the police. The public have a right to protest, but they do not have a right to cause disruption to the communities and businesses across London, she said. Connors said there will likely be more arrests as the investigation goes on. We will continue to investigate those who we suspect to have committed offences, so the number of arrests is likely to rise, she said. XRs key demands for the government include declaring a climate and ecological emergency, halting biodiversity loss, reducing greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2025, and create a citizens assembly on climate and ecological justice, the group said in a statement. XR did not respond to a request for comment by the time of publication. Airmen find solution to KC135 and C130 battery testing failure, reducing cost and maintenance delays By Corrie Poland, Air Force Operational Energy / Published September 10, 2020 WASHINGTON (AFNS) -- Airmen from Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base, Ohio, and Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma, helped revise outdated procedures for testing the condition of aircraft batteries on the KC-135 Stratotanker and C-130 Hercules, preventing the premature disposal and replacement of batteries and avoiding unnecessary equipment costs and maintenance hours. The batteries serve as the aircraft's backup to power essential equipment should engine generators fail. To date, the Air Force C-130 and KC-135 fleets, more than 600 aircraft globally, operate with the batteries. The Airmen determined that by updating the technical guidance and adjusting the required voltage and charging settings for specific processes, the legacy charging equipment can now sync with the modern battery and provide accurate test results. Currently, a draft Technical Order is authorized for testing by select field and depot maintenance units, and the Air Force Research Laboratory expects to release a formal TO later this year. The team anticipates the update will decrease the rate of condemned batteries enterprise-wide, avoiding an estimated $463,000 in battery-replacement costs annually, while saving approximately 5,280 maintenance hours across the Air Force. In mid-2017, depot personnel at Tinker AFB first discovered that the sealed lead-acid aircraft batteries, manufactured by Teledyne Technologies, Inc., were failing periodic maintenance tests at a rate three times faster than expected. As a result, Airmen were required to reject and replace them before the end of their service life. The depot notified the 422nd Supply Chain Management Squadron and the AFRL Materials and Manufacturing Directorate, ultimately finding that the 121st Maintenance Squadron was having similar issues with the newly procured batteries. According to Defense Logistics Agency data, procurement of battery replacements increased by 50% since the installation of the Teledyne battery. "We noticed that we had condemned more batteries in six months, than we had in the previous year," said Tech. Sgt. Jeffrey Frey, 121st Maintenance Squadron electrical and environmental specialist. "The battery is coded as an expendability item, so if they fail maintenance tests, they are thrown away which requires us to complete additional paperwork and go through the discard and replacement process." According to Frey, if the battery fails the first test, it will be tested two more times before going through the condemnation process. While technicians can complete a testing cycle in approximately one day, the additional testing extended the process to nearly four days of maintenance. While the batteries were not passing maintenance tests, their research found no evidence to support the notion that there was widespread malfunction during operations. "None of the batteries were failing during flight or showing any physical defects. There was only an issue during maintenance," Frey explained. The team worked with subject matter experts from AFRL, Teledyne, and the 422nd Supply Chain Management Squadron and Depot Battery Backshop at Tinker AFB to identify the root cause and determine a way forward. They also brought on DLA, the University of Dayton Research Institute (UDRI), and the C-130 and KC-135 System Program Offices for further support. Through ground testing and data capture, the team discovered that the maintenance procedures were incompatible with the legacy model of charging equipment (Christie RF80-K), causing inaccurate test results. Working with Teledyne and subject matter experts, the team updated the technical interim instructions to sync with the existing equipment and successfully charge and maintain the batteries. The update required no physical modifications to the battery itself. "Our goal was to help all depot and field maintainers reduce maintenance man-hours while decreasing the number of battery condemnations," said Kelly Ward, Tinker AFB 422nd SCMS electronics engineer. For the 121st MS, charging time decreased by approximately two hours and reduced the number of maintenance procedures. "These batteries go through periodic maintenance and charging every year, and with proper use, they'll last about five years," said Ed Clark, AFRL's Advanced Power Technology Office aviation program lead. "So when we discovered that the turnover had increased so rapidly, we wanted to know why. With the team's help, we were able to find a solution." With the draft TO in place, depot backshops at Tinker AFB, Rickenbacker ANGB, and Robins AFB, Georgia, have approval to update the settings across all Christie chargers. Once the formal TO is issued, all bases will be able to implement the change, resulting in reduced maintenance hours and significantly decreasing the number of rejected batteries. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address South Africa: ECDs set for quality upgrade in E Cape Social Development Deputy Minister Hendrietta Bogopane-Zulu, in partnership with the National Lotteries Commission (NLC), will today virtually hand over eight Early Childhood Development (ECD) centres across the Eastern Cape province. The Department of Social Development and NLC have committed to work together to invest and support initiatives directed at improving access and quality of ECD, with a specific focus on children in rural communities. Hundreds of children from rural communities in the Eastern Cape stand to benefit from the opening of new state-of-the-art ECD centres. Chapter 9 of the National Development Plan (Vision 2030) acknowledges the importance of education in dealing with poverty and inequality in South Africa. In fulfilling the goals of the NDP, South Africa is making investments in its future, with specific focus on improving ECD. ECD was declared a public good, thus prioritising its expansion to all children as part of governments first 1 000 Days campaign. The department said the purpose of ECD centres is to protect the rights of children to develop their full cognitive, emotional, social and physical potential. The department still continues with the registration, provision and administration of the ECD subsidy, and ECD centres are encouraged to register their programmes, the department said. SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2020-09-11. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. On Friday, the Mumbai sessions court rejected the bail pleas of actress Rhea Chakraborty, her brother Showik Chakraborty, Samuel Miranda, Dipesh Sawant, Abdul Basit and Zai Vilantra over the drug-related charges linked to actor Sushant Singh Rajput's death. Reacting to the rejection of the bail plea, Rhea Chakraborty's lawyer Satish Maneshinde said, "Once we get a copy of the NDPS Special Court Order, we will decide next week on the course of action about approaching the High Court." In her plea filed by her lawyer Satish Maneshinde, Rhea had claimed to be innocent. She had claimed that she has not committed any crime whatsoever, and has been falsely implicated in the case. The actress had argued that her arrest in the case was "unwarranted and without any justification and that her liberty had been "arbitrarily curtailed". She had also alleged that no woman officer was present during her interrogation. Rhea had filed a bail application on Wednesday before a sessions court in Mumbai after a magistrate court rejected her bail application on Tuesday. For the unversed, Rhea was arrested by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) under section 8 (c), 20 (b), 27 (a), 28 and 29 of NDPS Act, on Tuesday after three days of interrogation. The actress has been accused of procurring drugs for late actor Sushant Singh Rajput. Shortly after her arrest, Rhea was sent to judicial custody till 22 September by a local court. Later, she was shifted from the NCB office to Byculla jail. ALSO READ: Sushant Singh Rajput's Sister Supports Ankita Lokhande Over Her War Of Words With Shibani Dandekar ALSO READ: Sushant's Death Case: Shibani Dandekar Stands Up For Rhea Chakraborty; Asks 'What Was Her Crime' Ray Liotta and his girlfriend Jacy Nittolo were snapped enjoying a meal in Pacific Palisades, California on Thursday. The Goodfellas star, 65, and his stunning girlfriend, 45, appeared to be wearing wedding bands as they dined at the swanky restaurant Porta Via Palisades. Ray, who's slated to appear in The Sopranos prequel The Many Saints of Newark, was seen kissing Nittolo as they shared a lunch outdoors amid social distancing statues in California. Romance: Ray Liotta, 65, and his girlfriend Jacy Nittolo, 45, were snapped enjoying a meal in Pacific Palisades, California on Thursday The actor wore a white top and black-rimmed glasses at the eatery, while Nittolo wore a lacey black top with blue jeans and her brown locks down and parted. Liotta and his love have been seen spending time with one another amid the COVID-10 pandemic, as they've worked out at Gold's Gym in Venice Beach. Nittolo has alluded to the idea that theirs was a long-term relationship on Instagram: In January, she captioned a PDA shot, '2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025.........' The Field of Dreams actor was past married to actress Michelle Grace from 1997 thru 2004. The pair are parents to actress Karsen Liotta, 21, who's appeared with her dad and Jennifer Lopez on the NBC show Shades of Blue. Gleaming: Ray appeared to be wearing a wedding band as he embraced his love In love: Nittolo also had a band on as she made her way out of the establishment This month marks the 30th anniversary of his signature film Goodfellas, in which he played the main role of Henry Hill. Liotta reflected on appearing in the Martin Scorsese film, which also starred Robert De Niro, Lorraine Bracco, Joe Pesci and Paul Sorvino, in a chat with Men's Journal in 2016. 'That was a pretty momentous moment in my career,' he said. 'The fact that Scorsese was directing. All of a sudden Bob came into the project. He recalled: 'My mother was sick with cancer and died in the middle of us filming. The fact that that was going on made me less intimidated by the situation, I believe, because I was thinking, "My mother is dying of cancer. I am going to come here and be afraid of a guy who is an actor?"' Love: Nittolo has alluded to the idea that theirs was a long-term relationship on Instagram YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 11, ARMENPRESS. The Government of Armenia is lifting the coronavirus-related state of emergency which spanned more than 6 months and is replacing it with quarantine measures effective immediately which would allow the authorities to continue enforcing safety rules and restrictions. The relevant bill was approved by parliament on September 4. The quarantine regime is effective until January 11, 2021. The measures allow the government to enforce the coronavirus-related safety rules and restrictions as well as lockdowns when deemed neccessary. 177 new cases of COVID-19 were registered in the past 24 hours, bringing the cumulative total number of confirmed cases to 45503 , the Armenian Center For Disease Control reported on September 11. Face masks remain mandatory. Public events such as weddings and funerals, among others, are limited to 60 participants. Public assemblies are allowed with relevant precautions such as social distancing and mask wearing. Schools are set to be reopened on September 15th. People outside are required to carry identification at all times. As the transmission rates and new cases continue a downward trend, authorities said that many airlines are expected to resume flights to Armenia in September. Arriving travelers can choose to be tested for COVID-19 at the airport or self-quarantine for 14 days. Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan In early March, the COVID-19 pandemic swept into the Tri-State region, closing doors to businesses, restaurants, and schools while hospitals were overwhelmed with sick patients. On March 27th, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo suspended all Non-Essential construction in New York State; however telecommunications & data centers were included on the States essential infrastructure list. Several Local #3 IBEW contractors worked around the clock keeping the region connected 7 days a week the past 5 months, including Hugh OKane Electric Co. They had over 100 electricians working in New York City during the peak of the pandemic, responding to telecommunications emergencies and continuing network infrastructure and wireless buildouts. As entire industries began working remotely, schools shifted to online learning, and telehealth up ticked, the telecommunications networks that New York relies on became more essential than ever. Hugh OKane Electric Company was a telecommunications first responder to the 93 World Trade Center Bombing, the 9/11 Terrorist Attacks, and Superstorm Sandy. As the COVID-19 pandemic rapidly spread across the Tri-State area, we knew our telecom crews would be relied upon to maintain and build the complex telecommunications networks that keep New York City connected. The same brave men and women that worked around the clock following terrorist attacks and natural disasters are the same brave Hugh OKane Electric employees that continue to work through this pandemic, says Executive Vice President John OKane. While Hugh OKane Electric has always invested in best-in-class safety equipment for their personnel, they worked with an external safety consultant to immediately put a COVID-19 Safety Plan in place, staggering working crews start times and sanitizing trucks and equipment daily. We worked tirelessly to keep our employees safe, but it was still their choice if they felt comfortable working through the pandemic. Thanks to our employees, Hugh OKane Electric was able to continue servicing our nearly dozen telecommunications customers in the Tri-State area 7 days a week these last 5 months. The Hugh OKane Electric Company is comprised of a traditional fiber optic infrastructure division and a mobile wireless division. With over 30 years of experience in wireline fiber construction and maintenance, HOKs telecom infrastructure division employs over 85 technicians who place, splice, and test fiber optic cable for wireless and enterprise networks throughout the Metro Area. With approximately 25 technicians, HOKs wireless division services wireless, 5G, and small cell construction for several Mobile Telecom Franchises and directly to multiple Mobile Network Operators. Working together, the telecom infrastructure division and the wireless division are a true turn-key solution for the current and future needs of the industry. The demand for wireless and 5G deployment has only been amplified by COVID-19. Connectivity is more critical than ever and at Hugh OKane Electric we are proud to be a part of the near and long-term network solutions say John OKane. As our Company did during 9/11 and other major events over the past 30 years, we have worked alongside our customers during this pandemic and will continue to safely service their needs this year and for years to come. To learn more about Hugh OKane Electric, visit http://www.hokane.com/. About Hugh OKane Electric Hugh OKane Electric Company, Inc. (HOK) has been a leading provider of electrical construction and maintenance services to businesses in the Greater New York metropolitan area since 1946. HOK is licensed to provide Electrical services throughout New York City and Long Island. The company has installed power, lighting, fire alarm, security, data systems, specialty infrastructure systems, and specialty network systems for a wide range of industries and institutions. The HOK Telecommunications division provides leading-edge design, construction, installation and maintenance of state-of-the-art telecom networks for wireline, fiber optic, and wireless networks. With its staff of electricians and technicians available for immediate response, HOK specializes in high-quality, fast track jobs. The companys reputation is built upon attention to detail while meeting clients time frames and budgets. For more information, please visit http://www.hokane.com. Rank 1 | London | Country: United Kingdom (Image: Reuters) The United Kingdom government on September 10 tabled its new points-based Student Route for visas in Parliament, which it says simplifies the previous student visa application requirements for international students applying to study in Britain. The route, to apply to all overseas students including Indians from October 5, will mean students require a total of 70 points to be granted a visa to study at a UK university. They will achieve the required points if they can demonstrate that they have an offer from an approved educational institution, speak English and are able to support themselves during their studies in the UK. The UK Home Office said the new route treats all students equally, including students from Europe coming to study after the Brexit transition period ends at the end of the year. The new Student Route is a welcome announcement for thousands of Indian students who opt for a UK education every year to gain international exposure. It offers greater flexibility and ease of immigration for applicants, said Barbara Wickham, Director British Council India. With the post-study work benefits of the Graduate Immigration Route and the launch of the Student Route, the UK has further solidified its commitment towards international students, and enabling more than ever, their dreams of pursuing a world-class education, she said. British Council highlighted that the change would have a further positive impact on the number of Indian students choosing the UK as a higher education destination, which has been on the rise in the past few years. Now we have left the European Union (EU), we are free to unleash this country's full potential and implement the changes we need to restore trust in the immigration system and attract talent to drive our economy forward, said UK Minister for Future Borders and Immigration Kevin Foster. Launching the Student Route early sends a clear message to the world we want the best and brightest to come to the UK to study at our globally renowned education institutions, he said. As a result of the coronavirus, some overseas students are choosing to defer their entry onto courses in the UK until the Spring semester of early next year. Therefore, the government chose to introduce the new route now so that students would be able to benefit from the new streamlined process whilst still giving sponsors time to adapt after their autumn intake this month. The route treats all students equally, with international students, including those from Europe coming to study after the transition period ends, using the same, simplified route when it opens for applications, the Home Office said. The new Student Route improves on the previous Tier 4 route by making it more streamlined for sponsoring institutions and their students, creating clearer pathways for students, and ensuring the UK remains competitive in a changing global education market. It also reiterated that there would be no limit on the number of international students who can come to the UK under the route. This is aimed at increasing the total number of international students choosing to study in the UK higher education system each year to 6 lakh by 2030, as set out in the International Education Strategy published in March last year. The UK is a global leader in higher education, research and innovation. As we look to the UK's future place in the world, we want to protect our hard-won status and the opportunities it provides to help with the economic recovery of towns and cities across Britain - as well as finding solutions to the wider challenges that face our society, said Dr Tim Bradshaw, Chief Executive of the Russell Group of leading universities. We welcome these changes to the immigration rules, which will help to ensure the UK remains an internationally attractive place for the best and brightest students to study. We will continue to work with the government to ensure our visa system remains flexible and responsive to developing issues, such as those emerging from the coronavirus pandemic, he said. Besides the Student Route, the Child Student Route for younger international students will also open from October 5. The changes form part of the Boris Johnson led government's new post-Brexit points-based immigration, which comes into force as a result of Britain's exit from the European Union and an end to the EU's free movement of people rules at the end of December. India and China have finalised a five-point road map to address the standoff on the Line of Actual Control (LAC), including disengagement of troops and easing of tensions, even as New Delhi conveyed its strong concern at the massing of Chinese troops without any credible reason and will now wait to see if Beijing translates its words into action. The consensus on the five points was reached during talks between external affairs minister S Jaishankar and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on the sidelines of a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meet in Moscow on Thursday evening. The talks lasted two-and-half hours. A joint statement issued early on Friday morning said that the ministers agreed both sides should be guided by the consensus of the top leadership on developing India-China relations, including not allowing differences to become disputes. They agreed the situation on the LAC is not in the interest of either country, and therefore...the border troops of both sides should continue their dialogue, quickly disengage, maintain proper distance and ease tensions. They further agreed that both sides would abide by all existing agreements and protocols on boundary affairs, maintain peace and tranquillity in the border areas and avoid any action that could escalate matters. The two sides will continue communicating through the Special Representatives mechanism, and the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination (WMCC) on border affairs. The ministers also agreed that as the situation eases, the two sides should expedite work to conclude new confidence-building measures to maintain and enhance peace and tranquillity. People familiar with developments said on condition of anonymity that the Indian side highlighted its strong concern at the massing of Chinese troops and equipment along the LAC without any credible explanation. The presence of such large concentration of troops was not in accordance with the 1993 and 1996 agreements and created flashpoints along the LAC. The provocative behaviour of Chinese frontline troops at numerous incidents of friction along the LAC showed disregard for bilateral agreements and protocols, said one of the people cited above. The immediate task is to ensure a comprehensive disengagement of troops in all friction areas. That is necessary to prevent any untoward incident in the future. The final disposition of troop deployment to their permanent posts and the phasing of the process are to be worked out by military commanders, the person added. The people said the five-point roadmap is a broad template for disengagement, though differences remain on crucial issues such as how far the troops should be pulled back from the LAC. The Indian side made it clear the ultimate goal should be to move forces back to their permanent posts, at least 20 km or more from the LAC, so that the high levels of tension dissipate, the people added. The Indian side said it expected full adherence to agreements on the management of border areas and that it would not countenance any attempt to change the status quo unilaterally, the people said. It also pointed out that Indian troops had scrupulously followed agreements and protocols on the border areas. Jaishankar, who has served as Indias envoy to Beijing and knows Wang well, made it clear India recognises that a solution to the boundary question requires time and effort, but it was equally clear that the maintenance of peace and tranquillity on the border areas is essential for developing the overall ties, the people said. Recent incidents in eastern Ladakh had inevitably impacted the development of the bilateral relationship, and an urgent resolution of the current situation was in the interest of both nations, the external affairs minister was quoted as saying by the people. Jaishankar also noted that since the resumption of ambassadorial-level relations in 1976 and holding of boundary talks since 1981, bilateral ties have developed on a largely positive trajectory. While there have been incidents from time to time, peace and tranquillity has largely prevailed on the border, and bilateral cooperation developed in a broad range of domains to give the relationship a more substantive character, he noted, according to the people. Jaishankar and Wang met for the crucial talks in Moscow against the backdrop of a spike in tensions on the LAC after both countries amassed more troops in the Ladakh sector. The two leaders were in the same room twice earlier in the day first for a meeting of foreign ministers of the SCO and then for a luncheon meeting of the Russia-India-China (RIC) grouping before holding their bilateral talks a little after 8 pm Indian time on Thursday. A Chinese foreign ministry statement cited Wang as saying that it is normal for China and India to have differences as two neighbouring major countries, but it is important to put these differences in a proper context vis-a-vis bilateral relations. The statement further said the Chinese side is willing to support enhanced dialogue between the frontier troops on both sides to resolve specific issues, and it will stay in touch through diplomatic and military channels to restore peace and tranquillity. The Chinese statement quoted Wang as outlining Chinas stern position on the border situation and emphasising that the imperative is to immediately stop provocations such as firing and other dangerous actions. He also said the frontier troops must quickly disengage so that the situation may de-escalate. However, New Delhi has rejected all assertions by Beijing that Indian troops had crossed the LAC and blamed the latest face-offs during August 29-30 and on September 7 on provocative military actions by Chinese forces. There have been face-offs on the south bank of Pangong Lake after provocative Chinese movements to change the status quo during August 29-30. India said during the latest face-off on September 7, Chinese soldiers fired in the air after being prevented from closing in on an Indian forward position the first time guns were used on the LAC since 1975. Since then, both sides have further strengthened their military presence by moving in additional troops, tanks and other weaponry. The Chinese side, however, has been rattled by Indias proactive move of positioning its troops on several strategic heights to prevent further land grabs on the south bank of Pangong Lake. Former ambassador Rajiv Bhatia, distinguished fellow for foreign policy studies at Gateway House, said that despite the view taken by some sceptics, the meeting had produced a reasonable outcome. The result is better than the external affairs minister coming back empty handed. In that scenario, things would have looked truly grim. It is also significant that the two sides agreed that the continuation of the current situation is not in their interests. India always believed in this obvious realty and now China is also subscribing to it, he said. An agreement is worth the paper it is written on provided it is implemented. While there are obvious difficulties in implementing it, it is in the interest of both countries to implement it scrupulously, Bhatia said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Gov. Phil Murphy said Thursday night the state is keeping a close eye on New Jersey schools as at least three public school districts have been forced to change plans for in-person classes because students have tested positive for the coronavirus. Im not surprised, Murphy said during his regular call-in radio show. We said to folks if youre expecting a regular normal school year, you havent been paying attention. There are gonna be cases. I think weve got to watch this, he added. Were watching this minute to minute. ... Well do the best we can to put up the mitigants we know help us with this virus. And well be all over it." Murphy said to the best of his knowledge, the state has seen no cases transmitted in school so far. The cases have involved students testing positive from activity outside of classes. But he said its unlikely to stay that way forever. My gut tells me that will be more prevalent than the alternative, the governor said on the show, which was broadcast on public radio stations WBGO in Newark, WNYC in New York, and WHYY in Philadelphia. Murphy also said its probably too early to tell if there have been any transmission in schools because districts have just started within the last two weeks. He stressed that while daily numbers are down significantly in New Jersey, the state reported 507 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday alone the most since Aug. 12. Weve made as much progress as any American state, Murphy said. But the fact is: The virus is with us. Keep up with the latest in N.J. schools coverage. Sign up with your email here: Murphy has called for schools to reopen for in-person classes as much as possible, though many districts have started out with remote-only learning or a hybrid system. But Chatham High School switched to remote learning only two days into the school year after a student tested positive. Meanwhile, Middlesex County Vocational and Technical Schools' East Brunswick campus will be virtual for the next two weeks after a freshman tested positive. And a student at Markham Place School in Little Silver tested positive on the second day of school, and students in the same cohort as the affected student will learn remotely until further notice. Murphy appeared on his show hours after visiting Sharon Elementary School in Robbinsville, which has reopened with in-person classes. Everything was thought out through the course of the summer, the governor said on the radio. It was so darn impressive. Great to visit Sharon Elementary School in Robbinsville today and see how our students are doing during their first week back at school. This is a school year unlike any other, but we're committed to keeping our students safe and our public schools the best in the nation. pic.twitter.com/QmNKXk1Hqi Governor Phil Murphy (@GovMurphy) September 10, 2020 Welcome back to school, New Jersey! This is a school year like no other whether you are attending remotely or in the classroom. By committing to safety, equity, and high-quality education, we are demonstrating why we have the #1 schools in the nation. pic.twitter.com/rHBVGK4eHO Governor Phil Murphy (@GovMurphy) September 10, 2020 NJ Advance Media staff writer Katie Kausch contributed to this report. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Brent Johnson may be reached at bjohnson@njadvancemedia.com. A pregnant woman and her Irish citizen fiancee have been given permission by the High Court to challenge the State's decision to deport her. The woman, from Angola, was not granted asylum by the State and was informed last month a deportation order had been made against her. She is expecting a child whose rights, it is claimed, will be adversely affected if the mother is removed from the state. The child is due to be born before the end of the year. Represented by Michael Conlon SC, instructed by solicitor Brian Burns, the woman and her partner seek various declarations against the Minister for Justice, Ireland and the Attorney General aimed at preventing her deportation. These include a declaration that the execution of the deportation would be disproportionate and in breach of their, and their unborn child's constitutional rights, and right under the European Convention of Human Rights. Any order to deport her, counsel submitted would be disproportionate and would infringe their rights including the rights to family unity and the right of the Irish citizen father to the company of his child. Couple's intention to marry 'interrupted by Covid-19 restrictions' The court heard the couple met some years ago in Ireland, live together, and got engaged over a year ago. The couple would have been married already only for the Covid-19 restrictions, counsel said. However, counsel said she was formally informed in August she is the subject of a deportation order. She came here several years ago, but her application for international protection was denied. She fears that if returned to Angola she will be harmed or killed. Counsel said if returned to Angola, the mother will be the child's only source of support. She is a vulnerable person who needs the father's support the court heard. The father, who is a naturalised Irish citizen, cannot go to Angola as he has responsibilities to children he has from a previous relationship and is employed here, counsel said. Permission to bring the challenge was granted by Mr Justice Charles Meenan. The application was made on notice to the State, which took a neutral position regarding the leave application. The court heard that the State was also consenting to not deporting the woman until the matter returns before the court next month. Mr Conlon said it was his side's intention to have the matter heard as soon as possible, and in advance of the child's birth. During these strange coronavirus times, one form of dining out has survived in Portland, perhaps even thrived. In March, when Gov. Kate Brown announced that all Oregon restaurants would have to switch to a to-go model or close, the citys famous food carts were already considered takeout, allowing some of our smallest businesses to keep going, more or less as normal, save for flipping up a cart pod picnic table or three. Along the way, some of Portlands best-known restaurants opened new food carts, hoping to continue serving their menus, hang on to employees and stave off closing for good. This is the 10th year that Ive scoured the metropolitan area in search of great new carts, but in almost every way, its the strangest. Other than the occasional restaurant pickup or delivery order, my family and I have cooked and eaten most of our pandemic meals at home. Even with coronavirus cases declining, indoor dining an imminent necessity for many struggling Oregon restaurants once the weather turns feels like a far-off dream. But strapping on a mask to navigate outdoors through a cart pod, even a crowded one, felt like a reasonable level of risk. LONDON, Sept. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The closing remarks of the Gastech Virtual Summit have taken place today. The Summit has put the spotlight on the importance of gas in the growing demand for energy globally and highlighted the resilience of the industry in the face of price volatility, COVID-19 and the changes to the environmental agenda. Gas companies are now energy companies, with the shared mandate to drive a low carbon energy future. Chan Chun Sing, Minister of Trade & Industry for Singapore, opened the Summit on Monday 7 September, immediately bringing to the fore the theme that has continued throughout this week, the Gas, LNG and Energy industry will evolve and adapt to meet the net zero carbon ambitions by mid-century. During the opening Chan Chun Sing said; "As the LNG hub of the region, our government and gas industry in Singapore have embarked on many initiatives across the value chain. These serve to promote innovation in the sector and the adoption of more environmentally sustainable energy strategies." Gastech has a successful history of attracting the industry's top CEOs as speakers. The renowned strategic and technical conference programmes featured more than 200 speakers, in 89 conference sessions and presentations. Over 1,500 delegates participated in the global Gas, LNG and Energy industry's premier knowledge exchange platform. Issues impacting the future of the industry; energy security of supply; affordability and sustainability; the prospects for demand and investment recovery; and changes to supply in a post COVID-19 world have remained top of the agenda. Honourable Seamus O'Regan, Minister for Natural Resources of Canada addressed the delegates during a Keynote on Monday, leading on the Summit's mandate for the energy transition, stating "just as our goal of net-zero emissions by 2050 needs our oil and gas industry, our oil and gas industry needs net-zero." O'Regan also added, "We must move now on our common mission, a net zero economy by 2050, a global economy that continues to grow, and an energy transition that leaves no one behind." Joseph McMonigle, Secretary General of International Energy Forum opened Day 2 of the conference with a Keynote Address, he said, "The pandemic increases the stakes by pushing the demand gap out further over the next decade. This opens a new window of opportunity that enables the gas industry to play a larger role in achieving climate, clean air, and energy access goals." The conversation on the collective response needed for the energy transition, and the strategies and innovation that will shape the future of the industry continued throughout the Summit. Both Thomas Siebel, Author, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer at C3.ai and Eugene Kaspersky, CEO, Kaspersky delivered Gastech Tech Talks on digital transformation, Internet Of Things and Security and the criticality of technology for the energy future. Pratima Rangarajan, CEO of OGCI Climate Investments addressed climate change. She said, "Energy is at the heartbeat of all this activity, but just decarbonising the energy system does not solve the climate problem. That is why it's imperative for us all, even within the energy industry to take a system view of everything we do and work together on decarbonising our ecosystems." Hydrogen's potential to play a key role in a clean, secure and affordable energy future was discussed this week, with De La Rey Venter, Executive Vice President, Integrated Gas Ventures of Shell saying; "How important is hydrogen really in the context of our climate aspirations? Bluntly put, it is mission critical." Hydrogen will play an important role in decarbonising the energy industry, this week Gastech Hydrogen Exhibition and Conference was launched, co-located with Gastech, the event will enable those driving the development of Hydrogen and those investing to convene in Singapore next September. Driving the Gas, LNG and Energy Industry towards a cleaner energy future, the Summit's speakers included Lorenzo Simonelli, Chairman, President & CEO of Baker Hughes; Maarten Wetselaar, Integrated Gas & New Energies Director and Member of the Executive Committee at Shell; Laurent Vivier, Senior Vice President Gas, Total; Mike Sabel, Co-CEO, Co-Chairman and Founder, Venture Global LNG; Jerome Schmitt, Chairman, Oil & Gas Climate Initiative; Alex Volkov, Vice President, Global LNG Marketing, ExxonMobil; Francis Fannon, Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of Energy Resources, United States Department of State; Shawn Tupper, Associate Deputy Minister of Natural Resources, Canada; Hon. Dale Nally, Associate Minister of Natural Gas and Electricity, Government of Alberta; Irtiza Sayyed, President, ExxonMobil LNG Market Development Inc; Prabhat Singh, Chairman & Managing Director, Petronet LNG; Atsunori Takeuchi, Executive Officer, Senior General Manager of LNG Optimization & Trading Department, Tokyo Gas; Faisel Khan, Chief Financial Officer, Sempra LNG; Anatol Feygin, Chief Commercial Officer, Cheniere; Thomas Siebel, Author & Chairman & Chief Executive Officer, C3.ai; De La Rey Venter, Executive Vice President, Integrated Gas Ventures, Shell; Niek den Hollander, Executive Board Member Uniper SE; Keisuke Sadamori, Director, Energy Markets and Security, International Energy Agency; Sanjiv Lamba, Executive Vice President, APAC, Linde; Thorbjoern Fors, Executive Vice President, Industrial Applications, Siemens Energy and Dan Feldman, Partner, Shearman & Sterling. Nick Ornstien, Vice President Energy for dmg events said: "The Gastech Virtual Summit has delivered advanced insights into the latest commercial strategies and trends dominating the Gas, LNG and Energy industry, providing delegates with fast track information on how best to align business models for the post-pandemic landscape." The Gastech Virtual Summit 2020 was being held in place of the Gastech exhibition and conference, scheduled to take place in Singapore this week. dmg events and the Gastech Governing Body, in consultation with Enterprise Singapore and the Singapore Tourism Board collectively took the decision to postpone that event, to 13 16 September 2021, due to concerns around the global pandemic, accessibility and the wellbeing of speakers, delegates, exhibitors and visitors. About Gastech For almost 50 years, Gastech has been at the heart of the Gas, LNG and Energy conversation. As the world starts to emerge from the shadow of COVID-19, the Gastech Virtual Summit will engage with, and address, the key issues and most promising opportunities for the Gas, LNG and Energy industries in the 4th industrial age. Taking place from 7-11 September 2020, Gastech Virtual Summit will provide leadership and direction as the Gas, LNG and Energy industries seek to strike a balance between business priorities and their licence to operate, in a post COVID-19 world. With an emphasis on technology innovation; supply and demand dynamics; evolving partnerships; people and talent and governance and influence, the Summit will set the agenda for the global Gas, LNG and Energy industries for decades to come. For more information please visit www.gastechevent.com. Follow us on social media @Gastechevent and use #GTVirtualSummit and #Gastech for the latest soundbites and news updates as the event happens! SOURCE Gastech Virtual Summit 2020 Related Links http://www.gastechevent.com A terrorist was killed in a joint operation in Kawoosa Khalisa area of Budgam, the Indian army said on Friday. "One terrorist killed in a joint operation in Kawoosa Khalisa area of Budgam, Jammu and Kashmir," the Northern Command of the Indian Army said. Earlier in the day, the body of another terrorist was recovered from the Suknag Nala in the district. According to the Army, the terrorist had opened fire at the security forces and had tried to escape from the cordon on September 7, 2020, by jumping into the Suknag Nala. The terrorist had been hit on the neck in the firing by the security forces. (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.) ARCHIVED - 130 irregular Algerian migrants arrive in Cartagena; 79 in a fishing boat The calm weather is ideal for crossings and there may be more over the weekend Image: Archive A total of 130 immigrants have been intercepted in the last few hours by the marine rescue services and Guardia Civil within a few nautical miles of the Cartagena coast on board four boats, all of them adult males and all of Algerian nationality, according to information received from the Government Delegation in the Region of Murcia. The first vessel detected carried a total of nineteen men; this was followed by a second with 14 males on board, intercepted 8 miles south of Cape Tinoso. A third patera with 18 migrants on board was spotted 44 nautical miles south of Cartagena, followed by the fourth, a fishing trawler, with 79 adult male migrants on board which was directed to Cartagena port with a Guardia Civil escort. It is not clear at this moment whether the boat was a genuine fishing vessel which had rescued the migrants out at sea or whether the vessel had sailed with the full complement of migrants on board. All of those detained are in good health, and were transferred to the port of Escombreras, where they were met by personnel from the Cruz Roja. Every migrant has to be tested for Covid; those who prove to be Covid-positive are being hospitalised and their travelling companions quarantined. 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 few weeks 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. A migrant we spoke to a short time ago stated that Spain was not the ultimate destination for the migrants and that many would continue their journeys to France and Belgium, although some would continue on to try and reach the UK. Although the number of migrants targeting the Murcia region as an entry point has been more noticeable in the last 3 months, the overall totals of migrants entering Spain via the Western Mediterranean route has fallen considerably, mainly due to the almost complete absence of Moroccans making the journey to enter Europe via the Spanish coastline. Frontex, the EU border force, reports that there were nearly 1 600 detections of illegal border crossings on the Western Mediterranean migratory route in August 2020, 7% less than in the previous month. The total for the first eight months of 2020, was nearly half the figure from the same period in the previous year at 8,200, down 46%. However, Algerians have accounted for nearly two-thirds of all detections on the route this year, and the August figure was six times the figure from a year ago, which ties in with the deteriorating economic and political situation in Algeria, and the border closure in Morocco, which is preventing many of the sub-Saharan migrants getting into Morocco in the first place. The distance for Algerians to the Spanish coastline favours the Murcia Region and Alicante as chosen destinations, the increase in Algerians logically leading to an increased level of traffic to Murcia. Earlier this week three boats containing 42 migrants reached the coast of Alicante province, arriving in Benidorm, lAlfas and Xabia. 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 Ireland is likely to run a budget deficit at the upper end of a 25 to 30 billion euro range this year as a result of the unprecedented fiscal response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Tanaiste Leo Varadkar said on Friday. While Ireland has collected far more tax so far this year than it expected early in the pandemic, government spending is up 28% year-on-year. A deficit of 30 billion euros equated to 10% of gross domestic product (GDP) when the finance department published its most recent projections in April. Varadkar, Ireland's business minister, told a conference that the government must focus on the hardest-hit industries such as aviation and live events in October's budget for 2021 "to make sure they are still around" after the crisis. (Reuters) Source: www.businessworld.ie A teenager who was allegedly shot dead by his father alongside his high-school sweetheart has been farewelled in a moving funeral service. Lukasz Kosowski and his girlfriend Chelsea Ireland, both aged 19, were allegedly gunned down at a remote farm in Mount McIntyre in South Australia's south-east in late August. Mr Kosowski's 46-year-old father, Pawel Kosowski, has been charged over their deaths. Lukasz Kosowski and his girlfriend Chelsea Ireland, (pictured together) both aged 19, were allegedly gunned down at a remote farm in Mount McIntyre in South Australia's south-east in late August A funeral was held for Mr Kosowski on Thursday at the Church of the Resurrection in Unley On Thursday, the 19-year-old was farewelled by family and friends at the Church of the Resurrection in Unley, and was described as a 'beautiful soul', Nine News reported. 'I'll never forget him, the sense of humour, the kindness, the family style, all that was represented,' one mourner said. 'He was a beautiful soul.' Mr Kosowski was an aspiring journalist who studied at the University of South Australia. He had also attended Adelaide's Christian Brothers College during high-school. The college issued a statement for the former student saying it was devastated 'to learn of the tragic passing of an old scholar'. 'Students from the class of 2018 have rallied together to support each other as they grieve over the loss of their 'brother',' it said. Lukasz was studying journalism at the University of South Australia before he was killed Ms Ireland and Mr Kosowski dated for several years and had travelled the world together Guests are seen at Lukasz's funeral on Thursday in South Australia 'Our thoughts and prayers go to his family and friends.' His girlfriend's funeral will be held on Friday. The pair had dated for several years and travelled the world together. Ms Ireland's sister Maddie paid tribute to the young couple online. You two should both still be here,' she wrote. 'Lukasz, the brother I always wanted, thank you for never failing to make me smile and laugh.' 'I want to do you both proud.' The teenager had volunteered at Puddle Jumpers Incorporated, a group that cares for vulnerable children and young people. Puddle Jumpers issued a statement following the tragic shooting, saying it was saddened by the news Ms Ireland's life was cut short. 'Chelsea, a beautiful kind-hearted volunteer, you will be very much missed by all,' the statement said. Her family has asked for donations for Puddle Jumpers at her funeral instead of flowers. Pawel Kosowski did not apply for bail and will appear at court again in December. OF is perceived as a safe, consequence-free way of selling sex and home-grown porn that empowers women. The site has 60 million users and 750,000 content creators globally. Content providers keep 80 per cent of their income, while the company takes the remaining 20 per cent. Unsurprisingly, OnlyFans attracted many new users during the Covid-19 lockdown. But nothing about the porn industry empowers women. And thats what OF is a vaguely sanitised porn set. I recently heard about Lucy*, a 21-year-old woman who signed up to the site in order to attract the attention of men with a penchant for slave/master roleplaying. Lucy gained more than 180,000 followers and is apparently making $10,000 a month. For her money she dresses as a young schoolgirl, and videos herself calling for daddy while sucking a babys dummy. To some, this will be seen as harmless fantasy but what is actually happening is the normalisation of very abusive sexual behaviour. I have researched and campaigned against the global sex trade for decades and even written a comprehensive book exposing the horrors of commercial sexual exploitation. So I know prostitution when I see it, and no type of sanitised language changes what OF is. The website has a function called Strip for Tip and, during a live video, the more money subscribers send the provider, the more clothes she must remove. Julie Bindel Pornography is just prostitution with a camera, and OF is both prostitution and pornography. It is part of the new wave of software platforms and business models which are extending the reach of the porn industry. Some of the women who provide content end up scared and traumatised. One woman told me she still cant sleep after a stalking incident two years ago. My biggest fan, said Lisa*, laughing bitterly at the irony, managed to trace me to my place of work and actually waited outside for me one day. I was appalled and terrified. Then there is the girlfriend experience. OF offers men the opportunity to pay providers for a period of time to behave as if they are on a real date and, via messages and voice notes, send instructions saying what is required of the girlfriend. The author of Pornland, Gail Dines, says: OnlyFans is really just an extension of sex webcamming. It combines the sexual exploitation of mainstream porn with the economic exploitation of the gig economy. With many brothels closing down or going bust due to the pandemic, men with an eye on how to make money from exploiting young women are turning their attention to OF. I have also heard of women being pimped on to the site with their earnings going primarily to their exploiter. Janine*, a 25-year old former stripper in a London club, tells me she was approached by a security guard in the club and told she could make a small fortune if she were to open an OF account. He said we could split the earnings, and he would advertise me on escort agency sites. Two young men in Hungary told me they had set up OF accounts in order to attract paying gay customers. Both of these men were straight but, as one said: We give them what they want and they give us money. Its just fantasy. One myth about OF is that its female content creators are empowered but I spoke to Alice*, who signed up to the site last year after losing her receptionist job. Alice was told that she could earn a fortune by posting raunchy photographs of herself and was reassured there was no contact or harassment. At first it was brilliant, Alice tells me. There was a little bit of semi-nudity and I was earning a fair bit, but then I came under pressure to film myself in pornographic poses and even having sex with a girlfriend. Thats when I got really upset and disabled my account. It is dangerous to claim that OF is safe. Very little is said about the devastating emotional and psychological effects on women of being bought and sold by men. Being treated as a commodity for consumption takes its toll. OF may have made a fortune for the likes of Bella Thorne, but for countless other women, it costs them dearly. *Names have been changed. Julie Bindel is a journalist, author and feminist campaigner Kurukshetra: The Haryana Police on Friday booked state BKU chief Gurnam Singh Charuni and 300 unidentified people for damaging public property and violating prohibitory orders, a day after farmers clashed with cops during a protest here. Members of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) and other farm bodies had blocked a national highway in Kurukshetras Pipli and clashed with police while protesting against three Union government legislations, which they claimed were anti-farmer. Police had resorted to a lathicharge when farmers coming from the Shahbad area pushed their way to the protest site. The agitating farmers smashed windowpanes of a fire brigade vehicle and pelted police with stones. Three separate FIRs were registered at the Sadar police station in Thanesar. These FIRs have been registered against Gurnam Singh Charuni and several unknown people for unlawful assembly, causing damage to property and preventing government employees from performing their duty, SHO Naresh Kumar said. The FIRs also include charges for the violation of the National Highway Act and the Disaster Management Act, he said. Meanwhile, the Shahbad Markanda police lodged cases against 300 unknown people. SHO Devinder Kumar said the attempt to murder charge was also added to the FIR as many tractor-borne farmers tried to run police personnel manning the barriers erected to stop them. The Kurukshetra administration had imposed prohibitory orders after the farmer bodies gave a protest call in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. However, farmers belonging to the BKU and other organisations reached Pipli in large numbers, defying the prohibitory orders. Top state Congress leaders, including AICC spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala, former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and state party chief Kumari Selja, on Friday expressed solidarity with the farmers. Farmers in Haryana are demanding a rollback of the Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Ordinance; Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Ordinance; and Essential Commodities (Amendment) Ordinance, promulgated by the Centre. Three active police officers accompanied him. Viktor Medvedchuk, leader of the Opposition Platform For Life Party and crony of Russian President Vladimir Putin reportedly traveled to Russia-occupied Crimea in early August, he is said to have been accompanied by three active Ukrainian police officers. This information was released by the slidstvo.info vlog. Read alsoUkrainian MP recruiting Yanukovych-era riot police officers to his "activist group" media Journalists learnt from several sources in the SBU Security Service of Ukraine and the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine that Medvedchuk's bodyguards are officers of the Kyiv Directorate of the police's guard force. These are Serhiy Zasenko, Vladyslav Halishyn and Hryhoriy Chaly. Medvedchuk reportedly entered the occupied peninsula through the Kalanchak checkpoint in a Mercedes Vito car at 14:30 local time on August 2. Police officers Hryhoriy Chaly and Vladyslav Halishyn were in the car with Medvedchuk. Serhiy Zasenko had arrived in the occupied Crimea a little earlier. He came on foot to the Kalanchak checkpoint at 16:34 local time on July 30. Officially, the three police officers allegedly had taken a vacation a few days before the trip. What is more, Hryhoriy Chaly and Vladyslav Halishyn work as aides to MP Medvedchuk on a voluntary basis. This information is indicated on the official website of the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine's parliament. Ukrainian law enforcement agencies are now probing into the version that the chiefs of the aforementioned police officers forged their subordinates' vacation documents retroactively after information about Medvedchuk's trip to Crimea had become public. The directorate of the police's guard force says an internal investigation is underway to probe into the alleged trip of police officers Zasenko, Halishyn and Chaly, together with Medvedchuk, to occupied Crimea. However, the directorate stressed employees of the National Police could freely travel to the occupied areas as there are no bans or restrictions. More news reports New Delhi: The parliamentary standing committee on defence, which met on Friday with former Congress president Rahul Gandhi in attendance for the first time, discussed issues such as better food, clothing and other facilities for soldiers, especially those deployed on the borders, according to people aware of the matter. The meeting -- in which Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat was present -- centered around the topic on the agenda, provision and monitoring of the quality of ration and livery items to the defence forces. The committee is headed by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) member Jual Oram. The border standoff between India and China was not discussed, though Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief and former defence minister Sharad Pawar did seek a discussion on matter, the people cited above said. When Pawar asked for a briefing on the latest situation in India-China border conflict, General Rawat said his comments have been noted, and indicated that the armed forces will send a written reply to the panel later -- a usual practise in parliament that allows deponents to give a detailed reply to questions which they think should be handled more carefully. Last month, appearing before another parliament committee, Rawat had said that de-escalation in Ladakh may be a long-drawn process but that the Indian armed forces is prepared for it and has made all arrangements for troop deployment in the harsh winter. The top general and three-star Generals had also emphasised that the Indian armed forces are prepared to face any contingency. Rahul Gandhi on Friday expressed concern over the food items being provided to soldiers as compared to officers, saying rank should not considered for providing the type of food or nutrition in the defence forces, they added. Gandhi had skipped the earlier meetings of the panel, apparently as a mark of protest against the inclusion of BJPs Lok Sabha member from Bhopal, Pragya Singh Thakur, in the 31-member committee. The BJP later removed her from the panel following her praise of Mahatma Gandhis assassin Nathuram Godse, whom she called a desh bhakt (patriot) during a discussion on the Special Protection Group (Amendment) Bill in the Lok Sabha in the Winter Session last year. According to a functionary present in the meeting, when Gandhi wanted to know about the difference between the ration for jawans and the officers, General Rawat emphasised there is no qualitative difference in food but since jawans mostly come from rural India, they prefer certain kind of food items such as chapati over rice. He added that there is no complaint about the quality of food. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Minister for Railways Development, Joe Ghartey has been honoured by the Railways Ladies Association (RLA) at a colorful ceremony. The association described the hard-working minister as a visionary comrade seeking the betterment of Ghana Railway Company Limited in a citation. He was also decorated with a smock and prayed for by the leadership of the association. God grant you the strength of heart, perfect health of motive, and of will to do your part until your purpose is fulfilled, do not falter. The citation read Joe Ghartey who is also the Member of Parliament for Essikado/Ketan Constituency in the Western Region thanked the association and the railway workers generally for all their support over the past three years. I wouldnt have achieved all these successes without your support. He said Read below the full citation CITATION IN HONOR OF HON. JOE GHARTEY MINISTER FOR RAILWAYS DEVELOPMENT Hon. Joe Ghartey, it takes visionary leaders to initiate a plan, work through with determination and positive mindedness, to achieve that vision. The Railway Ladies Association sees you as a visionary comrade seeking the betterment of Ghana Railway Company Limited. You have established a strong business and working relationships with Management and workers as a whole. With your sense of railways infrastructural development, you have been working tirelessly throughout these four years, to put the Railway sector on a very high pedestal. Notable developments such as the Trans-Ecowas Lines, Ghana-Burkina Railway Interconnectivity, Western and Central lines, main Location Workshop, and the Railway Central Training Institute will contribute immensely to the growth of the economy. This citation is in appreciation and recognition of your dedication to the growth of Ghana Railway Company Limited. God grant you the strength of heart, perfect health of motive, and of will to do your part until your purpose is fulfilled, do not falter. May the Lord our God bless you and establish the work of your hands. RAILWAY LADIES ASSOCIATION. Unity is strength Source: King Edward Ambrose Washman Addo/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video He also promised a W20,000 discount on phone bills for every Korean over 13, saying it constitutes "some small consolation" from the government for every citizen who cannot freely meet and engage in daily activities. The government also expanded the eligibility for W200,000 in childcare support to the households with children in elementary school, although it was initially supposed to be given only to those with children under seven. President Moon Jae-in on Thursday announced a W7.8 trillion supplementary budget to deal with the coronavirus crisis and payouts for the unemployed, small business owners and low-income earners (US$1=W1,188). Koreans are unhappy that second round of coronavirus relief payouts will be tailored to those who need them most. This is the first time in 59 years that the government has drafted four supplementary budgets in a single year. Most of the money will be raised by issuing debt. The opposition accuses the government of issuing W7 trillion in debt to finance pork-barrel policies. The government originally intended to aid only 5.85 million small business owners and low-income households. But when it found that the selective payouts were likely to be unpopular, it slapped the universal phone bill discount on top, and that will cost another W900 billion. Concerns are mounting that the government will need a fifth supplementary budget if the epidemic resurges. Opposition parties also accused Moon of claiming credit at the expense of taxpayers. Even ruling party lawmakers wondered if the latest relief payments will be effective in boosting spending and hiring. But the loudest complaints come for those who are not eligible for the payouts. The first round of relief payments was universal, perhaps raising false hopes among the general population. Now everyone is complaining, from parents of children under 13 who do not qualify for the phone bill discount to parents who do not qualify for the extra child support. Owners of bars and nightclubs who are excluded from the support payments for small businesses are upset as well since they are bearing the brunt of the lockdown. One owner of a bar in Gyeonggi Province posted a message on the Cheong Wa Dae website saying, "We suffered the most damage as our line of work was subject to the longest ban on gatherings, but we obeyed orders in the belief that the wellbeing of the country and people come first. There is no reason why we should be excluded." Senior citizens are also grumbling. One wrote, "So the government intends to give W500,000 to able-bodied young people [who are unemployed]. It must only be interested in people in their 20s and 30s, since children have no voting rights, while the elderly are mostly conservative in their political views." One reply said, "People in their 40s are always excluded from all government benefits. We can't get childcare support or youth subsidies and can't even apply for a new apartment as we often don't satisfy the requirements. It's just terrible that we are excluded from benefits all the time." CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Cleveland Clinics retired leader kept his rank at the top of a list of Ohios highest-paid health system CEOs in 2018 a year after he retired. Dr. Toby Cosgrove, who retired from Cleveland Clinic in 2017, was paid a $4.6 million base salary as an executive adviser the following year, according to the Clinics most recent IRS 990 return for nonprofits. That was in addition to a $3.9 million payout from Cosgroves retirement plan, part of $8.7 million in overall compensation in 2018. 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. Studies suggest that little bit of background noise might be most beneficial for productivity. Photo: Getty Until this year, many of us relished the idea of working from home. The concept of doing away with commuting, office politics and the smell of your colleagues reheated lunch was a dream come true. But as the weeks and months roll by, the reality of remote working can set in. Although you can work in the comfort of your own home, it can get pretty lonely without colleagues and the bustle of a busy workplace. However, a growing number of people are turning to fake office noise websites to recreate the sounds usually heard by desk workers. Thousands of people are using sites like I Miss the Office so they can listen to the sound of printers, coffee machines and the hum of background conversations in lounges and kitchens. For some people, office noise is a welcome break from the monotony of working in silence. For others, background sounds are nothing more than a distraction to be blocked out with noise-cancelling headphones. So is background noise ever a good thing and why do some of us hate it? Why background noise isnt all bad Listening to sounds normally heard in a workplace the tapping of shoes walking across a floor and rustling papers reminds us that were in work mode, even when in our own homes. With lots of people unaccustomed to working from their lounges or kitchens in silence, subtle background sounds can help improve productivity. READ MORE: What are 'interpersonal skills' and why do employers look out for them? Adding gentle white noise that you dont pay attention to is an easy way to create ideal workplace acoustics. There are even a number of Spotify playlists designed to keep us focused. Research has also shown that listening to music can be beneficial too. Half of Brits listen to music while at work, according to a survey of 2,000 employed people by Scala Radio. More than a third of those polled said they worked harder and two in five get more done when listening to music. Almost half (47%) said they feel less stressed and more than a third said their productivity improved with background melodies. Story continues A separate study of more than 4,500 people by TotalJobs found 79% can boost their productivity by listening to music. According to music psychologist Dr Anneli Haake, who was involved in the research, this is partly because music can be a mental stimulant and when people become stimulated by the work they are doing, their performance can increase. Some companies even broadcast music around entire offices in an attempt to improve their employees productivity. READ MORE: Why rude colleagues affect more than just your job Studies suggest that little bit of background noise rather than pure silence might be most beneficial for productivity. To find out more, Ravi Mehta, associate professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, asked four groups of volunteers to engage in a creative thinking test while exposed to different decibels of noise. These noise levels included complete silence, 50 decibels, 70 decibels and 85 decibels. The results showed that participants exposed to 70 decibels of background noise performed significantly better than their counterparts. Why some people hate background noise That being said, research has shown that high noise levels can cost companies in employee focus and productivity, with one UK study suggesting that three in 10 employees regularly lose their concentration due to the chatter and hum of office life. There are various factors that determine whether office noise is a nuisance or not. Firstly, it depends on the type of noise. Low-cognitive sounds such as gentle music, muffled conversations and typing can be less distracting than a co-workers loud phone conversation about their weekend plans. The more engaging music is such as music with lyrics the worse it is for our concentration. Secondly, whether we are bothered by background noise depends on the type of work we are doing. Although music can help boost us through boring or monotonous tasks, research shows that people work better in silence when carrying out more cognitively complex tests. READ MORE: Why offices will still exist in the post-lockdown working world Our personalities also play a part in our sound preferences too, specifically, whether we are introverted or extroverted. In 2011, researchers from University College London and the University of London asked 118 female secondary school students to complete a questionnaire, which revealed how extroverted or introverted each was. Then the students were subjected to various cognitive challenges, some while listening to UK garage music or the sounds of a classroom. A control group completed the tasks in silence. The results showed that all of the students performed better in silence. But in general, the more extroverted they were, the less affected they were by noise. Misophonia, a disorder in which everyday sounds can trigger anxiety, panic, stress or anger, can also cause problems for some workers. For people with the condition, common noises such as breathing, yawning, or chewing create a fight-or-flight response. So to keep everyone happy in the office, headphones might be a good idea. With deadly wildfires still raging around Oregon, Gov. Kate Brown announced first good fire-related news in days: The weather conditions that fueled the fires' rapid spread have broken and firefighters report they can tell the difference, she said. Still, Brown said: Well over 1 million acres have burned. And she said first responders are dealing with reports that dozens of Oregonians are reported missing in Jackson, Lane and Marion counties. More than a half dozen of the worst fires in the state will continue burning and requiring active firefighting until winter rains fall, the states expert cautioned. Brown clarified that the states assertion that 500,000 people have had to evacuate was wildly inaccurate. The half million figure applies to people in households under any kind of evacuation order, including the mildest Level 1 rating. Fewer than 100,000 Oregonians have been told to evacuate their homes, she indicated. Doug Grafe, chief of fire protection at the Oregon Department of Forestry, said firefighting teams are still battling 16 large fires. Cooler temperatures and more moisture in the air are helping them succeed, he said. He said the better weather is projected to continue for three days and improve even more early next week. But Grafe said a cluster of fires including Beachie Creek stretch 56 miles from Warm Springs to Estacada with communities located in and near the fire zone. We have not seen the likes of this fire ... in our state ever before, he said. And he said Oregonians should expect eight of the states big fires, including those, to continue burning and require active fire fighting until the winter rains fall. Fires in the McKenzie River Valley, Illinois Valley are among those that he expects will keep burning until October or later. The loss to many families has been staggering, the governor said. We know hundreds, perhaps thousands of Oregonians have lost their homes to the fires, she said. Brown said she spoke with President Donald Trump on Thursday evening, that he was responsive to her pleas for help and that he agreed to help send personnel from the National Guard from around the nation to help. He promised us all of his support, Brown said of Trump. She and her team of fire experts are expected to update the public about how many acres have burned, any new information about injuries and fatalities, which fires are still surging and which are coming under control and more. Grafe said help from around the nation has been aggressive" and is already partly in place. But he said that the large majority of the roughly 3,000 firefighters battling fires around the state are from Oregon. We pull overhead fire management from all over the nation, including New Mexico, Colorado and Florida, and they are leading incident command centers at Oregon fires already, he said. He said people and equipment will be arriving from Canada as well. Adjutant General Michael Stencel, who heads the Oregon National Guard, said National Guard personnel will be sent to Clackamas and Klamath counties and other locations. Brown said people who are not under any level of evacuation order, including those in Multnomah County, should stay in their homes and out of the way of people who need to evacuate. Grafe said those in Level 1 evacuation zones should prepare but also should keep living in their homes, not evacuate. The mayor of Estacada, which was put under a Level 3 Go Now evacuation order Thursday afternoon, captured the state mood in his comment to The Oregonian/OregonLive: I never thought I would see this day as a mayor of my city, but its here and my people are frightened, Sean Drinkwine said. Air quality in Oregon rates as worst in the world at of mid-day Friday. The governor is slated to be joined at her virutal press conference by Mariana Ruiz-Temple, chief deputy state fire marshal. Andrew Phelps, director of the Oregon Office of Emergency Management also spoke. -- The Oregonian/OregonLive politics team; @OregonianPol A former Nigerian attorney general and minister of justice, Mohammed Adoke, has called on the Nigerian government to debrief Lucio Lucia, its lawyer in the Malabu OPL245 trial holding in Milan, Italy. In a statement he issued Thursday, the former attorney general said Mr Lucias conduct was embarrassing and reeks of deliberate falsehood and dishonesty. Mr Adoke was reacting to Nigerias closing statement at the Italian court, delivered by Mr Lucia, that he (Adoke) and other officials compromised Nigerias interest in their handling of the Malabu scandal. PREMIUM TIMES reported how Mr Lucia, representing Nigeria at the Milan trial of the oil giants (Shell and ENI) and other individuals for the alleged fraudulent acquisition of the oil licence OPL245, made this submission as Nigeria made its concluding arguments on Wednesday. The lawyer reaffirmed the Nigerian governments claims against Mr Adoke, ex-petroleum minister Diezani Alison-Madueke and former President Goodluck Jonathan in the alleged scam. Indictment The lawyer informed the court of criminal prosecution in Nigeria for these acts against the corrupt, first and foremost the Attorney-General Mohammed Adoke Bello, who was accused of receiving illegal compensation in exchange for licensing the oil companies, and thus arrested and extradited from Dubai for the corruption related to OPL 245. On the cash transfers to the account of Mr Adoke, the lawyer argued that Adoke Bello buys a property in Abuja from a company of Abubakar at a much lower price than the real one ($4.5 million); and he doesnt even pay this price. Adoke Bello receives cash payments into his current account of money from Bureau de Change for approximately $2.2 million from 15.2.2012 to 17.10.2013. Speaking on alleged constitutional breach of trust and oath of office by officials of the government, the lawyer argued that Mr Adoke and others misused the privilege they had as government officials. But what did Adoke Bello do in return for his payments? The government that will stipulate RA 2011 starts by confirming the allocation to Malabu and therefore to Etete of 100% of all concession rights for OPL 245. The main actors are President GLJ (Goodluck Jonathan), Oil Minister Diezani and AG Adoke Bello, the latter two will sign the 2011 RA together with the Minister of Finance. Adoke Bello, who, in fact, will play a decisive role at the negotiating table, above all in allowing Eni/Shell to have all the contractual clauses, accepted by the IOCs clauses unilaterally prepared by them overcoming any objection by NNPC and DPR, the technical bodies of the Ministry of Oil. The lawyer also explained that Royal Dutch Shell (RDS) emails make it very clear that Shell and Eni are familiar with the relationship between Mr Etete and the President, Mr Jonathan, as well as the Minister and the AG, Mr Adoke. Adoke Reacts But in his statement on Thursday, Mr Adoke said the evidence supplied by Mr Lucia were false. It will be recalled that on 6th July 2020, I drew the attention of the public through my Solicitor, Mr Femi Oboro, to the deliberate and malicious falsehoods contained in the statements made by the Milan Prosecutor in the ongoing proceedings against Shell and Eni and other named individuals before the Milan Court in Italy over the OPL 245 transaction, Mr Adoke began in the statement he personally signed. Although I am not a party to the proceedings, I have followed with keen interest to ensure that no adverse findings of criminal misconduct are made against my person. However, in his submission before the Court on the 9th of September, 2020, Mr. Lucio Lucia, while representing the interest of the Federal Government of Nigeria as the injured party entitled to civil compensation, had allegedly reaffirmed the indictment of Mr. Adoke and others in the heist in connection with the OPL 245 Resolution Agreement. The former attorney general said that his official role as Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice in the implementation of OPL 245 Settlement Agreement has been the subject of judicial pronouncement by the Federal High Court, Abuja, presided over by Justice BFN Nyako. He noted that the court stated amongst other things that: 1. The involvement of the Plaintiff Mr Adoke in the negotiations leading to the implementation of a Settlement Agreement dated 30th November 2006 between Malabu Oil & Gas Limited and the Federal Government of Nigeria and the eventual execution of Block 245 Malabu Resolution Agreement dated 29th April 2011 between the Federal Government of Nigeria and Malabu Oil and Gas Limited was in furtherance of the lawful directives/approval of the President in the exercise of his executive powers; 2. The involvement of the Plaintiff in the negotiation and eventual execution of the Block 245 SNUD resolution Agreement dated 29th April 2011 between the Federal Government of Nigeria and Shell Nigerian Ultra Deep and Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company Limited was in furtherance of the lawful directives/approval of the President in the exercise of his executive powers, and; 3. The Plaintiff cannot be held personally liable for carrying out the lawful/approvals of the President while he served as a Minister of the Government of the Federation. Apart from the judicial pronouncement, he said, the OPL 245 Resolution Agreements have been the subject of review by two cabinet ministers in the present administration. First, Mr. Abubakar Malami, SAN, in his capacity as the Attorney-General of the Federation, issued a legal opinion to the Ag. Chairman of the EFCC, Mr. Ibrahim Magu, dated 20th September 2017, wherein he stated that he had reviewed the OPL 245 Resolution Agreements and was unable to find any evidence of wrongdoing on my part. Secondly, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, in his capacity as the Hon. Minister of State, Ministry of Petroleum Resources, also reviewed the OPL 245 Resolution Agreements and in his letter to the Chief of Staff to the President, dated 13th December 2017, came to the reasoned conclusion that the agreements were in the national interest. In the light of the above, it is clear that Mr. Lucio Lucia cannot assert on behalf of the same Federal Government of Nigeria a position that is contrary to the unassailable declarations in the subsisting judgment of the Federal High Court, Abuja, and the views already expressed by the sitting Attorney-General of the Federation and the former Minister of State, Ministry of Petroleum Resources. Advertisements Mr. Adoke argued further that Mr Lucia also lied to the court that he was extradited from Dubai for corruption related to OPL 245, knowing fully that nothing of sort ever happened. He said: The records are there with INTERPOL that I voluntarily decided to return to Nigeria. The Nigerian Government could not proceed with extradition processes against me because the International Warrant of Arrest they wanted to use against me had been vacated by the same Nigerian court that granted it. Mr. Lucio Lucia, with defamatory audacity, also carelessly reconstructed the evidence on my Mortgage transaction with Unity Bank to suit his narrative. This is a subject of criminal proceedings in Nigeria and, for now, I will not be able to comment against the twisting and manipulation of the facts of the failed mortgage transaction because it will be subjudicial. The former minister noted that although he is not adverse to the Nigerian governments claims before the Milan Court, but he is concerned that Mr. Lucio Lucia has been allowed to present to the Court deliberate false statements against him in support of the Federal Governments case. I am still in possession of copies of letters by Mr. Abubakar Malami, SAN, the Attorney General of the Federation, and Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, in his capacity as the Hon. Minister of State, Ministry of Petroleum Resources, clearing me of any misconduct or misdeed in the OPL 245 transaction, he said. There is also a subsisting court judgment that cleared me of any personal liability in carrying out a presidential order. I, therefore, call on the Federal Government of Nigeria to debrief Mr. Lucio Lucia for his embarrassing conduct, deliberate falsehood and dishonesty in a Court of Law. Scandal The Malabu OPL245 scandal is a subject of corruption trial in Italy. Like Mr Adoke, all parties in the Milan trial have denied the charges against them. The Nigerian authorities have also charged Messrs Adoke and Etete, as well as other parties, in separate cases, for their alleged roles in the OPL 245 deal. President Jonathan and other officials alleged to have been involved in the deal have equally denied any wrongdoing. The Iowa Department of Public Health and Mills County Public Health have identified six cases of COVID-19 at Glen Haven Village, a long-term care facility in Mills County, the county public health department said Wednesday night. The outbreak includes four residents and two staff members. Glen Haven Village is located in Glenwood. According to the Iowa Department of Public Health, an outbreak occurs when three or more cases of COVID-19 are identified among residents of a facility. In a release, Mills County Public Health said the facility has notified residents and their families and, consistent with IDPH guidelines, the affected residents are in isolation. Glen Haven staff are working closely with IDPH and Mills County Public Health to protect the health of all residents and staff, with additional testing of residents and staff as directed by IDPH, the release said. Protecting the health and well-being of the residents and staff is of the highest priority, Mills County Public Health Director Julie Lynes said in the release. We know our older population is at the highest risk for serious COVID-19 illness, so we are monitoring the situation carefully and taking the highest precautions to prevent virus spread. As of Wednesday, there were 144 total cases of COVID-19 in Mills County, the public health department said. Some have not reached the state, which listed 139 cases at coronavirus.iowa.gov. The website listed 3,271 tests on Thursday. The countys 14-day rolling average positivity rate is 4.8%. In Pottawattamie County, there were 1,741 cases as of 3 p.m. Thursday, an increase of 15 cases over a 24-hour period, according to the state website. There have been 18,784 tests, 1,508 recoveries and 35 deaths. The countys 14-day positivity rate is 8%. In Iowa, the state listed 72,257 positive cases out of 684,376 tests, an increase 992 cases. There were 15 additional deaths for a total 1,207 from Thursday and 684 new recoveries. The states listed recovery total is now at 51,691. COVID-19 information and resources Symptoms in people who have been exposed to coronavirus can include fever, cough and shortness of breath, according to the Iowa Department of Public Health. The symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as long as 14 days after exposure. Most people experience mild or moderate symptoms that clear up in two to three weeks. Older adults and people with existing health problems are among those particularly susceptible to more severe illness, including pneumonia. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend the use of masks when out in public. Make sure it covers the mouth and nose. Face shields are an option as well, as they cover the eyes. Public health officials recommend: Stay home as much as possible. Self-monitor for symptoms. Call your physician if symptoms appear. Cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue or your upper arm/elbow. Wash hands frequently with soap and water. Clean and disinfect frequently-touched objects and surfaces. COVID-19 testing is available in Pottawattamie County via two TestIowa locations: All Care Health Center, 902 S. Sixth St., and Western Historic Trails Center, 3434 Richard Downing Ave. To get tested, residents must complete the online assessment at testiowa.com to schedule an appointment. For those struggling with mental health during the pandemic, yourlifeiowa.org has several resources, including a hotline at 855-581-8111 and a text-friendly line at 855-895-8398. The University of Nebraska Medical Center has a COVID-19 screening app 1-Check COVID. Concerned about COVID-19? Sign up now to get the most recent coronavirus headlines and other important local and national news sent to your email inbox daily. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. When Dennis Renners phone rang in May 2019, he assumed it was just a telemarketer who didnt have enough sense to heed the do not call message on his answering machine. As it turned out, the woman on the phone was calling on behalf of the Navy. She was trying to locate the oldest living sibling of his late uncle, Albert Renner, who grew up and lived in Mandan in the early 1900s. Navy Fireman 2nd Class Albert Renner, 24, was assigned to the battleship USS West Virginia, moored at Ford Island in Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, when the ship sustained multiple torpedo hits from Japanese airplanes during the infamous surprise attack at Pearl Harbor. The USS West Virginia was hit by two bombs and at least seven torpedoes during the attack and sank to the bottom of the harbor, according to the Naval History and Heritage Command. Albert Renner was killed along with 105 other crewmen, but many of the remains had never been identified. More than 78 years later, the woman on the phone told Dennis Renner that the Navy was in the process of disinterring and identifying the remains of unknown soldiers from Pearl Harbor that were buried at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu. Well, I was shocked, said Dennis Renner, 70, of Mandan. She told me they just got done with the (USS) Oklahoma and they were going to start on the West Virginia. He gave her his aging aunt and uncles contact information. It wasnt until August 2019 when his uncle Eddie was officially notified that Albert's remains had been identified. Members of the Renner family held a gathering in Mandan last September, where uncle Eddie showed them the official documents from the Navy. They gave my uncle a pamphlet down there, it's gotta be a quarter-inch thick. Its got pictures, the history of Al, his enlistment papers, all kinds of interesting things in there, Renner said. Albert Renner was one of 15 siblings. Several of them, including Denniss father, Lawrence, had given DNA to the military in the mid-1990s in the hopes of helping identify their late brothers' remains, but they never heard anything for decades, Renner said. Scientists used dental records and anthropological analysis, several types of DNA analysis, and circumstantial and material evidence to identify Albert Renners remains. There was even evidence of a shoulder injury from when young Albert Renner fell off a cart during the 1930s, Renner said. Its really fascinating. They even know how he died, Renner said. Based on scientists forensic analysis, it is believed that Albert Renner was below deck when he suffered a fatal head injury during the attack. A full military service for Albert Renner is scheduled for Sept. 18 at the North Dakota Veterans Cemetery in Mandan. It was originally slated for May 2020 but was delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic. We hope we can pull this off this time, Renner said. The sailor's remains are expected to arrive in North Dakota on Tuesday under a full military escort. A Mass is scheduled for 11 a.m. Sept. 18 at Christ the King Catholic Church in Mandan prior to the military funeral at the veterans cemetery, and a luncheon is planned at the Eagles Club in Mandan following the service. The military is covering nearly all costs associated with the funeral. Members of North Dakotas congressional delegation have been in contact with the family in regards to attending, Renner said. Family members representing each of Alberts 14 other siblings are expected to be in attendance, including four of Alberts living siblings. Unfortunately, Denniss father, Lawrence, died in July prior to the funeral service, but knowing that his older brothers remains had been identified had given him a sense of closure, Renner said. I could see that on him last fall, when my uncle Eddie and him were talking about this. This was a big deal for them, Renner said. He was looking forward to this. Albert and Lawrence were separated in age by six years. During the 1920s and '30s they would have done chores together around the family farm about 10 miles southwest of Mandan. Dennis Renner remembers hearing stories about Pearl Harbor and his uncle Albert during his childhood, and he recounted a memorable story he heard in 1961 while sitting at home with his aunts and uncles. I remember that they were talking about ... that there were men on the ship, and that when it sank they were tapping. They heard tapping. These were the guys below deck that were trapped below in a compartment and they couldnt get out. But they tapped. And the tapping went on for several days and then it was gone, Renner said. His cousin, Allan, has taken the lead on handling the arrangements for the service. He said the Navy has been easy to work with and everybodys been pretty gracious. I think it's a pretty amazing feat that the Navy was able to identify the remains, and then, that they bring them back here to the United States, Allan Renner said. Its a pretty special occasion. Dennis Renner, too, was impressed by the Navys dedication in identifying an unknown sailors remains long after his death. Its humbling that the government, after all these years, would go through all this work to do this. Thats remarkable, he said. Theyll bring everybody home. "Now he can come home." Reach Bilal Suleiman at 701-250-8261 or Bilal.Suleiman@bismarcktribune.com Love 4 Funny 0 Wow 3 Sad 0 Angry 0 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. A second-grade class at a Florida elementary school was having a moment they would never forget with President George W. Bush on Sept. 11, 2001, when an aide briskly entered the room and whispered an urgent message in the president's ear. Bush was informed there had been a terrorist attack on New York City's World Trade Center, news he addressed to the country during an impromptu press conference at Emma E. Booker Elementary School in Sarasota less than a half hour later. Watch TODAY All Day! Get the best news, information and inspiration from TODAY, all day long. Sandra Kay Daniels was the teacher in the class that day, and Dinasty Brown was one of her 16 students. They shared their recollections of that scene on the 3rd hour of TODAY Friday, the 19th anniversary of the attacks that killed nearly 3,000 Americans. Sandra Kay Daniels was the teacher in the classroom at Emma E. Booker Elementary School in Sarasota, Florida, in the moment that former President George W. Bush was told about the 9/11 attacks. (TODAY) "I knew something was wrong because that was not supposed to happen," Daniels said. "The mood went from we're having a great time, he's emotionally involved with the classroom, to him leaving us, spiritually, mentally, and physically. "He left the room, and I knew I had to continue teaching because I had my 16 students in front of me, I had a classroom full of cameras, and the president was there, but he left me and I didn't know why." Brown, 26, was just 7 years old at the time, but she could sense the mood had changed. "We knew something was wrong, and as a kid you're very curious, so I keep looking up, I'm peeking, because his face is completely different now," Brown said. "So the energy definitely shifted, but we didn't know exactly what was going on." Brown recalled seeing Daniels in tears in front of the class once Bush had announced the news of the attacks. "I remember she was sitting behind her desk, eyes bloodshot and crying, and seeing that was like, it was weird," Brown said. "It's kind of like seeing your parents cry for the first time. You never see them weak, so very emotional." Story continues Brown is now a successful entrepreneur, and Daniels teaches grades sixth, seventh and eighth at Booker Middle School in Sarasota. They are featured in a new documentary called "9/11 Kids" that follows the lives of six of the 16 students who were in the classroom that day. "I am in constant contact with them all the time and even if time and years have separated (us), or we haven't seen each other for a moment, the moment we do connect, it was like we never lost a beat, there was no time difference in us," Daniels said about her former students. It had been a joyous day at the school before Bush was given the stunning news. He had joined in their reading class to promote his education initiative, and there was a buzz all day leading up to it. "I never forget it," Brown said. "I'm honestly always thinking back to that time, back to that day, and feeling this importance that I was a part of history." A new scholarship fund has been set up in the school district in conjunction with the new documentary in honor of a person who helped make that historic day happen. The scholarship to help students in the school district to further their education is in the name of the late Gwendolyn Tose-Rigell, the former principal of Booker Elementary, who died in 2007. "She is the reason President Bush came to our school," Daniels said. "She brought the White House to us." Fantasy art: Loftus Howes painting of Maria Gunning is estimated to fetch between 8,000 and 10,000 at Sheppards auction later this month Maria Gunning was a victim of 18th century celebrity culture, a country girl from Roscommon who was thrust into high society without the tools to survive it. Her beauty was iconic. She became a countess, feted, exploited and over-exposed. By the age of 27, she was dead, poisoned by the toxic cosmetics she used to keep pace with a world she did not understand. She had the reputation of silliness, propagated by the society gossips that were the 18th century version of internet trolls. Gunning certainly made poor choices, but her portrait was painted by the most fashionable artists of the day and none of them portray her as a silly woman. She looks graceful, inquisitive and alert. Her most famous portrait, Lady On A Sofa, by the Swiss artist Jean-Etienne Liotard is now in the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. This likeness, and others by Joshua Reynolds and Francis Cotes, gave rise to many mezzotint prints. People used to rent them out for dinner parties. "Do you remember the way that we used to rent DVDs?" asks Philip Sheppard, auctioneer. "In the 18th century, you could rent prints, and engravings of Maria Gunning and her sister Elizabeth were incredibly popular." If you wanted your party to appear really exotic, you could also rent a pineapple. A portrait of Gunning, painted in oils by Loftus Howe, is coming up for auction at Sheppard's on September 22 and 23 (est 8,000 to 10,000). "It's a superb painting with an exceptional story behind it," Sheppard says. The painting is a portrait a la turque, a type of Oriental fantasy art that became popular in the 1740s. Maria came from Castlecoote House which, rumour had it, her father had won at cards. According to the historian Turtle Bunbury, he was a gambling man, riddled with debt and obliged to "retire into the country, to avoid the disagreeable consequences that must ensue". Here, he sunk into morose self-pity while his wife, the redoubtable Brigid Gunning, set off for Dublin to trade upon her daughters' beauty. They swept into high society like Cinderella. On the grounds of not much other than their looks, they were invited to a ball at Dublin Castle, but had nothing suitable to wear. They borrowed costumes from the Theatre Royal and were presented to the Viceroy dressed as Lady Macbeth and Juliet. The Viceroy, Lord Harrington, then gave Brigid Gunning a substantial pension that enabled her to bring her daughters to London. How exactly she managed to engineer this, and what the deal involved, has been lost in time. The Gunning girls took London by storm. In 1750, they were presented to King George II, who asked them what they'd like to see in London. Maria, who lacked tact, said she'd like to see a coronation (the king would have to die for this to happen). Luckily, he saw the funny side of this. They married quickly and advantageously. Elizabeth became the Duchess of Hamilton and Maria the Countess of Coventry. Celebrity culture took over their lives. When she was mobbed by crowds, the king offered Maria a guard of soldiers. "She then paraded in the park, accompanied by her husband and Lord Pembroke, preceded by two sergeants, and followed by 12 soldiers," wrote Thomas Willing in Some Old Time Beauties (1895). An enterprising shoemaker earned two guineas and a half by exhibiting shoes he had made for the countess at a penny a head. In the midst of her triumph, Maria was all at sea. The Gunning sisters had not been educated for high society (although Elizabeth was more level-headed than her sister). They were country girls, neither refined in manner nor politically informed, and did not have the social skills to negotiate the viper-pit of Georgian London. They did not speak French. They lacked wit for repartee. In Paris on honeymoon, Maria adopted the fashionable habit of using a foundation cream based on white-lead, combined with rouge. When her skin reacted, she applied more make-up. She died, in 1760, of lead poisoning and consumption. Ten thousand people came to view her coffin. It was the Georgian equivalent of reality TV. See sheppards.ie IT was the day the sun never rose. San Francisco bathed in an orange glow this week, as smoke from wildfires raging to the north blackened the sky. Read More The city has a bustling Irish community and those that spoke to Independent.ie recounted an experience they will never in their lives forget. It was the most surreal day Ive ever seen, said Vince Keehan, originally from Galway but who has been living in the Bay Area for 30 years. Mr Keehan, who runs a wooden window company as well as being a working musician, said he had never seen anything like it. It was very weird, very eerie. It was an apocalyptic view. Actually, it was kind of like something from the film Apocalypse Now. He was up at 6am on Wednesday and it took him some time to realise what was going on. At first I just thought it was a regular dark morning. But by the time it got to 10am, I thought what the hell is happening here? It was dark; very, very dark. It was as dark as if it was the middle of the night. The street lights were on everywhere, all the lights were on, he said. And it remained like that for the whole day. He said what he was mainly concerned about was the poor air quality and ash that was falling on the city. Ive had some medical issues in the past. The thing was that youre breathing this into your lungs. For him, the scene was in-keeping with the year that 2020 has already been. It was strange and the year has been strange enough with Covid and all that, he said. Mr Keehan had returned to Ireland in March for his daughters wedding and had gigs lined up, but they were cancelled due to the pandemic. Another Irish man who now calls San Francisco home and happens to be a musician is Eamonn Flynn, who played keyboards for the movie The Commitments. His experience of the atmosphere in the city was similar to Mr Keehans. It was bizarre, that was the only word you could use to describe it, he said. My wife is a teacher; she has been working from home doing distance-learning. When we woke up, she thought her alarm hadnt gone off or something. It was just confusion. Her phone said 8am but it was still completely dark. She said whats going on here? We opened the curtains and it was dark outside, basically the sun never came up, he said. Mr Flynn said, having worked in the area for years, he had some experience of the devastation that the fire season could bring. Around three years ago I played in a town called Paradise, in California. Then the next year, it burnt down. Like, all of it burnt down, he said. Even with that experience, he had still never seen anything like the day that greeted him on Wednesday. It just got darker and darker. It probably peaked around noon. But there was also this sort of orange glow. Its kind of hard to explained. The sky was dark, but there was a pervading ether of orange everywhere, he said. Mr Flynn said he had some idea what was going on and had understood that the fires were burning near Oregon which is some 850km away. It was a very, very wired feeling. He said that the poor air quality that followed left him with a sore nose and eyes. Trying to make the best of the situation, he live-streamed a gig from house to get the sun to come out he joked. Eamonn Gormley, from Lurgan, Co Armagh, lives in San Jose, California and works with software company Adobe. Looking out at the sky, the song says all the leaves are brown - today all the leaves are grey, he said. When you step outside its like looking through yellow sunglasses. He and his wife live in the city, but their extended family has been impacted by the fires. My wifes cousin was evacuated because he lived in up in the Santa Cruz hills, about 45 minutes away. He has been staying here for around the last week. He said his initial reaction to the scenes was one of amazement. I wouldnt say scared as such, because we live in the city and arent in much danger. But we have an 18-month old daughter and weve been looking at each other and wondering what kind of world were leaving for her, he said. There were wildfires in the Bay Area around 12 years ago, but it certainly wasnt ever this bad. What was really unusual was there were lightings storms. I woke up in the middle of the night to a loud bang. It was a massive lighting storm that triggered it. I knew, its like a tinder box on the hills. We havent had rain since February. He said air quality was also a concern. Every time you close the car door theres a little bit of ash, he said. The week saw an unprecedented number of fires rage across the US. Numerous wildfires burned in Oregons forested valleys and along the coast, destroying hundreds of homes and causing mass evacuations. Farther north, flames devoured buildings and huge tracts of land in Washington state. The number of simultaneous fires and the damage caused was unprecedented, according to US officials. There were several deaths, including a one-year-old boy in Washington state. Oregon governor Kate Brown said during the week that communities had been substantially destroyed. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-11 16:35:54|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close China released a master plan in early June on building its southern island province of Hainan into a globally influential free trade port. With supporting policy packages, Hainan is becoming a popular destination for foreign investment and enterprises. So far, the free trade port has landed a total of 94 key projects including 20 foreign-funded ones, covering various sectors such as tourism, modern service, and high-tech industries. According to the Hainan provincial department of commerce, in June and July alone, 136 foreign-funded companies were set up in Hainan, accounting for more than 47 percent of the total in the first seven months. Washington: President Barack Obama has awarded Vice President Joe Biden the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nations highest civilian honour, in a surprise tribute to his White House partner of 8 years. Obama described the former Delaware senator as the best vice president Americas ever had and a lion of American history, during an emotional ceremony to honour the 74-year-old at the White House. For the final time as president, I am pleased to award our nations highest civilian honor, the presidential Medal of Freedom, Obama said. Also read | Barack Obama's farewell speech: Islamic State will be destroyed soon, says US prez (Video) A visibly overwhelmed Biden said the award was more than he deserved. Mr President, Im indebted to you. Im indebted to your friendship. Im indebted to your family, he said. Obama said the tribute will give the Internet one last chance to joke about the bromance the two share. This is an extraordinary man, with an extraordinary career in public service, he said. The president said that the people of Delaware sent Biden to the Senate as soon as they could, electing him at the age of 29. It was eight and a half years ago that I chose Joe to be my vice president. There has not been a single moment since that time that I have doubted the wisdom of that decision. It was the best possible choice, not just for me but for the American people, Obama said. Also read | Barack Obama breaks down while acknowledging wife Michelle's contribution in farewell address (Video) For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. She's long been open about her battle with mental health. And on Thursday, NRL WAG Zoe Marshall revealed her struggles with anxiety as she penned a moving post for R U OK? Day. The 36-year-old, who is married to Wests Tigers star Benji Marshall, shared an old black and white photo of herself crying, admitting she was at 'breaking point' and 'miserable' earlier this year. 'One night I just cried and cried': NRL WAG Zoe Marshall shared an old black and white photo of herself crying on Thursday, admitting she was at 'breaking point' and 'miserable' earlier this year 'This picture was taken in one of the best/worst weeks I've had this year,' Zoe explained. 'I was at breaking point. I was burnt out, being incredibly triggered by something outside of my control and was suffering with circumstantial anxiety. I was miserable.' The media star said that while her podcast was number one at the time, she just wasn't happy. Nothing could make her happy: The media star said that while her podcast was number one at the time, she just wasn't happy 'At the same time. I was number one on the podcast charts. It was a real headf**k. I have some people and tools in place when this happens,' she said, revealing she's been seeking help from a therapist, lawyer and acupuncturist. 'I have the best therapist in the world. And one night I just cried and cried, she held that space and reframed some past trauma for me.' Zoe then urged her followers to talk to others if they need help. 'We're all human and all struggle': Zoe is pictured with Benji and son Benjamin Fox 'We are all human. We all struggle and we all have blissful days. It's just about knowing how to feel supported through them all,' she urged. 'Please keep talking. And don't be scared of someone's anxiety, mental health, grief and beyond. Be there. Talk. Or just listen. It's more powerful than you realise. And if all else fails call @lifelineaustralia and get some help.' In September 2018, Zoe spoke candidly about her struggle with postnatal depression to raise awareness of R U OK? Day. Candid: In September 2018, Zoe spoke candidly about her struggle with postnatal depression to raise awareness of R U OK? Day The mother-of-one wrote on Instagram at the time: 'Today is RUOK day. I have to be honest. Today I am...The two months prior were brutal. Suffering extreme postnatal depletion.' She explained how her postpartum 'played out in low immunity, constant flu symptoms [and] exhaustion', adding that she did not take any days off from motherhood or working. 'I tried to keep it together. I tried to smile through it all. I had only time for my baby and work. Everything else fell away. Not talking to anyone about it,' she wrote. 'I can't believe how happy I finally feel... Was it postnatal depression? I don't know. I do know as a woman and mother I put way to much pressure on myself.' If you or anyone you know is struggling, contact Lifeline or Beyond Blue. Tesla is planning to export Model 3 vehicles made in China to Asian and European markets, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters on September 11. The US automaker, which started delivering Model 3 electric sedans from its Shanghai factory in December, also plans from next year to sell China-made Model 3 vehicles to Japan and Hong Kong, one of the sources said. Tesla did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The US firm is expanding its manufacturing capacity in China to make Model Y sports-utility vehicles (SUVs) and adding lines to make more battery packs, electric motors and motor controllers. Tesla, which aims to build 150,000 Shanghai-made Model 3 vehicles this year, sold about 11,800 vehicles in China last month. The sources declined to be named as they are not allowed to speak to media. Bloomberg reported the plan earlier on Friday. The National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS) has described the decision of both the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to introduce free wifi services on the various university campuses if elected into office as laudable and a clear appreciation of one of the problems students faced in the country. It said the decision of the two main parties indicated that political parties were doing a lot of research to find out the real needs of the people. It, however, expressed the hope that the two parties would implement such a policy if any of them won power during this years general elections. We think they must be commended for such efforts, the President of NUGS, Mr. Isaac Hyde told the Daily Graphic. NPP At the launch of the NPPs manifesto on August 22, 2020, the Vice-President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia said the next administration of the party was going to provide Senior High Schools and tertiary institutions across the country with free wifi. The process has started and a contract has already been awarded. The Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) is also levelling its fibre network across the country, he said, adding that government was expecting the work on the free wifi initiative to be completed by the year 2021. NDC During the launch of the NDCs manifesto, the Running Mate of former President John Mahama, Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang said when elected into power, the NDC would put up free wifi zones in both public and private tertiary institutions in the country. So we would provide free laptops to tertiary students to facilitate participation in online classes. We would also establish free wifi zones in all public and private tertiary institutions, she said. Online studies Many tertiary institutions in the country were compelled to adopt online studies to continue their academic work following the closure of schools on March 15, 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, many other institutions were not able to fully migrate to online due to the lack of a robust IT system, while many students also complained about the high cost of internet data. Necessity Mr. Hyde noted that the free wifi initiative was very much necessary as it could boost learning among students and help to broaden the scope of ICT education and research. The importance of wifi services cannot be overemphasised as it was clearly seen when we had to move to the learning management system during the closure of schools. One of the biggest issues that came at that time had to do with the cost of data because without data, there was no way you can access teaching and learning facilities. Source: Graphic.com.gh Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video In the real world, where successful businesses are operated somewhere in the broad range between break-even and absolute-maximum profitability, there was and is always leeway for being a bit unnecessarily fair and responsible to accept slightly smaller profit margins to fulfill implicit obligations to employees, customers, communities, society at large, decency itself. But while economists still argue over Friedmans theories, his hot take 50 years ago for nonspecialists the Friedman doctrine turned a capitalist truism (profits are essential) into a simple-minded, unhinged, socially destructive monomania (only profits matter). In A Christmas Carol, Scrooge is redeemed when he abandons his nasty profit-mad view of life and his name became a synonym for miserliness. Likewise, a century later, in Its a Wonderful Life, the banker Mr. Potter is the evil, unredeemable, un-American villain. Here was Milton Friedman telling businesspeople that theyd been tricked by the liberal elite, that Scrooge and Potter were heroes they ought to emulate. As for government regulation, Friedmans doctrine included a heads-I-win-tails-you-lose Catch-22. Any virtuous act by businesses beyond what the law requires is simpering folly, he insists, yet according to him too almost any government attempt to regulate business is the beginning of the end of freedom and democracy. Friedmans was a reductio ad absurdum purification of what had become a well-tempered, successful, increasingly fair free-market system. His vision was to revert to a fundamentalist capitalism from which a century of systemic interventions and buffers by democratic government and norms would be removed. Friedman was horrified by the present climate of opinion, with its widespread aversion to capitalism, profits, the soulless corporation and so on. Indeed, a survey-research firm that had been asking people every year if they thought business tries to strike a fair balance between profits and the interests of the public found the number who agreed had dropped to 33 percent in 1970 from 70 percent in 1968. (By the late 70s it had bottomed out at 15 percent.) The very same month that The New Yorker filled a whole issue with excerpts from a liberal professors hurrah-for-revolution best seller, The Greening of America, Friedman delivered his counterrevolutionary economic manifesto to 1.5 million Times subscribers. Yet its self-righteous, hyperbolic, screw-the-Establishment confrontationalism is also a product of that 1970 moment: While Friedman was reacting against the surging support for social justice, he did so in the spirit of the late 1960s. Two ascendant countercultures, the hippies and the economic libertarians, in 1970 one large and one still tiny, shared a new ultraindividualism as a prime directive: If it feels good, do it; follow your bliss; find your own truth; and do your own thing were just nice utopian flip sides of every man for himself. For businessmen who felt demonized by public opinion and besieged by tougher government regulation for the last few years, the militancy of the Friedman doctrine in The New York freaking Times a year after Woodstock was thrilling. And then, as now, to get what they were mainly after politically superlow taxes, minimized regulation they exploited the voter backlash against street protests by aggrieved, angry younger Americans. Just as America reached Peak Left, the Friedman doctrine and, a year later, a battle plan commissioned by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, drafted by the corporate lawyer Lewis Powell, quoting Friedman, just before he joined the Supreme Court became founding scripture for an economic crusade to discredit the New Deal consensus and rewrite the social contract. Democratic and liberal leaders, alas, didnt put up much of a fight. At the end of the 1970s, for instance, PBS commissioned a 10-episode series, Free to Choose, starring Friedman and funded by General Motors, General Mills and PepsiCo. A spokesperson for the show promised it would explain to viewers like you how weve become puppets of big government. And indeed, in that four-TV-channel era, Friedman used his noncommercial government-subsidized PBS platform to argue that the Food and Drug Administration, public schools, labor unions and federal taxes, among other betes noires, were bad for America. The series premiered in January 1980, just before the first Republican primaries, in which Ronald Reagan was a candidate. Of course, Reagan won the nomination and the presidency, after which Friedman patted himself on the back for his work with Goldwater and the epochal move away from New Deal ideas. As Friedman put it in 1982, you need ideas that are lying around his ideas as ready alternatives to existing policies, and then at a ripe moment the politically impossible becomes politically inevitable. Throughout big business and finance and much of conventional wisdom, the Friedman doctrine came to mean that the pursuit of absolutely maximum profit for your company and yourself trumped every other value or motive, greed-is-good definitively replacing concern for the common good. A result was an American economy and culture driven by selfishness, callousness and recklessness. Before long, a big Hollywood movies most memorable scene was a kind of dramatization of the Friedman doctrine, Libertarian Economics for Dummies. The point is, ladies and gentlemen, sexy Gordon Gekko told his ecstatic fellow stockholders, that greed for lack of a better word is good. Greed is right. Greed works. And greed, he promised, would make America great again. In 1976, Friedman became the first Chicago school economist to win a Nobel Prize. That same year, two members of the University of Rochester business-school faculty published a 55-page paper conceived as an operational elaboration of the Friedman doctrine. Theory of the Firm made righteous greed seem scientific, with equations and language of the managers indifference curve is tangent to a line with slope equal to - kind. Its big point was that if corporate executives are mere salarymen rather than owners of company stock, theyll overspend on charitable contributions, get lax on employee discipline, concern themselves too much about personal relations (love, respect, etc.) with employees and the attractiveness of the secretarial staff. It is one of the most-cited economics papers ever. The professors also wrote a shorter, more accessible follow-up that ditched the math and the pretense of scholarly neutrality: big business has been cast in the role of villain by consumer advocates, environmentalists and the like, who want to spread the cliche that corporations have too much power. The modern understanding of how corporate managers should run companies, an article in The Harvard Business Review declared in 2012, has been defined to a large extent by that original Friedman-doctrine-inspired paper from 1976. It went beyond doctrinal Friedmania that companies must absolutely maximize profit, now positing as a kind of mathematical fact that stock price, a much less objective measure, was the only meaningful corporate metric. Soon a Reagan-administration S.E.C. rule change effectively gave free rein to public companies, for the first time since the New Deal, to buy up shares of their own stock on the open market in order to jack up the price. U.S. executive pay, meanwhile, shifted from consisting mainly of salary and bonus to mainly stock and stock options. Astonishingly, stock buybacks eventually consumed most of the earnings of S&P 500 companies, as they still do. So here we are with a re-engineered system in which just the richest 10th of us have 84 percent of all stock shares owned by Americans, and a ravaged economy in which the stock market is close to an all-time high. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-11 03:54:49|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close RABAT, Sept. 10 (Xinhua) -- Libya's two rival legislative bodies agreed on Thursday to resume talks in Morocco in the last week of September. In a joint statement issued at the end of a five-day meeting in Bouznika, the High Council of State based in the Libyan capital Tripoli and the eastern-based House of Representatives said they "have reached a comprehensive agreement on the criteria and mechanisms to occupy the keys posts of sovereignty." The statement declined to give further details about the agreement, only confirming that the talks will be held in the last week of September. The Bouznika meeting came weeks after the separate visits by President of the Libyan High Council of State Khalid al-Mishri and Speaker of the Libyan House of Representatives Aquila Saleh to Morocco. In 2015, Morocco hosted the UN-brokered peace talks between Libya's rival parties that led to the conclusion of the Libyan Political Agreement on forming a national unity government. Still, the North African country has remained divided between the two authorities in the east and west even after the signing of this agreement. Enditem Choking back tears at a 9/11 memorial service Friday, Lt. Gov. Sheila Oliver took a moment to speak directly to New Jerseys police officers, both in attendance and watching via livestream. To law enforcement, I want to share a message with you: We need you, we appreciate you, and want you to know with all the noise thats going on, we will never defund you, Oliver said, in a speech during the service at Eagle Rock Reservation in West Orange. The small in-person crowd, which included U.S. Reps. Mikie Sherrill and Donald Payne Jr., applauded the comments. The comments begin an hour and 25 minutes into the Vimeo live-stream of the Essex County memorial service. Olivers statement marks a rare time that an official in Gov. Phil Murphy administration has taken a firm public stance on the controversial issue and rallying cry of the Black Lives Matter movement. Oliver is the highest-ranking Black elected state official in New Jersey. Our first responders are the ones that paid a price on that day, Oliver, a Demcorat, continued. Can you imagine going up 70, 80, 90 flights of stairs to carry people down? Can you think about people (who) worked in those buildings who were in wheelchairs and couldnt get out? It was the first responders that saved lives. Calls to defund the police ramped up this summer amid a wave of Black Lives Matter protests, which followed the May 25 police-involved death of George Floyd, a Black man, in Minnesota. In all 50 states, protesters have called for an end to overt use of force by police against unarmed civilians, particularly people of color. On its website, the Black Lives Matter movement says: We call for an end to the systemic racism that allows this culture of corruption to go unchecked and our lives to be taken. We call for a national defunding of police. We demand investment in our communities and the resources to ensure Black people not only survive, but thrive. To many supporters, "defund is a misunderstood term. They say it doesnt necessarily call for all funding to police be cut but suggests taking some funding that usually goes to law enforcement and putting it toward programs that might help residents and improve communities and thus prevent the need for police presence in the future. While Murphy, New Jerseys proudly progressive governor, marched in a pair of Black Lives Matter protests and often supports policies to help minorities, he has not taken a strong stance on defunding the police. During his latest coronavirus briefing Friday in Trenton, Murphy said he did not see Olivers comments and he did not explicitly endorse or oppose them. But he stressed I dont know where Id be without her. The governor, who is white. also said hes more concerned with including funding in the state budget to help residents and communities with education, health care and more. Its less about what youre doing with law enforcement than it is: What are you doing with the surrounding community investments? Murphy said. You know, forget about what you say, where you put your money, is that where your mouth is? Murphy had previously addressed the topic at his June 9 briefing, when he was asked if he agrees with the defund the police movement. He said he was not advocating for defunding the police but is in favor of giving more money to community groups. Weve tried to make the investments in communities, community policing, to lift up communities, whether its education investments or health care investments, Murphy said, at the time. I recognize the passion right now on the notion of defunding police, he added. To me, its, Whats the ultimate end state? What are we trying to get to? New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal has taken a stauncher stance on the topic, addressing the defund the police movement during a July webinar on police reform. Immediately withdrawing these types of resources from law enforcement puts them in an untenable position, Grewal said, instead calling for increased funding to improve training. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Josh Axelrod may be reached at jaxelrod@njadvancemedia.com. Brent Johnson may be reached at bjohnson@njadvancemedia.com. The Tower of London, Hampton Court Palace, and Kensington Palace are staples on the itinerary of any tourist visiting the U.K. capital. Along with the three other palaces which are looked after by the Historic Royal Palaces organization, these sites typically welcome upwards of 4.5 million people per year, with the ever-popular Tower alone welcoming around 2 million. This year of course, those numbers will be much smaller, as the palaces were forced to shut their doors in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But as is seemingly necessary with everything in 2020, PBS found the silver lining to the situation. The network took advantage of the empty buildings to film a new documentary called Royal Palace Secrets, which will air on Sunday September 13 at 7:30 E.T. In the film, Lucy Worsley, a royal historian and the chief curator of historic royal palaces, hosts tours of all three locations while sharing tales of the rich history behind each building. Photo: Tom Hayward The result is quite striking to anyone who has ever battled crowds at any of these landmarks. Walking into the Tower of London, which was built in the 1070s and used as a palace, a fortress, a prison, and many other things over the years, Worsley says, To be all alone feels strange and really quite eerie. She's not completely alone, though, and it is soon revealed that there are some Yeomen Wardersceremonial guards also known as beefeatersquarantining at the Tower, along with the legendary ravens they care for. Photo: Tom Hayward See the video. Hampton Court is an ode to Henry VIII, where Worsley takes viewers inside the attic, onto the roof, and inside the storerooms of the royal ceremonial dress collectionareas not typically seen by visitors to the redbrick palace. Finally, at Kensington Palace (the current home of Prince William, Duchess Kate, and their children), Worsley shares some important modern history, examining a dress worn by Princess Diana. Currently, Kensington and Hampton Court Palaces have reopened, and the Tower of London has partially reopened. Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest ALBANY University at Albany and local officials joined together Friday to warn students that all in-person activities, including classes, could be suspended if a recent spike in coronavirus cases continues to grow. The university reported the spike Thursday evening, and said clusters had been traced back to student athletes and off-campus student housing. In response, on Friday, UAlbany President Havidan Rodriguez announced the university would be suspending all athletic activities immediately and requiring student athletes to participate in weekly pooled surveillance testing. He said 370 samples alone had already been collected by Thursday night. Rodriguez appeared alongside Albany County officials at a press briefing Friday to discuss the surge, which includes 40 positive cases among students since the start of the semester 31 of which were reported to the county health department in the 24 hours leading up to Thursday evening. He warned that if the campus reaches 100 cases in a two-week period it will have to consider going all-remote. SUNY Oneonta has already ended in-person classes after a surge of cases at that college. "I want to remind everybody that this is a deadly, serious pandemic and we cannot let our guard down," he said. "Our communities need to take this pandemic very seriously." Rodriguez warned that any student who violates the student code of conduct or COVID-19 safety pledge they signed at the start of the semester will be suspended. Six students have already been temporarily suspended while disciplinary hearings are underway, five have been removed from student housing and another five are under investigation, he said. UAlbany spokesman Jordan Carleo-Evangelist later confirmed that the university has received over 100 reports of alleged safety violations, but only 87 came with names or other identifying information that could be acted upon. The university's student conduct office is investigating those 87 cases, which already have or may still result in other significant sanctions, he said. State University of New York Chancellor Jim Malatras commended Rodriguez for taking "decisive" action to help curb the outbreak, including working with the mayor and county executive's office to ramp up police patrols in off-campus neighborhoods. These efforts no matter how prudent and proactive are futile if even a few students fail to comply with evidence-based safety protocols," he said. "We are once again asking students to understand their individual responsibility to the collective good and implore them to social distance, wear a mask, and isolate if they contract the virus or have been in contact with someone who has." Locals officials react For months, local officials have feared that a return of college students would lead to an increase in parties and other social activities where the coronavirus is easily spread. And a dramatic surge in local cases could impact whether businesses are allowed to remain open under New York state's guidelines for slowing the spread of COVID-19. Indeed, the spike at UAlbany appears to have driven the largest daily growth in coronavirus cases in Albany County in a month. County Executive Dan McCoy reported 23 new cases overnight Friday the highest daily total since Aug. 12. Of those, 20 had close contact with a positive case, two were health care workers or residents of a group setting, and one had no clear source of transmission. A surge at UAlbany is no small thing, McCoy said, noting that between students and employees the university is larger than the nearby city of Cohoes, town of Bethlehem and village of Green Island. "It's a small city," he said. We need the students' buy-in. We need your help and we can't do this without it... We want you to come here, we want you to have a good time... Just do the right thing. Wear a mask and stay apart. Its that simple, or do you want to end up shutting down and going back home?" Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan, who has partnered with Albany Police to patrol off-campus areas known for partying, said Friday that she is "deeply concerned" by the spike, as well as for any Albany residents who may come into contact with infected students in the city's stores, restaurants and parks. "We have implored students to abide by social distancing rules, wear a mask, and avoid large gatherings and it is clear that some are not listening," she said. "My message to students at each of our citys educational institutions is simple: mask up or shut down. We will continue to partner with UAlbany to keep our community healthy. Owusu Anane, a city councilmember who represents the Pine Hill neighborhood where many students reside, called the outbreak "beyond frustrating." "It is unacceptable that students continue to party and hold large gatherings during a pandemic," he said. "These students are not only putting their semester at risk, they are putting our city at risk. Reporting delays may have played a role County Health Commissioner Elizabeth Whalen said reports of the positive results among students may have been delayed based on where the student received their test. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. She said the county has noticed a number of students using point-of-care tests, which are conducted at urgent care or doctors offices and make the results available during the same visit. Unlike samples that are sent out to laboratories for testing, point-of-care test results are not uploaded into an electronic database that automatically notifies a local health department of a positive result. As use of these tests has risen, local health departments have asked providers who use them to report positive cases in a timely manner, Whalen said, but added that that doesn't always happen. While investigating the spike, the county learned that urgent care centers may have waited until they had a "batch" of positives before reporting them to the university. "What should happen is that we should get that result within three hours," she said. "What did happen is that the results, I think they were batched and given to SUNY Health Services." McCoy suggested that students may be intentionally using urgent care and doctors' offices for testing, noting that the university provides an on-campus testing service. "Let's face it," he said. "Students are savvy. Kids are savvy. I'm not accusing them of anything, but they know that if they go to a certain area it's not going to be reported back to their school when you've got a facility right there at their school." While SUNY Health Services communicated the results to the county health department right away, Carleo-Evangelist noted that a delay of any kind at any level can make a big difference when it comes to controlling a spread. "Six hours can make a difference," he said. Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo issued an executive order this week requiring providers who use point-of-care testing to report the results to the appropriate local health department within three hours. McCoy also noted Friday that UAlbany case numbers may not appear in full in the county's daily reported cases because some of them may technically belong to other counties. Regardless of the student's county of residence, however, the county health department will still investigate and conduct contact tracing, he said. "The data's going to change," he said. "It's not going to be accurate because you're dealing with kids from all over the state of New York, all over this great country of ours... so you'll have to bear with us and some days you'll see an increase and then we'll be down." Whalen urged students to take personal responsibility for controlling the spread of the virus by following public health precautions and listening to directives mandating quarantine or isolation regardless of whether their infection is symptomatic or not. "Whether your school stays open or closed depends upon what you do," she said. "So please take the importance of this responsibility to heart. We need people to comply with this behavior and we need, when we call, for you to pick up." Home > Archives (2006 on) > 2020 > Swami Agnivesh: The man who tried to retrieve the colour Bhagwa | John (...) Vepa Shyam Rao died ten days short of a precise 80 years in the Intensive Care Unit of a Delhi hospital, of the long-term impact of injuries sustained two years ago when the lone unarmed man was surrounded and beaten by armed assailants in Jharkhand. A lynch mob, you could call them. It was not difficult to spot him, even by people who did not read newspapers, did not see television. If anyone had seen a calendar painting of Swami Vivekananda, they would recognise Agnivesh, by colour, clothes and stance. As Swami Agnivesh, the global chief of the breakaway denomination of the Arya Semaj, the man from Srikakulam in Andhra Pradesh fought for more than half a century to reclaim the sanctity and honour of the Bhagwa, or ochre-saffron of the ascetic, from charlatans and political opportunists who had used it successfully to propel religious nationalism to power in India. His words to me. He challenged them on their turf and defeated them more often than not. They learnt not to confront him face to face, even if they continued to occasionally nip at his heels, or, in later days, troll him in paid packs. Perhaps it will be said that Swami Agnivesh, in the end, therefore lost what he had set out to achieve \as young management graduate, who later collected degrees in law and commerce, taught in Jesuit institutions, and one day, sort of, gave it up to become a human rights activist and the Hindu version of a Jesuit - learned, conscientious, and singular in pursuit. That is the Swami I encountered early in my reporting days, and grew up with as a friend, occasional colleague and often comrade in activism against communalism and the erosion of civil liberties. We shared hundreds of platforms in India and in the West, arguing why it was so important not just for us as Indian citizens, but for the world and its peace that our homeland remained secular, democratic, a respecter of human rights, and if possible, an example to the world. He was absolutely the darling of the international media, world leaders and fellow activists, striding the public platform as a colossal in his ochre kurta-dhoti, and the trademark turban of the same flaming hue adding even more stature to his tall and strong frame. Little wonder he could hold his own in Haryana where for a short while he fought and won an election to the state assembly and was made a minister. Not for long, but it did give him an insight into the way politics is played. in India. It was in Haryana he discovered a modern form of slavery - the phenomenon of bonded labour. A marginal farmer or a landless labourer would borrow money, sign a paper, and then discover that just to pay off the interest, he and his wife would have to serve for the rest of their life. And then the children would inherit the debt, and the bondage. Agnivesh devoted his life to eradicate this menace He would expose it in India in meetings and seminars, leading his band of followers t rescue bonded labour from brick kilns in villages and outside towns. It could become a street fight. Agnivesh led a band of a few score ragged children and adults once to raid the Ashoka Hotel, crying out how could seven-star edifices co-exist with people who had no present, and no future. the police and the governments were not amused. But Agnivesh made the world conscious of this and many other inequities that still beset India. Including caste, and the worst manifestation of caste, manual scavenging. We have together been a part of movements against this. And once in the birthplace of Babasaheb Bhim Rao Ambedkar, in Mhow, Madhya Pradesh, both of us had the privilege of washing the feet of manual scavengers. Among them was a woman who had vowed to give it up and get everyone else to also do so. Her daughter was a student of law. Agnivesh was in tears. He was not the only one. At home as much on the street and in demonstrations at one or another of the many offices in Delhi or elsewhere, Agnivesh was in full flow on the global stage. We were at the World Parliament of Religions where once, at Chicago, Swami Vivekanand had spoken of the greatness Hinduism. Agnivesh mounted the stage and cautioned the world what would become of Vivekanandas words if the communalism gnawed away at the very superstructure of Indian democracy. The many thousands gathered rose in acclamation. Days later I spoke at the valedictory on the underbelly of south Asia. International wards and honorary positions sat easy on his frame. he had been international chair of one of the United Nations committees on Modern Forms of Slavery. The Swami had his quirks, if I may so call them. A celibate, teetotaler, a vegetarian, he followed an Arya Samaj that did not believe in idols and idol worship or things others of his faith held sacred. He surprised many audiences greeting them in Urdu and a few words of Arabic he had picked up in his globe-trotting. He often said, repeating the words of Mahatma Gandhi, that he loved Jesus, but perhaps not some of those who claimed to follow him. He was averse to evangelization, and opposed conversions. he stuck to his point of view even if one told him opposing conversions - not just to Christianity - also meant that one did not accept that the poor, dispossessed and the so-called outcastes had agency in matters of faith, but were doomed to die in bondage both to religion and to caste. I have a bitter personal experience in Gujarat 2002, too. But today is not the occasion to write about it. We made up after a few months. The Gujarat 2002 violence and the impunity had impacted all of us, in perhaps different ways. I salute one of the most charismatic, and bravest, men Ive ever met. Who else, clad in the dress once worn by Swami Vivekanand, could argue and answer back everyone from a Shankaracharya down to the knife earing thug who said he was protecting India? Of course, they attacked him, more than once, grievously injuring him sometimes. But they got a taste of his whiplash tongue which they would remember. He whiplashed the Israeli border guards at the Jordan crossing when they refused us - a small delegation invited by the Palestinians and with proper visas from both Jordan and Israel - to enter Israel. The Israeli guards had confiscated our passports and would not return them. The Swami sat on a dharna, screaming at the officials, giving a speech to the motley gathering of refugees, visitors, Israeli nationals and Palestinians crowded in the hall. The officers did not know what hit them. Interpreters were called, officials and diplomats were mobilised, and we were out on a bus back to Jordan, and back home. That was my last trip outside India with the man. COVID has prevented us from paying personal homage to a friend, and a crusader. [Also published in Scroll] Sale ad almeno dieci il bilancio dei morti negli incendi nel nord della California. Lo riferiscono le autorita americane, parlando anche di 16 dispersi. In Oregon intanto 500.000 persone sono state evacuate per le fiamme e il presidente degli Usa Donald Trump ha firmato lo stato di emergenza. Secondo il National Fire Information Center, sono oltre 90 i grandi roghi che hanno devastato 13.700 km quadrati - un'estensione pari quasi al Connecticut - in 13 Stati occidentali. Oltre alla California e all'Oregon, incendi anche nello Stato di Washington. Al momento, ha spiegato la governatrice dell'Oregon Kate Brown, ci sono almeno 35 incendi attivi, che stanno distruggendo decine di edifici e costringendo all'evacuazione migliaia di persone. La governatrice ha ammonito che i roghi potrebbero provocare "il piu grande numero di morti e distruzioni nella storia dello Stato", e almeno cinque localita sono gia state in gran parte distrutte. San Francisco completamente arancione, con piogge di cenere trasportate dal vento che si depositavano sulle strade. "Quando il fumo e la cenere diventano ancora piu densi vicino agli incendi, la luce del sole si puo bloccare completamente, facendo sembrare di trovarsi nel cuore della notte", ha spiegato il meteorologo della Cnn Judson Jones. La California quest'anno ha raggiunto un altro triste record con quasi 931mila ettari bruciati nei roghi. Riproduzione riservata (Unioneonline/D) ALBANY When an organization representing New York salon and spa professionals publicly launched in May 2018, Assemblywoman Carrie Woerner spoke at the event, announcing a bill she was introducing at the groups urging. The launch was held at Nuance, a boutique salon in Malta owned by Holly Garofano, a co-founder of the New York State Association of Salon and Spa Professionals. Also speaking was Hollys husband, Todd Garofano, executive director of the new trade organization. Six months earlier, Christopher Garofano, the 25-year-year old son of Todd and Holly Garofano, had began working in Woerners Assembly office, according to his LinkedIn profile. For a time he interned and volunteered, according to Woerner's office, before gaining a full-time job about a year ago as legislative director. Since 2018, Woerner has introduced two bills at the urging of the association, which would impose training requirements upon cosmetologists, barbers and, most recently, shampoo assistants" at salons. If enacted into law, the bills would likely benefit the cosmetology schools that are members of the New York State Association of Salon and Spa Professionals, the group founded by Todd and Holly Garofano. Woerner, a Democrat from Round Lake in Saratoga County, said in an interview that the family overlaps were coincidental an example of Albany really being Smallbany, she said. Todd Garofano told the Times Union that his son did not "have anything to do with the most recent bill introduced by Woerner at his groups urging. As the New York Post first reported, the bill requires shampoo assistants at New York salons, despite the seemingly basic nature of the job, to undergo 500 hours of training at the cosmetology schools, earning a newly created certification. I live in Carrie's district and have known her for maybe 10 years, Todd Garofano said via email. After seeing the proposed certificate program, I called her office to see what she thought about it. Yet emails since released by Woerner show that in January 2019, Todd Garofano emailed his son Woerners legislative director with an outline of a new proposal. In the email, the father told his son he wanted to meet with Woerner. Love the formality can we get a meeting set up so he can talk to Carrie or [Woerner chief of staff Mark Luciano] about this idea, Christopher Garofano wrote to Woerners scheduler, two minutes after receiving the email from his father. Six weeks later, Woerner introduced the shampoo-assistant bill that the Association of Salon and Spa Professionals was seeking. The 300-word justification memo for Woerners legislation outlining the assemblywomans reasons for its introduction is gleaned word for word from the proposal that Todd Garofano had emailed to his son that January. Garofano told the Times Union the the proposal was formulated by Cheryl Winstel, a former official at the state Department of Education, and that upon learning about it, he merely presented the proposal to Woerner. David Catalfamo, a Republican running against Woerner for state Assembly, has derided Woerner's bill as emblematic of Democratic over-regulation strangling economic growth in upstate New York. The emails concerning the shampoo bill were posted by Woerner on her Facebook page, after Catalfamo had filed an open records request seeking them. Woerner posted the emails voluntarily. In an interview, Woerner chalked up Todd Garofano emailing his son to the actions of a very proud father excited about his sons first professional job. Woerner said that beyond the initial emails, Christopher Garofano did not have involvement with the shampoo assistant bill. Although he holds the title legislative director, Woerner said that the position is primarily administrative and does not include policymaking authority. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. Luciano, Woerner's chief of staff, said Woerner introduces bills "all the time" in which her justification memo was written by the group pushing for the legislation, as occurred with the shampoo bill. Before copying-and-pasting, however, Woerner's staff does "double check" that the statements made are accurate and make sense, Luciano said, arguing that the groups pushing bills have the most expertise in the subjects. Luciano noted there are about 70 salons in Woerner's district, and he asserts that the Association of Salon and Spa Professionals is in fact "not an interest group, they're an industry." Garofano knew Woerner before she was elected to the state Assembly in 2014, when she worked in software development and Garofano was president of the Saratoga Convention and Tourism Bureau. In 2017, Christopher Garofano, a recent college graduate in political science whod moved back to the Capital Region, approached Woerners office about opportunities. He did not mention his father at a job interview, Woerner said, until Woerner noted his last name, and asked if he was related. The assemblywoman described him as a "very talented young man" and said Christopher Garofano eventually was given a full-time job in the office. In May 2018, when Woerner appeared at the event promoting the launch of the Association of Salon and Spa Professionals, she had announced the first bill backed by the group, requiring cosmetologists and barbers to complete 36 hours of continuing education in order to renew their licenses. At the time, Woerner framed the bill as one dedicated to helping salon professionals recognize signs of domestic abuse and human trafficking, since four of the 36 hours would be dedicated to that training. A month earlier, Woerner had met in her office with Todd and Holly Garofano to discuss the new groups agenda. Woerner told the Times Union that it's common for her to attend ribbon cutting type events occurring in her Saratoga County district. Todd Garofano, who co-owns Nuance with his wife, told the Times Union in 2018 that he founded the association after hearing a daily barrage of concerns she had raised. Besides advocating for legislation, the association provides access to continuing education, industry events and assistance in navigating state regulations. While the organization collects dues from members, Garafano said it's operated at a loss so far, and he has been the sole, unpaid staffer. Garofano said the shampoo-assistant bill has been mischaracterized as government overreach or a money grab. The bill, he said, would allow students enrolled in an accredited cosmetology program to perform shampoo services in a professional salon or spa once they complete 500 hours of the required 1000-hour cosmetology license curriculum. Although not everyone agrees with his interpretation, Garofano contends that anyone performing a service in a salon or spa already must be fully licensed as a cosmetologist, including shampoo assistants. The bill would simply "get the student into the job force sooner, he said. COLUMBIA South Carolina's health agency continues to be plagued with top-level turnover as the state has struggled against the worst national health crisis in more than a century. State Public Health Director Dr. Joan Duwve, charged with large portions of the state agency's response to the coronavirus, is leaving after just five months on the job, the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control announced Friday. Dr. Brannon Traxler, who is chief medical officer for the states COVID-19 response, is taking over as interim public health director. This announcement follows a day of confusion around Duwve's future. Around 2:30 p.m. Thursday, Ohios governor announced Duwve would take a top public health job in his state. Six hours later, Gov. Mike DeWine tweeted Duwve withdrew her name from consideration, citing unspecified personal reasons. Duwve's decision not to accept the Ohio position was largely based on harassment experienced by the state's former health director Amy Acton, The State newspaper reported. Acton was hailed by many as a strong public health leader but acts of intimidation against her, including armed protests outside her home, also were widely reported as many held her responsible for broad business closures aimed at curbing the spread of the virus. In conversations preparing for the transition to the Ohio Department of Health, I was informed that the former directors family had faced harassment from the public, Duwve said in a statement. It continued, While I have dedicated my life to improving public health, my first commitment is to my family. I am a public figure. My family is off limits. I withdrew my name from consideration to protect my family from similar treatment." Duwve's next step is unclear, but she is leaving South Carolina's public health agency at the end of the month. Understandably, Joan has made a career decision that she feels is in the best interest of her family, and we respect this decision, acting DHEC Director Marshall Taylor said in a statement. Joan is a brilliant physician who is passionate about public health and we greatly appreciate the time she spent with DHEC as our director of Public Health. We wish her the best of luck in her future endeavors. Duwve came to South Carolina from Indiana in mid-April at a time when the state expected it was weeks away from its projected peak in COVID-19 cases. She was here when cases surged for a second time following the July 4th holiday weekend. She took over from Nick Davidson, who had been interim director of the agencys public health division since March 2019. He remained on as incident commander for DHECs 12-person team leading the agencys response to the pandemic. Related to coronavirus, Duwve led the public lab and disease control bureaus. Other sections she was responsible for include nutritional services and maternal health. In the past month under her leadership, COVID-19 case numbers have dropped as many cities and counties adopted mask ordinances but testing also fell off. Dr. Duwve has been an absolute pleasure to work with and has been a tremendous asset to the states response to the pandemic," said Brian Symmes, spokesman for Gov. Henry McMaster. McMaster "is deeply appreciative of her work and her commitment to ensuring a seamless transition as she moves on," Symmes said. "The governor also has complete confidence in Dr. Traxler and knows that we wont miss a beat with her taking on a new role. Duwve's departure follows the resignation of DHEC director Rick Toomey in May because of health issues. He had been in the role for just over a year. DHEC is being run by Taylor, its chief attorney, in the interim. Traxler will take over as public health director immediately. Duwve will remain at DHEC as an advisor until Oct. 1. I have the utmost confidence in Brannons ability to lead the states public health efforts during these challenging times, Taylor said. Brannons breadth of experience and knowledge in medical practice as a surgeon as well as the chief medical officer for the states COVID-19 response, uniquely positions her for this critical role and I look forward to our continued work together. Traxler was a surgeon in South Carolina before working at DHEC where she has focused on infectious disease surveillance and control, and emergency preparedness and response. 028ymw.com scored 40 Social Media Impact. Social Media Impact score is a measure of how much a site is popular on social networks. 2/5.0 Stars by Social Team This CoolSocial report was updated on 24 Dec 2012, you can refresh this analysis whenever you want. This is the sum of two values: the total number of people who shared the 028ymw homepage on Twitter + the total number of 028ymw followers (if 028ymw has a Twitter account). The total number of people who shared the 028ymw homepage on StumbleUpon. The total number of people who shared the 028ymw homepage on Google Plus by a google +1 button. This is the sum of two values: the total number of people who shared, liked or recommended the 028ymw homepage on Facebook + the total number of page likes (if 028ymw has a Facebook fan page). The total number of people who shared the 028ymw homepage on Delicious. Basic Information PAGE TITLE -! - Powered by 028ymw DESCRIPTION 028ymw KEYWORDS 028ymw OTHER KEYWORDS The keywords meta-tag found in the head section of the homepage. The title found in the head section of the homepage. CoolSocial advanced keyword analysis tool is able to detect and analyze every keyword on each page of a site. The URL (Uniform Resource Locator) is the address of the site. The description meta-tag found in the head section of the homepage. Domain and Server DOCTYPE XHTML 1.0 Transitional CHARSET AND LANGUAGE GBK DETECTED LANGUAGE SERVER Microsoft-IIS/6.0 (ASP.NET,PHP/5.2.5) OPERATIVE SYSTEM Windows Server 2003 Windows Server 2003 Operative System running on the server. Character set and language of the site. The language of 028ymw.com as detected by CoolSocial algorithms. Represents HTML declared type (e.g.: XHTML 1.1, HTML 4.0, the new HTML 5.0) Type of server and offered services. Site Traffic trend during the last year. Only available for sites ranked <= 100000 in the world. Referring domains for 028ymw.com by MajesticSeo. High values are a sign of site importance over the web and on web engines. Facebook link FACEBOOK PAGE LINK NOT FOUND The type of Facebook page. The URL of the found Facebook page. Facebook Timeline is the new layout of Facebook pages. A Facebook page link can be found in the homepage or in the robots.txt file. The total number of people who like website Facebook page. The description of the Facebook page describes website and its services to the social media users. The total number of people who tagged or talked about website Facebook page in the last 7-10 days. Twitter account link TWITTER PAGE LINK NOT FOUND Deputy Sean O Fearghaill said: " The closing date for payment for the 2020/2021 school year was Tuesday 4th August 2020. The School Transport Scheme Family Portal was temporarily closed for applications and payments on the 20th August 2020. This temporary closure was necessary to complete the work required to issue tickets to families who at that time remained due to be allocated a ticket for school transport services for the 2020/2021 school year. The School Transport Scheme Family Portal has now re-opened. However, parents/guardians making an application/payment at this time for the 2020/2021 school year are reminded that the closing date for payments for the 20/21 school year was Tuesday 4th August 2020. While it is possible to submit a payment, payments made at this time are now late. Late applicants and/or families who pay late are not guaranteed a seat and will only be allocated a seat if capacity is available once seats are allocated to those families who applied and paid on time for transport services for the 2020/2021 school year." He said: "Given the health advice which the Department received from NPHET, the Department and Bus Eireann are presently focused on achieving 50% capacity across post-primary school transport services. The timeframe for this will vary from route to route but all efforts are being made to do so as soon as possible. Following the completion of this, further tickets will be issued to applicants where there is spare capacity on services. In the event of not securing a ticket where no capacity exists, or on cancellation, a full refund will be issued." Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Javier Tovar (Agence France-Presse) Clovis, United States Fri, September 11, 2020 10:13 497 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c4432f87 2 World california,forest-fires,fire-truck,san-francisco,police Free Firefighters were battling unprecedented wildfires up and down the US West Coast on Friday that killed 15 people and forced more than half a million others to flee their homes, with officials warning of more deaths to come in the days ahead. The true scale of destruction was impossible to count across wide stretches of California, Oregon and Washington cut off from the world by an apocalyptic wall of flames, fueled by record heatwaves and intense, dry winds. The August Complex Fire became the biggest recorded blaze in Californian history on Thursday, after multiple fires in the state's northwest combined under high temperatures and winds to rip through 746,000 acres of dry vegetation. More than 2.6 million acres have been burned across the whole state so far, a Cal Fire spokesman said on Thursday evening. Half a million people have been evacuated in neighboring Oregon, where the government said firefighters were "prioritizing life (and) safety as they battle a record 900,000 acres of wildfires." Governor Kate Brown said that the amount of land incinerated by fires in just the last 72 hours was twice the state's annual average, and that at least five towns had been "substantially destroyed." "We have never seen this amount of uncontained fire across our state," she told a press conference. Huge wildfires are becoming more common, with the World Meteorological Organization saying the five years to 2019 was "unprecedented" for fires, especially in Europe and North America. Climate change amplifies droughts which dry out regions, creating ideal conditions for wildfires to spread out-of-control and inflict unprecedented material and environmental damage. Local Oregon officials confirmed two deaths in the Santiam Canyon region south of Portland, and a third in the Ashland area, near the California border. Police went door to door to make sure that residents were evacuating the city of Molalla, marking their driveways with spray paint to show they had left. "It's one thing to leave your house, it's another thing being told that you have to leave," said Denise Pentz, a resident of the town for 11 years, who was loading her family belongings into a camping trailer. Among those killed in the past day was a one-year-old boy who perished while his parents suffered severe burns as they attempted to flee an inferno 130 miles east of Seattle. "This child's family and community will never be the same," said Washington governor Jay Inslee, in a statement on his state's first fire death of 2020. Police said the death toll had jumped to 10 in northern California's Butte County on Thursday. "We have to report an additional seven deceased individuals were located by our deputies and detectives today," Butte County Sheriff Captain Derek Bell said. One unidentified person was killed in far northern California, near the remote rural community of Happy Camp, a Cal Fire spokeswoman told AFP. Tina Rose, 29, fled her home in central California after witnessing a nearby mountain "glowing red" from looming wildfires. "It is something we never want to experience again," she told AFP, speaking from her brother-in-law's crowded home near Fresno. In the San Francisco area, Wednesday's deep orange sky caused by wildfire smoke gave way to a wintry gray, but cars were still forced to drive with lights on in the gloom. Polluted air meant schools and daycare centers were no longer letting children play outside, while seniors were encouraged to stay inside. But the strong, dry winds of the past days eased off across much of the state, with severe weather warnings lifted for most of California. Humidity is expected to rise as temperatures cool through to next week, providing some relief, Cal Fire said. Much of the smoke has blown down from the north, where the Bear Fire exploded at an unprecedented speed this week, combining with older blazes to threaten the town of Oroville. Evacuation warnings were expanded to parts of the town of Paradise, the site of California's deadliest modern fire, which killed 86 people less than two years ago. California has seen more than 3.1 million acres burn this year -- an annual record, with nearly four months of fire season still to come. Governor Gavin Newsom blamed the ferocity of this year's fires on climate change. "We must do more," he tweeted. "We need action at EVERY level. CA cannot do this alone. Climate change is REAL." GRAND RAPIDS, MI A former Grand Rapids physician faces up to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty in federal court on Thursday to writing illegal prescriptions. It is the most serious legal action, but not the first, against Dr. Richard Samuel Piazza, 63, on charges related to improperly prescribing drugs. Piazza admitted before the Western District Court of Michigan on Thursday that he had knowingly written prescriptions for opioid drugs to people he knew were reselling the pills on the street. He pleaded guilty to three counts of federal drug trafficking related to writing prescriptions for oxycodone and hydrocodone, two drugs fueling the national opioid crisis. RELATED: Doctor allegedly selling opioid prescriptions betrayed co-workers at medical marijuana, holistic clinic The court case followed an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration and Michigan State Police that found Piazza would trade prescriptions for drugs and cash. According to the governments charges against Piazza, he prescribed 2,985 hydrocodone pills and 2,520 oxycodone pills between December 2017, and January 2019. Piazza now faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a possible $1 million fine. He also surrendered his license with the DEA - for the second time in his career. Piazza had previously faced legal and industry sanctions in three separate states, according to court records. In 1995, while working as a physician in Kansas, he surrendered his DEA license and state license to prescribe controlled substances after being found overprescribing. The following year, he surrendered a license issued by the Osteopathic Medical Board of California for an undisclosed disciplinary action. And in 1997, he was disciplined by the Iowa Board of Medicine for the sanctions in California and Kansas, according to previous MLive reporting. Nearly a decade later, in 2006, that same medical board charged Piazza with fraudulently obtaining his medical license, by declining to report criminal acts among them, battery, disorderly conduct, unlawful discharge of a firearm, domestic violence and bodily harm when applying to reinstate his license. He obtained a license in Michigan to prescribe controlled substances in 2008. Before being arrested on federal charges, Piazza was employed at the Society of Healing Arts Institutes, a holistic healing office that also provides medical marijuana certification. The illegal prescriptions were not at that facility. The large number of prescriptions for highly abused controlled substances written by Dr. Richard Samuel Piazza to individuals at this address, coupled with the fact that six different people at the same address were receiving the same or substantially the same prescriptions from him, indicates that those prescriptions were written outside of the usual course of professional conduct and for no legitimate medical purpose, Justin Reniger, a U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration Task Force officer, wrote in the federal criminal complaint against him. Read more on MLive: Grand Rapids police identify man whose body was dumped near Sparta Michigan U.S. Senate candidate John James says GOP is the party of civil rights at Trump rally Outdoor visits allowed at Michigan nursing homes starting next week By Akbar Mammadov Turkey aims to sign a Free Trade Agreement with Azerbaijan and increase trade turnover between the two countries, Turkish Trade Minister Ruhsar Pekcan said on September 11. Pekcan made the remarks after meeting with Chairman of the Azerbaijani Parliament Sahiba Gafarova in Ankara. Noting that the trade turnover between the two countries in 2019 amounted to $4.4 billion, she said that this figure does not reflect the real potential of the two countries. Azerbaijan and Turkey signed the Preferential Trade Agreement on February 25 that aims to step up efforts to bring their trade volume to $15bn. Pekcan also pointed out that Turkeys exports to Central Asia via Iran were disrupted due to pandemic and therefore the Georgia-Azerbaijan-Caspian route has gained more importance. Furthermore, she said that Turkey attaches special importance to the development of trade relations with Nakhchivan. In general, we are satisfied with our cooperation with Azerbaijan and believe that we will sign a larger trade turnover. Speaker of the Parliament Sahiba Gafarova said that Baku and Ankara were contributing greatly to the development of the region. Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan, Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum, Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway projects can be examples of this. The Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway project is a railway connecting Turkic-speaking countries and can only be compared to the Ancient Silk Road. Our economic ties are at the highest level. Gafarova reminded that the trade turnover between the two countries exceeded 2bn dollars in the first six months of 2020 despite the pandemic. Gafarava who is on her first official visit abroad since her appointment as the Speaker of the Parliament in February said: As Turkey is the closest country to us, Azerbaijans senior officials pay their first [officials] visits to Turkey. She reiterated former President Heydar Aliyevs words that Azerbaijan and Turkey are one nation and two countries. We share the same language, religion, culture and history. At the same time, the unity of our language and culture allows us to build our future together," Gafarova said. During the two-day visit, Gafarova also meet with Chairman of the Turkish Grand National Assembly Mustafa Shentop. The current state and prospects of inter-parliamentary relations, further expansion of the bilateral cooperation, implementation of global projects implemented by the two countries, ways to resolve regional conflicts was discussed at the parliamentary level. Gafarova will also meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and other officials. The Azerbaijani delegation that Gafarova is leading during the visit, includes the head of the inter-parliamentary working group with Turkey Ahliman Amiraslanov, the committee chairman Ziyafat Asgarov, MP Sevil Mikayilova, Fazil Mustafa, Elshan Musayev, Tural Ganjaliyev, the Head of the Parliamentary Office Safa Mirzayev and other officials. --- Akbar Mammadov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @AkbarMammadov97 Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Chicago hasnt had that luxury in a long time. Although the vast majority of violent crime occurs in a minority of neighborhoods, it makes the entire city feel less safe, especially when it spills over into luxury areas like the looting rampage that occurred on the Magnificent Mile shopping district downtown in early August. Six sheep have been killed and several injured following a suspected dog attack in the Scottish Borders, police say. The incident occurred at Halmyre Mains Farm, West Linton, between 5pm on the 4 September and 5pm the following day. The public have been urged to ensure their dogs are under control at all times when near livestock. A Police Scotland spokesman said: "Dog owners are asked to be aware of the effects of sheep-worrying, and let others know too. "Make sure you know where your dog is at all times. If you're letting your dog off the lead be confident there are no livestock nearby. "Be sure that your dog will return to you promptly on command and if in doubt, keep them on the lead. Witnesses or anyone who may have information in relation to this incident have been urged to contact the police on 101 quoting Incident 2699 5th September 2020. It comes as the Scottish government was recently told to clamp down on livestock worrying by introducing increased penalties and supportive education for dog owners. Livestock worrying cost farmers across the UK 1.2 million 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. Gov. Tom Wolf is calling on state lawmakers to do more to help Pennsylvanians get back to work and help the states economy recover from his COVID-19 business shutdown order by taking immediate action to provide an additional $325 million in aid for small businesses. This would be to direct an additional $225 million partially in forgivable loans and partially in grants to small businesses all across Pennsylvania, Wolf said at a news conference held in the atrium of Buchart Horn Inc.'s headquarters in York. In addition, Im calling on the Legislature to direct another $100 million in forgivable loans and grants to the hospitality, leisure and service industry. Bars, restaurants, hotels, theyve been really hammered by this pandemic." The funding for these grants and forgivable loans would come out of the $1 billion unspent federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act funding that the state received earlier in the year. We seen which industries and which businesses have been hardest hit by this pandemic. We know now more than we did before, Wolf said. " Now we must provide the support and funding businesses need to recover from this crisis." This proposed relief program for small businesses would build on the $225 million of CARES Act funding that the state already has directed to the COVID-19 small business assistance grant program. Already, about half of those dollars have been awarded to nearly 5,000 businesses half of which were restaurants and other businesses in the hospitality industry across all 67 counties in the first round of grant awards announced in July. The other half will be awarded in two weeks, said Dan Betancourt, president and CEO of Lancaster-based Community First Fund and chairman of the Pennsylvanias network of Community Development Financial Institutions, which are administering the grant program. Betancourt said the more than 50,000 businesses that submitted applications for the first round of grants and indicated they sustained over $865 million in losses from the pandemic. The second round drew an additional 10,000 applications seeking $150 million in assistance, bringing the damage done to small businesses to over $1 billion. Thats what were trying to help out overcome in Pennsylvania because we know our small businesses have to have a chance to restart here in Pennsylvania, Betancourt said. Afterward, he said he is advising the governor to drop the idea of providing some of the proposed assistance in the form of forgivable loans because a lot of business owners are nervous about borrowing money. Kevin Schreiber, president and CEO of the York County Economic Alliance, said from their data, they know that 70% of small businesses in York County alone were unable to access the federal Paycheck Protection Program and it disproportionately impacted business owned by persons of color. The $225 million in small business grants, which directs a portion of the money to historically disadvantaged businesses, along with the CARES Act funding directed to counties and the additional $325 million that Wolf is calling for the General Assembly to approve are absolutely vital and critical to our commonwealths recovery, Schreiber said. State Rep. Carol Hill-Evans, D-York County, who attended the news conference, threw her support behind the governors call for more help for businesses. She called on legislators to "put aside political differences to quickly pass much needed legislation that will help keep our small businesses afloat. Later, a dozen Republican members who represent York County in the General Assembly issued a statement saying the reason small businesses are facing the struggles they are is because of Wolfs prolonged and inconsistent business shutdown policies." His policies have benefited corporate-owned big box stores that have operated with very few restrictions over the last six months, all while our locally owned businesses, including our family-owned bars, restaurants, and taverns, continue to face barriers not backed by publicly accessible data, according to their statement. They said if the governor wants to work with the General Assembly, he needs to talk with legislators instead of dictating orders through media events. Wolf said during the news conference, there have been conversations going on with the Legislature since the pandemic began. He said that is what led to the appropriation of $225 million of CARES funding for the small business grant program. I appreciate the relationship we have, he said. Obviously, we are two different parties. We have some very big disagreements but weve been able to get a lot of things done. I think fundamentally thats an important thing. Jan Murphy may be reached at jmurphy@pennlive.com. Follow her on Twitter at @JanMurphy. LONDON, Sept. 10 (Xinhua) -- Senior officials from the European Union (EU) and Britain met in London on Thursday for hastily arranged talks over a controversial Brexit bill as British Prime Minister Boris Johnson intended to override key parts of the Withdrawal Agreement previously agreed with Brussels. British Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove talked with European Commission Vice President Maros Sefcovic in an "extraordinary meeting." Sefcovic told Gove that violating the Withdrawal Agreement would break international law and jeopardize trade talks, according to an EU statement. "In no uncertain terms" that the "timely and full implementation" of the divorce deal is "a legal obligation," said the statement. Sefcovic urged the British government to withdraw these measures that break international law from the bill "by the end of the month," adding that the Withdrawal Agreement "contains a number of mechanisms and legal remedies to address violations of the legal obligations contained in the text, which the EU will not be shy in using." Issuing its own robust response, the British government said it would "discharge its treaty obligations in good faith," but added that "in the difficult and highly exceptional circumstances in which we find ourselves, it is important to remember the fundamental principle of parliamentary sovereignty." Rejecting Britain's arguments that the bill is designed to protect peace in Northern Ireland, the EU argued that "it does the opposite." Sefcovic said that by presenting the draft United Kingdom Internal Market Bill, the British government has damaged the EU's trust which the UK now has to re-establish. Britain on Wednesday published the controversial bill, which overrides elements of Johnson's Brexit deal with Brussels, despite a senior minister explicitly acknowledging that the plan would breach international law. The new bill will be formally debated by MPs in the British parliament for the first time on Sept. 14. It is intended to ensure Northern Ireland can continue to enjoy unfettered access to markets in the rest of Britain. The bill was published amid the EU's growing anger after Britain brushed aside warnings from the regional bloc that breaching the treaty would prevent any trade deal being struck. The British government has said it is prepared to walk away with no deal if progress is not made soon. Professor Mark Elliott, public law expert at Cambridge University, described the British government's response as "utterly risible," and that Britain, like every other state, is required in international law to abide by its treaty obligations. "The UK may have left the EU, but it has not left the community of nations or the rules-based international order," said Elliott. Britain's membership of the EU ended Jan. 31, but as part of a transition period it is sticking with the bloc's rules until Dec. 31. Both sides have said a future trade deal needs to be agreed by mid-October to enable it to be approved ahead of Jan. 1, 2021. If there is no deal in place by then, Britain will trade with the EU on WTO terms. My late friend, former Mayor Lila Cockrell, understood the challenges facing so many women today. Born in 1922, Cockrell attended college when few women did so. After joining the military during World War II, she entered politics, and in 1987 became the first woman elected mayor of San Antonio. She saw firsthand how women were marginalized by the power brokers who had always run city government. Among all the barriers that had stood in her way, education was No. 1. In our conversations, we identified ways in which the Womens Chamber of Commerce could help women earn scholarships to make college not just a dream but a reality. We knew we had to do better for women. In her honor, the San Antonio Womens Chamber of Commerce Foundation launched the Mayor Emeritus Lila Cockrell Scholarship Program. Our focus is on women at the Alamo Colleges District who have nontraditional obstacles in their paths, such as being: Twenty-five years or older. A single mom. More Information About the Cockrell Scholarships For more information, visit www.sawccfoundation.org. See More Collapse A dropout or stop out from high school or college. A first-generation college student. Life has happened to these women. They often find that paying for college is beyond their means, yet most scholarship programs do not embrace students like them. They are directed to loan programs that could saddle them with a huge debt by graduation. The assumption is they will not stay in school and thus scholarship dollars are wasted. That assumption is absolutely false. As a former school superintendent and chair of the Alamo Colleges District Board, I became acutely aware of these women who were repeatedly denied access to college scholarships. Ive always believed these women would be tenacious and successful in pursuing their college degrees if given the opportunity. I was also keenly aware that men facing the same nontraditional circumstances were treated differently than women. Men were often praised for their interest in going to college despite the challenges they faced. They were saluted for their tenacity and frequently showered with scholarships. As noted on www.bestcolleges.com: According to the latest data (for 2015-16) provided by the National Center for Education Statistics, women receive an average of $17,950 in financial aid per academic year, which is $610 less than men. While these funds, which are made up of grants, loans, and work-study programs, partially offset the high cost of a degree, they are not enough to ensure that women graduate from college and enter the workforce without significant debt. Hence, the importance of merit- and aid-based scholarships, which do not have to be repaid. The American Association of University Women found that women are much more likely to graduate with debt than men. This leaves women with less money to pay for essentials such as health insurance, housing, and food. In long-term planning, it means they will wait longer to purchase a home, start a family, and have smaller retirement funds. In too many cases, these women find themselves drowning in debt. But Cockrell also understood that giving a scholarship was not enough to assure college success. She believed women in nontraditional situations would benefit immensely from help and guidance from mentors. Top hits: Get San Antonio Express-News stories sent directly to your inbox The foundation does more than award scholarships; we provide consistent contact with the Cockrell Scholars to determine if they need assistance each semester with meals, housing, textbooks and other expenses. Additionally, we offer academic bonuses for high GPAs to celebrate students best work: 4.0 earns $200 per semester. 3.5 earns $150 per semester. 3.0 earns $100 per semester. As COVID-19 continues to disrupt our lives, we worry that donors to programs like the Mayor Emeritus Lila Cockrell Scholarship Program might not be as willing to donate to our fund. However, let me assure donors and others that there is no better investment in Americas recovery and our future than providing scholarships for women who represent our next generation of leaders. Katz has a doctorate in education and more than 40 years experience in public education. She also is president of the San Antonio Womens Chamber of Commerce Foundation. When WE Charity abruptly announced Wednesday that it would shut down in Canada and sell its assets, it did not say what would happen to the millions of dollars worth of real estate held by affiliated companies. WE Charity has paid $26.1 million for Toronto real estate, according to Ontario land registry documents. The six properties, storefronts clustered around the charitys headquarters at Queen St. E and Parliament St, were bought between 2015 and 2018 and intended to one day become a campus for good. Immediately adjacent to the WE properties is an additional $13.1 million in property owned by Me to We Asset Holdings, Me to We Foundation and a numbered company registered to a staff member of WE Charity. In response to questions earlier this year, WE told the Star that in some cases it was required to register its properties under separate business and charitable entities to comply with co-ownership rules and provincial development regulations. Four additional properties owned by Fred and Theresa Kielburger were made available for nearly a decade to WE and ME to WE, which paid mortgage interest, taxes and utilities but no rent, the charity said. WE says these properties should not be considered WE-related or WE-affiliated. They were not included in the Stars tallies. Outside Toronto, the Kielburger family and the charitys for-profit arm, ME to WE, own property in Kenya, bought for a total of $1.25 million (U.S.). In full-page ads taken out in the Star and the Globe and Mail (and posted to the charitys website) Thursday, the Kielburger brothers said the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted every aspect of our work. WE Charity laid-off hundreds of employees in the spring and the chair of its board of governors resigned, followed by the departure of most of the other board members. Shortly after WE was awarded a $544 million government contract to run a student volunteering program in June, it emerged that the charity had in the past paid Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus brother and mother to speak and covered part of an overseas trip for the family of former Finance Minister Bill Morneau. WE pulled out of the government contract, but suffered from the conflict-of-interest controversy that followed. WE lost several big corporate sponsors and a number of school boards announced they would no longer work with the charity. WE Charity will sell its Global Learning Centre headquarters and other assets to fund a new endowment that will be managed by an independent board with a mandate to sustain our humanitarian and education programs for the long-term, Wednesdays statement said. According to WEs 2019 audited financial statements, WE currently values its property at almost $40 million. In response to questions, WE told the Star it will sell assets owned by ME to WE Foundation and put the revenues into the same endowment as those from the sale of WE Charitys assets. All lead donors to purchase the real estate have been informed about the sale and planned endowment, and they have given their permission for the redeployment of resources to the endowment fund. No real estate was purchased with donations from children or international program funds, the charity said. WE said that it had not yet decided what to do with the three storefronts on Queen St. E owned by Me to We Asset Holdings. All energies and decisions have been focused on WE Charity at this stage. ME to WE Social Enterprises is in the process of pausing all its operations for the foreseeable future and potential indefinitely. All decisions regarding ME to WE Social Enterprises will be determined as part of the reorganization process, WE charity said. Kate Bahen, Managing Director of Charity Intelligence Canada, said the complex ownership of WEs property in Toronto is reflective of WEs sprawling network of businesses and charitable entities around the world. They were very clear that only the Canadian charity is shutting down at this time, Bahen said, adding that ME to WE, should its operations continue, is a private company that doesnt have to report its finances publicly like a charity. Bahen pointed out that WEs activities in the United States were big business, contributing $20.9 million to WE Charity in Canada last year. The Kielburgers said WEs overseas projects would continue, funded by an endowment created from the revenues of liquidating WE Charitys assets in Canada. The new endowments fund will support WEs projects in Kenya, Ecuador and China. These are also key destinations for ME to WEs travel trips, said Bahen. Craig and Marc Kielburger have made the drastic decision to shut down WE Charity Canada, the mothership of its global activities, said Bahen. What will happen to the rest of it, they havent said yet. The property used by WE in Kenya includes accommodation for foreign staff and that is owned by the Kielburger family and provided to WE Charity rent free, the charitys Kenya country director, Robin Wiszowati, said in a statement. A company called ME to WE Trips also owns a luxurious beach house called Toriana purchased for $850,000 (U.S.) where guests on ME to WE trips would stay for three days as part of their volunteering trip to Kenya, Wiszowati said. In late 2019, WE added a page to its website detailing the organizations philosophy on real estate. Since its earliest days, the WE organization has operated based on the philosophy that it can ensure fiscal stability, maximize its program delivery, and ensure its long-term impact by owning property as a form of endowment, the page states. In response to questions asked earlier this year, WE Charity said the real estate holdings provide approximately 8-9 months of financial security. In a series of transactions between 2011 and 2019, WE Charity (then known as Free the Children), and ME to WE Asset Holdings sold 12 properties in Cabbagetown for $19.5 million. Between 2015 and 2019, the same entities, along with ME to WE Foundation and a numbered company, purchased 14 properties in the Queen St. E and Parliament St. area for a total of $39.9 million. WE previously told the Star that it received $25.5 million in targeted donations to purchase the properties at Queen and Parliament. Donors included Hartley Richardson, David Aisenstat, The Richardson Family Foundation, The Gilgan Family Foundation, Castlepoint Investments, Craig Burkinshaw and the Losani family. The numbered company, 2569144 Ontario Inc, is owned by ME to WE, the Charity said, and its CFO, Victor Li, signed documents on the companys behalf. The company was required because the property it owns is part of a co-operative that does not allow more than one unit to be owned by the same owner. Charity lawyer Mark Blumberg said it was unlikely that WE Charity could be immediately shuttered, considering it could take months or years to sell so much property. Theyve only said theyre shutting down operations, Blumberg said. Whats sure is that the proceeds from the sale of any charity-owned real estate must be used for charitable purposes, Blumberg said. Since theyre unlikely to do much fundraising and will have minimal administration costs, everything else should go to their charitable mission. This could mean hiring other WE charities in Kenya or Ecuador to run the programs there. Or it could take the form of a grant to another Canadian charity to undertake work outside Canada. Either way, the public wont know how the proceeds are spent until WE files its annual statement with the Canada Revenue Agency every February. It could be a whole year before we find out how that money is being spent, he said. Despite their pledge to turn the future endowment over to an independent board, Blumberg questioned whether the Kielburgers would relinquish all control. If the endowment is registered as perpetual, only the interest generated by the principal typically two to three per cent could be spent each year, leaving tens of millions of dollars sitting in the bank instead of being spent on charitable activities. If WE Charity holds the endowment then the real control is with the founding members, even if they do not sit on the board of directors, as they can replace the directors at any point. Therefore, the power of the founding members may continue for many years or even decades. Taking yourself seriously than the art does affect your growth, feels Debina Bonnerjee. With a television career spanning nearly two decades, she addresses the various debates plaguing the industry, right from regressive content, to actors getting stereotyped. Amid all this, she says, people forget the whole idea is to enjoy the process. You need conviction to make the right choice. But that doesnt mean you wont make mistakes. We do get stereotyped, but we always have a choice. Even while portraying a similar character, you can add a different flavour and see how audience enjoys it, says Bonnerjee. Known for shows such as Ramayan, Santoshi Maa, Vish: A Poisonous Story, the actor asserts that one must respect both art and medium. Kuch log bolte hain, Arre yeh role nahi karna hai, bahut baar kar liya. Ab TV mein kuch achha nahi ho raha. Remember you had done a similar role before and that time you wanted to do it, and earned a name. And there must be 1000 others who auditioned for the same role, but you got it. Its alright if TV doesnt interest you anymore, but that doesnt mean the medium has lost its charm, she reasons. Bonnerjee shares that after Ramayans success, both she and her husband, actor Gurmeet Choudhury were offered similar roles. Then Gurmeet auditioned for Geet, but got rejected five times before finally getting the part. You dont get everything on a platter even when youre at the peak. Youve to make the effort. It isnt easy for anyone, she says. Reflecting on her journey so far, the actor calls television democratic in a way that gives chances to everyone, new or old. TV offers you a level playing ground. Audiences call the shots here. Its democratic in the way it offers space to both newcomers and senior actors. It makes stars out of anyone. While starting, I risked leaving a successful career behind in Kolkata. While auditioning for my second show Ramayan, there were many in the queue, but I got the part. It was a huge risk again given the popularity of the earlier Ramayan, but when you do something with love, audience extends support, shares Bonnerjee. Even if films or web projects happen in the future, the actor is in no mood to quit TV, which she credits for giving her fame and a respectable social standing. Where do you see such an interesting mix of genres, stories and characters? While the industry is experimenting its also making mistakes. Thats the charm. Even during Covid times, the industry dared to start working first. Thats the TV fraternity for you, she concludes. Follow @htshowbiz for more Author tweets @Shreya_MJ SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Derrick Sawyer, the city of Trentons fire director for just shy of two years, has resigned, Mayor Reed Gusciora said late Thursday. Sawyer, a long time firefighter in Philadelphia who served as fire commissioner there for two years until 2016, sailed through confirmation proceedings to helm the Trenton Fire Department in late 2018. But Gusciora said Sawyer grew frustrated with the City Councils, constant push back on anything that would move the city forward. The mayor would not comment on Sawyers immediate future plans. His last day is Sept. 18, 2020, a city spokesman said Friday. Firefighters say word in the department is that hes taken a job in the Philadelphia area. Gusciora has had a contentious relationship with the council on a variety of matters, and his department directors attend their regular meetings. Director Sawyer puts in 12 to 14-hour days, then has to attend sometimes seven-hour council meetings twice a week, the mayor said. I dont think its something he signed up for. Gusciora said hes sad to see Sawyer go, that the city is losing a highly-educated fire professional who moved the department forward, and skillfully advocated for its members. And most importantly, as the citys emergency management coordinator, he was integral to the citys ongoing response to the coronavirus epidemic, Gusciora said. Hell be extremely hard to replace, the mayor said. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Kevin Shea may be reached at kshea@njadvancemedia.com. Haiti - FLASH : Attack of the Canado-Haitian College, significant damage In a note, Brother Augustin Nelson, the Director of the College Canado-Haitien (CCH) condemns in the strongest terms the violent attack, by young student demonstrators in uniform, against the College Canado-Haitien whose the institution was the object on September 9. "The hour is serious, the events that have affected the College Canado-Haitien and our entire school community, challenge our civic conscience. Because, the school which was to be a rampart and a source of security for the young people is losing its letters of nobility in our society." While deploring "the bankruptcy of the public forces in such a circumstance" Brother Augustin Nelson took the opportunity to thank all those who made themselves available to assist him in the management of this unfortunate situation where, fortunately, no victim was to deplored among our students or among our staff and praised the behavior of the students of the College who refrained from responding to violence with violence In order to assess the considerable material damage and restore calm in the minds of the entire CCH school community in order to create the climate of serenity necessary for teaching-learning, the college administration announces the suspension until Monday, September 14 2020 of all school activities. While inviting prayer for a profound change in Haitian society, Brother Augustin Nelson believes that schools must remain "sanctuaries", spaces of protection for children and young people "Dear compatriots, the violence must stop [...] These gratuitous attacks must stop !" HL/ HaitiLibre In a recent campaign in Michigan, Joe Biden made an error on his facts. He said that 6,000 U.S. servicemen have died, but official tallies say it was 7, not 6,000. This instance, Democrat presidentiable did fumble the numbers in such a critical time in the presidential campaign. In November, eligible Americans will be voting via the polls or by mail-in votes to choose the president for the next four years. The inaccurate information was given in a recent sortie in Warren, Michigan, an important state for both Trump and Biden to lead. Biden said the U.S. Military had about 118,984 COVID-19 cases and 6,114 deaths. It was a gross error, and it was the COVID-19 cases and how many died from it in Michigan, reported Meaww. Later his staffers told the crowd that the Democrat committed an error, that is a mix-up has happened, and Biden was not aware of it. His mixed-up facts were mistaken with 7 servicemen not 6,114 died from the contagion on Wednesday. Democrat Biden's Deputy Rapid Response Director Michael Gwin, said in a statement to Fox News explaining the campaign error. He said Joe Biden has respect for everyone in the armed forces. It is important to give them the means to protect the country, and all the support they need under deployment abroad. He also mentioned about not forgetting support after their tour of duty is crucial, when getting back home. Gwin added in light of the misstep that the Biden keeps a card that details everyone who has rendered service to America. He keeps a card to always remember those who have fallen. He references it to recognize their ultimate act. Also read: Joe Biden's Family Record Show Drug Usage, Drunk Driving, and Other Charges But No One Was Jailed For the record, Biden has committed many faux passes when it comes to the coronavirus pandemic as well. Last June, he did commit a mistake when he said that about 120 million Americans died for the coronavirus in the U.S. Biden said on the occasion that people don't have jobs, neither do they know where to go or what to do about. He also said that as many as 120 million died from the virus. Making this error, incumbent President Trump quickly made the voters aware of this little gaff by Biden. He said that Joe Biden is getting confused, when on the campaign trail. He also mentioned that the democrat was not at his best at all in the campaign trail. Unwittingly, Biden's errors in his statements during campaign sorties have given Trump and his entouragethe fuel to frame the democrat. He is often portraying his opponent's misinformation and facts gone wrong as an indication of his unfitness to sit in the White House. It was not only Trump who is riding on the latest Biden gaffe, but those in social media as well. One user tweeted about the ex-VP and said that he was looking a bit confused, noting the discrepancies of Biden's statement and poking at him too. Another user was even more sarcastic saying whether the ex-VP knows Kim Jong Un. Later, Joe Biden corrects his erroneous statement, saying it was only 7 deaths, not 6,000. The statement goes on record, as part of the campaign sortie. Related article: Ex- White House Stenographer Said Joe Biden Cannot Keep Up, Relies on Scripts @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Hyderabad: Retired employees of Air India are continuing to struggle for their pensions since past two decades. Their efforts in this regard so far have been in vain, said S.G. Raj, a retired employee of Air Indias Hyderabad office. In a representation that Air India employees presented to Union minister of state for home G. Kishan Reddy last week, the pensioners said: We should come under the coverage of the Provident Funds Act, 1952. Only then, the Employees Pension Scheme 95 will be made applicable to us so that we can draw pension as per the provisions of EPS 95. The pensioners are covered under PF Act of 1925. When Indian Airlines and Air India were formed in 1953, both came under the 1925 Act. We are still under the PF Act, 1925 even as on date. We would like to get out of the coverage of the PF Act of 1925 because it is now coming in the way of our coming under the PF Act of 1952. So, any direction, any clue, any help, any effort from anyone, any legal counsel, any ministerial guidance, anything under the sun, which can show a way for us to become a member of EPFO, and for coverage under EPS 95 and finally leading the retired employees of Air India (merged entity) to get Pension as per EPS 95 (would be welcome), he said. Currently, they are under a Superannuation Pension Scheme of 1997. As per that scheme, they should have been getting 40 per cent of basic plus DA plus personal pay. But the scheme turned out to be defective in its actuarial calculations and assumptions. An amendment was then made in 2003. From then on, it became Defined Contribution Scheme from the then Defined Benefit Scheme. This resulted in pensioners getting a meagre amount of `500 or so instead of 40 per cent of Basic plus DA plus personal pay from 2003. Even the name was changed from Pension to Annuity, after a Judgment made by the apex court on a case filed by some disgruntled employees during 2003, said Raj. He pointed out that even the government is trying to act without many formalities and bring the establishments covered under PF Act of 1925 under the PF Act of 1952 at the earliest, going by the reply by the government stated in the 55th Report of the Standing Committee on Labour by Dr Kirit Somayya. The Airports Authority of India, which is under the civil aviation ministry, like us, has come under EPFO in 2016 itself, he said. Raj said retired employees of Air India are hoping that they would be covered by EPFO for their pension. These days Supreme Court and High Court judgments and the national policy are all highly favourable to citizens getting a decent pension, he added. Award-winning Rapper Sarkodie has finally commented on the alleged 'fake' award he received few days ago. Sarkodie is out with a new single titled "Gimme Way featuring Prince Bright and in the song, Sarkodie talks about how he used to think he was a hard guy until he met Mr. Fordjour aka Dr. UN. In the song, Sark rapped; I used to think I was a hard guy until I met Dr. UN who gave me an empty bottle as an award He then goes on to say "that was one bad situation" he caught himself in and if he meets him, he will certainly give him a slap on the neck. According to Sarkodie, attending the award was time waisting If I calculate the time I have wasted, when I could be making sweet love to Tracy. Dr. Owusu Fordjour made headlines after he awarded top personalities in Ghana with citations and plaques for their contributions to society. Among the awardees were Sarkodie, Berla Mundi, D-Black, Chairman Wontumi, Johnnie Hughes and Nathaniel Attoh, Alban Gbagbin, Apostle Kwadwo Safo Kantanka and many more. Source: Eugene Osafo-Nkansah/Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Even as the government continues to remain coy on community transmission of coronavirus in the country, Professor Giridhar Babu, an epidemiologist who is also member of the National Task Force Research group, has said that community transmission may have taken place in containment zones of metros as early as May. This inference, he has drawn, based on the results of the national sero-survey conducted by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). The survey has shown that as many as 64 lakh Indians had been exposed to COVID-19 by the month of May. Speaking to News18, Professor Giridhar Babu said that while the survey results do not provide evidence that there was widespread transmission at that stage, but community transmission in containment zones of the metros which had high burden at that time cannot be ruled out. The unweighted prevalence of IgG antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 was 0.47 per cent in the stratum with zero reported COVID-19 cases when the survey was done. Even in the stratum with high incidence of Covid19, the unadjusted seroprevalence was 0.59 per cent, he said. The survey results, published by The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) after a considerable delay, have thrown up some interesting facts about how the virus was circulating in the country in May. Around 0.73 per cent of the Indian population was exposed to the virus SARS CoV-2 amounting to 6.4 million possible undetected infections. The survey sampled 28,000 individuals and IgG antibodies were found using COVID Kavach Elisa Kits. Contrary to previous understanding, the survey has also shown that the virus was already widespread in rural areas by that time, with 69.4 per cent of population surveyed showing IgG antibodies. The figure stood at 15.9 per cent in urban slums and 14.6 per cent in other urban areas. The survey also found sero positivity in districts were there were no recorded cases of Covid-19, which means that not testing enough led to cases not being diagnosed. The incomplete data and reporting has also meant that the number of deaths and Indias fatality rate was being underestimated, the ICMR has admitted. As part of the survey, a total of 30,283 households were visited from 700 clusters in 70 districts across the four strata. About one-fourth (25.9 per cent) of the surveyed clusters were from urban areas. A total of 28,000 individuals consented to participate, the report states. What is hugely significant is that for every confirmed case of COVID-19, there were 82 to 130 undiagnosed cases, going back as early as May. The survey importantly has noted COVID seropositivity being detected in districts with zero cases. This could be on account of low testing laboratories that could have led to under detection of COVID-19 cases. The present findings of seropositivity in the strata of districts with zero to low incidence of COVID-19 cases underscore the need to strengthen surveillance and augment the testing of suspected cases in these areas," the report adds. In four of the 15 districts in this stratum, COVID-19 testing laboratories were not available in district headquarters and the samples were transported to the state headquarter hospitals for diagnosis. The present findings of seropositivity in the strata of districts with zero to low incidence of COVID-19 cases underscores the need to strengthen surveillance and augment the testing of suspected cases in these areas, the survey report said. The ICMR wants to establish a community-based district-level serosurveillance system to monitor the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 infection in the general population. The initial survey would serve as a baseline to determine the seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in the community and in high-burden cities as well, while the subsequent rounds would help to monitor the trends of infection in the community. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-11 16:23:41|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close CANBERRA, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- Australia's opposition Labor Party has called on the government to list right-wing extremists as terrorists. Kristina Keneally, Labor's Home Affairs spokesperson, on Thursday evening called for a national discussion about how widespread far-right extremism has become. The Opposition said Australia was the odd one out among the Five Eyes intelligence alliance, which comprises Australia, the United States, Britain, New Zealand and Canada, in not officially listing any right-wing groups as terrorists. "Such proscription would be symbolic, but it would be more than just symbolic," Keneally said in a speech to the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. "Some experts suggest that, in our increasingly networked world, any practical distinction between domestic and international terrorism has almost gone completely." "Movements do not exist in isolation, but rather link and take inspiration from each other and from individuals within movements." Officially listing an organization or individual as a terrorist in Australia gives authorities extra powers to monitor them. Keneally's comments came after Australian Brenton Harrison Tarrant was sentenced to life imprisonment without parole over the 2019 Christchurch mosque shooting. Keneally said that potentially dangerous ideologies had spread quickly online during the COVID-19 lockdown. "Right-wing extremists are hiding in plain sight, on Facebook and other common-use social media platforms," she said. "They use certain words and phrases that have everyday meanings but also convey coded content to those in the know." Enditem This photo taken by Talent, Ore., resident Kevin Jantzer shows the destruction of his hometown as wildfires ravaged the central Oregon town near Medford late Tuesday. Read more SALEM, Ore. Hundreds of firefighters battled two large wildfires Friday that threatened to merge near the most populated part of Oregon, including the suburbs of Portland, and the governor said dozens of people are missing in other parts of the state. The states emergency management director, Andrew Phelps, said officials are preparing for a mass fatality event and that thousands of structures have been destroyed. Gov. Kate Brown said more than 40,000 Oregonians have been evacuated and about 500,000 are in different levels of evacuation zones, either having been told to leave or to prepare to do so. She was dialing back on a statement late Thursday issued by the state Office of Emergency Management that said a half-million people had been ordered to evacuate statewide. Dozens of people are missing in Jackson County in the south and Marion County, where a fire continues to burn east of Salem, Brown told a news conference Friday. Also Friday, authorities announced that a man had been arrested on two counts of arson for allegedly starting a fire in southern Oregon on Tuesday. The Oregon Convention Center in Portland was among the buildings being transformed into shelters for evacuees. Portland, shrouded in smoke from the fires, on Friday had the worst air quality of the worlds major cities, according to IQAir. National Guard troops and corrections officers transferred about 1,300 inmates from a womens prison in a southern suburb of Portland out of an abundance of caution, the Oregon Department of Corrections said. Spokeswoman Vanessa Vanderzee said it took 20 hours to transfer the inmates Thursday to another prison in a safe zone. A change in the weather, with winds dropping and shifting direction and humidity rising, greatly helped firefighters struggling to prevent the two fires from advancing farther west into more-populated areas. The wind laid down quite a bit for us yesterday. There also wasnt that strong eastern wind that was pushing the fire more to the west, said Stefan Myers of the states fire information team. Winds coming from the Pacific Ocean also neutralized the fires' advance and even pushed them back, Myers said. Almost 500 personnel were working on the fires, which were just a few miles (kilometers) apart, with rugged terrain between them that limits boots-on-the-ground efforts to keep them apart, Myers said. If they merge, they could generate such heat that it causes embers to fly thousands of feet into the air, potentially igniting other areas, Myers said. The high number of fires occurring simultaneously in the span of just a few days in Oregon was fueled by dry conditions, high temperatures and especially strong, swirling winds. Brown said Thursday that more than 1,400 square miles (3,600 square kilometers) have burned in Oregon over the past three days, nearly double the land that burns in a typical year in the state and an area greater than the size of Rhode Island. Oregon officials havent released an exact death count for the wildfires, but at least eight fatalities have been reported in the state. A 1-year-old boy was killed in wildfires in Washington. A Northern California fire that tore through several hamlets in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada this week killed 10 people, making it the deadliest of the year. In Oregon, evacuation centers opened across the state. Kim Carbaugh fled from her home in Lyons with her husband, two children and two horses Monday. When we were driving away and I could see actual fire, the red and orange flames, at the time I didnt feel scared, I had so much adrenaline we just had to leave, she said Friday from the livestock stables of the evacuation center at the State Fairgrounds in Salem. One fire approached Molalla, triggering a mandatory evacuation order for the community of about 9,000 located 30 miles (48 kilometers) south of Portland. A police car rolled through the streets with a loudspeaker blaring evacuate now. With the two large fires called the Beachie Fire and the Riverside Fire threatening to merge, some firefighters in Clackamas County, which encompasses Molalla, were told to disengage temporarily Thursday because of the danger. Officials tried to reassure residents who abandoned their homes and law enforcement officials said police patrols would be stepped up to prevent looting. The change in weather also aided efforts to contain a fire near Lincoln City, on the Oregon Coast, that according to an estimate has damaged or destroyed at least 100 structures. Thank God, we got a wind shift. The wind started coming from the west, pushing the fire back towards the east, and thats what kept it within its footprint and kept it from growing, fire spokesperson Ashley Lertora said. Oregons congressional delegation announced Friday that the White House has approved the states request for an emergency declaration that will help provide immediate assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Jackson County Sheriff Nathan Sickler said Friday that a 41-year-old man was jailed on two charges of arson for a fire that started Tuesday in the Phoenix area in southern Oregon. Sickler said the Almeda fire, which burned hundreds of homes, had ignition points in Ashland near the spot where a man was found dead, and in Phoenix. Authorities said the man was arrested at the second ignition point in Phoenix and that he denied starting the fire. Police are still investigating the first ignition point in Ashland. In southern Oregon near the California state line, much of the small town of Phoenix was wiped out. A mobile home park, houses and businesses were burned, leaving twisted remains on charred ground. Many of the residents were immigrants, with few resources to draw on. Artemio Guterrez, a single father of four, had been at work at a vineyard when he saw thick smoke spreading through Rogue River Valley. He snatched his kids to safety. They escaped with only the clothes they were wearing. Im going to start all over again. Its not easy but its not impossible either, said Guterrez. In a news conference Friday, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee noted that the amount of land burned in just the past five days amounted to the states second-worst fire season, after 2015. He called the blazes climate fires rather than wildfires. This is not an act of God, Inslee said. This has happened because we have changed the climate of the state of Washington in dramatic ways. ___ Associated Press writers Gillian Flaccus in Phoenix, Oregon and Lisa Baumann and Gene Johnson in Seattle contributed to this report. AP freelance photographer Paula Bronstein also contributed to this report from Talent and Phoenix, Oregon. The worlds top oil traders have been chartering dozens of supertankers for potentially storing oil at sea amid signs that demand recovery has stalled. Trafigura has chartered 12 very large crude carriers (VLCC), which can collectively hold 24 million barrels of oil, sources with knowledge of the matter told Bloomberg. Another 18 supertankers have also been booked by companies including Vitol Group, Shell, and Lukoil, according to lists of bookings of shipbrokers seen by Bloomberg. BP is said to have provisionally booked a supertanker to hold oil in floating storage offshore Malaysia, Reuters reported on Thursday, citing Refinitiv Eikon data and industry sources. BP managed to snap up the supertanker at the lowest rate so far this year, according to the data, at $20,500 per day for three months, with the option to extend the charter for another three months at $22,000 per day, according to one of Reuters sources. Day rates for supertankers have tripled in a week, TankerTrackers.com co-founder Samir Madani said. While there is movement in the supertanker charter market, some of it could be attributed to the widening contango in the oil futures curve, but some could just be the low freight rates, compared to this years highs at the end of March and early April when demand was crashing while Saudi Arabia was on a tanker-chartering spree to flood the market with oil. Much of the recent temptation to lease vessels for storage reflects more the decline in freight rates than a return to super contango, analysts at Citi told Reuters. Yet, in recent weeks, the contangoin which prices for delivery at later dates are higher than front-month prices that typically points to oversupplyhas deepened, and starting to open the so-called contango plays in which oil traders store oil to sell it at a profit at a later stage. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: By PTI NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court Friday asked the Centre as to why it cannot issue an Ordinance that funds collected under the welfare scheme meant for building and construction workers across the country be used for other workers as well during the COVID-19 pandemic. A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice S A Bobde said that other workers are "equally poor" and the Centre has to be "proactive" on this issue. "Why don't you simply issue an Ordinance that during the COVID period, you can use it for construction workers and other workers also," the bench, also comprising Justices A S Bopanna and V Ramasubramanian, asked Additional Solicitor General Madhavi Divan. Divan told the bench that she would take instruction on the issue and get back to the court. The issue cropped up before the apex court which was hearing an application filed by Madhya Pradesh seeking permission to withdraw Rs 1,000 crore from a total of Rs 1,985 crore collected under the welfare scheme for construction and building workers. CLICK HERE FOR COVID-19 LIVE UPDATES The counsel appearing for Madhya Pradesh told the bench that the state needed money as revenue flow has come down to 50 per cent due to the pandemic. He said that amount collected under the scheme for construction and building workers is with the state welfare board. "We pray for Rs 1,000 crore subject to whatever interest which the state welfare board will earn in 12 months. We will return the money to the state welfare board with interest," the lawyer said. The application was filed in a matter in which a petition was moved in the apex court in 2006 seeking implementation of two laws -- the Building and Other Construction Workers (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 1996 and the Building and Other Construction Workers' Welfare Cess Act, 1996, (Cess Act) -- meant for welfare of construction workers across the country. During the hearing conducted through video-conferencing, the counsel appearing for the petitioner opposed the plea filed by Madhya Pradesh. The bench asked the state's counsel as to why they want to "withdraw Rs 1,000 crore" from the fund for other purpose. "We collect this amount every year and distribute it every year," the lawyer said, adding that many migrants workers have come to Madhya Pradesh due to COVID-19 pandemic and the state cannot pay them since they are not registered. ALSO READ | Assam to pay Rs 5,000 if family members of deceased cannot perform last rites "Why don't you register them? You identify those whom you want to give benefit. Once you will identify them then you can give them the benefit," the bench said. The state's counsel said that state can register only those workers who are involved in building and construction works as the fund under the 1996 law is meant for them only. The bench, while asking Divan about whether such an Ordinance can be issued to use the funds collected for other workers also, said that government can put a condition that those who would withdraw money from the fund would return it within a time period. "You (Centre) have to be proactive," the bench said. "Madhavi Divan, Additional Solicitor General, appearing on behalf of the Union of India seeks some time to get instructions. List the matter after two weeks," it said. ALSO WATCH: Republican Voters Against Trump, a group of conservatives, is putting up dozens of billboards across Pennsylvania. The billboards are being erected all over the state and include messages from Republicans who say theyre voting for Democratic nominee Joe Biden and opposing President Donald Trump. One billboard features a woman named Amy from Camp Hill with this message: Im a Christian. Im a Republican. Im for Biden. Another features Jeff from Honey Brook with this message: Im a Republican. Im pro-life. Im voting Biden. Republican Voters Against Trump said it is spending millions of dollars on advertising in Pennsylvania, including six figures on television ads. The group says its members include current Republicans, former Republicans and former Trump voters who are now backing Biden, the former vice president. Conservative political editor and commentator Bill Kristol is a founder of the group. In a post on Twitter, Kristol said more than 100 billboards are going up across Pennsylvania. Republican Voters Against Trump is placing more than 100 billboards across Pennsylvania. The group of conservatives is backing Democratic nominee Joe Biden over President Donald Trump. The billboards are being featured in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Harrisburg, Erie, Allentown, Altoona, York, Lancaster, Johnstown, Williamsport, and the Scranton area. The group says it is targeting college-educated suburban voters, particularly women. Pennsylvania is a key battleground in the presidential election. Trump narrowly won the state in 2016. Biden, a Scranton native, is aiming to move Pennsylvania back to the blue column. Polls show Biden leading Trump in Pennsylvania but several polls show a tight margin, with some in the margin of error. A poll by Susquehanna Polling and Research released earlier this week shows Biden with a 2-point edge, which is essentially a statistical tie with the margin of error. Trump spoke at the Flight 93 Memorial service in Shanksville today. Biden visited the memorial hours later Friday, speaking to the loved ones of those who died on Flight 93. Biden visited Harrisburg earlier this week, addressing union members from the Pennsylvania AFL-CIO building. He pledged to be the strongest supporter of unions to ever occupy the Oval Office. Trump also visited Latrobe in western Pennsylvania last week and focused his message on law and order. Both Biden and Trump have made several appearances in Pennsylvania over the past year. Republican Voters Against Trump plans to put up similar billboards in Arizona and North Carolina, and may put them up in other states. More from PennLive On Sept. 11, Trump, Biden visit Flight 93 Memorial in western Pa. Be prepared for Election Week or Election Month; the vote count will take longer this year New Delhi: UNICEF India has roped in youth icon and thought-leader, Ayushmann Khurrana, as its celebrity advocate for promoting rights #ForEveryChild. Ayushmann Khurrana will support UNICEF towards its work around ending violence against children. The youth icon will work towards this initiative in India and he joins the likes of David Beckham, who works on this campaign globally. Welcoming Ayushman Khurrana as a celebrity advocate for childrens rights, Dr Yasmin Ali Haque, UNICEF Representative in India said, I am delighted to welcome Ayushmann Khurrana as a UNICEF celebrity advocate. Hes an actor who challenges the boundary of every role he plays. He will bring a sensitivity, passion and a powerful voice for every child, with a specific focus towards ending violence against children. Ayushmanns support will help increase awareness about this important issue, especially now with Covid-19 heightening the risk of violence and abuse against children due to the extended lockdown and the socio-economic impacts of the pandemic. Ayushmann Khurrana said, I am very pleased to partner with UNICEF as a celebrity advocate. I believe that everyone deserves the best start in life. As I watch my children play in the safety and happiness of our home, I think about all the children who never get to experience a safe childhood and grow up with violence at home or outside. With UNICEF, I look forward to supporting the rights of the most vulnerable children, so that they grow up as happier, healthier, educated citizens in nurturing environments free from violence. Northern Irish farmers impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic can now make applications to the devolved government's support scheme. The 21.4m support package, one of the most comprehensive of its kind in the EU, will benefit over 11,300 farming businesses, according to the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA). The scheme is a contribution towards the losses incurred by farmers as a result of short term market disturbance brought on by the Covid-19 crisis. Eligible farm businesses in the dairy, beef and sheep sectors can apply until the deadline on Wednesday 23 September. They will receive payments if they were the qualifying keeper of eligible animals presented for slaughter and sold milk during the qualifying periods. Applications for support to potato businesses have until 30 September to make an application, with the ornamental horticulture support scheme scheduled to open later in the month. NI's farming minister Edwin Poots said: We cannot rule out the possibility of further market disturbance as a result of this pandemic and the need for support to farm businesses. "For that reason, I have retained a budget of just over 7m based on the residual funding of 3.6m (from the 25m) and the 3.6m that was reprioritised from within my department. "This will allow me to address additional issues and challenges that Covid-19 may present in the weeks ahead." According to DAERA, beef producers will receive support for 100% of the losses they incurred in the period from mid-February June. Eligible farm businesses who presented beef cattle, cull cows or bulls and veal calves (from aged 8 months old and over), for slaughter between 16 February and 30 June will be eligible for a payment of 33 per head. Milk producers will receive support for 80% of losses incurred in the months March, April, May and June with a flat rate payment of 1.28 p/l. Potato producers will also receive support for 80% of losses incurred in the period March 17 to July reflecting actual loss in sales or value of crop remaining in store against a March reference price. Ornamental horticulture producers will receive support for 80% of losses incurred in the period March 1 to June 30 reflecting actual loss in accrued sales of eligible plants compared to averaged sales in previous three years. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-12 00:06:45|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close NAIROBI, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- Kenya's tourist arrivals reached 14,049 since the reopening of the international borders on Aug. 1, tourism and wildlife ministry said on Friday. According to statistics released by the Tourism Research Institute, the major points of entry are Jomo Kenyatta International Airport which had 13,249 arrivals. Moi International Airport Mombasa had 645. Najib Balala, Tourism and Wildlife Cabinet Secretary said the data released on Friday is important to the country as it helps the ministry to keep track of international tourist numbers to determine whether tourism and travel are improving since the easing of travel restrictions and the resumption of international flights into the country. "It will be done on a monthly basis going forward to gauge our progress in the tourism and travel industry," Balala said. The data focuses on the number of international arrivals via airports into Kenya and their purposes of visit. The east African nation's tourism industry, which was once mainly sustained by international visitors, is repositioning itself to appeal to the domestic marketplace in the face of COVID-19 According to the data, of the 14,049 arrivals, 6,368 came to visit family or friends, 3,685 for holiday, 2,325 on business, 1,129 in transit, 221 for education, 194 for medical, 72 for religious purposes, 47 for meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibition, and eight for sports. The ministry said the top three international arrivals by country are the United States, which had 2,768 tourists, Britain, which had 2,469 arrivals, and Uganda, with 506. "As a country we should also keep track of domestic flights as well as hotel bookings by domestic tourists so that we can keep track of the performance of tourism and travel for both the domestic and international markets," Balala said. The east African nation's tourism sector has slumped to its lowest level in decades following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in March, as restrictions which were put in place locally and internationally curtailed travel. The sector has lost about 81.8 billion shillings (about 770 million U.S. dollars) since March, according to tourism ministry, which is about 50 percent of its average annual revenue. Enditem As the COVID-19 pandemic has "exacerbated existing disparities" related to high-speed internet access in Texas, a bipartisan group of state lawmakers asked Gov. Greg Abbott on Friday to develop a plan to expand broadband access in the state. Texas is well overdue for a state broadband plan, and we believe the state needs to begin the process of creating one immediately, the 88 lawmakers wrote in a letter to Abbotts office. They said the need can't wait until the 2021 session of the Texas Legislature. Access to broadband has become even more important during the coronavirus pandemic as social distancing has prompted remote learning at schools and remote working for many offices. More than 800,000 rural Texans dont have adequate broadband infrastructure, however, according to data and maps produced by Connected Nation Texas and cited by the lawmakers in the letter. As broadband speeds increase, the number of rural communities that get left behind also increases, they said. People who are less likely to have internet connectivity are poor, elderly, rural, speak English as a second language or have less education and that hasnt changed since the 1990s, said Larry Irving, the former U.S. assistant secretary of commerce for communications and information and former administrator of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration. Irving spoke about the digital divide during a panel at this month's Texas Tribune Festival. Whats gone from an inconvenience maybe and a problem has gone to, your life has changed dramatically if youre not connected, Irving said. And we still have over 5 million households [nationwide] that arent connected because theyre rural and over 20 million households that arent connected because they simply cant afford a connection. He said not being connected to the internet reduces peoples chances of social distancing, having good health, educating their children, finding a job and running a business. People, including the elderly, may have to go out to see a doctor or shop because they don't have access to telemedicine. One in four people over 65 years old have access to broadband internet, Irving said. Well, who are the people in America who are most susceptible to this pandemic? Who are the people in America who we want to keep socially distant? Theyre all senior citizens. And children who dont have internet access are disproportionately underachieving or at underachieving schools, Irving said. We may lose a year or more of childrens education because we didnt make the investment 4, 5, 6 years ago and we should have and connect every home in America to broadband internet. In 2019, the Legislature created the Governor's Broadband Development Council to research barriers to broadband and study possible solutions. Abbott has also partnered with the Texas Education Agency to form Operation Connectivity, which has helped to provide mobile hotspots and e-learning devices for students and families transitioning to remote learning. The lawmakers praised those efforts, but stressed "we fear that rural communities are continuing to be left behind." "For example, Operation Connectivitys plan primarily benefited those households with broadband infrastructure and/or cellular availability," the letter said. "Many rural students live in areas where neither broadband nor cellular service is available. Students, families, and schools in rural communities without this critical infrastructure were left to address the situation on their own. It is also our understanding that the Governors Broadband Development Council is not charged with developing a state broadband plan, which is an important first step to closing the digital divide in Texas." The top two signers of the letter were rural Republicans, state Rep. Trent Ashby, of Lufkin, and state Sen. Robert Nichols, of Jacksonville. But the list included members of both parties from urban, rural and suburban areas. To establish broadband across the state, the lawmakers want the governor to establish a timeline with clear goals to measure progress. They are asking the governor to create regional plans that incorporate unique challenges across the state that also support existing planning entities. They also want state plans to encourage collaborations across government entities, evaluate existing assets and institutions to support the deployment of broadband, and assess future needs for access across the state. The lawmakers said 44 other states and Puerto Rico have enacted plans to develop broadband infrastructure. They said the development could be supported by funding from the Coronavirus Relief Fund and while the federal guidance for the use of the funds is unclear, other states have used them to plan for broadband. Texas should consider leveraging this or other funding to jump start the planning process, the letter said. The governor's office didn't immediately return a request for comment on the letter. The West Coast is aglow but not in a good way. Instead, fires are raging throughout California, Oregon, and Washington. The property damage is appalling, and ten people have already died. Leftists, predictably, have announced that their goddess, Mother Gaia, is again crying out from the horrors of anthropogenic climate change. The reality is that there's something bigger and more real going on, which is the actual climate. La Nina is afoot in the northern hemisphere, and she's having some extra fun in the West because the environmentalists have prevented California from protecting against fires. The data from the fires is appalling. In California, at least 2.5 million acres have burned. In Oregon, 900,000 acres have burned, with one of the worst fires being attributed to arson. In a nod to the cliche that everything that happens hits women and minorities the hardest, the Washington Post reports that "[i]n a small Oregon town, a wildfire devastates a Latino community." In Washington State, 480,000 acres have burned. Leftists know what's to blame it's Anthropogenic Climate Change, which is the nearest thing they have to a religion. Religions are unfalsifiable because faith ties all events to a deity. In that vein, climate change is the answer to all weather and climate events. Whether it's too hot or cold, too still or windy, too wet or dry, it doesn't matter. The blame always falls on humans and their love affair with fossil fuel. Therefore, it's unsurprising that one of the high priests of leftism, Barack Obama, would weigh in on the admittedly disturbing orange sky in California. In his usual pompous way, he announced that humankind is at fault: The fires across the West Coast are just the latest examples of the very real ways our changing climate is changing our communities. Protecting our planet is on the ballot. Vote like your life depends on itbecause it does. pic.twitter.com/gKGegXWxQu Barack Obama (@BarackObama) September 10, 2020 Others wiser than Obama have pointed out that climate change is not the problem. Instead, the problem is environmentalism. Environmentalism is why California stopped grooming forests or doing controlled burns to get rid of deadwood (AKA tinder). It was because of environmentalism that PG&E poured all of its money into building renewable energy facilities, such as the solar facilities that failed during California's recent heat wave, and stopped repairing old power lines (some going back 90 years) or trimming back tinder around those power lines. All this misbegotten environmentalism has controlled California even as more people have moved into fire zones over the past several decades. Even those awful environmental policies do not tell the entire story. There are two bigger things at play. First, there's California's actual climate. For all the hysteria about the epic heat wave this year, back in 1913, the hottest temperature ever recorded on earth was 134 degrees in California's Death Valley. That doesn't even mean it was the hottest temperature ever. It was just the hottest temperature ever recorded. People have been recording temperatures in a consistent way only since the Victorian era. That means that, long before the last 150 years, the earth has almost certainly been setting all sorts of records about which we know nothing. Second, the leftists are ignoring the most significant thing of all about California's furnace-like conditions. This is a La Nina year, and it's going to wreak havoc all over America: La Nina a phenomenon that occurs when the surface of the Pacific Ocean cools has officially formed, the U.S. Climate Prediction Center said Thursday. It triggers an atmospheric chain reaction that stands to roil weather around the globe, often turning the western U.S. into a tinder box, fueling more powerful hurricanes in the Atlantic and flooding parts of Australia and South America. "We're already in a bad position, and La Nina puts us in a situation where fire-weather conditions persist into November and possibly even December," said Ryan Truchelut, president of Weather Tiger LLC. "It is exacerbating existing heat and drought issues." The effects are already evident. Rising temperatures and an extreme mega-drought across the U.S. West are fueling fires from Washington to Arizona. California is having its worst fire season on record, torching an unprecedented 2.5 million acres. And in the Atlantic, a record number tropical storms have formed by September, including Hurricane Laura, which killed more than a dozen people across the Caribbean and the U.S. last month. No matter where you are, you'd better batten down the hatches, because anything that can go wild and dangerous with the weather will. These unusual weather phenomena will have nothing to do with the left's favorite explanation of Gaia in crisis due to evil people. Instead, they will reflect normal weather patterns around the globe, including in California. The only unusual thing will have been the California greenies' failure to take steps that could protect their state from predictable weather events. Image: Forest fire by Pixabay, free for commercial use. Higher Education Minster Simon Harris has urged young people getting college offers to celebrate safely in groups of no more than six indoors. Mr Harris was speaking as he confirmed that more than 19,000 Leaving Cert students have already accepted third level offers made today. He urged those who will be celebrating tonight and over the weekend to follow public health advice. Mr Harris said this means "keeping your gatherings small - it means no more than six indoors" and said bookings can be made in a restaurant or a pub that serves food. He added: "There are appropriate ways that are safe to celebrate. Do take this opportunity to recognise the major achievement that this is in your life. Read More Mr Harris said: "Young people have been incredible during this pandemic ... some people have attempted to make idotic comments pitting one generation against the next... my experience of Covid has been that everybody in the country has suffered, everybody has sacrificed and every age group has shown leadership in their own right. "You can absolutely still have an opportunity to follow the public health advice and celebrate and keep yourself safe." He said he was also conscious there will be people who are "bitterly disappointed" today. "Nothing I can say that will ease that immediately. But for what it's worth I would encourage them over the weekend to have that conversation with mum or dad , a trusted friend, a teacher or guidance counsellor. There are always ways of getting to where you want to get to in life even if you have to go about it a little bit differently than you originally planned." Mr Harris was asked about the Government's new plan for living with Covid-19 that's to be announced next week and if the public will be angered by it. He said the old plan saved lives and helped flatten the curve. "I'm also conscious the virus will be with us for a long time that people need to be able to live alongside it. "I'm conscious of the mental health, the economic impact... on families we do have to try and find that sweet spot where we can keep people safe and live alongside the virus. "That's what the new plan is trying to do. "In terms of anger I certainly hope that won't be the case. "I hope people will welcome the fact that we're trying to provide as much certainty as we possibly can in what is still a very uncertain world. "The latest figures in relation to Covid - particularly in Dublin but not exclusively are a cause of serious concern. "I think we need to all really examine how we can slow down the spread of the virus. "We know how we did it before, let's hope we don't have to go anywhere as drastic as that but I think each of us by making a conscious effort to keep our distance, somewhat reduce our social contacts could make a real difference in the coming days because we do not want to get back into that dangerous spiral which we saw." He said that he will always be guided by public health advice when asked if pubs should be allowed reopen on September 21 given the rise in Covid-19 cases. By PTI MUMBAI: Maharashtra government on Friday asked the Mumbai police to probe drug use allegations against Kangana Ranaut, while the Bollywood actor turned her attention to Congress president Sonia Gandhi to say she must intervene and stop the harassment of women. The city police received a communication from the state home department to probe claims that Kangana used banned substances and narcotics drugs, a senior police official said. The crime branch will look into the matter, he added. Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh had said on Tuesday that the Mumbai police will probe allegations by actor Adhyayan Suman that Ranaut took drugs. Adhyayan, the son of actor Shekhar Suman, was once in a relationship with Ranaut and had made the allegation in an interview, Deshmukh had said. Shiv Sena MLA Pratap Sarnaik had submitted a letter to the Home Department referring to the allegation in Adhyayan's interview. Taking cognisance of the letter, the department asked the police to conduct an inquiry, the official said. Ranaut is locked in a public spat with the Shiv Sena, which heads the ruling coalition in the state, after her statement comparing Mumbai to "Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir" irked the ruling party in the state. Dragging Gandhi into the episode, Ranaut said history would judge the Congress leader's "silence and indifference". The Congress is an alliance partner in the Maha Vikas Aghadi government in Maharashtra, along with the Sena and NCP. "Dear respected honourable@INCIndiapresident Sonia Gandhi ji being a woman arn't you anguished by the treatment I am given by your government in Maharashtra? Can you not request your Government to uphold the principles of the Constitution given to us by Dr. Ambedkar? "the actor tweeted. Ranaut, often in the news for her provocative statements, said Gandhi had grown up in the west and lived in India and must be aware of the struggles of women. History will judge your silence and indifference when your own Government is harassing women and ensuring a total mockery of law and order. "I hope you will intervene@INCIndia, she added in another tweet. Ranaut's office here faced action for "illegal" alterations by Shiv Sena-led Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Wednesday." The 33-year-old actor has been aggressively criticising the Maharashtra government on Twitter since she returned to the city from her home state Himachal Pradesh on Wednesday, soon after the civic authorities demolished portions of her office. On Thursday, Ranaut took on the Maharashtra government by castigating Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray for misusing power and declaring that her voice won't be suppressed. The Queen actor, who has been given Y-plus category security, posted a series of tweets comparing the BMC to goons, terming the state government a milavat sarkar and recalling Marathi culture and pride. Later in the day, Union Minister Ramdas Athawale met Ranaut at her residence in Khar here and alleged that the demolition drive at her bungalow in Bandra was carried out in a sentiment of revenge and the Maharashtra government, too, had a role to play. Athawale on Friday met Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari, seeking "justice" and compensation for Ranaut. Athawale said he told the governor that Ranaut was served notice and the Sena-controlled Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) demolished the premises within 24 hours. Alleging that the BMC also broke furniture in Ranaut's office during the demolition drive, he accused the civic body of misusing its powers. Former Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said the Kangana issue was blown out of proportion by Shiv Sena. "She is not a political leader. You don't go to demolish the home of Dawood (Ibrahim) but you demolished her premises," he said. National flag carrier Vietnam Airlines will resume international flights by conducting one-way flights linking Vietnam and Japan from September 18, following suspension caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The airlines representative said on September 11 that flights aim to meet demand of Vietnamese passengers travelling to Japan for study and work. Accordingly, flights will depart from Hanoi for Tokyo at 11:45pm on September 18, 25, 30 and leave Ho Chi Minh City at 0am on September 30, using Boeing 787 - the largest wide-body and most modern aircraft of the carrier. The airline is building a plan to resume flights to the Republic of Korea, China, Taiwan (China), Laos and Cambodia in the near future. Earlier from June, Vietnam Airlines conducted several one-way flights between Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Seoul in the RoK and Frankfurt in Germany. Many of its aircraft were also upgraded to carry cargo instead of passengers to help it through the pandemic crisis. Vietnam Airlines increases flights from/to Da Nang Vietnam Airlines will gradually increase flights from/to the central city of Da Nang as COVID-19 outbreaks have been brought under control nationwide, said a representative of the airline. Between now and September 15, the airline will run two round trips from Hanoi and three others from Ho Chi Minh City to Da Nang. From September 15 to the end of this month, the respective numbers will be raised to four and five. Along with another by its joint venture Pacific Airlines, the carrier is set to operate 10 trips per day to the city. Flight schedule may be adjusted based on situations and development of the pandemic, it warned. Social distancing and preventive measures will be applied during the flights per order of the Ministry of Transport to curb the spread of COVID-19. VNA JERUSALEM: The United Arab Emirates and Bahrains decisions to normalise relations with Israel follows a history of peace efforts between Israel, the Palestinians and their Arab allies that have failed to overcome decades of distrust and violence. Most Arab nations have not recognised Israel or had formal diplomatic or economic relations with it because of what they regard as Israels thwarting of Palestinians aspirations for a state of their own. The Israel-UAE normalisation deal announced last month is to be signed on Sept. 15 at a White House ceremony hosted by U.S. President Donald Trump. Here are the main Middle East peace initiatives undertaken since a 1967 war, when Israel captured the West Bank and East Jerusalem, the Sinai peninsula and the Gaza Strip and the Golan Heights: 1967 - U.N. Security Council Resolution 242 After the Six-Day War, U.N. Security Council Resolution 242 calls for the withdrawal of Israeli armed forces from territories occupied in the recent conflict" in return for all states in the area to respect one anothers sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence. The resolution is the foundation for many peace initiatives, but its imprecise phrasing - is the reference to all territories or just some? - has complicated efforts for decades. 1978 - Camp David agreement Israels Menachem Begin and Egypts Anwar Sadat agree on a framework for regional peace that calls for an Israeli withdrawal in stages from Egypts Sinai and a transitional Palestinian government in the West Bank and Gaza. 1979 - Israeli-Egyptian peace treaty The first peace treaty between Israel and an Arab country sets out plans for a complete Israeli withdrawal from Sinai within three years. In 1981, Sadat was assassinated by Islamist revolutionaries opposed to the deal. 1991 - Madrid summit Representatives of Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) attend a peace conference. No agreements are reached but the scene is set for direct contacts. 1994 - Israel-Jordan agreement Jordan becomes the second Arab country to sign a peace treaty with Israel. But the treaty is unpopular and pro-Palestinian sentiment is widespread in Jordan. 1993-1995 - Declaration of Principles/Oslo Accords Israel and the PLO hold secret talks in Norway that result in interim peace accords calling for the establishment of a Palestinian interim self-government and an elected council in the West Bank and Gaza for a five-year transitional period, Israeli troop withdrawals and negotiations on a permanent settlement. 2000 - Camp David summit U.S. President Bill Clinton convenes Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak at Camp David. They fail to agree. Another Palestinian uprising ensues. 2002-2003 - Bush Declaration/Arab peace initiative/Road Map George W. Bush becomes the first U.S. president to call for the creation of a Palestinian state, living side by side with Israel in peace and security". 2002 - Saudi Arabia presents Arab League-endorsed peace plan for full Israeli withdrawal from occupied territory and Israels acceptance of a Palestinian state in return for normal relations with Arab countries. The United States, the European Union, the United Nations and Russia present their own road map to a permanent two-state solution to the conflict. 2007 - Annapolis summit Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert fail to reach a deal at a U.S.-hosted summit. Olmert says later they were close to a deal but a graft investigation against him and a Gaza war in 2008 scupper any agreement. 2009 - Netanyahus Bar-Ilan address Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he would be prepared for a peace deal that includes the establishment of a demilitarised Palestinian state. He also sets another condition: Palestinian recognition of Israel as the state of the Jewish people". 2013-2014 - Washington peace talks/negotiations collapse U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry coaxes Israelis and Palestinians to resume talks. They fail and are suspended in April 2014. June 2019 - Trump economic plan announced Preliminary stage of Trumps Mideast Plan launched in Bahrain by Trumps son-in-law, Jared Kushner. He takes an economy first" approach, calling for a $50 billion investment fund to boost the Palestinian and neighbouring Arab economies. Palestinian leaders dismiss it. 2019 Netanyahu says he intends to annex West Bank settlements, and much of the Jordan Valley if elected. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo effectively backs Israels claimed right to build Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank by abandoning a four-decade-old U.S. position that they were inconsistent with international law. Most countries still regard them as illegal. January 2020 - Trump unveils his full Mideast plan in Washington, alongside Netanyahu. It offered U.S. recognition for Israels sovereignty over its West Bank settlements and required Palestinians to meet difficult conditions for a state. Palestinians reject it as de facto annexation, saying it would leave them a fragmented Swiss-cheese state. Israels far-right settlers also reject the plan, opposing any form of Palestinian state. Aug. 13, 2020 - Trump announces surprise deal to normalise relations between Israel and the UAE. Emirati officials say the deal puts an end to West Bank annexation. But Netanyahu says it only meant Israel had agreed to temporarily wait". Sept. 11, 2020 - Bahrain struck an agreement to normalize relations with Israel, saying it would increase stability, security, and prosperity in the region" in a joint statement with Israel and the United States. (Writing by Jeffrey Heller and Stephen Farrell; Editing by William Maclean and Grant McCool) 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 CHARLESTON Eastern Illinois University will reconsider changing the name of Douglas Hall because of the association the historical figure for which it's named has with slavery. President David Glassman announced the decision Friday during the university's Board of Trustees meeting, saying current issues concerning racial injustice warrant the reconsideration. Glassman said he will ask the university's Naming Committee to revisit the issue. The residence hall and its neighboring Lincoln Hall were named in recognition of the debates between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas in the 1858 U.S. Senate campaign. One of the series of debates took place at the Coles County Fairgrounds. In August, state officials announced a statue of Douglas would be removed from the Illinois Capitol Grounds. House Speaker Michael Madigan, D-Chicago, requested the change because Douglas was a slaveholder and had a history of making racist comments. Madigan made the call during a period of heightened racial tensions following the killing of George Floyd by police in Minneapolis and a national effort to remove statues of Confederate leaders. Tributes to Douglas also have been removed from the University of Chicago campus. Illinois State University officials also have moved to rename a residence hall's floors that are named after U.S. secretaries of states who were slave owners. On Friday, Glassman noted that the university Naming Committee addressed the issue in the past, ultimately deciding to recommend no change in the residence hall's name. The decision at that point was to keep the name but also add with displays explaining the reason for it and providing history of the debates, which has taken place, he said. However, Glassman also said, there is "no doubt" that Douglas was a racist and supported slavery, though the naming of the residence hall was "never intended to commemorate that." He said the name is "contrary to EIU's values" and troubling to many, which has become more apparent in light of recent issues of racial injustice. Glassman said the Naming Committee will meet sometime during the current semester and make a new recommendation on whether to change or retain the building's name. The "ultimate decision" on any change would be up to the Board of Trustees, he also said. Board members didn't comment on Glassman's announcement during the meeting. Discussion of possibly changing the Douglas Hall name dates to 2010. It re-emerged three years ago when EIU's Faculty Senate voted to recommend to have a committee again consider the name. Meanwhile, the board's votes Friday included approving work on the lower level of the press box at O'Brien Field, which is being funded largely by donations. The contract for the work with Grunloh Construction Inc. of Effingham was adjusted for the cost of repairing leaks that were discovered on the press box's exterior. A report to the board indicated that the cost increased by $30,000 to a total of $329,708. University funds will cover the additional cost. The planned work will include upgrading heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems; upgrading electrical service; and adjusting seating to make the floor one level. The board also voted to recognize First Mid Bank & Trust for a donation for improvements to the scoreboard and sound system at Lantz Arena, naming the arena's court for the bank for the next five years. Board member Joe Dively, a First Mid Bank & Trust official, abstained from the vote on the recognition. Votes also included approval of changes to the performance review procedure for the university president. It adds input from "stakeholders," including the mayor of Charleston; leaders of the university's Faculty Senate, Student Senate and Staff Senate; and members of the EIU President's Council. Also during the meeting, board Chairwoman Barb Baurer noted the meeting took place on the anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. She called for a moment of silence to recognize the anniversary and to honor victim of the coronavirus pandemic, calling both "significant events" that cause thoughts about "what's really important in life." PHOTOS: Eastern Illinois University campus President David Glassman said the Stephen Douglas name is "contrary to EIU's values." The U.S. senator was a slaveholder. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Thousands of farmers, under the banner of Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU), held a state-level protest at Pipli town near Kurukshetra in Haryana, rejecting the farm ordinances promulgated by the Union government. Police had to use force to disperse the protesters and restore the traffic on the Ambala-Delhi national highway. Haryana: Farmers block National Highway 44 near Kurukshetra in protest against the three recent agriculture ordinances passed by the Union Cabinet. pic.twitter.com/MCnOBKXrsI ANI (@ANI) September 10, 2020 Farmers and commission agents associations extended support to the protest against three Ordinances- the Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Ordinance, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Ordinance and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Ordinance. Protesters were saying that the Ordinances were not only against the interest of the farmers but were also against the Constitution of India. #WATCH Haryana: Farmers block National Highway 44 near Kurukshetra in protest against the three recent agriculture ordinances passed by the Union Cabinet. pic.twitter.com/oLw6lA6Ukm ANI (@ANI) September 10, 2020 A large number of farmers and commission agents from Hisar, Sirsa, Rohtak, Bhiwani and Jind districts were not allowed to reach the protest venue. Kissan rally against haryana government , government try to stop it but farmers doing protest #NoMoreBJP pic.twitter.com/tEXSFBVYPF Sandeep laller (@Sndiip) September 10, 2020 At some places, police had to use force against the protesters. BKU claimed that the police resorted to lathi charge to disperse the agitators. twitter Kurukshetra Superintendent of Police Astha Modi said agitators blocked the national highway. Hundreds of farmers managed to reach Pipli Chowk and pelted stones on the police personnel manning the barriers, a police officer said. Earlier, despite strict arrangements made by the district administration to prevent any farmer from reaching Pipli grain market to participate in the 'Kissan Bachao, Mandi Bachao' rally, many farmers managed to reach near the destination. #Farmers were thrashed by lathis in #Haryana today. What a shame. Despite giving aid to the poor, this government is treating them brutally amid this pandemic. Tragic!@vinodkapri pic.twitter.com/qGp0GCFeu6 Naaved Bawa (Akhlad Khan) (@BawaNaaved) September 10, 2020 About one hundred farmers travelling on their tractors and other vehicles broke the police barriers raised at Dayalpur crossing in Kurukshetra city and proceeded towards Pipli. Farmer leader Akshay Hathira, who was leading the group, told media that the state government was trying to curb the voice of farmers by banning the rally and imposing prohibitory orders under CrPC section 144 (prevents assembly of five or more people at one spot) at Pipli. Areas sealed by police Meanwhile, Pipli Mandi and its surrounding areas were sealed by a large contingent of police. Recently when the GDP figures were released showing 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, agriculture was the only stand out sector, which was still growing. Trade, hotels, transport and communication saw a dip of 47 per cent while manufacturing shrank by 39.3 per cent. The construction sector took a hit of 50.3 per cent as mining output struggled at 23.3 per cent, and electricity and gas dipped by 7 per cent mostly due to the lockdown triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, agriculture was the lone bright spot which grew at 3.4 per cent. Like many of us, Sarah Shah is asking herself, Will I ever wear heels again? More importantly, why would I want to? As summer turns to fall in the world of COVID-19, our waistlines may be expanding from stress eating. Our feet are widening from wearing flip-flops all day, and weve settled into the most comfortable, loose-fitting clothes possible. Im no exception. My at-home work wardrobe consists of Dansko clogs, shorts, soft T-shirts or flowy A-line dresses. Bras are optional. Earrings maybe. Makeup never, unless needed for a Zoom meeting. But in spite of the pandemic and the economic fallout with millions out of work, New York Fashion Week continues its biannual fashion presentation this week, showing spring/summer collections for 2021. Some 60 designers will be participating, with shows going on either in person with strict social distancing or virtually, according to the Council of Fashion Designers of America. Jason Wu is holding his show outside with 50 people max in attendance, in compliance with New York state safety guidelines. Other designers, such as Marc Jacobs, Prabal Gurung, Tory Burch and Texas native Brandon Maxwell, have decided not to show at all. On Tuesday, Houston native designer Cesar Galindo will be a part of the #INEEDITNOW virtual fashion experience with famed costume designer Patricia Field. Where to donate Paralyzed Veterans of America, will pick up items. 800-555-9140. pva.org/ways-to-give The Guild Shop, 2009 Dunlavy, 713-528-5095; theguildshop.org (contact before bringing in furniture or rugs) Katy Christian Ministries, 23232 Kingsland, Katy, and 5510 First Street, Katy; ktcm.org Salvation Army, 1500 Austin, 800-728-7825 Star of Hope,713-748-0700 Goodwill Houston. All Houston stores are open. Click here for donation locations. Many organizations are not accepting donated goods: Dress for Success Houston isn't currently taking donations because of Harris County's COVID-19 red threat level. See More Collapse So the show will go on. I, for one, have waning interest. The coronavirus has numbed my desire to wear the latest fashions. The work clothes and evening attire that hang in my closet seem almost frivolous at this point. Who knows? Life after COVID-19 may never be the same. Purging, not shopping, seems to be the most realistic option these days. Im not alone in my mind set. Shah, an image consultant, is constantly purging. She keeps a box handy for clothing and accessories she no long wears and will never wear again. That way shes ready when she receives an email from Paralyzed Veterans of America, saying it will be in the neighborhood and can pick up clothing donations from her front door. The organization raises some $400,000 each year from donated clothing and accessories sold at Family Thrift stores. Donations are up 30 percent since the pandemic started, said Amanda Saunders, executive director of the organizations Texas chapter. I try to only donate things someone else would want, Shah said. I definitely have a closet of too-small items that I dont think Ill be getting back into post-COVID-19. Weve really gone from business casual to casual casual, and I dont see it going back. The average American family spends $1,800 on clothes annually, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Many people have more clothes than they can wear. In fact, the fashion industry doubled its production from 50 billion pieces of clothing to 100 billion between 2000 and 2015, according to Green America, a national organization dedicated to promoting environmental sustainability. There are only 8 billion people on the planet. Also, the amount of clothing Americans dispose of annually has almost tripled during that time. In 2017 after Hurricane Harvey, Houstonians answered the call for clothing donations by purging their closets en masse. The George R. Brown Convention Center, which served as the citys temporary American Red Cross shelter, is huge, yet clothes filled the floor like a landfill. Fifteen percent of what you donate goes to people in need. Most of it is bundled up, shipped and sold back to the developing countries who made it in the first place, or it ends up in an landfill, said Ahshia Berry, vice president of communication and marketing for Magpies & Peacocks, a Houston nonprofit organization that has diverted more than 170,000 pounds of used fabrics and textiles from landfills by engaging artists and designers to re-create the old into something new. Magpies & Peacocks has continued to accept donations of clothes and textiles during the pandemic. That includes 3,000 pounds of fabric donated by an interior-design company. Berry said people are becoming more mindful about donating clothing, and some are even turning to DIY videos to learn how to repurpose clothes, such as turning a pair of jeans into shorts or a handbag. People are at home and have time to clean out their closets. They know you really shouldnt just throw out your clothes. They are more aware, but at the end of the day, if theres no solution, it ultimately ends up in a landfill, Berry said. Debbie Willingham, executive director at the Guild Shop, said shes seen an increase in donations, with a significant number of household items and furniture. Donations and proceeds from consignment pieces sold at the store go to help Houstons elderly. Even though the store was closed for nearly three months after the pandemic hit, it continues to break even. The shop is affiliated with St. John the Divine church. We are still serving a mission and are abundantly blessed, Willingham said. Locally, Houstonians can donate clothes and accessories to a variety of organizations, including the Salvation Army and Star of Hope. After closets have been purged, whats in style might be anything that stretches. We used to look down on elastic waistbands, but maybe we all are rethinking that, said Linda Gillan Griffin, the Houston Chronicles former fashion editor who retired to Cat Spring. She dresses up to pick up groceries or grab a coffee at Starbucks in nearby Sealy. Her prediction is that well see more beautiful flats and sandals, that well keep only things we really love and that unstructured looks will reign. As for high heels? The whole purpose of high heels is to make your derriere stick out, she said, but with the way we all are eating, I dont think anyone wants that. joy.sewing@chron.com (MARYVILLE, Mo.) Today marks 19 years since the deadliest attack on American soil. On Thursday evening, Northwest Missouri State University opened Bearcat Stadium for anyone in the community to honor the firefighters and other first responders who lost their lives that day. Maryville firefighters were among the group of volunteers who took on the challenge of walking up and down the stadium's bleachers 58 times. That equals 2,071 steps, the same amount that firefighters had to walk while in the twin towers on 9/11. University staff said the ceremony ensures those who take part never forget. The 9/11 step challenge geared at helping individuals remember what happened that fateful day on September 11, 2001, organizer Jill Brown said. Each volunteer who signed up for the walk received the name and backstory of one of the 343 firefighters who died on 9/11. FILE PHOTO: The Huawei logo is pictured on the company's stand during the 'Electronics Show - International Trade Fair for Consumer Electronics' at Ptak Warsaw Expo in Nadarzyn WARSAW (Reuters) - Poland's planned criteria for assessing the risk of telecoms equipment providers are political and may be aimed at excluding Huawei [HWT.UL] from developing the country's 5G network, the Chinese company said on Wednesday. The United States says Huawei's equipment could be used by the China for spying - an allegation denied by Huawei and Beijing - and has pressed its allies to ban the company. On Tuesday, Poland published a draft cybersecurity law, giving interested parties 14 days to comment. The law says vendors will be divided into four groups depending on their potential threat to Poland's cybersecurity based on criteria such as whether the supplier might be influenced by a country outside the European Union or NATO, or whether their home country respects human rights, among others. "The criteria that are proposed ... are political, they are not measurable, they are not transparent, they are not objective," Ryszard Hordynski, strategy and communications director at Huawei Polska, told Reuters. "If we consider where politically something may not fit, since there are three 5G suppliers in Poland, then probably we can actually talk about our company, but I hope that this will not happen," he added. The bill says telecoms operators would not be allowed to buy new equipment from suppliers seen as "high risk" and would have to replace existing equipment from that supplier within five years. For "moderate risk" suppliers, only buying new equipment would be forbidden. Trigon DM analyst Dominik Niszcz said in a note that Huawei was likely to be classified as a "moderate risk" vendor, meaning operators would not be able to buy new supplies from it, but would not have to replace 4G equipment. Play, Poland's biggest mobile operator whose network relies heavily on Huawei equipment, and Cyfrowy Polsat said they needed to analyse the draft before commenting on it, while T-Mobile was not immediately available for comment. Orange Polska criticised the proposed deadlines for decommissioning infrastructure, saying they were much shorter than in other countries. (Reporting by Anna Koper; Editing by Mark Potter) National Chairman of the National Democratic Congress [NDC], Mr. Samuel Ofosu Ampofo has revealed they decided to name their manifesto 'The people manifesto' after consulting the stakeholders in concluding Ghanaians. Speaking in one on one interview on Nhyira fm in the Ashanti region on Friday 11th September 2020, Mr Samuel Ofosu Ampofo said they consulted the key stakeholders like the Christian council, Ghana Pentecostal, and charismatic council, Universities Teachers Association of Ghana [UTAG], National Association of Teacher [NAT], Trade Union Congress [TUC], Nurses and Midwifery Council, Ghana Medical Association, Ghana Bar Association, Farmers, Drivers, Law students, etc. He continued that they also visited about 6 regions in the country before the COVID-19 to consult the Kings and Queens, Market men and women, etc. Mr. Ofosu Ampofo said they did this not because they were short of ideas as Gabby Asare Otchere Darko wrote on his Facebook and Twitter pages but instead they needed the people's ideas as every good and listening government will do. Mr. Samuel Ofosu Ampofo revealed he is in the Ashanti region as the NDC is doing a training programme for lawyers and other party members on electoral laws ahead of the December 7 polls. YEREVAN. The residents of Taperakan village of Ararat Province are protesting in front of the Prosecutor General's Office of Armenia. They demand the release of fellow villager Alen Petrosyan from custody. According to his lawyer Arman Arzumanyan, initially they had obtained some very controversial evidence, on the basis of which Petrosyan was first detained and then arrested. "[But] the further development of the case showed that he [Petrosyan] has nothing to do with the act he is accused of. The actual perpetrator, the actual shooter, voluntarily turned himself over to the body conducting the proceedings, and confessed. Later, he also handed over the weapon, the tool of the crime, but it seems that the case is not moving forward," the attorney said, noting that the person who confessed to the crime has not been arrested, whereas Alen Petrosyan's term of arrest has been extended for the second time. The lawyer found it hard to say why his client has not been released under these circumstances. According to the attorney, Petrosyan is accused of murder and carrying an illegal weapon. Arman Arzumanyan stressed that he will file a cassation appeal of the decision to arrest Alen Petrosyan, and if the latter is not released, he will file a complaint with the ECHR. STAMFORD School district officials closed Stillmeadow School Friday due to a confirmed case of COVID-19. Officials said the elementary school was shut down for them to perform contact tracing. District Spokesperson Sharon Beadle confirmed Friday morning that there has been one case at the 650-student school. Citing the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, she declined to disclose if it was an adult or student who tested positive or if the person was an asymptomatic COVID carrier or not. The case was first reported on Thursday, two days after the school opened for the year. Beadle said Covid protocol for schools requires any staff or students to report a positive test to either the school nurse or administration and that is what happened in the present case. Schools Superintendent Tamu Lucero expects Stillmeadow to be open on Monday, Beadle said, adding that those who came in contact with the person who tested positive are being told to quarantine for 14 days. It is not a surprise that in a district our size we would have a case, Beadle said. Obviously we wish we wouldnt, but in a district our size it is not a surprise. Stillmeadows was one of several coronavirus cases reported at schools in the state this week, when most districts at least partially reopened buildings to children for the first time since closing due to the pandemic in March. School administrators in New Milford shut down all schools in that district much smaller than Stamfords at five schools following a positive test Wednesday. The district was to remain closed for at least the rest of this week while contact tracing was completed and the schools were cleaned. School officials there declined to say whether it was a student or staff member who was infected. The main reason I closed the entire district is because four of the five schools were impacted, Interim Superintendent Paul Smotas said Thursday. Smotas said he believes every district in the state will have a positive case at some point. Its not a matter of if, its a matter of when, Smotas said, adding each situation and response is different. On Wednesday, Naugatuck High School sent students and adults home early and closed for at least two days after a student tested positive. Also on Wednesday, Newtown learned a member of the school community tested positive, though decided to remain open based on the results of an investigation and contact tracing. Region 12 was informed of a positive case on Monday, but remained fully open based on consultation and recommendations from the districts public health officials, Superintendent Megan Bennett said. In Stamford the school district posted a note on its website shortly before 10 p.m. Thursday that reported Stillmeadow would be closed, due to the need to complete COVID-19 contact tracing. The year began Tuesday for students and staff at the school at 800 Stillwater Road. Stamford Public Schools are handling the COVID-19 pandemic by following a hybrid model in which abut 80 percent of students have been split into two groups which are alternating days in school buildings in order to allow adherence to social distancing guidelines. About 20 percent of students opted not to come back to school in person and are learning remotely full time in an online academy. Teledentist Parsia Jahanbani hands a COVID-testing kit to medical personnel at a free clinic operated by Latino Health Access in Anaheim, Calif., on Aug. 25, 2020. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times) Orange County Health Experts Discuss COVID-19 Testing Metrics IRVINE, Calif.Were always hearing about the number of reported COVID-19 cases, positivity rates, deaths, and other metrics. But how is this information collected and reported? How accurate are these metrics? What do the stats say about how a region is doing overall? Health officials have acknowledged and fixed data errors in Orange County and California in recent monthsbut even when data collection and reporting is operating as it should, there are nuances for people to understand. The particular number of cases [or] deaths reported on any particular day is not a meaningful metric, Marc Meulman, Orange Countys acting director of public health services, told The Epoch Times. For example, if the Orange County Health Care Agency reports five new COVID-related deaths on a Friday, that doesnt mean five people died that day. It means thats how many deathswhich happened over the course of an indeterminate amount of timewere tallied up and reported that Friday. There are lags in reporting, and a seeming spike in deaths might actually be explained, in part, by a bunch of data coming through at once. It is always important for cases and for deaths, to look at the data for cases by specimen collection date and deaths by date of death, Meulman said. Monitoring the data this way removes the various reporting delays and provides a better picture of the course of disease transmission and impact. He said reporting lags are built into the methodology for analyzing the data that officials use to make decisions about level of risk in a region and reopening. Due to various potential delays in the process, the criteria used for decision-making have lags built into the methodology to allow time for the data to be more complete, Meulman said. Co-existing Health Conditions Regarding the number of deaths, theres also the question of deaths by COVID-19 alone versus those that involve other health conditions. Dr. Charles Bailey, medical director for infection prevention at St. Joseph Hospital and Mission Hospital in Orange County, explained to The Epoch Times how COVID-19 is determined as a cause of death. Anyone who had a positive COVID-19 test and died is counted as a COVID-19-related death, regardless of whether [other] illness is present, Bailey said. If someone has a motor vehicle accident or a fatal heart attack, he said, if the person tested positive for COVID-19, thats counted as a COVID-19 death. Nonetheless, the data handed over to officials does note cases in which other health conditions may have contributed to the death. We do attempt to determine whether a death in a COVID patient was due to the COVID infection itself, Bailey said. Even in patients that have other conditions, COVID-19 may be what caused those conditions to become fatal, he said. If not for COVID, this patient most likely would not have passed away, Bailey said of one type of case. In another type of case, The presence of COVID likely did not contribute to the fatal outcome. Meaning COVID-19 is unlikely to have caused the death, the co-existing health condition did. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website states: For 6 percent of the deaths, COVID-19 was the only cause mentioned. For deaths with conditions or causes in addition to COVID-19, on average, there were 2.6 additional conditions or causes per death. So, 94 percent of reported COVID-19 deaths nationwide have occurred with people who have underlying health conditions, generally more than two. Positive Tests and Ratios Another metric officials look at is the ratio of positive tests to the number of tests administered. By itself, [that] only tells us what percentage of people being tested have positive results, Meulman said. If more people are being tested all of a suddenwhether its because tests have been made more available to the community or for whatever reasonthat ratio number could change. But it doesnt necessarily mean the rate of COVID-19 transmission has changed. Bailey said trends in patients hospitalized with COVID-19, and especially those patients who require ICU care, are more useful metrics to track the impact of the disease on a community. The number of positive tests or cases may be the result of test availability and community concern, as well as actual disease prevalence and severity, he said. Meulman also noted that, as with all tests for illnesses, theres a margin of error. That margin for COVID-19 testing varies, Meulman said, depending on factors including the type of test and method of specimen collection. No test is perfect, so false positives [or] negatives may occur occasionally, Meulman said. This is not unique to COVID testing. Impacts to Decision-Making All these metrics are being used by officials to determine regulations, including when to allow certain activities to resume, how to reopen all the things that have closed since March. Meulman said that given the nuances of each metric, the best assessments are being made by combining those metrics. All the data-points together help provide a picture of what is happening in the community, he said. Relying solely on test results to make decisions would likely result in a skewed picture of the overall situation, he said. But this is why we look at multiple data, including testing volume, positivity rate, hospitalization data, deaths. All of the data is important and informative. Table 1 Goldilocks Zone Channel Results 2019 Goldilocks Zone Channel Results 2019 VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Sept. 11, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Juggernaut Exploration Ltd. (TSX-V: JUGR) (OTCQB: JUGRF) (FSE: 4JE) (the Company or Juggernaut) is pleased to report it has received TSX approval to earn a 100% interest in the Goldstar property announced July 7th 2020 (Link to July 7 th News) containing 238 hectares located in West Central BC in close proximity to infrastructure and the Goldstandard property providing for cost effective exploration. Shareholder approval for the issuance of greater than 10% of the issued and outstanding shares to the DSM Syndicate collectively will be sought at the Companys AGM in December. The Goldstar property Goldilocks Zone has provided excellent results to date containing assays of 7.86g/t AuEq over 3.75m true width. This channel was taken in 2019 over a 3.75m wide section to partially test a 10.5m wide outcrop containing extensive veining and alteration, the channel started in 9.01 g/t AuEq and ended in 10.79 g/t AuEq and remains open. The Goldilocks Zone discovered in 2018 is 190m long by 20 meters wide and extends for 160 m vertical relief and remains open. It is located 500 m north of the Yellow Brick Road Gold Zone, and remains open. The Yellow Brick Road Zone was discovered in 2017, mapped for 170 meters and remains open. Channel samples assayed up to 24.55 grams per tonne gold equivalent over 0.3 meters (20.6 g/t Au, 329 g/t Ag, 0.02 % Pb DSM Oct 30th 2018). These two high grade gold zones are in an under-explored region of extensive glacial and snow pack recession providing vast areas of newly exposed bedrock with excellent potential for additional gold discoveries. ( Property Map with highlights ) Property Highlights Include: Goldilocks Zone Drill Ready Goldilocks Zone is demarked by multiple outcrops that daylight in glacial talus containing high-grade gold and polymetallic mineralization with grab samples assaying up to 40 g/t AuEq. The zone is defined by veining and altered host rock over an area of 190m by 20m and 160m vertical relief that remains open. To date 84% of samples taken assayed greater than 1.0 g/t gold confirming the continuity of the widespread gold mineralization. ( Link to image ) 2019 Channel Cut within the Goldilocks zone consisted of a 3.75m cut to partially test a 10.5m wide section of exposed outcrop. Assays returned 7.86 g/t AuEq over 3.75m true width. This channel started in 9.01 g/t AuEq and ended in 10.79 g/t AuEq leaving the zone open. This zone also contains gold mineralization confirmed in the host rock (pyritic chlorite schist) that assayed 1.13 g/t AuEq over a 1-meter interval within the 3.75-meter channel ( Link to new 2019 Video ) Yellow Brick Road Zone Drill Ready Located 500 meters south of Goldilocks, the Yellow Brick Road Zone has been traced for 170 meters, and remains open ( link to 2018 video ) Channel samples over 0.3 metre assay up to 28.7 g/t Au, 410 g/t Ag, 1.4 % Cu, and 6 % Pb ( link to image ) The Yellow Brick Road Zone contains pyrite-chalcopyrite-galena bearing, vuggy quartz veins that are up to 1 meter wide with chip samples up to 24.55 AuEq over 1 meter (20.6 g/t Au, 329 g/t Ag, 0.02 % Pb) and with grab samples assaying up to 55.80 g/t Au and 2340 g/t Ag. The veins are encompassed by a pyritic and quartz-sericite-pyrite alteration envelope that is up to 30 cm wide. Story continues The high-grade gold and silver mineralization confirmed on surface at these two discovery zones located 500 meters apart coupled with multiple other newly discovered gold mineralized outcrops in the surrounding area provides strong drill targets to test for a large common gold mineralizing system at depth. Drilling is recommended to outline the full extent of the surface gold mineralization both along strike and to depth. ( link to map ) Host rock is variably altered with zones of pervasive chloritization, oxidized pyritization, and local clay alteration that contain gold and sliver mineralization. The Yellow Brick Road Zone is pyrite-chalcopyrite-galena bearing, vuggy quartz veins are up to 1 meter wide with an encompassing pyritic and quartz-sericite-pyrite alteration envelope that is up to 30 cm wide. Off-shoot veinlets form local breccia and stock work in the altered wall rock. Sulphides occur as coarse seams and dissemination within quartz vein material. Table 1: Goldilocks Zone Channel Results 2019 3AuEq metal values are calculated using: Au $1574.05/oz, Ag $17.78/oz, Cu $2.56/lb, Pb $0.97/Ib Prices on February 11th 2020 Table 2: Goldstar Property Highlights from 2017 and 2018 (DSM Oct 30th 2018) Sample # Zone Channel/Chip/Grab1 Length (metres) Gold (g/t) Silver (g/t) Copper % Lead % Gold Eq3 (g/t) W496968 Yellow Brick Road Grab 29.60 845.00 0.30 0.55 40.47 W497407 Yellow Brick Road Channel 0.30 28.70 410.00 1.40 6.00 38.88 W496863 Goldilocks Chip 1.00 20.60 329.00 0.00 0.02 24.55 W496860 Goldilocks Grab 11.70 313.00 0.09 0.03 15.60 W497406 Yellow Brick Road Channel 0.30 11.10 260.00 1.97 1.28 18.00 W496862 Goldilocks Chip 1.50 9.34 353.00 0.05 0.02 13.65 W496970 Yellow Brick Road float 6.82 141.00 0.54 0.05 9.40 W496969 Yellow Brick Road Grab 5.33 113.00 0.20 0.52 7.27 W386012 Yellow Brick Road Grab 4.90 74.10 0.05 0.46 6.10 W496920 Goldilocks Chip 1.00 4.28 133.00 0.00 0.00 5.87 W497408 Yellow Brick Road Channel 0.27 3.91 89.40 0.05 0.05 5.08 W496922 Goldilocks Grab 2.99 761.00 0.96 0.42 13.84 W496861 Goldilocks Grab 2.65 52.00 0.00 0.03 3.29 W496865 Goldilocks Grab 2.55 44.30 0.01 0.02 3.11 W496971 Yellow Brick Road Chip 1.00 2.45 48.50 0.25 0.03 3.44 W496921 Goldilocks Grab 1.42 32.50 0.00 0.09 1.85 W496924 Goldilocks Chip 0.50 1.15 27.00 0.00 0.00 1.47 W496919 Goldilocks Chip 1.50 0.77 19.10 0.00 0.00 0.99 W497409 Yellow Brick Road Channel 0.75 0.26 2.70 0.01 0.01 0.31 W496864 Goldilocks Grab 0.12 5.30 0.00 0.00 0.18 W3875154 Yellow Brick Road Grab 55.80 795.00 1.71 12.30 74.28 W3875134 Yellow Brick Road Grab 21.40 339.00 0.66 4.85 28.97 W3875174 Yellow Brick Road Grab 16.70 212.00 0.17 0.40 19.71 W3875164 Yellow Brick Road Grab 16.20 267.00 1.25 2.62 22.71 W3875124 Yellow Brick Road Grab 0.67 2340.00 1.67 0.11 31.39 W3875144 Yellow Brick Road Grab 9.28 152.00 0.07 0.13 11.28 1Grab samples are selective in nature and collected to determine the presence or absence of mineralization and are not intended to be representative of the material sampled 2True thickness of mineralized zone not known 3AuEq metal values are calculated using: Au $1222.9/oz, Ag $14.63/oz, Cu $2.8499/lb 42017 Sample Data Link to image gallery Extensive regions of snowpack and glacial recession also provide large areas with strong gold potential that remain unexplored. Follow up work and drilling will focus on expanding the known extent of mineralization at the Yellow Brick Road and Goldilocks zones both along strike and to depth, which will lead to the understanding and modeling of this extensive gold-rich mineralizing system. Follow-up prospecting of the vast unexplored regions of the Goldstar Property adds to future discovery potential. The Gold Star Property is situated on the central coast of BC and is located approximately 5.5 km from logging access roads and lies within 4.5 km of tidewater, which provides for good access to infrastructure. The Gold Star Property is an original discovery with no previous recorded work in the area. The prospect was generated and staked by the DSM Syndicate following positive results from a reconnaissance prospecting program. Dan Stuart, President and CEO of Juggernaut states: Juggernaut is in the unique position of being fully funded with no further dilution required for drilling two original bedrock discoveries, Goldstar (link to video) and Goldstandard (link to video) that have confirmed High Grade Pollymetallic Mineralization over significant widths at surface and are drill ready. The inaugural drill program is planned for the summer of 2021. With just over 17MM shares outstanding, Juggernaut provides an excellent opportunity for investors to participate in the ever-strengthening gold bull market. Qualified Person Rein Turna P. Geo is the qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101, for Juggernaut Exploration projects, and supervised the preparation of, and has reviewed and approved, the technical information in this release. Other All rock, channel and talus fine samples were crushed and pulverized at ALS Canada Ltd.'s lab in Vancouver, BC. ALS is either Certified to ISO 9001:2008 or Accredited to ISO 17025:2005 in all of its locations. The resulting sample pulps were analyzed for gold by fire assay in Vancouver, BC. The pulps were also assayed using multi-element aqua regia digestion at ALS Canada Ltd.'s lab in Vancouver, BC. The coarse reject portions of the rock samples, as well as the pulps, were shipped to DSM Syndicate's storage facility in Terrace, BC. All samples were analyzed using ALS Canada Ltd.'s assay procedure ME-ICP41, a 1:1:1 aqua regia digestion with inductively-coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) or inductively-coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) finish for 35 elements as well as the Au-AA24 lead collection fire assay fusion procedure with atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) finish. Any results greater than 100 ppm for silver or 10,000 ppm copper, lead and zinc were additionally assayed using ALS's OG46 method particular to each element. This method used an HNO3-HCl digestion followed by ICP-AES (or titrimetric and gravimetric analysis). Gold values of greater than 10 ppm Au were assayed by the Au-GRA22 method which includes a fire-assay fusion procedure with a gravimetric finish. QA/QC samples including blanks, standards, and duplicate samples were inserted regularly into the sample sequence. The reader is cautioned that grab samples are spot samples which are typically, but not exclusively, constrained to mineralization. Grab samples are selective in nature and collected to determine the presence or absence of mineralization and are not intended to be representative of the material sampled. 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 STATEMENT Certain disclosure in this release may constitute forward-looking statements that are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties relating to Juggernauts operations that may cause future results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by those forward-looking statements, including its ability to complete the contemplated private placement. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these statements. NOT FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES OR TO U.S. PERSONS OR FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES. THIS PRESS RELEASE DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN OFFER TO SELL OR AN INVITATION TO PURCHASE ANY SECURITIES DESCRIBED IN IT. CONTACT: For more information, please contact: Juggernaut Exploration Ltd. Dan Stuart President and Chief Executive Officer Tel: (604)-559-8028 www.juggernautexploration.com Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-11 09:19:50|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- No new locally-transmitted COVID-19 cases were reported Thursday across the Chinese mainland, the National Health Commission said Friday. Meanwhile, 15 confirmed COVID-19 cases arriving from outside the mainland were reported -- eight in Shanghai, four in Guangdong, and one each in Liaoning, Sichuan and Shaanxi, the commission said in its daily report. No new suspected COVID-19 cases or new deaths related to the disease were reported, the commission said. On Thursday, 19 COVID-19 patients were discharged from hospitals after recovery, the commission said. By the end of Thursday, a total of 2,619 imported cases had been reported on the mainland. Of them, 2,462 had been discharged from hospitals after recovery, and 157 remained hospitalized, with one in severe condition. No deaths from the imported cases had been reported. As of Thursday, the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases on the mainland had reached 85,168, including the 157 patients still being treated. Altogether 80,377 people had been discharged after recovery, and 4,634 had died of the disease on the mainland, the commission said. There was one suspected COVID-19 case on the mainland, while 6,709 close contacts were still under medical observation after 308 were discharged Thursday, according to the commission. Enditem The discovery of a viable pipe bomb on a footpath near a children's health facility in Dublin is linked to a simmering Traveller feud in the area, the Herald can reveal. Gardai were alerted to the incident at Rafter's Avenue, Drimnagh, at 9am yesterday after a member of the public came across the bomb. Officers immediately sealed off the scene, which led to road closures in the area that is close to the Children's Health Ireland facility. The Army bomb disposal unit was called to the scene. Gardai from Sundrive Road are investigating the incident and no arrests have been made. "This is a very serious case, in terms of a viable bomb being found on a Dublin street in broad daylight," a source told the Herald last night. "It is not known if this incident was part of a warning from one faction to another, but there is no doubt that this device could have maimed someone or even worse," the source added. Sources said that gardai had "no doubt" that the bomb is linked to a Traveller feud between two families that has been ongoing for more than a decade and has led to a number of serious incidents in the past, including an attempted murder. "There is no doubt that it is about that feud - this is a dispute that seems to never go away. It is a miracle really that no one has been killed. "The participants are all living in the general Crumlin and Tallaght areas, but also in Finglas," a source told the Herald. The incident caused late-morning rush hour chaos in the area while the defence forces dealt with the pipe bomb. Dublin Bus had to divert routes 27, 56a, 77a, and 151 for a number of hours. Safe "Following a request from An Garda Siochana, an Army Bomb Disposal Team were tasked to investigate a suspicious item found in Drimnagh, Dublin 12. The team arrived at the scene at approximately 10am," a Defence Forces spokesman said. "On arrival, a cordon was established and maintained for the duration of the operation. A viable device was identified, made safe and removed for further examination. The team departed the scene just after 11.30am," he added. An examination of the pipe bomb at Cathal Brugha barracks in Rathmines by Army specialists determined that the device was viable. Thankfully, no one was injured and the bomb disposal unit did not carry out a controlled explosion at the scene. The Defence Forces are urging people who find suspicious items to stay back and call gardai immediately. "Should members of the public encounter suspicious items, or hazardous substances, they are advised to maintain a safe distance and inform An Garda Siochana," a spokesman said. The use of pipe bombs by criminal gangs has declined in recent years but there have been a number of incidents in the capital this year, including two in Ballymun in February, which led to residents being evacuated from the Knowth Court estate. In March, gardai raided a quarry on the Carlow/Kildare border, where it was suspected pipe bombs were being made by dissident Republicans. South Africa is in mourning following the death on Wednesday of renowned human rights lawyer George Bizos, who famously defended Nelson Mandela and other victims of racial segregation. President Cyril Ramaphosa has paid tribute to his 'immense' contribution to democracy. "This is very sad for our country," Ramaphosa said. "An incisive legal mind and architect of our Constitution, he contributed immensely to our democracy," he said in a tweet. Bizos died on Wednesday of natural causes at the age of 92 peacefully at his home with his family, they said in a statement. The celebrated lawyer represented Nelson Mandela and other leading activists on treason charges during the so-called Rivonia Trial in 1964, one of the most important political trials in South Africa's history. Many had expected the death penalty. Bizos is credited with shielding his client from execution by adding the words "if needs be" to Mandela's famous speech at the trial, in which he said he was prepared to die. Long friendship In his autobiography "Long Walk to Freedom" (1994), Mandela describes the advocate as a lifelong friend and "a man who combined a sympathetic nature with an incisive mind". Bizos continued to represent Mandela throughout his 27-year jail term and also acted for his then wife, Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, on more than 20 occasions. Bizos and Mandela met as law students at Johannesburg University in the 1950s and later worked together. Admitted to the Johannesburg Bar in 1954, Bizos took on cases that challenged the apartheid system, attracting the ire of the government but establishing the track record that led to his joining the Rivonia Trial team. Escaping the Nazis Born in Greece in 1927, Bizos arrived in South Africa in 1941, having fled Nazi-Occupied Greece with his father, mayor of the Greek village Vasilitsi where he was born. Aged 13 at the time, Bizos and his father had drifted on the Mediterranean for three days after helping seven New Zealand soldiers escape to Crete from the Greek mainland. Penniless and with no English, they moved inland to Johannesburg and Bizos fell out of education for several years before being assisted by a teacher who took pity on him. He went onto forge a long career dedicated to defending democratic values and human rights. The soft-spoken Bizos represented the country's best known political activists and practiced into his late eighties. One of his last major trials secured government pay-outs in 2014 for families of 34 miners shot dead by police at Marikana, northwest of Johannesburg, two years earlier. Bizos was married to Arethe Rita Daflos, who passed away in 2017. They had three sons. live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More In a sign that the DGCA may not have been satisfied with IndiGo's response to its query on the Kangana Ranaut episode, the aviation regulator has asked the airline to further investigate and 'take appropriate action.' "There are multiple issues. The prominent ones include photography on board in violation of rule 13 of Aircraft Rules, 1937," a senior official from the government told Moneycontrol. "There was also violation of COVID-19 protocols and certain actions falling within the purview of unruly behavior on board. We have asked the airline to take appropriate action against those responsible," the official said. The airline confirmed that it had received directives from the regulator. "We are in receipt of certain directions from DGCA in relation to flight 6E 264. We will follow the prescribed guidelines," it said in a statement to Moneycontrol. Earlier in the day, DGCA had sought a report from IndiGo, after it emerged that protocols may have been violated in one of its flights that flew actress Kangana Ranaut on September 9. The flight, which flew from Chandigarh to Mumbai, had seen a commotion with several members of TV channels following the actress for comments. Ranaut had flown just after reports came in that the Shiv Sena-controlled Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) had demolished "illegal alterations" at her Bandra bunglow. "We have given our statement to DGCA regarding the matter pertaining to flight 6E 264 from Chandigarh to Mumbai, on September 9, 2020," IndiGo said in response to Moneycontrol's query. "We would like to reiterate that our cabin crew, as well as the captain followed all the requisite protocols, including announcements to restrict photography, follow social distancing and maintain overall safety. IndiGo also followed the requisite protocol of documenting this matter in its post-flight report," the airline added. A video shared by journalist Jaskirat Singh Bawa on Twitter shows the actress being closely followed by media persons from several TV channels. Twitterati will quick to point out the lack of social distancing. Many on board were not wearing a mask either. The episode also brought back into discussion the one with comedian Kunal Kamra. Hours after the stand-up comedian had shared a video where he accosted journalist and Republic TV founder Arnab Goswami on an IndiGo Airlines flight, IndiGo had suspended Kamra from flying in its aircraft for the next six months. This happened in January. In a tweet, IndiGo said that it is suspending Kamra, "in the light of the recent incident", which occurred on board a flight from Mumbai to Lucknow. The airline has said in the tweet that Kamra's conduct onboard was "unacceptable behaviour". September 11 : The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) is set to go deep into the drug cartel after arresting Rhea Chakraborty, her brother Showik and some others in the drug case linked to Sushant Singh Rajputs death case. The NCB is now ready to dig out the drug mafia in the tinsel town. It was earlier reported that Rhea, during her three-day interrogation, had revealed 25 names of Bollywood A-lister celebrities who are into drugs and also attend drug parties in the tinsel town. According to a Times Now report, NCB is now set to summon these 25 Bollywood celebrities named by Rhea and Showik in the case. This list includes actors, directors, casting directors, producers and others. Rhea and Showik had alleged these Bollywood celebrities for their indulgence in procurement, consumption and peddling of drugs, Times Now reports. The report also suggests that since the names in the list are quite high profile, the NCB is taking extra cautious in monitoring the case. A meeting is also taking place in Delhi headed by KPS Malhotra and DG Asthana of NCB to discuss how they will proceed with the investigation. Earlier, in the remand copy of Rhea and Showik, the NCB had mentioned that they have learnt names of Bollywood people and otherwise, who are involved in the case. The NCB had reportedly said that after the agency properly investigates and only after getting evidence will they summon these people. It was the Enforcement Directorate who found chat records of Rhea where there were mentions of drugs. After this development, the NCB started probing the drug angle in the case. Latest updates on Sushant Singh Rajput Death Mystery Myleene Klass had a spring in her step on Friday as she ended her week in a decidedly edgy ensemble. The presenter, 42, offered a beaming smile as she made her way to work at Global Radio Studios sporting punk inspired check trousers and a chunky black boots. She added to her look with what at first glance appeared to be a faded rock concert T-shirt, but was in fact a printed top from Parisian high-street chain The Kooples. Here she comes: Myleene Klass had a spring in her step on Friday as she ended her week in a decidedly edgy ensemble The Smooth Radio host added to her look with a faded denim jacket, while a quilted red leather Chanel bag gave the ensemble a sophisticated flourish. Accessorising tastefully, Myleene sported heavily tinted sunglasses as she greeted onlookers while making her way across London's Leicester Square. The presenter's latest appearance came after her recent social media run-in with a troll who claimed her boyfriend Simon Motson will cheat on her. Looking good: The presenter caught the eye as she made her way to work at Global Radio Studios sporting punk inspired check trousers and a chunky black boots She#s pleased: Myleene offered a beaming smile as she made her way through the studio doors She recently posted a gallery of images with the PR executive, 45, to celebrate their five year anniversary as a couple. However a troll wrote underneath: 'Not long before this one cheats on you. Dear oh dear, heading for the lawyers are we?' 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. Grungy: She added to her look with what at first glance appeared to be a faded rock concert T-shirt, but was in fact a printed top from Parisian high-street chain The Kooples The incident came just six months after the couple's wedding, but they had been together for 11 years after meeting when Graham became the bodyguard for defunct pop group Hear'Say. Myleene, who shares daughters, Ava, 13, and Hero, nine with Graham, 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. The presenter is now in a happy relationship with Simon, who she began dating in 2015 after being introduced by two mutual friends, and the pair welcomed their first child together, son Apollo, in August last year. BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 11 By Jeila Aliyeva - Trend: Russia has increased export of lead products to Turkmenistan by 4.1 percent in 1H2020, Trend reports, citing the Eurasian Economic Commission. During this period, the export of lead products to Turkmenistan from Russia amounted to 408 kilograms, totaling $2,515. According to statistics, Russia also exported 31 kilograms of bismuth products to Turkmenistan, for a total of $965. Also, during this period, 1,520 tons of aluminum products were exported to Turkmenistan for a total of 8,636 from such EAEU countries as Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia. From January through May, products made of aluminum and lead from the EAEU countries were also exported to Turkmenistan. According to statistics, more than one and a half tons of aluminum products totaling $7,461 were exported to Turkmenistan from Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia. The share of Russia in the total export of aluminum products was $6,767, Kazakhstan-$678, Belarus-$14. Also, lead products were exported to Turkmenistan from Russia from January through May in the amount of 408 kilograms for a total amount of $2,515. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @JeilaAliyeva She is the daughter of Hollywood mega-stars Bruce Willis and Demi Moore. But Scout Willis was flying solo as she grabbed an iced coffee from a branch of The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf in Los Angeles on Thursday. Scout, 29, wore a cow print face mask as she stepped out in a blue kimono pyjama shirt and matching linen trousers. Coffee run: Scout Willis was flying solo as she grabbed an iced coffee from a branch of The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf in Los Angeles on Thursday She opted for a chic pair of black leather mules and draped her scarlet tassel handbag over her shoulder as she adjusted her face mask. The brunette kept things simple on the jewellery front with a delicate silver necklace. She styled her hair in a low bun and let her natural beauty shine through with a minimal make-up look. Staying comfortable: Scout, 29, wore a cow print face mask as she stepped out in a blue kimono pyjama shirt and matching linen trousers Scout's famous father Bruce Willis , 65, also ventured out for a walk near his Los Angeles home on Thursday. His casual ensemble consisted of a chocolate-coloured tee and and acid wash jeans. The action movie star sported a pinstripe cap and a camouflage face covering as he kept a low profile in the city. Getting some fresh air: Scout's famous father Bruce Willis , 65, also ventured out for a walk near his Los Angeles home on Thursday Under the radar: The actor, 65, sported a pinstripe cap and a camouflage face covering as he kept a low profile in the city That same day, his ex-wife Demi Moore, 57, shared a heart-warming Throwback Thursday snap of her as a little girl, from her book Inside Out. Demi shared an undated black and white photo of her in an adorable playsuit. As she celebrated the one-year anniversary of the book, she said on social media: 'Little Demi, moment of joy! from#TBT from #InsideOutBook.' The Hollywood actress shares a striking resemblance to Scout, and her other two daughters, Rumer, 32, and Tallulah, 26. CLEVELAND, Ohio -- JumpStart Inc. President Cathy Belk is leaving the Cleveland entrepreneurial support and funding organization in October to become president and CEO of the Deaconess Foundation. The mission of the Deaconess Foundation is to help people in need, allowing them to build careers that sustain them and their families. Deaconess is a founder of the Workforce Connect partnership that brought employers and funders together to strengthen the workforce development system. In the past year, the Cleveland foundation has helped create and fund workforce sector partnerships in manufacturing, healthcare and IT. 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. 11.09.2020 LISTEN Residents of New Kyeiase have appealed to telecommunication firms to extend mobile services to the area. The residents assured the Telcos of their preparedness to provide the needed site for the construction of a mast in the community. The people who for ages have been without network made this appeal during the annual Social Auditing Durbar at Supom, New Kyeiase in the Kwahu Afram Plains North District in the Eastern Region. The durbar, organized by the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) provides platform for duty bearers or those tasked with the responsibility of implementing government activities to render account to the people. The event brought together Departmental Heads, Religious Leaders, Chiefs, PWDs as well as people drawn from the Supom Community and its environs. Addressing the gathering, the Deputy Chairperson of NCCE in charge of Finance and Administration, Miss Kathleen Addy assured the people of the Commissions resolve to encourage participatory democracy in every part of the country. She said concerns raised during the durbar would be communicated to appropriate institutions for response. She emphasized the importance the Commission attaches to Social Auditing Durbars as it affords the citizenry the opportunity to scrutinize the programs of government at the same time making duty bearers entrusted with implementing such programs take responsibility for their actions and inactions. The Kyidomhene of Supom, Nana Anane Gyansah who represented the Chief, appealed to the DCE for their share of developmental projects in the community. He called for the completion of the Clinic at Supom as well as construction of a new Primary School block and Senior High School, provision of ICT laboratory for the JHS, a drainage system and a lorry station for the community. The District Chief Executive for Kwahu Afram Plains North, Mr Samuel Kena highlighted a number of projects being undertaken in the Community by the District Assembly. He said the Assembly has finished constructing the Supom Market and the contract has been awarded for work to begin on the construction of a new Primary School block. He said the Assembly will not renege in efforts to make the community enjoy mobile network services and discussions were underway with some mobile network providers to offer such facilities in the community. The District Director of Agric, Mr. Philip Azidoku appealed to the people to take advantage of the governments Planting for Food and Jobs as well as Planting for Export and Development programs. He assured the people of the availability of extension officers to help them in their farming activities. Mr Bilali Yakubu, for his part, sensitized the people about the role and responsibilities of Assembly members in development planning for the district. Mr. Yakubu, who is the District Planning Officer reiterated the importance of forming Area Councils for local government administration at the community level. He charged the people to equally put their elected assembly members to task. 2020 ELECTIONS The District Director of NCCE, Mr.Ofei Nkansah appealed to the people to eschew all forms of violence during the upcoming General Elections. He said the NCCE shall play the role expected of it in ensuring peaceful elections in December. The Director appealed to the people to tolerate diverse opinions. He used the occasion to sensitize the people about the COVID 19 protocols emphasizing the need to adhere to the wearing of nose masks and periodic washing of hands with soap and practicing social distance. Police and military members meet at the site of an explosion in the town of Jolo, southern Philippines, Aug. 24, 2020. Security forces killed two brothers who allegedly were bomb makers for a pro-Islamic State (IS) group in the southern Philippines, during a joint police and military operation this week, officials said Friday. Maj. Gen. Juvymax Uy, commander of the Joint Task Force Central and the 6th Army Division, identified the pair as Jeoffrey Nilong alias Momoy, 34, and his younger brother Amen, 24. The two were killed in a gun battle with police and military teams in the town of Surallah in South Cotabato province on Wednesday. The raiding team had been tipped off that the brothers were in the area and launched a raid to capture them. This triggered a brief firefight as the troops retaliated, killing the local terror leader of Dawlah Islamiyah and his brother who was also a member, Uy said, using the local term for the IS. Troops recovered a bag containing four improvised bombs and bomb-making paraphernalia, Uy said, adding the brothers group was responsible for a series of bomb attacks in Sultan Kudarat province and nearby Maguindanao province. Col. Jemuel Siason, provincial police commander in South Cotabato, said the brothers refused to stop their vehicle at a security checkpoint, triggering the gun battle. Based on information, we believe they were planning to launch bomb attacks, Siason said. They have targeted some areas but were proceeding to General Santos City when they were stopped. Officials said they believe the brothers were members of a unit of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), a breakaway faction from the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) that has signed a peace deal with Manila and controls an autonomous region in the south. The BIFF was blamed for bomb attacks on a town market and at a restaurant in the town of Isulan last year, wounding eight and 18 respectively. With a few hundred members, the BIFF is concentrated largely in central Mindanao island, officials said. Members have pledged allegiance to the IS, but the BIFF did not send fighters to aid IS militants when they took over the southern city of Marawi in 2017, triggering a five-month battle that left about 1,200 militants, security forces and civilians dead. Instead, members launched a series of small attacks to divert troops away from Marawi. Security forces in the southern region have been on heightened alert for militant activities since last month when two female suicide bombers detonated explosives on Jolo island, killing 15 people. That attack was blamed on an IS faction of the Abu Sayyaf, a small Islamic group more known for kidnappings and beheadings. Jeoffrey Maitem and Mark Navales in Cotabato City, Philippines, contributed to this report. Months before he announced his resignation, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe set in motion a policy change that could for the first time allow Japans military to plan for strikes on land targets in China and other parts of Asia. Japans Self Defence Forces are geared toward stopping attackers in the air and the sea. The policy change would direct the military to create a doctrine for targeting enemy sites on land - a mission that would require the purchase of long-range weapons such as cruise missiles. If adopted by the next government, the policy would mark one of the most significant shifts in Japans military stance since the end of World War Two. It reflects Abes longstanding push for a more robust military and Tokyos deepening concern about Chinese influence in the region. The Japanese government is worried by Chinas increased military activity around disputed East China Sea islets. The main reason for our action is China. We havent really emphasised that too much, but the security choices we make are because of China, Masahisa Sato, a lawmaker from Abes ruling Liberal Democratic Party who has served as a deputy defence minister and a deputy foreign minister, said in an interview. Japan renounced its right to wage war after World War Two, making the issue of striking targets on land - which would entail attacks on foreign soil - contentious for its Asian neighbours, particularly China. Abe said last month he was stepping down because of worsening health. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, who is seen as less hawkish than Abe but is closely aligned with him, is expected to win the race to replace him as party leader and become premier. GOVERNMENT POLICY Abe instructed senior defence policymakers in June to come up with LDP proposals for the military that included a land-attack, or strike, doctrine. That proposal will become government policy if it is included in a revised national defence strategy, which appears likely, according to two insiders, including LDP acting Secretary General Tomomi Inada. I dont think there is much opposition to it in the LDP, Inada told Reuters. That direction doesnt change even with a new prime minister. The military can already use long-range missiles to strike ships. It considers such plans justified because it needs to be able to destroy weapons threatening Japan. The land-attack proposal is framed using the same reasoning, according to former defence minister Itsunori Onodera. Therefore, proponents say, Japans laws will not need to change. During his eight years in office, Abe pushed for but failed to achieve his goal of revising the post-war constitutions pacifist Article 9. Japans National Security Council, which Abe leads and includes key cabinet officials, including Suga, will meet Friday to discuss defence strategy. US-made BGM-109 Tomahawk cruise missiles would be an option for land-attack weapons, said Katsutoshi Kawano, who until last year was Japans most senior military officer, the Chairman of Self Defense Forces Chief of Staffs. Tomahawks can hit targets 2,500 kilometres (1,553 miles) away. That would put most of China and much of the Russian Far East within range. Japan could probably have strike capability within five years, Kawano said. A full strike package including targeting satellites and electronic warfare components would, however, be far more expensive and take more than 10 years to acquire. In the meantime, Japan would have to rely on the United States for intelligence and surveillance. POLITICS To move the proposal forward, the next government will need to complete a revised defence strategy and midterm procurement plan by the end of December, before the defence ministry submits its annual budget request. That could meet resistance from the LDPs coalition partner, the Buddhist-backed Komeito, which worries such a move would antagonise China and threaten Japans war-renouncing constitution. It could spark an arms race and raise tension. It would be technically difficult and would require huge investment, Komeito leader Natsuo Yamaguchi said in an interview. This is something that has to be thought seriously about under the new Prime Minister. Even some LDPs security hawks, including one of Sugas leadership rivals, former defence minister Shigeru Ishiba, see a potential downside to acquiring long-range cruise missiles. What happens if the United States asks Japan to fire them, and we dont want to? he asked. About three weeks ago, the University of Mississippi started its fall semester, bringing students from around the country back to Lafayette County. The university had hoped its mix of in-person and online classes and mask-wearing guidelines, among other measures, would be enough to prevent an outbreak. On paper, the college appears to be doing well. According to recent numbers, the University of Mississippi has recorded about 430 confirmed cases since Aug. 24, the first day of classes in Oxford, and still has plenty of housing for those who have been infected or exposed to the virus. Data in Lafayette County, home to the Mississippi flagship, paint a starker picture. An analysis by USA TODAY shows the county has one of the highest per-capita rates of coronavirus infections in the country, at 1,053 COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people in the last two weeks. The rising positive cases were expected with the return of students, but the increase remains concerning, said Oxford Mayor Robyn Tannehill. Oxford is both a college town and a place where people come to retire. In the past month, Tannehill said, 26 residents at a local veterans' home have died in connection to the coronavirus. More: As ACC and Big 12 prepare to play, COVID-19 infection rates grow in many Power Five counties Across the country, college students' mounting coronavirus outbreaks have become an urgent public health issue. Of the 25 hottest outbreaks in the U.S., communities heavy with college students represent 19 of them. They span the map from Georgia Southern University to the University of North Dakota, from Virginia Tech to Central Texas College. In some of the college towns, like Pullman, Washington, home to Washington State, students aren't even taking classes in person, yet are still crowding apartments and filling local bars. In Lafayette County, Mississippi, the community had already seen how lax student behavior can spread the virus. A June outbreak in the town of Oxford was tied to Greek life recruitment parties. Story continues 'So much for honor': Despite COVID cases, college students partied Labor Day weekend away I definitely feel a kind of heightened sense of COVID agoraphobia now that (undergraduate) students are back in town, said Katie Turner, a doctoral student studying English. The city of Oxford has issued 60 citations since the beginning of August to people violating social distancing guidelines. Most students are trying to do the right thing, said Tannehill, the mayor. Maybe theyre just very much underestimating the danger in large social gatherings. The super-spreading nature of the coronavirus is stretching the abilities of universities to quarantine students and halt the virus' progress, leading to drastic consequences. At Indiana University in Bloomington, administrators quarantined three-fourths of Greek houses on campus and suggested students vacate the remaining houses and find new places to live. Graduate students at the University of Michigan launched a strike on Tuesday that remained ongoing as of Thursday, refusing to teach undergraduates over the university's response to the virus. And after seeing a sharp rise in cases, the University of Wisconsin in Madison recently shifted to online instruction for two weeks and quarantined two large residence halls after asking students to "limit their movement." One Dane County official even asked the university to send students home, a move that could give relief to the community but further spread the virus across the country. Local health officials say they fear both for students infected and the cities and counties theyre living in. In Story County, Iowa, home to Iowa State and one of the country's hottest outbreaks, a rise in cases among people 45 years and older shows the hotspot is spreading from campus, said Dr. John Paschen, the chair of the countys health board. What I'm really afraid of is we're going to have another episode where it gets into a nursing home and a lot of people die," Paschen said. Please don't kill him: Fall college classes kick off with COVID-19 warnings Iowa State University students walk in the university's central campus wearing face masks on Thursday. COVID cases 'likely much, much worse' Some of the institutions where students are driving the hottest outbreaks are mostly staying the course. At the University of Mississippi, officials have increased their testing capacity for students with symptoms, and the college started random testing across campus this week, nearly two weeks after classes began. The delay involved finding the right company to run testing and getting it approved by the university's board, Provost Noel E. Wilkin said. And while case counts are high, he said, the university doesn't see a need so far to move classes online or send students home. "What people focus on is that active case number or the overall raw number, rather than on the capacity of our institution to deal with and manage what the virus throws at us," Wilkin said. "I feel prepared for everything the virus will throw at us." Sociology professor James M. Thomas pointed out the university may already be overmatched. While its college-wide numbers include all members of the university, the county figures only include in-state students whose family residence is in the Oxford area. Students from other counties are tallied there. Our numbers look bad on paper, Thomas said, but they are likely much, much worse. The rise in cases in Lafayette County is tied to the college's students, but also includes transmission across the community, said Liz Sharlot, spokeswoman for the Mississippi Department of Health. She said the state agency wouldn't have the authority to suggest the university move to online courses if cases continue to rise, but did say it would recommend guidelines for the campus. At James Madison University, where rising infections have put the independent city of Harrisonburg at the top of the nation's outbreaks, the college recorded more than 700 COVID-19 cases in one week of class and promptly pivoted to online instruction on Sept. 1. In the past two weeks, the case rate per 100,000 residents in Harrisonburg has climbed to 1,562. In late July, that number had been at 71 cases per 100,000. Photograph taken of James Madison University campus on Sept. 1, when the college reverted to online courses. Even counties where the local college skipped most in-person instruction, like Washington State University in Whitman County, are still susceptible to climbing case counts. That locality had roughly 70 cases per 100,000 residents in two weeks in late July, and now is reporting 1,295 in the last two weeks. Whats driving that increase, according to Troy Henderson, the county public health director? About 12,000 young adults pulled into a very small rural town." University President Kirk Schulz had asked students in July to remain home to continue their studies. But some students were locked into leases. The university had asked local property owners for some flexibility, but said the landlords advised that they rely on those rent payments to meet their financial obligations. When thousands of students showed up anyway, Washington State added new testing centers, created a team to trace virus outbreaks and implored students to follow local health rules, spokesman Phil Weiler said. "We don't have the right to tell students where they can and can't live," Weiler said. "Our students are young adults. We need them to make the right decisions." Henderson said he suspects many students are experiencing fatigue related to the pandemic and returned because they missed the college experience. The students and townspeople dont mingle often in Whitman County, he said, but they do go to the same grocery stores and gas stations. Some people have taken to shopping earlier to avoid the younger residents in town. The town of Pullman has yet to shut down bars or restaurants, though that option is possible if cases keep rising. Tracking cases? From the start, reopening any college during the middle of a pandemic was an "incredible gamble," said Gavin Yamey, a professor at Duke University's Global Health Institute. You could liken the reopening of a college or university to dropping a cruise ship into a town and giving passengers free rein, Yamey said. You cant hermetically seal a campus off from the rest of town. For many colleges, that cruise ship has already sailed. The challenge now, Yamey said, will be tracking outbreaks. In Georgia, Matthew Boedy, a professor of rhetoric at the University of North Georgia, has started tracking cases statewide because the local university system hadnt organized them all in one place. His work has found Georgia Southern University in Statesboro is one of the frontrunners, with 942 reported cases since August 17. Yet according to the universitys dashboard on Thursday afternoon, it had 126 confirmed cases and tracked another 237 self-reported cases from August 31 to Sept. 6. The county surrounding it has seen 1,222 cases per 100,000 residents in the past two weeks. Faculty with the local chapter of the American Association of University Professors have pressed the university to expand its testing program and update new cases on a daily basis instead of weekly, plus report positive testing percentages and the number of students quarantined. The safety of local residents is in the hands of USG Chancellor (Steve) Wrigley and the Georgia Southern administration, the faculty said. "Its amazing to me that fairly rural county public school systems are willing to put those numbers out every day. Yet Southern University doesn't, said Rob Yarbrough, a professor of geography at Georgia Southern, who drafted the faculty letter. Its not they cant. They just dont. The rate of confirmed and self-reported positive tests at Georgia Southern last week declined nearly 30% from the prior week, said Jennifer Wise, a university spokeswoman. The college has upped its testing capacity for those with symptoms and is working with the county to provide asymptomatic testing, she said. County officials assure the university, she said, that "positive cases reported at Georgia Southern are not impacting availability of care in the area." For colleges with outbreaks, few options One hotspot university rejected entirely the notion that its students could be responsible for spreading the virus in the community. McLean County, which is home to Illinois State University, added more coronavirus cases in the last two weeks than it reported in the entire rest of the pandemic. Its two-week measure of cases as of Thursday had reached 844 per 100,000 residents. That rate was at 97 per 100,000 in late July, according to USA TODAY's analysis. When Illinois State students returned to the town of Normal, more than 80% of their classes were online and dorm capacity had been cut 40%. Still, cases spiked in connection to off-campus parties and crowded establishments like bars, said Jessica McKnight, the McLean County Health Department administrator. More than half of the county's cases are in young people ages 18 to 29. Eric Jome, a spokesman for Illinois State, said it was disingenuous to suggest students were spreading the virus to the community. "The students are, and always have been, a large part of the community," he said. 'Shame and blame': Students say COVID cases aren't all their fault Still, Jome said the infection rate in the county is a cause for concern. Illinois State is working with Normal to punish those who flout COVID safety and avoidance rules, he said. Colleges with spiraling outbreaks have few options. They can lock students down in some cases even restricting them to their dorm rooms, as was the case at Gettysburg College or send them home. (That college sent most students home on Sept. 4, a few days after the lockdown began.) Gettysburg College's Majestic Theater is closed because of coronavirus restrictions. Here, the marquee is shown in a March file photo. But Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and Dr. Deborah Birx, head of the White House coronavirus task force, both have said sending students home could further spread the virus. Thats also the worst-case scenario for Yamey, the professor at Duke University, and its coming true. In just the past few weeks, colleges such as North Carolina State, James Madison University and Temple University in Pennsylvania all started classes, only to ask their students to return home. This scenario is one of the many reasons why reopening universities and bringing all students back to town for dorm living, socializing, parties and classroom teaching was an astonishingly risky strategy, Yamey said. These universities now risk spreading the virus nationwide. Education coverage at USA TODAY is made possible in part by a grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The Gates Foundation does not provide editorial input. Contributing: Danielle Gehr and Kiley Wellendorf, Ames Tribune; Cleo Krejci, Iowa City Press-Citizen; Elinor Aspegren, USA TODAY; Devi Shastri, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: COVID cases at colleges fuel top US outbreak rates, tracker shows In this photo illustration, a Twitter logo is displayed on a mobile phone with President Trump's Twitter page shown in the background in Arlington, Va., on May 27, 2020. (Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images) Twitter to Remove Tweets That Claim Victory Before Election Results Certified The social media platform Twitter is imposing more rules on its users, announcing it will remove posts that contain information company employees believe is false or misleading. Starting next week, we will label or remove false or misleading information intended to undermine public confidence in an election or other civic process, the company said in a blog post this week. That includes false or misleading information that causes confusion about the laws and regulations of a civic process, or officials and institutions executing those civic processes. It also includes claims like unverified information about ballot tampering, Twitter said. Another category is misleading claims about the results or outcome of an election. The example given was claiming victory before election results have been certified, inciting unlawful conduct to prevent a peaceful transfer of power or orderly succession. The new rules are in recognition of how people will vote in 2020, Twitter said. Jack Dorsey, CEO of Twitter Inc., testifies at a hearing to examine foreign influence operations use of social media platforms before the Intelligence Committee at the Capitol in Washington on Sept. 5, 2018. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times) An unprecedented number of people are expected to vote by mail, leading to widespread concerns about voter fraud and a delay in seeing who won many races, including the presidential race. Facebook announced similar rules last week. CEO Mark Zuckerberg said the company and its partners would vet claims about polling conditions and remove any determined to be false. Company officials are also banning all political advertisements the week before the election. If one candidate says they win on the night of the election, Zuckerberg said, Facebook would leave the post up but add context and a label to that post saying there isnt an official result on this election. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg testifies virtually before the House of Representatives Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust, Commercial and Administrative Law in Washington on July 29, 2020. (Mandel Ngan/Pool via Reuters) Technology giants are facing increased scrutiny from the Trump administration for increasingly interfering on social media platforms. President Donald Trump ordered in May a review of Section 230 of the 1996 Communications Decency Act, which has in recent years been used as a shield by the companies. The Department of Commerce in July asked the Federal Communications Commission to outline a framework that would constrain online platforms ability to censor users speech. Adam Candeub, acting assistant secretary of Commerce for communications and information, said in a panel discussion last month that companies like Google and Facebook that operate online platforms should not be able to editorialize content posted by their users if they want to avoid carrying liability for it. When a social media company shapes and controls its overall content according to a discernible viewpoint, it shouldnt be able to claim legal immunity, Candeub said. Petr Svab contributed to this report. Belarus opposition politician Maria Kolesnikova has spoken out about how security officers put a bag over her head and threatened to kill her when they tried to forcibly deport her to Ukraine earlier this week. The allegations are part of a complaint filed by her lawyer on Ms Kolesnikova, one of the most prominent leaders of month-long protests against the re-election of President Alexander Lukashenko. She prevented the attempt to expel her by tearing up her passport. Ms Kolesnikova has emerged as a hero for the protest movement trying to bring down the curtain on Mr Lukashenko's 26-year rule, and a chief target for the authorities who have detained her over accusations of an illegal attempt to seize power in the former Soviet republic. She said in her statement that she had genuinely feared for her life during the failed deportation attempt. "In particular it was stated that if I did not voluntarily leave the Republic of Belarus, I would be taken out anyway, alive or in bits. There were also threats to imprison me for up to 25 years," Ms Kolesnikova said. She was told there would be problems for her while she was held under guard or in jail. "The persons indicated (security officers) uttered threats to my life and health, which I took to be real," she said. Her lawyer Lyudmila Kazak filed a criminal complaint against Belarusian authorities including the KGB security police, for kidnap, illegal detention and threats to commit murder, the news portal Tut.By said. The complaint was submitted to the state Investigative Committee. Asked for comment, a representative of the Committee, Sergei Kabakovich, said: "At the present moment I have no information about this." Ms Kolesnikova's complaint included the names and ranks of individual officers of the KGB and the organised crime agency whom she accuses of threatening her, and said she would be able to identify them, it said. She is now being held in the capital Minsk, where Ms Kazak said she was being questioned yesterday. Ms Kazak saw her client at a pre-trial detention centre on Wednesday, and said she had bruises on her body. Mr Lukashenko denies rigging the August 9 election, which official results said he won by a landslide, and has cracked down hard on protesters demanding his resignation. He has refused to talk to the opposition, saying it is bent on wrecking the country. Inaugurating a new chief prosecutor yesterday, he reiterated his uncompromising line. "I want to tell you like a man... People often reproach me: 'He won't give up power.' They're right to reproach me. The people didn't elect me for this," he said. "Power is not given to be taken, thrown and given away," he added, saying the country must not return to the chaos of the 1990s following the break-up of the Soviet Union. In the month since the disputed election, nearly all the opposition's key leaders have been arrested, fled, or been forced to leave the country. Writer Svetlana Alexievich, winner of the 2015 Nobel Prize in Literature, accused the authorities of terrorising their own people. Diplomats from seven European countries came to her flat, in part to help protect her. Mr Lukashenko, in power since 1994, retains the support of his key ally, Russian President Vladimir Putin. The West has so far been cautious about taking firm action that might provoke a Russian intervention. Meanwhile, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki has described recent events in the neighbouring country as a "breakthrough". "Belarusians have not only broken through their own fear, but they have shown the whole of Europe that they want to belong to a Europe of free, democratic, nations under the rule of law," he said. He spoke ahead of a meeting in Warsaw with the leader of the Belarusian opposition, Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, who has been forced into exile in Lithuania. Home > Archives (2006 on) > 2020 > Recalling a brief acquaintanceship with Pranab Mukherjee | Sumanta (...) As I read the obituaries which are pouring in to pay tributes to Pranab Mukherjee, I find a missing link - the years during 1950-60 which were first spent by him as a post-graduate student in Calcutta, followed by a stint as a college lecturer, and then his entry into politics as an activist in West Bengal that was to lead to his eventual arrival in Delhi as an MP in 1969. Since I knew him during those years , I may provide a glimpse into that early period of his political career. Pranab and I were contemporaries in Calcutta University as M.A. students during 1955-56 - he in the political science discipline, and I in the English literature course. But I dont remember whether at that time we interacted often with each other, since we followed different political paths. He, coming from a traditional Congress family, was loyal to the Congress students forum, while I was a Communist activist of the then Students Federation of India. It was only after we left the university, and many years later that we crossed our paths. In the early sixties, while I was a reporter with The Statesman newspaper in Calcutta, Pranab was teaching in a college near Calcutta. Later, in 1966, the Congress party split in West Bengal, with a faction led by the veteran Ajoy Mukherjee forming the Bangla Congress. Pranab joined the Bangla Congress. While covering these political developments, I ran into Pranab, both of us re-discovering that we were contemporaries in the Calcutta University. That created an affinity of sorts . In the course of my reporting assignments, I began to interact quite often with him, since he had by then become an important spokesperson of the new party. He played a major role in the 1967 election campaign which brought to power a Bangla Congress-Left Front coalition in West Bengal for the first time. Although it had a short span of eight months (due to its subversion by the then Congress ruled Centre, which imposed Presidents rule in February 1968), the fresh elections held in 1969 brought back to power the same Bangla Congress-Left coalition in West Bengal. It was during this second united front regime that Pranab got nominated to the Rajya Sabha as a Bangla Congress candidate in 1969. Meanwhile, I had been transferred to the Delhi office of The Statesman newspaper (in 1967), and was occasionally assigned to cover Rajya Sabha debates. That was how I resumed my acquaintanceship with Pranab when he arrived in Delhi as an MP in 1969. We met sometime at the canteen in Parliament, over tea and snacks. In 1971, I had an opportunity to become closer to him because of an interesting incident. A friend of mine, Professor Amit Gupta had joined the Nehru Memorial Library at Teen Murti as a research officer, and was being threatened with termination by the authorities for forming an employees association to voice their grievances. I took Amit to Pranab (he was living then in one of the flats in the South Avenue MPs quarters), requesting him to intervene in the dispute, - since he had by then become a favourite of Indira Gandhis! He did talk to Indira, and managed to bring about a compromise with the Nehru Memorial authorities that allowed Amit to continue in his position for some time. But that apart, Pranab during those years as a Rajya Sabha MP was always a friendly person, easily accessible not only to reporters in the capital, but also to ordinary people in distress from his constituency in Medinipur , from which he was nominated to the Rajya Sabha. It is because of this, that people in Medinipur still remember him as their benefactor, as evident from the homages that were paid by them to him after his death. Interestingly enough, although Pranabs place of birth was in the Birbhum district, where he grew up as a child and student, under the auspices of his father who was a veteran Congressman, Pranab happened to land up in the Medinipur district as a political activist in the 1960s, due to peculiar circumstances. When in 1966, the Congress in West Bengal split, and Ajoy Mukherjee formed the Bangla Congress, he looked around for young Congress men who would be willing to join him. His lieutenant Sushil Dhara, a veteran Congressman from Medinipur, spotted the young Pranab (who was then discontented with the prevailing leadership of Atulya Ghosh and Prafulla Sen), and persuaded him to join Bangla Congress, and build up the partys base in Medinipur. That is how Pranabs political career began. However, while watching the progress of that career of his during the 1960-70 period, I saw signs that alienated me from him. I detected symptoms of his political ambition of upward mobility in New Delhis political ladder. He was personally moving more and more towards Indira Gandhi despite the increasing signs of her authoritarian tendencies. Finally, he managed to work his way up to the position of the youngest finance minister in Indiras cabinet in 1973 - at the early age of thirty seven. Although it flattered many Bengalis in West Bengal , I found it rather disconcerting from my observation post in New Delhi as a journalist, as I somehow had an uncanny suspicion that Indira Gandhi was moving in a rather dangerous direction. Sure enough, she imposed the Emergency in 1975. After I came back to Delhi from jail, following the end of the Emergency, I discovered that Pranab had climbed up more steps of the political ladder - by joining the Emergency regime as a minister in the Indira cabinet. Needless to say, I never again renewed my acquaintanceship with Pranab. My last face-to-face encounter with him was at the Calcutta Press Club sometime in 1986. He was then thrown out from the Congress party by Rajiv Gandhi, who suspected him of conspiring against him. In retaliation, Pranab had formed his own party called the Rashtriya Samajwadi Congress, and he addressed a press conference at the Press Club, announcing its formation. I asked him whether his party had any future, given the poor support base that he had. He skirted the question with his usual twisting smile. Sure enough, true to his nature, he returned to the Congress a few years later in 1989, and managed to renew his profession of climbing up the political ladder to acquire major portfolios in the Congress-led cabinet at the centre during the 1990s - and finally the position of the President of India. His last public performance was his address at an event organized by the RSS in June, 1989 - which was even looked down upon by his own daughter Sharmistha Mukherjee, a Congress spokeswoman, who warned her father that the Sangh Parivar would use his presence as its tool. I wonder whether by agreeing to address an RSS rally and sharing platform with its leaders, Pranab was again trying to climb up another ladder at the fag end of his political career - this time to find a berth in the new regime of Narendra Modi. I may be accused of being unfair to an old acquaintance. But I remain committed to Voltaires saying: One owes respect to the living/But to the dead one owes nothing but the truth India, Japan Agree on Reciprocal Provision of Military Supplies, Services Sputnik News 12:42 GMT 10.09.2020(updated 12:46 GMT 10.09.2020) NEW DELHI (Sputnik) - India and Japan have signed an agreement on reciprocal provision of supplies and services between their armed forces during their involvement in drills, UN peacekeeping operations and humanitarian activities, the Indian Defence Ministry said on Thursday. "This agreement establishes the enabling framework for closer cooperation between the Armed Forces of India and Japan in reciprocal provision of supplies and services while engaged in bilateral training activities, United Nations Peacekeeping Operations, Humanitarian International Relief and other mutually agreed activities. The agreement will also enhance the interoperability between the Armed Force of India and Japan thereby further increasing the bilateral defence engagements under the Special Strategic & Global Partnership between the two countries," the Indian Defence Ministry said in a press release. The agreement was signed on Wednesday by Indian Defence Secretary Ajay Kumar and Japanese Ambassador to New Delhi Suzuki Satoshi. Meanwhile, outgoing Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe held a phone call with his Indian counterpart on Thursday, reaffirming that the course to develop bilateral relations will remain unchanged. "[Abe] expressed his gratitude for the friendship and the relationship of trust built with Prime Minister [Narendra] Modi. Prime Minister Abe also noted the memories from their mutual annual visits. Prime Minister Modi responded by expressing his appreciation to all the efforts extended by Prime Minister Abe and by recalling the time they spent together," Japan's embassy in New Delhi said. The outgoing Japanese prime minister noted that bilateral relations have recently been elevated to "greater heights." The two also welcomed the September 9 agreement on reciprocal provision of supplies and services between their armed forces during their involvement in drills, UN peacekeeping operations and humanitarian activities. "Both Prime Ministers affirmed that the basic policy of Japan-India-emphasis remains unchanged, and concurred with each other that the two countries continue to work closely in such areas as security, economy, and economic cooperation including the high-speed rail project," the press release added. Abe is going to step down next week due to health issues. Japan's parliament is set to appoint Abe's successor on 14 September. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address To the editor: I am writing this as neither a Republican or as a Democrat, but as the son of an U.S. Army Captain who died in combat on Okinawa. He was not a loser." The soldiers of his command that died with him were not suckers despite what President Trump has said. As a Navy parent, I have experienced the mixed feelings of pride of our oldest son choosing to go into the Navy subs and the long wait of anguish of not knowing if he will walk through the door or come home in a body bag. He is not a loser despite what President Trump says. I am deeply concerned about the silence of our elected officials, from City Council through Rep. Moolenaar on President Trumps comments about those who serve in the U.S. military. With your silence, I only can come to the conclusion that you passively agree with President Trump in that those who come home in a body bag, or have been shot down, or missing in action are losers and or suckers." If you do not support President Trumps comments, then speak out. I am even more concerned about the silence coming from the military veterans in the Tri-City area. Your silence, both individually and collectively, dishonors your fellow comrades-in-arms who have paid the ultimate price in protecting our freedom. Honor them by speaking out. RICHARD OSBURN Midland President Xi Jinping reiterated the need for united action and coordination between different countries in the global fight against the COVID-19 pandemic as he spoke over the phone with the heads of state of Saudi Arabia and Uruguay on Wednesday night. In his phone conversation with Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saudthe third between the two leaders this yearXi underscored that China is willing to maintain close coordination and cooperation with Saudi Arabia, to enable the Group of 20 countries to work more closely together and help make COVID-19 vaccines a global public good. It is important to ensure all countries and all people can afford and have access to the vaccines, he said. China is willing to work with other G20 members to boost aid to developing countries, build an open world economy, safeguard the stability of global industry and supply chains and facilitate the orderly flow of personnel, he said. The G20 should lead the way in cooperation on digital economy and create an open, fair, just and nondiscriminatory digital economy environment, he said. Xi expressed China's willingness to use the 30th anniversary of China-Saudi Arabia relations as an opportunity to boost political mutual trust and continue to offer each other support on issues concerning respective core interests and major concerns. The Belt and Road Initiative can be better aligned with Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 to enable deeper and more concrete cooperation in various areas, he added. King Salman said Saudi Arabia hopes to deepen anti-epidemic cooperation with China, especially in the research and development of vaccines, and Riyadh is willing to maintain close coordination and communication with Beijing to strengthen unity and cooperation among the G20 members. Xi's conversation with Uruguayan President Luis Lacalle Pou was the first between the two leaders since Lacalle Pou was sworn in as Uruguayan president in March. As the world is undergoing pr ofo und changes unseen in a century, solidarity and cooperation should be pursued in the spirit of building a community with a shared future for mankind, Xi said. China will continue anti-epidemic cooperation with Uruguay, firmly support the leading role of the World Health Organization and strive for an early victory against the virus, he said. Hailing Uruguay as China's trustworthy friend in Latin America, Xi said China is willing to import more high-quality agricultural products and high value-added products that meet its domestic market demand. The two countries should work toward new growth areas in bilateral cooperation such as e-commerce and service trade and step up exchanges and cooperation in culture, education and sports, he added. Lacalle Pou said the Uruguayan side hopes that the complementary nature between the two economies can be fully exploited, and cooperation in areas such as agricultural products, infrastructure and innovation can be advanced. NEW DELHI, Sept. 10 (Xinhua) -- Indian Air Force (IAF) on Thursday formally inducted the first batch of five Rafale fighter jets in its arsenal, officials said. The induction ceremony was held at Air Force Station in Ambala of Haryana state, adjacent to Indian capital Delhi. India's Defense Minister Rajnath Singh and his French counterpart Florence Parly attended the event and watched the aircraft flying at low-speed during an air display. "IAF has formally inducted the Rafale aircraft in 17 Squadron Golden Arrows today, at Air Force Station, Ambala. The ceremony also marks Rafale's full operational entry into IAF," said a brief statement issued by IAF. The first five Indian Air Force Rafale aircraft had arrived at the Ambala airbase from France on July 27 this year. Reports said the second batch of aircraft is expected to arrive in India by the end of November this year. The IAF would be acquiring a total of 36 Rafale jets from France and all the aircraft are expected to be inducted into IAF by the end of 2021. Officials said Rafale aircraft is India's first major acquisition of fighter aircraft for IAF after Sukhoi. India in 2016 signed a deal with France for purchase of 36 Rafale fighter jets in a bid to bolster the country's military image. Bridgeton Police Chief Michael Gaimari asked squad members to jot down the most memorable traits of Sean C. Peek, who died Sunday morning at home after responding to a call hours earlier. Good communicator, leader, dedication, role model, respectful and being squared away, Gaimari said as he spoke at Peeks funeral on Friday. I really dont know what more you could ask for from a police officer and a family member. Peek, 49, died hours after jumping into a river to save a suspect who was running from authorities. He worked for the Bridgeton Police Department for 15 years but had a longer history working as a first responder. Those who knew him remembered Peek as being a history buff and humorous, with hobbies in video games, Star Wars and music. But his most profound love was for his daughter, who is now 8-years-old. "Every - and I mean every - conversation always led back to his beautiful daughter, Kate, the police chief said. He would usually begin the conversation by asking how my son was, but I dont even think he was listening to what I said. It was just a segue to talk about Kate. His eyes would light up and he would talk about her through a wide smile. Peek is survived by his wife, Megan, daughter, sister and three nephews. Bridgeton Police Officer Sean Peek died Sunday after trying to pull a suspect from the Cohansey River. He died at home and the cause of death has not been determined. Peek had responded to a report of someone striking an ambulance with an object and arrived to find a woman running from the scene. Police say Peek saw the woman - later identified as Sarah Jeanne Davis, 29, of Canton, Connecticut - jump or fall into the Cohansey River and he jumped in to rescue her. The woman climbed out of the water and was soon apprehended by other officers. She was charged with burglarizing multiple city-owned buildings on Mayor Aitken Drive, including the fire department building, breaking windows and damaging equipment. Davis admitted entering the structures and causing damage, according to a criminal complaint. Peek, who was weighed down by his gear, had difficulty returning to the shore. Others assisted him to safety and he was taken to Bridgeton Health Center for evaluation before being released and sent home. A family member found him unresponsive. His cause of death has not been released. Megan and Katherine, the widow and daughter of Bridgeton Police Officer Sean C. Peek, leave the Freitag Funeral Home in Bridgeton, Friday, September 11, 2020.Al Amrhein | For NJ Advance Media Fellow police officers from various departments, officials and local residents turned out Friday to join Peeks family and friends in honoring his service and sacrifice. Services were held at Freitag Funeral Home, followed by a graveside service at Mt. Pleasant Cemetery in Millville. Peek was born and raised in Millville, graduating from high school in 1989. He received emergency medical training at Camden County College and served with Millville Rescue Squad. He worked as an EMT through Underwood Memorial Hospital in Woodbury until he entered the police academy in 1995, according to his obituary. His sister, according to Bridgeton Police Department Chaplain Douglas Heckman, said seeing first responders in action is what likely drew him to become an EMT. Members of the Bridgeton Police Department salute during the funeral for Bridgeton Police Officer Sean C. Peek at Freitag Funeral Home in Bridgeton , Friday, September 11, 2020.Al Amrhein | For NJ Advance Media Emily said she thought that one of the reasons Sean had such an interest in being an EMT was because they lived only a block away from a traffic light in Millville..., Heckman said. Sean would witness a lot of crashes and he noticed first responders. He served for three years with the Buena Borough Police Department while continuing to work as an EMT before joining the Bridgeton Police Department in 2005. Peek served in several roles with the Bridgeton Police Department, including patrolman, detective, internal affairs officer and acting sergeant. He earned multiple awards and citations, including a Purple Heart Medal for being wounded in the line of duty, and was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor, which is presented to the family of an officer killed in the line of duty. Memorial contributions were requested to either The Wounded Warriors Project, P.O. Box 758517, Topeka, KS 66675 or the South Jersey Regional Animal Shelter, 1644 N. Delsea Drive, Vineland, NJ 08360. A New Jersey Department of Corrections honor guard stands during the funeral for Bridgeton Police Officer Sean C. Peek at Freitag Funeral Home in Bridgeton , Friday, September 11, 2020.Al Amrhein | For NJ Advance Media Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Matt Gray may be reached at mgray@njadvancemedia.com. OMAHA, Neb., Sept. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The VA Nebraska-Western Iowa Health Care System in partnership with Fisher House Foundation opened a Fisher House Sept. 9, adding another extremely valuable resource on campus for area Veterans and their families. The Fisher House features 16 fully furnished suites in a two-story 13,000 square foot facility that will serve as a "home away from home" for the families of Veterans and military service members receiving treatment at the Omaha VA Medical Center. The Fisher House was constructed by Fisher House Foundation and gifted to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Construction for the project began roughly one year ago and marks the 88th such facility constructed by Fisher House Foundation. It is the first one built in Nebraska. "This is another exciting addition to our Omaha VA Medical Center campus that will provide our Veterans and families with an unprecedented level of comfort and ease of mind as their Veterans or military service members receive the medical care they need and deserve," said B. Don Burman, Director of VA Nebraska-Western Iowa Health Care. "We cannot adequately express our gratitude to Fisher House Foundation and all of those who made this facility possible. What you are doing in support of our Veterans and military service members is something that should make all Americans extremely proud." "Fisher House Foundation is thrilled about opening this house in Omaha, the first in Nebraska," said Chairman and CEO of Fisher House Foundation Ken Fisher. "The people of Omaha understand the contributions Veterans and their families have made to this great nation. This new home is their way to honor that service and sacrifice." Along with the 16 fully furnished suites, the Omaha Fisher House includes a large dining room, library, living room, fully stocked kitchen and laundry facilities, and an exterior patio. Each of the suites includes a private, wheelchair-accessible bathroom. According to Colleen Vonderhaar, Omaha Fisher House Manager, the staff is eager to serve area Veterans and their families. "We are extremely excited to open this amazing home up to our Veterans and families and begin providing them a level of peace and comfort as their loved-one undergoes treatment here at the Omaha VA Medical Center," Vonderhaar said. "Our goal is to provide our guests with a level of comfort and service that will allow them to better focus on supporting the needs of their loved-one. This amazing house will allow us to do just that." Due to the current COVID-19 pandemic, a dedication ceremony has been postponed until the future. A virtual tour of the Fisher House is available at https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=627527951285506. About Fisher House: Fisher House Foundation is best known for its network of 89 comfort homes where military and veterans' families can stay at no cost while a loved one is receiving treatment. These homes are located at major military and VA medical centers nationwide, and in Europe, close to the medical center or hospital they serve. Fisher Houses have up to 21 suites, with private bedrooms and baths. Families share a common kitchen, laundry facilities, a warm dining room and an inviting living room. Fisher House Foundation ensures that there is never a lodging fee. Since inception, the program has saved military and veterans' families an estimated $500 million in out of pocket costs for lodging and transportation. www.Fisherhouse.org. SOURCE Fisher House Foundation Related Links www.fisherhouse.org ASEAN Foreign Ministers have adopted a Joint Communique of the 53rd ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting (AMM 53), Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Quoc Dung told the press on the sidelines of the AMM 53 and related meetings on September 10. Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Quoc Dung (Photo: VNA) The AMM 53 and related meetings are taking place in the form of video conferencing from September 9 to 12. The Deputy FM stressed that the issuance of a Joint Communique of the AMM 53 reflected the solidarity and high consensus as well as the resolve of ASEAN in announcing its views on internal matters, the building of the ASEAN Community and regional and world issues, adding that it is also a success of the host country Vietnam. According to Dung, the negotiations to draft the document lasted over more than one week and consensus was reached in the morning of September 10. He said the Joint Communique covers many aspects, but the important thing is that it has acknowledged all the work of ASEAN in the recent past, as well as all the initiatives and proposals made by Vietnam in 2020. Regarding the East Sea issue and the negotiations on a Code of Conduct (COC) of parties in the East Sea, the Deputy FM said the issue was given appropriate attention in the AMM 53s Joint Communique, demonstrating ASEANs concern over the issue and the blocs basic viewpoints and wishes, including the early achievement of a quality COC that is in accordance with international law and the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. We hope to continue the negotiations on the COC as early as possible, Dung said, adding that it depends greatly on the coordinator of ASEAN-China relations, which is currently the Philippines. He went on to say that the Joint Communique took note of initiatives and efforts of ASEAN countries to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, such as the ASEAN Fund for COVID-19 Response, the Regional Reserve of Medical Supplies and a post-COVID-19 economic recovery plan. Dung revealed that the ASEAN Fund for COVID-19 Response, set up at the 36th ASEAN Summit, now has several million USD and countries are continuing to contribute to it. The official said at the meetings, Vietnam and other ASEAN members have demonstrated solidarity and high consensus on essential and core matters, including the central role of ASEAN and the blocs independence and neutrality. ASEAN members show a sincere, constructive and straightforward attitude during the meetings, thus constituting the ASEANs central role in leading and creating a favourable atmosphere for discussions, Dung said. Cambodia suggests creation of travel corridors at AMM 53 Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Prak Sokhonn recommended ASEAN work towards the creation of travel corridors to facilitate business travel in a safe and gradual manner during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the ministrys press release on the outcomes of the 53rd ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting (AMM 53) and Related Meetings held via video conference on September 9-12, in his speech at the events, Prak Sokhonn underlined that amidst the escalating tensions between major powers and challenges for multilateralism, ASEAN needs to firmly uphold the spirit of the blocs unity and neutrality to exercise the ASEAN Way principles. He said the ASEAN Regional Mine Action Centre (ARMAC) will have a new Executive Director in mid-October, and spoke highly of Vietnams initiative to set up the Friends of ARMAC group so as to mobilise more support for the centre. Regarding the 27th ASEAN Coordinating Council (ACC) Meeting, Prak Sokhonn laid stress on the important role of the foreign partners in mobilising support for the ASEANs newly established COVID-19 Response Fund, as well as coordination of the regional health organisations. At the 21st ASEAN Plus Three (APT) Foreign Ministers Meeting, he underscored the need to set up the APT Reserve of Essential Supplies, and thanked APT for their contribution to the COVID-19 ASEAN Response Fund. He also thanked Japan for supporting the establishment of the ASEAN Centre for Public Health Emergencies and Emerging Diseases, and stressed the urgency to get the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Agreement signed later this year. Meanwhile, at the meeting between ASEAN and China, he recommended China further support ASEANs efforts in realising the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, and thanked China for helping the bloc implement the Initiative for ASEAN Integration (IAI) Work Plans./.VNA The Democratic presidential nominee, Joe Biden, attacks Donald Trump on national security (AP) Joe Biden spoke about losing his son Beau as the Democratic presidential nominee met families of 9/11 victims on Friday morning. "You know, I lost mine," he said as was handed a photo a 9/11 victim. "[He] never goes away". The venom of the presidential campaign was briefly paused for the anniversary of the terror attacks, with Mr Biden and Vice President Mike Pence bumping elbows at memorial services in Shanksville. The ceasefire didn't last long. Following the service, the VP delivered beers to volunteer firefighters in the town as allegations from Donald Trump resurfaced online claiming Mr Biden took drugs during his Democratic primary debates against Bernie Sanders. The president has suggested his opponent get drug tests, prompting Mr Biden to hope he doesn't "get baited" by Trump during the upcoming presidential debates. A Democrat running against Qanon supporter Marjorie Taylor Greene, meanwhile, suddenly dropped out of the Georgia race for "personal reasons". Kevin Van Ausdal said he was deeply saddened, but didn't go into depth as to why beyond "personal and family reasons". Please allow a moment for our liveblog to load. Copyright 2020 Albuquerque Journal There are just under three weeks left until the deadline for the 2020 census and at a cumulative response rate of 81.5%, according to data from the Census Bureau, New Mexico is progressing toward its goal of a full count. Still, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and members of the states congressional delegation Sens. Martin Heinrich and Tom Udall, Reps. Ben Ray Lujan, Deb Haaland and Xochitl Torres-Small are urging New Mexicans who have not yet filled out their census to do so as soon as possible. Anyone can go to my2020Census.gov or call 800-932-8282 by Sept. 30 to respond, Haaland said during a virtual news conference Thursday. I filled out my census already, it only took about 10 minutes. The governor and members of the delegation are also calling on the Census Bureau to change direction for its operations in New Mexico. And that should start with extending the deadline back to the end of October so that our communities have the time to get this right, Heinrich said. On Aug. 3, the Census Bureau announced it would be ending self-response options and field operations such as door-knocking in communities with low participation rates a month early. Until you have 100%, which is a pretty high bar, we should be pushing every day, diligently, to improve our response rate and recognize whats at stake if we dont, Lujan Grisham said. Each year, over $3,000 is allocated to states per person counted. A 15% undercount could cost New Mexico $9.3 billion toward improving schools and rebuilding infrastructure, according to data from the University of New Mexicos Geospatial and Population Studies in partnership with NM Counts 2020. The Governors Office estimates that at least 43% of residents live in hard-to-count areas. Indigenous communities, rural residents and communities of color have been historically undercounted during the Census. As of Sept. 8, Catron County, with a population of over 3,500, reported an overall response rate of 19%, the lowest participation in the state. If participation doesnt improve the county will miss out on an estimated $85 million over a decade. Fewer tensions between Chinese-India has caused de-escalation of the forces that are stationed at the Line of Actual Control. The PLA (China's People's Liberation Army) are getting 20 martial arts experts to train the troop in hand to hand combat. Recent engagement in Tibet Highlands has prompted the Chinese command to have their ground troop be more adept at hand to hand fighting. The tensions have led to fisticuffs and a Chinese officer punched by Indian troops. Sources say that before the border class at Galwan Valley last 15th of June in Ladakh, the PLA has trained it's for troops for all combative situations. Having martial arts practitioners only improves the mettle of Chinese troopers more. One strategy for the Indian Army is to send in the Ghatak Commandos to negate the skills of the martial arts trained Chinese army. One officer said the Ghatak unit is so specialized that a special Commando Training Course at Belgaum in Karnataka is established for this. Part of the training is a 40-kilometers no-stopping, with a 35-kilogram weight strapped for strength training, reported Defense News. To counter the martial arts' trained Chinese Army, the Indian Army has deployed its Ghatak commandos. According to an army officer, Ghatak entrants undergo a specialized 43-day Commando Training Course at Belgaum in Karnataka. The training includes running a distance of 40-kilometers no-stop which equals 35 kg that strengthens them physically. Such training is needed to get into the unit. What makes the Ghatak unit different from training with weapons and enhanced one on one combat are extra training. One such thing is martial arts as standard for the unit, and this is standard for all other units. There are more programs in high altitude fighting and even the desert training. Also read: Chinese Fighter Jets in Indian Border Doubled in Number An agreement that was enacted by India and China was signed in 1996. A radius of about two kilometers has special conditions. Both nations will not use hazardous chemical weapons, no firearms, and explosives are not allowed in the zone. Both nations have kept their part of the deal since 1996. Information on the special unit, according to an army official says that the Ghatak commandos have numbered a total of 22-men. Included is an officer, JCO with an extra team of 22-specialist. Overall, there will be a main and backup unit with their officers make it 40 to 45 men who are the creme de la creme of the Indian army. An Army official said that although the unit of Ghatak commandos consists of about 22 specialists, including an officer, a JCO, almost a whole team is also kept as a backup. This way, there are 40-45 active members of the special unit. Every infantry officer in the Indian Army is required to opt for the Ghatak unit, with a few of the enlisted men are given the privilege to train in the unit. Yearly, there are 30-40 jawans from all units, and only a select few are retained to serve in the elite Indian commando unit. Jawan who replace the older commandos is still part of the unit. Keeping the Junior officers and the older members as experts are part of the unit India's Ghatak commandos at the India and Chinese border keep the Chinese troops on their toes. Thus, the need for martial arts for Chinese troops is evident. Related article: China Unhappy About Border Rebuffs and Calls India on Supporting Exiled Tibetan Leaders @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Is there anything more revolting than a Victorian-grade corporate hypocrite, an organization that condemns some sort of sin out there, and then profits from it on the side? That's what we have from the piously self-important Netflix, the ugly marriage between the Harvey Weinstein Hollywood set and the tech barons of the Silicon Valley, whose third leg on the stool is the cash cow it amounts to for Democrats awaiting for their next power gig while serving the company as political muscle. Just ask Barack Obama, Susan Rice, or Meghan and Harry Windsor, all of whom have either production deals, big stock holdings, or board seats. They're Netflixed-up and making big money. And now the show is on, this time in a controversial film called Cuties which they call "a powerful story" and "an award-winning film." Here's the product they're selling: Netflix is comfortable with this. Plenty of people will defend it. This is where our culture is at. pic.twitter.com/UlqEmXALmd Mary Margaret Olohan (@MaryMargOlohan) September 10, 2020 This is pretty close to what the porno industry used to call a "loop." And it's technically child porn, with the focus on close-up crotch and butt shots of underage girls with inappropriate touching. It's the only part of the movie that's going to be watched by the perverts out there. Who needs kiddie porn to hide from cops when there's Netflix instead? Yet they've got an army of press critics in their tree, explaining that, no, really, this is an antikiddie porn movie, and only bad right-wingers, those uncultured boobs, are against it. They're sophisticated, see, and they claim that this is soulful, a coming of age story, not the sexploitation it appears to be. As if the perverts watching this clip over and over, looking at those wiggling butts, spread crotches, rubbed crotches, animal-style rides, butt-slappings, and hair tossings, are going to be thinking about that. The video, in fact, is a pervert's delight, one of several creepy such offering from Netflix such as Big Mouth and others. And the Cuties movie has more, with exposed breasts that aren't in the trailer, and other kink, all on underage (and previously unknown) girls playing 11-year-olds whose actual ages range from 12 (the North African girl with the baby-like oversize glasses you know the perverts like that prop who plays a character named Angelica) to 14 (the African girl who plays a Senegalese migrant named Amy and the white girl who plays a character called Jess) to 21 (a black girl who plays a character named Coumba). There's also an overweight girl (a North African who plays a character named Yasmine) who was originally with the troupe but somehow didn't make it to the final titillating dance sequence being spread around as advertising. Wonder why. To claim that this movie is some soulful big-message movie is like the old claim that one read Playboy magazine only for its articles, given the "product" sold. But critics, who are blasting conservatives for wanting this movie gone (they've gained 806,000 signatures on a Change.org petition), claim it's because they never saw the movie, that it's all "needless controversy." The L.A. Times, the New Yorker, and Variety are particularly obnoxious on this front. The Hollywood Reporter unintentionally admits that the film is sexploitation first, noting how many times the plotline was left unaddressed and how many times the visuals took precedence, calling it "captivating but structurally shaky." No kidding. The plotline is an unassimilated immigrant family from Senegal living in the banlieus of Paris, whose mother figure is brokenhearted because dad's back in Senegal picking up a new bride to bring back. The daughter, one of three children in the cramped apartment, acts out by joining a group of bratty girls who specialize in "twerking," which is a filthy sort of porno dancing popularized by Cardi B and much of the big-money Hollywood establishment (Kim Kardashian's name is brought up in the film). Together they achieve self-realization by twerking on the stage, as one can see from the video above. No, no, it's against kiddie porno exploitation, the critics say. This is rather like conducting an actual rape to demonstrate on some film that one is against rape. It doesn't work that way. The Netflix trailer, despite its disclaimers, in any case depicts the girls achieving self-realization through twerking all you have to do is watch this trailer, far less filthy than the original movie poster that Netflix pulled back in August, or the video sequence above, noting the soundtrack at the 1:03 point, which rises in anticipation with its beem-beem electronic riff, clearly depicting uplift and hope as the twerking comes along following a sequence of fighting and crying and screaming among the migrants. And despite the claims to this whole thing being about art and self-realization, note that the exploited child actresses' Instagram accounts are either protected or else generic with non-sexualized official movie stills from that and only that Cuties movie, which is, for all of them, their only movie. Why would they do that? As a means of fighting off the abundant perverts who may well now be obsessing about them in the wake of that flick. It wasn't just a depiction of exploitation; it was exploitation, and that's proof. Yet the critics would have you think the conservatives are the problem rather than the Netflix crowd that slips that little pervy porn out there, calling it a coming of age story. Here's the abhorrent New Yorker review, saying the problem is French society: As such, it's a story of French society at large its exclusions and the exertions demanded to overcome them. Though many of Amy's actions are dubious, her spirit of revolt is nonetheless sublime and heroic. "Cuties" dramatizes what people of color and immigrants endure as a result of isolation and ghettoization, of not being represented culturally and politically and of not being represented in French national mythology. Its underlying subject is the connection of personal identity to public identityand the urgency of transforming the very notion of French identity, of changing the idea of who's considered the representative face of France. That idea is brought to the fore in an extraordinary, brief, symbolic ending; it's enough to give a right-winger a conniption. The problem with this analysis defending the film is that it presents a false premise and a false dichotomy. It's saying the Senegalese protagonist can be a miserable oppressed unassimilated Muslim, or else she has to be a twerking stripper of the kind who makes big bucks in Hollywood. There's no middle ground such as having a family with conservative Judeo-Christian family values of the kind that vehemently oppose kiddie porn. Those are the values of conservatives, which are not presented in the film. The dilemma in fact is a blue-on-blue one, with libertine leftists and unassimilated migrants duking it out, and conservatives who oppose the whole thing non-persons. Conservativism is never considered in the film, they have been completely written out of the picture, because leftists don't recognize conservatives, ever. When conservatives object to the kiddie porn depicted in the name of art, they are dismissed as uncultured rubes. That's saying a lot about why the critics can't understand the criticism. There's plenty to be critical about with this picture, and point number one is that there's no such thing as opposing kiddie porn by acting out kiddie porn. The petitions against Netflix will go on then, the stock will continue to drop, and conservatives will be blamed, cast as anti-art, when in fact they oppose this perversion as the new normal. Image credit: Twitter screen shot. Police have stepped up patrols in the City of Yarra this week, after more than 30 young people were arrested as part of a major police operation over the past two months targeting what they call "street and youth gangs". Police said they hoped the arrests would "dismantle and disrupt series of offending" in the Collingwood area. Police have arrested more than 30 people in an operation targeting youth gangs. Credit:Victoria Police On August 31, police executed arrest warrants in Fitzroy, Cobblebank, Reservoir, Tarneit, Altona North, Footscray West, Kurunjang, North Melbourne, Collingwood, Fitzroy North and Point Cook. Ten men between the ages of 17 and 20 were arrested and charged with a swathe of offences including armed robbery, handling stolen goods, assault and false imprisonment. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 11) Netizens called to remember atrocities under Ferdinand Marcos' administration during the late strongman's birthday amid Congress' recent call to declare it a holiday. Over 13,000 tweets mentioned the topic #ArawNgMagnanakaw (Day of Thieves) on Friday, wherein some shared links to studies on the former president. Marcos' term was marred by alleged stolen public funds and human rights violations with the 1972 declaration of martial law. His widow Imelda was found guilty of graft in 2018 over crimes during his regime. This comes after the House of Representatives approved a bill that seeks to declare September 11 as a holiday in Ilocos Norte to honor Marcos. Senate President Tito Sotto said the measure will also likely hurdle the Senate. NEW MILFORD A local high school freshman is touching the lives of youth through a project she initiated to help children in foster care. Julia Anderson, 14, recently donated nearly 100 night lights to Family & Childrens Aid, Inc. as part of her Your Futures Bright campaign. It was amazing for them to connect with us, said Jasmine Sams, program coordinator for the agencys Waterbury office. The actual need for (night lights) was just right on target. Family & Childrens Aid, which has offices throughout the state, including in New Milford, offers numerous services. Among them, is a therapeutic foster care program for children ages 6 to 17 who have experienced significant trauma, including physical or emotional abuse and/or neglect. Kids come into care scared of the dark, Sams said. It stems from trauma they experienced, its very difficult for them to rest properly, especially when its dark. Julias mother, Sarah Anderson, said her daughter first thought about collecting night lights sometime last year, but the collection drive began this spring. I want to help other kids, Julia said, noting foster children hold a special place in her heart. Im hoping that this will make them feel more cozy at night. Julia described the fear foster children can have when they are in the dark. More Information Night lights can be dropped off at Housatonic Valley Insurance, 6 Main St., New Milford and New Milford Counseling Center, 41 South Main St., New Milford. For more information, email spur007wells@gmail.com. See More Collapse My goal is to make kids know that they will be OK if they wake up in the night, she said. They will see the light that represents their future because after everything they have been through, I want them to know that there is good coming towards them. Im just so proud of her, Sarah said of her daughter. Shes strong, motivated and its really nice to see she has a heart that wants to give back. ... And little things can sometimes be big things. Julia researched the best type of item foster children might need or find helpful she considered blankets and suitcases, but honed in on night lights. Notices of the collection drive were placed on social media and on fliers around town, and donations began pouring in this spring. Night lights were sent to the Andersons directly via Amazon and dropped off at local collection boxes. It was really exciting, Sarah said. Social networking went crazy. Sams said she is touched by the awareness and care those in the community, like Julia, have for the children. It gives me so much encouragement to see that kids get the message and can think beyond themselves, she said. Night lights have been sorted for children coming into care, and the Family & Childrens Aid team is working to produce cards and labels with Julias message to accompany each light. Our goal is to keep our children safe, Sams said. Many reports of children who face challenges on the home front come from schools because staff see children on a regular basis, she said, and can take note when kids come to school having not been fed, arent dressed appropriately for the weather or experience other changes. Sams said despite the fact after-school programs, and schools were closed (this spring due to the pandemic), kids still came into care and are still coming into care. Its tough to find appropriate housing because we dont have nearly as many homes for kids as we would like, the program coordinator emphasized. A 15-week licensing process, of which six weeks are virtual training, is available for those interested in becoming a foster family. Individuals and families can become licensed for respite, too, providing a few hours or partial day, not necessarily full-time care. People do want to help during the pandemic, and I think thats great, Sams said. People are still looking, its the silver lining that people want to help other people. OC Officials Warn of Upcoming Flu Season and COVID-19 Overlap Orange County officials on Sept. 10 warned the public of the upcoming flu season and said it could lead to increased hospitalizations during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our medical professionals are extremely concerned as flu season is soon to overlap with COVID-19, said Board of Supervisors Chairwoman Michelle Steel at a press conference. The symptoms of flu and COVID-19 are similar: fever, cough, shortness of breath. A misunderstanding of whether someone has COVID-19 or the flu could lead to increased doctors visits, hospital visits, and more. Dr. Clayton Chau, director of the Orange County Health Care Agency and the county health officer, said both the federal government and the state of California have taken steps to ensure there will be an increased number of flu vaccines available to Orange County residents for the fall and winter. We are expecting several shipments starting at the end of September. Be on the lookout for a flu shot event in the community throughout five districts, he said. The flu shots will be available at various locations throughout the county, with both walk-up and drive-through options. Chau said the cities of Santa Ana and Anaheim are hot spots for the disease in the county and have been experiencing high positivity rates. He reminded residents to keep following the official guidelines. If you dont need to go out, dont go out, he said. The order for no mass gathering is still in effect. Exceptions are for outdoor gatherings for religious reasons, for cultural reasons, or for protests. On Sept. 8, Orange County moved up from the purple to the red tier in Californias COVID-19 monitoring system. Chau issued a new health order that same day that offered guidance to local businesses on how to reopen safely. Officials reported that places such as restaurants, places of worship, movie theaters, gyms, nail salons, tattoo shops, and body waxing businesses were able to open indoors with limits on the number of customers allowed inside, along with other modifications. Orange Countys Regal movie theaters opened that day, while AMC theaters indicated they would open on Sept. 11. Moviegoers will be required to wear snug-fitting masks; if they dont have one, masks will be on sale at the theaters for $1. Steel said at the press conference that starting Sept. 22, libraries in the county would begin offering a new grab-and-go service, allowing residents to reserve one-hour sessions inside, with self-service checkout available. Meanwhile, curbside service would continue. Orange County K to 12 schools are still on track to reopen for in-person instruction on Sept. 22. Gov. Gavin Newsom also signed a bill on Sept. 9 that provides paid sick days to all Californians who are exposed to or test positive for COVID-19 in 2020, including those who work for companies that have opted out of covering their employees under federal law. This bill fills in gaps in our federal and state paid sick days policy and gives our extraordinary employees a little more peace of mind as they take time to care for themselves and protect those around them from COVID-19, Newsom said in a statement. The Orange County Health Care Agency on Sept. 10 reported 50,471 cases of COVID-19 and 1,069 deaths. A total of 716,612 people have been tested for the disease, and 239 people are currently hospitalized. Christian orgs praise new DOE regulation to defund universities that violate faith groups rights Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment InterVarsity Christian Fellowship and other faith-based student groups are praising a Department of Education final rule issued Wednesday that they say will protect campus student organizations right to choose leaders who share their religious beliefs. The regulation Improving Free Inquiry, Transparency, and Accountability at Colleges and Universities comes in response to an executive order issued in March 2019 signed by President Donald Trump that vowed to withhold federal research grants from colleges and universities that are hostile to First Amendment rights of students. According to the department, the new rule ensures the equal treatment and constitutional rights of religious student organizations at public institutions and provides clarity for faith-based institutions concerning Title IX discrimination law. [T]he Final Rule prohibits discrimination against religious student organizations because of their beliefs, practices, policies, speech, membership standards, or leadership standards, which are informed by sincerely held religious beliefs, a two-page summary of the rule explains. [A] religious student organization would have the same rights as other student organizations at the public institution to receive official recognition, to use the institutions facilities, and to receive student fee funds. The final rule comes as some faith-based campus groups across the country have been denied recognition by universities for having policies that require leaders of the organizations to adhere to their statements of faith, which has led to several legal battles. In 2018, the University of Iowa derecognized dozens of student groups that the school deemed to have discriminatory leadership policies. Lawsuits were filed by InterVarsity Graduate Christian Fellowship and Business Leaders in Christ, a group that was derecognized because its statement of faith prohibited leaders from engaging in same-sex relationships. A federal judge ruled against the schools policy last year, arguing that the policy is not viewpoint neutral if it's selectively applied to restrict the leadership and membership requirements of some student groups but not others. This regulation was, unfortunately, necessary because some universities would give official recognition only to certain faith-based groups, while rejecting others, Greg Jao, director of external relations for InterVarsity Fellowship, said in a statement. What made the student groups who were denied recognition different? They expected their student leaders to agree with their religious beliefs. The recognized groups did not. Universities should welcome all religious groups equally, in order to encourage tolerance, pluralism and religious diversity. The new rule states that public colleges and universities must comply with the First Amendment as a requirement to receive Department grants. Accordingly, the Department will rely upon a final, non-default judgment by a state or federal court to determine whether a public or private institution has violated these material grant conditions, the summary of the rule explains. A public or private institution must report any such final, non-default judgment to the Department no more than 45 calendar days after such judgment is entered. The Department may pursue existing remedies for an institutions noncompliance with these material conditions, the summary continues. Existing remedies include imposing special conditions, temporarily withholding cash payments pending correction of the deficiency, suspension or termination of a federal award, and potentially debarment. The Education Departments final rule was created after the department reviewed more than 17,000 public comments. The regulatory proposal was introduced in January. "This administration is committed to protecting the First Amendment rights of students, teachers, and faith-based institutions, DeVos said in a statement. Students should not be forced to choose between their faith and their education, and an institution controlled by a religious organization should not have to sacrifice its religious beliefs to participate in Department grants and programs. Ismail Royer, director of the Islam and Religious Freedom Action Team for the Religious Freedom Institute, also praised the ruling. This new regulation is an important policy for Muslim student organizations because it allows them to select their own leaders and define their own mission by their faith's principles, Royer, said in a statement. This right should be reserved for all student religious organizations, and not usurped by university officials based on their own shifting, unpredictable standards. Jimmy McGee, president of the Impact Movement, a Christian campus ministry focused on students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities, said in a statement that faith traditions uniquely support and sustain students of color on campus and that their beliefs are not interchangeable or negotiable. Universities that want to support students of color need to support their religious traditions, McGee added. Rabbi Abba Cohen, vice president for government affairs and Washington director for Agudath Israel of America, stressed the importance of religious groups in college campuses. In a statement shared with The Christian Post, he said, "Religious groups should be encouraged on campus. It simply defies logic, and undermines their very effectiveness, when religious groups are forced to forfeit leadership policies that better insure adherence to their religious mission, beliefs and practices. A grandmother believed to be one of the UK's longest Covid-19 patients has finally left hospital - after battling the virus for a staggering 135 days. Determined Paula McCarten was seen leaving the Bradford hospital on Wednesday in an emotionally charged video after she spent nearly five months fighting off the killer virus. The prison nurse spent over 100 days in ICU before she was finally able to be discharged - and is thought to be one of the UK's longest Covid-19 patients. The longest anyone in the UK has been hospital with Covid-19 is believed to be 141 days. The prison nurse was accompanied by her family as she thanked the 'wonderful' staff at Bradford Teaching Hospital who nursed her back to health after defying the odds The 57-year-old was accompanied by her family as hospital staff at Bradford Teaching Hospital who saved her life applauded her following her remarkable recovery. Doctors, nurses, and carers are seen forming a guard of honour in the heartwarming video as Paula was wheeled out of the hospital yesterday (Weds). Paula thanked the 'wonderful' staff who nursed her back to health after defying the odds. Paula, from Bradford, West Yorkshire, said: 'The doctors, carers and nurses been absolutely wonderful. I'm so glad to be with my three sons, my husband supporting me and all my family. Emotional: Paula McCarten (pictured) is believed to be one of the longest Covid-19 patients as she left Bradford Teaching Hospital where she battled the virus for a staggering 135 days In healthier times: The mother of three boys (pictured) from Bradford was emotional as she left the hospital after nearly five months as she fought off Covid-19 'I'm so proud so proud to be able to say this message.' The Ward 6 stroke unit, where she received rehabilitation, said she'd had a 'phenomenal battle'. Professor Mel Pickup, Chief Executive of the Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, added: 'The best of happy endings to a story that lasted 135 days. 'Delighted to see you reunited with your family and on your way home.' Fatima Bridle, 35, spent nearly the whole of the UK lockdown at Southampton General Hospitall battling Covid-19, pneumonia and sepsis before she was finally able to go home Last month, Fatima Bridle, who spent 141 days in hospital battling Covid-19, pneumonia and sepsis, was finally able to go home. The 35-year-old fell ill with coronavirus after returning to the UK from a month-long trip to Mohammedia, Morocco. Mrs Bridle, a former lab technician, spent nearly the whole of the UK lockdown in Southampton General Hospital fighting the virus. Rathangan man Mark Hopkins is still biding his time as he waits for the green light to take a return flight to Australia. As reported in the Leader last week, Mr Hopkins returned home in heartbreaking circumstances to attend his brothers funeral and was then effectively left stranded by his airline. Read more County Kildare news He only came home following the tragic passing of younger sibling Roy, who died following an incident on the town's outskirts on July 31. A local man was subsequently charged with the murder of Roy. I booked the return flight when I left and I had no warning that this would happen until the night 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. This happened two nights before his was due to return to Sydney with Qatar Airways. Since then he has been in contact with a number of politicians. As it is the 37 year old, keen to be reunited with partner Amy and children Sienna, 4, and Ayla, 1, is scheduled to return on October 24 though he remains fearful that this, too, could be changed. I thought something might be available on business class but, while Qatar Airways wont say exactly why I cannot return earlier or when I should have, it seems that its to do with Covid-19 and the fact that only some many people are being allowed into Australia per day. Marks plight has drawn the attention of the Sydney-based Australian television news network ABC News. Another delaying factor is the need for people arriving into Australia to quarantine for 14 days and there is only limited accommodation available to cope with these numbers. According to ABC News a cap has been placed on the number of people allowed in per day so there are not enough flights. If they dont lift the cap I might have to stay even longer than October 24. Mark added: Im still hoping that something happens before then so I can leave. Ive made my case to the airline and the politicians. Advertisement Ordinary Melburnians are struggling under draconian lockdowns with up to 97 per cent of home borrowers unable to pay their mortgages in some suburbs. Melbourne is home to seven of Australia's ten worst postcodes for mortgage stress where home borrowers can't service their loan and pay their bills on time. Victorian Labor Premier Daniel Andrews' Stage Four lockdowns are financially hurting young, growing families in the suburbs and the prospect of more restrictions risks causing more businesses to close. The big banks in September are also auditing borrowers to see if they can start servicing their loans again after six months of mortgage repayment holidays. Unemployment too is tipped to hit double-digit figures by Christmas for the first time since 1994. Ordinary Melburnians are struggling under draconian lockdowns with up to 97 per cent of home borrowers unable to pay their mortgages in some suburbs Australia's worst suburbs for mortgage stress 1. Pascoe Vale, Pascoe Vale South in Melbourne's north: 97 per cent 2. Narre Warren East, Narren Warren North in Melbourne's outer south east: 96.8 per cent 3. Grasstree Hill, Honeywood in Hobart's north: 96.6 per cent 4. Belgrave, Tecoma in Melbourne's outer south east: 96.1 per cent 5. Armadale, Armadale North in Melbourne's inner east: 95.6 per cent 6. Aberfeldie, Essendon in Melbourne's north: 95.2 per cent 7. Rose Bay in Sydney's east: 94.5 per cent 8. Mount Evelyn in Melbourne's outer north east: 94.1 per cent 9. Endeavour Hills in Melbourne's outer south east: 93.8 per cent 10. Kambah in Canberra's outer south: 93.5 per cent Source: Digital Finance Analytics data on the proportion of borrowers by suburb who were in mortgage stress in August 2020 Advertisement In Australia's worst-affected suburb Pascoe Vale, in Melbourne's north, 97 per cent of borrowers are suffering from mortgage stress, Digital Finance Analytics data showed. At Narre Warren, in Melbourne's outer south east, 96.8 per cent of mortgage holders are in dire straits. The awful story was similar in nearby Belgrave with 96.1 per cent of borrowers struggling in the suburb that is home to the closed Puffy Billy steam train tourist attraction. Rich and poor suburbs alike are in trouble in Australia's second biggest city with 95.6 per cent of borrowers struggling in upmarket Armadale as a similar proportion, 95.2 per cent, buckle to financial pressure in working class Aberfeldie and Essendon in the city's north. Outer suburbs more than 30km from the city centre were also a red zone with 94.1 per cent of mortgage holders financially treading water in Mount Evelyn as 93.8 per cent of borrowers at Endeavour Hills wondered about their next bill. Digital Finance Analytics principal Martin North, an economist, said this was not just an economic crisis - with many borrowers a month away from disaster. 'The pressure on these households is not just financial, it translates into both social and economic pressures as well,' he told Daily Mail Australia. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the federal government has spent $164billion on stimulus programs. Mr North feared the problem of mortgage stress would worsen as government crisis-spending programs were wound back as unemployment rose. The Australian Banking Association has this week also confirmed 450,000 home and small business borrowers, on six-month mortgage repayment holidays, would be audited in September and October to see if they could service their loans again. 'The banks are already asking hard questions of some people,' Mr North said. 'In fact, I've got some feedback from speaking to individuals in my focus group that the banks are already putting pressure on them to consider selling their property. 'In other words, rather than actually just saying, "We'll give you another six-month extension" they're actually suggesting they should be proactive and sell the property. Victorian Labor Premier Daniel Andrews' Stage Four lockdowns are financially hurting young, growing families in the suburbs and the prospect of more restrictions risks causing more businesses to close Melbourne is home to seven of Australia's ten worst postcodes for mortgage stress where home borrowers can't service their loan and pay their bills on time. Pictured are people exercising at Albert Lake in inner Melbourne 'There's going to be more pressure on people - September, October, November - to put their property on the market.' By March, the extended mortgage holidays are set to end - creating a new round of chaos. 'That will be the next critical, crunch point too,' Mr North said. 'We can assume that this is going to be the trend, not just for a few months but potentially for two or three years.' The prospect of forced sales is also worrying the Reserve Bank of Australia, which predicted in a paper published last month that 40 per cent house price falls were 'an extreme but plausible scenario' - echoing what happened in the United States, Spain and Ireland after the Global Financial Crisis more than a decade ago. The RBA is also predicting that unemployment will rise from a 22-year-high of 7.5 per cent to ten per cent by the end of 2020, a level unseen since April 1994. The big banks in September are also auditing borrowers to see if they can start repaying their loans after six-month mortgage repayment holidays - as unemployment hits double-digit figures for the first time since 1994. Pictured is a homewares store closing down in Melbourne in September 2020 Propertyology head of research Simon Pressley said the lockdowns were likely to see 30,000 Melbourne residents leave the city, or even Victoria, during the next two years. 'Whether they relocate to a nearby Victorian regional location such as Bendigo, Wodonga, the Great Ocean Road region or whether they completely leave the state, thousands of Melburnians will take action to regain their freedom,' he said. 'Prolonged uncertainty for one's income is unsustainable. Lockdown is no lifestyle.' Digital Finance Analytics compiles telephone and focus group data every month from 4,700 respondents. Every month, it creates heat maps showing suburbs suffering from the highest levels of mortgage stress with areas marked in red indicating 89 per cent or more borrowers can't pay their bills. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Australia had the world's second highest debt-to-income ratio of 186.5 per cent, largely as a result of high house prices. Travellers arriving in England from those countries after 4am on Saturday will have to self-isolate for 14 days (John Walton/PA) Portugal, Hungary, French Polynesia and Reunion have been removed from the quarantine exemption list, the Transport Secretary said. Grant Shapps said that travellers arriving in England from those countries after 4am on Saturday will have to self-isolate for 14 days. Mr Shapps tweeted that Portugal, excluding the Azores and Madeira, Hungary, French Polynesia and Reunion will be removed from the travel corridor list while Sweden will be added to the exemption list. His tweet added: Data shows we need to remove Portugal (minus the Azores and Madeira), Hungary, French Polynesia and Reunion from the Travel Corridor list to keep everyone safe. If you arrive in England from these destinations after 4am Saturday, you will need to self-isolate for 14 days. Through enhanced data we now have the capability to assess islands separate to their mainland countries. If you arrive in England from the Azores or Madeira, you will NOT need to self-isolate for 14 days. This week, Sweden has been added to the Travel Corridors list. If you arrive In England from Sweden, you will not need to self-isolate for 14 days. Data shows we need to remove PORTUGAL (minus the AZORES and MADEIRA), HUNGARY, FRENCH POLYNESIA and REUNION from the Travel Corridor list to keep everyone safe. If you arrive in England from these destinations after 4am Saturday, you will need to self-isolate for 14 days. Rt Hon Grant Shapps MP (@grantshapps) September 10, 2020 But the move was branded a major body blow to consumer confidence to travel by the World Travel and Tourism Council. Its president and chief executive Gloria Guevara said: Taking Portugal and Hungary off the exception list has left families in a race against time to find flights and get home to avoid going into 14 days of isolation or cancel their already made plans. This depressingly familiar situation is a major body blow to consumer confidence to travel. For while Madeira and the Azores will be excluded from the quarantine list under the Governments new island policy, it will come as little comfort to the vast majority of holidaymakers, and the embattled travel and tourism sector, which has seen the 2020 summer holiday season effectively crushed. The Northern Ireland Executive announced the same changes as England. Portugal reported 646 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday, which is its highest daily total since late April. This means Portugals seven-day rate of cases per 100,000 people is 28.3. The seven-day rate for Hungary is 31.6 and 71.3 in French Polynesia, while it was 10.8 in Sweden. A seven-day rate of 20 is the threshold above which the UK Government considers triggering quarantine conditions. This week, SWEDEN has been ADDED to the Travel Corridors list. If you arrive In England from Sweden, you will NOT need to self-isolate for 14 days. Rt Hon Grant Shapps MP (@grantshapps) September 10, 2020 Figures have been calculated by the PA news agency based on data collected by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. Mr Shapps said that all travellers returning to the UK must complete a passenger locator form by law. He added: All travellers returning to the UK must complete a passenger locator form by law. This is vital in protecting public health and ensuring those who need to are complying with self-isolation rules. It is a criminal offence not to complete the form and spot checks will be taking place. The changes mean that holidaymakers face a scramble to return home before restrictions come into force. But Paul Charles, chief executive of travel consultancy The PC Agency, said the weekly review system was not helping to revive confidence in travel. He added: I urge the Government to adopt a traffic lights system so that consumers are more clearly informed about countries at risk. This would reassure and enable people to book trips with more certainty. Our industry is in crisis Letter from airline leaders to Boris Johnson On Monday, the Department for Transport launched a new islands policy for travel corridors, which saw mainland Greece keep its exemption but seven islands have restrictions reimposed. Meanwhile, more than a dozen airline leaders have written to Boris Johnson, warning that the islands policy is by no means enough to support the sector. The letter, whose signatories include the chief executives of easyJet, Ryanair, British Airways and industry association Airlines UK, called for airport testing to be implemented before the end of September as a way of reducing self-isolation periods to five days. It asked the Prime Minister to begin trialling tests on arrival and after five days on a route such as London-New York to give ministers reassurance that a one-test-on-arrival system is safe. The airline leaders want certain mainland regions of countries to be added to the quarantine exemption list. They also asked Mr Johnson to waive air passenger duty for 12 months and extend the Job Retention Scheme for aviation workers. The letter warned that our industry is in crisis and the UK is falling well behind international rivals. It concluded: We ask you to act urgently to implement a programme of recovery for our sector. The Phillies announced Friday that theyve designated veteran infielder Neil Walker for assignment and swapped him out for fellow veteran Ronald Torreyes, whose contract has been selected from their alternate training site. Additionally, southpaw Adam Morgan has been reinstated from the injured list, and righty Ramon Rosso is up as the 29th man for todays twin bill. Walker, who turned 35 yesterday, beat out a crowded field to secure a bench spot with the Phillies during Summer Camp. In addition to Torreyes, the Phils had Josh Harrison, Logan Forsythe, Phil Gosselin and T.J. Rivera on minor league deals. Walker and Gosselin won backup spots, but Walker struggled to a .231/.244/.308 slash through 18 games and 41 plate appearances prior to todays move. Obviously, Walker wasnt a heavily used piece in Philadelphia, where top prospect Alec Bohm has impressed through his first 25 big league games at third base. With Jean Segura holding his own at second base and Rhys Hoskins raking at first, playing time has been hard to come by for Walker. The addition of Torreyes in his place will give the club another option to handle shortstop one of the few positions that Walker has never played at the MLB level. Although Walker didnt hit much in his short time with Philly, hes just a season removed from posting a solid .261/.344/.395 batting line in a utility role with the Marlins. And, of course, Walker was a consistently strong producer from 2010-17, when he hit a combined .273/.342/.439 in just shy of 4300 plate appearances between the Pirates, Mets and Brewers. The 28-year-old Torreyes, meanwhile, will be reunited with former Yankees skipper Joe Girardi. Torreyes was a fan favorite with the Yanks from 2016-18 when he hit .281/.308/.374 through 221 games as an oft-used bench piece. He spent the 2019 season in the Twins organization but hit poorly in Triple-A and saw only a very brief look in the big leagues. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has sought prosecution sanction from the Union government against former defence secretary and Comptroller and Auditor General of India Shashi Kant Sharma, former Air-Vice Marshal Jasbir Singh Panesar, and three other Indian Air Force (IAF) officers in connection with the alleged 3,727-crore AgustaWestland chopper scam, people familiar with the development said. Sharma was Joint Secretary (Air) in the ministry of defence when the contract for supplying 12 VVIP helicopters was under consideration, and when operational requirements (OR) for the deal were being finalised. The contract alleged violations and kickbacks in the deal became one of the biggest controversies during the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) regime -- was given to Anglo-Italian firm AgustaWestland in February 2010. Sharma was later Indias defence secretary, between July 2011 and May 2013, and then CAG till 2017. This is the first time his name has come up in connection with the case. Also read: AgustaWestland VVIP chopper case: ED raids premises linked to businessman Shravan Gupta The words JS Air an apparent reference to the designation Joint Secretary (Air) -- appeared repeatedly in Italian court judgments in the matter, as part of a note written by British middleman Christian Michel, who allegedly arranged kickbacks to politicians and officials in India. As JS (Air), Sharma was part of key meetings in the defence ministry, said a CBI official when asked about the prosecution sanction. He declined to give any other details, while confirming the request was made in writing to the defence ministry. HT has seen the request document. The details of the alleged role played by Sharma in the case are not clear at this time. Section 19 of the Prevention of Corruption Act makes it mandatory for CBI to seek a prosecution sanction from the concerned department before filing a charge sheet against a government official. I had a long unblemished service record of over forty years and nobody can blame me for any malafide action or decision. I strongly and firmly deny any such frivolous allegation, Shashi Kant Sharma told HT. A second CBI officer, who asked not to be named, contended that Panesar and the three IAF officers played important and questionable roles in the purchase and testing of the AW-101 helicopters. More details of Panesars alleged role are not known at this time. The three officers against whom sanctions have been sought from the defence ministry include deputy chief test pilot SA Kunte, Wing Commander Thomas Mathew, and Group Captain N Santosh. The three officers have retired. Panesar and the three officers could not be reached. The office of the former air vice-marshal did not share contact details. The second CBI officer added that a supplementary charge sheet, detailing the alleged roles played by Sharma, Panesar, Kunte, Mathew and Santosh, is ready and will be filed as soon as the government accords sanction. The charge sheet will also detail the role of about a dozen other officials and individuals that amount to conspiracy and violation under the prevention of corruption act, he added. On Michel, the CBI supplementary charge sheet will explain how he paid bribes to Indian officials to influence the decision in the favour of AgustaWestland, and later destroyed the trail, said the second officer. Michel was extradited to India in December 2018 and is currently lodged in Tihar jail. CBI filed its first charge sheet in the case in September 2017, naming former IAF chief SP Tyagi; former Air-Vice Marshal JS Gujral; former AgustaWestland CEO Bruno Spagnolini; former Finmeccanica chairman Giuseppe Orsi; Michel and his two associates, Guido Ralph Haschke and Carlo Gerosa; SP Tyagis cousin Sanjeev Tyagi; and Delhi-based lawyer-middleman Gautam Khaitan. They have all denied any wrongdoing. According to a note, allegedly written by Michel sometime in 2008 at his London office, 30 million euros were to be distributed among Indian bureaucrats, politicians, and air force officers. The note used abbreviations of designations under the heads AF (which, investigators allege, meant air force), BUR (bureaucrats, according to sleuths), POL (politicians) and Fam (believed to be SP Tyagis family). The note mentioned that 6 million euros were for AF, 8.4 million euros for BUR, 3 million euros for Pol and 15-16 million euros for Fam. Several of the abbreviations under the header were revealed by Guido Haschke to Italian investigators, according to court documents. The Italian courts 2016 judgment in the case it sentenced Orsi and Spagnolini said that Haschke admitted to these expenses incurred by Michel on the Indian military, bureaucracy, and politicians. Spagnolini and Orsi were acquitted later by an appeals court in Milan in September 2018. The CBI claimed in its first charge sheet (HT has seen a copy) that, in 2004, officials at Prime Ministers Office (PMO), Special Protection Group (SPG) and air force and ministry of defence officials, agreed to change the mandatory service ceiling of the helicopters from 6,000 meters to 4,500. This, it alleged, ultimately benefitted Anglo-Italian firm AgustaWestland. CBI also says it has established a money trail of 62 million euros (around 415 crore) out of suspected 67 million euros ( 452 crore) in bribes allegedly paid to Indian officials through middlemen. The irregularities in the award of contract to AgustaWestland led to estimated loss of 398.21 million euros (around 2,666 crore) to the Indian government in the 556.262 million euros ( 3726.9 crore) contract, according to CBI. The Prime Minister said that the National Education Policy (NEP)-2020 has been built in such a way that the syllabus could be reduced and the focus could be on fundamentals. We will have to take our students forward with 21st-century skills, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday, adding that the National Education Policy (NEP)-2020 will ensure the holistic development of students. We will have to take our students forward with 21st-century skills, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday, adding that the National Education Policy (NEP)-2020 will ensure the holistic development of students. The Prime Minister said that the National Education Policy (NEP)-2020 has been built in such a way that the syllabus could be reduced and the focus could be on fundamentals. He also spoke about developing a National Curriculum Framework to make learning integrated, inter-disciplinary, fun-based, and complete experience. Apart from the Prime Minister, Union Minister for Education, Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank, Minister of State (MoS) Sanjay Dhotre, among others from various States, also took part in the two-day conclave on School Education in 21st Century under National Education Policy (NEP)-2020, which began today. NEP 2020 will ensure the holistic development of learners. We have to advance our students with 21st-century skills. These 21st Century skills will be: Critical Thinking, Creativity, Collaboration, Curiosity, Communication, the Prime Minister said.NEP will bring in a reduction in curriculum content to enhance essential learning and critical thinking. Stress will also be given to removing language barriers in order to achieve better results in learning, he added. The Prime Minister thanked principals and teachers for their enthusiastic participation in the campaign to implement NEP-2020 and reiterated that building it was just the beginning. Also Read: Vijay Sai Reddy And Sringeri Peetham team calls on Andhra CM for constructing Temple The new NEP is a means of fulfilling New India, New Expectations, New Requirements. Behind it is the hard work of the last 4-5 years, people of every field, every genre, every language have worked on it. But this work has not been completed yet, he said.Now the real work has started. Now we have to implement the National Education Policy in the same effective manner. And we will do this work together, he added. He also said that every region in the country has some speciality, some traditional art, workmanship which requires deep skills and are very famous and the students residing in those areas should see and learn how they are produced so that they form an emotional bonding, respect and in future can also join these industries. (ANI) Also Read: Battle for Rajya Sabha Dy Chair: Manoj Jha files nomination Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-11 22:17:14|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close THIMPHU, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- The government of Bhutan announced that the schooling for students of classes X and XII will resume from Monday. For students in IX and XI grades, the campus will be opened from Sept. 21, Prime Minister Lotay Tshering announced, while students in high-risk areas will be shifted to western districts to complete their session. The prime minister said technical and vocational training institutes including private owned ones such as driving and tailoring course providers can also resume, along with the colleges and institutions across the country. The schooling for X and XII grade students were closed for the second time along with the nationwide lockdown that was enforced on Aug. 11. All the schools and colleges across the country were closed on March 18 after the detection of the first COVID-19 positive case in Bhutan. On July 1 the government had opened schooling for students of classes X and XII. During the long-gap between school closure and reopening, students of all grades were provided online lessons. Starting Saturday, travel between districts will also be allowed, while public transports and private transportations will have to maintain 50 percent capacity. Around 8,000 individuals have registered for inter-district travel, said the country's health minister in her live address to the public Friday evening. She urged everyone to wear a mask and maintain social distancing for safety measures as the country ends phase three of the lockdown Friday. She said every two individuals from a household in Samdrup Jongkhar district, which shares its border with India will be tested for COVID-19. A woman with no recent travel history has been detected positive last week. Traveling to and from high-risk areas of Phuentsholing, Gelephu, Samdrup Jongkhar and Samtse districts were restricted and people coming from these places will have to undergo quarantine protocol, said the prime minister. Four positive COVID-19 cases have been detected in the country within the last 24 hours. Two were working at the mini dry port at Phuentsholing town while two are Royal Bhutan army personnel. Enditem Prime Minister Narendra Modi invited the outgoing Japanese PM Shinzo Abe and his wife Akie Abe to visit India at their leisure during a telephonic conversation. Abe decided to resign last month, citing ill health. They expressed confidence that the impetus gained by the India-Japan in the last few years shall continue "unabated" in the future. PM Modi tweeted, "Made a phone call to my dear friend @AbeShinzo to wish him good health and happiness. I deeply cherish our long association. His leadership and commitment have been vital in taking India-Japan friendship to new heights. I am sure this momentum will continue in the coming years." Made a phone call to my dear friend @AbeShinzo to wish him good health and happiness. I deeply cherish our long association. His leadership and commitment have been vital in taking India-Japan partnership to new heights. I am sure this momentum will continue in the coming years. Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 10, 2020 During the weekly MEA briefing, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said the two leaders exchanged greetings and reminisced their memories at Varanasi, Sabarmati, Kobe and Kyoto. Not only did the two leaders talk at length about their memories from their previous visits, they also took stock of the ongoing Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail (MAHSR) project, under the framework of the India-Japan special strategic and global partnership. This telephonic conversation between Modi and Abe happened hours after New Delhi and Tokyo inked a significant defence supplies agreement between the Indian Armed Forces and the Self-Defense Forces of Japan. As per an MEA statement, the two leaders welcomed the signing of this agreement and "concurred that the agreement will further enhance the depth of defence cooperation between the two countries and contribute to peace and security in the Indo-Pacific region". The two heads of states agreed that the strong partnership between India and Japan will play an important role in deciding the course for the global community in the post-COVID environment. Also read: Praying for 'your speedy recovery', PM Modi tells Japan's Shinzo Abe Also read: Shinzo Abe 'greatest' Prime Minister in Japan's history: Donald Trump Also read: Japan's ruling party LDP to select Shinzo Abe's successor on Sept 14 Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Dian Septiari (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, September 11, 2020 08:11 497 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c4427c3e 1 SE Asia diplomacy,ASEAN,ministerial-conference,Rohingya,refugee-crisis,Malaysia,Myanmar,repatriation Free Indonesia has again called on Myanmar to work out its plan to repatriate thousands of Rohingya refugees and address the root cause of a refugee crisis that has spilled over into the rest of Southeast Asia. Hundreds of stranded Rohingya refugees landed on Indonesian shores just a day before the top diplomats of ten-nation ASEAN virtually convened to thrash out a collective stance on various issues, including the refugee crisis. At the 53rd ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting (AMM), Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi expressed her concerns over the ongoing crisis in the region and underlined the need for ASEAN to address the root cause of the problem. She urged Myanmar as well as the ASEAN Secretariat to provide an update on efforts to ensure a voluntary, safe and dignified return of the Rohingya minority to Myanmars Rakhine state, where they originate. Read also: Indonesia draws praise for assisting Rohingya as ASEAN fails to mitigate crisis Without it, we are very concerned that this will happen again and again and it will never be resolved if we cant solve the core issue, she told reporters in Jakarta on Wednesday evening. Out of humanitarian considerations, Indonesia rescued and took in a total of 395 Rohingya refugees who were stranded in cramped boats at sea. The first group of refugees was rescued by local fishermen in Aceh province on June 24, while the second arrived early on Monday. Countless others have arrived and left Indonesia over the years. As many as 30 refugees are said to have died at sea, while a Rohingya man and woman have died in the hospital from respiratory illness, news agency Antara reported. More than 750,000 ethnic Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh after Myanmar security forces launched in 2017 a heavy-handed crackdown on the minority that has since attracted strong and widespread criticism. Naypyidaw insists it was dealing with a local terrorist threat, but various investigations paint a very different picture of the handling of an ethnic group that the Buddhist-majority country denounces as stateless. Read also: Myanmar army tries to discredit Rohingya abuse confessions Dire conditions in the refugee camps of Bangladesh have sparked an exodus into other countries, often using people-smuggling networks. After being criticized for its slow response to the crisis, ASEAN, through its humanitarian assistance agency, the AHA Center, promised to lead a regional response to help Myanmar repatriate the refugees, although repeated attempts in recent years have largely failed. Myanmar officials have insisted that the situation in Rakhine was becoming increasingly complicated due to the worsening of the COVID-19 outbreak and that the country was gearing up for an election set for November. Reuters reported that Myanmar had gone weeks without any local viral transmission and that many regulations had been relaxed until mid-August, when cases were detected in the western state of Rakhine. The number of cases there has since tripled to 1,562 and eight deaths. The health ministry reported 93 new cases on Tuesday. This picture taken on Sept. 9, 2020 shows a group of Rohingya women queueing up for medical check-ups at a transit camp after nearly 300 Rohingya migrants came ashore on the beach in Lhokseumawe on the northern coast of Indonesia's Sumatra island. (AFP/Rahmat Mirza) In the 53rd AMM joint communique released on Thursday, foreign ministers reaffirmed support for a more visible and enhanced role of ASEAN and reiterated the need to find a comprehensive and durable solution to address the root causes of the conflict. The ASEAN ministers stood ready to facilitate further dialogue between Myanmar and Bangladesh and the full implementation of a repatriation arrangement agreed by them in 2017, as well as implementation of the remaining recommendations of the Advisory Commission on Rakhine. We stressed the importance of and reiterated our continued support for Myanmars commitment to ensure safety and security for all communities in Rakhine state as effectively as possible and facilitate the voluntary return of displaced persons in a safe, secure, and dignified manner, they stated in the negotiated outcome document. Meanwhile, Malaysian Foreign Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said that a prolonged Rakhine crisis would jeopardize the security and the stability in the ASEAN region. We are closely following the irregular movement of Rohingya refugees from Rakhine state and Coxs Bazar via land and water routes. What we do not wish to see is a repeat of the 2015 boat people crisis in the Andaman Sea, the minister said in a circulated statement after the meeting. The United Nations Refugee Agency has estimated that 370 people died in 2015 in the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea, when Thai authorities tried to break up a people-smuggling operation and the traffickers left boatloads of refugees to die at sea. Both Retno and Hishammuddin urged ASEAN countries to work together in addressing transnational crimes, particularly people smuggling and trafficking, as Rohingya refugees are deemed its most vulnerable victims. The transnational crimes of illegal Rohingya in the region require utmost attention by all ASEAN member states, especially the littoral states to the Andaman Sea and the Straits of Malacca. These crimes were enabled by the perpetuation of the crisis in Rakhine state, which sees no foreseeable resolution even after more than two years since the onset of the crisis in 2017, Hishammuddin said. The region is now faced with the challenge of more sophisticated methods of trafficking. Read also: UN calls out failure of Bali Process to save refugees According to a recent report by Institute for Policy Analysis of Conflict, the trafficking methods used in the last two boatloads were very different from the spontaneity of the 2015 refugee boat crisis, citing an investigation by Acehs Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras). Medical evaluations of the refugees show that almost all of the refugees were relatively hydrated despite being at sea for months, indicating that the smugglers ensured they were fed through a shuttle system of smaller fishing boats going back and forth to replenish supplies. According to the testimony of one of the four Malay speakers in the June group, each person paid 10,000 Malaysian ringgit (US$2,400) for boarding the boat. Additional payments are expected from their relatives in Malaysia, the report noted. In the past, traffickers would require payment upon arrival, but in some recent cases, they demanded transfers of 5,000 ringgit before the victims left the boat. Editor's note: The article was updated to include passages from the ASEAN joint communique. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Arya Dipa (The Jakarta Post) Bandung Fri, September 11, 2020 12:43 497 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c443b25a 1 National COVID-19,coronavirus,virus-korona-indonesia,virus-corona,COVID-19-vaccine,volunteer,West-Java,Unpad,Padjadjaran-University Free The team overseeing the clinical trial of a COVID-19 vaccine candidate in Bandung, West Java, announced that a volunteer receiving an injection in the trial had tested positive for the disease. The clinical research team leader, Kusnadi Rusmil of the Padjadjaran University, said the volunteer was currently in self-isolation. The team would supervise the volunteers condition. After nine days of observation, [the volunteers] condition seems to be good, said Kusnadi in a statement on Thursday. He added that the clinical research team had injected the first of three doses of the vaccine candidate or a placebo to the volunteer. After receiving the first shot, the volunteer traveled out of town. Upon returning to Bandung, the volunteer went to get the second injection. Kusnadi said the volunteer was declared healthy following an examination. A day later, the volunteer tested positive for COVID-19 following a swab test conducted by the Bandung Health Agency. The volunteer was required to take a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test because of their travel history. Read also: Govt to set aside Rp 37 trillion for COVID-19 vaccine procurement Kusnadi said he could not confirm whether the research team had injected a potential vaccine or a placebo. We conduct the trial under the blind observer principle, so we cant identify who gets the placebo and who gets the [potential] vaccine. The research team is conducting phase III clinical trials for a COVID-19 vaccine candidate developed by Chinese biopharmaceutical company Sinovac Biotech. The trial would involve 1,620 volunteers who would be divided into two groups, with one group receiving the vaccine and the other one the placebo. Kusnadi went on to say that the team expected volunteers to develop immunity against the SARS-CoV-2 virus two weeks after receiving their second dose. The research team field manager, Eddy Fadlyana of the Padjadjaran University, said the team had only injected 248 of the 1,620 volunteers so far. Only 110 have received the second dose. He added that most of the volunteers had yet to report any side effects. (mfp) Griffith had survived a previous terrorist attack, when the World Trade Center was bombed in 1993. She told Edgar that as soon as the building reopened, she'd be back at work. She said, I'm not going to let fear drive me to do things, Edgar remembers. That was a lesson that was ingrained in me." So, just back from a vacation cruise celebrating her 20th wedding anniversary with Edgar's father, Griffith was in the office on that blue-sky day on September 11, 20 years ago. She was looking forward to celebrating her 40th birthday, just a few days away. Edgar, then 24, was living in California and learned that a plane had hit the World Trade Center when she woke up. She called her father, who was frightened and crying after talking to Griffith, who had seen the first plane hit. Edgar later learned that her mother stayed on the floor of her building, following the instructions she was given, and helped usher out others who chose to leave. Because some employees were staying put, Griffith stayed, Edgar says. She lived and she died in service, she adds. She was a leader." After that day, even as young as she was, Edgar stepped into the role of sorting through her mother's estate and working with attorneys connected with the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund. Those experiences, while painful, changed Edgar's professional life. She was impressed with the lawyers she worked with and decided to go to law school something she says had never been part of her plan. Edgar also reconnected, during that time, with a friend who would become her husband. She had known him in middle school, and after hearing of her mother's death, he reached out to provide support. They've been married 18 years and have two children. Edgar's daughter is named for her grandmother. My husband was the greatest gift my mother gave me, she says. We wouldn't have reconnected if I hadn't lost her." And when Edgar, now 44, turned 40, it felt momentous, because her mother never reached that age. The lesson from all of this is that life is short, she points out. We have to live it as best as we can while we're here." 'We can still do good things in the world' In the work she does, Edgar sees her mother's fingerprints, too. As a diversity and inclusion consultant who provides training, workshops and professional development for organizations and companies, she's particularly attuned to the recent cultural shifts around race and racial justice, and to the protests and the attention these issues are receiving. She mentors people, volunteers and serves on numerous boards working on social issues. "She used to say to me all the time, Are you the wind or the leaf? Edgar says. That means you can be the leaf, but then you're not directing where you're going. If you're the wind, you're saying, This is what I'm going to do, and then you do it. I pride myself on being the wind, especially now." Griffith's legacy also reverberates in Edgar's own family. Her 17-year-old daughter led a walkout against gun violence in junior high school. She's involved in issues such as environmental justice and anti-racist efforts. And Griffith says she tries to help both her children live without a shadow of fear from their grandmother's death. When Griffith's young son once asked her if another plane would fly into a building, she couldn't tell him that would never occur again. Instead she responded, Even though terrible, terrible things have happened, we're still here and we can still do good things in the world. While she kept her answer simple because of his age, she's thought more about what she would have liked to say. I know if we live and navigate the world within fear, then we won't be living, she says. That's not a helpful way of celebrating those we've lost or our own trajectory." The CBI has sought sanction to prosecute former defence secretary Shashi Kant Sharma, who later became Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), in connection with alleged corruption in the Rs 3,600-crore Agusta Westland VVIP helicopter deal, officials said on Friday. The agency is likely to file a supplementary charge sheet giving the role of Christian Michel, the alleged middleman in the deal who was deported from the UAE and is currently in judicial custody, they said. In its supplementary charge sheet, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is also likely to give the alleged roles of some former public servants, who were holding key decision making positions when the deal for the helicopters was being discussed, the officials said. In order to prosecute the officers whose alleged role surfaced during investigation, the CBI has approached the defence ministry seeking nod to prosecute Sharma and the then Air Vice Marshal Jasbir Singh Panesar, besides others, they said. The officials said that Sharma was defence secretary between 2011 and 2013, before being appointed CAG. The agency has also sought sanction to charge sheet three former Indian Air Force (IAF) officers deputy chief test pilot S A Kunte, wing commander Thomas Mathew and group captain N Santosh, they said, adding that Kunte and Santosh retired as air commodores. The officials said that the sanction is pending with the defence ministry since March. It is alleged that bribes were paid to make Agusta Westland eligible for the 12 VVIP chopper deal, they said. The need for new helicopters to ferry VVIPs the president, the prime minister, the vice president and the defence minister was felt in 1999 when a proposal was moved to find an alternative to the IAFs Soviet-era Mi8s. Agusta Westlands helicopters did not meet the 6,000 meters ceiling parameter of the IAF. The then IAF Chief S P Tyagi played a role in recommending reduction in operational ceiling of the helicopters from 6,000 meters to 4,500 meters which brought Agusta Westland in the race, the CBI has alleged. The IAF was strongly opposed to the changes but when Tyagi became the chief, he recommended the changes, the agency alleged. This according to the CBI was allegedly done at the behest of Finmeccanica and Agusta Westland top executives who engaged the services of three middlemen Michel, Guido Haschke and Carlos Gerosa who allegedly paid bribes to Tyagi and his cousins Rajiv, Sandeep and Julie. The agency has alleged that Michels firms received about 42.27 million Euros, approximately seven per cent, from the companies to swing the Rs 3,600 crore deal in their favour. The bribes were allegedly routed through companies of Michel and an advocate, Gautam Khaitan, in the form of multiple contracts through layered transactions to camouflage them.. Home > Archives (2006 on) > 2020 > Promoting Fraternity: Courts to the Rescue | Ram Puniyani by Ram Puniyani* Prashant Bhushan, the upright legal luminary and social activist, has shown the mirror to the Judiciary in a remarkable way. But thats not the whole story. Recently two interventions of the Courts do give a hope that the judiciary can also come forward to preserve the democratic values in the society. The first one of this was the judgement where the Tabiligi Jamaat members were exonerated from the charges of spreading Corona (Corona Jihad, Corona bomb). The second one is the courts coming to stop the transmission of the series Bindass Bol by Sudarshan TV. Its Editor Suresh Chavhanke in his tweet had announced the relay of the series which aims to expose the UPSC jihad, Civil Service jihad by Muslims. As per him through a conspiracy the Muslims are infiltrating (ghuspaith) into our bureaucracy by getting place in the UPSC exam, which will entitle them to become IAS or IPS officers. Mr. Chavanke through a 45 Second promo of his serial claimed that Jamia Jihadis will be occupying the prestigious positions of power through this Jihad. Interestingly of the 30 odd candidates who qualified in the exam from Jamia, 16 were Muslims and 14 Hindus. The Jamia Students approached the Court for a stay on this serial, which the Courts granted on the grounds that this serial, is likely to spread hate in the society. A joint letter of retired Civil Servants, Constitutional Conduct Group who have served the Indian Government in various capacities and have no political affiliation, stated 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. These communal and irresponsible statements amount to hate speech and are defamatory of an entire community. As such Muslims make up 3.46 per cent of the countrys 8,417 IAS and IPS officers. Of 292 Muslim officers, 160 are among the 5,862 who had been selected through the Civil Services examinations conducted by the UPSC, while the remaining 132 are among 2,555 who were promoted to the IAS or IPS from the state civil services on the basis of seniority and performance, which is also assessed by the UPSC. (https://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/muslims-add-up-to-3-in-ias-ips-list/). The other data is also very revealing. In the 2019 examination, 35 out of 829 selected candidates were Muslims. That comes to 4.22%, whereas their percentage in the population of India, according to the 2011 Census, is described as 14.2%. In the 2018 examination, out of 759 successful candidates, just 2.64%, or 20, were Muslims. In the 2017 examination, out of 810 successful candidates, 41, that are 5.06%, were Muslims. Chavhanke claims that these candidates are given the option of Arabic studies due to which they are able to compete and succeed. All in all Sudarshan TV and its Chief Chavhanke are on ideological track, where Muslims should not be in any position of power and authority. This is what their majoritarian politics wants. The truth is there are fewer Muslims, much less than their percentage in population. As such bureaucracy, should be operating on the principles of Indian Constitution, above the narrow consideration of religion. Chavhanke and his tribe, who are in abundance, are on lookout for more issues, twist them and demonize Muslims. This serial is actually liable for punishment under several clauses for hampering national integration. As such the percentage of Muslims in the Government services is abysmally low. This average of 4% in top jobs goes along with around 5-6% of Muslims in overall Government jobs. This has a lot to do with the economic and educational status of Muslims, worsened by the insecurity caused by the regular repeated violence against them, manifesting in acts of violence like Bhivandi, Jalgaon, Bhagalpur, Meerut, Malyaana, Mumbai, Muzzafarnager and lately in Delhi. Various commissions and committees have gone into the issue of plight of Muslims into Government jobs. Gopal Singh Commission, Rangnath Mishra Commission and lastly Sachar Committee have given the similar observations that Muslims are grossly underrepresented in the jobs and their representation in jails is much higher than their percentage in population. Their political plight has also worsened over the years and the representation in the Parliament and state Assemblies is on constant decline. Many a Muslim leader has gone to the extent of saying that any way they have been marginalized at political and social level, so lets focus only on education. Even many oversees Indian groups of Indian origin also try to promote the educational efforts of Muslim community. It is paradoxical that Jamia Mila Islamia, which has been targeted by Chavhanke ranks among the top Universities of the country. The economic decline of Muslim community, insecurity and ghettoisation has dealt a severe blow on the aspirations of Muslims, Muslim youth in particular. Saeed Mirzas classic, Salim Langde Pe Mat ro (Dont feel sorry for the plight of Salim Langde), brilliantly shows the dilemmas of Muslim youth in choosing the path for their future. They realize that getting jobs is as difficult for them as they are Muslims, so why bother so much about education! While Chavankes efforts also questions the integrity of UPSC, which is above board. Such a dimension in social thinking will worsen the process of communal divide and lead to increased marginalization of Muslims. There are photographs Chavahanke greeting Narendra Modi and Amit Shah from close quarters. The channel is close to RSS ideologically. This coming, divisive act coming on the back of propaganda of Tabhligis undertaking Corona Jihad, is a terrible move, which needs to be countered. Jihad seems to be the dog whistle to demonize Muslims, land jihad, love jihad, UPSC jihad and what have you. Court by staying this have done a yeomen service to promoting the cause of fraternity, the core value of Indian Constitution. And this example gives the hope that Indian pluralism and diversity has a good chance to survive. * Dr Ram Puniyani is a former professor at the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay (IIT Bombay). and well known columnist and social educator on human rights and communal harmony. LONDON, Sept. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The chief executive officer of Albania's Intesa Sanpaolo Bank Albania has received two honours in the 2020 Business Worldwide Magazine (BWM) CEO Awards. Silvio Pedrazzi was named 'Best CEO in Albania's Banking Industry' and 'Most Innovative CEO of the Year - Albania' for his pioneering work in digital banking. The BWM 2020 CEO Awards seek to identify and honour the Most Respected C-level executives across the globe from a variety of different sectors. The awards themselves do not focus on a company's success, as many do, but the spotlight is on the success of individuals who make the corporations tick namely senior executives such as CEOs, Managing Directors, Directors and senior-level management. Our intention is to give a worthy individual the recognition he/she deserves as well as to use their example to inspire other companies and business leaders to achieve similar success. Intesa Sanpaolo Bank Albania, part of Intesa Sanpaolo Group is a leading bank in Albania serving small and medium sized businesses, corporates, individual customers and high net worth clients with an extensive offering of innovative products and services. The company is leading the way in Albania's cutting-edge banking solutions, and Silvio is in turn setting the bar for others in his field. It's been a trying time for Albania, with a devastating earthquake followed by the advent of COVID-19, but Silvio and his team have been able to support customers through financial challenges by offering a range of revolutionary banking solutions. Supporting families and businesses in times of crisis is important to the bank, which initiated an Earthquake Relief and Support Plan for those affected by the disaster. This is clearly a company that clearly sees Corporate Social Responsibility as much more than just a box ticking exercise; the bank quickly reached out to those affected by the earthquake and offered financial assistance to those in need. It also provided humanitarian aid in different ways, directly supporting displaced families as well as organising donations for employees who had also been affected. And in response to the global endemic, the company's smart working platform enabled staff to work from home and deliver a seamless service to customers. The bank has a reputation as being a forward thinking, customer centric financial organisation, and Silvio is dedicated to changing the face of banking within Albania. In an interview with BWM, he talked about his mission to create sustainable value for all stakeholders: "We believe we can only achieve this goal by applying the highest ethical standards and the best international practices, promoting innovation as well as developing a sound dialogue with the different components of our society." For further information on Intesa Sanpaolo Bank Albania's' range of products, digital banking and services visit https://www.intesasanpaolobank.al/ An article on the company can be found on the BWM website: https://www.bwmonline.com/2020/08/17/intesa-sanpaolo-bank-albania-new-skills-new-roles-for-a-digital-transformation/ 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] SOURCE Business Worldwide Magazine Many scientists have questioned the legitimacy of the data as they claim to have noticed inconsistencies in the data and figures that are part of the vaccine study. The Russian vaccine against COVID-19, Sputnik V, produced antibodies in volunteers injected with it, without prompting any adverse effects. The findings of the vaccines Phase 1 and 2 human trials were published in the journal The Lancet on 4 September. On 11 August, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that his country was the first to approve a vaccine offering "sustainable immunity" against the new coronavirus, leaving experts clamouring for results from trials of the vaccine. While the bulk of the reservations from health experts came from the US and the UK, there were voices of distrust from within Russia. On 12 August, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said that it will review the data from the studies before giving its stamp of approval for human use of the vaccine. Recently, 32 researchers that took part in the clinical trials published findings from early, human trials to test its safety. Two vectors, two shots The Sputnik V vaccine is being developed by Gamaleya Scientific Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology along with the Russian Defence Ministry and the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) has bankrolled the project. Sputnik V uses a combination of two viral vectors adapted from the common cold-causing adenovirus, for pharmaceutical use the adenovirus type 26 (rAd26) vector and a recombinant adenovirus type 5 (rAd5) vector. The vector carries the genetic code of the spike protein, which is spread across the surface of the COVID-19-causing SARS-CoV-2 virus. This code acts like a tag for the immune system to recognize the virus if a genuine infection by the coronavirus comes along. In phase 1 of each trial, individual components of the two-part vaccine (rAd26-S & rAd5-S) were tested for safety Phase 2 tested whether the vaccine elicited an immune response by giving the full two-part vaccine rAd26-S was given first, then rAd5-S was given 21 d later (4/8) The Lancet (@TheLancet) September 4, 2020 According to a statement by the RDIF, the use of two different vectors in two separate shots achieves a more effective immune response, as compared to the use of the same vector in two shots. By using the same vector twice, the immune system launches a defence mechanism against the virus and starts to reject the drug in the second injection, The vaccine can be given to a person in two ways - frozen or lyophilised - is the process of freeze-drying a vaccine to make it more convenient to transfer and increase its shelf life. It is administered via an intramuscular injection - which is a technique used to deliver the vaccine deep into the muscles, allowing it to be absorbed into the bloodstream quickly. Phase 1 and 2 completed As of 1 August, Phase 1 and 2 clinical trials of the Gam-COVID-Vac Lyo were complete, as per a TASS report, in adult male and female volunteers between the ages of 1860 years. Early trials of the vaccine began on 18 June in a group of 18 volunteers. In this Phase 1 study, nine volunteers were given one dose of rAd26-S and the other nine were given a dose of rAd5-S. This was done to determine that both the adenovirus vector constructs were safe to use in people. This was soon followed by second-stage trials in 20 volunteers, who were given shots of a 'prime-boost vaccination' with rAd26-S on day 0 (23 June), and rAd5-S 21 days later. The research team, led by Denis Y Logunov who is the principal investigator of the study, found that the vaccine provides antibodies immunity (stable humoral and cellular immune response) and had no adverse reactions on any of the volunteers it was administered to. The most common adverse events reported in the study were pain at the injection site, hyperthermia, headache, asthenia and muscle and joint pain. That said, most of these adverse events were mild, with no serious adverse events reported, which is an encouraging sign. According to a statement by the RDIF, the level of antibodies in the volunteers vaccinated was 1.4-1.5 times higher than those in patients who had recovered from COVID-19. In contrast, AstraZeneca-Oxford found that the volunteers participating in its clinical trials had antibodies virtually equal to that of those who had recovered from the infection. There were concerns that by using the virus of the common cold, the resulting vaccine would not be that effective and that people will have preexisting immunity towards the adenoviruses. Researchers from the institute via this study have proved otherwise. The statement by RDIF said that the study has also determined the optimal dosage that is safe and will allow for an effective immune response in 100 percent of those vaccinated, even in those who have recently had a common cold. What critics are saying As per a recent report in the New York Times, even if the vaccine were modestly effective, theres no research to show whether those given the vaccine were less likely to become infected than those who are not. This is an observation commonly made in Phase 3 trials. Naor Bar-Zeev and Tom Inglesby from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health critiqued, in a commentary in The Lancet, that the vaccine was given to "young military personnel" who are likely to be "fitter and healthier than the general population." They also point to the ethnicity of the people who took part in the trials, implying a lack of diversity for the vaccine to be considered safe to test in a larger population. In a Comment, @naorbz & @T_Inglesby describe the studies as "encouraging but small. The immunogenicity bodes well, although nothing can be inferred on immunogenicity in older age groups & clinical efficacy for any #COVID19 vaccine has not yet been shown" https://t.co/nYQ6QfqccD pic.twitter.com/0RttILQVF9 The Lancet (@TheLancet) September 4, 2020 However, Bar-Zeev also told The New York Times, The science looks like it was done impeccably well but larger trials need to be completed before we know if it is effective. Enrico Bucci, a biochemistry and microbiology expert at Temple University, US has written an open letter to the editor of The Lancet claiming inconsistencies in the data and figures that are part of the Russian vaccine study. At last count, 26 other scientists have also signed the letter agreeing with Bucci. They believe that 'several data patterns' appear repeatedly in the experiments. The data looks like it's been photoshopped its too similar and too unlikely from a statistical point of view, said Andrea Cossarizza, professor of pathology and immunology at the University of Modena and one of the signatories to the letter while speaking to The Moscow Times. According to a report by The Print, The Lancet said in an emailed statement that they are aware of the letter and "encourage scientific debate on papers we have published We have shared the letter directly with the authors and encouraged them to engage in the scientific discussion. NA Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan chairs the press conference (Photo: VNA). Hanoi - Announcing the outcomes of the 41st General Assembly of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA 41) held from September 8 to 10 via teleconference, National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan attributed the successful organisation of the event to efforts and determination of the Vietnamese National Assembly and AIPA member parliaments. At a press conference in Hanoi on September 10 following the closing ceremony of AIPA 41, National Assembly Chairwoman Ngan said the successful General Assembly consolidated reputation of Vietnam in general and its National Assembly in particular in the world arena. She said that participants at all the meetings within AIPA 41 spoke highly of and expressed appreciation towards the careful preparation by Vietnamese National Assembly. Ngan stressed the relevance of AIPA 41s theme Parliamentary Diplomacy for a Cohesive and Responsive ASEAN Community, especially given the COVID-19 pandemic. AIPA has shown its support to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in response to the pandemic as well as recovering the economy, she added. AIPA member parliaments agreed on promoting digital economy and take advantage of the Fourth Industrial Revolution in post-pandemic recovery, Ngan said. The top parliamentarian also highlighted Vietnams initiative on setting up a forum for young parliamentarians of AIPA which has been warmly welcomed by members of AIPA. Having received high consensus from AIPA member parliaments, the meeting of young parliamentarians of AIPA is expected to be an official mechanism within AIPA General Assembly in the following years after the AIPA Secretariat finalises protocols and procedures. With such meetings to be held on an annual basis, young parliamentarians within ASEAN now have a forum to express desires and make practical contributions to the development of ASEAN, she added. Irina Shayk looked strutted down the street in a pair of black military-style boots by Both in New York City on Thursday, The 34-year-old Vogue cover girl sported a radiant tan under a pair of tiny, oval sunglasses, which added a stylish touch to her laid-back sweatsuit. While a tad loose-fitting, the supermodel's black crew-neck sweatshirt and matching pants still managed to display her lithe physique. Street style: Irina Shayk looked simply sensational on Thursday, as she strutted down the street in a pair of black military-style boots by Both in New York City She accessorized with a large tote bag, which she kept on her arm, and a few pieces of gold jewelry. During her solo outing, the mother-of-one's chestnut-brown tresses cascaded just past her shoulders. As she forwent a CDC-recommended mask amid the ongoing pandemic, Shayk showed off her subtle nude lipstick and perfectly sun-kissed complexion. Trendy: The Vogue cover girl, 34, sported a radiant tan under a pair of tiny, oval sunglasses, which added a stylish touch to her laid-back sweatsuit Her sighting comes after a slew of platonic reunions with her ex Bradley Cooper, who is the father of her three-year-old daughter Lea. The former couple have been making the most of their time together, as they were photographed together on Tuesday and Thursday. Bradley and Irina began dating in 2015. Lea was born in 2017, but they called it quits in June 2019. Turning heads: While a tad loose-fitting, the supermodel's black crewneck sweatshirt and matching pants still managed to display her lithe physique The couple haven't let the end of their romance or their very busy schedules interfere with their co-parenting. 'There are still challenges because he does have a very busy schedule and shes back at work now so there are times they have to compromise, and they do,' a source told HollywoodLife in March. 'Hes been making an effort to take projects that arent too far from New York so he can be there to share custody, hes very committed. And so protective, if it were up to him hed carry her everywhere.' Exes: Bradley and Irina split in June 2019 after four years together. They're seen at the 2018 Met Gala above 'Hes totally devoted to Lea, its really sweet to see how much he loves being a dad,' the insider went on. He's been back in NYC after spending time in Southern California shooting a yet-to-be-titled Paul Thomas Anderson film. She has been spotted several times with her potential new boyfriend Vito Schnabel, who is a longtime pal and previously dated Heidi Klum. Outraged victims of a fat paedophile who avoided jail because of his weight have offered to raise money to transport him to prison. Peter John O'Neill, 61, was employed at three schools across Tasmania from 1980-91 when he sexually abused several young boys. On Wednesday, the 140kg former teacher was slapped with a five year suspended sentence at Hobart's Supreme Court. The court heard that although O'Neill 'deserved' prison he was so fat it would be too difficult to extradite him from Canberra to Hobart, where he would be jailed. His furious victims have now offered to raise the $40,000 to transport O'Neill, who requires a full time carer, to Hobart. Peter John O'Neill, 61, was employed at three schools across the state from 1980-91 when he committed the abuse Former students of Dominic College in Tasmania (pictured) posted to a Facebook group, with one saying, 'Nothing will give back what he took, but he must pay in some way' 'The community wants people like O'Neill in jail. The cost of his crimes has been huge. Our suffering, the harm to our mental health, is immeasurable,' a former student, who can't be named for legal reasons, told The Mercury. 'It would cost (up to) $40,000 to transport the obese abuser to Tasmania. We, his victims, are willing to raise that transport cost so this man has to face us and then serve his just punishment.' Other students took to Facebook calling on their former classmates to insist the state government bring that 'piece of sh*t' back to Tasmania. They are also requesting the Director of Public Prosecutions appeal against the lenient sentence. 'So he's gotten away with abusing kids and ruining their lives. Piece of s***. Can they appeal?' a woman wrote. O'Neill's victims have offered to raise the $40,000 needed to transport him from Canberra to Hobart Chief Justice Alan Blow heard that one of O'Neill's victims had attempted suicide while another was admitted to a psychiatric hospital more than 50 times. The court heard how O'Neill befriended one of the boys, who was 10, while working as his personal art tutor. While on an overnight trip during a wild storm, the boy told O'Neill he was feeling scared. O'Neill gave the boy a back massage in bed and then sexually abused him. In another incident, O'Neill claimed he was sick in bed when he coaxed one 15-year-old boy to hug him. He then abused him. O'Neill (pictured) befriended one of the boys, who was aged as young as 10, while working as his personal art tutor That victim didn't come forward until his 40s because he felt he was to blame. Justice Blow said O'Neill deserved to be jailed but his only option was to deliver a wholly suspended sentence as there was 'no prospect' of him being brought to Tasmania. 'Although I cannot impose the penalty he deserves, his life now is probably far more miserable than the lives of most prisoners,' Justice Blow told the Supreme Court in Hobart on Wednesday. O'Neill is unable to travel on normal flights or any significant distance by car, while specialist medical transport by air would cost up to $40,000. Justice Blow said O'Neill could not be locked up interstate and didn't have the money to pay a fine. He said a home detention order was useless because O'Neill is unable to leave his house without assistance. Justice Blow said O'Neill had impacted his victims' education irreversibly and many had experienced problems with anxiety, homelessness, holding down jobs, depression and drugs. Justice Blow sentenced O'Neill to five years' jail, wholly suspended. boAt Rockerz 510: Next on our list is boAt Rockerz 510 which is available for Rs 1890. These come in three sizes and are lightweight and comfortable to carry around. The gadget provides high-definition sound with extra bass and features simple touch controls to answer phone calls, change music tracks and control volume. The earphones take 2 hours to charge fully and last for around 10 hours. When Adam Kosheba took over the Lower Paxton Township Police Department in 2018, he changed a policy to make it easier for officers to chase drivers for even minor offenses, including traffic violations. Since then, the number of police chases in the township has nearly tripled and the number of chases ending in crashes has more than doubled. While nearly all pursuits ended safely, a high-speed chase in July that started over a turn-signal violation resulted in the driver dead and an innocent woman with a broken leg. The July 23 incident was called off by officers, according to police, shortly before it resulted in a four-car crash that killed 30-year-old Wallace Small, a father of two, and put the department under a microscope. High-speed pursuits have been a controversial topic in policing in recent years with some departments crafting stricter policies to avoid liability and possible injuries and death. Other departments have pushed back at suggestions to limit pursuits, saying it would give a green light to criminals. A four-page model policy written in 2015 by the International Association of Chiefs of Police advocates for restraint. The policy says: Pursuit is authorized only if the officer has a reasonable belief that the suspect, if allowed to flee, would present a danger to human life or cause serious injury. In general, pursuits for minor violations are discouraged. Pursuit policies vary by department across Dauphin County, with some agencies banning high-speed chases for traffic violations while others, like Lower Paxton, grant officers the discretion to decide who to chase. The day after Lower Paxtons fatal crash, authorities released pieces of information and details on Smalls background during a press conference. But until now, theyve said little publicly about the chase. In a recent interview with PennLive, Kosheba provided insight on his departments policy change and details about the moments before Small ran a red light at a Susquehanna Township intersection, causing the crash. District Attorney Francis Chardo said the Dauphin County Accident Reconstruction Team is completing a report on the crash, but he does not consider it a criminal matter. The attempted traffic stop and chase are not under investigation, Chardo said. While some of Smalls friends have criticized police over initiating the chase, Kosheba placed the blame on Small. It is my opinion that each time a police pursuit is initiated, the operator is the sole individual who escalates the situation placing themselves or others at risk, it is never the other way around, Kosheba said in a statement to PennLive. We implore every person being signaled to stop by an officer to merely comply with the legal traffic stop, cooperate with the officer and peacefully resolve the situation. Even if police can blame drivers who flee for causing the problem, municipalities can be left paying out large settlements for crashes, especially those that hurt innocent bystanders. Smalls family did not respond to requests for comment for this story. The chase Lower Paxton police provided this detailed account of what happened July 23: Small pulled out from Scenery Drive onto Union Deposit Road shortly before 8 p.m. but failed to use a turn signal. Small continued along Union Deposit Road toward Susquehanna Township with an officer in pursuit. The situation quickly grew dangerous as Small picked up significant speed, Kosheba said. The pursuit extended for 1.4 miles over 26 seconds, until a supervisor told the officer to end it. Lower Paxton police said the chase was called off around the 3900 block of Union Deposit just before Small crashed and died in Susquehanna Township at Union Deposit and South Progress Avenue. The chase started and ended so quickly that Lower Paxton did not have time to call in a second police car for back-up, Kosheba said. Police emitters attached to each patrol car that can control traffic lights and keep them green ended up being both a blessing and curse during the chase, Kosheba said. It kept civilians out of the path of the chase but also may have allowed Small to pick up tremendous speed. When the officer stopped the pursuit and fell behind, the emitter no longer controlled the next intersections, where the crash occurred. Police have not revealed the exact speed at which Small was traveling. During a press briefing the day after the crash, Susquehanna Township authorities estimated he was going at least twice the speed limit 70 mph or higher. PennLive mapped the route and calculated Small and the police cruiser may have been traveling 96 mph to cover that much ground in such a short amount of time. Police did not know the identity of the driver and werent aware of any criminal activity until after the crash, according to Kosheba. The policy Kosheba told PennLive he loosened the restrictions on his departments chase policy because he found a number of people who flee over minor violations are trying to hide more serious crimes. Public safety is always a factor when it comes to weighing whether to start or continue police chases, Kosheba said. Part of the reason Smalls chase was called off by police when it was, he said, was because it was approaching heavily-trafficked intersections in Susquehanna Township and Penbrook. Kosheba declined to share Lower Paxtons entire police chase policy with PennLive because of concerns it could benefit criminals. Pennsylvania police departments are not required to share their policies under the states open records laws, even though such documents are public record in other states. Instead, Kosheba agreed to share a summary of key points of Lower Paxtons policy. According to the document, township police should consider the seriousness of the offense committed and its relationship to public safety and a number of other factors while deciding whether to pursue a suspect. The policy was more restrictive prior to Koshebas hiring in Lower Paxton. The previous policy only allowed pursuits stemming from felonies, but has now expanded to include everything down to traffic violations, the public safety director said. The officer who starts a pursuit isnt alone in making the call to continue a police chase, Kosheba explained. A Lower Paxton police supervisor provides a view from 20,000 feet of the chase from beginning to end, according to Kosheba. The supervisors direct the pursuit, using information relayed by the officer over police radios and their knowledge of the townships streets and traffic patterns. They are the individuals who decide when, or if, a chase gets called off. Kosheba said it is common for the township to hand off leadership of a pursuit to a neighboring jurisdiction if it extends into their coverage area. Smalls chase was one of 27 to take place in Lower Paxton since July 2018. Most of those chases came to an end, usually with police taking a suspect into custody, Kosheba said. Five of them ended in crashes. Ten pursuits were called off during the chase. Statistics from the years before the policy loosened showed 16 pursuits reported to state police between 2013 and 2017, including eight pursuits in 2016 and 2017. Of the 16 pursuits, two resulted in crashes. Although the recent chase ended with a fatality and injuries, it was within policy, according to Kosheba and Chardo, the district attorney. The townships leadership agrees, and approves wholeheartedly of the new chase policy, according to Board of Supervisors Chairman Lowman Henry. I think the loosening of the policy with appropriate safeguards in place is making the community more safe, because its allowing us to apprehend individuals who committed other crimes or are in the process of, for example, delivering drugs or driving under the influence, Henry said. According to Kosheba, each of the 17 suspects apprehended following chases with Lower Paxton police were trying to escape other crimes. He said some were driving under the influence, while others had active arrest warrants or were carrying drugs. When we examine the instances of arrests this agency has made as a result of the aforementioned pursuits, many of which the operator was DUI or was possessing/distributing illicit drugs, we have no way to quantify the number of lives saved by making such an apprehensions, Kosheba said. Smalls chase was not the first in Lower Paxton to end in a crash, Kosheba said, but it was the only fatality in recent years. Different agencies, different policies While chases in Lower Paxton in recent years have increased, police pursuits across the state have declined. Statewide, police launched 1,294 police pursuits so far in 2020 and 28% ended in a crash, according to Pennsylvania State Police data. Five people died and 149 were injured so far this year as the result of chases across the Commonwealth, data show. More than 100 fewer people were injured so far in 2020 compared to last year in Pennsylvania, according to the data. State police spokesman Ryan Tarkowski said the 2020 data is preliminary, because agencies can edit their numbers up until March of 2021. Some counties have a uniform policy on police chases, but Dauphin isnt one of them. The 40 municipalities are patrolled by numerous police departments each with their own threshold for when an officer can and cant pursue. Harrisburgs policy, for example, only allows chases over forcible felonies such as murder, rape, robbery and assault. But other agencies such as state police could potentially start a chase over a traffic stop inside the city limits, since state police have a different policy than the city. A 15-year-old died in Harrisburg in 2018 when he crashed into a tree while fleeing police in a stolen vehicle. City police later said the pursuit of Kobe Santiago violated the departments chase policy. Also, four Harrisburg police officers were suspended in 2014 for leading a 15-minute chase through downtown that caused one woman minor injuries. Chardo said he would consider exploring a county-wide policy, but said theres no way to legally enforce it. Steelton Police Chief Anthony Minium in 2018 said he would support a uniform policy to clean up those that are very vague about what is and is not acceptable. The way local police handle chases is changing. Starting in 2016, Steelton saw a rise in the number of discontinued chases. We cleaned up the language in our policy, Minium told PennLive at the time. You cant go high speed down Front Street for someone who ran a stop sign. Thats ridiculous. Chase policies inclusive of traffic violations like Lower Paxtons arent unheard of, but also arent common, according to Dennis Kenney, a former police officer who teaches criminal justice at the City University of New York. The amount of time and resources departments invest in pursuit training also varies. Kosheba said Lower Paxton and Swatara townships are the only two municipalities in Dauphin County to be trained in pursuit intervention techniques, or PIT maneuvers. The maneuver involves the officer using the patrol cars front bumper to push the rear of the fleeing car, causing it to abruptly turn sideways and the driver to lose control. Henry said the board of supervisors is satisfied with how Lower Paxton police handled the Small chase. He said they have seen plenty of success from loosening the chase policys restrictions, and are not planning any immediate changes. The end result is our community is safer because were getting people off the street who should not be there, he said. READ MORE: Police pursuits in Dauphin County: Which agency chases the most? Twitter has announced changes to its rules ahead of the US presidential election in November in order to stop misinformation. From 17 September, the company says it will label or remove information which might undermine confidence in the election. This includes false claims about laws and regulations of the election, as well as disputed claims that could undermine faith in the process. Twitter says such claims could include unverified information about election rigging, ballot tampering, vote tallying, or certification of election results. It also goes on to say that misleading claims about the results of the election, such as claiming victory before election results have been certified, inciting unlawful conduct to prevent a peaceful transfer of power or orderly succession, would be labelled or removed. President Donald Trump has made numerous false claims that the US election will be rigged. This includes claiming that foreign countries and others would print mail-in ballots to disrupt Novembers election. A Twitter spokesperson did not say whether Mr Trumps previous tweets which violate Twitters new rules would be laebled or removed, according to CNN. Many Democrats have also expressed concerns that Mr Trump would not leave the office of the president should be lose the November election to Joe Biden. I think its a fair point to raise as to whether or not if he loses hes going to go quietly or not, and we have to be ready for that, Hillary Clinton said in July. Given my experience working for Mr Trump, I fear that if he loses the election in 2020 there will never be a peaceful transition of power, Donald Trumps former lawyer Michael Cohen said in June. Daryl Johnson, a former Department of Homeland Security analyst who consults with law enforcement agencies on combatting far-right extremism and domestic terrorism, has warned that Trump supporters are also rejecting the notion that Mr Trump could lose the election. Recommended Trump petitions Supreme Court to let him block people on Twitter again They're already talking about what they are gonna do if the Republicans don't win, he said. They've already accepted the narrative that it would be a false election, that it would be a result of fraud. Twitter had previously labelled Mr Trumps incorrect tweets about election fraud, resulting in the president lashing out at the company. President Trump tweeted that the company is interfering in the 2020 Presidential Election and completely stifling free speech. Facebook and Google have also taken action ahead of the November election. Facebook will stop the repeated forwarding of messages on WhatsApp, ban new political ads in the week before the election, remove posts that suggest that people will get Covid-19 if they vote, and add an "informational label" to posts that try to delegitimise the election. Google announced said it will stop search autosuggestions that could be interpreted as biased, but will not distinguish between suggestions that are true and those that are false. Chandigarh, Sep 11 : Pointing to the explosive Covid-19 situation in the national capital, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Friday slammed the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) over their petty politics on the pandemic. Amarinder Singh termed the AAP campaign as 'irresponsible' for spreading negative propaganda against the Punjab government over the latter's handling of the Covid situation. In his fourth round of virtual meetings with Congress MLAs to discuss the Covid crisis in the state, the Chief Minister said India is facing a war-like situation, just as the world is, and a united fight alone could tackle the problem. But the AAP was busy indulging in petty politics amidst the crisis, he said. Noting that the Congress was helping governments in all states in tackling the pandemic, even where it was not in power, Amarinder Singh said he was also ready to help any state that asks for it, be it be Delhi, Himachal Pradesh or Haryana. That is the only way to fight the crisis, he added. "If tomorrow Delhi needs my help I will willingly offer it," he said. Contrary to what the AAP was projecting, the fact was that Delhi's situation was much worse than Punjab, said the Chief Minister. With a 2.90 crore population, Punjab has 18,000 active cases, while Delhi with a 1.80 crore population has 25,000 plus active cases. Even Haryana has a lesser population than Punjab but an equal number of active cases, he noted. To encourage poor people to come out for testing, Amarinder Singh said his government had already started distributing free food packets to those in isolation and with no source of livelihood in this situation. He asked the MLAs to work with the district administration to ensure that the food packets reach the needy so that the poor do not hold back from getting themselves tested for fear of being left without a livelihood during isolation. New Delhi/Beijing: India and the US have called on Pakistan to take immediate, sustained and irreversible action to ensure that Pakistani territory isnt used for terror attacks and to speedily bring to justice the perpetrators of the 2008 Mumbai and 2016 Pathankot attacks. The two countries also underscored the need for concerted action against all terrorist networks, including al-Qaida, Islamic State, Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), and Hizbul Mujahideen. These issues figured in the 17th meeting of the US-India joint working group on counterterrorism and the third session of the designations dialogue held virtually during September 9-10, according a joint statement. Both sides denounced the use of terrorist proxies and strongly condemned cross-border terrorism in all its forms. They also exchanged views on threats posed by UN-sanctioned terrorist entities, the statement said. The two sides underlined the urgent need for Pakistan to take immediate, sustained, and irreversible action to ensure that no territory under its control is used for terrorist attacks, and to expeditiously bring to justice the perpetrators of such attacks, including 26/11 Mumbai and Pathankot, the statement said. The 2008 Mumbai attacks, which were carried out by a 10-member team of the LeT from Pakistan, left 166 people dead, including six US nationals. Pakistani security agencies arrested seven men, including LeT operations commander Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, for allegedly planning, financing and supporting the attacks but there has been little progress in their trial in a counterterrorism court. The 2016 Pathankot attack, blamed on JeM, targeted an Indian Air Force base and resulted in the death of seven Indian troops. During the dialogue, India and the US also shared information about their priorities and procedures for pursuing sanctions and designations against terror groups and individuals, particularly in light of recent legislative changes in India, the statement said. There was a joint commitment to strengthen cooperation on information-sharing and other steps to disrupt the ability of international terrorists to travel, in line with the provisions and obligations outlined in UN Security Council Resolution 2396. Officials of the two sides highlighted their efforts to address some of the worlds most pressing counterterrorism challenges, including countering the financing and operations of terrorist organisations, countering radicalisation and terrorist use of the internet, cross-border movement of terrorists, and prosecuting, rehabilitating, and reintegrating returning terrorist fighters and family members. The two sides also discussed mutual legal and extradition assistance, and bilateral law enforcement training and cooperation. The US reiterated its support for the people and government of India in the fight against terrorism. Mahaveer Singhvi, joint secretary for counterterrorism in the external affairs ministry, and Nathan A Sales, the US state department coordinator for counterterrorism, led the two delegations in what the statements described as a far-reaching conversation on counterterrorism cooperation. The two sides also resolved to continue close coordination on this important element of the comprehensive global strategic partnership between India and the US. China, however, responded to the joint statement by defending Pakistans counterterrorism record. It said Pakistan has made tremendous efforts in fighting the menace and shouldnt be singled out as a country linked to terrorism. Asked to comment on the joint statement, the Chinese foreign ministry noted that Friday is the 19th anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks in New York. All countries should work together to prevent and fight terrorism and safeguard the worlds peace and stability. So, on this very special day, I would like to say that we hope the US wont forget terrorism and Covid-19 are common enemies to all mankind. And China and Pakistan are not the enemies of the US, foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian told a regular news briefing. Terrorism is a common challenge faced by all countries. And Pakistan has made tremendous efforts and sacrificed in fighting terrorism. The international community should fully recognise and respect that, he added. China opposes all kinds of terrorism and we believe that the UN should play a leading role and we oppose double standards on counterterrorism. And we oppose the attempt to link terrorism to any specific country, Zhao said. Akshay Kumar is in Scotland shooting for his next Bell Bottom. So much that he had a working birthday this year. Recently he did an Instagram live with British host and adventurer Bear Grylls and revealed some secrets about himself. The intsagram live with Bear Grylls was done to talk about the actors presence on the famous adventure-based show, Into The Wild With Bear Grylls, where the two explored Bandipur Tiger Reserve in Karnataka. While talking about the show, Huma Qureshi asked the superstar how he convinced himself to drink elephant poop tea on the show. Pat came his reply, I wasn't worried. I was too excited to be worried. I have cow urine because of ayurvedic reasons every day, so that was okay. Looks like we know the secret of his fitness after all. Akshay Kumars Instagram live chat grabbed several eyeballs and one of them was Ranveer Singh. The actor wished him a belated happy birthday and also complimentied him on his moustache. To which Akshay Kumar replied that his family wasn't a big fan of his new look. Akshay Kumars Bell Bottom will have a 2021 release. It also stars Vaani Kapoor, Huma Qureshi and Lara Dutta. His other film Laxxmi Bomb releases this Diwali on an OTT platform, where he will spook you and make you laugh in equal measure. India, one of the largest two-wheeler markets in the world, has been kept moving by its bike doctors - the mechanic community. Castrol Activ, Indias leading engine oil brand for two-wheelers, which enjoys a deep relationship with this community, today launched #ProtectIndiasEngine. This is a national campaign to urge Indias bikers, more specifically the youth to pledge support to mechanic upskilling programmes during these unprecedented times of the continuing COVID pandemic. Conceptualised and developed in collaboration with Network18 and Mindshare, the initiative endorsed by Bollywood actor Ayushmann Khurrana is aimed at educating and preparing mechanics for the new normal, as the country slowly begins to open up post lockdown. Castrol Activ will invest up to Rs. 50 lakh contributing Rs 10 for every pledge received towards upskilling of mechanics. The educational programmes will focus on supporting them to learn new technologies and modern servicing techniques as well as to gain deeper understanding of enhanced health, hygiene and safety measures for their workshops as they restart business. Youth can pledge their support by giving a missed call on 7574-003-002 or by visiting www.protectindiasengine.com. The campaign will run across all Network18 channels and digital platforms from 10th September 2020 to the end of month. Talking about this initiative, Sandeep Sangwan, managing director Castrol India said, Mechanics have helped the country to keep moving ahead even during the lockdown. There were several selfless mechanics who played their role as Covid warriors servicing vehicles at no charge, despite their businesses being significantly impacted. Saluting their passion and strengthening our commitment towards the mechanic community, at Castrol we are keen to prepare them for a bigger tomorrow and support their transition to the new normal through Castrol Activ #ProtectIndiasEngine. In the launch film of Castrol Activs #ProtectIndiasEngine campaign, Ayushmann Khurrana reminisces, I have closely engaged with the mechanic community all my life. Biking has not only been a passion but also played a very important role in the start of my career with Roadies. I have utmost respect for them. They are silent warriors, the engines that run India. Their contribution may go unnoticed often but its this community that young riders like me count on, at all times, to stay mobile and help achieve our dreams. I've even built some lifelong relationships with some who I have known since my younger days. Unfortunately, given the unprecedented situation we are living in, our beloved mechanics are going through tough times today. Its our chance to give back and show them our gratitude. I urge all of India to pledge to a better tomorrow for our mechanics. Let us help #ProtectIndiasEngine Speaking about the initiative, Amin Lakhani, COO, Mindshare South Asia, said, "Being the largest two-wheeler market in the world, mechanics are our biggest and trusted aides. At a time when most of us are trying to begin lives in this new unlock, it's crucial to also share our support with this community. We, at Mindshare, are pleased to be a part of Castrol India's initiative to help protect India's human engine." Chinese people resumed normal social life with precautions as the country has become the first major economy to return to growth since the COVID-19 pandemic. In the port city of Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province, more than 1.21 million visitors thronged the 2020 Qingdao Beer Festival, the Asian version of Oktoberfest. The number of customers in nearby markets, hotels, and restaurants returned to 92 percent of pre-coronavirus levels. BEIJING, Sept. 10 (Xinhua) After staying at home for months due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Wang Jian was able to appreciate holding a bottle of iced beer outdoors and chilling with friends at the 2020 Qingdao Beer Festival Asia's Oktoberfest. He was joined by more than 1.21 million visitors to the 17-day gala, over half of them from outside the coastal city of Qingdao in east China's Shandong Province. "It was finally time to relax a bit after stringent social distancing measures. It seems that we could finally be carefree and say goodbye to staying at home," Wang said. During the festival, held last month, beer buffs were able to sample more than 1,500 beers available onsite and watch fireworks and various shows. Traffic at nearby markets, hotels, and restaurants returned to 92 percent of pre-coronavirus levels. In Beijing, 520,000 more primary school students went back to school on Monday, marking the return of all students under the 12th grade. Late last week, international flights to the Chinese capital began to resume, carrying passengers from eight countries. Students take part in a flag-raising ceremony at Beijing No. 2 Experimental Primary School in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 1, 2020. [Xinhua] Across the country, many bars and restaurants are again teeming with crowds. Events hosting thousands of people are being resumed. The return to a normal social life underpins the country's economic recovery. Addressing a meeting held on Tuesday in Beijing to commend role models in the fight against the epidemic, Chinese President Xi Jinping said China has become the first major economy to return to growth since the COVID-19 pandemic and has taken the lead globally in both COVID-19 control and economic recovery. Official statistics show China's retail sales in July were just 1.1 percent lower than the same month in 2019. Gita Gopinath, chief economist of the International Monetary Fund, tweeted a graph last week showing quarter-on-quarter, non-annualized Q2 GDP growths on a comparable scale. Of all major economies included in the graph, only China showed positive growth. While the pandemic has dealt a blow to businesses, China has been pushing for further economic opening up. At the 2020 China International Fair for Trade in Services, which concluded on Wednesday in Beijing, the country vowed to continue easing market access in its services sector by further shortening its negative list for foreign investment. A growing list of Western financial giants, particularly American ones, are also expanding their presence in China this year. Photo taken on Sept. 9, 2020 shows a passage to the 2020 China International Fair for Trade in Services in Beijing, capital of China. [Xinhua] Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley have acquired majority shares in their Chinese securities joint ventures. Citi has received a domestic fund custody license. BlackRock has become the first global asset manager to win regulatory approval to establish a mutual fund unit. Despite the restoration of business and social activities, China has kept its guard up and implemented what it terms "regular COVID-19 prevention and control measures," mandating temperature checks in public venues and mask-wearing on public transport and other indoor spaces. In recent months, smaller-scale clusters of cases have been discovered at different times in Beijing, Xinjiang, and Dalian respectively. Efforts to tackle a resurgence have proven effective, which include quarantines, disinfection, contact tracing, targeted lockdowns, and citywide mass testing campaigns. A local resident gives a thumb-up to Ekebar Emet, a volunteer at the frontline of epidemic prevention and control, in Tianshan District of Urumqi, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Aug. 3, 2020. [Xinhua] By the end of Wednesday, the Chinese mainland had reported zero new locally transmitted coronavirus cases for 25 consecutive days, and 94.37 percent of all cases had been cured, far above the global average. (Reported by Wang Zichen, Peng Peigen; video reporter: Feng Yuanyuan, Feng Guodong, Zhao Wanwei, Tian Xuchen; video editor: Zhu Cong) (Source: Xinhua) Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-11 11:45:23|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi (R) meets with his Tajik counterpart Sirojiddin Muhriddin on the sidelines of a foreign ministers' meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Moscow, Russia, Sept. 10, 2020. (Xinhua/Bai Xueqi) MOSCOW, Sept. 10 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi met Thursday with his Tajik counterpart Sirojiddin Muhriddin over bilateral ties and cooperation on the sidelines of a foreign ministers' meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. Wang said that under the strategic guidance of Chinese President Xi Jinping and Tajik President Emomali Rahmon, bilateral relations have entered a new stage and have broad prospects for development. As a comprehensive strategic partner of Tajikistan, China strongly supports Tajikistan in following a development path that suits its national conditions, safeguarding its sovereignty and security, as well as developing and revitalizing its economy, and firmly opposes any interference in Tajikistan's internal affairs by external forces, Wang said, adding that on the international stage, the two countries should continue to support each other and safeguard their common interests. Wang stressed that after the COVID-19 pandemic broke out, China and Tajikistan have fought against the coronavirus pandemic with solidarity to overcome the difficulties together, and made significant achievements respectively. On the premise of ensuring epidemic prevention and control, the two sides should steadily advance the smooth implementation of the joint construction of the Belt and Road projects, he added. Focusing on the post-pandemic era, the two countries should map out cooperation in key areas at an early date, Wang said, urging the two sides to leverage the role of the joint prevention and control mechanism in the border areas, and enhance cargo handling capacity via border ports during the pandemic. For his part, Muhriddin said the Tajik side speaks highly of the high level of mutual trust and mutually beneficial cooperation results between the two countries, thanks China for its anti-virus assistance to Tajikistan, and appreciates China's willingness to make COVID-19 vaccines a global public good. The Tajik side firmly supports the one-China principle and opposes any force's attacks and smears of China under the guise of human rights, Muhriddin said, adding his country will continue to stand firmly with China. Noting it is important that the foreign ministers' meeting mechanism between five Central Asian countries and China has been launched, he voiced Tajikistan's readiness to work with all parties to implement the outcomes of the first meeting, and push for the joint construction of the Belt and Road and cooperation in other fields. Enditem In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, weve all had to adapt to a changing world. Parents have been forced to learn how to homeschool their children or at the very least, keep them focused on remote learning. Workers have had to adapt to new ways of doing their jobs and thats for the lucky ones. Others had to navigate unemployment or find a new place to work. And everyone was required to learn the new rules of keeping ourselves and our families safe during these unprecedented times. A Belfast man who threatened to put a female doctor "through a wall" has been jailed for four months. Sean Dudley directed aggression towards the medic as she tried to treat him at the Royal Victoria Hospital during the current pandemic. The 32-year-old, of Mooreland Park, pleaded guilty to a charge of common assault. Belfast Magistrates' Court was told on Friday that he was brought to the hospital in the early hours of July 30. According to the prosecution Dudley became hostile during the doctor's attempts to deal with him. "The defendant became very aggressive, he was in her face and threatened to put her through a wall," a Crown lawyer said. The medic feared she was going to be attacked, but no physical contact occurred. Dudley was arrested and made full admissions, telling police he wanted to apologise to the victim. Defence solicitor Una Conway told the court her client had suffered a serious assault before being brought to the hospital for assessment. "That affected his mental health, he was in an agitated state," she said. Ms Conway stressed Dudley has "the utmost respect for the medical profession" due to a previous relationship with a nurse. "He's very remorseful and realises this type of behaviour, especially in a hospital setting at the present time, is an aggravating feature," she added. Imposing a four-month term, District Judge George Conner said: "It's a serious matter which merits a custodial sentence." 10 EU countries to take in 400 minors from Lesvos, Berlin EU to fund construction of new camp on Greek island (ANSAmed) - BERLIN, SEPTEMBER 11 - Ten European countries will take in 400 unaccompanied minors from the Moria Greek migrant camp on the island of Lesvos, German Interior Minister Horst Seehofer has announced. The majority will be divided between France and Germany that will host respectively 100 and 150 children each. The exact number has not been stated by the German interior minister. The 10 European countries who have decided to welcome the 400 unaccompanied migrant minors evacuated from Lesvos after the fire at the Moria camp are: Germany, France, Finland, Luxembourg, Slovenia, the Netherlands, Croatia, Portugal, Belgium and, outside the EU, Switzerland, the Belga news agency reports. ''The situation is serious'', said in a statement the Belgian minister for asylum and migration, Maggie De Block. ''Although we are doing much more than the majority of member States, Belgium wants to show once again solidarity to Greece. However, our country continues to invoke a long-lasting solution at a European level''. The EU is ready to ''finance a new, more modern camp'' on the island of Lesvos after the fire in Moria, said the executive vice president of the European Commission, Margaritis Schinas, in a video conference from Greece with Seehofer. ''The European Union is not only ready to finance and support the construction of this new structure but also to consider any Greek request for a more active role in the management of this new structure'', added Schinas.(ANSAmed). (ANSA). Touch of Nature course will help in preparing for any wilderness medical emergency by Christi Mathis CARBONDALE, Ill. A Wilderness First Responder Certification Course offered next month by Southern Illinois University Carbondales Touch of Nature Environmental Center will help in handling any type of medical emergency, particularly when 911 assistance or emergency responders are not readily available. The workshops goal is to enable participants to be ready to respond to medical emergencies of all types in any locale, especially in backcountry or deep forest settings. The class will take place Oct. 12-18 at the facility, located about eight miles south of Carbondale on Giant City Road. Anyone age 18 or older may participate. The program will comply with current Illinois COVID-19 safety measures. Reporters, photographers and news crews are welcome to cover the Wilderness First Responder Certification Course, set for Oct. 12-18, at Touch of Nature Environmental Center. To arrange a visit, contact Erik Oberg at 618/453-3945 or by email at eriko@siu.edu. Class is very comprehensive The certification class covers a wide variety of topics including patient assessment, backcountry medicine, wilderness rescue, trauma, toxins, environmental medicine and related subjects. Participants will learn to handle diverse medical traumas, even under harsh conditions, using improvised equipment. The course is intensive and features classroom instruction each morning and hands-on activities each afternoon so those attending can practice the skills they have learned. Participants will master techniques from building a makeshift stretcher to completing a simulated emergency rescue. Everyone welcome The workshop is open to the public. Outdoor educators, guides, members of search and rescue teams, researchers, military personnel, disaster relief workers, or anyone who may face a situation where the need for medical assistance or rescue is possible will find the class beneficial. Touch of Nature offers enhanced social distancing measures, including open spaces for classroom instruction and outdoor venues. Group sizes will be limited in compliance with Illinois guidelines. The class is limited to 12 students. Participants who complete the course will receive a three-year certification from Wilderness Medical Associates, the wilderness medical training company that provides the courses professional instructors. Darren Stokes, a certified wilderness medical technician with more than 30 years of professional outdoor guide and instruction experience, is slated to guide the class. Sign up now Advance registration is required and the cost is $750. Meals and lodging are available for an additional fee. Additional information and registration details are available online at ton.siu.edu/program-areas/trainings-and-workshops/wilderness-first-responder.php. Contact Erik Oberg at 618/453-3945 or eriko@siu.edu or Wilderness Medical Associates at 207/730-7331 or 888/WILDMED for answers to additional questions. President Donald Trump once again alleged without evidence that rival Joe Biden was on drugs telling a Fox News interviewer in a clip that aired Friday: 'that's what I hear.' Trump made the charge after repeatedly attacking his Democratic challenger's mental capacity and stamina a charge Biden has loudly rejected. 'It is probably, possibly drugs involved. That's what I hear,' Trump told Fox host Jeanine Pirro in an interview at the White House. President Donald Trump once again alleged without evidence that rival Joe Biden was on drugs telling a Fox News interviewer Jeanine Pirro: 'that's what I hear' 'I mean there's possibly drugs. I don't know how you can go from being so bad where you can't even get out a sentence,' Trump continued. 'I mean you saw some of those debates with the large number of people on the stage. He was I mean, I used to say how is it possible that he can even go forward.' Trump in an interview last month called for Biden to be tested. 'All I can tell you is that I'm pretty good at this stuff," he said. "I look. I watched him in the debates with all of the different people. He was close to incompetent, if not incompetent. And against Bernie he was normal." Biden managed to prevail over a crowded Democratic field. He stumbled in some debates but many critics wrote that he improved as the debates wore on. His rivals ended up endorsing him en masse after they were defeated. President Donald Trump again lodged allegations against Joe Biden, without evidence, that: 'It is probably, possibly drugs involved' Vice President Mike Pence, left, accompanied by President Donald Trump, speaks in the Oval Office of the White House, Friday, Sept. 11, 2020, in Washington. Trump has previously challenged Biden to take a drug test. He made a similar challenge to rival Hillary Clinton in 2016 Trump pointed to Joe Biden's performance in debates A CBS / YouGov poll after the tenth debate found that 26 per cent believed Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders made the best case he could defeat Trump. Biden came in second, at 21 per cent, running well ahead of the rest of the pack. Sen. Elizabeth Warren came in third, with 12 per cent. Trump himself made the surprise acknowledgement this year that he was taking hydroxychloroquine as a preventative defense against the coronavirus, even as academic studies have showed it to have mixed results as a potential treatment for people who have the virus. Trump's latest attack came on a day when a new poll showed a bare majority in battleground states considers either man mentally fit to be president. Voters are nearly evenly split, 51 to 49 per cent, on whether Trump is mentally unfit to be president. A nearly identical margin, 52 percent to 48 per cent, consider Biden mentally unfit, the CNBC / Change Research poll found. Biden in a CNN interview that aired Thursday pledged to be 'totally transparent' about his own health as he ripped Trump for his insults. 'Thank God I am in good health. But here's the deal. Anything can happen,' he said. 'When it comes to Donald Trump versus me, just look at us, okay? Just look at us. Who seems to be in shape? Who's able to move around? I mean this idea of 'Slow Joe.' Anyway, I shouldn't laugh about it, because, anyway ... Donald Trump. Just look at us both,' he said. The president boasted about 'acing' his mental cognition test but has refused to reveal detailed information about his unannounced trip to Walter Reed Medical Center last November. Trump took to twitter early this month to deny having 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,' Trump wrote. Fox News host Jeanine Pirro asked Trump how he would respond if opponents 'threaten riots if they lose on election night' A protester dances around a fire set by protesters while burning a peace sign near the Federal Courthouse in Portland, Oregon during another night of protests in the city. Portland Protest, Oregon, U.S. - 19 Jul 2020 In other comments to Pirro, Trump vowed to crush any 'riots' that occur among opposition should he be declared the winner on Election night saying he would 'put it down within minutes.' Trump was asked about the hypothetical scenario by Fox News host Jeanine Pirro who mentioned 'threats' of riots without providing specifics. 'Let's say there are threats. They say that they are going to threaten riots if they lose on election night, assuming we get a winner on election night. What are you going to do?' the host asked him. 'We'll put them down very quickly if they do that. We have the right to do that. We have the power to do that if we want,' said Trump, sitting for an interview at the White House during a week when his team was rocked by bombshell recordings by author and journalist Bob Woodward. Rather than downplay the possibility, Trump took the hypothetical, continuing: 'Look, it's called insurrection. We just send in, and we do it very easy. I mean, it's very easy. I'd rather not do that because there's no reason for it, but if we had to, we'd do that and put it down within minutes. Within minutes,' Trump said, in a clip posted by Politico. Trump has repeatedly gone after 'rioters' and 'looters' who he said are rival Joe Biden supporters. He has sent in federal agents to cities suffering rioting and property destruction in the wake of protests over the death of George Floyd. He famously posed with a bible outside St. John's Church across from the White House after authorities deployed tear gas on peaceful protesters. Trump's use of the term 'insurrection' recalls his administration's threat to use the Insurrection Act to use military forces put down disturbances. Al-Qaeda has threatened French satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo with a repeat of a 2015 massacre of its staff, after it republished controversial cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed, the SITE observatory said on Friday. Al-Qaeda in its publication One Ummah had warned that Charlie Hebdo would be mistaken if it believed the 2015 attack was a one off, after the magazine printed the contemptible caricatures in a defiant issue that marked the start of the trial in Paris of suspected accomplices in the attack. The comments came in an English edition of the Al-Qaeda publication that purported to mark the anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States carried out by the terror network. It said it had the same message for the France of President Emmanuel Macron as it did for his predecessor Francois Hollande who was president at the time of the 2015 attacks. It said France under Macron gave a green light to the republication of the cartoons. Twelve people, including some of Frances most celebrated cartoonists, were killed on January 7, 2015, when brothers Said and Cherif Kouachi went on a gun rampage at the offices of Charlie Hebdo, whose no-taboo style, including publishing cartoons of the prophet, had divided the country. The trial, which began on September 2 and is expected to continue until November, sees 14 suspected accomplices face justice even though all the perpetrators were killed in the wake of the attacks. It had reopened one of the post painful chapters in Frances modern history which heralded a spate of jihadist attacks on its territory that have claimed more than 250 lives. Charlie Hebdos director Laurent Sourisseau, known as Riss and who was himself badly wounded in the shoulder in the attack, told the court this week that there was nothing to regret in publishing the cartoons. What I regret is to see how little people fight to defend freedom. If we dont fight for our freedom, we live like a slave and we promote a deadly ideology, he said. Charlie Hebdos republication of the cartoons drew new condemnation from states including Iran, Pakistan and Turkey. But Sourisseau, who now lives under round the clock protection, said it had to republish them. If we had given up the right to publish these cartoons, that would mean that we were wrong to do so in the first place, he said. Dannehy was told to expect an assignment of from six months to a year when she agreed to join Durhams team in Washington, colleagues said. The work has taken far longer than expected, in part because of complications caused by the coronavirus pandemic. In the meantime, team members some of whom are current or former federal investigators or prosecutors with homes in Connecticut have been working long hours in Washington under pressure to produce results, associates said. Displaced and trying to heal from trauma, many are now demanding justice. It has been three years since Myanmars military launched a brutal crackdown on the Rohingya ethnic minority in Rakhine state. Close to 800,000 Rohingya fled to southern Bangladesh to escape the mass killing, rape and arson. As refugees, they have continued to suffer especially the women among them. But now many are adding their voices to calls for justice. In this episode: Rohingya activist Yasmin Ullah (@YasminJUllah) Connect with The Take: Twitter (@ajthetake), Instagram (@ajthetake) and Facebook (@TheTakePod) Subscribe: New episodes of the show come out every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Subscribe to The Take on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher or wherever you listen. The team: Ney Alvarez produced this episode with Abigail Ony Nwaohuocha, Dina Kesbeh, Amy Walters, Alexandra Locke, Negin Owliaei, Priyanka Tilve and guest host Mohammed Jamjoom, who filled in for host Malika Bilal. Alex Roldan is The Takes sound designer. Natalia Aldana is the engagement producer. Stacey Samuel is The Takes Executive Producer, and Graelyn Brashear is Al Jazeeras Head of Audio. Two teachers in D.C. public schools also tested positive for the virus. The educators who worked at Payne and Noyes elementary schools were visiting their campuses to pick up supplies at the end of August and tested positive for the virus a few days later. The school system said it notified staff and people who may have been in contact with the teachers and deep-cleaned the buildings; the city said it is unaware of anyone contracting the virus from the teachers. China on Friday came to defence of Pakistan, which is facing flak for sponsoring terrorism, saying the country has made "tremendous sacrifice" in fighting terrorism. Beijing [China], September 11 (ANI): China on Friday came to defence of Pakistan, which is facing flak for sponsoring terrorism, saying the country has made tremendous sacrifice in fighting terrorism. Terrorism is a common challenge faced by all countries. Pakistan has made tremendous efforts and sacrifice in fighting terrorism. The international community should recognise and respect that. China opposes all kinds of terrorism, said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian. The United States and India at the US-India Counter-Terrorism Joint Working Group and Designations Dialogue underlined the urgent need for Pakistan to take immediate, sustained and irreversible action to ensure that no territory under its control is used for terrorist attacks. At the 17th meeting of the US-India Counter-Terrorism Joint Working Group and the third session of the US-India Designations Dialogue, Mahaveer Singhvi, Joint Secretary for Counter-Terrorism, Ministry of External Affairs and Ambassador Nathan A Sales, US State Department Coordinator for Counterterrorism, discussed counterterrorism cooperation, resolving to continue close coordination on this important element of the comprehensive global strategic partnership that exists between the two countries. Also read: Pak must ensure its territory is not used for terror attacks: US & India Also read: India-China reach five-point consensus on LaC while tensions still simmer at LaC According to a press statement by the US Department of State, They exchanged views on threats posed by UN-sanctioned terrorist entities and emphasised the need for concerted action against all terrorist networks, including al-Qaida, ISIS/Daesh, Lashkar e-Tayyiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), and Hizb-ul Mujahideen. The two sides underlined the urgent need for Pakistan to take immediate, sustained, and irreversible action to ensure that no territory under its control is used for terrorist attacks, and to expeditiously bring to justice the perpetrators of such attacks, including 26/11 Mumbai and Pathankot, the statement read. During the webinar, the US reiterated its support for the people and India in the fight against terrorism. There was a joint commitment to strengthen cooperation on information sharing and other steps to disrupt the ability of international terrorists to travel, consistent with the important provisions and obligations outlined in United Nations Security Council Resolution 2396, the State Department added. (ANI) Also read: Pakistan dismisses Indias request for Indian lawyer to represent Kulbhushan Jadhavs case Prime Minister Mustafa al- Kadhimi has launched a campaign to reform Iraq, targeting criminal groups and divisive militias. The latter are going after the government via targeted attacks and operations. For Card Sako, it is necessary to stop "confusion, anarchy and corruption", which help only those who want to keep the country "unstable". Baghdad (AsiaNews) Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi and his government are trying to build "a strong state and army" to counter violence, corruption and force the countrys militias "to hand over their weapons, said the Chaldean Patriarch, Card Louis Raphael Sako, speaking to AsiaNews. For the Chaldean primate, the Iraqi government and the countrys leaders appear united in their resolve to fight "against crime, kidnappings, ethnic and sectarian tensions" and stop those who operate outside the laws of the land. However, in recent weeks, the government's hopes to reform the country and boost the economy have met resistance from groups and militias that continue to sow violence and confusion. According to an anonymous government source, violent elements react when they see their economic and military interests threatened, firing rockets or using propaganda. On 3 September for example, the headquarters of the G4S security services company in Baghdad were attacked. The action was not claimed by any group but elements close to Tehran have accused the US-British company of "complicity" in the elimination in early January of Qasem Soleimani, a major general in Irans Revolutionary Guards and commander of the Quds force. Similarly, a few days ago, a World Food Program (WFP) convoy was attacked near Mosul, injuring a United Nations official. The attack was apparently carried out by a so-called Islamic Resistance, a term applied to pro-Iranian groups, claiming that US spies were part of the UN convoy. The prime minister "is not seeking a direct confrontation with these groups", but rather wants to "drain their sources of funding" by blocking "border crossings" and fighting corruption, said Kadhimis spokesperson Ahmad Mulla. Despite the prime ministers best efforts, for many security experts the situation in the country remains "dangerous" and the government should talk to the spiritual leaders of these groups in order to to avert further clashes". For Car Sako, speaking to AsiaNews, the government has shown good will in the fight against violence and corruption. "They have a vision, a project, and it is important that politicians on all sides support the prime minister in this policy, the cardinal explained. The goal is to end once and for all to "this confusion and anarchy, which benefits only those who "want to keep the country unstable". In the past, these factions and militias have controlled ports and airports, like in Basra, and customs, said the primate of the Chaldean Church. The Church supports and encourages this work and expresses its closeness to the authorities since, among other reasons, actions are following words and announcements. In addition to taking ports and airports away from the control of the militias, the government has promoted a campaign of "moralisation" in the public sector, going after those who have unduly accumulated up to three or four salaries. "Our hope is that this all-out fight against corruption and malfeasance will be followed up, said the prelate. Indian Defence Minister Says Rafale Jets' Induction Will Help in Ongoing Border Stand-off With China Sputnik News Aakriti Sharma. Sputnik International 10:35 GMT 10.09.2020 As the situation at the border with China remains heated due to a stand-off in Eastern Ladakh, India's air force welcomed five French-made Rafale fighter jets with a formal induction on Thursday. The situation has turned tense after a 7 September incident when shots were fired along the border for the first time in decades. Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has called the induction of five Rafale fighter jets into the Indian Air Force an "important step in light of the prevailing security conditions" that "have been created along India's borders". Making an oblique reference to the current border stand-off with China, Singh said: "The induction of Rafale is a strong message for the world and especially for those who challenge India's sovereignty". Emphasising the multi-role capabilities of Rafale, Singh said the fighter jets can perform a variety of tasks including air superiority missions and precision strikes against enemies. India in June urged France to ensure the delivery of the first batch of Rafale jets by July. But the delivery was delayed due to a halt in production due to the COVID-19 lockdown. Expressing support for India during the induction ceremony on Thursday, French Armed Forces Minister Florence Parly said that with the Rafale aircraft "in strategic terms, India will have an edge over the entire region to defend itself and protect its people". France offered "steadfast and friendly support" to New Delhi when 20 soldiers of the Indian Army were killed during a violent face-off with People's Liberation Army troops on 15 June. Border Tensions So Far India-China border tensions began in the last week of April when India accused Chinese troops of crossing the Line of Actual Control. This was followed by an altercation near the Naku La sector (near the Muguthang Valley) in Sikkim and another face-off in Ladakh. Soldiers from both sides sustained injuries. The two sides were holding military level talks to diffuse the border situation when the violent face-off occurred in June, resulting in a heavy military build-up on both sides of the border. India has moved military assets including its short-range quick air missile defence system, the C-17 Globemaster, and Boeing's P-8A Poseidon, MiG-29K fighter jets, and Tejas to its northern border. India has also urged Russia to speed the delivery of its S-400 air defence missile systems, after Boeing recently delivered five multi-role Apaches to the Indian Air Force. Current Situation In the last 10 days, India and China were involved in another skirmish in the Chushul valley, and shots were fired along the border for the first time in decades. Satellite images continue to show massive military build-up in the north and south of Pangong Tso in the Eastern Ladakh sector. Last week, defence ministers of both the countries met in Moscow on the sidelines of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation defence ministers' meet but this did not result in any lessening of tensions at the border. India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar is believed to be set to hold bilateral talks with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Moscow. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address New Delhi, Sep 11 : Casting aside politics over New Delh's plan to enlist five languages --Urdu, English, Kashmiri, Dogri and Hindi -- as official languages for Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) in place of Urdu, the Department of Hindi at the University of Kashmir, Srinagar, offers a pleasant surprise. Contrary to the impression that Muslims in Kashmir are 'obsessed' with Arabic and its cognate languages, and that Hindi has become extinct post-1990, the university's Hindi department is running full house. Admissions for aspiring scholars in M.Phil and Ph.D programs in the Department of Hindi are highly unlikely as there are no vacant seats. All the four faculty members-two Associate Professors and two Assistant Professors-have exhausted their quota of guiding the M.Phil and Ph.D research scholars. "Five of our research scholars are expected to submit their thesis in the near future. If that gets delayed for some reason, we would not be able to take in any fresh candidates," says Ruby Zutshi, Head, Department of Hindi. According to her, there were some problems in the early 1990s but a good number of local Kashmiri Muslims are seeking admission to the PG, M.Phil and Ph.D programs in the Department of Hindi every year and flourishing in different fields - including academics and media. Students pick Hindi due to assured job opportunities for teachers and lecturers in the Higher Secondary schools and even colleges. A hundred new degree colleges in J&K have been started by the governments in the last seven years. Some schools and colleges had to shut down their Hindi departments as they had no teaching staff. However, Hindi language and literature attract many aspirants pursuing their passion and academic pursuit, Zutshi asserted. In the pre-militancy era, scholars like Abdal Mehjoor and Rafeeq Masoodi became an inspiration for hundreds of the Kashmiri Muslim students who got degrees and doctorate in Hindi language and literature. Mehjoor was a program executive with All India Radio (Srinagar) who shifted to the Hindi Service of the BBC and worked there as a producer, editor and anchor for several years. Masoodi worked with All India Radio and Doordarshan for over 30 years and retired as Deputy Director General. Hindi has managed well in Kashmir. Satish Vimal and Nida Nawaz of Pulwama are famed poets and writers. Mushtaq Ahmad Dar, Ph.D in Hindi, lately retired as the principal of a degree college in Baramulla. Zutshi got her Ph.D from the University of Kashmir. A resident of Ganderbal district and wife of an officer in the J&K Police, she never migrated from the Valley. The department was revived under her stewardship. The department has a limited faculty size of four teachers-three including Dr Zutshi are females and one is a male. Two are local Muslims, Dr Zutshi is a resident Kashmiri Pandit and one is a Hindu from Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. Of the 28 integrated M.Phil and Ph.D scholars, as many as 20 are local Muslims and two are Kashmiri Sikhs. Six scholars are Hindus from Jammu and Haryana. In the 3rd semester of the PG program, all the seven students are Kashmiri Muslims and so is the lone student in the second semester. There are no students currently in the 1st and the 4th semesters. Besides, nine students are currently pursuing the PG Diploma course. All of them are local Muslims. Any student after graduation in any subject can apply for admission in the PG Diploma in Hindi. Like some other departments, the department has shut down a nine-month Certificate Course which had been started long back for the candidates having completed 10+2 at the Higher Secondary level. The University has lately made it mandatory that there should be a minimum of 8 candidates for the Certificate Course. "We are hopeful of resuming the Certificate Course in view of enthusiasm among the students, particularly those planning their careers in other parts of the country," Zutshi said. This 'houseful' situation in Hindi is interestingly at a time when politicians have triggered a row over the Central Cabinet's approval to the J&K Official Languages Bill-2020 which is being moved for discussion and passage in the forthcoming autumn session of the Parliament later this month. As per the Draft, Hindi is being incorporated as an official language along with Urdu, Kashmiri, Dogri and English. Section 47 of the J&K Reorganisation Bill, passed by the Parliament in August 2019, empowers the J&K UT Assembly-and the Parliament (by the Presidential Declaration) in its absence-to designate any one or more languages spoken in J&K or Hindi as the official language/languages. Previously, under section 145 of the J&K Constitution, Urdu was the only official language and English was a parallel official language until removed by the legislature. It was exactly on the Central pattern where Hindi was designated as official language and English as a parallel official language until removed by the Parliament. The erstwhile J&K State Constitution's section 146 had declared Kashmiri, Dogri, Ladakhi, Dardi, Balti, Gojri, Pahari and Punjabi as 'regional languages' and the J&K Academy of Art, Culture & Languages had been created for development and promotion of these languages and dialects. (This content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com) Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 1 anno fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili. The global Herbal Supplements Market size is anticipated to reach USD 137.3 billion by 2026 and is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 10.8% during 2018-2026 according to a new study published by Polaris Market Research. In 2017, the pharmaceutical segment accounted for the highest market share in terms of revenue. North America is expected to be the leading contributor to the global market revenues in 2017. The obese and geriatric population is increasing worldwide, promoting the growth of the herbal supplements. The sedentary lifestyle, increasing use of functional foods, and growing consumer awareness regarding preventive health care boost the overall market growth. Increasing disposable incomes in developing countries, rising awareness about health benefits of herbal supplements, and rising health disorders propel the growth of the herbal supplements industry. Sedentary lifestyle of consumers leading to lifestyle diseases, and increasing disposable income drives herbal supplements market growth. Get sample copy of this report @ https://www.polarismarketresearch.com/industry-analysis/herbal-supplements-market/request-for-sample Health disorders such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, cancer and others have increased significantly in the developed economies in past few years. Increasing incidences of health disorders have resulted in increased awareness regarding healthy eating habits. Health and fitness consciousness has also increased among consumers in countries such as China and India due to improving lifestyle and changing food habits. Consumers are more aware regarding their nutritional intake, and benefits of herbal supplements, thereby accelerating the market growth for Herbal Supplements. North America generated the highest market share in terms of revenue in 2017 and is expected to lead the global market throughout the forecast period. The increasing obese population, initiatives and funding by governments to promote health consciousness, and lifestyle changes primarily drive the growth of this market. The number of memberships for health clubs and gyms has increased significantly promoting the growth of Herbal Supplements industry in the region. The increase in obesity related diseases such as diabetes and hypertension along with high disposable income of consumers further propel the adoption of herbal supplements. Complete Summary with TOC Available @ https://www.polarismarketresearch.com/industry-analysis/herbal-supplements-market The well-known companies profiled in the Herbal Supplements report include Herbalife International of America, Inc., Ricola AG, Archer Daniels Midland Company, Nutraceutical International Corporation, Bio-Botanica Inc., Arizona Natural Products, Blackmores Ltd, The Himalaya Drug Company, Dr. Willmar Schwabe GmbH & Co. KG, and Rainbow Light Nutritional Systems. These companies launch new products and collaborate with other market leaders to innovate and launch new products to meet the increasing needs and requirements of consumers. Leading players in the Herbal Supplements industry are also taking initiatives to increase awareness among consumers through health subscription and other marketing campaigns. In October 2014, Herbalife launched a new range of herbal green tea, which is available in two flavors, original and pomegranate. This range of green tea contains lower calories and is free of artificial sweeteners, flavors, and colors. Herbal Supplements Market Size and Forecast, 2018-2026 by Source Leaves Roots Bark Fruits & Vegetables Others Herbal Supplements Market Size and Forecast, 2018-2026 by Functionality Medicinal Aromatic Others Herbal Supplements Market Size and Forecast, 2018-2026 by Application Food and Beverage Pharmaceuticals Personal Care Others Herbal Supplements Market Size and Forecast, 2018-2026 by Distribution Channel Offline Stores Online Channels Herbal Supplements Market Size and Forecast, 2018-2026 by Region North America U.S. Canada Europe Germany UK France Italy Spain Netherlands Rest of Europe Asia-Pacific China India Japan Singapore Australia Korea Rest of Asia-Pacific Latin America Brazil Mexico Rest of LATAM Middle East & Africa UAE Saudi Arabia South Africa Rest of MEA Avail discount on this report @ https://www.polarismarketresearch.com/industry-analysis/herbal-supplements-market/request-for-discount-pricing About Polaris Market Research Polaris Market Research is a global market research and consulting company. We provide unmatched quality of offerings to our clients present globally. The company specializes in providing exceptional market intelligence and in-depth business research services for our clientele spread across different enterprises. We at Polaris are obliged to serve our diverse customer base present across the industries of healthcare, technology, semi-conductors and chemicals among various other industries present around the world. Contact us- Polaris Market Research Phone: 1-646-568-9980 Email: sales@polarismarketresearch.com Web: www.polarismarketresearch.com Photo: Tumblr I am researching how extremely successful people approach charity and problem solving. I have been reading books and watching documentaries about people who have amassed substantial financial wealth, signed Bill Gates giving pledge or are otherwise successful. Like many things in life, the shiny object or the squeaky wheel often gets the attention, but the differing approach that I noticed had to do with whether you wanted to put a Band-Aid on a problem and hide it or whether you wanted to truly solve it. Again, as I have witnessed many times, truly successful people do not typically respond to circumstances in a knee-jerk reaction. Rather, they prefer to think for a while longer and look at the problem from a few angles. I ended up being drawn to that approach. To look at a problem and dig deep to isolate the cause is more important than to apply a Band-Aid. In our travels, I have found many charity projects are built or developed to put on an annual report to show donors something is happening. The question we must ask is: is it making a difference? It is sad to walk through the bush in an African country and see a series of abandoned wells. In many instances, they are perfectly functioning, but in they're in an area where nobody would use them. Somewhere in the world, those wells are assets on the balance sheet of a large charity that presents a fancy annual report on the dozens of wells they dug in a given year. This is one of the reasons we have not solved the safe-water problems around the world. A co-ordinated approach to solving the problem would see us meet the objectives of the UN Millennium Development Goals in a relatively short timeframe. As a result of the research, I started thinking about a problem my wife, Jackie, researched after one of our trips to Kenya. She found out that the infant mortality rate in Kenya was high and that most of the deaths happened in hospitals. In fact specifically, in hospitals between dusk and dawn. She learned hospitals did not have a continuous power supply, so the neonatal ward could not sustain the life of susceptible babies. It is a heart-breaking circumstance that initially made us want to buy generators and ship them to communities in Africa to provide relief. However, this is not the solution; it is once again a Band-Aid approach and one reliant on carbon fuels. Instead, I have been researching alternatives that look very promising. One could potentially be a bio-mass solution using hemp, which is a fast growing crop with a high density in terms of energy. There are several aspects to the solution, one being a farming-harvesting operation that would be integral to the solution and the other, an infrastructure that would deliver power to a community rather than to one facility. This has broad implications from an economic and societal standpoint and is worthy of further research. Another possible solution I keep coming across is low-temperature, micro nuclear, which the mining sector is using. A tiny nuclear facility the size of a shipping container can be located in a community, or central to communities, and can provide power for several decades. This is an intriguing opportunity currently getting a lot of attention in terms of R&D and once again is a broad solution that can lift a community out of poverty. Clearly, as a team, we can be busy researching solutions, of which there are many, but like Bill Gates, Warren Buffet, Richard Branson and others, it is worth spending the time to find the appropriate path to reducing poverty and not rush to place a Band-Aid on one aspect of the problem. Let us know of what solutions you have researched. Take the time to step back and figure out a different way to execute a project. This is the path Jay Roach took as he directed Coastal Elites. The special presentation from HBO marks the first project for the cable network to be filmed entirely under quarantine. The Emmy- and Golden Globe-winning director was in the drivers seat. It was unique and challenging at times, the New Mexico native says during a recent interview. (It) had its own beneficial aspects to it. We needed a tiny footprint, and you were involved in an intimate setting. It became very fulfilling in a way. It was focused on the actors and the script. Coastal Elites will premiere at 6 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 12. Originally planned as a performance at the Public Theater in New York City, Coastal Elites took the leap from the stage to the screen at the beginning of the pandemic and evolved in real time as the unprecedented events of 2020 unfolded. Filming took place earlier this summer under quarantine guidelines. It spotlights five distinct and impassioned points of view across the United States. When the shutdown forces these characters to cope in isolation, they react with frustration, hilarity and introspection. Each character breaks down and breaks through as they grapple with politics, culture and the pandemic. Roach says being able to work with a high-caliber cast added to the magic of the script. Bette Midler plays Miriam Nessler, a longtime teacher in New York City who loves her students, The New York Times and the theater, and who finds herself in police custody. Kaitlyn Dever plays Sharynn Tarrows, a young nurse from Wyoming who flies to New York to volunteer at a hospital at the height of the areas COVID-19 crisis. Dan Levy portrays Mark Hesterman, a young actor in West Hollywood videoconferencing with his therapist at a moment of peak career and personal stress. Sarah Paulson plays Clarissa Montgomery, a YouTube personality filming the 28th episode of her Mindful Meditations, hoping to soothe, inspire and heal her followers. Issa Rae portrays Callie Josephson, a well-connected philanthropist whose prep school network leads her to the highest levels of government. Coastal Elites was written by Paul Rudnick. Roach, Rudnick, Jeffrey Seller, Flody Suarez, Scott Chaloff and Michelle Graham are executive producers. We always thought of Bette Midler for Miriam, Roach says. We didnt know we would get everything we wanted and top-flight actors. Roach says it was Rudnicks wit and intelligence in writing that captured each persons passion and vulnerability. I found it all very cathartic, Roach says of the writing. The connection and depths that you have with the actors are very specific. Roach and crew spent a month to six weeks in production. Over the course of that time, there were numerous talks on how to keep everyone safe. A lot of the talks were how many people can be outside while we were filming, he says. We put together every single situation. Luckily, the only set that needed to be built was where Midler would film her scene. There were never more than five people on set, and they were never in the same room. Roach says that there were plenty of rehearsals and that Rudnick was rewriting the script to include current events. In fact, Rudnick wrote Devers part in Coastal Elites as the Black Live Matter movement and George Floyds murder were at the forefront of the news cycle. Those were referenced, and each actor gave us so much to work on, Roach says. Each one had so much to offer, and the actors teach you something. Paul is very open to that. Roach connected with each character on some level. But it was Paulsons character he understood the most because it her understanding of different points of view. Roach was born and raised in Albuquerque. His father worked at Sandia National Laboratories. A lot of people in my family came from Texas, he says. I grew up trying to understand that (conservative) point of view. Sarah Paulson had to navigate that, and I tend to try and find that commonality. (Its) universal, and were all trying to figure out what we have in common. How, then, shall we co-exist and accomplish things? Through government. Through community. Through art. Roach is no stranger to directing projects with a political flair. Hes helmed the Emmy-winning Game Change, as well as Bombshell, Trumbo and All the Way, a biopic on President Lyndon B. Johnson. He knows that some of Coastal Elites will be controversial. Youre eavesdropping on people who arent managing what they are saying, he says. Thats one of the great things. Paul channeled these characters. (They) are baring their souls in a way that would happen in a Zoom therapy session. Its revealing, and an audience can empathize. The Eldorado High School alum has forged a successful career as a director. Widely known for the cult classic spy action movie Austin Powers, Roach has directed and produced box-office hits ranging from Meet the Parents to Borat. In fact, his films have grossed nearly $1.1 billion. Roach returns as often as he can to Albuquerque. His parents recently moved, but he still has some buddies in the area. I miss it, he says. Its my blood. I didnt leave there until I was 18. Im still connected to the land. During his college years, he would come back to New Mexico in the summers to work. I used to deliver mattresses for SleepWorld, he says. All over the northern part of the state. From Gallup to Grants and Los Alamos. On TV New Mexico native Jay Roachs latest project, Coastal Elites, will premiere on HBO at 6 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 12. The special project was filmed during quarantine and stars Bette Midler, Issa Rae, Dan Levy, Kaitlyn Dever and Sarah Paulson. Speaker Nancy Pelosi's salon visit controversy has forced the owner of the eSalon to close a business in a city she has called home for 15 years. Erica Kious said on "Tucker Carlson Tonight" that she is done with San Francisco. According to Fox News, she is closing her business after attracting tons of negativity following Pelosi's visit. The controversy started when Kious released a video of Pelosi getting a hair wash and a blowout at her salon when salons were still supposed to be closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Also, making the Pelosi salon visit controversial was that the video also showed the speaker walking around the salon without donning a face mask. The video sparked accusations of hypocrisy against the speaker, who frequently calls for the COVID-19 pandemic to be taken seriously. Pelosi responded by accusing Kious of setting her up, an allegation that the speaker's hairdresser backed up, according to a report on the New York Post. Kious, whose salon rents out chairs to independent hairstylists, denied Pelosi's allegation. She said that she had no intention nor had any political reasons for leaking the video of the speaker's visit to her salon. She told show host Tucker Carlson that she is being attacked for exposing the Pelosi salon visit. According to Kious, a lot of negativity was directed towards her business. Negative messages were sent via her Yelp reviews, text messages, emails, and phone calls. All had one message that they all hope she would go under and that she fails. The negative messages, Kious said, made her scared to go back and that it was sad because she has been living in San Francisco for the past 15 years. Amidst the negativity sparked by the controversy, Kious said that she is grateful that she has also received positive messages from supporters. Among the support that Kious is getting is a crowdfunding effort set up by a friend and her family, which has gathered more than its target of $300,000, as stated in a CBS News report. In a thank you letter, Kious wrote that she wished she could personally thank each person to give her their support amidst the Pelosi salon visit controversy. Kious said she is grateful for the prayers sent her way, encouraging words, and especially the financial support at a time when many are also struggling to make ends meet due to the COVID-19. Besides thanking her supporters, she also thanked her family, daughters, and loving dad for standing by her side. According to the GoFundMe page wherein the crowdfunding effort is being set up, all donations will be given to Kious to cover any debts incurred after she is forced to close her business. The money will also be used toward expenses for relocation and reopening business in another area and put the Pelosi salon visit controversy behind her. Check these out: US Stimulus Checks Received in Austria Teacher Deaths Due to COVID-19 in Several States Raise Alarm With Schools Reopening Trump Peace Efforts Earn Him Nobel Peace Prize Nomination Products promising to alleviate a beloved pets pain with CBD oil or THC have long been available to consumers - but Michigan veterinarians are currently operating in a legal gray area when talking about those products with pet owners. Many Michigan lawmakers are hoping to change that. This week, a bill that would let veterinarians consult with pet owners about the use of marijuana or industrial hemp products for their animals passed the Michigan House unanimously. Rep. Greg Markkanen, R-Houghton, sponsored the bill after learning from veterinarians in his district that while clients often have questions about how products containing CBD or THC could affect their pets health, state law doesnt explicitly allow veterinarians to discuss the pros and cons of the products with pet owners. Veterinarians also arent technically allowed to initiate discussions about whether a pet has been exposed to marijuana - which experts say can pose problems for treating animals, as THC can interact with other medications or cause medical issues in the event of an accidental overdose. We must make sure our veterinarians are able to have open and honest conversations with people about using products containing CBD oil and marijuana to care for their pets, Markkanen said in a statement following the passage of his bill. In January, the House Agriculture Committee heard from veterinarians that the law could help lead to better information and research about appropriate uses and side effects for animals, and also help pet owners get trusted medical advice on the products instead of having to research it on the internet. Without the correction, it holds our hands behind our backs in properly advocating what would be proper for their pet, Dr. Kellie Holmstrom, a Marquette veterinarian who helped inspire the legislation, previously told lawmakers. Michigan has allowed medicinal marijuana use since 2008, and hemp and recreational marijuana were legalized in 2018. CBD, or cannabidiol, is a hemp-derived extract that can be added to oils and lotions and is used as a natural remedy for anxiety, insomnia, depression and pain. Sales of CBD pet products have increased rapidly throughout the country, increasing from $8 million in 2017 to $32 million in 2018, according to the Brightfield Group. The firm estimates the CBD pet market could reach $1.16 billion nationwide by 2022. The legislation, House Bill 5085, is now before the Michigan Senate. It would need to pass the Senate and be signed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to become law. Related coverage: Michigan veterinarians want authority to discuss CBD, marijuana products with pet owners Q&A with a vet: Is CBD safe for pets? The CBD pet market could reach $1.16 billion in the U.S. by 2022. Dr. Raghuvansh Prasad Singh (74), or Raghuvansh babu for those who have a ready connect with him, is a prized upper caste asset of a party that survives on backward caste politics, a loyal lieutenant of Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad since the late 1980s, the partys intellectual powerhouse and a doctorate in mathematics. He is also the unsung architect of Indias biggest welfare programme, the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) of 2005. Singh, a man of unquestionable integrity, was the Union rural development minister during the United Progressive Alliance (UPA-1) government (2004- 09) when his political boss Prasad was the minister for railways. An MP from Bihars Vaishali constituency, Singh was entrusted with the key social sector ministry amid a flurry of welfare activities that would soon transform welfare models for poor Indians. To be sure, MGNREGA faced its usual delay as at least three Congress heavyweights were not fully convinced of its utility and saw the programme as a leaky cauldron of public funds. One afternoon, as UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi was passing through the Central Hall in Parliament, Singh walked up to her and briefed her about the inordinate delay in framing the scheme. Within a few minutes, Gandhi summoned the then defence minister Pranab Mukherjee, who headed the Group of Ministers (GoM) on MGNREGA, and told him to expedite the project. Soon, MGNREGA was rolled out in 200 districts in the country in 2006. Singh was also instrumental in launching the disabled, widows and old age pension schemes. And it was during his tenure that the government started the process of amending the land acquisition law, which took final shape during UPAs second tenure. Singhs association with Prasad goes back over three decades. And, he is also perhaps the only leader who could openly criticise Prasad and get away unscathed. Once he was asked in an interview how he would rate Prasads achievements. Singh replied that in political management, his boss would score a perfect 10 on 10 but as an administrator, he deserved nothing more than a zero. Singhs baiters within the RJD pounced on the opportunity to paint him in poor light before Prasad. They quickly brought the paper clippings to the RJD boss, demanding action against the former mathematics professor. The RJD chief, however, disappointed them: Yes, he should not have said such a thing publicly, but whatever he has said is also not incorrect. Its the Prasad bond that kept Singh alive in the RJD. He didnt leave Prasad even though the Congress and other parties were always willing to accept him. In 2009, the Congress had again offered him the rural development ministry, even though the RJD had ceased to be an UPA ally. But Prasad didnt agree. Weeks before the upcoming Bihar elections slated to be held on schedule in October and November, despite the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) outbreak Singh on Thursday, submitted a hand-written resignation letter to Prasad. It said: After (former Bihar chief minister) Karpuri Thakurs death, I stood by you for 32 years, but no more. Party insiders said his equation with the new generation of RJD leaders has been under strain for a while now. At present, Singh is admitted to All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi and is recovering from Covid-19-related complications. Prasad responded to Singhs letter and urged him not to join another party. A letter written by you is circulating in the media. I cannot believe it. Me, my family and the RJD family want to see you recover soon. We will talk after you recover. You are not going anywhere. Just mind it, the RJD chief said. There have been swirling rumours that Singh could be headed towards Bihar CM Nitish Kumars Janata Dal (United), or JD (U), ahead of the assembly polls. The entry in the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) camp may also help him regain his Vaishali seat, which he has not won since 2009. It could be a win-win situation for both CM Kumar and Singh. CM Kumar, who once got five pieces of advice on how to run the Bihar government from Singh written in a paper napkin on a flight, will get a trusted voice to represent the party in Delhi or even in the Modi cabinet. Singh, a low-key politician known for his grassroots brand of politics, has been an unflinching champion of the poor. Once he had written a letter to the then PM Manmohan Singh accusing a top-ranking minister of being anti-poor, or gharib-virodhi. The then Planning Commission chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia had tried to mediate and told Singh that the senior minister was pained about his letter and he would want to accompany him to some of the villages to see how rural programmes were in progress. No, Singh had replied, he should come with me in the peak of summer in north Bihar and stay in an unelectrified village for at least three nights. Only then he would understand what it means to live in an Indian village. WE Charitys decision to wind down its Canadian operations after becoming entangled in a political scandal doesnt mean the public should stop scrutinizing its activities, industry observers say. In the months ahead, as the beleaguered charity begins to sell off its real-estate assets, there will need to be close watch of where the proceeds go, who will oversee their disbursement, and that the allocation of funds is in keeping with donors original expectations, they say. I continue to be worried about the implications for public trust with respect to charities, said Nicolas Moyer, president and CEO of the Canadian Council for International Co-operation, an umbrella group for civil society organizations involved in international development. Its important to keep an eye on how the dissolution activities take place. WE Charity co-founders Craig and Marc Kielburger announced this week they were shutting down the charitys domestic operations following a political scandal over the awarding since denied of a multimillion-dollar grant program to the Toronto-based organization that has ties to Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus family. The plan is to sell off WE Charitys real-estate assets, including the organizations $15-million Global Learning Centre headquarters in Toronto, and use the proceeds to create an endowment fund to support its existing global projects. Some of the proceeds will also be used to help pay off the charitys existing debts, the brothers told CTV News. WE says it plans to lay off 115 Canadian staff. The Kielburgers will also step down from the organization. They say the step was needed because ongoing costs were expected to exceed revenue and they wanted to preserve as many humanitarian and educational programs as possible. The financial math for the charitys future is clear, they said. Kate Bahen, managing director of Charity Intelligence Canada, a charity watchdog, said the drastic action surprised her, given that the charity received $20.9 million from its U.S. operations last year and has tens of millions of dollars in real estate. While they say the math is clear, Im having difficult time with the math, she said. Besides the reasons for dissolving, Bahen and others say they also have questions about WE Charitys plans to sell off its assets and create an endowment fund. With everything about WE sometimes, it looks lovely on the outside and you really need to read the fine print. Now it comes down to execution, Bahen said. Mark Blumberg, a Toronto-based philanthropy lawyer, agrees. Its not that they are really winding down the charity and handing over the money to United Way or something like that, he said, adding that details released so far about WE Charitys future plans have been confusing, broad and ambiguous. So far, the organization says the sale of its real-estate assets will be governed by a special committee of the board of directors who have an expertise in property, legal and finance. The real-estate transactions will be managed by Colliers International and 100% of all proceeds will be directed to the Charity and/or towards the formation of the future charitable endowment. For the sake of absolute clarity, no individual(s) will benefit in any way from the transactions. WE Charity says an independent board of directors with the specific skillsets to establish and manage endowments will be appointed to oversee the distribution of funds. Specifically, the endowment fund will support WE Villages projects in Latin America, Asia and Africa that are currently underway, but are not yet completed, the charity said. It will also fund key, large-scale infrastructure projects that need ongoing support, like the Baraka Hospital and WE College in Narok County, Kenya, and the Agricultural Learning Centre in Ecuador. Blumberg said he is curious to know what the timelines are for spending that money and who will be appointed to the board of directors. Will the endowment be held in WE Charity? If not, which charity? Statements yesterday seemed more of a PR initiative to quell criticism rather than actually resolving issues of moving forward, he said. The final structure and oversight for the endowment fund will be determined in the coming months, the charity said. Moyer said itll be important that overseers of the funds ensure that their distribution aligns with how those funds were intended to be spent. With respect to the dissolving of an existing charity there are obligations, some of which are legal and some of which are ethical, around ensuring the funds the charity has collected over years are directed toward what donors intended them to be and are in line with the charitable objects of the organization, he said. Governance must be arms-length to avoid conflict of interest, he added. Given the public attention to this organization, it would be preferable for those to be as much as possible arms-length persons that are devoid of any perception of conflict of interest. It will also be important people on the ground who stand to benefit from this endowment have a say in how funds are distributed, Moyer said. How will they look to best practice in the international development space to ensure communities where they work have a significant say in what is funded, how its funded? Then, of course, there is the question of what will happen to WEs other operations. So far, WEs operations in Britain and the U.S are not immediately affected. Neither is its for-profit affiliate, ME to WE, which makes money through leadership courses, retail sales and travel programs. Youve also got the U.S. operation still firing on all cylinders right? Bahen said. Youve still got the corporate sponsorship from the States. Youve got that money still pouring into somewhere. Its going to change now. Its going to go to a new entity we dont know which entity. WE did not respond Thursday to a question about where the U.S. money will be going. With files from The Canadian Press and Alex Ballingall Read more about: Social activist Swami Agnivesh, who was critically ill and was hospitalised due to liver cirrhosis early this week, passed away on Friday. He was 80. Agnivesh, a former MLA from Haryana, founded Arya Sabha, a political party based on the principles of the Arya Samaj. Also Watch | Swami Agnivesh passes away: Rahul Gandhi, Shabana Azmi, others pay tribute Very saddened by the passing away of #Swami Agnivesh due to multi organ failure.Influenced by Liberation Theology he worked to rescue and rehabilitate bonded labourers and was a force to reckon with in the eighties . RIP pic.twitter.com/zHprQjWlZt Azmi Shabana (@AzmiShabana) September 11, 2020 Swamiji, Agniveshji a true ascetic wth Values of Truth, Non Discrimination Passed left us 6.55 p.m. todayBelieving in Non Violence, Human Rights & Dialogue, above all Constitutional Values he ws violently attacked, & brutally by guess who? #SwamiAgnivesh @JohnDayal @swamiagnivesh Teesta Setalvad (@TeestaSetalvad) September 11, 2020 On Tuesday, he was admitted to the Institute of Liver and Billary Sciences in New Delhi, and was on ventilator. He was being monitored by a multi-disciplinary team of doctors. On Friday morning, his condition deteriorated and he suffered a cardiac arrest . SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, September 11, 2020 17:30 497 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c444aade 1 City shopping-mall,Jakarta-malls,COVID-19-Jakarta,COVID-19,PSBB,PSBB-Masa-Transisi,PSBB-transisi,Jakarta-psbb Free Shopping malls in Jakarta will likely cease operation for a second time when large-scale social restrictions (PSBB) are reinstated in the capital on Monday, an official has said. "In the early stage of PSBB back in March, the Jakarta administration also temporarily shut down shopping malls," Jakarta Tourism and Creative Economy Agency acting head Gumilar Ekalaya said on Thursday. The malls daily needs retailers, such as supermarkets, might be allowed to stay open, he said, while restaurants inside shopping malls might be permitted to provide delivery services only. The Jakarta administration will postpone its plan to reopen movie theaters in the city. "We'll put off the cinema reopening plan," Gumilar said, adding that officials were awaiting the issuance of a gubernatorial regulation detailing the PSBB measures. Indonesian Cinema Owners Association (GPBSI) head Djonny Syafruddin said the association was ready to follow the Jakarta administration's instructions. Read also: Satellite cities undecided about following Jakarta with strict virus curbs "We've learned a lot over the past seven months. We'll follow the government, as it knows the situation better," Djonny said as quoted by kompas.com. "We're in tatters right now, but we should not put blame on anybody," he added. Previously, Djonny said the association had established several health protocol plans for the reopening of cinemas and had presented them to the city administration. "We've gone through a long process, such as making a proposal and presenting it. We just need to wait for the right timing," he said. Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan announced on Wednesday that the administration would reimpose a stricter PSBB policy as COVID-19 cases in the capital continued to rise. He said the policy would come into effect on Monday. As of Friday, Jakarta had confirmed 51,635 COVID-19 cases, with 11,696 active cases and 1,365 fatalities. Read also: Medical association advises 3-week PSBB period for Jakarta The capital city has seen a spike in new infections in the past few weeks, which has strained the city's healthcare system. The isolation and intensive care unit (ICU) bed occupancy rates in the capital reached 77 percent and 83 percent respectively on Wednesday. The city has 4,053 isolation room beds and 528 ICU beds remaining. The Jakarta Health Agency predicted that the city would run out of hospital beds for COVID-19 patients by December if cases continued to increase at the current pace and if no intervention were made to increase hospital capacity. (nal) Boo! COVID-19 is threatening to scare off Halloween this year. Premier Doug Ford has delivered the grim news that trick or treating may not be advisable during the pandemic. Weve got to be so, so careful, the premier said Thursday Lets play it by ear and see what happens over the next month and half for Halloween, he said. But it just makes me nervous, kids going door to door with this. Id prefer not to. It would be a shame, but ... well check that out. And were going to (get) advice through our public health team. Dr. David Williams, the provinces chief medical officer for health, said later Thursday that officials are still determining whether Halloween activities like children canvassing for candy and chocolate would have to be curbed. On Wednesday, Mayor John Tory told CP24 he wont hesitate to cancel trick or treating in Toronto if public health officials recommend that. We dont have the power to just order Halloween cancelled, said Tory. But I can tell you right now if the medical officer of healths advice to me is that I should say to parents: You should not go out and you should not be handing out candy and all those kinds of things because we think that it poses a risk, especially with the numbers going up I wouldnt hesitate for a second to do that, the mayor said. Some U.S. cities have already announced Halloween limits will be in place Oct. 31. In April, early in the pandemic when much of Ontario was in lockdown, Ford designated the Easter Bunny as an essential service to reassure anxious children worried there would be no delivery of chocolate eggs and bunnies. Also Thursday, the provinces financial accountability officer reported that Queens Park has yet to allocate some $6.7 billion to spending designed to blunt the impact of COVID-19. The independent watchdog said that includes about $3.5 billion in federal transfers for health, employment, and other supports. Ford stressed the Progressive Conservative government is flowing it is as quickly as possible. Ive told each ministry, as soon as you get those funds, you start flowing that right to the people that need it most, the premier said. But NDP MPP Catherine Fife (Waterloo) said Ford needs to loosen the purse strings. Kids are being packed into crowded classrooms in the middle of a pandemic, said Fife, noting new COVID-19 infections (are) climbing, long-term-care homes are still short-staffed, and hospitals havent been shored up to deal with any COVID-19 and flu waves coming. Doug Ford shouldnt be withholding money to make his bottom line look better he should be getting that money out the door to make students and staff safer in schools, and stop the second wave of COVID-19 outbreaks before people again experience the anguish of loved ones getting ill, job losses and further economic damage, she said. Green Leader Mike Schreiner also expressed concern that the money is being held up. The premier says he will spare no expense, yet he is pinching pennies with our childrens safety on the line and at a time when many businesses, people and teachers are desperate for support, said Schreiner. With so many small businesses on the brink, so many renters and leaseholders facing eviction, what is stopping the Ford government from getting these much needed relief funds out the door? Robert Benzie is the Stars Queens Park bureau chief and a reporter covering Ontario politics. Follow him on Twitter: @robertbenzie Read more about: Not celebrating wasnt an option. When Sandra Morris Bell learned that this years West Indian American Day celebrations had been canceled in New York City, she found a way to keep the tradition alive. In elaborate costumes and face paint, Ms. Bell stood with two of her friends at the corner of Flatbush Avenue and Empire Boulevard in Brooklyn for five hours as a statement to those passing by whether they were familiar with the celebrations or not that Carnival is still here. We cannot miss this, she said. Its like church to us. Has Ireland backed the wrong horse in the coronavirus vaccine race? A The news this week that Oxford University had to pause trials of its vaccine while it investigated if it was linked to a rare condition in one of its study volunteers is something of a disappointment. There is particular interest in that vaccine here because the Government has joined in a multi-million euro, EU-wide forward-funding bid to secure early stocks of the jab, to be shared among member states, if it is successful. Q Why was the vaccine stalled? A One of its volunteers testing the vaccine needs to be examined after she developed transverse myelitis, a rare inflammatory condition of the spinal cord. AztraZeneca, the drug company which owns rights to the vaccine, said it was a temporary pause and an independent panel of experts would examine whether there was any link. It is a condition that could be due to a number of causes, including a virus. Q How unusual is it for something like this to happen? A Experts say it is routine in large trials. However, it is a good mark of the care that is being taken to ensure safety of the vaccine that might be administered in this country. The interest in it magnified because this vaccine is seen as a front-runner and the world is desperate for a breakthrough. Q What kind of money has the Government here put on the potential vaccine? A The amount of money is not known. It has essentially joined in the EU pool to get 300 million doses if it works. There is an option to buy a further 100 million and the deal is on behalf of the EU so we would get our share of early doses here. Q If this falls through, how well are the other vaccine candidates doing? A Two other potential vaccines are in large final-phase tests, including one by Moderna Inc in the United States and the other which is being trialled by Pfizer and BioNTech. The Moderna vaccine showed an early result indicated it would trigger an immune response to Covid-19 in 45 injected volunteers. In its phase 2 trials, the company said it produced antibody production on a par with that seen in recovered Covid-19 patients. Earlier this month, Pfizer said it could have results from its late-stage coronavirus vaccine trial available as early as October. Some 23,000 volunteers have been enrolled in the phase three trial, which began in July. If data shows the jab is safe and effective, it will submit an application for approval. Q Are there other potential vaccines under way? A Sligo-born Dr Mike Ryan, executive director in the WHO's Health Emergencies Programme, delivered some hope yesterday. He said he was confident a vaccine would be found, but that "we cannot push too hard and too fast". It was correct for the Oxford group to pause their trial, he added. Dr Ryan pointed out that there were six other vaccines at the advanced, stage-three phase and another 32 other tentative vaccines. However, not all vaccines succeed or can be proved to be fully safe. Gujarat has again emerged as the best performer in developing startup ecosystem for budding entrepreneurs, according to the ranking of states and union territories by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT). Gujarat was categorised as the best performer among all states and one union territory (UT) Delhi, barring north-eastern states and other UTs. Among all the north-eastern states except Assam and all UTs barring Delhi, Andaman and Nicobar Islands has emerged as the best performer. A total of 22 states and 3 UTs participated in the exercise. To establish uniformity and ensure standardisation in the ranking process, states and UTs have been divided into two groups. While UTs except Delhi and all states in North East except Assam are placed in Category 'Y', all other states and UT of Delhi are in Category 'X'. The states' startup ranking result 2019 was divided into two groups 'X' and 'Y'. While the 'X' group has all the states and Delhi, barring north-eastern states and other UTs; group 'Y' has all north-eastern states except Assam and all UTs except Delhi. Releasing the rankings on Friday, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said that it will help in further promoting the startup ecosystem by the Centre, states and UTs. He said that for funding of the startups, the 'Fund of Funds' is supporting them and many public sector undertakings are coming forward with dedicated funds to startups. "I am also very keen that Indian industry, Indian investors, high networth individuals, possibly mutual funds, insurance companies should also very seriously consider participating in this very exciting journey that our Indian startups are going through," he said. He also suggested startups to focus on three Ps - product, process, people - to focus on promoting Aatmnirbhar Bharat. DPIIT Secretary Guruprasad Mohapatra said that over 36,000 startups are recognised by the department so far. All the states are taking steps to promote the growth of budding entrepreneurs, he said adding the startup ecosystem in the country has led to creation of over 4 lakh jobs. The rankings are based on the initiatives taken to develop the startup ecosystem for promoting budding entrepreneurs. For the purposes of ranking, states/UTs are classified into five categories: Best Performers, Top Performers, Leaders, Aspiring Leaders and Emerging Startup Ecosystems. Top performers are: Karnataka and Kerala; Leaders are: Bihar, Maharashtra, Odisha, Rajasthan, and Chandigarh; Aspiring Leaders: Haryana, Jharkhand, Punjab, Telangana, Uttarakhand and Nagaland; Emerging Startup Ecosystems are: Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Mizoram and Sikkim. The ranking framework 2019, it said, has seven broad reform areas consisting of 30 action points ranging from institutional support, easing compliances, relaxation in public procurement norms, incubation centres, seed funding, venture funding, and awareness and outreach. Many parameters involved getting feedback from beneficiaries which was gathered through more than 60,000 calls made in 11 different languages to empathetically connect with beneficiaries to ascertain the real situation at the implementation levels. In the last 2018 edition of the ranking, Gujarat emerged as the best performer in developing the startup ecosystem for budding entrepreneurs. Other top performers that followed the western state were Karnataka, Kerala, Odisha and Rajasthan The government had launched Startup India Action Plan in January 2016 to promote budding entrepreneurs in the country. The plan aims to give incentives such as tax holiday and inspector raj-free regime and capital gains tax exemption. At a time when there is nothing normal about the new normal, it seems more important than ever to connect with something that represents a physical-spiritual reality greater than ourselves. For me, that quest has always led to the towering granite crags, verdant meadows, and glistening lakes of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. My first encounter with these mountains that so inspired John Muir came in 1957. I was 11 at the time and a member of a mountaineering, wilderness-oriented boys camp called the Trailfinders. Those days spent camping and hiking in the high country of Yosemite carved an indelible impression. I discovered the place where I felt whole and deeply connected to the grand pattern of life. I learned about the pleasure, sometimes the pain, but always the sense of accomplishment that comes from strapping on a pack and hitting the trail, often in the John Muir tradition of hiking alone. Over the years, undertaking a strenuous hike in the Sierras became a birthday rituala sort of spiritual-physical gut check. So it was with that goal in mind on Aug. 26 that I struck out from Los Angeles and drove northeast to the town of Lone Pine in the Owens Valley on Highway 395. Lone Pine, Calif. (Michael Kaercher/Shutterstock) You may not be familiar with Lone Pine, but you have seen the scenery that surrounds it in scores of movies and television shows. Cowboys, gladiators, and Bengal Lancers have all galloped through the rock-strewn landscape of the Alabama Hills with the eastern escarpment of Mount Whitney as a backdrop. The condition I had not anticipated, however, was the smoke being produced by the multiple wildfires burning in Northern California. It hung over the Owens Valley like a brown haze so dense at sunset that you couldnt see the mountains. Nevertheless, I was determined to fulfill my quest. My plan was to start the challenging hike at around 10,000 feet and climb 11 miles to the Cottonwood Lakes at 11,200 feet elevation the day after my arrival. But first I wanted to visit the spot (off the Whitney Portal Trail) where we had buried my fathers ashes. I made the journey carrying a small stone and piece of wood (from my sister) along with a handful of wildflowers, the request of my fathers second wife and longtime backpacking companion, Beatrice. I also carried a flask of bourbon. With stone, wood, and wildflowers in place, I took in the remarkable view and then raised the flask. Heres to you, Dad. Miraculously, the next day dawned totally clear with the mountains set off against a cloudless blue sky. I drove the dizzying switchback road that climbs up and up and up to the New Army Pass-Cottonwood Lakes trailhead. Then, with my lunch stowed, backpack on, and trekking poles in hand, I headed out. The pass trail is stunningly beautiful. For almost four miles it traverses through a valley lined with giant Ponderosa pines, many of which have been scarred by lightning. Swift-running creeks and meadows are dotted with wildflowers and clumps of big-leaf skunk cabbage. Enchanted with the landscape, I had completely forgotten about the smoke until I ran into a pair of hearty female backpackers who were clearly in haste to get down the trail. They had planned, they said, to stay in the mountains camping for several days. But the smoke had gotten so thick they decided it was risking their health to stay. I wished them good luck and headed on. There is no more egalitarian pastime than mountain hiking. Everyone is equal on the trail. So my solo reveries were interspersed with conversations about: Where are you headed? Hows the fishing? and How bad is the smoke? I have to admit that for me, the last ascending mile of rocky switchbacks that finally culminate at the Cottonwood Lakes was difficult. I was huffing and puffing but determined not to give up, and it was unbelievably uplifting to crest the last stretch of trail and have the paradise Id imagined spread out before me. The spot I found for lunch was truly paradisiacala picture-perfect creek, rocky boulders, and deep green grass with towering peaks in the distance. Cottonwood Lake Meadow provides the perfect site for a backpackers lunch in Californias Sierra Madre Mountains near Lone Pine. (Courtesy of Jim Farber) The author reaches his goal of climbing to Cottonwood Lake in Californias Sierra Madre Mountains near Lone Pine. (Courtesy of Jim Farber) Smoke from a California wildfire crawls menacingly across the Sierra Madre Mountains. (Courtesy of Jim Farber) Thats when the smoke began to roll in in thick brown plumes. It was definitely time to leave. Mathematically, a trail is the same length going in as it is going back. But it sure doesnt feel like it. To cheer myself along I started singing, everything from old camp songs to A Hard Days Night. And since it was my 74th birthday, I slightly amended the Beatles classic, singing, Will you still need me, will you still feed me, when Im 74? I was very happy when the trailhead parking lot finally emerged. And as I drove back down to Lone Pine, I could see the mountains Id just left totally shrouded in thick smoke. I would feel the results of that polluted air for several days. Was it worth it? It was. And during those last miles on the trail, tired as I was, I kept reminding myself to look around and take it all in. Life doesnt get much better. When You Go For more information: fs.usda.gov/recarea/inyo/recarea/?recid=20698 Jim Farber is a freelance writer. To read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at Creators.com. Copyright 2020 Creators.com. Normally, it would be simpler. But in the time of the coronavirus, the Bethlehem Area School District has had to be more proactive than usual after an 11-year-old Nitchsmann Middle School student was shot in the face late Wednesday night as she answered the rear door to her home in the 1900 block of Fairland Street. Any other year, counselors would be available in the school off Eighth Avenue -- more would be brought in if needed -- and students would be encouraged to stop in if they were having trouble processing the situation. But the 11-year-old girl is in the E-classroom curriculum, meaning she and other students learn online only from a team of four Nitschmann teachers, Superintendent Joseph Roy explained Friday morning. Other students in her grade are in a hybrid program, where part of the week is spent in class and the rest of it online. A third, and smaller, group is enrolled in the districts cyber academy, which features classes run by a vendor, Roy said. In a classroom setting, a teacher might be able to see if a student were upset, less communicative or in some other way impacted by the crime and begin the process of getting that child assistance. But now, the district is working to identify the girls friends from school and then will reach out to them wherever they might be in an effort to alert them that counselors can be reached by phone and email, Roy said. It is different, Roy said, but like much else, the district has had to work through plans to be prepared for such circumstances where the children cant all be found in one place at one time. Best case, only half of the students are in the building at any one point, he said. Roy, as well, is processing the crime. Its horrendous that someone would shoot blindly and shoot a little girl in the face, he said. City police continue to aggressively investigate the crime, looking through any possible surveillance video from doorbell cameras in the residential West Side neighborhood that is usually so peaceful that some officers didnt even know where the street was, Capt. Ben Hackett said. Were casting a pretty wide net for video, he said. Police personnel were so intent on working this case, they had to be told to go home late Thursday to get some rest, he said. No one was in custody as of Friday morning and there was no update on the vague description from Thursday of possibly a male wearing a face covering, Hackett said. He didnt immediately have an update on the childs medical condition -- she sustained significant facial trauma but was expected to survive, he said a day earlier -- but he hoped to see her later Friday, Hackett said. Its likely she wasnt the intended target, Hackett has said. Investigators havent ruled anything out and, with other siblings in the home, police are working to determine if theres anything that would have made one of them a target, Hackett said. He said he would provide an update if anything changes. Please subscribe now and support the local journalism YOU rely on and trust. Tony Rhodin can be reached at arhodin@lehighvalleylive.com. HOBART Options are being explored as city leaders consider how to address the negative cash balance in the general fund. A recent financial analysis suggested a bond issue, permanent budget reductions of close to $1.6 million, implementation of a wheel tax, creation of a food and beverage tax and establishment of a fire territory as options to address the general fund deficit that reached $5.1 million at the end of 2019. City Councilman Dave Vinzant said the council has authorized the bond issue. The wheel tax, food and beverage tax and fire territory options are still being considered, but no immediate action is expected on those proposals. In a budget workshop on Tuesday, Mayor Brian Snedecor suggested reviewing the possibility of charging payments in lieu of property taxes to some entities. Snedecor said there are nonprofit groups and other organizations that don't pay property taxes on their land, but the city provides services to them. It's possible payments in lieu of taxes could be applied to help cover the costs of services. Snedecor also said Hobart could pursue a business licensing program, which many area communities already have in place. Brig. Gen. Talal Qassem was gunned down by unknown assailants in Daraa, marking the most recent assassination, and a continuation of security chaos reports Alsouria Net. Two attacks took place against members of the Assads forces in the Syrian province of Daraa, which led to the death of a Fifth Division member, amid reports that two other members of the Fourth and Fifth Division had also been killed. Horan Free Media reported that an armed attack took place in northeastern Daraa today, targeting Brig. Gen. Talal Qassem, affiliated with the Fifth Division, who died instantly. The same source stated that gunmen who were riding a motorcycle in the towns of Busra al-Harir and Nahata, northeast of Daraa, shot Qassem and fled. Pro-regime pages mourned Qassem, known as Abu Tariq, who fought in the ranks of the Fifth Division and hailed from the village of Harisoun in the countryside of Baniyas, Tartous governorate. Activists said that another attack took place in the town of Nahj, western countryside of Daraa, targeting Assad forces, which led to the killing of two members belonging to the Fourth and Fifth Divisions, amid a precarious security situation. Daraa has been witnessing similar assassinations since August 2018, which is when opposition fighters signed a settlement agreement with the regime. Back then, the assassinations were targeted towards those recruited through settlement deals. Some Assad soldiers were also assassinated. No party has claimed responsibility for the assassinations or the targeting of Russian and Assad forces. All of the assassinations were recorded as unknown culprit, while the regime has been passive towards the security chaos that the governorate has been witnessing for months now. Although the settlement agreement for Daraa, which was sponsored by Moscow, did put an end to the military operations between Assads forces and the opposition factions and stipulated that the factions hand over their heavy weaponry, it kept a large number of faction operatives in their regions, unlike what happened in other areas that the regime regained control of. 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. On the Belfast Telegraph's website on Thursday morning I wrote; 'I detect a touch of choreography in the O'Neill/McDonald/Foster statements in the past few hours (and) it sounds to me like a door is being nudged open.' Arlene Foster's response to Michelle O'Neill's statement regretting aspects of the Bobby Storey funeral was also nuanced enough for me to suggest she 'would probably welcome the opportunity for the Executive to look coherent and united at a crucial moment.' A few hours later Foster and O'Neill confirmed my hunch by co-presenting their first joint press conference in 73 days. Read More I've been too long in the commentary game - as well as being preternaturally pessimistic by nature - to assume that all is rosy again, or that there are not more potholes, hurdles and surprises capable of destroying this latest outbreak of convenient consensus. But I also know that if the Executive fails to keep it together and work collectively to respond to challenges - which can, I think, only be addressed and resolved collectively - then everyone, every single one of us, is screwed. A united, coherent Executive is needed right now. Indeed, it has never been needed more. It is likely to be a very difficult few months during the cold, wet, dark days of autumn/winter - the traditional cold/flu/cough/sniffles season as well, with huge challenges for schools, businesses, the NHS and the economy. It seems likely there will not be a vaccine this year, or even in the first few months of 2021; and while the overall death toll may remain modest in overall numbers, there is still the likelihood of tens of thousands of people contracting the virus and being off work for weeks. That could be a rolling problem for months. That means huge economic/community/societal/funding challenges for every Executive department, not to mention the administrative arm of government - which could well be overwhelmed by the scale and nature of events. So it is clearly not a time for internal spats, solo runs and a First and deputy First Minister not speaking to each other. The sense of confusion and crisis will grow if there isn't stability and joint purpose at the heart of government. There would have been a temptation for Foster to let O'Neill swing for a while. After all, she had not used the word sorry in her comments to RTE on Wednesday evening; and while regret may be the next door neighbour of sorry, it is not quite the same thing. Foster has also had a really uncomfortable few weeks as DUP leader and needed to be fairly confident that seeming overly conciliatory wouldn't add to the list of members and voters already annoyed by her. O'Neill also had a problem. Using the 'sorry' word would have angered that republican base which does not think she did anything wrong, let alone anything which required an apology: the same base which would have been angry - and ignored her - had she asked mourners to stay away from the funeral, or appointed just one senior member to represent the party on the day. The fact they could not see the dangers of allowing commemoration to trump concerns about Covid-19 remains worryingly telling. It is also worth noting that Boris Johnson's new bill - in which he seems to be trying to provide enough space for a fleet of horses and carriages to charge through his own Withdrawal Agreement - is causing difficulties for all of the Executive parties. Expand Close Difficulties: Boris Johnsons new bill is causing headache for all Executive parties Getty Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Difficulties: Boris Johnsons new bill is causing headache for all Executive parties Mid-October is the present cut-off point for final decisions on a deal/no deal decision by the UK/EU negotiators; either way, the Executive needs to be united. At some point in the last few days - and I don't think it was a longer process than that - Sinn Fein and the DUP reached the same conclusion: their joint best interests would be best served by presenting a united front. Not just their interests, either, but the entire Executive. I am not expecting Foster and O'Neill to discover a new-found fondness for each other - not least because they both have significant wings of their voting bases who do not want it. But if they can, at least, remain civil and focused on the same goals, it should make the challenges we all face a lot easier to address and resolve. African countries have so far reported more than 1.33 million coronavirus cases and over 32,000 deaths Egypt is keen on unifying African efforts to contain the coronavirus pandemic and alleviate its health, social, and economic consequences, Finance Minister Mohamed Maait said on Friday. Maaits remarks came during his meeting with president of African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), Benedict Oramah. During the meeting, the minister praised the Afreximbank proposal that invites all African countries to cooperate to finance COVID-19 vaccine manufacturing. African countries have so far reported more than 1.33 million coronavirus cases and over 32,000 deaths, according to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC). Maait, who is also the president of the General Assembly of Afreximbank, highlighted the Egyptian governments keenness on strengthening cooperation with African states, in an attempt to achieve integration on the continent and push forward development efforts to meet the aspirations of African peoples. Headquartered in Cairo, Afreximbank is a pan-African multilateral trade finance institution which was created in 1993 under the auspices of the African Development Bank. Search Keywords: Short link: Automobile dealers are worried that they may be saddled with huge stocks after the festival season, despite the recent rebound in sales. Dealer stocks of two-wheelers and passenger vehicles are expected to rise to at least 35-40 days by the festival of Navratri which falls in mid-October this year as automakers boost supplies in anticipation of a pick-up in sales. Such build-up of inventory is usual before the festival season, but given the unique circumstances this year, dealers are cautious of an adverse hit to their financials if sales do not happen as expected. They are also aware that in the past two years, vehicle sales during Diwali and Navratri stayed subdued due to a slowing economy. The festival season is crucial as it comprises around a fourth of annual vehicle sales for automakers. Sales also tend to rise in December when companies offer heavy discounts to clear year-end stocks. Overall, vehicle manufacturers have been witnessing continuous decline in sales from the second half of FY19 due to sluggish economic growth and a rise in vehicle prices due to implementation of new safety and emission norms. Vehicle sales fell up to 20% last fiscal after reporting growth in low single digits in FY19. The uncertain automobile market has forced more than 300 automobile dealers to close operations in the last two years and more are in the process of winding up as the pandemic has added to their woes. Vinkesh Gulati, president, Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (Fada), expects sales in the December quarter at nearly the same levels of last year. Sales in Rajasthan improved in Janmastami, while Maharashtra also improved during Ganesh Chaturthi. So, the positivity is apparent in increased enquiries and orders. Still, a year-on-year growth, if we compare two festive periods, will be difficult but it will be close or better than sales in the last four months." According to dealers, inventory for both two and four-wheelers are expected to increase to more than 35 days by mid-October from around 25 days at August-end since retail sales in September is likely to be impacted by shradh period, considered inauspicious in north and west India. Companies like Maruti Suzuki, Hero MotoCorp, Hyundai Motor India, Tata Motors, Bajaj Auto, Mahindra and Mahindra plan to increase production substantially in September and October. Most of them have raised output in July and August though retail sales are still to recover fully. Retail sales of passenger vehicles fell 7.1% y-o-y to 178,513 units in August, according to Fada. Motorcycle and scooter sales dropped by 29% y-o-y to 898,775 units. A Maruti dealer in South India, who declined to be named, said dealers are cautious about their inventory though optimistic on a recovery as retail sales have recovered to an extent and sales during the Onam festival were better than last year. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Never miss a story! Stay connected and informed with Mint. Download our App Now!! Topics L iverpool, Wirral, Sefton, Knowsley and St Helens have all been placed on the central government's watchlist as coronavirus cases surge in the area. The leader of Sefton Council Ian Maher announced on Friday that the entire Merseyside area had been added to the Government watch list. Meanwhile, Liverpool Mayor Joe Anderson warned that local lockdowns could be enforced if new infection numbers continue to rise. It comes as a total of 303 people have been diagnosed with the virus in the last seven days in the city double the number recorded in the previous week and four times that of the week before. Sefton's Mayor said: In the light of this news, its essential that every single one of Seftons residents and businesses continue the great efforts they have made already to prevent us going into lockdown. The willingness and efforts of local people and the vast majority of the boroughs businesses to follow the guidelines and implement the measures required have been impressive and were reflected in low numbers of cases recently. However, this current rise is a cause for concern. Coronavirus hits the UK - In pictures 1 /81 Coronavirus hits the UK - In pictures A deserted Westminster Bridge PA A man wearing a face mask or covering due to the COVID-19 pandemic, walks past customers sat outside a restaurant AFP via Getty Images Boris Johnson addresses the nation on the Coronavirus lockdown Andrew Parsons Runners pass cardboard cutouts of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II and Prince William during the London Marathon in London AP An empty escalator at Charing Coss London Underground tube station Jeremy Selwyn Electronic bilboards displays a message warning people to stay home in Sheffield PA A sign is displayed in the window of a student accommodation building following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Mancheste Reuters People take part in a 'We Do Not Consent' rally at Trafalgar Square, organised by Stop New Normal, to protest against coronavirus restrictions, in Londo AP People sing and dance in Leicester Square on the eve on the 10PM curfew Reuters Hearts painted by a team of artists from Upfest are seen in the grass at Queen Square, following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Bristol Reuters Graffiti reads 'good luck and stay safe', as the number of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases grow around the world, under a bridge in London Reuters A sign is pictured in Soho, amid the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in London Reuters Prime Minister Boris Johnson gestures, during a coronavirus briefing in Downing Street, London AP A person runs past posters with a message of hope, as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues in Manchester REUTERS Riot police face protesters who took part in a 'We Do Not Consent' rally at Trafalgar Square, organised by Stop New Normal, to protest against coronavirus restrictions in London AP An image of The Queen eith quotes from her broadcast to the UK and the Commonwealth in relation to the Coronavirus epidemic are displayed on lights in London's Piccadilly Circus PA Military vehicles cross Westminster Bridge after members of the 101 Logistic Brigade delivered a consignment of medical masks to St Thomas' hospital Getty Images Durdle Door in Dorset Reuters Captain Tom Moore via Reuters Mia, aged 8, and Jack, aged 5, take part in "PE with Joe" a daily live workout with Joe Wicks on Youtube to help kids stay fit who have to stay indoors due to the Coronavirus outbreak PA An NHS worker reacts at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital during the Clap for our Carers campaign in support of the NHS Reuters Goats which have taken over the deserted streets of Llandudno @AndrewStuart via PA Tobias Weller PA Novikov restaurant in London with its shutters pulled down while the restaurant is closed London Landscapes: Hyde Park and the Serpentine, central London. Matt Writtle A newspaper vendor in Manchester city centre giving away free toilet rolls with every paper bought as shops run low on supplies due to fears over the spread of the coronavirus PA Theo Clay looks out of his window next to his hand-drawn picture of a rainbow in Liverpool, as the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continue Reuters A young man cuts another man's hair on top of a closed hairdresser in Oxford Reuters General view of the new NHS Nightingale Hospital, built to fight against the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in London via Reuters Jason Baird is seen dressed as Spiderman during his daily exercise to cheer up local children in Stockport, as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues Reuters A woman wearing a face mask walks past Buckingham Palace Getty Images A man holds mobile phone displaying a text message alert sent by the government warning that new rules are in force across the UK and people must stay at home PA Medical staff on the Covid-19 ward at the Neath Port Talbot Hospital, in Wales, as the health services continue their response to the coronavirus outbreak. PA Prime Minister Boris Johnson taking part in a virtual Cabinet meeting with his top team of ministers PA A shopper walks past empty shelves in a Lidl store on in Wallington. After spates of "panic buying" cleared supermarket shelves of items like toilet paper and cleaning products, stores across the UK have introduced limits on purchases during the COVID-19 pandemic. Some have also created special time slots for the elderly and other shoppers vulnerable to the new coronavirus. Getty Images People on a busy tube train in London at rush hour PA Mia, aged 8 and her brother Jack, aged 5 from Essex, continue their school work at home, after being sent home due to the coronavirus PA Children are painting 'Chase the rainbows' artwork and springing up in windows across the country Reuters Social distancing in Primrose Hill Jeremy Selwyn A general view of a locked gate at Anfield, Liverpool as The Premier League has been suspended PA Homeless people in London AFP via Getty Images A piece of art by the artist, known as the Rebel Bear has appeared on a wall on Bank Street in Glasgow. The new addition to Glasgow's street art is capturing the global Coronavirus crisis. The piece features a woman and a man pulling back to give each other a kiss PA The Queen leaves Buckingham Palace, London, for Windsor Castle to socially distance herself amid the coronavirus pandemic PA A general view on Grey street, Newcastle as coronavirus cases grow around the world Reuters Matt Raw, a British national who returned from the coronavirus-hit city of Wuhan in China, leaves quaratine at Arrowe Park Hospital on Merseyside PA Britain's Chief Medical Officer Professor Chris Whitty (L) and Chief Scientific Adviser Patrick Vallance look on as British Prime Minister Boris Johnson gestures as he speaks during a coronavirus disease (COVID-19) news conference inside 10 Downing Street Reuters The ticket-validation terminals at the tram stop on Edinburgh's Princes Street are cleaned following the coronavirus outbreak. PA Locked school gates at Rockcliffe First School in Whitley Bay, Tyne and Wear PA A sign at a Sainsbury's supermarket informs customers that limits have been set on a small number of products as the number of coronavirus (COVID-19) cases grow around the world Reuters Jawad Javed delivers coronavirus protection kits that he and his wife have put together to the vulnerable people of their community of Stenhousemuir, between Glasgow and Edinburgh AFP via Getty Images A sign advertising a book titled "How Will We Survive On Earth?" Getty Images A man who appears to be homeless sleeping wearing a mask today in Victoria Jeremy Selwyn A pedestrian walks past graffiti that reads "Diseases are in the City" in Edinburgh AFP via Getty Images Staff from The Lyric Theatre, London inform patrons, as it shuts its doors PA A quiet looking George IV Bridge in Edinburgh PA A quieter than usual British Museum Getty Images A racegoer attends Cheltenham in a fashionable face mask SplashNews.com A commuter wears a face mask at London Bridge Station Jeremy Selwyn A empty restaurant in the Bull Ring Shopping Centre Getty Images A deserted Trafalgar Square in London PA Passengers determined to avoid the coronavirus before leaving the UK arrive at Gatwick Airport Getty Images Infections in Sefton are spread across the borough through peoples familiar social networks, whether at home, at work or out and about and while we are seeing cases being reported in people of all ages, those in the working age group from 20-60 are prevalent. Those people may be only mildly affected by Covid-19 and some are asymptomatic, but our real concern is how these people can still spread the infection, including to their loved ones at home who may be vulnerable and far more seriously affected. Its vital that local people continue with social distancing and follow the Governments recently revised guidelines restricting indoor meetings to members of two different households and keeping numbers at outdoor gatherings to a maximum of six. Wearing masks and face coverings where required and frequent, thorough hand-washing are also crucial. Meanwhile, about 60 per cent of the cases in Liverpool are in the under-40s age group, with the city now facing the prospect of joining parts of Greater Manchester and Lancashire in having additional Covid-19 restrictions imposed on social gatherings. Liverpools director of public health Matt Ashton said: This is a wake-up call. Cases have risen four-fold in just 14 days and if that growth continues, at this rate we are going to be in a very, very serious position again before we know it. The next few days are absolutely critical if we are to avoid an escalation and the possibility of the type of measures that we have seen in other areas of the country when cases have risen. Around 60 per cent of the cases are in under-40s and the very real and present danger is that they spread the disease to older people and we start to see hospitalisation of vulnerable people. I am asking people to cast their minds back to March and remember how quickly case numbers rose and the devastating impact that had on all of us, our families, our city, and the NHS. Mr Anderson said: Liverpool cant afford another lockdown, we dont want another lockdown, weve worked really hard to prevent economic damage to businesses and peoples jobs. I know its tough for people but the fact of the matter is were starting to see an increase that could take us back to where we were in April. So weve got to recognise that we can place ourselves in a really difficult situation where we have to make some really tough choices about whether we do some stricter things or going into local lockdowns as weve seen in other parts of the city, but across the whole city. The latest weekly infection rate in Liverpool is 60.8 per 100,000 people. (Alliance News) - UK energy regulator Ofgem has the power to save British households another GBP1.7 billion if it further tightens up proposed regulations that already have energy networks worried. In a response to proposals from Ofgem which would halve the returns that the networks can take, Citizens Advice said the regulator could go even further. The consumer champion has criticised the money that investors in energy networks are allowed to take out of the system since 2017, when it revealed the networks would make GBP7.5 billion in what it called "unjustified profits" over the current price control regime. It has re-entered the debate after energy networks began to heavily lobby Ofgem for changes to suggestions that it revealed in July. On Monday, National Grid PLC went so far as to suggest that Ofgem's plans, which would save the average household around GBP20 a year on its energy bills, put the resilience of the energy supply at risk. It also warned the government's plans to decarbonise the grid so that Britain can get to "net zero" will be jeopardised. Several network operators have suggested they could ask the Competition and Markets Authority to rule on whether Ofgem's proposals are reasonable. But Citizens Advice boss Dame Gillian Guy urged the regulator to stand firm. "Energy networks are aggressively pushing back against the regulator's proposals. They've even claimed the price control will put more people at risk of blackouts and jeopardise the net zero transition," she said. "But the only thing really at risk here are the excessive profits these companies have made by overcharging consumers. The regulator must hold its nerve in the face of the significant pressure from the networks and look at whether it can go further." Ofgem, which is set to make a decision later this year, said: "Investment in energy infrastructure comes from consumers' bills, so we expect companies to run themselves efficiently and accept lower returns in line with current market conditions. "But we also need to balance this with ensuring that Britain's world-class stable regulatory regime attracts the right amount of investment. "Ofgem strikes this balance by only green-lighting investment proposals where there is robust evidence to support them. This will help keep network charges affordable while allowing more investment to help fight climate change and maintain security of supply." David Smith, chief executive of Energy Networks Association, which represents the UK and Ireland's energy networks businesses, said: "The proposals from the networks would keep bills broadly flat and were informed by tens of thousands of customers who participated in events across the country. "Network costs are down 17% since the mid-90s despite record investment. Further investment in networks is needed now if we're to maintain safe, reliable energy supplies, reach net-zero emissions and power a green recovery." By August Graham, PA City Reporter source: PA Copyright 2020 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. WASHINGTON/JERUSALEM/DUBAI: Bahrain joined the United Arab Emirates in striking an agreement to normalize relations with Israel on Friday, a dramatic move aimed at easing tensions in the Middle East. U.S. President Donald Trump tweeted the news after he spoke by phone to both Bahrains King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the White House said. This is a historic breakthrough to further peace in the Middle East," the United States, Bahrain and Israel said in a joint statement. Opening direct dialogue and ties between these two dynamic societies and advanced economies will continue the positive transformation of the Middle East and increase stability, security, and prosperity in the region," it said. The United Arab Emirates last month agreed to normalize ties with Israel under a U.S.-brokered deal. That deal is scheduled to be signed on Sept. 15 at a White House ceremony hosted by Trump and attended by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed al-Nahyan. The easing of relations with Israel comes amid a backdrop of shared fears about the threat of Iran to the region. The Trump administration has tried to coax other Sunni Arab countries to engage with Israel. The most powerful of those, Saudi Arabia, has signaled it is not ready. Bahrain, a small island state, is a close ally of Saudi Arabia and the site of the U.S. Navys regional headquarters. Riyadh in 2011 sent troops to Bahrain to help quell an uprising and, alongside Kuwait and the UAE, in 2018 offered Bahrain a $10 billion economic bailout. Fridays deal makes Bahrain the fourth Arab country to reach such an agreement with Israel since exchanging embassies with Egypt and Jordan decades ago. Last week, Bahrain said it would allow flights between Israel and the UAE to use its airspace. This followed a Saudi decision to allow an Israeli commercial airliner to fly over it on the way to the UAE. 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 Lagos State Police Command on Friday released the selection examination centre particularly for Lagos State indigenes, who applied for recruitment into the Regular Course 8 Intake into the Police Academy, Wudil, Kano. The Commands Public Relations Officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, an assistant superintendent of police, in a statement in Lagos, said the selection examination scheduled for Thursday, September 17, will hold at designated centres across the country. The ongoing recruitment exercise is for applicants who had completed their physical and credential screening, which ended on September 6 at the Police College, Ikeja. Mr Adejobi said that the Computer Based Test (CBT) will be held in Lagos Centre: JKK House, 229, Ikorodu Road, Ilupeju. Candidates are advised to check the list for the centre they have been assigned to, he said. The commands spokesperson advised candidates to be punctual and observe all COVID-19 protocols religiously as a violation of any of the protocols will not be tolerated. The Commissioner of Police (Lagos State), Hakeem Odumosu, urged applicants to be law-abiding and desist from any form of examination malpractice before, during, and after the examination. The police boss extends his best wishes to all candidates sitting the examination, Mr Adejobi said. At least 42 9/11 survivors and first responders have died from COVID-19, a new report has revealed. As reported by The City as part of their on-going Missing Them series, more than 1,300 others who lived near or responded to the World Trade Center have contracted coronavirus since the pandemic began. Experts have warned that the current death toll is actually likely much higher than the 42 listed by the World Trade Center Health Program, citing insufficient data. Among those killed by the disease is first responder Michael Field, who arrived at the World Trade Center on 9/11, moments after the first plane struck the North Tower at 8:46am. The FDNY emergency medical technician ended up working at Ground Zero site for the following nine months, digging through the rubble and dust as the desperate rescue operation soon turned into lengthy recovery effort. His wife, Stacey Field, said Michael later developed rheumatoid arthritis and pulmonary issues that she believes were triggered by his months-long work at the site. On April 8, Michael died from complications brought on by COVID-19. The 59-year-old, of Valley Stream, Long Island, left behind his wife and three adult children. Among those killed by the disease is first responder Michael Field, who arrived at the World Trade Center on 9/11, moments after the first plane struck the North Tower at 8:46am Firefighters walk towards one of the towers at the World Trade Center before it collapsed after a plane hit the building September 11, 2001 Stacey Field said her husband and other workers were told at the time that everything was fine down there as they searched through the wreckage of Ground Zero. Just seven days after the attack, then- federal Environmental Protection Agency head Christine Todd Whitman assured that the air surrounding the fallen towers is safe to breathe. A report conducted by the Office of Inspector General said two years later determined the EPA lacked sufficient evidence to make such an assertion. While 42 9/11 first responders or survivors are currently reported to have died from COVID-19 since the pandemic first began in early March, experts and WTC Health Program officials are warning that the toll is likely much higher. In April, reports suggested the World Trade Center Health Program (WTCHP) had not been adequately monitoring the pandemics impact on the 79,000 first responders and more than 26,000 survivors enlisted among its ranks. The group responded by tallying up those affected by the deadly disease. In the last six months, the group reported that more than 1,300 people who worked or lived close to Ground Zero and other 9/11 sites have contracted the coronavirus. The City reported that gathering a precise tally of infections and deaths has proved troublesome. At the beginning of the pandemic, its reported that only those who saw or contacted health care providers affiliated with WTCHP were counted. Spokesperson for the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, Stephanie Stevens, said the clinic later began calling members who fell into the CDCs high-risk category for complications from COVID-19. WTC Health Program clinics are now scheduling monitoring exams that they hope will help them learn the COVID-19 status of enrollees more accurately, she said. This data is collected passively, said Stevens. Each clinic took a different approach. Its currently unclear whether the death of Michael Field, who is one of 105,000 enrolled in the WTCHP, is reflected in the 42 deaths logged so far. The total number of people enrolled in the WTCHP is also reported to account for just 25 percent of those estimated to have been exposed to toxic dust both during and after the attacks. Of the members tracked, 55 percent have developed a 9/11-related illness and 2,955 had died before the pandemic. An additional 541 died between March 31, 2020 and June 30, 2020, according to the CDC. VICTIMS: (left to right) Richard Seaberry, 30-year FDNY veteran, died aged 63, March 23. Robert Cardona. Robert Cardona, a 19-year veteran of the New York City Police Department, survived Sept. 11-related cancer but died April 15, aged 41. Syed Rahman, an FDNY vet, died March 29, aged 59 In the last six months, the group reported that at least 1,300 people who worked or lived close to Ground Zero and other 9/11 sites have contracted the coronavirus In excess of 58,000 survivors and first responders in the program have reported suffering after effects, such as respiratory problems and pulmonary disease, in 9/11s wake In excess of 58,000 survivors and first responders in the program have reported suffering after effects, such as respiratory problems and pulmonary disease, in 9/11s wake. Survivors have also suffered a higher rate of cancer diagnoses than the general population, WTCHP statistics show. The underlying health conditions make them far more vulnerable to COVID-19, considering the virus' tendency to attack the lungs and compromised immune systems. Its believed that around 400,000 people were exposed to the toxic dust caused by the 9/11 attacks. Only around a quarter of this number is believed to have screened for related illness. The long term effects of the exposure to the toxic dust is still not fully understood even today. Michael Barasch, a lawyer whose firm represents more than 20,000 people who developed health conditions after 9/11, said his clients are uniquely vulnerable to the coronavirus. Whether you have a serious respiratory illness or chemo or radiation, that is going to make your immune system compromised, he told The City. They get coronavirus and they die. VICTIMS: (left right) John Patrick Whyte an FDNY veteran died aged 69 on May 12. Gregory Hodge was an emergency medical technician for the FDNY for 23-years, he died aged 59 on April 12. Robert Papik, a Long Island native who worked as a caterer, packed up his gear and headed to Ground Zero. He died on April 5, aged 52 VICTIMS: (left right) Albert "Al" Petrocelli, who served as Battalion Chief of Staten Island, died aged 73 on April 1. John Redd, FDNY dispatcher, died aged 63 on April 1. Brian Keith Saddler, an EMT, died on May 8 aged 60. Barasch told the outlet that at least 98 of his clients have died from coronavirus since March, all of whom had underlying respiratory illnesses caused by 9/11 or were cancer survivors. The City was able to identify 23 9/11 survivors who have since died of COVID-19, through public records, news reports and social media tributes. Barasch wouldn't confirm if any of those named were among his clientele. At least 11 of those found suffered from 9/11-related illnesses such as respiratory issues or cancer, the outlet said. Among the dead, is former NYPD detective and retired firefighter Anthony Iraci, 48, who developed a respiratory illness after being exposed to toxic dust while working the Ground Zero site. He passed away on March 27, family members confirmed to Staten Island Live. The doctors at RUMC told me how bad his lungs were, and they were waiting for the results of the coronavirus test, his wife Melissa said at the time. But even though I couldn't be with him, I know the doctors and nurses tried their hardest and I really feel a connection with them. I am so grateful for the care they gave him. A 27-year veteran of the Fire Departments Emergency Medical Services bureau, Idris Bey, also died of COVID-19 on April 22, in Coney Island. Bey served in the United States Marine Corps and as an E.M.T. responded to the attack on the World Trade Center on 9/11. He died aged 60. He was there during 9/11 when those buildings came down, Nehemiah Chandler, a close friend told the New York Times. His ambulance was totally destroyed and many people thought that he and his partner may have died, but he survived and continued to put his life at risk to help as best he could. A 27-year veteran of the Fire Departments Emergency Medical Services bureau, Idris Bey, also died of COVID-19 on April 22, in Coney Island. Bey served in the United States Marine Corps and as an E.M.T. responded to the attack on the World Trade Center on 9/11. He died aged 60. Queens resident and Cypriot national, Peter Panayiotou succumbed to the virus on April 5, leaving behind his wife and five children. He had been overseeing a renovations at his diner near to the WTC on 9/11 To ensure the safety of 9/11 survivors and first responders, the FDNY Commissioner has asked them to forgo remembrance events this year Queens resident and Cypriot national, Peter Panayiotou, had been overseeing renovation at his Gee Whiz diner a few blocks away from the World Trade Center when the planes struck the towers, his family said. Panayiotou survived the attack and managed to evacuate from downtown Manhattan, fleeing to Greenwich Street. But in 2009, he developed scleroderma in his lungs, which hardens muscle tissue. He underwent a successful lung transplant in 2013, but was required to take strong immunotherapy suppressants here-on after. His family said they began to panic in March when the coronavirus began ravaging its way across the country, knowing that the 65-year-olds health made him a high risk. He was taking precautions, at the beginning, when everything was going on, his daughter Margaret told The City. But he had to still be at the restaurant. It wasnt like we were having the quarantine yet. Panayiotou was diagnosed with coronavirus on March 23. Within days, he unable to breathe. He later succumbed to the virus on April 5, leaving behind his wife and five children. He was there [at Gee Whiz] 24 hours, he was there more than he was home. The TriBeCa community, his workers, the customers that came in, that was his family, his daughter added. He was a very caring person. He didnt deserve this. To ensure the safety of 9/11 survivors and first responders, the FDNY Commissioner has asked them to forgo remembrance events this year. Stacy Field told The City her husband always had a tough time participating in remembrance events. He just, he didnt want to go through more of it. He didnt want to, she said. A lot of the documentaries and, you know, like 9/11 he would never sit and watch. You know the people reading the names and everything? He couldnt deal with it. The (BJP) will contest the forthcoming polls on the agenda of development, said Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi on Thursday. He also exuded confidence that the NDA will again emerge victorious in the upcoming polls. "We will fight the Assembly on the issue of development. We have fought and won on this issue in the past and we will do it again," he said while speaking to ANI. In 2015, though the BJP won only 53 seats, the party had got the maximum share of votes polled. The party got 24.4 per cent and bagged a total of 92,85,574 votes in the polls. The total votes polled by the NDA amounted to about 1.3 crores. Bihar has 243 Assembly constituencies and in the State are due in October-November as the tenure of the current Assembly is scheduled to end on November 29. The Election Commission has not yet taken a final call on poll dates in Bihar 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.) US president defends his comments admitting that he had been warned about the danger of the virus. Reeling from the fallout of another crisis of his own creation, President Donald Trump was trying to move past revelations that he was determined to play down the threat of the coronavirus as he headed for a rally in the battleground state of Michigan on Thursday. But the president was facing renewed pushback from local leaders worried that his rallies are growing in size and flouting public health guidelines intended to halt the spread of the virus. This week, the state of Nevada became the first to scuttle Trumps plans for rallies initially set for Las Vegas and Reno. Michigans Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer has also raised alarms about Thursdays event. The back-and-forth comes as the White House is grappling with fallout from a new book by Washington Post journalist Bob Woodward. In a series of interviews with Woodward, Trump spoke frankly about the dangers posed by the virus even as he downplayed them publicly and admitted he had tried to mislead the public. The book has refocused attention on Trumps handling of the virus, a subject he has tried to shift away from less than two months before the November 3 presidential election. Bob Woodward had my quotes for many months. If he thought they were so bad or dangerous, why didnt he immediately report them in an effort to save lives? Didnt he have an obligation to do so? No, because he knew they were good and proper answers. Calm, no panic! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 10, 2020 In a tweet on Thursday morning, Trump defended his comments admitting that he had been warned about the danger of the virus. Bob Woodward had my quotes for many months, Trump wrote. If he thought they were so bad or dangerous, why didnt he immediately report them in an effort to save lives? Didnt he have an obligation to do so? No, because he knew they were good and proper answers. Calm, no panic! Woodward has defended his decision to hold off by saying he needed time to make sure Trumps private comments were true. I wanted to always play it down, Trump told Woodward on March 19, days after he declared a national emergency. I still like playing it down, because I dont want to create a panic. CNN on Wednesday broadcast interviews Woodward did with Trump for his new book, Rage, which is due to go on sale next Tuesday. The Republican president, assailed by his Democratic rival Joe Biden about the US government response to the coronavirus, played down the crisis for months as it took hold and spread across the country. In the March 19 conversation, Trump told Woodward that some startling facts had emerged showing the extent of those at risk: Its not just old, older. Young people too, plenty of young people. In taped conversations released along with the excerpts, Trump insisted he did not want to create panic. But his comments also raised fresh questions about how he has managed the defining crisis of his presidency, one that has killed about 190,000 Americans so far, with no end in sight. Journalist Bob Woodward sitting at the head table during the White House Correspondents Dinner in Washington, DC [File: Cliff Owen/AP Photo] The fact is, Im a cheerleader for this country. I love our country and I dont want people to be frightened, Trump said at the White House. Weve done well from any standard. According to the interviews, CNN and The Washington Post reported, Trump knew the virus was dangerous in early February. It goes through the air, Trump said in a recording of a February 7 interview with Woodward. Thats always tougher than the touch. You dont have to touch things. Right? But the air, you just breathe the air and thats how its passed. And so thats a very tricky one. Thats a very delicate one. Its also more deadly than even your strenuous flus. A week after that interview, Trump said at a White House briefing that the number of US coronavirus cases within a couple days is going to be down close to zero. Woodward in an interview with The Associated Press news agency defended himself from online critics who questioned why he kept Trumps comments to himself for months as a pandemic raged. He tells me this, and Im thinking, Wow, thats interesting, but is it true? Trump says things that dont check out, right? the news agency quoted Woodward as saying in a phone interview. Some fellow Republicans defended Trumps coronavirus response on Wednesday. His actions of shutting the economy down were the right actions, Senator Lindsey Graham said. And I think the tone during that time sort of spoke for itself. Woodward conducted 18 interviews with Trump for the book. Other revelations include Trumps disparaging remarks about US military leaders. He drew criticism this week following reports that he had denigrated fallen military personnel and veterans. In Woodwards book, an aide to former Defense Secretary Jim Mattis heard Trump say in a meeting, my f***ing generals are a bunch of p**sies because they cared more about alliances than trade deals. Mattis asked the aide to document the comment in an email, the Washington Post reported. Supporters cheer as President Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally at Smith Reynolds Airport, in Winston-Salem, North Carolina [AP Photo/Evan Vucci] Regarding the Black Lives Matter movement, Woodward asked Trump his views on the concept of white privilege and whether he felt isolated by that privilege from the plight of Black Americans. No. You really drank the Kool-Aid, didnt you? Just listen to you, Trump replied, according to media reports on the book. Wow. No, I dont feel that at all. Revelations from the Woodward book emerged just as Trumps campaign was beginning to feel that the virus was receding from public view. The president himself has been thumbing his nose at public health experts warning against the sort of large gatherings with few people wearing masks that his campaign has been staging around the country. For all of that, Trump has faced devastating revelations of his own creation before and survived them. They stretch back to his 2015 comments questioning the heroism of Senator John McCain, a decorated Vietnam prisoner of war, and the notorious Access Hollywood tape that emerged just before the 2016 election in which Trump described sexually assaulting women. The envoy says the move was "certainly not in the spirit of our friendly bilateral relations." Ambassador of Ukraine to Belarus, Ihor Kyzym, said his car was subjected by inspection by Belarusian border guards on his way from Ukraine to Belarus following consultations in Kyiv. "Last weekend I crossed the Ukrainian-Belarusian border and returned to my duties," Kyzym told TUT.by. "I must say that my entry into Belarus was, to put it mildly, not too friendly, as it started off with a provocation, as I see it." My personal car, which I drove as I was returning, was inspected by Belarusian border guards in violation of international law on diplomatic relations and certainly not in the spirit of our friendly bilateral relations. At the same time, no explanations were provided by the head of the border unit," Kyzym said. "But most importantly," he added, "I can't figure out what they sought to find in the trunk of my car? I don't want to exaggerate, but probably a bunch of weapons or, maybe, a militant in full gear. In any case, the incident was unpleasant for me. And as I understand it, the head of the Novaya Guta checkpoint was instructed to do so." The envoy added that the embassy had sent a relevant note to the Belarusian Foreign Ministry Article 50 of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations of 1963 says: Personal baggage accompanying consular officers and members of their families forming part of their households shall be exempt from inspection. It may be inspected only if there is serious reason to believe that it contains articles other than those referred to in subparagraph of paragraph 1 of this article, or articles the import or export of which is prohibited by the laws and regulations of the receiving State or which are subject to its quarantine laws and regulations. Such inspection shall be carried out in the presence of the consular officer or member of his family concerned. Ukraine-Belarus diplomatic row: background KITCHENER A Cambridge man was sentenced to six years in prison on Friday for his role in the homicide of Bradley Pogue. Pogue, 24, was shot to death during a drug rip-off on Nov. 19, 2018, outside Brierdale Plaza in Cambridge. Adam De-Gannes, 26, did not pull the trigger, according to an agreed statement of facts, but he arranged the robbery of a pound of marijuana from Pogue and was there when he was shot twice with a handgun. Pogue died of a gunshot to the head. De-Gannes pleaded guilty to manslaughter. A young person who cant be named under the Youth Criminal Justice Act is charged with second-degree murder. A trial date has not been set. Pogue, who had been acquaintances with De-Gannes for years, was the father of a two-year-old girl. As Pogues mother, Hayley Schultz, walked up to the witness stand to read a victim impact statement, she carried his daughters brown teddy bear that holds a heart-shaped urn containing some of Pogues ashes. She also carried a photo of her son. Adam, I want you to look at me the whole time, Schultz told De-Gannes, sitting in the prisoners box. De-Gannes followed her instruction. Its been 21 months since my Bradley was taken from this earth and every day since then Im reliving a nightmare over and over again, Schultz said. It is impossible to put into words the grief I experience losing a child in such a sudden and dramatic way. This grief is a grief like no other. She said the killing destroyed her life. My relationships have struggled, Schultz said. I pushed everyone away, including my other three sons. I just did not want to live anymore in a world without Bradley. I go days without sleeping and eating. I wake up in a soaked bed from night sweats. She said she has been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder I am consumed with sadness and despair. I just want my son back. All I live for now is Bradleys daughter. Schultz described her son as a brave, relentless, funny and thoughtful person. He had strong values and would do anything to protect his friends and family. She said De-Gannes parents are also grieving. After she finished reading her statement, she hugged the accuseds mother. Later, De-Gannes looked at Pogues mother and apologized. I would just like to say to Hayley, Im sorry for what happened to Brad. Some nights I ask God to forgive me I hope one day you forgive too. Sorry. De-Gannes, who was addicted to opioids, has 35 prior convictions dating back to 2010. He was on probation at the time of the homicide. Justice Stephen Glithero accepted a joint recommendation from Crown prosecutors Alyssa Bain and Vlatko Karadzic and defence lawyer Malcolm McRae for a six-year sentence. After getting extra credit for time served, De-Gannes has 34 more months to serve. For our free coronavirus pandemic coverage, learn more here. Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size From flattening the curve to donning and doffing at the door, decanting the elderly out of aged care or perhaps being caught out in a semi-intimate meeting after curfew just as the pandemic has uprooted so much of our lives, it has also infected our vocabulary. Epidemiologists have suddenly become the rock stars fronting our television screens, and their language is becoming the worlds as we weather the COVID-19 storm. But what are the theories behind the buzzwords? And what do they tell us about how the pandemic is playing out? Fixated on searching for COVID news? There's a word for it. Credit:Getty Images, pic treatment Kirsten Burghard Aerosols: COVID-19 spreads when people are close together, like the flu, mostly via water droplets tiny balls of mucus, salt and virus that can shoot out for at least a metre from the nose and mouth when a patient coughs or sneezes. Sometimes, they contaminate surfaces although theyre too heavy to survive long in the air. But the virus can also aerosolise in finer particles released just by breathing, talking or in the case of at least one unfortunate choir singing. As with cigarette smoke, the virus will break apart in the air outdoors but, as with smoke, it can also build up in enclosed areas without ventilation. How much you would need to inhale to get sick is still a live question (see viral load, below). But the WHO and other health authorities now agree aerosols play a bigger role in transmission than first thought. Antibodies: Successfully fighting off a virus generally leaves our body armed with proteins called antibodies ready for a potential round two. This tends to give us at least a period of immunity, if not always a lifelong shield common coronaviruses (see below) that cause colds, for example, go away for about a year before we become susceptible again. While immunity to COVID-19 itself is so far looking short-lived,scientists say that doesnt torpedo hopes for a vaccine (see below). Read more about COVID immunity, including the strange case of a man reinfected by a different strain of the virus, here. Asymptomatic: Someone infected with COVID-19 who displays no outward symptoms as opposed to a presymptomatic patient who is yet to develop symptoms. People are thought to shed more virus when they have symptoms but those without still contribute significantly to the spread of COVID-19, making the virus especially difficult to contain. Advertisement Bonk ban: Intimacy has suddenly become excruciatingly relevant to authorities as they grapple with a virus that spreads through close contact. During Australias first shutdown in March, Victorians were first advised not to visit their romantic partner if they didnt live together a decree that was quickly dubbed a bonk ban online and then swiftly reversed by Chief Health Officer, Professor Brett Sutton (see CHOttie, below). Bubble buddy: To combat the loneliness epidemic under lockdowns in countries such as Australia and New Zealand, those living alone can nominate one person to visit. CHOttie: An affectionate term for Victorias Chief Health Officer, Brett Sutton. The CHO has extensive experience in disease control and has earned praise for his handling of the pandemic, but his near-daily media briefings have also attracted a somewhat amorous fan base, sometimes called "Suttonettes", and even inspired a line of handmade merchandise. Close contact: When someone shares an enclosed space with an infected person for a significant period (about two hours, according to authorities) or comes close enough to fall in range of their bodily fluids such as droplets (considered at least 15 minutes of face-to-face conversation). All such close contacts of a case must also self-isolate away from others for 14 days. CMO: The Chief Medical Officer (or Chief Health Officer) of a state, territory or country presides over a panel of other medical experts to give formal advice to governments. Under emergency laws rolled out in each Australian jurisdiction, the CMO has the power to make enforceable public health directions such as bans on public gatherings or stay-at-home orders. Australia's acting CMO is epidemiologist (see below) Paul Kelly. Advertisement Community transmission: Authorities are always nervous when the virus is spreading locally (as opposed to being imported from overseas travellers arriving already infected). But community transmission refers to the mystery cases in an area where health officials cant find a clear source. This suggests a virus is spreading unchecked. Victorias second wave of COVID-19 has become much bigger than its first, for example, as the virus took hold locally and community transmission climbed. Loading Comorbidity: When a patient suffers from one or more illnesses on top of a primary condition. COVID-19 patients with heart disease, for example, are at greater risk from the infection as it puts pressure on their heart. Contact tracing: For every case of COVID-19, disease detectives are retracing the infected person's steps to track down and isolate close contacts. The first deadly coronavirus to emerge in the modern era, SARS, was stamped out through aggressive case detection and isolation in just nine months but it was also less infectious than COVID, spreading to less than 30 countries. Contact tracing helped stop outbreaks spawned all over Australia by the release of infected passengers from the Ruby Princess cruise ship in NSW, for example, but teams can be overwhelmed quickly once a virus begins spreading fast locally, as has been seen overseas in the US, Europe and, to some extent, Melbourne. Loading Coronavirus: Coronaviruses are a family of viruses causing respiratory illness mostly found in animals (so named for their crown shape, not the beer). Only six have previously been found in humans four mild strains that cause the common cold and two dangerous ones known as SARS and MERS, which have jumped into humans more recently. This new kind of rona, known officially as SARS-CoV-2 (or SARS 2 among scientists), brings that tally to seven, after it jumped across to humans from an animal in Wuhan, China in late 2019 (see zoonotic, below). The illness it causes is called COVID-19 less deadly but much more contagious than SARS or MERS. Coronarecession: The economic slump caused by the pandemic. Advertisement Coronaspeck: All that weight youve gained during lockdown? The Germans have a word for it. It comes from the word kummerspeck, which translates to grief bacon and refers to the excess fat one piles on due to overeating, in times of sorrow. Sometimes also called The COVID 19 (kilos). Coronials: If there's a baby boom from all our time spent at home during the pandemic, there's already a popular name for the new cohort. (And the teenagers they'll become? Quaranteens.) Covidiot: When a person behaves in a way that contravenes the current health and safety guidelines, such as refusing to wash their hands, wear a mask or maintain social distancing, they now have their very own insult, a combination of COVID-19 and idiot. Covid toes: A strange symptom of COVID-19 in which a small number of patients report red, swollen toes, almost like chilblains, possibly caused by blood vessel damage and small blood clots from the infection. Loading Cytokine storm: Faced with a new pathogen, the bodys immune system will sometimes overreact. As proteins known as cytokines call in more and more immune cells to attack the virus, the lungs can become collateral damage, filling with fluid and cellular debris.Read more about what COVID does to the body here. Decanting: More often done to wine, decanting is used by health officials to describe moving aged care residents who test positive for COVID-19 into hospital. In NSW in particular, an initial reluctance by providers and authorities to hospitalise residents helped fuel deadly outbreaks in homes. Advertisement Deep cleaning: Theres clean and theres COVID clean. As well as scrubbing down workplaces and public spaces more often, the new coronavirus rules mean the scenes of outbreaks need to be properly decontaminated. A deep clean can involve fogging, steaming or a two-step wipe down with detergent and disinfectant. Read more here. Doomscrolling: The inability to tear your eyes away from your phone or your computer, as you scroll through the latest social media and news posts to catch up on COVID news. Loading Donning and doffing: The surprisingly complex art of putting on and removing PPE safely, including disposing of used, contaminated items. Elbow bumping: Instead of shaking our germy, plague-carrying hands, experts suggest we bump elbows or tap feet to greet people. Some people are just opting for a solemn nod, other for a manic wave. Elimination: Bringing in the toughest social distancing measures early and keeping them in force until there are zero new infections caught locally. This go hard, go early approach worked during SARS and has mostly kept China free of local spread of COVID-19 since its unprecedented lockdowns in early 2020. NZ also eliminated local transmission for more than 100 days before the virus slipped back through in August. Eliminating COVID on the home front means internal economies can reopen faster and for longer, proponents say, avoiding the stop-start yo-yoing of a less strict but likely longer suppression strategy (below). But, as NZ learnt, it doesn't mean the virus is gone for good. Australia has eliminated measles right now, for example, but because it still pops up so often overseas, it is not yet near eradication (global extinction). A disease as contagious as COVID-19 is unlikely to disappear altogether, even with a vaccine. Former NZ prime minister Helen Clark, who now heads an international inquiry into COVID-19, notes the strategy really means "zero tolerance not zero virus". But critics say the costs of elimination are too high when success is so difficult to maintain and could lead to a false sense of security. The Victorian government's case number targets to ease restrictions are strict but it says they are still in the suppression playbook, not elimination. Read more about elimination here. Epidemiology: The study of diseases, their trends and how to control them. Advertisement Of seeing the paper I wanted to buy through the plastic window. Of feeling the coins rotate in my hand before I shoved them into the slot until the locking mechanism released. Of feeling the resistance of the spring mechanism as I tugged the door open and held it with one hand while sliding a paper off the top of the stack with the other. Of hearing the authoritative chunk of the door as it slammed back into place. FREELAND, MI -- President Donald Trump lavished praise on Michigan U.S. Senate candidate John James during a Thursday rally, offering James his total and complete endorsement. Michigan Democrats have criticized James, a Farmington Hills businessman making his second run for Senate, for his support for the president throughout the campaign. James spoke before Trump at the MBS International Airport in Freeland, lauding the presidents work to improve trade deals and hold China accountable. Trump recognized James early on in his speech. Hello, John James. I see you, handsome guy," Trump said. "Get out and vote for John. Trump said James, a Farmington Hills businessman and retired U.S. Army helicopter pilot, has an impressive resume. James ran for Senate in 2018 and though he lost, the experience turned him into one of the Republican Partys star candidates in 2020. The president said James met with him before launching his Senate campaign last year. While Trump recommended James take a less challenging path to Congress by pursuing a U.S. House seat, he said James felt he could do more in good in the U.S. Senate. It took a lot of guts, Trump said. John, I am with you. You have my total and complete endorsement. You have everything I can do, everything I can do we will do for you and I really believe youre going to make it. The president also took a moment to criticize James' opponent, U.S. Sen. Gary Peters, D-Bloomfield Township. Peters is seeking a second six-year term this year. This guy Peters -- Peters right? Who is this guy Peters? Nobody knows him. He doesnt do anything, Trump said. The Peters campaign swiftly sent out a statement highlighting the senators record. No Democratic Senator has passed and enacted more laws during the Trump administration than U.S. Senator Gary Peters," the campaign statement said. "From working to expand apprenticeship opportunities for our veterans, saving taxpayers millions, supporting our small businesses and protecting our food supply and agricultural communities -- Gary Peters is effective, bipartisan, and gets things done for Michigan. The Michigan Democratic Party sent a billboard truck to the Freeland rally that said Just like Trump, John James broke his promises to Michigan. READ MORE ON MLIVE: President Donald Trump says hes running for reelection to keep jobs in Michigan Donald Trump celebrates Michigan rally turnout, slams Bidens jobs record Donald Trumps Michigan rally draws estimated 5,500 supporters to crowded aircraft hangar Joe Biden meets with Detroit-area steelworkers during campaign swing through Michigan Colombian police arrested seven traffickers accused of recruiting at least 30 victims. Poor and vulnerable women were sent to work in Guangdong nightclubs with offers of well-paid modelling jobs. Bogota (AsiaNews/Agencies) Colombian police broke up a sex trafficking ring that recruited young women in Colombia and forced them into prostitution in China. Seven accused traffickers were taken into custody and charged with luring and sexually exploiting at least 30 Colombian women and migrants who were sent to work in nightclubs in the Chinese province of Guangdong. Colombian authorities reported that the victims were poor and vulnerable women. They were recruited via social media and WhatsApp messaging with offers of well-paid work as models in China by traffickers who staged fake photo shoots in Colombia before sending them abroad, authorities said. At these places, the young women were allegedly held against their will, Colombias attorney generals office said in a statement. Their passports and personal documents were taken away. The traffickers imposed debts on them of US$ 14,000, which they were forced to pay off by making US$ 600 a day in sex work, the top prosecutor said. Five of those arrested were women who organised travel and visas for the victims who passed through Madrid and Amsterdam before they reached Beijing. In Latin America, the sexual exploitation of women and girls remains the most common form of human trafficking. Whilst most of the victims in Latin America are trafficked within the region, this case points to China as the primary destination for Colombian women forced abroad. In a similar case in 2017, Colombian authorities broke up a criminal ring that trafficked about 150 women forced into prostitution in China. The group also used phoney job offers and made the women pay off higher debts of US$ 25,000 each. Under Colombias anti-human trafficking law, convicted traffickers can be jailed for up to 23 years. Last year, Colombian authorities convicted 19 human traffickers, down from 26 in 2018, the US State Department reported. Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 1 anno fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili. Market Research Future (MRFR), in its newly published research report, asserts that the global automotive collision avoidance system market is booming and expected to grow exponentially over the review period, recording a substantial market valuation and a healthy 8% CAGR in the forecast period. Drivers and Restraints The rising awareness among consumers and original equipment manufacturers will directly impact the market and expand the market value of the global market for the automotive collision avoidance system. Favorable government policies, such as the advanced car assessment program in the U.S., will play a crucial role in the advancement of the global automotive collision avoidance system market. An increase in the sales of the luxury vehicle will enhance the demand for the innovative safety features such as collision avoidance system in automobiles. This will lead to the growth of the automotive collision avoidance system market during the forecast period. An increase in the purchasing power and disposable income of the consumers increases the sales of the luxury automobile, which further increases the demand for safety systems such as the collision avoidance system over the forecast period. ALSO READ: https://www.marketwatch.com/press-release/cng-vehicles-market-2020-size-share-trends-segmentation-key-players-applications-demand-opportunity-global-forecast-to-2025-2020-08-27?mod=mw_quote_news Segmental Analysis The global market for automotive collision avoidance system is segmented on the basis of process type, vehicle type, sales channel, and region. On the basis of type, the market for automotive collision avoidance system has been divided into blind-spot detection, adaptive cruise control, autonomous emergency braking, and lane departure warning. Based on the technology, the market has been segmented into radar, LIDAR, and camera. On the basis of the sales channel, the market has been bifurcated into OEM and aftermarket. On the basis of vehicle type, the automotive collision avoidance system market has been segregated into a commercial vehicle, passenger car, and electric vehicle. Regional Analysis The geographical analysis of the global market has been conducted in four major regions, including the Asia Pacific, North America, Europe, and the rest of the world (Latin America, the Middle East, and Africa). The global market for automotive collision avoidance system in Europe is slated to lead the market in terms of value and volume. In Europe, Germany is poised to hold the highest growth rate in 2017. Moreover, there is a rapid rise in sales of a luxury vehicle in Europe, and an increase in the need for the deployment of a safety system will raise the demand for automotive collision avoidance systems in cars. Additionally, stringent government regulations concerning vehicle safety will drive the demand for enhanced safety systems such as collision avoidance systems including consumers and OE market players. North America is poised to grow at a substantial CAGR during the assessment period. In North America, increasing participation of the automobile associations and government of the U.S. and Canada in the development of the automotive collision avoidance system will significantly add to the market growth in terms of value and volume. An increase in government regulation and programs such as the advanced car assessment program in the U.S. will fuel the demand for the automotive collision avoidance system during the review period. Asia-Pacific is expected to play a significant role in increasing the presence of the automotive collision avoidance system owing to the presence of China, Japan, and India. An increase in the presence of manufacturers in the Asia-Pacific will reduce the high cost of the product and influence the sales of the automotive collision avoidance system over the review period. The rest of the world segment that consists of the Middle East & Africa and South America, is poised to generate the highest revenue and exhibit the highest CAGR in 2017 and over the forecast period. Competitive Analysis The major market players operating in the global market as identified by MRFR are Robert Bosch GmbH (Germany), Aptiv Plc (Republic of Ireland), General Electric Company (US), and Honeywell International, Inc. (US)., Hexagon AB (Sweden), Siemens AG (Germany), Denso Corporation (Japan), Alstom SA (France), Rockwell Collins, Inc. (US), and are among others. FOR MORE DETAILS https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/automotive-collision-avoidance-system-market-6773 Karnataka: Beyond the blue waters by Udbhavi Balakrishna September 11,2020 | Source: NSOJ The Mogaveera is a traditional fishing community, the members of which involve themselves in marine activities in and around coastal Karnataka, mainly the coasts of Mangalore and Udupi. Having practised the trade for many decades, many elders in these families continue to practise this risky profession even though many of the younger populations have found better prospects to move on to. How has their trade been affected, especially during these months, with the initial lockdown and the weather conditions along the coast now? The lockdown didnt affect me as much; some of us had to maintain a distance but our work continued regardless, said Yogish, a fisherman who has been fishing for over 30 years. He is seated just opposite the Chitrapura Devi temple, with few other men from the same community. There is a look of resignation in his eyes. I know that some of my colleagues and I received some aid from private parties, some from members of the Sangha, but many people didn't." The stretch of sea at Chitrapura has choppy waters, not very favourable for fishing boats to set sail now, he said. These months, they have had to begin and end their sailing from the nearby harbour and local port of NMPT (New Mangalore Port Trust). The days when the weather isnt favourable, theyd know. We observe the waves and know if it is a good idea to set sail. We also keep an eye on the weather updates and any high tide alerts that we get from local authorities, said Kunal, another fisherman. But the situation hasn't been easy. Rates have decreased considerably since the pandemic broke out, with fewer people venturing to markets to buy fish, he said. "We have to follow set timings to set sail and sell our catch for the day or people will not show up and we will lose whatever meagre earnings we get," he said. "It is a risky job, but we have no choice," he added, rueful. The beach is dotted with many small huts with terracotta roof tiles, standing in stark contrast to some wealthier sea-front dwellings and apartments. Walking on the beach, one cannot miss signs of the previous nights tide, with swash marks as close as few feet from the doorsteps of several houses. This means, undoubtedly, that water levels have been on the rise. Yet, relocation to higher ground would mean leaving behind ancestral homes and community connect. Our profession is linked to our lives, it is part of who we are. Where we live, the job asked of us entail risks of course, but we need to continue doing it despite those risks because this is all most of us know, said Kunal. Deep-sea fishing was banned from March 20 due to the lockdown. And although traditional fishing resumed in April, there have been restrictions put in place. Yet the fishermen and women who sell fish in markets have had to work non-stop, only allowing themselves to rest when the weather conditions werent favourable for work or there wasnt much to sell that day. Looking for alternatives isn't an option, said one of the women. "We have been doing this for as long as we remember, this is what we are known for. How can we just leave it because of what is happening now?" one of the women declared while arranging fish in concentric circles in baskets. One such basket weighs about 25 kilograms and is priced at about ?2500, although market fares change depending on the conditions. When demand is high, we can hope to earn more, but now, even getting most of our catch sold is a task, they remarked, in unison. In another location nearby, a similar sorting of fishes is taking place, only this time, these women are packing fish to take them to the markets the next day. We have paid the fishermen rupees 2700 for these baskets. When selling them tomorrow we need to set prices based on demand to ensure that we get minimal profits, otherwise, what is the point? said Yashoda, a fisherwoman involved in selling fishes. These baskets will make their way to the citys famous fish markets at State Bank via tempos to be sold the next day. In April, Yashpal Suvarna, Chairman of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi District Co-operative Fish Marketing Federation, had urged the state and central governments to provide compensation and benefits to the fishing community. However, it comes as a surprise to the fishermen and women, when asked about compensation and aid, for everyone echoes similar statements: we got nothing from the government, no aid, no security, no easing of the financial burden. We just needed to continue our work and hope for better returns. He was listed earlier this week but it wasn't official until Friday morning. Andy McCarthy has now been cleared to drive in Canada and will make his 2020 debut north of the border at Woodbine Mohawk Park this weekend. The New Jersey-based reinsman, who was last seen on Canadian soil winning four Breeders Crown Finals last October, is listed on seven horses tonight (Sept. 11) at Mohawk and another six on Saturday (Sept. 12). One of the horses McCarthy will be driving on Friday is 2020 Hambletonian winner Ramona Hill, competing in one of two $88,890+ Simcoe Stakes divisions for three-year-old trotting fillies. "Ramona Hill is a horse that I will sacrifice a lot for," McCarthy told Trot Insider on Friday morning. "She's the one I'm here for. It is a huge sacrifice to be away from my family for this long; it's been tough on me already, I couldn't imagine it getting any easier. Thank God for FaceTime, I can keep in touch a bit that way." McCarthy will be the second U.S.-based driver to head to Canada for the Grand Circuit stakes at Mohawk. Yannick Gingras made the trek north in late August and is staying in Ontario for the time being. McCarthy is planning to drive in Canada this weekend and next, but returning stateside for the Kentucky Sires Stakes Final on Sept. 20. "I'll race here this weekend and the following weekend, and then I'll leave Saturday night for the Kentucky Sires Stakes finals and then more than likely -- not for sure -- I'll turn back around and come back for the card with the Mohawk Million and the Metro. "I'm considered a cross-border worker and I've got a cross border working exemption," said McCarthy. "I self-isolate until I get a negative COVID test, and then after I get my negative COVID test I have my quarantine exemption and my negative COVID test so that allows me to go to the racetrack. McCarthy noted that he's followed the federal guidelines to the letter, going above and beyond what's required from someone in his position. "Those are the protocols in place by the federal government, but I did self-quarantine until I got my negative COVID test. I had the COVID test done before I got to the border, I got the results on Saturday, I was negative in the U.S. and then I got another COVID test when I got here. I wasn't under any instruction that I needed to self-quarantine, I just did it out of respect. "I crossed the border on Monday night and got an exemption on Monday night. I got my COVID test done Tuesday morning and finally got the results on Friday morning. I've been self-isolating until I got the COVID results." Noting that the process to get clearance to drive in Canada was neither simple nor smooth, McCarthy is quick to stress that horses like Ramona Hill make the arduous process a very small price to pay. He's coming off a career year in 2019 with $8.3 million in earnings -- ninth best in North America. He's currently seventh in North America with $3,858,353 in purses and fifth best stateside. "I'm in a terrific spot in my career right now, I'm very fortunate to be the guy that they ask to drive these types of horses. I couldn't be happier and more thankful for the position I'm in right now. It's been a stressful three days but it's a great problem to have." On World Suicide Prevention Day, actor Karanvir Bohra announced that hell be starting an initiative to spread awareness. However, in his announcement tweet, he made a big blunder. Instead of tagging his close friend Kushal Punjabi, who died by suicide last year, he tagged actor Kushal Tandon. Tandon was swift to correct Karanvir. Karanvir had tweeted, And Im glad that @reenajabran and I started on day like today #SuicidePreventionDay . I loved #KushalTandon so much. Wud like to mention #chetanhansraj & @MeetBrosHarmeet too,v thought of starting something like this & each of us r doing r bit4 a cause like #SuicideAwareness (sic)." Responding to his tweet, Tandon wrote, main zinda hoon I am not dead," followed by an inverted smiling emoji. main zinda hoon I am not dead https://t.co/F4fM5K76PJ KUSHAL TANDON (@KushalT2803) September 10, 2020 The actor was quick to apologise too. Sorry not #KushalTandon but #kushalpunjabi ..typo (sic)," read Karanvirs tweet. Sorry sorry bro, it was a typoI love you too and you know thatThat @nikitindheer is the chingari, Im sure he sent it to you https://t.co/490goYvabR Karanvir Bohra (@KVBohra) September 10, 2020 Kushal didnt stop at Karanvir apology. Pulling his leg, he tweeted: Dont drink more u have a baby comming on ur way (sic)." Saaale Karanvir Bohra (@KVBohra) September 10, 2020 Kushal Punjabi, who has appeared in several films and television shows, died by suicide last year in December. The late actor is survived by his estranged wife Audrey Dolhen and son, Kian. He was facing family issues post his separation with Audrey. A suicide note written in English was found by the police. The suicide note stated that no one is responsible for his death. He has also mentioned about the distribution of his property among his family in the suicide note. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-12 01:00:58|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close XIAMEN, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) - The 2020 China International Fair for Investment & Trade (CIFIT) and the Belt and Road Investment Congress concluded on Friday in Xiamen with total agreed investments of more than 800 billion yuan (about 117 billion U.S. dollars). The four-day event attracted 1,018 business groups seeking cooperation and investment opportunities. More than 2,300 cooperation agreements were signed at this year's CIFIT, which is held annually in Xiamen, east China's Fujian Province. Covering an area of 110,000 square meters and with two exhibition pavilions promoting investment and industry, the physical exhibition area attracted business people from 42 countries and regions, including Germany, Britain, and Japan. With the aid of cloud services from China's tech giant Alibaba, an online fair was also held, with over 16,000 investment promotion projects posted online, and 18 video conferences held during the fair. The CIFIT takes place every September in Xiamen and aims to promote two-way trade and investment between China and the rest of the world. BOOST FOR BRI ECONOMIES The CIFIT has provided a much-needed impetus for economies along the Belt and Road against the backdrop of COVID-19. The Port of Gdansk, Poland's biggest seaport, was received as the 183rd member of the Silk Road Maritime during the fair. Jointly initiated by the Xiamen Port Holding Group and dozens of shipping companies from home and abroad, the shipping consortium is aimed at boosting trade links among BRI countries and regions. "Our port is the port of the Belt and Road. We are the last stop of the sea route from China to Europe, and Poland is the gate to the EU for China's freight trains," said Mateusz Dawidowski, the chief representative of the port's China representative office. "We are more than happy to be part of the alliance, and we hope to increase our role in it." Dawidowski said the port was recovering from the shockwave of the pandemic, which so far has led to a 7-percent decline in throughput in the first half of this year, and it pinned high expectations on its cooperation with China to boost recovery. "Our companies import a lot from China and export a lot to China. So the Silk Road Maritime will accelerate our recovery," he said. "We do hope that at the end of this year we will reach the same level as last year." A long-time partner of Xiamen port, the shipping giant Maersk has 13 shipping services to and from Xiamen every week. "We have seen a stronger than expected recovery in the Chinese economy," said Jens Eskelund, managing director of Maersk China Ltd., noting that the company has even seen good growth during the pandemic, thanks to its partnership with China. Mbelwa Kairuki, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United Republic of Tanzania, said the pandemic harmed the global economy, but in Tanzania, infrastructure projects like roads and airports under construction were not affected due to China's anti-epidemic measures. "China is an engine of the global economy. International events like this enable the whole world to engage more with each other. It is through cooperation that we can overcome the difficulties of the economic downturn." Enditem The International Business Awards are the world's premier business awards program. All individuals and organizations worldwide public and private, for-profit and non-profit, large and small - are eligible to submit nominations. The 2020 IBAs received entries from organizations in 63 nations and territories. The IBAs honor accomplishments in all aspects of professional life and this year over 3,800 nominations were submitted. "We are thrilled to win the Gold Stevie Award and we thank all of our partners on both sides of the Atlantic who contributed to the success of our website, which was launched in June 2020. Apparently, we captured the essence of Berlin with all of our design choices," said Kristina L. Garcia, Managing Director, Berlin Business Office. "We are able to increase the visibility of our U.S. office and help executives and entrepreneurs make well-informed investment decisions." BerlinBusinessOffice.com showcases the capital's key industries, strategic advantages, talent, news & events, and coordinates. Each webpage incorporates vibrant images of Berlin's business, tech, science, and creative communities. A video on the homepage features the Brandenburg Gate, a national symbol of peace and unity. Clean, contemporary fonts represent Berlin's tech scene stylistically. Feedback from the judges include: "As a non-profit organization I really like the way the main home page provides the 10,000-foot view without having to click. The call to actions for the prospective investor leads the user down various paths to very informatively designed brochures that can give immediate answers as to why Berlin may be a fantastic investor destination" and "The concept of creating a website with the purpose of bringing economic relationships between countries from BerlinBusinessOffice.com is brilliant." BBO was established by the Berlin Senate for Economics, Energy and Public Enterprises in September 2019. Services include information on Berlin's sectors, investment and cooperation opportunities, introductions to companies, government agencies and industry associations. Working to maximize Berlin's economic prosperity and global competitiveness, the office works to strengthen existing economic relations between Berlin and the United States. Bernd Schlueter, Project Manager Berlin Business Office, New York, NY [email protected] Tel: +1 646-537-7660 SOURCE Berlin Business Office Related Links https://www.berlin.de East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff's Office detectives are searching for a homicide suspect. Dominik Johnson, 22, is wanted on counts of first-degree murder and illegal use of a weapon in an Aug. 21 homicide that took place in the 9700 block of Jefferson Highway in Baton Rouge, according to spokesperson Casey Rayborn Hicks. +3 Family devastated after 20-year-old killed on Jefferson near Bluebonnet: 'That's just an execution' More than a week after her little brother was gunned down outside an apartment complex on Jefferson Highway, Jordan LaCombe can't stop thinkin The shooting killed 20-year-old Logan LaCombe. One arrest was made in August: Joshua Juvon Johnson, 27, of LaPlace. Top stories in Baton Rouge in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up The suspects had come to the Baton Rouge apartment complex to buy narcotics from LaCombe, Hicks said. She said Johnson has ties to Mississippi, New Orleans and Cincinnati. He should be considered armed and dangerous, she added. EBRSO is requesting that if anyone has information on Johnson, or his whereabouts, to call the Homicide Division at 225-772-7041. Editor's Note: This story previously listed a third suspect who was named by police. After further investigation, detectives say the woman was not at the scene, so her warrant has been recalled and her name has been removed from the story. Planned hospitalizations in Kyiv to be banned from Monday, due to entry into 'orange' zone In Kyiv, due to the entry into the "orange zone" of epidemiological danger, planned hospitalizations in medical institutions will be banned for 14 days from Monday. This is provided by the restrictions for the administrative and territorial units that entered the "orange" zone. The Health Department of Kyiv City State Administration told Interfax-Ukraine that the department will submit relevant letters to medical institutions. "Today this issue will be announced by the director of the department at an online meeting with the leadership of hospitals," the health department said. As reported, due to the increase in the number of patients with coronavirus (COVID-19) disease, Kyiv entered the "orange" zone of epidemiological danger, therefore, a number of restrictions will again be introduced in the Ukrainian capital from September 14. The dining room at Anejo Philly in Northern Liberties, in a preopening configuration. The restaurant opened in August with outdoor dining along Second Street. Read more Philadelphia loosened restrictions on outdoor gatherings, but the city will not be ready to increase its indoor restaurant seating limit when the rest of the state takes that step this month, Health Commissioner Thomas Farley announced Thursday. Two days after indoor dining reopened in Philadelphia, Farley said Sept. 21 the date restrictions loosen statewide was too soon to allow city restaurants to operate at 50% of capacity indoors. The city is not tracking how many restaurants have resumed indoor dining since Tuesday. City officials will look into easing capacity requirements for restaurants in October if the number of new coronavirus cases continues to decrease and if the states capacity increase doesnt lead to outbreaks elsewhere, Farley said. Gov. Tom Wolf announced Tuesday that restaurants statewide can increase occupancy on Sept. 21 if they complete an online safety pledge. READ MORE: Pennsylvania raises the occupancy limit for restaurants statewide starting Sept. 21 On Monday, the citys limit on outdoor gatherings will increase from 50 people to 150. All gatherings create some risk of spread, but if people want to gather, I want to encourage them to gather outside rather than inside, he said. The balancing act between normal life and pandemic shutdown took on a decidedly fall flavor Thursday. New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy visited masked, distanced children in newly opened classrooms; Farley cautioned against tailgating before the Eagles start their season this weekend, saying that getting together with people in a crowd over snacks is high-risk; and conversations about Halloween began. Murphy said Halloween was still on in New Jersey for now, telling NJ Advance Media on Wednesday that the state will come up with protocols for the evening, though he did not have details. Obviously, its not going to be a normal Halloween, Murphy said. Were going to have to do things very carefully. Im sure were going to have protocols that well come to. And God willing, the virus stays under control. Pennsylvania hasnt made any announcements about Halloween, and Philadelphia health officials expect to release guidance about how to celebrate safely as the date gets closer. It would probably be impossible to ban or cancel it. But its important to note that whatever happens on Halloween, it will probably be much different than what were used to seeing, a spokesperson for the Health Department said. On Thursday, Pennsylvania reported 587 new cases of the virus and 15 deaths. New Jersey reported 507 new cases and five newly confirmed deaths. Pennsylvania is still experiencing an increase in the number of cases among younger age groups. In Southeastern Pennsylvania, nearly 35% of new cases this month have occurred among people 19 to 24, compared with 5% of cases in April and about 17% in July. Philadelphia announced 77 new confirmed cases of the coronavirus Thursday, which Farley called better news. Farley said the outbreak at Temple University appears to be subsiding. Contact tracing helped contain the spread, he said. After restaurants in the rest of Pennsylvania increase indoor occupancy to 50% of capacity, Farley said, Philadelphia officials will watch to see how it goes. As the city thats been hit hardest by the epidemic in the past, weve said we will be more restrictive than the state when we think its necessary to protect Philadelphia residents, and we think thats the case now, Farley said. Some restaurant owners were not surprised that the city planned to hold off on following the states guidelines and said occupancy was just one of several issues hurting their businesses. Others were frustrated by Farleys announcement, saying they believed having more customers indoors would be safe, particularly given measures theyve undertaken. Were in survival mode, said Ken Sze, owner of Tuna Bar, saying sales are down 75%. He noted that increasing indoor occupancy would help restaurants when the weather was bad like it was Thursday afternoon, as spotted lanternflies swarmed near his restaurant and a storm approached. Jill Weber, who owns Jet Wine Bar, Cafe Ynez and Rex 1516, was not surprised by Farleys announcement; she expects Philadelphia to generally stay a step behind the state in reopening. She and Erin Wallace, owner of Devils Den, each said they were more troubled by the citys 10 p.m. outdoor dining curfew than the limit on indoor occupancy. (In addition, under Wolfs new guidelines, alcohol sales statewide will be banned after 10 p.m. starting Sept. 21.) Im losing money every day," said Wallace, who estimates she is making about 20% of the sales she used to. "The new way is not How do I make money? Its about, How do I lose the least amount of money and keep from bleeding out until we find a vaccine and I can open at a higher rate? As business owners hurt, Mayor Jim Kenney released a report Thursday laying out recovery plans and vowed to focus on racial equity. The pandemic has disproportionately affected people of color and Black people in particular are disproportionately dying of the virus while exacerbating existing racial inequities in health care and other sectors. The report includes several initiatives that were underway before the pandemic or created to respond to it, such as rental-assistance and small-business grant programs. The city also has plans to focus on workforce development for residents of color as well as create a fund for entrepreneurs of color. Said Kenney, "This will be a priority for us moving forward. Staff writer Rob Tornoe contributed to this article. By Yimou Lee and Ben Blanchard TAIPEI (Reuters) - Taiwan denounced China on Thursday over large-scale air and naval drills off its southwestern coast, calling them a serious provocation and a threat to international air traffic. It urged Beijing to rein in its armed forces. By Yimou Lee and Ben Blanchard TAIPEI (Reuters) - Taiwan denounced China on Thursday over large-scale air and naval drills off its southwestern coast, calling them a serious provocation and a threat to international air traffic. It urged Beijing to rein in its armed forces. China, which claims democratic Taiwan as its own, has stepped up military exercises near the island, in what Taipei views as intimidation to force it to accept Chinese rule. Yeh Kuo-hui, from Taiwan's Defence Ministry's operations and planning department, told a hastily arranged news conference that China's intentions could not be predicted. "We must make all preparations for war readiness," Yeh said, following a news briefing from senior officers describing the Chinese activities over the last two days, and showing a map of Chinese movements. The drills took place in Taiwan's air defence identification zone, between mainland Taiwan and the Taiwan-controlled Pratas Islands, the ministry said. Taiwan says China sent advanced Su-30 and J-10 fighters to participate. Taiwan Deputy Defence Minister Chang Che-ping said the drills threatened regional stability and endangered international aviation. "We once again say, do not underestimate the military's determination to defend our home. We are confident and capable of defending the country," Chang said. Taiwan's Foreign Ministry said the government had shared "information related to China's threat to key friendly nations", a likely reference to the United States, Taiwan's main arms supplier and most important international backer. The Pentagon said it was closely monitoring the military exercise. "The PLA activities in question are merely the latest in a string of destabilizing PLA actions aimed at both Taiwan and the broader region intended to intimidate and which increase the risk of miscalculation," the Pentagon statement said, using an acronym for China's People's Liberation Army. China's Defence Ministry did not respond to a request for comment. China has held numerous military exercises up and down its coast and near the island in recent weeks. Taiwan this week has been carrying out live-fire weapons tests off its southeast and eastern coast. Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen has warned of a rising risk of accidental conflict, saying communication must be maintained to cut the risk of miscalculation. (Reporting By Yimou Lee and Ben Blanchard; Editing by Michael Perry, Timothy Heritage and Leslie Adler) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. Researchers have said that the UK guidance on preventing severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) from being imported via air travel does prevent a significant proportion of infectious travelers from putting people at risk of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The team, from the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) and the University of Strathclyde, say their study showed that the current 14-day self-isolation requirements are critical for reducing the risk of continued SARS-CoV-2 introduction into the UK. The self-isolation measures required of twelve of the 25 countries flying the most people into the country do potentially stop 779 infectious travelers from transmitting the virus each week, say Rachel Taylor (APHA) and colleagues. However, once the efficacy of self-isolation is also considered, hundreds of infectious individuals still enter the country every week, they warn. The researchers also assessed potential alternatives to 14-day self-isolation that may be more feasible in the long term. Even fewer infectious travelers would bypass self-isolation by alternative strategies for quarantine, they say. Rapidly implementing control measures for travelers from risky countries is vital to protect public health. A pre-print version of the paper is available on the medRxiv* server, while the article undergoes peer review. The expected number of SARS-CoV-2 infectious travelers (A), and number per 1,000 travelers (B), arriving into UK airports from each of the 25 countries in a single week in August without any UK health measures applied. Countries that require self-isolation on arrival to the UK on 17th August are indicated in red. Understanding how to re-open international travel safely is essential In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, international air travel was effectively brought to a halt. However, as the rate of infection cases declines in many countries, international travel is now being re-opened, and understanding how to do this safely and to which countries are essential. In particular, it is imperative to determine a risk-based entry strategy, and for that strategy to be flexible in order to react to changing disease prevalence worldwide quickly, say Taylor and team. The number of infectious travelers required to self-isolate (A), the total number of travelers required to self-isolate (B) and the BCR (C) for three different travel restriction strategies. The UK strategy is based upon the 12 countries within our 25 that require self-isolation on arrival. Top 12 by Number and Top 12 by Rate strategies are assuming the top 12 countries by number or rate (respectively) of infectious arrivals, as assessed in Figure 1, require self-isolation on arrival. What did the current study find? The researchers estimated the number of infectious travelers flying in from the 25 countries with the highest rates of flights into the UK. They used data on SARS-CoV-2 prevalence from 13th August in each of the 25 countries and in the UK. They also assessed the effectiveness of self-isolation requirements. The team estimated that the number of infectious travelers arriving at UK airports from all 25 countries over the course of a week in August was 895. The UK currently requires 14-day self-isolation for 12 of these 25 countries, but not for the other 13. The 12 countries where self-isolation is required account for 779 of the 895 infectious arrivals, therefore potentially preventing 87% of infectious people from transmitting the virus, depending on the effectiveness of self-isolation. However, the remaining 116 infectious travelers that are not required to self-isolate would not be prevented from passing the virus on. Ranking the countries based on infectious travelers rather than rate of entry Eight of the 12 countries where social isolation is required are among the top 12 countries, once the countries are ranked by the number of infectious travelers. The authors say that if the travel restrictions were focused on the top 12 countries based on the number of infectious travelers, rather than the highest rate of people entering the country, 819 (91%) of all infectious arrivals would need to self-isolate. This strategy would require an additional 76,334 travelers to self-isolate, which would be associated with a significantly lower benefit-to-cost ratio than a strategy based on the top 12 countries with the highest rate of entry. Alternative measures to 14-day self-isolation Next, the team compared alternative measures to the 14-day self-isolation policy (which is 78% effective) that may be more practicable in the long-term. The researchers considered the use of health checks and thermal imaging scanners at the airport, SARS-CoV-2 testing by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and self-isolation upon arrival for 7, 10, or 14 days. The team reports that both thermal imaging and health checks were completely ineffective; airports that rely solely on thermal imaging scanners would only identify one of every 128 infectious individuals. A single RT-PCR taken upon arrival at the airport would only detect 2 of every 5 infectious travelers (36% effective) while testing four days post-arrival would be 64.3%, and testing on arrival plus four days later would be 68.9% effective. The double testing strategy is superior to self-isolation for 7 days, which was only 51.3% effective, whereas it would be comparable to self-isolation for 10 days (68.8% effective), but inferior to self-isolation for 14 days (78.0% effective). Lengthy self-isolation is problematic Delaying the RT-PCR testing for 7 days would be more effective, at 75.9%, but would require a more extended period of self-isolation. Lengthy self-isolation periods may also incur indirect costs due to lost workplace productivity and less social expenditure, says the team. The researchers say that eventually, a strategy other than the 14 days self-isolation will probably be needed for longer-term planning. It is important that public health officials act rapidly with the latest data estimates in order to control the risk from this fluctuating situation, they write. This methodology can be quickly updated to assess the impact of any further changes to international travel policy or disease occurrence, 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. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-12 02:01:07|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BRUSSELS, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- The need to facilitate growth in Europe was the prevailing theme as Eurogroup and other European Union (EU) finance ministers met in Berlin on Friday. "If we get this right, the recovery will be strong and it will reach citizens all the way across Europe," Eurogroup President Paschal Donohoe told a press conference after the meeting. Discussing the balance between health concerns and the damage to the economy, Donohoe said "we all hope to avoid some of the earlier lockdowns, but of course COVID-19 continues to represent a clear challenge to our public health." Both Donohoe and European Economy Commissioner Paolo Gentiloni warned against too early phaseout of recovery support. Gentiloni noted, however, that it would be reasonable to expect "a shift from emergency measures to improving the fundamentals of our economies." "If we miscalculate the timing of this landing, we risk damaging the European economy," he said. Gentiloni reminded of the need to ensure sustainability in the medium-run and the need "to set a path for adjustment at some point." The commissioner warned that the uneven economic contraction may lead to fragmentation. While the overall decline in Eurozone's GDP in the second quarter was 11.8 percent, individual countries range between four and 18 percent. Enditem Blue light from laptops, tablets and phones can cause skin ageing, mottling and hyperpigmentation, experts have warned. Melbourne dermatologist Dr Shyamalar Gunatheesan has urged people to cut down on screen time to avoid irreparably damaging their skin. 'It's (blue light is) quite short, it's powerful. It kind of gets through your skin right away, and it's everywhere,' Dr Gunatheesan told A Current Affair. 'Exposure to blue light, especially long, prolonged periods, you do get a bit more hyperpigmentation, so that brown discolouration that can happen. 'We certainly see it predisposes to skin aging, mottling of skin and a bit of dehydration.' Melbourne dermatologist Dr Shyamalar Gunatheesan (pictured) has urged people to cut down on screen time to avoid irreparably damaging their skin In addition to cutting down on screen time, Dr Gunatheesan said people should use tinted sunscreen and makeup with iron oxide as it is 'the best visible light blocker'. People can also turn down the brightness on their screens and use 'night mode' which changes the tint from a harsh blue to a soft yellow. Dr Gunatheesan's warning comes after Unilever scientists examined the effects of 'blue light' emitted by electronic devices on the skin and found it can cause premature ageing. Five days of exposure to blue light for at least six hours per day can have the same impact on the skin as spending 25 minutes in the sun without cream, they found. It takes just seven minutes to get a tan according to Dr Gunatheesan, meaning that people could be getting the equivalent of more than three tans a week from screens. The study also found that screen use is a huge problem with 60 per cent of people now spending more than six hours per day in front of a device that emits blue light. Dr Gunatheesan said more of her patients are now concerned with the long-term effects of blue light on their skin. A woman uses a mobile phone emitting a strong blue light. People can reduce skin damage by turning down the brightness of their screens or using 'night mode', which changes the tint from a harsh blue to a soft yellow Blue light exposure can cause hyperpigmentation and premature ageing but the exact amount of exposure is unclear, researchers say. The study found that two in three people are unaware of the effect that blue light can have on their skin. Blue light not only affects the skin but can also disturb our biological clocks interrupting sleep patterns. Researchers still don't know the full effects of longer term exposure to blue light on the skin, but a number of studies, including this one, are trying to find out. Stock image Blue light might damage skin by generating 'free radicals', explains Dr Emma Wedgeworth, a consultant dermatologist for the the UK's NHS. 'These are very active molecules which bind to skin and cause significant cellular changes. They affect the way DNA is repaired.' She points to any potential harm likely to be linked to the 'amount of time that we are spending on our phones and the fact we are holding them in direct contact with our skin'. Unilever scientists found that 30 hours of exposure to blue light from smartphone or laptop screens can increase the inflammation level in skin cells by 40 per cent. Samantha Tucker-Samaras, Global VP of Science & technology, Beauty & Personal Care for the firm said it can have a significant negative impact on wellbeing. 'We're concerned people are simply unaware of the risks,' Ms Tucker-Samaras said. 'It is highly likely that exposure to blue light has increased this year, as many previously office-based workers have increased their time in front of a screen, as face-to-face meetings have moved to virtual. 'People should be looking for skincare products loaded with antioxidants, as well as niacinamide and zinc oxide. Limiting screen time also helps, not only for our overall skin health, but our general wellbeing too.' Dr Jean-Louis Sebagh, a private London-based dermatologist, says he sees examples of 'screen face' in his 'younger patients, the selfie generation'. President Moon Jae-in is expected to make a fresh advance to North Korea in a virtual session of the UN General Assembly later this month. Cheong Wa Dae has become increasingly frantic in its overtures to North Korea, all of which have been rebuffed. On Thursday, officials at the presidential office discussed ways to push ahead with the Korean "peace process" ahead of the second anniversary of a summit between the two Korean leaders, a spokesman said. National security adviser Suh Hoon and his U.S. counterpart Robert O'Brien agreed on the phone the previous day that the next few months are crucial to efforts for the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. Vice Foreign Minister Choi Jong-kun flew to Washington on Wednesday to meet Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun and seek exemption from international sanctions for some inter-Korean cooperation. The government believes that this is virtually the last chance to resume inter-Korean and U.S.-North Korea talks before Moon's term in office ends. In the UN speech, Moon is expected to propose cross-border cooperation in efforts to fight the coronavirus epidemic and African swine fever. In a letter on to Moon in March, Kim Jong-un mentioned the possibility of a joint response to farm animal diseases. Moon could also offer aid for North Korean victims of recent flooding. although Pyongyang has already refused any aid from the South. Today we will run through one way of estimating the intrinsic value of Domain Holdings Australia Limited (ASX:DHG) by taking the forecast future cash flows of the company and discounting them back to today's value. Our analysis will employ the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model. Don't get put off by the jargon, the math behind it is actually quite straightforward. Companies can be valued in a lot of ways, so we would point out that a DCF is not perfect for every situation. For those who are keen learners of equity analysis, the Simply Wall St analysis model here may be something of interest to you. Check out our latest analysis for Domain Holdings Australia What's the estimated valuation? We're using the 2-stage growth model, which simply means we take in account two stages of company's growth. In the initial period the company may have a higher growth rate and the second stage is usually assumed to have a stable growth rate. To begin with, we have to get estimates of the next ten years of cash flows. Where possible we use analyst estimates, but when these aren't available we extrapolate the previous free cash flow (FCF) from the last estimate or reported value. We assume companies with shrinking free cash flow will slow their rate of shrinkage, and that companies with growing free cash flow will see their growth rate slow, over this period. We do this to reflect that growth tends to slow more in the early years than it does in later years. Generally we assume that a dollar today is more valuable than a dollar in the future, so we discount the value of these future cash flows to their estimated value in today's dollars: 10-year free cash flow (FCF) forecast 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 Levered FCF (A$, Millions) AU$39.9m AU$61.4m AU$77.6m AU$93.8m AU$115.0m AU$130.8m AU$144.3m AU$155.6m AU$165.3m AU$173.6m Growth Rate Estimate Source Analyst x4 Analyst x4 Analyst x4 Analyst x2 Analyst x1 Est @ 13.74% Est @ 10.3% Est @ 7.88% Est @ 6.2% Est @ 5.02% Present Value (A$, Millions) Discounted @ 9.2% AU$36.5 AU$51.5 AU$59.6 AU$65.9 AU$74.0 AU$77.1 AU$77.8 AU$76.9 AU$74.8 AU$71.9 ("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St) Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = AU$665m Story continues The second stage is also known as Terminal Value, this is the business's cash flow after the first stage. For a number of reasons a very conservative growth rate is used that cannot exceed that of a country's GDP growth. In this case we have used the 5-year average of the 10-year government bond yield (2.3%) to estimate future growth. In the same way as with the 10-year 'growth' period, we discount future cash flows to today's value, using a cost of equity of 9.2%. Terminal Value (TV)= FCF 2030 (1 + g) (r g) = AU$174m (1 + 2.3%) (9.2% 2.3%) = AU$2.6b Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= AU$2.6b ( 1 + 9.2%)10= AU$1.1b The total value, or equity value, is then the sum of the present value of the future cash flows, which in this case is AU$1.7b. To get the intrinsic value per share, we divide this by the total number of shares outstanding. Compared to the current share price of AU$3.6, the company appears slightly overvalued at the time of writing. The assumptions in any calculation have a big impact on the valuation, so it is better to view this as a rough estimate, not precise down to the last cent. dcf Important assumptions Now the most important inputs to a discounted cash flow are the discount rate, and of course, the actual cash flows. Part of investing is coming up with your own evaluation of a company's future performance, so try the calculation yourself and check your own assumptions. The DCF also does not consider the possible cyclicality of an industry, or a company's future capital requirements, so it does not give a full picture of a company's potential performance. Given that we are looking at Domain Holdings Australia as potential shareholders, the cost of equity is used as the discount rate, rather than the cost of capital (or weighted average cost of capital, WACC) which accounts for debt. In this calculation we've used 9.2%, which is based on a levered beta of 1.158. Beta is a measure of a stock's volatility, compared to the market as a whole. We get our beta from the industry average beta of globally comparable companies, with an imposed limit between 0.8 and 2.0, which is a reasonable range for a stable business. Moving On: Although the valuation of a company is important, it shouldn't be the only metric you look at when researching a company. DCF models are not the be-all and end-all of investment valuation. Instead the best use for a DCF model is to test certain assumptions and theories to see if they would lead to the company being undervalued or overvalued. For instance, if the terminal value growth rate is adjusted slightly, it can dramatically alter the overall result. Can we work out why the company is trading at a premium to intrinsic value? For Domain Holdings Australia, we've put together three further elements you should further examine: Financial Health: Does DHG have a healthy balance sheet? Take a look at our free balance sheet analysis with six simple checks on key factors like leverage and risk. Future Earnings: How does DHG's growth rate compare to its peers and the wider market? Dig deeper into the analyst consensus number for the upcoming years by interacting with our free analyst growth expectation chart. Other High Quality Alternatives: Do you like a good all-rounder? Explore our interactive list of high quality stocks to get an idea of what else is out there you may be missing! PS. Simply Wall St updates its DCF calculation for every Australian stock every day, so if you want to find the intrinsic value of any other stock just search here. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com. Russian police said today they will ask Berlin to question Alexei Navalny in hospital as the Putin critic recovers from a suspected case of Novichok poisoning. The 44-year-old Kremlin critic and anti-corruption campaigner fell ill after boarding a plane in Siberia and was hospitalised there before being flown to Berlin. Germany said there was 'unequivocal evidence' that he was poisoned with a new slow-acting form of the Novichok nerve agent. Russia says its doctors found no trace of poison. The Siberian transport police, who have been retracing Navalny's movements, said in a statement Russia would be preparing a request for its officers and an 'expert' to be present as 'German colleagues carry out investigative activities with Navalny.' Der Spiegel magazine said Navalny's police protection had been stepped up in the expectation that he would be receiving more visitors as his condition improved. 'His statements could be dangerous for people behind the attack,' the magazine wrote. Alexei Navalny (pictured centre), a 44-year-old lawyer and anti-corruption campaigner, fell seriously ill last month as he took a flight in Siberia and was evacuated to Berlin for treatment Russia's foreign ministry said today it is seeking to question opposition leader Alexei Navalny in Berlin, after the 44-year-old was roused from a medically induced coma earlier this week (Vladimir Putin pictured) 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 There was no immediate comment by the hospital treating Navalny. A Berlin police spokesman had no comment. Navalny's spokeswoman, Kira Yarmysh, tweeted that 'the story is exaggerated and contains many factual inaccuracies' in apparent reference to the Spiegel piece. Navalny was roused from a medically induced coma earlier this week and is now reacting to speech, according to the Berlin Charite hospital. The Kremlin has denounced attempts to blame the Russian state for the poisoning as 'absurd' and said it wants to know what happened. Western politicians have said the incident appears likely to have been state-ordered and urged Moscow to prove its lack of involvement. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Wednesday there was a 'substantial chance' the order to poison the dissident 'came from senior Russian officials', a claim the Kremlin slammed as 'unacceptable'. On Friday, US Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun voiced outrage Russia had not acted quickly over the use of a chemical weapon against a Russian citizen. 'It is unbelievable to us that this would happen on the territory of any country and the government would not react with urgency to investigate and hold accountable those who committed the crime,' he told reporters. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo (pictured 2 September) said on Wednesday there was a 'substantial chance' the order to poison the dissident 'came from senior Russian officials', a claim the Kremlin slammed as 'unacceptable' 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 Navalny's associates believe the use of Novichok shows only the Russian state could be responsible. The case has prompted international calls for Russia to carry out a transparent investigation or risk sanctions, but the country has not opened a criminal investigation. 'We don't like it when other countries dictate to us what legal procedures we should start and when,' Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Friday. He insisted Russia 'de facto' is probing the incident, but cannot open a criminal case 'on the basis of tests by the German side, especially when carried out in German military labs.' Siberian transport police have been conducting a 'check' into what happened and on Friday published some findings on Navalny's activities in the city of Tomsk, the last place he visited before falling ill. They identified the hotel where Navalny stayed and a restaurant where he drank 'wine and an alcoholic cocktail'. They confirmed that he visited the 'Vienna Coffeehouse' at Tomsk airport, where supporters suspect he might have been poisoned with a cup of tea. The police also said they had questioned all those accompanying Navalny except for one woman who 'lives permanently in Britain'. Police referred to Maria Pevchikh, an employee of Navalny's Anti-Corruption Foundation, but incorrectly gave her name as Marina. Transport police would not normally handle major crimes and one of those they questioned, Navalny's ally Georgy Alburov, tweeted that police asked him only: 'Did you see anything unusual?' Police said they were working to trace passengers on the flight from Tomsk to Moscow where Navalny fell ill on August 20. Navalny had been visiting Siberia to help activists prepare for a tactical voting campaign during nationwide regional elections that began Friday and end Sunday. Russia has repeatedly complained that Germany has not answered a request by its prosecutors to see the medical data that led to the declaration that Navalny had been poisoned with Novichok. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov questioned why Germany 'hides (the data) so carefully', accusing it of failing to provide detailed information to the OPCW global chemical weapons watchdog. The Berlin prosecutor's office said it had received instructions from the justice department to respond to Moscow's request for legal assistance and provide information on Navalny's health - 'provided he consents.' The Maryland Jockey Club is pleased to announce the return of live racing to Rosecroft Raceway, as the fall meet will get underway on Wednesday, September 23. The fall meet will be getting underway a few weeks earlier than originally planned, after the spring meet was cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic. Rosecroft will race every Wednesday and Sunday through December 23, with a night time post of 7:15 p.m. Lisa Watts, the longtime director of operations at the Fort Washington oval, was instrumental in trying to make up some days lost to the pandemic for the Maryland horsemen. We were having a really strong spring meet prior to the shutdown," said Watts. "Hopefully we can pick up were we left off. The change in post time to 7:15 p.m. worked out extremely well by exposing our product to several new patrons who otherwise might not have checked us out before. We are excited to get the ball rolling once again, and give the horsemen that have been supporting us for years the opportunity to possibly recoup some lost income during these trying times. The track will be open for training on Monday, September 14 from 8:00 a.m. until noon, as well as Wednesday, September 16, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Qualifiers will also be held on Wednesday the 16th at 11:00 a.m. Entries must be made by 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday the 15th. The first draw of the fall meet will be on Friday, September 18 for opening night. The entry box will close at 9:00 a.m. Condition sheets are now available on the USTAs website. Please check out the condition sheets for important information concerning the 2020 fall meet. Racing applications are available at http://www.rosecroft.com, and are due by September 16. COVID-19 protocols have been established to ensure a safe racing environment. All participants will have their temperature checked at the stable gate. Masks must be worn at all time and social distancing guidelines practiced whenever possible. If you have any COVID-19 symptoms such as a fever, cough or shortness of breath, we are urging you to please be considerate of others and stay home. (Rosecroft Raceway) Donald Trump claimed Speaking from the site where United Flight 93 was taken down by hijackers on 9/11, Donald Trump said all faiths came together following the terrorist attack despite suggesting as a candidate in 2015 that the large Arab populations of New Jersey celebrated as the World Trade Center towers fell. "We promise you the unwavering love, support and devotion of all Americans," Mr Trump said during an annual ceremony in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. In the days and weeks after 9/11, citizens of all faiths, backgrounds, colors and creeds came together, prayed together, mourned together, and rebuilt together. The song God Bless America became a rallying cry for the nation. But Mr Trump said something different during a 2015 campaign rally before he became president. There were people that were cheering on the other side of New Jersey, where you have large Arab populations. They were cheering as the World Trade Center came down, he alleged. I know it might be not politically correct for you to talk about it, but there were people cheering as that building came down as those buildings came down. Now, I know they dont like to talk about it, but it was well covered at the time, he said. There were people over in New Jersey that were watching it, a heavy Arab population, that were cheering as the buildings came down. Not good. The presidents Friday morning remarks matched the somber tone of the ceremony and day. But he has used the 9/11 attack and its anniversary for political gain in the past. At a campaign rally in 2015 in Birmingham, Alabama, the president claimed he witnessed people of the Muslim faith celebrating the attacks in Jersey City, across the Hudson River from his Manhattan penthouse in Trump Tower. Then-candidate Trump said he saw thousands and thousands of people were cheering as that building was coming down. Thousands of people were cheering. His claims have never been verified and he has not provided any supporting accounts or video. Story continues But that did not stop him from dropping the line throughout the 2016 campaign, bringing charging of him being anti-Muslim that still hang over his presidency. On the morning of the attack, then-businessman Trump was inside Trump Tower. He used the tragedy to talk up his coveted Manhattan property. 40 Wall Street (Trump Tower) actually was the second-tallest building in downtown Manhattan and it was actually, before the World Trade Center, was the tallest and then, when they built the World Trade Center, it became known as the second tallest, Mr. Trump said on the air of New Yorks WWOR-TV. And now its the tallest. Mr Trump in 2015 tweeted part of a 2001 Washington Post article that said authorities broke up tailgate-style parties on rooftops and detained individuals who watched the scene in Manhattan. After the attacks, Mr Trump also claimed to have both help search for survivors in the rubble at New Yorks Ground Zero and having paid workers to assist. He has never provided any supporting data or workers to corroborate his claims. Despite his pervious 9/11-related controversies, the president was subdued on Friday as he attempted to strike a unifying tone something he has rarely done during a term that has been calibrated to please his conservative base. Political analysts on both sides have said he has done stunningly little to reach out to moderates and Democrats. But in that Shanksville field, the president stuck to the script after warning Democrats winning the White House in November would bring looters and Antifa members into Americas suburbs. We were united by our conviction that America was the worlds most exceptional country, blessed with the most incredible heroes, and that this was a land worth defending with our very last breath, he said. It was a unity based on love for our families, care for our neighbors, loyalty to our fellow citizens, pride in our flag, gratitude for our police and first responders, faith in Godand a refusal to bend our will to the depraved forces of violence, intimidation, oppression and evil. Read more Osama bin Laden would be happy to see the state of the US today Trump praises 'supreme sacrifice' of war dead at 9/11 ceremony days after he was accused of calling them 'suckers' and 'losers' Trump administration accused of siphoning money away from 9/11 fund A Navy SEAL who helped take down Osama bin Laden has opened up about how the harrowing memories of 9/11 helped him go through with the life-threatening mission. Robert O'Neill, from Montana, was part of the SEAL Team Six who carried out Operation Neptune Spear in Abbottabad, Pakistan, and successfully killed the al-Qaeda leader in May 2011. Bin Laden was the architect of the 9/11 attacks, during which 2,977 people lost their lives after four planes were hijacked, and two were flown into the World Trade Center in New York City. Here, in an exclusive extract from The Only Plane in the Sky: The Oral History of 9/11 by Garrett M.Graff, O'Neill reveals how he and the rest of the team were expecting to die on the mission which led them to where the terrorist leader had been hiding since the attacks. After having a 'last meal' with his family, O'Neill said he still went through with the mission because he was powered by the harrowing memory of the people who jumped to their death from the Twin Towers. Robert O'Neill (pictured in 2017), from Montana, was part of SEAL Team Six, who carried out Operation Neptune Spear in Pakistan in 2011, successfully killing Osama bin Laden O'Neill (pictured during his SEAL career) has detailed how the harrowing events of 9/11 motivated him to join the life-threatening mission that resulted in bin Laden's death 'People were saying to each other on the mission, "If we know we're going to die, why are we going to go?" Then we talked about the people who jumped out of the Towers on a Tuesday morning,' he said. 'They didn't want to, they didn't know was was happening - all they knew was that it was 2,500 degrees Fahrenheit and the better alternative than whatever hell was going on inside, in Windows on the World or at Cantor Fitzgerald, was to jump. What was Operation Neptune Spear? Operation Neptune Spear took place after CIA analysts tracked down the al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden in Pakistan. bin Laden was killed by SEAL Team Six a little after 1am, Pakistan time, on May 2 2011. The CIA led the operation in a joint effort with Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) which coordinated the actions of the special units involved in the raid. This involved the SEAL Team Six, of which Robert O'Neill was a part of, the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne), also known as the Night Stalkers, and the CIA's Special Activities Division. The raid was closely followed by President Barack Obama from the White House. The teams flew from Afghanistan to Pakistan in order to complete the strike. After he was killed during the raid, bin Laden's body was identified in Afghanistan and buried at sea. Advertisement 'They were not supposed to be in the fight. We all joined to be in the fight, and that's why we were going,' O'Neill added. The Navy SEAL also praised the heroism of the passengers of United Airlines Flight 93, who tried to fight off the terrorists who had taken over their plane. The domestic scheduled passenger flight was hijacked by four al-Qaeda terrorists on board as part of the September 11 attacks. 'We had that conversation about how the first ones to fight al-Qaeda were the passengers on Flight 93 that crashed in Shanksville, Pennsylvania,' he said. 'God knows how many lives they saved, but they killed themselves for the Western World. We had these conversations every night. That was why we went.' The SEAL, who served from 1996 to 2012, said the team were not expecting to come back from the mission. He explained that they thought Osama bin Laden would try to 'blow himself up' and his family to make a martyr out of them. O'Neill added that the team were also unsure of whether troops in Pakistan would shoot them down, which they would have been justified to do, as the team was 'invading.' He recounted how he prepared for the event of his death, having one last meal with his family before the mission and writing goodbye letters. 'We had to find people and say: "Hey, here's an envelope. If you don't see me tomorrow, you'll know what this is, and there are directions inside, but if you do see me tomorrow, give these back to me".' he explained. O'Neill left the Navy in 2012, a year after the raid. He became a motivational speaker and joined Fox News as a contributor in 2015. Nearly 3,000 people lost their lives on 9/11, including the 2,606 who died in the World Trade Center attacks after four United Airlines planes were hijacked by al-Qaeda bin Laden (pictured), the leader of the terrorist group al-Qaeda, was killed during Operation Neptune Spear on May 2 2011 in Abbottabad, Pakistan Operation Neptune Spear put an end to the ten-year-long hunt for Osama bin Laden, the leader of al-Qaeda and architect of the September 11 attacks. The Only Plane in the Sky: The Oral History of 9/11 by Garrett M.Graff, which was first published last year, is a retelling of the attacks from the perspective of those who lived them and the loved ones of those who perished. The Only Plane in the Sky, by Garrett M. Graff, published by Monary, retells the September 11 attacks The world was left horrified when on September 11 2001, terrorists belonging to the Islamist militant group al-Qaeda took control of four United and American airlines flights. The first plane, Flight 11, which counted 11 crew members and 76 passengers hit the northern facade of the North Tower of the World Trade Center in New York at 8:46am. At 9:03am, a second plane, United Airlines Flight 175, counting 60 passengers and staff, hit the southern facade of the South Tower. A third plane, American Airlines Flight 77, with 56 passengers and six crew members, crashed into the Pentagon in Virginia at 9:37. The fourth plane, Flight 93, was subdued from the four hijackers by the 33 passengers and seven crew members and crashed near Shanksville, Pennsylvania at 10:03am. It is unknown where the fourth plane was intended to hit, however the Capitol and the White House have both been named as possible targets. Sadly, 2,977 people lost their lives on 9/11, including 2,606 who died in the World Trade Center attacks. The final death toll, which excludes the 18 perpetrators, counted 2,135 US civilians, 372 non-US citizens, 343 firefighters, 72 law enforcement officers and 55 military personnel. This is an extract from The Only Plane in the Sky: The Oral History of 9/11 by Garrett M.Graff, published by Monoray at 20 hardback (octopusbooks.co.uk) The software giant also said that the Russian intelligence outfit, which had hacked the Democrats in 2016, is trying to breach computers at more than 200 organisations Boston: The same Russian military intelligence outfit that hacked the Democrats in 2016 has renewed vigorous US election-related targeting, trying to breach computers at more than 200 organisations including political campaigns and their consultants, Microsoft said Thursday. The intrusion attempts reflect a stepped up effort to infiltrate the US political establishment, the company said. "What weve seen is consistent with previous attack patterns that not only target candidates and campaign staffers but also those who they consult on key issues, Tom Burt, a Microsoft vice president, said in a blog post. UK and European political groups were also probed, he added. Most of the hacking attempts by Russian, Chinese and Iranian agents were halted by Microsoft security software and the targets notified, he said. The company would not comment on who may have been successfully hacked or the impact. Although US intelligence officials said last month that the Russians favor President Donald Trump and the Chinese prefer his Democratic challenger, former Vice President Joe Biden, Microsoft noted Thursday that Chinese state-backed hackers have targeted high profile individuals associated with the election, including people associated with the Biden campaign. China's hackers largely gather intelligence for economic and political advantage, while Russia tends to weaponise stolen data to destabilise other governments. Microsoft did not assess which foreign adversary poses the greater threat to the integrity of the November presidential election. The consensus among cybersecurity experts is that Russian interference is the gravest. Senior Trump administration officials have disputed that, although without offering any evidence. This is the actor from 2016, potentially conducting business as usual, said John Hultquist, director of intelligence analysis at the cybersecurity firm FireEye. We believe that Russian military intelligence continues to pose the greatest threat to the democratic process. The Microsoft post shows that Russian military intelligence continues to pursue election-related targets undeterred by US indictments, sanctions and other countermeasures, Hultquist said. It interfered in the 2016 campaign seeking to benefit the Trump campaign by hacking the Democratic National Committee and emails of John Podesta, the campaign manager of Hillary Clinton, and dumping embarrassing material online, congressional and FBI investigators have found. The same GRU military intelligence unit, known as Fancy Bear, that Microsoft identifies as being behind the current election-related activity also broke into voter registration databases in at least three states in 2016, though there is no evidence it tried to interfere with voting. Microsoft, which has visibility into these efforts because its software is both ubiquitous and highly rated for security, did not address whether US officials who manage elections or operate voting systems have been targeted by state-backed hackers this year. US intelligence officials say they have so far not seen no evidence of infiltrations. Thomas Rid, a Johns Hopkins geopolitics expert, said he was disappointed by Microsofts refusal to differentiate threat level by state actor. Theyre lumping in actors that operate in a very different fashion, probably to make this sound more bipartisan," he said. "I just dont understand why. Microsoft said in the past year it has observed attempts by Fancy Bear to break into the accounts of people directly and indirectly affiliated with the US election, including consultants serving Republican and Democratic campaigns and national and state party organisations more than 200 groups in all. Also targeted was the center-right European Peoples Party, the largest grouping in the European Parliament. A party spokesperson said the hacking attempts were unsuccessful. The German Marshall Fund of the United States, a think tank, was another target. A spokesperson said there was no evidence of intrusion. Microsoft did not say whether Russian hackers had attempted to break into the Biden campaign but did say that Chinese hackers from the state-backed group known as Hurricane Panda appears to have indirectly and unsuccessfully" targeted the Biden campaign through non-campaign email accounts belonging to people affiliated with it. The Biden campaign did not confirm the attempt, although it said in a statement that it was aware of the Microsoft report. Iranian state-backed hackers have unsuccessfully tried to log into accounts of Trump campaign and administration officials between May and June of this year, the blog said. We are a large target, so it is not surprising to see malicious activity directed at the campaign or our staff," Trump campaign deputy press secretary Thea McDonald said. She declined further comment. Tim Murtaugh, the campaign's communications director, said, President Trump will beat Joe Biden fair and square and we dont need or want any foreign interference. In June, Google disclosed that Hurricane Panda had targeted Trump campaign staffers while Iranian hackers tried to breach accounts of Biden campaign workers. Such phishing attempts typically involve forged emails with links designed to harvest passwords or infect devices with malware. Although both Attorney General William Barr and National Security Advisor Robert OBrien have said China represents the greatest threat to US. elections, Microsoft's only mention of a Trump administration official targeted by Chinese hackers is at least one prominent individual formerly associated" with the administration. Graham Brookie, director of digital forensic research at The Atlantic Council, disputes Barr and OBriens claim that China poses the greater threat to this years election. His lab is at the forefront of unearthing and publicising Russian disinformation campaigns. Brookie confirmed that his employer was among targets of Hurricane Panda but said there was no evidence the hacking attempts, which he said were unsuccessful, had anything to do with the 2020 election. We have every indication that this was an instance of cyber-espionage, information gathering, as opposed to electoral interference, he said. By contrast, Brookie said, its pretty evident that the Russian attempts (Microsoft disclosed) were focused on electoral processes and groups working on that. Microsoft noted a shift toward greater automation in Fancy Bear methods for trying to steal peoples log-in credentials, which previously largely relied on phishing. In recent months, the group has employed so-called brute-force attacks that barrage an account login with short rapid bursts of potential passwords. It has also used a different method that makes only intermittent login attempts to avoid detection. Fancy Bear has also stepped up its use of the Tor anonymising service to hide its hacking, Microsoft said. Financially Strapped Laos Partners with Chinese Company to Manage Power Grid 2020-09-10 -- Laos' state-run electricity corporation this month entered into a power grid sharing agreement with a Chinese state-run firm, ceding majority control in a tie-up the government says was necessary to save the debt-ridden domestic firm, but that critics say cedes too much power to a foreign government concern. In the Sept. 1 agreement, Electricite du Laos (EDL) and the China Southern Power Grid Company established a new corporate entity called Electricite du Laos Transmission Company Ltd. (EDLT), which has control of Laos' power grid, as well as the rights to purchase and sell power in Laos. China Southern will take a majority equity share in the new company, according to an EDL official, who declined to disclose the detailed ownership structure. Laos is struggling economically from the COVID-19 driven shutdown of tourism, trade and labor exports, but its biggest problem -- government debt -- predates the global pandemic. Fitch Ratings warned in May 2020 that Laos' public debt would rise to $12.6 billion or 65 percent of its GDP by the end of this year. The EDL's portion of that debt is higher than $8 billion mostly to China and Thailand. Moody's shared the negative outlook on Laos, downgrading the country's Laos' credit ranking from B3 to Caa2 in mid-August. The World Bank predicts that Laos' debt will rise from 59 percent of GDP to between 65 and 68 percent this year. Laos' debt servicing payments will also likely rise to $1.1 billion this year, exceeding the country's foreign reserves, which stood at $864 million in June. A Lao Finance Ministry official told RFA's Lao Service that the country had built up debt building dams and other big-ticket infrastructure projects. "Our national debt has been accumulating over the years because we have many development projects. Right now, we're trying to pay back our debts step by step and in many different ways," the official said. According to the Lao government, the partnership with China Southern is necessary to continue to fund its ongoing projects. "The new company will connect the [EDL and China Southern] power grids together. It's all about capital. It is necessary to join the two grids," a Lao Energy and Mines Ministry official told RFA's Lao Service. "We don't have money for all of these projects, so we have to rely on the Chinese," the official added. The official declined to provide more details when questioned further. "It appears that the COVID crisis has accelerated Laos' financial crunch," Keith Barney of the Australian National University's Crawford School of Public Policy told RFA. Barney said the partnership could help Laos complete a centralized domestic power grid, but questioned why EDL was allowed to incur roughly two-thirds of Laos' public debt, and whether Chinese financing for EDL-backed dam projects on the Mekong River and its tributaries had inflated construction costs. "Needless to say that there are certain sovereignty concerns involved when a state-linked investor from China holds a controlling financial stake in Laos' national electricity grid," he said. An EDL official, who declined to be identified, shared details of the agreement to RFA this week. "This is an agreement to link and build power lines in the entire country into one single system. The new company will also be responsible for the purchase and export of electricity." The official acknowledged that the Lao government would at first be a minority partner in the new enterprise but tried to assuage concerns that Laos would be losing control of its electrical grid. According to the official, the EDLT will operate under Lao government control, but at first the Chinese firm would hold a majority of shares. Laos would later gradually buy those shares back under the plan. But the EDL official noted that prior to the buybacks, China Southern would be in control of all EDL businesses including power production, dam construction, operation of the power grid, pricing, and installation of digital power meters. "The Chinese are coming. The EDL manager has given them permission. They will monopolize the business and they can do whatever they want," the official said. Lao citizens who spoke to RFA were wary of the new partnership, which comes after months of consumer complaints of arbitrarily high electricity bills at a time when many people have little or no income. Many blamed the Lao government. "Nowadays, something is wrong with our government's management of finances. Revenue collection is below target and our financial management has collapsed," a resident of the capital Vientiane, who requested anonymity for security reasons, told RFA. "This is why they have to transfer ownership to the Chinese. If they didn't do that, we would fall into a deeper financial crisis," the source said. "I don't agree with the deal under which the government will sell our national property to foreign investors." another Vientiane resident told RFA. "As for linking the two power grids, I don't understand why the government has the ability to build so many dams, but can't afford to build power lines," the second Vientiane resident said. Laos has built dozens of hydropower dams on the Mekong and its tributaries, with ultimate plans to build scores more to become the "Battery of Southeast Asia" by exporting the electricity they generate to other countries in the region. Currently two Lao large-scale Mekong mainstream dams are in operation, adding to the 11 in China's part of the river. Both countries are building, or have plans to build several more mainstream dams. The projects are controversial because of their environmental impact, displacement of villagers without adequate compensation, corruption, and questionable financial and power demand calculations. Witoon Permpongsacharoen, chairman of the Thailand-based Mekong Energy Ecology Network NGO, told RFA that the Lao government's electric power projects are making Laos' economy worse. "The default on debts indicates that investment in electricity generation cannot reduce poverty as the government has dreamed. Instead it causes more and more debt," he said. "The government faces debt defaults, but the investors do not. That means the investors are secured for risks, but the government risks itself," he added. The power grid merger took place against a backdrop of concern among many Laos about growing Chinese influence as a result of its massive investment in hydropower dams and other infrastructure projects under Beijing's $1.3 trillion Belt and Road Initiative. China is Laos' largest foreign investor and aid provider, and its second-largest trade partner, after Thailand. Reported by RFA's Lao Service. Translated by Ounkeo Souksavanh and Kayasith Soulisak. Written in English by Eugene Whong. 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. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the President has cut the sod for the commencement of work to begin on a solid waste treatment facility financed by the Jospong Group with the support from the Government which will be supervised by the Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources. Zoomlion Ghana Limited, in a bid to ensure the totality of proper waste management in Ghana, together with its partners will be constructing an ultramodern waste treatment facility in the Bono region. These solid waste treatment facilities will be constructed in all the 16 regions across the country. In an interview with the Dwantoah hemaa of the Sunyani traditional area Nana Aboah Boahemah, she indicated that the solid waste facility has come at the right time to assist both the traditional area and the government in making the Bono Region regain it's lost Sanitation Glory. "We thank the Jospong Group especially its Chief Executive officer for thinking about us. It will reduce the waste occupying. Sunyani township will claim it's old name. It will create jobs for the youth and will also reduce the Sanitation issues in the area and called on the other investors to emulate the steps of Dr. Joseph Siaw Agyepong and the Jospong Group" Nana Aboaa Boahemah added. Speaking on behalf of the Paramount Chief of Sunyani traditional area,Oboaman Bofotia Boamponseo II, Krotinhene of the Sunyaniman traditional area commended the Jospong Group for their selfless efforts in making Sanitation in the country becomes a priority in the Bono Region and the nationwide as whole. "The youth of Sunyani and it's environs must be considered first in terms of employment and I know Dr. Joseph Siaw Agyepong and his group will take this in good fate". "Let me plead with the Jospong Group and the government not to make the project a white elephant project but rather make sure it is completed in time". This facility will motivate the natives of Sunyani to maintain personal hygiene and keep the environment clean as cleanliess is next is to Godliness". Nana Bofotia added Hon. Cecilia Abena Dapaah on her part indicated that government was committed to ensuring a clean and healthier Ghana by engaging in strategic partnerships such as this. She said that due to the large amounts of waste generated daily across the country, facilities such as these are important developments that will help address waste management problems. She also revealed that Ghana was well on her way to achieving the 2030 sustainable development goals in water and sanitation due to the aggressive initiatives being advanced by government in partnership with the private sector. She took the opportunity to call on private companies with similar visions to come onboard to advance the Sanitation problems confronting the nation. "Government is ready to support any private company whose visions align with governments Sanitation vision' , she added. Dr. Joseph Siaw Agyepong thanked President Nana Akufo-Addo and Hon. Cecilia Abena Dapaah for supporting the Jospong Group to embark on these projects. The Bono Regional Minister Hon. Evelyn Kumi Richardson in her address expressed her gratitude to the government and the Jospong Group for their efforts to make sure the Sunyani city goes back to its old name. "The people of Bono Region are grateful to President Nana Akufo-Addo because he has made our dream a reality. Hon. Cecilia Abena Dapaah Sunyaniman will forever remember you in the efforts you put together in ensuring the solid waste treatment Facility constructed here and on behalf of the indigenes in the Bono Region we say ayekoo". Hon. Evelyn Richardson said. President Nana Akufo-Addo together with some other government officials will go to Ahafo Regional capital Goaso to cut sod for the construction of another solid waste treatment Facility later in the week. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday that school students should have a new curriculum, which is in sync with the new National Education Policy, by 2022 when the nation celebrates its 75th year of Independence. Noting that marksheet has become pressure sheet for students and prestige sheet for families, the prime minister said the new policy aims to remove this pressure. The NEP will reduce the syllabus and make learning a fun-based and complete experience, he said. The new curriculum framework will be developed and be ready by 2022 when the nation celebrates its 75th year of Independence, he said addressing the School Education Conclave organised by the Ministry of Education. The new curriculum will be a future-ready and scientific. It will have new skills to promote critical thinking, creativity, communication and curiosity, Modi said. The prime minister noted that the Ministry of Education has received over 15 lakh suggestions from teachers on the implementation of NEP within a week through the MyGov portal. Advocating teaching up to class 5 in mother tongue, the prime minister said language is just a mode of study and not a study in itself. A Republican-backed coronavirus relief package failed in the Senate Thursday and, for now, hopes for a quick round of second stimulus payments are fading. GOP Senators proposed $500 billion in new aid with provisions for small businesses, schools and expanded coronavirus testing. The bill did not include a second round of direct payments similar to those issued in the early days of the coronavirus pandemic but without an overall measure, chances of another payment are slim. For now, Republicans and Democrats - even though theres bipartisan support for additional stimulus payments - cant agree on a larger funding measure. The looming election only broadens the divide. Its becoming plain that all Congress will do before the Nov. 3 election is pass legislation to avert a government shutdown. The outcome of the election promises to have an outsize impact on what might be possible in a postelection lame-duck session, with Democrats sure to press for a better deal if Democrat Joe Biden unseats President Donald Trump, The Associated Press wrote. Theres no indication yet that bipartisan talks that crumbled last month will restart. Top lawmakers and aides offered glum assessments both publicly and privately. The House reconvenes next week and, though unlikely, it could hammer out its own coronavirus deal that could be approved before the October election break. If not, stimulus payments are on hold until at least after the election and, if Biden wins, possibly the start of a new administration. The previous round of stimulus payments included up to $1,200 per person and $2,400 per family, plus $500 per dependent, and both parties had indicated they wanted another round to be part of a second relief plan and those negotiations are continuing. I think the Palestinians are going to end up doing something thats going to be very smart for them, and all their friends are coming into this and they want to come into it, they want to come into it very badly, Trump said Friday. I can see a lot of good things happening with respect to the Palestinians, which would be really wonderful, whether you were on their side or not on their side. Former New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark has expressed her concerns. Images: Getty The Covid-19 pandemic has already triggered widespread economic destruction and more than 905,000 deaths worldwide, but it also raises major peace and security questions, a leading coronavirus expert has said. Former New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark is tasked with investigating government responses to the Covid-19 disease, and providing insight into how to prevent future pandemics as co-chair of the World Health Organisations Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response. And while the unprecedented level of scientific investigation into a vaccine gives her hope, the risk of the disease causing social collapse is also her worst fear, she told Yahoo Finance. She said countries like Venezuela are particularly vulnerable to this. The South American countrys ongoing socio-political crisis was already causing shortages of food and medical supplies before the pandemic struck, while a mass exodus of doctors and medical staff has also caused catastrophe in local hospitals. When you get economic and social collapse, think of the implications for neighbours as people stream across borders, and the tensions that that creates, Clark said. Think of the more than 100 low- and middle-income countries that applied to the International Monetary Fund for emergency support - that it doesnt have the resources to fully provide. Think of countries where economies collapse, tax revenue collapses, there's no money to fund the health system, schools. People are going hungry, jobs and livelihoods are lost. Venezuela is sitting on the world's largest proven oil reserves but under Nicolas Maduro's watch, the country has descended into crisis. Poverty has soared, inflation is the highest in the world, the currency has become practically worthless, and oil production is down to its lowest level in 77 years, which experts blame on mismanagement and corruption. (Photo by FEDERICO PARRA/AFP via Getty Images) This is a recipe for severe internal discontent. When complaints are met with repression, rather than understanding from the government, then there is an increased risk of implosions, Clark said. Implosions have risks to peace and security internally, but then have implications for neighbouring countries where you get a spillover of people fleeing, trying to seek something better. Thats my nightmare scenario. Polarisation presents extremely disappointing coronavirus challenge Story continues The United Nations Security Council has so far been unable to reach a resolution declaring Covid-19 a threat to global peace and security, as it did with the Ebola outbreak in 2014, Clark noted, describing this sort of resolution necessary to prevent security risks. That resolution called on member states to provide more resources to fight the outbreak, with 2,600 people having died of the Ebola outbreak at the time. It is extremely disappointing that the UN Security Council at the moment is so polarised it is incapable of passing the same kind of resolution, Clark said. Clark, who ran to be UN Secretary-General in 2016 and who formerly headed the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) from 2009 to 2017, said the Security Council needs to call for global cooperation to fight the virus. The Security Council cant work without the goodwill and cooperation of the major players, and we havent had that at that level yet. Is it still mission impossible? Clark hesitated to accept the WHO appointment in July as she considered it mission impossible, she told Newstalk ZB at the time. Months later, Clark said that view remains. It hasnt really changed in the sense that it will be impossible to please everybody, and you shouldnt set out trying to please everybody. What we need to do is an honest job of assessing the evidence as we find it and making recommendations which we believe will be helpful in improving the world to deal with the next emergence of a novel coronavirus, or such disease. If we have a flat-footed response, like this time again this is devastating for world economies and societies, so we have to do better and I think everybody recognises that. Helen Clark will be speaking about the economic catastrophe caused by the coronavirus pandemic, and how leaders deal with crisis at the Yahoo Finance All Markets Summit on 17 September. Register here for your tickets. India, China Reach 5-point Consensus on Ladakh Situation, Take Opposing Views on Bilateral Ties Sources told CNN-News18 that External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, during a meeting that lasted two and a half hours in Moscow, told his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi that the recent incidents in eastern Ladakh have inevitably impacted the development of bilateral relations, and therefore, an urgent resolution of the current situation was in the interest of both nations. However, the Chinese side issued a statement saying that the Indian side does not consider the bilateral relations to be dependent on the situation at the border". READ MORE US Open: Serena Williams Loses in Semi-final as Victoria Azarenka Makes Final After 7 Years Serena Williams was beaten 1-6, 6-3, 6-3 in the semi-finals of the U.S. Open by Victoria Azarenka on Thursday, denying her the chance of winning a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam singles title on home soil this year. Belarusian Azarenka will play Japans Naomi Osaka in her third final at Flushing Meadows on Saturday, having lost the previous two to Williams in 2012 and 2013. READ MORE 64 Lakh Indians Were Exposed to Coronavirus Infection by Early May, ICMRs Sero-Survey Shows The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), in a much-delayed results of the national sero-survey, has revealed that by early May, when India had not even begun the process of lifting its national lockdown, an estimated 6.4 million people were likely to have been exposed to Coronavirus. Just five days ago, Indias officially reported Coronavirus case count had crossed the four million mark, making it the country with the second-highest number of infections in the world. READ MORE Govt Revises SOP for Exams Ahead of NEET 2020, Removes Isolation Option for Symptomatic Students The Union health ministry on Thursday modified the SOP for holding exams during the coronavirus pandemic, scrapping the provision that permitted symptomatic candidates to take the test in an isolated room. As per the updated document, a symptomatic aspirant should be referred to the nearest health centre and provided a chance to appear for the test through other modes or the educational institution shall make provisions for taking the exam at a later date when the student is deemed fit. However, if a student is found to be symptomatic, the permission or denial thereof, in such cases shall be granted as per the policy already enunciated on the issue by the Examination Conducting Authorities, the revised Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) said. READ MORE Private Schools in Bengaluru Want Students to Pay Covid Fees as Classes Set to Restart After the Centres announcement of reopening educational institutions under Unlock 4, private schools in Bengaluru are mulling to levy an excess COVID fees to fund the expenditure for sanitisation and disinfection of their premises. Students across India are set to return to campus from September 21 onwards. The schools managements claim that the spike in fees would compensate for the continuous sanitisation process as areas/surfaces that are frequented by staff and students such as railings, desks, chairs and equipment have to be constantly disinfected to keep everyone safe. READ MORE Topless Women Lock Themselves To Railing Outside UK Parliament to Protest Climate Change Topless activists from campaign group Extinction Rebellion chained themselves to the gates of Britains parliament Thursday to highlight the bare truth" about climate change, the final action in 10 days of protests. The women wore 4 degrees C" face masks and warned against the near-term consequences of such a global temperature rise with the words starvation", displacement" and violence" printed on their bare chests. Cant bare the truth?" they asked on a banner directed at lawmakers walking past on Parliament Square. READ MORE The Supreme Court on Friday sought Centres response on a death row convicts plea seeking commutation of sentence to life imprisonment for the failure on part of the Central government to decide on his mercy petition filed eight years ago. The convict, Balwant Singh Rajoana, was sentenced to death for the murder of former Punjab chief minister Beant Singh who died in a bomb explosion in Chandigarh on August 31, 1995. The petitioner has been in custody for nearly 25 years. Rajoana filed a mercy petition before the President on March 25, 2012 but has heard nothing on it till date. Several attempts to seek progress on his mercy petition under the Right to Information (RTI) Act did not succeed. Last year, on September 27, the Centre decided to commute the death penalty of Rajoana to life sentence on the special occasion of the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak. Almost a year has passed but the decision is yet to be implemented. Citing these reasons, Rajoana decided to approach the apex court and seek benefit of a 2014 decision passed in Shatrughan Chauhan v Union of India where undue, inordinate delay in deciding mercy petitions was held to be a ground to commute punishment of death row convicts. The judgment declared that prolonged delay in execution of the death sentence has a dehumanizing effect on the death row convict. Rajoanas lawyer Rupesh Kumar said, From July 31, 2007 the petitioner is on death row. He is suffering from clinical depression and anxiety disorder along with various other ailments. After moving the mercy petition, he and his family moved four RTI petitions between 2016 and 2018. On every occasion, the Centre responded by saying the matter is under consideration. No reason for delay was cited and so we decided to approach the top court. A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) SA Bobde issued notice to the Centre on Rajoanas petition and posted the matter after four weeks. Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, who appeared for Rajoana, argued that all that the convict was seeking was life sentence and not a pardon. The bench asked Rohatgi, You have been convicted for killing the chief minister of a state. Has there been a precedent in the past where the President of India has pardoned anybody who is convicted of killing a chief minister. Rohatgi said that in 2014 soon after the apex court laid down the law that inordinate delay in deciding mercy petitions will lead to automatic commutation, persons who were convicted of assassinating former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi got benefited under the rule. He cited the case of Devinder Pal Singh Bhullar who too got the benefit of this decision as the Centre failed to act on his mercy petition for eight years. There is clear violation of his fundamental rights ensuing from inordinate delay caused at the hands of the executive in deciding the said mercy petition, Rohatgi said. With the Centre now issuing directions for commutation of Rajoana, Rohatgi asked the Court to direct the Centre to clarify its stand. The incident involving Rajoana involved a bomb explosion in the porch of the Punjab and Haryana Civil Secretariat, Chandigarh, which led to the death of the then Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh along with 16 others. Rajoana was named in the FIR along with 15 others and taken into custody on January 14, 1996. On July 27, 2007, a Chandigarh court awarded the death sentence to Rajoana which was confirmed by the Punjab and Haryana High Court on October 12, 2010. Rajoana did not prefer an appeal against this decision and instead filed a mercy petition before the President under Article 72 of the Constitution. (Bloomberg Opinion) -- Britains reckless mismanagement of its exit from the European Union took a remarkable turn this week, when a cabinet minister casually told the House of Commons that the government was proposing to break international law. In the midst of an effort to forge a trade agreement with the EU that the U.K. presumably hopes will be binding on both sides, this is a strange way to proceed. Apparently Prime Minister Boris Johnson is no longer pleased with the withdrawal agreement that secured Brexit, a treaty he negotiated and previously boasted about. The government now says there are loose ends, ambiguities and unintended consequences, mainly concerning Northern Ireland and EU rules on state subsidies. It proposes new domestic legislation to remedy these defects. Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis told parliament these changes would override aspects of the withdrawal agreement and hence break international law but only in a very specific and limited way. This is something the U.K.s partners might want to keep in mind. In the future, when Britain signs a treaty, it expects to keep its word, so long as its convenient. It tells you something that the most generous interpretation of this shambles is that Johnsons government is only posturing, in the hope that brinkmanship will force the EU to come to terms on future trading arrangements. Or perhaps the goal is the opposite: to collapse the whole process and move forward with no agreement in place. The truth is, nobody seems to understand what Johnsons government is trying to achieve, least of all Johnson. Adding to the frustration is that the fundamental conflict in Britains Brexit ambition has been plain from the outset: The U.K. cannot hope to have an independent trade policy, frictionless exchange between Northern Ireland and the rest of the U.K., and seamless trade across Northern Irelands border with the EU. Given goodwill on both sides, an ambitious post-Brexit free-trade agreement couldve worked around these difficulties. Yet hopes of such a deal are fast receding and the no-deal alternative that Johnson has flirted with since becoming prime minister cannot resolve those tensions. Story continues Johnson is much to blame for the impasse. Insisting that a no-deal Brexit would suit the U.K. perfectly well is both absurd on the merits and tactically dumb because nobody in the EU actually believes it. Some smaller fault, though, does rest with Europes negotiators, because theyve tried to drive a needlessly hard bargain. On the questions that gave rise to this most recent dispute, for instance, they have aimed to make Britain accept restrictions on domestic economic policy not required of Europes other partners in free-trade agreements, and submit to EU law on matters better handled by joint dispute-settlement procedures. Protecting Europes interests does not require these infringements on U.K. sovereignty. Before its too late, restoring friendly U.K.-EU relations should be the highest priority for both sides. This couldve been a negotiation between friends, with all minds concentrated on limiting the damage from Brexit and finding potential for mutual advantage. But Britain chose to embark on this dangerous path, and Johnson now leads the way in wrecking any hope of an amicable approach. If he persists in this vein, his claims about the joys of a no-deal Brexit will be put to the test and the country is unlikely to care for the results. Editorials are written by the Bloomberg Opinion editorial board. For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com/opinion Subscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source. 2020 Bloomberg L.P. By Julie Carle Bowling Green State Universitys Hanna Hall and the new Maurer Center are steeped in a tradition of providing students real-world experiences, then and now. With the Universitys deep roots in preparing students to become teachers, some of the early cohorts of education students observed classes and did student teaching in the building first known as the Elementary School Building and later Hanna Hall. The building was planned in 1916, when administrators determined that a building dedicated to teacher education was essential to creating a top-quality education for future teachers. Material shortages in the aftermath of World War I and bankruptcy of the contractor delayed the opening until 1921. The original intent for the building was to serve as an elementary school where students could hone their skills while working in an actual classroom. During those early years, the ability to observe and practice working with children was vital to the curriculum. Instead of student teaching at the end of a four-year curriculum, as education students currently do, first-year students observed and second year students were student teachers, allowing them to enter full-time teaching after their sophomore years or complete two additional years for their liberal arts education. The elementary school program was set up for children in first through sixth grades from the city of Bowling Green. A kindergarten classroom was added in 1922. The best teachers that could be found were recruited as critic teachers for the training school. They held demonstrations on Tuesdays and Thursdays to augment material taught in professional courses, particularly educational psychology and principles of teaching. During the 1940s and early 50s, the building also became a gathering place for countless student organizations. From spring formals and socials for organizations such as the Newman Club and Delta Epsilon to meeting spaces for such groups as the Promenaders Square Dance Club, the Psychology Club and the Off-Campus Club. BGSU and the Bowling Green City Schools decided in 1952 that the building had become inadequate to provide the necessary number of observations and student teaching opportunities. A contract was approved that allowed the Bowling Green City Schools to serve as the laboratory school system for University students. The change allowed teachers in the city schools to provide classroom instruction for pupils in the schools and also to serve as critic teachers for University students observing and student teaching in their classrooms. By 1958, the Elementary School Building was no longer needed as a teaching school, and the College of Education disbanded the elementary school model. Within the next year, the building was renovated to house university classrooms, offices and a large, ramped lecture hall. At the same time as the building was being remodeled, the board of trustees agreed to rename the building. According to an article in the November 1959 issue of the BGSU Alumni Magazine, the board met Sept. 11, 1959, and renamed the Elementary School Building. They chose to honor Myrna Reese Hanna, the first woman from Wood County to serve as state representative in the Ohio General Assembly. At the time, the board decided that rather than designate the buildings by their functions it would be suitable to honor outstanding Ohioans who contributed to the development of northwest Ohio or the University. The woman, the legislator The work of Myrna Reese Hanna, the first woman from Wood County to be elected to the Ohio General Assembly, forever changed the course of education at Bowling Green. Hanna joined Sen. Van Everett D. Emmons as a sponsor of the state legislation that moved Bowling Greens (and Kents) status as a normal school for teacher education to a college with a liberal arts curriculum. The bill gave BG and Kent the authority to grant bachelors degrees. The bill passed 104 to 7. She and Emmons were called tireless workers on behalf of the bill, according to a 1929 Sentinel-Tribune news article. Hanna served in the 88th and 89th sessions of the legislature from 1929 to 1932. She wasnt the first woman in Ohio to be elected to the state legislature, but she was the first in Wood County. She was widely known to the Wood County Republicans for her involvement in the party since women won the right of suffrage in 1920. A 1928 news article described her as keenly alive to the problems of the day with an engaging personality. She believed in public service and good government and promoted laws that were the best for the people in Wood County and across the state. During her two terms in office, Hanna advocated not only for the university but also for Fort Meigs, a park system along the Maumee River, the states roadways and protecting the rights of rural counties like Wood. She helped secure funds to complete work needed to free the village of Grand Rapids of flood peril by extending fill to replace the break in the guard bank below the Grand Rapids dam. She also was interested in legislation protecting women and children. One bill she introduced provided state support of annual exhibits of junior club work (4-H, FFA, scouts) in counties where there was no county fair. When she was running for re-election in 1930, a Sentinel Tribune column stated: A second-grader in the northern Vietnamese province of Lao Cai was hospitalized after a ceiling fan fell on his head on Thursday morning. The incident took place at around 9:30 am when the students were taking a break, Kim Dong Elementary School reported. The blades of a running ceiling fan were said to have detached from the base and fallen on a male student, hitting him on the forehead. The school medics gave the boy first aid and rushed him to a local hospital. A check-up showed that the child only suffered a flesh wound on his forehead. He was given stitches and is recovering well. Teachers from the school visited him at the hospital. Meanwhile, the Bureau of Education and Training in Lao Cai City, the provincial capital, also sent staff to investigate the scene. Education officials inspect the scene of an accident where a ceiling fan fell on a student in a classroom at Kim Dong Elementary School in Lao Cai Province, Vietnam, September 10, 2020. Photo: V.Tuan / Tuoi Tre A preliminary scene inspection revealed that the accident had been caused by a loose screw. A comprehensive inspection of facilities on the school premises was conducted on the same day to assess and deal with any other safety risks, said Ha Thu Yen, vice-principal of Kim Dong Elementary School. According to Yen, the school also had the screws of ceiling fans in all classrooms replaced to avoid a similar accident. Lao Cai has recorded two accidents related to faulty facilities at local schools in less than a week. On Monday, the gate of an elementary school in Van Ban District suddenly collapsed, killing three students and injuring three others. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Adani has won a court injunction requiring anti-coal activist Ben Pennings to remove social media posts and stop using confidential information to frustrate the mining company's plans. The Brisbane Supreme Court heard Mr Pennings was the "spokesperson and strategist" for Galilee Blockade, an activist group dedicated to stopping the Adani Carmichael coal mine in Queensland's Galilee Basin from going ahead. Ben Pennings, pictured during the 2016 Brisbane City Council election campaign in which he was the Greens' candidate for lord mayor. Credit:Michelle Smith Galilee Blockade was described as using a "Dob-In Campaign" to encourage people to apply for jobs with Adani and later provide inside information on Adani's business deals with contractors. Justice Glenn Martin found Mr Pennings had not denied having confidential information and threatening to using it to scare off contractors from working with Adani. The Division Number 8 police on Thursday arrested an aide of dead gangster Vijay Sidhu, alias Chhota Lalla. The accused, identified as Shubham Sidhu, alias Ganju, 24, of Ambedkar Nagar, was wanted by the police in a case of illegal weapon for over a year. Sub-inspector Rajinder Singh, in-charge at Kailash Nagar police post, said Sidhu was arrested near Upkar Nagar Dussehra ground following a tip-off. He said when the police arrested gangster Vijay Sidhu on August 6, 2019, they had recovered an illegal .32-bore pistol and three bullets from his possession. A case under the Arms Act was lodged at the Division Number 8 police station in this regard. During interrogation, Vijay revealed that he had procured the weapon from Shubham, following which the police had booked the latter as well. Vijay was murdered on October 20, 2019, but the police continued their search for Shubham and nabbed him on Thursday. He was produced before a court on Friday and sent to one-day police remand. The sub-inspector said during questioning, Shubham claimed that he had found the pistol abandoned near a railway crossing and had handed it over to Vijay. The accused is a drug addict and already facing trial in a case of drug peddling lodged at the Moti Nagar police station. Further questioning is underway for more information, he added. Covid Vaccine Trial Dr. Matilde "Mattie" Castiel receives an injection from RN Bethany Trainor at the University of Massachusetts Medical School in Worcester, MA on Sept. 4. Castiel, Worcester's Commissioner of Health and Human Services, is taking part in a clinical trial for a COVID-19 vaccine. Credit - Craig F. Walker/The Boston Globe via Getty Images For weeks now, U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly made predictions, sometimes verging on promises, that a COVID-19 vaccine is imminent. We remain on track to deliver a vaccine before the end of the year and maybe even before November 1st, he said at a Sept. 4 news conference. We think we can probably have it some time during the month of October. As the Washington Post reported last week, administration officials say the President has become fixated on speeding up a vaccine development process that is already underway at an unprecedented rate and scope, to the point where nothing else captures his attention. This single-mindedness is driving up skepticism among Americans about the viability of a coronavirus vaccine that comes through the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval process. According to a poll by the Kaiser Family Foundation published Sept. 10, a majority of U.S. adults, 62%, said theyre worried that that pressure from the White House could lead the FDA to approve a vaccine before its determined to be safe and effective. Despite Trumps promises, it will likely be months before a coronavirus vaccine is available to the public, but these polling data may not bode well for Americans willingness to get vaccinated even then. A third of Americans have already said that they would not get a COVID-19 vaccine, according to a Gallup poll released in August. This is especially concerning because vaccine uptake may be a deciding factor as to whether the country will be able to put an end to the pandemic. More people getting vaccinated would be especially necessary if the approved vaccination can only provide only limited immunity, and the FDA has signaled that it would approve a vaccine if it prevents disease or makes the illness less severe in as few as 50% of people. Story continues Since the start of the coronavirus outbreak, the Trump administration has faced criticism for repeatedly refuting scientific evidence about the coronavirus outbreak, including about the effectiveness of face masks and the importance of COVID-19 tests, and for what detractors see as undermining the FDAs credibility. This seems to have tainted the publics perception of the FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). While 67% of Americans said they trust the CDC for reliable coronavirus information, thats a decline of 16 percentage points from April, when that number was 83% Meanwhile, about half of U.S. adults polled by Kaiser said the FDA and CDC are not paying enough attention to science when considering coronavirus treatments and recommendations, while 39% and 42% said the FDA and CDC, respectively, are paying too much attention to politics. Again, theres a significant gap between Democrats and Republicans, with the former much more worried about the politicization of the federal health agencies. Critics say that Trump has politicized many of the efforts to contain the virusand now, the vaccine development process. Experts on vaccine hesitancy have criticized the Trump administration for emphasizing how quickly vaccines are being developed, including the branding of the effort to find a vaccine Operation Warp Speed, arguing that this could make it seem that the vaccine is being thrown together without proper safety measures. Unsurprisingly, the degree to which Americans are concerned about the Presidents influence rushing the vaccine process falls along political lines. About 85% of Democrats and 61% of independents said they were concerned, compared to 35% of Republicans, according to the Kaiser poll. In case you haven't heard, there is a concerted effort in this country today to discredit, defund, and de-humanize members of law enforcement. While local police have been the primary target as of late, the effort extends even more forcefully against federal immigration officers. This does more than just endanger community safety; it is an existential threat to our Constitution and sets the stage for armed conflict among different branches of law enforcement. Central to the war against immigration law enforcement has been the effort to portray them as the bad guys. In the last several years, rhetoric from the radical left has depicted Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents as the worst kind of Nazis, who cruelly target illegal aliens because of their skin color and lock them up in cages for amusement. When your enemy is painted as the modern-day Gestapo, they are pure evil, therefore any tactics to stop them are justified. The foot soldiers on the street have received the message. In addition to protesting and blocking entrances to ICE facilities, the left-wing rage mob has even harassed food truckoperators for setting up shop outside ICE buildings. Mayors in deep blue cities have tipped off illegal aliens to help them escape ICE raids and deportation. As they say in infomercials, "But wait, there's more!" Sanctuary laws prevent ICE agents from taking custody of criminal aliens in the security of a jail facility, forcing them to take the far more dangerous route of going into homes and workplaces. It had been a longstanding protocol that ICE could pick up aliens when they appear in a courthouse on criminal charges. The anti-borders left has now seized upon this practice for its next line of attack. Prosecutors in two of the largest counties in Massachusetts have sued ICE to outlaw the practice of courthouse arrests. Last week, the First Circuit Court of Appeals vacated an injunction that a Massachusetts federal district judge had issued against arrests of aliens by ICE officers in courthouses in the Bay State. While the case for courthouse arrests is rock-solid, the appellate court sent the case back down to the district court to consider an additional argument, and the fight will go on. The plaintiffs relied on a supposed Massachusetts common law privilege against arrests at courthouses, an argument equivalent to a house built on sand. As the Immigration Reform Law Institute (IRLI) wrote in its friend-of-the-court brief in the case, federal law is supreme over state law, not the other way around. Applying a state common law privilege to block ICE arrests at courthouses a course that might lead to armed confrontation between state and federal officers would be repugnant to the Supremacy Clause of the Constitution. What would happen if state court officers tried to enforce that supposed privilege by forcibly preventing ICE officers from entering Massachusetts courthouses, or forcibly preventing ICE officers from taking custody of aliens once inside? Armed confrontations between state and federal officers, or attempts by each to place the other under arrest, would be the inevitable result. Against the current backdrop of the rampant lawlessness in our streets, the last thing our nation needs is different branches of law enforcement in armed conflict with each other. There must be something in the water in Massachusetts, because even those sworn to uphold our nation's laws at the highest levels are falling short. Newton District Court judge Shelly Joseph recently lost her bid to dismiss obstruction of justice and conspiracy charges against her. Joseph allegedly helped a twice-deported illegal alien escape her courtroom through a rear door and evade ICE agents who were told to wait in the lobby to take custody. This is the foundational logic that the left's view of immigration misses: if a nation has no borders, it is not a nation. If certain laws are not to be enforced, then no laws have legitimacy. As American citizens, we have every right to petition our government to have laws changed. We do not have the right to an a la carte approach to our society, where we obey the laws we like and disregard those we do not. If you do not like the current immigration laws, contact your representatives who wrote the laws and seek change. Demonizing and obstructing those charged with enforcing the laws is a lazy, unconstitutional path that leads to the kind of chaos that this country can no longer afford. Dale L. Wilcox is executive director and general counsel at the Immigration Reform Law Institute, a public interest law firm working to defend the rights and interests of the American people from the negative effects of mass migration. Image credit: Rocky Mountain PBS via shareable YouTube, screen shot. Patient safety watchdog Hiqa stopped doing nursing home inspections on the same day the first confirmed case of Covid-19 was reported in one of the facilities, it was claimed yesterday. It was among a series of criticisms levelled at Hiqa when its officials appeared before the Oireachtas Special Committee on Covid-19 Response yesterday. People Before Profit TD Brid Smith asked why Hiqa halted its inspections on March 13, the same day of the first confirmed case of Covid-19 in a nursing home. She said the rise in nursing home deaths in the following months was "very graphic and it spiked out of control". "Why did you take such a rapid decision on the first day you heard of a death?" Tackled In response, Hiqa chief executive Phelim Quinn said the decision was made on public health advice. The watchdog was also tackled on its handling of the responses sought by the families of 23 residents who died in Dealgan House nursing home in Dundalk, Co Louth. Fine Gael TD Fergus O'Dowd said families were still struggling for answers and have received inadequate and redacted documents after they submitted a Freedom of Information request to Hiqa. He said the lack of information is "deeply hurting" for families. Its submission to the committee yesterday was "self serving" and the organisation lacked staff, inspections and accountability, he said. "People are dead and there are people grieving - they are not getting any closure," he added. Mr Quinn said the release of information to families is being addressed and the request to meet with them will be considered in the context of ongoing legal action. Social Democrat co-leader Roisin Shortall TD questioned why there was no statutory staffing levels in nursing homes and asked if this had been raised by Hiqa. Mary Dunnion, Hiqa chief inspector, said it had been highlighted with Department of Health and the "totality of regulations about care and welfare need to be reviewed as a matter of priority". Earlier, Mr Quinn told the committee that a "key element of our inspections is listening to the views of people who live in nursing homes. "On more recent inspections, residents who spoke to our inspectors expressed a range of emotions - some feared contracting the virus and worried about their family and friends, while others felt a deep sense of isolation and loneliness as a result of the visiting restrictions," he said. Focus "Without exception, residents were deeply grateful to staff in nursing homes for the care they provided in extremely challenging circumstances." Mr Quinn said it has brought into focus the need to review and enhance the current regulatory framework. In the long term, a reform of established models of care for older people in Ireland is required. He said that Hiqa needed extra powers to implement and oversee the recommendations of the report of the Government-appointed expert panel which looked at nursing homes during the pandemic. Nursing homes faced substantial challenges during the early phase of the crisis, he told the committee. "We welcome the recommendations made in the report and are working with the Department of Health to ensure that Hiqa has adequate resources to progress both these recommendations and those of the expert panel," he said. "A business case has been made to the Department of Health in this regard." Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar on Thursday had a meeting with Japan Consul-General Michio Harada during which the latter emphasised the need of expanding bilateral relations between India and Japan. Taking to Twitter, Pawar said he is honoured for the opportunity to welcome Harada and thanked the Japenese official for inviting him to Tokyo Olympics 2021. Feeling honoured for the opportunity to welcome the Consul-General of Japan Michio Harada. During his visit to my office, Harada emphasized the need of expanding bilateral relations between India and Japan, especially strengthening relations with Mumbai & Maharashtra, Pawar tweeted. I am thankful to Harada for inviting me to the Tokyo Olympics 2021. He also invited me at his residence for further discussions on Indo-Japanese relations over the dinner, he added. During the talks with Harada, Pawar recalled his visit to Japan during his early days in politics. Harada was keen to know my views and thoughts on Indo-Japanese relations. It was a pleasure to have shared my experiences with him and I am looking forward to taking our camaraderie further, he said in a series of tweets. NCP leader and Lok Sabha MP Supriya Sule was also present during the meeting between Harada and Pawar. She expressed her liking for Japanese food and praised the hugely popular tradition of Cherry Blossom season. Alleging that the health infrastructure in the state is still in a shambles, Leader of Opposition in on Friday urged Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa and his government to wake up from slumber and solve issues in this regard. The former Chief Minister, in a series of tweets, also requested the media to highlight the issues dogging health care and COVID-19 preparedness of the government. "Health infra in the state is still in a shambles. Many people are frantically looking for ventilators for their dear ones but there is no help from BBMP or the Health Dept. It is not the time to show laxity, @CMofKarnataka should release daily bulletin on health infra of our state," tweeted. Alleging that the state government is under the assumption that the pandemic has ended, and they have to wake up from slumber and solve health infra issues, he said, "Asymptomatic patients may not be getting admitted to COVID- 19 centres and that doesn't mean number of those who need critical care has reduced. #WakeUpBSY." urged the media to wake the Chief Minister up and the government by highlighting issues regarding healthcare. "... When media houses were highlighting COVID-19 issues, the govt was somewhat responding. But now, the govt feels that its inefficiency is invisible. Media needs to #WakeUpBSY," he said in another tweet. This request from the former Chief Minister to the media has come amidst a general opinion that local news channels during the last week or so were completely focussing on the drugs case in the state, party (Congress) sources said. Private hospitals are still denying admissions to the patients and they are giving preference to those who have money, while sending back poor people, Siddaramaiah alleged while he urged the Chief Minister to review the situation and ensure best treatment for all sections of society. (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.) At the event, held within the framework of the 53rd ASEAN Ministerial Meeting (AMM-53), the foreign ministers of both sides held that ASEAN-Australia cooperation has significantly contributed to realising the ASEAN Community Vision 2025, including the Blueprints of the ASEAN Political-Security Community, the ASEAN Economic Community and the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community, the Work Plan of the Initiative for ASEAN Integration (IAI) phase III and the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity (MPAC) 2025. ASEAN-Australia Ministerial Meeting (Photo: VNA) Australia is currently ASEAN's 7th largest trade partner while ASEAN is Australia's third largest trade partner. ASEAN is preparing for negotiations to upgrade the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (AANZFTA), thus bringing more practical benefits to the business community and stakeholders. Notably, in recent years, Australia has always been one of the top destinations chosen by ASEAN students. Addressing the event, Australian Foreign Minister Maris Payne affirmed the Australian commitment to building a stronger partnership on par with ASEANs potential. She announced that her country will provide 1 million AUD for the ASEAN COVID-19 Response Fund. Australia confirmed its support for specific cooperation with ASEAN according to the ASEAN Perspectives Document on the Indo-Pacific, thereby providing approximately 60 million AUD to enhance economic integration under the ASEAN-Australia Development Partnership, with priority given to economic recovery, focusing on connectivity, infrastructure and digital transformation, she said. She expressed her hope that the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) will soon be signed. Australian will continue supporting ASEAN students in the country through policies such as extending visas, delaying fee collection and creating jobs. For his part, Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh welcomed Australia's assistance to ASEAN countries in promoting regional health security, economic recovery and stability, including the aid package of 23 million AUD. Minh appreciated Australia's support for ASEAN's efforts to ensure peace, security, stability and freedom of navigation and aviation in the East Sea. The Vietnamese official reiterated ASEAN's principled stance and asked the parties to uphold restraint, refrain from the acts that further complicate the situation and from militarisation and settle disputes through peaceful measures. The parties should continue to fully and effectively implement the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) and soon finalise an effective and efficient Code of Conduct (COC) in accordance with international law, especially the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS 1982), contributing to maintaining peace, security and stability in the East Sea and in the region, he noted. He also welcomed Australia for co-chairing the 2nd ASEAN-Australia dialogue on women, peace and security, which will take place later this year. At the end of the meeting, the ministers approved the new Plan of Action (2020-2024) to further deepen the ASEAN-Australia Strategic Partnership. The two sides agreed to hold the annual ASEAN-Australia Summit, starting from 2021./. California Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly, shown in April, urged wildfire evacuees to wear masks and take other coronavirus precautions. (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) California officials on Thursday reported that more than 14,000 residents have died of COVID-19, but that new coronavirus cases continued to ebb statewide. The cumulative death toll rose to 14,021, up by 31 from Wednesday, but overall the state has seen deaths flatten out and new reported cases trend downward. The seven-day average of new cases on Wednesday stood at 3,742, according to data compiled by The Times the first time new cases dropped below 4,000 since June 21. New cases have declined substantially since July 27, when the state recorded nearly 11,000 of them. The state has averaged 93.1 deaths a day over the last seven days, hospitalizations have declined, and the 14-day positivity rate is now at 4%, state officials said. Turnaround times for coronavirus tests also have declined. Dr. Erica Pan, acting state public health officer, said during an online news conference that laboratories were now producing test results in an average of 1.3 days. "We have made a great deal of progress," she said. Outbreaks on work sites in Los Angeles County, including warehouses and retailers, spiked in July but are now abating, Dr. Muntu Davis, Los Angeles County health officer, said during a news conference. The county sent inspectors to 331 businesses, including restaurants, markets, hair salons and barbershops over the Labor Day weekend and found "reasonably good compliance" with health rules, Davis said. "But not everyone is at 100%," he said. Hotels need to improve on ensuring patrons wear face coverings and restaurants on keeping customers six feet apart, he said. In San Francisco, Mayor London Breed announced that the city was accelerating its reopening and would permit indoor personal services and indoor gyms with limited capacity starting Monday. Im so glad we can move forward earlier than expected to reopen more businesses that have been closed since March, Breed said in a statement. These businesses have been struggling, and starting Monday, theyll finally be able to serve customers again, with the necessary safety precautions and modifications in place. Story continues Businesses that will resume indoors with limitations include hair salons, barbershops, nail salons and massage services in addition to fitness centers. The city has decided to follow its local health indicators rather than reopen whatever the state permits. We will continue our gradual reopening as it allows us to monitor the spread, manage its immediate challenges and mitigate the long-term impact on our city, said Dr. Grant Colfax, the citys public health director. Our reopening pace continue to be informed by our ability to manage the risk of more activity that may result in more cases and hospitalizations. Dr. Mark Ghaly, secretary of California's Health and Human Services Agency, speaking at the state news conference, expressed concern about the health of wildfire evacuees who may be seeking shelter with family and friends. He urged them to wear masks where they are staying, remain distant from others and avoid sharing tables or utensils with people not from their immediate household. Ghaly also commended Los Angeles County for issuing guidance on trick-or-treating this Halloween the county recommends against it and said the state is developing its owns recommendations. "It is something that has been squarely on our minds," he said. He warned that this year's Halloween will be quite different from those of past years. Both state and L.A. County officials asked residents to remain vigilant about wearing masks, distancing and washing their hands. State officials noted that local health officers have been under enormous pressure during the pandemic. "We need to come together as a community," Pan said. "We have seen so much divisiveness." On other COVID-19 matters, the California Supreme Court refused to overturn Gov. Gavin Newsoms directives limiting in-classroom instruction to slow the spread of the coronavirus. The states highest court rejected without comment lawsuits brought by the Orange County Board of Education and others to reopen schools statewide. Robert Tyler, one of the lawyers who brought the cases, said the legal fight was not over. It simply means that we will have to start the litigation by filing our claims in the Superior Courts because the court is not willing to permit this case to skip the lower courts, Tyler said. Once we proceed through the normal process, we believe we will still be victorious in the end. Orange County has moved into Tier 2 of the states monitoring system, which gauges a countys ability to reopen more fully. The reclassification allows for more businesses including movie theaters, restaurants and places of worship to ease restrictions and open in limited capacity. State officials have also told Orange County it is eligible to reopen schools Sept. 22. Illustration of a carbon-rich planet with diamond and silica as main minerals. Water can convert a carbide planet into a diamond-rich planet. In the interior, the main minerals would be diamond and silica (a layer with crystals in the illustration). The core (dark blue) might be iron-carbon alloy. Credit: Shim/ASU/Vecteezy As missions like NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, TESS and Kepler continue to provide insights into the properties of exoplanets (planets around other stars), scientists are increasingly able to piece together what these planets look like, what they are made of, and if they could be habitable or even inhabited. In a new study published recently in The Planetary Science Journal, a team of researchers from Arizona State University (ASU) and the University of Chicago have determined that some carbon-rich exoplanets, given the right circumstances, could be made of diamonds and silica. "These exoplanets are unlike anything in our solar system," says lead author Harrison Allen-Sutter of ASU's School of Earth and Space Exploration. Diamond exoplanet formation When stars and planets are formed, they do so from the same cloud of gas, so their bulk compositions are similar. A star with a lower carbon to oxygen ratio will have planets like Earth, comprised of silicates and oxides with a very small diamond content (Earth's diamond content is about 0.001%). But exoplanets around stars with a higher carbon to oxygen ratio than our sun are more likely to be carbon-rich. Allen-Sutter and co-authors Emily Garhart, Kurt Leinenweber and Dan Shim of ASU, with Vitali Prakapenka and Eran Greenberg of the University of Chicago, hypothesized that these carbon-rich exoplanets could convert to diamond and silicate, if water (which is abundant in the universe) were present, creating a diamond-rich composition. In a diamond-anvil cell, two gem quality single crystal diamonds are shaped into anvils (flat top in the photo) and then faced towards each other. Samples are loaded between the culets (flat surfaces), then the sample is compressed between the anvils. Credit: Shim/ASU Diamond-anvils and X-rays To test this hypothesis, the research team needed to mimic the interior of carbide exoplanets using high heat and high pressure. To do so, they used high pressure diamond-anvil cells at co-author Shim's Lab for Earth and Planetary Materials. First, they immersed silicon carbide in water and compressed the sample between diamonds to a very high pressure. Then, to monitor the reaction between silicon carbide and water, they conducted laser heating at the Argonne National Laboratory in Illinois, taking X-ray measurements while the laser heated the sample at high pressures. As they predicted, with high heat and pressure, the silicon carbide reacted with water and turned into diamonds and silica. An unaltered carbon planet (left) transforms from a silicon carbide dominated mantle to a silica and diamond dominated mantle (right). The reaction also produces methane and hydrogen. Credit: Harrison/ASU Habitability and inhabitability So far, we have not found life on other planets, but the search continues. Planetary scientists and astrobiologists are using sophisticated instruments in space and on Earth to find planets with the right properties and the right location around their stars where life could exist. The cylinder-shaped objects in this photo are diamond anvil cells. The diamond-anvil cells are mounted in copper holders and then inserted into the synchrotron X-ray/laser beam path. The photo shows diamond-anvil cells and mounts before they are aligned for X-ray/laser experiments. Credit: Shim/ASU For carbon-rich planets that are the focus of this study, however, they likely do not have the properties needed for life. While Earth is geologically active (an indicator habitability), the results of this study show that carbon-rich planets are too hard to be geologically active and this lack of geologic activity may make atmospheric composition uninhabitable. Atmospheres are critical for life as it provides us with air to breathe, protection from the harsh environment of space, and even pressure to allow for liquid water. "Regardless of habitability, this is one additional step in helping us understand and characterize our ever- increasing and improving observations of exoplanets," says Allen-Sutter. "The more we learn, the better we'll be able to interpret new data from upcoming future missions like the James Webb Space Telescope and the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope to understand the worlds beyond on our own solar system." More information: H. Allen-Sutter et al, Oxidation of the Interiors of Carbide Exoplanets, The Planetary Science Journal (2020). H. Allen-Sutter et al, Oxidation of the Interiors of Carbide Exoplanets,(2020). DOI: 10.3847/PSJ/abaa3e To lure more developers to its platform, Richad Yu said at Thursdays conference that Huawei plans to open a beta version of Harmony OS 2.0 to developers in December. Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. plans to incorporate its homegrown Harmony operating system (OS) into 200 million products including phones and televisions over the next year, as the besieged tech giant seeks to combat U.S. restrictions on its ability to purchase components and software. At the companys annual developer conference in the southern Chinese city of Dongguan on Thursday, Richard Yu, head of Huaweis consumer business group, announced the launch of Harmony OS 2.0, which will power Huaweis new smartphones starting next year. Huawei often publicizes development roadmaps and touts its new products and technologies at the annual conference. Huawei first unveiled Harmony OS in August 2019 as an alternative to Googles Android OS, three months after it was placed on the U.S. entity list, depriving it of access to Android and Google Mobile Services (GMS), a collection of Google apps that often come preinstalled on Android-powered devices. At the time, Yu expressed willingness to continue using Android OS if the U.S. government lifted the ban. A source from Huawei told Caixin that the companys previous hesitation to equip its smartphones with Harmony OS stemmed from two anti-fragmentation agreements it signed with Google, which stipulated that Huawei-developed services similar to GMS could not be used on GMS-powered handsets. The agreements will expire in November and December respectively, according to Wang Chenglu, president of Huaweis consumer business groups software department. In the second quarter this year, about 76% of Huawei phones sold overseas ran on GMS, as they were made before the U.S. entity list was issued. Thursdays announcement marks a major step in Huaweis efforts to decouple its business from Google, which Wang did not see as a misfortune for the Chinese company. Instead, Wang said that it could lead to a complete switch to Harmony OS, which is of great importance to the future development of Chinas software industry especially at a time when Washington is escalating its tech war with Beijing. Meanwhile, Huawei has been encouraging developers to integrate their apps with Huawei Mobile Services (HMS) since May last year, in an effort to build its own mobile app ecosystem on par with that supported by GMS. To lure more developers to its platform, Yu said at Thursdays conference that Huawei plans to open a beta version of Harmony OS 2.0 to developers in December. Huawei started promoting its HMS-powered smartphones overseas in the first quarter this year, though it shipped fewer than 1 million such phones in the first three months. The figure jumped to 3.8 million units in the second quarter, accounting for 24% of its total overseas handset shipments during the period, with Russia, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Italy and Turkey being the top five purchasers, according to Jia Mo, an analyst from market research firm Canalys. So far, Huawei has integrated some 96,000 apps with HMS, compared with nearly 3 million apps on GMS, the company said. According to Huawei, Harmony OS is a cross-platform operating system, which can also be used in its home appliances and in-car systems.On Thursday, Yu said that the beta version of Harmony OS 2.0 will also go open-source for smart televisions, smartwatches and in-car systems starting this week. Besides, Huawei has inked agreements with Chinese home appliance makers Midea and Joyoung to integrate Harmony OS with the companies products. Yang Haisong, vice president of Huaweis consumer business groups software department, told Caixin that the company aims to have Harmony OS power 100 million Huawei-branded devices and 100 million devices made by other companies within a year. Contact reporter Ding Yi (dingyi@caixin.com) and editor Gavin Cross (gavincross@caixin.com) Download our app to receive breaking news alerts and read the news on the go. Jennifer Garner wasted no time in responding to an Instagram comment claiming she's pregnant, insisting that she is not. The 48-year-old actress shared a charming video from her family farm in Locust Grove, Oklahoma, when one fan decided to ask, 'Are you pregnant?' 'I am 48, have three healthy kids, and am not - and never will be - pregnant,' the actress emphatically said in a note captured by the Comments By Celebs Instagram account. Responding: Jennifer Garner wasted no time in responding to an Instagram comment claiming she's pregnant, insisting that she is not Not pregnant: 'I am 48, have three healthy kids, and am not -- and never will be --- pregnant,' the actress emphatically said 'We can lay that pupper to rest. Have I gained the Covid 19? Possibly. But that is another story,' she added. Many fans came to her defense, telling the fan that she should never ask if a woman is pregnant, and telling the Alias star that she looks great. She even had a few celebrity fans chime in, with Natalie Portman adding, 'So gorgeous!' Laid to rest: 'We can lay that pupper to rest. Have I gained the Covid 19? Possibly. But that is another story,' she added Celeb fans: She even had a few celebrity fans chime in, with Natalie Portman adding, 'So gorgeous!' Ben Skervin added, 'So great what a magical place it is,' while Robin Roberts added, 'You look right at home!' Holly Robinson Peete added two heart emojis while Reese Witherspoon commented, 'You, in those overalls, made my day!' Garner was clad in a black-and-white striped top under a pair of blue denim overalls and bright red boots in the video, where she introduced fans to her family farm's 'walking lawnmowers' - six grazing cows. Holly comments: Holly Robinson Peete added two heart emojis while Reese Witherspoon commented, 'You, in those overalls, made my day!' Overalls: Garner was clad in a black-and-white striped top under a pair of blue denim overalls and bright red boots in the video, where she introduced fans to her family farm's 'walking lawnmowers' - six grazing cows Lawnmowers: 'But firstmeet our lawnmowers: Simon, Pete, Boaz, Pignut, Mistletoe, and Mayapple,' she said of the cows 'My family farm is, as the kids say, my organic, biodynamic happy place. I cant help but feel like the love my Aunt and Uncle put into growing this years sweet potato crop will add to @onceuponafarms delicious goodness for your kids,' she captioned the post. 'But firstmeet our lawnmowers: Simon, Pete, Boaz, Pignut, Mistletoe, and Mayapple,' she said of the cows. After the camera was turned on the cows, Garner noticed one of the smaller cows was 'licking his own hind quarters,' adding with a laugh, 'Rude. Pardon, we have guests.' Organic: 'My family farm is, as the kids say, my organic, biodynamic happy place. I cant help but feel like the love my Aunt and Uncle put into growing this years sweet potato crop will add to @onceuponafarms delicious goodness for your kids,' she captioned the post Rude cow: After the camera was turned on the cows, Garner noticed one of the smaller cows was 'licking his own hind quarters,' adding with a laugh, 'Rude. Pardon, we have guests' Garner has a new film entitled Yes Day in post-production, where she portrays a mother who, along with her husband played by Edgar Ramirez, must say yes to everything their kids ask for one day. She is also attached to star in the upcoming drama Fantasy Camp, about a teacher who goes to a camp to fulfill her Broadway dreams. The actress will also star in the upcoming series My Glory Was I Had Such Friends, playing a woman who turns to a group of friends for support during a time she has to prepare for a life-saving heart transplant. According to former New York Times executive editor Bill Keller, Julian Assange always used to smell like "he hadn't bathed for days". But even the ripe scent of week-old sweat won't deter the ladies. Assange has been living under "mansion arrest" at Ellingham Hall in Norfolk for some eight months now, and the enigmatic Australian has attracted not only journalists, says his host, Vaughan Smith, but groupies, too. "We definitely had a problem with groupies," Smith tells The Times. "They rented a house in the village, a groupie commune, mostly Germans or Austrians, who just felt they could turn up at this house and Julian would take them in. Julian is hunted by a certain type of woman... who can be quite pushy. They are mainly from Eastern Europe. It's extraordinary." That it is. * When Piers Morgan departed these shores for the USA, who could have guessed Britain would so soon be clamouring for his return? Nope, me neither. And yet it has come to pass. Among those calling on the CNN host to repack his bags and jump on the first flight home is Harriet Harman, who told Sky News yesterday that Morgan has "got to answer" questions regarding alleged phone hacking at the Mirror under his editorship. That put me in mind of a diary column that Piers himself penned back in 2007, just after Ms Harman was installed as Labour's Deputy Leader: "I spent the morning perusing the day's newspapers, and laughed out loud at the thought of what Lady Thatcher would make of Harriet Harman now being the country's most powerful woman..." Who's laughing now? * Latif Yahia, subject of the new film The Devil's Double, has encountered a touch of scepticism regarding the veracity of the claims on which said film rests: that he was once employed as Uday Hussein's body double. (Those who knew Uday say he only ever met Yahia when he was arrested for impersonating the dictator's son to impress women.) Still, even if Yahia's extraordinary tales from Iraq did turn out to be fantasy, he still has plenty to tell from the years after his escape from the country in 1992. Yahia has bragged of further exploits sufficient to fill at least one sequel. According to a Sunday Times report from January, he claims to have made and lost $25m as a diamond smuggler; been tortured by the CIA; been offered a role in the post-Saddam Iraqi government; and been "chased down Edgware Road by Iraqi secret agents". Sound plausible? Yahia told the Daily Mirror, "the movie is only 20 per cent of the truth". Some might say that was a generous estimate. * He may be perfectly happy to advertise butter, but John Lydon (formerly Rotten) isn't so pleased if said butter is being consumed on, say, a cream tea at a stately home, in a cafe where the stereo is playing a selection from Never Mind The Dovecotes, a collection of punk classics (including one by the Sex Pistols) produced by the National Trust. "I would like to be able to trust the National Trust," said Lydon in statement yesterday, "but from this point forward I can't. I was very proud to collaborate with The National Trust back in 2003 and voice a radio advert for them. No one, however, has even spoke to myself or my management or had a conversation with myself or my management about this album. I love my England, my honest England. My heart is true but this particular situation seems deeply sneaky and we are waiting to be supplied with information on this chain of events and the answer better be good." Anarchy in the gift shop! * John Julius Norwich has eaten plenty of literary lunches as he promotes The Popes, his new history of the papacy. One of his favourite tales for fellow diners is that of the late Francis Joseph, Cardinal Spellman, a (shall we say) "flamboyant" fellow, who returned home to New York after visiting American troops in Vietnam in 1965 and ordered his bishops and monsignors to dress only in sombre black and white for the normally lavish St Patrick's Day mass at the city's cathedral. They all followed the Cardinal's instructions obediently, eschewing any hint of Romanesque ostentation. "Imagine their fury," says Norwich, "as they gazed at Spellman as he proceeded from the sacristy in magnificent satin and purple. One bishop couldn't contain himself mouthing: 'Francis... you bitch'." highstreetken@independent.co.uk GOP Voter Registrations in Battleground State Pennsylvania Soar GOP voter registrations in the key battleground state of Pennsylvania have surged nearly sevenfold compared to Democrats since President Donald Trumps election win in 2016, according to reports. Since the 2016 presidential election, Keystone State Republicans have gained as many as 198,000 registered voters, while Democrats have added an additional 29,000, Politico reported. While the number of Democrats outnumber Republicans by roughly 750,000 voters in Pennsylvania, they have seen a drop in registered voters by two percentage points since Trumps win four years ago. Republican Party members meanwhile have seen an increase in that timeframe, from 38 percent to 39 percent. Pennsylvania is regarded as an important battleground state where Trump won by a narrow margin in the 2016 presidential election by about 44,000 votes, beating rival Hillary Clinton by less than one percentage point. Look, the president won our state by 44,000-plus votes in 2016, Lawrence Tabas, chair of the Pennsylvania Republican Party said, told the Philadelphia Inquirer. We have since picked up and narrowed the gap between us and the Democrats [by 135,000]. So we were already ahead 44,000, and look what weve picked up. I predict were going to narrow the gap further between now and November. According to Politico, GOP voter registrations have surged in three critical areas in the stateErie, Luzerne, and Northampton countieswhich previously helped Trump flip Pennsylvania in 2016. The largest net gains were made in the states Luzerne, Westmoreland, and Washington counties. Counties that have seen a registration boost for Democrats include suburban areas near Philadelphia, including Bucks, Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery. Many Republican Party officials credit the president himself and his campaigns in-person canvassing efforts for narrowing the gap, Politico reported. The campaign team of Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden has alternatively been holding some local in-person events to sign up voters alongside the DNCs virtual rallies due to the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus pandemic. Trump on Sept. 3 held a rally in Pennsylvanias Westmoreland County, which played a key role in the 2016 election. Trump had 63.5 percent of the vote in the country over Clintons 32.5 percent, a margin of about 56,800 votes. During the packed rally in Latrobe, the president raised concerns over the viability of universal mail-in ballots ahead of the Nov. 3 election. Trumps re-election campaign has sued to prevent the use of drop boxes in the state over voting fraud concerns. The president called on voters to go to the polls in person after mailing in their ballot to check that their vote has been counted. He appeared to hint that mail-in votes are susceptible to being thwarted or manipulated. Sign your mail in ballots, okay. You sign it, send it in, and you have to follow it, Trump said at the Arnold Palmer Regional Airport, the venue for the rally. He continued, And if on election day or early voting that [vote] is not tabulated and counted, you go vote. And then if for some reason after thatit shouldnt take that longit [the mailed vote] comes in, theyre not going to be able to tabulate it because you will have [already] voted. You have to make sure your vote counts, because the only way theyre going to beat us is by doing that kind of stuff. Im trying to be nice, Trump said. Mimi Nguyen Ly contributed to this report. Geng Xiaonan, the head of Ruyia Books, was arrested along with her husband on charges of having engaged in an illegal activity. The woman is among those who supported Xu after his arrest in July. For the Qinghua University academic, this led to her arrest. Beijing (AsiaNews / Agencies) - A well-known publisher who expressed open support for dissident professor Xu Zhangrun has been arrested by the police. Her lawyer announced the arrest yesterday specifying that the woman is accused of having carried out an "illegal activity". Geng Xiaonan was arrested on 9 September with her husband and taken to Haidian Prison. The couple owns the Ruyia Books publishing house; in recent years it has organized various cultural and artistic initiatives with independent intellectuals and artists. The 46-year-old publisher organized a trip to Chengdu (Sichuan) with a group of academics last year. They included Xu, who spent six days in prison in July on charges of "soliciting prostitution" during that visit, a charge he denies. Following this incident, the Qinghua University academic was fired from his post for "moral corruption". Colleagues and friends claim that the authorities fabricated the allegations to discredit Xu - known for his criticism of President Xi Jinping - by destroying his reputation and causing him to lose his job. He had already been suspended from teaching in 2019 for an article against Xi's lifetime presidency. In February, the jurist had published an article criticizing the "tyranny" of the Chinese Communist Party, guilty of destroying the countrys political system which was on the way to reforms after the death of Mao Zedong. Geng is among those who defended Xu. According to the former Qinghua lecturer, this led to her and her husband's arrest: Geng Xiaonan has spoken out for the suppressed, and it is time for us to speak out for her no," Xu told the South China Morning Post. Last August, in a letter addressed to his students, Xu said that totalitarianism is doomed to failure, and that freedom will eventually come to China. The jurist concluded his message by saying that he would continue to "challenge the authorities until his death". Dark smoke and the smell of toxic fumes enveloped Beirut in the evening as army helicopters circled and sprayed water over the orange flames, helping firefighters on the ground. It was unclear what caused the blaze. India New virus cases pass 95K mark in one day NEW DELHI India reported another record spike of 95,735 new coronavirus infections in 24 hours as the virus spreads beyond its major cities. According to the Health Ministry, the number of people known to be infected in India reached 4,465,863 on Thursday. It has the second-highest caseload in the world behind the United States, where more than 6.3 million people are known to be infected. The Health Ministry also reported 1,172 deaths over the 24-hour period, taking total fatalities up to 75,062. Its death toll is third-highest in the world behind the U.S. and Brazil. Britain Mass virus test plan met with skepticism A meeting of advisors to the Normandy Four leaders scheduled for September 11 is under the threat of failure. Head of the Ukrainian delegation to the Trilateral Contact Group (TCG) on Donbas settlement Leonid Kravchuk has said the sides could hold the so-called "one-time inspection" of Ukrainian positions near the village of Shumy in a few days. "We believe this is already a provocation. We will study the situation why it happened. Then it will become clear whether it is the suspension of the meeting, for example. The situation changes every day. I still cannot talk about the result," he said during the TSN Ranok [Morning] newscast on September 11. A meeting of advisors to the Normandy Four (Ukraine, Russia, Germany, and France) leaders scheduled for September 11 is under the threat of failure over recent attacks by Russian-led forces near Shumy, and thus the disrupted inspection of the Ukrainian positions. It was the "one-time inspection" that was one of the conditions for the meeting in Berlin. Read also"One-time inspection" in Donbas most likely suspended over Russia's ultimatum demands journalistIn addition, the armed formations together with the Russians unexpectedly demanded to check other Ukrainian positions, film everything, and even draw up protocols. Latest developments in Donbas Chief Executive, Lar Power, has told council members that it is his responsibility to ensure the future economic viability of this county and, "to that end I have to sweat every funding opportunity". The comments came as Mr Power outlined the background to the development of a concept proposal to create a destination centre on Main Street, Carrick-on-Shannon. The proposal has been the subject of controversy in recent months. Carrick-on-Shannon Municipal District members have expressed their concern over a lack of consultation on the proposal and one of the businesses set to be directly impacted by the proposed development, Geraghty's shop, has collected over 9,000 signatures in a petition against the development. At the September Council meeting, attended by members of the Geraghty family, two motions were raised; one on procedure and one directly on plans for the concept proposal by Councillors Enda Stenson and Des Guckian, respectively. Cllr Finola Armstrong-McGuire excused herself from discussion on both motions due to a conflict of interest in relation to the proposal. Responding specifically to Cllr Guckian's motion at the meeting, Leitrim County Council Chief Executive, Lar Power stressed this is, and still remains, a concept proposal. Mr Power said small towns in Ireland are under pressure and the objective was to create a destination just off the N4 which would attract people into the town centre. Certain conditions such as the location on Main Street and access to a carpark suitable for buses was critical for the idea, said Mr Power, and this was why the current location was proposed. He said that the idea for the project came directly from my head, no one else's". He shared the concept with his colleagues and an architect was brought in to further develop the concept. Mr Power said he had "no axe to grind" in relation to the project but he accepted there had been a misunderstanding and said the Council had apologised for that. He said that the concept had been brought before the Town Team to see if they considered the proposal of value and to ask if they were of a mind to support it and write a letter of support. He also contacted one of the affected parties who was very surprised to hear of the plan and had not been aware of it. I was very conscious that Mrs Geraghty was an older lady and I asked this party for advice. The landowner undertook to approach the Geraghty's, he said. This person, he said, later informed him that Mrs Geraghty was totally against the plan. Following correspondence from the Geraghty family and a phone call he organised to meet with them at which point they asked to pull the project and he explained he could not. It's just a concept design at the moment, if it gets approval for funding it will go to full design, stressed Mr Power at Monday's Council meeting. He pointed out it would be the end of next year before planning will be a consideration and if granted it would be 2022 before any work could start. He added: I categorically answered their (Geraghtys) questions (when he visited their business) and I told them that everybody's rights are protected in the procedures and processes which form the design and planning approval stages. Hearing a petition against e-commerce giants Amazon and Flipkart, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has expressed its displeasure at lack of action against excessive use of plastic in packaging by the companies. The green panel underlined the fact that despite the prevalent rules in place, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) could only come up with one or the other reasons for not taking any strong steps in this regard. NGT noted that the authorities concerned were not following the dictum of polluter pays" even as there were statutory norms prescribing this. The NGT then asked the CPCB to take necessary steps in the matter and file an action taken report by October 14. The petition was filed by Aditya Dubey, a 16-year-old boy who has approached the tribunal through his legal guardian to stop Amazon and Flipkart from excessive plastic use in their packaging. A report has been filed by the CPCB on 04.09.2020 which again mentions one or other reasons for not enforcing the law but does not mention the coercive measures adopted either directly by CPCB or in coordination with the State PCBs/PCCs," noted the tribunal, headed by Justice Adarsh K Goel. The green panel has also sought the presence of the Member Secretary of the CPCB on the next date, through video conferencing. It also added that the CPCB can also consider ordering environmental audit against the concerned entities and assess and recover compensation for violation of environmental norms, following due process of law. The plea argued through senior counsel Priya Hingorani and advocate Meenesh Dubey, has pointed out that Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016 defined the duties of e-commerce firms but lack of monitoring and implementation of the rules, plastic packaging has become a serious environmental challenge. Submitting its reply, the CPCB too had agreed before the NGT that the rules concerned required Amazon and Flipkart to establish a system for collecting back the plastic waste generated due to the packaging of their products. Amaazon Retail India Private Limited and Flipkart Private limited are involved in packaging and selling of other companies products and thus introducing plastic packaging in the market. They need to fulfil their extended producer responsibility under PWM Rules and should obtain registration as brand owner after submitting proper documents," CPCB said in its affidavit. At this, the NGT had asked for a report from the pollution monitoring body derailing the steps taken by it to ensure implementation of the rules and penalties imposed for violations. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-12 00:59:26|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close ADEN, Yemen, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- Scores of Yemeni people Friday headed to a public square to watch an arm wrestling competition held in the war-ravaged Arab country. The opening match for the new sporting event was organized in the southern port city of Aden under the auspices of local Yemeni government officials. Nearly 30 arm wrestlers from different neighborhoods of Aden were invited to participate in the competition held for the first time in the impoverished Arab country. The arm-wrestling competition attracted scores of Yemenis, mostly young people, who intended to find out more information about the new game and its rules. "Arm wrestling is not well-known in Yemen and no such competition was held previously in the whole country," said Jamil Saber, an Aden-based young resident. "It's very beneficial particularly for us as young people in terms of bodybuilding, and we hope to exercise it regularly," he said. The majority of Yemen's people are aspiring to see an end to years of deadly military conflict and months of coronavirus pandemic to exercise their lives normally without fears or woes, according to Saber. The Houthi rebels launched a large military campaign and seized the capital Sanaa in late 2014, forcing Yemen's internationally-recognized President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi and his government into exile. A Saudi-led coalition intervened militarily in March 2015, in response to an official request from Hadi to protect Yemen and roll back Iran's influence. Three-quarters of the population, or more than 22 million people, urgently require humanitarian assistance, including 8.4 million struggling to find their next meal. Enditem AJC to open office in the United Arab Emirates New York American Jewish Committee, which for more than 25 years has advanced understanding and fostered cooperation between Arab states and the Jewish people, announced its plans on Sept. 2 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 agencys 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 countrys founding, UAE society has encouraged tolerance and inclusion, said Yousef Al Otaiba, UAE ambassador to the United States. AJCs 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. Sid 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. AJC played an essential convening role early on in the history of our community, said Rabbi Sarna. 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 leaderships 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 U.N., 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. Nearly 240 firefighters worked through the night to gain some control of the Echo Mountain fire in Lincoln County just miles from the Oregon coast. Officials claimed some progress was made as they held the fires perimeter overnight. But the fire remains 0% under control. The east wind that was pushing the fire rapidly on Tuesday has given way to a west wind, which has been very helpful to fire crews," said Ashley Lertora, spokeswoman for the Oregon Department of Forestry, which is leading the effort. Forest fires are commonplace in Central Oregon and other sites on the states dry side. The Echo Mountain blaze got started just four miles east of Lincoln City in the rain-soaked Coast Range. The fight has been complicated by the presence of private homes in the area. In the first 24 hours after the blaze was first reported to authorities late on Sept. 7, their priority was protecting homes. Lertora said she didnt know whether any homes had been damaged by the blaze. Firefighters from fire departments in Lincoln City, Depoe Bay and Newport have joined the fight against the blaze. Large timber operators like Weyerhaeuser and Hancock Timber are also assisting. A member of a Myanmar civil society group wears a shirt protesting an internet service ban in war-ravaged townships in Rakhine and Chin states at a demonstration in Yangon, Dec. 24, 2019. Authorities in Myanmars restive Rakhine state have arrested three students from the Rakhine Student Union for ignoring a law against large gatherings during the coronavirus pandemic by participating in a protest against the Myanmar governments 15-month internet ban on eight townships in the state. Toe Toe Aung, Kyang Naing Htay and Oo Than Naing staged their protest Wednesday in front of the Rakhine state government office building in the state capital Sittwe, holding signs critical of the government and military. They were arrested mid-protest and were officially charged with violating the Natural Disaster Management Act Thursday evening. According to Myanmars military, the government ban on internet service in townships where Myanmar forces have been fighting the rebel Arakan Army (AA) since December 2018 keeps government troop movements secret while dampening speech that incites ethnic tensions. The policy has however hampered aid workers helping war refugees and left people uninformed about the coronavirus pandemic. The director of a local legal support group told RFAs Myanmar Service that charging the students out of concern for public health was disingenuous. It is totally irrelevant to charge these students using the Natural Disaster Management Act. They were holding a protest. They didnt do anything else, so it is obvious the authorities are trying to indict them for protesting, Nyein Chan of the Thazin Legal Aids group said. Are they going to charge other crimes like robbery or murder that occur during this pandemic under that same law? We should question them. They are manipulating the law to prosecute these students, said Nyein Chan. The Legal Clinic Myanmar office told RFA it would provide legal services for the arrested trio. These students have asked us for legal help. We are cooperating with other CSOs to give the students the help they need. Well will try to prevent them from being charged by irrelevant laws, said Mya Thuzar, an attorney at the clinic. As we are now in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, things are so unstable. So, we will make sure they will not fall into the wrong hands, Mya Thuzar said. Unlawful arrests A Sittwe University Student Union official told RFA the three students were arrested in unlawful ways. We are pointing out the wrongdoings of the government and military. I would like to appeal to prosecute them lawfully. They say no one is above the law, whether that is the state government or anyone else, said the student unions vice-chair Bhone Pyae Phyo. The law is the law. They should apply the law equally to everyone, so I would like to appeal to the authorities to handle the case lawfully, said Bhone Pyae Phyo. Aung Than Wai, a Sittwe resident, told RFA that arresting the students goes against democratic ideals. The ruling government said they are working to maintain the rule of law, but they always detain everyone who speaks against them. This is very undemocratic, said Aung Than Wai. They always try to silence us. We all know how many townships in Rakhine state are under an internet ban and for how long. These students are just trying to highlight that. The government is always trying to control all of us. This is a clear persecution of the people, the Sittwe resident said. At least 289 civilians have been killed and 641 injured in Rakhine state and in Paletwa township of neighboring Chin state since hostilities between the AA and the national army escalated in December 2018, according to an RFA tally. Students charged in Mandalay Meanwhile, in other parts of the country, police in Mandalay charged 15 college students from the All Burma Student Union when they also staged protests demanding an end to armed conflicts and the Rakhine internet ban. Ba Chit, a student who got charged by the authorities told RFA, They summoned me to come for interrogations. They didnt arrest me. They asked for the details of the protests. They also asked about our activities in the past. They asked me to sign a proclamation that we wouldnt protest again but I refused. They said I was free to go, Ba Chit said. Kyaw Thiha Ye Kyaw, another member of the student union in Mandalay, told RFA, I and the other members are still in our college. I told the police I would not come. If they come to take me in person, I will go with them. But I will not back down. We are protesting against the 2008 Constitution. So, we will not acknowledge any charges under the constitution, the student said. RFA attempted to contact the police station in Mandalay for comment but were unsuccessful. Reported by Ni Min Tun and Khaymani Win for RFAs Myanmar Service. Translated by Ye Kaung Myint Maung. Written in English by Eugene Whong. Danish toy brand Lego has teamed up with Levi's Denim to launch a capsule fashion collection where pieces of plastic Lego are sewn directly onto items of clothes. The collection, called Wearable Art, is the first of its kind, as it allows you to build your own design onto a denim jacket, hoodie, sweatshirt and other items of clothing, meaning you end up with a unique one-of-a-kind piece. Launching on October 1, the fashion line is already proving popular with fashionistas and lovers of Lego past and present. Danish toy brand Lego has teamed up with Levi's Denim to launch a capsule fashion collection where pieces of plastic Lego are sewn directly onto items of clothes (pictured) The collection, called Wearable Art, is the first of its kind, as it allows you to build your own design onto a denim jacket, hoodie, sweatshirt and other items of clothing (pictured) The collection features the iconic Lego colour palette on all of its items (pictured) 'I plan on sporting this entire line,' one eager shopper wrote of the collection. 'I need these in my life,' another person added. Almost every piece in the collection - from hoodies to bum bags - is customisable with little pieces of Lego. The collaboration features the first-ever flexible Lego baseplate, which is a pliable Lego silicone panel onto which fans can create their own customised designs using Lego dots. The collection isn't just sweatshirts, hoodies and denim jackets and jeans, as it also contains bum bags (pictured) and hats Launching on October 1, the collection is already proving popular with fashionistas and lovers of Lego past and present (pieces from the collection pictured) 'This is such a fun collaboration celebrating self-expression, creativity and nostalgia,' Chief Product Officer for Levi Strauss & Co Karyn Hillman told FEMAIL. 'It's Levi's and the Lego Group coming together to co-create something really special and new, but undeniably familiar. 'With the customisable baseplates, Levi's is now literally a new blank canvas for Lego play.' In addition to the sweatshirts, hoodies and jackets, the collection also includes bags, hats, and even a cargo vest. All of them feature fun Lego-inspired details like colourful buttons and a bright-red Lego patch swapped in instead of Levi's traditional leather version. The limited edition line will be available in selected Levi's stores across Australia and New Zealand and online from October 1. All of the items feature fun Lego-inspired details like colourful buttons and a bright-red Lego patch swapped in instead of Levi's traditional leather version (pictured) The collaboration features the first-ever flexible Lego baseplate, which is a pliable Lego silicone panel onto which fans can create their own customised designs using Lego dots (baseplates pictured) This isn't the first time Lego has teamed up with a fashion or homewares brand. In the past, the iconic toy brand has collaborated with both IKEA and Adidas. Lego Adidas sneakers were especially popular with shoppers, which featured the original Lego logo as well as some Lego blocks on the lace tags. New Delhi: Allahabad's famous doctor Ashwini Kumar Bansal was shot dead by unknown assailants on Thursday. Dr Bansal is a renowned surgeon and the Director of Jeevan Jyoti Hospital Ram Bagh. The culprits pretended to be patients to enter the hospital and fired six shots at the doctor's head and shoulder. According to reports, Dr Bansal was consulting patients when two men entered his chambers. One stood outside while other walked in and shot him in the head. Reports quoting alleged eye-witness ward boy Shailendra say that the culprit shot six times before hospital staff rushed to help. The doctor was soon taken Kriti Scanning Centre for emergency care where he passed away. The local police have registered a case but there was no information about the shooters until Friday morning. The sources say that Dr Bansal was embroiled in several legal matters. He was also attacked with a bomb three months ago. BJP state president Keshav Maurya is a stake-holder in Dr Bansal's Jeevan Jyoti Hospital. It is also said that he recenty got into some land battle with Samajwadi Party's strongman and MLA Vijay Mishra. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. AVON LAKE, Ohio -- Each year, most Americans pause, if only for a moment, to remember what happened on Sept. 11, 2001. The memories still bring tears to some and a profound sadness to others, as well as even stronger emotions such as anger toward the terrorists in four airplanes -- suicide bombers -- who carried off the largest attack ever on U.S. soil, an attack that was broadcast live on television for all the world to see. But now, there are many Americans who werent even born yet or were very young children when the terrorist attacks happened. They have no memories at all of the event other than through press coverage or video footage of the incident and its aftermath. There are always some, though, who determine that remembering those who died that day poses a solemn duty. They feel compelled to take some kind of action to help people understand the sacrifices made in New York City, at the United States Pentagon and over Shanksville, Pa. Avon Lake High School is one such place. Each year, students show their commitment to never letting anyone forget the loss of those thousands who died on that autumn day against a backdrop of a crystal-clear blue sky. On Wednesday (Sept. 9), about 40 Avon Lake High School students gathered at the school and planted about 3,000 American flags all around a lawn that already features a memorial wall to first responders. Many first responders also gave their lives attempting rescues on that day in 2001. The huge mural in the Avon Lake High School courtyard honors all first-responders. (Photo Courtesy of Vincent Shoham) The students are members of the Avon Lake High School Key Club. Vincent Shoham, English language learner coordinator for the school district, is the Key Club adviser. He understands sacrifices, as he spent three years in the Peace Corps. Students from the high school of all ages participated, said Shoham, and it took them about two hours to place the flags. Key Club President Natalie Hovic, a junior, said, We are really happy to be back in school and doing something worthwhile and positive for the community. The Key Club prides itself on community service and also helping students become leaders, said Shoham. The students today are grateful for the people who protect them and are honoring those who died, as well as the first responders. The flag project joins the memorial wall in the courtyard, he said, that honors all first responders year-round as the people who are fighting for our safety. A 20-foot-by-20-foot mural in the courtyard features one representative each of police officers, firefighters, emergency medical service paramedics and military veterans. The flags extend from the end of the parking lot and are also on the tree lawn of the districts main office," Shoham said. He noted that drivers on Ohio 83 coming from either direction can see the flags. The flags will remain on the lawn until Tuesday morning, Sept. 15, giving plenty of time for everyone to pause and remember -- and to appreciate these young people who came out to make sure we dont forget. Read more from the Sun Sentinel. 3 | FM Nirmala Sitharaman announces Rs 900 crore grant for COVID-19 vaccine research: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharman on Thursday announced a Rs 900 crore grant to the Department of Biotechnology for COVID-19 vaccine research. "We are providing Rs 900 crore for research and development of COVID-19 vaccine. This is being provided for covid suraksha mission, purely for R&D but this money goes to Department of Biotechnology for research purposes," she said. Sitharaman said the grant does not cover the actual cost of vaccine and distribution expenses, which will be made separately as and when the vaccine is available. The World Health Organization (WHO)'s chief scientist has said that the agency is not overly worried about the pause in the clinical trials for a coronavirus vaccine developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca. Dr. Soumya Swaminathan called the pause in Oxford's clinical trial a wake-up call to the global community to realize there are ups and downs in research. Follow our LIVE blog for the latest updates of the novel coronavirus pandemic Swaminathan says early data in human vaccine candidates so far has been quite promising, showing the shots trigger an immune response. But she says trials must be conducted in tens of thousands of people to determine whether a vaccine can safely protect people from infection. It could be that we see some results end of the year, it could be next year, she said. We have to be a little bit patient and wait for the results. Anh Nhu Nguyen claimed his son and wife died in Grenfell blaze in June 2017 This is the chilling moment a Grenfell conman who pretended his wife and son died in the catastrophic blaze 'exposed his guilt with a dead eye stare' in a television interview. Anh Nhu Nguyen told volunteers a bogus tale that he'd lost his home and family when a fire ripped through the 24-storey west London tower block in June 2017. The serial conman, who had lived in Beckenham when the blaze killed 72 people, constructed the lie in order to claim 12,000 of funds set aside to support victims. Nguyen - who had never lived in the tower block and had neither a wife or children - even shook Prince Charles's hand when the royal visited a relief centre set up in the wake of the disaster. He was jailed for 21 months in 2018 after pleading guilty to fraud at Southwark Crown Court. Anh Nhu Nguyen told a bogus tale that he'd lost his home and family when a fire ripped through the 24-storey west London tower block in June 2017 In an interview after the inferno, the fraudster shared an elaborate tale of his escape from the tower block, describing his 'shock' as he climbed over dead bodies. He also recounted the moment he lost sight of his wife and 12-year-old son as he scrambled down a stairwell which was full of thick smoke. Experts on Faking It: Tears of a Crime have now revealed how Nguyen exposed himself as a fraudster after analysing his 'dead eye stare' in the 'emotionless' interview. Body language expert Cliff Lansley told the Quest Red show: 'His eyes never move from the interviewer. Now that's unusual. 'It's polite to look at the person who's speaking, but in normal conversations you'd be looking away, you'd be accessing your memory. He's focusing on the interviewer, and that's unusual in truthful statements.' The serial conman, who had lived in Beckenham when the blaze killed 72 people, constructed the lie in order to claim 12,000 of funds set aside to support victims Experts on Faking It: Tears of a Crime have now revealed how Nguyen exposed himself as a fraudster after analysing his 'dead eye stare' in the 'emotionless' interview. Pictured: The show The show also explains how Nguyen's vocal pitch indicated deception, suggesting he was excited that his story was being believed rather than upset by the events. Mr Lansley added: 'Nguyen seems to be leaning on the idea that he's got some empathy from the interviewer, you can see how eager he is. 'What's significant and different from the base line, is the pitch from the response has increased. So, this is probably excitement: "I'm on a winner now, I'm being believed."' Professor of Linguistics Dawn Archer added there was a lack of 'emotional signals' while he recounted his apparent experience in the fire. 'He's telling us something incredibly traumatic, but we have no emotional signals of this trauma,' she said. Nguyen - who had never lived in the tower block and had neither a wife or children - even shook Prince Charles 's hand when the royal visited a relief centre set up in the wake of the disaster Vietnam-born Nguyen was one of 17 fraudsters who were convicted for claiming they lived in the tower block in order to line their pockets with money from the victim fund 'It would be extremely difficult to have to go past bodies, it would be horrific to have to feel that your wife and son were no longer with you. 'All those things are traumatic, but we don't get the sense of the voice changing at all.' Vietnam-born Nguyen was one of 17 fraudsters who were convicted for claiming they lived in the tower block in order to line their pockets with money from the victim fund. He was caught after police failed to spot the man entering or exiting the block of flats in CCTV footage in the month prior to the disaster. Pictured: Nguyen, who was jailed for 21 months in 2018 after pleading guilty to fraud It was later discovered Nguyen had detailed two different addresses on his claim form, and it turned out he had never lived at either. 't was always going to be discovered that he had not lived at Grenfell Tower, it was always going to come to light that he was a fraudster,' Forensic Psychologist Kerry Daynes said. Nguyen was born in Vietnam, has been in the UK since the 1980s, is a British citizen and has 17 aliases. He also has 28 previous convictions for 56 offences spanning more than 30 years, including theft, dishonesty offences, arson and grievous bodily harm. The conman spent a 249 night in the Hilton Hotel on June 18, and stayed in a Holiday Inn from June 19, worth 1,940, paid for by Kensington and Chelsea Council, and was given cash sums including 5,000. Nguyen received a mobile phone and two laptops from the Rugby Portobello Trust and food, clothes and toiletries from other charities. He received a total of 10,270 in cash, while the electronic goods, food clothes and toiletries came to at least 1,000. When she first set out to make "Cuties," French Senegalese filmmaker Maimouna Doucoure said she wanted to shed light on the pressures faced by young girls as they become teenagers. Her directorial debut, which won an award at this year's Sundance Film Festival and premiered on Netflix this week, follows Amy, an 11-year-old in Paris, as she rebels against her immigrant family and joins a dance crew of other girls at her middle school, at times flashing moves in skimpy outfits. But after controversial ads for the film showed off some of those dance uniforms, a horde of mostly conservative voices - from Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., to Fox Nation host Tammy Bruce - have attacked the movie, claiming it promotes an overly sexual view of young girls and even pedophilia. To those critics, Doucoure offered a simple challenge on Thursday: Watch the movie first. "I'm eager to see their reaction when they realize that we're both on the same side of this fight against young children's hypersexualization," Doucoure, who wrote and directed "Cuties," told the online publication Zora. In a statement to several media outlets, Netflix echoed Doucoure's remarks, writing that the film is "a social commentary against the sexualization of young children." "It's an award-winning film and a powerful story about the pressure young girls face on social media and from society more generally growing up," the streaming company said Thursday. "We'd encourage anyone who cares about these important issues to watch the movie." Like the film's 11-year-old protagonist, Doucoure was raised by a family of Senegalese immigrants in Paris and grew up struggling to balance between mainstream French culture and her Muslim parents' more traditional values of femininity. "I put my heart into this film because this is my story," she told Variety, calling the character of Amy her "alter ego" and noting that she, too, "had all of these questions also about how to become a woman." The film, known as "Mignonnes" in French, sees the 11-year-old become obsessed with - and then join - a "free-spirited dance clique" called "the Cuties" as a way to rebel against her family's beliefs. While researching and writing the film, Doucoure said she interviewed hundreds of preteens about how they understood questions of gender and sexuality. "Our girls see that the more a woman is sexualized on social media, the more she's successful," she said in a behind-the-scenes segment. "Yeah, it's dangerous." The film instantly received rave reviews upon its premiere at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival, winning Doucoure the world cinema dramatic directing award and drawing seemingly little blowback. Yet last month, when Netflix released promotional material for "Cuties," it looked nothing like the French poster that had been previously used to advertise the film. Instead, the company used a still from a scene in which Amy and the titular "Cuties" perform in spandex short shorts and sparkly crop tops. An accompanying description of the plot listed on Netflix said the 11-year-old protagonist "becomes fascinated with a twerking dance crew," according to Vulture, and "starts to explore her femininity, defying her family's traditions." Seemingly overnight, social media in the United States exploded with rage. Tens of thousands of people signed a petition against the film, rated "TV-MA" for language, as a mob on Twitter accused the film of encouraging the hypersexualization of young children. Doucoure, who had not seen the poster before its release, received death threats, she told Deadline. A Netflix executive called her to apologize over the ad, and the company issued a mea culpa for "inappropriate artwork" that it said did not fairly reflect the movie, which had otherwise received largely positive reviews. But following the film's release on Wednesday, the backlash only seemed to grow stronger. Conservative commentators circulated a clip of Amy and the "Cuties" performing in their spandex outfits, while others pounced on parental guidance noting that there is a scene in which one girl's underwear is exposed. At one point, #CancelNetflix was trending on social media. On Thursday, Texas Republican state Rep. Matt Schaefer said he asked the state's attorney general to investigate the movie for potential violations of child exploitation and child pornography laws. And some backlash came in from the political left as well, with Democratic political strategist Christine Pelosi calling on Netflix to apologize. Melissa Henson of the conservative Parents Television Council said in a statement to Variety on Thursday that Netflix was "desensitizing millions of viewers at home by asking them to be entertained by it." "Although there is a danger that little girls will be attracted to this film, the far greater risk is the way this film normalizes the sexualization of little girls," Henson added. But amid all the criticism, Netflix and Doucoure were defiant. "For me, what counts the most is my film. I can express myself and therefore take care of myself through my art. Cinema not only heals me, but it can change the world," Doucoure told Zora. "With this film, I wanted to give these young children a voice while protecting them. I also wanted to create a mirror for adults to look at ourselves and see where we have gone wrong with this problem." BAY CITY, MI A Saginaw man has been indicted on federal charges stemming from the burglary of a Lapeer County outdoors store and the theft of nearly two dozen guns. A grand jury within the federal courthouse in downtown Bay City on Sept. 9 indicted Darious D. Snoop White on single counts of possession of firearms and ammunition by a prohibited person, possession, concealment, and sale of stolen firearms, and receipt of firearms and ammunition while under indictment. The charges have their origin in a break-in that occurred at Bowmans Outdoor Sports, 5936 M-53 in Brown City, around 3:30 a.m. on Aug. 14. According to an affidavit authored by a special agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, surveillance camera footage showed three intruders steal 20 to 30 handguns. The video also showed the three thieves driving in a gray Chevrolet Cruze. Investigators at the scene recovered a temporary Michigan registered plate, the numbers of which indicated it had been on such a vehicle registered to a Saginaw woman, the affidavit states. About an hour before the burglary, Michigan State Police troopers received a call of a suspicious gray Cruze at the Gun Barn at 12163 N. State Road in Otisville, about 25 miles from Bowmans. The ATF agent wrote in his affidavit that those in the Cruze were likely casing the Gun Barn before striking Bowmans. A few hours after the break-in, ATF agents drove by the Saginaw womans address and spotted a gray Cruze in the driveway, the affidavit states. Law enforcement, including U.S. Customs and Border Protection Air Operations, began surveilling the residence and soon saw a black Porsche arrive. The driver exited the Porsche and met someone from inside the residence. The two people then walked to the back of the residence where they appeared to examine firearms. CBP Air saw the Porsches driver counting money and seemingly make an exchange with the person from the house, the affidavit states. After the Porsche left the residence, Michigan State Police troopers pulled it over. Inside, they found two people with cash on them, but no guns. Shortly after, the Michigan State Police Emergency Support Team approached the residence and encountered the woman who lives there and White, 44, in the front yard. Police detained the pair and conducted a protective sweep while agents waited for a search warrant. On getting the warrant, officers and agents found a bag in the back yard containing 18 guns, all of which had been stolen from Bowmans hours earlier. A search of a Buick on the premises yielded four more guns that had been stolen from Bowmans, the affidavit states. Agents and officers also searched the Cruze and found ammunition, a pistol, crowbar, and hammer in its trunk. As this was going on, White was wearing clothing that appeared to match what was worn by the Cruzes driver in the Bowmans security footage, the affidavit states. White, also known by the names Robert L. Drain, Damieon White, and Derrick Smith, was free on bond at the time, charged in Saginaw County in January with felonious assault, felon in possession of a firearm, and two counts of felony firearm. White was then charged in February in Saginaw County with two counts of possessing fewer than 25 grams of a narcotic or cocaine. Due to these pending charges and his lengthy criminal history, White is prohibited from possessing guns. White had his initial appearance before U.S. District Magistrate Judge Elizabeth A. Stafford on Aug. 17. Three days later, Stafford ordered White detained pending trial. Whites next court date is pending. Read more: Nearly two dozen guns recovered after break-in at Lapeer County outdoors store New details emerge in case of woman accused of killing mom, another woman on U.S. 10 Cold case: Car of man missing since 2011 turns up in northern Michigan North Dakota man operated pot shops in Bay County but didnt bother with licenses, police say A Statement By The Pro-Democracy and Leading Civil Rights Advocacy Group; Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) Commending The Decision of The Federal Attorney-General of The Federation to prosecute The Persons Responsible For The alleged Killings and Destructions in Idumuje Ugboko kingdom in Aniocha North Local Government and Aniocha North Local Government areas of Delta State to Court Under Anti-Terrorism law Before The Federal High Court, And Admonishing The Court system to Ensure That Justice is Done to Those Killed. BACKGROUND: Gentlemen of the Fourth Estate of The Realm, we humbly welcome you all to this Press Briefing, which is completely our independent initiative in our capacity as the prominent Civil Rights Advocacy Group with no political affiliations but passionate about achieving just and equitable development in our dear country. Our track record within the organized civil society community in Nigeria spans nearly two decades of an unblemished record of patriotism, especially in the area of Human Rights. As the leading civil rights advocacy group that monitored events preceding the series of police and National Human Rights Commissions investigations after which the recommendation was made to the Office of the Federal Attorney General and Minister of Justice to commence prosecution, it has become pertinent for us to address you so as to clear some misconceptions. More so, to commend this effort of this government that has come under intense criticisms for being too slow in taking actions to address matters of human rights concern. For purposefulness in this statement, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), sequel to the 9/11 terrorist attacks in the USA, passed a Resolution 1373, which required member states to make not only terrorism a serious crime in domestic legislation along with terrorists funding and but also other ancillary offences. Consequently, in Nigeria, the first direct attempt at tackling the problem was included in some sections of the EFCC (Establishment) Act 2004. A comprehensive Terrorism Bill was proposed at the National Assembly 2005 but did not pass into law. However, the situation changed with the passage of the Terrorism Prevention Act (TPA) of 2011 which was amended in 2013. THE ISSUE It has come to our notice that the decision of the Federal Attorney General of Nigeria; Abubakar Malami for the set of persons from Idumuje Ugboko community, who allegedly committed violent crimes resulting in the destruction of lives and properties to have their day in court of competent jurisdiction and not court of cigarettes' smoking and wine quaffing jesters has been subject of a vicious and sustained campaign of misrepresentation. The campaigns are being carried out by some unscrupulous elements, opposed to justice, equity and fair play who are spreading wrong and poisonous narratives, making it look like the alleged killers who are in detention are actually the victims. To achieve their nefarious objectives they have executed many sponsored write-ups all over the media space accusing Prince Ned Nwoko with the federal governments action, painting the picture that he (Ned Nwoko) is intimidating his people because he has money. For clarity, the charges that was in 2019 filed before the competent court of law relates to the Anti-Terrorism Act of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and not in any way connected with any land ownership civil litigation involving anyone in Idumuje Ugboko. Pertinent to mention here that the gruesome attacks in Idumuje Community left much properties destroyed, peoples homes where burnt down and looted, valuable and lives where lost. The Police where first invited from the Local Government Headquarters at Issele-Uku, then state Police Headquarters in Asaba and later to Zone 5, Benin City, from where the matter went to Abuja. It will be worthy to note here that the current Inspector-General of Police; Mohammed Adamu was the AIG in charge of Zone 5, Benin City when this matter was reported there and according to reports, it was Prince Nonso Nwoko who transferred the matter first to the AIG in Benin and then to the Inspector Generals Office. The Federal governments intervention, which has now resulted in a pending suit before the Federal High Court, Abuja Division has as one of the ingredients of the allegations thus: Conspiracy punishable under section 17 of the Terrorism (Prevention) (Amendment) Act 2013 Clearly, the statement issued by Comrade Salihu Isah; the Special Adviser (as he then was) to the Attorney General of the Federation; Abubakar Malami, SAN stated that the Federal Government following investigations into the case had decided to file the charges against the accused persons for violating the nations anti-terrorism laws. Also, the Principal State Counsel; Mr. Magaji Labaran of the Nations Department of Public Prosecution, Federal Ministry of Justice alleged that one of the culprits, Ejimofe Nwoko between May 18-25, 2017 at Idumuje-Ugboko in Delta state conspired with the ten others to commit an act of terrorism punishable under Section 17 of the Terrorism (Prevention) Amendment Act, 2013. Emphatically, their prosecution has nothing to do with land dispute. Land disputes are in civil courts. Rather their alleged criminal acts arose when they allegedly terrorized, beat up, set properties ablaze and allegedly killed two people among those who are opposed to Prince Nonso Nwoko becoming the king of Idumuje Ugboko. One of those brutalised also allegedly died from his wounds even as his pregnant wife was physically humiliated. WHY THE AGFS DECISION DESERVES OUR COMENDATION Justifiably, the current administrations intervention in the protracted human rights violations that have threatened the social fabrics of a notable agrarian community in the crude oil rich Delta state known as Idumuje-Ugboko which is approximately a trekkable distance from the political seat of power of Delta state of Asaba is generally applauded The need to restore lasting peace in Idumuje Ugboko on the one hand, and on the other hand to ensure that those who approached the National Human Rights commission through us to gain a sufficient redress of their dehumanization cannot be overemphasized. Some of these persons have died as a consequence of the physical torture allegedly inflicted on them by some or all of those that the Central government of Nigeria has instituted a case of terror related charges for which they will be fully represented in the Court of competent jurisdiction and will have their day. This is what the constitution says about the court system of Nigeria in Section 6 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria of 1999 as amended. Moreover, the persons charged are still innocent in the eyes of the law until proven guilty by the court of law in line with section 36(5) of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria of 1999 (as amended). So there shouldnt be any need to entertain any fear but should have their day in court to prove their innocence or otherwise. Besides, the effect of this section as it relates to these Nigerians from Idumuje Ugboko community charged to court for terrorism is that they will be given fair hearing in line with section 36(5) of the Supreme law of Nigeria and they will be afforded every opportunity in this World to contradict the terror related charges filed against them and they have three stages to do this that is assuming without conceding that they may lose. They now have the opportunity at the Court of first instance, the Court of Appeal and the final appellate forum which is the Supreme Court of Nigeria. So it is not as if once they are dragged before the court of first instance that they would be denied justice and an adversarial verdict imposed on them without any right of appeal. OUR POSITION AND RECOMMENDATIONS Although the term terrorism has posed legal definition challenge, its peculiar characteristics manifest in motive founded on ideology, identifiable by signature violence and targets primarily intended to compel compliance. Hence, those terrorized in Idumuju Ugboko were seen as ideological enemies of those allegedly inflicting these physical harms. All over the world, civilised people expect governments at state or national level where murder is committed to do everything within its legitimate powers to unravel the cause and perpetrators of such murder and bring the culprits to justice. The governments decision to institute a terror case against those alleged to have carried out the heinous crimes in Idumuje Ugboko Community is a welcomed development and should proceed with speedy prosecution so that there will be justice given to the victims. Again, only few of those that were supposed to be charged and PROSECUTED before the court have actually been apprehended and detained. These are people government has already mentioned that have prima facie case to answer, why is government not making any effort in ensuring that those people come and answer to those charges and prove their innocence as the court will determine? We have credible evidence allegedly suggesting that Okey Ifejioku; The Idumuje Ugboko Development Union President called for money to, according to the evidence, reinforce their arsenal, meaning they already built an arsenal that needed to be reinforced. Shouldnt such a person be tried and convicted? It is very wrong then for people to continue to push the wrong and poisonous narrative that the killers are now the victims. Are the people killed less of human beings than the people in detention? Wouldnt it be better that one is in detention than he or she is in the grave? These should not be the issue, but that of justice delivery. Therefore, while we welcome and applaud the government for taking this bold step, we admonish the court system to ensure that justice is not only done to those killed, but seen to have been done, because the way to lasting peace is decisive justice. In split votes, the State Board of Education on Friday declined to use its veto power over two applications from charter school operators that now have final state approval to open campuses in San Antonio. Royal Public Schools and Prelude Preparatory Charter School can open as early as the 2021-2022 school year. The board voted 9-5 not to veto the applications of either organization. The votes mostly fell along party lines, with Democratic board members more likely to veto. Marisa Perez-Diaz, a Democrat whose district includes the South Side, where the new charters plan to locate, voted against Prelude Prep but in favor of Royal. Ken Mercer, a Republican who represents parts of North and East Bexar County, voted in favor of both applications. Also, CLEAR Public Charter Schools proposal to open in San Marcos was vetoed on a 9-6 vote. Heritage Classical Academys application to open a school in Houston was vetoed on an 11-3 vote. The board heard testimony Thursday for and against eight new charter applications, including the two networks that plan to locate in San Antonio. Prelude Preps application did not specify an address for the school but listed an attendance boundary of three ZIP codes in the Southwest, South San Antonio and Harlandale independent school districts. Royal requested a feeder pattern of four schools two elementary, one middle and one high school with the first to open inside the boundaries of Gallardo Elementary in the Southside ISD. The other schools that came before the board were Brillante Academy in McAllen, Doral Academy of Texas in Buda, Learn4Life-Austin and Rocketship Public Schools in Fort Worth. The board vetoed Rocketship on Friday. All eight applications had been cleared by Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath to open in the 2021-2022 school year, but the state board has veto power over Moraths charter approvals. On ExpressNews.com: Former IDEA leader wants 150,000 charter students in San Antonio by 2030 The board Thursday took three hours of public testimony before questioning representatives from each proposed charter organization. Witnesses included parents, advocates, educators and students. More than 150 people signed up to address the board, but fewer than half were able to speak in the time allotted. The San Antonio applicant with the most support among witnesses was Royal Public Schools, which drew a lot of praise for its founder, Soner Tarim, who also founded Harmony Public Schools and has committed to implementing STEM learning in his schools curricula. Royal plans to offer kindergarten through second grade in its first year and add one grade level each year until it becomes a K-12 network. Living on the South Side for the past three years, I can tell you firsthand that the community is predominantly economically disadvantaged and would greatly benefit from the strenuous curriculum offered by Royal, said Criselda Occhiuzzi, who said she was speaking on behalf of Royal Public Schools and Dr. Tarim. SISD is failing our students and our parents, she added. Kim Martinic, a Texas State Teachers Association organizer, said Southside ISDs current transitional status out of direct state control should preclude a charter school in the area. In 2017, a Texas Education Agency investigation found that the districts trustees were unable to effectively manage it, and Morath appointed a board of five managers to replace the elected board. Before throwing charters into the mix, allow Southside ISD an opportunity to heal, succeed and persevere, Martinic urged. And remember, it was the TEA that mandated the board of managers, and you must allow that process to work. On ExpressNews.com: After fight, state education panel OKs new San Antonio charter schools Prelude Prep would offer kindergarten through eighth grade. Two witnesses testified in its favor. Magdelena Leyva, who introduced herself as a former educator on the South Side, cited the difficulties she experienced when looking for a good school in the area for her daughter, whom she said thrived with a hands-on learning approach. I was thrilled that Prelude is offering that hands-on approach, because you dont see that offered on the South Side. Parents need better options, and so do teachers, Leyva said. Its time that our side of town has better options for the future leaders of this community. Andres Picon is a staff writer covering San Antonio education. To read more from Andres, become a subscriber. andy.picon@hearst.com | Twitter: @andpicon Amidst escalating tensions at Pangong Fingers, India sends more troops India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Sep 11: A large number of Indian troops are being deployed along the Finger 3 Ridgeline on the north bank of Pangong Tso in Ladakh. This comes in the wake of the Chinese PLA increasing deployment significantly. Sources tell OneIndia that the Indian Army has occupied heights overlooking the Chinese PLA positions at Finger 4 along Pangong Tso. These actions were carried out along with pre-emptive actions to occupy heights near the southern bank of Pangong Tso at the end of August. The Chinese never vacated Finger 4 Ridgeline despite agreeing to completely disengage. India-China agree to disengage | The 5-point plan | Oneindia News The Chinese instead moved 2,000 soldiers on the upper reaches of the ridge Tuesday night. India too moved the same number of troops to the Finger 3 ridgeline. On August 29, India had prevented the PLA from grabbing Indian territory. This is a clear indicator that India has taken a completely different stand when it comes to the Chinese. In the past three decades, the PLA continued to nibble into the LAC and the Indian troops maintained a defensive position and stuck to patrolling points only as was defined by the China Study Group. Also Read: This time the mindset has changed drastically and the Indian troops are not willing to stick to patrolling points which fall short of the Indian perception. Since the aggression by the PLA in May, India has matched in terms of deployment of its military assets as it is unwilling to lose even an inch of land. In response to the intimidating military moves by China, India has moved its front-line tanks and infantry combat vehicles to the strategic heights held by its soldiers on the southern bank of Pangong Tso. The People's Liberation Army is parading it tank squadrons, mechanised infantry squads in addition to thousands of soldiers to threaten the Indian Army. It may be recalled that India had prevented the PLA from grabbing Indian territory on August 29. A top official said that the conflict is below the threshold of a shooting war, but it could take any trajectory. The PLA has deployed around 5,000 soldiers in the area. The official however added that India is fully prepared to deal with any contingency. China has deployed a sizeable number of military assets in the Eastern Ladakh theatre, which includes 5,000 troops, heavy artillery, missiles, air defence systems and 150 aircraft. India won the other hand is matching every move made by China. Further the Indian ground commanders have been told to take decisions on the spot. This is because there should be no time lost in reacting to the PLA. The official cited above also said that the PLA has been provocative and wants a fight. (TNS) Gwinnett County, Ga., Transit driver Mikesha Walker talked to co-workers recently about whether they would participate in a COVID-19 vaccine research trial.Theyre ideal participants, many researchers say. They spend more time with the public, which puts them at greater exposure to the disease. Many workers are Black, a demographic that is not adequately represented in trials.However, Walker said the drivers are very reluctant to participate. Many feel underappreciated and underpaid for continuing to work during the pandemic. Theyre also aware of health studies done decades ago, such as the Tuskegee study, which intentionally misled Black male participants about the purpose of the research and the treatment they received.Theyre not comfortable at all, said Walker, a union leader. And its bad timing with everything going on in the country with Black Lives Matter. Doctors, researchers and community organizations are intensifying their outreach efforts to get more people of color and those considered at greater risk of getting COVID-19 such as bus drivers, cafeteria workers, police officers and even pastors in vaccine treatment studies.A national group of religious and community leaders on Wednesday announced a faith-based initiative to build trust and engage diverse populations in clinical research. The initiative is a program of the COVID-19 Prevention Network, whose efforts will include TV ads encouraging Black and Latino people, among others, to enter the vaccine trials.reported they would air on major television networks as well as BET, the Oprah Winfrey Network, TV One, Telemundo and Univision.Earlier, Emory University researchers held a virtual news conference with reporters Wednesday on the topic.Theres scant data detailing the percentage of front-line workers or people considered to be at greater risk of getting the disease. Research shows the percentage of Black and Latino participants in vaccine studies is disproportionately lower in comparison to the rest of the nation.Moderna, the pharmaceutical company involved in vaccine research with Emory University and other organizations, announced last week it is slowing enrollment slightly in its large clinical trial to ensure it has sufficient representation of minority groups at greater risk for the disease. About one-quarter of Modernas trial participants are Black or Latino, according to its website.In Georgia, Black and Latino people comprise 48 percent of COVID-19 deaths, according to data gathered from each state by the Kaiser Family Foundation, although these groups make up about 42 percent of the states population.The issue of minority participation in clinical trials is not just in vaccines, it really is in every clinical trial and the point is that the population that is most impacted and most affected needs to be represented in trials, said Dr. Carlos del Rio, an infectious disease expert and executive associate dean of Emory University School of Medicine at Grady Health System.In the Moderna trial the goal is to recruit 30 percent underrepresented minorities.Henry County-based physician Dr. Nathan Segall has contacted several local companies, the county government there and posted billboards to recruit more of these study participants.Identifying these individuals and getting them to come in to get vaccinated sooner rather than later, we can save very important time for everyone, he said.DeKalb County resident Charles English is one of Segalls vaccine participants. Hes 67, African American and has bronchitis. I hit all the wrong, high buttons, English said.English received a text message about the study and decided to participate, noting the racial disparities in confirmed cases and deaths. English talked about the distrust many African Americans have about the studies, citing the infamous Tuskegee Experiment.The minority community does not have a lot of faith in these vaccines because of certain things that have happened in the past, he said. But weve got to be pioneers in this. Weve got to be champions for our people.Hes scheduled to receive the second of his two shots next week.For years, Dr. Jayne Morgan, a member of Piedmont Healthcares Heart Institute Research leadership team, has been worried about the lack of racial diversity in clinical trial studies.The pandemic has heightened those concerns. She points to research showing just two of the 45 participants in an early phase of a COVID-19 vaccine study by Moderna were Black.Morgan said the gap stems largely from the lack of racial diversity in leadership roles among those involved in clinical research, which needs to change. Another recommendation is removing hurdles that make it difficult for many people of color and front-line workers to participate in studies, like lack of transportation, child care and inflexible work schedules. One suggestion is researchers should set up satellite locations closer to participants.Additionally, said Dr. Valerie Montgomery Rice, president and dean of the Morehouse School of Medicine, some minorities may face greater risks of contracting the disease because they may hold essential jobs in the service industries that are low wage and dont offer health insurance or paid sick time, making it more difficult to manage chronic diseases.The absence of significant participation by Black patients creates not only a hole in the data, but can contribute to less effective treatments with little data on the impact on that specific population, she said.Susan Hurst recently joined an Emory vaccine study because, in part, she wants to do her part in finding a cure. The Marietta resident rattled off the names of several diseases that frightened the public decades ago such as the measles and chickenpox and the collective work by scientists and the public to create a vaccine.She has Type 2 diabetes, shes part African American, shes 57 and shes still been coming to work since the coronavirus pandemic began in March.Those vaccines had to start somewhere, and they couldnt have started at all if there werent people willing to help, to take the risk, willing to back up science, said Hurst, who received her final vaccine treatment Wednesday. Worldwide, we all need to pull together and get this done because people are dying.There have been several COVID-19 outbreaks and deaths across the nation tied to church-related events.Although his services are online for now, the Rev. Kenneth L. Samuel, senior pastor of Victory for the World Church in Stone Mountain, considers himself at high risk because of his work.He was tested for COVID-19 after a church member came down with the virus. Samuels test was negative.Still, he would consider participating in a trial to develop a vaccine.Its really important for our people and for our community, so if I could do something to help with the process of developing a safe vaccine for our community, that might be a risk Im willing to take.Samuel, 64, would also encourage his members to consider enrolling in a clinical trial.I would encourage people, but I know everybody wont, he said. Its like ingrained in the mindset of Black people when you consider the syphilis injections. Black folks dont want to be guinea pigs and we have been. Even in light of that, if the data is transparent, if the information makes sense, if the research is credible, then I think we can overcome that particular fear.Griffin Lotson hopes to participate in a clinical trial for the vaccine, but doesnt consider himself a hero for doing so.Finding a vaccine seems to be our only way out, said Lotson, 66, who is Black and a member of the planning and zoning board for the city of Darien in McIntosh County on the South Georgia coast. We have to slow it down or stop it, and if we dont get enough people to enter the trials, its going to take that much longer.Lotson understands the need to get more diversity in clinical trials. He said when he went to fill out the paperwork for one trial, nearly everyone in the room was white. The process took hours. He was asked a lot of questions about his health history.He points to the number of African American and Latino people who are getting the virus and dying from it.We need to make sure that when there is a cure, its for everybody, he said.Lotson was diagnosed with bronchial asthma when he was younger. His last flare-up was when he was in his 30s and it nearly killed him.He knows hes at greater risk for serious complications, or even death, should he contract the virus.Not everyone supports his decision, including some family members. They raise the Tuskegee incident, but the way Lotson sees it, that was in the past and these tests are different now in the 21st century.You can go toto enroll in one of the clinical trials to find a vaccine for COVID-19. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-11 19:24:26|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese mainland spokesperson said Friday that the mainland welcomes Wang Jin-pyng, former vice chairperson of Kuomintang (KMT), leading a KMT delegation to attend the upcoming 12th Straits Forum. The forum, to be held in Fujian Province from Sept. 19, will feature various activities to facilitate economic, cultural, youth, public health, and film exchanges and cooperation across the Taiwan Strait, said Ma Xiaoguang, spokesperson for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office. Noting that compatriots on both sides of the strait are of one family, Ma said efforts should be made to promote cross-Strait exchanges and cooperation, to facilitate the peaceful development of cross-Strait relations and safeguard peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. People from all walks of life on both sides should do more to strengthen mutual understanding and trust, he added. Enditem By Express News Service CHENNAI: Expressing grief over the death of V Vignesh, a NEET aspirant from Elanthankuzhi village in Ariyalur district, Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami on Thursday granted a solatium of Rs 7 lakh to the family in addition to a government job. The CM, however, did not make any mention of NEET exam. The State has always been concerned about students welfare and it would continue to work for their development. I request the parents to understand the desires of their children and guide them accordingly, he added. Palaniswami also advised the students to be steadfast in their efforts and have conviction to face anything. If you follow this, then success is certain, he further said in the message. PMK announces Rs 10L aid PMK president GK Mani announced a financial assistance of `10 lakh to the family. Mani, in a statement, said, Vigneshs death has revived fears that if NEET would claim more lives. The only remedy is to scrap NEET and the State government should exert pressure on the Centre in this regard. DMK president MK Stalin appealed to all students to face hurdles with self-confidence. We have lost yet another student due to NEET, he added. Urging the Central and State governments to increase the solatium to `50 lakh, VCK president Thol Thirumavalavan asked the students to come out of the illusion that only by becoming a doctor one can achieve an honourable life. Meanwhile, the State government should boldly announce that it would not implement NEET, he added. TNCC president KS Alagiri claimed that the governments were responsible for Vigneshs death and the people would teach them a befitting. Seeking genuine steps from DMK, which has more MPs, and the AIADMK government to resolve this issue, AMMK general secretary TTV Dhinakaran said, The deaths due to NEET is continuing since the DMK which was responsible for introducing the NEET and the AIADMK government which has been implementing it, had failed to take appropriate steps to get an exemption for State from exam. ML degree course at UoM Chennai: The University of Madras has invited applications for 2020-21 admissions to the ML degree course for private study of international and constitutional law, criminal law, intellectual property rights law, human rights and environmental rights law and labour and administrative law. Last day to submit applications is October 15. For details, visit https://egovernance.unom.ac.in/mlprivatestudy My NEP contest Chennai: Vidya Bharati, the educational wing of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), has decided to conduct My NEP, a nation-wide contest for students from September 24 - October 2 on the website www.mynep.in. The event will be inaugurated on September 11 and results will be announced by October 5, a statement said. Students from class 1 to PG courses can take part in the contest at corresponding levels. Kangana Ranauts face off with the Maharashtra government has come in for praise from popular Tamil actor Vishal who compared her action to freedom fighter Bhagat Singh and lauded her for staying strong despite the wrath of the Government. The Queen star taking on the (Maharashtra) government will set an example for people to speak against the government when something goes wrong, he said in a Twitter statement, tagging Ranauts handle on the micro-blogging site. Dear Kangana, hats off to your guts, you have never thought twice to voice out what is right and what is wrong. It wasnt your personal issue, but even then facing the wrath of the government, you stayed strong which makes it a very big example. Its something similar to what Bhagat Singh did in the 1920s, the actor-producer said. After ruffling the feathers of the ruling Shiv Sena in Maharashtra with her Mumbai feels like Pakistan Occupied Kashmir comments, the actress on Wednesday directly took on Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, saying his ego will be destroyed the way her Bandra home was demolished by the citys civic body for illegal alterations. Vishal further said Ranauts action will set an example for people to speak against the govt when something is not right and not necessarily being a celebrity but also as a common man. Freedom of speech (Article 19) Kudos to you, I bow to you, Vishal, who tried to contest the December 2017 bypolls to RK Nagar here, added. Kangana, who is fighting the demolition of her Mumbai office at the Bombay High Court, had hit out at CM Uddhav Thackeray in a video released on Wednesday. Uddhav Thackeray, tujhe kya lagta hai? (what do you think?) That you colluded along with the film mafia, demolished my home and took revenge on me? My home was demolished today, your arrogance will crumble tomorrow," the actor said. This is the wheel of time. Remember, it never stays the same," Kangana, 33, declared, hours after Mumbais civic body began demolishing what it claimed were illegal alterations to the actors office in the citys Pali Hills area. NEW YORK, N.Y. -- Leaders from more than 160 major companies and business groups called on Mayor Bill de Blasio this week to address rising crime and quality of life issues so that New Yorkers return to work as the city begins bouncing back from the coronavirus pandemic. Despite New Yorks success in containing the coronavirus, unprecedented numbers of New Yorkers are unemployed, facing homelessness, or otherwise at risk. There is widespread anxiety over public safety, cleanliness and other quality of life issues that are contributing to deteriorating conditions in commercial districts and neighborhoods across the five boroughs, the business leaders said in a letter to de Blasio on Thursday. "We need to send a strong, consistent message that our employees, customers, clients and visitors will be coming back to a safe and healthy work environment. People will be slow to return unless their concerns about security and the livability of our communities are addressed quickly and with respect and fairness for our citys diverse populations, the letter continued. The letter was signed by the heads of Mastercard, Macys, Goldman Sachs, Con Edison, as well as Linda Baran, who heads Staten Islands Chamber of Commerce. They called on the mayor to take immediate action to bring back essential services as a necessary precursor for solving the citys longer term, complex, economic challenges. On Thursday, de Blasio called the month of September one of the most important in the citys history, as students get ready to return to school and more New Yorkers are expected to return to work. The letter comes as the city has seen a surge in shootings and crime this year. The budgets of the NYPD and Department of Sanitation also took a hit this year because of the coronavirus pandemic. Trash started piling up around the city after the Department of Sanitations budget was slashed. The mayor has also come under fire for moving 10,000 homeless individuals from shelters to hotels during the pandemic. For months, de Blasio has been calling on the federal government to pass a new federal stimulus and for borrowing authority from Albany to avoid 22,000 municipal layoffs in October. In response to the letter, City Hall called on the business leaders to join them in that effort. Were grateful for the business communitys input, and well continue partnering with them to rebuild a fairer, better city. Lets be clear: We want to restore these services and save jobs, and the most direct way to do that is with long term borrowing and a federal stimulus. We ask these leaders to join in this fight because the stakes couldnt be higher, said the mayors press secretary Bill Neidhardt. FOLLOW SYDNEY KASHIWAGI ON TWITTER. With several initiatives, the 41st General Assembly of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA 41), hosted by Vietnam under the theme of Parliamentary Diplomacy for a Cohesive and Responsive ASEAN from September 8 to 10, is a significant milestone of the 14th National Assemblys foreign relations during its term as the AIPA chair, as the COVID-19 pandemic is raging on in the region and the world. NA Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan (Photo: VNA) First online General Assembly in AIPAs history According to Chairman of the National Assemblys Committee for External Relations Nguyen Van Giau, organising the AIPA 41 is among the crucial tasks of the Vietnamese NA during its chairmanship term in 2020. The General Assembly of the AIPA is the biggest event in the chairmanship term of any AIPA member parliament, which gathers legislative leaders of all the ASEAN member countries. However, as the COVID-19 pandemic has been raging the whole world, it was impossible to organise a physical AIPA General Assembly. Therefore, the Vietnamese NA, as the AIPA Chair in 2020, actively switched to teleconference in response to the pandemic. Nguyen Manh Tien, Vice Chairman of the NA's Committee for External Relations and head of the AIPA 41 information sub-committee, said the timely switch showed the Vietnamese NAs flexibility, responsibility and determination in fulfilling its role as the AIPA Chair in 2020. Also, by successfully hosting all meetings within AIPA-41 via teleconference, Vietnam has proved its technical capacity, in particular digital and internet requirements, Tien added. This initiative was warmly welcomed by AIPA members. Chuan Leekpai, President of the National Assembly of Thailand, said the COVID-19 pandemic has posed a global health security threat to humanity throughout the region. In the most difficult moment, the Vietnamese parliament has made every effort not only to deal with the spread of COVID-19 but also to hold three significant AIPA conferences, he said, adding that the success of AIPA would not have been possible without excellent management by the AIPA staff of the Vietnamese NA. Chairman of the Lao National Assembly's External Relations Committee Eksavang Vongvichith spoke highly of this initiative, saying that the Vietnamese NA has been exerting all-out efforts to prepare for the AIPA General Assembly. He said though the pandemic has been posing a remarkable challenge to the organisation of AIPA 41, hosting the General Assembly in the form of teleconference was a timely and wise initiative by the NA Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan and other leaders of the Vietnamese NA. Deeper engagement of young parliamentarians to AIPA A resolution on organising annual meetings of young parliamentarians of AIPA under an initiative by Vietnam was approved by the Committee on Organisational Matters of the AIPA 41 on September 9, 2020. Previously, such an idea was first initiated by NA Chairwoman Ngan in her remarks when assuming the role of the AIPA 41 chair. It had been reiterated in ASEAN Leaders' Interface with Representatives of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly as well as ASEAN Leaders Interface with Representatives of ASEAN Youth within the 36th ASEAN Summit. During the first ever unofficial meeting of young parliamentarians of AIPA on September 8, young parliamentarians contributed valuable ideas on promoting the participation of young parliamentarians in building the ASEAN Community in the context of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and the COVID-19 pandemics impact on all spheres of the socio-economic life in the ASEAN member countries. The meeting proved effectiveness of an official forum for young parliamentarians within the AIPA. Permanent Vice Chairwoman of the Vietnamese NA Tong Thi Phong highlighted the important role of young parliamentarians who represent nearly 220 million young people in ASEAN. The young parliamentarians are an important factor to connect youngsters and promote their participation in building the ASEAN Community and realising the goals of the ASEAN Community Vision 2025 through the ASEAN Work Plan on Youth for 2016-2020 and the following years, Phong said. Secretary General of the Cambodian National Assembly Leng Peng Long spoke highly of Vietnams initiative to include the discussion of the establishment on the agenda of AIPA-41. He stressed the necessity for parliaments to issue policies dedicated to youths so as to create favourable conditions for them to get engaged in their national development. Delivering a speech at the unofficial meeting of AIPA young parliamentarians, Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN Kung Phoak expressed appreciation to the Vietnamese NA for initiating the meeting. The official stressed that it is essential for young parliamentarians to lead the people to gain from the regional integration. 2020 marks the third time that the Vietnamese National Assembly has assumed the chairmanship of the AIPA and organised its General Assembly. This is an occasion for Vietnam to perform its role and responsibility in the AIPA and for the countrys NA to enhance its reputation as an active and responsible legislative body. It also promotes Vietnams position in the region and the world, especially in the context of the unprecedented pandemic. Indonesias House Speaker appreciates Vietnamese NAs effort Speaker of the House of Representatives of Indonesia Puan Maharani has said she fully appreciates Vietnam's effort in hosting the first-ever virtual 41st General Assembly of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA-41) amid COVID-19 pandemic. In an interview recently granted to Vietnam News Agency following the closing of AIPA-41, Maharani said overall, the event went well, and parliament members had fruitful discussions. However, Political Committee in the AIPA-41 did not reach a consensus on specific matters. Therefore, no resolution has been adopted. Nevertheless, the fact that overall the AIPA General Assembly went very well despite being conducted online, is an accomplishment on its own. In the past, many might think that this kind of level of international event would not be done online. However, today AIPA has proven that we can adapt with development and that AIPA is well prepared for the future, she said. Through online means, she said, AIPA member parliaments were able to discuss ideas, propose solutions and exchange the best practices and ideas to continue their important role in this challenging time. Parliamentarians gained useful insights to help the implementation of checks and balances, especially at a time of crisis, during which the government is making unprecedented decisions at speed and implementing policies that would have been unthinkable before. Therefore, parliament remains a relevant pillar of democracy in this challenging time. About initiative and message conveyed by the House of Representatives of Indonesia at the meeting, she said responses in this time of pandemic will determine how fast the world recovers, and how well the challenge is handled. Under the spirit of Gotong Royong or mutual assistance, the Indonesian House of Representatives believed that all can make it through this crisis, as long as shared commitment to strengthen solidarity and enhance cooperation and mutual support among ASEAN member states is maintained. Commenting on Vietnams role and efforts as the AIPA Chair this year to promote the spirit of a cohesive and responsive ASEAN, she said this years AIPA General Assembly was held under the unprecedented times during COVID-19 outbreak. This pandemic has not only become a test for regional collective response but also unveiled opportunities to strengthen regional cooperation under the spirit of ASEAN centrality in efforts to tackle COVID-19 and its overarching impacts in people's lives. Speaking highly of the Vietnamese legislatures effort to hold the event despite challenges caused by the pandemic, she hoped that the General Assembly could become an effective platform for AIPA member parliaments to exchange the best practices, build political will, strengthen capacity, and foster collaboration among parliaments and parliamentarians on curbing the pandemic as well as to find the best solutions to other important regional issues./.VNA B ritain's Royal Air Force has joined the US Air Force for huge training exercise in the skies over the North Sea. More than 50 aircraft flew in Exercise Point Blank on Thursday. The RAF was also joined by the Royal Netherlands Air Force. US bomber planes took part for the first time this year, with other aircraft joining from an American base in Italy and USAFs Europe and Africa units. US Air Force B-52H Stratofortress leading a formation of US F-15C Eagles, F-15E Strike Eagles and Royal Netherlands Air Force F-16's over the North Sea / PA The annual operation is designed to hone tactics and ensure readiness. Colonel Jason Camilletti, commander of USAFs 48th Fighter Wing, based at RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk, said: What started as a small grassroots training initiative between the US and Royal air forces has now grown into an adaptable large-scale exercise capable of incorporating joint service and multinational assets across the spectrum of conflict. US Air Force B-52H Stratofortress leading a formation of US F-15C Eagles, F-15E Strike Eagles and Royal Netherlands Air Force F-16's over the North Sea / PA We stand in lock-step with our British and Nato counterparts, and are proud that our collective efforts ensure that we are always ready to own the skies. Aircraft in the exercise included F-15s, F-16s, F-35s, Typhoons, B-52s, and KC-135s. Credit: CC0 Public Domain The race is on to develop a COVID-19 vaccine, but even when one becomes available a large challenge will still exist: getting enough people vaccinated. In the 2018-2019 influenza season the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that 45.3 percent of adults and 62.6 percent of children in the United States received an influenza vaccine. In order to create herd immunity, the COVID-19 vaccination rates must be much higher. Misinformation and fear are two of the main causes of low vaccination numbers, according to Anupam Jena, the Ruth L. Newhouse Associate Professor of Health Care Policy in the Blavatnik Institute at Harvard Medical School, and Chris Worsham, HMS clinical and research fellow at Massachusetts General Hospital, who wrote about this problem in July in the The Washington Post and STAT. But other challenges like lack of access and high prices also act as barriers. In a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine in July, Jena and Worsham found that children born in November are 13 percent more likely to receive influenza vaccines than children born in July. Those with fall birthdays receive vaccines at their annual checkups, while children born at other times of year must return to the pediatrician's office for an additional office visit to get a flu shot. Just needing a second visit seemed to be enough to deter many families from getting this important preventive care, the researchers said. Vaccination rates took another hit during the first wave of the coronavirus pandemic this past spring, when rates of routine childhood vaccination fell dramatically in the U.S., according to the CDC. Many states had issued stay-at-home advisories and urged people not go to their doctor's office unless it was absolutely necessary. Vaccinations fell in spite of efforts by the CDC, physician groups and medical practices to urge parents to bring their children in to be vaccinated, something that can be done safely during the pandemic. Vaccination rates have since then rebounded. Fighting COVID-19 and influenza together Preventing the spread of influenza is itself an important part of fighting the coronavirus, physicians and public health officials say. The flu experts at the CDC state that in the coming months "it's likely that flu viruses and the virus that causes COVID-19 will both be spreading. In this context, getting a flu vaccine will be more important than ever." Hospitalizations for the flu can quickly overwhelm a hospital in a normal year, and many suspect that coronavirus cases will increase this winter, both because of the weather and because of secondary schools and colleges reopening, Jena said. "This makes it important to reduce the number of flu cases and hospitalizations," he said. "Also, we haven't seen many cases of flu and COVID-19 combined, but in flu season that's a possibility that could be particularly harmful because we don't have great treatments for either infectious disease." Jena also noted that many workers, students and people in high-risk categories will need to get tested whenever they develop flu-like symptoms. Although these symptoms are most common in non-flu viruses, reducing the likelihood of these symptoms developing because of the flu will still be helpful, he said. Creative solutions With all of these barriers, how can the U.S. ensure that enough people receive the flu vaccine to protect hospital capacity? How can we make sure children receive their crucial, routine vaccinations during the ongoing COVID-19 emergency? And how can we reach high-enough levels of vaccination with a potential coronavirus vaccine to create herd immunity? Bringing the vaccinations to the people through programs such as home visits by trained medical personnel could help, Jena and Worsham said, adding that public messaging and planning, such as creating "national vaccine days," could be key in raising vaccination numbers. Vaccines should be available at no cost, to ensure that no one is denied a vaccine because of they can't afford one, they said. "We need creative solutions to make sure that people do not miss out on this crucial preventive care," Jena said. Explore further Follow the latest news on the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak More information: Christopher Worsham et al. Birth Month and Influenza Vaccination in Children, New England Journal of Medicine (2020). Journal information: New England Journal of Medicine Christopher Worsham et al. Birth Month and Influenza Vaccination in Children,(2020). DOI: 10.1056/NEJMc2005928 A federal judge has ordered a former security guard at a suburban Chicago high school to pay $3 million in damages to the family of a former student who said in a lawsuit that he sexually abused her dozens of times. The default judgment granted Tuesday by U.S. Judge Rebecca R. Pallmeyer against Michael Haywood of Evanston awards the students family $2 million in compensatory damages and $1 million in punitive damages, the Pioneer Press reported, citing court records. A default judgment is issued when a defendant fails to appear in court or enter a plea. According to court documents, Haywood, 35, 'failed to appear and answer or otherwise plead.' The girls family filed a lawsuit in August 2019 alleging Haywood 'groomed' the Evanston Township High School student in 2018 and 2019 when she was 17 and engaged in 'unwanted and unauthorized sexual and other contact' with the teen more than 40 times, including several times at the school. Security guard Michael Hayward has been ordered to pay the family of a 17-year-old girl $3million after he allegedly groomed sexually abused 40 times while she was a student at Evanston High School in the Chicago suburbs The familys civil case against the high school and the city of Evanston is ongoing. The suit also alleges that the school failed to adequately protect girls from purported predators and didnt fully inform parents of the allegations against Haywood after firing him in January 2019. Haywood has not been criminally charged in the assaults described in the lawsuit, but he was charged in February 2019 with sexually assaulting a different student in November 2018 who is not involved in the civil suit. Haywood has pleaded not guilty in that case and is currently on home electronic monitoring, according to court records. At attorney representing Haywood in the criminal case declined to comment on the civil suit. Andrew M. Stroth, the attorney representing the teen and her family, declined to comment on the probability of being able to collect $3 million from Haywood, but said he considers the judgment a positive development for the case against the district and city. Molly Thompson, an attorney for Evanston Township High School District 202, emphasized that the default judgement was issued solely against Haywood and not the other defendants in the lawsuit. 'The Board of Education of Evanston Township High School District 202 and the other defendants, besides Haywood, filed motions to dismiss plaintiffs First Amended complaint, which are currently pending,' Thompson said in a statement. A spokesman for the city of Evanston, Patrick Deignan, said the city does not comment on pending litigation. "Let's hope, for the sake of the country, that a presidential vacancy does not prosper," he said in remarks to Canal N. As he explained, the vacancy scenario has not yet been analyzed by the Executive Branch, but Congress' decision will be closely followed, and the best way to defend stability with respect to the Constitution and regulations will be discussed. "We do not rule out any legal tool that allows maintaining the political stability of the country, within the legal framework and the Constitution," he stated. The high-ranking official reported that all ministers expressed their full support for President Vizcarra on Thursday afternoon and reaffirmed their decision to continue working in this situation marked by COVID-19, after some recordings were presented at a Congress' plenary session earlier that day. Likewise, Martos said all ministers agree that the investigations must continue their course, within the framework of due process. Nos preocupa profundamente el intento por desestabilizar al pais en medio de esta grave crisis sanitaria y economica. Respaldamos todas las investigaciones, pero respetando el debido proceso. Apelamos a la reflexion y responsabilidad del Congreso en estas dificiles circunstancias At 11 a.m. on Friday, members of Lebanon's American Legion Post 51, several distinguished guests and members of the public gathered at the fla Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-10 23:12:13|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close ATHENS, Sept. 10 (Xinhua) -- Sino-Greek cooperation has contributed to Greece's successful battle against COVID-19 so far, Greek officials told Xinhua here, wishing for further bilateral cooperation in the post-pandemic era in the health sector and other fields. The total of confirmed cases in Greece since the novel coronavirus was first detected in the country on Feb. 26, stands at 12,080, including 293 fatalities, the National Public Health Organization (EODY) announced on Wednesday evening. Although an acute 10-year financial crisis had taken a toll on its healthcare system, its response to the new challenge of the pandemic has won praise and Greek officials acknowledge also the significance of the helping hand they received from friends. The first major load of critical medical supplies (nearly 18 tons) which reached the Athens international airport in March was donated to Greece by the Chinese government, enterprises, and organizations, followed by further donations and cooperation in the following months. "I am grateful, as Governor of Attica, in this crucial period for the future of all of us, for the excellent relations we have developed with China...with beneficial results for the health safety in our region," Giorgos Patoulis, regional governor of Attica, told Xinhua. When the COVID-19 reached Greece, the Attica Region acted quickly and managed to procure from China masks and personal protective equipment to boost the protection of critical structures, such as the Elderly Care Units, and all residents of Attica and visitors, he explained. "We look forward to our further cooperation during the current period of the pandemic crisis we are going through, as well as in the post-COVID era, in health, development, culture, and tourism," the Greek official added. Cooperation beyond borders is vital in a crucial crossroad for the international community, as medical science in the East and West is faced with a great challenge regarding the management of the effects of the pandemic, Patoulis noted. "As President of the largest Medical Association in Greece, the Medical Association of Athens, in parallel with my capacity as Governor of Attica, I must say that from the beginning of 2020 until today we study closely the practice and results of the health policies and social behavior of the peoples of the East, who admittedly on international level, at least in the first wave of the pandemic, have managed to show better results in many countries than large Western countries with advanced health systems," he stressed. "We learn from the discipline to the restrictive measures of the peoples of the East and from the effectiveness, for example of the use of the mask, in reducing the further spread of this terrible epidemic," the official said. "At this historic moment for science and humanity, we face the great challenge for medical science to bridge instead of divide, to synthesize instead of oppose, so that we survive together, demonstrating the wisdom, health diplomacy, and humanitarian policy mankind calls for at such times," Patoulis stated. "Although we are living in challenging times, we have every reason to remain optimistic here in Greece as a result of our successful response to the pandemic crisis," Professor Meletios-Athanasios Dimopoulos, rector of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA) told Xinhua. "We take pride in our Medical School and its internationally recognized academic staff who have been at the forefront of the battle against COVID-19 since the outburst of the pandemic, not only fighting the disease on a day-to-day basis in our hospitals but also leading and coordinating the medical response in Greece as the state's advisors," the rector said in an e-mailed statement. The highest priority is and always will be the safety and well-being of all citizens living or visiting Greece, he stressed. The NKUA has made significant efforts in the field of international collaboration with universities and research centers all over the world, including prestigious institutions from China, Professor Dimopoulos noted. Regarding Sino-Greek cooperation in the battle against the novel coronavirus, he referred to China's Mammoth Foundation donation to the university in June. The foundation donated key laboratory testing equipment for COVID-19 to assist Greece's fight against the pandemic. "It is of extreme significance not only for our university but also for our state, because it was about new medical equipment of the Huoyan (Fire Eye) lab for the detection and treatment of the most severe cases of COVID-19 affected patients," the professor said. Enditem The Syrian regimes air defenses intercepted Israeli airstrikes in the northern city of Aleppo overnight Friday, Syrian state news sources reported. "At 1:30 a.m. the Zionist enemy carried out an airstrike by a salvo of missiles targeting the area around the city of Aleppo," a military source told Syrian state news outlet SANA. "Our air defense systems hit and felled most of them." A military statement read on state television said the raid took place in the town of al-Safirah in the eastern Aleppo countryside, with the warplanes targeting military factories and a scientific research center. There were no reports of casualties. Syrian state news outlets and war monitors say Israel is behind a number of similar strikes in recent weeks against Syrian regime and Iranian assets. On Sept. 2, Syria said its air defenses thwarted a number of Israeli missiles targeting the T4 airbase near the central city of Homs. The Israeli military claims the base is used by Iran to transfer weapons to its proxy fighters around the region, including the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. On Aug. 31, Israel fired a round of missiles at military sites in the south of the capital, Damascus, according to Syrian news sources. In a report this week, the UK-based pro-opposition Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said 79 Israeli strikes have targeted Syria between early 2018 and the start of September. The Israeli government rarely confirms such operations in Syria, but in late June, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned his country would not allow Iran to establish a military presence in the war-torn country. Israels arch-enemy Iran is Syrias closest regional ally and has provided military advisers, weaponry and thousands of fighters to bolster the regime's forces. NEW YORK, N.Y. -- The Trump administration withheld nearly $4 million from a program tasked with treating FDNY firefighters and medical personnel suffering from 9/11 related illnesses, according to a report by the Daily News. The Treasury Department reportedly began partially withholding payments nearly four years ago from a program that covers the medical costs for firefighters, emergency medical technicians and paramedics who are treated by the FDNY World Trade Center Health Program, the Daily News reported. According to the media outlet, instead of sending funding for the program to New York City, the Treasury started keeping some of the money instead. The FDNYs Chief Medical Officer, Dr. David Prezant, who serves as the programs director, told The News that the funding was disappearing without any notification. Prezant told the paper that about half a million dollars went missing each year in 2016 and 2017. Funding went up to about $630,000 in 2018 and 2019. But this year, Prezant said Treasury diverted more than $1.4 million through late August. Here we have sick World Trade Center-exposed firefighters and EMS workers, at a time when the city is having difficult financial circumstances due to COVID-19, and were not getting the money we need to be able to treat these heroes, Prezant told The News, adding that he was never able to get an explanation from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, which oversees the program, or the mammoth Department of Health and Human Services, which has the agency under its umbrella. Prezant was finally able to get an answer when Long Island Republican Rep. Peter King intervened. The News reported that King said New York City had been in an unrelated feud with the feds over Medicare bills and the Treasury, in turn, withheld payments to the FDNY. King called the situation disgraceful and said he planned to confront Vice President Mike Pence on Friday at the Tunnel to Towers event honoring the 9/11 anniversary. I gotta tell him, King told The News. Forget the politics. I dont want to sound naive, but this is terrible, absolutely inexcusable. But on Friday, Treasury apologized for the error. Treasury Department spokeswoman Rebecca Miller told The News the administration took the FDNY funding to cover some of the citys unrelated Medicare debt, which has been accumulating over the years. However, Miller claimed her department didnt know the funds were being redirected from the FDNY program and blamed the citys complicated collection system, The News reported. Its wrong, it shouldnt happen this way, and we are doing everything that we can, working with the city to try and fix this really unfortunate situation, Miller told The News.. But at the end of the day, there are administrative hurdles and to a certain extent, our hands are tied by our statutory obligations. Miller told The News her department is working with the city and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to resolve the debt and return the cash to the FDNY 9/11 fund. Rep. Max Rose and his Republican rival, Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis, both said the money needed to be returned to the FDNY fund. South Shore Republican Councilman Joe Borelli, who chairs the City Councils Committee on fire and Emergency Management and serves as President Donald Trumps campaign honorary state chair, did respond to requests for comment for this story. There is not a single excuse that can justify defunding medical treatment for our heroes suffering from 9/11-related illnesses. Secretary Munchin doesnt need to give us answers, he needs to give our heroes the money theyre owed. Ive already been in touch with my colleagues on all avenues possible to right this wrong, said Rose, who helped rally fellow members of Congress to support the Victims Compensation Act. Malliotakis said: I fully agree with Congressman Peter King that the funding should be immediately restored. I spent my morning honoring those who died at the Tunnel to Towers 9/11 event near Ground Zero. We, as a city and a nation, need to honor those who perished and stay strong in our commitment to the FDNY and all first responders and workers suffering from cancer, lung issues and other ailments linked to the toxins at Ground Zero. In the Assembly, I co-sponsored legislation that extended the window of opportunity for 9/11 first responders to receive disability benefits and also extended line-of-duty benefits for city workers. In Congress, I will always fight for the heroes of 9/11 and the medical care they so rightly deserve, she said. FOLLOW SYDNEY KASHIWAGI ON TWITTER. Massachusetts officials have removed three states from its list of low-risk locations as a part of the current travel ban and have added one state to the low-risk roster. Effective Sept. 12, Delaware, Pennsylvania and West Virginia have been removed from the list of lower-risk states amid the coronavirus pandemic. That means anyone traveling to Massachusetts from those states, or any Massachusetts residents returning home from those states, must quarantine for 14 days or produce a negative coronavirus test taken within 72 hours of arriving in the Bay State. People who do not comply with the governors order could face a fine of $500 per day. New Mexico has been added to the low-risk list. Other states on the low-risk list are Colorado, Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Vermont, Washington and Wyoming. Travelers from those states are not required to fill out a Massachusetts Travel Form and do not need to quarantine. To be on the low-risk list, states must meet two criteria: average daily coronavirus cases per 100,000 below six and positive test rate below 5%, both measured as a seven-day rolling average. The travel ban order exempts travelers passing through the state, as well as those who cross state lines for work, people entering the state for medical treatment, military personnel complying with orders and others providing essential services. The travel order first took effect Aug. 1. Rhode Island was originally one of the first eight states to be exempt, but it was removed in the first week due to increases in its COVID-19 positivity rates. When asked about Rhode Island this week, Baker noted the states COVID-19 rates have gone up and down in recent days just as it has in recent weeks since it fell off the Massachusetts exemption list. Ill be interested to see where Rhode Island is today, Baker said. According to covidexitstrategy.org, Rhode Island had a 1.1% positive test rate but 8 daily cases per capita on Wednesday. The state lifted restrictions for Colorado, Delaware, Pennsylvania and West Virginia in late August. The positive test rates and case numbers have gone up and down in the weeks since with at least some of those states failing to meet the criteria. Delaware and Pennsylvania had positive test rates at or above 5% for much of this week, according to data from covidexitstrategy.org, the nonpartisan website maintained by public health experts the state uses to determine who gets exempt. Delaware, Pennsylvania and West Virginia also had daily COVID-19 cases per capita well above the threshold allowed by Massachusetts to be exempt. Delaware had 12 daily cases per capita on at one point, the highest of all the exempt states, according to covidexitstrategy.org. The states positive test rate fell to 5% Wednesday after reaching 5.2% Tuesday. Pennsylvania had 6.2 daily cases per capita and a positive test rate of 6.9%. West Virginia had 9.2 daily cases per capita. The states positive test rate fell to 4.7% Wednesday after reaching 5.2% a day earlier. Wyomings COVID-19 numbers have gone up and down, surpassing the commonwealths cutoff for being exempt one day and dipping below the threshold the next. On Wednesday, Wyoming fell below the first threshold with 5.8 daily cases per capita, and the states positive test rate is 4.8%. The COVID-19 rates and new case numbers often change based on multiple factors: how much a state is testing, whether there are any delays in reporting positive cases and the level of community spread from day to day. But at least a handful of the exempt states have managed to meet the requirements to be exempt from the commonwealths travel order since it was first announced in July. The Command Center reviews the data and other states' recent trends weekly and will update the higher risk state list as needed based on the criteria of the travel order, said Tory Mazzola, a spokesperson for the COVID-19 Command Center. The state website says the list was updated based on data from Sept. 4. Gov. Charlie Baker also said the list is reviewed on a weekly basis. The Republican governor says Massachusetts officials are speaking regularly with exempt states that are at risk of not meeting the criteria. Its an every-week review, and we make decisions on it based on the data as its developed each week and make adjustments, Baker said. They need to create a little bit of positive progress there, but theres conversations going on between the states that are close and us on a pretty regular basis, the same way we have conversations on a pretty regular basis with Maine. Maine also has a travel order and a list of exempt states. Massachusetts is not exempt. Baker argues Massachusetts is a perfectly appropriate candidate to become exempt in Maine, but for some reason its not going to happen. Related Content: Howard Marks put it nicely when he said that, rather than worrying about share price volatility, 'The possibility of permanent loss is the risk I worry about... and every practical investor I know worries about.' So it might be obvious that you need to consider debt, when you think about how risky any given stock is, because too much debt can sink a company. We note that Wynnstay Group Plc (LON:WYN) does have debt on its balance sheet. But should shareholders be worried about its use of debt? What Risk Does Debt Bring? Debt is a tool to help businesses grow, but if a business is incapable of paying off its lenders, then it exists at their mercy. Part and parcel of capitalism is the process of 'creative destruction' where failed businesses are mercilessly liquidated by their bankers. However, a more frequent (but still costly) occurrence is where a company must issue shares at bargain-basement prices, permanently diluting shareholders, just to shore up its balance sheet. Having said that, the most common situation is where a company manages its debt reasonably well - and to its own advantage. The first step when considering a company's debt levels is to consider its cash and debt together. Check out our latest analysis for Wynnstay Group What Is Wynnstay Group's Debt? As you can see below, Wynnstay Group had UK2.17m of debt at April 2020, down from UK11.7m a year prior. But on the other hand it also has UK3.45m in cash, leading to a UK1.28m net cash position. How Strong Is Wynnstay Group's Balance Sheet? We can see from the most recent balance sheet that Wynnstay Group had liabilities of UK71.6m falling due within a year, and liabilities of UK7.44m due beyond that. Offsetting these obligations, it had cash of UK3.45m as well as receivables valued at UK80.4m due within 12 months. So it actually has UK4.85m more liquid assets than total liabilities. This short term liquidity is a sign that Wynnstay Group could probably pay off its debt with ease, as its balance sheet is far from stretched. Succinctly put, Wynnstay Group boasts net cash, so it's fair to say it does not have a heavy debt load! Story continues But the other side of the story is that Wynnstay Group saw its EBIT decline by 6.8% over the last year. That sort of decline, if sustained, will obviously make debt harder to handle. There's no doubt that we learn most about debt from the balance sheet. But ultimately the future profitability of the business will decide if Wynnstay Group can strengthen its balance sheet over time. So if you want to see what the professionals think, you might find this free report on analyst profit forecasts to be interesting. Finally, while the tax-man may adore accounting profits, lenders only accept cold hard cash. Wynnstay Group may have net cash on the balance sheet, but it is still interesting to look at how well the business converts its earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) to free cash flow, because that will influence both its need for, and its capacity to manage debt. During the last three years, Wynnstay Group generated free cash flow amounting to a very robust 81% of its EBIT, more than we'd expect. That puts it in a very strong position to pay down debt. Summing up While we empathize with investors who find debt concerning, you should keep in mind that Wynnstay Group has net cash of UK1.28m, as well as more liquid assets than liabilities. And it impressed us with free cash flow of UK18m, being 81% of its EBIT. So we don't think Wynnstay Group's use of debt is risky. The balance sheet is clearly the area to focus on when you are analysing debt. But ultimately, every company can contain risks that exist outside of the balance sheet. Be aware that Wynnstay Group is showing 2 warning signs in our investment analysis , you should know about... If you're interested in investing in businesses that can grow profits without the burden of debt, then check out this free list of growing businesses that have net cash on the balance sheet. 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. TORONTO : Canada is "aggressively negotiating" with drugmakers on delivery schedules for potential COVID-19 vaccines and shipments would begin early in 2021 under existing deals, Canada's minister of public services and procurement told Reuters on Thursday. The Canadian government has announced four vaccine purchase deals and is negotiating more, while also funding local projects that are less advanced, and building new vaccine manufacturing capacity at a facility in Montreal. The exact timing of deliveries depends on the result of clinical trials, regulatory approvals and manufacturing capacity, the minister, Anita Anand, said. Should approvals come earlier than expected, the government will negotiate earlier deliveries, she added. "Make no mistake, suppliers are reserving manufacturing capacity to supply doses to Canada based on those aggressively negotiated delivery schedules," Anand said in a phone interview. Canada has agreements with vaccine makers Moderna Inc , Pfizer Inc, Novavax Inc and Johnson & Johnson. Anand did not say which company was scheduled to deliver first, but the Pfizer and Moderna vaccine candidates are among the most advanced. Late stage trials from Pfizer and Moderna involving about 30,000 subjects each are on track to be fully enrolled soon. Pfizer has said that a first analysis of their data could be available as soon as October. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Never miss a story! Stay connected and informed with Mint. Download our App Now!! Joe Biden leads President Donald Trump by 12 percentage points in Oregon just two months ahead of the fall election, according to results from a new statewide survey released by Portland-based DHM Research Friday morning. Oregon is an overall blue state and 51% of likely voters who participated in the poll said they support Biden, compared with 39% who favor Trump. That split, which has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.4 percentage points, closely resembles Oregon voting results in the 2016 president election. This is nearly the exact outcome of the 2016 election in Oregon, where (Hillary) Clinton defeated Trump 50% to 39%, wrote DHM executive John Horvick, the lead author on the study findings. As much has changed, Oregon voters' presidential preferences seem immovable. In an interview Friday, Horvick said he was surprised to see zero change from 2016 in Oregon voters' support for Trump. I would have thought (there would be) some decline," Horvick said, even though he expected it to be small. Bidens clear lead could be good news for down-ballot Democrats running for statewide and legislative seats this fall. Then again, if state-level election results mirror 2016 it would not be a good year for Democrats, who held onto the governors and attorney generals offices but lost the secretary of states post to Republican Dennis Richardson that year. They also failed to pick up enough legislative seats to achieve a supermajority necessary to pass tax increases in each chamber and lost a Senate seat in southern Oregon. Although party loyalty appears to be strong among Oregon Democrats and Republicans going into the November election 91% of Republicans plan to vote for Trump and 87% of Democrats plan to vote for Biden Oregon has a large contingent of voters unaffiliated with any party thanks largely to the states automatic voter registration program. A new poll released Friday by Portland-based firm DHM Research shows Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden with a 12-point lead over President Donald Trump in Oregon. As of August, more than 32 percent of registered voters were non-affiliated, according to the secretary of states office. Non-affiliated voters likely to turn out in November lean toward Biden, with 47% telling pollsters they plan to vote for the Democrat and 31% planning to vote for Trump. The poll of 502 likely voters was conducted from Sept. 3 through Tuesday. It is the only Oregon poll on the presidential race released publicly so far. [Read the survey] DHM Research also asked likely voters for their impressions of Gov. Kate Brown, which have been negative in recent years but got a boost earlier this year as Brown responded to the coronavirus pandemic. As of early September, 43% of respondents had a positive impression of Brown and 51% reported a negative impression of her. A year ago, 54% of voters surveyed by DHM Research gave the governor a negative rating. Oregon Gov. Kate Brown has faced high negative ratings through much of her time in office, but more voters have reported positive impressions of her in recent months. A low percentage of survey respondents 21% rated Oregons economic conditions as good or excellent, while 54% rated the economic situation as fair. Still, Horvick said he was surprised that a smaller share of people reported being worried about their finances in recent months during the pandemic-caused recession compared to during the Great Recession. In 2012, 69% of people surveyed by DHM Research said they were very or somewhat worried about their finances compared with just 49% in the new survey. Obviously unemployment is high, lots of businesses have closed, Horvick said. But we also just gave people a lot of money. That includes federal stimulus payments and tax breaks for wealthy individuals and businesses, plus the temporary $600 weekly increase in jobless benefits that has now ended. Horvick said it was also interesting to find that 57% of Oregon voters surveyed approved of the way that their local school district responded to COVID-19. Approval was higher among voters with children at home, at 63%, compared to voters without children at 54%. Nearly half of the survey participants said they lived in either Multnomah, Clackamas or Washington counties. Another quarter of them live elsewhere in the Willamette Valley and the rest are from other parts of the state. Nearly 90% of those polled were white, more than 60% of them age 45 and over, nearly 40% Democrats and more than half with a 2- or 4-year degrees. -- Hillary Borrud; hborrud@oregonian.com; @hborrud Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. With children going back to school across the country, some infectious disease experts say it's time to rethink our social bubbles in order to protect our most vulnerable populations from contracting COVID-19. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 10/9/2020 (498 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. With children going back to school across the country, some infectious disease experts say it's time to rethink our social bubbles in order to protect our most vulnerable populations from contracting COVID-19. That could mean veering back to virtual visits for grandma and grandpa, or at the very least, reintroducing distancing and mask-wearing when seeing them. Dr. Barry Pakes, a public health physician and professor at the University of Toronto, says there is plenty to consider in deciding whether to kick grandparents out of your bubble, including how old your kids are, how big their classes are, and whether their schools are implementing remote or in-person learning. "It's going to be hard for parents to factor in all those elements and make a decision, but I think the simplest thing is just rethinking how our bubbles are looking and potentially reintroducing more masking and distancing around people who are vulnerable," Pakes said. "Certainly distancing completely from grandparents is going to be the safest option, but that isn't going to be in the best interest of everybody's mental health." Most provinces cap social circles or bubbles at 10 people, though some, including Alberta, allow 15. Bubbles are safe in theory if everyone in one bubble agrees to only interact with people in that same circle. But with children going back to school and interacting with teachers and other students every day, our bubbles are suddenly expanding "almost infinitely," Pakes said. And while he doesn't think we need to throw bubbles out the window completely, we do need to reassess them. Dr. Ilan Schwartz, an infectious disease expert at the University of Alberta, agrees, saying the "idea of a bubble still has validity. "But as that bubble expands, it becomes weaker and weaker. The more individuals in that bubble, the more likely there's going to be a breach. ... And soon the bubble becomes so porous that it really has no protective value at all." Schwartz says it's a "delicate balance" determining when a bubble has become too expansive, but limiting class size in schools can help it from getting out of control. "The smaller that bubble, the more hope there is for it to retain its integrity," he said. Individual families will have to determine the level of risk they're comfortable with when debating excluding grandparents from their social circles, Schwartz said. The more people students interact with on a daily basis, the higher the risk of being exposed to the novel coronavirus. And while most young people won't experience bad COVID outcomes, older people are at a greater risk for severe illness. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website says risk increases with age, so people in their 60s or 70s are more likely to experience severe outcomes than those in their 40s or 50s. The greatest risk for severe illness from COVID-19 is among those aged 85 or older. Schwartz says waiting until the pandemic is over before grandparents can see their grandchildren again isn't practical. "The virus isn't going away any time soon," he said. "But as long as people are educated about the activities that put them at risk and the ways to mitigate that, I think we can make informed decisions." For instance, it's best to avoid hugging or touching, especially without a mask, Schwartz said, and outdoor meet-ups are still preferred to indoor events. As the weather gets cooler and social activities are forced indoors, however, Schwartz says well-ventilated areas while distance is maintained or masks are being worn can still be safe. Pakes says social bubbles offer just one layer or protection, and things like hand-washing, mask-wearing and physical distancing shouldn't be ignored, especially when it comes to interacting with more vulnerable segments of population. He says now is a good time to gradually reintroduce those measures for grandparents already in our bubbles, rather than shutting them off completely as soon as children return to class. "You don't want kids to link going to school with not being able to see their grandparents," he said. "But if families can (shift) these interactions, consider doing things outside while it's still somewhat warm out, we can mimic normal as much as possible." Ready, Pet, Go! Leesa Dahl looks at everything to do with our furry, fuzzy, feathered, fishy (and more!) pet friends. Arrives in your inbox each Monday. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Dr. Zahid Butt, an assistant professor and infectious disease specialist at the University of Waterloo, says now is a critical time to take extra precautions when it comes to older populations, however. COVID-19 cases are on the rise in parts of Canada, with 3,955 people testing positive last week a significant jump from the 3,044 positive tests in the week prior. And since we may not know the potential transmission impact of reopening school for at least a month, Butt says it's best to avoid interacting with grandparents altogether until then. Bringing back socializing methods used early in the pandemic, like Facetiming or conversing from the front yard while grandma stays on the porch, could be temporary solutions. "That would be a better approach at this time because we're not really sure what will happen when all of the children return to school," he said. "So at least for the initial weeks or maybe months, I think it's better to hold off the (in-person) interactions." This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 10, 2020. LAKEWOOD, Ohio, Sept. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- First Mutual Holding Co. ("FMHC"), a member-owned holding company headquartered in Ohio, today announced that Martinsville First Savings Bank ("Martinsville First") of Martinsville, Virginia, agreed to affiliate with FMHC, pending approval of regulatory agencies and of voting members of Martinsville First. The affiliation with FMHC will enable Martinsville First to offer its customers a wider range of financial products and services, including small business loans, mobile banking, and an enhanced suite of residential and commercial lending options. Situated between Roanoke, VA, and Greensboro-High Point (NC), Martinsville First intends to leverage FMHC's scale into expansion opportunities. In addition, Martinsville First will benefit from FMHC's technology, operational, and financial expertise. "We believe strongly in the independent-banking model and in the vital role strong mutual banks play in helping their communities thrive by keeping deposit dollars local, promoting economic development, and supporting local families and organizations," said Thomas J. Fraser, president and CEO of FMHC. "Martinsville First is a perfect fit for FMHC's independent-banking model, where we assist community banks to serve local customers and markets, and enhance prospects for balance sheet growth and increased profitability." "This strategic partnership will expand our resources to better serve the individuals and businesses in our market area," said Roger P. Hornsby, president & CEO of Martinsville First. "This affiliation provides a way to ensure we continue to prosper, while preserving our mutual form of ownership, including retaining our local Board of Directors, management team and employees. We are committed to continue supporting our vibrant local community in Martinsville and Henry County, Virginia as we have done for almost 100 years." The transaction is expected to close during the first quarter of 2021. ProBank Austin served as a financial advisor to FMHC in this transaction, and Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease LLP served as legal advisor to FMHC. Luse Gorman, PC served as legal advisor to Martinsville First. About First Mutual Holding Co. First Mutual Holding Co. (FMHC) is a member-owned holding company headquartered in Ohio. FMHC provides a structure that allows independent affiliate banks to continue to serve their communities and grow as member-owned institutions. Affiliates of FMHC include First Federal Lakewood (Lakewood, OH), First Mutual Bank FSB, (Belpre, OH), Blue Grass Federal Savings and Loan (Paris, KY), and Warsaw Federal Savings and Loan (Cincinnati, OH). firstmutualholding.com About Martinsville First Martinsville First Savings Bank is an independent mutual bank based in Martinsville, Virginia with approximately $40 million in assets. Martinsville First has provided banking products and services to Martinsville and Henry County and the surrounding communities since 1924. martinsvillefirst.com SOURCE First Mutual Holding Co. Will kids across Niagara be allowed to go trick-or-treating amid a pandemic? Thats something still to be determined, said Dr. Mustafa Hirji, Niagaras medical officer of health. He said the province is looking at upcoming holidays and is going to be coming out with some guidelines on how big events such as Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas should be celebrated this year. Definitely Halloween is not going to be the usual kind of Halloween we have, said Hirji. I think the Halloween parties that typically occur, shouldnt occur. Whether something like trick-or-treating happens I think is still something to be determined. I think you could plausibly see ways where it could be done relatively safely, where you have people spaced out and you minimize interaction at the door. Hirji said he will wait to see what the provincial guidance says before making any decisions around Halloween. He's hopeful municipalities across the province will be aligned to do something similar, rather than having a patchwork of different practices in every jurisdiction. Niagara Falls Mayor Jim Diodati said hes received messages from people asking what the plan is for Halloween, so hes going to send a letter to Hirji and Ontarios chief medical officer of health, Dr. David Williams, seeking advice. Im going to encourage them both to have the discussion sooner rather than later and create a think tank so they can get input from lots of people to come up with a good plan, he said. I dont know what the best practice would be at this point. Its easy to cancel, but we just need to make sure thats the best decision. Its definitely the easiest, I dont know if its the best. We dont want to wait until the week before (to make a decision) when people have already bought their costumes and candy and then give them the news. Toronto Mayor John Tory told CP24 he wont hesitate to push for the cancellation of Halloween if health officials deem it too risky. British Columbias top health officer, Dr. Bonnie Henry, told media she thinks Halloween can be rescued in her province, and that she will provide more guidance closer to Oct. 31. In the United States, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health on Wednesday discouraged traditional festivities such as trick-or-treating and recommended socially distant alternatives. St. Catharines Mayor Walter Sendzik said most of the focus right now for public-health officials and parents is to make sure kids are safely going back to school. He said its too soon to decide what Halloween will look like in Niagara. Give it a couple weeks and see what the return to school has been like. I think its important that we look at the numbers, focus on making sure that everything is safe for the kids. Sendzik said St. Catharines has many neighbourhood associations and he wouldnt be surprised if theyre looking at ways to engage kids in a safe way for Halloween. He said its possible they may take over a park and host some sort of Halloween experience, rather than the typical door-to-door trick-or-treating. Welland Mayor Frank Campion said he wants to hear more from public-health experts, adding the issue has come up at recent local and regional emergency management meetings. Public health is working on a plan or a statement, trying to create a consistent message across the region, he said. Were waiting to hear from the province at the same time. Id prefer a consistent message across the region. - with files from Karena Walter New porcelain zebra crossing on Via Giulia designed to avoid continuous maintenance. Villa Giulia, one of the most beautiful streets in Rome's historic centre, will soon have a 'permanent' pedestrian crossing with white porcelain stripes nestled among the sampietrini cobblestones. The idea behind the experimental initiative is to avoid a scenario in which the paint used in zebra crossings eventually loses its colour and has to be repainted, and not always promptly, endangering the life of pedestrians. The first indelible zebra crossing is being installed in front of the Virgilio school, reports La Repubblica, which pointed out that another such crossing was installed in the central Monti district a number of years ago but remained the only one due to the high costs involved. Installing new pedestrian crossing on Via Giulia. Photo La Repubblica. The ceramic crossings are produced by a company in Anagni, located about an hour south-east of Rome, and is exported throughout Europe, according to La Repubblica. An interesting feature of the porcelain is that the material used in its creation is Grestone, a new ceramic stone that includes up to 30 per cent of recyled waste. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Ni Nyoman Wira (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, September 11, 2020 15:18 497 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c4446e8b 1 News nicholas-saputra,ecotourism,environment,nature,Tangkahan,Semesta Free Nicholas Nico Saputra is among the Indonesian actors who are outspoken about environmental issues and are involved in conservation activities. His fondness for nature grew after traveling took him to numerous places. I have seen natures pristine beauty and at the same time, its vulnerability or something that I have to preserve, Nico said during an Instagram Live session with The Jakarta Post on Wednesday. In 2019, he established Terrario Tangkahan villa near Mount Leuser National Park in North Sumatra. Nestled amid a tranquil, lush jungle, the villa is around three hours away from Kualanamu International Airport and only 100 meters away by foot from an elephant conservation area, according to tempo.co. The villa is said to avoid the use of air conditioners, and guests will still feel comfortable during their stay due to its construction that allows adequate air circulation. Known as a place that supports ecotourism, Tangkahan offers a wide array of activities for travelers, including jungle trekking and elephant riding. Nico's first encounter with Tangkahan was in 2005. He admired its residents commitment to maintaining ecotourism activities. I wanted to get involved in helping them, not only in ecotourism but also conservation, he said. The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the activities badly, with the area closing for two months, while residents must rely heavily on ecotourism. In April, Nico started an online fundraising on crowdfunding platform Kitabisa for the local community, orphans, mahouts and rangers around the area. It collected Rp 369.75 million (US$24,777.49) out of a target of Rp 750,000,000. The funds were then donated to the International Leuser Foundation, which has collaborated with the community for the areas conservation activity. Tangkahan has gradually welcomed visitors from nearby cities or regions under health protocols. Nico acknowledged that its tempting to make unknown destinations popular and to gain financial benefits to maintain ecotourism. However, a number of communities, including in Tangkahan, realize that it wont solve the problem, Nico said. He also conceded that it would be impossible to ban tourists from taking photos of lesser-known locations and sharing them on social media. He shared that each party in the destination must take responsibility, including visitors, stakeholders and the local communities. The public can be responsible travelers by maintaining their waste and supporting efforts that are committed to conservation and sustainability. Nico believes that ecotourism should be available for everyone regardless of their financial status. Ecotourism can be enjoyed by anybody as it focuses on the quality of its nature. As long as it is preserved, anyone can enjoy it, Nico said. Its not about facility or accessibility, but its more about appreciation and learning among nature. I think it shouldnt be for particular circles only. Along with being one of the most popular actors in the country, Nico is also a producer at Tanakhir Films. His latest documentary, Semes7a (Universe), is available on streaming platform Netflix after it was shown in a limited number of theaters earlier this year. Semes7a shines a light on seven people from various provinces across Indonesia Aceh, West Kalimantan, Yogyakarta, Bali, East Nusa Tenggara, Papua and Jakarta as they attempt to reduce the effects of global warming based on their respective religions, faiths and cultures. Documentaries arent a type of film we often watch in the movie theater. At the time, we thought we needed to work extra hard to promote the film so people could watch these conservation-related stories. We wanted to make it inclusive, Nico said. He appreciated moviegoers' feedbacks about the documentary and who believed the story was relevant to the current environmental crisis. They feel its the right time to reflect upon themselves and see the nature as a unity, Nico said. (wng) MOSCOW, Sept 11 (Reuters) - Megafon, Russia's second biggest mobile phone operator, has reached an out-of-court settlement with U.S. firm Hewlett Packard Enterprise Co over system failures in its IT network, the firm told Reuters on Friday. The dispute was settled in July and the lawsuit terminated, a Megafon representative said, but refused to disclose further details. Hewlett Packard confirmed the settlement. Megafon filed a lawsuit in California in 2018, seeking seven times what it paid for IT services in damages after system failures caused network outages in 2016 and 2017. The mobile operator paid around $28 million for Hewlett Packard's services. Hewlett Packard at the time rejected the charges and promised to defend itself "strongly". (Reporting by Nadezhda Tsydenova; writing by Alexander Marrow; editing by Katya Golubkova and Jason Neely) San Francisco Mayor London Breed speaks during a news conference at the future site of a Transitional Age Youth Navigation Center in San Francisco, California, on Jan. 15, 2020. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) San Francisco to Allow Hair Salons, Other Businesses to Reopen After Pelosi Visit GoFundMe for salon owner reaches $336,000 City officials in San Francisco will now allow hair salons and certain other businesses to reopen in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, coming days after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) visited one, sparking a nationwide outcry. San Francisco Mayor London Breed announced the second phase of the citys reopening during the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus outbreak would allow the business to resume at hair salons, massage services, nail salons, and barbershops starting Sept. 14, which is Monday. These businesses have been struggling, and starting Monday, theyll finally be able to serve customers again, with the necessary safety precautions and modifications in place, Breed said in a press release. Her office said it is earlier than the city previously announced. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) speaks about stalled congressional talks with the Trump administration on the latest pandemic relief during her weekly news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, on Aug. 13, 2020. (Sarah Silbiger/Reuters) Im so glad we can move forward earlier than expected to reopen more businesses that have been closed since March. These businesses have been struggling, and starting Monday, theyll finally be able to serve customers again, with the necessary safety precautions and modifications in place, the mayor continued. Its on all of us to keep doing our part so that we can get more businesses reopened, get our kids back in school, and keep making progress on our economic recovery. Breed, a Democrat, urged locals to wear face coverings, keeping distance, and washing hands. Pelosi visited ESalonSF several weeks ago, and video footage of the incident was sent to news outlets. The longtime congresswoman was seen walking through the business with wet hair and not wearing a mask, while the stylist could be seen walking behind her with a black mask on. Salons in the city have been shut down since March. Pelosi responded to criticism about her visitwhich largely came from Republicanssaying that she was set up by the hair salon owner. I take responsibility for trusting the word of the neighborhood salon that I have been to many times, Pelosi told reporters last week. When they said they could accommodate people one at a time, and we can set up that time, I trusted that. San Francisco salon owner Erica Kious speaks in a Zoom news conference with reporters on Sept. 3, 2020. (Screenshot/Courtesy of Erica Kious) The salon owes me an apology for setting me up, Pelosi added. Erica Kious, the owner of the salon, asserted that Pelosis claims were false. There was no way I couldve set that up, Kious said. Ive had a camera system in there for five years. I mean, I didnt go in there and turn cameras on as soon as she walked in and set her up. So that is absolutely false. This week, Kious said that she is closing down her business after receiving a lot of negativity toward her business, according to an interview with Fox News. Im actually afraid to go back. Its a little scary and sad, she said. I do have a lot of positive calls and text messages from clients. But other than that, nothing but negativity. Meanwhile, a GoFundMe set up for Kious has raised more than $336,000. The Trenton City Council has issued Rice notices to several members of the citys law department for an issue that the mayor said amounts to a clerical error. Rice notices, sometimes called Rice letters, are formal notices that a New Jersey public employees employment will be discussed, and could result in discipline. On Tuesday, Trenton Mayor Reed Gusciora started hearing from law department employees who received them, wondering what was going on. The mayor said the City Council learned that the packets they receive before a meeting - which contain copies of the agenda, resolutions, ordinances and other information - inadvertently contained background information on city fire department recruits. The law department was vetting the recruits and accidentally put the information in the packets, Gusciora said. They did not contain sensitive information or social security numbers, but driver license information and other public information, he said. It was a minor mistake, likely a copier faux paux, he said. The matter could have been handled so much better, Gusciora said, without sending a Rice notice to basically every employee, scaring many. This is an outrageous and reckless act by certain Council Members to harass staff and cause disharmony at City Hall. They should be ashamed of themselves! The mayor did not call out specific council members. But Gusciora, who has been at odds with certain council members nearly since his election in 2018, took this swipe: Instead of promoting actual economic development and public safety in the City, Council has focused on harassing City workers with McCarthy era tactics. Its unclear how many Rice notices were sent, but its over a dozen. Also given a Rice notice was City Fire Director Derrick Sawyer, Gusciora said. The Trentonian reported that the Council voted to issue the notices during an executive session Sept. 3, which goes against state law, and after one council member unsuccessfully tried to exclude the citys lawyer, John Morrelli, from the session. Morrelli, the Trentonian reported, told the council it was making much to do about nothing. It was a clerical error by an employee in the law department, Morrelli told the Trentonian. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Kevin Shea may be reached at kshea@njadvancemedia.com. The new centre will work with the Ministry of Healths Unit for Prehospital Emergency Care, the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) Emergency care covers a range of services that span the care provided by laypersons at the scene, pre-hospital care by SCDFs Emergency Medical Services, to the medical care provided in a dedicated trauma facility between these stages lie the transportation systems, health centres and first-level hospitals that respond to the emergency. Patients survival depends on how well each component functions. Singapores first-of-its-kind Prehospital Emergency and Research Centre (PERC) was officially launched at Duke-NUS Medical School on Wednesday, 9 September 2020. Established through a collaboration of the SingHealth Duke-NUS Academic Medical Centre, PERC marshals top experts in the field to elevate Singapores prehospital emergency care system through the integration of pre-hospital, in-hospital, and community care with robust research techniques and real-world clinical data. PERC will work with the Ministry of Healths Unit for Prehospital Emergency Care, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and SCDF to elevate the nations prehospital emergency care system to ensure the best possible patient outcomes. Emergency care covers a range of services, from the care provided by laypersons at the scene to that provided in a dedicated emergency facility, said Professor Marcus Ong, Director of DukeNUS Health Services and Systems Research Programme, which hosts the Centre. Between these two stages lie what we call the chain of survival patient survival depends on how well each component functions. With a multi-disciplinary perspective from various fields such as medicine, paramedicine, public health, statistics, epidemiology, computer science, artificial intelligence, health economics, social sciences, psychology, industrial engineering, and global health, PERC will also be a unique academic centre that serves as a national and regional resource on the field of prehospital emergency care and research. The launch event convened experts from the University of Michigan, MHA, SCDF, and the National University Health System (NUHS), who presented their research and strategies on improving prehospital and emergency care in Singapore and beyond. The roster of speakers included Professor Robert Neumar, from the University of Michigan (presenting on How to Develop a World-class Prehospital and Emergency Research Program), Professor Scott Compton, Associate Dean, Duke-NUS, (presenting on PERC: to Fulfil an Unmet Need in Singapore), and Professor Marcus Ong, Director, Health Services and Systems Research Programme, Duke-NUS (presenting on Future Plans for PERC). Professor Ong, who also serves as PERCs Director said, PERC will be focused on advancing research in Prehospital and Emergency fields, and improving Singapores prehospital emergency care system for the betterment of the professionals in this field and the patients they serve. We remain under stay-at-home orders and a curfew is still in place after dark. We cannot yet see a time when people can return to the places that breathe life into this city the shops and restaurants and cafes and bars and theatres and galleries and libraries and the great, towering stands of the MCG. Starting today, The Age will publish a series of stories in which prominent Melburnians leading figures in business, education, the unions, the arts and the community offer constructive ideas about the way forward. We start with Sir Rod, a big-thinking, former aviation executive and company chairman whose ideas have reshaped contemporary Melbourne. Sir Rod says Victoria succeeds when people and organisations with competing interests agree to work together. When he returned to Melbourne in 2005 after 30 years spent running British Airways and other international airlines, he was asked to chair what was then known as the Victorian Major Events Company. Although former premier Jeff Kennett is credited with overseeing Melbournes major events boom, it was his Labor predecessor, Joan Kirner, in unlikely partnership with the Liberal Partys Ron Walker, who established the company and gave it a mission. "We built a reputation as the worlds most liveable city and the events and sporting capital of the world," Sir Rod says. "It worked because the government, businesses, officials, we all worked together." The MCG lights up during a major sporting event. Credit:AP For reasons not clear to those outside Premier Daniel Andrewss close circle of confidantes and advisers, this collaborative approach seems lacking from Victorias pandemic response. If you speak to people in the business community, they will tell you there has been little evidence of that in the past six months, Sir Rod says. The $11 billion Metro Tunnel is a case study of what could happen in other industries if the government looked for ways to re-open more businesses instead of reasons to keep them shut. At the start of every shift, workers pass through what is colloquially known as a heat room, where their body temperature is checked for signs of infection. They fill out an online questionnaire about how they are feeling and where they have been since their last shift. If any workers are running hot, the information is immediately sent to the phone of a site manager. The early warning doesnt make the site COVID-proof but it mitigates the risk of an outbreak. Premier Daniel Andrews and Transport Minister Jacinta Allan inspect works on the Metro Tunnel just before the pandemic. Credit:Joe Armao As the chair of Infrastructure Partnerships Australia, Sir Rod has a strong interest in seeing major projects continue through the pandemic. He says it is notable that in Victorias first lockdown, work continued at Melbourne construction sites without causing major COVID-19 outbreaks. He is disappointed that when the Andrews government announced its second lockdown, it didnt seek to apply these proven methods more broadly across construction and potentially, other industries. Instead, some construction sites were closed and others reduced to a quarter the size of their normal workforce. Through good luck and good management, we got through the first lockdown very well and a lot of important parts of the economy and the community continued to operate, Sir Rod says. We then allowed the bug to get out of quarantine and into the community, tragically into aged care facilities, and our response to that was to ignore the lessons learned in the first lockdown. There is no sense there has been any meaningful reach-out to business men and women who have gone to great lengths to adjust their businesses so they can continue to operate in the COVID world. As a first step towards resetting the relationship between government, business and the community, Sir Rod suggests that Mr Andrews could admit the things his government got wrong. The thing about saying that openly, you create an environment where people can come to you. People understand the government had to make a lot of decisions on the fly. They didnt expect them to get them all right. If you think back to the first lockdown, they got a lot of things right. Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 1 anno fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili. The automotive brake fluid market 2020 is presumed to augment at a rapid pace. These fluids are used in the hydraulic clutch to increase the efficiency of vehicles. As per the report presented by Market Research Future (MRFR), the global automotive brake fluid market is supposed to augment at 5% CAGR across the prognosis period 2018 to 2023. These fluids are used to ensure smooth functioning of the brake system in automobiles. It has gained high importance as it ensures the safety of the vehicle, driver, passenger and pedestrians. Thus, the automotive brake fluid market is likely to gain traction over the next few years. In fact, research & development activities to increase the efficiency of the fluid is also carried on by automakers. It is also supposed to augment the automotive brake fluid market in the upcoming years. Governments are implementing laws regarding the safety standards to be met by auto dealers. These regulations are supposed to drive the growth of the automotive brake fluid market in the upcoming years. In addition, rising disposable income is assessed to boost demand for vehicles. This, again, is expected to catapult the automotive brake fluid market on upward trajectory. Customers are investing in the maintenance of vehicles to extend their lifespan. It is poised to favor the expansion of the automotive brake fluid market in the forthcoming years. However, these fluids absorb moisture due to their hydroscopic properties. This might check the growth of the global automotive brake fluid market in the near future. ALSO READ: https://www.openpr.com/news/2086527/automotive-brake-fluid-market-2020-global-profit-growth-covid Market Segmentation On the basis of fluid type, the automotive brake fluid market has been segmented into petroleum and non-petroleum. On the basis of product type, the automotive brake fluid market has been segmented into glycol-based, castor oil-based, and silicone-based. On the basis of vehicle type, automotive brake fluid market has been segmented into commercial vehicle, passenger car, and off-road vehicle. On the basis of sales channel, automotive brake fluid market has been divided into aftermarket and OEM. Regional Analysis The geographical evaluation of the global automotive brake fluid market is covered in this report for presenting a detailed insight. The regional segmentation of the market covers - North America, Asia-Pacific, Europe, and the Rest of the World (RoW). These regional segments are assessed on the basis of countries for a 360-degree view of the automotive brake fluid market. APAC is supposed to observe the highest rate of growth over the evaluation period. Increasing expansion rate of the automotive industry in the region can be accredited the growth of the automotive brake fluid market. Also, production of automobiles is observed to increase along with the development of the aftermarket. These factors can have a major positive impact on the growth of the regional market. Europe is also supposed to augment at a prominent pace due to rapid developments in the automotive industry. Competitive Dashboard Robert Bosch GmbH (Germany), Castrol (UK), The China National Petroleum Corporation (China), Exxon Mobil Corporation (U.S.), Royal Dutch Shell plc (the Netherlands), Fuchs Petrolub SE (Germany), China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation (China), Chevron Corporation (U.S.), Total S.A. (France), and Qingdao Copton Technology Company Limited (China) are few important participants of the automotive brake fluid market. Product innovation is the key component driving competition among the players. Some of the growth strategies observed in the market are collaborations, mergers & acquisitions, agreements, strategic alliances, and partnerships, among others. Increasing influx of players in the market is also supposed to influence market growth positively by intensifying competition. Global footprint expansion is being invested into by these players to sustain the curve, which is expected to catalyze growth rate of the automotive brake fluid market. FOR MORE DETAILS https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/automotive-brake-fluid-market-7574 Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-11 22:59:46|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Photo released by the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) on Sept. 11, 2020 shows a baby Siamese crocodile swimming in a natural lake in Koh Kong Province, Cambodia. The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) on Friday released pictures and a video clip showing critically endangered baby Siamese crocodiles swimming in a natural lake in Sre Ambel district of Southwest Cambodia's Koh Kong Province. The images were taken weeks ago by a patrol from WCS's Crocodile Nest Protection Team working in collaboration with the Fisheries Administration and Koh Kong Provincial Department of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries, said a WCS's press statement. "The team estimates 15 hatchlings, each around 30 centimeters long, are swimming in the lake," the statement said. The Siamese crocodile is listed as "Critically Endangered" on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. (WCS/Thorn Sophun/Handout via Xinhua) PHNOM PENH, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) on Friday released pictures and a video clip showing critically endangered baby Siamese crocodiles swimming in a natural lake in Sre Ambel district of Southwest Cambodia's Koh Kong Province. The images were taken weeks ago by a patrol from WCS's Crocodile Nest Protection Team working in collaboration with the Fisheries Administration and Koh Kong Provincial Department of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries, said a WCS's press statement. "The team estimates 15 hatchlings, each around 30 centimeters long, are swimming in the lake," the statement said. Due to low rainfall this year, the wetlands are unseasonably shallow, providing less shelter than in previous years. The Siamese crocodile is listed as "Critically Endangered" on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. Som Sitha, WCS technical advisor for the Sre Ambel Conservation Project, said once existed throughout Southeast Asia, today Siamese crocodiles are restricted to mainly Cambodia with perhaps 5,000 individuals remaining here. "Remnant populations also occur in Laos and Indonesia, and it almost goes extinct in Thailand and Vietnam," he told Xinhua. He said Siamese crocodiles face many threats including habitat loss and illegal hunting of adult crocodiles, and collecting of hatchlings and eggs to supply the crocodile farms in Cambodia, Vietnam, and Thailand. Sitha said the WCS employs a multi-pronged approach to save Siamese crocodiles from extinction and that crocodile nests are protected by former hunters hired to search for and safeguard them. Enditem The province has decided who will be eligible to get a COVID-19 antibody test through OHIP, laying out limited circumstances for its use beyond research. So if you are hoping to see if that cough you had back in February was actually caused by the coronovirus, youre out of luck unless you are willing to pay out of pocket. The antibody test, sometimes also known as a serology/blood test, can determine whether a person was infected in the past. It will be available and covered by the Ontario health plan for children with a rare inflammatory syndrome, hospitalized patients with suspected COVID weeks after symptoms appeared, and people with neurological disorders, who all keep testing negative for the active disease. There is an immediate clinical need to provide serology testing to a specific set of pediatric patients and in a limited set of persons with severe illness, with negative per tests, where serology would aid in clinical and public health action, said ministry spokesperson David Jensen in an email. This approach is based on the most up-to date evidence, he said, and may evolve over time as more information becomes available. The antibody blood tests are distinct from COVID-19 testing thats been widely available in Ontario since May. Polymerase chain reaction or PCR tests the nasal swab testing offered in hospitals, assessment clinics and pop-up centres picks up if a person has an active COVID-19 infection. An antibody test determines if a person has developed antibodies to the virus in their blood, an indication that they had it in the past. These kinds of test were central to the controversial idea of immunity passports, touted earlier in the pandemic as a way for people who have already had the disease to get back to work, school or travel. But a positive antibody test does not mean immunity, cautions Dr. Prabhat Jha, the director of global health research at St. Michaels Hospital in Toronto, who is leading a cross-country study looking at the prevalence of antibodies in the Canadian population and if they fade over time. The science is still emerging on this critical question. The antibody tests might help explain for example, lingering symptoms, and offer some peace of mind, for patients, said Jha. The bad news is they still just tell you that youve been exposed and nothing more, he said. Theyre far from being used in any way in immunity passports. Ontario will make antibody tests available to children suspected to have Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome, a condition that can sometimes show up after COVID infection, who have tested negative for COVID-19, Jensen said. The syndrome causes inflammation of different parts of the body and can impact the heart, lungs and brain. Symptoms can include a fever, gut pain, and rash. The testing will also be available for hospitalized patients with suspected COVID, at least three weeks after symptoms started and whove had two negative COVID tests, as well people with neurological illness compatible with COVID-19, including Guillain-Barre syndrome, a disorder where the bodys immune system attacks its nerves, who have also had two negative COVID tests. A doctors diagnosis will determine whether the test is done, Jensen said. Asked about the rationale for not making the tests more widely available, he said due to significant gaps in our understanding of the COVID-19 immune response, serology testing currently has very limited clinical value for individual patients. Although OHIP wont cover antibody tests for people who are simply curious to see if they had COVID-19 but didnt show symptoms, Jensen said people can request a test from their family doctor if they are willing to pay for it themselves. People can also access testing at private clinics such as Medcan. The executive health-care clinic has been offering Abbotts IgG Health Canada approved antibody test, a plan first revealed by the Star in June , to clients since the summer, said spokesperson Bronwen Evans. It costs almost $300. Results can help identify to individuals if they have been previously exposed to COVID-19, she said in an email. The clinic has put in place written and verbal steps to make sure clients dont misinterpret their results or assume they are immune to COVID-19, she added. There are currently seven antibody tests approved in Canada. There are several ongoing studies using them. Dr. Jhas team is also looking at ways to examine how T-cells, a kind of white blood cell, impact immunity. The good news is that the antibody tests have gotten a lot better then they were at the beginning of the pandemic, through technical improvements that make them more accurate, he said. But the science on immunity continues to evolve. There have now been a couple of reports of people who appear to have caught COVID-19 twice. In August, according to an article in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases, a 33-year-old Hong Kong man who had the virus in March was found to be positive again after he was screened at the airport returning from a holiday in Spain without any symptoms. Researchers compared the genetic sequences of the virus he had in spring versus the one he had in the summer and found differences indicating it was a different strain. Just a few days later, a report published online from the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine described the case of a Nevada man infected a second time with a different strain and worse symptoms. But in Seattle, three fisherman with antibodies in their blood did not catch the virus again despite an outbreak onboard their ship, according to a study posted online that has not yet been published in a peer-reviewed journal, considered the gold standard in research. A large Icelandic study found the antibodies from SARS-CoV-2 infection lasted at least four months, but it didnt look at re-infection risk. Jha called the results of the Icelandic study reassuring, and said people shouldnt draw too many conclusions from reports on individual cases. The bottom line is more research is needed. For now, were still a long way away from being able to say an antibody result tells you whether youve got any kind of immunity to re-infection, he said. Prepaid Financial Services has been tapped by the government of Jersey to provide every man, woman and child resident on the island their own debit card with 100 preloaded to spend in local shops. Jersey's government is injecting 10.5m (11.4m) in funds into households to stimulate retail spending in the virus-hit economy. The Jersey scheme, launched on Wednesday, aims to deliver 105,000 cards to all of its registered residents within the week. Those receiving the cards by Jersey Post include virtually all residents - even babies born as recently as August 31. Jersey estimates its 2019 population at 107,800. Its government website displays a banner advert advising its citizens to expect their cards soon and to activate them for use online. The cards form part of Jersey's 150m fiscal stimulus plan for the British crown dependency off the coast of France. They are labelled 'spend local cards' and are restricted for use, online or in person, in Jersey retail outlets. The Irish company said it was in talks with other national and municipal governments about supplying similar 'stimulus' cards. The firm said it put together the cards package for Jersey within four weeks. "We've enjoyed bringing a fresh-thinking fintech solution to life for families in the beautiful Island of Jersey," said Prepaid Financial's chief commercial officer, Lee Britton. "The government's island-centric, 'spend local' aspirations aligned perfectly with our payment solutions suite." The chief minister of Jersey, Senator John Le Fondre, said the cards would give its citizens "a positive way to support local businesses that have worked hard to adapt to the impact of Covid-19 and look after their customers in a safe way". "The pandemic caused businesses across all sectors in Jersey to suffer," he said. "And while the government has provided support through a range of measures, this scheme allows islanders the opportunity to go out and treat themselves by supporting local businesses." The cards must be used by the end of October. They can be used at any Jersey business that accepts payment by Mastercard. Prepaid Financial declined to specify the terms of its deal, other than that it will gain a slice of revenue from transactions, the usual model for credit and debt card services. The president of Mastercard in the UK and Ireland, Kelly Devine, said distribution of prepaid shopping cards "offers a real alternative to stimulus packages delivered through local tax or benefits systems, giving greater precision for the spending of the funds. Authorities can target where, when and exactly how much can be spent." Image: Amy Coopes/AFP Rio Tinto announced the resignation of its CEO and two top lieutenants Friday over the mining giant's destruction of a 46,000-year-old Aboriginal site to expand an iron ore mine in Australia. The Anglo-Australian firm faced a growing investor revolt over the destruction of the sacred site in the Juukan Gorge in Western Australia's remote Pilbara region -- one of the earliest known locations inhabited by Australia's indigenous people. Following a board investigation into the May 24 incident, Rio Tinto said CEO Jean-Sebastien Jacques was stepping down "by mutual agreement" along with the chief of the company's core iron ore division, Chris Salisbury, and corporate relations head Simone Niven. "What happened at Juukan was wrong and we are determined to ensure that the destruction of a heritage site of such exceptional archaeological and cultural significance never occurs again at a Rio Tinto operation," chairman Simon Thompson said in a statement. The cultural importance of Juukan Gorge was confirmed by an archaeological dig carried out at one of the caves -- known as rock shelters -- a year after Rio Tinto obtained approval to blast in the area. The dig uncovered the oldest known example of bone tools in Australia -- a sharpened kangaroo bone dating back 28,000 years -- and a plaited-hair belt that DNA testing linked to indigenous people still living in the area. An internal company review in August determined that "a series of decisions, actions and omissions over an extended period of time" preceded the choice to go ahead with the Juukan Gorge blasting despite concerns over the fate of the sacred Aboriginal site. In an initial response, the company stripped millions of dollars in bonuses from the three executives. But the firm's shareholders and corporate responsibility bodies derided the move as insufficient and called for heads to roll. 'Crucial first step' The National Native Title Council, which represents indigenous landowners, welcomed what it called the "dismissal" of the Rio Tinto executives, but said such staff changes were "only the crucial first step". "We hope this will send a strong message to the whole mining sector: you need to join the 21st Century and start taking your environmental, social and corporate governance seriously," said NNTC chief executive Jamie Lowe. Jacques, who has been CEO since 2016, will remain in his role until a successor can be found or until March 31, whichever is sooner, and the other two executives will leave the company on December 31. In announcing their departure, Thomspon said all three executives would be paid undisclosed "separation terms" in line with their contracts, raising the spectre of significant payouts which quickly rankled investors. "We will ... be looking closely at the separation arrangements, with the expectation that any exit won't provide a windfall," said Louise Davidson, CEO of the Australian Council of Superannuation Investors. The Australasian Centre for Corporate Responsibility (ACCR) for its part expressed concern at how long it took Rio Tinto to act. "There are in fact two disasters: The first involves the tragic destruction of Juukan Gorge in May; the second is the dishonest malaise of Rio Tinto's board and senior management in the months since," said ACCR legal counsel James Fitzgerald. 'Vast distance' Rio Tinto initially defended its blasting in the Juukan Gorge as authorised under a 2013 agreement with the state government. But protests by Aboriginal leaders, who said they had not been informed of the planned blasting until it was too late to prevent it, led the company to issue an apology. Australia's parliament has been conducting its own inquiry into the Juukan Gorge incident, and Western Australia's state government is reviewing the laws governing mining operations near indigenous heritage sites. Western Australia Treasurer Ben Wyatt, who is Aboriginal, said Rio Tinto, with dual headquarters in London and Melbourne, had allowed "a vast distance" to develop between its leadership and the Pilbara "where they make 75 percent of their earnings". "There's no one on that board with any real understanding of the Aboriginal groups who own the country on which they operate," Wyatt, who is also the state's aboriginal affairs minister, told public broadcaster ABC. "That, for me, screams risk, and it's something I am stunned hasn't been picked up over the years." An employee uses a Huawei P40 smartphone at the IFA consumer technology fair, in Berlin By David Kirton SHENZHEN, China (Reuters) - Huawei Technologies plans to introduce its Harmony operating system (OS), viewed as its replacement to Google's Android mobile operating system, on smartphones next year, as it seeks to overcome curbs placed on it by the U.S.. The company first unveiled its proprietary HarmonyOS last year which it has billed as a multi-device platform across watches, laptops and mobiles, rather than as a like-for-like challenger to Google's Android mobile OS. Analysts say it is the closest solution to a replacement that Huawei has, after its addition to the U.S. entity list in May last year, which barred Google from providing technical support for new Huawei phone models using Android, and from Google Mobile Services (GMS), the bundle of developer services upon which most Android apps are based. Huawei's consumer business group CEO Richard Yu and Wang Chenglu, president of Huawei's consumer business group's software department gave an update on Thursday to the company's annual developer conference in the southern Chinese city of Dongguan. "The milestone we're marking is that we're supporting Huawei devices from Harmony OS 2.0, but at the same time Harmony OS 2.0 may also be available to other vendors' devices," Wang said. "Harmony OS 2.0 will be available to all hardware manufacturers. Yu added that the company had also opened to developers a beta version for smart TVs, watches and car infotainment systems from Thursday, and plans to make it available for smartphones in December. U.S. PRESSURE Being cut off from Google's Android support led the company to experience a slump in overseas smartphone sales, although that was later offset by a surge in domestic demand. Its alternative to GMS is Huawei Mobile Services (HMS), which Yu said was now the world's third largest mobile app ecosystem. Zhang Pingan, president of Huawei's consumer cloud division, said overseas customers were accepting of HMS and sales of phones with HMS had "soared" since May. Yu said the company shipped 240 million smartphones last year, which gave it a second-place market ranking in 2019, but added that software shortages had hurt sales in recent months and shipments fell to 105 million units in the first-half. Story continues In August, the U.S. expanded earlier restrictions aimed at preventing Huawei from obtaining semiconductors without a special license. Analysts have said that Huawei's smartphone business would disappear entirely if it could not source chipsets. "The development of HarmonyOS and HMS is fascinating. Nevertheless, this development will need hardware to deliver to the consumers. Thus, the biggest challenge is still coming from the chips supply disruption," said Will Wong, an analyst with consultancy IDC. (Refiles to remove duplicate word in 6th graph) (Reporting by David Kirton in Shenzhen; writing by Brenda Goh; editing by Gerry Doyle and Elaine Hardcastle) Like many others, Sushant Singh Rajputs death came as a blow to actor Shashank Vyas, who didnt know Sushant, but felt connected to him as they had many similarities in life. Explaining Vyas says, I connected with Sushant on a personal level. He came from a small town like me, he switched from TV to Bollywood, and I will soon make my Bollywood debut, he lost his mother and so did I. So, it felt like the loss of someone close to me. While the whole country stands divided between #JusticeForSSR and #JusticeForRhea, the Balika Vadhu actor feels that all those who standing up for Rhea Chakraborty seem to be implying that she is good, if so, then was Sushant bad? He feels that they cant accuse others of taking sides when they are being biased themselves. All those people saying that you shouldnt speculate about the case, you shouldnt be judgemental arent you doing the same? After more than two months they have realised that Rhea is a good girl, if so, why didnt they speak up earlier? And if Rhea is good, then was Sushant bad? All those people calling it witch-hunt and saying that CBI will find out the truth, I guess they should also not be biased, they should have stated neutral because Sushant was also a part of their industry, he says. Shashank feels that there is an energy which brought all SSRs fans and others across the globe together and thats how the #JusticeForSSR campaign started. He also credits the loyal fans of the late actor for all the developments in the case. He rose to popularity from television. And people are emotionally attached to daily soap actors and his show Pavitra Rishta was quite popular. He never played the safe game as an actor and if you see he played different roles in all the nine films that he did. His loyal fans were keeping an eye on each and every video put out by the media post his death. People went to the extent that they would pause and zoom the videos to get a clear picture. So from social media, it went to the mainstream media, and became a rage. And not only in India, but overseas too, he says. When asked about his views on other celebs keeping mum on the controversy initially, he says, You cant compel anyone to talk about it. If I have an opinion about something, then I need to voice it out. Just because I am talking about something, doesnt mean others will follow suit. Its an individual choice. Also, it was not because someone said something on the case, but solely because of SSRs fans. Whatever development and investigation started, it was just because of them. I have been following this case since day one, and whatever I felt I have posted it on my Twitter or Instagram. But I cant expect others to do the same, that will be wrong of me. The CBI is still investigating the case and the Roop - Mard Ka Naya Swaroop actor feels that the truth will soon come out soon. CBI is working hard on the case and they are very professional in their approach. And of course, it is private and confidential. I guess what the audience is seeing is what the media wants to show. He also slammed the loud debates on news channels and repeatedly using words like drugs and murder. He feels that because of the current pandemic situation all the kids are stuck at home, and this will certainly not have a good impact on them. First, the parents taught their kids about social-distancing because of COVID-19, then the media mobbed Rhea. If I was a kid, I would have definitely questioned my parents that what went wrong with medias social-distancing. And those loud debates on TV, even on the lowest volume, you can hear their loud voices. Then they keep on using words like drugs, and murder etc. What kind of example are we setting for the next generation? These kids might think that its normal to shout. We all want justice, but the media should be responsible enough in presenting the news at least, he signs off SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Nearly 30 US states are reporting downward trends in Covid-19 cases, but the pandemic will likely worsen again, according to the country's leading infectious disease expert. "We need to hunker down and get through this fall and winter because it's not going to be easy," Dr. Anthony Fauci said Thursday. The warning isn't new: Experts -- including the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director -- have for long warned the months ahead will be challenging. It doesn't help that the US continues to see about 36,000 new cases each day -- which is better than where we were in August, but still too high, according to Fauci. "I keep looking at that curve and I get more depressed and more depressed about the fact that we never really get down to the baseline that I'd like," he said. There's a lot that could potentially help drive Covid-19 numbers up as the fall season arrives. Colleges nationwide have become hotspots for the virus weeks after reopening. And when students return back home -- which health officials have urged against -- they could transmit the disease to more communities. As the weather gets colder, the activities Americans enjoy will likely move indoors, where the virus can spread more easily. The pandemic will also soon be stacked on top of flu season, meaning doctors will have a harder time differentiating patients who may have Covid-19 from those who have been infected with the flu. The strains on the healthcare system will make for one of the "most difficult times that we experienced in American public health," CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield has said. Where we stand now There are now more than 6.3 million reported infections in the US since the start of the pandemic and at least 191,789 have died, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. And those are just the cases that have been recorded -- the actual number of infections could be far greater. Many may have had Covid-19 without knowing, as the CDC projects about 40% of people who are infected don't show any symptoms. Others could have been sick but never got the test they needed. A new study says the US greatly undercounted Covid-19 cases at the start of the pandemic -- missing 90% of them -- mostly due to a lack in testing. Across the US, 28 states are reporting downward trends in their cases -- including Florida and California -- compared to the previous week and 14 states are trekking steady. Experts worry a surge of cases could come weeks after the past weekend's Labor Day celebrations, similarly to how cases began accelerating after the Fourth of July holiday. "I don't think it'll take much to really bring us back up to 70,000 new cases a day," Dr. Peter Hotez, dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, previously told CNN. Dr. Deborah Birx, the White House coronavirus task force coordinator, urged people to get tested after the holiday weekend if they socialized closely to avoid further community spread. An ensemble forecast from the CDC now projects that between 205,000 and 217,000 people in the US will die by October 3. Here's what will help Things will begin turning around once a vaccine is widely available, Fauci says. But the approval for one is still likely months away, despite the President's claims that a vaccine could be available by Election Day. Dr. Scott Gottlieb, the former commissioner of the US Food and Drug Administration, told CBS earlier this week the likelihood a vaccine will be widely accessible this year is "extremely low." Health officials including Fauci have said the vaccine is likely to be available for use by late this year or early next year. In the meantime, the CDC has advised states to begin preparing to distribute the vaccine. But until the US has a vaccine, there are still ways to help curb the spread of the virus. Face coverings remain the most powerful tool to fight transmission. If 95% of Americans wore face masks, more than 120,000 lives could be saved by January 1, experts with the University of Washington's Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation project. According to one expert, the country's greatest error in the pandemic was not getting enough Americans to wear masks. "When you look at countries where the mortality is a fraction of what it is in the United States, the common theme from the very beginning of the pandemic was universal masking," Dr. Jonathan Reiner, CNN medical analyst and professor of medicine at George Washington University, said. Infected college students shouldn't be sent home Colleges across the country have made face masks a requirement hoping to keep Covid-19 cases down. But just weeks into the first semester, campuses from all 50 states have reported infections. The University of Texas at Austin announced this week they have three confirmed clusters on campus which collectively account for about 100 positive cases of the virus. San Diego State University confirmed nearly 400 infections among students earlier this week, several days after announcing a halt on in-person instruction. And more than 1,300 Arizona State University students have tested positive for the virus since August 1. Colleges and universities should try to isolate infected students instead of sending them home, Fauci has said. "You send them back to their community, you will in essence be reseeding with individuals who are capable of transmitting infection, many communities throughout the country," he said earlier this week. "So it's much, much better to have the capability to put them in a place where they could comfortably recover." CNN's Shelby Lin Erdman, Gisela Crespo, Kay Jones and Lauren Mascarenhas contributed to this report. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 (Newser) A bolo tie named for Eric Garner. "The Elijah" and "The Breonna," necklaces costing several hundred dollars in honor of Elijah McClain and Breonna Taylor. A $45 pair of earrings bearing Trayvon Martin's name. These are some of the items the Guardian lists as part of the "Wear Their Names" collection dedicated to Black victims of police brutality, originally featured at the Gibbes Museum of Art in Charleston, SC. You won't be able to buy any of those items anytime soon, though, as backlash against the line has resulted in the museum pulling it before it even launched. The collection's pieceswhich incorporate smashed glass from windows broken during a May 30 Black Lives Matter protest in Charlestonwere designed by the Shan Shui nonprofit, founded by local couple Paul Chelmis and Jing Wen. The pair had wanted to call attention to the BLM movement and planned on donating proceeds to a charity focused on racial issues, per the Post and Courier. story continues below But those plans were nixed after the museum heard from local activist Tamika Gadsden, who railed against the "mindless, ill-conceived" collection for making Black trauma and pain a commodity, per the Guardian. A more specific complaint: Each of the pieces of named jewelry is priced differently, "as if the name attached to the product determines the monetary value of each life," another activist says. In addition to the museum pulling the line, Shan Shui has shuttered its site, and Chelmis and Wen are offering an apology. "Though we only wanted to honor the victims' names and retell their story, we see now that using those names was inappropriate and in poor taste," they say, per the Complex. "Thank you for holding us accountable." Meanwhile, Gadsden says she's glad the story is getting widespread attention. "Justice is not jewelry. Especially not jewelry named after Black bodies," she tells Yahoo Life. (Read more jewelry stories.) President Donald Trump addresses supporters during a campaign rally at MBS International Airport in Freeland, Mich., on Sept. 10, 2020. (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images) Trump Speech at Rally Interrupted by We Love You Chant President Donald Trumps speech during a rally on Thursday in Freeland, Michigan, was interrupted by supporters who chanted, We love you, while Trump was at the podium. Trump could be seen taking a step back and collected himself. He attempted to make light of the moment, pretending to wipe away tears. Dont say that, Ill start to cry, President @realDonaldTrump says to the crowd in Michigan chanting WE LOVE YOU! pic.twitter.com/uLNOzYS2hp Team Trump (Text VOTE to 88022) (@TeamTrump) September 10, 2020 Dont say that, he said. Ill start to cry and that wouldnt be good for my image. We dont you dont want to see me cry. The president said that a similar chant broke out during a rally in North Carolina. Several thousand people attended the rally in Michigan. This is not the crowd of a person who comes in second place, Trump said. Tell your governor to open up your state! he demanded, referring to Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat, adding that the state would be better if it had a governor who knew what the hell she was doing. Trump is slated to visit Nevada over the weekend, despite airport authorities saying that a scheduled rally wont be held. A campaign spokesperson, Tim Murtagh, told news outlets: President Trump will be traveling to Nevada on the dates planned. Additional details will be announced soon Democrats are trying to keep President Trump from speaking to voters because they know the enthusiasm behind his re-election campaign cannot be matched by Joe Biden. Advertisement President Donald Trump paid tribute to those who died on September 11th and members of the military who lost their lives in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks while speaking at a memorial service in Shanksville on Friday. 'More than 7,000 Military Heroes have laid down their lives since 9/11 to preserve our freedom,' Trump said. 'No words can express the summit of their glory or the infinite depth of our gratitude. But we will strive every single day to repay our immeasurable debt and prove worthy of their supreme sacrifice.' He also remembered the 40 people who lost their lives on United Flight 93, when they brought down the plane in a field in Pennsylvania as al Qaeda hijackers were flying it toward Washington D.C. 'Our sacred task, our righteous duty, and our solemn pledge, is to carry forward the noble legacy of the brave souls who gave their lives for us 19 years ago,' he said. 'In their memory, we resolve to stand united as one American nation, to defend our freedoms - to uphold our values - to love our neighbors - to cherish our country - to care for our communities - to honor our heroes - and to never forget.' The president also offered words to unite country in its day of mourning. 'We were united by our conviction that America was the world's most exceptional country, blessed with the most incredible heroes, and that this was a land worth defending with our very last breath. It was a unity based on love for our families, care for our neighbors, loyalty to our fellow citizens, pride in our flag, gratitude for our police and first responders, faith in God - and a refusal to bend our will to the depraved forces of violence, intimidation, oppression and evil,' he added. The Trumps are in Shanksville to mark the 19th anniversary of the September 11th attacks. The two sat quietly during the memorial service as the name of each person who died was read aloud with a bell striking after each one. In route to the area which is an 18 minute flight to Washington D.C. the first couple held a moment of silence on Air Force One to mark the moment the first plane hit one of the Twin Towers on September 11. President Donald Trump paid tribute to those who died on September 11th and members of the military who lost their lives in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks when he spoke at a memorial service in Shanksville on Friday 'More than 7,000 Military Heroes have laid down their lives since 9/11 to preserve our freedom,' Trump said He added: 'No words can express the summit of their glory or the infinite depth of our gratitude. But we will strive every single day to repay our immeasurable debt and prove worthy of their supreme sacrifice' During his speech, Trump said: 'Our sacred task, our righteous duty, and our solemn pledge, is to carry forward the noble legacy of the brave souls who gave their lives for us 19 years ago'. Pictured: President Trump walks with Melania Trump after laying a wreath at a 19th anniversary observance of the Sept. 11 terror attacks, at the Flight 93 National Memorial 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 While the Trumps are in Pennsylvania, Democratic nominee Joe Biden and Jill Biden (pictured) spent the morning in New York City for the memorial ceremony at the National September 11 Memorial Plaza, the site where the twin towers of the World Trade Center fell The Trumps stood with staff in the conference room on the presidential plane at 8:46 a.m. when American Airlines Flight 11 hit the North Tower. Trump stood with his arms clasped. The first lady stood beside him. God bless America, White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows said when the moment of silence was concluded. God Bless America, the president repeated. The Trumps were in route to Shanksville, Pennsylvania to mark the 19th anniversary of the September 11th attacks. Neither spoke as they boarded Air Force One for the short flight. The president was dressed in a dark suit and tie while the first lady was in a black dress and sunglasses. Neither Trump wore face masks upon their departure from Joint Base Andrews. While the Trumps are in Pennsylvania, Democratic nominee Joe Biden and Jill Biden spent the morning in New York City for the memorial ceremony at the National September 11 Memorial Plaza, the site where the twin towers of the World Trade Center fell. The Bidens wore face masks for the event. Biden told reporters traveling with him it was a 'solemn day.' 'I'm not going to talk about anything other than 9/11. We took all our advertising down. It's a solemn day. That's how we're going to keep it,' he said. Trump said: 'In their memory, we resolve to stand united as one American nation, to defend our freedoms - to uphold our values - to love our neighbors - to cherish our country - to care for our communities - to honor our heroes - and to never forget' US President Donald Trump speaks at a ceremony commemorating the 19th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, in Shanksville U.S. President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump stand together during a ceremony at the Flight 93 National Memorial, remembering those killed when hijacked Flight 93 crashed into an open field on September 11, 2001 He also remembered the 40 people who lost their lives on United Flight 93, when they brought down the plane in a field in Pennsylvania as al Qaeda hijackers were flying it toward Washington D.C. President Donald Trump walks with first lady Melania Trump after laying a wreath at a 19th anniversary observance of the Sept. 11 terror attacks, at the Flight 93 National Memorial in Shanksville The Trumps are in Shanksville to mark the 19th anniversary of the September 11th attacks. The two sat quietly during the memorial service as the name of each person who died was read aloud with a bell striking after each one New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Jill Biden with her husband Democratic presidential candidate and former Vice President Joe Biden observe a moment of silence during a ceremony organized by the Tunnel to Towers Foundation From left, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Democratic presidential candidate and former Vice President Joe Biden, former New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg, and Vice President Mike Pence stand during the national anthem at the National September 11 Memorial and Museum, Friday, Sept. 11, 2020, in New York Vice President Mike Pence and second lady Karen Pence were also in New York for the ceremony there. Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg stood between the two couples during the ceremony, where bagpipes played and a bell rang at 8:46 am to mark the moment American Airlines Flight 11 struck the North Tower. The Bidens will travel to Shanksville in the afternoon to visit the Flight 93 National Memorial. The Trumps will be gone by then meaning the two presidential nominees will miss one another. But the president and first lady will stay for the ceremony. The Trumps marked 9/11 in Shanksville in 2018 and spent the 2017 and 2019 anniversaries at the Pentagon. The usual 90 minute ceremony in Shanksville will be reduced to a to a 20 minute 'Moment of Remembrance,' the National Park Service said. The park service arranges the memorial and cares for the area. President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump held a moment of silence on Air Force One Friday to mark the moment the first plane hit one of the Twin Towers on September 11 The president and first lady will stay for the ceremony. The Trumps marked 9/11 in Shanksville in 2018 and spent the 2017 and 2019 anniversaries at the Pentagon The usual 90 minute ceremony in Shanksville will be reduced to a to a 20 minute 'Moment of Remembrance,' the National Park Service said. The park service arranges the memorial and cares for the area 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 Neither Trump wore face masks upon their departure from Joint Base Andrews A National Park Service ranger rehearses the wreath laying ceremony that President Donald Trump will participate in during a memorial service at the Wall of Names at the Flight 93 National Memorial in Shanksville on Friday 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 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. 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. The Greens held a press conference on the subject of social justice on Friday morning, arguing for a more thought-through taxation system, better housing structures, and fairer climate policy. The presidents of the Green Party, Djuna Bernard and Meris Sehovic, presented a six-point plan to the press on Friday morning outlining the future path they would like Luxembourg to take. On the subject of taxation, the Green Party calls for reworking inheritance and wealth tax, which in their view are totally disproportionate, but is aware of the fact that adjusting the system will require time and patience. The party also calls for better climate policy to ensure a fair generational transition. The Greens want to kick-start this policy by introducing a CO2 tax in 2021, but did not go into details. In the transition process, the aim is to include all members of society by especially supporting lower-income families with higher subsidies for a clean transition in transport or living costs. An important component of the climate policy is to preserve natural resources for future generations by preventing the extinction of species in Luxembourg in the coming years, boost the resilience of forests, and review waste legislation. The presidents said that one can feel the problematic nature of many short-term policies. For example, the current heavy investments into Luxembourg's mobility will finally drag the country out of its own ancient problem, something completed and dealt with too late. To prevent this from reoccurring, investments must continue ahead of time. The most vulnerable of society must be protected, including many young men and women who are victims of violence. The laws on paedophilia and rape must be extended. On the subject of young people, there must be a clear separation between criminal behaviour and juvenile protection. The greatest factor for inequality, however, remains the housing market. Quick intervention at the beginning of the pandemic would have been effective, for instance by increasing rent subsidy or by suspending evictions. Furthermore, the land tax must be reformed to combat land speculation, presidents Bernard and Sehovic said. Didier Weber / RTL Tele Letzebuerg Didier Weber / RTL Tele Letzebuerg Didier Weber / RTL Tele Letzebuerg Didier Weber / RTL Tele Letzebuerg The photos published on this site are subject to copyright and may not be copied, modified, or sold without the prior permission of the owner of the site in question. PDF: Press communication of the Green Party Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Joe Jackson (Agence France-Presse) London Fri, September 11, 2020 09:36 497 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c4431757 2 Entertainment Diana-Rigg,obituary,actress Free Stars of stage and screen on Thursday paid tribute to Diana Rigg, the award-winning British actress who shot to fame in the 1960s television series "The Avengers" and won new fans in "Game of Thrones", after her death aged 82. Rigg, who won Emmy, Tony and Bafta awards during her lengthy career on both sides of the Atlantic, passed away six months after being diagnosed with cancer. Simon Beresford, her agent, said in a statement that she had died "peacefully" early on Thursday morning at home with her family, who had asked for privacy. "Dame Diana was a much loved and admired member of her profession, a force of nature who loved her work and her fellow actors," he added. "She will be greatly missed." Rigg's daughter, the actress Rachael Stirling, said her mother had "spent her last months joyfully reflecting on her extraordinary life, full of love, laughter and a deep pride in her profession". "I will miss her beyond words," she added. Rigg worked at the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) after classical training at Britain's prestigious Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA). But it was as the cat-suited Emma Peel to Patrick Macnee's bowler-hatted John Steed in the swashbuckling television spy series "The Avengers" that she became household name. Some saw the high-kicking action role as a symbol of women's new-found power at the height of the Swinging Sixties, winning her an international profile and a legion of admirers. For Rigg it was a catapult to success, as she went on to become one of Britain's leading character actresses, many of them displaying the same intelligence and steel as Mrs Peel. "Diana Rigg's combination of force of personality, beauty, courage and sheer emotional power, made her a great classical actress -- one of an astonishing generation of British stage performers," said theater and opera director Jonathan Kent. "Her dazzling wit and that inimitable voice made her an unforgettable leading figure in British theater." Read also: How Disney should handle Black Panther 2 after Chadwick Boseman's death 'A smile for everyone' In an early role, she famously played James Bond's wife, Tracy, in the 1969 film starring George Lazenby, "On Her Majesty's Secret Service". Bond franchise producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli praised Rigg's performance as the one woman who got the fictional superspy to the altar. "The legendary stage and screen actress... was much beloved by Bond fans for her memorable performance as Tracy di Vicenzo in 'On Her Majesty's Secret Service', the only woman to have married James Bond," they said. In the later stages of her career, Rigg won legions of younger fans and critical praise for her part as Olenna Tyrell in the hugely popular "Game of Thrones" series. Other film roles included the 1994 comedy-drama "A Good Man in Africa", adapted from a William Boyd novel, and the 2017 biographical drama "Breathe", directed by Andy Serkis. "For half her life Diana was the most beautiful woman in the room, but she was what used to be called a Trouper," said playwright and screenwriter Tom Stoppard, who called her talent "luminous". "She went to work with her sleeves rolled up and a smile for everyone," he added. 'Dazzling' Rigg will, though, be best remembered as one of Britain's theater greats. She won the 1994 best actress Tony Award after playing the title role in the Greek tragedy "Medea" in both London and New York, and also claimed a best supporting actress Emmy for the 1997 miniseries "Rebecca". Fellow veteran playwright David Hare said she had "a dazzling change of direction in middle age as a great classical actor". "She swept all before her," he added of several of her most prominent performances. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson meets with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on day three of the G7 Summit on August 26, 2019 in Biarritz, France. LONDON The U.K. and Japan on Friday agreed in principle to a trade deal, in a move that sees the U.K. strike its first major agreement post-Brexit. The announcement, which the U.K. hailed as a "historic moment," comes as Britain struggles to secure an agreement with its closest trading partners in the European Union. Britain's trade department said U.K. businesses would benefit from tariff-free trade on 99% of exports to Japan. It also suggested the deal would see the country increase trade with Japan by 15.2 billion ($19.5 billion). The deal will include digital and data provisions that go "far beyond" the EU-Japan deal, Britain claimed, enabling the "free flow of data whilst maintaining high standards of protection for personal data." The tentative agreement, which will require the approval of both the U.K. and Japanese parliaments, is scheduled to come into the force at the end of the year. "This is a historic moment for the UK and Japan as our first major post-Brexit trade deal," Liz Truss, U.K. international trade secretary, said in a statement. "Strategically, the deal is an important step towards joining the Trans-Pacific Partnership and placing Britain at the centre of a network of modern free trade agreements with like-minded friends and allies," Truss said. Sterling traded at $1.2817 during lunchtime deals, around 0.1% higher for the session. Negotiations between the U.K. and Japan started on June 9. Since then, Britain said more than 100 negotiators had met via remote means or in-person to negotiate the deal. Late last month, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe abruptly announced his intention to step down, citing health reasons. The 65-year-old said he would fulfill his duties as prime minister until the next leader is appointed. Washington, D.C.--(Newsfile Corp. - September 11, 2020) - The Securities and Exchange Commission today released the agenda for the September 16, 2020, meeting of the Asset Management Advisory Committee (AMAC). AMAC was formed to provide the Commission with diverse perspectives on asset management and related advice and recommendations. The meeting will include a discussion of matters in the asset management industry relating to (1) the ESG and Private Investments Subcommittees; and (2) improving diversity and inclusion. It will also include a follow-up discussion on COVID-19 matters relating to AMAC's meeting of May 27, 2020. The meeting will be held by remote means and is open to the public. The meeting will be webcast live on SEC.gov, and will be archived on the website for later viewing. Members of the public who wish to provide their views on the matters to be considered by AMAC may submit comments either electronically or on paper, as described below. Please submit comments using one method only. At this time, electronic submissions are preferred. Information that is submitted will become part of the public record of the meeting. All submissions should refer to File Number 265-33, and the file number should be included on the subject line if e-mail is used. Electronic submissions: Use the SEC's Internet submission form or send an e-mail to rule-comments@sec.gov. Paper submissions: Send paper submissions in triplicate to Secretary, Securities and Exchange Commission, 100 F Street NE, Washington, D.C. 20549-1090. * * * Asset Management Advisory Committee - Agenda for September 16, 2020, Meeting In her opening remarks, NA Chairwoman Ngan highlighted the huge workload of the meeting, expressing her hope that following the success of the 41st General Assembly of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA-41), the session will come to fruition. The legislators then heard a report on the outcome of AIPA-41 presented by head of the NA Committee for External Relations Nguyen Van Giau. Giau said AIPA-41 completed its agenda during three days of working from September 8-10, with a total of 26 resolutions and a joint statement adopted. At the end of the meeting, the Legislative Council of Brunei officially took over the AIPA presidency from Vietnam's NA. General view of the meeting. (Photo: NDO/Duy Linh) Giau said the success of AIPA-41 has contributed to raising the position and prestige of the Vietnamese legislature and the country in general in the international arena. Delegates to AIPA-41 appreciated Vietnams thorough preparations for the meeting, he said, adding that the agenda matches the latest situation, especially solutions to COVID-19 response and post-pandemic economic recovery and the significance of consolidating regional peace, security and cooperation. Many delegations said security and safety in the East Sea/ South China Sea should be based on international law, particularly the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), soon reaching a Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC). This was the first time the AIPA General Assembly had been held online, demonstrating the resolve and efforts of the Vietnamese NA as well as other AIPA member parliaments to overcome difficulties and consolidate their solidarity and cooperation, Giau said. Insiders are expecting the Kardashians family to have a big streaming deal within a year, as per a source. The Kardashians might sign a deal soon with Netflix, Apple or Amazon. After reality TV star Kim Kardashian announced Keeping up with the Kardashians to end in 2021, insiders are expecting the Kardashians family to have a big streaming deal within a year, as per a source. According to Page Six, a source close to the family said theyre even mulling starting their own media company. The family ditched E! this week after 20 seasons of Keeping Up with the Kardashians, in part because the network couldnt keep up with their ever-increasing salary demands. Now, Page Six has been told that the Kardashians are interested in signing a more lucrative streaming deal with one of the online giants such as Netflix, Apple or Amazon. E! had paid the family USD150 million the last time they renewed their contract in 2017, but with fellow TV titans such as Ryan Murphy and J.J. Abrams signing streaming deals worth a reported USD 300 million, they could find much bigger paydays online. Also read: Akshay Kumar teaches Bear Grylls Hindi in Instagram Live Also read: Bombay HC adjourns Kangana Ranauts plea against office demolition untill Sept 22 A source said, Theres more money in streaming. And its global. One insider said the family is interested in shifting away from their reality roots to work on a show similar to Shark Tank, by trading off their newfound reputations as entrepreneurs. As reported by Page Six, an insider revealed that after 13 years on the air, the family really is ready to take a break from the cameras. An insider said, Theyre open to all opportunities. But they are taking some time off. As per Page Six, the source who said theyre considering starting their own media company wouldnt offer further details about what that might look like but said it wouldnt be a streaming platform to compete with others. It is clear that the family is using its exit from network TV as an opportunity to seriously overhaul its media strategy. Also read: Paresh Rawal elected as chairman of National School of Drama YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 11, ARMENPRESS. The session of the ruling My Step faction of the Armenian Parliament has kicked off. Before the beginning of the session faction MP Artur Hovhannisyan told reporters that they will discuss issues relating to the Parliaments four-day sittings, as well as some domestic political issues. Like every week, we gathered before the four-day sittings to discuss our approaches over the issues on the agenda. We will also discuss various domestic political issues, he said. Asked whether they will also discuss the decision of MP Arsen Julfalakyan on stepping down, the MP said yes. Artur Hovhannisyan said the session will be attended only by the faction members. Reporting by Norayr Shoghikyan; Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan Any short-term benefit that Instagram would see from a potential TikTok ban is "greatly outweighed by the risks of a fragmented internet," Instagram head Adam Mosseri said Friday. "If we move to a place where countries start to silo internet within them, and we can't operate in that way, I think that it's much more problematic than any short-term benefit," Mosseri told CNBC's "Squawk Box." "If it benefits us in the short term, in terms of slowing down a competitor, the precedent it sets for us is much, much worse for us as a business in the long term." President Trump issued an executive order in early August that would ban TikTok in the U.S. unless it could find a U.S.-based company to buy its business in the U.S. TikTok is owned by the Chinese company ByteDance, spurring concerns that the Chinese government could have access to personal data from U.S. users. TikTok has consistently denied that it has given or would give that data to China. TikTok was on the cusp of announcing a deal to sell its businesses in the U.S., Australia and New Zealand to either Oracle or a joint bid from Microsoft and Walmart, CNBC previously reported. But the potential deal has been stalled following a Chinese order that would require a government license to export artificial intelligence technology. TikTok has until Sept. 20 to make a deal or face the ban. Trump said on Thursday that the deadline still stands. Instagram last month launched Reels, its in-app short-form video feature, in an effort to compete with the rapidly growing TikTok, as TikTok grappled with the potential ban in the U.S. Reels could emerge as a TikTok replacement, since the apps are similar in design and user experience. Mosseri said that the company is seeing rapid user growth in India, which banned TikTok in June. But Mosseri stressed that the inconsistent policies across various countries would cause more harm than good. China has already banned a bulk of U.S. social media apps, including Facebook and Instagram. The U.S. now could ban TikTok and WeChat, causing a split in the internet. "I'm actually not enjoying this at all, although some people think it's going to be very good for us. I actually think it's going to be very bad for us over the next maybe five or 10 years," Mosseri said. Subscribe to CNBC on YouTube. Advertisement Voters and Tory MPs last night urged Boris Johnson to rescue Christmas by exempting children from his 'rule of six'. A Daily Mail poll showed more than four in ten support a U-turn on the policy, letting grandparents see their families over the festive season. Tory backbenchers savaged the 'grotesque' restriction which, from Monday, bans groups of seven or more in a bid to halt a second wave of coronavirus. In Scotland and Wales such gatherings are also outlawed but children under 12 are exempt. Graham Brady, chairman of the 1922 committee of Tory backbenchers, called on Mr Johnson to follow suit. Tim Loughton, a former children's minister, said the rule was unsustainable. Downing Street is refusing to back down, even though young children are much less likely to catch or spread Covid-19. Officials said an age threshold would make enforcement too difficult for police officers. The Mail revealed yesterday that the rule was introduced following a row in Cabinet. On Thursday Scottish first minister Nicola Sturgeon said under-12s would be freed from her version of the rule of six north of the border. The row intensified yesterday when Mark Drakeford, first minister of Wales, said he would do the same. A new Daily Mail poll has shown that the public has lost faith Boris Johnson's government with only Rishi Sunak showing a positive approval rating Boris Johnson's approval rating is at -21, though he is still seen as more competent than Michael Gove, Priti Patel and Gavin WIlliamson. Health Secretary Matt Hancock has an approval rating of -20 Boris Johnson is determined to push through with his policy which will jeopardise Christmas celebrations in England He told BBC Breakfast: 'We decided it was not proportionate to include young children who are not vulnerable to coronavirus, or to spreading it in the way that adults are, so therefore we are not including them.' But Downing Street said: 'We looked at all of the evidence in advance of the decision that was reached on Wednesday and it was decided to proceed with a rule of six that applies to all ages. 'What we have done is ensure that the rules have been simplified and strengthened so they are easier to understand. Social distancing measures can only be effective if the public understand them and abide by them.' Sir Graham said exempting young children was sensible and would help families wrestling over which relatives to see over Christmas. He added: 'These are the kind of issues which would be drawn out in a parliamentary debate and it shows why it is wrong for the Government to set rules in an arbitrary way, without parliamentary scrutiny.' The survey found that 41 per cent of voters say the PM should exempt youngsters, compared with 32 per cent who disagree. It also shows that a third of families have had their plans for Christmas disrupted by the rule of six. Three quarters believe that most people will ignore the limit anyway. Tory backbenchers are in uproar over the Government's plan which could jeopardise Christmas for families across the country with their maximum rule of six people. In Scotland, the six maximum does not include children aged 12 and under Sir Iain Duncan Smith, a former Conservative Party leader, said: 'Kids should not be counted below a certain age. 'I would prefer the rule to apply to six adults. We know how this virus is being spread, and it's by young people going out and partying in large groups, so target them instead.' Tory MP Steve Baker said: 'It is time for us to actually start living like a free people, not subjecting ourselves to constantly shifting legal requirements, which I think now no one can fully understand. 'It's not just about Christmas it could also be about Remembrance Day.' Professor Jason Leitch, national clinical director for Scotland, said under-12s usually had only mild symptoms and were unlikely to get the disease. He added: 'The other balance you are trying to draw here is kids need to play: it's an essential part of their social upbringing.' The Mail's poll, by JL Partners, found that well over half of people back the view that the Government's anti-coronavirus strategy shows signs of 'panic', and agree that millions are using the pandemic as an 'excuse' not to return to their workplace. It also provides evidence that plans for 'Covid marshals' could become a snoopers' charter. As many as 32 per cent say they will report on neighbours they suspect of flouting the new rules, with 49 per cent saying they would not. The Prime Minister will take comfort from support for his 'rule of six'. Six in ten say it is fair, compared with two in ten who say it is not. There is support for fines of up to 3,200 for those who break new Covid laws more than once. Sir Graham Brady, chair of the 1922 Committee of Tory Backbenchers urged Boris Johnson, to follow Nicola Sturgeon's decision to exclude children under 12 from their count of six people But many people draw the line at tougher penalties. A total of 46 per cent say it should not be an arrestable offence, against 43 per cent who say it should. Three quarters say the Government's overall Covid message is 'confusing', while only 12 per cent say it is not. The poll indicates solid public backing for calls by ministers and business leaders for staff to return to their workplaces. The survey shows confidence in Mr Johnson's leadership has been dented by mistakes in his coronavirus strategy and his decision to break the law over the Brexit 'divorce' deal with the EU. For the first time Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer is level pegging with him on the question of who is best leader. Mr Johnson has slumped to seventh place in the coronavirus ratings of top Tories, even behind gaffe-prone Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick. Chancellor Rishi Sunak is preferred as prime minister by 39 per cent, well ahead of Mr Johnson on 31. Meanwhile, most think Mr Johnson's 100billion 'moonshot' plan for ten million Covid tests a day is more akin to moonshine. A total of 77 per cent say it is not credible and 61 per cent believe that the huge reported cost does not represent value for money. Only 28 per cent say ministers have handled the pandemic well. JL Partners interviewed 1,014 adults online on Friday. Michael Gove helped push through the Rule of 6 despite the strong opposition of cabinet colleagues Michael Gove played a key role in pushing through this week's controversial Covid-19 clampdown, it emerged last night. Health Secretary Matt Hancock was heavily outnumbered at a meeting of Boris Johnson's Covid cabinet on Tuesday when he put forward plans to cut the limit on social gatherings to just six. Chancellor Rishi Sunak, Business Secretary Alok Sharma, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps and Home Secretary Priti Patel are understood to have made the case for a higher limit of at least eight. But a Cabinet source said Mr Gove had also played a pivotal role in ensuring that the controversial rule of six was brought in. Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Michael Gove, pictured, was determined to limit the number of people who could meet up in public or private to just six, despite the strong objections of several cabinet colleagues who wanted a higher number The government was forced to announce the dramatic restrictions following dire predictions by the Chief Medical Officer Professor Chris Whitty, left, and the government's Chief Scientific Adviser Sir Patrick Vallance, right 'Michael was driving this. For some time now he's been consistently on the side of the toughest, most heavy-handed approach,' the source said. 'There was a lot of dissent. The PM was completely torn, and the meeting did not conclude well.' One Cabinet minister told the Mail: 'The numbers are awful and it is clear we have got to do something. 'But the idea of the Government threatening to fine and arrest people for seeing their families makes me feel sick.' A source close to Mr Gove confirmed he had been 'supportive of moving to six' but played down suggestions of a row. 'It was a thorough consideration of the policy,' the source said. The PM's spokesman saying it was 'inaccurate' to suggest Mr Hancock had been a lone voice. One insider said a 'good few' ministers had supported the restriction. No 10 has also denied that the PM had to be 'talked round' to adopting a policy which he later said 'breaks my heart'. The new rule of six represents a dramatic cut in the legal limit on the size of groups who can meet, which previously stood at 30. The decision to back it at Tuesday's meeting of the PM's Coronavirus Strategy Committee meeting followed presentations on the recent surge in the virus by Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty and Chief Scientific Adviser Sir Patrick Vallance. The families defying the rule of six: Furious father reveals how he faces leaving his child's BIRTHDAY so the grandparents can visit as defiant parents vow to risk arrest to spend Christmas with loved ones Defiant parents in England have vowed to ignore controversial new measures limiting more than six people gathering together - including children. From Monday, the so-called 'rule of six' will come into force across the UK, with restrictions placed on the number of people meeting up both indoors and outdoors. However, only England will count children as part of the six, after Wales and Scotland both ruling those under 12 are exempt. The move has led to fury among parents, with fears that it could lead to Christmas being cancelled this year. Father-of-three Alastair Smart, 34, told Mail Online: 'We're a family of 5 (kids are 11, 5 & 7 weeks old) and it's almost another lockdown for us. 'It's our eldest's birthday on Wednesday and in order to have my wife's parents over to see him I'm going to have to leave the house. 'How does me going out to go shopping, the pub or over my mate's house with four other mates stop the spread of COVID? We're also going to have to cancel a trip to Centre Parcs with another family of three. Under the new law I'd be able to book a new trip with 5 other mates from 5 other households. 'It's ridiculous. To exempt children of under 12 makes complete sense, why should my six week old son count towards this absurd rule?' Mother-of-two Lisa Parker, 50, slammed the decision, adding: 'I'm hosting Christmas this year. There will be eight of us. My hubby and me and our two kids - as well as my 82-year-old mum, my sister, brother in law and our niece. My 11-year-old niece is adopted - saved from the care system into a loving home and an extended family. 'If Boris thinks I'm going to deprive that precious child of a fun Christmas day- with the people who love her most in the world - he's got another think coming. 'My old mum is 82 - still drives and has lots of friends - she's not scared. Life is for living is what she taught me and that's I'm teaching my own kids. There is risk in every thing we do. We'll take our chances with this virus. So let the police come and arrest me on Christmas Day. 'I'll toast the New Year in from a jail cell in defence of my rights. But what we all should be worried about is why are we being controlled with dystopian rules like this, when the hospitals are empty and deaths are in single figures?' Father-of-three Alastair Smart, 34, is one of the parents who has criticised the government ruling. Pictured with his family, he told Mail Online: 'We're a family of 5 (kids are 11, 5 & 7 weeks old) and it's almost another lockdown for us' Mother-of-two Lisa Parker has slammed the decision and vowed to carry on with Christmas dinner as normal, despite the new rules. Pictured is her family together last Christmas Pictured is Lisa with her two children and husband John. Lisa told MailOnline: 'We'll take our chances with this virus. So let the police come and arrest me on Christmas Day. 'I'll toast the New Year in from a jail cell in defence of my rights' Caron Higham-Wood said: 'I have 4 children, all have partners and three live separately to myself and my husband. 'My eldest has twins, aged 2. My elderly parents, ages 78 and 79 haven't see their grandchildren or great grandchildren since the beginning of lockdown. 'With no end in sight, they are coming to visit this weekend in order to adhere to the rule of six by Monday. That makes us a family of 14 this weekend. Something we would have happily staggered if this rule wasn't being brought in to force. 'My youngest is frontline NHS! How can this be right. At the end of the day, I would rather have my family around me and fear catching this virus , than live a lonely existence and allow my mental health to further decline. We are social creatures, and having the liberty of social contact denied us, is having serious consequences. Living without hugging my family hurts.' Janis Allen said: 'My family have complied with all the rules until now. We are 6 adults and two children aged 7&8. I will go to prison rather than stop seeing my family after being without them for the 10 weeks of lockdown. I feel such despair.' Mother-of-three Laura Cole, 32, said she had 'no doubt' that the exemption for children should be introduced in England. 'The schools have been allowed to open again and the schools are all together so I feel it's a little irrelevant the children have been included in this,' Mrs Cole told MailOnline. She added: 'The beginning of lockdown it was easy to explain to [the children] you couldn't go out. 'Now they're back at school again with their year group bubbles, trying to explain to them you can't go to the park after school again with friends, we're not going to be able to.' Mrs Cole, whose children are aged 14, 10 and 7, said that the new rules would especially hamper the lives of the young, adding that Scotland's exemption for those under 12 was a 'brilliant idea'. Mrs Cole said: 'My son, he's 14, he meets up on the way to school with a group of people... is he not going to be able to do that now?' Speaking of the coming festive season, Mrs Cole said: 'Christmas is a time for family. Both be and my husband have got very big family.' Boris Johnson said at a Downing Street press briefing that the new restrictions were essential Alluding to the six person limit, she said that, as a family of five, they would only be able to host one relative at a time. She said: 'We're not going to have my father-in-law with his wife... how are we going to manage that?' 'We're still going to see those people but probably one at a time. When asked if she though people will stick to these rules, Mrs Cole said: 'Absolutely not.' 'I'm not taking importance away from the fact that this is a very dangerous virus and it is killing people.' She added: 'I think it will be a rule broken by all, especially on Christmas Day, if not before.' Earlier, Wales introduced its own 'rule of six' limiting people meeting indoors in a bid to tackle rising coronavirus cases but, unlike England, children under 12 will not be included. First Minister Mark Drakeford also confirmed this morning that people will still be allowed to continue to meet in groups of 30 outdoors, insisting that evidence shows the virus does not travel in the fresh air. The stance of the Welsh government could fuel further unrest against Boris Johnson, after Nicola Sturgeon also exempted children from the similar ban in Scotland. Mr Johnson faces a Tory backlash after the Scottish First Minister copied his restrictions - but with the crucial difference that children under 12 would be exempt. Ms Sturgeon announced there would be a maximum of six people for social groups - but gave potential hope for family gatherings and Christmas celebrations by excluding children under 12 from the limit. Welsh First Minister Mr Drakeford has now followed suit, while also ensuring the 'rule of six' is only applied to indoor meetings in Wales. He added: 'Children will be treated in Wales how they are treated in Scotland. Young children will not be counted in the total of six because again we know that children are much less likely to transmit the disease to others. 'They're much less likely to suffer from the disease than other people. We have to test our rules in Wales against the principle of proportionality. Is it proportionate to prevent children from being able to meet indoors? It's not, we don't believe, and therefore they are not included in our rule of six.' Explaining why groups of 30 will continue to be allowed to meet outdoors, Mr Drakeford added: 'We've known for a long time that the virus does not travel between people in the fresh air in the way that it does inside houses. 'We want to continue to make that distinction so that, in the remainder of this autumn, while the weather will still allow people to get together in the open air, we don't want to prevent people from doing that. 'Here, we will introduce a restriction indoors because the evidence in Wales is that you catch the virus from people you know because you meet them indoors and you behave in a way that is relaxed and is the way you would normally behave. 'I'm afraid because of that behaviour we're seeing numbers rise in parts of Wales. A backlash to the plans in England is gathering pace, with Conservative MPs warning that the restrictions might be 'worse than the disease itself', condemning the 'broad brush' approach and unhappy that there has not been any scrutiny in Parliament. The new restrictions have also drawn the ire of parents, some of whom say the plans make little sense with children already back in school. Some say they will accept whatever fine comes their way, refusing to let the PM 'ruin Christmas'. There are fears within his party that Mr Johnson might be seen as the 'Grinch' if the block on families spending time together is still in place for the festive season. Young people queue to get into a pub in Cardiff city centre at night. A ban on groups of more than six people meeting indoors in Wales, including pubs and restaurants is set to come into force on Monday Tory MP Steve Baker told MailOnline: 'I doubt the government's measures can long endure when it is becoming clear that they are disproportionate.' David Jones MP said: 'I can understand that the Government has to do something, because there is certainly an uptick. But it is not an uptick across the country as a whole. There are some parts of the country such as Devon, Dorset where there is very little virus activity at all. 'So it does seem to be very broad brush... I would have thought something more concentrated would be better.' He added that while crowded pubs had been 'asking for trouble' it was 'not something that appears to be uniform across the country'. 'Something more focused would be appropriate,' he said. Mr Johnson faces a Tory backlash after the Scottish First Minister copied his restrictions - but with the crucial difference that children under 12 would be exempt The rate of infection per 100,000 people in the UK has remained very low among younger children, despite rising among teenagers and young adults Slides presented at the press conference last show that young adults are driving the increase in Covid cases - but the incidence among young children and the older generation remains very low Belgium exempted U-12s from its Covid crackdown Ministers have praised Belgium for curtailing a second wave of coronavirus by limiting the number of people who can socialise together and imposing curfews. The European country experienced a resurgence of the virus in mid-July that was comparable to the UK's current trajectory. On July 29, officials there brought in new rules reducing the size of social 'bubbles' so that each family could only have five fixed contacts. However, under-12s were not included in the numbers. The city of Antwerp, the worst hit in the country, brought in a curfew at the end of July that every member of the public must be home between 11.30am and 6am. In mid-August the curfew period was eased to 1.30am to 5am. There is a limit of four people sitting at a table together in restaurants, unless they are from the same household. Plans to reopen nightclubs and major events have also been put on hold. In Brussels, wearing a face mask became compulsory in all public areas on 12 August. Police have also been enforcing the rules more strictly. Coronavirus infections started to rise in Belgium in mid-July, with the weekly case rate going over 35 per 100,000 by August- the level currently being felt in Britain - and daily infections breaching 1,000. The numbers have fallen over recent weeks, with only 194 new cases reported on September 1. Advertisement People have voiced their disapproval for the new policy on social media. One commenter said: 'Why should kids count, they are all in school in groups bigger than six.' Another said: 'Makes far more sense to me not to include kids under 12 from ''Rule of 6'' when already going to school?' A third said: 'Boris is killing the economy. At least kids under 12 not included in Scotland. Madness to include under 12s in England.' The developments came as it emerged more than two thirds of people in England are being forced into stricter coronavirus rules from Monday despite living in relatively unaffected areas. Around 38million residents will be lumped into lockdown as the nation is told to 'limit social contact' and face fines or police action if they meet in groups of more than six people. Speaking at Holyrood, Ms Sturgeon said the Scottish government's latest assessment was that the R rate was over one, and 'possibly as high as 1.5. Tory MPs confronted Matt Hancock in the Commons chamber as he defended the new measures. Sir Graham Brady, chair of the 1922 backbench committee, said the 'profound restrictions' had not been considered enough. He asked Mr Hancock: 'Why has there not been a debate or vote in the House of Commons this week?' Former minister Harriet Baldwin said she was concerned the government was imposing 'more restrictions on people's liberty'. She said the goal previously had been to avoid the NHS being swamped. 'Has he now gone further and is he aiming for zero Covid in England?' she added. Sir Desmond Swayne asked the minister: 'Is there no scintilla of doubt in (his) mind occasioned by the growing body of scientific opinion which questions the interpretation of the data and concludes that the policies of governments, I use the plural, the policies of governments are having an impact worse than the disease itself?' Mr Hancock replied: 'I firmly believe, not only based on the clinical advice, but also based on my own analysis of and judgment of the facts and the international comparisons, that it is necessary for the public health of the nation to take actions to control the spread of the disease.' Another MP told MailOnline Mr Johnson would unfairly end up being seen as 'the Grinch' if the restrictions dragged on to Christmas - especially as Ms Sturgeon was being more permissive. 'It is not him. It is not who he is,' the MP lamented. One normally-loyal backbencher said they were completely miserable about the situation. 'I hate it. I think it is stupid... if it's got to be done it has got to be done, but I don't like it,' they said. 'You think ''boll***s to this, we should let it all drop now.' The MP added grudgingly: 'I suppose if they do all this and it stops another lockdown it will be worth it.' CONCORD, N.H., Sept. 10, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- In this time of disruption due to COVID-19, it's more important than ever to celebrate young people making a difference through volunteer service. Today through November 10, Prudential Financial and the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) are calling on New Hampshire youth volunteers to apply for scholarships and national recognition through The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards. New Hampshire students in grades 5-12 are invited to apply for 2021 Prudential Spirit of Community Awards if they have made meaningful contributions to their communities through volunteering within the past 12 months virtually or otherwise. The application is available at http://spirit.prudential.com. "More than 25 years ago, we founded The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards to honor young volunteers working to meet the needs of our changing world a mission that feels especially timely today," said Charles Lowrey, chairman and CEO of Prudential Financial. "As life evolves due to COVID-19, young Americans are continuing to address urgent issues facing their communities, and we celebrate their service in hopes that they'll inspire others to do the same." "While this is one of the most unusual times in recent history for American students, we know that young volunteers have a long history of rising to the challenges of the moment," said JoAnn Bartoletti, executive director and CEO of NASSP. "Today through November 10, we call on parents, educators and local leaders to join us in celebrating the young volunteers who are innovating and adapting to serve their communities, and setting an important example for their peers in the process." The top middle level and high school volunteer from each state and the District of Columbia will be named State Honorees in February. They will receive $1,000 scholarships, engraved silver medallions and an invitation to the program's national recognition events in early May. In May, the program will name America's top 10 youth volunteers of 2021. Those National Honorees will receive additional $5,000 scholarships, gold medallions, crystal trophies for their nominating schools or organizations, and $5,000 Prudential grants for nonprofit charitable organizations of their choice. Local-level honorees in each state will receive awards ranging from bronze medallions to certificates. Qualifying local honorees also receive President's Volunteer Service Awards. The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards was created in 1995 to recognize the exemplary volunteer work of middle level and high school students. Since then, awards have been granted to more than 140,000 middle and high school students across the country at the local, state and national level. Spirit of Community programs are also conducted in Japan, Ireland, India, China and Brazil, where Prudential has significant business operations. For complete details on the 2021 program and the stories of New Hampshire's top youth volunteers from years past, visit http://spirit.prudential.com. [Editors: The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards program logo and other multimedia resources are available at http://spirit.prudential.com/resources/media.] SOURCE Prudential Financial, Inc. Related Links http://www.PRUDENTIAL.com A Passaic County shop owner who caused controversy after hanging up a sign claiming he would charge $10 to any customer who didnt speak English has apologized, but Latino and Middle Eastern neighbors and fellow business owners in the diverse city see it as too little too late. Three weeks ago, Dave Feinberg, owner of Cutters Edge on Lakeview Avenue in Clifton, hung up a sign that created a swift and roiling controversy. The sign, written in red and black marker on a sheet of paper, read Speak English or pay $10 extra. Dual British-Iranian citizen Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, jailed for five years in Iran on spying charges, will face a new trial in the coming days. Her sentence was to expire next April but she has been hit with new charges that have not been made public. She was detained at Tehrans airport in 2016. NEW YORK/SHANKSVILLE: President Donald Trump and his Democratic opponent Joe Biden separately commemorated the 19th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on Friday, taking a pause from campaigning to honor the almost 3,000 victims killed in the single-most deadliest assault on U.S. soil. Biden participated in a solemn morning memorial ceremony in New York, where al Qaeda operatives destroyed the World Trade Center with two hijacked jets. Trump began the day in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, where passengers crashed a hijacked plane believed to have been headed to the U.S. Capitol or White House. Biden and Vice President Mike Pence, both masked, bumped elbows in greeting at the New York ceremony, one of the many ways the anniversary ceremony has been changed by the coronavirus pandemic. Pence read a biblical verse while Biden made no remarks. About 200 people including Governor Andrew Cuomo and U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer attended that ceremony, where family members in pre-recorded videos read the names of the more than 2,600 people killed when two hijacked jets slammed into the Twin Towers. A third hit the Pentagon. A similar memorial ceremony was held at the Pentagon and in Shanksville, where people sat socially distanced on folding chairs near the site that Flight 93 went down. "The only thing that stood between the enemy and a deadly strike at the heart of American democracy was the courage and resolve of 40 men and women the amazing passengers and crew of Flight 93," Trump told the crowd. "America will never relent in pursuing terrorists that threaten our people." He noted the U.S. killings of Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in 2019 and of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani in January, but made no mention of the 2011 killing of 9/11 mastermind Osama bin Laden under President Barack Obama and Vice President Biden. Trump, his wife Melania, and family members of one of the flight attendants on Flight 93 took part in a wreath laying ceremony in front of the wall of names of those that were killed. Earlier, all 40 names of the passengers and crew members were read aloud, followed by the ringing of bells of remembrance. Biden arrived in Shanksville hours later, his path from the airport to the memorial site lined with houses sporting flags in support of Trump. Trump won Pennsylvania in 2016 and the state is considered crucial if he is to be reelected to a second term. But Biden, as Trump did, eschewed politics for the moment, speaking with three families of passengers on Flight 93. He later visited a local fire station, delivering baked goods and beer. "One of the marks of being an American is understanding there`s some things that are bigger and more important than yourself," he said at the memorial site with several hundred spectators watching from afar. `WE`VE HAD A LOT OF PEOPLE DIE` In New York City, the annual memorial ceremony took on a different look and feel amid the COVID-19 pandemic that has killed more than 191,000 Americans. The ruins of the shattered World Trade Center have since been replaced by a glittering $25 billion complex that includes three skyscrapers, a museum and the memorial with the goal that it would be again be an international hub of commerce. But the pandemic has rendered it somewhat of a ghost town, adding an eerie quality to the commemoration of the attack, with office workers staying home and tourists avoiding the memorial site. While the memorial was scaled back due to virus concerns, some of the same traditions were observed, such as the ringing of bells at the same time each of the towers was struck and then again at the hour they fell. After organizers of the main commemoration announced they would play pre-recorded videos of family members detailing the names of the victims, the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation committed to a live reading at a separate site near Ground Zero. Another tradition, the twin beams of light honoring each of the Twin Towers, will go ahead Friday evening after earlier discussion of cancelling it to prevent crowds gathering. Nicole Vilardo was at the Ground Zero ceremony to remember her father, Joseph Vilardo, who worked at Cantor Fitzgerald and was 42 when he was killed. "It was a little bit harder to get in this year," she said as her four-year old son and 20-month-old daughter squirmed in a stroller. Vilardo works as a cancer surgeon at Montefiore Hospital in the Bronx, one of the worst hit at the height of the city`s coronavirus outbreak in March and April. "We had a lot of people die," she said. The city has lost eight times as many people to the virus as to the 9/11 attacks. "The thing that is similar is the resiliency of this city," she said, comparing the two crises. "New York is unstoppable. Its going to come back. You wake up and New York is here. That was the feeling in 2001 and its the same today." At St. Paul`s Chapel, built in 1766 and a place of refuge for exhausted firefighters on 9/11, the Rev. Phillip A. Jackson ceremoniously rang the Bell of Hope at 8:46 a.m., the time the first plane hit. "We lost almost 24,000 of our fellow New Yorkers this year. I don`t know about you, but for me that is a heartbreak and a loss that we will remember forever," Jackson said before ringing the bell, a gift from the city of London that has been rung on every anniversary since 2002. Early in the day, at the memorial site, Biden spoke to 90-year-old Maria Fisher, who lost her son in the /11 attacks. He told her he lost his son, Beau, as well, and lamented, "It never goes away, does it?" Luxury retailers are proving resilient in the face of falling sales due to the global pandemic with leases being signed and sites reviewed across Sydneys core strips of George, King, Market and Castlereagh streets. Although the pace is slower than a year ago as the main international shoppers of high-end branded goods dwindle, the stores that will survive are now laying down the foundations in preparation of a return of customers. Those brands that were already struggling, pre-COVID, will likely disappear, warn retail leasing experts. Renders of the retail podium and street level entrance of 388 George Street, Sydney. Credit:The Urban Developer Alex Alamsyah, partner and head of retail leasing, Knight Frank Australia, said it is a case of the survival of the fittest, when it comes to the future of the retail sector. Former Fox News host Bill O'Reilly has landed a new show on a New York-based radio station owned by one of President Donald Trump's allies. 77 WABC has signed O'Reilly to a show that will air Monday through Friday from 10-11 p.m., the station's owner, John Catsimatidis, told CNBC. O'Reilly's first show on the network is set for Monday, he added. Catsimatidis has been a vocal supporter of the president's. He bought the station last year and has created a show lineup with a slew of Trump loyalists, including a program hosted by the president's attorney Rudy Giuliani. The new show, called "Common Sense with Bill O'Reilly," marks the latest stage of O'Reilly's attempted comeback since he left Fox News under controversial circumstances. O'Reilly, 71, has been accused by multiple former Fox News employees of sexual harassment. He has denied any wrongdoing. The network ended his show in 2017 after the revelation of several expensive settlements for the alleged harassment. Before he left the network, his show had been a major ratings driver since 1996. Since his departure from Fox, O'Reilly called reporting of the accusations and settlements by The New York Times a "smear" and has moved on from his "O'Reilly Factor" into a show called "No Spin News." It airs on his website, on YouTube and on a conservative over-the-top streaming network known as "The First." The channel streams on several platforms, including Pluto TV, an internet television service owned by ViacomCBS. O'Reilly has also interviewed Trump himself after leaving Fox News. Catsimatidis, who has a net worth of $2.8 billion and also owns the New York City grocery chain Gristedes, said O'Reilly will be following Giuliani's show, which will move from the 3 p.m. slot to 9 p.m. Catsimatidis has been contemplating a run for mayor of New York City in 2021 and recently told the New York Post that he would be willing to spend $100 million if he decides to get into the race. Catsimatidis ran for mayor in 2013 but lost in the Republican primary. CNBC first reported on O'Reilly's contract negotiations with WABC in August, as his attorney Fred Newman confirmed at the time the two sides were in high-level discussions and expecting a show in the fall. Newman did not respond to a request for comment on Friday. Juliet Huddy, who was once a Fox News personality and has previously accused O'Reilly of harassment, is a co-host of one of WABC's shows. Huddy, after the initial report on O'Reilly's possible contract with the station, tweeted: "Company Christmas party should be a real zinger this year." Amid the Maharashtra government illegally detaining Republic TV's reporter Anuj Kumar, cameraperson Yashpaljit Singh and Ola cab driver Pradeep Dilip Dhanavade without allowing them any legal representation, BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra highlighted the massive attack on Republic Media Network's Right to Report and called the state machinery's blatant misuse as "the most determined attack on media freedom in India". In a free democratic country,if a reporter near CMs house to pursue a story is put in jail for 4 days without legal representation,it is not only an obvious & blatant attack on the right to report,but also the most determined attack on media freedom in India#FreeAnujNow pic.twitter.com/yRwCBoCf6c Sambit Patra (@sambitswaraj) September 11, 2020 READ | Arnab Shreds Desperate Shiv Sena Bid To Block Republic; Appeals To Viewers To Join Fight The incident and arrest of Republic's reporter Republic's reporting team was following a journalistic lead in an investigative assignment in Karjat in Raigad when it was apprehended and thrown into jail for 4 days after making an enquiry with a security guard of a certain residence. Shockingly, the team was denied any legal representation before being sent to custody. Republic's team, which is in jail at present, has been charged under sections of trespassing. This is in blatant contradiction to the facts recorded in the press statement by the Police given that it is on-record that the Republic team was apprehended on approaching a security guard. Should the intent have been to trespass as is being alleged, an official enquiry to a security guard at a residential gate would not have been made. The reporter is being pressured by the state machinery in Maharashtra to reveal his story, his leads and his sources. Here is the sequence of events leading to the illegal detention Threat to Block Republic Media Network The state government has issued threats to cable networks in Maharashtra to block Republic Media Network from beaming to people's homes in the state. The Shiv Cable Sena which is part of the Shiv Sena has issued an order which is signed by Sanjay Rauts brother Sunil Raut, the chief of the organisation. Republic has also launched a petition campaign #CantBlockRepublic to fight against the brazen attempts of the state government to stop Republic Media Network's broadcast. The state government's attempt depicts a clear vendetta against Republic as the Uddhav Thackeray-led government is facing the heat and outrage from the entire nation after Republic's investigative journalism exposed glaring loopholes in the Mumbai Police's investigation into the Sushant Singh Rajput's mysterious death which the Mumbai Police backed by Maharashtra Government was quick to term it as suicide. Its been so amazing, Mortimer said about staying home in Chicago amid the coronavirus pandemic. I was cooking and cleaning and making the house. I was finally able to show him that also Im this person too. I think he never saw me in a normal situation of being at home and being together, because ... every time we would get back together we would travel. Write what you know. Its oft-cited advice for writers both beginning and established. Thus, Jules, the teenage boy at the center of Christian Coopers Its a Bird, the first entry in DC Comics digital-first anthology series Represent!, is a birdwatcher, like the author. And the binoculars that were a 50th birthday gift from Coopers father, a Korean War vet and Civil Rights activist, serve as models for the ones Jules is none too thrilled to receive, despite his grandpas belief that they possess special powers. Cooper, who was was Marvels first openly gay writer and editor, introducing a number of queer characters before devoting himself to science writing, also draws on recent personal history that is more fraught. Although the location has shifted from New York Citys Central Park to a suburban green space bordered with large, well-kept homes, including Jules, the young mans encounter with an indignant white woman and her off-leash dog should ring any number of bells. In late May, Cooper became the subject of national news, when he confronted Amy Cooper (no relation) over her violation of park rules, tired of the havoc uncontrolled dogs wreak on birds who call the park home. Ms. Cooper escalated things quickly by calling 911, claiming she was being threatened by an African-American man. Cooper recorded the incident as a matter of protocol, and his sister shared the video on social media later that day. The same day that George Floyd was killed by police in Minneapolis, Minnesota. What Jules sees through the lenses of his grandfathers binoculars contains an element of fantasy, but is also deeply rooted in realitythe faces of Amidou Diallo, Breonna Taylor, Floyd, and other Black people who have died as a result of excessive, unwarranted police force. When DC first approached him about tapping his experience for his first comic in over two decades, Cooper was reluctant: I thought, I dont know, DC Comics? Superheroes? Not sure how thats going to work. We kicked around a couple of ideas. They said they had gotten the title, Im not sure exactly from who, but somebody pretty high up in the DC food chain: Its a Bird. It took me half a beat. OhI get what you did there. Once I had the title, the story wrote itself. Its a Bird artist Aletha E. Martinez, a pioneer whose 20-year career has included inking such superhero heavy hitters as the Black Panther, Iron Man, Batgirl, and X-Men, also pulled from personal experience when rendering Jules expression after the binoculars reveal the circumstances of George Floyds death: I saw that look on my sons face three years ago after we left North Carolina, and we were coming home to New York. We were stopped going into the airport. We travel so oftencons, in and out of the country. These two security guards started to harass us. They wanted to take my purse. Where are you from? You hear my voice, theres no accent in my voice. It ended up with them saying, You should travel with your passport. This is after backing us up in the corner, and why? Im an American citizen born on this soil, so is my son. I dont need a passport to travel within my country. This is our day and age. I watched my sons face change, and he never quite walked up again looking happy going to the airport. Now he has on armor. That face you see? Thats my kid. Its a Bird can be read for free on participating digital platforms (see links below), and Cooper is hopeful that it will inspire young people to find out more about some of the real life characters Jules spies through his binoculars. To that end, an appendix touches on some biographical details: We not only give the bare bones details of how they died, but also a little bit about them, because they were people. They werent just want happened to them. I hope young people (are) inspired to keep the focus where it needs to be, which is on those we have lost and how we keep from losing more. There are people who are invested in distracting us right now, and there are people who want to distract us from their failures on so many other things. Thats not what this moment is about. This moment is about the ones weve lost, and how were going to keep from losing any more. And if youre not talking about that, I dont want to hear it. Read Represent!: Its a Bird for free on readdc.com, Comixology, Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, and other participating digital platforms. Read an interview with Cooper and Martinez, from which the quotes in this post are drawn, on DCs blog. Related Content: A New Digital Archive Preserves Black Lives Matter & COVID-19 Street Art Read Martin Luther King and The Montgomery Story: The Influential 1957 Civil Rights Comic Book Batman Stars in an Unusual Cartoon Adaptation of Dostoyevskys Crime and Punishment Ayun Halliday is an author, illustrator, theater maker and Chief Primatologist of the East Village Inky zine. Follow her @AyunHalliday. These days, we all like to think ourselves low key foodies. But the reality is, when youve been thrown across the world in a tin can and been dumped, bleary eyed, in some bustling city, finding the perfect spot to have dinner is harder than scoring a date in a Mesopotamian monastery. Enter: Australias only national restaurant critic, John Lethlean, who recently took to Instagram with a picture that shows one literally glaring sign youre outside a crap restaurant. While this unholy melange of ingredients is a clear signal to flee, there are a number of other, more subtle, giveaways youre outside a stinker. These can be useful both for when youre exploring your home country (as Mr. Lethlean was above), as well as when travel restrictions lift and were able to trot the globe once more. DMARGE spoke to Head Chef / Co-Owner of Sydney Italian Restaurant Vanto, Filippo Perra, to get his take on the features that give away an inauthentic Italian restaurant. Regarding a phoney restaurant if any of the pasta dishes have cream in the sauce run away! Authentic restaurants will honour the small traditions like no cheese on seafood dishes too. Often the phoney restaurants have adopted westernised styled dishes which would not be eaten in Italy. As for finding a true Italian restaurant outside of Italy, Chef Perra said: If you hear the customers speaking Italian to each other you have found yourself a good Italian Restaurant. Generally, ex-pats crave those authentic flavours and customs from home and will seek out a genuine Italian restaurant or cafe for a good meal and great wine, or even just a quick espresso. I believe it is so important to find somewhere with a feeling of home, wherever you are. RELATED: The True Meaning Behind Anthony Bourdains Most Famous Quote Likewise, to find an authentic dinner spot when travelling, Mr. Perra advises you seek out a busy local Trattoria [Italian restaurant] for the best cuisine, fair prices, and an authentic Italian experience. I recommend researching the most famous dishes of the region you are in. The internet can help so much these days and there are always plenty of reviews to help you find the perfect local dish. Vanto Managing Partner / Co-Owner Santino Agrillo adds: I believe the best way to find good restaurants is by asking around ask the locals or friends who have travelled there themselves. Sometimes you must go with your gut feeling! The most authentic food is never going to be in the tourist squares. Also, if you see a queue of locals outside a restaurant go inside (even if it is a shabby place)! Often, good looking restaurants are not reflective of good food. Another foodie insight, which DMARGE learned listening to a Flight of Fancy podcast earlier this year, is that a kitchenhand (or chefs) Instagram story may now be a smarter place to look than your hotels community noticeboard. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Vanto Restaurant (@vantorestaurant) on Aug 31, 2020 at 4:53pm PDT Former editor of Delicious Sharnee Rawson admitted on the podcast: So many of my friends will want to go somewhere cos they saw it on Dan Hongs Instagram. Another tip Ms. Rawson gave was to, go through the archives of great publishers. They [The New York Times] might say youve got to go to this restaurant, and then you look up that restaurant, then you look up the people that work there and see what theyre eating and then go down the rabbit hole that way. Read Next Homeless Man, Others Stop Suspect From Abducting Girl From Her Blind Father: Police A man was charged after allegedly trying to kidnap a 6-year-old girl from her blind father, although police later said that several Good Samaritans, including a homeless man, stopped the suspect. Elijah Lopez, 24, was arrested in San Diego, California, on kidnapping charges, said police in Los Angeles on Wednesday, according to CBS Los Angeles. Cesar Palma, the blind father, and his daughter, Selena, were using public transportation to go home, officials said. They were on the train when Lopez approached them, asking the father if he could take the girl home. Several people on the train then stepped in and prevented him from taking the child. This overt action caused the commuting public that was on the train to step forward and tell Mr. Lopez to leave the family alone, LAPD Capt. Alfonso Lopez told reporters Wednesday. One would think that would stop his action, but it did not. Lopez then continued to follow the father and the girl after they got off the train at their stop, Lopez said. He made overt gestures that prompted others to intervene, the officer said. His overbearingness while walking to the bus line was so obvious and disturbing to additional Angelenos, that they in turn stepped forward and told Lopez to leave the family alone, Lopez said. However, according to the official, Lopez was still able to follow them onto a bus and continued to speak to the father and the girl. Commuters on the bus then intervened. But as they got off the bus, Lopez then tried to grab the girls hand and pull her away at an intersection. Palma held on and screamed for help. Two Good Samaritans then prevented the kidnapping. They were identified only as Mr. Johnson and Ms. Machado by officials. Lopez was ultimately identified as the suspect days later and was taken into custody in San Diego. Lopez pleaded not guilty to the felony charge and will appear in court on Sept. 18, People reported. He is being held at the Twin Towers Correctional Facility in Los Angeles on $125,000 bail. Irina Dutari discusses investment strategy endeavors across an ever-changing financial landscape. MIAMI, FL / ACCESSWIRE / September 11, 2020 / From stocks and bonds to mutual and exchange-traded funds, finance expert Irina Dutari is an accomplished investment specialist with many years of experience. Delivered across ever-changing financial landscapes, Dutari reflects on her professional endeavors where she's helped countless clients both from Miami and throughout the wider U.S. to manage their investment portfolios and secure their financial legacies. " I've worked closely with clients from all walks of life to manage their investments and achieve their financial goals," says Irina Dutari, speaking from her office in Miami. Finance expert Irina Dutari is an accomplished financial consultant who understands each of her clients' risk tolerances, goals, and ultimate objectives, and routinely implements agreed-upon investment strategies carefully tailored to achieve their desired results. "I deal with each client on a personal level to attain their desired financial goals, and to help secure their financial legacy," explains Irina Dutari, "by implementing agreed-upon investment strategies across stocks, bonds, mutual funds, exchange-traded funds, and more, to achieve the results which they're looking for." Irina Dutarialso carefully monitors her clients' investments, she says, continually adapting to changing environments and fine-tuning their portfolios accordingly, whether they're investing in stocks, bonds, or something else entirely. Stocks,Irina Dutari goes on to explain, are shares in the ownership of a particular business, while bonds represent an agreement whereby the issuing entity will repay, with interest, an investor's generosity in the future. "Mutual funds, meanwhile," Dutari further explains, "are a form of investment where an individual client chooses to pool their money with other investors to purchase a share of a larger, combined portfolio." Story continues According to Irina Dutari, a mutual fund's combined portfolio may include stocks, bonds, or a combination of the two, as well as a range of other securities. An individual investor, she says, may be unable to successfully create such a portfolio single-handedly, which has led to a rise in the popularity of mutual funds, particularly in recent years. "Mutual funds are almost always overseen by a portfolio manager," adds Dutari, "rather than the pool of investors themselves." Irina Dutari from Miami also briefly touches on exchange-traded funds. "One predominantly for accomplished portfolio managers and other financial industry professionals, exchange-traded funds, often simply referred to as ETFs, which are investments traded on global exchanges, such as the New York Stock Exchange," reveals the expert. An ETF can, Irina Dutari says, hold a variety of assets-including both stocks and bonds, plus a wealth of other commodities-and will typically operate with what's known as an arbitrage mechanism in place. "Loosely defined, an arbitrage mechanism," adds Dutari, "is designed, in the best interest of investors, to keep an exchange-traded fund trading close to its asset value." Accomplished financial consultant, Irina Dutari lives and works in Miami. When she's not working, Irina Dutari enjoys nothing more than spending time with her family. She also loves her pet German Shepherd which she loves to walk around her neighborhood. Irina Dutari was originally born in Panama and has made it her goal to manage funds to also help build schools, hospitals, and projects, in general, to benefit communities and cities in Central, South America and create independent housing for homeless children in the USA. CONTACT: Caroline Hunter Web Presence, LLC +1 7865519491 SOURCE: Web Presence, LLC View source version on accesswire.com: https://www.accesswire.com/605781/Financial-Consultant-Irina-Dutari-Reflects-on-her-Successful-Investment-Strategy-Work-and-Helping-Others Rising uninsured rates and health-care costs could worsen peoples health and lead to even shorter life expectancy, according to a new report from the Commonwealth Fund. Read more Black patients in Pennsylvania are more than twice as likely to die prematurely of treatable health conditions, such as diabetes and heart disease, when compared with white patients, according to a new report. Pennsylvania reported a mortality rate due to treatable conditions among Black individuals of 162.1 deaths per 100,000 people more than twice the 74.2 deaths per 100,000 people among white individuals in 2016 and 2017, according to a new report by the Commonwealth Fund. Hispanic individuals in Pennsylvania had an even lower death rate of 70.8 per 100,000. The findings are in line with a national trend of racial disparities in health care that analysts fear is worsening due to COVID-19. Theres no doubt the pandemic has exacerbated these weaknesses in our health-care system, David Blumenthal, president of the Commonwealth Fund, said in a call with reporters Thursday. The Commonwealth Funds annual state health scorecard found a decline in life expectancy, in part due to widening race disparities and a rise in so-called deaths of despair those related to drugs, suicide and alcohol. Among the reports findings: In New Jersey, Black patients died prematurely (before age 75) of treatable conditions at a rate of 141.5 per 100,000 people, compared with a rate of 67.2 per 100,00 people among white patients and 54.6 per 100,000 people among Hispanic patients. Pennsylvania ranked among the worst states for drug overdose deaths, with a rate of 36.1 drug-related deaths per 100,000 people in 2018. Nationally, drug overdose deaths increased 105% between 2005 and 2018, largely due to opioids and a rise in fentanyl deaths in recent years. New Jersey reported a rate of 33.1 drug-related deaths per 100,000 people in 2018, a sharp increase from its rate of 14 deaths per 100,000 people in 2014. Rising rates of the uninsured and health-care costs could worsen peoples health and lead to even shorter life expectancy, according to the report. In New Jersey, Hispanic adults under age 65 were five times as likely to be uninsured compared with white individuals in 2018. The uninsured rate among Black adults was twice that of white individuals. In Pennsylvania, Hispanic adults under age 65 were almost three times as likely to be uninsured compared with white individuals. In both states, Hispanic patients reported the greatest difficulty affording health care and were far more likely than white or Black patients to report going without care because of cost. The gains made in health insurance coverage since the Affordable Care Act have either stalled or eroded, and racial and ethnic inequities in coverage are at risk of getting worse during the pandemic, Sara Collins, a coauthor of the study and vice president for health-care coverage and access at the Commonwealth Fund, said in a statement. Collins said she hoped the reports findings would draw attention to the need for systemic change in health care and encourage political leaders to take action. When Citigroup president Jamie Forese announced he was stepping down in April 2019, it set off a chain of events that culminated Thursday when the firm announced it will appoint Jane Fraser as CEO, making her the first female head of a major U.S. bank. Forese, a 33-year veteran of Citigroup, was widely seen as CEO Michael Corbat's heir apparent, the person who would take over the third-biggest U.S. bank if something happened to Corbat. Now, it was anybody's game. Fraser, a rising star and former McKinsey partner who ran the bank's sprawling Latin American operations, saw the opening she'd been waiting for. She let Corbat know that she was getting interest from executive recruiters to run a major bank, and if Corbat wanted her to stay, she needed to be promoted, according to people with knowledge of the situation. It was effectively a two-horse race: Stephen Bird, who led Citigroup's consumer bank at the time, also told Corbat that he was fielding calls from interested parties and needed clarity. The matter was settled by October of last year, when Fraser was named president Forese's old title and the new global head of consumer banking. She was generally more popular internally than Bird, whose top-down style, fashioned during his years in Asia, rubbed some the wrong way. Bird left Citigroup, and later was named CEO of British asset manager Standard Life Aberdeen. At the time, Corbat told insiders that he envisioned being Citigroup CEO for another two to three years. It turns out, a series of events some unforeseeable, others more squarely under Corbat's responsibility made him speed up his retirement plans. Instead of staying for another three years after that October 2019 announcement, he will leave in February, or about 18 months after making Fraser president. Photo: The Canadian Press India's External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. The Indian and Chinese foreign ministers agreed that their troops should disengage from a tense border standoff, maintain proper distance and ease tensions in the Ladakh region where the two countries in June had their deadliest clash in decades. Indias S. Jaishankar and Chinas Wang Yi met in the Russian capital on Thursday night and concurred that "the current situation in the border areas is not in the interest of either side, according to a joint statement issued Friday. Since last week, the Asian giants have accused each other of sending soldiers into rival territory and firing warning shots for the first time in 45 years, threatening a full-scale military conflict. The foreign ministers did not set any timeline for the disengagement of tens of thousands of troops who have been locked in a standoff since May, but agreed that "both sides shall abide by all the existing agreements and protocol on China-India boundary affairs, maintain peace and tranquility in the border areas and avoid any action that could escalate matters. The disputed 3,500-kilometre (2,175-mile) border separates Chinese and Indian-held territories from Ladakh in the west to Indias eastern state of Arunachal Pradesh, which China claims in its entirety. The current standoff is over portions of a pristine landscape that boasts the worlds highest landing strip and a glacier that feeds one of the largest irrigation systems in the world. Both sides accuse the other of provocative behaviour including crossing into each others territory, and both have vowed to protect their territorial integrity. Earlier this week, Jaishankar described the situation along their shared boundary, known as the Line of Actual Control, as very serious and said the state of the border cannot be separated from the state of the bilateral relationship. On Thursday, the two countries agreed that as the situation eases, they should expedite work to conclude "new confidence-building measures to maintain and enhance peace and tranquility in the border areas." In a separate statement, Wang said China-India relations have once again come to a crossroads." That statement said Wang outlined China's stern position on the situation in the border areas, emphasizing that the imperative is to immediately stop provocations such as firing and other dangerous actions that violate the commitments made by the two sides." It is also important to move back all personnel and equipment that have trespassed. The frontier troops must quickly disengage so that the situation may de-escalate," it quoted Wang as saying. India did not release a statement of its own, but an official with the External Affairs Ministry said Jaishankar told Wang that India expected full adherence to all agreements on management of border areas and would not support any attempt to change the status quo unilaterally. The official said Jaishankar said the immediate task is to ensure a comprehensive disengagement of troops at all flash points to prevent any incidents, with details of how that is to be done worked out by military commanders. The official was not authorized to speak publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity. The two ministers met in Moscow on the sidelines of a gathering of the foreign ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. The group comprises China, India, Pakistan, Russia, Kazakhstan, Krgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. On Friday, Wang held talks with Russia's foreign minister in Moscow and later told reporters that India had expressed a wish to ease tensions through diplomatic and political channels. Wang said the top priority now is to not break past agreements, including one not to open fire at the border. A Vietnamese Minister on September 10 introduced practical measures the government has taken to cushion the impact of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic at the G20 Labour and Employment Ministers Meeting. Attending the meeting, Vietnamese Labour Minister Dao Ngoc Dung says the Vietnamese government has been taking measures to support businesses and people in weathering the COVID-19 crisis. (Photo: nhandan.com.vn) Joining ministers of the Group of Twenty (G20) at the meeting virtually hosted by Saudi Arabia, Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Dao Ngoc Dung affirmed Vietnams commitment to ironing out business snags and supporting people in need. The government of Vietnam has introduced several relief packages and it will continue to offer additional similar packages to help businesses weather the COVID-19 storm, while at the same time supporting those in difficulty, Dung said, adding that part of the packages will be focused on skill training and re-training for employees. Dung went on to say that thanks to the Governments drastic measures along with efforts by businesses and employees, Vietnams economy is forecast to maintain a positive growth rate in 2020. According to the Vietnamese minister, the challenges posed by COVID-19 are global, which therefore require global commitments and efforts. He expressed hope the commitments outlined in the G20 Ministerial Declaration will chart a course for each country, based on its requirements and available resources, to make appropriate labour decisions to overcome this difficult period. Dung also introduced highlights of the ASEAN Declaration on Human Resources Development for the Changing World of Work, which was adopted at the recent 36th ASEAN Summit hosted by Vietnam. The Declaration emphasizes the impact of technological advances, population aging, climate change and diseases on labour and employment issues, and put forward actions to be taken by ASEAN in response to the changing world of work. The G20 ministers adopts a declaration, putting a focus on decent work, youth and women. (Photo: The Vienamese Ministery of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs) At the meeting, the Ministers reaffirmed their determination to use social dialogue and to work with other ministers to ensure policy coherence in constructing effective, inclusive and sustainable response measures, in the Declaration issued at the end of their one-day, virtual meeting. The Ministerial Declaration focused in particular on issues facing youth and women, on whom the pandemic is having a disproportionate impact. It commits the G20 to strengthening support for young people particularly young women in making labour market transitions and finding quality employment, and to redouble their efforts to achieve the Antalya Youth Goal, through which G20 members commit to reducing the share of young people who are most at risk of being permanently left behind in the labour market by 15 per cent by 2025. To this effect, they adopted the G20 Youth Roadmap 2025. Ministers also acknowledged that more needs to be done to achieve the G20 Brisbane goal, and they committed to ensuring that recent falls in womens labour force participation do not become structural, and to advancing gender equality and pay equity. The Declaration also highlights the vital role of social protection, saying that the COVID-19 pandemic has reinforced the need for strong social protection systems to support all workers and their families. It commits the G20 to adapting and improving our social protection systems to provide access to adequate social protection for all, including women, youth, the self-employed, platform and own-account workers, and those in informal employment. VOV Sept. 11, 2001. On this day 19 years ago, almost 3,000 people were killed in the largest terrorist attack on American soil. The attacks started at 8:46 a.m. when hijackers aboard American Airlines Flight 11 crashed the plane into the North Tower of the World Trade Center, killing everyone on board and hundreds inside the building. Just 17 minutes later, hijackers crash United Airlines Flight 175 into the World Trade Centers South Tower, killing all on board and more inside the trade center. Thousands more died when both towers crashed down less than an hour after being attacked. The 9/11 attacks werent limited to New York. Flight 77 crashed into the western facade of the Pentagon at 9:37 a.m., killing 50 people on board and 125 inside the Washington, D.C. home of the Department of Defense. A fourth plane crashed in a Pennsylvania field, killing all on board as passengers and crew attempted to wrest control from the hijackers. Among the fatalities that day were 343 firefighters, 72 law enforcement officers and 55 military personnel. Today is officially called Patriot Day, a national day of service and remembrance that commemorates the catastrophic events of Sept. 11, 2001.. Here is a look at quotes, inspirations, more to remember Sept. 11 terrorist attacks: The attacks of September 11th were intended to break our spirit. Instead we have emerged stronger and more unified. We feel renewed devotion to the principles of political, economic and religious freedom, the rule of law and respect for human life. We are more determined than ever to live our lives in freedom. Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani Even the smallest act of service, the simplest act of kindness, is a way to honor those we lost, a way to reclaim that spirit of unity that followed 9/11. Former President Barack Obama If we learn nothing else from this tragedy, we learn that life is short and there is no time for hate. Sandy Dahl, wife of Flight 93 pilot Jason Dahl You can be sure that the American spirit will prevail over this tragedy. Colin Powell What separates us from the animals, what separates us from the chaos, is our ability to mourn people weve never met. - Author David Levithan I still have the shoes I wore to work that day. The soles are melted and theyre caked in ash. I keep them in a shoebox with the word deliverance written all around it. Theyre kind of like my ark, a reminder of Gods presence and the life I owe to him. - - Stanley Praimnath, 9/11 survivor September 11, 2001 seems destined to be the watershed event of our lives and the greatest test for our democracy in our lifetimes. Lt. Col. Shelton F. Leskford, U.S. Marine Corps This mass terrorism is the new evil in our world today. It is perpetrated by fanatics who are utterly indifferent to the sanctity of human life, and we, the democracies of this world, are going to have to come together and fight it together. Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair on Sept. 11 . We will win this struggle not for glory, nor wealth, nor power, but for justice, for freedom, and for peaceso help us God. Former U.S. Senator Tom Harkin Time is passing. Yet, for the United States of America, there will be no forgetting September the 11th. We will remember every rescuer who died in honor. We will remember every family that lives in grief. We will remember the fire and ash, the last phone calls, the funerals of the children. Former President George W. Bush What we learned on September 11 is that the unthinkable is now thinkable in the world. John Ashcroft With almost no time to decide, [your loved ones] gave the entire country an incalculable gift. They saved the Capitol from attack. They saved God knows how many lives. They saved the terrorists from claiming the symbolic victory of smashing the center of American government. They allowed us to survive as a country that could fight terror and still maintain liberty and still welcome people from all over the world from every religion and race and culture as long as they shared our values, because ordinary people given no time at all to decide did the right thing. - Former President Bill Clinton These acts of mass murder were intended to frighten our nation into chaos and retreat. But they have failed. Our country is strong. A great people has been moved to defend a great nation. - Former President George W. Bush on Sept. 11, 2001. When Americans lend a hand to one another, nothing is impossible. Were not about what happened on 9/11. Were about what happened on 9/12. - - Jeff Parness, founder of New York Says Thank You Russias Justice Ministry to seek disbarment of actor Efremovs defense lawyer RAPSI, Vladimir Burnov 10:40 11/09/2020 MOSCOW, September 11 (RAPSI) The Justice Ministry of Russia will seek disbarment of Elman Pashayev, defense lawyer for actor Mikhail Efremov, RAPSI has been told in the Ministry. Moreover, the authorities will also strive to open disciplinary proceedings against Alexander Dobrovinsky who has represented injured parties in a fatal crash case against Efremov. In July, the Federal Chamber of Lawyers called the lawyers for self-restraint and asked them to avoid public naming and shaming of other case parties. Moreover, the Chamber stated inadmissibility of the lawyers offensive behavior, self-advertisement, malpractice and breach of secrecy. On the evening of June 8, Efremov driving his car crossed into the oncoming lane in central Moscow and collided with a delivery service vehicle. He was arrested on the scene. Alcohol and drugs were reportedly found in his blood. Victim Sergey Zakharov was taken to hospital where he died early in the morning of June 9. On September 8, the actor received 8 years in penal colony for and was banned from driving for three years. The Presnensky District Court of Moscow however returned him his broken Jeep. The court found that victim Sergey Zakharov was killed in the accident due to the defendant's driving behaviour. Five months later, Olga took her own life at the Pennant Hills house. She had wanted to stay in it because she still felt something of her children there. The unspooling of the events leading up to this seismic tragedy depict a woman trying hard to escape the control of a man she had good reason to fear. But the inquest heard that every authority Olga should have been able to trust to protect her - the Family Court, the Hornsby police, and ultimately, the Firearms Registry - failed her. No amount of personal effort was enough to overcome a system that did not take seriously multiple historical allegations of violence and stalking. In her opening statement, counsel assisting the inquest, Katherine Richardson, SC, told Coroner Teresa OSullivan she would "focus on the processes by which John Edwards legally obtained a firearms licence", despite "a propensity for domestic violence and a history of psychological and physical assaults against the women in his life and his many children stretching back to the early 1990s". Loading The inquest heard Edwards had been refused a gun licence in 2010, due to the existence of an Apprehended Violence Order on his record. But in 2017, Edwards successfully applied for a "Commissioners Permit", a kind of exemption to get around an initial licence refusal. From there he was able to obtain five firearms. Richardson told the inquest that the police (or "CNI") report, accessed by the Firearms Registry when assessing Edwards application, revealed stalking and violence allegations and AVOs against Edwards with respect to three former partners, and one of his adult children. The inquest also heard that several other incidents of Edwards violence and harassment were recorded in the central "COPS" database where police keep records, but because of the way these other incidents had been recorded, they did not come up in the report on Edwards generated for the Firearms Registry. Edwards had also been untruthful on his previous licence application form - saying that no AVO existed against him. The fact that he had lied previously to gun authorities was never recorded. In February 2017, a terrified Olga reported to Hornsby police that Edwards had stalked her in her "hot yoga" class, secreting himself behind her in the darkened room, with Olga only seeing him when the lights were turned up. But the police did not act, saying Olga was "more angry than scared". They accepted Edwards' explanation that it was just a coincidence. They did not interview the yoga instructor, who was so unsettled by the "pervert" Edwards, he banned him from his studio. They did not take out an AVO on behalf of Olga. The yoga incident did not come up in the records later accessed by the Firearms Registry. The fact that Edwards was stalking the woman he was fighting in the Family Court went unremarked. None of it mattered. Edwards got his gun licence just a few months later. Propensity for violence In 2001, after meeting Edwards on an online dating site, Olga moved from Russia to Australia and married him. She was 19, he was 50. Their son Jack was born in 2002 and Jennifer came two years later. The inquest heard that Olga worked hard during her childrens early years, sitting her law exams weeks after giving birth, and later qualifying as a solicitor. Its unclear how much Olga knew about the man she was marrying, but by the time he met her, Edwards already had eight children with six other women, an extraordinary relationship history which police unravelled after the murders. "We established John Edwards had a history of exerting control over the women in his life and his children," Detective Sergeant Tara Phillips told the inquest. "He also had a propensity for violence and a history of psychological and physical violence against his children." Loading The inquest heard of so many previous partners, children and menacing incidents, it was at times difficult to keep track of the evidence. It is understood some of the previous families were watching the inquest. There were multiple assaults and several AVOs taken out over a 30-year period. Olga was last. She told investigating police Edwards was controlling and abusive, even insisting on cutting her hair himself, and when their son Jack turned 10 he began to turn his anger on him. Edwards assaulted Jack a lot - throwing a book at him, punching and kicking him, and chasing him down a street on a 2015 holiday in Paris, pushing him against the wall and trying to strangle him. Passersby intervened. On that same holiday, Edwards slapped Jennifer, the inquest heard. During the marriage, in 2011, Edwards stalked one of his adult children, following her while she picked up her own child at daycare. This daughter applied for an AVO against her father. This was on the police record and available to the Family Court hearings in 2016. On March 14, 2016 Olga summoned the courage to take the children and leave Edwards. As is so often the case with victims of domestic violence, this is when things got really dangerous. "She knew he could do something to her," Detective Sergeant Phillips told the inquest. "She had no idea he would be capable of doing something to the children." Olga had no family, but she did have a friend helping her get out from under Edwards iron control - David Brown, the principal of the Woolwich law firm where she worked. Brown told the inquest the children feared their father. He said there were so many incidents of "serious physical abuse" of Jack that it was hard to recall them all. Brown represented Olga during her family court proceedings. "Olga and I spoke daily of the matter," Brown said. "She was living it." Brown was particularly scathing of the Family Court process, and did not hold back in his critique of Debbie Morton, the Independent Childrens Lawyer appointed to represent the childrens interests, calling her a "bully". Morton characterised the assault allegations against Edwards as mere "heavy-handed parenting" and pushed for the children to have contact with their father, despite their terror of him. "I have a very clear impression that she was going to drive the children into Johns hands, that he had a right and so forth, and she didnt put too much emphasis on allegations of assault," Brown told the inquest. Olga had reported the allegations of assault against the kids on December 29, 2016 but she was given short shrift by Hornsby Police. Police recorded the complaint as "Domestic Violence - No Offence Detected", with a note attached stating that the report may be "a premeditated attempt to influence some future Family Court and divorce proceedings". Not long before Olga sought police help, Edwards had attended Hornsby police station to tell them his wife might soon make some false accusations about him, in order to win at court. Olga was in a feedback loop, a spiral she couldnt escape. During Family Court proceedings, she and the children bore witness over and over again of the violence and control Edwards had perpetrated. It was in Olgas affidavit, in the "Notice of Risk" filed at court, that the children told their family therapist and their family consultant they feared their father and didnt want to see him. They did not want to attend family therapy with him, but Morton, their own lawyer, insisted on it, calling Olga "unco-operative" and threatening to "recommend they be taken out of her care". Orders were eventually made for the kids to see their dad for a few hours every Saturday. They refused to attend any of the visits, except one where they were accompanied by a therapist and stayed only a few minutes. The context of the violence being reported during Family Court proceedings was used against Olga. But at no point did anyone in authority see the allegations of violence together with the protracted Family Court battle for what they were - a huge warning sign of catastrophic risk. The inquest also heard from two of the childrens teachers, whose names are subject to a non-publication order. Both teachers testified that Edwards was aggressive and menacing when he rang demanding information about his children. Jack, who attended Turramurra and then Pennant Hills High, was described as "a little bit defiant but in a very cheeky way... he was a loveable child". The teacher who knew Jennifer best at Gosford High wept as she described the gentle, bookish Jennifer. "Despite the hardship she was feeling at home, she still came to school and found great joy in her learning," the teacher said, her voice breaking. "She was a strong individual. It is a great loss." The inquest continues. Domestic Family Violence Counselling Service 1800 737 732; Lifeline 13 11 14. Shes 85 and so elegant, stately, regal and her white hair are so beautifuleven on the phone screen. Actor Sushma Seth is chatting on WhatsApp video from the home in New Friends Colony that she shares with her daughter and her family. I havent stepped out since the start of the first lockdown, she says in her archetypical authoritative and yet supremely soothing voice that is familiar to so many of us who grew up watching her in films and iconic TV serials. Most people are not aware that my background is theatre, observes the lady, as she gamely agrees to become a part of the Proust Questionnaire series in which we nudge folks from diverse backgrounds to make Parisian parlour confessions, all to explore the lives, thoughts, values and experiences of Delhis citizens. Your favourite virtue or the key aspect of your personality Emotional strength and calm acceptance Your favourite qualities in a man Empathy, integrity, generosity, a sense of humour Your favourite qualities in a woman Strength, grace, kindness Your chief characteristic Determination, positive attitude What do you appreciate the most in your friends? Understanding. Sharing joyous moments. Sorrows have to be endured physical and emotional. Your main fault Fastidiousness!! Your favourite occupation Acting, directing - plays. Music. Painting Your idea of happiness Peace and harmony in the environment. Aesthetic surroundings If not yourself, who would you be? An improved version of Sushma Seth! Your favourite colour and flower Red. Roses. Fragrance of Indian roses and mogra Your favourite bird The vibrantly coloured birds and the ones who sing sweetly, and koel Your favourite prose authors Bharat Muni, the author of Natya Shastra, a treatise on the performing arts, which also discloses the theory of Ras. A. Parthasarathy, who authored Vedanta Treatise. Devdutt Pattanaik. Anuja Chauhan Your favourite poets Pandit Satyakam Vidyalankar, Rabindranath Tagore Your favourite composers Pandit Jasraj, Hariprasad Chaurasia, Shiv Kumar Sharma, Kishori Amonkar, Sergei Rachmaninoff, Edvard Greig, AR Rahman Your favourite painters All the gifted enterprising artists/painters of group shows who are unknown whose works do not have buyers Your heroes/heroines in real life The Medical fraternity, which has served selflessly and tirelessly during this pandemic. All those who have suffered and endured this pandemic, primarily the women Your favourite food and drink Shahi paneer, papri chaat, Thai curry, cheesecake and all the desserts!! Water, milk, red wine! What do you hate the most? Violence, corruption The military event you admire the most Kargil War. And our armed forces preparedness to combat ambush/violation without disclosing their strategies Reform you admire the most Abolition of child marriage, sati, caste system Natural talent youd like to be gifted with My own singing voice of teen years! How do you wish to die? Swiftly and peacefully - after a bath What is your present state of mind? In learning mode of the incredible but complex mobile and computer technology Faults for which you have the most tolerance Health and economic suffering SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Akshay Kumar went live yesterday to promote his episode with Bear Grylls. The live session was entertaining and Akshay spoke about a lot of things including his birthday celebration, how much fun he had shooting for the episode and more. Huma Qureshi was moderating the session and right in the middle of it, Ranveer Singh started commenting on various things while the live was on. Ranveer and Akshay share a great bond and it was lovely to witness their camaraderie yet again. Ranveer started by wishing Akshay a happy belated birthday, he then went on to say, "Mooch looks kadak, Akki," approving of Akshay new look. In the end the actor posted a comment saying, "Akki Sir, Sooryavanshi release karwao." The duo stars together in Rohit Shetty's Soorayavanshi which was supposed to hit the screens in March this year, however, due to the pandemic, its release has been postponed indefinitely. Keep watching this space for more on Bollywood. A leading expert on isolated Amazon tribes has died after being shot with arrows while visiting an indigenous group. Rieli Franciscato, 56, a Brazilian who worked for a government agency to protect indigenous tribes from threats like deforestation and mining, died on Wednesday in a remote part of Rondonia state in the north-west of Brazil. He came under fire as he approached an indigenous group, witnesses said. He tried to take shelter from the volley of arrows behind a vehicle but was struck in the chest. In an audio recording on social media, a police officer accompanying Mr Franciscato said: "He cried out, pulled the arrow from his chest, ran 50m (164ft) and collapsed, lifeless," . A member of the Uru Eu Wau Wau tribe covers his face in the tribe's reserve in the Amazon (AFP via Getty Images) / Getty Images Photographer Gabriel Uchida, who also witnessed the incident, told the AFP news agency that Mr Franciscato was observing a tribe called the "Cautario River isolated group". Mr Uchida said the tribe was usually "a peaceful group", but "this time, there were just five armed men - a war party". Brazilian indigenous tribes say their lands have come under renewed threat from deforestation and mining since Jair Bolsonaro became president in 2019. Funai, the government agency Mr Franciscato worked for, has had its funding cut severely in recent years. Ricardo Lopes Dias, a spokesperson for Funai, said: "Rieli dedicated his life to the indigenous cause. He had more than three decades of service, and leaves an immense legacy for the protection of these peoples." Indigenous rights group Survival say there are about 100 isolated tribes left in the Amazon. An area of deforested Amazon rainforest / Getty Images Survival senior researcher Sarah Shenker paid tribute to Mr Franciscato. She said: "For decades he refused to accept the violent greed destroying the Amazon rainforest and its best guardians. He worked tirelessly to protect the lands of uncontacted tribes from outsiders. "He dedicated his life to it, working on the front line to combat the illegal invasions by loggers, ranchers and miners who threaten to wipe out the most vulnerable peoples on the planet. He didnt let Bolsonaros war on indigenous peoples and strangling of his budget stop him. The uncontacted Indians may well have mistaken Rieli, one of their closest allies, for one of their many enemies who threaten their survival. Theyve been pushed to the edge and theres only one solution: protect their territory from all invasions so they can survive and thrive." A short while later, word came of Flight 93 crashing in the fields of Pennsylvania. It wasnt until much later that any of us knew the heroics that had taken place on that plane as a group of passengers rebelled against their hijackers and prevented further loss of life by sacrificing their own. We would all like to imagine that we would have the wherewithal and courage to do what those people did, but would we? I pray that we never have to find out. Our reporters all began making phone calls to local officials and anyone who we thought might give an interesting perspective on the day. I went to the Scottsbluff Fire Department to talk to the folks there. My most memorable moment that day was meeting with a group of area pastors at, I believe, the Baptist Church in Scottsbluff. I can remember the group of them sitting around a couple of tables talking about their thoughts about what had happened and where God is in these times. I dont remember a lot of what was said around those tables, but I do remember one pastors take that the Bible says God has numbered the very hairs on everyones head, God was there in New York, and in Washington, and in Pennsylvania. He knows every individuals story, and He values each individual more than we will ever know. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday directed senior state government officials to hold a meeting with the authorities in to chalk out an effective strategy to check the spread of COVID-19 in the city. He also asked officials to increase the bed capacity in COVID hospitals in Kanpur Nagar, besides making use of the command and control centre in Allahabad for surveillance work. At a meeting held here, the chief minister directed the additional chief secretaries of the Health, Rural Development and the Panchayati Raj departments to hold a meeting with senior officials of Lucknow, including district magistrate, chief medical officer, chief development officer and 'nagar ayukt', to chalk out an effective strategy for checking the spread of the disease, an official statement said. Stressing that the state government was continuously working towards checking the spread of the disease as well as its treatment, the chief minister took note of more than 1.50 lakh COVID-19 tests performed on Thursday and asked for ensuring that tests were done adhering to the prescribed norms. He said 1.50 lakh tests should be conducted everyday in the state. Adityanath has asked officials of Noida and Greater Noida and the Yamuna Expressway authorities, as well as those of other departments, to hold regular dialogues with entrepreneurs, investors and industries and resolve their problems. He asked the additional chief secretary (Agriculture) to prepare a plan for reducing mandi fees. (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 an extraordinary development, the US Justice Department is arguing alongside attorneys for Ghislaine Maxwell, the deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epsteins collaborator and confidante, that a civil lawsuit filed by a former child sex abuse victim must be halted. In a letter submitted to a judge in New Yorks Southern District Court in Manhattan, federal prosecutors requested this week that the civil lawsuit filed by Jane Doe last January against Maxwell and the estate of the Jeffrey Epstein be immediately stayed. Audrey Strauss, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, center, speaks alongside William F. Sweeney Jr., Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, right, during a news conference to announce charges against Ghislaine Maxwell for her alleged role in the sexual exploitation and abuse of multiple minor girls by Jeffrey Epstein, Thursday, July 2, 2020, in New York. (AP Photo/John Minchillo) The US attorneys prosecuting the criminal case against Maxwellin which the Epstein social coordinator has been charged with six offenses involving sex trafficking of underage girls and for which she sits in a New York City jail awaiting trialwrote that there is a significant risk that proceeding with the civil case would adversely affect the ongoing criminal prosecution against Maxwell. The New York prosecutors, led by acting US Attorney for the Southern District of New York Audrey Strauss, argued that a factual overlap between the civil and criminal cases could result in disclosure of evidence and testimony from witnesses who may be called upon in both cases. The prosecutors also wrote, Such witnesses may be forced to testify about any efforts to assist the criminal investigation and prosecution and may thereby expose facts about the investigation ... and could potentially expose witnesses and/or their families to harassment. The US attorneys letter adds, Moreover, permitting any discovery to proceed in this [civil] lawsuit would enable Maxwell to seek a preview of trial testimony in the criminal case, and would afford her with a broader array of discovery than she is entitled to in the criminal case. The civil lawsuit was filed on January 16 of this year by attorneys representing Jane Doe against Maxwell and two executors of Epsteins estate, Darren K. Indyke and Richard D. Kahn. Epstein left behind an estate worth an estimated $577 million after he was found dead in his jail cell under suspicious circumstances five weeks after his arrest on July 6, 2019 on multiple sex-trafficking charges. The unnamed victim states in the lawsuit that she was abused and sexually exploited beginning in 1994, after she met Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell at Interlochen Arts Camp in Michigan when she was only 13-years-old. When Jane Doe returned home to Florida, following a similar pattern described by other accusers, Epstein and Maxwell over the course of the next several months proceeded to groom and mentor the 13-year-old for sexual abuse by Epstein. The Jane Doe lawsuit also says that Epstein took her to Mar-a-Lago where he introduced her to its owner, Donald J. Trump. Epstein introduced Doe, just 14 years old at the time, and elbowed Trump playfully asking him, referring to her, This is a good one, right? Trump smiled and nodded in agreement. Attorneys for Maxwell have persistently argued against the release of court documents from previous cases against her, including the text of her deposition in the defamation lawsuit filed by Epstein victim Virginia Roberts Giuffre in 2015. While this case was settled out of court by Maxwell for an undisclosed amount in 2017, a batch of documents from it were unsealed in late July that elaborate on the extensive sex-trafficking operation run by Epstein, including the participation of various rich and famous people, power brokers, politicians and royal figures such as Prince Andrew of England. Similarly, Maxwells lawyers have been arguing that the Jane Doe civil lawsuit should be stayed by the New York District Court on the grounds that it is superfluous given the criminal prosecution and that Doe can present her claims to an Epstein estate fund set aside to compensate his victims. Maxwells lawyer, Laura Menninger, submitted her own letter on the civil lawsuit last week, writing, Absent a stay, Ms. Maxwell will be forced to choose between her constitutional right to remain silent and her active and vigorous participation in defending against and refuting [Does] false claims in this case. Menninger furthermore states of Jane Doe, If it is money she seeks, she can pursue it in the claims program. If it is justice she seeks, the criminal case will resolve those issues one way or the other. The strange coincidence of the legal position of Maxwell and that of US prosecutors in the criminal case is revealing in that both are seeking to limit the amount of information that is released to the public about the depraved abuse of primarily working-class teenage girls from West Palm Beach by Epstein and his elite friends. As Jane Does attorneys have argued, a stay of their case against Maxwell and the Epstein estate would deprive the victim as well as the public the opportunity to learn the truth about what was going on for nearly three decades at the wealthy socialites residences in New York City, Palm Beach, Florida, New Mexico, his private island in the Caribbean and aboard his Lolita Express private jetliner. Robert Glassman of Panish Shea & Boyle LLP, representing Jane Doe, wrote in a letter to the court that his client is best served by pressing forward with her claimsnot waiting even longer for justice. Jane Doe is among the only remaining publicly declared Epstein victims who has refused to submit her allegations to the estate compensation fund in exchange for remaining silent. As Glassman further explains: The continuation of this last remaining civil avenue can furnish the public with critical information as to defendant Maxwells well-known criminal enterprise, how it was operated and all those involved. A stay of the civil proceedings would provide what defendant Maxwell has sought for yearsconcealing her heinous acts from public view. The question remains as to the real reasons behind the federal prosecutors agreeing with Maxwells lawyers about halting the civil court case. Who are the witnesses and/or their families who could be potentially exposed to harassment if the Jane Doe lawsuit goes forward? Meanwhile, it must be recalled that it was the intervention of then-US Attorney for the Southern District of Florida Alex Acostawho intervened in the 2005 case against Epstein by the Palm Beach Police Department after a 13-month investigation that uncovered the abuse of 34 teenage girlsthat resulted in a non-prosecution agreement, which prevented any of the victims from testifying in court. It is certain that many elite and powerful individualssome named, and others not yet namedwho participated in Epsteins trafficking of young girls for sex, are working behind the scenes to make sure that nothing more is released to the public about who they are and what they were doing. While US Magistrate Judge Debra Freeman has yet to issue a ruling on the now joint request to stay the Jane Doe civil lawsuit, she did agree on August 26 to postpone the deposition of one of the defendants, co-executor of Epsteins estate Darren Indyke. In a letter to the court at that time, attorney Glassman wrote that he has reason to believe that Indyke personally has firsthand knowledge of Epsteins relationship with Doe while she was a minor and even acted on Jeffrey Epsteins behalf to communicate with [Doe] on several occasions. The URL has been copied to your clipboard The code has been copied to your clipboard. Protests were held in Islamabad and other cities across Pakistan on September 11 amid national outrage over the alleged gang rape of a woman in front of her children. The political activist was in news recently over his falling out with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and opposition to the Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019, and the proposed NRC and NPR exercices Arya Samaj leader and political activist Swami Agnivesh passed away Friday at the Institute of Liver and Billary Sciences (ILBS) in New Delhi after suffering from a muti-organ failure. He was 80. The social activist was admitted to the ILBS on Tuesday in a critical condition for treatment of liver cirrhosis and had been on a ventilator since then, News18 reported. "He was suffering from liver cirrhosis and died today due to multi-organ failure as his condition deteriorated and he went into cardiac arrest at 6 pm," a spokesperson of the hospital said. Resuscitation was attempted but he passed away at 6.30 pm, he said. Agnivesh was known for his campaign against bonded labour through his foundation Bandhua Mukti Morcha (Bonded Labor Liberation Front). He had also been active in politics. He contested and won Haryana Assembly elections in 1977 and even held a ministerial post in the state government. However, he resigned from his post within two years over differences with the government and founded his own party Arya Sabha. He was also actively associated with the India Against Corruption movement lead by Anna Hazare in 2011 to seek implementation of the Jan Lokpal Bill. However, in more recent years he was in news over his falling out with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. He had angered Hindutva groups with his comments claiming that the Amarnath Shrine pilgrimage was nothing but a "religious deception". Swami Agnivesh had also supported the protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the proposal to implement National Register of Citizens (NRC) and National Population Register (NPR), and taken part in several rallies across India. He was among the 720 prominent citizens who had spoken against the amendments to the citizenship law in 2019 before it was passed in the Parliament, and the proposed NRC. He was allegedly attacked twice by BJP workers over his anti-government stance on various issues. On 17 July 2018, the activist was on his way to Litipara area in Pakur district of Jharkhand to participate in an event organised by the Pahariya tribal community when he was attacked allegedly by some BJP youth wing supporters. Agnivesh has been constantly issuing statements that are against the true spirit of nationalism. He supports Naxals. He gives statements in support of patthalgarhi, which has been twisted from its original purpose to a form of resistance against the state. Agnivesh had come here to instigate tribals at the behest of agents of the Church," The Indian Express had quoted one of the men accused of assaulting the political activist as saying. A month later on 17 August, Agnivesh was allegedly heckled and assaulted near the BJP headquarters in Delhi, when he was on his way to pay homage to former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee there. He had alleged that the attackers were BJP workers. With inputs from PTI Andrea Zakel-Farrow is angry and wants everyone to know it. The target of her anger? Ontario Education Minister Stephen Lecce and, to a lesser extent, Premier Doug Ford, specifically for the way the province has handled the return to class for students. Lecce has no credentials in education. Why is he in charge? Farrow said. His assistant (parliamentary assistant and Niagara West MPP Sam Oosterhoff) didnt even go to school. He was home schooled. Zakel-Farrow, a former teacher in Delhi, a town in Norfolk County, has made her feelings known, setting up a Halloween-inspired Second-Wave Cemetery in the front yard of her Collins Drive home in Niagara Falls. Grave markers highlight everything from the conditions of aging schools to staff risks of contracting COVID-19. I know what a classroom is like, she said. She said the government is ignoring teachers concerns over class size in an age of COVID-19. Teachers unions across the province have said class sizes at their current levels are too large. Rather than use funding from the federal government to reduce class sizes, the province is instead spending an additional $30 million for personal protective equipment (PPE), $75 million for cleaning, $50 million to prepare for a possible second wave or flu pandemic, $44 million on retaining school bus drivers, $12.5 million on mental health, among other things. Theyre gaslighting teachers, Zakel-Farrow said. She said teachers are being prevented from voicing their concerns individually. Teachers are being muzzled. I have friends that have been tossing their two cents in. One friend told me they cant do anything. None of the measures the government is taking will help if class sizes are at a level where it makes things like physical distancing difficult, Zakel-Farrow said. They could have a formula based on class size rather than a class cap. Its a system of funding that dates back to the days when Mike Harris was premier and John Snobelen was minister of education. Back then it was a shoddy formula and it still is in the plan. Zakel-Farrow, a mother of a six-year-old, said she will not be sending her son to school and will be teaching him at home. Zakel-Farrow said her issues are not a matter of partisanship. She said she had appreciated the job Ford had been doing guiding the province through the pandemic. This is an attack on policy, not the party, she said. The graveyard took her about a week to put together. She called on some of the skills from her teaching days to create it. It was no different than any time when I was a teacher. Were scrounging for supplies all the time. Her display is at 6133 Collins Dr. The Prefect of the Vatican Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples tested positive on his arrival in the Philippine capital on Thursday. Earlier, he denounced those who profit from the pandemic. By Vatican News The Holy See Press Office on Friday confirmed that Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle has tested positive with Covid-19 after a swab test. "Cardinal Tagle actually tested positive for Covid-19 with a pharyngeal swab carried out yesterday on his arrival in Manila, said a brief statement by Matteo Bruni, the Director of the Holy See Press Office. Thus the Philippine Cardinal who is Prefect of the Vatican Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples as well as President of Caritas Internationalis, the federation of Catholic charities worldwide, becomes the first head of a Vatican dicastery with Covid-19. Responding to journalists, Bruni said the Cardinal does not have any symptoms and will remain in mandatory self-quarantine in the Philippines, where he is located. In the meantime, he added, necessary checks are being carried out among those who have come into contact with His Eminence in recent days. He said Cardinal Tagle had undergone a swab test in Rome on September 7, which turned out negative. Cardinal denounces profiteering from pandemic Earlier this week, the 63-year old cardinal led an online recollection on Covid-19 in the Philippines, during which he criticized those who take advantage of the pandemic to make money. He was participating on Tuesday in Kaunting Pahinga (A Little Rest), an initiative organized by Caritas Philippines and the Dilaab Foundation. As many people are suffering and getting poorer, he said, there are some businesses and probably individuals who are taking advantage of the situation. . . . And they know how to capitalize on the sorrow and the needs of others for their profitability. Cardinal Tagle expressed hope that through faith in Jesus, the pandemic would lead people to a lifestyle of compassion and solidarity. The head of Caritas Internationalis pointed out that the global health crisis has increased the demand for assistance from Caritas by more than a hundred percent. No one should be left alone. This gives hope to many people, Cardinal Tagle added. About 12 hours earlier, during a rally in Michigan, Trump had alleged that Biden would open the country to terrorists, invite members of the loosely organized far-left group antifa to live in suburban neighborhoods, and that no city, town or suburb will be safe. Biden, in an interview that aired Thursday on CNN, had said he was in better physical shape than Trump, questioned the presidents intelligence and said, Unrelated to my running, he should not be the commander in chief of the United States military. Black doctors are the best way to build trust in our communities. But they need help. Without significant participation in clinical trials, there will be no proof that our patients should trust the vaccine. Morehouse School of Medicine and Meharry Medical College have been identified as clinical trial sites, and are in the early stages of volunteer recruitment. But an expansion is necessary. Researchers and the medical industry should engage the remaining two Black and minority serving medical schools Charles R. Drew College of Medicine and Howard University College of Medicine in the vaccine trials now. In addition, the 104 Historically Black Colleges and Universities can serve as credible messengers to distribute information and foster trust in communities throughout the country. Their involvement should include the recruitment of patients, participation in the science, and development of the plan to distribute the vaccine to the most vulnerable communities. Unlike what happened with the development of antiviral treatment for AIDS, the African-American population should not be last to get access to the lifesaving medication. Economic barriers must also be lifted. Institutions must work with African-Americans who cant take time away from work, by engaging with employers to provide time for employee participation as a health incentive. And because our communities suffer from a lack of reliable transportation, institutions must also conduct trials where we live. The African-American community must also be willing to engage: ask hard questions and consult trusted sources in order to assuage legitimate concerns. The Black Lives Matter movement reminds us that we do not have to be confined by the ugliest parts of our nations history or our fallen human nature. We have an opportunity to do something better in this moment. Simply put, the largest population being killed by Covid-19 should have a significant role in development of a treatment. The human rights activist Fannie Lou Hamer grew up under the brutality of Jim Crow in the Mississippi Delta that included forced sterilization an abhorrent practice so common it became known as a Mississippi appendectomy. Mrs. Hamer reached a point where the status quo would simply not do, famously remarking I am sick and tired of being sick and tired. She demanded full inclusion in American democracy for all Black Americans. We find ourselves at another inflection point where the status quo cannot stand. True change requires that government and industry make every effort to achieve true diversity in clinical trials. Black lives depend on it. Wayne A. I. Frederick is the president of Howard University; Valerie Montgomery Rice is the president of Morehouse School of Medicine; David M. Carlisle is president of Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science; James E. K. Hildreth is president of Meharry Medical College. The Times is committed to publishing a diversity of letters to the editor. Wed like to hear what you think about this or any of our articles. Here are some tips. And heres our email: letters@nytimes.com. Follow The New York Times Opinion section on Facebook, Twitter (@NYTopinion) and Instagram. 11.09.2020 LISTEN The President for Save the Nation for Future Leader, Mr. Kwadwo Atta Apeakorang has stated unequivocally that Ghana as a nation does not need any foreign vaccine to help contain the COVID-19 pandemic. According to him, the country already has all the necessary elements to help combat the virus."On a more serious note, we don't need any vaccine, we have our own vaccine which is our food crops and herbs. We have everything to boost our immune system. Ask yourself how over 42,000 people recovered, did they use any vaccine? No, so why the vaccine? When the president said it in one of his COVID 19 national addresses that we should eat ginger, Dawadawa, and the rest, he was right. Let's consume what we produce on our land. Let us protect and promote what we have to the world. We have land and water bodies. Let's stop illegal mining galamsey to protect them for our future generation. If we allow our land and water bodies to be destroyed in the name of wealth, it will provide an avenue for the white to dictate for us every day, he explained. It is time we stop depending on foreigners for everything. This he said, in order to win the war against COVID-19 the government needs to invest in mass communication to help educate the citizenry on the essence of relying on local foods and herbs more. ."I don't think wearing masks and social distancing can help fight this virus. The government needs to mount billboards in town to show the local foods that would boost ones our immune system; rather than investing in billboards indicating social distancing and the wearing of nose masks in town, he stated. However, he also called on the government, the traditional rulers, and the relevant stakeholders to support the operation vanguard to help protect the water bodies from illegal miners. The land and water bodies need to be protected for future generations. Water is life, the land is God gift which we must protect but if we destroy these two things our generation will be living in hell a few years to come," he stated. He urged Ghanaians to be vigilant and be brother's keeper in this crucial moment. With a deadline looming for local governments to complete a population count for the 2020 Census, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner is warning that the city could miss out on billions in federal funding for services such as road repairs and school lunches. The reason? Less than 57 percent of the citys residents have filled out the census form, a nine-question survey that can be completed by mail, phone or online. The city of Houston was planning a major outreach effort to avoid an undercount among young and poor people, immigrants and communities of color. The pandemic and economic insecurity from shuttered businesses, however, hampered outreach efforts and hobbled participation, officials say. September is the final month to respond to the Census, Turner tweeted this month. Over 40% of Houstonians have yet to answer 9 questions @mycensus2020.gov which could cost Houston $1500 person per year for 10 years. Please do so now. Sasha-Joi Marshall Smith, a city planner who has been coordinating outreach efforts, attributed low participation to political interference, civil unrest and the coronavirus pandemic. She is terrified about the economic and social reverberations of an undercount thats now running about 15 percentage points behind 2010. Every 1 percent of the population thats not counted means $250 million in federal funding that the city is entitled to will be directed to another city, she said. Its that serious. I tell people, Its our federal tax dollars God forbid it goes to Dallas, she said. Whether you were born here or not, its our job to make sure people here have basic services. Harris County faces a similar predicament, with just under 61 percent of residents having participated. There are so many pockets in Harris County where we havent heard from most people perhaps a fraction of the people have responded but most have not responded, said Tazeen Zehra, a senior census staffer in Houston. Deadline looms Galveston County has had such a low return rate 58 percent that census workers have sought helpers from neighboring counties. Montgomery County is doing slightly better with just under 66 percent reporting. Fort Bend County has the highest participation rate in the state with more than 73 percent responding overall, including nearly 80 percent in Sugar Land. The current deadline for local governments to complete their counts is Sept. 30. But outreach workers are hoping a federal judge will extend that deadline to Oct. 31 for the entire country at a court hearing in California next week. Harris County Commissioners Rodney Ellis and Adrian Garcia joined as plaintiffs in the California case because theyre concerned that their districts will be undercounted without an extension. The Trump administration previously offered an extension, then withdrew the offer. The administration has been openly challenging the scope of the census. In a New York case, a federal court ruled Thursday that it was illegal to exclude undocumented immigrants from the count. The current administration has taken unprecedented measures to erode the spirit and intent of the 2020 Census count, said Frances Valdez, who leads regional census efforts as executive director of Houston in Action. Valdez said outreach will now focus on communities such as Greenspoint, Pasadena and Gulfton, which have been disproportionately affected by disasters, school underfunding and the current public health pandemic. Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo said census teams are sprinting to collect data amid significant headwinds, including the pandemic, the economic downturn and a president who has actively tried to scare people away from participating. The census is vital to the long-term prosperity of our community, especially given that were one of the fastest-growing regions in America, the first-term Democrat said, adding that its also the keystone for so many of the resources we rely on to keep up with vital needs: health, education, infrastructure, housing you name it. Not on peoples minds In Houston, grassroots organizers have had to switch gears due to the pandemic. The city is hosting census parades and urging schools to disseminate the message. Nabila Mansoor, executive director for Texas Emgage, said once it became clear that teams could not go to festivals or houses of worship, they began reaching out to residents online and through radio appearances and literature drops. Theyve been chatting with people waiting in car lines for free groceries, pet food or masks. Its not at the forefront of anyones mind right now, the pandemic is, said Mansoor, whose group seeks to empower Muslim Americans. Theyre thinking, How am I going to get food on the table and am I going to get a job? In Fort Bend, Felicity Pereyra of the countys census amplification team said workers analyzed data on low self-response rates and targeted people through direct mail, text messaging, digital advertising and peer-to-peer contact or relational organizing. In the city of Galveston, connecting with people in poorer neighborhoods continues to be a challenge for outreach workers. The northern section of the island where nearly 36 percent of the population lives below the poverty line has had a particularly low census response rate of only 32 percent. United Way Galveston is leading a Count Galveston initiative aiming to get a response rate of at least 45 percent - a percentage point higher than its 2010 response rate. Lindsey White, the executive director of United Way Galveston, said they reached their goal, but only after contracting with local nonprofits in areas like the northern section of the island to help with outreach. We selected those nonprofits based on who they had access to and we felt like it would make a lot more sense for organizations that are already trusted in a particular community to be that point person for census work, White said. Reaching out Galveston Urban Ministries, in the northern section of the island, was one of the organizations tasked with census turnout in that area. Agueda Jimenez, a coordinator for the groups outreach, said pandemic conditions made it difficult to hold events such as an annual back-to-school drive, which doubles as a census outreach opportunity. Shes been relegated to reaching out to people in that neighborhood by phone. We got a fairly decent amount of responses from the people we contacted, Jimenez said. I would say about half of them answered the phone, the other half we had to leave a message but we didnt really hear back from anybody. In Montgomery County, Nancy S. Mikeska director of community development for Conroe, said census outreach might include include ads in the local Spanish newspaper and possibly a radio spot. There is only a certain amount of things we can do at this point, Mikeska said. Im always concerned. Our census count is down just like every city in America. Meanwhile in Shenandoah, officials were finishing up their efforts after recording a really good turnout this year, said Debbie Pilcher, a city communications manager. Were real pleased, Pilcher said. I credit it to early outreach but we are also a small town. We have a small community base and a belief that this is something thats necessary to provide the funding that we are going to need in the future. Sometimes it helps to be a small city, Pilcher added. Nick Powell, Brooke A. Lewis and Alejandro Serrano contributed to this report. gabrielle.banks@chron.com A tutor who allegedly flouted a sexual offences prevention order (SOPO) by contacting children at dozens of schools across Northern Ireland is set to face further charges, a court heard on Friday. Police revealed they are seeking to put the additional matters to 35-year-old Ching Lun Tsang. The developing scale of the investigation emerged as a judge stressed the need for progress in the case. Tsang, of Larkfield Road in Belfast, is currently in custody charged with 24 counts of breaching a SOPO on dates between December 2018 and November 2019. The alleged offences involve contacting a number of children at secondary and grammar schools. He is also accused of sending an advertisement for online and face-to-face tutoring services, as well as supplying private teaching, despite prohibitions on such actions. Further alleged breaches involve having a female under the age of 18 at his home address without prior approval from social services or a designated risk manager, and reactivating two tutoring accounts. None of the schools can be identified due to reporting restrictions. During a previous hearing police claimed Tsang has contacted in excess of 200 children at 37 schools across Northern Ireland. It was suspected that he used school web pages, downloading and storing names and year group photos, and making contact on Snapchat. A defence lawyer emphasised that he is not accused of touching or any physical contact with children. At Belfast Magistrates' Court on Friday a further update in the investigation was provided. A PSNI officer disclosed: "There's a number of additional charges to be put to Mr Tsang." She indicated that attempts to proceed have been hindered by the access to prison during the pandemic. But District Judge George Conner called for the prosecution to be advanced without further delay. "We can't keep rolling over and rolling over as more cases come to light," he said. Adjourning proceedings for four weeks, Mr Conner added: "We need a definite timescale." A Black lives Matter mural that was painted on 5th Avenue is seen directly in front of Trump Tower in New York City on July 10, 2020. (David Dee Delgado/Getty Images) City of Phoenix Rejects Proposal for Black Lives Matter Mural The Phoenix City Council has denied a proposal to have a Black Lives Matter street mural downtown. The request for a BLM street mural was made by Gizette Knight who opened a petition on Change.org two months ago calling on city residents for support. A letter from Ed Zuercher, the city manager, sent to Knight on Sept. 9, said that based on existing regulations governing allowable markings in the street, as well as overriding concerns with safety, risks, and federal guidelines for markings on streets, the City of Phoenix cannot accommodate your request. As you were made aware during previous discussions with Street Transportation staff, installation of a mural, or any other non-standard markings, on a city street (in public rights of way) is not currently allowed, Zuercher wrote, adding, I appreciate your passion for this project. Phoenix city councilman for District 6, Sal DiCiccio, posted a copy of the letter on Twitter, commenting, This is government Speak for: Public would have handed us our ass if we allowed the BLM mural to happen.' BLM Mural Backpedaling This is Government Speak for: Public would have handed us our ass if we allowed the BLM mural to happen. Never underestimate political self-preservation We Win Again!!! pic.twitter.com/eq3pHSueN9 Sal DiCiccio (@Sal_DiCiccio) September 10, 2020 A city meeting to discuss the mural was scheduled on Sept. 2 (pdf) to discuss a report that provides information to and requests direction from the Transportation, Infrastructure and Innovation Subcommittee on a potential pilot project for the installation of a Black Lives Matter street mural in downtown Phoenix. The agenda item was submitted by Mario Paniagua, the deputy city manager, and the Street Transportation Department. However, the item was withdrawn without a vote. DiCiccio posted on Twitter a copy of a withdrawal notice addressed from Paniagua to the Transportation, Infrastructure and Innovation Subcommittee, which read, At the request of Subcommittee members, this memo requests a withdrawal of [the agenda] regarding discussion on Street Murals As a result, the Citys existing policies on street markings remain in place. Patch.com noted that after the withdrawal, the issue was scheduled for discussion at the city councils most recent executive session. But discussions will not be made public. A spokesperson for DiCiccio told the outlet that there did not appear to be much support for the proposal and as such, the sponsor requested that it be moved to the executive session. An updated message on the Change.org petition by Knight appeared to respond to the move, saying, Recently, Phoenix was given the opportunity to show their resolve to stand with their Black Community and leave a symbol that recognizes the need for change. However, the city officials failed to act and greeted this opportunity with opposition. The petition goes on to request that Mayor Kate Gallego not hesitate and take the lead to grant permission to paint the mural on the city street so that we can ban[d] together as one community, Knight wrote. As of late Sept. 10, the petition to Mayor Kate Gallego has collected 3,105 signatures. The mural seeks to feature paintings of civil rights figures including Dr. Martin Luther King, Cesar Chavez, and the late Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.), who died in July. The Epoch Times has contacted the mayors office for comment. New York City, Oakland, San Francisco, Minneapolis, Chicago, and Tucson are cities that have seen efforts to have Black Lives Matter street murals installed. A few groups have issued public statements against the proposed Phoenix BLM street mural. Black Lives Matter Phoenix Metro wrote on Twitter in late August, Less murals. More action. In a lengthy statement on Aug. 31 to the Phoenix City Council, the group wrote, Continue to say [Black Lives Matter] if you will, but dont use a mural to show it. Rather, let us in the negotiation process for the new contract with the police union, defund the police, and allocate that money where it is truly needed, and fire the officers involved in the abuse or death of our community members. Their lives should matter to you more than a mural. Another group, the Black Phoenix Organizing Collective, called the mural an empty gesture. In a statement published by Fox10phoenix.com, the group said that city murals are an example of the co-optation of protest and resistance that does nothing to serve the people who need it most. Paint on the street wont stop cops from using Black people for target practice, the activist group said. While adding insult to injury, the proposed mural would exist between two historic sundown townstowns where Black people werent welcome, and where Black people are still subject to police violence, deprived of shelter, and the ability to determine our own lives. If Phoenix believes that Black lives matter, it must fulfill and exceed the basic needs of our Black communities, instead of wasting time, energy, and resources on self-congratulatory projects. In order to live safe and dignified lives in Phoenix, Black people demand structural change. We dont want symbolic solidaritywe demand action, the group added. The Phoenix Law Enforcement Association, a police advocacy group, also appeared to oppose the idea for a mural. On Aug. 25, the group released a statement on Facebook saying, Members of the Black Lives Matter movement and at least one supporter on the Phoenix City Council want to shut down one of the busiest streets in downtown Phoenix for weeks in order to paint portraits of their heroes on the pavement. If this is allowed, then shouldnt we be able to have similar portraits of our Fallen Heroes painted on the streets in front of the respective police facilities they were assigned to? the group said. Luxembourg, 10 September 2020 - In a seven-year research effort, an international team of scientists has clarified the cause for certain genetic forms of Parkinson's disease, and has identified potential pharmacological treatments. The interdisciplinary research team, led by Prof. Rejko Kruger, of the Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine (LCSB) of the University of Luxembourg, experimented on patient-based cell cultures in the laboratory. The new combination of active substances they identified will have to undergo clinical trials before they can be used to treat patients. The research team published its results today in the prestigious scientific journal Science Translational Medicine. Lack of protein DJ-1 makes you sick A protein called DJ-1 plays a crucial role in keeping nerve cells functioning. If the body is unable to produce ample amounts of DJ-1, important nerve cells die. The result is the onset of neuro-degenerative diseases such as Parkinson's. The production of important proteins like DJ-1 can be disrupted or halted permanently if the genetic blueprints or the production processes they encode are defective. Now, Prof. Rejko Kruger's research team in Luxembourg has succeeded in identifying for the first time the importance of an error in the production process known as 'splicing' in the development of a certain form of Parkinson's disease. "In the patients, an essential tool for the assembly of the protein DJ-1 fails to dock properly," Kruger explains. "In scientific terms, we call that exon skipping. As a result of this defect, the protein doesn't get built at all." The research result offers an entirely new point of attack for treating this malfunction of protein synthesis with drugs. "This insight fundamentally changes our view of the causes of the disease and presents entirely new possibilities for treatment," says Dr Ibrahim Boussaad, LCSB scientist and first author of the scientific paper. "We could only gain this new understanding thanks to the skin cells from the patients," Boussaad emphasises. Cell donation enables progress The Luxembourg Parkinson's Study, initiated in 2015 (see also http://www.parkinson.lu), includes a group of 800 Parkinson's patients and 800 healthy control subjects. Thanks to the donation of skin cells taken by small biopsies, the researchers in Luxembourg were able to reprogram these cells to grow into nerve cells in vitro. These nerve cells are very similar to the neurons in affected regions of the donor's brain and can be used for analyses and tests in the laboratory. Because it is not possible to take neurons directly from the brain of patients, for health and ethical reasons, reprogramming is the only way to examine the clinical features of the patient's neurons in vitro. In scientific jargon, this is called a patient-based in vitro model, and is an important step in personalised medicine. Using this method, Prof. Kruger's team was able to explain the cause of the genetic form of Parkinson's disease in which the PARK7 gene is mutated. Prof. Thomas Gasser, a medical director at the Tubingen University Hospital and co-author of the paper, adds, "We are proud to have been able to contribute our expertise in the reprogramming of patient cells to this stem cell work of our colleagues in Luxembourg." Institutions from Germany, Italy and the USA collaborated in the research project. Luxembourg's interdisciplinarity is a key to this success Precise bioinformatics algorithms developed at the LCSB allowed the research team to immediately carry out an automated search for potential active substances for drug treatment. This yielded a hit in the form of the active compounds phenylbutyric acid and RECTAS (RECTifier of Aberrant Splicing). Administered in combination, these two active substances allow the cells in the test tube to effectively reactivate the production of the important protein DJ-1. "Only by combining numerous disciplines - from medical practice, to laboratory research, to computer science - could we understand the cause and at the same time identify active substances for a potential treatment," Prof. Rejko Kruger explains. He adds, "This kind of scientific progress 'Made in Luxembourg' is possible because all the necessary disciplines have been unified in Luxembourg for several years now." This work represents the high point to date of the PEARL program of the Luxembourg National Research Fund (FNR), through which the research of Prof. Kruger and his team is funded. The team of scientists especially expresses its gratitude to the people who are participating in the Luxembourg Parkinson's Study and who have made this research possible in the first place. ### More information about the Luxembourg Parkinson's Study, including participation in the study, can be found at http://www.parkinson.lu. Reference: Boussaad et al., A patient-based model of RNA mis-splicing uncovers treatment targets in Parkinson's disease, Science Translational Medicine, 9 September 2020. DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.aau3960 About the LCSB The LCSB is an interdisciplinary research centre at the University of Luxembourg. It is accelerating biomedical research by closing the link between systems biology?and medical research. Collaboration between biologists, medical and computer scientists, physicists, engineers as well as mathematicians is offering new insights in complex systems like cells, organs and organisms. These findings are essential for understanding principal mechanisms of disease pathogenesis and for developing new tools in diagnostics and therapy. Neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson's Disease and description of diseases as networks are in the focus of LCSB's research. The Centre has established strategic partnerships with leading biomedical laboratories worldwide and with all major biological and medical research units in Luxembourg. The LCSB fosters collaboration with industrial partners and has founded several spin-off companies, thereby accelerating the translation of fundamental research results into clinical applications. Contact: Laura Bianchi, T. (+352) 46 66 44 9451, E. laura.bianchi@uni.lu. The Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) said Thursday that it has sanctioned three employees of the Russian-based Internet Research Agency for its interference in U.S. elections as well as a series of associated cryptocurrency addresses. Thursday's statement and accompanying details included specific addresses for Bitcoin, Litecoin, Ethereum, Zcash, Bitcoin SV and Dash as part of the financial sanctions. The Internet Research Agency (IRA)'s use of cryptocurrency was established back in 2018, when U.S. prosecutors accused the firm of participating in Russia's interference in the 2016 presidential election. The IRA is a so-called troll farm, the activities of which are focused on spreading misinformation via digital channels. OFAC said in its statement Thursday: "Today, Treasury also designated three IRA actors pursuant to E.O. 13694, as amended by E.O. 13757, and E.O. 13848 for having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, the IRA, an entity designated pursuant to E.O. 13694, as amended, and E.O. 13848. Russian nationals Artem Lifshits, Anton Andreyev, and Darya Aslanova, as employees of the IRA, supported the IRAs cryptocurrency accounts. The IRA uses cryptocurrency to fund activities in furtherance of their ongoing malign influence operations around the world." The 2018 indictment against IRA noted that maintained accounts on unnamed cryptocurrency exchanges, which they allegedly obtained falsified identification documents. It's unclear if the three individuals named are involved in ongoing efforts to interfere with this year's U.S. presidential election. Another person named in the sanctions release, Ukrainian parliament member Andrii Derkach, was sanctioned "for his efforts to influence the 2020 U.S. presidential election." Update: This story has been updated to reflect that a Dash address was included in the sanctions list. 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. With Constitution Day approaching on September 17, parents, teachers, and students looking to understand the principles and practices of American citizens have a place they can turn: the Bill of Rights Institute. BRIs Constitution Day 2020 portal features lesson plans, resources, and more. Between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. on the 17th, the institute will host a live webinar on YouTube exploring the theme United We Standan apt topic given the growing discord in the United States. BRI president David Bobb notes that all the institutes resources are designed to drive students to the Constitution as the foundation of their analysis of American history. BRI offers a wide range of classroom materials for teachers and students that covers all of American history, government, and civics. Bobbs previous experience in higher education made him realize that parents and educators need to instill in students a thoughtful patriotism that prepares them for a lifetime of moral and civic virtue. American civics is our North Starthe promise of freedom and equality for all, Bobb says, pointing out how these principles have inspired everyone from Americas Founders to Frederick Douglass to civil rights leaders like the recently deceased John Lewis. Rightly understood, civics is a continual practice of self-government and cultivation of character that strengthens the bonds of republican government. A proper civics education, Bobb says, means knowing our nations enduring principles and putting them into action, thereby completing the Revolution that the Founders began in 1776. This need wont be met simply by viewing civics as just another course that high school students take. Bobb argues instead that civics should be seen as a means to chart Americas future, in part by applying the constitutional principles and civic virtues that have made the American experiment work best. What makes BRI unique, Bobb says, is that it bypasses educational bureaucracies and goes directly to teachers to give them what they need. BRI offers free, best-in-class, viewpoint diverse, and comprehensive classroom resources. Chief among BRIs teacher resources is its free digital textbook, Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness: A History of the American Experiment (full content accessible here), a lively and readable resource for high school students that is aligned with AP U.S. History standards. BRI says that another of its free digital textbooks, Documents of Freedom: History, Government, and Economics through Primary Sources, has already been used by over 1 million students. Teachers and parents can access BRI Resources, a free digital storehouse including over 3,000 ready-made classroom lessons and activities, such as a recent feature on the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment and womens suffrage. BRI also offers teachers of U.S. history, civics, and government opportunities for professional developmenta pedagogy of freedom that Bobb states is rooted in the idea that Socratic discourse helps students own the ideas of the American experiment for themselves. BRI has reached more than 50,000 educators with these programs; the educators, in turn, are teaching 5 million students every year. For students, BRI features live AP U.S. History and Government prep webinars, an annual Constitutional Academy summer program that brings high school students together in Washington (this years event was conducted digitally), an annual student essay contest, and primary source materials. BRI also has a robust YouTube channel featuring its Homework Help series, comprised of short, informative videos on topics such as landmark Supreme Court cases and economic history. In order to strengthen our E Pluribus Unum, BRI Senior Teaching Fellow Tony Williams says, We can all play a role in restoring civic friendship and dialogue by listening to our neighbors, investing in our communities, and working toward solving problems together. Designed to foster civil discourse among students, BRIs Think the Vote project gives students the opportunity to debate pressing public issues of our time in a manner befitting self-governing citizens. Quoting a letter in which George Washington remarked that the Constitutional Convention can only lay the foundationthe community at large must raise the edifice, Bobb says: We have a lot of edifice still to raise in America, and the task is urgent. In these turbulent times, BRI seems up to the task. There's a new name on top of the state's list of largest wildfires as California is hounded by its worst fire season on record. Plus: The air quality is still terrible and could continue through the weekend. And could Christmas be canceled? It's fitting that we get this bad fire news on Thursday, named after Thor, the god of thunder and lightning. This is Megan Diskin with the Ventura County Star based in Camarillo, where the sky is a hazy light orange. In California brings you top Golden State stories and commentary from across the USA TODAY Network and beyond. Get it free, straight to your inbox. August Complex Fire sets record Jesse Katz joins the firefighting effort as a civilian volunteer battling the CZU August Lightning Complex Fire on Friday in Bonny Doon. The August Complex Fire officially became the state's largest fire ever recorded at 471,185 acres, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. That's about a third the size of Delaware. The blaze burning near the coast of Northern California unseated the 2018 Mendocino Complex Fire, which had reigned as the state's largest fire for two years at 459,000 acres. The Mendocino Complex Fire burned in another part of the same forest where the August Complex Fire currently rages on. The August Complex Fire started Aug. 17 during a series of lightning strikes that ignited 37 different fires. It was 24% contained Thursday. About 40 fires are burning in California weeks before the autumn months, which typically bring the year'ss most devastating blazes. Overall, across the West, 16 people have died and an area the size of Connecticut has burned in fires this month. We are hitting the record books in ways that we never would have imagined, and definitely not records that we like breaking, said Daniel Berlant, an assistant deputy director at Cal Fire. Check out satellite images of the fires here. Fire behavior getting more extreme Peter Koleckar is overwhelmed by the sight of multiple homes burned in his neighborhood after the CZU August Lightning Complex Fire passed through Aug. 20 in Bonny Doon, Calif. California wildfires are growing bigger and moving faster than ever before, the Associated Press reported. One of the major concerns with this trend is it leaves less time for warnings and evacuations. Story continues Recently we have seen multiple fires expand by tens of thousands of acres in a matter of hours, and 30 years or more ago that just wasnt fire behavior that we saw, said Jacob Bendix, a professor of geography and the environment at Syracuse University who studies wildfires. Warmer temperatures and years of drought, conditions related to climate change, are some of the prime factors in this fire behavior trend. And fast-moving fires are difficult to predict. When you have a fire run 15 miles in one day, in one afternoon, theres no model that can predict that, U.S. Forest Service forester Steve Lohr said. The fires are behaving in such a way that weve not seen. Another reason to stay home? In this image taken with a slow shutter speed, embers light up a hillside behind the Bidwell Bar Bridge as the Bear Fire burns in Oroville, Calif., on Sept. 9, 2020. The blaze, part of the lightning-sparked North Complex, expanded at a critical rate of spread as winds buffeted the region. State air quality officials said it's rare that so many Californians are breathing in air polluted by lung-damaging particles. It's a more widespread effect of the brutal fire season, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported. Whats notable is that its everywhere, said Anthony Wexler, director of the Air Quality Research Center at UC Davis. So no matter which way the wind blows youre getting hit by smoke and ash. Its pretty brutal. Many people have remained indoors as they practice physical distancing amid the coronavirus health crisis, which impacts the respiratory system. The health effects of the air due to wildfire smoke include irritation to the eyes, nose and throat. It can cause asthma attacks and increase the risk of heart attacks and stroke. Children, pregnant women, the elderly, outdoor workers and people with asthma or other chronic respiratory and cardiovascular diseases are most at risk. Wildfire smoke sends more smog-forming pollutants in the air, according to the Los Angeles Times. Over Labor Day weekend, the smog in downtown L.A. was the worst it has been in nearly 30 years. The levels were so far above normal it prompted a quality control check to prevent the release of any wrong data. The Redding Record Searchlight in Northern California reports the unhealthy conditions are likely to continue through the weekend. Experts suggest residents living at lower elevations in the Sacramento Valley stay inside. Disneyland cancels Christmas event First it was Halloween in Los Angeles County and now it's Christmas at Disneyland. The Orange County Register reported that the Anaheim theme park is canceling its annual Candlelight Processional. The event features dozens of choir groups who sing songs to tell the story of Christmas. Disney officials said the company was unable to commit to plans for the event while the state's reopening guidelines for theme parks is unclear. The Disneyland Candlelight Ceremony tradition began in 1958 as a way for Walt Disney to show his gratitude to the Orange County community that was home to his first theme park. There might be some hope for Halloween fans at Knott's Berry Farm. The Taste of Fall-O-Ween craft beer and food event will be held on select dates from Sept. 25 through Nov. 1. The rides at Knott's Berry Farm are not running but there will be a trick-or-treat trail with candy stations for kids. Might be a good option for L.A. County parents, who have been advised not to allow their kids the Halloween rite of passage. And if your older kids are home, the Mercury News published a guide this week on survival tips for when COVID-19 sends college students home. Be an informed voter There will be lots to vote on come November in California. A guide from Calmatters can tell you about all the propositions on the November ballot, which races to watch and what impact California has on the presidential race. Double dipping? The superintendent of schools in Ventura County is running for a second elected position this November, the Ventura County Star reports. If he wins, he would hold his current superintendent position and a trustee spot on the Ventura County Community College District. Experts said it was OK as long as the positions don't conflict with each other. And Riverside County is asking residents to weigh in on where a limited number of polling places will be located. Although everyone is supposed to get a ballot by mail, voting in person will be an option. In California is a roundup of news from across USA Today network newsrooms. Also contributing: San Francisco Chronicle, Los Angeles Times, San Diego Union-Tribune, Orange County Register, Associated Press, Calmatters, Ventura County Star, The Desert Sun, Redding Record Searchlight and USA Today. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: California: August Complex Fire becomes state's biggest blaze Washington, Sep 12 : Israel and Bahrain have agreed to establish diplomatic ties, according to a joint statement of the US, Israel and Bahrain issued on Friday. The statement, which was presented by US President Donald Trump on Twitter, said that leaders of the US, Israel and Bahrain held a phone conversation earlier in the day and agreed to the "establishment of full diplomatic relations between Israel and the Kingdom of Bahrain", Xinhua reported. "Opening direct dialogue and ties between these two dynamic societies and advanced economies will continue the positive transformation of the Middle East and increase stability, security, and prosperity in the region," the statement said. The relationship normalisation agreement between Israel and Bahrain came about one month after a similar deal between Israel and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) announced on August 13. It also makes Bahrain the fourth Arab nation, after Egypt, Jordan and the UAE, to establish diplomatic ties with Israel. "Our two GREAT friends Israel and the Kingdom of Bahrain agree to a Peace Deal - the second Arab country to make peace with Israel in 30 days!" Trump tweeted. The UAE and Bahrain, however, have never fought a war against Israel in history. The statement also said that Bahrain would join the normalisation agreement signing ceremony between Israel and the UAE scheduled on September 15 at the White House. According to the Israel-UAE deal, Israel agrees to suspend its plan to annex parts of the occupied Palestinian territories in the West Bank. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said that the deal between the UAE and Israel "is a stab in the Palestinians' back". Abbas called on all Arab countries to abide by the Arab Peace Initiative, launched in 2002, which stipulates that the Arabs can only normalize relations with Israel after the Palestinian issue is resolved. ISLAMABAD The long-awaited peace talks between the Taliban and the Afghan governments negotiating team are to begin on Saturday in the Gulf Arab state of Qatar, the Taliban and Qatars foreign ministry said Thursday. The talks known as intra-Afghan negotiations were laid out in a peace deal that Washington brokered with the Taliban and signed in February, also in Qatar, where the Taliban maintain a political office. At the time, the deal was seen as Afghanistans best chance at ending more than four decades of relentless war. Shortly after the announcement, President Donald Trump said U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo would travel to Qatar, to attend the start of the negotiations. Sediq Sediqqi, spokesman for Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, confirmed in a tweet that their delegation will be in Qatars capital of Doha for the talks and said the president wished the negotiating team success. Pompeo issued a statement welcoming the start of negotiations and saying they will mark a historic opportunity for Afghanistan to bring an end to four decades of war and bloodshed. The people of Afghanistan have carried the burden of war for too long, Pompeo said. That deal Washington signed with the Taliban aims to end Afghanistans protracted war and bring American troops home while the intra-Afghan talks are to set a road map for a post-war society in Afghanistan. The negotiations are expected to be a difficult process as the two sides struggle to end the fighting and debate ways of protecting the rights of women and minorities. The Taliban have promised women could attend school, work and participate in politics but stressed that would all be allowed in keeping with Islamic principles without saying what that might mean. The Taliban have also said they would not support a woman becoming president of Afghanistan and that while they would allow for women to judges, a woman could not serve as a chief justice. Meanwhile, Kabuls reconciliation council has an array of disparate figures, including hard-liners such as Abdul Rasool Sayyaf, a former warlord who served as the inspiration for the Philippines Abu Sayyaf militant group, and Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, a one-time U.N.-listed terrorist. Both espouse deeply restrictive interpretations of Islam. Hekmatyar in an earlier interview with The Associated Press also rejected women serving as chief justice. Afghanistans Parliament has so far been unable to ratify a Violence Against Womens bill because it is feared that hard-line lawmakers would defeat any such legislation. The governments negotiation team includes several women who will carry a heavy burden to defend and protect rights for their gender, analysts say. The Taliban have no women on their team. The fate of the tens of thousands of armed Taliban, as well as militias loyal to government-allied warlords, will also be on the agenda, along with constitutional changes for Afghanistan. Theres also the issue of power sharing. While the Taliban have said they do not want to monopolize power, the suggestion of an interim administration has largely been rejected by Kabul. Deep mistrust also exists on both sides Washingtons peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad, who negotiated the U.S.-Taliban deal signed on Feb. 29, has been in Doha for the past week, trying to push the talks forward. The withdrawal of U.S. troops are not dependent on the success of the upcoming negotiations but rather on commitments taken by the Taliban under the deal with the U.S. to fight other militant groups, most specifically the Islamic State group, and to ensure that Afghanistan is not used as a staging ground for attacks on the United States or its allies. Washington and NATO have already begun withdrawing troops and by November America expects to have less than 5,000 troops still in Afghanistan. The start of negotiations had been plagued by delays as the two sides squabbled for months over the release of prisoners until the exchange was complete earlier this month 5,000 Taliban freed by the Afghan government and 1,000 government and military personnel who were released by the Taliban. The prisoner release was also set in the U.S.-Taliban deal as a prerequisite for the start of the intra-Afghan negotiations. However, the negotiations will begin under difficult circumstances, marred by stepped up attacks on Afghan forces by the Taliban, target killings and attempted assassinations. Scores of civilians have died in the crossfire. There have also been attacks on released Taliban prisoners returning to their homes and accusations by the insurgents of being attacked inside their homes with their families. Abdullah Abdullah, the head of Afghanistans High Council for National Reconciliation, the body that is overseeing the negotiations on behalf of the government, will attend the opening of the talks but the day-to-day negotiations will be carried out by a team headed by Mohammed Masoom Stanikzai, a former intelligence chief. Abdullah was appointed head the council as part of a power-sharing agreement with Ghani to end a political standoff between the two following last years controversial presidential elections. The countrys election commission declared Ghani the winner while Abdullah claimed he had won and went on to self-declare himself president. The impasse lasted for months also delaying the start of the intra-Afghan negotiations before the U.S. negotiated a power-sharing deal under which Abdullah joined the government. The Talibans 21-member negotiation team is headed by their chief justice Abdul Hakim and includes 13 members of the insurgents leadership council. Pompeo in his statement warned both sides against squandering this opportunity to hammer out a negotiated end to the fighting. This opportunity must not be squandered, Pompeo said. Immense sacrifice and investment by the United States, our partners, and the people of Afghanistan have made this moment of hope possible. I urge the negotiators to demonstrate the pragmatism, restraint, and flexibility this process will require to succeed. The people of Afghanistan and the international community will be watching closely. Also Thursday, Trump, who promised in the 2016 presidential campaign to bring U.S. troops home from Afghanistan, announced he has picked William Ruger, vice president for research and policy at the Arlington, Virginia-based Charles Koch Institute, as the next ambassador to Kabul. Picking Ruger, a veteran of the war who advocates withdrawing U.S. forces from the country, is seen as a way for Trump to underscore his desire to do just that. There are those who would like to see us remain at war in Afghanistan long into the future, Ruger has said. But the president should not allow a withdrawal deal to be bogged down by conditions that arent necessary for Americas safety. Trump has a narrow window to get Ruger confirmed by the Senate, which is set to recess in mid-October before the U.S. presidential election in early November. ___ Associated Press writers Matthew Lee and Deb Riechmann in Washington and Tameem Akhgar in Kabul, Afghanistan, contributed to this report OTTAWA COUNTY, MI Sheriffs deputies are looking for a woman who robbed a Georgetown Township party store at gunpoint on Thursday, Sept. 10. The robbery was reported at 9:04 p.m. at Sheldon Party Store, 2050 Chicago Drive. The robber, with facial tattoos and a shaved head, showed a small, black semi-automatic handgun to a clerk before she took an undisclosed amount of cash and merchandise, sheriffs Sgt. Nicholas Knott said in a statement. The robber fled in a beige, early- to mid-1990s Lincoln Continental, police said. Police asked anyone with information to call 877-88-SILENT or go www.mosotips.com Read more: Kalamazoo police release videos from Proud Boys protest to the public Grand Rapids police target gun violence; teen charged in shooting of boy, 12 Search resumed, unsuccessfully, for teen swimmer missing in Lake Michigan A trader works by the post that trades AbbVie on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. A "critical part" of pharmaceutical company AbbVie's success is "face-to-face" interaction, CEO Richard Gonzalez explained in an Aug. 27 email outlining its process for bringing thousands of U.S.-based employees back to work. Gonzalez said "cross-functional collaboration" was a cornerstone of AbbVie's high performance, adding that employees needed to "preserve and nurture our culture so we can continue to accelerate, to climb higher and to help the next generation of patients." All of that, he said, "means returning to our workplace," according to the email viewed by CNBC. The company expects employees even those who say they've been able to work from home just fine to report to the office to foster creativity and innovation under its phased-in return-to-work plan, according to interviews with three current employees, anonymous complaints in public forums and internal company documents. But not all employees feel the same. It's a problem that's starting to play out at AbbVie and other workplaces throughout America. Some AbbVie workers say they worry that the company is putting profits ahead of safety and the health of its U.S. employees and their families at risk. At the same time, they say they feel pressure to come in. Based in Lake Bluff, Illinois, the company is one of the largest drugmakers in the world with 47,000 global employees. More than 12,000 employees work at AbbVie in the U.S. across four states, according to its website. AbbVie isn't alone. Epic Systems, an electronic medical records provider in the Midwest, also asked its employees to return to work in the fall also to preserve its culture. That prompted employee backlash and questions from the local health department. Epic recently agreed to walk back its return-to-work plans. AbbVie closed its doors during what it's calling phase one of the outbreak at its U.S. locations on March 17 days after President Donald Trump declared the pandemic a national emergency. The company brought essential lab workers, manufacturing employees and some senior leaders back on a limited basis during the second phase, which started in early June and alternated days when specific teams would be on-site, according to an internal presentation reviewed by CNBC. Phase three workers, which includes R&D, sales and marketing employees, were asked to start returning on July 13 when the company resumed daily office schedules for all on-site workers. Three employees told CNBC that many decided not to come back. The phase three employees have now been told to return to the office Monday, according to an Aug. 31 letter sent to staff from U.S. President Jeff Stewart and other company leaders that was reviewed by CNBC. "We expect a return to pre-COVID, regular on-site schedules and work weeks," the email states. The fourth phase would bring the remaining employees back to the office a decision the company hasn't made yet. Stewart said AbbVie had "supportive childcare and e-learning resources" for those with children at home. The company also implemented safety protocols, including partitions, hand sanitizer stations, signage, increased ventilation and webcams for video-based conversations in conference rooms, it told employees. AbbVie declined to comment to CNBC on its return-to-work plans, or provide any further information on its processes to keep employees safe. The company also did not respond to questions about whether there's any flexibility in its policies, particularly for those who have underlying medical conditions that make them more susceptible to the virus or who live with other vulnerable people. Other drugmakers have announced flexible work-from-home policies. Novartis, for instance, has said its workers can return on-site voluntarily without any pressure to do so. Tylenol maker Johnson & Johnson is bringing employees back in "waves as it is safe to do so," spokeswoman Lisa Cannellos told CNBC. The company declined to say when its return-to-work program would begin. Cannellos said it's currently offering "flexible work arrangements for those who need it based on dependent care or underlying health conditions." AbbVie last year agreed to buy Botox-maker Allergan for $63 billion as it moved more deeply into medical aesthetics. The company had been under pressure to diversify its portfolio of medicines beyond Humira, one of the bestselling drugs in the world, as it faced new competition from rivals. The company just announced a global deal with China's I-Mab to develop and commercialize a new cancer treatment. The Chicago area, where AbbVie is based, has seen new coronavirus cases fall over the last week. But the area's so-called positivity rate remains stubbornly over 5%, according to the City of Chicago, and the outbreak across the state is bad enough to keep Illinois residents on the restricted travel lists of New York and New Jersey. More than 256,000 people have tested positive in the state so far, and more than 8,400 people have died. The virus is starting to surge across the Midwest, health officials have reported, creating hot spots in various states. The persistence of the outbreak has spooked employees at AbbVie and elsewhere from taking public transportation, which is unavoidable for many who rely on it or the often-crammed company shuttle to get to work, the employees said. "Many employees are commuters who don't feel comfortable about taking the metro," said one worker, who asked to remain anonymous because they weren't authorized to speak to the press. "We feel that there could be consequences if we don't go in." AbbVie plans to canvass employees to see what they think. It's launching a formal employee survey on Sept. 22 about its workplace and culture during Covid-19, according to an internal email viewed by CNBC that was sent to staff earlier this month. The company said it would release the results in November well after many U.S. employees are expected to be at their desks, according to the email. The three employees CNBC spoke with said the survey seemed like too little too late, given that the results won't be shared for several months after their planned return to the office. To continue working from home, employees say they need manager approval, but some say they fear repercussions if they make that request. "I don't think I'd be fired immediately if I didn't come in," said a second employee, who asked not to be named because they also weren't authorized to speak to the press. "But I do worry that I'd be known as a dissenter." Another employee who requested anonymity for the same reasons said, "A lot of us are aligned in thinking this is inappropriate." While executives and some managers have offices, many rank-and-file employees say they sit in an open office with cubicles, which studies show are prone to spreading infections of all kinds, including the coronavirus. AbbVie told employees it's constructed plastic partitions to try to reduce any outbreaks, according to an email. Attorneys say AbbVie and other employers are within their rights to require staff to work in the office, unless they have a condition that would place them in a higher-risk group and is documented ideally confidentially with human resources. Those who need accommodations because of children at home might qualify for the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, which requires employers to "provide employees with paid sick leave or expanded family or medical leave for specified reasons related to COVID-19," but that only applies to companies with fewer than 500 employees. AbbVie is not among them. The fear of catching Covid alone could in some circumstances be considered a medical condition, said Troy Valdez, a lawyer specializing in labor and employment law at Coblentz Patch Duffy & Bass. "But that is between the employee and their doctor," he said in an interview. "If an employee has a doctor who'll say this fear is a condition with limitations associated with that, and the requested accommodation is to work from home, they (the company) may have to accommodate." The rebirth of multi-party democracy in Ghana in 1992 has repositioned the country in an enviable path to governance. The process of democratization including constitutionalism, party politics visas via manifesto, has chronicled the modern governance process in the past three decades in Ghana's life-giving the 4th republic. The duo play of NDC- NPP led administration with a weakening third force has made commentators and governance expense perceived Ghana as fast becoming a two-party state. What is worth appreciating is the experience of headlines political discourse during every electioneering season. One will agree that the 2012 election which was more of sentiments with minority groups galvanizing support for the NDC at the time was not the same in the immediate past election. Election 2016 was largely fought in corruption and promises. The NPP at the time capitalized on the seemingly countless allegations of corrupt practices that dented the reputation of the NDC and subsequently leading to the defeat of Candidate John Mahama. Gauging from the recent political party manifestoes and commentaries on social media and traditional media. Experts and political parties themselves have situated the 2020 election on the campaign of track records and manifesto promises. The 2016 election saw the NPP gave a juicy promise with their pledge to fighting the canker of corruption and that appears to have won the heart of many Ghanaian and victory was delivered. In assessing the performance of the NPP in delivering on the mandate of corruption, the setting up of the office of the special prosecutor was a milestone in demonstrating commitment in institutional mechanisms in dealing with the canker of corruption. Sadly, there is no much to show for in winning the war against corruption. There are a lot of government deals including Agyapa Royalties Limited that appear to be elite captures. The issue of mission excavators, PDS deals just to mention but a few; is an equalization of the previous administration that was described as a corrupt regime. To situate the debate on the context of corruption score, the John Mahama led administration and the Akuffo Addo regimes are highly corrupt and empowered very few elite class with the state capture. It would be significant to conclude that, both regimes have no moral justification to pride themselves in the fight against corruption. No wonder the major political parties have swiftly shifted the debate to a contest of track records and manifesto promises. It is admonishing that, they have failed in the war against corruption? The NPP government that came to power through a juicy promise has done very little in terms of manifesto campaign promise fulfillment. Nonetheless, the creation of the six new regions and the hasty implemented Free Senior High School policy, are some track records. However, the failure of the government to address the issue of big government side as they have created an elephant side government coupled with the construction of pounds as One Village, One Dam policy initiatives are all failures of the regime juicy campaign promises. The NPP regime cannot score a past mark in terms of the overall assessment of performance. With too much borrowing and very little to show for, the NPP government has largely failed the good people of Ghana. This is not to suggest, that the NDC government is a competent alternative either. Although much development initiatives were carried out in the Mahama Led administration, many projects appear not to have value for money as shoddy work was done in most of the government infrastructural projects; mention could be made to include portions of the Sawla- Fulfusu road, part of the eastern corridor stretch and many more. The NDC 2020 manifesto just like the NPP in 2016 manifesto is the most ambitious political party manifesto so far. The gimmicks of the major political parties in Ghana must be checked. We cannot continue to allow political parties to give us sweat promise just to trick us to vote them. We must begin to demand a clear explanation of implementation plans and resource mobilization. It is high time we restructure and empower the National Development Planning Commission so it becomes the reference point for political parties to develop manifestoes. The continued practice of manifesto regimes if it continues, the country would not chart a significant development path. For political parties, what mattered most is to woe voters and get their vote and not that they are conscious of development. It is great news that the 2020 election campaign is shifting from previous campaign message; the campaign on track record would better informed discerning voters to appreciate what policy interventions including physical development, and how impactful those are and to make their choice. The manifesto promise would equally provide the electorate the opportunity to re-examine the records of the two major parties in fulfilling previous promises and how feasible is the promise made. We must be very conscious of the fact that political activism is expected to advance our socio-economic and larger development paradigm. The process should begin with us being more discerning and focused on voting wisely and not allowing our morality to be eroded and to make wrong choices by falling on the trap set by political parties. Author; Tahiru Lukman Youth Activist, Devt Consultant & Pan- African Author Email: [email protected] Tel: 0209154057 / 0551018778 San Francisco, Sep 11 : Facebook said it will take more concrete steps against potentially harmful content along with creating new Instagram wellness guides to help prevent suicides in the Covid-19 times. Following the release of wellness guides on Instagram, Fcaebook is launching localised guides that address ways to prevent suicide and support those who might be struggling. "For example, in India, the Suicide Prevention India Foundation's guide focuses on how to foster social connectedness and in Hong Kong, Samaritans HK's guide shares ways to check in on your friends," Facebook said in a blog post on Thursday, the day when the World Suicide Prevention Day was observed. Getting people help in real time is especially important when they are in distress. "In the coming months, we'll make it easier for people to talk in real time with trained crisis and mental health support volunteers over Messenger," the company informed. With the increase of online learning due to Covid-19, Facebook said it is expanding online resources for educators and adding Orygen's #chatsafe guidelines on how to help young people talk safely online about suicide to Facebook's Safety Center. These will be available first in English, and seven more languages next month. A June study from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that the pandemic is having a serious impact on the mental health of young adults, caregivers, essential workers and minorities in particular. One in four young adults aged 18-24 said they considered suicide in the 30 days prior to the study. They specifically cited the pandemic as a factor. "We work closely with suicide prevention experts like Samaritans in the UK on our approach to suicide and self-harm content," Facebook said. September 11, 2020, Baku Starting today, the National Air Carrier of Azerbaijan (AZAL) starts using an online queuing system for the purchasing of air tickets on the Baku-Moscow-Baku route to return our compatriots to their homeland. Considering the high demand, limited number, and irregular nature of the flights during the pandemic, the sale of tickets in this direction will be carried out in priority sequence. For the booking a queue for the Moscow-Baku flight, you must apply in writing through the WhatsApp messenger, or through the feedback form using the links: https://help.azal.az/hc/en-us/requests/new?ticket_form_id=360000946120 WhatsApp: +7 916 901 23 80 When applying, passengers should send scanned copies of their passports, as well as a contact number for the feedback. The Airline requests not to apply through the online form and WhatsApp at the same time. This will only lead to an increase in online queues and delay in responses from the call center staff. We also draw passengers ' attention to the fact that requests for air tickets in this direction through the calls to the call center of the Airline are not accepted. We note that the schedule for the implementation of flights to Moscow currently being determined by the Operational Headquarters to prevent the importation and spread of a new coronavirus infection on the territory of the Russian Federation. Passengers, who have applied to the call center of the Airline, will be sent in priority sequence the corresponding links for the payment of the ticket price, as well as more detailed information about the flight. In Russia, for testing for coronavirus, you can apply to the following healthcare centers recommended by the state Ministry of Health: - FSBI "National Medical Research Center for Therapy of Preventive Medicine under the Ministry of Health; - FSBI National Medical Research Center for Phthisiopulmonology and Infectious Diseases under the Ministry of Health; - FBSI "Central Research Institute of Epidemiology of Rospotrebnadzor"; - Federal State Budgetary Institution of Science "Research Institute of Vaccines and Serums named after II Mechnikov" of the Russian Academy of Sciences; - Federal State Budgetary Scientific Institution "Central Scientific Research Institute of Tuberculosis" of the Russian Academy of Sciences; - "Medicine JSC; - INVITRO Independent laboratory LLC; - National Agency of Clinical Pharmacology and Pharmacy (NAKFF) LLC; - Laboratory and Diagnostic Center LLC; - Scientific Medical Center of Clinical Laboratory Diagnostics Citilab LLC. The testing result must be received within 48 hours prior to the flight departure. In accordance with the decision of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Azerbaijan, all passengers arriving by these flights to Baku will have to self-isolate for two weeks. During the flight special rules for transportation during the pandemic will apply, which can be found on Youtube. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Peggy Dillon, formerly of Medical Lake, died July 13, 2020 in McCall, Idaho. She was born to Bobby and Mildred (Pasley) Jones in July 1959 in Ephrata, Wash. After graduating and working for a short time in Ephrata, she moved to the Spokane area, attended Spokane Falls Community College and worked in the legal profession for a short time. Peggy and her husband moved to Medical Lake where she had a small business training horses and giving riding lessons. She competed throughout the Pacific Northwest in three-day eventing trails where she won many awards but did it for the love of the sport. After serious illness in 2008/2009 she was no longer able to pursue her riding or business and returned to complete her education. In 2014 she moved to Austin, Texas where she attended Concordia University. She graduated summa cum laude in 2017 with a degree in health care administration. She moved to Montrose, Colo. and worked in the medical profession and enjoyed many of the outdoor sport activities available in Colorado. She had recently moved to Idaho. She is preceded in death by her father; a brother, Larry Jones and her step-father, Lawrence Gerken. Peggy is greatly loved and survived by a special friend, Peter Briggs; her mother, Mildred Gerken; aunt, Barbara Fenton; her faithful dog, Pearl and numerous cousins and friends. Because of the coronavirus any memorial must be delayed to a later time. India's COVID-19 caseload sprinted past 45 lakh and the death toll climbed to 76,271 with a record 96,551 infections and 1,209 fatalities being reported in a day, while the recoveries crossed 35 lakh on Friday, according to the Union health ministry data. IMAGE: A healthcare worker wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) takes swab from a man for a rapid antigen test, amidst the coronavirus disease outbreak, in Ahmedabad. Photograph: Amit Dave/Reuters The total coronavirus cases mounted to 45,62,414, while the recoveries surged to 35,42,663, the data updated at 8 am showed. The COVID-19 case fatality rate has further dropped to 1.67 per cent while the recovery rate was recorded at 77.65 per cent. There are 9,43,480 active cases of COVID-19 in the country which comprises 20.68 per cent of the total caseload, the data stated. The country had recorded over 95,000 cases on Wednesday and Thursday. IMAGE: Daily wage migrant labourers gather alongside a road as they wait for work, amidst the COVID-19 outbreak, in Ahmedabad. Photograph: Amit Dave/Reuters India's COVID-19 tally had crossed the 20-lakh mark on August 7, 30 lakh on August 23 and it went past 40 lakh on September 5. According to the Indian Council of Medical Research, a cumulative total of 5,40,97,975 samples have been tested up to September 10 with 11,63,542 samples being tested on Friday. Of the 1,209 new deaths, 495 are from Maharashtra, 129 from Karnataka, 94 from Uttar Pradesh, 88 from Punjab, 68 from Andhra Pradesh, 64 from Tamil Nadu, 41 from West Bengal, 28 from Delhi, 25 from Haryana, 21 from Madhya Pradesh, 18 from Assam, 16 from Chhattisgarh, 15 from Gujarat, 14 from Rajasthan, 13 each from Jammu and Kashmir and Telanagan and 12 from Kerala. Eleven fatalities have been reported from Odisha, ten from Bihar, six each from Goa and Puducherry, five each from Jharkhand and Uttarakhand, four from Manipur, three each from Chandigarh and Himachal Pradesh, while Ladakh and Meghalaya have registered one fatality each. IMAGE: A toy train runs on a road to aware people regarding the prevention of COVID-19, in Bhopal. Photograph: PTI Photo Of the total 76,271 deaths, Maharashtra has reported the maximum at 28,282 followed by 8,154 in Tamil Nadu, 6,937 in Karnataka, 4,702 in Andhra Pradesh, 4,666 in Delhi, 4,206 in Uttar Pradesh, 3,771 in West Bengal, 3,164 in Gujarat and 2,149 in Punjab. So far, 1,661 people have died of COVID-19 in Madhya Pradesh, 1,192 in Rajasthan, 940 in Telangana, 907 in Haryana, 845 in Jammu and Kashmir, 785 in Bihar, 591 in Odisha, 517 in Jharkhand, 493 in Chhattisgarh, 414 in Assam, 396 in Kerala and 377 in Uttarakhand. Puducherry has registered 353 fatalities, Goa 268, Tripura 173, Chandigarh 83, Himachal Pradesh 66, Andaman and Nicobar Islands 51, Manipur 44, Ladakh 36, Meghalaya 20, Nagaland 10, Arunachal Pradesh nine, Sikkim seven and Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu two. The health ministry stressed that more than 70 per cent of the deaths occurred due to comorbidities. "Our figures are being reconciled with the Indian Council of Medical Research," the ministry said on its website, adding that state-wise distribution of figures is subject to further verification and reconciliation. New Delhi, Sep 11 : I am often confronted with a question about how to create global awareness about the Balochistan movement. Common answers would be that India, Afghanistan, United States and friendly countries should initiate a debate and chalk out a long-term policy to work with Balochistan in order to maintain durable peace and prosperity of the region. Recognizing Balochistan as an occupied territory will pave the way for it to become a sovereign state. India should make a concrete policy for assisting the Baloch people. The Indian government should give asylum/citizenship to us so that the Baloch diaspora can carry their movement for independence without being intimidated by anyone. If Baloch pro-independence parties can have their offices in the UK, US and other European countries, then why can't they have a political office in India? Delhi should take a leading role in exposing the gross human rights violation being perpetrated by the Pakistan Army in occupied Balochistan. India should train the Baloch patriots and help them raise an army of about 50,000 soldiers who should be sent to defend the borders of Balochistan. It would play a vital role in thwarting the Pakistani and Chinese exploitation and also dismantle Chinese military projects including naval bases in Jiwani, Ormara and Pasni. A strong Baloch army will prevent the loot and plunder of Balochistan's rich resources like gold, copper, natural gas, coal and other rare minerals. China and Pakistan are trying hard to exploit the region, especially like Kohistan Marri. New roads are being constructed and there are reports of heavy troop deployment forcing the locals from Bambor, Kahan, Rakni and the adjoining areas of district Kohlu to migrate. Levies (a paramilitary force) has been deployed to guard the logistics but the drilling sites are secured by the Pakistani army and Frontier Corps, controlled directly from Islamabad. Last week, the ISI and Military Intelligence (MI) organized a rally in Kohlu city where former senator Mohbat Khan Zindozai Marri, Bahar Khan Bijarani (a local collaborator of Pakistan Army) and Inayaullah Zarkoon (head, Zarkoon tribe) gave speeches and offered full support to the government to start drilling for oil, gas, coal and other minerals. The drilling of oil wells was started by Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto in 1973 but due to fierce resistance put up by some Balochs, it was not possible to install the machinery in mountainous areas of Kahan and Jhandaran region of Kohlu. Leaders like Hyrbyair Marri and his father, late Nawab Khair Bakhsh Marri, led the fight against the exploitation of region's resources. The Baloch armed group, Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), had also been targeting Pakistan Army cantonments, outposts and state-run exploration companies for a long time. BLA's spokesperson Azad Baloch had issued a stern warning to the Army asking them to stay away from the mineral-rich region. A huge economic crisis in the country has made the Pakistani leaders in Islamabad to accelerate usurpation of Balochistan's minerals. Meanwhile, China is building underground naval bases and military installations in Jewani and Sonmiani region of Gawadar. A strong Baloch army can dismantle the Chinese military installations. These projects will be used against India and the US in future. India should approach EU, USA, Africa and the gulf countries to build a collective approach against the economic and military terrorism initiated by China in Balochistan, Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and other areas. India enjoys an overwhelming support of the global powers and can offer its expertise to build a global consensus for the Baloch cause. America and Islamic countries should invite Balochistan as a regional stakeholder. It is obvious that a weak Balochistan will only strengthen Pakistan and China. We are also witnessing turmoil and proxy war against Afghanistan which has been orchestrated and supervised by the ISI. Baloch leader Hyrbyair Marri, president of Free Balochistan Movement, had in an interview last year, also revealed how Pakistan is creating riots, disturbing internal security, law and order in India. China, Pakistan, Iran and Turkey have joined hands against India. Balochistan will however stand with its reliable and true friends. Balochs, just like the Kurds, deserve global attention and recognition and will always remain a trustworthy allay and friend of India, US, Afghanistan and Israel. (Sobdar Baloch is a journalist and a human rights activist who associated with the Free Balochistan Movement. This content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com) -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text In a major boost to Indian air power, 5 Rafale jets were formally inducted into the Indian Air Force at the IAF's Ambala air force station on Thursday, September 10. The Rafales enhance the IAF's capability at a time when India is engaged in an escalating border dispute with China in eastern Ladakh. Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh used the occasion to send a strong message to China, noting that the induction of the French jets was crucial considering the atmosphere being created along the frontier and that it is a 'big and stern' message to those eyeing India's sovereignty. Some military thinkers now believe that then prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru's decision not to deploy the IAF in the 1962 War was an error; the IAF could have changed the course of the war, since the People's Liberation Army Air Force was then poorly equipped and no match for India's air force. 2020 may be a different story with the PLAAF in a better place than it was 58 years ago even though its much ballyhooed J-20 fighter jet is considered no match for the superior Rafale. Dominic Xavier believes the turning point if India and China go to war will be how the Rafale dominates the skies over Ladakh. Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has filed a charge sheet against seven cadres of the banned United Liberation Front of Assam-Independent (ULFA-I) for their involvement in the killing of an Assam Police officer two years ago. Also read: Security forces nab 5 ULFA bomb experts in Assam, bust recruitment drive The charge sheet, under various sections of Indian Penal Code, Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, Explosives Substances Act and Arms Act, was filed on Thursday in the court of a special NIA judge in Guwahati. The seven ULFA-I cadres names as accused are Bijit Gogoi alias Arunodoi Dahotia, Kanto Bora alias Rupom Asom, Santosh Gogoi, Jushinta Moran alias Yankho Asom, Bubul Moran alias Tiger Asom, Dipankar Borah alias Ghutuk and Mamun Dihingia. As per the charge sheet, on May 4, 2018, the officer-in-charge of Bordumsa police station in Tinsukia district, Bhaskar Kalita, received specific input regarding presence of ULFA-I cadre inside a house in Kujupathar village. Following this, a joint operation was launched by police and paramilitary forces to nab the cadres. During the process of cordoning of the suspect premises, ULFA-I militants hiding inside a locked house started firing indiscriminately at the police, which resulted in the death of OC Bordumsa Sub-Inspector Bhaskar Kalita, an NIA release issued on Friday stated. Taking advantage of poor light conditions, ULFA-I militants managed to escape into the nearby jungle. While escaping, they snatched away the AK-47 from the deceased police officer, it added. The case was handled by Assam Police till June 2019 after which NIA stepped in and started their investigations. It was revealed during investigation that the killing of the police officer was the result of a conspiracy hatched by the accused on instructions of Arunodoi Dahotia. Subsequently, four of the seven accused and another ULFA-I cadre (who has died since) came from their Myanmar camps to Tinsukia district, armed with assault weapons, IEDs and explosive powder etc. with the aim of raising funds for the banned outfit and committing terrorist acts across Assam. On receipt of the said information, the same was sought to be thwarted by OC Bordumsa Sub-Inspector Bhaskar Kalita and his team. During the process of laying the cordon, the ULFA-I cadres fired indiscriminately on OC Bordumsa, who was leading from the front, thus killing him, the release stated. While three of the accused named in the charge sheet, Bubul Moran, Dipankar Borah and Mamun Dihingia have been arrested, the other four are still absconding. Further investigations into the case are still on. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Lovell said the community is what makes the cafe fun. I just miss everybody being in here and laughing," Lovell said. "That gave me the energy to get through the hard days. Being able to see everybody smiling and laughing, gave us the validation of Oh, were doing something right, this is amazing. Then that being currently taken away from us, and not really currently existing has been a really big blow and a void Im hoping we can fill again soon. Leaders pledge 'quantum leap' towards fully funding COVID-19 vaccines and treatments 10 September 2020 - Global leaders, including more than 30 Heads of State and Ministers, have underlined their commitment towards fast-tracking the development and production of COVID-19 tests, medicines and vaccines, that will be available for anyone, anywhere, who needs them. Following a virtual meeting on Thursday, they pledged to advocate for the $35 billion still required for the Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator, to realize the goal of producing two billion vaccine doses, 245 million treatments and 500 million tests. "We acknowledge the urgency of catalysing a step-change in political support and financing for the ACT-Accelerator in order to enable it to deliver on its mission of accelerating the discovery and deployment of new COVID-19 tools to all people, everywhere", they said in a statement. 'Quantum leap in funding' needed The ACT-Accelerator was launched in April and so far has received $2.7 billion, or less than one-tenth of the necessary financing. The virtual gathering held on Thursday marked the inaugural meeting of its Facilitation Council. In his keynote address, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres appealed for "a quantum leap in funding" to help get the world back on track again. "We now need $35 billion more to go from set-up to scale and impact. There is a real urgency in these numbers. Without an infusion of $15 billion over the next three months, beginning immediately, we will lose the window of opportunity", he warned. Making the case The ACT-Accelerator has already delivered substantial returns, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), co-organizers of the meeting, alongside the European Commission. The UN agency reported that more than 170 countries are now engaged in a COVID-19 Vaccine Facility, one of four pillars under the accelerator. Ten vaccine candidates are currently being evaluated, nine of which are in clinical trials. WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus made the case for bridging the funding gap, as COVID-19 continues to claim nearly 5,000 lives each day, at the current rate. Meanwhile, the global economy is expected to contract by trillions of dollars this year. "Fully financing the ACT-Accelerator would shorten the pandemic and pay back this investment rapidly as the global economy recovers", he said. One step closer The Facilitation Council is co-chaired by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and Norway's Prime Minister, Erna Solberg. Members reviewed an updated strategy and investment case for scale-up, which will be finalized by 17 September, ahead of a high-level meeting during the annual UN General Assembly later this month. For the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, the Council's inaugural meeting marked one step closer towards the goal of making COVID-19 tools available to anyone who needs them. "The EU will use all its convening power to help keep the world united against coronavirus", she said. "With the chairmanship of Norway and South Africa representing the global North and South, and the expertise of the WHO and our international partners, no country or region will be left behind in this fight." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address The Republic of the Marshall Islands is a country in the Pacific Ocean consisting of 1,200 islands in eastern Micronesia. It is a beautiful tropical country that has a fresh and beachy atmosphere. The region has two archipelagic chains and numerous atolls. Because of the nuclear explosion during World War II, a positive impact on the islands' promising historic geographic location has arisen. The Marshall Islands is known for its diverse marine life and diving opportunities. Here is a beginner's guide for those who want to travel to and around the Marshall Islands, which is the equator's nearest country. Research You need to research to know the best spots, activities, cuisines, and people to interact with at the Marshall Islands and all that it offers. Researching can also help to make your itinerary plan a lot smoother and simpler. A few common Marshallese words can be helpful for your trip, such as "kommol," which means thank you and "iakwe" which means hello, goodbye, and love, but the literal translation of this word is "you are a rainbow" which might be the most beautiful greeting in the world. Book that Flight Once all the plans are set, pack your bags and book that nearest flight to go to the Marshall Islands and have a taste of the rainbow. Escape from the stressful city life and fly several hours into one of the world's least-visited countries and enjoy some time for yourself. Experience the Marshall Islands This country undoubtedly has fascinating diving spots. Get your itinerary and start your adventure to stunning and beautiful places. Tourist spots include the Arno Toll which combines 153 islands in the Pacific Ocean. Then there's Kalalin Pass, one of the best diving spots in the world. If you want to go fishing, the Marshall Islands got you covered as the steeps of coral walls it houses can be home to several aquatic species where your fishing experience will be bounty. There are more islands to explore and discover that will surely capture your heart. Also Read: 5 Amazing Ways to Brew Your Coffee At Home For a Lovely Drink Local Cuisine There are numerous restaurants around but skip those and experience local cuisine. The open-air market near the Marshall Islands Resort sells the traditional Marshallese foods like balls of sticky rice, mashed taro, fresh pandanus, fermented breadfruit paste, fire-roasted breadfruit, and bwiro. To add to that, the local women in the open-air market also sell homemade cuisines and will only cost you about $3. After a fantastic and cheap meal, crack a coconut, like how locals do it and dig in. Early Bird This tip may apply to every trip you will plan. Always be an early bird when travelling because most locals and the islands in the area are most active during the mornings. Enjoy an early walk by the shore outside your resort or get a chance to talk to and bond with the locals. No concept of Time Be prepared for an extended vacation if you are planning to visit the Marshall Islands not only because of the flight being pushed back due to diverted medical emergencies or ground repair of the aircraft but also because time seems to be a loose concept in the region. Once a Marshallese invites you to their party, expect that it will be a couple of hours later than their said time. Reports say that because of climate change, the sea level will rise between ten to 38 inches by 2100, and scientists consider that a word for caution. Locals might be forced to leave their homeland. Go and explore the Marshal Islands and help their culture live-on. Related Article: Unique Early Christmas Gift Ideas for Your Significant Other @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Samsung wins $6.6 bn network equipment order from Verizon South Korean electronics major Samsung Electronics has won a $6.64 billion order from US telecom major Verizon plc for supply of wireless network solutions, posting the first major win in the next-generation 5G network market. Samsung is seen to have overcome the challenge posed by Nokia, Verizons biggest vendor, by securing the five-year supply contract. The order for network equipment from Verizon would help Samsung expand its telecom equipment business across the world. Samsung did not make details of the terms the contract such as the specifics about the 5G network gear included. "With this latest long-term strategic contract, we will continue to push the boundaries of 5G innovation to enhance mobile experiences for Verizons customers," Samsung said in a statement. Samsung said in a regulatory filing the period of the contract, which Samsung's U.S. unit signed with Verizon Sourcing LLC, is from 30 June 2020 to 31 December 2025. Samsung had a mere 3 per cent market share of the global telecom equipment market in 2019, far behind behind No 1 Huawei with 28 per cent, Nokia's 16 per cent, Ericsson's 14 per cent, ZTE's 10 per cent and Cisco's 7 per cent, according to market research firm Dell'Oro Group. Samsung was also helped by the Trump administrations decision to unveil auction plans for spectrum needed for roll-out of 5G services and the exit of Huawei from the US market, to ramp up fifth-generation network business. The US is expected to roll out 5G wireless network by 2022, which would eventually enable high-speed video transmissions and self-driving cars, among other uses. Huawei is facing purge everywhere because of its alleged connection to Chinese government agencies engaged in spying activities. Verizon, meanwhile, said its network security engineers recently engaged in a series of successful trials to future-proof its 5G network against security threats and advance security measures to protect the confidentiality, integrity and availability of Verizons 5G network. The advent of 5G wireless communications constitutes a new era of network connectivity that will revolutionise many aspects of commerce and our personal lives. Along with new technology comes the need for new security measures. Verizon is focused on protecting against threats to customers security and ensuring the reliability and resilience of communications services against all manner of hazards, including cyber threats, the company stated in a release. As network operations become more complex, additional purpose-built hardware supporting security functions such as firewalls, IDS, DDoS, Probes and Packet brokers are deployed throughout the network. The addition of this hardware introduces additional latency and opens the door for greater maintenance as well as additional points of vulnerability. Its taken us longer than I wish that it had to get from February 29 to here but we expect Saturday morning, for the first time in almost two decades, to have the Afghans sitting at the table together prepared to have what will be contentious discussions about how to move their country forward to reduce violence and deliver what the Afghan people are demanding a reconciled Afghanistan with a government that reflects a country that isnt at war, Pompeo said on the plane taking him to Doha. A trove of Saddam-era files secretly returned to Iraq has pried open the country's painful past, prompting hopes some may learn the fate of long-lost relatives along with fears of new bloodshed. The five million pages of internal Baath Party documents were found in 2003, just months after the US-led invasion that toppled Saddam, in the party's partly-flooded headquarters in tumultuous Baghdad. Two men were called in by confused American troops to decipher the Arabic files. One was Kanan Makiya, a long-time opposition archivist, the other was Mustafa al-Kadhemi, then a writer and activist, and now Iraq's prime minister. "With flashlights, because the electricity was out, we entered the waterlogged basement," Makiya told AFP by phone from the US. "Mustafa and I were reading through these documents and realised we had stumbled upon something huge." There were Baath membership files and letters between the party and ministries on administrative affairs, but also reports from regular Iraqis who were accusing their neighbours of criticising Saddam. Other papers raised suspicions that relatives of Iraqi soldiers taken prisoner during the 1980-1988 war with Iran were potential traitors. As sectarian violence ramped up in Baghdad after the US-led invasion, Makiya agreed with occupation force authorities to transfer the massive archive to the US, a move that has remained controversial. The documents were digitised and stored at the Hoover Institution, a conservative-leaning think tank at Stanford University, with access restricted to researchers on-site. - 'Beginning of a thread' - But on August 31, the full 48 tonnes of documents were quietly flown back to Baghdad and immediately tucked away in an undisclosed location, a top Iraqi official told AFP. Neither government announced the transfer, and Baghdad is not planning to open the archive to the public, the official said. This could disappoint the thousands of families who may have a personal stake in the archive's contents. Story continues "Saddam destroyed Iraq's people -- you can't just keep quiet on something like that," said Ayyoub Al-Zaidy, 31, whose father Sabar went missing after being drafted for Iraq's 1991 invasion of Kuwait. The family was never given notice of his death or capture and hopes the Baath archive could hold a clue. "Maybe these documents are the beginning of a thread that we can follow to know if he's still alive," said Ayyoub's 51-year-old mother Hasina. She spent the 1990s pleading with the Baath-dominated regime for information on her husband's whereabouts, and holds little hope of more transparency now. "At this rate, I'll be dead before they make them public." Some argue the archive could help Iraq prevent its blood-stained history from repeating itself. "Many kids nowadays say 'Saddam was good,'" Murtadha Faisal, an Iraqi filmmaker, told AFP. Faisal was 12 days old when his father was arrested in the holy city of Najaf during a 1991 uprising. He has not been heard from since. He wants the archives opened to end any rosy nostalgia or revisionism about Baath rule, which some have praised compared to today's instability under a fragmented political class. "People should realise how not to create another dictator," he said. "It's already happening -- we have a lot of small dictators today." Divisions over the Baath's legacy still run deep, and some of its defenders argue the archives would serve to exonerate Saddam's rule. "Making the archives public would prove the Baath party was patriotic," insisted a former low-ranking party member in comments to AFP. - 'Actual horror' - Those fault lines are precisely what makes the archive's return a "reckless" move, said Abbas Kadhim, the Iraq Initiative Director at the Atlantic Council. "Iraq is not ready. It has not started a process of reconciliation that would allow this archive to play a role," said Kadhim, who pored over the documents to write several academic books on Iraqi history and society. What he found even implicated current officials, he said. "Baathists documented everything, from a joke to an execution. Politicians, tribal leaders, people in the street will begin to use it against one another," he added. Others say the files could be redacted to make them less inflammatory, but still accessible to local academics. "The least we can do is have them available to Iraqi researchers the same way they were to American ones," said Marsin Alshamary, an incoming fellow at the US-based Brookings Institute who also used the archive for her PhD. The US remains in possession of several archives seized after the 2003 invasion, including "even more dangerous government files," a second Iraqi official told AFP. One day, Makiya hopes, all the blood-stained events retold in these documents will be part of Iraq's distant past. "We can't remember the glories of 'the land between the two rivers' and the Abbasid empire, and forget the 35 years of actual horror that modern Iraq lived through," he told AFP. "That is as much a part of what it means to be an Iraqi today as those romantic things." mjg/fz " " The parts that make up the man-portable air defense systems, or MANPADS Photo courtesy of U.S. Department of State To understand how the Guardian system works, its helpful to understand how missiles fired from Man-Portable Air Defense Systems work. If you read How Stinger Missiles Work, youll find great information about a specific MANPADS example. Here is a quick recap. Missiles fired from Man-Portable Air Defense Systems are guided missiles, which consist of a warhead, engine, and guidance and control equipment. Because they are launched from the ground and intercept their targets in the air, MANPADS missiles fall into the surface-to-air category. They are much smaller than ballistic missiles, which look more like space rockets. Ballistic missiles travel great distances along an arching, parabolic path and are guided for only a portion of their trip. MANPADS missiles, on the other hand, fly much shorter distances and are guided for their entire flight. Advertisement The guidance system is one of the most important parts of any guided missile. There are many different ways to control the flight path of a projectile, but almost all modern missiles take advantage of homing guidance. Homing missiles come equipped with a seeker - an onboard antenna sensitive to a specific energy source. That energy source could be any part of the electromagnetic spectrum, but one of the most easily detectable forms of energy is infrared, or heat. An infrared seeker is able to lock on to the enormous heat produced by an aircrafts engine and, with deadly accuracy, guide the missile to its target. " " The Redeye missile was one of the first Man-Portable Air Defense Systems used in combat. Photo courtesy of Redstone Arsenal Historical Information The U.S. Armys Redeye missile, first deployed in the 1950s, is a classic example of this type of weapon. Indeed, the Redeye missile was named for the infrared sensor carried in its nose. Designed for simple, reliable operation, the Redeye missile could be carried anywhere a soldier could take a rifle, could be made ready to fire in seconds and required little training to use. It was used for almost two decades until the Army developed newer, more sophisticated man-portable systems. One of those systems was the Stinger missile, another American-made weapon still in use today. Two important Russian MANPADS models include the Strela and the Igla. The Stinger and the Igla have similar capabilities, both being able to engage targets head-on, from behind and from the side. Both systems also incorporate highly advanced infrared, ultraviolet seekers that make them even more difficult to elude. Well talk more about that in the next section. " " A 9K34 Strela-3 missile and launch tube (without grip stick) Photo courtesy of Megapixie " " A 9K38 Igla missile Photo courtesy of Megapixie Defending against MANPADS There are three primary ways to defend against guided missile attacks. If the missile uses a radar-based seeker, which tracks reflected radio waves, it can be confused by chaff. Chaff refers to strips of metal foil or metal filings released by aircraft under attack. By reflecting incoming radio waves, chaff creates a false signal that the missile follows taking it off course. If the missile uses an infrared seeker, like most MANPADS do, it will not respond to chaff. But it will respond to a decoy heat signal. Decoy heat signals are easily created by lighted flares, which an aircraft can release when it detects an incoming missile. The burning flares present multiple heat signals that less sophisticated missiles cant discriminate. However, Stinger and Igla missiles are able to distinguish between flares and the target. Thats because the seekers in these missiles can detect two types of energy -- infrared and ultraviolet. Although the infrared signal of a jet is much stronger, its ultraviolet signal is present and detectable. By creating a unique signature of its target based on dual energy sources (longer-wavelength infrared and shorter-wavelength ultraviolet), Stinger and Igla missiles are much more difficult to foil. " " A U.S. Navy helicopter discharges countermeasure flares, similar to the flares and chaff commercial airplanes discharge. Photo courtesy of The U.S. Navy To defend against these more sophisticated missiles, a laser-based system is required. Lasers can do one of two things -- it either destroys the electronics in the missiles guidance or jams the seeker so it can no longer see its target. Jamming is actually more common in todays anti-missile defense systems because their lasers dont have to be as powerful to be effective. Northrop Grummans Guardian solution is a laser jammer, and in the next section, well look at exactly how it foils attacks made by Man-Portable Air Defense Systems. 11.09.2020 LISTEN The politics of name calling, innuendos, aspersions and ethnocentrism predates the 4th Republic. Right from the inception of the 1st Republic, it was rumoured and indeed popularised by the opponents of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, the only president of the Republic, to have imported a special deity for his protection called 'Kankan Nyame'. The claim was that, that was the reason he managed to survive the multiplicity of attacks including the Kurungugu bombing on his life. Similarly, we have had series of wild allegations and wanton penchant in giving out names to political opponents in the 4th Republic some of which were eventually refuted in the Public Account Committee when framers or originators of such name giving or allegations appeared before it as a constitutional requirement for their appointment as ministers. Examples of some of those allegations and name calling include but not limited to Hotel de Kuffour, Professor do little as often referred to Prof. Mills by Akufo-Addo nearly one year into office, the incompetent one as used variously to refer to Mahama, Opana having been used by Mahama to refer to Akufo-Addo in the run up to the 2016 elections and now, the ubiquitous cliche being Akyem Sakawa Mafia. The difference in all of these and many more which space would not allow to graphically present in this article is however that, none of them officially had emanated from a presidential candidate with tribal affinity irrespective of how outrageous it seemed except the Akyem Sakawa Mafia coming from Hon. Adongo ably amplified By his presidential candidate, John Dramani Mahama. Without doubt, is conspicuously clear that Mahama or Adongo could not be referring to the totality of Akyem people as Sakawa or Mafia. This point ought to be made and established forcefully but again, that goes a long way to portray a lack of finesse on the part of the National Democratic Congress and its presidential candidate not to have realized the political season in which that name is being given to whomever he thought was referring to. The point really is, we are in this country where the major political opponents doctor tapes in order to create credibility issues and weaken the campaign message of each other so with this important historical phenomenon helping serving as a guide, one would have thought Mahama would have been more careful not to have engulfed himself in this to avoid giving his opponents room to latch on to put his campaign in jeopardy. Politicians must be guided by events of the past because history helps yo chart a path into the future with minimal margin of errors. [email protected] Excerpt of the next article The state board of elections and Republican legislative leaders defended the requirement, telling the court that the provision does not discriminate. The law is a state-of-the-art voter ID law that seeks to secure the States elections and bolster voter confidence while at the same time ensuring that all registered voters are able to cast a vote that will count, with or without ID, attorney David H. Thompson wrote on behalf of Senate President Phil Berger (R) and House Speaker Tim Moore (R). Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-11 14:35:48|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close QALA-E-NAW, Afghanistan, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- Five people including three militants were killed as a clash erupted in Qadis district of western Afghanistan's Badghis province, district governor Mohammad Sharif Haideri said Friday. The clash, according to the official, flared up after a group of Taliban insurgents stormed security checkpoints in the wee hours of Friday, and police returned fire triggering gun battle and the insurgents fled away after leaving three bodies behind. One policeman and a civilian were also killed in the crossfire and 13 others including eight militants were injured, the official said. Haidari also said that a cleanup operation has been continuing to ensure lasting peace in the area. Taliban militants have yet to make comment. Enditem A 12.5m project to cut teen pregnancy and sexual violence in Rwanda has been axed, as the UK begins huge foreign aid cuts prompting criticism that promises to the worlds poorest children are being broken. The programme designed to help 200,000 vulnerable young people complete their schooling is the first known to have been scrapped since 2.9bn of cuts were announced. It had almost completed the procurement process and was due to begin early next year, the investigative news service SourceMaterial, which uncovered the decision, said. The cancellation comes after Downing Street suggested that strict internationally-agreed rules to prevent aid being spent on military purposes could be ripped up. It was condemned by Preet Gill, Labours shadow international development secretary, who said: The prime minister made a clear commitment to stand up for the right of every girl in the world to have 12 years of quality education. The cancellation of a programme to help Rwandan girls have access to a safe education shows that this government cannot be trusted to uphold their promises. The controversy came after the Department for International Development (Dfid) was abolished and swallowed up in the Foreign Office, triggering suspicions. No 10 then refused 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. Furthermore, a couple of weeks earlier, 4.8m of the shrinking aid budget was shifted to strengthen global supply chains of supermarket giants including Marks & Spencer, Tesco and Morrisons. The Independent revealed in July that funding for scores of poverty-fighting overseas projects had been paused, undermining preparations for coronavirus striking the worlds poorest countries. The 2.9bn has been cut because the UK spends 0.7 per cent of national output on foreign aid which means that 14bn pot shrinks as the economy contracts by up to 15 per cent this year. However, Boris Johnson has also spoken openly of shifting funds from fighting poverty to foreign policy struggles such as resisting Russia. That shift has also alarmed some senior Tories, including former international development secretary Andrew Mitchell, who warned any aid commitment 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 Dominic Raab, the foreign secretary earlier this month. But the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office defended the cuts, insisting the UK remained a global leader in international development. Our work in Rwanda has trained extra 25,000 primary school teachers to support girls in the classroom, and also provides pregnant women and young children with nutritional support to cut infant mortality and make childbirth safer, a spokesperson said. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Mardika Parama (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, September 14, 2020 10:45 494 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c444e793 1 Business Garuda-Indonesia,domestic-market,COVID-19,aviation,recovery Free National flag carrier Garuda Indonesia expects the domestic market to drive its business this year, which is showing signs of recovery despite the heavy blow to the aviation sector by COVID-19, the companys top executive has said. Garuda president director Irfan Setiaputra told The Jakarta Post in an exclusive interview on Thursday that the company was currently exploring new opportunities in the domestic market, as it provides better opportunities than the international market during the ongoing health crisis. During the recovery process, we agreed that the domestic market will be the driver. The reasoning behind the decision is that we have more control in the market in regard to the [industry] authorities, he said, referring to the firms relationship with aviation stakeholders such as state-owned airport operator PT Angkasa Pura (AP) II. The only way to accelerate recovery is by boosting [the number] of passengers. The airline enjoyed an increase of 58.1 percent month-on-month (mom) in the number of domestic passengers to over 110,400 passengers in July, which the airline attributed to the relaxation of the large-scale social restrictions (PSBB) by the government. However, the airline saw an overall 61 percent drop year-on-year (yoy) in total numbers of passengers as of July this year, down to 3.6 million passengers, as the pandemic stymied the airlines operations and hit its financial performance, with social restrictions and border closures deterring people from flying. The airline posted a US$712.73 million loss in the first half of this year after booking net profits of $24.11 million in the same period last year. Furthermore, Irfan said the company had recently found new opportunities in the domestic market, which had previously been overlooked by management, such as freight exports. There are huge opportunities to work together with small businesses, fishermen and other industries to provide them with logistics services for exports. We hadnt thought about that in recent years, he said. However, while the freight business provides an additional source of income, Irfan said it was unlikely that the contribution would significantly improve its profitability as its main revenue is still dominated by the passenger business. AP II previously projected a full recovery of Indonesias aviation industry to occur by mid-2023, with domestic flights projected to be the backbone of the industrys recovery process. The forecast is slightly more optimistic than that by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), which expects the full recovery of global air passenger traffic by 2024, a year later than its initial estimate, given slow virus containment in developing economies, corporate travel cuts and weak consumer confidence during the global health crisis. However, regarding the international flights market, Garuda will maintain its current routes and only expand its routes once the pandemic ends, Irfan said. We will try to maintain our existing routes as best as we can, and ensure our international routes can reach breakeven point during normal times. We are also working together with all stakeholders to establish new routes, which will bring in high-spending tourists to Indonesia, he said. Garuda currently has 22 international routes to 10 countries including China, Japan, Australia, Netherlands and Singapore, according to the companys website. The total number of international passengers carried by the airline plunged by 96 percent yoy to 10,581 passengers in July. During a hearing with the House of Representatives earlier in July, Irfan said that the airline was mulling whether to establish direct flights that will connect the resort island of Bali with cities in the United States like Los Angeles and San Francisco and Indian cities like Mumbai and New Delhi, as well as with France. However, during the interview, Irfan said the company was still miles away from the expansion plan as it was currently still focusing on the recovery process. Well get through this pandemic first. Once its all over, then well talk about the [expansion] plan and how we work together with other stakeholders to boost our tourist sector, he said. In a research note published on Wednesday, Lee Young Jun from Mirae Asset Sekuritas expected that the airlines monthly seat load factor (SLF) would not exceed 50 percent, while its SLF stood at 30 percent in July, according to the companys data. Although the management claimed that the improvement should continue until the end of 2020, we believe that monthly SLF will not exceed 50 percent, given the fact that new COVID-19 cases are continuously hitting new records, the research note reads. It expects the company to book $1.63 billion in revenue by 2020 year-end, a sharp drop from $4.5 billion last year. Oktibbeha County Fire Coordinator Patrick Warner addresses the Oktibbeha County Board of Supervisors at its meeting Monday. The board approved the purchase of two fire engines. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka will meet next week to hold their first face-to-face talks since a wave of demonstrations demanding the longtime Belarusian leader step down erupted following his disputed reelection last month. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on September 11 that the two leaders will meet in the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi on September 14 for talks that would focus on energy cooperation and bilateral ties. Belarus has witnessed daily demonstrations and strike actions since Lukashenka, in power since 1994, was declared the winner of the August 9 vote. Thousands have been detained and hundreds beaten by police in a brutal crackdown that has been condemned by the United States and European Union. Opposition challenger Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya, who says she won 60 percent to 70 percent of the vote, is now in Lithuania, having arrived in the neighboring Baltic state shortly after the election under still unclear circumstances. The announced meeting between Putin and Lukashenka comes as protests continued in Belarus. At least nine protesters were detained outside a court in the capital, Minsk, as they rallied in solidarity with industrial workers defending their right to strike. Police also detained protesters in the cities of Vitebsk, Homel, and Baranavichy, according to the Vyasna human rights center in Minsk. The threats and detentions come before the protests set for the weekend, the head of the center, Ales Byalyatski, said. Lukashenka would very much like to show the Kremlin that the protests are abating and he is in control of the situation, but so far repression has had the opposite effect. Putin, who has pressed a reluctant Lukashenka on closer integration, has backed the embattled Belarusian strongman, even promising military assistance under a bilateral military pact, including a police force. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has refused to commit to meet with members of the opposition Coordination Council, initiated by Tsikhanouskaya to help resolve the crisis and a transfer of power, saying some members held "anti-Russian views." 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. Most of the council presidium's seven members have either been arrested or forced to leave the country. Before the election, the 66-year-old Lukashenka had accused Russia of being among foreign powers trying to sow unrest ahead of the vote, with 33 Russian mercenaries captured in an arrest highlighted by state media. But with his hold on power appearing to slip, Lukashenka has turned to his old ally, putting at risk a rapprochement with the West, including the United States, which sent its first oil shipment ever to Belarus earlier this year. The planned meeting with Putin comes after Lukashenka met earlier this month with Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, who reported that progress was made toward deeper integration under the aegis of a Russia-Belarus "Union State" that was created in the 1990s but exists largely on paper. With reporting by Meduza.io, Reuters, and Interfax First Christian Church of Plainview is inviting its congregation to gather in-person for worship again starting Sunday. The service is set for 10:45 a.m. While the sanctuary will be open, out-of-towners, those who are not feeling well and those who just are not ready to return are invited to join worship services online via Facebook live. JOLIET, IL If it wasn't for fiercely loyal customers, many of Joliet's indoor dining restaurants could not stay afloat during the pandemic. One of Joliet's most faithful diners is 73-year-old John Paul "JP" Bruzek. Everyone at Joliet's Golden Corral on West Jefferson Street knows JP. He eats there twice a day, six days a week. Since reopening in July, Golden Corral opted to close on Monday. During the previous seven years, JP typically ate inside Golden Corral all seven days a week, and about a half of those days he came back for dinner. In recent weeks, JP has become acclimated to eating outside under the big tent that Golden Corral erected after Gov. JB Pritzker shutdown indoor dining for Will County in August as coronavirus cases spiked to dangerous levels. JP brings lots of business to Golden Corral's next door neighbor, too Old Fashioned Pancake House, 2022 W. Jefferson St. He walks there daily for breakfast. "Scrambled eggs, sausage links and cottage cheese," he said. On Thursday afternoon, Joliet Patch's editor caught up with JP as he was eating his lunch at Golden Corral. This summer, JP was at Golden Corral practically every time Joliet Patch went there to do a news story. On recent afternoons, when Patch's editor was at the traffic light for Jefferson and Hammes, JP could be seen in the distance eating his lunch under the Golden Corral tent. Day after day, he sticks to his favorites. He orders the same food all the time. "I like the fried chicken," JP told Joliet Patch. "Their fried chicken is excellent. "But today, I'm having the barbecue chicken," he smiled. "For dinner, I'll have the steak." Bruzek has an interesting life story. He grew up in Lemont. His grandfather came to the United States in 1922 from Prague. "They knew the Germans were going to start something," he laughed. "I'm a good Bohemian." Story continues Following high school, Bruzek, who stands 6-foot-4, said he went to Oglethorpe University in Atlanta. "I went to high school in Lemont and had a scholarship to play basketball in Atlanta, Georgia," he said. After college, he ended up in Las Vegas, where he stayed for 18 years, working as a casino security guard at the Golden Gate Hotel & Casino and at Arizona Charlies. "I tried to figure out the mystery of a craps table, and it can't be done," JP laughed. "I gave that life up, or it would have killed me." Bruzek said he has one regret in life about being on a full ride scholarship to play college basketball. "Because you're a prisoner of the athletic department," he explained. "I wanted to study English literature, but they made me study business administration. I graduated with honors, cum laude." Eight years ago, JP relocated to Joliet. He said he lives in the Mary Crest Village, a subsidized housing complex run by the Joliet Housing Authority. In 2013, he started eating at Golden Corral. He's never stopped. Since he collects Social Security and his housing is subsidized, JP said he has plenty of money to pay for his meals at his two staple restaurants on West Jefferson Street: breakfast at Old-Fashioned Pancake House, then lunch and dinner at Golden Corral. "People say, 'How can I afford dining here all the time?' Well, I don't waste my money foolishly," he said. "I live in a subsidized building. "Since I'm retired, I can budget my money," he said. (Joliet Patch article continues below this photo.) Image via John Ferak/Patch Why Golden Corral day after day? "The price for the product is outstanding, and the service is great," he said. "The food is great and the service is outstanding." Factoring in sales taxes, JP said his daily lunch, plus his beverages cost him about $12. He said he also orders a cup of coffee and a glass of Sprite. "And at 3:30 p.m., I get by for $10," he said. Golden Corral offers a senior citizen discount from 2 to 4 p.m. for $8.99. The lunch special for seniors is $9.49, but does not include a drink. Fried chicken for lunch, steak for dinner. Fried chicken for lunch, steak for dinner. Except for an occasional dalliance with the barbecue chicken, JP repeats the ritual day after day. "I like not working," he smiled. "This life don't bother me at all. "I let my hair grow long because I get a lot of compliments on it." JP told Patch that he has remained a bachelor his whole life. "I never had a family," he said. "Occasionally, I'll have a girlfriend." While Golden Corral was shut down from mid-March to July, how did JP get by? "I stayed home. I got a Link Card, so I get my groceries practically for free," he told Patch. About the only time JP does not make it to Golden Corral is during the winter. "If it's really snowy or icy, but those are rare times," he stressed. A rainy day won't stop him from walking to Golden Corral from the nearby Mary Crest Village, just a few blocks away. "I'm not sugar. I'm not going to melt," he chuckled. "I might be old, but I'm not half dead." On occasion, JP has ventured outside his West Jefferson Street comfort zone. A couple years ago, he said he tried dining at the Wild Horse Bar & Grill, which closed in November 2019 after less than three years in business. The empty restaurant property is now for sale. "I tried the Wild Horse and I didn't like it. And the Big Apple (on Larkin Avenue) is just too far for me to walk. Al's Steakhouse is too expensive," he remarked. Besides Al's, which has been on Jefferson Street since 1959, a number of long-time Joliet restaurants anchor West Jefferson Street. But in the past year or so, a few have closed, including Wild Horse, Arby's and Boston Market. Patch asked JP what it takes to be a successful restaurant on Joliet's busiest street. "You can't be too expensive, not here on Jefferson Street, maybe out by the Louis Mall," he said. "Al's can get away with it because they have been here so long." After devouring his barbecue chicken, corn, mashed potatoes and gravy, JP made sure to get some dessert for lunch. "Strawberry ice cream," he told Maria his waitress. "The desserts are great." Golden Corral temporarily closed the Joliet restaurant in mid-March when the new coronavirus rocked Illinois. While closed, the Joliet restaurant underwent an extensive remodeling that included the addition of a large fireplace and new carpeting. When the restaurant reopened in July, JP was the first customer waiting outside the building. On Thursday, Joliet Golden Corral General Manager Alina Bosze showed Joliet Patch a photo she took at the time, showing JP standing outside the entrance on her first day back in July. "He's always the first to come in, so he's always here," Bosze told Patch. "And that makes us all feel good." Patch asked JP for his reaction to Golden Corral's decision to get rid of the buffet lines in favor of the family-style meals delivered to the tables. The move was done in response to the coronavirus, restaurant officials told Patch. "I think it's great," he remarked. "I like to be waited on." With so many challenges facing the restaurant industry because of the pandemic, "it really means a lot for my crew and me, as a general manager, having a guest like that," Bosze said. "He's always very pleasant to our staff and very supportive toward all of them. "I hope he's going to be with us forever, and I'm hoping for more guests like him." Joliet's Golden Corral general manager told Patch she's confident JP has eaten at her restaurant "around 4,000 times." When Patch told JP on Thursday he's probably eaten at Golden Corral at least 4,000 times, he responded, "I never crunched the numbers." Image via John Ferak/Patch This article originally appeared on the Joliet Patch Stocks to watch today: Ahead of the market opening, here is a list of top stocks that are likely to be in focus in Friday's trading session based on latest developments. Reliance Industries: Stock of RIL will be in focus a day after the firm became India's first company to cross $200 billion in market value. Also, the company plans to sell about $20 billion worth of stake in its retail business to Amazon.com Inc, said reports. YES Bank: YES Bank said it has fully repaid Reserve Bank of India (RBI) the entire ?50,000 crore of Special Liquidity Facility it had availed on September 8. Chairman Sunil Mehta, at the virtual AGM, also said there were no plans to merge with the State Bank of India. ITI Ltd: The firm on Thursday said it expects to ink a telecom network deal worth ?7,796 crore with the defence ministry soon. The state owned technology company was declared lowest bidder for the Army Static Switched Communication Network (ASCON) Phase IV tender in 2017. Motherson Sumi: The company has upsized its maiden unsecured three-year NCD issue to ?2,130 crore. The original issue size was ?1,500 crore, which was upsized using the greenshoe option on the back of overwhelming investor demand, Motherson Sumi said. IRCTC: The government has extended the date for submission of bids by merchant bankers for sale of its stake in the firm to 14 September 14. Earlier, bids were sought between September 4 and September 10. The government plans to sell 15-20% of its 87.4% stake through an offer for sale (OFS). Jammu & Kashmir Bank: The lender reported a profit of Rs 6.5 crore in Q1 compared to profit of Rs 21.87 crore in Q1 of last fiscal. Net interest income rose to Rs 904.35 crore in Q1 against Rs 902.17 crore in corresponding period of previous fiscal. Info Edge (India) : Zomato has announced closure of primary fundraise of $100 million from Tiger Global Management and $60 million from Temasek Holdings. Info Edge holds 22.2 percent stake in Zomato. Were learning more about the Smith family than ever before thanks to Red Table Talk. Jada Pinkett-Smith and Will Smith have addressed a ton about their personal relationship and home life. And their kids, Willow and Jaden, occasionally join them on the show as well. Now, were taking a look back at an interview Will and Jaden had together on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. And Will mentioned Jaden would have to leave the family home under a very specific condition. Heres what he said. Will Smith and Jada Pinkett-Smith live in a $42 million home Trey Smith, Willow Smith, Jaden Smith, Jada Pinkett Smith, and Will Smith attend the 26th annual EMA Awards at Warner Bros. Studios on Oct. 22, 2016 in Burbank, California | Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic RELATED: Inside Will and Jada Pinkett Smiths Jaw-Dropping, $42 Million Mansion Will and Jada certainly arent hurting for money, as theyre both incredibly successful actors who continue to do important, riveting work today. And their success shows, as they have a $42 million custom-built mansion to represent their relationship. For Will and me this home was always a spiritual endeavor, Jada explained to Architectural Digest in 2011. Were very earthy, organic people. We wanted to create a family retreat, something made by hand and as natural as possible, something that ties back to the land. As for the home itself, it spans 25,000 feet and includes banisters of hammered wrought iron, floors made from river stones, and a huge front door that was originally the entryway to a fort in India. The house also flows uniquely from one room to the next, as it includes plenty of secret nooks and tranquil alcoves. The idea was no dead ends, Will explained to Architectural Digest. To create an infinite cycle that represented what Jada and I hoped for our love. Will and Jaden Smith appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show in 2013 Jaden Smith and Will Smith attend Paramount Pictures Premiere of Gemini Man | Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic Will and Jaden appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show in 2013 but it wasnt to talk about their beautiful family home. Instead, they talked about their father-son relationship, and they even played a game on the show together. I understand that you purposely try to embarrass Jaden as much as possible, DeGeneres noted. I wouldnt say , Will initially stumbles before settling on, I mean, maybe. And Jaden seems to agree. You know, I love him, Ellen, Will continues. I love him. Jaden then appeared embarrassed by the ensuing kiss attack that Will started. Im really happy that I have such a loving father, Jaden adds, but theres a time and place for that. Will then added that hes into the type of parenting that allows his kids to express themselves creatively but ever since Jaden took up skateboarding, it was tough for Will to deal with the scratched floors in his house. Im trying to do the newfangled parenting where you let your kids develop as artists, but youre gonna stop messing my floors up, boy, Will said to both Jaden and DeGeneres. Will told Jaden he had to leave the house under this condition Will Smith, Eva Mendes, and Ellen DeGeneres during 31st Annual Peoples Choice Awards | KMazur/WireImage Toward the end of the interview with DeGeneres, Jaden mentions living at home with his parents. And he seems to love it there. Im not going anywhere, Jaden states. The thing that people dont get is everything at his house is free, he gestures to Will. So, I can get anything and everything that I want at his house, so I think Ima be there for 20-30 more years. Will laughs at this, and Jaden states Wills conditions for him living in the family home. He says as soon as I have a movie thats bigger than one of his movies, then I have to get my own house. Theres no reason to be living in my house no more, Will added. Will then joked that Jaden will never be leaving the family house since it has so many amenities. But it seems Jaden actually bought his own place when he was 18. According to SFGate, the home was worth $4 million. But were sure the younger Smith certainly misses having some of his home luxuries for free. RELATED: 4 Cars Named After Iconic Movies and Movie Characters Check out Showbiz Cheat Sheet on Facebook! In remembrance of the tragic events of Sept. 11, 2001, Creative Discovery Museum will offer free admission from Sept. 11-18, to all police officers, firefighters, EMT workers, active military personnel and their families. The offer is good for first responders and their immediate family up to four people with presentation of an appropriate service ID. Visitors must call to reserve tickets ahead of their visit. To qualify for First Responders Week free admission, call 423 648-6052. We are pleased to honor all first responders with free admission to the museum, said Henry Schulson, executive director of Creative Discovery Museum. These brave men and women so often go above and beyond the call in helping others, and this is our chance to thank them. The offer is in celebration of the nation-wide Patriot Week that honors the American spirit. To learn more about Patriot Week, visit the website at www.patriotweek.org. Creative Discovery Museum also offers free admission throughout the year to all Hamilton Country sheriffs, Chattanooga police and firefighters and their immediate families up to four people with presentation of service ID. Law enforcement outside of Hamilton County and military receive a $5 discount on admission with presentation of a service ID. The museum will be closed on Tuesday, Sept. 15, and Wednesday, Sept. 16, as part of our fall hours. The unions covering Australia Post (AP) are continuing to enforce a pro-business restructuring of the government-owned postal service, even as it is clear that the overhaul is already resulting in greater workloads and worsening conditions, and opens the way for mass job cuts and privatisation in the near future. At the beginning of the month it was publicly-revealed that AP management had issued an appeal to its Victorian workforce to volunteer their time to clear a backlog of parcels, using their own vehicles. In other words, management, which reported a $7.5 billion full-year revenue in August, up seven percent, was demanding unpaid labour. The backlog was itself the result of restrictions on overtime, aimed at cutting costs. Across the country, postal workers have reported less extreme examples of the same process. Changes introduced on the pretext of the coronavirus pandemic, with the backing of the unions, have led to postal workers being forced to deliver even greater quantities of parcels and junk mail than before and to cover multiple beats, without any increase in the size of the workforce and with management still seeking to limit overtime as much as possible. According to some reports, postal workers who have been on the job for years delivering letters by foot or bike have been told that if they do not agree to switch to a new role distributing parcels by van, they will be out of work. This demonstrates the sham character of assurances by the federal Liberal-National government and managementechoed by the Communication Workers Union (CWU) and the Communications Electrical Plumbing Union (CEPU)that the overhaul is time-limited and is solely aimed at responding to the COVID-19 crisis. On April 21, the government granted AP relief from federal regulations that set out the parameters of its operations, on the pretext of the disruption caused by the pandemic. Management immediately announced that it was pressing ahead with a sweeping overhaul that would include a reduction in the frequency of letter-delivery from every business day, to every second business day, and the retraining of as many as 2,000 of its employees as van drivers dedicated to parcel delivery. There was no clear explanation as to what the changes had to do with the health crisis. Indeed in the early stages of the pandemic, workers complained that they were not provided with sufficient personal protective equipment. Several in Sydney contracted COVID-19, with some infectious while they were on the job. As the WSWS warned, the restructure was in line with previous calls for AP to refocus its operations to parcel delivery, which has accounted for a greater portion of its revenue each year, and to scale back its letter services, which are consistently operating at a loss. The transparent purpose is to make AP an attractive entity to a corporate buyer, if and when privatisation occurs, by making the business as profitable as possible. When the April changes were announced, CEPU and CWU officials acknowledged that they could result in as many as 2,500 jobs being destroyed, out of APs roughly 36,000 direct employees. The ensuing five months have seen a carefully orchestrated charade. The unions have continued to denounce aspects of the overhaul, but have collaborated behind closed-doors with management and the government to ensure that it proceeds. Their sole concerns have been to maintain their own position at the negotiating table, where they bargain away the jobs, wages and conditions of workers in exchange for their own privileges, and to prevent any struggle against the restructure. In July, CEPU national secretary Greg Rayner revealed that the unions had been in talks with the government, even prior to the regulatory changes in April. This underscored the fraudulent character of the unions claims that they had been blindsided by the overhaul. On July 7, the two unions announced that they had a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with AP management, suspending negotiations for a new enterprise agreement. The deal allows for the main changes demanded by AP, centering on the reduction of letter-delivery and a greater focus on parcel operations, to go ahead. Underscoring their contempt for the workers, and close collaboration with AP, the MOU was not discussed at any meetings with union members before it was agreed upon. Instead, workers were informed after the fact, in two letters, one from management and the other from the CEPU and the CWU. The unions have touted the agreement, because of a worthless pledge from management that they will not enforce job and wage cuts while it is in effect. The entire restructure, however, is premised on slashing unprofitable aspects of APs operations, meaning that job cuts are all but inevitable in the future. Management has refused to give any guarantee that it will not begin sackings when the MOU expires next year. Moreover, because the overhaul is proceeding, and workloads are intensifying, management no doubt calculates that some postal workers, especially older employees, will leave the job because the pressure is too great. Most significantly, the MOU includes a year-long no strike guarantee, in a pledge from the unions that they will act as an industrial police force, to repress opposition from the workers they falsely claim to represent. The signing of the MOU cleared the way for a vote in the federal Senate on August 27 for the extension of the regulatory changes until June 30 next year, at which time they will be reviewed. In other words, management has a year to proceed with its overhaul, and then it may be extended. Either way, workers know from experience that once a pro-business restructure is underway, management never voluntarily brings it to a halt. While the unions continue to bemoan some of the conditions facing workers, their real relationship with management was summed up by an article in the Australian Financial Review (AFR), one of the preeminent publications of big business, on August 21. It reported that Rayner was now a member of APs leadership council for safety. In other words, the union is completely integrating itself into management amid a pro-business offensive against workers conditions. Such committees, especially during a pandemic, are used to damp-down concerns from workers over their safety, and to ensure that business operations continue no matter what. Christine Holgate, the CEO of AP who has led the restructure, told the AFR that Rayners promotion was a reflection of the respect [in which] I hold them, i.e., the unions. Holgate made plain that the occasional conflicts between the unions and management were not fundamental: We will always on occasions have different points of view. But back in July we signed an MOU with them which gave confirmation of their support for this temporary, regulatory relief. Most revealingly, Holgate stated: One of the things they [the unions] are really keen on, and so am I actually, is we move to what we call a one network operation where we have more streaming into posties [postal workers] of parcels and we stop this sort of separation which had taken place between parcels and letters and we sort of bring it together and keep the posties job alive. Despite the vague corporate jargon, Holgate was clearly referring to a drive to increase the efficiency and the competitiveness of AP, and to force workers into areas of the business that are most profitable at any given moment. In other words, both management, and the unions, are concerned above all with boosting revenue, which means further cuts to conditions, and eventually, jobs and wages. The rhetoric about keeping the posties job alive is window-dressing and a thinly-veiled threat that if workers do not accept a continuous overhaul of conditions they will be thrown on the scrap-heap. The unions are currently calling on workers to join Local Working Groups (LWG) established by management. They are absurdly claiming that the participation of postal workers in these bodies, which were explicitly created to enforce the restructure, will help them to defend their conditions. At the same time, the unions are telling workers to appeal to federal senators to make sure that no permanent restructure, involving job destruction, is imposed in the future. At Senate inquiry hearings over the past months, Labor and Greens parliamentarians have grilled Holgate about different aspects of APs operations and the intentions behind its overhaul. But the restructure proceeds. The purpose of the Senate hearings, and the union promotion of them, is to divert workers behind the federal parliament and the official political parties responsible for the assault on postal employees and workers more broadly. Thousands of jobs, moreover, were slashed under previous federal Labor governments, which are no less responsible for the corporatisation of AP than their Liberal-National counterparts. The experiences of this year are further proof that postal workers can only defend their jobs, wages and conditions and oppose the pro-business offensive of management by breaking with the unions. These are anti-working class organisations, thoroughly integrated into management structures. New organisations of struggle, including independent rank-and-file committees, are required. These would be tasked with coordinating a genuine industrial and political fight against the restructure, enforcing basic safety measures and turning out to other sections of the working class. The ongoing drive to privatise AP demonstrates the need for an alternative political perspective, which rejects the subordination of essential services to the demands of the market and the corporate elite. That means the fight for a workers government that would implement socialist policies, including placing AP and all essential services, along with the banks and corporations, under full public ownership and democratic workers control. We appeal to postal workers interested in discussing this perspective to contact the Socialist Equality Party (SEP) today, at sep@sep.org.au. Actor Rhea Chakraborty was on Friday denied bail by a special court in Mumbai after her arrest over drugs charges linked to the probe by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) into the Sushant Singh Rajput case. The bail pleas of her brother Showik Chakraborty and four other accused have also been rejected by the special court constituted under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. Rhea Chakraborty had said in her plea that she was innocent and falsely implicated. Rhea and Showik have been booked under section 27A of the NDPS act, which provides for punishment for financing illicit traffic and harbouring offenders. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) building is seen in Washington on Feb. 19, 2014. (Jim Watson/AFP/Getty Images) US House Employees Will Not Have Their Payroll Tax Deferred Joining the ranks of some major private companies, the U.S. House of Representatives chief administrative officer announced that the House will not be implementing President Trumps payroll-tax deferral for its employees. The lower chamber determined that implementing the deferral would not be in the best interests of the House or our employees, Philip G. Kiko, the chambers chief administrative officer, said in an email to employees. As a result, we will not implement the payroll tax deferral. President Donald Trump announced the payroll-tax deferral in early August, initiating it after a stalemate in Congress over further pandemic aid and as his way of getting money to households during the economic downturn. The deferral is available for workers making less than $104,000 a year. The Presidents executive order delayed taxes but did not eliminate them because only Congress can do that. Trump also urged lawmakers to approve a transfer of federal funds that would keep the Social Security trust fund intact, allowing the delayed taxes to be forgiven without harming social security benefits. Democrats have opposed Trumps payroll tax deferral, citing that in the long run, it will destroy social security and Medicare benefits. In a joint statement issued late on August 8, Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), called the executive order weak and narrow, which would, slash the unemployment benefits that millions desperately need and endanger seniors Social Security and Medicare. Rep. John Larson (D-Conn.), the chairman of the House Ways and Means Committees Social Security subpanel, along with 20 of his Democrat colleagues, on Sept. 4 announced two initiativesthe Save Our Social Security Now Act and a Congressional Review Act resolutionboth seeking to overturn Trumps tax deferral. The executive order that Trump signed lets the 6.2 percent payroll tax be deferred from Sept. 1 through the end of the year. After Dec. 31, employers are to start collecting the taxes that are owed, leading to a situation in which workers receive less in take-home pay next year. This order is reckless, unworkable, and gives new meaning to the term surprise billing, Larson said in an earlier statement. Early next year Americans will be required by Trump to pay double to make up for this pointless charade! Larsons bill seeks to overturn guidance (pdf) issued by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) on Aug. 28, which implements the payroll tax deferral. The Congressional Review Act resolution would similarly nullify the IRS guidance, but through a joint resolution of disapproval in the Senate. Trump said he plans to forgive the deferred taxes if reelected, but such a move would require congressional action and theres no guarantee that Congress would pass legislation on forgiveness. When we win I, as your President, will totally forgive ALL deferred payroll taxes with money from the General Fund, he said on Twitter on Sept 10. EAST CHICAGO Police found a deceased man who was described as a well-known member of the East Chicago community. He had been known to be living in the city homeless for more than a year, police said. Jesus Mendez Suarez, 59, died Thursday morning and the Lake County coroners office is searching for his family members. At 6:45 a.m. Thursday police were called to do a welfare check on a report of a man lying in a parking lot at 2100 E. Columbus Drive, said police Deputy Chief Jose Rivera. Police found Suarez dead lying face-down on the east side of a building. Police were able to identify him from past contact they've had with him. Rivera said Suarez had been sleeping by the building for more than a year, repeatedly refusing assistance or services to find shelter. He was well-known in the community as a quiet person who never bothered anybody, Rivera said. Many people in the community would check on him and provide him with food and clothing. Inbreeding among mountain lions in Southern California is leading to genetic abnormalities that threaten the animal's existence. Biologists with the National Park Service have detected several defects among cougars in the Santa Monica Mountains this year, including crooked tails and undescended testicles. It's the first time such manifestations have been observed in Los Angeles' modest mountain lion population, and it could be a harbinger of their extinction in just a few decades. Conservationists hope to increase their genetic diversity with a 'wildlife overpass' that would connect animal populations to other wildlife north of the city. Scroll down for video A close-up of P-81's kinked tail. If drastic measures aren't taken to improve genetic diversity among the cougars of the Santa Monica Mountains, researchers estimate they will go extinct within a few decades 'This is something we hoped to never see,' said wildlife biologist Jeff Sikich in a statement. 'We knew that genetic diversity was low here, but this is the first time we have actually seen physical evidence of it. This grave discovery underscores the need for measures to better support this population.' The National Park Service has been monitoring the cougar population in the Santa Monica Mountains for nearly 20 years, but this marks the first time defects linked with inbreeding depression have been observed. Such deformities, which occur when a lack of genetic diversity starts to impact survival or reproduction, have previously been seen in mountain lions in Florida. Biologists encountered a juvenile male cougar, designated P-81, with an L-shaped tail and only one descended testicle. Such deformities are signs of low genetic diversity and possible inbreeding, and a threat to the species' survival P-81 sedated and collared. Scientists tracking the area's mountain lions say their mating options are limited because busy highways have pinned them in the Santa Monica Mountains. Without serious intervention, Los Angeles's cougar population has a 99.7 percent chance of going extinct in the next 50 years, according to biologists at UCLA. Some estimates put it at closer to 15 years. In March, Sikich and other researchers encountered a juvenile male cougar in the western Santa Monica Mountains, just outside the city. Estimated to be about one-and-a-half-years old, the cat, designated P-81, was captured, sedated and collared. He had a kinked tail, where the end was shaped like the letter 'L,' and only one descended testicle. Since then two more cougars with kinked tails have been spotted on remote cameras in the area. Evidence of a kinked tail seen on another cougar seen on a remote camera in the Santa Monica Mountains. Scientists say the three seen so far could be closely related, even siblings Scientists say it's possible the three are closely related, even siblings. While California mountain lions aren't classified as endangered, the genetic time bomb they carry could mean their days are numbered. Scientists tracking the animals say they are being trapping in the mountains by busy highways. A cougar cub in the Santa Monica Mountains. Conservationists have devised a 'wildlife overpass' that will allow cougars and other animals to connect to other populations to the north, greatly increasing their genetic diversity and access to food and shelter According to Seth Riley, wildlife branch chief for Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, their small numbers and isolation has led to both inbreeding and 'genetic drift,' a loss of genetic diversity over time. Riley said even worse genetic drift has been observed in cougars in the Santa Ana Mountains south of L.A. 'The only population with lower levels was in south Florida a couple of decades ago, when Florida panthers were on their way to extinction,' Riley said. The Florida cats also exhibited kinked tails and cryptorchidism, when one or both testes fails to descend. A males with neither testicles descended make it nearly impossible to reproduce. They had other troubling traits, too - including a low kitten survival rate and atrial septum, a hole in the heart between the left and right chamber. The National Park Service has been monitoring the cougar population in the Santa Monica Mountains for nearly two decades. This year marks the first time defects linked with inbreeding depression have been observed To address the problem, eight female mountain lions were imported from Texas to improve their genetic stock. There are now estimated to be about 200 mountain lions in south Florida, up from a low of less than 30. Genetic diversity has also increased, according to the National Park Service, and the incidence of various defects has plummeted. Mountain lions are still prevalent in the West, so rather than truck cougars in from elsewhere, conservationists are working to build a wildlife 'overpass' that would connect various cougar populations. An artist's rendering of the wildlife crossing over the 101 Freeway in Agoura Hills. While such passes, both bridges and tunnels, are not uncommon in Europe and Canada, this will be the largest and the first in a major metropolitan area The bridge is being planned for the Liberty Canyon area of Agoura Hills, one of the last stretches of the 101 Freeway where protected habitat abuts both sides of the road. 'The truth is that we want to build that connectivity not just for the mountain lions, but for all of the wildlife,' Riley said. It will give big cats, coyotes, deer, lizards, snakes and other creatures a safe route to open space and better access to food, shelter and potential mates. The $60 million project is now in the final design phase, with construction slated to start in late 2021. When completed, the Wildlife Crossing at Liberty Canyon it will connect animals south of the 101 to populations in the north, including the Simi Hills, the Santa Susana Mountains and Los Padres National Forest Funding is coming from private and corporate donors, including Boeing and the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation. When completed, the Wildlife Crossing at Liberty Canyon will connect wildlife south of the 101 to animals in the north, including the Simi Hills, the Santa Susana Mountains and, ultimately, Los Padres National Forest. Other wildlife crossings, both bridges and tunnels, are common in Europe and Canada. Stretching 200 feet above 10 lanes of traffic, the L.A. overpass would be the largest of its kind and the first in a major metropolitan area. But to the animals crossing it, the bridge hopefully will be indistinguishable from the scenery on either side. 'Ideally the animals will never know they're on a bridge,' architect Clark Stevens told the AP in 2019. 'It's landscape flowing over a freeway. It's putting back a piece of the ecosystem that was lost.' In his Sept. 1 visit, Macron came in with a strong push for change. He met with officials from the eight largest political groups. They were given a so-called French Paper, which lay out what it called a draft program for the new government on everything from how to deal with the coronavirus, to investigating the port explosion, rebuilding the port, fixing the electricity sector and resuming talks with the International Monetary Fund. The Young Vic will celebrate its 50th birthday with a weekend festival of speeches and monologues asking what the next 50 years hold, its first piece of live theatre since it closed its doors due to the coronavirus pandemic. There will also be an interactive outdoor art installation called The Unforgotten, commemorating inspirational trailblazers including pioneering nurse and Crimean War heroine Mary Seacole, gay liberation activist Marsha P Johnson and Trinidadian war hero Ulric Cross. The Young Vic community will be invited to contribute to the installation by submitting their own nominations in writing on the side of the building and online. IT'S OUR 50TH BIRTHDAY! #YV50 Today marks 50 years since we first opened our doors & what a better way to celebrate this milestone than by sharing with you our brand-new year-long programme of work entitled #WeAreTheNewTide Check out this thread for more info pic.twitter.com/ZkFzfLMUJQ Young Vic (@youngvictheatre) September 11, 2020 Meanwhile, the YV 50th Projection Project will celebrate the people and productions from across the five decades by illuminating the front of the Young Vic building each evening, with video design by Duncan McLean. The new piece of theatre The New Tomorrow will see writers and artists Jade Anouka, Marina Carr, Jasmine Lee-Jones, Ruth Madeley, Amy Ng, Stef Smith, Jack Thorne, Isobel Waller-Bridge and Steve Waters explore the change that has come and is coming, with a cast to be announced. The performance will be streamed via Facebook Live, with a limited number of in-person tickets also available through a lottery. First up, our 50th Birthday Projections Starting tonight, each evening the front of our building will become a giant canvas, illuminated by a video projection by @duncanjmclean, celebrating the people & productions who have contributed to our history over the last 5 decades. pic.twitter.com/EA0BxbPRpD Young Vic (@youngvictheatre) September 11, 2020 The 50th Projection Project and The Unforgotten will be unveiled on Friday evening, marking the beginning of We Are The New Tide a year-long 50th birthday programme running until September 2021. Kwame Kwei-Armah, artistic director of the Young Vic, said: We had planned to hold a giant street party celebration to mark the beginning of our 50th birthday year. We had envisioned 50 individual stages in and around the YV featuring the people who make up its DNA drama students and community members, actors, artists, creatives, technical crews and we were going to invite hundreds of people to join us. Video of the Day Also launching today: #YVUnforgotten, a free interactive installation that questions & engages w/ the conversation within #BlackLivesMatter about statues being torn down, asking us what monuments could be newly elevated.https://t.co/LcEHbgo7XX pic.twitter.com/gE1r6UoyoT Young Vic (@youngvictheatre) September 11, 2020 This year has taken a very different turn, and it feels vital our revised birthday plans serve this urgent moment, on this precipice of monumental change. The YVs extraordinary past will be rightly celebrated, but we cannot do this without acknowledging the seriousness of this present moment and also looking towards our future. Therefore, the beginning of our 50th birthday year sees three commissions: a projection project on the front of the building to celebrate the past people and productions who have contributed to this unique theatre over the last five decades; a commission called The Unforgotten which speaks entirely to the present moment and the urgent conversations which are taking place right now; and finally The New Tomorrow, a chance for brilliant writers and artists to take a look forward at what the next 50 years might hold for us. The installation - created by Artists @sadeysa & @AnnaFleischle - features statues commemorating three trailblazers of the Black community: Mary Seacole, Marsha P. Johnson & Ulric Cross. You are invited to contribute by submitting your own nominations & tagging #YVUnforgotten pic.twitter.com/q3fKZpOaF2 Young Vic (@youngvictheatre) September 11, 2020 By channelling as much of this work into the digital sphere as possible, we continue our YV mission of being as accessible as possible. The beginning of our 50th year marks a moment of change for everyone, but it is a year I go into with absolute optimism, for We Are The New Tide. Finally, the 1st piece of live theatre since we closed in March: #TheNewTomorrow festival on 3 & 4 Oct. A free festival in co-production with Wessex Grove where brilliant writers and artists will look at what the next 50 years will hold for us. pic.twitter.com/B1To37HpAx Young Vic (@youngvictheatre) September 11, 2020 Glenn Earle, chair of the Young Vic board, said: The Young Vic has been a theatrical powerhouse for five decades. A daring display of what theatre can be, the Young Vic is both deeply rooted in the local community and applauded internationally for artistic excellence. Our 50th birthday is a chance to celebrate the Young Vics ambition and brilliance, and also the spirit of community at the heart of this very special theatre. It is a chance to look back on 50 wonderful years of art and impact and to dream about the next 50. U.S. Postal Service is looking at recent incidents in California, which included bags of mail dumped in a parking lot and in a nearby alley for no reason. The incident in Glendale occurred amid a national debate about the reliability of the U.S. Postal Service weeks ahead before the U.S. presidential election. Mail-in ballots are seen to play an important role in the upcoming presidential election due to the coronavirus pandemic, which impedes the physical voting process. Glendale police alerted U.S. Postal Service after the bags of dumped mail were discovered. Mishandling mail is potentially a federal crime. The business owner reported the dumping in the parking lot of 7Q Spa Laser and Aesthetics. The owner was alerted by one of her employees. Upon checking the shop's security camera footage, it showed a rental truck pulling into the parking lot and the mail being dumped. Spa owner Lilian Serobian said the employee called her and sent the video with a bunch of U.S. Postal Service packages in the parking lot. "I saw the big Budget [rental] truck [in the video] back up to the parking lot and, one by one, start dropping off the packages. Then I found out that this wasn't the first incident in the area," she said in a report. Glendale police later told Serobian that a pile of mail had been found a few blocks away from her business. The spa owner said it was so suspicious. Serobian said that it is not something that would be an accident. She said that it was a pile of assorted size of unopened boxes. "Maybe there's something behind it which I don't know what, but hopefully they will find out, and prevent this from happening," Serobian noted. A U.S. Postal Service spokesperson has declined to comment on ongoing investigations. However, postal officials said that the truck driver was not a U.S. Postal Service employee, adding that it was a contractor. The agency also said that the discarded mail was picked up and would be delivered to the rightful receivers. Several issues were surrounding the mail-in voting procedure weeks before the election in November. President Donald Trump was also one to express his doubts about the integrity of mail-in voting. California Secretary of State Alex Padilla, the head election official for the country's most populous state, said that vote by mail is proven to successful, secure, convenient, and probably the safest option for voting. Padilla added that voting by mail could also help poll workers and Americans, who chose to vote in person, avoid exposure to the coronavirus disease. "More people who vote early, whether it's in person or by mail, should translate into shorter lines, smaller crowds and a safer experience on Election Day for both voters and election workers," Padilla said in a report. Mechanics of voting by mail differ in each state. Officials are guided by unique election laws and procedures and can be intimidating for voters. Election experts said the best advice is to get educated on the best options and to act early. Check these out: Election Day Update: Latino Vote in Midterm Elections Based on Support for Latino Community, Immigration Reform, Says Poll Are Biden's Allegations About Trump Postponing the 2020 Elections "Made-Up Propaganda"? The Power of Hispanic Voters in 2020 Elections Anurag Kashyap shared WhatsApp chats with Sushant's manager to explain why he didn't want to work with the late actor. The chat he had with the late actor's manager is dated May 22 and June 14. Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap has confessed about not wanting to work with late actor Sushant Singh Rajput, saying he had his own reasons. Anurag shared WhatsApp chats with Sushant's manager on Twitter to explain why he didn't want to work with the late actor. The chat he had with the late actor's manager is dated May 22 and June 14. "I am sorry that I am doing this but this chat is from three weeks before he passed away. Chat with his manager on 22 May.. haven't done it so far but feel the need now.. yes I didn't want to work with him for my own reasons (sic)," he wrote while sharing a screenshot. I am sorry that I am doing this but this chat is from three weeks before he passed away. Chat with his manager on 22 May .. havent dont it so far but feel the need now .. yes I didnt want to work with him for my own reasons .. https://t.co/g4fLmI5g9h pic.twitter.com/cHSqRhW9BD Anurag Kashyap (@anuragkashyap72) September 9, 2020 The chat has Sushant's manager requesting him to cast the actor in his next project. "I know u don't like people pitching actors... I feel I can take that chance with u.. please keep Sushant Singh Rajput in mind if u feel he fits in anywhere with u. As an audience ok i'd love to see you two create something great," the message from the manager read. To this, Anurag replied: "He is too problematic man. I have known him from before he started out and got him his film Kai Po Che." Anurag then went on to share the conversation he had with Sushant's manager on June 14, when the actor died. "Also My conversation with his manager on June 14th. It will show you things if you want to see. It feels horrible to do this but can't keep it back.. and for those as well who think we didn't care for the family. As honest as I can be.. judge me all you want," the filmmaker tweeted. Also My conversation with his manager on June 14th . It will show you things if you want to see. It feels horrible to do this but cant keep it back .. and for those as well who think we didnt care for the family . As honest as I can be .. judge me all you want .. pic.twitter.com/AdfJzcdh9M Anurag Kashyap (@anuragkashyap72) September 9, 2020 In the screenshot, the manager's message, in reference to the problem between the filmmaker and the actor, reads: "I never shared ur feedback and he never asked me what happened.." Anurag's response read: "Yeah I walked away from (Ranveer Singh) because Mukesh told me Sushant wanted to do my film.. Then Sushant ghosted me. And I shelved the film." To this, the manager replies that Sushant had "tremendous respect" for him and "Gattu", referring to director Abhishek Kapoor. "We were always honest. That's why I was upset. And I know (Mukesh) had something to do with it. So l just stayed away from the two. I just feel maybe I should have talked to him once instead of holding on to that grudge. Just feel so sh*t," Anurag replied. Following which the manager said: "This lockdown and helplessness to start working again did make matters worse I also think. Don't be hard on yourself... I swear he held you right up there for your honestly (sic) and ur own term of leading ur own life. Maybe he rest in peace." Anurag also asked about the actor's family, and on being informed that he has sisters, he asked whether they are younger or older and married. "It must be so hard on them," he wrote. Anurag goes on to explain Bollywood's support for Rhea Chakraborty following her arrest. "Everybody baying for Rhea's blood, asking questions like how did you know she didn't do this or that to him? How do you what was he going through? Are forgetting that the whole industry has actually known and seen and interacted with SSR over the last 9-10 years. Yes we know better," he wrote. "And that is also the reason the whole industry has been quiet so far out of respect for him. And now it is that very knowledge of SSR that has again brought everyone out here together to stand in solidarity for Rhea because it's gone too far," he added. A Naxal, carrying a reward of Rs 1 lakh on his head, surrendered before authorities along with an improvised explosive device (IED) in Chhattisgarhs Dantewada district on Thursday, a police official said. The rebel, Kosa Kawasi, who was active as a janmilitia commander under the Katekalyan area committee of Maoists, turned himself in before police officials at the Kuakonda police station, Dantewada Superintendent of Police Abhishek Pallava told PTI. The 21-year-old also handed over a 5kg IED to the police, which was given to him by his senior colleagues to plant in the area to target security forces, he said. Kawasi was allegedly involved in at least four Naxal- related incidents, including triggering IED blasts and murdering a villager, in the last three years, Pallava said, adding he was carrying a reward of Rs 1 lakh on his head. He was mainly tasked with arranging materials, including detonators, used in making IEDs and extorting money from villagers, he said. Elaborating on reasons for his surrender, Kawasi, in a statement, said he was disillusioned with the hollow Maoist ideology. At the same time, he was influenced by the LonVarratu (term coined in local Gondi dialect which means return to your village) campaign being run for ultras by the police in Dantewada, Pallava said. He was given an encouragement amount of Rs 10,000 and will be provided facilities as per the state governments surrender and rehabilitation policy, the SP said. Under the LonVarratu initiative launched in June, the police have been putting up posters and banners in native villages of Naxals who carry cash rewards on their heads in Dantewada. The posters mention the names of rebels and appeal to them to give up arms and join the national mainstream. So far, 108 Naxals have surrendered under the drive, the police official said. A Co Fermanagh woman has described the booking process for a Covid-19 test as "shambolic" after being offered checks miles from her home and in Scotland. Olivia Moore (50), from Bellanaleck, tried to book appointments for herself and two family members last week. With St Angelo Airport outside Enniskillen being her nearest testing centre, she expected this to be the location for the tests. Instead, the mum-of-two was offered tests in Lisburn, then Newry and later Scotland. Olivia, a key worker, tried to book the checks last Friday. "The system was telling me that my nearest centre was 60 miles away in Lisburn," she said. "When I tried again, it came up as Newry. The third time it was telling me to go to Scotland." Olivia decided to ring the 119 helpline number and was again told that the closest centre was 60 miles away, rather than five miles away in Enniskillen. "I went back online again to see if something would come up and by that time only Scotland was coming up. The system wasn't even offering Newry or Lisburn any more," she said. On Sunday morning Olivia decided to go to St Angelo Airport without an appointment. She checked online and found an available slot at 10am. "When I booked myself in I was given the option to add two more people, so I added my other two relatives who needed tests," she explained. "Our appointment was confirmed and I received a confirmation email with a barcode on it. "When we arrived I presented my barcode, but because my two family members didn't have confirmation emails they were told they would have to rebook. "We had to pull over and they eventually rebooked for 11am, but then it was pointed out that they had registered twice." All three family members were eventually tested and received negative results. Despite this, Olivia described her experience as "chaotic and shambolic". She is also concerned that such a poor service may deter people displaying symptoms from getting tested. "A better system needs to be put in place, especially when it comes to choosing a testing centre," Olivia said. "While everything turned out alright for us, there was so much miscommunication and a lack of knowledge. It needs to be clearer." Earlier this week West Belfast MLA Pat Sheehan tweeted details of his experience of the online booking system after trying to organise a test for his young daughter. The Sinn Fein representative first tried to order a home testing kit but was told none were available. When he attempted to book a slot at a local testing centre, he was told the nearest available slot was in Scotland. The Public Health Agency (PHA) said the UK-wide system was operated by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), which it is working with to resolve a number of issues. "We are aware of some issues with the DHSC booking system which have resulted in people finding it hard to book tests or being offered tests at sites outside Northern Ireland," said Dr Brid Farrell from the PHA. "We are working with the DHSC to resolve these, but it's important to note that pressure on testing is having an impact, which is why it is important that testing is used appropriately." Northern Ireland has four fixed testing centres and six mobile venues. Combined, they have the capacity to carry out about 6,000 tests per day. >>> Vietnam reports no COVID-19 cases in past 12 hours Known as the origin of the second wave of COVID-19 infections in Vietnam in late July, the central coastal tourist destination has now pushed back the epidemic, and the local authorities to gradually ease some of the strict epidemic prevention and control measures. Accordingly, the new measures have been implemented across the city from 0:00 on September 11, allowing students from secondary and junior high schools, as well as further education centres, to return to school from September 14, while preschools, primary schools, foreign language training facilities, overseas study counselling centres and other extra classes may resume operation from September 21. Local restaurants, shops and catering service establishments are allowed to resume their operation, but must make a commitment to implementing epidemic prevention and control measures according to regulations. Da Nang residents are suggested to restrict leaving home if not necessary and must wear face masks at public places, on public vehicles, at offices, schools and hospitals and in business and service establishments. The city still bans gatherings of over 30 people in public places and outside offices, schools and hospitals. Binh Dinh Province also removed some strict social distancing measures to allow the resumption of non-essential service establishments such as bars, discos, karaoke parlours, movie theatres and wedding restaurants from 0:00 today. The province is maintaining six local medical checkpoints at Binh De Pass, Bong Son Station (Hoai Nhon Town), Quy Nhon Bus Station, Quy Nhon Port (Quy Nhon City), Phu Cat Airport (Phu Cat District) and Dieu Tri Station (Tuy Phuoc District), as well as continuing the implementing centralised medical isolation for those arriving/returning from epidemic-hit areas or from Da Nang, while those arriving/returning from Quang Nam Province are not subjected to concentrated quarantine. A healthy 3.8 kg baby boy was born in the quarantine camp in Hanoi on September 10, 2020. (Photo: Ministry of Health) On September 10, doctors from the Hospital for Tropical Diseases supported a successful delivery for a pregnant woman infected with COVID-19 undergoing treatment at the Hanoi-based hospital. The 30 year old woman, known as Patient no. 411, returned from Russia and was quarantined immediately after entering the Nam Dinh Province General Hospital on July 17. Due to a history of preterm birth, the patient was transferred to the Hanois hospital for treatment to ensure the safety of both the mother and child. Under the hospital doctors support, she gave birth to the baby boy at 36 weeks, weighing 3.8 kg. Because the mother is under quarantine, the hospital uses an incubator to monitor the babys readings and give him formula milk. The midwife team will be kept on medical quarantine for the next 14 days. On the same day, Phu Yen Province welcomed 339 Vietnamese citizens repatriated from Russia to a local quarantine camp in Phu Dong Ward, Tuy Hoa City, for their 14 days of concentrated isolation in accordance with regulations. Earlier on September 1, Phu Yen also received 122 citizens from Da Nang to practice concentrated isolation in the province. Up until now, all of these citizens are healthy and have not recorded any abnormal symptoms. Nearly 340 Vietnamese citizens who were repatriated from Russia have been sent to a local military-run isolation camp in Tuy Hoa City, the capital city of Phu Yen Province, for quarantine as prescribed by the anti-COVID-19 regulation. (Photo: NDO/Trinh Ke) Also on September 10, Thai Ambassador to Vietnam Tanee Sangrat paid his second visit to the headquarters of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee in Hanoi to present 1,000 boxes of canned fish and 25,000 face masks, worth VND1 billion, to support Vietnams efforts in fighting against COVID-19. Congratulating Vietnam on its certain successes in the prevention and control of the epidemic, the diplomat said that the Thai businesses in Vietnam have continued to join hands to support the host country as the epidemic returned for the second time. Chairman of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee Tran Thanh Man expressed his sincere thanks to the ambassador and Thai businesses, emphasising that their support will facilitate the Party and State of Vietnam in repelling the epidemic. He also expressed his belief that with experience from both sides, Vietnam and Thailand would continue to achieve better results in the disease prevention and control, thus creating favourable conditions for businesses to be assured in doing business in each country. YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 11, ARMENPRESS. The US State Department says in its 2020 Investment Climate Statements: Armenia report that Armenias progress in fighting corruption after the 2018 revolution and improvements in several sectors are increasing the countrys appeal for investments and that the competitive environment for foreign investments is improving. "Over the past several years, Armenia has received respectable rankings in international indices that review country business environments and investment climates. Significant U.S. investments are present in Armenia, most notably ContourGlobals acquisition of the Vorotan Hydroelectric Cascade and Lydian Internationals efforts to develop a major gold mine. U.S. investors in the banking, energy, pharmaceutical, information technology, and mining sectors, among others, have entered or acquired assets in Armenia. Armenia presents a variety of opportunities for investors, and the countrys legal framework and government policy aim to attract investment, but the investment climate is not without challenges. Obstacles include Armenias small market size, relative geographic isolation due to closed borders with Turkey and Azerbaijan, weaknesses in the rule of law and judiciary, and a legacy of corruption. Net foreign direct investment inflows are low. Armenia is a member of the Eurasian Economic Union, a customs union that brings Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Russia together in an integrated single market. In May 2015, Armenia signed a Trade and Investment Framework Agreement with the United States. The TIFA establishes a United States-Armenia Council on Trade and Investment to discuss bilateral trade and investment and related issues. In November 2017, Armenia signed a Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement with the European Union, which aims in part to improve Armenias investment climate and business environment. Armenia imposes few restrictions on foreign control and rights to private ownership and establishment. There are no restrictions on the rights of foreign nationals to acquire, establish, or dispose of business interests in Armenia. Business registration procedures are straightforward. According to foreign companies, otherwise sound regulations, policies, and laws are sometimes undermined by problems such as the lack of independence, capacity, or professionalism in key institutions, most critically the judiciary. Armenia does not limit the conversion and transfer of money or the repatriation of capital and earnings. The banking system in Armenia is sound and well-regulated, but investors note that the financial sector is not highly developed. The U.S.-Armenia Bilateral Investment Treaty provides U.S. investors with a variety of protections. Although Armenian legislation offers protection for intellectual property rights, enforcement efforts and recourse through the courts require improvement. Armenia experienced a dramatic change of government in April/May 2018. Parliamentary elections in December 2018 led to the exit from power of numerous parliamentarians known to have significant business holdings in Armenia and exercise outsized sway over large sections of the economy. An anti-corruption campaign is underway as part of efforts to eliminate systemic corruption. Overall, the competitive environment in Armenia is improving, but several businesses have reported that broader reforms across judicial, tax, customs, health, education, military, and law enforcement institutions will be necessary to shore up these gains. Despite progress in the fight against corruption and improvements in some areas that raise Armenias attractiveness as an investment destination, investors claim that numerous concerns remain and must be addressed to ensure a transparent, fair, and predictable business climate. An investment dispute in the countrys mining sector has attracted significant international attention and remains outstanding after several years", it said in its executive summary. TAIPEI: Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen visited an air defence missile base on Friday, where she urged the troops to be steadfast in their defence of the islands sovereignty and democracy as tensions with China continue to rise. Taiwan, claimed by China as its own, says that Chinese forces carried out two-days of large-scale air and naval exercises off Taiwans southwest and in its air defence identification zone, denouncing it as provocation. China has stepped up its military activity around Taiwan this year. Tsai, who was re-elected by a landslide in January promising to stand up to China, observed exercises and chatted to soldiers thanking them for their hard work, in video footage provided by the government. At the moment the Chinese Communists aircraft harassing of Taiwan and military exercises have been quite frequent," Tsai said. I believe that everyone is clear about this situation in performing their mission, and know they have a huge responsibility." Taiwans skies and people are safe because of their hard work, she added. I want to encourage everyone by saying dont give an inch of the nations sovereignty, and hold fast to democracy and freedom. This is our conviction and resolve to protect our home and defend our country. Please all take this to heart." China has not yet responded to Taiwans complaints about the recent drills, which happened between mainland Taiwan and the Taiwan-controlled Pratas Islands in the northern part of the South China Sea. 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 Indias battle with coronavirus is on, with daily spikes in infections threatening to cross the one lakh mark. With easing of lockdown restrictions, things have improved slightly on the economic front but we have a long way to go to even catch up with the February 2020 level that itself was well below par. The adverse impact of the virus on the Indian economy is writ large everywhere with the first quarter of current year GDP indicating the economy contracted by 23.9%. There is hardly any section of the population that has not faced severe contraction of income in their occupation. The spectre of millions of migrant workers, walking on foot with all their belongings, across the length and breadth of our country is still fresh in every Indians mind. The march of these millions and millions of uneducated, unskilled and poor migrant labourers to their homes brought out the true picture of poverty and misery prevalent in our country for decades. The question is what were we doing all these years in the name of governing the country and states. Why did we fail to educate and skill these millions all these years? Why did we fail to provide a decent and affordable health care system to all our people? Why does every citizen have to still run from pillar to post to get justice and has to constantly struggle to save his dignity? Why have we failed to provide to millions even a decent dwelling with basic civic amenities? Where are the jobs for crores of our people who want to work and earn their livelihood. The time has come to rectify the mistakes of the past and build a strong and prosperous India. The pandemic has given us an opportunity to think afresh and take some major steps to turn the tide. Massive public spending programme will have to be undertaken urgently to not only create employment opportunities for our working population but also create demand across all major industrial sectors like steel , cement, machinery, equipment, manufacturing, building construction etc. Managing resources for the increased public expenditure is not difficult, there are many ways to manage the issue. It all has to begin with reforming the education and health system first. It is not rocket science that one needs bulky reports by subject matter experts to start any action. At present we have thousands of types of schools churning out thousand types of citizens across our nation. To revamp the existing education system with extremely poor infrastructure, the central government should announce a National Programme for Rebuilding the School Education and take up the responsibility to establish nearly 70,000 well equipped Class 1 to 12 schools across the nation that will truly be world class, equipped with all modern facilities to use IT-enabled education to provide the top quality of education to each and every student of our country. These schools will need to be fully equipped for providing vocational education to millions of students simultaneously. This will cost the nation nearly 5 lakh crores over a three-year period. We already have more than adequate teaching posts sanctioned to man these schools so there shall not be any additional burden on account of salaries. These schools, spread across the country, each catering to nearly six to seven villages, will provide equality of opportunity in education to all our population and enable them to fully skill themselves to become economically productive. Similarly, through a National Health Rejuvenation Programme, well-equipped super-specialty hospitals should be established in every district to provide the level of healthcare that our constitution makers had envisioned. This will cost the central government barely Rs3 lakh crore over three years. This will also require complete change in the way the medical education system is being run today so that we not only start producing enough doctors for our requirement but for other countries across the world also. Our country is known for its pathetic infrastructure facility across all sectors. It is unfortunate that the highways which should not cost more than 15 crore for a kilometre of a six-lane road are being built at the rate of 60 to 70 crore per kilometre. Through a National Infrastructure Development Programme, 20 thousand kilometre super highways will have to be built in three years time costing no more than 3 lakh crore. Similarly, all the airports, ports, electricity distribution networks, and other infrastructure facilities can be made world class with an additional expenditure of nearly 4 lakh crore in next four years. These four initiatives, to begin with, costing nearly 15 lakh crores over four years, should become the New Deal of the central government, to not only transform India but will also kickstart the economy with jet speed and bring back mass employment, help pick up demand of all goods and services and bring the country back on the high growth path. In 1933, US President Franklin D Roosevelt came up with the nation-building programme called the New Deal to pull America out of great depression. It is an example for the present government to follow. (VS Pandey is a former IAS officer. He retired as secretary, department of fertilisers in the Government of India) On Sept. 11, 2001, U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham was getting ready for work in Washington, D.C. when he saw a TV report of a plane crashing into one of the Twin Towers. Nearly 3,000 Americans were killed in the series of attacks that day. Nineteen years later, the Republican politician stood before The Citadel's Corps of Cadets and told them the continuing War on Terrorism will be theirs to fight and, hopefully, finish. "This is a strange war," Graham said Friday. "A new generation, 19 years after the event that started it, is going to be given the baton because it's not over. The dangers still exist." Notably, most of the cadets at The Citadel were too young to remember 9/11. Many of the freshmen weren't born yet. But the wars in the Middle East have stretched on for their entire lives, leaving its mark on the school. At least 22 alumni from the military college have died during the conflicts, according to The Citadel. Graham said those cadets paid the ultimate price, and some in the school's ranks will one day be asked to do the same. "They had the same hopes and dreams you had, and they've been denied what I've been able to enjoy a long life," Graham said. He added, "Know what you're signing up for. You're signing up for a difficult life but a rewarding life. If you choose that life, if you choose that path, you choose danger." This week, President Donald Trump said he plans to cut the troop presence in Iraq from 5,200 to 3,000 by the end of September. Graham, a longtime defender of action in the Middle East and a former colonel in the Air Force Judge Advocate General's Corps, stood behind the president's actions. The call for a reduction comes as some defense and national security officials worry it could harm other points of the global fight, including the upcoming peace talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban. "You don't need 100,000 troops to keep America safe, but if you go to zero, you're making a very dangerous choice," Graham said. "The war won't end because you want it to end, you're going to fight those radical Islamists somewhere. They only reason they're not here today, is because we kept them pinned down." During his speech, Graham did not shy away from strong rhetoric against radical Islamic terrorism. At one point he compared religious terrorists to "Nazis" wanting a master race, but added that "most Muslims are not the enemy of the United States." Graham is up for reelection this November and is caught in a tight race against Democratic challenger Jaime Harrison. Harrison weighed in on the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on Twitter. "Today is a day to lift up the memories of those we lost and to show our gratitude to the first responders who ran towards the danger instead of from it," Harrison said. "It's been 19 years, but we will #NeverForget." Earlier in the day, Trump spoke in Shanksville, Pa., where the hijacked United Flight 93 crashed on the morning of the attacks. He praised the sacrifice of first responders and soldiers. His speech followed reports a week ago that Trump disparaged service members who died in World War I as "suckers" and "losers," and also denigrated top military leaders. Graham told The Post and Courier he didn't believe the reports about Trump's comments and hasn't personally heard the president speak ill of service members. When asked about negative comments the president said about the late Sen. John McCain, a close friend of Graham's, he described Trump as a "streetfighter" and added that the late Arizona Republican and the commander-in-chief often sparred publicly. During his Citadel address, Graham overwhelmingly praised the military. More than 7,000 U.S. service members have died in the Middle East since 9/11. Graham said if peace talks go well between Afghanistan and the Taliban this weekend it'll be, in part, because of the cadets who died answering the call to service. A group of elephants walk across an area in northern Botswana. Their ears move and their trunks sometimes touch the ground. As they pass, a camera, hidden in low plants, records the presence of each elephant. What is special about this group? It is only males. Female elephants are known to form tight family groups that are led by experienced females. Males were thought to be loners - creatures that are often alone. They often leave their mothers herd when they reach 10 to 20 years of age. However, a new study shows that young males are not always loners. Younger male elephants were seen following older males as they traveled from place to place. The findings support other research that suggests older males play an important part in elephants complex society. The study was published recently in Scientific Reports. Researchers studied videos of 1,264 sightings of male African elephants. The elephants were traveling toward Botswanas Boteti River in 2017 and 2018. They found that younger males rarely traveled alone. Older males most often led groups of mixed ages. Diana Reiss is the director of the Animal Behavior and Conservation Program at Hunter College. Reiss was not involved in the new study. Mature male elephants often take a position at the front of the line when they are leading the group, she said. Reiss added, In human societies, grandparents are valued because they make really important contributions helping with childcare and passing down knowledge gained over decades...Were now learning this pattern is also true for some other long-lived mammals, including dolphins, whales and elephants. This is the first study of African savannah elephants of its kind. A 2019 paper also used cameras to find similar male group actions among Asian elephants. Scientists have long known more about breeding herds of female elephants, said Connie Allen, a biologist at the University of Exeter in Britain. Allen was a co-writer of the new paper. She added that males have complex social lives, and their groupings are not only shaped by family ties. When several young male elephants were introduced into a park in Pilanesberg, South Africa in the mid-1990s, they were very aggressive. They killed 40 white rhinoceros. But their behavior changed after six older male elephants were added to the park. In some way, the older males create order, said Carl Safina, an ecologist at Stony Brook University. Safina also was not involved in the new study. Mature male elephants are larger and have longer tusks a kind of large tooth that sticks out of the mouth. They are often the target of hunters both legal and illegal in Africa. Allen said that future conservation plans should consider the part that older males play. Males are more mysterious, she said, but it turns out they arent such loners. I'm John Russell. Christina Larson reported on this story for the Associated Press. John Russell adapted it for Learning English. Mario Ritter, Jr. was the editor. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story trunk n. the long, flexible nose of an elephant herd n. a group of animals that live or are kept together mature adj. not young : middle-aged or older contribution n. the act of giving something : the act of contributing pattern n. the regular and repeated way in which something happens or is done breeding n. the process by which animals produce and care for their young; related to producing and caring for the young conservation n. the protection of animals, plants, and natural resources Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Adrian Wail Akhlas (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, September 11, 2020 15:42 497 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c4447ee8 1 Business taxation,Australia,Indonesia,tax-avoidance,information-exchange,MoU Free Indonesias tax office and its Australian counterpart have joined hands to exchange information as part of the latest efforts to fight tax avoidance, the Taxation Directorate General announced on Wednesday. The tax office and the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) last month to exchange tax information automatically starting on Aug. 19 under the double tax treaty. The Taxation Directorate General will receive information related to income received by Indonesian taxpayers from Australian tax subjects, the tax office said in a statement. The information will be used to implement compliance risk management and law enforcement and ensure compliance of Indonesian taxpayers. The tax office said the information exchange would help fight tax avoidance committed by taxpayers by underreporting their income and assets abroad. The collaboration between the tax office and the ATO through the taxation information exchange is in line with a global commitment to create transparent taxation," it added. The government has collected Rp 601.9 trillion (US$40.98 billion) in tax income as of July this year, down 14.7 percent year-on-year due to the coronavirus pandemic. That is around 50 percent of the full-year target. Tax income this year may fail to meet even the most-recently revised target, as economic activity had slowed more than expected, Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati said on Wednesday. The government expects a greater tax shortfall this year following a change in the governments economic growth estimate. Tax income would be slightly below the target set in Presidential Regulation (Perpres) No. 72/2020, she added. The government previously expected tax income to reach Rp 1.19 quadrillion this year, around 10 percent lower than stated in the initial 2020 state budget plan, as the coronavirus pandemic has hit economic activity hard. Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 1 anno fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili. San Francisco, 11 Sep 2020: The Report Histology And Cytology Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By End Use, By Product (Instruments & Analysis Software System, Consumables & Reagents), By Type of Examination, And Segment Forecasts, 2020 - 2027 The global histology and cytology market size is expected to reach USD 34.5 billion by 2027 growing at a CAGR of 13.6%, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. Significance for cell-based models in phenotypic assays has increased over the years, mainly targeted towards discovering new disease causative factors while performing an in-depth analysis of disease mechanism and detecting biomarkers with clinical significance. This has fueled the demand for cytological profiling as well as histopathology techniques contributing to the overall growth. Histology involves microscopic examination of whole tissue samples whereas, cytology includes individualized cellular analysis targeted towards particular disease condition. Cytology is frequently utilized to perform a primary screening of the diseases, based on which the pathologists perform further diagnosis of the patient. Emerging immunohistochemistry techniques along with the advancements across histology products such as enclosed tissue processors, cryostats, disposable knives, and plastic cassettes is expected to propel market growth. Splurging demand for in-vitro diagnostics is expected to propel the demand for histology among the laboratory professionals. Access Research Report of Histology And Cytology Market @ https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/histology-and-cytology-market Further key findings from the study suggest: Cytology accounted for the highest revenue generated in 2019 and is anticipated to maintain this trend throughout the forecast period Cervical cancer is the major contributor to the revenue generated in the cytology segment and is anticipated to witness a CAGR of 11.9% from 2020 to 2027 Consumable and reagents have dominated the global histology & cytology market attributed to their large-scale adoption across various protocols right from tissue acquisition to processing or treatment The life sciences end-use segment is set grow at a fastest pace registering a CAGR of 13.9% attributed to increasing employment of digital histology and cytology instruments across oncology and toxicology studies North America accounted for the largest revenue share in 2019 owing to sufficient presence of skilled professionals required to maintain the efficacy of these tests Asia Pacific is expected to offer lucrative opportunities for market expansion, attributed to rising focus on the development of advanced diagnostic techniques International players looking to invest in developing economies of this region have significantly contributed to the projected revenue in this region Some of the key market participants are Abbott, Hologic, Inc.; F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd; Becton, Dickinson and Company (BD) In the recent years, the market has witnessed pivotal collaborations amongst the participants for the launch of unique solutions For instance, in December 2019, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd collaborated with Fortelinea Software Systems targeted towards co-marketing of software solutions in U.S. This was aimed at enhancing workflow across histology research laboratories in the country. Browse more reports of this category by Grand View Research at: https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry/clinical-diagnostics Grand View Research has segmented the global histology & cytology market on the basis of type of examination, product, end use, and region: Histology and Cytology Type of Examination Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2027) Histology Cytology Cervical cancer Breast cancer Other cancers Histology and Cytology Product Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2027) Instruments and Analysis Software System Consumable and Reagents Histology and Cytology End-use Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2027) Life Sciences Clinical Diagnostics Histology and Cytology Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2027) North America Europe Asia Pacific Latin America MEA Access Press Release of Histology And Cytology Market @ https://www.grandviewresearch.com/press-release/global-histology-cytology-market About Grand View Research Grand View Research, Inc. is a U.S. based market research and consulting company, registered in the State of California and headquartered in San Francisco. The company provides syndicated research reports, customized research reports, and consulting services. To help clients make informed business decisions, we offer market intelligence studies ensuring relevant and fact-based research across a range of industries, from technology to chemicals, materials and healthcare. For More Information:www.grandviewresearch.com Indias aviation regulator, Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), has sought a report from IndiGo on alleged violation of safety and social distancing norms necessitated by the ongoing coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic on board a Chandigarh-Mumbai flight, where actor Kangana Ranaut was one of the passengers, on September 9. The IndiGo flight, 6E 264, which took off from Chandigarh at its scheduled time at around 12 noon, landed in Mumbai at around 2.15 pm on September 9. The flight had Ranaut on board, along with her sister, Rangoli. A few media persons were on the same flight to cover Ranauts movement. Ranaut has been critical of the Mumbai polices investigation of the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput, and an escalating war of words with members of the Shiv Sena, part of the states Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi government, saw her compare the state to Pakistan Occupied Kashmir. Ranaut, was subsequently provided Y+ security by the Union Ministry for Home Affairs (MHA) and she did not interact with the media during the flight. However, mediapersons allegedly violated social distancing norms as they kept on leaving their seats during the flight . An airline official said, The cabin crew kept on requesting the media persons on board the flight to remain seated. The pilot also asked them not to use their camera phones or shoot on board. However, they refused to obey. Arun Kumar, director-general, DGCA, said, We have asked the airline to submit the report about the situation during the flight and the safety and social distancing norms violated by a few passengers. The report is expected soon. Commenting on the incident, IndiGo said, We have given our statement to DGCA regarding the matter pertaining to flight 6E 264 from Chandigarh to Mumbai, on September 9, 2020. We would like to reiterate that our cabin crew, as well as the captain, followed all the requisite protocols, including announcements to restrict photography, follow social distancing and maintain overall safety. IndiGo also followed the requisite protocol of documenting this matter in its post-flight report. We are committed to providing a safe, hassle-free experience to our passengers. Multiple issues have been witnessed, the prominent ones include photography on board in violation of Aircraft rules 13, violation of Covid protocols and certain actions falling within the purview of unruly behaviour on board. We have asked the airline to take appropriate action against those responsible, said Arun Kumar, DG, DGCA. The Wyandotte-Downriver branch of the American Association of University Women (AAUW) recently awarded two scholarships of $1,250 each to HFC students Daneisha Jones and Heather Rossi. The AAUW Wyandotte-Downriver branch awarded five annual scholarships to the winning applicants, who had to apply for the scholarship and submit an essay. Daneisha Jones A 2009 alumna of Osborn High School in Detroit, Daneisha Jones is studying business administration at HFC and is expected to graduate in late 2020. Winning this scholarship is a great feeling. It will help me to achieve my educational goals here at HFC, said Jones, who lives in Lincoln Park with her husband and two sons, 10 and 3. Jones came to HFC because of its affordability and convenience. Its also close to her home and her job. She currently works as an administrator at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit. Ive always had an interest in an administrative career its what I do best, she said. This degree will allow me to advance to a leadership administrative role. At HFC, one of her favorite teachers is speech instructor Doris Toney. I took a speech class during the Winter 2020 Semester, said Jones. Ms. Toneys teaching style and commitment to getting students to be more comfortable and learn the objectives were unique. She was very committed and passionate. She challenged us to achieve at our highest potential. After graduating from HFC, Jones plans to continue her education at the University of Michigan-Dearborn (UM-Dearborn). Heather Rossi For Heather Rossi, HFC was the ideal school for changing careers, from one service field to another. A certified Emergency Medical and Fire Dispatcher, Emergency Medical Technician (EMT), and Emergency Medical Dispatch Instructor, the Alpena High School alumna has been a first responder for almost 20 years. Currently, she is an emergency dispatcher at Huron Valley Ambulance (HVA). Rossi is also a police and fire dispatcher for the City of Riverview. She is an area representative for ASSE International Exchange Programs, where she oversees and places international exchange students in local high schools. In fact, she and her husband, Daniel Lee Rossi, are currently hosting an international exchange student. I wanted to help people, and I always had an interest in the medical field. I took my EMT class during my senior year of high school and received my certification 10 days after my 18th birthday. I have been in emergency services for 18 years. I love the field. However, as I get older, I am able to see the deep need for more extensive social services in our community and those in crisis. I want to be a part of helping and supporting people beyond their original emergency, said Rossi, of Trenton. Rossi whose husband and brother-in-law, Joseph Rossi, Jr., are also HFC alumni graduated from HFC in August, earning her associate degree in liberal arts. This fall, she will transfer to Eastern Michigan University (EMU), where she plans to study social work. Rossi also plans to earn her masters degree in social work. I decided to go into social work because of my interactions personally and professionally with families who receive or need social services, said Rossi. I truly love my current position as an emergency dispatcher, helping others in their times of immediate need, and I want to continue to help people as a social worker. The excellent reputation of the College and a positive outlook from her husband inspired Rossi to attend HFC as she began her second career. The overall atmosphere of the campus, and the down-to-earth and approachable Instructors and staff were a big draw, said Rossi. I like the small community and the various activities throughout the year that are available to students. Rossi is especially grateful to Assisted Learning Services (ALS), which played an invaluable role during her time at HFC. Being an adult with a learning disability, I was terrified to return to school, she said. ALS made a huge difference in my education. I also want to encourage other adults with learning disabilities not to be afraid of college. There are wonderful services to help you especially at HFC. Source: Henry Ford College Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has decided to hand over the investigati-on into the blaze that destroyed the chariot of the Antarvedi Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple to the CBI, in keeping with the policy of transparency in governance. The Chief Minister has instructed the Director General of Police (DGP) to hand over the case to the premier investigation agency. Following the instructions, the DGPs office has written a letter to this effect to the Union home ministry. How could TD trust CBI now: YSRC Officials informed that a GO to this effect will shortly be issued on the matter. Opposition parties and Telugu Desam chief N. Chandrababu Naidu had been demanding a CBI probe. The CM has taken the matter of the fire seriously and while the state police have been trying their best, there was criticism from political and other groups casting aspersions on the government. No one would be spared and stringent action would be taken against those involved, irrespective of their position, was the government stand. Meanwhile, YSRC MLA and party spokesperson Ambati Rambabu stated that there is no negligence of the government in the Antarvedi incident as the government had initiated swift measures. He said earlier Naidu had no confidence in CBI and had banned the agency during his tenure but now he is distrusting the AP police and had started believing the CBI which shows his political opportunism. New York In a year when the coronavirus pandemic has reshaped countless American rituals, even the commemoration of 9/11 could not escape unchanged. The 19th anniversary of the terror attacks will be marked by dueling ceremonies at the Sept. 11 memorial plaza and a corner near the World Trade Center, reflecting a divide over the memorial's decision to suspend a cherished tradition of relatives reading victims' names in person. Vice President Mike Pence is expected at both those remembrances in New York, and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden at the observance on the memorial plaza. President Donald Trump and Biden both plan to go to the Flight 93 National Memorial in Pennsylvania at different times. In New York, the double beams of light that evoke the fallen twin towers were nearly canceled in the name of virus safety, until an uproar restored the tribute. The Fire Department has cited the virus in urging members to skip observances of the 2001 attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people, among them almost 350 firefighters. Some victims' relatives say they understand the ground zero observance had to change in a year when so much else has. Others fear the pandemic is making plain what they have feared was happening unspoken: that the commitment to "Never Forget" is fading. "It's another smack in the face," says Jim Riches, who lost his son Jimmy, a firefighter. The father is staying home on the anniversary for the first time this year because he doesn't want to take chances with the coronavirus after a prior illness. But he feels others should have the option of reciting the names of the dead on the memorial plaza, instead of listening to a recording. Memorial leaders said they wanted to avoid close contact among readers, who are usually paired at the podium. But to Riches, a retired fire battalion chief and frequent critic of the memorial organization, the decision sounds like an excuse for sidelining the families' role in commemorating 9/11. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. "I wish they wouldn't forget, but they're trying to," he says. But Anthoula Katsimatides sees the differences this year as an effort to ensure victims' relatives feel comfortable attending including her mother, who hasn't left home since March because she's worried about the virus. But she is determined to go in honor of her son John, a bond trader. While many events have been called off this year, "this wasn't canceled. It's just been changed in such a way where we still get to pay tribute to our loved ones in a respectful and safe way," said Katsimatides, who's on the memorial board. She says the change wasn't motivated by anything except a public health emergency. National Crops Forum - Green Deal and Farm to Fork - implications for tillage farmers Event Time 6:30pm Venue Online Part Two of the National Crops Forum focusing on the Green Deal and Farm to Fork implications for tillage farmers The annual National Crops forum will take place virtually this year due to Covid19 Restrictions. The Forum will take place over two evenings on September 10th and 17th at 6.30pm to 7.30pm each evening. Part Two of the National Crops Forum on September 17th will look at how the Green Deal and Farm to Fork policies may affect the tillage industry. The forum will then hear from Professor Michael Wallace on the current impact of the Tillage sector in Ireland followed by a Donal Fitzgerald, Chair of Tillage Stakeholders group discussing Crops 2030, a strategic plan for the Crops sector. All the speakers will answer questions towards the end of the session. Agenda Green Deal and Farm to Fork for the Tillage Industry Department of Agriculture, Food & the Marine (DAFM) Department of Agriculture, Food & the Marine (DAFM) Economic Impact of the Tillage Sector Professor Michael Wallace Professor Michael Wallace Crops 2030 Strategic Plan for the Irish Crops Sector Donal Fitzgerald, Chair of Teagasc Tillage Stakeholder Group Donal Fitzgerald, Chair of Teagasc Tillage Stakeholder Group Questions and Answers Part One of the National Crops Forum takes place on Thursday, 10th September focusing on Varieties and Agronomy - more information & register here IASIS credits are available Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (Agence France-Presse) Venice, Italy Fri, September 11, 2020 09:30 497 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c443079d 2 Entertainment Venice-Film-Festival,Donald-Trump,Thomas-Jane,Run-Hide-Fight Free The pro-gun US star of a high school massacre movie at the Venice film festival said Thursday that Donald Trump will win the US presidential election in November. "Everybody says they are not going to vote for him, that hes an asshole because the newspapers are full of stuff about what a crazy maniac he is," said Thomas Jane, who heads the cast of the action thriller "Run Hide Fight". "But they are all going to vote for him. Watch," the "Boogie Nights" actor told reporters before the controversial films red carpet premiere. "He will win." Jane and producer Dallas Sonnier -- a gun rights supporting Texan who heads the Cinestate studio responsible for a string of "populist" movies often loved by Trump supporters -- said they wanted to open up the debate on school shootings in the US. Trump has staunchly supported the pro-gun lobby despite the mounting death toll of killings. "Run Hide Fight" starts with a bonding trip that sees the heroine -- who later takes on the shooters at her school -- hunt a stag with her father. She bludgeons it to death with a rock when her shot fails to kill it. Jane, who himself has a 17-year-old daughter with actress Patricia Arquette, said the story spoke to him. "The subject is taboo," he claimed, even though "hundreds of school shootings are going on across the US, many of them unreported." "Everyone wants to tow the line. Nobody wanted to do a movie about it. Everybody is so goddamned touchy in this country, and Im sick of it," he added. "I am sick of not being able to have an open discussion and a disagreement." Read also: Ideals betrayed in Konchalovsky's 'Dear Comrades' at Venice Sonnier, who lost both his parents to gun violence in two separate incidents, said the films theme of a young girl and her father fighting back drew him to the project because his own parents "never had a chance". The producer was also behind the Mel Gibson tough cop drama, "Dragged Across Concrete" and "Militia". Although Sonnier has said that he didn't vote for Trump, he conceded many of his film appeal to some of the presidents core supporters. Director Rankin said his film -- whose title is taken from the Hide Run Fight protocol for students when shooting starts in a school -- was "about kids being allowed to fight back". He said it was "neither pro- nor anti-gun, so that it might encourage more dialogue than division." Either the justice minister received wrong information or he hasnt fully examined the materials since Minister Rustam Badasyan doesnt have the relevant powers and has made an illegal decision to dismiss Amatuni Virabyan. This is what Tigran Grigoryan, attorney of former director of the National Archives of Armenia SNCO Amatuni Virabyan, told reporters today. The decision is due to the fact that the SNCO failed to pay taxes in mid-2018. If this is the case, the powers of the director had to be terminated by the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Development the day after that since the National Archives of Armenia were part of the ministry back then, but the powers werent terminated. This means violations werent detected, he said. Grigoryan expressed certainty that this decision is targeted against Virabyan since there are also similar situations in other SNCOs, but such issues havent emerged anywhere. The attorney concluded that he and his client will appeal the decision to court. Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - Libya's National Oil Company (NOC) has expressed deep dismay following "a shooting and new security breaches at al-Sharara oilfield" in the southwest of the country After exiting the RJD on Thursday, former Union minister Raghuvansh Prasad Singh wrote to Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar seeking extension of MGNREGA benefits to the farm sector, a step being seen as an attempt by the veteran socialist leader to cosy up to the ruling JD (U). In a letter to Kumar, Singh, one of his most vitriolic critics while in the RJD, said the MGNREGA law needed to be amended and its benefits extended to the farm sector. Since its launch in 2006, the rural employment guarantee scheme has aimed to provide livelihood security in rural areas by guaranteeing at least 100 days of minimum wage employment, mostly in the construction of durable assets such as roads, canals and ponds. Several chief ministers have often sought extension of the benefits of the scheme to the farm sector. In his letter posted on Facebook, the former Union minister also asked Kumar to facilitate the return of the begging bowl of Lord Buddha from Kabul. He also demanded that the chief minister unfurl the national tricolour at Vaishali every Republic Day. Vaishali, the parliamentary constituency Singh represented for five successive terms before his defeat in 2014, is considered the first republic in the world. Singh had resigned from the RJD, the main opposition party in Bihar, on Thursday, triggering speculation about his joining the ruling JD(U). However, RJD supremo Lalu Prasad, serving time in jail in four fodder scam cases in Ranchi, had rejected his resignation. For four decades, we have together discussed political, social and even family matters. You get well soon and we will discuss again. You are not going anywhere, you understand," Prasad had written to Singh on Thursday, after the latter made it clear that he was quitting the party. Singh, who is admitted to the AIIMS, New Delhi, because of post COVID-19 complications, has still not made it clear whether he will stay in the RJD or shift to the JD(U). The departure of Singh from the RJD is being seen as a major psychological setback" for the party as a sizeable section of his Rajput castemen still backs the opposition party while all other upper castes plump for the BJP or the Congress. Singh, who as the Union Rural Development Minister piloted the NREGA Bill, urged Kumar to bring an ordinance to amend the relevant law to extend its benefits to the farm sector. He insisted that the ordinance be brought before the model code of conduct for election kicks in. Assembly elections are likely in Bihar in October-November, and once the model code comes into force, no policy decision can be made. The JD(U), which has already made it clear that its doors are open for the veteran socialist leader, indicated it was amenable to accepting his suggestions. The issues he has raised in his letter to the chief minister are undoubtedly worth consideration," JD(U) spokesman Rajiv Ranjan Prasad said. One thing is clear that Raghuvansh Babu was humiliated and insulted in the RJD and he swallowed it during his long stint in the party he nursed with his blood and sweat", Prasad said. He said Singhs decision to quit the RJD had left a big hole in the partys sinking boat". Before Singh, seven MLAs and five MLCs, including those belonging to the Yadav caste and Muslims, the bedrock of the RJDs support base, had resigned and joined the JD(U). The Bank of Industry has released the statement below, saying it has the records of all the beneficiaries of the federal governments social investment programmes in Kwara State. We would like to state that the fully digitized loan records and biodata of all 2,418,936 GEEP beneficiaries are electronically stored in a central database. The data can be viewed at the GEEP Command Center of the Bank of Industry which is open to the public, the bank said of the loan programme for small scale businesses. In a statement signed by its management, the bank said the programme relies heavily on technology to deliver its three loan products; namely TraderMoni, MarketMoni and FarmerMoni. Read the full statement below. Bank of Industry debunks false report on TraderMoni in Kwara State The attention of the Bank of Industry (BoI) has been drawn to a publication questioning the existence of records of beneficiaries of the TraderMoni scheme. The claim in the publication that those that disbursed the money do not have records of beneficiaries like phone numbers and addresses, thus, making it difficult to track them for repayment is false. All National Social Investment Programme (NSIP) focal persons in all states of the federation, after necessary approvals, have been proactively furnished with all information regarding GEEP beneficiaries, as a matter of practice. This includes beneficiary names, phone numbers, and business location. We would like to state that the fully digitized loan records and biodata of all 2,418,936 GEEP beneficiaries are electronically stored in a central database. The data can be viewed at the GEEP Command Center of the Bank of Industry which is open to the public. The programme relies heavily on technology to deliver its three loan products; namely TraderMoni, MarketMoni and FarmerMoni. The loan cycle for every GEEP applicant involves the following processes: Extensive KYC and data validation via mobile forms GEEP agents nationwide are equipped with a proprietary mobile application that enables the full registration and capture of up to 43 unique data points of every single applicant e.g. biodata, contact information, information on the market, nature of trade, GPS coordinate of the trade point, picture of the beneficiary and beneficiarys trade, association member and all other data that enables identification and credit assessment. Data on every captured beneficiary is delivered to the Bank of Industry in real time to enable verification, appraisals and credit assessment. All submitted beneficiary data go through several points of verification to ensure validity of the registration process. It is only when this data is verified that applicants are able to receive loans. Consequently, every loan given out on the programme can be traced to a beneficiary involved in a known trade, at a known location, within a known market association, cooperative or farming cluster. Due to data privacy restrictions, we are unable to publish personally identifiable customer information of the Bank of Industry. Widespread repayment options for GEEP Beneficiaries and automatic qualification for higher loans after repayment. GEEP makes it easy for beneficiaries to repay the loans. The loan repayments are broken down into small manageable amounts payable weekly. In addition, GEEP beneficiaries are able to repay their loans through multiple channels. They can walk into any bank in the country and make repayments the same way they make utility bill payments. GEEP also developed repayment scratch-cards for beneficiaries much farther away from banks. Beneficiaries purchase the cards in their local communities and load them as they would a telco recharge card. When beneficiaries pay back the loan according to the repayment schedule, they automatically qualify for a higher loan. Since the inception of the program, several beneficiaries have successfully repaid their loans and gone on to access higher TraderMoni and MarketMoni loans. It is imperative we set the record straight concerning the operations of GEEP, so as to guard against misleading the general public. Bank of Industry New Delhi: Markets ended in green on Thursday led by gains in index heavyweight amidst mixed global cues.The 30-share BSE index ended 646.40 points or 1.69 per cent higher at 38,840.32. The NSE Nifty rallied 171.25 points or 1.52 per cent to 11,449.25. Here are Stocks in focus on September 11, 2020 Yes Bank Yes Bank has fully repaid the Rs 50,000 crore provided by RBI as a special liquidity facility (SLF) amid the crisis faced by the lender earlier this year, its Chairman Sunil Mehta said on Thursday. He further said FY21 will be a year of transition for the bank, which has just come out of an unprecedented Rs 10,000 crore bailout led by SBI after setbacks received under the founding team. The government and RBI had replaced the entire board of the lender in March this year and also stopped depositors from accessing their funds for a few days. Route Mobile IPO Route Mobile's initial public offer (IPO) was subscribed 4.15 times on the second day of bidding on Thursday. The Rs 600-crore public offer of Route Mobile, a cloud communications service provider, received bids for 5,05,09,920 shares as against the total issue size of 1,21,73,912 shares, according to data available with the NSE. The category for qualified institutional buyers (QIBs) was subscribed 1.25 times, that for non-institutional investors was subscribed 2.04 times, while retail individual investors'' portion was subscribed 6.71 times. The initial public offer comprises of fresh issue of Rs 240 crore and an offer for sale of Rs 360 crore. Price range for the offer, which will close on Friday, has been fixed at Rs 345-350 per share. Jammu & Kashmir Bank Jammu & Kashmir Bank on Thursday reported a 65.5 per cent decline in consolidated net profit at Rs 7.30 crore in the three months ended June. It had a consolidated net profit of Rs 21.15 crore in the year-ago period. The bank had posted a net loss of Rs 293.82 crore in the quarter ended March 2020. In the June quarter, total income fell to Rs 2,160.51 crore from Rs 2,257.42 crore in the same period a year ago, according to a regulatory filing. Hindustan Copper Hindustan Copper said its board could not deliberate on various proposals, including raising of up to Rs 200 crore via preference shares, at its meeting on Thursday due to paucity of time. The proposals include considering and recommending "to the Ministry of Mines for allowing issuance of 20 lakh preference shares of face value of Rs 1,000 each aggregating to Rs 200 crore of compulsorily convertible preference share for the purpose of meeting expansion/ capex plan and general corporate purpose." The board also could not take up a proposal to modify the object clause of its qualified institutional placement (QIP) to ''expansion/ capex plan and general corporate purpose'' in place of ''expansion/capex plan''. ITI Ltd State-owned technology firm ITI Ltd on Thursday said it expects to sign a telecom network contract worth Rs 7,796 crore with the Defence Ministry soon. The company was declared lowest bidder for the Army Static Switched Communication Network (ASCON) Phase IV tender in 2017. New Delhi, Sep 11 : The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a paradigm shift with technology stepping in in every field, and the judiciary was no different -- the typical physical courtrooms were replaced by virtual ones where proceedings were conducted through videoconference. Now, Parliament's Standing Committee on Law and Justice, in its 103rd report 'Functioning of Court Proceedings through Videoconferencing' has recommended that the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology may be approached to develop indigenous software applications to handle virtual court hearings. It also wanted development of Artificial intelligence systems capable of supporting bulk documentation etc. "The committee recommends to rope in private IT companies, if need be, to develop Artificial Intelligence systems capable of supporting bulk documentation, remote location of parties, and sophisticated use of graphics," said the report submitted to Rajya Sabha Chairman and Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on Friday. "The committee believes that legal technology start-ups engaged in innovative solutions can play a crucial role in harnessing the unlimited potential of technology to connect stakeholders in the justice delivery system and in finding solutions that are affordable and efficient, and therefore recommends to the government to promote them," the report said. Commenting on the panel recommendations, Dr Arvind Singhatiya, founder and CEO, LegalKart, said: "Innovative legal technologies will pave the way forward for citizens to access justice in a speedy, transparent and convenient way. Technology is now diminishing the geographical boundaries and creating unprecedented access to legal systems and to the key stakeholders in India." Singhatiya, whose free cloud-based mobile application LegalKart aims to assist legal professionals to synchronise cases across forums, further said: "Online filings, video-hearings, on-demand legal advice, and access to the lawyers etc is now changing the whole legal landscape." He pointed out that technology is making access to legal services highly affordable and on-demand, adding that an institutional effort from the Centre will empower legal tech start-ups like LegalKart to contribute to society in a much bigger way. "We are currently focused on helping people with language problem, so that they can resolve their issues and talk in their regional languages. We have introduced Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Marathi, Kannada, and Bengali so that they can consult without any language barrier," the LegalKart co-founder said. The parliamentary committee report noted that the apex court has time and again emphasised the significance of live-streaming of court proceedings in promoting openness and transparency which, in turn, reinforce public faith in judicial system. The litigant need not come to the court to watch the proceedings and thus will reduce crowding inside the court. The judiciary may also consider broadcasting virtual hearings of certain specified categories of cases to further the principle of open justice and open court, the report added. Microsoft said on Thursday that it has spotted multiple cyberattacks from Russia, China and Iran on individuals and organisations involved in the ongoing presidential campaigns in the United States. The tech giant Microsoft said on Thursday that it has spotted multiple cyberattacks from Russia, China and Iran on individuals and organisations involved in the ongoing presidential campaigns in the United States. The company said on its blog that in the recent weeks, Microsoft had detected cyberattacks targeting people and organisations involved in the upcoming presidential election, including unsuccessful attacks on people associated with both the Trump and Biden campaigns. It added that the activity they were announced on the day made clear that foreign activity groups had stepped up their efforts targeting the 2020 election as had been anticipated. Microsoft said that attackers the hacker groups Strontium, Zirconium and Phosphorus operate from Russia, China and Iran, respectively. Among more than the 200 Strontium targets are US-based consultants serving Republicans and Democrats, think tanks, national and state political party organisations in the United States as well as political parties in the United Kingdom. Also read: Indias strong message to China: Massing of PLA troops a huge concern, EAM tells Wang Yi Also read: India-China reach five-point consensus on LaC while tensions still simmer at LaC According to Microsoft, Strontium was also identified in the Special Counsel Robert Muellers report as the organisation primarily responsible for the alleged attacks on the Democratic presidential campaign in 2016. The company said that Microsofts Threat Intelligence Center (MSTIC) has observed a series of attacks conducted by Strontium between September 2019 and today. Russia has repeatedly denied interfering in the US political system, saying the allegations have been invented to excuse Democratic candidate Hillary Clintons loss in the 2016 election as well as deflect public attention from actual instances of election fraud and corruption. Microsoft said that Chinas Zirconium attacked high-profile individuals involved in the election, including people associated with Joe Bidens campaign and prominent leaders in the international affairs community. Irans Phosphorus continues to attack personal accounts of people associated with Donald Trumps campaign, according to the publications. Microsoft pointed out that the majority of the attacks were detected and stopped by security tools built into its products. The company added that it has notified those who were targeted or compromised so they can take action to protect themselves. Also read: Pak must ensure its territory is not used for terror attacks: US & India Local nonprofit A Step Ahead Chattanooga will be recognized on Sept. 25 as the annual winner of the Clarence B. Jones Impact Award. Named after Civil Rights hero Dr. Clarence B. Jones, this award recognizes communications for good. A close friend and former personal counsel of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Dr. Jones is known for his powerful work in communications, including his contributions as a draft writer on Dr. Kings famous I Have a Dream speech. Previous winners of the Clarence B. Jones Impact award include the Truth Initiative (The Truth Campaign) and the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition (FRRC). A Step Ahead Chattanooga has helped to fill a gap in their community and region. Their work is an example of how a smaller-scale communications campaign without sizable financial backing can be transformational, says Tristan Mohabir, director of Programs and Operations at the Communications Network, the organization that presents the award each year. Sponsored by The Heinz Endowments, the award will be presented at ComNetworkV, The Communications Networks annual conference. To be held remotely this year, the conference will showcase presentations from Nikole Hannah-Jones, Pulitzer Prize-Winning investigative journalist for The New York Times, Dr. Richard Besser, CEO of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and former head of the Center for Disease Control & Prevention, to name a few. More than 1,200 attendees from all over the world will attend ComNetworkV virtually. Attendees will include communications leaders from such organizations as the Ford Foundation, The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Doctors Without Borders, Atlantic57, WK Kellogg Foundation, Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, the Walton Family Foundation and many more. The 2020 Clarence B. Jones Award judging panel calls A Step Ahead Chattanoogas winning communications strategy an energetic, culturally-targeted, evidence-based campaign that empowers women with the resources needed to make informed decisions about their reproductive health. Representatives from The McKnight Foundation, the Heising-Simons Foundation, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, Democracy Fund, the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, Missouri Foundation for Health, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art judged this years award. A Step Ahead Chattanooga knows firsthand how communications can change the conversation surrounding sensitive topics, says Executive Director Susan Vandergriff. We are so honored that the Communications Network made the bold decision to select us for the 2020 Clarence B. Jones Impact Award. Ms. Vandergriff will present the keynote speech at this years ComNetworkV conference. (CNN) Russian, Chinese and Iranian hackers have all attempted to hack people and organizations involved in the 2020 US presidential election, Microsoft said on Thursday. Thursday's disclosure sheds new light on efforts by Chinese and Iranian hackers to break into US political campaigns and suggests that Russian hacking efforts have continued apace. "The activity we are announcing today makes clear that foreign activity groups have stepped up their efforts targeting the 2020 election," Microsoft said in a post on its website. Top US cybersecurity officials acknowledged that Microsoft detected attempts to compromise email accounts of people and organizations associated with the presidential race but said there is no evidence election systems were affected. "It is important to highlight that none are involved in maintaining or operating voting infrastructure and there was no identified impact on election systems," Chris Krebs, director of the Department of Homeland Security's Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, said in a statement to CNN Thursday. Microsoft said the same Russian hacking group that was identified by US prosecutors as being primarily responsible for the attacks on the Democratic presidential campaign in 2016 had recently targeted national and state parties in the US and consultants who work for Republicans and Democrats. Microsoft said the Russians' tactics had evolved since 2016 and include likely automated "brute force" attacks. The report said the Russian group had targeted more than 200 organizations, many, Microsoft said, "are directly or indirectly affiliated with the upcoming U.S. election as well as political and policy-related organizations in Europe." Microsoft did not specify the number of organizations targeted by Chinese and Iranian groups. Chinese hackers targeted Vice President Joe Biden's campaign and at least one person formerly associated with President Donald Trump's administration. And between May and June of this year, Microsoft said, Iranian hackers tried to log into the accounts of Trump administration officials and Trump campaign staff. "What we've seen is consistent with previous attack patterns that not only target candidates and campaign staffers but also those who they consult on key issues," Microsoft said. It said it had alerted those who were targeted by the hackers, and the US intelligence community was briefed on the findings, two sources familiar with the discussions told CNN. "The private sector plays a crucial role in the whole-of-society effort to safeguard our elections and national security," an ODNI official told CNN Thursday when asked about Microsoft's announcement. "We welcome their assistance and will continue partnering with them to combat foreign efforts to target political candidates, campaigns and others involved in the US elections." In his statement Thursday, Krebs said Microsoft's announcement "is consistent with earlier statements by the Intelligence Community on a range of malicious cyber activities targeting the 2020 campaign and reinforces that this is an all-of-nation effort to defend democracy." "We encourage anyone that experiences a cyber incident to report to CISA and the FBI," he added. Microsoft has teams that track sophisticated hacking groups and the report released Thursday provide the most in-depth insight yet into how hackers are targeting the 2020 election. The disclosure gives an important insight into foreign activity targeting campaigns with just weeks until election day and follows a warning last month about the threat posed by all three countries. Intelligence officials have said they have uncovered evidence that Russia is currently interfering in the election to hurt Biden's campaign. Separately, some evidence has already emerged about Moscow's alleged efforts, including Facebook's announcement last week that a troll group that was part of Russia's attempt to interfere in the 2016 US presidential election is trying to target Americans again. But while the intelligence community has assessed that China and Iran prefer Trump to lose in November, officials have offered no indication, to date, that either country is acting on that preference in the same way as Russia, according to public statements issued by the intelligence community and sources familiar with the underlying evidence. That has not stopped Trump and his top national security officials from sounding the alarm about China ahead of the election while downplaying the threat of Russian interference. It is important to note that what Microsoft disclosed on Thursday is not the totality of foreign efforts to target American political campaigns. Google revealed in June that it had detected other attempts from China and Iran. "As President Trump's re-election campaign, we are a large target, so it is not surprising to see malicious activity directed at the campaign or our staff. We work closely with our partners, Microsoft and others, to mitigate these threats. We take cybersecurity very seriously and do not publicly comment on our efforts," Trump campaign spokesperson Thea McDonald told CNN Thursday when asked about the announcement. A Biden campaign official told CNN they were taking the report seriously. "We are aware of reports from Microsoft that a foreign actor has made unsuccessful attempts to access the non-campaign email accounts of individuals affiliated with the campaign. We have known from the beginning of our campaign that we would be subject to such attacks and we are prepared for them. Biden for President takes cybersecurity seriously, we will remain vigilant against these threats, and will ensure that the campaign's assets are secured," they said. A spokesman for Iran's foreign ministry pushed back on Microsoft's claims in a statement to CNN later Thursday, saying the "report is basically inadmissible and absurd." "United States of America has interfered for decades in the elections of other countries including Iran ... US is leading disinformation campaigns against other countries. Therefore US is not in a position to have such claim," foreign ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said. "As we have reiterated over and over, for Tehran, it does not matter who is the president in (the) White House. What matters is that Washington to abide international law, regulations and norms and stop interfering in other countries and honor its commitments," he added. CNN has reached out to the governments of Russia and China for comment. Microsoft detailed how each hacking group targeted people tied to the 2020 election: Russia The infamous Russian military intelligence hacking group "Fancy Bear" that attacked the Democrats in 2016 targeted consultants working with Republicans and Democrats, national and state party organizations in the US, and think tanks including The German Marshall Fund of America. Sydney Simon, a German Marshall Fund spokesperson said there is no evidence the hacking attempts targeting them were successful. "Many of Strontium's targets in this campaign, which has affected more than 200 organizations in total, are directly or indirectly affiliated with the upcoming U.S. election as well as political and policy-related organizations in Europe," the company said. Microsoft, which refers to "Fancy Bear" by its other moniker "Strontium," said the Russian hackers had evolved their tactics since the 2016 election "to include new reconnaissance tools and new techniques to obfuscate their operations." "In 2016, the group primarily relied on spear phishing to capture people's credentials. In recent months it has engaged in brute force attacks and password spray, two tactics that have likely allowed them to automate aspects of their operations," Microsoft said. The Russian government has denied it attempted to interfere with the 2016 election. In response to Microsoft's findings, John Hultquist, a senior director at the cybersecurity firm FireEye, said in a memo to the company's clients, "Multiple cyber espionage actors have targeted organizations associated with the upcoming election, but we remain most concerned by Russian military intelligence, who we believe poses the greatest threat to the democratic process." Hultquist noted how this particular Russian hacking group has been tied to devastating cyber-attacks and routinely violate international norms. He said targeting of political organizations are a "common feature of cyber espionage. Parties and campaigns are good sources of intelligence on future policy and it's likely Iranian and Chinese actors targeted US campaigns to quietly collect intelligence," but added that this Russian group's "unique history" of leaking hacked materials "raises the prospect of follow-on information operations or other devastating activity." China Chinese hackers unsuccessfully targeted the Biden campaign through non-campaign email accounts belonging to people associated with the campaign, Microsoft said. "The group has also targeted at least one prominent individual formerly associated with the Trump Administration," the company said. The hacking group also targeted academics, universities, and think tanks including the Atlantic Council, Microsoft said. In all, it said it had "detected thousands of attacks from Zirconium between March 2020 and September 2020 resulting in nearly 150 compromises." Iran Outlining the activity of the hacking group "Phosphorous," which Microsoft says is operating from Iran, the company said, "Between May and June 2020, Phosphorus unsuccessfully attempted to log into the accounts of Administration officials and Donald J. Trump for President campaign staff." Kate Winslet has admitted she regrets her decision to work with Woody Allen and Roman Polanski (Isabel Infantes/PA) Kate Winslet has admitted she regrets working with Woody Allen and Roman Polanski, describing Hollywoods regard for the directors as disgraceful. Allen, 84, was accused of molesting his adopted daughter, an allegation he vehemently denies, while Polanski pleaded guilty to the rape of a 13-year-old girl. Polanski, who fled the United States in 1978, won the best director Oscar in 2003 and was given a standing ovation in his absence. Expand Close Kate Winslet has said she regrets working with the director Woody Allen (Ian West/PA) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Kate Winslet has said she regrets working with the director Woody Allen (Ian West/PA) British actress Winslet, 44, has worked with both men, starring in Allens 2017 drama Wonder Wheel and in Polanskis 2011 black comedy Carnage. Speaking to Vanity Fair, Winslet said: Its like, what the f*** was I doing working with Woody Allen and Roman Polanski? Its unbelievable to me now how those men were held in such high regard, so widely in the film industry and for as long as they were. Its f****** disgraceful. And I have to take responsibility for the fact that I worked with them both. I cant turn back the clock. Im grappling with those regrets but what do we have if we arent able to just be f****** truthful about all of it? Polanski, 87, was expelled by the film academy in May 2018, following Hollywoods #MeToo reckoning. Winslets latest film is the romantic drama Ammonite, inspired by the life of British palaeontologist Mary Anning. Video of the Day It tells the story of Annings romantic relationship with Charlotte Murchison, played in the movie by Irish star Saoirse Ronan. Ammonite has made me really aware of being even more committed to honouring what women want to be saying for themselves in films and how we really want to be portrayed, regardless of sexual orientation, Winslet told Vanity Fair. Palestinian officials have condemned the Israel-Bahrain normalisation deal announced by US President Donald Trump as another stab in the back by an Arab state. Fridays accord normalising diplomatic ties between Israel and Bahrain comes one month after the United Arab Emirates agreed to normalise ties with Israel under a US-brokered deal. Trump tweeted the news on Friday after he spoke by phone to Bahrains King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the White House said. Following the announcement at the White House, Palestine recalled its ambassador to Bahrain for consultations, according to its foreign ministry. The agreement was a stab in the back of the Palestinian cause and the Palestinian people, Ahmad Majdalani, social affairs minister in the Palestinian Authority (PA), told AFP news agency. 200814115311669 In the besieged Gaza Strip, Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem said Bahrains decision to normalise relations with Israel represents a grave harm to the Palestinian cause, and it supports the occupation. The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), based in Ramallah, occupied West Bank, called the normalisation another treacherous stab to the Palestinian cause. Palestinians fear the moves by the UAE and Bahrain will weaken a long-standing pan-Arab position that calls for Israeli withdrawal from occupied territory and acceptance of Palestinian statehood in return for normal relations with Arab countries. By normalising ties with the occupation, Bahrain is breaking all Arab resolutions. It is rejected and condemned and it represents a betrayal of the Palestinian cause, Wassel Abu Youssef, a senior PLO official, said. Reporting from Ramallah, Al Jazeeras Nida Ibrahim said the PLOs statement called the accord a betrayal to the Palestinian cause, as if theyre legitimising the Israeli plans what the statement calls the Israeli crimes on the ground'. We spoke to a Palestinian official close to President Abbas [of the PA] and he said that peace between the Arabs and Israel will not happen without the Palestinian issue being resolved, Ibrahim said. He also said that he doesnt think that this would have happened the UAE and Bahrain, signing deals with Israel to normalise relations without regional backing. The US-brokered deal between Israel and the UAE is scheduled to be signed at a White House ceremony hosted by President Trump on September 15. The Israel-UAE ceremony will be attended by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Emirati Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed al-Nahyan. Ayushmann Khurrana is one of the biggest stars of Bollywood today. His success is only reaching new heights with each passing year. The actor has always believed in promoting quirky scripts with a social message hidden in it, which makes his films socially relevant always. Now to add to it all, the actor who is a youth icon has been roped in as thought-leader by UNICEF India, as its celebrity advocate for promoting rights #ForEveryChild. While the actor will be supporting the cause for UNICEF's work in India, David Beckham works on this campaign globally. Talking about this wonderful collaboration, Ayushmann said, "I am very pleased to partner with UNICEF as a celebrity advocate. I believe that everyone deserves the best start in life. As I watch my children play in the safety and happiness of our home, I think about all the children who never get to experience a safe childhood and grow up with violence at home or outside. With UNICEF, I look forward to supporting the rights of the most vulnerable children, so that they grow up as happier, healthier, educated citizens in nurturing environments free from violence." We are always mightly impressed with you Ayushmann! Talking about this wonderful collaboration, Ayushmann said, "I am very pleased to partner with UNICEF as a celebrity advocate. I believe that everyone deserves the best start in life. As I watch my children play in the safety and happiness of our home, I think about all the children who never get to experience a safe childhood and grow up with violence at home or outside. With UNICEF, I look forward to supporting the rights of the most vulnerable children, so that they grow up as happier, healthier, educated citizens in nurturing environments free from violence." We are always mightly impressed with you Ayushmann! The Midland Health Department reported 10 coronavirus cases Thursday, bringing the weekly total to 69. That number is less than the previous two weeks, according to the health department. Two weeks ago, the number of cases through Thursday was 123. Last week, there were 97 new cases through Thursday. The total this week shows the first sub-100-case since June 7-13 is possible. Last Friday, there were 26 reported. (Thursdays) new cases are reflective of lab results (Wednesday), the Health Department reported. The health department also reported 1,223 active cases (15 less than Wednesday and 1,959 recovered (30 more). On Thursday, the city of Midland reported the 75th COVID-related death of a Midland County resident. Coronavirus report Cases Tuesday: 47 Cases Wednesday: 12 Cases Thursday: 10 Cases this week: 69 Cases through Thursday of last week: 97 Total cases through Thursday of the previous week: 123 Cases during the pandemic: 3,431 Masterminds behind the attempt offered $500,000 for the hit job, the targeted man claims. A suspect in the assassination attempt on a Chechen Youtuber and the region's leader Ramzan Kadyrov's critic Musa Lomaev has reportedly been arrested in Finland. That's according to KavkazRealii. This has been the fourth attack targeting Chechen bloggers, all criticizing Vladimir Putin's ally Kadyrov online, in Europe since year-start. Latest attempt: details Lomaev says masterminds behind the attack were willing to pay the assassin $500,000 for the hit job. Read alsoRussia not cooperating on Khangoshvili murder case, German foreign minister saysThe investigation is now underway, while Lomaev was told to limit his online activity. Who's Musa Lomaev Lomaev runs a YouTube channel where he posts videos criticizing the Kadyrov regime, according to the Daily Beast. He says he escaped Russia after being kidnapped and tortured in 2004 by the police. He was reportedly accused of carrying out terrorist acts against the government. Assassinations of Chechens in exile The full extent of the chaos in the Covid testing centre booking system was revealed yesterday in a snap survey by the Daily Mail. Round trips of up to 155 miles were suggested when reporters around the country tried to book slots. The website said there were no appointments available for three weeks at one testing centre it recommended. Multiple attempts were needed to navigate the system as it kept showing messages saying no sites found. It follows complaints from frustrated people around the country describing how they have given up trying to get tests or have been told to travel hundreds of miles to find out if they have Covid-19. A snap survey by Daily Mail reporters reveals the full extent of Covid testing chaos. Pictured, a medical worker takes a swab to test for Covid-19 at a drive-in testing facility in Chessington Tracy Bonner (pictured with her son) from Clifton, Nottinghamshire tried to book a test but was was told the nearest site was two hours away in Oldham. The 47-year-old drove to a Nottingham centre, and staff saw her son as 'no-one else was getting tested' One mother ignored the website altogether after she was told to take her son on a two-hour drive to the nearest centre. She instead went to her local one which was empty. A shortage in UK laboratory capacity has been blamed for nationwide problems, as it limits the number of appointments available. But the failings heap fresh doubt on whether Boris Johnsons Operation Moonshot strategy is possible. The ambitious 100billion scheme aims to carry out millions of tests every day by early next year. The Daily Mail checked availability for five areas in the UK yesterday. A request in Cambridge generated an appointment in Chatham, Kent a one-way trip of over 75 miles, despite the nearest drive-through test centre being 2.5 miles away in Milton. Round trips of up to 155 miles were suggested for a Covid swab test - while members of the public claim local test centres sit empty A reporter in Chester was told to go to a facility in Edgbaston, Birmingham, meaning a round trip of 120 miles. The NHS website showed there were 39 slots available but attempts to book one were met with a message saying there was a wait of more than three weeks. In Newcastle the nearest testing centre with spare capacity was at Carlisle Airport more than 50 miles away, and a south Warwickshire address resulted in another test being offered in Edgbaston 40 miles one-way by road. Attempts to book an appointment for a Manchester postcode had to be abandoned as the website repeatedly stated no sites found. Members of the public who have struggled with the system include Tracy Bonner of Clifton, Nottinghamshire, whose 14-year-old son Ryan had a cough and high temperature. She spent hours trying to book a test before being offered one two hours away in Oldham. After self-isolating with her son for two days she decided to drive to their nearest centre in Nottingham on Tuesday where she found no one else was getting tested. The 47-year-old said: I just turned up at the site and they said, Yeah, I think theres something wrong with the website as weve had no end of people saying they just cant book. Charlie Ledington, of Worcester, has had to keep her five children off school because she was unable to book an appointment for her youngest child Chloe, two. She was repeatedly told the system was busy when she began trying on Wednesday. At 11pm she was offered a test at a centre in Wales, a four-hour drive away only to be told there was no availability when she tried to confirm it. A request in Cambridge generated an appointment in Chatham, Kent a one-way trip of over 75 miles, despite the nearest drive-through test centre being 2.5 miles away in Milton The following day she was offered spaces in Droitwich, Bristol and Tewkesbury in Gloucestershire, only to be told again no appointments were available. Its a mess. Ive had to keep my children off school. We all have had to isolate for ten days now, she said. Yesterday it emerged residents in Brighton are being directed 67 miles away to the Isle of Wight including a ferry ride. Brighton Kemptown Labour MP Lloyd Russell-Moyle said: This is after they closed the Brighton testing centre. Absolute shambles. A Department of Health spokesman said it was targeting testing capacity at the areas that need it most, adding: Our capacity is the highest it has ever been and our laboratories are processing more than a million tests a week. The US Air Force flew three B-1 heavy bombers over the East Siberian Sea, north of Russia's far east, as part of a series of recent manoeuvres that the military said are meant to demonstrate American capabilities and ability to support allies, but which a top Russian commander blasted as "hostile and provocative." The flight of the three Texas-based US Air Force Reserve B-1 Lancer bombers on Thursday followed a similar mission a week ago in which three B-52 bombers temporarily based in Britain were flown over Ukrainian airspace, near Russia's southwestern flank. US European Command said that following the flight from Texas to the East Siberian Sea, the Lancers landed at a nearby American airbaseair base in Alaska. Stuttgart-based EUCOM said in a statement that the flight and the deployment of the B-52s to England showcased how US-based assets can be employed to achieve an operational objective on USEUCOM's eastern and western flanks. The three Lancers ... demonstrated how US strategic bombers are able to support any mission, anywhere around the globe, at a moment's notice, Stuttgart-based EUCOM said in a statement. EUCOM said the "strategic bomber missions clearly illustrated the US Air Force's ability to continually execute flying missions and sustain readiness in support of our Allies and partners. The US regularly conducts aerial, naval and ground-force manoeuvres in and around Europe, but a top Russian military officer said on Friday that the number of US and NATO flights near Russia's borders have increased markedly this year. Col-Gen Sergei Surovikin, who heads Russia's air force, told reporters that in August alone Russian fighter jets were scrambled on 27 occasions to intercept American and other NATO warplanes over the Baltic, Barents and the Black and Okhotsk Seas. He said B-52s in late August and early September flew close to Russian borders near Crimea and the Russian Baltic exclave of Kaliningrad, and accused them of practising for offensive operations. "The strategic bombers' crews practised launching cruise missiles at facilities in Russia from airspace over the central part of the Black Sea and the territory of Estonia," Surovikin said. During the 4 September flight, three B-52s flew over the Sea of Azov to come as close as 30 kilometres to Crimea, he said. "We see the combat training of strategic aircrews in close proximity to the Russian border as hostile and provocative," Surovikin said. Russia-West relations have sunk to post-Cold War lows after Russia's 2014 annexation of Ukraine's Crimea. Moscow has bristled at the deployment of NATO forces in the Baltics in recent years, and Russia and the alliance have regularly traded accusations over military flights. The Associated Press DOHC For comparisons sake, well kick things off by having a look at what the almighty MV Agusta Rivale is made of. Ill have to point out the obvious and say that it is a fascinating piece of machinery in absolutely every way. Not only does the Rivale pride itself with a brutal aesthetic, it also guarantees to stun you with its sheer power. To be quite frank, I dig it!This unholy monstrosity is put in motion by a brutal four-stroke transverse three-cylinder engine, with four valves per cylinder head and a counter-rotating crankshaft. The twin-cooledbehemoth has a truly gargantuan displacement of 798cc.It is perfectly capable of delivering up to 125 hp at 12,000 rpm (that sound must be delightful), along with 62 pound-feet (84 Nm) of crushing torque output at 8,600 revs. A six-speed manual transmission channels this ruthless force to a chain final drive. Ultimately, MV Agustas fearsome Rivale will reach a generous top speed of 152 mph (245 kph).The entire structure is held in place by a tubular steel trellis frame that rests on Marzocchi 43 mm (1.7 inches) inverted hydraulic forks with rebound and compression damping at the front. On the opposite end, suspension duties are taken care of by a single Sachs shock absorber with adjustable spring preload and a single-sided aluminum alloy swingarm. This setup allows 5.9 inches (150 mm) of travel up front and 5.1 inches (130 mm) of rear wheel travel.Speaking of the bikes handsome aluminum alloy wheels, they are hugged by a set of high-performance Pirelli Diablo Rosso II tires. At the front, a pair of 320 mm (12.6 inches) brake discs and radially mounted Brembo four-piston monobloc calipers will handle stopping power with ease, joined by a single 220 mm (8.7 inches) disc and two-piston caliper on the other end.Its wheelbase measures 55.5 inches (141 cm). Despite all its top-grade components, this nasty animal has a dry weight of just over 392 lbs (178 kg)!Now, as if MV Agustas Rivale wasnt already impressive enough straight out of the box, an Italian workshop, by the name of Officine GP Design treated it to a diabolical makeover. Look, these fellows arent exactly rookies when it comes to crafting some breathtaking works of mechanical art. The Turin-based firms extensive portfolio can be admired on their Facebook and Instagram pages after we have a sneaky look at what theyve accomplished with this spectacular project, that is.For starters, Officine drew inspiration from the rugged two-wheeled beasts featured in Mad Max: Fury Road. To achieve the desired look, the crew disposed of the stock bodywork to make room for several hand-made aluminum units built in-house. These include a new tail section and fuel tank, as well as a one-off headlight housing and belly pan. The bodywork was then wrapped up in a splendid bronze finish with golden accents.They swapped the original three-pipe muffler out in favor of a custom catch can with mesh vents, which brings a significant contribution to the tough appearance. To help it stand in contrast to the body panels, it received a satin black coating.Additionally, you will notice that a couple of Kineo multi-spoked wheels, enveloped in all-terrain rubber have replaced the standard ones. Last but not least, Officine GP tasked Foglizzo Leather with upholstering a unique eel skin saddle (seriously). Now thats something you dont get to see every day!And that concludes it. In fact, why dont you head over to the workshops social media accounts and show them some damn love for their painstaking efforts? The Manhattan District Attorney's Office is pursuing a criminal investigation into Columbia University's handling of incidents involving a former gynecologist accused of sexual assault by dozens of patients, according to a source with knowledge of the investigation. The doctor, Robert Hadden, was charged Wednesday in federal court in six cases in which patients traveled from out of state for appointments at medical offices affiliated with Columbia University in New York. He has entered a not guilty plea in the case. But federal prosecutors also allege that Hadden assaulted "dozens of female patients, including multiple minors" between 1993 and 2012. In the indictment, they said one of the minor patients had also been in his care years before the alleged assault when he delivered her. The case filed Wednesday focuses on patients who traveled interstate for their appointments because it is a federal crime to induce victims to cross state lines for sexual abuse. Hadden is accused of using "mole checks" and pelvic examinations as cover to touch and lick patients inappropriately. After Hadden's arrest Wednesday, the office of Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance said in an emailed statement that it is engaged in an "intensely active" investigation "which examines potential failures by Dr. Hadden's employer and hospital to disclose additional incidents of abuse to our office and to regulators when required." The source later confirmed that the statement referred to Columbia. Asked about the criminal investigation, a spokesperson for Columbia University said, "Columbia cooperated fully with the District Attorney's original investigation of Robert Hadden, and is continuing to do so." Vance's office has received withering criticism from former patients for a plea agreement it struck with Hadden in 2016. Prosecutors had indicated in court filings that they had investigated claims by 19 former patients and witnesses, but as part of the deal, Hadden pleaded guilty to felony counts of criminal sex act in the third degree and forcible touching. Story continues The 2016 plea agreement also included a stipulation downgrading Hadden's sex offender status to the lowest level, meaning he is not listed in New York State's online sex offender registry. Hadden was forced to forfeit his medical license but served no jail time in connection with the case. As part of the plea deal, Vance's office agreed not to prosecute Hadden "for any similar crimes.known to the District Attorney's office" as of February 23, 2016. In the federal case, Hadden was released Wednesday on $1 million bond. Dozens of new accusers came forward this year after Evelyn Yang, whose husband Andrew sought the Democratic nomination for president, said in an interview with CNN that Hadden had assaulted her. Anthony DiPietro, an attorney who represents former Hadden patients who filed a lawsuit against Columbia University in 2017, said Friday that about 80 people have emerged with new allegations against the doctor since Yang's interview. He said in total 110 former patients have come forward. "I also feel like we're just scratching the surface of what prosecutors are going to uncover," DiPietro said. Plaintiffs in the lawsuit claim the university ignored warning signs and complaints about Hadden, "actively and deliberately and inexplicably concealed Robert Hadden's sexual abuse for decades, and continued to grant Robert Hadden unfettered access to vulnerable, unsuspecting, pregnant and non-pregnant female patients." Columbia has denied claims that they didn't act appropriately, and also contested the case on procedural grounds. Hadden has denied all allegations except those for which he entered the 2016 guilty plea. The source with knowledge of the investigation said it is focused on additional allegations that surfaced in the years since those 19 patients first came forward. Marissa Hoechstetter was among the former patients who first came forward to criminal investigators in the 2016 case and the only one to forego anonymity when the lawsuit against Columbia University was filed. Hoechstetter said Thursday that Vance's office is "doing now what they should have done years ago." "The hospital should have brought forth information in the nineties, but even if you assume the district attorney knew nothing until 2012 (when Hadden was first interviewed by police), they should have done then what they're doing now." Hoechstetter, who said she suffered abuse during her pregnancy with twins and postpartum care, called for Vance's resignation during a January protest at New York's City Hall. Hoechstetter said Thursday the renewed attention seems to have kickstarted the case. "It feels like they've been shamed and forced publicly in a way to go back and do an investigation," Hoechstetter said. University of Illinois develops innovative COVID-19 saliva test Trump talks COVID-19 with journalist Bob Woodward: "I always wanted to play it down" Wildfires along West Coast kill at least 7 people The COVID-19 vaccine participant whose mysterious illness stopped the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine trials is reported to be an inflammatory syndrome known as transverse myelitis which may lead to paralysis. As per secret agreements with governments, the vaccine manufacturer cannot be legally held responsible for the side-effects of the coronavirus vaccine. COVID-19 Vaccine Trials Stopped Drug giant AstraZeneca has stopped global trials of its coronavirus vaccine after it caused a mysterious illness in one of the volunteers. The company said it is investigating the cause of the unexplained illness but did not say who had stopped the trial. The individual had been involved in the U.K. trials when they came down with the condition, which affects the spinal cord and is often sparked by viral infections, a source told The New York Times. What is Transverse Myelitis? Transverse myelitis is an inflammation of both sides of one section of the spinal cord. This neurological disorder often damages the insulating material covering nerve cell fibers (myelin). Transverse myelitis interrupts the messages that the spinal cord nerves send throughout the body. This can cause pain, muscle weakness, paralysis, sensory problems, or bladder and bowel dysfunction according to Mayo Clinic. BREAKING AstraZeneca has stopped global trials of its #coronavirus vaccine after it caused a mysterious illness in one of the volunteers. The company said it is investigating the cause of the unexplained illness but did not say who had stopped the trial.https://t.co/p94KI5mVcM GreatGameIndia (@GreatGameIndia) September 9, 2020 There are many different causes of transverse myelitis, including infections and immune system disorders that attack the bodys tissues. It could also be caused by other myelin disorders, such as multiple sclerosis. Treatment for transverse myelitis includes medications and rehabilitative therapy. Most people with transverse myelitis recover at least partially. Those with severe attacks sometimes are left with major disabilities. Its also associated with pain, muscle weakness, sensory problems, or bladder and bowel dysfunction. The Secret Agreements with Governments There is a lot of unrest and distrust among people with regards to the COVID-19 vaccine and regulators and companies alike have been working to ensure people trust in the vaccine authorization process. However, as reported by GreatGameIndia earlier, a senior managerial executive of AstraZeneca has revealed in shocking details that the company could not be on the receiving end of any constitutional motion or face legal action for any possible side effects or unwanted reactions induced by its Covid-19 vaccine. A senior executive of AstraZeneca has revealed in shocking details that the company could not be on receiving end of any constitutional motion or face legal action for any possible side effects or unwanted reactions induced by its Covid-19 vaccine.https://t.co/Q53SPaHuJ5 GreatGameIndia (@GreatGameIndia) August 4, 2020 The company has agreements with governments as per which AstraZeneca cannot be held responsible for any side-effects of the vaccine and those affected will have no legal recourse. AstraZeneca has been granted protection from future product liability claims related to its COVID-19 vaccine by most of the countries with which it has struck supply agreements. For latest updates on the outbreak check out our Coronavirus Coverage. Pakistani troops opened heavy fire in Mankote sector of Poonch district, south of Pir Panjal range, on Friday. Defence spokesman Lt Col Devender Anand said, At about 0830 hours (8.30 am), Pakistan initiated unprovoked ceasefire violation by firing with small arms and then shelling with mortars along the LoC in Mankote sector. Indian Army is retaliating befittingly. Pakistan Army had also targeted forward areas, along the Line of Control (LoC), in Poonch district on Thursday. Two shops and two houses were partially damaged in Balakot sector. On Thursday, Pakistan Army first targeted Mankote sector around 5.30 am, then Degwar sector at about 11.45 am and Mendhar Sector at about 12.15 pm. Indian Army retaliated befittingly, said Col Anand. A Pakistani soldier, Havaldar Liaqat, 39, was killed in Indias retaliatory fire on Thursday. Also Read: Cache of arms recovered in Kashmirs Baramulla, 2 JeM terrorists arrested in Kupwara On Wednesday evening, Pakistan had violated ceasefire in Degwar and Malti sectors in Poonch district. Pakistan has violated ceasefire over 3,200 times this year so far. In 2019, Pakistan had violated the truce deal 3,168 times, while the number was 1,629 in 2018. Meanwhile, Lt Gen BS Raju, General-Officer-in-Command of 15 Corps, on Thursday said that the army has alerted all formations to keep a check on any flying object seen along the LoC. Also Read: Pakistani soldier killed as India retaliates against LoC ceasefire violation in J-K On June 20, the border Security force (BSF) had shot down a Pakistani drone in Hiranagar sector of Kathua and recovered arms and ammunition. Sources said the consignment was meant for terrorists in Kashmir. An M-4 US-made semi-automatic rifle, 60 rounds in two magazines and seven M67 grenades were found attached to the drone, which had a winch mechanism to drop the consignment and fly back to Pakistan.The drone itself weighed around 17.5 kilograms and the consignment weighed around five or six kilograms. Amanda Holden risked flashing her underwear to fans on Friday as she shared a very cheeky slow motion video to her Instagram. The Heart FM presenter, 49, put on a very leggy display in a plunging white wrap midi dress with a daring thigh-high slit. Amanda knew how to work her best angles in the video as she strutted down the Global Studios hallway and swished the stylish item of clothing from side-to-side. Risky! Amanda Holden risked flashing her underwear to fans on Friday as she shared a very cheeky slow motion video to her Instagram The Britain's Got Talent judge styled her blonde locks into a sweptback hairdo and added a slick of glamorous make-up. Amanda simply captioned the video with: '#Friday #slomo #dress @melissaodabash.' The video sent Amanda's 1.5 million followers into meltdown as they called the star the 'hottest radio DJ'. One person said: 'That friyay feeling & that catwalk slowmo though love the dresss.' Leggy: The Heart FM presenter, 49, put on a very leggy display in a plunging white wrap midi dress with a daring thigh-high slit Work it: Amanda knew how to work her best angles in the video as she strutted down the Global Studios hallway and swished the stylish item of clothing from side-to-side Glamorous: Amanda was seen stepping out in London later in the day where she added a black Dior handbag and sunglasses to her look A different fan put: 'Wow you look amazing x.' While another follower added: 'You got that Friday feeling.' It comes after it was revealed Amanda has ended up with a 6,000 luxury rabbit pen for her bunnies at her south-west London home. Glamorous: The Britain's Got Talent judge styled her blonde locks into a sweptback hairdo and added a slick of glamorous make-up Amanda simply captioned the video with: '#Friday #slomo #dress @melissaodabash.' Toned: Amanda exuded confidence as she displayed her toned figure in the ensemble The TV personality shares the property with her record producer husband of 12 years, Chris Hughes, and their two daughters Lexi, 14, and Hollie, eight. The Britain's Got Talent host has made the most of her daughters' old playhouse by transforming it into an incredible comfy home for her two rabbits Princess and Beatrice. Amanda is thought to have spent 6,000 to up-cycle the space for her beloved pets who can now enjoy their own porch and bunk beds, reports The Sun. Big fans! The video sent Amanda's 1.5 million followers and celebrity pals into meltdown as they called the star the 'hottest radio DJ' Pricey! It comes after it was revealed Amanda has ended up with a 6,000 luxury rabbit pen for her bunnies at her south-west London home Reports: The Britain's Got Talent host has made the most of her daughters' old playhouse by transforming it into an incredible comfy home for her two rabbits Princess and Beatrice A source said: 'Amanda loves these rabbits, and they're treasured members of the family. It's only right they live like starlets.' And a representative for Amanda told MailOnline: 'The playhouse was purchased 6 years ago for Lexi and Hollie to play in, but theyve outgrown it now. 'Converting it into a home for the rabbits has cost just 200. Rather than dismantling it, Amanda has simply recycled it!' Luxury! Amanda is thought to have spent 6,000 to up-cycle the space for her beloved pets who can now enjoy their own porch and bunk beds, reports The Sun Treasured: A source said: 'Amanda loves these rabbits, and they're treasured members of the family. It's only right they live like starlets.' DUBLIN, Sept. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Industry Research Annual Subscription: 500 Industries" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. As a leader in industry-specific research, Vertical IQ presents a focused, actionable, and relevant platform of industry reports, local economic reports, curated news, and financial comparisons designed to educate, support, and enable sales and customer service professionals. Chapter-driven Industry Reports examine industries from a funnel approach: general industry characteristics that focus down to finely detailed data points - and everything in-between. Features of Vertical IQ's industry reports: Industry overview provides a clear picture of the various functions, trends, risks, and future forecast for your industry. Financial Insight dives into the financial make-up of the industry by exploring profit drivers, financial benchmarks, and working capital/cash flow intricacies exclusive to your industry. Call Preparation enables you to take action with the information by providing quarterly insights, examples of call prep questions, and industry-specific term explanations. The Local Economies section allows users to become an economic expert in 300+ metro areas and 3,100+ counties in minutes. With Local Economies you can: Focus your business development efforts by reviewing local market statistics related to the number of new businesses and the growth rates by industry. Add value to business owners by teaching them about your local market's economic conditions related to real estate, job growth, employment, and more. Share economic reports with your clients opening new locations in other geographies. Strengthen written documents such as loan requests, business valuations, presentations, newsletter, and blogs by saving time getting accurate economic. The News section provides relevant, specific, and engaging articles for each industry we cover. These articles are hand-selected by trained team members to enlighten, educated, and entertain Vertical IQ users. Access to the platform is made even easier (and accessible on the go) with the Vertical IQ Mobile App. Access all your industry reports from your phone or tablet quickly and easily. Ways customers utilize Vertical IQ's platform: Gain a better understanding of an industry before a call Educate clients about risks, trends, and industry statistics Increase risk mitigation from a credit underwriting perspective Enhance and customize your client presentations Teach small business owners about financial statistics in their industry Offer financial comparisons to small business owners Assess competitive best practices helping your client's business Provide clients/prospects intelligence on the industries to which they sell Use industry intelligence to discover new niche markets to target Help your clients find new markets into which they can expand Enhance email communications by incorporating industry trends Improve marketing content such as whitepapers, ebooks, and blogs Companies Mentioned Barlow Research Associates Bureau of Labor Statistics DealStats Economic Research Fund, Inc Powerlytics For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/yxpred About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research. Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 SOURCE Research and Markets Related Links http://www.researchandmarkets.com Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-11 23:29:10|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close MOGADISHU, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- At least two people were killed and eight others injured in an explosion in Kismayo town in the southern region of Lower Juba on Friday, a police officer confirmed. Mohamed Nasir Guled, commander of Jubaland police forces, told journalists that a suicide bomber blew himself up at a popular mosque in the town, causing deaths and injuries. The latest blast came barely two days after Somali National Army killed 13 al-Shabab militants including two senior leaders in an offensive on the outskirts of Kismayo town in the same region. Al-Qaida allied group al-Shabab claimed the responsibility for the latest blast. Enditem The Punjabgovernment has made elaborate arrangements for manufacturing and refilling of cylinders to ensure uninterrupted supply of medical in government and private hospitals across the state amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Health Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu said here on Friday. "There is no shortage of medical in Elaborate arrangements for manufacturing and refilling oxygen cylinders have been made to ensure uninterrupted supply," he said in a statement here. Besides ensuring the supply of medical oxygen to hospitals in Ludhiana, the district administration has made adequate arrangements for ensuring oxygen supply to other districts as per requirement,the minister said. "All arrangements have been made for manufacturing of 800 oxygen cylinders per day in Ludhiana, besides filling of 3,000 cylinders daily," the minister added. Ludhiana is one of the worst COVID affected districts in the state. There are a total 12,754 positive cases in Ludhiana so far and 546 deaths have taken place in the district. He said Ludhiana Deputy Commissioner Varinder Kumar Sharma has impressed upon industrialists in Ludhiana to immediately start the supply of medical oxygen for the hospitals. Earlier, the Union Health Ministry had reinforced that it is the responsibility of every state and Union Territories to ensure hospitalised COVID-19 patients receive oxygen. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) President Akufo-Addo has given the assurance that government will pay back the deposits of all customers of the defunct DKM microfinance company by the end of October this year. He said his administration inherited GHC700 million debt in the DKM brouhaha from the previous government, but the official liquidator had finalised modalities and customers were expected to receive their deposits as soon as possible. President Akufo-Addo gave the assurance when he inaugurated the Weddi Africa Tomato Processing and Agro farms under the governments One-District-Factory (1D1F) initiative at Domfete in the Berekum West District of the Bono Region. The President made similar comments when he addressed the chiefs and people of Zezera at a durbar in the Jaman South Municipality of the region after he inspected work on the rehabilitation of the 31.7 kilometre Bafaano-Zezera-Adamsu road, as part of his two-day working tour in the region. It was a night of joy and ecstasy at Domfete when President Akufo-Addo and his entourage, including Ministers of State, Members of Parliament and New Patriotic Party officials arrived at the town around 7pm. The people could not hide their joy as they showered praises on the President for the construction of the factory which would create economic opportunities for them. President Akufo-Addo said his government would forever remain faithful to fulfil all his campaign promises and to alleviate the socio-economic plight of Ghanaians. He, therefore, called on Ghanaians to vote and retain his government in the 2020 Elections to see improvement in their livelihoods. Minister of Trade and Industry, Alan Kyerematen said the Bono Region would benefit from 14 factories under the 1D1F to create jobs for the people and push forward socio-economic development. Paramount Chief of Berekum Traditional Area, Daasebre Dr. Amankona Diawuo II endorsed President Akufo-Addo and assured his people would support his government to facilitate accelerated national development. He said for the past 20 years successive governments had neglected and denied the Berekum township the needed development and praised President Akufo-Addos Administration for reshaping the Berekum town roads. Daasebre Dr. Diawuo II said the rehabilitation of the 22 kilometre asphaltic roads had beautified the Berekum township and appealed to the President to push infrastructure development in the two Senior High Schools in the area. He said the St. Augustine SHS at Nsapor needed a school bus while the Berekum SHS also required classroom and dormitory blocks. On their part, the managers of the factory, which was constructed with financial support from the Exim Bank Ghana, said 2,700 out-growers had been engaged, but it would require GHC2 million to procure seedlings for nursery and planting to feed the factory. The factory would help to reduce tomato imports from neighbouring Burkina Faso and to create enough jobs for the people. GNA Kelly Slater has been spotted catching waves in Bali on a near empty beach after managing to get round the island's strict travel restrictions. The US born world champion is staying in Bali, enjoying stunning views and incredible waves. The 48-year-old shared phenomenal videos and pictures of him and fellow pro surfer Betet Merta catching massive waves at Padang-Padang Beach in Uluwatu. Kelly Slater has been spotted catching waves in Bali with pro surfer Betet Merta (far left) The pair shared incredible footage of themselves riding massive waves on a near empty beach in Bali At one point the pair were double-barrelling in a wave, almost colliding into each other, as a cameraman captured the amazing footage. 'Double barrel with the king at Padang Padang @kellyslater,' Merta captioned the video. According to Beach Grit, other people were also enjoying the popular holiday spot despite COVID-19 restrictions. The publication claims that there is a way to get around the travel ban, a hack that was revealed in a simple WhatsApp message. The message claims that all tourists have to do is pay $1,700 for a 60 day Indonesian visa and book at least 10 days in Kandui Resort on the Mentawai Islands. The individual would also have to return a negative COVID-19 test to ensure the safety of workers and others. However travellers might struggle to find a flight heading to Bali during the worldwide pandemic. Despite having low cases of COVID-19, Bali is yet to reopen fully to international arrivals and decided against it due to several travel restrictions from other countries. Australians are unable to leave the country unless they have an exemption from the government. Bali's governor said there are still some 'red zone categories' in Indonesia which makes it a bit difficult to reopen the island as well. The country is also not accepting visas from international tourists until they can ensure all resorts, hotels, cafes, restaurants have a COVID-19 safety plan in place. Release of Torture Videos Prompts Denials by Mozambican Authorities By Salem Solomon September 10, 2020 A video that appears to show Mozambican security forces torturing and possibly killing militants is prompting calls for investigations, as well as denials from government officials. Amnesty International obtained five videos and three photos it says were taken in the restive Cabo Delgado region. The images have been analyzed by the group's Crisis Evidence Lab, which believes they are authentic and were taken in the first six months of 2020. Brian Castner, Amnesty International's senior crisis adviser for arms and military operations, told VOA that one video shows soldiers cheering while bound detainees are kicked and beaten with rifle butts. "In one case, one of the soldiers cuts the ear off one of the detainees, presents it to him while people cheer," Castner said. "In another case, they threaten to light the body on fire or light the person on fire here while they're still alive." On Thursday, Omar Saranga, the spokesperson for Mozambique's defense ministry, said that the images should be viewed with skepticism. The military attire in these videos and images "should not be taken for certain and are [not] accurate," he told reporters, speaking in Portuguese at a press conference in Maputo. The assailants appear to be from the Mozambique Armed Defense Forces (FADM) and the Mozambique Rapid Intervention Unit (UIR), based on their uniforms, Amnesty said. Saranga said that extremist groups and insurgents seek to discredit security forces by wearing their attire. "One of the tactics used by terrorists in their macabre incursions against the population is to pretend to be elements of the defense and security forces in an attempt to confuse or mislead national and international public opinion," he said. The rights group's researchers didn't take "the nature of the reductionist propaganda" into account, Saranga said, adding that the aim of the terrorist groups is "to denigrate the image of the defense and security forces." Outside investigation Despite the government's stance, Amnesty believes it is essential for an impartial body to conduct a thorough investigation. "The next step is that the government does need to do a real investigation and not a whitewash investigation, an immediate denial, not calling it 'fake news' or whatever else. They need to do a real investigation," Castner said. "And that doesn't mean the police and the army investigating themselves, but an outside office and outside investigative arm of the government." The motive for the attacks appears to be retaliation, Castner added. In one of the videos, a soldier appears to refer to his deployment to the region, saying, "I'm here because of you." "They're not asking any questions," Castner said. "This is not an interrogation. It definitely seems to be punishment in at least one of the videos." The region in northern Mozambique is home to some of the largest liquid natural gas extraction projects on the continent. It has also become extremely violent in recent years, with 1,854 deaths from organized violent attacks since 2017, according to the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project. One of the most prominent insurgent groups is al-Shabab and has links to the Islamic State group, though it is made up of mostly local youth. It has orchestrated attacks on Mozambican forces as well as foreign mercenaries. In March, the armed group launched a series of attacks and took over a major town in the region, Mocimboa da Praia, in addition to other nearby towns. In April and May, government forces launched an offensive and retook these towns. Amnesty believes the torture seen in the videos took place during this time. David Matsinhe, a human rights researcher with Amnesty International Southern Africa, said that while much attention and focus of news coverage has been about understanding the links between insurgents and foreign extremist groups, they are actually local people with local grievances. After gold, rubies, graphite and natural gas were discovered in the region, locals lost access to key resources. "The tipping point appears to have been the expropriation of the land on which people have depended for centuries to provide for food, water, sanitation, all those basic necessities," Matsinhe said. Increased susceptibility This loss of land made young people more susceptible to radicalization, Matsinhe said. "It was easier for a radical preacher who may have come in to convince the young people, because 80% of radicalization had been accomplished by the material conditions, through the relationships between the community and the government," Matsinhe said. The Mozambican government has called for a stronger response to the issue of militants and instability in the region. During a meeting between southern African leaders in May, Filipe Nyusi, Mozambique's president, said forming a unified force to tackle the issue of extremism in the region was the best way forward. Southern African Leaders Meet on Mozambique's Deteriorating Security Insurgents killed nearly 1,000 people and displaced tens of thousands But Matsinhe said that without addressing internal abuses from security forces and without holding attackers to account, it will be difficult for the government to win back the support of locals. "The way the country is continuing, it's not sustainable," he said. "We do not want to see Mozambique in ashes because of violence and violations of human rights." VOA Portuguese service's Ramos Miguel contributed to this report from Maputo and Amancio Vilanculos contributed from Washington. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address The battle to save the Corncrake from extinction here has received a second boost The endangered Corncrake bird has returned to Clare Island off the coast of Co Mayo for the first time in 30 years. That is according to the draft 2020 census of the rare bird which shows that the numbers of calling males around Ireland now totals 145. The battle to save the Corncrake from extinction here has also received a second boost with the nettle emerging as an important conservation weapon in increasing numbers of the shy and elusive bird near Belmullet. The 145 calling males recorded this year compares to an estimated 4,000 calling males dotted around Ireland during the 1970s with the numbers plummeting since. Read More Manager of the Corncrake project, Denis Strong said on Friday that he is over the moon with the figures. Mr Strong stated that the figures gives us hope for the conservation of the Corncrake here. It has been an exceptional year for the bird here. The Corncrake's current strongholds here are to be found in north Mayo, Connemara and the Donegal islands. Mr Strong said that he was particularly thrilled with the return of the Corncrake to Clare Island after 30 years. Two calling males were heard on the island this Summer and Mr Strong stated: If there was ever an island made for the Corncrake, it is Clare Island where there is still a lot of the old traditional farming going on. Mr Strong stated that he was baffled every year before this year as to why the Corncrake wasnt there. He stated: It beggared belief as to why they werent there. Mr Strong stated that the numbers recorded this year are a morale boost for everyone involved in the project - farmers, field workers and local rural communities. He stated: When you put your heart and soul into something like this, it is so important from a morale point of view to see a result. Mr Strong cited the 44 calling males detected at Belmullet in Co Mayo this Summer as a real shot in the arm. Mr Strong revealed that a conservation measure of planting nettles across four acres of land in the townland of Barhauve is really paying dividends at Belmullet. The Western Divisional Manager with the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) stated that in 2016/2017 when nettles were first planted, there were two to three Corncrakes detected and this summer 13 were detected at Barhauve. He stated: This was as a direct response to creating nettle cover for the Corncrake. Nothing else. It has been a huge success. Mr Strong stated that the 145 national figure for this year compares to 163 for 2019. However, Mr Strong stated that the year on year figures are not comparable as the NPWS was unable to complete counts for the Donegal islands due to Covid 19 travel restrictions to and from off-shore islands. Mr Strong pointed out that Tory Island this year had nine compared to 24 last yer and Inishbofin/Inisdooey had 16 compared to 39 last year. Mr Strong stated that "the Donegal island count is way under where it should be as a lot of birds were missed in key areas of the Donegal islands. Mr Strong stated that the drop in recorded numbers on the Donegal islands doesnt worry me at all as numbers everywhere else were up. Mr Strong stated that Kerry and Clare are also back on the Corncrake map. He stated that it is fantastic that the Corncrake has returned to Kerry for the second year running. Mr Strong stated: A lot of the older generation of farmers who would have remembered the Corncrake from years and years ago and would have lamented the loss of the call of the Corncrake in Spring are delighted to hear them coming back to these areas again. Mr Strong stated that the first national census he was involved in was 1993 that recorded 164 calling males with 88 in the Shannon Callows. Mr Strong stated that the Corncrake is now extinct in the Shannon Callows. Hundreds of schools and colleges are reporting delays in getting Covid-19 tests. A head teachers' union said the Government's failure to provide the promised access to testing is threatening to derail the full reopening of schools. More than 200 members of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) yesterday reported difficulties with the test and trace system. Some schools have been told their 'nearest' testing centre is hundreds of miles away, with one pupil reportedly told to make a 1,100-mile trip. While the number of schools experiencing problems is a small percentage of those open in England, ASCL said it means thousands of children and teachers are unable to come in for classes. A head teachers' union said the Government's failure to provide the promised access to testing is threatening to derail the full reopening of schools (file image) One school leader said: 'I have approximately ten pupils who are at home with symptoms all of whom are waiting for tests. 'Potentially I could have a number of positive cases linked to my school and not know it.' Schools and colleges often with more than 1,000 students and staff have received a Government supply of just ten home-testing kits. These must be offered in the 'exceptional circumstances where an individual may have barriers to accessing testing elsewhere'. ASCL said these tests are 'rapidly being depleted'. More than 200 members of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) yesterday reported difficulties with the test and trace system (file image) Yesterday Health Secretary Matt Hancock claimed 'whole schools' had been attempting to secure Covid testing. 'We've had whole schools saying that they want to come forward for testing and sending all the pupils for testing this is not appropriate,' he told Nick Ferrari's LBC radio show. Geoff Barton, general secretary of ASCL, said: 'We are very concerned that the fantastic work of schools and colleges in putting in place a raft of safety measures in order to fully reopen for the autumn term is at risk of being derailed by a lack of capacity in the test and trace system.' This page requires Javascript. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings. The White House on Friday announced that Bahrain is joining the United Arab Emirates in normalizing ties with Israel. Driving the news: In a phone call between President Trump, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Bahrain's King Hamad Bin Isa Al-Khalifa, Israeli and Bahraini leaders agreed to establish full diplomatic relations between the two countries. Israeli officials tell Axios that over the last two weeks, the White House has been pressing Bahrain to follow the UAE, which announced last month that it would open full diplomatic relations with Israel. Trumps senior adviser Jared Kushner and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo traveled to Manama, the capital of Bahrain, recently and asked the king and crown prince of Bahrain to normalize relations with Israel, sources tell Axios. Why it matters: The deal is a win for the Trump administration, which has sought to broker Middle East peace and strengthen ties with Israel. It's also a major breakthrough for Israel, which lacks diplomatic recognition in many Middle Eastern countries, but has steadily improved relations in the Gulf, largely due to mutual antipathy toward Iran. What they're saying: "Another HISTORIC breakthrough today! Our two GREAT friends Israel and the Kingdom of Bahrain agree to a Peace Deal the second Arab country to make peace with Israel in 30 days!" Trump tweeted on Friday. The U.S. president told reporters at the White House that when he took office the Middle East was in a state of absolute chaos." Trump added that he can see a lot of good things happening with respect to the Palestinians, and noted that something very positive can happen with Iran. Netanyahu thanked Trump, saying in a statement that it took Israel 26 years to reach peace with a third Arab country the United Arab Emirates. Now it took 29 days to reach peace with a forth Arab country Bahrain." The Israeli prime minister added that more normalization agreements with other Arab countries will follow. thanked Trump, saying in a statement that it took Israel 26 years to reach peace with a third Arab country the United Arab Emirates. Now it took 29 days to reach peace with a forth Arab country Bahrain." The Israeli prime minister added that more normalization agreements with other Arab countries will follow. Bahrain's King Al-Khalifa told Trump and Netanyahu on the phone call that just and comprehensive peace between Israel and the Palestinians must be achieved and should be based on the two-state solution and UN resolutions, the Bahraini news agency reported. told Trump and Netanyahu on the phone call that just and comprehensive peace between Israel and the Palestinians must be achieved and should be based on the two-state solution and UN resolutions, the Bahraini news agency reported. The UAE foreign ministry welcomed the Israel-Bahrain deal: welcomed the Israel-Bahrain deal: "Congratulations to the Kingdom of Bahrain and Israel on their decision to establish full diplomatic relations. Today marks another significant and historic achievement which will contribute enormously to the stability and prosperity of the region." What to watch: A "treaty of peace" between the UAE and Israel is expected to be signed next week, mirroring previous agreements between the Israel, Egypt and Jordan. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-11 22:31:33|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close by Burak Akinci ANKARA, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- The escalating row between Turkey and Greece over natural gas exploration in disputed waters of Eastern Mediterranean risks further deterioration of relations between Turkey and the European Union, experts and diplomats said. Greece and Turkey, both NATO members, have overlapping maritime claims in the region. The dispute boiled into a crisis last month after both countries sent naval vessels to the area to flex their military muscles. Turkey's row with Greece, an EU member, has fueled concerns about a potential military conflict between the two neighbors. EU's rotating chair Germany launched a mediation but the efforts remained ineffective until NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg stepped in and a first "military de-confliction" meeting was held on Thursday in Brussels between Turkish and Greek representatives. Turkey has been knocking on the European bloc's door for over 40 years and is currently a candidate country. However, accession talks are frozen because of some member countries' disagreement to the Turkish membership, claiming Ankara has failed to adopt key EU criteria. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called on Europeans to be "impartial" in the latest crisis which also tests EU's foreign policy. He reiterated that "Turkey won't back down to protect its rights in the Eastern Mediterranean." Nursin Atesoglu Guney, a professor of international relations from Istanbul's Technical University, said that the EU is divided on the attitude toward this mounting dispute. "Some nations such as France support Greece but a majority of them don't want further escalation which would be detrimental to the bloc, and also do not want to alienate an important country such as Turkey," she told private TV24 on Thursday. EU foreign ministers are set to discuss the bloc's bilateral relations with Turkey during an informal meeting under the helm of the German EU presidency in Berlin on Sept. 27-28. "Turkey is a strategically important nation to the EU, but on the other hand, there is a member state who strongly contests Ankara's policy in the Mediterranean," an EU diplomat told Xinhua on condition of anonymity. "We are in favor of a meaningful dialogue between Greece and Turkey in order to settle their disputes," the source noted. Faruk Kaymakci, Turkey's deputy foreign minister, said last week that his country is being "estranged" from the EU. "There are some accusations coming from the EU, such as 'Turkey is drifting apart from the EU and from the EU's values.' I think the main problem is that Turkey is being estranged from the EU," he said during a meeting in Ankara. For Serkan Demirtas, foreign policy analyst of daily Hurriyet, the EU should adopt a "more realistic approach" to ensure the launch of direct talks between Turkey and Greece as well as Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots. Enditem Slate's Who Counts? series is made possible by the support of Slate Plus members and readers like you. On Thursday morning, it looked like Wisconsin was positioned to run a smooth election this fall. The states 1,850 municipal clerks had printed at least 2.3 million absentee ballots and mailed 378,482 of them. They were well positioned to beat the Sept. 17 deadline by which, under state law, ballots must go out. In April, these clerks were crushed by a last-minute surge in requests from residents who decided to vote absentee for fear of the pandemic. The resulting delays led to mass confusion and disenfranchisement. Not this time: Officials had learned their lesson and planned far head, setting the stage for the prompt and orderly mailing of millions of ballots. Advertisement Then the Wisconsin Supreme Court stepped in. On Thursday afternoon, by a 43 vote divided along partisan lines, the court issued a strange, cryptic order that could throw the election into chaos. The conservative majority directed the Wisconsin Elections Commission to turn over a massive amount of information it did not actually have. These justices then halted the mailing of more absentee ballots while they consider nullifying every ballot that has been printed or mailed and forcing the state to start over. Their stunning eleventh-hour intervention could force election officials into an impossible position: either comply with the courts order or violate both state and federal law. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Subscribe to the Slatest newsletter A daily email update of the stories you need to read right now. We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try again. Please enable javascript to use form. Email address: Send me updates about Slate special offers. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms Sign Up Thanks for signing up! You can manage your newsletter subscriptions at any time. The latest trouble in Wisconsin centers on Green Party candidates Howie Hawkins and Angela Walker. To get on the ballot, Hawkins and Walker were required to submit 2,000 valid signatures. But the paperwork they filed had a problem: Many signature sheets included an address, a motel in South Carolina, that was different from the one that Walker listed in her sworn declaration of candidacy. Walker had an opportunity to explain this discrepancy but declined. In accordance with state law, the Wisconsin Elections Commission rejected the signatures collected under the wrong address. That left Walker with fewer than the required 2,000 signatures, so the commission declined to place the Green Party ticket on the ballot. Hawkins and Walker waited two weeksthe critical period during which clerks printed and began mailing ballotsbefore asking the Wisconsin Supreme Court to force their names onto the ballot anyway. (Update, 7:30 p.m. Sept. 14, 2020: On Monday, the Wisconsin Supreme Court rejected the Green Partys request by a 43 vote.) Advertisement Advertisement A responsible court would have rejected this challenge for two reasons: Hawkins and Walker waited an unreasonably long time to bring it, and it has no plausible legal basis. But instead of dismissing the case, the infamously irresponsible court ordered the commission to reveal who has requested absentee ballots, who has been mailed a ballot already, and when these ballots were mailed. It also demanded to know who requested the ballots to be printed, implying the existence of some conspiracy to rush them out. In the meantime, the conservative majority effectively shut down the states election machinery, suspending the printing of more absentee ballots. Its order suggests that four justices are seriously considering a decision in favor of the Green Party. Such a ruling would compel the state to throw out every existing ballot and begin the entire, grueling, monthslong process anew. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Wisconsin Supreme Court could force election officials to violate state and federal law. The court gave the Wisconsin Elections Commission just four hours to assemble all this data. The commission then scrambled to contact the 1,850 separate municipal clerks and 72 county clerks who had the information sought by the court. It could not possibly contact everyone, partly because many clerks work full-time jobs apart from their government service. But the commission gathered enough data to confirm that if the court rules in the Green Partys favor, it will effectively force election officials to choose between compliance with a court order and compliance with the law. Wisconsin requires these officials to begin mailing absentee ballots by Sept. 17, while federal law requires them mailed to overseas and military voters by Sept. 19. Designing and printing ballots is complicated, time-consuming, and expensive. Few if any clerks could mail out new ballots featuring the Green Party ticket by these deadlines. Advertisement Advertisement Indeed, in its Thursday filing, the commission included pleas from municipal clerks to the Wisconsin Supreme Court begging the justices not to sabotage their carefully laid plans. If we do not send our file to the printer tomorrow, we will likely not be able to meet the statutory deadline, one told them. We are too far in the process for this to occur, another said. A company that prints ballots for multiple municipalities said it would never be able to meet the legal deadline if it had to reprint ballots. My budget cannot afford to reprint these ballots, a clerk pleaded. Ballot printing takes timepreparation, printing, delivery this cant be done last minute and still meet the statutory guidelines, another said. Milwaukees clerk explained that his county uses 475 different ballot styles with different color stripes on each ballot, making for an extremely time consuming process. If forced to reprint these ballots, Milwaukee would blow past both the state and federal deadlines. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Even before Thursdays order, the commission had triedin vain, apparentlyto explain to the court that it is simply too late to reprint ballots. Meagan Wolfe, the executive director of the commission, attested that it would be catastrophic to this election if ballots were to change after being sent to some or all electors. Municipalities would have to tell voters whove already received a ballot not to return it, which could result in voters returning the wrong ballot or multiple ballots. This would create a chaotic situation for election officials in paring and counting returned ballots. Ann Jacobs, one of the chairs of the commission, expressed similar concerns in an interview on Friday. I dont yet know how well handle the ballots that have already been mailed out, she told me. What happens if a municipality says, We dont have the money to reprint these ballots? What do we do if theres not enough paper? We need to be aware that a redo is an enormously costly endeavor. Its not just the printing or paper. Its the hours of clerk work involved in getting these out. Its still a manual process. Advertisement Advertisement Under all this disarray lies a puzzle: Why, exactly, did the Wisconsin Supreme Courts conservatives force the commission to turn over all this information? The court could plausibly claim to need details about balloting to determine whether its really too late to add names to the ballot. But why ask who requested the ballots to be printed when the answer is simply state law? The courts order implies that the justices believe something sinister may be afoota conspiracy, perhaps, to rush printing in order to keep the Green Party off the ballot. In fact, the order reads like a subpoena on a fishing expedition to uncover foul play. Hawkins has accused Democrats of blocking his access to the ballot to prevent the Green Party from siphoning off votes from Democrats, thereby handing Wisconsin to Donald Trump. A majority of the court may think theres merit in this unfounded theory. Advertisement Advertisement There is no evidence of a conspiracy to marginalize the Green Party. There are, instead, 1,850 municipal clerks trying desperately to do their jobs in the face of gratuitous uncertainty. In their dissent on Thursday, the Wisconsin Supreme Courts three liberals noted that the majority was asking the impossible of election officials. Thats surely true, but its not clear that the conservative justices care. A cynic might assume this blocs chief goal is to inject more chaos into the election, hoping the instability helps Trump in a closely divided state. After all, Democrats are far more likely than Republicans to vote by mail in Wisconsin this year, so they will be disproportionately affected by the mayhem that will result from a do-over. Whatever their goal, Wisconsins conservative justices have already undermined election administration in the stateand voting has only just begun. The real victims are the citizens whose votes could be thrown out as a result of the tumult. Wisconsin may be the first state to experience severe strains on its efforts to conduct a safe fall election. It will not be the last. Holidaying Britons will once again be able to snap up cut-price alcohol on holidays to Europe under a new post-Brexit regime from January. Passengers making their way to EU countries from the UK are currently excluded from duty-free - but this is set to change once the transition period for leaving the European Union ends on December 31. The Treasury today confirmed Brits can expect savings of 2.86 for a 75cl bottle of Champagne or Prosecco and 2.28 for six 50cl cans of four per cent ABV beer. But as 'booze cruises' look set to return the limits on how much alcohol holidaymakers can bring back will also be increasing. Passengers on their way to EU countries from the UK are currently excluded from duty-free - but this is set to change once the transition period for leaving the European Union ends on December 31 (file image) The Treasury today confirmed Brits can expect savings of 2.86 for a 75cl bottle of Champagne or Prosecco and 2.28 for six 50cl cans of four per cent ABV beer (file image) The 'booze cruise' phenomenon first took off in the 1990s, when British families would make the journey to Calais to grab bargains from wine warehouses and cart crates of alcohol home from their holidays. But the craze faded when UK stores started selling cheaper alcohol and the pound lost its strength against the euro. Last year the then Chancellor Sajid Javid told travellers to the EU they would soon be able to buy cigarettes and alcohol without paying any UK excise duties. His policy was supposed to be temporary, but the Treasury has now announced a permanent change. His original proposals have now been given the green light and holidaymakers will be able to bring three crates of beer, two cases of still wine and one case of sparkling wine into Britain without paying any UK duties. A UK excise duty will no longer be due on alcohol and tobacco bought when leaving Britain. Excise tax is any duty on manufactured goods levied at the moment of manufacture rather than at sale - so products without the duty will be cheaper to buy. The changes are possible because, if Britain leaves without a deal, it will no longer be subject to EU single market rules which have been in place since 1999. Excise tax is any duty on manufactured goods levied at the moment of manufacture rather than at sale - so products without the duty will be cheaper to buy (file image) The post-transition passengers VAT and excise consultation was launched at Spring Budget 2020 and closed in May (file image) It means those travelling back home will, for the first time in years, be able to bring back a limited amount of cigarettes and alcohol without paying duty. People will also have the alternative option to buy limited amounts of duty-free alcohol and cigarettes at duty free shops in Europe instead. The limits will be 42 litres of beer, 18 litres of still wine, four litres of spirits or nine litres of sparkling wine, fortified wine or any alcoholic beverage less than 22 per cent ABV For tobacco, the limits are 200 cigarettes or 100 cigarillos or 50 cigars or 250g tobacco or 200 sticks of tobacco for heating or else any proportional combination of the above. The post-transition passengers VAT and excise consultation was launched at Spring Budget 2020 and closed in May. Last September, then chancellor Sajid Javid (pictured) told travellers to the EU they would be able to buy cigarettes and alcohol without paying any UK excise duties Last September Mr Javid said: As we prepare to leave the EU, Im pleased to be able to back British travellers. 'We want people to enjoy their hard-earned holidays and this decision will help holidaymakers cash go that little bit further. Duty free was ended in Europe seven years after the EU single market came into force in 1992 but is still permitted for travellers going to non-EU countries. The decision on duty-free shopping in UK ports, airports, international train stations, ships, trains and planes will mean UK excise duty will no longer be due on alcohol and cigarettes bought when leaving the UK. People travelling back from the EU will still be able to bring unlimited amounts for their own use, provided they pay duty on the continent (file image) Other changes include: the end of tax-free sales in airports of goods such as electronics and clothing for passengers travelling to non-EU countries; and the end of VAT refunds for overseas visitors in British shops. The latest changes will apply to England, Wales and Scotland but it is unclear if they will also be implemented for Ireland and Northern Ireland. The decision to end tax-free sales came following concerns the tax-concession was not always passed on to consumers in the airport. A Treasury spokesman said: 'In some instances these tax-free goods are brought back into the country by UK residents, putting high street retailers at a disadvantage.' A group of researchers from Charite - Universitatsmedizin Berlin have been able to show that maternal psychological wellbeing during pregnancy has a positive effect on newborn infants. Increased telomere length suggests a reduced rate of cell aging, which could have an effect on children's future health. Results from this study have been published in the American Journal of Psychiatry*. A variety of pregnancy-related factors can have an impact on child development. Until now, researchers had primarily focused on the negative effects of stress, excess weight and poor nutrition - and how these might affect, say, placental function, premature birth and children's general health. At the cellular level, various pregnancy-related factors can have a direct impact on 'telomeres', cellular structures which protect the ends of chromosomes during cell division and can be lengthened by the enzyme telomerase. Telomere length is a molecular biology marker of cell aging which is linked to life expectancy and a range of age-related disorders. Although the effects of maternal stress have been widely studied, data on protective maternal factors and their positive effects on child development remain limited. A group of researchers led by Prof. Dr. Sonja Entringer of Charite's Institute of Medical Psychology have been able to show that the mother's ability to cope with stress during pregnancy - her 'psychological resilience' - is linked to telomere length. The more positive a mother's attitude during pregnancy, the longer the children's telomeres. "Positive maternal psychological characteristics are biologically embedded and have a protective effect on the fetus," says Prof. Entringer. In an earlier study, the researchers examined the way in which maternal stress during pregnancy affects telomere length in their offspring. The current study, which saw Prof. Entringer's team work with a team of researchers led by Nobel Laureate Elizabeth Blackburn of the University of California and colleagues in Finland, had access to a large study population comprising 650 mother and child pairs. Telomere length was determined at birth, using cells from cord blood. Positive attitude in the face of stress was determined using a 'resilience index', which also took into account the pregnant women's psychological wellbeing and perceived social support. "This study underlines the importance of maternal psychological wellbeing during pregnancy in terms of the developmental programming of lifelong health and disease, and the significance of improved psychosocial support measures during pregnancy," explains Prof. Entringer, who is also an Associate Professor at the University of California. Prof. Entringer was awarded a European Research Council 'Starting Grant' in 2016, which enabled her to set up and develop her own research group. The researchers are currently conducting more detailed investigations into the molecular mechanisms underlying the biological embedding of psychosocial effects in the cells of unborn children. As a next step, they are planning to conduct an interventional study on stress reduction in the day-to-day lives of pregnant women. ### *Verner G et al. Maternal psychological resilience during pregnancy and newborn telomer length: a prospective study. Am J Psychiatry (2020), DOI:10.1176/appi.ajp.2020.19101003 Credit: CC0 Public Domain Sasha Smith was out of work and battling throat cancer when, on Aug. 29, 2005, the floodwaters of Hurricane Katrina began to lap against her home in Orleans Parish. The young mother clutched her 2-year-old son Alex and fled to the overcrowded Louisiana Superdome, waiting out the storm alongside tens of thousands of others who had no means to evacuate the city and would have no homes to return to. But her family's brush with disaster wouldn't end there. In 2008, not long after they were finally able to return home to New Orleans, Hurricane Gustav hit, shuttering Alex's school. In 2010, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill blackened the waters along the Louisiana coastdecimating the local economy. In 2012, Hurricane Isaac made landfall, damaging their home in a neighborhood never fully repaired after Katrina. "It's like when you finally get settled in to making a way for you and your kids, here comes something else bad," said Sasha (a pseudonym), during an interview years later. As her son, then 13, put it: "I just know now that you always gotta have a back-up plan." The story of Sasha and Alex is one of several collected via a recent research project aimed at better understanding how the toll of cumulative natural hazards can shape families and children's lives over the long-term. Via intimate, in-depth interviews conducted in the homes of nine mother-child pairs, CU Boulder sociology Professor Lori Peek and co-author Lubna Mohammad reveal just how much a family's circumstance going into disaster can shape how they fare coming out of it, and whether they'll face the next one with resilience or despair. On the 15th anniversary of Katrina, with wildfires raging in the West and the Gulf Coast reeling from yet another major hurricane, such survivors have much to teach us, the authors say. "In this era of climate change and weather extremes, these families are harbingers of what is to come," said Peek, director of CU Boulder's Natural Hazards Center, part of the Institute of Behavioral Science. Vivid memories, 15 years later The project, and resulting paper in the Journal of Family Strengths, got its roots in September 2005 when Peek earned a "Quick Response" grant (from the center she now leads) to study how children were faring post-Katrina. Just weeks after the hurricane made landfall, Peek boarded a plane to Louisianaone of only two women amid an aircraft full of male emergency responders. When she arrived in New Orleans, streets were still under water, schools were shuttered and 800,000 homes all along the Gulf Coast were in ruin. "It may have been 15 years ago, but I will never forget it," she recalls. In the coming years, Peek would come to know 575 children and follow 25 closely, accompanying them to church, schools and playgrounds and tracing their paths to recovery. In the course of co-authoring the resulting 2015 book Children of Katrina, she noticed something. Just as many children were beginning to pick up the pieces, disaster struck again. "I got very interested in this idea of cumulative disaster exposure," said Peek. "It's crucial that we learn from people who have multiple disaster experiences because this is our future." Previous research in adults has shown exposure to multiple disasters can boost risk of post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and panic disorder and increase the likelihood of physical health problems, including inflammation of the heart. In children, exposure to multiple stressors has been shown to impact the brain and immune system, influence cognitive development and boost risk of substance abuse. But for many, Peek notes, disaster-related mental health problems diminish with time, and adversity can lead to growth. "Most children, like most adults, can and do endure disaster," said Peek. "These events not only do damage, they also can reveal our strengths and bring us closer together." 'Outliers'for now For the new study, Peek asked 400 women and children affected by the BP oil spill whether their children had experienced three or more major disasters before the age of 18. Nine said yes. "They may be outliers now, but I don't believe they will be for long," said Mohammad, now a community resilience planner for Monterey County, California. To learn all that they could from such outliers, Peek and Mohammadwho was a graduate student at Colorado State University when they launched the studyspent weeks in 2016 driving from parish to parish interviewing the mother-child pairs. On paper, the families looked similar: Eight out of nine were Black, most were of moderate-to-low income and all were from Orleans Parish. But once they began to tell their stories, often during extended, tearful discussions at kitchen tables, a clear distinction emerged: Four families, including the Smith family, struggled to ever recover from Katrina. Another five fared better, some even looking upon their experience as a positive that made them stronger. "One of our biggest findings was that pre-disaster circumstances are highly predictive of how people fare long-term," said Peek. Those who went into Katrina with modestly higher incomes and greater social support (including families and friends to stay with or borrow money from) bounced back. Those who made less than $50,000 annually, struggled with poor health or lacked social support slipped further into despair. "The contrast was remarkable," said Mohammad, recalling how one family jokingly remembered their evacuation to a family friends' house as "like a vacation," while another woman was still traumatized by memories of waiting in the long line at a shelter, trying to find food for her hungry infant. "If they were able to cope with that first disaster well, no matter how bad the next one was, they seemed to build up a shield. Mentally, emotionally and physically they became better prepared," said Mohammad. "But for those who were already struggling, every disaster afterward was like a low blow hitting them when they were down." When children were able to get back to school more quickly, found stable housing and had supportive adults with whom to talk through their feelings, they too proved to be more resilient. Building a disaster-resilient society The findings, says Peek, reinforce a glaring reality that Katrina revealed in sharp relief: Disasters hit some segments of the population far worse than others. "Every disaster since Katrina, including this pandemic we are in right now, has made us more likely not to depict disasters as 'great equalizers' but instead to ask who is suffering first and worst," she said. "Not all children are living equal lives right now, and that inequality gets amplified and exacerbated in a disaster." Ultimately, the authors say, if we want to build a more disaster-resilient society, we must tackle big problems, like racial injustice and lack of affordable housing, healthcare and quality education. Meantime, Mohammadwho has spent her summer supporting families affected by the California wildfiresoffers another piece of advice: Get to know your neighbors. "If we are involved in our communities then when disaster happens, no matter how bad, at least you will know you are not alone," she said. "That by itself can make you more resilient." Explore further PTSD, alcohol use disorder common in adolescents exposed to natural disasters More information: Mohammed et al., Exposure Outliers: Children, Mothers, and Cumulative Disaster Exposure in Louisiana. Journal of Family Strengths (2020). Mohammed et al., Exposure Outliers: Children, Mothers, and Cumulative Disaster Exposure in Louisiana.(2020). digitalcommons.library.tmc.edu/jfs/vol19/iss1/4/ A photo of actor Park Bo-gum undergoing military training at a boot camp appeared on a website run by a Navy unit. Even with his face obscured by a cap and a mask, he is clearly recognizable among a pack of recruits in identical military uniforms. About a week ago, Park quietly entered the camp in Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province and is undergoing basic combat training there. No farewell events were held in order to abide by social distancing guidelines amid the coronavirus epidemic. Meanwhile, cable channel tvN's new series, "The Record of Youth," which he finished shooting prior to his enlistment, began airing early this week. This somewhat coming-of-age drama also starring actress Park So-dam is a story about ambitious youngsters who strive for success. He also has two new films coming out sometime this year. With this new Global Flight Operations Program, DB Schenker USA can offer a dedicated solution to our customers DB Schenker has launched a new Global Flight Operations Program, connecting Atlanta and Chicago with Frankfurt, Germany and other surrounding Central European markets. The new flights, which will operate three times a week via full and part charter flights, will provide much-needed air freight capacity for an industry severely impacted by the many passenger flights cancellation due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The Covid-19-pandemic required us to take bold steps as a means to support our client needs and maintain continuity throughout the global supply chain, said John McDonald, Senior Vice President, Head of Air Product USA. Our Global Flight Operations are a demonstration of our capability and commitment to providing stability during volatile times. I am very proud of our team and the excellent work they do every day to support our customers. The Global Flight Operations Program connects Atlanta with Frankfurt, Germany, each Sunday, and Chicago with Frankfurt every Thursday and Sunday. These flights will connect the U.S. with Germany and other Central European markets. Other markets currently using the Global Flight Operations Program include Mumbai and Dubai. With this new Global Flight Operations Program, DB Schenker USA can offer a dedicated solution to our customers, added Bill Heaney, DB Schenker Chief Commercial Officer, USA. We can further leverage our global footprint to keep the supply chain in motion during these uncertain times. Benno Forster, Senior Vice President, Head of Operations and Procurement Americas, explains, The B747F aircraft utilized for the Chicago and Atlanta to Frankfurt, Germany operations, is the perfect answer for the current market capacity shortage. Be it temperature-controlled or oversized freight, these aircraft will continue to offer reliable service on the Trans-Atlantic market for the remainder of 2020 and beyond if demand continues at its present rate. This service will be in addition to other major commercial block space agreements DB Schenker holds with preferred airline partners, he added. DB Schenker Air Freight introduced full charter flights earlier this year to overcome capacity shortages and peak demand during the global outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. To date, DB Schenker has provided 1,190 charter flights securing much-needed air cargo capacity for its customers in this challenging market environment. Among these were 72 DB Schenker Airbridge flights, using Boeing 767 passenger aircraft provided by its partner, Icelandair. For more information about DB Schenker, visit http://www.dbschenker.com/usa. About DB Schenker USA DB Schenker is one of the largest Integrated Logistics Service Providers in the United States, with over 7,200 employees in 47 branches and 60 logistics centers providing over 17 million sq. ft. of distribution operations to its clients. DB Schenker offers land transport, air and ocean freight, as well as comprehensive logistics solutions and global supply chain management services from a single source. Technavio has been monitoring the organic honey market and it is poised to grow by USD 611.1 mn during 2020-2024, progressing at a CAGR of over 10% 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/20200911005201/en/ Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global Organic Honey 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: What are the major trends in the market? Rising import of natural honey is a major trend driving the growth of the market. Rising import of natural honey is a major trend driving the growth of the market. At what rate is the market projected to grow? The year-over-year growth for 2020 is estimated at 9.75% and the incremental growth of the market is anticipated to be 611.1 mn. The year-over-year growth for 2020 is estimated at 9.75% and the incremental growth of the market is anticipated to be 611.1 mn. Who are the top players in the market? Comvita Ltd., Dutch Gold Honey, Langnese Honig GmbH Co., Little Bee Impex, Madhava Honey Ltd., Manuka Health New Zealand, Nature Nate's, Rowse Honey Ltd., Wedderspoon Organic Inc., and Y.S. Organic Bee Farms., are some of the major market participants. Comvita Ltd., Dutch Gold Honey, Langnese Honig GmbH Co., Little Bee Impex, Madhava Honey Ltd., Manuka Health New Zealand, Nature Nate's, Rowse Honey Ltd., Wedderspoon Organic Inc., and Y.S. Organic Bee Farms., are some of the major market participants. What is the key market driver? The new product launches is one of the major factors driving the market. The new product launches is one of the major factors driving the market. How big is the Europe market? The Europe region will contribute 36% of the market share. The market is fragmented, and the degree of fragmentation will accelerate during the forecast period. Comvita Ltd., Dutch Gold Honey, Langnese Honig GmbH Co., Little Bee Impex, Madhava Honey Ltd., Manuka Health New Zealand, Nature Nate's, Rowse Honey Ltd., Wedderspoon Organic Inc., and Y.S. Organic Bee Farms. are some of the major market participants. The new product launches 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. Organic Honey Market 2020-2024: Segmentation Organic Honey Market is segmented as below: Distribution Channel Offline Online 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=IRTNTR40098 Organic Honey 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 organic honey market report covers the following areas: Organic Honey Market Size Organic Honey Market Trends Organic Honey Market Industry Analysis This study identifies the rising import of natural honey as one of the prime reasons driving the organic honey 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. Register for a free trial today and gain instant access to 17,000+ market research reports. Technavio's SUBSCRIPTION platform Organic Honey Market 2020-2024: Key Highlights CAGR of the market during the forecast period 2020-2024 Detailed information on factors that will assist organic honey market growth during the next five years Estimation of the organic honey market size and its contribution to the parent market Predictions on upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior The growth of the organic honey market Analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information on vendors Comprehensive details of factors that will challenge the growth of organic honey market vendors Table of Contents: PART 01: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY PART 02: SCOPE OF THE REPORT Preface Currency conversion rates for US$ PART 03: MARKET LANDSCAPE Market ecosystem Market characteristics Market segmentation analysis Value chain PART 04: MARKET SIZING Market definition Market sizing 2019 Market outlook Market size and forecast 2019-2024 PART 05: FIVE FORCES ANALYSIS Bargaining power of buyers Bargaining power of suppliers Threat of new entrants Threat of substitutes Threat of rivalry Market condition PART 06: MARKET SEGMENTATION BY DISTRIBUTION CHANNEL Market segmentation by distribution channel Comparison by distribution channel Offline Market size and forecast 2019-2024 Online Market size and forecast 2019-2024 Market opportunity by distribution channel PART 07: CUSTOMER LANDSCAPE PART 08: 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 PART 09: DECISION FRAMEWORK PART 10: DRIVERS AND CHALLENGES Market drivers Market challenges PART 11: MARKET TRENDS Rising imports of natural honey Increase in number of private label products Growth in online retailing globally PART 12: VENDOR LANDSCAPE Overview Landscape disruption Competitive scenario PART 13: VENDOR ANALYSIS Vendors covered Vendor classification Market positioning of vendors Comvita Ltd. Dutch Gold Honey Langnese Honig GmbH Co. KG Little Bee Impex Madhava Honey Ltd. Manuka Health New Zealand Nature Nate's Rowse Honey Ltd. Wedderspoon Organic, Inc. Y.S. Organic Bee Farms PART 14: APPENDIX Research methodology List of abbreviations Definition of market positioning of vendors PART 15: EXPLORE TECHNAVIO About Us Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focuses on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200911005201/en/ Contacts: Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 Email: media@technavio.com Website: www.technavio.com/ The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has explained how the commission would replace the 5,141 card readers that were destroyed by fire at the commissions head office in Akure, Ondo State capital, on Thursday. The spokesperson for INEC, Festus Okoye, told PREMIUM TIMES Friday in a telephone interview that the incident would not affect the October 10 governorship election. Fire gutted the container that contained smart card readers around 7:30 p.m. at the commissions office in Akure. While Mr Okoye who is in Ondo State alongside other staff, arrived at the scene early enough, the office of the fire service close to the INEC headquarters could not help due to lack of water to put out the inferno early enough, this newspaper reported earlier. The INEC spokesperson who had earlier confirmed to our correspondent that 5,141 card readers were burnt, later explained how they will be replaced before October 10. The burnt card readers cannot affect the election. 4,141 belongs to the Ondo State INEC office while the remaining 1,000 were brought from Osun, he said. Since it is one month to the election, we will just take smart card readers from other states to replace the burnt one so that the election wont be affected. So, rest assured that it will not affect the conduct of the election, he said. This is at least the third time that an INEC office would be engulfed in fire in 2020. Similar fires were recorded in February in Imo and Anambra States. Also in April, fire gutted the Abuja headquarters of INEC and affected the office of the commissions Director of Voter Registry, Emmanuel Akem. There are 17 political parties with different candidates contesting in the upcoming election in Ondo State. Meera Suresh By Express News Service Pandemic Burnout, a 30-minute docu-story, starts with Anand Manmadhan, who is also the director, waking up. As it is already afternoon, he quickly clarifies he slept in late and woke up late, to let the day pass off quickly. For him, this has become more or less a new normal since life came to a standstill post the COVID-19 outbreak. His is not an isolated case. For many actors like Anand, who had already been struggling for that big break, life is nothing but a big wait, made worse by the pandemic. In his docu-story, Anand captures the journey, travails and pangs of artists who for the past six months have been sitting idle and penniless, without even a platform to perform. With small-time actors and directors, who have been dreaming of cinema since childhood, narrating how they hope to see light at the end of the tunnel, the docu-series effortlessly manages to strike a chord with the viewer. I was doing a movie called Aravam when we had to halt the shoot. Since then, the days have been empty. We have nothing to look forward to. My friends and I have always made short videos that humorously portrayed our struggles. Then, it occurred to me, why not do something realistic, without all the add-ons. Thats how the Pandemic Burnout was borne. We all have bared our souls here, says Anand. They may have come from different backgrounds, taking different routes to their dream called cinema, but the voices heard in Pandemic Burnout share the same zest. Come what may, their battle to get over the pandemic and live their dreams will only get stronger. Like Kannan Nayar, another actor, puts it; There is no deadline for my struggle. It may take years, but my journey towards my goals will continue, Covid-19 or not. For Chandunadh, an actor who shot to fame through Pathinettam Padi, coronavirus hit when his dreams began taking wings. But, he remains enthusiastic. However, director Vinesh Viswanathan echoes the pangs of being sidelined. People write about how movies that were being shot had to be halted, but nobody writes or cares about movies that were supposed to happen. I have been behind a project for so long, but when it was finally happening, Covid struck. But, then it is just my loss, says Vinesh. Besides, the impact of Covid, Pandemic Burnout also ventures deep into their other problems. Our struggles have many faces. Thats why I decided to delve deep into an artists struggle with depression and societys preconceived notion about us not doing anything worthwhile, says Anand. Sometimes wry humour conveys best. Like when PS Jayahari, an award-winning musician says how people would ask his profession. When I say I am a musician, they ask what else do I do, as if to convey this is not a proper profession. What else am I supposed to do?, says Jayahari.Besides direction, Anand has also handled the editing of the docu-story. Anandhu Rajan has cranked the camera. The video is available on YouTube. The Justice Department announced Thursday that the United States has charged 57 people for committing Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) fraud so far. The PPP is taxpayer-backed coronavirus pandemic loans. The Justice Department said they would do a months-long effort to root up people committing fraud and other means of profiteering on the program, the Washington Post reported. The number of people charged goes back from May and amounted to $175 million in fraud, said a Fox Business report. These include people who allegedly received money for fake companies and legitimate business owners who spent funds on luxury items for personal use. It also involved people who do not qualify but applied anyway or those who received two loans instead of just one. Several other people had already been facing fraud charges. PPP is meant to help small businesses amid lockdowns, said the Justice Department. It is has been a fraud concern since it was launched in early April. "The PPP program represented critical help at a critical time," said Acting Asst. Atty. Gen. Brian Rabbitt on Thursday. "Unfortunately, the crisis brings out not only those that try to help others, but those who try to take advantage of the crisis for personal gain." More Fraud Cases Eyed Reuters said that a congressional panel last week found tens of thousands of the program's $5.2 million loans, which have been misused or defrauded. The panel found that it could possibly amount to billions of taxpayer funds. JPMorgan Chase & Co dished out nearly $30 billion PPP loans this week. They have been working with law enforcement after finding out that customers were "misusing" the funds. According to an article from CNBC, officials are still eyeing hundreds more suspected fraud cases. Officials said they had identified 500 individuals who may have committed PPP fraud. Some cases even involve criminal rings that work together to steal funds from the program. "The involvement of these rings isn't surprising," said Rabbitt. "But it is particularly troubling to us here at the department, we will be focusing on these types of cases, going forward." PPP Fraud's Loss to Government The $175 million that applicants tried to steal entails a known loss of $80 million to the U.S. government, said officials. The Justice Department recovered only about $30 million. The total amount from all committed frauds is unclear at this point. Around $500 billion in PPP was processed by Small Business Administration's approved banks, which could mean the amount of fraud is higher than the known loss. Immediate Actions Against Fraud Rabbitt recognized that making large amounts of money available to the public posed a high risk of fraud. He said officials made efforts to identify fraudulent loans soon after banks processed. "We began investigating almost immediately, and we brought our first cases within months of the first loans being made," Rabbitt said. Officials said they have been working with lenders to find out more about problematic loans. On Thursday, they said they were using "cutting edge data analytics technology" to quickly identify red flags. Warning fraudsters, Internal Revenue Service criminal investigations chief James Lee said at the briefing: "You cannot hide from these digital and paper trails." Check these out! Mnuchin, Pelosi Reach 'Informal Deal' to Avoid Government Shutdown Florida Man Faces Fraud Charges After Spending COVID-19 Relief Funds to Buy Lamborghini Mnuchin to Congress: Pass Stand-Alone Coronavirus Relief Bill to Repurpose PPP Funds For more than 40 years, California has endured a contorted property tax system that punishes home buyers, chills housing construction and rewards businesses who skate by when assessments are set. Proposition 15 would ease the worst of these abuses while protecting homeowners and small businesses. It sets a path that should continue in overhauling an out-of-whack tax code. For all its progressive image, California has a lopsided revenue system that has evolved since a fateful vote in 1978 that redrew the rules on property taxes. That measure, known as Proposition 13, largely froze homeowner taxes, but it did the same for business holdings. When property changed hands, taxes could be reset, but that happened less often with commercial and industrial land when deals could be structured to avoid reassessment. The result: Businesses enjoyed low taxes while new homeowners faced higher levies as housing was resold. Prop. 15 offers a solution to this unfairness. It calls for splitting the rolls, with residential property staying within the present protections while it sets more timely assessments for large business holdings. The heart of the original law that protects homeowners from sharp tax boosts will be saved. Businesses wont get an undue break. The proposed change may net $6.5 billion to $11.5 billion to be split 60% for local government and 40% for schools. In a bow to small operators, it would exempt commercial properties worth $3 million or less. That feature helps protect tenants such as restaurants and stores scraping by on thin profit margins. Opponents claim that now isnt the right moment for a tax increase, given a pandemic-ruined economy and 13.3% jobless rate. But the changes in Prop. 15 would take place beginning in July 2022 and could be delayed longer if the Legislature chooses. That flexible timetable will allow for the economy to recover. The measure comes to the ballot through a signature gathering supported by unions and policy groups. They were fed up with a Legislature fearful of enacting reforms to the original Prop. 13, regarded as sacrosanct. Instead lawmakers have devised other tax schemes to compensate, saddling the state with higher taxes and more volatility. California has a chance to end a glaring unfairness in tax rules. Vote yes on Prop. 15. 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. Controversial Private Legal Practitioner, Maurice Ampaw says the vice-presidential candidate of the largest opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) is not fit to comment on NPP lawmaker, Kennedy Agyapongs recent outburst after cited for contempt. According to Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, Kennedy Agyapongs verbal abuse at a High Court Judge can be compared to the infamous 'Montie Three' case hence, calling for a similar punishment for the lawmaker by the law. If you are going to talk about name and shame, it should be consistent. If you are going to apply the laws, it should be consistent, so if another person does the same and just comes to apologise, so the end of the story. That is corruption and I want to see that also highlighted because we are not allowing us to abide by the rules of telling the truth. Your Lordship, that Mr. Agyapongs conduct is graver in scope and impact than the infamous Montie Three. This is because of the influence he wields and the coverage of the channel on which he made these dangerous comments compared to the Montie Three in these respects, she said during an interaction with members of the Ghana Integrity Initiative. But Maurice Ampaw in an interview with NEAT FMs morning show Ghana Montie tagged Prof Opoku-Agyemang as a hypocrite. He argued that Kennedys case and the 'Montie Three' case are not the same. There is a difference between Kennedy Agyapongs behaviour and that of the Montie Three. Prof is a hypocrite and doesnt have the moral right to comment on this case. I cant describe her hypocrisy. She is the last person Im expecting to comment on this case. The Montie Three guys committed a crime. Threats of death and attempt to rape are criminal matters. Jane and Mahama should have warned them but she led a campaign for them to be freed. She signed the petition to have them freed. Because she wants power now she is condemning Kennedy Agyapong, he told host Kwesi Aboagye. Source: King Edward Ambrose Washman Addo/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video A member of the Iraqi forces walks past a mural bearing the logo of the ISIS terrorist group in the village of Albu Sayf, Iraqi, on March 1, 2017. (Ahmad Al-Rubaye/AFP via Getty Images) Emir of Winterthur Convicted in Swiss Jihadist Trial ZURICHA man dubbed the Emir of Winterthur was sentenced to 50 months in prison by a Swiss court on Friday after being convicted of supporting the ISIS terrorist group and recruiting for it. Prosecutors had said the Swiss-Italian dual citizen, whose name has not been released publicly, traveled to ISIS-controlled areas of Syria in 2013, where he joined an ISIS-aligned combat unit. Upon returning to Switzerland, the now 34-year-old defendant capitalized on his reputation as a warrior to motivate several people to join ISIS, prosecutors said, calling him a Salafist guiding figure in Switzerland who liaised with several convicted ISIS recruiters from Europe. He had pleaded not guilty to charges of supporting and participating in a criminal organization and violating a ban on representations of acts of violence but was convicted after a trial. Winterthur is the suburb of Zurich where he lived and ran a training gym. Several media outlets said the Federal Criminal Court also fined a second defendant with Swiss-Macedonian dual citizenship who was charged with attempting to travel to ISIS territory to join the organization and with recruiting one individual for ISIS. The court did not respond to an email seeking confirmation of the verdicts. Broadcaster SRF said the main suspect had told the court he had briefly embraced jihadist ideology but had since had a change of heart and regretted the episode. He said he had traveled to Syria to provide humanitarian assistance. Switzerland has not experienced deadly militant attacks like those that have hit neighboring countries such as Germany and France, but has identified hundreds of residents deemed a threat and cases of jihadi travelers who have left Switzerland for war zones. Prime Minister Scott Morrison has asked leading health officials to prioritise agreeing on a national coronavirus hot-spot definition so he can use the advice to pressure state premiers to open their borders. Mr Morrison lobbied the Queensland Premier on Thursday on behalf of a 26-year-old Canberra woman who flew into the state too late to say goodbye to her dying father and was then locked in hotel quarantine on the day of his funeral. Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk is facing increasing backlash over the incident in light of the arrival of Hollywood actor Tom Hanks who is currently quarantining in a privately hired hotel with other members of his crew. In this episode, national editor Tory Maguire is joined by Brisbane Times political reporter Lydia Lynch to discuss how Queenslanders are feeling about the border wars. President Donald Trump insisted Thursday that he never lied to Americans about the dangers of coronavirus after a bombshell new book by journalist Bob Woodward revealed that he deliberately tried to downplay the crisis. Trump's taped admission to Woodward that he minimized the pandemic in public, while being aware of the unique danger from Covid-19, has set off alarm bells less than eight weeks before election day. Asked bluntly at a hastily organized White House press conference "Why did you lie to the American people?" Trump responded: "I didn't lie." The Republican, who is down in the polls against Democrat Joe Biden and faces overwhelming disapproval from Americans on his handling of the coronavirus crisis, insisted that he'd softened the dangers in public so as to preserve calm. "I think we did a great job, Trump said. "I don't want to jump up and down and start screaming 'Death! Death!'" But Trump has been thrown onto the defense after multiple excerpts and recordings from Woodward's book "Rage" were released on Wednesday. That night he pushed back with a call-in to his friend, Fox News personality Sean Hannity. Early Thursday, he followed up with a Fox News Radio interview focused on his nomination by a right-wing member of Norway's parliament for the Nobel Peace Prize. He then fired dozens of tweets in wildly random directions through the day, from extolling the "good health" of North Korean strongman Kim Jong Un to criticizing Woodward and retweeting a fan whose dress he admired at a recent election rally. Trump was to continue his PR blitz with another rally in Michigan later Thursday. - Revelations - "Rage" is filled with startling episodes, including the assessment by Trump's then director of national intelligence, the respected Dan Coats, that the president "doesn't know the difference between the truth and a lie." But the segments in which Trump candidly discusses the coronavirus pandemic -- which has by now killed almost 200,000 Americans -- are getting the most attention. Despite openly describing to Woodward the scary characteristics of the then unknown virus, including the fact that it is transmitted by air, Trump said "I wanted to always play it down." Trump went on to explain to Woodward that he wanted to avoid causing panic. However, his acknowledgement that he was deliberately failing to tell the country the unvarnished truth has started a firestorm. "He knew how deadly it was," Biden said Wednesday. "He lied to the American people. He knowingly and willingly lied about the threat it posed to the country for months." - Can't shoot the messenger - Trump usually fights criticism by blaming what he calls "the fake news" and claiming that unnamed sources commonly used in White House reporting don't exist. But shoot the messenger won't work in the case of "Rage." The shocking revelations rely mostly on Trump himself and Woodward -- famous for bringing down Richard Nixon in the Watergate scandal -- has published recordings. In one dig at Woodward on Thursday, Trump tweeted that if the legendary reporter thought that the quotes were "so bad or dangerous, why didn't he immediately report them in an effort to save lives?" "Because he knew they were good and proper answers. Calm, no panic!" Trump argued. Quite why Trump would grant Woodward so much access in an election year, however, is a question many in Washington are asking. The reporter got 18 interviews with the president and was entirely open about them being put on tape. "I did it out of curiousity," was Trump's explanation Thursday. According to White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany, Trump went ahead "because he is the most transparent president in history." Trump, who has a lifetime experience in salesmanship and performing on television, has indeed set a new record for his unprecedented number of press conferences and impromptu question-and-answer sessions. But the performances often leave his own staff scrambling in damage limitation mode, like when he mused at a press conference about the possible benefits of injecting Covid-19 patients with bleach. In the final run before November 3 election day, aides and allies are again gritting their teeth. "Honestly, (Woodward's) access to the White House is probably something that I would not have recommended had I been in the chief of staff role early on," Trump's current chief of staff, Mark Meadows, told Fox News. Karl Rove, the Republican campaign mastermind in the George W. Bush era, had this warning for the incumbent: "If the president isn't focused..., the occupant of the Oval Office is set to change." Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Never miss a story! Stay connected and informed with Mint. Download our App Now!! The Congress has gone in for sweeping changes and it is a mixed bag. Party president Sonia Gandhi has adopted a carrot-and-stick policy. Some of the leaders who wrote a letter to her seeking organisational changes in the party have been given opportunities, but the changes send out a clear message dissent will be accepted up to a limit. And that Rahul Gandhis stamp is evident. In a major party reshuffle, Sonia Gandhi on Friday removed Ghulam Nabi Azad, Motilal Vora, Ambika Soni, Mallikarjun Kharge as All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretaries, and reconstituted the Congress Working Committee (CWC) and appointed P Chidambaram, Randeep Surjewala, Tariq Anwar and Jitendra Singh as its regular members. Gandhi also removed Luizinho Faleiro as AICC general secretary, forming a special committee to assist her in party matters. The new members in the CWC the partys highest decision-making body will replace Faleiro, Vora, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury and Tamradhwaj Sahu. From the group of 23 leaders who had sought the partys overhaul, Azad and Anand Sharma continue to be regular members of the CWC, while Jitin Prasada has been made a permanent invitee to CWC from being a special invitee earlier. Prasada has also been made in-charge of party affairs in West Bengal. THE MISSES The big impact of the letter is the dropping of Ghulam Nabi Azad, who no longer remains a general secretary although he continues to be a CWC member. Azad has not even been accommodated in the special committee set up to assist and advise Sonia Gandhi this body consists of AK Antony, Ambika Soni, KC Venugopal, Randeep Surjewala, Mukul Wasnik and Ahmed Patel. Among the letter writers, only Wasnik has found a place, but he had been conciliatory at the CWC meeting and has Patels blessings as well. Some good decisions are being taken, but I will be happy only when the ground situation changes in favour of the Congress party and when block, district and state-level party elections are held and when the work of the real grassroots workers is acknowledged," Azad told CNN-News18 on Friday. Behind this terse reaction remains disappointment. An excellent organisation man, loyalist Azad has nothing much going for him after his Rajya Sabha term ends as Kharge could take over as leader of the Upper House. Anand Sharma, Manish Tewari and Shashi tharoor have also been given the miss although Tewari may be accommodated to an important post soon. As for Sachin Pilot, he finds no place, much against speculation. But sources say he was not to keen to shift base to Delhi and wants to fight it out in Rajasthan. THE GAINERS The stamp of Rahul Gandhi on the latest appointments is clear. First, the committee that will oversee the election of the new Congress president has young faces Krishna Byre Gowda, Jothimani and Madhusudan Mistry are close to Rahul Gandhi. The big gainer has been Surjewala, who is also the head of the partys media department. He lost out on a Rajya Sabha seat, but has now been made in-charge of the important state of Karnataka. He is also part of the special committee to advise Sonia Gandhi. The inclusion of Jitin Prasada, another one who wrote the letter, is significant. A Brahmin face, he has now been made in-charge of poll-going West Bengal. Prasadas great-grandmother is the niece of Rabindranath Tagore. Two other important names who have been given important places in the CWC are again Rahuls people Manickam Tagore and Srinivas. Tagore has also been made in-charge of Telangana. THE MESSAGE The message is clear. The Congress top leadership has tried to avert criticism that it was witch-hunting those who wrote the letter. Many of them have been accommodated. But the two believed to be the brain behind the coup" Azad and Sharma have been cut down to size. A party that has been accused of not building a second rung of leadership is now trying to do just that. Younger ones are being projected and given a chance. However, one criticism remains. The CWC has been reconstituted without an election, which was a demand made by many like Tharoor. But there is a rider these are temporary changes. A new president is bound to bring in a new team. More importantly, it is then perhaps that the letter writers will be eased out. Restrictions will remain in place at Ireland's maternity hospitals for the time being despite an outpouring of anger by expectant mothers and their partners over having to endure miscarriages alone. RTE Radio 1's Liveline has been flooded with calls over the past two days by people expressing their anger and heartbreak over Covid-19 restrictions. In particular they were furious at rules that prevent partners or other family of expectant mothers from being at her side except during the final stages of labour or under exceptional circumstances. A woman named Sharon who recently miscarried said she assumed her husband would be allowed to attend the hospital when she started to bleed heavily. But he had to wait outside in a waiting room while she endured the ordeal on her own. "I couldn't even speak. Words can't even describe how bad it is," she said. "If I could have held his hand I wouldn't have been crying so much - I was crying for him and for the baby." Another woman named Kate who suffered a miscarriage during her first pregnancy in July said her partner had to sit in the car while she learned that her baby's heart had stopped beating. She said it was "the worst half hour of my life". Sadness Kodaline drummer Vinny May also revealed his sadness and frustration at not being able to attend any appointments or support his partner Karina during her pregnancy. They are expecting their first baby in two weeks. "I had hoped I could hold her hand and help her through it. These guidelines - we keep our social interactions to a minimum, we wear masks it seems not thought-out that a mother's support system can't be there," he said. But both the HSE and the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) said that while they fully appreciate how difficult the restrictions are, and they are under constant review, they are necessary to ensure the safety of all concerned. "Priority number one must be safety and keeping this deadly virus out of our maternity hospitals. This is a matter of safety for mothers, babies, and staff," INMO general secretary Phil Ni Sheaghdha told the Herald. "Everyone understands the huge difficulty in not having a loved partner with mothers through every step of the process and hopefully the measures can be lifted soon. "But that is a decision for trained professionals in the maternity hospitals, who can take into account safety for staff, mothers and babies. "It should not be a decision made on the grounds of public pressure." By Akbar Mammadov A member of Azerbaijans parliamentary delegation to the NATO Kamran Bayramov has hailed the countrys fight against COVID-19 pandemic. Addressing the online meeting of NATO Parliamentary Assemblys Committee on the Civil Dimension of Security on September 10, Bayramov said that as an example of global solidarity in the fight against COVID-19, Azerbaijan has sent humanitarian aid to over 30 countries of the world via the WHO. Moreover, Bayramov recalled that as the Chairman of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev initiated holding NAMs Contact Group's summit dedicated to the fight against coronavirus on May 4 in the format of the videoconference in a bid to ensure international solidarity in the fight against the COVID-19. Furthermore, the Azerbaijani MP made a proposal regarding the 4th item of the draft report on COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, the item reads that NATO welcomes the exchange of best practices achieved by member countries in responding to the crisis. The proposal contains including the words "associated countries" after the words "member countries" in this sentence. Since, for example, Azerbaijan, which is an associate member of NATO, has been putting forward the necessary initiatives and taking effective steps in the regional and global fight against COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic around the world. The Azerbaijani MP also made several proposals regarding the fight against COVID-19. These proposals inlcude holding a special video conference by the NATO Parliamentary Assembly on the role and importance of NATO in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, demonstration of solidarity between NATO member states and associate members in the fight against coronavirus at the conference, ensuring reciprocal activities between them, exchanging best practices, finding a global response to this threat and other important issues to be discussed at the conference. --- Akbar Mammadov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @AkbarMammadov97 Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz On the fourth day of the monsoon session in Himachal Pradesh Assembly, state police departments dog squad gave a guard of honour to Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur and Assembly Speaker Vipin Singh Parmar outside the Vidhan Sabha on Thursday. The dog squad consisted of six dogs. Among the six, a Labrador named Dora saluted the Chief Minister before he entered the Vidhan Sabha. The Chief Minister patted the dog. ANI took to Twitter to share some images too: Shimla: A canine from the Himachal Pradesh Police's dog squad salutes Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur & Assembly Speaker Vipin Singh Parmar. pic.twitter.com/wwqLmEZeF4 ANI (@ANI) September 10, 2020 Dora has served ten years in state police and is set to retire in February 2021. It has explosive detection skills and has been on duty during the visits of Presidents and Prime Ministers to the state. It was a pleasure and a proud moment that for the first time the dog squad salute was given to the Chief Minister and Speaker here outside Vidhan Sabha. Six dogs and their handlers were present during the salute, said Assistant Sub-Inspector Anokhi Lal, who is in charge of the dog squad. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Photo credit: U.S. Air Force From Popular Mechanics The U.S. Air Force recently used dog-like robots at a major battle exercise. The Ghost Robotics Vision 60 is being tested the Australian Army and U.S. Air Force for patrol and security duties. A robot sentry would help security teams patrol improvised air bases, alerting them to saboteurs and other threats. The U.S. Air Force trotted out a robotic dog during a major exercise last weekend at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada. The Ghost Robotics Vision 60 robot, a four-legged dog-like robot, was seen alongside base security personnel. The service is apparently testing the robo-dogs as a way to patrol small battle spaces and provide needed data resources. The exercise was part of a test of the Advanced Battle Management System (ABMS), an Air Force project designed to provide command, control, and sensor fusion not only for U.S. Air Force units, but also for other services and potentially allied military forces. ABMS was also used to provide Air Force sensor data to a U.S. Army howitzer that shot down an incoming simulated cruise missile. Photo credit: U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Cory D. Payne/DVIDS In one part of the exercise, an Air Force LC-130 Hercules transport flew from Buckley Air Force Base in Colorado to Nellis, carrying with it airmen from the 621st Contingency Response Wing. Once on the ground, the airmen released their robo-hounds : Our defenders employed the robot dogs, said Master Sgt. Lee Boston, 321st CRS loadmaster and the CR team chief for the exercise. These robot dogs are a new technology that were testing as part of the exercise. The dogs give us visuals of the area, all while keeping our defenders closer to the aircraft. Photo credit: U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Cory D. Payne/DVIDS The Vision 60 quadruped robot is currently being evaluated by the U.S. Air Force and Australian Army. It was also involved in DARPAs Subterranean Challenge , a competitive event that explored ways U.S. forces could use robotics to explore underground military facilities. Heres a video of the Vision 60 being used in the Australian Armys optionally crewed combat vehicle testing. Story continues Ghost Robotics doesnt say much about the Vision 60 on its website, other than calling it unstoppable and capable of both tele-operated control and autonomous operation. The company claims that using legs is superior to other methods of movement. Military robots are inevitable, and robots that mimic actual animals and roles for those animalsin this case military working dogswill probably be adopted quickly. The airmen in the exercise seem to have taken to the robots, which they openly call dogs. You like great military tech. So do we! Let's stay keep you up to date. These dogs can patrol wider areas than real dogs, cant be killed or injured, and can provide soldiers and airmen with eyes on target in ways real dogs cant. The only thing they lack is teethfor now. You Might Also Like Some evacuated residents near the Chehalem Mountain-Bald Peak fire in Washington County are being allowed back home Thursday, as firefighters report significant progress battling the blaze. The wildfire, previously estimated at 2,000 acres, has actually consumed about 875 acres, according to new figures from Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue. The agency says the fire remains about 50% contained, the same level is was at Wednesday evening, with 72 firefighters continuing to battle the blaze. Water is being dropped from the air and dozers are being used to cut fire lines, Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue said in a statement Thursday afternoon. The biggest challenge is steep terrain and canyons. Authorities posted a revised evacuation map Thursday afternoon with significantly reduced evacuation zones. But Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue said its important for people to be prepared to leave again if fire conditions change. The only structures destroyed in the fire were three barns that burned early in the blaze, which began Tuesday evening. No injuries have been reported. A separate Washington County wildfire near Henry Hagg lake continues burning. The PowerLine fire grew to 175 acres Thursday and continued to threaten nearby homes, but it is also rated as 50% contained. -- Mike Rogoway | mrogoway@oregonian.com | twitter: @rogoway | 503-294-7699 Students at Americas historically Black colleges and universities will have access to free COVID-19 tests this fall, courtesy of a donation worth $15 million from the lab equipment company Thermo Fisher. Its a game-changer, said Dr. Hugh Mighty, dean of the Howard University College of Medicine in Washington. This is a huge undertaking that could not be done without help. Thermo Fisher, which serves medical providers and academia, is donating diagnostic instruments, test kits and related supplies for The Just Project, named for the pioneering early 20th century Black biologist Dr. Ernest Everett Just. The companys initiative will also provide technical support to colleges to establish or build labs to process regular COVID-19 tests. The need for testing for Black students is really important, Mighty said. We are the most vulnerable, and the numbers show that even to be the case with college-age students. Howard University will be one of the first HBCUs to receive a donation from The Just Project, to establish COVID testing sites on campuses. (Howard University) So this is huge, Mighty said. Frankly, most schools do not have the ability or resources to test each of their students. Its a cost of about $100 per student. Thats an extraordinary amount of money when you consider the number of students were including. Howard, Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta, Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Xavier University of Louisiana and Hampton University in Virginia are the first HBCUs to receive the donations. A spokesperson from Thermo Fisher said more HBCUs will be invited to join the program in the coming weeks and months. "Our first priority is to ensure a safe and healthy environment on our campuses," said Dr. Valerie Montgomery Rice, president and dean of Morehouse School of Medicine. "The support we receive . . . through The Just Project allows us to offer easy access to COVID-19 testing that is so important to getting our students back to school safely." Coronavirus testing will take place in campus laboratories and testing stations. HBCUs have committed to use the donated equipment solely to offer COVID-19 testing to HBCU faculty, staff and students at no cost. Story continues We have been involved in the COVID-19 fight since November, said Fred Lowery, senior vice president and president for life sciences solutions and laboratory products at Thermo Fisher. After the initial rush of testing millions a week in the early days of the pandemic, Lowery said, thoughts focused on how we would get back to life. For us, those thoughts included how we could help our Black colleges and university students get back on campus safely as we battle the pandemic. Fred Lowery of Thermo Fisher said the company had been considering how to help Some campuses have returned to a full-time, on-campus schedule, while others are splitting between virtual learning and in-class studies. All are eligible for the complimentary testing. This is an important gesture. The Just Project gives us the capacity, in an affordable way, to protect our students during this pandemic, said Xavier President Reynold Verret. Verret said the old social cues followed on his campus like greeting others with a kiss on both cheeks as is custom in New Orleans had to stop, but the campus community is adapting. There is a sense of loss with all of this. But our students will wear masks and work hard at social distancing. Aside from The Just Project, Bloomberg Philanthropies last week donated $100 million to the four HBCU medical institutions Meharry, Morehouse, Charles Drew University of Medicine and Science in Los Angeles, and Howard University College of Medicine to help students with tuition. The goal is to increase the number of Black doctors in the U.S. (where only 5 percent of practicing doctors are Black) to address the number of marginalized, underserved patients. COVID-19 has been especially devastating for the Black community, and the scarcity of Black doctors practicing in Black communities is one reason for it, Michael Bloomberg, the former New York mayor and founder of Bloomberg Philanthropies and Bloomberg LP, said in a statement. During his run for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination, Bloomberg announced the Greenwood Initiative to augment Black family generational wealth to close the countrys vast wealth gap. Bloomberg said the latest donations are just a first step at fulfilling his pledge. Verret said: The larger piece is it will increase the number of students who come out of our schools and go into medical school. The cost of medical school needs to be more affordable. But this will help us grow the number of talented doctors from all ethnic backgrounds. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com. This originally appeared as part of our daily coronavirus newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox. Sorry to burst your bubble but eating outside may not be as safe as you think. Honestly, wishing this pandemic away simply wont work. Florida is allowing 50 percent capacity inside restaurants. New York City is making a similar move. Connecticut opened up indoor dining in June. Meanwhile, the CDC has warned that dining out is very much a risk factor including eating al fresco. Adults with positive SARS-CoV-2 test results were approximately twice as likely to have reported dining at a restaurant than were those with negative SARS-CoV-2 test results, the CDC said yesterday, including indoor, patio and outdoor seating. OK, so its important to note this caveat: The survey conducted did not ask patients if they had eaten inside or outside, but asked if they had eaten anywhere in a restaurant, including on a patio or within the walls of the establishment. That being said, it was shown to be safer to go to church, go shopping or head to the salon than eating or drinking at a bar or restaurant, probably (the CDC concludes) because you cant wear a mask and probably dont keep as much distance from patrons and employees while youre throwing back a few with nachos on the side. Exposures and activities where mask use and social distancing are difficult to maintain, including going to places that offer on-site eating or drinking, might be important risk factors for acquiring COVID-19, the CDC wrote. So, why are states allowing indoor dining? In meetings with hundreds of owners of bars and breweries across the state, Ive heard their stories of struggle, Floridas Department of Business and Professional Regulation Secretary Halsey Beshears said in a statement. Fashion Weeks are finally kicking off around the world despite the coronavirus pandemic. In Milan, a mix of live and virtual shows will be a part of the Fashion Week for its first edition since the coronavirus lockdown given that designers are trying to balance showcasing their collections with the safety measures imposed on account of the global pandemic. The event will kick of from September 22 to September 28, and around one third of the 64 womens and mens spring-summer collection shows will be held live with safety measures in place. New York Fashion Week will also kickstart by September 13 , however the usual seven-day long event will be cut short to five days on account of the coronavirus pandemic, most shows will be online runway shows and the audience will be much smaller, following health and safety measures in regards to social distancing and wearing of masks. According to a Reuters report, Host IMG said that it had worked closely with the governors office to understand the protocols needed in order to have the shows running from Sept. 13-17. In a statement in August, New York City Governor Andrew Cuomo had said, New York City is the fashion capital of the world, and New York Fashion Week celebrates the ingenuity of this city, and our unmatched creative talent. ALSO SEE | PHOTOS: Madrid Fashion Week kicks off amid coronavirus, social distancing and masks The Mercedes Benz Fashion Week kicked off in Madrid, Spain from September 10. The Spanish fashion week will take place from 10 to 13 September under new security measures and social distance guidelines due the coronavirus pandemic. The event held at Feria De Madrid, among other venues across Madrid, takes place twice in a year, and despite safety measures on account of the coronavirus pandemic, it will still be the largest catwalk in Spain. Madrid Fashion Week has earned a reputation for giving an advantage to national designers. Backstage, make-up and hair of the models was done by masked staffers, while the benches at the venue were marked with text in Spanish that read Classic canon of beauty = 8 heads. Safety canon = 1.5 meters . Please do not occupy this space. Follow more stories on Facebook and Twitter SPRINGFIELD Four approved marijuana retailers have yet to open in Springfield, but the city is already putting out the welcome mat to lure more companies, including shops and cultivation operations. Mayor Domenic J. Sarno, in a news release late Thursday, said the city expects in October to begin accepting applications from recreational marijuana businesses for its second round of approvals. Sarno said he would consider approving up to four new retail applicants and up to two new cultivation applicants. In 2019, Sarno selected four marijuana businesses, out of 27 applicants, for host community agreements. Three of those companies have secured local permits to operate marijuana shops in Springfield, but are still awaiting state approvals before they can open. A fourth company, Insa, is seeking to move forward after it prevailed in a lawsuit against the City Council, which initially denied Insa a special permit despite Sarnos backing. No cultivation applications were approved in the first round. I want to assure that a fair and transparent evaluation is put in place to review any new applications or amended applications by past applicants, seeking to open up an Adult Use Marijuana business in Springfield, Sarno said. We have conducted a successful first round and I am confident that we will be able to put forth another successful second round based upon the changes to the laws, regulations and public health concerns due to the (coronavirus) pandemic. Two of the companies approved by Sarno and the City Council in the first round were Holistic Industries, which hopes to open before the end of September at 1300 Boston Road, and 311 Page Blvd LLC, which is planning a retail operation at that address in East Springfield. A third company, 6 Bricks LLC, was approved for a store on Albany Street, but has notified the city that it will seek to change the location to 1860 Main St., in a portion of the building that houses The Republican newspaper. Insa was denied a special permit by the council last year, but that decision was overturned by Hampden Superior Court Judge Michael K. Callan. Insa is planning a marijuana store at the former Luxe Burger Bar on West Columbus Avenue. There is already one medical marijuana business in Springfield, operated by Insa on Cottage Street. Sarno said he will reconvene the committee the reviewed the first round of applications to update the request for proposal process to comply with changes in state marijuana laws and regulations, as well as the changing environment caused by COVID19. City Solicitor Edward Pikula will work with the citys first-round consultant, lawyer Julie E. Steiner, to launch the next round of the application and evaluation process, Sarno said. Sarno said he does believe the first-round shops will open in the very near future. I would have liked to have seen them open for review, but it has been a long state process and of course, the COVID-19 Coronavirus pandemic has thrown a curveball into grand opening aspects, Sarno said by email. Due to the review process being prolonged, Sarno said his administration will move forward to create positive economic impact opportunities for employment and entrepreneurship in retail and cultivation aspects. The mayor said he would like to have special consideration for social justice and/or social equity applicants. State guidelines encourage business applications from populations disproportionately affected when marijuana was illegal in the past. Steiner, of Julie E. Steiner Consulting LLC, is a professor of law at Western New England University, where she teaches cannabis law and policy, environmental law, torts, land use, and introduction to law, the city said. In the news release, Steiner commended Sarno for the plan to launch the second round, saying COVID-19 has forced many other municipalities to slow their cannabis review process. The burgeoning cannabis industry generates business ownership opportunities, local jobs and income, Steiner said. Since the time the City engaged in its prior selection process, the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission has adapted its regulations in many areas and significantly expanded its social equity program. The Citys decision to open Phase II reflects its commitment to facilitate a safe, equitable and robust cannabis industry in Springfield. Steiner will work with the review committee, which will include representatives from the health, police, fire, planning, law, building, public works, finance and procurement departments, as well as a city councilor appointed by the council president. The Downtown Development District board and New Orleans City Hall officials have reached agreement on a $5 million plan aimed at using taxpayer money collected for the district to fix the drainage system in the area. "This historic agreement commits $5 million over two years to install pervious pavement, underground water detention, and larger stormwater drain lines in 19 Downtown blocks," the DDD said in a prepared statement. "The DDD sees this as the first step in a comprehensive, multi-year strategy to reduce flooding caused by excessive rainfall and to improve the quality of life for every downtown stakeholder." The DDD commitment to pay some of its tax revenue to the city was part of a deal agreed to last year by Gov. John Bel Edwards, Mayor LaToya Cantrell and leaders of the city's hospitality industry, under which City Hall received a total of $50 million up front and a promise of another $26 million a year to help pay for long-overdue repairs to the city's crumbling infrastructure. The DDD, which is funded by taxes on residents and businesses within the Central Business District and Warehouse District, had agreed to pay $2.5 million a year for drainage repair out of its total annual property tax take of about $9 million. It is proposing to raise those taxes next year to pay for the contribution. The impasse had been over when the money would be paid and what guarantees the DDD would have that the city would use it to fix the drainage system rather than divert it into the city's general coffers. The DDD had received letters and calls of protest from residents, small business owners and the corporations that own hotels and skyscrapers in the area, demanding that there be ironclad guarantees before handing over any tax dollars. Top stories in New Orleans in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up Property owners in the CBD have been pushing for improved infrastructure in the area in recent years after a series of downpours flooded streets and inundated some homes and businesses. The city's worry was that it would have to complete the infrastructure repairs and pay for it upfront and only then receive the money from the DDD. City Hall officials argued that they didn't have the funds available to do so. In a separate statement on Thursday, the city said that it had agreed to set up an escrow account for the DDD funds, out of which it would be reimbursed after it had completed infrastructure repairs that had been agreed with DDD's water management consultant, Waggonner & Ball. "This agreement will create a two-year infrastructure funding plan to address flooding in Downtown New Orleans...We are showing how, working together, we can move this city forward, said Cantrell. Dana Jones knows the feeling of leaving for school on an empty stomach because there is no food to eat. Shes all too familiar with running on the playground with shoes that have holes. Her family lives in poverty and frequently goes without food or essential hygiene products. Finda Fallah is a school liaison for Communities in Schools (CIS) Indiana at Brook Park Elementary school, a Metropolitan School District of Lawrence Township school where she helps students like Dana who face these challenges and many more. Communities in Schools Indiana is a nonprofit that works with schools across the state, including 10 in the Lawrence district. It connects resources like food, clothing and counseling, life skills support and so much more to over 11,000 students in Lawrence district and 100,000 statewide. Site coordinators such as Fallah work with school leadership, teachers, staff and community organizations to provide and connect students with academic assistance, behavioral intervention, family engagement, life and social skills, college and career preparation and basic needs such as food and clothing. And when schools shut down last spring because of the pandemic, the organization continued to provide services to students in need, many of whom are part of families hit hard by the economic downturn. When officials across the state were unable to reach students, who were supposed to transition to remote learning, CIS liaisons and coordinators went into the neighborhood knocking on doors for home visits. At the beginning of a typical school year, coordinators and liaisons observe countless students needing the basics of food, clothes or counseling. When schools resumed last month, another problem quickly emerged. Even though coordinators and liaisons connected students to food in school, many families didnt have transportation to collect the meals. CIS coordinators and liaisons deliver food, supplies and support to over 16,000 students whether those students are in school buildings or learning virtually. It is not so much a challenge to identify students who need help in schools. It becomes more difficult with virtual learning environments. Thats where CIS of Indiana coordinators and liaisons use the meaningful relationships they establish with students to assist students in getting what they need to maintain a connection with schools and resources. Communities in Schools relies on relationships built with over 195 community partners to meet the needs of students. Gleaners Food Bank is a strong partner within schools, assisting in establishing food pantries within schools to assist families with food insecurities. Monetary donations have decreased due to the economic toll of the coronavirus, but we know the heart of our great city, who will continue to come together to provide the contributions we need to make a difference for our kids. By coming together, we can collectively do more. Community members can donate to Communities in Schools Indiana here. Darlene Vaughn is executive director of Communities in Schools Indiana. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-11 20:31:53|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close GUANGZHOU, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- A waste treatment plant in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou was ordered by a local court on Friday to pay more than 110 million yuan (about 16.1 million U.S. dollars) for secretly dumping nearly 248,000 tonnes of solid waste that inflicted damage on the ecological environment. The Intermediate People's Court in Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong Province, delivered the verdict for the public-interest lawsuit that had sparked widespread attention. The court found that the Weijie waste treatment plant dumped untreated waste as well as slags from garbage burning onto a mountainous area the plant leased from a local economic cooperative in 2007. In pursuit of profits and without caring about the public interest, the plant had been damaging the local environment for nearly 10 years and the damaged environment could not be fully restored in the short term, the court said. During an on-site inspection in August 2016, the local environmental protection authorities of the city's Huadu District found that the plant's solid waste treatment facilities were not operational and the plant dumped untreated waste in its contracted mountainous area. A follow-up investigation found that the plant dumped about 400,000 cubic meters, or nearly 248,000 tonnes, of garbage at the site. Local authorities have launched a series of initiatives to clear the garbage and restore the environment since September 2019. The restoration works incurred a cost of more than 110 million yuan, the court said. Enditem The Janata Dal (United) led by Nitish welcomed Singh's decision to quit the RJD and said it will welcome him if he wants to join the party (edited) Patna: After resigning from the RJD, former Union minister Raghuvansh Prasad Singh has written a letter to Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar with a slew of suggestions, including an amendment in MGNREGA and some issues concerning his native Vaishali district, sending an olive branch to JD(U) which has welcomed his decision to leave Lalu Prasad Yadav's party. Singh addressed his letter to Kumar from the hospital bed at AIIMS, New Delhi on Thursday, the day he resigned from the RJD. He has posted the letter to the chief minister on his Facebook account. The ruling Janata Dal (United) has made it clear that it will welcome Singh into the party if he decides to join it. The former union minister is admitted to Delhi AIIMS because of post-COVID-19 complications. In his letter to Kumar, who heads the JD(U), the veteran leader has made a series of suggestions including an amendment in Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Gurantee Act (MGNREGA), bringing Lord Buddhas begging bowl from Kabul and hoisting tricolor at Vaishali, the land of worlds first Republic. Singh has represented Vaishali Lok Sabha seat for five times before his successive defeats in 2014 and 2019 polls. Departure of the veteran socialist leader, a well known face of the RJD along with Yadav, will have tremendous psychological impact for the main Opposition party ahead of the state elections. It could also dent the party's support among the upper caste Rajput. Singh, who as union minister of rural development in the UPA-1 had piloted the NREGA scheme, urged the chief minister to bring an amendment through an ordinance into the Act in order to provide more benefits to the farmers. He said that the ordinance could be brought at the earliest in order to avoid the model code of conduct which will come into force once the schedule is announced for the Bihar Assembly polls. Singh also said in the letter that Lord Buddha's begging bowl should also be brought from Kabul (Afghanistan), and that Nitish should hoist tricolor at Vaishali on 26 January. The former Union minister also urged Nitish to construct small bridges over Gandak canal in Muzaffarpur and Vaishali districts, the letter said. On Singh's letter to Kumar, JD(U) spokesman Rajiv Ranjan Prasad said that "the letter which he has written to CM Nitish Kumar on various matters are undoubtedly issues which require consideration." "One thing is clear that Raghuvansh Babu was humiliated and insulted that he swallowed during his long stint in the RJD which he nursed with his blood and sweat", Prasad said, adding that "Singhs decision has made a big hole in the sinking RJD boat." Notably, Singh had on Thursday resigned from the party after serving it since its inception in July 1997, thus giving a major blow to the party which has already witnessed desertion of seven MLAs and five MLCs at a time when Assembly elections could be announced in next few days. Hours later, the RJD supremo wrote an emotional letter to Singh from Ranchi jail premises rejecting his resignation while insisting that he was not going anywhere. "I dont believe....a letter purportedly written by you is on social media. I, my family, and the RJD family that have nursed the party want you to get well soon and be amongst us," Yadav wrote back. Singh had recently quit from the post of RJD vice president in protest against efforts to induct mafia don and former Lok Janshakti Party MP from Vaishali Rama Singh into the party. Rama Singh had defeated the RJD leader in the 2014 Lok Sabha election, breaking his winning streak since he was first elected from there in 1996. He was also not happy with the style of functioning of Yadav's heir apparent and Leader of the Opposition in the Bihar Assembly, Tejashwi Yadav, party sources said. The confrontation between Bollywood actor Kangana Ranaut and the Shiv Sena has taken a new turn as Ranaut said that she will not renovate part of her demolished office as a 'symbolic' gesture. She also added the hashtag #KanganavsUddhav as a symbol of her fight with the Maharashtra CM, Uddhav Thackeray. The actress tweeted, "I had my office opening on 15th Jan, shortly after corona hit us, like most of us I haven't worked ever since, don't have money to renovate it, I will work from those ruins keep that office ravaged as a symbol of a woman's will that dared to rise in this world." I had my office opening on 15th Jan, shortly after corona hit us, like most of us I havent worked ever since, dont have money to renovate it, I will work from those ruins keep that office ravaged as a symbol of a womans will that dared to rise in this world #KanganaVsUddhavhttps://t.co/98VnFANVsu Kangana Ranaut (@KanganaTeam) September 10, 2020 According to an India Today report, Kangana was given a time period of 24 hours but she did not respond to the notice sent by BMC. The notice was issued to Ranaut under Section 354 (A) of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation (MMC) Act, which underscored ongoing renovation and finishing work was "beyond approved plan". The BMC had surveyed the office of Manikarnika Productions owned by Kangana Ranaut in Pali Hill, Bandra West and found many illegal constructions on the ground and first floor of the office. Meanwhile, Ranaut also urged the INC National President, Sonia Gandhi to intervene after the BMC carried out a demolition drive at her Bandra property. Ranaut tweeted, "Dear respected @INCIndia president Sonia Gandhi ji being a woman aren't you anguished by the treatment I am given by your government in Maharashtra? Can you not request your Government to uphold the principles of the Constitution given to us by Dr. Ambedkar?" You have grown up in the west and lived here in India. You may be aware of the struggles of women. History will judge your silence and indifference when your own Government is harassing women and ensuring a total mockery of law and order. I hope you will intervene @INCIndia Kangana Ranaut (@KanganaTeam) September 11, 2020 Surrounded by security provided by the Union Home Ministry, Ranaut landed in Mumbai on September 9 after the BMC razed her Pali Hill property. Ranaut then visited the property and surveyed the damage. The Union Home Ministry provided Ranaut with Y-plus category security after she expressed concerns with regards to her safety following a battle of barbs with the Shiv Sena's chief spokesperson Sanjay Raut. The war of words between the two kickstarted when Kangana compared Mumbai to Pakistan occupied Kashmir and said that she feels unsafe there. Also read: Kangana vs Sena in Maharashtra as actor moves Bombay HC over demolition of her office Russias ignoble policy of intolerance and eliminating by all means possible every form of opposition has again manifested by the recent poisoning of Alexei Navalny , an opposition leader and a well-known President Putins critic. Mr Navalny, 44, suddenly fell ill on a flight to Moscow from Tomsk, a city in Siberia. He had a black tea at an airport coffee shop before getting on the plane that morning and it is believed that he was poisoned. His plane later made an emergency landing in Omsk and he was treated in Omsk Emergency Hospital. And later he was flown to Berlin and the German experts and authorities have since confirmed, after detoxicological test, that he was poisoned with a chemical nerve agent of the Novichok group, a military-grade neurotoxin - the same biological weapon that was used in the poisoning of a Russian ex-spy and his daughter in the U.K about two and a half years ago. This is not the first time Mr Navalny would be poisoned. The German government and the world leaders have since condemned the attack. German chancellor Angela Merkel has demanded that the Russian government should provide an explanation on the incident and also threatened to stop the gas pipeline project by the two countries. The very expensive and ambitious, but controversial project is currently at the final stage. The European Union officials are also said to be weighing up how to respond and the appropriate action to be taken against Russia. Sadly, as we mentioned above, this is not the first time that Russia is being accused of using nerve agents, poison against the opposition in recent times. In 2018, this same poison was used against a former Russian military intelligence officer Sergei Skripal and the daughter in Salisbury, UK. Mr Skripal, a double agent incurred the wrath of Kremlin when he started spying for Britain and also passed the identity of dozens of his countrys spies to the U.K.'s MI6. The then British Prime Minister Theresa May was reported to have said that it was highly likely Russia was behind the poisoning. And an intelligence analyst Glenmore Trenear-Harvey, who formerly worked for MI6 also said that he believed the case has the hallmarks of Putin's involvement. Listen to him, For this to be in a shopping mall, for this to be in public, and for the fellow himself to be a former intelligence officer, immediately one looks to potential attackers, ultimately that would be as the result of President Putin authorizing it," In fact, the surveillance footage of the movement of those Russian intelligence operatives that flew into UK that period also pointed to the same conclusion. The whole world saw it. And I hope you still remember the slow but painful death of former Russian agent Alexander Litvinenko, who was poisoned with radioactive polonium in 2006 also in London. Litvinenko, 43, was also an outspoken critic of Putin who fled Russia for Britain six years before he was poisoned. He died after drinking green tea laced with the rare and very potent radioactive isotope at Londons Millennium Hotel. In a report published in 2016, a British judge found that Litvinenko was killed in an assassination carried out by Russia's security services with the likely approval of President Vladimir Putin. As usual, Russia denied any responsibility for Litvinenko's death. The other guys was black tea and for Litvinenko its green tea. Russian tea! ..All these where investigated and reported to have Russian finger prints on them. We dont want to talk about others like the murder of another opposition politician Boris Nemtsovs in Moscow, etc. Yes, today it is the Russian citizens, but tomorrow it can be other nationals, these weapons could also be used in external conflicts or even be transferred to rogue nations and terror groups. Unfortunately, Russias aggression does not stop with the elimination of internal dissenting voices. Look at the annexation of Crimea, the invasion Ukraine, the claim of the Arctic and the natural resources, its constant provocative intrusion into other countries air and maritime space. American air force is always scrambling fighter jets to intercept and wade off Russian surveillance planes of the coast of Alaska. As I write, the dust is yet to settle on the recent confrontation between a US and Russian military convoys in Syria. Or should we talk about Russias reported vexatious meddling in the 2016 American presidential elections? The issue has simply refused to go away in the US. And, unfortunately, again, this same Russia, with Iran and China are being accused of launching another cyber attacks on US 2020 presidential campaign just two months to the election. Today, in violation of UN embargo, there are about 5,000 Russians mercenaries in Libya and it is also being accused of supplying arms to one of the warring factions. Russians are notorious for violating treaties, resolutions and agreements. The international community, especially the West, is always suspicious of Russia. There is that mutual distrust, perpetual struggle and competition, constant spying and permanent sabotaging of interest between them. Now, there is this fear that Russia may soon (if not already) start exporting these very lethal substances and the likes to others as it is seen as a country that is desperate and ready to do everything, anything to earn money and remain relevant. Will the United Nations, European Union, NATO and the world continue to watch as this happens? Each has a role to play in stopping this threat. Or will they again back down as soon as the Russians flaunt their nuclear strength? Remember Mr Putin did that as the EU was talking about sanctions during the Litvinenko incident. He told them to remember that Russia was a nuclear state and everybody scampered home immediately. What happened to all the treaties against development of such biological, chemical and nuclear weapons? Are they unenforceable?? Unfortunately there is already proliferation of chemical and nuclear weapons. We saw chemical weapon used by Syrian government against her people. And I was surprised recently to hear that it was also used in the first Gulf war. A soldier friend of mine and a victim who is still battling with the effects till today brought that to my notice. She said she is today the only surviving victim from her unit. Presently, Russian mercenaries in Libya are also been accused of using chemical weapons, a nerve agent against GNA forces in Salah Al-Din area in southern Tripoli. These weapons are just everywhere. We believe that Russias internal and external aggressive actions stem from a people trying to survive, compete and regain their lost glory. But they are going about it in a wrong way. I believe that what they basically need now to take their rightful place is an urgent economic and political reform. They must get these two right if they really want to stage a comeback. Presently it looks like it is agitated on all fronts and this is affecting its behavior and relationship with others. She must look inwards to solve her problems and also learn how to move on with the rest of the world in a positive competitive way. First it must free up the political space. Russians must be allowed to express themselves politically. You cannot claim to be a democracy when you gag and eliminate all forms of opposition. Democracy thrives on freedom and rule of law. There must freedom of speech, freedom association and freedom movement and when you feel that somebody has done something wrong then charge him to court for trial. Dont suspect, torture and eliminate as is the current situation. No. Secondly, the country must decisively deal with corruption. The problem of Russia is corruption. Corruption has become a way of life for Government officials and the corrupt political class in Russia. Bribery, organized crime, Mafiya and oligarchy influence must be checked immediately. For now, it looks like corruption is lawful and that there is a partnership between the government and the criminals. And more frightening is that the Mafiyasare moving out, extending their activities to other countries. And I am afraid that with their powerful influence and access they can easily steal and transfer or sell these nuclear and biological weapons. This is a country well-endowed with natural and human resources, but has been overtaken by corruption and mismanagement. Aging infrastructures: from energy to transport, industries to military. There is dilapidation, mismanagement and decay everywhere. It has some of the largest oil and gas reserves in the world. But over dependence on this has also become a problem with the constant fluctuations in the energy market. We advice that it should also use some on these resources it is currently investing in arms race to build ventures that will create jobs for the citizens. The unemployment in the country is terrible high rate. And it has left its well-educated populace stranded or forced into crime and other nefarious activities. This is what needs to be done urgently and not silencing and eliminating critics and the opposition. The country should also avoid those actions that attract sanctions and alienate them from other countries and investors. Like now, the Germans are already talking about abandoning a near- finished multi-billion joint project because of the current poisoning incident. No country prospers like this. All these are avoidable with the right behavior. Interestingly, the Russians are currently advertising their COVID 19 vaccine - Sputnik V. Their Ambassador to Nigeria, Alexey Shebarshin recently gave the samples to the Nigeria Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire in Abuja during the formers visit to the ministry. Other countries have also received same. But I see more of a country that is desperate for resources and name. Otherwise, why the haste to announce and market such a sensitive product when it has not fully gone through all the trial stages? The world and experts were shocked recently when President Putin hurriedly announced that Russia has produced the first world vaccine for the devastating virus without the due and complete procedure for coming up with such. At the time of announcement we learnt that the Russian vaccine had not gone through the last stage of trial - the third stage. And please what is the position now? Has it gone through it? A wrong or badly produced vaccine will sure wreck more havoc than the virus itself. But Mr Putin and his Russia can make the world to believe and relate better with them by always playing by rules. You cannot be giving out vaccine (life) and poison (death) at the same time and still expect people to trust you. Gabriel Agbo is the author of the books / audiobooks: Never Again! Move forward, Power of Midnight Prayer. E-mail: [email protected] Tel: 08037113283 Website www.authorsden.com/pastorgabrielnagbo NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian at a press conference in Homebush in Sydney, Australia on Aug. 17, 2020. (Brook Mitchell/Getty Images) NSW Nationals Given Ultimatum by Premier Berejiklian The NSW Nationals appear to have softened their stance after being slapped with a 9am deadline to backflip on a threat to move to the cross bench or face being sacked from the ministry. Premier Gladys Berejiklian issued the ultimatum to Deputy Premier John Barilaro and his Nationals colleagues on Sept 10 after they threatened mutiny because of a dispute over the states koala protection policy. The NSW Nationals leader blindsided Berejiklian, announcing his MPs would abstain from voting on coalition bills as they fought changes to the protection plan. The move effectively robbed the government of its majority and provoked a stern response from the premier. It is not possible to be the deputy premier or a minister of the Crown and sit on the crossbench, Berejiklian fired off in a media statement. She said Barilaro and his Nationals ministerial colleagues had until Friday morning to declare support for her government or be sacked from cabinet. If required, I will attend Government House tomorrow and swear in a new ministry, Berejiklian said. The ultimatum forced the Nationals into an emergency party room meeting on Thursday night but MPs failed to reach any resolution, with further discussions scheduled for 8am Friday. Barilarlo appeared by Friday morning to be softening his stance, telling Sydneys 2GB radio he thought the issue could be resolved but it may take time, possibly several weeks. He also claimed the threat to sit on the cross bench had been misinterpreted. What we said yesterday was that no one would go physically to the cross bench, Barilaro said. But what was turned on us because we said we wont vote on government bills until this is resolved but we will vote on bills and motions on the regions that, effectively, the whole partys gone to the cross bench. Theyre not sitting on the cross bench, we are not going to the cross bench. That was at odds with his position following the previous days party room meeting where he emerged saying changes to the Koala Habitat Protection State Environmental Planning Policy were wrong and hurt landowners and farmers. We will be abstaining from voting on government bills, he said. By not voting or abstaining from voting from government bills were effectively on the cross bench. Nationals MPs also wont attend joint party room or leadership meetings until the issue is resolved. However Barilaro said Nationals ministers would not surrender their portfolios. NSW Planning Minister Rob Stokes says the premier is not bluffing and implored the MPs to work with her. The premier has made it pretty clear what her expectations are, the Liberal MP told 2GB on Friday. I implore them to realise the premier is not bluffing, shes not backing down, shes got a big job to do and shed love your support. The Nationals are concerned the policy limits land use on farms and the ability to rezone areas for development as more trees are classed as koala habitat, which will restrict the clearing of land. The Nationals have 13 lower house MPs, while the Liberals have 35 and Labor 36. In the upper house, the Nationals have six, the Liberals have 11 and Labor 14. Sydney Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said Friday the company will offer employees paid time off to vote and to staff polling stations for the November presidential election. Facebook follows a handful of other tech companies, including Apple, Uber and Twitter, that will allow employees to take time off to vote or work the polls. In the United States, Election Day takes place on Tuesday, November 3. "We're less than two months away from the US elections, and we are seeing a massive shortage of poll workers to staff voting stations. Shortages can lead to hours-long waits at the polls, which makes it harder for people to participate in the democratic process," CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in a post Friday. "This recruitment drive is part of Facebook's larger voting information campaign, with the goal to help 4 million people register and vote," Zuckerberg said. "Priscilla and I have also personally donated $300 million to non-partisan organizations supporting states and local counties in strengthening our voting infrastructure." Facebook is also launching a prompt at the top of users' News Feeds that encourages people to sign up to work the polls. "We've also offered free ad credits to every state election authority so they can recruit poll workers across our platforms," Zuckerberg said. "California has already started running these ads and several more states are joining in the coming days." Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung Where are the talents now? Are they abroad? Many talented people only work as experts and researchers, and their capabilities are not maximized, Minister Nguyen Chi Dung has said. VietNamNet publishes part 2 of the presentation about development issues made by Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung to his employees. Winner takes all Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung. Photo: Le Tien My favorite keywords are "connect" and "share". It creates a common platform for us to cooperate for development. We have to connect and share with each other to prosper and thrive because no one can go far alone in today's world. Of course, to get to the finish line quickly, you must choose the right path and decisions need to be accurate and timely. In the book "My Vision: Challenges in the Race for Excellence", the author (Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum - Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates, and ruler of the Emirate of Dubai) wrote one thing that I have great sympathy for: With each new day in Africa, a gazelle wakes up knowing he must outrun the fastest lion or perish. At the same time, a lion stirs and stretches, knowing he must outrun the fastest gazelle or starve. It is no different for the human race. Whether you consider yourself a gazelle or a lion, you simply have to run faster than others to survive. That shows the mindset of being always at the forefront, always the number one. The author also wrote that when one climbs to the top of Mount Everest or the moon, no one remembers him. People only remember the first person to set foot there. Beauty contests are the same: people only talk about the beauty queen, not the runner-ups. The winner takes it all. Keep the pace of reform, be open We need to continue to persevere in innovation and reform. Every innovation or change always creates added value. Administrative procedure reform helps reduce time and lower costs to facilitate people and businesses. We need this unified thinking in policy making for national development. However, I have found that in the process of institutional building, we often create barriers because we do not properly understand the role and functions between the state and the market, what state management is, and which tools should be used. In many cases, we go on forbidding, or building a barrier first. Then we see the inadequacies and try to correct them, and we see that as reform. It is no different than filling flowing water with rocks to make the flow slow down and then removing the rocks to make the water flow normally again, and call it reform. That thinking is wrong. We should clear the flow, not build a bank and dam to hinder it. All policies must be towards the peoples happiness I want to emphasize that we need to have a good mindset to define the roles, functions and tasks between the state and the market in the development of legal regulations to avoid overlaps, conflicts, waste and troubles. People must be subjects in the development process. All policies of the State must revolve around and towards the happiness of the people. We - policymakers - must keep this in mind. Relationship between stability and development For a long time we often discussed stability and rapid development. This pair of categories is very good. If they are performed cleverly, it complements each other; otherwise, it will create a conflict. Stability is a premise for rapid development, but rapid development is also a premise for stability. If we don't develop fast, how can we have the resources to keep it stable. On the contrary, if there is no stability, how can we develop quickly. Of course, it is necessary to apply this pair of categories depending on each historical period. Minister Dung during a field trip to Nghi Son economic zone, Thanh Hoa province, in July 2020. In the past, the Vietnamese economy was weak, fragile and vulnerable, so we set the goal of maintaining stability. But we are stable now, and the politics is stable and the society is stable, so we need to focus on rapid development to maintain stability. There may be disagreement, but I think that now we are stable, we need to grow a little faster in the sense of maintaining stability, not break that stability. This is my personal thought. We need to determine what is the driving force for rapid and sustainable development. I think there are two factors: science, technology, innovation and creativity, and humans. If we do not focus on these two factors, it will be difficult to develop in the 4.0 industry era. Take advantage of human resources for rapid development I want to talk about the human factor, the nation's strongest and most potential resource, but we have not yet promoted it. Vietnamese people are intelligent, hard-working, and high-willed, which has been proven through different historical periods. But where are the talents now? Are they abroad? Many talented people only work as experts or researchers, and their capabilities are not fully developed. Vietnam has many talented people, but they have not become the country's resources. This is what we have to think about. I am very enthusiastic about the establishment of the Vietnam Innovation Network, which has gathered many overseas Vietnamese for innovation. We are also setting up the National Innovation Center. We need to take advantage of human resources for rapid development, especially in the current golden population period. Vietnamese people need to get rich before the population gets old. By 2030, Vietnam will transit to the period of an aging population. The time is only 10 years away, so we must take advantage of this vibrant human resource before the country turns to an aging population, with increasing social pressure. Allocate resources to ensure investment efficiency The market is the most important mechanism to ensure an efficient allocation of resources. However, our mechanism is different: We have a policy of balanced development among regions, not letting the gap between the rich and the poor get wider. Therefore, in resource allocation, we must ensure the dual goal. Public investment in the next period should be implemented based on balance, but also must rely on efficiency, focusing on a number of growth poles to break through, thereby contributing more to the state budget. We need to pay more attention to the key economic regions, the growth poles, even though there must be harmony and balance with less developed regions. In the early stages of development, we have agreed on the efficient use of resources, reduction of recurrent expenditures, and increase of investment expenditures. We think that in the direction of development, making the GDP higher, having more powerful enterprises, and contributing more to the budget, then public debt will automatically decrease. However, there is also a view to keeping public debt and overspending at a low level without paying attention to development and GDP growth. This is a contradiction in development. Personally, I follow the view of creation for development: to develop faster and make the GDP grow, we will achieve the dual goal of developing while the public debt and overspending will decrease. Is there any benefit to keeping the public debt and overspending low but with no growth? We still have the problem of the spreading out of investment. Everyone invests in similar projects, which are fragmented and small, with poor connections. This way of investment is much more wasteful than corruption. In the next 5-10 years, as for socio-economic development strategy, there is an idea of designing fast growth based on dynamic, smart cities, particularly Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and 5 centrally-run cities. Rapid growth needs to be based on key economic regions, areas capable of creating material wealth. For example, HCM City needs to focus on developing an international financial center. More than 10 years ago, I worked on a project with foreign partners to form an international financial center in Vietnam. It is now a golden opportunity to implement this idea; otherwise it will be a waste. Tu Giang To be continued.... Chinese Defense Minister Wei Fenghe met behind closed doors with his Philippines counterpart in Manila on Friday, on the heels of similar visits to Malaysia and Indonesia, discussing a range of issues affecting defense ties, including the South China Sea, the Philippines side said. Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana welcomed Wei a day after U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo urged Southeast Asian countries to reconsider business deals with 24 Chinese companies and individuals that Washington sanctioned last month for their roles in constructing Beijings artificial islands in the South China Sea. Secretary Lorenzana and Minister Wei discussed the issue on the South China Sea, how to avoid misunderstanding and to resolve differences amicably, Lorenzanas office said in a statement. Both agreed that peace and stability in the SCS should be maintained. The defense leaders also discussed the need to finalize a code of conduct meant to govern actions by all parties with territorial claims in the South China Sea, a vital waterway through which billions of dollars in goods pass yearly. China claims much of the sea as its own. All claimants agreed in 2002 to work toward a code, but nearly two decades later they have so far failed to come up with a final document setting guidelines on how all parties should behave. Aside from the Philippines, Asian governments with territorial claims or maritime boundaries overlapping with the sweeping claims of China are Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam. While Indonesia does not regard itself as party to the South China Sea dispute, Beijing claims historic rights to parts of that sea within Indonesia's exclusive economic zone. In recent years, China has flaunted its claims by setting up airstrips and establishing military installations on islands in the region. The Philippines, an Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member that was once a leading voice against Chinas claims, has maintained a pro-Beijing stance since President Rodrigo Duterte took office in 2016. Shortly after Dutertes election victory, an international tribunal ruled in favor of the Philippines in the South China Sea. Instead of enforcing the ruling, the president has sought closer ties with Beijing. Notably, the Philippines said earlier this month it wont cut business ties with the Chinese firms Washington has blacklisted. The Philippine government said it would work with these Chinese companies because it is in the national interest to complete flagship infrastructure projects in the country involving these firms, said Harry Roque, spokesman for President Rodrigo Duterte. Addressing ASEAN foreign ministers in an online version of their annual forum on Thursday, Pompeo urged their nations to stand up to Chinese state-owned companies that bully them. Reconsider business dealings with the very state-owned companies that bully ASEAN coastal states in the South China Sea, the top American diplomat said. Dont just speak up, but act. Dont let the Chinese Communist Party walk over us and our people. On Friday, Lorenza, who recently rebuked Chinas claims to the South China Sea as yet another Beijing fabrication, declined to answer questions from the press. His office did say the two countries had signed guidelines for implementing a 130 million Chinese yuan (U.S. $19 million) grant to the Armed Forces of the Philippines for equipment and humanitarian assistance and disaster response. Defense analyst and military historian Jose Antonio Custodio of the Institute of Policy, Strategy and Development Studies said Duterte appeared to be balancing concessions to China with interests aligned with long-time military ally the United States. He has always been pro-China, Custodio said. He works on Beijings behalf as it guarantees him political and diplomatic support when it comes to international pressure against him. Wei and Indonesian Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto on Tuesday discussed tensions in the South China Sea along with efforts to work together to combat COVID-19. A day earlier, Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin and Defense Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob welcomed Wei in Kuala Lumpur, but Malaysian officials were tight-lipped about what was discussed. Kim Kardashian West is one of the worlds most successful women, an aspiring lawyer and business owner who first rose to fame as a star of reality television. From relatively humble beginnings as Paris Hiltons BFF to her current status as a global superstar, Kardashian West lives a life that many women can only dream of. With the stunning announcement that Keeping Up with the Kardashians will be going off the air after twenty seasons, many fans are struggling to pinpoint the exact reason when Kardashian West mentally checked out. As it turns out, Kardashian might have given a strong clue late last year that she no longer cares about being in the spotlight. Kim Kardashian West | Mehdi Taamallah/Getty Images How did Kim Kardashian West become a reality star? RELATED: Keeping Up With the Kardashians Is Ending What Will the Kardashian-Jenners Do Next? Born in 1980, Kim Kardashian West was raised by her lawyer father, Robert Kardashian, in a life of privilege and purpose. Kardashian West was driven from an early age, working in clothing boutiques and developing her signature sense of style. When Kardashian West became friends with Paris Hilton in the early 2000s, the media gradually became obsessed with the Armenian beauty. With the release of her infamous sex tape, Kardashian West became even more well known, and when the reality show Keeping Up with the Kardashians debuted in 2007, she began making headlines. Over the years, Kardashian West continued refining her own personal brand, releasing fragrances, makeup products, and specialty shape wear. She is often credited with popularizing curvy figures, and she has been cited, year after year, as one of the most beautiful women in the world. After her 2014 marriage to Kanye West, Kardashian West became even more famous, and soon, she couldnt go anywhere without being followed by paparazzi. Kim Kardashian West said she no longer cares about being famous 2019 marked a huge shift in Kim Kardashian Wests business ventures. She began pursuing a career as a lawyer, after showing interest in using her celebrity status to advance prison reform causes. She even lobbied the White House on behalf of several incarcerated people, notably helping Alice Marie Johnson be granted clemency, as reported by USA Today. Kardashian West has four children with her husband, rapper Kanye West, and it is clear that her focus over the years has changed a great deal, even as she has managed to retain her love of selfies and fashion. In late 2019, Kardashian West opened up in an intimate interview, giving her fans the first indication that her days on reality television might be numbered. In the interview, Kardashian was asked where she saw herself in 10 years. Kardashian West admitted to Vogue Arabia, I see us living on a ranch in Wyoming, occasionally going to Palm Springs and our home in Los Angeles. [And] becoming a lawyer. She also revealed that she has evolved from her younger years when she was embarrassingly obsessed with being famous. In fact, Kardashian West said in the interview that I can say without question that the fame isnt important to me. Kim Kardashian is focusing on other projects In her interview, Kim also called out her lack of privacy, revealing that she would like to live a bit more off-grid. That desire for privacy, combined with her pursuit of a career in law, might be the heart of why she, along with the rest of her family, have decided to pull the plug on one of the most famous reality television shows of all time. In their September 8th announcement, the Kardashians did state that they would be returning for one final season and presumably, each family member will offer a bit more insight at that time as to why they have decided to walk away for good. Iranians in Turkey: Caught Between a Rock and a Hard Place By Behnam Ben Taleblu and Aykan Erdemir Turkish authorities on Monday detained Maryam Shariatmadari, an anti-Hijab activist twice-jailed in Iran, threatening deportation back to her home country. Although an international outcry from human rights activists appears to have ensured her release for now, an uncertain future awaits. Shariatmadaris case puts a much-needed spotlight on the plight of Iranians abroad. While no immigrant, refugee, or visitor group is a monolith, Iranians have long-seen Turkey, which shares a 330-mile border with Iran, as a place to experience elements of a life denied at home. However, the Turkish governments continued deportation of activists, and the blind eye Ankara turns toward Tehrans activities on its soil, are a real cause for concern. This is especially true as Iranian investment and tourism in Turkey continue to grow. According to a video Shariatmadari posted on Instagram Monday, she claimed that her detention was without reason, and that the Turkish police ignored pleas to look up her name in the system likely a reference to immigration logs or the nature of her status in Turkey. According to an audio file of Shariatmadari published later by Iran International, she also says she was not given access to a Persian-language translator. The arrest came ahead of a cooperation meeting between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Iranian counterpart, Hassan Rouhani. Under the nearly 18-year rule of Turkeys Islamist president, Ankara has deepened cooperation with Tehran, seeing the Islamic Republic as a willing partner to challenge the Western-led liberal world order. Indeed, in the past the Turkish government has not only provided Iranian individuals and entities a permissive jurisdiction to evade U.S. sanctions, but has actively assisted Tehrans schemes and ringleaders. For Ankara, Iranians residing in or visiting Turkey are not only a much-needed source of revenue amidst the countrys economic downturn. Each is now a potential pawn to cash in, either through extradition or by ignoring their killing on Turkish soil. Turkey and Iran signed a legal cooperation agreement in 2010 permitting extradition. Ankara ratified it in 2011. The agreement received criticism for lacking explicit provisions preventing extradition if the individual would face ill treatment or capital punishment. Since then, Turkey has become an increasingly problematic jurisdiction for Iranian refugees, dissidents, and journalists. For instance, in 2017 Turkish authorities threatened Neda Amin, a journalist who had fled Iran in 2014, with deportation as she tried to make her way to Israel. In January 2018, Turkish authorities arrested Arash Shoa-Shargh, another journalist, and deported him to Iran where he was later imprisoned. Last November, Iranian intelligence went abroad and killed Masoud Molavi Vardanjani, an Iranian dissident, in Istanbul. That same year, Turkey also deported Mohammad Rajabi and Saeed Tamjidi, both of whom partook in demonstrations in Iran in November 2019. They were sentenced to death upon their return, but in July 2020, their execution order was halted due to a massive online pressure campaign. The trend sadly continues. This June, Turkish intelligence detained Abdollah Bozorgzadeh, a Baloch activist. He probably faces extradition to Iran. Similarly, Turkey has threatened Arash Yavari and his wife Masoomeh Hatamkhani, both of whom are journalists, with extradition back to Iran. They fled Iran with their teenage son in 2015 and have United Nations refugee status. It is a different story however, for Iranian tourists and investors, who pump much-needed money into the Turkish economy. In 2019, over 2 million Iranians visited Turkey, making Iran Turkey's fifth-biggest source of tourists. Turkey remains the most popular tourism destination for Iranians: Over 40% of foreign travel by Iranians in 2018 was to Turkey. When Western tourists may have slowed their visits to Turkeys eastern provinces, Iranians have been increasingly traveling over the border to Van, where alcohol is available, head covering is not compulsory for women, and shopkeepers are even beginning to learn Persian. Moreover, according to the Iranian press, there has been a wave of Iranian acquisitions of real estate in Turkey, with Iranians amounting to the second-largest demographic of foreign purchasers. There has also been a reported surge in Iranian registered businesses in Turkey. While these facts ostensibly suggest that Iranians are seeking better economic conditions outside their homeland, they could also represent, from an illicit finance perspective, opportunities for Iran to take advantage of Turkey as a hub for re-exports, money laundering, and sanctions-evasion. Whats more, since 2016, some 9,000 foreign nationals have capitalized on Turkeys fast-track to citizenship program by investing as little as $250,000 into real estate. Washington should be cognizant of the potential for Iranians with newly minted Turkish passports to violate sanctions. The extradition of the likes of Maryam Shariatmadari is not only immoral, but also is a breach of Ankaras international legal responsibilities. The 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol provide Turkey with non-refoulement obligations, banning it from returning refugees and asylum seekers to a country in which they are liable to be subjected to persecution. Furthermore, as a signatory of the European Convention on Human Rights and the European Convention on Extradition, Ankara needs to respect non-derogable provisions for the right to life and the prohibition of torture and inhuman or degrading treatment. The Council of Europe should remind Turkey, one of its 47 members, of its obligations as a signatory state to the key human rights conventions that enshrine the Councils fundamental values. Meanwhile, the United States should continue to go after the source of the problem for Iranian victims, by continuing to name, shame and punish Iranian rights violators, all the meanwhile standing with the Iranian people and echoing their concerns. Further U.S. Treasury sanctions that target Tehrans accomplices abroad, be they in Turkey or elsewhere, would contribute to the weakening of the Islamic Republics capacity to intimidate dissidents who have taken refuge in Turkey and beyond. Behnam Ben Taleblu is a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) covering Iranian issues, where Aykan Erdemir, a former Turkish parliamentarian, serves as the senior director of the Turkey program. The views expressed are the authors' own. Ram Vilas Paswan, who is presently hospitalised following health issues, tweeted that "I am confident that with his youthful thinking Chirag will take the party (LJP) to new heights. I am standing firmly with every decision of Chirag. I hope that I will get well soon and come among my loved ones." New Delhi: Amid the political ups and downs in Bihar ahead of the Assembly elections, Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan on Friday said that he agrees with every decision of his son and Lok Janshakti Party chief Chirag Paswan. Political speculation has intensified ahead of the Assembly elections over differences between the Janata Dal United and the LJP -- both constituents of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). Following this, there is also speculation that the LJP may go it alone in the elections. In Bihar, the NDA faces a major challenge from the Grand Alliance led by the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD). The Congress is part of the Grand Alliance. In such a situation, this statement of LJP founder and party patron Ram Vilas Paswan assumes importance. Recently, former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister and in-charge of Bihar, Congress leader Digvijaya Singh had invited Ram Vilas Paswan and Chirag to a 'ghar wapasi'. Ram Vilas Paswan said in another tweet, "I continued serving to the nation even during the corona times and tried my best to ensure that the food material reaches to everywhere. My health started deteriorating during this but to avoid any negligence in the work I did not go to hospital. But when Chirag realised about my health then he asked me to go to hospital and thereafter I underwent a treatment." He added, "I am happy that my son Chirag is with me at this time and is doing all possible service to me. Along with taking care of me, he is also fulfilling responsibilities towards the party. I hope that I will be well and soon to be among my loved ones." The term of the current Bihar Assembly expires in November and the elections are expected to be held before that. (Newser) An expert on isolated Amazon tribes was on Wednesday killed by an arrow that hit him in the chest as he approached one. Rieli Franciscato, 56, a top expert for the Brazil government's indigenous agency, was approaching an indigenous group in a remote region of northwestern Brazil when he and his party came under fire, the BBC reports. He tried to take shelter behind a vehicle but was still struck above his heart, witnesses say. "He cried out, pulled the arrow from his chest, ran 50m (164ft) and collapsed, lifeless," says a police officer who accompanied Franciscato, who was on a mission to observe and monitor the Cautario River isolated group. NPR calls Franciscato "a tireless defender of isolated indigenous groups and their forest lands," and says environmentalists are mourning his death. story continues below "He refused to accept the violent greed destroying the Amazon rainforest and its best guardians. He worked tirelessly to protect the lands of uncontacted tribes from outsiders," says one activist group. Per NPR, his mission involved shielding the tribe from a potential hostile encounter with outsiders, and some speculate he was mistaken for an invader by the indigenous group. His death has highlighted concerns conservationists have over some of Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro's policies, including his defunding of agencies like the one one Franciscato worked for and other environmental agencies, and his efforts to develop the Amazonwhich some say has led to an increase in incidents involving illegal miners, farmers, ranchers, and loggers on indigenous lands. (Read more Brazil stories.) I dont think Ive ever seen happier eaters than at the Anna Voloshyna pop-up dinner I attended in January. Now a distant memory, it united a few dozen guests around mushroom soup, beef Stroganoff and Napoleon cake at a casual lunch spot in SoMa. Dark bread and hyper-red tomato pickles were passed around. Ladles knocked on the edges of bowls. Whether you grew up eating Russian and Ukrainian food, or were tasting it for the first time, it was as if all of us were in on a tasty secret, huddling in a no-frills dining room on a cold San Francisco night. This was a very unfussy affair. Savoring her dumplings, condiments and spreads, I quickly forgot the Bay Area norm of obsessing about the chefs origin story and the ingredients history. I was too busy eating. You cant go to those dinners now, but you can attend virtual cooking classes led by Voloshyna, 30, a soft-spoken cook and blogger who is shaping up to be a leading voice in a culinary niche that, despite the Bay Areas Slavic population (according to the 2010 census, around 2% of the population in San Francisco) has remained somewhat hollow. She specializes in the cuisines she defines as Slavic and Central Asian those of Russia, Ukraine, Georgia and Armenia. On her blog, Viva la Food, and her Instagram account of 34.2K followers, her recipes elicit swoony responses in English and Ukrainian. She makes dishes look and taste unapologetically seductive that I remember from my own childhood in Communist-era Russia as humble and gray. Voloshyna was born in a small Ukraine village outside of Nikolayev, a city of about 500,000 residents. She didnt grow up cooking the matriarchs wouldnt let her. My mom and all of my grandmas are amazing cooks, and in Ukraine, women in the kitchen are kind of bossy. You (the child) know nothing and ruin everything, she says with a laugh. Anastasiya Yurinok She was allowed to taste, however, and developed a palate for flavor combinations typical in the cuisines of Georgia, Armenia and other countries that then belonged to the Soviet Union. In Ukrainian food, she says, garlic and dill are kings, and the flavor profile balances sweet and sour. Fermentation is important, fresh produce is paramount. Voloshyna left home at 17 to study in Kiev and met her future husband, Alex, shortly after. When she was 21, they followed his tech job to the Bay Area. Away from family and with no bossy grandmas in sight, Voloshyna started cooking and began hosting new friends from the tech circles for elaborate dinners. New ingredients presented themselves: olive oil, unknown to butter-loving Ukrainian cooks. Pasta shapes unimaginable to children growing up in small towns in the former Soviet Union. Soon, she realized her food was developing a following among Slavic transplants and U.S-born folks alike. Writing for the Ukraine version of Marie Claire about the California food scene intensified her passion for cooking. In 2012, Voloshyna started documenting her recipes on her blog, gradually taking better photos. Photography skills led to paid gigs shooting food at restaurants and local startups, an experience that inspired her to develop her own cooking style. It was one of the most important steps for me to find my way of cooking, because I never had a professional education. I wanted to add something different, more refreshing, and make the cuisine lighter, Voloshyna says. When another photography session led to an opportunity to host meals at Feastly (the platform, allowing chefs to host dinners and pop-up experiences, has since been bought by ChefsFeed), Voloshynas Eastern European dinners were a huge hit. Since, shes been feeding the masses her grandmas stuffed duck, forshmak (a spread featuring herring and apple), cabbage and mushroom pierogi, and other dishes that are both straightforward and wonderfully complex. During a visit to her home, when I watched her make manti, Armenian meaty dumplings, Voloshyna added nontraditional pickled carrot to the lamb stuffing and used a Japanese technique of pan-frying and steaming in the pan, producing dumplings with an irresistibly crispy bottom and a juicy, delicate top. She made the farmers cheese for sirniki, the sweet cheese patties crucial to any former Soviet breakfast, from scratch. I found raw cows milk and I couldnt resist, she says. While the pandemic put an end to Voloshynas dinner series with ChefsFeed, she has pivoted to leading live cooking classes on the same platform, teaching viewers at home how to make various dumplings and other Slavic delicacies. It is only recently that Kiev, the capital of Ukraine, has opened up to cooking classes and the culinary arts. Some of Voloshynas friends, who might have earlier raised an eyebrow at her American endeavors, now have come around to making complex pastries from scratch and starting their own food businesses. But in Ukraine, we have a problem elevating our own cuisine, Voloshyna says. The latest trends are bringing in cuisines from other countries. The political turbulence the country has been experiencing for the past decade the internal disagreements around Ukraines affiliation with the European Union and the tense relationship with Russia, before and after the annexation of Crimea certainly didnt help things, she says. As she watches the protests in Belarus, a country Ukraine shares cultural ties and a border with, she adds, I hope their outcome is better for them. Ukraine is still in a passive-aggressive war. Voloshyna usually goes back home every year, but this year COVID-19 has made that impossible. The pandemic also delayed until January her plan to obtain a certificate in professional culinary arts at the San Francisco Cooking School. She enrolled, she says, to learn the basic French and Italian techniques. Its been a strange year for techniques, as we question status, power and privilege in the kitchen. Chefs with Michelin stars and pedigrees have seen their businesses crumble. Fine-dining establishments have pivoted to sandwiches. Despite all the change since Voloshynas memorable SoMa dinner, if theres one thing that has remained constant in these uncertain times, its the power of honest, well-made food thats reminiscent of home. That, culinary school or not, Voloshyna has mastered. Flora Tsapovsky is a freelance writer. Email food@sfchronicle.com More Information Anna Voloshyna's virtual cooking classes Sept. 19. Dumplings. Learn the techniques of Russian pelmeni, Armenian manti and Dagestan kurse, all dumplings filled with meats and accompanied by condiments like fiery adjika (a sort of Georgian chimichurri). $29. Sign up at: https://experiences.chefsfeed.com Sept. 26. Learn how to make Georgian khachapuri, a boat of pillowy dough filled with cheeses and an egg. $29. Sign up at: https://experiences.chefsfeed.com See More Collapse Moms Famous Spicy and Sour Tomatoes These tomatoes are hands down the most popular zakuska (appetizer in Russian) I serve at my dinners, says Anna Voloshyna of her mothers recipe. They are very different from the traditional pickled tomatoes because instead of a regular watery pickling liquid, they rest and mature in a thick spicy sauce made with fresh herbs, hot pepper, oil and vinegar. Another bonus? No need to sterilize the jar. Food Guide Top 25 Restaurants Where to eat in the Bay Area. Find spots near you, create a dining wishlist, and more. 2 pounds small red tomatoes, such as Early Girl or Pearl, halved 1 large bell pepper 1 medium jalapeno pepper 4 peeled garlic cloves 1 cup chopped fresh herbs, such as dill, parsley and cilantro cup sunflower or grapeseed oil cup white vinegar 2 tablespoons sugar 1 teaspoon salt Instructions: Pack the tomato halves into a clean, wide-mouthed 2-quart glass jar with a tight-fitting lid. In a food processor, combine the rest of the ingredients and pulse, about 30 seconds, until you get a thick, slightly chunky mixture. Pour the marinade over the tomatoes and seal the lid. Refrigerate for at least 3 days before serving. The tomatoes can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 1 month. Over time, they will develop the even brighter acidity and complex flavor of slightly fermented tomatoes. European markets closed slightly higher on Friday as investors monitored tense negotiations between the U.K. and the European Union. The pan-European Stoxx 600 closed up by 0.1%, with basic resource shares up 2.4% to lead the gains while banks on the other hand fell over 1.6%. The EU on Thursday urged the U.K. to abandon its plan to renege on the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement and threatened legal action, but U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson's government has vowed to press ahead with its Internal Market Bill, despite acknowledgment that the move violates international law. The U.K. and the EU are currently trying to reach a trade agreement before the end of the transition period on December 31, with the U.K. set to go onto World Trade Organization rules if no agreement is reached. On Friday, Britain announced it had secured its first major trade deal post-Brexit, agreeing in principle to a free trade deal with Japan. The tentative agreement, which will require the approval of both the U.K. and Japanese parliaments, is scheduled to come into the force at the end of the year. On the data front, the U.K. economy grew 6.6% in July on a monthly basis, according to initial estimates published Friday, as the economy seeks to recover from the sharp downturn caused by coronavirus-induced lockdown measures. Stateside, U.S. stocks rose in another volatile session on Friday as tech once again attempted to rebound from its recent slump. The Dow Jones Industrial Average traded 190 points higher, or 0.7%. The S&P 500 climbed 0.4% while the Nasdaq Composite was flat. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (Agence France-Presse) New York, United States Fri, September 11, 2020 21:05 497 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c4450eaa 2 Food Burger-King,fast-food,fast-food-restaurant,united-states,coronavirus,COVID-19,pandemic Free Lockers for storing your food orders, an app to signal your arrival so that your order is still hot, an end to lineups at the drive-thru... Burger King plans to revolutionize fast food eateries with totally re-envisioned services, in line with lessons learned from the pandemic. A number of ideas have already been applied in various locations during lockdown orders. Sixty percent. That's the carbon footprint reduction promised by Burger King with its brand new restaurant concept. A project that looks as much to architectural approaches as to ultra-practical aspects and revolutionizing habits when it comes time to devour a fast food meal. The Whopper specialist recently unveiled the face of its restaurants of tomorrow. The second largest fast-food chain has decided to bet big on service efficiency to make sure we're eating our orders when they're hot. Cyclists and pedestrians will now be able to collect their orders in lockers, like the famous Amazon Lockers or giant refrigerators like those used by farmers to facilitate the direct sale of fresh produce. We will also be able to use a mobile app to tell the restaurant when we'll be arriving by car and to be guided to park in a specific spot. The information will go directly to the team who will then get our Whoppers to us. Read also: Book a table for fast food? Burger King trials post-lockdown app in Italy End of voice ordering at the drive-thru For those who prefer to use the drive-thru, soon you won't have to shout your order at the terminal to try to make yourself understood. Your request will be simplified thanks to the mobile app and a QR Code that you just have to scan at your parking spot in order to see the menu and receive your order. A concept that should spell the end of long queues at the drive-thru! Such technology was already used during lockdowns in some countries for shoppers to pick up their e-commerce, grocery or restaurant orders. But it's not all about takeaway; for those who want to eat on site, the traditional dining space has been replaced by a patio where one can nibble their fries in the shade. But don't worry, there will still be an interior eating space. In the concept design, it's shown on a higher level, like the kitchen, because the building is designed to be raised in order to make way for the drive-in customers below, on ground level. At these parking spots, customers will receive their orders without having to interact with humans in real life: a ramp will deliver the burgers and fries. An innovation Burger King wanted to develop to ensure a totally touchless visit to the restaurant. And the project is not just a prototype. The fast food chain plans to build the first of these new-generation restaurants in 2021 in Miami, in Latin America and in the Caribbean. ST. LOUIS, Sept. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Centene Corporation (NYSE: CNC) announced today that it plans to expand its offering in the 2021 Health Insurance Marketplace. The company is targeting expansion of its Marketplace product, branded Ambetter, in nearly 400 new counties across 13 existing states. In addition, Ambetter-branded Marketplace products will be offered in two new states, New Mexico and Michigan. This brings the total number of states with Centene's Marketplace offerings to 22. "At a time when many Americans are grappling with the health and economic effects of COVID-19, it is critical that we leverage our scale, capabilities and expertise to provide accessible, high-quality healthcare services to our members," said Michael F. Neidorff, Chairman, President and CEO for Centene. "We know that many Americans are struggling during this crisis, and we are committed to expanding our Ambetter product, offering affordable options for care during this pandemic and beyond." In 2020, Centene is the country's largest provider of health insurance Marketplace plans, serving approximately 2.2 million exchange members. Centene is in the process of seeking all necessary regulatory approvals in targeted states for 2021. About Centene Corporation Centene Corporation, a Fortune 50 company, is a leading multi-national healthcare enterprise that is committed to helping people live healthier lives. The Company takes a local approach with local brands and local teams to provide fully integrated, high-quality, and cost-effective services to government-sponsored and commercial healthcare programs, focusing on under-insured and uninsured individuals. Centene offers affordable and high-quality products to nearly 1 in 15 individuals across the nation, including Medicaid and Medicare members (including Medicare Prescription Drug Plans) as well as individuals and families served by the Health Insurance Marketplace, the TRICARE program, and individuals in correctional facilities. The Company also serves several international markets, and contracts with other healthcare and commercial organizations to provide a variety of specialty services focused on treating the whole person. Centene focuses on long-term growth and the development of its people, systems and capabilities so that it can better serve its members, providers, local communities, and government partners. Centene uses its investor relations website to publish important information about the company, including information that may be deemed material to investors. Financial and other information about Centene is routinely posted and is accessible on Centene's investor relations website, https://investors.centene.com. Forward-Looking Statements All statements, other than statements of current or historical fact, contained in this press release are forward-looking statements. Without limiting the foregoing, forward-looking statements often use words such as "believe," "anticipate," "plan," "expect," "estimate," "intend," "seek," "target," "goal," "may," "will," "would," "could," "should," "can," "continue" and other similar words or expressions (and the negative thereof). Centene (the Company, our, or we) intends such forward-looking statements to be covered by the safe-harbor provisions for forward-looking statements contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, and we are including this statement for purposes of complying with these safe-harbor provisions. In particular, these statements include, without limitation, statements about our future operating or financial performance, market opportunity, growth strategy, competition, expected activities in completed and future acquisitions, including statements about the impact of our recently completed acquisition (the WellCare Acquisition) of WellCare Health Plans, Inc. (WellCare), other recent and future acquisitions, investments and the adequacy of our available cash resources. These forward-looking statements reflect our current views with respect to future events and are based on numerous assumptions and assessments made by us in light of our experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions, business strategies, operating environments, future developments and other factors we believe appropriate. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties and are subject to change because they relate to events and depend on circumstances that will occur in the future, including economic, regulatory, competitive and other factors that may cause our or our industry's actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions. All forward-looking statements included in this press release are based on information available to us on the date hereof. Except as may be otherwise required by law, we undertake no obligation to update or revise the forward-looking statements included in this press release, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, after the date hereof. You should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements, as actual results may differ materially from projections, estimates, or other forward-looking statements due to a variety of important factors, variables and events including but not limited to: the impact of COVID-19 on global markets, economic conditions, the healthcare industry and our results of operations, which is unknown, and the response by governments and other third parties; uncertainty as to our expected financial performance during the period of integration of the WellCare Acquisition; the possibility that the expected synergies and value creation from the WellCare Acquisition will not be realized, or will not be realized within the expected time period; the risk that unexpected costs will be incurred in connection with the integration of the WellCare Acquisition or that the integration of WellCare will be more difficult or time consuming than expected; unexpected costs, charges or expenses resulting from the WellCare Acquisition; the inability to retain key personnel; disruption from the integration of the WellCare Acquisition, including potential adverse reactions or changes to business relationships with customers, employees, suppliers or regulators, making it more difficult to maintain business and operational relationships; the risk that we may not be able to effectively manage our expanded operations; our ability to accurately predict and effectively manage health benefits and other operating expenses and reserves, including fluctuations in medical utilization rates due to the impact of COVID-19; competition; membership and revenue declines or unexpected trends; changes in healthcare practices, new technologies, and advances in medicine; increased healthcare costs; changes in economic, political or market conditions; changes in federal or state laws or regulations, including changes with respect to income tax reform or government healthcare programs as well as changes with respect to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) and the Health Care and Education Affordability Reconciliation Act, collectively referred to as the ACA and any regulations enacted thereunder that may result from changing political conditions or judicial actions, including the ultimate outcome in "Texas v. United States of America" regarding the constitutionality of the ACA; rate cuts or other payment reductions or delays by governmental payors and other risks and uncertainties affecting our government businesses; our ability to adequately price products on the Health Insurance Marketplaces and other commercial and Medicare products; tax matters; disasters or major epidemics; the outcome of legal and regulatory proceedings; changes in expected contract start dates; provider, state, federal, foreign and other contract changes and timing of regulatory approval of contracts; the expiration, suspension, or termination of our contracts with federal or state governments (including but not limited to Medicaid, Medicare, TRICARE or other customers); the difficulty of predicting the timing or outcome of pending or future litigation or government investigations; challenges to our contract awards; cyber-attacks or other privacy or data security incidents; the possibility that the expected synergies and value creation from acquired businesses, including businesses we may acquire in the future, will not be realized, or will not be realized within the expected time period; the exertion of management's time and our resources, and other expenses incurred and business changes required in connection with complying with the undertakings in connection with any regulatory, governmental or third party consents or approvals for acquisitions; disruption caused by significant completed and pending acquisitions, including, among others, the WellCare Acquisition, making it more difficult to maintain business and operational relationships; the risk that unexpected costs will be incurred in connection with the completion and/or integration of acquisition transactions; changes in expected closing dates, estimated purchase price and accretion for acquisitions; the risk that acquired businesses will not be integrated successfully; restrictions and limitations in connection with our indebtedness; our ability to maintain or achieve improvement in the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Star ratings and maintain or achieve improvement in other quality scores in each case that can impact revenue and future growth; availability of debt and equity financing, on terms that are favorable to us; inflation; foreign currency fluctuations and risks and uncertainties discussed in the reports that Centene has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. This list of important factors is not intended to be exhaustive. We discuss certain of these matters more fully, as well as certain other factors that may affect our business operations, financial condition and results of operations, in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including our annual report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K. Due to these important factors and risks, we cannot give assurances with respect to our future performance, including without limitation our ability to maintain adequate premium levels or our ability to control our future medical and selling, general and administrative costs. SOURCE Centene Corporation Despite pressure from the left, Joe Biden is making it clear that if he wins, he won't just pull up stakes from Afghanistan and the region. Driving the news: Biden made news on Thursday when he told Stars and Stripes that he supports a sustained U.S. military footprint of up to 1,500-2,000 on the ground primarily for special operations against ISIS and other terror threats in the war that began after the 9/11 terrorist attacks 19 years ago. "These forever wars have to end ... but here's the problem, we still have to worry about terrorism," Biden said. He also told the military newspaper he doesn't expect major cuts to the U.S. defense budget given the threats posed by China and Russia and the need for more cyber and unmanned technology. Why it matters: Biden's insistence on a counter-ISIS force puts him to the right of President Trump's rhetoric though the maximum levels Biden is talking about are lower than what the winner in November can expect to inherit but the Democratic nominee's stance also could give some assurances to centrist voters from both parties. Biden's stance unnerves progressives who dearly want a Democrat back in the White House but crave more of an anti-war figure. The decision to authorize force is among the most consequential in any presidency, and Biden has been careful to preserve his options. The former vice president holds a bedrock belief that military force can be justified, and he supported President Obamas targeted drone killings. Trump and Biden are scheduled to mark the 9/11 anniversary today with separate stops at a memorial in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, where Flight 93 slammed into a field as the passengers and crew fought the Al Qaeda hijackers. Biden also is scheduled to attend a ceremony in New York. The big picture: Asked by reporters earlier this week whether he supports Trump's plan to withdraw troops from Iraq, Biden said: Yes, I do. As long as he has a plan to figure out how hes going to deal with ISIS. During a CNN debate in January, Biden said: "I think it's a mistake to pull out the small number of troops that are there now to deal with ISIS. What they're saying: Joe Biden recognizes that sometimes you have to take life in order to save life, former CIA director John Brennan, told Axios. I cannot see him cowering because some progressives on the left have this misimpression on what these counter-terrorism strikes entail, said Brennan, whose memoir, Undaunted, is set for release next month. "Its not a high priority to go to zero troops," said Derek Chollet, who served in the Pentagon under President Barack Obama and supports Biden. "But he doesnt want a lot of troops everywhere. Biden is on the conservative side of where the party is, said Matt Duss, foreign policy adviser to Senator Bernie Sanders. But his advisers are very engaged in the conversation and are very aware of where the Democratic base is moving. Duss said that while Trump does seem to have an aversion to large scale interventions and wars," he also shows "reckless" tendencies that have "come dangerously close to drawing us into another" war. Between the lines. Some progressives want nothing less than a clean break from the policies of the Obama-Biden administration on targeted killings and foreign intervention. Others see progress in the disavowal in the Democratic Party platform of regime change and the call to end forever wars. Biden "needs to not just undo the damage of the Trump years but also take a fresh look at what didnt work during the Obama years, said Stephen Miles, the executive director of Win Without War. The targeted killing program definitely falls into that category. In 36 years in the Senate, Biden adopted a case-by-case approach for when military intervention is justified, voting against the first Gulf War in 1991 but for the Iraq invasion in 2003, for which he faced criticism in the 2008 and 2020 primaries. Sanders admonished last December: Joe, youre also the guy who led us into the disastrous war in Iraq." Biden soured on the war in Afghanistan and argued against the troop surge. He has not emphasized regret over his 2003 Iraq war vote the same way as other Democrats, including Hillary Clinton, have. Last year, he suggested launching some counter-terrorism operations in Afghanistan via bases in Pakistan. Be smart: Trumps rhetoric about bringing home all the troops doesn't match the current reality. President Donald Trump, center, participates in a signing ceremony and meeting with the President of Serbia Aleksandar Vucic, left, and the Prime Minister of Kosovo Avdullah Hoti, right, in the Oval Office of the White House on Sept. 4, 2020. (Anna Moneymaker-Pool/Getty Images) Trump Nominated for Nobel Peace Prize for Kosovo-Serbia Agreement President Donald Trump was nominated Friday for the Nobel Peace Prize, the second such nomination this week. Magnus Jacobsson, a member of Swedens national legislature, said he submitted the nomination for the Trump administration and the governments of Kosovo and Serbia for their joint work for peace and economic development, through the cooperation agreement signed in the White House. Trade and communications are important building blocks for peace, he added in a statement. Jacobsson is a member of the Christian Democrats. Pressed on social media on whether the agreement was substantive, Jacobsson said it was incredibly good to see the parties sit down and sign a deal after 20 years of open conflict. For my part, I hope that it will be the beginning of a process that can result in a peace agreement and mutual recognition, he added. Trump oversaw the historic deal in Washington last week. The agreement revolved around Serbia and Kosovo agreeing to normalize economic relations. The countries had been locked into an ongoing conflict that saw Kosovo declare independence from Serbia in 2008. Adviser to the president on Serbia-Kosovo Richard Grenell told reporters that the deal wouldnt have been possible without Trumps outsider perspective. President Donald Trump delivers remarks at the White House in Washington on Sept. 9, 2020. (Jonathan Ernst/Reuters) All of the insiders in Washington said, Youre not talking about recognition, youre not talking about this symbolic word. And what we tried to do is ignore that and from an outsider perspective, go in and dig deep, he said. Mutual recognition was not part of the deal. A Norwegian lawmaker, Christian Tybring-Gjedde, nominated Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize earlier this week. Tybring-Gjedde said Trumps role in another historic agreement, between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, drove his submission. As it is expected other Middle Eastern countries will follow in the footsteps of the UAE, this agreement could be a game changer that will turn the Middle East into a region of cooperation and prosperity, he wrote in the letter to the Norwegian Nobel Committee. A committee spokesman told The Epoch Times via email that he couldnt comment on the reported nomination, citing a confidentiality clause. Submissions for the 2020 prize closed in January. The 2021 prize will be announced next October. Tom Ozimek contributed to this report. Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) Managing Director Dr Mangu Singh has appealed to commuters to stagger the timing of their journeys and break the peak hour rush so that more passengers can be carried by the system. DMRC MD, Dr Mangu Singh appeals to commuters to stagger the timing of their journeys and break the peak hour rush so that more passengers can be carried by the system, DMRC stated. It also added the hashtag MetroBackOnTrack to the tweet. Delhi Metro services continue to function for the fifth consecutive day post resumption of services on September 7, after a gap of more than five months. Earlier on Thursday, the total ridership of the metro lines till 7:30 pm was approximately 84,841, the DMRC said. With the services available on most of the metro lines now, the total ridership was approx 84,841 between 7 am to 11 am and 4 pm to 7:30 pm today, DMRC said yesterday. The metro, which had suspended its services in March due to the Covid-19 outbreak reopened with caution putting into place a series of measures such as closed token counters, limited entry and exit points, thermal scanners and sanitisers among others to enable commuters to adhere to Covid-19 protection protocols. Apart from regular frontline staff at the stations, the DMRC has made the additional deployment of around 1,000 officials/staff across the line(s)/network to assist and guide passengers in the wake of new norms of Metro travel, which may take some time to settle in. The statement was made by delegates to the virtual seminar themed Promoting Vietnam-India business relations in the areas of garments, textiles and health, organised by the Vietnamese Embassy in India on September 10. The event drew the participation of about 250 enterprises, scholars and policymakers from the two countries in the three aforementioned fields. In his address, Vietnamese Ambassador to India Pham Sanh Chau emphasised that the worlds geo-political picture is witnessing significance changes with rivalry and competition between major powers, and tensions and disputes in the area of security affecting economic issues. In addition, supply chains are facing multiple challenges due to the disease, thus hurting global trade. However, this is also a good opportunity for India and Vietnam to promote bilateral relations and complement each other, thereby contributing to the recovery and enhancement of supply chains in important fields, he said. Chau affirmed that the Vietnamese Embassy is ready to act as a bridge for the two countries businesses to connect and boost trade exchange. Delegates to the seminar lauded Vietnams economic achievements in recent years with an average annual growth rate of 6-7%. Especially in the context of COVID-19, Vietnam remains among the few economies in the world that will record positive growth this year. Vietnam is also a popular destination for foreign direct investment (FDI) with its signing of more than 10 free trade agreements (FTAs). In the health sector, Chairman of the Association of Indian Medical Device Industry (AIMED) Rajav Nath expressed his admiration of Vietnams response to the disease and the countrys strong public health system that has helped it effectively control the pandemic. According to Ashok Juneja, President of the Textile Association (India), garments and textiles are a key export sector of Vietnam with revenue of up to US$36 billion, nearly equalling Indias US$38 billion value. However, regarding the export structure, he noted that India exports US$16 billion of garment and US$22 billion of textile products, while Vietnam exports up to US$31 billion of garments and only US$5billion of textile items. Therefore, the two countries have ample space to boost cooperation in this area. Juneja added that India has a long-standing textile industry, with its strength based on production from natural fibers such as cotton, jute, silk and wool, to synthetic fibers such as polyster and nylon. This advantage will be a valuable complement to Vietnam, which heavily depends on imported raw materials for its garment and textile industry. India and the US of Friday discussed efforts to counteract recent destabilising actions in South Asia - a reference to Chinese aggression along the border in Ladakh - and the broader Indo-Pacific region. The two sides discussed a range of bilateral, regional, and multilateral issues, including combating Covid-19, counterterrorism, Indias membership on the UN Security Council, support for good governance and sustainable development in the Indo-Pacific region, and efforts to counteract recent destabilising actions in South Asia and the broader Indo-Pacific region, the state department said in a release on the intersessional meeting of the US-India 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue. The 2+2 is a format of dialogue established between the defence and foreign ministers or secretaries of the two countries.The third annual minister-level meeting is scheduled for later this year. Chinese aggression along the border has figured in India-US talks and discussions frequently, and it has been strongly condemned by the Trump administration as well as lawmakers from both parties. The US officials pledged to continue working with their Indian counterparts to advance the US-India partnership for the benefit of both countries, the region, and the world and looked forward to preparing for the ministerial dialogue later this year, said the US statement issued after the virtual meeting on Friday. Officials from the two sides welcomed the opportunity to discuss the US-India Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership, noting increased closeness and cooperation across bilateral ties, the department said. They also agreed to further strengthen consultations through United States-India-Australia-Japan Quadrilateral, or Quad, mechanism. The US underscored the importance of Indias status as a Major Defence Partner, growing military-to-military cooperation, and other defence priorities, the state department added. The US side was represented by principal deputy assistant secretary of state for South and Central Asian Affairs Dean Thompson and principal deputy assistant secretary of defence for Indo-Pacific security affairs David Helvey. The Indian delegation was led jointly by Vani Rao, joint secretary (Americas) in the external affairs ministry and Somnath Ghosh, joint secretary (international cooperation) in the defence ministry. It has only been a few days since it was discovered that Zac Efron has an Australian girlfriend, and there's already trouble in paradise. A source spotted the couple and told The Daily Mail that Zac and her new babe, Vanessa Valladares, were engaged in a heated argument at a cafe. The onlooker reportedly overheard the two having a conversation about their future together. The 32-year-old former Disney alum is due to return to the US to start filming on his next project, and as per the source, Vanessa may not be able to go with him because of the coronavirus travel restrictions. "They were first talking about how they enjoyed their trip to Thredbo. Zac then mentioned having to travel back to America eventually for work commitments, although he wasn't sure when he would have to go back." They added, "It sounded like there was a little bit of stress and tension between them over the fact that his girlfriend may not be able to go with him due to the strict border rules." Zac Efron currently has two movies in pre-production, including the remake of the classic series, "Three Men and a Baby." "They mentioned that once Zac leaves, he won't be allowed back into Australia because he's not a citizen, but his girlfriend also isn't allowed to travel to America so they'd effectively be separated until COVID-19 restrictions are eased." The source further said that the couple seems to have been more worried about the number of coronavirus cases in the US than in Australia. Real life rom-com. This is Vanessa Valladares, shes not an actress or model. She was working as a server at a Byron Bay cafe where she met Zac Efron. Shes now his live-in girlfriend, and has quit her job at the cafe. pic.twitter.com/is0BX6LNrE Mike Sington (@MikeSington) September 8, 2020 Early this week, WHO magazine reported that the "Bay Watch" actor was introduced to the 25-year-old Byron Bay local through her boss at the cafe where she works as a waitress. Vanessa worked at the Byron Bay General Store cafe and the Light Years restaurant when they met in July. A source told WHO, "Her boss introduced them. Lucky girl." Another insider told People magazine that the pair are just "having fun" at the moment, but not closing their doors to a possibility of a "serious relationship." "Zac met Ness earlier in the summer. You can tell that they are having fun. She spends a lot of time at this house." Though they spend time together in Byron Bay, they also went to New South Wales' Snowy Mountains at the Thredbo ski resort. Though they were linked back in June, it was only recently that Zac Efron's girlfriend identity is revealed and their PDA overload. "Zac and Vanessa are perfect for each other. Things moved quickly, and Vanessa spends most nights at Zac's house. They are both very smitten with each other." As evidence of Vanessa's Instagram, she seems to have a balance of active and calm. An insider told Us Weekly that Vanessa has calmed down the A-list actor and has stopped partying. In 2016, Zac Efron opened up about his partying lifestyle and sobriety journey, speaking to ELLE magazine, "What I found is structure. That led me to the balance of opposites. You get out of life what you put in." READ MORE: Megan Fox, Machine Gun Kelly Relationship A Publicity For Something Bigger? Trump has repeatedly said the deadline for sale is September 15, but his first executive order stipulated Sept 20. United States President Donald Trump said on Thursday he does not plan to extend the deadline for ByteDance to sell TikToks US business, with the process still mired in uncertainty. Trump has repeatedly said the deadline for the sale of the wildly popular short video app is September 15, although that was not the date stipulated in either of the two executive orders his administration issued in August. The first order, banning US companies from transacting with the Chinese company or its subsidiaries, stipulated a September 20 deadline. The second, with a deadline of November 12 after the US presidential election demands that ByteDance sell TikTok due to national security concerns. Microsoft Corp and Oracle Corp are among the suitors for TikToks US assets. Operations in Canada, New Zealand and Australia are also part of the deal. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment by the Reuters news agency. Whats the deadline? Trump first told reporters on July 31 that he planned to ban TikTok in the US within 24 hours. But on August 3, after Microsoft revealed it was in talks to buy parts of TikTok, he said he would give ByteDance 45 days to sell to a US buyer. Then, on August 6, Trump issued the executive order banning transactions with ByteDance and its affiliates in 45 days, effectively a September 20 deadline. Who needs to sign off on this deal? ByteDance and the potential TikTok buyers have to come up with a deal acceptable to the US Committee on Foreign Investment in the US (CFIUS), an interagency group. The Trump administration does not want ByteDance to have any continued interest in TikTok, and for a tech company to be the lead investor in the short video app. Chinas commerce ministry joined the party on August 28 with a revised tech export control list that experts said would give it regulatory oversight over any TikTok deal. This means Beijings sign-off is likely to be needed too, something many observers doubt will happen immediately. The rules say that it can take up to 30 days to obtain preliminary approval to export the technology. Last week, when asked about how the rules could impact the TikTok deal, the Chinese commerce ministry said the regulatory changes are not targeted at specific companies, but reaffirmed their right to enforce the rules. What if theres no deal by September 20? If the deadline is not extended, then transactions with TikTok would be banned, although exactly which ones have not been specified. Reuters news agency has reported the executive order could make advertising on the platform illegal and TikTok has been preparing advertisers for such an outcome. The US is also likely to ban TikTok from being downloaded from app stores. However, it is unclear whether there are transactions that can be prohibited that will prevent existing users who have already downloaded TikTok from using it. When confronted with a ban in India, TikTok chose to shut down voluntarily. What other options does TikTok have? TikTok and ByteDance filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles federal court on August 24 against Trumps executive order, calling it a pretext to fuel anti-China rhetoric. Could the deadline for a sale move again? On August 14, the Trump administration issued another executive order that required ByteDance to divest its interest in video-sharing app TikToks operations in the US within 90 days. This suggests a deadline of November 12. The second order did not say what might happen if ByteDance failed to comply. Deadly hand sanitizers that were banned in the U.S. are still circulating widely in Mexico, raising concerns among health experts that scores of people slathering the gel on may be slowly poisoning themselves. Four people died in the U.S. and three people partially lost their eyesight this year after drinking the sanitizers, prompting a testing campaign by the Food and Drug Administration that found methanol in Mexican imports. Thirty-seven Mexican companies were banned from exporting their hand sanitizers to the U.S., with nearly half of them voluntarily recalling their product -- but only in the U.S. A recent visit to a Mexico City pharmacy found at least five products the FDA found to contain methanol on the shelves, and Amazon.com Inc.s website still offers six gels from one black-listed supplier. Methanol is a toxic alcohol that is commonly found in industrial chemicals, from cleaners to antifreeze and some fuels. It can cause serious damage to organs in the body if a person swallows it, breathes it in or gets it on their skin, according to the Methanol Institute, a U.S.-based trade group. The FDAs counterpart in Mexico -- Cofepris -- has mostly stayed quiet on the subject, even as hand sanitizers have become ubiquitous during the coronavirus pandemic. Stores early on ran out of the hand-washing alternative and manufacturers around the world rushed to ramp up production to deal with the increased demand. But in Mexico, manufacturing oversight is lax and Cofepris doesnt have enough staff or budget to test hygienic products like hand sanitizers, said Xavier Tello, a health-policy analyst at Strategic Consulting in Mexico City. Its not a minor issue, Tello said. How much gel are people pouring on their hands on a daily basis? Cofepris did issue a public alert warning consumers to be careful with sanitizers from unknown sources. Its unclear if anyone has fallen ill or died because of exposure in Mexico, either by drinking the substance or through continued skin contact. Earlier this year, 42 people died in the state of Jalisco from drinking alcoholic beverages containing methanol. Consumers are constantly being misled, said Francisco Rosete, head of consumer advocate group ProConsumidores AC. Doing it in the context of a pandemic is even more worrisome. No Mexico Recall Out of the 137 hand sanitizers that the FDA banned, 33 belong to a Mexico State-based company called 4E Global SAPI. U.S. authorities found methanol in two products tested and expanded the recall recommendations to the rest of the product line because they were likely manufactured at the same facility. Methanol was only found in the lots of hand sanitizers that we export to Mexico and none of the ones distributed in Mexico have registered the substances presence, a representative for 4E Global said in a statement on Thursday. The products we commercialize in Mexico comply with current norms and regulations. Mexicos Cofepris and Health Ministry didnt respond to requests for comment, nor did Amazon. Some of our series of Blumen Hand sanitizers were found to contain methanol, 4Es U.S. website says. Out of an abundance of caution, we decided to recall all lots due to potential contamination. The companys website in Spanish makes no mention of methanol or any recalls. (This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.) Follow more stories on Facebook and Twitter Delhi: India will be present at the intra-Afghan talks that is scheduled to take place between the Afghanistan government and the Taliban on Saturday in Qatar's Doha. The talks will start the process of negotiations and India will be present along with 30 other countries. All the countries that border Afghanistan have been invited. Earlier in 2020, India was present at the signing of the US-Taliban deal on February 29 in Doha and the then Indian envoy in Doha P Kumaran represented India. India is Afghanistan's major development partner and has built the India-Afghanistan friendship dam in the western province of Herat and the Afghanisthan Parliament in capital Kabul. The Afghanistan government negotiating delegation left for Doha on Friday to start the peace negotiations with the Taliban group. Chairman of the High Council for National Reconciliation Dr Abdullah Abdullah, Acting Afghan Foreign Minister Mohammad Hanif Atmar, Afghan Presidents Special Representative on Peace Affairs Abdul Salam Rahimi and State Minister for Peace Affairs Seyed Saadat Mansour Naderi will represent the Afghanisthan government. An official statement said, "President Ghani wishes success for the negotiating delegation of the Afghan Government on their mission to bring sustainable peace and stability to the country, which is the long-awaited aspiration of the people of Afghanistan." The Taliban also in a statement confirmed the beginning of talks saying, "In line with the agreement signed between the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan and the United States of America, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan would like to declare its readiness to partake in the inauguration ceremony of Intra-Afghan Negotiations." The US welcomed the announcement that Afghanistan peace negotiations saying the "start of these talks marks a historic opportunity for Afghanistan to bring an end to four decades of war and bloodshed" and "this opportunity must not be squandered". US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo will travel to Qatar to attend the opening ceremony of Afghanistan peace negotiations. The person who inspired the title and first piece of my show Tell Me Three Things I Can Do/Return To Sender announced himself casually. We were corresponding over text about Black Lives Matter: the movement and the astonishing actions it had inspired in the world. Tell me three things I can do other than the obvious, he typed. The letters blurred and reshaped themselves in front of me. I stared at the words again, forcing them to sharpen. I thought I had misread. Im sorry, is that last part for me? My eyes narrowed. I was livid. Im asking earnestly, he said. Dont make it into a thing. The words cemented. The person is a progressive and a lawyer. Someone I have known for more than 15 years. We shared (past tense) a fondness for each other. The exchange was upsetting on its own, but it was not an isolated incident. This summer brought a reverberating pattern of conversations and emails and texts from friends, collaborators and acquaintances, revealing a prescribed and self-accepted way of communicating. A form letter of sameness of how white people in America discuss race, with us and themselves. IF YOU GO "Tell Me Three Things I Can Do/Return to Sender" at Perish_ables, 1421 Fulton St., S.F. Wednesday-Saturday, by appointment. See More Collapse In the days, weeks and months after George Floyds murder at the knee of a Minneapolis police officer, I received several dozen inquiries that raised my blood pressure. At the height of the insanity, I wrote an essay about my experience. This exchange came a week after that column was published, from a person who had read it, shared it with others and didnt see himself in the telling. And that was telling. This cognitive detachment was something I recognized. Id seen it in my personal and professional life. Id witnessed it in the most casual and intimate settings and in the corporate caste system. An echo chamber of fragility. After I wrote the editorial, I thought I would feel better. A naive sentiment in retrospect. My community was in pain. Another one of us cut down, with no greater sense of when the change that we desperately demanded would come. I found that I was even more enraged, but now in a more resigned way. How to deal with more death, other than to hold the grief closer? Peter Prato In staring at my mourning, I began to collect the phrases that had triggered me the most variations on the same theme of a lack of accountability, a blithe uselessness and an emotional apathy. They communicated a silent expectation that the burden was mine to carry, that it was for me to orient and settle the speaker. My role was victim and teacher all at once. I was the antagonist, and they were the protagonist in their own narrative. Race was being done to them. This was the language of white America that I knew. Far away and up close. It sucked the air out of our exchanges. And I wanted to breathe. The first thing I looked at was my response. I could have been unbothered, dismissed my anger and moved on, as living in this country had taught me to do. But then I would have been without feeling something less (or more) than human, as a coping mechanism. That felt like a failure to me, a protective cocoon from that sharp emotional pain. I rejected that option. In a flash of Black anger, I wanted to act. My soul and sanity demanded it. I decided I was going to paint the phrases. Art as therapy. I wanted to create billboards as three-dimensional totems and reflect them as far away as possible. I wanted to return them energetically to their origins. I wanted to take these seemingly benign words and show the garish truth. Reveal the context of their meaning, back to its source. Away from me. Here If You Ever Want To Talk (Unsolicited kinship with no context.) For Your Selfcare (Unsolicited money being offered to pacify the speaker.) Im Ashamed Of My Complicity (Said by too many white women everywhere.) Im Just Here To Listen (For what, exactly?) The comments revealed an insatiable need to end a conversation that had never started. In all of the cases, I thought I was having one kind of dialogue, and realized in a flash that we were having a completely different exchange. This jarring shift, a violent and unpredictable break, betrayed a lack of understanding of their own cultural dysmorphia. Ive long held a private theory that we store emotional pain in our bodies, not just of ourselves, but of our ancestors. We collect these intangible things in our DNA, passed down from one generation to the next. I live in a country that has passed its morbid pain down for the last 400 years. It has warped the Black community in our simple (and invalidated) desire to be left alone to our successes and failures. But it has also haunted and twisted the white community in a much more acute way. It has created an abstract way of being empathetic to the pain of others, of other communities that exist alongside them. It has created an ocean (or an alternate universe?) of understanding between us a vast crevasse of awareness and emotional truth. When I began the process of painting the pieces, I decided to focus on the philosophy of what I was trying to reflect, not just the words. I trusted my bodys response, and every time I received an obnoxious I am here for you, my body would shudder. I tried to recreate that reflex with the letterforms. I wanted to show the disorientation. This broken cadence of a broken people. Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. In terms of the visual portrayal, Im influenced by many things: the hand-painted signs on shops on the island of Grenada where I was born; the classic typography I learned during college; a merging of formal education with unchecked creative instinct. Im also a graphic designer by trade. That means I stand in the union of how words form an undying marriage with images to share human information. Until I started being an artist four years ago, after running my brand/design studio, I never realized how crucial and essential that perspective was. I cant unsee the context in everyday life: the body language of human exchanges, the intonation of how speech is delivered, what is said and unsaid in an email exchange, the personal in the political. I cant look away. Much as I would like to. It is a sometimes overwhelming sensation to see the world continuously in this way, but it allows me to see the wonder and also honor its corruption. With gouache, watercolor and colored pencil, I use the structure of typography to create visual personalities in the language, declarations of a community looking to be racially policed. There is nothing benign about language. It carries weight and power, whether intentional or casual, nuanced or lightweight. I wanted to show the union of both. A twisted co-dependent marriage. I found myself staring at some words more than others as I worked. How many Is there were and how few yous. How the unstated yoke of religion framed the need to declare ones guilt up-front in the midst of a cultural catharsis, as a way of excusing action. How often ally was said to me, like a badge of white wokeness, appropriating the language of activism from the ease of a safe distance. Its a luxury to start the work at this point, and to stop when it becomes uncomfortable. George Floyd is not an invitation for a conversation that Ive been having my entire life. I personally dont care what any white person thinks about race. An intellectual rendering at this point in time is of no value to me, or anyone else. I dont care about your shame or your embarrassment. After I finished all of the pieces, I placed them on a single wall to regard them. I felt the film of other peoples unchecked emotion slide off my skin. I felt lighter. I remembered the initial conversation that had inspired the series. I remembered at the end of our texts, I asked him to take so loaded an exchange off of the platform. Give a call and lets talk as human beings, I wrote. I havent heard from him since. And I dont care. What I care about is that person identifying his intimate and political responsibility to reshape the world. That is the stuff that will add actual substance to the shared dialogue moving ahead. That is all that matters. Correction: This story previously misstated the department of the officer who killed George Floyd. He was a Minneapolis police officer. George McCalman is an artist and creative director in S.F. His Observed column appears in The Chronicle. Email: culture@sfchronicle.com Tushar Burman Technically, this is New Normal: Drive 2, after last weeks Mercedes EQC that will eventually grace these pages. Procrastination remains from Old Normal. Kia accommodated lockdown travel restrictions by making the new Sonet compact SUV available to us in the verdant climes of an MIDC industrial area, where they run a rather swank training centre. As is the fashion, health declarations were signed, temperature checks done and cars sanitised within an inch of their life. I, for one, am glad I dont have to take an obscenely early flight to an exotic location where I get to see the hotel room but once. I could use some free toiletries, though. By now, most readers will be familiar with the Hyundai Venue, the prime competitor for the Sonet. This is Kias version of that car, quite literally (theyre the same group of companies). Sure, its basically the same thing, but theres a lot thats changed, and in typical Kia fashion, quite a bit of flash. The Sonet will launch later this month at what we expect is between 11 and 13 lac rupees, and you get a lot for your money. Wild by Design The subhead actually is the tagline for the Sonet, and theyre on the money. Where the Seltos was all creases and slashes, the Sonet goes for a more organic look, with more curves. Its certainly an eye-catching design and makes the car look physically larger than its Venue cousin. Anecdotally, its captured the imaginations of the buying public. For me, the front is very aggressive, akin to the Kia Stinger sport sedan, while the rear has a European vibe to it. The side profile, though, is decidedly early 2000s Korean, and Im not a fan. Subtle, it is not, and we had the opportunity to witness a fully accessorised Sonet with all the chrome bits tacked on and it was... bright. But leave the tacky bits off, and its a looker. After the drive, I even convinced myself that I could learn to love it. The GT line cars that we drove had the red accents just like the Seltos, but to my eye, there seemed to be more of them. The wheels are 16 and fill the arches proportionally, while retaining a nice chunky side profile that helps with ride quality. I just wish theyd done something else with that C-pillar. Anything, really. Feature-packed Just like the Seltos before it, the Sonet comes with all the bells and whistles, and all the choices you could ask for in a vehicle. At last count, the Seltos came in 18 different variants, and for our sanitys sake, we hope the Sonet has fewer. My hopes are not high, however. We had three distinct variants to drive for the press event, which is new for me. There was a diesel auto, petrol auto and petrol iMT (intelligent manual transmission), of which we sampled the diesel and iMT. Theres also a 1.2l naturally-aspirated petrol motor on offer, which will likely make up the base of the range. I fully expect it to be uninspiring to drive, much like all the tiny motors from the last decade. Kia, like Hyundai before it, likes to throw the book at the top-end variants, leaving little to be desired. This was the case with the GT line cars we drove. Sunroof? Yes. 10.25 touchscreen? Yup. Automatic? Beshak! Cooled front seats? Of course. Voice commands? Doesnt everybody? Wireless charger? What kind of animals use wires? Then of course theres the updated UVO connected car package that claims 57 features, including app and smartwatch connectivity and a voice assistant that can occasionally be useful. Interior Again, like the Seltos before it, the Sonet has a very nice, quality feel to the interior. The dash is a mix of shapes and textures but mostly in black. Its an interesting design choice. Nothing looks or feels cheap. Its the sort of vibe youd expect in the car of the future from a 1990s movie. If theres something that sticks out, it is the strange, almost retro design of the AC display and buttons. The whole module literally looks decades older than the slick, glossy touchscreen just above it. Seats are comfortable and feel like quality. Being in GT line cars, we had contrast red stitching all over, while the pattern and texture added to the sporty feel of the interior. It is all dark though, so that may not be to everyones liking. Knee room worked well for my colleague and I. At 59, I was able to accommodate myself and my 57 colleague in the second row in comfort. Theres a decent 392-litre boot as well. Tech As is the fashion, Kia also includes the UVO connected car suite of features in the Sonet. Over the course of successive launches, theyve added features to it. At this point, you can control some bits of the Kia Sonet via a smartwatch, if you have one. The UVO system uses an embedded SIM card in the car to effectively connect it to the Internet at all times. This enables clever features like vehicle tracking, geofencing, remote start/AC start, locking/unlocking and such. These are all operated using the companion UVO app available on iOS and Android. We tried to remotely start and cool both the cars we drove, and the app always threw up an error. Remote locking/unlocking worked, but took 10-15 seconds to execute, which is an unintuitive experience. Everyones happy to throw in a voice assistant these days. If I had an assistant as good as the best of the connected car bunch, they would be out of a job on day one. Kias system in the Sonet seems similar to the one in Hyundai cars, and relatively speaking, I like it. It seems to recognise voice commands and phrasing accurately when it does -- but what it does with it is another matter. You basically have a handful of commands to control things like opening/closing the drivers window, changing AC temperature and navigating to destinations. Apart from getting directions, I cant imagine any other voice commands being quicker or more convenient to use than buttons. Also, I almost always had to say Hello Kia twice over for the system to come alive. Voice assistants in cars are a gimmick. Even the best of them are barely adequate for a couple of use cases. Ironically, Kia handed out goodie bags with Amazon Echo Auto devices to journalists, which works flawlessly. Better, even, than Siri or Google Assistant, because it picks up voice better. My sense is that hardware needs to get better for car voice assistants to be less infuriating. Then they can add features that actually matter. Driving impressions This is where the Kia Sonet appears to have aimed straight for the boundary, no bounces involved. The first car we sampled was the diesel automatic, which uses the same 1.5l diesel motor weve driven in the Seltos. It makes the same 115PS/250Nm and its mated to a very nice 6-speed torque converter automatic. The Sonet is a sub-4m compact SUV, and weighs less than the Seltos, so it stands to reason that progress is brisk. More ballsy colleagues were able to get it deep into triple-digit territory on the expressway. Torque is always present, and the automatic works very well with the power curve. Noise is well controlled and while you know youre driving a diesel, youre more likely to notice from the proper shove you get when you push the throttle like your luck. Kia is in a very good position with this BS6 diesel motor, a market vacated by the likes of Maruti, Nissan and Renault. Ride quality is also very good. Ive only had the briefest of drives with the turbo-petrol Hyundai Venue, so a proper comparison is impossible. However, my colleagues believe that the harshness felt on that vehicle is gone in the Sonet. Thing seem tidy around corners as well, and I believe the 215/60 tall tyres add a bit of extra comfort over our broken roads. Steering is light and par for the course, while visibility is confidence-inspiring. The stand-out of the day was our experience with the 1.0-litre turbo petrol mated to the iMT gearbox. Its a very strange experience working a 6-speed manual gearbox with no clutch pedal. Im familiar with stick-shifts as well as automatics, so some sort of combination of muscle memories worked for me, but its still strange. Essentially, you just slot it into whatever gear you like, and push the throttle. From a standstill, put it in first and the car even crawls like an auto! On the go, you use it just like a manual lift off the gas momentarily, slot it into the next gear and get back on. It works seamlessly and smoothly. We tried to stall it, but were unable to. Coming to a dead stop in 5th gear, the car just idled happily until we put it in neutral. I think this iMT is the one to get. As I understand it, it is cost-effective even compared to a traditional AMT, and has none of the frustrating learning curve. Its engaging and way safer than a traditional manual. Theres no chance of popping the clutch and putting the car into a wall or worse, a person, no way to stall it in traffic and has the engagement that manual enthusiasts love. I, for one, would prefer this immeasurably more over an AMT, especially when driving in the hills. The turbo-petrol the iMT was working with is a lively motor with 120PS/172Nm on tap. In my experience, the 170Nm number is the low-water mark for this size of vehicle. It feels good and that lovely, easy transmission allows one to keep the engine in the happy zone. I think this will end up being the fun variant to have, and cheaper than the 7DCT dual-clutch automatic. Mileage numbers on the cars displays were all over the place, so well have to wait for a proper road test to get some valid numbers. Verdict If most guesses about the price are right, we should the Kia Sonet come in between Rs 11 and Rs 13 lac. You get a lot of car for your money in that all-important SUV form factor. There are plenty of real choices with engine and transmission options, and the feature-set is standard-bearing. Hyundai should be worried, while also laughing their way to the bank. You can get a bit more space and more power in the recently-updated Renault Duster, but the trade-offs of an end-of-life model and the considerable premium are likely not worth it. Ground clearance and ride quality make this a practical alternative to executive sedans as well. Kia also leads in the tech space, but to me, that isnt a strong decision driver. The iMT stands out as the interesting variant and prospective buyers should definitely give it a go. Eager to show her support for a cause she considers important, Needville High School senior Calista Martinez drew the letters BLM short for Black Lives Matter with a black Sharpie on her blue face mask and wore it to school nearly two weeks ago. On the second day of wearing the mask, a teacher wrote Martinez a pass to the principals office the reason listed as Mask BLM, according to a photo of the pass that Martinez shared with The Chronicle. The schools assistant principal told her the mask was not permitted and that she had to take it off, Martinez recalled. She asked why. The administrator told her the masks message could create a conflict with other students, Martinez added. She asked the administrator why other students were allowed to wear masks in apparent support of President Donald Trump, who has attacked the movement. Well, yeah thats our president, she recalled being told. I was disappointed in them. I didnt understand. Martinez complied with the request until Thursday, when she says she again observed other students wearing pro-Trump masks and not being admonished. She wore her mask again, a move that she says drew her an in-school suspension. A family member notified the school that Martinez would be going home. Later Thursday, school officials announced a revised dress code for secondary students that requires face masks be free of any images, words and political slogans, according to an update posted on the high schools website. Displays of district, campus, Texas or American flag logos will be permitted. It remained unclear whether Martinez would continue to face discipline upon returning to school. A district spokeswoman said she was not aware of the development and that regardless, officials do not discuss student discipline issues. Im kind of happy that they changed the rule now, Martinez said Thursday evening. Im just upset that it took this longThey did all this for no reason trying to be difficult when they could have just banned all the masks in the first place. A district spokesperson said this week that Superintendent Curtis Rhodes had no comment beyond a previous statement that the Needville ISD was reviewing its dress code. The incident was first reported by KPRC-TV. The district is working through several novel issues as students return to school during the pandemic, including the requirement to wear face masks. I have learned that a student came to school wearing a Confederate flag and that student was told it was not permitted, Rhodes said. When a student wore a Black Lives Matter face mask, that student was told the same thing that face mask was not permitted. The district recognizes that it is important to provide students with guidance regarding what face masks are permitted and which are not. After receiving an initial warning about her custom mask, Martinez said, she expressed disappointment to the assistant principal who had told her to replace it. Once she removed the mask, the schools principal approached her during lunch, wanting to talk about her being angry with administrators. Im not mad, Im just disappointed, she said she told him. Well, you know, sometimes in life we cant get our way, Martinez recalled the principal telling her. The dispute in the rural school district 45 miles southwest of downtown Houston is the latest to arise over dress codes. Administrators in recent years have admonished students or issued in-house suspensions over the length of dreadlocks, etching a design in a fade haircut and wearing a hijab. The Texas branch of the American Civil Liberties Union sent a letter to hundreds of school districts last week, including 11 in the Houston region, asking them to change their dress code policies to allow young men to wear their hair long. Because many Houston-area students are returning to the classroom for the first time in months most districts turned to virtual instruction after the new coronavirus began spreading last spring questions about appropriate mask wear are fairly new. After a summer of protests about police violence against Blacks, Martinez said was she merely trying to stand with those drawing attention to the issue. Blacks comprise only 3.4 percent of students in the district, which is predominantly white or Hispanic. Its a serious matter and people need to know what is going on, she said of why she customized her mask. Im just trying to be a voice. alejandro.serrano@chron.com Kate Garraway has revealed how she celebrated her 15th wedding anniversary with Derek Draper on Thursday after being unable to visit him in hospital. Speaking on Friday's Good Morning Britain, the presenter, 53, revealed she will now be able to see him later in the day, but admitted it feels 'strange' as Derek is in a limited consciousness state. Derek, 53, was hospitalised back in March after suffering complications from contracting COVID-19, and has remained there since. Candid: Kate Garraway has revealed how she celebrated her 15th wedding anniversary with Derek Draper on Thursday after being unable to visit him in hospital Kate revealed: 'We did our best to make it special. We had him on FaceTime. We raised a glass to say happy anniversary. 'I have a card to take to read to him. He was a prolific card writer for birthdays. He'd always remember. And hopefully he'll do it again. 'It will be strange reading to him, but this time I have made a bit more of an effort.' Strange: Kate, 53, revealed she will now be able to see him later in the day, but admitted it feels 'strange' as Derek is in a limited consciousness state (pictured in December) On Thursday, Kate admitted she was having a 'tough' day being unable to see her husband. Sharing her feelings on air with Susanna Reid and Adil Ray, Kate said: 'It's actually Derek and I's wedding anniversary today, unbelievably 15 years today. 'What an extraordinary thing. I won't be able to see him today, I kind of hoped I would but it wouldn't work out that way for a visit Kate revealed: 'We did our best to make it special. We had him on FaceTime. We raised a glass to say happy anniversary' She explained: 'I have a card to take to read to him. He was a prolific card writer for birthdays. He'd always remember. And hopefully he'll do it again' 'But maybe it would be a bit strange anyway. So yeah, it's a tough day but he's still here. There's not a huge amount of change.' Kate said that she hadn't seen Adil or Susanna for a while, and went on: 'So much happens in those couple of weeks, there's so many seeming positives, but actually when I see people again it's just the same. 'But you have to think, at least he's here with you you have a flicker and then a bad day but you have just got to keep going really.' Kept apart: Kate returned to Good Morning Britain on Thursday and admitted it was a 'tough' day to come back as she had been unable to see her husband Derek fell victim to COVID-19 in March and was rushed to ICU and put in a coma - where he has been since. He is now in a limited consciousness and is unable to talk - but can hear things. His carers have been playing GMB on TV for him, while Kate is on. Kate returned to the studio having taken time out to settle her children into school, after what has been a challenging six months for the family. She shares Darcey, 14, and William, 11, with Derek. Tragic: Derek is now in a limited consciousness and is unable to talk - but can hear things. His carers have been playing GMB on TV for him, while Kate is on (pictured in December) Derek is one of an estimated just five people in the world whose bodies have been damaged so much by Covid. He has survived but for how long or even if he can recover the doctors cant say as his condition constantly fluctuates. Kate contracted coronavirus herself at the same time as Derek, but made a full recovery. Good Morning Britain airs weekdays at 6AM on ITV. French Prime Minister Jean Castex warned that the virus situation is obviously worsening in the country as health authorities recorded the biggest one-day jump in new cases since the pandemic began. Castex announced Friday that the self-isolation time for Covid-19 is reduced from 14 days to seven days because it is the period when there is a real risk of contagion and in order to better ensure the enforcement of the measure. Also read: Covid-19: France expects more severe infections in next two weeks French health authorities argued this week that the 14-day quarantine was not well respected by many in the country who considered it too long. Castex himself is on self-isolation this week after he was in close contact with a person infected with the virus. He also announced that specific testing centers will be set up to provide results in priority to people who have symptoms or have been in close contact with someone tested positive or are medical staff. People around France have reported long queues to get tested and several days to get the results. French authorities have reported 9,843 new cases Thursday and a steady increase in virus-related hospitalizations in recent days. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON UNODC assists Lebanon in increasing the security of its trade supply chain in the aftermath of the Port of Beirut explosion UN Photo/Evan Schneider Beirut (Lebanon), 11 September 2020 In anticipation of the challenges posed by the recent explosion in the Port of Beirut, the UNODC-WCO Container Control Programme (CCP) has completed an evaluation mission to assist Lebanese port and law enforcement authorities in the estimation of overall damage and to discuss potential measures to address these. The Programme will work with Lebanese officials to facilitate legitimate trade and to ensure uninterrupted delivery of urgent supplies and emergency goods into Lebanon, as well as enhancing the countrys enforcement capabilities to detect illicit cargo. Other forthcoming measures include enhanced inter-agency coordination in terms of performance and oversight of Port Control Units (PCUs) and Air Cargo Control Units (ACCU) at the Lebanese ports of Beirut and Tripoli, as well as at the Beirut International Airport. The aim is to ultimately introduce fast-track clearance and examination procedures for incoming container shipments. UNODCs CCP offered Lebanon to strengthen its resources on the ground to provide hands-on operational support to the countrys Customs agency representatives and law enforcement agencies at the Beirut international airport, the Beirut container freight terminal and the Tripoli seaport. We believe that CCP experts are well placed to assist Lebanese Customs to establish fast track clearance procedures, and ensure highest security in the containerised trade supply chain, said Bob van den Berghe, UNODCs Law Enforcement Expert (CCP) towards the close of his technical mission to Beirut and Tripoli last week. Our goal is to assist the countrys trade supply chain and profiling capabilities to move freight and cargo in the quickest, most reliable manner possible, without having to sacrifice safety and security oversight, he added. The Programme places a strong emphasis on both enhancing cooperation between the different participating agencies and ensuring the transparency and efficiency of these processes in close cooperation with the Lebanese authorities. CCP activities in Lebanon are made possible with support from Norway, Australia and Germany. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, September 11, 2020 08:12 497 e22cd4161040e111d73a5626c4428718 4 National erick-thohir,COVID-19,#COVID19,COVID-19-in-Indonesia,mask,masker,mandatory-regulation,Indonesia,COVID-19-death-toll Free The government is currently preparing personnel from various institutions to jointly carry out an operation to ensure the implementation of the mask-wearing protocol in subdistricts and villages across Indonesia amid the current spike of confirmed COVID-19 cases. The operation will involve personnel from the Indonesian Military, the National Police, public order agencies (Satpol PP), as well as prosecutors and judges. COVID-19 Response and National Economic Recovery Committee chairman Erick Thohir said President Joko Jokowi Widodo had directed that the country's 83,000 subdistricts and villages be at the forefront of COVID-19 management. Indeed, this wont be easy. Sometimes there is a perception that the government wants to carry out repressive actions, Erick, who is also the State-Owned Enterprises Minister, said on Thursday, as quoted by kompas.id. Read also: Wear your mask even if it's uncomfortable, Anies says However, Erick said, community discipline needed to increase given that COVID-19 deaths and confirmed cases continued to rise. He claimed that, despite the national case fatality rate continuing to fall, from 9 percent in April to 4 percent in September, the figure was still higher than the global rate, which stands at 3.27 percent. National Police deputy chief Comr. Gen. Gatot Eddy Pramono said what would help to enforce community discipline regarding mask-wearing this time was the involvement of prosecutors and judges in order to take a stricter approach toward violators. Gatot, who is also the deputy head of the national COVID-19 recovery committee, further said the joint officers would coordinate with regional governments to map the areas prone to infection, including markets and offices and conduct surveillance around the clock. However, he said community figures could also be involved under the direction of national security personnel. If they failed, he added, the government would step in with the operation. (syk) New Delhi: Delhi Crime branch detained the youtube prankster on Friday, Sumit Verma aka The Crazy Sumit, who posted an objectionable video on social networking sites recently. The police were on hunt for Sumit Verma after an FIR was lodged against him for posting video that drew rage from all sections of the society. In the viral video, Sumit was seen kissing random women in Connaught Place as a prank and running away. This video caught a rage amongst the audience and drew a lot of criticism on social media. This is not the first time that the Crazy Sumit posted the video. He earlier also posted some crazy stuffs like sleeping with people who are lying tired on city parks, snatching mobile phones of women walking on the streets. Delhi police has earlier said that FIR has been registered by the EOW under sections 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty) of the IPC and 67 (punishment for publishing or transmitting obscene material in electronic form) of the IT Act. The Delhi police cyber cell had also written to Facebook and YouTube asking them to provide the details of person who uploaded the video. Also Read: FIR registered against YouTube kissing prankster Sumit China is ready to take "conciliatory steps" in order to avoid new violations of the obligations on the India-Chinese border, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Friday, a day after holding a crucial meeting with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar over the current standoff in Ladakh. IMAGE: External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar meets with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on the sidelines of the SCO summit in Moscow on September 10, 2020. Photograph: ANI Photo. Speaking during a joint press conference with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Wang said troops and equipment should be withdrawn from the Line of Actual Control (LAC). "As for relations between China and India, the whole world follows developments. BRICS member-States are in contact on the matter, I discuss it all the time with Minister Jaishankar and India's security officials... Yesterday, I had a long conversation with my Indian counterpart (Jaishankar)," Sputnik quoted Wang as saying. "Indian partners expressed commitment to cooperation and dialogue for de-escalating tensions at the border. We are ready to take conciliatory steps... The most important thing is to avoid new violations of the obligations on the border... Troops and equipment should be withdrawn from the Line of Actual Control," he added. Jaishankar met Wang on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) foreign ministers' meet in Moscow on Thursday. According to a joint press statement about the meeting, the two leaders had a "frank and constructive discussion on the developments in the India-China border areas as well as on India-China relations." "The two ministers agreed that both sides should take guidance from the series of consensus of the leaders on developing India-China relations, including not allowing differences to become disputes," it read. Tension is high along the LAC as Indian and Chinese armies are engaged in a standoff at several points. The meeting came days after Chinese soldiers fired in the air while attempting to close in on Indian positions across the LAC in eastern Ladakh. The Indian Army had said on Tuesday that Chinese troops have been "blatantly violating agreements and carrying out aggressive manoeuvres". In a statement about Thursday's meeting, the Chinese defence ministry said the two sides have reached a five-point consensus regarding the current situation after a full in-depth discussion. This was the second high-level face-to-face meeting between the Chinese and Indian officials. Last Friday, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh told his Chinese counterpart General Wei Fenghe on the sidelines of the SCO dialogue in Moscow that attempts by Chinese troops to unilaterally alter the status quo along the LAC was in violation of the bilateral agreements, and Beijing should work with New Delhi for complete disengagement from all friction areas including Pangong Tso. COLUMBUS, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWines pick to lead the Ohio Department of Health backed out due to her concerns over the harassment experienced by her predecessor, according to a statement she provided to a South Carolina newspaper on Friday. In conversations preparing for the transition to the Ohio Department of Health, I was informed that the former directors family had faced harassment from the public, Dr. Joan Duwve, a public-health official with the South Carolina state government, told The State. While I have dedicated my life to improving public health, my first commitment is to my family. I am a public figure. My family is off limits. I withdrew my name from consideration to protect my family from similar treatment," she said. But a prominent Ohio anti-abortion activist said he believed Duwve would have faced opposition during confirmation in the Republican-controlled Senate, after an online resume surfaced that showed she had worked for Planned Parenthood, which provides a wide variety of services including abortions, for eight months 1984. DeWine, a Republican, opposes abortion and was elected to office in 2018 with support from anti-abortion advocacy groups. Before he announced Duwves hiring, some governors staff advised DeWine privately that her work history may pose issues in the Senate, a source said. The Ohio Department of Health regulates abortion clinics in the state and has the authority to close them down if they believe theyre violating the law. Anyone who takes the director position will be scrutinized for their present and past actions and views on the issue. There was absolutely zero chance of her being confirmed by the Ohio Senate, Ohio Right to Life President Mike Gonidakis said. Ohio Senate President Larry Obhof, a Medina Republican, hasnt commented publicly on Duwve. Duwve, in her comments to the South Carolina newspaper, likely was referring to protests that occurred at Actons home in suburban Columbus last June. Anti-abortion activists also dug through Actons personal life, publishing an interview with her estranged mother. Acton was just one of many public health officials who quit in the face of threats and harassment amid public backlash to coronavirus restrictions. She resigned in June, taking a job with the Columbus Foundation. Duwve will not be returning to her job in South Carolina, The State reported. Messages left with Duwve and the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control were not immediately returned. Dan Tierney, a DeWine spokesman, said the governors office has no comment on what Duwve told The State. He reiterated that DeWine was aware of her work with Planned Parenthood when he offered her the job. Weve already commenced work on continuing our search for the next person to lead the Ohio Department of Health and Gov. DeWine is confident that we will find the right person to lead that important agency," Tierney said. The developments show the increased politicization and scrutiny facing government health officials amid the coronavirus pandemic, and the related regulations that have restricted businesses and other aspects of daily life. DeWine had announced Thursday afternoon that Duwve, the director of public health for South Carolinas Department of Health and Environmental Control, would be his new health director, a cabinet-level job. But on Thursday night, DeWine announced Duwve had decided not to take the position after all, citing personal reasons. Duwves hiring set off criticism among political activists in Ohios social conservative circles, and privately, advisers to DeWine, after the online resume surfaced. Similarly, as Actons job became increasingly prominent during the coronavirus pandemic, anti-abortion activists and others in grassroots conservative circles increasingly pointed to her past volunteer role with President Barack Obamas 2008 campaign. NARAL Pro-Choice Ohio Executive Director Kellie Copeland was not surprised that Duwve said she had a change of heart: This is what happens when you mess around and put all this ideology into public health," she said, referring to around two dozen changes to Ohio abortion laws that the legislature passed in the last decade. Showing up at the home of abortion providers or harassing them online have long been tactics of extremists in the anti-abortion movement, she said. This has been the stock-in-trade of anti-abortion extremists for a very long time, she said. With the Republican Party frankly entertaining that, collaborating with those organizations for their political end goal, they sent the signal that this pressure is going to work. Even without a reference to Planned Parenthood on her resume, Duwve would have been thoroughly scrutinized over her willingness to ensure Ohio abortion clinics were following the nearly two dozen rules that have been added by the legislature in recent years for their continued licensure and operations. Gonidakis, the Ohio Right to Life President, said the anti-abortion movement in Ohio was shocked that DeWine had chosen someone who volunteered for Planned Parenthood. I spoke to the governor at length this morning, he called me, Gonidakis said Friday. We had a pretty long conversation. To say this caught us by surprise is an understatement. DeWine explained the applicant vetting process to Gonidakis. Quite frankly, Dr. Duwve worked for numerous conservative Republicans and is currently working for a conservative governor, Gonidakis said She had the recommendation of the U.S. Surgeon General, who also worked for Vice President Mike Pence in Indiana as the former Indiana Health Commissioner, Gonidakis said. I think a lot of boxes were checked by the governor and the lieutenant governor based on that, Gonidakis said. I think this situation opens eyes to do better due diligence when finding the appropriate people when working in their office. I have complete faith in Gov. Mike DeWine, and his pro-life values are the exact same as mine and that hasnt changed it. And an administrative mistake was made. Gonidakis believes that a combination of issues lead to an employment offer being extended to Duwve including her resume not being examined enough. Im not certain that every one of his senior staff shared all of his pro-life beliefs, he said. I dont know if that was part of it. Someone dropped the ball. Duwve is a Cleveland-area native, graduating from North Olmsted High School and Ohio State University as an undergraduate. She holds a medical doctor degree from Johns Hopkins University and a master of public health from the University of Michigan, according to her professional profile on the South Carolina state website. I very much appreciate Gov. DeWines confidence in me. I am grateful to Gov. McMaster, the incredible team at the Department of Health and Environmental Control, and the people of South Carolina, who have welcomed me so warmly," she told The State. By Sabrina Valle, Gram Slattery and Rodrigo Viga Gaier RIO DE JANEIRO, Sept 10 (Reuters) - The targets of a police operation on Thursday investigating alleged corruption at Brazilian state-run oil firm Petrobras include at least one manager who is still at the company, according to court documents seen by Reuters. Brazil's federal police served 25 search warrants as part of the sweeping "Car Wash" probe, one of the world's largest-ever corruption investigations. No arrests were made. The Thursday searches were related to alleged fraud related to 7.7 billion reais ($1.45 billion) of foreign-exchange transactions carried out between 2008 and 2011. Among the targets was Larry Carris Cardoso who was in a "relevant managerial" position in the finance department as of this year, according to a copy of the warrant request seen by Reuters. An internal company registry seen by Reuters listed him as an active employee. The inclusion of a current Petrobras manager in the latest probe shows the enduring difficulty of cleaning up the sprawling firm. Prosecutors say Cardoso was responsible for 228 foreign exchange transactions worth approximately 2.8 billion reais, in which some of the money may have been skimmed off the top and kicked back to corrupt actors. Various branches of Petrobras have been under investigation since 2014, when Car Wash began. Petrobras has since beefed up its compliance and launched a series of internal investigations in an attempt to weed out graft. Petroleo Brasileiro SA, as the company is formally known, did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the situation of active employees cited in court documents. Cardoso did not immediately respond to requests for comment sent by email and LinkedIn. In a May document submitted to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission by Petrobras, he is cited as the Loans and Financing Administration General Manager. Petrobras said in an earlier statement it is conducting internal investigations, adding it "actively collaborated with the authorities in the probe and provided information that resulted in (today's) operation." (Reporting by Sabrina Valle, Rodrigo Viga and Gram Slattery; Editing by Lisa Shumaker) The government is considering advice from the National Public Health Emergency Team about potential further restrictions in Dublin. The restrictions are likely to be focused on gatherings in people's homes with shops and businesses being allowed to stay open, similar to the model employed in Glasgow. There has been a rise in cases in the capital over the last two week. Dublin now has a 14-day Covid-19 incidence rate of 60 cases per 100,000 population significantly higher than the national average of 38 cases per 100,000 population, it was confirmed at a Department of Health briefing yesterday. Today, 196 new cases of coronavirus with 107 of those being in Dublin. Yesterday, there were 84 new cases of Covid-19 with 51 of those cases being in Dublin. RTE News has reported that Nphet will recommend a reduction in the number of social visitors to homes in Dublin. The reduction could see only six visitors from two household. Currently, six people from three households are allowed to visit homes. The opening of pubs that don't serve food on September 21 may also be restricted in Dublin, depending on how the level of cases is. Yesterday, Professor Philip Nolan, Chair of the NPHET Irish Epidemiological Modelling Advisory Group, said: While the reproduction number for Ireland as a whole is close to 1.0, the reproduction number for Dublin alone is approximately 1.4. "We are seeing increasing case numbers in Dublin, growing close to 5% per day. "If this were to continue, the number of cases would double every 14 days. Given the size of Dublins population it is essential we prevent any further spread now by limiting our social contacts and taking precautions during any essential contacts. A Cabinet sub-committee is currently meeting to discuss any potential further restrictions in Dublin. Nphet has been examining the model used in Glasgow where shops can stay open but social gatherings are limited. However, government sources have played down the chances of anything being decided this evening, with the government likely to see how the figures develop over the weekend. The British recouped further lost ground during July after a swath of restrictions on businesses were lifted, official figures showed Friday. However, it still has to make up around half the output lost at the peak of the lockdown and now faces renewed risks related to The Office for National Statistics said the British grew by a monthly rate of 6.6 per cent as many sectors started reopening after months of being idle during the lockdown. The hospitality sector, which includes, hotels, pubs and restaurants, reopened at the start of July, for example. Other sectors, such as manufacturing and house-building also continued their recovery, though industrial production and construction remain below their pre-crisis levels. July's increase means that the British has now grown for three months in a row in the wake of April's dramatic 20 per cent slide. Overall, the British economy remains 11.7 per cent smaller than it was in February before the full economic impact of the pandemic was felt. Economists think the pace of the recovery will moderate following of a recent pick-up in new virus infections that has seen the re-imposition of lockdown restrictions on social gatherings, for example. The looming end of a salary-support scheme and heightened uncertainties over a trade deal between the U.K. and the European Union are also expected to weigh on growth and, as a result, most economists think the economy will end the year around 8 per cent smaller than it was before the pandemic. We're likely to see the pace of expansion slow in August and September and stall as we head into the winter as the 'mechanical rebound' ends and unemployment rises, said James Smith, developed markets economist at ING. Concerns over a post- deal have become a particular concern over the past few days amid a souring in relations between the and the EU. The announcement from the British government that new legislation breaches elements of the withdrawal agreement, which allowed for the country's smooth departure from the bloc at the start of the year, has prompted a furious reaction from the EU and raised the prospect of an imminent collapse in the talks. Even before the current standoff, the trade discussions had made very little progress, with the two sides seemingly wide apart on several issues, notably on business regulations, the extent to which the U.K. can support certain industries and over the EU fishing fleet's access to British waters. The EU has been particularly insistent on ensuring that British-based businesses don't have an unfair advantage as a result of laxer social, environmental or subsidy rules in the British businesses are worried about a collapse in the talks that could see tariffs and other impediments slapped on trade with the EU at the start of next year. Most economists think that the costs of a no-deal outcome would fall disproportionately on the UK, as trade with EU accounts for around half the total. Supporters of have said that one of the benefits of unshackling the British economy from the EU is that it allows the country to sign trade deals with whoever it wishes the EU negotiates trade deals on behalf of all its members. On Friday, the British government said it had secured a free trade agreement in principle with Japan, its first major deal as an independent trading nation. HYDERABAD: COVID-19 cases are increasing in rural areas with each passing day and there is need for setting up government-run isolation centres in these areas to house coronavirus-infected patients, health minister Etela Rajendar has said. Reviewing the COVID-19 situation with senior department officials, he pointed out that families living in villages do not have facilities to isolate in their own homes those suffering from the coronavirus. Hence, there is need to set up isolation centres with all required facilities in rural areas. The minister instructed health officials to ensure that such centres also have adequate stocks of medicines and disposables, including protection kits, for medical and associated personnel. He wanted the health department to prepare itself for facing sudden spikes in COVID-19 cases. He pointed out that if there are one lakh new cases, then 15,000 of them will require hospital care. Arrangements must be put in place to treat 10,000 of these patients in government hospitals and the remaining 5,000 in private hospitals, he said. On availability of oxygen supplies at government-run hospitals, the minister went over plans for installing liquid oxygen tanks (LOTs) in 22 hospitals of the state. At present, Osmania General Hospital, Gandhi Hospital, and NIMS in Hyderabad, Kakatiya Medical College Hospital in Warangal, RIMS in Adilabad and Nizamabad Government Hospital have LOTs. Installation of LOTs has also been completed at the King Koti Hospital and TIMS in Hyderabad as well as at Mahbubnagar Government Hospital. Setting up of these tanks will be completed at 13 other hospitals selected across the state in the next three days, officials informed the minister. Rajendar said he has received several complaints at the legislature premises from MLAs and MLCs about medical equipment needing repairs in hospitals across the state. He wanted officials to prepare an inventory of all medical equipment in all government hospitals, their state of repair, and appoint personnel to carry out such repairs. At the same time, do not lose sight of other seasonal diseases and health conditions of people while focusing on COVID-19, the minister cautioned. "This is a massive blow to the government's strategy to contain the spread of COVID-19," said Simon Clarke, an expert in cellular microbiology at Britain's University of Reading. "It's likely that the coronavirus is circulating more freely out in the community again, meaning we are likely to need greater restrictions on our lives to push the transmission rate back." The signs of a new wave of infections emerged at the end of the summer as people began resuming parts of their pre-coronavirus lives, travelling overseas and socialising in cafes, restaurants and parks. Some people, especially the young, have been accused of relaxing their vigilance and not following rules on social distancing. Matt Hancock, the health minister, urged people not to jeopardise hard-won gains made against the virus during a two-month lockdown earlier this year. "The pandemic is not over, and everyone has a role to play to keep the virus at bay and avoid further restrictions," he said. "We've seen all across the world how a rise in cases, initially among younger people, leads to hospitalisations and fatalities." The United Kingdom has suffered more than 65,000 excess deaths from coronavirus, according to the governments statistics office, with a surge that lasted longer and spread to more places than those in other hard-hit European nations like Italy and Spain. French PM: no new lockdown over COVID-19 resurgence French Prime Minister Jean Castex said on Friday his government was not planning a new, nationwide lockdown to contain a resurgence in COVID-19 cases, but would instead implement a raft of less radical measures. He said these would include fast-tracked COVID-19 testing for priority cases, and giving local authorities the power to make some businesses reduce opening hours. France's Prime Minister Jean Castex said there would not be a new lockdown following a surge in virus cases. Credit:AP The number of new, confirmed COVID-19 cases in France rose by 9406 over the last 24 hours, the country's health ministry said on Friday, to stand at a total of 363,350. The number of COVID-19 deaths also climbed by 40 over the last 24 hours, to reach a total of 30,893 casualties. France's has the seventh-highest COVID death toll in the world. In March, France imposed a strict lockdown that succeeded in preventing the hospital system from being overwhelmed by COVID cases, but also dealt a severe blow to the economy. That lockdown was relaxed towards the start of May. Daily US virus deaths decline, but trend may reverse in autumn The number of daily US deaths from the coronavirus is declining again after peaking in early August, but scientists warn that a new bout with the disease this autumn could claim more lives. The arrival of cooler weather and the likelihood of more indoor gatherings will add to the importance of everyday safety precautions, experts say. "We have to change the way we live until we have a vaccine," said Ali Mokdad, professor of health metrics sciences at the University of Washington in Seattle. In other words: Wear a mask. Stay home. Wash your hands. The US has seen two distinct peaks in daily deaths. The nations summertime surge crested at about half the size of the first deadly wave in April. Deaths first peaked on April 24 at an average of 2240 each day as the disease romped through the dense cities of the north-east. Then, over the summer, outbreaks in Texas, California and Florida drove daily deaths to a second peak of 1138 on August 1. Some states Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, Nevada and California suffered more deaths during the summer wave than during their first milder run-in with the virus in the spring. Others Michigan, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Colorado definitely saw two spikes in infections but suffered fewer deaths the second time around. Now about 700 Americans are dying of the virus each day. That's down about 25 per cent from two weeks ago but still not low enough to match the early July low of about 500 daily deaths, according to an Associated Press analysis of data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. The number of people being treated for COVID-19 in hospitals in the summertime hotspots of Florida and Texas has been on a steady downward trend since July. UAE daily coronavirus cases surge to near peak level The United Arab Emirates health ministry reported on Friday 931 new daily cases of the coronavirus following a recent surge in infections that are near the highest since the pandemic broke out. Until last month, there had been a generally falling trend since the UAE's new daily cases peaked at 994 in May, but numbers have surged from 164 cases on August 3. The Gulf Arab state has recorded 77,842 infections and 398 deaths from COVID-19. The government does not disclose where in the country of seven emirates the infections or deaths occurred. About 10 million people, mostly foreigners, live in the UAE. A health ministry official on Thursday asked the public to adhere to social distancing and avoid gatherings and mixing with people known to have the virus, which she said accounted for about 88 per cent of cases. Loading The UAE had earlier enforced strict measures to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus, including locking down tourism hub Dubai for a month and months-long evening curfews nationwide. Most business and public venues have now reopened with some restrictions, and people must wear a mask outside homes. Dubai reopened to foreign visitors in July, although airports in the rest of the country remain closed to visitors. Abu Dhabi, the UAE capital and the largest and richest emirate, has restricted movement into the area to those with a negative COVID-19 test. Trump Biden 2020 Our weekly newsletter will deliver expert analysis of the race to the White House from our US correspondent Matthew Knott. Sign up for The Sydney Morning Herald's newsletter here, The Age's here, Brisbane Times' here and WAtoday's here. Writing of his own country, New York Times columnist David Brooks put the problem succinctly: Politics is no longer mainly about disagreeing on issues. Its about being in entirely separate conversations." Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews is under fire from Prime Minister Scott Morrison. Credit:Getty/Alex Ellinghausen I used to think Australia had avoided that extreme; that our political centre was broad enough for us to engage usefully in policy debate and emerge with a consensus. But the crisis of coronavirus has split us into rival camps that no longer talk to each other. Suggest that some COVID-19 restrictions be loosened, and you are accused by Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews and others of let it rip policies that would cause thousands of deaths. Twitter and Facebook are lands of one-eyed partisans. It stuns me to see people I otherwise respect, professors and journalists, who seem to just choose their side, close their minds, then fire. Where is the space for honest debate about the best policies to follow? Its a dialogue of the deaf. NEW YORK (AP) Americans commemorated 9/11 on Friday as a new national crisis the coronavirus pandemic reconfigured anniversary ceremonies and a presidential campaign carved a path through the observances. A woman wearing a flag mask joins others in prayer at the Tunnel to Towers ceremony, Sept. 11, 2020, in New York. Vice President Mike Pence and his wife Karen will attend the ceremony where the names of nearly 3,000 victims of the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks will be read by family members. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan) APAP In New York, victims' relatives gathered Friday morning for split-screen remembrances, one at the Sept. 11 memorial plaza at the World Trade Center and another on a nearby corner, set up by a separate 9/11-related organization. Mourners place flowers and pictures in the name cut-out of Kyung Hee (Casey) Cho at the National September 11 Memorial and Museum, Friday, Sept. 11, 2020, in New York. Americans are commemorating 9/11 as a new national crisis in the form of the coronavirus pandemic reconfigures and divides anniversary ceremonies and a presidential campaign carves a path through the observances. (AP Photo/John Minchillo) APAP The Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation objected to the memorials decision to forgo a longstanding tradition of having relatives read the names of the dead, often adding poignant tributes. Memorial leaders said they made the change as a coronavirus-safety precaution on the 19th anniversary of the deadliest terror attack on U.S. soil. Diane Massaroli holds flowers flags and photo of her husband Michael Massaroli who died during the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks at the World Trade Center, before a ceremony organized by the Tunnel to Towers Foundation, in New York. The names of nearly 3,000 victims of the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks are being read by family members. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan) (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan) APAP Kathy Swift arrived early at the alternative ceremony a few blocks away, wearing a T-shirt honoring her slain brother, Thomas Swift, who worked in finance. We still have to remember, said Swift, 61. The whole countrys going downhill. Its one thing after another, and now with the COVID. Im glad theyre still having this, though. A giant American flag is unfurled as the national anthem is plated at the National September 11 Memorial and Museum, Friday, Sept. 11, 2020, in New York. Americans will commemorate 9/11 with tributes that have been altered by coronavirus precautions and woven into the presidential campaign. (AP Photo/John Minchillo) APAP President Donald Trump and Democratic challenger Joe Biden both were due at the Flight 93 National Memorial near Shanksville, Pennsylvania. Trump is spoke at the morning ceremony, the White House said. Biden planned to pay respects there in the afternoon after attending the observance at the 9/11 memorial in New York, where he and Vice President Mike Pence, wearing masks, exchanged an elbow bump each at ground zero before the ceremony began with the usual tolling of a bell. A family member gets emotional at the Tunnel to Towers ceremony, Sept. 11, 2020, in New York. Vice President Mike Pence and his wife Karen will attend the ceremony where the names of nearly 3,000 victims of the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks will be read by family members. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan) APAP Biden offered condolences to a woman he spotted crying in the crowd of hundreds, Amanda Barreto, who lost her aunt and godmother in the attacks. Barreto, 27, said Biden wanted to let me know to keep the faith and wanted me to say strong, telling her he understood what it meant to lose a loved one. His first wife and their daughter died in a 1972 car crash, and his son Beau died of brain cancer in 2015. Lorna O'Hara holds a poster of her cousin, Brian Bilcher, a New York City firefighter who died on Sept. 11, 2001, during the attacks at the World Trade Center, before a ceremony organized by the Tunnel to Towers Foundation, Friday, Sept. 11 2020, in New York. The names of nearly 3,000 victims of the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks are being read by family members. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan) APAP Biden didnt speak at the ceremony, which has a longstanding custom of not allowing politicians to make remarks. From left, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Jill Biden with her husband Democratic presidential candidate and former Vice President Joe Biden, former NYC Mayor Mike Bloomberg, Vice President Mike Pence and his wife Karen, observe a moment of silence during a ceremony organized by the Tunnel to Towers Foundation on Friday, Sept. 11, 2020, in New York. The names of nearly 3,000 victims of the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks will be read by family members. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer) APAP Pence went on to the Tunnel to Towers Foundation ceremony, where he read the Bibles 23rd Psalm, and his wife, Karen, read a passage from the Book of Ecclesiastes. For the families of the lost and friends they left behind, I pray these ancient words will comfort your heart and others, said the vice president, drawing applause from the crowd of hundreds. A mourner kisses a rose through her face mask before placing it in a name cut-out of the deceased at the National September 11 Memorial and Museum, Friday, Sept. 11, 2020, in New York. (AP Photo/John Minchillo) APAP In short, the anniversary of 9/11 is a complicated occasion in a maelstrom of a year, as the U.S. grapples with a health crisis, searches its soul over racial injustice and prepares to choose a leader to chart a path forward. CEO and Chairman of the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation Frank Siller, speaks during a ceremony by his organization, Friday, Sept. 11 2020, in New York. The names of nearly 3,000 victims of the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks are being read by family members. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan) APAP Still, families say its important for the nation to pause and remember the hijacked-plane attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people at the trade center, at the Pentagon in Washington and near Shanksville on Sept. 11, 2001 shaping American policy, perceptions of safety and daily life in places from airports to office buildings. Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden talks with Maria Fisher, 90, whose son Andrew Fisher was killed in north World Trade Center tower, at the 19th anniversary ceremony in observance of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks at the National September 11 Memorial & Museum in New York, on Friday, Sept. 11, 2020. (Amr Alfiky/The New York Times via AP, Pool) APAP Around the country, some communities have canceled 9/11 commemorations because of the pandemic, while others went ahead, sometimes with modifications. The Pentagons observance was so restricted that not even victims' families could attend, though small groups can visit the memorial there later in the day. Cecilia Goldstein, whose daughter Monica died during the attacks on the World Trade Center listens as the names of the victims are read during the Tunnel to Towers 9/11 Commemoration Ceremony, Friday, Sept. 11, 2020, in New York. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer) APAP At the New York memorial, thousands of family members were still invited. But they heard a recording of the names issued from speakers spread around the vast plaza, a plan that memorial leaders felt would avoid close contact at a stage but still allow families to remember their loved ones at the place where they died. Democratic presidential candidate and former Vice President Joe Biden, center, greets Vice President Mike Pence, right, as Department of Homeland Security Acting Secretary Chad Wolf, far left, looks on at the National September 11 Memorial and Museum, Friday, Sept. 11, 2020, in New York. Americans will commemorate 9/11 with tributes that have been altered by coronavirus precautions and woven into the presidential campaign. (AP Photo/John Minchillo) APAP But some relatives felt the change robbed the observance of its emotional impact. The Tunnel to Towers Foundation arranged its own, simultaneous ceremony a few blocks away, saying there was no reason that people couldnt recite names while keeping a safe distance. Reverence for the dead requires that we read these names out loud, in person, every year, said foundation chair Frank Siller, whose brother Stephen was a firefighter. US Army Sgt. Edwin Morales salutes after placing flowers for fallen FDNY firefighter Ruben D. Correa at the National September 11 Memorial and Museum, Friday, Sept. 11, 2020, in New York. Americans will commemorate 9/11 with tributes that have been altered by coronavirus precautions and woven into the presidential campaign. (AP Photo/John Minchillo) APAP The readers stood at podiums that were wiped down between each person. Vice President Mike Pence speaks during a ceremony Friday, Sept. 11 2020, in New York. The names of nearly 3,000 victims of the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks are being read by family members. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer) APAP The two organizations also tussled over the Tribute in Light, a pair of powerful beams that shine into the night sky near the trade center and evoke its fallen twin towers. The 9/11 memorial initially canceled the display, citing virus-safety concerns for the installation crew. After the Tunnel to Towers Foundation vowed to put up the lights instead, the memorial changed course with help from its chair, former Mayor Mike Bloomberg, and Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Democratic presidential candidate and former Vice President Joe Biden, left, bumps elbows with New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, right at the National September 11 Memorial and Museum, Friday, Sept. 11, 2020, in New York. Americans will commemorate 9/11 with tributes that have been altered by coronavirus precautions and woven into the presidential campaign. (AP Photo/John Minchillo) APAP Tunnel to Towers, meanwhile, arranged to display single beams for the first time at the Shanksville memorial and the Pentagon. Over the years, the anniversary also has become a day for volunteering. Because of the pandemic, the 9/11 National Day of Service and Remembrance organization is encouraging people this year to make donations or take other actions that can be accomplished at home. President Donald Trump lays a wreath at a 19th anniversary observance of the Sept. 11 terror attacks, at the Flight 93 National Memorial in Shanksville, Pa., Friday, Sept. 11, 2020. At left is first lady Melania Trump. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) APAP US Vice President Mike Pence, left, greets New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy as they attend a ceremony at the 9/11 Memorial in New York to commemorate the 19th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, on Sept. 11, 2020. (Angela Weiss/AFP/Getty Images/TNS) TNSTNS Matthew Cook places his hand on the inscribed names of the deceased at the National September 11 Memorial and Museum, Friday, Sept. 11, 2020, in New York. Americans will commemorate 9/11 with tributes that have been altered by coronavirus precautions and woven into the presidential campaign. (AP Photo/John Minchillo) APAP Jersey City holds its annual Reflections 9/11 Memorial Ceremony to commemorate the 19th anniversary of the September 11th attacks, by the waterfront at the foot of Grand Street. (Reena Rose Sibayan | The Jersey Journal) Mourners pause at the north reflecting pool as flowers are placed in the names of the dead at the National September 11 Memorial and Museum, Friday, Sept. 11, 2020, in New York. Americans are commemorating 9/11 as a new national crisis in the form of the coronavirus pandemic reconfigures and divides anniversary ceremonies and a presidential campaign carves a path through the observances. (AP Photo/John Minchillo) APAP Marie D. De Jesus, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer Chron.com is following the latest headlines on the COVID-19 pandemic and its effects on the Houston area According to a Houston Chronicle analysis of state data, the statewide total of COVID-19 cases increased by 5,599 to 671,564 cases from Wednesday to Thursday evening, while deaths increased by 153 to 14,069. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- A firefighter and a civilian were injured Friday morning as the FDNY battled a blaze inside a Clifton apartment building. Both are expected to recover from their injuries and are being treated at area hospitals, according to a spokesman for the FDNY/EMS. Firefighters responded at about 9:42 a.m. to a fire on the fifth floor of a seven-story building at 260 Park Hill Avenue, the FDNY spokesman said. The FDNY battles a blaze in an apartment building at 260 Park Hill Ave on Friday, Sept. 11, 2020. (Staten Island Advance/Jan Somma-Hammel) The fire is thought to have started in apartment 5D, the spokesman said. An official cause is under investigation. Deborah Richard said she and relatives escaped without injury after her 4-year-old nephew alerted them. My nephew went into his room to get his iPod and he said, Oh Mommy, the room is on fire. We had to run out. The FDNY had 17 units with about 90 members operating at the scene. The fire was deemed under control in less than an hour, at 10:37 a.m., the spokesman said. Tower ladders were extended to the upper floors of the building where flames leapt out of some units. Members of Rescue Co. 5 left a 9/11 memorial ceremony in order to respond to the fire. The event, which took place at the companys quarters in Concord, featured prayers, candle lighting and moments of silence beginning at 8:46 a.m., the time Flight 11 struck the North Tower. The FDNY battles a blaze in an apartment building at 260 Park Hill Ave on Friday, Sept. 11, 2020. (Staten Island Advance/Jan Somma-Hammel) Residents watch as FDNY respond to fire in apartment building in Clifton, 260 Park Hill Ave. 9-11-2020 (Staten Island Advance/ Jan Somma-Hammel) FDNY responds to fire in apartment building in Clifton, 260 Park Hill Ave. 9-11-2020 (Staten Island Advance/ Jan Somma-Hammel) FDNY responds to fire in apartment building in Clifton, 260 Park Hill Ave. 9-11-2020 (Staten Island Advance/ Jan Somma-Hammel) FDNY responds to fire in apartment building in Clifton, 260 Park Hill Ave. 9-11-2020 (Staten Island Advance/ Jan Somma-Hammel) FDNY responds to fire in apartment building in Clifton, 260 Park Hill Ave. 9-11-2020 (Staten Island Advance/ Jan Somma-Hammel) FDNY responds to fire in apartment building in Clifton, 260 Park Hill Ave. 9-11-2020 (Staten Island Advance/ Jan Somma-Hammel) From the left, Jennifer Gray Brumskine, Liberian Community chairperson and Michelle Roller, advocate for the family coordinate with the Red Cross for the family of the burned apartments in 260 Park Hill Avenue. 9-11-2020 (Staten Island Advance/ Jan Somma-Hammel) Gipli family members that live in the burned out apartment at 260 Park Hill Avenue receive help from the Red Cross and community activists. 9-11-2020 (Staten Island Advance/ Jan Somma-Hammel) I think it is indisputable that Americas reaction to the relatively mild Wuhan virus has been excessive, if not hysterical. Polls suggest that most Americans grossly overestimate the extent to which the virus is fatal, especially to those who are less than 80 years old and not in compromised health. Why have Americans been systematically misinformed, and why have many states taken actions so plainly disproportionate to the risk? Many believe that COVID hysteria has been ginned up for a political purpose; that is, to give the Democrats something to talk about in this years election. My organization tested this idea in our quarterly poll, conducted just a week ago. The results have not yet been published, but here is how Minnesotansprobably a pretty good cross section of Americans, if anything leaning a bit to the leftanswered this question: Which of the following comes closest to how you see the future of COVID-19 in our lives? Or in other words, when do you think COVID-19 will no longer be as big of an issue? These were the answers: * 38% IT WILL CONTINUE TO BE AN ISSUE NEXT YEAR AND BEYOND, EVEN AFTER A VACCINE IS DEVELOPED * 27% IT WILL GO AWAY ONLY WHEN A VACCINE IS DEVELOPED * 20% IT WILL GO AWAY AFTER ELECTION DAY * 8% IT WILL GO AWAY ONLY AFTER MOST OF THE POPULATION HAS CONTRACTED IT * 7% DONT KNOW A substantial minority, 20%, believes that COVID hysteria is politically driven, and will disappear after the election. My view has been that this is too cynical, but here is a data point suggesting that the cynics might be right. Of all the foolish actions taken in response (or allegedly in response) to the COVID virus, the closing of our public schools is among the most irrational. For school-age kids, COVID is not as dangerous as the average seasonal fluwhich is to say, not dangerous at all. Nor is there any evidence to support a meaningful risk of students transmitting the virus to teachers. Nevertheless, in defiance of all evidence, schools have been shut down across America, as hard-left teachers unions hold kids hostage to a series of political demands. In Los Angeles, Americas largest school district, a local radio show obtained a tape of a conference call among LA school administrators that included Los Angeles County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer. The participants discussed the question when Los Angeles public schools might reopen. First the recording; you have to wait through the usual radio chatter to get to the tape at around 2:23. Then the relevant transcript. Listen to @John&KenShow Steve Gregory Catches Dr Ferrer Saying Schools Wont Open Until Election on Spreaker. This is what Dr. Ferrer said: We dont realistically anticipate that we would be moving to either tier 2 or to reopening K-12 schools at least until after the election, in early November. When we look at the timing of everything, it seems to us a more realistic approach to this would be to think that were going to be where we are now until we are done with the election. This raises obvious questions. What does the election have to do with the reopening of the public schools? And what does Dr. Ferrer mean when she says that were going to be where we are now until we are done with the election. Who is the we who will be done with the election? Teachers and administrators? LA County officials? Democrats? What exactly is the relationship of these groups to the election, that they need to be done with it before kids can go back to school? I dont know how to answer these questions except by saying that the cynics might have a point. Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-11 01:51:54|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close A voting meeting of Algerian People's National Assembly is held in Algiers, Algeria on Sept. 10, 2020. Algerian People's National Assembly Thursday unanimously adopted the draft of the new constitution, according to the official APS news agency. (Xinhua) ALGIERS, Sept. 10 (Xinhua) -- Algerian People's National Assembly (APN) Thursday unanimously adopted the draft of the new constitution, according to the official APS news agency. The draft of the new constitution was presented by Prime Minister Abdelaziz Djerad to APN (lower house of parliament) on Tuesday. The draft should be adopted by the Council of the Nation (upper house of parliament) before it is submitted to a referendum on November 1. President Abdelmadjid Tebboune appointed a committee to prepare a draft of the new constitution in January, and presented to political parties a preliminary draft in May to amend the constitution. According to a previous presidential statement, the draft constitution is related to basic rights and public freedoms, strengthening the separation and balance of powers, transparency, preventing and combating corruption and the independent national authority for elections. The most important proposals put forward by the draft amendment to the constitution include limiting the presidential term to two terms only and creating a vice president position appointed by the president. Boris Johnson said a Canada-style trade deal with the EU is still possible and remains his goal - Stefan Rousseau/AFP Boris Johnson has accused the European Union of threatening to impose a food "blockade" in the Irish Sea that would destroy the "economic and territorial integrity of the UK". Writing in The Telegraph, the Prime Minister made a passionate defence of his decision to alter the Brexit divorce deal, saying he has to protect Britain from the "disaster" of handing Brussels the "power to carve up our country". He also issued a direct plea to Tory MPs threatening to rebel over his plans, telling them that, if they stand in his way, they will reduce the chance of getting a trade deal with the EU. Mr Johnson insisted a Canada-style trade deal with the bloc is still possible and remains his goal, but that Brussels must "take their threats off the table" and rebel MPs must get into line. He also believes the UK will still "prosper mightily" under a narrower, Australia-style trade deal. The Prime Minister claimed the EU could effectively impose a food blockade across the Irish Sea by refusing to grant the UK approved "third party" status for food exports, which officials say Michel Barnier, the EU's chief negotiator, has "explicitly" threatened. Officials say Michel Barnier has 'explicitly' threatened to refuse to grant the UK approved 'third party' status for food exports - Leon Neal/Getty Images Europe The Withdrawal Agreement gives the EU oversight over goods of animal origin being transported from the mainland to Northern Ireland for four years, meaning Brussels could use an "extreme interpretation" to impose tariffs or declare such trade illegal. On Friday, Mr Johnson addressed Tory MPs in a video conference, telling them he wanted to "clear up a serious anomaly" in the agreement. The Government is trying to rush through legislation that would amend the Withdrawal Agreement and in particular its Northern Ireland protocol. Mr Johnson argues that he has been forced to act because of a "serious misunderstanding" in Brussels about the terms of the agreement, and must unilaterally make changes to it because it has become a "danger to the very fabric of the United Kingdom". Story continues The EU has told Mr Johnson that, unless he backtracks by the end of the month, the trade talks are over. Some senior Conservatives have expressed outrage after ministers admitted the move would break international law (see video below), and MEPs said on Friday they would refuse to ratify any trade deal if Mr Johnson's Internal Market Bill passed. But the Prime Minister has come out fighting, using his article to warn off the EU and the rebels within his party. He wrote: "Unless we agree to the EU's terms, the EU will use an extreme interpretation of the Northern Ireland protocol to impose a full-scale trade border down the Irish Sea. We are being told that the EU will not only impose tariffs on goods moving from Great Britain to Northern Ireland, but that they might actually stop the transport of food products from GB to NI. "I have to say that we never seriously believed that the EU would be willing to use a treaty, negotiated in good faith, to blockade one part of the UK, to cut it off, or that they would actually threaten to destroy the economic and territorial integrity of the UK." The Prime Minister said any such barrier would be "completely contrary to the letter and the spirit of the Good Friday Agreement" because undermining the Union "would seriously endanger peace and stability in Northern Ireland". He added: "This interpretation cannot have been the real intention of those who framed the protocol (it certainly wasn't ours) and it is therefore vital that we close that option down." Mr Johnson said he hoped the UK-EU Joint Committee led on the UK side by Michael Gove (watch Mr Gove updating MPs on Brexit in the video below) and set up to thrash out technical details of the Withdrawal Agreement, which is separate from any trade deal will be able to agree on a solution. But he said "we cannot leave the theoretical power to carve up our country to divide it in the hands of an international organisation. We have to protect the UK from that disaster, and that is why we have devised a legal safety net in the UK Internal Market Bill to clarify the position and to sort out the inconsistencies." Downing Street argues that the EU's interpretation of the Withdrawal Agreement would give it the power to interfere in the UK state aid regime and to decide which goods crossing the Irish Sea should be subject to checks. Mr Johnson told MPs his Bill would ensure that goods crossing the Irish Sea are not subject to unnecessary checks or tariffs. On Friday a group of more than a dozen MPs, among them former ministers, signalled that they would press ahead with attempts to bar the Government from overriding the Withdrawal Agreement without the support of Parliament (see video below). They intend to defy the whip and back an amendment tabled by Sir Bob Neill, the chairman of the Commons justice committee, who has already secured the backing of Damian Green, Theresa May's former deputy, and ex-solicitor general Sir Oliver Heald. Mel Stride, a former Treasury minister, said he would be surprised if the legislation survived without "very significant amendment", adding: "When we have a minister standing up at the despatch box saying we will be prepared to break an international treaty, that is a moment when you hold your breath a bit." The scale of the backbench criticism is believed to have alarmed Number 10 and forced the Government's Whips' Office to begin reaching out to MPs deemed "at risk" of rebelling. One MP contacted by their whip told The Telegraph Downing Street was "clearly worried" by the number of MPs speaking out. Another said: "I made it very clear [to my whip] that there hasn't been a sensible explanation of why we're pulling this stunt, given the damage it will do." Mr Johnson will hope his article, and the explanation he gave to MPs in a Zoom meeting on Friday, will have answered their questions. He wrote: "We must get this Bill through. So I say to my fellow parliamentarians that we cannot go back to the dark days of last year the squabbling that so undermined our negotiators. If we fail to pass this Bill, or if we weaken its protections, then we will in fact reduce the chances of getting that Canada-style deal." Senior Government sources on Friday accused Mr Barnier, Brussels' chief negotiator, of issuing an "explicit threat" to deny the UK approved third-party status for food exports in the event of no trade deal. Failure to issue the status, which is granted to non-EU countries and acknowledges that their agricultural systems meet basic standards, could also cause major complications for sending live animals or meat products to Northern Ireland after the transition period ends. Meanwhile, European Parliament leaders representing the majority of MEPs on Friday threatened to veto any future UK-EU trade deal unless Mr Johnson withdrew legislation seeking to alter parts of the Withdrawal Agreement (see Q&A below). In a statement, the pro-EU groups said that if the UK pressed ahead with the Internal Market Bill "in its current form" they would "under no circumstances ratify any agreement between the EU and the UK". However, British officials on Friday dismissed threats by Brussels to walk away from trade talks, with a senior figure close to the negotiations saying there had been "more productive" discussions this week than in previous sessions. They also suggested that the legislation which ministers admitted breaks international law in a "specific and limited way" may have salvaged a trade deal rather than increasing the chances of no deal. UK officials are now confident that they have got EU leaders' attention at an earlier stage of the talks than they would otherwise have done. With the two sides due to meet again in Brussels this week, they added that the basis for a deal by mid-October remained. What do you think of the PM's decision to alter the Brexit divorce deal? Join the conversation in the comments below. KHABAROVSK, Russia -- In this remote Russian city near the border with China, political protests have become a daily ritual. On weekday evenings, dozens of people march along the main road, cursing the Kremlin as cars swerve past and amused passersby take photos. On Saturdays, a carnivalesque mood takes over with thousands treading a circuit around the city center, chanting, "We need the support of the whole country!" The arrest on July 9 of the region's popular governor, Sergei Furgal, sparked an unexpected outpouring of public anger that has persisted ever since, gradually shifting in focus from Furgal's arrest to a denunciation of President Vladimir Putin's continued rule and, while dwindling in size, laying the foundations for a political movement the Kremlin may struggle to rein in. "Putin has turned Russia into a pariah state," Aleksei Libatov, a Khabarovsk native employed in logistics, said at a recent protest. "And Khabarovsk should become the root of a new political system." Two years after a controversial pension reform that accelerated a decline in Putin's approval ratings, Russia's Far East as a whole continues to whir with a palpable undercurrent of discontent. Ahead of regional elections on September 13, Libatov and other protesters hope to set an example for voters in other parts of Russia that desire change. Amid falling real wages and economic stagnation compounded by fallout from Russia's devastating coronavirus crisis, few expected the city of Khabarovsk to become the hotbed of protest; the surrounding region of Khabarovsk lies seven time zones and 6,500 kilometers from Moscow, a physical distance that compounds the sense of detachment from Russia's capital. But a widespread sense that Moscow has not addressed protesters' demands has prompted many to keep coming out till it does. "There's a sense of resentment, that no one needs us, and all this spills out in the protests," said Ildus Yarulin, a professor of politics at Pacific Ocean State University in Khabarovsk. "A process of political maturation is taking place among those who join them." In September 2018, the Khabarovsk region voted overwhelmingly for former scrap-metal trader Furgal, dealing a humiliating defeat to a candidate backed by the ruling United Russia party. It was the expression of a democratic choice cherished by a local population that feels neglected by Moscow -- so when Furgal was pulled from his SUV in July and whisked to the capital charged with ordering a slew of murders he denies involvement in, voters in Khabarovsk felt robbed of their chosen leader and now increasingly feel ignored by the political center. But it was Putin's appointment on July 20 of a replacement governor, Mikhail Degtyaryov, that tied the Russian leader personally to Furgal's downfall and incensed a protest movement that had initially avoided citing the president's name. Among activists in Khabarovsk, the bumbling and uncouth Degtyaryov became an object of ridicule that only exacerbated their sense that Moscow cared little about their views. "They've been silent for two months, acting as if we don't exist," Andrei Botal, an amateur musician from Khabarovsk, said of the Kremlin. "It shouldn't be that way." On September 5, Botal, 50, headed up a column of several thousand people, playing on his guitar a song -- titled There Will Be More Of Us -- that he penned to reinvigorate the protest movement. Botal, like others who came out that day, acknowledged the dangers of participating in what Russian law deems an illegal event, but said the rare feeling of unity trumped the risks. "There is joy about the fact that people are united, and speaking with one voice," he said. "But there's also fear about what might happen. We know how the authorities may react." Indeed, while the rallies have not been broken up by police, many outspoken or high-profile participants have been fined or arrested. According to the mayor's office, at least 170 civil lawsuits have been launched for participation in the unsanctioned protests, and 22 people have been detained since July 11. Against the backdrop of a political crisis in Belarus, what spooks the Kremlin most about the ongoing unrest in Khabarovsk is that it coincides with local elections that the opposition has succeeded in turning into a contested political event, and one that threatens United Russias stranglehold on regional politics. Residents in 23 of Russia's regions will go to the polls to elect local governors and parliament deputies - Khabarovsk will not be one of them, but its protests are fueling tensions ahead of the vote. Last year, it was the Khabarovsk region that demonstrated its potential as a force of political disruption -- United Russia suffered a big loss in the region, with Furgal's nationalist Liberal Democratic Party recording a landslide victory and the ruling party only winning two seats in its 35-seat parliament. The authorities appear to be taking no chances. This week, the Federal Security Service (FSB) raided the offices of opposition groups across Russia. In Novosibirsk, two assailants threw a glass jar containing a foul-smelling chemical liquid into a room where activists were training election monitors for the upcoming vote, causing two people to fall ill. In Khabarovsk, the local chapter of opposition leader Aleksei Navalny has opted to play the long game, choosing not to try and head up the protest movement but rather monitor carefully the sentiments that underpin it. Aleksei Vorsin, its 32-year-old head, was recently released after serving 10 days in jail for urging a general strike at a protest on August 15. He concedes that Saturday turnout has fallen but insists Khabarovsk will not settle down. "I had said that if we don't find a new form of protest, then it'll fade. But protest moods will remain into the future," he told RFE/RL in an interview. "Putin has lost Khabarovsk forever." The Khabarovsk protests have in many ways subsumed the agendas of other popular movements and events that have dominated the news cycle in Russia. Navalny, convalescing in a Berlin hospital after being poisoned in Russia with what Germany says was a Soviet-produced military-grade nerve agent, features on posters carried in Khabarovsk. Mass protests in Belarus, now into their second month, are cited here as an example to follow. For many protesters, the huge rally of July 27, when an estimated 60,000 gathered in Khabarovsk and other cities in the region, seems a distant memory. Recent weeks have seen several thousand at most take up their banners and take to the city center. But few, despite the drop in turnout, believe the anger that fuels it will abate. "The protest is now smoldering, like a peat bog still aflame. For now there's still a visible fire, but the widespread sense of discontent is being internalized," Yarulin said. "And this discontent will soon become a major political challenge." Dublin, Sept. 10, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Global Pulse Oximeter Market 2019-2028" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. According to this report the global pulse oximeter market is predicted to progress at a CAGR of 5.57% during the forecasting period 2019-2028. The upsurge in healthcare spending across the world is primarily driving the growth of the global pulse oximeter market. The ever-increasing aging population is fueling the demand for these devices due to the prevalence of chronic diseases in this age sector. Also, the rate of occurrence of respiratory diseases is on a rise, which is also likely to boost the global market growth. Portable pulse oximeters are increasingly gaining traction and are estimated to create new business opportunities for the market. However, lack of awareness regarding the use of these devices is hampering the market growth. Besides, stringent regulations introduced for patient safety are also impacting the growth of the pulse oximeter market. The global market report covers the countries from the Middle East and Africa, North America, Europe, the Asia-Pacific and Latin America. The Middle East and Africa is likely to be the fastest-growing region for the pulse oximeter market in the projected period. There is a high incidence of asthma reported in countries like Turkey, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and South Africa. This is due to factors like excessive tobacco smoking and heavy exposure to dust & sand storms in this region. Besides, the region is witnessing extensive research activities for the advancement of different applications of pulse oximeters. These factors are likely to influence the regional market growth positively. The major companies in the pulse oximeter market are BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company), Smiths Medical Group Limited, Cas Medical Systems Inc (Acquired by Edwards Lifesciences), Nonin, Zensorium, Invacare Corporation, Medtronic, Opto Circuits Limited, Koninklijke Philips NV, Nihon Kohden Corporation, Welch Allyn, MASIMO, Spacelabs Healthcare, GE Healthcare (General Electric Company), and Omron Corporation. Established in 1897, BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company) is a global medical technology company involved in the development, production and marketing of laboratory equipment, medical devices and diagnostic products. The company has a wide product portfolio, including respiratory ventilation & diagnostics equipment, syringes & pen needles, infusion pumps & disposables and instruments to detect infectious diseases, cancers and healthcare-associated infections. The company serves the pharmaceutical industry, healthcare institutions, clinical laboratories, life sciences researchers and the general public. The Alaris EtCO2 Module, provided by the company, when integrated with Alaris PCA Module, is used for continuous respiratory monitoring. Key Topics Covered: 1. Global Pulse Oximeter Market - Summary 2. Industry Outlook 2.1. Market Definition 2.2. Porter's Five Forces Model 2.2.1. Threat of New Entrants 2.2.2. Threat of Substitute Products 2.2.3. Bargaining Power of Buyers 2.2.4. Bargaining Power of Suppliers 2.2.5. Competitive Rivalry 2.3. Key Insight 2.4. Market Attractiveness Index 2.5. Political & Legal, Economic and Technological Outlook 2.6. Utilization of Pulse Oximeter in Covid-19 Monitoring 2.7. Vendor Scorecard 2.8. Market Drivers 2.8.1. Surging Healthcare Spending 2.8.2. Growing Aging Population 2.9. Market Restraints 2.9.1. Small Players Offering Low-Cost, Poor Quality Devices 2.9.2. Lack of Cognizance Concerning the Usage of Pulse Oximeter 2.10. Market Opportunities 2.10.1. Surging Prevalence of Respiratory Diseases 2.10.2. Increasing Demand for Portable Pulse Oximeter 2.11. Market Challenges 2.11.1. Stringent Regulation 3. Global Pulse Oximeter Market Outlook - by Component 3.1. Table-Top/Bedside Pulse Oximeter 3.2. Fingertip Pulse Oximeter 3.3. Handheld Pulse Oximeter 3.4. Pediatric Pulse Oximeter 3.5. Wrist-Worn Pulse Oximeter 4. Global Pulse Oximeter Market Outlook - by Industry Vertical 4.1. Hospitals & Other Healthcare Facilities 4.2. Homecare 5. Geographical Analysis 5.1. North America 5.1.1. Market by Component 5.1.2. Market by Industry Vertical 5.1.3. Country Outlook 5.1.3.1. The United States 5.1.3.2. Canada 5.2. Europe 5.2.1. Market by Component 5.2.2. Market by Industry Vertical 5.2.3. Country Outlook 5.2.3.1. Germany 5.2.3.2. France 5.2.3.3. United Kingdom 5.2.3.4. Italy 5.2.3.5. Russia 5.2.3.6. Spain 5.2.3.7. Rest of Europe 5.3. Asia-Pacific 5.3.1. Market by Component 5.3.2. Market by Industry Vertical 5.3.3. Country Outlook 5.3.3.1. Japan 5.3.3.2. China 5.3.3.3. India 5.3.3.4. Australia & New Zealand 5.3.3.5. South Korea 5.3.3.6. Asean Countries 5.3.3.7. Rest of Asia-Pacific 5.4. Latin America 5.4.1. Market by Component 5.4.2. Market by Industry Vertical 5.4.3. Country Outlook 5.4.3.1. Brazil 5.4.3.2. Mexico 5.4.3.3. Rest of Latin America 5.5. Middle East and Africa 5.5.1. Market by Component 5.5.2. Market by Industry Vertical 5.5.3. Country Outlook 5.5.3.1. Saudi Arabia 5.5.3.2. Turkey 5.5.3.3. United Arab Emirates 5.5.3.4. South Africa 5.5.3.5. Rest of Middle East & Africa 6. Company Profiles 6.1. GE Healthcare (General Electric Company) 6.2. Invacare Corporation 6.3. Omron Corporation 6.4. Nihon Kohden Corporation 6.5. Smiths Medical Group Limited 6.6. Zensorium 6.7. BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company) 6.8. Welch Allyn 6.9. Nonin 6.10. Opto Circuits Limited 6.11. Masimo 6.12. Koninklijke Philips Nv 6.13. Spacelabs Healthcare 6.14. Cas Medical Systems Inc (Acquired by Edwards Lifesciences) 6.15. Medtronic 7. Research Methodology & Scope 7.1. Research Scope & Deliverables 7.1.1. Objectives of Study 7.1.2. Scope of Study 7.2. Sources of Data 7.2.1. Primary Data Sources 7.2.2. Secondary Data Sources 7.3. Research Methodology 7.3.1. Evaluation of Proposed Market 7.3.2. Identification of Data Sources 7.3.3. Assessment of Market Determinants 7.3.4. Data Collection 7.3.5. Data Validation & Analysis For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/i2efjq Story continues Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research. CONTACT: CONTACT: ResearchAndMarkets.com Laura Wood, Senior Press Manager press@researchandmarkets.com For E.S.T Office Hours Call 1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call 1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 New Delhi, Sep 11 : Over the years, robotic-assisted surgeries (RAS) have made a significant contribution to the Indian healthcare industry. According to several surgeons, robotic-assisted surgery can provide them with the ability to perform many types of complex surgical procedures with more precision, flexibility and control than traditional techniques. According to a Research and Markets report, the growth of the Indian robotic-assisted surgical technique is on the upward path, and a CAGR of 19.8 per cent is anticipated between 2019 and 2024. Shorter recovery period post-surgery, less pain and less blood loss are the features attributed to robotic-assisted surgeries. They are considered to be a better alternatives to open surgeries and laparoscopic surgeries where the incisions made are large and usually have longer recovery time. For instance, a 52-year-old patient diagnosed with prostate cancer was worried about the long-lasting side-effects like trouble with urination, bowel problems and erectile dysfunction. After undergoing robotic-assisted radical prostatectomy, he is living a normal life without any side-effects. Robotic-assisted surgeries came to the aid of critical patients, especially when elective surgeries were put on hold during the Covid-19 lockdown. Somshekhar, Chairman and Robotic Surgeon at Hipec Super Specialist Manipal Comprehensive Cancer Centre, said, "Hospitals kept non-Covid surgeries on hold at the start of the pandemic, fearing transmission of infection. But critical surgeries had to be completed quickly and RAS helped. We could complete over 350 surgeries using robots since the lockdown." Robotic-assisted surgeries have made an important contribution to India's patient and healthcare system, and it will be an important part of its future. The inauguration of the robotic-assisted surgery facility at the Safdarjung Hospital in the national capital by Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan in 2019 represented an important milestone for RAS in India. Anup Kumar, Head of Department, Urology and Renal Transplant at Safdarjung Hospital, said, "It is exciting to be a part of the growth journey of robotic-assisted surgery in India. Indian surgeons are now adopting to RAS primarily because of the promising results and the potential for good patient outcomes." Another such specialist, Kishore T.A. from the Aster DM Hospital, said that robotic-assisted surgery has been a huge advancement for urology and other surgical specialties. "In surgeries, I need a superior view of the operating area and robotic-assisted surgery offers a 3DHD image of the target anatomy, which helps us operate with precision. In smaller areas like the pelvis, the movement of the human hand can be restricted, but with robotic-assisted surgery, I can rotate the wristed instruments more than I can rotate my hand in an open surgery," he added. India is currently home to more than 500 robotic surgeons using da Vinci systems and more than 70 da Vinci systems have been installed at various government and private hospitals. These numbers are expected to grow substantially in the coming years, providing patients and surgeons with an alternative to traditional techniques. "The future of robotic-assisted surgery continues to be bright in India, as surgeons and patients are realising the positive clinical and patient outcomes, and there is an increased interest from both public and private hospitals to adopt robotic-assisted surgery," said Mandeep Kumar, Vice President and Country GM, Intuitive India. Intuitive began its direct operations in India in 2018, after realising the market potential and opportunity of robotic-assisted surgery. Axios Amy Harder moderated an event Thursday that included Ernest Moniz, energy secretary under former President Barack Obama, where she asked him about some significant developments. The big picture: The event presented research looking at the challenges of transitioning communities heavily dependent on oil, natural gas and coal to cleaner energy sources to address climate change. What they're saying: Amy also asked about three areas of focus in the news recently. Here are summaries and excerpts of those exchanges: Amy: To what extent do you think variable wind and solar contributed to Californias recent rolling blackouts? The nonprofit you run, Energy Futures Initiative, issued a report last year detailing how important long-term, seasonal storage is to California's plans to ramp up its renewable energy. Ernest Moniz: The issues that led to the recent rolling blackout problems were quite apparent. The message there is not dont do solar. Its about addressing the system in a way that maintains reliability and manages the risk at all times. Unfortunately that is not the current ground truth. Im not saying that solar caused the problem, but the reality is, of course, California is way out in front in solar deployment and clearly there is nothing like the storage capacity to move that resource from the afternoon into the evening, so thats a fact. You really got to have the system integration and the risk management approaches coming together to make sure you dont have reliability problems. Amy: You say that a key reason big action on climate change hasnt occurred is because communities relying on oil, natural gas and coal dont see a viable future for them. Some environmental activists say its not so much the workers, but the big fossil-fuel companies that are blocking action. To that end, theyre calling on the presidential campaign of Joe Biden to not take advice from officials who are connected to the fossil-fuel industry, which they say includes you and several other officials from the Obama administration. They cite your position on the board of Southern Company, an electric utility with a mix heavy on natural gas and coal. Moniz: I do not agree with the characterization of the Southern Company as a fossil fuel company. Its an electricity utility. It also is a natural gas supplier at a retail level. But thats [like] the statement that anybody who drives an internal combustion car is a fossil fuel company because they use them. I think thats the wrong way to look at it. Moniz went on to say that since he joined the board in March 2018, the company has been more active in reducing its carbon footprint. We should be looking at these companies as part of the solution as long as they keep at it. I just think its the wrong attitude. The attitude is its about the carbon. Amy: What is the state or region that you think will have the most difficult time transitioning to a clean-energy economy? Why? Moniz: New England. Moniz then went on to say that that region has in recent years opposed new and existing energy infrastructure, like natural-gas pipelines, hydropower and nuclear power plants that could help reduce emissions. There are a lot of nos. Where are the yeses? If we are going to go to low carbon, where is it all going to come from? Its not all going to come from offshore wind. Thats why we need pragmatic, realistic solutions. Go deeper: Click here to see a full video of the event. President Donald Trump has praised JPMorgan Chase & Co for a plan to bring some senior managers back to its offices on September 21. 'Congratulations to JPMorgan Chase for ordering everyone BACK TO OFFICE on September 21st. Will always be better than working from home!' Trump said in a tweet on Friday. A source familiar with the matter told DailyMail.com on Thursday that JPMorgan's plan to bring sales and trading employees back to the office in late September was only directed at senior managers, contradicting earlier reports that all workers in those departments would be returning. Trading chief Troy Rohrbaugh and Marc Badrichani, the bank's global head of sales and research, delivered the message in conference calls with senior managers on Wednesday morning, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter. President Donald Trump has praised JPMorgan Chase & Co for a plan to bring some senior managers back to its offices on September 21 JPMorgan Chase & Co executives have reportedly told senior employees of the bank's sales and trading operation that they and their teams must return to HQ (above in a file photo) Employees with child-care issues and medical conditions that make them more vulnerable to coronavirus complications can continue working from home, according to the report. A spokesperson for JPMorgan declined to comment when reached by DailyMail.com. A source familiar with the matter told DailyMail.com that the bank believes working in the office strengthens culture, creates a more cohesive working environment and is important for training. The person said that the September 21 deadline only applied to senior managers on the sales and trading teams, and not all employees as the Journal report initially claimed. When the pandemic struck New York with force in mid-March, many employers were forced to hastily implement remote-working policies, with little time to plan ahead. JP Morgan's trading floor is seen above in a file photo. When the pandemic struck New York with force in mid-March, many employers were forced to hastily implement remote-working The empty streets of lower Manhattan are seen on Thursday. Only 26 percent of employers said they expected office workers to return by the end of the year Bosses of trading floors in particular feared that the move would damage business, with the lost of the boisterous camaraderie and high-tech work stations in the move to working from home. Yet the fears of many bank executives have not come to pass, with investment banking and trading revenue hitting an eight-year high in the first half of 2020, according to data from industry research group Coalition cited by the Journal. With its move to bring traders back to the office on the cusp of flu season, when the incidence of most respiratory viruses explodes, JPMorgan is making a risky gamble that it can safely resume office operations with the pandemic far from over. Although New York City over the summer has seen the positive test rate for COVID-19 drop below 1 percent, most other Manhattan employers are being far more cautious. People are seen on the outdoor square in Hudson Yards in New York City on Wednesday As of last month, fewer than 10 percent of Manhattan's one million office workers had returned to working on-site, according to a survey from the Partnership for New York. Only 26 percent of employers said they expected office workers to return by the end of the year, and a total of 54 percent expected to return by July 2021. Nearly a third of employers said they didnt yet know their plans for returning employees to the office. Tech employers expect 74 percent of employees to return to the office by July 2021, while finance and insurance employers expect 55 percent and consulting firms expect 50 percent. Accounting, media and hospitality employers all expect to be back in the offices by July at much lower rates. The BNSTSOM-VMHSF-1-NTSVglut2 neural circuit regulates chronic stress-induced bone loss. Credit: SIAT Clinical studies have found that bone mineral density in patients with anxiety or depression is lower than in ordinary people. The brain, commander of the body, receives and processes external signals, and then sends instructions to peripheral bones. But how does anxiety induce a decline in bone mineral density? Researchers from the Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology (SIAT) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and their collaborators now have an answer. They found that a central neural circuit from the forebrain to the hypothalamus mediates chronic stress-induced bone loss via the peripheral sympathetic nervous system. Their study was published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation on September 10. The researchers found that isolation can significantly increase anxiety levels, thus inducing bone loss in human subjects. Biochemical analysis showed that prolonged isolation increases the concentration of norepinephrine and decreases osteogenic markers in serum. These changes were consistent with the observation of elevated anxiety and reduced bone formation in subjects. In order to identify the neural mechanism underlying chronic stress-induced bone loss, the research team used a mouse model where mice were subjected to unpredictable chronic mild stress. They found that after four to eight weeks of chronic stress, the mice displayed significant anxiety behaviors. The bone mineral density of the mice in the stress group was significantly lower than in the control group. These results confirmed the correlation between stress-induced anxiety and bone loss in experimental animals, and provided a good animal model for follow-up neural mechanism analysis. Through extensive experiments, researchers identified a population of inhibitory neurons expressing somatostatin in the brain nucleus that are known as the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) in the forebrain. These neurons were activated when animals showed anxiety behaviors and transmitted 'anxiety' information to the neurons in the ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH). "Activating the BNST-VMH neural circuit can simultaneously induce anxiety-like behaviors and generate bone loss in the mice, whereas inhibition of this circuit can prevent stress-induced anxiety and bone loss at the same time," said Prof. Yang Fan from SIAT, the co-first and co-corresponding author of the study. Furthermore, the researchers discovered that glutamatergic neurons in nucleus tractus solitaries (NTS) and the sympathetic system were employed to regulate stress-induced bone loss. "This study provides a new perspective for the systematic study of the regulatory mechanism of brain homeostasis on metabolism and endocrine function of the body in special environments," said Prof. Wang Liping, Director of the Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute of SIAT. Explore further Scientists show how brain circuit generates anxiety More information: Fan Yang et al, A GABAergic neural circuit in the ventromedial hypothalamus mediates chronic stress-induced bone loss, Journal of Clinical Investigation (2020). Journal information: Journal of Clinical Investigation Fan Yang et al, A GABAergic neural circuit in the ventromedial hypothalamus mediates chronic stress-induced bone loss,(2020). DOI: 10.1172/JCI136105 Quarantine has made one and all gush over their throwback pictures from past trips and Bollywood actor Milind Soman could not be left behind. Sending fans into speculation with his cryptic message on social media, the Indian supermodel set temperatures soaring with his bad boy look in a black leather jacket. Taking to his Instagram handle, Milind shared a throwback picture from Ladakh and looked nothing short of a dapper detective. Donning a black leather jacket with collar up, Milind accessorized his look with a pair of black aviator sunglasses and a pair of black gloves. Sporting his signature salt and pepper look, Milind struck a candid pose which shed sheer suave vibes and we couldnt help but crush on the Made in India-fame star all over again. The picture was captioned, In Ladakh last year, pretending to be on a secret mission ... Traveling long distance soon ! Guess where ? (sic) The model-turned-actor is often seen revisiting his modelling days on social media where he keeps treating his fans with blasts from the pasts. He was studying to be an engineer and was not even aware of modelling as a profession when he was offered his first job as a model in 1988. Milind then went on to feature in the music video Made In India that shot him to instant fame and the 90s kids never stopped crushing over him ever since. From becoming one of the most sought-after names in the modelling world of his time to starring in films like 16 December, Rules: Pyaar Ka Superhit Formula, Say Salaam India and Bajirao Mastani, Milind has only seen his fan base grow. Those on social media swear by his fitness routine and travel goals and we dont blame them as they actor is ageing like fine wine. Apart from co-judging television shows - Indias Next Top Model and Supermodel Of The Year, Milind was also seen in the second season of Amazon Primes web-series, Four More Shots Please!. Follow more stories on Facebook and Twitter Panaji, Sep 11 : Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Friday confirmed that the state government has no plan to reopen schools anytime soon. However, he said that classes of X and XII may be resumed after consultation with Parents Teachers Associations (PTA). "The central government has allowed classes of XI to XII after September 20. They are allowing those with the consent of their parents to attend schools while following all the social distancing norms," Sawant said, while addressing a press conference here. The state has so far recorded 22,890 Covid-19 cases. Health Minister Vishwajit Rane on Friday said that Goa could see a further spike in cases with 1,000 cases expected in one day. On September 3, the state witnessed 713, a record number of Covid-19 cases in 24 hours. Friends of CenterLight Foundation, in collaboration with the Institute for Music and Neurologic Function (IMNF), will offer free online music therapy programs for caregivers on Wednesday September 16th and Wednesday September 23rd. Tune in to these live sessions from 3:00-4:00 pm on CenterLights Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/centerlighthealthsystem). Session 1: The Healing Power of Music In the September 16 session, world-renowned music therapist and co-founder of the IMNF Dr. Concetta Tomaino will share ways that caregivers can use music to benefit their loved ones and themselves. Dr. Tomaino is internationally known for her research in the clinical applications of music and neurologic rehabilitation. Her research is focused on finding the most effective music-brain treatments that can potentially benefit those living with the effects of dementia, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases, stroke or trauma. A past president of the American Association for Music Therapy, Dr. Tomaino is a recipient of the Award of Accomplishment from Music Therapists for Peace at the United Nations. Session 2: Stress Relief and Relaxation for Caregivers The September 23 session will focus on using music to aid in stress relief and relaxation for caregivers, most of whom are busy taking care of their senior parents, in addition to their other work and family responsibilities, now heightened by the COVID-19 pandemic. Virtual Programming in Response to COVID-19 These webinars are part of a series of online programs offered through CenterLight Teamcare to help keep participants, their caregivers and community members active and engaged. Intended to help prevent social isolation and depression, these educational, therapeutic and recreational programs are provided virtually, for attendees to enjoy in the comfort and safety of their homes. Learn more at http://www.centerlighthealthcare.org/life-at-teamcare. For more information, contact: Lisa Cesarano (lcesarano@centerlight.org; 718-239-1977) About Friends of CenterLight The Friends of CenterLight Foundation is a 501(c)(3) charity dedicated to improving the lives of CenterLight Teamcare participants by helping them to maintain their health, well-being and autonomy in environments that honor their individual needs, values, and preferences. Learn more at http://www.centerlight.org/foundation. About the Institute for Music and Neurologic Function The Institute for Music and Neurologic Function (IMNF) is an internationally recognized non-profit agency offering groundbreaking music therapy programs to restore, maintain and improve patients physical, emotional and neurological function through the methodical use of music. Learn more at http://www.imnf.org. About CenterLight Health System CenterLight Health System is a leading not-for-profit healthcare organization that offers a wide range of high-quality, community-based, and long-term healthcare services to New Yorkers in need. CenterLight Healthcare is the largest subsidiary of CenterLight Health System. Teamcare is CenterLight Healthcares Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE). An alternative to nursing home care, Teamcare empowers older adults to continue to live independently, at home and in their communities. With 14 locations throughout New York City, Westchester and Nassau/Suffolk Counties, the program serves participants from a wide range of backgrounds, including Arabic, Albanian, Chinese, Creole, English, Korean, Hindi, Punjabi, Russian and Spanish. Teamcare develops individualized care plans, which are carried out by a dedicated interdisciplinary team (IDT) of doctors, nurses, physical therapists, nutritionists, recreational therapists and other professionals working in concert to provide care as unique as the richly diverse participants enrolled in the plan. Learn more at http://www.centerlighthealthcare.org. DENVER, Sept. 11, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- DCP Midstream, LP (NYSE: DCP) announced that Wouter van Kempen, chairman, president, and chief executive officer and Sean OBrien, group vice president and chief financial officer will conduct a series of one-on-one and small group meetings with investment community representatives at the NYSE Energy and Utilities Investor Access Day on September 16, 2020 via telephone conference. The materials used at this conference will be posted on the Investors section of DCP Midstreams website at www.dcpmidstream.com on September 15, 2020. ABOUT DCP MIDSTREAM, LP DCP Midstream, LP (NYSE: DCP) is a Fortune 500 midstream master limited partnership headquartered in Denver, Colorado, with a diversified portfolio of gathering, processing, logistics and marketing assets. DCP is one of the largest natural gas liquids producers and marketers and one of the largest natural gas processors in the U.S. The owner of DCPs general partner is a joint venture between Enbridge and Phillips 66. For more information, visit the DCP Midstream, LP website at www.dcpmidstream.com. DCP Investor and Media Relations Sarah Sandberg (303) 605-1626 Here is a piece of good news for you all folks. Now, you will get paid for a holiday at any destination in Uttarakhand. Recently, in a bid to attract tourists, the Uttarakhand government has initiated a project called Tourist Incentive Coupon, under which tourists visiting the state will be offered Rs 1000 for their accommodation. Isnt this amazing? This is, in fact, the perfect opportunity for travel enthusiasts who want to explore the picturesque hills of Dehradun, Nainital and Mussoorie. BCCL According to reports, this offer will be applicable to people who opt for a three-day online booking at any hotel or homestay in Uttarakhand. Basically, the Uttarakhand tourism department is giving out these discount coupons to enhance the state of tourism in Uttarakhand. Satpal Maharaj, Uttarakhand Tourism Minister commented that: The tourists will be given the discount coupon while registering themselves on the government portal under tourist category. They will then be able to use the coupon during their stay in a hotel or homestay in the tourist spots of the state. Thrillophilia The decision for this pilot project was given the green light at a cabinet meeting. Tourism is one of the major sources of revenue for the Himalayan state of Uttarakhand and draws a significant number of tourists from across the country and the globe every year. However, owing to the COVID-19 global health crisis, the economy has taken a hit. Reuters Now to make up for the loss due to the pandemic, other states have also come up with innovative ideas including Madhya Pradesh with the same motive in mind. So, why wait then? Tell us when you are planning to head to the hills in the comments below. We will continue to deal with Chinese PLA in firm, resolute manner: Army chief 5 missing Arunachal youths to be handed over by China tomorrow, says Kiren Rijiju India oi-Deepika S New Delhi, Sep 11: The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) on Friday confirmed to Indian Army that it would hand over the youths, who had gone missing from Arunachal Pradesh, on Saturday at a designated location. "The Chinese PLA has confirmed to Indian Army to hand over the youths from Arunachal Pradesh to our side. The handing over is likely to take place anytime tomorrow i.e. 12th September 2020 at a designated location," Kiren Rijiju tweeted. Rijiju, the Minister of State for Youth Affairs & Sports, hails from Arunachal Pradesh and is an MP from the state. The Chinese PLA has confirmed to Indian Army to hand over the youths from Arunachal Pradesh to our side. The handing over is likely to take place anytime tomorrow i.e. 12th September 2020 at a designated location. https://t.co/UaM9IIZl56 Kiren Rijiju (@KirenRijiju) September 11, 2020 The incident of five missing youths came to light when two members from their group, who had gone for hunting in the jungle together, returned home and informed the families of the five that they had been whisked away by the Chinese troops from Sera-7, an Army patrol zone located about 12 km further north of Nacho. Nacho is the last administrative circle along the McMahon Line and is around 120 km from the district headquarters Daporijo. Those who were allegedly kidnapped by the Chinese army have been identified as Toch Singkam, Prasat Ringling, Dongtu Ebiya, Tanu Baker and Ngaru Diri. On Monday, China brushed off questions over the whereabouts of the five youths and needled India, saying it has never recognised Arunachal Pradesh which it claims is part of south Tibet. "China's position on the east sector of the China-India boundary, or Zangnan (the southern part of China's Xizang (Tibet) ), is consistent and clear," Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian told a media briefing in Beijing, adding the Chinese government has never recognized the "so-called Arunachal Pradesh". "I'm not aware of the situation you mentioned," the spokesperson said when asked about any updates about the missing Indian nationals. The development comes at a time when the Indian army has enhanced its deployment along the 3,400 km-long Line of Actual Control (LAC) in view of the tense border situation with China in eastern Ladakh. In March, a 21-year-old man was abducted by the PLA from Asapila sector near the McMahon Line. While his two friends managed to escape, Togley Sinkam was taken away at gunpoint, his family had said. He was released by the Chinese army after 19 days in captivity. The Indian Army had on September 2 provided food, warm clothes and medical assistance to three Chinese citizens who had lost their way in sub-zero temperatures at an altitude of 17,500 feet in a border area in North Sikkim. The Indian Army personnel deployed in the area also guided the Chinese citizens, including a woman, to return to the Chinese side and reach their destination. Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 1 anno fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili. Competitive Dashboard: The important players studied for presenting a detailed segmental analysis of the Global Textile Coatings Industry are Lubrizol Corporation (U.S.), Covestro AG (Germany), Huntsman International LLC (U.S.), Clariant AG (Switzerland), Solvay SA (Belgium), Formulated Polymer Products Ltd. (U.K), BASF SE (Germany), Sumitomo Chemical Company (Japan), Omnova Solutions Inc. (U.S.), and Tanatex B.V. (Netherlands). Industry News: In May 2019, Covestro AG, Bayer's materials science division, has presented sustainable developments in Insqin technology designed for aqueous Textile Coatings and water-based polyurethane dispersion at Techtextil 2019. These developments are introduced for enabling biodegradable Textile Coatings. In May 2019, Archroma, a leader in specialty chemicals and sustainable solutions, has announced the launch of a break-through water-based textile coating binder named Appretan NTR which is based on natural renewable ingredients. Market Segmentation: On the basis of Type of Coating, Global Textile Coatings Market has been segmented into thermosets, thermoplastics, and others (silicon, fluoropolymers). The thermosets segment can be further sub-segmented into natural rubber, styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR), and others (nitrile rubber, butyl rubber, and others). The thermoplastics segment has been sub-segmented into polyvinyl chloride (PVC), acrylics, polyurethane (PU), polyolefins, and others. On the basis of Coating Method, the Textile Coatings Market has been segmented into direct roll coating, direct coating, pad-dry-cure coating, hot melt extrusion coating, foamed & crushed foam coating, calendar coating, and others. On the basis of End-User Industry, Global Textile Coatings Market has been segmented into transportation, clothing, building & construction, healthcare, home furnishing, and others (packaging, agricultural industry, geotextiles). Get Free Sample @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/5913 Regional Analysis: For an Exhaustive Geographical Assessment, the Global Textile Coatings Market has been segmented into Asia Pacific, Europe, Latin America, North America, and the Middle East & Africa (MEA). Asia Pacific is expected to hold the lions share of the market in the years to come. Increasing applications across the burgeoning industry verticals such as automotive, healthcare, construction, etc. is expected to increase the revenue generation of the market participants over the next few years in the region. In addition, the rising purchasing power of the population is also projected to favorably influence the growth pace of the Textile Coatings Market in the years to come. Europe and North America are significant regional segments and are poised to contribute substantially to the development of the Global Textile Coatings Market over the next couple of years. The increasing demand for PU based Textile Coatings is prognosticated to drive the proliferation of the market in the foreseeable future. Market Synopsis: Textile Coatings are gaining momentum and witnessing rising applications across major end-use industries. The assessment offered by Market Research Future (MRFR) has revealed that the Global Textile Coatings Market is poised to register a steady CAGR across the projection period 2017 to 2023. These Coatings enable depositing polymeric resin on Textiles. The benefits of the process have paved its way across different industry verticals. The growth of the Clothing Industry is the major factor responsible for the development of the Textile Coatings Market in the forthcoming years. Increasing disposable income is likely to favor market expansion in the foreseeable future. These coatings are also extensively used in the automotive sector for the manufacturing of upholstery. The growing demand for vehicles is poised to encourage the revenue growth of the Textile Coatings Market in the years to come. The construction sector has also unleashed developmental opportunities to the market. In addition, the rising demand for Textile Coatings for home furnishings is prognosticated to accelerate revenue generation for the players of the market over the next couple of years. On the flip side, rising environmental concerns, in conjunction with the implementation of stricter regulations, is poised to undermine the expansion of the Textile Coatings Market in the years to come. COVID-19 Study in Detail: Impact of COVID-19 on Iso-Propyl Alcohol Market @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/report/covid-19-impact-iso-propyl-alcohol-industry Impact of COVID-19 on Steel Extruded Products Market @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/report/covid-19-impact-steel-extruded-products-market Corona virus Outbreak and Plastic Films Market @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/report/covid-19-impact-plastic-films-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. About Market Research Future: At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services. 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. Contact: Market Research Future +1 646 845 9312 Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com New Delhi: Islamic Research Foundation of Indian Islamic preacher Zakir Naik on Friday challenged in Delhi High Court the Centre's decision to immediately ban the organisation, claiming no reasons were given for taking such action under Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA). Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva, before whom the matter was listed, heard part arguments on behalf of the organisation and the Centre and asked the government to produce the relevant record on January 17 so that the court can see whether there was material for urgent ban of IRF. IRF, in its plea, has challenged the November 17, 2016, notification of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) which had imposed an immediate ban on the organisation under UAPA. According to IRF, the notification gives no reason and cites no material for taking such a step as was required by the law laid down by the Supreme Court. It said the immediate ban was imposed without giving them any show cause notice. As per the Centre's notification, read out in the court by Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Sanjay Jain, the need for taking the "urgent step" was felt in view of the apprehension that Indian youths could be "radicalised" or "motivated" by the alleged statements and speeches made by IRF and its members, including its President, Naik, to join terror groups like ISIS, which is a cause of global concern. He said that Mumbai Police had already lodged an FIR against six others of IRF on a complaint by the father of a Kerala-based youth who joined ISIS. ASG Jain further said that some terrorists and ISIS sympathisers arrested by the authorities have allegedly claimed "they were inspired by the fundamental statements made by IRF". The ASG said the matter is now before the Tribunal, set up under the UAPA, which will take up the issue on February 6 on which date the organisation will be provided all the affidavits filed by the government. IRF, on the other hand, contended that dates or content of the alleged speeches and statements have not been mentioned in the notification. It also said the Tribunal refused to accept or admit, before February 6, its plea challenging the immediate ban and thus, it had to come to the high court. It said that it was limiting its plea to the immediate ban and not raising the issue of freezing of its accounts under the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. The Trump administration imposed sanctions on a Ukrainian lawmaker Thursday for waging a covert influence campaign to undermine the presidential election after he disseminated information intended to hurt Joseph R. Biden Jr. The Treasury Department accused Andriy Derkach, a member of the Ukrainian Parliament, of being an active Russian agent for over a decade and accused him of releasing edited audiotapes and unsubstantiated allegations against U.S. and international political figures. While the announcement of the sanctions does not name Mr. Biden, the Democratic presidential nominee, it appears to describe recordings Mr. Derkach released of Mr. Biden talking to Petro O. Poroshenko, the former president of Ukraine, that Mr. Derkach claimed revealed corruption. Mr. Derkach and other Russian agents employ manipulation and deceit to attempt to influence elections in the United States and elsewhere around the world, Steven Mnuchin, the Treasury secretary, said in a statement accompanying the sanctions. The United States will continue to use all the tools at its disposal to counter these Russian disinformation campaigns and uphold the integrity of our election system. Sushant Singh Rajput who hailed from Bihar was found hanging at his apartment in Mumbais Bandra on June 14 PATNA: Former Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis on Friday clarified that the death case of Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput was not an election agenda for the NDA in Bihar. We dont want to make this an election agenda. Sushant Singh Rajput is the son of Bihar and people across the country want justice for him. We would ensure that he gets justice, Fadnavis said. Sushant Singh Rajput who hailed from Bihar was found hanging at his apartment in Mumbais Bandra on June 14. The CBI, Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) are investigating the case from various angles. The case was handed over to CBI after a tussle between Maharashtra and Bihar police. The state government had recommended CBI probe into the case after the late Bollywood actors father KK Singh filed an FIR against actress Rhea Chakraborty, her family and six others for abetment of suicide of his son. Sushant Singh Rajputs girlfriend Rhea Chakraborty was arrested on Tuesday by the NCB. A week earlier, the BJP poster campaign seeking justice for Sushant Singh Rajput had created a flutter in poll-bound Bihar. The Opposition parties in the state especially RJD had then said that the BJP was distributing posters, pamphlets and masks to influence voters ahead of polls. As per a report over 30,000 posters and stickers and 30,000 masks bearing the picture and the slogan justice for Sushant have been printed and distributed in Patna and other districts of the state. Fadnavis along with BJP Chief JP Nadda are in Bihar to assess the party preparedness for assembly elections which is slated to be held in November this year. Sources said that the BJP has been worried after an internal survey carried out by party leaders showed anti-incumbency against Bihar CM Nitish Kumar and the NDA. The report suggests that during Naddas visit, the party would discuss ways to reach out to voters and inform them about policies launched by the state as well as the central government. According to RJD leaders in Patna, with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar losing ground in the state, the BJP wants to influence voters by using Sushant Singh Rajput case but people of Bihar are aware that our leader Tejashwi Yadav was the first to demand CBI probe on the issue. Here, on the eve of the 15th anniversary of 9/11, New York seems a city strangely at peace. The physical wounds of that awful day have largely healed. Lower Manhattan has been made whole again. A monument to the dead stands where the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center once stood. A new office building rises from the rubble of Ground Zero. The long-delayed transportation hub is open and millions of people pass through it every day. It took longer and cost far more than it should have, but the job got done. Pre-9/11, New York was a city on the upswing, well on its way to becoming the safest, most prosperous, most dynamic city in world history. And, contrary to the worst fears of many in the immediate aftermath, the post-9/11 decade turned out to be the best time in recent memory to be a New Yorker. Crime and disorder had been licked. It was safe to take your kids to the park and to ride the subway at any hour. The economy hummed. Tourists came in droves. Of course, it wasnt for everybody. People complained about gentrification, as they still do. Some felt that the city had been Disneyfiedall the salacious fun had been taken out of it. Others worried that the NYPD had become too potent a presence in the city. In occasional, seemingly random displays of force, a sea of patrol cars would swarm into a neighborhood (mostly in Midtown). The idea was to rehearse a coordinated response to an ongoing attack, but also to send a message to anyone planning such an attack. We are here. We are not sleeping. We are ready for you. If it was occasionally unnerving to be suddenly surrounded by 50 police cars, lights flashing and moving in formation, it was also reassuring. As other global citiesLondon, Madrid, Mumbai, Paris, Nairobicame under sustained attack by Islamic terrorists, it was nice to know how actively the NYPD was hunting down and disrupting plots against our city. Under Mayor Michael Bloomberg and police commissioner Ray Kelly, the NYPDs mantra was clear: complacency equals death. Never again. Fifteen years is a long time. You only have to read the stories of the children left orphaned by 9/11 to realize how much time has passed. Kids so young that they barely remember their firefighter fathers are graduating from college. After a decade and a half, we seem to be reverting to a pre-attack mindset. One thing that the Colin Kaepernick brouhaha has exposed is just how conflicted many Americans remain about our fundamental goodness as a nation. Are we as virtuous as we think we are? Its a question tied directly to the one that was on most peoples minds in the days following 9/11: What did we do to deserve this? We did nothing to deserve it. The people who went to work in those towers that morning did nothing to deserve the instant obliteration that was their fate. The firefighters and police who selflessly and reflexively responded to the call did nothing to deserve what befell them. The passengers on those planes, and the flight crews that were mercilessly slaughtered, did nothing to deserve to have their lives extinguished in a terrifying instant. More than that, however, we, the United States of America, did nothing to deserve it. Throughout its short history, this nation has tried to spread liberty in the world, to oppose tyranny, to advance freedom, to promote prosperity, to be a beacon of hope to the oppressed, the mistreated, and the huddled masses yearning to breathe free. No nation, our own included, is without sin; but no other nation is what the United States is. In Lincolns words, we are the last best hope of Earth. Nothing will heal the invisible wounds of 9/11. For those who lived through it, the panic and despair of that terrible morning is never far from the surface. The memories are easily summoned. Those who remember will grieve on this anniversary much as they did on the first anniversary and much as they will decades hence. But we must never lose sight of the truth: we are not the enemy. Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images Olga Kurylenko has been seen for the first time since recovering from COVID-19 as she headed out for a stroll with her former partner Max Benitz on Friday. The Bond Girl, 40, revealed back in March that she was in self-quarantine after testing positive for the virus, and had been struggling with a 102F fever after being refused a hospital bed. Olga stepped out for a walk with her ex Ben - with who she shares a son - before heading back to her home in London. Back to full health: Olga Kurylenko, 40, has been seen for the first time since recovering from COVID-19 Olga opted for a casual black blazer and white shirt, which she teamed with cut-off jeans as she chatted to her former partner. The Quantum of Solace star wore a black hat during the walk, her first sighting in six months. Olga was previously dating Argentine actor Ben Cura, but they split just before the COVID-19 outbreak hit. Getting better: The Bond Girl was spotted heading out for a stroll with her ex Man Benitz, with who she has a son Scary: In March, Olga revealed she was self-quarantining at home after testing positive for COVID-19, and had been struggling with a 102F fever after being refused a hospital bed Low-key: Olga opted for a casual black blazer and white shirt, which she teamed with cut-off jeans as she chatted to her former partner Olga revealed back in the spring she'd been isolating at home after testing positive for the deadly virus, She first broke the news of her diagnosis as she took to Instagram to tell her followers her fever had finally gone, 24-hours after she was refused a hospital bed with a temperature of 102F (38.9C). Posting a picture of herself wearing a green medical mask, she wrote: 'Hello everyone! I'm feeling better today. My fever is gone! I hear people can't figure out where I currently am. I'm in London! 'How do I know it's coronavirus and not just a flu? I did a test for coronavirus which came back positive. What are the medicines that doctors prescribed as treatment? NONE! Single again: Olga was previously dating Argentine actor Ben Cura, but they split just before the COVID-19 outbreak hit Worrying: She first broke the news of her diagnosis as she took to Instagram to tell her followers her fever had finally gone, 24-hours after she was refused a hospital bed At-home methods: Olga went on to reveal that she was taking pantothenic acid (B5), vitamin E, vitamin C, curcumin (turmeric) and zinc to help her immune system 'I was told to take paracetamol in case my fever was too high and if I was in too much pain. However, I do take vitamins and supplements.' Olga went on to reveal that she was taking pantothenic acid (B5), vitamin E, vitamin C, curcumin (turmeric) and zinc to help her immune system, although she stressed: 'Please note that these vitamins do NOT cure coronavirus.' The previous day Olga revealed that she was refused a hospital bed because the wards are 'full' of patients 'struggling with life.' Upsetting: The previous day Olga revealed that she was refused a hospital bed because the wards are 'full' of patients 'struggling with life' Fever: She also took to Instagram at the time to update fans on her condition and thank them for their messages of support The Quantum of Solace star said she was struggling with a 102F fever shortly after testing positive for the virus. Olga said she did not know where she had contracted the virus, but suggested she could have picked it up from a taxi door handle. The Seven Psychopaths star then took to Instagram in April to reveal she opted to cut her own fringe after salons were forced to close for almost four months due to the crisis. Health battle: Olga said she did not know where she had contracted the virus, but suggested she could have picked it up from a taxi door handle A UK court hearing arguments in the extradition case of Nirav Modi on September 10 heard expert views on the fugitive diamond merchants personal family history of suicide and his deteriorating mental health in prison, which would only further deteriorate in solitary confinement. Justice Samuel Goozee, presiding over the case at Westminster Magistrates Court in London, was presented with three defence witnesses on day four of the five-day hearing, with each giving expert evidence on the 49-year-old jewellers severe depression, risk from COVID-19 and the lack of adequate facilities at Arthur Road Jail in Mumbai where he is to be held on being extradited. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), appearing on behalf of the Indian authorities in the $2 billion Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud and money laundering case, argued that the conditions at Barrack 12 in Arthur Road Jail would be better than those the jeweller is currently faced with in a COVID-19 locked-down Wandsworth Prison cell in London. "Coupled with a severe condition of depression, in my view, he presents a high risk of suicide albeit not immediately," said Dr Andrew Forrester, a forensic psychiatrist who has examined Modi on four occasions between September last year and August this year. Referring to the "suicide of his mother", Dr Forrester stressed that as a "significant feature" as Modis mental health condition was on a deterioration trajectory and meets the criteria for hospital treatment in the absence of a multi-professional plan involving anti-depressants and psychotherapy. The medical expert revealed that while Modi is currently on anti-depressants, the lack of supportive therapy or counselling due to COVID-19 lockdown restrictions in prison meant he was displaying signs of psychomotor retardation, a more severe form of depression which involves a manifest slowing down in movement and speech. "If by contrast, he was given full access to multi-professional mental health care, better than he is currently getting at Wandsworth, would that assurance be helpful," asked CPS barrister Helen Malcolm, implying that the government of India may be open to providing such an assurance. Forrester agreed to take that into account and discuss Modis treatment with any medical professionals appointed in India in the future. He separately also dismissed the possibility of Modi faking his symptoms in an attempt to mislead or deceive the court. His testimony in court followed live video-link evidence from Thailand by Richard Coker, an Emeritus Professor at London School Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and an expert in epidemiology and infectious disease, in support of defence arguments over the high COVID-19 risk Modi would be exposed to at Arthur Road Jail which has had an outbreak back in May. While the Indian government had earlier submitted data to highlight that the outbreak has been fully contained, Coker countered "COVID spreads extremely effectively through prisons and the risk increases if community prevalence of disease is high." He assessed a 0.75 percent risk of death should Modi contract COVID-19 at Arthur Road Jail, a figure the CPS sought to compare with other infectious diseases such as malaria. Better ventilation and space at Barrack 12 was also flagged as a positive, as opposed to the overcrowded setting at Wandsworth Prison in London. There is an equal possibility of bringing (COVID-19) into this courtroom, unwittingly, said Malcolm, in reference to the risk factor from coronavirus in the wider community. Inadequate prison conditions once again remained at the heart of the defence arguments as they also deposed Dr Alan Mitchell, a medical practitioner and prisons expert as chair of the Independent Prisons Monitoring Group in Scotland. Mitchell, who has in the past given evidence on the unsuitability of Barrack 12 in the extradition case of Kingfisher Airlines boss Vijay Mallya, reiterated some of his concerns around the lack of natural lighting. Asked about the Indian governments latest video of the Barrack played in court earlier in the week, he said: Those are the elements you dont pick up in a video. Asked about the Indian governments latest video of the Barrack played in court earlier in the week, he said: Those are the elements you dont pick up in a video. Meanwhile, Modi continued to observe the proceedings via videolink and referred to files laid out before him. He is subject to two sets of criminal proceedings, the first brought by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) relating to a large-scale fraud said to have been committed upon PNB and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) case, relating to the laundering of the proceeds of that fraud. He is subject to two sets of criminal proceedings, the first brought by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) relating to a large-scale fraud said to have been committed upon PNB and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) case, relating to the laundering of the proceeds of that fraud. A further extradition request relates to allegations that Modi interfered with the CBI investigation by causing the disappearance of evidence and intimidating a witness. The CPS must establish a prima facie case against Modi to allow the judge to rule that he has a case to answer before the Indian courts. If the judge finds a prima facie case against Modi, it will go to UK Home Secretary Priti Patel to formally certify his extradition to India to stand trial. A ruling in the case is not expected before the end of this year or early next year, with a hearing for final submissions tentatively scheduled for December 1. LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / September 11, 2020 /Compare-autoinsurance.org (https://compare-autoinsurance.org/) has launched a new blog post that explains how drivers can pay lower car insurance rates by removing points from the driver's license. For more info and free car insurance quotes online, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.org/how-can-you-remove-points-from-your-drivers-license Every driver knows that having points in the driver's license can make the car insurance to be pricier. Also, the insurance rates will remain high until the points will be completely removed from the license. Usually, the points will be removed after a period that is between three to five years after the incident. However, drivers don't have to wait to have some of their points removed. There are certain ways that can help them remove points earlier. To have the points removed, consider the following: Driver's license points valuation. The majority of states have a system that tracks how safe drivers are. Depending on the state laws and the severity of the traffic violation, a driver can receive a single ticket that can add between one to eight points to the driver's license. Besides increasing the premiums, a driver can also lose his right to drive if he adds too many points on his license in a specified period. How long the points will remain. The points can stay between three to five years, depending on the state's local requirements. To determine the car insurance rates, some providers will look at a driver's traffic incidents from the past five years, while others will check the incidents from the past three years. Drivers are advised to look for new insurance deals after the points are removed from the license Removing points. Most states allow the drivers to remove points from their license. It can take a while until the points are automatically removed from a license, so the majority of states allow the drivers to get rid of points in different methods, depending on the state. Removing points by being a good driver. In some states, like New Jersey, drivers can remove their points if they manage to maintain a clean driving record for one year. To get their points removed from their license, drivers will have to fill a request at their local Department of Motor Vehicles. Removing points after a defensive driving course. Drivers can remove some points by taking a defensive driving course. In most states, drivers can remove up to three points after they graduated a defensive driving course. Drivers will need to take the proof that they graduated a defensive driving course to the state DMV and complete a form to request for the points to be removed. Story continues For additional info, money-saving tips, and free car insurance quotes, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.org/ Compare-autoinsurance.org is an online provider of life, home, health, and auto insurance quotes. This website is unique because it does not simply stick to one kind of insurance provider, but brings the clients the best deals from many different online insurance carriers. In this way, clients have access to offers from multiple carriers all in one place: this website. On this site, customers have access to quotes for insurance plans from various agencies, such as local or nationwide agencies, brand names insurance companies, etc. "From time to time, drivers will get involved in traffic incidents where they can receive points. Fortunately, there are several ways that can help them to quickly remove the points from their licenses", said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company. CONTACT: Company Name: Internet Marketing Company Person for contact Name: Daniel C Phone Number: (818) 359-3898 Email: cgurgu@internetmarketingcompany.biz Website: https://compare-autoinsurance.org/ SOURCE: Internet Marketing Company View source version on accesswire.com: https://www.accesswire.com/605723/How-Drivers-Can-Remove-Points-From-Their-License-And-Save-Car-Insurance-Money The idea is you dont go after candidates, you dont indict candidates, or perhaps someone thats officially close to a candidate that is essentially the same within a certain number of days before an election, Mr. Barr said in an April interview with the conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt. But, you know, as I say, I dont think any of the people whose actions are under review by Durham fall into that category. Mr. Barr assigned Mr. Durham last year to scrutinize the early stages of the Trump-Russia investigation shortly after the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, turned in his report that documented Russias extensive operations to sabotage the 2016 election and Mr. Trumps efforts to thwart the inquiry. Mr. Durham had a history of being assigned to lead sensitive investigations of government conduct, including the F.B.I.s ties to a crime boss in Boston and the C.I.A. torture of detainees. While he is a longtime career prosecutor, Mr. Trump gave him a political appointment as the U.S. attorney for Connecticut in 2018. Ms. Dannehy, who successfully prosecuted the former Connecticut governor John G. Rowland on corruption charges, had worked closely with Mr. Durham for years. Her husband, Leonard C. Boyle, is also a close colleague of Mr. Durhams, serving as the first assistant U.S. attorney in Connecticut. He had previously served as the head of the Terrorist Screening Center, appointed by Mr. Mueller when he was F.B.I. director. After Mr. Barr assigned Mr. Durham to investigate the Russia inquiry, he asked Ms. Dannehy to return from the private sector to serve as essentially his top investigator on the case. She has played a leading role in questioning witnesses about investigative actions, according to people familiar with the sessions. This was not the first time that Ms. Dannehy had taken on a high-profile, politically fraught investigation. After a scandal over the George W. Bush administrations firing of U.S. attorneys who were balking at demands, including by the White House, to bring or speed up voter-fraud cases against Democrats ahead of an election, Attorney General Michael B. Mukasey appointed her to scrutinize whether any laws were broken in one such instance. While Ms. Dannehy did not find criminal wrongdoing in that dismissal, she suggested in her report that political pressure to rush out a case or charging decision before an election was wrong and potentially constituted obstruction of justice. Actor Jussie Smollett leaves the Leighton Criminal Courthouse in Chicago on March 26, 2019, after prosecutors dropped all charges against him. (Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times/Chicago Sun-Times via AP) Jussie Smollett Claims He Was Set Up, Says Two New Witnesses Prove He Was Victim of Attack Former Empire star Jussie Smollett insists that he was the victim of a setup and claims there are two new witnesses to prove that he did not stage a racist and homophobic attack on himself in Chicago in January of 2019. In an interview with former CNN commentator Marc Lamont Hill, which was shared on Instagram on Sept. 10, the actor insisted that he was accosted by two white men wearing Make America Great Again caps. Smollett has stood by his account that he was attacked in downtown Chicago on Jan. 29 at around 2 a.m. local time on East North Water Street by two masked men. He claims the men beat him, shouted racial and anti-gay slurs, poured bleach on him, and looped a rope around his neck. He said his attackers also shouted slogans supporting President Donald Trump. Following a two-week investigation, Chicago police said they suspected Smollett of orchestrating the attack with the help of twin brothers, Abimbola Abel Osundairo and Olabinjo Ola Osundairo, whom he met when they served as extras on his show. CPD claimed Smollett had planned the attack with the two men, who then secured all of the necessary items for the incident and carried out the assault with Smolletts direction. The two brothers sued Smolletts attorneys on April 23, accusing them of defamation by continuing to insist publicly that the brothers carried out a real, bigoted attack on Smollett despite knowing that wasnt true. Smollett was later indicted by a Chicago grand jury for 16 counts for allegedly lying to police about the events but the charges were later dropped in return for several hours of community service and $10,000. Speaking of his high-profile case, Smollett said, Its been frustrating to say the least its been beyond frustrating. There is an example being made, and the sad part is that theres is an example being made of someone who did not do what theyre being accused of. Theres also two other witnesses that saw a white man saw exactly what I say that I saw, saw someone with a rope hanging from their side. These are the things that people dont necessarily know because the lies and the things that were not true were yelled from the rooftop. Then, the second that something came out corroborated everything that I said, all of a sudden it was not even a whisper. The actor also claimed there was a videotape showing what I see, but that it cuts off right before it happens. When asked by host Marc Lamont Hill why the tape cuts off, Smollett said it was up to the public to investigate why. The actor then went on to make a number of claims against police handling his case, telling Hill, Every detective combined that was on my case have combined over 560 formal accusations against them. The Chicago police department has paid over seven million dollars just for these detectives alone in police misconduct lawsuits. They filed a civil lawsuit against me because [Chicago] Mayor Emanuel, who really has no place at all to talk about anything criminal, he sued for $130,000 and claims its overtime for this investigation that was a farce. Out of all these jokers in this entire situation, I am the only human being who has not changed his story one time in order to fit someones agenda, he added. From the very very beginning, it was set up to seem like I was lying about something or everything. There would be no reason for me to do something like this, he added. There would be no reason for me to do something foolish and I do think that if you look at all of the things that were happening for me, and then for all of the opportunities and all of the money whatever, that I have lost at this point, if in fact what they said was true, the smart thing to do would be to admit that. Because at least there would be a place to work back from. This is [expletive], Its [expletive]. He also added: Its not my job to convince people that I didnt do this. The pieces title is in French, and translates to The Roots of the Baobab: Inside a Family of Water. The subject and the choice of language are homages to Senegal, where the D.C. artist has encountered the species known as the tree of life. Yet Falls goal isnt merely to celebrate Africas culture and landscape. Water courses through people as it does through trees, which makes her installation both primal and universal. The tree of life is a metaphor for all sorts of existence, including human. To step into the confines of Falls baobab is also to enter, symbolically, ourselves. Prime Minister Ludovic Orban declared on Friday in Orsova, where he participated in the presentation of the project "Prunisor-Orsova-Baile Herculane-Jupa natural gas transmission pipeline", that only 35% of Romania's population is connected to the gas network. "Only 35% of Romania's population is connected to the gas network. Romania has gas and we almost have no petrochemistry left, because the PSD [Social Democratic Party] locusts have robbed the entire underlying petrochemical industry. Or, it is known that gas can be most efficiently exploited in petrochemistry, not when you burn it directly. We therefore need to use this resource intelligently, first of all, to connect as many households as possible to the natural gas network. Our program - 'Romanian gas in Romanian homes' - which has been launched for two years now, is a programme we support," said Orban. The PM went on to say that the investment in the project "Prunisor-Orsova-Baile Herculane-Jupa natural gas transmission pipeline" will bring natural gas to Orsova most likely in 2023, and the entire gas pipeline will be completed in 2024. "The investment in this Prunisor-Jupa pipeline, which is made by Transgaz (...), is an investment that will clearly have beneficial effects. There are almost 40 localities with about 100,000 people living here, who will be able to warm up with gas, will be able to prepare their food with gas, they will no longer depend on wood or other improvisations in terms of heating, and, mind you, it will increase the attractiveness of the area for investments as well," added Ludovic Orban. The Minister of Economy, Virgil Popescu, was also present at the event, and spoke about the direct link between tourism development and infrastructure development. "In order to develop the natural gas distribution network in Orsova, we need to have a transmission pipeline in Orsova, and this new pipeline (...) will bring gas to the people of Orsova and the Danube Gorge area. (...) We must become a European regional tourist destination and for this we need infrastructure, and tourism without transport, gas, energy, water and sewerage infrastructure, communications, cannot be achieved in 2020," said the Minister of Economy, Virgil Popescu. New Delhi/Washington, Sep 11 : The US and India have resolved to take concerted action against pan-Islamist terror groups Al Qaeda and Islamic State (IS0 and also the Kashmir-centric Pakistan sponsored outfits, Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) and Hizb-ul Mujahideen (HuM). In a joint statement on Thursday, the US-India counter-terrorism joint working group and designations dialogue, both sides denounced use of terrorist proxies and strongly condemned cross-border terrorism in all its forms. While discussing the threats posed by the UN-sanctioned terrorist entities, the two sides emphasized the need for concerted action against all terrorist networks, including the Al Qaeda, IS, LeT, JeM, and HuM. The statement followed the 17th meeting of the US-India Counter Terrorism Joint Working Group and the third session of the US-India Designations Dialogue held virtually on Wednesday and Thursday. Mahaveer Singhvi, joint secretary for counter terrorism in the Ministry of External Affairs, and Ambassador Nathan A. Sales at the US State Department coordinator for counterterrorism, led the respective inter-Agency/inter-Departmental delegations in a far-reaching conversation on counter-terrorism cooperation. Both sides resolved to continue close coordination on counter-terrorism, an important element of the comprehensive global strategic partnership that exists between the two countries. They also shared information about their priorities and procedures for pursuing sanctions and designations against terrorist groups and individuals, particularly in light of recent legislative changes in India. Both the countries underlined the urgent need for Pakistan to take immediate, sustained, and irreversible action to ensure that no territory under its control is used for terrorist attacks, and to expeditiously bring to justice the perpetrators of such attacks, including the 26/11 Mumbai and Pathankot. The US reiterated its support for the people and government of India in the fight against terrorism. The two sides committed to strengthen cooperation on information sharing and other steps to disrupt the ability of international terrorists to travel, consistent with the important provisions and obligations outlined in UN Security Council Resolution 2396. Participants also highlighted their efforts to address some of the world's most pressing counter terrorism challenges, including countering the financing and operations of terrorist organizations, countering radicalization and terrorist use of the internet, cross-border movement of terrorists and prosecuting, rehabilitating, and reintegrating returning terrorist fighters and family members. The two sides discussed mutual legal and extradition assistance, bilateral law enforcement training and cooperation. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Advertisement Six US B-52s joined allied planes in a NATO exercise for the first time as air forces flew over all 30 nations in a single day. Fighter jets took to the skies as the United States Air Force was joined by the UK's Royal Air Force and others in a huge training exercise. Around 80 aircraft flew in Exercise Point Blank on Thursday, including some from the Royal Netherlands Air Force. The US B52 bomber planes took part for the first time this year, with other aircraft joining from an American base in Italy and USAF's Europe and Africa units. Six US B52s (one pictured leading a formation over the North Sea) joined allied planes in a NATO exercise for the first time as air forces flew over all 30 nations in a single day on Thursday Stunning pictures show the strategic bombers leading a formation of U.S. F-15C Eagles, F-15E Strike Eagles and Royal Netherlands Air Force F-16s. The annual operation is designed to hone tactics and ensure readiness among allied nations. NATO said: 'Six US air force B-52 bombers flew over all 30 NATO allies in one day. 'They were escorted by 80 allied fighter aircraft, boosting their ability to train and operate together.' The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress (top) has been operated by the United States Air Force since the 1950s. Aircraft in the exercise also included F-15s, F-16s, F-35s, Typhoons, B-52s, and KC-135s The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress has been operated by the United States Air Force since the 1950s. Colonel Jason Camilletti, commander of USAF's 48th Fighter Wing, based at RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk, said: 'What started as a small grassroots training initiative between the US and Royal air forces has now grown into an adaptable large-scale exercise capable of incorporating joint service and multinational assets across the spectrum of conflict. 'We stand in lock-step with our British and Nato counterparts, and are proud that our collective efforts ensure that we are always ready to own the skies.' Aircraft in the exercise also included F-15s, F-16s, F-35s, Typhoons, B-52s, and KC-135s. The strategic bombers leads a formation of U.S. F-15C Eagles, F-15E Strike Eagles and Royal Netherlands Air Force F-16s over the North Sea Lieutenant Colonel James Cooper, 48th Operations Group deputy commander said: 'Point Blank aims to simulate threats and scenarios our operators are likely to experience in combat. 'Flying alongside our RAF partners and coordinating with the joint terminal attack controllers on the ground does just that. 'The realism we achieve by replicating threats and partnering with our allies to achieve shared operational objectives ensures both of our nations are trained and ready to fly, fight and win together, whenever called upon.' Last year, UK ground controllers integrated with US aircraft during a large force exercise for the first time, continuing the existing readiness training partnership between the two nations September 11, 2020 U.S. Oil & Gas Plc. ("US Oil" or the "Company") Placing of Ordinary Shares Placing of Ordinary Shares U.S. Oil & Gas Plc, ("USOIL" or the "Company"), the oil and gas exploration company with assets in Nevada, is pleased to announce that it has placed with private investors 843,431 new ordinary shares of .0001 Euro each (the "Placing Shares") at a placing price of STG .32 per share including a share premium of .3399 Euro on each Placing Share to raise gross proceeds of circa $349,653. Each Placing Share will rank (pari passu) with each ordinary share currently in existence. The proceeds of the placing will be used to provide US Oil with additional working capital, including the funding of drilling operations. Since no commissions are payable, the net proceeds to be received by the Company are circa $349,653. The 843,431 Placing Shares will shortly be issued through CREST. Following the placing, the issued share capital of the Company will increase to 65,980,534 ordinary shares of .0001 Euro each. This figure may be used by shareholders as the denominator for the calculations by which they will determine if they are required to notify their interest in, or a change to their interest in, the share capital of the Company under the Disclosure and Transparency Rules. The following parties have an interest of more than 3% in the shares of the Company: Name No of Shares Percentage holding Brian McDonnell 3,927,940 5.95% FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS The statements in this communication reflect the current thinking of the Board and the Company's present plans. The Company reserves the right to alter plans in the light of developing knowledge and circumstances. Shareholders' attention is drawn to the note below concerning Forward-looking Statements. This press release contains certain "forward-looking statements" and "forward-looking information". Forward-looking statements and forward-looking information include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to: business plans and strategies of US Oil and Gas; operating or technical difficulties in connection with drilling or development activities; availability and costs associated with inputs and labour; drilling and exploration costs; the speculative nature of oil exploration and development; diminishing quantities or quality of reserves; synergies and financial impact of completed acquisitions; the benefits of the acquisitions and the development potential of properties of US Oil and Gas; the future price of oil; supply and demand for oil; the estimation of reserves; the realization of reserve estimates; costs of production and projections of costs; success of exploration activities; capital expenditure programs and the timing and method of financing thereof; the ability of US Oil and Gas to achieve drilling success consistent with management's expectations; net present values of future net revenues from reserves; expected levels of royalty rates, operating costs, general and administrative costs, costs of services and other costs and expenses; expectations regarding the ability to raise capital and to add to reserves through acquisitions, assessments of the value of acquisitions and exploration and development programs; geological, technical, drilling and processing problems; treatment under governmental regulatory regimes and tax laws. All statements other than statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements THE DIRECTORS OF THE COMPANY ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE CONTENTS OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT Neither this announcement nor the information contained herein constitutes an offer or solicitation by U.S. Oil and Gas Plc for the purchase or sale of any securities nor does it constitute a solicitation to any person in any jurisdiction where solicitation would be unlawful. For further information contact: Brian McDonnell, Chief Executive Officer +353 (1) 631 9022 About U.S. Oil & Gas: U.S. Oil & Gas plc is an oil and gas exploration company with a strategy to identify and acquire oil and gas assets in the early phase of the upstream life-cycle and mature them. The Company's main asset is in Nye County, Nevada where it holds the entire share capital of US-based company, Major Oil International LLC ("Major Oil"). Major Oil has acquired rights to exploration and development acreage in Hot Creek Valley, Nye County, adjacent to the oil and gas rich Railroad Valley area of Nevada, both of which are part of the Sevier Thrust of central Nevada and western Utah, USA. For further information please refer to our website at: www.usoilandgas.us ### Prasanta Mazumdar By Express News Service GUWAHATI: Perhaps for the first time, rebel group National Socialist Council of Nagalim (NSCN-IM) on Friday said it would make public the competencies of its talks with the Centre when the time is ripe. The statement by the NSCN-IM comes at a time the Working Committee of Naga National Political Groups, which is a conglomerate of seven other rebel groups negotiating with the government, started distributing copies of their competencies to people in the spirit of transparency and inclusiveness. The Centres talks with the NSCN-IM have always been shrouded in secrecy although the Nagas have by now come to know that Naga national flag and Naga constitution are among the contentious issues. The NSCN-IM appreciated the Nagas concerns to know the details of the competencies. At the same time, it said some of the competencies were still under hectic negotiations. Any agreement signed under the Indian constitution can be openly published as others do. But the FA (Framework Agreement signed in 2015 with the Centre) and the competencies being worked out with outside the box solution needs caution till its completion. Therefore, we shall surely bring forth before the people in due course of time for wider consultations, the NSCN-IM said in a statement. The outfit reiterated its demands on Naga national flag and constitution. To some Nagas, our flag maybe just a piece of cloth but for the Nagas by blood and the NSCN, Naga Flag is our national and political identity, an inspiration and a covenant between God and Naga people. Nagas cannot bargain the God-given rights for anything less than official recognition, the NSCN-IM said. It also said: ... Without the constitution as the principles and laws that determine the power and duties of the government and guarantees rights to the people, how can a nation run? Constitution is our soul without which we cannot govern. Notice how the Aventador had exactly four predecessors, and if we do a little math we find that Lamborghinis mid-engine supercar should have been made in the 5,000-vehicle mark. But things are different now, and the SantAgata Bolognese-based Italian exotic automaker decided to break the mold. Or at least double it.The company proudly announced this week that since the Aventador series first came to life, back in 2011, it managed to build more than 1,000 examples each year (on average), and this September nailed the record-figure of 10,000 units.See, the V12 machine easily doubled on the 5,000 quota one could have extrapolated from the historic records of Aventadors predecessors and the supercar might even triple the figure if given enough time. And so far there are no signs of slowing down given the ample upgrades that have been performed in the meantime.For example, the Aventador debuted as an LP 700-4 coupe back in 2011 and chassis number 10,000 only shared the name, instead being an SVJ (Superveloce Jota) Roadster evolution. And in between them were quite a few iterations, the most important of which, according to the company, being the convertible that arrived in 2012, the Aventador J open supercar, the 2016 Aventador Miura Homage limited series, as well as the 2016 Aventador S facelift.Meanwhile, the anniversary example will leave Italy because it has been produced for the distant Thai market. There, a very happy customer will have a collectible Aventador dressed up in a grayish Grigio Acheso exterior shade with a Rosso Mimir (red) livery and a Rosso Alala over black Ad Personam-designed interior. Aunt Bessie's Yorkshire pudding factory has been hit by a coronavirus outbreak, with one worker currently 'seriously ill' in hospital. The frozen food firm confirmed that a 'small number' of cases at its plant in Hull, that employs around 350 people and produces half a billion 'Yorkshires' a year. Aunt Bessie's said the factory has been deep cleaned following the outbreak as it tries to track down any further cases. The worker is said to be seriously ill and in hospital, while a second is recovering at home. Both are believed to have displayed symptoms of the virus before being tested and going into isolation. The frozen food firm confirmed that a 'small number' of cases at its plant in Hull that employs around 350 people and produces half a billion 'Yorkshires' a year The plant in Freightliner Road has now been cleaned as the firm boasts it has 'followed and gone beyond' government guidance. Bosses are trying to track down any other employees who may have come into contact with the infected workers. The first employee told bosses they were feeling unwell last Thursday, and then a day later the second began showing symptoms. Tim Fielding, assistant director of public health at Hull City Council, assured the risk to the general public is believed to be 'very low'. Aunt Bessie's have said the firm has put in place additional social distancing measures and the plant will operate at a 'reduced capacity'. It boasted the factory already had thermal cameras to detect high temperatures, Perspex barriers, mandatory face masks and floorspace segregation. Aunt Bessie's have said the firm has put in place additional social distancing measures and the plant will operate at a 'reduced capacity' The Aunt Bessie's outbreak comes after a string of food processing plants have been struck down with the coronavirus. At the end of last month, a Greggs depot near Leeds was forced to shutdown after around 20 staff members were infected. Hundreds of employees were forced to self-isolate after coronavirus was detected at a Banham Poultry factory in Norfolk. Two Sisters Food processing plant in Coupar Angus, Perthshire saw 152 coronavirus cases linked to an outbreak. And nearly 300 workers were tested positive at Greencore's factory in Northampton that makes M&S sandwiches. However, the government has assured its 'very unlikely' you can catch the bug from food. In a statement, Aunt Bessie's said: 'Currently, our Aunt Bessie's factory has a small number of coronavirus cases, but PHE has repeatedly complimented us on our social distancing measures and our proactive approach to ensuring that our colleagues are safe and well. 'The health and welfare of our employees is our number one priority. 'We acted early and decisively in March to implement new procedures and have strict protocols at all of our sites, including our Hull Aunt Bessie's factory, to reduce the risk of coronavirus spreading amongst our employees.' The firm added: 'If a factory worker contracts the virus, we would clean the area where the person was working, confirm that social distancing has been applied and apply our own track and trace procedure to identify co-workers who also need to go into isolation.' Aunt Bessie's has also confirmed that employees who have to isolate due to having virus symptoms will receive full pay. The factory which produces 500 million Yorkshire puddings a year is now running at reduced capacity amid the outbreak. 'Our production facilities have always been regularly sanitised, and we introduced additional sanitisation and facility cleans in early March. 'Other measures in place at our Aunt Bessie's facility include floorspace segregation, the use of thermal infrared cameras to detect signs of high temperature, use of Perspex barriers in some areas and mandatory wearing of face masks. 'We have followed and gone beyond the guidance of national health authorities. 'If a factory worker contracts the virus, we would clean the area where the person was working, confirm that social distancing has been applied and apply our own track and trace procedure to identify co-workers who also need to go into isolation.' East Riding of Yorkshire Council said 'The team has been working with the business, as well as colleagues in Public Health England (PHE) and other local partners after a small number of staff tested positive. 'All those affected have been advised to self-isolate and anyone who has been in contact with them will have been notified. 'The business has been supported to put in place additional safety and social distancing measures and the business is continuing to operate in a reduced capacity. 'The risk to the general public from this outbreak is considered very low.' Aurigny evaluating direct services between IOM and Guernsey The airline Aurigny says it's still evaluating the viability of direct services between the Isle of Man and Guernsey. The last flight between the two Islands will take off next Wednesday following the success of the airbridge which was launched in July. Aurigny published its winter timetable last week but it includes no mention of the Isle of Man. The airline says there is a reasonably good chance that there will be direct services in future summer seasons but winter services are unlikely. SPRINGFIELD For nearly a year, the Springfield Puerto Rican Parade Committee have been planning a grand 30th anniversary celebration for an event that has grown from just a few community members to thousands of participants and spectators each year. After many virtual meetings, the committee announced in July that it would host a virtual parade this year due to the coronavirus pandemic. Its definitely not how we anticipated celebrating our 30th anniversary, but we know the most important thing is for all of our marchers and parade viewers to be safe,said Victoria Ann Rodriguez, chairwoman of the Springfield Puerto Rican Parade Committee. The parade program will air on the committees Facebook and YouTube pages on Sunday, Sept. 20, at 11 a.m. and on WWLPs Mass Appeal on Monday, Sept. 21, at 11 a.m. We are excited for people to watch what we have put together and we encourage them to tune in on parade day and celebrate virtually with us, Rodriguez said. Jade Rivera-McFarlin, spokeswoman for the parade committee, has spent several months gathering videos and photographs from community organizations and local artists. People can expect to see performances and appearances from local organizations, artists and community members, she said. " All of our artists will be playing and performing original pieces." Rivera-McFarlin said she tried to capture the spirit and the energy of parade day on film. Just like when the parade marches down Main Street I tried to envision how to bring that to life on television. We reached out to all of the people that make that atmosphere come alive on parade day and packaged that in a video to create a virtual parade experience, she said. Brendaliz Cepeda heads up Bomba de Aqui, a Puerto Rican music and dance company in Springfield specializing in traditional bomba y plena, a call and response performance featuring drummers and dancers. I was so sad to hear the parade was going virtual, but I completely understand why it was necessary, Cepeda said. She and her team filmed a video performance that will air on parade day. We obviously could not feature as many dancers and drummers as we do on parade day, but I still wanted to bring that energy and that enthusiasm that we bring to the crowd, she said. Raquel Maldonado and her Nuevo Impacto orchestra have also created a video for the virtual parade. We are devastated by the cancellation of the parade because it is an opportunity for us to come together and celebrate our roots Maldonado said. She said she will be tuning in on Sunday and hopes the community will too. We have to support this parade committee because they are working so hard to bring the community something that is quite difficult to achieve virtually just so that we can still enjoy our parade even if its under these circumstances, she said. As Puerto Ricans we have to be there for our community and for our flag. Last week the parade committee gathered at the starting point of the parade on the corner of Main Street and Wason Avenue to film personal messages for the viewers. Each of them held Puerto Rican flags and sported black and white shirts. Usually we choose very bright colors for our parade shirts, but in honor of the Black Lives Matter movement we opted for black and white shirts. The color also fits with the tone of this year which has been very somber due to the social injustices and the pandemic, Rodriguez said. For parade committee member and Springfield Ward 1 City Councilor Adam Gomez the filming was bittersweet. Having been elected senator of the Hampden District on Sept. 1 he will no longer be able to sit on the committee. The parade is my life. I remember when it started I was just 7 years old. It was in the blistering November cold, he said. For Gomez the parade is a legacy since his father Gumersindo Gomez is one of the founders of the parade. This parade is part of not only my familys but an entire communitys legacy, so leaving is really bittersweet for me," he said. The Republican and El Pueblo Latino reporter Damaris Perez-Pizarro contributed to this article. Related topics: The Government is to consider introducing tighter restrictions in Dublin following advice from public health experts. It comes amid concern over the growing number of Covid-19 cases in the city. Taoiseach Micheal Martin said the Government is to decide on the date to reopen wet pubs during the Cabinet meeting on Tuesday. The Government is also expected to rubber stamp the final details of its Covid-19 medium-term plan, which is to be published next week. One more person has died with Covid-19, the Department of Health said. Another 211 diagnoses were notified. Mr Martin also said the Cabinet will consider advice from the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) in relation to the growing number of cases in Dublin. Expand Close NPHET has indicated that Dublin is at the forefront of the increase in the number of Covid-19 cases nationally (Brian Lawless/PA) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp NPHET has indicated that Dublin is at the forefront of the increase in the number of Covid-19 cases nationally (Brian Lawless/PA) We are developing a new framework and a new plan in terms of dealing with Covid for the next six months. We have worked with the chief medical officer (Dr Ronan Glynn) in this regard and NPHET, that is work still in progress, Mr Martin said on Friday. One of the key aspects of that will be a modification of the structure by which advice is filtered to government and making sure we can implement whatever is advised. We will consider NPHETs advice on Tuesday in relation to Dublin but we will be publishing a national plan in relation to dealing with Covid in all its aspects. In that framework, consideration has to be given to the economic situation, to protecting jobs, making sure citizens have a quality of life. Fundamentally what will drive the plan is personal behaviour and all of us have to focus on personal behaviour. People are fatigued, I understand that, people are fed up of restrictions and they would love to go back to the normality we once experienced but the virus will be around for a while Micheal Martin People are fatigued, I understand that, people are fed up of restrictions and they would love to go back to the normality we once experienced but the virus will be around for a while. We have got to be smart and resilient in how we deal with it. Mr Martin made the comments while visiting Global Shares in Clonakilty in West Cork. The financial technology company is creating 150 jobs. Latest figures show that Dublin, Kildare and Limerick made up almost two thirds of all new Covid-19 cases. A total of 497 cases were recorded in the week ending September 4, according to data from the Central Statistics Office (CSO). On Thursday, acting chief medical officer Dr Ronan Glynn said there are worrying signs of increased community transmission. On Friday he added: While we are seeing a continued increase in cases, particularly in Dublin, this is at least partly due to the willingness of people to heed our core messages around knowing the symptoms and coming forward promptly for testing. This together with all of the other key behaviours will help to break the chains of transmission in our communities. Data produced by the CSO, based on the actual date of death, found that while the number of people who have died from Covid-19 is below 10 for the last six weeks, Dublin remains the hardest hit. The virus claimed the lives of 26 more men than women. It also continues to affect the older age groups the hardest, with 64% of all confirmed Covid-19 deaths to date in the 80 years old or older age group. The total number of people who have died from Covid-19 is 1,524, with a further 253 deaths cited as probable deaths linked to the virus. The number of weekly confirmed Covid-19 cases is more than 700 cases in each of the last three weeks, while the median age of new confirmed Covid-19 cases is 32 years old. The week ending up to and including September 4 was the second consecutive week that every county has recorded a new case in Ireland. Dublin saw its third consecutive week of more than 300 weekly cases. Women and those aged between 25 to 44 continue to account for the highest number of confirmed cases, while more than half (54%) of confirmed cases are now linked to an outbreak More than half of cases associated with outbreaks are men, while 69% are under 44 years old and 49% were in private houses. In the last 10 weeks, 11% of cases have been in the 0 to 14 age group and 21% in the 15 to 24 age group. Healthcare workers make up 11% of all new cases in the last 10 weeks. The 25 to 44 age group still shows the highest number of confirmed Covid-19 cases, at 10,409. Last week, 45 people were hospitalised, down from 676 people at the peak, the week ending March 27. For the fifteenth week in a row there have been fewer than five people admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU). Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh on Thursday reported the highest ever single day spike of 7,042 fresh COVID-19 cases in 24 hours. Earlier, the maximum record for patients who tested positive in one day was 6,777. With this, the total number of patients in the state has reached an alarming 2,92,226. The figure of sample testing investigation has reached 70,67,208. Speaking at a media briefing in Lucknow, Additional Chief Secretary, Medical Health Amit Mohan Prasad said, There are 66,317 active cases in the state with new patients. 2,21,506 patients have fully recovered. The recovery rate of patients at this time is 75.85 per cent. A total of 4,206 people have died. In the last 24 hours, 1,49,311 samples have been tested in the state. Meanwhile, the Yogi Adityanath government has reduced the cost of coronavirus test conducted in private labs by about Rs 1,000. As per the new order, the virus can be investigated in a private lab located in the state for just Rs 1,600. Additional Chief Secretary of the State Health Department, Amit Mohan Prasad, shared the information and also added that till now RTPCR test was done for Rs 2,500 in private lab, but now only Rs 1,600 will be taken for this purpose. Speaking further on the issue, ACS Health Amit Mohan Prasad said, This order of the government is being implemented with immediate effect. The government has fixed the fee to be charged in a private lab for corona examination at Rs 1,600. If there is a complaint of taking more money than this, then legal action will be taken against the lab. Under the Uttar Pradesh Pandemic Act 1897 and UP Pandemic COVID19 rules, it will be mandatory for all private labs to follow the provisions set by the government. Action will be taken to disregard it or violate the governments instructions. American Hole n One, the worlds largest and most trusted provider of hole in one coverage, announced today a merger with its sister hole in one coverage company, National Hole-In-One. American Hole n One acquired National Hole-In-One in 2014 and has been operating the two companies separately for the past six years. "Joining the two as one will help streamline many of our processes and will help our team work more efficiently, said Steve Marcil, COO of American Hole n One. Improving our operations will provide even more value to our customers than what theyve already come to expect. The decision to merge the two companies was an easy one for us, said Rick Ruiz, President and CEO of American Hole n One. We had many meetings to cover all of the pros and cons of merging the brands and wanted to make sure it was the best decision for our customers, our partners, and our employees. We will now be able to provide more value and benefits by merging the two largest hole in one brands in the world. Customer service representatives with National Hole-In-One will now join the exceptional service team at American Hole n One. The companys well-regarded price match guarantee, quality custom signage, exclusive bonus prizes and easy-to-use online booking will continue to be available to all customers of the combined company. A new service following the merger for National Hole-In-One customers is the ability to sign, return and pay for hole in one coverage through DocuSign. The newly merged organization will operate as American Hole n One and maintain its existing management team, with Ruiz continuing his leadership role as President and CEO. The company will continue to be based in Buford, Georgia. About Grand Prize Promotions & American Hole n One One company, two powerful brands, make Grand Prize Promotions (GPP) and American Hole n One (AHNO) the global leaders in promotions and prize coverage. Founded in 1986, they have revolutionized the promotions and prize industry. With offices in Atlanta, New York and San Diego, GPP and AHNO have a worldwide reach serving customers in 70+ countries. Hosting a combined total of over 25,000 events every year, they award millions in prizes that generate excitement, awareness and revenue for their partners. Prize indemnity offered by GPP and AHNO is backed by A+ XV rated Everest National Insurance Company, providing the financial strength needed to be a leader. An in-house,15,000 sq. ft., signage facility provides creative graphics and sign manufacturing to meet every customers needs. Working with the biggest names in the sports, marketing and promotion industries, clients benefit from their unsurpassed knowledge, depth of experience and quality of service. For more information about both companies, visit https://www.grandprizepromotions.com/ and https://www.ahno.com/. A series of 225 American Flags blow in the wind at the base of the State Capitol, Saturday, May 23, 2020, in downtown Baton Rouge, La. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Blue Star Mothers of Louisiana, Chapter 1, planted 225 instead of the typical 'Garden of Flags'. The flags planted this year honor the fallen from 9/11 to present day. LUCKNOW: The members of Rajasthan-based fringe outfit Karni Sena on Friday staged protests against Shiv Sena Rajya Sabha MP and its Chief Spokesperson Sanjay Raut over his remarks on Bollywood actress Kangana Ranaut. According to reports, the Karni Sena members protested at the Parivartan Chowk in state capital and clashes with the policemen while trying to burn the effigy of the Shiv Sena leader. The members of Karni Sena, which is backing the actress, were carrying placards which read: Sanjay Raut apologise. It may be recalled that the outfit members had on Wednesday came out in support of actor Kangana Ranaut and staged a protest in the national capital outside the residence of Shiv Sena`s Chief Spokesperson Sanjay Raut amid the ongoing war of words between the two. The supporters of the `Panga` actor also burnt Raut`s effigy during the protest and were sloganeering. The Karni Sena, also popularly known as Shri Rajput Karni Sena (SRKS), is an organisation based in Rajasthan, which also protested against the film `Padmaavat` claiming that it distorted Rajput history. Ranaut had earlier slammed Raut for telling her not to return to Mumbai, claiming that the remark seems like an open threat to her. "Sanjay Raut Shiv Sena leader has given me an open threat and asked me not to come back to Mumbai, after Aazadi graffitis in Mumbai streets and now open threats, why Mumbai is feeling like Pakistan occupied Kashmir?" Kangana had tweeted. The actress has been engaged in a bitter war of words with Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut after her remarks that she feels unsafe in Mumbai and has no trust in the Mumbai Police after the death of Sushant Singh Rajput. The Ministry of Home Affairs approved Y-plus security to the `Queen` actress after she received threats for comparing Mumbai with Pakistan occupied Kashmir. Amid all this, Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh had asked Mumbai Police to probe Ranaut`s connection in an alleged drug nexus. Up to 1,500 A-level pupils are still without university places despite finally getting the grades they need. Around 15,000 who were turned down by institutions on A-level results day later met their place offers with teacher-assessed grades. But just under 10 per cent of affected pupils are still unplaced after the A-levels fiasco, figures from the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (Ucas) show. Exams were cancelled because of coronavirus but the computerised system used the regulator Ofqual to assess pupils led to an uproar when results were downgraded. A-levels results fiasco saw around 15,000 turned down by institutions results day later met their place offers. Pictured, students and teachers protest outside the Department for Education over the downgrading of A-level results on August 14 in London The Government was forced to allow Centre Assessment Grades (CAGs) compiled by teachers to be used. A briefing document from Ucas said yesterday: We estimate up to 15,000 A-level students who did not have their firm choice confirmed on A-level results day may have subsequently achieved the academic requirements of their offer since CAGs were issued. It added that 87 per cent of these pupils are now placed at their original firm or insurance choice institution. A total of 3 per cent entered clearing and gained places at lower-tariff universities and fewer than 10 per cent are currently not placed. Ucas said some may not have necessarily met other requirements such as entry tests and others may still be looking for places in clearing. Literally. He knew covid was airborne. He knew it was 5x as deadly as the flu. He knew it affected children and young people. He knew masks would be beneficial. He claims he played it down to not panic people but regularly incites panic with his racist base about immigrants, Antifa, anarchists, your suburbs, cows, windmills, mail in votes, OBiden. The usual GOP sycophants and enablers are silent as usual. Mr Law & Order has never watched the show because hes clearly guilty of negligent homicide. The panel says what you think theyd say. And Meghan says stupid things.Bob Woodwards new bookis getting him blamed for not releasing the tapes earlier but his interviews for the book lasted until just recently and had to be fact-checked. Whether he shoulders blame doesnt distract from the fact that as usual T45 is the lying liar who lies his lies. Lots more in the book about N Korea, T45 weird man-crush on Kim Jung Un. Its 18 hours of recorded tape bat-shittery. Anyway the panel argues whether Woodward was to blame. Meanwhile T45 had a press conference this afternoon because he's mad and blamed Bob Woodward for America's coronavirus response.Paige Winter is a 17 yr old attacked by shark who is trying to get her life back. Robin Roberts has a special about her journey. First they talk about her interview with Biden and Harris. Then they move on to Paige, who lost her leg and two fingers as a result of a shark attack. Plays clip of her talking about the actual attack. They talk about her resilience and positive attitude throughout the attack and her recovery. Her dad, a firefighter and paramedic, rushed in the water to save her life. Airs on ABC @ 10PM, check local listings.[Her plastic surgeon is the real hero, she looks fab]Jane Fonda wrote a new book. They cover her protests last year about climate change, how civil disobedience is important. The difference in how she was treated as a white person, even in jail, vs poc. They move on to climate crisis. She tried to engage the WH but couldnt get past Princess Nepotista. Talks about fracking and refineries impacting poc more because theyre put in poc communities causing them side effects. Shes sassy. Wonders if well turn into Brazil or Russia who are run by bad people.They talk about the nuances of defunding the police. Gives example of Newark NJ. Reconfiguring it not eliminating it. Moves on to BLM and the initiatives led by women. Believes they lead with joy. Feels the pandemic may have resulted in more people participating because they felt they need to get out and take action, plus the pandemic bringing more awareness of how poc are treated on the frontlines of healthcare.Source links are below each video or section PHILADELPHIA, Sept. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Guardian Civic League is officially endorsing Joe Biden for President of the United States of America and Kamala Harris for Vice President of the United States of America. In Philadelphia, The Guardian Civic League is endorsing Former Vice President Joe Biden and Senator Kamala Harris because they believe these two candidates are what is best for this country and their members. VP Biden and Sen. Harris have a track record of helping the community and represent an opportunity to do better as a country than what has been done under the current Administration. Recently, the National Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) endorsed President Trump's re-election. This action has caused many members to have concerns about the leadership of the FOP due to past and recent circumstances taking place in this country. "In this country of ours we hold dear the opportunity & the right to vote for whoever we choose. I as the President of the Guardian Civic League, strongly condemn the action of the National Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) because all of us that belong to the Fraternal Order of Police do not and has not endorsed Donald J. Trump for President. Simply put, the union is disregarding our concerns and our position on this candidate selection. As dues paying members, we deserve to have our voices heard as well in this decision. The Trump administration has created a dangerous and hostile working environment for thousands of law enforcement officers around the country who work to maintain order and create positive relationships with the communities that they serve and protect. One thing that we must do is to ensure fairness and accountability for every person of color. We need to take away the hate and heal humanity. Our communities want justice, equality, and less suffering. We cannot move forward together with division; it must be with Unity. Currently, I do not see unity as a sought-after goal, or principle of this administration. We do not endorse Donald J. Trump. Our voices will be heard on Tuesday, November 03rd on a Biden/Harris ticket." Crystal Williams-Coleman, President, Guardian Civic League Guardian Civic League: The Guardian Civic League Inc. of Philadelphia, local chapter of The National Black Police Association, was founded in 1956. Media Contact : Teresa M. Lundy TML Communications O: (215) 500-8749 E: [email protected] SOURCE Guardian Civic League New Yorks Stanford Fire Department has arranged a patriotic tribute of nearly 3,000 small flags in honor of those who lost their lives in the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Rows of red, white, and blue in conjunction with red fire fighter flags adorn the grounds outside Stanford Town Hall, and together they form the Twin Towers, which run up and down across the lawn. I said this is going to be a lot of work but I think it would be really neat if we did this at Town Hall, Stanford Fire Company vice president Edward Zick told the Poughkeepsie Journal. By the end of the meeting when he first floated the idea, the department unanimously agreed to go ahead. Photos of the memorial can be viewed here. The 2,978 flags were set up on Sept. 3, using 343 red flags to create the shape of the Twin Towers, each representing one of the firefighters who died in the attack. Seventy-one American flags were adorned with a blue ribbon to represent the 70 police officers and one Port Authority police dog who were killed. The remaining 2,564 American flags marked all of the civilians who died. Part of it was we wanted to make a history lesson for the kids, Zick reflected; its easy to say were never going to forget, but kids nowadays dont fully understand. Stanford firefighters planted each flag with their own hands, with help from local community members, some of whom provided a meal at the firehouse to mark the displays completion. A march took place the following evening led by a ceremonial bagpipe player. The tribute will remain on display until Sept. 19. For the Stanford Fire Department, the tribute has special significance, as the department lost one of their own, Lieutenant Dennis Gilhooly, in December 2019 due to injuries sustained in the 9/11 relief effort. Gilhooley served 20 years with the New York Police Department before retiring and joining the fire service, reports Hudson Valley Magazine. He was the 199th New York firefighter to die from injuries related to 9/11. His wife, Laura Gilhooley, raised the town hall displays large central flag during the Sept. 4 ceremony in honor of her late husband. And his comrades contributed a gesture of their own. [W]e felt like we should have something special, even though he wasnt part of the 2,978, Zick told the news outlet. The team settled on laying their fallen lieutenants helmet and jacket, emblazoned with the number 39, in between the rendering of the twin towers. I can truthfully say that there wasnt a dry eye when it was done, said Zick. The fire company vice president explained that his inspiration for the flag display came from driving past similar tributes to firefighters in neighboring Massachusetts. The collective tribute, he said, is a pledge to remember. It changed our history, it changed how we function in the world because of that day, he said of 9/11. A lot of these people happened to be in the wrong place at the time, a lot of these firefighters didnt know when they ran into that building that it was going to collapse, and we cant let that escape. We would love to hear your stories! You can share them with us at emg.inspired@epochtimes.nyc They've recently been seen loving it up on a late summer trip to Palm Springs, California. And Dua Lipa along with boyfriend Anwar Hadid were back to their day-to-day on Thursday, when they were seen on a walk with their puppy Dexter in the West Hollywood area of Los Angeles. The Levitating songstress, 25, wore a baggy ensemble consisting of a pink, white and blue-striped buttoned down men's shirt and light wash bootcut jeans. Back to business: Dua Lipa along with boyfriend Anwar Hadid were back to their day-to-day on Thursday, when they were seen on a walk with their puppy Dexter in West Hollywood The Westminster, London-born hitmaker had on a white tee which peeked out from underneath the bulky shirt, and she wore a nameplate necklace. Dua also sported the same yellow-lens shades she flaunted on Instagram the day prior, in posts from her trip to the desert. The former model carried a black leather pouch purse, and donned black shoes with shiny thick gold laces. Lipa's brown locks were down with braids along the sides of her face, and she covered her mouth and nose in accordance with California law with a standard blue surgical face mask. Casual: The Levitating songstress wore a baggy ensemble consisting of a striped buttoned down men's shirt and light wash bootcut jeans, while Anwar rocked a dark outfit Anwar, 21, was in a dark ensemble featuring a black hoodie, grey shirt and black slacks that ended above his ankles. The younger brother of Bella and Gigi Hadid completed his outfit with black socks and matching footwear. A working model, Hadid added a flash of color and luxury to his day look with a beige Louis Vuitton face mask featuring red detailing. Flirty: Dua also sported the same kooky yellow-lens shades she flaunted on Instagram the day prior, in posts from her recent trip to the desert Cute pair: They were recently seen loving it up on Instagram on their late summer escape to Palm Springs Their adorable black Lab mix puppy Dexter ambled along between his parents, on a metal chain lead. Last month, it was reported that Dua had moved from London to Los Angeles to be closer to beau Anwar, whom she's been dating since the middle of last year. It was claimed the New Rules artist has moved into a lavish property in Beverly Hills near Anwar's famous family, despite the fact that her inner circle are all based in the UK. Felix Kwakye Ofosu says Madam Elizabeth Ohene at her age has succeeded in dragging the good name that she earned over the years as a successful editor into the mud. Who would have thought that at her age, Elizabeth Ohene would feel obliged to join the politics of insults? She has only succeeded in dragging her otherwise good name in the mud, the Abura/Asebu/Kwamankese (AAK) Parliamentary aspirant for the NDC wrote on his Facebook timeline. Kwakye Ofosus post followed a recent article by Elizabeth Ohene titled: Finding best insults where she described the flagbearer of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) as a walking, breathing, laughing insult. She added: Flagbearer Mahama is happy to cite an ethnic group and bundle them up as people who perform illegal, Internet-based fraud? And these people combine the fraudulent practice with traditional rituals? And this will match Dolittle, boot for boot, to borrow his terminology? Or will Sakawa be on the same wavelength as Jeremiah? While he was President, Mr Mahama used to provide the best copy for insults that could be used against him. If someone called Candidate Mahama a dead goat, that would be considered an insult. And if you are looking for an Akyem Sakawa correlation, you should hear Candidate Mahama: 'when it comes to unleashing violence, no one can beat us to that'." John Mahama recently endorsed a Facebook post written by Isaac Adongo, the MP for Bolgatanga Central dubbed Agyapa Royalties fraud is the last straw: The Akyem Sakawa Boys and Grandpas must go. In the post, Adongo stated that the Agyapa Royalties deal is a big fraud on Ghana by President Akufo-Addo and his Akyem Mafia. While President Akufo-Addo expressed his disdain and disappointment, John Mahama who appeared unperturbed by the growing outrage insisted that he had endured worse treatment from his successor. He said in an interview with TV XYZ, He [President Akufo-Addo] was an opposition leader who called Presidents before him anything you can imagine, including Prof Do Little and then he described somebody as a Simpa Panyin and I dont want to repeat the other things he saidHes the President who has called his critics naysayers and Jeremiahs. Who would have thought that at her age,Elizabeth Ohene would feel obliged to join the politics of insults? She has only succeeded in dragging her otherwise good name in the mud. Posted by Felix Kwakye Ofosu on Thursday, September 10, 2020 Source: ghanaweb.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video As voters in the United States prepare for the presidential election in November, the South China Morning Post is exploring the potential ramifications for China. The sixth part of the series looks at the debate in Washington over its long-standing policy on Taiwan. Growing calls for a potentially explosive shift in US policy on Taiwan to an explicit commitment to defend the self-ruled island from Chinese attack are threatening to further undermine the already dismal ties between Washington and Beijing. For decades, Washington has remained studiously vague on exactly what it would do if cross-strait tensions "went kinetic", given long-standing threats by Beijing to reassert control over the island, by force if necessary. Get the latest insights and analysis from our Global Impact newsletter on the big stories originating in China. But shifting power politics are leading some to conclude that a reboot in the US policy known as "strategic ambiguity" is needed. The renewed debate has surfaced before, only to disappear - most notably during the 1995-96 Taiwan Strait Crisis when Beijing landed missiles near the island - and comes amid a hotly contested presidential campaign that could affect any decision. US aircraft carrier Nimitz on its way to the Taiwan Strait during the 1996 crisis. Photo: Reuters alt=US aircraft carrier Nimitz on its way to the Taiwan Strait during the 1996 crisis. Photo: Reuters Among those believed to support a more explicit US stance are White House deputy national security adviser Matthew Pottinger, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, parts of the Pentagon and many in Congress. Those viewed as supporting the status quo include officials focused on the US-China economic relationship, namely US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin. President Donald Trump has not weighed in with his views. "Taiwan has continued to succeed in ways that compel us to want to maintain a good relationship, if not to strengthen it," said Randall Schriver, Project 2049 Institute chairman and former assistant secretary of defence, who helped draft the administration's Indo-Pacific strategy. "Given their ability to contain Covid-19, and the increased threats from China, it's persuaded a lot of people." Story continues US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin (left) and Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer - pictured with Chinese Vice-Premier Liu He - are said to favour maintaining the status quo on Taiwan. Photo: AP alt=US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin (left) and Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer - pictured with Chinese Vice-Premier Liu He - are said to favour maintaining the status quo on Taiwan. Photo: AP Any move towards more unambiguous statements of military support for Taipei would be a direct challenge to Beijing and President Xi Jinping, who views Taiwan's integration as a way to cement his legacy, analysts said. Xi has repeatedly said political differences across the Taiwan Strait "should not be passed down generation after generation". But the same analysts added that any such shift in US policy would be less likely under a Joe Biden administration than under a Trump second term. "That's Trump's inclination, to do more with Taiwan and assume more risk, in part to be tough with China," said Evan Medeiros, a Georgetown University professor and former National Security Council director for China and Taiwan. "The question is, does clarifying the nature of the US commitment to Taiwan stabilise the situation or destabilise it." The complex relations between Washington, Taipei and Beijing are anchored in agreements going back decades. These include the Taiwan Relations Act of 1979 - which Biden voted for in the Senate - and the Three Communiques signed by Beijing and Washington between 1972 and 1982, as well as the Six Assurances formalised in 1982 between the US and Taiwan. These essentially state that Washington recognises a single China but will come to Taiwan's defence - without spelling out what that means - and will not pressure Taiwan to settle with Beijing, a policy short-handed as "strategic ambiguity". But in recent weeks more voices have been arguing that the policy is outdated and should be replaced by "strategic clarity" given China's increasingly aggressive stance, seen in its expansion into the contested South China Sea, deadly clashes with India along their shared border and tightening grip over Hong Kong, Xinjiang and Tibet. These include 16 Republican US House representatives, who co-sponsored a bill introduced in late June to make Washington's defence commitments to Taiwan unambiguous, a Wall Street Journal editorial urging both presidential candidates to take a stand, and articles by Richard Haass, head of the Council on Foreign Relations, and conservative columnist George Will. "This is a serious debate," said Shirley Kan, an independent analyst formerly with the Congressional Research Service. "But because we're in a presidential campaign, it could also be tied to politics." Strategic clarity advocates say China must be checked while it is still possible, given its rapid military build-up, citing China's 900 per cent military spending increase between 1990 and 2017 and rapid economic growth. They add that China's crackdown on Hong Kong shows Beijing is happy to ignore international opprobrium on issues it views as existential. Clarity over the long run would bolster deterrence and reduce the risk of war, they say. "Waiting for China to make a move on Taiwan before deciding whether to intervene is a recipe for disaster," Haass and co-author David Sacks wrote in an article for Foreign Affairs. "Ambiguity is now unlikely to preserve the status quo." In an apparent careful nudge towards "clarity", Assistant Secretary of State David Stilwell said late last month that the US needed to "adjust" but not fundamentally shift its policy on Taiwan, given rising Chinese aggression. But he also reaffirmed US support for the one-China policy. "We must act to restore the balance," he said. The Chinese embassy in Washington did not respond to a request for comment. Ambiguity adherents argue that the very lack of clarity has prevented war in this major East Asia flashpoint for 40 years despite numerous provocations by both sides. They add that Beijing could easily view such a publicly announced shift as provocative, back Xi into a corner and draw the three governments into the very conflict it seeks to avoid. "It's a worrisome situation because tension between the US and China is so high," said Bonnie Glaser, director of the China Power Project at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies. "Chinese increasingly believe that US actions on Taiwan suggest we've abandoned the one-China policy and are only paying lip service to it. That's dangerous." Analysts add that while Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen has handled cross-strait relations quite gingerly, a US declaration of unequivocal support could encourage adventurism in future Taiwan leaders; that the Pentagon needs to ensure it can back up any such commitment; and that the threat of imminent attack appears overplayed by some in Congress or the military seeking expanded budgets. James Nolt, an adjunct professor at New York University, said that China's navy may have more ships than the US, but its overall technology and anti-ship missiles are behind the Soviet Union's in the 1980s, while its H-6N bomber is a copy of a first-generation Soviet bomber withdrawn in 1993. "The Pentagon tends to exaggerate Chinese military power because it's the only plausible adversary left since the demise of the Soviet Union that gives them a reason to build a big navy and air force." "There is some evidence that Xi Jinping is impatient to achieve progress on cross-strait issues," echoed Glaser. "But I fail to see signs that Xi sees this as urgent, that he's willing to put other interests at risk in a war with the United States, including maintaining good relations with neighbours, promoting China as a responsible global power, and China's economic development." Taiwan is aware that its rising star in Washington could help it carve out more international space and blunt Chinese aggression. Under the Trump administration, Taipei has hosted its most senior US cabinet member since 1979, signed seven major arms deals worth US$13.3 billion, seen Tsai enjoy a 12-day "stopover" in the US and had its spirits bolstered by new supportive US laws and partnership agreements. But Taipei is also aware that the tone could change under a Biden administration, or Trump's shifting whims, and that few things in Washington come without a price tag. This awareness has seen Taiwan try and shore up weaker parts of the relationship with pledges to reduce its ballooning trade surplus, build a US$12 billion chip factory in Arizona and strengthen its supply chain, 5G capabilities and defence posture in line with US policies. "I don't like tanks," said a senior congressional staffer, referring to Taipei's decision to buy 108 Abrams "The Beast" tanks in 2019 valued at US$2.2 billion, which some saw more as a sop to the Taiwanese army than sound defence planning. "This isn't just a vanity project, this is money for the army that could be spent preserving American lives in the event of a conflict. It makes me so angry." And, in a seemingly small but significant concession last month, Tsai agreed to end a 15-year impasse over US beef and pork imports involving safety issues, setting the stage for a possible bilateral free trade agreement. Farm issues are vital for Midwestern, largely Republican, members of Congress. "I've sat in on many US-Taiwan meetings and whether you're talking about F-16 purchases or high-level visits, every time, the first thing out of people's mouth is pork and beef. I know Tsai gets tired of that," said Rupert Hammond-Chambers, president of the US-Taiwan Business Council. "What you got from the State Department was greater clarity on US intentions that Monday after Tsai made the call on pork and beef on Friday." Schriver sees a way forward on US policy with a nod to the past, in a formula cited in 1996 testimony to Congress by then-State Department official Kurt Campbell and now chairman of the Asia Group consultancy: strategic clarity and tactical ambiguity. According to Schriver, it is increasingly important that the US signals its support for Taiwan's 24 million people and the example they set as a vibrant Chinese democracy at a time when the Xi administration is adopting an increasingly antagonist stance. At the same time, Washington needs to recognise the inordinate challenge China would face in mounting a Taiwan invasion. "[Xi] is caught in a cul-de-sac. At every turn he hits the accelerator rather than the brakes," said Schriver, a former military attache at the US embassy in Beijing. "But the fact is that 80 nautical miles of water makes it incredibly challenging, even before Taiwan buys a single weapon. They lack strategic lift, amphibious lift, which makes Taiwan a pretty hard target." Also weighing on China is evidence that it is losing younger generations of islanders with each passing year. A record 67 per cent of the population regarded itself as Taiwanese in a June poll by the National Chengchi University, up 8.5 percentage points in a year, with sharp drops in those who saw themselves as Chinese or Chinese and Taiwanese. "Beijing recognises, but is probably reluctant to say so, that the passage of the national security law in Hong Kong has irrevocably changed Taiwan's view of its future," said Medeiros. "One country, two systems, that's all but dead. And you have a younger generation of people in Taiwan with fewer ties to the mainland." You can read the first story in the series here, the second here, the third here, the fourth here and the fifth here. 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. Speaking from the site where United Flight 93 was taken down by hijackers on 9/11, Donald Trump said all faiths came together following the terrorist attack despite suggesting as a candidate in 2015 that the large Arab populations of New Jersey celebrated as the World Trade Center towers fell. The presidents unifying message at the somber memorial was in stark contrast to comments he made during another wild campaign rally the night before as he tried to again win the key swing state of Michigan. He told supporters on Thursday night that Democrats have embraced far-left elements who want to destroy Americas suburbs about 14 hours before he spoke of a national unity based on love. With the president still in striking distance in many key battleground states, it will be up to voters in November to decide which is the real Donald Trump. "We promise you the unwavering love, support and devotion of all Americans," Mr Trump said during an annual ceremony in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. In the days and weeks after 9/11, citizens of all faiths, backgrounds, colors and creeds came together, prayed together, mourned together, and rebuilt together. The song God Bless America became a rallying cry for the nation. But Mr Trump said something different during a 2015 campaign rally before he became president. There were people that were cheering on the other side of New Jersey, where you have large Arab populations. They were cheering as the World Trade Center came down, he alleged. I know it might be not politically correct for you to talk about it, but there were people cheering as that building came down as those buildings came down. Now, I know they dont like to talk about it, but it was well covered at the time, he said. There were people over in New Jersey that were watching it, a heavy Arab population, that were cheering as the buildings came down. Not good. The presidents Friday morning remarks matched the somber tone of the ceremony and day. But he has used the 9/11 attack and its anniversary for political gain in the past. At a campaign rally in 2015 in Birmingham, Alabama, the president claimed he witnessed people of the Muslim faith celebrating the attacks in Jersey City, across the Hudson River from his Manhattan penthouse in Trump Tower. Then-candidate Trump said he saw thousands and thousands of people were cheering as that building was coming down. Thousands of people were cheering. His claims have never been verified and he has not provided any supporting accounts or video. But that did not stop him from dropping the line throughout the 2016 campaign, bringing charging of him being anti-Muslim that still hang over his presidency. On the morning of the attack, then-businessman Trump was inside Trump Tower. He used the tragedy to talk up his coveted Manhattan property. 40 Wall Street (Trump Tower) actually was the second-tallest building in downtown Manhattan and it was actually, before the World Trade Center, was the tallest and then, when they built the World Trade Center, it became known as the second tallest, Mr. Trump said on the air of New Yorks WWOR-TV. And now its the tallest. Mr Trump in 2015 tweeted part of a 2001 Washington Post article that said authorities broke up tailgate-style parties on rooftops and detained individuals who watched the scene in Manhattan. After the attacks, Mr Trump also claimed to have both help search for survivors in the rubble at New Yorks Ground Zero and having paid workers to assist. He has never provided any supporting data or workers to corroborate his claims. Despite his pervious 9/11-related controversies, the president was subdued on Friday as he attempted to strike a unifying tone something he has rarely done during a term that has been calibrated to please his conservative base. A unity based on love? Political analysts on both sides have said he has done stunningly little to reach out to moderates and Democrats. But in that Shanksville field, the president stuck to the script after warning Democrats winning the White House in November would bring looters and Antifa members into Americas suburbs. We were united by our conviction that America was the worlds most exceptional country, blessed with the most incredible heroes, and that this was a land worth defending with our very last breath, he said. It was a unity based on love for our families, care for our neighbors, loyalty to our fellow citizens, pride in our flag, gratitude for our police and first responders, faith in Godand a refusal to bend our will to the depraved forces of violence, intimidation, oppression and evil. He was anything but a unifier in chief in Freeland, Michigan, however. They want to shut down auto production, delay the vaccine. They want to destroy your suburbs, Mr Trump told supporters at a rally. "The Left wants to get rid of me so they can come after you. It's very simple. If [Democratic presidential nominee] Joe Biden is elected, far-left lunatics won't just be running failed Democrat cities, they will be running the Department of Justice, the Department of Homeland Security and the United States Supreme Court and we can't let that happen, he roared." The large crowd in the airport hangar booed loudly as he tries to erase Mr Bidens lead in a state with 16 precious Electoral College votes that he narrowly won last time. No city, town or suburb will be safe on November 3rd, the GOP president warned. Your vote will save America. - Ghanaian World War II veteran, Private Joseph Hammond, has received a house and cash donations - The house and cash, GHC 12,000, were given to Hammond by businessman Nana Kwame Bediako, popularly known as Cheddar, and the First Nationa Bank - Hammond received the donations in a short ceremony on Friday, September 11, 2020 Our Manifesto: This is what YEN.com.gh believes in Install our latest app for Android and read the best news about Ghana Ghanaian World War II veteran, Private Joseph Hammond, has continued gone on a last walk to end his heroic efforts at raising funds for frontline workers in Africa amid the COVID1-19 outbreak. On the last day of his walk, Private Hammond who is 95 years old has received big donations for his selfless efforts. First National Bank (FNB) has donated an amount of GHC12, 000 to the World War II veteran for his personal use through its ASPIRE (Accelerated Support for Pandemic Intervention and Relief Effort) programme. In addition to the money from FNB, young billionaire Cheddar and his New Nana Kwame Bediako, popularly known as Cheddar, has also gifted a fully-furnished house to Private Hammond. READ ALSO: Fameye's girl drops first-ever photos from their magnificent mansion The building from Cheddar and his New Africa Foundation makes Hammond who lived 75 years of his life in his family home in Accra a first-time homeowner. Photo source: Instagram/Sweet Maame Adwoa Source: Instagram READ ALSO: Vivian Jill Lawrence's handsome 22-year-old son pops up with lovely photos and message on her 37th birthday Private Hammond in the heat of the COVID-19 outbreak raised a total of GHC130,000 (18,000) to support frontline workers and vulnerable veterans in Africa. Hammond went on a 14-mile (22.5 kilometres) walk which he completed within seven days to raise the funds. His efforts have attracted organisations and individuals to come to his aid with the latest being FNB and Cheddar. At a short presentation ceremony on Friday, September 11, 2020, FNB CEO, Dominic Adu, expressed the bank's pride said they were proud to be a part of Hammond's last walk and to share in his story. READ ALSO: Asamoah Gyan and his beautiful 'girlfriend' step out for the 1st time after divorce saga; photo drops In a video sighted by YEN.com.gh, World War II veteran was seen at the new house right after it was presented to him. The veteran, in his remark, showed his full appreciation to Cheddar and FNB for their kind gesture and urged them to continue to support the less privileged in any way they can. Inspired by Captain Tom Moore who according to BBC.com raised 33 million pounds (GHC244m) to help NHS before turning 100, Hammond's walk had started on a low-key. But with the help of Okay FM's Abeiku Santana and his partners Derrick Cobbinah, Africa's Project Officer for the Royal Commonwealth Ex-Services League and CEO of Forces Help Africa and GUBA Foundation his activities got the needed attention in the media. The 95-year-old veteran's walk was late captured in international media including Al Jazeera, BBC, CNN, DW, among others, received commendation worldwide and was even hailed by Prince Harry of the British Royal Family. Prince Harry was highly impressed that at his age Hammond could walk 14-miles to raise money to support the fight against COVID-19. Have national and human interest issues to discuss? Know someone who is extremely talented and needs recognition? Your stories and photos are always welcome. Get interactive via our Facebook page Source: YEN.com.gh There's been a strong demand for IPO readiness and Audit Preparation services in 2020. The CFO Squad, (http://www.cfosquad.com), a premier provider of outsourced CFO and financial reporting services to both private and public companies, has announced the opening of its fourth full-service accounting office in Davao City, Philippines. The opening of this new office was in response to the increased demand and service requirements from its expanding domestic and global client base. Our newest office in the Philippines represents our fourth full service accounting office, and compliments our continued expansion in terms of both office space, and recruiting additional talent, over the last few years on the East Coast, said Joseph Himy, Founder and Managing Director of CFO Squad. This new office will enable our team of experts to better serve clients that are headquartered on the West Coast, many of whom have operations across Asia. Among todays uncertain and volatile economic conditions, more companies are looking for seasoned financial professional guidance to better achieve business growth, while mitigating risk. This has led to an increased demand for CFO Squads services, including organizations with global operations looking to outsource many of their back-office functions, or raise capital to support their liquidity and growth objectives. There has also been a strong demand for IPO readiness and Audit Preparation services in 2020. Specifically, the blank check acquisition funds known as special purpose acquisition companies, or SPACs, have raised more than an estimated $30 billion so far this year, versus $13 billion in all of last year. We can assist the SPAC with its IPO process, and help it stay current with its SEC filings and also allow the acquired company to focus on its core business operations, said Yoni Novak, Senior Manager and Director of CFO Squads Long Island Office. The CFO Squad will offer its full suite of corporate finance and accounting services from its new office in the Philippines. This includes outsourced bookkeeping and technical accounting services, mergers and acquisitions, CFO consulting services, IPO readiness, audit preparation, tax and compliance, as well as SEC and financial reporting services. For more information on The CFO Squad and its suite of financial consulting and outsourced CFO services, please visit: cfosquad.com. A long-awaited billion-pound upgrade of Belfast's ageing water and sewage system has taken a leap forward amid fresh procurement plans and engagement between the Government and contractors. NI Water and the Department for Infrastructure are holding a series of events to meet with firms and suppliers concerning the delivery of its Living With Water Programme, a major development that would be enacted over the course of more than a decade. NI Water has previously indicated that it needs 2.5billion to deal with capacity issues and to continue providing water and wastewater services. Many major building projects and housing schemes are effectively on hold because of a lack of capacity. While the plan is moving forward, the necessary funding has yet to be ring-fenced. The Department for Infrastructure said it "intended to publish the draft Strategic Drainage Infrastructure Plan for Belfast later this year for public consultation". "NI Water and the department are developing a procurement strategy to plan how best to deliver the many construction projects that will be needed over the next 12 years," it added. "As part of this strategy, NI Water is engaging with the construction industry to discuss key issues relating to the delivery of such an extensive programme of work." "(Infrastructure) Minister Nichola Mallon is committed to fighting for further investment to secure the future of water and wastewater infrastructure." The pre-procurement strategy meetings will be held later this month. They will see a host of engineering and construction firms meeting the project team responsible for development of the strategy. NI Water will also deliver presentations designed to give companies "an understanding of the preferred procurement model and (an opportunity to) ask any questions they may have in reference to the preferred procurement model". It is "vital" that NI Water undertakes the pre-procurement exercise so contractors are in place to be able to deal with the needs, according to Mark Spence, managing director of the Construction Employers Federation. "While we have no concerns with the appetite of local contractors to get involved in these opportunities, it remains the case that the funding envelope for the Living With Water Programme remains completely uncertain," he said. "Fundamentally, we know that the infrastructure requirements cannot be delivered by existing block grant funding alone, so we must, again, urgently look at the governance and funding arrangements for NI Water. "Without this, there remains significant risk that contractors are appointed to programmes which have limited works available for delivery, further exacerbating the challenges that we know we face in terms of being able to meet Northern Ireland's infrastructure needs." A spokesperson for the Department for Infrastructure said it was "anticipated that approximately 1.4billion of investment will be needed to upgrade the drainage and wastewater infrastructure as part of the Living With Water Programme". The first night of the Republican National Convention a few weeks ago featured a speech by Maximo Alvarez, a Cuban-born Florida millionaire, who warned viewers of upcoming doom. Ive seen ideas like these before and Im here to tell you, we cannot let them take over our country, he said, referring to the Democratic Party and its candidate, Joe Biden, whom Alvarez suggested was a Trojan horse for ideas like those of Cubas leaders. I have no doubt they will hand the country over to those dangerous forces, Alvarez cautioned. Advertisement Alvarezs message was not an anomaly. For months, President Donald Trumps reelection campaign has spent handsomely in Florida, going to great lengths to define Bidens character for Floridas Latino community. The campaign has adapted the playbook it had developed for a matchup against Bernie Sanders, whose socialist credentials would have made him an easier target for Trumps caricatures. That Trumps adversary is now Bidennot exactly a darling of the lefthas not mattered much to the president or his advisers in Florida. They have all, including some intriguing social media influencers, stayed on message. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump is telling Latinos in Florida that he will protect them from the communist policies the Democrats will bring with them if they win, Latino pollster Fernand Amandi told me. The presidents socialism attack could be particularly effective in Florida, targeting Cuban Americans like Alvarez but also a growing number of more recent arrivals from Venezuela and Nicaragua who are understandably wary of even the whiff of socialism. Trump has taken the strategy to heart. The most undisciplined person on the planet has been sticking to a very disciplined message with Florida Latinos: raising the ghost of communism, Amandi said. Advertisement Advertisement It appears to be working. In a recent NBC News/Marist poll, Trump leads Biden among Latinos in Florida 50 percent to 46 percent, a 15-point improvement from Trumps 35 percent share of the states Latino electorate in 2016. According to a Miami Herald poll, Biden is currently underperforming against Hillary Clintons totals with Latinos even in reliably Democratic Miami-Dade County. If these margins hold, Trumps gains with Latinos could be enough to offset his losses with white voters elsewhere in the state, improving his chances at winning not only Florida but reelection. Advertisement If Trump does convince such a large swath of Floridas Latino voters to favor him in the election, he will have done so based solely on political propaganda. According to Carlos Odio, co-founder of EquisLabs, an organization focusing on the Latino electorate, the Trump campaign has built a misinformation campaign aimed squarely at the bubble in Miami. Advertisement What they have led with is definitely fear, Odio told me. Fear of radical leftists, fear of the Black Lives Matter movement. It is fear in various forms. Amandi uses the false equivalency between Biden and Sanders as another example of Trumps strategy in Florida. It doesnt matter who the Democratic candidate is, he told me. Look at how they switched between Biden and Sanders. They could not be more different. There is objectively no way to identify Biden as a socialist. The only thing they have in common is that both are Democrats. Advertisement Advertisement For the New Yorkers Jonathan Blitzer, who last year wrote an in-depth look at Floridas Latino electorate, Trumps approach to the state is cynical and transactional. According to Blitzer, Trumps bluster on socialism and his attempt to label Biden as an emissary of what Maximo Alvarez called dangerous forces are a sign of shameless political pragmatism rather than foreign policy principle. Members of his administration made clear to him what he needed to say to Venezuelans and to Cubans and so on. And thats exactly what he did, foreign policy be damned, Blitzer told me. There is no foreign policy. Theres nothing beyond the permanent campaign. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement According to recent reports, Trumps successful propaganda campaign with Florida Latinos has caught the Biden campaign by surprise. It has reacted by hiring strategists and having Kamala Harris give her first interview for a Spanish language outlet to a popular Florida radio station. For the New Yorkers Blitzer, Democrats could still have an opening for a comeback. Will these communities feel used or lied to as it becomes clear this was all talk? he asked. On Thursday, Harris visited South Florida, stopping at a Venezuelan restaurant. These symbolic gestures could have some relevance, but the Biden campaigns biggest opportunity to take a strong position on Cuba, Venezuela, and Nicaraguaand hammer Trump for his empty hypocrisyshould come during the second presidential debate, on Oct. 15, in Miami. Advertisement Carlos Odio agrees not only that Biden still has an opportunity to narrow his margins with Florida Latinos but that Trumps strategy in the state might have already peaked. I think this strategy has a limit, he said. I dont see any evidence that the Trump campaign will engage more people than those theyve already reached. Pollster Amandi, though, offered a more sobering view. Democrats havent understood that they have to confront all this fallacy, he told me. They have to explain and offer context. For now, they seem to be ignoring it. And time is running out. NEW YORK, Sept. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Nearly two-thirds of U.S. physicians report intensifying levels of burnout and increased feelings of loneliness during the pandemic, according to the results of a new report from Medscape. The report also found that physician relationships have been stressed, and the majority (62%) of U.S. physicians have seen up to a 50% reduction in income. Close to half (46%) of U.S. physicians said they were lonelier now due to social distancing and stay-at-home guidelines. The Medscape U.S. and International Physicians' Covid-19 Experience Report surveyed more than 7,400 physicians in the U.S., the U.K., France, Germany, Spain, Brazil, Portugal and Mexico on the impact of Covid-19 on their personal and professional lives. Click here for the full report: https://www.medscape.com/2020-physician-covid-experience The report found that more than half of U.S. physicians (54%) had treated Covid-19 patients but were less likely to have contracted the disease compared with their colleagues elsewhere. About 20% of physicians in Spain and the U.K. reported the highest rates of becoming infected with Covid-19, while the U.S., at 5%, reported the lowest. Similarly, about 9% of U.S. physicians reported an immediate family member had contracted Covid-19, versus 25% in Brazil, 24% in Spain and 18% in the U.K. Physicians in the U.S. and Brazil were more likely to report a loss in income, as compared with physicians in other countries. They also reported higher rates of loneliness, (46%) along with Portugal (51%) and Brazil (48%). About one in four U.S. physicians said the pandemic had increased stress on their personal relationships. How Physicians Are Coping Like many others, physicians and their global counterparts are eating more than they had been prior to the pandemic. Physicians in the U.S., Mexico and Brazil lead in eating more during stay-at-home (43%, 31% and 29% respectively); French and German physicians are the least likely to be eating more. Those in Brazil, the U.K., and the U.S. are more likely to say they are drinking more alcohol (26%, 20% and 19%, respectively) than physicians in other countries. Fewer than half of all U.S. physicians (43%) said their workplace offered programs to help them cope with grief and stress, and rates were similarly low in the other countries, with the exception of the U.K., where 55% of physicians said they had access to such programs. While more than half of U.S. physicians (51%) are not considering a career change in response to the pandemic, 25% have indicated they will retire earlier than planned. "Physicians in every country we surveyed have been impacted in significant ways because of Covid-19," said Leslie Kane, MA, Senior Director, Medscape Business of Medicine. "Whether experiencing Covid-19 at a personal level, or watching a steep drop in their income, the stresses of practicing medicine during a pandemic are taking a toll. Most physicians report that little is offered to support them as they manage these areas of significant stress in their lives and careers; that gap provides an opportunity to develop programs that can help physicians manage these issues as they continue to deliver the care that both Covid and non-Covid patients need." Other findings: Physicians in Brazil , the U.S. and Mexico are more likely to believe there will be a Covid-19 vaccine available by the end of 2021. , the U.S. and are more likely to believe there will be a Covid-19 vaccine available by the end of 2021. About 38% of U.S. physicians will resume travel once a vaccine is available, and 34% say that they will only travel when the pandemic has passed. Report Methodology Medscape member physicians were invited to participate in an online survey in English. Respondents were required to be practicing physicians. 7,414 respondents met the screening criteria and completed the survey; U.S. respondents were weighted to the American Medical Association membership by gender, region, age, and specialty. United States (n=5,005), Brazil (n=400), France (n=152), Germany (n-273), Mexico (n=400), Portugal (n=382), Spain (n-400), United Kingdom (n-402). Recruitment period was June 9, 2020 through July 20, 2020. About Medscape Medscape is the leading source of clinical news, health information, and point-of-care tools for health care professionals. Medscape offers specialists, primary care physicians, and other health professionals the most robust and integrated medical information and educational tools. Medscape Education (medscape.org) is the leading destination for continuous professional development, consisting of more than 30 specialty-focused destinations offering thousands of free C.M.E. and C.E. courses and other educational programs for physicians, nurses, and other health care professionals. Medscape is a subsidiary of WebMD Health Corp. SOURCE Medscape Related Links https://www.medscape.com Aurangabad bench of the Bombay high court has refused to grant any relief to a quack, who practised medicines claiming to be a graduate in Ayurvedic medicines and was booked for negligently causing the death of one of his patients. The quack, Padmanath Patil, has been booked by Amalner police in Jalgaon district for allegedly committing offences punishable under section 304-A (causing death by negligence) of the Indian Penal Code and section 33 (practicing medicines without registration) of the Maharashtra Medical Practitioners Act, 1961. The FIR was registered on the basis of a complaint lodged by one Vidya Mahajan, alleging that Patil prescribed two allopathic medicines to her husband, Shaligram, in January 2019, although he claimed to possess a BAMS (Bachelor in Ayurvedic Medicines and Surgery). She said her husband died due to reaction after consuming those medicines. Patil was also booked under section 33 of the Maharashtra Medical Practitioners Act, 1961, after it was found that contrary to his claim of having finished medical studies prior to 1976, his certificate of registration didnt mention the year in which it was issued. Also Read: Ensure enough beds, doctors available for Covid-19 patients: Bombay HC Patil had moved the HC seeking quashing of the FIR, primarily relying on the June 2014 amendment to the Maharashtra Medical Practitioners Act, 1961. He claimed that after the amendment, even BAMS doctors can prescribe allopathic medicines, and therefore, he could not be prosecuted for prescribing allopathic medicines. Also Read: Over 3,000 doctors appointment cleared in Bihar, move to help fight Covid The division bench of justice TV Nalawade and justice MG Sewlikar, however, rejected the contention. The bench noted that the amendment requires the BAMS degree holders to undergo training in allopathy before they are allowed to prescribe allopathic medicines to the extent of their allopathic training. The bench said since Patil had not undergone any training in allopathy, he was not allowed to practice it and prescribe allopathic medicines. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Amaravati, Sep 11 : The Andhra Pradesh government on Friday issued an order to entrust the CBI with the probe into the fire incident at the Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple that burnt down a chariot. "The government has decided to entrust the case of burning of the temple chariot in Antarvedi village in Sakhinetipalli Mandal of East Godavari district to the Central Bureau of Investigation," Principal Secretary Kumar Vishwajeet said. The move comes in the wake of calls from various quarters for a transparent investigation into the case wherein a seven-tiered six-decade-old wooden chariot at the Antarvedi temple was gutted in a fire under mysterious circumstances on Saturday night. "Some political parties had demanded a CBI probe. The Chief Minister, in order to manifest transparency, has instructed the DGP to hand over the case to the central agency," said an official. According to the official, YS Jagan Mohan Reddy took the chariot burning case seriously. "The Chief Minister has taken the matter seriously. When the police was trying its best to probe the case, there was criticism from political and other groups which cast aspersions on the state government in mainline and social media by spreading falsehood," he said. The official said that the state government would not spare anyone found guilty, irrespective of their position. Under Section 6 of the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act, 1946, the state government accorded consent to the CBI to exercise its power and jurisdiction in the entire state to investigate the chariot case. The official order came after Reddy decided on Thursday evening to hand over the probe to the CBI, as the East Godavari district police is yet to crack the case even after five days. Incidentally, the surveillance cameras supposed to keep a vigil on the chariot were dysfunctional for the past 15 days, compelling the government to suspend temple official Chakradar Rao. Following the blaze, opposition Bharatiya Janata Party, Telugu Desam Party and Janasena had targeted the state government for alleged laxity in protecting Hindu temples. Scenic Antarvedi is located in the lush green Konaseema region of East Godavari district, 57 km southeast of Bhimavaram. The temple is located near the confluence of the mighty Godavari river and the Bay of Bengal on the east coast of India. Hundreds of Schools in Yemen Attacked by Warring Parties By Heather Murdock September 10, 2020 Eight-year-old Mazen Mohia Aldeen likes science class, and he wanted to grow up to be an engineer. But now he is considering dropping out of school. It has become too scary. His fears began in 2017, when an airstrike hit a schoolhouse in his neighborhood. He was also in school and everyone screamed, Aldeen said. He later saw reports on social media of 13 dead and more than 80 injuries. "Now I'm afraid and hate to go to school," he said. "If it happens again, I won't go back." In the past five years, at least 380 schools in Yemen have been attacked, caught in crossfire or occupied by militant groups, according to a new report by Yemeni and Britain-based rights groups. The report, released last month by Mwatana for Human Rights and Ceasefire Center for Civilian Rights, blames the Saudi-led coalition for 153 airstrikes on or near schools. It says the Houthi military that controls Yemen's north, as well as forces with Yemen's internationally-recognized government in the south, are responsible for most of the other abuses. Yemen has been at war for more than five years, with the southern government and Saudi Arabia fighting against the Houthis, who control the capital, Sanaa. The war is further complicated by other factions who hold key cities and the presence of extremist groups, like al-Qaida and Islamic State. For years, the United Nations has called the situation in Yemen "the world's worst humanitarian crisis," and most children don't have access to enough food, clean water or the opportunity to go to school. And as some schools start to re-open their doors this week, teachers say the ongoing violence is robbing not just children, but the entire country of a future beyond the current suffering. "People already don't think that much about education anymore," said Ahmed Muhammad Haimed, a History teacher at the school that was bombed in 2017, terrifying young Aldeen. "If they continue fighting, people will only be able to try to survive." War crimes Haimed was in class when the airstrike hit. Two eight-year-old children he knew were killed. "It was so loud I thought everyone in the school would surely die," he said. "I was surprised that I survived." U.N. war crime investigators called Wednesday for a "criminal probe" in Yemen, saying all the warring parties have potentially committed war crimes amid a "pandemic of impunity." Investigators also blamed outside countries for selling weapons to the warring parties. The Saudi-led coalition's leading suppliers are the United States, Britain, France and Canada. Iran is widely believed to supply weapons to the Houthis. The United Arab Emirates also is a key player, supporting militaries that are sometimes allied with the government, and sometimes at war. The investigators said all sides have also been responsible for murders, kidnappings, sexual violence, torture and recruiting children into war. "There is no safe place for those near the front lines who face the risk of indiscriminate attacks," Melissa Parke, the head of the U.N.'s Human Rights Council, said in a press release. "For children playing in fields in which landmines have been planted, for schoolchildren at risk of being recruited into armed forces or groups." Surviving terror Hussein Muhammad Nasser, a 40-year-old father of three, was working in a shop when the airstrike hit Haimed's school, shaking the entire neighborhood. "My little daughter goes to that school," he said. "But thank God she survived." Now, three years later, schools are still in harm's way, but the danger by not sending his children to classes outweighs the danger of letting them go. "It's not safe," he said. "But we can't make them stop education." Yemen also faces widespread famine, the worst cholera outbreak in the world and is on track to becoming the world's poorest country by next year. If the crisis were to end today, it would take decades to recover, according to the U.N., and it is currently deepening as the coronavirus pandemic claims lives at a rate five times the global average. Yemen has a relatively small number of confirmed COVID-19 cases, about 2,000, but the death rate is high because malnutrition and disease has weakened the population and the health care system is in ruins, according to Action Against Hunger, a U.S.-based aid group. And for many Yemenis on the brink of survival, the loss of income amid lockdowns has been far more dangerous than the disease. Despite all of this, and with schoolhouses reduced to rubble, for now, some children will still go to school, according to eight-year-old Aldeen. "Some schools are destroyed," he said, "But children still go because they want education." The contributor from Sanaa, Yemen, is not named for security reasons. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address A Long Beach Democrat says she receives emails from the Trump campaign every day. Experts say there's little that people like her can do to stop it. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) President Trump wants Barbara Klein's support. His campaign emails her every day with requests for money. Klein, 81, said she recently received nine such emails in a single day. She wishes the president would leave her alone. "I am a Democrat and have never supported Mr. Trump," the Long Beach resident told me. "Why is this happening? Where did they get my email address?" While a relatively minor annoyance in the grand scheme of things, unsolicited fundraising emails, calls and text messages can still drive people crazy regardless of their political leaning. This is particularly true at a time when American society is deeply, fiercely polarized. The last thing many people might want is a political candidate particularly one you don't favor demanding your attention and trying to reach into your pocket. "In a polarized environment, if you're a Republican and you're getting fundraising requests from a Democrat, you probably feel like the other team should know better," said Michael G. Miller, an assistant professor of political science at Barnard College. "However," he told me, "there's a real temptation for a campaign to get as much money as it can." Accomplishing this, Miller said, typically involves purchasing lists of potential donors, not wasting time vetting those lists for members of the other party, and sending out millions of emails. "Even if you only get relatively few responses, it's worth it," he said. Indeed, the campaign of Democratic candidate Joe Biden reported last week raising $364 million in August alone. Trump's campaign and its affiliated Republican committees raised $210 million. "Unsolicited campaign materials may be annoying, to be sure, but there is evidence that they work," said Jacob Neiheisel, an associate professor of political science at the University at Buffalo. "There might be better ways of running campaigns, but I don't think that unsolicited contacts are going away anytime soon," he said. Story continues Politics notwithstanding, there's the broader issue of the intrusiveness of unsolicited emails, texts and calls. In the private sector, companies have strict rules about whom they can call and email, and under what conditions. They also have to stop bothering you if you so request. The federal do-not-call list exists for just this purpose, as do OptOutPrescreen.com and other resources to block unwanted marketing pitches. Unfortunately, those safeguards don't apply to political messages. "Placing your number on the National Do Not Call Registry will stop most telemarketing calls, but not all," says the Federal Trade Commission. "Calls from or on behalf of political organizations, charities and telephone surveyors are permitted." There's a constitutional element to this. So-called noncommercial speech is protected by the 1st Amendment. Basically, politicians have a right to reach out to you, and there's very little you can do about it. "Unsolicited campaign snail mail cannot be stopped," said Eitan D. Hersh, an associate professor of political science at Tufts University. "Unless you have a safety reason to have an undisclosed address, such as domestic violence, your voter registration info is public and can be used for political solicitation," he observed. Unsolicited emails are a slightly different critter because your email address isn't part of your voter registration file. "The emails are the result of vendors who buy and sell and share lists," Hersh said. "You can unsubscribe from various lists, but thats about all you can do." That, of course, is like playing whack-a-mole. Unsubscribing from one email list does nothing to block messages from another list. The harsh reality is that your contact information and lots more info is bought and sold every day by hundreds of data brokers. Once your personal information is out there, it's out there. I contacted both the Trump and Biden campaigns. I shared Klein's experience and asked how people can avoid such emails. Neither campaign responded. "Given the reliance on small-dollar donations, the email list is one of a campaign's most valuable assets," said David Nickerson, a professor of political science at Temple University. Perhaps the only way we can reduce or even eliminate unwanted political messages is to publicly fund elections, rather than the current system of having politicians spend every waking moment seeking truckloads of private donations. Some other countries do this to varying degrees. In Belgium, for example, 85% of political parties' funds come from the government, according to the international Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Similar percentages can be found in Denmark (75%), Italy (82%), Norway (67%) and Spain (87%). Not only does this reduce parties' focus on fundraising, the OECD concluded, but it also promotes a level playing field and gender equality. Miller at Barnard College said he's not holding his breath for similar measures in the United States, especially after the Supreme Court ruled that there's virtually no limit to how much private interests can contribute to political causes. "The typical American would like money to matter less in politics," he said. "But the parties share an interest in not cutting back on marketing. They'll fight to preserve their ability to raise funds." Which brings us back to Klein and her irksome relationship with the Trump campaign. She shared with me some of the emails she's received in recent days, with subject lines such as "Fake News Polls" and "Sleepy, Sleepy Joe." In the fine print at the bottom, there's a link for "if you would like to opt-out of important campaign updates like this." Klein never noticed it, perhaps because it's so easy to overlook. That may be just as well. Clicking the link takes you to a web page that requires you to enter your name, email address and ZIP Code valuable information for a campaign and a very unusual move for an opt-out. It also has a prechecked box that would keep the campaign emails coming unless you change that setting as well. Worse, you have to individually check boxes to stop similar emails from members of Trump's family and more than a dozen conservative figures, including Kimberly Guilfoyle, Sarah Huckabee Sanders and the duo of Diamond and Silk. "Even if you unsubscribe from one list, you're still likely to be on others, and it's hard to unsubscribe from all of them," said Robert Boatright, a professor of political science at Clark University. Or as Tufts' Hersh put it, "Democracy can be annoying." The United Kingdom government on September 10 tabled its new points-based Student Route for visas in Parliament, which it says simplifies the previous student visa application requirements for international students applying to study in Britain. The route, to apply to all overseas students including Indians from October 5, will mean students require a total of 70 points to be granted a visa to study at a UK university. They will achieve the required points if they can demonstrate that they have an offer from an approved educational institution, speak English and are able to support themselves during their studies in the UK. The UK Home Office said the new route treats all students equally, including students from Europe coming to study after the Brexit transition period ends at the end of the year. The new Student Route is a welcome announcement for thousands of Indian students who opt for a UK education every year to gain international exposure. It offers greater flexibility and ease of immigration for applicants, said Barbara Wickham, Director British Council India. Also read: Govt issues SOPs for international travel amid COVID-19 outbreak With the post-study work benefits of the Graduate Immigration Route and the launch of the Student Route, the UK has further solidified its commitment towards international students, and enabling more than ever, their dreams of pursuing a world-class education, she said. British Council highlighted that the change would have a further positive impact on the number of Indian students choosing the UK as a higher education destination, which has been on the rise in the past few years. Now we have left the European Union (EU), we are free to unleash this country's full potential and implement the changes we need to restore trust in the immigration system and attract talent to drive our economy forward, said UK Minister for Future Borders and Immigration Kevin Foster. Launching the Student Route early sends a clear message to the world we want the best and brightest to come to the UK to study at our globally renowned education institutions, he said. As a result of the coronavirus, some overseas students are choosing to defer their entry onto courses in the UK until the Spring semester of early next year. Therefore, the government chose to introduce the new route now so that students would be able to benefit from the new streamlined process whilst still giving sponsors time to adapt after their autumn intake this month. Also read: Indians can travel to US, UK, Canada, UAE under air bubble agreement The route treats all students equally, with international students, including those from Europe coming to study after the transition period ends, using the same, simplified route when it opens for applications, the Home Office said. The new Student Route improves on the previous Tier 4 route by making it more streamlined for sponsoring institutions and their students, creating clearer pathways for students, and ensuring the UK remains competitive in a changing global education market. It also reiterated that there would be no limit on the number of international students who can come to the UK under the route. This is aimed at increasing the total number of international students choosing to study in the UK higher education system each year to 6 lakh by 2030, as set out in the International Education Strategy published in March last year. The UK is a global leader in higher education, research and innovation. As we look to the UK's future place in the world, we want to protect our hard-won status and the opportunities it provides to help with the economic recovery of towns and cities across Britain - as well as finding solutions to the wider challenges that face our society, said Dr Tim Bradshaw, Chief Executive of the Russell Group of leading universities. "We welcome these changes to the immigration rules, which will help to ensure the UK remains an internationally attractive place for the best and brightest students to study. We will continue to work with the government to ensure our visa system remains flexible and responsive to developing issues, such as those emerging from the coronavirus pandemic," he said. Besides the Student Route, the Child Student Route for younger international students will also open from October 5. The changes form part of the Boris Johnson led government's new post-Brexit points-based immigration, which comes into force as a result of Britain's exit from the European Union and an end to the EU's free movement of people rules at the end of December. Also read: US bars entry of foreign students with 100% online courses CARBONDALE News in the year 2020 often needs a trigger warning label but word of a new chicken joint in Carbondale has been a bit of good news, especially for Chicago transplants. The world is burning, literally, and the country seems to be divided along some very polarizing lines. But in the midst of all this, local Facebook feeds have been filled with exclamations about the opening of Harolds #29. Pictures posted to Facebook of fried chicken wings glossy with thick red-orange sauce are enough to make the tongue tingle with anticipation. Please be the best, we need you so bad, one person wrote in the comments of one such post. SO READY!!! another wrote after sharing one of the Carbondale Harolds Facebook posts. A popular franchise in Chicago, Harolds Chicken Shack is slated to open sometime in October next to New Kahala on East Grand Avenue. Franchise owner Nick Walker said when he was in school at Southern Illinois University in the early 2000s, he often found himself wanting a taste of home. I used to always want to have some Chicago home food, he said. Walker didnt mince words about Harolds when he said it was the best chicken the city had. He might be a bit biased, though his family runs several Harolds locations, which is partly how he got plugged in to the business. For those who arent familiar, Harolds is known for its fried chicken slathered in sauce Walker said its their mild sauce that keeps many people coming back. Writing for Chicago Magazine, comedian and author Hannibal Buress, who also went to SIU, described the Chicago-staple sauce as a combination barbecue sauce, hot sauce, and ketchup. Walker said his ideal order is a basket of six fried wings with mild sauce, and he said that's a good place to start for newcomers. Walker said hes been working on the restaurant for about half a year and said he wanted to give people a smile in the middle of such an uncertain time. He said a good meal can be exactly what people need. Its therapeutic sometimes, he said of eating food that puts a smile on someones face. For those interested in following Walkers progress, he said to follow the restaurant on Facebook. He will announce opening dates and post hiring announcements there those interested in jobs are encouraged to message the page, he said. Walker said he knows that many of the big city transplants in Carbondale are going to be excited to finally have a flavor they could previously only find in Chicago. In fact, one Facebook commenter addressed this fact. SIU should use this as a (recruitment) tool, they wrote. If all goes well, Walker said he might be looking to Portillos for his next venture. Love 3 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Illustrative image (Photo: VNA) Tokyo - FDI inflows into Vietnam will soon bounce back once the COVID-19 pandemic is brought under control, Chief Representative of the Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO) in Hanoi Takeo Nakajima said on September 9. He made the remarks during an online seminar on Vietnam-Japan investment, co-held by the ASEAN-Japan Centre (AJC) and JETRO together with the Trade Promotion Department at the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Vietnam Trade Office in Japan, and the three northern provinces of Vinh Phuc, Quang Ninh, and Nghe An, attracting hundreds of businesses from the two countries. FDI into Vietnam has always enjoyed constant increases, he said, and even though investment has now slowed due to COVID-19 it will recover in the post-pandemic period. The Vietnamese Government has introduced numerous incentives and created the conditions necessary for foreign companies, including those from Japan, to invest in the country, he explained. Vietnam is also a signatory to many free trade and economic partnership agreements, and is gradually joining global supply chains. Most of the worlds financial institutions, such as the International Monetary Fund, have said that Vietnam may be the only Southeast Asian nation to post growth this year, he added. Various Japanese firms in Vietnam have been hurt by the pandemic, he explained, resulting in stagnating investment inflows. Speaking at the events plenary session, AJC Secretary General Masataka Fujita underlined the need to bolster cooperation between Japan and Vietnam to overcome the impact of the pandemic. He noted that the seminar aims to further connect the two countries businesses and help them seek suitable partners. Japan has been an important investor in Vietnam during the 47 years of diplomatic ties between the two countries, Director of the Trade Promotion Department Vu Ba Phu affirmed. Stronger investment from Japan in the future and incentives on technology transfer are expected to raise Vietnams technological and production capacity, he noted. Vietnam had welcomed more than 2,000 Japanese investors as of late 2019. Japan was Vietnams second-largest foreign investor last year, with registered capital totalling 59.3 billion USD, or 16.7 percent of the total foreign investment. By PTI NEW DELHI:Delhi recorded 4,266 fresh COVID-19 cases on Friday, as the city's tally mounted to over 2.09 lakh, with the authorities conducting a record 60,580 tests for the disease the previous day. The national capital reported over 4,000 fresh coronavirus cases for the third successive day. Twenty-one fatalities due to the disease were recorded in the last 24 hours, taking the death toll to 4,687, according to the latest bulletin issued by the Delhi health department. The city recorded 4,308 coronavirus cases on Thursday, the highest single-day spike till date, while on Tuesday, the figure was 4,039. The tally of active cases in the city rose to 26,907 on Friday from 25,416 the previous day. The death toll due to COVID-19 in Delhi stood at 4,666 on Thursday. The Friday bulletin said the death toll due to the coronavirus has risen to 4,687 and the total number of cases has climbed to 2,09,748. The Delhi government has significantly ramped up testing for COVID-19 in the last few days. The numbers of tests conducted and the corresponding figures of fresh cases reported from August 30 to September 10 are: 14,389 (1,358), 20,437 (2,024), 24,198 (2,312), 28,835 (2,509), 32,834 (2,737), 36,219 (2,914), 38,895 (2,973), 36,046 (3,256), 22,954 (2,077), 45,797 (3,609), 54,517 (4,039) and 58,340 (4,308). The number of tests conducted per one-lakh population as on Friday was over 1.06 lakh, while the total number of tests crossed the 20-lakh mark. The positivity rate stood at seven percent while the recovery rate was over 84 percent, the bulletin said, adding that the case fatality rate stood at 2.23 percent. The number of containment zones in Delhi jumped to 1,329 from 1,272 the previous day. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal held a meeting with all the chief district medical officers (CDMOs) through video-conferencing regarding the testing status of COVID-19, the bulletin said. Health Minister Satyendar Jain held a meeting with the medical directors and medical superintendents of all Delhi government hospitals to review the status of testing. Chief Secretary Vijay Dev held a review meeting with all the district magistrates, DCPs, and DCs of the civic bodies on COVID-19 management, the bulletin said. Since August 18, the daily number of cases has again been reported in a four-figure count in Delhi. According to the bulletin, of the total number of beds in the COVID hospitals, 8,199 are vacant. Also, 2,795 beds in the COVID care centers are occupied by persons under quarantine, including travelers who have returned by Vande Bharat Mission and bubble flights, the bulletin said. It added that 1,78,154 patients have recovered from the disease, have been discharged from the hospitals, or have migrated so far. The number of people in home isolation stands at 14,571. The number of Rapid Antigen Tests conducted on Friday stood at 52,275, while the combined figure for RT-PCR, CBNAAT, and True NAAT tests was 8,305, adding up to 60,580, according to the bulletin. Rohingya men sleep on a pile of donated clothes at a transit camp on Sept. 8, 2020, a day after nearly 300 Rohingya came ashore on the northern coast of Indonesia's Sumatra island Indonesia should ensure that nearly 300 Rohingya migrants who landed in Aceh province this week are given adequate health care and aid, Amnesty International said Friday, as officials announced three of the new arrivals had died after suffering lung infections. The officials confirmed two women and a man had died in the town of Lhokseumawe since local fishermen helped them come ashore on Monday. The government must move more quickly to ensure that the refugees health care needs are met, Usman Hamid, Amnesty International director in Indonesia, told BenarNews. Usman said his group sent a letter to President Joko Jokowi Widodo urging him to provide more support to the local government to make sure that the minority Muslim refugees basic needs are met in line with international human rights standards. Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi this week said the government would ensure that the Rohingya arrivals got the help they need including health care while their status as refugees was being verified by the U.N. refugee agency, UNHCR. Achsanul Habib, director of human rights and humanitarian affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said that the local government was caring for the Rohingya. As far as I know, everything is being handled by the task force in Lhokseumawe, Achsanul told BenarNews. Early Friday, Senuwara Begum, 19, died while being treated for a lung infection at the state-run hospital in the town of Lhokseumawe, said Marzuki, spokesman for a local task force tasked with aiding the refugees. Two other Rohingya aged 22 and 21 died on Tuesday and Thursday after suffering from similar complaints, officials said. Rapid COVID-19 tests for the 181 women, 102 men and 14 children who arrived on Monday were all negative, Marzuki said, adding that a swab sample had been taken from the woman who died Friday in order to perform a more accurate test. The Rohingya group was the largest to arrive in Indonesia since 2015, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM). Meanwhile, the Institute for Policy Analysis of Conflict (IPAC), a Jakarta-based think tank, issued a report on the Rohingya in Aceh calling on Jokowi to show leadership by revising a presidential decree on refugees. The report filed on Wednesday called on the administration to take some of the financial burden off local governments and provide more active support. The Acehnese have been wonderfully supportive of the refugees, but this is a problem that cant be solved by a sympathetic local community," IPAC researcher Deka Anwar said in a news release issued with the report. We need a collective regional response, with less focus on repatriation when repatriation is not a viable alternative, more willingness to work out regional resettlement options and more prosecutions of anyone found to be profiting from smuggling networks, he said. Following their rescue, some of the Rohingya told U.N. officials they agreed to pay thousands of dollars to smugglers to reach Malaysia and ended up spending more than half a year at sea, adding at least 30 people had died. The refugees were being sheltered in the same building that housed the 99 Rohingya who were rescued from another boat in June. Officials have said they believe the two groups were linked. We are extremely concerned about the health of the refugees who arrived earlier this week in poor condition, Mitra Suryono, UNHCR spokeswoman in Indonesia, told BenarNews. The authorities are running additional health screenings in the field and UNHCR is trying to make sure that refugees can get what they need, including nutrition, she said. ASEAN request During an Association of Southeast Asian Nations ministerial meeting on Wednesday, Retno urged member countries to address the plight of the Rohingya. We know that we need to work together and this cooperation, among others, is to address transnational crimes including the issue of people smuggling and trafficking in persons, Retno said. Malaysian Foreign Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said a prolonged conflict in Myanmars Rakhine state, home to the Rohingya, jeopardizes the security and the stability of the ASEAN region. Hundreds of thousands of Rohingya live in Rakhine under the threat of genocide according to a United Nations-mandated Fact-Finding Mission report from September 2019. Ahmad Syamsudin in Jakarta contributed to this report. "We are committed to helping our customers through this devastating situation," said Jim Taylor, Head of Claims Customer Experience for Farmers Insurance. "Safety is our top priority, and we urge those affected by these major wildfires to heed warnings issued by emergency personnel and be ready to evacuate at a moment's notice." Customers who have been impacted by the fires can file a claim by: Visiting Farmers.com or Foremost.com. Calling their agent. Using the Farmers Mobile App through their smartphone or tablet. Mobile App through their smartphone or tablet. Texting REPORTCLAIM to 29141. Or by calling the 24-hour claims center: Farmers Claims Contact Center number: 1-800-435-7764. Foremost and 21st Century customers can also use the 1-800-435-7764 number for assistance. and 21st Century customers can also use the 1-800-435-7764 number for assistance. Bristol West customers can call 1-800-274-7865 for assistance. customers can call 1-800-274-7865 for assistance. Spanish-language claims assistance is available to Farmers customers by calling 877-RECLAMO (877-732-5266). To help reduce the spread of COVID-19, and to make the process easier for customers, Farmers Insurance is offering a number of technological solutions for processing claims. Customers who file a claim will be able to work directly with a specially trained claims professional to guide them through the claims process. Visit farmers.com/catastrophe for updates. About Farmers Insurance "Farmers Insurance" and "Farmers" are tradenames for a group of insurers providing insurance for automobiles, homes and small businesses and a wide range of other insurance and financial services products. Farmers Insurance is proud to serve more than 5 million households with over 15 million individual policies nationally, through the efforts of more than 45,000 exclusive and independent agents and approximately 19,000 employees. Farmers Insurance Exchange, the largest of the three primary insurers that make up Farmers Insurance, is recognized as one of the largest U.S. companies on the 2020 Fortune 500 list. For more information about Farmers Insurance, visit Farmers.com, Twitter and Instagram, @WeAreFarmers, or Facebook.com/FarmersInsurance. Contact: External Communications Farmers Insurance 818-965-0007 [email protected] SOURCE Farmers Insurance Related Links www.farmersinsurance.com President Akufo-Addo, on Thursday, 10th September 2020, inspected ongoing work on the construction of the $16 million Weddi Africa tomato processing factory located in Domfete, in Berekum, Bono East Region. The factory, a project operating under Government's 1-District-1-Factory initiative, is a wholly-owned Ghanaian company, which will have an installed capacity to process 40,000 metric tons of fresh tomato per annum. This translated into 720 crates of tomatoes per shift per day, with the factory also possessing a 500-metric ton cold room facility to hold fresh tomato fruits. The company has established 2,400-acre farmland as nucleus farm, and also spearheaded the establishment of the Tomato Out-grower Farmers Association in Tano North and Berekum West Districts, with 2,000 registered farmers from Ahafo and Bono regions. Indeed, the 2,000 farmers are on schedule to receive seeds, fertilizers and other inputs and technical services from the relevant MDAs, with these mechanisms all put in place to ensure the sustainability of the factory. President Akufo-Addo was informed that, once fully completed, the factory will create about 186 direct jobs, with more than 3,000 indirect job opportunities in the Berekum West District and other surrounding communities. Government, the President assured, is committed to supporting private sector operators like Weddi Africa Limited to position themselves to become globally competitive, and, thereby, also take advantage of market opportunities presented by the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), whose Secretariat has been established and commissioned in Accra. Further, he told the gathering that government has established an institutional mechanism to provide strategic support and assistance to the domestic private sector operating at the district level. I refer to the Business Resource Centres which have been established in sixty-seven (67) Districts across the country, thirty (30) of which have already commenced operations. The 1D1F companies will benefit from the assistance to be provided by the BRCs, he added. He commended the promoters of Weddi Africa Ltd. for establishing such a modern facility in Domfete, Berekum, in the Bono Region, in support of government's Industrial Transformation Agenda, and appealed to Nananom and residents to give their maximum co-operation to the promoters of the business, to ensure their success, which, he explained, will be the success of Nananom and residents as well. As Netflix continues to expand through the years, the streaming giant seems to be also loosening up its restrictions. However, it might also put them in a huge trouble. Among the growing list of Netflix shows, the French film "Cuties" became the most controversial flick right now due to portraying children in a sexualized manner. Currently, the "Cuties" description on Netflix reads: "Eleven-year-old Amy starts to rebel against her conservative family's traditions when she becomes fascinated with a free-spirited dance crew." The line is way different from its previous description: "Amy, 11, becomes fascinated with a twerking dance crew. Hoping to join them, she starts to explore her femininity, defying her family's traditions." Despite changing it, Netflix continued to receive heavy criticisms online. In fact, the hashtag "#CancelNetflix" conquered the top spot on Twitter's trending list soon after the film premiered on September 9. This widespread appeal gave birth to a petition on Change.org urging Netflix users to cancel their subscriptions over "Cuties" and any other films and series on the streaming service "that exploits children and creates a disturbing vibe." Over 600,000 people have already signed it, a few hundred thousands away from its 1 million goal. Before its official release, Netflix and "Cuties" already received backlash due to the film's controversial promotional poster. On the said print, young cast members can be seen posing provocatively while wearing revealing costumes. The streaming site, at the time, released a statement and apologized for the image. "We're deeply sorry for the inappropriate artwork that we used for 'Mignonnes'/'Cuties," aNetflix rep told Variety. "It was not OK, nor was it representative of this French film which premiered at Sundance. We've now updated the pictures and description." What the Critics Said So Far French filmmaker Maimouna Doucoure's "Cuties," was first introduced to the public during the 2019 Sundance Film Festival. For what it's worth, it bagged the world cinema dramatic directing award. Despite garnering recognition, it also got several negative reviews from critics and advocacy groups. Daily Caller reporter Mary Margaret Olohan tweeted a video clip of the girls on Thursday, showing how the children danced and twerked in the film. "Netflix is comfortable with this. Plenty of people will defend it. This is where our culture is at," she exclaimed. "I understand this video is upsetting and depicts little girls in a gruesome light. I tweeted it for those who will say that 'Cuties' is innocent." Meanwhile, conservative advocacy group Parents Television Council also penned a statement. It said that after seeing the film, it "stands by its earlier criticism that the TV-MA-rated film sexualizes children." PTC also stood up for the young female actors who were chosen to be trained with highly sexualized dance moves. The young cast even received lines with foul and vulgar language and were ordered to wear revealing clothing. "Although the film tackles an important topic - one that under different circumstances we might even applaud - it's the way the film goes about it that's problematic. This film could have been a powerful rebuke of popular culture that sexualizes children and robs them of their innocence," Melissa Henson, program director for the PTC, said. Netflix has not addressed the issue yet, but people can expect a statement in the next few days or weeks. READ MORE: Emmys 2020 Prediction: 3 Reasons Why 'Watchmen' Will Win' Oustanding Limited Series' Union Health Ministry on Friday urged states/UTs to ensure that no restriction is imposed on movement of medical oxygen between states. "It has come to the knowledge of the Union Health Ministry that few States are trying to curb the free inter-State movement of oxygen supplies by exercising provisions under various Acts and also mandating the manufacturers/suppliers located in the State to restrict their oxygen supplies to only the hospitals of the State," the ministry said in an official release. States/UTs have been made responsible to ensure that every hospitalised Covid-19 patient receives oxygen. "The Health Ministry has reiterated the critical importance of Oxygen in hospitals for management of critical COVID patients. In a letter written to the States/UTs, Union Health Secretary has emphasised that availability of adequate and uninterrupted supply of medical oxygen is an important pre-requisite for managing moderate and severe cases of COVID-19," the. ministry said The Health Secretary has urged the States/UTs to ensure that no restriction is imposed on the movement of medical oxygen between them. It has been again brought to their notice that medical oxygen constitutes an Essential Public Health Commodity and any impediment in the supplies of medical oxygen in the country may critically impact the management of patients suffering from COVID-19 disease in other parts of the country. Moreover, some of the major oxygen manufacturers/supplies already have existing supply agreements with hospitals in various states with a legal obligation to fulfill such agreements. For moderate and severe cases, adequate oxygen support, appropriate and timely administration of anti-coagulants and widely available and inexpensive corticosteroids, in accordance with the protocol, can be considered to be the mainstay of Covid-19 therapy, the ministry said. "Adequate supply of oxygen throughout the country has enabled effective clinical care of the hospitalised moderate and severe cases, in conjunction with other measures. The adopted host of strategies have actively resulted in rising Recovery Rate and steadily declining Case Fatality Rate (1.67% currently). As on date, less than 3.7% of active patients are on oxygen support," the ministry added. Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Never miss a story! Stay connected and informed with Mint. Download our App Now!! Democratic vice-presidential nominee Kamala Harris lashed out at US President Donald Trump on Friday after excerpts from veteran journalist and Washington Post associate editor Bob Woodwards book Rage were released. Kamala Harris held the US president accountable for the deaths caused due to the coronavirus in a tweet and said that he did nothing despite knowing that Covid-19 epidemic would jeopardize the health of millions and would upend the economy. When Trump was saying young people couldnt get coronavirus, he knew they could. When Trump was saying it was the same as the flu, he knew it was deadlier. When Trump was purposely downplaying the severity, he knew it passed through the air. He knew. Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) September 11, 2020 Harris in a tweet wrote, When Trump was saying young people couldnt get coronavirus, he knew they could. When Trump was saying it was the same as the flu, he knew it was deadlier. When Trump was purposely downplaying the severity, he knew it passed through the air. He knew. Veteran journalist and Washington Post associate editor Bob Woodward released the book Rage where he wrote that on February 7, Trump had called the coronavirus deadly stuff. He also told the journalist that he was aware of the contagious nature of the coronavirus. Trump revealed to Woodward that he downplayed the threat to Covid-19 to not throw Americans into panic. Kamala Harris, former senator from California, will go head-to-head against Mike Pence for the post of the vice president on November 3 in the upcoming presidential elections. A mailman wearing a mask and gloves to protect himself and others from COVID-19, loads a postal truck with packages at a United States Postal Service (USPS) post office location in Washington, on April 16, 2020. (Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images) USPS Worker in Critical Condition After Being Shot 4 Times in Chicago: Officials A Chicago postal worker was shot four times as she was delivering mail, officials said on Thursday. The 24-year-old woman was hit by shots fired from vehicles at around 11:30 a.m. in the South Side, officials told CBS Chicago. Chicago Fire Department officials said she was critically injured, as reported by ABC7. The woman was taken to University of Chicago Medical Center, fire officials said. Police said that the USPS worker doesnt appear to be the intended target of the suspects, and the alleged shooters were driving past her at a high rate of speed. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service announced it is offering a reward of up to $50,000 for information leading to the arrest of the suspects. Were asking help from the community; we know that the postal service is offering $50,000, Chicago police Cmdr. Robert Rubio said. The incident marks the second time a postal worker was shot in Chicago in 2020. In March, a 47-year-old USPS employee was shot in the cheek as he delivered mail on the Southwest Side, reported the Chicago Tribune. I just hope that she pulls through, said postal worker Sarah Owens, according to CBS Chicago. Im actually scared to even go back to my route because my route is right near hers, and Ive heard that its a turf war going on over there. The revelations in 'Rage' are often shocking (AFP via Getty Images) Its not just the lies about Covid-19. In Bob Woodwards new 392-page chronicle of the Donald Trump presidency, Rage, the veteran Washington Post reporter and author dives deep into some of the 45th Presidents most consequential foreign and domestic policy choices. The book includes widely reported claims that Trump knew how deadly Covid-19 was and chose to deliberately downplay it, putting the lives of millions at risk. But elsewhere, Woodward reports that Trump had significant trouble distinguishing propaganda and partisan fantasy from reality. These are some of the most worrying and eye-opening sections of the book. Trump changed US policy towards the Palestinians after Benjamin Netanyahu showed him a crudely forged video of Mahmoud Abbas ordering murders During one of his visits to Washington early in Trumps first year in office, the President reportedly told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he believed his government, not the Palestinians, might be the real problem holding back the peace process. But, as Woodward reveals, Trumps tone shifted markedly after his first visit to Israel as President in May 2017. During a meeting with Netanyahu at Tel Avivs King David Hotel, White House Senior Adviser Jared Kushner pulled then-Secretary of State Rex Tillerson into a meeting because Trump was upset at a video Netanyahu had showed him. Watch this! This is unbelievable! Youve got to see this, Trump said to Tillerson, before ordering staff to play what Tillerson believed to be a crudely fabricated video of Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas making inflammatory statements. The video, which Tillerson believed was either faked or manipulated (according to Woodward), showed Abbas supposedly ordering the murder of children by stringing together out-of-context words and sentences. And thats the guy you want to help? Netanyahu asked Trump. When the Israeli leader (now being tried on corruption charges) had left the room, Tillerson said to Trump: Mr President, you realize that the whole thing was fabricated? Story continues Well it's not fabricated, Trump replied. They got the guy on tape saying it. The next day, he privately berated Abbas when the two met in Bethlehem, calling him a liar and a murderer who had tricked [him] into believing that the longtime Palestinian leader could be trusted. The next year, he canceled nearly all US aid to the Palestinian territories and ordered the Palestinian Liberation Organizations office in Washington DC to be shuttered. After he was warned that Devin Nunes was giving him false information on unmasking, Trump said he should receive the Medal of Honor California Representative Devin Nunes made headlines in early 2018 for his repeated allegations that Obama administration officials had improperly unmasked the names of Trump associates, including former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn. So-called unmasking is the process by which high-government officials can request to have the names of Americans caught on foreign surveillance which are normally masked to protect privacy revealed in order to get a full picture of the conversation being reviewed. The oft-repeated allegations that unmasking was done improperly on orders of Obama administration officials, though baseless, have made up the bulk of the amorphous conspiracy theory Trumpworld figures have dubbed Obamagate, and which Trump without evidence has called the greatest political crime in American history. But when then-Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats tried setting the record straight on unmasking which is a common occurrence in intelligence collection and analysis Trump was not receptive to the facts. Mr President, I know Devin Nunes is trying to be doing everything he can to support you. But he passes information to you that turns out to be false. In the end, it hurts you. Devin has told you something that is not true, Coats said, according to Woodward. He then suggested to Trump that if he were to contact the ODNI to verify information provided by Nunes, it would put [Trump] in a better position because Coats office could assess whether or not what has been said is backed up by the evidence. But Trump, Woodward writes, was uninterested in such things, and instead responded: Devin Nunes is the most courageous person in town. Woodward added that Trump also told others he believed the California Republican who has never served in the US Armed Forces deserved the Medal of Honor, which is highest decoration a US service member can be awarded. According to US law, it can only be bestowed upon military personnel for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty. Trump has no interest in listening to national security experts According to Woodward, Coates said the greatest threat posed to the US national security apparatus is that Trump wanted to ignore any process that utilized the governments many career experts. In effect, and often literally, he wrote, the President said: I don't need that to be done. I don't need these people. I don't need a National Security Council. I just need myself, and perhaps three or four people I trust and work with. JERUSALEM: A first official visit to Israel by a United Arab Emirates delegation, provisionally planned for Sept 22, may be postponed or conducted under restrictions given a looming coronavirus lockdown, an Israeli cabinet minister said on Friday. The delegates are expected to come in reciprocation of last weeks groundbreaking Abu Dhabi visit by top Israeli and U.S. envoys, a source familiar with the planning said. [L8N2G4292]. Israeli officials have confirmed such a plan. The UAE has not. Struggling against a surge of coronavirus infections, Prime Minister Benjamin Netayahus pandemic taskforce on Thursday approved a rolling national lockdown. The lockdown is expected to go into effect next week, following a cabinet vote on Sunday, and span major Jewish holidays that run from Sept 18 to Oct 10. To all appearances, this (UAE delegation visit) will either be postponed or a special modality will be required," Israeli Science Minister Izhar Shay, one of whose top aides took part in the Aug 31 Abu Dhabi trip, told Tel Aviv radio station 102 FM. I reckon that they will also appreciate the fact we are protecting the health of the citizenry, and, if we are forced to postpone the delegation, will accept this with understanding." Netanyahu and UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed al-Nahyan will sign the normalisation deal at the White House on Tuesday. As a health precaution, Netanyahu and his family will fly to Washington on an executive jet, separate from an airliner chartered for the rest of the Israeli delegation, aides said. Israel - population 9 million - has reported 146,542 coronavirus cases and 1,077 deaths. (Writing by Dan Williams, Editing by William Maclean) Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor When you walk inside the Kroger grocery store in the Inglewood neighborhood of Nashville, Tennessee, youll likely be greeted by a smiling woman named LaShenda Williams. I call all my customers my babies and say, Good morning, its a great day! she told ABC News. MORE: Women collect, refurbish old computers so students can use for virtual learning Williams is a valued employee working as a self-checkout associate at Kroger. Just 10 months ago, however, things looked very different for her: Williams was living in her car in the parking lot outside the very same grocery store where she now works. I was going to the store to find something to eat and walking around the store, she said, and I needed somewhere to sit and stay cool. I was like, It has to get better than this. She was unemployed, hungry and homeless when she met Kroger hiring manager Jackie Vandal in January. Vandal was hosting a hiring fair for the store and encouraged her to apply. As soon as she finished applying for the job, Vandal said she was hired. I knew there was a struggle, a hardship, but no, I didnt know she was living in her car at the time, Vandal told WKRN, an ABC affiliate in Nashville. She is a fantastic worker. I wish I had 120 of her. Williams immediately got to work and made an impact on customers and her fellow employees. She continued to work at the store through a tornado that devastated the community in early March and through the coronavirus pandemic when her job became essential. MORE: 11-year-old donates over 22,000 diapers to single moms through lemonade stand Through it all, Williams continued to bring joy to work every day for her customers and team members, and continued to rely on her faith for her own strength. PHOTO: LaShenda Williams, who was once homeless and living out of her car, now works for a Kroger grocery store in Nashville, Tenn. (Courtesy Verlenteez Williams) Nobody knew what I was going through but God showed me how to be a blessing to others, she said. She has changed our lives," Vandal said. "We are more thankful, we are more appreciative, we are more happy -- we feed off that uplifting spirit she has. Story continues PHOTO: LaShenda Williams, who was once homeless and living out of her car, now works for a Kroger grocery store in Nashville, Tenn. (Courtesy The Kroger Co.) Customers such as Verlenteez Williams, who is a store regular, said it was her kindness that drew him in and that she is a positive light. One day he was at the store and noticed she was down. He learned Williams had just moved into her own place but was worried about how she was going to make it all work. MORE: After Hurricane Laura, med student enlists colleagues to help hometown He realized he had a few things he could donate to help her get started and thought he could post on the East Nashville Facebook page to find out if other people were willing to donate as well. The response was tremendous. I was thinking maybe we could find, like, a couple of chairs and stuff like that," Verlenteez Williams said. "But no, it was an outpouring of over 200 people and people are still trying to donate. Verlenteez Williams helped facilitate delivery of items such as furniture, clothes, a queen-sized bed and kitchen appliances. Now she doesnt have to worry about it anymore, he said. PHOTO: LaShenda Williams, who was once homeless and living out of her car, now works for a Kroger grocery store in Nashville, Tenn., and members of the community have donated various items so that she could furnish her new home. (Courtesy Verlenteez Williams) PHOTO: LaShenda Williams, who was once homeless and living out of her car, now works for a Kroger grocery store in Nashville, Tenn., and members of the community have donated various items so that she could furnish her new home. (Courtesy Verlenteez Williams) The outpouring of love and support is not lost on LaShenda Williams. I dont have to sleep in my car anymore, she said. I'm brought to tears, I'm so blown away! People are still coming in and asking, 'Have you eaten today, LaShenda?'" It feels good to get up every day and have peace," she continued. "I go to the fridge and realize all of this is mine and nobody can take it from me. I'm free and so happy. MORE: How one teen is helping local teens and the homeless one sweet at a time As for Verlenteez Williams, he said he doesnt know anyone more deserving. Its a reminder to be kind. Regardless of whats going on be kind and you never know the impact you can have on someones life," he said. I never knew what family was until I stepped into this place, LaShenda Williams said. I cried in their arms. They prayed with me, they fed me, and till today they make me feel like I'm OK. Nashville community rallies around formerly homeless grocery store employee originally appeared on goodmorningamerica.com STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.-- On Sept. 11, 2001, disbelieving New Yorkers looked up and saw a commercial airplane strike the North Tower of the World Trade Center at 8:46 a.m. At exactly that time 19 years later, Staten Island firefighters, their families and friends bowed their heads in a moment of silence to remember those killed that day, as well as the first responders who died in the years that followed, succumbing to 9/11-related disease. Members of the FDNY gathered Friday morning outside of Rescue Co. 5 in Concord, a firehouse that lost 11 firefighters in the line of duty on 9/11. Starting at 8:46 a.m., citywide fire department dispatch transmitted a tone to mark the moment the first plane struck the World Trade Center. The dispatch would go on to ring that same tone five more times throughout the day for each significant event that occurred on 9/11 -- the plane strikes, and the collapse of each of the Twin Towers. Commanding officer of Rescue 5, Captain James Murray, acknowledged the tremendous sacrifice of firefighters on that fateful day. First responders wake up not knowing what the day will bring, said Murray. We continue to come together every year to honor the 343 members of the New York City Fire Department that were lost on this day 19 years ago. Highlighting the moment-to-moment unknowns for firefighters, Rescue 5 firefighters were called to an apartment building fire in Clifton during their 9/11 ceremony. ITS IMPORTANT TO BE HERE After the last moment of silence, Father Everett Wabst recited a prayer and led a ceremony where participants were asked to light a candle in memory of someone lost and then blow out the candle. Father Wabst reminded those in attendance that the light is still carried on in each persons heart. Its important to be here and pay tribute to those that lost their lives, said firefighter Joseph Esposito. We always remember them and think about them every day but today is special and a day that we all pay our respects" Esposito played an active role in the Ground Zero rescue, recovery and cleanup operation. He also served as shoulder to lean on for many of the Rescue 5 families who lost someone on 9/11. Unfortunately coronavirus caused us to delay our larger reception and ceremony at Snug Harbor but its really great that we can come together and honor them in any way, Esposito continued. HEARTFELT CEREMONY AT RUMC Also on Friday morning, Richmond University Medical Center (RUMC) in West Brighton held a ceremony at the hospital to remember Staten Islanders who died on 9/11. RUMC staff, community members and more than 70 members of the veteran-activism group Rolling Thunder looked on as hospital leadership addressed the crowd. Many can recall when we heard the news and can remember almost every exact second of that day," said Rosemarie Stazzone, Chief Operating Officer of RUMC. We recall the emptiness and helplessness we felt as healthcare workers." Bill Amaniera is the Senior Director of Emergency Services at RUMC, and has organized the ceremony at RUMC every year since 9/11. Its important that we make every effort to carry on this tradition and recognize everyone lost on 9/11," said Amaniera. On 9/11 we were all one and thats what you see going on here today. In times of need people come together. The ceremony began with a performance of the National Anthem and ended with the performance of God Bless America. Members of Rolling Thunder raised an American flag and laid a wreath in remembrance of those lost. ANGELS' CIRCLE In past years, the families of those lost on 9/11 have gathered for an annual ceremony at Angels' Circle in Grasmere. This year, the event was canceled due to coronavirus concerns. An Advance/SILive.com reporter observed a note written at the location explaining that all the candles at the site were lit on Thursday night. Those who wish to visit Angels Circle are encouraged to do so. Event organizers say they are planning to hold the ceremony next year. Today Dynamicweb, a leading Ecommerce and Digital Experience management software provider to the mid-market and Enterprise, announced that marketing technology leader Eric Jan C. van Putten has joined the company as VP of Marketing. Eric Jan will lead all aspects of Dynamicwebs marketing efforts as the company advances into its next phase of growth. "Eric Jan is a great fit to Dynamicweb to further accelerate our leadership as an Ecommerce and Digital Experience company. Eric Jan's experience in building successful marketing programs and proven track record in marketing technology is a great asset to Dynamicweb, said Christian Beer, CEO of Dynamicweb. We have big plans in the near future, and Im thrilled to have such a marketing technology leader join. Eric Jan brings more than 10 years of experience in B2B marketing technology and customer experience marketing and has been involved in operational excellence as well as driving significant marketing efficiency and performance. Most recently, he held the role of Director of Marketing Operations at Contentserv, a Product Information Management vendor. Before that, Eric Jan spent 7 years at Sitecore, a leading Digital Experience Platform vendor. Im very excited to see whats ahead of Dynamicweb. We have a top-notch platform, with strong solutions in WCM, Digital Marketing, Ecommerce, and Product Information Management. And Im even more energized by that we have a great, rapidly growing, partner network and well over 4000 happy customers in an exhilarating market, enthused Eric Jan C. van Putten, VP of Marketing, Dynamicweb. About Dynamicweb Dynamicweb offers customers an industry recognized, award winning, all-in-one cloud business platform. We enable customers to deliver stellar customer experiences and to scale ecommerce success through the best-in-class Content Management, Digital Marketing, Ecommerce and Product Information Management solutions. Dynamicwebs 300+ partners, 200+ employees in offices all around the globe are proud to support well over 4.000 brands, which includes leading brands like Lego, Vredestein, Unilever, Winnebago, LOreal, Flying Tiger, Toyota and Europcar. Build on Dynamicweb they are empowered to gain lifelong customer relations, increase revenue and grow their brands. Learn more at http://www.dynamicweb.com. Follow Dynamicweb on linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/dynamicweb-software/ Source: Xinhua| 2020-09-11 13:41:07|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- From 2015 to 2019, the Chinese mainland recorded 29.37 million visits by Taiwan residents, according to the Chinese exit and entry administration Friday. The last batch of paper travel passes for Taiwan visitors to the mainland will expire on Sept. 20, and they will be supplanted by a more convenient electronic version, the bureau of exit and entry administration under the Ministry of Public Security said in a statement. Residents in Taiwan can also apply for a single-entry pass for their mainland travels, the bureau said. The mainland started issuing travel passes for Taiwan residents in 1992, and as of 2019, more than 23 million passes had been issued for over 11.6 million Taiwan residents, the bureau said. To further improve the safety and efficiency of border inspections and facilitate the arrival of Taiwan residents, the mainland in 2015 began issuing electronic long-term passes. Enditem Kang Ha Neul's performance as officer Hwang Yong Sik in "When the Camellia Blooms" bagged another prestigious award! On September 10, the actor continued to shine as he took home the Actor Award at the 47th KBS Broadcasting Awards ceremony, hosted by the Korea Broadcasting Association This is the second actor award for his role in the drama, who used his words of encouragement and compliments to express feelings and heal the wounded heart of Dong Baek (Gong Hyo Jin). His winning performance and the storyline in the drama touches hearts as he becomes the pillar of strength and inspiration for Dong Baek to live life despite the hardships she encounters. Dong Baek was an orphan and a single mother but Hwang Yong Sik protected and loved her with all his heart. ALSO READ: Kang Ha Neul, Pengsoo, BTS and Many More Win Grand Prizes At The 47th Korean Broadcasting Awards At the ceremony, Kang Ha Neul received his award and thanked everyone for their support. "I thanked all the supportive seniors who I work with through 'When the Camellia Blooms' and I am happy for this award. One of the reasons for winning this award is the help of my co-star Gong Hyo Jin and I wanted to thank her for that," he said. The award is Kang Ha Neul's fourth recognition in Best Actor category from different award-winning bodies in the drama "When the Camellia Blooms". Kang Ha Neul's new look The recent ceremony was Kang Ha Neul's first public appearance since he took home the Best Actor award from the 56th Baeksang Arts Awards in June this year. ALSO READ: Kang Ha Neul and Son Ye Jin in Talks to be Paired in New Historical Drama Since then, the fans did not have any visual updates from the actor. Then, he surprised his fans with his bearded face and long hair, hinting at his next character as Woo Cha Mi in the upcoming movie "Pirates 2". The action-packed film revolves around the stories of pirates and bandits in search of a seal on the sea before the founding of the Joseon dynasty. Netizens praised and commented that Kang Ha Neul indeed is an actor who transforms and immerses his whole body and mind to every character he portrays. "Pirates 2" will be released in 2021. Since August 1, Ukraine has changed its approach to the formation of the list of red and green zone countries in terms of the spread of coronavirus. Ukraine's Health Ministry has updated the list of countries in terms of the level of coronavirus spread and corresponding travel restrictions applied. The relevant list of countries with information on the number of active COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people as of September 11 has been posted on the ministry's website. Red zone So far, the list includes 44 countries, whereas there were 50 of them a week ago. Upon returning from these countries, Ukrainians must go for 14-day self-isolation using the Dii Vdoma mobile application. Early termination of the self-isolation period is possible after negative PCR test returns. The list includes Israel, Argentina, the Maldives, Peru, Spain, Brazil, the U.S., the Republic of Moldova, France, Monaco, and dozens of other countries. Croatia and Montenegro are among popular tourist destinations where Ukrainians are not allowed to fly on vacation. Read also Cabinet amends categories of foreigners exempt from COVID-19-related entry ban Green zone In total, 156 countries + Ukraine got into the green zone, whereas there were 150 of them a week ago. Ukraine is included in the list of green zone countries with an indicator of active COVID-19 patients at 88.1 per 100,000 people. The list includes such countries as Romania, the Czech Republic, Malta, Armenia, North Macedonia, Mexico, Austria, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Portugal, Belgium, Hungary, Russia, Kazakhstan, Great Britain, Ireland, Denmark, Italy, Greece, Belarus, Sweden, Poland, Germany, Azerbaijan, Georgia, the Seychelles, etc. Albania, Bulgaria, Egypt, and Turkey are also on the list where Ukrainians can fly on vacation. Citizens arriving from the green zone countries enter the territory of Ukraine without restrictions. Zoning KABUL: U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo landed in Doha on Friday, ahead of historic" long-awaited Afghan peace negotiations scheduled to launch the following day. Its taken us longer than I wish that it had to get from February 29 to here but we expect Saturday morning to have the Afghans sitting at the table together prepared to have what will be contentious discussions about how to move their country forward," Pompeo told reporters shortly after taking off from Washington on Thursday evening. (Its) truly historic." The Trump administration has been attempting to usher the Taliban and Afghan government towards negotiations, which would pave the way for the United States to finally withdraw from its longest war and hand President Donald Trump an important foreign policy success ahead of the Nov. 3 U.S. presidential election. United States Special Envoy Zalmay Khalilzad told journalists on a conference call on Friday that the negotiations would be a test for both sides." This is a new phase in diplomacy for peace in Afghanistan. Now we are entering a process that is Afghan-owned and Afghan-led," he said, adding that the United States would continue to monitor and engage with both sides. Earlier, a team representing the Afghan government flew from Kabul to Doha for the inauguration ceremony. Today, we depart to Doha with hopes and self confidence to create a condition in Afghanistan where guns are silent and the values of (the) republic are consolidated and Afghan people achieve what they deserve," said senior negotiator Nader Nadery, part of the team that left Kabul on a commercial airliner. After Saturdays events, actual talks are expected to begin between the Afghan government representatives and the Taliban, as envisaged in a February agreement between the militant group the United States. Pompeos arrival in Doha on Friday coincided with the 19th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on the United States that triggered U.S. military involvement in Afghanistan against the Taliban, who harboured Osama bin Laden, the al Qaeda militant leader who plotted the attacks. A diplomatic source in Kabul said the start of talks had been arranged to ensure it did not fall on the anniversary. A jet picked up six prisoners demanded by the Taliban from Kabul on Thursday. Some Western governments had objected to their release, and as a compromise it was agreed that they would be kept under supervision in Qatar. This was an Afghan decision, a decision that was difficult, but necessary," Khalilzad told reporters. France and Australia said overnight that they objected to the prisoners being released from Afghan prisons. 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 In a statement released on Saturday, 5 September, the Director of the Holy See Press Office, Matteo Bruni, announced that Pope Francis will visit the Italian town of Assisi (the home town of Saint Francis) on 3 October, where he will sign a new encyclical entitled Fratelli tutti, ("All Brothers) on fraternity and social friendship. The Holy Father is expected to arrive in Assisi in the afternoon where he will celebrate Holy Mass at the Tomb of St. Francis. Following the liturgical celebration, he will sign the new encyclical and return to the Vatican. Due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, the Popes visit will take place in private, without the participation of the faithful. Russia's Interior Ministry wants to question opposition politician Aleksei Navalny in Berlin, where he is being treated after German doctors reported "unequivocal evidence" that he was poisoned with the military-grade nerve agent Novichok, contradicting their Russian counterparts who said they had found no trace of poison. The ministry's transportation police directorate branch in Siberia said on September 11 that with Navalny coming out of a medically induced coma earlier this week, it is preparing a request that German authorities allow its investigators to take part in questioning the 44-year-old Kremlin critic and anti-corruption campaigner. A German government spokesman said Berlin had yet to receive an official request from Moscow on the issue. Separately, the public prosecutor's office in Berlin said it had been instructed by the states Justice Ministry to provide legal assistance to the Russian authorities and information on Navalny's health -- "subject to his consent." Navalny fell ill aboard a plane en route from the Siberian city of Tomsk to Moscow in late August and was hospitalized after the plane made an emergency landing in the city of Omsk. He was then flown to the Charite clinic in Berlin, where German authorities said that "unequivocal evidence" indicated Navalny had been poisoned with the Soviet-era nerve agent, which the Kremlin has vehemently denied and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov called "groundless" on September 11. Russian human rights defenders, opposition politicians and activists, and Navalny's relatives and associates, however, say the use of Novichok indicates that the Russian state only could be responsible for the poisoning. Infographic: A Timeline Of Russian Poisoning Cases Western politicians have said they also believe the poisoning was likely ordered by authorities in Russia and have urged Moscow to prove its lack of involvement. The case has prompted international calls for Russia to carry out a transparent investigation or risk sanctions, but the country has not opened a criminal investigation, saying its medics did not find evidence of poison in tests. U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun told reporters on September 11: "It is unbelievable to us that this would happen on the territory of any country and the government would not react with urgency to investigate and hold accountable those who committed the crime." In its statement, the Siberian transport police said they had been conducting "checks" into what happened and published some findings on Navalny's activities. According to the statement, Navalny had snacks and drinks at the Xander Hotel, Velvet restaurant, and an apartment where he held meetings with his team members in Tomsk. He also stopped at the Vienna Coffeehouse at the Tomsk airport for a tea before boarding the plane. The statement also says that five of Navalny's associates who were accompanying him in Tomsk have been questioned by police, while a sixth associate, Marina Pevchikh, who is a permanent resident of Britain, was not available for questioning. Police are now working on tracking down other passengers who were aboard the plane, the statement said. The Kremlin says Berlin has not answered its request to see the medical data that led to the declaration that Navalny had been poisoned with Novichok. However, doctors in Omsk said earlier that they had used an antidote to nerve agents while treating Navalny and that medical personnel in the Charite clinic also used it while treating the anti-corruption campaigner. Germanys Defense Ministry has said the data about Navalny has been provided to the Hague-based Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. Moscow's UN Ambassador Vasily Nebenzya on September 10 reiterated Moscows stance on the incident, saying that Russia "has no grounds to launch a probe" into the situation around Navalny. "Our doctors -- who, by the way, saved Navalny -- did not find any trace of the chemical weapon in his tests. We have not received any evidence from Germany that would bring us to the conclusion that we are talking about a premeditated crime here," Nebenzya said. With reporting by TASS, Interfax, AFP, dpa, AP, and RFE/RL's Russian Service I would like to write my column this week about Zoom backgrounds, and the linked phenomenon of books as potent symbols of personal branding. But I cant. First, because my boss is four months old and, while exacting in her own way, does not require a lot of Zoom meetings of her employees. Second, I cannot write about Zoom backgrounds because its hard to concentrate when the country you are living in lurches ever more assuredly towards chaos. You really are very lucky to have Australian citizenship, wrote an American acquaintance in an email to me this past week. I remain sceptical that this is a problem that can be solved by skincare fanatics and their credit cards. Credit:Getty Images With a professional matter to discuss, the two of us would normally have met for a coffee. This is, of course, impossible. In our houses we sit, indefinitely, while less risk-averse folk holiday interstate and eat at restaurants and go to Disneyworld, because no one has stopped them from doing so. The only thing worse than stage 4 lockdown is never entering lockdown in the first place. Then theres the matter of the US mail, which is not working. Ahead of an election which will be determined by postal votes, concerned citizens are being urged to buy stamps to keep the United States Postal Service afloat.